BusinessDay 02 Dec 2018

BDSUNDAY BUSINESS DAY

FCMB delights investors with N19bn profits in third quarter 2018 p. 42

‘Solution to Nigeria’s problem rests in the almighty God, not Buhari or Atiku’

p.37

Ikeogu Oke: When the poet looked death in the eye

Sunday 02 December 2018 Market & Commodities Monitor Brent Oil

5yr Bond

$58.52

0.06 15.14%

Gold

10yr Bond

$1,218.60

0.00 15.89%

Cocoa

$1,180.00

20yr Bond

0.08 15.60%

inside

Vol 1, No. 242 N300

Lull in polity 2 weeks after presidential campaign kickoff A

CHUKS OLUIGBO, JAMES KWEN & INIOBONG IWOK

Tributes pour for late OPC founder, Federick Fasehun

p.4

Buhari, critics and ‘Next Level 2019’

p.24

fter what seemed like a pickup in political activities in the country following the launch of campaign documents by the two major contenders in the 2019 presidential election, Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku

Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), a sudden uneasy quiet appears to have descended on the polity.

Whereas Nigerians had expected the campaigns to go into full swing after these ceremonial flag-off events, the reverse has been the case. Apart from sparsely-placed television jingles and posts on social media, nothing much has been heard two weeks

after the opening of campaigns and barely two months to the general elections, leading many to ask whether the election timetable has been adjusted.

Political campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections opened on November 18, according to the timetable

P.

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‘Government must urgently make Calabar, Onne and Port-Harcourt ports fully functional’

p. 20

Igbekele Ajeibefun, vice chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba (right), presenting the award of honorary doctor of laws degree on Siju Iloyomade (left) at the recently concluded convocation of the university. In the middle is Tunji Abayomi, pro-chancellor.

Agbaje flags off campaign in Lagos p.21

A peep into 2019: The stateby-state permutations p.29-32

Education, healthcare, transportation, job creation top agenda

Zebulon Agomuo

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imi Agbaje, governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, yesterday flagged off his campaign in accordance with the timetable of the

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2019 general elections.

Presenting his mandate couched under ‘Freedom Democracy Lagos’, Agbaje said he was coming in as the next governor of Lagos State to set the people free.

He said that the current party in the state had wasted 20 years on the power stool without achieving any tangible thing for the people commensurate with the huge amount of money that had accrued to the state in all of these years.

“They have been in government for 20 years; what do they have to show for it. The Lagosian does not see a future in the Lagos of today. If I go abroad, transportation will not be a problem;

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Lull in polity 2 weeks after presidential...

Continued from page 1 up their campaign structures.

Of course, what we should advocate for is that the campaign should focus on issues, not attack on personality like what we are used to, because the country is in bad shape and needs a purposeful leader,” he said.

Funding delays APC campaign While the main opposition PDP has held a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to marshall out its campaign plans/strategies and has inaugurated a Presidential Campaign Council to kickstart campaigns, even though there is still a lull in its campaign, BDSUNDAY learnt that the inability of the ruling APC to kick-start its presidential and National Assembly campaigns hinges on paucity of funds.

Contrary to insinuations that the APC campaign was being delayed to enable the National Peace and Reconciliation Committees recently inaugurated by the party to complete their assignment and reconcile aggrieved members to forge common front ahead of the poll, a party official who does not want to be mentioned confided in BDSUNDAY that money is the main problem delaying the party’s campaign.

“You know, to do rally you need finance, you must gather money. If you don’t have money you can’t do rally. Even the aircraft and cars you must be carrying from one state to the other, you must fuel them. These are the things they are putting together. How much is one litre of aviation oil? How much is a litre of fuel? So without planning you cannot achieve,” said the official.

“The problem now is money.

As a party, the money we got from the sale of nomination forms is not enough for us to work, so we need partnership.

We need people to partner with us,” he said.

Another party source also entertained fear that APC is going to suffer shortage of campaign funds because the N12.6 billion netted from the sale of nomination forms to presidential, National Assembly, governorship and state assembly aspirants has been largely expended on the conduct of party primaries and convention as well as other logistics. What is left, the source said, is grossly inadequate considering the formidable and financially buoyant opposition (PDP), adding that the party would have to device means of getting campaign funds.

“Governors, for instance, will be prevailed upon to pay their annual dues of N200 million each and donate at least another N150 million, and each minister as well as senator on APC platform will be made to donate N100 million in addition to their

annual dues. APC House of Representatives members and other appointees must pay various sums ranging from N50 millionN100 million each,” he said.

APC’s financial setback, some analysts says, arose from the crisis that engulfed the party several months ago, culminating in the exit of some notable figures who largely financed the party’s presidential campaign in 2015.

While the defection of governors, senators and House of Representatives members is expected to reduce APC’s revenue from dues as well as individual donations, the aggrieved governors of the party, particularly Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha and Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun, would likely not make reasonable financial contributions to the campaigns. This is because Okorocha would naturally deploy available finances to ensure the victory of his anointed governorship candidate, Uche Nwosu, who dumped APC for Democratic People’s Party (DPP) after failing to get APC ticket, and Amosun would focus on the victory of his candidate, Adekunle Akinlade, who also dumped APC for Allied People’s Movement.

Election campaign not about money Analysts are of the view that election is not about money and that APC as well as other political parties need not accumulate huge sums of money to embark on electioneering campaigns as the use of money portends danger of voter inducement which is against democratic principles.

“Electioneering should not be about money, money and money.

However, I do believe APC’s decision not to commence campaign is more of a strategy than lack of funding. The party sold a lot of forms and raked in the most money amongst the 91 political parties. It is largely to prevent wearing themselves thin and overspending,” Idayat Hassan, director, Centre for Democracy and Development, said.

“However, we must as democrats watch the money in this election, not only does it impact the quality of democracy negatively as encouraging corruption but it also prevents a level playing field amongst the candidates and parties,” said Hassan.

Abdulmajeeb Sa’ad, coordinator, National Movement for Good Governance, said the APC was not supposed to gather the whole money in the country before starting campaigns except if the party has ulterior motive.

“As a ruling party that promised Nigerians a lot while campaigning in 2015 general elections, APC should have simply gone out to tell the people how it has fulfilled those promises and the need to give it a second-term mandate. So, they do not need the kind of money they are said to be gathering,” Sa’ad said.

L-R: Uche Onwudiwe, marketing manager; Rotimi Odusola, legal director; Baker Magunda, MD/CEO, all of Guinness Nigeria Plc; Rio Ferdinand, English former professional footballer; Adenike Adebola, marketing director, Guinness Nigeria Plc, and Viola Graham-Douglas, director, corporate relations, at a press conference to announce Rio Ferdinand’s presence in Nigeria to celebrate extraordinary football fans at the Guinness headquarters in Lagos.

Pic by Pius Okeosisi

Agbaje flags off campaign...

Continued from page 1 good and quality education is not a problem; there will be no problem of light. I can go on and on,” he said.

Agbaje, who addressed a large crowd of party members, supporters and journalists at the event, said, “We are missing out for our children; we are missing out for our youths because we are missing out on education.

The number of children in private schools is far more than what we have in the public school and it is not supposed to be so. As long as children do not have the right education, they cannot have the right employment. We have to address education and then how to assist the entrepreneurs.”

The governorship candidate explained that there cannot be a better Lagos, or Nigeria for that matter, without proper and quality education.

On the economy, Agbaje said he was going to make the state to work again by removing all the bottlenecks that he identi-

fied that have killed businesses in Lagos.

“All sorts of levies coming into play in Lagos must be removed.

Our government will make life easy for Micro Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) to survive. I am going to ensure that in four years, we will give a minimum of 1000megawatts of power so that all of us can be more productive in what we do.

We will provide free Wifi; it is not a campaign thing. This will help people do meaningful and creative work.

“The future will be bright for us; the future must be bright for us. Anything that is done in Lagos must be beneficial for Lagosians.

Today, things are not working in Lagos because there are vested interests. It is important to elect a governor on whose table the bucks will stop not a governor that will not be in charge. Today, it is not people’s Lagos, but one man’s Lagos I am for the people’s Lagos,” Agbaje said.

“We have a situation where we are making a lot of money

but it is not being used to serve the people. I am seeking office for service, but they are seeking power for self.Those who have been there for 20 years are there for their own selfish ends, they are not democrats. I am running because I believe I can make life better for Lagosians.

“My campaign will be based on the viability of the economy, and a better future for Lagosians.

We can see how we can make life easy so that you can stay here and develop the country not running away to other countries. In the next four years, the traffic situation will be better. The light rail will take off within four years; it will be running and working.

There cannot be an economy if government is just looking at things to make money whereas regulation should not be about making money,” he further said.

On whether the exit of Musiliu Obanikoro of Moshood Salvador from the party would affect his chances, he said, “The winning of any election, at least, this 2019 will not be on the basis of anybody or any political party, the numbers will come from the people of Lagos.”

Agbaje said he is in the race again for the third time because, the initial rebuff of a lady, a prospective wife, does not deter a determined man.

“Have you ever believed in something? If you have ever believed in something; then you will know why I am running again. For me, I went the first time, the second time; then like a man running after a lady, I am here again saying who the hell do they think they are? They say I am their customer, but tell them that the customer is king,” he said.

The governorship candidate used the opportunity to present his running mate, Haleemat Busari.

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2019: No man can disintegrate Nigeria, says leader Olumba Obu MIKE ABANG,Calabar

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espite desperate attempt by insurgency in the NorthWe s t e r n p a r t o f t h e country, threat by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and some ethnic militias in some parts of the country, leader Olumba Olumba Obu has declared that there shall be no more war and no man can disintegrate Nigeria.

Obu, the founder of the most prominent and globally recognised African indigenous religious organisation (Brotherhood of the Cross and Star), said this during a World Press Conference to mark the one hundred years centenary celebration of the ancient of Days held at Star Cross Television at the headquarters of

(BCS) Calabar, Cross River State.

Speaking on behalf of the Leader of BCS and head of administration, Richard Effiong secretary of 1920 Central organising Committee said: “We make bold to say emphatically that the pronouncement of our father on local and international affairs have manifested into to” “For instance, here in Nigeria, the creation of states such as Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, and some others were announced shortly after his divine declaration, the end of the Nigerian civil war followed shortly after his pronouncement. And he further declared that there will be no more war in Nigeria because of the physical abode of God Almighty is the Spiritual headquarters of the World,” he said.

Tributes pour for late OPC founder, Federick Fasehun CHUKS OLUIGBO

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resident Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, joined other Nigerians to mourn the founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Federick Fasehun, who died at about 1am Saturday at the intensive care unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, aged 83.

Fasehun’s death was announced by Adeoye Jolaosho, his senior special adviser on media, who said, “Baba took ill on Wednesday and was rushed to the intensive care unit of LASUTH. He died early hours of today. We are all devastated.”

Buhari, in a condolence message by Femi Adesina, his special adviser on media and publicity, in Abuja yesterday, recalled the prominent role Fasehun played as a member of the defunct National DemocraticCoalition(NADECO) which campaigned against military rule in the country.

He prayed that almighty God would comfort all those who mourn the octogenarian and grant peace to his soul.

Similarly, Joe Okei-Odumakin, president,WomenAriseforChange Initiative, told journalists that Fasehun was an irrepressible social crusader and dedicated fighter.

“The cold hands of death just snatched Dr Fredrick Fasehun, the irrepressible social crusader and dedicated fighter. He lived a wonderful life dedicated to worthy causes and for the advancement of humanity. May the Almighty keep all he left behind and grant him peaceful rest,” she said.

L-R: Yomi Awobokun, CEO, Enyo Retail & Supply; Meka Olowola, managing partner, Zenera Consulting; Godman Akinlabi, lead pastor, The Elevation Church, and Denrele Edun, presenter, at the Zenera Consulting fifth anniversary cancer awareness walk tagged ‘’Hope Beats Cancer’’ in Lagos, yesterday.

Pic by Olawale Amoo

Ayo Opadokun, NADECO activist, also described late Fasehun as a nationalist.

Born in Ondo on September 25, 1938 in Ondo, Ondo State, Fasehun was an active member of NADECO. A trained medical doctor, he was educated in Ondo State, England, and China, where he studied acupuncture under a joint World Health Organisation (WHO)andUnitedNationsDevelopment Scholarship Programme, returning to Nigeria in 1977 to set up an Acupuncture Unit at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). He resigned in 1978 and immediately set up the Best Hope Hospital and Acupuncture Centre in Lagos. His Acupuncture Centre once earned a reputation as Africa’s first for the Chinese medical practice, according to NAN. He was an active member of National Democratic Coalition (NADECO). Since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, he has also been very outspoken in national issues.

During his 80th birthday celebration in Lagos in 2015, Fasehun commended President Buhari’s anti-graft crusade but advised the president to avoid selective justice and concentrate on governance.

He was also one of the strongest advocates of the proclamation of June 12 as Nigeria’s unity day.

“Just as the Federal Government has declared May 29 Democracy Day, it should consider proclaiming June 12 unity day.

June 12 should be our unity day because on that day, all the constituent units of Nigeria spoke with near-unanimity and elected Abiola their president,” he once said.

End of road for Abe, Uguru, Utomi, Zamfara as INEC closes substitution of candidates ...Nwosu joins DPP, Akinlade picks APM James Kwen, Abuja

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he hopes of Magnus Abe, Usani Usani Uguru and Pat Utomi to become governors of Rivers, Cross River and Delta States on the platform of the ruling Progressives Congress (APC) have been dashed as the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) closed substitution of candidates for Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections Saturday.

Abe, Uguru and Utomi emerged governorship candidates for Rivers, Cross River, Ogun and Delta States, respectively, via parallel primary elections conducted by different factions of APC but the party has submitted the names of their rivals to INEC. Similarly, pending the outcome of ongoing legal fireworks, APC candidates for Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections in Zamfara rejected by INEC for failure of the party to comply with the time table for conducting primary elections have their ambitions terminated.

According to the time table and schedule of activities for the conduct of the 2019 general elections released earlier

this year by INEC, Saturday, December 1, was the final day for the withdrawal/substitution of Governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates.

BDSUNDAY gathered that at the end of the substitution window, none of these candidates has been substituted for those APC had earlier submitted to INEC. The results of primaries from these States showed that in Rivers, parallel exercises were conducted in which Abe, Senator representing Rivers South East Constituency emerged as Governorship Candidate with Tonye Cole of Rotimi Amaechi faction but the Adams Oshiomhole led National Working Committee of APC submitted the name of Cole to the umpire body.

In Cross River too, parallel exercises were held and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Uguru and John Enoh, Senator for Cross River Central emerged as Governorship candidates but APC recognized and forwarded the name of Enoh to INEC. Also, in Ogun State, Governor Ibikunle Amosun faction selected Adekunle Akinlade as Governorship candidate through a consensus primary election while Abiodum Dapo was elected through direct

primaries and was considered

by APC National Secretariat and his has been name sent to Electoral body.

In the same vein, Pat Utomi and Great Ogboru won the parallel Governorship primaries in Delta but APC picked Ogboru and forwarded his name to INEC as its Governorship candidate.

For Imo State, two governorship primaries were conducted producing Hope Uzodinma, the Imo West Senator and Nwosu, Chief of Staff and son-in-law to Governor Rochas Okorocha, however, the leadership of APC upheld the exercise that brought Uzodinma and accordingly submitted his name to INEC. Unlike Abe, Uguru and Utomi, Nwosu and Akinlade have dumped APC and joined other political parties to further pursue their Governorship ambitions.

Three Days to the final date for the replacement of candidates, Nwosu defected to the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) shortly after his fatherin-law, Okorocha declared to support him if he joins another party to pursue his gubernatorial ambition, and it was gathered that DPP has forwarded the name of Nwosu to INEC as its governorship candidate.

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News Atiku, Duke, Al-Mustapha battle for CUPP consensus ticket Innocent Odoh, Abuja

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acts have emerged that former Vice President and the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar; former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the candidate of the People’s Party of Nigeria (PPN),Hamza AlMustapha, are front runners ahead of the yet- to- be- set date for the selection of a consensus presidential candidate of the Coalition of Nigerian political Parties (CUPP).

An inside source, who was privy to the meeting held on Monday at the residence of the chairman of the Consensus Selection Committee and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tom Ikimi, told BusinessDay on Tuesday that presidential candidates of five political parties have been picked for the contest,

Atiku

but stressed that Atiku, Duke and Al-Mustapha remained the most qualified.

The source said the Consensus Selection Committee has advanced the process adding that the committee mapped out some criteria on Monday. “The Consensus Selection Committee met yesterday at Tom Ikimi’s house and selected five political parties and five presidential candidates and the template that was used include; the areas of strength, the number of candidates fielded; financial capacity to prosecute the election and acceptability of the candidate.”

The source noted that a report has been forwarded to the Steering Committee on Tuesday after which the Steering Committee will call a General Assembly meeting this week to for selection. He added that the process was transparent stressing that it will not cause any rancor as being speculated in some quarters.

Another source within the coali-

Duke

tion, who preferred anonymity, said Atiku has “the wherewithal to pick the ticket as he has more of the political and economic clout to challenge the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.” He added that “other candidates are qualified no doubts but Atiku has the best chance”.

CUPP comprises 40 opposition political parties that signed a Memorandum of Understanding MoU) in July this year to field a single presidential candidate for the 2019 presidential election billed for February 16.

Some of the parties that signed the MoU are: the Action Alliance (AA), Alliance for Democracy (AD), Africa Democratic Party (ADC), Action Democratic Party (ADP), All Grand Alliance Party (AGAP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD), Better Nigeria Progressive Party, Democratic Alternative (DA), Democratic People’s Party (DPC), Grand Democratic Party of Nigeria (GDPN), Green Party of Nigeria

(GPN), KOWA Party, Labour Party (LP), Mass Action Joint Alliance (MAJA), Masses Movement of Nigeria (MMN), and United Democratic Party (UDP).

Others included the National Conscience Party (NCP), New Generation Party (NGP), National Unity Party (NUP), Nigeria Intervention Movement (NIM), Peoples Alliance for National Development and Liberty (PANDEL), Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA), People for Democratic Change (PDC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Providence People’s Congress (PPC). Others include; Reformed All Progressives Congress (R-APC), Restoration Party of Nigeria (RPN), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), All Grassroots Alliance (AGA), National Interest Party (NIP), Nigeria Democratic Congress Party (NDCP), Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), and Young Democratic Party (YDP) among others.

Al-Mustapha

NNPC partners APWEN to spark engineering passion in girl-child Ngozi Okpalakunne

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he Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Maikanti Kachalla Baru, has stressed the need for the girl child to study engineering as it will widen the potentials of industrialisation in the country.

Speaking at a forum organised recently by the Association of Professional Women Engineers (APWEN) in partnership with the NNPC for 10 selected primary schools in Enugwu- Ukwu, Anambra State, Baru opined that encouraging the girl child to study engineering is also equivalent to educating the entire nation.

“As you all know, engineering profession has been and will continue to be pivotal to continuous human development. Engineering

afforded us the foundation for industrialisation and growth in both developing and advanced economies.

“Key to achieving this dream of industrialising and developing the economies of this country is the inclusion of all stakeholders and the female folks in particular”, Baru said.

While commending APWEN for being in the forefront of encouraging the study of engineering among young girls in Nigeria, he assured the association of NNPC’s unflinching commitment towards promoting the engineering profession and allied disciplines such as mathematics, science and technology and among female children in Nigeria.

Highlighting the achievements of female engineers, the NNPC boss recalled that female engineers over the years have demystified the engineering profession which was exclusively reserved

for men.

“It is a known fact that in engineering, women have brought human and emotional touch to the profession by making sure that every engineering design has a human face.

“Across the world, female engineers are giving good account of themselves in the oil and gas industries by taking engineering to greater heights.

“Today, there are female engineers in every aspect of the engineering discipline and profession working very hard to make the world a better place to live,” he said.

“In the NNPC in particular where the engineering profession remains the bedrock of our operations, there is a good representation of the female folk working in our rigs, gas stations, refinery plants, pipelines, storage and most of our technical areas.

“I am proud to also let you

know that most of them are giving good account of themselves by proffering viable solutions to our challenges in the corporation and the oil and gas industry at large,” he said.

Speaking also at the event which took place at Uruekwo Primary School Enugwu-Ukwu, president of APWEN, Felicia Agubata described the event tagged, ‘Invent it, build it’’ as a girl child education programme aimed at girls aged 8-10 years .

“The event is for girls in classes 5 and 6 in the six geo-political zones of the country and it also hoped to teach them to be brave and courageous.

“The overreaching objective of the outreach is to ignite passion for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in young girls and to showcase the socio-economic value and application of engineering in our everyday life,’’ she explained.

Sunday 02 December 2018

India plans to make Nigeria business hub of West Africa- Envoy Innocent Odoh, Abuja

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ndian High Commissioner to Nigeria, BN Reddy, has affirmed that the diverse potentials of Nigeria and its population make it attractive for investments, as his country plans to make Nigeria its business hub in West Africa.

The envoy said this while fielding questions from reporters during the series of ongoing cultural events to mark the 60 years of India- Nigeria bilateral relations at the Indian High Commission in Abuja. The events were spiced up by the Haryana cultural dance troupe from northern India sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to foster and strengthen cultural relations and understanding between India and Nigeria.

The High Commissioner recalled that in October, the India – West Africa regional Conclave held in Abuja brought in a 70-member business delegation that included some of the most important Indian private sector companies, which discussed and set out modalities to assist Nigeria and other West African countries to address the challenges of infrastructure, agriculture, education tourism and health with expertise from India.

“They came to connect with the business groups in Nigeria. Nigeria is a hub in the whole of West Africa.

So we are trying to promote this concept of Nigeria as a hub such that any investor coming from India will come to Nigeria first and thereafter look at West Africa. Similarly we had events in Lagos also where we had the First and Second Indo -Africa ICT Expos. So we are doing a number of things in different areas, each will have some influence one the other. There is an integrated and well -connected meaning in whatever we do in the bilateral context,” he said.

He added that India has enjoyed cordial bilateral ties with Nigeria, which started in November 1958 two years before Nigeria’s independence. He said “Today, India and Nigeria are in a very important month which is November, it is in this month sixty years back that India and Nigeria decided to establish a diplomatic engagement at which time Nigerian was not yet independent in 1958. Two years down the road Nigeria became an independent country and then we established our High Commission.”

He said that it is very important that both countries celebrate this relationship through the medium of culture and also to review the engagement of sixty years and see how both countries can take this engagement to the next level. “As you will all recall we already have a strategic bilateral partnership with Nigeria, we are trying to see it in different context whether it is economic and commercial engagement, cultural engagement, people to people contest, defence cooperation and all other areas. We are going to review all these engagements of 60 years.

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News CHRCR calls for immediate removal of Kogi Budget commissioner Victoria Nnakaike, Lokoja

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entre for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR) has called on the state government to urgently remove the present Budget Commissioner as he is allegedly incompetent for the office bestowed to him.

The Executive Director of the organisation, Idris Miliki Abdul, made this call while presenting his address at a one-day Budget Summit organised by his organisation in partnership with Shehu Musa Yar’adua Foundation with the support of Mac Arthur Foundation in Lokoja.

“Since the last two years, we have seen you can’t find the Hon. Commissioner Budgetary in office. As far as we are concerned we declare such a person incompetent.

I don’t even know his name.

His office is always locked,” Abdul said.

Abdul also urged Governor Yahaya Bello to inculcate stakeholders (the market, the people) and trigger programmes, projects and choices during budget presentation, as this will direct the economic actor on the nature of activities and business that will yield the most favourable returns and the areas of social action that will

Idris Miliki Abdul

enjoy increased funding and subsidies.

He also emphasised that year in year out, Nigerians hear about billions of naira budgeted for ministries, parastatals and other agencies of government. But at the end of the year, people are always at a loss as to where the money was invested, adding that budget that was described by the executives in laudatory terms usually result in a decreased standard of living for the average person. Accusations of selective implementation of budgets, late release of capital votes and

disregard for the appropriation have always been the case, he noted.

He maintained that budget provides opportunity for evaluation at the end of the budget year, stressing that it is a framework that links specific spending objectives with their associated costs.

The CHRCR Executive Director also disclosed that planning is essential for public finance management since refusing to plan is said to be planning to fail.

He said that budgeting is necessary “for fiscal and monetary policy, targets in-

Hygeia HMO, The Audrey Pack collaborate on maternal wellbeing

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igeria’s number one health insurance provider, Hygeia HMO, and The Audrey Pack Company Limited, have entered a partnership to focus on the reduction of maternal and child mortality in Nigeria. The memorandum of understanding between the parties was signed in Lagos recently.

When 800 women die in every 100,000 live births, it is clear that Nigeria has an unacceptably high maternal mortality rate. This problem and associated ones for pregnant women and new mothers need new approaches and collaborative solutions to address them.

One high profile example of this is from Nigeria’s number one health insurance provider, Hygeia HMO and The Audrey Pack whose main focus is the reduction of maternal and child mortality. Hygeia HMO’s HyMat healthcare plan for pregnant women will now come with even more benefits to help improve outcomes for pregnant women across Nigeria.

Starting at only N65, 000, this dedicated Hygeia HMO’s healthcare plan provides cover for antenatal care throughout the woman’s pregnancy as well as the costs of the actual delivery.

Included in this package, as a result of the partnership with The Audrey Pack, will be a mum-to-be pack for the expectant mother and a newborn pack after delivery that contains essentials for each stage of the life giving journey.

Announcing this partnership recently, Obinna Ukachukwu, Hygeia HMO’s Executive Head for Business Development & Strategy said that this special plan which takes care of maternal needs was essential as a private-sector led initiative to improve the quality of healthcare that women get throughout their maternity experience.

“Hygeia HMO has a long term goal to ensure that the vast majority of Nigerians get covered by health insurance and this is an effective way to pool the power of aggregated risks and use it to improve Nigeria’s efforts

towards the crucial SDG 3.1 goal to reduce maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. HyMat + The Audrey Pack gets us closer to bridging that gap” The Audrey Pack also brings with it access to a community of women who volunteer their expertise and experience to help expectant mothers. The plan with Hygeia HMO also includes a free subscription to the MTNAudreyCare service where enrolees receive SMS updates on nutrition, fitness and other developmental content.

Lilian Odim the CEO and founder of The Audrey Pack Company; “In line with the SDG 3 goal, I believe that the health and wellbeing of mothers is an indication of the health and state of a nation. The decline in maternal and child mortality lies in the collaborative efforts between different industries, including the public sector.

This is why I am certain that the Hygeia HMO Audrey Pack partnership will take us closer to this goal”

flation rate, employment rate, interest rates, gross domestic products, enable the government and the citizen measure economic performance over time.”

According to him, “The budget could also be seen as a human right process defining the steps to be taken for the respect, protection, promotion and fulfillment of rights. Right and freedom most times need budgetary outlays to guarantee that they do not remain dry letters on parchment. Even in the new era of the rolling back of the state where government articulates its role as that of a facilitator that sets the enabling environment for the private sector to do the actual provision of services needed to guarantee the enabling environment.”

Abdul also said that the programme was aimed to assist stakeholders in budgetary process in Kogi State to make 2019 Budget more participatory and inclusive, adding that “if stakeholders are involved before and during the passage and implementation CHRCR will be willing to partner with Kogi State House of Assembly to organise a public hearing on the 20 19 Budget to make it more inclusive and peopleoriented budget.”

Varsity VC advocates adequate funding of education in Nigeria SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin

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a o f e e k Ib r a h i m (Prof), the Vice Chancellor of AlHikmah University, a private institution based in Ilorin, has advised that adequate fund should be allocated to education sector to further improve the standard and as well reduce the rate in which citizens study outside the country.

The Vice Chancellor equally advocated that “A law should be in place to disallow public office holders from sending their children to other countries for education”.

Ibrahim, who stated this while briefing journalists at a pre-convocation ceremony of the University, emphasis that if institutions in the country are well funded, it will also put an end to incessant strikes by staff of the tertiary institutions in the country.

“My candid advice is for the political office holders to allow their children acquire higher educational qualifications in Nigeria this will ensure adequate funding of education in the country.

“The moment we can do this I think that will end constant strikes in the universities,” he said.

The Vice Chancellor, however, informed that a total of 876 students would graduate from the University this year, adding that, 798 are undergraduates, 61 postgraduates and 17 sub-degree diplomas.

Speaking on the school affairs, Ibrahim disclosed that the University has commenced testing of incoming students on the use of hard drugs in order to effect appropriate intervention where applicable.

According to him, any students caught to be using hard drugs would be subsequently referred to a hospital as well as guidance and counselling unit of the institution for reformation.

“Students’ discipline remains very high up on the university’s agenda to maintain law, order and peace on our campuses.

“To sustain our mitigation of indiscipline among students, the compulsory accommodation of students in the university hostels and accredited private hostels remains in force.

“Also, the digital automated, electronic ID card is to monitor students’ attendance of lectures and unapproved absences from hostels at night, is commencing this academic session,” he said.

DStv, GOtv to air super live events on pop-up channel this festive season

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tarting from last Friday, November 30, 2018, all active subscribers on DStv Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, Family, Access and GOtv MAX have VIP tickets to watch the hottest shows of the season, which include electrifying concerts, colorful carnivals, spirit-filled worship festivals and more, from the comfort of their homes.

This is as PayTV entertainment company, MultiChoice, has announced a brand new event pop-up channel to showcase variety

of live events during the festive season.

The pop-up channel, Festival Feast, which started with the live broadcast of the 5th edition of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) held in Ghana, also aired the largest Catholic praise ministration in Africa, Unusual Praise, last Friday. The 8th edition of Unusual Praise featured a night of unforgettable spiritual connection, songs and worship from gospel ministers Cece Winans, Tim Godfrey, Mahalia Buchanan, Chioma Jesus, Bukola Bekes, Panam Percy

Paul, Midnight Crew, Frank Edwards, Mercy Chinwo, Preye Odede, amongst others.

The extravaganza will shift into gear on Sunday, December 2, with the 2018 Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 on DStv channel 199. A second festival will be staged this year to celebrate the life, work and legacy of Nelson Mandela for his 100th birthday and will be headlined by Beyonce and Jay-Z. Other performers of the night include Ed Sheeran, Usher, Femi Kuti, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Casper Nyovest, and many more.

Insight Publicis announces CEO departure

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nsight Publicis, a part of Insight Redefini Group, has announced that Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Feyi Olubodun, will depart the organization effective December 3, 2018.

A search for a new CEO will commence as the company continues to execute its transformational plans. Ken Onyeali Ikpe, Group CEO, Insight Redefini (IR), will lead the execution of the plan until a new CEO is announced.

Olubodun, who has been a part of the company since 2009, rose to the position of Strategic Planning Director,

and moved to become the Chief Operating Officer in 2014, from where he became the first non-Founder Chief Executive Officer.

Olubodun’s commitment and dedication over the past 10 years have been instrumental in the evolution of the almost four-decade-old company. Under Olubodun’s leadership, Insight Publicis was well on its way to achieving its vision to remain the biggest creative and marketing communications company in West Africa.

A strong advocate of business ethics, corporate

governance standards, and a consummate business thinker, Olubodun recently launched his book, ‘The Villager’, which amassed huge success within the marketing communications industry.

The book was an expression of his articulated perspectives of the African consumer, which he acquired over his years of experience.

In a statement, the Board and Management of Insight Publicis and Insight Redefini said they wish Feyi Olubodun well and great success as he moves on to other endeavours.

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News Fresh crisis hits APGA as new faction emerges …They are inconsequential - APGA source Innocent Odoh, Abuja

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new twist was added to the lingering crisis bedeviling t h e Al l Pr o gressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as a breakaway faction called the Authentic All Progressives Grand Alliance (AAPGA) emerged on Friday, which raises questions about the unity in the party as they go into the 2019 general elections.

The new faction told newsmen in Abuja on Friday that its factional chairman is Jerry Obasi, while its Secretary is A.D. Musa. Obasi, the factional chairman said the crisis-ridden party needs to be recalibrated “in line with the dictates of our shared values and ideological purity of being our brothers’ keepers indeed.

“We must purge APGA of political wickedness and selfishness, particularly the myopia that made the party speak from both sides of the mouth regarding its future and preparedness for the nation’s electoral environment.

“We must purge APGA of political wickedness and selfishness, particularly the myopia that made the party speak from both sides of the mouth regarding its future and preparedness for the

Victor Oye

nation’s electoral environment,” he said.

The factional leadership of the party, also denounced the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the party and governor of Abambra state Governor Willie Obiano for allegedly endorsing President Muhammadu Buhari for the 2019 presidential election during a recent book launch in Abuja even when the party has selected John Gbor as its presidential candidate. The faction therefore demanded the immediate resignation of Governor Obiano as the BoT chairman and Governor of Anambra state.

“We hereby call on

Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State to resign his positions as governor, Chairman of Board of Trustees (BoT) and leader of APGA forthwith for his derilictory, intransigent and irresponsible behaviour in his recent unilateral public adoption of President Muhammadu Buhari as APGA standard bearer without having recourse to the APGA National Executive Committee (NEC) or ratification at a national convention.

“By that nonchalant behaviour, the governor brought APGA to ridicule, odium and made it a laughing stock in the eyes of rea-

Kirk Franklin, Travis Greene, Tope Alabi, others to headline ‘The Experience’ concert in Lagos Modestus Anaesoronye

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ouse on the Rock has announced the 13th edition of its annual gospel concert “The Experience”.

It is scheduled to hold on the 7th of December 2018 at the Tafawa Balewa Square Lagos, Nigeria from 7pm.

