₦airaland Forum

Coming or cumming?

Eruption is to force out or release suddenly or/and violently

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It is not often that cases before a court of law become so important that they get discussed in beer parlours, open places, other rooms and generate so much public attention beyond the court room, even after judgment has been delivered by a court of competent jurisdiction. But it happens, presenting, relative to context, the spectacle of concurrence and/or populism or a conflict between the court of law and the court of public opinion. This in itself is a reaffirmation of the role of the judicial system as a social modulator, beyond strict positivism, rather than a derogation from the relevance of the judiciary. Such cases are known in legal circles as “cause celebre” either for the attendant popularity and public interest or the precedence that they establish. Nigeria found itself confronted with such a case recently with the decision taken by the Court of Justice Taiwo Taiwo (Federal High Court, Abuja) in the matter between Oluwakemi Adeosun, former Minister of Finance of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Attorney General of the Federation. This is an interesting case that has the prospects of becoming a locus classicus, in its present form or on appeal (if that happens) with regard to the issues of citizenship, appointments into public office and participation in Nigeria’s National Youth Service Corps Scheme (NYSC). I will tone down the legalisms involved, but what are the facts before us and what conclusions can we draw from this particular case?

In November 2015, Kemi Adeosun, born in 1967 in London, England, to Nigerian parents from Ogun State Nigeria, was appointed Nigeria’s Minister of Finance by the Muhammadu Buhari administration. Before that appointment, she had worked in the United Kingdom as an accounting assistant at British Telecom, London, also at Goodman Jones as a senior audit officer, as a manager at London Underground, and later at Prisms Consulting. She was also a senior manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers. In 2002, she returned to Nigeria and took up an appointment as a Financial Controller with Chapel Hill Denham Management. She became Managing Director of that company in 2010. In 2011, Adeosun was appointed Commissioner of Finance in Ogun State by then Governor Ibikunle Amosun who promised to turn around the fortunes of his home-state. Four years later, Kemi Adeosun was further elevated when she ended up as Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, after President Buhari and Governor Amosun won a second term in office as President and Governor respectively.

It was widely assumed Mrs Adeosun earned that promotion due to Amosun’s influence. Amosun is a well-known Buhari ally and a prominent member of the ruling party. As Minister of Finance of Nigeria, Adeosun, an Economics graduate of the University of East London and a Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, further ended up as Chairman of the Board of the African Export-Import Bank (AfreximBank). Her profile was something made out of a fairy tale: amazing, well supported.

In 2018, that fairy-tale turned sour when an online newspaper, Premium Times Online alleged that Mrs Adeosun illegally obtained her NYSC exemption certificate. In Nigeria, no citizen, who is a graduate, is allowed to be employed in either the private or public sector, without having gone through a mandatory one-year national service. This requirement is spelled out in Section 12 of the NYSC Act and embedded in the 1999 Constitution. Premium Times, after calling out Mrs Adeosun, promised to conduct an investigation. And it did, with unsavoury outcomes. This generated tension, ethnic politicking and a heavy dose of blame game. In the middle of all that, and the ugly implications for the integrity of the Buhari administration, Kemi Adeosun resigned from her position as Nigeria’s Minister of Finance on September 14, 2018. Her resignation letter, addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari is available online. But let me quote the following paragraph from it. She writes: “I have today become privy to the findings of the investigation into the allegation made in an online medium that the Certificate of Exemption from National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) that I had presented was not genuine. This has come as a shock to me and I believe that in line with this administration’s focus on integrity, I must do the honourable thing and resign.”

Kemi Adeosun’s resignation was an unusual thing to do in Nigeria. Most of her compatriots would never have done so. Resign from such a “juicy position” as Nigerians call it? No! But she did. And there were questions about whether she jumped or she was pushed. Other questions were asked: was she set up and sacrificed by the same man who made her Minister of Finance, her former boss, Governor Amosun? Did she herself get too big for her boots, and forgot her own beginnings? Who blew the whistle about her NYSC Exemption Certificate? As pundits went to town, Adeosun left town. She has now returned three years later, with a bang. A month ago, she got a generous mention in the newspapers as the founder of a Foundation – “the Dash Me Store”, an online thrift-for-charity initiative that she has now established to support the vulnerable in society. It was her first major public appearance in 3 years. And it wasn’t meant to be just one of those events. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was in attendance for all the possible symbolic reasons, as Chair of the occasion. That was great optics. Adeosun may have left the country in 2018 for controversial reasons, but she has returned on a high note, with perfect timing.

