₦airaland Forum

The Diamond Bank sale and Pascal Dozie’s moral burden (Part 1)

By PRINCE EMEKA OBASI

Perhaps it is an irony of fate that Diamond Bank, unarguably the crown jewel of Pascal Dozie’s entrepreneurial repertoire, would fail so spectacularly on the eve of his 80th birthday celebration. Unarguably, because contrary to Mr. Dozie’s offhand remark over a decade ago, coincidentally on the occasion of another birthday anniversary, when presented with two cakes; one from MTN and the other from Diamond Bank: “Which one do I cut now? This one; MTN, gives me more money and less trouble, while the other one; Diamond, gives me less money and more trouble…,” Despite Dozie’s feelings, it was not factually correct that Diamond Bank was the troublesome child of the family. If anything it was the golden goose and many in the know insist that its proceeds had birthed the MTN investment in the first place.

The bank was always the cash cow of the Dozie family business empire. For many in the know, the bank often served as the piggy bank of the multiple family businesses. Now, there was nothing unusual in that because, to begin with, it was privately held for a long stretch of time and only went public in 2005. Dozie and his other interests, formed the majority owners of the institution. And at any rate, the Dozie family practice was not unusual in the opaque tradition of bank ownership and management in Nigeria. Bank promoters often tend to run the institutions like personal and family fiefs. Indeed, there is a consensus of opinion among many finance banking industry analysts, that it is this lack of corporate governance ethos that is largely responsible for the systemic weaknesses that are replete in the industry. Of course, that would explain the very high mortality rate of banks in the country, a record that is almost triple that of any other country on the continent.

Shortly after coming on stream in 1991, alongside such other newly licensed institutions like GT Bank and Zenith Bank, Diamond Bank grew rapidly, weathering early teething challenges and embraced technology to create and deliver innovative products and services. Its Diamond Integrated Banking System, which guaranteed real time online transactions, was innovative and an industry trailblazer. With a commensurate publicity, the product rapidly gave the fledgling lender a marketing edge.

However, what stood out the bank among the crowd of its peers jostling for position in a crowded banking industry was its subtle appeal to a catchment market of predominantly South East traders, businessmen and putative industrialists. Coincidentally, it was from this motley group that Dozie sourced the seed funds for the initial capital base of the bank, drawing in a handful of Aba and Lagos based traders as shareholders.

It was a propitious time in the history of the country. The Babangida administration had introduced the structural Adjustment programme (SAP). It liberalized the economy and created immense opportunities for private enterprises to flourish. Well primed banking institutions leveraged on the booming opportunities to thrive. Like a few other banks, Diamond rode the crest of this wave with young and dynamic professionals; Ken Orji, Philips Oduoza, Nick Oparandudu, Okey Nwosu, Emeka Onwuka, Dan Akujobi, U.K Eke, etc; honing their skills and bristling with vigour and enthusiasm.

But somewhere along the line, the Diamond began to lose its lustre and the early signs of the structural weaknesses which had been a major genetic defect of the bank, became increasingly manifest. The virus, according to many Diamond Bank insiders at the time, was the issue of the Dozie family relationship with the bank and how it impeded professionalism in the organisation.
However, what was corrosive on the morale of the staff was the issue of Uzoma, Pascal Dozie’s first son and his apparently ordained ascension to the leadership of the bank. Many of the ranking professionals in the bank, had naturally expected to ascend to the leadership position. Top of the pecking order was the debonair Ken Orji, a pioneer Diamond Bank staffer who many credit with being largely responsible for doing the heavy lifting in preparation for the take-off of the bank after it was licensed. Indeed, the story of Ken Orji’s experiences has become an industry legend. These people believed, rightly or wrongly, that Mr. Dozie was grooming Uzoma for the top job at their expense. They believed without exception that their career was being deliberately frustrated in order to pave way for Uzoma.

By the early 2000’s the fortunes of Diamond Bank were in steep decline. An institution which had started off on such bright promise and achieved steady growth was now in dire straits as it labored to maintain a positive balance sheet. By 2004 some concerned stakeholders reached out to the earlier version of this Newspaper, to take a look at the bank. Accordingly, we conducted an indepth research titled, “What Happened to Diamond Bank?” The story ran into three parts and revealed some very unpleasant happenings in the institution. Besides the issue of the heavy footprints of the Dozie family and businesses in the bank, which as we discovered, was not unique, the core problem in the bank was the widespread resentment which the prospects of Uzoma Dozie’s anticipated ascension to the leadership had created among the senior cadre. No one, among the staff, management and board who spoke to us, mostly off record, had any good word for Uzoma, or even supported the idea of his one day becoming the GMD/CEO of the bank.

As we found out, the problem was not that he is the son of the founding chairman. Rather, it was that many of the senior members of staff did not believe that he had the mettle to assume the role. There was a consensus of opinion that, “the day Uzoma becomes the GMD/CEO of Diamond Bank will mark the beginning of the end of it,” as a member of the board put it.

Incidentally, one of the pioneer shareholders recently told me that there was an initial agreement by the board that no son of any director would work in the bank. If it is true, it would explain why no son of any director of the bank, except Uzoma, has ever worked in it, at least, to the best of my knowledge.

Our story generated a great deal of interest, especially among Diamond Bank’s catchment market in the Igbo country. It touched a raw nerve among its core market, many of who had developed a deep emotional attachment to it. That market segment was deeply upset with the shenanigans of the bank and expressed their displeasure in various ways. Coincidentally, it ran during the banking consolidation exercise and in Diamond Bank legend, it is held responsible for the poor performance of its private placement offer in that season. Many of the people it approached to subscribe to shares cited the facts contained in our story as evidence of the non-viability of the investment. The offer consequently failed. Mr. Dozie was deeply offended and became an official enemy of Hallmark Newspaper and this reporter.

