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Tag: Francis Ewherido

  • Who said January is the longest month? – By Francis Ewherido

    Who said January is the longest month? – By Francis Ewherido

    We have often heard that January is the longest month of the year. This paradigm stemmed from the practice where many organisations paid their staff December salaries early to enable them prepare for Christmas. By the time they are done with the Christmas and New Year day celebrations, they are practically not only broke but broken financially from early January. The wait for January salary becomes an endless one. And you know when you are anxiously waiting for anything to come, minutes can become hours and hours become days in your mind.

    I have never seen January as the longest month. January has 31 days just like March, May, July, August, October and December. The rest are 30 days except February which is 28 or 29 days, depending on whether or not it is a leap year. My case is probably different because I left paid employment before I got married, so there was no pressure of spending December salary preparing for Christmas and New Year celebrations beyond taking care of myself or even travelling home. I never had to buy new clothes and shoes for children as a paid employee. My December, January and other months depended solely on how well I managed my cash flow.

    If you manage your finances well, January is no different from any month, but if you spend more than you earned in December and you have no extra or emergency funds anywhere, your January will be lonnnnnnnng. These assertions relate to staff of certain cadre. The salaries of senior executives are already humongous. By the time you add the Christmas pecks that come with the offices they hold, these assertions do not apply to them. There are also organisations that have 13th month policies. They are paid salaries twice in December or January to help staff cushion the effects of December spending, so these assertions do not also apply to them. But with our economic situation, some companies have jettisoned the 13th month policy.

    The other factor that helps people is budgeting and fiscal discipline. A budget without fiscal discipline is as good as not planning. We already know there will be Christmas and New Year day. These days do not change, so you can plan ahead for them. After the New Year celebrations, schools resume and parents are confronted with fresh financial obligations.  From your experience you already know your recurrent expenditure. You simply plan for them. Sudden unplanned events that requires huge expenditure, especially for people with lean resources, do happen and that is understandable, but beyond that, it all boils down to planning.

    Ironically, January is the shortest month for some people. There are some parents who begged their children’s schools to give them till mid or end of January to pay the second term school fees. January is over, so how can January be long for such people if the money is not yet available? If they have their way, mid or end of January should never come but we are already in February. There are those who borrowed money to meet December expenses with the promise to pay back at the end of January. We are now in February and the money to do the repayment is not yet available. You think such people wanted January ending to come?

    For over 10 years now, I have learnt how to make days, months and years run very fast. It is strange to me that we are already in 2025. Even 1999 seems like yesterday to me. I focus on activities and other things that make time fly by.  I dread idleness. January is short for me. Every month is short. I take my mind off anything that will make time roll slowly. For instance, I focus on paying staff salaries, paying school fees and other bills because they make time run very fast. Before long the month is ended and another month begins. Before you blink, it is ended and you have to pay salaries again, no matter how bad business has been for the month. I have an older friend. He told me that at the end of month, he suffers pains in his hands and wrist because of the number of cheques he has to sign. I smiled to myself and said “it’s a lie. You are having heartaches because of the millions of naira leaving your company’s bank account in salaries and other obligatory monthly bills.” The man is very tight and hates spending money in spite of his enormous wealth.

    Writing this column also makes time fly by for me because meeting weekly deadlines is very tasking. Another friend of mine’s strategy was to focus on paying his children’s schools. They were schooling abroad and it was not as it he saved money before sending them abroad. He was doing catch up. By the time he completed payment of salaries and bills for the semester or year, another one was here.  The years flew by and belong his four children were out of school. That was a few years ago. These days, if possible have all the money for your children’s school fees and upkeep before sending them abroad. I do not like the enormous stress someone else I know who sent his children abroad went through. I will not put myself through that kind of pressure. He could have suffered heart attack or stroke catching up with his children’s school fees and bills. The pressure to meet if children’s fees and upkeep was just too much. Happily, he now has relief.

    The bottom line of it all is financial literacy and financial planning. It is very crucial, especially in our current situation.

    IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPULSORY MOTOR INSURANCE

    Two weeks ago, on this column, I alerted motorists that from February 1, the Nigerian Police will commence the implementation of the compulsory Motor (Third Party) Insurance. It is compulsory because the Motor Vehicles (Third Party) Insurance Act of 1945, which took effect from 1st April 1950 and section 68 of the Insurance Act of 2003 make it mandatory for motorists to have the minimum third party insurance before they drive their cars on roads accessible to members of the public.  I advised motorists that it is the minimum motor insurance. There are “bigger” ones: Third Party, Fire (TPFT) and Theft Insurance and Comprehensive Insurance. These are insurances which include the third party and coverage for own damage. Third Party Insurance, as the name implies, only covers the motorists for liabilities to other road users for property damage, bodily injuries and death. The policyholder gets no personal benefits, but the other motor insurances provide the owner reliefs for damage to and theft of his vehicle.

    I am getting reports that some policemen are arresting people with TPFT and comprehensive insurances. The police need to be well educated. How can someone who scored 80 in an exam fail and you say the person who got the minimum pass mark of 40 per cent (third party insurance) passed the examination? The police should take note and the insuring public should know their right. In addition, all motor insurances have THIRD PARTY INSURANCE written on them. For TPFT and comprehensive, it means third party liabilities are covered. Be well informed and do not allow any uniformed person to harass or intimidate you.

  • 2baba and Annie Macaulay – By Francis Ewherido

    2baba and Annie Macaulay – By Francis Ewherido

    In the past one week, 2Baba and his wife Annie have been trending. 2baba in a now deleted post on Instagram had said they were separated and in the process of divorce. Those who have followed this column know that I am not an advocate of divorce. They also know that I scarcely focus on individual marriages and this has not changed.

    Ironically, this is the second time I am writing about 2baba and Annie. In the first article two years ago, I reacted to an interview where 2Baba said on television before Annie that men’s penises have minds of their own and a man might not be in control of the actions of the penis.  He also said that a man can have sex with a woman he is not emotionally attached to.

    While I agreed that 2Baba was being frank with himself on sex, he should not generalize because there are monogamists who are faithful to their wives. He should also have been sensitive to the feelings of Annie and not said it in front of her.

    I am not focusing on the current marital troubles of the duo per se because I am not in a position to do so. I don’t even know them personally and I don’t like writing on issues I know very little about. All I know about them is what I read or heard in the media. Their current marital troubles inspired me to write this article. I am only giving credit to whom it is due. That is the reason their names are in the headline . I already had another article for today, which I suspended.

    Having been in marriage for over two decades, I have learnt a few things. One, too many cooks spoil the broth. In my book, Life Lessons from Mudipapa, I distinguished between interference and intervention in marriage. “Interference means, ‘to meddle,’ ‘to obstruct a process,’ ‘be a hindrance.’ Intervention, on the other hand, means ‘mediation.’” Intervention can be accepted in marriage, but couples should have zero tolerance for interference. These are the many cooks that spoil the broth, sorry mess your marriage and bring in complications from which many marriages never recover. Interference is the bane of many celebrity marital problems. Everybody: friends, fans, followers and fellow celebrities think they have a say in their marriages.

