BusinessDay 22 Sep 2019

Tribunal verdict: Join me to build Analysts seek regulation, reform to reduce Delta, Okowa tells Ogboru number of trucks on Nigerian roads Francis Sadhere, Warri

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AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE

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elta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has extended an olive branch to his rival in the March 9 gubernatorial election, Great Ogboru of the All Progressives Congress (APC), urging him to join his administration in building a stronger state.

He made the call at an interContinues on page 4

orried by the incessant accidents caused by recklessness of drivers of container-carrying trucks and tanker trailers, analysts have called for the establishment of truck movement regulation as well as reform process that would reduce the number of trucks on Nigerian roads.

According to them, Nigeria also needs to reduce the number of tankers evacuating highly inflammable petroleum prod-

ucts, which on many occasions, upturn on the highway, resulting in expulsion and death of many innocent citizens.

B D S U N DAY s e a r c h h a s shown that for Nigeria to achieve this there is need to develop a modern rail system that would take a large number of trucks (about 120 trucks at once) off Nigerian roads. This is because the use of modern rail system has been identified as the safest Continues on page 20

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Why 2023 is for Igbos to win or lose, by Chekwas Okorie

Plaudit for FG, Air Peace as 2nd batch of S’African returnees arrive fatherland

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How serial killers trap PH ladies in hotels

p. 40

Waiting for the magic wand from the President’s ‘wise men’ CHUKA UROKO

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major highpoint in President Muhammadu Buhari’s second coming was recorded last Monday when he named an Economic Advisory Council Continues on page 21

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Vol 1, No. 281 N300

?? Domestic investors control 53%

NPA’s collaborative efforts in war against sea piracy

p. 19

inside

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transactions as equity valuations become attractive p.p 39 41.

2023: Is Osinbajo a

‘sacrificial lamb’?

INNOCENT ODOH , Abuja and INIOBONG IWOK, Lagos

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ice President Yemi Osinbajo appears to have run into a political bad weather as a cabal allegedly operating under the shadows of President Muhammadu Buhari have allegedly bared their fangs against the professor of law as permutations for the 2023 elections get underway.

The government in which the Vice President is a star figure and probably the most eloquent and articulate voice behind its policies is about to drown its own ardent champion. But this is not exactly unexpected especially in Nigeria full of political ‘jackals and hyenas’ (apologies to the First Lady Aisha Buhari).

When news filtered in on Monday, September 16, that the Presidency had announced the replacement of the Economic Management Team (EMT), which Osinbajo chaired, with an Economic Advisory Council (EAC), to be chaired by Professor Doyin Salami, the floodgate of the vicious anti- Osinbajo campaign Continues on page 2

How VP incurred the wrath of Aso Rock cabal

‘The public humiliation was not necessary’

President Muhammadu Buhari

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

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Sunday 22 September 2019

Cover 2023: Is Osinbajo a ‘sacrificial lamb’?

Continued from page 1 was said to have been opened.

The Presidency also announced other members of the new body as Mohammed Sagagi (vice-chairman), Ode Ojowu, Shehu Yahaya, Iyabo Masha, Chukwuma Soludo, Bismarck Rewane, and Mohammed Adaya Salisu (secretary).

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said the advisory council “will be reporting directly to the President”.

Now, this below the belt punch was further compounded by alleged plans to reassign some top aides of the Vice President from the Presidential Villa to some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

The developments intensified the speculations that the cabal was out to “curtail” the VP’s powers by excising some agencies under his supervision.

If these developments were terrible for the Vice President, then it was a disaster when an alleged Memo from the Presidency came directing the Vice President to henceforth seek presidential approvals in the running of the agencies under his supervision.

At this point, it was not in doubts as to the feud between the Vice President and elements within the Presidency, who have allegedly hijacked power.

But Osinbajo had debunked the insinuation of any rift with the Presidency, stressing that the agencies under his supervision are acting constitutionally.

Laolu Akande, Osinbajo’s spokesman said in a statement that “Our attention has been drawn to a sensational report by The Cable which claims that His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, has directed Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, to seek approvals for agencies under him.

“The report suggests, falsely, that agencies under the supervision of the Vice President do not normally comply with established rules where presidential approvals are required.

“This is obviously misleading and aims only to plant seeds of discord in the Presidency while attempting to create unnecessary national hysteria.”

The Vice President maintained that he has always complied with the law and warned against moves to cause disaffection in the presidency especially between him and the President.

He said: “To claim that in the first term of the Buhari administration, agencies of government have not been complying with the provisions (of getting final approvals from the President) is false, and the attempt to suggest the Vice President’s complicity in such irregularities is simply mischievous and reprehensible.

“The effective and mutually respecting relationship between the President and the Vice President is

well known to Nigerians and it is futile to insinuate otherwise.

“Even though the Vice President has a statutory role as Board Chairman of some government agencies under his office, with appropriate approval limits, which often do not include contract approvals; it is ludicrous to even insinuate that a Board Chairman approves contracts.”

The agencies being supervised by the Vice President are the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the National Boundary Commission (NBC), the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) and the SocialInvestmentProgrammes(SIP).

It was gathered that the SIP may now operate under the newly created Ministry of Social Development, Humanitarian Affairs & Disaster Management headed by Sadiya Umar Farouq.

There are however, insinuations that conflict is brewing over the roles of the EAC and the statutory National Economic Council (NEC), headed by the VP as the constitution gives NEC the power to “advise” the President on economic affairs.

Osinbajo’s rising profile is said to be threatening the cabal allegedly led by Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari and others with serious grudge against Osinbajo who BDSUNDAY gathered has vowed to leave no stone unturned to diminish him.

President Buhari, while inaugurating his new cabinet recently, ordered the new Ministers to submit any request meant for him to his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari and all executive matters to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mustapha Boss. Analysts believe that this has given the Chief of Staff more power, which he is allegedly using to hunt his perceived enemies.

These alleged anti-Osinbajo moves came at a time he was touted to be nursing the ambition to succeed his boss, President Buhari in 2023, as the cabal mainly from the northern part of the country is already plotting never to allow power shift to the South.

Some analysts have also said that Osinbajo may be paving the way for his political benefactor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but that the members of the cabal in the Villa are implacably opposed to the idea of Tinubu as President and are prepared to scuttle it at all costs.

Despite the spirited denials by the Vice President about a frosty relationship with his boss, there appear some cracks in the relationship. The signs are all too visible.

In the Friday, September 20, 2019 edition of The Nation, a columnist, Fola Ojo, in his column titled, ‘Osinbajo: Are they ‘killing’ him softly?’ noted that “Events in the last few weeks, however, have obviously shown that somebody tucked out somewhere in the crevices of the purlieu of power beholds the pastor as a formidable

L-R: Elizabeth Olaosun, Pastor John Olaosun, Pastor Bashiru Adesina and wife, Victoria, during the thanksgiving session organised in honour of Pastor Olaosun in Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday.

threat to their dreams. Who that is, we know not; or whose interests they serve are both gauzy and hazy. There appears to be a determined, almost diabolical effort to railroad this VP who is believed to be running faster than a deer to succeed Buhari. They want to kick him to the stinking curbs of irrelevance in the present power play. This is now for them a task that must be done as we glide closer to 2023.”

Osinbajo’s alleged ‘sins’ Some of the decisions Osinbajo took that made him popular when he acted as the President while President Buhari was away on medical vacation, were also what allegedly angered the cabal.

Against all the calculations and interests of the Aso Rock cabal, Osinbajo confirmed Justice Walter Onnoghen as the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria, the first southerner to be appointed into that exalted office in nearly 30 years.

The cabal did not like that and they plotted and eventually advised Buhari to remove Onnoghen before the election through ways many lawyers considered as unconstitutional. Onnoghen was accused of not declaring his assets and was suspended on controversial circumstances.

His independent-mindedness is said to have scared the cabal.

Onnoghen had presided over Supreme Court judgments that did not favour the cabal, notably that of the former President of the Senate Bukola Saraki.

Osinbajo sacked the former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) Lawal Daura after it was discovered the former DSS boss spear-headed the invasion of the National Assembly to allegedly effect a change of leadership. This was considered a “cardinal sin” by the cabal as Daura is a prominent member of the cabal. Osinbajo went ahead to appoint Matthew Seiyafa from Bayelsa State as Acting DSS Director General. But in a swift move Seiyafa was removed

by President Buhari and replaced

with Yusuf Bichi, who had already retired. This appears to show the desperation in the cabal to keep all sensitive positions to the north and to their fold.

Perhaps, the most devastating blow Osinbajo unleashed on the cabal was his public denial of the RUGA policy meant to settle Fulani herdsmen on land belonging to indigenous people of Nigeria. This, according to a Fulani politician, who wished not to be named “was like a hot knife that cut through their hearts” as the RUGA policy was perhaps the most important agenda of the Fulani cabal which President Buhari was yet to deliver to them.

The cabal propped up Osinbajo before the elections and allegedly sent him to some states of the federation to share the trader moni to market women, an action many considered so demeaning for office of the Vice President and a professor of law. The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) later called it “vote buying”. The huge sums of money budgeted for the tradermoni were alleged to be misappropriated and the cabal is again poised to probe the Vice President and possibly humiliate him further.

Osinbajo alienated from principles he used to hold dear Speaking to BDSUNDAY on Friday, Katch Ononuju, public affairs analyst (PhD Economics), said Osinbajo’s problem arises from the mindset of Abba Kyari, who sees the VP as a “competition and will do anything to diminish him.”

Ononuju however, blamed the Vice President for allowing himself to be used to undermine a true position of southerners on serious national issues. “He (Osinbajo) went to the US to deny the widespread industrial scale kidnapping. He is the one that was saying that IPOB people should be banned. He gave his reasons as to why the IPOB should be banished and asked us to pray and look up to God with regards to the atrocities of the Miyetti Allah. So, these things he did put him in bad light,”

he said.

Osinbajo was said to have alienated himself from the principles he once espoused, such as restructuring, which true meaning he started distorting as soon as he became Vice President.

There were reports last Friday, September 20, that the cabal may force the Vice President to resign through intense pressure.

Tinubu’s 2023 ambition in jeopardy There is an ugly streak fast emerging from the Osinbajo saga, which has the potential to change the dynamics of power towards the 2023 Presidential election.

The cabal understands the reported growing intentions of Bola Tinubu to take a shot at the Presidency. This is his constitutional rights but recent events present formidable obstacles against the ambition of the Jagaban of Borgu and former Lagos State governor.

His ‘sins’ according to observers are legion, especially his desire to enter into an alliance with the Fulani cabal to snatch power from former President Goodluck Jonathan, a southerner in 2015, which some elements in the South see as betrayal.

According to Ononuju, Tinubu was “blinded by ambition to go deep into alliance with the northern Fulani cabal and was roundly deceived. His alliance with the cabal undermined southern solidarity”.

Ononuju alleged that the cabal used blackmail and threats to compel Tinubu to work for the return of President Buhari to power for the second term in 2019, after which they are now poised to dump him and his ambition.

He added that the cabal has discovered that even in the South West and especially Lagos, Tinubu has lost control, judging by the voting trend in the last election and they are ready to maximise that to their benefits.

But he warned those jockeying for power to remain in the north to be careful because no group can Continues on page 4

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Sunday 22 September 2019

News

2019 pilgrimage: NCPC tasks Federal Medical Committee on zero mortality Innocent Odoh, Abuja

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he Director in Charge of the Nigeria Christian Pi l g r i m C o m m i s s i o n (NCPC), Esther Kwaghe has tasked members of the Federal Medical Committee to strive at zero mortality for 2019 Christian Pilgrimage exercise, which commences in November.

She disclosed this in Abuja while inaugurating members of the federal medical committee.

According to her, “My expectations are high, we must ensure to maintain zero mortality in this year’s pilgrimage exercise”.

Kwaghe stressed that this year’s operation would be tasking for the committee because there are numerous activi ties ranging from selection of proper drugs, coordinating of medical screening at various state level during the departure of intending pilgrims and coordinating of health exercise during the pilgrimage activities.

The director in charge urged members of the Medical Committee to put in their best while attending to pilgrims, according to her “this assignment are tasking but with God‘s enablement, I trust you will carry out this assignment effectively”.

She explained that the members of the committee were appointed based on merit and competence. In her words,

Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa (middle); his wife, Edith (right); Deputy Governor of Delta State, Kingsley Otuaro (2nd right); David Mark (left); his wife, Kate (2nd left) and others, at the Victory Thanksgiving Service of Delta State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, by the PDP held in Government Asaba.

“this year’s selection was distinguished by merits.”

The Chairman of the Committee, David Atuwo, a medical doctor, represented by the vice Chairman Francis Alu in his response, thanked the Director in Charge for considering the committee worthy to participate in this 2019 Pilgrimage

Exercise. He assured that the Committee would do its best to ensure that pilgrims are given adequate and effective medical care during their pilgrimage exercise.

The 10-man Federal Medical Committee would coordinate all the medical activities for the 2019 Christian Pilgrimage. They are to

conduct selection examinations for the medical team and organise orientation for both the Federal and Zonal Medical Personnel.

Members of the Federal Medical Committee are made up of seasoned doctors, nurses and pharmacists with great wealth of experience in the medical profession.

Abduction of ASUP chair, 4 others: Institution refuses to disclose ransom demanded REMI FEYISIPO,Ibadan

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he abductors of four staff of Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igbo-Ora, have contacted the families of victims for ransom.

The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), in the institution, Opadijo Olujide; ASUP Secretary, Gbenga Alayande and two other staff of the institution and a wife of one of the victims were

kidnapped on Thursday on their way to Saki .

Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the institution, Opeyemi Olawoore, who spoke on behalf of the institution’s management, confirmed the abduction on Saturday and reluctantly confirmed that the abductors have contacted the families of the kidnapped victims for ransom.

She however, refused to disclose the amount of money being demanded from the families of

the victims by the kidnappers.

While saying that the security agencies in the state are also aware of the development, added that the institution decided to keep mum on the amount of money demanded by the kidnappers for “security reasons”.

“Yes, they were kidnapped on Thursday. Let me tell you that four of our staff and one other person were kidnapped on Thursday. Our concern is that they are released. Of course, they have contacted

2023: Is Osinbajo a ‘sacrificial lamb’?

Continued from page 2

appropriate Nigeria, adding that Nigeria must be inclusive.

“Power won’t remain in the north. It is the foolishness of some greedy people from the North West who are thinking that Buhari’s Presidency should be a reason for the intimidation of people so that nobody speaks in regards to the inclusive spirit of the constitution.

“Anybody who wants to exclude others does not wish this country well because that action does not engender good will and unity. The spirit of the Constitution is against tribalism, is against nepotism, is against intentions to

dominate by any one group of the entire political landscape.

“That selfish mindset that seeks the exclusion of others will definitely in my calculation, damage national unity and set Nigeria ablaze. Nobody has the capacity to appropriate Nigeria,” he warned.

Also commenting on the current travails of the Vice President and the supposed collateral impact it may have in Bola Tinubu, Okey Ikechukwu, said “The recent “summary retirement” of Vice President Osinbajo, without a demand that he physically vacates the office, points to something

more ominous, more macabre and more unseemly than the obvious fact of a progressive, but resolute, dismantling of Tinubu and the South-west in the rehearsals for 2023. The public humiliation was not necessary.”

Analysts’ views Soji Adejumo, national leader of Yoruba Patriotic Union, said recent events around the Vice President could have political undertone, stressing that he was not surprise.

“Well, what is happing could have a political undertone; I am really not sure, but here in Yoruba land, if the person that owns the body has not really complained, you

the family members. But, I can’t say that this is the amount of money demanded by the kidnappers to secure their release.

The security operatives in the state are aware. We don’t want to make it a media issue. We are being careful on this matter,” she said.

But Public Relations Officer of the state police command, Olugbenga Fadeyi when contacted, insisted that the police have intensified efforts to secure the release of the abductees. can’t begin to administer medicine.

“Osibanjo chairs the economic meeting and he has not come out to say he is being persecuted; so let watch and see. During Obasanjo and Atiku’s administration we saw one of them coming out to say I am being marginalised in this government that is not the case here,” Adejumo said.

Speaking with BDSUNDAY, a chieftain of the ruling party, Lanre Rasak, said he did not see anything suggesting “political undertone” in the memo of the President to Osinbajo on changes around him.

“It is not true that Osibanjo is being persecuted; the man has a lot of work to do, and I am sure the President has confidence in him,” he said.

Martin Onovo, a political com-

Tribunal verdict: Join me to build...

Continued from page 1

denominational thanksgiving service shortly after the reaffirmation of his electoral victory by the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which sat in Asaba.

“I appeal to my brother, Ogboru, that the time has come to stop fighting; it is time to partner together to do the best that we can for our people.

“I appeal that enough is enough; it is time to build Delta State together for the good of our people.

“I ask for the hands of the opposition, because Delta State is for all of us; we cannot do it alone and I want to thank our supporters and all Deltans for praying for us.

“We require the assistance of all in prayer and in human partnership, and we must continue to pray for our state and our country, because we believe that our prayer will save our country.

“As Deltans, we must hold firmly to the Lord, because Delta State will continue to remain peaceful and united as we will prosper together,” he said.

The governor, who also thanked his legal team and former President of the Senate, Sen. David Mark, who attended the service in company of his wife, assured Deltans that the next four years would be more fruitful than his first tenure.

Earlier in his sermon, the Government House Chaplain, Venerable Charles Osemenem, had said that God ruled in the affairs of men.

According to him, because God is interested in the affairs of man, we should be careful and mindful of what we do; let us acknowledge God in all our ways because, our God never fails.

“When He opens a door, nobody can close it,” the chaplain said.

Wife of the Governor, Edith Okowa; Deputy Governor, Kingsley Otuaro; James Manager, House of Representatives member, Ndudi Elumelu; Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Sheriff Oborovweri, were among dignitaries at the service. mentator, faulted recent media reports of rift between the VicePresident and the President, saying that the reports were blown out of proportion.

Onovo said the constitution was clear about the roles of the office of the Vice-President, stressing that the President had the right to assign responsibilities to him or otherwise.

“I don’t believe all that is been written; I think the media is just trying to sensationalise issues; personally I think the office of the Vice-President is like a spare tyre; the roles they have outside is clear in the constitution. It is the President that should give him responsibility because the President has enormous task in his hand,” he said.

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Sunday 22 September 2019

News Atiku thanks Nigerians for support at Tribunal, says forces of fascism must be stopped

Livestock production has to increase to satisfy animal protein demand - Agric minister UDOKA AGWU, Umuahia

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Innocent Odoh, Abuja

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ormer Vice President and Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, in 2019 election, has expressed appreciation to the Nigerian people for the support given to him and his party in his quest to challenge the declaration of President Muhammadu Buhari as the winner of the 2019 election in the courts.

Atiku in a statement he personally signed, titled ‘A message of gratitude to Nigerians for your support on this necessary journey,’ made available to BusinessDay on Friday, said the support made him stronger to seek his mandate allegedly taken by the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress(APC) and President Buhari.

“Nothing good comes easy, and hard as the task to rid Nigeria of the forces of fascism, and be an instrument for the full restoration of the rule of law and democracy in Nigeria is, your support makes the struggle worthwhile,” he said.

The Presidential Elections Petitions Tribunal led by Justice Mohammad Umar on Wednesday, September 11, dismissed Atiku’s petition on the grounds that the former Vice President did not provide enough evidence to upturn the election of President Buhari. Atiku has since appealed to the Supreme Court.

“I write to personally thank you for your support for our shared common goal and the solidarity I enjoyed from all walks of life and every strata of society, right from July 21, 2018, when I informed you, the good people of Nigeria, that I would contest the 2019 Presidential election, to Wednesday, September 11, 2019, when the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal rendered its verdict,” he said.

The Wazirin Adamawa noted that he owes so much to Nigeria that took him from the streets of Jada, where he sold firewood, to the heights he has attained, by God’s benevolence, in the civil service,

Atiku

in corporate Nigeria, and in public service.

He said: “If I do not play my part in making it possible for other orphaned children, indigent youths and the less-privileged, to replicate and even surpass my path to significance, I would have failed my Maker. If I do not ensure that the ladder I climbed remains accessible to those at the bottom, middle and top tiers of society, I would not have fulfilled my purpose.

“And only by ensuring that democracy is not just done, but seen to be done, can Nigeria and Nigerians have a sense that this our dear land is indeed a land where Unity, Faith, Peace and Progress reside.”

He averred that it is for this, and other patriotic reasons, that he is pursuing this judicial route to ensure that the votes of Nigerians count and are counted.

“Yes, those who do not want this as Nigeria’s reality, will use every trick in the book to undermine, discourage, misinform and mislead, but with God’s help and the support of Nigerians, we will ensure that Nigeria makes a course correction away from tyranny and towards democracy.

“We must return to being Africa’s bastion of democracy, where the rights to Freedom of Speech and Freedom after the Speech, are guaranteed. We must stand together to pursue this just cause all the way, so that our judiciary are not afraid to do their jobs and have to be wary of blackmail, intimidation, and victimisation,” he said.

He acknowledged the immense outpouring of goodwill from ordinary Nigerians in every nook and cranny of Nigeria and from all regions, religions and relationships even as he thanked the governors elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, as well as the National Executive Committee, for their unanimous and unambiguous support for the judicial phase of this struggle, especially after it was announced that we would go on to appeal.

“I urge all Nigerians to continue their support for this recourse to constitutional order via the courts.

Even if there is little or nothing you can do to ensure that justice is done in Nigeria, just believe that it will happen. Let us never underestimate the effect of our belief in Nigeria,” he said.

L-R: Bayo Adeokun, MD/CEO, Epayplus Limited; Dapo Okubadejo, chief economic adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun and Remi Jibodu, Head of sales and marketing, Ativo Limited on a business visit to Ogun state government in Abeokuta recently

ohammed Sabo Nanono, minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has asserted that to satisfy expected huge demand for animal protein and other livestock products, livestock production and productivity has to increase commensurably in quality and quantity by about 60percent.

Nanono made the assertion in Umuahia, Abia State during the 8th Joint Annual Meeting of the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science,( NIAS) and the Animal Science Association of Nigeria, (ASAN) tagged ‘Animal Agriculture: Anchor for Sustainable Economic and Human Development in Nigeria’.

The Agriculture minister, who disclosed the interventions of the Federal Government in livestock through the FMARD, said the FG was engaging with the World Bank on a six-year project tagged ‘Livestock Production and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), a project with development objective to improve productivity, resilience and commercialisation of selected livestock value chain.

Nanono listed some of the ongoing FMARD’s innovative interventions to also include the Cattle Breed Improvement Programme (CABIP), the Dairy Development Programme, (DDP) and the National Egg Production Scheme (NEGPRO).

“The livestock as we all know is very vital to the socioeconomic

development of Nigeria and represents an important source of high quality animal protein, provides about 36.5 percent of the total protein intake of Nigerians, generates employment, income and earns foreign exchange for the country.

The sub-sector is estimated to contribute about eight to ten percent of the Agricultural Gross Domestic Product, GDP and five percent of the National GDP. “The global projection is that Nigeria’s population presently at over 200 million may reach about 400 million by 2050. Consequently, demand for livestock and livestock products will be more than double within this period. To satisfy this expected huge demand for animal protein and other livestock products, livestock production and productivity has to increase commensurably in quality and quantity by about sixty percent,” he said.

He reiterated the readiness of his ministry to ensure that agricultural research institutes are strengthened, to help actualise President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts at repositioning the sector.

Taiwo Adeoye, president, Animal Science Association of Nigeria in welcome address, said: “One of the ways we believe this can be achieved is to ensure the unbundling of the National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI) and implement its Whitepaper on the Vision 20:20:20 National Economic Development Blueprint which recommended the unbundling of the NAPRI into four livestock commodity based research Institutes”.

Evergreen stars, KSA, Mr. Latin, Okunnu feature in new Amebo TVC OBINNA EMELIKE

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unday Adegeye Adeniyi, popularly known as King Sunny Ade, who is unarguably, one of Nigeria’s most famous musicians of all times, is starring alongside comic actor, Bolaji Amusan popularly called “Mr. Latin” and latest Yoruba theatre sensation, Wale Akorede, aka “Okunnu” in a new television commercial (TVC) released by Globacom to promote its Glo Amebo offer.

The Glo Amebo gives subscribers five times the value of recharge to call all networks. The TVC also features the original Madam Amebo, Ibidun Allison, who became immensely popular because of her role as a character bearing that name in the legendary television drama series, Village Headmaster, now rested.

The drama-themed commercial opens with Madam Amebo talking over the phone with her daughter, played by popular actress Yvonne Jegede. A party is apparently in the offing, and the mother and daughter gist is centred on the social event.

Madam Amebo talked “Aso ebi ati awon golden accessories, Eso to bad!” (the uniform clothes and the spectacular accessories going with it). The daughter expressed surprise that her mother was dressed up

too early. The mother rebuffed this instantly and goes on to announce to her daughter that she is even in the bus that will take her to the event venue.

She tells her daughter that she has no intention of missing out on any part of the party, not even the small chops and the varieties of meat.

Madam Amebo continues with her conversation, “As for my women group, na KSA o or nothing at all”. She then sits between Okunnu and Mr. Latin in the bus, waking up Okunnu, who is sleeping, while Mr. Latin, pops groundnuts in his mouth.

The two men find the continuous chit-chat between mother and child irritating and show it by sneering at her. Okunnu said, “Yes ke, shoshosho, na only you get mouth?” She does not indicate any interest to entertain their concerns.

The TVC shows her arrival in Lagos and her transition into a waiting car at the park, while still chatting with the daughter.

At a point, the daughter asked her mother, “Mummy, your credit still dey so?” to which she aptly responds: Na we dey fetch credit like water. You no trust Glo!” The TVC depicts the party proper, showing Madam Amebo dancing away to the music of the legendary King Sunny Ade together with other attendees.

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News

Agbakoba seeks policy reforms to pull 200m Nigerians out of poverty Iniobong Iwok

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lisa Agbakoba, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has advised the Federal Government to consider adopting the Keynesian expansionary fiscal policy, saying that the country could achieve sustaind double digit growth of about 10 percent over 10 years to lift, at least, 200 million Nigerians out of poverty.

In a release to the media in Lagos, Thursday, Agbakoba, an activist, said experts had agreed that there was a strong link between law and regulatory institutions, governance, economic development and national welfare, while saying that the links between legal policy, economic development, governance, institutions was imperative enough for the government to institute needed reforms in the judicial.

According to him, “My recommendation is that the Federal Government should adopt the Keynesian expansionary fiscal policy in order to achieve and sustain doubledigit growth of at least 10percent over 10 years to pull at least 200 million Nigerians out

of poverty.

“But the magic wand that can achieve this feat is the concept of development law, a public policy tool that intersects law and economic development.

“Development law scholars agree that there is a strong linkage between law, regulatory institutions, governance, economic development and national welfare. It is argued that the Nigerian legal and judicial framework is hopelessly outdated and needs an urgent review to meet current challenges. Yet governments generally fail to notice the links between legal

Agbakoba

policy, economic development, governance, institutions, etc,” Agbakoba said.

Agbakoba further attributed the underdevelopment in the country to the inability of successive administrations to merge the links between legal institutions, political economy and development.

“The links unfortunately between legal institutions, political economy and development have often, and in our case, been completely overlooked or missed, hence, under-development.

“It is important therefore that policymakers must, “consider that although macro policies are unquestionably important, there is a growing consensus that the quality of business regulations and the legal institutions that enforce it are a major determinant of development”.

“If development law is applied as a public policy tool in the following areas, for example, Financial Services Sector, National trade policy, Maritime, Aviation and Space, Legal and Justice Sector, Land Administration, Corruption, Social Security Administration etc. It will transform the economy, create millions of jobs and pull 200 million Nigerians out of poverty,” he said.

He, however, urged the

Federal Government to create new streams of revenue around transformed financial services sectors, while advocating for a new trade policy which would empower the CBN with strong rules, restricting banking to lending and not trading which would discourage dumping and aid the manufacturing sector.

“The Federal Government should organise new streams of revenue around a transformed financial services sector, and empower CBN with strong rules restricting banking to lending and not trading, a new trade policy and legislation on trade remedies which will make Nigeria a centre of production and not dumping, full enhancement of maritime and aviation resources by strengthening Cabotage legislations and a new Fly Nigeria Act,” he said.

According to him, “Development law policy will completely transform legal and judicial failure and bring efficiency to business transactions. I confidently predict that development law policy will transform the Nigerian economy. We will see sustained revenue inflows, double-digit growth, massive job creation and quantitative easing.”

U.S. Consulate launches academy for women entrepreneurs Ngozi Okpalakunne

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s part of its effort to teach women around the world become successful entrepreneurs, the United States Consulate General in Lagos recently launched Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE).

During a week-long programme, various group of 100 women selected from a team of over 6,000 applicants, will receive lessons on business management, network with like-minded entrepreneurs and mentors, and learn the practical skills required to create successful and sustainable businesses.

Declaring the workshop open, U.S. Consul General Claire Pierangelo, explained that the programme which is the US Department of State initiative aimed to encourage women entrepreneurs globally.

She noted that women’s empowerment will be key to Nigeria’s long-term economic development.

“One of the U.S. government’s goals is to promote entrepreneurship worldwide.

Through the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs, we are doing just that by giving these ambitious businesswomen the skills they need to take their ventures to the next

level,” she said.

Consul General Pierangelo described the role of women as crucial for the progress of national economies.

“Women are the backbone of society no matter what country you are in. When women are working, the country is working,” she noted.

Leading local business leaders will help facilitate the workshop. They include: Inya Lawal, alumna of the Fortune-U.S. Department of State Global Women’s

Mentoring Partnership programme; Henrietta Onwuegbuzie, Academic Director, Owner-Manager Programme at the Lagos Business School; Hansatu Adegbite, Executive Director at Women in Management and Business (WIMBIZ); and Teju Abisoye, Executive Secretary, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund.

In addition, participants will receive access to DreamBuilder, a blended businesstraining course developed

through a partnership between Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and global copper mining company Freeport-McMoRan. The AWE is a component of the White House Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, designed to empower women worldwide to fulfill their economic potential, thereby creating conditions for increased stability, security, and prosperity for all.

L-R: Tunde Balogun, chairman, Lagos State All Progressive Congress (APC); Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, deputy governor, Lagos State, and his wife, Oluremi Hamzat, during the celebration of the deputy governor’s 55th birthday in Lagos on Thursday

2019 poll most painful, worst election conducted in Nigeria’s history - Sheik Gumi Abdulwaheed Olayinka Adubi, Kaduna

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hmed Mahmud Gumi, Ka duna based Islamic Scholar, has described the last general election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the most fraudulent election conducted in the history of Nigeria.

Gumi said that the surest way to move the country forward was to have an election that is free, fair and credible.

Gumi made the claim during courtesy by the leadership of Evangelical Bible Outreach Ministries International (EBOMI), in Kaduna on Thursday, where he said Nigerian leaders lacked requisite knowledge to move the country forward.

The cleric, who was optimistic of a better Nigeria in the future, said: “Nigerian present leaders are not educated enough to solve Nigeria’s problems”.

According to him, with the present situation in the country, Nigerians are already feeling the pains of incompetent leadership.

He also called on the southern politicians, who according to him, had betrayed Nigerians by supporting incompetence to desist from deceitful politics for the betterment of the country.

“None of those southern political leaders who betrayed the Nigerian masses will get our support in the coming elections,” the Sheikh

emphasised.

He further explained that the wrong selection of leaders has subjected the masses to abject poverty especially in the northern part of Nigeria.

“As a people, we must desist from deceitful politics, because, I so much believe that religion should not be a yardstick to build Nigeria”, he said.

During the visit of EBOMI to his office, the Chairman of Christians Association of Nigeria, CAN, Kaduna Chapter, Rev. Joseph John Hayab said every opportunity of his life has always been channeled towards promoting peaceful coexistence amongst the diverse groups in the state.

According to him, “In my family, we have Christians and Muslims; so, I can never be a religious bigot. In this city, I have seen good, bad and the ugly, especially during the Miss World Crisis.

In the last nine years, I have been advocating for peaceful coexistence and oneness of our people.

“Those who claimed to love Kaduna more than some of us, where were they during these years that crisis nearly consumed the people?” he asked.

Hayab, who commended the delegation of EBOMI, promised not to relent in promoting peace and always stand by the truth.

In his remarks, the President of EBOMI, Prophet Isa El-Buba said the situation in the north is pathetic and mind blowing, hence, the need for urgent attention to tackle the scourge.

UN grants Vicar Hope Foundation special consultative status UDOKA AGWU, Umuahia

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nder the Economic and Social Council, the United Nations headquarters in New York has conferred a Special Consultative Status on Vicar Hope Foundation, an NGO. This conferment of the special status is contained in a letter addressed to Vicar Hope Foundation (a pet project by wife of Abia State Governor, Nkechi Ikpeazu) from the United Nations and signed by Marc-Andre Dorel, acting chief, NGO Branch office of Inter-governmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

According to Chika Ojiegbe, chief press secretary to wife of Abia State governor, with this status, Vicar Hope Foundation can have observ-

ers and representatives at the United Nations General Assembly, the UN ECOSOC, the Human Rights Council and public meetings of other United Nations Intergovernmental bodies.

According to the United Nations, organisations in general and special status like Vicar Hope Foundation are able to submit written statements relevant to the work of the Council on subjects in which these organisations have a special competence.

Nkechi Ikpeazu, founder of Vicar Hope, while reacting on the honour done to her pet project, said the recognition would give greater impetus to the Foundation’s work on women empowerment.

She further said that the status would increase opportunities for greater collaborations with local and foreign NGOs and increase the capacity of her NGO to deliver on its mandate be-

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Sunday 22 September 2019

News

Don’t allow Ajaokuta Steel to rot away, activist begs FG

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VICTORIA NNAKAIKE, Lokoja

ppeal has been sent to the Federal Government not to allow Ajaokuta Steel, the giant steel industry situated in Kogi State, to rot away, as government has committed huge investment into the project.

Haruna Ahmed Osike, a human rights activist, made the appeal in Lokoja while interacting with newsmen on

the need for the resuscitate the steel complex, adding that apart from over 5 billion dollars expended on the project, Ajaokuta steel plant has other valuable features that should not be allowed to waste or die.

“Nobody in this country that has the opportunity of visiting Ajaokuta Steel Company to see investments of more than $5 billion wasting, that would not cry.

“Many prominent Nigerians, including myself who

visited the integrated plant, cried because of the moribund nature of the plant and the potentials that abound which the country could not utilise for the benefit of Nigerians,” Osike said.

According to him, “Ajaokuta Steel plant aside the 68 kilometers of road network, has 24 housing estates, some completed while many are uncompleted and abandoned in the bush “Painfully, some of the estates have over 1,000 flats

ranging from three to two bedrooms. The steel plant also has a seaport, a 110 megawatts power generation plant and 43 separate plants. It is estimated that if Ajaokuta becomes operational, it will create 500, 000 jobs, including subsidiary industries that will evolve.

“With all these efforts put in place by the Federal Government, how can such giant steel project be allowed to remain moribund for decades?”

Abdulrazaq engages local contractors to fix Kwara schools, hospitals SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin

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he Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq says local communities would have the option of nominating trusted indigenous contractors to fix their schools and hospitals while government funds the projects.

The contractors so nominated would be picked only after going through the

government’s procurement processes as spelt out under the law.

According to Abdulrazaq, government has recently retooled the 2019 budget to focus on rebuilding basic infrastructure such as township roads, schools, hospitals and toilets to tackle the menace of open defecation.

“For each community where we want to rebuild the schools or hospitals, we want to use the local contractors from those com-

munities, so that we have trickle down effects and regenerate the economy by investing in the economy,” Abdulrazaq said in Kaiama town while on tour of public facilities in the northern senatorial district.

Communities like Gwaria, a major hub for yam flour production in Nigeria; Junga Aboki; and Kaiama town, all in Kaiama Local Government Area of the state were visited by the governor.

“When we got in we re-

alised that there are big issues with our roads, hospitals and schools, they are practically down, and I am here to make sure I understand in full the problems with all the hospitals and schools.

“They all have peculiar problems...We have seen the different challenges in different hospitals and schools and we are going to make sure that the right people are used in order to reposition the hospitals and the schools,” he said.

Hollandia Evap Milk unveils new pack Anthony Nlebem

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n order to connect to evolving consumers, Hollandia Evap Milk, one of Nigeria’s leading evaporated milk brands, has unveiled a new attractive pack design. The new packaging, shows the nutritious benefits of Hollandia Evap Milk, as well as other striking features to connect with consumers.

Evident in the new pack design are the brand’s royal blue background signifying its modern and trendy values, and its gold logo depicting its premium positioning. The vibrant rising sun symbolises a new beginning and also the breakfast occasion which the brand is associated with.

Thenewpackalsofeatures other imageries showing various physical activities, which resonates with consumers, who are keen on daily nutrition and healthy boost of daily energy for active lifestyle.

As a wholesome nutritious milk, Hollandia Evap Milk is a powerhouse of essential minerals and vitamins that fuels and energises the body both mentally and physically.