By the mid 2000s, I was still a swash buckling young man with a devil may care disposition. All I cared about, perhaps, understandably, was journalism and my fidelity to the sanctity and sacrosanctity of truth and also a reporter’s abiding loyalty to what the former FBI director, James Comey called, “A Higher Loyalty.” My duty, as I said it then,was to do the work of journalism and report the truth. Sadly, for me, I did not realise that often the truth hurts and more importantly, that few people can handle the scorching heat of it! As the mercurial Jack Nicholson queried in the iconic movie, “A few good men,” “Truth, can you handle it?”

In 2004, Mr. Dozie couldn’t handle the ugly truth our expose’ on Diamond bank had revealed. So he resorted to blazing, raw anger and bitterness. It took me about a decade and the intervention of well-meaning individuals to mollify him or to try to mollify him. I have since realized that I never really succeeded as he just could not bring himself to get over that story as much as he tried to. It took the intervention of such well-meaning individuals like Prof Anya. O. Anya, pioneer shareholder and director of Diamond bank, late Chief Emma Nwokoro, Dr. A.B.C Orjiakor, the business heavy weights of Orange Drugs, Tony Ezenna and Vin Mgbemena, Chief Martins Agbaso, the quiet diplomacy of Emeka Onwuka and U.K Eke and the counselling of my mentor, Alhaji Abdulazeez Ude etc, to restore some normalcy to our personal and corporate interests. It also took a public apology I made to Mr. Dozie which completely fazed him.

It was during the evocative send forth rites of the late Chief Emeka Odimegwu Ojukwu which was held at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos. The organisers, led by Ochiudo Martin Agbaso, had tapped me to compere the ceremony. It featured a powerful gathering of political and business heavy weights including all living former governors of Lagos state and Governor Fashola. Leading Igbo potentates were also in the audience. I took the microphone on sighting Mr. Dozie and said to the hearing of the mammoth crowd “I apologise to you sir, in the name of the sage we are celebrating today, Chief Emeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, for the story my Newspaper wrote about Diamond bank seven years ago”. A former Diamond Bank staffer, who had a meeting with Mr. Dozie in respect of a project I was handling for the bank in 2015, told me that Mr. Dozie recalled the incident to him and vowed that on the strength of that gesture, he had totally forgiven me.!

Subsequently, I discovered that the respected elder had apparently forgotten nothing and obviously forgiven nothing! …


For Part 2 and 3, click: https://hallmarknews.com/the-diamond-bank-sale-and-paschal-dozies-moral-burden-i-2/,
https://hallmarknews.com/the-diamond-bank-sale-and-pascal-dozies-moral-burden-3-tragedy-foretold/

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, has promised to establish a cattle colony in Abia State, if elected governor.
Ogah made the promise in a congratulatory letter to President Muhammadu Buhari on his victory at the presidential election, last Saturday.
In the letter, copy of which was leaked by an APC source, Ogah promised the President that he would procure lands in Bende, Isuikwuato, Ikwuano, Ukwa West, Osisioma and Ntigha in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government, for the establishment of cattle settlements in Abia State.
“In addition, cattle settlements will be established in Abia State once we win governorship election as complementary for not delivering 90% of Abia State votes to you in just concluded Presidential election. I will procure and secure 65 hectares of land each in Bende, Isuikwuato, Ikwuano, Ukwa West, Osisioma and Ntigha in Isiala Ngwa North L.G.A. We will start with breeding of pets and veterinary hospitals to avoid suspicion from the citizens of the state”, Ogah wrote in the letter.
Apart from the establishment of cattle settlements, the APC guber hopeful also promised the President that he would deal decisively with the issue of IPOB if elected.
He also promised to build a “befitting mosque” along the Enugu-Okigwe Expressway, “where our Muslim brothers are presently occupying”.
The letter which was sent through the office of the Chief of Staff to the President and personally signed by Ogah reads:
I the governorship candidate, Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, OON, FCA and the entire members of APC, Abia Chapter, formally convey our profound congratulations to your well-deserved second term victory. Your victory over other parties in the just concluded presidential election, especially the PDP, is a mark of goodluck to all the governorship and state house of assembly candidates of our great party in the upcoming elections on 9th March 2019.
Sir, recall that during my last meeting with you, I promised Mr. President that:
1. When I assume office as the governor of Abia State in 2019, the activities of IPOB and other Biafra irredentists shall be extinguished for smooth running of Nigeria. I intend to frustrate the businesses and other related institutions that have sympathy for IPOB and their allies in the state. I will be diligent and prompt in creating easy access for military operations against any activities of IPOB in the state.
2. A befitting mosque will be built in Lokpa, along Enugu-Okigwe Expressway, where our Muslim brothers are presently occupying.
3. In addition, cattle settlements will be established in Abia State once we win governorship election as complementary for not delivering 90% of Abia State votes to you in just concluded Presidential election. I will procure and secure 65 hectares of land each in Bende, Isuikwuato, Ikwuano, Ukwa West, Osisioma and Ntigha in Isiala Ngwa North L.G.A. We will start with breeding of pets and veterinary hospitals to avoid suspicion from the citizens of the state.
Sir, I humbly and passionately appeal that INEC should cooperate with us in all forms, mostly to frustrate voting and cancellation of results in the strongholds of our opponents.
Note that Abia State has been ruled by the PDP for 20 years now. They won all their elections by rigging. For us to win them we must beat them in their own game. This can only happen with the full cooperation of INEC. Having delivered my senatorial district and two House of Reps seats out of the three in my senatorial district, Abians now believe that we are in the race to win. With the full cooperation of INEC victory is assured.
Permit me to reaffirm my assurances of highest esteem.
Yours Chief Servant in anticipation,
Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, OON, FCA
Abia State Gubernatorial Candidate.
SOURCE: Profjayblog.com