    From what I have read so far, the “cooks” in 2Baba and Annie’s marriage partly created problems in their marriage. You have 2Baba’s fans who blame Annie for the troubled marriage. They see her as a green snake under the green grass. The social media, bloggers and YouTubers are all having a feast. Whose interest are they pursuing? Their personal interest. They just want to satisfy their subscribers, readers, grow their outfits and make money.

    You also have friends and sympathisers of Annie who have declared war on 2Baba. Some have promised fire and brimstone. They want to use the unfortunate situation to trend and be in the news. They vowed to expose 2Baba. Music brought him fame, fortune and the celebrity status, not righteousness. Morally speaking, 2Baba is already on the ground. How do you want to bring down a man with many babymamas. He has probably lost count of the number of women he has slept with. He has never pretended to be a saint or innocent of the many sexual infractions attributed to him. His name is Innocent, but he is by no means innocent where women are concerned. And you cannot hold that against him because he did not give himself that name. Go and hold his parents or whoever gave him that name that if you feel it is ironic for him to answer that name, Innocent.

    During my youth service in Port Harcourt in the late 80s, there was this guy called Fineboy. He was anything but fine. I was younger and less sensitive then. I couldn’t resist the urge to ask him the person who gave him the name. He took it lightly and said his father did. I was tempted to ask further if his father was drunk when he gave him that name. But how will he know? He was a newborn. I have also met women who answer the name, Queen. I always wondered whether if that was the year the late Queen Elizabeth visited Nigeria or she did something remarkable the year these women were born because I can’t find any correlation between the name and the looks. So leave 2Baba alone with the name Innocent. He is. He didn’t commit murder.

    Some people take sides with 2Baba or Annie as being responsible for the breakup of the marriage. I have used this Urhobo word many times: Uwevwirohwofabeno. It is very difficult to understand the inner workings of another person’s house. Do you live with them? When they go into the bedroom, do you go with them? You blame 2Baba because you are close to Annie. Your opinion is tainted by what Annie told you. You call Annie Jezebel because you are close to 2Baba. Besides what 2Baba told you, what do you know about Annie? Sometimes, even the children of the couple only know in part. The teenage daughter of the couple said this: “They (people commenting about the impending divorce of her parents) will never actually know the actual true story or the actual true background of anything that has ever happened in my family.” Even she only knows in part because she does not follow her parents into the bedroom.

    Marriage is mysterious. If you are involved in marriage counselling, you know what I am talking about. There is a couple who broke up. The husband was regarded as the bad guy. Even his siblings and family admit it. The husband readily acknowledged his imperfection, but he loved his wife and didn’t want the marriage to break up. We brought them together in an effort to salvage the marriage, but the wife stood her ground: She wanted out. When the husband saw the breakup was inevitable, he opened up and made revelations about the wife. We were thinking the wife would deny and fly into a rage, but shockingly, she bowed her head and went mute. We were stunned. Some of us would not have tolerated the revelations the husband was making about the wife.

    Before you start talking about people’s marriages, remember that uwevwirohwofabeno. What I have found out over the years is, talk to both parties separately. Then bring them together. During the encounter together, you will know where the truth lies. It’s easy for a trained mind. But at the end, who is wrong and who is right is not the most important thing. Peace in the family is. It’s just that it is very difficult to build peace on a false foundation.

    Those fighting for or against 2Baba and Annie should priortise the interest of the couple and their children. Divorce is often time tougher on the children than the players. I know they are celebrities, but respect their privacy. They need it. 2Baba and Annie should also stop providing the media, friends, fans, supporters, etc., with fuel. That is what they do when they grant interviews or make posts on their social media platforms.  If divorce is what they want, so be it, but they can remain civil and courteous. Shaming does them or their children no good.

    Two reminders for all of us. You marry wholesale (good, bad and ugly behaviors), not cherry picking. Also, marriage is not an institution where you change spouses. You change your mindset to get along with your spouse. If on his/her own, your spouse changes for the better, that is a bonus not entitlement. So shine your eyes before you say “I do.”

  • Stay away from trouble, protect your assets – By Francis Ewherido

    Stay away from trouble, protect your assets – By Francis Ewherido

    The Nigerian Police Force has announced that from next Saturday, February 1, it will start the enforcement of the minimum Motor Insurance (Third Party) Act for vehicles nationwide.

    Consequently, I am revisiting motor insurance a few weeks after I did a similar article. I had to drop the article for today because the enforcement starts next Saturday and this is the last opportunity I have to inform or remind you. The implementation has consequences.

    In view of the economic hardship, you need to avoid any thing that will make you get into police trouble that can lead to avoidable expenses. In fairness to the Nigeria Police, they are only trying to implement an 80-year-old law that is very important to other road users!

    The Motor Vehicles (Third Party) Insurance Act of 1945, which took effect from 1st April 1950, makes it an offence for anybody to use a motor vehicle on the road without having in place the minimum Motor (Third Party) Insurance to cover the motorist against liabilities arising from third party bodily injuries or death. The 2003 Insurance Act added third party property damage.

    The penalty if you run afoul of the law is a fine of N250,000 fine or/and one-year imprisonment. Whether you pay the fine or go to prison, you become an ex-convict subsequently and you know the implications: It can stop you from holding public office or be a director of a company. Prevention is better than cure.

    Nigerian road users are like a polygamist with many wives. You have the favourite wife/wives called amebo and the wives who have fallen out of favour. In Urhobo, we call them avwiorovwen. On our roads, you are either an amebo or avwiorovwen. This applies not only to the police, but road safety, customs agent and other uniformed personnel.

    The amebos include the rich, motorists with grey hairs, especially if they drive expensive or neat vehicles, members of the judiciary, armed forces personnel, people with security escorts, the clergy especially those high up the rank, journalists with car stickers, etc. The avwiorovwe are those with old and rickety vehicles, young men driving expensive cars, young men with tattoos or wearing ear rings and carrying braids.

    This article should ordinarily be for everyone because the law is specific: do not put your vehicle on a public road without the minimum third party motor insurance. But I am talking specifically to the avwiorovwen because our matter different for Nigeria.

    If you are an aviorovwen, you better get the minimum third party motor insurance before next Saturday. It is not enough that you buy the insurance. Ensure you buy from a genuine source. I have shared them before and I will do so again. You can buy directly from an insurance company or an insurance brokerage company licensed by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), the regulatory body of insurance in Nigeria.

    I always advise that you do so through an insurance broker because they are your agents and will help you to process your claim in the event of an accident leading to a claim. What is insurance without payment of genuine claims? You can contact companies authorized to issue or act on your behalf at: naicom.gov.ng and https://ncrib.net.

    The third party insurance premium is N15,000 for private vehicles and N20,000 for commercial vehicles and staff buses. Tricycles and motorcycles are N3,000 and N2,000 per annum to abide by the law. These sums are less than what agberos collect from okada and keke daily. Premium for trucks is N100,000 per annum. Now compare these premiums with the N1m fine for default or if you get into police wahala? Mostly affected will be the avwiorophes. You don’t want me to elaborate. Na Nigeria all of us dey.

    Another reminder, ensure that you have downloaded the NIID (Nigeria Insurance Industry Database) app on your phone. It contains the data of all vehicles with genuine motor insurance policies in Nigeria. With the admonition so far, some people will still and get their motor insurance under the bridge or from motor licensing offices. Check on the NIID platform to be sure you have a genuine insurance. If it is not there, it is fake. Many policemen in Lagos already have the app on their phones.