According to Chi Limited’s Managing Director, Mr. Deep-

anjan Roy, consumers familiar with the old brand pack design can be assured of the same great taste, quality and numerous nutritional benefits of their favourite milk as it transits to a trendierpackdesign.“Thenew pack design was done to connect evolving active consumer lifestyle and the benefits of Hollandia Evap Milk. Hollandia Evap Milk is an all-rounder, creamier, tastier, and nutritious milk for consumers desirous of a daily healthy boost of mental, physical energy for an active day,” he stated.

Hollandia Evap Milk is richer, creamier and tastier, and comes in unique convenient hygienic packaging ideal for consumption and storage. It offers more value for money in terms of quality, quantity and strong whitening power.

HollandiaEvapMilkisaperfect choice when added to a breakfast cup of tea or coffee, or a bowl of cereal, pap or custard, as it provides excellent nourishment required for the body before setting out for the day.

The new Hollandia Evap Milk pack design comes in 60g, 120g and 190g sizes and is available in Chi Shoppe, departmental stores, markets and neighborhood kiosks in every state of the Federation.

Enyo Retail and Supply partners NULI to promote healthy living cafes

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n a bid to promote healthy living and enhance customers’ experience at its service stations, Enyo Retail and Supply, a customer-focused, technology-driven, fuels retailing company has partnered NULI, a fast-casual healthy food and drink café to provide NULI kiosks at its service stations. The collaboration reaffirms Enyo’s vision to revolutionize the downstream oil industry with the provision of not only fuel products but a wholesome.

Enyo will incorporate NULI’s kiosks to its forecourts to enable customers have access to healthy and delicious meals and beverages whilst promoting healthy living. With the presence of NULI at its service stations, customers will enjoy products such as salads, healthy wraps and fresh fruit juices. The initiative will kick off at Enyo, Sangotedo station and will be introduced across other Enyo stations consequently.

Commenting on the p a r t n e r s h i p, Ab a yo m i Awobokun, chief executive officer, Enyo Retail and Sup-

ply said: “We are excited to announce our partnership with NULI. At Enyo, we are very much committed to the health and wellbeing of our customers and we are constantly seeking out partnerships that will enable our customers live their best lives. As a customer focused business, it is also important for us to provide channels that are meaningful to people’s needs, passions and lifestyle, hence this strategic partnership with NULI.” By providing these products to consumers at its stations, Enyo is not only encouraging wholesome lifestyle but also promoting local businesses. With more customers dealing with Enyo and in turn patronizing NULI, the technology driven brand hopes to foster a growth in the health sector of the country. This will enable individuals to have access to cleaner meal alternatives at an affordable price, to inspire a healthier and happier generation.

Also speaking on the partnership, Ada Osakwe, the Chief Executive Officer, NULI said, “We are very glad to be given the opportu-

nity to partner Enyo as it is a brand that understands the importance of healthy living.

We both have the similar vision of creating gratifying experiences for our cus-

tomers whilst promoting healthy lifestyle. With Nuli, it’s all about value addition, health and wellness. We want you to be in a relaxed state of mind, particularly in

a place like Lagos with all the hustle and bustle. Through this partnership, our customers can enjoy an array of healthy meals”.

With this partnership,

Enyo will once again spearhead the downstream oil industry by being the first fuels retailing company in Nigeria to feature a health café at its stations.

Sunday 22 September 2019

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BDSUNDAY 9

News

Engineers urged to proffer solutions to fundamental issues in society Ngozi Okpalakunne

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ngineers in the country have been urged to critically think through and proffer engineering solutions to some of the fundamental issues bedeviling the society today.

The newly elected chairman of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Victoria Island branch, John Audu who made the appeal during his inauguration recently in Lagos, affirmed that engineers have what it takes to solve some of the problems confronting the country including technological challenges.

Audu, who is also the Manager, Gas & Facilities Engineering and Major Capital Project Relations at Chevron Nigeria Limited, said that his tenure will be premised on two key imperatives which include to consolidate and build on the gains of the outgoing executive members.

While commending the efforts of the outgoing president, he said: “Every chairman since the inception of the branch has diligently worked towards setting the branch apart from all the others, but there has been no period in our history during which

UDOKA AGWU, Umuahia

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bia State government says it has earmarked N1.5billion for undergraduates and post graduates scholarship programmes in Australia.

Ambassador Empire Kanu, chairman of the Abia State Scholarship Board who made this known in Umuahia while briefing newsmen, said that the programmes were meant for students and civil servants of Abia State origin.

He disclosed that each of these scholarship programmes would be subsidized by the state government with little above

N5,000,000.00 (Five million naira).

The Scholarship Board chairman said that the postgraduate programmes were for civil servants who would not be more than 50 years old or more than 25 years in service.

He noted that the PG programmes were specifically for civil servants who have garnered many years of experience, adding that programmes would centre on ICT, technical and science, among others to fasttrack the growth of Abia economy.

He also hinted that 70 percent of the scholarship would be for PG while undergraduate would get 30 percent.

Abia North APC members protest non-release of judgment by Election Petition Tribunal UDOKA AGWU, Umuahia

Vice president, Lagos Chamber of Commerce ( LCCI) Soboma Ajumogobia,(4th left) presenting gift to president, Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) Felicia Agubata (5th right), L-r Laolu Adedapo-Aisida, Anu Koleowo, Fumilayo Kadiri, vice president APWEN Funmilola Ojelade, Abiola Ogunbiyi, and Nkechinyere Isigwe, during a training on business entrepreneurship organised by APWEN recently in Lagos.

more was achieved in this regard than the past two years under the leadership of Rose Madaki. Through dint of hard work and her unique leadership style, she steered the branch into uncharted territories.

Through her rural development programmes, she empowered primary school pupils within our catchment area. She took vocational training for young graduates and their spouses to a

whole new level. And, even more remarkable is the fact that she single-handedly got the branch registered as consultants with Total Plc. The list is endless with several other mind-blowing achievements that have truly set the branch on a pedestal befitting of its slogan”.

In her farewell speech, the outgoing president, Rose Madaki commended the members for the support given to her and the

Wellness HMO adopts three women for ‘Wellness for Life’ OBINNA EMELIKE

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eading Nigerian health insurance provider, Wellness HMO, on September 15, 2019 adopted three women with their ‘Wellness for Life’ initiative, thereby giving the beneficiaries access to quality health care for the rest of their lives.

The winners were all selected by raffle draw during the Hadassah Healing Conference 2019, which took place on August 24, 2019 at Ikorodu and September 15, 2019 at Sabo, Yaba; where the winners were each given a ‘Wellness for Life’ gift certificate.

The event was attended by over a thousand women from various walks of life.

Speaking on behalf of Wellness at the event was Adetutu Afolabi, pharmacist and executive director, Wellness HMO. “Women are like the nexus in most homes, they are the caregivers who many

Abia earmarks N1.5bn for PG scholarship programmes abroad

executive members during her tenure.

“My credence goes to all of you and I also implore you to use the same team spirit to work with the incoming administration. You all have done marvelously great. For all your hard works, silver and gold have I none to give today but my prayer for you all is that in the course of your life sojourn, your helpers and supporters will not elude you,” she added.

Action Aid Nigeria, Kogi Youth Commission to engage 750 youths in skills acquisition VICTORIA NNAKAIKE, Lokoja

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times ignore their own health needs. For this reason, we have a role to play in ensuring that women remain a priority where health needs are concerned. That is the reason we are doing this. The ‘Wellness For Life’ initiative is a gift that these women will enjoy for the rest of their lives; without the worry about health care needs, these women can focus on their families and contribute positively to the society,” she said.

“Last year at the Hadassah Healing Conference when we had the maiden edition of the initiative, three women won, but only

one of them showed up.

The others did not come, possibly because they thought such gifts for a lifetime was not possible. This year, we are back again, and we have picked two people from Ikorodu and the last person we picked today from Yaba. In Ikorodu, we had Leji Abosede and Aribabagun Adejoke.

Today, Ramota Lawal won through the raffle draw”, she further said.

Ramota Lawal, who resides in Makoko, Yaba and hails from Ibadan, said she was grateful to have won such a gift.

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oncerned members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Abia North Senatorial District have staged a peaceful protest at Abia State High Court premises against the Cornelius Akintayo-led National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia over alleged refusal of the panel to release the judgments against their members more than two weeks after their verdict.

The protesters alleged that the panel deliberately refused to release the judgment of Mao Ohuabunwa (PDP) Vs Orji Uzor Kalu (APC) Abia North Senatorial District and Uko Ndukwe Nkole (PDP) vs Nnamdi Iro Oji (APC) for

Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency in an attempt to deny them opportunity to appeal against the judgment.

Some of the placards of the protesters read: “NJC, sack Justice Ibrahim Abubakar, he is corrupt”, and “Justice I. C. Igwe stop being biased, give us our judgment.”

Chidiebere Kalu, one of the protesters and Arochukwu APC LGA chairman said the panel should release the judgment in order to enable their members appeal against their verdict because time was running out against them.

Ndem Chukwu, an APC stalwart in Abia North, said the judgment had been delivered but instead of releasing it to the aggrieved partiestoappeal against it, they have deliberately withheld the judgment as for appeal time to run out.

ctionAid Nigeria in collaboration with Kogi Youth Development Commission (KYDC) will soon engage over 750 youths from across the state in various skills acquisition as part of measures to address violent extremism.

Resilience Programme Coordinator, ActionAid Nigeria, Anicetus Atakpu disclosed this at a one-day Roundtable Advocacy Meeting for Kogi Youth Development Commission Law in Lokoja, adding that the training was part of the International NGO’s Structure Strengthening Against Radicalisation to Violent Extremism (SARVE) project being currently executed in Kogi and Nassarawa states.

He said that the programme, sponsored by GCERF and executed by Participation Initiative for

Behavioural Change in Development (PIBCID) and ActionAid Nigeria would now collaborate with the Youth Commission for better results.

Atakpu also maintained that ActionAid Nigeria planned to support 750 youths annually to acquire skills as part of its sustenance support programme in partnership with the commission, adding that there was need for the State Government to urgently implement the policy and operationalise the commission.

“The Commission will establish several programmes to foster Youth entrepreneurship and employment in such areas as micro-credit and franchise scheme, transition to work program skills training and as well, support awareness raising through media campaigns.

“The commission would also support research to identify labour market needs and areas of skills

shortage, create and manage database on youth demographics and as well be free for sustainable policies that would contributes to youth development,” he said.

He further said that the law establishing the commission was an excellent example of a bottom-top advocacy campaign led by the local youth in Kogi.

Speaking, member representing Ankpa 1 Constituency who doubles as the Deputy Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly, Ahmed Mohammed said that the state stood to benefit hugely from the commission, adding that there was need to regain lost grounds arising from non-existence of the outfit. He stressed that there was urgent need to start looking at the modalities to see how the commission would start. He also described the law establishing the commission as a win-win initiative.

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Sunday 22 September 2019

PhotoSplash

L-R: Brand Ambassadors of sapphire scents: Regina Daniels, actress; Williams Uchemba, Comedian; Tonto Dike, atress; Adewale Aladejana, CEO Sapphire Group; Bamike Olawunmi-Adenibuyan, actress, and Tope Adenibuyan, actor and Influencer, at the 4years anniversary of Sapphre Scents

L-R: Ralph Ndigwe, director, Capital Resource Development and Document Centre (CIRDDO), David Ugolor, executive director, ANEEJ, and Maryam Garba, executive director, Fahimta Women Youth Development Initiative (FAWOYDI), at a training of the trainers on monitoring the use of $322.5M recovered Abacha loot in Abuja. Pic by Tunde Adeniyi

Rose Madaki, past chairman Nigerian Society of Engineers ( NSE), Victoria Island branch and John Audu chairman NSE Victoria Island branch during the installation of Audu as the 5th chairman of the branch. It held recently in Lagos.

L-R: Moses Odunmade, coordinator, Vocational Training; Titilola Adekeye, brand and event senior manager, Ikeja Electric; Godwin Jackson, resident, Care Coordinator, and Adebimpe Akintola, brand and event specialist, Ikeja Electric, at the visit of Ikeja Electric CSR employee volunteers scheme to Wellspring Rehabilitation Centre Isheri, Lagos.

L-R: Kemisola Ajasa, regional regulatory and scientific affairs manager, Nestle; Rabie Issa, business executive officer, Nestle Waters Nigeria; Mauricio Alarcon, MD, Nestle Nigeria Plc; Wale Adebiyi, MD, Wecyclers, and Omobolanle Olowu, head business development, Wecyclers, at the Nestle and Wecyclers MoU signing agenda in Lagos Babajide Sanwo-Olu (l), governor of Lagos State, addressing Oregun Junior High School students, Ikeja, during his unscheduled visit to the School in Lagos

L-R: Maria Shadeko, senior brand manager, Goldberg and Life; Tayo Adelaja, public affairs manager, West, Nigerian Breweries Plc; Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, Ooni of Ife, Oba; Sandra Amachree, brand PR manager, Nigerian Breweries Plc; Omotunde Adenusi, portfolio manager, mainstream brands, Nigerian Breweries Plc, and Austin Aka, regional trade marketing manager, Nigerian Breweries Plc, at a courtesy visit to present the new Goldberg bottles to the Ooni of Ife, at the Ooni’s Palace in Osun State.

L-R: Fidet Okhiria, MD, Nigerian Railway Corporation; Helen Ashby, director, International Railway Heritage Consultancy Limited; Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, and Steve Davies, MD, IRHC Limited, during a visit by IRHC delegation to the Ministry in Abuja

Sunday 22 September 2019

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11 Inside Lagos

At last, Lagos intervenes in collapsed Gberigbe road …residents want entire stretch of road fixed

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stories by JOSHUA BASSEY

elief has come the way of Gberigbe and adjoining communities in Ikorodu area of Lagos, as government has finally fixed the collapsed portion of the Gberigbe road, which had cut off the community from other parts of Ikorodu.

Vehicular traffic which had come to a halt on the road is now flowing with ease following the government’s intervention.

For several months, residents of the suburb lived with pains, as the collapsed road shut down their economy, just as visitors found it difficult to access the community.

Aramide Adeyoye, the special adviser to the state government on works and infrastructure, who commented

on the repair of the road, said the intervention was to alleviate the suffering of the people occasioned and ‘breathe life’ into their economy once again.

Adeyoye noted that the repair would reduce travel time, cost of vehicle maintenance and also reduce stress-induced health challenges on the residents of the axis.

Some of the residents and motorists plying the Ijede to Gberigbe, Agura, Igbokuta, Imota and environs, who expressed joy that the road has finally been repair, said it a was a dream come.

Commending the intervention, a commercial bus driver, Akeem Bolanle said that the road had to be abandoned by private and commercial vehicles due to its state.

This, he said, compelled them to ply a longer route through Imota and pass the cost on passengers

Gberigbe road after the intervention

by charging higher fares.

“People commuting Ijede road to Gberigbe, Agura and Igbokuta had to go through Itamaga to Imota before they could access their homes at Agura and Gberigbe,”

said Bolanle.

Also speaking, Patricia Ojumo, a resident, said staff and students of Igbokuta Model College had suffered untold hardship before the rehabilitation of the road.

Ethnicity, religion unifying factors in Lagos- Official …as state to mark Nigeria’s 59th independence anniversary

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agos State commissioner for home affairs and culture, Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf has reaffirmed the commitment of government to ethic and religious harmony in the state.

Akinbile-Yussuf, who briefed newsmen alongside her counterpart in the ministry of information and strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, on the activities to mark Nigeria’s 59th Independence anniversary, said rather than religion causing instability in Lagos, it would continue to be a unifying factor.

She said Lagos being the capital of Nigeria at independence on October 1, 1960 would be rolling out drums to celebrate this year’s independence anniversary.

She said that the peaceful co-existence of the two major religions in Nigeria – Christianity and Islam, while ensuring that other religious beliefs are not left out, was worth celebrating.

“The state government through the Nigeria Inter Religious Council (NIREC), has ensured that issues bordering on religion that could easily degenerate to acrimony are

L-R: Omobolanle Ogunmola, permanent secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy; Adekanye Adebunmi Elizabeth, permanent secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs; Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, commissioner for Home Affairs; Gbenga Omotoso, commissioner for Information and Strategy, and Gboyega Akosile, chief press secretary to the governor of Lagos State, during a press briefing on the forthcoming 59th Independence Day Celebration in Lagos.

nipped in the bud through consultations, consolidation and dialogue.’’

Religion, which is a source of instability in other states, has remained our own source of strength and unity in Lagos. We make bold to say that Lagos is only state in Nigeria that has truly upheld the vision of the founding fathers of Nigeria and those who fought for our independence as a nation.

“The likes of Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello, Pa Enahoro and others will be happy in their graves seeing what Lagos stands for and how we have held Ni-

geria together as a nation.

Today, there is no tribe or tongue that is not represented in Lagos,” she said.

These, she said, were the reasons why the independence celebration is dear to Lagos and would not spare any expense to mark it.

On activities lined up, Akinbile-Yussuf said that the deputy governor, Kadri Obafemi Hamzat would lead the members of the state executive council and other Muslim faithful, to the secretariat mosque, Alausa, for Jumat service and special prayers for continuous peaceful coexistence of Lagos in par-

ticular and Nigeria in general on Friday, September 27, while the state governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu is billed to lead the executive council members and other dignitaries to the Chapel of Christ the Light, secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, for a church service on Sunday, September 29.

According to her, “the grand finale of this year’s celebrations would be an exhibition of arts and crafts depicting the chronicle of events surrounding Nigeria’s independence to date, while the climax would be a fun fiesta at the Police College ground,’ Ikeja GRA.

According to her, at resumption of school last week, students whose homes were contiguous to the school still had to go through Imota to access it.

She, however, appealed to the state government to fix the entire stretch of the road in order to accommodate increasing vehicular traffic occasioned by development in the area.

World Cleanup Day: LAWMA harps on cleaner environment

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anaging director, Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Muyiwa Gbadegesin has urged residents to align with the agency other environmental related bodies to clean up Lagos as the state joined the rest of the world to markthisyear’sWorldCleanup Day on Saturday.

According to Gbadegesin, this year’s event provides the opportunity for people to have a rethink on how they treat their environment, considering the negative implication of improper waste disposal.

Hesaid“theWorldCleanup Day is a global social action program aimed at combating the global solid waste problem and this is good a platform to remind the people of the negative consequences of indiscriminate waste dumping, which affects not only the environment, but the people that live in it.”

Gbadegesin noted that in line with the recent executive order on traffic and sanitation issued by the government, the LAWMA was intensifying effortstoclearblackspotsacross the state, especially along the Lagos Badagry Expressway – LASU/Okomaiko axis, with the overall aim of achieving zero waste policy and making the environment livable.

He said further that: “We are stepping up our operations to rid the state of black spots.

Our aim is to establish cleaner andlivableenvironmentacross

thestate.Youwillrecallthatthe agency has rolled out various programmes like “Lagos at 4am” and the “Blue Box” initiative, to promote recycling and waste sorting at source”.

The LAWMA boss further stated that efforts were ongoing to rehabilitate landfills in the state, to ensure that the roads leading to the sites were motorable all year round, to improve the turnaround time of waste evacuation trucks.

“Our landfills are undergoing rehabilitation to improve the turnaround time for waste evacuation, while the PSP operators are being supported to step up domestic waste collection”, he stated.

And to curb indiscriminate dumping on the road median, Gbadegesin said the agency was also intensifying enforcement against all forms of improper waste disposal in the metropolis, with a clampdown on cart-pushers who engage in indiscriminatedumpingonroad medians, setbacks, canals and other unauthorised locations.

Gbadegesin appealed to residents to shun all forms of improper waste disposal methods, which could trigger flooding as the rains persist, adding that people should bag their waste appropriately and patronise only assigned PSP operators.

He commended all corporate organisations, volunteers, NGOs and recyclers partnering with LAWMA to clean up Lagos.

12

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Sunday 22 September 2019

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Amazon rainforest fire and effective use of social media

EDITOR Zebulon Agomuo

Caprio, Madonna and Lil Nas X, who have donated millions of dollars to relief organisations in a bid to quench the flames and ameliorate the effect on affected communities.

Hastags such as #PrayForTheAmazonas, #ActForTheAmazon and #AmazonRainfores trended for days on both Instagram and Twitter, thereby jolting the consciousness of the common man to the sad reality of earth’s biggest rainforest.

The conversations in the social media sphere culminated in world leaders at the G7 pledging a 20-million-dollar aid to Brazil, but the offer as we have come to know was swiftly turned down

by President Bolsonaro for reasons beyond the scope of this conversation.

Regardless of the outcome of the G7 meeting pertaining to the rainforest, it is irrefutable that social media has empowered millions of people over the past few years.

News stories are often gleaned daily by users through social media channels, Twitter especially, which makes it imperative for individuals and organisations to tap into the efficacy of the network.

Awareness, reputation management and talkability are just a few of the potentials of social media when used profoundly.

We watched in March of this year how a young outspoken

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C

ry for help. Sensitisation. Donations.

Condolence messages. The entire social media space has been awash with these forms of messages ever since news of the aflame Amazon Rainforest in Brazil got mainstream.

The root cause of the fires, which are affecting four Brazilian states and neighbouring countries, is yet to be identified but some critics put the blame squarely on the shoulders of President Jair Bolsonaro who has allegedly emboldened farmers with his stance on deforestation.

The President, in turn, heaped the blame on the environmental focused non-governmental organisations (NGOs), who he claims have lost funding and are now bent on embarrassing his administration.

The Amazon Rainforest was surprisingly aflame for two whole weeksbeforegainingwidespread prominencethroughsocialmedia platforms and the attention of renowned celebrities such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Leonardo Di

girl from Sapele, Delta State inadvertently turned herself into a sensation when she lamented the unfortunate circumstances that led to her being sent home for her parent’s inability to pay up her school fees. The viral video grabbed the attention of not only the Delta State Government that meted out strict punishment on the headmistress of the school but also some prominent Nigerians that made donations to not just the girl but to the person that filmed the video.

More importantly, the pervasive nature of social media necessitates deliberate usage by both businesses and individuals. Just as the place is replete with success stories so also does it embody damaging and dream-crushing stories. Human Resource Managers are increasingly gravitating towards assessing the social media pages of potential and current employees. The essence of the routine checks on them is to ensure that the values of the brand are exhibited within and outside the workplace.

As employees assume the new role of brand ambassador, it has become imperative for them to act accordingly on the “streets” of social media. A couple of years ago, I saw a post informing the public about a man who lost his job at a first-rate commercial bank for publishing an ‘I hate my job’ tweet. This act which might

have been borne out of frustration and not necessarily for a deleterious reason ultimately cost the man his source of livelihood at the time, and the trend has not abated since.

Furthermore, in 2018, a young American lady announced her internship acceptance at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Twitter using expletive language and was subsequently cautioned by another user to be mindful of her words. The lady then went on to reply the user with even more profanity, prompting him to identify as a member of the space council overseeing NASA. The conduct of the lady on Twitter led to NASA’s rescission of the internship offer. These examples reiterate the aptitude of social media to make or mar users.

In summary, social media is a vast world with innumerable potentials that only open up to those who position themselves for it. Young Nigerians today seem preoccupied with the need to gossip, excessively banter, defame and exchange frisky messages with one another rather than evaluate their purpose on social media and tailor content to achieve their goals. The interconnectivity social media affords users is unprecedented in the entire history of mankind and it will be self-damaging to not extract optimum value therein.

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Sunday 22 September 2019

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Interview

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BDSUNDAY 13

We took over uncompleted multispecialty hospital, says Akwa Ibom commissioner Dominic Ukpong, a medical doctor with many years experience both in the private and public health services, is the Akwa Ibom State commissioner for health. In this interview with ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, he explains the frequent changes in the management of the multispecialty hospital and how the state government is positioning healthcare delivery in the state. Excerpts: The multispecialty hospital has had to change its management several times since it was commissioned.

How is the hospital being run now? he history of the hospital is that the company that was running it before 2015 when we came could not run it well. And they left because we began to confront them with what they were supposed to do which they did not do and they could not cope. They were getting a lot of money from government on regular basis. The point is after we provided such a facility, why should we be giving you money? They could not handle it and they left. We then took it over and ran it for over a year. During that period, what we provided was what we called skeletal services, but we did some major things there. We utilised the services of someone in the Teaching Hospital. But we were screening various companies in order to choose one to run it in a better way. We screened about nine hospitals, coming from Dubai, United Kingdom, Turkey, United States of America, Canada, and Nigeria, all around. And out of these, we chose one which we believed would provide the kind of services that we want. That one was from Canada, headed by a Nigerian and it was a thing of pride that a Nigerian could have such a company. The basis for selection of that company was its capability to run that facility and finance. In other words, whosoever we chose will have enough finance to complete the project. We call it complete and operate agreement.

within an hour. So, you can live in Uyo and work in any of the outskirts.

Every doctor is paid a call duty allowance. So, you have no excuse. Even if you are living in Uyo and you are on call, so stay there and cover it. Any doctor that is not in his place of posting does not deserve to be there. I do not know what they mean by rural area. The problem with them is that some of them have their private clinics. And therefore, because of working in those private clinics they are late for work. You cannot see them in the hospitals. We are dealing with that. We have actually identified a number of them and we are going through SSMC. Senior Staff Management Committee is investigating them and they are being punished; at least, four of them.

T

Why was the issue of financing necessary in the agreement?

The reason we had the issue of finance in operating area is because the hospital that we took over in 2015, commissioned by the previous government, was not complete. It was incomplete. In fact, less than one quarter of it was complete. What you see there is not a complete hospital.

We have the first and the second floor in the main building done beautifully, and that is where you have the wards and out-patients, accident session. But the administrative block is the next block and there is nothing there. After the two levels, there is nothing in the third and the fourth floor, not completed, not plastered, and there are nothing like exit staircases. So essentially, the Specialist hospital was not completed. All the contractors that did the job were not paid and they abandoned the job.

Some of them had done 80 percent and only received 50 percent of their money, so they did not continue. It seems the hospital has huge debts to settle?

When we came in, we inherited huge debt from these contractors.

So, these contractors, seven in number, were owed billions of naira.

Apart from that, there are liabilities.

Services that were provided by the hospital by different contractors were not paid for, and that amounted to a huge amount of money. Equipment for the hospital was about N7.3 billion that was what was in the books that we saw. When we came in, they were owing about N4 billion.

We have been paying in installment.

The last time we paid was about N600million. And we were now left

Dominic Ukpong with about N1.3 billion to finish it. So, we have been paying, but when you look at what we have been talking about the hospital, the debt is huge.

And the government has not got that money. So, government was looking for a company which has that funding and the capability to manage, run it and be able to recoup their money.

Was there any specific time the management could run the hospital to recoup its finances?

No, it was going to vary depending on the agreement, 10 years, 15 years. It is a not a hospital for only Akwa Ibom State but basically, Akwa Ibom would benefit more. It was supposed to draw patients from all over Africa because some of the equipment we have here is not available in Africa. Our CT scan is the best in the continent. One other hospital has just gotten similar thing about two months ago in Cairo. What we have is the latest in technology in the world. We have 640 slides. So, we have been paying this money and it is a lot. So, it is better for us to have an agreement with an organisation that can fund it, run it and recoup their money and at the same time provide training facility, exposure to people of this country.

Was the firm chosen able to manage the hospital during the period?

The company was not able to manage it. The main problem they had was not just the management but funding. They actually lied to us that they had the funds and as soon as they got the contract, they felt back on us to provide funding. We gave the hospital as collateral to use as their funding and they could not do that. After one year, they could not even manage their finances in the hospital and all that. They terminated their contract by 10th of July, and before I did that, I had to look for a Nigerian who could manage the hospital. Effectively. We will still look for a consortium in the future, but we know that the hospital is an excellent hand. We brought Professor Emmanuel Ekanem, a pediatrician, who revamped the Teaching Hospital, Uyo, when it had collapsed. He brought it back to life. He was able to organise discipline in that hospital and within a space of time, the hospital came

alive before other CMDs took over from him. He was at the University of Calabar, I had to approach him, and he accepted to come and run the hospital. The place has come to life and we are happy with his work.

What about the staff welfare because at a point, they were complaining of lack of payment?

There is no problem about the staff welfare of Professor Ekanem. There is a difference between the staff of the other company that left and that of Professor Ekanem. We did not employ them. They were the staff of that company and they should have even sued them because they made money. Government does not owe anybody there. The present management is paying the salary of the staff they have taken.

Was the problem bigger than the state government?

It was not bigger than the state government but management. Don’t forget that this state was getting between 48 and 55 billion every month and this present government is getting between 8 and 12 billion.

It was great vision if well managed, not only would it help the state but the country, and at the same time, it could yield revenue to the state and also prevent this flight, medical tourism, where you go and spend eight million abroad whereas we can take four million from you here and you save four. And even the four million you pay here might still be beneficial to the state in terms of taxes. So, it is the management.

How do you tackle the issue of staffing, because most doctors do not want to go to the rural areas?

The doctor should resign. When you take up appointment, the document you sign is that you can be taken anywhere. Nobody comes to government and decides where to stay. There is no such employment.

Even in the corporate bodies, they tell you that they can transfer you to anywhere and ask you to sign. So, all the doctors here in the state have signed the document that they can be posted to anywhere. And Akwa Ibom State is one of the finest states in terms of location. There is no place in the state that you cannot reach

How many doctors have you employed in recent times?

The healthcare is not just about structures. The governor has done well in that regard. That was the first stage.

The second stage is going to do with the staff, accommodation of all those hospitals. And there is the third stage because we are going to increase the schools of nursing and places to train house officers. We met a very poor ratio of patient, nurse of patient, doctor ratio. It is very, very poor. They could not cope. Sometimes, you have one person taking care of the whole ward. They started it and he has done well. We employed the first set when we came here last year, about 25. This year, we took the first 25 approval; then we also had 25 consultants.

These are consultants, who have retired but are effectively utilised to train some young doctors. You do not let them go. We also got approval for another 25.

About two weeks ago, the governor gave approval for the employment of 150 medical doctors, different from these ones. They are interviewing them. Then we have 250 nurses. Some nurses were recruited last year. We are also thinking about getting approval for community health workers, extension workers, laboratoryworkers,pharmacists.We are doing them in stages.

The issue of HIV pandemic seems to have put the state on edge. What is the position right now?

The position is that the state is doing well and that the news that you heard was a total misrepresentation of our state. We came in here when the HIV prevalence rate was 10.8 percent. Today, we are 5.5 percent prevalence. That is a success. That is a great performance anywhere in the world. But that is not what people are reporting or telling people in the world. Akwa Ibom State has done well, from 10.8 to 5.5. What is being given out even though is true is the stigmatisation of the state. You sing the news that we are number one in the country. That is stigmatisation.

No, that is not what the news is. The news is, what have you done when we were 10.8 and for us to be able to reduce to 5.5 under four years?

We have done well. What has led to the reduction is the effort of Udom Emmanuel. When we came in, it was 10.8 and the governor said, I cannot accept this for my state. And he said he wanted it to be recounted because it is possible that it could less than that. And we have been doing

a lot of work. In 2016, he insisted on that and we were just one year in office. And in 2017, we started what we called Akwa Ibom State Indicator Impact Survey. So, I insisted that we should do the scientific survey, so that we know the true value for our state and they did and they used 12,000 households in the state. That is the normal samples. When we did those samples, the number came to 4.8 percent from 10.8. The way it was conducted, we put our eyes, so that they do not tell lies against us, because this thing could turn political. We put our eyes and followed up, and we were part of the survey. They would come back after going to several houses and stayed in a meeting with us and showed the results they have gotten for that day till about 8, 9pm every day for several weeks.

When they finished, we got the result of 4.8 percent. And we tell them to announce it. They were reluctant. It was not very funny. And we asked them why don’t you want to announce what you have found and they said they are verifying and we allowed them. They were verifying till November and they announced it when they were convinced. When they were convinced the figure was taken to WHO, CDC to different organisations and they looked at it critically and they felt it was the best survey conducted on HIV. So, they decided the government should do the same for the whole federation.

They used our standard. When those people came, they were not using 12,000 households, they used 6, 000 households. The wider the samples, the better the results, so our own was still better than the one the nation did which they called National Indicator. So, when they did, they got 5.5percent, and what we did was 4.8. In science, it is the same because you use 4.1 to 6. 7, what we called confidence figure. So, whatever falls there is about the same. Ours was 4.8 and theirs 5.5 and we are not arguing about that. So, they went on air to announce that Akwa Ibom State is number one. Is that what the announcement should be? The announcement should be that the state has improved tremendously and should be commended.

Could you say that there was element of politics in the way it was announced?

There could be, in the way it was announced. I have talked to them in Abuja and they have apologised to us. But, the truth is we have this 5.5 and we want it to reduce. We have the longest coastline, 125 kilometers.

Apart from the efforts of the state government, which other agency is helping the state in this regard?

There are very many agencies. Essentially, there are different organisations and we call them partners that are helping us. For nine years, they have been bringing money to help us and they have spent 31 million dollars. Don’t forget we have only been here four years. They have done some jobs. And now they are working with us we have been able to monitor the money is properly spent. And they are doing the work.

There is no how Governor Udom is interested in health and would not spend money. It goes without saying that a lot of money has been spent.

14 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 22 September 2019

Interview ‘Tolerance for one another is needed to achieve desired unity in Nigeria’ Sebastine Uremadu, a professor in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State and a public affairs commentator spoke with UDOKA AGWU in Umuahia on the chances of Igbo Presidency in 2023 and other national issues. Excerpts: Recently, Shehu Sani, a distinguished senator, called for unity among the southerners ahead of 2023 general election. What is your take on his position? is warning that unless the Southwest and Southeast unite, getting power to shift south in 2023 may be impossible, is true.

Shehu Sani is a northerner, an activist and a former senator, what he said is right. The unity of the Southwest and the Southeast is very paramount; it is a necessity, if Ndigbo truly want to rule this country. The Southwest and South-south should know that the Igbos are their brothers. The South-south should know that the South-East is their senior brother and the SouthEast should understand that the South-south is their junior brother. They should show love to one another. In the absence of this, those who do not support Igbo Presidency will capitalise on it and create divide and rule among us. The South-south should know that Igbos are marginalized; if Igbos are exterminated from the face of this earth, God forbid, they will be the next target in the line of action. Just like Sani, another person that supports Igbo Presidency is my friend Yakassai. He supports Igbo Presidency in the spirit of justice and fair play. Southeast is the only region in the tripod on which Nigeria stands that has not provided the President of this country. So, Ndigbo should shun negative criticism because it cannot afford us the Presidency.

They should learn from the First and Second Republic politiciansNnamdi Azikiwe and others. They used soft tone to buttress their point and achieved their goal. So, we should woo the northerners, anything other than that will be a disaster. So, Sani was straight forward in his remarks. That was sincerely advisory to the entire South, that the Yorubas’ should cooperate with the entire Southeast, to allow Ndigbo enjoy their quota and not to distort the quota that is due for the Southeast. The Yorubas’ enjoyed eight years of Presidency and are enjoying also eight years of vice president slot.

They should keep calm by not fielding any candidate for 2023 Presidency. They should remember that other zones cooperated with them during their time. That was why we had Olu Falae from AD and Olusegun Obasanjo from the PDP. When it was the turn of the North, we had Musa Yar’Adua and Muhammadu Buhari and again Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar. In the spirit of unity, fairness, equity and justice, Ahmed Tinubu, the Yorubas’

need to work hard to make their youths see reason to calm down on their good demands as well as reassure the North, Southwest and South-south that they are ready to present good leaders in the major political parties, the APC, PDP and others.

Southwest cannot produce a President in 2023 because they have had their slot of eight years, providing also eight years of vice president. It is the turn of Igbos or the Southeast, after the Northeast and North central who are yet to take their turns in the rotational Presidency, depending on the dynamics of the national politics. It was based on the above dynamics that people are predicting 2023 Presidency including Primate Ayodele and not that God has told him anything. He is not a prophet! He can be a prophet, evangelist or apostle but not a bet prophet. It does not exist in our dispensation. Thank you.

H

Sebastine Uremadu

should jettison their 2023 Presidential ambition. Whatever they think the Southeast has done wrong, they should forgive and allow the Southeast field in their candidates in the major political parties of APC and the PDP. The APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole and Uche Secondus, National Chairman of the PDP should ensure that their parties work in that direction. I repeat, Senator Shehu Sani is a good man and he has the unity of Nigeria at heart and that is why some negative-minded Nigerians are against him. His advice to the Southern Nigeria should not be taken as common. Raji Fashola, Tinubu with their press and social media have continued to preach to the North, to deceive the good people of the North that the Presidential rotation is between the South and the North. They don’t mean well for Nigeria.

For the unity of Nigeria and justice to prevail and to tame the agitations of the young Igbos, they should allow the Igbos to take their turn in 2023; after South-East, then Northeast and then the North Central, in that order. Presidency should rotate among the six geopolitical zones of the country.

On Primate Elijah Ayodele’s prophecy about the 2023 Presidency?