For me, this was particularly confirmed by the court ruling dated the 7th Day of July 2021 in suit No: FHC/ABJ/CR/303/2021 between Folakemi Adeosun - (Plaintiff) and Attorney General of the Federation – (Defendant) before His Lordship Hon. Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo in the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abuja Judicial Division. As it were, Kemi Adeosun had approached the Federal High Court to seek declaratory reliefs to the effect that (i) she was not under any constitutional disadvantage or prohibition at the time of her appointment as Minister with regard to her participation in the NYSC scheme, (ii) she cannot be subjected to any disability or disadvantage on the ground that she did not participate in the NYSC and that ((iii) being a United Kingdom Citizen as at 1989 when she graduated from the University of East London, UK, at the age of 22 years, she was ineligible to participate in Nigeria’s NYSC. The learned Judge observed as follows: “In brief the fact of this case is that sometime in 2018, while the plaintiff was serving as the Minister of Finance of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it was being paraded in the public space that she did not participate in the NYSC scheme and as such ought to have been disqualified from holding the office. It was further alleged that the said insinuations have remained unabated, thereby, consistently putting the plaintiff at disadvantageous positions in the pursuit of her career, both within and outside the country, this has therefore necessitated the plaintiff to file this action.” Counsel for the defendant relying on Section 12 of the NYSC Act and Sections 147 (5) and 192 (4) of the 1999 Constitution responded accordingly. The Court decided in favour of the plaintiff and granted the declaratory reliefs in her prayers before the Court. The ruling has been heavily criticised in the court of public opinion, and that has generated as much interest as the substance of the case itself.

First, there is this argument that the court did not address the issue of certificate forgery which was the basis for Mrs Adeosun’s resignation in the first place. Those who push this line of argument forget that this was not the matter before the court. A court of law is not duty bound to embark on a voyage of discovery or offer what has not been pleaded before it with admissible evidence. Procedure is critical in law and in common parlance, the court is not a Father Christmas. In this matter, a civil suit by the way, Kemi Adeosun had approached the court to protect her reputation, to which she claims much damage had been done by the circumstances of her exit from the Nigerian government in September 2018. It is perfectly within her rights to do so, one’s reputation being so fundamental to everything else.

Second, some persons have expressed concern about the citizenship question raised in the ruling. They ask: Granted that as of 1989, when she graduated Kemi Adeosun was not a citizen of Nigeria, and therefore ineligible for participation in the NYSC scheme, under the then extant 1979 Constitution, when she then returned to Nigeria to work, what steps did she take to become a Nigerian citizen? They point out that the 1999 Constitution after all, does not automatically confer citizenship. There is a proper definition of citizenship under Chapter 3 of the 1999 Constitution, so at what point exactly did Mrs Adeosun become a Nigerian? And how could she have been appointed a state Commissioner of Finance and later, a Federal Minister if there was no understanding that she had become a Nigerian citizen although entitled to dual nationality? And why would she sue the Attorney General of the Federation? Again, these questions were not raised by the defence counsel before Justice Taiwo Taiwo. The issues for determination were clear and specific. What has been offered is a technical, Constitutional interpretation of what the law says with regard to participation in the National Youth Service Corps Scheme of Nigeria, and the legal status in that regard of all persons, of Nigerian parentage but foreign nationality, caught between the 1979 and 1999 Constitutions with regard to eligibility to participate in the scheme and the question of their citizenship. But does the ruling of the Court meet public expectations? No.

Third: Will the office of the Attorney General of the Federation appeal this ruling? I doubt. Will the Federal Government now file a suit to accuse the former Minister of Finance of the forgery of a certificate that everyone is saying is the main issue? Hmm. That won’t happen. This is Nigeria. Mrs Kemi Adeosun’s reputation with regard to the NYSC matter has been judicially restored, and all insinuations about her involvement in this quasi political-legal tango have been laid to rest. Her brother Dele Ogun has been quoted as saying Premium Times, the online newspaper, has questions to answer. So, should she sue Premium Times that generated the storm in the first place? She shouldn’t bother. There is no point fighting a battle she can’t win. Only the naïve would pick up battles with the media like those thick-headed characters who believe that they can restrict the freedom of information in society. I hope their advisers have seen the robust push-back by the Nigerian media community which started yesterday. Nigerian newspapers are now carrying placards against the government: from front-page advertorials to editorials!

