Fayose Cries To National Assembly For Help

Ayodele Fayose

Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, has cried to the national assembly to be conscious of a new threat to the constitution claiming President Muhammadu Buhari is trying to prevent him from travelling abroad.

According to the controversial governor, the president, he alleged, has compel him to seek clearance from the Department of State Services (DSS) before he could step out of the country.

Describing himself as a leading opposition figure in the country, the governor said he was elected just like the president, and had the right to enjoy immunity.

Fayose also accused the president of exhibiting dictatorial tendencies, saying he will go all the way to resist any attempt to breach his constitutional right.

“The National Assembly is being alerted of this new threat to the constitution of Nigeria by those who swore to protect it. Members of the national assembly should by now begin to imagine what will be their fate if attempt is now being made to place travel restriction on state governors,” the governor said in a statement issued on his behalf by Lere Olayinka, his spokesman.

“Few days ago, when Governor Ayodele Fayose was reliably informed that President Muhammadu Buhari had directed that he should be banned from travelling outside Nigeria, he simply took the information as mere rumour, concluding that disrespect for the constitution of Nigeria and Buhari’s dictatorship would not be extended to the most ridiculous level of preventing a governor elected just as the president from traveling out of the country.

“The thinking of Governor Fayose was that even though the Buhari’s presidency was capable of even attempting to prevent those opposed to the President from breathing the air, it must still be sane enough to be conscious of the consequences of placing any Nigerian under travel ban without an order of the court, not to talk of a sitting governor that enjoys constitutional immunity like the President.

“However, when we read the story titled; ‘Two govs under watch, face travel ban’ published on Sunday by two major national dailies, we have no option than to once again alert the public on President Buhari’s new dictatorial plot to infringe on the constitutional rights of Governor Fayose just because of his critical position on the President’s dictatorial tendencies.

“The question is: if Governor Fayose has become a threat to the security of Nigeria just because he criticises President Buhari and says the truth about his mis-governance of the country, is this not a confirmation that the President hates dissenting views?”

“This dangerous dimension of compelling a sitting governor that enjoys Constitutional Immunity like the President to obtain clearance from the Director General of the Department of State Service (DSS) before travelling out of Nigeria can ever be contemplated.”

Fayose, who said he would not be cowed, vowed to disgrace officials of the secret police if they attempt to stop him from going abroad. He advised the president to channel the energy being used for “petty issues” to solving the problems confronting the country.

“Anytime Governor Fayose wishes to travel out of Nigeria, he will do so in the full glare of the public and we await how he will be prevented from exercising his rights as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights,” the statement read.

“We also wish to inform the President and his DSS men that as they were disgraced when they invaded Ekiti State House of Assembly, arresting members of the House indiscriminately, they will be put to shame this time too.

“It is our considered view that President Buhari should rather concern himself with the growing insecurity in the country and charge the security agencies, especially the DSS to perform their functions as enshrined in the constitution instead of running after petty issues.

“The president should focus his attention on the economy of Nigeria that is almost collapsing and stop using his position to oppress other Nigerians. He should know that Nigerians are only interested in having food on their tables, not the number of people their President hounds into detention or oppress with his powers.”

Senator Ben Bruce Disgraced At Aso Villa

Ben Murray Bruce, showbiz mogul and senator representing Bayelsa East Senatorial District, on Monday night barred by the operatives of the Department of State Services, (DSS), from exchanging pleasantries with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa.

Bruce with Senator Abaribe and another senator at the Aso Villa

Bruce, who joined his colleagues to honour a dinner at the Aso Villa to mark the 2016 Democracy Day, took to his usual Twitter page to lament the treatment meted out to him by the operatives.

Ben Bruce with fellow senators at the dinner

According to the 'commonsense senator', he had attempted to greet the president as one of his colleagues just did, but to his shock, the security agent denied him access to the Nigerian leader.

His tweets: “I was at the Presidential Villa today. Went to the President’s table. DSS wouldn’t allow me greet him but let another Senator greet him.”

“My critics say I shouldn’t criticize the president openly, so I go and meet him one on one and I’m blocked. Am I not a Nigerian citizen?

“If PMB’s handlers selectively block access to him, he runs the risk of being surrounded only by sycophants!

“I have nothing against the President, however, nobody is too important to be criticized and my mouth will never be silenced!”

Bruce is known to be very critical of the current administration, particularly President Buhari.

Few hours before arriving the villa, Bruce, in his characteristically manner, had lashed out at the presidency on his Twitter account: “It’s ‘fantastically corrupt’ that Nigeria maintains a 10 plane Presidential fleet whereas the PM of a rich nation like UK flies commercial!”