My brother, we know Primate Ayodele is a popular seer and founder, Inri Evangelical Spiritual Church, with headquarters in Lagos; but as regards 2023 presi-

dency, his prediction should be regarded as mere prediction and not prophecy. In our time, there exists no ‘bet prophet’ because many fake ones go about dishing out predictions nowadays. However, his prediction was made based on the dictates of the times.

It may come to pass or it may not. The Igbos should work very hard and try to win back the core North and other zones of Nigeria, the Northeast, North Central, South-south and Southwest, if they really want to produce President of Nigeria in 2023. It is true that it ought to be given to them based on equity and justice but they need to change their mindset about Nigeria and stop abusing other tribes of Nigeria on social media.

The elders of the Southeast

Southwest cannot produce a President in 2023 because they have had their slot of eight years, providing also eight years of vice president

What is your reaction to Governor Ganduje’s salvo on the proposed Ruga policy?

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State said Fulani herdsmen’s migration should be banned, that there is no better way to improve their lives if you don’t prevent their migration from the North to the Central and Southern parts of Nigeria. That movement should be banned, otherwise the Fulani would continue to suffer and the security problem in the country would continue. This stance of the governor is in outright negation of the views of an elder statesman, name withheld, at the age of 94 by December 2018. In a discussion I had with him recently he said that the herdsmen usually migrate to the Southern part of Nigeria mostly during dry season when both the grass and water are scarce to the sea and begin to retreat back during the rainy season because the grass begin to grow and water becomes available because the humid condition of the Southern Nigeria is not conducive for the cattle. This is a natural phenomenon and we cannot work against nature. In the view of these two conflicting narratives, one saying ban migration and the other suggesting that migration has become part of the Nigeria pastorate hence do not ban migration. What do we do to strike a balance between the two and thereby assuage the complaints or concerns of both the Middle Belt and southern part of Nigeria that herdsmen migration has become an unnecessary evil in their midst because of the evils, killings, rape, stealing, confiscation of people’s and community lands after they have chased them away and their cattle dam-

aging farms by eating up farm crops. To my mind, outright ban is not the right thing to do since the herdsmen and their employers who trade on cows and other domestic animals may not have their resources to build individual ranches as done in America and other developed economies where cattle are not left to graze in open areas. Hence, herdsmen should be allowed unhindered to graze on open lands provided they control and prevent their cattle from destroying people’s farmlands and crops as well as banned from carrying AK-47 rifles with which they wreak havoc on people who dare challenge their nefarious acts of destruction of people’s farm crops, rape, banditry and killings as they go about with their animals.

Instead of instituting a ban on outright migration to the South, herdsmen should be banned from carrying arms and weapons of mass destruction. They should use sticks, bows and arrows they were known to use in the past.

Again, the people they graze in their areas and communities should equally be outlawed from taking laws into their hands to attack herdsmen and their cattle as they migrate and graze in their areas. If by mistake the herdsmen and their cattle are caught destroying and spoiling farm crops, their owners can lodge petition or report to the police, who can through the law court sue them for damages and they have to pay for whatever their animals have damaged. If things are done that way, I feel that these incessant clashes between the farmers and herders would be controlled to the barest minimum. Therefore, a middle course agreement has to be struck between their two views rather than favour either of them hundred percent.

A fifty-fifty agreement should be accepted and let’s allow peace to reign in Nigeria. Tanko Yakassai said we need one another in this country. Yes, we definitely need one another, the Fulani herdsmen and their cattle for the meat and other dairy products they offer, and farmers for the farm produce and harvests they offer for the teeming populace of Nigeria. A word is enough for the wise.

I have spoken as a nationalist and one who sees the unity of Nigeria and living in peace and harmony among the Nigeria tribes and tongues as something achievable and for the benefit of the nation as a giant of Africa. It is essential because the continued existence of Nigeria as one entity guarantees sanity and protection of other countries of Africa; therefore, we cannot toy with it as a nation.

Sunday 22 September 2019

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15

Interview ‘Imported fake and substandard products killing manufacturing in Nigeria’ OLUREMI ADIAT HAMID is an electrical engineer who has been in the vanguard of advocating for the use of renewable energy in Nigeria. Her desire to see mini and micro-businesses thrive due to regular electricity supply spurred her to set up Hydren, a company that provides Mobile Solar Solutions (MSS) to business and home owners in Nigeria. In this interview with NGOZI OKPALAKUNNE, she lamented the influx of substandard electrical equipment in the country and stressed the need for government to ensure that products coming into the country from Asia are of high standard. Excerpts:

C

ould you please talk about your journey into the world of renewable energy?

My background is in electrical engineering. I actually started my career in Telecom. l worked there as their chief engineer for seven years before l found myself in renewable energy. l think it is my desire to make renewable energy available and affordable for regular people that actually brought me into the business. There is a supply to demand gap in electricity supply in the country. Over 80 percent of Nigerians do not have access to electricity. I have been in an office where spending on diesel was quite outrageous, at the end of the month; there will be no profit, the entire expenses go to the purchase of diesel. Then the issue of deaths as a result of fumes from generators is another factor that encouraged me to start campaigning for the use of greener electricity supply.

One of our goals is to reduce environmental pollution due to fumes coming from generators. Now we are in Lagos and our plan is to be in other states of the federation as soon as possible.

How would you describe Nigerians’ perception about renewable energy?

Well, l think people are more informed about renewable energy now, unlike before when many people did not know much about it. Initially, the cost of solar panel was very high, but now, it has come down. I see more acceptance now because many people have tried it and discovered that it actually works. Before, people thought that it did not work. Now, people are more interested in installing it in their homes, offices, streets, among other places.

Investigation shows that it is helping a lot of people to be on board. So, l will say the acceptance is more now than five years ago. Renewable energy has so many benefits. If you go for solar solution, you do not have to worry yourself about maintenance cost unlike the generator set where you buy fuel or diesel and still spend money on the maintenance, but with renewable energy you may not need to worry at least for three years before changing the battery, The reason we advise people to go for solar is because the energy is already available here in Nigeria; with solar, you can get electricity from 7.am or 8.am, but what you will get at that time is very little, you can get to the tip between 12 pm and 2.pm.

As long as the sun is on, one can get

Oluremi Adiat Hamid

electricity and then there is battery that is used for storage. While getting power from the solar solution, during the day, some power will also be backed up in the battery. The electricity backed in the battery can be used

‘

We have a lot of natural resources in this country. The raw material for manufacturing of solar panel is silicon and silicon is from sand. There is a lot of sand in Nigeria So, the way out of this problem is for Nigeria to start manufacturing

over night.

What are your challenges and how have you been able to overcome?

The greatest challenge in the business is high exchange rate because almost all the items we use for installation are imported. Another issue is that of substandard products. Some of the electrical equipment imported into the country from Asia, particularly China, are substandard and that has affected our work negatively. The fact is that if you install solar panel with fake items it will not work and your clients will not have value for their money. That is the reason some people will tell you that it does not work because materials used in the installation are all fake. A good quality battery should last up to fifteen months, but fake one will last only two weeks. And when you take it back to where you bought it, you are on your own because they will not listen to you. Sometimes, they will tell you that they are not the manufacturer and that the way you bought it from them was exactly the same way they bought it from the manufacturer. At that point, there is nothing you can do than to leave with fake battery that will not be of any use. Nigeria has become a dumping ground for substandard products

not only electrical products. The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) is doing their best. But there is need for them to put in more effort in ensuring that imported products from Asia are not encouraged here. From the look of things, we do not have any standard in this country and that is the reason people bring in anything they like. Also, the importers are not helping matters, they are the ones responsible for the influx of substandard products into the country; they are the ones that will tell the manufacturers over there to lower the standard of the products so that Nigerians can afford such products. If the importers will stand for standard, the manufacturers over there will not have any choice than to give them the standard they want.

America has a standard and it is the same in Asia; China in particular, that manufactures most of the products used in the US. I am sure that any product coming in to US must meet the US recommended standard. The SON should carry out a thorough examination of any products coming into the country. They should not do random sampling because in the process of doing that, some products coming in will be good while some will not meet up with the standard. Some of these challenges can be taken care of if the Nigerian government can encourage manufacturing of some of these products by creating enabling environment for manufacturers. We have a lot of natural resources in this country. The raw material for manufacturing of solar panel is silicon and silicon is from sand.

There is a lot of sand in Nigeria. So, the way out of this problem is for Nigeria to start manufacturing. My company is actually looking forward to having a factory here in Nigeria. When we start manufacturing, we will have a standard. By then SON will be able to monitor the activities of the manufacturers.

After manufacturing, they will test the products before it will be moved into the market. And by so doing, the issue of marketing of substandard products in Nigeria will be a thing of the past.

Besides, it will make Nigeria to be well recognised by other countries of the world. I believed that manufacturing is what made China to be rated as one of the largest economy in the world. If we have regular electricity supply and government makes manufacturing enticing by providing incentives for those who want to go into manufacturing, l am sure a lot of people will become manufacturers. On the other hand, the government will enjoy good trade

16 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 22 September 2019

Tribute Castro and the African revolution CHIGACHI EKE and LAWRENCE BARAEBIBAI EKPEBU

T

Ambiguous quest he advent of the nuclear age mid 1940s completely changed the military configuration of the world. The United State of America, USA, and Union of Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR, leading nuclear powers, were obsessed with maintaining the nuclear status quo. By this, they attempted increasing their nuclear arsenals (vertical proliferation) while doing everything in their powers to stop others from acquiring same (horizontal prohibition).

To maintain this status quo what the two giants did was to take disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation out of the discussion list of United Nations, UN. This gave them unfettered leverage to monopolise debate on a core issue that affected the whole world. In other words, multilateral engagement for global peace and security was sacrificed on the altar of bilateral hegemony.

This was very unhealthy as later events proved.

Having taken the nuclear agendum off the UN agenda the two consumed themselves with endless rivalry in an inordinate arms race.

Rather than dismantle all arms and militarism, America and Russia polarised the world into two hostile and potentially bellicose North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, NATO, and Warsaw blocs. Their subterfuge was the Test Ban Treaty, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, NPT and later Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, SALT. These treaties only served to further their military supremacy while creating window opportunities for their selected allies to acquire and perfect nuclear technology. France, Western Germany, Israel and South Africa built nuclear bombs under the American watchful eyes during this period.

Test Ban Treaty notwithstanding, America conveniently looked the other way while its French ally turned the Sahara Desert into a vast testing ground for its nuclear bombs.

It was a crime that earned the ire of two young African students in Harvard University. Lawrence Baraebibai Ekpebu from Nigeria and Washington Jalango Okumu from Kenya wrote in the Mail newspaper February 13th 1962 in condemnation of the tests. The North East Trade Wind, they contended, was a factor in West Africa. The testing sites chosen by France were in the direct path of this seasonal wind that blew the same desert dust all the way to the coast. Radioactive residues emanating from such sites would be blown right into West African cities and villages with catastrophic consequences for human life.

Their position was contested by Professor Stanley H. Haufman, one of Harvard’s most brilliant professors, who maintained that pre-test reports indicated that testing would have minimal impact on people’s health as sites were far removed from human habitat by more than a 1000 Kilometres. He faulted Ekpebu and Okumu for claiming that France imposed its evil design on Africa

Castro when, in fact, the European power was acting in the best interest of her African colonies.

If the testing of nuclear bombs was such a safe and glorious enterprise, the two countered, why didn’t the French government test them in France among its own population?

Face to face with this overwhelming truth the erudite professor of government who had some French blood in him called for truce with Ekpebu, who would turn out to be his future PhD student. But in the UN France was cautioned against further testing in Africa following this protest.

A ghastly philosophy The tipping point was the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962.

America had over the years surrounded the Soviet Union with its deadly weapons. The latest provocation was America mounting its Jupiter MRBMs ballistic missiles in Italy and Turkey, within range of Moscow. Secondly, the attempt by US to topple the firebrand Fidel Castro, who 1959 toppled the corrupt Batista regime, did not go down well with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. The US had initially hailed Castro; it only turned against the young revolutionary the moment he nationalised foreign multinationals in Cuba. Subsequently Washington conspired to eliminate Castro through the failed 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion.

In retaliation Khrushchev covertly shipped into Castro’s Cuba, an island nation just 90 miles from America, Russian medium-range SS-4 and intermediate-range R-14 nuclear warheads. American President JFK Kennedy threatened a preemptive nuclear strike and Armageddon was averted only because weak Third World countries, namely Ghana and India, intervened. Their intervention gave the two nuclear cowboys a face-saving pretext to eat their own threats and back off. But the protagonists emerged from this 13-day crisis, 16th-28th October, shaken. They realised that though powerful they were still vulnerable-a great irony of power.

The fear of possible mutual destruction did not force the US and USSR to disarm but rather inspired them to new mischief. Rather than fight each other to the bitter end, or in the alternative work for global peace as was expected of them, what they did was to shift the war theatre to the Third World. It was like having reached an agreement

not to wipe out each other the ingrates now said to their Third World saviour, “Since you said we shouldn’t fight each other then we’re not gonna fight anymore. But you’re gonna fight and die in our place, okay?” That was how the Latin America, South-East Asia and Africa became engulfed in American/Russian proxy wars.

The twisted logic justifying their indirect involvement in Third World conflicts was that conflicts at the lower level would graciouslysave mankind from conflicts at the nuclear level. War-war in underdeveloped Southern Hemisphere was a necessary step in averting a major EastWest conflict. As primitive people themselves spill animal blood to avert a major evil, so must America and Russia now shed “limited” primitive blood to avert a nuclear holocaust. But what number qualified as “limited.” Was it a hundred lives, thousands or tens of thousands; perhaps a million?

When the final tally was taken the casualties in these proxy wars, in fact, dwarfed the figures for the entire duration of World War II. Frank Barnaby of SIPRI had it that between 1945 and 1976 the US and USSR stimulated some 119 wars in the Third World exceeding in duration of 350 years and involving the territories of 69 countries and the armed forces of 81 states. Secondly, the warring countries served as vibrant markets for American and Russian arms makers. Thirdly, the protagonists spied on each other’s military secrets by understudying captured weapons.

From an African perspective, therefore, it is our contention that the military policies of America and Russia, which favoured detente under threats of total nuclear destruction, fanned the flames of conflicts in the continent. Whereas the perpetrators had achieved peace and development for their own citizens, their meddlesome wars completely underdeveloped Africa. Barely emerging from the colonial-induced long night, the continent risked a second one from which it could barely survive. This dangerous prospect produced the non-alignment complex in Africans and others at the receiving end.

Non-Aligned Movement The genesis of Non-Aligned Movement is traceable to the Bandung Conference of Non-Aligned Nations in April 1955, confirmed at the Belgrade Conference of 1961,

by the developing countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America. It was a response to the polarisation of the world into two hostile military camps. In Africa, Tafawa Balewa’s Nigeria, Julius Nyerere’s Tanzania, Kwame Nkrumah’s Ghana, Merian Nguabi’s Congo, Sylvarus Olympio’s Togo, Nasser’s Egypt, Algeria, Guinea, Libya, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, etc, etc, all subscribed to it. At its 1963 inception the Organisation of African Unity, OAU, affirmed non-alignment in Article 111 of its Charter.

Non-alignment as of then described the attitude by which its adherents refused to enter into entangling military or political alliances with either the US (NATO) or USSR, now Russia, (Warsaw). It provided the basis on which adherents felt no obligation to support either side as a matter of routine.

This gave them the freedom of independent judgement and action.

Members would vigorously pursue their national interests even if the USSR did not exist and not abandon same just because the US existed.

Their newly won independence was everything.

The only benefit accruing from the arms race is that it further weakened the power structures of a dying colonialism speeding up African independence. But it is also a historical truth that the resources that should have been used in developing these newly independent states were diverted into financing military budgets as a result of these proxy wars.

Secondly, the local bourgeoisie who inherited power from the colonialist displayed abellicose mindset in the face of the pervading militarist culture. Even when there was no war African leaders budgeted heavily for weapons just for the prestige of it.

The end result was bloated self-confidence, jaw-breaking titles, intolerance, coups and civil wars. Between 1945 and 1972, Africa experienced a total of 104 foreign interventions executed with weapons procured with national budgets.

America in Africa American intervention in African can be analysed at three levels: (1) Its support for the colonialist against Africans. (2) Backing of corrupt and conservative leaders against their progressive counterparts; and (3) Support for Apartheid South Africa against the frontline states. The convergence of these three factors produced the oddity that was post-colonial Africa. Among these three factors we shall limit this exercise to number one.

Against the spirit of 1776 and tenets of 20th Century Atlantic Charter that promised freedom for oppressed people under colonial yoke, America sided with the colonialist French against the independence movement in Vietnam.

When the French were defeated in Dien Bien Phu in May 1955, it took over committing 6,000000 American troops until it was in turn defeated by the Vietnamese. In Algeria, America again supported the colonialist French against the colonised leading to a bitter eight years war. Pampered France voted for military, rather than diplomatic, solution to the contentious issue of

Algerian self-determination. One million Algerians paid with their lives as a result.

But it was in Angola, Mozambique and Guinea Bissau that America lent total support to colonialist Portugal against Africans.

In 1943 America promised to help Portugal secure its African colonies in return for allowing it build Anglo-American military bases in Portuguese-ruled islands of Timor in the Malaysian Archipelago and Santa Maria in the Atlantic. Then the Azores Treaty of 1944, extended 10th December 1971 and 4th February 1974, guaranteed massive US financial assistance to Portugal for its repressive wars in Angola, Mozambique and Guinea Bissau. The US provided Portugal with $36m in addition to an exportimport loan of $400m for a total outlay of $436m. Between 1951 and 1961 the US gave Portugal additional $500,000,000 to build up its military against local rebels in its African colonies.

American military equipment supplied Portugal included 50 Republican Thunder jets in 1952, 18 Lockheed Harpoon bombers in 1954, 12 Lockheed Neptune bombers between 1960 and 1961 and Skymaster and C-47 Dakota transport planes. Naval vessels included 8 mine sweepers in 1953-1955, 4 larger mine sweepers in 1955, 3 patrol vessels in 1954-1955, 5 patrol vessels in 1956-1958 and 2 frigates in 1957. Other military equipment included 50 North American Sabre fighters, 30 Cessna trainers and several hundreds of Harvard trainers equipped with gun and bomb racks for anti-guerrilla warfare.

In terms of training the US trained some 5000 Portuguese service men in “anti-partisan courses” at its Fort Bragg in North Carolina between 1964 and 1974. Between 1950 and 1975 when Portugal eventually lost its African colonies, a total of 11, 283 Portuguese officers and men were trained by America under its US International Military Education and Training Program.

While Angola, Mozambique and Guinea Bissau bled, the world stood helplessly by and did nothing. The political and diplomatic protection given Portugal by the West meant resolutions in condemnation of the former’s excesses were roundly defeated at the Security Council mainly by American Veto. Disgusted by American brazen support for racist Portugal during the 1971 extension of the Azores Treaty, a black American Congressman and member of US delegation to the UN, Charles Diggs, resigned in protest against his country’s contribution to “wars against black people.”

Castro to the rescue In 1975 a military coup in Lisbon weakened the colonialist grip and Angola used this God-given opportunity to throw Portugal off its back. Under the leadership of Dr. Augustino Neto the country declared its political independence.

The American-backed South Africa invaded Luanda with 5000 troops with Mobutu SeseSeko of Zaire, his Angolan brother in-law called Continues on page 18

Sunday 22 September 2019

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BDSUNDAY 17

Politics

Can PDP successfully placate aggrieved members? …As Wike, Melaye, others talk tough SOLOMON AYADO, Abuja

E

xcept the reasons prevail, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is at the verge of total collapse following internal crisis that has engulfed the party which is taking a dangerous dimension.

The National Working Committee (NWC) and the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party are already not taking anything for granted as it has commenced serious investigations into the bugging issues. But unfortunately, all efforts to resolve the crisis are yet to yield any positive result.

This is not the first time the party would be thrown into such crisis. The party faced leadership storm during the Ali Modu Sherrif era, as national chairman of the party. Everybody thought the wrangling would submerge the party but eventually, it came out better and strong, and was able to contest against the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The NWC and BoT’s investigation of the crisis is to evolve proactive measures and proffer workable solutions to the teething disagreeable issues so that the ugly situation will not degenerate.

At the moment, serious confusion has set in and division is another cankerworm the party is battling to eradicate so as to prevent any further influence of the crisis by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Apart from mass defection that appears obvious, some financial members, who verily are in control of states that the party largely depends on to fare, it was learnt, have resorted to drastic tactics to starve the party of funds.

BDSUNDAY gathered that a very serious expanded meeting of the party may soon be called to determine how best the crisis can be quickly resolved.

Besides some governors, particularly Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State whose body language and utterances at the moment is tilting towards dumping the party, some other stakeholders have started defecting. Wike recently descended hard, verbally, and lambasted the entire leadership of the party.

As it stands, many senators and members of the House of Representatives are seemingly planning to defect to other political parties.

The protest that heralded the recently held governorship party primary in Kogi State is

Uche Secondus

another thorn in the flesh of the party. Senator Dino Melaye and Abubakar Idris, who petitioned the party over the exercise, have appeared not ready for any truce, especially that the APC is reportedly wooing them into its fold.

Recently, Governor Wike had alleged that the Senator Iyorchia Ayu, chairman of the committee that investigated the Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu and other minority principal officers of the House of Representatives, was excessively corrupt.

The indicted committee has former Senate Presidents, Adolphus Wabara, David Mark, and former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, as well as a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Austin Opara who was the committee secretary.

Somehow, Opara pulled a big surprise and exited. It is said he was sidelined.

Sources however, said the exit of Opara was a protest, owing to the fact that he was sidelined by the other members of the committee.

However, in reply to Wike, the BoT said it was premature to join issues with the governor and asked him to be cautious and not vent unguarded vituperations.

The PDP BoT chairman, Senator Walid Jubrin in a statement, however, did not give reasons to why Opara left the committee.

He said “The BoT will meet next week on the recommendations of the committee.”

By the workings of the PDP hierarchy, both BoT and NWC will meet at separate instances and discuss the issues surrounding any crisis.

It was gathered that the BoT and NWC have not established why Governor Wike accused

Nyesom Wike

the committee of being corrupt, why Opara the secretary of the committee exited, and whether he was sidelined truly and above all, to ascertain if any money exchanged hands with the committee in the course of the assignment.

A member of the committee was quoted as saying, “I did not benefit from the investigation of Elumelu in cash or kind. I do not know why the crisis is raging and why Opara left the committee.

Some of us can beat our chest that we’re not corrupt and if any money was involved to frustrate the investigation, I do not know.”

Apart from the aforementioned, the crisis in the party has spread to Kogi PDP governorship primary. While about 10 aspirants in the election have taken their fate, and unanimously thrown their support to the emerged winner, Musa Wada, two aspirants, Dino Melaye and Abubakar Idris have petitioned the party, resolving not to succumb to any ‘kangaroo’

Let me state categorically that I have turned down the position of DirectorGeneral of the PDP Kogi State Governorship Campaign Council.

I wish PDP all the best. When truth is a casualty, there is chaos

Dino Melaye

negotiation.

Melaye and Idris are alleging that their votes were not counted. According to them, they would have emerged victorious if their votes were counted.

In a move to broker peace, the PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus has visited Melaye, Idris and Timi Alaibe (Bayelsa) to urge them to withdraw their petitions. The PDP Kogi governorship candidate, Musa Wada, it was gathered, also paid unscheduled visits to his opponents - Melaye and Idris - to beg them to support him.

The 10 aspirants under the auspices of Kogi PDP 2019 G-12, led by former governor Capt. Idris Wada, has Emmanuel Omejibe, AVM Salifu Atawodi (rtd), Grace Iyeh Adejoh, Joseph Ameh Erico, and Kabiru Haruna.

Others are Adebayo Adobayin Averehi, Aminu Abubakar Sulaiman, Victor Alewo Adoji and Mohammed Adah Shaibu Tettes. They stormed the national secretariat on Friday and spoke to newsmen. According to them, their teaming up to support Wada is to make sure that PDP unseats Governor Yahaya Bello.

In Bayelsa State, a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Timi Alaibe, has challenged the emergence of Senator Douye Diri as candidate of the PDP. He alleged that the PDP’s primary in the state was manipulated and held through a flawed process. His plan to defect cannot be taken for granted.

A staunch member of the party who was met at the Wadata Plaza told BDSUNDAY in confidence that “there is serious crisis over the Kogi and Bayelsa primary elections. Melaye, Idris

and Alaibe are already on their way to APC. That is why our National Chairman visited Melaye and it is because of that he (Melaye) was offered the DirectorGeneral of the campaign. If this crisis is not managed well, I am sorry that the unexpected may happen soon.”

Recall that Melaye rejected the appointment after it was announced. He tweeted through dino_melaye: “Let me state categorically that I have turned down the position of Director-General of the PDP Kogi State Governorship Campaign Council. I wish PDP all the best. When truth is a casualty, there is chaos.”

Meanwhile, the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan has denied that PDP is disunited and there are defections.

He said the party will surely win Kogi hence, the coming together of the aspirants. He said there are no issues that can hamper the party’s unity. He said efforts to reconcile aggrieved aspirants in Kogi and Bayelsa States have yielded positive results.

However, commenting on the crisis and perceived collapse of the party, Uche Thomas, a PDP youth leader, said: “PDP is a big party and a very viable opposition for that matter. From the way things are going, I suspect danger; I suspect that some governors are planning defection especially the way one of them, Governor Wike is misbehaving.

Some senators may likely defect and you can see the way Dino acted by rejecting appointment by the party.

“I think, it is high time the matter is taken seriously so that the crisis will not escalate and lead to collapse of the party. After all, the APC is eagerly waiting to receive them.”

18 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 22 September 2019

Politics

Oyo-Ita: What is it with Cross River?

Sources say even before her elevation to the position of number one civil servant in Nigeria, the Buhari administration had dug into her past; setting the stage for what would befall her in the days ahead.

About a month ago, Oyo-Ita had checked into a hospital after being quizzed by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N3 billion contract scam said to have taken place before her appointment as Head of Service.

About N600 million was also reportedly traced to the account of one of her aides who, according to reports, could not explain the source of the money.

The EFCC was said to have placed a lid on the account and initiated the process of obtaining an interim forfeiture clause to seize the cash.

The embattled former HoS since the alleged fraud case became public knowledge had kept low profile.

Some sections of the media had reported that Oyo-Ita tendered her resignation letter to President

Buhari rather than waiting to be sacked but Buhari would not receive the letter.

Oyo-Ita was conspicuously missing during the retreat for ministersdesignate on August 20, 2019.

However, she was seen smiling and shaking hands during the inauguration of the new cabinet on August 21 at the State House.

Unconfirmed reports say OyoIta had pleaded with Buhari to allow her retire from her successful career honourably, as some of the contracts under investigation predated her appointment as the Head of Service.

It was gathered that there was an initial plan to arraign her in court on August 19 but she was in the hospital for medical treatment.

The former Head of Service’s ordeal has also been linked in some quarters to her confrontation with the “almighty” Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to President Buhari, over the ignoble reinstatement of runaway pension funds ‘thief’, Adulrasheed Maina, who was sacked from service by the former President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Recall that Oyo-Ita had a heated argument during a session of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting November 1, 2017, over the reinstatement of Maina, accused of stealing billions of pension funds. Oyo-Ita had insisted that Maina was reinstated without her knowledge as Head of Service of the federation.

But the EFCC swiftly denied that its investigation of Winifred was influenced by Kyari.

“The commission wishes to state that there is no truth in the reports that the investigation of Oyo-Ita is influenced by Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, and urges the public to disregard the reports as the handiwork of mischief makers”, the EFCC said through its spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren.

“For the avoidance of doubt, investigation by the EFCC is evidence-based. Most often, they are

triggered by petitions or intelligence.

“In the case of Oyo-Ita’s investigation, it was prompted by intelligence received by the EFCC. In the discharge of its mandate, the commission does not take instructions from extraneous bodies neither will it lend itself to be used to settle scores by anyone,” said the EFCC. Although the full report of the EFCC’s investigation of Oyo-Ita hasn’t been made public, sources say that her prosecution is being considered.

It is believed in Presidency circles that the evidence against her is overwhelming and leaves the President Buhari with little option.

Oyo-Ita hails from Adiabo Okurikang in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River, same state with Walter Onnoghen, former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), and Okoi Obono-Obla, former chairman of the Special Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property.

But what is it about this minority south-south state in the All Progressives Congress-led government and Buhari administration? This CanaanCity state has continued to lose its key and celebrated appointees in the Buhari-led administration.

It all started with Onnoghen, who was forced into inglorious retirement following the controversy that trailed his alleged failure to fully declare his assets upon his appointment as the CJN. Then came Obono-Obla, accused of gaining admission to study law in the University of Jos with alleged forged secondary school certificate.

Obono-Obla was sacked by Buhari following series of alleged violations of procedure while in office, for which he was queried.

The former chairman of the Special Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property also faces possible criminal prosecution on matters related to his alleged financial dealings said to have been uncovered by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).

Castro survived ten American presidents, from Dwight Eisenhower to George Bush Jn, all of whom wanted his head. But this must be remembered: The Cubans under Castro represented the best example of the concern which descendents of Africa in the Diaspora have shown for their mother continent. Their total commitment to the total liberation of their ancestral continent and the restoration of her honour was commendable.

The joy of it all is that it took black American President Barack Obama to normalise relation between the US and Cuba. Obama was farsighted enough to realise that international relation is not all about war-war. His unprecedented fence mending feat is an aspect of African famed Ubuntu. Castro was blessed to live long enough to see this reconciliation. He died Friday 25th November at 90 years of age.

Buhari: Continuity Ascerta In his condolence message to the

government and people of Cuba, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari adores Castro “as a great friend to Africa, countries in the global South and the Non-Aligned Movement, Castro’s place in history is assured, given his sustained successful commitment and towering role in the liberation and anti-colonialism struggle in Africa.”

This contrasts with US PresidentElect Donald Trump’s vilification of Castro as a “brutal dictator.”

While conceding that President-Elect Trump is entitled to his opinion, we hasten to state that unlike Westerners we Africans are very rich in human relation. We welcome strangers because we have no enemies. That, precisely, is what Steve Biko meant when he declared that though Europe had invented aeroplanes, machines and weapons, it was in the place of Africa to give these technological wonders a human face. So we encourage Trumpto bear in mind

that Castro’s immense personal sacrifice in freeing this continent from the colonialist should never destroy the good neighbourliness that now exists between the US and Cuba.

Secondly, President Buhari’s message inspires a pleasant déjà vu in African capitals. Its sheer boldness means Nigeria is still willing to offer pragmatic leadership to the continent as in the past. Just one instance will do: In 1976 the OAU was undecided whether to recognise MPLA as the legitimate government of Angola or settle for a national government as the US, Apartheid South Africa, Mobutu, UNITA and FNLA would have it.

A vote was taken and the 22-22 result only led to a deadlock.

W JOSHUA BASSEY

hat is it about Cross River in the President Muhammadu Buhari administration?

In less than one year, the state has had three of its own in the top echelon of the Buhari’s administration fell ignobly on allegations of corruption and abuse of office.

From Walter Onnoghen to Okoi Obono-Obla and Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita, the south-south state seems to be fast losing out in what keeps creating opportunities for other states to step in.

Just like Onnoghen, the clouds began to gather around Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita, head of service of the federation, who is now on forced leave, when it was alleged that some huge sums of money was traced to her bank accounts. She tried all she could to wave aside the prancing and menacing flies around her. At a point, it was said that she, in anger, had tendered her resignation to the President. The next moment, she was reportedly singing that she had obtained the assurances of the President that her job was not in any threat and that she should return to her duty post.

Observers, who follow closely the workings of government, particularly in this dispensation, had predicted that it was just a matter of time. And it indeed happened! She has been shoved aside, and replaced

by Folashade Yemi-Esan, in acting capacity.

But that’s not all. Oyo-Ita is being trailed by big flies that believe her body is tainted by certain substance that attract them. Would she wriggle herself out or get a soft landing?

The EFCC is said to be digging even deeper into Oyo-Ita’s successful career in the civil service. A graduate of accounting from the University of Lagos and a Masters degree holder in Public Administration from the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Winifred has had an

Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita

impressive work experience spanning more than 30 years, including being the first female indigenous managing director/CEO of Cross River Estates Limited, between 1993 and 1995.

She had subsequently transferred her service to the federal civil service where she was appointed to the rank of assistant director in 1997 and rose to the position of a director, finance and accounts in 2009 in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

She was appointed to the position of permanent secretary in 2013 and posted to the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs as the pioneer permanent secretary of the re-established ministry. She was thereafter redeployed to the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology in 2014.

Winifred shot into national limelight in October 2015 when President Muhammadu Buhari appointed her as the Head of Service of the federation in acting capacity, and subsequently confirmed in January 2016.

Castro and the African revolution Continued from page 16 Holden Roberto who led FNLA and local rebel Jonas Savimbi of UNITA supporting.

This invasion broke the proverbial camel’s back compelling Castro to decisively intervene following a legitimate invitation by the Angolan government headed

by Dr. Neto’s MPLA. Thousands of Cuban troops, medical doctors and engineers were flown in to relieve the beleaguered Angolans and by 1976 Castro had the upper hand having decisively won the contest.

But defeat did not deter the US as it continued its covert operations to undermine the popular wish of Angolans. In 1985 President Ronald Reagan pushed through the senate a revocation of the Clark Amendment law that prohibited American financial assistance to Angolan rebels.

Following this revocation Reagan invited Savimbi to the White House February 1986 and pledged $15m in

addition to weapons, which he faithfully delivered through the Kamina military base in Zaire.

Then in January 1988 a combined force of South Africans, UNITA and FNLA invaded Cuito Cuanavale in southern Angola.

For this campaign Pretoria threw in 9000 troops armed with longrange artillery, fighter jets, tanks, etc. But Castro’s troops, MPLA and SWAPO armies were on the ground to receive them and the invaders suffered another crushing defeat as in 1976. South African obsolete jets, crippled by UN arms embargo, were no match for Castro’s stateof-the-art Russian built supersonic fighters that dominated the air war; effectively cutting off the enemies from their tactical headquarters. A humiliated Pretoria had to rely on the American negotiator called Dr. Chester Crocker to beg Castro for retreat passage for its surrounded troops. That was how Angolan independence was secured.

In Solidarity with Cuban Solidarity Conference, 23rd to 26th September 2019, Yar’Adua International Centre, Abuja. First Published in 2016. Email: chigachieke@yahoo.co.uk.

Sunday 22 September 2019

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19

Politics Why 2023 is for Igbos to win or lose,

by Chekwas Okorie CHEKWAS OKORIE, national chairman of the Unity Progressive Congress (UPP), in this exclusive interview with INIOBONG IWOK, says for fairness and equity power should shift to the Southeast in 2023. He also speaks on several other issues in the polity. Excerpts:

W

hat is your reaction to the Court of Appeal judgment on the PDP and Atiku’s petition against President Muhammadu Buhari’s electoral victory?

I am not surprised by the judgment; as a matter of fact, if there is any surprise it is extent the tribunal went to indulge the PDP. But in order to clear all doubts, they took a decision, which they had made clear at the onset that the judgment is going to be based on law and fact and not based on technicality.

But they went ahead to elaborately explain the issue of certificate. If they wanted to go technical, the issue of Buhari’s certificate is pre-election matter.

Everybody knows that the tribunal should have thrown that away based on that, but they still went ahead and dealt with it thoroughly.

Think of what transpired; three elections took place on that day, the House of Representatives, Senate and the presidential. The APC won PDP over 100 seats in the House of Representatives and won PDP more than 25 seats in the Senate.

Based on this, any victory for the PDP at the tribunal level would have been what we call ‘scoring against the run of play’.

The trend was clear in other elections on that day; the difference in numbers of votes was nearly four million votes between Buhari and Atiku in the presidential election. Anything to the contrary of what Nigerians decided would have been like setting this county ablaze. We can look at the security and political implications of making that kind of pronouncement to the people. I don’t think Nigerians would have been happy.

Are you saying the judgment was in order?

Yes, it is in accordance with the way the election went. For me as a matter of fact; Atiku performed more than I had expected in the election. He defeated Buhari in certain places that I did not expect. For example, he won in a state like Edo, a state where the national chairman of the APC comes from. For the first time, an opposition party also won in the FCT and some other places, even when no one expected them to win.

Atiku won in these places and INEC gave them and they are not satisfied. This is one election that was close to a well-conducted election. You know Nigerians have been clamouring for electronic voting; but the law has not been signed to give that and PDP is aware of that. PDP was in power when I was clamouring for electronic voting in 2012, but they never looked at me.

They ignored me until now that they are at the receiving end. What they are doing now is to impose on people what the law did not say. Why did they not sign it into law?

There is nothing we did not do in terms of clamouring for electronic voting. The then President, Goodluck Jonathan and the entire National Assembly; I mean all members then had my memo, but they threw it out.

Today, they saw that Buhari could not

duce the president.

Chekwas Okorie

sign the amended electoral bill into law and they did not do anything to try and push it harder. They went to Appeal Court, for them to approve what the court did not approve of.