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, has promised to establish a cattle colony in Abia State, if elected governor.
Ogah made the promise in a congratulatory letter to President Muhammadu Buhari on his victory at the presidential election, last Saturday.
In the letter, copy of which was leaked by an APC source, Ogah promised the President that he would procure lands in Bende, Isuikwuato, Ikwuano, Ukwa West, Osisioma and Ntigha in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government, for the establishment of cattle settlements in Abia State.
“In addition, cattle settlements will be established in Abia State once we win governorship election as complementary for not delivering 90% of Abia State votes to you in just concluded Presidential election. I will procure and secure 65 hectares of land each in Bende, Isuikwuato, Ikwuano, Ukwa West, Osisioma and Ntigha in Isiala Ngwa North L.G.A. We will start with breeding of pets and veterinary hospitals to avoid suspicion from the citizens of the state”, Ogah wrote in the letter.
Apart from the establishment of cattle settlements, the APC guber hopeful also promised the President that he would deal decisively with the issue of IPOB if elected.
He also promised to build a “befitting mosque” along the Enugu-Okigwe Expressway, “where our Muslim brothers are presently occupying”.
The letter which was sent through the office of the Chief of Staff to the President and personally signed by Ogah reads:
I the governorship candidate, Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, OON, FCA and the entire members of APC, Abia Chapter, formally convey our profound congratulations to your well-deserved second term victory. Your victory over other parties in the just concluded presidential election, especially the PDP, is a mark of goodluck to all the governorship and state house of assembly candidates of our great party in the upcoming elections on 9th March 2019.
Sir, recall that during my last meeting with you, I promised Mr. President that:
1. When I assume office as the governor of Abia State in 2019, the activities of IPOB and other Biafra irredentists shall be extinguished for smooth running of Nigeria. I intend to frustrate the businesses and other related institutions that have sympathy for IPOB and their allies in the state. I will be diligent and prompt in creating easy access for military operations against any activities of IPOB in the state.
2. A befitting mosque will be built in Lokpa, along Enugu-Okigwe Expressway, where our Muslim brothers are presently occupying.
3. In addition, cattle settlements will be established in Abia State once we win governorship election as complementary for not delivering 90% of Abia State votes to you in just concluded Presidential election. I will procure and secure 65 hectares of land each in Bende, Isuikwuato, Ikwuano, Ukwa West, Osisioma and Ntigha in Isiala Ngwa North L.G.A. We will start with breeding of pets and veterinary hospitals to avoid suspicion from the citizens of the state.
Sir, I humbly and passionately appeal that INEC should cooperate with us in all forms, mostly to frustrate voting and cancellation of results in the strongholds of our opponents.
Note that Abia State has been ruled by the PDP for 20 years now. They won all their elections by rigging. For us to win them we must beat them in their own game. This can only happen with the full cooperation of INEC. Having delivered my senatorial district and two House of Reps seats out of the three in my senatorial district, Abians now believe that we are in the race to win. With the full cooperation of INEC victory is assured.
Permit me to reaffirm my assurances of highest esteem.
Yours Chief Servant in anticipation,
Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, OON, FCA
Abia State Gubernatorial Candidate.
SOURCE: Profjayblog.com

Nigeria is a country of very powerful men and women strewn across a broad stratum of the society. Lords of various dimensions jostle for positions of influence in the daily hustle of life. But who are the real power brokers? Who make the crucial calls to determine the outcome of events in the wide terrain of power? And who are the bellwethers, the real actors, the master puppeteers who pull the strings? Indeed, in a nutshell which people actually make things happen in Nigeria, who are the go to people; those who actually call the shots in Nigeria’s highly charged power game? A man or woman of influence often towers over their peers like a Roman god; with impudence, authority and presence. This explains why people in the know, pursue influence with earnestness and persistence that often leave the less ambitious astonished. In trying to understand the direction and pace of socioeconomic progress, a review of Nigeria’s power and influence chessboard is crucial.
But beyond the complexities of power and control, establishing where tangible influence is situated amongst Nigeria’s shifting elite gives insight into the texture and tone of the society. It speaks to the underlying belief systems of leadership and the likely direction society will tread in its evolution. Identifying these centres of influence and power to a large extent exposes the country’s economic and political course and explains its dynamics.
In walking through the list of Nigeria’s 100 most influential people for the year 2017, Business Hallmark uncovered wonderful perspectives on the way Nigeria is administered and how the interaction of different centres of influence leads to specific social, political and economic outcomes. For, example of the top ten most influential Nigerians, only one (Alhaji Aliko Dangote) comes from the Organized Private Sector (OPS), emphasizing the statist leaning of the current All Progressives Congress (APC) federal government, in contradiction to the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo’s repeated emphasis on the strategic importance of the private sector in the nation’s economic plans.
The dominant peddlers of influence in the President Muhammadu Buhari administration are unambiguously those in government as well as the members of a shadowy and exclusive inner circle of friends and relations that wield tremendous power over policy. These amorphous groups of power players do not sit comfortably where the principles of market economics come to the fore or where the concept of merit takes pre-eminence. These purveyors of influence see the public sector and public office as a tool for addressing perceived regional imbalances in socioeconomic development.
The second tier of top ten power brokers (those from 11 to 20) in Nigeria is a mixed grill of politicians, especially state governors who have increasingly become critical centres of power and influence in the country. This was clearly and decisively demonstrated at the recent national convention of the main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja this month where the Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, virtually took the convention by the scruff of its neck and successfully secured the appointments of all his nominees as national officers of the party, including the party Chairman, Senator Uche Secondus.
The pull and heft of state governors and even former governors is palpable. In the APC, for example, former governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a major influence magnet and power broker of the party as one of its most visible national leaders. Former governor of Kwara State, Dr Bukola Saraki is the current Senate President and a significant power broker with a spider-web kind of influence that many analysts claim to be larger than that of his late father, Dr Olusola Saraki, who was once considered the strongman of Kwara politics. Former governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola (popularly called BRF) is the present minister of Power, Works, and Housing, Former governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, is the minister of Mineral Resources, while former governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi, is the minister of Transport. Current Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El rufai, is considered to be one of the early influencers of APC’s economic policy thrust and is reputed to have the Presidents attention on economic matters and broad government policy. In other words, being a governor in Nigeria offers leverage to higher levels of power and relevance. However, this also depends on how well the individual skillfully uses the position to build a network of critical contacts that reinforce his relevance as a ‘go-to’ person on matters of national strategic issues of social, economic and political importance.
Business Hallmark’s # Nigeria 100 slices open the onion peels of Nigeria’s power players and most notable influence peddlers and separates the men from the boys, the bit players from the lead characters and determines the real power brokers from the veranda boys! It explores why each individual wields so much authority both within and outside government circles, it provides a colourful snapshot of how the country is carved up to favour different religious, ethnic, economic and even individual interests. In the top ten social influencers in the country, for instance, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, General Overseer of arguably Nigeria’s largest Pentecostal Christian gathering, the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), holds a prominent position slightly behind the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, both religious personalities have large followings of religious faithful and necessarily have the President’s ear. The presence of Pentecostal pastors at the top of the list and the equal presence of Muslim clerics speaks volumes to the rapped commitment of Nigerians to the major religions of Christianity and Islam and the central influence religion plays in the day-to-day lives of the country’s citizens.
Influence is not a quick poke in the dark; it is a carefully crafted and orchestrated strategy to be relevant and powerful over a time span. It is not simply animal spirits running amok, but a cleverly choreographed deployment of personal charm, acquired knowledge, developed and sustained contacts and deft subterfuge and emotional blackmail, to achieve clearly defined goals. In the accompanying tables and personality reviews we present Nigeria’s 100 most influential persons for the year 2017. We note that the clear absence of some names from the list is just as intriguing and insightful as the presence of others.


