PT State of the Race: Peter Obi’s illiberal supporters and Atiku’s tight rope - By Bisi Abidoye

Peter Obi’s presidential aspiration appears to have been appropriated by a social media lynch mob who are attacking his opponents in packs and tyrannising those who do not share their views. On Thursday, the senior pastor of Covenant Christian Centre, Poju Oyemade, tweeted a message on faith, which he concluded by urging youths not to waste their enthusiasm on a “poorly planned project.” Oyemade’s tweets He wrote in the tweets: “Faith is not just blind belief or hoping for a miracle. Faith sees. Faith has her eyes opened and possesses the evidence upon which it builds its belief. Faith prepares long, sometimes for years just as Joseph did for the years of famine. Faith counts the cost before embarking. “Without having real evidence upon which you are acting nor preparation for the task, recognising real obstacles that lie ahead and making concrete plans, one is just being delusional about the outcome. The enthusiasm of the youth must not be wasted on poorly planned projects. “Noah spent months/years planning for the flood & he was operating in faith. Jesus said no man goes to battle without taking stock first nor lays the foundation of a tower without counting the cost first lest he will be mocked. Our faith is intelligent; it doesn’t live in denial.” As the host of The Platform, a forum which brings together resource persons to discuss national issues, Mr Oyemade is never shy of political commentaries. Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has appeared in the forum a couple of times to propagate his political ideas. The cleric appeared to be enamoured of the politician. Although Mr Oyemade’s tweets of Thursday made no direct reference to politics, Mr Obi’s supporters descended on the clergyman moments after the tweets appeared. They held the message as a criticism of their campaign for Mr Obi. Young people, many of them having no contact with the candidate or his party, have been the mainstay of Mr Obi’s campaign thus far. Their vitriol was, as usual, relentless. Even after Mr Oyemade took down the tweets, the supporters continued to drag him on social media, as they gloated over the capitulation of yet another “enemy” of Mr Obi. Commenting on the development, Sam Amadi, a lawyer and regular political commentator, wrote on his Facebook page on Saturday: “Pastor Poju was right about the need for rigor and not rhetoric to solve national problems. But thay have cancelled him.” It is a pattern that has become recurrent and thus disturbing, as the 2023 polls approach. Like Oyemade, like Mbaka Two weeks earlier, the chaplain of the Adoration Ministry in Enugu, Ejike Mbaka, was hounded by the same group of supporters after a foot-in-the-mouth remark the cleric made that Mr Obi would fail in his presidential ambition because he is “stingy.” Within days of the statement, thousands of Mr Obi’s supporters who were also followers of the Reverend Father bragged that they had unfriended him on his social media accounts. Their attacks persisted even after the Catholic Diocese of Enugu dissociated itself from Mr Mbaka’s utterances, before eventually suspending him from all activities of the church. Mr Mbaka later apologised for his statement. Pandora Papers This newspaper too has felt the intolerance of the supporters. Shortly after the party primaries, PREMIUM TIMES had reshared some of its previous investigative reports that indicted three of the leading presidential candidates of corruption. The reports had earlier been published between September 2020 and October 2021 on the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, his counterpart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and Mr Obi. None of the politicians challenged the findings of the reports, so they were reshared to offer readers glimpses of their past and characters. Although the three publications were shared within hours of each other, the supporters of Mr Obi were the most vicious in attacking this newspaper over a consortium of international journalists’ findings in the Pandora Papers that he registered secret companies outside Nigeria. The supporters baselessly alleged that the report was done out of bias or inducement. But their attacks have not been for only those who criticise them or their candidates. They also go after Nigerians for merely expressing support for different candidates. Although this is not peculiar to Mr Obi’s supporters, they have taken it to a new low. A day before turning on Mr Oyemade, they had ignited a controversy by their attacks on some actors who had declared their support for Mr Tinubu. The actors made their position known in a video clip shared by one of them, Yinka Quadri, that features them taking turns to endorse Mr Tinubu’s candidacy. In this instance, Mr Obi’s supporters accused the actors of giving their support to the APC candidate because he is Yoruba like them or trading it for money. In the controversy that followed on Twitter, a commentator, @ManLikeIcey, wrote: “Psquare are free to support Peter Obi, it’s their right. Yoruba actors/actresses are free to support Tinubu, it’s their right. You’re equally allowed to support your preferred candidate, it’s your right. Don’t bully people for their constitutional right.” Lynch mob Mr Obi’s presidential aspiration appears to have been appropriated by a social media lynch mob who are attacking his opponents in packs and tyrannising those who do not share their views. Reno Omokri, a former aide of former President Goodluck Jonathan and campaigner for PDP’s Mr Abubakar, last month cried out about the incessant verbal abuse he receives from the supporters of Mr Obi. “In my life, I have never been insulted the way @PeterObi supporters insult me. Yet, this same Peter lobbied me when he wanted to be Atiku’s running mate in 2019. I supported him over others. Yet, he watches as his people insult Atiku and I. Nobody knows tomorrow.” Obi’s call for restraint To be fair to Mr Obi, he had repeatedly admonished his supporters to stop insulting or attacking his opponents and their supporters. For instance, rather than joining issues with Mr Mbaka over his remarks on him, the candidate urged his supporters to cease the attacks, saying he would meet the cleric over his misgivings. Yet, the illiberalism of his supporters bodes ill for his own ambition and Nigerians’ efforts at building a democratic culture. Following the attacks on the actors supporting Mr Tinubu last week, some commentators quickly observed the contradiction in attacking the actors when entertainers and other celebrities who are Igbos like Mr Obi had also been campaigning for him without apology. They also remarked that many of his campaigners on social media are of the same ethnic stock. Identity politics Nigerians have been trying to escape from the trap of identity politics, since it was acknowledged as a big factor in the collapse of the First Republics. In the transition to the Second Republic, the military government tried to ensure that the political parties are national