THEWILL AUG 15 - AUG 21 EDITION

Nigerians Deserve a Truly Federal Constitution – Ebiseni – PAGE 11

Mele Kolo Kyari: Makeover Man of NNPC

EZEANI CHINAZA: Eyes on the ball

– PAGE 35

– PAGE 13

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AUGUST 15 - AUGUST 21, 2021 • VOL . 1 NO. 27

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STATE OF THE STATES

This special publication of THEWILL x-rays the potentials of the 36 states and the FCT to achieve a quantum leap in development through investment and job creation. The prevailing cash crunch in the country makes the project more compelling for policy-makers, investors and other stakeholders.

Nigerians Unsafe At Home, Abroad ● Foreign Policy An Extension Of Domestic Policy - Akinterinwa ● Formulate Policies That Would Keep Nigerians At Home – Afe Babalola ● Assaulted Diplomat Must Be Fully Compensated By Indonesia –Amb Gani Lawal

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Lawal

Akinterinwa

COVER

Nigerians Unsafe At Home, Abroad

BY AMOS ESELE

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he ordeal of Nigerian diplomatic officer Mohammed Buba in the brutal hands of Indonesian immigration officials on Saturday, August 7 has once again raised the question of the connection between perception and behaviour and the role of government in shaping both.

Nigerians woke up on that Saturday to see the viral video of the incident in which at least three men in a vehicle assaulted Buba. Two of the little yellow men with slit eyes held Buba’s hands and pinned him down in the backseat while another freely slammed his unprotected head against the backseat of the car as he cried out in pain, “my head, my head, I cannot breathe.”

Though different versions of the assault are still emerging, the bottom line is that an officer of Nigeria High Commission in that Southeast Asian country could be so assaulted like a common criminal, in clear violation of the Vienna Conventions on diplomatic relations, especially after Buba identified himself as a diplomatic officer. Nonetheless, Indonesia on Wednesday confirmed the Nigerian Foreign Ministry statement that she had apologized over the incident.

Speaking with the Associated Press on Thursday, Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah, said the country regrets the incident.

about foreign policy being a reflection of domestic policy, certain events simultaneously happened following the Indonesian incident.

On Thursday, August 12, the Niger State Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Hon. Muhammad Sani regained freedom after staying five days in kidnappers’ den. The statement on his releases, signed by Malam Ado Ada, a relation, was eye-opening. Ada apparently deliberately put quotation marks in a portion of the three-paragraph statement, thus: “his release was wholly the family’s efforts and no ransom was paid “.

Family efforts to secure the release of abducted victims has become the norm, especially in Northwest Nigerian states of Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina and North Central state of Niger where kidnapping for ransom now ‘is business.’

Governor Nasir El-Rufai rated kidnapping has main ‘businesses’ in his assessment of the controversy surrounding the arrest of leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu and Yoruba self-determination activist, Sunday Adeyemo, alias Igboho, vis-a vis the perceived official soft handling of bandits and killer herdsmen in the country.

on the terrorists.

He noted that the troops recently responded to a distress call from locals on cattle rustling, kidnapping incidents and armed bandits’ attacks on farmers, at Bagida village in Sokoto State; Shinkafi in Zamfara State and Maigora, Falale and Ungwan Dudu villages as well as Kankara – Katsina Road in Katsina State, adding that in all incidents, troops repelled the criminals, rescued farmers and kidnapped victims as well as recovered arms, ammunition and some livestock, while some criminal elements were arrested.

The same action had been taken in Ungwan Ayaba District in Nasarawa State and one along Tahoss – Sopp Road in Plateau State just as troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE raided bandits’ hideouts in Benue and Taraba states where eight armed bandits were arrested and victims released. In the South-East zone, he said security forces ambushed and killed six IPOB/ESN members, who were involved in the killing of a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at Omuma town in Orlu East LGA of Imo State “The air strikes in conjunction with ground troops’ assaults resulted in the neutralisation of no fewer than 123 armed bandits and destruction of their logistics facilities in the process”, he said on Thursday.

“Since the Kankara students’ release, the government has abandoned families of kidnapped victims to their fate,”, lamented Babajide Otitoju, Director of News at TV Continental during last week’s programme of the station, Journalists Hangout. “Even local hunters that had volunteered to go after the bandits have given up on the grounds of lack of support from governments. Everywhere you turn in the country, the impression is that the government is helpless before bandits, killer herdsmen and terrorists ravaging the country.”

Helplessness is currently the fate of many Nigerian businessmen and women in South Africa.

Akinterinwa, a former Director–General of the Nigeria Institute for International Affairs and now runs the Bolytag Centre for International Diplomatic and Strategic Studies in Lagos, told THEWILL that he was not surprised at what happened and said he expects to see more of such maltreatment in the future because “Nigeria does not have any known foreign policy of protecting its diplomatic officers.”

The situation is so bad that parents of abducted students now pay anything from recharge cards to foodstuff, motorcycles and phones in addition to millions that do not necessarily lead to the release of the victims. For example, the first batch of students of the Bethel Baptist High School, Kaduna were released after a ransom of N50 million was reportedly paid and over 80 of these pupils are still in captivity. In the same state, some kidnapped students of Greenfield University were released after millions of naira was paid as ransom while some others were killed by the captors. Internally Displaced Persons, IDP camps litter many states across the country.

“Many Nigerians whose shops were looted,” Abdul said, while touring affected Nigerian businesses, “lost close to between 10 million and 15 million Rand. Many cannot feed their families, not to talk of paying their children’s school fees. That is why we would plead with our Federal Government to extend financial assistance to them here.”

A CONFIRMATION As though to emphasise the linkage Akinterinwa disclosed

The Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brig-Gen. Bernard Onyeuku, thinks the military has turned the tables

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs regrets the incident on August 7th in Jakarta. This is an isolated incident, and is in no way related to the commitment of the Indonesian government in carrying out its obligations as host country or in accordance with the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations”, he said.

Making an assessment of the scandal, Professor Bola Akinterinwa, foreign affairs expert asked, “Can Indonesia treat an American that way? Foreign policy is an extension of domestic policy.”

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On Tuesday, the Consul General of Nigeria to South Africa, Malik Abdul, visited some of the business locations affected by widespread rioting and looting at Jules Street in Johannesburg Central Business District, following violent unrest accompanied by widespread looting there after former President Jacob Zuma was remanded in prison custody over contempt of court.

The Consul General advised them to relocate their businesses to a more secured location, engage only in legitimate activities as well as ensure they are insured by reputable insurance companies. The incident was a sad reminder of the serial xenophobic attacks in 2016 through 2019 that vexed Nigerians to target South African businesses until Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyeama volunteered to airlift many back home before President Muhammadu THEWILLNIGERIA

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COVER Buhari paid a shuttle diplomatic visit to his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa in October 2019.

Apart from South Africa, neighbouring Ghana recently harassed Nigerian traders with all kinds of multiple taxation followed by a well-orchestrated and brazen assault on Nigeria’s sovereignty in June 2020 when the Nigeria High Commission in Accra, Ghana, was invaded by some hoodlums who destroyed a set of buildings under construction. Chargè d’affaires of the High Commission of Ghana in Nigeria, Iva Denoo later apologised on behalf of her country before President Nana Addo Dankwa AkufoAddo and President Muhammadu Buhari exchanged phone calls after the statutory ministers of both countries had engaged in some jaw-jaw. In that same year, specifically in April, Chinese security personnel seized the passports of Nigerians who were evicted from their homes in Guangzhou, China, in April, 2020 over the false charge of spreading COVID-19.

According to Akinterinwa, “If you mistreat your people back home you cannot expect fair treatment of your citizens abroad. If you respect international agreements, why do you find it difficult to respect such back home? Coming to the present situation, Indonesians as individuals have opinions mostly formed by what they know about Nigerians and their country. If they have the opportunity to visit their perceptions of Nigerians, they will do it.”

Commenting on the difficult situation in a national newspaper article, recently, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and founder, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Are Afe Babalola said it was important to examine why Nigerians exit their country in droves despite facing humiliation and suffering indignation in hosts countries as exemplified by those mentioned above.

Babalola said: “Without a doubt the current economic challenges have brought about an exodus of sorts of Nigerians to other parts of the world in search of the proverbial Golden Fleece. In Nigeria at the moment, most businesses have either collapsed or are on the brink of collapse owing to a myriad of problems. Job opportunities, where they do exist, are difficult to take advantage of. A few years ago, several innocent lives were lost following a stampede at the screening exercise of a national agency for job applicants.

continue to hamper the growth and development of small businesses. Yet as economists will point out, such small businesses are the required linchpin for the long term recovery of the Nigerian economy. Thus, in my estimation, the immediate response from the government about the unending attacks on its citizens should be the formulation of policies that will make it easier for Nigerians to make a living here.”

Gani Lawal, commended the steps taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in summoning the Indonesian Ambassador and demanding an apology over the assault. They recommended that the family of the concerned diplomat be adequately compensated materially and health-wise for the traumatic treatment meted to him while public apology satisfactory to the Nigerian people and government must be tendered and an assurance against repeat occurrence given.

Where jobs are available and availability of business credit is not a problem, the attraction of foreign travel for the purpose of basic economic sustenance as opposed to large scale direct foreign investment in the economies of other countries will be reduced. This is where the government should direct its energies. The solution is not in the appointment of special envoys or state visits. The recent attacks, viewed against the history of xenophobia in South Africa, should leave no one in doubt that it will occur again.

Government must act fast.”

ANY END IN SIGHT? Akinterinwa is emphatic in saying that there would be no improvement in the coming years. He said when the xenophobic attacks happened in South Africa, he predicted that it would be replicated elsewhere because Nigeria lacks a consistent policy of reciprocity, no diplomatic strategy and policy that seek to protect Nigerians the way other countries do.

Meanwhile, the Association of Foreign Relations Professionals of Nigeria (AFRPN) has asked the Federal Government to call for the sacking of the immigration officers involved in the assault.

“

The group, in a statement by its President, Ambassador

“Many business ideas have been frustrated due to absence of capital as banks still charge unrealistic interest rates that

In my estimation, the immediate response from the government about the unending attacks on its citizens should be the formulation of policies that will make it easier for Nigerians to make a living here

Drawing on his professional experience as DG of NIIA and onetime Special Adviser to two Foreign Affairs Ministers (Dr. Oluyemi Adeniyi, 2003 to 2006 and Chief Ojo Madueke, 2007 to 2010), Akinterinwa said Nigeria’s foreign policy is hardly informed by knowledge and research and was usually reactionary. Using the xenophobic attacks as an illustration, he described a period that provided the chance for the country to draw lessons from and rejig its strategy; but Nigeria failed to do the needful.

That was in 2007 when Gen. Buba Marwa was Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the Republic of South Africa.

Marwa had called the foreign ministry to inform them about a TV discussion programme he watched in which one of the party leaders claimed that Nigeria made no significant contribution to the fight against the racial policy of Apartheid and advised them to showcase what Nigeria did because the records show that Nigeria spent $61 billion between 1960 and 1995 in the anti-Apartheid struggle.

