Author: The Elites

• STEVE AYORINDE

A few days to Christmas of last year, 2023, I had a great time with Mr. Ken Calebs Olumese in his beautiful home in Lekki, Lagos. It was on a cool Sunday evening. Although I had not seen him in a while, we had kept in touch via phone calls and whatssap messages.

Because I didn’t want to wait till his 80th birthday bash before seeing him, and I needed to apologise to him in person for neglecting to invite him to my last book presentation in May 2023, so I rang him up and informed him I would be coming to see him.

He deserved such reverence, for there are only elected 36 State governors in Nigeria. But there are three other governors as well.

The Governor of Central Bank, who is also constitutionally recognised by virtue of his role in fiscal matters. There also is my friend, the prolific Nollywood director and kinsman (by state) to Mr. Olumese, Lancelot Odua-Imasuen, who enjoys the sobriquet of ‘The Governor’ among his motion picture industry peers. The third and only legitimate, albeit unofficial, “Guv’nor” of Entertainment and Night Club Economy in Nigeria is Olumese, this great man from Edo State, who redefined the concept and business of night clubbing in Nigeria.

And so last December when he ushered me into his cozy living room, I had no other way of addressing him than how he has always been saluted by all and sundry – The Guvnor, Mr. Ken Calebs Olumese; with emphasis on THE GUV’NOR!

It was a happy moment and a reunion of sort as I had not seen him in person since about 2018 when he last visited me in office while I served Lagos State as Commissioner for Tourism Arts & Culture.

Although he had stopped drinking spirits, he had a wide array of choice liquor at his private bar. And knowing him, there was no need trying to decline his offer. He would hardly take no for an answer.

I presented him with an autographed copy of my book, ’30: Three Decades Of The New Nigerian Cinena – A Bystander’s Verdict’.

Expectedly, we spoke about many things, including his 80th birthday which officially came up on May 27th, 2024, although the main celebration and a book launch are scheduled for this Saturday July 27th, 2024.

For a man born on Children’s Day, this Guv’nor is a story teller.

His power of recollection is impressive.

He is unpretentious with facts and there is so much to learn from him.

I listened with rapt attention as he narrated the story of his comfortable abode and how life is treating him in retirement, at old age.

I nodded in appreciation to how he deeply appreciates the importance of networking, friendship and goodwill and how he connected those attributes to many of his life’s successes.

My visit was a friendly one. It was no interview session. And so we chatted freely, no holds barred. It was the voice of a happy, fulfilled and contented man that I heard all through the few hours I shared with him.

I felt something refreshing in hearing an almost 80-year-old man confessing to being very comfortable and at peace with soul and his Creator.

In his car, he drove me round some areas in his neighbourhood where illegal constructions had led to some demolitions of many structures. The Guv’nor was always well informed about his surroundings and development in the news. He understands and appreciates the importance of propriety and staying on the right side of the law at all times.

And he was thankful for the foresight to plan ahead.

One name stood out among several that this enigmatic man of the arts & entertainment holds in high esteem; that of Dr. Bode Olajumoke, through whom he seized the opportunity of owning a parcel of land, abd ultimately a befitting home, in the heart of Lekki in Lagos.

Talking about true friendship and brotherhood between those two.

When I see men age gracefully, I’m genuinely happy for, and perhaps, envious of them.

Ours, like many in this part of the world, is a society marred with various socio-economic challenges that can be very telling on health and finances.

Survival is a battle with several hurdles.

And so for men who scale through with minimal scratches, the need to celebrate with them becomes doubly necessary.

And this is why, for me, my heart joins that of the Guv’nor in shouting PEOPLE!!!! (pronounced as piipuu!) IT IS TIME TO CELEBRATE THE NIGHT SHIFT COLOSSUS!!!

For the initiated, ‘People’!!! of course was one of Guv’nor Olumese’s favourite ways of drawing the attention of club patrons. It was a lend-me-your-ears call.

A customised way of saying the party was about to get started.

For more than 30 years, the Guv’nor bestrode the night club scene in Lagos as the undisputed generalisimo. He chose to stay in Opebi, on the Mainland part of Lagos, thereby debunking the myth that it had to be located on the more affluent Lagos Island of Ikoyi, Victoria Island and much later, Lekki, before a classy night club could thrive.

