Ex UN Scribe, Ban Ki-Moon Describes Buhari’s New Chief Of Staff As Great Asset

May 19, 2020

Former UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon

Former United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon has described Professor Ibrahim Gambari, the new Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari as a great asset to Nigeria and Africa in a broader sense.

In a letter of congratulations addressed to Professor Gambari, dated May 18, the former UN Secretary-General wrote:

“I would like to sincerely congratulate you on your recent appointment as Chief of Staff to H.E. President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria.

“Your appointment is a great asset not to the President of Nigeria but also your country Nigeria and Africa in a broader sense.

“I am confident that your invaluable experience gained while serving the UN, with various important leadership roles, will help your leadership in addressing these challenging times caused by COVID-19.

“I shared this good news with the former Minister Yoo Chong-ha, your good friend and former Foreign Minister of Korea. He sends his warmest congratulations to you.”

The 8^th Secretary-General of the UN, who wrote his congratulatory letter from his base in Seoul, South Korea’s capital, said that he looked forward to meeting his former colleague at the UN again, while wishing the accomplished Nigerian diplomat success on his new assignment.

Also, UK High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, expressed delight with the appointment of Prof Gambari as the Chief of Staff to the President.

The High Commissioner said that the Mission will work closely with the Chief of Staff on “our shared agenda in the challenging COVID-19 times.”

COVID-19 And Nigerian Banks, By Reuben Abati

Editorial staff

May 19, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the entire world – the future of everything and the world of work, but perhaps the most visible effect of this disruption is most felt in the financial services sector, the markets and the global economy. In this regard, the banking sector is one of the most gravely impacted. It would be useful to reflect a little on the extent to which this is so in Nigeria and the meaning of the multi-dimensional implications, and hopefully, someday, someone will take on the task of analyzing in greater detail, bank-customer relations and the role of the banks in the time of COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. I seek to provide a preliminary sketch, throw up a few posers and make some observations.

When on March 29, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari announced the imposition of an initial two-week lockdown on Lagos and Ogun States and the Federal Capital Territory, the three parts of the country that had then presented a higher COVID-19 sero-prevalence, he exempted healthcare workers, security personnel, pharmaceutical companies, oil company workers, the country’s food supply chain, the media, and other essential workers. His speech made no mention of the banks.

This omission was addressed the following day, March 30, by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning and the Governor of the Central Bank who further informed the public that Nigerian banks/money markets would also be expected to provide essential services during the period of the lock-down. Obviously, during the period of the lock down, Nigerians would need money either in terms of access to cash, or the completion of pending transactions, transfers, payments and savings. In April, the Federal Government further extended the lockdown by another two weeks and yet by another week, towards the end of the month. As it turned out, other states of the Federation relying on Section 8 of the Quarantine Act and enabling state laws also enforced their own versions of the lockdown. Effectively, Nigeria became part of the global response to COVID-19. People were asked to stay at home, stay safe, follow guidelines, and avoid the risk of infection and transmission. It all happened so suddenly, so unexpectedly. Nobody was prepared for it. There were reports of harvests of death in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Fear gripped the world. Panic reigned. People asked the inevitable question: will humanity survive given the virulence of the virus? As people stayed at home and off the streets, they still needed to survive. Nobody had withdrawn cash or saved towards COVID-19. The importance of access to the banks and to cash was writ large; earning an income became a matter of life and death for households and businesses. The world thus found itself in a pre-historic Darwinian situation where only the fittest survived. The banks in Nigeria were not of much help. Their rating in terms of customer relations/support fell.

The banks simply refused to open their doors to customers. The few that pretended to do so in Lagos, provided only skeletal services. People were advised to make withdrawals using Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), but most of these machines had no cash supply, and where they had, long queues could be seen daily, without anyone observing the physical distancing guidelines. Digital banking transactions, which had been touted as the new way of the world, proved difficult. If you went directly to an open branch, you would be kept waiting by a gate man who knew nothing about banking. He would return later to tell you that the officer hidden inside the banking hall would need to contact someone at the Headquarters. Many account officers who attended to the middle class were also under quarantine. Their phones were switched off. A major pillar of the banking business – making the customer happy, collapsed. The bankers took their own survival more seriously. The customer was no longer king! COVID 19 is the great destroyer of all known norms. It has shifted paradigms and turned the table against all known norms.

When on one occasion, I had cause to protest, I was told that the banks were also being careful. They needed to protect their staff. They would not allow customers to bring the virus into their banking halls. They had also recorded quite a few cases of fraud during the lockdown. So does that justify the scarcity of cash at cash points and the epileptic e-banking platforms? It will be recalled that the Central Bank of Nigeria introduced a Financial Inclusion Strategy in 2016, the objective of which was to promote electronic banking and mobile money transactions. This led to the increasing digitalization of banking transactions in the country and the emergence of such features as the use of POS, e-banking and payment service agents. Whereas this has been hailed as a progressive development, Nigeria remains far behind other countries like Kenya and South Africa, where a higher rate of financial inclusion has been recorded. Nigeria’s slow penetration rate in this regard was exposed by the COVID-19 lockdown and indeed in reality, Nigeria remains under-banked; its banking practices are still far behind.

