Pendulum

Pendulum: What Gov. Wike Did Not Tell His Guest

Published

4 years ago

June 26, 2021

Eric

By Dele Momodu

Dakuku Peterside

I was privileged to read Dele Momodu’s column, the Pendulum, of Saturday, 19 June 2021, to which he gave the title, “My close encounters with Governor Wike”. Over the years, I have painstakingly followed this incisive column, but this is one occasion when I beg to differ with his assertions for reasons you will see in this article.

This right of reply would not have been necessary except that the author, Dele Momodu, better known as Bob Dee, has a solid social profile, has earned credibility among discerning Nigerians, and his column commands considerable followership. The import is that whatever he puts out is assumed to have passed through the rigour of proper verification and analysis and therefore to a reasonable degree has the seal of truth. But this is one occasion Mr Dele Momodu may have been misled to unwittingly market half-truth, cover-ups, outright lies and distorted facts.

Therefore, it is only fair that as a significant stakeholder in the development and politics of Rivers State, I put the records straight. But, unfortunately, in our highly politicised environment, the falsehood ignored is reframed as a Public Relations stunt, and facts become debatable.

For those who may be new to the politics of Rivers State, it suffices to provide background and context to situate any of the information provided in Bob Dee’s article under consideration and the critical analyses provided in this article to establish the truth and distinguish them from half-truth and outright falsehood. The following verifiable facts paint a realistic picture of the socio-economic situation of the state: the state in 2020 has 41.59% of its workforce as unemployed and ranked 8th in unemployment by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS); the state is number one in poverty index among South-South states; the US travel advisory has consistently put the state among the most security challenged states in the southern part of Nigeria from 2017 to 2020; Nigeria Police record ranked Rivers state as the top crime infected state in the South-South geopolitical region from 2017 to 2020; both by Central Bank of Nigeria and NBS admission Rivers state recorded no foreign direct investment from 2017 to 2020; Rivers state is among top 3 indebted states by 2020 despite an average internally generated revenue of N10-13bn monthly and average of N15-18billion monthly FAAC allocation plus 13% derivation.

Another important fact that must be put into consideration when measuring any financial expenditures on projects done by the Wike administration is that his administration received two heavy bulk payments of N78bn and N100bn respectively from FGN on account of work done by Rt Hon C R Amaechi administration and Paris club-related refund. These funds add to receiving regular monthly federally allocated revenue and internally generated revenue . The sheer size of these monies is staggering, and when you compare that to the value of the paltry legacy projects done by the Wike’s administration, you will weep for Rivers State.

When you compare the above verifiable facts with the impression created by the column that started on a note of “bringing some good news in this season of anomie”, you will notice a sharp contrast in meaning and significance. Thus, the portrayal by the column that remarkable development indicators are emerging from Rivers State is not only misleading but fantastical. One wonders where the good news or economic management wizardry is emanating.

The other contentious point is Bob Dee’s positing he will do a “critical examination and evaluation of the work Gov Wike was doing in Rivers through his pictorial lenses (rephrased)”. These lenses, granted, may capture beautiful images of projects executed in Rivers State, but what it will not do is to tell the true stories of who initiated, started, and sometimes completed them but have been pushed aside by a well-rehearsed and intentioned attempt to give credit to whom it is not due. It will be significant if My great brother Dele Momodu will critically examine and engage with Wike’s work and position them in the milieu and contest of history of these projects to let people know what part Wike did. For instance, you cannot claim to have built a house when you only painted an existing one. That is simply fraud!

Also, the column claimed Wike has miraculously restored law and order. As I write, the state has had more curfew imposed than any other state in the southern part of Nigeria. The state is currently under the siege of 7pm to 6am curfew in all LGAs. It has the unenviable record of the top 3 states in kidnapping and cult wars in southern Nigeria. SBM Intelligence report puts the state as the number one state in kidnapping and robbery. Are these indicators of a safe state? Residents of Rivers State know they have no business being outside after 9pm any day. This situation sounded absurd given the secure nature of Rivers State just a decade ago. Gov Wike has not put any security architecture in place to fight crime. Instead, he has been consistently fingered as patronising criminals on account of his politics.