in outlook, although the success of the effort was modest. In the short-lived Third Republic, the military government of Ibrahim Babangida imposed two parties on the country in a futile effort to rebuild Nigerian politics on ideological foundations. Identity politics have also proved very inflammable and lethal in some countries, including Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and defunct Yugoslavia However, despite the liberal nature of the laws guiding party formation in Nigeria, politicians have realised that a candidate cannot win the presidency without broad national support, regardless of the level of support the candidate draws from their own part of the country. Party structures Mr Oyemade might well have been alluding to Mr Obi’s supporters in his controversial tweet of Friday. But given his relationship with the candidate and concerns about political development in the country, he might have been giving honest advice through his admonition. Many observers genuinely see the frenzied campaign of his supporters as a sail that will take Mr Obi nowhere, until his party builds a structure across the country on which it can compete with the two major parties in a national election. He apparently recognises this too as he has been in talks with other parties for an alliance that may help them cover the country. The APC and PDP have party executives in perhaps each of the about 10,000 wards in Nigeria. These officials will mobilise party members and voters in their campaigns across the 774 local government areas of the country and monitor the process in the 178, 000 polling units on election days. Without structure in a constituency or area, the party is invisible, however heavy its work may be on social media. In last month’s governorship election in Ekiti, the LP was not visible for this reason and returned with an appalling 285 votes from across the 16 LGAS of the state. This is in spite of some of Mr Obi’s most ardent supporters being from the state. This may also be the case in the July 16 governorship election in Osun where the LP candidate, Lasun Yusuff, refused to have anything to do with Mr Obi’s social media mobilisers because the presidential candidate himself had not reached out to him. So if Mr Oyemade intended his message to be applied to the current politics, he probably was advising Mr Obi and his backers to spare time and energy in the eight months before the general elections for building the structures their party needs to harness Mr Obi’s seeming popularity and save the hope and enthusiasm of his youthful supporters from ending into a mirage in February 2023. Above scrutiny Another implication of intolerance of opposing views is that it scares people away from frank discussion of the personalities, records and ideas of the candidates. As can be seen in the case involving publications by this newspaper on three candidates as earlier cited in this piece, overbearing supporters want to place their candidates above scrutiny. Aside from denying the electorate the robust information they need to make informed decisions, it bears with it the danger of shrinking the political space and denuding pluralism. Democracy thrives on pluralism and that is the reason it strives for harmony by accommodating different tunes. In the final analysis, Mr Obi’s supporters cannot win broad support for him by merely sanctifying him in the sea of their own adoration and demonising everyone else. Other supporters also think the candidates they support are the best but they have no right to force those views on others. Akin Fadeyi, the founder of “Corruption, Not in My Country” advocacy group, in a comment on Thursday, after a supporter of Mr Obi attacked him over a comment he made on the candidate, said: “Those of you who have constituted yourself into E-THUGS for politicians, you’re not better than ballot-snatching political thugs you always repudiate. Some of them are actually better than some of you. Just take this to the Bank: Powerful and resourceful brains don’t make noise and you can never win converts for a candidate you’re building enemies for.” Nigerians know that none of their politicians is a saint and after 19 years in active politics, eight of them as a state governor, it is Mr Obi’s past record in government as well as his ideas and promises that voters will use in assessing his candidature. He will be placed under scrutiny by those who take him seriously and all of them will not deliver the same verdict. Atiku walking a tight rope Atiku Abubakar’s ecstasy over his victory at the presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has ebbed over cracks in his party since he picked Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate. Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom confirmed in an interview with Arise Television on Wednesday that the advisory committee the party’s leadership and Mr Abubakar set up for guidance on the pick, by 13-4 votes, recommended Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike for the slot. Mr Wike, who was already aggrieved with the manner in which Mr Abubakar defeated him at the primary, has refused to take his latter disappointment with equanimity. It is a big concern for the PDP and its presidential candidates, realising that they cannot risk Mr Wike’s wrath going to the elections, for many reasons. Rivers and PDP The governor’s Rivers State has always given the PDP some of its largest blocks of votes since the beginning of the Fourth Republic, largely compensating for the opposition’s usual victories in Lagos and Kano, the two states with the highest numbers of registered voters. Losing the state or a large portion of its votes may be suicidal to the PDP in its quest to end its eight years out of power. Mr Wike also has influence in other South-south states, especially in Cross River State. Since that state’s governor, Ben Ayade, fled to the APC, Mr Wike has taken its PDP chapter under his wings. Cutting off his support will affect the campaigns of the party where the PDP is in the opposition for the first time in its life. Wike’s backers It has also been established in recent weeks that Mr Wike’s broad support at the primary was not a fluke. At least five other governors are in his camp. They are united in their current disaffection with their parties, which has further strengthened Mr Wike’s hands in the confrontation with the party’s national leadership. Mr Abubakar is an inadvertent victim in the furore over the choice of his sidekick. He had to choose whom he considers best to work with. And many leaders of the party, especially in the North, do not think highly of Mr Wike as a candidate for the high offices of president and deputy. This was one of the reasons that roused them into action when they realised the Rivers’ governor could bully his way into nomination at the convention. It was the reason that Sokoto governor, Aminu Tambuwal, succumbed to the pressure on him to step down at the last moment for Mr Abubakar, even though the two had never been friends. Ironically, Mr Wike had backed Mr Tambuwal