For many subsistence workers whose survival depended on daily work, the banking situation was worse because these blue-collar workers live or suffer relative to their daily hustle. Whatever work that linked them to the banking value-added chain was cut off. The extended family community that often helps to bridge the gap in Africa, was also adversely affected. Nigerians in Diaspora whose financial remittances constitute a major source of oxygen for local households and the economy also ran into troubled waters. In every sense, Nigeria’s financial sector faced a severe respiratory crisis with corresponding implications for economic growth and social stability. It didn’t take long before Nigerians especially the youth, became restive. A social crisis loomed large in the horizon. In Lagos and Ogun States, neighborhoods were attacked by those who called themselves “One Million Boys”. The rich became afraid of their own shadows. Nigerian banks had to take extra security measures. Organized Labour and the Organized Private Sector began to push the argument that the lockdown would not work in Africa, and that it was better government re-opened the business space.

On April 27, it may be said that the Federal Government succumbed to pressure when in a nationwide broadcast, President Muhammadu Buhari announced a “phased and gradual” easing of the lockdown in the Federal Capital Territory, Ogun and Lagos States, with the same advice for other parts of the Federation subject to their own peculiar circumstances with regard to COVID-19. The responses were varied. Ogun State chose to defer its own relaxation of the lockdown by a week, having joined a week later than the FCT and Lagos State. On May 17, the state announced yet a further extension of the lockdown. Other states of the Federation again took their cue from the Federal Government in due course. Delta, Ebonyi, Katsina, and Borno states have since allowed mosques and churches to re-open. Kaduna state and others have also announced relaxed measures. Across the country, a curfew remains in place from 8 pm to 6am. Inter-state travel has been banned, even if there are concerns about the movement of the almajirai across state borders with many of them testing positive for COVID-19. In the face of new guidelines, banks also opened their doors.

But even then, bank customers are still unhappy, particularly in Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory. The banks remain an index of the people’s frustration. From May 4 to date, the premises of virtually every bank has been a war zone. Customers besiege the banks daily, without caring about either physical or social distancing rules. They sit outside or they queue up in a long, snaky, stretch. The people seem determined to die, if possible, just to gain access to their bank accounts. The queues are long. The desperation is palpable. A few banks have since provided tents and chairs in front of their branches. I won’t be surprised if in the third week of the easing of the lockdown, some Nigerian banks also begin to provide mattresses and mats!. Those queues may not disappear unless the banks open up more branches and pay better attention to customer care.

Just how serious this is, was brought to the fore in a now popular, and sensational video, showing the Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government in Rivers State, Samuel Nwanosike who led a mini-task force to a branch of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) to disperse a crowd of bank customers, who did not wear face masks, and did not observe physical or social distancing. “Do you want to kill my people?”, Nwanosike asked the bank officials, angrily. “Who is the bank manager here?… Who is the second in command?” One bank official told him: “The people are not listening to us”. There may be a lot to learn from this as all businesses adjust to a “new normal” occasioned by a capricious virus.

The banks and their sympathizers insist however, that they do not deserve any blame, vulnerable as they are like every other business, without any measurable support from either government or their regulator, and yet they continue to play their part as responsible corporate citizens. There is probably a point here: it is on record that the banks and their CEOs enthusiastically joined the Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 known as CA-COVID which has so far raised over N27 billion. It is part of the burden that banks face that many of their customers think that the donations should have been given to them directly since the banks have their bank accounts and verification numbers. The banks were accused of seeking tax reliefs, and their CEOs, of promoting their own individual egos.

But perhaps the biggest challenge for Nigerian banks, and the extent of their vulnerability, emerged when a tele-conference video was leaked, showing the CEO of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe, in which he announced that Access Bank was going to cut staff salaries and retrench staff as part of its business continuity and sustainability plans in the context of a public health crisis that has crippled business. The leakage of the Access Bank video was met with outrage. Wigwe was called names. The Bank was abused. A few days later, the Central Bank of Nigeria in response to this drama, announced that no bank is allowed to cut any job without its express approval, and that indeed job cuts in the banking sector are forbidden at this time. Access Bank denied the video that was in circulation. Stakeholders may accuse Nigerian banks of lapses in the face of COVID-19 but the truth is that the attack on Wigwe and Access Bank was totally unwarranted. In my view, Wigwe showed leadership and was honest.

The only “COVI-diot” in the Access Bank matter is the disloyal staff who leaked the content of an in-house conversation. No serious organization should condone that kind of treachery. Wigwe says salaries will be cut and branches will be rationalized. Last year, Access Bank acquired Diamond Bank in one of the biggest Merger and Acquisitions that the Nigerian banking sector has witnessed in the past decade. Since that merger, Access Bank has not rationalized staff or branch networks. It simply inherited all the branches and staff that belonged to the defunct Diamond Bank resulting in a situation where you could have up to three branches of the same bank on the same street. Access Bank may have chosen the wrong time to announce its business re-design plan, but it is confronted with a reality that every business would have to deal with. But the question should be asked: Is it part of the work of the regulator to dictate cost and business models?