Also on Sunday, the Democracy Day, the senator had alleged that Buhari and his ministers spent the whole of last year giving excuses.

Wizkid Buys N60m House For Parents

Wizkid

Nigerian Afro-pop star, Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, has bought a house in Lagos for his parents.

The building, located off Tafawa Balewa Street, Surulere, Lagos, is a five-bedroom bungalow.

A close source told P.M.Express that Wizkid paid N56 million for the building, while he also spent close to N4 million to furnish the house.

According to the source, the whole transaction was perfected in April and it was Wizkid's dad, Alhaji Balogun, who personally handled the negotiations and paid the money to the former owner of the building.

"They have little renovations to do in the building as the former owner, a top corporate executive, maintain the building very well. All they need to do is to re-coat the building and moved in," the source said.

Wizkid's parents and his siblings live in a rented apartment in Shitta Area of Surulere.

Wizkid with his parents

Wizkid had long promised in one of his songs, Jaiye Jaiye, off his sophomore album, 'Ayo' (Joy) that he will soon buy a house for his parents.

He always talks about his parents (especially his mom, Mrs. Dolapo Jane Balogun) in his music, thanking them for giving him the opportunity to pursue music.

"Everything I am today I owe it to them! They gave me everything they had even when they had nothing! I can't put words together to express how much I love u mom nd dad!  I'll always make u proud," the 26-year old singer wrote on Instagram at a time.

Immediately fortune smiled on the singer, he was said to have been searching for a comfortable property to move his parents out of the densely populated Shitta. And he has finally actualised that promise.

The EME/StarBoi act is one of the richest contemporary artistes. Asides his earnings from records sales, he also smiles to the bank with sold out concerts.

The former Lead University student is also courted by many brands as he has many top notch endorsement deals fetching him tens of millions in naira.

For a long time, Wizkid has remained an ambassador in Nigeria for giant soft drink brand Pepsi. He was reported to have made cool N70 million from the deal alongside pop queen, Tiwa Savage. 

The singer recently dumped his deal with top telecoms brand MTN for another mouth watering deal with rival Globacom. The endorsement deal, according to reports, is worth around N100 Million.

A lover of choice automobiles, Wizkid owns a fleet of cars and has been rumoured to be looking to buy a Lamborghini Prime X2 which is worth around N28 Million.

His garage is host to cars like the Porsche Panarema, a car he bought in 2013 but got involved in a car crash only to go ahead to go ahead to purchase just the same type the next month. 

He owns a Hyundai Sonata worth around N6 Million, a BMW X6 worth N11 Million, a Mercedes 2012 Compressor worth around N9 Million, but the most expensive ride in his collection is his Bentley said to be worth around N45 Million.

This story was written by FUNSHO AROGUNDADE for P.M.EXPRESS

Oyakhilome's Christ Embassy Embroils In A N2.1bn Scam In U.K

Chris Oyakhilome

The United Kingdom's Charity Commission has uncovered a suspicious £4.28 million (N2.14 billion) fraud concerning the UK branch of the popular Christ Embassy led by televangelist and charismatic preacher, Chris Oyakhilome.

Reports have it that auditors appointed by the UK’s Charity Commission to review the accounts of the UK branch of the church raised eyebrows over suspicious payments worth N2.14 billion (£4.28 million) made to companies and organisation closely related to the church in 2013.

UK authorities have previously raised concerns over controversial expenditures made by the church.

On 11 August 2014, the Charity Commission, which is the regulator of charities in England and Wales, side-lined the church’s board of trustees and appointed an interim manager, Rod Weston of the international audit and accounting firm, Mazars, to take over the management of the church.

The decision to suspend the church’s board of trustees follows the discovery of controversial payments worth N1.8 billion (£3.6 million) to overseas entities between 2008 and 2012.

At the time, the Charity Commission, issued a statement that it had opened a statutory inquiry to investigate Christ Embassy over “a number of serious concerns relating to the use of charitable funds, in particular large connected party payments and the potential misapplication of grant funding”.

The commission said it was not convinced that the church had been prudent in managing its finances.

Subsequently, the UK tax authority, HM Revenue and Customs, withheld N711.4 million (£2.7 million) due to the church in donation between 2008 and 2012 until the conclusion is resolved.

But details of the 2013 financial statement, which was approved on 22 January, 2016 and released recently, show that the church aggravated payments similar to those the Charity Commission had flagged as suspicious.

According to Jacob Cavenagh and Skeet, the independent auditors, the church made a total income of £14.1 million in 2013 but had an expenditure of £15.9 million. Part of the expenditure was made to companies and organisations with close relation to the church.