The Experience started as a thought inspired

by God in the mind of the Metropolitan Senior Pastor of all House on The Rock churches, Pastor Paul Adefarasin and is now unarguably the most anticipated gospel music event in Africa among Christians and nonChristians alike. Averaging a yearly attendance of over 500,000 people at the venue, with millions more watching online from all over the globe, it has grown to become the biggest gospel concert in the world.

Aptly themed Jesus, Our Peace, senior pastor and convener of The Experience 13, Paul Adefarasin explained that the inspiration behind the 2018 theme is to highlight who Jesus is, especially in the world we live in today – the Prince of Peace.

Speaking further on the strategic theme, Adefarasin emphasized that regardless of the outcome of the forthcoming elections; peace is the ultimate candidate that we should all support, and must be the candidate that wins. “Peace (as I know it) is not the absence of tension but the presence of Justice” he said. The concert according to him will be a continuous reminder that the God of Peace is with us.

As has been the norm since inception, The Experience 2018 will feature a powerful line up of award winning and renowned indigenous and international

gospel artistes such as Don Moen, Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin, Timi Dakolo, Travis Greene, Nathaniel Bassey, , Vicki Yohe, Chioma Jesus, Tope Alabi, Eben , Tim Godfrey, Mike Aremu, Glowreeyah, Onos, Eno Michael and Chee. And for the first time at The Experience is JJ Hairston, Planetshakers and ADA According to the organizers, the concert which is free to all will be hosted with unparalleled professionalism, hospitality, security, excellence, unity and most importantly with a focus to continue to provide a platform where attendees can pray for our nation and worship God together regardless of tribe, denomination, creed or language. Pastor Adefarasin also iterated that whilst everyone is invited to The Experience 2018, it is advised to arrive at the venue early.

sonable Nigerians. He is therefore guilty of anti-party activity and breach of Article 22(2D) of the APGA constitution deposited with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” the factional leader said.

The faction then constituted three committees to resolve the crisis rocking the party. They committees are: Political Evaluation Committee, to assess, monitor crucial issues in the polity as the nation prepares for the 2019 election; Rapprochement Committee, to reach out to mistreated and aggrieved members; and Fiscal Complaints Committee, to compile cases of fiscal malfeasance and recommend appropriate remedial measures.

However, in a quick reaction to this development, a source from the APGA office in Abuja, who wished to remain anonymous, told BDSUNDAY in Abuja on Friday that the so-called factional leaders are irrelevant to the party even as he insisted that there is no faction in the party. “These people are just deceiving themselves and member of the public, there is no faction in AGPA as our National Chairman Victor Oye had clarified issues and we maintain that these factional elements are strangers to the party,” the source said.

Kogi retired police officers cry to FG over non-payment of gratuity Victorial nnakaike, lOKOJA

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etired Police Officers under the aegis of National Pension Commission (PENCOM), Kogi State branch, have sent a save our souls (SOS) appeal to the Federal Government to direct the appropriate authorities to pay their gratuities and alleviate their suffering.

According to a statement signed by the state chairman of the association, Alex Yusuf (CSP Rtd) and the Secretary, Jerome Ameh (ASP rtd) and released to journalists in Lokoja, the pensioners particularly urged the Federal Government to impress on the Acting Director-General of PENCOM, the InspectorGeneral of Police (IGP) and the Police Pensions Limited to “kindly” make the payments.

They disclosed that the gratuity is 300 percent of the retirees gross salary as at the time of retirement; 15 and 33 percent pension increase of 2007 and 2014, respectively.

They equally referred to a motion by Wole Oke on the floor of the House of Representatives in 2017 on behalf of the Police and Paramilitary retirees to exit them from the contributory pension scheme.

The pensioners further explained that the result from the resolution of the

House on the issue, a tripartite, Committee comprising the National Pension Commission, the Nigeria Police, the NPF Pension Limited was constituted to address their plights, adding that tripartite committee resolved that the 15 percent increase of 2007 and 33 percent review subsequently approved in 2014 be worked out and incorporated into the 2018 budget proposals for payment, saying the resolution was based on the instructions of the interministerial committee handling the pension arrears.

They also stated that the figures were worked out and submitted to the Federal Ministry of Finance before 1st September, 2017 but lamented that “we are yet to be paid up till now”.

The pensioners said: “We therefore, demand payment of 15 percent of 2007 and 33 percent review of 2014 subsequently approved as well as payment of 300 percent of our gratuity and all other benefits due to us in line with the constitution.”

PENCOM also pleaded with concerned authorities to ensure that the pension of retirees were harmonised with serving members before the advent of PENCOM for uniformity, adding that there would be no need to agitate for exit from PENCOM once the issues were addressed.

ActionAid Nigeria calls for technology leverage to break digital divide, revamp education, agric, others Victoria Nnakaike, Lokoja

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ctionAid Nigeria recommended that the agenda and programmes of candidates for the various offices in 2019 have to be in sync with the manifestos and official programme documents of the political parties of the respective candidates.

Moreover, in a statement issued by Lola Ayanda, communications coordinator, ActionAid Nigeria, it noted that the security of the country was paramount, adding that there is strategic need to address the increasing insecurity situation in the country which the group said had unfortunately resulted in loss of lives and property across the country.

The organisation equally noted that many investors and companies have left the country due to increased insecurity and uncertainties, adding that with this undesired scenario, there is need to have a clear action plan on how these challenges of

insecurity will be tackled not just in the northeast, but in all states across Nigeria.

ActionAid also explained that to tackle these challenges, government need to invest more on essential public services like education, health and agriculture, emphasing that evidences have shown that increased investment in these pro-poor sectors has strong impact on poverty and inequality reduction, while simultaneously creating employment potentials.

It however, maintained that there is need to strengthen regulatory mechanism and increase funding of public institutions, adding that privatisation should not be seen as the only alternative solution to failing public institutions, “As evident in the power sector, steel industries etc. privatisation in these areas have led to increased cost without commensurate services, asset stripping, moribund industries and opening of doors for importation leading to adverse effect on economic growth.

“In an economy riddled

with inequality and increasing poverty, the development agenda ought to be focused on increasing public investment to deliver efficient and effective public services to create enabling environment for poverty reduction and reduction in the inequality gap.

“Government should not encourage Race to the Bottom by lowering the corporate tax as instrument to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). This has become the common practice across the West African region. However, studies have shown that tax exemptions, holidays etc have little impact on attracting FDI, rather government is encouraged to boost infrastructure, improve on the ease of doing business as mechanism for attracting FDI. “There is need to strengthen the taxation system in Nigeria with the cardinal objective of making it more progressive, thus creating a situation whereby high net worth individuals, companies etc are made to pay their fair share of tax.

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CRIME WATCH Ritual suspects nabbed with fresh human head

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wo brothers have been arrested by a team of anti-kidnapping personnel of the Lagos Command for being in possession of a fresh human head.

18-year-old Ayodeji Obadimeji, and 19-year-old Saheed Obadimeji were apprehended on November 27, 2018, during the team’s routine patrol between Ajah/Epe Expressway.

“On interrogation, they confessed that one Sodiq Abefe contracted them to provide him with human head at the cost of N200, 000,” CSP Chike Oti, police public relations officer, disclosed.

“Hence, they lured the victim by sending him to buy Coca-Cola drink for them. When he brought

Arrested with human head

the drinks to them, they held him and cut off his head with a knife.”

The police spokesman said the victim has been identified by his parents as

Joseph Makinde, a 10-yearold boy and the torso has been recovered from an uncompleted building located at Shapati.

According to him, efforts are being made to arrest the said Sodiq Abefe who allegedly contracted the duo to commit the heinous crime.

“The Commissioner of Police has directed that the case be handed over to the Homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) Panti Yaba, for further investigation,” said CSP Oti. “The commissioner of police reiterated his earlier warnings to criminals to repent or relocate from the state or regret the consequence of their action.”

Sunday 02 December 2018

Ikeja Airport not under terror attack, says Lagos Command

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he Lagos State Police Command said the disturbing viral video on social media purporting that the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, is under attack by terrorists, was made three years ago.

The authorities of Lagos State Police Command contacted the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations at the Airport Command, according to CSP Chike Oti, Lagos State police spokesman.

“He stated that the video was that of a simulation exercise carried out by the

Nigerian Air Force in conjunction with other agencies at the airport three years ago,” said CSP Oti. “The Command wishes to assure members of the public that Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, is safe and secure and not under any form of attack as wickedly portrayed by those behind the rumour,” he further said.

The police spokesman said the Lagos State Commissioner of Police has directed the Command’s Intelligence Unit to unmask the persons behind the rumour for prosecution.

Three arrested for allegedly defiling minors

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hree men are currently in the police net for allegedly abusing underage girls. One Mukaila Aliu, a 40-year-old man, who resides at No.17 Peluola Street, Mafoluku in Oshodi area of the State, took advantage of a 16-year-old physically challenged girl a year ago and fled afterwards.

“Precisely on November 10, 2017, Mukaila Aliu lured the deaf and dumb girl to an abandoned shop along Oshodi on the pretence that he wanted to buy indomie noodles for her and defiled

her,” said CSP Chike Oti, Lagos State police spokesman.

“Although he was caught in the act, he managed to escape and remained in the hiding until November 19, 2018 when he came out of hiding to challenge a property developer at a site in Oshodi demanding some fees with menaces from the property owner, claiming to be an ‘Omo-onile’.”

According to CSP Oti, Mukaila was identified by one of the workers at the site as a suspect on the wanted list of the police.

“The worker sneaked

out and alerted the Divisional Police Officer at Makinde Police Station, who promptly arrested him and handed him over to the Gender Section of the Command for further investigation,” said CSP Oti. Also, on November 17, 2018, one Chika Okafor, 39- year-old man who lives at No 3/16 Oketa Street in Mende-Maryland, allegedly defiled a 15-year-old girl.

“The girl ran away from home because her mum threatened to beat her up for losing an important item.

The suspect got her into his car, and took her to a beer parlour where he convinced her to take some liquor,” said the police public relations officer.

“Being her first time to indulge in such habit, the little girl was completely knocked out after guzzling several bottles of alcoholic drinks.”

Seeing the state of the girl, the suspect took her to a hotel at Oshodi, according to CSP Oti. “At this point, the little girl whom he had completely undressed told him to let her be because she is a virgin, but he still went ahead to shaved her pubic hair, deflowered her and went away with the shaved hair,” the police spokesman disclosed.

“The following morning being November 18, 2018, the suspect took her to his friend’s place in Maryland and had his way with her the second time.

He thereafter drove the

girl in his car and dropped her at the nearest location to her parents’ house.”

CSP Oti said the girl narrated her ordeal to her mum who immediately petitioned the state Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal.

“The commissioner ordered a manhunt against the perpetrator and the suspect was arrested on Saturday, November 24, 2018 by detectives attached to the Gender Unit of the Command,” said the police spokesman.

The third case is that of an allegedly incestuous father, a 56-year-old security guard at an old generation school, identified simply as Bello.

However, the Command declined to name the school or mention the father’s name in full in the interest of the girl.

“The suspect was reported by the school authorities that he had been having sexual intercourse with his daughter who lived with him in a one-room security post apartment given to him by the school management,” said CSP Oti. “According to the survivor, her father sleeps with her every night. Thereafter, he gives her contraceptives to prevent her from becoming pregnant.”

The police spokesman said the three suspects were charged to the Family section of the Ikeja Magistrate court on Friday, November 30, 2018.

One dead, another in custody for alleged kidnap

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he Lagos State Police Command said its anti-kidnapping Squad unit has intercepted a kidnap syndicate at Agbowa in Ikorodu area of the state.

Two separate kidnap reports had reached the Command earlier, prompting the commissioner of Police to give directives to ensure they are arrested, according to CSP Chike Oti, Lagos State Police spokesman.

“On November 13, 2018, Suleiman Eniola Ajumobi, reported that his 7-year-old daughter was kidnapped from his house and in his presence,’’ said CSP Oti. “We got a report from one Veronica Ewuru on November 16, 2018, that her husband, one DSP Patrick Ewuru, a police officer attached to Force Headquarters annex in Obalende, was kidnapped from their house in the night when he came out to check on the Power Generating Set that suddenly stopped working.’’

CSP Oti said the kidnappers demanded N25million ransom from Ajumobi and N10million for DSP Ewuru’s release, but finally

settled for N500,000 from both families.

“At that point, the commissioner of police directed operatives handling the matter to play along with the Kidnappers in the interest of the victims who were still in captivity,” the police spokesman said.

“As soon as the release of the two victims was secured, the kidnappers’ hideout at Agbowa was busted.

One Festus Abama died during exchange of fire, two escaped with bullet wounds, while 27-year-old Austine Ebimiyenwei from Ondo State, surrendered.”

The suspect confessed to the crime and victims have identified both the deceased and Austine Inuesokan Ebimiyenwei as those who kidnapped them, CSP Oti said.

“Concerted effort is being made to arrest those on the run while the suspect already in police custody will be charged to court,” the police spokesman said.

“It is the hope of the Lagos commissioner of police that criminals will take a look at the crime busting record of the Command and see the futility of practising their trade in the state.”

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CRIME WATCH Abia Police command parades 18 suspects for allegedly defrauding victims of N91m through ponzo scheme

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UDOKA AGWU, Umuahia

he Abia state Police Command has said that it has arrested 18 suspects who allegedly defrauded 6728 about N91million in Aba using Ponzi scheme.

Chris Okey Ezike, the new Commisioner of Police in the state who disclosed this in Umuahia during maiden press briefing with journalists in Umuahia said that the suspects of unsuspecting victims of various sums of money using Cooperative societies, empowerment groups and Wonder Banks among others.

He disclosed that the command had uncovered about 22 groups involved in scam.

Th e Ab i a C P d i s closed that his command h ad so f a r r ec ov e r ed N7,933,900.00 (Seven million, nine hundred and thirty-three thousand, nine hundred Naira) from the suspects while while investigations were still on.

Ezike also paraded 39 other suspects whose offences ranged from kidnappings, armed robberies, cultism stealing, unlawful possession of firearms among others.

The Abia Police boss

vowed that he would explore and exploit the prospects and experiences of his professional service to bring about quality policing service to people of Abia.

He disclosed that the principal focus of the command in the coming months would include: Provision of quality Police service to the people of Abia, fight violent crimes of armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism and other violent social disorders with renewed vigour, strength and commit-

ment to ensure a hitch free yuletide, partner with other security Agencies and non-state actors in a transparent and professional manner and to promote community policing and partnership through building positive bridges between the Police, traditional Rulers, Local government Administrators, student groups, professional bodies, traders and private sector organization, NGOs and the Media among others.

Ezike noted that Abia was in the middle and

mercy of several other states whose activities impacted either positively or negatively on the security and safety of Abians adding that the state is bounded by Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, AkwaIbom and Cross River states.

“The gateway and getaway nature of our road networks facilitates tourism, trade and commerce.

However, it also donates entrance and exit impetus to potential criminals in the commission of nefarious crimes”, he said.

ICPC arrests alleged fake ex-Nigeria Airways staff FELIX OMOHOMHION, Abuja

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he Independent C o r r u p t Pr a c tices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said it has arrested one Emmanuel Eneji, for impersonation.

Eneji was said to have presented himself as a former employee of the defunct Nigeria Airways for the purpose of verification.

Eneji was arrested at the Ministry of Finance, Abuja, venue of the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA) where all ex-staff of the defunct company have been presenting themselves for verification.

The alleged impostor claimed to have worked as Operations Manager of the Airways in Ghana, and had presented a verification slip that belonged to another person.

But checks on his documents and other findings uncovered him to be an impostor, as insiders fa-

miliar with the operations of the defunct airways told investigators that the position of Operations Manager in Ghana never existed.

When further probed on the authenticity of his claim, Eneji said that he lost his Nigeria Airways Staff Identity Card, including employment letter, letter of promotion from Grade Level 09 to 10 and his letter of disengagement as well as his academic certificates in

a fire incident during the Zango Kataf uprising in 1993, at Malali, Kaduna State.

The only document in his possession linking him to the non-operational airways is a photocopy of the Nigeria Airways Training School Certificate.

Th e s u s p e c t a l s o claimed to have used a Police Report and an affidavit for the lost documents to scale through the verification exercise in Lagos, which enabled

him to obtain a Verification Slip and a Bio-Data Form from PICA. He further claimed that one Ajayi, a staff of the Nigeria Airways Union, issued him the verification number on the list of staff to be verified, that belonged to another person upon the presentation of Police Report and the affidavit.

Investigation on the matter continues and the suspect will be charged to court upon conclusion.

Togolese murder suspect not dead, says Edgal

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dgal Imohimi, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, has debunked the news making the rounds on the media that Sunday Anani, a Togolese cook, standing trial for the murder Chief Opeyemi Bademosi, an Ondo State business mogul, has died in detention.

Th e c o m m i s s i o n e r of police directed the Yetunde Longe, deputy commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, to check the veracity of the claims, CSP Chike Oti, police spokesman revealed.

“The Command’s head of legal department, accompanied by the suspect’s lawyer from the Office of the Public Defender (OPD), Barrister Jamiu Alapo, dashed to Ikoyi Prisons where they met the suspect hale and hearty

without complaint,” CSP Oti said.

“The Command wishes to advise those uploading lies on the internet to desist from such act as rumour mongering is capable of breaching the public peace.”

Media houses are also advised to always crosscheck with relevant agencies before disseminating sensitive information.

Operation 777 launched in Kogi to rid state of crimes

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VICTORIA NNAKAIKE, Lokoja

rigadier General John Agim, the acting director, Defence Information, has said that the launching of Operation 777 by Defence Headquarters was aimed at rejigging the already existing operations of the Nigeria army all over the country.

Agim stated this in Lokoja while addressing journalists at the Charimgumari barracks, saying that before the launch of Operation 777, there were large scale security threats in Kogi State which he said include armed robbery, insurgency, cattle rustling, boundary dispute, political thuggery kidnapping and cultism.

He equally emphasised that it has became imperative to close the gaps between existing operational bases to avoid criminals and bandits escaping from one operation theatre to another unnoticed, add-

Brig Gen John Agim

ing that with the launch of Operation 777, it would be difficult for criminals to escape without notice in Kogi State.

“The security threats led to loss of lives, destruction of properties and disruption of socio-economic activities. The three senatorial areas of the state have their own peculiar nature of crime. The Eastern Senatorial District witnessed large scale destruction of lives and properties occasioned by ethnic rivalry. Western Senatorial District had incessant kidnappings and herdsmen /farmers’ clashes while Central Senatorial Zone was faced with assassination and kidnapping. ” The Brigadier-General, in company of Jerry Omodara , SSA on Security to Governor Yahaya Bello, also noted that with the commencement of Operation 777, the troops have put up offensively posture and embarked on series of operations that denied the hoodlums and criminals’ freedom of actions within the state.

He also maintained that Kogi State is strategic in socio-economic calculation of Nigeria because it is a gateway between the northern and southern part of Nigeria, adding that it also shares boundaries with nine states and FCT, as such; the state is prone to all manner of effect of violence and other diverse influences from these neighbouring states.

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PhotoSplash

L-R: Toni Kan Onwordi, writer and publisher thisislagos.ng; Louis Zulu Onwordi, celebrant; Peju Akande, managing editor, thisislagos.ng, Nelson Onwordi, businessman, and Victor Ehikhamenor, artist, during the 75th birthday of Louis Onwordi in Lagos, recently. Pic by Olawale Amoo

Rio Ferdinand, former Premier League Footballer on arrival at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos to celebrate extraordinary football fans in Nigeria. Pic by Pius Okeosisi

L-R: Bhushan Akshikar, Managing Director, Consumer Healthcare, GSK and Mr. Akin Olawore, President, NigeriaBritish Chambers of Commerce during the courtesy visit of the Nigeria-British Chamber of Commerce team to GSK Head Office today.

L-R: Joseph Udedr, Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Enugu state; Obiukwu Mbonu, chairman Enugu states Athletes Association; Omotayo Egberongbe, junior brand manager, Three Crowns Milk; Uwakwe Azikiwe, special adviser for special duties to Enugu state governor and Ogbuagu Anikwe. commissioner for information Enugu State, at the Coal City Marathon held in Enugu

L-R: Gbenga Olalandu, senior manager, Channel Development, MTN; Adekunle Adebiyi, sales and distribution executive, MTN; Toyin Habeeb, grand Prize winner of raffle draw, and Valentine Izuchukwu, general manager, business development, MTN, at the MTN Digital Fair in Abuja.

L- R: Odelana James 2nd runner-up (male); Agofure Charity (winner – female); Bisola Onigbogi, head- business development - ARM Pensions and Issa Hammed, Winner (male) at ARM Pensions Run For The Futurre 6th edition in Lagos.

L-R: Ikowo David; Yusuf Haruna, and Isara Saliu, all of beneficiaries of TraderMoni, during the inauguration of TraderMoni at Karu Market, Abuja.

Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, wife of All Progressives Congress Governorship Candidate in Lagos State (l), with Oluremi Hamzat, wife of deputy governorship candidate, during a visit of APC Women’s Group to the Babajide SanwoOlu Campaign Office, in Ikoyi

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Publisher/CEO

Frank Aigbogun editor Zebulon Agomuo DEPUTY EDITOR John Osadolor, Abuja assistant EDITOR Chuks Oluigbo NEWS EDITOR Patrick Atuanya EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS Fabian Akagha EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DIGITAL SERVICES Oghenevwoke Ighure GENERAL MANAGER, ADVERT Adeola Ajewole ADVERT MANAGER Ijeoma Ude FINANCE MANAGER Emeka Ifeanyi MANAGER, CONFERENCES & EVENTS Obiora Onyeaso SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER Patrick Ijegbai CIRCULATION MANAGER John Okpaire DIGITAL SALES MANAGER Linda Ochugbua GM, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (North)

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GM, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (South) Ignatius Chukwu HEAD, HUMAN RESOURCES Adeola Obisesan

Sunday 03 December 2018

Yakubu Gowon a general and former head of state, at the special national prayer service hosted by the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Gbagada, Lagos

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bring you the warmest greetings from the Nigeria Prays Organisation whose vision and mission is to mobilise all Nigerians to offer regular, fervent and result-oriented payers for the healing and transformation of the nation; this it has done for the past 22 years. By the grace of God, Nigerian prays has been able to mobilise all faithful of all denominations to pray in unity through prayer rallies and intercessory prayers and activities presenting to every Nigerian, irrespective of denominational affiliation the opportunity to be involved in the efforts of rebuilding the nation; promoting the virtues of patriotism, transparency, incorruptibility in the leadership and the citizenry. I salute and welcome you all in the precious name our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Today, we stand together in unity under one God to raise an altar of prayer unto Him. Let me simply use this opportunity to re-

mind us of God’s admonition that: “If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land (II Chronicles 7:14).”

God’s word speaks so eloquently to the situation of Nigeria today and I believe at all times.

For this reason, the church must provide a moral compass for the nation and cause darkness to recede and warn people to heed to truth, imbibe the fear of God and to follow righteousness.

Brethren, it is important to remind us that the church is God’s house of prayer. With the general election looming ahead, it is natural for people to become anxious and fearful of what the future holds for Nigeria in light of the wanton killings in the land, be these politically-motivated or executed by the dark agents of insurgency, Boko Haram or by armed cattle herdsmen and rustlers. Aside the challenges of politics, there is also the problem of economic hardship that has not only made the poor poorer but drastically reduced the quality of life of even the rich or politicallyinfluential. More than ever before, therefore, there is great need for us – children of God; men and women of faith; young and old – to come together to pray and intercede for our dear nation and its people. So whatsoever

the provocation, whatever the threat, for the sake of the country – Nigerian Christians should never resort to a retaliation that would lead to a religious war. Let the authority provide the necessary physical protection for all while your prayers and Christian love and charity provide the ultimate peace and accord.

Praise must rise to God in unity from every corner of the Nigerian church to combat the forces that militate against the progress of our nation. God’s solution to the problem of this country is not to be found only in guns, retaliation or physical weapons but in Holy Spirit-directed, believing and prevailing prayer from His people (the church) who are willing to confess and forsake sins and embrace righteousness. As the psalmist says in Psalms 133 vs 1-2, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity…”

May I urge the Church and the people of Nigeria to embrace the spirit of love, patriotism and commitment to the good of our nation irrespective of political party or religious affiliations or tribal differences. As citizens of this great nation, we all have important roles to play in the development of our nation. We must seek to live in peace with all men and deliberately work at achieving reconciliation amongst our peoples.

I say this mindful of the concerns that have been raised by

Christians across the country over the growing spate of the killing of our brethren that have been recorded and reported nationwide. Truth be told, these are genuine concerns. Should this lead us to contemplating retaliations or reprisal attacks? The Scriptures are clear: vengeance is of the Lord. We must steer clear of any semblance of encouraging religious warfare in the guise of self-defence. But we must continually demand that government be seriously alive to its primary responsibility of the protection of life and property of all citizens.

Whilst government is encouraged to do the needful, people of faith also must be encouraged to win over unnecessarily angry and violent people with force of love.

Permit me to end this brief remark by once more thanking everyone here present for honouring the invitation to join the quest for national transformation and healing. The quality of attendance has convinced me that we all agree and are prepared to encourage God on behalf of Nigeria.

May the Lord guide us in path of love, peace, truth, righteousness and justice. I also pray that the land Nigeria shall receive God’s divine visitation and healing in the exalted name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. ‘Lord heal us and heal our land! Hear our prayer, O Lord.

May the blessings of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with us all, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday 02 December 2018

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Perspective Buhari, critics and ‘Next Level 2019’ Emma Umohinyang

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ne of the attributes of great leaders is the mastery of the art of pro-activeness, especially at very critical moments of nationhood.

Unfortunately, this art is almost alien to most of our leaders as they are caught napping at times when they are expected to rise to the occasion, leading to a yawning gap between African countries and the developed world in terms of growth and technological advancement.

This, no doubt, has been the bane of most of African countries, including Nigeria, leaving unpalatable consequences which impeded and continues to impede our growth and development.

It was therefore, a thing of joy when President Muhammadu Buhari, not wanting to be bitten by this terrible bug, launched the Next Level, 2019, a compilation of his achievements and plans for a second term.

One of the most striking features of the event was that it took place almost as soon as the curtain on political activities for 2019 raised which is very instructive.

This no doubt is remarkable as it is a demonstration on the part of the President that he is truly serious about leading the nation again to consolidate on the achievements of the last few years.

Given the fact that a lot of efforts must have gone into the project, it also underscores that he is not taking Nigerians for granted and a demonstration of the fact that he clearly identifies with their hopes and aspirations.

This is a clear departure from what we used to see in the recent past when aspirants at various levels approach us to vote for them without any level of seriousness.

Curiously, these are people who we entrust our destiny into their hands as they are naturally saddled with steering the ship of state. It is therefore, safe to say that our decisions and indecisions in the recent past is largely connected to the unfortunate rape of our commonwealth by these leaders.

This is the major reason why the launch of Next Level 2019 by President Buhari needs to be applauded by all men and women of goodwill who truly love the growth and advancement of our nation, especially at this critical moment.

Aside from providing an insight into the journey of the present administration so far, Next Level 2019 gives detailed information about the administration’s plans for the future.

The document therefore, presents Nigerians and all lovers of Nigeria, ample opportunity to score the Buhari administration based on its promises especially the landmarks recorded in the fight against corruption, agric revolution, diversification of the economy, infrastructural development, economic emancipation for the poorest of the poor, fight against Boko Haram and more.

This, no doubt, is very crucial as it lets the reader into the muchneeded details that could be used in assessing the performance of the Buhari administration in all critical sectors as opposed to speculation or hearsay.

Aside this, the document is a veritable research material which is bound to be useful to voters, stu-

President Buhari dents, academics,researchers, etc, who may need critical information about the government.

Perhaps, for the first time in our national history, “Next Level 2019” presents Nigerians with critical information needed for decision making at a very critical period in our national history.

This is unsurprising as the Buhari administration has never hidden its desire to run a transparently open system for the benefit of Nigerians both at home and in the Diaspora.

Though some members of the opposition have criticised the document, the good thing about it is that they have not been able to make nonsense of the facts presented.

Worse still, it is doubtful whether anyone remembers the title of the document launched by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, AtikuAbubakarnext day

after President Buhari launched Next Level 2019.

This speaks volume, especially when one considers the voodoo economics of Atiku which many have so far dismissed as unworkable and an attempt to hoodwink Nigerians to vote for him in his desperate bid to rule Nigeria in 2019.

The question really is: can the achievements of Buhari over threeand-a-half years in critical sectors of our economy – agriculture, solid minerals, power, infrastructure, health, anti-corruption,etc, be waved aside by discerning Nigerians?

For the first time in our nation, the country has made more money than it has made from non-oil exports since independence.

From Agriculture, to Solid minerals, the profile of the Buhari administration keeps rising by the day and winning global applause.

This is not forgetting the gi-

ant strides made in power, job creation, road construction and more for which Nigerians remain grateful.

Consequently, ‘Next Level 2019’ is most expedient at this time as it is a story of what the Buhari administration hopes to achieve in the next four years as part of strategies aimed at putting Nigeria back on stream to make her regain our lost position in the comity of nations.

Can anyone say he does not desire railways working across the nation as being carried out by the Buhari administration, especially since this government kick-started this project some years back?

Would anyone kick against the on-going efforts to make our Airports world-class as demonstrated with the Port Harcourt Airport, and the successful construction of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja second runway by this administration?

Does anyone hate the ongoing social intervention projects aimed at breaking the artificial wall between the rich and the poor through Trader-moni and other empowerment schemes to lift the poor out of poverty as demonstrated by the Buhari administration?

Even the South-East where President Buhari administration recorded the least votes has about 70 on-going projects across the zone, with more to come.

This is what the ‘Next Level 2019’ is all about- the Nigeria of our dream!

Now is the time for all hands to be on deck by supporting PMB for a deserved second term in office.

Umohinyang, a social commentator, wrote in from Lagos.

Fayemi and welfare of Ekiti teachers Segun Dipe

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hen Governor John Kayode Fayemi was sworn in for a second term as the Governor of Ekiti State recently, his avowed priority was the restoration of the state’s core values of hard work, honesty, and integrity.

Most importantly, the governor, not known for empty boasting, display of gangsterism or cheap populism, made it crystal clear that education was high on his priority list and he would give it the much desired premium.

No sooner had he mounted the saddle than the governor started walking his talk. Instantly, he removed the hostile policies imposed on education by his predecessor in office, revoked the education levies in primary and secondary schools and crowned it with the provision of N200 million to be accessed by the teachers as housing and car loans.

The loans, which are to be disbursed on a first come, first served basis, have placed the teachers in Ekiti State in the Number One position to receive such a largesse in this second coming of Governor Fayemi.

Education is a means of propagating the felt-end immediate norms and values of any society. It is also a means of subsisting the old norms and values of “Omoluwabi”

Governor Fayemi in a state like Ekiti.

The experience of teachers in the state, especially in the last four years, is not anything to write home about. They were swindled and scammed by a man who claimed to be their friend and messiah. Their welfare was disregarded. They were called all sorts of names. They were regarded as a needy and desperate people. At the end, they were made to keep begging for their hard earned salary and allowances to no avail.

The same salary and other welfare packages the teachers were getting as rights during the first term of Gov. Fayemi suddenly

started eluding them. In the words of Dr. Amin Ladan, director-general of the National Teachers’ Institute, teachers across Nigeria are de-motivated because their remuneration was abysmally low. This in no little way is inhibiting the profession and quality of education in Nigeria.

Fayemi, as a person who values and prioritises education, would hear no such thing and is determined to improve the lots of Ekiti teachers.

To him, teaching, which he had also practised before, is a noble profession. It shapes characters, calibre and the future of a people. Next to his parents, the governor would credit teachers as his biggest influence.

Fayemi’s argument is usually that no amount of educational reform or progress would rise above the desires for good teachers, and for any societal aspiration to be met in education, the teacher factor cannot be undermined.

During his first term in office, the governor’s love for teaching and the passion to see it as the noblest profession in Ekiti was grossly misinterpreted by the teachers themselves, while political rivals mischievously feasted on the cracks that ensued as a result of the misunderstanding. Some of the policies Fayemi introduced, which were meant to assist the teachers in their capacity building, were either not properly communicated or misunderstood as an intention to demote, sack or promote some teachers. This resulted in misgivings, mudslinging and eruption of a wide gulf between the teachers and the governor.

But today, the governor has assured that he has come to bridge the gulf with the policies that will place the teachers’ welfare in the front burner.

The teachers too, rather than still clutching to the memories of those misinterpreted policies, should cast their minds back to those good old days when their salary and allowances were being paid by the governor as a matter of priority, when the governor increased their salary

thrice in four years, when they were being paid relativity package, and when 25percent was attached to teaching in rural areas, and when they were being paid core subject allowance.

Those good old days are here again. Seeing that the profession he hallows and loves to identify with lost so much shine within a spate of four years of his absence, and the teachers were treated to miserly compensation for their responsibility, Fayemi, in words, actions and through body language, is assuring teachers again of his unflinching commitment to their welfare.

It takes two to tango. Fayemi believes that only well-motivated teachers can mould excellent students.

The teachers too would want to reciprocate a good gesture by raising the standard of teaching. Unfolding events between the governor and the teachers will prove to anyone that the new understanding is working.

After all, it is the day two wellconnected fingers decide to remove stubborn lice from the head that such lice would give up their unholy clinging on the hair. Certainly, the students will be the better for the new government-teacher understanding in Ekiti and the state will return to its exalted position in education again. .Dipe is the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Fayemi on Public Communications.