Before COVID-19, one of the problems Nigerian banks faced was that of over-regulation by the Central Bank. Regulatory high-handedness hampered the capacity of the banks. Many of the banks also faced the threat of deteriorating credit quality due to over-exposure particularly to ailing sectors – oil and gas and the power companies. COVID-19, collapsing oil prices and naira devaluation turned the crisis in the banking sector into a triple whammy. Micro-finance Banks are losing over N45 billion uncollected loans. To all intents and purposes, it is part of the role of the Central bank to protect the banks and stave off the possibility of corrosive stress. Elsewhere we have seen Central Banks intervening to protect the banking sector. The Central Bank of Nigeria has made useful interventions in other areas– to protect SMEs, pharmaceuticals, loans, manufacturing sector, agriculture… but it has done little to strengthen the capacity of the banks to survive as business.

The plug on job cuts, or the furloughing of bank staff is at best the postponement of the evil day. Bank staff as well as other employees must prepare for the worst. Many businesses will end up as part of the COVID-19 death rate statistics. Jobs will die too. Previous pandemics posted a V-shaped recovery trajectory. There are no such guarantees this time around. A U-shaped recovery scenario may even be optimistic. Many economies will sink in an L-shaped format. And that is where leadership matters. What should leaders do in relation to economic risks and the structural legacy of COVID-19? This is the kind of rigorous thinking we need to see instead of the same government that wants to implement the Oronsaye Report, cut cost and ensure economic sustainability telling banks and other businesses that they cannot cut costs. The mixed messaging that has characterized Nigeria’s management of the COVID-19 tragedy so far points to serious issues of governance.

15 Chinese Who Landed In Nigeria On April 8 Have Commenced Work In Abuja – Minister

Editorial staff

May 19, 2020

Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has said that the 15-member Chinese medical team, who came into Nigeria on April 8 this year have commenced work in Abuja, the nation’s federal capital.

Responding to media enquiries as to the whereabouts of the Chinese, the minister said that they came to Nigeria on the bill of CCECC, a Chinese company working in Nigeria

“Indeed, 15 Chinese nationals came into Nigeria on April 8, 2020 and from everything we have heard and said, they are here on the bill of CCECC, a Chinese company working in Nigeria, doing some work for us in several places and in conjunction with some Nigerian companies agree to support us in the effort to respond to the Pandemic.

“At Idu in Abuja, they participated in retrofitting and equipping the isolation there. They equally worked on the Dome project that was handled by the NNPC Consortium in conjunction with Thisday. So, those were the locations in which they came to work.

“They helped in retrofitting the two facilities and installing critical, essential and sensitive medical equipment. They came in 15 of them, on April 8. “They came on a 30-day Visa issued in Beijing. They are still here.

“I do not need to tell you why they are still here. They are still here not because they have not completed their job but because there is a restriction on travels in Nigeria, occasioned by the protocol of Covid-19.”

I Have Come To Wipe Out Tribalism From FIRS If It Exists – Nami

Editorial staff

May 18, 2020

“If any FIRS worker had been a victim of tribalism or religious discrimination in the past, I say to such marginalized worker:, not anymore and not on my watch at the FIRS.”

These were the pledge by the Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Muhammad Nami, in a statement today, May 18, by the Director of Communication and Liaison, Abdullahi Ismail Ahmad.

According to Nami, “the FIRS is one national institution which any Nigerian joins and is assured of rising to the very top in the hierarchy based on his or her individual competence and hard work on the job, and not on the basis of any tribal or religious affiliation.”

The revenue boss stressed that claims in a section of the media alleging appointments and retirements along ethnic and religious lines at the FIRS are very far from the truth in relation to publicly available evidence.

The statement continued:

“The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) wishes to clarify that the recent staff retirement exercise which affected nine directors was done in full compliance with the law and in the best interest of the Service and the country, contrary to insinuations in a section of the media.

“The Board of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in a meeting held on Friday, March 20, 2020 took the decision and approved that all directors who had served in the FIRS for eight years and above should be retired.

“The FIRS Board took that decision in line with Paragraph 10.1(a)(iii) of Human Resources Policy and Programmes (HRPP)” of the FIRS after considering a number of career progression complaints by some staff in the Service.

“Worthy of note is that FIRS Establishment Act, 2007, Section 7 empowers the FIRS Board to take certain far-reaching decisions in the interest of the Service and by extension, the country.

“Specifically, Section 7 (d) states that the Board shall… “employ and determine the terms and conditions of service including disciplinary measures of the employees of the Service”. Section 7(J) states that the Board shall “do such other things which in its opinion are necessary to ensure the efficient/performance of the functions of the Service under this Act”.

“It is in the discharge of such responsibilities that the Board approved the retirement of the nine directors who had spent eight years and above as directors as provided by the FIRS statutes.