The auditors particularly flagged the N1.33 billion (£2,679,980) paid to Loveworld Limited for transmission of the church’s broadcast. 

Interestingly, a trustee of the church, Obioma Chiemeka, is the director and sole shareholder of Loveworld Limited. Mr Chiemeka, a pastor, however resigned as a trustee on 15 October, 2015.

Also, purchases worth N22.46 million (£44,925) were made from Ventaja Ltd for decorating and the construction of a stage. A pastor of the church, Tony Obi, is the sole shareholder of the Ventaja and his wife Georgine Obi, an employee of Christ Embassy, is a director of the company. 

Mr Obi, however, resigned as a trustee of the church on 6 November 2015.

The auditors were also not convinced about the grant of N500.48 million (£1,000,973) given to Healing School, Canada, a trustee of the UK branch of the Church. Ray Okocha, a reverend, is also a trustee of Healing School Canada.

Healing School is the branch of the church in charge of faith healings and miracles sessions. It regularly hosts events in Johannesburg South Africa, and Toronto, Canada.

The auditors said they could not obtain “complete and accurate” information on the transactions because the church could not provide explanations and information they requested during the audit.

“The audit evidence available to us are limited because we were unable to obtain sufficient evidence to enable us to conclude whether material amount of expenditure made by the charity were charitable expenditure,” the auditors stated.

“The audit evidence available to us are also limited because we were unable to obtain complete and accurate information on related parties. As a result of this we were unable to determine whether further disclosure of related parties and related party transaction should be made in financial statement.

“The audit evidence were also limited because a number of explanations and information requested during our audit could not be provided,” it said.

When reached on their UK telephone number for comment, an employee of the Church, who refused to say her name, said she could not speak or provide clarifications about the financial statement.

“I don’t have the information you’re looking for,” she said.

When asked for a phone number or email address of someone with the authority to speak for the church, she asked this reporter to call in June for the contact or to go to the nearest branch of the church in Nigeria for comments.

The fraud saga came on the heels of Anita, the former wife of the founder of the mega-church, Chris Oyakhilome, dispelled rumours of a reconciliation with the televangelist.

Pastor Chris with former wife, Anita 

This will not be the first time a Nigerian church would be under the microscope of the UK powerful Charity Commission.

In 2002, Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo's church came under scrutiny from the charity watchdog after a visit to its offices triggered concerns about its management and the benefits received by its trustees, including Ashimolowo and his wife Yemisi.

Ashimolowo and his wife, Yemisi

The Charity Commission found evidence of "serious" financial misconduct at the Kingsway International Christian Centre, in Hackney, east London.

A report concluded that leaders of the church, who encourage worshippers to donate a tenth of their salaries, had allegedly mismanaged its £8.5 million income.

The church was taken over by the receivers in 2002, and new trustees and managers appointed. The receivers later withdrew in April of that year when the commission was satisfied the church was being run in line with its guidelines. Ashimolowo was ordered to repay £200,000 into the charity.

Bishop Oyedepo

In 2013, the British operation of Bishop David Oyedepo's Winners Chapel, was looked at by the Charity Commission. The regulator examined an allegation that charitable funds have been misapplied and concerns about the reputational management of the charity and conflicts of interest.

Oyedepo's UK branch was said to have received more than £16 million in tithes between 2008 and 2011. Over £1 million of that money was said to have been returned to his Nigerian operation. However, in 2015, the church and its founder, Oyedepo was cleared of any wrongdoing.

RIGHT OF REPLY: The Mischievous Lynn University Donation Attributed to Dr. Indimi, By Mamman Gur

Mohammed Indinmi

Following recent online, and media coverage of a donation made by our Chairman, Dr. Alhaji Muhammadu Indimi, we find it necessary to provide clarity on the nature of the relationship with Lynn University, and Oriental’s operations in and commitment to the Niger Delta.

Contrary to reports circulating, neither Oriental, nor our Chairman, has donated US$14 million to Lynn University. This figure is unsubstantiated, inaccurate and misleading. The figure jointly donated by Oriental and former partner, Afren Plc, to Lynn University, a University from which Dr. Indimi and nine of his children have received nine Bachelors, five Masters, and one Doctorate degrees, is $900,000.

Oriental Energy is a proud indigenous oil company with a steadfast commitment to investing positively and purposefully in the communities where we have operations and beyond. Oriental is particularly committed to fostering and supporting the development of education and indigenous technical skills, as a fundamental pillar for long term sustainable development. We understand that without adequate investment in the education of the youth, there will be no sustainable economic growth.