to the hilt at the previous convention that he hosted in Port Harcourt and could not have expected the Sokoto governor to deliver the stab that killed his own bid in Abuja. Mr Abubakar rubbed salt on Mr Wike’s hurt when, in announcing his running mate, he said he picked Mr Okowa from among those recommended because the Delta governor is suitable to be president. To be fair to Mr Abubakar too, he would have also drawn the wrath of Mr Okowa and others who helped him win the ticket, had he picked Mr Wike. Infidelity to principle Mr Abubakar is also a victim of his party’s infidelity to principle. In this case, however, maybe he does not deserve much sympathy. Since he first returned to the PDP after the fiasco of his presidential run in 2007, he had been among the vocal advocates of zoning, the basis for their demand that President Jonathan should not run in 2011. They asked Mr Jonathan, who became president in 2010 after the death of President Umaru Yar’adua, to stand aside so that the northern wing of the party could complete its abbreviated turn in that office. Eventually, a compromise was reached by the power brokers in the party for Mr Jonathan to run for a single term, his own South-south region having never produced the president or vice president. However, in 2015, after the president had developed his own sense of entitlement to a second term, Mr Abubakar was among the rebels who sabotaged his reelection by defecting to the newly formed APC. When he returned again to the PDP ahead of the 2019 elections, Mr Abubakar also campaigned on the zoning principle, as a result of which southern members left the field to their northern colleagues in the presidential primary. Mr Abubakar was reported to have promised his southern supporters that he would serve only one term and hand the baton over to the south in 2023. But having failed in his election bid again in 2019, Mr Abubakar, who appeared to have retired from politics after relocating to Dubai following that defeat, returned home – this time to lead the charge against the zoning principle. He got his way again but may pay a heavy price in 2023 unless he manages to fill the cracks in his party. Some southern leaders of the party like former Ekiti governor, Ayodele Fayose, are implacable over the perceived dubiety of their northern colleagues. Mr Fayose on Wednesday vowed to support only a southern candidate next year, despite being a member of the ad hoc committee that recommended to the party to throw the presidential primary open, so that the best candidate could emerge. Lopsidedness in hierarchy Another facet of the crisis is how to resolve the albeit foreseen consequence of the party’s presidential ticket going to the North after the national chairman emerged last year from the same region. When Iyorchia Ayu was elected as the chairman, it was on the understanding that the south would produce the presidential candidate. But it was also proposed that in the event the ticket again went to the North, Mr Ayu would give up his chair. Mr Wike and his camp are demanding that as the minimum condition for sheathing their swords. But Mr Abubakar is more comfortable with Mr Ayu, a political associate since the Third Republic, remaining on the chair. He can ill afford to have behind him during the election a chairman whose loyalty may be to another person or cause. Mr Abubakar has urged Mr Ayu to be allowed to remain until after the elections. It is not clear how he would persuade Mr Wike and his camp. But unless one of the sides backs down, Mr Abubakar risks retiring as the most persistent candidate who never won the Nigerian presidency.

What Buhari told Igbo leaders about Nnamdi Kanu, insecurity – Presidency.

‘‘I have listened carefully to the various appeals from the elders to the traditional leaders regarding a wide range of options..." President Muhammadu Buhari Friday told Igbo leaders that he would not order the release of Nnamdi Kanu and would allow the courts to decide the faith of the separatist. Mr Buhari said this at a meeting with Igbo leaders in Ebonyi State. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the meeting with the Igbo leaders was part of Mr Buhari’s itinerary during his ongoing official visit to Ebonyi State. Details of the meeting were contained in a statement by Mr Buhari’s spokesperson, Femi Adesina. Responding to appeals by traditional, religious and political leaders in the region for the release of the detained leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, the president said: ‘‘I have listened carefully to the various appeals from the elders to the traditional leaders regarding a wide range of options, and as I have said previously this matter remains in the full purview of the courts where it will be properly adjudicated.” Read the full statement by Mr Adesina below. President Muhammadu Buhari Friday in Abakiliki pledged that the Federal Government would deploy its strength to protect innocent and hardworking Nigerians from terrorists and those causing break down of law and order in the South East region. Speaking at a meeting with South-East leaders, during his two-day State visit to Ebonyi, the president expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in the region, reiterating his directive to security agencies to ‘‘flush out’’ those perpetrating violence in the land. ‘‘I must register my deep and grave concern with regards to the deteriorating state of security affairs in this region. ‘‘In the last 48 hours, I have been informed of the latest in the round of brutal actions carried out by gun-wielding terrorists, who prey on innocent and hardworking citizens, unfortunately, these barbaric acts were visited upon those who have committed their lives to protect their fellow citizens,’’ he said. The president paid tribute to members of the Nigerian armed forces who recently lost their lives in the region. Responding to appeals by traditional, religious and political leaders in the region for the release of the detained leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, the president said: ‘‘I have listened carefully to the various appeals from the elders to the traditional leaders regarding a wide range of options, and as I have said previously this matter remains in the full purview of the courts where it will be properly adjudicated. ‘‘My worry is for our hardworking and innocent civilians, for whom life is already tough and would like to earn a decent and honest living. ‘‘There are many that fit this profile and the government owes them that obligation to protect lives and property. ‘‘I will once again repeat, no one has the right to carry an AK-47, and anyone seen in any part of the country doing so and is not a law enforcement officer is a threat to our peaceful coexistence and should be treated as such,’’ he said. On infrastructure, the president highlighted some of his government’s achievements in the region, dismissing those peddling false narratives of lack of care and consideration for the people of the South-east by this administration The president said he was proud of the reconstruction of the runway of the Akanu Ibiam International airport and ongoing work upgrade of the International Terminal Building, assuring Ndigbo that the N200 billion Second Niger Bridge and 10km six-lane expressway in Onitsha and Asaba will be completed before the end of the year. He added that the 5.5 million dollars Diagnostic Centre in Umuahia is already operational. In his remarks, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi said President Buhari would be remembered as a man who did not use the plight of the people of the South-east to play politics but came to their rescue severally. The Governor urged Southern leaders to work towards finding a political solution in resolving some challenging issues, warning that the region is at ‘‘crossroads.’’ ‘‘On this issue of a political solution, I have never believed in IPOB’s method of operation. I disagree with them but we have gotten ourselves to a very terrible and pitiable solution. ‘‘Some of us warned that we will get to this situation and some were playing politics with it. “Mr President, we are at crossroads. I have been to you and I have begged you for a political solution. Surprisingly and graciously you granted that. You said our people should initiate that and at the forefront is Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer.” The governor, therefore, urged the President of Ohaneze Ndigbo to meet with elder statesman, Mbazuluike Amaechi, the Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), South-east, the Chairman of South-east Traditional Rulers Council, Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer and few others to initiate the political solution. On the 2023 elections, the governor said he believed strongly in the demand for the presidency to be zoned to the South-east region on the basis of fairness, equity, justice and morality. Mr Umahi, who is also a presidential aspirant, commended some leaders from outside the region for expressing their support for the next president of Nigeria to emerge from the South East. The Chairman of South-east Traditional Rulers, Charles Mkpuma and CAN Chairman, South-east, Abraham Nwali, also spoke in favour of the President of Nigeria of South-east extraction come 2023. The leaders while expressing support for a united Nigeria, appealed to the president to grant pardon and release the IPOB leader, urging other agitators to cease all forms of hostilities. Femi Adesina Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity)

What Buhari told Igbo leaders about Nnamdi Kanu, insecurity – Presidency

‘‘I have listened carefully to the various appeals from the elders to the traditional leaders regarding a wide range of options..." ByPremium Times May 6, 2022 3 min read President Muhammadu Buhari Friday told Igbo leaders that he would not order the release of Nnamdi Kanu and would allow the courts to decide the faith of the separatist. Mr Buhari said this at a meeting with Igbo leaders in Ebonyi State. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the meeting with the Igbo leaders was part of Mr Buhari’s itinerary during his ongoing official visit to Ebonyi State. Details of the meeting were contained in a statement by Mr Buhari’s spokesperson, Femi Adesina. Responding to appeals by traditional, religious and political leaders in the region for the release of the detained leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, the president said: ‘‘I have listened carefully to the various appeals from the elders to the traditional leaders regarding a wide range of options, and as I have said previously this matter remains in the full purview of the courts where it will be properly adjudicated.” Read the full statement by Mr Adesina below. President Muhammadu Buhari Friday in Abakiliki pledged that the Federal Government would deploy its strength to protect innocent and hardworking Nigerians from terrorists and those causing break down of law and order in the South East region. Speaking at a meeting with South-East leaders, during his two-day State visit to Ebonyi, the president expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in the region, reiterating his directive to security agencies to ‘‘flush out’’ those perpetrating violence in the land. ‘‘I must register my deep and grave concern with regards to the deteriorating state of security affairs in this region. ‘‘In the last 48 hours, I have been informed of the latest in the round of brutal actions carried out by gun-wielding terrorists, who prey on innocent and hardworking citizens, unfortunately, these barbaric acts were visited upon those who have committed their lives to protect their fellow citizens,’’ he said. The president paid tribute to members of the Nigerian armed forces who recently lost their lives in the region. Responding to appeals by traditional, religious and political leaders in the region for the release of the detained leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, the president said: ‘‘I have listened carefully to the various appeals from the elders to the traditional leaders regarding a wide range of options, and as I have said previously this matter remains in the full purview of the courts where it will be properly adjudicated. ‘‘My worry is for our hardworking and innocent civilians, for whom life is already tough and would like to earn a decent and honest living. ‘‘There are many that fit this profile and the government owes them that obligation to protect lives and property. ‘‘I will once again repeat, no one has the right to carry an AK-47, and anyone seen in any part of the country doing so and is not a law enforcement officer is a threat to our peaceful coexistence and should be treated as such,’’ he said. On infrastructure, the president highlighted some of his government’s achievements in the region, dismissing those peddling false narratives of lack of care and consideration for the people of the South-east by this administration The president said he was proud of the reconstruction of the runway of the Akanu Ibiam International airport and ongoing work upgrade of the International Terminal Building, assuring Ndigbo that the N200 billion Second Niger Bridge and 10km six-lane expressway in Onitsha and Asaba will be completed before the end of the year. He added that the 5.5 million dollars Diagnostic Centre in Umuahia is already operational. In his remarks, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi said President Buhari would be remembered as a man who did not use the plight of the people of the South-east to play politics but came to their rescue severally. The Governor urged Southern leaders to work towards finding a political solution in resolving some challenging issues, warning that the region is at ‘‘crossroads.’’ ‘‘On this issue of a political solution, I have never believed in IPOB’s method of operation. I disagree with them but we have gotten ourselves to a very terrible and pitiable solution. ‘‘Some of us warned that we will get to this situation and some were playing politics with it. “Mr President, we are at crossroads. I have been to you and I have begged you for a political solution. Surprisingly and graciously you granted that. You said our people should initiate that and at the forefront is Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer.” The governor, therefore, urged the President of Ohaneze Ndigbo to meet with elder statesman, Mbazuluike Amaechi, the Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), South-east, the Chairman of South-east Traditional Rulers Council, Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer and few others to initiate the political solution. On the 2023 elections, the governor said he believed strongly in the demand for the presidency to be zoned to the South-east region on the basis of fairness, equity, justice and morality. Mr Umahi, who is also a presidential aspirant, commended some leaders from outside the region for expressing their support for the next president of Nigeria to emerge from the South East. The Chairman of South-east Traditional Rulers, Charles Mkpuma and CAN Chairman, South-east, Abraham Nwali, also spoke in favour of the President of Nigeria of South-east extraction come 2023. The leaders while expressing support for a united Nigeria, appealed to the president to grant pardon and release the IPOB leader, urging other agitators to cease all forms of hostilities. Femi Adesina Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity)

Nigerian airline operators shut down operations from Monday By Kazie Uko

The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has announced imminent shutdown of operations from Monday due to the high cost of aviation fuel. The cost of aviation fuel, also known as Jet-A1, had steadily risen from N190/litre in January this year to N607/litre in March. The product now reportedly sells for about N700/litre. In a letter sent to the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, by its President, Abdulmunaf Yunusa Sarina, the AON expressed its unwillingness to pass the cost down to its customers, who, according to it, were already experiencing a lot of difficulties. The letter read: “It is with a great sense of responsibility and patriotism that the Airline Operators of Nigeria have carried on deploying and subsidising their services to our highly esteemed Nigerian flying public in the last four months despite the steady and astronomical hike in the price of Jet-A1 and other operating costs. “Overtime, aviation fuel price has risen from N190 per litre to N700 currently. No airline in the world can absorb this kind of sudden shock from such an astronomical rise over a short period. “While aviation fuel worldwide is said to cost about 40 per cent of an airline’s operating cost globally, the present hike has shut up Nigeria’s operating cost to about 95 per cent. “In the face of this, airlines have engaged the Federal Government, the National Assembly, NNPC and Oil Marketers with the view to bringing the cost of Jet-A1 down which has currently made the unit cost per seat for a one-hour flight in Nigeria today to an average of N120,000. READ: One-way ticket for local air travel may hit N120,000 “The latter cannot be fully passed to passengers who are already experiencing a lot of difficulties. “While AON appreciates the efforts of the current government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure air transport in Nigeria grows, unfortunately, the cost of aviation fuel has continued to rise unabated thereby creating huge pressure on the sustainability of operations and financial viability of the airlines. This is unsustainable and the airlines can no longer absorb the pressure. “To this end therefore, the Airline Operators of Nigeria, hereby, wishes to regrettably inform the general public that member airlines will discontinue operations nationwide with effect from Monday May 9, 2022, until further notice. “AON uses this medium to humbly state that we regret any inconveniences this very difficult decision might cause and appeal to travellers to kindly reconsider their travel itinerary and make alternative arrangements.”

How NIPRISAN Is Improving Access To Sickle Cell Treatment In Nigeria’ By Ojoma Akor

Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said while the country has not got to the peak in terms of sickle cell disease management, it is no longer where it used to be following the development of NIPRISAN. NIPRISAN is a drug developed by the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRID) for the management of sickle cell disorders. Fuel scarcity: Use gas-powered vehicles for commercial purposes, Aregbesola tells Nigerians Nigerians won’t be used as mercenaries in Ukraine – FG He stated this in Abuja during the presentation of the award of ‘NIPRID Champion for Eradication of Sickle Cell Disease’ to President Muhammadu Buhari. He said the Federal Ministry of Health is committed to reducing the burden of the disease by implementing policies which would improve access to healthcare services for affected individuals. This will consequently reduce under five mortalities caused by sickle cell disease, he added. Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora, said a great opportunity exists for the country to stimulate its economy through pharmaceutical manufacturing, using the numerous natural resources. While saying medicines’ security should not be left for government alone, he added that there is a need for philanthropists, development partners, and other relevant stakeholders to engage NIPRD, and sponsor some critical research activities to expedite access to essential medicines. The Director General of NIPRID, Dr Obi Adigwe, said Nigeria has the largest population of persons affected with sickle cell disorder, and also has a high mortality rate for children less than five years. Dr Adigwe said the mandate of the institute towards developing a cure and improving the quality of healthcare led to a fact-finding mission to champion the eradication of sickle cell disease in the African sub-region. He said, “The outcome of this was the breakthrough with NIPRISAN, an anti-sickling medicine extracted from four local herbs in Nigeria which were found to be efficacious in the management of the disease.” He said President Buhari’s administration helped to resolve the challenges of the production of NIPRISAN in commercial quantities, adding, “NIPRD became partners with a local pharmaceutical manufacturing company to begin production and commercialisation of NIPRISAN with the name NICLOVIX.” President Muhammadu Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said his government would continue to do its best to ensure priority is placed on the local production of medicines by providing the appropriate support for NIPRD. “It is our best desire to see that these contributions to research and development in the country subsequently eradicate sickle cell disease and promote healthcare for the Nigerian people,” he said. He said the production of NICLOVIX by manufacturers in the country has substantially increased access to the drug for people with sickle cell disease within and outside Nigeria.