    With the enforcement starting next Saturday, many more policemen across Nigeria will download it. Ogun State to Benin routes are particularly on my mind. I have forewarned and forearmed you.

    A few weeks ago when we treated “motor insurance simplified,” we explained that the benefits of third party motor insurance are for third parties (other road users) only for bodily injuries, death and property damage. The policyholder gets no personal benefits. The second motor insurance policy, third party, fire and theft has limited benefit for the policyholder which applies if his vehicle is damaged by fire or stolen. And the premium is about two-third of the comprehensive motor insurance premium.

    Only comprehensive motor insurance gives the policyholder full coverage and the premium is 5% of the insured value. Many people say they cannot afford both premiums; meanwhile they want a policy that can give them some benefits for own damage (damage to their vehicle).

    Some insurance companies have come up with products that care of third parties and limited benefit for own damage for policyholders. The extended third party insurance can cover own damage as high as N500,000, but it is good to involve your insurance broker to negotiate additional premium to the N15,000 basic third party premium to get the cover, especially if it is not expressly stated. But this policy is not suitable for all vehicle owners.

    For instance, if the value of your car is N150m, it is useless and a waste of the extra premium. In the event of an accident, one headlight of a luxury car can cost as much as N1.5m to replace. The truth is that many owners of expensive cars only do third party insurance to comply with the law. I tried marketing someone with a garage worth over N5b. He said he was contented with third party insurance. “What of if your car is involved in an accident or stolen?” “Francis, if this one get accident, other ones dey to drive. Who dey thief expensive motor sef? If e get accident or dem thief my motor, money dey to replace am.” I closed the matter there, or what do you want me to do? Give a lecture on financial management to a multi-billionaire who has his mind made up?

    On the other hand, repairs of many vehicles under N10m in value will not cost more than N500,000 in the event of an accident that is not severe. These are the kind of vehicles that this variant of Motor (Third Party) Insurance is suitable for. But the policyholder must be aware of the risk he is carrying. In the event of extensive damage to his vehicle, he will be his own insurer for any amount above insurance policy limit. For instance, if you are involved in an accident that will cost you N1.5m to fix your car, the maximum you can get from the insurance company is N500,000. You are your own insurer for the balance of N1m.

  • The many seasons of marriage – By Francis Ewherido

    The many seasons of marriage – By Francis Ewherido

    Last week, I said marriage has many seasons. I confessed that I have not experienced some of the seasons and I was not keen on discussing them. I ended the matter there, but some readers complained that the article ended abruptly. Your wish is my command, so I want to share some of the seasons I have experienced in marriage. I will also share the experiences of some my friends, who are older in marriage, told me. But let me hasten to say that the title of the article is a misnomer. Ordinarily, the title should be “Many Seasons of My Marriage.” Unlike the seasons of the year which are unchanging, marriage seasons vary among individuals. In Nigeria, the seasons are rainy and dry seasons. In Europe, they are spring, summer, autumn and winter. It is the same thing in America, but they call autumn fall.

    In marriage, the seasons start immediately after you are declared husband and wife. It might start with thanksgiving in church, wedding reception or honeymoon. I did my wedding in Effurun, Delta State, where my wife comes from. There was thanksgiving and reception thereafter. Then we returned to Lagos to continue our married life. I have seen a couple who went to church in the morning and did their wedding. Thereafter, they left for work. There was no reception, thanksgiving in church or honeymoon. Married life started thereafter.

    Another couple skipped honeymoon after their wedding because a quarrel started at the reception due to “my family was not well treated in the sharing of food, drinks and gift items” and the quarrel lingered. Which family, you may ask. From the moment you are declared husband and wife, a new family is born comprising husband and wife. So, plan properly to ensure that your siblings, parents and other family members are well catered for during your reception. After your wedding (marriage ceremony), they become the larger family or extended family. E get how e dey do me for body even after 26 years of marriage, but na so the matter just be. God said so, not me.

    During honeymoon, some couples engage in sex as if it’s about to go out of existence. Marriage gives you the license to engage in intercourse without guilty conscience, especially for Christians and other adherents of religions that frown at premarital sex. Sex is a beautiful gift of marriage. It is yours to enjoy. But the same intercourse can lead to another season of marriage. Your wife wakes one morning with nausea, followed by vomiting, accumulation of saliva in her mouth and frequent spitting. The succulent and inviting lips you kissed effortlessly before pregnancy could become a struggle. Please give husbands who kiss lips with mouths that accumulate spit their flowers. I struggled and failed badly, I nor go lie.

    The early days of pregnancy or pregnancy generally is easy for some women, but very traumatizing and destabilizing for others. It was not easy for my wife, especially the first pregnancy. She hardly ate and dried up. Unfortunately, I had to go to work and leave her alone at home. On my way home in the evening, if the outside light was not on I would be scared to death and rush into the house with anxiety. I won’t forget those anxious moments in a hurry.

    Child birth is a relatively brief and gripping season. In the weeks before the expected delivery date, I was anxious and excited. We were playing a game of scrabble in the evening when my wife felt the first contraction. Then it continued. Lagos had a lot of security challenges in the late 90s, so we decided to head to the clinic to avoid being on the road at a late hour. When we got there, the doctor checked her and said she had a long way go before delivery. She was moved to the labour room as the night wore on. I wanted to follow her because that was our agreement, but one of the doctors said no. My wife insisted that I had to be present. I just look the doctor SMH.

    Now let me advise young couples. If you are the jealous type, don’t follow your wife into the labour room, or register her in a clinic where the gynecologist is a male doctor, or a clinic where there are no matrons. This is because at some point when doctors insert their fingers into your wife, you might wonder if it’s dilation they are doing or fingering. I read somewhere about a doctor having an erection in the labour room when the woman was in labour pains with legs spread apart. The woman was in labour pains and the doctor was having an erection? It is this kind of contradiction that usually made my mother to ask that rhetorical question: “Mavo ison ru vwo t’etuegban (how did faeces get to the side burns)?”

    Child birth is a bloody and tense affair. I witnessed two or three. If your wife delivers safe and sound, the dilation or fingering is forgotten. You are a father. That is what matters. I still lack the words to describe my feelings the first time I became a father. I left home with my wife and came back with an additional family member. Welcome to a new season. If the baby is the peaceful type who just wants to eat and sleep, the season can pass by like a ship at night: unnoticed. But is she is a cry-cry baby, be ready to do vigils. In those days when generators were luxury, a banker was forced to take a loan to buy a generator. There was blackout in his area for weeks. His baby coming out of the warmth of the womb could not adjust to the tropical heat. After three sleepless nights, he got a generator to power the fans and the crying stopped.

    When should conjugal activities resume after childbirth? It might depend on the type birth your wife had. If it is via caesarian section or she had a vaginal tear during childbirth, the husband has to be patient until she heals fully. It can also depend on the mindset of the woman. As a little boy of four or five years, I remember the case of a woman who ran into the streets of Ughelli, Delta State, shouting repeatedly: “mi vwienubor!” (I just had a baby o!). I didn’t understand why the other women took sides with her and protected her, but as I grew older, I realised that the husband wanted to have sex with her and she was probably not physically or psychologically ready. A friend resumed conjugal activities with his wife less than two months after child birth. Then she started feeling sick about four months after childbirth. She went to the hospital and they ran tests. She was pregnant again! The two children are a year apart in age.