It has been said that Kemi Adeosun’s legal victory is a victory for all Nigerians who were born abroad before the 1999 Constitution and who do not have to participate in the NYSC. Except that this is one case where the law does not answer all the questions. It must indeed be a fit and proper thing to serve one’s country, or even die for it. The NYSC was introduced in 1973, to move Nigeria beyond the pains and tragedy of the civil war and to promote national unity and integration. If things were normal, there would have been no reason for anyone to avoid the opportunity to serve the country. Kemi Adeosun was 22 in 1989, and she was not a Nigerian citizen. When she returned to Nigeria in 2013 at the age of 34, she was already beyond the age of eligibility for the NYSC. She has now succeeded in proving her case in court. But other foreign-born Nigerians with an eye on the future should study her case closely and learn a critical lesson about the importance of one’s roots. They need to realise that the Adeosun case does not automatically offer them any protection under the law. Adeosun probably never imagined that she would ever have anything to do with public life in Nigeria.

Many Nigerians in diaspora, a growing generation of children with Nigerian parents and foreign citizenship often overlook the umbilical manner in which they are linked to Nigeria by blood. They are proud to say that they have nothing to do with Nigeria and that they belong to other countries. But the pull of home and ancestral roots is forever strong. Most of the athletes in the D’Tigers Basketball team who represented Nigeria a few days ago and made history beating Team USA, the most dominant basketball team in the world, probably do not have a Nigerian passport, and may never have been to their ancestral home. They wore shirts emblazoned with the message: “Naija no dey carry last”. They stepped up and proved it. Every Nigerian child born in diaspora should look beyond Kemi Adeosun’s legal victory. A sense of home and roots, is the strongest DNA in our veins. The river may flow downstream into the oceans, without looking back, but it is bound to dry up if it loses touch with its source.

What is most unfortunate, however, is the crisis at home that drives a wedge between Nigerians at home and those in diaspora. While we urge the latter to identify with home, connect and remember, Nigerians born and bred at home, are in despair. They are either seeking to emigrate or secede. If they are lucky to graduate from a higher institution, they are not even happy to participate in the NYSC or serve the country. Nigeria is so insecure parents do not want their children posted to certain parts of the country. Nigeria has a way of killing dreams. The NYSC is one of those dying dreams. And that is why the Adeosun case, controversial as it seems, is bound to end up as just one of those things in the court of public opinion.

http://saharareporters.com/2021/07/13/nysc-and-kemi-adeosun-case-reuben-abati

The curious £2.55bn award against Nigeria


Something is going on that should be making the headlines but it is not. In March 2012, a company named Petro Union Oil & Gas Ltd filed a suit at the federal high court, Abuja, asking to be paid £2.556 billion by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Union Bank, the minister of finance and the attorney-general of the federation because of an “offence” committed by Union Bank. You may not believe it, but Petro Union got the award two years later. Two billion, five hundred and fifty-six thousand pounds! Not naira; pound sterling! Yes, awarded by a Nigerian court against Nigeria.

The case went on appeal and Petro Union won again. All eyes are now on the Supreme Court for a final pronouncement. I guess if the court rules that Nigeria should indeed pay the £2.556 billion award, we will wake up and start running up and down to save our comatose treasury. We’ve been here before, haven’t we? In 2012, P&ID Ltd took Nigeria to arbitration in the UK over a failed gas processing contract. Everything went quiet from May 2015 until January 2017 when Nigeria was ordered to pay P&ID $6.6 billion in damages and lost income, plus a daily interest of $1.2 million.

Pronto, we woke up and started running helter-skelter — from the United Kingdom to the United States — trying to prevent the enforcement of an award that would have risen to over $10 billion by now. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) started going all over the place, looking for who to indict, arrest and charge to court for the “fraudulent contract”. We even got some quickfire convictions in the process. Thank goodness, the strategy worked and Nigeria was able to get a respite — although danger is not yet over. But at least we can argue our case all over again.

What is the Petro Union case against Union Bank? How did it become the business of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? Here is what we know so far. In 1994, Petro Union, whose directors included Prince Isaac Okpala (now dead) and his wife, said they wanted to establish three refineries in Nigeria. Gladstone Kukoyi and Associates were their consultants. The Okpalas issued a cheque, dated December 29, 1994, for £2,556,000,000 in favour of Gladstone, drawn on the Barclays Bank account of Gazeaft Ltd. We must note that the Okpalas were directors of UK-registered Gazeaft as well.

According to the court papers, Gladstone Kukoyi and Associates lodged the cheque with Union Bank. The bank then asked its London branch to confirm it, as was the formality, only to be told that Gazeaft Ltd had closed that account since 1989 — five years before the cheque was issued. Union Bank said it notified the CBN about the suspicious cheque and that the central bank did its own checks and confirmed that Gazeaft’s UK account had indeed been closed since 1989. An open-and-shut case? Not really, not when there is a Nigerian factor involved. The drama was just beginning.