Do you also agree with the submission of the tribunal on the discrepancy about the names on the President’s Cambridge result?

That is the kind of technicality that PDP wanted to cash in on, but this is not a criminal matter it is an election matter. If you look at the sections of the law; the most important thing is that the surname is the same on the result.

Personally, that is not what you should use to deny 15 million Nigerians who voted for him. It is mere technicality, a minor error. This is even when you know that the two names are the same. Am surprised at PDP, but what they are doing is to fulfil all righteousness, so that it will not look as if they chickened out.

Are you saying that Atiku and the PDP stand no chance at the Supreme Court?

It is just to fulfil all righteousness; because this judgment was so clear that I wonder if the Supreme Court would follow them and embark on technical issues that do not reflect the spirit of the law.

It is a distraction, and then now that distraction is continuing. But I think the President is more settled now to embark on governance.

What is your take on the recent ministerial appointments by the President?

The bulk stops on his table; he has made his choices even before he announced the names; he did that even without the influence of the cabal. What we are looking forward to now is delivering of good governance.

I have told him that if any of his appointees failed to meet his expectation and expectation of Nigerians, he should not be afraid to remove them. Now that he has done that the bulk is on him to give Nigerians good governance, improve their economy.

Power is expected to shift to the South in 2023, but recent tunes of some Northern individuals and groups have suggested otherwise. Do you have any fears the North may not hand over power?

I think we should allow the President to conclude his term in office in 2023; whether APC would continue to remain in power depend on the way they play it and who they nominate for president. President Buhari tried four times before he won; he did not get it in three previous times, even despite his followership in the North. If anybody is saying that in the North, they should know that Buhari’s goodwill is not transferable and it is nothing anybody else can enjoy in the North. Twice Buhari said it clearly that whoever wants to be president should work for it. It is clear from Buhari’s example that the North alone cannot pro-

There is also the insinuation that the Southwest may get the presidential ticket of the APC in 2023. Bola Tinubu is touted to have been favoured to get the ticket; how do you react to that?

What I have been canvassing in all the parties is to look for candidates from the Southeast because, equity, justice demands that someone from the Southeast should go for eight years, so that we can say all major regions have had a shot at that president position which is fair. The Southwest producing Asiwaju and him wanting to be president, he has a constitutional right to do that, but whether he would succeed I doubt that very much. He should also learn from Awolowo because Tinubu’s popularity is not even up to 30 percent of Awolowo’s popularity back then. Awolowo had large followership and still he did not become president in the number of times he tried.

Because the Yorubas are confined only in the Southwest, I don’t think Tinubu had the same goodwill Abiola had.

Abiola was able to spread out his tentacles even before he went for the presidency; he was already a man of the people irrespective of ethnicity.

I don’t see Tinubu in that category. In the case of the Southeast, we have minimum of 25 percent of the voting population in the country, which is a veritable statistic.

What the Southeast need to do now is to raise political consciousness among its people because right now there is polity apathy among Igbos. They have to extend their engagement to other political blocs to appreciate why they should give them a chance in 2023.

But it is presumed that Tinubu is in control of the APC and based on the structure of the party presently, he is favoured to clinch the party’s presidential ticket in 2023 if power is zoned to the South?

That is why I said it depends on how the APC handles it. If they allow Tinubu to corner it, it may rub off on the party negatively.

That may lead to what we had during the UPN era and Action Group days, the APC may reduce to that.

Are you saying they may lose the presidential election?

Yes. They would lose it badly, not even just losing it. I play this game to the highest level; so, I know the feeling of major political players in the Northern region and I know the feeling in other places too.

2023 is for Igbos to win or lose. If they put their house together, they may win; if they don’t they may lose it; because they have risen to the occasion before. And I can tell you that when the occasion matters most Igbos always unite and there is nothing that says Igbos cannot unite in 2023. When they unite, it would be like a movement. Look at the type of unity they showed even when we had Peter Obi as a running mate to Atiku. Atiku won in FCT because of Igbos’ votes.

20 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 22 September 2019

NewsFeature Analysts seek regulation, reform ...

Continued from Page 1 and cheapest way to move liquid and dry cargoes in and out of the port especially in developed countries of the world.

In France for instance, the railway system was incorporated into the port such that as the vessel berths in the seaside, containers would be discharged directly from the ship into the rail without having to deal with trucks littering the roads around the port and causing accidents. This has helped in reducing safety issues, death of citizens and pressure on the roads.

Presently, about 40,000 trucks flood Nigeria roads and cities, but, only about 20-25,000 trucks are required in the real sense for haulage business. This explains why pundits argue that some trucks do only one trip in a week, while some do not even do any trip in two weeks.

A recent research conducted in Lagos Port and funded by the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) revealed that about 5,000 trucks come to Apapa Port, the nation’s premier port, on

daily basis but only about 1,500 trucks are needed to do daily transaction in Apapa port.

Automatically, the other 3,500 moving within the Apapa port environment end up constituting nuisance to other port and road users due to lack of business.

Further investigation by BDSUNDAY shows that Nigeria’s fleet check is currently poor with drivers not well documented and licensed by licensing authorities. Many of them learn driving like ‘apprenticeship’ without undergoing driving training. This explains why some drivers tend to disappear without trace, whenever they are involved in accident on the road.

Alarmingly, about 90 percent of passenger and cargoes movements in Nigeria are doing by road due to over dependence on road and underdevelopment of water and rail transportation.

To find a lasting solution to the menace of trucks and trailers on Nigerian roads, Nigeria needs to look beyond roads by seeking alternative means of transport including use of modern rail and waterways.

Amaechi

Hadiza Bala Usman, managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), who stated that Nigeria needs to consider using the rail system to move containers, said that Ministry of Transportation needs to provide clear timeline and percentages of cargoes that should be moved through the different nooses of transportation including inland waters, road and rail line.

According to her, “To reduce the number of trucks and trailers on Nigerian roads, we need to determine the percentages of cargoes from our ports to be apportioned to a particular transportation model because all cargoes cannot be moved by road. For instance, we need to determine that 30 percent of our cargoes must go through the rail and commit about three to four years timeline in order to deploy the necessary resources to building the needed infrastructure.”

Statistics have shown that Nigeria has about 120 million metric tonnes of cargo available to be moved annually. Sadly, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), the agency in charge of developing the rail system as well as its operations, has failed to tap into the opportunities inherent in the movement of this volume of cargo across the country.

Pundits believe that the overreliance on road using trucks has not only led to the dilapidated state of roads and increased rate of accidents on Nigerian roads, but has also increased cost for businesses especially exporters and importers, who presently pay dearly to move their cargoes.

Effective use of railway in movement of ‘high risk’ cargoes notwithstanding, Nigeria also needs to reform truck operations

especially within the nation’s seaports by removing rickety and obsolete trucks that indiscriminately upturn and obstruct free flow of traffic on Nigerian roads while on transit.

To reform truck operation in Nigeria, Hassan Bello, executive secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) told BDSUNDAY that there is need to institute a regulation and reform that would ensure that only registered truck companies with minimum of six fleets will be allowed to operate in Nigerian seaports.

Cargo carriage, according to him, is a very serious business that requires healthy trucks, thus, the need for truck operators to become more qualified in doing business in Nigeria.

“For truck to qualify to operate in the port, the company must in addition to having a minimum of six fleets, have healthy trucks that can move on the road with limited or no hazards on the cargo on transit and other road users,” Bello said.

According to him, container truck and tanker trailer operators are citizens handling their individual businesses. “Therefore, they need to consider their business concern against the danger on the general public by ensuring quality maintenance of their fleets and controlling an acceptable speed limit while on transit.

For Emeka Akabuogu, a maritime lawyer, it is ideal for containers to be taken to designated inland container depots (ICDs) using the railway.

“Many containers need to be evacuated from the port by rail.

We already have inland port and we need bulk movement of containers by rail for cost effectiveness, safety of lives and reduction of health hazards caused by articulated vehicles on Nigerian roads,” he said.

The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), he said, needs to ensure the standard and quality of trucks that move on Nigerian roads. While emphasising on the need for standards, Akabuogu said, trucks and trailers operating in Nigerian haulage sector needs to have specific standards they must meet to be able to access the port.

“If this is on ground, truck operators will start renewing their fleet to protect the lives of innocent Nigerians,” he stated.

He further suggested the need for a call-up system to ensure that only the trucks that are engaged to lift containers and other cargoes are allowed to access the roads to the ports in Apapa.

Just like trailer parks in Ijora and Tin-Can Second Gate, it has also become necessary that Nigeria establishes a functional trailer park around Apapa-Oshodi expressway to enable trailers going to the tank farms, move seamlessly on schedule without having thousands of them queue on the road.

Sunday 22 September 2019

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NewsFeature

Buhari

Doyin Salami

BDSUNDAY 21

Chukwuma Soludo

Bismarck

Waiting for the magic wand ...

Continued from Page 1 (EAC), comprising men that Nigerians have described variously as ‘President’s Wise Men’; Economic Wizards, Big Brains for Economic Re-engineering, etc.

The setting up of the council was hailed around the country and beyond and the reason for this is not far-fetched. Nigerians and their friends have all along scored Buhari very low on economic fronts, contending that one of the president’s major failings has been his inability to impact the lives of Nigerians economically.

It is a generally held view that his administration’s economic policies, if any, have not been able to move a needle and it has been such that, in the last four years, Nigeria has won unenviable trophies for negative ratings on a global scale.

Nigeria slipped into a 15-month recession that brought its economy on its knees for reasons analysts blame on Buhari administration’s lack of vision and ineptitude. The country became the poverty headquarters of the world as a result of nearzero economic activities in the country.

Although there was an Econ o m i c Ma n a g e m e n t Te a m (EMT) headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo which stands disbanded now with the coming of the President’s wise men, in the eyes of many Nigerians, that team existed only in name and principles despite claims of lofty achievements.

The replacement of EMT by EAC, to a very large extent, represents Buhari’s subtle acknowledgment of his government’s failure and lack of touch with national economic realities. This is why all eyes are on the new Council with soaring expectations that the change in Nigeriastory is here.

EAC comes with star-studded

economists at their best. Of the eight economists that make up this council, three of them stand out and these are Doyin Salami, Chukwuma Soludo and Bismarck Rewane.

Salami, a cerebral professor of Economics, stands tall as the chairman of the council. A former member of the monetary policy committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and senior lecturer at the Lagos Business School (LBS), Salami is a doctoral degree graduate of Queen Mary College, University of London.

His research interests include corporate long-term financial management; macroeconomic policy; corporate competitiveness and risk management; and characteristics of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Soludo, a commander of the federal republic (CFR), is also a professor of Economics and a former governor and chairman of the board of directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

He has been visiting scholar at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the University of Cambridge, the Brookings Institution, the University of Warwick and the University of Oxford and a visiting professor at Swarthmore College (USA).

Soludo is a core professional in the business of macroeconomics and has worked as a consultant for a number of international organisations, including The World Bank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and the United Nations Development Programme.

He has also had a stint in government which he joined in 2003.

Prior to his appointment as CBN governor, he was Chief Economic Adviser to former President Obasanjo and Chief Executive of the National Planning Commission of Nigeria.

Soludo, unlike others, is politically exposed. Indeed, the pro-

fessor is a card-carrying member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who, at a time, joined the fray to become the governor of his state, Anambra. But that bid failed.

Rewane is the managing director/chief executive officer of Financial Derivatives Company Limited in Lagos. He is a strong and dependable voice in economic matters. With over 30 years of experience as an Economist, Banker and Financial Analyst, Rewane has offered useful insights on the economy.

He is a chartered member of the Institute of Bankers of England and Wales and a Fellow of The Nigerian Institute of Bankers.

The other members of the council, including Iyabo Masha, the only female member of the council, are bringing formidable profile and rich wealth of experience garnered from diverse backgrounds to bear on the duty the president has assigned to them.

Iyabo, for instance, is a global economist with a demonstrated history of working in central banking and financial markets, economic management, international lending, finance and development. She has a strong focus on macroeconomic stabilisation policy research and implementation.

She has worked with the International Monetary Fund since 2003 in Washington D.C, Metro Area and has had assignments in more than 10 emerging markets (Asian and African countries) with focus on comprehensive economic management including, among others, policy reform advisory services and dialogue with governments.

With all these to boot, Nigerians’ expectations from the economy via the government have been raised because they believe that its members are coming into the country’s troubled economy

with magic wands.

MKO Balogun, CEO, Global PFI, sees the constitution of the council as a fulfillment of the yearnings of Nigerians who feel the President needs some strong people on the economy around him, adding, “the team is the best you can think of at this time of national development with key actors in Nigeria’s economic development agenda in the council.”

Balogun is confident that the team will deliver, expecting them to transform Nigeria to the level it should be as one of the most prosperous nations in the world by creating a sustainable policy framework for successful governments in Nigeria.

Olisa Ebigwei, a realtor, sees members of the council as round pegs in round holes. It is his expectation that the assemblage of these sound minds will lead to inflation reduction, reflation of the economy via comoditisation of the land use act which, in turn, will release over N200 trillion worth of real estate assets in development and investment locked in land.

Kola Ashiru-Balogun, managing director, Mixta Nigeria, agrees, adding that housing remains the only catalyst that can boost personal balance sheets which in turn will boost the economy. The implications, according to him, are far too important to be overlooked and a concerted effort must be put in place to coordinate all the different initiatives under simple but audacious ambitions.

Beyond the encomiums and expectations from Mr. President’s wise men, concerns still remain. Nigerians have not forgotten the brazen assertion by former President Olusegun Obasanjo who, during the inauguration of his special advisers, told them to get it into their head that it was not all advice they would give that would be taken.

In the same vein, President Buhari is not given to heeding advice, more so one that would be coming from economists who may be favouring private enterprise as engine of economic growth. Buhari would, ordinarily, like to run a socialist, welfarist economy rather than capitalist, private sector-driven one.

Although he sees Buhari’s new economic team as a good one that is as deep as they can be in terms of knowledge and experience, Adedotun Bamigbola, chairman, Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Lagos State Chapter, still has his reservations.

“The challenge is not what advisory they will bring to bear on the economy, it is how expeditiously the handlers of the economy will implement these advisory and in what manner they will implement same,” he says, arguing that it will be nice if two or more of these eminent minds are part of the handlers of the economy in terms of management, not just playing advisory roles.

Like Bamigbola, some other Nigerians fault the composition of the council, insisting that it is not representative enough like the disbanded EMT which has membership from across government and comprises the ministers of finance, budget, industry and trade and also includes core economic parastatals like the Central Bank of Nigeria, Budget Office of the Federation, the Debt Management Office and the Investment Promotion Council.

But, it is too early in the day to hold opinions for or against the new council. Nigerians should just hope for the best, more so as it has been attested to widely that the president’s wise men are people with capacity to wield the magic wand and Nigerian people and its economy will be better for it.

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Sunday 22 September 2019

Focus

Plaudit for FG, Air Peace as 2nd batch of S’African returnees arrive fatherland …Four children of widow get scholarship …each returnee receives N100,000 cash, gift value

T

IFEOMA OKEKE

heir joy knew no bound as they touched down the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos from South Africa on Wednesday night, 18th of September.

As tears rolled down his face, he looked up, knelt down and said in a loud voice, “finally the suffering and humiliation is over.

I’m happy to be home, no place like home.”

These were the words of Udo Michael who was part of the 315 returnees evacuated From South Africa as a result of the xenophobic attacks.

“I am very happy. We are being given a warm reception for us. We suffered a lot in South Africa. It was even very difficult for us to go out. I have been in South Africa for six years and I entered the country legally. Sadly today, all my properties have been destroyed,” Udo disclosed.

Another returnee, Kayode Aaron said he was glad to be back home and all he thinks of doing now is to first settle down and after a month, he will get back into the system and see how he can start afresh again.

He said he feels happy with what the Nigerian government in conjunction with Air Peace is doing.

“South Africa never expected the evacuation to happen. This is the first time this is happening despite the fact that Xenophobia has been happening since 2008. So, this is very wonderful and I thank Air Peace for helping us,” Aeron added.

Returnees get warm wel-

come Immediately after their arrival, the returnees were offered free medical tests b y Lo u i s Me d i c a l Ho s p i t a l to check their health status and to know if they were HIV positives. Tests showed that all of them tested for HIV tested negative but some who showed symptoms of malaria were referred to the hospital to be treated free of charge.

They were however, referred to a desk where their passports were verified and stamped showing they were not deported but came home on their own volition.

Unlike the first batch that returned last week Wednesday, many of the returnees came back with their families, many of them children and infants.

Both the returnees and those waiting to receive them wept freely as the victims of xenophobic attacks in the former apartheid enclave recounted their horrific experiences.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Executive Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), said NIDCOM is glad that the Nigerians are back and this time around a lot is being provided for them.

“We have a team that is providing medicals for them. We have counsellors here. Lagos state is also supporting them with cash for transportation.

National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and some donors also have something for them. What they will be leaving with will be worth N100,000 for each person in cash and kind.

“We thank those who have

supported and we call on able Nigerians to also support them.

The only crime is that they are Nigerians. States are also encouraged to support their citizens.

“We have profiled them according to their States and we have written to State governments and they have all been responding and communicating with them. The Bank of Industry is also empowering them. There are adequate programmes for every one of them,” DabiriErewa said.

She further disclosed that there is a widow with four children and scholarship orders are coming in, adding that a medical team was on ground and anyone

”

The first thing is for them to go home first, have some cash in their hand and thereafter, States are getting involved and they will all be empowered.

We are getting offers. I am glad at the response of the state governors

who needs to be treated will be treated.

“The first thing is for them to go home first, have some cash in their hand and thereafter, States are getting involved and they will all be empowered. We are getting offers. I am glad at the response of the state governors.”

Air Peace on rescue mission Speaking shortly after the evacuation, Allen Onyema, Air Peace chairman, said the lives of 315 people have been rescued as a result of the evacuation.

Onyema said with this evacuation, Air Peace has succeeded in bringing in 502 stranded Nigerians in all.

He assured that Air Peace will still evacuate more people after they have finished with their documentation process.

Speaking on the attacks on Nigerians in South Africa, he said “You can’t believe the kind of stories these returnees have.

Forget the political statements coming out from South Africa.

Some of them have been stranded for 12 years with nowhere to go and having fear of being arrested. Nigerians are stigmatised over there. A lot of them are very happy coming home.”

Air Peace chairman commended the captain and his crew who went on the rescue mission.

“The 18-man crew of Air Peace went on a rescue mission. They stood up for about 25 hours on the first day to bring these people back. When they came back, they had offer of over 40,000 dollars but they refused to take it. They said this will be their contribution to Nigeria. They said they want to learn from my selflessness,”

he said.

The flight which was supposed to leave OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg in the early hours of Wednesday morning to arrive at noon was further delayed following certain unforeseen circumstances from that end but eventually took off by 1:50pm local time.

Recall, the Boeing 777 aircraft with registration 5N-BWI was supposed to have departed Lagos at 1.00 am (Tuesday), but it was denied landing permit by the South African authorities which stalled the return of the second batch of Nigerians from the country.

Reps honour Air Peace chairman The House of Representatives on Wednesday held a session in honour of Onyema, for the free air services offered by his airline to the Federal Government for the evacuation of Nigerians in South Africa.

Also, the House passed a resolution asking President Muhammadu Buhari to give a national award to Onyema in recognition of his patriotism, which Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker, asked the Clerk to the House, Patrick Giwa, to transmit to Buhari immediately.

The lawmakers also vowed to give the first priority to Air Peace when flying to any part of the country.

The Speaker asked that the Order Paper for Wednesday’s plenary be temporarily suspended to allow the lawmakers receive Onyema for recognition.

Gbajabiamila asked the Majority Leader, Alhassan AdoDoguwa, to move that Onyema be allowed into the chamber.

Sunday 22 September 2019

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23

Arts

Iyayi Oludapo; seamlessly living out her passion OBINNA EMELIKE

I

f you had read the story of Zelophehad’s daughters, you will understand why and when women started taking hold of life with their own hands.

The story encapsulated the challenges that women faced and what they had to do in order to affirm their rights with dignity, and that probably, was the beginning of women emancipation.

That same story has excited many women today, especially Iyayi Oludapo, who has taken action to impact the female folks.

It all started while pursuing a degree in Agronomy at Laodoke Akintola University in the early 2000. Then she set up a group called Zelophehad Daughters to empower young ladies, and offer voice to them to express themselves, but not in the ‘feminist’ way.

“I intended the group to be that place where their voices would be heard, not in the feminist way but in a way that if you have value, bring it to the table. It is not having a sense of entitlement that someone is pushing you to the backseat because you are a woman; show that you have value and bring it to the table and that when women bring the right value, they will be listened to”, she explained.

Today, that group, which started probably in an obscure corner in a university, has snowballed into a platform where many women come for result-oriented engagements, empowerment, counseling on family, career issues, coaching classes among others.

From the Zelophehad Daughters, the idea has metamorphosed into Sisters Bound in Love, a dream come true for Iyayi, who despite her demanding career finds time to live out her passion; counseling

and encouraging others, especially women to be their best.

Speaking on the rationale for the Sisters Bound in Love, which is a group of 20-30 ladies, she said though Zelophehad Daughters was rested for a while after her university days, still young ladies kept

coming after her. “But even with the busy career schedule I usually find time to attend to any young lady that needs my mentoring and in the last one year I started thinking of putting it on a platform and a level of organisation to it, and that is what led to me berthing that dream”, she explained.

The idea, according to her, is to operate a platform where people can understand and share the love of God. For her, it is imperative to do that because the shortcomings of some women today are because of the situations they found themselves and if they were shown genuine love, they would have gotten over it.

“We found out that if you put 10 women together, no new story will come from the 11th woman, you will find your story from number1-10 and they should be able to take encouragement from any of the 10 women and find practical solutions on how to deal and attend to issues of life”, she said.

She also gave credit to her mentors for helping her to berth the platform. “I went to some life-changing programmes in the last two years where I was privileged to meet with Ibukun Awosika, chairman of First Bank, and I also met another woman there who is also my mentor today. If there is anything they encouraged me to do, it is that I have been pouring out myself to others everywhere, and that I should organise myself. So, I called a couple of young ladies to set up this platform”, she explained further.

With the platform and being a

faculty member of a sales institute, she is living out her passion. “My passion is counseling and training.

I have a group of young ladies that I mentor and coach. I am also part of the faculty of a training institute for sales people. I love to train people and I can do that from morning till night as long as I have water to drink.

I love talking to people and encouraging them”, she confessed.

As well, it is very important for her to see people who are just starting in their career to learn that it is not about taking emotional decisions, but being very objective and focused on what they want.

The intrigue is that she has had and still have very demanding career spanning the aviation sector, insurance, telecommunication and financial services. At present, she is a sales director in one of the financial services companies in Lagos. Yet she goes about her career and passion with seamless coordination.

But while the sales job pays her bills, the counseling and training passion gives her fulfillment. “It is my most fulfilling work. On the platform all I have to do is to express myself, there is no cadre and you do not have to like me or agree with what I say because I am your boss. No”.

Already, Sisters Bound in Love is making impacts with some success stories.

“There was a young lady who got to a point of committing suicide, luckily she came to me and said she was suicidal, and when someone is suicidal and tells you, it is a privilege.

I convinced her not to do so, she had a change of mind and life she felt was

overwhelming and finished. She is doing well today. There is another young lady who was having issues in her career and in getting married. Today she is not only married, she expecting baby. There is also another lady who left her marital home. We spoke and I advised her on what to do, she implemented those things and today, she is back in her husband’s house and giving glory to God”, she enthused.

As well, a lot of career women have benefited from her counseling on practical steps to handle sexual harassments from their male bosses, to gain promotion and other career challenges women face.

For her, that qualitative and practical counseling is empowerment and not necessarily giving money to people as most Nigerians presume, as well as, linking up qualified women with the right people and job opportunities.

“When people think of empowerment, they think of money, though it goes a long way to help, it is not the focus of this group. Information is empowerment too”.

However, the sale director and life coach draws her lessons, thesis and experience for the counseling passion from life.

“The biggest training I have had is life and also the church I attend has been paramount in shaping my thinking about life and that has helped me a lot. I have been to several trainings in my life, but not on how to coach and mentor people, and if there is anyone I want to attend, it is the one they will mentor me because I do not believe I know it all”.

While she insisted that God has orchestrated the events of her life to train and coach her to get here and be able to do this for humanity, her counseling does not have a religious bias.

“It is life and anything that life entails. It is about marriage, about family, career, and about the whole complexities of that total woman.

Most people do not understand that women have a lot to go through, especially if they are career women, business women and they also have family life”, she cleared the air.

Again, she said weather Christian or Muslim, women have similar issues.

But joining the group, according to her, is by referral. “If you are a member and you know someone who you think will benefit, you refer her and she becomes part of the group. The only expectation from members is openness.”

In striking balance between her work and passion, Iyayi takes every day as it comes, puts out her deliverables for the day and goes after them.

“Everybody has 24 hours, the question is how do you use your time, and that is the difference”, she said.

But while staying focus to her vision, in the last two years she has tried to raise a supportive team and people irrespective of where they are from.

“The greatest testimony that the people who are working for me are saying about me is how I have impacted their lives and not just their work”, she concluded.

24

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Sunday 22 September 2019

Arts The Ghost And The House Of Truth ART X Lagos returns with expansive, premieres in Urban Film Festival dynamic programme at new venue T Stories by OBINNA EMELIKE

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RT X Lagos, West Africa’s first international art fair, is returning for the fourth edition with expansive and dynamic programme. Moreover, the fair is relocating to The Federal Palace in Victoria Island, Lagos, after three successful editions at The Civic Centre.

According to the organisers, this year’s edition, which holds from November 1-3, 2019, promises to showcase the very best of contemporary and modern art from Africa and the Diaspora.

The move to The Federal Palace marks a significant step in ART X Lagos’ evolution, offering the fair a vastly increased venue capacity, with the number of participants growing from 14 booths to 23 gallery booths, with several exhibitors occupying much larger booths.

Also, a strong host of Nigerian galleries are returning this November with exhibitors including; Art House- The Space, Bloom Art, Nike Art Gallery, Retro Africa, SMO Contemporary, as well as, the addition of Mydrim Gallery, among others. Ed Cross Fine Art (United Kingdom), Everard Read (South Africa), Galerie Voss (Germany), Galerie Cécile Fakhoury (Côte d’Ivoire), Goodman Gallery (South Africa) and LouiSimone Guirandou Gallery (Côte d’Ivoire) make up some

L-R: TMXO, ART X Live! 2019 talent; Lady Donli, ART X Live! 2019 talent; Jordi Borrut Bel, managing director, Nigerian Breweriee; Tokini Peterside, founder/director, ART X Lagos; Lanre Masha, music curator, ART X Live!; Ngozi Ngonadi-Nkwoji, portfolio manager, Nigerian Breweries; Rob Kleinjan, financial director, Nigerian Breweries; WurlD (ART X Live! 2019 Talent), and Buju (ART X Live! 2019 Talent), at the ART X Lagos 2019 official launch.

of the new international exhibitors who will showcase at ART X Lagos this November.

A number of exciting artists from across the continent and beyond will showcase this year including; Abe Odedina (Nigeria / UK / Brazil), Soly Cissé (Senegal), Sam Nhlengethwa (South Africa), Tizta Berhanu (Ethiopia), Peju Alatise (Nigeria), and Lady Skollie (South Africa) who make up some of the 70 plus exhibiting artists.

The fourth edition of the fair also sees the introduction of ART X Modern, a new section dedicated to celebrating pioneers of African modern art from the 20th century, presented by Stanbic IBTC Pensions. The section will comprise of three galleries: Bloom Art (Nigeria), Mydrim Gallery (Nigeria) and Gallery 1957 (Ghana), featuring artists

such as Professor Ablade Glover (Ghana), Uche Okeke (Nigeria), and Obiora Udechukwu (Nigeria),amongotherreputednames.

ART X Lagos’ move to The Federal Palace allows for greater curated sections and an enhanced visitor experience including the introduction of a Performance Art section for 2019.

Curated by artist Wura-Natasha Ogunji, The Performance Art Pavilion will feature a series of performances exploring the connection between art and ethics. Titled ‘Small Acts’, the section will comprise of three live performancesbyNigerianartists; Ngozi Schommers, and Taiwo Aiyedogbon.

ART X Lagos founder, Tokini Peterside commented, “We are delighted to announce the ambitious expansion of ART X Lagos this year. Our move to

Nwadiogbu’s works on Contemporealism on display in London Art Gallery

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orKenNwadiogbu,itpromises to be a trip some distance from the shore in the last quarter of the year. Though not on a refugee push on the Mediterranean, but on a transatlantic voyage to showcase 25 hyper realistic works.

From October 3 – 6, 2019 the artist will be at the Brick Lane Gallery, East London to present Contemporealism, an exhibition featuring over 25 original works of charcoal and acrylic on canvas.

The exhibition hallmarks his first limited edition print release. It is also the first solo exhibition by the fast rising Nigerian artist.

Through his works, Nwadiogbu documents, evaluates, interrogates and challenges socio-political structures and issues with the aim of giving a voice to the voiceless –speaking on behalf of those who cannot be heard.

As a result of his art activism, he creates realistic imagery and employs elements of contemporary art to create illusion of form and space to tackle these issues, which he sees and experiences in his home country, Nigeria.

Working primarily with charcoal, acrylic and collage, his body of works triggers an intense emotional connection with viewers.

Conceptualized by his desire to create social change, he debuts new body of work in Con-

temporealism and re-enforces the ills within the African society, while inviting viewers to ponder and question commonly accepted socio-political norms and structures.

Speaking on the show, Nwadiogbu said: “For me this show is to introduce my pioneered style Contemporealism, and present over five years of art practice.

Theviewerscanhopetoencounter rushes of emotions sparked by the storytelling in each piece.”

By creating hyper realistic drawings that address African issues, the artist is able to firmly situate and make more visible Africans and even those in diaspora, within the context of broader issues affecting their day-to-day lives. Through each work, he engages with his viewers while changing narratives

one piece at a time.

The 25-year-old Ken Nwadiogbu, who is popularly known as KenArt, is equally a Nigerian multidisciplinary artist and the inventor of ‘Contemporealism’ –a fusion that is primarily centered on hyperrealism and contemporary art.

Motivated by his desire to change his society and the way people think, his art also explores nagging issues like gender equality, African cultures, and Black power. These are a few aspects ofhiscurrentresearchandartistic practice.

KenNwadiogbuhasfeatured in local and international group exhibitions and fairs including Art X, Insanity, It’s not Furniture, Finding your Identity, Artyrama Art Exhibition, Empowerment Exhibition, Generation Y, Moniker Art Fair, Afriuture, LAX-SFO, In the Making, LAX-MSY among others. He will present his work at a solo booth in Moniker Art Fair on October 2, 2019 at the Moniker Art Fair in Chelsea West London, while VIP press, collectors preview and print release will hold on October3, 2019 by 8:30pm.

Some of the artworks to be paraded at the high-end exhibition included: Thy Brother is Not Thy Brother, Charcoal on paper, 2017, There was a voice 2019, Charcoal and Acrylic on Canvas, Victory Lap 2019 among others.

The Federal Palace enables us to deliver, at our fourth edition, a markedly enhanced experience from prior years, with the addition of new sections, as well as, the growth in the fair’s size and scope. We continue to redefine the boundaries of what an art fair can hope to achieve, through our curated and interactive projects, our Prize for emerging artists, as well as, ART X Live! - all of which combine to showcase the very best of contemporary and modern, established and emerging, art and culture from Africa and the Diaspora. We are excited to see how our audience responds to these innovations, and look forward to welcoming visitors from all over the world to ART X Lagos this year.”

Also, following a rigorous screening process by the jury earlier in September, five finalists were invited for final presentations t for The Access Bank ART X Prize. Etinosa Yvonne, a selftaught documentary photographer, was revealed as the winner of the 2019 Access Bank ART X Prize, at the ART X Lagos 2019 official launch event on September 12, 2019. She will claim the winnings of cash grant of N 1.5 million, three months residency at Gasworks, London, in 2020, and a solo presentation at ART X Lagos in 2020.

Runners-up; Ayomitunde Adeleke, Christopher Nelson Obuh, Yadichinma Ukoha-Kalu, and Peter Ebahi Okotor, will also exhibit alongside 2019 Winner, at the Access Bank ART X Prize section of the fair this November.

heGhostandTheHouseOf Truth,anewmoviefromthe stable of Temple ProductionsSlate1FilmsandTheMission Entertainment, premiered globally on September 20, 2019 at the Urban World Film Festival, EMC Empire Theater12, New York.

The new movie title is directed by Akin Omotoso and produced by Ego Boyo.

It features veteran movie stars including; Toyin Oshinaike as Uncle Joe; Kate Henshaw as Inspector Folashade; Susan Wokoma as Bola Ogun; Mario Obruthe as Tomi; Imoleayo Olusanya as Nike and Dara EgertonShyngle as Susan.

The movie also features Fabian Lojede (Comatose, Jacob’s Cross, Man on Ground, October 1) and Kemi Lala Akindoju, who isalsotheassociateproducerand casting director of the film.

The movie tells the story of a counselor whose 8-year-old daughtergoesmissing.Frustrated with the police investigation, she takes it upon herself to catch the perpetrator, but as time runs out things take an unexpected turn.

Nwakaego “Ego” Boyo is an accomplished actress and producerwhohasworkedextensivelyintheNigerianfilmindustry since the 90s. She made her debut as an actor in “Checkmate”, a critically acclaimed soap opera, which aired on the NTA network service for five years playing the role of Ann Haastrope – a role which endeared her to Nigerian audiences.

In 1996, she produced “Violated”, her first feature film directed by the late Amaka Igwe.

The film was considered one of the highest-selling home video productions of its time and has

gone down in the history of the Nigerian film industry as one of the best romantic dramas, and thebenchmarkforromanticfilms in Nigeria.

Ego set up her own production company, a digital production outfit with a rental arm and working in production from end toend,aserviceitprovidesacross two continents.

In 1998, Ego delved back into production with another collaboration with Amaka Igwe, this time the film was “To Love Again”, which was directed by Amaka Igwe and went on to garner several THEMA award nominations, and REEL award nominations and eventually won the Best Film/Picture at the Reel Awards in 1999.

In 2002, Ego produced arguably the biggest romantic feature filmofthedecade“KeepingFaith” directed by Steve Gukas starring Joke Silva, Richard Mofe Damijo, Olu Jacobs, a relatively unknown Genevieve Nnaji then, as well as, FunlolaAofiyebi,BimboAkintola, Keppy Ekpeyoung, Fred Amata and Ibidun Alison.

The Ghost and The House Of Truth is a major production from Ego and has generated a lot of discussion among stakeholders and cinema audience as well.

Tiwa Savage wows fans with 49-99 under Obalende bridge

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op diva, Tiwa Savage sent hundreds of her fans into frenzy on the streets of Lagos when she treated them to the premiere of her new single entitled, 49-99.

Powered by foremost African music streaming platform, Boomplay and Universal Music Group, the free show took place right under the popular Obalende Bridge located in Eti-Osa, Local Government, Lagos.

The premiere was the Lagos leg of the global release of her first single, which premiered earlier in London and New York. This comes few months after she signed a major exclusive international recording deal with Universal Music Group.

According to Tosin Sorinola, head of marketing, Boomplay, “Getting behind Tiwa Savage for this event was a no-brainer as she’s one of the most celebrated female acts in Africa while Boomplay is also the #1 music streaming platform in Africa; thus, a win-win connection for both parties.”

“As a platform with over 54 million users globally and 7 million tracks, which is expected to grow to 12 million by the end of 2019, we believe that

we are in the position to partner with as many artistes as possible in order to encourage creatives and gradually build a buying culture among the music community in general,’ Sorinola adds.

Wearing her diva attitude like a costume, the singer waltzed out of a Lagos BRT Bus parked behind the stage singing to the blast of her single, ‘All Over.’ Her grand entrance made the crowd go gaga. Numbering several hundreds, the ecstatic crowd suspended the day’s activity and trooped out to the out-door space. Others craned their necks from the twin over-head bridge to catch a piece of the action.

Much to the satisfaction of the crowd who kept asking for

more, she went on to perform othersinglessuchashercollabo songwithReekardoBanks,‘Ello Baby,’ ‘Ma Lo,’ and ‘Diet’ among others.

To underscore the importanceoftheevent,TiwaSavage revealed,“Asanartiste,Icannot shy away from the people. It was very important to me to connectwiththemandletthem know how important they are to my growth as an artiste.”

Earlier, Tiwa Savage had joined executives of Ikoyi/ Obalende Local Council Development Area (LCDA) including Fuad Atanda-Lawal, the chairman, next-door at an empowerment event to present financial donations to over 600 beneficiaries mainly market men and women.

Sunday 22 September 2019

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BDSUNDAY 25

ExecutiveBookshelf With Chido Nwakanma • Reviews • News • Interview • List

The many-sided stories of Nigeria around Dick Kramer Ifueko M. Omoigui-Okauru(ed) (2014), Making Change Happen: Partnering to Build Nigeria.