    Raising children is not a season but a process that transcends many seasons, so we shall skip it. It will take a voluminous book to document the stages.  I warned earlier and last week that the seasons are many. We cannot exhaust them. I have skipped some. Let me round up with some latter seasons. An older friend reached out to his wife as usual, but she flung his hand away. My friend, a Delta man, was not impressed. “Nor be this woman when I don dey fu*ck over 30 years now,” he asked himself. Welcome to menopause, a season when women stop menstruating or have irregular periods. It is characterized partly by erratic behaviour, mood swings and unprovoked aggression.

    Another man wanted to perform his usual conjugal activities. His manhood refused to come alive. After over 40 years of active service, his penis told him without prior notice that “I have retired.” This couple were dogs in their younger days. They used to have sex in the bedroom, sitting room, kitchen, bathroom, hotel room and anywhere there was a semblance of privacy. Sex is over now, but the wife stayed put and they are still enjoying their marriage. They are not alone in this sans sex marriage situation. Illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, heart conditions, arthritis and cancer amongst others have destroyed the sex life of many couples. In some cases, the spouses are more like caregivers, taking care of their sick spouses. Another destroyer of sex life is aging. It’s just natural. Some people escape these tribulations and enjoy healthy a sex life into their 80s, but when I see young people overhype sex as a prerequisite for a fulfilling and happy married life, I smile. Their knowledge is painfully limited by age and experience.

  • Wedding vs marriage – By Francis Ewherido

    Wedding vs marriage – By Francis Ewherido

    Wedding simply means a marriage ceremony. These are the rites/ceremonies before you formally become husband and wife. Marriage, on the other hand, is that institution God created “where a man leaves his parents and clings to his wife and they become one flesh.” Dictionary has other definitions of marriage, but this is the one I practice. Wedding (Marriage ceremony) is distinct from marriage. Strictly speaking, “wedding ceremony” is tautology. Wedding or marriage ceremony is enough, but we keep seeing additions to the dictionary every day.

    For a while now, social media have created many marriage counsellors. I thank God I was already married before the proliferation of social media and counselors. If you listen to some of them, you will beghe (become confused). For a while, I lost interest in writing about marriage on this column and concentrated on the family part, including the ways the society impacts on families. But December is wedding season and even spills over to January. I have been watching some of these marriage ceremonies: the dance steps, the decorations, the splendour, fashion, expensive vehicles bringing the to-be couples to the venues, the wedding cakes, gift items, etc. One obvious fact is that they took time to plan the ceremonies. The dance steps were well choreographed. The couples engaged the services of event planners just to ensure that the less-than-a-day ceremony is a huge “success.”

    I have no problem with any marriage ceremony, no matter how much was spent or how much efforts went in as long as you did not borrow money to do the wedding. Wedding is not a business and you have no business borrowing to do it. Just do what is within your means. In my time, only wedding rings were compulsory items, so you could do a simple wedding with as little as N50,000 or less. These days, I learnt that some denominations dispense with rings, which is supposed to reduce the cost of the ceremony. But I also know that some couples spend as much as N50m or more on rings alone. It is their money. Everyone should just stay within their financial means.

    My concern is that while so much money and time are being spent to prepare for the less than a day marriage ceremony, little or no efforts are being expended on preparing for the marriage that can last for sometimes 50 years? My friend’s parents just celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. During marriage classes for people preparing for marriage, I get pissed off sometimes. Some participants come when the class is almost over just to show face and sign their attendance cards. If you refuse to be part of the shenanigans, you are a wicked man. Some will not show up at all. They will give their attendance cards to their spouses-to-be to sign for them. When it is time to sign the cards, you will see 30 cards; meanwhile, there are 25 participants. I devised a way around it. I go round to sign the cards instead of the class representative bringing the cards for me to sign. If you do not know the enormity of the institution you are going into, that is your business, but I don’t want to be part of the reason why your marriage failed. The church that painstakingly designed the marriage courses knew what she was doing.

    I said earlier that December is marriage season. People, especially the Igbos, come home to look for potential spouses. These days, it has become necessary to find out why some people are going into marriage. The first question is why do you want to get married? Some people just want their children to be born in a family setup. After they have their children, they are done with marriage. Some go into marriage because their mates are getting married. Some marry as a cover up of their sexual orientation. These people are not my target today. The people I am addressing are those going into marriage for the purpose God created it; primarily companionship and procreation, God willing. Anybody going into marriage as a life time commitment should do his/her homework very well.

    Even siblings who grew up under the same roof disagree, quarrel, fight and can become sworn enemies. You can then imagine planning to live with someone who grew up in another environment under different circumstances. The parties might or might even not have known each other. That is why I have always believed and I still do that the first port of call is to seek the face of God. He created the institution of marriage. He knows it is a slippery terrain and will give you the wisdom, patience, tolerance and whatever ingredients you need to succeed.

    Here let me choose my words carefully.  External beauty is good, but internal beauty is more enduring. They say, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and I have no reason to dispute that, but I rate internal beauty higher. But unless you linger, you will not discover the internal beauty. I advise you marry a woman you will find attractive come rain, come sunshine. After 26 years of marriage, I can say that authoritatively. Growing older and weight gain have not changed the way I see my wife. Why should I ? Both of us have put on weight and grown older. I hear men give reason for wanting to divorce their wives as “I don’t find her attractive anymore. Where you under a spell?

    There are other issues would-be couples must consider like compatibility, managing their differences, compatibility of core values or accepting the core values of the other party that differ from yours. Others are genotype and health status, healthy courtship, genuine friendship, openness about likes and dislikes and family involvement during courtship because after marriage, there should be no room for family involvement (interference) in your marriage. Marriage is like broth, too many cooks mess it up, etc.

    The marriage ceremony is always sweet. After the ceremony, everybody, including your family members, goes their separate ways. The decorator will no longer be there to keep your home sparkling. The caterers will not be there to keep cooking for you. The family and guests will not be there to keep you company. Just you and your spouse go into the room after the wedding to start your married life.

    Like weather, marriage has many seasons. You can’t dress up in summer the way you dress during winter. You will die. When your wife gets pregnant, a new season has started. She might suffer early morning sickness. I remember my friend’s wife telling him she wants to eat akara (bean cake) at 11pm. Luckily, there was a joint where prostitutes hung out into the night. Of course, food sellers did the same thing. My very pious friend would risk being seen around the area and go and buy the akara, only for him to come back and the wife would say she has lost her appetite. She would now demand for something else.

    Unlike most parts of the world that have only four seasons, marriage has many more seasons. We don’t have enough space to discuss all the seasons and I am not even competent to discuss all of them. I am just 26 years old in marriage. I told you earlier about my friend’s parents who celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. They have experienced more seasons I can only imagine. That is even if I know them. That is partly why marriage is very tasking.

  • New Year resolutions – By Francis Ewherido

    New Year resolutions – By Francis Ewherido

    In the past, I was heavily involved New Year resolutions ritual. The famous writer, Brian Tracy, advised that we should think on paper. In other words, write your dreams and resolutions down so that you don’t forget them, so I wrote them down. I also read many books on positive thinking and I was advised to visualize my dreams, so I painted or took photos of all I wanted and posted them on the wall of my room so that I could see them regularly.