This is why the organisation has, over a four-year period, contributed billions of Naira to the communities where we operate in Nigeria. These donations include scholarships to beneficiaries from the Universities of Uyo, Port Harcourt, Calabar and Nsukka, amongst others, the development of University of Port Harcourt’s digital library, the re-habilitation of the University of Uyo’s Petroleum Institute, infrastructure development in our host communities, as well as donations towards support for Internally Displaced People in the North-East of Nigeria, and victims of terrorism.

Oriental Energy Resources will continue to protect its reputation and reiterate its commitment to the Nigerian community particularly in instances like this where journalistic due diligence would have disproved the unsubstantiated rumours.

Mamman Gur wrote in from Oriental Energy Resources Limited.

Buhari: Beyond the Iron and Steel, By Femi Adesina

President Buhari

They were called the unsmiling duo. In his first incarnation as Nigerian leader, the then Major General Muhammadu Buhari was paired with another top brass military officer, Babatunde Idiagbon, who was the number two man. Smile was alien to their lips, laughter a total stranger. They had a job to do, which was to rid the country of corruption, crime and indiscipline, and anybody who didn’t fall in line was liable to being dealt with. And summarily too. Laughter was, therefore, a distraction.

Buhari was reticent; Idiagbon, taciturn. A fearful and fearsome combination. Do the crime, serve the time was their motto. Manifest indiscipline, even in something as pressing as answering the call of nature, urinate by the roadside, and you can’t tell anybody it was the work and of the Devil. They would tell you the Devil does not pee. Vandalise public utilities? Twenty years in jail. Traffic in cocaine? Goodbye to the world. Nigeria was being whipped into line, and no mistake. But that nirvana lasted only 20 months, and forces of reaction struck. The regime was toppled.

Along the line, Idiagbon went the way of all flesh. But 30 years later, Providence brought Buhari back to the number one position. Did Nigerians who were of age forget the reticent, ramrod straight man from Daura? No. The mental image they had (and still have) of him, is that of a man of iron and steel, a new sheriff in town, who whips all malefactors into line. A forbidding man who rarely smiles, and who never enjoys the music of the soul; laughter. Such frivolities are for the flippant and unserious. True? Not so. Yes, there is iron and steel in President Buhari, which makes him able to set his face as flint against the corrupt, no matter who such person is. The iron makes him abhor indiscipline, the steel compels him to crave order and decorum at all times. But is the man all iron and steel? Follow me, as I let you into another vista, another side of the essential Buhari. The human side: flesh and blood.

By Wednesday, June 1, it would be exactly a year that I started working with the president as his adviser on media and publicity. And I have seen him in many moods: sober, pensive, business-like, and light, yes, easy, jocular mood. This president enjoys good laughter, and, indeed, has a rich sense of humour.

On resumption day, I met the president at Defence House, his temporary outpost, while the Aso Rock presidential villa was being renovated.

“Chief Adesina, welcome,” he said, as he exteded his hand to me. We both burst out laughing. Of course, I was no chief. Simply Mr. And the president knew it. He was only pulling my legs.

Having waved me to a seat, the president gave me what can be called the rule of engagement, which would guide my service to him, and to the country.

“Tell me the truth always,” he declared. “That is what I want from you. The truth. I may argue with you, you know I am a General, but please argue with me. If your argument is superior, I will bow to it.”

And the president has lived up to his word, one year down the road.

On his very first day at Aso Villa, I had approached the president, saying it was necessary for him to visit journalists covering the seat of power at the Press Gallery. He agreed, and strolled from his office a few minutes later. In his first coming, the then General Buhari was not known to be enamoured of the Press. He enacted Decree 4, which was meant to protect public officers against false accusation, and two journalists were actually jailed under the decree.

For President Buhari to then visit journalists in their gallery on the first day at the presidential villa was, therefore, historic. The true democrat was here. After his remarks, soliciting the support of the press men, he shook their hands one after the other, making witty remarks. When Juliana Taiwo Obalonye introduced herself as representing The Sun, the president said:”Warn your cartoonist. Warn your cartoonist. My chin is not as long as he usually draws it.” Loud guffaws from everyone.

He had one thing or the other to say about almost all the media houses present. It was an evening of conviviality.

There were two instances when the president exhibited good humour at what could potentially rile someone else. Following his many overseas trips, which have been unjustifiably criticised in the media, there was a cartoon in a newspaper, which said when a country elects a nomadic Fulani as president, how would they expect him to sit in one place? The president laughed and laughed. He even told the story to some people who visited him later in the day.