Like the talented Masked Man, Lagbaja, who in the 90s and 2000s with his last Friday of the month shows at the Motherlan’ venue, also in Opebi, and the great Fela Anikukapo-Kuti (with his African Shrine) before him, Guvnor’s Nite Shift club was the go-to hang-out place for executive night crawlers on the Lagos Mainland for many years.

With his background in advertising, Guvnor Olumese knew how to attract quality crowd. And more importantly, he knew how to keep them coming.

No young entertainment-inclined journalist of my generation in the 1990s could stay away from Guvnor’s LED lights except you couldn’t keep up with the rules that demanded respectable presence.

And the rules got stricter when the Guvnor left the rented apartment of Night Shift for the more expansive, classy and permanent multi-purpose edifice in 1999, within the same Opebi axis.

That was where the business got transformed and The Niteshift Coliseum was born; and with it The Glamour Boys of Nigeria (GBN), a select group of young and upwardly mobile professionals who considered Niteshift Coliseum and Guvnor Olumese as their 5 & 6.

It was at the Coliseum that I would soon have the privilege of hosting my Bachelor’s Eve in December 2001, courtesy of the Guvnor’s generosity.

I hope that the larger story of NiteShift Coliseum would be told some day, except many of the dramatis personae would prefer to plead the ‘Fifth Amendment’, and submit that what happens at the Coliseum, as a night shift activity, must stay and buried at The Coliseum.

It was one hell of a place. A joy giver, fun provider, entertainment merchant, a meeting place and a business enterprise of note.

Spouses of regular patrons of the Coliseum were conversant with its unique offerings too, especially when their hubbies won’t return home sometimes till about 8am or 9am, because they had been ‘detained’ by the Guv’nor.

Detention at the Coliseum meant that you were one of the favourites of the Guv’nor, chosen to keep his company after the club session would have ended.

That sleep-depriving session could last anytime between 5am and 9am – 10am …with more booze, coffee and sometimes breakfast served, on the House.

On a good day, the Guv’nor would personally call one’s wife on phone to inform her of one’s detention status and then announce to her the monetary sum he would send to her through you the detainee.

Even if a wife was angry, the Guvnor’s ‘sorry, don’t be annoyed package’ was always a good compensation to assuage the most hardened hearts.

So much so that many wives sometimes looked forward to their husbands being detained once in a while at The Coliseum. I was a proud detainee on several occasions!

For 30 years, the Guv’nor was part of my adult, professional life and we maintained a near father-son relationship in nearly all of those three decades.

He was present at my bachelor’s eve; at the naming ceremony of my son, ObaWanle, in 2009, and at least at two of my book presentations, among other engagements.

When I had the privilege of serving as the Director of Communications for the Akinwunmi Ambode Campaign Organisation in 2014/2015 and Guv’nor Olumese had received several requests from different cells of the campaign to have a Grand House Reception organised in H.E Akinwunmi Ambode’s honour, he needed and waited for my direction before that glorious red-carpet event could proceed.

It is on record that no civilian Governor of Lagos State since democracy returned in 1999, either as a candidate or Governor elect; or even as a sitting governor, has ever missed The Coliseum’s GHR.

All Their Excellencies, from Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to Babatunde Fashola, SAN; Akinwunmi Ambode, FCA and the current governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, have all had the Coliseum honours bestowed on them through the GHR.

Perhaps, it will be a thing of prophetic honour that it is under the administration of President Tinubu, in whose Lagos the Niteshift Coliseum birthed and blossomed, that the man who contributed in no small measure into making Lagos an entertainment haven and West Africa’s biggest creative hub will finally be deemed worthy of a national honour.

What a fitting tribute it would be for this people’s Guv’nor who was not just delighted in singing ‘Night Shift’ but actually made the 1985 monster hit by The Commodores his club’s signature tune.

Happy birthday to a man of great fun and kindred spirit, big boss Ken Calebs Olumese.

• Ayorinde, CEO of Patrons Media Ltd, author and television anchor, is a one-time Commissioner for Information & Strategy in Lagos State

Ramon Nasir, the Head of Media and External Relations of the United Bank for Africa, UBA, has lost his mother, Mrs. Musiliat Falade.

Mrs Falade died on Thursday morning at Duchess International Hospital, Lagos, after a brief illness.

She was aged 86.

Until her demise, Mrs. Falade was Iya-Oba of Imasayi Kingdom, Yewa, Ogun State, South-west Nigeria.