    These are good, but there must be a good plan in place and determination to bring them to reality. I still believe in all these, but as I grow older, I have fully come to realise that New Year resolutions differ depending on your age, health status, financial situation, etc.

    One of the New Year resolutions of a focused student will be to improve on his grade. A graduate, on the other hand, wants to get a job. Those already working might want better paying and more secure jobs. Many people want financial prosperity.

    But the priority of those with health challenges is good health. When you are dealing with health challenges, you get to understand that saying that “health of wealth.” Without good health, you are hampered looking for wealth. Even the wealth you have accumulated can evaporate over time. When people talk of locusts as devourers, it is personified in ill health. Some people who were once very rich or comfortable have been pauperized by ill health. Their number one wish in the New Year is good health.  Whatever your situation is hope and work towards a fruitful 2025.

    Many people do not understand the enormity of the word HOPE. I was speaking with a friend when I started writing this article today (December 31, 2024). I told him that “I know 2024 has been very rough for you, but I believe you will come good in 2025 because you are a restless and hardworking young man brimming with youthful energy and ideas.

    Be hopeful. I know you fully understand what hope means. You lost your first wife early in life. You remember the hopelessness you felt seeing her lifeless body. I know because I have also experienced the same hopelessness seeing the lifeless body of a loved one. You have life, so shake off 2024 and brace up for 2025.”

    The same applies to all of us: shake off the hardships, disappointments and unfulfilled dreams of 2024 and brace up for 2025. As I was writing the article, someone handling an important assignment for me disappointed me at the last minute.

    Rather than be angry and desolate, I decided to look for alternatives. This led me to a solution provider, who not only solved the problem but opened new doors and opportunities for me to do similar tasks in the future. In 2025, see disappointments as a gateway to new opportunities. Task your brain to think deeper. Also seek out solution providers.

    They make life easier and pleasurable for you. People who know me know that I avoid people with negative vibes. Avoid people who are writing another book of lamentations. The current economic situation is tough no doubt, but why should I privatize the challenges of a whole nation?

    Moreover, 200m Nigerians must eat. They need shelter. Nigeria is not yet a nudist country, so they need to be clothed. There are myriad of problems and myriad of opportunities abound. Become a solution provider.

    We should also all look for useful activities to become better and improve on what we are already doing. Some people are so consumed with anger and hatred for elected government officials and environment that I wonder when they have time to think about how to make their lives better. Please focus on your life. When 2027 comes, let your voter’s card be your weapon and be part of those who will ensure votes count and vote out those you don’t want. Your current lamentations are self-destructive.

    In addition, I maintain that life is simple. That is why we all came into the world naked. That is also partly why Muslims bury their dead same day or the next day in the simplest fashion. In 2025, avoid people who make life look complicated or difficult.

    These days, when I meet such people, I scarcely hide my anger or irritation. English, mathematics, physics, chemistry, etc., are all simple subjects. It’s bad teachers who made them complicated and largely made us to hate these subjects in school. We should learn from those early mistakes.

    As a policy, I have stopped grudging people who are not keeping in touch. Everybody is dealing with issues. I don’t know the issues they are dealing with. When people apologise for not being in touch, I tell them they do not owe me any apologies because I don’t know what they are going through. In the same vein, do not grudge me if you don’t hear from me because you don’t know what I am going through. If you grudge me, you are wasting your time. As humans, we inadvertently or out of overreaction offend people. For such people I am sorry.

    I will continue to treasure people I consider assets and prune liabilities from my life. Assets are people who add value to your life or make living meaningful to you. I am talking of people who make you come alive, solution providers, mentors, people who teach you life lessons deliberately or inadvertently; people who show love and care, etc.

    Liabilities are selfish people, people who try to make you less human, people who don’t have your time. Prune them out of your life. You don’t need them. God created all of us mortals. That makes all of us dispensable. Only God, the omnipotent, is indispensable. Do not let any one play God in your life. Put them behind you. It will shock you the speed with which they will become residual in your life. You will be scrolling through your phone, when you see their names, you will exclaim, “this na one person too! Na so life just be.

    Continue to take good care of your health. Do exercises that suit your circumstances. Sedentary life is dangerous. Eat healthy. Do things in moderation. There is one life. Live it sensibly to the full. Get closer to God. Happy New Year.

    DELTA STATE GOVT CLOSES OKUAMA IDP CAMP

    The Delta State Government formally closed the Okuama IDP Camp in Ewu seven months after the State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, inaugurated it May 27, 2024, as a temporary shelter for displaced indigenes of the Okuama community following the destruction of the entire community by the Nigerian military over the killing of 17 military personnel by unknown gunmen around the community riverbank.

    But the Chairman of the IDP Management Committee, Mr. Abraham Ogbodo, who announced the closure of the camp on behalf of the state government said committee will now move into post-camp duty, which he said is to rebuild the destroyed community.

    The camp was opened with about 1,500 displaced persons, but there were less than 60 at the time it was closed. The camp comprised mainly of children and women. Families have been separated and it is just right that the families are reunited to begin the New Year.

    The Ogbodo-led committee did a marvelous job, but there is still a lot left to be done and the committee should focus fully on rebuilding Okuama now that the camp is closed.

  • 2024 end-of-year tragedies – By Francis Ewherido

    2024 end-of-year tragedies – By Francis Ewherido

    The Year 2024 is ending on a mixed note. For at least 45 years now, I have heard people lament that Christmas items were more expensive than they were the previous year. The lamentation this year is louder and rightly so. The removal of the fuel subsidy and floating of the naira are two of the major policies that have thrown more Nigerians under the bus of hardship than any other government policy I can remember. Unfortunately, discussions on both policies have been enmeshed in political, personal and ethnic lines rather than the real issues. I am no economist and I do not pretend to be one, so I tread carefully when discussing economic issues. But what is obvious is that it has been a very difficult year for many Nigerians.

    You do not need to be an economist to know that the current economic hardship contributed substantially to the avoidable deaths at Ibadan, Abuja and Okija. As an insurance practitioner, reverence for life comes to me naturally. In motor (third party), builders liability insurance and occupiers’ liability insurance, there are specified limits for compensation in naira to damage to properties belonging to third parties. But in the case of death or injuries to third parties, there are no limits of liability (compensation). The implication is that you cannot place value on life, loss of limbs, etc. Compensation is usually paid based on negotiations.

    It is very traumatising when you hear Nigerians dying during stampedes to collect food items for Christmas. In Ibadan, 35 children died. You know what that means? How many children do you have? Very few Nigerians have up to 35 children. Okay, let’s say all your father’s grandchildren (your children, nephews and nieces)? Some of us still do not have up to 35. These are the children who died avoidably in one sad incident. Reports say some of the children arrived as early as 5am with or without their guardians. My main problem here is that the dead are children. We all owe one another a duty of care and when children are involved, the duty of care is higher. The planners, with all their good intentions, should have had this in mind.