1.President Muhammadu Buhari: He is the most powerful and most influential man in Nigeria.
His influence and power do not necessarily derive from the fact that he is the president and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. It is mostly due to the nature of his support base. It is safe to say that no president in modern Nigerian history has had the kind of strong support among a large section of the Nigerian population as President Buhari. His support border on fanaticism. Most of his supporters are very passionate about him and even tend to deify him. Over two years after his election, he continues to enjoy very strong support among a large section of the Nigerian population. To such people, he can do no wrong; whatever he does is right. Whatever he says is the gospel. Indeed, that makes him perhaps the most popular Nigerian in contemporary history. It is this support base that has allowed him to succeed in holding power and enjoy immunity from criticisms. Unlike other previous presidents who after over a year in office, lose popular appeal and become weakened by criticisms and vicious media attacks, President Buhari has transcended these minefields and appears not to be bothered by any criticism or the usual challenges governments face. He is, without a doubt, the most influential Nigerian alive today.
2. Mamman Daura: The second most influential Nigerian, ironically, is a man who does not hold public office; a man who is largely unknown by most Nigerians. There are very few Nigerians who can recognise his face, either in a newspaper or on television. He makes very rare public appearances. He is Alhaji Mamman Daura, referred to behind earshot as the defacto president of Nigeria.
He is the president's uncle and enjoys his implicit confidence. Many people see him as the master puppeteer; he is the unofficial leader of the so called Aso Rock cabal who run the show in the presidency. There are wild speculations about the extent of his power. Many of the powerful appointees in government appear to owe allegiance to him. The wife of the president had targeted him in her outbursts. Daura's influence is permissive. He controls the levers of power in the presidency and is the undisputed leader of the shadowy group who are credited with awesome powers. He is the principal go to man by all those who are seeking favours or appointment in the Villa. He is today, the second most powerful and influential Nigerian.
3. Abba Kyari: The third most influential Nigerian is the Chief of Staff. He is dubbed by many in the power loop in Abuja as His Excellency, the Chief of Staff. The president mandated all the ministers to report to him. He is also chairman of the board of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which is the goose that lays the golden egg in Nigeria. In that capacity, many see him as the defacto minister of petroleum and the managing director of NNPC. He is representing the president on the board of NNPC. He is the clearing house of the presidency and the conventional wisdom in Abuja is that he owes his power to Alhaji Mamman Daura who is like his foster father. He has the implicit confidence of the president and is the clearing house of the tabled Aso Rock cabal. He also liaises between the presidency and corporate Nigeria. For a president who is hugely insular and inaccessible, the Chief of Staff is the link person and he plays the role to the hilt.
4. Sultan of Sokoto: The fourth most influential Nigerian is the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sadiq Abubakar 11. The Sultan is the head of the Muslim Community in Nigeria, and given the primacy of Islam in the Socio-political dynamics of Nigeria, it makes him, in effect, the defacto leader of Nigeria. The Sultan is a very influential and powerful monarch. If there were to be a Nigerian council of traditional rulers, he would easily assume the chairmanship position of that body. His influence cuts across different sections of the country and is seen by many Muslims as the authentic leader of Nigeria.
5. Eunuch Adeboye: The fifth most influential Nigerian is the leader of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Eunuch A. Adeboye whose influence and power have transcended the Redeemed Christian Church which he is the general overseer. He is widely seen both locally and internationally as the leader of the Christian community in Nigeria. His voice is widely respected by Christians and non- Christians alike. His eminence transcends denominations, and he is revered by Christians all over Nigeria; both Pentecostals and non- Pentecostals, and even non- Christians. Many see him as the undisputed leader of the Nigerian Christian Community. His carriage has earned him the adulation and respect of millions of Nigerians at various levels of society. The bulk of the middle class in Nigeria today are members of the Redeemed Christian Church and other Pentecostal movements.
6. Aliko Dangote: The sixth most influential Nigerian is the president of the Dangote Group of Companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote. From building a trading outpost, Dangote has emerged as an industrial giant, locally and internationally. He has become one of the wealthiest men in the world. However, it is not just wealth that makes him influential and powerful, it is his ability to socialize; be at home in various parts of Nigeria. His humility and philanthropy, have made him a household name in most parts of Nigeria. He is widely respected and easily ranks as the most influential non- government official in Nigeria. He is a behind the scenes player and plays prominent roles in the emergence of various categories of leaders in Nigeria at various levels, including the presidency. Some have said that it is difficult for anyone to emerge as the president of Nigeria without the active support of Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
7. Abubakar Bukola Saraki: The seventh most influential person is the president of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki. As the president of the Senate, he is constitutionally the number three citizen. However, his power and influence do not derive from that office alone. Rather, it derives from his political acumen and extensive network of friendship and support he has built over the years across various segments of the populace. He is immensely wealthy and has a name recognition that cuts across every part of the country. He is a canny political operator who is very highly ambitious. He nurtures his ambition tenaciously and has a strong support base within the Nigerian political establishment. It is that support base that he tapped into to emerge Senate President in the face of strong opposition. Many have tapped him as one of the pillars of the present political arrangement in Nigeria. He is without doubt a strong determinant of Nigeria’s socio-political future.
8. Bola Ahmed Tinubu: Tinubu is clearly one of the most powerful men in Nigeria and we rank him number 8th. He is the other leg of the ruling APC. He is dubbed, the leader of the party. He is a man of immense political sagacity and towering political stature who has access to huge wealth. He is the defacto leader of the civil society, the defacto leader of the fourth estate of the realm- the media, and defacto leader of the progressive arm of government in Nigeria. He is widely seen as the stabilizing factor in the Buhari administration; the man who made it possible for change to happen, and who, if he so desires, can torpedo the wind of change. Never before in the history of Nigeria has a non- government official commanded such immense powers. He has emerged as the undisputed leader of the Yoruba, and many see him as a future presidential candidate.
9. Prof. Yemi Osinbajo: Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo is rated number nine in recognition of his role as perhaps the most engaged vice president, apart from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, in the history of Nigeria. He enjoys the confidence of President Buhari and has earned the admiration of a cross section of Nigerians for the able way he managed the country during the time he was acting president. He is an erudite scholar who is respected for his intellect. He is very eloquent and enjoys the support, not just of the Christian community, but of many Nigerians who see him as competent and efficient. From a weak footing, he gradually grew into the job and has earned the admiration of many, even those who did not initially support him within the government.
10. Godwin Emefiele: The 10th most influential and powerful person in Nigeria is the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) who is the custodian of monetary policy. Godwin Emefiele has emerged as a very strong player within the power dynamics because of the adroit manner he has managed monetary policy and the affairs of the CBN. In the period before the appointment of ministers, he functioned almost as both the head of the monetary policy and head of fiscal policy; combining the job of the governor of Central Bank and that of the chief adviser to the president on financial matters, thereby making him the defacto minister of finance. Today, Emefiele's voice has become very strong and dominant in economic and financial matters. And he enjoys the confidence and respect of the president. Given the central role of monetary policy in the economy, he has emerged as a key player in the success of the Buhari government.