Mr Dele Momodu was told that after 41 years, Wike had begun implementing the multiple campuses envisaged for Rivers State University. However, Wike did not tell his guest that he has converted the world-class model secondary schools and the Sports College of Excellence at Afara, Etche built by Gov Amaechi into University campuses . There is nothing wrong with this save that he should put in context. For example, on Andoni- Opobo-Nkoro Unity Road leading to my home LGA. The column claimed that Wike is constructing a road to Opobo. This claim is a dangerous fabricated story. The fact of the matter is that Gov Peter Odili conceptualised and awarded a 37.71km road, with ten bridges crisscrossing 3 LGAs in the year 2005. Before his tenure wound up in May 2007, he has accomplished 26% of the scope of work with two major bridges completed stopping at Iwoama-Ashrama.

Governor Amaechi’s administration took it from there, altered the scope, added a spur to Nkoro, Kalaibiama to Opobo Town. The road redesign increased the length from 37.7km to 44.1km and bridges from 10 to 11, expanding the bridges and retaining walls. By the time he left office in May 2015, the administration had completed 80% of the work. The administration of C R Amaechi completed 9 of the 11 bridges on the road, with considerable work done on the remaining two bridges. I can say with boldness that as a Governorship candidate in 2015, I drove by road to campaign in Kalaibiama-Opobo and most parts of Andoni.

From May 2015 till June 2021, a period of 6 years, Wike led administration is yet to complete less than 20% of the work left on both the Ikuru and Opobo axis of the Unity Road. These are incontrovertible facts. For Wike to attempt to claim credit for this road is self-deceit and personal aggrandisement, and he deserves nothing but pity.

The column further claimed that Wike constructed the Abonema ring road. This claim is laughable and metaphorically calls “a butterfly a bird” to dress her on a borrowed robe. Wike awarded a less than 4km contract for Abonema bypass and not a ring road without streetlight for a project in the heart of an ancient city. I will not bother my audience with the fact that Wike has completely abandoned the rural areas in every facet of development .

The only attempt for Wike to create employment and local industries and his signature project in agriculture is the Cassava processing plant in Oyigbo. Unfortunately, Gov Amaechi initiated multiple agro-industries projects, including the Rivers Songhai farms, Fish farms, agro-industrial villages, rice farms, amongst others for which this is one. Amaechi’s administration, in partnership with DADTCO (a Dutch firm) and Shell (SPDC), set up the cassava processing plant with a definite blueprint. The administration brought in all needed equipment and installed them. The only part of the project left was to connect it to a source of power. Perhaps connecting an already completed project by his predecessor to a power source is the “real signature” agricultural project of the Wike administration in six years.

On Sports, Wike’s predecessor initiated a sports academy in Afara, Etche to compliment the new 38,000 capacity multi-facility stadium the administration built. That project had reached 40% completion, but Gov Wike, as a Real Madrid fan, abandoned the ongoing project and started a new Sports Academy within the precincts of Yakubu Gowon Stadium in PH. Unfortunately, Wike has not done anything novel in sports to harvest the multiple talents that abound in the state. It is six years of wasted opportunity.

If there is one area Gov Wike neglected utterly, it is in education. Bob Dee’s only credit to Gov Wike is the renovation of 6 schools in six years. When you juxtapose this with the fact that the government before his constructed 400 new primary schools, 21 model secondary schools at different stages of completion and initiated a new campus for Rivers State university, it becomes a case of light versus darkness. Unfortunately, Mr Dele Momodu’s tour guide, who traded on half-truths, was very uncharitable to the people of Rivers State.

I am aware that Gov Wike’s main signature project is the replica of the Government house he has built in his village for himself, the poverty visited on the people, hundreds of Rivers sons and daughters who were on scholarship withdrawn from universities overseas, destruction of primary health care and basic education system. If in the 21st century, the hallmark of progress for a resource-rich state is the beautification of two roads in Port Harcourt with multiple flyovers, then our future and that of our children is bleak.

Let me acknowledge one thing my Governor is doing great in this administration – pernicious propaganda that has turned underdevelopment to development and “man to woman”. Development and economic growth anywhere can be seen, felt, and appreciated. The people of Rivers State know that they have been impoverished terribly in the past six years. No amount of propaganda, not even leveraging on the reputation of Bob Dee, can garnish a lousy case or “a soured soup”.