On another occasion, somebody wrote an opinion piece with the headline: ‘When will President Buhari visit Nigeria?’ Rib cracking laughter was what it elicited in the president. The writer was insinuating that the president was more abroad than at home, and whenever he came back, it meant he was visiting Nigeria. But since the president knew the purpose behind his foreign trips, he rather laughed off the cheeky newspaper headline.

Have you heard the story of the German sentry? The president loves to tell it. The first occasion I heard him relate the story was when the Peace Committee headed by Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar visited him. Also in the team were people like the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Sa’ad Abubakar III, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, and many others. They had come to appeal that the anti-corruption war be waged within the ambit of the rule of law. The President listened patiently, and then responded:

“In the military, there used to be this joke about the German sentry. When a sentry is on duty, and he hears any movement, particularly if it is dark, he barks out. ‘Who goes there? Advance to be recognised.’ With his gun at the ready, he interrogates the person, and if he tells an acceptable story, he waves the person on. But when the German sentry hears movement in the dark, he lets out a volley of shots, and then shouts:’Who went there?’ Of course, he knows he has killed the person.”

The president explained that when he came as a military ruler, he was like the German sentry. “I packed all the people who were suspected to be corrupt, and kept them in protective custody. And I told them they were corrupt, until they could prove themselves innocent.

“But now, under a democratic setting, I see corrupt people going around in Rolls Royce, but they remain innocent, until I can prove them guilty.”

Of course, the president and his guests laughed heartily.

From time to time, President Buhari grants interviews to television stations at home and abroad. And they have to fit their microphones on his dress. Whenever the interview is concluded, the president would fiddle with the microphone, which had been passed under his dress, and then exclaim:”Can somebody disarm me, please?” For a retired army officer, that is quite creative, and it causes people to laugh.

The president notices everything, even the seemingly insignificant. One day, I was in a Yoruba native dress, with a cap which was rather big for my head, product of a tailor who was too generous with his fabric. When the President saw me, he said: “Adesina, this cap is too big.” I was surprised at his attention to details. Or talk of Bayo Omoboriowo, the president’s personal photographer. Typical of his young age, Bayo loves multi-coloured socks, which may, or may not rhyme with the colour of his clothing. And he would wear trousers that are several inches above his shoes, thus displaying Joseph’s coat of many colours, which his socks are. That has become his trademark. And then comes in Bayo one day, donning sober socks like people of my generation would wear. To our amazement, President Buhari said: “Bayo, you are not wearing multi-coloured socks today. What happened?” General laughter.

In 1985, while he was military head of state, Nigeria won its first Under 17 World Cup title. Thirty years later, under President Buhari, Nigeria won the same laurel again. The day the trophy was handed over to him, the president admired it, turned it from side to side, and then submitted: “Soccer loves me.” Really true.

Those who think President Buhari is all iron and steel and nothing else have not experienced what I did in 2013. My mum had passed on, aged 75. We planned a commendation service for her in Lagos, and I had invited a number of people, Gen Buhari included. As I stayed with my siblings at the gate of the hall in Alausa, welcoming people, an SUV drove in. The door opened, and a man alighted. Who was he? “General, you are here! You came all the way from Kaduna!” I exclaimed. And he gave that smile that often makes him look like a child, without guile or trickery. Simple, trusting. He said it was his pleasure to come, and he sat through the Christian service. Didn’t some people say he was a religious bigot? Bigotry sure needs to be redefined.

The same thing the president has done this week. Peter Claver Oparah is a dyed-in-the-wool Buhari supporter. His mother died and was buried just yesterday in Imo State. When I told President Buhari that one of his most ardent supporters had lost the mother, he sympathised, did the family a condolence letter, which he personally signed. How very human!

Last December, I told the president that it would be good if he made personal calls to some of his faithful supporters, to wish them a merry Christmas. He agreed. We compiled the names. Rev. Moses Iloh. Rev. Chris Okotie. Barrister Monday Ubani. Chief Duro Onabule. Gen. Sam Momah (rtd), and many others. The President spoke with them one after the other, laughing and making them laugh at the other end. Then, he told me to include Dr Tunji Braithwaite in the list. I quickly called journalist and activist, Richard Akinnola, who gave me the man’s number. The President and Dr. Braithwaite talked for a very long time, and it was mirth all the way. They kept laughing. Unknown to the President, it was a valedictory call. When Braithwaite passed on about two months later, the president told me he was glad he had spoken to him that December night. It was their last conversation.

My sister, Professor Foluke Ogunleye, died in an auto crash last December. The president read of the tragedy in the newspaper, and placed a call to me. He was quite sympathetic. It pacified me a great deal, and reduced my status as a wailing wailer.

