Business

NEVACO: The Newest Sherriff in town

Published

9 years ago

July 17, 2016

In 2004 a popular Nigerian pop musician released a song that took a swipe at Nigeria. Though so many thought the lyrics to be satirical, former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s reaction to Eedris Abdukareem’s Jaja-Jaga made headlines in national dailies.

The lyrics described how uncoordinated and hopeless the Nigeria project had become in the sense that nothing was working in the security, business, education and other sectors.

Contrary to the sharp criticisms and bashing the presidency lashed out at the artiste, the song was heralded by Nigerians as describing the reality in the country and captures the desperation, frustration and utter disconnect the citizenry had with government. It was, in a way, a plea by the artiste to the government to get things organized.

With the return to democracy in 1999 following long years of military regimes, there was certainly a lack of ethics and values in Nigeria and Nigerians. There became an urgent need to urge the citizens to once again have a belief in themselves, the government and the country. There was a basic need to uplift the standard of living of the populace in the communities and ensure that they have a sense of belonging in Nigeria and get the best of social services, having the mindset that our political class had overtime encouraged disobedience to the rule of law which has inadvertently eroded the ethical value systems and belief.

The Federal Government, under former President Goodluck Jonathan, on March 17th, 2015 established National Ethnics and Values Department to critically examine the fundamental change in Nigeria that brought corruption to the glare of the public and looking into the importance of ethics and values in our system of governance with Dr. (Mrs.) Serah Jubril appointed the Special Adviser with a view to promoting inherent values of integrity, honesty, fairness and responsibility towards a positive transformation of Nigeria’s cultural heritage and ethical awareness the nation’s core values system.

After the historic election in 2015 which for the first time saw an opposition party defeating the incumbent government, Nigeria was seen to be in a path to self-realization based on the Change Mantra in which the President Muhammadu Buhari government came into power with.

And to achieve this, President Buhari established the National Ethics and Values Compliance Office (NEVACO) to build in Nigerians that self-confidence is needed. NEVACO is looking at developing the entrepreneurship skill of individuals to be self-reliant, developing code of ethics that will stand the test of time, developing code of conduct of ethical training for all staff, developing a broader social responsibility to showcase it as a source of group strength.

Appointed to shepherd this new establishment is Dr. Emmanuel Adeoye as its first Director General, saddled with the task of giving a new orientation to Nigerians to ethics and values.

Correcting the wrongs

According to Adeoye, the core responsibilities that NEVACO has now are to correct the wrong perceptions in the country and redirect the thinking of Nigerians positively.

“NEVACO is established to correct the wrong, the evil vices we are doing in our country and society today. It is to make sure we do things the right way, which we have not been doing in the country, even the little child in Nigeria today want to make money by wrong ways. So, the aim of the commission is to educate people to be upright and sincere in whatever they are doing. For instance, you want to go to the ministry for something, you must have to bribe somebody to help push the letter, this act is wrong and we want to correct it. So, we are out to let everybody know whatever you are doing in the country, let it be ethnical, let it be done in the right way. Ethnic is to correct the abnormality in the society, to correct the misimpression by the outside communities.”

Being among the newest federal government organizations to be established there are fears that the current state of the economy would affect the effectiveness of the commission given the heavy task it has been saddled with in dealing with over 150 million Nigerians and also with the various experiences being witnessed in the North East, South East and Niger Delta regions. But Adeoye dispelled those fears saying that NEVACO existed as the Foundation for Ethics and Values (FEAV) under the former special adviser, Dr. Sarah Jubril under the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

“If you would remember vividly, how Ethics and Value was been run, the former administration, appointed her Excellency Sarah Jubril as Special Adviser on Ethics and Values and later on my office was created, I am the first Director-General. So, based on this what was in existence before was FEAV at the time, she was not been given fund so she has to use her NGO to carry the message which to me was a good idea, she started it as a corporative society to help the people with their communities.