DELE MOMODU’s comments:

I thank my dear Brother Dakuku for the response to my column of last week on Governor Nyesom Wike. I am always open to a critique of everything I write, and indeed, I am one of my own greatest critics, even if I say so myself. This is why I am often not fazed by abuse unless they are uncouth or scurrilous. I am quick to accept superior argument and facts when they are presented, but my emphasis is on those facts and arguments being accurate and superior. That is why my first reaction to this Right of Reply was one of pleasure and appreciation. However, I wish to emphasize the following points where I disagree with the riposte from Mr Dakuku Peterside in which he suggested I was misled by Governor Wike.

One. I must instantly correct the impression that Governor Wike was aware of my column on him before its publication, and that he somehow teleguided me with respect to it. Nothing could be far from the truth. I was given access to the projects of the Government and as I stated in my Column the views I expressed on what I saw were mine only. Other than the invitation to inspect the projects, nobody had any input into my column apart from me.

Two. I made no links, connections or comparisons between previous administrations and Wike’s, so Mr Peterside should have, at the very least, tolerated my observations. I was not concerned with the past, only with the present. If Governor Wike has earnestly completed work initiated by his predecessors, as Mr Peterside claims, then it is another feather to his cap, in a clime where the tendency is to rubbish the original and creative work of one’s predecessors. Everything I wrote is solidly backed by original pictures and videos.

Three. It is uncharitable and unfair to say Wike has done nothing in Rivers State or even to try and detract from his achievements. I know Mr Peterside to be a scholar and the hallmark of scholarship is acknowledgement of the good of others just as much as backing up negative assertions with proper and accurate facts which are borne out of research and empirical data. If you continue to insist on this jaundiced perception of events in your home State, I can only think and conclude that you’re no longer familiar or conversant with occurrences at home after spending six years between Lagos and Abuja.

Four. Mr Peterside said Wike merely completed what the Rotimi Amaechi government conceptualised or started. That’s how good and responsible leaders should behave. But it is not true that Wike has not initiated and executed his own projects. We made enquiries on this issue and got favourable responses from independent bystanders. I challenge anyone with similar or more projects in Nigeria today, or in the immediate past to send in pictures and videos of such projects. I will publish and broadcast massively because they contribute to the enhancement of the development of our polity!

Five. It is noteworthy that unlike Mr Peterside, many distinguished members of his party APC have been special guests of Governor Wike; they have inspected and sometimes commissioned his projects, and they have all attested to the stupendous work he is doing across the State. The spate and variety of Wike’s work is audacious and stunning! He has touched every facet of human endeavor.

Six. I disagree with Mr Peterside’s bland statistics on the financial status of Rivers. I expect him to publish the figures of the debt exposure of Rivers State and demonstrate how, if he is accurate, the development does not justify the debt. Please note, that debt itself is not the problem, it is the lack of tangible evidence to what the money borrowed has been put that is anathema to all people of conscience. No country or government worth its salt beats its chest by proclaiming its debt free status. It immediately stands to reason that such a country or government has stunted growth. In fact the popular question in town is “where’s Wike getting money to execute his marathon projects?”

Seven. I don’t know how often Mr Peterside goes to Rivers State. He should endeavor to do so again soon. He is unlikely to recognise some of those roads he mentioned or indeed most parts of the State. Governor Wike deserves support and encouragement, despite political differences, for the progress of the State.

The simple truth is that Wike is indeed a phenomenon, and no tirade or diatribe can belie or belittle this fact…

Pendulum

Pendulum: Why I Have Faith in the Supreme Court

Published

1 year ago

October 13, 2023

Eric

By Dele Momodu

“WE MUST DO WHAT HAS NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.

What is the argument on the other side? Only this, that no case has been found in which it has been done before. That argument does not appeal to me in the least. If we never do anything which has not been done before, we shall never get anywhere. The law will stand still while the rest of the world goes on, and that will be bad for both.” Lord Denning, Master of the Rolls (1899- 1999) PARKER v PARKER.”

Fellow Nigerians,

I’m not a Lawyer. But I’m surrounded by friends who are Lawyers. I enjoyed seeing Lawyers in their wigs and gowns and was tempted to read Law after my first degree at the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you view my trajectory today, my application was bounced by the egg heads at the Faculty of Law, despite my first degree which, in some universities, would have been a prerequisite for my entry into a Law degree program. That is a story for another day. I simply accepted my destiny, with equanimity.