    Let us move to Okija in Anambra State. The foundation has been giving food items to the people for the past 14 years without hitches. So, why was 2024 different? For me, it is the increasing hunger and desperation. One of the organisers said that the “announcement was made in all the 30 villages in Okija for people to come over and get their palliatives on Saturday and the people were assured that there were enough palliatives for everyone. The event was scheduled for 9am on Saturday, but as early as 12 midnight, people left the comfort of their homes and slept at the gate of the foundation.”

    If the organisers of an event that has gone on hitch free for 14 years tell you there is enough for everyone, why the desperation? For me, this goes beyond the pervading hunger in the land. Some families had the husband, wife and children at the venue, why? The organisers said there is enough for everyone, so it cannot be a case of if, father does not get, the wife or children would. Let’s call a spade a spade, that is greed. When you go to ceremonies, the celebrants share gifts in bags. Each guest is entitled to a gift bag, but when the ceremony is over, you see some guests going home with as many as seven gift bags. That is the attitude people who went to the venue with many family members have. In any case, my advice to the organisers is that they should decentralise the distribution and do it in each of the 30 villages subsequently to avoid stampede.

    Also, same day in Abuja, another tragedy struck when 10 persons died during an annual Christmas food-sharing event at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama. The food sharing was organised by St. Vincent de Paul, a society renowned for catering to the needs of the poor irrespective of religion, denomination, ethnicity, nationality, etc. Everywhere, there is a Catholic Church parish, there is St. Vincent de Paul Society. They have been doing this every Christmas and at all times. That is what the society is all about: supporting the poor, orphans, widows and other vulnerable members of the society. Other parishes in Nigeria and worldwide, I dare say, did what Holy Trinity parish did this Christmas. So, what happened? They were probably overwhelmed by the crowd this year.

    Where human lives are involved, politicising issues irritates me. Ibadan in Oyo State is under the control of the People’s Democratic Party. Okija in Anambra State has Professor Charles Soludo of APGA as governor and the Federal Capital Territory has Chief Nyesom Wike, a PDP member, serving in an APC-controlled federal government, as minister. Leave out politics and blame the system. What crowd control and safety measures do they all have in place? Commiserations have been all over the media. Have government officials visited the bereaved families to commiserate with them personally. During electioneering campaigns, candidates visit voters at home to solicit for votes, so condolence visit is no big deal. The desire to get food items for Christmas drove many of the dead to the venues where they met their untimely death; has government and the various groups who organised these events taken food items to the living members of the affected families?

    I want summarise with my take on all the incidents. One, there is unprecedented hunger and hardship in the land. The twin factors are the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira. With the commencement of the operations of the Dangote Refinery, the resumption of production at the Port Harcourt Refinery we already have enough for domestic consumption and even export. I expect petroleum prices to drop further, so subsidy removal is the right move.

    Two, economic experts say the naira is undervalued. The federal government should put in place policies that will help put the naira at its real value. This will automatically increase people’s purchasing power and lift more people out of poverty. There is too much poverty and too many vulnerable people in the land. Government has put some policies in place to ameliorate people’s suffering, but they are not enough. A lot more needs to be done.

    At tough times like this, people forget that Nigeria is a federation. What are the states doing with the huge allocations they are getting? The welfare of the people should take precedence over any other projects. Also, every state in Nigeria, including Lagos with a small landmass, has arable land. States should invest heavily in agriculture. If there is abundance of food, prices of food items will go down and make them more affordable. It is a simple law of demand and supply.

    The local governments areas are nearest to the people. What are they doing with the humongous monthly allocations you get? Many of the local governments have agrarian communities. They should liaise with the federal government, state governments and other relevant agencies to get fertilisers, higher yielding seedlings, cassava stems, etc, for farmers. Let us use a multi-prong approach to drive hunger from our land.

    Finally, charity is good and God bless all the givers. But some people are naturally greedy and desperate and there is nothing you can do about that. But you can put adequate security and safety measures in place to neutralise that desperation and greed. The New Year celebration is just four days away. Subsequently, there will be Muslim festivals and Easter celebration. Thunder must not strike the same spot again. Individuals and groups must put safety and security measures in place to make their benevolent activities joyful activities, not sources of pain and sorrow.

  • The new Delta State “ability” law – By Francis Ewherido

    The new Delta State “ability” law – By Francis Ewherido

    “Ability” in the heading is an irony but it is the truth. There is no doubt that we have people with physical disabilities and handicaps in our society, but our unfriendly environment is actually more guilty for bringing these disabilities and handicaps to the fore. In more benevolent and saner climes, there is a deliberate effort to create equal opportunities for all, people’s physical and mental incapacities notwithstanding. They to create an environment where such people can function and live normal lives.

    That is what, I imagine, the Delta State Government is trying to achieve with the signing into law of “a bill to safeguard persons with disability against all forms of discrimination, equalise their opportunities in all aspects of living in the society, establish the Delta State Commission for Persons with Disability and for Related Matters” recently passed by the Delta State House of Assembly. On December 4, 2024, the Delta State Governor, Elder Sheriff Oborevwori, signed the bill into law.

    You will never understand what people with disabilities in Nigeria go through until you are temporarily disabled. The frustration is unbelievable. You can’t walk on the sidewalks, if there is any in the first place, because they are unfriendly and undulating. In some places, slabs covering drainages have been removed or are broken. Thieves steal metals covering manholes and endanger the lives of road users, especially when the road is flooded. You go to a four-storey building to transact business on the last floor and there is no lift or it’s not functioning if there is any.

    A younger friend of mine used to bring his friend, a lady, who uses a wheelchair to church on Sundays. One day, I asked him if the lady lived on the ground floor. He said she lived on the first floor. I asked how she came down to enter the car and go the church. He said he carried her on his back downstairs. The implication is that someone had to carry her on his/her back each time she wanted to go out. What do you think about it? For me, it is frustrating, distressing, humiliating and depressing.

    I can’t dwell on all aspects of the law, so I will take some aspects of it. One portion said “a public building shall not be constructed without the necessary accessibility aids such as lifts (where necessary), ramps and other facilities that shall make them accessible and usable to persons with disability.” This is wonderful, but I have problems with “where necessary” after the lift. I feel it should be compulsory that any public building with more than three floors (including ground floor) must have a lift. Anybody with enough funds to build such a structure should have the cash to install a lift. I spent some months in India. Every public building (buildings members of the public have access to) of three floors I entered had a lift.

    The next section is “roads, side-walks, pedestrian crossings and all other facilities made for public use shall be made accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities including those on wheelchairs and visually-impaired persons.” Apart from Abuja, many other parts of Nigeria were not planned making deliberate efforts to accommodate the disabled and physically challenged. Now that the Delta State Government has this law in place, future road constructions should be done in Delta with compliance to the law. Efforts can also be made to make amends to existing roads that failed to comply with this provision.

    The next section that caught my attention is “the relevant authority responsible for the approval of building plans shall ensure that before erecting any public structure, the relevant building plans are scrutinised in order to ensure that the plan conforms to the building code with regards  to accessibility facilities for persons with disability in line with the National Building Code.”

    The National Building Code mentioned in this section “is a set of minimum standards on building pre-design, designs, construction and post-construction stages with a view to ensuring quality, safety and proficiency in the building industry” in Nigeria. Going into details on the building code will make us deviate, but if the various professionals (architects, engineers, builders, town planners, estate surveyors, etc) abided by this code, the various problems bedevilling the industry, including incessant collapse of buildings will be mitigated. Of course, you have to add the monster of quackery plaguing the building industry.