Lagos: Andersen Alumni and Storyteller Services.

466pages. ISBN: 978-978-941-318-8

By Chido Nwakanma, School of Media and Communication, Pan Atlantic University, Lagos

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eople. Principles.

Practices. These are the sum of the contributions of 80 persons around the attributes and personality of Richard (Dick) Kramer who gave 40 years out of his current 85 years in service to Nigeria and who left for his final retirement only in July 2019.

Friends and associates held many a send forth party to honour the American who loved Nigeria with passion and positivity. This book is a true testament guaranteed to serve as a beacon to many people down the line.

On the surface, this book of many stories is primarily a collection of tributes to Dick Kramer. Deeper exploration shows more. Making Change Happen: Partnering to Build Nigeria is both a many-sided mirror as well as a compass for the vessel MV Nigeria with some of its most accomplished holding the oars.

Dick Kramer started and grew the Nigerian office of the global accoun-

My book world

Lanre Idowu 1. What are you reading currently?

Fake News and Hate Speech: Narratives of Political Instability edited by Nosa Owens-Ibie, Majority Oji and Joyce Ogwezi; and Exemplary Christians in the Nigerian Public Square by Emmanuel Oladipo.

2. What informs your choice of a book to read?

A number of factors: it could be the subject, the writer, the situation I find myself or just my mood.

3. Which books would you rate as the Top 5 or Top

tancy and consulting firm Arthur Andersen in 1978 and retired in 1994. He finally left Nigeria in 2019.

His footprints are traceable to the Harvard Business School Alumni Association of Nigeria (HBSAN), the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce, and the Lagos Business School/Pan Atlantic University. Include the Enabling Environment Forum, the precursor to the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, American Business Council and Vision 2010.

He spent post-Andersen days building Nigeria’s largest private equity firm African Capital Alliance. Making Change Happen has the first-person account of Dick and Wanda Kramer.

It also has a Who’s Who of Nigerians, 80 persons, who were either alumni of Arthur Andersen, African Capital Alliance or worked with Dick Kramer on his many community projects.

Community service was a guiding philosophy for the Kramers. He states, “Fundamental for a family

is a strong commitment to leaving our community better than we found it. Hence,

personal and family values are aligned with community service and, ultimately,

nation-building.”

Contributors include Chief Ernest Shonekan, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, Prof Albert Alos and Atedo Peterside. Readers will share the thoughts and experiences of Amina Oyagbola, Frank Aigbogun, Afolabi Oladele, Mohammed Hayatudeen, Frank Jnr Nweke, Seyi Bickersteth, Pascal Dozie, Juan Manuel Elegido and Bode Agusto. There are also Dayo Lawuyi, Akin Laguda, Omobola Johnson, Charles Anudu and Emeka Emuwa.

Add Juliet Anammah, Keith Richards, Kelvin Balogun, and Ladi Jadesinmi. Then Koyinsola Ajayi, Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru, Kunle Elebute, Mansur Ahmed, Mazi Udochukwu Uwakaneme, Princeton Lyman and Tani Fafunwa.

People, principles, practices and family. Kramer believed in people and brought out the best in those he came across. Education was a priority and accounted for much of his interventions. He practised what he

believed: the correct values as the basis for all actions, individual, corporate and communal. Principle-based leadership is critical to making the right decisions and effecting desired changes in Nigeria. Family, finally, is the bedrock. Everything revolves around the family.

Making Change Happens lends itself to analysis using various theoretical lenses. Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory explains the influence of Kramer after whom many of the narrators modelled their behaviours. The book shares many stories in the line of Walter Fischer’s Narrative Paradigm. Editorial intervention is apparent in the themes, but each story stands apart, and collectively they form a mosaic of exciting perspectives.

Seek and read the colloquium on Nigeria featuring 80 of its leaders in Making Change Happen. The publishers ask buyers to email them at info@storytellerservices.com or call +234 8091114809.

I’m just getting into the audiobook. It’s another way of making the book appealing.

12. Any preference between Nigerian or foreign authors in your choice of books? Which ones predominate in your library and why?

No preference. Good literature is not the exclusive preserve of any race or nationality. I have a good blend of books written by Nigerian and foreign authors.

13. Do you share the notion that Nigerians do not read? What informs your response either way?

Nigerians read. The quality of what they read and affordability to buy books may be concerning.

14. Any thoughts on reading generally and what it contributes to readers?

Reading provides access to the thoughts and ideas of writers. It encourages reflection and propels development in society. It is the vehicle to connect the past, the present and the future. Reading people are thinking people. A thinking people are a living people.

To stop reading is to stop thinking and living. And what a dreary world that would be!

15. Do you plan to transit from a reader to a writer?

When should we expect to read your works?

I am already a writer. I have written five books, three of which will be out this year. They are Media on My Mind: Ethics, Governance and Other Matters; Uneven Steps: The Story of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and Songs of Childhood. I have edited eleven books and co-edited five. As long as I continue to enjoy good health, I pray to write more, so help me, God. Lanre Idowu is CEO of Diamond Publications Limited and Trustee of the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence that organises the DAME Awards.

He is a respected writer, author, trainer, editor and publisher as well as winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award for Journalistic Excellence by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, 2011.

Three of my books will be out this year Ten in your reading experience?

My March Through Prison by Obafemi Awolowo; Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe; Oluremi Obasanjo’s Bittersweet: My Life with Obasanjo; BATTLELINES: Adventures in Journalism and Politics by Olusegun Osoba, The New Journalism by Tom Wolfe and E. W. Johnson.

4. What books would you return to again and again?

Disenchantment: Meaning and Morality in the Media by John Phelan, Voices Beyond the Newsroom by Richard Ikiebe; The First Casualty by Phillip Knightley.

5. Which books would you consider essential or critical in your profession or line of business?

Walking a Tightrope: Power Play in Daily Times

by Is’mail Babatunde Jose; Media Debates by Everette E. Dennis and John C. Merrill; Watchdogs or Captured Media: A Study of the role of the media in Nigeria’s emergent Democracy 1999-2016, edited by Ayo Olukotun; ‘Rite it Right: Analysis of Writing

Errors in Nigeria’s Mass Media by Adidi Uyo; and Adigun Agbaje’s The Nigerian Press, Hegemony, and the Social Construction of Legitimacy 1960-1983.

6. Please suggest five essential books in your field and five general interest books that are must-reads for young people.

First, the five essential books in my field of journalism: The Elements of Style

by William Strunk and E. B. White; Voices from Within edited by Lanre Idowu; Watching the Watchdogs: Media Review at 20 edited

by Lanre Idowu; Voices Beyond the Newsroom by Richard Ikiebe; Press and Politics in Nigeria 1880-1937 by Fred Omu. Then the general books: How to be a Nigerian by Peter Enahoro, Be(com)ing Nigerian by Elnathan John, Wole Soyinka’s You Must s+Set Forth at Dawn, Chinua Achebe’s The Trouble with Nigeria, Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Adichie.

7. Do you prefer hard copy or digital texts?

Hardcopy is my first choice.

8. What are the significant differences and appeal of each in your view?

There’s no better reading experience than cuddling a book. It’s also easier to annotate. Digital text is okay, but prolonged exposure to its lights is not suitable for my eyes.

9.

Any preference between fiction and nonfiction?

I read anything that catches my fancy, but these days I tend to emphasise nonfiction.

10. Who are your all-time favourite authors?

James Hadley Chase was the first author to make a strong impression on me in high school. I loved his breezy style of presentation. I love the accessibility of Chinua Achebe’s prose, the drama of Wole Soyinka and the poetry of John Pepper Clark. I enjoy Jeffrey Archer for his sense of history and his dramatic twist of events.

11. Do you do audiobooks? What are your thoughts on audiobooks?

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Sunday 22 September 2019

Travel

Mare Festival; a heritage in decline

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OBINNA EMELIKE

ith the many picturesque hills, myth and awesome nature, Idanre, a hilly town in Ondo State, is worth your visit.

At 300ft above sea level, early settlers strained their eyes to have a better view of the awesome Idanre hills from its foot. Today, visitors still strain their eyes to see the peak from the foot of the hill. But from afar, the hills are very visible even to the blind because of the overbearing height that offers protection to the community tucked in its bosom.

The aesthetics, architecture and thoroughness employed by nature in the assemblage of hills of various shapes and sizes at Idanre, also called ‘Oke Idanre’ by the locals, are all intriguing, hence making the hill an adventure that awaits visitors.

With all these going for Idanre, the Ondo State government under Olusegun Mimiko in 2009, made efforts at improving infrastructural facilities in the town and drawing attention of global tourists to the huge tourism potential within.

To further woo more visitors to come and spend their hard-earned money, the government then initi-

ated the Mare Festival, a mix of cultural, sports, entertainment and tourism activities.

The festival, which holds every December attracts local and international mountain climbers, marathon racers, art and craft entrepreneurs who display souvenirs, cultural troupes, youths seeking empowerment, and most especially tourists.

Considering the growing visitations to the town for the festival and tours, the Ondo State govern-

Eko Hotels & Suites announces first edition Tropical Christmas Wonderland 2019

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ko Hotel & Suites has unveiled its Christmas schedule for December 2019. The hotel will deliver the first edition of a Tropical Wonderland Christmas event for families.

The hotel situated in the upper crust Victoria Island is preparing to serve up unique dining offerings for Christmas Eve and day with a tropical wonderland experience never seen before in Nigeria.

The management of the hotel said the event was in its bid to continually excite and offer families unique experiences. “The last four years got us organising small scale Christmas holidays, but this year, for the first time, your family will relive the true essence of Christmas as was narrated to you as a child.”

Tagged “Eko Hotels Tropical Christmas Wonderland (TCW),” the fun kicks off on December 1, 2019 with a light up ceremony, and continues with three awesome packages in one magical venue designed to mirror a place right out of your imagination. The entire hotel premises will be lit up this festive season and guests can enjoy the amazing sparkling holiday décor over fine wine and dining options.

The Eko Hotel team wants guests to experience the luxury first-hand.

“So if you are looking for a truly special place,thencomeonintoEkoHoteland experience our unique lodging experience and outstanding one-of-a-kind food, beverage and entertainment offerings.”

Iyadunni Gbadedo, director of Sales, Eko Hotels, is urging her esteemed clients to avail themselves of the great opportunity and plan a visit to the hotel with their families this

Christmas 2019.

“Our four hotels including; Eko Signature, Eko Suites, Eko Hotel and Eko Gardens will offer families three or five days all-inclusive packages to a place where even mommies and daddies read about in story books when they were young,” she said.

Adding: “Christmas feels like such a long time from now, but it really isn’t if you would consider giving the perfect gift of a fantastic holiday to your family, especially the kids.”

According to her, “Start saving, start paying small small and secure a holiday that would make your expensive summer in a combination of Paris, London and Dubai feel like nothing, because this is all that and more wrapped in one gift box...

Live in Lagos!”

Thedirectorurgespatronstomake their booking now as rooms are fast filling up. The program promises lots of enriching surprises especially for the kids to enjoy the lights, magic, spectacle and tropical fun with Santa and his crew.

Eko Hotel has undergone renovation and expansion that ensures that it not only retains its No. 1 position in Nigeria, but also becomes one of the best in Africa.

The highbrow hotel boasts prime location overlooking the ocean. It has wellover600roomsandsuites,including upscale signature, 11 restaurants, an out-door pool, fun gym, high speed WIFI, spa for that that special touch among other amenities.

“I wish I could tell you there will be many magical places to spend Christmas with your family, but there is only one. Eko Hotels Tropical Christmas Wonderland”, said Gbadedo.

ment established Idanre Hills Resort, which offers several accommodation options to the visitors.

From the tree houses and houses on the rock (Ile oriota), all fully serviced apartments and in threebedroom and two-bedroom en suites categories), the resort was built with visitors in mind.

Sadly, the Mare heritage has been in decline since Olusegun Mimiko, former governor and the initiator, left office in 2016.

With no festival to celebrate,

the deliberate attempt by the last administration to establish a festival around the scenic beauty of the hilly town of Idanre seems to be in vain, as well, efforts at creating awareness of the tourism potential on Idnare and Ondo State at large are wasted too.

It would be recalled that the eighth celebration of the festival, the former governor said: “Mare Festival has come to stay and I have no doubt in my mind that the incoming government will do

all to sustain it. God has endowed Idanre with natural resources and there are no two towns like Idanre.

I can see a new tourism corridor in Akure/Idanre and this we have been developing since 2009.”

The former governor may be wrong as the present administration in the state has done little to sustain the festival. For two years now, the festival has been in decline and may remain same in 2019, as no preparation is insight.

As expected, the Idanre Hills Resort is at the receiving end as the festival, which has sustained traffic to the resort, no longer holds.

With low patronage, the resort hardly sustains operations, hence dilapidating and impacting quality accommodation offerings, which is lacking in the town. The indigenes employed at the resort are definitely going to lose their jobs if the decline persists, youths who look forward to wining prize money at the many activities of Mare Festival are losing too, the locals are also losing from the usual merchandise during the festival, while government is failing to tap into a viable project that can woo global tourists to visit to spend hard currency.

However, the indigenes, tourism stakeholders, and tourists alike are calling on the Ondo State government to bring back Mare Festival this year.

Africa Caribbean Heritage to be explored at Akwaaba Travel Market

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frican Heritage of the Caribbean takes centre stage at the Akwaaba Travel Market in Lagos where the Caribbean Tourism Organisation has been invited to lead a high level panel discussion.

During the session the keynote address will be delivered by Kerry Hall, director, Tourism Product Development, in the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport, Barbados. Hall will share historical facts on the English-born settlers living in Barbados, who required more land to expand the island’s thriving sugar industry.

They sailed to North America, bringing along enslaved black Barbadians and white Barbadian indentured servants. Not only did the plantation-based system of enslaved people define the economy of the American South, but Charleston in South Carolina, still reflects the African and Barbadian Heritage, and proudly maintains Gullah traditions.

Hall declared the connection between Africa, Barbados and Charleston is a story that needs to be showcased to the world. ‘I am honoured to have the opportunity to share the fascinating yet little known linkages, which bind Barbados and Charleston. We recently launched the documentary ‘Beyond Barbados: The Barbados Carolinas Connection’ and will also showcase the documentary during Akwaaba Travel Market’.

Other esteemed panel members include His Excellency Wendell De Landro, High Commissioner for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Esmond Reid, High Commissioner of Jamaica to the

Federal Republic of Nigeria.

High Commissioner De Landro will discuss how the Africa Caribbean Heritage has influenced diaspora and international tourism in Trinidad and Tobago, and the impact that this has had on establishing Trinidad Carnival as one of the most renowned Carnivals in the world.

High Commissioner Reid will address on how Jamaica’s music and heritage have been strongly influenced by Africa and the Rastafarian movement. These influences have enriched Jamaica’s position as a leading destination for travellers seeking an authentic cultural experience.

Fabien Anthony, co-founder and chairman of the Pan-African Council, will address the Caribbean roots of Pan-Africanism, including opportunities to foster

Carol Hay, director of marketing, UK & Europe, Caribbean Tourism Organisation

connections and strategic partnerships between Africa and its diaspora in the Caribbean and North America that will lead to impactful opportunities for youth and communities. Anthony, will also promote Diaspora Tourism as a lever for education, cultural exchange, community leadership and economic opportunities.

Sharon Palacio, Chairperson from In2Belize Travel and Tours and leading Garifuna Specialist from Belize will discuss the African Heritage of the Garifuna people, enslaved West Africans who washed ashore on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent around 1635 while likely on their way to the mines and plantations in the Americas. Palacio will also highlight how their legacy is preserved today through culture and heritage.

The panel organised by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) will be moderated by Carol Hay, CTO’s Director of Marketing UK & Europe. Hay stated: “We welcome the opportunity to participate in Akwaaba Travel Market with such a dynamic panel of speakers. The theme for the travel market, ‘The Year of the Return’, commemorates 400 years since the first Africans were enslaved, taken from their homeland and brought to the Caribbean and the rest of the Americas. We have a vibrant story to tell; a rich heritage to share, and really see this as an opportunity to connect the dots on all levels, including the opportunity to promote tourism and trade between Africa and the Caribbean”.

Akwaaba Travel Market holds from September 22-24, 2019 at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.

Sunday 22 September 2019

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BDSUNDAY 27

Travel Emirates commence sustainable journey in Nigeria, creating bags from its billboards Stories by IFEOMA OKEKE

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n an effort to promote sustainable living and make a positive impact on local communities, Emirates gave its old advertising billboards in Nigeria a new purpose, transforming the PVC Flex material into hundreds of reusable bags.

The advertising banners collected from Lagos and Abuja, were upcycled - the heavy-duty, PVC Flex material was used to produce school bags and carryalls that were donated to students of two schools in Lagos.

In time for the start of the new academic year, two Nigerian entrepreneurs were commissioned to produce 200 school bags and 100 tote bags using the recycled billboard material.

The school bags were presented to children from MAYOM Wisdom Academy and Ken Ade Primary School, both located in Makoko, Lagos.

The school bags were given out to primary school students between the ages of five and nine years, while the tote bags were given to the teachers. Also included in the bags was stationery and activity books from Emirates’ on-board products for children.

Afzal Parambil, Emirates’ Regional Manager West Africa, said, “Recycling and sustainability cannot be ignored if we want leave a better planet for future generations.

We have close ties with Nigeria and

The Proprietor, Ken-Ade Private Primary school, Hon. Ayeseminikan Bawo; Emirates regional m-anager West Africa, Afzal Parambil; a pupil of Ken-Ade primary school, Temakloa Abigael; and class teacher, Miss Grace Kalu, during the presentation of Billboard upcycled bags to schools in Makoko, Yaba, as a Back to School CSR initiative recently in Lagos

believe this is a meaningful way to engage our wider community and make a positive impact on society.

“This initiative also ties in with what we are doing on-board our aircraft with reducing single-use plastic on flights. It is gratifying to think that our advertising billboards have been reused in this creative way, that can enhance the school experience for so many children.”

He added, “It’s been wonderful to see the delighted smiles it has brought to the students, as well as partnering with local entrepreneurs

and their talented teams who have worked tirelessly to make the bags, and bring this vision to life. Over the years, we have introduced multiple sustainable best practices which include our sustainable blankets produced from 100 percent recycled bottles and a young, fuel efficient fleet of aircraft”.

The PVC Flex material is durable, strong, water resistant, tough, and light-weighted, having good colour fastness. These qualities will ensure the bags serve the recipients for a relatively long time.

Turkish Airlines named 2020 Five Star Global Airline at APEX Awards

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ffering the privilege of discovering 126 countries around the world to its passengers, Turkish Airlines was named a “2020 Five Star Global Airline” by APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association), one of the world’s most trusted and prominent aviation organizations.

Turkish Airlines’ commitment to passenger satisfaction and providing top class service above the clouds were ratified by APEX. Travel industry experts met at the Los Angeles Convention Centre on September 9 for the APEX/IFSA Awards where the APEX Official Airline Ratings™ were announced.

Passengers rated over a million flights of almost 600 airlines around the world between July 2018 and June 2019. Categories were judged on a five star scale in five sub categories: seat comfort, cabin service, food and beverage, entertainment, and Wi-Fi. After the feedback was reviewed, flag carrier was awarded a five star average for the third successive

time. İlkerAycı, Chairman of the Board and Executive Committee, Turkish Airlines said; “As Turkish Airlines, we are aiming to offer perfection to our guests in every aspect of their travels.

“With the renewed Business Class on our new Dreamliner, the brand new style of traveling at Istanbul Airport, our new home, and exceptional services above the clouds, we are undergoing a change.

“We are happy to see our passengers award that change with five stars. We express our thanks to APEX and all of our passengers for acknowledging our efforts while offering us this exceptional award for the third successive time.”

APEX distinguishes itself as the first rating program that solely relies on the passenger feedback on subcategories such as service, entertainment, seat comfort and Wi-Fi during its review process.

Paul Omolere Awoletan, the principal of one of the participating schools, MAYOM Wisdom Academy, Apostle said, “Thank you Emirates for this amazing initiative, perfectly timed for the start of the new school year. It’s very satisfying to see our students carrying their own bespoke bags and we appreciate the story behind it. It will be a constant reminder of how we need to be sustainable for future generations.”

The principal of Ken-Ade Private Primary school, Ayeseminikan de-

scribed it as, “Fantastic idea and a perfect gift for students going back to school.”

Karen Anolefo, The bag manufacturers who partnered with Emirates on the project, CEO, Chitoz Limited said, “The idea of recycling is beautiful. As a small business owner, I appreciate the opportunity from Emirates to work on such a unique project that is not only utilitarian, but a real example of how we can live sustainably Emirates has also done well by supporting Nigerian students; it goes a long way to build emotional connections with the community”.

Roseline Obamoyegun, whose company Ajidun Ventures, also produced the bags said, “I sincerely thank Emirates for considering me to be a part this project. Being a single parent, the production of bags is what I depend on as a means of livelihood. Trusting me with this project is significant.

I join Emirates in saying ‘No to waste’ and ‘Yes’ to helping the less privileged.”

In 2017, Emirates introduced sustainable blankets produced from 100% recycled plastic bottles.

Using patented ecoTHREAD™ technology, each blanket is made from 28 recycled plastic bottles.

It is estimated that by the end of 2019, Emirates’ ecoTHREAD™ blankets would have rescued 88 million plastic bottles from landfills. Nigerian customers can look forward to seeing the blankets on board on all flights out of Lagos and Abuja.

Uganda showcases top tourist attractions at Akwaaba 2019

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ganda Tourism Board (UTB) in collaboration w i t h Ug a n d a n To u r Operators will be presenting the country’s top tourist attractions to Nigerian travel Trade and travellers at the 15th Akwaaba, African Travel Market 2019.

Uganda with a rich pristine nature, cultural and historical African religious heritage has lined up tourism experts from the tourism board and tour operators to market and promote its tourists potential to the West Africa market at the “Uganda Day” on 22nd September at 2:00pm and at the expo schedule to commence September 22nd -24th at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.

Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa whose diverse landscape straddles the equator with Lake Victoria (world’s 2nd largest lake) forming part of its southern border.

It is from the same lake that River Nile, the world’s longest river, starts its (4,258 miles)journey at Jinja 80km east Kampala.

According to statement from Uganda’s tourism board: “Very many wonderful things have

been said about Uganda by various authors and travellers who have had the chance to visit, some talk about the charming weather natural resources, rich culture, and history while others talk about the lovely people whose hospitality is unmatched.

“Most quickly note the numerous beautiful birds, and other rare wildlife species that are only found in Uganda. All that is true but there is more!”

“Uganda is the land of martyrs in Africa; this religious story is summarized in the Uganda Martyrs Trail. The Trail, is an extra –ordinary journey of faith that literally gets in the footsteps of the first Christian missionaries and converts as they walked through Uganda preaching, teaching, healing and transforming lives –finally the places of their martyrdom.”

Its abundant wildlife includes the ‘BIG 5’ as well as a home to 1,072 bird species includes some of the world’s rarest birds.

Visit the world’s Heritage site of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a renowned mountain gorilla tracking life changing experience.

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Sunday 22 September 2019

Life&Living

Why a good kitchen plan and design matters

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Jumoke Akiyode-Lawanson ost women see the kitchen as their personal sanctuary in a h o m e . Th e place where the health of the family is dependent on, and where they can make delicious dishes to satisfy the man of the house, because as they say, “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

Some people even describe the kitchen as the most important space in any house, as much more thought is being giving to the kitchen design and functionality of a modern kitchen. In recent years, the kitchen as been transformed from just being the mother’s workspace space, solely for preparation of meals, to the new living room, filled with energy, aroma and texture.

According freshhomes.com, in the last 20 years, kitchens started to become living spaces with more time spent in these spaces and where more was done than just cooking. Newer homes were designed with kitchens as living spaces in mind and so these rooms became larger to better accommodate family and friends as an additional space for entertaining”.

Many kitchens began to open up to other rooms, yet some remained separate spaces. These newer, larger, more accommodating kitchens now had space for large tables and islands were planned in to create a natural flow for those coming and going. Much more thought was being given to kitchen design and functionality.

The idea of the kitchen as a living space was becoming more and more popular and those with smaller kitchens in older homes started to take notice. As a result, homeowners started to alter and enlarge their own kitchen spaces to follow the “trend,” both for lifestyle and resale purposes.

Today the importance of a good sized, productive kitchen cannot be over emphasised. Realtors all over the world consider it to be the most important room in a house, as its location and functionality are key.

“Many buyers, when considering an older home with a smaller kitchen, immediately look into renovation possibilities that may include a remodel or expansion, to create a more open feel. As our lives become more casual, our homes are as well,” says Kate Omoyele, an interior designer.

Because every home requires a kitchen, its plan, organization and layout are essential. Consider what type of kitchen layout you want (L-shaped, U-shaped, island, etc).

Specialists refer to the sink,

stove and refrigerator as the kitchen triangle, the area of greatest activity that requires careful planning and unobstructed access. Of the three, the sink typically sees the most action; it should have easy access to the stove and refrigerator, as well as your countertop workstations.

Obviously, your sink needs to be near the plumbing. Sometimes, however, because of the placement of the pipes, kitchens are designed with the sinks in a poor location. If this is the case in your kitchen, consider hiring a

plumber to relocate the plumbing to accommodate the best placement for the sink.

You also need to make sure you have enough storage space and counter top space in a kitchen. Good lighting is also essential, as well as good ventilation, especially because there will be a lot of smoke and smells coming from the kitchen. Finally, make sure that the floor materials are slip proof as there will definitely be a lot of spills in the kitchen and we don’t want people falling over all the time.

OAOE Foundation: Giving the aged a reason to live longer

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IFEOMA OKEKE v e r y t i m e yo u l o o k around your immediate environment, there are aged people and conversations with some of them often tilts towards a certain subject matter, which is not far fetch. It is their ascension unto glory.

While we often try to rebuke them from saying or thinking of such, they insist this is a reality that awaits them anytime soon.

This reality they speak of is often reinforced by their incessant feelings of illness, some of which are unavoidable as they come with old age.

While, it is emotional to see your parents go through this process during their last years, days or weeks on earth, there are much more you could do to give them a reason to not only live longer on earth but enjoy every bit of it.

Today, only few foundations in the country are aged friendly

in their programmes. However, Olori Aderonke Omolola Erinle (OAOE) Foundation a non for profit and Non-Governmental Organization that advocates and propagates the need to help, invigorate and rehabilitate the Senior Citizens (Old people) in our Society has announced plans to commence an Adult Care Centre (Old People’s Home) and a fashion line for the aged which has been created to sustain the Foundation.

The foundation, which was launched last week at the Oriental hotel, Lagos, also featured aged women in their 70s, 80s and 90s, walk majestically and fashionably down the walk-way as they showcased various shades and designs of outfits.

Except you get a closer look at them, you may be lured to think the women are in their 40s and 30s as they beamed with smiles as the audience showed them with standing ovation and shouts to commend their appearance.

Speaking at the event, Aderonke Omolola Erinle, founder, OAOE Foundation said the event was special for her as she not only launches her foundation but also giving joy to the elderly.

“I cherish the elderly so much because for me I know what my body tells me sometimes when I overwork myself; the aches and

pains; talk less of the old people generally. One thing I have at the back of my mind is that they are the generation that cannot wait.

“We don’t have a facility for old people yet but we are working towards having our own and that is why we are asking Nigerian citizens and those in diaspora to support what we are doing and

bring our dream to reality,” Erinle added.

She stressed that the foundation wants to support what the government is doing for the aged.

Erinle however advised people to stop calling their parent names no matter difficult they may seem. “They could just need medical attention. As they grow, they begin to loss their memory and they talk out of point. That is what happens most of the times.”

Speaking on how people have since reacted to what the foundation is doing she said, “We have a lot of people already calling in to ask us what we are doing. The aged foundation is something that is rare in our country.

“People want to know more and that is part of the reasons why we want to launch officially.

We are just a foundation but if we have support of pharmaceutical companies we should be able to meet up medications for sicknesses peculiar to the aged. We have a lot to do.”

Sunday 22 September 2019

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29

Perspective NPA’s collaborative efforts in war against sea piracy AYO OYOZE BAJE

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ack in December 2018, the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman made a passionate call on all Ports Facility Security Officers (PFSOs) to step up their efforts and remain ever vigilant. The aim was to curb high level of insecurity with regards to sea piracy in Nigeria’s Maritime economic sphere.

She further urged the PFSOs to pay special attention to intelligence gathering and sharing of information with other security agencies at the ports. If this is carried out and sustained it would enhance effective performance of their duties. Bala-Usman made this call in her goodwill message at the 2018 edition of the annual conference of the PFSOs which took place in Calabar, Cross River.

As subsequent events have revealed, there has been a 36 percent reduction in attacks by sea pirates in the Nigerian waters in the First Quarter of 2019 with reports of 14 of such attacks compared to 22 as reported in the same period of 2018. The report came from the International Maritime Bureau(IMB), a specialised department of the International Chamber of Commerce. The encouraging success recorded has been attributed to the increased efforts by the Nigerian Navy, working in tandem with the NPA as well as PFSOs for their rapid response to vi-

tal information released to the Agency.

Sequel to this positive development in the security of the maritime sector, importers, exporters and ship owners are upbeat about a possible reduction in freight charges, war-risk insurance premiumandothersurchargesimposed on Nigerian-bound cargo. This would become realistic if pirate attacks on Nigerian waters continue to decrease.

According to an earlier media report, one Adewale Ishola, a top player in the marine sector, insists that such reduction in sea piracy is capable of boosting shipping business in Nigeria.

If sustained, international shipping companies that have been raising freight charges and introducing surcharges on imported cargoes would be convinced to reduce them.

According to Usman, the war-risk insurance premium has translated into high cost of cargo importation into the country’s seaports as importers, who pay such premium also increase the market price of goods. For instance, two shipping lines, Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM operating in Nigeria recently introduced a new surcharge called “Peak Season Surcharge’(PSS) on all cargoes originating from anywhere in the world.

And that has to do with those coming into Tin-Can, Apapa sea ports in Lagos as well as Onne port in Rivers State.

Piracy is considered as one of the most disturbing issues even in the 21st Centuryglobalcommunity.Asmaritime operators and analysts explain, the cost of piracy covers a wide spectrum that

affects human, economic, environmental and political landscape of several nations blessed with vast coastal lines.

When and if left unchecked it has direct threat to peace, security and the socioeconomic development of the affected countries as well as regions.

According to un Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, “The epidemic of piracy poses a serious threat to international peace and security and has destabilising effects on international navigation and maritime trade. Listed amongst the top regions for piracy today are the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Guinea, the Malacca Strait and the South China Sea. All these regions are vital shipping routes, crucial for global trade.”

With specific regards to Nigeria, sea piracy has become an increasing challenge in the Gulf of Guinea region with both the frequency of piracy attacks and the level of physical violence against seafarers increasing in recent years. Cumulatively, it has been responsible for the nation’s parlous economy as over US$2.74 billion was paid by the country over the past four years.

In 2018 alone, freight costs were reportedly increased six times! That came with fears that insurance also escalatedinsecurity traceable to the challenge of piracy.The Ocean Beyond Piracy (OBP) in a report claimed that the economic cost of piracy to Nigeria has been on the increase since 2014 reaching over $818.1 million in 2017.

The report also revealed that about $213.7 million was spent to contract

maritime security personnel protecting vessels in the region. Similarly, the Gulf Region’s spending on law enforcement and naval patrols increased by $13.2 million in 2017.

Additionally, 1,726 seafarers were affected in 2016 even as 100 crewmembers were taken hostage. As a result, shipping companies patronising Nigeria and other West African ports were incurring additional expenses. Sea piracy has compelled them to engage the services of private security guards, evenas though the Federal Government noted that such violates Nigeria’s constitution. According to OBP breakdown of costs, coastal states incurred personnel costs of about $213.7 million; affiliated escorts, $9.4 million; and private patrols, $134.9 million per year.

The report claimed that Nigeria spends about $6.6 million yearly to protect its security anchorage area. So, what is the way forward?

Legal and policy statements may not be considered adequate to combat the menace of sea piracy. Nigeria, being the head of the Gulf of Guinea Commission has to rise to exhibiting its leadership role, more by practical partnerships than rhetoric. That is the opinion of maritime experts who also insist that sustaining collaborative efforts amongst the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Airforce and the Nigerian Army with the Nigerian Ports Authority acting as the credible catalyst would swing the

pendulum away from sea piracy.

The Federal Government should deploy the platforms which the country acquired under its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Global West Vessel Specialists Limited.

That is especially so for the Danish fast armoredboats,whichthecompanypurchased for the country. If not enough, more could be bought.

According to researchers, Daud Hassan and Sayed Hasan writing for the online version of African Journal of Legal Studies (August, 2017) with the title: ‘Effectiveness of the Current Regimes to Combat Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea: An Evaluation’ it is essential to apply an integrated multidimensional approach.

This will strengthen maritime security while also effectively addressing the principal causes of piracy embedded in the economic, social and political conditions of the region. These include poor governance, corruption, unemployment and poverty. There is also an urgent requirement for cooperation and coordination at the regional and international levels.

In addition, it should build regional maritime capacity, enhance maritime domain surveillance and ensure compliance with the best management practices by the shipping industry.

With the Usman-led NPA showing that collaborative efforts and prompt actions taken by the armed forces on sensitive information gathered could reduce sea piracy, the time to up the frontal battle against sea piracy is now.

Development law policy as magic wand to transform Nigerian...

Continued from back page generate significant opposition by concerned interests. Furthermore, the Executive Order might conflict with the underpinning principles of arbitration that are premised on the notion that parties to an arbitration have a right to determine the arbitration institution and arbitrators that will undertake the arbitration proceedings. Given the above, we would rather suggest that an Executive Order should create a National Work Group that will be authorised to review the scheme of the arbitration provisions currently incorporated in the BITs, and the task of proposing how Arbitration connected to Nigeria will have Nigeria as seat of Arbitration.

Maritime matters This is potentially the largest economic sector outside of hydrocarbons.

Nigeria’s maritime sector is estimated to be capable of generating 7 trillion naira annually and 4 million jobs over 5 years. However, to tap revenue from this sector there needs to be an overhaul of policy, institutional, regulatory and legal framework. For instance, the Government needs to immediately implement the policy for Inland Container Depots (ICDS).

We have 6 (Six) ICDS spread across the geopolitical zones that can generate at least 15,000 jobs for different levels of manpower. Due to the lack of infrastructure to support business and operations by concessionaires, these depots have not been optimally utilised. 80 per cent of Nigerian trade is diverted to ports in Cotonou and other West African ports. Further to this is the need to review our cabotage regime to stem capital flight and boost capacity for Nigeria’s Shipowners. De-

spite the enactment of the Coastal and Inland Shipping Act 2003 Nigeria loses an estimated 7 Trillion Naira in the shipping sector. Foreign vessels trade in violation of the Cabotage regime. This is responsible for capital flight. There is a need for immediate enactment of several critical bills pending before the National Assembly. This would facilitate the legal framework to move the maritime sector to the next level.

Such bills as the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), the Ports and Harbour Bill, Maritime Zones Bill, Ocean Bill etc. are yet to be passed into law. There is also an urgent need to review the Nigerian Shipping Policy of 1987.

Aviation/space The Aviation Sector requires major reform. Nigeria has no presence in the Aviation business. Nigeria Airways has been long comatose. Foreign aircraft dominate the Nigerian airspace and earn well over a trillion naira to our exclusion. A trillion naira is about a quarter of our entire national budget.

A Fly Nigeria Bill will ensure that every government Naira used to purchase a ticket must originate and terminate on a Nigerian carrier. This Fly Nigeria Bill will create an instant market for our national carrier.

On Space, it has been said that that the future of mankind is in Space.

Space has many major applications for developing our economy. We will mention at least three examples. First, space can be applied to the energy sector as remote sensing can tell us the quantum of our hydrocarbons.

Second, it is the value of space applications to the Maritime sector. Third, it is the link between space and national security. Satellite technology intelligence gives us vital footprints in the national security infrastructure. The

growing threat of terrorism and the adverse impact on economic stability can only be checked by intelligence provided by space satellites. We must upgrade our space legislation.

Legal/justice sector issues The legal and judicial system has experienced legal failure. The judicial system has never really been reformed.

The Nigerian judicature is based on the 1875 Judicature Act. The consequence is that cases take too long to resolve. It takes between 5 to 20 years to resolve simple contractual disputes. Investors, whether local and international will not invest in a country where there is no sanctity of contract and simple contractual disputes take between 5 to 20 years to resolve. We must give urgency to this sector and reverse legal failure. A speed of justice policy will reduce delays. In this regard, the National Assembly can consider introducing the Administration of Civil Justice Bill to ensure efficient administration of civil disputes. Also, new methods of dispute resolution should be considered such as Alternative Dispute Resolutions, small claims courts, traditional and customary arbitration.

Finally, quasi-judicial administrative tribunals can be established by sector, following the UK example. In England there exist many administrative courts to cover Telecommunications, taxation, transportation, Insurance, Education, Financial Services, Trade, Investments, etc.