From what I heard, Petro Union kept pushing for the cheque to be honoured. Eventually, the company petitioned the EFCC against Union Bank and CBN for not honouring the instrument. That was in 2005. The EFCC began to investigate. They asked Union Bank to return the cheque, after which it was handed back to Petro Union. Why was the cheque returned to Petro Union when the possibility of litigation was looming? I wouldn’t know. Whatever the game was, Petro Union did not relent. The game changed from a cheque not being honoured to £2,556,000,000 being expropriated.

On March 22, 2012, Petro Union headed for the court via originating summons, seeking to enforce claims against Union Bank, the minister of finance, the AGF and the CBN. Petro Union claimed that the £2,556,000,000 actually came into Gladstone Kukoyi and Associates’ account Union Bank in 1994; that the bank transferred it to the CBN under the forex rules then; and that both banks sat on the money. I thought the court could have subpoenaed bank records to ascertain if the money actually came into Nigeria, but it appeared that was not considered a vital evidence in the case.

There was yet something odd. Petro Union declared in court that Union Bank transferred £2,159,221,318.54 of the sum to the account of a private company at the CBN. The company was named as Goldmatic Ltd. Petro Union actually tendered a CBN “statement of account” for Goldmatic. Do private companies open accounts with the CBN? What we were taught in O’Level Economics is that the central bank is the banker to the government, not private individuals or companies. How did the trial judge accept such a document as evidence? I wouldn’t’ know.

It would also appear nobody took the matter seriously because, to be honest, I myself wouldn’t take it seriously either. Can £2.556 billion disappear without a trace? If Gazeaft actually had £2.556 billion in its Barclays Bank account in London, would it be difficult to confirm? If £2.556 billion moved from UK to Nigeria, would it have escaped the international financial system? More so, is it so hard to confirm that the account had been closed five years before the cheque was presented? A one-page letter from Barclays Bank would have sufficed, in my opinion. Something was obviously not right.

In any case, on March 11, 2014, the high court determined that £2.556 billion came into Union Bank, that the bank retained £396,778,681.46 of it and transferred the balance of £2,159,221,318.54 to a private company’s account at the CBN. The court ordered Union Bank to pay Petro Union £396,778,681.46 “being the balance” of its foreign capital. The judgment was delivered “jointly and severally” against the CBN, Union Bank, minister for finance and the AGF, meaning the Nigerian government will also pay £396,778,681.46 in addition to £2,159,221,318.54. Was that an error?

I do not want to make any unholy insinuations, but as a layman I have many questions, some of which I have already asked. To start with, £2.556 billion is such a humongous amount of money that all the facts should have been properly established. If indeed the account of Gazeaft Ltd at Barclays Bank had been closed five years before its cheque was issued in favour of Gladstone Kukoyi Associates, this should be the easiest thing to establish. That would have meant the case was not standing on any leg. I still cannot understand why this simple fact was not probed or established

I also wonder, as a layman, the locus of Petro Union. The cheque was drawn in favour of Gladstone Kukoyi and Associates against the account of Gazeaft Ltd. In the entire transaction, therefore, I do not see where Petro Union can claim to be the main party. Gladstone Kukoyi and Associates and Gazeaft Ltd should be the parties in court seeking to be paid or refunded the sum. But I speak as a layman. Perhaps there are legal provisions for a party that is neither the payer nor the payee to make those claims. Any way we look at it, I think Gladstone and Gazeaft should be the parties.

Were some facts hidden from the court? In the end, the judges can only work with the evidence before them. They are not going to help the respondents look for evidence. For instance, was the court aware that the cheque had been returned to Petro Union by the EFCC in 2005? Since it “bounced”, it should have been returned ab initio. It seems Union Bank held on to it — perhaps as evidence in the event of litigation. It was at EFCC’s request in 2005 that they returned the cheque. But if the transfer indeed went through, Petro Union shouldn’t be in possession of the cheque.

I would also think it took the unlikely judgment for Union Bank to wake up. What the officials might have dismissed as a joke, or as a cut-and-dried no-case, was not so after all. The bank immediately appealed the judgment to the Court of Appeal, Abuja. After four years, the appeal court upheld the judgement of the trial court. I should think that was when it began to dawn on the Union Bank guys that if was a really a joke, the honourable judges must have missed it. The bank swiftly filed an appeal to the Supreme Court, where it has been pending since June 2018. That is the state of play.

Oh, I nearly forgot. The last time I checked, neither the office of the AGF nor minister of finance had appealed to the Supreme Court. This has serious implications. It means the Nigerian government will also pay whatever Union Bank is asked to pay because the judgement says “jointly and severally”. Each respondent will be liable individually. If I understand how things currently work in Nigeria, when an AGF does not fight a case, an out-of-court settlement is on the cards. What we would hear next is that Nigeria has agreed to an amicable settlement of hundreds of millions of pounds.