“For instance, if there is cassava in a particular village, anybody can borrow money from the corporative and process the cassava, refund the money after selling and the loan given to another people. That was how the structures started going base on NGO bases, what the government is doing now is that they are interested, and decided to say let make it a proper structure. But, again, there is no fund, what we told the government is that we will create something to be generating fund, so that the burden would not be on the government alone. That is what the government is looking for, that is what everybody need now. Because the government can’t do everything, there’s no fund/money anywhere at the moment,” he said.

Not waiting for government

With a full knowledge of the task ahead the new DG embarked a sensitization programs aimed at introducing NEVACO to the grassroots all across the six geo-political zones in the country. The first was held at Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State over the weekend with a great emphasis on agriculture.

The conference tagged South West Convention on Ethics and Values sought to engage the people, listen to their complaints and educate them on the need to adhere strictly to the ethics and values of the country. The participants drawn from all sectors of the economy had open access to the Director-General. The core message NEVACO is dwelling on is the need for Nigerians to return to farming. Also enumerated were some of the attracting offers NEVACO spelt out to those who comply.

“We intend to create employment, by training people on different vocations. For instance, in Ekiti state right now, the yam flour Processing Mill is down; it has not been working for a long time. We are looking at NEVACO taking over the mill, we can talk to the people, they bring the yam to our warehouse, we can buy it from them, process it and repackage it for final consumption. We have to invest; we have to also look at bringing in investors to partner with us. We must find a way to create jobs/employment; we don’t need to wait for the government for everything.”

Adeoye made it clear that as a new sheriff tasked with preserving the ethics and values of the land, they are looking for partners that will work progressively with them to achieve the objective.

“We are looking for credible people to drive these programs, not just anybody that would come to destruct the whole process. Like I always tell people, Nigerian like to two things, they like uniform and they like titles. So, structures have to be on ground to correct. Everybody must know their function, not for a watch repairer to stand up and tell the whole world he is a managing director. In order words, we need to get the message of the government to the grassroots; there must be orderliness, structures for everybody to carry out their respective functions.”

Duplication of duties

With the Bill establishing the National Ethics and Values Compliance still under consideration by the National Assembly, some experts are of the fear that the duties of the compliance officers may be conflicting with those of the police and Civil Defense corps, an assertion Adeoye said isn’t possible as ethics and values compliance will also partner with the police, armed forces and civil societies.

“The police is established to act after the offence, the Police arrest because you are a criminal, the DSS arrest criminals but NEVACO is a compliance office. We are there to correct everybody; all Nigerians. We are compliance officer and tasked to preach the change, ethnics and value to let people know their right from wrong. We are there to correct people, even the policeman can be corrected by a Compliance Officer. We were with the Inspector General of Police recently and we told them we are here to partner with them, we told them they also need to establish ethnics and value in the police force to deal with any officers that try to go above the law. Every department of our lives, every ministry, parastatals must have a compliance officer to correct abnormality in the country. We don’t arrest, we make sure you don’t commit the crime. The police arrest after a crime is committed but we are here to prevent you from committing the crime in the first place. We are going to partner with the police and already existing arm forces; we are here to enlighten people.”

Owing to the hard anti-corruption stance of President Muhammadu Buhari and his establishment of the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) as a military administrator with WAI brigade corps enforcing discipline at times with force, there has been some allegations by the opposition that the establishment of NEVACO is another form of Buhari bringing in attack dogs that will champion his anti-corruption cause. But the DG reassures that none of that is true as every advanced government knows the need to have an ethics and values department.

“Any serious government all over the world must have Ethics and Values, just take a look at the advance world. It duties is to correct, train and enlighten the citizen. In Nigeria we are developing and as a develop nation things like this will need to stay together as one. Other organization will come up in the nearest future that will are suppose to have. Even in the National Assembly at the moment have a committee on Ethnic and Values is to check them.”

The first test that NEVACO is likely to encounter is the turbulence being witnessed across the regions; Boko Haram in the North East; the agitation for Secession by the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) in the South-South, how ready is the commission to send its officers to these volatile areas.