And for it, the country was named a frontline state alongside Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, Angola, Mozambique and Kenya. As Special Adviser to the minister, Akinterinwa said he initiated a research project to showcase what Nigeria did during the anti-Apartheid struggle but government did not fund it.

Even when former Nigeria Ambassador to Sweden and Professor of political science, Alaba Ogunsanwo, waded in by raising an alarming development whereby other frontline states and their dignitaries were being honoured and streets named after them by the South African leaders with no mention of Nigeria, nothing happened. Ogunsanwo disclosed that from research the current South Africa leaders falsely claimed that Nigeria did not relate with the internal wing of the African National Congress, who are currently in government, but the international wing most of whose leaders have died and left no record of Nigerian support as a frontline state.

“What most South Africans know about Nigeria is that Nigerians are coming to seek greener pastures, take their women and engage in criminal activities,” said Akinterinwa.

“During the time of Olugbenga Ashiru tenure as Foreign Minister (2011-2013) we reacted adequately to xenophobic attack on Nigerians, I remember South African airlines were refused entry into the country and those which came were returned. Things have progressively degenerated and it is particularly worse under the current government.”

“What we have is a reactive policy of rhetoric. Whenever Nigerians are attacked, mistreated, maltreated, dehumanized, the government will promptly make noise and summon the Ambassador of the aggressive country and the next thing you will hear is that the relationship between Nigeria and such country is cordial and that they will look into the matter. No reciprocity in Nigeria policy. In diplomacy, states engage in some unlawful acts knowing full well that the outcome will be settled diplomatically, you can perpetrate terror in order to score a point and then later come to apologise. Nigeria has no foreign policy that seeks to protect Nigerians as other countries do.”

For how long this ugly situation will continue is obviously when there is a close tie between events at home and abroad because, as it is said, charity begins at home and perception is everything.

When Nigerian lives matter at home, they will matter abroad.

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IMAGES

Aiteo Fights Crude Theft: Donates Landmark Maritime Security Assets & Technology to Nigerian Navy

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iteo Global Group has donated 50 assault gunboats made up of 21 gunboats, 14 operational patrol boats, seven houseboats and four airboats to the Nigerian Navy to fight oil theft, piracy and sea robbery in the nation’s territorial waters. The Navy also received

four high-speed interception inshore patrol boats, long-range surveillance drones and six high definition cameras.

The equipment was handed over to the Navy at a ceremony in Port Harcourt on August 4, 2021. The Chief

of Defence Staff, Major-General Lucky Irabor and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo led senior Defence Ministry officials, armed forces personnel, officials of the Rivers and Bayelsa State governments as well as traditional rulers to the special event.

R-L: Major-General Irabor; Vice Admiral A.Z. Gambo; Chief Andrew Oru, Aiteo Global Group Director; Victor Okoronkwo, GMD, Aiteo E&P Co Ltd; Representative of the Honourable Minister of Defence, Mr. Istifanus Musa, Permanent Secretary, Defence; Representative of Rivers State Governor, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, SSG Rivers State; and R-L: Dr. Tammy Danagogo; Vice Admiral A.Z. Gambo; Mr. Istifanus Musa; Chief Andrew Oru; Mr. Victor Okonkwo; Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrujakpo at the commissioning ceremony at NNS Pathfinder. Major-General Lucky Irabor; and H.E. Deputy Governor of Bayelsa, Senator Lawrence Ewhrujakpo.

King Desreel Gbobo Bobmanuel, the Amanyanabo of Abonnema Kingdom.

High Speed boats.

High speed interceptors and patrol boats.

Naval special OPS team in new tactical gear during a drill at the ceremony.

Special OPS team rescue abductees during the drill.

Special OPS team during the drill.

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NEWS

Emirates Offers Flexible Baggage Policy on African Routes

BY ANTHONY AWUNOR

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mirates customers flying to and from any of the airline’s destinations in Africa can now pack in more into their trips.

Since 9 August 2021, customers travelling in First and Business class on any Africa route are enjoying check in up to 64kgs of free baggage (two pieces of 32kgs each), regardless of where in the Emirates global network they are headed to or travelling from.

Customers flying in Economy class on Saver, Flex and Flex Plus fares, can enjoy up to 46kgs of free check-in baggage allowance (two pieces of 23kgs each), while those on Special fares will have one free check-in bag of up to 23kgs.

L-R: Odunayo Sanya, Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation; Adeleke Olorunnimbe Mamora, Honorable Minister of State for Health; and Prof. Babatunde Lawal Salako, Director General, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) at the commissioning ceremony of the Oligo-Synthesizer in Lagos on 13/8/2021.

We ‘ll Accord Priority To Staff, Students Welfare – UNN Chairman FROM SAMPSON ITODE, PORT HARCOURT hairman, Governing Council, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), High Chief Ikechi Emenike had said that the council will accord priority to the welfare of the staff and the students to maintain the high academic standard it is known for.

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Emenike stated this in his inaugural address at the university campus in Nsukka, Enugu State, adding that continuous delivery of qualitative higher education is fundamentally based on synergy of tasks and shared responsibilities.

According to the economist and international publisher, “This inaugural meeting is the beginning of our journey to work assiduously to contribute to the vision of the founding fathers of this university.”

The one-time lecturer at the University of Jos, Plateau State and banker said he is aware that funding continues to be one of the greatest challenges facing universities across the country and that the UNN is no exception.

He said the council will interface with relevant government agencies, the corporate society and international organizations on behalf of the university to ensure adequate

funding to enable it to continue to compete favourably with other top ranked universities not only in Africa but also all over the world.

“Fund generation shall be the backbone for leveraging the programmes of UNN. Funds generated will be aligned with projects and we will ensure they are completed in good time.”

He noted that the council will also encourage the management to optimally explore enhanced infrastructure development through the public, private partnership (PPP) model as, “This University is trending in the social media for the wrong reasons.”

“This is not acceptable. Permit me to note that paucity of finance or not, an institution as the UNN with experts in architecture and engineering should not be associated with such rot in infrastructure development. We shall discuss this today!”

“I feel the chair of the governing council of this great institution is not given to me as an award or in glory, but something I must use for the betterment of this university in particular and humanity in general. I view it as a call to serve.”

Obiano Lauds Anyaoku’s Leadership Qualities

BY CHARLES OKEKE, AWKA

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overnor Willie Obiano of Anambra State has praised the exemplary leadership qualities exhibited over the years by the former CommonWealth of Nations Secretary General,Chief Emeka Anyaoku.

Obiano who spoke on the theme of 2021 lecture series titled,”Leadership and Good Governance in Nigeria’’, held at the Women Development Centre, AWKA, in honour of Chief Anyaoku, said as governor of Anambra State,he has been drawing inspiration from the towering legacies of Chief Emeka Anyaoku in public service.

The governor said he was excited by the fact that as Nigeria’s alternative representative in the United Nations Special Committee on Apartheid, Anyaoku drafted the resolution that changed the way the world treated political detainees in South Africa during the Apartheid era.

He said; ”This is a very important day for Anambra State. Today is special because not only have we come under the shadow of the greatness of one of our icons; but we have also come under the powerful influence of the ideals and philosophies that formed the foundations of his entire life’s work and remarkable career that changed the interface between nation states. This THEWILLNIGERIA

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event could not have come at a better time. Anambra is on the brink of change. A serious political whirlwind is blowing across Anambra State at the moment. I have no doubt that a lecture on Leadership and Good Governance will help to remind Ndi Anambra that their number one consideration should always be about which party and candidate would give us good governance.”

He maintained that as the governor of Anambra State, he had always said to himself, if Chief Emeka Anyaoku could lead the Commonwealth of Nations with all the diversities and complexities that came with it, then the least he could do as governor was to offer good leadership to the people of Anambra.

Obiano said it was a thing of joy that Anyaoku as a 30 years old then with his good leadership potential started a historic career that has inspired successive generations across continents, cultures and religions.

He stated that in Anambra State, his team have made great efforts to carry the lamp of excellence which Chief Anayaoku had lifted very high on the international stage with dignity and honour,adding that they have sought innovative and effective ways of touching lives and changing the landscape with good governance.

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Whether it is essential business items, travel souvenirs or gifts for loved ones, Emirates’ new generous allowances and simplified free baggage policy for travel to and from Africa, provides customers with additional peace of mind to plan and enjoy their travels.

Emirates continues to lead the industry with innovative products and services that address traveller needs. It’s recent customer care initiatives include generous and flexible booking policies, an extension of its multi-risk insurance cover, and helping loyal customers retain their miles and tier status.

Keeping the health and wellbeing of its passengers as top priority, Emirates has introduced a comprehensive set of safety measures at every step of the customer journey. The airline has also recently introduced contactless technology and scaled up its digital verification capabilities to provide its customers even more opportunities to utilise the IATA Travel Pass this summer.

Emirates currently operates flights to over a dozen cities in Africa. As international borders reopen and travel restrictions ease, Emirates continues to expand its network safely and sustainably.

The airline has resumed passenger services to over 120 destinations, recovering close to 90% of its pre-pandemic network. Customers can enjoy convenient and seamless connections to the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia Pacific via Dubai.

2021 Int’l Youth Day: Senator Abiru Tasks Nigerian Youths On Creativity

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enator Mukhail Adetokunbo, Lagos East Senatorial District, has tasked Nigerian youths on resourcefulness and creativity

In a goodwill message to commemorate the 2021 International Youth Day with the theme, “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health’’, Abiru reiterated urgent need for young people to be at the ‘forefront of the creativity and innovation that will transform food security and combat climate change in the new industrial age’.

In a statement by his Special Adviser, Enitan Olukuton, he said that since the disruptions caused by Corona Virus, everything has changed in conformity with the new normal.

According to him; “The dislocations occasioned by the raging pandemic put most business concerns and solutions in jeopardy whilst it also gave rays of hope to hitherto unthinkable options.

Senator Abiru commended young Nigerians in the tech space who leveraged the pandemic to rise into prominence stressing that he will prioritize legislative interventions that will create opportunity for creativity of young people to boom.

“Responsibly, our Youths have also risen up to these challenges as we see the rapid evolution of fintechs such as Flutterwave, Paystack etc in the Technology space which has attracted massive foreign direct investments into the economy.

He promised to support the creativity of young persons through championing the repeal and re-enactment of the Copyright Act, the setting up of a Community Innovation Space in conjunction with CCHub (a dedicated innovation group that makes use of social capital & technology to accelerate economic prosperity) for youths in the Lagos East Senatorial District and bursary schemes for students in various tertiary institutions the Senatorial District.

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FEATURES

Plateau: Rigwe Killings And Executive ‘Sleep’ UKANDI ODEY captures the stakes and stokes in the recent killings in Rigwe land of Plateau State, as Governor Simon Lalong dismisses charge of “sleeping” on duty as political blackmail

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ome trauma and trepidation have certainly come forth from the tandem of turmoil and turbulence that characterized life in Jebu-Miango, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State in recent times.