Since I had a fascination for Law, I privately engaged in picking and reading legal textbooks, especially anything to do with Jurisprudence and a bit of Company Law. I was particularly fascinated by the landmark cases of the iconic Jurist, Lord Denning, and how he broke rank with the traditional rules and previously held presumptions in English Law, by taking the road less travelled. I enjoyed, and relished, his radical views and witticisms. The above quote of Lord Denning is very relevant to my current topic about the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

The main reason for my epistle to you today is simple and straightforward. Many Nigerians seem to have given up on our Judiciary. There are at least two monumental cases ongoing at the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the Presidential election appeals that were separately filed by Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi against Bola Tinubu and INEC. Many people have called to ask why my principal, Atiku Abubakar, is wasting his time and resources on pursuing a fruitless case. None of them ever said he never had a good case. They merely gave the usual conspiracy theories as to how corrupt the Judiciary is in Nigeria, as well as the war chest of Bola Tinubu, which he’d never been known to shy away from deploying to maximum advantage. While it may be true that bribery and corruption is of a pandemic status in Nigeria, I still believe there are good people, and Judges, in Nigeria. We should therefore resist this campaign of calumny against our Judges. I have personally thrown this question at Atiku Abubakar a couple of times and he told me very firmly that he believes in the rule of Law. He mentioned how he’s been saved several times by taking his matter to the Judiciary.

The doubting Thomases in Nigeria often predicate their skepticism on the fact that no Presidential election appeal has ever succeeded in removing an incumbent President. While this may true, I believe there is always the possibility of a first time in every situation, and this is the origin of statistics.

At least, we have the reinvigorating example of Sidi Dauda Bage, a Retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria who said in the case of SALEH v. ABAH & ORS (2017) LPELR-41914(SC)

“This Court must take the lead, in righting the wrongs in our society, if and when the opportunity presents itself as in this appeal. Allowing criminality and certificate forgery to continue to percolate into the streams, waters and oceans of our national polity would only mean our waters are and will remain dangerously contaminated. The purification efforts must start now, and be sustained as we seek, as a nation, to now ‘change’ from our old culture of reckless impunity. The Nigerian Constitution is supreme. It desires that no one who had ever presented forged certificate to INEC should contest election into Nigeria’s National Assembly. This is clear and sacrosanct. More compelling as a judicial determination had been taken by no less a technical panel sitting in, at least, a panel of three judges as Election Tribunal with constitutional mandate to determine such issues as they relate to elections and its outcomes, including eligibility. This has also been affirmed by the trial Court in this appeal. On these issues, our duty is to apply the Constitution and the law in its start, original form undiluted by ‘colourated’ interpretations.” (Pp 26 – 31 Paras E – B)

There is yet another superlative example: “THE POWER OF THE SUPREME COURT TO RECEIVE FRESH EVIDENCE:

Section 22 of The Supreme Court Act provides, inter alia, that *“The Supreme Court may, from time to time, make any order necessary for determining the real question in controversy in the appeal, and may amend any defect or error in the record of appeal, … and generally shall have full jurisdiction over the whole proceedings as if the proceedings had been instituted and prosecuted in the Supreme Court as a court of first instance and may rehear the case in whole or in part or may remit it to the court below for the purpose of such rehearing or may give such other directions as to the manner in which the court below shall deal with the case in accordance with the powers of that court.”*

In SENATOR HOSEA EHINLANWO V. CHIEF OLUSOLA OKE & ORS
(2008) JELR 48885 (SC), Onnoghen JSC (as he then was) held:

“Order 2 Rule 12 (1) of the Supreme Court Rules which guides the court in the applications of this nature provides, thus: “A party who wishes the court to receive the evidence of witnesses (where they were not called at the trial) or to order the production of any document, exhibit or other thing connected with the proceedings in accordance with the provisions of section 33 of the Act shall apply for leave on notice of motion prior to the date set down for the hearing of the appeal.” It is settled law that it is within the discretion of the court to decide whether or not to admit further/additional evidence on appeal. It is also settled that for the court to exercise that discretion one way or the other, it must act not only judicially but also judiciously. It is in an effort at attaining the standard of exercising its discretion judicially and judiciously that the courts have set down certain principles/conditions as guides. *The principles are: 1) the evidence sought to be adduced must be such that could not have been with reasonable diligence obtained for use at the trial; 2) the evidence should be such that if admitted would have an important, not necessarily crucial effect on the whole case, and, 3) the evidence must be such that it is apparently credible in the sense that it is capable of being believed and it need not be incontrovertible — see UBA Plc v. BTL Ind. Ltd. (2005) 10 NWLR (Pt. 933) 356 at 370–371. The above conditions must co-exist for the court to exercise its discretion in favour of the applicant.”
-SNC-U.

Thank God for social media, we are all learning Law on the go. The world is watching us and our Judiciary in particular. It is sad that our Executive arm of government is already on trial. Our Legislature is considered reckless, unpatriotic and irresponsible by many citizens and non-citizens alike. I do not know why and how they have fallen so low in the eyes of the same electorates who supposedly voted them into the hallowed Chambers. To make matters worse, the Nigerian media, which ordinarily should be the fourth estate of the realm, is also under severe attack of being compromised and divided across ethnic considerations and pecuniary gains by the government of Nigeria. This is the tragedy of our nation. So, to who then do we turn in this season of anomie? Atiku Abubakar had to approach the American Judiciary before he could unravel what should not take up to one hour to confirm at home, if the government agencies agreed to do their jobs according to international best practices.

Even foreign analysts are now painting lurid pictures of Armageddon, the final battle between the good and evil elements in our country. This should worry all of us. The Judiciary today can restore instant global prestige and adulation to our country. The Judges can automatically improve our economy by not kowtowing to the overbearing appurtenances of power, by not delivering technical judgments but being seen to ensure real justice. They can bring back the sinking influence and relevance of their profession.

A CBS newsreport that went viral yesterday should tell us that outsiders, apparently, understand the issues at stake more than us, and they appear even more concerned about the impending catastrophe, if adequate care is not taken. The explosive interview was granted by Gregory Copley, an expert in Defense and Foreign Affairs, an Editor and Publisher, to John Batchelor.This brutal analysis of our predicaments is worth listening to, reading, and digesting, if you can find it online…

Please, join me, in saying the Lord’s prayer, if you wish…

Pendulum

Pendulum: The Truth Tinubu Must Be Told

Published

1 year ago

October 7, 2023

Eric

By Dele Momodu

Fellow Nigerians, once again, this is not the best of times in our dear beloved country, Nigeria. After we had thought, gladly and gleefully, that no government could be worse than the recent Buhari administration, we are now confronted by yet another monstrosity. In less than two months in power, Tinubu’s government started collapsing whatever positive legacy Buhari left behind. Yet, we would have assumed and expected a President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be far better prepared and more visionary than Buhari and his lacklustre team was. Unfortunately, this hasn’t been the case. While I’m not about to give an overview of Tinubu’s wobbly stewardship so far, and so soon, I’m constrained to put my thoughts and unequivocal opinion on the ongoing Tinubugate on paper. I’m doing this in my personal capacity as a Nigerian citizen and as a true and truthful friend of Tinubu. I believe only a true friend can look you straight, eyeballs to eyeballs, in the face, and tell one of the world’s most powerful men, the Gospel truth.

I have no doubts in my mind that the majority of Tinubu’s so-called friends and ubiquitous hangers-on are pretentious hypocrites. Tinubu has also not helped himself by encouraging both royals and puppets alike to worship at his feet and turning him into a demi-god. I’m convinced that they serve him no useful purpose. I will establish this fact in a minute.

The Tinubugate did not begin yesterday. It started after Tinubu returned from exile and metamorphosed into the Governor of Lagos State in 1999 and instantly became the biggest beneficiary of our epic battles in exile during the NADECO days. In all honesty, we were all happy that he was amply compensated for his salutary efforts.

