BusinessDay 14 Apr 2019

AFCON 2019: Super Eagles get easy draw Anthony Nlebem

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ll is set for the 32nd Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2019) following the draw held in Egypt on Friday night.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles are drawn in Group B and will battle the Syli Nationale of Guinea, Intamba Mu Rugamba of Burundi and Madagascar, the first team to qualify for

I’m afraid, Nigeria is reaching a breaking point - Fasoranti

the finals, in the group phase of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

At the draw ceremony conducted against the background of the Giza Pyramids in Cairo on Friday evening, all the teams qualified for the biggest Africa Cup of Nations finals in history (24 in all) were drawn into six groups of four teams each.

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euben Fasoranti is 94 years. He has seen all the parts of Nigeria. He has seen the good, the bad and ugly parts of the country. He is the national leader of Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba Socio-political organisation. In his assessment of Nigeria and his projection for the country in the next ten years, he said: “My

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dream is that the country should be able to produce honest people, hardworking people, young men who will be forward looking to build a great and virile nation. But as it is now, there is nothing to write home about and most of our dreams have not come into being.”

Continues on pages 32 and 33

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Newly elected governors: Beyond the clinking of glasses p. 30

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Wike offers reconciliation, ready to withdraw cases against Amaechi

p. 31

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Vol 1, No. 259 N300

FBN ?? Holdings, Fidelity, Stanbic IBTC post highest PAT growth in 3 years p.42

Market & Commodities Monitor Brent Oil

5yr Bond

$70.38

-0.59 14.03%

Gold

10yr Bond

$1,295.90

-0.03 14.64%

Cocoa

$2,410.00

20yr Bond

-0.01 14.45%

inside 13,750 motorists violated traffic laws in Q1 p.10

R-L: Obaro Odeghe, executive director, Corporate Banking, Fidelity Bank and his mum, Dame Helen Odeghe, during her 80th birthday thanksgiving service at the late Bishop Agori Iwe Memorial Anglican Church in Ughelli, Delta State. With them is Aku Odinkemelu, executive director, South, Fidelity Bank.

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Buhari seeks regional action against illegal arms flow Tony Ailemen, Abuja

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resident Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday in N’Djamena, the Chadian capital called for strong action among countries of Sahel and Saharan regions to counter the infiltration of small arms into the region, especially Nigeria.

The Nigerian leader who is Continues on page 2

Nigeria’s killing fields Bandits, armed robbers, Boko Haram, kidnappers, ritualists, killer-herdsmen, cultists in bloody campaign against Nigeria FG urged to declare emergency in security sector ZEBULON AGOMUO, IGNATIUS CHUKWU, CHUKA UROKO, TONY AILEMEN and AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE

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ife has become brutish like in barbaric times.

Li f e h a s b e c o m e meaningless in Nigeria. The country has become a killing field. People kill and walk away as if there’s no law against such height of criminality. From Katsina to

Kaduna where bandits operate in disguise; from Adamawa to Zamfara where terrorists appeared to have established their agenda; from Benue to Kogi to Enugu where Boko Haram and herdsmen are contending who to rule, and Rivers where cultists want to control territories, it’s all story about mindless killings!

In July last year, following the increasing wave of insecurity across the country, particularly

in parts of North, President Muhammadu Buhari became so exasperated that he managed to say: “I wish to assure all Nigerians that their security is receiving the greatest attention from this administration and there is no compromise in this commitment. I appeal for your patience while my security teams crack their brains to put an end to this horrendous violence.”

Sadly, nine months after

the President gave the assurance, his security teams are still “cracking their brains.”

Since January this year, the President has met with the security chiefs up to 20 times over the security situation of the country. The more they meet, the more the killings by various clubs of blood suckers.

Last Tuesday, President Buhari returned to Abuja from Continues on page 2

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Nigeria’s killing fields Continued from page 1

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), a day ahead of schedule.

He was initially billed to return to Abuja on Wednesday, but had to change his mind over the worsening security situation in Zamfara, Kaduna, Taraba, among other parts of the country.

Despite government’s efforts to rein in the murderous activities of the Islamist Boko Haram, the group has continued to wreak havoc in North East states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa.

In the North Central states of Benue, Plateau, including parts of Southern Kaduna and Taraba, the Fulani herdsmen have continued in their bloody campaign. In the Northwest, a band of bandits have literally taken over ZamfaraState. They have also overrun Kebbi, Sokoto and Katsina, and have since declared war against the constituted authorities in those states. They kill, maim and kidnap with reckless abandon.

Neither South West, South East, nor the South-south is safe as cultists, kidnappers, ritualists, armed robbers make a mincemeat of people’s lives.

At the floor of the Senate last week, the rising incidence of insecurity and wanton killings across the country flabbergasted the lawmakers.

Kabir Marafa, a senator from Zamfara, said: “Since 2011, as a result of the unabating activities of the criminals in the state, roughly estimated 11,000 males have been killed leaving behind an average of 22,000 widows and by extension, 44,000 orphans.”

According to Marafa, “These figures are just by conservative estimates because the figures are higher. Bandits and heavily armed kidnappers operate with little or no resistance in Gusau, the state capital, making less than 75 percent of the people

Abdulaziz-Yari, Zamfara

Samuel Ortom, Benue

Nasir El-Rufai, Kaduna

Aminu Masari, Katsina

Darius Ishaku, Taraba

Kashim Shettima, Borno

in Zamfara not to be sleeping in their houses.

“The situation has nothing to do with politics because my own blood sister was brutally murdered in her matrimonial home in February this year and even two of my cousins were killed outside the state capital few weeks back.”

Emmanuel Bwacha, another senator from Zamfara, alerted the Senate on the series of kidnappings in his state and suggested that there should be legislative backing for individuals who wanted to carry arms for self-defence.

The House of Representatives of the National Assembly last Thursday gave a 48-hour ultimatum to President Buhari to provide explanation to the worsening insecurity in the country.

The same day, Kashim Sheti-

ma, governor of Borno State, visited all the security apparatchiks in their various offices over the situation in his home state.

In January, this year, Shetima had, at a meeting with Buhari over the raging insurgency in his state, broken down in tears. He said he was moved to tears over the recent setback in the fight against insurgency.

Recall that shortly before the general election, Shetima had escaped death by a whisker when a band of Boko Haram insurgents laid ambush against his convoy.

There were fatalities.

A few days ago, Aminu Masari, re-elected governor of Katsian State, cried out that bandits had taken over some parts of the state. Katsina is the state of President Buhari.

At a recent meeting convened by the apex northern socio-

Buhari seeks regional action against...

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participating in a one-day Extraordinary Session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States, CEN-SAD, said the action is necessary to halt illegal smuggling of arms by the militia forces, bandits and insurgents who are becoming a threat to human rights and internal security.

Buhari is participating at the event alongside his host and current Chairperson of CEN-SAD, Idriss Deby Itno and their counterparts from Niger and Togo, with high-level representations from other member-countries.

President Buhari will while in N’Djamena, also use the opportunity to press for the protection of the well-being of the large population of Nigerians living both legally and illegally in Libya, which is the host country of the CEN-SAD Secretariat.

Nigeria under President Buhari has been at major risks resulting from the illegal smuggling of light arms, despite efforts working closely with immediate her neighbours in the last few years to stem the widespread availability of small arms and light weapons making their way into Nigeria.

Buhari said the “very disturbing recent developments” have impelled his administration to seek support from a wider

circle of countries if the illegal inflows are to be curtailed.

The President is also putting on the table for discussions, the problems of irregular migration, trafficking in persons, especially of women and children as part of the security nature of his engagements.

President Buhari, recognising the significance of the organization and the role it can play in furthering domestic security, had ordered the reinvigoration of Nigeria’s interest in the organisation.

The President also approved the payment of the backlog of unpaid funds and for a speedier work on the processes of the ratification of the treaty binding the members of the organisation.

cultural group, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF)over the increasing rate of banditry in the North, particularly in Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Sokoto states, the group said it was alarmed at the rising wave of mindless killings in the North in particular and the country in general.

But the Senate has blamed the Federal Government over its inability to tackle the alarming rate of insecurity in the country, particularly banditry in the North-West geopolitical zone.

It stressed that introduction of state police remained the only solution to the menace.

Bukola Saraki, Senate president, said apart from the establishment of community or state police, the funding of the Nigeria Police Force was essential to tackle the menace.

“From the contributions we have had, I think it is key that we begin to look at the problem and look for long-term solutions. I think that what we did yesterday (Tuesday) in trying to strengthen the funding of the police through the Police Reform Bill is right.

“But more importantly is that we must go back to what a lot of us had been advocating here that there is the need for us to have state or community police.

It is the way forward. Otherwise, we will continue to run into these problems.

In his suggestion on how government can address the problem of banditry in the country, Abubakar Tsav, a retired Commissioner of Police, said: “President Muhammadu Buhari should rise up to the occasion. Security is his area of core competence from his training and orientation.

While fighting corruption is good, fighting this menace of insecurity would be better because without security, no meaningful development can take place.

“I suggest that the President

should declare a state of emergency in this area; the situation is getting worse by the day. Take the case of Zamfara for example.

I read in the media that gold mining is at the heart of the senseless killings in the area and that traditional rulers, top politicians and even policemen are benefiting from the crime being committed against the people. I even heard that some policemen are involved in collecting ransom from kidnap victims for bandits; this should not be the case. The President must take the necessary steps to ensure that those found culpable of involvement in these crimes are punished to serve as deterrent to others.

There is even information that some of these people involved in kidnapping for ransom were herdsmen who were victims of cattle rustling. I heard that some of them resorted to this form of criminality because they discovered it was a quicker way of making money.

“It is sad that the governor of Zamfara State has abandoned the state and has taken up residence in Abuja from where he is shouting. This is not what he was elected to do. As a long term solution to this problem, governments at all levels must create jobs for our teeming unemployed youths, the police is short staffed and underpaid, we should find a way of recruiting more men into the security services in line with global best practices and reduce the number of idle hands in our society. This is the way to go.”

Last Thursday, the Ag. Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, gave state commissioners of police a marching order to be creative in their fight against crime.

See other stories in The Sunday Magazine - Pages 15 - 20

APC claim that I am a Cameroonian is ridiculous - Atiku Innocent Odoh, Abuja

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ormer Vice President and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just concluded elections has described as ‘ridiculous’ the submission of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Presidential election tribunal that he is not a Nigerian but a Camerounian.

Atiku said this in a statement issued on Saturday by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, stressing that the APC lacks evidence to refute his claims that the 2019 elections were rigged and that is why they have resorted to this ridiculous allegations against

the former Vice President.

“His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, told us previously that he has verifiable and incontrovertible evidence to show that the last Presidential elections were fraudulent, not credible and did not reflect the will of the Nigerian people, and he has been vindicated by the response of the All Progressives Congress and its candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari, to his petition to the Electoral Tribunal hearing the petition he filed.

“The former Vice President based his case on facts and statistical evidence and challenged both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC, to disprove his factual submissions.

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Sunday 14 April 2019

NewsFeatures

President rejects 37 bills in 4 years OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja

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he number of bills passed by the Eighth National Assembly and rejected by President Muhammadu Buhari since assumption of office in May 2015 has risen to 37, BusinessDay findings have shown.

It was 29 before the President recently rejected eight new bills passed by the National Assembly, increasing the number of declined bills to 37.

Th e b i l l s i n c l u d e t h e controversial National Housing Fund Bill, Ajaokuta Steel Company Completion Fund Bill, Nigerian Ae r o n a u t i c a l S e a r c h a n d Rescue Bill, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency Bill and National Biotechnology Development Agency Bill.

Others are the National Institute of Credit Administration Bill, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria Bill as well as the Chattered Institute of Training and Development of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill.

In separate letters sent to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and read at plenary a fortnight ago, Buhari cited several grounds for rejecting the bills ranging from financial constraints, negative impact on Nigerians and the economy, duplication of responsibilities of existing agencies, violations of extant laws to lack of consultation with relevant stakeholders.

Outrage had trailed the secret approval of the controversial Na t i o n a l Ho u s i n g Fu n d (Establishment) Bill by the National Assembly.

The Bill, which will seeks to repeal the National Housing Fund Act, 2004, aims to provide additional sources of funding for effective financing of housing development in Nigeria.

But analysts have accused lawmakers of doing a shoddy job, even as they applauded the President for withholding assent to the National Housing Fund bill.

According to them, the various levies imposed on Nigerians will not only be ‘disruptive and punitive’ to industries and other sectors of the Nigerian economy but will also have negative impact on Nigerian workers.

BusinessDay reports that Sections 4, 5, and 6 of the Bill imposes the following levies on Nigerians: 2.5percent monthly deduction from workers’ salaries; 2.5percent of the ex-factory price before transportation cost of each manufactured or imported 50Kg bag of cement or equivalent in bulk.

Others are a minimum of 10 percent Profit Before Tax imposed on commercial banks, merchant banks, insurance companies and Pension Fund Administrators into the National Housing Fund.

The President also rejected the Ajaokuta Steel Company Completion Fund Bill, which

Muhammadu Buhari

proposed the withdrawal of $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account for the completion of the 40-year-old steel rolling mill.

He noted that in the midst of competing priorities and financial constraints, Nigeria cannot afford to release such a huge fund in one fell swoop.

But in an interview with BusinessDay, an Abuja-based legal practitioner, Samson Usman said the rejection has betrayed the present administration’s commitment to diversification of the nation’s economy.

In an era where crude oil is the mainstay of the Nigerian economy, the lawyer submitted that if Buhari had signed the bill into law and the project is completed, Nigeria would have moved from being a mono-product economy to a diversified one.

His words: “If Mr. President had approved the $1 billion for the completion of the Ajaokuta Steel Company, that would have been a lifeline for the completion of the project. Because as we speak, it was 98 percent completed. It was only the liquid section that remains uncompleted.

“So, it becomes very difficult for one to comprehend why Mr. President had to turn down that request, given the fact that he was even the one that stopped that project when he took over government through coup d’état from late President Shehu Shagari.

So that would have been a credit to him. And it is surprising to everybody.

“As a Kogi indigene, it baffles me much and it is a disappointment to me. Because there is nothing to compare with that project. If that project starts running, nobody will remember oil in the Niger Delta”.

Other bills earlier rejected

by Buhari since 2015 include: Industrial Development (Income Tax Relief) Amendment Bill, Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, Stamp Duties (Amendment) Bill, National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (Est.) Bill, National Research and Innovation Council (Est.) Bill and National Agricultural

Seeds Council Bill.

Also rejected were: Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund (Amendment) Bill, Chattered Institute of Entrepreneurship (Est.) Bill, Subsidiary Legislation (Legislative Scrutiny) Bill, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (Amendment) Bill, Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences (Amendment) Bill as well as six constitution amendment bills.

Others include: National Transport Commission Bill, Federal Road Authority (Establishment) Bill, National Broadcasting Commission Amendment Bill, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) Act (Amendment) Bill and Federal Polytechnics Act (Amendment) Bill.

The President also rejected the four versions of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill passed by the Eighth National Assembly among others.

Political observers are of the view that if the President had signed the amended electoral law, it would have eliminated some of the lapses that marred the 2019 General Election including the manual transmission of results and stiffer penalties for erring election officials, politicians, political parties and media outfits.

Clement Nwankwo, Executive Di r e c t o r, Po l i c y a n d Le g a l Advocacy Centre, shares this school-of-thought.

In an interview with BusinessDay, the lawyer also stressed the need for lawmakers to revisit the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.

“The amendments to the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill was dropped off by the President on the excuse that it was too late in the day. I think it would be important at this stage that if the National Assembly can revisit it and pass it back to the President for assent while we do the postmortem on the elections and come up with decisions on how to go forward,” Nwankwo who doubles as the Convener of the Nigeria

Civil Society Situation Room - a coalition of over 70 civil society organisations in Nigeria - stated.

It would be recalled that in October 2018, Saraki had set up a Technical Committee on Declined Assent to Bills when the rejected bills by the President were just 17.

In a 34-page report adopted last Wednesday, the panel chaired

by David Umaru (APC, Niger) recommended that out of the 17 bills it scrutinised, 11 of them should be reconsidered and passed by the National Assembly, even as four others should be withdrawn while calling on the National Assembly to override the President’s veto on two bills.

On his part, Nuhu Yaqub, Dean, School of Post-Graduate Studies, Nile University, Abuja, attributed the President’s decision to withhold assent to the bills to the frosty relationship between the Executive and the Legislature.

“From the inauguration of the Eighth National Assembly in 2015, both arms of government have been at loggerheads because Presiding Officers were elected against the ruling party’s preference. So, it is not unexpected”, he told BusinessDay in a telephone interview.

Other analysts blamed the National Assembly for doing a shoddy job.

“That the National Assembly could give itself pass mark in two out of the initial 17 rejected bills is in itself an indictment. We all saw that during the presentation of report by the Technical Committee on Declined Assent to Bills, it okayed only two for override, 11 for reconsideration and four for withdrawal. The import is that the National Assembly did not follow due diligence in 15 out of 17 bills passed”, a source in the National Assembly, who did not want his name mentioned, said.

In an interview with BusinessDay, Austine Aigbe of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), said if the President had signed the amended electoral law, most of the flaws observed in the 2019 General Election would have been eliminated.

He therefore called on the National Assembly to summon the courage to override the President’s veto rather than lament on the matter.

Although Section 58 (5) of the 1999 Constitution provides that two-third of both legislative chambersoftheNationalAssembly (73 senators and 240 members of House of Representatives) are required to override the President’s veto, political commentators say this would be a tall order considering the fact that not only are both chambers polarised along party lines but lawmakers against the President’s action cannot garner the required two-thirds to upturn his veto.

However, Aigbe believes it is better to attempt and fail than to lament and do nothing.

His words: “The National Assembly ought to have attempted to override the President’s veto. If they had done so before and it went through, the President would have been conscious of the way he was not signing bills.

“Even if they may not have the numbers, the question is they should just try it. What kills business is not taking risks. The National Assembly needs to take risks by trying to veto a bill that the President rejects”.

He added: “The amended Electoral Act would have been an opportunity to strengthen our electoral system.

“There are many other crucial bills like constitution amendment bill that would have improved our budgetary process and the PIGB that would have improved our petroleum sector. And just now, we have been ranked very high in terms of misery index. IMF just ranked us the second lowest in terms of the way we use our sovereign wealth fund. Bills that would have strengthened our economic architecture have been thrown out based on political affiliation. And I think it is not helping us as a country”.

Al s o s p e a k i n g w i t h o u r correspondent, constitutional lawyer, Ralph Agama, blamed the National Assembly for not invoking its powers as enshrined in Section 58 (5) of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers the Legislature to override the President’s veto.

“The Constitution is clear.

Where the National Assembly passes a bill, and it is presented before the President for his assent and he withholds assent, the constitution still gives the National Assembly the room to go ahead and veto. In all of this, has the National Assembly vetoed the President’s assent? The answer is no. The question Nigerians should ask is: why is it that whenever the President refuses to assent to a bill, he will give reason but the National Assembly has never come out to tell us why they are not able to override the President’s veto?

“So, it is either one lapse or the other on the part of the National Assembly. The Constitution has empowered both the Executive and the Legislature on what to do when those instances occur.

“Where there is a will, there is always a way. Let’s see the willingness of the leadership of the National Assembly to say what we have done is the best for Nigeria.

And say if the President refuses assent, we will veto it.

“So, if the National Assembly feels this is the best for Nigeria in terms of the law they have made, they should go ahead and override the President’s veto.

Let steps be taken whether it is politically motivated that they were not able to veto it. So for me, it is the leadership of the National Assembly, most often, that has something to hide and they are not bringing it up for Nigerians,” he stated.

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News North may not return power to south in 2023 - Junaid Innocent Odoh, Abuja

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igeria’s political landscape is already agog with the permutations for the 2023 elections as to who will occupy the coveted seat of the President even as the dust raised by the 2019 elections has hardly settled.

Palpable tension is rising that the political elite of the northern extraction may have perfected plans to keep power in their region beyond 2023, which some believe should be the turn of the South to produce the President in deference to the ‘zoning’ principle.

Indications to this development emerged a couple of days ago, when Second Republic lawmaker, Junaid Mohammed, in an interview with one of Nigeria’s dailies, stirred the hornet’s nest when he allegedly told southern politicians jockeying to take over from President Muhammadu Buhari, to perish the thought as the north could still vie for the position in 2023.

Mohammed had in the interview said “this idea of zoning and rotation has been a tragedy for Nigeria because it can deprive Nigeria of getting a better leader. That being the case, whosoever wants to claim it, let him go.

“Look at what the Afenifere said

that next time it would be a Yoruba person. Their understanding of rotation is between the North and the Southwest, or Northwest and the South-west. That cannot be.

“Now the contradiction, which they invented about zoning and rotation, has now collapsed, and now they are looking for lies to tell to deceive us.

“Otherwise, how can you say that we now have a President who is from the Northwest and his deputy, who is from Southwest, and that next time it will be the turn of the South-west to produce the president of this country?

What are we talking about? I don’t want to hear about this equity and justice, that is sheer nonsense,” he said.

“We keep on making this mistake of agitation of, ‘it is our turn’ over and over again. After all, somebody says the classical definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome,” he said.

The Russian-trained medical doctor also unleashed harsh words on the Igbo dominated South East, which is mounting claims that the 2023 is its turn to produce the President, arguing that the region has been marginalised for a long time.

Mohammed alleged that the South East is seeking equity and justice but accused the region of abusing equity and justice on account of the massive votes they

gave former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in 2019. He apparently suggested that the region had lost the chance of producing the President in 2023 and should forget it.

“The people, who abused this equity and justice, are the people from the Southeast because whatever we are talking about, in a democracy you cannot cir-

J

ohn Bray, the U.S. Consulate General Lagos, has urged Nigerian youth to stay focus on finding solutions to the socio-economic challenges of the country in their preparedness for leadership, saying “The future of Nigeria is in the hands of young people such as these and we know that you will lead your country forward.”

Bray hosted a graduation ceremony for nineteen young Nigerians who formed the 2018 cohort of the Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative (CYFI) in Lagos recently.

According to Bray, “The CYFI programme is near and dear to us at the U.S. Consulate General Lagos. Through it, we are connected to Nigerian youth.

CYFI gives us a front-row seat to witness and learn from their dynamism,” said Bray.

The U.S. Consul General highlighted the positive impact the initiative has had on local communities since its inception in 2011, and commended the

graduating fellows for their selfless service and commitment to stimulating positive social change.

“Our fellows made us very proud again this programme year, as they executed group projects on improving civil liberty, promoting economic empowerment, education and health in different communities.

John Bray

from his own area to vote for them.

“Democracy is a question of give and take; you vote for me and I vote for you, that was what Michael Okpara used to say. You don’t vote for me and maybe you think that by abusing me on the pages of newspapers that I will vote for you.

I will not,’” he said.

Jerry Nwakobi (middle), managing director/CEO, Jenesis Colony Limited, being decorated with academic gown when he received an Honorary Ph.D award in ‘Property and Estate Development’ from European American University, presented at the University of Lagos, recently.

U.S. Consulate General tasks Nigerian youths on leadership potentials …Honors 2018 Carrington Fellows SEYI JOHN SALAU

cumvent voting figures. You can say it is time for my people. We will not vote for you and let’s see what happens. I said it in one of my statements, look at the way the people of the Southeast voted during the last election; they have a humongous collection of votes and they all voted for Atiku, and they expect somebody to come

Their smart planning, hard work, and passion have led to positive change and inspired others, as they in turn, developed strong leadership skills in the process,” he said.

The graduation ceremony saw the emergence of the health team, ‘Project Alafia’ as the team of the Year, while Hammed Alabi, a leading member of the Education group, won the Fellow of the Year Award.

In a goodwill message delivered at the event, former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Walter Carrington and his wife, Arese Carrington congratulated the 2018 cohort and urged them to remain exemplars of honesty and concern for the welfare of the less privileged.

Named after former Ambassador Carrington, who championed civil liberties and democracy in Nigeria, the Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative (CYFI) brings together Nigerian youth of exceptional vision, skills and experience to design and implement projects that have a positive impact on Nigerian society.

UNICEF targets 501,749 out-ofschool children in Kastina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, by 2020 Cynthia Egboboh, Abuja

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he United Nations children fund (UNICEF) said it targets to ensure return of about 501,749 out-ofschool children to school by 2020 in Kastina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara states Isah Usman, Kebbi state project coordinator EAC/UNICEF said the cash transfer program under the “Educate a child” project (EAC) aims at expanding access to quality basic education as well as ensuring improved quality of teaching and learning environment in target states.

“The Cash transfer intervention under the EAC aims to reach 41,391 child beneficiaries and their female caregivers in four years: 31,044 in Kebbi State and 10,347 in Zamfara State. In Kebbi State, in the first year the program runs in the local government areas (LGAs) of Danko-Wasagu, Suru and Maiyama and will be expanded to Argungu, Bagudo, Dandi, Gwandu, KokoBesse and Shanga LGAs in the following years”, he said.

Usman presenting the overview of the cash transfer program in Kebbi, revealed that Kebbi and Zamfara States have higher number of out of school children, of which majority are girls, despite the fact that primary Education is

officially free and compulsory and these States are guided by this policy and the UBE Act (2004).

According to him, poor education indicators in the States are partly driven by social attitudes towards ‘western’ education, and poverty of parents, especially in rural communities.

“The poverty level of rural community members largely restricts their level of participation in the education of their children. Majority of them cannot afford purchases of basic learning materials, not to even support school infrastructural development”.

He said: “The Cash Transfer Program addresses some of the underlying causes of inequalities in education outcomes, such as poverty, social exclusion and malnutrition as it promotes regular source of income, allows extremely poor households to eat better food more regularly, leading to improved nutritional status essential for children’s cognitive development and ability to benefit meaningfully from school”.

“Education in turn, will lead to healthier children and these benefits will be passed on to the next generation.

“Evidence shows that in Africa, children of mothers who received five years of primary Education are 40percent more likely to live beyond the age of five.

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News

NATBO advises Buhari on composition of cabinet

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pro-Buhari group has called on PresidentMuhammadu Buhari to exercise great circumspect in the composition of his new cabinet.

The group, “No Alternative To Buhari-Osinbajo 2019” (NATBO 2019), in a statement by its National Coordinator, Vincent Uba, explained that the advice has become necessary in view of the expectations of the populace that the Next Level slogan of the APC would not just be a mere slogan but a battle cry that will launch Nigeria into unprecedented higher level of security of lives and property, economic growth and development devoid of corruption.

“Having made us proud by his landmark achievements within the last four years, Nigerians, on the 23rd of February, 2019, gave him mandate to continue with the good works. In the light of this, we wish to suggest to the president not to tinker with some of the ministers that have performed creditability well during the period under review”, Uba advised.

He noted that the successes achieved by this administration through the efforts of some ministries is self-evident even to the most unyielding critics, adding that agriculture has witnessed a revolution that will soon make Nigeria become self-sufficient in food production, especially in rice cultivation.

According to Uba, “The

ability to easily source for fertilizers that used to be a herculean task have made farmers under the current administration brought a sigh of relief and can consequently make them smile to the banks. So, one ministry that doesn’t require changing the minister is that of Agriculture”.

He further stated that in the areas of power generation and distribution, infrastructure provision and development, Buhari’s administration has very good score cards that are glaring for all to see.

“This is traceable to the remarkable and tremendous achievements by the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, which is not only evidenced by the telecast of “Infrastructure weekly” but also by what the populace physically see on ground”, Uba said.

The Coordinator also, observed that the Transportation Ministry has made this administration stand out in positive light as the railway revolution and maritime reforms has earned the ministers in charge a re-appointment to avoid disruption of the already recognised good works that require continuity.

“Having made all these suggestions about some ministries, the NATBO 2019 group is by no means insinuating that no other minister has done well to deserve reappointment and continuity, but the aforementioned ministries are simply the flagships of the administration.

Africa to harbour 9 of 10 extremely poor people by 2030, warns World Bank Onyinye Nwachukwu & Hope Moses-Ashike, Washington

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he World Bank raised a shocking concern on Thursday that nine out of every 10 extremely poor people globally by 2030 are projected to live in African, a situation that would likely jeopardise their primary goal of ending extreme poverty by that time.

Newly elected president of the World Bank, David Malpass, announced this while briefing the press at the ongoing Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group in Washington DC. “Globally, extreme poverty has dropped to 700 million at the last count, that is down from much higher levels in the 1990s and 2000s,” he said.

But the number of people living in extreme poverty is on the rise in sub-Saharan Africa.

“By 2030, nearly 9 in 10 extremely poor people will

be Africans, and half of the world’s poor will be living in fragile and conflict-affected settings,” Malpass said, adding, “This calls for urgent action - by countries themselves, and by the global community.”

According to the bank’s numbers, global growth lost momentum throughout 2018, falling 2.7 percent in the fourth quarter, down from 3.3 percent in the Q1, based on its calculations. The deceleration was seen in both advanced and developing economies, and coincided with three other warning signs: waning structural reforms in major economies; financial stress in some large emerging markets, and elevated policy uncertainty globally.

On current trends, per capita income growth in subSaharan Africa, as a whole, is now projected to stay below 1 percent until at least 2021, which elevates the risk of a further concentration of extreme poverty on the continent.

Nestle kicks off 21st edition of Milo Basketball Championship

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CALEB OJEWALE

e s t l é Ni g e ria has announced the commencement of the 21st MILO Basketball Championship (MBBC), which the company says has for over 20 years, seen MILO has been at the forefront of grassroots sports development, promoting an active lifestyle to help children stay healthier.

Nestle in a statement, noted that over 1.5 million children have participated directly in the Milo Basketball Championship now in its 21st year. In the past six years alone, 140,000 students have participated annually. From 500 schools, MBBC now reaches nearly 10,000 schools across Nigeria every year.

Speaking at a recent press conference, Mauricio Alarcon, Nestle Nigeria’s MD/ CEO, said, “Good nutrition and an active lifestyle are two important elements to living a healthier life. In line with our purpose, which is enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future, we therefore encourage children to be active through sports.”

According to him, Nestlé Milo Basketball Championship also provides a platform to help children imbibe life

L-R: Olufemi Akintola, Category Manager, Beverages; Mauricio Alarcon, MD/CEO, Nestle Nigeria Plc. and; Ibrahim Mohammed, president, Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF)

skills and values, which enable them to be successful in any area of their lives, on or off the court. These values include perseverance through hardship, courage to overcome fear, ability to work in a team, self-belief, respect and leadership. “We believe that sports provide opportunities for the development of qualities that set the foundation for a child’s future,” he said.

The regional conferences of the 2019 MBBC will run from the 8th to the 29th of May. The qualifying schools from these conferences in the Savanah, Central, Equatorial, and Western regions

will converge in Lagos for the national draws on the 27th of June 2019. Winners of this stage will play in the finals on the 4th of July 2019 in Lagos, Nigeria.

According to Femi Akintola, the Category Manager, “MILO is committed to continue to inspire youth participation in sports, which speaks to its brand essence - ‘Nourishing Ambitions’.

Nestlé Milo Basketball Championship has been a training ground and building block for many champions who now play professional basketball.”

“One of such is Nkechi Akashili who played in

the 2006 African Cup for Women Champion Club, and the 2017 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket. She has been named Most Valuable Player five times in the course of her career,” he said. According to Nestle, the State ministries of Sports, Youth Development and Education support Nestlé Milo Basketball Championship, the only private company sponsored school sports championship. It is run in collaboration with Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF), National Collegiate Schools Foundation (NCSF), and Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF).

I don’t know why I was suspended

by Delta govt - Monarch IFEOMA OKEKE

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he Ukwata 1 of Umukwata Kingdom, Friday Abaja, has said the Delta State government has not adduced any cogent reason over his suspension as the traditional ruler of Umukwata Kingdom in Ukwuani Local Government Area.

He urged the state government to properly investigate what happened so that the truth shall prevail at the end of the day.

It will be recalled that Delta State government on Tuesday, April 2, 2019, handed him a six-month suspension, with immediate effect for alleged “acts inimical to peace, order and good governance.”

Abaja , who spoke to newsmen in Lagos, weekend said: “I do not know why I was suspended. For a man that makes peace to be labelled a trouble maker, I can’t understand the whole episode. I

committed no offence inimical to the peace of the community.”

On what might have been a lead that resulted in being suspended, Abaja said: “There was crisis involving two communities of Amai and Ezhionum, which led to the death of 27 people. It was an age-long war. For a reason not known to me, when the various communities tried to make peace to no avail, I went in to intervene and they gave me conditions to rebuild all the damaged houses to end the crisis. So, within three months, I rebuilt all the houses razed down during the crisis and renovated the damaged ones.

“I went as far as compensating the families of the deceased. I went to all the communities and I was mandated to release those who were in detention. I went there, spent my time and money, got the people released.

“After all these have been done, I don’t know what went wrong. The peace ac-

cord broke down. So, I was frustrated and left.

“I have been bringing peace to different warring communities, including Amai/Umuebu war, Amai/ Ezhionum war and Umuaja/ Obi Obeti war, all in Ukwani Local Government Area.

So, I was surprised when I was told that my suspension was due to ‘acts inimical to peace, order and good governance.’”

“I, hereby urge all my citizens to be calm. Nobody is above the law. We are work-

Abaja

ing hard to see how the government will resolve the issue. We will do all it takes to cooperate with government to conclude its investigations.

I also urge the government to properly investigate what happened so that the truth shall prevail at the end of the day,” he said.

The monarch enumerated some of the developmental strides he has made in his Umukwata kingdom, without government assistance, to include estate of 63 flats of three-bedroom; a 7.5km Umukwata road project, a modern market of 64 shops and a 50-bed free medical centre.

According to him, “In the next five years, Ndokwa will move to the next level of development. Currently, I am building a modern market with 400 lock-up shops, 232 houses and 40 warehouses and a 4km road to link the market with the main road in Umukwata kingdom and the project will be completed in December this year.”

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Sunday 14 April 2019

News

NDIC to pay depositors of 154 MFBs revoked in 2018 Regis Anukwuoji, Enugu

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igerian Deposit Insurance Cooperation (NDIC) has disclosed that it has started the process of verification and payment of depositors of 154 Micro Finance Banks (MFBs) and six PMBs whose licences were revoked by CBN in the last quarter of 2018.

The Managing Director and Chief executive of NDIC, Umaru Ibrahim, who stated this at the Enugu International Trade Fair, expressed the corporation’s commitment towards the

sustenance of sound, safe and stable financial system for sustainable economic growth.

He pointed out that the corporation protects depositors by guaranteeing their deposits in the unlikely event of bank failure, and conducts risk based supervision of the banks in collaboration with the CBN to ensure timely resolution of distress banks.

According to the Managing Director of NDIC has taken measures to ensure that all those who contributed to the failure of the defunct Sky Bank are prosecuted.

Umaru represented by

the Deputy Director of the NDIC, Vera Ogbo Ikwue said those who contributed to the failure of the bank would be prosecuted through the appropriate legal means to serve a deterrent to others.

Ibrahim recalled that in the last quarter of 2018, the NDIC efficiently managed the resolution of the defunct Sky Bank with the establishment of the Polaris Bank.

“The corporation has also taken Measures to ensure that all those who contributed to the failure of the bank are prosecuted through the appropriate legal means to serve as a deterrent to others,” he said.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, right, with Abayomi Oyekoya, convener, Buhari Unity Band

NIMASA donates relief materials to victims of natural, other disasters in Lagos AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE

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s part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has donated relief materials worth millions of naira to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Lagos.

The materials donated

by NIMASA include food items, clothing materials, beddings, toiletries, wheel chairs and baby food, among other household items.

Making the presentation at the Lagos State Emergency Resettlement and Relief Camp in Igando, Dakuku Peterside, director general of NIMASA, said the agency decided to identify with victims of natural and other disasters living in the camp in Lagos to give them sense of belonging.

Represented by Lami Tumaka, director, Special Duties (External Relations and Technical Cooperation), Peterside assured the IDPs that their problems would not be for long as government was aware of the challenges they are going through.

“Government is doing everything possible to get you properly resettled in order to live normal lives again. As a socially responsible corporate entity, we are concerned about your well being and we remain committed to partnering with the Lagos State Government to ameliorate your challenges,” Peterside said.

He further called on other well-meaning organisations and individuals to also come forward with support for the victims of natural and other disasters. He urged the Lagos State Government to remain resolute in its enforcement of demolishing weak build-

ings to avert further building disaster in the state.

Earlier, Adesina Tiamiyu, general manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), commended NIMASA for consistently being a worthy partner in catering for the needs of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Lagos.

Tiamiyu applauded the kind gesture of NIMASA, and expressed the readiness of the Lagos State Government to continue to partner with the Agency in the effort to properly cater for and resettle all victims of disaster in the state.

“Last year, NIMASA also brought a lot of relief materials to victims of flood disaster. We call on other agencies, corporate bodies and individuals to emulate this gesture in order to facilitate the resettling of IDPs in their homes,” he said.