Nigeria and the billion dollar dirty slaps ~ by Olusegun Adeniyi

My sister, Dr Oby Ezekwesili could not have been more apt when she said Nigerians like to major in minors. Ever since the inauguration of Prof Chukwuma Soludo as the Governor of Anambra State ended on a slapping note, there has been no bigger storyline in Nigeria than the humiliation of an errant (now former) First Lady. From creative social media memes to academic disquisitions on the sociology, anatomy, and psychology of what it means to give or receive a ‘dirty slap’, we have had it all. But, given reports of recent days, Nigerians should be more concerned about those who are ‘slapping’ us in the oil and gas sector than the entertainment of two powerful women squabbling in the public arena. In the past week, three prominent citizens have publicly revealed the quantum of crude oil that Nigeria now practically ‘allocate’ to some financial bandits. First to raise the alarm was the Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Mr Tony Elumelu who lamented that our country is currently “losing over 95 % of oil production to thieves.” Then the former Seplat Energy CEO and top industry player, Mr Austin Avuru wrote that “the entire export pipeline network has been surrendered to vandals and illegal ‘bunkerer’ thus the phrase, ‘crude theft’ which crept into the industry about 2010 has taken on a new meaning.” He added: “There are some pipelines systems now (particularly in the East) where 80 percent of production injected therein does not make it to the terminal.” And while he may not have given any specific figure, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele confirmed on Monday that oil theft has reached industrial scale in Nigeria. From the picture painted by the trio of Elumelu, Avuru and Emefiele, it is obvious that Nigeria is being ‘slapped’ left, right and centre by criminal cartels. Meanwhile, not only have we invited this opprobrium upon ourselves in the manner some people catwalk to their humiliation, the high and mighty also now feel the heat. To put that in the proper Nigerian language, the rich are now also crying. In his capacity as chair of the National Economic Council ad hoc Committee on Oil theft, Governor Godwin Obaseki disclosed in August 2019 that in the first half of that year, 22 million barrels of crude production were stolen. That has resulted in a situation in which many states are already in serious financial crisis because of dwindling oil returns At such a critical period as this, the implications of massive oil theft should command more attention among Nigerians than the slapping dexterity of a former beauty queen. If anything, my experience of the past 48 hours has left me deeply troubled about the future of Nigeria. Within that period, I have seen, at close range, the promise and peril of our country. On Tuesday, I was in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos to witness the commissioning of the Dangote urea and ammonia fertilizer plant with a capacity to produce three million metric tonnes per annum, making it the biggest on the continent. It is located within the precincts of the almost completed 650,000 barrels per day oil refinery, also promoted by Alhaji Aliko Dangote. That is a delightful testimony to resilience and entrepreneurship. But yesterday, I joined the federal government team from Abuja to Port Harcourt to witness firsthand how our oil wealth is being ‘privatised’ by criminal gangs. Led by the Minister of State, Petroleum, Mr Timipre Sylva, others in the team included Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. General Lucky Irabor, Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd, Mr Mele Kyari, the CEO, Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mr Gbenga Komolafe, NNPC Group Executive Director, Upstream, Mr Adokiye Tombomieye, as well as several senior officers from the Navy, Air Force and the security agencies. Before we took to the sky, we had travelled by road into the forest of Ibaa in Ikwerre local government where we saw local refineries at work. A pipeline takes crude into huge dumps and the long petrol storage tank under which it is cooked (refined). With what I saw yesterday, I don’t know how any rational investor would want to put his money in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. The sheer magnitude of the tragic debauchery speaks eloquently to the total breakdown of law and order in Nigeria. While I intend to return to the oil theft malaise and the implications for our national economy and security as well as the environment, let me state that this problem did not start in 2010 as alluded by Avuru. For the past two decades, the Gulf of Guinea has been one of the most dangerous routes for shipping activities because of oil theft. “A tanker will be commandeered, the tracking devices disabled, and its cargo siphoned off onto a smaller ship in an isolated location and sold on the black market”, according to oilprice.com, an authoritative news outlet for oil and gas, in a report published years ago. “Fuel theft in Nigeria is so systemic it will not be slowed or stopped any time soon. Doing so would be tantamount to eliminating drug trafficking in Colombia”, argued Dr Terry Hallmark, an international oil and gas industry risk analyst, in a piece he wrote for Forbes magazine in 2017. With 5,120 kilometres of pipelines network, 2,965 kilometres of sea-lines, 124 kilometres of condensates, 164 kilometres of liquid petroleum gas (LPG), 112 flow stations, 2000 wellheads, 126 production platforms, 17 loading buoys and 13 export terminals, Nigeria has a huge oil and gas assets. But these assets, as I have consistently highlighted in the past two decades are also perhaps the most unsecured in the world. That explains why we now have a situation in which almost everyone believes he could help himself with what belongs to all of us without consequences. In a 5th June 2019 report, ‘Nigeria’s Oil Thieves Roar Back as Militants Kept in Check’ that I once referenced, Bloomberg stated that “Oil theft is now an industry employing thousands in Nigeria.” Barely a month after the report, the Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC) revealed that Nigeria lost a whopping N1.6 trillion to oil theft in 2016 and N995 billion in 2017. That amounts to a combined loss of N2.6 trillion (about $7.2 billion at the then prevailing exchange rate) for the two years. Before we left Port Harcourt around 9PM last night, I spoke with several NNPC officials and senior military/security personnel on the gravity of the challenge of oil theft in Nigeria but that is an issue for another day. Today, I am republishing my column of 23rd September 2004 (about 18 years ago) so that Nigerians can understand just how long this rain has been beating us. ~ The United States-based Human Rights Watch, in a recent report, stated that oil theft accounts for 10 percent of Nigeria’s daily production. Describing illegal oil bunkering as Nigeria’s most profitable private business estimated to yield between $750 million to $3.5 billion annually (depending on the season), the report also stated that the violence being witnessed in the Niger Delta has a direct link to the illegal business: “Oil has become literally the fuel for the violence-despite the fact that in theory it should be easy to stop its theft (it is hard to hide a tanker and easy to trace its owner)”. The Human Rights Watch is wrong here. In a nation where big vessels ‘disappear’, bunkers are not that hard to hide! But the report gets interesting when it talks about their modus operandi and those believed to be involved. I crave the indulgence of readers to quote more extensively: “Illegal oil bunkering – long prevalent in the Delta – has become a sophisticated operation that no longer requires the cooperation of oil company staff to operate equipment at wellheads or allow access – though there are still reports that they are involved. “The bunkerers tap directly into pipelines away from oil company facilities and connect from the pipes to barges that are hidden in small creeks with mangrove forest cover. Frequently, both in the riverine areas and on dry land, the police and military are involved in the process or are paid off to take no action against those tapping into pipelines. “In November 2001, the Nigerian federal government set up a Special Security Committee on Oil Producing Areas, ‘to address the prevailing situation in the oil producing areas which have, in recent past, witnessed unprecedented vandalisation of oil pipelines, disruptions, kidnappings, extortion and a general state of insecurity.’ “Reporting to President (Olusegun) Obasanjo in February 2002, the committee noted that a ‘major threat to the oil industry … arises from the activities of a ‘cartel or mafia’, composed of highly placed and powerful individuals within the society, who run a network of agents to steal crude oil and finished product from pipelines in the Niger Delta region.’ “The committee indicated that many of the militant youth groups responsible for halting or diverting oil production and preventing free traffic on the waterways ‘could be enjoying the patronage of some retired or serving military and security personnel.’ “Despite this high-level recognition of the seriousness of the problem, there appears to be no proactive government strategy for investigating the organized illegal oil bunkering rackets. There have been some seizures of the vessels involved. “More than nineteen vessels used in the illegal bunkering business are reported to have been seized by the army and navy in the year to July – though it is often not clear what happens to their cargoes thereafter…” According to media reports, now confirmed by the authority, ‘MT African Pride’, one of the 15 vessels arrested for alleged bunkering in August last year (2003), and carrying 15,000 barrels of crude, is missing. Testifying before a House of Representatives Committee, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Sunday Afolayan said his men were helpless on what he called ‘practice of topping’, obviously the Naval euphemism for oil theft. He blamed the Police for this sudden disappearance of a vessel on the high sea, arguing: “It is my responsibility to arrest the ship and another to prosecute. I have made arrests and handed over and it is not my duty to do anything beyond my constitutional duties.” Probed further, Afolayan said there was a directive in January this year (2004) from President Olusegun Obasanjo to the effect that the vessel should be handed over to the police for prosecution after the cargo had been taken away by the NNPC. Those who attended the said meeting were Nuhu Ribadu, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); Funso Kupolokun, Group Managing Director, NNPC; and the Police IG, Tafa Balogun. Afolayan, during his testimony at the House (where we got to know that another vessel, ‘MT Jimoh’, has also disappeared) said the Navy had begun an in-house probe into the matter resulting in the court-martial of some officers and ratings, after pushing the blame on the Police. But the Naval Chief did not have the last say on the matter. In his testimony, Balogun said that consequent upon receiving the presidential directive, he set up a panel led by DIG Ogbonna Onovo (who would later become IGP) to take custody of the vessel and suspects but the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Bob Manuel, refused to oblige them on grounds that he was yet to be briefed by Afolayan. At about the same time, according to Balogun, another letter was issued to the police stating that the Navy would take custody of the ship but would release the suspects. Said Balogun: “MT African Pride, reported missing by the Navy was never, and I repeat, never in the custody of the police. “It is not even a question of ‘MT African Pride’, all the vessels have always been with the Navy. If anybody says he handed over a ship to me, let him produce the handing over note because there is no way the handover of such magnitude can take place without a handover note. “The vessels in question were at the high seas where the police have no access to them. The Navy deployed helicopters and ships to trace the ‘MT African Pride’ and it was on the pages of newspapers that I read it. If the ship had not been in their custody, why did they deploy ships and helicopters to search for it?” In another country where leaders are accountable to the people, several public officials would have lost their jobs by now, assuming they are not already in jail. But because this is Nigeria, we have a situation in which arrested vessels carrying stolen oil just ‘disappear’ into thin air and the Naval Chief can only tell us some cock-and-bull story! Since the ugly development broke, I have had time to speak to several people in the oil sector as well as in the Navy and I am privy to some damning reports. I also have it on good authority that the Navy has on several occasions in the last one decade arrested vessels carrying stolen crude but up till now, there has not been one single prosecution of these criminals. The oil majors have also written several reports to the government on the activities of these illegal bunkerers, sometimes mentioning names and pointing out the danger of their activities since a large chunk of their ‘returns on investment’ go into the purchase of arms. But nothing happened. Whichever way one looks at the Nigerian condition today, one cannot but agree with the conclusion reached in the July 2003 IMF Working Paper titled “Addressing the Natural Resource Curse: An Illustration from Nigeria”. It reveals that over 35-year period Nigeria’s cumulative revenues from oil (after deducting the payments to foreign companies) have amounted to $350 billion at 1965 prices yet only few people feel the impact of this huge wealth. The authors, Xaxier Sala-i-Martin, a professor of Economics at Columbia University and Arvind Subramanian, an Advisor, Research Department, IMF argued that on just about every conceivable metric, Nigeria’s performance since independence has been abysmal essentially because of oil. Check out the statistics: While Nigeria’s Per Capita GDP was US$1,113 in 1970, it had declined to US$1,084 in 2000 which places the country among the 15 poorest nations in the world. The poverty rate, measured as the share of the population subsisting on less than $1 per day, increased from 36 percent to 70 percent. “In 1965, when oil revenues per capita were about US$33, Per Capita GDP was US$245. In 2000, when oil revenues were US$325 Per Capita, the Per Capita GDP remained at the 1965 level. “In other words, all the oil revenues did not seem to add to the standard of living at all. Worse, however, it could have contributed to a decline in the standard of living,” the duo wrote. The objective of the 44-page report, according to the authors, was to demonstrate that corruption, weak governance, rent seeking and plunder are problems intrinsic to most countries that own mineral resources, especially oil. In the light of recent developments, I think the authors may have to review their report because they have only scratched the surface where the Nigerian oil asset is concerned. The rot is much deeper than they, or anybody, can ever imagine. ~ It is remarkable that 25 years after the death of the former Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters and consummate politician who envisioned a Nigeria United with a strong commitment to social justice and democracy, the centre built in his memory continues to thrive as a conference facility, Research library, exhibition hall and hub for policy advocacy and citizen engagement. Credit must go to the board chaired by President Olusegun Obasanjo and the management team led by Director General, Ms Jacqueline Farris. • You can follow me on my Twitter handle, @Olusegunverdict and on www.olusegunadeniyi.com.