“You know as government, we are talking to everybody; some parts of the country feel cheated and feel they need to have their own share. But, most of the problems are even the communities themselves, they vandalize the pile and it will spill over and destroy their farm, some of them have different ship on the sea to hijack vessel and this is not helping the federal government. Resource control is what they are fighting for, they want to be in control, but this is one Nigeria they should know that there is no negotiation. Power belongs to the people and not one section of the country. They claim they are fighting for the community, but the communities are rejecting them, as we read in the papers every day,” he said.

Business

NNPCL and Corruption’s Final Throes

Published

5 days ago

August 16, 2025

Sahara Weekly

NNPCL and Corruption’s Final Throes

By Pius Olasanmi

In the twilight of the Obasanjo administration, when Nigerians were still capable of being outraged, when Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of refineries was a buzzword that still held some mysticism to bamboozle citizens, during a conversation, a certain man said something profound. The man said, “As a businessman, if I were the owner of these refineries, knowing that they are three decades old, I would take the last money I have, hire bulldozers, raze them to the ground, and obtain loans to build new ones.”

When we pressed him further on why he would engage in such waste, he explained that repairing the refineries is the real waste. He explained that even if the TAM were honestly carried out, a thirty-year-old refinery would never compete favourably with a new one that would integrate contemporary technology. Operating at its best, such a refinery would never be comparatively more efficient. It is therefore pointless to have spent another one naira on the refineries at that point.

A few months later, I had a conversation with a then-lawmaker on an entirely different matter. I mentioned that the National Assembly has failed by not crafting legislation that would criminalise and punish public office holders who foist wrong decisions on the country. The logic: a public office holder need not steal to be punished, wrong decisions should attract penalties for an office holder who opts for the worst of all options when there are less injurious ones.

These established premises speak to the ongoing nauseating efforts at revisionism by those who wrecked the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its previous iteration, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Notably, this campaign to rewrite history is traceable to Engineer Mele Kolo Kyari, the disgraced immediate past Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL and his hirelings. They have suffocated the news and the public opinion space with even more lies than they spun while in office.

The Saint Kyari campaign is anchored on convincing Nigerians that the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna Refineries were fully functional when he was booted out of office. So brazen is the campaign that one of its talking heads challenged the group chief executive officer (GCEO), Engr. Bayo Ojulari, to “inform Nigerians categorically what happened to the functioning refineries he inherited from his predecessor, Engr. Mele Kyari.” The effrontery.

We have not forgotten so soon the charade that followed the baffling claim that Nigeria has spent $2.8 billion on the repair of the refineries, while they are not churning out even a single litre of refined product among them. Saint Kyari and his goons played all manner of tricks, all of which embarrassed President Bola Tinubu, who had counted on ticking off the return to productivity of the refineries as part of his achievements, only to realise that he was deceived into celebrating phantoms. Tragic.

Lest we forget, 200 trucks were arranged as props in a well-directed video clip to celebrate the re-streaming of the Port Harcourt Refinery. The disappointment. Nigerians were to learn from several reports that the Port Harcourt refinery was not producing and was instead using old, stored petroleum products to load trucks. Worse still, the Kyari crew was passing off sanction-tainted Russian-sourced crude oil refined in Malta as locally refined products. More insult was piled on the assault on our collective sensibility with the lies that the Port Harcourt Refinery exported semi-finished products. Brazen.

Meanwhile, Kyari and his hirelings called those who pointed out or protested these glaring scams all manner of names. They hid behind industry technicalities and jargon to create the impression that those of us who knew Nigerians were being robbed did not understand what we were saying. The point remains that a $2.8 billion investment can potentially build a refinery with a capacity of around 100,000 barrels per day (bpd). Of course, the actual capacity of such a refinery will depend on various factors, including the complexity of the refinery, the technology used, and the location. That is the amount that Kyari’s regime at the NNPCL took and did not give Nigerians refined products.

Fast forward to Kyari’s sack and the appointment of Engineer Bayo Ojulari, who has demonstrated that things can indeed be done differently. Kyari’s exit was expectedly followed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) going after him and his associates. The extent of the theft is better understood against the backdrop of N80 billion being found in the bank account of one of his associates. They went on the run.