Read full story: http://hallmarknews.com/nigeria-100-annual-list-of-the-most-powerful-and-influential-nigerians-2017/

By AYOOLA OLAOLUWA

Many Nigerians are currently grappling with smartphone addiction, findings by Business Hallmark have revealed. Since its introduction into the country on the 6th of August, 2001, when ECONET (now Airtel), formally launched its services, followed closely by MTN, Glo and much later by Etisalat (now 9mobile), mobile phones have worked their way into the average Nigerian heart.

Today, it is practically impossible for many Nigerians to accomplish anything meaningful in a day without recourse to their phones, as they literally serve as mobile offices, business partners, entertainment fora as well as social interaction platforms.

However, a recent survey conducted by BH indicates that Nigerians’ addictions to their handsets have its downsides. It was established that overuse and addiction run on parallel lines as they cause negative effects such as impeding homely relationships, change in priorities and friends, sleeping disorders or change in sleep pattern as the artificial light that is emitted consists of harmful rays causing irritation and sleeplessness. It further causes teenagers to turn anti-social.

The addiction, according to the findings, has turned many Nigerians (especially the youths), into zombies; breakup marriages and homes, as well as bankrupted many, and many other unintended consequences.

Particularly troubling is how people get completely lost in their smartphone world, that they become totally oblivious of their surroundings and people around them. According to findings, many have met with untimely deaths through avoidable accidents.

On February 17, 2017, an unidentified young girl, who had gone to buy petrol, was crushed to death by a moving train at Fagba rail-crossing, Iju, a suburb of Lagos.

According to an eyewitness, the young girl who was clutching a gallon of fuel, which she had gone to buy from a nearby NNPC filling station just before the incident occurred, had an earpiece plugged to her ears. It was gathered that she was rushing to cross the rail track while others were waiting patiently for the train to pass.

“Probably because of the earpiece she put on, she couldn’t hear the sound of the oncoming train. As she attempted to dash across the rail, a middle aged man tried to stop her from crossing by holding her hand, but she brushed off his hands.”

The source added that immediately she dashed across the track, the oncoming train tore her body into two.

Also on April 2, 2015, an unidentified young man with earphone on was killed by a passenger train at Cappa area of Oshodi, Lagos. The man was standing on the rail track oblivious of the fast approaching train. The Ogun-Lagos-bound mass transit train was leaving its Oshodi station to Mushin when the accident occurred. The train had as usual, sounded its horn repeatedly as it was approaching the railway crossing at Ilupeju Bye-pass for clearance of its tracks.

According to an eyewitness, the man who had his earphone on was apparently carried away with either the call he was receiving or listening to music.

“Obviously the man was not aware of the approaching train even as it blasted its horn, perhaps because of the earphone. Before he knew it, he was already hit by the train and was not given any chance to escape.