Abuja to host International Tourism Transport Summit and Expo 2019 Obinna Emelike

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he Institute for Tourism Professionals (ITP), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture and the Federal Ministry of Transportation has concluded arrangements for the hosting of the second edition of the National Tourism Transport Summit and Expo from April 29-30, 2019 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

However, the 2019 edition of the summit and expo has an international dimension hence its tagged International Tourism Transport Summit and Expo with the theme: ‘Tourism and transportation interdependencies for inclusive growth and sustainable development’.

The conference is been organiSed on the premise of the approval by the National Council on Transportation (NCT) at its meeting in Sokoto in 2017, as well as, the approval by the Federal Executive Council that the Institute for Tourism Professionals, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the Federal Ministry of Information, the organized private sector and non-governmental

organizations should organize annually, a summit and exposition on transportation and tourism with the objective of deepening the connectivity between tourism and transportation for maximum inclusive growth and sustainable development of the Nigerian economy.

Participants at the twoday events will be drawn from major key players and stakeholders in the transportation and tourism sectors from the international community in critical areas such as the air transportation; airlines, tour and travel operators, administrators of the aviation industry; the maritime industry, which includes sea transport, boats and sea cruising operators; road transportation including major transport owners, car hire services, Uber, NURTW, RTEAN, Road Traffic and safety agencies including the FRSC, NPF, NSCDC, motor insurance companies; state transport ministries and agencies; rail transport services.

Others are operators in the tourism and hospitality industry including tourism resort operators, National Parks Services; museums and monuments, state tourism ministries and boards, festivals and tourism events

managers; hoteliers, restaurants and fast food operators; conferences and events managers.

The Tourism Transport Summit and Expo programme will begin with the Host City Walk on April 27; The Tourism Transport Summit and Exhibition proper will hold from April 29-30, 2019 with B2B and G2B sessions; The April 30 events will be rounded up with the award and gala night; while the entire program will end with the Host City Walk on May 1, 2019.

Experts and professionals drawn from the academia, as well as, key players and stakeholders in the industries will deliver thoughtprovoking papers on carefully selected sub themes of the summit, which includes: Tourism in a Hyper Connection World: Making Technology Work for the Tourism and Transportations Sectors; Potentialities of Developing Regional Inter-Connectivity in Africa; Inter-Modal Connectivity, Traveller Safety and Security; Development of Critical Infrastructure and the Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria-The Case of Tourism and Transportation Industries and Building Capacity for Global Best Practice in the Tourism and Transportation Sectors, among others.

Adapting right PPP model as catalyst for better healthcare delivery in Nigeria SEYI JOHN SALAU

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xperts in the Nigerian healthcare delivery value chain have argued that adapting the right model for a publicprivate partnership (PPP) funded health sector is needed to mobilise and harness resources for the benefit of Nigerians.

In bridging the infrastructure gap in the health sector, stakeholders in the healthcare delivery value chain on Thursday 11 April converged on Lagos to ignite change in the health sector seen at inspiring action through advocacy and policy dialogues.

To this end, PharmAccess Foundation in collaboration with Nigeria Healthwatch organised a policy dialogue themed, ‘Disrupting Healthcare: PPPs as a model for health system strengthening in Nigeria’.

The policy dialogue highlighted the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach in developing innovative models to maximise effi-

ciency and access to quality healthcare.

The policy dialogue demonstrated how public-private partnerships can invest in healthcare infrastructure, enabling governments to further allocate scarce resources more effectively towards improving health outcomes, fostering economic growth by reverting medical tourism, which cost Nigeria an estimated N400billion annually.

Jide Idris, Lagos State commissioner for health, in a panel discussion on ‘Financing Healthcare Projects’ said there was no government in Nigeria that is adequately funding the health sector.

According to Idris, the health sector/disease pattern are changing as population increases, hence there is a need to disrupt the system for better service delivery.

Olaokun Soyinka, director, independent verification agent for saving one million lives – Nigeria said the healthcare system in Nigeria needs a steady financial flow.

He opined that government needs to first understand, and create mechanism that

creates steady financial flow in the health sector.

Abiodun Amokomowo, the chief executive officer, Ibile Holdings Limited took a different approach by saying that access to financing is not all about fund, urging participants to consider other sources on financing like behavioral infrastructure and others.

Anthony Abou Nader, chief executive officer, Tanit Medical Engineering said understanding healthcare as a business is the major issue with funding the sector.

While Ola Brown, the CEO of Flying Doctors urged the participants to innovate in disrupting the current model by considering a customer funded business model.

Njide Ndili, the country director for PharmAccess Foundation in her overview, ‘Using the Public-Private Partnership model’ stated that there is no way government alone can fund the infrastructure requirements in the healthcare sector, which is why stakeholders are now pushing for PPP.

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PhotoSplash

L-R: Mukul Mathur, country head, Olam Nigeria Limited presenting an award to Olusola Fatoba, Warehouse Manager and Oluwakemi Fatoba for his 25years of meritorious service to the company at the Long Service Award ceremony which took place in Lagos

L-R: Hanna Colman, supply chain director; Udolisa Henrietta, quality manager, Lagos; Aisling Ryan, formulated product and beer specialist, Diageo Ireland, and Adenike Adebola, marketing director, at the Brewery tour at Guinness Brewery in Ogba to launch Guinness Gold in Lagos.

L-R: Johnson Adeoye, winner of the Eagle Schnapps Ayo Competition; Sabitu, 2nd Prize winner; Gbemileke Lawal, brand manager, Eagle Schnapps in the presence of Adeoluwa Taiwo, Secretary to Ogun State Government, and Adedotun Gbadebo, Alake of Egbaland, at the Grand Finale of Lisabi Festival in Abeokuta.

L-R: Uchendu Ovuike, brand executive, Dexa Medica, Kwara State; Hammed Toyin, permanent secretary, ministry of commerce and cooperative, Kwara State; Hafusat Dare, Iyaloja, Mandate Ultramodern Market, Ilorin; Hammed Bola Sarbauna, schedule officer; Aremu O Jimoh, assistant schedule officer, ministry of commerce and cooperative, Kwara State, at the Boska pain free day event in Ilorin, Kwara State.

L-R: Director of Projects, CITEC International Estate Abuja, Ukpan Kennedy Aimiuwu; Senior Manager, Enterprise Business, Northern Region, MTN Nigeria, Auwal Abdullahi and a resident who signed up at the official launch of the MTN Fibre Optic Broadband in Abuja

Obiora Manafa, representative of director general, Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), (second left) with Enugu State Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mrs Chinwe Kanu (middle), observing the destruction of substandard vehicle tyres by SON in Enugu.

L-R: Senior Producer, MTV Staying Alive Foundation, Wyn Baptiste; Country Manager, VIMN Africa, Bada Akintunde - Johnson & Nigerian Television & Film Director, Tope Oshin at the MTV Shuga Naija 2019 Audition

L-R: Key Accounts Manager, Nigerian Breweries, Olateru Temitope Korede; Winner All Expense Paid Trip To UEFA Champions League 2019 Semi-Final, Damilola Olufade; Area Sales Manager, Nigerian Breweries, Eugene Izenegu.

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BRI: 820 high capacity buses set to commence operation …as bus shelters, terminals ready JOSHUA BASSEY

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he Lagos State government is set to roll out its 820 medium and high capacity buses under its public transportation transformation captured under the Bus Reform Initiative (BRI).

Ladi Lawanson, the state commissioner for transportation, who gave the hint, said the initiative became necessary because the Lagos metropolitan population was highly dependent on public transportation which has been un-organised for a long time.

To address such challenges as poor quality service, unpredictable fare, unhealthy competition, high rate of accidents and unreliable service, the state government designed the BRI project.

This, he said, will involve replacement of yellow mini buses with air conditioned buses of uniformed specification, with predictable bus schedules and routes supported by appropriate infrastructure.

Lawanson recalled the first implementation of the bus reform which began with the construction and commissioning of the Ikeja bus terminal by President Muhammadu

The new buses

Buhari, noting the completion of other terminals at Yaba, Oyingbo, Ojota, Agege, and Ajah, with the masterpiece which is the Oshodi Transport Interchange, is also set to be unveiled by President Muhammadu Buhari before May 29

exit date of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

The commissioner added that the bus reform project which will be technology driven will ensure seamless integration of transport modes and passenger movement

through 23 routes for efficiency and effectiveness, to restore the confidence of Lagosians in the use of public transport facilities.

Explaining further, he said under the first phase of the bus reform project, seventy five (75) out of

the planned one hundred (100) bus shelters have been completed to support the operation of the buses.

Allaying fear that the existing transport unions members will be sent into labour market, Lawanson said that 800 of the buses will be released to private operators using the operating lease model which has incorporated the current road transport operators namely; National Union of Road Transport Workers, (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) with their selection as part of the bus operating companies.

Lawanson further disclosed other features of the bus reform project as a job creation component for which Drivers and Bus Attendants, who will be professionally trained and well kitted, will be sourced locally, as well as ticketing, vulcanising, cleaning/washing and others by the bus operating companies will also depend on the citizenry for staffing.

Lawanson congratulate Lagosians for being part of this laudable project aimed at ensuring better quality life. He urged citizenry to take ownership of the project, guide against misuse and vandalisation while awaiting the commencement of operation.

13,750 motorists violated traffic laws in Q1

Lagos raises public awareness on hygiene

…as 375, 545 vehicles captured by ANPR

agos State government on Friday urged stakeholders to focus on creating extensive public health awareness on the importance of observing behavioural lifestyles that promote good health.

The permanent secretary, Lagos State ministry of health, Titilayo Goncalves, made the appeal at a health symposium organised by the state government in collaboration with Tolaram Africa Enterprise, makers of Hypo bleach disinfectant.

Goncalves was represented

by Rotimi Agbolagorite, a director in the disease control unit of the ministry.

“While it is important for the populace to have good health seeking behaviour to improve their health as individuals and as a community, the day seeks to draw attention to major global health concerns.

“It also provides countries and organisations with ideas on how best to handle global health concerns.’’

Goncalves said the state government recently commemorated the world health day on April 7, with a health fitness walk, symposium, medical screening and community cleanup exercise tagged: “Team up to Clean up’’.

According to her, the aim of the clean-up exercise is to stress the importance of community

JOSHUA BASSEY

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bout 13,750 motorists violated the traffic law out of 375,545 vehicles captured by the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera in Lagos State, since its inception in January this year.

La g o s St a t e g o v e r n m e n t through the Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) in collaboration with Soft Alliance Limited initiated the use of automatic number plate recognition cameras around the state to aid the coordination of commuter movement while ensuring strict and total compliance of motorists to traffic laws in the state.

The state director of VIS, Gbolahan Toriola says the automation service was in response to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s

directive in 2017 towards observing international best practices in the sector.

The state, Teriola said, has adopted this advanced technological intervention to maintain a strong level of enforcement without interfering with the traffic flow.

“The camera was launched after a number of pilot schemes to test its efficiency considering the nature of Lagos road network,” he said.

Explaining the working principle of the new technology ANPR, the director said that the camera captures the number plate of the vehicles and records it into the system after which it is synchronised with a database platform comprising of relevant agencies to confirm validity, genuineness of vehicles and driver’s document as well as its expiration date.

Toriola also mentioned that some of the cameras were in-

stalled on the VIS patrol vehicles to aid in tracking vehicles without plate numbers plying the road. He further assured Lagosians that the cameras have been modified to identify defaulters only adding that those who have done the necessary documentations should not entertain any fear.

He further added that e-tickets are then produced and served to defaulters according to the offenses accrued by the ANPR. It is important to state that this device encourages voluntary compliance.

He also emphasized that in case the offender could not be found or does not respond with prompt payment within 7 days, the offender will be blacklisted and charged to the mobile court in addition with 100 percent increment in the fine.

He said this was in tandem with the traffic laws as revised by the state government.

LASG APPEALS project to aid improved yields

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he Lagos State AgroProcessing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) project, assisted by the World Bank, is focused on improving yields and agroprocessing development.

The project coordinator, Oluranti Oviebo told participants at an advocacy and interaction session in Lagos that the project will focus on three value-chains which include rice, poultry and aquaculture.

Oviebo said that the APPEALS project would enhance the agricultural productivity of small and me-

dium scale farmers and improve value addition.

“The project is basically to increase production output, processing and marketing.

“We are also looking at ways to support farmers through introduction and adoption of improved technologies and to empower farmers through cash and/or inputs.

“The project trains farmers and partners with research institutes to develop new ways that will aid improved yields,’’ she said.

According to Oviebo, about 35 per cent of the beneficiaries will be women with no age limit, while

the men must be between 18 and 40 years.

“They must have spent a minimum of three years in their chosen venture,’’ she said.

Oviebo also said that the project would work better with aggregators and farmer-clusters that would as well immediately support both processing and marketing.

The Lagos State commissioner for agriculture, Toyin Suarau, said the state had paid part of its counterpart fund of N36 million and reiterated government’s commitment to the project and overall agricultural development.

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ownership when it comes to cleanliness.

“Coincidentally, today, we are here to celebrate with good collaboration with our partners, Hypo disinfectant.

“As we know, cleanliness is next to godliness; Hypo is a good disinfectant that kills germs; it is important to use it for our daily activities.

“So that at least we keep our environment and domestic arena clean and germ free,’’ she said.

The brand manager, Hypo, Onome Asagbara, said the need to partner government and other organisations became necessary to spread the message of adopting good hygiene as a way of life.

According to him, hypo has visited over 20 million homes to teach people how to clean their homes.

“We decided to partner with the ministries of health and environment to propagate the message which we have been telling Nigerians that hygiene is important.

“We are collaborating in the business of cleanliness and healthy living because we understand that a clean environment is safe for healthy living.

If we want to have a comprehensive healthcare, we need to team up to clean up and I call on stakeholders to do what is necessary to the preventive part of healthcare,’’ he said.

Sunday 14 April 2019

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Crime Watch IGP orders police operatives to be ruthless against bandits in Katsina INNOCENT ODOH, Abuja

T Tell us the hideout of kidnappers - Katsina deputy governor appeals to affected communities AHMAD IBRAHIM, Katsina

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atsina State Deputy Governor has called on People in the state to be coming up with information relating to the whereabouts of bandits and kidnappers as he promised continued support to all security agencies in the state for the enhancement of security across the state.

Mannir Yakubu gave the assurances when he received the Acting Inspector General of Police Muhammad Abubakar Adamu who paid him a cutesy call in Government House Katsina. The Deputy Governor laments on continues increase on Banditry and kidnapping cases across Katsina state.

Meanwhile, the Acting Inspector General of Police Muhammad Abubakar Adamu

has charged Officers and men of the Nigeria Police who are selected for the ongoing special operation Puff harder to always seek for more cooperation from the locals.

He gave the charge while addressing officers who are stationed in Batsari Local Government Area to checkmate the activities of Bandits and kidnappers. The IGP stressed that they are making efforts to attack all suspected base of Bandits and kidnappers, therefore there is need for cooperation from the local communities stressing that it is an operation that requires cooperation from members of the affected communities.

He said one of the essence of operation Buff adder is to give members of the public the impression that no criminal element can go unpunished.

In Batsari Local Government Area , the Inspector

General of Police was briefed by the Chairman Caretaker Committee of the Council on how on Tuesday bandits attacked Ergamji-darini community in Magaji-Abu ward where 5 people were killed, 3 women kidnapped, 10 people sustained varying degrees of injuries, many shops and houses were also burnt down by the bandits.

A Community Leader, the Sarkin-Ruman Katsina Tukur Muazu appealed to the Inspector General of Police to form a Mobel Police Base in Batsari Local Government Area as a measure for quick response to any form of attack from the Bandits or Kidnappers.

Also a repentant cattle rustler Umar Mairoka suggested for a total blockage of all supply routes for the bandits and called on the IGP to sustain the current momentum in the ongoing operation.

he Acting Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu has ordered the men of the Police Special Forces and other Tactical Units currently deployed in Katsina State to deal decisively with armed bandits and other violent criminal elements currently terrorizing innocent citizens in the State.

A statement issued on Wednesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, said the order was in line with the larger Operation Puff Adder, aimed at ridding the States in the northern parts of bandits and other criminal elements.

The IGP gave the charge today, Wednesday 10th April, 2018, while addressing the Combined Teams of Police Operatives at the Katsina Police Command Headquarters in continuation of his operational tour of the North Central and North Western States, the statement added.

While admitting the obvious security challenges facing the nation at different fronts, the IGP insists that these security challenges are not insurmountable. He therefore assured that everything humanly and operationally possible is being done towards bringing a permanent end to incidences of armed banditry and other crimes in the country.

Earlier, the IGP had paid a courtesy call on the Governor

of the State, Governor Aminu Bello Masari, where he sought the support of the Governor and the good people of Katsina State in the renewed and reinvigorated fight against criminal elements.

In his response, the Governor, represented by his Deputy, Mannir Yakubu, pledged full support of the State Government and the Citizens to ‘Operation Puff Adder’ and other security initiatives of the Nigeria Police Force.

Meanwhile, Operation Puff Adder got a boost in its operational asset as Katsina State Government made a donation of twelve (12) Toyota Hilux vans to the Police in aid of the mission.

Before leaving the State, the IGP also paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Katsina, Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, where he sought the cooperation of the Royal Father and other Traditional Authorities in the onslaught against criminals, the statement added.

N15m scam: Court jails fake petrol dealer 7 years INNOCENT ODOH, Abuja

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he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Port Harcourt’s Zonal Office, on Wednesday April 10th, 2019, secured the conviction of Otti Leo and his company: Otileb Integrated Services Limited, for obtaining money under false pretences to the tune of N15, 000.000( Fifteen Million Naira) only.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Acting Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Tony Orilade, Leo was arraigned on December 4th, 2017 on two-count charges bordering on obtaining money under false pretences. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and the matter went into full trial, with EFCC counsel, Celestina Okorie leading the prosecu-

tion.

Justice A.T Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State found him guilty of the two charges, convicted and sentenced him to seven years imprisonment and ordered that his company: Otileb Integrated Services Limited be wound up by the Corporate Affairs Commission.

Leo’s journey to prison began when a petitioner alleged that, sometime in April, 2016 the convict approached him with a proposal of leasing a petroleum Service Station to him in Aba, Abia State for a period of 10 years at the rate of N15million.

The petitioner said that he got interested in the proposal and raised a draft of N15million in favour of the convict.

However, when he wanted to take possession of the Station, he met still resistance

from persons that claimed to be genuine agents of Alex Otti, the actual owner of the station.

The petitioner also claimed that the convict neither returned the money paid to him nor offered another Service Station to him.

Defence Counsel, D.O. Okoro pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy since the convict was a first offender.

However, Justice Mohammed sentenced him to seven years imprisonment and an order of restitution of N15mil-

lion to the victim. He also ordered that the convict’s company: Otileb Integrated Services Limited be wound up by the Corporate Affairs Commission.

One of the read: “That you, Otti Leo, Otileb Integrated Services Limited, and others now at large sometime in 2016 at Port Harcourt in Port Harcourt Judicial Division did with intend to defraud, obtain the sum of N15,000.000 (Fifteen Million Naira) only from one Anyasi Mathew, (Managing Director of Ayas Oil Ltd) under the false pretense that you will lease a filling station to him for a period of ten years, a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence, contrary to section 1(i)(a) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.

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Sunday 14 April 2019

VOX POP

Why do people want to emigrate by all means?

JONATHAN ADEROJU

E

very country has rules and laws regulating how people come into their territories. When someone moves from one area or country to settle in another, it is called migration.

But migration becomes illegal if people do not have the permission of the country or borders they are entering into.

In recent times, illegal migration has been on the rise. Illegal migration is often fuelled by pull factors.

The flow of illegal migrants is often from poorer countries to richer countries. The people involved often are not the poorest in their home countries.

They tend to be people with a lot of information, knowledge, ambition and motivation, which often fuel their desire to migrate for better life.

But in Nigeria we cannot be termed as a poor country with all the natural resources, yet millions of people still want to go to Europe for greener pastures, by all means.

According to RARDUJA International, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), “1,200 Nigerians seeking greener pasture abroad died in their attempt to reach Europe through

the desert and the sea last year.” The group also revealed that while about 12,000 Nigerians were brought back last year from Libya alone, 63,000 are still currently trapped in that country awaiting repatriation.

Jonathan Aderoju, our correspondent, spoke to some Nigerians to get their views on illegal migration and how the government can help curb the menace and stem the tide of huge human casualty in the process.

Jeremiah Mbata

Illegal migration from it surface meaning entails an unlawful movement of people from a particular country across the border of another country.

The major causes of this most time are the search for greener pastures and also the search for peace, in the case of a war situation.

To reduce illegal migration, there should be employment opportunities so that individuals can leverage on that system to sustain themselves. Also,

conscious effort should be made by government agencies to sustain peace.

Ogoke Kizito

This is quite interesting. You and I know very well that illegal migration is a situation where by people travel across national borders in a way that violates the immigration laws of the destination country. It could as well mean unauthorised migration. As of today, there is a rising trend in illegal migration worldwide, especially from poorer to richer countries.

David Ogoriba

Migration has to do with movement from one place to another. Generally speaking, it is referred to as movement from one’s own country and place of residence to another

in search of greener pastures.

Other reasons for migration have to do with war or political unrest. Migration is a way to move from one place to another in order to live and work.

Nowadays, many people decide to migrate to have a better life. Employment opportunities are the most common reason people migrate. Added to the above are lack of opportunities, better education, globalisation, natural disaster (flood and drought), among other reasons.

Solutions to this could include creating economic growth/employment. The primary reason why so many people risk their lives to leave Nigeria is economic opportunity. The scale of the unemployment problem in Nigeria is phenomenal. There are more unemployed people in Nigeria than the entire population of Belgium.

Dr. Chibuike Waka’man Enwereuzo

Illegal migration can only be

nipped in the bud when we are able to reinforce our security at the borders and reduce the corrupt practices within the security agencies manning the borders.

Eiguedo Christian

My take is that it’s a suicide mission; ‘no go kill yourself’; avoid suicide mission.

We are not saying you should not travel but must you do it the wrong way? What can be done to reduce it is that the government should carry out a massive campaign of illegal traveling abroad and the dangers it brings to humanity.

There must be aggressive job creation in both urban and rural areas to reduce the allure.

Also let the immigration officers know that we are not slaves but rather we are kings and queens of this nation; let the process of acquiring document be easier, let it not just be for the rich alone. Let everyone be able to afford. With this, people will travel the right way.

Newspaper vendors’ protest alleged harassment by revenue agents in A/Ibom ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo

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ewspaper vendors under the auspices of Akwa Ibom State Newspapers Vendors Association has staged a protest in Uyo, the state capital over alleged harassment and intimidation of its members by revenue agents in the state.

The vendors, who are found around the vicinity of Ibom Plaza, a central business hub in Uyo, also alleged that one of its members was assaulted by the official of the Ibom Plaza Management committee which oversees the plaza.

Otobong Udofia, chairman of the association, who led the protest, disclosed that members would not be selling newspapers until the constant harassment was stopped.

“The management of Ibom Plaza has been coming to harass our members on a daily basis, so we don’t understand what is the stand of newspaper vendors in the state, if they don’t want us to be in the state they should let us know,” he said.

“When they come they will

demand for money from the vendors that we are the cause of people coming there to steal, so we asked questions: How does picking pocket in the area concern vendors? They say government say we should leave the plaza.

“We insisted and said that by right vendors cannot pay a fee of N2000 monthly demanded by the management because our commission is only N40.00 and before you are able to get a plate of food for N200 you would have walked around Uyo metropolis. “A lot of people have been reading papers online; papers don’t sell again and before we labour to sell up to 40 copies, we will go round the whole of Uyo. We have been supporting the government we wonder why government is against us.

“We don’t sell up to N2000; so it will be difficult for us to raise N2000, we eat from the amount and we pay transport from there.

“When they come they harass our members and they will run away and many papers have been reported missing in the process.”

One of the victims, One Sun-

day Etukudoh who sells newspapers around the area, said he had been repeatedly harassed by officials of the Plaza, adding that he had been warned not to bring newspapers to the area.

“Last Tuesday was the third time I was assaulted while selling newspapers at the plaza.

The second time he harassed me was the day Governor Udom

Emmanuel was given Certificate of Return. Tuesday this week, he came back again and reminded me that he has commanded me not to display newspapers again.

“I pleaded with them that I will pack the newspapers away but while I was trying to do so, he hit and injured me,” he said.

One of them, simply identified as Chidi, called on the

government to come to the aid of the vendors by stopping the unnecessary harassment by its agents, adding that vendors have incurred losses as a result of the harassment which has forced them to down tools.

However, the Chairman of the Ibom Plaza Management, Ima Umoh, denied the alleged harassment of vendors by his members.

He said the idea was to sanitise the place against hoodlums by asking them not to display their the newspapers because according to him it usually attract people who would argue about politics and democracy which in the process many phones and other devices would be stolen.

He appealed to them to return to their business, adding that they were not affected by the N2,000 levy.

In his reaction, Charles Udoh, commissioner for information and strategy, said the state government was not part of the harassment of the vendors, adding that as a responsible administration committed to promoting entrepreneurship, it was not part of the attack on the vendors and called on them to return to their beats.

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IDPs camp and emergency management in Lagos

Frank Aigbogun editor Zebulon Agomuo DEPUTY EDITOR John Osadolor, Abuja

Tayo Ogunbiyi

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Ogunbiyi is of the Lagos State Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja

T

hough the gory incidence of the building collapse at Ita Faji, Lagos Island, has come and gone, its fallouts have continued to resonate. In the aftermath of the sad event and in line with international best practices, the State government swiftly embarks on a systematic process of demolishing defective buildings across Lagos Island. This is basically as a precautionary measure to forestall future occurrence of such gruesome episode. Naturally, in the process, some people were displaced and there was an urgent need to resettle them.

It is, therefore, out of the quest to relocate them that the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Resettlement Centre, Igando, in Alimosho Local Government Area, became a sure option. The camp has facilities to provide relief for affected victims, including those living with disabilities. It has five hostels with 22 rooms each, four double bunk beds and is capable of accommodating eight persons per room. The centre also has a kitchen facility,

a dining hall, a general hall to be used for recreational activities, a three-ward medical facility, a set of 10 toilets and bathrooms for each hostel, sets of three bedroom flats for members of staff, facilities for persons living with disabilities, security post, power-generating set, among others.

Presently, the camp has come to life with over 300 displaced persons, including children, teenagers and adults. At first, reports had it that a lot of them were quite apprehensive of moving to the camp because they were not too convinced of its suitability. But upon getting to the camp, the earlier callers had to send words to others about the comfort of the camp as well as other mouth watering welfare package on ground.

At the camp, the displaced persons are fed three square meals daily. Also, they have recreational facilities that keep them busy and excited while a medical team is on ground to ascertain the health status of the people and equally offer relevant medical assistance as might be needed. The Igando General Hospital is handling referrals from the camp.

Similarly, government provided three buses to convey children to and from their schools while their parents were equally ferried daily to their respective offices. This has really helped in terms of helping them to reduce emotional and physical stress. The whole essence is to ensure that the effect of loss on the victims is mitigated to the barest minimum. Meanwhile, the camp is to be opened for three months,

after which government would review the need for an extension.

In Lagos State, emergency management is a significant part of government’s overall strategy for achieving a smart city. The State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, was established vide LASEMA Law 16 of 2008 for emergency and disaster management in the State in pursuance to decree 12 of 1999 as amended by Act No. 50 of 1999 which established the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). The state has today invested heavily on emergency and disaster preparedness and response because its growing population is highly vulnerable to emergency situations like inferno, building collapse, road accident, floods, suicide and others.

Today, due to continuous funding and proper management, the Agency has grown in leaps and bound. Unarguably, Lagos has been exceptional in term of investment and achievements in emergency responses and this claim are evidence-based. LASEMA is now optimally responding to the challenges of disaster management with improved emergency preparedness and responses.

This explains why the state government has not just decentralized the operations of LASEMA, but each response unit has been equipped with a new ultra-modern equipment (trucks, power bikes, heavy-duty vehicles and fire trucks, Mobile Intensive Care Ambulances and Light Rescue Equipment, and 14 new BMW Power Bikes for on-spot reconnaissance assess-

ments of emergency incidents and to boost the sea, air and land capacities of the State emergency responders.

In furtherance to the need to provide proper extrication equipment for timely rescue of trapped victims in any form of life-threatening emergencies, LASEMA in February, 2018, procured Light Rescue Equipment, which included Hydraulic rescue equipment with Power Unit attached with Spreader, Rescue Ram, Cutters Combi Tools and Concrete Cutters distributed to all the dispatch centres.

The agency has also extended its response to emergencies beyond Lagos. In most cases, accidents along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway stretch into Lagos, thereby affecting residents who work in Lagos but live in border towns including Magboro, Arepo, Kara, Ibafo, Mowe among others. To further strengthen emergency management, about 70 ad hoc staff of the agency was recently absorbed into the State civil service. Equally, a special allowance is paid to staff of the agency in order to get the best out of them.

It is, therefore, safe to assert that Lagos State is poised to take emergency management to new heights.

It must, however, be stressed that the citizenry need to embrace safety culture and practice in its entire ramification. This way, the rate of man-made emergency occurrences would be extremely reduced.

Ogunbiyi is of the Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja

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Sunday 14 April 2019

ForTheRecord Corruption and the underdevelopment of Nigeria (2) Being the second part of the paper presented at the 20th Bassey Andah Memorial Lecture by Professor Sola Akinrinade, provost, Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria. The event was held recently at the University of Calabar International Conference Centre, Cross River State.

I

Defining Corruption t is perhaps appropriate at this stage to attempt a definition of corruption. Corruption is like a disease that requires the appropriate diagnosis, prognosis and intervention. If it is not accurately identified, the suitable cure might not be administered. It is in this context that we must avoid the overextension and under-extension of the definition of corruption. When corruption is overextended, every unacceptable conduct is classified as corruption. This approach is problematic because different illnesses will require different interventions. On the other hand, if the concept of corruption is under-extended, it will lead to the mistake of overlooking corrupt acts that appear to be of low impact.

A few years ago, the media was awash with reports of the statement made by former President, Goodluck Jonathan, that stealing is not corruption. While the public indignation that greeted the statement reflected the frustrations of a society and a people suffering from the devastating consequences of corruption, the question still remains valid: do all bad or immoral or unacceptable or illegal activities amount to corruption? In reality, if we are to make a good headway with finding solutions to the problem, we need to avoid over-extending or underextending the definition of corruption.

Certainly not all morally wrong or illegal activities amount to corruption. If at the end of this programme today you arrived in your house and found that it had been burgled and valuables stolen, I am sure that your first point of call would not be the nearest ICPC or EFCC office but the Police Station! For us to identify the correlation of corruption with underdevelopment of Nigeria, we need to be specific about what we understand as corruption.

While there might not be consensus over its definition, the central thread that runs through most conceptions of the term is that, corruption connotes mutation of a situation, from good to bad. There is also some agreement on the categories. Corruption could be grand, petty, systemic or endemic, bureaucratic or political. Grand corruption is large scale corruption that takes place at the highest levels of government, usually at the policy formulation level. Grand corruption is often used synonymously with political corruption, which in itself refers to misuse of political power for private gain. This misuse can be for the preservation or strengthening of power, personal enrichment, or both. Political corruption can take place while entering public office, during the policy making process, or in the allocation of state resources.

Common forms of political corruption include: vote-buying, election-rigging, non-transparent or illegal political campaign financing, abuse of public property, or simply biased decision-making for personal interest.

Bureaucratic Corruption takes place in public administration or at the implementation end of policies. On the other hand, petty corruption refers to everyday forms of corruption when citizens, businesses, and officials make exchanges. Petty corruption takes place in the process of delivering public services of various types.

Bureaucratic corruption, administrative corruption and petty corruption are often being used synonymously in the anti-corruption literature.

Sola Akinrinade

Finally, endemic or systemic corruption is a situation in which corruption is an integrated aspect of the economic, social, and political system of a country.

The major institutions and processes of the state are routinely dominated and used by corrupt individuals and groups.

Sadly, this seems to be the situation in our country today.

The day-to-day manifestations of corruption include Bribery, Extortion, Embezzlement, Money laundering, Fraud, Abuse of power, Conflict of interest, Nepotism, favouritism, clientelism, Theft, Wastage, Collusion, and so on. Most of us can relate to most of these issues. If nothing else, Nigerians are familiar with the fuel subsidy scam, ghost workers and pensioners’ scam, undervaluation and overvaluation of invoices depending on purpose, Legislators’ alleged ‘Jumbo Allowances’, Settlement (Sorting), etc.

The next question then is, how has corruption damaged us as a country and contributed to our state of underdevelopment?

The damage of Corruption While the most obvious consequence of corruption is the theft of public funds, corruption is more than missing money.

Certainly, the more damaging consequence is the arrested development of the nation. Two examples of how corruption has damaged our national life will suffice.

In his end-of-year message to staff of the NNPC, the Group Managing Director, Maikanti Baru, delivered the shocking message that no turn around maintenance had been carried out in the nation’s four refineries in over 42 years.[1] For observers of the Nigerian economy, this is one of the most damaging revelations that has emanated from the Nigerian oil industry in years. The statement not only implied that for years, Nigerians have been fed deception and lies in relation to happening in this most critical sector of the Nigerian economy but also confirmed the persistent accusations that funds allocated for turnaround maintenance of Nigeria’s refineries and other repairs were mostly stolen, wasted or embezzled.

Nigeria’s refineries, as with most of the oil industry itself, have mostly been perceived as conduits for fraud and fleecing of the treasury. According to industry experts, refineries are expected to undergo turnaround maintenance ev-

ery three to five years to achieve optimal productivity and preserve machinery.

Whenever the refineries operate below optimal level, the outcome is operational financial loss. Due to the persistent sharp practices in regard to the turnaround maintenance, the industry has continued to lose billions of Naira and dollars in the process.

In 2015, the refineries recorded N82.09 billion loss; N78.95 billion in 2016 and much more than that in 2017. In August 2018, alone, the refineries posted operational loss of N10.9 billion. Combined utilisation in August 2018 was 3.02percent, down from 4.83percent the month before. From data provided by the Department of Petroleum Resources, combined average capacity utilisation for year 2017 was 8.17percent. Sadly, simultaneously, as the refineries were posting these losses, the country was spending even much more to import what they were supposed to produce and several times, Nigerians have had to endure the consequences of fuel shortage, which are all well known for us to be restating here.

The Group Managing Director disclosed that the NNPC imported 15.87 million metric tonnes of petrol in 2018, 62percent higher than the 9.8 million metric tonnes it imported in 2017. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, disclosed in June 2017 that Nigeria spent $28 billion of her foreign exchange earnings importing 92percent of the petrol it consumed annually. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, in the nine months to September 2018, Nigeria spent N2.58 trillion on this, while N1.14 trillion is estimated to be spent by the Government subsidising petrol imports in 2019. If we put these scandalous developments in the context of the daily living experiences of the average Nigerian, it is easy to appreciate the damage that corruption has inflicted on the Nigerian development process, given especially the critical role of the oil industry in the national economic considerations.

Our second example of the damage of corruption is the defunct Nigerian Airways. Nigerian Airways was fully owned by the government. It went from operating about 32 aircraft at the peak of its operations to only two aircraft by the time it collapsed. While the company was operational, its staff strength was bloated with employees to the extent that there

were 500 staff to one aircraft, a figure several times the industry average.

In addition, moneys were embezzled, bribes were paid and received, functional aircraft were sold as scrap and the proceeds diverted to private use. Tickets were sold but proceeds were not remitted. Free flights were indiscriminately granted to friends, family and staff. Loans were taken in the name of the airline, but the funds were paid into private accounts. Staff spent inordinate amounts of time staying abroad for apparently private reasons but at the expense of the airline. Moneys were paid for services not rendered. Huge monetary deposits were forfeited to contractors, etc. Eventually, the airline became indebted, was blacklisted and collapsed under the heavy weight of corruption.

In this instance, persons in authority took advantage of public funds, goods, services and products for their private benefit or the benefit of third parties.

The result is that the entity mutated from having enormous potentials to ceasing to exist. Certainly, corruption kills. The travails of Nigerian Airways were replicated in several other industries including the railways, the Nigerian National Shipping Lines, among others.

The above examples of the damage of grand corruption probably explains our national preoccupation with high profile corruption. However, in the context of this discussion, we like to highlight the equally or probably more damaging effect of ostensibly low-level petty corruption as manifested in administrative corruption. Without question, most people seated here would have confronted one form or the other of the manifestation of petty corruption in the course of daily transactions with government offices.

While attention is usually focused on high profile cases of seasonal politicians accused of high-level abuse of office, petty corruption that affect the daily lives of the average citizen continues to thrive.

And by informed accounts, this form of corruption drains public resources to the tune of billions of Naira annually.

The 2017 Report, Corruption in Nigeria: Bribery – public experience and response confirms that almost a third of Nigerian adults (32.3percent) who had contact with a public official between June 2015 and May 2016 had to pay, or were requested to pay, a bribe to that public official. According to the Survey, bribe payers in Nigeria pay an average of some six bribes in one year, or roughly one bribe every two months. The Report estimates that roughly 400 billion Naira was paid as bribes during the period covered by the survey. Guilty public officers include members of the armed forces, police officers, tax/revenue officers, car registration/driving license agency officers, customs officers, public utilities officers, traffic management officers, immigration service officers, teachers and lecturers, prosecutors, doctors, judges and magistrates, nurses, members of parliament, and land registry officers.