As it has become our custom in Nigeria, a “final settlement agreement” of say £200 million will be presented as the best possible resolution. Everyone involved will be “happy” in the end; only the national treasury and the Nigerian people will bear the brunt. The value of the original award, together with the interests, is now more than £11.3 billion, which is about half of our foreign reverses. Therefore, there is no way a £200 million settlement will not be made to look like a bargain — even though we know the best deal is to quash the judgment altogether with solid evidence.

With the way things stand, only the federal government has the capacity to settle the liability from the case. The judgment sum far, far, far outweighs Union Bank’s balance sheet. I understand that if all the assets of Union Bank are sold, that would meet only roughly 30 percent of the judgment sum. But Nigeria has reserves and other assets against which Petro Union can secure an enforcement order all over the world. Nigeria is currently experiencing one of its worst economic crises ever, with the naira falling badly in the face of scarce forex, and inflation raising the room temperature.

On a brighter note, there is some hope. The EFCC has charged key suspects to court. They have been undergoing trial at a federal high court in Lagos since March 2020. The suspects are: Abayomi Kukoyi (Gladstone Kukoyi and Associates), Kingsley Okpala, Chidi Okpalaeze and Emmanuel Okpalaeze (all Petro Union). Gladys Okpalaeze is said to be “at large”. Isaac Okpala, the most senior of the lot, died years ago. The seven-count charge borders on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, attempt to steal and forgery. Apart from Kukoyi, others are addressed as either “prince” or “princess”.

Specifically, they are accused of forging a Barclays Bank’s cheque and attempting to use it to obtain £2.556 billion from the CBN. They are also accused of forging a CBN statement of account purporting to be that of Goldmatic Ltd with which they tried to prove there was a transfer. Eight witnesses, including Senator Nenadi Usman, former finance minister, have testified against them. They all pleaded not guilty. But will the Supreme Court examine the facts of the original award by the high court and confirm what most of us suspect but are fraud to say — that this is a monumental scam?

by SIMON KOLAWOLE

https://www.thecable.ng/the-curious-2-55bn-award-against-nigeria

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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has extended the deadlines issued to Microfinance banks (MFB) to comply with its revised minimum capital requirements.

This was contained in a circular issued to all microfinance banks on April 29, 2020, and signed by the CBN’s Director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department, Kevin Amugo.


In the circular, the apex bank said:

“The Central Bank of Nigeria in consideration of the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on economic activities has revised the deadlines for compliance with the minimum capital requirements for Microfinance Banks (MFBS) in Nigeria.”

Consequently, the CBN has extended the deadline as follows:

• MFBs operating in rural, unbanked and underbanked areas (Tier 2) shall meet the N35 million capital threshold by April 2021 and N50 million by April 2022.


MFBs operating in urban and high density banked areas (Tier 1) are expected to meet the N100 million capital threshold by April 2021 and N200 million by April 2022.

• State MFBs shall increase their capital to N500 million by April 2021 and N1 billion by April 2022.

• National MFBs are expected to meet the minimum capital of N3.5 by April 2021 and N5 billion by April 2022.

The CBN had in March 2019, reviewed the minimum capital requirement for microfinance banks, with a view to ensuring continued operations of these banks in rural, unbanked and underbanked areas of the economy.


Source:
https://nairametrics.com/2020/04/30/recapitalisation-cbn-extends-deadline-for-microfinance-banks/

Cc: lalasticlala, mynd44

10 things Nigeria does better than anywhere else

Noo Saro-Wiwa, CNN • Updated 1st October 2019

From email scams to oil spills and charlatan Pentecostal preachers, it's clear that Nigeria has something of an image problem.
While the outside world's perception of Africa's most populous country hasn't always been overwhelmingly positive, there's plenty more to this nation than its unsavory associations.
With its vibrant culture, sense of humor and adaptability, Nigeria has become the "Giant of Africa" in more ways than just population size.
In honor of Nigeria's Independence Day on October 1, here are 10 of the many reasons why the destination one in five Africans call home stands out from the rest. You may be inspired to add Nigeria to your travel list:

1. Traditional weddings

In Nigeria, if you've reached your 30th birthday and are still unhitched, the elders will harass you down the aisle, which is why barely a week goes by without someone staging a traditional wedding ceremony somewhere.
Weddings are a sacred part of cultural life, but also an excuse to show off cuisine, fabulous clothing, music and dance moves in one life-affirming, chromatic bonanza.
With 250-odd ethnic groups, the ceremonies come in a variety of styles, depending on your region.
In the southwest, the groom and his friends might prostrate themselves at the start.
However, in the southeast you'll see them dancing their way into the ceremony, wearing bowler hats and clutching walking canes.
In other regions, the bride and groom's families send each other letters of proposal and acceptance before getting down to dowry negotiations.
Once the serious stuff is done, it's back to music and dancing and, best of all, the tossing of banknotes in the air to make money literally rain down on the newlyweds.
If you haven't experienced a traditional Nigerian wedding, you haven't experienced Nigeria.