“In doing that, the FIRS Board considered subsisting issues in the Service which have to do with career progression. Management had observed that there was stagnation in career progression in the Service because some directors had served for about 10 years while younger members of staff who also possessed requisite expertise could not progress in their career line. Some staff had taken a number of promotion examinations and had passed but could not be promoted. The affected staff and the staff unions had complained to the Management to intervene in the situation.

“Consequent upon the appointment and inauguration of the new Executive Chairman together with the Board by the Federal Government, the career progression issue was tabled before the Board on March, 20, 2020. In its wisdom, the Board used its prerogative to direct the nine directors to be retired immediately.

“The retirement of the directors was a selfless and courageous decision taken in compliance with the laws. It was done in good faith and in the best interest of the Service.

“To further portray its good intensions, the Board of FIRS reappointed five of the retired directors either as Coordinating Directors or as Special Advisers in the Service. This way, the junior colleagues could have the opportunity to rise in their career line.

“It is unfortunate that some unnamed individuals were quoted in a section of the media alleging that the FIRS did not follow due process in retiring the directors and in appointing new ones.

“The retirement exercise and the appointment of new directors was not done in secret or with ulterior motives. The FIRS issued a press statement announcing their retirement and the appointment of new directors. This information is in the public domain for anyone interested to verify.

“The newly appointed directors out of the nine retired directors are: Chiaka Okoye (an Igbo) the Group Lead, Digital Support Group and a member of the management team; Mr. Olufemi Faniyi (a Yoruba) the Coordinating Director, Tax Operations Group and a member of the management team; Dr Asheikh Madugu (a Kanuri) the Acting Coordinating Director, ECFIRS Group and a member of the management team; Mr. Innocent Ohagwa (an Igbo) the Acting Coordinating Director, Support Services Group and a member of the management team; Mr. Ezra Zubairu ( a Northern Christian) the Acting Coordinating Director, Compliance Support Group and a member of the management team. While Mrs. Faosat Oguniyi (a Yoruba Muslim) who is not among the nine retired directors is the Group Lead, Enforcement Support Group and also a member of the management team. Kola Okunola (a Yoruba) and Auta Mohammed (a Hausa) have been retained as Special Advisors ICT and Administration respectively. And Nneka Ofekwuna (an Igbo) is the Board Secretary.

“The current management team is composed of two Yoruba, two Igbo, and two Northern minority tribes; and in all there are four Christians and three Muslims in the current FIRS management team. The public is therefore called upon to disregard the mischief making the rounds in some sections of the media. The current management team and the Board of the FIRS is poised to discharge its statutory responsibilities without succumbing to blackmail or unnecessary distraction.”

We’ll Account For All Monies Donated For Coronavirus Cause – Boss Mustapha

Greenbarge Reporters

May 18, 2020

Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on coronavirus, Boss Mustapha has pledged that details of all the monies donated by various individuals and corporate entities will be fully given at appropriate time.

Speaking today, May 18 in Abuja, at the usual briefing on the progress so far attained in the control of the virus, Boss Mustapha, who is the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), said: “I, in addition, explained the processes for other components so that Nigerians can be assured that accountability remains the hallmark of this administration and the PTF.

“All monies donated are safe and secure and would be judiciously utilised and accounted for.”

He recalled that last week, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation introduced the transparency dimensions in the management of certain components of financial donations by publishing the receipts in the newspapers.

He said that the the outcomes of the first phase of the eased lockdown have been mixed, saying that while some objectives were met, assessment showed that non-compliance was rampant but that the PTF continued to persuade the populace through its messaging and daily briefing, on the need to take responsibility.

“The PTF considers it important to let you know that it has relied largely on science, statistics, lessons learnt from other parts of the world and an evaluation of our peculiar circumstances to draw its conclusions on the outcome of the last two weeks.

“For example, our surveillance, infection prevention and control activities identified nine high burden local government areas in the federation reporting high number of cases and accounting for 51% of the total number of infections in the country. All the nine are densely populated local government areas nationwide.

“We have also seen that though Nigeria’s caseload still lags behind several other countries, our large population and relatively high degree of mobility and urbanisation 50 percentplaces us at an increased risk for high transmissibility. Therefore, our consideration of ease of restrictions has to balance lives and livelihoods and the slow and gradually phased approach should be science and data driven.