These are officers that members of the public including you and I have to deal with on daily basis. But what they extract from us appears so insignificant that we never really bother to reflect on the impact and implications. The Police are reported to receive the largest bribe in terms of volume but the Customs comes first in terms of value.

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BDSUNDAY 15

The Sunday Magazine

Killings in Nigeria and journey to the next level

G

CHUKA UROKO

eneral insecurity in Nigeria reflected in mass murder, mindless killings, kidnapping for ransom and armed robbery, is assuming frightening dimension and foreshadowing an awful and monstrous ghost around President Muhammadu Buhari’s ‘next level’ mantra.

Widespread killings of largely innocent citizens across the country which have escalated in the last couple of months beg the question as to whether the country really needs this high volume of blood-letting in its march to the ‘Next Level’.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and self-acclaimed largest economy on the continent, is bleeding from all corners, showing signals of what seem like signs of beginning of an end. The blood flow from wicked application of lethal implements crimps the heart.

Events of the moment are reminiscent of William Shakespeare’s observation following horrifying events in Rome during the reign of Julius Caesar as king. “It’s either there is a civil strife in heaven (skies) or the earth, too saucy with the gods, incenses insurrection,” Shakespeare noted fearfully.

From Borno to Bauchi, Adamawa to Benue, Enugu to Rivers, etc, the story is the same, of wailing and lamentation, and of homes left bare and cold because father or mother or children or all have fallen to the murderous knives of the wicked on vicious assignment for the devil and soul-less pay masters.

On daily basis, the airwaves are painted in red with news of wanton killings, rising in ferocious and geometric proportion, questioning the value of human life and the whole essence of government and governance in protecting lives and property of citizens.

In Nigeria, and perhaps other third world countries, governments are generally predatory, oppressive, insensitive and indifferent. They are parasitic, taking a lot from their hosts (the people) and giving nothing in return. But, as Shakespeare also puts it, “the fault is not our stars, but in ourselves that we are underlings”.

Howard Zinn, a social commentator puts it more succinctly, “Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is that people all over the world have obeyed the dictates of leaders… and millions have been killed

because of this obedience…

“Our problem is that people are obedient all over the world in the face of poverty, starvation, stupidity, war and cruelty.

Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves… (and) the grand thieves are running the country. That is our problem.”

Times without number, it has been observed that Nigeria’s major problem is leadership.

Almost 60 years after independence, the country is still groping in the dark in search of good and quality leadership.

The country in the last two decades has seen monumental leadership failures, crystalising in arrogance, insensitivity, rudderless vision, bigotry, clannishness, punitive and unprogressive policies and programmes, little or no provision for the future, and zero investment in human capital development.

At no time, since the return to democratic government 20 years ago, has Nigeria and Nigerians had it so bad as in the last three years of President Muhammadu Buhari administration. This regime has not only

institutionalise poverty and misery, but has also weighed the value of life on the same scale with that of a cow, such that chasing away an invading cow on a farmland is enough to kill any human in sight.

Within this period, poverty, hunger, banditry, violent armed robbery, kidnapping, nepotism and blood-letting fueled by ethnic and religious sentiments have reached their worst levels.

By the last count, about 87 million people, almost 50 percent of the national population, are adjudged extremely poor; 13 million children are out of school in 2018 and about 60,000 children under the age of five die from diseases caused by the nation’s poor levels of access to water, sanitation and hygiene. Whether these are going to be part of government’s achievements that will be taken to the next level remain a matter of conjecture.

For Nigerians in the North Eastern part of the country, especially Borno and Adamawa, and those of the North Central, particularly Benue State, where insurgent activities have

desecrated family bonding, mass-produced widows and orphans, and cramped strangebed-fellows into sub-human conditions at IDP Camps, the next level agenda simply underpins arrogance and insensitivity of a government.

Like many other Nigerians, Maxwell Anikwenwa, former Archbishop of Province II, Anglican Communion and Bishop Emeritus of Awka Diocese in Anambra State, is appalled by the blood-letting in the land.

The Bishop Emeritus was reported to have commended President Buhari’s claims to be fighting corruption, saying, “It is good but if he folds his arms and watch Nigerians slaughtered like animals by the senseless blood-thirsty bandits and religious bigots, who will enjoy the money so recovered through the anti-corruption war?”

According to him, “Government needs to sit up now or else there will be a revolution in this country and if the revolution is allowed to take place, it will be disastrous. I’m surprised that Buhari is a military man and yet these killings are going on unabated. He needs to re-organise the military. If the military cannot secure the citizenry, then they have failed Nigerians”.

This advice becomes more instructive against the backdrop of Buhari’s denial of government’s indifference to the wanton killings, especially in Zamfara and Kaduna states where over 100 lives have been wasted in the last couple of weeks.

“The politicisation of the tragedy reveals the darkest

sides of our primitive politics.

Almost every week, I summon my security chiefs to get an update on the strategies being devised to defeat these mass murderers”, Buhari’s was quoted as saying in a statement by his media aide, Garba Shehu.

“How can I be happy and indifferent to the senseless killings of my fellow citizens by bandits? I am human and I understand the pains of the victims and their families who have been traumatised and impoverished by constant ransom demands by bandits”, the statement added.

Besides Boko Haram insurgents that have killed and sacked many homes and communities, herdsmen, who the government prefers to call cattle rearers, have also become terrors to their host communities.

Curiously, while addressing the Nigerian community at a town-hall meeting in Dubai recently, President Buhari was quoted to have absolved those herdsmen of guilt in the killing of farmers in Benue and elsewhere, laying the blame on those ones he called “cattle rearers from Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and other cattle herders.”

Social commentators say the President, in his attempt to deny what is public knowledge, succeeded in indicting himself because, according to them, admitting that “foreigners” could frequently invade the country, kill and maim, means Nigeria is incapable of protecting itself against external aggression. It also means that the country’s security architecture is badly challenged and needs urgent attention.

If truly the President constantly listens to the security personnel, as he was quoted to have said, in order to understand their problems and needs, and that he has never hesitated to attend to those needs in terms of motivating and equipping them to respond effectively to the country’s security challenges, then there must be more to the killings than meets the eye.

Nigeria and its citizens deserve good life, not death; they deserve clean pipe-borne water flowing in every home, not blood pouring on plain fields from bodies brutally severed; not blood desecrating the sanctity of homes and hamlets.

Nigerians need to sleep with both eyes closed; they need an end to terrorism and bloodletting, especially now that they prepare to usher in a new government that will be taking them to a new level.

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The Sunday Magazine

A nation at war IGNATIUS CHUKWU

I

Prologue: s Nigeria in peace time or at war? To say Nigeria is at war is an understatement, some citizens interviewed said last week. Others say Nigeria is not technically at war, just in conflicts. They say there is a difference between conflict and war.

Then, what is war? In military terms, war is a period of fighting between countries or groups of people. It involves use of weapons, organised military formations, and soldiers. A video going viral as footage of the Nigerian Army advancing in a sector in the grasslands of Zamfara State with an armoured personnel carrier (APC) is clear indication of war in progress. At other times, a fighter plane is seen strafing some targeted area. What else is war, a man in Port Harcourt asked last week when he saw it.

There are three broad types of war and Nigeria seems to be witnessing each type in one part of the country or the other.

Attrition war involved massing of forces at each other to crush the opponent. Often, it is about capturing territory. The Zamfara sector, the Maiduguri and Yobe sectors seem to be such; a battle to capture and administer territory. The larger force is expected to win. Boko Haram captured 29 local council areas by 2015.

Maneuvre war is the type with the tactical aim of weakening the opponent before the attrition war can be launched for full capture.

Boko Haram uses this approach often by use of suicide bombers to attack military formations for weeks before launching attrition war. Often, the style is to attack the enemy’s rear to cause panic and disorganise them.

The third is revolutionary war.

Many may say it is the type Nigeria is fighting. A military writer said evolutionary war is one of the most difficult types to deal with because the Guerrilla is usually willing to keep the war going for 10 or more years. If not dealt with effectively this long term war will slowly weaken the national resolve and strengthen the enemy.

Wars are expensive; the cost in dead and wounded alone can be staggering. Often, as in Vietnam, the insurgents are more than willing to bleed the regular army dry, slowly. They know they won’t defeat Nigeria in a stand up fight but they know they can destroy Nigeria’s will to fight, just as it happened in Afghanistan and the Soviet Union.

Most countries that fought revolutionary wars hardly achieve developmental growth fast because huge resources are sunk into the war. Russia fought one and lost the economic power to the US and thus lost the Cold War. It distracts the government or the central authority from

…Causes, intrigues, solutions

focusing on development. It gets worst at elections, if the country is a democracy. It also fuels other conflicts and creates suspicion in high places. It is the worst form of war, and Nigeria is fighting this type, too.

So, Nigeria is fully prosecuting wars, with weapons. As military experts say, regardless of whether aircraft, ground forces, space ships or waterborne ships are used, war is war; people are killing and being killed in an organised fashion.

Number killed: between 20,000 and 100,000 The figures are showing. Different sources give different figures of the casualty rate of

killings in Nigeria. The figures range from 20,000 to 100,000.

In Benue State, the government thinks over 5000 persons have been killed. Boko Haram is said to have snuffed life out of over 50,000 Nigerians including thousands of their own fighters that have been killed in fighting or that killed themselves through suicide bombing; the belt.

Over 5,000 persons are said to have been killed through massacres that have taken place between 1966 and 2018 around Nigeria. Thousands were also massacred in the Tiv-Fulani wars where herdsmen sneak on sleeping natives, often women and children, and apply the sword.

By April 2018, a non-govern-

mental organisation, the Coalition on Conflict Resolution and Human Rights in Nigeria, had determined that over 2000 lives were lost to violent activities and clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the country. The group also said thousands of Nigerians had been displaced by the conflict. This is contained in a report read by a barrister, Maxwell Gowon, the leader of the coalition during a media conference in Abuja.

Causes and sectors The killings are going on in sectors; North East being led by Boko Haram from Borno State; Middle Belt is being driven by herdsmen especially in Benue State; Rustlers have taken over in

‘‘

Boko Haram is said to have snuffed life out of over 50,000 Nigerians including thousands of their own fighters that have been killed in fighting or that killed themselves through suicide bombing; the belt

the North West especially Kastina State and Zamfara killing in hundreds. Ritual killers are prowling around Eastern Nigeria, parts of North Central, and most of southSouth. Militants are domiciled in the South-South while cultists are reigning in Rivers State and some other states in the Niger Delta.

North East: Boko Haram What most Nigerians ignore is the fact that there is a foreign link to every insurgency in Nigeria or anywhere in the world. Most groups fighting in Nigeria usually get financial support, weapons and training from groups outside Nigeria. They usually agree on what would be exploited and shared. Having settled on that, they now choose a grievance and launch their insurgency.

Many authorities have mentioned the resources in the Lake Chad Basin as the attraction for insurgency in the North East.

The zone with headquarters in Maiduguri controls the vast route between Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger. The Lake Chad has abundant fish stock that had supplied dried fish and crayfish to most of West Africa for years.

It also has crude oil and huge mineral resources.

On the other hand, the zone is vast and has one of the largest forest reserves in West Africa, the Sambisa Forest. So, whichever group that settles in within that zone would evolve into a desert

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The Sunday Magazine power and control a big territory politically, spiritually and materially.

To have a human face, they used poverty as a tool and blamed it on ‘book’ or western education.

Thus, they convinced the hapless and the feeble-minded that their problems all came from ‘book’ or knowledge, thus Boko Haram or ‘book is not good’. But, beyond this scheme is a huge trade in slaves, women, gold, fish, cattle, etc. Whoever controls the zone would control the wealth of the desert. Every other thing is woven around this logic, experts said.

North West: Cattle Rustlers and the ‘Beasts’ Early in November, it was reported that about 36 persons were killed in a clash between vigilantes and bandits in TsaminyarJino community in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State. The development, according to the residents, started on a Sunday when the vigilantes killed one Baban Kusa, a suspected bandit terrorising the community.

In Zamfara State, the killings that started as game by cattle rustlers over the decades have grown into another war.

Much has been attributed to the mining of solid minerals especially gold and diamond in the area. Over 5000 persons are said to be involved in mining in that part of the country. Now, the wealth from dust and the weapons that have been used to control the business have gathered over the years to turn into destruction. Politics usually plays a gummy role around these historic issues; and soon, division and acrimony would rear up. Killing becomes the natural consequence. The roles of the drug barons who raise the funds and network between powerful groups have been noted.

Over the decades, some youths of the north decided that serving as herdsmen to rich cattle owners was no meaningful life.

They prefer to hang around and laze about. Soon, they became available for petty crimes and grew into killers, fighters, cow rustlers, and mercenaries that are ready to go fight those who may have attacked the herdsmen.

These groups that carry out such missions are called “The Beasts” around the Middle Belt region.

They emerged as political thugs and at some point coalesced into

the Zamfara Insurgents.

North Central: Herdsmen The biggest conflict in the North Central at the moment is the invasion of herdsmen and the fighting that it has caused.

It is however, easy to gloat over this. The cause is very deep, according to persons in Benue and other areas that have discussed this subject on frank basis. The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and their sympathisers insist that there is a grazing route from the far north to the south through Benue State. The Benue trough has been famed for its alluvial soil which supports huge farming business in that part of the north, according to Ikyagba Pavihya, a security consultant in Makurdi.

Now, as land becomes scarcer due to population explosion caused by rapid reproduction and influx of herdsmen driven into Nigeria from other parts of West Africa by war and famine, the Benue trough continues to prove attractive.

Another cause, according multiple sources in the region that talked to this writer, is the fact that just as many northern youths have resorted to cattle rustling out of laziness, some youths in the Middle Belt also fancy cows as free game. So, often, they launch

raids and steal cows. The fact that the herdsmen are not on social media and do not make use of the press to ventilate their grievances usually bury their agonies. But a deep source said Nigerians must know the culture of the Fulani, especially the nomadic Fulani; they can endure anything, they can wait for vengeance to any length.

The method seems to be that they report the attacks to the owners of the cows, often the home Fulani who are usually in top positions in public sector. The owners contact the ‘Beasts’ who move into action. The ‘Beasts’ can travel in the grasslands like leopards for months, aided by charms and other mysterious accessories. The problem is, just as the herdsmen usually do not know who really attacked their cows, the ‘Beasts’ usually do not know who will die for the cows.

The result is usually massacre; especially of women and children.

In some other situations, the present crop of cattle rearers, just like their counterparts driving tankers and trailers, are no longer the elderly and mature ones.

They seem to be teenagers who hardly give a hoot whether the cows were eating grass or yams.

This has increased the frequency of conflict between the farmers and the herdsmen. So, whereas

‘‘

Over the decades, some youths of the north decided that serving as herdsmen to rich cattle owners was no meaningful life

the past generation of herdsmen used sticks to control the cows and hoped for the best, the modern ones need and use AK-47 to rear cows. When the need arises, they shoot and kill.

South-East: Armed kidnapping and ritual killing Armed robbery and advance fee fraud were the dread of this region many decades ago. Now, it is kidnapping. Robbery began to fetch less because cashless era came. People no longer moved with millions of naira nor stocked much at home. The former robbers transformed to the new profession- charms that cause people to vomit millions of naira.

These charms are said to require human blood and human parts from time to time.

This discovery seemed to coincide with the advent of kidnapping, which makes a victim and his/her relations to bring the money by themselves. The

result is that a victim amounts to huge cash to the kidnappers whether by ransom or by being cut up in parts. The buyers of the fresh parts are often standing by or are invited on phone to come.

They park their jeeps and wait for the kidnapped victim to be cut up alive. They point at the parts and demand for it, hot and freshly in blood. Some victims have escaped to give vivid accounts of these gory tales.

Now, most of the forests and bushes in the south east that served as farms are at present offshore warehouses for kidnappers and native doctors. Travellers in that region now hold their hearts in their hands. Night travel is dyeing due to insecurity.

Another cause of mass killings in the east, south-south, and the Middle Belt is chieftaincy crisis laced sometimes with boundary conflicts. Between Abia and Cross River states, between Abia and Akwa Ibom, and many other places, such fighting is going on. Killing is the game. Many no longer bother to go to court.

There is what is called ‘community armoury’. The community levies fees on everybody and they use the funds to buy up arms and keep with the royal father. On the day of war, the young men first go through purification in the hands of their juju priests after which they present themselves; they are issued with guns, and off they go.

Next sound is wailing as women lose their husbands and orphans are made.

Rivers and South-South: Cultism The trouble in Rivers State and neighbours started with cultism which was needed to control drug networks. Soon, militancy came and huge money began to roll in. The cult groups were transformed into militant groups. One leader who was being denied status of a militant for the purpose of amnesty windfall shouted that he had killed over 2000 persons and should be considered with immediate effect. It was done.

Now that militancy seemed to ebb, the groups have returned to cultism with which they control routes for supply of thugs, drugs rings, oil bunkering, control of local political power and supply of workforce in construction sites.

In Rivers State, killing is going on in several places such as Emuohua, Khana, Obio/Akpor, Eleme, Igbo-Etche, etc. Before this explosion that is said to have claimed over 20 lives in one week, the state had been balkanised into no-go areas. Gangs stand on the road to kidnap at Rumuji, Rundele, Omoku, etc. They openly mount road blocks and carry out their mission. When soldiers or governors pass that way, they clear the road as the boys move briefly into the bushes only to reappear and continue.

The fact that during elections, robbery and kidnapping disappeared showed that the kidnappers were also political thugs that are loyal to different leaders who give them protection. During elections, the boys go and deliver ballot boxes and victory Continues on page 18

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The Sunday Magazine

A nation at war Continued from page 17 to their paymasters. Thereafter, they settle down with privileges to ply their evil trade: assassination jobs, robberies, kidnapping, and other forms of evil. They also supply human parts to politicians seeking powers. In that situation, it is difficult to break the ring.

The result of this is that gangsterism grows like a living organism. Now, they want to control territories. The only way is to kill off any other gang that may pose a challenge in order to position themselves as the de facto lords of an area. They also extend their influence to other sections of the city or even beyond the state.

A publisher, Beke Anyalewechi, wrote on his facebook wall on Thursday, April 11, 2019, while lamenting the killings in Eleme that took his brother-in-law’s life thus; “The fight is for control of territories (is the cause). Either to maintain the size already held since 2015, or, expand it to something larger and more viable. There are battles also to open new trade routes and annex territories hitherto held by smaller armed groups. They are deliberate expansionist forays meant to create larger, deadlier, mafia-like gangs to control the state. They also have links to 2023 where certain politically exposed interests have begun moves to carve strongholds via well-oiled armed rebellion. The ongoing gangs’ war in Rivers State is an extended partisan adventure to muzzle power and lord it over the five million natives and residents of the state. It is deeply political in scope and nomenclature.”

Outcomes: The Nigerian government and the judiciary have become like toothless bulldogs. The crimes do not seem to be contained by mere disciplinary measures. This is why it seems the governments keep barking. It is because the criminal justice system seems to grind very slowly.

Thus, while Boko Haram is carrying out its bloody campaign in parts of the North, bandits are over-running Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, etc; herdsmen are busy slaughtering people in Benue, Enugu; cultists are on rampage in Rivers; accidental discharges are claiming lives; robbers are send-

ing innocent citizens to their early graves and boundary disputes are putting swords against communities across the country. It is truly a country at war with itself.

Some ways out Insecurity, with eventual terrorism, is usually a result of neglect of small loopholes or gaps and breakdown processes in the system over the years. It is also a result of corruption in the system and it started with faulty recruitment policies that allowed favouritism to take the upper consideration. Merit and efficiency crashed. According to Bosinde Araikpe, a Port Harcourt-based security consultant and host of ‘Security Bridge with Bosinde’, measures to rescue the security system in order to rescue the nation, include security awareness and orientation from childhood.

Declare ‘State of Emergency’, now For some time, some concerned Nigerians have called for a declaration of State of Emergency in the security sector. This will allow a multi-lateral and non-partisan approach in agreeing on what should be done and who should do what. Certain resolutions such as how to reduce length of time in courts and how to deal with the emergency would be agreed.

The FG must resolve to fight

crime and ensure that no case goes unresolved. Rewards should be dedicated for every case.

Nigerians move faster when money is dangled. Police and security agents know everything and ways of bringing out this knowledge would be worked out. A period of five years would be dedicated to return Nigeria to a safe country. If any rights need to be suspended during the emergency period, this would be agreed.

Security summit The summit would now work out the resolutions agreed on at the Emergency Room. Those that need the Executive would go to them, the aspects that need constitutional amendments would be passed to the National Assembly and States Houses of Assembly, and the ones for Judiciary would also be sent to them. Experts would study templates from other nations and decide what to borrow. Funding would be decided at the summit for action.

Criminal Justice Administration (CJA) to be made number one priority The Criminal Justice Administration (CJA) would be made number one item on the table of every government, federal, states and local councils. This is part of suggestion number one, declaration of State of Emergency. This

would mean that in funding and attention, security would be number one. For instance, if a citizen is shot dead, the system will stand still until the killer is captured.

This worked a bit in Rivers State when the then governors gave marching order that whoever shot a gun in Port Harcourt would meet guns till he surrenders. Some gunmen, especially one lady, dared the threat and got what she deserved. It was a promise, a word from the Government, and it came to pass. Gunmen realised that one shot would bring hundreds in response. It promotes the deterrence concept and mutually assured destruction philosophy.

National Vigilante Commission It is time for Nigerians to decide on the formal introduction of vigilantes around Nigeria. It was the introduction of OPC (O’odua People’s Congress) that restored sanity in Lagos; it is the Hunters Association that waged the real war in Sambisa Forest; it is the Bakassi Boys that saved Aba from criminal gangs; it is the vigilantes that make Iguruta-Etche Road passable at the moment, it is the Tiv militias that saved the tribe from herdsmen, and many other instances. It has never been the police. When the chips are down, it is down to the will of the people

to defend themselves.

The only problem is that often, the vigilantes turn into another body of threat. The only way to control them is proper recognition process and monitoring. This is why a national commission is needed. There is need also for linkage with the security agencies for proper screening and control.

Serious reward mechanism must be worked out especially for officers on crime. Let officers own their cases as it is in Scotland Yard system and take credit for cracking it. They would also be recognised in the society. Elevation in the police would be based on such feats.

The whistleblower The biggest motivation for crime is profit, at least in Nigeria.

It is only psychopaths that cause harm for the fun of it. So, if a fund is set aside to reward those who squeal on criminals, things would change. For every leg that passed to commit evil, there is an eye that saw it. In Nigeria, if you speak, you may die. There is no visible reward for doing good but there seems to be every good for doing evil. So, if people begin to blow the whistle, criminals would not find who to trust. If someone is promised N100,000 to hide a kidnap victim and he finds he can pick up N5million if he could whisper to the Commission, he would weigh his options, as a business-minded person. Profit works wonders in a capitalist environment that Nigeria is.

Create ‘Victims Compensation Scheme’ Many killers and criminals are those who suffered injury without official redress mechanism or those made destitute by wiping out their breadwinners. Today’s victim is often tomorrow’s aggressor, killer, robber, rapist, or kidnapper. If in doubt, check the records or confessions of hitmen. If a commission that looks into injuries that have no identifiable person to pay compensation is set up and victims of terrorism and other mass massacres and evils are repaid, it would heal part of the injury and reduce hunger for vengeance. The victims would be so rehabilitated that they would only think of how to protect their assets than how to revenge.

Security awareness As Bosinde Araikpe said, security education should be introduced at school level. People must be aware of their immediate surrounding and learn to interpret any sign so as to deter harm early.

The deterrence theory must be strengthened so that people will be sure that whoever injured them must be caught and punished adequately. Adequate arms and protective gears must be acquired and issued to the police so they can have the confidence to face armed persons. Back-up system must be introduced in response approach to give the advancing officer the hope that another team was right behind.

That is the secret of crime fighting in civilised nations. They respond in chains so that before five minutes, the next back-up is there until victory is achieved.

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The Sunday Magazine

Mindless killings, as communal clashes spread

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AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE ndrew Idele, a native of Ukelle in Cross River State, was in tears recently. He was inconsolable over an early morning attack by their neighbours.

Idele alleged that Izzi neighbours from Ebonyi State attacked them early hours one Thursday morning.

“Our attackers planed to bring down the whole of Ukelle community. But we resisted them. Many of our people were injured, some were receiving medical treatment in Calabar, while others were attended to in other orthopaedic homes,” Idele said.

It was one of those communal crises between communities in Cross River State and another in Ebonyi State. In this particular incident, the battle was between Ukelle community in Yala Local Government Area of Cross River and Izzi community in Ebonyi.

Idele’s narrative and reported cases of fatalities arising from communal clashes in some parts of the country speak volume of how bestial many Nigerians have become in their dealings with fellow compatriots.

Sadly, many Nigerians actually no longer place any value on human lives.

On a daily basis, the media is awa sh w i th n ews a bout mindless killings arising from communal clashes. Communal clashes have been rampant in Kogi, involving the people of Gbanchuku/Kporoka and Numaye communities, all in Lo k o j a Lo c a l Go v e r n m e n t area of the state. There have also been such upheavals in Plateau State and some other states across the country.

On Sunday 31 March two persons were murdered following a renewed communal clash between the people of Oku Iboku in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State and Mbiabo in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State.

The two victims, a class t e a c h e r a n d a yo u n g m a n , were said to have been killed in the clash while several other persons sustained various degrees of injuries, and many were rendered homeless.

Atim Umo, an eyewitness, said she lost her aunt, who was a teacher. “The Oku Iboku people crossed the waters to our community and killed my auntie, a primary school teacher in Mbiabo. Our house was razed down and my brother happened to escape from their wrath with severe injuries.

“This is the second time my family is gruesomely affected in this unending war between the two local government areas. The Cross River State government must stand up to challenge the neighbouring state to bring lasting peace in our community,” she said.

This incident occurred after about 20 persons were killed on Friday February 10, 2017 in similar clash in the same area.

“Odukpani people are dying like fowls every day because of the communal clash between Odukpani and Itu Local Government in Akwa Ib o m . Ok u Ib o k u v i l l a g e r s came to our village (Mbiabo) and destroyed houses and killed people like cows,” said

‘

Over 10 persons were killed in the fracas while several houses were burnt down as well

another villager, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The villager added, “Cross River State Government only knows us during election period and voting.

The crisis between these communities is traceable to ages as the Odukpani people claimed that the Itu people usually cross the river, which is the perceived boundary to come and fight them.

Currently, there is no house standing close to the Itu Bridge when going to Akwa Ibom from Cross River State, due to the communal clashes in recent times. There have always been hostilities between the Jukun and Tiv ethnic groups in Taraba State which have also claimed several lives. Just last Monday, about four persons were feared dead with several houses burnt in a clash between the Jukun and Tiv ethnic groups in the Wukari Local Government Area of the state.

Jerry Luka, an eyewitness, who gave account of the incident, said the trouble started in Kente village one evening when youths from both ethnic groups clashed over a misunderstanding.

The misunderstanding, he said, led to the killing of two people in Kente while another

two were also killed around the General Hospital in Wukari, the following morning.

There is also a festering boundary dispute between Abia community and its Cross River neighbours? Few weeks ago, there was a bloody clash between the people of Isu clan in Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State and their neighbours from Utuma in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State.

The clash was said to have left 10 persons dead and scores of houses reportedly set ablaze.

It also left the Abia community deserted as people fled the in search of safety.

According to Nicholas Igwe Kalu, a community leader from Isu, “Over 10 persons were killed in the fracas while several houses were burnt down as well.”

Gbenga Oduntan, associate professor in International Commercial Law, University of Kent, believes that communal clashes are recurring decimal in many African and other Third World countries. Sometimes, some developed countries experience it. “Border disputes have been a reality on this continent. Pre-colonial Africa was hardly a setting of harmony and bliss between African peoples. Most kingdoms paid attention to territorial control and did adapt some precise boundaries. But border disputes are not the preserve of Africa, as the recent conflict between the Ukraine and Russia attests,” Oduntan said.

The negative impact of communal wars between communities cannot be underestimated as many Nigerians presently live in the internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps located in places outside their communities. Many of these people not only lose their loved ones but also their houses, businesses and other belongings which compound their woes.

In Nigeria, most boundary disputes can be traced to struggle for land ownership and encroachment into people’s property. In this kind of dispute, Continues on page 20

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Sunday 14 April 2019

The Sunday Magazine Presidency, serial security meetings and increasing wave of insecurity

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TONY AILEMEN, Abuja

etween the month of January and March, 2019, about 20 security meetings took place between President Muhammadu Buhari and the heads of the nation’s security agencies.

The regular Security Council meetings at the Presidential Villa are held to review security situations across the country as well as fine-tune security operations to meet current needs as they arise.

Security Chiefs also use the opportunity to brief Mr. President on critical security issues, requiring urgent attention.

Since he assumed office in 2015, the President has maintained the same security team made up of Defence Minister, Mansur Dan-Ali; Babagana Monguno, national security adviser; Chief of Defence Staff, Gabriel Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai; Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar, and Chief of Naval Staff, Ibok-Ete Ekwe Iba. Only the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu; National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar and Director General of the Department of State Security Service (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, are new entrants.

Against the backdrop of increasing killings across the country, especially in Zamfara and the upsurge in kidnappings on the Abuja/ Kaduna expressway, Nigerians are beginning to wonder what these meetings have really achieved.

This is in addition to the growing audacity of the Boko Haram insurgents who recently formed strong alliance with the Isis to transform into ISWAP, or the Islamic State of West Africa Province. Elder statesman, Tanko Yakassai, believes that the Service Chiefs have long overstayed and therefore, are now bereft of new ideas on how to tackle the nation’s security challenges “It was Albert Einstein who defined insanity as doing the

same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.

So, how can we expect a better result from these same people?”

“Lets us keep hoping that the President Buhari will see the need to retool his security apparatus to make it more efficient in his second tenure,” he said.

Added to this is the precarious security situation on the Abuja/Kaduna expressway which reached an alarming proportion during the week as dare devil kidnappers now raid the less-than300km road in broad daylight.

But for the intervention of Governor Nasir El- Rufai, on Tuesday afternoon, several commuters plying the road would have been taken hostage for ransom for the second day running after the “successful” raid they had on Monday evening. The Governor’s convoy on the way to Abuja had run into the raid at about 3.30pm on Tuesday and saved several commuters who were already held hostage.

One of the lucky survivors, Yunusa Alhassan, while narrating his ordeal, said he ran into the road block raised by the kidnappers who were wearing military camouflage.

“I had some passengers with me when l saw the people, so l did not want to risk their lives because once you cooperate they will protect you. But if you are stubborn they don’t mind killing everyone instantly.

“Initially, l think say them be Nigeria Soldiers, but when l saw how some of them dressed, l tell my passengers make them no run, because they can shoot,” he said in pidgin English.

“Some of them wore canvass, some jeans, but with military tops.”

“We thank God that governor came. But for how long are we going to be like this? Kaduna road was one of the most peaceful in this country. If you like, travel at night. But now, even in the afternoon, we are no longer safe,” he lamented.

The incidence took place at Akilubu village along the area known as Katari to Rijana, which remains the most dreaded portion of the road.

Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari had, while lamenting the spate of killings in the state, estimated that well over 4000

persons have lost their lives to “bandits” in the gold-rich region of the state.

This corroborates with earlier claims by Senator Sa’idu Dansadau who revealed that about 3000 lives were lost as at July, last year, following two years of siege by the bandits.

Aside the loss of human lives, economic activities in the state have been halted with over N2billion paid as ransom to secure the release of residents abducted, during the period.

He put the number of villages and towns ravaged at 682, while about 4,000 farmers have fled their communities and moved to neighbouring Katsina and Kebbi states This is just as over 13,838 cattle, and 11,088 sheep and goats have been stolen.

The bandits are said to be taking advantage of the vast unsecured and poorly policed forests from the Basuguma forest of neighboring Sokoto, expanding to Kuyambana forest that also borders Kaduna, Birnin Gwari, Niger.

“We also have Kuyambana Dansado forest there, in Katsina; we have Rugu and at South East of Zamfara where we have Maradi;

we have forest there,” he said.

He lamented that despite paying huge ransoms, the situation did not abate, adding that “I have told my people that negotiation and dialogue will no longer take place during my time, because, l have done that three times but it did not work. This is in the sense that we now know their capacity. For instance, during the first dialogue, they invited some of our team, army, DSS, police and my chief security officer as well as some traditional rulers’ representatives and we have seen what they have.

“Yes, they are in control of the kind of weapons that the Command in Zamfara State does not have. In one armory alone, they have over 500 AK47, we saw it. Our people were even given chance to take pictures. But when we said we will dialogue, offer amnesty, that they should surrender their arms, I can tell you till date we did not get up to 90 AK47, so it is a deceit. That is why I said no more dialogue during my tenure.”

These are pointers to the fact that Nigeria, more than ever before, needs to urgently inject fresh ideas to tackle the growing insecurity.

work together as a team.

“The lawyer will provide all necessary deeds and documentation, and an interpretation of these as required by the surveyor for their investigation into determining the legal position of the boundary, while the surveyor will provide the lawyer with independent advice relating to the spatial aspects of the property,” O’reilly and Shine added.

For, Gbenga Oduntan, when

a d i s p u t e ma t u re s e n ou g h for political attention, governments should: declare an open dispute; involve pertinent interstate commissions; seek the help of a neutral study group to discover and delineate the issues; initiate technical studies and hold seminars for parties involve, and initiate direct negotiations to resolved the dispute amicably rather than allowing people to die for nothing.

Mindless killings, as communal...

Continued from page 19

people (villagers) need to move away from the era of taking justice by force (through war) to seeking professional and alternative dispute resolution mechanism.

Nigerians should learn to consult the judiciary system (court), in resolving communal disputes rather than taking laws into their hands.

Ni a m h O ’ r e i l l y, c h a i r o f

the Society’s Geomatics Professional Group, and Patrick Shine, a chartered Geomatics Surveyor and Chartered Civil Engineer, in their article titled, ‘Beyond the Bounds: Resolving Boundary Disputes,’ said: “ Mo s t b o u n d a r y d i s p u t e s are well suited to mediation, which has become an increasingly popular alternative to the courts for resolving disputes. Mediation has the potential to preserve a civilised

relationship between neighbours and prevent unnecessary costly litigation. The process provides the parties with an opportunity to address any underlying issues, which may have acted as a catalyst in the escalation of the boundary dispute.”

According to them, resolving boundary disputes particularly (land dispute) requires the skills and expertise of both surveyors and lawyers, who

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LUTH and the story of yesteryear W

elcome to LUTH, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, located in Idi-Araba area of Lagos State. This fullfledged medical school, a tertiary hospital, has seen millions of patients in its 57 years of existence. It was established in July 1962. In all of these years, this health facility has continued to see stunning cases, and has saved countless lives. At a point, it was the pride of Africa as people all over the continent came there to seek medical help.

At its prime, some government functionaries of other nations chose to be treated at LUTH, the way Nigeria’s leaders now fly to London, India, Germany, etc. to treat ordinary cough and catarrh.

THE PROLOGUE

Over the years, like many other things Nigerian, LUTH has been abandoned by successive governments. Funding has been epileptic amid increasing number of patients in a country where poverty is dealing a deadly blow on a huge percentage of the populace.

Although the physical structures are still at the same place, maintenance has been a huge headache. Over the years, the institution has continued to lose personnel who readily jump at increasing offers from Saudi Arabia, Canada, among other places.

The increasing number of patients appears too overwhelming for the facility and personnel amid paucity of funding. The sorry state of things is that most times the personnel and equipment are so stretched that they become helpless. Bed spaces are not always available. And this cannot

possibly be blamed on the management and personnel, because there are too many needs chasing the meagre resources.

Expectedly and understandably too, patients who want their lives saved at all costs are crying there; relations, who want their people to live are lamenting and throwing tantrums, but the LUTH management says things are not the way they are being painted outside.

Indeed, for the management and the personnel, something must have made the “cocoyam leaf to make uncertain sound.”

The LUTH story is captured in the conversations our correspondent had with some patients, their relations, and management of the institution. The interactions are a potpourri of ‘truth and fallacy’.

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Life

LUTH and the story of yesteryear

…Patients in endless groaning; relations’ ceaseless lamentation …Management rebuts reports about inefficiency, others …Expert points way forward DESMOND OKON

“

If they admit him again, that means more money. Where will I get it? Where should I go? Should I go and beg? Let me carry him home. I know how much I have spent on drugs. ‘Go and buy this drug’; N41,000 is gone. ‘Go and buy this other drug’, over N20,000 is gone. Where will I get that?” Deborah Oduguwa, whose husband was admitted in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), fumed in tears.