Popular as the host local government area of the 3rd Armour Division (Maxwell Kobe Cantonment) of the Nigeria Army, Bassa is located in the Northern district of Plateau State, interfacing Southern Kaduna State and Bauchi State. With its headquarters in Bassa town and a post 2006 population projection put at over 255,000, it occupies an area of 1,743km square of the Plateau State land mass. With a plural ethno-linguistic outlook, it boasts of more than ten tribes that include Irigwe, Rukuba.

Guss, Ribina, Buji, Lemoro, Amo, Chokobo, Janji, Jere, and Duguza. Bassa also has a uniquely amiable climate that favours the agrarian engagements of the people who are mostly farmers.

Hospitable and accommodating, the peaceful and broadminded natives over the years have accommodated, co-habited, and interacted with other tribes and non-natives who chose to sojourn on the land, or settle in their midst for reasons of trade or agriculture. This generosity and good conscience turned an Achilles heel over time, with more recent times witnessing aggression from some of the settlers whom the natives identify notably as Fulani migrants. The natives claim that the Fulani have developed predatory and usurper instincts, and employ bloody and savage tactics to extinct the natives and forcefully takeover their land – the same sentiment that underlies the bloody campaign being orchestrated in neighboring Ryom, Barkin Ladi, Jos South, and Bokkos local government areas where Fulani nomads are also being accused as the aggressor and provocateur.

Thus, ethnic witch-hunt, distrust, suspicion, land grabbing, trespassing, and interference on farmlands and crops have bred intolerance and deep-seethed causes as bane of social intercourse and cross-cultural relations between the Fulani and the natives in Bassa and other local government areas in Plateau and Southern Kaduna, with dire implications for peace and development.

The recent attacks and killing of the Rigwe people in JebuMiango, in which a whole village was razed and destroyed in a prolonged and determined effort not unsavoury of genocide, in which farm produce and crops were also mowed down, is one too many. It also speaks of a well conceived, rehearsed, and programmed campaign to subjugate the people, capitulate them, and reduce them to vassals under a neo-cultural overlordship, and eventually exterminate them in a genocidal pogrom. In a reversed narrative however, the attackers claim that the killings, during which occasion they also stole, looted, and burnt houses, were merely “reprisal”.

Three days of sustained gunfire and animated warfare which began on the night of Saturday, July 31, and lasted till Monday, August 2, left five communities in ruins at the end. Although the Police Command in Plateau State officially said only seventeen lives were lost, and eighty five houses burnt, local sources who confirmed that most of the people have been displaced and are still on the run, fault the claim by the Police, saying a whole village of hundreds of homes were destroyed, and the number of those missing is well above seventeen and is still counting.

The incident has worsened the number of internally displaced persons in Plateau as those scampering for peace and safety have been grappling with the freezing cold of Jos as they behold in makeshift accommodation.

Survivors also speak of the nature of the attacks which were followed by mass burials, anguish, and grieving. The attacks were successful not just because the attacker took the victim unawares, but because the attacker was far more prepared and sophisticated in armoury, logistics, and deployment. The devastating echo of the attack is that a whole village has been rendered desolate. It also captures the state of decay in Nigeria’s national security preparedness, security failure, poor intelligence

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In May this year, Dong Village, adjoining Rantia and Federal Low Cost Housing in Jos, and bordering the Barracks, came under similar intense fire and firing, with the gunmen said to be Fulani herdsmen or their hirelings

gathering, strategic security complacency or complicity in internal terrorism. Many have continued to wonder at the daredevilry nature of the attackers in spite of the enormous presence and closeness of the 3rd Armour Division to the area where these savage killings were orchestrated.

The location of a military barracks in Rukuba has not really helped in improving the security situation in and around adjoining villages and communities. In May this year, Dong village, adjoining Rantia and Federal Low Cost Housing in Jos, and bordering the barracks, came under similar intense fire and firing, with the gunmen said to be Fulani herdsmen or their hirelings. Leaving a number of deaths on its trail, the Dong attacks were sustained for days, holding residents down in tension and fear for as long, as use of high-capacity weaponry was reported. The use of high caliber, long-range weapons has been an issue of intense scrutiny in the discourse of herdsmen attacks and the ability of farmers or the attacked communities to mobilize a counter offensive and repel the attackers.

Of similar consequential consideration, especially with the experiences in Bassa, Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Bokkos and Jos South, government response to the plight of the victims especially while the attack is on has been either abysmal or non-committal. The attacks in Bassa have been quite repeated and cyclical since

2017; same for Barkin Ladi, Ryom, and Bokkos. No arrests or punishment of the perpetrators or erection of security checks at vulnerable points has been visible ever since, especially as the brigandage and bestiality continue in these areas. For instance, almost a fortnight after the massacre and destruction of JebuMiango, in which a whole village was looted and sacked, not even an arrest has been reported to have been made by the agents of state security.

While a Plateau state Security Council meeting on the situation in Bassa was holding on Monday August 2, shooting and killings were on at the Jebu-Miango area, just as several peace talks, signing of peace pacts. And communal dialogues have proved ineffective in ending sporadic attacks in villages of Plateau and Southern Kaduna. The frustration in Jebu-Miango was so asphyxiating that the Member representing Rukuba/Irigwe State constituency in the Plateau State House of Assembly, Musa Aga Avia cried out that Governor Lalong preferred to “sleep” while killings were going on in Jebu-Bassa. Lalong was quick to rise to the occasion to deflate the embarrassment and what was adjudged an acute political upper-cut. The State commissioner for information, Dan Manjang denied that the House member couldn’t have seen the governor so easily because of protocol, and so couldn’t have ascertained that the governor was “sleeping”, and dubbed the whole claim as sheer “mischief”.

At a church service in COCIN Headquarters Compound Church last Sunday, Lalong again engaged his critic and others when he claimed responsibility for the unfortunate attacks and killings and commiserated with the victims. He regretted that “despite the huge investment of the state in enhancing the capacity of security agencies in the state to confront criminals, the attacks on communities particularly in Bassa and Riyom have not stopped”.

Again, Lalong said “the recent attacks in Bassa and Riyom LGAs are regrettable, coming shortly after the state government spent resources to purchase and distribute 50 patrol vehicles and 200 motor cycles to the security agencies”, and promised to continue to fight insecurity and promote peace building.

Governors are chief security officers of their various states only on paper. In effect, they are hackneyed and manacled because they have no command control over the security agents because they belong to the federal tier of government. In the worsening insecurity in the country, the frustration of Lalong in promptly deploying security to vulnerable areas and flash points of crises has become a metaphor for the public outcry and call for constitutional review to allow for the establishment of state police and regional security outfits.

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Wike

Secondus

POLITICS

Uche Secondus: How He Survived The Storm

BY AYO ESAN

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he embattled National Chairman of the main opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus got a reprieve and survived the scare of his untimely removal during the week, but are still thick clouds hanging over his political future.

The Andoni Prince who braced all odds to emerge as the PDP top helmsman in December 2017 having been backed by the governor of his home state , Rivers State, Governor, Nyesom Wike and the then Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Ayodele Fayose, recently faced the most turbulence period of his political career.

It would also be recalled that the manner of his election to office led to the exodus of many founding members of the party like Professor Tunde Adeniran and former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana. The two, among others detested the way Wike railroaded Secondus to power through what they termed crooked outsmarting of their ambitions and they quickly moved to the Social Democratic Party, SDP. Gana just returned to the PDP recently.

What transpired in the last few weeks therefore, political analysts believe was Secondus’ receipt of sour taste of Wike’s unchallenge power within the PDP. However, amidst increasing calls for the resignation of Secondus, PDP leaders after a prolong intrigues gave him a soft landing but cut his tenure by two months thus fixing a new national convention of the party for October instead of December 2021.

Though the tenure of the incumbent National Working Committee, NWC led by Secondus was due to elapse on December 6, stakeholders of the party made up of 13 governors, the Board of Trustees, and other organs of the party, brought the convention forward in what is seen as THEWILLNIGERIA

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a move to placate anti-Secondus forces who have been pushing for his removal in the past few months.

Sokoto state Governor and Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Aminu Tambuwal, said a National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting will hold after which a convention planning committee will be constituted.

THE STORM On August 3, 2021, seven members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP resigned from their positions.

The officials resigned in separate letters to the National Secretary of the party, Umar Tsauri, saying they could no longer work with Secondus. Those who resigned are the Deputy National Financial Secretary, Gerald Irona; Deputy National Organising Secretary, Hassan Yakubu; Deputy National Legal Adviser, Ahmed Liman, and Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Diran Odeyemi.

Others are the Deputy National Woman Leader, Hadizat Umoru; Deputy National Auditor, Divine Arong, and another official who could not be identified at the time of this report.

The intrigue towards removing Secondus reached its peak when some support groups within the party called for his removal from office.

The groups under the aegis of Save PDP Group and Coalition of PDP Youth Groups, made the call during a protest at the party’s National secretariat in Abuja.

The leader of the groups, Tamunotonye Inioribo, while addressing the media, said the protest was organised by a coalition of different PDP support groups, that were dissatisfied with the leadership of Mr Secondus.

Mr Inioribo accused Mr Secondus of polarising the party for his own selfish interest, while also alleging that he was

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responsible for the defection of three governors and some senators from the party to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Under Secondus, the PDP Governors Forum, National Working Committee and other organs are divided.”

Mr Inioribo also alleged that no department of the PDP was functioning under Mr Secondus, and he was also creating factions with Political annalysts however believe that Secondus is just a victim of power play ahead of 2023 presidency.

THEWILL gathered that the Southern PDP governors who are interested in the 2023 presidency believe the surest way of getting the ticket is to remove Secondus from the PDP chairmanship position and also forestall his second term ambition.

Wike who is said to be eyeing the presidency come 2023 is believed to be behind the agitation towards removing Secondus.

Wike it was gathered believe Secondus betrayed him by supporting Atiku Abubakar’s ambition to be president in 2019 as oppose to his own candidate, Aminu Tambuwal.

Speaking with THEWILL, an Abuja based Public Affairs Commentator, Ojo Williams said all the noise that Secondus didn’t perform well as chairman was just to give a dog bad name to hang it.

He said : “It is to be noted that PDP as a party was at low ebb when Secondus assumed power. It has just lost the presidential election for the first time since 1999. It was a very hard beginning, having lost power after been in power for 16 years at a stretch. *Continues on Page 12

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POLITICS/INTERVIEW

Nigerians Deserve a Truly Federal Constitution – Ebiseni Chief Sola Ebiseni, a legal practitioner and delegate to the 2014 National Conference organised by former Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan is the Secretary General of the Pan Yoruba Socio - Political Group, Afenifere. In this interview with AYO ESAN, he speaks on the lingering issue of insecurity in the country, ethnic agitations, and the efforts at amending the 1999 constitution by the national assembly among other issues of national importance. Excerpts:

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One direct result of the insecurity and seeming helplessness of the governments is the ethnic agitations . How do you want FG to handle the issue of ethnic agitations and the promoters Nnamdi Kanu, Sunday Igboho etc.

