BDSUNDAY BUSINESS DAY
2019 and Buhari’s missed opportunity in maiden visit to Akwa Ibom
p.17
Dearth of infrastructure in South East is discouraging businesses - ECCIMA DG
??Investors take position as
p.32
Julius Berger, Union Dicon, 15 others gain N48bn p.42
Sunday 06 January 2019 Market & Commodities Monitor Brent Oil
5yr Bond
$57.02
-0.13 15.13%
NSE
10yr Bond
30,638.90
-0.13 15.54%
Gold
$ 1,286.60
20yr Bond
-0.30 15.24%
Vol 1, No. 246 N300
2019: The final push Parties, candidates in frenzied hunt for votes
A
CHUKS OLUIGBO & INIOBONG IWOK
Cocoa
$ 2,358.00
fter what appeared like a lull in the 2019 electioneering campaigns by many political parties and their candidates, the political firmament has come alive once again. Political parties have constituted their campaign councils and across the states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, billboards, posters and other campaign materials of candidates jostling for various political positions have taken up every inch of available space in towns and villages, highways and byways. Candidates and their parties have begun to
inside
take their rallies to the electorate with renewed vigour. To every keen observer, it is clear that the stage is set for the final push and onslaught by political parties and their candidates to sell their agenda and policies to the electorate in a bid to get the much-needed votes and clinch victory at the polls. Nigeria holds its Presidential and National Assembly elections on February 16, while the governorship/state Houses of Assembly elections hold March 2, 2019. Political campaigns for the Presidential and National Assembly elections commenced on November 18, 2018 while campaigns for the
governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections opened on December 1, 2018, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s timetable and schedule of activities for the 2019 general elections. Following the lifting of the ban on campaigns by INEC, there was an initial pickup in political activities in the country as major contenders in the presidential election launched their campaign documents outlining their plans and policies for the country and its citizens. The fire, however, went out as quickly as it had started. It was as if the candidates
P. 3
APC never promised Nigerians restructuring Ajomale p.18/19
p.21
A peep into Los Angeles’ rich heritage p.26/27
The solution to Nigeria’s problems is for Christians to return to God - Prophet Otuomachi
L-R: James Ibori, former governor, Delta State; Ifeanyi Okowa, governor, Delta State, and Edith Okowa, wife of the governor, at the flag-off of Governor Okowa ‘s campaign for his second term bid in Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area of the state, weekend.
Businesses cleaning out on back of 2019 polls AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE
p.34
T
here are expectations that business in Nigeria may start slow in the first half of 2019 but would pick as the year progresses into second half.
This explains why Nigeria’s business environment has been deteriorating ahead of the general elections scheduled to hold in February. Experts attributed this to the uncertainties surrounding
the environment as many businesses now operate in waitandsee mode in preparation to the forthcoming election. The situation is expected to continue till after the elections, so that it becomes clear as to who will be
in power. Though in 2018, the Federal Government through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has done well to keep the naira
p. 37