“To arrive at our final recommendations to Mr. President, we objectively and frankly interrogated certain critical factors and wish to inform you as follows:

Is the transmission of the virus under control: –

Measures put in place have collectively slowed down the transmission of the Virus e.g. elongating the doubling time which has changed from 7 to 11 days;

Is the health care system equipped to detect, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every person who came in contact with a positive case: Health care system has been better equipped to detect, test, isolate and treat every case, and trace every person who came into contact with a positive case with the increase in the number of laboratories from 15 to 26; ramping up of testing to a cumulative total of 35,098;

iii. Are outbreaks minimized in special settings like health facilities and Nursing homes: Though we have recorded infection of a number of medical personnel in our facilities, which is not peculiar to Nigeria, we have increased their training in care management and provided additional Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE);

Are there measures in workplaces and schools to prevent the spread of the virus: With the gradual reopening of workplaces, markets, schools, etc, prescriptions have been made for the prevention of infection and spread of the virus;
Are the risks of importing more cases from outside the country being managed: The risks associated with importation has been seriously minimised with the ban flights, closure of borders and the mandatory 14 days quarantine for any one arriving Nigeria; and
Are local communities educated, engaged and empowered to adjust to the ‘new norm’: “Engagement with communities and other stakeholders has now become the new focus of our strategy

“The inevitable conclusion of the PTF, is that the fight against COVID-19 is long term as the virus is not likely to go away very soon. This is further underscored by the fact that no vaccine is expected till around the end of 2021. Nigeria is not where we wish to be in terms of control, ownership, infrastructure and change of behavior. We must do more.”

Boss Mustapha recalled that last week, PTF hinted about the refocusing of its policy on community ownership, adding: “we shall intensify the mobilization of individuals, especially the communities to take ownership of this fight. This will be accompanied by a corresponding development of infrastructure and other Public health measures to be undertaken in every community and at every phase of the response. These include: surveillance, case finding, testing, isolation, tracing and quarantining contacts.”

He said that the reality is that in spite of the modest progress made, Nigeria is not yet ready for full opening of the economy and tough decisions have to be taken for the good of the greater majority.

“Any relaxation will only portend grave danger for our populace. 26.Advisedly, the current phase of eased restriction will be maintained for another two weeks during which stricter enforcement and persuasion measures will be pursued.

“The two weeks extension of Phase one of the eased restriction is also to enable other segments of the economy prepare adequately for compliance with the guidelines, preparatory to reopening in the coming weeks. For the PTF, we share your pains but our future is in the hands of every Nigerian and future decisions will depend greatly on our compliance.

“Based on the recommendations of the PTF, Mr. President has approved the following:

i) The measures, exemptions, advisories and scope of entities allowed to reopen under phase one of the eased locked down, shall be maintained across the federation for another two weeks effective from 12 00 midnight today (18th May, 2020 to 1st June, 2020);
ii) intensifying efforts to “tell (communicate), trace (identify) and treat (manage)’ cases;

iii) elevating the level of community ownership of non-pharmaceutical interventions;

iv)Maintain the existing lockdown order in Kano for an additional two weeks;

v)Imposition of precision lockdown in states, or in metropolitan/high-burden LGAs, that are reporting a rapidly increasing number of cases, when the need arises. This would be complemented with the provision of palliatives and continued re-evaluation of the impact of the interventions; and

vi) Aggressive scale up of efforts to ensure that communities are informed, engaged and participating in the response with enhanced public awareness in high risk states.

“Specific implementation guidelines would be communicated by the National Coordinator during this press briefing and would be circulated through the conventional and social media.

“For sustainability of the gains recorded, the PTF shall continue to support states by developing guidelines to shape decision-making for future steps in the response and aggressively scale up efforts to ensure effective community information.”

Ex-Perm Sec, Dr. Kyari Dikwa, Clinches Thinkers Magazine’s 2019 Man of The Year

Greenbarge Reporters

May 18, 2020

The pioneer Permanent Secretary (Special Duties) in theFederal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa, has been named Thinkers Magazine’s 2019 Man of the Year.

According to a statement today, May 18 in Abuja by Yahaya Eneji Musa, magazine’s Editor-In-Chief, Dr. Dikwa was picked among numerous nominees following a rigorous selection process.

The statement is reproduced below:

“When Thinkers Magazine was being conceived ahead of its subsequent emergence as a bold, fearless and innovative magazine, among the ideals embedded in our noble vision were high ethical standards, editorial standards of the loftiest level, and so forth. Next on the list was the need to institute an annual award to be known as Man of the Year Award as has been the practice globally.

Our Man of the Year Award is a unique recognition which is reserved for a person who has sparkled beyond expectations in his or her field of endeavour within a given year. Such areas include academics, art, science, sports, politics, philanthropy, law, leadership, community service, business, diplomacy, and so forth. In fact, the list is quite lengthy; suffice it to say that as long as a typical compatriot must have made exceptional contributions to the society in one field or the other of human endeavour, he or she qualifies to be considered for the critical award.

Accordingly, we have remained faithful to this tradition year-after-year since the Magazine made its debut some years ago. Beginning with the first edition through each and every subsequent version down to the latest edition, Thinkers Magazine’s Man of the Year has carved a niche for itself as a highly competitive and universally coveted award that is prized for being uncompromisingly impartial, transparent, incorruptible, and independent.

Little wonder, Nigerians from different walks of life have found it expedient to step forward every now and then to shower encomiums on the highly acclaimed annual award for its quality and uniqueness in giving recognition to whom it is due. Indeed, one of the refreshingly different things about the Magazine’s humble effort is that rather than being a run-of-the-mill, we deliberately decided to make it veritably fresh and unique. So much so that even the unheralded, little-known chap out there making his own contribution to his or her community or nation knows that he too stands a reasonably good chance of being recognised like the well-known or well-to-do fellow.