2. Jollof rice

This mouth-watering tomato-based rice dish is a party staple.
There are many ways to cook it, involving endless permutations of meat, spices, chilli, onions and vegetables.
While it's widely accepted that Senegal invented this dish, the concept spread to West African countries.
The most notable are Ghana and Nigeria -- two nations that have vied with one another for supremacy in a never-ending battle known as the jollof wars.
Nigerians are the indisputable champions, of course, serving up "advanced level" jollof that our Ghanaian rivals can only watch and admire.
Oya, come chop!

3. Eating chicken to the bone

While we're still on the subject of food, Nigerians are champions at eating chicken to the bone and beyond.
It's not enough to simply eat the flesh. We break the bone, suck out the marrow and pulverize the remainder until there's almost nothing left.
If your chicken thigh is still forensically identifiable at the end of the meal then you haven't done it right. Abeg, finish am!

4. Nollywood films

Only Hollywood and India's Bollywood make more movies than Nigeria.
Known as Nollywood, our film industry is big business -- so big it contributes 5% to national GDP.
With average flicks churned out in under a two weeks, Nollywood films are famous for their poor (albeit improving) production values.
But what they lack in sophistication they make up for in story lines that are an entertaining window on Nigerian moral values and byzantine social dynamics.
Narratives exploring servant-master relationships, the supernatural, corruption and infidelity are delivered with lashings of shouty, eye-bulging overacting.
The movies draw a big audience in the rest of Africa, where viewers from more reserved societies can revel vicariously in Nigeria's outlandishness and even pick up some of our slang.
Nigerian soft power has never been greater.

5. Durbar royal horse parade

The annual Durbar festival is the cultural highlight of Nigeria's Islamic north.
This visual extravaganza is celebrated by thousands of peoples, mainly from the Hausa-Fulani ethnic groups, in multiple cities at the end of Ramadan.
Followed by a parade that takes place in the city of Kano at the Emir's Palace, it's become a longstanding tourist attraction.
The Emir's sons, noblemen and regiments show their loyalty by trooping past on horses, accompanied by musicians.
Each royal household has its own unique costume, made up of billowing robes and turbans that glitter in every color under the sun.
Wearing black leather gloves, the princes raise a "power" fist as they bounce past the Emir.
Being polygamous, the Emirs have literally dozens of sons and every one of them takes part, from the middle-aged to the toddlers. Counting them all is part of the fun.

6. Optimism

For all its political and economic troubles, Nigerians are somehow still among the most optimistic and happy people on the planet.
Opportunity doesn't come knocking -- we chase it, with the help of God, who we all know is on our side.
The Lord may have rested on the seventh day of Earth's creation, but that's the last day off he's enjoyed ever since.
Nigerians call upon Him 24/7, praying and pumping fists and demanding His favors.
Evidence of our optimistic spirit lies everywhere: It's in the billboards that promise "a divine upgrade", or our hustling entrepreneurial spirit, or the crumbling roadside shacks grandly named "Victory Plaza." There's no room for despair when we see ourselves as "temporarily embarrassed millionaires" (to quote Steinbeck) on the expressway to heaven.
So next time a Nigerian tells you "I will become the greatest by force!" understand that they're not bragging -- they're just speaking their dreams into existence.

7. Proverbial sense

Nigerians love a good proverb and we never stop inventing new ones.
Some aphorisms are blunt and to-the-point. Others can be a little cryptic, so you sometimes need a high level of "proverbial sense" to understand what they're getting at:
"Monkey no fine but im mama no like am [The monkey might be ugly but his mother loves him]."
"If you can't dance well, you'd better not get up."
"The man being carried does not realize how far away the town really is."
"The quarrel that doesn't concern you is pleasant to hear about."
"The whip hits at the legs, not the guilt."
"Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunters."
"The one-eyed man does not thank God until he sees a blind man."
"Rat wey get only one hole, they quick die [A rat with just one hole will soon die]."
"After God, fear woman."
"No license for nonsense [behave yourself]."
"No business, no wife."
"Keke [motorized tricycle] today, private jet tomorrow!

