“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”  –  George Santayana, 1863-1952

President Tinubu reminds me of the man struggling with alligators in a swamp. He can be forgiven for forgetting that his first objective was to drain the swamp. His “friend” Atiku, had just added to his worries in life. Being accused of certificate forgery is very serious matter for any official. For a President, it is politically fatal. Trust is the most important attribute a leader can have. To lose that is to lose everything.

It was late at night; and sleep refused to come despite trying all the tricks known to me. As usual, I got up; opened my set to read some news of our world. Bored by the Israel-Hamas War report and the final selection of a Speaker for the US House of Representatives, I went in search of news which would be positive and uplifting. Suddenly, there it was. The story of Professor Gebisa Ejeta, a plant geneticist, teaching at Purdue University, USA, who was born in a poor village in Ethiopia; had a difficult childhood; trekked miles shoeless to school everyday, without breakfast and who overcame all those mind-boggling obstacles to become the person who can save Africans from mass starvation in the future.

When in late November last year, I was invited as a facilitator for a sales training workshop, the participants were startled when my lecture started with a graph. The graph traced the trend of exchange rate since 2020; it ended with a projection for 2023. I correctly predicted that exchange rate for 2023 would reach N1000/US$1. None of the participants believed me. I repeated it in VANGUARD early this year when currency change precipitated economic lockdown nationwide. So, just remember this; irrespective of how you feel about N1000/US$1: VANGUARD told you first.  

Each time I read or listen to someone asking why the FG does not repair our four museum pieces called refineries, it occurs to me that this is another explanation why Africans lag behind the rest of the world intellectually.

Right now, nobody on earth has a tougher assignment than you. You have my sympathies. Because you lead a team of Deputy Governors, all new to the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, embarking on the nearest thing to “Mission Impossible”, I want to start by congratulating you on your appointment as Governor of CBN. The occupant of that seat is the Governor of Governors. None of the thirty-six elected Governors can impact our lives as the CBN Governor. In fact, once you are sworn in, you will become the second most powerful man in Nigeria — after the President. It is an awesome responsibility which will test your competence and character every single minute.