Give me a stern president. We need such. But also give me a human and humane President. We equally need such. All these are embodied in Muhammadu Buhari, the man whose footprints would be indellible in the sands of time in Nigeria. He would bring change, and the change would be enduring.

Femi Adesina

Femi Adesina is special adviser, Media and Publicity, to President Buhari.

Ambode Hasn't Borrowed A Dime From Any Bank As Gov –Ayorinde

Steve Ayorinde

Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde, tells ADEOLA BALOGUN in this interview how the Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has been able to pilot the affairs of the state in the past one year

The past administration in the state was using every 100 days to showcase its achievement. What is the style of this new administration?

To start with, this is a government of continuity but we say continuity with achievement. The 100 days pattern is a way to render account of stewardship to the people after each 100 days. Largely in the past, it was strictly a media thing but for Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, there has been a slight adjustment. We do a quarterly town hall meeting. Hundred days would be more than three months but quarterly is precisely three months and the whole idea is to meet people four times in a year outside of the normal machinery that we engage in keeping the public informed, in getting the governor to engage directly with the public. We adopted the quarterly town hall meeting so that the governor can render the account of his stewardship four times in a year. In spirit, form and principle, it is the same 100 days pattern but again as I said, we want to be specific that four times in a year, the governor would meet the people. In rendering our account every quarter, we take the meeting to each senatorial district. We started with Lagos West last year September after which we went in February to the Lagos Central at City Hall. Then last month, we went to Ikorodu. By July, we will return to West but in another other zone.

Most of the things you see this government accomplishing came out of the direct engagement that we had with the people during the campaign. You will recall that there was no local government area that Governor Ambode did not touch during the electioneering.  But not only in campaigning; we have a document that we revisit and review on a monthly, quarterly and yearly basis; document that specifies the needs of each senatorial district and local government.

How has it been with Governor Ambode in the saddle for the past one year?

It’s been wonderful and challenging. You know of course that Lagos is a special state and it is also the heartbeat of the nation. If you take it as a city state, it is the most populous in Africa and the most populous black city anywhere in the world.  For such a megacity, there will always be challenges but rather than be worried about the challenges, we are interested in the opportunities that the sheer number of people and the resources confer on the state. Lagos is bigger in terms of IGR than 31 other states in Nigeria and if you look at the GDP of the state, if Lagos were to be a country, it will be the sixth largest economy in Africa. It is almost like what California is to the United States. It means that the economy of Lagos is the number two after Nigeria in West Africa and number six in Africa. That says something about what this state is all about. That says something about the fact that one year ago, Governor Ambode inherited a state that is naturally prosperous and rich; the potential and the opportunities are there. Therefore, in the past year, what the governor has succeeded in doing is working in sync with the established pattern that Lagos has always had in the last 17, 16 years and he has also demonstrated vision and commitment by adding series of layers of progress to what is there and you can measure this in terms of security, in terms of what we are doing in the area of agriculture, in terms of number of roads that are being rehabilitated and the number of new roads that have been constructed. You can see it in the light up project ; you can see it in terms of entertainment and sports. For the first time in 30 years, Lagos held Lagos City Marathon; it had never happened. As a state, Lagos celebrated an international Jazz day. All these synchronise with the campaign promises of the governor who said he was going to use projects in tourism, hospitality, entertainment and the arts, sports all together to achieve excellence in Lagos State. If you are hearing about Lagos marathon being successful; you are hearing about Barcelona FC coming to have their youth academy in Nigeria; it is the 18th of such academy  and the first on Africa soil; and if you are hearing about One Lagos fiesta; if you are hearing about Governor Ambode holding an evening of Jazz just like President Obama did in the White House, it all speaks to commitment he made during the campaign that he would use all the areas to create jobs and opportunities for the teeming youths of Lagos State so that they are gainfully employed and use all those to make Lagos a destination when it comes to arts, hospitality, tourism and sports.

You remember during the economic meltdown in 2008/2009, two major areas were not affected globally; entertainment as well as fashion. So the aim of the governor is to make sure that Lagos is the number one destination in Africa as far as entertainment, arts and sports are concerned.  To have a state like that, it must be secure, there must be 24/7 economy which the light up Lagos is providing. Communities that had been neglected overtime in terms of electricity, in terms of good roads, are now being reconnected.

In the light up Lagos project, how is Lagos going to sustain it in the face of the general energy problem confronting the entire country?