Perhaps because the EFCC was biding its time on securing international warrants for the arrests of these characters on the lam, they have become emboldened. They have decided to fight back and rewrite the story of their participation in the greatest fraud against Nigerians. Engineer Ojulari’s renewed mindset, which is entrenching a semblance of the transparency Nigerians demand, became their natural target. The demons that once roamed around the corporation came out with malevolence. They started spinning stories of corruption to tarnish the incumbent who refused to hide their crimes. The objective: bring Ojulari down. But alas, he is winning the war as it stands.

His innocence is proven, and it is glaring that those who want him out are mere charlatans who can no longer ply their corrupt wares because of the impact of the new reforms. Corruption in the NNPCL is in its final throes. The fake news being unleashed against the incumbent leadership is akin to corruption’s last kicks as reforms in the sector strangulate it and its practitioners. The reforms must take place in the NNPCL, whether the industry demons like it or not.

As a parting shot, Kyari and his associates would do well to prepare their defence. In addition to accounting for the $2.8 billion they laundered in the name of repairing the moribund refineries, they must also answer for the poor decision to fix that which is irretrievably broken. Awarding contracts for Turn Around Maintenance of 59-year-old refineries that a right-thinking person had suggested should be demolished almost twenty years ago, when they were only 30 years old, is criminal. Trying to deceive Nigerians that the fake repairs worked is treason.

Olasanmi is a public affairs analyst writing from Lagos.

Business

GRANDIS 5STAR LUXURY APARTMENT & SUITES SET TO REDEFINE LIVING IN VICTORIA ISLAND

Published

6 days ago

August 15, 2025

Sahara Weekly

GRANDIS 5STAR LUXURY APARTMENT & SUITES SET TO REDEFINE LIVING IN VICTORIA ISLAND

Set to Rise elegantly against the Lagos skyline, is the Grandis 5Star Luxury Apartment & Suites. According to Adejuwon Ademola, The General Manager of the Development company, it is more than just a residential building
“it’s a lifestyle statement. Standing 17 floors high in the heart of Victoria Island, this revolutionary masterpiece of modern architecture will offer a panoramic 360° view of Eko Atlantic, Victoria Island, and Ikoyi, transforming every apartment into an exclusive penthouse experience for the world’s most discerning elite.”

Developed by Dumarco Construction Limited, a globally acclaimed company with decades of delivering complex, high-value projects in the highly regulated petroleum, oil, and gas industries, Grandis 5Star brings unmatched international safety standards, uncompromising quality, and timeless elegance into Nigeria’s luxury property market.

> “When you live in Grandis, you’re not just buying a home—you’re investing in peace of mind, world-class safety, and an effortless luxury experience that will remain pristine for decades,” says Adejuwon A. Ademola, General Manager of Dumarco Construction Limited.

The Gold Standard in Safety and Quality

Dumarco’s roots in the oil and gas sector mean the company operates to some of the strictest safety protocols in the world. Every stage—from conceptualization, design, construction, to long-term maintenance—follows internationally accepted procedures and quality assurance measures. Cutting corners is simply not in Dumarco’s vocabulary.

> “In the oil and gas industry, there’s no room for compromise. We’ve brought that same discipline and zero-tolerance for mediocrity into property development,” says Ademola. “That’s why Grandis will be one of the safest and most enduring residential developments in Nigeria.”

To ensure transparency and prevent (project complacency), Dumarco deliberately separates the developer, contractor, and consultant roles, engaging only the most competent professionals in each respective field. Dumarco’s project team includes globally recognized contractors such as Julius Berger, Cappa & D’Alberto, and Elalan, Migliore Construczione & Tecniche (MC&T) and their partners VENCO IMTIAZ CONTRACTING COMPANY (VICC) based in Dubai, UAE, Business Contracting Limited, alongside leading consultants like Morgan Omanitan & Abe, LAMBERT, and James Cubitt.