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Politics ‘Unhealthy relationship between NASS and Executive affected Buhari’s performance’ Idowu Omolegan, a legal practitioner and activist is the convener of Nigeria Impact Initiate (NIM), a recently formed political awareness group.In this exclusive interview with INIOBONG IWOK, he spoke on the Muhammadu Buhari administration, the National Assembly, the anti-graft war of government, among other issues in the polity. Excerpts:

A

tiku Abubakar has since emerged as the candidate of the PDP for the 2019 presidential election. What is your take on that?

Atiku has been in active politics for some time now; he has been there over the years, from the Third Republic. Atiku is an experienced politician; experienced enough to lead the country.

He has a right to aspire to any position in the country, being a member of the PDP and a former Vice President of Nigeria; he is a grassroots politician, who is respected across the country.

From the initial arrangement, Atiku supposed to be the one that should take over from Obasanjo.

But because of their politics, the forces did not allow that to happen. Part of the issues was the disagreement over the privatisation of public enterprises.If you can recall, there were lots of discrepancies.Atiku was the head of the NPC, that controls the BPE; it is believed that he sold the national assets to fraudulent individuals; he has a lot to do in clearing his name of all these allegations.

Are you saying you don’t believe in him?

Personally, I think Atiku is worse than Buhari; Buhari has a name; if you go to his home town in Daura, in spite of being in power, he lives in a small house; he does not believe in extravagancy.

If you are trying to label him as a sectional or tribal leader because he has decided to run his government with his people close to him, you may be wrong.

The two leaders are incomparable, Atiku was in government as a former Vice President and we saw all that have been labelled against him; Atiku is very corrupt.

He worked with Obasanjo who was a former military man and we know their mindset; personally, if you want to talk about character the two leaders cannot be compared.

Some people say that the fact Atiku has promised to restructure the country, he is a better alternative to Buhari. Does this argument resonate with you?

I don’t think so.When people realise that there is an opportunity, they try to capitalise on it.

duced plea bargaining, to give some of them soft-landing; that was how people like Musiliu Obanikoro came to drop his share of the money and joined the APC. You also saw how the Senate president was charged because he did not declare his asset and eventually he was set free. A lot of people have been convicted recently; we saw how some leaders and former State governors were convicted. So it is wrong to say the anti-graft war is onesided.

I think if the President had the support of the National Assembly members, may be, he would have done more, in the anti-graft war and other areas. The opposition he has gotten from the National Assembly to his policies has not helped his administration.

What is your assessment of the Osun gubernatorial election?

The Osun gubernatorial election was free and fair; it was not rigged. The candidate of the PDP messe up his chances; there were propaganda everywhere, it is even because he spent lot of money that is why he could have such amount of vote, and we saw him dancing in America recently.

You can’t blame Omisore

Idowu Omolegan

I don’t believe in his promise to restructure the country if he is elected.Atiku, the way I have seen him would not restructure the country if he wins the presidential election.

They were in power for 16 years, what did they do? And at the end of the day, they are expecting Buhari to perform magic.

A lot of them who are in the National Assembly are working against this government; they claimed to be in the APC but are working for the PDP. They have made attempt to impeach the President without any success and they are attacking him.

If you see what is happening, the two Houses are frustrating the effort of the President, there is no encouragement for the President from both Houses on how to move the country forward.

Buhari was not corrupt when he was the head of PTDF and we saw what he did. He has people working with him as a minister. Look at the corruption war; things

are no more done the same way it was in the past. There is a renewed sense of fear in the mind of public office holders in the country now; that if you misbehave you may end up in jail.

Most of the people aspiring to lead us now are all corrupt; these are the people who put us in this position and they are trying to come back, Look at the former finance minister, who recently resigned; if it was in another country he would be better appreciated.

There are allegations that the anti-graft war of the incumbent administration is one-sided and targeted at the opposition?

I don’t believe that, but they were the ones in power and someone has to held accountable. Even Obasanjo tried to frustrate Buhari’s anti-graft war when Dasuki was arrested; we now hear how money was being shared among the elite in the country during the last administration.

The administration intro-

A lot of them who are in the National Assembly are working against this government; they claimed to be in the APC but are working for the PDP. They have made attempt to impeach the President without any success and they are attacking him

for supporting the APC, the leaders of PDP, even the Senate President visited him, but they could not convince him, of course; Omisore knew he would not take a common Commissioner slot and when the APC came they convinced him with a better offer and he changed his stand. If it were you, what would you do?

There is no way you would conduct election in Nigeria that the opposition loses without complaint. But if they win they would not complain.

May be, we can say that the way Omisore was manipulated by the two leading parties was not good enough, but am satisfied with the conduct of the election. The Ife People had to vote, it is good that they were not disfranchised in the election.

What is your assessment of the performance of the INEC so far?

I am not in a position to say if the commission is independent or not; how they go about doing their work is left for them. But you can say that with the way they have performed; nobody can say they have not done well. Nobody can fault them.

May be, their composition could be checked, the institution could be strengthened in terms of staffing and other logistics.

Some activists have canvassed for the implementation of the Muhammed Uwais electoral reform committee report to guarantee the independence of the INEC. Do you think this is necessary?

I don’t support their view; my point is that when you put the right people in the right position of authority things would be fine. Look at the former INEC head, Attahiru Jega, he did a good job in INEC when he was the head of the commission.

Why didn’t the Jonathan administration implement the report?

I agree there may be need for some changes here and there in the present setup of INEC; but if you want to implement such committee report it should be after the election; the time is too short now to begin to make such drastic changes in the system.

But even the content of the report has not been made public, let’s see the content of the report. That is where to start.

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Politics

How I will transform Lagos State if elected governor - Fafowora Muyiwa Fafowora, an insurance expert and entrepreneur, is the gubernatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Lagos State for next year’s election. In this interview with Iniobong Iwok, he outlines his agenda if elected governor of the state.

Y

ou have been a successful businessman, why did you venture into politics?

As a true Lagosian growing up in Lagos, there were some benefits that I enjoyed as a young man. This will give me the opportunity to serve. My idea of politics is that it is for service and in the last 19 years that is what I have been doing.

I have not been a contractor, nor been a commissioner in any ministry. Even when I was made the commissioner of National Task Force, it was voluntary. It was purely to serve; I was not paid any salary when I was given that position.

My idea of politics is that it is for service. So when the opportunity came my way, I ended up being the gubernatorial candidate of the ADC. My philosophy is still about serving the people of Lagos State.

The APC is in power and in control of the political structure in the state, don’t you think it would be difficult to dislodge them?

I want to take you back through the memory lane. In 1979, at that time there were two major political parties in Lagos: the UPN led by Obafemi Awolowo which was a progressive party, and the Babs Akerelele-led NPN which was a conservative party, in terms of what they achieved. But when we came back to democracy in 1999 the belief among Lagosians was that the AD was a progressive party and they voted for them on that basis.

But when they were given a chance in power what happened?

When you talk of been a progressive,itshouldbethatyouputthecommon man at the front of your policies.

It is the poor that should be given a chance.Inanysocietyifanythinghappens it is the poor that would suffer.

So I have my chance now to sell my programs to the people; if the people are convinced they would vote for change and that proper change is to vote for ADC in 2019.

Lagosians are currently facing several environmental issues, one of them bding truck congestion in Apapa. This has become perennial problem in spite of government’s attempt to resolve it. How do you plan to tackle this problem?

Again right after the civil war, Nigerians were so much in a hurry to develop. We had port congestion. There was the oil boom, and we wanted to build houses, shops.

There was an influx of trailers coming to Apapa port, but there was nowhere to park them. That was the reason the government at that time set up the Tincan port and if you know the port around the 70s, there was no space in the park for the trailers to go and pick up their petroleum products when we had shortages.

Muyiwa Fafowora

Because of this congestion there was no space for them to pack and the government said it was bad to have only one port. If you knew those places in the 70s, you would know what I am saying. There was no place to park vehicles; it was just like what we have now.

It was on those bases that they developed Ibafo and when we had that issue at that point in time Kirikiri was an island. There was the need to develop a maximum prison in another location and Kirikiri was developed.

Whentheprominentfamilywho owned the land in the area started selling their land there was a problem: there was no place for them to go. The solution is simple. It is to encourage federal government to create alternative ports and develop the other ports in the country.

How will your administration tackle the perennial flooding issues in Lagos?

The cause of the current flooding is simple: during the raining season in most cases for the flooding in Lagos the water comes from Oke in Ogun State which in turn comes though Oyo State. Part comes through Ogun -Abeokuta through Lagos Isheri and moves into Ikorodu.

It is similar to what we have in Bayelsa State, where the water comes from Atlantic Ocean. In

most cases it is when the water in Ogun State is released that it causes flooding in Lagos.

The agency involved can regulate the flow of water when it gets high. There should be synergy between the two states so that there would be sharing of information between Lagos, Ogun and the other states River Basin Authorities, so that when they are releasing water they make sure we know.

The other one is in Ibeju lekki.

The drainage system is bad because of bad management and lack of integrity from those in charge; they don’t have drainage system or refused to manage the existing one, because they have compromised their integrity.

There has to be an effective drainage that should be designed and constructed to accommodate either low or high land. We are at the lowest topography in the Southwest and there has to be extra caution in checking these things to avoid flooding.

How do you react to the 10,000 trader money? There are allegations that the APC are demanding people to show them their PVCs before they are given the money?

If you are a Lagosian you should not go to bed hungry or poor. My worry is that the present government doesn’t have good intentions for the people. What are you

intervening to do? A normal thing a good government would do is to make sure loans are made available at a single digit interest rate which should be accessible to the people.

When you do that you set in motion mechanism for very low default. You don’t give money to people for political patronage.

What we would do here if elected into government is to set up small business fund.

We will encourage small businesses, and N50 million or more would be set aside for that. We are projecting a budget of N1.7 trillion and we say we want to release N5 billion a month. It means you are just spending N70 million on landing.

The current trader money controversy is unnecessary. What the APC is doing is wrong. If it is true, they are taking the right of the people from them; it is wrong. When we are elected into power, we will set up a small fund to encourage SMEs; all you need to do is prove that you are a resident in Lagos, we would give you.

Previous administrations in the state have failed in disclosing the true financial position of the state, or making their financial transaction open. What is your position?

It is very unfortunate. For us we would not do that when elected into power. These politicians have shown us who they really are; they have changed the name of their political party several times in the last few years. If the party is not transparentthegovernmentcannot be transparent.

You just write the budget and take it to state House of Assemble.

If you are not trying to give contract to your cronies you would advertise it so that Nigerians can bid for it.

It is impunity. We will be very transparent in what we are going to be doing when we get to government. The approach of this government to infrastructure is wrong. You must have vision of where Lagos should be in the next 20 years.

For the past 20 years there is no metro line in Lagos. The buses are just going to be part of it and we are able to move millions of people comfortably. We are going to move people from Oko in Ogun State, in 25 minute and we would use metro line powered by electricity so that they can move faster. This government’s talk about infrastructural development is propaganda.

What would you bring to the table if elected the governor of Lagos State?

If I am elected the governor of Lagos State, in ten years I would build one million houses to solve the accommodation challenge that Lagosians are currently facing. I can tell you I will win the governorship election. I understand the political terrain of Lagos State. I am a grass-

roots politician. Our party currently has structures in 20 local government areas of the state. We have the structure to win the election and we are on ground in the state.

How I will transform Lagos State if elected Governor- Fafowora Muyiwa Fafowora an insurance expert and entrepreneur, is the gubernatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Lagos State for next year’s election, in this interview with Iniobong Iwok,outlined his agenda if elected the governor of the state.

You have been a successful businessman, why did you venture into politics?

As a true Lagosian growing up in Lagos there are some benefit that I enjoyed as a young man, it gives me the opportunity to serve, my idea of politics is that; it is for service and in the last 19 years that is what i have been doing.

I have not been a contractor, nor been a commissioner in any ministry. Even when I was made the commissioner of National task force it was voluntary it was purely to serve; I was not paid any salary when I was given that position.

My idea of politics is that it is for service, so when the opportunity came my way, I ended up been the gubernatorial candidate of the ADC my philosophy is still about serving the people of Lagos State.

The APC are in power and in control of the political structure in the state, don’t you think it would be difficult to dislodge them?

I want to take you back through the memory lane in 1979, at that time there were two major political parties in Lagos; the UPN led by Obafemi Awolowo which was a progressive party, and the Babs Akerelele led NPN which was a conservative party, interm of what they achieved; but when we came back to democracy in 1999 the belief among Lagosian was that the AD was a progressive party and they voted for them on that bases, when they were giving a chances in power what happened?

When you talk of been a progressive, it should be That you put the common man at the front of your policies, it is the poor that should be given a chance, in any society if anything happens it is the poor that would suffer, so I have my chance now to sell my programs to the people; if the people are convince they would vote for change and that proper change is to vote for ADC in 2019.

Lagosian are currently facing severalenvironmentalissues,oneof them is truck congestion in Apapa, which have become perennial problem inspite of government attempt to resolve it how would you resolve the problem?

Again right after the civil war, Nigerian was so much in a hurry to develop, we had port congestion, there was the oil boom, we wanted to build houses, shops, there were inflow of trailers coming to Apapa port, but there was nowhere to park them, that was the reason the government at that time set up the Tincan port and if you know the port around the 70s; there was no space in the park for the trailers to go and pick up their petroleum and when we had tshortages.

Sunday 02 December 2018

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BDSUNDAY 19

Politics 21 days of commotion in Akwa Ibom Assembly ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo

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he drama that has been unfolding in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly can best be seen as a tragedy and a comedy depending from which political prism one is viewing the plot of the story line.

It is a tragedy in the sense that Akwa Ibom that has often prided itself as one of the most peaceful states in the country is being gripped with scenes of violence while the state Assembly has become a house of commotion.

On the other hand, it is a comedy because the Assembly with 26 elected members from the 26 state constituencies drawn from the 31 local government areas of the state has now turned the state into a laughing stock due to the alleged actions of only five members.

By surreptitiously entering the assembly chamber without the mace and purportedly holding plenary without the clerk of the Assembly in attendance and announcing the impeachment of the speaker in a voice vote is a drama acted by dramatis personae with political intentions. This is indeed a clear indication that the alleged “renegade lawmakers” have “the courage to do nonsense.”

It all began in the wake of the defections that have gripped the country with politicians jumping ship from one political party to the other. When Godswill Akpabio, former governor or Akwa Ibom State and erstwhile senate minority leader, defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), many had believed that several lawmakers in the state assembly would immediately move with him to the APC, but that was not to be. So when eventually Nse Ntuen who represents Essien Udim state constituency where Akpabio hails from defected, he was followed by three other lawmakers who had failed during the concluded party primaries to secure tickets of their parties and they decided to move on.

While the assembly continued with its normal sessions in spite of the defections, Governor Udom Emmanuel who presented the 2019 Budget on November14 had the full complement of more than 90 percent of the lawmakers present.

Before then, sensing that their seats might be declared vacant, one of the affected legislators, Idongesit Ituen, who chaired the assembly’s works committee and represents Itu state constituency, had gone to court to seek a restraining order that his seat should not be declared vacant.

However, when the Federal High

Court sitting Uyo, which heard the case brought by Ituen gave an order that he should forfeit his seat pending the determination of the motion on notice, the assembly reconvened abruptly to consider the motion, urging the governor to name a landmark institution in the state after former Governor Victor Attah as he turned 80 years and at the same time declared the seats of five lawmakers who had defected vacant. It is noteworthy here to state without mincing words that Attah having successfully campaigned for resource control and the abrogation of the obnoxious offshore/onshore dichotomy by the Federal Government and because of his visionary leadership is highly revered by a cross section of the people of Akwa Ibom State. It must also be stated that it was Attah who appointed Akpabio as a commissioner and kept him in the state executive council for six years after which Akpabio became governor of Akwa Ibom State but chose to make him his political enemy.

Attah has since retired from politics and has elected to see himself as an elder statesman and the leader of the Ibibios and by extension Akwa Ibom State.

Indeed, the political crisis that has engulfed the state House of Assembly erupted on 19 November soon after the five lawmakers had their seats declared vacant. Since then, it has been one drama or the other.

Same day, as the other 21 lawmakers left the assembly complex; the five lawmakers allegedly broke into the chamber of the legislative house and purportedly impeached the speaker, Onofiok Luke. As the video clip of the proceedings presided over by Nse Ntuen went viral

on the social media platforms, doubts began to be expressed by discerning Nigerians how three lawmakers would be able to impeach the speaker and turnaround to hold the entire state to ransom.

Paraphrasing Chinua Achebe in one of his novels, when one finds dancers on the road, there is every possibility that the drummers are in a nearby bush. What the melodrama that has gripped Akwa Ibom State since last week can also be seen as the prelude to the battle for the soul of Akwa Ibom State in the coming general election between PDP and APC. While the imbroglio lasted, the police laid siege to the assembly and prevented both the lawmakers and the workers from entering the premises. It was as if democracy was being threatened by the actions of the security agencies.

According to observers, if the elections were to be free and fair without any collusion by groups or security agencies as alleged by the governor, PDP would secure a comfortable win in Akwa Ibom State.

As the state did not have enough of the tension and crisis, on Monday, the five lawmakers, allegedly aided by the police, went to the assembly and conducted plenary with a procured mace and a sergeant at arms who had retired from service many years ago.

But as the drama entered many acts and scenes, with the arrival of Governor Udom Emmanuel, the five lawmakers were said to have taken to their heels and pandemonium allegedly broke out in the assembly premises.

The speaker has since obtained a court injunction issued by Justice Ekaette Obot of the state high

court restraining Nse Ntuen from parading himself as the speaker of the state House of Assembly. Speaking on the crisis, a group of leaders comprising Helen Esuene, a former minister, Effiong Bob, a former senator and Anietie Okon, a former senator described the siege to the Akwa Ibom legislature as another ill-advised and desperate attempt by the “drowning APC to cling unto undemocratic avenues to power by the abuse and desecration of every democratic ideal upheld by responsible governments.’’

In a press statement, the leaders under the aegis of Akwa Ibom Leaders Vanguard reiterated that no level of intimidation would be allowed to plunge the state into the anarchical dictates of Federal elements whether the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the police or military, stating that “it is apparent that the current leadership of our nation has not fully come to terms with how democracy works and is bent on wielding power through the butt of the gun.”

According to the leaders, “Our state has since progressed from the dark era of 2007-2015 and far from the dictatorial regime of 1984. We remain a distinctive people committed to the peace and have been sustained by the current administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel and admonish in strong terms the military/police occupation of our House of Assembly.”

They noted that the “sheer admission of failure in an upcoming election that is clearly lost due to disdain and collapse of the negative ‘change’ experienced at the national level which has caused these felons to seek punishment of innocent Akwa Ibom people

for the square rejection by the people of Akwa Ibom and the larger Nigerian state.”

The statement, which was also signed by other prominent leaders including Ndueso Essien, a former minister and a two-term member of the House of Representatives and Peter Linus Umoh, former speaker of the state Assembly maintained however, that they are committed to attempt to ensuring the success of our democracy and every shameless attempt to confuse good reasoning with faulty psychotic processes will be met with divine wrath and rejection by the people of the state.

In joining issues with the PDP, Ini Okopido, chairman of the APC in the state, kicked against the declaration of the seats of the five members vacant, saying all the five members had pending cases in court which were presently rigorously contested by lawyers engaged by the speaker and the PDP. “On November 14, 2018, the Federal High Court delivered judgment in one of the cases against Idogesit Ituen of Itu state constituency As expected of a law abiding citizen, Ituen immediately filed an appeal against the judgment and also filed an application for stay of execution against the judgment.

“The APC as a law abiding party totally condemns the actions of the former speaker in its entirely in taking the laws into his hands and embarking on absolute illegalities and acting as god by declaring the seats of members whose matters were still pending in the courts and who had existing court orders restraining him from such purposed declaration,” he said at a press conference.

Speaking on the crisis, Governor Emmanuel after witnessing the alleged partiality by the police when they allowed the five lawmakers to enter the assembly complex, but prevented other lawmakers from doing, so raised the alarm that the police were aiding the breakdown of law and order in Akwa Ibom State.

“I want the whole world to know and hear me that we have a total breakdown of law and order today led by the Nigeria Police. The same police that I am using the resources of the state to make sure that we maintain peace and order in this state.

“It is the same police force today supervised by the commissioner of police who came in against the court of law. We have reported this to the highest order, the presidency and all arms of the security agencies and nobody has taken steps to address it. So they are leaving Akwa Ibom State to defend themselves; meanwhile, they are using our oil money to maintain security.

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Sunday 02 December 2018

Interview ‘Government must urgently make Calabar, Onne and Port-Harcourt ports fully functional’ Adejare Rewane Adegbenro, a Lagos-based entrepreneur is the chief executive officer, Balmoral International Ltd. In this interview, the Ogun State-born businessman suggests ways Nigeria can completely exit recession and reduce inflation. He also speaks on how the Naira can be at par with the American Dollar as well as how mass youth employment can reduce crime rate in the country.Excerpts:

H

ow is the economy faring under this administration compared to what was obtainable before it?

Well, it is clear that these are trying times for businesses in the country but with the way things are being done by this government, there is hope for brighter future.

As a country and people, we have to change our ways of ‘business as usual’ and be willing to make sacrifices for a better tomorrow.

The investments being made on infrastructure, agriculture, power and the ease of doing business initiatives, we are heading in the right direction.

There are so many sectors opening up, the attention to ICT presently, for people with open minds and willingness to work, the opportunity is huge.

Are you comfortable with the pace the government is going in handling economic matters?

The government is a work in progress. As it is, there are lots of issues to contend with all at the same time and expectations are very high. But we must be realistic and be patient. We must admit that the way we do things must change. It is obvious things will be tough initially before they get better.

However, if people are complaining as much as the government is doing now, it means that the government is not doing enough in terms of awareness to let the people know what they have done so far.

However, I would score it 65percent from about 30percent two years ago. With the diversification of the economy away from oil and other export items on the increase we will be able to generate move FX and employ more people.

As an entrepreneur, what economic indices do you use to arrive at your points?

A government that is interested in completing abandonedinfrastructural projects like major roads, railroads, power projects and Agro-allied projects is a government that is interested in getting the country working again. With the stable production of crude

Rewane Adegbenro in Nigeria and fairly stable oil price, this government has the opportunity to diversify this economy and shift focus and over-reliance on oil. If this government can also focus on setting up modular refineries that work in all the geo-political zones of the country, huge savings will be made in the forex used in importing petroleum products. The government should increase and encourage loans for SME across all vocations, ethnic groups and fields across the country. Many unemployed youths can and would make use of business opportunities if government creates a platform for awareness because most of them are ignorant of dynamics of economic changes in our environment, both locally and globally.

What would you say about the steps taken by this administration to turn the economy around. Are they in the right direction?

Yes.However, there is a lot of room for improvement.

The government should focus on youth and sports to curb crimes and position the country for exportation of talents in the short to medium term,

large allocation of the budget should be made for health and education with strict monitoring of usage of resources. The school curriculum should be reviewed to include basic sports like, football, swimming, gymnastics and basketball and so on.

By your personal assessments, is Nigeria truly out of recession?

No, the country is not totally out of recession. The cause of the recession in the first place was an imported inflation characterised by devaluation of the Naira with a resultant multiplier effect of increase in the prices of goods and services.

Until the pressure placed on dollar by the country’s overreliance on imported goods are tackled, the value of the Naira will continue to depreciate and the country will always relapse into another round of recession.

The government should focus on things that can generate forex and ensure that we produce most of the things we consume like food, petroleum products and export things that we have that the world needs like Bitumen, solid minerals and the likes.

What can the government

do to bring USD at par with naira?

This will be a long and enduring journey but it is not too late to start. The government should continue with the investment in agriculture but needs to upscale to processing the produce from the farms or empower entrepreneurs that are interested in processing to do it. It needs to open up other ports across the country to ease the clearing of imports and exports to reduce the cost of inputs and factors of production. The government should set up modular refineries that work in all the geo-political zones of the country to support the production from the Dangote refinery and save the forex used in importing petroleum products. Invest in health and education, sports and youth and reap the reward in few years’ time.

Can we have your assessment on the roles the CBN played that resulted in the present economic situation of the country?

Well, the role of the CBN is to ensure implementation of economic policies that drive growth and sustainability. Any deviation from this is a failure on the part of the country reserve bank and the captain of the ship which is the Governor of the bank.

With the various interventions in the forex space to defend the Naira, the CBN and the governor had done well in my opinion. However, the CBN should have a more inclusive monetary policy implementation where all stakeholders are well consulted before implementation to avoid policy summersault as we have had in the case of sovereign guarantees giving higher yields than corporate guarantee.

He has done a lot to bring more people from the informal into the formal sector, BVN was a great initiative but a lot more needed to be done to increase from about 15percent to at least 40percent, this will go a long way in helping banks develop decent retails banking sector that helps more people have access to loans.

Is there anything that can be done to arrest inflation?

I believe so. The government should first understand

that the inflation in Nigeria is a cost-pull inflation where the cost of factors of production are high because they are predominantly imported and cost of clearing at the port has also hit the roof due to lack of proper planning and overreliance on a single port by the government. It is obvious that there is an urgent need for the other ports like Calabar, Onne and Port-Harcourt to be fully functional. This will reduce the cost of clearing and haulage and also reduce pressure on Nigerian trunk roads. Also, Nigeria should stop importation of items that can be produced in Nigeria while looking at producing things we have that are in high demands globally like Bitumen, solid minerals, Cocoa and Cashew.

How can the government create jobs to reduce the rate of unemployment and crime?

Government should make policies that aid all the above mentioned. This will see businesses growing and expanding and other new businesses also springing up with foreign investment opportunity coming into the country. All these will give rise to increase in demand for labour and unemployment rate will reduce automatically.

Government should also pay more attention to appointment and allocation of responsibility to ensure that the best brain available in the country relevant to work requirement are appointed into offices irrespective of whether the person is a politician, party member or not. It should also set up an appraisal system, for the public officers to ensure periodic assessment of activities. This will ensure excellence in carrying out the function of all public officers.

The government should also not appoint anyone it cannot fire. It should encourage training of its officials in all sectors.

This will help in making right decisions that would put the economy to having world class standard. I also suggest that politicians and few others, who live larger than life, shouldn’t be overpaid. The concept of immunity for governors and other executives should be eradicated as this has paralysed and still paralysing our economy.

BDLife Sunday 02 December 2018

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LIFE&LIVING

ARTS OffDuty RealGist C002D5556

BDSUNDAY 21

At home with the ‘figurative’ painter

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Sunday 02 December 2018

Life&Living

Scents to fall in love with this ember season!

IFEOMA OKEKE

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t feels just like yesterday that the year started and we already have to prepare for one of the busiest time of the year. With the season comes a myriad of activities and events where we do not just have to dress to impress but also ensure that we make a memorable appearance, and what better way to do this than with an unforgettable scent.

Meet the dynamic luxury fragrances we are in love with this season.These products are exclusively available at Montaigne place.

Nejma Le Sublime: A real crowdpleaser, Nejma’s Le Sublime combines rose, jasmine, orange blossom, and magnolia with a highlight of citrus and passion fruit. In the background, the notes of delicately sweet brown sugar, caramel and dark chocolate mix with a woody accord. Sophisticated and glamorous, it’s the sort of scent that easily becomes your signature.

Le Sublime.

Roja Elysium Pour Homme: If you’ve ever wanted to smell like the heroic knights from the books you loved growing up, here’s your chance because this scent captures the rare strength of characters possessed by the heroic and virtuous. Incorporating perfumery’s most legendary notes, its ultra-fresh citrus top notes are met by the unexpectedly sweet

harmony of florals at the heart and warmed by a base of vetiver, ambergris and leather. It is described as an ‘elixir of pure valiance.’

Elysium.

Lune Feline by Atelier Des Ors: The next fragrance is something to go for if you are in the mood to spread some aromas of seduction and challenge. It is on the heavier side than most scents, but the vibrant chords of cinnamon, precious wood and ambergris is beautifully balanced by the soft, sensual and seductive blend of Tahitian vanilla, Peru balm and musk. Like a magnetic star, this fragrance captures the attention of those exposed to it. This is one fragrance that will leave an enduring impression everywhere you go.

its lavish and indulgent scent reminiscent of one of the most grandeur structures in Italy, The Merchant Of Venice La Fenice Pour Femme is a sensual fragrance with an outstanding oriental composition. It doesn’t get more extravagant than this.

La Fenice.

Evoke Gold Edition by Ajmal: Many luxury brands tend to be on the higher end of your budgets, not Ajmal. Ajmal provides fragrance lovers with lots of options so you can get your hands on their delectable scents across several ranges.

Encapsulated in Gold, Evoke is designed to attract the outgoing and adventurous soul. A fragrance built around spicy fruit notes yet works its magic with a pure floral scent that closes with a mix of Vanilla, Musk and Tonka to provide a longlasting serenity. This delightful ensemble will definitely set you apart.

Atelier Des Ors. La Fenice Pour Femme by The Merchant of Venice: This olfactory vision of beauty is worth every penny, with

Evoke Gold EDitiion.

Silver Mountain Water by Creed: From the prestigious House of Creed, Silver Mountain Water is a green/fresh scent. Neroli, Mandarin and Bergamot are at the heart of this fragrance which makes it a fresh and nifty fragrance. It sends out this most vibrant and exhilarating vibe made even more compelling with a brave mix of blackcurrant bud, Sandalwood and Musk. As you can tell by the ingredients, it is a scent for those who want to give off that versatile and elegant flair.

velvety turn with a leathery base of smoky and woody accents. It is further emphasized by the warmth of labdanum that literally captivates all our senses and gives off a sensuality that makes it suitable for both sexes.

Royal Oud. We expect that you can now confidently pick your favourite fragrance from our all-inclusive list, or actually switch smells based on your mood and allow the peculiarity of these fragrances cover the scope of your emotive palette per time. One thing Silver Mountain Water.

Royal Oud Intense by Korloff: And to cap the list, we have a beautiful new fragrance from Korloff – Royal Oud Intense. While the name might lead you to the conclusion that it is a masculine directed fragrance, the fragrance hopes to blur the lines strongly. This sensual and carnal fragrance opens with a harmonious blend of a delicate rose absolute and a captivating incense wood before taking on a warm and

is sure though, you can always trust that you will come out feeling refined and luxurious this season with these delectable scents.

Exclusively at Montaigne Place.

The right beauty products for women of colour, designated with Melanin in Mind

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kin care is not one size fits all and no one knows that better than women of color who often have specialized skin issues that go unaddressed by popular skin care brands.

While there may be plenty of products out there, sadly, ones that specifically cater to melanin-

rich skin concerns such as hyperpigmentation, uneven skin tone, eczema and excess oil production are still rather sparse and often difficult to find in mainstream retailers.

However, there are some incredible names boasting brilliant products created with melaninrich skin in mind, catering to the is-

sues that are typically experienced by dark complexions, founded by some brilliant women like Flori Roberts.

In 1965, Flori Roberts developed a line of cosmetics for women of color when she saw the gap in the market. Women of color had to mix and match different shades of foundation and powder in order

to achieve a suitable shade.

Yet, since these colors were not formulated for darker skin tones, blending them often gave the skin a chalky, gray overcast.

Flori Roberts formulations were however precisely designed to match the skin pigmentation of women of color, the result was a diverse cosmetic line with a variety of natural looking shades for women of color. These products are exclusively available at Montaigne Place stores.

Today, the brand has lost none of its appeal. With a comprehensive range of quality color cosmetics and skincare products that

include foundations, face powders, blush, eye and lip makeup, cleansers, toners, body butter and lots more, you will love the skin you’re in.

The brand is also synonymous with serious skin care with their bestselling skin care range, Enlighten, using Emblica (a plant extract) – a safe substitute for hydroquinone, arbutin or kojic acid. which is a dramatically effective and natural way to even out skin tone, fade discolorations and brighten the skin.

These products are exclusively available at Montaigne Place stores.

Sunday 02 December 2018

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Arts At home with the ‘figurative’ painter OBINNA EMELIKE

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h e n Ay i Kw e i Armah, a Ghanaian writer, wrote ‘The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born,’ his debut novel in 1968, the beautiful ones were truly not born then. Today, there are many beautiful ones around, especially in the creative arts who are showcasing high levels of ingenuity in their works.

One of such gifted beauties is Njideka Akunyili-Crosby whose works have garnered global recognition and patronage within 10 years of practice.

Njideka’s story is interesting.

When the Nigerian-born painter left her country with her sister at age 16 to study in the United States of America, all her parents were expecting was a medical doctor on her return.

Of course, considering the fact that her father was a surgeon and her mother was a professor of pharmacology at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, their expectation of her studying medicine was not out of place. But like most gifted people, Nijideka followed her passion and studied arts instead of medicine.

Today, the graduate of Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and Yale University School of Art has no regrets following her passion as her works are sought after by galleries, art collectors and auction houses across the world.

Speaking on her reasons for studying arts instead of medicine, she says, “There are plenty of people doing medicine, especially Nigerians. But art is where I really felt I had something to contribute, something fresh, something relevant, and something needed.”

Njideka is exceptional. She

Njideka Akunyili at work in her studio

mixes painting, drawing, photo transfer, printmaking and other materials to make art. On a visit to her studio in East Los Angeles, California, one marvels at the dexterity of the visual artist. At the studio, you will witness her using photos she has taken by herself, layered in her works by collage and acetonetransfer prints, and creating a fabric of images throughout her paintings.

More also, her ethnic heritage and African experiences, inform her art in the Diaspora.