But unknown to us, trouble was brewing. We didn’t know how or what led the legal luminary, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, to exhume all manner of “false declarations” contained in the forms submitted for Tinubu’s gubernatorial bid. On October 11, 1999, just months after Tinubu contested and won his election, Chief Fawehinmi’s powerful interview was published on the cover of Newswatch magazine, with the screaming headline: WHY TINUBU MUST GO – Gani Fawehinmi. The fearless Lawyer also granted another interview on the cover of The Source magazine, with an even more acerbic headline: “TINUBU IS A CRIMINAL – Gani, and a rider below: Deserves 10 years in jail! On top of the same magazine was published a worrisome story: The Tinubu Story: THE SOURCE UNDER THREAT. This was the first tell-tale sign of the new and toxic Lagos State to come, a Lagos of one man, one permanent ruler, reminiscent of the Sicilian Mafia, which we privately rechristened the “Cosa Nostra” of Nigeria.
Some members of our “exile confraternity” were naturally alarmed. But we were somehow timid and, thus, carelessly dismissed Gani’s case as, at the very best, alarmist and unnecessarily meddlesome. A few of us who were very close to Gani Fawehinmi knew it would be difficult and of no effect, to approach him and try to persuade him to drop the case. The other sad revelation was when some of Tinubu’s commissioners started fretting and sweating profusely. God is my witness. Many of them, out of panic, about the imminent impeachment of Tinubu, were, stylishly, dissociating themselves from their boss. We heard all kinds of gibberish, from some of them, who are even in government today: “we brought our integrity into this government, we can’t allow anyone to tarnish it…”

Let us digress a little. One of them, extremely close to Tinubu, was the first to tell us about “the falsification of Tinubu’s age, the identity of his original parents from Iragbiji, his forged academic records”, and so on. This chain-smoker claimed absolute knowledge of Tinubu’s life. He told us in my Accra home that anyone who tells Tinubu the truth is instantly marked down as an enemy, so he has stopped telling him the truth. With this kind of mindset, you can imagine what quality of advice Tinubu gets regularly.

Then, out of the blues, my very daring and loyal friend, Tokunbo Afikuyomi, decided to bite the bullet on behalf of Tinubu. What he did was reminiscent of the “lamb of God who took away the sins of the earth…” He, like a kamikaze soldier, took absolute responsibility for the errors contained in Tinubu’s files. Miraculously, Tinubu was saved, and we were all relieved. Everyone is asking me how has Tinubu compensated Afikuyomi, and my answer is I don’t know.

It is noteworthy that Festus Keyamo had jumped on the bandwagon of those seeking to impeach Tinubu at that time. This is another story for another day. I cannot wait for my memoirs to be ready in order to put names and faces to the main dramatis personae.

Let’s now fast forward to the year 2002. There was a popular magazine known as The Week. It planned a cover story on Tinubu. Somehow, the story leaked out to then Governor of Lagos State. Tinubu immediately, and with automatic alacrity, reached out to the Publisher of the magazine, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and pleaded that the scandalous story should be dropped. Out of love and respect for his friend, Atiku reached out to The Week magazine Management and got the story to be stepped down. The Editors were miffed by this development, and in the aftermath, led to the resignation and exit of the Editor, Mr Simon Kolawole.

The meat of my epistle today is that there are many didactic lessons to pick from this Tinubugate. Tinubu eventually left office in 2007. But he never really left Lagos alone. He became Nigeria’s ultimate godfather, who determined, almost to the pin, who gets what. Many of his acolytes knew he was capable of turning them into emergency Billionaires and were ready to stand ramrod on his mandate. This, I believe, is the crux of the matter.

Now, why do I blame Tinubu and his die-hard fans? Two major reasons are carelessness (or is it negligence?) and recklessness. Why would a man who left office since 2007, 16 long years ago, fail to clean up the records that nearly got him impeached in the first instance? And given the fact that he couldn’t have personally handled those documents himself, why did the hordes of minions claiming to love him till eternity fail to deliver a world-class file for his documents?

The Laws of Nigeria never insisted that a Presidential candidate must attend a university. In the last 16 years, Tinubu should have ensured his personal documents were thoroughly checked to be squeaky clean before submitting them to INEC. If necessary, he could have easily gone back to school (Atiku still went to school recently to update and upgrade himself) and try to erase all the previous controversial details. As for his conflicting dates of birth, he should have settled for a preferred birthday date, like President Olusegun Obasanjo did. It can never be a crime that a child’s parent did not record or obtain his birth certificate. As for claiming to have worked for Deloitte and others, he should have limited himself to “I have worked for big multinationals globally and they truly enjoyed my services and valued my contributions” without mentioning specific companies and dates.