    Another section that caught my eyes is “for a person with disability to be entitled to the use of the reserved spaces as provided for in this section. His or her car should have been properly identified with the necessary insignia issued by the Commission. I know major shopping malls in Nigeria make provisions for the disabled in their parking lot. But we have to make it a habit in all public parking lots not something we do out of compulsion. Abroad such parking lots are located closest to the entrance of the building to make life easier for people with special needs.

    Part three(C) of the law makes provision for the establishment of Delta State Commission for Persons with Disability. This is a welcome development. The law states that the “Chairman and other Commission members shall be persons of proven integrity with genuine concern for the rights, interests, protection and integration of persons with disability.” This is good, but I will suggest to the governor that at least half of people on board should be people with disability and special needs. “Na who wear shoe dey know where e dey pain pass.” Disabled people understand the pains, frustrations, rejection, etc., of people with disability more than others. They are in the best position to look after their interests. If they fail their own, which is not impossible, it will be tragic.

    The law also talks about dedicated toilet facilities for the disabled in public places. All the standard hotels and public places worth the name have them. My worry is our notoriety for lack of maintenance of such facilities. There should be cleaners during working hours to keep them clean. The law also talks about provision of ramps in public places. They are common in Lagos. I have not really taken time to observe the situation in Delta State and that is what the law is all about.

    Finally, the elephant in the room. We have many good laws to deal with various challenges in the society, but we don’t implement them. I will round up with one of such laws. The Insurance Act of 2003, Section 64, requires every owner or contractor of any building under construction with more than two floors to take out an insurance policy to cover his liability arising from construction risks such as his negligence or that of his servants, agents or consultants, which may result in death, bodily injury or property damage of workers on site or members of the public. Go round such construction sites and find out how many have this insurance.

    The Delta State Government has done well by enacting this law. It should do more by implementing it vigorously. The commission should be constituted and given the support to implement this law. If not, no work done. It will be a hollow ritual. We already have “The Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2019” at the national level, but implementation is weak. It must not be so in Delta State; if not, it will be another hollow ritual.

  • Somehow frog must jump, Merry Christmas – By Francis Ewherido

    Somehow frog must jump, Merry Christmas – By Francis Ewherido

    While growing up in my part of Bendel State (Delta State), if we encountered difficulty, we would say, “no how, no how, ogoro(frog) must jump,” meaning we’ll find a way to overcome the challenge. As we get close to Christmas, the saying came flooding back into my memory. Christmas is around the corner and there is a likelihood that many Christians would not be able to afford Christmas rice and chicken. For these families, the question that keeps agitating my mind is, somehow, somehow, ogoro suppose jump so (will these families still be able eat Christmas rice and chicken)? It’s going to be tough but not impossible for some.

    Christmas is a time for sharing. For givers, instead of giving one person a full bag of rice. Share it further, make it 25kg or 12.5kg bags where possible. That way more people will be able to eat Christmas rice. I am talking about cases where charity is the reason for giving. Companies are driven by other factors like appreciating their clients, but what I suggested above (reducing the quantity of rice per person) can also apply if they want to engage in charity. At difficult times like this, churches should go beyond the spiritual essence of Christmas and also pay attention to taking care of the less privileged and vulnerable in their midst. It is a time for giving to the less privileged, not making demands on them. The “haves” should look out for the “have nots.” We are in very difficult times and no love is greater than this. 

    In those days, neighbours used to cook and share food with their neighbours on Christmas day. I don’t know what it’s like these days. I get the feeling that the culture is dying for some reasons. One, there is trust deficit now unlike when I was growing up. Two, the society has become more stratified. Rich people tend to live in the same neighbourhoods, the same applies to the poor. Why would you bother your rich neighbour in his fenced and gated house with Christmas food? Has he even eaten the one he cooked. The man might even be fighting a battle with weight. 

    On the other hand, families in poor neighbourhoods are looking for money to feed their children and might not even have anything to spare. But there are cases where some very rich people live in a predominantly poor neighbourhood. I plead with such people to put smiles on the faces of as many of their less financially endowed neighbours as they can.

    Some people might be wondering why I am focusing on food, rice, chicken on Christmas day. Is that what the season is about? No, but in Matthew and Luke Gospels, it was reported that Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. Thereafter he was hungry and the devil tempted him three times. The first one was that if Jesus really claims to be the son of God, he should turn the stones into bread and eat to quench his hunger. Jesus’s response was that “man shall not live on bread alone, but…” When we were in the university, my friends would quote this verse, then we’ll add, “but Jesus didn’t say you should live without bread (food), because if you do, you will die.” So, Christmas is not about food, but people must eat and be alive here on earth to celebrate the essence of Christmas.

    What is the essence of Christmas? Christmas is the day set aside by SOME Christians to celebrate the birth of Christ. These Christians believe that the birth of Christ signifies a new beginning. Jesus is the only begotten son of God that he sent to the world to redeem it from doom. That is why Jesus is the Christ, the saviour and redeemer for Christians. The Nigerian constitution guarantees all Nigerians freedom of worship and association. You are constitutionally allowed to profess your beliefs and worship whoever you believe in. That is why I am only referring to Christians who see Jesus as their redeemer. I find people who denigrate other people’s beliefs as very irritating. 

    For instance, some Christians have chosen to celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25. They did not tell you Christ was born on that day because there is no record of the exact date. I shut up a young friend recently. He argued that Jesus was not born on December 25. I asked him if those who celebrate the birth of Christ said it is biblically written that Jesus was born on December 25. Like others did, please pick your own date and let others have peace to enjoy their constitutionally guaranteed freedom of worship.

    You would have noticed that I said Jesus Christ is the Mesiah and Redeemer of Christians, not the world. I am respecting people with other beliefs. Some religions do not believe He is the Saviour of the world. I don’t want to impose on people what they do not believe in, so I also expect you to respect my Christian and denominational beliefs. Let God be the judge at the end of time. The last time I checked, God has not outsourced the responsibility of the last judgement to you. So, maintain your lane; I am maintaining mine. Some people’s favourite past time is to judge others and condemn their beliefs. Who are you and who made you a judge? Merry Christmas to all those celebrating on December 25 and a fruitful New Year to you all.

    DEATH OF OKUAMA LEADERS

    Last week, I read that the Urhobo Progress Union, America, visited the Okuama IDP camp in Ewu and donated two cows and various food items. I was very happy because that meant a Merry Christmas for the displaced Okuama people in the camp. But my joy was short-lived when I heard about the death of the Okuama community President General, Pa James Oghoroko, in the Nigerian military detention. Shortly after, the news of the death of 81-Year-Old Dennis Okugbaye, Okuama community treasurer, broke. He was reported to have died in the same circumstances as the Okuama PG after being in military detention for about four months. Now the fate of the other community leaders still in detention is uncertain.

    It is saddening. This chain of events was triggered by the alleged killing of 17 soldiers and officers of the Nigerian Army by the Forcados river bank, Okuama. I was one of those who asked the security agencies to get to the bottom of the matter and bring the perpetrators to book. This is because the lives of our officers and soldiers matter. So far, the findings of the panel of inquiry have not been made known, adding to the anxiousness of the interested parties. 