EXCLUSIVE: Air Peace CEO Allen Onyema’s company dissolved in U.S. By Chiamaka Okafor

U.S. government fingered the company in 2019 as one of the firms allegedly used by the CEO and Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, to perpetrate bank fraud and money laundering. Authorities in the U.S. state of Georgia have dissolved Springfield Aviation Company LLC allegedly used for bank fraud and money laundering by the CEO and Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema. The company, incorporated and based in Georgia State, is said to have been deficient in filing its annual registration, after the U.S. Department of Justice filed charges against its principals, including Mr Onyema in 2019. Owned and controlled by Mr Onyema, Springfield Aviation Company LLC was formed on April 4, 2016, as a domestic limited liability company to carry on any legitimate business, documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES show. But on November 22, 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the charging of Mr Onyema, accusing him of moving more than $20 million from Nigeria through United States bank accounts in a scheme involving false documents based on the purchase of aeroplanes. Mr Onyema was charged alongside Air Peace Limited’s Head of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha. They both face 36 charges of conspiracy, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering, and credit application fraud in connection with the $20million scheme. One of the companies used in committing the alleged offences is Springfield Aviation LLC, prosecutors said. “Beginning in approximately May 2016, Onyema, together with Eghagha, allegedly used a series of export letters of credit to cause banks to transfer more than $20 million into Atlanta-based bank accounts controlled by Onyema,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Georgia said in a November 22, 2019 statement announcing the indictment of the two suspects. “The letters of credit were purportedly to fund the purchase of five separate Boeing 737 passenger planes by Air Peace. The letters were supported by documents such as purchase agreements, bills of sale, and appraisals proving that Air Peace was purchasing the aircraft from Springfield Aviation Company LLC, a business registered in Georgia. “However, the supporting documents were fake — Springfield Aviation Company LLC, which is owned by Onyema and managed by a person with no connection to the aviation business, never owned the aircraft, and the company that allegedly drafted the appraisals did not exist. Eghagha allegedly participated in this scheme as well, directing the Springfield Aviation manager to sign and send false documents to banks and even using the manager’s identity to further the fraud. “After Onyema received the money in the United States, he allegedly laundered over $16 million of the proceeds of the fraud by transferring it to other accounts.” Firm’s dissolution However, since the charges were filed, nothing has been heard of the progress in the case and Mr Onyema is not known to have visited the U.S. ever since. Bob Page, the public affairs officer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Georgia, declined comments when PREMIUM TIMES contacted him for updates on the case. But this newspaper has now obtained information that Springfield Aviation, the U.S. company Mr Onyema used in making the problematic transactions, has now been dissolved. In an October 22, 2020 letter to the company, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the Secretary of State and the Corporation Commissioner of the State of Georgia informed the firm that it had been dissolved. “I, Brad Raffensperger, the Secretary of State and the Corporation Commissioner of the State of Georgia, hereby certify under the seal of my office that Springfield Aviation Company, LLC a Domestic Limited Liability Company was mailed a notice in accordance with Title 14 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated and was involuntarily or administratively dissolved or its certificate of authority revoked by the Office of Secretary of State on 10/22/2020 for failure to file its annual registration and/or failure to maintain a registered agent or registered office in this state,” the document, tiled Certificate of Administrative Dissolution/Revocation, read. “This certificate is issued pursuant to Title 14 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated and is prima-facie evidence of the existence or nonexistence of the facts stated herein.” PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Springfield Aviation LLC (with Control Number 16035630) became deficient in filing its annual registration following the indictment of its principals in 2019. READ ALSO: TIMELINE: How U.S. started investigating Allen Onyema for multi-million dollar fraud Mr Onyema has kept away from the U.S. while the company’s only staffer, based in Georgia, was also charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The firm’s long-term registration agent, Roy Hadley, E. Jr., of Atlanta, also appeared to have cut off links with the embattled corporation. He did not respond to an August 7, 2020 correspondence from the Georgian Secretary of State informing him of the state’s intention to dissolve Springfield Aviation and requesting him to show cause why that should not be done. Other indicted firms Findings by PREMIUM TIMES showed that Springfield Aviation LLC is one Mr Onyema’s four overseas business entities. The others are Springfield Aviation Company Inc., registered in Canada on August 22, 2018 (with incorporation number 1095798-4), Bluestream Aero Services Inc., also formed in Canada on August 22, 2018 (with incorporation number 1095801-8) and Air Peace Limited (Johannesburg) founded on December 9, 2020 (with identification number K2020918092). At least $10.4 million of the $14.3 million seized from Mr Onyema in the case are held by the Bank of Montreal, Canada, by the two Canadian-registered firms. While $5,634,842.04 is held in the name of Bluestream Aero Services Inc., the sum of $4,593,842.05 is said to be held in the name of Springfield Aviation Inc. The balance of the funds – $4,017,852.51 – is held by JP Morgan Chase Bank in the name of Springfield Aviation Company, LLC, Mr Onyema’s U.S.-based entity that has now been dissolved. Air Peace responds PREMIUM TIMES contacted Air Peace whose head of public affairs, Stanley Olisa, said he knows nothing about the dissolution of Springfield Aviation Company, LLC. “I am not aware of that, I will not be able to comment.” When asked about the status of the previous indictment, Mr Olisa said: “the case is in public domain, there are reports on it, so that is it.”