On a closer look, a keen visual art lover will see the influences of classic and contemporary painters such as; Édouard Vuillard, Alex Katz, for western paintings and Chris Ofili for the Nigerian/Africa landscape. The artists were top among the influencers of Njideka’s works today. Beyond that, she

Njideka explaining one of her works

draws her daily inspiration from her experience as a Nigerian in the Diaspora living in America in doing her work.

Explaining “The Beautyful Ones” Series #3 (2014), one of her works featuring two sisters she says the paintings reminds her of herself and her sister at a similar age. She photographed the two sisters on a trip to Nigeria and hopes to make such trips as often as she can because of the inspirations she gets from such trips.

She is aged below 35, but has garnered some of the biggest awards and recognitions in the global art sector. Sales for the Nigerian-born artist have soared from less than $100,000 to more than $3 million since her works started appearing on art auctions.

Her high mark was achieved on March 7, 2017 at Christie’s London when her work, “The Beautyful Ones” sold for $3,075,774 (including fees). The artist is not tired yet.

She has works that will surpass her 2017 revenue mark this year.

While her works make global mark in auctions, her career is on the rise as well with recognitions.

She was awarded the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship recently.

The MacArthur Fellowship, also referred to as the Genius Grant, awards $625,000 to artists, writers, teachers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and people from all works of life who have shown exceptional creativity. She joined the list of past recipients of the awards including Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie who received the grant in 2008.

At the presentation of the award, the foundation described her as “a figurative painter whose large-scale works express the hybridity characteristic of transnational experience through choices of subject matter, materials, and techniques.”

She was the Financial Times Women of the Year 2016, Future Generation Art Prize 2017, Shortlist Prix Canson 2016, among others.

In addition, New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art and London’s Tate Modern have decorated Njideka with honours for her artworks.

However, Nigeria can truly call the global artist her own because she always traces her roots to Nigeria and infuses her works with African themes and influences.

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Sunday 02 December 2018

Arts Ikeogu Oke: When the poet looked death in the eye CHUKS OLUIGBO

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ne of the most remembered poems of Raphael Ernest Grail Armattoe, the 20th century Ghanaian doctor, author, poet and politician, is ‘The Way I Would Like to Die’, which partly reads: “I would like to go while still young / While the dew is wet on the grass / To perish in a great air crash / With a silver ‘plane burning bright / Like a flashing star in the night”.

Well, Armattoe did die young, though not “in a great air crash”, but of suspected poisoning. But before his death in 1953, at age 40, Armattoe had written his name in gold, having been nominated for the 1949 Nobel Peace Prize for medicine and physiology for his research mainly on Ewe physical anthropology, even though the prize was eventually won

by John Boyd Orr, 1st Baron Boyd-Orr, a medical doctor and the director of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization at the time. He had also published ‘The Golden Age of West African Civilization’, ‘Between the Forest and the Sea’, his first book of poetry, in 1950, while ‘Deep Down in the Black Man’s Mind’, his next collection, was published in 1954, after his death.

Like Armattoe, Ikeogu Oke, Nigerian poet, writer and journalist, who took a bow November 24 at the National Hospital, Abuja, after an apparently long battle with pancreatic cancer, could look death in the face and embrace it, even if he didn’t wish it upon himself. Oke was valiant unto death, seeing, as in those now all-too fa-

Ikeogu Oke

miliar words of Julius Caesar, the protagonist of William Shakespeare’s classic of the same title, that “death, a necessary end, will come when it will come”.

Nicholas Ibekwe, an investigative journalist, said in a tribute to Oke, “I am glad you looked death in the eye and scolded it with your best weapon – poetry.” Ibekwe’s reference was to Oke’s epitaph, which the late poet had posted on his Facebook wall on September 16, about two months to his death. It reads, “My Epitaph. Here lies a man who loved virtue and art, And gave to both his fortunes and his heart. Ikeogu Oke (1967 – ).”

Garba Shehu’s narration of his first and last encounter with Oke further tells the story of a man who saw his death coming and rose to embrace it valiantly.

Shehu, spokesman to Ni-

geria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, said he met Oke for the first time about two weeks before the poet’s death and that the poet told him it would be their last meeting.

“I told him that I read his recent writings and he asked me if I had been impressed by them. When I observed that he looked unwell, he told me about his recovery from a recent surgery. Throughout the meeting, he was warm and affectionate,” Shehu said in a tribute.

“I don’t know what others will make of his telling me at that time that I and him will not meet again. To this, I protested and assured that we will meet again and again.

He then requested me to join him in a photo and thereafter, he embraced me and said goodbye.”

In a 2016 interview with this writer, Pat Utomi, renowned Nigerian professor

MR. Eazi, Tekno, DJ Neptun set to thrill guests with Remy Martin

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n its quest for relentless innovation, Remy Martin, premium cognac brand, is thrilled to bring to Lagos another edition of ‘At the club with Remy Martin.’

The experience will be brought to life through the star studded line up for the 13th edition where over a thousand guests will be entertained by famous musical acts like Mr. Eazi, Tekno, Maleek Berry and Teni The Entertainer.

Legendary Djs; DJ Neptune & DJ Baggio will also be in attendance serving up the best tunes.

“Remy Martin consistently strives to push the boundaries of brand experiences; with this

edition we are offering access to an even better first class clubbing experience which promises to be mind-blowing.

It will be a night to remember by guests,” the organisers of the event said.

The spectacular night club styled event promises to be a delightful blend of quality entertainment and the finest cognac.

Remy martin will be hosting esteemed brand clients and guests to this one of a kind experience; they will be treated to an evening of breath- taking live musical and dance performances.

As people wind down for the year this December, The luxury brand has positioned the event to provide the per-

fect avenue for Lagosians to unwind by surrounding them with surreal experiences, from the state of the art multimedia experience to the live dance performances and the exciting musical sensations.

Guests can pick up complimentary invites to the event from partner outlets in Lagos; Cubana and Ibiza. At the Club with Remy Martin is open to only individuals above 18 years old.

The hosts for this great celebration are Shody, the Turnup King and VJ Adams.

It is scheduled to hold on December 6, 2018 at the Balmoral convention centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

of political economy, told a joke about the skull market, where they sell the skulls of people who have died.

“They came to this market,” Utomi said, “and someone said, ‘That’s the skull of Albert Einstein, it’s auction time’, and somebody priced it $10. ‘What? $10 for the skull of a whole Einstein?’

Then they brought the skull of one Nigerian politician and the first bid was $10 million.

‘Hey! This people, what is wrong with you? Don’t you know value? Einstein was a genius’. They said, ‘Yes, we know, but Einstein’s skull is empty, it’s used out. That of the Nigerian politician has never been used’.”

Even though he died at 51, I’m sure that Oke’s skull was put to great use while he was here and, even though it is certain that he was not exhausted, his skull would cost nothing close to that

of the Nigerian politician in that imaginary skull market of Utomi’s joke.

Li k e Ar m a t t o e , Ok e wrote his name in gold before taking a bow. With great works that include ‘The Heresiad’, ‘In the Wings of Waiting’, ‘The Lion and the Monkey’, ‘Salutes without Guns’, which Nobel Laureate Nadine Gordimer in 2010 selected as her Book of the Year for the Times Literary Supplement, ‘The Tortoise and the Princess’, ‘Where I was Born’, and several other poems and writings that have appeared in journals, anthologies and other publications worldwide, Oke couldn’t be said not to have done his noble best on this side of eternity. Interestingly, he was a performance poet who performed some of his poems at various fora in Nigeria, South Africa and the United States, including as a special performance poet guest of Brown University, USA, in 2014. Through his performance poetry, Betty Abah says in a tribute, Oke “promoted the Igbo culture (Ohafia in particular) on local and international platforms while also creatively breathing life into his thoughts on universal themes, his trademark animal skin accessory, wrapper, traditional cap and other paraphernalia to boot”.

As O p - e d e d i t o r a t BusinessDay Newspaper between 2012 and 2015, I received and published Oke’s articles almost every other week, each dwelling on a very topical political or socio-economic issue, each new article punchier than the one before it. His words tumbled out in poetic fits.

And his articles ran not only in BusinessDay but also in various other newspapers across the country. That’s

how prolific he was. And he was never afraid to speak truth to power.

Though his creative genius was recognised at various times, the crowning glory of Oke’s poetic ingenuity came in 2017 when he won the prestigious $100,000 Nigeria LNG Prize for Literature with his ‘The Heresiad’, a book of epic poetry, beating Tanure Ojaide (‘Songs of Myself: Quartet’), and Ogaga Ifowodo (‘A Good Mourning’) to the prize.

But while the ovation was still loud, while his name still lingered on the lips of the Nigerian and international literati, Oke took a bow and left the stage, never to return. He, however, left enough deep words, in lines and stanzas, for generations to chew on.

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States of America, once said, “And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” Oke’s life was one heck of a productive, prolific life packed into mere half a century, not even up to Nigeria’s poor average life expectancy. His acceptance speech for the 2017 NLNG Prize for Literature may well define the very core of his philosophy of life. He said, “Give all you have to what you do and love it with your heart. Do it with your whole heart, with integrity, seeking first the kingdom of excellence for which other things should be added for you.”

Ikeogu Oke, undoubtedly, lived out this philosophy, which propelled him to the peak of an enviable literary career. And so, in the end, one can say, truly, “Here lies a man who loved virtue and art, And gave to both his fortunes and his heart.”

Techno Mobile mirrows Africa film festival

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he 2018 edition of the Africa International Film FestivalhadtheTECNO Mobile as a major partner. The exciting and innovative annual film festival, which seeks to bring the diversity of Africanfilmsintooneexperience brought various film makers and actors around the continent to share their different film making and acting experiences at this year’s edition of the film festival.

The festival, which kicked off with a screening of Jahmil Qubeka’s ‘Sew the winter to my skin’ on November 11, 2018 came to an exhilarating end on November 17, 2018 with the AFRIFF Globe awards. In between, over 100 films from 25 countries were screened with

industry seminars and master classes held every day.

As part of its commitment to developing and encouraging smartphone photography and film making, TECNO Mobile had a strong presence made up of key members of its marketing and creative department at all the key events during the festival. The brand also sponsored and presented the AFRIFF Short film category award at the glamorous AFRIFF Globe Awards to the eventual winner ‘1745’. On hand to present the award were Abel Huo, TECNO Nigeria’s marketing manager and T-BOY, the TECNO mascot.

According to Jesse Oguntimehin, PR and Strategic Part-

nership Manager at TECNO, ‘TECNO does not only develop amazing products, we also create and partner with experiences that highlight the unique features of our devices. With the international nature of AFRIFF and its focus on film culture, we have brought the strength of our Camon series to fore. We are definitely looking forward to playing a bigger role at next year’s edition.

Guests on the red carpet such as Omotola JaladeEkeinde, Rita Dominic, Ego Boyo, Ini Edo and Uche Jumbo had the opportunity to experience the amazing selfie quality of the TECNO Camon X Pro and 11, while interacting with T-Boy and the media.

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Arts Alexis Galleries unveils next art masters at ‘La Floraison’ OBINNA EMELIKE

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f you are passionate about visual art and have been following some artists who are masters of their craft, you need to see another set of masters with sheer creative ingenuity.

The next masters are going to be unveiled at La Floraison (The Bloom 1) exhibition on December 8, 2018 at Alexis Galleries on 282 Akin Olugbade Street, Off Idowu Martins, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The exhibition, which is the first edition of La Floraison will feature 30 incredible works by15 great visual artists who have become art masters overtime with their creative pieces of works.

The participating artists include; Segun Aiyesan, Sam Ovraiti, Duke Asidere, Dominique Zinkpe, Zinno Orara, George Edozie, Fidelis Odogwu, Diseye Tantua, Reuben Ugbine, and Abiodun Olaku.

Others are; Gab Awusa, John Oyedemi, Alex Nwokolo, Edosa Ogiugo, and Gbenga Offo. Each artist will be showing two pieces.

The artists who have stood the test of time were all critically considered and selected to sustain the drive to hold The Next Masters

Patty Chidiac Mastrogiannis, founder/director, Alexis Galleries (4th from left) flanked by some of the artists

exhibition every year in Alexis Galleries.

Explaining the works of the artists during a media parley held recently at Alexis Galleries, Patty Chidiac Mastrogiannis, founder/director, Alexis Galleries and also the curator of the exhibition, said, “Their works are an exquisite crossover between traditional and contemporary art, a skill they have impressed on global art connoisseurs, in their various exhibitions across the world. They have achieved this feat by brilliant fidelity to their traditional roots, while also playing in the contemporary artistic genre”.

She noted further that Alexis Galleries wishes to

establish an ongoing relationship with the commune of artists, so that, together everyone can renew and sustain their artistic vision for mutual benefits and for the good of the respective communities and countries.

However, you need to visit to meet Duke Asidere, a celebrated contemporary artist with a keen following locally and internationally, as well as, realistic paintings and functional structure by Diseye Tantau among others.

As well, Sam Ovraiti who brings his gentle and philosophical soul to his works awaits your visits, while Zino Orara and George Edozie feature paintings that delight

the eyes.

The exhibition runs till December 22, 2018 and is supported by Pepsi, Maikano, Delta Airline, Amarula, Nederburg, Cobranet Internet Service Provider, Cool FM, Wazobia FM/TV, Chocolate Royal, The Avenue Suites, Art Café and The Homestores Limited.

It is worthy of note that in eight years, Alexis Galleries has engaged in the presentation and dissemination of contemporary art in the media of painting, drawing, mixed media and sculpture. It has established itself rapidly as one of the best galleries in Nigeria, a meeting place for artists, collectors and enthusiasts of art.

Yemi Alade, Duncan Mighty, Wande Coal, Falz, others set for Celebrating You 2018

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-list artistes Yemi Al a d e , Du n c a n Mighty and Wande Coal are among the collection of stars expected to thrill guests and attendees at Celebrating You 2018 – an annual year-end awards/dinner party organised by Technology Distributions Ltd. (TD), Sub-Saharan Africa’s foremost information and communication technology distributors.

Unarguably one of the most eagerly-awaited celebratory events in corporate Nigeria, Celebrating You 2018 holds on December 9, 2018 at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Yemi Alade has carved a niche for herself as one of the most energetic female entertainers in the Nigerian music scene. Her eye-catching, all-action style is expected to be one of the highlights of the event.

Duncan Mighty, the selfstyled Port Harcourt first son, is no stranger in the industry,

having amassed five studio albums with a string of very popular tunes among them.

Despite a brief hiatus from the music scene, Wene Mighty, as he is fondly called, staged a remarkable comeback in 2018 which began with his hugely popular duet – Fake Love – with superstar act, Wizkid which relaunched him into

Yemi Alade

the spotlight and paved the way for a seemingly unending stream of collaborations with a host of other big hits.

For Wande Coal, what else is there to say but bring it on! The Black Diamond has stayed relevant since he announced his entrance with the Don Jazzy-owned Mo’ Hits Records in 2006. Apart

Executive Initiative boosts art with TribeFest 2018 ANTHONIA OBOKOH

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xecutives Initiative (EI), a charity organisation established by a group of young Nigerians, is lending support to efforts at promoting Nigeria’s culture and unity through art with the hosting of TribeFest 2018.

The two day event, which held from November 23-24, 2018, at the Johnson Jakande Tinubu Park, Ikeja, Lagos, saw hundreds of attendees.

“TribeFest is a celebration of culture, and unity through Art. We believe diversity is bliss and our strength lies in working together despite our tribal differences”, Elizabeth Abubakar, project manager TribeFest, explained.

The event featured many exciting activities including; art exhibition of over 100 artworks from 25 young artists, games, music, and live painting sessions.

“Other art related activities are used as avenues to raise funds for the TribeFest School to School Outreach; a platform for supporting quality education via refur-

bishment of schools using recycled art and school supply donations”, she said.

According to Dare Asobele, founder/coordinator, EI, TribeFest is aimed at creating opportunities for Nigerian youths in taking responsibilities by using art and creativity to make little change to the society.

“I believe in creativity, but it is very low in Nigeria. We need to encourage our culture through art exhibition.

We want to use this medium to encourage youths to thinking outside the box”, Asobele said.

To sustain the educational impact, TribeFest event is proposed to be an annual event. Speaking at the event, Toju Clarke, art director of TribeFest, said the event offers platform to relegate tribalism.

“We have a special section called ‘canvass on the wall’. It is a special illustration where young people write a message of hope for Nigeria.

We believe and hope in our country. So, we will continue to promote unity and strive to live together in peace”, Clarke said.

Executive Initiative boosts unity, art with TribeFest 2018

Tee A, Lolo Omotunde set to host Monarch Experience Concert from boasting a recognizable style and amazing footwork from his early days as a dancer, Wande Coal is widely regarded as one of the most brilliant vocalists in the Nigerian music scene today. The Mushin-born lyrical maestro is also an accomplished entertainer, whose performances have never failed to draw widespread applause and accolades.

In addition, cameo appearances are also expected from Falz, the multi-talented singer, songwriter, rapper and actor, as well as, Ranti Ihimoyan, a special breed classical singer whose sonorous voice is expected to light up the stage on the night.

While Falz is expected to turn up at the After Party where another superstar, DJ Big N is expected to man the deck, Ranti – an opera and crossover singer with great versatility will perform at the main event.

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he Monarch Experience is looking set to become one of the biggest high society events of the year after the organisers last week unveiled the hosts and more line-up for the music extravaganza.

The duo of comedian cum master event compere, Tee A and Lolo Omotunde of Wazobia FM, have been unveiled as the hosts of the night of live music culture extravaganza.

Already confirmed are Fuji maestro, Kwam 1 who will headline the concert and lead an enviable list of performing artistes such as Onyeka Onwenu, Sir Shina Peters, Queen Salawa Abeni, Bright Chimezie and Gloria Ibru.

The Monarch Experience Concert, which is organised

by Temple Management Company (TMC) is scheduled to hold on Saturday, December 8, 2018 at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Serving up a cocktail of eclectic genres such as fuji, juju, highlife and contemporary afro music, some of the finest music icons will deep into their rich reservoirs and perform their original music with full compliments of their live band.

Ac c o r d i n g t o Ma r k Redguard, head of entertainment at Temple Management Company, The Monarch Experience has been getting a lot of positive feedback.

“The feedback since we first announced the concert has been awesome. We have the support of DSTV who are beaming the event live to audiences across Nigeria and the rest of Africa”, Redguard said.

“We envision that it has been a busy year for everyone and The Monarch Experience presents the perfect atmosphere for hi-society people to reward themselves with an unforgettable experience.”

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Sunday 02 December 2018

THINGS TO DO IN LAGOS It is another Sunday Funday and as always, I have somewhere for you to be at! Here are a few events happening today that will thrill you:

We have gracefully entered the concerts season/month and we don’t want

you to be left out of the fun, so cheers to a lovely eventful Sunday.

United4Food Music Concert 2018 JoinSoundSultanand other notable art-

Book Launch Of Ajonfa: The Rise

By Tunde Leye Happening on Sun, December 2, 2018, from 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM. Be at 1376 Tiamiyu Savage Street Lagos and learn more about the history of the Oyo Empire

ists including 2 Face, Ice Prince, Vector and many more as they sing your stomachs to good food.

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1 Week 2 Deaths 2 Iconic Women

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hile we mourned the death of Kim Porter another shocking news hit us, Tosyn Bucknor had kicked the bucket! It’s really sad losing people and when two make their ways to Heaven, we can only but say He knows best.

Kim Porter was an actress and model who dated Diddy on and off for 13 years and is the mother to three of his children: 20-year-old son Christian and 11-year-old twin daughters D’Lila Star and Jessie James.

The 47-year-old had been battling

flu-like symptoms (and possibly pneumonia) for several weeks, but no known cause of death has been released. She will be buried in Georgia.

With an age gap of only 10 years, Tosyn Bucknor breathe her last at the age of 37.

The OAP and pleasant soul had battled with sickle cell anemia all her life and her body was found lifeless by her husband Aurelien Boyer.

No details on the cause of her death yet but we know she’s resting now.

Say a prayer for the two familes.

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Movie review of the Hate You Give By Linda

By Linda Ochugbua

If you love movies that are based on true life stories from the US, then you might enjoy this brand new movie about a young girl who wanted to fight for her friend. The movie was centered on the story of the incidence that happened in America some time ago about Black Lives Matter.

It showcased some awesome things going on in the black neighborhood and how they fought for their legal rights. I loved the role of the young girl who turned out to be the lead actress, she played a good role in making this movie very emotional and interesting.

The movie started with Starr (the lead actress in school), whose parents were from a black background and made a conscious effort to send their kids to a private school filled with white kids all to give them the kind of life they never had.

This actual cost them a lot but they were willing to make that investment. One evening Starr decided to hang out and party with her black friends, suddenly a fight broke out and they all had to run for safety as a fellow black kid was shot by another.

Starr escaped with her long time best friend Khalil, but little did she know that their reconnection was going to be shortlived.

While driving home a police officer beaconed on them to pull over and he did, but in the process of getting his hair brush out of the car to brush his hair, the police officer pulls the trigger at

him and he died.

After this, the movie went into a whole new level, the blacks started to riot and fight, they felt the life of the black boy mattered and that justice needed to be served to the white police officer but after his hearing, the court set him free. The battle became really intense and even bloodier until something happened. What is the something? You will have to watch the movie to find out.

Cast: Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby,KJ Apa, Lamar Johnson, Issa Rae, Algee Smith, Sabrina Carpenter, Common, Anthony Mackie Genre: Drama Director: George Tillman Jr. Ratings: PG 13 (for mature thematic elements, some violent content, drug material and language) Written by: Audrey Wells Running: 132 minutes Studio: 20th Century Fox To my verdict I would say the movie deserves an 8/10, maybe because it looked real and most people felt they could connect and relate with it. Great storyline and I learnt somethings: In life you must learn to forgive and move on from the pains of your past. I also learnt that if you have to fight, make sure you fight for a just course.

Feel free to review any movie of your choice in not more than 200 words, please send us a mail to linda@businessdayonline. com and stand a chance to win a free movie ticket.

28 BDSUNDAY

Off Duty With

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Sunday 02 December 2018

Bolatito Adebola Mobile: 08053859391, email - iambolatito@gmail.com twitter - @iambolatito

Forte oil boss, Femi Otedola, the promise keeper

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romises are the uniquely human way of ordering the future, making it predictable and reliable to the extent that this is humanly possible. Billionaire businessman and Chairman of Forte Oil, Femi Otedola, has just fulfilled his promise to Augustine University’s Engineering Faculty. Quite recently, at the sod-turning ceremony, he marked the first day of construction of his donation of a multimillion-naira complex to the university’s faculty of engineering’s complex in Epe, Lagos State.

Femi is a very charitable person and he will stop at nothing to do the best for the less-privileged, said, like his fa-

ther, he was passionate about education and development of the country. The first son of late former governor of Lagos State, Sir Michael Otedola, has

been doing these for many institutions and does not appear to stop doing so.

Femi Otedola’s commitment to the educational sector is second to none, and this shows that philanthropy runs in the Otedola family, and this is another move in the Otedola family, about giving back to the society. Meanwhile, the billionaire’s mother, Lady Doja Otedola, was in her element at the event. She enthused: “I think I’m the happiest person today and I’m sure I’ll always be happy.

It is always on record that this Augustine University was meant to be built at OdoRagunsin. Sometime in 1994

NDDC boss, Nsima Ekere shines on

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here are ominous signs that the moving train of the people’s choice in Akwa Ibom State is moving on steadily and stealthily without any let or hindrance, and this continues to be evident in all his endeavours since he became the flagbearer of APC in the state. Dignified personality, Nsima Udo Ekere, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC), sparkled like a cluster of shining stars at the 2018 edition of New Telegraph Awards

that took place at the expansive Balmoral Hall of Federal Palace Hotel in

Victoria Island, Lagos in the early hours of today Saturday the 18th 2018 as The New Telegraph Newspaper honoured him with an award. Interestingly, Ekere was recognized and honoured with Corporate Leadership Award for the second consecutive year. One thing that has remained on the lips of many is that Esima remains impressively humble and immune to conceit, treading a rare path to acclaim thus, attracting honour in torrents, from home and abroad, which is why he is extremely popular among

BUA’s Kabiru Rabiu adds a year

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irthdays are meant for celebrating, but for some, it is not a big deal, but when this notched another year he was not expecting what he beheld from his doting staff and management. When things are working well for you, you will always have reasons to celebrate the day you were born. In the popular and enterprising Bua Family, one member that has been praising God for sparing his life till date is Kabiru Rabiu, the younger brother of the

family’s patriarch, Samad Rabiu. He added a year last week and, unknown to him, the staff of the conglomerate, which he steers as an executive director, gave him a surprise birthday bash. So elated was Kabiru that he did not know that he was that loved by the staff and management. In appreciation of what the staff did for him, Kabiru pledged to continue in the spirit of good leadership to the company, and that staff member who proves their worth in the

course of their duty will be well-rewarded and compensated. A commemora-

my late husband, Sir Michael Otedola, was approached to make a financial donation to them. He was able to help get this large parcel of land for the university through the support of the then Alara of blessed memory.’ In the same vein, Femi Otedola recounted how he was encouraged by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to donate towards the completion of the Ecumenical Centre in Abuja and the former president’s rejection of his desire to make a private donation.

He said he went to his office not knowing that he had arranged for a press briefing and he said, ‘Please, let’s make this a private affair.’

his people. The very grassrooted figure keeps getting approvals and commendations from his people because of his efforts at that federal agency. No one can doubt his competence on the job because he has been delivering. Following his emergence as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the nooks, crannies and political circuits of the state have been ecstatic with joy.

Little wonder the good and law-abiding people of Akwa Ibom are shouting from their rooftops that Ekere is the ‘Best Man For The Job”

employment opportunities for Nigerians through their manufacturing concerns and other companies, and this is indeed gladdening to many, because the conglomerate continues to expand in leaps and bounds, giving more leverage and hope to the jobless lot in the country. Kabiru Rabiu is at the helm of affairs in this regard and seems undeterred in this realm of making life better for virtually hopeless Nigerians and he keeps up faith with his zeal for philanthropy.

Infotech Topshot, Timi Olorunsaye dream politics

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erial entrepreneur, Timi Olorunsaye has set his eyes on the Ifako-Ijaiye Federal Constituency House of Representatives seat, and his decision to throw his hat in the ring as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) flag bearer is causing serious ripples among the major political parties in Ifako-Ijaiye. A serial entrepreneur with great business acumen and excellent managerial skills, Timi’s work experience spans years in various sectors and he has a track record of successfully creating

and running several small businesses. He currently sits on the board of several reputable Nigerian companies operating in diverse sectors such as information technology, oil and gas, food processing and printing & packaging. His journey into politics started during his undergraduate years at LASU as a student union activist. Much later in life, he joined the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) which later metamorphosed into All Progressive Congress (APC). He later emerged as the chairman of the African

Democratic Congress in Ifako-Ijaiye LGA. As party chairman, he gave the party a strong footing in Ifako-Ijaiye by building a

formidable party structure based on the party’s ideals of socio-economic and political inclusion. Since he clinched the House of Reps ticket of ADC, he has gradually worked his way into the heart of the people and his mounting acceptance by the public has positioned him as a serious contender in the race. Although his party is not as entrenched as the other two competitors; PDP and APC, Timi Olorunsaye says he firmly believes his message of hope will inspire the people of Ifako-Ijaiye to give him their mandate.

Daughter of renowned businessman, Olayemi Lawal Soars

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hese are good times for the very entrepreneurial and innovative businessman, Otunba Yemi Lawal. He has every reason to be rejoicing at the moment. Fathers are known to revel in their children’s successes, so it was for the ever outstanding and massesloving businessman of note, Imole Adinni of Lagos Central Mosque and Chairman, Seagle Properties, Yemi Lawal, whose beloved daughter made him extremely proud by adding more to his string of successes. The daughter, Olayemi Hafsat Lawal, just upped the ante of the illustrious Lawal family with a welldeserved and toiled-for call to bar as a certificated lawyer. At the Abuja event, the University of Leicester-trained Law graduate was in her element

in company with her proud parents and immediate family members. Enterprising financial expert, Yemi Lawal could not hide his excitement on his daughter’s elevation to the bar as a practicing lawyer, with the hope of keeping the flag of the family flying high and higher. In thetraditionofherfather,Yemi is set to toe the line of success and achievements, given her father’simpetusasanachiever.

Yemi Lawal, the head honcho at Seagle Property Development Company Limited, a ground-breaking real estate development company with proven competencies in the development of luxury homes suitable for the middle and high-income families, is also not lagging on the home front.

He keeps on grandstanding and enveloping himself in joy and self-accomplishment.

Enterprising Yusuf Babalola Celebrates Life @ 40

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opular businessman and philanthropist, Yusuf Babalola, the upwardly mobile young man of honour behind one of Nigeria’s flourishing conglomerates, Yozooph Nigeria Limited, recently turned 40. The landmark age of 40 was a milestone occasion for the Ogun State-born businessman who has moulded his company, Yozooph Nigeria limited into one of the leading companies in Nigeria, even in the face of insurmountable clogs and impossibilities. While the occasion obviously called for a celebration, having recorded tremendous successes and achievements in the last four decades, the unassuming businessman was not really in the mood for any lavish celebration.

Instead, the Chairman of Yozooph Nigeria Limited, who has done a lot in the area of humanity, is more interested in giving back to humanity in honour of his birthday. To mark the special day, the topflight businessman, who has friends in high places, gathered few family members and friends to a prayer session at his highbrow Banana residence. The prayer session, which kicked off the low key celebration, was organized to offer special

thanksgiving to God for his benevolence over the last four decades and he wished God will continue to enable him. Unknown to many people, Yozooph Nigeria limited consists of subsidiaries that are leading the pack in key sectors of the Nigerian economy - ranging from the Yozooph Nigeria limited, a brand reputed for its leading status in property and gas. Then, there’s Coolmine Nigeria limited, Builders Nigeria Ltd and other thriving businesses like Eleven 07 Nigeria Ltd and Mobivation Nigeria ltd playing strong in construction and hospitality. In spite of his impressive business profile, he remains humble.

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Periscope A peep into 2019:

The state-by-state permutations

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Grand Alliance (APGA) led by Governor Willy Obiano. Also, between 1999 and to date, PDP produced two governors; Chinwoke Mbadinuju and Chris Ngige while APGA also produced two; Peter Obi and Willy Obiano but during this period, PDP has always won the Presidency.

For the 2019 general election too, PDP is likely going to repeat the same feat, for the Presidential election more so that Peter Obi, a former governor of the state is the running mate to the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. This is in addition to the fact that APC has poor representation in the state with the Minister of Labour, Ngige, as its main pillar.

James Kwen, Abuja

s the 2019 general election wind blows across the Nigerian socio-political firmament, it is also becoming clearer that the contest is between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and like in geography, the two constitute the Latitude and Longitude of the present Nigerian geopolitics.

In 2015, the newly co-joined opposition APC defeated PDP which had ruled for 16 years with 15, 424, 921(15.4 million) votes against 12, 853, 162(12.4 million) for the Presidential election.

State by state performance of the APC and PDP in 2015 for the Presidential election showed that in Abia, APC got 13, 394, PDP: 368, 303; Adamawa, APC: 374, 701, PDP: 251, 664; Akwa Ibom, APC: 58, 411, PDP: 953, 304; Anambra, APC: 17, 926, PDP: 660, 762; Bauchi, APC: 931, 598, PDP:86, 085;Bayelsa, APC: 5,194, PDP: 361, 209;Benue, APC: 373, 961, PDP: 303, 737; Borno, APC: 473, 543, PDP: 25,640 and Cross River, APC: 28, 368, PDP: 414, 863.

Delta, APC: 48,910, PDP: 1,211,405;Ebonyi, APC: 19,518, PDP: 323,653; Edo, APC: 208, 469, PDP: 286, 869; Ekiti, APC: 120,331, PDP: 176,466; Enugu, APC: 14, 157, PDP: 559, 185; Gombe, APC: 361, 245, PDP: 96, 873; Imo, APC: 133, 253, PDP: 559, 185; Jigawa, APC: 885, 988, PDP: 142, 904; Kaduna, APC: 1, 127, 760, PDP: 484, 085; Kano, APC: 1, 903, 99, PDP: 215, 779; Katsina, APC: 1, 345, 44, PDP: 98, 937; Kebbi, APC: 567, PDP: 100, 972; Kogi, APC: 264, 851, PDP: 149, 987 and Kwara, APC: 302, 146, PDP: 132, 602.

Lagos, APC: 792, 46, PDP: 632, 321; Nasarawa, APC: 236, 838, PDP: 273, 460; Niger, APC: 657, 678, PDP: 149, 222; Ogun, APC: 302, 146, PDP: 207, 950; Ondo, APC: 299, 889, PDP: 251, 368; Osun, APC: 299, 889, PDP: 249, 929; Oyo, APC: 657, 678, PDP: 303, 549, 615; Plateau, APC: 308, 290, PDP: 549, 615; Rivers, APC: 299, 889, PDP: 487, 075; Sokoto, APC: 671, 926, PDP: 152, 199; Taraba, APC: 261, 326, PDP: 310, 800; Yobe, APC: 446, 265, PDP: 25, 526; Zamfara, APC: 612, 202, PDP: 144, 833and FCT, APC: 146, 399, PDP: 157, 195.

APC accordingly won 20 out of the 37 States leaving PDP with 17 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the 2015 National elections.

However, in the build up to the 2019 general election, there are strong indications that the reverse will be the case, as PDP appears to be in a dramatic twist to bounce back to power at the centre or take back what APC had taken from it after 16 years of firm grip on the Nigeria political superstructure.