As for parentage, I would have told the world about my humble background and poor parentage. It is nothing to be ashamed of, and it is not a crime to be adopted and acquire the name of one’s foster-parents. Everyone knew how Chief MKO Abiola played the role of a father figure in my life, including travelling all the way to Ijebu-Igbo and Ijebu-Ode for my wedding in 1992, but that never stopped me from celebrating my poor parents. And if there were peculiar reasons for obliterating ones original family history, that can still be easily explained. A public figure cannot afford to keep too many secrets. For far too long, Tinubu has blatantly refused to open up his private life to the members of the public. The repercussions of this stifness have been hugely calamitous to him and his immediate family. With more openness, this could have been avoided.

Let me now go to the specific handling of the Chicago scandals. For me, Tinubu and his noisy supporters have made matters far worse than it should have been. Only his blind and shameless supporters will continue to argue over a saga that started over five decades ago. All of us who knew the truth and looked the other way brought this calamity upon our country. And it is grossly unfair.

Instead of Tinubu standing up as a man to offer sincere and unreserved apologies to Nigerians, his “brood of vipers” are busy insulting the long-suffering people of Nigeria, and studiously rubbing salt and pepper on our festering wounds. This is most unfair. This can only aggravate the anger of our citizens, especially the youths.

The first thing Tinubu should do is to climb down his high horse and experience reality for once. No man, no matter how powerful, can achieve everything by force, all the time. The popular story of EFUNSETAN ANIWURA, IYALODE IBADAN is very instructive. Power is transient.

I’m certain there is a hand of God in this latest eruption about Tinubu’s record, which has refused to go away.it is no longer about Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso, Sowore and others. This is about Nigeria. Atiku has played his part honorably at home and abroad. What he achieved in Chicago was a monumental victory for our democracy. Because of Atiku, many Nigerians will have their pride restored. The burden has already been transferred to all of us. Whatever the outcome of the Supreme Court case, it is obvious to me that a new era beckons for us all except for those who choose to be voluntary slaves.

Pendulum

Pendulum: Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr: Refreshing Lessons for Generations

Published

2 years ago

May 6, 2023

Eric

By Japheth J. Omojuwa

This is neither a tribute to nor a piece in praise of Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr. Presidents have defied protocol to offer praises, even across the ocean. Kings have broken tradition in offering tributes and titles, captains of industry have queued behind themselves sharing memorable and inspiring accolades to a timeless icon who did his best to moderate the celebrations. Even if one defied these and decided to try against reason, King Sunny Ade’s Fayeyemi tribute is matchless and inimitable, and I could never reach Chief Ebenezer Obey’s depth and artistry in celebration of the man. Thus, there is nothing left to be said in form of praise or tributes that could surpass those already offered by these great men and women.

I have not come to praise the man; I have only come to address the spectators who were held spellbound by the spectacle and were left wondering what could be so great about a man whom most of them have never seen and only ever get to hear of. Often, when one gets sucked into the attraction of the show, the lessons get lost.

This once, we cannot afford to miss the lessons. The stories that contributed to the making of the man provide vital context for his greatness and offer a rich source of learning and inspiration for generations to come. When these stories are left untold, myths and falsehoods can fill the vacuum, perpetuating disempowering beliefs that hinder progress and growth. For instance, some may believe that wealth can only be acquired through unscrupulous means or cronyism.

When President Emmanuel Macron of France wrote in his tribute, ‘you are humble enough to often publicly declare that the confidence of several French companies at the beginning of your entrepreneurial adventure was instrumental in building the success that is yours today’, among other French alliances, he was making reference to the man who explored for more capital through the banks. A much harder way than through the disempowering stories that people tell to explain wealth they do not understand and in the same breath excuse their own misfortune.

The moniker, ‘The Bull,’ is not merely a name with a golden insignia; it reflects some of Adenuga’s most essential characteristics. The Bull is traditionally seen as a symbol of wealth and subterranean powers. It does not just make an entry; it makes an unforgettable one. It does not recognize defeat; any appearance of defeat is a retreat that often proves costly for those who stand in its path. These traits find expression in the success story of Globacom, which is a testament to Adenuga’s tenacity and determination.