8. Masquerades

Masquerades are a huge aspect of Nigerian culture.
These masked costumed figures are considered to embody the spirits, and serve as a fundamental part of Nigerian pre-colonial religious tradition.
Nowadays they double up as entertainment and appear during weddings and festivals, particularly at Christmas time.
Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups, each with its own masquerade. The masks and costumes are visually striking.
They can be made from a variety of materials such as grass, animal horns and teeth, and the young men who wear them sometimes cover their limbs in black palm oil to mesmerizing and scary effect.
The masquerades travel through the villages, performing dances, acrobatics and reciting incantations.
Chasing terrified villagers with bows and arrows or whips is also part of the tradition, so get ready to move your feet.

9. Bronze sculptures

The famous Benin Bronzes are a collection of plaques and sculptures that once decorated the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin.
Dating back to the 13th century, these exquisite artworks include bas-relief images of dignitaries or warriors.
They were influenced by the Ife civilization nearby, which produced life-sized bronze heads of the Ooni (king) and his queens.
When Europeans first saw the Hellenic-style realism of the Ife sculptures they were "shocked" that Africans could produce such beauty and sophistication.
The British liked the Benin bronzes so much they stole them during punitive raids in 1897 and have kept hold of them to this day.
Some of the best specimens are displayed at the British Museum in London, the Louvre in Paris and Berlin's Ethnological Museum.


10. Making the best of 'go slows' (traffic jams)

Traffic jams -- known as go slows -- are a daily part of life on Nigeria's roads, but although they may delay your journey they needn't stop you from completing your day's shopping from the comfort of your vehicle. Need some socks? Street vendors can sort you out.
They'll also sell handkerchiefs, belts, books, newspapers, fruit, vegetables, chocolates, electrical appliances and even oil paintings -- if that's what you're after.
Simply roll down your window and call for their attention.


https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/things-nigeria-does-best/index.html

Sh!t happens bro, move on

Alarm just gone off, I need to get up to pray

Yes, it’s true. From Wednesday, August 14th, 2019 all Gokada pilots will be off the roads and the Gokada app will be shut down.

Increased competition, regulatory hurdles, and operational issues have forced us to make this decision. We thank all our loyal users and are truly sorry for this inconvenience.

Fortunately, WE’LL BE BACK ONLINE MONDAY, AUGUST 26TH, 2019 BETTER THAN EVER.

That’s right. A little bit of clickbait to wake you folks up! Sorry, what can I say I’m a prankster.

Gokada is shutting down but not for the reasons you think. It all started with…

So what’s going on? Well, a little over a week ago I had taken a Gokada hoping to avoid traffic to get to the mainland bridge from VI. From there I planned to take a car. I opened the Gokada app, requested, got a pilot, and waited patiently for him to arrive. I called to confirm my location which the pilot said he knew. 5 minutes pass by.. and the pilot had not moved. Another 5 minutes pass and the pilot was going in the wrong direction. After 15 minutes and three phone calls, the pilot finally arrived at which point I’m thinking it might have been faster to take a car all the way through. Upon questioning the pilot, I learned that he didn’t use GPS on his phone because the earplugs he had were broken. Irritated, I motioned him to get started with the ride as I was in a hurry. It should be pretty obvious how to get to the mainland bridge from VI, so I didn’t concern myself with providing him directions but I knew from Google Maps using the best route, it should only take 10–15 minutes. After about 15 minutes, we were still on the road. I hastily took out my phone and did a quick input of the directions to the bridge and realized we were still 15 minutes away. This pilot had taken a long route to get to the bridge, one that would have been completely avoided had he used the map. I motioned that I would direct him based on the Google Maps navigation. Unfortunately, just as we were about to reach the bridge I directed the pilot to a wrong turn which would have required us to turn all the way around. At this point, it was obvious that a car would have been much faster even with all the traffic. How could I be the CEO of Gokada, the company that pioneered motorcycle ride-hailing in Nigeria and be saying this? I was disappointed in Gokada but most of all, I was disappointed in myself. I told the pilot to pull over to the side of the road, I would hop over the median and wait for an Uber. “This is what it has come to,” I thought.


I made a decision right then that things needed to change.

It’s not easy criticizing your own company. But either I could ignore these issues and move along happily like everything was fine. Or I could realize that this kind of thing is happening to our customers thousands of times over. I am not ok with that.

Gokada was started to change the perception of what the bike taxi could be in terms of safety, convenience, and transparency. In many ways, we’ve succeeded but we have also failed. We can only win by doing right to our customers and our pilots. That is why today I am excited to announce our Gokada 2.0 initiative.

What can you expect?