Through qualitative methods of investigation such as observation, ethnography and historical approach, BDSUNDAY found that the geography of 2019 general election will be altered with PDP winning some states won by APC in 2015 and APC retaining a good number of states won previously with little possibility of winning new states.

Yakubu

Results of the state by state analysis indicated that in: Abia State Abia is a South Eastern Nigerian state which has been under the control of PDP since the advent of the nascent democracy in 1999.

In the 2015 general election, PDP won the state landslide, leaving APC and some parties with few votes and PDP is still on the winning side in the state as the incumbent PDP Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has firm grip of the state politics and is working seriously to realise his second term bid and deliver the state to his party in the national elections with few opposition (APC) led by the former governor Orji Kalu to face.

Adamawa State Adamawa is a North Eastern Nigerian State that has been mostly ruled by PDP from 1999 until in the 2015 general election when APC won both the state and national elections there with a difference not too wide.

Adamawa is indeed a battle ground for APC and PDP in the 2019 general election because it is currently an APC-controlled state led by Governor Bindow Jibrilla and it is the home state of Aisha Buhari, wife of the President as well as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of PDP. Historical facts indicated that Atiku calls the shots in the politics of Adamawa at least, from 1999 to date and apart from Murtala Nyako, he has installed all governors in the state within this period, including Jibrilla.

At present, there is obviously no political force to reckon with the Waziri Adamawa in his state; rather, the crisis that precipitated APC primaries in Adamawa is a plus to his party and Atiku with a well-known political warchest will certainly stop at nothing

to first and foremost win his state in the 2019 general election. Thus, Adamawa is expected to fall for PDP, at least, in the Presidential election of 2019.

Akwa Ibom Akwa Ibom is a state in the South-South geo-political zone that has been under PDP control since 1999 and PDP won the 2015 elections there round and square and is still much on ground to record another victory in 2019 general election. APC hitherto had no visible presence in Akwa State with Udo Udoma, minister of Budget and National Planning until the entrance of former governor Godswill Akpabio, who analysts said cannot deliver the state to APC, but can only succeed being re-elected to the Senate.

Anambara State Anambara is a South-Eastern Nigeria state with spectacular political calculus as PDP recorded landslide victory there against APC with minimal votes when actually the state was governed by All Progressive

...in the build up to the 2019 general election, there are strong indications that the reverse will be the case, as PDP appears to be in a dramatic twist to bounce back to power at the centre or take back what APC had taken from it after 16 years of firm grip on the Nigeria political superstructure

Bauchi State Bauchi is the political and regional headquarters of North Eastern Nigeria which has been ruled by three different political parties between 1999 andnow. The state has been accordingly governed by Adamu Muazu of PDP, Isa Yuguda of the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANNP) and later PDP and the Mohammed Abubakar of the APC. Though APC got overwhelming votes and won both national and state elections in Bauchi in 2015, the likelihood of winning in 2019 is not there as the party is more of a fractured Eagle as far as Bauchi is concerned.

This is as the forces of Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, Senator Isa Missau, among others that propelled APC victory are no longer in the party. Also, PDP has regrouped in the state while APC is in disarray following the skirmishes that characterised its primaries leaving most stakeholders embittered and with lukewarm attitude towards working for the party. Again, the contest between APC Governor Abubakar and PDP Senator Bala Mohammed, former Minister of FCT, is fierce but to the advantage of the PDP. Bayelsa State The oil-rich Niger Delta (South South) State has politically been under the control of PDP since 1999 and PDP won landslide in the state during the 2015 general election. Bayelsa is the home state of former President Goodluck Jonathan who is much at home with his people and his combination with Governor Sierake Dickson is too strong for the APC led by former Governor Timpreye Sylva to contend with. Thus, PDP is in the vantage position to win Bayelsa in the 2019 general election.

Benue State Benue is a North-Central Nigerian State that remained under the control of PDP since the return to civil rule in 1999 until it was caught in the wind of change in 2015 and APC took over the state but with a few votes difference from the PDP. Ordinarily, Benue since the Second Republic has always shunned opposition politics based on the advice of its famous political leader and renowned Nationalist, the late Senator JS Tarka, founder of the defunct United Middle Belt Forum Continues on page 30

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Periscope The state-by-state permutations Continued from page 29

(UMBC), but recent developments have changed this disposition. For the National or Presidential election, Benue will naturally go for the PDP, first, because of the dwindling popularity of President Buhari-led APC which the people nicknamed, Miyelti Allah Party due to the persistent killings in the state by the suspected Fulani herdsmen and the perceived lackadaisical approach to the insecurity by the APC-led Federal Government.

On the political landscape also, PDP currently has upper hand than APC as Governor Samuel Ortom who was first elected on APC platform abandoned the party months ago and has secured PDP governorship ticket and is now working hand-in-glove with former Governor Gabriel Suswam, former Senate President, David Mark, another former Senate President and three-time Minister, Iyorchia Ayu, former Minister of Interior, Abba Morro, former Speaker Protempore, House of Representatives, Terngu Tsegba, among others to deliver Benue to PDP while former Governor George Akume and few others are battling to sell Buahri/APC. Also, the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar is politically deep-rooted in Benue with trusted allies even in the APC and he holds the honorific Chieftaincy Title of the Zege Mule U Tiv(Great Shield of the Tiv Nation) which is favouring him politically. Tivs are the dominant ethnic group in Benue State and the fourth largest ethnicity in Nigeria, occupying 14 out of the 23 Local government areas of Benue State. The remaining Idoma and Igede ethnic groups who made up the reaming nine local government areas in the state known as Benue South Zone are mainly PDP supporters under the firm grip of David Mark, who decides who gets what, when and how in the zone.

Borno State Borno is a foremost North Eastern Nigerian state which has been ruled by the defunct ANPP, one of the parties that dissolved into APC from 1999 to date. APC got overwhelming victory in Borno State in the 2015 general election and the party is expected to repeat the feat again in 2019 general election. Obviously, Borno is an APC state with little or no contestation from PDP or another political party. Governor Kashim Shettima of the APC has maintained firm grip of the state and is supported by the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari while the former governor and former factional National Chairman of PDP, Ali Modu Sheriff has since rejoined APC. Historical facts have revealed that, President Buhari has always won Borno State since 2003 that he started contesting for President.

Another valid point is that, Buhari was the Military Governor of the old North-Eastern States with headquarters in the present Borno State and is therefore, politically deep-rooted there.

Cross River State Cross River is a South-South state in Nigeria in which PDP has maintained firm grip of since 1999. Landslide victory was recorded

by PDP in Cross River during the 2015 general election and the party is still in a good stead to repeat the feat. This is because

PDP and Kayode Fayemi of ACN/ APC with several Acting governors and Administrators from PDP. Fayose and Kayode ruled the state at different intervals.

Though APC recorded good number of votes during the 2015 general election, PDP won the Presidential election. As a usual battle ground for PDP and APC the general election in Ekiti for 2019 promises to be dramatic with PDP having an edge over APC as it is believed there will be no concentration of Federal might as was witnessed in the July 14 governorship election that APC won and PDP could repeat the same feat with Fayose. But it all depends on what Fayemi does between now and the election to tangibly impress the people.

Enugu State Enugu is the political and regional headquarters of South East Nigeria which can be best described as a PDP state as the party remained in control of Enugu since 1999. Also, in 2015, PDP defeated APC with a wide margin and would do same in 2019. This is because PDP has remained on ground after the last general election and even the entrance of former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, former governor Jim Nwobo and others into APC does not make the party a match for the PDP led by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

Buhari

despite the in-roads made by APC in Cross River after the general election with the appointment of Usani Usani Uguru as Minister, entrance of PDP Chieftains such as, former Governor Clement Ebiri, Edem Duke are unmatched to the sagacity of Governor Ben Ayade of PDP and former Governor Liyel Imoke who are firmly in charge of the state politics. Also, the parallel APC primaries in the state which produced two governorship candidates, John Enoh and Usani Uguru, has further decimated APC in Cross River.

Delta State Delta is another South-South state where PDP has remained politically in charge since the advent of the nascent democracy.

The party overwhelmingly won the 2015 general election in Delta, scoring over one million votes. The 2019 general election promises to be another hay day for PDP as APC, despite certain claims cannot dislodge the PDPled by the intellectually endowed Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and supported

by James Ibori among other supposedly owners of Delta. The defection of the likes of former governor Emmanuel Uduaghan to APC; the emergence of Senator Amo Agege in APC according to analysts, have not altered the fortunes of PDP, especially as APC held parallel primaries that produced two governorship candidates, Pat Utomi and Great Ogboru and the party picked Ogboru to angst of Utomi, thereby weakening APC ahead of the general election.

Ebonyi State Ebonyi is South Eastern Nigerian state which can be politically characterised as a PDP state. This is as PDP ruled the state from 1999 to date and in 2015, PDP got the highest number of vote cast in the state

while APC got just a fraction. The same performance is expected to be staged by PDP in the 2019 general election as Governor David Umahi has evidently kept the state intact for PDP while APC led by the Minister of Science and Technology continues to wane as could be inferred from the recent defection of its 1000 members to the PDP. Edo State Edo is a South-South state ruled both by PDP and ACN and later APC. With the advent of civil rule in 1999, the state was governed by Lucky Igbenedion of PDP and briefly by Oserheimen Osunbor also of the PDP, Adams Oshiomhole of ACN/APC and is currently being governed by Godwin Obaseki of APC. In the 2015 general election, APC recorded an impressive performance in Edo, but was slightly defeated by PDP at the Presidential election.

For the 2019 general election, one would have expected APC to take over Edo completely with Oshiomhole as the National Chairman of APC, John Odigie-Oyegun, former APC National Chairman and former Governor Osunbor, but the recent travails of the Oshiomhole and the battle for political supremacy with his successor, Obaseki over the justprimaries placed PDP at the vantage position of winning Edo again with the firm support of the Igbenedion dynasty.

But nothing is sacrosanct here.

Ekiti State Ekiti is a South Western Nigerian state which has been governed by the defunct Alliance for Democracy(AD), PDP, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and APC back and forth. With the return to civil rule in 1999, AD first governed Ekiti (Otunba Niyi Adebayo), followed by Ayodele Fayose of

Gombe State Gombe is a North Eastern state that was ruled from 1999 - 2003 by the defunct ANPP with Abubakar Hashidu as governor and PDP took over in 2003 with former Governor Danjuma Goje(2003 - 2011) and Ibrahim Dankwambo(2011 - date).

APC won landslide in Gombe during the 2015 general elections while Governor Dankwambo was re-elected as governor.

It is going to be difficult for APC to repeat the same feat in Gombe in 2019 general election as the outgoing governor who wields enormous political influence now than his predecessor, Goje, is leaving no stone unturned to deliver the state to his party the PDP, especially as APC is still bickering over its primaries. Also, Gombe shares a lot in common with Adamawa and Bauchi States politically and shall steer the same coast with them in 2019.

Imo State Imo is a foremost South Eastern Nigerian state which has been under the control of PDP, APGA and APC. In 2105, PDP defeated APC in the Presidential election but the then first term Governor, Rochas Okorocha was re-elected on the platform of the APC along with majority of the members of Imo State House of Assembly and some National Assembly members. Ideally, APC would have had a better chance to win national and state elections in Imo which is the only South East state with heavy APC presence, but current developments have shown that the party is a divided house unlike the PDP with a more united house. The political battle royale between Okorocha group and Hope Uzodinma group has thrown APC in a shambles to the extent that both Uzodinma and Uche Nwosu, Okoroch’s son-in-law, are laying claims to the ticket even as the former’s name was finally published by INEC as the Imo APC Governorship Candidate.

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Periscope Consequently, PDP is more predisposed to win the state in 2019.

Jigawa State Jigawa is a state in the North West geopolitical zone of Nigeria which has been ruled by the defunct APP/ANPP, PDP and now APC since the return to civil rule in 1999. Ibrahim Turaki of APP/ANPP governed the state between 1999 and 2007 and Sule Lamido of the PDP took charge from 2007 - 2015 while Abubakar Badaru of APC has been governor from 2015 to date. In the 2015 general election, APC took over the state as President Buhari defeated Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP with a wide margin.

Also in the 2019 general election, Buhari/ APC is likely to win Jigawa again as Governor Badaru since inception has maintained firm grip of the political baton of the state more so that, it is a North Western state where Buhari has home advantage. This is just as the main APC challenger in Jigawa, former Governor Lamido who also contested for PDP Presidential ticket but lost to Atiku is said to be reluctant to work vigorously for his party’s Presidential candidate as he felt sidelined. According to sources close to Lamido, he is not happy with the turn of events after PDP Presidential primary election. They cited the instance where Lamido was not invited to the strategic meeting of the PDP top brass with Atiku in Dubai and has not been briefed even after the meeting despite his high-standing in the party. This could be a minus for the PDP and a plus for APC in 2019.

Kaduna State Kaduna is the administrative and political headquarters of the North West geopolitical zone and the centre of the entire North.

With the advent of the nascent democracy in 1999, Kaduna has been predominantly controlled by PDP except in 2015. Between 1999 - 2007, Ahmed Makarfi was Kaduna State governor on the platform of the PDP. He was succeeded by Namadi Sambo also of the PDP who later became Vice President in 2010 and his Deputy, the late Patrick Yakowa succeeded him and was re-elected in 2015 and when Yakowa died in 2012, his Deputy Mukhtar Yero continued in PDP but was defeated by Nasir el-Rufai of APC in 2015.

During the 2015 polls, APC won Kaduna State with votes more than twice of the votes PDP got. However, APC may not repeat the same feat in this highly cosmopolitan state due to certain events ahead of the general election. Politically, APC is decimated with only Governor el-Rufai as the main force as the likes of the popular Senator Shehu Sani and Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi have since dumped APC. While Hunkuyi has rejoined PDP, Sani has joined People’s Redemption Party to pursue his re-election but with a perceived sympathy for the PDP Presidential candidate.

Also, PDP has regrouped under the leadership of former Governor Makarfi alongside former Vice President Sambo, Governor Yero, Senator Leah Danjuma, among others. The recent decision of elRufai to break the long-standing political tradition in the state by picking a Muslim, Hadiza Balarabe, as his running mate is another huge political blow for APC. Kaduna State is unevenly divided along Christianity and Islamic religions and this underpins politics in the state.

More so, killings in Southern Kaduna by suspected Fulani herdsmen has escalated

state. Also, Governor Bello’s political battles which pushed the likes of Dino Melaye out of APC is a huge minus for the party.

Kwara State Kwara is another North Central state that has been under PDP rule from 1999 until the political sojourn of the Leader of Kwara politics, Bukola Saraki alongside Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed into APC in 2014. Consequently, APC won national elections in Kwara during the 2015 polls but recent political developments proved that the party could not be victorious in Kwara. This is as Saraki, President of the Senate and Governor Ahmed who facilitated APC victory in the state, have returned to PDP and as the Director General of PDP Presidential Campaign, Saraki will stop at nothing to deliver his state to his party, the PDP.

Atiku

under the APC administration, making the people to be naturally not disposed to voting APC again. The recent killings in a Kaduna market under the watch of APC government is another serious political drawback for the APC in Kaduna.

Kano State Kano is a foremost North Western Nigerian state which has highest number of votes in each national election since 1999. Within this period, Kano has been ruled by PDP, ANPP and APC. At the return of the present dispensation, PDP controlled Kano by the then Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso between 1999 and 2003; ANNP took over with Ibrahim Shekerau from 2003 - 2011, PDP bounced back with Kwankwaso in 2011 who defected to APC in 2014 and handed over to Umar Ganduje of APC from 2015 to date. In the last national elections, APC recorded unprecedented victory in Kano with over a million votes while PDP lagged behind with over two hundred thousand votes. Kano has always been Buhari/APC state since he started contesting in 2003 via ANPP, CPC and APC - a combination of these parties.

But for the 2019, Kano is going to be a battle ground for Buhari/APC and Atiku/ PDP. This is because the contemporary political magnet of Kano, Kwankwaso has dumped the APC for PDP and after unsuccessful attempt at the PDP Presidential ticket, he is the Atiku/PDP North West Campaign Coordinator. The former Kano Governor according to analysts has through his Kwankwasiya Movement become politically popular and influential in the entire North West and beyond and his association with PDP indicates victory for the party.

Also, the recent dollar bribery scandal surrounding Governor Ganduje, the APC Field Commander in Kano, with threats of impeachment from the State Assembly is risky for APC success in Kano. The APC wing Commanders in Kano, namely Senator Kabiru Gaya and Shekerau, all former governors are not without political deficits as stakeholders and supporters are not happy with their emergence as Senatorial candidates.

Katsina State Katsina is another popular North Western state under PDP rule since 1999 except in

2015 when APC took over with Governor Aminu Masari taking charge. Before then, the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of PDP who later became President governed the state between 1999 and 2007 while Ibrahim Shema took over from 2007 - 2015.

APC won Katsina landslide in 2015 with over a million votes while PDP scored less than hundred thousand votes. Katsina is a Buhari/APC domain even in the 2019 general election as it is the President’s home state with only former Governor Shema of the PDP to contend with. History has shown that since 2003, except in 2007 when Buhari contested with the late Yar’ Adua, also an indigene of the state, he has always won the election there.

Kebbi State This is also a North-Weststate that has been led by APP/ANPP, PDP and APC since 1999.

In 1999, Adamu Aliero of the APP and later ANPP governed the state until he joined PDP in 2006. Usman Dankingari took over on the platform of PDP between 2007 and 2015 while Atiku Bagudu of APC came on board from 2015 to date.

APC scored majority of votes in Kebbi during the 2015 elections and is conditioned to win again in 2019 as the party under the leadership of Governor Bagudu has maintained firm grip of the state; keeping all the former governors, members of the National Assembly as well as political gladiators intact in the party with few opposition elements.

Kogi State Kogi is a North Central state that has been ruled by APP/ANPP, PDP and APC from 1999 to date. Late Abubakar Audu of ANPP governed Kogi from 1999 -2003; Idris Abubakar of PDP took over between 2003 -2012 and Idris Wada, also of PDP governed from 2012 - 2016 while Yahaya Bello took charge from 2016 - date.

In the 2015 general elections, APC won Kogi State with scores slightly above PDP. However, the ruling party may not record such huge victory in the state at the 2019 polls. This is because, the failure of the then Governor Wada to pay workers’ salaries cost PDP the state and the incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello administration according to reports has been worst in payment of salaries which could equally cost APC the

Lagos State Lagos, the former capital of Nigeria is the administrative headquarters of South West Geopolitical Zone. Lagos from 1999 to date has been under the control of the defunct Alliance for Democracy which metamorphosed into the defunct ACN, part of which became APC. In the 2015, APC won the Presidential election with over a hundred thousand votes above PDP. Lagos is a highly cosmopolitan state without a routine voting pattern, this makes the possibility of APC repeating its electoral victory difficult. For instance, PDP Presidential Candidate, Jonathan won the state in 2011 over the ACN Candidate, Nuhu Ribadu even when ACN was in firm control of Lagos. Thus, for the 2019 general election, APC may lose Lagos considering the dwindling political sagacity of Bola Tinubu, the National Leader of APC. The snatching of the party’s governorship ticket from Akinwunmi Ambode who is popular among the people is capable of working against the fortunes of APC in the state.

Nasarawa State Nasarawa is another North Central state that remained a PDP state as far back as 1999 but in 2011, Tanko Almakura of the defunct CPC took over as the governor and was re-elected in 2015 on the platform of APC which his formerparty collapsed into.

APC made an impressive performance in Nasarawa during the 2015 Presidential election but was defeated by the then ruling PDP. With the 2019 general election around the corner, it is apparent that PDP will capture the state as APC is not united with the political bickering between Governor Almakura and Senator Abdullahi Adamu over the party’s governorship candidate, Abdullhai Sule. Also, the allegation that the Governorship Candidate is an indigene of Kano and only a settler in Nasarawa has compounded issues for APC in Nasarawa to the advantage of PDP, just as the current Governor’s Senatorial ambition is receiving stiff opposition from dominant ethnicities in the Southern part of the state.

Niger State This North Central State has also been under PDP from 1999 with Abdulkadir Kure(1999 - 2007) and Babangida Aliyu( 2007 - 2015) until 2015 when Governor Abubakar Bello of APC changed the history. APC equally defeated PDP during the last Presidential election in Niger. However, APC seems not to be on the winning side as Continues on page 32

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Periscope The state-by-state permutations Continued from page 31

Presidential, Governorship and Majority of State and National House of Assembly elections in Taraba State. The political handwriting is crystal clear that APC will still have bad market in Taraba in the 2019 general election as PDP is obviously in charge, more so that, the live wire of APC in the state, Aisha Jumai Alhassan, has since dumped the party after being unjustly screened out of the governorship primary election. Also, the killings of farmers in Taraba by suspected Fulani herdsmen is another threat to APC success in Taraba as the party is mostly associated with the Hausa-Fulani hegemonic North while the effect of Atiku in the state portends danger for the broom party.

the 2019 national election draws closer following the crisis that engulfed the party during primaries. It is an incontrovertible fact that Buhari/APC won Niger with the support of former Military President Ibrahim Babangida and former Head of State, Abdulsalam Abubakar, the owners of Niger but recent political realities have shown that Buhari and his party no longer enjoy the support of the Generals.

Ogun State Ogun is a South Western Nigerian state ruled by AD, PDP and ACN/APC since the return to civil rule in 1999. Within this period, Ogun has been governed by Olusegun Osoba of AD (1999 - 2003), Gbenga Daniel of PDP (2003 - 2011) and Ibikunle Amosun of ACN - APC (2011 - date). APC won Ogun State in the 2015 general election though with a slim margin.

But APC seems not to be in the form to get another victory in Ogun in the 2019 general election because the party has been thrown into serious crisis in the state after the primary elections with Governor Amosun highly aggrieved while there are permutations of him dumping the party before elections. Also, APC victory in Ogun was propelled by the support of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to the party’s Presidential Candidate, Buhari and this support has since been withdrawn.

Ondo State Ondo is another South-Westernstate that was won by APC in 2015 Presidential election even with a sitting PDP Governor, Olusegun Mimiko. However, there are strong indications that APC will not repeat its victory in the state even as the party has a sitting Governor, Rotimi Akerodolu now.

This is as people of the state are said not to be happy with the APC-led government both at the Federal and State levels for the failure to fulfilcampaign promises.

The crisis between Governor Akeredolu and the Ondo State House of Assembly and his perceived disagreement with the APC National leadership with rumours that he would not get the party’s ticket to seek re-election may have weakened APC in Ondo ahead of the general election.

There are also permutations that former Governor Mimiko, who is now a senatorial candidate on the Zenith Labour Party platform will eventually join forces with PDP at the presidential election.

Osun State Osun is also a South-Western state in Nigeria that has been controlled by the defunct AD, PDP and ACN/APC since 1999 with Adebisi Akande of AD, Olagunsoye Oyinlola of PDP and Rauf Aregbesola of ACN/ APC as governors, respectively. Like most states in South West, APC won the 2015 Presidential election in Osun with a wide margin but in the build-up to the 2019 elections, there are indications that APC may not repeat the same feat because of the inroads made in the state by PDP. For instance, PDP Candidate, won a Senatorial by-election in Osun and was winning the recent governorship election when INEC, in what critics described as “controversial”

declared the election inconclusive.

Political pundits are of the opinion that if INEC had not declared the election inconclusive, PDP ould have dislodged APC in Osun. For the general election, the ruling APC will not concentrate efforts in Osun as it was done in the governorship election where more than 10 APC governors, ministers, National Assembly members and other stakeholders moved to the state to ensure victory for their party, and PDP will have breathing space to perform better.

Also, the issue of nonpayment of salary in Osun has not been resolved and there is no possibility to clear the backlog of arrears before the February general election. This would certainly count against APC;and anything is possible.

Oyo State Oyo is another South-Westernstate won

by APC during the 2015 general election.

Since the return to civil rule in 1999, Oyo has been controlled once by AD, twice by PDP and twice by ACN/APC. APC through Governor Abiola Ajimobi has maintained firm grip of Oyo State, making the state to be a favourable ground for APC in the 2019 general election as the dissenting voices such as that of the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu,who was disqualified from contesting the party’s governorship ticket over NYSC Certificate issue are not strong enough to work against APC as he is still a Minister in the APC government.

Plateau State Plateau is the foremost North Central State controlled largely by PDP since the return to democratic governance in 1999 with Joshua Dariye and David Jang as governors up to 2015 when Simon Lalung of APC became governor. Even at that, PDP won the Presidential election in Plateau State with two hundred thousand difference against APC. Ahead of the 2019 general election, there are strong indications that PDP would win Plateau again in the Presidential election as the killings in the state have exacerbated during the APC era with the governor being accused of not crying out loud enough to the Federal Government and putting measures in place to checkmate the activities of the suspected Fulani herdsmen as done by his Benue coun-

terpart, Ortom, for his political interest.

Politically, PDP has regrouped in Plateau under former Governor Jang and General Jeremiah Useni, forces that would be difficult for Lalung to decimate.

Rivers State Rivers is a South-South State that has been under the control of PDP since 1999 and the party recorded overwhelming victory over APC in 2015 even as the then Governor, Rotimi Amechi was the Director-General of the APC Presidential Candidate, Muhammadu Buhari. APC does not have any ground in Rivers State in the 2019 general election also as Governor Nyesome Wike has maintained firm grip of the state while the APC Leader there, Amaechi, has through insisting on his associate, Tonye Cole to be APC governorship candidate, further weakened the party in Rivers as majority of party members are sympathetic to Senator Magnus Abe who also contested for the governorship ticket but was kicked out by Amaechi. There is also insinuation that Abe would rejoin PDP close to the elections, and when this happens, it may prove very detrimental to the APC. Sokoto State Sokoto is a North-Westernstate ruled by the defunct APP/ANPP with Attahiru Bafarawa as Governor from 1999 - 2007, Aliyu Wammako (2007 - 2015) and Aminu Tambuwal (2015 to date). APC defeated PDP landslide in Sokoto during the 2015 general election. However, APC may not be fortunate to win Sokoto again in the 2019 general election as the former Governor, Senator Wammako of APC alone cannot successfully lead the political war against the incumbent Governor Tambuwal, who came second in the PDP Presidential Primary election and Bafarawa who also had an impressive performance during the PDP Presidential primary election. Also, the continuous detention of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki without bail even with several court orders, would count against APC in Sokoto during the 2019 elections.

Taraba State Taraba is a North-Easternstate that could be politically described as a PDP state from 1999 to date. As such, PDP won the 2015

Yobe State This North-Easternstate is undoubtedly an APC State as it has been under the control of APP/ANPP since the return to civil rule in 1999. The ANPP fused into the present APC and has continued to be under the party.Since 1999, the state has been under the leadership of three governors at different times, Bukar Abba, Mamman Ali and Ibrahim Gaidam. As expected, APC accordingly won the 2015 general election in Yobe and would repeat the same feat in the state in the 2019 general election as PDP candidly has little or no strong presence there to neutralise the forces of the present Governor, Gaidam, Senator Abba and Mai Mala Buni, APC National Secretary and the party’s governorship candidate.

Zamfara State Zamfara is a North-Westernstate that could be conveniently termed an APC state hence, its first civilian governor, Ahmad Sani Yarima was elected in 1999 on the platform of APP; re-elected in 2003 when the party became ANPP and handed over to Mahmud Shinkafi also of ANPP in 2007 while Abdul’aziz Yari also of ANPP and later of APC took over from 2011 to date. In the 2015 general election, APC swept almost all votes in Zamfara, leaving few for PDP and other fringe parties.

Unfortunately, however, APC victory in Zamfara for the 2019 general election is shaky. This is as the party does not have candidates for governorship, State and National Assembly elections in the state, having failed to meet up with the deadline stipulated by INEC for the conduct of party primaries. In the face of this political quagmire, PDP has remained intact in Zamfara under the former National Security Adviser, Aliyu Gusau, a retired General who is leading the war against APC. FCT The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja is geopolitically under the North Central Zone. As Nigeria’s Capital City, FCT is highly sophisticated even politically. The then ruling PDP defeated APC in Abuja in the 2015 general election and the probability of winning the 2019 general election is high, hence the hue and cry against APC is louder in the FCT. Regarded as a state, FCT - Abuja has the most enlightened residents who make political choices on prevailing circumstances, a development which secured victory for PDP in the previous elections.

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Only integrated modes can solve Lagos road crisis- FRSC insists

L

Stories by JOSHUA BASSEY

agos sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Hygenus Omeje says without an effective implementation of integrated transportation system involving road, rail and water, the congestion crisis on the roads in Lagos will prove difficult to solve.

Omeje predicated his position against the steady rise in the population of Lagos amidst its huge infrastructure deficit, stressing that it was time greater attention is paid to the development of the rail system and expansion of access to water transportation to reduce the current pressure on the roads.

The population of Lagos is presently estimated at over 22 million people, and projected to hit about 30 million by 2030, while the state government estimates that about $50 billion would be required over the next five years, to bridge the infrastructure gaps.

The sector commander, who spoke with Inside Lagos, on Friday, explained that traffic personnel, including officials of the

FRSC working separately and in collaboration with members of the federal/state joint task forcepolice, navy and Lagos State Traffic Management (LASTMA) can only do their best in the prevailing traffic situation, as the

ultimate solution lies in an effective intermodal system.

“The population has grown over the years while still relying on same infrastructure built several years ago when the population was nowhere near what it is

Protests rock Lagos over killings by insurgents

H

uman Rights groups on Friday took to the streets of Lagos to protest against incessant killings by insurgents in the country.

The groups, under the aegis of Peace Action Coalition (PAC), started the protest from Maryland Bus-Stop, through Obafemi Awolowo Way to the Lagos State Governor’s office, Alausa, Ikeja.

The protesters were also seen in other parts of the state, includingOkota and Alimosho, spotting black T-shirts.

The walk was in collaboration with Builders of New Nigeria and International Organisation for Peace Building and Social Justice.

Richard Ikiebe, the group’s coordinator, urged Federal Government to give priority to the needs of the armed forces. He said the peaceful walk was to call the attention of government and stakeholders to put an end to the bloodshed.

“We speak against the continuous killings which have assumed a desperate and frightening dimension in the country. it can no longer be ignored. We believe an urgent

and timely intervention will reassure our disturbed, dismissed and distressed populace that there are still people who are resolute and committed to the New Nigeria Dream,” Ikiebe said.

According to him, the perceived duplicity of the Nigerian security agencies had made it difficult for the populace to trust the government on the crisis.

Also speaking, Yinka Quadri, said it was ‘unimaginable and unacceptable’ the killing of over 100 soldiers by some supposed faceless militias in the North East.

“Nigeria is in crisis, we cannot pretend otherwise, Nigeria is bleeding, we need to rise up to save the nation,” he said The protesters were seen displaying placards and handbills, with inscriptions such as “stop the killings and stop the bloodshed”, “Nigerian lives matter.”

Others were “let peace reign,” “enough of violence, save humanity,” “we are tired of bloodshed,” and “we want a better Nigeria.”

The protesters were received at the Lagos State Governor’s Office,

today. There is the need to push the realization of efficient intracity rail lines as well as expand access to water transportation system such that majority of the residents in areas like Badagry and Ikorodu for example, will not

need to commute by road to the city centre but will see water as an alternative,” said Omeje.

There are over 22 commercially viable water routes in Lagos.

The routes, some of which are being operated by private boat operators, face the challenge of shallowness of the water.

The state government set out in the year to undertake the dredging of some of the major routes but achieved very little success of it. The government has continued to blame the infrastructure deficit on paucity of funds.

“Assuming the entire budget for 2018 (N 1.04 trillion) is spent only on infrastructure development, Lagos will be left with a deficit of about N14.47 trillion and an additional 19 years of similar expenditure to bridge the infrastructure deficit, the governor, Akinwunmi Ambode said in May, during a session with private sector players tagged “Lagos Means Business”.

Ambode said to address the problem, a special infrastructure fund driven by the private sector was required and that the residents needed to contribute their quota by paying their taxes.

Akiolu tasks FG on development of oil producing areas Alausa, by Bejamin Olabinjo, the special adviser on civic engagement, on behalf of Governor Akinwumi Ambode.

He said that insurgency had become a worldwide issue and was impacting negatively on Lagos State in terms of population explosion.

“In 2018, Lagos State budgeted for 20 million people but by the middle of the year, the state is catering for 26 million population due to influx from other states.

“Lagos State is taking the matter of the killings and insecurity seriously.

Among the demand of the protesters was the need to guarantee the security, safety and protection of the lives of all Nigerians.

The protesters urged the government to develop a comprehensive approach to security management by providing adequate resources to security forces to address the violence.

They further called on Federal Government to rehabilitate all those that have suffered injustice and horrific killings in our land.

T

he Federal Government has been advised to improve the situations in the oil producing states, where the chunk of the nation’s revenue is generated.

The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu 1, gave the advice when the president of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Francis Olabode Johnson, paid him a ‘thank you’ visit, for attending the recently held 40th anniversary of the association.

“We cannot continue to rob Peter to pay Paul. The government should take care of the areas where the oil is coming from. They should add value to the environment and the people in the area,” he said.

The royal father who blamed the accumulation of wealth by some Nigerians on greed, said the government should focus on welfare programmes that

will improve the lives of Nigerians, especially the workers.

According to him, “government should focus on developmental programmes such as hospitals, transportation, road infrastructure, power and other welfare programmes. The wage that workers are receiving is too small and the agitation for minimum wage may not have any effect. No matter how much the workers receive, will be eroded by inflation as traders will also increase the prices of their goods.”

He also warned leaders in position of authority to beware of sycophants.