A brief statement by the family signed by Mr Nasir, reads in part: “Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilayhi Raji,un. Our matriarch is gone! It is with deepest regret and total submission to the will of the Almighty that the families of Falade, Kuoye, Nasir and Rasaq announce the passing away of our mother and the matriarch of our families, Musiliat Amoke, popularly known as Olowoletiasho.

“She passed on this morning at Duchess International Hospital. She was 86 years. Until her demise, she was the Iya-Oba of Imasayi Kingdom, Yewa, Ogun State.”

Described as a devoted Muslim, according to the statement, the deceased will be buried 4 p.m on Thursday in Ado-Odo, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.

“She will be buried at her residence, 11 Oredola Estate, Okepadi, Ado-Odo, Ogun State at 4pm,” the statement reads.

Renowned for her business acumen, religiosity and community development, the deceased was installed the Yeye Oba of Imasayi in 2021 following the installation of Oba Olalekan Kuoye as the Olu of Imasayi Kingdom.

Earlier in 2018, friends, family members and well-wishers had gathered in Ado-Odo Ota to mark the 80th birthday of Mrs Falade, even as dignitaries including publicists, journalists and financial experts graced the occasion.

The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyawu has passed away.

This was verified in a statement on Thursday, July 25 by Jide Iwuanyanwu, the son of the late Chief.

According to the statement, the 82-year-old Iwuanyanwu died in Abuja on Thursday after struggling with illness.

The statement read: “The Iwuanyanwu family of Umuohii Atta, in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, announces the demise of our patriarch, Engr Chief Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Iwuanyanwu-Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo,” the statement read.

“Chief Iwuanyanwu died on Thursday, July 25, 2024, after a brief illness. He was aged 82. Chief Iwuanyanwu before his death was President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide and President of Owerri Peoples Assembly.”

The late Chief Iwuanyanwu was a celebrated icon of Ndigbo, and owned business interests, including a foremost media brand – Champion Newspapers.

Iwuanyanwu is survived by several children and grandchildren as well as his wife, Lady Princess Frances Iwuanyanwu.

Details Later…

By Babafemi Ojudu

I’ve watched a number of media clips featuring Nigerian serial entrepreneur Aliko Dangote in the past few weeks, and they’ve moved me to deep empathy for him.

From the onset, let me declare that Aliko Dangote is a friend I’ve known for many years, well before he became the richest man in Africa. Over the years, I’ve seen him demonstrate a profound love for his country and fellow human beings, all while remaining truly humble.

Aliko Dangote, a titan of African industry, stands as a beacon of entrepreneurial success and economic transformation. As the founder and CEO of the Dangote Group, he has built an empire that spans across key sectors such as cement, sugar, salt, and flour, significantly contributing to Nigeria’s GDP and job creation. Dangote’s business acumen and strategic investments have not only propelled his companies to the forefront of the African market but have also placed him among the wealthiest individuals globally. His commitment to local manufacturing and self-sufficiency has reduced Nigeria’s dependence on imports, fostering economic stability and growth.

Beyond his industrial achievements, Dangote’s philanthropic endeavors reflect his deep commitment to social impact. Through the Aliko Dangote Foundation, he has initiated numerous programs aimed at improving health, education, and economic empowerment in Nigeria and across Africa. His notable contributions include substantial donations to combat the Ebola outbreak, funding for primary healthcare facilities, and scholarships for underprivileged students. Dangote’s vision for a prosperous Africa is not limited to his business ventures; it is equally evident in his efforts to uplift communities and drive sustainable development.

He is a man who loved to wear smiles and put smiles on the faces of all the people he encounters.

In the past few days, Aliko has suddenly aged, looking older than his 67 years. His hair has turned completely grey, and his demeanor is that of an embattled man. Since knowing him, I have never seen him this demure, frustrated, and on the verge of giving up on Nigeria.

The pressure he’s under is the kind that could drive a Japanese to commit seppuku or a Westerner to put a gun to his head. I know Aliko is a man of faith, a true Muslim who wouldn’t be drawn to such extremes. Nonetheless, we must be deeply concerned for him and raise our voices in support to let him know he is not alone.

What Aliko is enduring today is akin to the trials faced by those in politics who strive to build a new country or by civil society activists fighting for a just and sane society. Aliko is trying, as hard as it seems, to use enterprise and industrialization to transform a country that has long been mired in the grip of selfish and greedy individuals. His recent experiences demonstrate that no matter who you are, when Nigeria happens to you, you lose your composure and sheen. As a businessman of substantial wealth, he could have moved offshore and quietly enjoyed his fortune. Yet, he continually seeks to address Nigeria’s needs with innovative business ideas. For me, and maybe not for a few, he remains a patriot.

