Loud Whispers with JOSEPH EDGAR

Bola Ahmed Tinubu: This Other Man of the Year

There has been a major celebration within government circles and its very strong supporters following the announcement by THISDAY Board of Editors that President Tinubu is their Man of the Year.

Since the announcement, Nigerians have been divided on the matter especially coming from a media outlet that has been deemed to be in “opposition” by not a few.

While some are jubilating, citing the growing “thaw” of the economy as my brother Magnus Onyibe calls it, others are screaming blue murder especially if you look at the rate of “sufferings”

Anyways, people have asked me my position on the matter and to answer, I will go and hide under the criteria the people who gave him the awards threw up.

They say, na because the man no dey fear and that he has shown enough courage to take decisions that even Abacha would not have taken, and it’s true. He has really shown that he is tough and resilent.

Take the fuel subsidy matter. Everybody ahead of him from the foxy IBB to the “alagbara” OBJ to the sense man Jonathan down to the stiff Buhari, none could do it.

But baba alagbado just came and said – it is gone and it went.

See as the naira was crashing like ‘felele’ and the man simply refused to intervene and many other such policies that were very painful, but today they have started bearing small fruit.

Despite the noise from opposition and millions of suffering Nigerians, baba is still saying – “go on soun” as his boys at the NURTW would say.

So, if na courage, toughness and resilence, he deserves it but any other criteria beyond these, I will join the train of criticising him. So, for now, let us hail the THISDAY Man of the Year, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as truly, a man tough and resilent.

Adams Oshiomhole: A Dilemma of Sorts

Ok, I got a very strong tutoring on Edo politics yesterday. One Edo man sent me a WhatsApp chat and I did not understand so he called to explain but swore me to secrecy. Well, as you all know, me too will share the secret with you guys with the hope that you all will also keep the secret so that Oshio baba will not hear.

This is the gist. So, there is a struggle at the Senate between Akpabio, the Senate President and Adams Oshiomhole a ranking Senator for a possible run at the Senate Presidency. This my lecturer is of the opinion that Akpabio is not comfortable with Adam’s growing stature and that Adams may launch a frontal push for the job and as such something has to be done.

You know that the only thing that Akpabio has over Adams na liquidity because Adams has a rich pedigree in labour movement, understands mobilisation, the issues, has oratorical skills and is indeed very popular.

Another angle, according to the bird, is the struggle for APC leadership in Southern Nigeria. While this position is naturally that of Akpabio, he would be discounting Adams at his peril, so the struggle is real.

Now, how does all of these concern the Edo Governor?, I asked. The man swallowed saliva and continued. So, the electoral petition is ongoing and Asue has listed so many infractions and Adams is in a quandary.

So, for Adams, if Monday wins at the tribunal, his going back to the Senate will be very dicey since he cannot vouch for Monday’s loyalty. Monday, showing a huge level of inexperience, has gone to eat Christmas Afang in Uyo with Akpabio according to this person who is whispering on the phone as he speaks as if Monday is in the next room.

So according to him, Monday’s win at the tribunal would give Akpabio a strong leverage to move against Adams coming back to the Senate as he would use enough influence on Monday to thwart that.

So, for Adams, his dilemma is clear. Should he continue to work for the party and ensure Monday’s victory at the tribunal and thereby risk his return to the Senate or should he quietly support PDP’s Asue to emerge so that he (Adams) would become party leader in Edo, thereby guaranteeing his return and strengthening his senate presidency ambitions if he has any?

At the end of the long talk, my squealer said: “Edgar, no go write am o because if you write am, dem go all run back to the drawing board and that go cause more confusion,” and I replied: “I swear on my papa’s grave, I no go write am.”

So, guys, I have not written it but typed it. Shebi na different thing? What do you guys think about this matter? Please send me a text, make I learn more abeg. Politics is not for the faint-hearted.

Temi Popoola: A Million Naira Man

Temi is the group Managing Director at the giant NGX which is one of the world’s biggest stock exchanges. My people, the NGX has returned over 700% to investors in the year 2024 and the praise must come straight to Temi and his team.

The other night, as I walked into Dere Otubu’s party somewhere in Ikoyi, that is how I saw Temi sitting down there very quietly, not talking to anybody and eating small chops.

I rushed to him, “Temi, you are eating small chops when Dere should be giving you afang and goat meat with goat testicles for you to eat with that kind of performance.”

The NGX under Temi and with a solid board chaired by the very influential and extremely brilliant Umaru Kwairanga and peopled by such juggernauts like Nonso Okpala and Mohammed Garuba has delivered gold standard performance.

Prior to their coming on board, the NGX used to return results that would make you ashamed. Even more ashamed than a big man who after spending so much cannot get it up in the other room.

Today, with increasing efficiency, heightened transparency, better use of technology and a clear understanding of the role of the Exchange in wealth creation, investors are laughing to the bank.

Kudos to Temi and the team. We pray for the sustaining of such performance and the entrenchment of some of these policies for the betterment of the market. Well done my guy.

Chibundu Edozie: Not a Pillar of Salt

This my former Oga will definitely beat me. But will I still be a man if because of my fear for Chibundu, I will now not say my mind.

Chibundu is the superbly coiffured deputy to the capital market legend Albert Okumagba. We all know the story of how BGL collapsed very beautifully and how Albert passed shortly after. But what we have never looked at is the role Chibundu has played in all of this.