Nature abhors a vacuum. I have just told you that people no longer have confidence in the state and by the same token, the government, to provide security. Nigerians are ordinarily happy people even in the face of adversity. The insecurity we are facing is a war imposed by people of the same ethnic nationality with the President. By words and body PAGE 10

Ebiseni

ne issue that is threatening the country’s existence is the issue of insecurity. How will you react to lingering insecurity in the country?

Security is the beginning and the end of any State, its raison d’etre. In other words, the rationale for its creation, existence and sustenance. It is the aggregate of the powers of the individuals to defend themselves which were ultimately donated to the State as a political entity to better secure life and property of the people. When the insecurity situation gets to the stage as it is in Nigeria presently where the Federal Government, through the Minister of Defence, Governors and traditional rulers called on the citizens to rise and defend themselves, the state has become a failure. People can no longer confidently move within and across the cities and states. It used to be a lot of fun for graduates to look up to life in other parts of the country during the National Youth Service, NYSC year, people now lobby to be posted not far away from their state of origin. The military is made fatigued, having been overstretched by internal conflicts, police have become virtually irrelevant except for prosecution of conventional crimes, and no one has confidence in government and its agencies for security. The undeniable consequences of this reality is that the present administration has lost its legitimacy.

language, government is seen as being permissive of these armed murderous gang. It was this situation that threw up Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho and their self-determination agitations. For Igboho specifically, Yoruba has never been known for any separatist agitation, all we have always clamoured for

is the restructuring of the polity for true federalism.

The Buhari administration is not even ready for discussion. My brother, no one group owns Nigeria and for the Yoruba, kakaki kiniun se akapo ekun, ki olukuluku se ode re lototo. (You can be a slave in your own country). Our symbol of resistance is best THEWILLNIGERIA

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POLITICS/INTERVIEW interpreted in the Amotekun, a creature that cannot be cowed.

The hunting and trials of Kanu and Igboho are exercises in futility. The Federal Government should call for national dialogue and simultaneously put the murderous Fulani ethnic militias on the leash.

Afenifere has been in the forefront of the call for restructuring of the country for years. The voice for restructuring is now loud all over the country but the Buhari- led government seems not interested. What is your take on this?

Of course, you are right in your observation. Obafemi Awolowo, the founding leader of the Afenifere was the original advocate of federalism as the best form of government for the polyglot territory being then contemplated as Nigeria. The advocate by the Afenifere is for a return to founding federal principles of federalism which has been bastardised by military rule. The refusal to allow for internal autonomy is responsible for the agitations by the constituent ethnic nationalities for self-determination. My take is the take of the Yoruba people. Our people say there is more than one way of dealing with a calabash that refuses to be opened.

How will you react to the Southern Governors’ demand that the next president must come from the South West?

To the best of my memory, the resolution of the Southern Governors Forum is that the next President of Nigeria should come from the south. The position of the Afenifere is that Nigeria be restructured before the 2023 elections and other things shall follow.

The National Assembly is making efforts to amend the 1999 Constitution. But many Nigerians are calling for a brand new constitution. If you support a brand new constitution, how do we go about it?

Well, the 1999 Constitution is so fundamentally flawed that an amendment may not be the solution.

That’s why every amendment since 2005 has proven abortive. Apart from the fact that the constitution is a military decree and not given by the people, it is also contradictorily unitary, in structure and character. Delivering a new constitution which is truly federal in line with the foundational agreement of the country is the popular opinion of Nigerians.

Among the documents that have received consensus are the 1963 constitution, the Report of the 2014 Constitutional Conference and the 2017 Report of the APC on federalism led by Governor El-Rufai.

These documents may be collated and modified and enacted by the National Assembly. The product will then be ratified by a referendum conducted along the six geopolitical zones.

But there is no provision for referendum in the constitution.

That is usually the excuse by those do not want Nigeria to move forward. They seem not to understand the desperate situation the country is in. If I may ask, is there any provision against referendum in the same constitution? India was in this desperate position in 1951 when there was agitation for state creation along linguistic groups. Of course, the elected, flamboyant and most charismatic leader, Jawaharlal Nehru and the Indian Parliament, at first did not initially support it but compelled by the reality of national survival which led to the establishment of a Committee which recommendations was passed by Parliament into the new constitution. India is a federation like Nigeria and also a former British colony.

Benin Republic, our immediate western neighbour, was in political quagmire and in 1990, elected President Mathew Kerekou who was compelled to convoke a National Conference which declared itself sovereign, dissolved parliament, and enacted a new THEWILLNIGERIA

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“

Delivering a new constitution which is truly federal in line with the foundational agreement of the country is the popular opinion of Nigerians. Among the documents that have received consensus are the 1963 constitution, the Report of the 2014 Constitutional Conference and the 2017 Report of the APC on federalism led by Governor El-Rufai. These documents may be collated and modified and enacted by the National Assembly constitution which has since stabilised the polity.

What is the future of Yoruba in Nigeria’s politics?

The Yoruba is a nation within Nigeria, with identified territory from the Atlantic to the River Niger both at Lokoja and Jebba in the north and the Republic of Benin in the West, we are same people, same culture, and same language. Our aspiration is to have requisite autonomy with maximum security to optimise our potentials and develop at own pace.

We were already involved in Afro-European trades since the 15th century and demonstrated the capacity to defend our territory within the West African subcontinent before British colonialism. We had the first Primary School in Nigeria in Badagry in 1843, CMS Grammar School Lagos as the first Secondary School in 1859, University of Ibadan in 1948. Since the 1800s, we have started producing clergymen, like Bishop Ajayi Crowder, who took Christianity to other parts of Nigeria and West Africa since the 1800. Williams Davies, a Yoruba became the first medical director in 1858, Sapara Williams, the first lawyer in 1879, Samuel Manuwa, the first Nigerian surgeon. We were foremost in Nigerian independence struggles. Obafemi Awolowo and his colleagues gave us world class governance permissible by a federal constitution. Yorubas are freedom loving people for ourselves and for mankind. We have no ambition to dominate any group and will not subscribe to being dominated.

The country aside insecurity is also witnessing hyperinflation. What is your message to Nigerians and your advice to the Federal Government?

Seek you first the security of life and property, every other good thing shall be added to it. That’s my advice to the Federal Government.

Any advice to the South West governors concerning the development of South West region The best can only come when we have a constitution that guarantees our autonomy over our resources and affairs. They are appreciated for the peoples oriented resolutions they have issued in conjunction with their colleagues in southern Nigeria.

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Group Canvasses Tinubu’s Suitability For President

BY AYO ESAN

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group canvassing support for the presidential aspiration of former Lagos State governor and the National Leader of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Tinubu Support Organisation, TSO, has described him as a man with a large heart, and therefore must succeed President Muhammadu Buhari come 2023.

Speaking through its Director General, Hon. Aminu Suleiman, TSO said it is rooting for Tinubu as the next president of Nigeria because of his love for the country, his managerial skills and overall contribution to the development of Nigeria He said: “We want Tinubu to be the next Nigeria president because he has very large heart, very accommodating and we see him as a fantastic man”.

Suleiman who said that he had come a long way with Asiwaju Tinubu, recalled the assistance Tinubu rendered to President Muhammadu Buhari on his way to the Presidency in 2015, saying if not for Tinubu’s support, Buhari who had contested three times without success wouldn’t have been president.

“It is now time to repay him. 2023 is the turn of the South West and we appeal to him to come out and contest. We are going to mobilise support for him in the north. He saw an unprecedented crowd when he came to Kano for his birthday’s colloquium. We are assuring him that we are mobilizing people for him and he should not disappoint the people”, he said.

Suleiman maintained that the Northerners are for ‘Tinubu for President Project’.

“The support for Asiwaju in the north is amazing.

We were in Kano for his birthday colloquium, the crowd that Asiwaju saw in Kano was overwhelming.

Kano people don’t look at your riches in as much as you are a good man. We in the north appreciate the role he played in bringing about this government.

We love him, we appreciate him “Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo was a former Commissioner under Tinubu, Minister of Interior, Engr. Rauf Aregbesola was a one time commissioner in Lagos state before he served as two terms governor in his home state, Osun, the current Minister of Works, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) was former Chief of Staff to Tinubu before he governed Lagos for two terms. Minister of state for Health, Dr Olorunmbe Mamora was the Speaker of the Lagos State Assembly when Tinubu was governor. This is to tell you that Tinubu is a fantastic man that easily develops talents”, he said.

Also speaking, the TSO National Youth Leader, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu Takai said Tinubu is receiving huge support in the North because of his support for the Buhari administration.

“The person we are advertising is not from my tribe. We are not from the same state or zone. We are advertising him just because he has this country in mind. His legacy in Lagos is there for all to see and all the northern youths are calling on Tinubu to contest the 2023 presidency and we assure him he will win’ he said.

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POLITICS

... How He Survived The Storm *Continued from Page 9

“Secondus spearheaded the repackaging of the party and he put it on a sound footing.

“To say Secondus allowed PDP Governors to defect to the ruling APC can’t be a truce. There was nothing he could have done to retain the governors who were forcefully enticed by the ruling party”.

He said “it has been months of ups and downs and I am proud to report that the party is not at the level where we met it. We took over the party when it was still trying to come out of the trauma of losing election and being in opposition for two years under an intolerant ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, APC. We met a psychologically traumatized party struggling to adjust to opposing life after 16 years in power. We inherited a party that had issues with internal democracy. Delegates were not having the final say on who flies the flag of the party in an election. Names of winners were randomly and blatantly changed in Abuja with disregard to the people and the requirements of our constitution.”

As to what he did to ameliorate the situation, Secondus said “delegates of our party across the country had given us the mandate to lead believing in our rebranding campaign message of 3Rs- Reposition, Rebuild and Regain which were designed to recreate and rebrand the party. We quickly hit the ground running in our reform policy. We organized a rebranding conference and embarked on extensive consultations across the country.

Our sensitization program took us to rallies in all the geopolitical zones.

“By the time our reform programme came on stream, the party had become an attractive brand to accommodate the influx of new members that included the entire leadership of the two chambers of the National Assembly then, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, others members of the parliament at federal and state levels as well as three incumbent state Governors of Benue, Kwara and Sokoto who joined us.

“As we approached the general election of 2019, the PDP was already the party to beat. The internal democracy promised in our reform package was already in place.

Powers were effectively decentralized to flow from the people. Party tickets were gotten at the congress venue not at party headquarters at state and national levels.

Popular and more acceptable candidates emerged at state congresses and national convention.

“Our national convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State in October 2018 became the first of its kind in Nigeria.

It was so transparent that there was no complaint from anybody. Instead, all the contestants resolved to support the winner. All these helped to engender confidence and trust in our leadership.

“Nigerians had earlier realized their mistakes of 2015 and also accepted our apology for any short coming. We carried out one of the most effective campaigns, going to the people with issue based messages not propaganda.

“Nigerians accepted these messages and were ready and charged to vote out the APC whose incompetence and incapacity to govern had become apparent. But what Nigerians never envisaged was that the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari who came to power through a transparent and credible election was not going to conduct free and fair election in 2019.

