Loud Whispers with JOSEPH EDGAR

General Ibrahim Babangida: Stepping in the Mud

I don’t even know how to start this one sef. But let me first ask Baba to sack his strategists, adviser and ghost writer. These people have done him a great disservice. Nigerians have already started forgetting about him and his shenanigans, he now in one fell swoop reminds us of his role in our country’s fate and the abuses and curses starts all over again in the twilight of his life.

His mess up even come dey make Abacha look like a saint to the point that Abacha’s children who were hiding in various caves in Kano have come out to abuse him and rightly so.

A General that has done all that, now claiming “it wasn’t me, they wanted to kill me, I had to run away.” In fact, this is a shame, not only to him but to the Nigerian Army that brought him up. Which kind General is this one?

They want to kill you and you knew those who wanted to kill you and as Commander-in-Chief, you cannot kill them first?

You do Vatsa o. That one that was just thinking, you show am pepper but this one that is wearing dark goggles and looking at you and warning you, you run away and come and be writing book. Which yeye book?

This whole thing is just a very messed up thing. Nigerians are very angry and sad. Videos of MKO have started circulating, Vatsa too is looking like a hero and Falana has dusted his law books.

Who advised IBB o? Mbok who sent him message? Shebi when it was announced, I shouted o – we don’t want to hear o, but did he listen? He carried all his people to Hilton and collected over N17bn and placed himself very firmly in the dark halls of national shame. Same place Buka Suka Dimka have their portraits displayed.

IBB has done with this book a great disservice to himself and the nation and even if he returns all of that N17bn, Nigerians will still not be satiated. The sad thing is that we never learn our lessons because before you know it, another person will climb and do worse and then write a book, and we will still carry another N17bn and give him and call Professor “Yemo” to come and eulogise him. Pity.

Who Stole Nasir El-Rufai’s Bread?

You see the problem with our egbon Onanuga. As he cannot address the issues surrounding Mallam, he comes out like a fish seller in Shomolu market – it is paining him because he did not get ministerial appointment and he should stop crying like a child that someone took his bread. You see how this baba drops to a very primordial level on very serious national issues because he cannot engage.

Mallam has been talking about very serious and credible issues that affect his party, the government and Nigerians. He is asking relevant questions and demanding answers and all we can say is that he is crying because he was not made minister.

The Mallam that we know would still ask these same questions even if he was vice president. It is obvious where the ship of state is headed and the man is shouting. Instead of us to face him on the issues, it is these mundane things we are trying to engage him with.

The man may truly be motivated by the snub or even be driven by ambition but if he now decides to use stuff that is giving us sleepless nights as his main weapon of choice, then I think we should then engage him at that level. And if our spokesman cannot engage him at that level, then the administration should throw egg-heads like Dr. Oduwole, Dr Fasua and even Demola Oshodi at him.

Even that tribal marked FIRS man will tear Mallam apart on the issues, talk less of that Communications Minister or even Cardi B. If he wants to go “roforofo,” then you throw Wike at him but not this veteran guerilla journalist who really is not helping matters.

Mallam is facing Nuhu, Mallam is facing Kaduna State Government, Mallam is facing ICPC, boldly calling them out and seems to be winning in the court of public opinion.

Oya, there is nothing like a healthy debate. Oya Mallam Nuhu, let’s have your own Arise TV interview or let’s have a full televised debate with Dr Abati who has just bought some new bow ties moderating, and let’s have fun doing it.

Mallam has challenged – Nuhu wants to be President and he wants to decimate all Northerners —- Oya Chief Nuhu let’s go at his throat. Oga Bayo stand clear, this no concern you, you no go understand. I don buy popcorn.

Kai! They will soon beat me in this Nigeria, the way I am looking for trouble like this.

Aliko Dangote:  A Spoiler and Sportsman

Alhaji is spoiling things o. He is dropping fuel prices like the way a Shomolu prostitute is dropping her undies. From the first N60 drop and another N60 drop again on the back of an announcement that they have over 600m litres in stock, Alhaji has broken all tables and is annoying people o.

My own is that he should not rest until the thing reaches the N600 and below. Na that time we will now start pushing for his picture to be put on a new N10,000 note.

Some shady people have said that we have only 50% of the quantity needed locally and as such, will need to continue importing. If not that they are mumu, will they not see that this Dangote refinery is one of the biggest in the world and that it is even exporting, so why continue importing?

They should go and refurbish their own so that supply will be massively marked up, process will drop, and horizontal growth will be achieved,  then we ramp up exports to bring in more forex which will now shore up the Naira and better the economy.