In his words, Johnson commended Oba Akiolu for sending a representation with the staff of office to the association’s 40th anniversary celebration on October 18, 2018 in Abuja, saying that “this is an indication that you have the interest of the people at heart.”

Yuletide: Ambode wants security agencies to outsmart criminals

L

agos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has urged security agencies to take practical steps to be ahead of criminal elements in the state.

Ambode spoke the 12th town hall meeting on security organised by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), saying though the

security agencies deserve commendations for their efforts in securing the state, but more strategies have to be adopted to outsmart hoodlums especially during the yuletide season.

He said in the last few years, a lot of investment had been made in securing the state which had paid off,

but that more investments needed to be made to further enhance the security architecture of the State.

He said: Have our investment paid off, I would say yes it has. Have we really invested enough in terms of security, the answer is no and the truth is it can never be enough and so it is not a matter of we are getting

there but it is an everyday thing.

“As long as we want to go out in the night, as long as we want to enjoy Christmas and have night out, the criminals are thinking about us and so we have to be two steps ahead of them at all time in terms of strategy and reforms we need to make.

“So, obviously we need to think about how to outsmart them and believe me this is their season and so we need to smart up and be vigilant and that is the message because they are not going to relent and again, election is coming and they can be easy tools; so we need to outsmart them,” Ambode said.

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Sunday 02 December 2018

NewsFeature Building regulation crashes with 7-storey building in Port Harcourt …exposes Nigeria’s zero rescue preparedness Ignatius Chukwu

T

he crash of a sevenstorey building in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, seems to have signaled the crash of building regulation values in Nigeria, at least around the states. The crash seems to prove that the rich get away with whatever they want.

Also exposed is the weakness of rescue systems in Nigeria.

At 4.55pm on Friday, November 23, 2018, a heavy explosion was heard around the GRA 2 area. It turned out to be the crash of an ongoing construction of a tower to be used for a hotel in an area where the rich prefer hotels, on Woji Street. Soon, a crowd gathered to behold one of the worst tragedies in the Garden City.

Speculations became rife as to the number of persons likely to be trapped. Some workers who escaped from the site mentioned numbers ranging from 100 to 200. They talked about a floor where persons numbering over 20 played the game of draught. They mentioned some five machines operated by about 21 persons each. Others talked about the ground floor where a large number usually gathered to rest, to buy food, to wait for pay.

In fact, Fridays are said to be paydays for the workers, and this attracted hawkers and food vendors who flock to collect debts (gbese). Almost all these persons went down, now either dead or dying, except the few that have been rescued.

This immediately evoked the anger of the past years when buildings used to crash in the Garden City, and several technical inquiries by building societies and administrative probes proved that cutting corners and breaching procedures were the most implicated factors. The most rampant is the trick of applying for one kind of building such as two-storeys and going ahead to build five or more. The moment the building crashes, the file will disappear, probably to keep away the names and approval processes that must have been rigged.

Often, probes usually reveal, the persons who approved those stages have retired with their full benefits, while members of the public remain exposed to harm and danger.

Another major breach is where builders and engineers use smaller sizes of rod and stones where larger and bigger

sizes were stipulated. The government officials that ought to come and inspect hardly do so. The result is usually catastrophic. This reporter was once brought into the computer room of investigators of crashed buildings where photos of twisted rods exposed the inferiority and little sizes of rods and stones.

An investigating engineer told BDSUNDAY that most builders usually assume that once they have covered a building with mixed concrete, everything is hidden, but they do not know that when buildings fall, all items stand out.

This theory has manifested at the site of the crashed sevenstorey building on Woji Road where machines now crush the concrete. It has been observed that often, the concrete dissolves, showing that they were not allowed to dry well before more layers were put on them.

There is the issue of a building scandal. Sources said Julius Berger was contracted to design the building and that it designed a four-storey affair and allegedly built the foundation in good casts. It is being said that as soon as it realized that the owner started building beyond fourstoreys, Julius Berger allegedly pulled out. Now, the big crash!

Victims’ relatives, government clash Rescue has always been suspected to be non-existent or weak in Nigeria and Rivers State; this disaster seems to have confirmed it. Rescue has pitched relations of trapped victims against the state government officials.

Government said every machine and person needed have been mobilized, but relations of trapped victims say effort is sluggish and ineffective. It was also noted that the specific machines called pickers that can be more effective than bulldozers are not anywhere in the Niger Delta.

The result is that only eight bodies have so far been recovered while 36 persons came out alive. Government said they rescued them, but relations said most of those persons struggled out on their own.

Medical support falls far short Another aspect is medical support. When the Sosoliso Airline flight crashed in Port Harcourt in 2005, the mortuaries and medical centres refused to start treatment except money was deposited. The then governor, Peter Odili, was said to have ordered Government House to mobilize N500,000 then to pay deposit before he would rush back to Port Harcourt and

join the rescue. That was how morgues began to accept bodies and treatments began on the five victims that were still breathing.

Two eventually survived in South Africa.

This kind of scenario seemed to have reared its ugly head once again. Nigeria seems not have found the formula for emergency treatments even with ‘Emergency Medical’ vehicles blaring sirens everywhere. The money-for-hand approach before service seems to have eaten deep into medical service in Nigeria. While the state government says it ordered treatment to victims, the victims said they got only two drips and nothing more. Their relations had to take most of the victims away to seek proper attention. Observers said the same way government’s intentions and approvals never get to the targeted persons, so do medical orders not reach the victims.

Rumours, rumours everywhere Rumours seem to have taken over. Some workers claim that ritualism was the cause of the crash; others say elections were around the corner and heads and blood were urgently needed.

Some even said it was Governor Wike’s building.

One announcement later came that a tunnel had been

drilled to the depth to rescue people. When BDSUNDAY went to the site of the collapsed building last Friday, nothing of such was done. Rescue was still going on the usual way by a machine that breaks concrete down.

The threat of sanctions may have forced the Commissioner of Urban, Reason Onya, to ‘step aside’ on Wednesday. Government did not give reason for Onya’s action other than to give way to investigations, but sources said the man was angry that he was deceived into signing a renewal approval even when the original file disappeared. This shows that more heads would soon roll.

Some survivals have bordered on miracles and strange feats. One person was brought out four days after, still alive. A young man said he prayed for the strength of Sampson while there and next, strength came and he pushed bricks and pillars away.

Many families and church groups have kept vigil at the site since the disaster day, praying and mourning. Despite the agonies, some families have now resigned to seeing the corpses of their loved ones. Yet, groups are also catching some fun around the place. Fast food is fast there with brisk businesses ongoing.

After all, the living must eat.

Sunday 02 December 2018

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Feature Delta’s YAGEP Rice:

Policies, activities, and youth energy propelling the rice value-chain initiative

D

MERCY ENOCH, Asaba

elta State, still searching for prosperity after oil and gas, seems to have found a gold mine in the rice value chain, and has launched the YAGEP Rice from its vast farms, BD Sunday can authoritatively report.

In Delta State, this scheme is not just about rice production.

It is much to do with youths embracing the value chain of a staple food found in most Nigerian homes, and to become great entrepreneurs in the quest for job creation. By this, they would be in the forefront in contributing to their own prosperity and economic wellbeing as well as that of Delta State.

The rice value-chain initiative embarked upon by the state, under the Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurs Programme (YAGEP), involves instructional and field-based training, farmenterprise incubation, and establishing the youths through the entire process of rice production, processing, packaging, branding, and marketing.

YAGEP is one of the programmes under the Job Creation Scheme of the incumbent administration led by Ifeanyi Okowa in the state. The programme is part of the administration’s efforts in creating gainful employment for youths; also to diversify and boost the economy of the oil-rich state.

This has resulted today in a product that is known as YAGEP Rice. The rice which is in 10kg packs was recently presented to the state governor, a development the professor and Chief Job Creation Officer, Eric Eboh, described as a milestone.

The YAGEP is a job creation programme embarked on rice value chain initiative last year; since then, a total of 170 hectares of rice have been cultivated while 48 beneficiaries have been trained and mentored on rice production and value chain this year alone.

The harvests from the cultivation seem to lend credence to the fact that the state’s soil is fertile enough to produce rice as claimed by Gov Okowa in 2017.

Eboh said while presenting the 10kg packs of rice in company of the YAGEP beneficiaries, otherwise called YAGEPreneurs, and some top officials. “Today, we are happy to officially present a milestone product from His Excellency’s job creation programme – YAGEP Rice in 10-kg packs”, the professor exclaimed.

He also thanked the governor for providing the resources, leadership, and enabling environment for the accomplishment of the milestone.

In a statement made available to BDSunday, Eboh explained, “YAGEP was established to create decent and gainful youth employment through the agricultural value chain, boost agricultural productivity as well as diversify the economy of the state. The programme is one of the implementation strategies for the realization of the governor’s vision for job creation and shared economic prosperity under the SMART Agenda.

“Based on ‘comparative advantage’ considerations, social, and economic impacts in Delta State, YAGEP identified priority agricultural commodities for the creation of youth employment and transformation of the agricultural value chains. These include rice, aquaculture, poultry, cassava and vegetables.

Under the YAGEP, a total of 757 previously unemployed youths have been trained, established, and mentored in agricultural enterprises over the three successive years/cycles of implementation (2015 to 2018).”

According to him, the design of YAGEP integrates agricultural training (instructional and fieldwork), personal effectiveness training, enterprise incubation, agricultural entrepreneurship training, farm enterprise establishment in clusters, and

mentorship.

“Specifically, the development of farm enterprise clusters, owned and managed by the youths, is transforming the state’s agricultural landscape, boosting agricultural outputs, and posting a demonstration effect on agricultural modernization. Presently, there are a total of 25 YAGEP farm enterprise clusters with vary-

There are some places in agriculture that people are not touching in the state and I just want them to explore the value chain not just production and processing

ing combinations of enterprises including poultry, piggery, fishery, rice, and tomato production. The cluster model of youth agricultural employment has restored previously idle agricultural resources to economic use and boosted agricultural productivity and wealth generation in the state”, he explained.

He disclosed that the initiative started in 2017 with the cultivation of 74 hectares at Ugili-Amai, Ndokwa West Local Government Area. Subsequently in 2018, the initiative involved the cultivation of 42 hectares of rice at Deghele, Sapele LGA and 54 hectares at Mbiri, Ika North East LGA, said Eboh.

He averred that during the 2018 production year, the process involved 48 youth trainees working under close tutorials, facilitation and guidance of the Office of the Chief Job Creation Officer through knowledgeable and experienced resource persons from within and outside the state.

Eboh said that the programme activities include soil tests and site selection, land preparation (clearing, ploughing, and harrowing), seed treatment and planting, soil treatment, weeds prevention and control, fertilizer application, prevention and control of pests and diseases, and birds scaring. Other operations, he mentioned, include harvesting (cutting and packing),

threshing, drying, winnowing, washing/parboiling, milling, de-stoning, and packaging or bagging.

He said that cultivation, harvesting, threshing, drying, parboiling, milling, de-stoning, and bagging operations were carried out with participation of the YAGEPreneurs.

He disclosed that all the inputs, technologies, and materials used in the rice production and processing and packaging operations were provided by the Office of the Chief Job Creation Officer.

While the state is encouraging and supporting farmers, it also wants Deltans to go beyond rice production to explore the rice value chain, according to inner members of the Okowa administration.

Experts say there ready made market for rice produced in the state. “Today, there is a huge supply deficit in Nigeria.

That’s why no matter what the government does, the demand is increasing everyday.

The supply gap is increasing.

Therefore, if you have good rice, you don’t look for market; we have enough market. Even in Asaba the state capital, we have enough market,” he asserted.

Eboh said beneficiaries of the scheme would not have challenge in marketing the rice because of the way the product would be promoted and marketed; a good product that would be sold anywhere in the world.

Shimite Bello, Executive Secretary of the state’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agencies (DEMSMA), has thus continued to urge Deltans to go into and operate within the agricultural value chain, saying that is where large chunk of the agencies money goes, especially in purchase of processing machine.

Observers say she is very much concerned about this because, according to her, “There are some places in agriculture that people are not touching in the state and I just want them to explore the value chain not just production and processing.”

As the YAGEPreneurs are trained and established in their choice enterprise, including rice production, processing, packaging, branding and marketing, hopes seem to be very high that with time, Delta State would no longer depend on rice coming from outside to feed its teeming population, but would rather become an exorting state, just as it has been doing in crude oil.

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Sunday 02 December 2018

Feature

Testing the grounds:

The hundreds found in training camp in Rivers: Are they Wike’s vigilantes or armed militias?

I

IGNATIUS CHUKWU

n the new Rivers State of ‘every week, a new trouble’ kind of scnerio, just when all eyes are still trained on Evo Road in the GRA Phase 2 in the state capital where hundreds are still feared trapped beneath the rubbles of a 7-storey crashed building, fresh trouble erupted in far away Nonwa in Tai local council area of Ogoni section where the military authorities said they disbanded hundreds of ‘political thugs’ that embarked on ‘military style’ training in a lonely camp.

The Rivers State government has however countered, saying those training in Nonwa were no armed militias or thugs but carefully recruited vigilantes for the newly established but constrained Rivers State Neighbourhood Watch.

The state government said it had recruited over 3000 members and had written to the Army to help train them. Government also said security agencies are serving on the board of the Neighbourhood Watch. This has raised huge questions on whether the trainees were thugs or vigilantes, and if the state government could have written to the Army if the trainees were training in secrecy as alleged.

Signs of trouble for the day emerged when a text messages started circulating in the state alleging that armed political thugs had engaged the Army in a shootout at Nonwa for over 30 minutes. Video footages that later emerged failed to reveal dead bodies nor combat moods but papers scattered all over and young persons in whites walking home.

The state government in a statement said hundreds of soldiers armed with armoured personnel vehicles invaded the training camp of the Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency, injuring several trainees.

The training camp is located at Nonwa in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State.

We discovered illegal militia camp – Army PRO The deputy director of Army Public Relations in Bori Camp, a colonel, Aminu Iliyasu, who had one week earlier, verbally clashed with the Rivers State commissioner of information, Emma okah, over the role of the army in elections, said troops of 6 Division Nigerian Army (NA) discovered a militia camp. He said this was on 29th November 2018 while on a routine surveillance at Nonwa Gbam, (NYSC Orientation Camp) in Tai Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State.

He said the army discovered an illegal militia training camp.

“The troops met over 100 re-

Governor Nyesom Wike

cruits undergoing military type of training.”

He went on: “Preliminary investigations into the discovery have commenced in conjunction with sister security agencies in the state to fish out the sponsors of the militia and the training camp.

“Recall that similar illegal militia training camps were discovered and disbanded in Benue and Taraba States earlier in the year and measures were promptly taken to forestall breach of security and safety of citizens.”

Wike counters: Army is now weapon against Nigerians Governor Wike countered and said the Nigerian Army has been transformed into a political weapon that has abandoned its security responsibilities. He stated that the disruption of the training of the Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency Training programme by the Nigerian Army was the worst act of irresponsibility allegedly aimed at instigating insecurity In the State.

He spoke at Odiokwu, Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State where he flagged off the construction of a Model Primary Healthcare Centre, Odiokwu Internal Roads, OdiokwuAnwuigboko and Odiokwu-Oyigbo Roads on Thursday. “The Army is not concerned about the killing of soldiers in Borno. They are only interested in creating insecurity in Rivers State.

“If you don’t want Rivers State to be safe, then Nigeria will not be safe. They want to use their guns against us”, he said.

The governor said that Zamfara and Kogi States have vigilante outfits which were commissioned by the Nigerian Army and the APC Federal Government.

He wondered why the Nigerian Army would stoop so low to disrupt a legal training exercise.

“Zamfara and Kogi States have vigilante groups. They commissioned them and the Chief of Army Staff did nothing. The House of Assembly passed a law approving the Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency. The Chief of Army did not challenge the law in court, but today he sent troops to invade the training camp”, he said.

The governor regretted that the Nigerian Army has been turned into an outfit to stoke insecurity in order to attract huge security votes. “The Army is the agency causing insecurity mainly to attract more security votes.

They collected $1Billion from our excess crude account, yet our soldiers were killed. All they are doing is to intimidate people for political reasons. When you fight a state blessed by God, you will crumble. Nobody can intimidate us in Rivers State “.

Governor Wike said that the State Government worked with the Police, the DSS and other Federal Agencies to ensure that only law-abiding citizens were

recruited by the Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency. “We did not hire boys for political reasons. This has been a transparent process and that is why the personnel are trained at the NYSC Orientation Camp at Nonwa. We involved the Police and the DSS to ensure that the trainees are profiled for the good of the society. The main aim of this agency is to assist the security agencies with intelligence and information, since there is a lacuna in this regard “, he said.

Governor Wike declared that the State Government would continue with the training. He said all the antics of the Nigerian Army would not deter the government and people of Rivers State.

“No one man has been a Chief of Army Staff forever. Every job has an expiry date. When Buratai leaves office, he will be held to account for his illegal actions. If they stop the training elsewhere, personnel of the Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency will be trained at the Government House Port Harcourt “, the governor said.

Army, stay away from partisan politics– Emma Okah Rivers State Government followed with a call on the Nigeria Army to stay away from partisan politics so that they do not derail the 2019 general elections in the State. The Army in the state had stated a week earlier at the Correspondents Week that the military was totally apolitical.

But, the State Government made their call in reaction to what it termed illegal disruption of the further selection and screening of applicants to the State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency at the State NYSC Orientation Camp, Nonwa in Tai LGA of Rivers State today by the officers and men of the Nigeria Army. The Commissioner of Information, the barrister, Emma Okah, described the actions of the army as an insult to the Government and People of Rivers State, because, according to him, it was unprovoked and unnecessary. “We have every reason to believe that the action of the soldiers is politically motivated. Rivers State Government has always accused the Federal Government of working against the security interest of Rivers State and the brazen sack of a legitimate exercise of screening applicants for recruitment to assist in the fight against insecurity in Rivers State is self-evident”..

Okah regretted that the Nigeria Army acted wrongly at a time when President Muhammad Buhari has clamoured for community policing methods to support over-stretched conventional security agencies as

canvassed by him through the Vice President during the 2-Day Summit on National Security organised by the Senate of Nigeria in February, 2018.

“By the illegal actions of the Army, the Rivers State Government is constrained to believe that the Federal Government of Nigeria does not mean well for Rivers state. It shows that there are different laws for different states in Nigeria” he said.

The statement further added that the Federal Government of Nigerian is involved in double standards on the issue of neighbourhood security outfits in Nigeria.

On 13th November, 2018, Zamfara State Government inaugurated the Civil Joint Task Force who are armed. Their photograph is reported in the front page of Guardian Newspaper of 14th November, 2018.

Lagos State has the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps; Kwara State has Operation Harmony and Kano State has Neighbourhood Watch (Vigilante Group). Other States like Imo, Enugu, Edo etc have security support agencies which are the equivalent of the Rivers State’s Agency.

“So where did Rivers State go wrong? Okah asked.

Intetestingly, before carrying out the screening exercise, the Agency had written to the Nigeria Army and other relevant agencies asking for drill and physical training instructors, security etc but the Army ignored the request and never advised against it but preferred an ambush.

The Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency is a body created by act of parliament to assist security agencies in local intelligence gathering and the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps etc are represented in the Board of the Agency.

Rivers State Government urges President Muhammad Buhari to call the Nigerian Army to order and avoid provoking the peace loving people of Rivers State. The nation has too many security challenges to contend with including the Boko Haram insurgency and incubating or courting another battle front will be against national intetest.

Conclusion: The state government has circulated the letter it wrote to the Army asking for support with instructors. It has raised issues of who then is with the truth in this controversy in the midst of kidnappings and killings in the state without let. The Army said the trainers were illegal militias, the state government said the Army was notified. Now, citizens seem confounded, wondering if it was possible for a government to train secretly by writing to the Army.

BD Sunday however understands that the matter of the Rivers State Neighbourhood Corps is a subject of litigation. This may be the key to unravel the hypes and controversies surrounding the Nonwa incident.

Sunday 02 December 2018

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TheWorshippers ‘Solution to Nigeria’s problem rests in the almighty God, not Buhari or Atiku’ Reverend Jerry Osigwe is the founder and general overseer of The Anointed Children of God (Centre for God’s Anointing), Lagos, which holds its annual thanksgiving service, tagged ‘Bethel’, every first Sunday in December. In this interview with SEYI JOHN SALAU, Reverend Osigwe speaks on the theme for Bethel 2018, ‘Beyond the Natural’, and what Nigerians should expect in the forthcoming 2019 general elections. Excerpt: How did you arrive at the theme for this year’s thanksgiving service? have a son who is a pastor operating in the East, Pastor Charles Osigwe.

During our last thanksgiving people wanted him to come again because of how God used him tremendously. So, I asked him to choose a theme for this year’s thanksgiving. As he was thinking about it, I was also thinking about a theme for the thanksgiving, because some time ago God miraculously healed me of a cardiac problem.

These two issues combined to form the theme of this year’s thanksgiving, that whatever that will happen for the remaining part of this year and 2019, it is beyond human expectation, it is beyond natural.

Why did you pick the first Sunday in December for the thanksgiving?

That is the period the ministry started. We started in 2003. The ministry has been through ups and down – there have been the good side and the ugly side. The good side is that despite all we have passed through God has been sustaining us and showing himself in this ministry. God has been showing us that he is always for us in this ministry.

When it seems that things are tough, God will manifest and reveal himself as the God of The Anointed Children of God Church. We have had one or two challenges that had to do with people coming to defile the church, take our members, steal from the church, still God has been faithful by restoring us again.

Under the new covenant, should Christians give in anticipation of reward or immediate gratification?

From what we know and what we practice, the bible says give and it shall be given unto you. So, when you give, there is no way God will not reward you.

But when you give with the mind that you are going to receive back, you have missed the target.

Just give and allow God to allow the principle of giving to operate in your life.

Are Christians under any obligation to give to men of God? Men of God are supposed to receive gifts from the church

I

Reverend Jerry Osigwe

because when they receive, they release blessings. So, on that note, according to the scriptures, when you give to any man of God, you have given a cup of water and you deserve the prophet’s reward, and it has been working. In my ministry, those who sow into my ministry and into my life have been tremendously blessed. Because the moment you pronounce blessings on them, God picks it up from there because you represent God on earth.

Are you comfortable with the Nigerian church as it is today?

No, I am not. God doesn’t know many of them anymore, though Nigerians hail them.

Their names have been taken away from the book of life.

Jesus said if anybody misleads the people, it’s better for him not to be born. In the church there will be humiliation. God will turn his back against people. God will strike them and their churches will be empty.

Those who really want God will

look for the truth. Jesus said the things I do, you can do. In Mark 16 verse 17, he says these signs will follow all of you who believe, in my name you will cast out devils. Every Christian can cast out devil and heal the sick.

There seems to be high level of insecurity in the country at the moment. Does this mean anything to you as a preacher?

I always have revelation concerning this country on an annual

basis that is well documented by the church. Before December 31 of every year, during my crossover night predictions, I have always predicted that things will not get better generally because Jesus has already said that as we approach the end times, difficult situations that he called great tribulations will arise, but those who are walking with God, He will give them easy passage; they will pass through the difficult period without knowing it because God will always manifest himself in their lives. So, for this government – Buhari has tried his best, but Buhari is not the saviour because he has no answer to our problems. Atiku who is warming up has no answer to Nigeria’s problem. So, the solution to Nigeria’s problem rests in the almighty God. What we are experiencing are signs of the end.

The bible says that a kingdom is coming, that is the kingdom of God, that will crush all these manmade kingdoms and then take effect.

Agitation by rights groups seems to be on the increase; what do you consider to be the problem?

Every Nigerian should feel free wherever he/she is in the country to do the things they want to do. In fact, it makes the people believe that this is their country. It gives people a sense of belonging that ultimately brings that freedom; they can go about their business without being molested. When that true freedom is there and, of course, there is equality in disbursing the wealth of the nation, I believe all that agitation will stop. I also believe the government should build trust in the citizenry; there has

The country got to where we are today because basically, I see it as a misuse of resources; people who had the means to make changes didn’t channel it properly. Instead of investing in the country and in human capital, most of them were investing outside or just storing the resources outside the country

always been so much distrust, but the day those in government will truly be sincere to those they are governing, there will be rest.

At the moment the people do not trust the government; as such government must earn the trust of the citizenry to stop the agitations across the country.

The 2019 general elections are barely two months away; what are your expectations?

My expectation is that the election will come and go. There will be one or two problems here and there and it will be difficult for people to accept the winner.

The loser will also find it difficult to accept defeat. We are going to have a little problem here and there, but God will manifest himself because he has always been intervening in the affairs of this country.

Nigeria is out of recession but the economic hardship and realities are still biting hard; what is your take?

The country got to where we are today because basically, I see it as a misuse of resources; people who had the means to make changes didn’t channel it properly. Instead of investing in the country and in human capital, most of them were investing outside or just storing the resources outside the country. For instance, when you talk about the creation of jobs, wealth and all that, basically, it’s to create the will for people to basically do what they should have done. The country has been talking so much about agriculture; how much has been invested into it to create room for people to do what they should do. Government has failed to properly orientate the people about how life is supposed to go.

Christmas is just by the corner; what is the essence of Christmas in Christendom?

For us as Christians, though Christmas was not expressly instructed for Christians to celebrate, because the angels rejoiced when Jesus was born, I do not see any reason why we Christians should not rejoice. So, the date which is 25 December, we know it is not the birth date of Jesus Christ, but as long it has been acclaimed in Christendom, I will take it as the birth date of Christ and join others to rejoice on that very day.

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Sunday 18 November 2018

SundayBusiness Vodacom partners Microsoft to enhance operational efficiency of businesses AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE

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odacom Business Nigeria has through its 4Afrika initiative entered into partnership with Microsoft and Descasio to build capacity and improve operational efficiency of its customers using Microsoft Azure Cloud platform services.

Microsoft Azure is an open and flexible cloud platform which enables customers to build, deploy and manage its applications, data, runtime and more in the cloud. It allows users to leverage existing skills using the world’s most popular languages, tools, and frameworks in a resilient, scalable and reliable global datacenter network.

Through the 4Afrika initiative, Microsoft aims to bring smart devices, connectivity and technology training to entrepreneurs, youth, developers and graduates by focusing on three critical areas including world-class skills, access and innovation.

Speaking at a breakfast meeting held in Lagos, Wale Odeyemi, managing direc-

tor for Vodacom Business Nigeria, said: “Our vision is to be a leading digital company that empowers a connected society through strategic collaborations with key stakeholders.

According to him, collaboration with Microsoft and Descasio will enable customers to move data and applications from their intelligent edges to Microsoft’s intelligent cloud, while accelerating their cloud adoption journeys.

“Vodacom actively pursues a collaborative approach that leverages the combination of core competencies of its partners to increase customer value.

This complements our rich products and services in addressing customers’ needs.”

Odeyemi who noted that the appetite for cloud service adoption increases as businesses seek to improve agility, said that this was due to the increasing need by organisations to re-invent themselves

L-R: Solomon Ogufere, commercial director, Vodacom Business Nigeria; Soromfe Uzomah, head, strategic partnerships, Microsoft 4Afrika; Nehita Fashe, sales director, Descasio Limited; Wale Odeyemi, managing director, Vodacom Business Nigeria, at the recently concluded Breakfast meeting held to launch the partnership between Vodacom and Microsoft on the Azure Cloud Platform.

Indonesians seek Nigeria’s partnership in trade, investment Ifeoma Okeke

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ndonesian investors have called on Nigerians with good, growing and prospective brands to partner them to grow trade and investments in the country.

The Indonesian companies resident in Nigeria have their latest products in perfumes and body sprays, pharmaceutical products, body washes and creams, and manufacturing companies ready to support willing brands become outstanding in Nigeria’s beauty market.

Bagus Wicaksena, director, Indonesian Promotion Center (ITPC), Embassy of

the Republic of Indonesia, said that the Republic of Indonesia is calling on Nigerians for partnership in diverse businesses.

Wicaksena, who said this at the just concluded West Africa Beauty exhibition at the Landmark Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, said that the essence of ITPC in Nigeria is to ensure Indonesians trade in Nigeria with Nigerians.

According to him, this will provide them the opportunity of trading with Nigeria, adding that since its foundation in 2009, ITPC Lagos has been committed to promoting mutual prosperity between Nigeria and Indonesia by facilitating in-

ternational commerce and investment.

Wicaksena said that the trading between the citizens of both countries will go a long way in encouraging international trade and also adding to the economic development of both countries.

“With a common goal to promote Indonesian export, ITPC Lagos sincerely facilitates and bridges both parties to enhance two-way trade engagements with future potential. Through our programmes, we hopefully can create more opportunities for Nigerian and Indonesian people to accelerate sustainable trade and investment growth.

Akwa Ibom pedges more support for SMEs to boost economic growth

ANIEFIOK UDONQUAKM Uyo

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h e Ak w a Ib o m government has pledged more support to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as part of its efforts to boost entrepreneurship and the industrial development of the state.

At a workshop for SMEs and entrepreneurs organised by the technical committee on Foreign Direct Investment, an agency of the Akwa Ibom state government in part-

in response to ongoing digital disruptions.“MicrosoftAzure addressesthisneedbyproviding diverse services under one platform, thereby creating more streamlined workflows and driving business efficiency.”

Soromfe Uzomah, head, Strategic Partnerships for Microsoft 4Afrika said that Microsoft through the partnership aims to empower businesses with the tools needed to succeed in a technology driven world.

nership with Polaris Bank held in Uyo, the state capital, Gabriel Ukpeh, chairman of the committee reiterated the determination of the state government to grow the sector saying many projects are already being financed by the state government to support SMEs. Ukpeh disclosed that the state government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bank of Industries (BoI) as a first step in the move to provide small business operators with credit facilities in the state,

According to him, “with the presence of BoI in the state, SMEs and others entrepreneurs would be better equipped to leverage on the various credit facilities offered by the banks and financial institutions.”

He urged operators of small businesses in the state to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the training to develop their business plans to enable them benefit from credit facilities and lauded Polaris bank for the partnership with the state government in the development of SMEs in the state.

Chi ice tea rebrands to new Chivita ice tea sports look

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hi Ice Tea, one of the fastest growing brands from Chi Limited, is now Chivita Ice Tea. As part of the rebrand seen as a strategic move to integrate with the Masterbrand Chivita, Chivita Ice Tea now comes in a new product pack that is more aspirational, modern and trendy, with the promise of the same refreshing goodness.

With an exciting logo that reflects its new positioning under the Chivita Masterbrand, the product’s innovative back of pack prominently features its health benefits, product quality and consumer benefits. The pack’s design also has a top to bottom label that is bolder, visually disruptive and combines perfectly with the colour pallet.

Chivita Ice Tea’s new pack design also reveals images of fruits, premium natural tea leaves and tea flow which depict the rare exciting blend of natural tea extracts with real fruits to provide consumers a delightful and natural great-tasting beverage for rejuvenation.

It is expected that the new product pack would energize the brand in the marketplace and endear Chivita Ice Tea to a growing number of con-

sumers who have embraced a tea drinking culture because of its antioxidant properties and vitamins which rejuvenate and invigorate the mind, as well as the body.

Commenting about the product rebranding, Marketing Director of Chi Limited, Mr. Probal Bhattacharya said that the overall objectives of developing a fresh visual identity for Chivita Ice Tea is essential not only to key the product into the Chivita Masterbrand, but also to reinforce its attribute of rejuvenation through more appealing visuals that evoke its refreshingly natural goodness.

“Chivita Ice Tea’s new pack design aims to communicate the brand’s core value of rejuvenation and natural refreshment with essential imageries that are attractive and differentiating. We are confident that the new visual identity will appeal to loyal consumers and strike a chord with a new consumer base desirous of its tasty natural refreshment,” he added.

Made from premium natural tea leaves with delicious fruity flavors, Chivita Ice Tea is available in two variants of Lemon and Peach. It comes in 1Litre, 315ml and 150ml pack sizes.

Procurement activity value chain and corrupt practices Paschal Egwim Continued from last week Supplier bribes store supervisor to accept into stock refurbished or sub standard equipment not meeting technical, quality and quantity requirements of the contract. Supplier bribes store man to sign and acknowledge receipt and enter into inventory records, goods not physically supplied/ received into store. Store man demands bribe from contractor before he signs for and accepts materials into stock.

Supplier bribes Store man to recycle goods in and out of the store, submit invoice and receive payments for the same items several times.

Operations and maintenance stage Contractor fails to supply operating spare parts or brings insufficient quantities but presents invoice for full payment.

Contractor presents falsified time sheets and equipment availability records for payment. Contractor supplies refurbished spare parts and submits invoice for brand new parts.

Maintenance Contractor recycles spare parts and equipment or submits invoice for materials not utilized in the first instance. These and

many more are some of the serious challenges currently confronting procurement practitioners in Nigeria, particularly in the public sector. There’s great need to install both preventive and detectivecontrolstominimize and possibly eliminate sharp practices at every stage in the procurement value chain.

The Bureau of Public Procurement, has since 2008, rolled out a series of sensitization and training programs and workshops for public procurement officers, professional bodies, civil society organizations, NGOs and indeed the general public; aimed at increasing public awareness and enlightenment of the Public Procurement Law and Code of Conduct for procurement officers as well as training and building capacity for other public officers involved in procurement. This campaign is still ongoing and yielding positive results which must be sustained. However, there’s still plenty of work to be done and therefore, rather than continue to waste valuable time and efforts fighting over which profession executes procurement, it’s time for the leadership of Nigerian Professional Bodies to work together with the BPP in its effort to build local capacity and promote professionalism and high standards of ethics and integrity in Strategic Procurement for Nigeria.