Land administration The Land Use Act created a framework for ascertaining title and therefore it became easy to determine title. It also meant that landholding was major collateral for investment and financing. In doing this the state governors play an administrative role,

issuing consents, licenses, permits etc. which has become overwhelming.

The process has become clogged and as a result of this clog, the impact of land collateralisation on lending and borrowing is affected. A recent study shows that the housing asset inventory of Nigerian property exceeds six trillion dollars. Most of this is dead capital and is not fungible. There is a need to wake up this six trillion dollars’ worth of dead capital. A Land Use Administration Commission Bill will make the Land Use Act and consent rules more efficient and instill confidence in financial institutions. This will impact positively, collateralisation, lending and borrowing within the financial system.

Anti-corruption The war against corruption requires an effective strategy. In addition to the strategy of prosecution, it is suggested to consider a 2-year moratorium from criminal prosecution. So legislation may be considered on immunity from criminal prosecution (Moratorium) Act. The Abacha case is now going 20 years with little result. This may be controversial but it is worth considering.

Social security administration The Federal Government has committed trillions of naira to administer social security to the elderly and vulnerable like the school feeding programme and Trader Moni but there is no legal framework. The standard operating model around the world is the creation of a benefits agency as it is called in England, and a social security agency as it is known in the US, to cater for those who are unable to look after themselves. The government will gain more by giving a legal framework

for these benefits. Enacting a Social Security Administration Bill pursuant to Chapter 2 of the Constitution will see to the progressive realization of rights contained in Chapter 2 of the Constitution.

4th branch of government This was developed by FDR in the 1930s and is why the US came out of the recession rapidly. The 4th branches are regulators who implement decisions of the Executive branch, which is the first branch. They are called the 4th branch because they exercise executive, legislative and quasi-judicial powers. In Nigeria, regulators like NAFDAC, SON, NERC, etc. are part of the 4th branch of government. They can make regulations, enforce them and impose penalties. Unfortunately, there is no standard operating model for these regulators. Most of them lack a basic understanding of their role as the 4th branch of government. It may be worth doing a high-level training workshop on the role of the 4th branch of government. A strong 4th branch of government will improve the efficiency of government.

Conclusion Development law policy has succeeded wherever it has been applied.

It has not been applied in Nigeria. If applied it will result in double-digit growth, more revenue and will pull millions of Nigerians out of poverty.

It is strongly recommended that the government should adopt a development law policy as one of its economic policy tools.

Dr. Olisa Agbakoba is a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

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Sunday 22 September 2019

BrandsOnSunday SPOTLIGHTING BRAND VALUE

State by state categorisation of S/Africa returnees divisive…simply treat them as Nigerians Daniel Obi

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t is not clear what the Federal Government wants to achieve by the categorisation of xenophobia-attack returnees from South Africa by their states of origin.

Government should consider every Nigerian from national perspective instead of the parochial state of origin. The classification attempts have been seen by many as a ploy to deepen the divisive character covertly kindled in the recent times.

Unfortunately, Nigerians have started to see almost every situation and statement from either tribal, religious or political perspective and the recent classification of Nigerian returnees from South Africa by their states and regions appears to be in that frame.

On the return recently of 187 Nigerians who fled South Africa over xenophobia attack, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the chief executive officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), listed the states with highest number of returnees from the former apartheid enclave. The justification for this may be tacit but some people think this is not necessary at the time the nation was dealing with a national issue.

To the world, Nigerians and other African nationals were attacked in South Africa and back home, it will infer and solidify cohesiveness if every statement in this regard is built around the attack on Nigeria.

But classifying the returnees by their states begins to engender a disassociated feeling in states and their governors whose ‘people’ were not victims.

The arrangement between Fed-

eral Government and the private Airline, Air Peace, is not clear but the Airline displayed national patriotism by volunteering, according to reports, on its own volition, to fly people for free back to the commercial capital Lagos without minding the states the returnees come from.

In the same national patriotism, Lagos State government also deserves commendation for, according to reports, giving the sum of N20, 000 to each of the 315 Nigerians evacuated from South Africa without considering the state of origin of the returnees.

While receiving the returnees and presenting the money, Jermaine Sanwo-Olu, senior special assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Diaspora said that the money was a palliative measure for the returnees.

When national issues are involved, it is expected that all hands should be deck as Air Peace and Lagos State demonstrated to treat the issues nationally.

Even if there will be greater involvement of respective victimstates, which was perhaps the intention of revealing returnee-states, it is an issue Federal Government and the states should tackle discreetly without bringing it to the fore to avoid making it look as if the states have their own respective foreign policy.

The thinking is that the returnees should have been handled the same way internally displaced persons (IDP) are being handled.

Alternatively, the Federal Government should have reached out to respective states and voluntary donors for funding to take care of the returnees in the short period before they re-join their families.

Other institutions and companies should have emulated Air Peace to fight Nigeria’s course. Though, the states have their security votes, but in this issue, the returnees are simply national “liabilities” as Internally Displaced Persons are.

However, Federal Government also deserves commendation for standing up on the issue of xenophobia against Nigerians. It did not only give the returnees stipends to get back to their respective homes but also made available a medical team to provide assistance to those with medical conditions. It did this without considering their states because this is a national question.

In the spirit of nationalism, telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, also donated phones bundled with SIMs and airtime to the returnees who arrived from South Africa Airtel said the donation was a measure to assist the returnees settle down as well as help them make instant connection with their loved ones, family members and friends across the country.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, commended Airtel for extending a helping hand to the returnees, saying that other corporate organizations

Dow Jones names Coca-Cola as Europe’s most sustainable beverage company Daniel Obi

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leading global benchmark for sustainability in business, the 2019 Dow Jones Sustainability Index has rated Coca-Cola HBC as Europe’s most sustainable beverage company. This is the 6th time in 7 years that the company has been ranked number one in the index and the 9th year in a row that it has been ranked in the top three Global and European beverage companies.

According to the breakdown for this new rating, CCHBC was adjudged to have scored 100% in 11 categories while the company secured 90% in 9 other categories, with the cumulative points placing it in second position in global ranking, a statement said.

Speaking on this milestone achievement by the company, Chief Executive Officer, Coca-Cola

Hellenic Bottling Company, Zoran Bogdanovic stated in the statement that the company is proud on the recognition accorded it saying that the employees and partners remain committed to delivering on its sus-

tainability goal.

“We are honoured and proud that the commitment of our employees and partners to sustainable practices has again resulted in this recognition. We are well aware though that this is just a snapshot.

In reality, the work never stops and there is always more to be done.

That’s why we put so much focus on the consistent, long-term delivery of our sustainability goals”, Bogdanovic said.

While reeling out some of the company’s sustainability highlights in 2018, he identified them to include reduction of carbon emissions in the business value chain by 25%, employee engagement score of 88%, 37% increase in number of women in management roles, huge contribution of taxes to local economies, huge investment in community projects, 22% reduction of water usage in production, among others.

“We achieved our science-based commitment to reduce carbon emissions in our value chain by 25% (compared with 2010), two years ahead of the 2020 target date. In other words, we have saved 1.27 million tonnes of carbon emissions.

We have also achieved an employee engagement score of 88%, above the average of FTSE 100 companies. In Addition, we have successfully recovered the equivalent of 45% of the total primary packaging we placed in the market for recycling”, he noted.

Bogdanovic noted that the company remains committed to achieving its sustainability goals stating that 2025 sustainability commitments launched recently would address key areas that include emissions reduction; water use and stewardship; World Without Waste; ingredients sourcing; nutrition; and our people and communities.

should emulate the telco in helping the returnees settle down to life in their home country.

“Airtel has always taken proactive steps to help returnees. When we had returnees from Libya, Airtel was on hand to offer support; and now, they are offering similar support to the South African returnees.

Aside these, they are also partnering with the Commission to further help Nigerians in the Diaspora. I commend Airtel for taking these fine steps,” she said.

This is the expected ideal spirit instead of the categorisation of returnees by states, making it look as if the states are different from Nigeria.

Going forward, Federal Government should mandate states and local governments to set up enlightened travel platforms for their citizens. Many Nigerians feel that there is green pasture out there which may not necessarily be true.

Last Wednesday, Air Peace evacuated 315 more Nigerians from South Africa. Their return followed Nigerian government’s approval to any Nigerian in South Africa willing to return home to register for that purpose.

Nigerians abroad are representing the country whether in their good or bad character. When they behave well, they bring glory to Nigeria. When they behave badly, they bring shame to the country in general and not their states.

Today, Federal Government, Lagos State and Air Peace, Airtel and perhaps other institutions and agencies have demonstrated exemplary nationalism by rescuing citizens that were stranded in South Africa. The issue should remain Nigeria’s affair. The categorisation of returnees state by state is simply divisive.

APBN holds annual congress this week

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he Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) will early this week in Lagos hold its 35th annual assembly and award.

The APBN is the umbrella body of all professional associations in Nigeria.

In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Sam Akanbi the assembly will avail the body the opportunity to consolidate on its gains over the years.

He reiterated the association’s quest to continue to contribute to the economic development of the country.

He said the congress will provide another unique opportunity for the Association to deliberate on new strategy to key into policies of Government that encourage Nigerian Professionals

Sunday 22 September 2019

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@Businessdayng

Feature OML 25 bounces back after about N1tn loss • Shell, Belemaoil end shadow-fighting • Shell retains license but Belemaoil wins maintenance rights • Platform to reopen after Turn-Around-Maintenance • Kula communities win big in the 35,000 pbd oil field has bedeviled the industry for so long, is great”.

IGNATIUS CHUKWU

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he shadow-fighting and subsequent community crisis leading to the shutdown of the Oil Mining Lease (OML) 25 known as the Kula oil field seems to have come to an end at last. Official and unofficial statements have come from the two oil corporations (Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC) and Belemaoil Producing Limited (BPL); thus confirming that the dispute is over, after more than two years.

The truce was announced after a meeting involving SPDC and BPL in Abuja before the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, who said OML 25 was the biggest matter on his mind when he was made minister few weeks back.

The crisis had led to occupation of the oil platform in Belema community in Akuku-Toru local council area of Rivers State by women protesting alleged neglect and lack of development in the three main communities that own the oil field.

Kula communities are towns washed by waters on their way to the Atlantic Ocean. The major oil-bearing communities include OffoinAma, Belema and Ngeje, but the people have poured lamentations over lack of functional primary and secondary schools as well as other amenities such as roads, water, power supply, clinics and security. Some of them pay as high as N3000 by boat to get to Port Harcourt, their state capital.

Where exactly is OML 25 OML 25 is located 50 kilometres southwest of Port Harcourt in the onshore eastern delta and is part of the NNPC/Shell Joint Venture (JV). The block is located on the coastal mangrove swamp and extends slightly offshore. It is intersected by the Santa Barbara and San Bartholomeo rivers, which are large deltaic tidal channels that enter the Gulf of Guinea. The riverine and swamp environment makes operating conditions very difficult. Field facilities are mounted on semi-submerged piled.

Origin of crisis The emergence of Belemaoil owned by a son of the oil community seemed to up the ante in the industry as far as community development was concerned. Belemaoil acquired OML 55 from Chevron.

OML 25 is located deep in the mangrove, close to offshore, and embedded in a difficult swampy terrain, according to BusinessDay

Jack-Rich Tein Jr

findings as far back as 2017. It was acquired by SPDC in 1980 and was put up for sale in 2014 during Shell’s rash of divestments when they divested in OML 24 and 29.

According to the report, the then Minister had been embroiled in issues involving sake of OML 25 by SPDC until elections of 2015 came and flushed her out of the way. It was after this that the community people begun protests that they said would get to as far as Abuja to the next minister (Ibe Kachikwu) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC).

The whole of that week, the community people led by a retired community health director (ministry of health), Tamunoemi Felix Owen-Jack, blocked the road to Belema town and stopped two SPDC workers who claimed to be there on environmental evaluation survey (EES). They were ordered out of the community to avert breakdown of order, suspected to be spies from Shell.

The youths led by Iselema Ekini marched round the town calling for the oil field to be allocated to Belemaoil or nothing. The community

leader, Owen-Jack, said Belema town wanted to taste what Kula and Idama communities where Belemaoil started operations to happen to their own community, too: employment, infrastructure, and empowerment.

All and all, Belemaoil which had 7.7 equity in OML 25 (which was owned by Chevron) felt it was the natural entity to acquire the Kula oil field as SPDC was sure to divest. When this did not happen, Belemaoil seemed disappointed and the community people became angry. The platform was seized for two years. Belemaoil had resolved that if SDPC did not leave by selling OML 25, they would naturally vacate when their license would expire about 2017. To their chagrin, SPDC seemed to want Crestar to take over. The crisis deepened.

Matters came to a head late 2018 when SPDC’s license was renewed by the FG under Kachikwu. The Kula kingpins including Anabs Sara-Igbe seemed very angry, having allegedly got assurances that SPDC would not get renewal of license. Protests began to make Shell look horrible and Belema look very wonderful.

History made in Abuja On Tuesday, September 17, 2019, however, history was made when Belemaoil and SPDC resolved the dispute. SPDC issued a statement thus: “The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, operator of the SPDC Joint Venture, is thankful to all stakeholders for their roles in ensuring an amicable resolution of the issues that led to the shutdown of our oil and gas facilities in Belema on August 11, 2017.”

According to Shell Nigeria spokesman, Bamidele Odugbesan, “SPDC remains committed to the welfare of its host communities in the Niger Delta and also to the socio-economic development of Nigeria. We believe that the resumption of our operations in Belema will provide benefits to the people and revenue to the country.”

As if to confirm that the fight was actually between SPDC and Belemaoil, the minister said: ”For Shell and Belema to have cooperated to ensure that there is closing out of matter that

Win-win?

Most persons have descrbed the deal as a ‘win-win’ outcome. This could be true because SPDC has hailed it, Belemaoil CEO, Jack-Rich Tein Jr, has hailed it, the minister has praised it, and silence (showing acceptance) in the communities has greeted the outcome from both lines of divide.

Shell has secured affirmation of its license and has won a moral victory. The company had insisted that laws must be obeyed for the sake of the industry in Nigeria. This seems to have been done.

Belemaoil seems to jubilate more, as sources within said BBL got the right to act as the ‘operator’ by winning what it calls ‘maintenance’ rights.

This looks like operational permit. BBL sources said it would be the one to maintain the oil field, hire and fire, award jobs to contractors, etc. For instance, BBL may be the one to confirm the integrity of the oil wells and platform and probably carry out TAM should it be needed.

The communities seem to win bigger deals in a new global memorandum of understanding (GMoU). Already over N1.2Bn may have accried to the Kula people and SPDC may have released N300m into the Cluster Account for a start. More funds would be pumped in from time to time. If SPDC was not given such a big fight by Belemaoil, the win for the community may have been less juicy, many persons said.

The aspect of executing development projects for the communities may be dicey. Belemaoil leaders were said to have wanted to take full control of community development but SPDC may have insisted otherwise. At last, the new formula may be that both companies would jointly develop Kula. This may also be to protect the areas that supported SPDC during the fight.

Resumption of oil?

It was gathered that official declaration of truce would be done at a later date, probably September ending to ensure that both factions in the communities got the message clearly. The CEO of the NNPC may personally be in Kula to state it. Thereafter, peace would return fully and operations would resume.

The OML 25 gushes 35,000 bpd and at average of $55 per barrel, the Kula field would yield $1.9m per day or about N500Bn per year gross.

This could be why industry players estimated the loss by April 2019 at N700Bn. The Belema platform is also said to be critical in transporting oil from Bayelsa and some other areas in that section to Bonny export terminal.

Conclusion: BusinessDay had once called for closing of ranks between SPDC and BBL to resolve the impasse, just as has been done at this moment.

This was because it became clear at a point that Belemaoil would never force the FG to revoke the Shell license to avoid humiliating the Govt, Shell, and also sending dangerous signal in the industry. At the same time, it was impossible for SPDC to step into the Kula oilfield and resume operation. The Ogoni scenario was fast building up. The only way out was for negotiations brokered by a very high authority such as the NNPC or Ministry. This happened.

It was also speculated then that reconciliation could lead to Belemaoil benefiting in a possible divestment by SPDC in the Kula oilfield in the near future. This expectation could help oil the wheel of peace between SPDC and BBL if the win-win continued.

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Sunday 22 September 2019

Feature

Investing in Nigeria’s clean energy projects for sustainable development

W FRANCIS OTTAH

orld leaders are committed to curbing global warming by driving down greenhouse gas emissions, as climate projects won record financing from the world’s big development banks last year, with funds committed up by 60 percent since the 2015 Paris climate accord, a joint report by six development banks states.

With the Paris climate accord in mind, individual countries have continued to look for ways to curb emissions, especially in low and middle-income countries.

According to the African Development Bank, climate financing by the world’s largest Multilateral Development Banks in developing countries and emerging economies rose to an all-time high of $43.1 billion in 2018, boosting projects that help developing countries cut emissions and address climate risks.

As the most populous country in Africa, Nigeria has gained attention in its fight to combat climate change and carbon emissions, as individuals, groups and companies continue to increase their ambition to come up with solutions and financing for green investments.

The World Bank’s Practice Manager for Africa and Environment Resources, Benoit Bosquet, once noted that Nigeria needs to build resilience now, to the harsher climate of the future, and if it fails to do so in time, climate change can worsen Nigeria’s vulnerability to weather swings and limit its ability to achieve and sustain the objectives of the Vision 20:2020.

As part of efforts to support green investments, the Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN), - a global network of expert consultants, provides free business coaching and investment facilitation to entrepreneurs developing climate adaptation and clean energy projects in low- and middle-income countries.

Initiated by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Climate Technology Initiative (CTI) in 2006, PFAN facilitates green investments across the world, primarily catalysing these private sector investments to support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Leveraging just over $10m in Nigeria in the past two years, PFAN has worked towards finding and assisting clean energy businesses in the country, working with business owners, to improve business plans such that they are built into credible financeable and investable businesses for the long term.

PFAN currently has 11 coaches in Nigeria, who are focused on developing businesses that are more mature and ready for financing.

A team of investment facilitators then connects those businesses to PFAN’s network investors. Every year, PFAN gives the most promising projects in West Africa the chance to pitch directly to investors at the West Africa Forum for Climate and Clean Energy Financing. The next edition will take place on 26 September in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, hosted by the African Development Bank.

“The coaches develop relationships with the developer of the project. The relationship transcends just the PFAN process where PFAN is still in contact with a number of the businesses it has worked with even after 2-3 years”.

“PFAN is currently working with 17 projects in Nigeria, selected from roughly 80 applications. The projects are at different stages along the path of different development processes, from early stage to mature,” Olugbolahan Mark-George, Country coordinator PFAN, Nigeria says.

PFAN’s Impact in Nigeria Nigeria offers great investment opportunities in the clean energy and climate adaptation space.

PFAN cooperates with other donor programmes in the sector, such as the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Programme (K-CEP), and assists developers who are in the space by showcasing them and helping them

get the funding for their businesses.

P FA N h a s s e cured a number of investments for projects across various states in Nigeria that are benefitting the communities where they are established.

Gr e e n En e r g y & Biofuels, GEB, based in Lagos that manufactures and distributes an innovative clean cook stove which uses ethanol gel (a clean energy source made from biomass) as fuel, and has reached over 600,000 households.

By providing climate friendly cooking technology and fuel, the project has led to significant reductions in CO2 emissions. Starting as a very small business in 2015, GEB raised $5 million with PFAN assistance for its expansion, and is now in the process of building an international factory that is creating new jobs in Nigeria and also helping to take out emissions from the atmosphere.

For Femi Oye, co-founder Green Energy & Biofuels, PFAN has helped his business grow from nothing.

According to him, “We needed to attract the right kind of investment.

From inception till when we got to hear about the Private Financing Advisory Network, PFAN, it was a tough journey”.

“Before PFAN came into the picture it was really challenging to have any visible impact recorded, because if you don’t have the right partnership, the right funding to scale the business and structure that can help you envisage and predict what the future will look like and of course to overcome them, then the impact might be difficult or impossible.’’

The country’s energy situation has become worrisome, with power constituting 40 per cent of the cost of operating a business. The only way to get quick, efficient, long term and sustainable power, especially in rural

areas, is to go renewable.

Nigeria today, according to the Renewable Energy Association, REA, has an $18bn potential market for mini-grids alone.

Green Village Electricity (GVE) has begun to tap into this opportunity by building solar mini-grids in rural areas to fix Nigeria’s power problem. Reaching just about 10 houses initially with a few bulbs, GVE raised $5 million in investment with PFAN’s assistance and today the developer has become the largest solar mini-grid operator in Nigeria, and supplies electricity to entire villages.

A 5 mw project which is about to take off in Ijebu Ode is changing the face of the village in which it is located.

It will supply 5,000 households with electricity, create economic activities for the communities and also supply electricity to a private company; one of the largest international brewers in the country and to a University.

Ifeanyi Orajaka, CEO, Green Village Electricity (GVE) says his experience working with PFAN, has been an exciting journey. “It has helped us tremendously. We usually encourage any young and boarding entrepreneur who is interested in playing in the clean energy and climate adaptation space, to always look out for the PFAN course because the support is very phenomenal”.

“We’re currently a hybrid company and PFAN hasn’t left us. They are still providing follow on support that is very significant to helping us manage the level of growth and also help guide us in the attainment of our medium and long term corporate strategies,” Ifeanyi added.

“PFAN is one of the opportunities that we have where we see the public and private sectors all working together to provide credible long term solutions for clean power for our nation, continent and the world in general. We’re calling on more investors to be involved in the process in Nigeria and part of that is to work with banks and to also look at the private equity that exists and to bring them on board,” Olugbolahan MarkGeorge, Country coordinator PFAN, Nigeria says.

Sunday 22 September 2019

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SundayBusiness Lessons from NAFDAC’s feats and food safety Food & Beverages With Ayo Oyoze Baje

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peratinginacountry where the level of pessimism is high with not a few people ever ready to cast aspersions on obvious achievements in the public sector, it has become imperative to highlight those that are doing the right thing when it matters most.

This paradigm would serve as inspiration to others-both in the public or private sectors, especially those wanting to bring out the best in them. At the end the entire country stands to benefit.

Besides, we must be imbued with a sense of history to place on record such achievements for the present and future generations to glean from and eventually build upon. Interestingly, one federal government Agency that has been an exception rather than the rule of poor performance is none other than the National Agency

for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), notably from the period it was headed by then Dr. Dora Akunyili9 of blessed memory).It was established by Decree 15 of 1993 as amended by Decree 19 of 1999 and currently the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control Act Cap N1 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

This Act mandates NAFDAC to regulate and control the manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution, advertisement, sale and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, chemicals, detergents, medical devices and packaged water (known as regulated products).

The scope of this mandate puts the responsibility of ensuring compliance with regulations and other international laws governing the use of radio-pharmaceuticals on NAFDAC. The essence of control and regulation is to protect public health by ensuring that only quality regulated products that are safe, efficacious and wholesome reach the market, and ultimately the consuming public.

Part of NAFDAC’s strategy in carrying out its mandate is collaboration and capacity building. Akunyili who was the director-general of the Agency from 2001 to 2009 leveraged on such partnerships. She dared where angels fear to tread. Full of uncommon courage and candour she saw the need to partner first and foremost with the Nigerian public. After all, they should be the prime beneficiaries of safe, unadulterated and healthy food and drugs. Till date, she remains one of the most effective public

servants who knew the power of the media in shaping public opinion.

During her tenure, she led high-profile and well-articulated campaigns against fake, hazardous food and drugs in the Nigerian marketplace. It was little of surprise that she won several international awards, acclaim and accolades while she called the shots.

Next came the far sighted Paul Orhii who deployed cuttingedge technology to fight the counterfeiting of drugs as well as processed food items with great success that similarly attracted international acclaim.

These include the use of Truscan, the Moblie Authentication System(MAS)/Short Messaging Services (SMS) and the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID).

Others include the near Infrared Spectrometer (NIR) and Red Eye to protect consumers from products that are fake, unwholesome, adulterated and hazardous to human health.

Not done NAFDAC, under Orhii recorded another major breakthrough in its regulatory activities with the international accreditation of her two major laboratories. Precisely, NAFDAC’s My c o t o x i n a n d Pe s t i c i d e s Residues Laboratories located at Oshodi in Lagos obtained the ISO 17025 accreditation conducted by the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation.

Ac c o r d i n g t o Or h i i , t h e accreditation project which was sponsored by the United Nations Industrial Development (UNIDO) has launched the two laboratories into the league of internationally recognised and

APWEN trains women on entrepreneurship Ngozi Okpalakunne

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ore than fifty women were recently trained on how to start and sustain a business in Lagos by the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN).

The training which also aimed to strengthen businesses and produce superior outcomes among women had in attendance women from different professional background including APWEN members.

Speaking at the event which was the first in its series, Oluremi Hamid described business as a process of identifying a problem and finding a way to solve it in such a way that benefits both parties.

Hamid further explained that at the core of every business is a collection of five interdependent processes which she said include: value creation; marketing; sales value delivery and finance.

Talking about market research, she had it as an organised effort to gather information about target markets or customers.

“It is a very important component of business strategy. No small

business can succeed without understanding its customers, its products and services, and the market in general. Competition is often fierce, and operating without conducting research may give your competitors an advantage over you,” she said.

Enumerating five major core human drives that have profound influence on human decisions and actions, she said they include; drive to acquire, bond; learn; defend; and the he drive to feel.

“An unmet need in any of the above 5 will make a market to be formed to satisfy that need. It is important to articulate how your product satisfies one or more of these drives.

“All forms of value are not created equal. Perceived Value determines how much your customers will be willing to pay for what you’re offering. The higher the perceived value of your offering, the more you’ll be able to charge for it, which significantly improves your chances of succeeding,” she added.

Speaking earlier, President of APWEN, Felicia Agubata said due to lack of employment and non sufficient paid employment in the country, the need to train members become necessary.

“Seeing that we are in the 21st

Century, not everybody will get the paid employment therefore there is need to think outside the box, and give them requisite training that help members to start up a small business that will grow and become a big enterprise,” Agubata said.

According to her, “It is not good we train only girls in engineering but there is need to train also women in business entrepreneurship in order for them to diversify, during and after retirement, and it will assist the women to excel in what they do.”

Chairman of the Business Committee members of the association, Fumilayo Kadiri, lamented the high rate of unemployment in the country and added, “with the way the country is going and where we are today, as citizens there is need for us to look at what we can do, pull ourselves out and as an Individual I don’t believe foreigners can build Nigeria for us, but we ourselves” Also she stressed the need for adults to join hands with the young ones and develop the country especially in the area of business.

“Although there is poverty in the land and the number of unemployed people is huge, we need to join hands with the government to create jobs, as well”, she said.

respected laboratories. With the ISO 17025 accreditation of the two laboratories, value-added agricultural exports tested and certified by the Agency will now be accepted worldwide without query.

Though often relegated to the background, the significant role that quality laboratories play in ensuring that consumable products that pass through them are safe, free from contaminants, all forms of hazardous impurities and toxins cannot be underestimated. It is therefore, a great stride taken by the food and drugs agency to protect Nigerian consumers from such products.

With the salutary aim to increase the regulation as well as the management of cancer in the country, NAFDAC held capacity building to seek cuttingedge solutions to cancer. Radio pharmaceuticals are medicinal formulations containing radioisotopes for administration in humans for diagnosis or for therapy.

They are a very special group of drugs that contain a radioactive nuclide.

After Orhii came Mrs. Yetunde Oni. She was then the most senior Director at NAFDAC. Having served under three past DGs she knew her onions, built on the successes of her predecessor and prepared the ground in 17 months for the coming on board of the erudite of Prof. Moji Adeyeye.

From the outset she knew the importance of a well-motivated and trained workforce and made some useful even if painful changes.

That brought in the Quality Management System (ISO 90002018): The goals for the QMS

training are to: • Meet or exceed customer satisfaction through a set of quality objectives and necessary operational processes • Focus always on conformance by working to prevent nonconformance through internal auditing of all aspects of NAFDAC’s formations, thus avoiding failures in our deliverables to the customers • Be Agency-minded, i.e., do all things right that will make Safeguarding the health of Nigerians the priority.

• Maintaining a well disciplined and motivated workforce • Work toward eliminating substandardandfalsifiedmedicines (SFs), unsafe or illicit drugs, unwholesome foods, chemicals and other products • Aligning NAFDAC with international standards in food, drugs and other regulated products regulation • Reconstruction of NAFDAC web presence and streamline the submission and approval of dossiers for registration of drugs, food and water.

• Working toward eliminating overlaps among sister agencies such as CPC, SON and PCN • Engagement of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) • Transportation and logistics to inspection sites as part of concerted efforts to strengthen our enforcement activities.NAFDAC now has a new motto – Customerfocused and Agency-minded.

Baje is Nigerian first Food Technologist in the media ayobaje@yahoo.co.uk; 08057971776

Abuja Fashion Summit maiden edition holds October 11 IFEOMA OKEKE

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n a bid to promote fashion designers across Nigeria and give upcoming designers the opportunity to network and build their brand, the maiden edition of Abuja Fashion Summit is set to create this platform.

The event which will motivate young designers and enthusiasts in Nigeria, give them a platform to air their opinions, network and connect with the big names in the industry, will hold at Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja on October 11th to 12th, 2019.

Morolake Oluwakunmi Nwokoro, convener of the event, told BDSUNDAY that the event which will host over 150 fashion design-

ers and 50 exhibitors across the country will get upcoming designers equipped in areas of technology, finance and a lot more.

“The summit is free and people just need to pre-register to attend the event. We have high profile personalities coming for the event. We are strongly hoping that the vice president would be the key note speaker because we have sent letters to him and we trust that he will come.

“This is a platform of publicprivate collaboration, so we are hoping that he would come. We are expecting some senators, House of Rep members and some first ladies.

“Having being endorsed by the Federal Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment, we are expecting them to be fully represented at the event. Abuja Enterprise Agency, and Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), amongst others will be fully represented” Nwokoro added.

She mentioned that some of the activities that will take place in the summit include talk sessions on technology, finance, and fashion amongst others.

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Sunday 22 September 2019

SundayBusiness

How to make it big in Port Harcourt business world Insight by the Otunba who shunned the UK and Lagos to settle for the Garden City without regret Ignatius Chukwu

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he Otunba, Femi Adewunmi, CEO of PrimePort Logistics, made a huge difference on August 22, 2019, at the PHCCIMA Auditorium in Garrison, Port Harcourt. The Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA), led by a naturalized but highly competent Nigerian, Nabil Saleh, has introduced many innovative programmes and projects but the business linkage/connections scheme seems one of the most impactful, followed probably by the ‘One-Stop-Shop’ initiative that has brought strategic agencies into one location, and the job creation roundtable series.

The day was getting upbeat after the literary princess, Chinyere Nwoga (PhD), who

the Otunba who seemed well known and overly popular in the business sphere of the Garden City economic community. The haul stirred when he took the floor.

Why his business is still in Port Harcourt Since the advent of militancy in the oil region, Port Harcourt, the oil capital city, is believed to have lost weight.

What the Garden City lost is believed to be holding up in Lagos, especially Lekki. The $17Bn Dangote Refineries, Fertilizers, and Petrochemicals previously slated for Port Harcourt or Bonny are now getting ready to explode in Lekki. This is evidence that of a truth, Port Harcourt has suffered exodus of companies, investors and investments.

But, the Otunba said he did not flee; and he gave reasons.

His words: I came to Port Harcourt in 2008 after over 10 years in the UK to work for Notore in logistics and I

Femi Adewunmi, CEO, PrimePort Logistics

is 2nd deputy vice president of the Chambers, had stirred the audience with explainers of what the linkage scheme was all about and her elucidations on the high-rising profile of the PHCCIMA. The CEO of E&I Centre, the partnering firm, Chika Chinwah, had reeled out the critical objectives of the workshop series, before the exciting keynote speaker and medical practitioner, Leloonu Nwibubasa, who is the immediate past Commissioner of Employment Generation and Economic Empowerment, gave his treatise on the search for the real driver of the economy and it is important he does not continue to let his eyes off the ball.

Paul Dorgba from the Ministry of Commerce (Director, Special Duties), had taken the floor to single out Saleh for giving what he called big leadership to PHCCIMA and how Gov Nyesom Wike has dedicated efforts to issues of the business sector and SMEs seriously in Rivers State.

Many sat still, waiting for

eventually chose to reside and operate in Port Harcourt.

I was head of procurement and my duty was to import what Notore needed. I later asked myself, why do we have to bring in everything from outside Port Harcourt and the Niger Delta? I saw gaps in Rivers State. I said to myself; every problem is an opportunity. I bult my business around closing the gaps I identified.

I reaslised that it is easier to make it in an emerging economy where gaps still existed because it is by closing these gaps that profit can be made. Analysis showed that gaps create opportunities for investors and absence of gaps mean that competition is stiffer. For instance, there are no gaps in the Lagos business sector. It is in Rivers State that the gaps and opportunities abound. So, I developed my business template on this concept.

In a nutshell, to start a business in Port Harcourt, identify some gaps; look at the figures, and then act. Do you know

that 75 per cent of goods consumed here come from Lagos? Interpret this research fact and decide what to do.

Insecurity: There is always something that would scare investors away from a place, and it is by defieing those factors that an investor would hit it big. In this case, insecurity was the sing-song factor, the fear-factor. I went about creaing approaches to cope with it.

I deal fair and straight with people. I make the people have a stake in what I do.

These things contribute to your security. There is physical security and soft security. You can hire security men and give them vans and guns but what you do and how you relate also constitute your security or otherwise.

Today, I only hear about it from others. Nothing has happened to me or anybody around me. I associate with the people and I have lived in same place for 11 years.

I drive in a popular car and I spend long time outside in Port Harcourt.

Recession? I did not experience recession because our company’s profits kept doubling, and still keeps doubling.

If you plan well, you may not suffer recession.

Position yourself and focus on what you can control.

Do not put your energy in things you cannot control and in complaining and giving excuses.

Structure: Put structures in place. Yes, funds are an issue, the Government could be an issue, bad business environment may be challenging, but focus on what you can do.

Always look ahead to the next three years of your business. Always review your structure to carry new plans.

If a development is coming, plan to play in it, and get the appropriate requirements ahead.

Train-7: The NLNG Train-7 is close, what are you doing.

PrimePort is doing ISO certification ahead. I am spending on it just to qualify for jobs when it comes instead of giving myself some pleasure.

Even if I do not get Train-7 jobs, the ISO certification will still help me to get jobs and be ahead of competition.

Easier to succeed in Rivers: Do things differently. Do not be a regular person. Rivers is the easiest state to succeed in business or to fight competition. They will give you a chance and see what you can do. In some other places, they may not even give you that chance let alone what you can offer. Lebanese, Kenyans, others come here and succeed.

It’s a culture thing. Whatever the case, build your structures and maintain it.

MTN donates medical equipment to Aviation Medical Clinics Ikeja SEYI JOHN SALAU

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n keeping with its corporate social responsibility (CSR) of giving back to the society, MTN Foundation under its What Can We Do Together (WCWDT) initiative recently donated medical equipment to Aviation Medical Clinics, Ikeja, Lagos.

The equipment included hospital bed, stethoscopes, baby weighing scale, vacuum extractor, BP monitor, sterilizing set, amongst others, to facilitate the maternal and child-care ward of the clinic. The Aviation Medical Clinics, founded in 1983, has four stations, and is mandated by the international civil aviation agencies to attend to passengers airborne, ill passengers on transit and also private patients.

Joseph Akpata, the portfolio manager, Economic Empowerment, MTN Foun-

dation, while handing over the equipment to the clinic said the clinics became a beneficiary of the WCWDT initiative because a nominator deemed it fit to nominate the Aviation Medical Clinics. According to Akpata, such individuals who put their community first are the true heroes.

According to Akpata, the WCWDT initiative was introduced to ensure that social investments truly reflect the burning needs of the benefiting communities.

The initiative encourages Nigerians to be more aware of the individual power to trigger positive change, one community at a time.

Bolanle Olatunji, the head of the Aviation Medical Clinics Ikeja, applauded MTN Foundation for the kind gesture towards the clinics stating that the communication company’s intervention in Nigeria’s healthcare sector, especially its intervention for people with sickle cell can-

not be ignored.

According to Olatunji, the donated equipment would encourage the inhouse Gynaecologist and Obstetrician team in their work at the clinics. “…the equipment will increase the capacity of the clinic,” stating that, “it is a very appropriate time to come in and a lot of stakeholders will benefit from this.”

The center is not the only beneficiary of the MTN What Can We Do Together initiative, as numerous communities across Nigeria, nominated by Nigerians, have benefitted from the initiative from MTN Nigeria.

It will be noted that the MTN What Can We Do Together, which is in its third year, is set to hold a nominators party in October to celebrate their efforts, in three locations across Nigeria.

The event is to appreciate all nominators who looked beyond themselves and chose to be change agents.

MindBody & Soul

with Chioma Nwosu

Stop the pity party, don’t label me, please!

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while back I stumbled on a news headline which read ‘President appoints a blind man as Senior Special Assistant’ on a national newspaper.