I understand why Aliko is going through these hard times. Some of the details are public knowledge. It’s a mix of political and business intrigues spiced with jealousy, competition, a “let’s break him” attitude, and the intent of some well-placed political figures to annex his sphere of influence. These elements have found capable partners in faceless operatives determined to grow extra rich while Nigeria remains impoverished. It is not yet time to tell this full story, but it will be told after their comeuppance.

Certainly, the few Nigerians who wish to keep the country down, milking it until asphyxiation, are hard at work.

Say what you will about this man; he has contributed significantly to the growth of this country. He is not a rent-seeker but an entrepreneur focused on creating and producing, employing people along the way. He may have enjoyed government enablement to achieve all this, but what is government for if not to support its talented and capable citizens?

Aliko’s offense now is that he has touched their honey pot—the oil economy—which they have drained for decades and wish to continue exploiting. The entrenched cabal in the sector and the new kids on the block will not tolerate Aliko’s intervention, which promises a game change in that notoriously murky sector. They have resolved to break this man of vision, and it appears they are succeeding.

Hearing Aliko ask NNPC to buy him out of his gargantuan refinery, withdraw from his dream of setting up a steel plant, and regret not heeding friends’ advice against such massive investments in Nigeria, all seem to depict a man pummeled and struggling to stay afloat in a raging flood.

I would counsel Aliko to persevere, never to give up, and to remember the sage words of Chief Obafemi Awolowo: “After this darkness comes the glorious dawn.” This too shall pass, Aliko.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Alhaji Sulaiman Jimoh, also known as Temo, a notorious drug kingpin and the head of the Mushin, Lagos drug cartel.

The 57-year-old, who had long evaded capture, was apprehended at his hideout despite initial resistance from his armed followers.

The arrest was announced in a statement by NDLEA’s Director of Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Wednesday.

According to the statement, Temo had managed to avoid capture for years, despite being linked to several large drug consignments worth billions of naira.

Babafemi noted that encounters with the suspect’s gang often resulted in gunfights, making his capture particularly challenging.

“In the last two years, the NDLEA had intercepted large consignments of illicit drugs worth billions of naira owned by Temo but he has remained largely evasive while a few encounters with him and his armed gangs in his Mushin enclave had resulted in gunfight,” the statement read.

Some of Temo’s recent drug shipments intercepted by the NDLEA include 14,524.8 kilograms of Ghana Loud, a potent strain of cannabis sativa, smuggled into Lagos from Ghana.

These were seized in two trucks and a J5 bus at Ojuelegba, Lagos, in January 2024.

Additionally, two truckloads of the same substance weighing 8,852kg were intercepted at Eleko beach, Lekki, in May 2023, and 252kg of Loud was seized from his Mushin enclave on July 26, 2023.

During these operations, Temo’s men often engaged NDLEA operatives in violent confrontations.

Despite his notoriety and constant movement to evade arrest, Temo was finally captured on Monday, July 22, 2024, at Igbarere Street, Mushin.

The statement added that the NDLEA’s surveillance teams had been tracking Temo, and a reinforcement of about 50 operatives was mobilised to the area when he attempted to escape in a Mercedes Benz SUV GLE 350.

His effort to mobilise hoodlums to distract the operatives failed, and he was eventually overpowered and arrested.

Reacting to the arrest, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the officers for their resilience, vigilance, and professionalism.

Marwa emphasised the agency’s commitment to eradicating drug cartels and warned other criminals in the drug trade to desist or face similar consequences.

“I’m particularly delighted because the arrest was eventually effected in his enclave without any casualty despite the attack on our men.

“This is therefore a clear message to others still involved in this criminal trade of illicit drugs that if they don’t opt out now, we’ll get them because we’re just steps away from their doorsteps and more importantly, they can only run, they can’t hide forever,” Marwa stated.

US President Joe Biden has stepped down from the presidential election. 

In a statement on Sunday, Biden said it is his intention to seek reelection as president, but his decision to quit the race is in the interest of the Democratic Party and the country.

Some Americans and top democrats had raised concerns over Biden’s health following his botched presidential debate with Donald Trump, Republican Party nominee.

“My Fellow Americans, Over the past three and a half years, we have made great progress as a Nation,” Biden said.

“Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We’ve made historic investments in rebuilding our Nation, in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans.

“We’ve provided critically needed care to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances. Passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. Appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. And passed the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world.

“America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today. I know none of this could have been done without you, the American people. Together, we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

We’ve protected and preserved our Democracy. And we’ve revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.

“I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision. For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me reelected. I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.

“I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can’t do – when we do it together. We just have to remember we are the United States of America.”

Calls for the 81-year-old president to withdraw from the race began to heighten after his feeble performance against Trump in the presidential debate on June 27.

Biden occasionally stammered, spoke incoherently, and delivered a slurred speech during the debate against Trump, his immediate predecessor, who is seeking a return to the White House.

Former US President Barack Obama had reportedly expressed doubts about Biden’s chances of retaining the White House ahead of the November polls.

Obama was said to have been deeply engaged in conversations about the future of Biden’s campaign.

On July 11, George Clooney, Hollywood actor and prominent Democratic fundraiser, implored Biden to drop out of the presidential race.

In an opinion piece titled ‘I love Joe Biden. But we need a new nominee’, Clooney said Biden has won many battles in the last four years but “the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time”.

Access Bank UK Limited has concluded arrangements to host its annual Polo Day at Guards Polo Club, Windsor, today, Saturday, July 20.

The Access Bank UK Polo Day, an annual charity event, which is part of the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), is the culmination of a year-long fund-raisingprogramme in partnership with UNICEF for education projects in the Northern part of Nigeria. CSR and exemplary Corporate Governance form part of the hallmarks of Access Bank.  

From inception to date, the UNICEF/Access Bank, funds from the charity event have been used to rebuild schools in Kaduna and keep more than 12,000 students in continuous education. At the same time, new solar-powered school blocks and a computer literacy building all in a more secure and friendly school environment have been developed. The communities surrounding the schools are being supported with boreholes for water and sewing and grinding machines to secure employment and stimulate economic and social development. 

The Access Bank UK Polo Day with the support of the Access Bank Group, the flagship subsidiary of Access Holdings PLC, highlights the plight of vulnerable children and orphans as well as internationally displaced persons. In partnership with Fifth Chukker and based in Kaduna, Nigeria, Access Bank Polo Tournament generates funds and stimulates support for the work of the UNICEF/Access Bank initiative across Africa. Essentially,the primary objective is to empower underprivilegedchildren through education and ensuring that these deserving children have the opportunity to dream, learn and grow.

Last year’s event was 

filled with two exciting polo matches between Malcomines, Delaney, Fifth Chukka and Access Bank. On the field of play Malcomines Polo won the Khalifa Cup, beating Delaney Polo 7-4 across four chukkas. However, Delaney Polo’s Damian Duncan, who had a standout game in the number one position, was rewarded with the Access Bank Most Valuable Player prize.

The second match of the day, for the Access Bank Charity Cup, saw a win for Access Bank. They beat Fifth Chukker 4-3 in a fast-paced game that featured some of the sport’s top players including Juan Martin Nero, Polito Pieres, Alfredo Bigatti and Guillermo Terrera. Access Bank’s Sayyu Dantata received the Most Valuable Player prize from Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II – Emir of Kano. He then stepped up to receive the Access Bank Best Playing Pony prize for Bayita, whom he had played in the fourth chukka.

After the prize giving, guests adjourned to the marquee for an enjoyable celebration accompanied by a performance by the Cavemen.

At the event, Herbert Wigwe, the then Group Managing Director of Access Holdings PLC and Chairman of The Access Bank UK Ltd (now late), said: “Together our continuing support for the Fifth Chukker – UNICEF initiative reflects our view of our role as a change agent in Nigeria and Africa that can help institute socio-economic development through responsible business practice, social initiatives and environmental consideration.”

Jamie Simmonds, The Access Bank UK Ltd CEO and Managing Director, noted the successful Charity event at Guard’s Polo with Fifth Chukker was a tradition, which was only possible due to the loyalty of the customers.

This year’s Polo Day promises to be more exciting than the previous one, with more guests with mind of giving back and creating impacts, expected to grace the epoch-making event.

For the fifteenth consecutive year, Zenith Bank Plc has retained its position as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital in the 2024 Top 1000 World Banks’ Rankings, published by The Banker Magazine. This ranking places Zenith Bank Plc as the 565th Bank globally with a Tier-1 Capital of $2.01 billion. The rankings, published in the July 2024 edition of The Banker Magazine of the Financial Times Group, United Kingdom, recognise Zenith Bank’s continued financial strength and stability. They are based on the 2023 year-end Tier-1 capital of banks globally and remain the primary source for global bank financials used by most international organisations in their assessments of banks.