Oduguwa’s voice broke the serenity which the vicinity of the Accident and Emergency Unit (A&E) of the Teaching Hospital was enjoying around 1pm on Wednesday afternoon.

If you have not had your husband on a wheelchair, in an almost lifeless state, and he cannot call your name, then you will not understand the rage (mixed with pity and fear) with which Oduguwa spoke when she realised that her 72-year old husband might be re-admitted at LUTH, leading to more bills…or at worst, death.

Her husband, Oluwole Oduguwa was transferred to LUTH on oxygen from a military hospital just before the elections. At first, they were told that there was no bed for them to be admitted at the A&E on arrival, and wanted to take them to a special unit called ‘spill-over’, but they could not afford the bills. Spill-over is a private centre at LUTH where patients are referred to when the A&E is full to capacity.

“Before we were given a bed in the A&E, they first referred us to spill-over, but when my mummy went and they calculated the bill, we couldn’t afford it. So, we decided to take him home, that was when we were called back and they told us there was a bed in A&E. They treated him, and then referred us to Ward B,” said Deborah’s son, Seyi Oduguwa, a commercial motorcyclist.

At Ward B, Oluwole Oduguwa got ‘medical care’ and was discharged by the doctors who also asked us to bring him back for check-up. “They discharged us last week. When we got home, he was feeling fine.

We only returned to the hospital last week for check-up and they said his body was okay. By that time, truly, he was eating, but not much. Suddenly, everything just changed again. He relapsed,” he told BDSUNDAY. Ap p a r e n t l y, h i s f a t h e r ’s health was stable, until this fateful Wednesday afternoon (27 March, 2019) when they visited LUTH for their routine checkup and realised that Oduguwa may have been “poorly nursed”, hence, he would need to be re-admitted at the A&E, which would automatically attract more bills.

Given the economic situation,

raising fund for treatment became a major challenge after spending over N300,000 for the initial treatment.

Seyi Oduguwa told BDSUNDAY that his father, who was being treated for heart failure, complained of not being properly treated and that he, himself, had not been seeing any changes in his father since they began treatment at LUTH despite buying all the drugs that were prescribed.

“From the beginning, the man (his father) has been complaining and has been telling me to take him home (he said in Yoruba). But when we told the nurse, she said no, that my father doesn’t know what he’s saying. It’s the sickness.

“I told my younger brother that I didn’t see any changes, and there were no drugs they asked us to buy that we didn’t buy.

“We’ve been buying all the drugs they asked us to buy, and giving them to him. We’ve spent more than N300,000 at LUTH, so if my father dies now, then it’s (money spent) of no use, or we go back to spending more money if we’re (re)admitted,” he told BDSUNDAY. LUTH Established in 1962, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Idi-Araba is one of the foremost tertiary hospitals in Nigeria. The medical facility lies between Idi-Araba, Surulere and Mushin.

It serves as the last resort and referral for all disease conditions.

People believe that if a medical condition could not be handled at LUTH, then the situation could be termed hopeless. The over 60-year old LUTH was established to care for all-inclusive medical needs of Nigerians and has earned a reputation as the leading health care provider in the country.

Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Ikeja, is another hospital that can be compared to LUTH. But in recent times, bad reports have emanated from the government-owned hospital due to complaints by aggrieved patients or their relatives over alleged corrupt practices, decayed and decaying medical infrastructure, lack of medical facilities, high cost of medical treatment, bad attitude of health workers, dirty environment, delay in attending to patients, lack of drugs, and general poor medical services.

In 2018, a report by the SocioEconomic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) revealed that “humanitarian crisis, manifestations of corruption and mismanagement at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, (LUTH) Idi Araba and how unhygienic conditions, severe shortages of medicines and medical supplies in the hospital and two other Federal Government-owned hospitals in Lagos, make it extremely difficult for many Nigerians to

obtain essential medical care.”

Further speaking to BDSUNDAY, Seyi said when his father was discharged, some materials he did not use were counted for him, and they had to make payment, except for one which they protested against.

“When we complained, they told us that’s how it’s done. We kept quiet. For example, we used their bed sheets only twice, but they wrote five times. My dad didn’t wear their pajamas, but they wrote it, and we paid for it.

Even the oxygen, we used once, they wrote five times. But we fought for that one,” Seyi said, calling out his mother, Dehorah, who by now was almost creating a scene, to be calm.

Seyi will not be the only one to have experienced the peril of a deplorable healthcare. He’s just one of many. Last year, The Guardian reported the case of one Titi Adebayo, who lost her father due to alleged negligence on the part of a nurse.

“Before my father died on Sunday, I called the attention of the

nurse when he suddenly showed some discomfort but the nurse gave no attention till my father died, just like that,” Titi Adebayo recounted tearfully.

“Sometimes you may have to go as far as Mushin just to get a drug – and the prices are often exorbitant. It is so frustrating that we, the relatives of the patient end up getting sick even before the patient recovers.

“The nurses show this ‘I don’t care’ attitude towards patients. If we pay attention to their attitude towards us, we will make a fight but we just have to let go so that we can leave here on time,” Adebayo was reported to have said.

Complaints of dilapidation at LUTH did not begin today; it dates as far back as 1999 according to a source who spoke to BDSUNDAY on condition of anonymity. For him back then, it was a problem of electricity –a challenge LUTH had been able to overcome now.

“When we got there to register my wife, as we moved from one place to the other, finally, we got to a place where she was to be attended to, and suddenly, the electricity went off, and there was no generator for them to switch over to. Everywhere was in total darkness. I can’t remember which floor we were, I think they put on candle or something like that. And that was a horrible experience (as) I began to imagine how a pregnant woman will be attended to in such an environment.

“So, that was the end of it. I took my wife away, and I have never looked in the direction of LUTH again,” he said.

From then till now, the situation has only degenerated as shown by SERAP’s report which had various ugly narratives by nurses in LUTH who revealed the degree of healthcare decadence at the hospital.

A nurse, who has worked for four years in LUTH, told SERAP that “some beds in different wards are too old to still be in use, but LUTH knows how to manage.

Some of the available beds have become dilapidated. Some beds can cause accidents. They have beds from which patients can fall. It has really happened, and I’ve seen it happen. But they keep managing.”

“Even bed sheets are in short supply. Patients use their wrapper for bed sheets sometimes. And when they use LUTH bed sheets, they are usually old and torn most of the time. Toilets in LUTH are centres of disease distribution.

You can be sure to get urinary tract infections and the likes. I am referring to the toilets in different wards,” said one medical staff also quoted in the report.

The report reads thus in part: “Another nurse told SERAP, ‘The infant incubator or neonatal incubator is a rigid box-like enclosure

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Life

in which an infant can be kept in a controlled environment for observation and care. Some of the incubators in LUTH are not working. It is either the heater is bad, or the monitoring mechanisms are not working. The incubators available in LUTH have been in use for over 15 years.’”

Another senior medical officer at LUTH said: “LUTH is like a dumping ground for health care in Lagos. It’s usually the extreme cases that are brought to LUTH after treatment elsewhere has failed. Even if you’re rushed in as an emergency case, it’s not guaranteed that you’ll be attended to.

Sometimes, they’ll tell you there are no available beds unless you can afford the VIP section. LUTH is supposed to be the last hope of the common man in terms of health care. Once you come here, you’re expected to get answers.

Sometimes, you get answers. But there are whole lots of challenges.

Government is not paying attention to the health sector.”

Consequently, LUTH has been described as a place to “goand-die because you won’t be promptly attended to if you can’t afford to pay exorbitant fees”.

So, many Lagosians are scared of going there, especially when they are referred.

But if you must go there, “you must come with God whenever you bring a patient here”, said a mother whose son was once admitted at LUTH, last year.

These reports unfounded However, Olufemi Fasanmade, Consultant Physician, and chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, LUTH described the claims as unfounded, saying that people usually use one bad apple to describe the hundred.

“LUTH sees more than 1,000 patients every day, so, it takes only one patient to spread bad information about the hospital. The 999 are not going to go to social media that they had good service.

So, if one patient is unhappy out of 1000, then you’ll hear this type of report. And in a place that has plenty of patients, of course, I am not surprised that you have a few reports that our services are poor, but that does not describe the totality or summarise the type of services that we give here at LUTH,” Fasanmade told BDSUNDAY. He also went on to rebuff the claims in SERAP’s report, claiming they do not know who conducted the report for SERAP, and that it could have been done by “armchair critic”.

“The report was probably done by an armchair critic from his house because we do not know that person, the person who said he conducted the study.

Nobody came to LUTH to conduct any study to our knowledge.

Probably, he sat down in his office and made a report to SERAP. You are here, you can go round the hospital when you leave, go and see the corporate services director, and the PRO, let them conduct you round the hospital,” Fasanmade further said.

According to him, “If you have a hospital, that is serving 20 million people, and everybody in Lagos refers patients to LUTH, how do you want the services to be? It may be delayed for some people, but patients will be served. LUTH

receives patients from the whole of Lagos State, from Ogun State, so even tripling the number of staff will not solve that matter.

A state with 20 million people cannot have just two teaching hospitals, there is no way it won’t be crowded. If you go to LASUTH, you’ll find the same thing.

“But for those who come at their appointed days, they don’t have these complaints you’re talking about. We have an appointment system whereby patients are given an appointment, but what happens is that, people rush in, or they come in with sore throat or malaria or with a small wound on the leg and they expect to be seen immediately. LUTH, we do not treat patients on firstcome, first-served basis, we treat patients on the-most-severe-thefirst-served basis. So, if you come with malaria, sore throat, body pain and they bring people from building collapse, for instance, and they are 50, then you automatically become number 51 on that queue because we will take care of those who suffered in the building collapse. So, these are what people perceive as poor service.”

Challenges in LUTH Talking about the challenges in the hospital, Fasanmade implicitly mentioned that the population of patients trooping in could not be handled by the available resources at LUTH –which since creation had not “increased much.”

“The challenge the hospital is going through is number one: the number of patients we see are much more than the resources of the hospital could bear, and that’s why you have a situation where it

appears that there are inadequate number of beds. What happens is that we have a fixed number of beds. The hospital has about 700 beds and that number hasn’t increased much since the hospital was built.

“You have a fixed number of beds and the number of patients is increasing, that will translate to longer periods for you to get a bed, and it’s not new. Go to developed countries, people are giving dates for surgery for one year or two years, even in Britain with their own NHIS, people are given two years appointment because they don’t have all the beds that they need. So, it means you have to wait for your turn,” he said.

Still explaining to BDSUNDAY the reason for delay in service, he illustrated his point by saying that “if you are coming into an emergency room, and they have only 20 couches, and they bring in 50 emergencies, they are not going to put three patients on one. Only 20 will be taken care of first”.

“The remaining 30 are going to be shouting –‘they didn’t attend to me, they didn’t attend to me’ because they were not attended to. But those 20 will go home happy, while the remaining 30 are going to put stories on social media that they were not welltreated.

“So, that is expected when you have limited resources,” he further said.

“So that is why we are here as management. What we do is: We try to ration the resources, to redistribute resources. We don’t refer patients to anywhere. If LUTH is full, where do you want

to send the patient to? If LUTH is full, then you have to wait. So, those are some of the challenges people don’t understand we face.

Every hospital refers to us and we don’t refer to anybody. Now, we see 99.9 per cent of all our patients; so there will obviously be some delays with some of them,” he told BDSUNDAY. Complaints over lack of, or obsolete equipment Last month, Isaac Adewole, minister of health, laid the foundation for the construction of a state-of-the-art dialysis centre at LUTH. In February, a Cancer Treatment Centre, structured under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement between the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and the LUTH was also inaugurated.

But prior to the developments, the trust reposed on LUTH for quality healthcare delivery, had also been deemed as relapsed on the backs of lack/obsolete equipment. Addressing this, Fasanmade said LUTH has equipment and that it was nothing new for equipment to sometimes breakdown. “We have equipment,” he told BDSUNDAY. “When you have an institution that has a lot of high tech; we have X-rays, scans, beds, theatres, during use, some of these equipment can break down. When they are down, you have to wait for them to be fixed or replaced. We don’t have a back-up X-ray machine for each X-ray. We don’t have a back-up ultra sound for each ultra sound.

“We have ventilators that work 24/7. A patient is put on the ventilator because he can’t breathe, and it continues to work until the patient recovers or dies.

Then there is another patient waiting, we put the next patient on the machine until he recovers or dies. So, eventually the machine itself dies. When the machine dies, we wait, because this is a government institution, you have to budget, you have to wait for procurement, you have to wait for funding, and that is not a problem peculiar to LUTH. “Equipment in any hospital wears and tears, and then they are replaced. The replacement may not be immediate because of various reasons which I’ve listed –it could be lack of funds, the replacement process is very long, it could be that it’s not manu-

factured here and it has to be shipped in and some equipment, if it gets spoilt today and you say ‘I need a new one’ and you have your money, you can’t get it for two months because it’s not manufactured in Nigeria,” he said.

“In Nigeria today, medi cal equipment still need to be cleared, to be paid for, you need to inspect it, and install it,” Fasanmade added.

Restoring people’s confidence in LUTH Sadly, LUTH can do very little to salvage its seared image because as a medical institution, it “can’t advertise services.” So, it has to rely on testimonies of people (no matter how little or much they are) who had been well served to counter the negative narratives or messages in the public domain.

“We depend on people who are well served. If you go on the various social media, for each of those cases that say they were poorly treated, you’ll see a number of people that say ‘yes, I was served in LUTH’. So, those are what we rely upon –people coming, getting well-served and diluting the negative comments of the very few who don’t get served properly. And also when we have new services, we highlight them because we can highlight services through different means. For instance, the president was here to commission some projects, and then some people may come to make some voluntary donations to some particular session of the hospital.

“And usually, we allow them to have a guided tour through the hospital so they can see things for themselves, and through that quite a number of people are very, very pleased to come, and they see doctors,” he said.

However, to solve the general problems, the state needs three more teaching hospitals, according Fasanmade. “If you do a little research, you will find out you need a minimum of six teaching hospitals, and two general hospitals per local government are required for a state with a population of 20 million people.”

Meanwhile, a concerned retiree from one of the Nigeria’s tertiary health institutions, who spoke on condition of anonymity, deplored the continued sliding into precipice of nation’s health institutions, saying it is a reflection of general malady in the socio-economic and political life of the country.

He said the problems of the health sector are many, but funding is the major one. “Government must provide a good work environment to enable people carry out their duties. Again, funding must be there to carry out basic functions.

“There is no sufficient fund for teaching hospitals to carry out necessary researches and properly train younger generation of personnel or carry out their consultancy role. Today, there are very few workers taking care of too many patients.

So, government must provide enough workers to cater for the ever-increasing volume of work and improve efficiency and end the dichotomy between medical doctors and other paramedics,” he said.

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Arts Onali and his signature style OBINNA EMELIKE

I

f you are a lover of visual arts, you may be tempted to acquire works by Promise Onali at first sight. They are unique as well as generously displaying the creative ingenuity of the artist.

Looking at the quality, one may think the works are created over five decades ago and by a legendary artist.

Well, for his few years in the studio, Onali is mastering his art faster and also stamping a unique signature that further announces his works in his absence.

Born in 1982, Onali, who studied fine art at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he graduated with a degree in painting in 2007, has overtime developed an experimental painting style that is unique to him.

The style, which is evident in most of his works, was influenced by his love for comic books, science and his preoccupation with figuring out the inner workings of things.

Again, his use of diverse media to explore scientific questions is grounded in strong linearity and embryonic metaphors. But Onali’s fascination with how our nerve endings disperse energy and electric charges, which give birth to ideas and thought, are reflected in the subtle layers of his mixed media works and are intriguing.

“My capacity rests in part, on my signature style which manifests as embryos, cells, skins and tissues in my artworks. I use mixed-media to explore the concept of neoevolution and how it affects sociopolitical, cultural, economic and social relationships”, he explains.

According to hum, his creative

Promise Onali

dexterity is hinged on a combination of paper, fibre, wood, metal, wire, fabrics, polystyrene and a careful expressive rendition of colours. “My technique is an ambiguous interplay of colours, fabrics, wire gauze, wood and a host of other unconventional materials which tell the stories of the human experience, using Africa’s consciousness evolution as a point of departure”.

Explaining his works, he says, “My paintings of circles and embryos are metaphors for the evolution of consciousness, with most of the figures in profile, embedded in circles or laden with embryonic swirls which represent the consciousness

Code of Dharma by Promise Onali

bubble of each individual, family, community, nation, among others.

“We find ourselves in these bubbles of our own creation and it influences the way we interact with other people and handle sensitive situations. Embryos represent our state of consciousness and it grows every day, but it is growth rate depends heavily on what and how we feed it”.

Onali is currently participating in an ongoing exhibition at Temple Muse in Lagos. In the exhibition titled Diffusion, an exhibition of paintings and mixed media works, Onali joins Chibuike Uzoma to present 45 recent works.

Sandra Obiago of SMO Contemporary Art and the curator of the exhibition, thinks it is worth seeing because for her, Diffusion takes a critical look at the evolution of consciousness and how our individual and communal identity is affected by history and socio-cultural evolution. “Both artists are from Nigeria and explore these fundamental questions from different ends of the artistic spectrum, employing diverse painting techniques and use of materials”, she says.

Speaking on his works at the exhibition, Onali says, “As Nigeria passes through a drastic phase of economic and socio-political turmoil,

my recent works interrogate how this new wind of change has affected the community in ways like emotions, passion, empathy, spirituality, as well as, other aspects of modern interpersonal relationships”.

These recent mixed media works, according to him, pull the observer into a world of lineal complexity comprised of careful rendition of lines and swirls that evoke a certain sense of ambiguity.

The above is the reason you must see Onali’s work at the exhibition ongoing at Temple Muse since March 30, 2019. If you haven’t seen the works, you have until May 17, 2019 to do so before the exhibition ends.

‘Nigeria’s entertainment industry has so much potential, need to be developed’ Uche Odoh is a photographer, filmmaker and content creator. In this interview, she unveils to Anthonia Obokoh the premiering of her debut web series and what Nigeria can do to improve the entertainment industry.

As a content provider, how will you evaluate Nigeria’s entertainment industry? he Nigerian entertainment industry has so much potential, which need to be developed as we are already playing on the global stage. We need more Nigerians to consume and appreciate more Nigerian content thereby creating demand for it. We also need the government and corporate organizations to invest in the industry by creating grant and opportunities for filmmakers to tell our stories.

T

What is the web series ‘Life As It Is’ is all about?

‘Life As It Is’, is a dramedy that follows the coming of age story of a young girl NARA who is a fresh university graduate, trying to navigate life while dealing with family, friendships, relationships and building a career. It tells the story

of unrequited love, the challenges young girls face trying to get a job in Nigeria and so many other themes.

What are your expectations from Life As It Is? Creating content that inspires, and changes lives has always been my vision, I want people to watch it and be able to relate so they will see a character that reminds them of themselves. However, I want to collaborate with brands and also to develop more seasons of Life as it is for Television.

The seasons are is on YouTube which is a global platform, so we want eyes from all over the world to see it as part of our contribution to changing the African narrative.

What inspired the idea of the web series?

The idea for the series came at a time when I was having a creative block. I had to dig deep to come

up with something i have experience before. I wanted to create something light for the heart and content that was relatable. Also, I noticed the youth does not have enough content targeted at our age group so why not come up with something that they will enjoy.

Uche Odoh

How much did you invest in the web series production?

From pre production to the release of our web series, we spent a little over 6 million naira which by some standards is expensive for a web series but we wanted something of good quality that can also go on TV.

How did you dive into the entertainment industry?

My foray into the entertainment industry started in 2007 when I participated in Amstel Malta office where I was a part of the top 5 contestants. After the show I started my modelling career which opened my eyes to Television and film production so it was only right that after I retire from modelling that I pursuit my interest in Film and Television.

Do you think the entertainment industry has what it takes to be the hub for Africa’s entertainment?

Yes Nigeria has what it takes to be Africa’s entertainment hub but we need more involvement from government and corporate bodies. Provide grants for creative’s to start up their careers and give us tax cuts. We also need to fight piracy by having functional governing bodies and proper distribution channels.

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Arts Five Cowries’ creative arts education programme seeks to improve learning through arts Desmond Okon

T

o understand the educational needs o f t h e Ni g e r i a n child, take a look at the number of outof-school children which has been adjudged to be the highest at over 10 million. In Lagos State alone, approximately 25 percent of children drop out at primary level and 60 percent do not complete secondary education.

It was in a bid to address this challenge that the Five Cowries Initiative Arts Education Programme was recently launched in Lagos to improve learning through arts. The launch convened key stakeholders in the private sector, as well as government, education, art and civil society.

The initiative aims to offer an inclusive route to education that makes learning fun and improves school attendance and results by enhancing the quality and capacity of Arts Education and teaching skills in Lagos in order to have a positive impact on educational outcomes such as improved numeracy and literacy.

Ensuring that all children have access to education

L-R: Polly Alakija, founder, Five Cowries Initiative; Dennis Okoro, director, MTN Foundation; Yemisi Mokuolu, co-founder, Five Cowries Initiative and director, Hatch Ideas, and Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, managing director, Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), at the 2019 launch of the Five Cowries Arts Education Initiative in Lagos.

which has the potential to transform lives is a vital component in building the human capacity that is central to the state and the country’s future economic development.

“Creativity is the currency of the future. Our initiative aims to fuse the 3Rs (reading, writing, and arithmetic) with the 4Cs (critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity) as we believe that a knowledge of how to use language creatively is a vital tool

in successful communication and collaboration,” said Polly Alakija, muralist, artist, educator, children’s book author and founder, The Five Cowries Initiative.

‘My Story of Water’ is the theme that will be driving this year’s initiative, and it would enable students create artworks that tell different stories of water. To that effect, Five Cowries Initiative will commence the first phase of the 2019 project in April,

working with the children to design artworks that represent their experiences with water. These artworks will be showcased at SIWI World Water Week in Stockholm in August, the Totally Thames Festival in London in September, and at an exhibition at the Five Cowries Lagos Ferry Terminal in October. These activities will mark the beginning of the initiative’s fouryear programme with Lagos State Waterways Authority

(LASWA).

Speaking to journalists, Alakija explained that the theme was an offshoot of ‘Rivers of the World’, a secondary school programme that was “done in the last two years”, but ‘My Story of Water’ is targeted at primary school pupils.

“We want the children through telling their stories of water to learn how to collaborate, communicate, and then how they can have direct impact on their daily lives with their relationship with water.

The children have to understand that they too can make a difference,” Alakija said.

“My Story of Water’ manifests itself in different ways, and it will also be implemented in many different ways. I don’t want you to see this as just art lesson, we’re embedding it across the curriculum.

It’s not just about painting pictures, it’s those stories that we’re after and they being drawn out in a variety of ways,” she said.

The goal, according to Alakija, is to “teach capacity, and improve the level of education”. To do this, however, she said Five Cowries is/will be working closely with Teach for Nigeria to increase teacher capacity.

Nigerian women shine at Access Bank International Women’s Day

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ome years ago, it was the norm for women to be relegated into the background. It was believed that they were to be seen and not heard.

Even in corporate organisations women rarely take up leadership role.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Corporate Gender Gap Report 2010, leading companies are failing to capitalise on the talents of women in the workforce.

The study covers the world’s largest employers in 20 countries and benchmarks them against the gender equality policies that most companies should have in place but are, in fact, widely missing.

The findings of the report are an alarm bell on International Women’s Day that the corporate world is not doing enough to achieve gender equality. While a certain set of companies in Scandinavia, the US and the UK are indeed leaders in integrating women, the idea that most corporations have become genderbalanced or women-friendly is still a myth.

The report is based on a survey of 600 heads of human resources at the world’s largest employers. The survey contained over 25 questions and assessed companies on representation of women

within their establishments and the use of gender-equality practices such as measurement and target setting, work-life balance policies and mentorship and training. The survey also asked respondents to identify the biggest barriers to women’s leadership and their opinion on the probable effects of the economic downturn on women’s employment in their countries and industries.

This is fast becoming a myth as women are now being given prominent positions in corporate organization.

Access Bank is one of the few organisations where women are given prominent roles in leadership. For instance the bank’s chairman is a female.

It is in line with the bank’s push for more women in leadership and business that it held the largest gathering of women recently at the Eko Hotel and Suites Convention Center, Lagos. Based on its merger arrangement with Diamond Bank, the two banks jointly organised the event in commemoration of the International Women’s Day. With the theme, Balance For Better, more than 6, 000 women in attendance learnt from the experiences of fellow women who have expertise in different field of

endeavour.

Ada Udechukwu, head Women Banking, Access Bank, who was one of the initiators of the event, said Access Bank initially planned for 750 women but the bank was amazed by the number of women who registered online to attend the event.

“Women are taking themselves seriously. Women now pay bills, school fees, rent or mortgage. I truly believe Access bank is taking women seriously as they constitute a large percentage of our customers,” she observed.

Speaking at the opening of the event, Hebert Wigwe, CEO, Access Bank, said the world has moved on from not taking women seriously as issues related to women

have been on the front burner unlike in time past. “ An i n s t i t u t i o n t h a t doesn’t take women seriously is making a great mistake,” he told the fathering.

“When you talk about loyalty, just go to a woman. There is a lot happening in politics, business both locally and internationally as it relates to women; and in terms of giving a voice to the voiceless.”

Wigwe said Access and Diamond bank are happy to support women in growing their businesses. “As a bank, we have supported women like Claire Omatseye in pharmacy, Folake Coker of Tiffany Amber in fashion, Nike Ogunlesi, CEO, Ruff n Tumble among other women. We took women

Hebert Wigwe, CEO, Access Bank, flanked by the women at the event

whose turnover was zero to a billion naira.”

In addition, Wigwe said Access bank has developed different products to meet the needs of women in business. According to him, five years after, the bank has been able to develop 40 women.

“We discovered that money isn’t the problem for most women in business, it is building capacity. We provided training and developed them through various programmes. We have trained them in creating succession plans for their business,” he added.

Furthermore, Wigwe said Access Bank launched the W Initiative in 2017, to create a community for women to exchange ideas on how to grow their businesses and network. He said the W Initiative has been playing a pivotal role in the empowerment of women.

Laure Beaufils, deputy British High Commissioner to Nigeria, while starting her keynote address asked all women in the hall some salient questions which are: ‘who in this hall want women to get equal pay as men? Who wants women to get equal respect as men? She based her discussion on gender equality while advocating for women to push back the push back.

Tate acquires Yinka Shonibare’s ‘The British Library’

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ate has acquired The British Library

by Yinka Shonibare, an installation comprising 6,328 books bound in the British-Nigerian artist’s trademark Dutch wax print.

Printed in gold leaf on the spines of nearly half of the books, are the names of first or second generation immigrants to Britain who have made significant contributions to British culture and history, including T.S. Eliot, Henry James, Hans Holbein, Kazuo Ishiguro, Zaha Hadid, and Anish Kapoor. Other books were left unmarked, suggesting that the story of immigration in Britain is still being written.

Purchased with support from the Art Fund, the Tate International Council, the Africa Acquisitions Committee, Wendy Fisher, and the Ekard Collection, the artwork was first shown in the Old Reference Library at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery for the 2014 Brighton festival. Since then, it has travelled to Turner Contemporary in Margate and was exhibited in the Diaspora Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017.

An important aspect of the work is its |thebritishlibraryinstallation. com|website|, on which visitors can scroll through the names of the authors represented in the installation. It also contains recent materials selected by the artist to present different viewpoints relating to immigration and provides visitors with the opportunity to submit their own stories.

The site can be accessed through tablets in the exhibition space.

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1962, Yinka Shonibare often explores issues of cultural identity, colonialism, and globalization in his works. Earlier this year, he was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire). Commenting on the acquisition, he said the purchase “is a continuation of Tate’s support for multidimensional practices which tackle some of the most pressing issues of our time. The British Library is an exploration of the diversity of British identity through a conceptually poetic lens. I look forward to public engagement with the work.”

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Sunday 14 April 2019

Travel

‘You need to fund tourism to reap tourists’ dollar’ If you want tourism to become one of the viable means of diversifying the economy, away from its present dependence on oil, Rabo Saleh, president, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), says you need to fund tourism and put the right policies in place. In this interview with Obinna Emelike, Saleh, who leads the umbrella body of tourism practitioners in Nigeria, insists that you also need a full-fledged Minister of Tourism to make tourism count in the Nigerian economy among other related issues.

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hat is the contribution of tourism to the economy?

Tourism is one of the largest employers of labour. To confirm this, just look at the number of both skilled and unskilled labour in the industry from airlines, hotels, restaurants, car hire, tour operators, travel agencies, even the entertainment sector, all these are in the tourism sub-sector.

Tourism employs a large chunk of Nigerians, especially youths. All we need is proper organisation and proper packaging of the industry so that we can get more people involved in it and the impact will be felt more.

The government gains from a robust tourism sector, especially from taxes and returns accruing from the arrivals, even if it is domestic tourism.

We have always been saying it is not only international tourism we will be looking at; we are advocating more for domestic tourism. Right now in FTAN, we are working with airline operators, tour operators, car hire, hoteliers among others to come up with packages we can promote within Nigeria; where people can come for weekends in Abuja and people from Abuja will go to Lagos and the rest can move to any place they find comfortable. We are coming up with the package very soon and it is with affordable prices. The package will boost domestic tourism and when people begin to move within the country, it will entice foreigners to come in.

How can tourism replace oil in Nigeria?

If we want tourism to become one of the means of diversifying the economy from its huge dependence on oil, then we need to put tourism in the right place.

What I mean by that is funding tourism adequately, putting the right policies in place and having the right people to drive the policies. It is one thing to have policies and another to have good drivers of the policies.

Currently, we do not have a fullfledged Ministry of Tourism and Culture in Nigeria, instead tourism is subsumed under information and culture. As a result of this, any time you mention Ministry of Information, Culture and National Orientation, Tourism is silent.

If you look at most countries that make huge foreign exchange from tourism, they first funded and put the right policies in place. So, you need to fund tourism to reap tourists’ dollar and not the other way round. We need to put all the right things in place in order to drive tourism. What are these things; we need to have the right policies. The government should come up with the right policies, while the private sector

takes advantage of the right policies to drive tourism development. When stakeholders do what is required of them, we will be able to achieve set goals, especially growth, diversification, employment generation and able to feel all the good things that tourism can create in an economy.

Unfortunately, government does not fund tourism adequately, and that makes the realization of most of the set goals very difficult. The budget for tourism today is very lean.

Today NTDC does not participate in international tourism events, then how do you market Nigeria. If we say we are promoting only domestic tourism, then are we putting in the necessary fund to create the awareness within the country so that Nigerians can move within the country?

We are not doing all these and that is why tourism needs funding so that it can achieve sustainable tourism development across the country.

Do you think tourism will thrive better under the incoming government?

If the government has not supported tourism adequately in the past administrations, I think the incoming government, which is reelected, has opportunity to support, fund tourism and most importantly, diversify the economy through tourism. But how do you achieve that?

We the private sector have advised the government that one of the means of diversifying the economy is tourism. But if you are going to use tourism to diversify the economy, then you have to open tourism, create the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, which will be a body that will be responsible for the promotion and development of tourism in Nigeria. Government does not need to drive tourism, we the private sector drives tourism.

But we need favourable policies to do so and that is why we need the ministry. If the ministry is there with all the strong policies, then the private sector will drive it; we are at the background to drive it.

If we have a tourism ministry, it will be able to work with other sister ministries because they are on the same level, they can liaise with them to discover areas of need and make combined efforts at solving the problems. One thing about tourism is that if you develop a resort on a remote area, the local community also benefit from it. So, you will see the ripple effects of tourism in terms of providing infrastructure, employment opportunities for locals and good host-tourist relationship also.

But if you do not develop these things, it can cause resentment as locals will begin to see tourists visit-

ing their communities as the only ones that enjoy while they are poor.

It seems the present administration downgraded Tourism because of its poor contribution to the economy as captured in National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report. What do you think can be done to boost the figure?

Sometime last year, there was a UNWTO CAF Meeting in Nigeria and one of the issues they discussed was Tourism Satellite Account (TSA). The NBS was there and they have shown that tourism contributes to the GDP only that the statistics are not collected adequately to show the level of contribution so that we can feel the impact.

What the ministry ought to have done was to call all the stakeholders; immigration, airport authorities, hoteliers among others to gather relevant information and statistics on inbound tourism.

With the statistics, they will know the number of the arrivals, spending by visitors, where and how long they stayed, among others. With that, they will be able to gather the needed information and statistics that will help in assessing the contribution of tourism to the national economy.

Well, NBS is trying. FTAN recently signed MoU with them on the collation of data because without data

you cannot plan. You need to know the arrivals, the type of tourists, where they are coming from, their interests here, their spending among other indices, which are necessary to guide you on knowing the offerings to provide for them here.

NBS, with all the stakeholders including; Immigrations, NCAA, NTDC among others, need to work together so that we would be able to collate the information and NBS will put them in their data and help government in knowing the contribution of tourism to our GDP and for proper planning also.

What are the qualities you are looking out for in the would-be tourism minister?

We need professionals, we have to put round pegs in round holes now. If the Ministry of Tourism is created tomorrow, we need someone who has vast experience in tourism to man the ministry. Even if the person is a politician, it has to be someone who can relate very well with other ministries because tourism does not work in isolation, you need to liaise other sectors, ministries and agencies in order to have a robust industry.

What are the things you think a tourism minister should do if appointed?

The minister should first bring all the stakeholders together, so that they can brainstorm and forge a way forward for sustainable tourism development. We have a lot of policies on ground that have never been implemented, even the Tourism Masterplan and policies.

The minister should be able to lead a team, and even engage professionals if necessary, to review some of these policies to enable tourism to take off. There is a tourism policy since the time of Silas Ukpana but nobody knows what has happened to it.

The minister should also revive the Presidential Council on Tourism (PCT) and use that platform to gather together concerned stakeholders, bring in governors that are tourismfriendly, connect with ministers that are related to tourism. The PCT is a good reason to have a Minister of Tourism because if you do not have a minister that will sit on that Council on behalf of tourism, then who is going to do that. You need that minister because he is the one that will meet with his fellow ministers and together will find a way to help him push for the development of tourism. If you need a road to a particular destination, electricity in a rural destination or security, it is the minister of tourism that will meet his fellow ministers whose responsibilities cover those areas of need in tourism for solution. That is a way to fast track tourism development and that is why we need a tourism minister now.

Eko Hotel set to go green, embarks on eco-friendly way of life

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n its characteristic pursuit of growth and excellence, Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, is set to raise the bar a lot higher in the Nigerian hospitality industry, as the board and management made a corporate decision to officially embark on an eco-friendly way of life.

Concerned about its immediate environment and the global community, Eko Hotels is determined to make considerable investment

in ensuring a more eco-friendly culture is embedded into the daily operation of its business.

To this extent, they accept they have a responsibility not just to their shareholders, but also to their host community, future generations and the larger society, so they are committed to ensuring that their environment is preserved and properly catered to, promoting a healthier, safer and more sustainable business space.

Staff have undergone several weeks of training and re-orientation to make them environmentally responsible and conscious of how we affect our environment. They are being equipped with the necessary tools required to aid them in leading the change towards an eco-friendly hotel and they are championing the eco–friendly drive with keen interest. Energy consumption has significantly reduced, several water conserva-

tion practices have been adopted, gradually, utensils/amenities are being replaced with biodegradable options and hundreds of children are being sensitized on the need to reduce our carbon footprint.

In a remark by Christopher Chagoury, the chairman, “We are far more than just a global and local leader, we are the equivalent of a community that hosts over 500,000 clients each year providing them with water, energy, food

and a hospitable environment.

With ‘Eco’ right in our DNA, the board of directors decided it was time to expose our guests to a more caring and greener lifestyle.

We want to share the opportunity to experience what a greener, more wonderful world could be”.

You are invited to ride with us on the green side as we join hands to contribute our quota in preserving planet earth. Happy Earth Day…

Sunday 14 April 2019

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BDSUNDAY 27

Travel Turkish Airline commence flights from Port Harcourt June 24, commends new terminal Emirates curates the ultimate entertainment mix for Nigerian travellers

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mirates is offering a growing list of entertainment for Nigerian travellers this April on ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment has of over 4,000 channels of on-demand entertainment. With a diverse mix of African and Nollywood films and music, Nigerian customers can fly better and get a taste of home on every Emirates flight from either Lagos or Abuja.

Customers can enjoy the highly celebrated Nollywood movie ‘Lara and the beat’ which was premiered in 2018.

The movie starred leading Nollywood actors such as Seyi Shay, Vector, Somkele Iyamah, Wale Ojo, Sharon Ooja, Shaffy Bello and Uche Jombo, amongst others.

They can also look forward to other movies from Nigeria and West Africa such as Mr. Not So Perfect, Ghanaian’s Bad luck Joe, Azali, and My Very Ghanaian Wedding, and Cameroon’s ‘Ward Zee and a man for the weekend’.

Amongst its wide music offering, customers can look forward to Nigerian and African beats including Davido’s Son of Mercy-EP, Burna Boy’s Outside, King Aiyeoba’s 1000 can die, Wizkid and Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s playlists, amongst others.