    Since after the death of the two community leaders, the army has not made any statement. The silence on the findings of the panel of enquiry and the death of the community leaders are unnerving. People need to know the details of what happened. I feel the Okuama leaders should be prosecuted in a law court if the authorities have evidence linking them to the killing of the soldiers is established. In the alternative. They should be set free. Okuama has suffered and been traumatised enough. The lives of Okuama people also matter!

  • Motor insurance simplified – By Francis Ewherido

    Motor insurance simplified – By Francis Ewherido

    In the article marking the International Day for Tolerance on Saturday, November 16, I promised to break down and simplify motor insurance. With the festive season and the attendant increase in vehicular movement and associated risks, it has become all the more important. In Nigeria, there are three main types of motor insurance in practice: We have the Motor (Third Party) Insurance, Motor (Third Party), Fire and Theft and Comprehensive Motor Insurance.

    The Motor (Third Party) Insurance: The Motor (Third Party) is the minimum motor insurance you must have before you drive your vehicle on a public road. Public road means a road where the public have access to. Motor insurance was compulsory even before Nigeria’s independence in 1960. The Motor Vehicles (Third Party) Insurance Act of 1945, which took effect from 1st April 1950, made this minimum motor insurance compulsory. It makes provisions for liabilities the policyholder or anybody using the vehicle with a valid driver’s licence and permission of the owner, is protected against. The liabilities covered are for third party bodily injuries and death (treatment of people your vehicle injured or benefit  to those your vehicle unfortunately killed).  With the Insurance Act of 2003 as amended, third party insurance now covers liabilities for third party property damage. Unlike third party liabilities for bodily injuries and death which are unlimited, third party property damage has limits. 

    With the new motor insurance tariffs, if your car damages a third party property (car, house, etc) your insurance company is obliged to compensate the third party to the maximum of N3m on your behalf. If your vehicle carries own goods only, your insurance company will compensate the third party to the tune of N5m. The limit for compensation to third parties for damage caused by tricycle is N2m and N1m for motorcycles. Trailer limit of liability is N5m. I said earlier that bodily injuries and death are unlimited because you cannot put value on life and bodily injuries. But in reality, the injured third party or the family of the deceased start with mediation with the insurance company. If that fails, they go for arbitration. These must be exhausted before any party can go to court.

    The premium to enable policyholders to be entitled to these protections are: N15000 per annum for private motor, N20,000pa for own goods vehicles and buses, N100,000 for trailers, while tricycles and motorcycles are N5,000 and N3,000, respectively. For these benefits to apply, the insurance policy must be genuine. If the tortfeasor (guilty party) has an insurance policy that is fake or expired, there will be no insurance to fall back on. The guilty party must bear his cross. Some people resort to fighting on the road to resolve the accident. This is not necessary. There is an app called NIID (Nigeria Insurance Industry Database). Every motorist should download it on his phone. In the event of an accident, first of all take photos or videos of the scene if it is safe to do so. Then use the vehicle registration (number plate) of the guilty person to check the status of his insurance using your NIID App. Any vehicle that is not captured on the NIID App is either not insured or carrying a fake insurance. Either way, he has breached the Motor Vehicles (Third Party) Insurance Act of 1945. The penalty is a fine of N250,000 fine or/and one year imprisonment. It is up to the person in the wrong to cooperate or risk going to jail. Na so e suppose be, but….

    Now, let us to go practical. A vehicle hit a friend on mine. He contacted me and after I checked the wrongdoer’s insurance status on the NIID app, I found out that he had no valid insurance. Even before I called back, the man had agreed to fix my friend’s vehicle. Necessary contacts and agreements were reached at the scene, case closed. If a commercial bus, tricycle or motorcycle damages your property, do not hope on insurance because they scarcely have genuine insurance. As I was writing, a client whose vehicle was hit from behind by a commercial bus driver called me. Of course, he had no insurance and the police have impounded his bus. My client has comprehensive insurance, so his insurance company will fix his car. If the insurance company is interested, it can go and recoup from the bus driver after fixing my client’s car. It is called right of subrogation in insurance, but I know the insurance company will not bother. 

    Insurance operates based on the assumption of uncertainty. Even death which is certain is insured under life insurance because the date and time of death is uncertain. But the level of certainty of accident is too high with commercial buses, tricycles and motorcycles, so many insurance companies avoid giving them comprehensive motor insurance because you don’t insure what you are certain will happen. The best they get is third party insurance which is compulsory, but do they care? Even the few insurance companies that extend comprehensive insurance to them charge higher premiums to take care of the extra risks. 

    The probability of getting compensation from commercial buses, tricycles and motorcycles owners is low. Personally, I don’t bother myself because at best they will lie down and beg for forgiveness. At worse, they can mobilise their colleagues and attack you. Two motorists were lynched by motorcycle riders whose colleagues were responsible for the accidents that claimed their lives. The summary of what I am saying is that safety first before enforcing your rights. Sadly, at least 70 per cent of vehicles on Nigeria roads do not have valid insurance policies. Personally, I do comprehensive insurance (read below) for my vehicles partly because of this. Vehicles are very expensive and I need to protect what I have.

    Third Party, Fire and Theft Motor Insurance (TPFT) Cover: This is the second type of motor insurance. This policy covers all the above. In addition, it covers the insured against theft of his vehicle and loss of, or damage to the vehicle, by fire, external explosion, self-ignition and lightning. The policy, however, does not cover damage caused by explosion of any boiler forming part of, attached to, or on the vehicle. Obviously, the policy, like all policies, also does not cover arson, because it is not only a deliberate act, it is a criminal act.

    Comprehensive Motor Insurance: This is the most elaborate motor insurance policy. In addition to all the liabilities highlighted above (third party liabilities and own damage), a typical Comprehensive Motor Insurance Policy covers the loss or damage to insured vehicles as a result of vandalism, accidental damage or collision, overturning, etc. These days it also automatically covers flood damage, losses arising from strikes, riots and civil commotions (SRCC) and waiver of excess (Excess is the portion of each and every claim a policyholder bears. It is present in all non-life insurance policies). The reason for having excess in all non-life insurance policies is to encourage the policyholder to exercise the highest standard of care and treat the asset as if it were not insured. 

    Comprehensive Motor Insurance is also the only motor insurance that makes provision for medical expenses for the policyholder, his driver and other occupants of the vehicle as a result of injuries suffered in an accident involving the vehicle. The amount is usually fixed, but can cover the entire medical expenses when the injuries are minor. You need a separate personal accident insurance cover for major injuries. The premium for comprehensive is five per cent of the sum insured. It can be higher if the risk is heightened.

    What I have said so far might still sound technical to some of us. That is why I advise every policyholder to go through an insurance broker. Their normal services are FREE for policyholders because brokers get their commission from insurance companies. An insurance broker is an insurance professional (individual and corporate) registered by the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers and licensed by the National Insurance Commission, the insurance regulatory body, to act as an intermediary between the insuring public and insurance companies. Their job includes: guiding the potential policyholder to get the best deal, advisory services, pursuing and processing of claims, etc. With an insurance broker, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose. You can get an insurance broker of your choice at: naicom.gov.ng and https://ncrib.net.