Lagos has always demonstrated leadership and innovation. You remember that the past administration invested heavily in the area of Independent Power Project which powers most of the public facilities in the state like the courts, hospitals, Alausa secretariat and the state houses in Marina and Ikeja. This administration is continuing with that but the scope is now expanded through the light up project. Long neglected communities most especially in Epe area are now connected with the national grid through the IPP but the one that people see and applaud more is the light up project; more than 600,000 poles already done, more than 350 roads already touched by the light up project.

The issue of power generation and distribution might be a federal responsibility which of course has been concessioned to the various Gencos and Discos but as a state, within our own means, we are finding a way round it as it were. By the time we are celebrating the 50th anniversary next year, almost all the major streets in all the five divisions of Lagos would have been lit up.

Is it wrong to say that the light up Lagos project appears to be the most popular initiative by this government?

Well, I think that is not far from the truth. I think it is a project that has endeared the governor to the hearts of Lagosians. Yes, people say in the 60s, 70s, there were street lights and stuff in Lagos but what was the population then? Now we are talking about the biggest black city in the world, 21 million people and still counting. The light up project is a deliberate thing and we are happy that people see it as something very fresh. We have shown that continuity means that there would always be a layer of improvement but the most gratifying thing about this is that no Lagosian has said why are we concentrating on this project because they see it as touching the lives of everybody. There was a story about some weeks ago when people were still keeping vigil in fuel queues; people put few things on the social media thanking the governor that they were able to sit inside their vehicles and able to read papers and novels courtesy of the street lights.

What is the feedback in terms of crime rate after the donation of security equipment to the police by the state government?

We made the donation of the security equipment in November 27, 2015 and we also rebranded the RRS. A lot of people are debating about which one is more popular between the light up project and the security donation. I will say that those are the two flagship projects and game changers if you like in particular the donation of the security equipment.

To answer your question directly, three months after the donation of the equipment, the crime rate, according to the police commissioner and all other indices, has reduced significantly by 65 per cent. And it has to be like that because what we invested in security was massive enough to show to the whole world, particularly armed gangs that Lagos now has the capacity to take care of any crime.

A demonstration of this is what we did in collaboration with the federal agencies when those girls in Ikorodu were kidnapped in their school. In less than six days, we were able to rescue the girls safely. You will remember what one of the kidnappers said openly on TV that he tried to dissuade his colleagues that Lagos had changed and that with the calibre of equipment at the disposal of the police, they could not escape with the crime. That alone sends the signal that things are looking up. If crime could go down by 65 per cent in February, this is May and I believe by the time we are mid year, the rate would have further gone down maybe by 75 per cent. There is nowhere in the world that there is no crime, the message we are sending out is that the long arm of the law will get any criminal wherever they are in the metropolis.

Don’t you think that the use of the closed circuit camera will complement such effort?

Without doubt, that is the next layer Lagos is going. I will tell you something; wait for Lagos before the end of the year, by the time we are celebrating another year, you will see that Lagos has gone beyond what we did in November. You saw the set of rescue equipment Lagos rolled out recently as inaugurated by the vice president. A mega city like Lagos is now ready in terms of rescue operation during emergencies.

When the governor first came, he said he wanted the traffic managers, LASTMA in particular, to operate with a human face and a lot of people took that advantage to flout traffic rules. Why then did the government change its stance?

We weighed our options and without a doubt, one of the attributes of the governor is that he is a compassionate person. But of course, the decision to be more lenient as at that time came as a result of two things. One,  in response to the demand of the people when we went round and were told that the officials of LASTMA were a little highhanded and we believed that we could deal with it by asking them to treat people with respect. The other reason was that we felt that technology could actually drive traffic management. But we soon realised that it is a mega city with its own peculiar needs and we called a stakeholders meeting and we came to a decision that we should implement traffic rules to the letter. What you see now is that we apply the Lagos State traffic law and that is why we now have the mobile court to take care of offenders. That is not all that we did, we have fixed more roads, more than 500  and we have succeeded in making traffic faster than before. We have also recruited more men to the agency and a number of LASTMA officials have been fired due to infractions. We are not only hard on the erring commuters alone, we also deal with the bad eggs in the system. Before Governor Ambode came on board, the number of LASTMA officials was about 2100, we have recruited more people, all of them are graduates. We are dealing with cerebral people who understand traffic management.

What informed the introduction of the Overseas office and employment and wealth creation ministry?