In view of the foregoing, the nomination of Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa, among numerous others, for consideration for our Man of the Year would hardly come as a surprise to discerning minds. Starting from 1985 when he set out to serve the land of his birth by joining the Borno State Civil Service as an Internal Auditor through the period he transferred his services to the Federal Civil Service to the moment he bowed out of the service, Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa epitomised all the qualities and virtues of selfless contribution to one’s country and its people.

Granted, anyone can assert with the due justification that each and every civil servant is contributing his or her small quota to the progress and development of our beloved nation. In Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa’s case, however, he didn’t just contribute his modest quota. Instead, he went the extra mile to serve his fatherland beyond the call of duty in different capacities and in addition his primary duties and responsibilities.

For instance, even as a Permanent Secretary, he ventured to undertake a number of challenging obligations, including being an examiner, part-time lecturer, public speaker (at seminars, workshops, in-house training, etc.) and author of an impressive array of seminal books. As a real craftsman intent on remaining faithful to his vocation, this uncommon public servant continued to be hardworking and patriotic even as his retirement moment inched closer. In a clime where it is taken for granted that someone who is in the twilight of his career would be forgiven for “taking it easy” with his or her job so as to prepare well for post-retirement life, Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa made it a point of duty to put into his daily chores the same passion, dedication and commitment that has characterised his performance over the years. As many of his colleagues aptly put it, the gentleman remained a workaholic to the end of his tour of duty.

For being such an exemplary public servant, for being an evergreen mentor to generations of civil servants on the one hand and students on the other throughout Nigeria, for being an uncommon legion of professional and trade unions and associations, for being a peerless compatriot in his public and private life to the admiration of all and sundry, Thinkers Magazine is proud to present Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa, mni, as its Man of the Year 2019. We join his friends, family and other well-wishers in congratulating him for this well-deserved honour.

The Man, Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa:

Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa is a blessed man from a community with abundant historical antecedents who was brought up by responsible parents in a sane clime with strong ethical, religious and cultural values spanning centuries. He had a sound primary, secondary and post-secondary education in quality institutions in and outside Nigeria that broaden his perception about life and the embedded in him the unbending resolve to render selfless service to the country and its people.

His Ancestral Roots:

There is a saying that when men and women of timber and calibre are born, no comets are seen nor special stars visible or the heavens quake. If any confirmation for this timeless truism is needed, one of the places to go for that is the town and traditional emirate in Borno state which bears this distinct name and which, incidentally, is the birthplace of Mohammed Kyari Dikwa, a son of the soil who would eventually rise to prominence as an accomplished civil servant, examiner, lecturer, author and philanthropist.

Dikwa, which is also known as Dikoa, nestles next to the Yedseram River, which flows into Lake Chad, and has road connections to Maiduguri, Bama, Ngala, and Kukawa. Historical records have not established precise date the town was founded and when its famous strong walls were built; but it had undoubtedly become a significant centre of the Borno Kingdom of the Kunuri people by the 1850s.

The Sudanese warrior, Rabeh Zubayr ibn Fadl Allah, captured Dikwa among other parts of Borno Empire, fortified the town and made it his capital between 1893 and 1900. Although Rabeh Zubayr ibn Fadl Allah was killed by the French in 1900 and the region came under French control, Dikwa remained the Shehu’s seat until 1902. Dikwa was occupied by the British during World War I, and in 1922, Dikwa Emirate became part of the League of Nations mandate of British Cameroons. In 1942, the emirate headquarters was moved from Dikwa town to Bama, south-southwest.

Although administered by Nigeria’s Borno province during British rules, the emirate became part of the United Nations Trust Territory of northern Cameroons in 1946. After rejecting union with Nigeria in 1959, its people, mostly Kanuri and Shuwa Arab peoples, voted to join a new province in northern Nigeria in the 1961 plebiscite. A year later, however, they were able to secede from Sardauna and unite with their kinsmen in Bornu province. Dikwa was part of North-eastern state from 1967 to 1976.

Most of the area’s population is engaged in herding and in farming, chiefly cotton, groundnuts, millet, sorghum, corn (maize), and indigo. Fishing is essential, both along the shore of Lake Chad and the Yesseram. Cotton weaving and dyeing are significant local activities, as is the tanning of leather.

Birth and Early Education:

Back then in the Northern part of Nigeria and elsewhere, western education was hardly reckoned with by the average family. To the credit of the Malam Kyari and Hajiya Amina, however, Mohammed was enrolled at Central Primary School, Dikwa in the early 1970s and obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1977. And this began an educational sojourn that subsequently took him to Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Gushua, where he acquired his General Certificate of Education (GCE) in 1982.