Brand new bikes
Much better quality and sexy as hell.

All drivers retrained
We’re closing shop to retrain our drivers in customer service, hygiene, driving, and navigation use.

Higher safety measures
Maximum speeds, adhering to all traffic laws, new Bluetooth helmets.

Happier drivers
We’re offering drivers more: maintaining their bikes for free, opening a drivers club, and expanding our health benefits.

Big problems require big solutions. We’re sorry for the inconvenience this may cause you in the short term. But in the long run, we firmly believe that when you want to get somewhere fast, safe, and hassle-free — there won’t be any other app you’d want to open other than Gokada.

Stay safe. Stay green.

-Fahim Saleh
CEO of Gokada

https://medium.com/@fahimsaleh/gokada-is-shutting-down-12a30aec70c5

CC: Lalasticlala

Yes, it’s true. From Wednesday, August 14th, 2019 all Gokada pilots will be off the roads and the Gokada app will be shut down.

Increased competition, regulatory hurdles, and operational issues have forced us to make this decision. We thank all our loyal users and are truly sorry for this inconvenience.

Fortunately, WE’LL BE BACK ONLINE MONDAY, AUGUST 26TH, 2019 BETTER THAN EVER.

That’s right. A little bit of clickbait to wake you folks up! Sorry, what can I say I’m a prankster.

Gokada is shutting down but not for the reasons you think. It all started with…

So what’s going on? Well, a little over a week ago I had taken a Gokada hoping to avoid traffic to get to the mainland bridge from VI. From there I planned to take a car. I opened the Gokada app, requested, got a pilot, and waited patiently for him to arrive. I called to confirm my location which the pilot said he knew. 5 minutes pass by.. and the pilot had not moved. Another 5 minutes pass and the pilot was going in the wrong direction. After 15 minutes and three phone calls, the pilot finally arrived at which point I’m thinking it might have been faster to take a car all the way through. Upon questioning the pilot, I learned that he didn’t use GPS on his phone because the earplugs he had were broken. Irritated, I motioned him to get started with the ride as I was in a hurry. It should be pretty obvious how to get to the mainland bridge from VI, so I didn’t concern myself with providing him directions but I knew from Google Maps using the best route, it should only take 10–15 minutes. After about 15 minutes, we were still on the road. I hastily took out my phone and did a quick input of the directions to the bridge and realized we were still 15 minutes away. This pilot had taken a long route to get to the bridge, one that would have been completely avoided had he used the map. I motioned that I would direct him based on the Google Maps navigation. Unfortunately, just as we were about to reach the bridge I directed the pilot to a wrong turn which would have required us to turn all the way around. At this point, it was obvious that a car would have been much faster even with all the traffic. How could I be the CEO of Gokada, the company that pioneered motorcycle ride-hailing in Nigeria and be saying this? I was disappointed in Gokada but most of all, I was disappointed in myself. I told the pilot to pull over to the side of the road, I would hop over the median and wait for an Uber. “This is what it has come to,” I thought.


I made a decision right then that things needed to change.

It’s not easy criticizing your own company. But either I could ignore these issues and move along happily like everything was fine. Or I could realize that this kind of thing is happening to our customers thousands of times over. I am not ok with that.

Gokada was started to change the perception of what the bike taxi could be in terms of safety, convenience, and transparency. In many ways, we’ve succeeded but we have also failed. We can only win by doing right to our customers and our pilots. That is why today I am excited to announce our Gokada 2.0 initiative.

What can you expect?

Brand new bikes
Much better quality and sexy as hell.

All drivers retrained
We’re closing shop to retrain our drivers in customer service, hygiene, driving, and navigation use.

Higher safety measures
Maximum speeds, adhering to all traffic laws, new Bluetooth helmets.

Happier drivers
We’re offering drivers more: maintaining their bikes for free, opening a drivers club, and expanding our health benefits.

Big problems require big solutions. We’re sorry for the inconvenience this may cause you in the short term. But in the long run, we firmly believe that when you want to get somewhere fast, safe, and hassle-free — there won’t be any other app you’d want to open other than Gokada.

Stay safe. Stay green.

-Fahim Saleh
CEO of Gokada

https://medium.com/@fahimsaleh/gokada-is-shutting-down-12a30aec70c5

Activities of 'danfo' drivers in particular

Initiative behind this thread is that you start your sentence with the last word of the last sentence, please be guided

Nairaland, forget the nincompoops who post rubbish at times, is a great place to frequent

Intervention by God is the best, do not rely on humans

To survive in this obodo Nigeria, one needs divine intervention

Everywhere you go, yet you see his products

Ambition of mine is to be richer than dangote