Ensuring passengers’ comfort on board its flights, Emirates now offers passengers the choice to make their entertainment playlist before they fly. To create the ultimate ice playlist, the traveller can use the Emirates app, see what’s playing on their flight, and create a playlist.

On select Boeing 777s, the passengers can then pair with the seat back screen using onboard WiFi, follow the syncing process, and then sit back and enjoy their bespoke playlist.

The syncing capability is currently available on over 100 Emirates Boeing 777 aircraft and will be made available progressively across the entire fleet, including A380 aircraft in the coming months.

Stories by IFEOMA OKEKE

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urkish Airlines is set to commence operations into the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa June 24, 2019, reiterating that as an airline, it is looking be a major player on the route connecting Nigerians from the region to Istanbul and the world over.

This is also as the carrier’s management team in Nigeria, which includes Mehmet Asik, general manager Abuja, and Yunuz Ozbek, general manager Lagos, have both commended the operational capacity of the new Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Terminal.

Speaking on ThursDay at a media parlay, at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Lagos, the Turkish Airline team ran through the company’s profile, its expansion plan as well as its fleet increase projection. Some of these include where it was in 2005 and where it is now in 2019 with regards passenger traffic and cargo traffic.

On reasons why the airline chose Port Harcourt as a route since it flies into Lagos and Abuja and does cargo services from Kano, Ozbek said it would be an opportunity to open the route to the world through Istanbul.

He also commended the inter-

national airport in Port Harcourt, stressing that it would support the airline’s services and give passengers a wonderful experience from Nigeria to Turkey.

The airline will fly into Port Harcourt, four (4) times a week. He also stressed that with the new route to Istanbul, Nigerian students from that geographic location can also take advantage of its Students’ Discounted Fare programme.

On moving its operations in Abuja to the newly constructed terminal, Asik said, “We are happy to move there. We did so just recently and we are happy to move into such a beautiful terminal in

Abuja. It would give us capacity to handle our operations in the best ways. With the old one we couldn’t park an aircraft at the avio-bridge and vehicles were used to ferry passengers from the aircraft but with this new terminal, we will connect our aircraft to the bridge, thereby easing passenger facilitation and improve convenience.

On the airline growth, Asik in is earlier presentation said Turkish has seen steady and significant passenger and cargo growth from 2005 till date. The airline, he said, has grown from a 14 million passenger per annum in 2005 to 78.5

million per annum in 2018 basing it on the airlines drive for safety, customer satisfaction.

He also said that the airline has grown from 135,000 tonnes in 2005 to about one million tonnes in 2018 stating that Lagos houses its biggest cargo operations in the world with three (3) cargo flights weekly.

On fleet acquisition, the Turkish team stated that the airline has 336 aircraft, all at an average of 8.2 years old making it the youngest fleet in the world and has ordered over 150 new aircraft to boost its fleet size to approximately 500 in the next five years’ time.

All British Airways heritage liveries mark the 50,000th customer flight

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ritish Airways has, for the first time brought together its four heritage liveried aircraft which were repainted to mark the airline’s centenary this year, alongside an A319 in the current Chatham Dockyard livery, to capture a rare image of some of the airline’s most iconic designs together.

This also marked the fact that 50,000 customers have already flown around the globe on the four heritage liveries since they re-joined the fleet, with the Boeing 747s having travelled to destinations such as New York, Cape Town, Dubai and Lagos, while the BEA liveried Airbus A319 has flown far and wide across the airlines’ UK and European network to cities including Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Milan, Zurich and Amsterdam.

Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said: “The excitement and pride that we’ve witnessed from customers and colleagues as these heritage liveries, which we painted to mark our centenary, have flown around the globe has been unparalleled.

“Social media has been fired up with images from travellers

all over the world when they’ve spotted the aircraft and as some 50,000 people have now flown on them since they arrived back in the fleet we wanted to capture a special photo to share with them.”

To capture the photo, the four heritage aircraft, which were in scheduled downtime and parked at the airline’s engineering base, were lined up alongside an aircraft

with the current Chatham Dockyard design.

The painstaking process of arranging them for the photo took over two (careful) hours.

The retro designs are part of a special series to mark British Airways’ centenary, as the airline celebrates its past while looking to the future and can be followed using tracking website Flightradar24, which features special

images of the aircraft.

In this, its centenary year, British Airways is hosting a range of activities and events. As well as looking back, the airline is also hosting BA 2119 - a programme, which will lead the debate on the future of flying and explore the future of sustainable aviation fuels, the aviation careers of the future and the customer experience of the future.

The airline will be working with expert partners to identify BA’s 100 Great Britons; the people up and down the country who are currently shaping modern Britain, and of course, the year would not be complete without some special flying and moments for customers.

The centenary activity is taking place alongside the airline’s current five-year £6.5bn investment for customers. This includes the installation of the best quality WiFi and power in every seat, fitting 128 long-haul aircraft with new interiors and taking delivery of 72 new aircraft. The airline has also revealed a brand-new business class seat with direct aisle access, the Club Suite, which will debut on the Airbus A350 later this year.

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Sunday 14 April 2019

Life&Living

A date with Lagos this Easter accessible entertainment in Africa.

The Gidi Culture Festival provides a venue on the beach for live bands, DJs, and musical acts to perform. It also features outdoor activities, local vendors, and artisans. The main show features a line-up of African acts like Patoranking, Wande Coal, Niniola, Sir Shina Peters, DJ Cuppy and a host of others from countries like South Africa, Ghana and Kenya.

The goal of the festival is to encourage the development of African talent and promote artists both within the continent and into overseas markets.

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Jumoke Akiyode-Lawanson

he Lenten season is almost over and Easter is already upon on. You may be wondering what you’d do with yourself, your family and the kids during the long holiday weekend of Good Friday through to Easter Monday.

Well, here is a list of entertaining events happening and fun places to visit this Easter.

1. AY Live 2019: ‘A little laugh never hurt anybody.’ The comedy king, Ayo Makun (AY) will be holding another edition of his rib cracking show with live comedy skits based on trending issues in Nigeria and diapora, on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019 at Eko Hotels and Suites Victoria Island Lagos. The show which features a host of top Nigerian Comedians including AY, music artistes and dance performers from across Africa, is a good way to unwind with friends and family during the break from work.

2. Queen Moremi the Musical: Yes! The iconic play is back on stage at TerraKulture this Easter, so everyone who didn’t get a chance to see the stage play during 2018 Christmas holiday, has been given a second chance. The Bolanle Austen Peters (BAP) production is an authentic African super hero story that brings to life the rich and

colorful ancestral Yoruba heritage through the deeds of the Amazon, Queen Moremi -using music, dance and costumes. The epic stage play will hit the stage at TerraKulture Arena in Victoria Island Lagos on Good Friday, 19 April 2019 and continue showing till May 5 2019.

Trust me; you will not regret taking your family and friends out to see this iconic stage play.

3. Lagos Poetrython and Arts Fest: If you are an artistic person and you love to appreciate create work, then, this is the place to be this Easter holiday. Lagos poetrython is an assemblage of poets and creatives and entertainers to enjoy a potpourri of performances, renditions and masterclass. Happening on Saturday April 20, 2019 at the Herbert Macauley library in Yaba,

the poetrython and arts fest is a platform for the transmission of the chronicles of griots.

4. Gidi culture fest 2019: The Gidi Culture Festival is a music and arts festival that takes place on April 20, at the Landmark beach front in Lagos, Nigeria. It was created in response to a demand from the local youth culture for live, affordable, and

5. Bogobiri open mic night: Hang out with your partner or your friends at Bogobiri in Ikoyi Lagos on Saturday 20, 2019 for a fun karaoke night. Bogobiri is a magnetic hub in which to eat, lounge, enjoy good music and connect with interesting people in a relaxed, chilled out the environment.A hip-hoppy, Don’t Drop the Mic session takes place on Saturdays at Bogobiri II for a younger crowd, while reggae sessions take place on the same night at Bogobiri.

6. Mixta Easter BBQ: An Easter BBQ and drinks hangout for everyone.

Bouncy castle, face painting, fun and games as well as exclusive tours of our show homes. Happening on April 20, at Beechwood estate Lekki, this is sure a good idea, especially for the kids.

The realities of relocating with children

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IFEOMA OKEKE

t’s no news that many people are considering moving abroad with their families, especially as economic situations get scarier here in Nigeria.

The practicalities of moving abroad with young children can be off-putting. Think about it: going on holiday with kids is already a challenge, from restraining your hyperactive toddler with a seat belt during take-off to trying to finding a hire car with baby-safe seats on your arrival.

The logistics can feel as prohibitive as the costs – and those costs can be huge. Once a child turns two, you pay almost the equivalent of a full air fare. If you’re also factoring in how well your child will settle in a new home, how sad they’ll be to say goodbye to old friends, and how the hell you’re going to pack up your entire family’s life, you’ll have a lot of extra stress on your plate.

But take it from someone who was moved as a child: it will be fine. If you are planning to move abroad, there are ways to ease the transition for your kids. Here are five golden tips: Tell them the truth Some people have avoided telling

their kids they were moving away because they were worried about “upsetting them”. Noble, but perhaps a little misguided. Imagine going on holiday, expecting to come back to your home and friends and teachers, but never being given the chance to say goodbye. However tempting it might be, don’t shirk away from telling children the truth.

Start long before you move so they have plenty of time to get used to

it. Kids are surprisingly tough and adaptable. Give them the chance to get excited.

Get them involved If you can recruit your children to help you with planning for the big move, chances are they’ll feel much more invested in it. Let them look through possible rental homes or apartments with you, and start searching fun things about your new

city together so it doesn’t feel quite so strange and overwhelming. You could even make packing fun – because what child doesn’t enjoy an empty cardboard box?

Validate their feelings If they’re feeling nervous, sad or upset, let them. It’s natural to be anxious about going somewhere new, particularly when that involves meeting new people and feeling like

a fish out of water at a new school.

Chances are the grown-ups are feeling much the same. Denying those emotions or urging everyone to keep a ‘stiff upper lip’ doesn’t help.

Instead, talk together about their fears and reassure them that you’ll get through it, together.

Make a memory book If your children are going to be starting a new school and having to make new friends, think about making a scrapbook filled with photos and drawings of their ‘old’ life – so they can talk to people about it or even just look at it when they’re feeling sad. You can include their old bedroom, their neighbourhood, their teachers, classroom, family, friends and pets.

Watch a film or read a book The fantastic Pixar movie Inside Out deals with themes of nostalgia and sadness when an 11-year-old girl, Riley, moves with her family from Minnesota to San Francisco – watch it together. For younger kids, you could check out the Berenstain Bears’ Moving Day, a classic picture book that deals with a family of bears who move from the mountains into a tree house.

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Entertainment Arcadia Premium TV sets to launch this June

… Ready to disrupt the rapidly changing TV industry

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t is always difficult to change the existing power structure, but like it or not, change is coming for the cable television industry, in form of Arcadia Premium Television on Startimes Channel 176.The companies that adapt and innovate will become the leaders of tomorrow and Arcadia Premium Television is poised to do just that.

In anticipation of the official launch of Arcadia Premium TV set to hold in June 2019, its founders, Olamide Yousuph and Akintunde Marinho hosted journalists to a roundtable on April 9, 2019 at The Radisson Blu Anchorage, Victoria Island.

The Media conference opened with a welcome address by Olamide Yousuph, co-founder and COO, Arcadia Premium TV, followed by a brief introduction of Arcadia Premium TV and its services.

With the success of telling the African story through the Mobile TV platform, Arcadia was propelled to create premium entertainment on Cable TV for a wider and diverse audience producing content ranging from music, sports, movies, comedy, fashion and lifestyle, among other premium contents.

Arcadia is changing the TV experience by creating engaging content, telling powerful stories whilst merging the digital and terrestrial world seamlessly. With a strong and varied catalogue of shows, the audience have variety

of shows such as: Serious Banta, Kitchen Dash, My Hustle, Arcadia Live on The Red Carpet, Life Sex and Relationship, a dating show ‘I’m available’, the DIY Slab and much more; programming that takes a fresh take on television as we know it.

“We are producing 19 original titles that you have not seen anywhere else before and this is something that is very new. We have international content partners like Sony, Universal, HBO that we are in contact with to help with international content. However, the drive is to develop an inventory of original content from Africa not just Nigeria. We are looking at content from South Africa, Ghana, Uganda and Kenya.” Akintunde Marinho, co-founder, Arcadia Premium TV, shared.

In a bid to create world class content, Arcadia Premium TV has

been on an exciting process of working, re-working and executing effective strategies aimed at providing amazing entertainment without sacrificing on quality. One of which is, developing exclusive rights to some of the world’s most celebrated films.

“When it comes to collaborations, we are always open to it.

There’s always going to be consistency in the quality of shows we air. Although we had to change the names of some of the shows we were airing on our web portal because they didn’t really fit television style, but the theme and quality remains”, Olamide Yousuph, the chief operations officer, added.

Arcadia TV is an online and Cable TV platform that produces, distributes and transmits developed content for the purpose of advertisement, entertainment, publicity and even live event coverage.

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‘Hire a Woman’, an infectious good time movie

D

aibby Chimere’s ‘Hire a Woman’ is a successful romance comedy. The movie was very entertaining with its ordinary story and straight forward plot. I rate the movie 8 over 10 for what were a beautiful picture, a well developed plot, sustained comic scenes, and good performance.

‘Hire a woman’ is a sequel to a 2017 film ‘Hire a Man’ by the same producer Chinney Love and had Nancy Isime, as part of the cast in the two films. ‘Hire a Man’ is different from ‘Hire a Woman’ in approach; it is a story of sibling rivalry in a home, while its sequel is about lost love and a comic revenge.

A narrator who turned out to be Uzor Arukwe at the beginning of the film told us about Jide, a brilliant career technologist with a whack dress sense. In what seemed like a flashback-narrative, Jide revealed the background information that will later serve as the conflict of the film.

After graduation, Jide was dumped by a college girlfriend Toyosi (played by Bamike Olawunmi) who was also the hottest girl in school. He had sustained her academically before graduation. Jide is still having a hang-over love for Toyosi and refused to attend a reunion organised by his friends to celebrate the engagement of two members of their clique Michael Godson and Ifu Enada, and also to catch up with old time in college.

Jide announced to his female friends at his work place that he

a scripted fiction.

Alex Ekubo was very outstanding and carried on with his role effortlessly. He supplied most of the comedy in the film. For the first time, Alex Ekubo impressed me with his comic role unlike the failed one in ‘Being Annabel’. Bamike Olawunmi is yet to prove that she really worth her salt in acting, though she delivered her role well, it was however, an unchallenging role that requires little to deliver.

I look forward to seeing her cast in a challenging role. Nancy Isime was daring in the film and I loved every bit of it. She deserves an honourable mention as one of the best performers in the movie.

‘Hire a Woman’ is a good time movie and the cast must have enjoyed it; I equally had a good time with them as the movie was rolling. The goodtime in the movie is infectious and I am sure the movie does not offer any difficult material any viewer will find difficult to grapple with. The film is just lyrically comic. The story impressed in a sense. It defied the predictability that characterises most bad Nollywood films, it had a major twist.

Bad films in Nollywood are usually about two extremes, but in ‘Hire a Woman’, we had a middle ground.

I love memorable dialogues in film but in this instance, I did not go with any maybe because of the nature of the film. There were good shots and the soundtrack was also on point.

I had a problem with the editing of a particular scene in the movie,

won’t attend the re-union to their chagrin. On further enquiry why he will not, Jide said: ‘Toyosi will be there… I can’t go. She was my Ex I haven’t seen her in 6 year…’ That was the beginning of the movie’s conflict. Jide was convinced to attend and was prepped by his friend Nancy Isime for a revenge mission at the re-union.

The story is not original; the idea of hiring a spouse has been experimented in numerous local and foreign movies. However, the cast did justice to the story and I managed to forget I once heard such a story. The new faces particularly that of the Big Brother Naija celebrity Bamike Olawunmi was a choice that will instigate curiosity from movie goers. Folks may also want to see how the reality TV actress was able to cope in

or rather the time sequence. Nancy Isime was with Uzor Arukwe, Alex Ekubo, and Michael Godson in one of the scenes. They were discussing until Nancy Isime decided to join the ladies at the pool in the same location. When she left, the men continued with the discussion for over 10 minutes and yet in the next scene, the film created the impression Nancy Isime just left the men.

Nancy Isime was yet to reach her destination even after 10 minutes.

The timing did not rhyme. It should be assumed that Nancy Isime must have reached her destination while the men’s long discussion took place. In all, ‘Hire a Woman’ is worth your time, money and popcorn.

Transforming TV entertainment experience to reward customers’ satisfaction ... a MultiChoice step up, top up initiative

M

id-January, leading TV entertainment provider, MultiChoice Nigeria, embarked on a campaign offer tagged ‘DStv Step Up’ and ‘GOtv Top Up’, geared towards heightening the TV entertainment experience of its customers by giving them access to a higher package than what they paid for.

The offer is open to both active and disconnected DStv customers on access, family and compact bouquet while Top Up is open to all active and disconnected customers on GOtv Lite, Value and Plus.

Essentially, DStv customers on the Access package who pay for Family package get a boost to view programmes on the Compact package, while customers on the Family package who pay for Compact package get rewarded with Compact Plus package programming. Likewise, Compact customers who pay for Compact Plus package, in turn, get Premium package programming.

In the same regard, existing and potential customers on GOtv; including GOtvPlus, Value and Lite get upgraded to GOtv Max at a reducedprice of 2500 Naira while GOtv tops up with 700 Naira, giving customers access to exciting content on GOtv

Max package. These upgrades are made within a 48-hour window upon subscription and runs from January 15th to April 15th, 2019.

According to MultiChoice Nigeria, this was a never-been-done campaign offer in over 25 years of operation birthed by its commitment to continually seek new ways of improving customers’ experience on its platforms.

Already, many Nigerians have keyed into this offer to enjoy a whole new different viewing experience with more exciting programming ranging from sports, entertainment, lifestyle, movies, to mention a few.

Still on its customer experience streak, the company has in the last three months churned out new content and new channels as evidenced by the launch of NTA 2, NTA Parliament and NTA News 24 on DStv and GOtv; POP Central on DStv in February. There have also been specially curated pop-up channels that focus on specific movie genres. For example, the M-Net Movies Game On pop-up channel which ran from February 22nd till March 10th featured an abundance of riveting sports movies of all time. Then there was also the hugely popular Big Brother Naija Recap: See GoBBe and Double

Wahala in the entire month of March which was available on DStv and GOtv. Kids were not left out in this entertainment spree as a Cartoon Network SuperHeroHQ channel ran from March 15th till the 31st. Meanwhile,DStvPremiumcustomerswith an appetite for the greatest cinematic battles of all time can get a filling with the M-Net Movies Epic pop-up channel which opened March 22nd and will run till April 14th.

Of course, there’s the unlimited football entertainment from the Premier League, Champions League, Emirates FA Cup, LaLiga and Serie A; two of the latter which are bigticket content on GOtv Max. Away from football, there is also wrestling entertainment with WWE as well as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) available for customers.

At the press conference to announce the start of the offer, Martin Mabutho, chief customer officer of MultiChoice Nigeria, said: “It’s our desire to make great content more accessible and this desire drives all our offerings. With the DStv Step Up and GOtv Top Up offers, we are giving our customers the opportunity to experience the exciting programming available across higher packages, at the price of a lower package”.

Destiny Isiguzo Follow on instagram @destinyisiguzo and on twitter @isiguzocid

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Sunday 14 April 2019

Politics

Newly elected governors: Beyond the clinking of glasses ZEBULON AGOMUO

I

n all the states where new governors were elected in the March 9 gubernatorial election, there has been jubilation and clinking of glasses. The governors-elect have been busy reeling out promises and pledges of great things they would do as soon as they are sworn into office on May 29. This is not the first time such promises would be made.

Some states have heard that over five times since the return of the country to civil rule, yet, they have remained poorer than they were 20 years ago.

According to the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the gubernatorial election, about eight new faces emerged as governors across the country. They are Emeka Ihedioha (Imo); Babajide Sanwo-olu (Lagos); Dapo Abiodun (Ogun); Seyi Makinde (Oyo); Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa); Bala Muhammed (Bauchi), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa) and Mukhtar Shehu Idris (Zamfara).

These men would on May 29 take over the baton of leadership from the incumbent governors in their respective states and begin to pilot the affairs of their states for the next four years. On May 29, it would dawn on them that it is no longer a dream, but a reality, that the needs of their people are now squarely on their shoulders.

Some of the outgoing governors rode to power some years back amid great adulation. They were looked upon as “messiahs” by the people of their state. Like in Imo, Rochas Okorocha enjoyed the praise of his people. There was that rapport between him and the people so much that whatever decision he took at the early stage of his administration was adjudged correct by the people. But somewhere along the line, something snapped. The love for Okorocha turned into hatred; the reason being that the people alleged that he was only busy fending for himself and his family.

The same story goes for the outgoing governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, who broke the jinx four years ago, by winning a second term. He somehow, became an enemy of his own people, so much so that he could not even win a senatorial seat within his own senatorial district.

It is always rosy at the beginning, until the people begin to see through the shenanigans imbedded in the sweet promises. Today, Ihedioha has constituted a 137-man transition committee and despite the bogus number, Imo people are clapping for him. The question is, would the clapping continue till

Emeka Ihedioha

Babajide Sanwo-olu

Dapo Abiodun

Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri

Bala Muhammed

Inuwa Yahaya

Seyi Makinde

Abdullahi Sule

Mukhtar Shehu Idris

the end of four years beginning from May 29? In Imo State, the victory of Ihedioha is seen as a divine intervention to deliver the people from bondage. The victory was so sweet that some families on their own, who do not even know the governor-elect, threw parties to celebrate the development.

Would this celebration continue after two, three years of Ihedioha in the saddle?

In most states of the federation, governors operate on the basis of “winner-takes-it-all” basis. For this reason, they never organise credible local government elections.

Even when they claim they organise such elections, they rig it in such a way that it is only their party that wins in all the local government areas. The usual practice is the use of transition committee chairmen, which they (governors) continue to change on yearly basis. Local government chairmen are starved of funds to carry out meaningful projects within the ambit of the constitution in their domain. And because they are appointed by the governors, they are always “O’Yes” men as any behaviour that is read to be at variance with the instructions of the governor attracts severe punishment. What would the incoming governors do differently?

If they have the plan to continue in this trajectory, it then means that the celebration would soon turn

into mourning as usual.

Over the years, governors are being accused of depending so much on the handout from Abuja, so much that they do not look within their states the abundant natural resources to tap into, or things to promote in their domain to attract foreign exchange. For this reason, most of the 36 states have since become unviable to the point that state governments owe workers’ salaries for several months. Most of the states do not take education as a priority, hence, enrolment in public schools have since dropped.

Human capital development is not a priority to them. If the in-coming governors are going to uphold these negatives, it then means the people would sooner than later return to their mourning state.

In some of the states where the victory of the governor-elect was purely political and not because of the failure of the incumbent administration, the wailing is bound to be so much because, before long the misled electorate would have found out that they were conned. In some states, voters voted purely because they were financially or materially induced, the style of leadership of the in-coming governor viz-a-viz what they experienced under the incumbent governors, would speak for itself.

Today, truth be told, a number of the state governors, who also

“won” re-election, have outlived their usefulness in government house. Their return was not the popular choice of the people, but purely based on the amount of bribe money they pushed out. In some places, the electorate just decided to allow them complete eight years in order not to alter the zoning arrangement or what is now popularly known as “charter of equity”.

This is because, in the last four years, they have achieved practically nothing in their states and so had no cogent reason coming back to government house.

A school teacher in one of the public schools in one state told BDSUNDAY that she was convinced that her governor returned through some other means other than the ballot.

“If the election was credible, there is no way that man would have come back as governor. He was owing several months’ salaries to civil servants in the state. Teachers were grumbling and things were totally bad. When I heard he had been re-elected, I asked, ‘how, by who?’ Who voted for him? I was shocked. You see, because they know they can always use the state money to buy their way back to office, they do not care what happens to anybody, and behave as if they have no heart,” the female teacher who craved anonymity said.

She does not see much hope in the new governors coming in.

“If you have followed their promises at the entry point, they are always reassuring and soothing. But just two years into their administration, the music always changes. May be, there is a certain negative power that is responsible for that in the country. Before long, they will begin to point fingers at their predecessors as excuses for not delivering on their lofty promises. It is a vicious circle, and I am not sure Nigeria is going to get away from this sorry state. It is the same thing at the Federal level,” she said.

In his advice to the fresh governors, Kunle Awobodu, a property consultant, said they must continue with the good aspect of their predecessors’ policies for enhanced economic development.

Awobodu, a former President of Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG), who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, said a major problem in Nigeria was policy inconsistency, adding that policy inconsistency was the bane of development of the country, particularly the construction and housing sector.

He therefore, advised the newly elected governors in the various states to continue with the policies and projects started by their predecessors for sustainable development.

“All over the world, continuity is the goal for national development.

Government is supposed to be a continuous process with focus on national interest and not on individual or party interest.

“When an administration abandoned a laudable project started by the previous administration, it is to the detriment of the public because when two elephants fight, the grass suffers,” he said.

He also noted that inconsistency of policy was the cause of poor urban development in the country, which he said, had hindered growth of housing and construction development.

According to him, “Promoting security of tenure and policy is a prerequisite for sustainable improvement in housing and environmental conditions.

“It is unfortunate that in Nigeria, we have been experiencing governments that never accomplished what they set out to achieve.Every administration comes in with its new policy.”

“Until Nigeria government adopts continuity of policy, the country may never record remarkable growth in the housing and construction sector,” he said.

Awobodu advised that the Lagos State government should revisit the Badagry express road project to facilitate its completion and also ensure completion of other laudable projects started by the previous administrations.

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Politics

Wike offers reconciliation, ready to withdraw cases against Amaechi …APC seems in no such mood Ignatius Chukwu

T

he first ever offer for reconciliation has been seen in the protracted political wars between two kinsmen, Governor Nyesom Wike and his estranged political godfather, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.

The offer came in a broadcast by the governor on Thursday, April 1, 2019, the day the Supreme Court ruled in the last but consolidated batch of all matters by the All Progressives Congress (APC) seeking to be accommodated in the ballot box.

By the final verdict from the Supreme Court, it may be the first time in history for a top political party, let alone the ruling party at the centre, to deny a spot on the ballot by any authority let alone the courts.

Apparently aware that the APC family and the former governor are highly aggrieved and are in aggressive mood, ready to spill all the milk, the sitting governor has offered to withdraw all cases previously filed against Amaechi and others if that would allow them to accept hand of fellowship.

A commission of inquiry had found Amaechi guilty of selling the state’s power assets without clear evidence of where the money went to, though Amaechi said the evidence is right there in Wike’s face. Wike also ordered the revocation of the sale to Sahara Energy, company said to be partially owned by Toney Cole of the APC. There are other probes aimed at some top APC persons and at Amaechi in particular, especially to stop him from becoming anything useful in future.

Amaechi’s screening at the Senate was the most protracted because of dirt coming from his home state government.

Now, Wike said all that can easily be a thing of the past if Amaechi is ready for reconciliation and peace.

In a state broadcast to mark the landmark Supreme Court judgment, striking out the appeals by Rivers APC, Governor Wike said that Rivers State stands to benefit more if all leaders are united.

He said: “Although the present politics of acrimony and bitterness may have strayed from the noble path of the past, I still believe that we shall be better off standing and working together for our state and our people.

“I therefore, appeal to the APC and the Minister of Transporta-

Wike

tion to join hands with us to move our dear state forward. We cannot as leaders continue to remain divided and expect government to deliver on its responsibilities to our people. Let us from henceforth, seek the common ground instead of allowing our differences to be exploited to retard our march to progress.

“I appeal to our people to eschew all acts of acrimony, criminality, unrest, and violence throughout the state. I wish to recommit myself to continue to do all that is humanly possible to ensure the unity and peaceful co-existence of all our people irrespective of political affiliation”.

He directed the State Attorney General and Commissioner to review all pending criminal cases linked to politics before the 2019 elections and make necessary recommendations to promote reconciliation.

He said: “I hereby direct the Honourable Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to review all pending criminal proceedings filed against any person by the state and directly related to political activities prior to the 2019 general election and make appropriate recommendations to me for necessary action to promote reconciliation among us”.

Governor Wike pledged to run an inclusive government aimed at promoting the developing the state.

He called on the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, to join hands with him to develop the state.

Wike however, celebrated the defeat of the APC and Amaechi at both the polls and the courts.

Amaechi

“Today, I recommit myself to be the governor for all the people of Rivers State for the next four years. Accordingly, we shall form an all-inclusive government to advance the collective interest of all our people, irrespective of party, ethnic or religious affiliations,” he said.

“We have come a long way in the last four years and accomplished a lot to be proud of. But there’s still a lot more to do to advance and realise the ultimate vision of our founding fathers for a truly united, secure, and prosperous state and we need the support of all our people to realise this bold vision.

“We salute the opposition for their courage to fight within the confines of the law to the end.

Now that the legal battle is over, the task of building the state must take precedence over all other considerations,” the governor said.

Governor Wike expressed gratitude to God for the Supreme Court judgment. He assured Rivers people that with the judgment, all legal tussles have come to a close with the people having nothing to fear.

He said: “Few hours ago, the Supreme Court of Nigeria struck out the consolidated appeals of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Tonye Cole for lacking in merits.

“With this decision, all legal issues regarding the fielding of candidates by the APC for the 2019 National Assembly, Governorship and State House of Assembly elections in Rivers State have finally and permanently been put to rest.

What this further means is that the victory of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidates in the 2019 National Assembly, Governorship and State House of Assembly elections is legally safe, secured and protected.

“I wish to assure you that there is nothing else to fear or be worried about, as there is nothing more the APC or any other person can do to deny us the victory you freely gave to the PDP and its candidates”.

He added: “Let me also express my deepest gratitude to the people of Rivers State for the opportunity to serve you as your governor for another four years. I am truly humbled by your continued trust and, I will not take this support for granted.

“For me, the collective interest of the people of Rivers State is the reason I am in politics.

When you gave me the mandate about four years ago, I committed myself to be the governor for all the people of Rivers State and stayed through to that commitment”.

Efforts to get Amaechi’s response have proved abortive but sources in his camp said in Port Harcourt that the party would study the offer and react adequately. They however, sounded very unoptimistic. One source said there was no case against Amaechi that needed Wike to intervene. Another source floated a statement said to come from Cole; “APC die-hards should not be dismayed. We fought a good fight. I always say try and win your unit, or your ward, even win your LGA (if you can) and leave

the rest to God. Many of you did that, but the gang up against Amaechi was too much. I feel for him and I feel for you. Many of us have sacrificed a lot and do not talk. Amaechi is one. Some have sacrificed a little, but they won’t let you sleep. I expect them to go.

“Here is just a few of the reasons, you are going through what you are going through. Justice and injustice comes in many forms.

There are many courts. Worry not. Your tears will be transferred to their own faces soon. Remember: Not everyone can resist money like you. There is plenty greed in the land; Some PDP sympathizers have not forgiven or forgotten what Amaechi did to PDP in 2015. They hold Amaechi responsible for Buhari’s victory; There are people inside APC at the very top from the South West who do not want to see a stronger Amaechi. Why? Because of 2023. If the Presidency is zoned to the South, Amaechi is a threat.

He is already influential even without a governor. Imagine if he has one; There are people inside APC at the very top from the North who do not want to see a stronger Amaechi. Again why?

Because of 2023. They believe that if the Presidency is not zoned to the South, Amaechi may disagree. He is already an influential voice without having a governor.

Imagine if he has one. What then?

“Some of us are still standing, still fighting. We won’t rest until our justice comes. There will be big consequences for what we went through, because it’s never over until we win. Waiting for 2023 is not an option. It is already here.”

32 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 14 April 2019

Sunday Interview

I’m afraid, Nigeria is reaching a breaking point - Fasoranti Pa Reuben Fasoranti is the national leader of Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba Socio-political organisation. In this Interview with YOMI AYELESO, the 94-year-old spoke on the 2019 general election, militarisation of the poll, vote buying and selling. He also talked about President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election, inconclusive elections, desperation of politicians, restructuring, factionalisation of Afenifere, among other issues. Excerpts:

W

hat is your assessment of the just concluded 2019 general

election?

If what we saw here in Ondo State is anything to go by, there was no election. Elections where vote buying was very prominent, we cannot call that an election. When people have to buy votes openly to change opinions, it is not election; it is a sham. The reports we got across the country is the same.

It is the same thing on a larger scale.

If that’s the case, what is the way out?

The way out is to be honest and be sure that you don’t sell your vote. Nigerians should be allowed to choose their leaders. All those influencing the electorate to vote contrary to their conscience should stop because it will soon backfire.

This is a dangerous trend in the history of this country. Our people have been impoverished and the politicians believe once they can settle them on the day of election they would vote for them. They perverted their conscience with money before they cast their votes.

That is absolutely wrong. People must start to work hard and earn a legitimate wage rather than sell their vote which is for a short time, and the reality is almost immediate. The moment Nigerians continued to vote for the highest bidder during elections not minding the candidate’s ability to perform and deliver, then it spells doom for the country and the Forth Republic, and the electorate would have no moral ground to question or call those voted to power through the use of money to order whenever they are off the track. The current economic hardship and lust for money have made our people, especially our youths, to decide to embrace vote buying and selling.

Should there be a penalty for those who are involved in vote buying and selling?

Those politicians inducing the electorate with money should be apprehended and made to face the law. They should be taken to court and get sentenced or sanctioned. That

Pa Reuben Fasoranti

is going to be a long process.

The best thing is not to allow it to happen. It was not like this before in the days of Awolowo.

People went to the polling centres to vote for candidates of their choice according to their ability to perform and deliver, not to sell their votes and elect those that would not be accountable to them. But what is happening now is the direct opposite. It’s like a joke to me.

What would you say about the apparent desperation of politicians to occupy political offices in this country?

They know there is money there; that is why they are desperate. If they’re going there to serve the people it shouldn’t have been bad as that. The

desperation is alarming and if nothing was done to make elective positions less lucrative, it would get to a boiling point that it would burst and will not augur well for the nation’s democracy.

How do we stop this trend?

We should elect people of great character. Elective posi-

tions should not be lucrative.

When people win elections, they should not earn much money; make it less lucrative. If it is possible, make it part time, we have been advocating for this before and the legislators should handle it. When I was a councilor long time ago, I

‘‘

Our so-called politicians are more interested in what they can get in office than the service to the country and those who elected them

was principal of a school then.

I only take allowances and sometimes, I refused to take the allowances and people work harder then but now they do less and earn bogus allowances and salaries. If this continues, the desperation would continue. Our so-called politicians are more interested in what they can get in office than the service to the country and those who elected them.

What is your take on the militarisation of election across the country?

It is wrong. People should be allowed to vote their own way without being intimidated. It is a sham. It is not the proper thing to do. What’s the business of the military in the conduct of election. Once again, this is a dangerous trend in our democracy. Militarising the election is a disgrace to this country. This should stop in subsequent elections for it to be credible. We are not in a war situation so why do we deploy soldiers to the streets to intimidate voters and also assist in compromising the election.

It’s not only the military but other security operatives. They should allow people to vote according to their conscience.

They shouldn’t be intimidated or coerced by anybody in uniform acting on the directive of a particular political party.

Now that President Muhammadu Buhari has been re-elected what would be your reaction and what would you want him to do differently in the next four years?

Re-electing President Muhammadu Buhari for another four years is a disaster because his first four years is nothing to write home about. Corruption is high, dishonesty all over.

There is indiscipline everywhere. My advice is that if we can change the leadership to a better one, it will be good for Nigeria. He has failed to deliver on his fight against corruption, insecurity and the economy. He has failed and he has not done anything. The last four years is a waste. He should wake up now that he has been re-elected and tackle corruption more frontally and also those people who are around him that are corrupt should be dealt with.

The double standard should be

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BDSUNDAY 33

Sunday Interview stopped. The economy has not improved; there is hunger all over the place. He should tackle that, so that Nigerians can see that he is working.

How do we change him now having secured the second term?

We have to endure this one and wait for the end of his term.

Nigerians should just be patient and continue to endure. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

The maximum is eight years. I will appeal to Nigerians to keep praying to God for good leaders that would bring succour and smiles to their faces. The suffering is too much but it is for a short time. God will intervene in the affairs of this nation. He has done it before and he would still intervene to bring back the lost glory of this country and make it a cynosure of all eyes in the comity of nations.

The PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar has gone to the tribunal but some Nigerians are asking him to allow the sleeping dog lie?

Why are they discouraging him not to exercise his democratic and constitutional rights to seek redress if he felt cheated? Let the tribunal do its job. He has seen the level of irregularities and that is why he is not happy with it. So, let the tribunal decide and we shall all see if they are going to be partial. We shall all see.

Nigerians are waiting for the commencement of the tribunal proceedings. It is going to be a celebrated case going by what the PDP candidate said he possesses as regards the results of the elections.