Oh, what insolence! Not because the journalist couldn’t at least use a politically correct term, but what irked me more was the fact that the senior special assistant was tagged first as visually impaired before anything else; before his certifications, degree or background.

Have you ever been in a position where you share an experience, probably as a lesson to others or just for the sake of sharing and you get the usual outpour of ‘ehya, sorry oh, wishing you all the best, don’t worry everything would be alright’.

This is my story, whenever I share my mental health struggle. Please for God’s

sake, Stop! We don’t want it and we don’t want to partake in it.

For most of us who have been there, won the battle or are still fighting, this can be extremely frustrating.

Is this a Nigerian thing? Is there somewhere in the laws and constitution of Nigeria that says the default response to a presumable bad event is pity? What if, just what if you take the lesson and understand the information and give responses like ‘wow, I would like to know more, how did this happen, let me help share your story’.

This is a rant of a twenty something-year-old, but I’m sure this cuts across all ages, backgrounds and issues of life. We just want to be treated normally. No tags, no labels. Not to say that there aren’t people who thrive when pitied and enjoy the attention they get

from it. But for some of us, it’s a no-no.

Living with a mental health doesn’t make me ‘mad’ and most definitely doesn’t make me different, as with anybody living with a disorder or disability. I am Chioma Nwosu, I am a graduate of Petroleum Engineering and the Executive Director of Olamma Cares Foundation. I am whole, complete and enough in my capacity.

Chioma Nwosu is a mental health/positive psychology advocate, speaker and founder of Olamma Cares Foundation an NGO focused on encouraging the social acceptance of autism and mental disorders, finding and implementing long term solutions of these conditions through training, capacity building, advocacy and intervention.

Email: cnwosu@olammacares.com Instagram: _olamma_

Sunday 22 September 2019

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BDSUNDAY 35

SundayBusiness Still waiting for states legislature on model mortgage reform

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he legislature in states of the federation where new ones were elected early this year should have settled down now for legislative business. While new members are learning the rope, old and returning members are perfecting their arts for effective legislative duties.

Expectedly and as is characteristic of Nigeria, virtually all of these legislative houses had a number of bills pending which have been inherited by the new assembly. One of such bills which the sponsors wanted passed urgently was the adoption of a model mortgage and foreclosure law by the states.

The bill was packaged as part of efforts at growing a mortgage system that would drive affordability in the mortgage sector by proposing a model mortgage and foreclosure law by key pilot states including Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Kano and Ogun states.

At the fore-front of the drive for this law is the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC) which is riding on the relative success it has achieved in the past few years of its establishment and

pushing for the adoption of the law by the states.

Given the importance of the law, mortgage sector stakeholders are urging the new states assembly to resume deliberations on it with a view to making their respective states adopt the law and pave the way for improved activities in the mortgage sector and, by extension, in the property market.

What NMRC is driving at, according to one its directors whose primary mortgage bank is a major shareholder in the company, is to get various states houses of assembly to pass foreclosure laws as a prelude to mortgage-backed affordable housing delivery.

This idea, when it filtered out, was good news and remains so for home seekers who may need mortgage facility because foreclosure law, upon adoption, fasttracks the process for creating legal mortgages, ensuring timely resolution of disputes and creating an efficient foreclosure process.

According to the authorities of the mortgage refinancing company, the model mortgage and foreclosure law is in its final form for engagement with 21 pilot states committing to the imple-

mentation of an enabling environment for the development of the mortgage market.

The company hinted that it would be focusing on building capacity and completing outstanding operational activities. At various times, it has demonstrated uncommon resolve to live out its mandate with refinancing of some mortgage banks.

Mortgage operators have described this refinancing as a milestone and, according to Ben Akaneme, Imperial Mortgage Bank’s managing director, “this is an outstanding achievement in the march towards the realisation of affordable and single-digit interest rates for mortgages in Nigeria.

He assured that his bank would continue to strive to achieve its mission of enabling easily accessible and affordable mortgages to Nigerians in order to ensure housing for all.

NMRC is quite conscious of the demands and obligations inherent in the Nigerian business environment as it assures that it will continue to anchor all its services on global best practices, good corporate governance and strict risk management practices.

Oyo redeems pledge of N500,000 bursary to Law School students REMI FEYISIPO, Ibadan

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he Oyo State government has redeemed its pledge of N500,000 bursary to indigenes of the state in the Nigerian Law School.

The 2019/2020 Backlog Session of the Forum of Oyo State Indigenes in the Nigerian Law School had confirmed the payment in an appreciation letter to the Governor.

Governor Seyi Makinde had on August 6, approved the payment of N500,000 to each indigene of the state in the 2019/2020 Backlog Session of the Law school, who are 120 in all.

But a statement by the Special Assistant (Print Media) to the Governor, Moses Alao, indicated on Fri-

day that a letter signed by the chairman of the Students’ Forum, Olaniyi Ogunlade and the secretary, Akani Christiana, showed appreciation to Governor Makinde for releasing the N60 million Bursary he approved for the Forum in July.

The Forum, in the letter dated 20 September, 2019, expressed appreciation to Governor Makinde following the issuance of cheques to the students by the Commissioner for Education, Professor Daud Sangodoyin.

The Commissioner, who issued cheques to 107 of the beneficiaries, who had been cleared, stated that the determination of Governor Makinde to restore the glory of the state in the education sector made him approve the bursary award, noting that no stone would be left

unturned in the administration’s effort to deliver quality education.

He maintainedthat the State had rolled out different programmes to improve the standard of education in the State, including the free distribution of textbooks and exercise books to all secondary school students, the organisation of extramural classes for SS3 students and the general improvement of education infrastructure, noting that with the solid foundation being laid by the administration, there could be no doubt that the education sector would experience a huge turnaround in a short time.

The statement recalls that the last time Oyo State indigenes in the Law School benefitted from a bursary award was in 2012, when they were paid N100,000 each.

AFFC recognises Heritage Bank’s youth, entertainment development initiative

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frican Freestyle Football (AFFC) Championship 2019 in collaboration with World Freestyle Football Association (WFFA) have commended Heritage Bank Plc for its pivotal role in enhancing youth development and engendering the Nigeria’s entertainment space on the world’s stage.

The 2019 African Freestyle Football Championship ended on a high note, with defending champion Abdul Titi Kone of Cote d’Ivoire emerging as the African

Champion once again. This event marked the 2nd edition of the African Championship and the 3rd annual edition of the Nigerian Championship hosted by Feet ‘n’ Tricks International Limited. The final was a repeat of the 2018 championship, as Kone again defeated Egypt’s Yousef Mohamad just as he did in last year’s final while Ashley Mhkize of South Africa placed third.

In the female category, Evelyn Okafor (Nigeria), Hadhara Charles (Tanzania) and Augustina Unamba

(Nigeria) placed first, second and third respectively.

This year’s edition accommodated at least 30 African countries that participated at the championship.

The Chairman of AFFC, Valentine Ozigbo, who commended bank for being at the forefront of promoting freestyle football for the past two years, said Heritage Bank is “always very innovative and supportive to the cause of entertainment and youth development.

Talking Mortgage with CHUKA UROKO (08037156969, chukuroko@yahoo.com)

NMRC came into the Nigerian mortgage market on a very high pedestal, promising a major shift in the interest rate regime in the market. But the authorities of the company have said that, though it is a partnership between the government and the private sector, the company operates as a private sector-led institution, relying on the market to determine interest rate on mortgage loans, meaning that the rate that applies to commercial loans also applies to its mortgage.

“The desire of NMRC, the Primary Mortgage Banks (PMBs) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is to achieve single digit interest rate, but we are not there yet because the market does not allow single digit interest rate”, the official said, adding, “as it is today, we cannot meet the single digit interest rate

until we are able to reach that point where the market allows it”.

Right now, the company is working under market conditions, hoping that, over time, as the market deepens and grows, the issue of single digit interest rate will be expected.

Whatever the rate is today, the desire is to drive it down to single digit.

After all, part of its mandate at inception, is to increase liquidity in the mortgage system by raising funds from the capital, foreign and local, and using same to refinance mortgages to be originated by participating primary mortgage lenders.

To its credit, the company has visited the market twice and raised about N18 with which it has refinanced the loans presented by a few primary mortgage lenders as at the last quarter of 2018.

Fayrouz partners Kebbi state to promote Argungu fishing festival SEYI JOHN SALAU

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s part of the events leading up to the 2020 edition of the Argungu Fishing Festival, a special polo tournament was organized by the Kebbi State Government in partnership with Fayrouz in support of art and culture in the state.

The Argungu Fishing Festival is a major celebration in the northwestern of the country, and the annual event marks the end of the ancient wars between the Sokoto caliphate region and the Kebbi Kingdom.

Since the inaugural edition in 1934, the festival has been a source of tourist attraction as over 30,000 fishermen take part in the commemorative event.

With the festival slated to hold in a few months, the Polo tournament provided the perfect prequel to its 85th anniversary.

Freya Doessel, the brand manager, Fayrouz; pledged the brand’s commitment to being a huge part of its consumers’ lifestyle by supporting art and culture with the Argungu fishing festival in Kebbi.

“We have the utmost respect for our customers from this part of the country. Being a part of the build-up to the Argungu Festival

is really special for us and we hope we’ve been able to add an extra bit of excitement to the already interesting line up of activities, making it refreshingly different,” said Doessel.

According to Doessel, the soft drink brand supported the special occasion by sponsoring one of the competing polo teams. The Fayrouz polo team went ahead to win the Emir of Argungu Cup after a successful group of games at the Argungu Polo Tournament.

The Kebbi Argungu fishing festival featured high profile patrons, like the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, the governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, the Emir of Gwandu and Chairman, Kebbi Council of Chiefs, Muhammadu Bashar, the Emir of Argungu, Samaila Muhammad Mera, the Emir of Bade, Abubakar Umar Suleiman, the Emir of Keffi, Nasarawa State, Shehu Yamusa and the Emir of Nasarawa, Ibrahim Usman Jibril.

Also in attendance were top players, and thousands of polo enthusiasts who headed to the ancient Kebbi Kingdom for the much anticipated cultural fete.

The special occasion provided the perfect opportunity for Fayrouz to show its support for its consumers in Northern Nigeria.

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Sunday 22 September 2019

TheWorshippers It is the duty of the church to be united in Christ – Primate Udofia

His Eminence, Emmanuel Josiah Udofia, primate, The African Church, in this interview with SEYI JOHN SALAU spoke on the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians, insecurity and economic challenges facing the nation. The African Church primate also wants the government to do more in opening up the economy to be more inclusive for all. Excerpt: In few weeks from now Nigeria will be celebrating her 59th independence; however, the country appears to be crawling at 59, what is your view on the state of the nation? e thank God that by the grace of God the Lord has been with us; because if not, one or two things would have taken Nigeria out of existence. But, no nation without a challenge and Nigeria as a nation has some challenges.

Number of them is unemployment that is very important in any nation, and as a result of lack of employment so many people have indulged in activities that does not bring development to the nation.

Because of lack of employment so many people have indulged in things to earn a living which is now bringing shame to our nation Nigeria.

Another challenge is insecurity in Nigeria and everybody in Nigeria knows that there is a serious security problem in this nation; so there are others like the educational sector challenges with so many people with university degrees, and at the end of the day they cannot defend their certificate. So many people go to different kind of institutions but have a certificate they cannot defend the certificate obtained from their various institutions – so, it is a great challenge to our nation Nigeria.

The economic sector (agriculture as an example), Nigeria used to export to other countries but now Nigeria is importing almost everything into the country, so the economic sector is also in a serious challenge. Now talking about development in Nigeria; I only believe that in a nation where there is no steady power supply, I don’t know the kind of development they are talking

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Udofia

about because if somebody opens a cottage industry and if the person considers the amount of money that would be spent on generator and other generating plants; you will agree with me that such a company can never last.

And, again even if they last, the product of that company will be so expensive because everything about the generating plant will be brought to bear on the consumers of that product or service, which are challenges on its own but that does not mean Nigeria does not have a good side because by the grace of God as a nation there are certain things that we can say that God has been helping us to survive.

Looking at the security challenges that you made mention of (youth unemployment, increasing population); it appears the government is losing it?

The government should be proactive; Nigerians should not wait until a particular bandit or terror group strike before proffering solution to that challenge. And, again the nation Nigeria should also do everything possible to have that political will to secure this nation.

Because if there is no political willingness to secure the country, no matter the amount of money spent every year, the same story will reoccur almost on yearly basis. So, there must be a political will to secure the nation – when that is done and the people in charge of our security architecture should show some level of seriousness. We have the army, police, and other paramilitary and we have this insecurity everywhere; so they should be asked what the problem is, why is it that in every local government in Nigeria we have the security outfit and yet we have

this level insecurity, so they should be asked to give account of what they are doing.

Do you think government response to the xenophobic attack on Nigerians in South Africa is enough?

I want to appreciate the effort of the president; I think what he has done so far – I commend him for that.

But, I want him to do more beyond that, because as they are coming back what are they coming to do. It was for lack of what to do that they ran out of this country. And there are other people like that who have left Nigeria for one reason or the other, now that they are coming back – about 400 to 500 have come back to the country, so what is their hope in this country? What about does who are in Nigeria that are eager to travel out of Nigeria and then we have these ones coming in, so I am advising the government – there in money in this nation but unfortunately the money is in private pockets; some few Nigerians have money that can feed millions of people in this nation; so let them establish companies and factories that will enable people to work.

Back to the church; worshippers will always want the church to be accountable. How can we make the church leadership more accountable?

Our own church by the grace of God publishes account every week and also parishes, archdeaconry, dioceses, all give account every year.

So, as long as am concern the church is doing her best because when you talk of accountability in our church and some other churches (denomination) that I know; they have open door policy where every member have access to intermission, everybody has access to whatever the church is doing; at our meetings you free to ask any question and nobody

is hindered from asking any question.

So, I believe by the grace of God that most of the churches that I know are operating a system whereby – if it is a personal church, that may be those who do not know what they are doing; but those who know what they are doing, even if it is an individual church; the individual himself/ herself will never be number one and the last, you will have other officers, platforms where members can have access to him for members to freely speak with him – ask him questions and freely obtain answers.

So I want to believe by the grace of God that the church in this area is not doing badly as far as I am concerned because apart from accountability in the financial aspect, spiritual, numerical and structural aspect; by the grace of God every church, using our church as an example – by the grace of God we meet every month, every quarter, some weekly to discuss issues; so whatever problem you have and again by this meetings, individuals are being put into consideration.

CAN motto says ‘That they may be one’ and we see the leadership of CAN in Lagos state are working to unite the church, trying to take that denominational barrier away.

What is your take on this move?

Yes that is the duty of the church, and again it is the duty of any organisation. CAN is an umbrella body of many denomination, so it is her role to make sure she does things that will harmonise and unite all the arms of the churches; all the denominations, that will bring them together and make everyone to have a sense of belonging to know that no matter which denomination or whatever bloc you belong, we are all brothers and sisters. So every effort that is gear towards this is a welcome development.

CFAA calls for greater financial accountability, urges church leaders to embrace reforms SEYI JOHN SALAU

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hristian Financial Accountability Association (CFAA), a self-regulatory association of churches and Christian faith-based organisations aimed at fostering accountability and good corporate governance among churches and faith based organisations, has urged church leaders in Nigeria to embrace reforms as it calls for greater financial accountability.

CFAA which was recently launched in Lagos at an inaugural conference is dedicated to facilitating financial accountability, ethical and governance standards, as well as biblical doctrine. Cognizant of the role of the church in society, CFAA exists to educate and strengthen the capacity of the church as it takes on the mandate to preach the gospel and transform nations.

Sam Adeyemi, the senior pastor of Daystar Christian Centre, said the

end-goal of CFAA is to help churches and Christian faith-based organisations operating in Nigeria comply with mandatory government regulations. “…the church has the tools to create cultural shift in societies,” said Adeyemi stating that the group will work closely with member organisation like the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN).

According to Adeyemi, CFAA exists to help churches become more effective, focusing on education and enlightenment on corporate governance and financial accountability.

He opined that the role of the church in society, particularly in developing economies like Nigeria, cannot be overemphasized, hence the church constitutes the social security system of Nigeria.

Yinka Ogunnubi, a financial expert/economist said, CFAA is another phase of church reforms driven from within the church, hence the association will be recommending code of ethics for members.

L-R: Legal Practitioner, Christian Financial Accountability Association, Dayo Adebayo; Legal Advisor, Tomi Vincent; Pastor/Leadership Consuitant, Sam Adeyemi; Finance Expert/ Economist, Yinka Ogunnubi; and Finance/Business Executive, Blessing Ayemhere, at a press conference on Fostering Accountability and Governance Among Churches and Christian Faithbased Organisations in Lagos... on Monday. photos: CFAA

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BDSUNDAY 37

Motoring

Airbags activates only if you wear seatbelts ... Belt up for life MIKE OCHONMA MOTORING EDITOR

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hen a crash survivor walked into his car showroomtocomplain about the airbag that failed to open in his SUV, the first question was asked: “Did you wear the seatbelt when driving?’’

When the customer replied in the negative, the dealer explained that the airbag would open only if the seatbelt is worn. According to experts, many are not aware that in some cars, the airbags, the ones in front of the driver as well as the co-passenger, would open only if the seatbelt is worn.

For some people, a few things are purely decorative. Unfortunately, a seat belt is one of these things. It is so bad that commercial buses simply tie it up somewhere, rendering it useless and regrettably, private cars simply avoid it like a plague. The simple truth is that seat belts are purely functional and

‘’Airbags can break bones and cause serious or even fatal injuries to the head, neck, and chest during its deployment. Wearing your seat belt as much as possible ensures mimimum impact in the event of a road crash’’ should always be used, regardless of your feelings towards them.

Airbags will not activate if seatbelts are not fastened and when they activate, they are violent in nature. They are inflated by a pyrotechnical charge that has a force similar to a small explosive device.

They should get inflated within miliseconds to prevent a driver or passenger from colliding with the windscreen or steering wheel.

A lot of stories have been told about airbags fitment in a car, but many do not know the meaning of it. Simply put, an airbag is a vehicle occupant-restraint system using a bag designed to inflate extremely quickly, and then quickly deflate during a collision.

The airbag provides an energyabsorbing surface between the vehicle’s occupants and a steering wheel, instrument panel, body pillar, headliner, and windshield.

The history of airbags technology as a safety device started way back in September 1, 1998 when

a federal legislation in America made airbags mandatory in cars.

Subsequently, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 finally went into effect.

Simply put, the law required that all cars and light trucks sold in the United States have air bags on both sides of the front seat.

In many countries, there are concerns as to whether it is illegal to have no airbags. It is not illegal to drive a car or truck after the airbags have deployed. The bags deflate immediately so one only has to make sure the bag does not

interfere with steering function.

InNigeria,likeinotherdeveloping countries,oneadvocacythatisyetto gaintractionamongtheprospective motoring public is the danger in driving vehicles without airbags.

However, when there is no airbag, the driver and other occupants are more likely to suffer more severe blunt force trauma injuries.

We often see this in vehicle occupants who are in a car where the airbag failed to deploy. They may suffer serious or even fatal head injuries or other types of trauma that could prove catastrophic or lethal.

The purpose of the airbag is to provide the occupants a soft cushioning and restraint during a crash event. It can reduce injuries between the flailing occupant and the interior of the vehicle. It consists of the airbag cushion, a flexible fabric bag and inflation module and impact sensor.

According to the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC), the seat belts reduce seriousness of injuries by 50 percent and as such drivers and passengers have been advised to always use their seat belts, as it can reduce the severity of injuries.

Energy tit bits Blame game continues between TCN and Discos over load rejection

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OLUSOLA BELLO

he controversy between the TransmissionCompanyofNigeria and electricity distribution companies over power rejection by electricity distributioncompanies(Discos)ragesonwithformerdisputingthefigure pushed out by the Discos.

TCN accused the electricity distribution companies represented

by Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), of deliberately misinterpreting simple load analysis.

“They twisted the National Grid Data and statistics, subtly inferring that there is no load rejection by Discos and that TCN has not been able to deliver the volume of power demanded daily by each Disco,” the TCN claimed.

To further clarify the issue, the TCN attached a table from the system operator that indicates what was supplied each Disco on 22 of August2019andwhattheytookand the difference between what was taken and what is left unutilised.

Ndidi Mbah, general manager,

Public Affairs, said that it was important to clarify that Multi-Year

Tariff Order (MYTO) allocation is a percentage of electricity on

the grid that is made available to all the Discos. Discos day ahead nomination is what the Discos say they can off-take out of the MYTO allocation for the next day, while actual consumption is what they eventually take from the available MYTO allocation at the TCN/ Disco interface points.

She said for instance, Kano Disco, on the 22nd of August 2019 nominated to take 310.60MW whiletheMYTOallocationtoKano Disco was 359.38MW. “For Kano Disco, even though it nominated to take 310.60MW, it was able to actually off-take only 154.17MW, leaving a total of 205.21MW representing 57.10percent of MYTO allocation to it unutilized,” she said.

According to her, “On the same day,KadunaDiscoontheotherhand, requested280.00MWwhileMYTO allocation to them was 359.38MW, but the Disco actually collected only 166.52MW from TCN substations, leaving 192.86MW equivalent to 53.66percent of MYTO allocation unutilised.”

She further said that TCN was working assiduously to put in place

a robust transmission grid. “We would be the first to say that we have not solved all our problems, but we are certainly doing all we can to consistently grow the grid as well as our capacity to move more power to electricity distribution companies nationwide.

Butthe11electricityDistribution Companies (DisCos) are insisting that the System Operator (SO), a sectionoftheTransmissionCompany of Nigeria (TCN), misinterprets energy readings by miscalculating drop in electricity demand from customersatnightasloadrejection.

Sunday Oduntan, spokesperson, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), denied reports of DisCos rejecting about 7,000 megawatts (mw) electricity in August.

“What has happened is the inaccurate rendering or misinterpretation by the System Operator (SO) of DisCos’ minimum and maximum load readings. The SO in its recent allegation of load rejection against DisCos wrongly projected the load drop/demand, during off-peak hours (night times) as load rejection,” he said.

6 million meters to be rolled out under meter asset provider scheme OLUSOLA BELLO

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bout six million meters have been projected that would be provided under the Meter Assets Provider Sc h e m e b et w een th e y ea r 2019 to 2020.

This was disclosed at a meeting between the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency and the distribution companies and their meter assets providers.

The ongoing Meter Assets Provider Programme (MAP) is meant to put an end to metering challenges faced by customers

in the country.

The obligation to ensure that all electricity consumers are metered remains with the Electricity Distribution Companies.

Sadly, there have been cases of estimated billing, and complaints about consumers not getting their meters on time,

even after completing all the necessary procedures.

Power distribution companies in the country installed 26,000 meters under the Meter Asset Provider scheme in four months, even though over 250,000 applications were received from customers.

According to the regulator,

out of the 8,840,801 registered electricity customers, only 3,793,895 (42.9 per cent) have been metered as at the end of the first quarter of 2019.

Thus, 57 percent of customers are still on estimated billing which has contributed to customer apathy towards payment for electricity consumed.

Sund

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Sunday 22 September 2019

Environment

How air pollution is silently choking life out of Nigerians in major cities ... Ranked 3rd among countries with world deadliest household air

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Stories by David Ibemere ir sustains life, but in big Nigeria cities, Kano, Port Harcourt, Onitsha and Lagos, a haze of silent death seems to be hanging. From indoors to outdoors, air is becoming more and more deadly than ever before.

According to just released Global Air Report 2019 published by the Health Effects Institute (HEI) the air people breathe in Nigeria is not only bad but kills than the air in any other country in Africa and 6th in the world, as it has continued to exceeds the World Health Organization (WHO) Air Quality Guideline and interim targets for 1990, 2010, and the latest 2017.

The report revealed that Nigeria recorded 114,000 deaths attributable to air pollution in 2017 (the latest available data) along other 10 countries in the world China 1.2 million, India 1.2 million, Pakistan 128,000, Indonesia 124,000, Bangladesh 123,000, the United States 108,000, Russia 99,000, Brazil 66,000, and the Philippines 64,000.

Despite these death figures most Nigeria states noticeable lack accessible air quality monitoring data, making it difficult to understand the severity of the problem and benchmark trends that the report describes as “the biggest environmental threat of our times” However, a check on Air Visual network, a project of air pollution mitigation firm IQAir, which publishes real-time data from cities around the world, showed only Port Harcourt, Lagos, Kano, and Amassoma in Bayelsa data on featured on its Air Quality Index (use to communicate to the public how polluted the air currently is or how polluted it is forecast to become).

As at 19th September 2019, by 7.15pm the index showed, Lagos residents ranked as the highest population likely to be exposed to hazardous air at 70 AQI followed

by Port Harcourt which came second at 74 AQI, Amassoma 57 and Kano 40 respectively.

Last year, WHO, ranked air pollution as the fourth among global risk factors for mortality, and leading environmental risk factor, far surpassing other environmental risks that have often been the focus of public health measures in the past, such as unsafe water and lack of sanitation.”

In 2017, 3.6 billion people (47percent of the global population) were exposed to household air pollution from the use of solid fuels for cooking, and Nigeria not

Numbers of people and percentage of population exposed to household air pollution in 13 countries

SOURCE: State of Global Air

only leads Africa but ranked 3rd in the world on the Numbers of people and percentage exposed.

The study further revealed that three of the major causes of air pollution in Nigeria remained

burning of fossil fuels, exhaust from industries and vehicle, generator fumes.

As typical of Nigeria, epileptic electricity supply means most Nigeria households rely heavily

on generating power themselves resulting in generator fumes which comprise a “lethal cocktail of poisonous and environmentally unfriendly gases, including carbon monoxide and other noxious products. Carbon monoxide could be a serious health hazard.

Indoors or in close proximity, the gas quickly infiltrates living spaces and incapacitates occupants,” the report said.

Also the National Bureau of Statistics put Nigeria’s vehicle population at 11.46 million with commercial vehicles accounting for the largest share. Commercial vehicles accounts for 53.8%, private 44.5percent, Government

”

You get patients coming in complaining of chest pain, dry throat, nausea, aggravated respiratory diseases among other respiratory problems, it often turns out that they have been exposed to the effects of poor air quality

1.6percent and the remaining 0.1percent goes to diplomatic vehicles.

Rita Akpbulor a medical practitioner explained that exposure to poor quality Air can bring about respiratory diseases emphysema, bronchitis, lung damage, and asthma among others.

“You get patients coming in complaining of chest pain, dry throat, nausea, aggravated respiratory diseases among other respiratory problems, it often turns out that they have been exposed to the effects of poor air quality.”

In 2012 WHO revealed In Lagos alone an estimated seven million people died from diseases related to indoor and outdoor air pollution.

The UN health body in a similarly report, Onitsha, Kaduna, Aba and Umuahia were among four of the 20 African cities with the worst air quality in the world.

WHO measured air quality by examining the annual mean concentration of particulate matter in nearly 3,000 cities across the world with populations of at least 100,000.

Onitsha’s average annual PM10 was 594 – nearly 30 times greater than the WHO-recommended annual level of 20.

Kaduna, Aba, and Umuahia cities were ranked among the top 20 worst cities measured by PM10, ranking 8th, 9th, and 19th, respectively.

“Part of the problem is that environmental regulations and enforcement are lax; people are more exposed to air pollution but less able to protect themselves from exposure either in the open, in the workplace or at home,” Ako Amadi, an environmentalist said “We need to pay attention to the different types of air pollution and their health consequences, many people living in urban informal settlements (or slums) are exposed to high levels of indoor and outdoor air pollution.”

But for Onome Ojakovor, a fish seller in Boundary Ajegunle finding her daily bread is more important to her.

“This is all I know how to do and how I know can be done telling me about the risk will not change anything.”

Sunday 08 September 2019

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EquityMarket Domestic investors control 53% transactions as equity valuations become attractive

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TELIAT SULE

ollowing the persistent fall in equities prices which made stock valuations attractive, domestic investors showed more appetite for stocks listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) as they accounted for higher market participation in the first eight months of 2019.

This is reflected in the NSE domestic and foreign portfolio investment report for August which was published this month, to the effect of which domestic investors participated in higher market transactions than their foreign counterparts.

The increased interest of the domestic investors manifested in more trades by local market players between January and August 2019. Available data shows that out of the N1.32 trillion worth of equities that were traded, domestic investors executed N728.51 billion worth of trade, representing 52.71 percent of the market activities whereas foreign investors traded N594.46 billion which amounted to 47.29 percent of the market activities.

“Broadly, market activity has warned, with YTD average daily transaction of barely $9.9 million, compared to over $14.2 million in 2018. The increased share of local investor participation is reflective of the bearish sentiment of foreign investors to Nigerian equities, particularly as foreign portfolio investors remain concerned about the weak growth of the economy and attendant impact on the ability of Nigerian corporates to fully realise their growth potential.

“Even as the increased participation of the local investors is positive for market stability and reduces the vulnerability of Nigerian equities to volatile FPIs, the weak liquidity of the

Index

All Share Index(ASI) NSE Premium Index NSE Main Board Index NSE ASeM Index NSE 30 Index NSE Banking Index NSE Insurance Index NSE Consumer Goods Index NSE Oil/Gas Index NSE Lotus Islamic Index NSE Industrial Index NSE Pension Index

Market Returns Jan 31, 2019

Market Returns Feb 28, 2019

Market Returns Mar 29, 2019/Q1

Market Returns June 28, 2019(H)

Market Returns July 31, 2019

Market Returns Aug 30, 2019

-­‐2.78%

0.93%

-­‐1.24%

-­‐4.66%

-­‐11.81%

-­‐12.42%

-­‐3.05%

1.21%

0.40%

9.17%

4.17%

5.40%

-­‐2.57%

0.71%

-­‐1.37%

-­‐13.11%

-­‐22.55%

-­‐0.60% -­‐4.04%

0.87% 0.53%

1.69% -­‐1.73%

-­‐1.45% -­‐11.39%

-­‐2.49%

3.05%

1.26%

-­‐3.26%

5.37%

6.91%

Market Returns Sept 20, 2019

A Year Ago: Market Returns Sept 21, 2018

-­‐11.87%

-­‐14.91%

5.93%

-­‐8.80%

-­‐23.88%

-­‐23.20%

-­‐15.26%

-­‐1.80% -­‐19.60%

-­‐1.87% -­‐23.25%

-­‐2.46% -­‐20.18%

-­‐26.64% -­‐16.35%

-­‐8.04%

-­‐16.49%

-­‐19.49%

-­‐13.68%

-­‐15.59%

-­‐0.40%

-­‐2.16%

-­‐8.49%

-­‐15.52%

-­‐12.59%

-­‐10.95%

-­‐2.61%

-­‐5.15%

-­‐16.89%

-­‐26.74%

-­‐29.74%

-­‐28.75%

-­‐21.91%

-­‐7.27%

-­‐1.20%

-­‐3.87%

-­‐16.21%

-­‐25.26%

-­‐34.35%

-­‐29.30%

-­‐12.37%

0.72%

2.41%

1.51%

-­‐12.03%

-­‐20.11%

-­‐22.25%

-­‐21.40%

-­‐11.26%

5.77%

2.84%

0.14%

-­‐12.12%

-­‐13.26%

-­‐11.85%

-­‐11.66%

-­‐21.55%

-­‐3.12% 0.31% -­‐1.16% -­‐12.35% -­‐19.85% -­‐23.34% -­‐18.03% -­‐11.64% Market -­‐2.78% 0.93% -­‐0.41% 12.67% 15.25% 14.25% 15.04% -­‐12.71% Capitalisation Computed by BusinessDay Research and Intelligence Unit (BRIU). For enquiries, please call 08098710024 or teliat.sule@businessday.ng ; biodunteliat24@gmail.com

local investors concerning, such 51.69 percent of the trade was In January 2019, foreign play- inflow amounted to N278.27 Domestic investors control 53% transactions equity valuations ecome attractive foreign outflow as key institutional investors, done by local traders while their as ers controlled 54.74 bpercent billion while such as pension funds and life foreign counterparts accounted of the N122.08 billion transac- was N316.19 billion, indicating TELIAT SULE insurance, who have long term for 48.31 percent of the trade or tions in that month. Also, 52.61 that foreign investors took out money, are passive players N906.86 billion. percent of the February trades more funds out of the Nigerian Following fall by in month equities prices which made billion stock were valuations attractive, in the Nigerian market”,the said persistent On a month basis, worth N188.08 economy compared with what Abiola Rasak,domestic investors showed more appetite for stocks listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange head, corporate domestic investors notably con- controlled by foreign players. they invested. The net outflow strategy, Central trolled market activities in May In March 2019, foreign of funds was higher in the first (NSE) Securities as they accounted for higher market participation in the first eplayers ight months of 2019.

Clearing Systems (CSCS). and June this year. In May 2019, accounted for 50.94 percent eight months of this year when Domestic investors could ei- 65.06 of the market of theportfolio N110.11 billion worth ofreport compared with the same period This is reflected in the percent NSE domestic and foreign investment for August ther be retail domestic investors transactions or N143.87 billion trades on the Nigerian bourse. in 2018 when the net outflow of was published the mareffect The of which domestic investors funds participated in investors was or institutionalwhich domestic invesout ofthis the month, N221.13to billion same trend was replicated by foreign market than tinheir

tors. The NSEhigher data shows thattransactions ket transactions thatforeign month counterparts. in April 2019 when foreign in- N32.57 billion. the domestic retail investors was attributed to domestic vestors accounted for 51.66 “The political will is strong to were responsible for N379.05 players. In June 67.45 percent percent of the N148.91 billion. drive a growth, across all arms The increased interest of the domestic investors manifested in more trades by local market billion worthplayers of transactions the N297.25 billion worth Another data monthshows of foreign in-out and of government, but between of January and August 2019. Available that of levels the N1.32 while domestic institutional of trade in that month was ex- vestors’ dominance was Au- we need to channel some entrillion N349.46 worth of equities that were traded, domestic investors executed N728.51 billion investors executed ecuted by local capital market gust when out of the N121.99 ergy to critical reforms capable billion worth of transactions. players. The higher margin that billion that was traded, foreign of giving the right quick win Meanwhile between Janu- domestic investors had in May investors accounted for 52.39 results, particularly in sectors ary and August 2018, the total and June this year netted out the percent. and segments of the economy , executed transactions on the dominance of the foreign playThere was a net outflow of where the multiplier effect can NSE equalled N1.88 trillion, sug- ers in other months six months N37.92 billion in the first eight be strong and deeply felt by gesting that N970.31 billion or of the year. months of this year. Foreign larger economy”, Abiola added.

Equities shed N39bn as CBN retains benchmark rates TELIAT SULE

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he Nigerian capital market continued its downward trend last Friday as listed stocks shed N39.09 billion in a week that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) retained the benchmark rates.

“The Committee was also of the opinion that retaining the current position of policy offers pathways to appraising the effects of the suit of heterodox monetary policy to encourage credit delivery

to the real sector, especially in the light of the subsisting implementation of the Loan to Deposit Ratio policy. In view of the foregoing, the Committee decided by a unanimous vote to retain the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 13.5 per cent and to hold all other policy parameters constant’, Godwin Emefiele, CBN Governor announced last week.

Therefore, the MPC retained the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 13.5 percent; maintained the asymmetric corridor around the MPR at +200/-500bps; retained

the Cash Reserves Ratio (CRR) at 22.5percent while it kept the liquidity ratio at 30.0percent.

Market players were not impressed by this decision as the All Share Index of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) closed at 27,698.69 points last Friday.

This amounted to a week to date decline of -0.29 percent, month to date gain of 0.63 percent; quarter to date decline of -7.57 percent and a year to date decline of -11.87 percent.

The market capitalisation ended the week at N13.48 trillion,

amounting to a week to date loss of N39.09 billion and a year to date gain of N1.76 trillion, courtesy of the listings from MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria.

The NSE Oil and Gas Index and NSE Consumer Goods Index are the worst hit year to date, as both have so far declined by -29.30 percent and -28.75 percent respectively.

With 223.4 percent YTD gain, Dangote Flour led the stocks with the highest price appreciation year to date. It closed at N22 per share last week Friday. Cornerstone

Insurance closed N0.39 per share having appreciated by 95 percent year to date.

MTN Nigeria closed at N140 per share which translated to a YTD gain of 55.6 percent. BOC Gas and Caverton appreciated by 45.4 percent and 31.8 percent to close at N6.12 and N2.53 per share respectively.

On the flip side are University Press, Guinness Nigeria, GSK, Total Nigeria and International Breweries. Their share prices depreciated by at least 47.2 percent and at most 60.7 percent.

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Sunday 22 September 2019

Crime Watch

How serial killers trap PH ladies in hotels

…Confession galore as police capture kingpin who admits killing 7 ladies …Ladies advised to be circumspect

T

Ignatius Chukwu

he kingpin in the serial killing of ladies in hotels in Port Harcourt has been captured in Bori on his flight to Akwa Ibom State, but confessions have emerged on how ladies were being trapped.

Latest clues indicated that victims are usually drugged and tied up for sex bouts to begin. Indications have shown that the killer chooses a target, often a female entrepreneur.