Tier-1 Capital describes capital adequacy, the core measure of a bank’s financial strength from a regulator’s perspective. According to the ranking, Tier-1 Capital, as defined by the latest Bank for International Settlements (BIS) guidelines, includes loss-absorbing capital, i.e., common stock, disclosed reserves, retained earnings, and minority interests in the equity of subsidiaries that are less than wholly owned. A strong Tier-1 capital ratio boosts investor and depositor confidence, indicating the Bank is well-capitalised and financially stable.

Commenting on this achievement, the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, OON, said, “We are deeply honoured to be recognised as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the fifteenth consecutive year. This recognition is a testament to our strategic focus on sustainable growth, innovation, and customer satisfaction. It also emphasises our resilience and strength in navigating the ever-evolving financial landscape. Our dedicated team of professionals has remained steadfast in ensuring that we maintain our position at the forefront of the banking industry.” She extended her profound and sincere appreciation to the Founder and Chairman, Dr. Jim Ovia, CFR, whose visionary and transformative leadership has played a pivotal role in cultivating a resilient and thriving establishment. She also expressed her deep appreciation for the board’s insightful governance, the staff’s relentless dedication, and the unwavering loyalty of the bank’s esteemed customers to the Zenith brand.

Zenith Bank’s financial performance for the year was driven by a remarkable triple-digit growth of 125% in gross earnings, from N945.6 billion reported in 2022 to N2.132 trillion in 2023. This growth led to an improved market share in both the retail and corporate segments despite a persistently challenging macroeconomic environment. The increase in gross earnings was primarily due to growth in interest and non-interest income. Interest income growth was attributed to the increase in the size of risk assets and their effective repricing, while non-interest income was driven by significant trading gains and gains from the revaluation of foreign currencies.

Zenith Bank recently commenced recapitalisation efforts with the conclusion of its Capital Markets Day held on 11th July 2024. It aims to raise the least amount of capital amongst its peers at N230 billion, considering it already maintains a robust capital base of N270.7 billion. The Bank remains dedicated to supporting the growth of the Nigerian economy and providing its numerous customers with innovative and efficient banking solutions.

Zenith Bank’s track record of excellent performance has continued to earn the brand numerous awards, with these latest accolades coming on the heels of several recognitions. These include being recognised as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the fourteenth consecutive year in the 2023 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking, published by The Banker Magazine. The Bank was also awarded the Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards for 2020 and 2022; and Most Sustainable Bank, Nigeria in the International Banker 2024 Banking Awards.

Further recognitions include Best Bank in Nigeria for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022 in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards and Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria for three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023 in the World Finance Banking Awards. Additionally, Zenith Bank has been acknowledged as the Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria, in the World Finance Corporate Governance Awards for 2022 and 2023, and ‘Best in Corporate Governance’ Financial Services’ Africa for four consecutive years from 2020 to 2023 by the Ethical Boardroom.

The Bank’s commitment to excellence saw it being named the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in the Banker Magazine Top 500 Banking Brands for 2020 and 2021, and Retail Bank of the Year for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022 at the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards.

The Bank also received the accolades of Most Sustainable Bank, Nigeria, in the International Banker 2023 Banking Awards, Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria and Best Innovation in Retail Banking, Nigeria, in the International Banker 2022 Banking Awards. Zenith Bank was named Bank of the Decade (People’s Choice) at the ThisDay Awards 2020, Bank of the Year 2021 by Champion Newspaper, Bank of the Year 2022 by New Telegraph Newspaper, and Most Responsible Organisation in Africa 2021 by SERAS Awards.

The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Senator Oluremi Tinubu has paid a condolence visit to the Saraki family ahead of the funeral of their mother, Mrs Florence Morenike Saraki in Lagos While condoling with the children she noted that her visit which has the permission of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a way of letting the family know that they love them.

“We are one family. You know that politics aside, Mr President will always look out for you”.

“Mama lived a good life. I know it hurts so much but we thank God for the good life she lived”.

The First Lady pointed out that the son of the deceased and President of the 8th Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki was always in her support at that time at the upper chamber.

She prayed for the repose of the soul of the departed.