Do you think that those advising PDP Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar not to seek redress at the Election Tribunal are saying the right thing?

I can tell you that the APC are even afraid. The evidences are overwhelming here and there. He must have a case and that is why he is bold enough to go to the tribunal. He has some things to tender to the tribunal.

They should stop all this propaganda; let them also go to the tribunal and present their own case instead of advising him not to go or that he has no case.

Both parties should proceed to the tribunal with their evidences and let the tribunal decide and Nigerians would then know what really happened in the last Presidential election in this country.

What is your take on inconclusiveness of elections in the country?

That is very bad. When elections are held, people should get the results. There should be no doubt who the people voted for. They should be sure that votes are cast, counted and the winner declared immediately. But a new vista has been introduced that people after they cast their votes, the votes are counted, the results are awaited and at the end of the day, there are manipula-

Pa Reuben Fasoranti

tions. It is very obvious, that is why people are complaining.

People argued that the introduction of inconclusiveness in the political lexicon by INEC was meant to favour a particular party. Do you subscribe to that?

I agree with them. It is very obvious and we know what happens. It is unfortunate.

When do we start this issue of inconclusive election? It’s a ploy to manipulate elections in states and constituencies where a particular party was not doing well. Nobody is deceived by this ploy. Nigerians can see and read between the lines. It’s really a pity we have

descended to this level in our democracy.

How important is restructuring to Nigeria?

There will be no progress.

If we restructure for instance, Ondo State will be able to tap its mineral resources. At the moment, you can’t touch it. Apart from that, if we restructure, we will have our own police, which will help in quick dispensation of justice. These are the things that will automatically take place when we restructure the polity. Nigerians are complaining that nothing is moving; it’s because those in government have decided not to do the right thing. It’s a statement of fact that the future is bleak without restructuring.

What is your opinion on former governors going to the Senate?

They find it lucrative and they are desperate, that is why they are going back to the Senate. They find it lucrative, they find it alluring. The bottom line is that elective positions are becoming more and more attractive. Those in government after tasting the perquisites do not want to leave. For instance, in Oyo State, there is this act of desperation on the part of the outgoing governor accusing the incoming governor of plans to expose him. When the governors complete their terms in office, they should

go; what have they forgotten in the office? They aren’t going to the Senate to serve. It is not for service, it is the money and the continued relevance in the political scene that’s their driving force.

You are 94 now, where do you want to see Nigeria in the next 10 years?

My dream is that the country should be able to produce honest people, hardworking people, young men who will be forward looking to build a great and virile nation. But as it is now, there is nothing to write home about and most of our dreams have not come into being. When I was a councilor, I was a principal and I did not take anything from the council. I was doing it for free because I had a job. I will do it part time and I was serving the people. There was passion to serve the people. But suddenly, when I left, the whole thing changed; monetisation of everything began, and you see somebody earning fat allowances. They even take bribes. It appears money has taken a lot of control and there is nothing we could do about it except miracle happens.

What is your reaction to the factionalisation of Afenifere?

It is unfortunate. Afenifere was one before but my friend, Ayo Fasanmi decided to set up a rival group, which is very unfortunate. Afenifere we used to know was one and we spoke with one voice, but as it is now I don’t know what he really wants. No doubt, we are friends, but I don’t know what he really wants. Maybe, some

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Both parties should proceed to the tribunal with their evidences and let the tribunal decide and Nigerians would then know what really happened in the last Presidential election in this country

people are prompting him; maybe, he has his own personal ambition but for a long time now, l have not heard about him until recently. But I guess some people are prompting him to set up a rival organisation to give an impression of a divided house. It is very unfortunate.

What do you think is the role of leaders like Bola Tinubu in this matter?

Tinubu does not belong to us. He is a Yoruba man and a member of the APC and waiting to become leader. He is encouraging some sections of us to start agitating as a rival group. He is with Ayo Fasanmi and recently I saw them taking pictures together. I don’t really know what he wants.

Few weeks ago, the Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, announced that some schools would be named after some Afenifere leaders, including Ayo Fasanmi. What is your take?

Government has begun to name schools after me- The Akure High School. I think it is the reward for hard work and selflessness. If that is the way they look at it, it is okay. When I founded Akure High School, I gave it to government; they did not ask of it and I did not ask of any money. I think now they said they want to reward me. I was doing it then to serve the people.

Do you read any political undertone in the proposed renaming of schools after the other factional leader of Afenifere, Ayo Fasanmi, and others by the Ekiti State government?

I don’t know but I think Fayemi thinks the people should be compensated for their hard work.

Now, the big question agitating the minds of the Yorubas: Who is the Yoruba leader now?

It all depends on what you mean by that, but for instance I am the leader of Afenifere; that does not mean I am the leader of Yoruba. If Yoruba wants a leader, they have to sit down and think of ramifications- cultural, social and historical. If for instance people name me as Yoruba leader, some people will say ‘look that’s not right, Afenifere is not an all embracing organisation’. Afenifere is representing a section of the Yoruba people; so that is it.

When Awolowo was alive, he was referred to as Yoruba leader likewise Ajasin; why is it difficult to have a Yoruba leader after the above mentioned?

There is so much awareness now. People are looking at it from a sectional view. The Muslims will say no, the Christians will say no; the political leaders will say no. So, there is factionalisation. In the times of Awolowo, it was easy to get the people together for leadership; it was like that for some time before things fell apart.

34 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 14 April 2019

Business Interview

‘Ihedioha must leverage on Imo State Hoteliers’ Association to beef up state’s IGR’ Chima Chukwunyere, recently elected the chairman of the Imo State Hoteliers’ Association is the managing director of Domino Paramount Hotel Owerri, one of the oldest hotels in the city. He spoke with SABY ELEMBA, our correspondent, on the need for the in-coming administration of Emeka Ihedioha to boost the state’s IGR leveraging the hospitality sub-sector of the economy. He also touched on other important issues. Excerpts:

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he police community relations committee (PCRC) Imo has had its election recently and another chairman has emerged; as the chairman emeritus, could you tell us briefly how your tenure fared?

I am the chairman emeritus of the police community relations committee (PCRC) Imo State for 10 years and 6 months and left as the “best” federation, because, I won the Gold Star Award. And I still say it, as far as this job, the police community relations committee, is concerned the person who will equal what I have done is yet unborn. And not just that I have served out my tenure I still work with the current chairman, insuring that Imo State continues to top or occupy the first position in the country.

The school campaign is still on and as a matter of fact, just few days ago, I heard that the acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) is insisting that PCRC members must begin to go to secondary schools to campaign against crimes and cultism. And if that is true, that means there is the need to have a contact with the chairman Emeritus. We laid the foundation, we have a vision and we have covered about 65 secondary schools. So, if they are serious, they need to ask us for the modus operandi, if they partner with us, I can assure you that they will excel.

Recently, you were elected the substantive chairman of the Imo State Hoteliers’ Association; in your capacity as the chairman of this hospitality and hotel sub-sector of the economy, could you set an agenda for the in-coming governor, Emeka Ihedioha, that would enable this sector to thrive?

First as the managing director of this old existing Domino Paramount Hotel, established in May 1977, it is due to my managerial acumen that this hotel is still thriving up till date and is also still operational and meeting up with the test of the time.

Now, the hotel industry whether we believe it or not remains the biggest industry and employer of labour after the government in the land. And talking about employer of labour apart from the state government, the hotel industry cannot be disputed as the second largest employer of labour and in terms of yielding revenue and as far as I am concerned, if the incoming government will agree to partner with the union which is representing the industrial sub-

Emeka Ihedioha

sector, Imo State with a lot of hotels is likely to generate quite a huge amount of revenue that would help to sustain the operations or the activities and running of the government.

Tell us more how it could work?

First of all, the government must recognise the union and the industry. The government must ensure that every hotel in Imo State must belong to the union for easy assessment so that any time the government wants to talk to the hotel they would go through the union and whatever thing they have to say to the union they have said it to all the hotels. And whatever policy and whatever method they want to apply, once it gets to the union, it is assumed that it has gone to all the hotels. No government has been able to unite the entire hotels; so I believe that the starting point is to ensure that they unite the entire hotels by insisting that every hotel must be part of the union. Again, you discover that every month, new hotels will come up, it is important for the in-coming government to know the motives, to know who is that man or those building these hotels, what do they do, and how did they make the money?

It would not be because you

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And talking about employer of labour apart from the state government, the hotel industry cannot be disputed as the second largest employer of labour and in terms of yielding revenue and as far as I am concerned, if the incoming government will agree to partner with the union which is representing the industrial sub-sector

have money you go to Owerri Capital Development Authority (OCDA) and start to build, no, it should not be; there should be a check by the government. So, I believe that the government should actually tap from the resources in the state to run its affairs properly.

Are you saying that the government has been missing a huge amount of money from this sector?

See, the Federal Government is collecting value added tax (VAT).

During the Sam Mbakwe administration in the state, the administration was collecting Purchase Tax (PT) and most hotels were committed to it; I was committed to it also and I was given an award for my commitment.The in-coming government if it wants to be serious in its revenue drive, I believe the issue of purchase tax should be looked into. You don’t need to come to the hotel and tell them to pay you N1 million, little by little, step by step, drop by drop and the drum will be filled.

Now you also know that there are so many hotels that run what they call go-go-club. Go-go-club is where people dance nude. Such a place is illegal but for government to give approval to it, the tariff for you to run a go-go-club must be on the high side. There is so much money in eateries. I go to eateries and sit down and I see people making quick sales running into millions of naira in the night and when you make millions and you pay so little to the government, it is fraud.

Everybody knows that a bottle of Coke is N100.00 but you see a situation where you sell a bottle of Coke at N500 and you refuse to pay the required tax to the government; it is fraud. So, the government must put its house in order, get the taskforce that will not be too greedy that will go round, get all these people, sensitise them on the need for them to revamp the economy through the help of the union. The industry has a role to play in building the economy of Imo State if the government would want to move forward. So, it is important also that the government has to sit down with the union to articulate the problems of the hotel sector in the state.

May we know some challenges facing the industry in the state?

There are so many hotels that are not accessible in terms of bad road network. There are also some many areas where the hotels established in such areas are running on generators. Government has to ensure that the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company

(EEDC) provides light regularly. In Ikenegbu Layout, I have heard it is on ‘priority list’of EEDC. Ikenegbu Layout is enjoying light for about 18 or 20 hours a day but here in the town we enjoy light for less than six hours a day. It is not encouraging and you know how expensive it is to generate your own energy, in terms of diesel, fuel and maintenance. When you sit down and find out the challenges you address them, you are addressing the challenges because you want to make profit and encourage the people because you want them to pay their due tax. So, I believe there is so much the government is going to benefit from working with the union.

We have a lot of tourist attraction or sites in the state; what do you have to say about them?

In fact, this morning I was just saying how I wish I have an access; how I wish I can make a proposal to the incoming government in the state, concerning Oguta Lake and the Oguta Lake Motel. Before now, the Oguta Motel was very lively, very operational, people went there on weekends, people from all over the country would come on holidays, I have gone there several times, and we lived in the hotel rooms and then went to the beach.

If you go to the beach you will see a long queue, people coming and going up to pay to get into the beach, there is a beehive of activities there, there are lots of things the government can get, and they should develop the place.

People from PH, Onitsha, Aba, etc. will come, they lodge in the hotel and pay and they will enjoy the atmosphere.

You know that there is a place where the Orash River joins with the River Niger and all Nigerians will like to come and see where two rivers meet and yet they do not mix, it is something everybody would like to go and see. The government would make a lot of revenue from it; the amount of revenue to generate monthly from there can help the government to pay for certain things.

For the government to function well, it means it will get people who are qualified and put them in places where they are fit. The problem we have had for a long time in this state is that you get a carpenter you make him the commissioner for health or a person who is versed in the hotel and leisure management you make him to be in charge of education, nothing well will come out of it you must put a round peg in a round hole, period.

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Interview

Huge expenditure on diesel, others, a threat to our survival in business – Owerri industrialist Government policies have not done much to help the manufacturing sector in the country. In this interview, Royston Jacobs, managing director and chief executive officer, Jacobs Wines Limited, spoke with SABY ELEMBA, our correspondent in Owerri, urging the Federal Government as well as Imo State government to make policies which will usher in healthy manufacturing environment in the state. Excerpts:

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By way of introduction, may we know you better? hank you very much.

First of all, I am Mr. Royston Jacobs the managing director and chief executive officer (MD/CEO) Jacobs Wines Limited. The company is located here in Mgbidi, Oru West Local Government Area, Imo State, we are into wines and table water production, and we produce wines, spirits, juice and portable water.

Here in the South East, several manufacturers complain that the operating environment is very challenging and tough on their businesses; do you have similar experience?

Well, the policies of the current Federal Government have actually affected our business so much, especially some of us who are into food, beverages, production of wines, etc. The policies have also affected us much especially in the sourcing of raw materials in the sense that as at 2015; we used to buy a bag of sugar at N2,500 but currently even as we speak now, a bag of sugar is about N20,000 and at that highly increased price in raw materials, there is no way we can match foreign products or imported wines. These foreign wines which come into Nigeria are cheaper than our products, so we cannot sell, and there is no wise person who can see a foreign product that is cheaper and goes ahead to buy our own or local products of a good quality which is higher in price, and of course, you are aware of our Nigerian mentality. So, the current economic policies have affected our business.

That is a very big challenge, but could you let us know the size of your wine market now and from where do most of your demands come?

Before the economic recession in the country, Nigeria as a whole was our market size; we were selling in the East, West, North and South and in all the six geopolitical zones of the country but now, in fact, the market has shrunken so much that we are managing to sell around the East. The reason is that a lot of our customers have gone out of business; I tell you, a lot of them have closed shops and some veered into other businesses. The business is like a kind of political class

So, the whole money we make here goes into purchasing of diesel and it is by the grace of God that this company has not closed its door against its customers since 2014.

May we know a rough estimate of how much you spend on buying diesel monthly?

The monthly expenditure on buying of diesel can go as high as N300,000 to N400,000 depending on the volume of production and the number of hours we spend daily on production. But the main area that is sustaining this company is the table water section. We also thank God that the table water section is sustaining this company; otherwise we would have closed shop.

We have had cause to visit some shops in the state and we could not see brands of Jacobs Wines; could this be traced to the challenges you have enumerated?

Yes; exactly; some of the networks we used to have had issues with the prevailing economic policies in the country and a lot of them just as I have earlier said are out of business and this has affected us too.

Look, in the market today in Nigeria, there are various brands of imported wines of which the masses could not easily afford unlike before.

Royston Jacobs

or a cartel, you have to belong to thrive; to that end, new ones coming up cannot survive under the harsh economic weather we are experiencing now. So, there are lots of challenges for those who are local manufacturers of quality wines in the country.

Apart from the challenges of high cost of raw materials which has affected production and sales, what is the situation in the South East?

You can see for yourself, we are in this state which is Imo; it is not conducive for any manufacturer and consumer of manufactured or industrial products and it is also not healthy for anybody in this state. If the workers are not paid and the pensioners do not get their pensions as and when due, then who will buy our products? If the middle class is thriving and the money is there, then manufacturers of

our type will sell. They are the people who usually patronise our products, but it has been difficult for them. You can see clearly that the environment is bad; the market is no more there.

It is only the political elite class that has the money; the rest of the people are just managing to survive. It is when the middle class has the money that the economy booms, but for now nothing is happening.

The manufacturers in the state here, especially those at Owerri-Onitsha Road Industrial Layout experience challenges of bad road as well as power; do you have such challenges in your location?

It is worrisome to say. Look at it, since the year 2014 we have been using generators for production, there has never been power; that’s electricity since 2014. The power you see here is the one we generate.

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We can only pray for things to get better in this country, an improvement on economy, an economy where the masses can afford what even they need

The average poor cannot use N2000 to buy a bottle of good foreign wine just for relaxation sake, instead they can afford beer and locally made gin. Before 2015, things were better for the middle class but it is not so now; we can only pray for things to get better in this country, an improvement on economy, an economy where the masses can afford what even they need.

In Nigeria now, we have two major classes, the very rich and the very poor. Now, the very rich can afford the expensive and imported wines but the rest go on water, ‘Ogogoro’ (illicit gin) and beer.

This company has diversified into the production of table water which has been sustaining it; could you please, tell us more about it including the production capacity?

The table water we produce is Amanda Water which is one of the purest and safest drinking table water in the market today. It is healthy for the body, we produce the bottled water and the sachet water, and we always work to meet up with the demand of our customers.

For the manufacturing sector of the economy to thrive, there must be good environment for it and of which the government has to provide; do you have a word for the incoming government to better the manufacturing environment?

I will suggest to the government and the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) to give us steady power supply, to enable the industrial sector boom in the South East. It will make manufacturing easy, stem the cost of production and services and then the supply costs and of course, the final consumers will readily afford the products.

The government will revamp dilapidated road infrastructure to ease distribution of manufactured goods. The government should also reduce multiple taxations which have been a thorn in the flesh of manufacturers in Imo State.

There are too many agencies demanding taxes. When you pay this another one will come and they will continue to come like that. Multiple taxations frustrate business; government should do something to ease the manufacturing environment.

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LifestyleHomes&Suites

Sunday 14 April 2019

Paul Ojenagbon

pauloje2000@yahoo.com

Gold Coast offers Court Eldorado in Banana Island

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ne should not be misled by the name as it was probably coined to create an impressionist image of a highly prized environment which it is certainly. It does not have anything to do with Nigeria’s West African neighbor, Ghana. Gold Coast Court, a development by Dillon Consultants Limited, as the name implies is a “seamless fusion of convenience-living, exquisite taste, elegance and security in one grand design”, located in mega-rich Banana Island axis of Lagos. It boasts of 12 units of semi-detached 5-Bedroom luxury houses elegantly designed to suit the taste of prospective home buyers. It is essentially

an off plan arrangement. Work is currently going on the project and delivery is slated for May 2019.It carries a princely price tag of N250million per unit. It offers flexible payment plan, 60 percent initial deposit and 40 percent upon completion.

One feature that makes this development distinct is not just the exclusive terrain that is in Banana Island, an abode of some of the country’s billionaires but also the depth of facilities put at the disposal of the home owner to ensure seamless convenience and comfortable living. It is powered by Pneumatic Vacuum Elevators with electricity in supply round the clock 24/7. Security, despite the iron-clad routine checks at the entrance gate is re-inforced with 24 hour

close circuit television (CCTV) cameras in place combining with electric fence and Mobile Policemen on regular duty patrols.

Each house which is exquisitely finished in the signature and style of the developers, comes with detailed luxury parade of well equipped gym, spa, sauna, steam room and swimming pool, whether for fitness or recreation. The home owner and his family can also enjoy a cocktail by the pool or host guests at the community bar in an enclave where electricity supply is not interrupted except for the few minutes it takes to change source of power supply from generator to mains and vice versa. It is indeed an Eldorado.

The IL Bagnor styled bathrooms denote

luxury and ultimate experience. There is bespoke kitchen furnished with cabinets and attached with a pantry to store things. The kitchen is also furnished with washing machine, heat extractor, gas cooker, oven and smoke detector. It is connected with Intercoms and dual DSTV view premium package. All the rooms are air-conditioned. Water is easily available from borehole made good with treatment plant. The recreational package includes a playground for children where the little ones can have their fun. The title on the property is Certificate of Occupancy.

Gold Coast Court certainly offers the big boys and girls a mouth watering choice in Banana Island.

Orchard Place shows colour at Akowonjo

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t could be well argued and validly too that while most of the mega bucks and intimidating packages of residential developments, because of the very high land values, are far more identified with the Island divide of Lagos, the Mainland whether in the past or in the present has always been giving good account of itself by having good share of the action of spectacular residences. It is simply that projects in the former would raise more eyebrows any day.

Remarkably one of such projects making the rounds at the moment on the Mainland is the Orchard Place, located at Shasha Akowonjo in Alimosho Local Government Area. It is indeed a beautiful, gated community comprising 72 units of tastefully built 3-Bedroom apartments. It is closely linked to the Lagos State capital, Ikeja, a few minutes ‘drive away from the Lagos local and international airports, Ikeja Shopping Mall,Alausa,Allen and Ikeja GRA. Incidentally, Alimosho in which the eye catching the development is situated is the largest in the state, a largely semi-urban community inhabited by non-indigenous peoples and comprising major settlements.

Orchard Place, a smart development of Trojan Estates Limited, offers a contemporary lifestyle to its residents as

well as bequitting enduring values to it investors. The apartments are modern, classy, spacious and well appointed with spacious balconies and amazing views.

They are designed to give comfort and best living experience. The colourful units have since been completed and some of the buyers have even moved into their apartments. Each unit carries a N22million price tag.

The apartments are on three floors run with elevators to stretch convenience to the limits. There are six apartments in a block and there 12 blocks in

all. Internal features include polished porcelain floor tiles, standard wall mounted light fittings, switches and sockets with MDF hollow core wooden doors. Others are reinforced hollow core metal panel security doors and brushed stainless steel handrail sets.

As the name implies, Orchard Place is beautifully adorned with ornamental plants and landscaped gardens. The drains are well constructed to be functional during the rains and eliminate flooding. The entire estate is illuminated at night with street lights. Reliable security apparatus is

in place manned by competent personnel at the estate gate. Water is available 24/7 from borehole made good in treatment plant. There is back up for electricity with central generators. Kitchens are fitted and ready for use to dish out sumptuous meals. Ample parking is available for vehicles of residents and visitors alike. There is a playground for children.

Arrangement is in place providing for the management of the estate and its facilities which presupposes that residents are also required to pay annual service charge for the maintenance of the services in the estate. Three payment plans are available namely off plan, structured payments and lump sum payments by individuals or by mortgage. Allocation of units is upon full and final payments.

Sunday 14 April 2019

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BDSUNDAY 37

SundayBusiness Why mortgage, home-ownership elude low income earners

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major requirement for getting a mortgage loan facility that will enable the borrower to own a home is having a good job with regular income. But it becomes very challenging when the earning is low.

At N18,000 per month minimum wage, public sector workers cannot afford mortgage loan. Even with the yet to be implemented new minimum wage of N30,000, this class of people will not still be able to afford mortgage loan.

Therefore, for many years to come, unless a drastic change occurs, homeownership through mortgage loan, will continue to elude workers who earn the national minimum wage.

This is because, based on the terms of mortgage structuring which requires not less than one third or 33.3 percent of this N30,000 per month, the borrower has to deduct approximately N10,000 for loan repayment, and a monthly payment of this sum for 30 years as required by the mortgage law, will mean that the prospective home owner will contribute the sum of N3 million for the 30-year period.

However, apart from the fact that there is no decent accommodation for N3 million in a good location, there is no 30-year mortgage avail-

able for loan applicants. Besides, at the current minimum wage, 33.3 percent of N18, 000 will be N5, 994 and a monthly payment of this sum over a 30-year period will amount to N2.15 million.

Taking it further, Adeniyi Akinlusi, CEO, Trustbond Mortgages, emphasises that many households cannot own homes through mortgage because, given their low per capita income, they won’t qualify for mortgages.

Mortgage deficit, he noted, stands at N49.05 trillion and out of a population of 180 million people, 30 percent representing the 44.4 million working class, the mortgageable adults are only 19.9 million, representing 45 percent of the total population.

This is why mortgage experts insist that job creation is critical to ease homeownership They maintain that government and private sector developers could build all the affordable or social housing they want to, but people have to have jobs to be able to buy either cash or through mortgage.

Nigeria is one the world’s most expensive housing markets where the cost of renting a three-bedroom apartment ranges from N15 million to N20 million per annum in highbrow areas like Victoria Island and Ikoyi in Lagos; Asokoro, Maitama in Abuja; GRA phase 2 in Port

Procurement and Supply Chain

with Gob-Agundu Uche Branch chair (CIPS), Nigeria (Culled from CIPS Positions on Practice) partnering arrangement maybe defined as an approach with an attitude, or management ethos, (towards selected suppliers) of openness,effectivecommunication, closecollaborationandcooperation, trust, honesty, transparency, sharing and mutual benefit. The concept of working in collaboration with key suppliers is not new and covers a wide range of close relationships between businesses.

CIPS Positions on Practice CIPS believes that partnering is an effective and beneficial approach to managing relationships with some suppliers, provided it is undertaken strategically, professionally and selectively.

Partnering demands a specific set of skills and competencies from those who will be responsible for developing and managing the partnering arrangement. Partnering is a supply chain process which should be led by the purchasing and supply management

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professional and include colleagues in the organizations entering into the partnering arrangement.

There is a clear distinction to be drawn between ‘partnering’ and ‘partnerships’, the latter having clearlyadefinedlegalbasis.Although partnering is often thought of as referring to long-term relationships, the term is also applicable to contractsofrelativelyshortduration.

Partnering arrangements should only be considered if they can be seen to bring quantifiable benefit to the organizations concerned.

Partnering arrangements ideally lead to higher levels of innovation and creativity and, often, reduced wastage and cost.

The concept of partnering agreements should be supported by a professionally-drafted contract.

One key objective of partnering is continuous improvement. CIPS believes that open book costing is a useful device for deriving maximum benefit from a partnering relationship although, to maximize efficiency, consideration should be given to the use of professional advisers.

Harcourt or Trans Amadi also in Port Harcourt, among other areas in Nigeria.

The country’s latest effort at improving access to housing finance was the establishment of the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC) which is aimed to provide liquidity in the mortgage system by raising money from the capital market and using same to refinance primary mortgage banks for on-lending to loan applicants.

But, four years down the line, the company is still struggling.

A report on The Lagos Housing Market notes that a mortgage period of 30 years and a housing unit of N2.15 million are hardly available, and this amount excludes interest rate on the mortgage facility. Consequently, even the middle income earners struggle to have access to affordable housing.

The report notes further that Nigeria is faced with a multi-dimensional housing problems stemming from poor planning. It recalls that many initiatives have been launched in the past which did not translate to visible results.

“The country is fraught with abandoned low cost housing projects, inadequate funding, regulatory bottlenecks, lack of focus on residential housing development and unsupportive finance mechanisms,” the report says, pointing out

Talking Mortgage with CHUKA UROKO (08037156969, chukuroko@yahoo.com) that in most developed countries, affordable housing at different income levels is achieved through assistance from government through planning incentives, tax credit, land provision, infrastructural support and required building approval concessions.

The bane of mortgage access in Nigeria is high interest rate which hovers between 20 percent and 30 percent and this is one of the major reasons for the low homeownership level in the country whose housing deficit is in excess of 20 million units.

Roland Igbinoba, vice chairman, Roland Igbinoba Real Foundation for Housing and Urban Development (RIRFHUD), publishers of the report, laments that, though Lagos currently has the most vibrant property market in Nigeria, home ownership is still at less than 20 percent.

“With a daily intake of 3,000 immigrants, the housing supply has failed to keep up with rapid urbanization and population expansion,

especially in the low income market.

The housing demand estimate is roughly 4.4 million units while the estimated current supply of housing in the state is 1,417,588 units”, he reveals, adding that “this leaves a gap between housing demand and supply at roughly 3 million units; output is relatively low although there has been increased participation in housing projects from both the government and private sector,” he noted The extent of housing shortage in Lagos is enormous and the deficit is both quantitative and qualitative, such that 72 percent of Lagos residents are tenants paying rent as high as 50 percent of their monthly income while most of the existing accommodations are provided by private landlords.

On the qualitative housing deficit side, most low income earners live in congested settlements usually characterized by buildings with structural defects, bad roads, poor drainages and pollution, posing health hazards for the inhabitants.

Partnering Part 1 It is important to differentiate between partnering and partnerships, the latter having a specific legal basis: as such partnering is fundamentally differentinnaturefrompartnerships and is a form of relationship between businesses that are independent of each other and connected only by their contractual relationship as buyer and seller. A legal partnership on the other hand is of two parties jointly carrying out the same business being jointly liable for all risks and costs of that business. It is imperative that where only partnering, (not partnership),is intended this is made expressly clear and that the relationship is not described to other businesses as one of ‘partnership’.

CIPS believes that partnering is an effective and beneficial approach tomanagingrelationshipswithsome suppliers provided it is undertaken strategically, professionally, and selectively. It is a valuable tool for the purchasing and supply management professional and demands a specific set of skills and competencies from those who will be responsible for developing and managing the partnering arrangement. Partnering is a supply chain process which should be led by the purchasing and supply management professional and include colleagues in the organisations entering into the partnering arrangement.

When is partnering appropriate?

CIPS believes that it is the

responsibility of the purchasing and supply management professional to determine which supplies, services and works would be most suitable for a partnering arrangement, and to work cross-functionally with colleagues in identifying the most suitable suppliers to adopt the role of partners. Although partnering is most useful in longer-term, strategic, and high value contracts, the principles of partnering may also be applied to contracts of relatively short duration. It is a question of balancing the resources required, perhaps by means of a cost-benefit analysis, to establish and manage a partnering arrangement.

Partnering arrangements have been successfully implemented for a broad spectrum of supplies, services and works contracts.

Examples include hotel services, supplies of business-critical items for manufacturing, and various construction projects, some of which are large-scale construction projects with a lifespan of several decades. Partnering is increasingly common in the outsourcing of those services which support an organization’s core business.

Partnering is also useful in respect of projects that have a finite duration; in such cases details such as performance targets, time schedules and cost must be agreed at the outset. Equally, it is important that any risk and reward provisions are based upon real business needs. Another example of where partnering is useful is in

alliances where the client/owner would normally have a participating role – for instance having an equity stake in the relationship. This underlines the interdependency of the parties within the supply chain and the importance of the process which establishes the alignment of objectives between the parties involved.

CIPS believes that partnering arrangements should only be considered with those suppliers able to bring additional value to an organisation over and above that of simply supplying the goods or services required. Purchasing and supply management professionals are encouraged to seek extra value from suppliers and identify the value they can offer over that of the competition. It should also be emphasised that partnering is likely to be the preferred solution where both parties feel it is the best value-adding strategy to follow i.e. they can both identify areas of mutual interest. It could be argued that partnering arrangements may not deliver best value for money in all markets, for instance a highly competitive commodity market as, although value, volume and risk may be high, maximising the benefits of constant competition might be the most effective purchasing strategy.

Some suppliers may not wish to partner with the buying organization. This depends on how those suppliers position the buying organisation in their marketplace.

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SundayBusiness Food & Beverages With Ayo Oyoze Baje

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f there is one food industryrelated company that is providing African farmers the veritableplatformtoshowcase their products and services to the outside world, beginning with the United Arab Emirate (UAE), it has to be Crenov8 Consulting. As a leading Management Consulting and Digital Firm in Dubai it hosts the annual agribusiness gathering – Meet the Farmers’ Conference (MTFC).

The conference, which is a first of its kind Agro-trade and networking platform connecting Africa and the Middle East now in its third edition. MTFC began in 2017 as a veritable platform for productive interaction between African farmers as well as agro-preneurs and the off takers in the Middle East and beyond to engender lucrative deals, networking opportunities, and sustainable collaborations.

CRENOV8, 2019-expanding the frontiers of agri-tech business The fascinating factors that stand it head and shoulders above its peers include its focus on innovations, increasing appeal to creatively-minded African youth and of course, its spin-off effects on job and wealth creation. That the continent’s vast agricultural potential provides a lucrative sector, waiting to be tapped is stating it as it is. The truth however, for those involved, is to be equipped with the requisite knowledge, positioning and a vibrant network to maximise the opportunities available to the farmers. That exactly is what Meet the Farmers Conference (MTFC) 2019 brings to the table.

Fo r t h i s y e a r ’s e d i t i o n , stakeholders from Africa and the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) will come together on the 27th and 28th of November, 2019 at the Dubai Marina, Dubai to network, collaborate and form sustainable business partnerships across borders. And to kick-start it there are already media events planned across 12 African countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Cote D’ivoire, Cameroon, Rwanda , Kenya , Ethiopia, South Africa, Cote d’Ivoire, Angola, and Congo DRC. There are also similar ones for 10 other countries from the Middle East and North Africa. These include Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, India and the UAE. The conference is the place to learn, network, discuss, exhibit and

push the farmers and innovators’ brands to the world. For instance, the Innov8Agric Challenge, which is the hallmark of the conference purely, involves creativity and technology. Already, some young African farmers, agro-preneurs, innovators and enthusiasts have taken up the challenge to come with products aimed at promoting early-stage Agric technology. Theirs is to employ modern technology to create exciting and creative solutions to improve and evolve the way we practice agriculture today.

Specifically, the 2019 version of Innov8Agric Challenge holds across Africa with four winners emerging from each region. These winners will then go on an all-expense paid trip to Dubai to Meet the Farmers Conference 2019. There they will pitch for $5,000 in funding as well as the opportunity to exhibit, network and access a pool of investors and potential customers.

The challenge is open to solutions in every stage of the agriculture value chain—from the farm to harvesting, production, processing, logistics and even bookkeeping. To drive the process to greater heights, Crenov8 has partnered with Avagro to hold the first 2019 Meet the Farmers Conference in Namibia.

Holding on the 27th of April, 2019 at Farm Shalom, Swakopmund-- early registration went for $150 and it closed on April 12. The interesting aspect of this is that Namibia, the land with abundant fisheries and

livestock, is ranked the 5th best tourist destination in the world.

This would no doubt provide the opportunity to discuss a sustainable future involving trade, technology and agriculture.

Announcing the theme for this year’sconference,Ms.BolaOyedele, Managing Director Crenov8 Consulting - organisers of the conference, expressed the impact of food security on the growing world population and the need for increased trade activities and technology innovation across the agribusiness landscape.

In her words: “Our theme this year – ‘’Creating a Sustainable Future’’ and it is anchored on our big vision to sustain Agriculture and food production by facilitating trade and promoting technology use in Agriculture. With the MTFC platform, large and small-scale farmers to tap into the $100billion market in Dubai- that’s why we are partnering with relevant stakeholders across both government and private sector to help us aggregate farmers to export Agric produce to the UAE and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council”.

According to Mark Olorundare, General Manager; Crenov8 DMCC, ‘’This year, the conference places particular focus on actual trade and look to promote export of Agricultural produce from different AfricancountriestoUAEandtherest of the Gulf Cooperation Countries,

promote the industrialisation of Agribusinesses in Africa and to drive direct strategic foreign direct investment (FDI) from the GCC states to Africa. We were able to broker a number of export deals from last year but we intend to do much more this year and leverage on technology as well’’.

As an incentive, winners from each region will battle for the USD 5,000 grand prize and will be given the opportunity to exhibit at the MTFC Finale, as well as follow-on funding and investment opportunities. They will also have access to a high worth pool of investors and potential customers at the conference.

It would be recalled that during the 2018 edition, Miss Modupe Oyetoso claimed the all–expenses– paid trip to Dubai by winning the Nigerian edition of Innov8Agric Challenge. Of significance is that she squared up against young farmers, agripreneurs and innovators from Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda in the Value Chain and clinched the prestigious grand prize of $5,000.

Expectations are therefore, high that this year’s challenge will even be more challenging and bring out the best in the participants. Can Nigeria win it again? Only time will tell.

Baje is Nigerian first Food Technologist in the media ayobaje@yahoo.co.uk; 08057971776

Subscribers get bouquet upgrade ‘MultiChoice Nigeria promotes BalanceForBetter’ in StarTimes Easter promo

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ast month, Nigeria joined the rest of the world to celebrate the annual International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day is a worldwide event dedicated to the celebration of women’s achievements- from business, politics to social endeavours- while at the same time reminding the world that more still needs to be done for gender equality.

This year’s theme, BalanceForBetter, is in recognition of the growing global movement for professional and social equality.

Also described as a ‘business issue’ the theme is at once a call

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n the spirit of the coming Easter celebration, pay TV Company, StarTimes, is offering an upgrade on all its bouquets for subscribers starting from April 1 to May 15.

The promo gives customers the opportunity to pay for subscription package on Nova, Basic, Smart and Classic bouquets and get an instant upgrade to view a higher bouquet within hours of activation.

According to the company, the essence of the promo is to allow its subscribers enjoy the Easter holiday with access to an array of channels on a higher bouquet than they normally watch and unlimited entertainment at a very little cost.

Explaining further, the company’s public relations manager, Kunmi Balogun, said “When you pay N1,800 for two months on Nova bouquet you get to enjoy all Basic bouquet channels for 2 months.

Subscribers who pay N2,600 for two months on the Basic bouquet will enjoy all Classic bouquet channels for 2 months and customers who pay N2,850 for one month and half on the Classic bouquet would enjoy 2months subscription.”

He said, “Subscribers who use

the dish platform would pay just N2,850 to watch the Smart bouquet for two months while paying for one and half months on the Super bouquet gives you two extra weeks at no cost.” He enjoined subscribers to take advantage of the promo, noting that this was an opportunity to watch more channels on a higher bouquet for less of what it would originally cost.

StarTimes is the leading digital TV operator in Africa, serving nearly 22 million users with a signal covering the whole continent and a massive distribution network of 200 brand halls, 10,000 convenience stores and 15,000 distributors in 30 countries.

for and an encouragement of gender balance in boardrooms, the media and in wealth for the promotion of growth of the global economy.