Many exited at the point the government cancelled their mobile telecom licenses. Instead, The Bull charged on, refusing the small battle of a legal pursuit and instead focused on the big prize at the end of what was going to be a protracted bidding war for GSM licenses. Adenuga had to call on his grit again when the prize he won came without the trophy. The government had its cake and ate it. The Bull’s bouncebackability came into play again because well over a year later, he got the license that was fairly won in an open bidding process. When the stories get told, you cannot have a single blot on his shield. The Bull played by the rules, even when the rules were shifted against him, his staying power meant his team returned with victory. A hard-fought one but The Bull stayed invincible.

Other companies would have been happy to just start and do a continuous chase of those who had gone ahead of them, Mike Adenuga’s Globacom defied the norm by starting out with a paradigm shift that remains unmatched in Nigeria. Instead of chasing the competition and playing by their rules, by crashing the price of SIM cards and starting out with per second billing – others said this was not possible at the time – the competition had to bend to his game. The horses that started the race earlier were now doing the chase.

Adenuga’s Globacom dragged the industry on the path of perfect competition with his early moves, he then differentiated immediately by offering services the first and second movers had not even thought of. They were left competing with him at one end in a game whose rules he had redefined by his paradigm shifting bullish entry. He left himself alone without competition at other ends, advancing and flexing with technology above what was on offer. Translated to Yoruba, o ti ilekun mo won, o fi kokoro pa mo.

One reference the tributes intersect is his humility. Humility is an interesting phenomenon. You cannot be poor and be said to be humble. Poverty and humility appear to be parallel lines, yet they find intersection because poverty is already a humble position. Albeit a position that appears to be without the choice of the bearer. When it is said that a person is humble, one must pay attention. When you are so rich with means and power but appear to be unconscious of that elevated state of being especially in your dealings with people, that is humility. Some go out of their way to be seen to be humble. That defeats the purpose. Feigned humility is not humility. The Adenuga tributes refer to the sort of humility that the man himself would only come to see in the description of the people who experienced it. The humility of a man who just is.

Attention seeking appears to be humanity’s contemporary collective de rigueur. That could be explained by the ubiquity of the Internet and its appurtenances. Contemporary culture has now birthed a world where billionaires want to evolve into bloggers even as blogger aspire to be billionaires. We have built a universe and culture where staying relevant has become a daily endeavour, yet in all of that world, we all aspire to Mike Adenuga. The one who would rather not be seen, the one who finds comfort and apparent fulfilment in not being heard. Yet the one who has impacted people and institutions so much he brings life to another moniker of his, The Spirit of Africa. A reference that captures the essence of his values and the fact that one needs not be seen to make change happen, one needs not speak to be heard. And to make great impact, intentions and action are greater than fugazi moves, vain aesthetics and puerile drama.

The rich, in observing the tradition of noblesse oblige, have often committed to philanthropy. The Mike Adenuga principle goes above that sense of obligation because giving is entrenched in his persona. In a world where many keep records of those that they helped that never returned to say ‘thank you’, the millions opportune to be blessed by The Spirit of Africa do not get a chance to. Because his generosity leaves no room to collect appreciations. The giving and the changed lives are the essence of it all.

Conversely, you won’t find a person with a higher sense of appreciation, even for the little things.

Writing about personalities can be enjoyable, but there are times when addressing important issues should take precedence. This piece is not solely about an individual’s personality, but rather the enduring values necessary to navigate a constantly changing world. While exploring Dr. Mike Adenuga’s achievements could fill volumes, the focus here is on some of the values that propelled him to success and how we can apply them to our own daily challenges. As we confront new and complex problems, the lessons we learn from those who have gone before us can be invaluable. Dr. Adenuga’s life offers a powerful example of how these values can lead to great rewards, and this is a message that deserves to be heard by this generation and beyond.

He exemplifies E pluribus unum, and of him, there are lessons to be learned for generations to come. This is the legacy one must have a sense of appreciation for. Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr. GCON, CSG, CdrLH at 70 has left lessons for us in these Platinum number of years, we cannot afford to lose sight of these precious gems.

Japheth J. Omojuwa is the author of Digital: The New Code of Wealth and founder of Alpha Reach