When the governor came, he felt that the volume of direct foreign investment into the state should be handled by a special office. That is why he merged some ministries and created new ones. The one called Lagos Global, which is the office of Investment and Overseas Affairs, is basically a one-stop shop in Lagos State for everything about investment whether local or foreign. About $45bn worth of investment has come to Lagos in the last one year through the direct intervention of the office which the governor directly oversees. The whole idea is to say that investment in the state can go into any sector but rather than having commissioners and special advisers running after investment, why don’t we have a special office for our own foreign affairs even though that sounds like a federal concern. It is a huge role that requires a dedicated office like Lagos Global. The other one is the office of employment and wealth creation which basically deals with creating jobs. This is one of the campaign promises of the governor. He said he would make available N25bn in four years just to get start up businesses, fresh graduates with ideas to have access to funds. The money for the first year is ready and the necessary bill has been passed to law as Employment Fund Law 2015. The committee to run it has been set up and it is chaired by the former FIRS chairman, Mrs.  Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru. By the time they roll out, about 300,000 young Lagosians will benefit in the first instance. The other fresh office is the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism which organised the One Lagos fiesta last December which used to be Lagos Count Down organised at a single venue. But it was expanded to five venues, five days, across all five divisions. Imagine the kind of economy that was created at every centre for the five days, the pure water sellers, the technicians, MCs, DJs, dancers,  food sellers and all of that. Again, it is part of the campaign promises of the governor that no community or division would be neglected in any way. Why must it be the only Lagos Islanders that should enjoy the Lagos Count Down? You needed to be at Agege that day.

The governor has not borrowed a dime from any bank since he came in. Rather, what he has done is reduce the exposure of the state to indebtedness. Apart from the Federal Government, the state was one of the first to key in into the Treasury Single Account which is one major area to cut down on waste and ensure transparency and accountability. The governor has also brought down the amount Lagos would have been paying to commercial banks in terms of loans. What he met was 18 per cent interest on debt but he consolidated all those commercial bank loans into a single source and renegotiated repayment terms.

Would Lagos save whatever accrues to the state as a result of its new found status as an oil producing state in a special account and used for what?

I would say that it should be one thing at a time. Let us even enjoy the good news that Lagos is now officially an oil producing state. It’s been 25 years that the project has been on and we are glad that we have struck oil by an indigenous firm. We believe that more will come. It is gratifying that another indigenous firm will process refining soon. It can only mean that the fortune of Lagos will be enormous and remarkable. Just like the governor said, it means that Lagos will be able to share from the 13 per cent derivation revenue due to oil producing states. I think what is important is for people to see it that Lagos has the opportunity to have more money to continue to do the good things that the state is known for in the last 17 years. Dubai is an example of a city that works and the money is from oil. What Lagos has succeeded in doing so far did not come from oil but services, ideas, human capital and everything. If you add oil to the equation and with the crop of leaders  we are blessed with, it means that we will all be proud. If you ask how are we going to manage the money, I will say look at what we have been able to do without oil in the last 17 years. We have people who understand how economy should run and by the time the money from oil starts to accrue to the state, Lagosians will be better for it.

At the initial take off of the governor, the opposition described him as an underachiever, would you say that the criticism spurred him on to embark on the giant strides?

There was a strategy in place when the governor first emerged as the candidate of the All Progressive Congress against all odds when it was thought that he was just a mere civil servant. There was a strategy in place after becoming the candidate to win the election that some people thought he might lose because of federal might but he emerged victorious. Therefore, certainly there was a strategy in place to run a government of continuity with an improvement. So if the opposition that you mention have now been for ever silenced and dazed beyond imagination, it would mean that those who were bellyaching and shouting initially were only doing so to orchestrate a particular script. But the attitude of this administration has been to stay focused and steer clear of distraction. The governor took everything in his stride and remained focused and now it has become obvious that the gentleman knew what he was doing ab initio; it didn’t matter whether he was criticised or not. What is important is that Lagosians can now see that they have a governor that is performing fantastically and they are applauding. For us, it’s even better that the criticism came early; we are now at the cruising level, we have removed the safety belt; the plane has stabilised and everybody can see that it is a smooth ride.

How does it feel being the information commissioner of a mega city state like Lagos?

It is a job that requires a very high level of professionalism, discipline, commitment and integrity. I do not think it will be too hard for a man who has had the privilege of editing the biggest newspaper in Nigeria where discipline and integrity are cornerstones in that company. It probably won’t be too difficult for a man who was an integral part of the turning of a dead brand owned by an exceptional billionaire to an award winning paper. More importantly, I do not think the job will be too difficult for a man who has had the privilege of serving in almost the same position as the director of media and communications for the gentleman that Lagos State is now blessed with as the governor of the state. It feels good; it is a tough job and highly demanding. It takes 24 hours to get it done; I believe we are giving it our best shot. It is a great moment and it is also a learning curve and an opportunity to serve.

Culled from PUNCH