The 2019 theme hence echoes the aims of MultiChoice Nigeria’s equal opportunity workplace.

On this occasion of the International Women’s Day, it is important that we remember and celebrate the wonderful and intelligent and highly resourceful women at MultiChoice Nigeria who have contributed immensely to the growth of this enterprise.

At MultiChoice Nigeria, we are

proud to say we have women who have shattered the business glass ceiling throughout their careers, and they continue to be the backbones of our enterprise and an inspiration to us all.

One of such women is Wangi Mba-Uzokwu, who is the Channel Director, Africa Magic, has been instrumental to the growth of MultiChoice Nigeria. With 24 years experience under her belt, spanning renowned institutions such as Coca-Cola, Airtel Nigeria and British American Tobacco, Wangi has shown that she is the kind of professional everyone would want in their team.

‘Naija comedy Pop-Up channel launches on DStv and GOtv’

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ultiChoice, recently announced a new pop up channel called Naija comedy coming on Monday 15 April for both DStv and GOtv subscribers.

Subscribers can expect to enjoy 100% Nigerian comedy shows ticketed stand shows, skits, and produced shows on the Naija comedy pop up channel. The pop-up channel promises viewers tickets to some of the biggest comedy shows they may have missed in the past and offers entertainment during the Easter period.

Last month, two pop up channels

were launched on DStv; M-Net Movies Epic Battle Pop-Up Channel which focused on epic battles from the M-Net movies stable like Troy, Pearl harbour, Saving Private Ryan and SuperheroHQ which included animation series, animation movies, as well as live-action superhero-themed movies like Batman, Superman, Justice League, Green Lantern and Teen Titans.

“This channel will guarantee rib-cracking jokes from some of Nigeria’s finest comedians. Viewers can look to being a part to some of the biggest ticketed shows in the country” said Martin Mabutho, the

chief customer officer of MultiChoice Nigeria.

The channel which will run from April 15 - May 1, will provide fresh content daily. It is available to DStv Family to Premium package subscribers on channel 197 and on channel 28 GOtv Max subscribers.

The show starts daily from 12:00 Noon.

Viewers can look forward to Alibaba’s January 1st Concert, also known as the official celebration event of the new year; Comedy Nites with IK, AY Live, The Lord of the Ribs, and Mama Tobi Untamed “The Homecoming.”

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SundayBusiness Tecno Mobile packs artificial intelligent camera and identity feature into new Spark 3 Jumoke Akiyode-Lawanson

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stechnologycontinues to evolve to meet human needs, today’s smartphone users are more interested in phones that have more to offer than just the basic calling, messaging and social media features. Things like screen size, memory capacity, fingerprint security, recording and camera features matter more to people.

A trendy and practical smartphone these days must come equipped with an impressive camera, powerful battery, a notch screen (being a trend virtually every brand has latched on to) and an AI assisted system. It’s a no-brainer.

So, it seems like artificial intelligence (AI) has made its way to every smartphone on the market, and is slowly becoming a staple feature on devices around the world.

But what does AI really mean?

Artificial Intelligence simply refers to the ability of a smartphone to perform impressive tasks such as communication, learning, recognition and differentiation of objects, people and places through a set of automated algorithms. Artificial Intelligence cuts across image recognition, identity feature and AI bright camera, amongst other things.

Although this might sound like a scene out of a sci-fi movie, I assure you that it is not and is in fact a reality.

The Tecno brand is no stranger to the artificial intelligence algorithm, being

Africa’s most popular smartphone brand and the brand that seems to know the local consumer best, Tecno launched SPARK 3 (16GB RAM + 2GB ROM version only) as a proof of the brand’s commitment to giving users the perfect smartphone experience fusing elements of the latest technology and style.

In 2011, Tecno Mobile built the Nigeria Imaging Research Center and initiated Tecno Face Study Program.

This program focuses on researching on people’s face, and so far, 1,000,000 faces have been studied. Tecno assigned over 2000 employees globally to research the camera features, which is why they have mastered their camera technology to allow photo beautification capabilities.

Tecno’s SPARK 3 AI camera (16GB RAM + 2GB ROM version only) comes with impressive features such as: AI beauty mode, AI bokeh mode, watermark, AI soft light selfie, AI selfie camera, backlight HDR, adjustable

flashlights, amongst other features.

Its unique features include: Skin —— SPARK 3 can recognise different face features and tones and give the most suitable level of “re-touch” and “lighting” automatically to your photos, including skin polish, dispel freckle, remove acne, remove pouch and black rim of the eye.

3D Face Fine-tuning —— SPARK 3 AI camera can cover 18 face dimensions to enable 3D face fine-tuning. It also helps to enhance hair contrast and colour saturation, highlights your forehead, nose and lips.

It even smartly increases the eyelids to both left and right to extend the eye liner. You get a beautiful photo in just one second without having make-up on.

Mix Flash 2.0 —— Tecno SPARK series always comes with ultra-bright front flash.

The SPARK 3 comes with an 8MP front camera, F2.0 large aperture, 4P lens, 78° selfie angle and adjustable front flash, with the added front flash and brighter screen, SPARK 3 is sure to give the best experience while taking photos, doing a video chat, playing games and watching videos.

AI Face Unlock —— This new technology unlocks your device within milliseconds and ensures that vital information saved on the device does not come in contact with unauthorised persons.

When you lift the phone, the phone screen will automatically light up and unlock by recognizing your face right away.

Samsung confirms death of Korean employee in LADOL Free Zone shooting incident Olusola Bello

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amsung Heavy Industries Nigeria (SHIN) has confirmed that the Korean employee of SHI-MCI FZE, who was shot by an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence (NSCDC) guarding the LADOL Free Zone in Lagos, has died.

SHI-MCI FZE, which is located at the LADOL free zone and operated by Samsung, is a joint venture between the Korean shipbuilding giant and LADOL. The company said in a statement at the weekend that the deceased died at a Lagos hospital as a result of the injuries he sustained from the shooting incident.

The statement disclosed that the deceased suffered multiple injuries to key organs, adding that despite the battle

to save his life at the hospital by expert medical professionals, he succumbed to death following the horrible injuries he sustained.

According to the statement, the LADOL Free Zone armed security guard first shot and killed his colleague during an argument on Monday at the SHI-MCI FZE yard.

“The gunman then went on a rampage around the SHI-MCI yard before shooting the Korean employee who was conducting maintenance work in a crane in the zone. This was an entirely unprovoked attack, as the employee was not involved in the original argument between the gunman and his colleague,” the statement said.

Following the shooting, the Korean was evacuated to Lagoon Hospital Ikoyi, where he underwent two days of surgery.

However, he suffered

severe damage to his kidneys and intestines from the gun-shot, and sadly died on Wednesday evening despite the best efforts of the doctors and nurses treating him. “ We a r e e x t r e m e l y shocked and saddened at the turn of events. We send our sincerest condolences to his family in Korea and are providing them with all the support they require. We thank all the expert medical personnel that fought so hard to save his life.

“We are conducting a full investigation and demand answers from LADOL as to how this employee was screened, and what protection they can offer to workers within the LADOL Free Zone who are now extremely concerned for their safety and welfare.

This incident has exposed the security lapses in the LADOL Free Zone which has led to the loss of a Nigerian and a Korean,” the statement added.

Think-big, start-small, scale-fast …Winning secrets of Ese, creative director, at Hasey Designs

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seoghene Odiete is a young and highly restive woman, who sets high targets for herself. This character leads her to always punch above her weight in most of the things she does at work, in the family and the society.

Born last in five children to a Delta State family resident in Lagos, Ese closely watched with admiration the people who ran their own businesses and how they were able to have a good control of their lives.

This struck a chord in her, who saw it as the benefits of running one’s own business.

This ambition was quietly nursed through her teenage years but she put a timeline to this ambition someday as a student of the Covenant University, where she graduated with honours in 2010 in Mass Communication when she resolved she was not going to be in a paid employment for more than five years before starting her own business.

This, she did, quitting her job at the C&F Porter Novelli, a foremost and leading public relations consultancy, to focus entirely on her baby project, the Hesey Designs, a fashion accessories label, specialising in the design and creation of handmade shoes, bags, corporate gift items and other fashion accessories using African traditional fabrics like ankara, aso oke, kente and adire.

Conjuring the mantra, Think-Big, Start-Small, S c a l e - Fa s t , Es e c o m menced her journey to entrepreneurship with the little savings she had at the end of her National Youth Service year to produce her first set of fashion items. She ploughed back all the revenue she made from the sale of this set into the production of the second set, and on, and on. Her restive nature fired her tenacity in the pursuit of her big dreams and caused her go for the Google’s Africa Connect competition in 2014. She came out tops in the international competition, which came with a grant and a six-month mentorship programme with a Google Team member.

Again, she entered for and won the British Council’s Enterprise Challenge, a partnership between the British Council and the

Eseoghene

Virgin Atlantic Airways.

This award also came with a grant and a mentorship session with Sir Richard Branson, a renowned English business magnate and founder/CEO of the Virgin Group.

Both awards helped Ese, both financially and entrepreneurially in scaling fast her business as it gave the Hesey Designs brand a platform to showcase itself – locally and internationally.

Apart from the two awards, Ese has been recognised as one of Africa’s 25 Best Entrepreneurs Under 25 by Ynaija (2015); and one of the 40 Under-40 Nigerian Entrepreneurs

by BizWatchng (2015).

She is a finalist at the Tony Elumelu Prize in Business (The Future Awards) in 2014. She also won a scholarship to the prestigious Branson Centre for Entrepreneurship. Hesey Designs designed and handcrafted the sneakers that Sir Richard Branson wore to the 30th Anniversary Ceremonies of the Virgin Atlantic Airways.

She also runs the Hesey Designs Empowerment Centre where over 1,000 women and youths have been taught how to make fashion accessories such as bags and shoes at little or no cost since 2014 it was established. In its four years of operation the centre, over 150 micro, small and medium scale business owners have benefited from the services of the centre.

Ese has distinguished herself in the areas of M S M Es , w o m e n e m powerment and entrepreneurship and has been

keynote speaker invarious corporate events and programs. She addressed female entrepreneurs at the Diamond Women Enterprise Program (2014), a resource person at the British Council’s Mind the Gap Conference (2014), Future Awards Enterprise Program (2014), and the Blank Sheet on ‘How I developed a World-class Event’ (2015).

Other events she has featured include the University of Lagos’ Girls Inspire Girls Event; University of Nairobi, Kenya (2014), I-Cube event, British Deputy High Commission to British Council and DFID (Year?); the Ibukun Awosika’s Ignite TV (2013); the Connect ZA/ British Council on the Business of Fashion in South Africa (2014); etc.

Since 2014, Ese has also featured in several Tear-1 print and online publications, as well as local and international broadcast stations including CNN, Guardian, Punch, Business Day, TW Magazine, Africa Magic etc.

She is a volunteer at the Slum-to-School Project, an initiative that seeks to encourage children living in the slum neighbourhoods get quality education; and a member, Board of Trustees of Postpartum Depression Network, a non-governmental organisation that helps nursing mothers deal with the issues which mostly come with childbirth to avoid depression and its attendant consequences.

Ese is married to Cedric Ehikhumelo and they are blessed with two children, Samuel and Ryan.

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TheWorshippers ‘Nigerian politicians must place sanctity of human lives above political office’ Reverend Godfrey Emmanuel of El-Shaddai Bible Church, Mercy Cathedral, Omole Phase 2, in this interview with SEYI JOHN SALAU, spoke on the recent congratulatory visit to President Muhammadu Buhari by the leadership of the church led by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) president, touching on why politicians should place more value on human lives over political offices. Excerpts: CAN’s recent visit to congratulate President Buhari on his 2019 election victory has been generating reactions from many Nigerians; what is your view on this? don’t have any issue with that. To the pure, all things are pure: until the court decides. If you are talking of substantive president, I think INEC is the constitutionally recognised body to conduct elections; and has declared him the winner. It is incumbent on the political opponent who feels aggrieved to constitutionally seek redress or challenge the outcome of that election in a competent court of jurisdiction. So, I think what the CAN leadership has done – I don’t want to say politically correctness of what they have done. But, I think as leaders there is nothing wrong if they go to congratulate the president and make some demands. Until the status quo changes, then if the court tomorrow says it is not the president that has actually won or he was rigged in to that office. Until the court decides that or upturns his victory, then the leadership of CAN and the church can also congratulate the winner. The system has been well built to give constitutional balance. So, I do not think there is anything wrong in that visit.

Closely related to that visit was the violence that attended the 2019 election; what would be your take/advice on Nigeria’s electioneering process going forward?

As Nigerians, we do not have monopoly of democracy: all over the world constitutional democracy is being practised. If constitutional democracy is being practised all over the world – in other places how is democracy

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Godfrey Emmanuel

being practised? Is it something that has to do with blood; must blood be spilled before we can have enduring democracy? I

think that the moral burden is on those driving the governance of this country to conduct free and fair election. It’s not supposed

Those in leadership should take up responsibility, because if you are talking of the social contract theory between the government and the governed, it is incumbent on the government of the day to protect lives and property

to be ‘do or die’ affair. I think the system should be sanitised; it is unfortunate that everything in Nigeria is convoluted – we have a convoluted system and those in leadership have not taken the moral responsibility to do things right. If people are doing things right; those manning the security apparatus of the country supposed to know that human life is sacred and it must be treated as such because there is no duplicate. Both the followership and leadership need to overhaul our distorted value system to know that the sanctity of human lives is number one in all we do, even before democracy and political offices. I am not happy about the violence – it is disheartening; we need to go back to God and cry for mercy; that God should have mercy on our country.

What do you suggest as the way forward?

Those in leadership should take up responsibility, because if you are talking of the social contract theory between the government and the governed, it is incumbent on the government of the day to protect lives and property. That is the primary responsibility of those in government; so when they shy away from these responsibilities, I think they should be called to order and make sure that the system has a way of paying back those that are found culpable in this ‘do or die’ approach to seeking political power/offices, like if they do not get political office people will die – it is a bad orientation and I think the government and the court should do something about it.

Also, both the leaders and the followers, because it takes two to tango – if the leadership are power-thirsty and they want

to get political powers by all means and the followership decline by not supporting or fail to carry out this syndrome that is killing Nigerians, I think we will have a better society.

As we go through the season of lent, what is the spiritual/ biblical importance of lent in Christendom vis-à-vis the number of days Christians use in fasting today?

I want to believe that the spiritual importance of our belief is not hinged on the number of days of spiritual observations or premise on variations of different doctrinal beliefs or different sects within Christendom. What is important to every believer going by my spiritual persuasion and belief is that everyday should be a lent season to believers. So, irrespective of your denominational bloc, or your religious belief, the most important thing should be; what is the spiritual importance of what you are doing? We should not limit ourselves to human calculations or traditions – 7 days, 40 days, 100 days; what is important is your connection with Jesus: the relationship you have with the Lord of the season; Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who came, died, and resurrected.

That is the most important thing; the eternal spiritual value of our belief is his lordship, his sacrifices in what he did on the cross – that is what is important; and not the variations or disagreement with the number of days. In fact, it is not the religious aspect of the lent that matters – rather, after the seven days, what’s next; after the 40 days, what’s next; after the 100 days fasting, what’s next. Our belief and trust should be, thanking God for what Jesus did.

Bishop urges faithful to imbibe spirit of thanksgiving

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he Diocesan Bishop of Lagos, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Humphery Olumakaiye, has urged Christian faithful to always imbibe the spirit of thanksgiving in every situation they find themselves. Stating it is a sign of absolute faith in God’s ability to lift man above physical expectations in life.

“Thanksgiving is a natural activity. Sanwo-Olu should fulfill his promises to the people. If you serve

this people diligently with your heart they will in return serve you.

One tree does not make a forest, so carry Lagosians along in all your programmes, and respect every person under your leadership,” he said.

Olumakaiye stated this at a thanksgiving service of the Lagos State governor-elect, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat held recently in Lagos.

The bishop appealed to the governor elect to end the suffer-

ing in Lagos and most importantly proffer solutions about the traffic situation, as well as develop the state to a more business friendly environment.

“To be successful in life, one must do the right thing, moment by moment and day by day. Never leave God in your serve nor abandon Him. “Sanwo-Olu is a man of humility; he is never full of himself.

Pride change angels in to devil and humility changes devils to angel.

He should be careful to obey the word of God, and not let the word of God depart from his mouth,” said Olumakaiye.

Sanwo-Olu who led the congregation in a two-minute praise, expressed appreciation to God, just as he lauded the congregation for their support during his campaign.

“I want to thank God who has made today a reality; I give God all the glory and adoration. I want to thank our Bishop for being a father to us. I also want to thank

my deputy and his lovely wife for creating time to come and rejoice with us.

“What I want to say is that God is real and let us continue to thank God even when it appears that God is not answering our prayers. He knows the right time,” said SanwoOlu, pledging to take Lagos to the next level of development, “The two million Lagosians are expecting a lot from us and we will put in our best and try to take our Lagos to an amazing point.”

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BDSUNDAY 41

BrandsOnSunday SPOTLIGHTING BRAND VALUE

Nigeria: Plenty of discouraging, less inspiring headlines Daniel Obi

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verage Nigerian is disillusioned more than ever before. What stares on his/her face every day are plethora of discouraging reports, less of inspiring statements from Nigerian shepherds. The situation is engendering and giving signs of state of bleakness.

Sure, many circumstances and indicators paint Nigeria as a declining state. In mid-2018, Brookings Institution ranked Nigeria as having the highest number of people in extreme poverty.

At the end of May 2018, the report said Nigeria had about 87 million people in extreme poverty, compared with India’s 73 million.

Worse of it is that the report also said that extreme poverty in Nigeria is growing by six people every minute. This is in spite of abundant resources in the country.

A year later, precisely late March, 2019, a report by Steve Hanke, an economist from John Hopkins University in Baltimore, United States ranked Nigeria as the 6th most miserable country in the world.

The Misery Index was calculated using economic indices including unemployment, inflation and bank lending rates. These indices show negative figures in Nigeria.

A month after, April, World Bank came up with a report that is intandem with earlier analysis. The bank put it succinctly that Nigeria’s economy is sliding. It said the economic decline which has been on since 1995 continued till 2018.

According to reports, key elements that determined the rating on Nigeria and other countries surveyed included the level of income per capita of the countries; structural transformation, as captured by sectoral value-added share and sectoral employment share; and capital flows.

“Others are level and composition of public sector indebtedness,

as captured by the general government gross debt and its currency composition, and the outstanding external public debt. The last of the indicators has to do with governance vis-a-vis government effectiveness, regulatory quality, control of corruption, voice and accountability, political stability, and absence of violence and rule of law”.

Not done yet on southward indications for Nigeria. Recently a report cited the Nigeria Police Force, power sector, education, judiciary and health ministry as ranking top five most corrupt institutions in Nigeria.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), the report said established the ranking, after a survey was carried out across the six geopolitical zones in the country, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. This damning report was glossed over by the shepherds.

Also back home, headlines are not cheering. It is either involvement of military to determine election results, rituals killings,

kidnapping or suicide bomb blasts and killings involving many Nigerians and this goes on as if it is normal. Contrastingly, murder of one person in other climes such as USA and Israel is visited with all seriousness.

Only last week, several Nigerians were killed in different circumstances and Nigerian shepherds have no clear explanations for all the killings and this goes on and on.

Reports last week said dozens of people were killed in a flareup of violence in three Nigerian regions.

In the southeastern state of Rivers, eight people were killed when armed men attacked a village in the Ogoni region. Police attributed the attack to a “cult-related incident,” The report further said that in the northern state of Katsina, many people were killed in clashes between cattle rustlers and vigilantes.

The massacre and atrocities of militant groups in Nigeria has, on daily basis, reduced the value of human lives. Over hundreds of people are killed everyday.

The Zamfara Government has

said that a total of 3,526 persons were killed by armed bandits in the state in the last five years. “Nearly 500 villages have also been devastated and 8,219 persons were injured, some are still in critical condition,” the government said in a report. This situation is not different from stories in other states especially in northern Nigeria.

It must be noted that the spate of insecurity, particularly killings, kidnapping, banditry and acts of terrorism in some parts of the country are on their peak. Concerned about the wanton killings, many Nigerians including the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III have charged the Nigerian police to checkmate such crimes in the country as this do not spell well for Nigeria’s image.

“Because of government’s insensitivity to the high rate of crime, travellers on the expressways like Benin-Sagamu and Akure-Ilesa, are in a permanent state of fear. The Kaduna-Abuja Expressway, a major link between the North-West and the Federal Capital Territory, is a den of bandits in spite of the heavy deployment of police officers. In June,2017 bandits abducted 20 persons in one operation. Also, robbers raided a bank in Owerri, Imo State in February and killed police officers. In June, Osogbo, Osun State, witnessed a daylight bank robbery in which three police officers died”, Punch Newspapers complained in its editorial of August 6, 2017.

Since then, it seems Nigeria has not recorded reduction in such crimes.

In addition to these charges on Nigeria’s security apparatus to step up their game, Nigeria’s shepherds should show more concern through their statements and visits whenever such wanton killings and atrocities occur. This will give Nigerians hope.

Apart from statements from the presidency indicating that the President has condemned killings, Nigerians will be more touched if they hear the voice of the president and other key officials on such mat-

ters. This will not only boost the morale of police officers in fighting crime but it will assure Nigerians that their government is also concerned. The current lukewarm attitude to such crimes is not helping Nigeria’s brand.

After the shooting in New Zealand, their Prime Minister, Jacinda Arden showed serious empathy by visiting the scene several times and addressed the nation. Her concern indicated that New Zealand is a country that is concerned over such crimes and human lives.

The recent call by the House of Representatives to President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately address the nation over the spate of killings in the country is welcomed.

The House last Thursday agreed that the President should address them and the nation regarding the attacks on communities in Benue, Zamfara, Kaduna, and other states where many people were killed and several others displaced. “Should the President fail to respond to the request, the lawmakers resolved to conclude with other Nigerians that he and his administration were incapable of permanently curtailing the incessant killing of innocent Nigerians”, a report quoted the House.

As salary alone is not only the motivating factor in employment, encouraging words, showing empathy and concern could be what Nigerians need from their leaders to be more united, forge ahead even in trying times and build a united and progressive Nigeria we all deserve. There are plenty of inspiring statements which Nigerian shepherds can tell on daily basis to boost morale. Nigerian spirits are dampening due to plenty of discouraging headlines. This needs to be lifted up.

President Buhari, Ministry of Information and National Orientation office can resort to twitter and use other social and traditional media to talk to Nigerians regularly as Nigerians need this to defend Nigeria’s cause and assist in re-building the sliding Nigeria’s image.

customers in Africa. The company has evolved from a digital marketing company to a data & marketing technology company Some of the benefits of using Terragon’s Data & Martech services are access to large data sets, audience buckets which gives insights on consumers, conversion of leads to clients, tracks user journey, measures success rate and outcomes, Private CDP (Customer Data Platform) which allows brands and businesses gain relevant insights on their customers, enabling them to stack up and grow the profile of their customers Its proprietary marketing technology, Adrenaline, also unlocks value for businesses using insights to reach Africa’s mobile users.

Adrenaline can reach over 80 million Nigerians through online and offline channels to drive targeted

awareness, promote engagement and increase conversion and retention rate. Adrenaline is currently the only technology that has the capability of tracking users from online to offline in Africa.

Terragon is committed to achieving its strategic objectives of using data to drive outcomes in Africa. In 2018, it acquired an Asian marketing technology firm, Bizense, which consolidated its position as one of the leading global digital companies.

Brands and businesses, which need access to large data sets of mobile users for superior performance for awareness, engagement, conversion, and retention with guaranteed outcomes really need to switch and work with the latest technology Terragon offers Africa.

Africa’s data problems and the Terragon solution Anthony Ifeanyi

A

ccording to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria’s internet usage in 2018 hit 93.3 million users. In a country of over 190 million people with a median age of 18 years, this is a mixed blessing.

It is the case of the cup being half full and half empty at the same time. The half empty view highlights the majority population of youths and sees them as a huge challenge to meet their internet needs such as video streaming, downloads, social media, and email communication among others. These needs will require an urgent and massive commitment in infrastructure investment.

On the other hand, the half-full scenario represents an opportunity to meet the needs of the huge youth population by stepping in to provide the solution. According to the Global Broadband Speed League, Singapore has the highest internet speed in the world while the countries with the slowest internet speeds are in Africa. Nigeria is rated at a low 114 Mbps.

This affects the digital economy of the continent as most Western economies have been reaping the benefits of seamless internet connectivity.

In Africa, few companies have robust customer software and rich data analytics capabilities; none have innovated with the African mobile user in mind. Terragon Group, a Nigerian data analytics and marketing technology company, is the rare exception.

With its proprietary technology, Terragon provides custom integration on both the demand and supply side of the mobile marketing technology value chain to multinational and local brands in Africa. Founded in Lagos, the company has a strong international team of over 90 experts with offices in Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, Johannesburg and Bangalore. It supports over 50 enterprise

Ifeanyi is a marketing technology

42

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Sunday 14 April 2019

EquityMarket

FBN Holdings, Fidelity, Stanbic IBTC post highest PAT growth in 3 years Stories by TELIAT SULE

F

BN Holdings, Fidelity Bank and Stanbic IBTC have posted the most improved growth in profit after tax(PAT) in the last three years. This is one of the findings from the analysis of the growth in banks’ profit after tax (PAT) from 2016 to 2018. This analysis focused on the financials of Fidelity Bank, Stanbic IBTC, FCMB, Sterling, Union Bank, Zenith, Access Bank and Wema. Others are GTB, UBA, FBN Holdings and Unity Bank.

While PAT is just one of the metrics to measure banks’ performance, it will not be out of point to say that the consistency in profitability by the three banks shows their resilience in an economic characterised by uninspiring growth in the last three years. Recall that the Nigerian economic growth averaged about 2 percent during the reference period.

FBN Holdings late last week announced its audited financial statement for the period ended December 31, 2018. It posted N59.67 billion profit after tax for the period, which amounted to a 58 percent increase over N37.71 billion PAT in 2017. The 2017 PAT also translated to 208 percent increase over N12.24 billion PAT realised in 2016.

This amounts to an average increase of 133 percent over the three-year period, a performance that not only beat the industry PAT growth of 24 percent; it equally placed FBN Holdings as the best performed financial group by PAT growth between 2016 and 2018.

“I will have to say that FBNH profit levels were higher than we projected, owning to our impairment charges expectation. The bank took impairment of N86 billion while we projected N100 billion because of our perception of the weak asset quality.

“However, as good as the profit is, the key element to evaluate for the bank is its NPL levels and impact it is having on its capital buffer (CAR).

NPL ratio came in higher at 25.7 percent while CAR weakened to 17.3 percent”, said Chinonye Nnewuihe, senior analyst with Meristem Securities Fidelity Bank’s PAT growth during the 3-year period averaged 127 percent. In 2016, the bank made N5.46 billion PAT which increased by 226 percent to N17.77 billion in 2017.

Fidelity bank further increased its PAT to N22.92 billion in 2018.

Stanbic IBTC’s PAT during the period rose by 60 percent on the average. From N18.89 billion in 2016, the bank grew its PAT by 51 percent to N28.5 billion in 2017, and further by 70 percent to N48.38 billion in 2018.

First City Monument Bank, FCMB, recorded an average of 37 percent growth in its PAT during the period.

It recovered from a decline in PAT which fell from N3.73 billion in 2016 to N1.52 billion in 2017, but later rose to N3.55 billion in 2018, translating to an increase of 133 percent between 2017 and 2018.

With three banks operating holdings company licenses among the top five when measured by the 3-year growth in PAT, the debate will continue to range among industry analysts the best banking model between those operating holdings

company structures, international banking and national banking licences. In the last banking reforms, deposit money banks were given the options by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to operate any of the holdings company structure, international, national or regional banking licenses.

In addition to having international banking presence, banks with Holdings Company licenses are permitted to have subsidiaries, while those with international banking licenses are not allowed to have subsidiaries.

FBN Holdings with controlled 9 percent of the industry profits in 2018 as against 7.1 percent in 2017 in spite of the strong growth in PAT during the period. Fidelity Bank with a national banking license topped the three-year PAT growth chart but controlled just 3.8 percent of the industry profits in 2018, an increase

over 3.6 percent share of industry profits in 2017.

Stanbic IBTC with a holdings company license performed strongly on the PAT growth chart but controlled 7.3 percent industry profits in 2018 compared with 5.4 percent in 2017.

FCMB exhibited the trend with 0.5 percent share of industry profits in 2018 as against 0.3 percent share in 2017.

On the contrary, Zenith Bank with recorded 26 percent growth in PAT during the three-year period controlled 29.2 percent share of the industry profits in 2018 compared with 32.9 percent share in 2017.

Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) which posted 15 percent growth in PAT during the 3-year period accounted for 25.2 percent share of the industry profit in 2018 in contrast to 30.1 percent share in industry profits in 2017. And Access Bank, which

recently absorbed Diamond Bank, witnessed 23 percent growth in 3-year PAT but controlled 14.3 percent share of the industry profits in 2018, which was in increase over 11.4 percent share of industry profit in 2017.

The marginal share in industry profits of banks operating holdings company structures compared with banks with international banking licenses on one hand, and the significant three-year PAT of each bank as shown by industry performance, which doesn’t really show a clear cut trend, implied that a caution has to be exhibited when comparing the efficacy of banking licences in Nigeria, some analysts said.

United Bank for Africa (UBA) saw its three-year PAT growth decline by 7 percent during the reference period. It posted an average of N41 billion PAT during the period.

“It will be wrong to conclude that holdings companies are not profitable like other banks because Stanbic IBTC, which is also an holdings company reported strong growth numbers and it has the highest return on average equity in the banking industry as at 2018FY. It is pertinent to understand the key fundamentals underlying each business, be it a pure play commercial bank or holdings company before making that generalization.

Nonetheless, the rationale for most banks like ours to choose pure play international commercial banking license is simple: maintain lean, cost efficient structure that avoids duplicated cost, potential double taxation, and bureaucracies that are often common in holding companies, particularly as the contribution from the non-core banking businesses were so strong to justify keeping them within an holding company structure. Interestingly, shareholders are today better-off with the creation of those non-core businesses as separate companies, as it has been a major value creation for UBA shareholders, who now earn dividends from multiple sources and continue to see value creation from all fronts”, Rasak Abiola, head investor’s relations, the United Bank for Africa (UBA), said.

First Bank Holdings has proposed to pay shareholders 26 kobo final dividend for 2018. Closure period is from April 23-29, 2019 while the Annual General Meeting (AGM) will hold on May 3,2019 at the Grand Ball Room, Oriental Hotel, VI, Lagos.

GSK changes model, adopts Fidson Healthcare as local manufacturer

G

laxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria Plc, popularly known as GSK has changed its operational model with the selection of Fidson Heealthcare Plc as local contract manufacturing partner. This follows the announcement made by GSK to all its stakeholders through

the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) last week.

“Following the earlier announcement on the restructuring of its supply chain operating model, GSK wishes to announce the selection of Fidson Healthcare as GSK’s preferred local contract manufacturing partner, as part of the changes

in our consumer healthcare supply chain operating model. With this selection and subject to the meeting of appropriate regulatory requirement, GSK will be transitioning the manufacturing of its wellness and respiratory products in the first instance to Fidson from Q3 2021.

“Until then it would be busi-

ness as usual at the Agbara factory as GSK continues to ensure supply continuity for all its locally manufactured brands. In choosing Fidson, GSK believes that the partnership would help build and sustain local expertise, technical knowledge and improve local production capacities”, the company

said in a note to shareholders.

GSK announced further that all the changes communicated did not impact its broader commitments to global health in Nigeria as well as across Africa. An regardless of this announcement, GSK would continue to be a listed company on the NSE.

Sunday 14 April 2019

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BDSUNDAY 43

Kiddies ngnwaogu@yahoo.co.uk

POEM

A friend’s greeting

I’d like to be the sort of friend that you have been to me; I’d like to be the help that you’ve been always glad to be; I’d like to mean as much to you each minute of the day As you have meant, old friend of mine, to me along the way.

I’d like to do the big things and the splendid things for you, To brush the gray out of your skies and leave them only blue; I ’d l i k e t o s a y t h e k i n d l y things that I so oft have heard, And feel that I could rouse your soul the way that mine you’ve stirred.

I’d like to give back the joy that

Children having fun at a function.

you have given me, Yet that were wishing you a need I hope will never be; I’d like to make you feel as rich as I, who travel on Undaunted in the darkest hours with you to lean upon.

I’m wishing at this Christmas time that I could but repay A portion of the gladness that you’ve strewn along the way; And could I have one wish this year, this only would it be: I’d like to be the sort of friend that you have been to me

By Edgar Guest

‘States should strengthen and implement Child’s Rights Act’ NGOZI OKPALAKUNNE

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resident, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Kashim Abdul Ali, has stressed the need for states to strengthen and implement Child’s Rights Act, saying it would go a long way in checkmating indiscriminate child abuse in the society.

Speaking at the “Invent it, Build it” programme which was recently organised by the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) in collaboration with the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Kogi State, Adul also encouraged parents and guardians to educate their girl-child, describing such effort as a viable tool towards achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the country.

According to him, when a girl is educated, she will acquire knowledge and skills needed to advance her status for social interactions and self-improvement.

He further affirmed that the education of the girl- child also prepares her to face the reality in society and teaches her to be a good wife and mother.

“When she is educated, she

realises the full potentials endowed in her, she discovers to be whoever and whatever she wants to be. With education, she would break the shell of ignorance and open that of self-discovery.

“This is because, when girls are not educated, they remain dependent on their parents before marriage, on their husbands after marriage, and on their children if eventually their husbands die,” he added.

He described a girl-child as a biological female offspring from birth to eighteen years of age adding, “This is the age before she becomes a young adult. This period covers the crèche, nursery or early childhood, primary education and secondary school.

“During this period, the young girl is totally under the care of the adult who may be her parents or guardians and older siblings. It is made up of infancy, childhood, early and late adolescence stages of development.

“At this period, the female child is malleable, builds and develops her personality and character.

She is very dependent on the significant others, those on whom she models her behaviour, through observation, repetition and imitation. Her physical, mental, social, spiritual and emotional develop-

ments start and progress to get to the peak at the young adult stage’’, Ali stated.

Stressing the need for girls to study engineering, he said it would enable them to acquire knowledge and skill set, eliminate inferiority complex, refine self-confidence and become financial independence.

Others, he said include; healthy competition with peers; promotion of creativity and innovativeness; and national and economic development.

Ali, defined engineering as a branch of science which deals with the application of scientific and mathematical principles to practical ends such as the design, manufacture, operation and servicing of efficient and economic structures, machines, processes and systems.

“Today, these end results are seen in the likes of constructed bridges, dams, roads, railways, buildings, factory machines, automobiles, ships, aircrafts, computer and electronic systems, electrical fittings, their maintenance and repairs. Engineering is a professional course which has been proven to be a recognised tool for every nation’s economic growth and development. It has been and still is the forerunner for the

he called out to her. You see, Spider was terribly lazy. He didn’t like to work for himself, and he had heard tales of Fadhila’s fruits.

Spider had a special talent, too.

He was a trickster, and this time he thought he could trick Fadhila into sharing her talents with him.

And so, using his sweetest voice, he called out, “Fadhila, good day to you. How are you feeling this beautiful morning?”

“I’m well,” Fadhila answered, and she smiled, but right away she thought Spider must be up to something. “What about you, Spider? Are you feeling well?”

“Ah,” Spider sighed, “well, yes ... but I am very hungry. I wonder if I might accompany you into the

bush to find some food.”

Fadhila thought a moment, and she looked Spider up and down. “You know, I am sure, no one has ever come with me.”

“Ah, yes,” Spider said cheerfully, “I do know that. And I would consider it a special honor to be the first one to be your companion in the lonely bush.”

“Well,” Fadhila said, eyeing him carefully, “if you come along, you must promise you won’t tell anyone my secrets.”

“Of course!” Spider said. He smiled as he felt his stomach grumbling with anticipation.

“Promise me,” Fadhila said.

A story from Kenya

O

nce upon a time, a young girl named Fadhila lived in a tiny village on the coast of Kenya. Fadhila had a special talent for picking the most marvelous fruits. Whenever Fadhila picked an orange, it was the juiciest orange, whenever she picked a banana, it was richer and denser than anyone else’s bananas. This was true of every fruit she picked. The people of Fadhila’s village wondered how she found such delicious fruit, but nobody asked her to reveal her secret. It was understood that everyone has a skill, a special talent, and this was Fadhila’s.

And then one day, as Fadhila was walking past Spider’s house,

• To be continued

development and progress of any country’’, he submitted.

He recalled that Nigerian female teenagers became the overall winning team of the 2018 Technovation World Pitch in California, United States, adding, “The team, Save-A-Soul”, developed a mobile application called ‘FD Detector’ to tackle the problem of fake pharmaceutical products in the country. The Nigerian girls defeated teams from the United States, Spain, Turkey, Uzbekistan and China to become the first Nigerian team to win the competition. The teenage girls are from Anambra state in the south-east region of Nigeria, and will be pitching their app to investors in the Silicon Valley”, he noted.

