Both the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva and the president of the World Bank, David Malpass have predicted that in the next decade the most attractive opportunities for global investment would be Education followed by Healthcare.
That was what prompted the old boys of King’s College, Lagos, to plead with Elon Musk that instead of buying Twitter for $44 billion, he should have bought St. Gregory’s College, Obalende, Lagos, of which The Proprietor is none other than the highly respected Archbishop Adewale Martins, the Archbishop of the Catholic Diocese of Lagos. The Holy Father has made it clear that the college is not for sale.
However, matters have taken a different dimension following the clamour that Elon Musk should actually buy Nigeria!! For that amount of money, he can pay off all our debts (currently estimated at $38.6bn) and still have plenty of change left!!
Here are some of the responses on Twitter:
T. Finnih, “I agree but it may not yield dividends.”
M. Ikediashi, “Nigeria is worse than useless. Nigeria has no value!!”
T. Sotomi, “It won’t take Nigerians five years to scam him of all his billions of dollars!!”
Professor Wole Soyinka, “I ‘m in full agreement.”
Funsho Kufeji, “For how much?”
Ore Dawodu, “I know someone with the right pedigree who being a former President of ICAN (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria) can also buy Twitter-like Elon Musk.”
Raymond Ihembe, “Abi O” (meaning absolutely correct.)
T. Lakanu, “I’m in support but who would buy a bad product?”
M. Brandler, “Elon Musk wants to rule the world, not Nigeria!!”
T. Fari, “I am surprised Nigerians are asking to be sold into slavery. Where will Nigerians be after the country is sold?”
Ambassador D. Fafowora, “It will be a bad investment.
Nigeria is not saleable now.”
Chief Maan Lababidi, “Wonderful idea brother J.K.!!”
S. Okikiade, “Who will be doing the selling and into what pocket will the money go? Is it the same Central Bank that one man can order to pay half into a private account outside Nigeria, leaving 200 million people stranded in poverty?”
Forwarded: “…honestly sir, with change of management and leadership, Nigeria can be turned around to a win-win situation for all stakeholders.
“I concur sir. May be we should subject the proposed sale to a Referendum to be supervised by the United Nations.”
N. Akinloye, “Something tells me that a few Nigerians put together can come up with that money. Ghana is fast outgrowing Nigeria because they pump money into Ghana’s development while Nigerians prefer to invest outside.”
Raymond Davies, “I agree. He would have gotten a better deal.”
The raging controversy is whether Elon Musk the richest man in the world who is estimated to be worth ($219bn) should acquire Nigeria or confine his bid to the purchase of St. Gregory’s College in order to extend his footprint into education.
Another dimension to the dilemma which has gone viral on social media is the insistence of the St. Gregory’s College Old Boys Association that the form for the forthcoming election is available to old boys free of charge. However, those who like me are not old boys but are poised to contest and win are required to pay N100 million accompanied by an undated but signed letter of withdrawal from contesting.
This is totally unacceptable. This is in addition to their insistence that voting by “Secret Ballot” means the date and venue of the election would be disclosed only to bona fide old students of the College.
This has provoked enormous outrage. I have been inundated with hefty donations for my campaign from old boys of Barewa College, Zaria; Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos; Government College, Ibadan; Holy Child College, Obalende, Lagos; Queens College, Yaba, Lagos; St. Anne’s School, Molete, Ibadan; CMS Grammar School, Bariga, Lagos, etc.
What was truly amazing was that Dr. Charles Hammond who is a Gregorian insisted that I must match the generosity of Alhaji Abubakar Malami, the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation who splashed the voters in Kebbi State where he is contesting in the gubernatorial elections with mouth-watering gifts.
Here is the report on the front page of “Punch” newspaper headline of May 4, 2022:
“Friends and loyalists of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), have donated exotic vehicles of different brands to support his ambition of becoming the Kebbi State governor in 2023.”
The AGF’s media aide, Umar Gwandu, said the ministers’ friends also supported his governorship ambition with N135 million.
According to him, the friends of his principal gifted the vehicles to “long-term workers in the Khadimiyya Foundation.”
The AGF is reported to be one of the stakeholders of the foundation, a non-governmental organisation, which is based in Kebbi.
The viral pictures of the vehicles, including Lexus SUV, Mercedes Benz GLK, Toyota SUV and other brands were shared on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms on Tuesday.
Malami, a two-term member of the cabinet of the president, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), has reportedly declared his intention to contest for the Kebbi State governor in the 2023 elections under the All Progressives Congress.
Read also: Gregorians are not the only champions (2)
But Senior Advocates have faulted the donations which they said violated the Electoral Act, 2022 and the Code of Conduct for public officers.
Senior lawyers, including Femi Falana, Ifedayo Adedipe, and an activist lawyer, Tosin Ojaomo condemned the donations, which they described as illegal.
In his statement on the donations, Gwandu said, “It is abundantly clear that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN has teeming supporters from home and beyond.
Kebbi gubernatorial seat in the forthcoming election but also by donations from friends, associates and supporters of N135 million. The recent donation of N135m has opened doors for donations and support of many items including vehicles by well-wishers.
“The story attributing vehicle distribution to Malami was mischievous and misconstrued information. It was friends and associates of Malami who donated and distributed vehicles to long-term workers in the Khadimiyya Foundation.
The occasion was not for distribution of vehicles to any APC stakeholder. None of the APC stakeholders or delegates in Kebbi State was given any vehicle by Malami.”
But faulting the donations, the lawyers said the AGF had breached Paragraph 6 of Part 1 of the 5th Schedule to the Constitution and the Code of Conduct for public officials.
Specifically, Falana stated, “He has breached the provisions of Paragraph 6 (1) of the Code of Conduct for public officers, which provide that: ‘A public officer shall not ask for or accept property or benefits of any kind for himself or any other person on account of anything done or omitted to be done by him in the discharge of his duties.’”
Charles made it clear that elections are serious matters whether for governorship of Kebbi State or President of St. Gregory’s College Old Boys Association.