Let me state it here categorically that Aliko by these actions is working very stringently for the second term aspirations of the president and government officials who insist on importing and keeping the process at those levels are working against the president because when the time comes, Tinubu will climb stage and say – ohhh, we have brought fuel down, we have killed subsidy and Nigerians no longer have to queue for fuel.

But if the situation continues with fuel at over N1,000, what will Tinubu use to campaign? So mbok, let every fuel importer just know that they are jeopardising daddy’s chances at the polls. Thank you.

Bimbo Ashiru: It’s “Bimbo” Again

This my egbon is the chairman of the massively reverberating Odu’a Investments. Let me tell you guys why I get very emotional about this company. It is defying the Nigerian style of institutions dying with its founders. Odu’a is not only defying it but moving with strength.

At the recent meeting of the South-west Governors’ Forum held in Lagos, Odu’a was commended for its service to the region and their renovation of the iconic Premier Hotel in Ibadan and the redevelopment of the heritage Airport Hotel were marked out as perfect examples of the massive strides of the conglomerate which was set up in the First Republic.

Most of these achievements at this point can be credited to the present Board and management led by Otunba Ashiru. Otunba who will only give you Coca-cola when you visit, and that is if he is in a good mood, is a very well-respected businessman and industrialist.

A former banker who also served very sweetly as an award-winning Commissioner in Ogun State and who has brought a lot of depth, managerial sagacity and a huge network into Odu’a which is now really showing.

Guys, I think you should all go visit the Cocoa House headquarters of this huge firm and visit the museum there and see its historic pedigree and come and thank me.

Well done Otunba and staff and management of Odu’a, and also well done to the South-west governors for standing aside and not meddling.

Julius Rone, the Gas Czar

If you have not met Julius before, I think you should make it a priority to. This man is passionate about Nigeria and extremely passionate about the role of gas in its economic recovery.

This is why he is promoting the massive UTM FLNG project. According to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), the federal government is fully committed to the initiative, as it will help reduce gas flaring and enhance export capacity.

Julius is very well regarded in these circles, both internationally and locally. He has been on some presidential entourage in search of credible DFI inflow into the country and seems to be making strong strides in the area.

I just felt like mentioning his UTM FLNG today since the general theme of the column this week seems to be the positive highlights in the economy.

If Julius gets this right and nothing in the horizon seems to say otherwise, we may be having another Nigerian on the Forbes list, but much more importantly we would be heralding the gas boom and this, tied to the push for responsible approach towards the environment, Julius might just emerge the single most important businessman in the next five years. We wait.

P-Square: A Scary and Shameful Turn of Event

Ok, blood brothers with the same parentage fighting to the point where one is imprisoned? What is going on in Nigeria? We are still wrestling with a grandfather taking a granddaughter to court and now this?

This is even more amazing because there are twins involved. We were told that twins are tied by umbilical cord but these ones look like they were sired by strangers.

God! N1.5billion, and yet a brother is in jail? What a shame! One brother drags the others through the EFCC, and after everything, they still can’t resolve the matter. They stand by, seemingly pleased, as their elder brother is remanded.

How this even happens is shocking. So, me, Joseph Edgar will now take my brother Ernest or Charles that we suffered poverty together, hawked bread in Shomolu, and shared morsels of food with rats in our Shomolu bedsit when my father lost his job will now jail my brother because of N1.5bn?

That I will not walk away from said sum? When I am not a bastard. I remember when I lost my brother’s N10m when I was working with an investment house that went down, and my brother’s wife was putting me under pressure, my mother called her and said “these are brothers, the money can lost, they are brothers, stop that rubbish,” and it stopped.

My brother never asked me, I took my time to recover the money but if I never did, he would never have said a word about it.

So, you can understand why I seem not to get this one- fighting my brother to jail when no be government money o? My brother can thief my money o. Thief it well o. I will still go to his house, slap him and ask his wife to cook afang for me make I chop o. Blood must be thicker than water o. These P-Square brothers are terrible and their parents would be shaking in anger in their graves. Shame.

Flora Fabyan: A Trusted Damsel

Let me quickly send congratulations to the extremely brilliant Flora Fabyan for emerging as the Managing Director of the huge BOI-ITC.

The firm is a fully owned subsidiary of giant Bank of Industry with assets running into the billions. Flora is an esteemed and distinguished lawyer, investment banker and trust expert who has over the years delivered sterling service to the space.

She is a renowned thought leader in the space who is moderating the Alvin Report Roundtable that will have Dr. Tope Fasua, the Adviser to the President on Economic Matters as lead discussant. Congrats my sister.