Quoting researchers he said: “It has been established that enabling female education is crucial for national development, and the role of women cannot be underestimated.

“The general belief is that “when you educate a man, you educate one, but when you educate a woman, you educate a nation.” This is so because the education of every child starts from the family and the mother is the first teacher. “Educating the girl-child produces mothers who are educated and who will in turn,

educate their children, care for their families and provide for their children,” he affirmed.

However, he lauded the leadership and entire membership of APWEN and advised them to always be conscious of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s saying that: “In our society, the women who break down barriers are those who ignore limits”.

Speaking earlier, President APWEN, Felicia Agubata , said that the overreaching objective of the “Invent it, Build it’’ programme which has been held in different primary schools in the six geo -political zones 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.

Agubata further explained that the programme would bridge the gender gap in STEM education as well as engineering as a career choice.

She lauded their partners, NNPC for their support in ensuring that the programme covers the six geo -political zones of Nigeria.

It is worthy to note that this “Invent it, Build It’’, programme took place at Lea Primary School Ofugo Ankpa, Kogi State.

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BookReview Primer on the inter-connectedness of life A lifetime of friendships: And a career in television and Nollywood, Sule, Muritala (2018),Lagos: MS Global Productions Limited pages: 242 ISBN: 978-978-55035-7-9 Reviewed by: Chido Nwakanma

S

everal areas make this book significant and interesting. It is a free-flowing narrative about the inter-connectedness of life and how events even in childhood catch up with us and take deterministic shapes and turns. A lifetime of friendships is a biography in the best traditions as it anchors on a pivotal moment in the life of the author.

Muritala Sule is a communication professional with experience in public information management, journalism, and film production. He produced and presented the immensely popular Lagbo Video magazine feature programme on NTA Channel 7 between 1995 and 1999.

The programme was a platform for the then evolving Nollywood. Lagbo Video is understandably the peg for this narrative, but it then draws in many characters and personalities and a rich trove of experiences and interactions.

The best biographies are elongated profiles. Best practice in profiles is to focus on a single subject and peg the story on that subject. The best biographies adopt novelistic techniques to make the subject matter interesting and captivating to readers. Good biographies read like novels.

At the heart of the story is his life-long relationship with Godwin Igharo, unfortunately now on the other side of life.

They meet in the streets and cinemas of Mushin as teens who would sneak in to watch films even at the cost of severe punishment by the parents of Mr Sule.

Soon Godwin moves in as part of the family and together they form a strong personal bond that they transmute in later life into a professional one. Muritala Sule, MS to many of his friends and colleagues, weaves a writer’s web that draws in many persons, places and programmes of their lives into this engrossing narrative.

Several areas of interest stand out in A life of friendships and serve as learning points.

1. The author shows great skill and presence of mind in recollecting and documenting the various relationships that stood out in his life and career. People are the clothes that MS wears proudly as his sartorial signature. It makes up for his often-downbeat sartorial taste. MS inherited and acquired his love for people from his mother. Alhaja Raliat Sumbola Kareem was a bleeding heart. She went out of her way to convert her home to a communal restaurant, a semi-orphanage and a home for the homeless and hungry.

Her son took after her in bringing home a friend that would be a significant part of his life.

2. Relationships and relationship man-

agement count down the line. A lifetime of friendships brings to life in a Nigerian setting all the lessons and more in Dale Carnegie’s famous How to make friends and influence people.

3. Lessons in managing the egos and turf battles in the relationship between producers of independent programmes and managers of the broadcast platforms where they run them.

4. Life on the streets, the thrills and dangers. This portion makes for sober reading.

5. Childhood discipline and the benefit of strong foundations. His father caned MS ceaselessly for going to the cinemas and returning late at night. Much later, he gloried in the success of Lagbo Video¸ borne on the inspiration of such childhood obsession with moving images.

6. The journey of ideas from gestation

to germination.

7. The often-unhelpful attitude of advertisers, like bankers, who support ventures only when you have market-place proof of concept.

8. Gratitude and giving credit to others.

The author pours generous encomiums on various cadre of staff with whom he worked on the programme at the Nigerian Television Authority. They range from the General Manager then, Chief Bode Alalade, to engineers L.O. Olajide and others.

Many people stand out in this narrative, none more so than Mahmoud Ali-Balogun. He was the anchor for the realisation of the vision of Lagbo Video.

Then the many personalities who featured in the programme, from King Sunny Ade to Tunde Kelani, Mrs. Duro Ladipo, Kanayo

O. Kanayo, Bimbo Akintola, Alhaji Lateef Olayinka (Latola Films) to Shina Peters and the many players in Nollywood and the larger entertainment industry. Then his many friends in journalism, including Lanre Idowu and Taiwo Obe, then of Media Review and Steve Osuji of New Age newspaper.

The author quotes his then broadcasting lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Dr. Emmanuel Akpan, as saying that a good broadcast show should “show me the banananess in the banana.” Recalling it was a spur for his idea of a TV programme on films. He also thought broadcast was more effective than print in capturing the whole essence of the then emerging Nollywood and film.

Even as he gives deserved credit to Dr. Akpan, the author casts a withering glance at the Nigerian university system.

He blasts the inhabitants of the Nigerian ivory tower for being disconnected with the reality of the market place to which they send students. “In nearly all universities where Theatre Arts and Mass Communication are taught, many lecturers mock Nollywood and talk disparagingly about it and the people who sustain it, making the would-be graduates look down on them. Yet, this is an industry that is the toast of Africa and respected around the world”. Our academics, he asserts, are “All theory, no practise”. The chapter on Emmanuel Akpan is deep, reflective and makes profound statements about the direction of Nigerian education. Why are we not teaching and formalising Pidgin, the language spoken by many citizens across West Africa?

What are we doing about our rich idioms and proverbs instead of quoting Homer, Aristotle and all the Greeks and Romans?

Why are we not linking courses to reallife to help students?

A lifetime of friendships is so picturesque it shows the banananess in the banana of this story. An index and a section explaining the local terminologies in use evinces the care in getting the message across as well as concern for the reader.

A drawback is the closing chapters where the author adopts the tone of a preacher. It gets heavy unlike the novelistic approach earlier.

A lifetime of friendships is a useful book for persons interested in broadcasting and film, Nigeria’s Nollywood, TV production and marketing, as well as the history of Nigerian media. It would appeal to those in Literary and Language Arts, communication and urban sociology.

It is most of all an intensely enjoyable first-person narrative of lives and the intersections with other lives and how they play out many years down the line.

Editor’s note: We welcome intelligent review of Nigerian/ international authors by interested writers. send your reviews to bdsundayletter@businessdayonline.com

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BDSUNDAY 45

Health&Science What causes red spots on the roof of the mouth?

M

ost people experience red bumps or spots on the roof of their mouth at some point. Common causes include irritation from foods, dentures, or a mouth or throat infection.

Red spots on the roof of the mouth can be irritating, but they are usually harmless and should go away on their own. People can see a doctor if they are concerned or do not know what is causing the spots, as it can also be a sign of something more serious.

In this article, we look at factors that can cause red spots on the roof of the mouth, pictures to help identify the cause, and prevention.

Strep throat infection Strep throat is an infection that affects the throat and tonsils. A group of bacteria called Streptococcus are responsible for this infection.

Tiny, red spots called petechiae on the roof of the mouth are a common symptom of strep throat infection.

Other symptoms of strep throat include: fever, pain while swallowing, red and swollen tonsils and swollen lymph nodes in the neck.

If a person suspects they have strep throat, they should see a doctor or an ear, nose, and throat specialist. Treatment usually includes a course of antibiotics, drinking plenty of fluids, and rest.

Physical injury One of the most common reasons for a red spot or sore on the roof of the mouth is a sudden injury such as a cut or burn. This may happen because of drinking something too hot or from eating food that causes bruising from biting or chewing.

Other conditions that could lead to physical injury or bruising of the mouth are: dentures that no longer fit properly, the edge of a broken tooth, uneven dental fillings or broken crowns or bridges and sensitivity or allergic reaction to certain ingredients in some toothpaste or mouthwash.

The American Dental Association advise waiting 2 weeks to allow the damaged tissue to heal.

a few days.

The exact cause of canker sores remains unknown, but some risk factors include: genetics, fatigue, emotional stress and certain foods that cause irritation.

Unlike cold sores, which oral herpes causes, canker sores are not contagious and heal in 7–10 days. In this time, people can relieve discomfort by using OTC topical creams, gels, and antimicrobial mouth rinses.

Erythroplakia

If red spotspersist, they recommend checking with a dentist to diagnose the condition.

Oral thrush Also known as candidiasis, oral thrush is a yeast infection that the fungus Candida causes.

Nearly everyone has Candida present in their digestive tract or on the skin, but under certain conditions, the fungi multiply to cause an infection.

Somespecificfactorsputpeople at a higher risk of oral thrush, such as: using dentures, smoking regularly, HIV or AIDS, diabetes, cancer, certain medicines for dry mouth or asthma.

Common symptoms of oral thrush include:white or red patches on the inner cheeks, tongue, roof of mouth, and throat, red spots that feel sore, a loss of taste, a cottony feeling in the mouth, pain while eating and swallowing If a person suspects that they have oral thrush, they can consult their doctor or dentist about their symptoms. A healthcare professional can usually diagnose oral thrush by examining the mouth.

In some cases, they may ask for an

oral swab of the mouth or throat to look at under a microscope.

Mouth ulcers Mouth ulcers are sores that occur in the mouth. They cause discomfort and can make it difficult to eat and drink.

Mouth sores tend to clear in 2–4 weeks, but they can persist, bleed, or become infected in some cases.

Some common factors that contribute to mouth ulcers are: dehydration, poor mouth care or oral hygiene, heavy alcohol use, using tobacco, a lack of dietary protein, vitamin deficiencies and certain medications or treatments, such as radiation therapy.

By eating soft, bland foods and drinking lukewarm water, people can get some relief from mouth sores. An individual may also want to avoid foods that are coarse, salty, or acidic until the sores go away, as they can irritate the affected area and increase discomfort.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common viral infection. It typically affects chil-

dren who are less than 5 years old, though older children and adults can also get the virus.

The first sign of HFMD is often a fever. After 1–2 days, painful sores may develop in the mouth.

Doctors call these herpangina.

The sores usually begin as small, red spots, and they commonly appear at the back of the mouth.

These spots can blister and may be painful.

HFMD often also causes a rash on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, and sometimes on the knees, elbows, and genitals. Most cases are mild, and some people can have HMFD with no symptoms at all.

There is no treatment for HFMD, though people can use over-the-counter (OTC) medications to reduce pain and fever.

Mouthwashes and oral sprays can help relieve mouth pain.

Cold sores are most common on the edges of the lips, but they can also appear inside the mouth, including the roof of the mouth.

They often appear as white, open sores, though they can also look like red spots, especially when just beginning to form and when healing.

More than half of Americans who are 14 to 49 years of age carry HSV. People may notice that cold sores appear when their immune system is weakened, such asincoldweatherorafteranother infection or illness.

Cold sores usually clear on their own within 2 weeks. During this period, people should avoid close physical contact with others and avoid sharing personal items such as razors, toothbrushes, lip balms, and towels to prevent transmission of the virus.

Canker sores

Oral herpes The herpes simplex virus (HSV) causes herpes, which is a viral infection. This virus causes open sores, also called cold sores or fever blisters, in or around the mouth.

Canker sores are small ulcers that develop on the roof or the inside of the mouth. Canker sores look like ulcers with a grey, yellow, or white center and a flat, red border. They begin with a red spot or bump and tend to grow in size in

Erythroplakia is a red patch or spot commonly seen on the floor or side of the mouth. Doctors do not fully understand the causes of erythroplakia, but it is more common in people who use tobacco or alcohol to excess.

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, erythroplakia is often an early sign of oral cancer.

People who suspect erythroplakia should see their doctor.

In some cases, a doctor may recommend removing the tissue with surgery or laser treatment to prevent cancerous tissue from developing.

Prevention Here are some easy tips to improve overall oral hygiene and reduce the risk of oral health conditions:maintain oral health by brushing teeth twice daily, use a mouthwash or rinse at least once a week, do not use tobacco products, if any medication causes dry mouth, drink plenty of water, chew sugarless gum, and limit alcohol, and visit the dentist regularly.

Summary Many conditions can cause red spots in the mouth, some of which are harmless and resolve on their own.

Some red spots may indicate an oral infection. If symptoms last longer than a week or are very painful, it is best for people to consult a doctor.

Treatment depends on the underlying cause of the condition and can include oral gels and balms, mouth rinses, and antibiotics.

Culled from Medical News Today

How to know if you’re at risk for heart attack ANTHONIA OBOKOH

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omplications arising from heart attacks can be serious and possibly life-threatening. The older you are the more likely you are to experience serious complications following a heart attack.

A heart attack is a medical emergency. A heart attack usually occurs when a blood clot blocks blood flow to the heart. Without blood, tissues lose oxygen and die.

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) or Ischaemic Heart

Disease is a leading cause of heart attack. It is a condition in which coronary arteries (major blood vessels supplying the heart with blood) get clogged up with deposits of cholesterol. These deposits are called plaques.

Signs to watch out for Heart attack is often not a sudden occurrence though in many people, it strikes suddenly, but more often than not, people have warning signs and symptoms sometimes for hours, days or weeks in advance.

Nigeria records more than

1.5 million cases of coronary heart disease per year according to... You or someone near you may be having a heart attack if they experience any of the following symptoms: tightness or pain in the chest, neck, back or arms, as well as fatigue, light-headedness, sweating , an overwhelming feeling of anxiety which may or may not include an unusual awareness of a racing heartbeat.

Women are more likely to have atypical symptoms than men.

Treatment of a heart at-

tack will depend on how much blockage has occurred within the ‘coronary’ arteries supplying the heart and how much damage to the heart muscle has occurred as a result.

Treatment ranges from lifestyle changes and cardiac rehabilitation to medication, stents and bypass surgery.

How to prevent heart attack According to the World Health Organisation, the following are key ways to protect heart health and could help reduce your risk of having a heart attack or having another heart attack.

WHO warns says tobacco use, an unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Engaging in physical activity for at least 30 minutes every day of the week will help to prevent heart attacks.

Eating at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day, and limiting your salt intake to less than one teaspoon a day, also helps to prevent heart attack.

Having your blood pressure checked and knowing the number to avoid sudden

attack. If it is high, you will need to change your lifestyle to incorporate a healthy diet with less salt intake and may need medications to control your blood pressure.

Know your blood sugar, raised blood glucose (diabetes) increases the risk of heart attacks if you have diabetes it is very important to control your blood pressure and blood sugar to minimize the risk.

However, experts say that the longer the delay in starting treatment, the greater the likelihood of a poor outcome after a heart attacks.

46 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 14 April 2019

Sports France 2019: NFF assures Falcons of adequate support … as FIFA Women’s World Cup trophy stops over in Abuja

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Stories By ANTHONY NLEBEM

cting President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi has assured that the Federation will provide even more support and encouragement for the Super Falcons as they enter the final stages of preparation for this year’s FIFA World Cup finals in France.

Speaking when the FIFA Women’s World Cup trophy made a stop-over in Nigeria on its tour of 24 countries qualified to participate at the championship in France, Akinwunmi acknowledged that the women’s game has brought so much honour to Nigeria, and therefore deserves all the encouragement and push necessary to thrive.

“The Government of Nigeria has been giving so much support to the various National Teams, including the Super Falcons. On our part at the NFF, we will ensure that the girls receive even stronger support before the FIFA World Cup in France,” he said at a cer-

emony inside the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

Also, Hon. Minister of Youth and Sports, the Acting Permanent Secretary, Mrs Hauwa Kulu-Akinyemi traced the evolution of women football in Nigeria and stated that “the Government of Nigeria recognizes the pivotal role of football in unifying peoples across various physical and mental

divides, and creating joy, love and passion among the youth. Football is a remarkable boundary-eliminator and works wonders in drastically reducing insecurity while fostering peace and tranquility within and across jurisdictions all over the world.”

Sarai Bareman (chief women’s football officer) who led the FIFA team,

thanked the Government of Nigeria for its continued support for football, especially the women’s game.

Also with her were Nicole Fisch (lead for women’s football project), Vanessa Marques (lead for marketing project) and FIFA legend Osaze Peter Odemwingie – former Nigeria international.

Odemwingie, who fea-

tured in four Africa Cup of Nations finals for Nigeria and played at two FIFA World Cup finals, unveiled the gold –plated trophy, weighing almost 5 kilograms.

Also at the Minister’s office were NFF Executive Committee members Emmanuel Ibah and Aisha Falode, Brigadier-General Emico Eruwa (President, Paralympics Committee of Nigeria), Mrs Tayo Oreweme (Director FEAD), Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme (NFF deputy secretary-general), Mr. Bola Oyeyode (NFF Director of Competitions), Mr. Bitrus Bewarang (NFF Director of Technical), Mr. Ademola Olajire (Director of Communications), Ms Ruth David (Head of Women’s Football), directors from the Ministry, Alh. Fika Adamu, Dr. Paul Onyeudo, Architect Mohammed Gambo, Mrs Blessing LereAdams and Dr. Toyin Aluko, Mr. Emmanuel Nwaeri from the Nigeria Olympic Committee, as well as other directors from the NFF, Rafiu Yusuf, Dr. Robinson Okosun and Sunday Okayi.

In her presentation, Bareman disclosed that six of

the group phase matches at the 8th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in France has been sold out, including that pitching Nigeria’s Super Falcons against France at the Roazhon Park in Rennes on 17th June.

She also revealed that FIFA is targeting one billion television viewers for the showpiece taking place 7th June – 7th July, and that most of the tickets have so far been taken up by nationals of host nation France, the United States, The Netherlands and United Kingdom.

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will be deployed at a women’s tournament for the first time in France, where five debutants (Jamaica, Chile, Scotland, Thailand and South Africa) will be on show.

Falode, on her part, also traced the evolution of the women’s game in the country, eulogizing the Class of 1999 that reached the quarter finals in the USA, while challenging the present squad to soar even higher in France having received the best preparation afforded any Super Falcons’ team before a World Cup championship.

Nigeria know opponents as U19 CWC qualifiers get underway

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igeria’s under 19 Cr i c k e t Te a m , the “Junior Yellow Green”, will know their opponent as the I C C U 1 9 Cr i c k e t World Cup 2020 qualifiers get underway this weekend.

Tanzania, Sierra Leone and Nigeria succeeded in winning the right to play at the next level against Namibia, Kenya, Uganda.

The recently concluded Africa Qualifier hosted

by Namibia clearly set Nigeria a class above to proceed to the 2020 World Cup to be staged in South Africa.

Nigeria will be joined by four other regional qualifiers, one each from the Asia Qualifier, EAP Qualifier, Americas Qualifier and Europe Qualifier.

The four qualifiers will be held across the second and third quarter of 2019 in Malaysia (Asia), Japan (EAP),Canada(Americas) and Netherlands (Europe).

With the five Regional Qualifiers complete by the end of 2019, the identities of all competitors

in the main event will be confirmed, with Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe already in the draw.

Malaysia hosts the Asia Qualifier where six teams will be battling it out on the field from 12–18 April.

Only one team can move forward and join Nigeria, with Nepal, Malaysia, Oman, Singapore, UAE and Kuwait the teams fighting for the spot.

In 2018, South Africa hosted an 11-team playoff. Botswana, Gambia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zambia set off to fight for the chance to get two steps closer to the World Cup. Kuwait and Oman are no strangers to each other, having tied at the finals of the ICC U19 World Cup Qualifier Asia Division 2 in December 2018.

Hamoud Amanullah was Player of the Match with 23 runs off 55 balls, and

two wickets for 21 runs in 10 overs.

Hamoud is the man to watch in this leg of the championship, his team captained by Abdul Sadiq. Oman’s Amanpreet Singh Sirah notched a good strike rate of 73.91, scoring 17 runs off 23 balls, and is another player to keep an eye on.

Captaining for Ne-

pal is Rohit Kumar Paudel, just 16 years old and already making quite a name for himself. Being the youngest player to debut with Nepal’s first team, Rohit stood his ground and finished as the team’s second leading scorer – captain Paras Khadka being the first – in the WCL Division 2 in Namibia over a year ago.

He has since become the youngest-ever player to notch an ODI fifty, beating the mark set by Sachin Tendulkar.

Wicket-keeper Aman Desai captains for Singapore, while Aryan Lakra leads UAE. Both teams have played extensively in Malaysia and will acclimatise fast and well.

Malaysia captain Mu-

hammad Amir Azim is vastly experienced for this level. His international debut was the ICC Asia Under 19 World Cup Qualifier in Singapore in July 2017, playing alongside Malaysian senior players such as Virandeep and Syed Aziz. Malaysia and Singapore finished Nepal and Afghanistan in this tournament.

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BDSUNDAY 47

Sports

Could City’s away struggles hand Liverpool the EPL title

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iverpool fans searching for any possible chink in Manchester City’s armour must be having a tough time. Pep Guardiola’s expensively-assembled squad, two points off top spot but, crucially, possessing a game in hand, not far off the heights they reached last season. If they win all of their remaining matches - which is not at all unrealistic - they will end the season just two points worse off than in their record-breaking 100-point 2017/18 campaign.

The two sides have kept up an extraordinary pace at the top of the table, Liverpool coming through a series of serious tests in recent weeks with win after win to maintain pressure on their title rivals.

City have matched them every single time.

With six wins from six guaranteed to see City retain the title, Liverpool are relying on a slip-up

somewhere along the line.

The fixture list might just hand them hope.

Tottenham’s move into their new stadium - which was meant to take place in September and the Premier League tried to accommodate by allowing Spurs to play three of their opening four games on the road - has thrown up a lopsided conclusion to most teams’ run-in. All but one team has a different number of remaining home and away games, with three teams facing twice as many on the road as they do at home - including Manchester City.

City have been almost unstoppable at the Etihad, winning 16 of their 17 league matches so far this season, averaging 2.82 points per game.

Away from home, they have a comparatively poor 10 wins from 15 games, averaging 2.13 points per game. Their differential of 0.69 points per game is the fifthworst in the entire top flight.

Lukaku says Champions League not over for Man United

Ex-Falconet coach, ex-Ghanaian star appointed coaches for new Football club

… Charges teammate to show more intensity at Nou Camp

MIKE ABANG, Calabar

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ANTHONY NLEBEM

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ike the saying in football, ‘its not over yet, until the final whistle’, this is the message Manchester United striker, Romelu Lukaku is preaching to his teammate.

Manchester United stumbled to a 1-0 defeat to Barcelona at Old Trafford on Wednesday night in the Champions League round of quarter-final and that has pilled pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men ahead of away leg of quarterfinal tie next week The Belgian striker has called on Manchester United teammates to show more spirit than they did against Barcelona in the first leg as he conceded that eliminating the Uefa Champions League favourites would be a tough than beating Paris Saint-Germain.

LukeShaw’sowngoalgave the Spanish champions a 1-0 lead to take back to the Nou Camp but United became the first team in Champions League history to overturn a 2-0 deficit at home when they won 3-1 in France in the last round.

Lukaku scored United’s first two goals then before Marcus Rashford added an injury-time penalty and the Belgian said the key to victory against a Barcelona team who have not lost a home Champions League game for six years will be: “Taking our chances

and not conceding a goal, and play with more heart.

“Barcelona are different team, every game is a different game, we just have to improve and do better than we did in Paris. We have to believe and have the desire and more quality than on Wednesday, be better on the ball and then you never know what can happen in football. On the day you can score from one chance and that’s what they did at Old Trafford.”

Paul Pogba was in bullish mood as he declared that United’s killers are capable of mounting a famous comeback to overcome the Spanish league leaders.

“We saw a team we can beat,” the Frenchman said. “If you don’t believe that then

you just let them go through.

We believe we can beat them.

They are Barcelona but we are Manchester United and we play in the Champions League like they do and we can go through.

“We have to avoid giving them chances and be killers in front of goal. We believe chances will come over there.”

Pogba believes that United’s comeback in the round of 16 will be a psychological factor for Barcelona. He explained: “Probably Paris will be in their minds for sure because they saw what we can do against PSG.” United failed to register a shot on target at Old Trafford, which was the first time since 2005 that they did not work an opposing goalkeeper in the

Champions League, but Pogba felt he saw proof Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side can trouble Barcelona.

“You are playing against one of the best teams in the world but we gave them some problems,” he said. “We know that we can hurt them.”

Defender Victor Lindelof wasfrustratedwiththefirst-leg scoreline but insisted United have a capacity for greatness.

“I am just angry we didn’t get a better result,” the Swede said. “We have belief in our team that we can do great things andwehaveshownthat before.”

United will be without suspended Shaw in the Nou Camp on Tuesday, but they could have a former Barcelona player back.

ormer skipper of Cross River State owned UNICEM Rovers Football Club, Phillips Amissah has been appointed as coach of the resuscitated AMEN BOYZ FC. The Ghanaian football star played in the club in the 1980s for upward of over 20 years before returning to play in his national team.

Similarly, Coach Edwin Okon, the former national team coach of Nigeria’s female football team, the Falconets, has also been appointed as coordinator of the wavemaking team.

The team plays a friendly match with Rovers FC in honour of former chairman of the club, His Holiness Olumba Olumba Obu whose 18th coronation anniversary is being celebrated by his teeming faithful this weekend.

The match was played on Friday 12 April 2019 at the UJ Esuene Stadium Calabar where both

Such an away record is still impressive - up there with the best in the league - but based on City’s away form as well as a Champions League defeat at Tottenham this week and unconvincing narrow wins at Swansea and Schalke, Liverpool should still retain hope of City dropping points.

Arsenal’s away record is absolutely terrible, having failed to keep a single clean sheet on the road all season, and given they also have one of the best home records, the difference in their points per game averages at home and away is, by some distance, the biggest in the Premier League. With four remaining away games, they will do well to make it into the top four.

At the other end of the scale, Crystal Palace are the only team with a better record on the road than they have at home, having won only four games at Selhurst Park all season.

teams displayed high technical football skills.

Amen Boyz are made up of mostly talented young players with a number of foreign players from Cameroon and Ghana.

Amissah said this is not his first time with the team which was formed in 1999 to play grassroots football, and that the founder and sponsor of the club, Olumba Obu brought him from Ghana to bring life into the team.

He disclosed that they will soon begin to play in the Nigerian local league and that the match with Rovers was very important to them.

Edwin Okon who helped to drill the team during their training sessions in order to make them adaptable to modern techniques was in Calabar to motivate and give the team needed technical backup.

According to Okon the AMEN BOYZ FC will make impact in the local league.

BDSUNDAY

NEW YOU CAN TRUST

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Stemming the rising tide of insecurity

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et all Nigerians who are sincerely concerned about the terrifying and ever soaring wave of insecurity in the country come together, synergise and proffer lasting solutions to prevent the wanton wasting of human lives, sooner than later.

And let those in government; constitutionally empowered with the protection of our lives and property walk the talk to save more lives.

Truth be told-Nigeria cannot continue to be run this way.

After all, the primary purpose of government as enshrined in Section 14(2b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) is to guarantee security as well as provide for the welfare of the citizenry. That perhaps, explains why Socio-cultural groups such as Afenifere, Ohanaeze and the Pan Niger-Delta Forum(PANDEF) have joined the clamour, asking President Muhammadu Buhari to be more decisive in tackling of all manner of insecurity challenges bedeviling the nation.

Cumulatively, they have assumed the status of a hydraheaded monster ready to bring the Nigerian nation to its begging knees. Even the House of Representatives has as at Thursday 11th April, 2019 given the president 48 hours to do the needful.

One cannot blame them.

In retrospect, one of the salient reasons why Muhmmadu Buhari, then the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) edged out the incumbent president, Goodluck Ebele Jona-

than of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 elections was the public perception that given his military background and hailing from the Boko-Haram infested North, he could wave the magic wand and pronto, send them back to wherever they came from.

In fact, he and his party did promise that with them in power, Nigerians would within a few months say ‘good bye’ to the menace of insurgency and we believed them. But that was then. And this is now! Some four years down the line, the insecurity incubus has worsened so much that the Boko Haram insurgency, kidnapping for ransom, killings by herdsmen, cultism of several shades and armed banditry are all on the upswing! For instance, bandits have turned the once peaceful Zamfara State into a wasteland. The governor has openly admitted that he was no longer qualified to be called the Chief Security Officer of the state.

Ditto for the states of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Kaduna, Taraba with the insecurity that has spread to Sokoto and Katsina. The scourge of insurgency continues to rage with the passion of pugilists at war. Like a bolt out of the blue, the challenge took on a new toga as it metamorphosed into the killer herdsmen (or herders) sending not a few hapless, innocent citizens to their early graves in Benue, Taraba, Plateau down to Enugu state. The answer to the clarion call for Mister President to do the needful was that the herders came all the way from Libya!

Meanwhile, as usual there are conflicting figures as to the true causalities involved in the insurgency-related killing sprees that have been going on for a decade. According to Amnesty International, the widely-held estimates of 3,000 to 4,000 go for deaths of civilians by Boko Haram between 2009 and mid-2013. Between May and December 2013, according to the United Nations Humanitarian Agency (OCHA), 1,224 people were killed by Boko Haram. Some 4,000 fatalities were reported in 2014.

As expected, there are three to five times more people killed than made public. Higher figures are reported by the Nigeria Security Tracker, a project run by Africa programme of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). It estimates the death toll from May 2011 (when it began its work) to August 2014 at over 17,500.

This includes 6,742 deaths linked directly to Boko Haram, and a further 10,806 killings involving “Boko Haram and state perpetrators”. And as at January 2018 there were speculations that at least 50, 000 Nigerians died from terrorism in 2017 alone!

Yet, some figures do not add up. While Nigerians have gotten used to the angst that trailed the Dasukigate allegations of billions of security votes converted to slush funds for the ill-fated PDP campaigns of 2015 there are still more questions begging for answers. The humongous amounts allegedly spent so far to drastically reduce insurgency vis-a-vis the pervasive insecurity

on ground gives cause for serious worry. Concerns were raised in December 2017 when the National Economic Council approved $1 billion dollars or N350 billion to combat the insurgency.

Some were of the opinion that the president should not fall into the same trap that his predecessor complained about.

In all of this what matters most is for a holistic approach to bring solutions that last. The root causes of insurgency, banditry, kidnappings and armed robbery must be taken care of. We have to begin with the family unit that has virtually broken down. Every killer comes from a home. If the parents are there for him or her and if he is sufficiently engaged in some worthwhile, lucrative venture the lure of blood money would not be there!

In addition, the government must be there to provide a buffer against the shocks and pains of poverty and unemployment.

With Nigeria as the world’s headquarter of extreme poverty and the sixth most miserable country to live in, government must go beyond giving matching orders to top security personnel to deal ruthlessly with culprits, to looking for sustainable approach involving both the public and private sectors. A lot of public enlightenment and sensitisation of young minds against come-quick riches and religious extremism has become a necessity.

The time has come to be more proactive; to put in motion, mechanisms that prevent all manner of crises than being reactive when

AYO OYOZEBAJE Baje is Nigerian first food technologist in the media and author of ‘DRUMBEATS OF DEMOCRACY’

they do rear their ugly heads. It is good to arm, train, insure and pay our soldiers and policemen well. It pays to be transparent and accountable with regards to security funding. But we need politico-economic restructuring; with community policing to bring security closer to the people.

We must also do away with the culture of impunity. The masterminds behind Boko Haram still walk our streets as free men.

Giving amnesty to killers is not the best way forward. Wrong doers, no matter how powerful-be they politicians or traditional rulers- must be brought to speedy justice; to serve as strong deterrence to other evil- minded perpetrators.

Nigerians desire and indeed deserve a safe, secure and productive environment for gainful employment, where their potentials can be identified, honed and maximised. The blight of insecurity hurts us all. A government should act like a father figure- that protects and provides.

Anything short of that is inimical to peace and development.

Who is afraid of Fayemi?

“Misery loves company, rebellion loves music” (Will Bill, featuring Rachel Pearl (2016) eng Xiaoping was a Chinese politician who became the paramount leader of the People’s Republic of China from 1978 until his retirement in 1989. In 1985, Deng was voted Man of the Year by Time Magazine.

In Xiaoping’s home, there is a painting called ‘Two Cats’ by renowned painter Chen Liantao. An inscription in Chinese calligraphy says: “It doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white; as long as it catches mice, it’s a good cat.”

The South Western part of Nigeria of today is like the then Deng’s China, savoring the post-election victory and needing to consolidate on it in anticipation of harvesting big in 2023.

But as good as this sounds, something seems odd about the anatomy of the proverbial _Ajao,_ of the region: Its arms are longer than its legs.

Already, some respected leaders have started gloating over the success and its intended consequences for the Southwest. They believe the gains are meant, not for all, but a few of them. They are not only appropriating the victory, they are also drowning themselves in anger, disparaging some other people’s contributions.

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You would think that those disparagers would at least understand and appreciate what others had brought to the table. But, no. Their concern is about their own invincibility, which is now being questioned, so to speak. They fear that any recognition given to others in the bloc would dwarf theirs and can throw up some new stars.

Don’t be surprised therefore, if you start hearing disparaging tunes about a Fayemi who is too minnow a politician, yet too ambitious and aspiring to rule the entire Nigeria come 2023.

The political trajectory of the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi is fast giving those people sleepless nights, being the greatest comeback kid in the history of progressives in the Southwestern Nigeria. Those who should appreciate and celebrate him are the same people now dissing him, beating drums of war and expecting Fayemi to dance to it. They are sponsoring known slanderers to sing rebellious songs against the governor.

As the sitting governor, Fayemi in 2014 lost the governorship election to what his traducers called disconnectedness and political immaturity. But today, Fayemi, who was explained away as politically naïve then, has suddenly grown to become a political juggernaut and must be hewed, lest he becomes a threat to the ambition of some

people. To do this, some pull-himdown professionals who have long sold their conscience to the devil, have been hired to hack down Fayemi’s reputation, dish out umbrage, which would describe the governor as over-ambitious.

Fayemi is neither an infantile activist nor a rookie politician. He had paid his dues, coming from the school of hard knocks, and this is what he is putting on the table for the benefit of the Southwest and the entire Nigeria. Those who anticipate that he may eventually become the greatest beneficiary of his current bridge-building exercise may be seeing with extra terrestrial eyes, what ordinary eyes cannot see. But no one should attempt to pooh-pooh his contributions to the fence-mending exercise going on in the sub-region.

Rather, they should eat the humble pie and join him in the process. After all, it is whatever is available that is worth sharing.

If some Yoruba leaders are at this point beginning to arrogate power to themselves, believing it is served a la carte, then they should start building bridges too and stop playing god.

Instigating umbrage against a Fayemi may not be the best strategy. Fayemi, they should know, is not anyone’s headache. He is only being himself and making his strategic expertise available for the benefit of, not only the Yoruba race, but the entire Nigeria by criss-crossing the entire

country, bringing messages of peace to the doorsteps of all progressives. If this is seen as building a political nest for himself, then so be it.

Dr. Fayemi returned to relevance in Ekiti State when he beat Ayo Fayose and his crony, Professor Olusola Eleka to emerge as the governor for a second term in 2018. He quickly built on the victory, and in a spate of three months, consolidated his position, led the progressives to win a landslide victory for President Muhammadu in February 2018 as well as for all who contested for the national and state assembly slots in March. The victory was the best for the progressives in southwest, free of any controversy and the first to be pronounced and commended by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of that of any other state in Nigeria. This may have turned Fayemi to a star boy, who must be watched and checked. His sins: his moves are becoming suspicious. He is getting too close to the President.

He is becoming too popular. He must slow down. He must queue behind some leaders....

Not that this matters to Fayemi.

A clear conscience, they say, is the greatest armor. If he feels strongly that his bridge-building effort is what his party, the All Progressives Congress, desires at this point, and it is producing the desired result, why must he be deterred? Not even the bite and blow antics of some of

his associates should matter to him.

After all, his focus and sense of duty have never been in doubt.

Anyone feeling intimidated and uncomfortable by this feat, should come out in the open and voice it, rather than hiding under cloak of jealousy to diss Fayemi. Of course, those who know the truth can easily read between the lines and see them as his traducers.

Simply put, they are paranoid.

They are paranoid because the leader of Afenifere, the oldest Awoist alive, Senator Ayo Fasanmi had openly praised Fayemi for his good work. Pa Fasanmi publicly canvassed that the presidency must come to the Southwest in 2023, which settled down well with the disparagers. But for declaring his support for Fayemi, and the latter not publicly turning it down, both Pa Fasanmi and Fayemi have stirred the hornet’s nest, so they must be stung by bees until they repent.

What does it mean to be paranoid in politics?

According to William S. Burroughs, A paranoid is someone who knows a little of what’s going on.

Being paranoid, therefore, is an unrealistic distrust of others or a feeling of being persecuted.

Extreme degrees may be a sign of mental illness.

…Ask Akin Omo Akin Continues online, www.businessday.ng

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