Chibundu, I must say and very proudly so have shown unbridled loyalty and faithfulness not only to Albert but to the vision of BGL. He stood very firmly when the rest of us bailed. He has gotten rotten tomatoes and pepper thrown at him, suffered indignation, lost his personal liberty and have had to take in his stride the constant sneering of a hypocritical market while still superbly turning out in his well sewn double-breasted suits.

I must say that I have never seen this kind of loyalty in Nigeria. Remember that MKO Abiola’s deputy went to collect work from Abacha at the height of the struggle. But Chibundu has stayed the cause even burying Albert while still pushing and pulling to make sure that the dream of BGL doesn’t die.

I dey fear am before because he used to “bully” me but today all I have for him is unalloyed respect and a renewed love for a man who stood and is still standing tall for another man’s dream.

I hear that there is light in the BGL tunnel and as he has told me, “Edgar, we still have people who do not really like us…” Let me just say that Chibundu you are a man, I swear. You are a man and God bless you.

Funke Akindele: A Beautiful White Witch

Ok, let me tell you why I am calling this damsel a white witch. Just see these stats- N1.035billion in ticket sales out of the total N2.8billion sold in cinema this period. Funke is arrowheading a massive marauding expansionism in Nigerian cinema and the figures are positively alarming.

Oya see, let me give you more – 537,000 tickets sold in Nollywood, N2.8billion revenues in December 2024, N10billion revenue target reached in 2024, creating 4.2million jobs and another 2.7million expected new jobs projected in the next five years and a $15billion valuation forecasted.

Mbok this is more than witchcraft, this is demonic. Moving from the heady days of NTA soap opera to global conquest, the Nigerian TV/Film circuit has come full circle and with time, we would all not need to be rushing to Abuja for jobs or looking at governors like tin gods because one movie will generate a whole state’s budget and the producers will now have all the powers and be spraying governors at parties.

Well done guys, well done Funke and well done the whole community. It is things like these that give us hope in this country. Nigeria rising.

Eberechukwu Oji: The Long Juju of Arochukwu

Some of us grew up on these stories about the famed and mythical Arochukwu and its long juju. They said that during the slave trade, they played a very significant role in that thing. Their shrine was very critical to all of that and this gave the town almost global fame.

Arochukwu is however much more than that. It is a town of very rich history that has contributed very significantly to Nigeria. It has over 300 satellite settlements that can be found all over Nigeria and 10 major towns, all paying full allegiance to the Eze Aro of Arochukwu kingdom which now happens to be the very brilliant gentleman, His Eminence Eberechukwu Oji.

Eberechucku has taken over the throne of his forefathers by popular choice. His grandfather ruled for 73 years and is known in history as one of the longest ruling monarchs in the world and Eberechukwu has immediately hit the ground running. He is talking of a N2billion alternative energy capacity for the town and his huge homecoming ceremony this December pulled in so many very prominent Aro citizens like the Okoroafor brothers – Bank, Dr Oji and Emma who are all internationally acclaimed businessmen.

Remember that my brother Uche Oji the former MD of Nigeria’s Sovereign Wealth Fund is also an Aro man, then you will now immediately begin to see why Nigeria should sit up and get ready for the Arochukwu renaissance.

I was there over these festivities and I must tell you that the afang I ate at Bank’s house is one of the best that I have eaten in my career.

This is just to congratulate His eminence Eberechukwu for his ascension and to also wish him a longer reign than that of his grandfather and very fruitful stay on the throne.

Mbok, help me greet the beautiful Queen. I really enjoyed my stay which saw me ogle at Aro damsels at the Waterfalls. They were shouting, ‘Duke jump in o,’ but I refused because if I had jumped in ehnnnn… kai, na deportation straight. Kai.

Dere Otubu: A Networking God

I have always had a huge respect for Dere Otubu. Dere is the Chairman of the biggest power distribution company. He also has some very strategic stakes in Zenith Bank where his father, Elder Otubu was the very first Chairman. He is also well involved in Access Bank and a whole lot of other businesses that continue to contribute to the economy.

Well, I hear he has been doing party for the last 15 years and he has never invited me. Last year, I don’t know what entered his head and he invited me and I carried myself there wearing my new pink San Francisco pants.

My people, this is why Dere is a networking god. Come and see the calibre of people that were in attendance.

The people I saw at the gate who were struggling to enter o. First time in my life that I saw billionaires doing ’mogbo mo ya’ and the reason is very simple o, the party is usually very deep and rich in networking capacity.

Dere is close and is also a very integral part of the private sector where he is a well-respected player.

That was how I saw Oscar move in. Oscar is the immediate past GMD at the NGX, not quite long Temi the present GMD waltz in and then Roosevelt the MD of Access Bank quietly glides in and before I could say what is going on, Udeme Ufot and his elegant wife Dorothy who is about to bury her mum move in. I perched in one corner and was looking at power moving and Dere dressed like an Hawaiian playboy in his white linen moving around making sure that everybody is well taken care of.

Before I could say Jack Robinson, Karl of MTN comes in, takes a seat and mingles. At some point, it looked like that Michael Jackson’s Liberian Girl musical video where all the stars were converging. Aigboje walks in with Governor Sanwo-Olu just after highly influential James Ibori arrived with Magnus Onyibe.

These are the cream of Nigeria’s private sector. These people employ millions, support the system and in reward, play hard.

As for Dere, all I can say is well done and congrats for such a well-organized and superbly attended soiree. Powerful.