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Tambuwal

SECONDUS’ SCORECARD Has Secondus - led NWC performed well in office?

This question was provided with answer when Secondus addressed journalists in Abuja.

“As a prelude to their agenda of holding on to power when it was obvious that Nigerians did not want them, all institutions of democracy, the legislature, the judiciary, the opposition and the media were made targets of intimidation and harassment. You all could recall the shocking and unprecedented unilateral removal of the Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Walter Onnoghen.

You also recall that midnight attack and arrest of some judges and justices by security operatives of state in the name of fighting corruption” Continuing, Secondus said “PDP under my leadership had through its reform packages significantly enhanced the image and status of the party”.

But speaking with THEWILL, a member of Campaign for Democracy, Comrade Sola Olawale said Secondus didn’t provide PDP with a strong leadership expected of

the main opposition party. “ He is weak. His speeches are not deep and when he speaks, his speech lacked the fire expected of his position.

APC never takes him serious. In the second Republic, whenever Chief Obafemi Awolowi speaks, the ruling National Party of Nigeria and the then president, Alhaji Sheu Shagari felt the heat”.

Will Secondus go for a second term at the October convention of his party?

David Umah , who is a political commentator said it depends on power play in the party. “ We need to wait and see. Let us see the power play that will take place. But I am sure some northern Governors of the party may use to play a game and ensure the north produce the presidential candidate of the party”, Umah said.

APC Has Failed Nigeria – Plateau ADC Chairman FROM UKANDI ODEY, JOS he Plateau State Chairman of the Africa Democratic Congress, ADC, Ambassador Sabiu Ibrahim Musa, has described the All Progressive Congress government led by President Muhammadu Buhari as a “total failure”, and urged Nigerians to use the next election to reject and end its rule.

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PDP which was discredited and its regime branded as a failed one and voted out in 2015.

Speaking during an exclusive chat with THE WILL, Musa regretted that Nigerians have not had meaningful governance since the PDP regime was voted out in 2015, saying the six years so far of the APC regime is even worse, with more Nigerians now wallowing in poverty, hunger, unemployment, and diseases.

Sabiu is also of the opinion that the present APC, having failed woefully in governance at all levels, has simply become an assemblage of politicians with a history of bad governance and fugitives from justice.

According to Sabiu, the standard of living in Nigeria has dropped precipitately in the last six years, with no hope that the Muhammadu Buhari government will do better in the remainder of its tenure.

Sabiu said it is even more unfortunate that the pattern of defection by politicians so far has been unidirectional, with the APC receiving into its fold politicians from the

He said his party, the ADC, will participate in the forthcoming local government elections in Plateau State and the awaited by-election for Jos North/Bassa federal constituency.

He said the narrative of the APC administration has been that of lamentation and woes, with nothing changing for the better.

He therefore calls on Nigerians to maximize the opportunity that will avail itself with the 2023 general elections to sack the APC and all politicians that have destroyed the country from power and give the opportunity to another set of people to set the country on a new direction and path of prosperity and growth.

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PERSPECTIVE

Mele Kolo Kyari: Makeover Man of NNPC

at the University of Maiduguri, he easily distinguished himself, graduating in the top five of his class.

BY MICHAEL JIMOH

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hose in the oil and gas industry wistfully recall the glorious years of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation when Aret Adams was GMD from 1985 to 1990. For the half decade he helmed the corporation, Adams insisted on professionalism at all levels, from the cleaners through the middle ranks up to the very top.

Any Geologist working in an oil company should be very much at home. But Kyari has gone one step further, adding marketing of both crude and refined product as well. Until his appointment as GMD, for instance, he was already a marketer as Group General Manager Crude Oil Marketing from 2015.

Such was his admirable ethical standard that he once overruled a military dictator who imposed one senior staff member in a position the GMD thought he was unfit for. Adams resigned instead.

The first priority for any marketer, of consumables or anything for that, is to have something good to sell.

For years, NNPC ranked as the number one place to do shady oil deals. Foreign and local businessmen with dubious provenance made cool cash at the expense of the corporation. There have been cases of former GMDs stashing dizzying sums away. For Kyari however, positioning the company as a top player in the global O&G industry is his priority. No wonder his emphasis on the image of the company he heads. “No company will invest where they cannot get the appropriate margin,” Kyari has said. “We’re very conscious of the fact that people have choices, companies will make choices to leave countries when they have to.”

These days, stakeholders and others in the industry compare the two year headship of NNPC by Mele Kolo Kyari to those great days when Adams presided.

They talk of visionary leadership, achieving set goals and objectives and generally making over a corporation once crammed with officials with bribe-infested fingers to a more professionally-run government organisation.

A blindingly obvious clue on how things have changed for good at NNPC is the lack of queues at filling stations across the country. Fuel shortages in the past turned forlorn filling station attendants into instant moneybags. Though they might grumble privately the oodles of cash have disappeared like the serpentine queues that used to keep them standing all day, the free flow of petroleum products mean one thing: efficiency and professionalism at the top an organization responsible for making sure Nigerians don’t have to suffer needlessly to fuel their cars, get their generator sets purring or cooking gas for domestic use.

“NNPC has emplaced a stable fuel supply system to guarantee zero fuel queues throughout the country in the last two years of Kyari,” an expert in the O&G industry wrote recently. “The corporation is in the process of strengthening the products distribution system by revamping the pipeline network through a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) model whose process is already at an advanced stage.”

A Geologist by training, Mele Kyari was appointed

by President Muhammadu Buari on July 8 2019. Two years on, Nigerians are thumbing up for a corporation once regarded as a conduit pipe for draining the country’s crude resources. Not any more, thanks to the innovative ideas and visionary leadership under Kyari.

Continuing, the analyst also mentioned revamping of pipelines by NNPC singularly spearheaded by Kyari. “The vision of revamping the pipelines is in tandem with the Refineries Rehabilitation Project to ensure that products evacuation facilities are in top shape to support the operations of the refineries postrehabilitation in 2023. Keen on boosting petroleum products supply and distribution in riverine areas of the Niger Delta, the Kyari-led NNPC signed an agreement with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Zed Energy for the construction of the 10.5 billion naira Brass Petroleum Products Terminal.

“The facility would serve as a strategic reserve for the country as it is expected to provide a depot for 50 million litres of petroleum products, two way product jetty, automated storage and automated bay THEWILLNIGERIA

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For sustainability of NNPC, Kyari made it clear that industry players must learn to manage cost, improve efficiency and deliver required cash flow (margins) for reinvestment and expansion, insisting that without creating profit today

for AGO, PMS, DPK and ATK. It would also close the infrastructure gap in the distribution of petroleum products and also help to stop illegal refining activities.”

In two years of Kyari’s stewardship, Port Harcourt refinery is getting a makeover long after it is due for rehabilitation. Last April, NNPC signed a $1.5bn Engineering, Procurement & Construction Contract Agreement with Tecnimot SpA to complete the refinery that has been moribund for years.

Some of his predecessors either couldn’t carry through their intention of making the first and oldest refinery in the country work again. Kyari did and, today, work is ongoing at the refinery.

Kyri was born on January 7 1965 in Maiduguri, Bornu state. From accounts by those who know him from his formative years, there is talk of a focused chap right from primary through secondary school. By the time he got admission to read Geology and Earth Science

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Exactly a year ago at a meeting of Society of Petroleum Engineers, the GMD stated clearly his dream for the corporation he heads. NNPC, he declared, must work in collaboration with both the private and public sectors. “There must be collaboration across different dimensions; government, industry, academia, and, particularly, with the communities where we carry out our operations. The social license to operate is critical to the industry’s long term survival. Also, partnership among industry peers to chart new ways of resolving industry challenges and preparing for tomorrow cannot be over emphasized. I am delighted the SPE provides such veritable platform.”

For sustainability of NNPC, Kyari made it clear that industry players must learn to manage cost, improve efficiency and deliver required cash flow (margins) for reinvestment and expansion, insisting that without creating profit today, “we wouldn’t be in a position to take advantage of the opportunities that keeps us viable and ready for tomorrow.”

“We must bequeath to the next generation a world worthy to live in. Our operations must, therefore, be carried out in a safe manner without adversely impacting the environment. As you know, most discussions around energy substitution or green economy stem from looking at the industry as ‘dirty’ and ‘unconscionable’. It must be reiterated that our industry remains the bedrock of modern human existence. We must, therefore, work to create a positive view if we are to remain relevant in the long run.”

Among his board membership of some high-profile companies such as Duke Oil Services, UK, the 19th GMD of NNPC currently represents his country of birth at OPEC in Vienna, headquarters of oil producing countries.

Like his uncompromising predecessor Adams, Kyari’s innovative measures as GMD is sure to impact positively not only on the industry itself but the Nigerian economy. For one, he is not likely to be caught with bricks of cash stashed away somewhere at the end of his tenure. The makeover man of NNPC will certainly not condescend so low.

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EDITORIAL

Worrying COVID-19 Infections Numbers F

igures, they say do not lie. The COVID-19 daily surge is worrisome considering the unmatched response from all quarters. Except for the commendable weekly briefings by the Presidential Task Force, the daily updates by the Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, and the media reports of alarming daily increases in infections and some foreign flight bans, nothing appears to have changed in terms of enforcement, personal responsibility and adherence to the viral protocol.

In crowded public places like worship centres and rtreats, public transport, banks’ ATM terminals, markets and shopping malls, people interact and mill around freely, talking loudly and failing to keep social distance. Yet everywhere you turn in most of these places, there are notices on wearing a face mask as compulsory policy. Meanwhile, the numbers increase in leaps and bounds.

During the week, the NCDC revealed that Nigeria logged 700 additional COVID-19 infections, the second highest in nearly six months. It added that the country’s active cases also soared to 11 500, noting that the 700 additional infections were reported in 12 states and the FCT. The NCDC noted that states were struggling to curb the spread of the Delta variant, with the situation becoming alarming particularly in Lagos, Akwa-Ibom, Rivers , Oyo states and the FCT, where the strain was accounting for a large number of the cases, particularly as the ongoing doctors strike bites harder.

Currently, the total confirmed cases in the country stand at 179,118 with 166,203 recoveries. The NCDC, however, said the country had tested more than 2.5 million samples for the virus, out of Nigeria’s roughly 200 million population, noting that the country’s COVID-19 average test positivity rate was six per cent.

Indeed, Lagos State, the country’s epicentre for the

virus, and her commercial nerve, had continued to rank highest in daily reports with 574 infections, according to the NCDC. Clearly, the Delta variant is on the prowl in the country.

Admittedly, the situation is a global one. Recently, the World Health Organisation disclosed that global infection rate for the month of July, 2021 stood at an alarming 80 per cent.

Even so, while many American, European and Asian countries are making concerted efforts to tackle the menace amidst vaccine hesitancy among their citizens, the nonchalance among Nigerians is, to say the least, unbecoming. There is the general, public belief that government officials are making money from COVID-19, given years of unpunished corruption cases in high places in addition to the deadly theory that it is a rich man’s disease. All these, put together, should trigger a robust fight against the menace from the authorities following the reported cases of high profile deaths from Corona Virus in the country.