In this regard, a “Coalition of Professionals for Procurement Watch” might go a long way to help the BPP monitor compliance w i t h t h e Pr o c u r e m e n t Law by the Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies and ultimately deepen ongoing reforms to bring the Federal and State Governments’ procurement systems in line with International Best Practices.

As professionals, we can no longer continue to be passive and grumble in the backroom whilst things are going wrong. Nigerians and indeed the international Community are looking to Nigerian Professionals to play a leading role in the ongoing Pr o c u r e m e n t Re f o r m s and working together we can make things happen.

Development can only come to Nigeria through Good Governance anchored on Best Practice Procurement techniques and practices which meet international standards. } Egwim FCIPS is a leading Supply Chain Management Professional and a Fellow of the premier Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply Management. He was until 2014, the Lead Procurement Consultant at the Bureau of Public Procurement. He’s currently the CEO/Lead Procurement & SCM Consultant at Amaryllis Consulting, a firm of Procurement and Supply Chain Analysts.

Sunday 02 December 2018

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SundayBusiness Recent strides at FMBN raises hope for NHF subscribers

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fter a seemingly dull moment, what could be termed a new down is unfolding at the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and close watchers of the apex mortgage bank find all that quite interesting.

In the past couple of years, FMBN has been upbeat not only in its statutory function of providing housing finance, but also in its supervisory role on the National Housing Fund and estate development.

Besides the ambitious move to raise its capitalization to N500 billion, the bank has taken some bold steps which are assuring contributors to the NHF, who are mainly civil servants, that they have taken wise decisions after all.

Today, FMBN is in collaboration with labour unions including Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (NUC), and Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) to build affordable housing under the ‘National Affordable Housing Delivery Programme for Nigerian Workers’.

The housing programme promises to deliver decent, safe and quality housing for Nigerian workers at a price that they can afford.

The house types planned for construction under the programme

Procurement and Supply Chain With Gob-Agundu Uche Brach chair (CIPS), Nigeria

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Introduction rocurement is the process of selecting vendors, establishing payment terms, strategic vetting, selection, the negotiation of contracts and actual purchasing of goods. It is concerned with the entire process of acquiring (procuring) all of the goods, services, and works which is vital in supporting the organization to deliver its corporate goals.

Procurement is often used

are based on proven social housing models and comprise one bedroom, two-bedrooms and threebedroom units with prices ranging from N3.1 million to N8.3million.

In another strategic move aimed to make homeownership more accessible and affordable for Nigerian workers, the board of the bank has approved the implementation of a Rent-To-Own Housing Scheme, an innovative and affordable housing product that provides an easy and convenient payment plan towards homeownership for workers.

In another development, FMBN refunded over N9 billion to 200,000 retirees who made contributions to the NHF. Ahmed Dangiwa, the bank’s managing director, assures that every NHF contributed by civil servants is refundable with interest once they attain 60 years, noting that high poverty rate of 70 percent has hindered many Nigerians from owning their own houses.

Most recently, the bank made significant progress in its loan recovery drive, reporting 25 percent increase in the loans recovered so far in 2018. It reported a recovery of N3 billion as against N2.4 billion it recovered in 2017.

At their recent annual management retreat with the theme, ‘Improved Transaction Turnaround

Time: Getting it Done, Dangiwa disclosed that to strengthen the work done so far, the bank was working in partnership with the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Pubic Property in a move that is likely to recoup N43billion from the bank’s debtors within the next 18 months.

“The current executive management of FMBN has notched significant milestones in its strategic plan to reform and reposition the institution as a more effective provider of safe, decent and affordable housing for Nigerians despite many challenges,” Zubaida Umar, the bank’s Group Head, Corporate Communications, said.

It is to the credit of the present management of the bank that after 12 years of failed attempts at institutional restructuring, its proactive stakeholder-engagement drive has resulted in the successful passage of key amendments to the laws establishing the bank and NHF. “The amended laws, when assented to by the President, would birth a new, more independent and financially stronger FMBN with a robust capital base of N500 billion”, Dangiwa assured.

Set up in 1992 by the federal government as an intervention in the country’s mortgage and housing sector, the story of FMBN has

Talking Mortgage with CHUKA UROKO (08037156969, chukuroko@yahoo.com) been that of low performance, especially in its supervisory role over the operations of NHF which was also set up by the federal government as a vehicle for accessing low rate, single digit mortgage.

All these years, it has been a tale of woes for those who contribute to NHF and have applied for housing loan through the fund.

Apart from the tortuous process, most times, the funds are not available. But the narrative has changed. For the first time in many years, the federal mortgage declared a 2016 full year surplus of N2.7 billion against a target of N1.5 billion. This is against the backdrop of yearly losses in the past five years.

The good news today is that the apex mortgage bank, from March 2015 to March 2017, within the purview of the NHF, granted 2,044 mortgage loans worth N15.205 billion and facilitated the construction of 1,878 housing units funded

with N10.417 billion.

Another good news is that the bank recently got approval for an amendment to the equity contribution payment process of prospective home owners to be capitalized over a period instead of being paid at once.

Though the new strides could be attributed to the commitment of the housing ministry to bringing some life into the inactivity that had defined the mortgage and housing sector in the country, analysts are of the view that the slowdown in the operations of the private sector led Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC) may be a strong factor.

But, whatever is catalyzing the present upswings in the bank, is a good development and the dividends of the investments in various operational aspects of the bank go to the NHF subscribers who are now rest-assured of getting their contribution as and when due.

Exploring the ‘rights’ of procurement interchangeably with Purchasing by some people. This usage is wrong as purchasing, which describes the early stage of the practice, is only a subset of procurement activities.

Purchasing simply refers to buying of goods or services. It often includes receiving and payment as well. However, Procurement is more strategic and encompassing. It is at the heart of the organization’s corporate strategy which includes: Company Identity, Market Placement, Company Capabilities, and Management Issues (entrepreneurial-insights. com).

Evolution of procurement Procurement has come a long way from a purchasing center to being considered as a strategic partner. Prior to World War 1, Procurement (Purchasing) was primarily clerical. With evolution of simple trade era to production era , following industrial revolution there was mass production and thus increased purchasing. Professionals are now more inclined to call it Supply Chain Management.

Aswathram Viswanathan, Supply Chain Manager with Dell Computers Austin, Texas, has noted that Supply chain is no longer as simple as getting goods from point A to B, as it is about

understanding and executing a complex set of variables.

Global competition, changing economies, and new supply chain challenges, have brought into focus the need for procurement leaders to develop strategies that will yield sustainable competitive advantage. According to him, in response to these challenges, procurement has evolved from organizations focusing on buying goods from suppliers with lowest price quotations, to harnessing the power of big data analytics and cloud computing, to make better decisions.

Procurement has evolved over time from the simple transactional purchasing to more complex set of activities.

Up until the 1970s, Procurement (purchasing) activities were highly Transactional with focus on the Lowest Supplier Cost. In the 1980s, it moved up to focus on Supplier Consolidation and Spend Analysis of key commodities.

In 1990 - 1994, we migrated to focus on Indirect Spend Analysis and Customer Relationship Management and from 1995 the focus centered on Customer Relationship Management. In the new millennium 2000 we entered into the phase of Strategic S o u r c i n g a n d Au t o m a t e d Spend Analysis Systems and In the Present Day we are in the

phase of Digital Procurement ( t r a n s p a r e n c y, v i s i b i l i t y analytics), Supplier Innovation and Collaboration (Source: The Evolution of Procurement: Past, Present and Future by Aswathram Viswanathan).

‘Rights’ of procurement The ‘rights’ of procurement refer to the goals and attendant activities of procurement in providing the right inputs to support the organization’s processes and corporate objectives. They represent the objectives of procurement and the general criteria by which procurement performance is measured. The use of the concept of right in this sense contrasts with wrong thereby suggesting that the goal of this discussion is the ability of procurement activities to deliver value to the organization in an efficient manner.

During the period of traditional purchasing up until recently, the emphasis in the procurement and supply chain profession was on 5 basic ‘Rights’ of delivering inputs namely: Deliver Inputs of the right Quality Deliver inputs in the right Quantity Deliver inputs to the right Place Deliver inputs at the right Time Deliver inputs at the right Price

In the course of the evolution of Supply Chain Management, a 6th Right was introduced namely Deliver inputs from the Right Source. On March 22nd 2017, Jonathan Dutton FCIPS, Interim Sales & Marketing Director at Open Windows in Melbourne, Australia, presented a ‘White Paper’, where he discussed the concept of the 7th Right which he called Buying the Right Way. It is instructive to note that these ‘rights’ are not exhaustive as a study by Graham Smith PhD in 2015 dismantled the original 5 Rights into 25 Rights of Procurement due to the new complexities of procurement activities.

In our next issue, we shall d i s c u s s a l l k n o w n Ri g h t s of procurement to help Procurement and Supply Chain stakeholders sharpen their professional skills as well as enrich their knowledge.

Gob – Agundu Uche FCIPS Chartered, is a Fellow and Chartered Member of the prestigious Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, CIPS. She has 23 years professional practice and has experience in all Supply Chain functions. She is currently Supply Chain Manager ( Pl a n n i n g , Pe r f o r m a n c e Management and Business Systems) with Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc.

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Sunday 02 December 2018

SundayBusiness Wal-Wanne and the rice pyramids of Bornu Food & Beverages With Ayo Oyoze Baje

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he inspiring story of the patriotic efforts of Dr. Kabir Abiso, one of the beneficiaries of the President Muhammadu Buhari-initiated Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) should galvanise many other enlightened citizens to go into modern farming. The ABP policy is aimed at boosting the local production of sundry food items.

Our focus here is therefore, on his moves to enhance massive food production, especially in the Boko-Haram terrorised NorthEast geo-political axis of the country.

It would be recalled that the laudable scheme which was launched on November 17, 2015 has the aim to create a linkage between the anchor companies, that are into processing and the

Spiritonomics

Debo Atiba

www.spiritonomics.org

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atters can be defined as unfavorable situations, circumstances that have happened in our lives at one time or the other that left us crippled, deformed and embittered, which consequently have stopped our progress in life. This definition is according to “LIFE” not according to the laws of physics or by the dictionary.

I have heard a man of God say that “behind every glory there is a story”. I truly believe in that story. We all have stories, and these stories usually are not palatable, some we don’t even want to remember. Some are so disgusting and repulsive that we carry the shame all around even though no one knows or sees it.

Small Holder Famers(SMFs) with particular reference to important agricultural commodities. It is instructive to note that the ABP came out of the series of consultations with stakeholders by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Those involved include state governors, millers of agricultural produce and small holder farmers.

Ap a r t f r o m r i c e , o t h e r agricultural products the ABP targets include maize, wheat, cotton, cassava, potato, yamsugar cane and ginger. Also listed are oil palm, cocoa and rubber which formed the pyramids in the sixties.

Others that the farmers may introduce to the CBN from time to time are sesame seed, soybean, cowpea, tomato, fish and, poultry.

Worthy of note is that the Abiso-led Wal-Wanne company has been able to register over 13,000 rice farmers across various local government councils of Borno State. All of them have been provided with the much needed inputs such as fertilizer, improved seedlings, tractors and harvesters.

Others are knapsack sprayers, tube wells, water pumps and of course, raw cash to facilitate their farming activities.

Interestingly, each of the farmers was able to cultivate at least a hectare of land and came up with between six to seven tons of food production during the previous raining season. This took place in areas such as Mafa, Maiduguri, Monguno, Damboa, Hawul, Biu, Shani and KwayaKusar Local Government Areas of the state. It was not too surprising

when pyramids of rice were unveiled by Wal-Wanne company several months ago.By ensuring each of the benefitting farmers pass through the enriching programme of modern farming techniques has added benefits to the agric value chain.

The good old days when agriculture was the mainstay of the nation’s economy seem to be coming back. This was what Governor Kashim Shettima, who represented the president stated at the unveiling of 33,000 bags of paddy rice by Wal-Wanne: “We are not only unveiling the rice pyramid today but taking a giant step towards boosting agriculture in Borno State. It is to share the joy of the progressive policy of the Buhari’s government which is encouraging local farmers.”

With a Vision, ‘to achieve excellence in our products and service deliveryto the community with distinguished shared values of customer satisfaction, creativity, teamwork and integrity’, its foray into rice farming and processing, sesame seed farming and Gum Arabic farming seem to be yielding the desired fruits.

For instance, only recently, Wal-Wanne was one of the four companies in Nigeria chosen by NEPC and CBI of the Netherlands for the exportation of improved rice seedlings, parboiled rice and Arabic gum to some select European countries. This came after both companies exposed Wal-Wanne to the knowledge on internationally accepted standards of production so that their products would match with others from elsewhere in the

world.

Ta k i n g t h e i m p a c t o n agricultural production higher, it has since embarked on the cultivation of additional 100,000 hectres of land in Borno State. The aim is to increase productionin 2019by 400,000 tonnes of rice in each of the local government areas of Borno State. Furthermore, by the rice revolution it aims at more expansive value addition through roads and infrastructural development, modern irrigation system, as well as processing and milling facilities spread over the state.

It is no doubt therefore, that in the next decade these efforts will translate to more youth empowerment, job creation and improved food security. All these efforts would fall in tandem with its Mission to ‘ provide products and service that will be of value to the community, employing the best practices in technology, as well as highly skilled manpower to deliver, while taking into consideration the socio-economic and political peculiarities of the environment we serve’.

With the core values of t r a n s p a r e n c y, t e a m w o r k , commitment and accountability, it is good to note that Wal-Wanne and Sons Ltd has established a Foundation that has direct bearing with the challenges that the people of Borno face. Its noble aim is to provide skills training and seed funding to the Internally Displaced People, IDPs. This would enable them to resettle to a more settled normal life.

Also noteworthy is that profits made from ancillary services

Baje is Nigerian first Food Technologist in the media ayobaje@yahoo.co.uk; 08057971776

of shame or commit suicide.

Men like David were men that knew how to ditch what does not matter and pursue what matters most. They pursue the mercy and favor of God when they are at their wits end. They recognize the frailty of man in his weakest moment and also have unflinching confidence in the love that God has towards them to accept them back when they miss it. They do not relish in sin but recognize the power of God to take them from the miry clay of failure, disappointment and discouragement and put them on the hard soil of mercy. They press on nonetheless.

For you to succeed against all the odds and events of your life, you must always remember that “it is human to err, and it is divine to forgive”. So I say to you categorically that your matters do not matter, they only matter when you make them the matter of your life. The question at the back of your mind is to know whether God truly supports that it does not matter. It is a resounding YES. 1 John 1:9

says “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from every unrighteousness”. Isaiah 1:18 corroborates this matter ‘’ Come, let’s talk this over, says the Lord; no matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you white as wool!

(TLB) “. God’s mind concerning this matter is forever settled.

Satan our accuser does not have any bible that we can read from, but this he has to say. “I can do nothing against any child of God that has asked for forgiveness, because the blood that flows from the cross cleanses them from every unrighteousness. But I can condemn them as long as they do not know the purpose of the cross”.

So beloved, lift up your holy hands, rejoice and be glad for old things are passed away, behold! all things are become new.

Remain blessed as you celebrate God in your matter. @spiritonomics

are channeled to distribute food items, clothing and shelter for the displaced people.

Even as we hail the initiative of the ABP, we cannot but caution that under no condition should it be politicized as hunger knows no political leaning or persuasion. It is good to note that the CBN has formed strategic partnerships with agric commodity associations with the aim to expand its scope. With the claim made by Isaac Okorafor, the acting director, Corporate Communications Department of CBN that N45.5 billion has been released through 13 participating financial institutions in respect of 218,000 farmers cultivating nine commodities; the issue of food security is gradually gaining the attention of our policy makers.

And that is how it should be.

The silver lining in the cloud hovering above our local farms will become more evident if and when other well-endowed individuals and organizations make a foray into modern farming. But to do this access to fertile land and inputs should be worked out through a sustainable synergy between the federal ministry of agriculture and that at the state level.

Ar e a s o f c o m p a r a t i v e advantage in terms of farm produce, according to the six geopolitical zones should be identified and policies, as well as incentives put in place to maximise such.

It does not matter The remembrance of them incapacitates us. We seem to stop in our track at the remembrance of them and it takes steam out of our sail. Beloved, you are not the only one in this situation.

The Scripture says that “Knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world...” it is not peculiar to you alone. We miss it big time when the enemy corners us and makes us to believe his lies in that aspect. The reason why it may look like that to you is because others seem to be making so much progress that it looks like they have never encountered challenges or had shameful experiences in their lives before.

What you do not know is that they have probably been in worse places and even have more certifications in worse things than you, but yet have moved on in spite of all that had happened in their lives. That is the TRUTH. That you were raped, that you were duped, maligned or failed in business are not prove enough that you

should stop the pursuit of what God has laid in your heart. What had happened do not matter.

They only matter when you give thought to them and relive them or you make them the matter of your life. In God there is always a new beginning that makes the past to become irrelevant. There is freshness and grace for a new beginning all the time. That you lost time does not mean you are out of time. Life and its system would have you believe you are only entitled to one opportunity in a lifetime. Nothing can be further from the truth. If you follow life you miss out.

The design of God for life before it got corrupted was abundance and reproduction of opportunities. Scriptures says “God, our father daily loads us with benefits, with opportunities”, not yearly or quarterly but daily. They are so numerous that we can never run out of them except we discard them. If some of us were David that committed adultery, murdered the husband and even touched the anointed of God, we would have died

Sunday 02 December 2018

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BDSUNDAY 41

BrandsOnSunday SPOTLIGHTING BRAND VALUE

This product is ‘China’. Shouldn’t China, the country, bother?

Daniel Obi

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erhaps you heard it not too long ago. Your auto mechanic probably explained that the car battery is not working as you expected because it is China.

Or, at the electronics shop, the sellers explained to you that between the two products they showed you, one is China and perhaps sells at a lower price, but the other, fairly used one (or tokunbo), sells at a higher price.

When a Nigerian tells you that a particular product is China, he is not telling you about the origin of the article. He means more much than the fact that the said item could have been manufactured in one of the industrial zones in China, the roaring industrial power, second-most powerful country in the world today. A china is a lowquality product that was supposedly made in the country, China.

This image of China and its products has endured. At first it was symptomatic of China’s low level of industrial experience, as it set out on the long journey to an industrial nation. At that time, Chinese products could hardly meet any standards in many countries, including Nigeria. But after several decades on the learning curve, and with its attainment of a global industrial colossus, shouldn’t China bother about the quality of its products that come into Nigeria?

“Chinese products are presumed to be fake and therefore patronage is a matter of personal decision on risk,” said one of the respondents to recent survey carried out in a print newspaper’s newsroom in Lagos. The survey showed that the poor perception of Chinese products is deep.

The respondents (90 percent) who are journalists said ‘what comes to them when they hear of China products is sub-standard, fake, low quality, cheap, counterfeit and lack of durability. The

remaining 10 percent said Chinese products are catching-up in terms of quality.

Tayo Odusote, Deputy Director at CMC Connect, a PR firm in Nigeria, also agreed that Chinese products have a poor perception in Nigeria. He traced the poor perception of Chinese products to the era when imports into Nigeria were coming from Taiwan. “When Taiwan products faded out, it was replaced in Nigeria by Chinese products, most of which were substandard,’’ he explained.

This means that Chinese manufacturers and their distributors should mount a great brand building campaign to execute in the big Nigerian market and in Africa as some of the country’s products are suffering from poor perception among Nigerians. But does the country care?

In Nigeria, Africa’s biggest market, Chinese products are everywhere and cut across product segments. But although China produces for the global market, its products are regarded in Nigeria as not being durable. This could affect their price and patronage in the local market, says an analyst.

“Direct users of products will hardly purchase some Chinese products unless the alternatives are out of reach. They are usually purchased by contractors for selfish gains who try to convince clients on their quality regardless of perception,’’ says the analyst who does not want to be identified.

This poor quality perception of Chinese products explains the fact that Nigerian house owners do not want to touch Chinese electric cables, insisting rather on Nigerian wires. It has been proven that Nigeria has the best copper wire used in making cables. It is the same in the electrical sector in Nigeria, where traders try to avoid Chinese goods on the understanding that they are of poor quality with associated risk.

However, the fact that China also manufactures for other mar-

kets, especially Europe and Western world, has given rise to the allegation that some unscrupulous elements in both China and Africa are conniving to manufacture sub-standard products for Africa, a development that is tarnishing China’s image. It is not clear how China is responding to this allegation.

China is strongly making efforts to build robust relationship with Nigeria and other African countries.

When the country’s President Xi Jinping visited Africa recently he declared a $60-billion development assistance to the continent.

Nigeria has massively engaged Chinese construction companies but the snag on its products in the continent remains a big challenge to Beijing.

Odusote blamed the inflow of substandard Chinese goods into Africa on lax control of manufacturers of such products who find it easy to export same into the continent. And on the home front, he blames this on the inability of African countries to control their ports and borders, which gives rooms for the dumping of substandard products.

Also, production and exportation of substandard products to ready markets benefits China, Odusote noted. According to him, the substandard products that thrive on the poverty in many African countries create jobs in China , world’s most populous nation with a population of 1.2 billion. He pointed out however that Chinese companies always find ways to bypass local controls. “Where there are restrictions for importation, some Chinese immigrants, some of them illegal, establish factories in remote areas to produce en masse what they know are substandard products and repatriate the money to their economy.”

Odusote therefore wondered why China, in the face of the claims that its products in Africa are substandard, seems to not have made any efforts to correct that impression. “This perhaps indicates that it has accepted that its products are substandard in Africa” But Bolaji Abimbola, CEO of Indigo, another PR firm, argued that China being a manufacturing hub, produces according to speci-

fications. According to him, today, many consumers cannot distinguish between Chinese, Japanese or Korean products. “It is said that importers usually go to China and demand for certain specifications and China ships to Africa what Africans demand.”

Abimbola said that it may be worrisome to brand Chinese products as substandard, but noted that China may not be bothered about the toga as it still remains a global manufacturing hub producing various quality products for different markets.

Abimbola pointed out that importation or manufacture of substandard products shows the value Africans place on themselves, and called on regulatory agencies to ensure that standards are maintained. ‘‘China manufactures for global market. Therefore the perception in Nigeria of its products as fake and substandard, could have been informed by experience or believe made possible by scrupulous elements” “However, the country needs to begin to correct this perception with showcasing its quality products,’’ Abimbola said.

MultiChoice attempts to keep families together this festive season

J

ust like other parts of the world, the end of the year in Nigeria comes with celebrations and festivities. It is the time to celebrate with family, reunite with your favourite cousins that you haven’t seen in a year It has become universal knowledge that the festive season can be filled with activity, making it tiring and often a test of patience and tolerance. From family members to the random individuals encountered during day to day activities, any opportunity to relax

is welcome. In the middle of this festive season set up, some brands proffer opportunities for relaxation and friendship and one of them is MultiChoice.

First off, MultiChoice is already in the business of uniting people from all walks of life because they deal primarily with a phenomenon of mass fascination - the television! With the most diverse pay TV catalogue this side of the world, MultiChoice’s DStv and GOtv platforms have entertainment for everyone. From sports to kids’ shows, movies to

news channels, gathering the entire family in front of a television screen with some good food is a tried and true formula that works every time.

Taking it up a notch, MultiChoice launched a campaign that will make this festive season more memorable for its customers. The campaign tagged ‘Festive Together’ explores the four major themes of the festive season - family, music, friends and food - in curating the best content on DStv and GOtv. All new and existing customers can now purchase the Explora, dish kit with one-month

Compact subscription for only N29,900, which was previously N52,100 while the HD decoder, dish kit with one-month Compact subscription will go for only N9,900 from a previous price of N11,900.

On GOtv, customers can get GOtv Max package for only N3,200 and enjoy quality TV programming.

When discussing MultiChoice’s generous offer for the season, here’s what Martin Mabutho, Chief Customer Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria, had to say: “The festive season is a great time for family and friends to

come together, and we are making those moments extra special with world class content on our platforms”. He also said the upcoming festive season “will be marked by exciting TV content that the whole family can enjoy.”

It is very unusual for Nigerian brands to give such generous breaks during the festive season when prices go up as the demand for goods rise. But here goes MultiChoice, enriching lives and bringing us together when we need it the most.

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EquityMarket FCMB delights investors with N19 bn profits in third quarter 2018 TELIAT SULE

F

irst City Monument Bank Plc (FCMB) only needed nine months in 2018 to outperform the records it posted for the entire 2016 and 2017, the analysis of the bank’s nine months unaudited financial statements has shown. FCMB made N18.5 billion total comprehensive income for the nine months ended September 2018, translating to 199 percent increase over N6.19 billion made in similar period in 2017.

Interestingly, the bank has surpassed the full year profits it realised in 2016 and 2017. As at the end of the full year 2017, total comprehensive income of the bank stood at N11.72 billion while at the end of 2016, FCMB made N18.4 billion as total comprehensive income.

In nine months ended September 2018, gross earnings rose by 12 percent to N132.87 billion from N118.8 billion same period in 2017. Interest and discount income remained flat at N95.4 billion compared to N96.3 billion in 2017. Net interest income increased to N53.2 billion in 2018 up from N49.9 billion in 2017. FCMB was able to increase its net interest income due to a 9 percent reduction in interest expense which stood at N42.2 billion as at September 2018 compared N46.4 billion in September 2017.

Other income increased to N12.9 billion in Q3 2018 up from N5.2 billion in 2017. Operating profit was better by 121 percent rising from N6.67 billion in September 2017 to N14.7 billion same period in 2018. Profit after tax (PAT) jumped by 107 percent from N5.5 billion in September 2017 to

N11.34 billion in similar period in 2018.

Total comprehensive income for the nine-month period was N18.5 billion, an increase of 199 percent over N6.2 billion realised same period in 2017.

The results have started to impact its share price on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). As at the close of business on the last trading day of November and with 936,136 of

FCMB’s shares traded, its share price was among the most appreciated as it rose on that single day by 9.85 percent from N1.32 per share in the previous day then closing last Friday at N1.45 per share. Year to date FCMB’s share price closed at -2.0 percent.

In September, FCMB organised free capacity building for small and medium scale enterprises in Abuja

Cutix’s share price remains flat as profit declines by 8 percent

I

TELIAT SULE

nvestors ignored a 7.74 percent decline in Cutix Plc’s profit after tax(PAT) as its share price closed flat at N1.82 per share on the last trading day of November 2018. The company recorded N2.78 billion revenue in the second quarter ended October 2018, representing 2.20 percent increase over N2.72 billion it realised in similar period in 2017.

Investors traded 102,712 units of shares worth N175, 305 on Friday.

Year to date, Cutix’s share price closed at -9.5 percent.

Cost of sales was flat at N1.93 billion in October 2018 similar to N19.2 billion incurred in October 2017.

Gross profit increased by 6 percent as the firm made N851.39 million in October 2018 as against N802.8 million in October 2017.

Cutix management was able to reduce the cost of sales to revenue

from 71 percent in 2017 to 69 percent in 2018. The total comprehensive income of the stood at N224.1 million compared with N242.85 million in 2017.

Cutix is an indigenous firm that specialises in the manufacture of electrical cables and switchgear assemblies. It is one of its plans to develop a new power plant where power cable of all sizes in low voltage varieties of PVC, PE and XLPE can be produced.

FBNQuest Trustees to transfer shareholding interest to FBN Holdings

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BN Holdings hereby notifies the general public that FBNQuest Capital, a subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc, has passed a resolution for a business restructuring which will involve the transfer of all its shareholding interest in FBNQuest Trustees Limited to FBN Holdings Plc(FBNH), following which FBNQuest Trustees will become a direct subsidiary of FBN Holdings subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Securities

and Exchange Commission (SEC).

FBN Holdings is the ultimate/ holding company of all the operating companies in the group which was incorporated in Nigeria on October 14, 2010 and licensed by the CBN as a financial holding company. FBNH is the parent company of First Bank of Nigeria Limited and its subsidiaries which are FBNQuest Merchant Bank and its subsidiaries; FBNQuest Capital Limited and its Subsidiaries; FBN Insurance Limited and its subsid-

iaries and FBN Insurance Brokers Limited.

FBNQuest Trustees is currently a direct subsidiary of FBNQuest Capital Limited which is a direct and fully owned subsidiary of FBNH, thus making FBNQuest Trustees Limited an indirect subsidiary of FBNH. FBNQuest Trustees provides solutions in corporate trust, public trust, estate administration, executorship, and agency services to both institutional and private investors.

in order to boost their growth and performance. The project, tagged “Business Enterprises and Sustainability Training (BEST)”an initiative of FCMB Training Academy, was introduced to address a number of challenges SMEs face in this country which are responsible for their high failure rates in the first five years of their existence.

Fitch upgrades UBA to B+

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itch, the global rating agency, has upgraded United Bank for Africa’s long term default rating (IDR) to B+ with stable outlook.

The foremost rating agency also upgraded the viability rating of the Pan African bank to b+ from b. The rating upgrade came on the back o consistent improvement in financial performance metrics, funding, liquidity and capitalisation.

According to Fitch, “UBA is also Nigeria’s most international bank, operating in 20 other subSaharan African countries. Its objective is to operate as a panAfrican commercial bank. Our assessment is that geographic diversification is credit positive because it provides growth opportunities and can reduce exposure to Nigeria’s cyclical economic growth trends.”

In assessing the group’s funding and liquidity profile, Fitch reported, “UBA’s local currency funding profile is a rating strength.

Its loans/deposits ratio (57% at end-1H18) is low compared with peers (69%). The deposits base is well diversified by single customer and retail deposits represent approximately one-third of customer deposits, which is higher than the average for rated peers. UBA’s digital offerings continue to attract deposit inflows.

Local currency liquidity ratios are comfortable and the issue of a $500 million senior medium term bond on the international capital markets in June 2017 eased pressure on the group’s overall foreign currency liquidity position.”

Diamond bank receives CBN approval to operate as national bank

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e wish to notify the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the General Public that Diamond Bank Plc has received the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to its application to operate as a National Bank (subject to conclusion of sale of Diamond Bank UK “DBUK”).

With this approval the bank will cease to operate as an International Bank. As a prelude to this, in 2017 the bank disposed its West African Subsidiary, and is currently in the final stages of sale of its United Kingdom subsidiary. The re-licensing as a National Bank supports the Bank’s objective of streamlining its operations to focus resources on the significant opportunities in the Nigerian re-

tail banking market, and economy as a whole.

The change to National Bank status also enables the bank to maintain a lower minimum capital requirement, and this creates headroom for stronger growth in the quarters ahead through customer acquisition and expansion of loans to the critical sectors of the economy.

This development does not affect the bank’s ability to offer services to its clients in international locations. Top quality services to international customers will continue through its digital channels (Diamond Mobile, Internet Banking, etc.) and network of correspondence banks. We shall keep the market updated with any additional information.

Sunday 02 December 2018

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BDSUNDAY 43

Consumer Watch ‘Africa needs political will to achieve zero hunger by 2030’

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NGOZI OKPALAKUNNE n order to form a formidable partnership that will be based on investing in food security and rural development so as to make food available for consumers, Community Action on Food Security Initiative recently organised a one-day forum in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The programme, which came under the theme, ‘The role of stakeholders in harnessing Nigeria’s agricultural potential for food security, nutrition and sustainable development’, was part of the organisation’s activities to mark this year’s World Food Day. Speaking at the event, Azeez Akanni Salawu, executive director, Community Action on Food Security Initiative, affirmed that the forum which attracted consumers, famers, academicians, was necessary as it would in turn lead to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“The summit will spark critical discussions, inspire, engage, network, connect and form a formidable affiliation that will be based on investing in food security and rural development leading to the achievement of the SDGs,” Salawu said.

In his remarks, Nteranya Sanginga, director-general of International of Tropical Agriculture Ibadan (IITA), explained that what is needed in Africa is the political and collective will to act.

According to him, Africa could achieve the SDGs especially goal number 2, also known as Zero Hunger by 2030 if governments

on the continent made a departure from mere rhetoric to taking action. Looking at global trends, the IITA boss said that by 2050, Africa’s population will double.

“What that means is that we will have to feed more people.

We will need more jobs for our youths. We will need more land, water, among others to produce

food. “Clearly, if we continue with a business as usual approach, we will be in trouble,” he added.

The IITA DG also spoke on the disturbing trends of youth unemployment in Africa, citing that in Nigeria, between 2001 and 2010; 22 million young people entered the labour market in search of jobs.

“Some of these young people end up without decent jobs. In spite of our arable land, majority of African farmers are poor, most of them living on less than two dollars a day. Again, malnutrition is widespread. So, we need to act and change this narrative”, Sanginga, who was represented by Godwin Atser, IITA Communication and Knowledge Exchange expert, said.

Sanginga, however, said that there was a ray of hope for the continent and he cited some of the achievements made by IITA which culminated in the winning of the Africa Food Prize as a centre for research excellence.

He said the youth programme at IITA, that is providing decent jobs for young people in agriculture, was a model that African nations could embrace and replicate to solve youth unemployment on the continent.

Also, he noted that some of the breakthroughs if scaled out could lift Africa out of poverty and bring the continent on the path of prosperity. These include IITA improved varieties of cassava, maize, soybean, yam, banana/plantain, and cowpea that are resistant to pest and diseases, and high yielding.

“Besides, we also have several other initiatives/projects that have demonstrated how countries can transform agriculture.

For instance, the IITA Cassava Weed Management Project clearly demonstrates the possibility of doubling cassava yield from the current national average of 10 tons/ha to more than 20 tons per ha,” he added.