Grandis – Investments, appreciation, returns and profitability

Our selection process for the location of the project alone was pains-taking and completely thorough scientific process. Top professional companies were employed to conduct a scientific data acquisition and analytical survey of the entire Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lekki and Eko Atlantic before a project site is selected. Analyzing and acquiring areas developmental charts and trends, studying and gathering historical and present sale prices, rental charge and occupancy rates over a 50 year period from every individual street before the selection of the location of any of our developments especially true for the Grandis Project
He adds,

“Our clients and residents can be rest assured that the location of Grandis has been scientifically proven through all existing data to provide our clients with a 100% occupancy rate, highest developmental location, highest rental income and investment returns. ”

The Grandis Experience

Located minutes away from international corporate headquarters, embassies, and landmarks such as Eko Hotel, Radisson Blu, and the Radisson Red, Grandis offers unmatched convenience for professionals, diplomats, and high-net-worth individuals. Every residence is designed for both indulgence and efficiency, with high-grade finishes, smart-home systems, and private amenities that ensure seamless living.

From sunrise over the Atlantic to the glittering Lagos night skyline, residents will enjoy uninterrupted luxury, supported by discreet and highly trained staff, advanced security systems, and a design that prioritizes comfort and privacy.

> “We designed Grandis for people who want everything—security, elegance, convenience, and the assurance that their home will look as spectacular in 20 years as it does on day one,” Ademola notes.

A Legacy That Lasts

With its combination of visionary architecture, peerless safety, and meticulous maintenance planning, Grandis is built to remain iconic for generations. Thanks to Dumarco’s meticulous approach, the building’s service charges are expected to remain low while its value and appeal continue to appreciate over time.

In a market often marred by shortcuts and substandard practices, Mr Ademola says
Grandis stands as a beacon of what luxury living should be—safe, spectacular, and built to last.

“Grandis 5Star Luxury Apartment & Suites — Where safety meets sophistication, and every detail is designed for a life well-lived.”
He added

Website -www.dumarcoltd.com
Project website – www.26idowutaylor.com
Email [email protected]
Tel / WhatsApp +234 9077777883
GM – Adejuwon A. Ademola

celebrity radar - gossips

Nationwide Talent, One Broadcaster: Tinubu Picks Pedro, Bello, Din, Mohammed to Lead NTA

Published

6 days ago

August 15, 2025

Sahara Weekly

Nationwide Talent, One Broadcaster: Tinubu Picks Pedro, Bello, Din, Mohammed to Lead NTA

Tinubu Overhauls NTA Leadership: Media Powerhouse Rotimi Pedro Takes Helm as DG

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced a major shake-up at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), appointing renowned media executive Rotimi Richard Pedro as the new Director-General in a move widely seen as a bold step toward modernising the state broadcaster.

Pedro, a Lagos native, brings nearly 30 years of expertise in broadcasting, sports rights, and marketing communications across Africa, the UK, and the Middle East. A trained entertainment and intellectual property lawyer, he also holds an MSc in Investment Management and Finance from City University Business School, London.

In 1995, Pedro founded Optima Sports Management International (OSMI), which rose to become one of Africa’s leading sports content providers—distributing premium events such as the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FIFA World Cup, and CAF competitions to audiences in over 40 countries.

His career highlights include top roles at Bloomberg Television Africa and Rapid Blue Format, as well as advisory work for FIFA, UEFA, Fremantle Media, and the African Union of Broadcasters (AUB). At the AUB, he was instrumental in securing exclusive pan-African free-to-air media rights for all CAF competitions.

Alongside Pedro’s appointment, Tinubu named Karimah Bello from Katsina State as Executive Director of Marketing, Stella Din from Plateau State as Executive Director of News, and Sophia Issa Mohammed from Adamawa State as Managing Director of NTA Enterprises Limited.

Industry insiders credit Pedro with building commercially viable broadcast platforms, driving sponsorship growth, and delivering world-class content to African audiences. His appointment marks one of the most significant leadership changes at NTA in years—signalling the government’s intent to strengthen the broadcaster’s competitiveness in a fast-evolving media landscape.