Quest for Higher Knowledge:

His next port of call was Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri, the capital city of his home state of Borno, a cosmopolitan society with diverse ethnic groups like Kanuri, Shuwa Arab, Lamang, Babur/Bura and Marghi, among others. Borno state was created in 1976 by the then military regime in Nigeria and was initially part of the North-Eastern state. Despite its colonial heritage dating back to the beginning of the 20th century, Maiduguri remains the capital of Borno state since 1907 when Borno was incorporated into the Northern Nigeria Protectorate by the British.

By the standard of that era, attending school up to the polytechnic level was adjudged by many as a feat. But to Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa, who bagged his National Diploma (ND) in Accounting from the Ramat Polytechnic in 1985, this was more or less a herald of greater things to come. And thus, even as he was still savouring that significant step forward, he bettered at the University of Maiduguri for a course in his chosen profession.

Even with a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) degree which he obtained from the University of Maiduguri in 1991 in his kitty, Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa soldiered on steadily in his quest for higher knowledge. Hence, he soon returned to the University of Maiduguri for his Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance, a credential he gleaned in 1996. This was followed by a sojourn at the National Institute for Policies and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Jos, Plateau State, leading to the conferment on him of the prestigious Member of the National Institute, mni, in 2012.

This remarkable scholar took his seemingly insatiable quest for knowledge beyond the shores of the nation. First, he ventured to the University of Bakht Al- Ruda in the Republic of Sudan for his Doctorate Degree in Accounting and Finance, which he successfully completed in 2017. Just when some were convinced that Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa had bagged enough educational garlands to last him for a lifetime, he accelerated further, this time to other continents of the world.

The famed Oxford University in England beckoned, and Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa responded in the affirmative. Here, he enrolled at the Business School, earning a Certificate in High-Performance Leadership Programme in 2014. The no less renowned university of Cambridge was the next to host him at its Judge Business School, where he was awarded a Certificate in Leadership and Governance, also in 2014.

Like a man determined not to relent until he has successfully accomplished every inch of his mission, Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa proceeded to Harvard University with a stint at the Kennedy School of Governance in 2014. The fruit of this endeavour came in the form of a glittering Certificate in Public Financial Management Reforms. He also attended the Business School of World, INSEAD-FONTAINEBLEU, France, where he was awarded a Certificate in Advanced International Corporate Finance in 2018. All these pieces of training are aside from the following foreign programmes which he attended at one time or the other: XVII World Congress of Accountants organized jointly by International Federation of Accountants and Hong Kong Society of Accountants in November 2002 at Hong Kong;

Certificate Course in Senior International Banking and Finance/Treasury Management Business School at the Themes Valley University London, in August 2002; International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS) Implementation and Project Management Field trip to USA organised for the Federal Government of Nigeria, IPSAS Implementation Committee by Periscope Consulting Nigeria Limited in May 2014; Financial Management of Development Projects Training Course by the Crown Agent London in August 2005; The Management and Policy Development for Senior Managers’ Course at Royal Institute of Public Administration (RIPA) London in October 2005.

The International Gas Business Management Certificate Programme at IHRDC Boston, USA, in May, 2006; Project Financial Management Course organized by Crown Agent London in 2007; The Public Sector Accounting and Budgeting Training Course organized by Crown Agent London in December 2007; Combating Corruption in Procurement Training Workshop organized by Crown Agent London in November 2008; Senior Executive Course on Management of Oil and Gas Operation by the Global Training Consulting London in September 2009; Governance Programme (A Board Retreat) organized by FITC Consulting London in September 2010; Oil and Gas International Study Tour on Global Best Practices & Comparison of Petroleum and other Extractive Industries Resources Management in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in March 2013; International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS) Seminar for Senior Executives organized by PWC in London, May 2013; and a Study Tour Programme on Development Financing Institutions and SME Agencies in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, in July, 2013. And so on, and so forth.

Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa also attended various local courses and trainings. These include the following: A Certificate Course in Computer Appreciation at Kwari Computer Academy in 1996; Senior Executive Course Number 34/2012 of the National Institute For Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, Jos; IFRS Executive Briefing/Training Programme organized for Shareholders’ Committee Members of Bank of Industry Limited in March 2013; Leadership and Good Governance Training Course organised by the Global Training Consulting, Lagos, Nigeria, in April 2010; Plan and Budget Management Workshop organised the Centre for Management Development (CMD) Lagos in April 2008; National Training Workshop on Effective Financial Management in the Public Sector organized by the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) in conjunction with the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) in October 2007; Training Workshop on Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 Issues and Challenges in Reformed Economy organized by the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) in conjunction with the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAG) in November 2006; National Conference for Women in Public Administration organised by the Institute of Public Administration of Nigeria in April 2003; A Two-Day Workshop on the Sanitization of Public and Private Sector Finance organized by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Nigeria (ICPAN) in June 2002; Certificate Course in Internal Auditing and Investigation at the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) in Ilorin in August 1988; A Two-Day Seminar/Workshop on Accountability in Government: The Role of Civil Servants in Maiduguri in October, 1995; and the Maiden Edition of the Accountants-General Conference in May 2001 in Maiduguri, Borno state.