The thinking that the pandemic draws a line between the rich and the poor is unfortunate and irresponsible. But then, responsibility is an expression of the freedom of choice dependent on the ability to respond to situations in a self-imposed manner.

This virtue is sadly lacking in these shores where the sense of community is still to develop fully. There must therefore be concerted effort to fight the new wave of the pandemic.

The developments, therefore, make it compulsory for some form of restriction by the government through enforcement of the observance of the COVID-19 protocols without sentiments and political correctness, which currently prevails.

Enforcement of COVID-19 protocols that many state governments rolled out during the first and second wave must be carried out firmly. The National Orientation Agency should step up its effort on mass awareness and enlightenment campaigns of the citizenry in their various, indigenous languages and localities.

There is also the need for closer co-ordination between the Federal and State governments on information dissemination. A few days ago, for example, the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, exemplarily on top of the situation, warned in a press conference, on the verge of the arrival of Moderna vaccines in the country that those who had taken the first round of Astrazeneca vaccine should not mix with Moderna for their second round. The need to stress on such vital information continuously cannot be overemphasized given our official proclivity for political correctness.

The Delta variant, scientists have warned us, may not be the end to more mutations of the virus. It is therefore important that everybody in their private and public capacity jointly decide and support one another to combat the virus.

Though immunization does not seem to be the final answer to elimination of the virus as some of those vaccinated have been reportedly infected again, these cases are minor to justify refusal to get vaccinated or to continue to believe that the virus is selectively contagious. Countries that have achieved over 90 per cent vaccination, like Israel and China, have flattened the curve on the virus and are safer We urge the government as the ultimate enforcer of law and order to firmly compel COVID-19 protocol observance because, until herd immunity is achieved, we are all endangered.

AUSTYN OGANNAH

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Editor – Olaolu Olusina Deputy Editor – Amos Esele Politics Editor – Ayo Esan Business Editor – Sam Diala News Editor (Online) – Felix Oboagwina Copy Editor – Chux Ohai Cartoon Editor – Victor Asowata Entertainment/Society Editor – Ivory Ukonu Photo Editor – Peace Udugba Head, Graphics – Tosin Yusuph Circulation Manager – Victor Nwokoh Nigeria Bureau: 36AA Remi Fani-Kayode Street, GRA, Ikeja. Lagos, Nigeria. info@thewillnigeria.com / @THEWILLNG +234 810 345 2286, +234 913 333 3888. EDITOR: Olaolu Olusina @OLUSINA [Letters/Opinions: opinion.letters@thewillnigeria.com] PAGE 14

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OPINION Making The Most Of Our National Indebtedness

BY ISIDORE EMEKA UZOATU

D

ebt is one of the few English words that can be translated to any language in the world without a shed of sweat. It’s that universal. No doubt, it ranks as one of the foremost liabilities hugging manand womankind since Eve and Adam left the Garden of Eden. That is, going by the pervading Judeo-Christian creation myth.

Anyway, suffice it to note that debt has slowly graduated into the new sine qua non of modern life. Like yet another dot in the circle of impatient idealists overpopulating Africa opined the other day. Yet seeking where to stand to hoist the slacking continent above his head, the blogger was adamant about one thing: that we are afraid of debt.

In his words: It’s this communal inability to come to terms with the reality of debt plaguing our continent, that is our bane as a people. He was so sure.

While the rest of the developed world is embracing debt in a bear hug, he continued, we are killing ourselves here with self-sufficiency. Everybody wants to amass so much wealth that none ends up for the common man.

So much that now the aim is no longer to stock up for just individual retirement. Money, here in Africa, is now acquired so that come whatever may, generations unborn can assuredly afford to stay idle and rich.

I could have doubted him but for the tug of abiding remembrances. When just a whiff of the humongous amounts under investigation at the EFCC was enough to bamboozle no less a person than President Ibrahim Babangida recently.

And what do you find, among the downtrodden? Just a mere personal debt and we head for the courts. As though it were a pre-election matter. Imagine that.

When in the past all a recidivist debtor needed to do to be let be was show a creditor marks of bigger balances on the wall of his/her hut.

Let alone in these modern days. In saner climes, I hear, all a guy needs to do to top his account is the balance by SMS to his account officer. Just like that, and the rest is given unto him or her!

Okay, perhaps you have not heard sha: unlike in the Third, people in the First World live on credit.

You don’t have to afford a car to own one, for instance.

Nor build a house to live in one...

Well, all that preamble was just to reassure us that we shouldn't be bothered that Nigeria is in the Top 10 of countries with a high debt risk exposure in the document. In fact, with a total debt stock of $11.7bn, we are comfortably ensconced at Number 5. With India topping with a mere $22bn, we don’t have much to do to topple them, I guess.

As it stands, all we have between us and them are just three Asian countries - Bangladesh $81.1bn, Pakistan $16.4bn and Vietnam $14.1bn. Any wonder they are not even among their tigers! But assuming they were, what can a tiger do to an elephant?

Anyway, the only snag there is concerns how our nation is coping with its share of the windfall.

What? When will you pay me for the information?

Never mind. You can always do that later. What are friends for; after all, we are in this together.

According to the group’s president, David Malpass, the aim is to have nations use the increment to address increased poverty, inequality and the impacts of COVID-19.

The stranger thing, though, is that we are transferring this personal phobia for debt to our nation;s economy.

Just a mere trillion-dollar debt and the citizens of the acclaimed.Giant of Africa are put in a panic mode. Imagine that too.

From the report, it should help the countries strengthen health systems and protect the poor and vulnerable.

As well, it will help them support jobs and businesses, promote economic growth and lay the foundation for a green, resilient and inclusive recovery.

Anyway, just in case you haven’t heard too, the World Bank Group has just released its Audited Financial Statements for the 2021 financial year.

Your guess from the first item in the list - improving health systems - should be as good as mine. But I would rather we kept it to ourselves. Not for the fear of a backlash, though. After all, repeat prophecies amount to nothing if older ones remain unrevealed.

O yes! And the good news is that its commitments to the International Development Association for the year rose to $84.3bn. A whopping 15% higher than that expended last year.

• Uzoatu, the author of the novel Vision Impossible wrote in from Onitsha.

Anambra: Time For Judiciary To Redeem Itself

BY JOSEPH K. UMEZINWA

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ven non-legal practitioners know that a State High Court cannot give a consequential order to a federal agency like the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Any serious action which involves a federal agency must go to the Federal High Court, not State High Court. This is trite law.

Still, on June 30, 2021, Justice Musa Ubale of the Jigawa State High Court sitting in the little town of BirninKudu gave a consequential order mandating INEC to accept any person brought by one Jude Okeke as the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate in the forthcoming Anambra State gubernatorial election. On the strength of this manifestly flawed mandatory order, Chukwuma Umeoji’s name was submitted to INEC, despite the fact that INEC had on July 2, 2021, accepted Professor Chukwuma Soludo, the former Central Bank governor, as the APGA candidate in the November 6 election. Soludo’s candidature was, in addition, supported by an order of the Federal High Court, Awka, Anambra State.

Umeoji is laying claim to the APGA ticket on the basis that his brother in-law, Jude Okeke, is now purportedly the APGA national chairman following his alleged overthrow of one Edozie Njoku who supposedly became chairman in 2019 following a so-called congress in Owerri, Imo State, which INEC never monitored because it was a comical show not befitting even adolescents. INEC has been relating with only the APGA executive committee led by Chief Victor Oye because it is properly constituted.

Umeoji purchased his expression of interest form and the gubernatorial nomination form from Dr Victor Oye in his capacity as the APGA national chairman.

This was on Thursday, May 27, 2021. The forms were THEWILLNIGERIA

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signed by Oye. He paid N22 million to the Oye-led APGA executive committee in June, 2021. He appeared before the Oye-led screening committee which on June 13, 2021, disqualified him because, as events have revealed, he was working in cahoots with Andy Uba, a controversial member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) seeking to run for the governorship; he is in alliance with Uba to destabilize APGA. On June 14, 2021, Umeoji appealed against his disqualification in a letter addressed to the APGA National Working Committee led by Dr Oye. The NEC upheld his disqualification.

At this point, Umeoji hit a brainwave: Chief Oye, whom he was dealing with in May and June over his gubernatorial ambition, has ceased to be the APGA national chairman since 2019! He even claimed that the Edozie Njoku, who held the comical show in Owerri which INEC ignored for being a waste of time and resources had become the party’s national chairman. He went ahead to claim Njoku has been ousted and now replaced by his own (Umeoji’s) in-law, Jude Okeke!

Not satisfied with this funny drama, he travelled not to Awka, where the legitimate APGA convention was held in 2019, or even to Owerri where Njoku hosted a political comedy the same year, but to Birnin-Kudu in Jigawa State, some 640 kilometres away from the theatre of action. Umeoji and his lawyers probably have never heard of territorial jurisdiction. Umeoji got one Aliyu Garba to claim that he is an APGA member and asked him to go to the Birnin-Kudu High Court to ask Justice Musa Ubale to determine if Jude Okeke was the APGA acting national chairman. Without APGA being joined in the suit and without the national chairman, Chief Oye, aware of the suit, Justice Ubale ruled that Okeke has taken over from Edozie Njoku as the APGA chairman. How did Okeke take over from Njoku? When?

Why? Nobody can answer any of these questions, just as no one knows when Njoku was ever APGA chair-

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man.

In every election year in Anambra State, politicians embark on all manner of frivolities before the courts, with some funny lawyers in tow because of the pecuniary gains. The politicians sometimes compromise judges in their determination to capture the state at all costs. Most often such members of the Bench pay a heavy price.

Instances abound. They include Justices Okechukwu Opene and David Adeleye Adeniji who were disgraced out of the Court of Appeal in 2004 over bribery allegations involving Senator Ugochukwu Uba, the eldest of the Uba brothers. The justices were recommended for removal by the National Judicial Council. Justice Stanley Nnaji of the Enugu State High Court was dismissed from the Judiciary on the NJC recommendation following his role in the attempt to remove the Anambra governor, with Chief Chris Uba, the youngest of the Uba brothers at the centre; Stanley Nnaji was last May 27 killed by unknown gunmen in broad daylight in Enugu.

Justice Wilson Egbo-Egbo of the federal High Court was compulsorily retired in 2004 for his ruling over the Anambra governorship.

It is certain that Anambra people will write a petition to the NJC against Justice Musa Ubale of the BirninKudu High Court over the curious judgment of June 30 on the Anambra gubernatorial struggles. Nigeria’s judiciary truly needs to be cleaned up. It is not just the judiciary but also the entire legal profession which needs a cleanup. To punish Justice Ubale without penalizing lawyers like Chibuzor Ezike who must have helped to misdirect the Birnin-Kudu court will be a travesty of justice. What Nigerians need from our courts is justice, not judgement. Musa Ubale served Nigerian people judgment on June 30, 2021, and not justice.