“Immediately he was hit, the body was mangled as the train dragged it underneath. The man has suddenly and unwittingly lost his life to sheer carelessness,” the eyewitness said.

Several other cases of moving trains crushing to death people standing on the rail track because of having their earphones on have been reported.

A lady was in 2016, killed at Shogunle GRA railway crossing, while another one was killed in 2007 at Oshodi.

Apart from deaths and injuries from fatal train accidents, many others have lost lives and limbs through road crashes, either from careless drivers operating their phones while driving or pedestrians who walked into the paths of moving vehicles while distracted by their phones.

Smartphones addiction has also contributed to strained relationships and breakups of hitherto happy homes.

A very bitter husband, while lamenting his wife’s addiction to her mobile phone told our correspondent that the situation has negatively affected his relationship with his wife.

“I can no longer get her attention any longer as she often gets completely lost in her smartphone world. I have to shout at the top of my voice to get her attention. She chats with her friend even in the middle of the night. When I complained of the light of her phones disturbing my sleep, she decided to leave our bedroom for the sitting room to continue her chat undisturbed.

“She is always ensconced in her cocoon, a world bereft of real-life interactions and companionship. At times she will laugh so loud that I think something is wrong with her head. I think I have lost her and I curse the day GSM was introduced into the country”, said the worried husband who did not want his identity disclosed.

While many couples are having challenges with their marriages because of smartphone addiction, youths are getting their future destroyed through obsession to their handsets.

BH findings further revealed that many Nigerian youths, even adults, are now hooked to gaming, social and entertainment sites. Free games such as Candy Crush, Subway Surfer, Temple Run, Agent Dash, Zuma Revenge, among others are downloaded from Google Play Store on the phones to be played later by many game lovers.

Others who are not so passionate with games watch videos online while connected to You Tube, or interact with the outside world through Facebook, Instagram; Snapshots, Skype, WhatsApp, QQ, WeChat, QZone, Tumblr, Twitter and many others.

A mother, Mrs. Inumidun Apoeso, who spoke with BH on her bitter experience with the negative side of mobile phone addiction, said she has been fighting a running battle with her children because of their incurable addiction to their phones.

“I am sad to state that my children are examples of smartphone zombies. Whenever they are in the house, all they do is to engage their phones playing games, listening to music or chat online, while totally oblivious of the world around them. The usual one-on-one communication we used to have is no longer there. They now smile to themselves, laugh loudly or even speak to themselves while chatting with someone on the phone.

“What worries me is that their father is not concerned a bit. He always argues that we are in the jet age and should allow the children to run at their own speed. I am not saying they should not run at their own speed but I believe everything should be done with moderation,” she moaned.

Nigerians addiction to their phones also comes with a huge financial cost. Though, data and airtime are very expensive in the country, many still find ways to load their phones with air time and data for calling and browsing to the detriment of other basic needs.

A youth corps member serving with a media house in Lagos said that she spends N3,500 every two weeks to buy data on her phone. This adds up to N7,000 a month and N84,000 annually. Meanwhile, she collects less that N20, 000 a month as stipend from the Federal Government. How will she cope when the service is over and there is no other job.

A senior media practitioner also shared his life changing experience with our reporter. “I remember a time when Glo used to advertise that if you use up to N20, 000 airtime in a month you will be giving a bonus. I didn’t give it much attention until one month when I received a congratulatory test message from the network provider that I had spent over N20, 000 for the month and now qualified for the reward.

“I was so shocked and alarmed. This experience happened over ten years ago, so you can imagine the value of money then.This is the same me owing school fees of my children and yet had spent over N20, 000 in a month. I felt like smashing the phone on the wall. And that changed my habit for life. I now recharge a flat amount per month and when it finishes, no more recharge until the next month”, he said,

BH findings also revealed that many companies are not immune to the negative effects of the addiction of their staff to their handsets. According to officials in several firms visited, they have resorted to monitoring what their workers do online.

They said that most workers, particularly from the ages of 45 down, use their firms’wifi for private matters, thereby slowing down the internet speed. They disclosed that they had to block access to some sites that consume heavy bites such as Facebook, You Tube and Instagram.

“It got to a stage where when we can’t do anything on the internet again in our office. We can’t send urgent mails or transact business online. It is either the net is crawling at a snail speed or not going at all. When we complained to our network provider, we were told that we were overloading our system, which in turn slowed down our internet.

“It was noticed that the net moves like lightening early in the morning when most workers are not at work or when they had closed for the day. When out IT guy investigated further, we found out that most workers hooked on to sites that consume heavy bites while at work.

“We decided to monitor the use of the internet and charge any worker found culpable for the data they used. That helped but didn’t stop the data theft until we blocked access to the sites”, said Yinka Atobatele, the IT manager of Corporate Office Max, a publishing outfit in Ikeja, Lagos.

A survey carried out to understand how Lagosians are increasingly growing dependent on smartphones revealed some startling revelations.

About 71 percent parents affirmed that their teenage children are addicted to their phones, while about 65 percent teenagers themselves confessed about their inclination towards these gadgets.

The survey revealed that the most common signs observed amongst addicts were withdrawal, anxiety, feeling of discomfort when the phone is kept out of reach.

“According to a psychologist, Dr. Idowu Ogunlusi, “You know you are addicted when you check your phone hourly, become highly obsessed when you can’t find your phone near you or find yourself battling the urge to use them even when you are engaged in important work that involves your complete attention such as the time in school or at work.

“These habits do cause major life risk. Due to such a haphazard behaviour exhibited by teenagers, there are plenty fights between parents and teenagers. There is a finding that proves that around 48% of parents and only 30% teens believe that most fights occur due to the use of cell phones.