In his response, Senator Bukola Saraki noted that he was not surprised by the visit of the First Lady who he described as a passionate and loving woman.

“You always see the bigger picture all the times. I know you are a passionate woman who is full of compassion. I know you are here with the knowledge of the President. I thank you very much.

Prayers were offered both in the Christian and Islamic faith for the repose of the soul of the departed and also for the President and nation as a whole.

Those present were the children of late Mrs

Florence Morenike Saraki including Former Senate President Bukola Saraki, Senator Gbemisola Saraki, Mrs Tope Edu ana Mr Laolu Saraki alongside members of the extended family

• KAYODE FAYEMI

The name Wole Soyinka aka WS evokes sundry emotions across the spectrum. Regardless of where one stands on the spectrum, we can all agree that Wole Soyinka is one of Nigeria’s most celebrated personalities, certainly Africa’s most iconic literary maestro and one of the world’s most influential citizens. Even though I know him to treat public celebrations of his birthdays with studied indifference and a hunter’s disdain, it is still almost unbelievable that WS is 90, given his frenetic pace of work and travels. And whether he likes it or not, this is one celebration he cannot stop!
For me, WS is not the unfathomable mystery that many perceive from a distance and he is not the mythological pantheon that exists in the realm of the gods in the imagination of many. He is a mentor, a role model, a father figure and a thought-leader with whom I have had the rare privilege of communing and sharing great moments of significant historic importance in my life.
My first physical encounter with Professor Wole Soyinka was in 1994 in the course of the struggle to return Nigeria to democratic order. My familiarity with WS however preceded our opportune encounter. My first interaction with him was in his prison notes, The Man Died which I first struggled to grasp in 1975. While the motif of the book was a seductive topic of interest, the inscrutably elevated language and discursive point of view of the book made it a hard nut for me to crack at such a young age. Since then, I have not only read all his other writings I have come across – particularly the autobiographical series – Ake, Isara, Ibadan: the Penkelemes Years and You Must Set Forth at Dawn, I have gobbled them with obsessive enthusiasm. His writings and public advocacy for good governance, social justice, democracy and freedom had always made him a godfather and mentor whose association I had deeply coveted.

Consequently, when the opportunity to meet Prof happily came my way through his son, Olaokun in 1994, it was a dream come true. Professor Soyinka (who was already familiar with my work as a democracy activist in the UK through the activities of the New Nigeria Forum and its journal, Nigeria Now which I edited and regularly sent to him in Nigeria), seized the opportunity of our meeting to invite me to be part of his newly established National Liberation Council of Nigeria (NALICON) as Director of Communications.
Without giving it much thought, I enthusiastically jumped at the rare opportunity to work closely with Africa’s first Nobel Laureate in literature. I had reasoned that his international reputation, connection and clout would greatly enhance our struggle for the return of democratic order in Nigeria. And I reasoned right! As I indicated in my memoir of the exile years, “I came close to being labelled a passionate enthusiast and defender of the Soyinka mystique, especially having shared his worldview of the Nigerian struggle as one between authoritarianism and democracy, and not purely an ideological fixation between socialism and capitalism” (Fayemi, 2005:210). Throughout his time in exile in the 1990s, I worked closely with him on numerous projects in NALICON and the United Democratic Front of Nigeria(UDFN) along with several other patriots – the most popular of which was the underground opposition radio – Radio Freedom, later Radio Kudirat.
There is no doubt that I have always shared an ecumenical ideology and kindred spirit with Kongi. His natural spur to resist oppression, instinctive spontaneity to defy authoritarianism and his impregnable commitment to civil liberty makes him a natural inspirational mentor. In both the youthful and sagely Soyinka, has been a consistent resurgence against brutality and inordinate absolutism. As he often opines, “justice is the first condition of humanity”. His resentment against state terror and abuse of power burns like the inferno of the mythical Hades.
For WS, humanity and its happiness are the tunnels through which he travels his mind in the visualisation of social problems. Anything that denies man his inalienable rights, is for Soyinka, an abhorrent act that must be condemned in the strongest terms. He is predictably obdurate and conscientiously unapologetic for his repetitive fidelity to the triumph of human freedom, primacy of his liberty and elevation of his essence as the sole creed that all gods must serve.
His temperament rejects every iota of practices that suborn human happiness. Even in his old age, he continues to prick the conscience of the nation with penetrating homilies that poke a revelatory finger in the nose of public decadence. WS is that bitter remedy that purges a poisoned belly of its troubling constipation. His corrective words are like the surgical knife that cuts out the malignancy of a petulant lesion. He refuses to suffer fools gladly and would rather be misunderstood by people too thick to decode his angst against all governmental decadence.