• Umezinwa, a lawyer, lives in Onitsha, Anambra State.

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Assessing $126bn Loss In Global Aviation Industry

Making a Retreat from The Equity Market

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VAT: CITN Reacts to Rivers Court Judgment PAGE 41

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Backward Integration: Consumer Goods’ Profit Holds Prospects For Small Businesses

BY SAM DIALA igeria’s major Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) firms listed on The Exchange recorded significantly impressive performance in their half year (H1 2021) operations. The results were far beyond industry expectations. There are no less than 35 registered FMCG firms across the country, but only 20 are listed on The Exchange.

The financials of Nestle and Nascon showed that they recorded a revenue growth of 21.6 percent (N171.44 billion) and 21 percent (N17.57 billion) respectively. However, their profits for the periods were N21.73 billion and N1.45 billion, a drop of 0.4 percent and 3 percent respectively.

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THEWILL findings showed that the FMCG firms implemented price increases of their products at least two times in the past one year, leading to higher revenue and increased volume sales as consumers battled to make ends meet. This suggests the inevitability of opportunity as most consumers had to forego certain needs in the course of procuring the goods where they are inevitable.

Among Nigeria’s FMCG firms are Dangote Sugar, Unilever, Nigerian Breweries, Nestle Nigeria, Champion Breweries, Flour Mills of Nigeria, Vital Products and Sona Agro Allied Foods Limited. Others are Dansa Foods Limited, La Casera, Deli Foods, PZ Cussons, CWAY Food & Beverages, Friseland Company, Dufil Prima Foods, Cadbury, Guinness and others.

Firms in the FMCG sector were badly hit at the peak of the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak. The 15-months land border closure also had its toll on these companies as many could not distribute or export their products. Procurement of raw materials was also severely challenged.

The management of Nigerian Breweries Plc revealed that its operations in 2020 were adversely impacted by COVID-19, VAT increase, FX devaluation and scarcity of foreign exchange. Another company that recorded a significant downturn in its operations is Cadbury Nigeria. The beverage producing firm reported a 14.4 percent slump in export sales revenue to N3.3 billion in nine months in 2020 due to the pandemic and closure of the land border.

PZ Cussons and Nestle Nigeria reportedly spent weeks on sea while exporting their products to the West and Central African markets following the land border closure. The outcome of these bold but ‘suicidal’ steps was loss of forex earnings, dwindling revenue, contraction of activities and disengagement of workers. Their ill-fortune also extended to the small businesses engaged in the active supply chain under the backward integration policy.

TURN-AROUND But results of the firms’H1 operations showed a rapid recovery.

As if the economy had singled them out for a special favour, the major FMCG firms listed on The Exchange recorded a quantum leap in their up and bottom lines. Their profitability hit a five-year high and above pre-COVID-19 levels in H1 2021 as their revenue also soared. Data from the firms’ H1 reports showed that the combined profit of Unilever, Nestle Nigeria, Dangote Sugar, Nascon and Flour Mills of Nigeria hit N52 billion as against N42.6 billion in the corresponding period of 2020, representing a 22 percent up-jump.

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Dangote

The FMCGs are products that sell quickly at relatively low cost. They have a short shelf life because of high consumption or because they are perishable. Characteristics of FMCGs include their being frequently purchased, rapidly consumed and sold in large quantities. Their producers and sellers record high turnover amid relatively low profit margins.

A significant point in their performance report was the fact that these firms had been waging a battle of dwindling returns since 2018 before the pandemic struck with its devastating effects on human health and the economy. Their sudden and rapid recovery creates room for realistic prospects among the operators and, also, the firms engaged in backward integration.

PROSPECTS FOR BACKWARD INTEGRATION The fast recovery of the FMCG firms after the double tragedy of the 2020 COVID-19-induced recession and the 15-months land border closure is a ray of hope for the small firms engaged in the backward integration policy. Backward integration is a practice where companies are encouraged to cultivate their own raw materials by purchasing their suppliers or establishing farms to grow produce for their factories. Though conceived in the 80’s, the policy gained momentum in Nigeria following the crash in crude oil prices which started in the fourth quarter of 2014. The government put the measure in place to save foreign exchange, create jobs, productivity and grow the GDP. *Continues online at www. thewillnigeria.com

Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN) recorded a 90 percent profit increase to N15.5 billion in H1 2021, compared to N8.1 billion reported in the corresponding period of 2020. This is the highest profit by any FMCG firm during the review period. Additionally, FMN posted revenue of N450 billion in the period, representing a 48 percent increase as against N304.8 billion in H1 2020. The company’s H1 profit was the highest in the last seven years. Its gross profit followed the same trend: from N43.51 billion to N60.01 billion, a rise of 38 percent in H1 2020 and H12021 respectively.

“Similar to the performance over the last few quarters, our business has been able to sustain the strong performance despite the increasingly difficult terrain and uncertainties,” the company said in its H1 2021 financials.

Dangote Sugar’s pre-tax profit jumped 9 percent from N11.5 billion in H1 2020 to N12.6 billion in H1 2021. Its revenue rose to N132 billion from N103.2 billion achieved in the corresponding period of the previous year, representing 28 percent increase. The case of Unilever was equally significant: The company bounced back to profitability from a loss of N519 million in H1 2020 to a profit of N714.7 billion in H1 2021. It grew its sales by 43 percent from N27.3 billion to N39.1 billion during the review periods.

• Source: NBS

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AVIATION CARGO PERFORMANCE Air freight was the bright spot in air transport for 2020, as the market adapted to keep goods moving — including vaccines, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and vital medical supplies — despite the massive drop in capacity from the bellies of passenger aircraft. Industry-wide available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTKs) fell 21.4 percent year-on-year in 2020. This led to a capacity crunch, with the industry-wide cargo load factor up 7.0 percentage points to 53.8 percent. This is the highest value in the IATA series started in 1990.

At the end of the year, industry-wide Cargo TonneKilometers (CTKs) had returned close to pre-crisis values.

However, the yearly decline in cargo demand (CTKs) was still the largest since the Global Financial Crisis in 2009, at a sizable 9.7 percent year-on-year in 2020. The top five airlines ranked by scheduled cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs) flown were: Federal Express (19.7 billion); United Parcel Service (14.4 billion); Qatar Airways (13.7 billion); Emirates (9.6 billion); Cathay Pacific Airways (8.1 billion)

Assessing $126bn Loss In Global Aviation Industry

Airport passagers

The aviation industry witnessed the worst fortune in 2020 across the globe. ANTHONY AWUNOR x-rays the unusual development which led to the huge losses suffered by operators and other stakeholders in terms of money and business opportunities.

T

he International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released the IATA World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) publication with performance figures for 2020 demonstrating the devastating effects on global air transport during that year of the COVID-19 crisis.

The data shows that 1.8 billion passengers flew in 2020, a decrease of 60.2% compared to the 4.5 billion who flew in 2019. Industry-wide air travel demand (measured in Revenue Passenger-Kilometers, or RPKs) dropped by 65.9% year-on-year.

International passenger demand (RPKs) decreased by 75.6% compared to the preceding year. Also domestic air passenger demand (RPKs) dropped by 48.8 percent compared to 2019. Air connectivity declined by more than half in 2020 with the number of routes connecting airports falling dramatically at the outset of the crisis and was down more than 60 percent year-on-year in April 2020.

According to IATA, total industry passenger revenues fell by 69 percent to $189 billion in 2020, and net losses were $126.4 billion in total. So far, the decline in air passengers transported in 2020 was the largest recorded since global RPKs started being tracked around 1950.

Commenting, Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General said “2020 was a year that we’d all like to forget. But analysing the performance statistics for the year reveals an amazing story of perseverance. At the depth of the crisis in April 2020, 66 percent of the world’s commercial air transport fleet was grounded as governments closed borders or imposed strict quarantines.

“A million jobs disappeared. And industry losses for the year totalled $126 billion. Many governments recognised aviation’s critical contributions and provided financial lifelines and other forms of support. But it was the rapid actions by airlines and the commitment of our people that THEWILLNIGERIA

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“

“In the midst of the crisis, the aviation industry and the fragile airline sub-sector lost a substantial fortune. No fewer than 400,000 airline workers out of the estimated global 46 million aviation employees are yet to return to work; some were laid off or furloughed, while potential aviators are still unable to find jobs in the sector”

saw the airline industry through the most difficult year in its history”.

AIRLINES’ PASSENGER PERFORMANCE System-wide airlines carried 1.8 billion passengers on scheduled services, a decrease of 60.2 percent over 2019. On the average, there was a $71.7 loss incurred per passenger in 2020, corresponding to net losses of $126.4 billion in total. Measured in ASKs (Available Seat Kilometers), global airline capacity plummeted by 56.7 percent, with international capacity being hit the hardest with a reduction of 68.3 percent.

System-wide passenger load factor dropped to 65.1 percent in 2020, compared to 82.5 percent the prior year. The Middle East region suffered the largest proportion of loss for passenger traffic with a drop of 71.5 percent in RPKs versus 2019, followed by Europe (-69.7 percent) and the Africa region (-68.5 percent).

China became the largest domestic market in 2020 for the first time on record, as air travel rebounded faster in their domestic market following their efforts to control.

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AIRLINE ALLIANCES Star Alliance maintained its position as the largest airline alliance in 2020 with 18.7 percent of total scheduled traffic (in RPKs), followed by SkyTeam (16.3 percent) and Oneworld (12.7 percent).

Meanwhile, the global aviation industry has not remained the same. The industry has been one of the hardest-hit since the outbreak of COVID-19 late 2019. With the virus ravaging the entire world resulting in more than four million deaths, the industry was brought to its knees and virtually all the airlines, domestic and/or international, ceased to operate due to flight restrictions.

As the coronavirus continued its global spread, the air industry came to a virtual standstill for the most part of 2020; businesses slid and technical personnel in different fields lost jobs, while families were in disarray.

In the midst of the crisis, the aviation industry and the fragile airline sub-sector lost a substantial fortune. No fewer than 400,000 airline workers out of the estimated global 46 million aviation employees are yet to return to work; some were laid off or furloughed, while potential aviators are still unable to find jobs in the sector.

In its ‘The impact of COVID-19 on the airport business and the path to recovery,’ the Airports Council International (ACI) reported that impact of the COVID-19 crisis removed more than 1 billion passengers for the whole year 2020 compared to the projected baseline (pre-COVID-19 forecast for 2020), representing a decline of 64.6% of global passenger traffic Following the “Great Lockdown” of April 2020, ACI said international passenger traffic was virtually non-existent in the second half of 2020. International passenger volume ended the year below 1 billion passengers, a decrease of more than 75% compared to 2019 volume. Along with the human tragedy, the coronavirus pandemic has affected all aspects of economic and social activities, resulting in several measures taken to revive the aviation industry and travel business.

WIDER ECONOMIC IMPACT The disruption in air travel by the COVID-19 pandemic caused economic slowdown globally as the demand and supply value chain dropped. Several airlines, airports, and other aviation-related operators lost a significant part of their income since mid-March 2020 when the pandemic became more pronounced.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in its report claimed that international passenger traffic suffered a dramatic 60 per cent drop in 2020, bringing air travel totals back to 2003 levels.