“Unfortunately, it is not just the teenagers battling this addiction; in fact their parents too are guilty. The study recorded that 27 percent of parents too face cell phone addiction because of their constant urge to post something on social media or respond to a text message”, he stated.

Interesting New story. You guys have not seen anything yet.

#HowNigeriaIsShared, http://hallmarknews.com/nigeria-shared-buhari-vs-jonathan/ … #SaharaReporters #realFFK #shehusani #FemAdesina #GovAyoFayose #ObyEzeks #Twitavic

@EnnykayEniola

Dr Boniface Chizea, has refuted claims by an online newspaper that he said President Muhammadu Buhari was critically ill in an interview with Wall Street Journal.
He explained there was no time he granted any interview to Wall Street Journal or any other news medium where he discussed the president’s state of health.
“I am not a medical doctor and the President is not my patient and therefore I am hardly in a position to make such a pronouncement about the health of the President. For the many years I have engaged in the public space, all that have followed me would attest to the fact that I am not a rabble-rouser and hardly court any controversy,” he asserted.
The economist stressed that ethics and objectivity are often the hallmark of his public discussions and could never make such statement.
“I am generally considered as pro establishment as I appreciate that it is not a walk in the park being in charge of affairs in a country such as Nigeria where there are many armchair experts who would always claim superior knowledge better than those in helm of affairs”, Dr Chizea reiterated.
President Buhari travelled to London for follow-up consultations with doctors in the second week of May after a previous trip there earlier this year.

Businessman and politician, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has said that the Igbo do not want to secede from Nigeria.

Speaking as a special guest of honour at a National Unity summit organised by Arewa Ambassadors Congress of Nigeria in partnership with Youth Assembly of Nigeria on Wednesday, Iwuanyanwu said that the people of the South East zone would fight anybody who wanted to secede from Nigeria, including the Arewa and Oduduwa people.

The program which held in Owerri, the Imo State capital, had youths across the six geopolitical zones taking part in the conference.
He said that the Igbo were major stakeholders in the country and would not be party to any move to divide it.
According to him, the Federal Government did wrong to have arrested the leader of the ingenious people of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.



Read more: http://alabingo.com/2017/05/igbo-invested-ni…hausa-iwuanyanwu/

Former Minister of Finance, Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said that growth and development cannot be achieved when a country has distortions in its foreign exchange rates.
Speaking at the launch of ‘Beating the Odds: Jumpstarting Developing Countries’, a book written by Justin Yifu Lin and Celestin Monga in Ahmedabad, India, Okonjo-Iweala said there is no one way to growth and development, but some basic principles must be in place.

Read more: http://alabingo.com/2017/05/cannot-achieve-e…es-okonjo-iweala/

At least 50 members of the Biafra Independent Movement (MASSOB/BIM) were arrested by police in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, when the group staged the “New Biafra” commemoration rally...

Over 2,000 people carrying Biafra flags flooded Abakaliki on Monday during the rally which saw policemen at strategic locations in the city.

It was gathered that those arrested were pro-Biafra agitators who were coming from Ohaukwu and Onueke to join the rally in the state capital.

The group had matched from the popular Spera-In-Deo junction to Presco junction in Abakaliki to commemorate Biafra independence...

Read more: http://alabingo.com/2017/05/police-arrest-50-pro-biafra-agitators-ebonyi/

Disheveled, barefoot and bleary-eyed, the Nigerian girls are some of the first to walk off the boats. A dream realised; they arrive in Europe — though the scene is anything but romantic.

Caskets are carried off, carrying those who didn’t survive the two-day journey across the Mediterranean, from Libya to the Sicilian port of Palermo. Babies wail and those sick and burned from the effects of the gasoline mixed with saltwater stumble towards the medical tent.

The Nigerian girls are given a plastic bag containing a litre of water, a piece of fruit and a sandwich. They’re ushered to a vinyl tent for “vulnerabili” — the vulnerable ones.

For at least 30 years, Nigerian women have been trafficked into Europe for sex work, but numbers have spiked recently. In 2014, the trickle of a few hundred women a year grew to nearly 1,500. The following year, it increased again to 5,600. In 2016, at least 11,009 Nigerian women and girls arrived on Italian shores.

These women used to arrive on planes with visas. Now, they come the “back way” — the smuggling route that has developed across Africa to bring hundreds of thousands of Africans to Europe.

Women make up a smaller percentage of total African arrivals to Europe, and aid response for them has been slow and misguided. Although the International Organization of Migration estimates that 80 percent of Nigerian females coming to Europe are trafficked, aid workers have no way of telling those seeking opportunity from those forced against their will. They hand out flyers warning against trafficking...

Read more at: http://alabingo.com/2017/05/horrible-lives-n…trafficked-italy/

Chidi Samuel || Former Governor of Abia state, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu and one of the 8 man executive committee appointed by the All Peoples Congress, APC, South East Zone, to oversee the Governorship preparations of the Party in the forthcoming Governorship election in Anambra State, has called on Governor Willy Obiano to decamp from the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA and join APC if he harbours any desire of retaining his position as Governor of the state.

Kalu who recently decamped to the ruling APC from the opposition PDP spoke at Awka, the capital of Anambra state while addressing Party Executives. He told the party faithful's that even though Obiano has underperformed, the Party will be willing to welcome him into the fold...

Read more at: http://alabingo.com/2017/05/kalu-advises-obiano-decamp-apc/ ‎

...30 jets storm Minna for wedding


The businessman who married Halimat Babangida Friday in Minna, Niger State, Alhaji Auwal Abdullahi, paid a symbolic bride price of N500, 000 and 10 cows to her father, former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida.
The groom is the Sarkin Sudan of Gombe, in Gombe State.
Gen. Garba Wushishi performed the symbolic ceremony of handing over Halimat at 2.45 pm in marriage to Abdullahi.
Governor Ibrahim Dankwanbo of Gombe State received the bride on behalf of the groom, who hails from the state...