In the latest incident, they offered N30,000 to a lady for a session in a hotel. The lady goes there. Inside, the killer drugs her, ties her up and severally assaults her sexually. Then, strangulation in a particular and consistent fashion follows.

The other method is to take a lady on a lift in a posh car, drug her in the car, and take her to a hotel when the rest is done. Another method is to use another lady as bait and trap the target in a keke (Three-wheeler automobile) and force her to a hotel and kill her. A lady just escaped from them after the bait (lady) told her, “Today, you are going to die”. She got bruises all over her legs.

A lady was fished out in a salty water near the NLNG fence when the Camry car on Peter Odili Road Monday evening smashed into the river. The driver was said to have swam away but the lady died. The family is insisting on investigations and autopsy. Some believe the lady may have forced the accident in a struggle.

The latest incident has led to an arrest of a man who invited a lady for sex at N30,000. The lady went to the police who arranged everything and the man was caught. The police said on Wednesday that the man is making ‘sense’ in his statements.

The killers also ask hotel workers to fix a problem in their rooms, then strangulate them and flee.

Police in action: Rivers State Police Command says it has arrested another suspected serial killer in Port Harcourt.

Police Commissioner, Mustapha Dandaura made the disclosure on Wednesday at a press briefing.

He said the arrest was made following a complaint by a young lady at the Elekahia police station informing the police of a man who called her on phone on Monday night and offered to pay her the sum of N30,000 to have sex with her.

He said on getting the complaint, the DPO of the Elekahia police station invited the lady and asked her to call the suspect to meet with her at a particular spot where the suspect was arrested.

Dandaura said the suspect is making some confessional statements and undergoing interroga-

tions. “So far so good; he is making a very good revelation on what has happened; why we have not paraded him is that he is still under interrogation; it is after we have gotten what we want that we are going to parade him.”

The State Police boss who also revealed that another suspect has been trailed and arrested in Kaduna advised against female indulgence in prostitution He reiterated the need for hotel owners to install CCTVs in their hotels and advised them on taking proper documentation of guests by requesting from them either national identity card, drivers licence, or international passport, noting that such guests must submit their

telephone numbers which must be verified by the receptionist.

He advised hotel owners to collaborate with the Nigeria Police in the training of their staff on relevant security tips and warned them against patronising short time guests.

All short time guests, people who are coming to book hotels for one hour or two hours should be discouraged.

He said a taskforce has been constituted to ensure compliance of the guidelines and called on the media and the general public to join hands with the police to tackle insecurity.

During the protest march, the police announced to the angry women that a man had just been

arrested while allegedly setting up deathly appointment in a hotel (name withheld). Sources said a woman raised the alarm in a hotel room and the man was captured.

The arrest makes it two so far but details of degree of culpability are not released, probably to avoid mob action.

King killer: A repentant militant, Gracious David-West, has been captured.

He was seen in CCTV footage after strangulating a middle-aged woman. The number of the dead has been put at 12 so far.

West was rehabilitated by OPM Ministry and assisted to get a job at FUTO but he allegedly robbed them and fled. He was allegedly

rearrested in Aba, taken to court, but he found his way out.

He was being interrogated personally by Dandaura, and he said he killed seven. He claimed that he did not belong to any cult group and that he did not kill for ritual purposes.

He was said to have been arrested on Thursday, September 19, while he was on his way to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, from Port Harcourt. In the video shared by the police, the suspect confessed to the killings. He said he met his last victim at a club and after they agreed on a payment, they left the place together to a hotel. The suspect said he and the victim ate and slept but that in the early hours of the morning, he brought out a knife and threatened to kill her with it if she shouted. “The rest” as they say, “is history”.

He said he killed to get their money and have sex with them.

Surprise was the atmosphere at the Rivers State Police Command ForceHeadquarters,MoscowRoad as the force paraded the prime suspect in the serial killing of women.

In his own statements, DavidWest on interrogation said he was involved in serial killing of women in Lagos, Owerri and Port Harcourt.

According to him, “I would get the women from clubs, take them into a hotel room, make love to them, collect their ATM cards, transfer their money into my own bank account, cease their phones and other valuables, then I will loud the television set and strangulate the girls while they are asleep.”

When asked his motive for this, he confessed that he didn’t have any motive for committing the crime but just do it whenever he felt like doing it.

He promised to take newsmen and the Police to the different hotels where he murdered his victims.

Addressing newsmen during the briefing, State Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Dandaura, said the suspect was not tortured but was allowed to tell the story of his killing expedition when he admitted to the act.

Speakingfurther,theCPstressed that although two other suspects were arrested in connection with the same crime, David-West who hails from Buguma in Asari-Toru LGA of the state, opened up after his arrest, explaining that the other suspects will be paraded next week.

Meanwhile, many citizens have insisted on further investigation, saying the man could not have been alone in the crime. They said many other women were also killed in the same fashion, indicating that it’s a gang action. The consistent use of white handkerchiefs is also a pointer that it has something to do with ritualism.

He claimed to live in hotels from robbery proceeds.

The number of those arrested is now four, but the police have only disclosed the identity of David-West. Ibim Semenitari, one of the campaigners, insists that the identities of the other suspects be made public too.

“There must be total disclosure in the investigations’, she stated on Thursday. …Additional report by Gladys Nweke

Sunday 22 September 2019

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BDSUNDAY 41

Ogun Watch I see a great future for OPIC under Abiodun administration - Adesoye Majority of the people of the Gateway State are optimistic about the promise of the ‘Building Our Future Together’ agenda of the Governor Dapo Abiodun administration. The new administration’s key area of focus include security, agriculture and food security, ICT/digital transformation, health, education, youth development, road infrastructure, enabling business environment, housing, and physical planning, among others. Ibiyemi Adesoye, the managing director of OPIC, spoke on the advent of Abiodun’s tenure, and her office as OPIC manager. Excerpts:

A

s the Managing Director of OPIC, how would you describe your career trajectory?

First, I would like to say it’s a privilege to be a part of the ‘Building Our Future Together’ government of His Excellency, Dapo Abiodun. I believe in the Ogun project and we are fiercely optimistic about the future of our state under the care of a competent leader in the person of Governor Dapo Abiodun. I started the journey about 30 years ago, precisely on the 6th of March 1989, as an Executive Assistant, Public Relations. My duties at that time were Marketing, Public Relations, Advertising and Relationship Management. By His grace, I grew from there to PR Manager to Senior Manager to Assistant Director, Marketing, to Deputy Director, Marketing, to Director, Marketing, the General Manager, OPIC, Isheri, General Manager, OPIC estate, Agbara, and then to Director, Marketing and Client Services How can you describe the level of female acceptance in organisational leadership?

I really think this is all about leadership and we are blessed in Ogun State with an array of exceptional leaders. The incumbent Governor, Dapo Abiodun is a good example, with open arms’ approach to governance just in the last few months. Ogun State is doing well, in terms of giving women opportunities, especially in the civil service. We have had the likes of our mamas; Iyabo Odulate, Oyejide, Adekunle, as heads of service; and we also have a number of female permanent secretaries. We’ve also had female general managers of statutory corporations.

Although in OPIC, there has never been a female managing director.

Ibiyemi Adesoye

Can you assess the operations of OPIC in the last 35 years?

I am pleased that OPIC clocked 35 years, and right at the inception of this new government, it has been a sign of new prosperous beginning in the excellent history of OPIC. I would say it’s been worth the while. OPIC was established to function as a public private enterprise. Even though we are a government agency, we reason like the private sector people. We are to act like the private sector people, although

guided by the public service rules and all that. We have the autonomy to invest in real estate; we have the autonomy to be Developers, to be Architects, Accountants, Engineers, Town Planners and the likes.

It’s been professionalism and competence all the way. I want to give kudos to our founding fathers, like General Dipo Diya, who was the person that saw the vision to create OPIC. What are the new products and initiatives of OPIC in place?

We have a mixed grill of

products ranging from sites and services scheme, to Terraces, Duplexes, Flats, Bungalows, and recently, we are embarking on Villas to commemorate the 100 days in office of Dapo Abiodun-led administration which interestingly coincides with the 35th anniversary of the establishment of OPIC; that is the Kings Court Estate and the fast-selling Family Homes Estate at the New Makun City.

How would you describe your emergence as the first female MD of OPIC? Well, like I said earlier, it is the Lord’s doing. I want to believe that it’s coming at a time when the governor is celebrating his 100 days in office. I believe that everything has been divinely orchestrated. I don’t have a take on that, other than to say that it is a divine appointment and I give all glory to God. OPIC is strategically positioned, ready and willing to be the catalyst for the implementation and actualisation of the Housing Initiatives and Programmes of the amiable Governor of Ogun State. To this end, OPIC has proposed 500 units of Affordable Medium and Low Cost Housing Units in the 2020 fiscal year to be spread across the 3 Senatorial Districts as our contribution to the Social Housing Scheme for Ogun State Citizenry. With the kind approval of the Excellency, the Template and Wherewithal to make this happen are available.

May I humbly use this medium to congratulate our Excellency on the100daysofPeaceandHarmony, Love and Unity, Hope and Vision. Indeed,ithasbeen100daysofRedirection and Foundation for Sustainable Progress,ProsperityandMeaningful Development in our dear State. We areconfidentthathistenurewilltake us to the Promised Land.

How do you see the future of OPIC, considering the legacy you’re laying now?

With our governor, Abio-

dun in the saddle, the future of OPIC is very bright. The governor’s affordable housing initiatives and drive to woo private investors into the state means that OPIC will never be out of business. I see a great future for OPIC. It can only get better. If in 35 years, we’ve been able to achieve so much, we have commercial buildings everywhere, even in Lagos and all our estates are approximately to Lagos, they are usually in the border towns. We have the Isheri OPIC which is the border between the Lagos and Ogun State after the Ogun River, after Berger, and many more.

Ta k e u s b a c k i n t o yo u r background?

In those days, we had the average Nigerian families.

I belonged to that average Nigerian family. Not poor, not rich. My dad was working with the UAC of Nigeria. He was moved here and there on transfers. My mom was a permanent housewife, who was readily there, taking full care of us. I remember growing up, when coming back from school, we always looked forward to lunch, because it will be new soup, new food. We never ate stale soup. Everyday’s food was fresh. My mom was always there taking care of the home front, while dad was out there making money and working so hard to meet our needs. I was born in Lagos, Mushin precisely. We moved to Ibadan and then to Benin City. I remember I attended the Sacred Heart’s Primary School in Benin City, and then we came back to Ibadan. I later got admission into Federal Government Girls College Akure, after which I went to Ogun State Polytechnic, now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, to study Mass Communication. After that, I went to LASU for an MBA in International Business Management.

How do you unwind, given your very busy schedules?

I am a golfer. I belong to the Ikeja Golf club, even though I rarely have the time to play golf these days. Anytime I find myself on the golf course, I do the needful. I like partying, but I don’t have the time to go to parties now, because I am selective about the parties I go to.

Ogun begins construction of N4m housing estate

O

Rasaq Ayinla gun State government has begun the construction of mass housing estates in Abeokuta and other parts of the state to provide decent houses to the people at affordable prices.

Speaking at the Thanksgiving and Praise Worship in honour of his victory at the Governorship Election Tribunal, held at June 12

Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, Dapo Abiodun, governor of the state, noted that the housing project was embarked upon to address the housing deficit in the state.

According to Abiodun, the cost of a unit of the low-cost houses will not be more than N4m.

The governor, who described shelter as one of the basic needs of man, said the construction of the houses, which would be sold to the people at affordable prices, would

employ the services of artisans like bricklayers, carpenters, painters and other auxiliary workers.

“I have told our people that the houses should not be more than N4million each. This is to enable people have access to them,” he said.

Abiodun, who used the occasion to intimate the people of his stewardship in the last 100 days, said apart from reconstituting the State Security Trust Fund and hand-

ing over its management to the right combination of people, 100 patrol vans, 200 motorbikes have been purchased with an Helicopter from the Federal Government to deal with security challenges in the state.

He further disclosed that agreement for the construction of Ijebu-Ode-Epe road would soon be signed, while the state and Lagos State government have jointly sought the handing over of the Abeokuta-Ifo-Ota and Sagamu-

Ikorodu from the Federal Government for reconstruction, adding that this would boost business activities in the axis.

He said his administration has commenced the rehabilitation of rural and township roads, rehabilitation of 236 Primary schools and Health Centres to provide quality education and health services to the people, pledging that all communities in the State would feel the impact of his administration.

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Sunday 22 September 2019

Health&Science Tackling the rise in Nigeria’s childhood cancer cases

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ANTHONIA OBOKOH

igeria is struggling to confront challenges associated withtherisingprevalenceofchildhood cancer cases in the country.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that 30,000 children are diagnosed with the disease yearly, with 80 percent of them living in low and middle income countries such as Nigeria.

Paediatric cancer comes in different forms to cause not only untold physiological hardships, but also, costing several millions of naira in treatment; depending on how long it takes to get cured, if at all it does, experts say.

A BusinessDay investigation finds that Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), National Hospital Abuja, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto (UDUTH) diagnose at least 6-10 new cases of childhood cancer very month.

This accounts for about 120 new cases each in a year and the 0–4 year age group had the greatest contribution with most of the children dying during the course of treatment.

September is childhood cancer month and experts say it is imperative that the Federal Government focus on addressing the high prevalence rate in the country.

Findings have shown that children who live with cancer in Nigeria have been on the rise and

their cases mostly end sadly. This underscores the urgent need for strategies to address the problem of childhood cancer in Nigeria.

Adedayo Joseph Clinical Radiation Oncologist and founder of the Dorcas Cancer Foundation, has called for more awareness in tackling the sudden increase.

Joseph narrated the ordeal of a 3-year old that had been through chemotherapy and surgery and was at his office to get radiation treatment.

“I saw the extreme anxiety in the face of the child. For two to three yearsofhislife,allhehadknownwas hospitals, needles, nausea-inducing chemotherapy, painful surgeries, uncomfortable scans, excruciating biopsies, blood transfusions, and no end in sight,” he said.

According to Joseph, the child was nervous and afraid and it took just one small lollipop for him to convince the child to take off his shirt for examination.

“I told my team members that if a three-year-old can go through all that and still believe; then we all have to believe like him,” he said.

“They do not get to walk away and pretend that cancer does not exist and neither do we. The pain we are feeling now will ultimately serve some kind of good. I do not know when, or how, or what... but I am choosing to believe.

“We will be here a little while longer, fighting against the tide if that is whatwehavetodo.Helpingonlyone child at a time if that is all we are able to do. We will be here,” she added.

The Dorcas Cancer Founda-

tion is a non-profit organisation focused on improving childhood cancer survival in Nigeria through awareness, research, and direct treatment funding.

The foundation has backed cancer research; published and distributed free of charge, a first of its kind childhood cancer handbook in WestAfrica,fundeddiagnosis,treatment and rehabilitation for several children; partnered with community leaders and influencers to raise awareness; and trained hundreds of health care professionals on early detection and referral paths.

The exact cause of cancer is still unknown. However, there may be some inherited factors associated with the development of the disease in children.

Most importantly, there is a vast arrayofhelpandsupportavailableto those diagnosed and their families.

Reports have shown that children, who consume a lot of canned

food and drinks containing chemicals, have higher exposure to cancer ailment.Also,parentallifestyle,work environment, air pollution, and children,withstill-developingbodiesare also vulnerable to cancer risk.

In addition to that, exposure to airborne carcinogens such as inhaled asbestos, certain dioxins, and tobacco smoke also trigger cancer in children.

According to matron at the paediatrician cancer ward at the LUTH who pleaded anonymity said caring for children with cancers pose a huge challenge on families and the healthcare system. Childhood cancer is fast becoming a significant paediatric problem in Nigeria.

“Achildcopingwithcancerneeds physical, mental and emotional support. Simply putting them on treatment is not enough. Cancer treatment is often very long-drawn and painful with children suffering from a number of side-effects,” she said.

Kwara commences hepatitis screening SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin

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he Kwara State Government on Friday commenced screening of hepatitis B and C, expected to cover the 16 Local Government Area of the state.

Speaking on the sidelines of the screening, at the College of Education, Lafiagi, Edu Local Government Area of the state, Oluwatosin Fakayode, a Medical Doctor and Director of

CONTRIBUTOR

TOBI AYODELE KEENEY

W

ater is the substance that all life requires to survive. Without water, no living thing on earth can survive; whether we want to accept it or not, we are nothing without water.

A human being is made up of over 60percent of water. It is found in every part of our bodies, our cells, blood, bone, organs, skin, and eyes and so on. Water is very necessary for digestion and for liver and kidney function.

Water is found in saliva which

Public Health, Kwara Ministry of Health says the screening is to afford people to know their status.

According to him, the scourge of hepatitis in Nigeria is real, as recent studies shown rising case of hepatitis diseases, particularly among young people.

He explains hepatitis refers to an inflammatory condition of the liver, which is commonly caused by a viral infection and also sexually transmitted disease.

Adding that, this year theme is

tagged ‘towards finding the missing millions’ as lots of people are out there who are not aware of their status.

Fakayode explained further that the screening includes blood test, distribution of condoms and other commodities, as well as health talk on sexual behaviours and dangers of contracting hepatitis.

He enjoins staffs and students of the college to cooperate with the health workers involved in the screening exercise.

Also speaking, Moshood Anafi the chief Nursing officer, Kwara State College of Education Lafiagi, Commended the Kwara State government for the free hepatitis screening.

Anafi advised the staffs and students of the institution to engage in the screening exercise to know their status, adding that if the test is positive there is still remedy.

The medical team earlier paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Lafiagi, Alhaji Haliru Kawu-Sa’adu.

CSCD, Obasanjo foundation partner to foster possible solutions sickle cell disease

D

etermined to foster possible solutions to Sickle Cell Disease in Nigeria and Africa, Doctor sickle Cell - Center For Sickle Cell disease will partner with Olusegun Obasanjo foundation to host first African Congress on Sickle Cell Disease (ACSCD) with the support of a host of Sickle Cell Organizations across Africa.

The conference scheduled for 31Octoberto2ndNovember2019 at Landmark Center, Victoria Island, Lagos will among other things facilitate exchange of information among public health experts, medical professionals, researchers, policy-makers, key stakeholders to highlight challenges and opportunities and enhance strategies to control Sickle Cell Disease in Africa.

David Ajaere, co-chair, African Congress on Sickle Cell Disease says conference which is first of its kind in the history of health intervention programmes for sickle cell disorder in Africa would seek to address the challenges of the disorder and foster possible solutions to its effect as a public health burden.

Ajaereopinesthatkeystakeholders and Organisations expected at theConferenceinclude;TheFederal Ministry of Health, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Lagos State Blood TransfusionServices(LSBTS),World HealthOrganization(WHOAfrica), amongst other Non-governmental &corporateorganizations,Multilateral donor agencies and institutions, health researchers, civil society organizations, and the academic community.

Eddie Resphanto, ACSCD International Affairs Coordinator, said that because of the magnitude of the event, opportunities abound for those who want to be a sponsor, exhibitor, a Speaker or partner which also includes non-governmental and corporate organisations.

Ajaere further said that the Eminent dignitaries who are expected to attend the event include Osagie Ehanire, minister of Health Nigeria; Matshidiso Moeti, director, World Health Organisation Africa; Ronald Muwenda Mutebi ll,The Kabaka of Buganda Kingdom, Uganda; Chitalu Chilufya MP, Minister of Health Zambia.

Why you need to drink more water is necessary for the beginning of digestion in the mouth. Water also allows us to digest soluble fiber which is very important for our digestive health.

Water helps flush out waste products which are excreted through sweat, exhalation (breathing out) urine and feces which all four consisting mainly of water.

Drinking enough water will help ease constipation as well.

The average Nigerian is chronically dehydrated without knowing it. We think all we need is a sip or small glass of water with each meal, and some of us will drink soft drinks, alcohol and other drinks instead.

The average person sweats out between 1-1.5 litres every day, and losesabout0.8litresfromjustregular breathing. Whenincludingurination, thebodyloses2–3litresofwaterper

day. This is for someone who isn’t physically active; people who are physically active or undergo vigorous exercise lose more water.

Not drinking enough water can lead to several issues that could be injurious to health. Lack of enough water can make your eyes and mouth dry. This is because water is needed to moisturize mucous membranes which include that of the eyes and mouth.

Dry eyes can lead to eye irritation and blurry vision. A dry mouth can lead to an increase in bacteria in the mouth thereby causing dental cavities and infections. A dry mouth can also cause bad breath.

Not having enough water in your system may cause you to have achy joints. This is because water is necessary to lubricate the joints and keep the cartilage soft.

Also do you sometimes have a headache for no apparent reason?

It might be because of mild dehydration. When next you are experiencing a headache, try drinking 2 glasses of water before rushing to take a pain killer.

Dehydration can also cause concentration problems, as your brain uses 20percent of your blood circulation. Blood made up of mostly water, so a lack of water in your system will affect blood flow. In addition, chronic dehydration causes a rise in cholesterol.

In an attempt to try and keep the cells hydrated, the body produces more cholesterol possibly putting your health at risk. Finally, drinking water is awesome for your skin! It keeps pimples away, hydrates the skin and makes you glow and look radiant.

In conclusion, we all need to increase our water intake especially asweliveinaveryhotcountryandin this very dry season. A great way to calculate the amount of water you need in litres per day is to multiply your weight in kilograms by 0.033.

For example, a woman weighing 60kg would need about 2 litres of water. Keep in mind you have to increase the amount of water if you exercise, live or sleep in a house with little ventilation, or work in laborious jobs that make you sweat.

Let us try and increase our water drinking habits this week and reap the wonderful benefits to our body and skin!

•Tobi Ayodele Keeney is managing director Quincy Herbals Email address: tobi@quincyherbals.com

Sunday 22 September 2019

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BDSUNDAY 43

Sports Sports minister, NFF resolve to take Nigerian football to new heights ... As NFF, AS Roma sign strategic partnership Anthony Nlebem

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he Nigerian Football Federation said it has agreed a multi-year partnership with top Italian football club, AS Roma, The partnership, which was unveiled on Friday in Abuja, will see the NFF and Roma collaborate together on and off the pitch, with one long term objective being for the club to help further grow and improve all levels of football in Nigeria.

Under the terms of the understanding, the two parties will share football, business and media expertise, with Roma offering the NFF technical and operational support and advice in the areas of youth coaching, player development, football administration and digital media best practices.

In return, the NFF will also collaborate with the AS Roma in their projects and development Initiatives in Nigeria.

In the coming months, senior NFF officials will travel to the Italian capital to observe Roma’s award-winning youth academy.

As technical advisors in player development, Roma will work with the NFF to help introduce best practices for developing elite talent in order to improve the quality of players available to our domestic clubs and indeed national squad at all age groups.

Roma will also host knowledgesharing sessions on football business and administration in Rome and set up digital and social media workshops in Nigeria

for local clubs and officials.

On hand at the unveiling ceremony were NFF President Amaju Pinnick and his Vice Presidents Seyi Akinwunmi and Shehu Dikko alongside the entire Board members of the NFF and AS Roma’s Head of Academy, Massimo Tarantino and Paul Rogers, Head of Strategy at Roma.

Nigeria’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry. Olusade Adesola were on hand to also endorse the partnership.

“We are excited about this unique partnership with AS Roma,” said NFF President Amaju Pinnick.

“We have put in a lot of work to move our federation into a

Mourinho denies to rumours of replacing Zidane at Real Madrid ANTHONY NLEBEM

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ortuguese tactician Jose Mourinho has ruled himself out of the move to Real Madrid as a sign of respect to Zinedine Zidane.

TheSunrecentlyreportsthat Mourinhoispreparinghimselffor asecondstintinSpainwhileReal MadridpresidentFlorentinoPerez wouldconsiderhimifheaxedZidane.

This comes after Spanish giants suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League this week, with a poor run in LaLiga.

That dates back to when Zidane returned during the last campaign, as they were unable to compete for major trophies then and question marks have been raised over whether or not their summer overhaul has changed enough now.

Time will tell, but ultimately with the speculation above in mind, it remains to be seen how long Zidane has to turn things around and secure his job, if he is

indeed at risk.

However, Mourinho has shown his class by refusing to pile the pressure on his colleague and fellow coach, and has insisted that Real Madrid have a man in charge currently and so he hasn’t even entertained the thought of a second spell with Los Blancos.

“I would not like to return to Real Madrid because they have a coach, and he is not just anybody.

My return to the bench will be when it will be,” Mourinho quoted

by Mundo Deportivo.

Mourinho enjoyed a successful spell at the Bernabeu, winning a LaLiga title, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup during his three-years stay with the club.

globally recognized space inspite of the avoidable distractions and the fact that Roma chose to partner with Nigeria over any other federation in Africa is an indicator of how much respect our brand and this country has in the world of international football. Roma is one of the most respected football clubs in the world, with a very good reputation for consistently developing talented young players. We feel that this partnership can be incredibly beneficial for the Nigerian national team at all age levels and Nigerian football as a whole. Roma have shown an incredible support for the Super Eagles and have fully embraced Nigerian football fans, even launching a Pidgin Twitter

account, and we look forward to unveiling the exciting projects and initiatives this partnership will unlock.”

Manolo Zubiria, Chief Global Sport Officer at AS Roma, added: “This promises to be an exciting and ground-breaking partnership for both parties. This club is known throughout football for having one of the most accomplished youth development programmes in the world and in recent years, Roma has developed more players who’ve gone on to play professionally than any other club in Italy. Nigeria is a real football nation and we’re looking forward to sharing best practices in elite talent development and football business and administration with the Nigerian

Football Federation. We’re also open to working with the NFF and their partners to assess the feasibility of one day opening an official AS Roma academy in Nigeria.”

The two parties have also agreed to explore the possibility of AS Roma playing an exhibition match in Nigeria – something that club president Jim Pallotta has championed for some time.

“This partnership is the natural evolution of the great relationship between the NFF and Roma that began when Roma announced that with Italy absent from the World Cup, we would be supporting Nigeria,” said Paul Rogers, who travel to Abuja along side Massimo Tarantino to agree the partnership.

“Roma’s digital team began working with the Super Eagles in 2018 on their social media coverage of the World Cup and earlier this year, we again worked with Nigeria during the Africa Cup of Nations. Through our unique use of social media, and initially using the hashtag #ForzaSuperEagles, we’ve developed an incredible and fun rapport with Nigerian football fans, media and celebrities and earlier this year we became the first club outside of Nigeria to launch an official Pidgin account, which is managed in Lagos. Jim Pallotta, Roma’s President, has made no secret of his wish to see Roma play a match in Nigeria as a thank you to the Nigerian fans for the support they have shown us and it would be great if through this partnership, we can make that happen.”

COGOP promotes bonding and healthy living through sports ANTHONY NLEBEM

I

n a bid to encourage Christian youths to be engaged in sports, promote Christianity, showcase hiding talents and also propagate the gospel, the youth ministry of Church of God of Prophecy (COGOP) recently held it’s annual ‘JEANS’, a sporting event aimed at equipping youths on sporting activities.

The event saw over forty participants compete for honors in Table Tennis, Chess, Ludo, Video Game, Worth and Scramble.

Speaking on the motive behind the event, James Enis Kolawole,

presiding bishop and national overseer, Church of God of Prophecy, Nigeria and Ghana, noted that the essence of the program is to educate the youths on better ways to live through sports and preach Christ to them.

“To teach the youths now, one has to find a better way and one of the best ways is through sports and it will help them and at the same time bring them together and after which we minister Christ to them.

He added that the church have plans to increase the number of sports in subsequent editions.

In the table tennis category, Omotayo Lawal retained his tro-

phy and took home N50,000 prize money for winning the trophy.

“My aim to defend the champion, I have been playing table tennis from my secondary school days where I represented my school in Nasarawa state.”

In the other games, Okarie Prosper came first in Whot, Erica Ukolono won in Ludo, Oreoluwa Olasunkami emerged winner in Skipping and Orji Precious in Scramble.

There were money rewards for the winners in all the six games competed for.

In his remarks, Praise Owonibi, the resident pastor of Church of God of Prophecy, Freedom Gate Tabernacle, revealed that in the spirit of love members from other churches were invited to participate in the games.

“Preaching of the gospel has now taken a different form, we have Mountain of Fire, RCCG and we are also empowering those who are talented in one way or the other.”

“We give room to every other person and the word is still also being preached, the church is not a place people run away from, we accommodate,” he added.

BDSUNDAY

NEW YOU CAN TRUST

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SUNDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2019

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Development law policy as magic wand to transform Nigerian economy

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Introduction igeria is in a parlous state. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a miserly 1.9percent, population exploding past 200 million; debt overhang may strangulate the country. So, to turn this around, it is commendable that the Federal Government has empanelled an Economic Advisory Council of proven experts. My recommendation is that the Federal Government should adopt the Keynesian expansionary fiscal policy to achieve and sustain double-digit growth of at least10percentover10yearstopullatleast200 million Nigerians out of poverty. But the magic wand that can achieve this feat is the concept of development law, a public policy tool that intersects law and economic development.

Development law scholars agree that there is a strong linkage between law, regulatory institutions, governance, economic development and national welfare. It is argued that the Nigerian legal and judicial framework is hopelessly outdated and needs an urgent review to meet current challenges.

Yet, governments generally fail to notice the links between legal policy, economic development, governance, institutions, etc. The late Prof. Mansur was the leading scholar on this linkage. A sound nation depends on vital legal institutional, regulatory and governance frameworks. The links unfortunately between legal institutions, political economy and development have often, and in our case, been completely overlooked or missed, hence under-development.

De Soto gives a striking example of law as a key primer of development using just one index; property law. Property consists of two values, physical and conceptual. The physical value may be fixed in say, a house. The abstract or conceptual value is fixed in property law systems. In developed nations, property law allows owners of housing, to represent their value in the conceptual realm. This possibility allows easy access to credit that in turn generates capital for development. In Nigeria with a very weak legal regime, conceptual representation of property to create value is

absent. Yet the housing assets inventory of Nigerian housing exceeds six trillion dollars.

But this is dead capital. If the housing value is indexed to the banking system by massive legal reform of the property law system, we can create an instant credit market with major impact on development. In this way, we wake up dead capital for development.

Itisimportanttherefore,thatpolicymakers must,considerthatalthoughmacropoliciesare unquestionably important, there is a growing consensus that the quality of business regulations and the legal institutions that enforce it are a major determinant of development. If development law is applied as a public policy tool in the following areas, for example, Financial Services Sector, National Trade Policy, Maritime,AviationandSpace,LegalandJustice Sector,LandAdministration,Corruption,Social Security Administration etc. It will transform the economy, create millions of jobs and pull 200 million Nigerians out of poverty.

Financial services sector The Financial Services Sector (FSS) is the oxygen and lifeblood of a strong economy.

The FSS ought to consist of the following key institutions, the Banks, the National Credit Guarantee Agency, a Development Bank and the CBN. The banks lend to the real sector of the economy and consumers and ensure the economy is stimulated. In Nigeria, it is doubtful if the banks have performed optimally, delivering on cash to the real sector and consumers. They seem to be engaged in short term lending including treasury bills. The result is that the economy is anaemic. A banking policy that delivers resources to the economy is needed. In the US, the Glass – Steagall Act and Frank-Dodd Act focused banks on the proper role to lend to consumers at low-interest rates. The second key FSS institution is the National Credit Guarantee Agency. This is absent in Nigeria.

The National Credit Guarantee Agency supports viable business proposals. When viable business proposals are guaranteed, the economy gets stimulated and expanded and that gets converted to goods and services that are sold on to consumers. The economy

will benefit from the establishment of the National Credit Guarantee Agency.

The third FSS institution is a Development Bank to lend to the vital sectors of the economy. The Development Bank of Nigeria is undercapitalised and so the CBN plays a distorted role. The Development Bank of Nigeria needs to be properly capitalised so it can support the economy. The CBN is the fourth FSS institution. The CBN as presently constituted is overburdened with far too many things – monetary policy, banking supervision and banking. The major role of the CBN is monetary policy stability and so the CBN may benefit from streamlining and strengthening its legal framework. A new policy and legislation can unbundle the CBN and create a new agency to regulate banks by ensuring they deliver on core mandate. In England, they have the Prudential Regulatory Authority.

National trade policy Tied to the FSS is the need for a National Trade Policy to stimulate local industry, grow export and reduce dumping of foreign goods. The Central Bank of Nigeria recently stated at the launch of its vision and policy thrust for the next 5 years, that it will target unscrupulous individuals and businesses that embark on massive smuggling and dumping of goods that can be produced in the country thus leading to the demise of our agriculture and manufacturing sectors. This needs to be supported. There is a need to strengthen the National Office of Trade Policy. This Office has to be ministerial level. Trade laws have import substitution as their main goal.

This means to reduce imports and create local industries. The National Assembly can pass legislation to establish the Trade Remedies Agency, devoted fully to fair trade issues. This will support our local industries around Rice, maize, cassava, cotton, cocoa, tomato, oil palm, poultry, fish, etc. Trade policy on Fly Nigeria will grow Nigeria Airlines, a strong Cabotage

OLISA AGBAKOBA Agbakoba is a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Act will grow shipping lines, oil and gas, legal, banking, insurance, shipping etc. If trade legislation is favourable, Trillions of Naira will flow with Job creation in the millions.

Review of Nigeria’s bilateral investment treaties Flowing from the discussion on trade policy; there is a need to review Nigeria’s Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs). BITs are part of a countries trade policy. Nigeria is a signatory to over 30 bilateral investment treaties. The recent arbitration award secured by a company, Process and Industrial Developments Limited (P&IDL) has raised the question of how fair it is for Nigeria to have arbitration clause with a foreign seat.

We understand that an Executive Order is currently under contemplation to make Nigeria the seat of arbitration and require parties to choose an arbitration institution in Nigeria. While the proposed Executive Order is laudable, it is our opinion that the Order might be confronted by challenges that might defeat the essence of enacting it. It will be recalled that Arbitration Agreements are embedded in Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) that Nigeria has signed and ratified with many countries. An Executive Order may conflict with the BITs. This is so because BIT’s provide that disputes arising between Nigeria and foreign investors will be determined in foreign institutions of arbitration and seeking to alter this position simply by an Executive Order might

Quick Takes

Off the Cuff

Importation policy: Putting the cart before the horse

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n recent times, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been initiating many policies all in the name of boosting the economy. But with the inconsistencies in policy implementation over the years, many think the policies are making less impact.

The apex bank set for itself, a target of 80 percent financial inclusion by 2020, claiming that it would reduce poverty.

That target is supported by some policies, particularly the cashless policy, and will be difficult to meet with the 23.1 percent unemployment rate in the country.

Again, the apex bank came out with a policy to discourage the importation of milk, while the Federal Government closed the borders to ensure no grain of rice is smuggled into the country.

If one may ask, is the CBN or rather Nigeria putting the cart before the horse?

In Economics, importation is only discouraged when a country is self-sufficient in local production of items it used to import. But is Nigeria self-sufficient in milk and rice production? Of course, with the saga of the much-anticipated ‘Lake Rice’,

Continues on page 29

Nigerians know better. So far, the policies on discouraging importation seem to be in favour of some selfish interests and not the masses that are buying the products at double the price and enriching the selfish business interests.

Recently, Godwin Emefiele, CBN governor, named four dairy product manufacturers that have commenced the process for the local production of milk in the country.

It is a process and not the production proper.

He also said that the four companiesFriesland Campina WAMCO, Neon Agro, Chi Limited and Irish Dairy- have already expressed interest to invest in Bobi Grazing Reserve in Niger State.

But the story would have been that the four companies have started producing milk locally and due to the huge volume of their combined production, Nigeria will no longer import dairy products from other countries.

As well, the Federal Government should have announced that the local production of rice has grown to a self-sufficiency level, hence the war against smuggling and no more importation of rice from Thailand.

If you go to the market, you hardly see the

local rice, if you go to the super market you will see some brands that are claimed to be local, but there is nothing local about them apart from the address of the place they were re-bagged in Nigeria.

Yes, discouraging importation is good because it will discourage capital flight, encourage local production, boost proficiency of locals and also create jobs.

But that is when “all things are equal”; when we have consolidated on the success of local production to a selfsufficiency level, otherwise, it will be counterproductive as the recent policies seem.

How do you explain the fact that rice still crosses the borders to Nigeria? You have only succeeded in making the item contraband and encouraging customs to make money from smugglers, while the poor masses who cannot do without the staple food, buy it at exorbitant prices.

So, who is producing rice, milk and other items on the watch list, and where are the products for the hungry masses to buy, even if they can afford it? Are we engaging in self-deceit here?

N5.54 trn

This is the amount Nigeria earned from sale of crude oil in 2018, according to record from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The amount was earned through crude oil/gas sales, petroleum profit tax/royalties, among others.

Unpatriotic!

“It is regrettable there are traders who simply do not play by the rules; who choose profits over patriotism, and whose selfish practices in perpetrating smuggling and counterfeiting help keep foreign factories working while closing ours.”

President Muhammadu Buhari speaking recently when he received a delegation of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry from Nigeria and West Africa.

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