‘Banana lowers blood pressure’

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anana, that yellowish skinned fruits, has a lot of benefits as it contains more vitamins than other fruits. Whether sliced over cereal, eaten as it were or blended in a smoothie, the fruit will give you the optimum health that your body requires to function adequately.

According to a Lagos-based nutritionist, Ada Orji, one banana contains good amount of dietary bar which does not only keep digestion regular, but also helps maintain low blood sugar and curbs overeating.

Orji further explained that the high amounts of potassium in bananas can lower one’s blood pressure, which in turn lessens the possibility of atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke.

Along with lowering blood pressure, other nutrition experts affirmed that potassium prevents the weakening of the body’s bones, adding that a high sodium intake, which is typical of many diets, can cause excessive amount of calcium to be lost through the urine, which threatens not only the strength and general health of the bones, but also negatively affects blood clotting, proper muscle contraction, and normal nervous system function.

“The potassium found in

banana neutralises the high amounts of sodium in one’s diet, thus allowing for healthy amounts of calcium to remain within the body.

“The potassium in bananas is not the only means to ensure healthy levels of calcium in the body. Bananas also contain high levels of fructooligo saccharide (FOS) that--along with insulin--promotes calcium absorption. FOS further nourishes healthy bacteria in the colon that manufacture vitamins and digestive enzymes that boost the body’s overall ability to absorb nutrients.

“Healthy digestive tract bananas can diminish the uncomfortable effects of diarrhea and constipation. The

high amounts of potassium in bananas can restock electrolytes that are easily depleted when suffering from diarrhea -- potassium being an important electrolyte itself. Furthermore, bananas can relieve the body from constipation and help restore regular digestion with pectin, a soluble polysaccharide that helps normalise the digestive tract”, the experts noted.

According to other reports on banana, the fruit protects the healthy constitution of the stomach as it in triggers the production of mucus in the stomach, which provides a protective barrier against stomach acids.

The reports also stated that

bananas possess protease inhibitors, a substance that breaks down bacteria in the stomach that cause ulcers.

Other benefits include the following Cancer prevention.

A large study by the Internal Journal of Cancer illustrates that the probability of developing kidney cancer is greatly lessened by frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables, though especially bananas. For instance, the probability of developing kidney cancer in female subjects decreased by 50 percent when eating bananas four to six times a week.

Vitamin B6 One banana has an impressive 34 percent of the RDA of vitamin B6, which serves many important roles in the body’s health. For example, the B6 in bananas acts as an antiinflammatory agent that helps ward off cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, as well as obesity. B6 also contributes to the maintenance of the lymphoid glands that ensure the production of healthy white blood cells that protect the body from infection. The vitamin B6 in bananas plays a pivotal part in cell formation and proper nervous system function, making one banana a day a healthy and delicious choice.

Recipe : Banga Banga is one of the most popular delicious soups in Nigeria. It has the savoriness of Gbegiri, but it’s in a class of it own. The soup is widely enjoyed all over Africa and it’s called different names by different groups.

Ingredients 2 cups processed palm nut (I used Ghana Fresh) 2 cups assorted meat of choice (precooked) (I used shaki, dried fish and ponmo) 3 tablespoons ground crayfish 2 bouillon cube (Maggi or Knorr) 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon bitter leave (optional) Directions *Set a medium size pot on below medium heat, add in the Palm nut fruit and 2.5 cups of water, stir until the water is well incorporated into the palm nut. leave to cook for 10 minutes. *Add in the precooked meat, maggi, salt, crayfish and bitter leave. Stir again, reduce the heat to minimum, adjust the soup for water if need be at this point, taste and adjust for salt, cover the pot and leave to cook for another 15 minutes. *There should be oil on the soup from the palm nut at this point, skim off the excess oil.

Serve the soup with pounded yam, fufu or rice.

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Sunday 02 December 2018

Travel

What I love about Accra…

Obinna Emelike

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f you have not been to Accra before or in a long while, you will be amazed by the good manner of the people.

Call it warmth or the ‘Akwaaba’ signature as most locals describe it, there is always a friendly ‘please’ to every ‘no’.

From the time your step out of the airplane, it does not take time to discover that Accra’s inhabitants are a polite bunch of people; even the immigration extends a courtesy that is not common across the West African entry points and borders.

While leaving the airport or running around in the town for your business or leisure concerns, it is better done in local taxis because the youthful drivers of the taxis are self-appointed ambassadors of their country Ghana and also a bunch of entertainers. From current affairs, local politics, social events, nightlife, and especially sports, the drivers entertain their passengers till they drop off at their destinations, which are mostly hotels, restaurants or beaches.

One good thing about them is that they hardly ripoff their passengers. On a recent trip that I made, Kwesi, the taxi driver who often calls me Chale, said swindling visitors means eating once and for all and that will drive them away.

“Chale, we are happy and contented with our earning.

Oxford Street, Osu, Accra.

The Falcon display

Independance Square, Accra

It is never enough, but we cannot increase it by stealing from our passengers. It will drive them away,” Kwesi explains.

When I inquired what Chale means, Kwesi explained that Chale is derived from Ga language in Ghana and that it means friend or buddy. “But we barely met, are we friends”, I ask. With smiles he insists saying, “Chale, you are my friend, you saw other taxis but de-

cided to flag mine down. So, we are friends,” he insists.

Before I get of the taxi, Kwesi unveils a bouquet of exciting attractions and activities that will engage me while in Accra. He insists I must see Oxford Street in Osu, a neighborhood in central Accra, known for its busy commercial, nightlife and exciting activities.

The next day, I set out to unravel Oxford Street. On my way, a coconut seller,

who pushes his freshly produced goods on fabricated wheelbarrow, extends another courtesy to me. “Chale, the sun is harsh. Just pick any coconut you like, I will peel it, and you will have a refreshing taste. Try it”, he admonishes.

When it seemed I was not going to patronise him, he said: “There is no preservative, no plastic bottles, it is just coconut”. At that point I beckon for one and it is truly refreshing with less than 5 Cedis.

While the coconut seller is another good encounter, the one at Oxford Street is better. Oxford Street is the most vibrant and diverse street of Accra where you can find everything you need if you know where to go. On a closer look, the street offers an array of restaurants, retail options, and especially something to suit every taste and budget. It is interesting to see people bargain for discounts somewhere on the street’s bustling thoroughfare or in one of the smaller side streets.

It takes a while to scan through the street because of its buzzing business activities. For souvenirs, the Ankara print readily comes to mind because it is hawked all over the street and cheaper than prices at Makola Market.

As well, the likes of Monsoon hosts visitors on Ghanaian delicious, but food is more local, tasty and cheaper

at Miamia, a local restaurant.

A taste of Kenke, a local delicacy, brings visitors closer to the culture. One takeaway from the Oxford Street encounter is that businesses want to earn honesty money and not taking advantage of the visitors.

Accra also bubbles with n i g h t l i f e . F ro m t h e ev e r busy Oxford Street, the Osu neighbourhood to other parts of the city, Accra is alive in the day but more at night.

As well, there is more to see in the city. A city tour is highly recommended from the Independence Square, Jamestown, Accra’s oldest suburb, Makola Market, Kwame Nkrumah Museum, the beaches, local craft markets, the aircraft restaurant, to many other attractions, Accra has a lot to offer.

The city’s skyline is rising higher with the influx of many multinationals who seem to run away from high taxes, growing challenges of doing business in other West African countries, and manufacturers who see Tema, a seaport nearby to Accra, as the new hub in the region.

Yet, the new airport is the talk of the town. It is wooing global airlines and is likely going to be aviation hub, resulting in more visits to Accra.

Accra truly has a soul, which is kept alive by the honesty and warmth of her inhabitants.

Sunday 02 December 2018

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Travel

What to wear for cabin crew interview Stories by IFEOMA OKEKE

T

he profession of a Cabin crew is no doubt one of the most admired when it comes to service delivery.

However, many fail to understand that qualifying as a cabin crew attendant is beyond just looking beautiful or handsome and having just the right shape.

Airlines look out for certain attributes before approving you to attend to their esteemed passengers.

Some of these qualities include your composure, intelligence and being eloquent, amongst others.

However, one very important factor that appears to be the very first assessment during a cabin crew interview is the dress.

Before you say a word to the interviewer, you have already made an impression based on how you’re dressed. They are already making their judgments of your personality just by what you wear.

It’s basic human nature.

Personal appearance and grooming make up for the majority of how people rate or classify other people. Even you have done it on many occasions when you’re meeting someone new.

What you wear says a lot – if not everything – about you. So, let what you wear

speak only the best about you!

Dressing well is quite important here since this is an image conscious industry and for you to be successful you need to look the part.

Read below for the top tips on what to wear for your cabin crew interview.

Business Suit First off, you should wear a suit. Pick one that is in neutral colours such as black, grey or dark/navy blue.

The length of the skirt should neither be too long nor too short but should be medium height, right at the bottom of the kneecaps.

The top you choose should be a shirt or a blouse with a collar, preferable light colours like white, light

blue, pink, light yellow and so forth. It doesn’t matter whether it’s long or short since you’ll be wearing the blazer to cover your arms.

(Important: Don’t wear any sleeveless tops or the ones with plunging necklines, please!)

Applicants should as much as possible avoid wearing trousers whether it’s capri, dress pants, wide leg, boot cut, slim leg, ankle or even the Audrey pant.

This is an interview not a venue for your fashion statement.

Shoes When choosing shoes, go for black pumps with a small heel and which should be below three inches as this is most comfortable for staying on your feet.

As much as ballet shoes are comfortable and opentoe or open heels are trendy, please avoid them as they portray a business casual or dressy casual look instead of a business professional look.

Please wear solid stockings the is skin nude or the color that matches your general complexion.

Nails Your nails should be properly groomed by filing and trimming them to look nice, neat and clean.

When it comes to nail polishes, avoid bright colours and go for more neutral and nude colours such as mauve instead of white, or a ruby deeper red instead of bright red.

Hair & Makeup If the length of your hair brushes your shoulder or is much longer, tie it at the back into a ponytail or a neat bun. Keep your makeup as natural and subtle as possible.

Your image matters if you are attending a cabin crew interview. It shows your attentiveness to detail and gives the interviewers an idea of how you will be representing their company to their clients, both externally and internally.

The visual message that you send through how you dress makes a big difference in how the interviewers perceive you and ultimately determine whether you will get the job or not.

Air Peace boss tasks cabin crew members on customer service

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llen Onyema , chairman/chief executive officer of Air Peace, has urged cabin crew members to deepen their customer service and crisis management skills to forge a better relationship between airlines and their passengers.

Onyema made the call at the 2nd Cabin Crew Fair 2018 organised by MamaJ Aviation Consult Limited at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Annex, Murtala Muhammed Airport

Allen Onyema

(MMA), Lagos on Saturday.

In a related development, the Air Peace boss and Florence Opia, the carrier’s Cabin Services Manager, have been honoured with the Outstanding Aviation Personality of the Year and the Cabin Crew Excellence awards respectively.

Delivering the keynote address at Cabin Crew Fair with the theme: “Raising the Bar of the Cabin Crew Profession,” Onyema commended Nigerian cabin crew members for acquitting them-

selves creditably in their primary roles of ensuring the safety, security and comfort of air travellers.

He, however, urged Nigerian cabin crew members to do much more in delivering top-notch customer service throughout their flights and learn to de-escalate crises before they degenerate.

The Air Peace chairman, who was represented by Chris Iwarah, the airline’s Corporate Communications Manager, said cabin crew members were a critical link between an airline and its passengers.

Where cabin crew members failed to provide good customer service, he warned, an airline would be negatively impacted no matter the quality of its flight services.

He urged Nigerian cabin crew members to be proud of their origin and project the beautiful cultures of their country in everything they do, including their communication style.

Onyema confirmed that Air Peace had provided em-

ployment for almost 300 cabin crew members, pledging to continue to provide opportunities for Nigerians to exhibit their skills and make the nation proud in the global aviation industry.

He commended Joy Ogbebo, the chief executive officer of MamaJ Aviation Consult Limited, for working tirelessly to promote Nigerian cabin crew members and deepen standards in the profession in the country.

Onyema urged cabin crew members to emulate the fine standards represented

by Ogbebo.

Ogbebo said Onyema was honoured for immensely supporting the “development of the cabin crew profession and provision of job opportunities to the highest number of cabin crew members in the industry.”

Opia, she added, was recognised for her role in “management training monitoring, mentoring and motivation of cabin crew members to meet safety standards and deliver excellent service.”

Dana Air extends Akwa United sponsorship deal

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anaAir,hasextended its multi-million sponsorship deal with Uyo based Akwa United fc of Akwa Ibom State for the 2018/19 League season.

Speaking at a brief ceremony in the conference room of the Godswill Akpabio International stadium, Kingsley Ezenwa, the mediaandcommunicationsmanager of Dana Air, said, “We are back again to extend what we started last year. We believe in Akwa United and the club actually did well last season and looks good for the next season. ‘’We are also committed to developing sports particularly football in Nigeria. We are the first airline to have taken this step towards making our league glamorous and we hope other credible organizations will follow because we believe that our league can actually get to that level.’’

Speaking further Ezenwa said, “for us at Dana Air, it’s not just about flying to Akwa Ibom state, but contributing positively to the growth and development of the state.’’

The Dana Air spokesman also congratulated Nigerians and the super Eagles on their qualification for AFCON 2019 in Cameroun, saying “we are proud of the Super Eagles of Nigeria for bringing

glory to our country Nigeria and for encouraging us to continue to believe in our greatness.’’

Also speaking at the event, Paul Bassey, the chairman of Akwa United, Elder described Dana Airlines as worthy partners and expressed delight that the contract has been extended for another year.

“We are particularly grateful to Dana Airlines for this amazing partnership with our club. This partnership has relieved us of the stress of tedious road travels to league matches especially the northern and western parts of this country.

“The success story of Dana Airlines in the Nigerian air space in the last ten years is a clear testimony of your commitment to Nigerians and we are proud to be associated with Dana Airlines through this sponsorship agreement.

“We will be going into a new NPFL season confident that we will do well to bring glory to all our fans, supporters as well as Dana Air for identifying with and staying by us,”Bassey said.

Dana Air recently celebrated 10 years in Nigeria’s airspace with a record breaking load factor, an unrivalled on-time performance, world class in-flight service and customer-centric products and services

NAMA director of engineering conferred with NSE Fellowship

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hmed Umar Farouk, the director of Safety Electronics and Engineering Services in the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), at the weekend made the list of 32 eminent Nigerians inducted into the prestigious Fellowship of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE).

The event which took place at the Nigerian Airforce (NAF) Conference Centre, Abuja was part of activities marking the 60th anniversary of the society.

Speaking at the induction ceremony, Adekunle Mokuolu, the President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, said the inductees were distinguished Nigerians who were being elevated to the highest cadre of membership of the society owing to their exemplary professional conduct and immense contribution to the growth and development of the nation.

Mokuolu expressed optimism that this recognition would further propel them to be outstanding in their different endeavours.

Farouk’s investiture is coming barely three weeks after he was conferred with the fellowship of the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE) in Kano.

He joined NAMA in 2002 and has served the agency in different capacities in the past including airspace manager, Minna airport, general manager, procurement and general manager special projects, Kano Region. An engineering pundit who believes in the core values and ethics of the profession, Farouk’s rich professional experience and passion for hard work ensured his successful supervision of some of the nation’s critical navigational projects.

These include installation of Instrument Landing System (ILS) at Kaduna International Airport; deployment of Doppler Very High Frequency Omni-Directional Range (DVOR) at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport as well as the Stand – Alone High Powered Jotron Radios recently installed in Kano and Lagos Area Control Centres in the country.

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Sunday 02 December 2018

Health&Science Five things men can do for good health ANTHONIA OBOKOH

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(WHO).

en’s health checklist by t h e Wo r l d He a l t h Or ganisation

Have regular check-ups Even if you feel healthy, regular health checks (such as blood pressure, blood sugar levels, prostate checks) are essential to catch any problems early and stay in good health. Your mental health is just as important, and seeking help for mental health issues, including depression and anxiety, can be critical.

Reduce alcohol use The harmful use of alcohol killed nearly 3 million people in 2016; 75 percent of whom were men. Drinking too much, or too often, increases your immediate risk of injury, road crashes and violence, as well as causing longer-term effects like liver damage, cancer and heart disease. Harmful use of alcohol can also affect your

mental health and has a negative impact on your family and the people around you.

Quit smoking Tobacco use causes cancer, lung disease, heart disease and stroke, killing more than 7 million people every year. It also causes impotence. Quitting smoking is one of the best actions you can take for your health within 12 weeks, your lung function increases, within

a year your risk of heart disease is already half that of a smoker’s.

Eat better Eating a healthy diet helps prevent diabetes and many other diseases. Try to eat more fruit, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils), nuts and whole grains. Limit the amount of salt to 1 teaspoon per day, sugar to less than 5percent of total energy intake and saturated

fats to less than 10 percent of your energy intake.

Be more active 1 in 4 people aren’t active enough. Adults should do at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity a week. Physical activity helps you maintain a healthy weight, reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer and can help beat depression too.

Natural health benefits of guava leaves JONATHAN ADEROJU

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ost people know what the guava fruit can do to our health. But not all of them are aware of the fact that even the leaves have several medicinal properties and boast an array of health benefits.

Guava leaves are great for your well-being; the young leaves of guavatreecanbebrewedtomake a magical tea. These leaves are powerhouse of antioxidants like vitamins; guava leaves are packed with anti-inflammatory and antibacterial compounds and also have beneficial tannins, making them a natural pain reliever.

The chemicals contained in the leaves such as carotenoids, polyphenols, tannins, and flavonoids are exceptionally effective in treating several diseases. Guava leavesmightseementirelyuseless but the health benefits are quite numerous. They contain high amounts of vitamin C, Vitamin A, healthy fibres, potassium and also lycopene.

Health benefits of guava leaves Aid in Weight Loss: If you are planning to lose weight, guava leaves can give you a hand to attain what you want. Guava leaves aids in weight loss by inhibiting the complex starches from being turned into sugars. That’s because Guava tea prevent carbohydrates from turning into sugar thereby suppressingyourappetite.Eventually, byeatingfewercaloriesyouwillbe abletoshedofftheextrapounds.

Drink fresh Guava leaves and tea for this weight loss result.

Sperm boost and fertility: People with low sperm count can count on the power of guava leaves. It has been proven to be effective in increasing sperm count without side-effects.

For sperm boosting; get good quantity of guava leaves and car-

rots. Wash properly, slice the carrots and put them at the base of your pot, put the guava leaves on it and boil till it is properly done.

Take a glass cup of the water solution morning and night. You can prepare another fresh water solution if the concentration is getting low! Try to abstain from sex while taking the herbs to allow proper build up, you can take a week off, after taking the herb for a week.

It balances female hormones: Whenmixedwithgingertheytreat hormonal imbalance. Make your guavateawitheitherfreshordried leaves. Drink twice daily.

Beneficial for diabetics: Guava leafteacaneffectivelylowerblood sugar levels by reducing alphaglycosidase enzyme activity, according to a study conducted by Yakult Central Institute in Japan.

It also prevents the absorption of maltose and sucrose by the body, lowering blood sugar level in return.

Drink guava leaf tea for 12 weeks to lower blood sugar levels without increasing your insulin production.

Lower cholesterol: Guava leaves are found out to be a great liver tonic. In was also proven in research that drinking guava leaf tea for 3 months lowers your risk of cardiovascular diseases by reducing your LDL cholesterol and triglycerides without any adverse effect on your HDL.

Treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery: Another effective way for treating dysentery and diarrhoea is by using the power of the guava leaves. If you want to treat diarrhoea, boil 30 grams of guava leaves in 1-2 glasses of water and add in a handful of rice flour to make a concoction. Drink this twice daily until symptoms subside. On the other hand, in case of dysentery, cut the leaves and roots of a guava plant and boil them for 20 minutes. Strain the water and drink it in moderation until relieved.

Treatment of bronchitis: Guava leaf tea is effective in treating bronchitis by loosening mucus, opening up the lungs, and soothing coughs.

Prostate Cancer: Studies reveal that guava leaves are effective against prostate enlargement and prostate cancer.

Treatment of wounds and infections: The antibacterial properties found in guava leaves helps in treating wounds such as abrasions, wounds, etc. Guava leaves prevent the spread of infection and reduce inflammation to promote fast healing.

Guava leaves benefits for Skin When it comes to skincare, guava leaves can greatly help in improving your skin and treatment of various skin disorders. Following

are the benefits of guava leaves for the skin.

Treatment of Acne and black spots: The antiseptic compounds foundin guava leaves can kill acnecausing bacteria, thus helping you get rid of black spots and acne from your skin. Mash some guava leaves and apply it directly to the affected area. Rinse with warm water after some time. Do this daily to attain a clear looking skin.

Removal of blackheads: Blend guava leaves with little water and use it as a scrub on your nose to get rid of nasty blackheads.

Anti-aging benefits: The active anti-oxidantscontainedintheguava leaves fight off free radicals that causedamagetoourskin.Itprotects your skin from aging, improves skin tone and texture as well.

Relieves itching: Skin itching, no matter what the cause may lead to serious problems if not given immediate attention. Using guava leaves may serve as an instant cure for itchiness as they contain compounds that block allergy.

How to make Guava leaves Tea To get all those benefits you can start to consume it by making guava leaves as tea. Below is several steps to make guava tea: Dry some young guava leaves.

After they get dry, crush them into powder, Use one tablespoon of guava leaves and add it to one cup of hot water, Let it brew for 5 minutes then you can strain it .Drink guava leaves tea regularly, once a day.

Those are all benefits that you may get from guava leaves. You can consider it as natural remedy which has many good effect to your body and of course low cost medicine which you can get almost anywhere.

WellNewMe shortlisted for Royal Academy of Engineering Africa prize

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ellNewMe was among the 2019 shortlist for the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation that was announced on the 19th of November, 2018 in Cape Town, South Africa, recognising the most promising entrepreneurial engineers from across subSaharan Africa.

The Africa Prize, which is celebrating its fifth year, is run by the Royal Academy of Engineering.

It provides a unique package of support, including funding, comprehensive business training, bespoke mentoring and access to the Academy’s network of high profile,experiencedengineersand business development experts.

According to Obi Igbokwe, WellNewMe is an assessment tool that uses algorithms to analyse users’ risks of contracting non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, diabetes and hypertension.

“Using years of experience from medical professions, research, and algorithms, the system takes data provided by individual users to predict the risks each faces from their lifestyles, genetics and environment. Users provide simple data such as family history and habits, but also supplement it with blood

pressure, blood sugar and other readings”.

“It promotes the awareness and prevention of non-communicable diseases in low- and lower-middle-income countries and most vulnerable who are the most at risk and the least likely to have access to treatment.”

“Through its community based service, the platform will be accessible at local health services providers like clinics and pharmacies and within a year, its own solar-powered kiosks in underserved areas,” Igbokwe said.

The Prize selects innovators from across the continent and provides training and mentoring to help turn engineers with incredible ideas into successful entrepreneurs.

Rebecca Enonchong, Africa Prize judge and Cameroonian entrepreneur the shortlist has come to represent the most talented engineers on the continent.

“Through the Africa Prize, we have seen cutting edge technologies and world-firsts develop into businesses that manufacture locally, and drive research and development on the continent.

We cannot wait to meet the new group of engineering pioneers,” she said.

Cancers have no cause, only risk factors, Lakeshore says MICHEAL ANI

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verybody is at risk of developing cancer as there are no inherent causes for it, only risk factors that can make one vulnerable to the disease, says Lakeshore, an operational facility in Nigeria solely dedicated to cancer prevention and treatment.

A cancer is an abnormal growth of cells (usually derived from a single abnormal cell). The cells have lost normal control mechanisms and thus are able to expand continuously, invade adjacent tissues, migrate to distant parts of the body, and promote the growth of new blood vessels from which the cells derive nutrients.

“We all have a risk of developing cancer”, said Emeribe Uchenna, Head, Oncology Unit, Lakeshore Cancer Centre “Many cancers seem to develop for no apparent reason. However, certain risk factors are known to increase the chance that one or more of the cells will become abnormal and lead to cancer”.

“These risk factors include the usage of tobacco, work place chemicals such as asbestos, benzene, formaldehyde, diet and other life style factors, radiation, infections as well as the age of an individual” she added.

While there appears to be a lack of data on cancer incidence in Nigeria, a report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), with a focus on geographic variability across 20 world regions, has projected that there will be an estimated 18.1 million new cancer cases and 9.6 million cancer deaths in 2018.

The report says, in both sexes combined, lung cancer is

the most commonly diagnosed cancer (11.6 percent of the total cases) and the leading cause of cancer death (18.4 percent of the total cancer deaths).

This is closely followed by female breast cancer (11.6 percent), prostate cancer (7.1 percent), and colorectal cancer (6.1 percent) for incidence and colorectal cancer (9.2 percent), stomach cancer (8.2 percent), and liver cancer (8.2 percent) for mortality A further break down of the report shows that among females, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death, followed by colorectal and lung cancer (for incidence), and vice versa (for mortality); Cervical cancer ranks fourth for both incidence and mortality. The most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death, however, substantially vary across countries and within each county depending on the degree of economic development and associated social and life style factors.

Uchenna outlined some of the major symptoms of cancer to include weight loss -leading to a wasting condition called cachexia; loss of appetite; pale skin and paleness of the inside of the lower eyelid, visible loss of blood and sometimes unexplained lumps or bumps.

“Cancer symptoms will vary according to the type of cancer and how far the cancer has grown. Some of the major treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, Radiotherapy, stem cell transplant, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, gene therapy, special techniques”.

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Sports Spanish Football: Contributing to football’s global development

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Stories By Anthony Nlebem

n a bid to promote the development of football, both locally and globally, LaLiga oversees training programmes, value-enhancing initiatives and has signed numerous agreements with international organisations.

These efforts are all part of the institution’s quest to ensure that the experience garnered throughout the history of the Spanish league serves to assist the growth of the game and its values across the globe.

The LaLiga clubs are also heavily involved in this mission, running various strategic projects and signing international agreements, whilst also opening academies and sporting schools throughout the world.

Spanish football’s governing body and its clubs aim to develop the local game internationally, while working to become the second most popular competition in each country, behind the respective domestic leagues. This operation is based around the following four lines of action: institutional relations, the training of players and coaches, protecting the integrity of the game and social responsibility.

In terms of institutional relations, LaLiga has secured over 30 agreements

L-R: Ayodeji Adegbenro, Media and Communications Coordinator LaLiga Nigeria; Guillermo Perez Castello, delegate LaLiga Nigeria; Mutiu Adepoju,LaLiga Ambassador, and Javier Del Rio, Managing Director, LaLiga Nigeria.

with federations, leagues and other institutions in countries including the United States, Argentina, Portugal, Nigeria, South Africa, Thailand and Japan. These partnerships enable the organisation to explore potential cooperation schemes and projects involving the sharing of knowledge and ideas.

One area in which this knowledge sharing is seen is in the second line of action: the training of players and coaches.

Through its network of expert coaches, LaLiga has rolled out projects in more than 30 countries, where nearly 10,000 coaches and over 120,000 players have benefited from training on the LaLiga methodology, which combines on-field work at all levels with instruction

on respect and the values of fair play.

The aforementioned values are also evident in LaLiga’s day-to-day work, with the organisation’s foundation leading projects including LaLiga Santander Genuine, Future Fans (Futura Aficion) and the Fair Play Social scheme, all of which seek to repay society for part of all that it has given LaLiga.

The staging of the Kwamahlobo Games in South Africa, the institution’s work alongside the NGO Zerca y Lejos in Cameroon, the collaboration efforts with the Vicente Ferrer Foundation in India and the LaLiga School in El Salvador are just a few examples of the work that LaLiga is involved in on the international stage.

Sp a n i s h f o o t b a l l ’s governing body also offers other competitions its know-how in the fight against match-fixing and improving stadium security, areas which have seen LaLiga improve its standing year on year and have earned the competition role-model status amongst leagues throughout the world.

All of the aforementioned endeavours are part of the efforts being overseen by the best league on the planet to improve not only the world’s professional leagues, but also to provide its assistance when it comes to activities carried out across the footballing world relating to the promotion of the game, social responsibility and offering values-based education.

Mayweather fined for promoting scam cryptocurrency

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he Securities and Exchange Commission has announcedthatitisfining boxer Floyd Mayweather and music producer Khaled MohamedKhaled,betterknownas DJ Khaled, for failing to disclose thattheywerepaidtopromote a cryptocurrency.

Both celebrities had been paid to advertise the startup Centra Tech and its initial coin offering, or ICO, a process throughwhichcryptocurrency tokens are distributed to investors.Thisisthefirsttimethatthe SEChaschargedindividualsfor improperly touting ICOs. “Investorsshouldbeskepticalofinvestmentadviceposted to social media platforms, and should not make decisions based on celebrity endorsements,”SECenforcementdivision co-director Steven Peikin said in a statement.

“Social media influencers are often paid promoters, not investment professionals, and the securities they are touting,

regardless of whether they are issued using traditional certificates or on the blockchain, could be frauds.” ICOs are especially risky investments: The cryptocurrency advisory firm SatisGroupestimatesthatupto 85 percent of ICOs are scams.

Khaled had informed his millions of followers through several social media accounts thatCentraTech’stokenwould be a “Game changer.” He has agreed to give up the $50,000 hewaspaidbyCentraTechand alsopaya$100,000penaltyand

$2,725 in interest. He is further banned from promoting any securitiesfortwoyears,though he was not forced to admit any wrongdoing.

In September 2017, Mayweather had tweeted to his more than 7 million followers, “Centra’s (CTR) ICO starts in a few hours. Get yours before theysellout,Igotmine.”Healso promoted two other ICOs on Instagram and Twitter without disclosing that he had been paid to do so. Mayweather is handing over the $300,000 he

earned from promoting the offers and paying a $300,000 fine and $14,775 in interest.

Mayweather is also banned from advertising any securities for three years but, like Khaled, did not admit to wrongdoing.

The founders of Centra Tech were indicted for securitiesfraudandwirefraudinMay. They had falsely claimed to be partnering with Visa and MasterCard in order to boost their ICO, from which they raised $32 million. The price of Centra Tech’s token subsequently crashed.

Celebrity cryptocurrency endorsements are less common now than they were in 2017, likely due to slumping prices in the market. For example, the value of bitcoin has dropped 36 percent in November following a year of declines. The cryptocurrency reached its highest-ever value at $19,783.21 last December and is now trading at about $4,000.

Kwesé Free Sports to broadcast COSAFA U-20 championships

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ootball lovers across the continent will indulge in two weeks of fierce competition and showmanship, triumphs and defeats on the road to the finals as Kwesé Free Sports, Africa’s trusted source for premium sports content will broadcast the 2018 COSAFA U20 Championships. Kicking off on Sunday, 2 December and ends on Friday 14 December.

The prestigious tournament returns to the Copperbelt of Zambia for the second consecutive year, hosting Southern Africa’ best young football talent. This is also the second year that Africa’s largest pan-African TV channel Kwesé Free Sports broadcasts the tournament across sub-Saharan Africa.

“Football is one of the most popular sports in the region and we’re excited to deliver the U20 COSAFA Championships to sports fans across the continent. We pride ourselves on showcasing the best in home-grown sporting talent and providing a platform for our local stars to shine.”

“Using Kwesé TV decoders or any FTA set-top-box, viewers can enjoy live coverage of the tournament with no subscription fee,” said General Manager for Kwesé TV in Nigeria, Elizabeth Amkpa.

Having won 10 of the past 24 tournaments, host nation Zambia will hope to reclaim the title from reign-

ing champions South Africa, who have won seven U20 tournaments to date. Both nations are determined to enter the FIFA Under-20 World Cup qualifier with no holds barred. Zambian coach Charles Bwale has promised improved performance from his 20-man Junior Chipolpolo squad, while South African head coach Thabo Senong has vowed not to undermine any opponent on Amajita’s road to victory as their focus is set on next year’s Africa Under-20 AFCON tournament in Niger.

Kwesé will broadcast the tournament on its FTA sports channel Kwesé Free Sports channel – available on Kwesé’s satellite TV service, Kwesé TV, in 13 countries, and any FTA set-top-box in 29 markets or on-the-go on the Kwesé iflix mobile app available on Android and IOS. Kwesé iflix viewers can also enjoy special highlights packages from the games.

Viewers in Botswana, Ghana and Zimbabwe can also watch the U20 Champions on Kwesé Play.

Young fans drive up UK sports attendance- Report

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oung sports fans are driving strong growth in attendance at UK sports events, according to new research.

Around 74.8 million people are expected to buy tickets for professional sports events in 2018, according to digital sports marketing agency Two Circles.

That is up from 63 million in 2012, the year of the London Olympics.

The number of millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996, attending sports events has increased from 16% of ticket-buyers in 2012 to 21% in 2018.

Two Circles says revenue from 2018 attendances will directly contribute £1.9bn to the UK leisure economy.

‘Short attention spans’ Younger fans are drivers of the so-called experience economy, preferring to attend events that they can share with friends on social media.

“In a world of smartphones, on-demand TV and short attention spans, sport remains one of the few sourc-

es of ‘Instagrammable’ entertainment that we can experience with friends, family, or on our own,” says Two Circles chief executive Gareth Balch.

“The sports rights-holders prospering most are those who have understood what their audiences - and increasingly younger audiences want from a live experience, adapting their product where required to ensure fans return, or creating new events to grow their fan base.”

Meanwhile, football remains the country’s dominant game, accounting for two-thirds of all sport attendances, and driven by the continued appeal of England’s Premier League.

It is followed in the attendance stakes by horse racing, rugby union, cricket and rugby league.