Read more: http://alabingo.com/2017/05/groom-pays-500k-…babangidas-dowry/ ‎

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Chidi Samuel

In Umuahia, the administrative capital of Abia State, resentment is building over the alleged relocation of Government House from the city to Aba, the state’s commercial hub by the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu led administration.

Abia, one of the three oil-producing states in the South East Geopolitical Zone, has two major cities, one, Umuahia being the administrative capital whose economic livelihood depends largely on government activities, and Aba, the economic capital noted for commerce and industry, but residents of the later say the current administration has practically starved it of government presence and has instead made Aba both the administrative capital and the commercial city to the detriment of business there.

Source: https://alabingo.com/

An investigation by Alabingo.com since the beginning of the year indicates that the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu rarely sleeps at the Government House Umuahia. The business of Government is also conducted from Aba, the commercial town. The Governor from investigation comes to Umuahia for courtesy calls, even that is beginning to change as the Governor has started to receive those on courtesy visits in Aba.

One of such visits was the aborted visit of the American Ambassador to Abia state last month. The visit scheduled for Abia lodge Aba was canceled at the last minute.

Gov Ikpeazu recieving a delegation from the Chief of Naval Staff at Governors lodge Aba

The apparent relocation of Government House and activities has not gone unnoticed in the state. Prominent Abia indigenes are uncomfortable with the current situation and want Governor Ikpeazu to reverse the trend because according to them, the precedent is a bad one.

A respected retired Academician in Lagos who spoke to Alabingo on the condition that his name will not be mentioned in print, put it this way, ”imagine if President Buhari decides to rule from Katsina, what will Nigerians say? What message will that send? I don’t think that the Governor and those that advised him on this, thought through it, or maybe they don’t care!”.

Even the staff who work in Government House Umuahia and most of the ministries and government agencies are unhappy with the development except the ones of Ngwa extraction.

A domestic staff at Governor’s lodge Umuahia told this platform he could count on his fingertips the number of times Governor Ikpeazu has slept at Government House, Umuahia since he was sworn in almost two years ago. He recalled with amusement the drama that played out at Umuahia Government House, on June 27, 2016, when Justice Okon Abang sacked Ikpeazu as Governor of Abia State.

His words, ” My brother you needed to be here!… As usual, the Governor was not in Government house, as news made the round that Uche Oga, the court announced Governor of the state was on his way to take over the reigns of Government, people were running up and down, they were calling from Aba asking us to block every entrance to the lodge.”

That incident, which came to be known among mid-level and junior workers in Government house Umuahia as, ”the scramble for Akanu Ibiam House” forced the Governor to work from Umuahia for some days.

Abia Government House, Umuahia

Many civil servants at the state secretariat are equally unhappy with the situation and also the attempt by Ikpeazu administration to fill every available position in the state civil service with his kinsmen. A staff at the ministry of information who pleaded for anonymity decried the attempt by Ikpeazu to govern from Aba.

He said, ”This is unheard of in the history of this state but it is in line with the long-standing desire of Ngwa people to dominate the state. In fact, here in Umuahia, we call them the Fulani’s of Abia Politics. They do what they want without a care of how others feel.”

Businesses, especially, those who depend on Government patronage to thrive are also feeling the brunt of Governor Ikpeazu’s decision.

“Our business is suffering very badly,” said Mr. John Kalu who manages one of the biggest hotels along Government House Road, Umuahia. “I can easily count the number of clients I have had over the past few months.

“In the past, here used to be a beehive of activities, visitors after visitors to the Government House came to patronize us. But now, he said pointing at the reception, “see how the whole place is empty.”

The Chairman of Abia state chapter of APGA, Mr. Ehiemere in a telephone interview with our correspondent described the situation as a reflection of the confusion inherent in Ikpeazu’s administration. According to him what the state requires is change. The present Governor and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, he said, has nothing to offer the people of Abia state.

Ehiemere said, ” There is no government in Abia, if you have a Government House and the Governor refuses to live there, what does that tell you? It is not a good thing. Even the Aba, the man ran to there is no road there!.”

When confronted with the issue, Mr Enyinnaya Apollos, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, however, insisted that the claims were erroneous. He explained that although Umuahia is the administrative capital, the Abia State Government has Governor’s Lodges in both Umuahia and Aba, and that the governor do make use of both.

“I hope you know what you are talking about. Do you really know what you are talking about?” he queried.

“Is Aba in Abia State? Did they tell you whether the state government has a lodge in Aba? Abia State government has a governor’s lodge in Aba and Umuahia. Aba is the commercial capital of Abia State, Umuahia is the administrative capital.

“If the Abia State government has a governor’s lodge in Aba and Umuahia, it means the governor can stay in either the two. When people want to be mischievous, they go about telling all kinds of lies.”

He concluded that the governor lives in Umuahia nonetheless, but goes to Aba sometimes.

“The governor lives in governors lodge Umuahia, I repeat, the governor lives in governor’s lodge Umuahia and he goes to the governor’s lodge in Aba sometimes.”

Onyebuchi Ememanka, the special adviser to Governor Ikpeazu on new media also denied the allegation. In a telephone interview with our correspondent, Ememanka described the allegation as the handiwork of mischief makers.

According to him, ” There is no truth in the allegation. The seat of Government is in Umuahia. The Governors office is in Umuahia, the Deputy Governors office is in Umuahia, all the ministries are in Umuahia, as i speak to you, His Excellency is in his office in Umuahia, I am also speaking to you from Umuahia”.

Ememanka went further to explain that there is a government Lodge in Aba which predates Ikpeazu’s administration and because the administration has a deliberate strategy to develop Aba, the Governor uses the lodge when he is in Aba for inspection of ongoing projects.

He cited the example Former governor Peter Obi who spent more time in Onitsha as Governor of Anambra state because he needed to pay pay more attention to Onitsha, the commercial hub of the state.