Professional Bodies:

A recipient of the prestigious Nelson Mandela Award and Ambassador of Peace by the United Nations (UN), Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa is an all-round professional in his field of endeavour. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). He is also a fellow of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) and distinguished member of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Study (NIPSS) since 2012 as well as the following bodies: Institute of Corporate Administration (ICA), Association of Forensic and Investigative Auditors (AFIA), Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), Institute of Certificate Public Accountants of Nigeria (ICPAN), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN), Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors (CIOIA), Institute of Cost and Management Accountants (FCMA), Institute of Credit Administration (FICA), Nigeria Economic Society (NES), Life Member LMNES), Nigeria Institute of Management (MNIM), Institute of Public Administration of Nigeria (IPAN) and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS), among others.

From the foregoing, it is evident that even though no comet was sighted on the day Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa was born in the first month of 1960, he has shown by his one-of-its-kind exploits in the educational arena and related fields that he is a purposeful gentleman who, once he has put his hands on the plough, doesn’t waiver until he reaches the Promised Land. Little wonder, he enjoyed fairytale-like progress at every stage of his career, culminating in his being selected as this magazine’s outstanding personality of the year 2019.”

Revenue Shortfall: Kano Gov Cuts Salaries Of Political Appointees By 50 Percent

Editorial staff

May 17, 2020

Kano State Governor, Dr. Umar Ganduje, has cut the salaries of political office holders in the state by 50 per cent, to make up for the shortfall in revenues accrued to the state.

A statement today, May 17, by the Senior Special Assistant on Social Media to the Governor, Abubakar Aminu, emphasized that the governor was alarmed by the shortfall in the federation account and collapse in the internally generated revenue because of coronavirus challenges.

The statement said: “due to shortfall of the price of oil in the global market which affects world economy and eventually causes a serious shortfall in the federation account for states, the state slashes the salary of all political office holders by 50 percent.”

“This includes the Governor and his Deputy, all Commissioners, Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants, Special Assistants among others.

“At the local government level those affected are Chairmen, Deputy Chairmen, Elected Councillors, Supervisory Councillors, Advisers and Secretaries of Local Governments.

“There is also a serious set back in the IGR, due to COVID-19 pandemic challenges. Whereas almost all companies in the state are no longer in operation due to lockdown.”

Coronavirus Will Not End Soon, Presidential Task Force Warns

Editorial staff

May 17, 2020

Presidential Task Force on coronavirus in Nigeria has warned that the disease will not go away soon, stressing that there is no confirmed vaccine for it yet.

“We are in for the long hurl; this is not a short distance race. It is a marathon and we have to keep everything in perspective. It is not going to go away in the next one or two months. Whoever tells you that is not being realistic.

“No vaccine is in the horizon. We are talking about 18 months to two years before vaccines would be confirmed for human use as far as COVID-19 is concerned. And unless we get there, it means that we will remain in it.”

The leader of the Task Force, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha made these known today, May 17, to news men shortly after members of the Task Force visited to brief President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential villa, Abuja.

He said that after briefing the President on what the easing of lockdown had achieved since May 4, Nigerians should expect new processes to be put in place from tomorrow, May 18.

“We have supplied him with all the materials that is required to look at the issues. I can assure you that the proposals we have brought today for Mr. President consideration will put us in a better frame to deal with the future.”

Coronavirus: U.K Records 34,466 Deaths

Editorial staff

May 16, 2020

Coronavirus patient in critical condition

A total of 34,466 people who tested positive for the new coronavirus have died in the United Kingdom, a rise of 468 in a 24-hour period.
The health ministry said today, May 16 that the deaths are inclusive of the suspected cases, bringing the toll to over 40,000.

Kaduna PDP Boils: Governorship Candidate, Others Suspended

Editorial staff

May 16, 2020

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)in Kaduna State is set to boil with the suspension of it’s 2019 Governorship Candidate, Suleiman Hunkuyi and six others for alleged anti party activities.
Hunkuyi was also a senator representing Kaduna North Senatorial District in the eighth senate.

Other party members suspended include Hon. Hashim Garba from Kubau Local Government, Dr. Mato Dogara, Lere Local Government; Ibrahim Lazuru, Lere Local Government; Dr. John Danfulani, Kachia Local Government; Lawal Imam Adamu, Soba Local Government as well as Ubale Salmanduna from Zaria Local Government.
According to Abraham Catoh, the Kaduna PDP Publicity Secretary, Hunkuyi, and others were suspended for alleged anti-party activities.
In a statement today, May 16, Abraham said: “The State Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, Kaduna State, met today, Saturday, 16 May, after a preliminary hearing on party discipline and resolved to suspend them for anti-party activities in line with the provision of the party’s constitution – Section 57 (3) 2017, as amended.
“That the said members stand suspended from the party from today, the 16th day of May, 2020 and will be expected to appear before the Disciplinary committee on a date and time to be announced by the committee.
“The SWC further resolved that Col. Dauda Albehu Gora, is not a registered member of the PDP.”

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