He is classical in all aspects of his artistry. For some and for his obscurantism, he is the African Homer; some others say he is the ultimate Aristophanes; some even think he is the rebirth of Socrates and not just for the accident of initials, WS is our own William Shakespeare and John Milton rolled into one. He is the agglutination of literary reincarnation of the best that history can recall.
Like his ancestral forebears, WS untiringly rages against the foibles of governmental chieftains and their foreboding delinquencies. He has spoken vehemently against the cowardice of intellectual ambiguity that continues to indulge venal characters in public places. For him, no space must be yielded to the debauchers who gorge the nation’s wealth and fritter its assets in the realisation of their gluttonous hedonism.
Soyinka is impatient with the loud silence that punctuates clear cases that should strike a thunder of a mass anger. For him, until the obscurity of silence gives way to visibility of voices, any unexplained figuration about the existence of Nigeria will remain an empty indoctrination that serves the hypocritical cowardice of the nation’s power barons.
Soyinka is a patriot who has used his innate talent to serve humanity at every opportunity. His radical posture has come handy in dangerous times when only persons of sterner stuff could stand. In 1967, he was imprisoned because of his audacious antagonism to the genocidal assault that the civil-war represented. Before then, he had intruded a radio station in Ibadan in 1965 to frustrate the broadcast of an electoral heist that was meant to entrench an unpopular government. The “Man” lives in Soyinka like the ageless Olumo Rock. His stout courage, broad repository and undeniable conviction radiates his writing in plays, fictions, poetry, essays and public interventions. He uses the power of words to carry out corrective surgery and as a righting atonement for the transgressed. When he chooses his object for critical scrutiny, he deploys the elegance of humour and the pettiness of satire to disrobe the social psychopaths wherever they might be.
Soyinka is spiritual but not religious, ideological but not bigoted; for, he could not submit his intellect to the whimsical machinations of another being. He acknowledges, as he found out through his teacher, Bonany Dombree, that all spirituality sprouts from the relationship between nature and man and that the quest to create a meaning for its inscrutable foundation gave expression to the concept of deity. Thus, Soyinka’s spirituality is in the primacy of humanity and the pursuit of universal egalitarianism; this, I think, is the basis upon which his ideas of the ideal is anchored. No wonder he remains a respectable voice for human advancement in the global arena.
Even though Professor Soyinka has been an “unsuccessful” politician in the narrow manner success in politics is defined in our clime, his contribution to the political development of Nigeria is undeniable and inspiring. Apart from constantly being in the trenches for the enthronement of democracy and rule of law, he has floated a political party in the past to advocate a set of political ideas that he believed could provide an alternative answer to Nigeria’s predicament. More importantly, Professor Soyinka has been one of the moral giants who continue to point the nation to the path of rectitude in politics, constitutionalism, justice, equality and good governance. His life has been a watershed and a blessing in every aspect.
I have been a beneficiary of WS’s generosity in innumerable ways for which I owe him a great deal of gratitude, not just for writing a rare Foreword to my 2005 exile memoirs, Out of the Shadows but also for his unflinching support when I chose the partisan political route. He kept a regular watch on my political journey and was quick to commend my edifying strides in office whilst also upbraiding me whenever he found any untoward development difficult to fathom. He honoured me with the commissioning of the iconic Ekiti Government House in 2014.
At 90, WS reminds me of those unforgettable lines in Alfred Tennyson’s Ulysses:
Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;Death closes all: but something ere the end,Some work of noble note, may yet be done,Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deepMoans round with many voices. Come, my friends,‘T is not too late to seek a newer world.Push off, and sitting well in order smiteThe sounding furrows; for my purpose holdsTo sail beyond the sunset, and the bathsOf all the western stars, until I die.It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’We are not now that strength which in old daysMoved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;One equal temper of heroic hearts,Made weak by time and fate, but strong in willTo strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
On behalf of myself and my wife – Bisi who adores him, here is wishing our timeless Nobel Laureate, an esteemed mentor and a humanist extraordinaire, a happy 90th birthday. Long live, Eniogun!
Dr. Kayode Fayemi, CONVisiting Professor,School of Global Affairs,King’s College, LondonJuly 13, 2024