According to ICAO, only 1.8 billion passengers took to the sky last year, compared to 4.5 billion in 2019 and the airline sub-sector lost an estimated $370 billion directly resulting from the impacts of pandemic, with airports and air navigation services providers (ANSPs) losing a further $115 billion and $13 billion, respectively.

The global $370 billion drop in gross airline passenger operating revenues represented losses of $120 billion in the Asia/Pacific, $100 billion in Europe and $88 billion in North America, followed by $26 billion, $22 billion and $14 billion in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and Africa, respectively.

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CAPITAL MARKET

Making A Retreat From The Equity Market Lack of benefits is forcing many companies to have a second thought concerning listing on the Nigerian Exchange, writes MIKE UZOR

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igerian Exchange’s (NGX) two delisting windows have become busy of late. On the one hand, the exchange has thrown out four companies from its compulsory delisting window. On the other hand, 11 Plc jumped out from the voluntary exit window. On the compulsory window, the four companies – Evans Medical Plc, Nigerian-German Chemical Plc, Roads Nigeria Plc and Unic Diversified Holdings Plc – were delisted for poor performance on corporate governance and compliance with the rules of the stock exchange.

The main purpose of compulsory delisting is to prevent a stock exchange from misleading investors in making buy/sell decisions on companies that aren’t sound. An exchange’s duty to protect investors is accomplished by ensuring that price makers do not make the wrong prices. Price making at a stock exchange is a function of constant and timely information communicated by listed companies.

Failure to communicate operating information as and when due means that the risk of making a wrong price on a stock is on the increase. Somebody could lose a fortune when a wrong price is made. A stock exchange will be sorry for letting that happen on its platform.

Some compulsory delisting triggers on major exchanges include persistent price closure below a set benchmark, drop in market capitalization, equity capital and revenue below minimum standards.

On the voluntary window, market regulators may have to learn a new lesson – that their own poor performance is fast approaching a flashpoint. More than 12 years from the global financial crisis, NGX has consistently failed to perform its prime function as a medium for public offers for listed companies in need of new money.

Since then, companies, big and small, have lost the primary benefit of being listed on the exchange, which is the vast market for raking in critically needed low cost, risk capital for capacity building, expansions projects and new ventures. Listed companies have therefore stepped back to bank borrowings and rights issues just as do nonlisted companies.

Market regulators so far appear to turn a blind eye to a deep rooted matter on which their very existence depends. NGX appears to be comfortable flying on the secondary market engine for its own survival after losing the main primary market engine that feeds listed companies. Companies are coming to a discovery that being listed has become more of a name than the real benefits of having access to low cost public funding. There is a growing realisation on the part of listed companies that their primary purpose of listing isn’t just to have their shares traded on the exchange.

Trading of listed companies’ shares on the exchange is no more than an incentive; it is indeed a marketing tool for companies seeking new money through public offers.

This is normally the shadow market that is prompted by the primary market that powers companies’ value building operations.

The shadow market for trading listed companies is more for speculative traders than investors where foreign portfolio traders are mostly in charge. No matter how huge the volume of shares exchanged from day to day, it puts no money in the hands of the issuing companies. It doesn’t help a company one bit in pursuit of its corporate purpose of building the value that is mirrored and traded in the secondary market.

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“

Failure to communicate operating information as and when due means that the risk of making a wrong price on a stock is on the increase. Somebody could lose a fortune when a wrong price is made. A stock exchange will be sorry for letting that happen on its platform

The present state of the stock market is somewhat a change in the promise and expectations on the basis of which companies sort exchange listing. Against the promise of low cost public offers, companies undertook to be guided by stricter reporting and corporate governance rules than non-listed companies. Now, having to observe the stringent rules of listing without the attaching benefit is the crux of the matter that is prompting a rethink of exchange listing among companies.

With public offers being a dead-end street, shareholders can organise rights issues on their own without the services of the stock exchange. They can buy and sell the company’s shares at the NASD over-the-counter market and the company can borrow directly or through the issue of debt instruments. A delisted company may still retain its public limited status. Essentially what will change is where its shares are listed and traded – which will be from the stock exchange to the OTC trading platform. If the stock is liquid on the stock exchange, it can be expected to retain its liquidity on the OTC market.

The foregoing appears to underscore a unanimous approval by 11 Plc shareholders for delisting the company’s shares from NGX last year. A press statement issued by the company last February said, “The success of the special resolution was due to the acceptable justifications for the delisting”.

Placing 11 Plc side by side with its non-listed majority shareholder – NIPCO Plc – shareholders apparently found no benefit worth hanging on as a listed company.

“In addition, the shareholders were aware of the successes that NIPCO has recorded at NIPCO Plc and the impressive returns it has churned out to its shareholders over time.

Hence, the total support for the resolution at the AGM”, the press statement said.

According to the company, its shares will still be tradable as they will be listed on the NASD OTC. The delisting, it said, “is only a cessation of trading of the company’s shares on the NSE platform”.

Since stock exchange trading is presently dominated by speculative traders scouting for gains from share price movements, delisting seems promising to reclaim the company from speculators – who have little or no interest in its future back to investors.

Whether exchange listing helps or hurts a company may become an issue in consideration on corporate strategy papers in the immediate years ahead. The message may not be that clear for now, but it is implicit for NGX that the days of armchair business at the exchange are fast rolling over.

The exchange faults companies for persistent noncompliance with its post listing rules. So also are companies beginning to fault the exchange for its inability to heal its long broken primary market leg.

The exchange places companies under delisting watch-lists due to recurring failures to comply with international best practices and corporate governance rules. Companies also expect the exchange to self-examine itself whether it is meeting the international best practices of the benefits that listed companies derive from exchanges.

•Uzor is an economist and investment analyst.

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EZEANI CHINAZA: EYES ON THE BALL THEWILLNIGERIA

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Owing to her near perfect depiction of a typical African mother, content creator, Ezeani Chinaza, more popularly known as Miss Ezeani, has been able to capture an audience that keeps yearning for more of her skit videos. The 24-year-old has an instagram following of over 100,000 and her videos sometimes score as much as 125,000 views on her page alone outside of views from reposts. She speaks to IVORY UKONU on the gains of skit making as well as the challenges that come with it.

I NEVER MADE CONSCIOUS DECISION TO BE A SKIT MAKER – MISS EZEANI H

ow did your journey to becoming a content creator begin?

I was waiting on my National Youth Service Corps posting which was taking a lot of time to materialize. I had always wanted to act too and coupled with the fact that I was a creative dabbling into a lot of creative aspects. I’d draw today, write tomorrow, dance the next then do a skit. All we’re on my Instagram page but I noticed skit making was picking up more traction. People were more excited about it and so I decided to focus more on it. At the time, I didn’t know I could make a living out of it. I just knew it kept people entertained but when I began mingling with other established creators, I realized I could do what I loved and still make a living from it.

The kind of contents you put out varies, all touching various aspects of life. What inspires them?

A lot! Life generally. It could be from movies to normal everyday encounters.

Even though your contents are relatable, especially the ones that feature a Nigerian mum, are they in any way reflective of what happens between you and your mum?

Not at all. My mum was like my sister, she still is. I exaggerate most of that aspect for comedy.

How easy or difficult is it for you to create these contents?

It’s actually very difficult but it gets easier. I am always coming up with new ideas every now and then. When I come up with these ideas, I am usually at a loss as to how to properly interpret them but I just know I want to do them. Most times, I realize how difficult it is translating my idea into actual skits when I am halfway through.

In my creations, I’m everything; from the producer to the director to the actor, the editor, sound mixer etc. It takes between five and ten hours to make a short video.

Your editing skills are top notch. Are you self trained or did you acquire your editing skills in a school?

Thank you. I am hundred percent self-taught. Some with trial and

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error, some with tips from YouTube.

Did you ever think in your wildest imagination that your contents would be well received when you started out?

No. I didn’t think I had it in me. I just knew I loved art and creating stuff. It took like two years of convincing from a friend for me to post my first skit on Instagram.

How did your family react to your decision to be a skit maker, were they receptive or not?

The thing is, I never made a conscious decision to become a skit maker. I just found myself being a skit maker. My dad passed before my skits became popular on social media but with my mum, once she saw I was able to take care of my bills from “pressing phone”, she didn’t mind.

Beyond the feedback you get in the comment section of your Instagram page, what other kinds of feedback have you gotten that spurs you on?

It’s mostly the comments but then looking at my work and seeing what I can create with almost nothing, motivates me to do more.

How about feedback from some of your older colleagues or celebrities?

Oh, it’s amazing. The very first big celebrity to encourage me was music producer Don Jazzy. He told me how wonderful I was doing. It was a feel-good feedback.

What would you consider to be the challenges of skit making?

The Instagram algorithm. It’s not always favorable.

Has this ever made you think about quitting?

No. I didn’t come this far to quit.

Who are some of the people you look up to in the industry?

I look up to a lot of creatives but I would rather not mention names.

With the efforts you put into creating your skits, especially the ones that portray Nollywood, have you thought of trying out your skills in the movie industry?

Yes. I have. I’ll definitely move towards it sooner or later.

Has there ever been an occasion where there was a conflict of interest as regards your contents being quite similar to that of another skit maker’s?

It was a constant when I started. People just don’t understand that an idea can occur to two creatives independent of each other.

They’d flood my comment section with “XYZ already did it”, “why are you trying to be like xyz”. It bothered me then but then I felt, Gucci makes shoes but it hasn’t stopped Louis Vuitton from making shoes too. Everyone has a niche.

Have you ever had to deal with negative comments or online stalkers?

Once you’re in the public light, it’s expected. I ignore most of them and address those I feel I should address.

What was growing up like?

Lonely. I was an only child for 14 years. I did yearn for more company although my parents were there in many ways than one, I wanted more, someone my age. My younger brother arrived much later.

What would you say must have significantly shaped you to be who you are today?

Books. I read a lot of them, thanks to being alone most of the time.

And my family too.

What did you study in school?

I studied English language.

If you weren’t a skit maker, what else do you think you would have excelled in?

Perhaps an artist, a writer or an actress.

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AUGUST 15 - AUGUST 21, 2021 www.thewillnigeria.com

BY SHADE METIBOGUN

HELEN AJAYI GETS HER GROOVE BACK, MODELS FOR ADE BAKARE ON 30TH ANNIVERSARY

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ormer beauty queen, Helen Ajayi seems to have forgotten her past travails and the upheaval the death of her husband, Doctor Tosin Ajayi, the founder of First Foundation Medical Centre caused. The beautiful mother of three has moved on and has gotten her groove back. She was at the 30th anniversary celebration of London based designer, Ade Bakare in the fashion industry. The event was held at the Wheatbaker Hotel in the high brow area of Ikoyi.

For many who thought that age has caught up with the beautiful woman, they were surprised to see that she could still grace the runway with her catwalk as she displayed the couture dress made by the quintessential designer.

The ageless lawyer had fun and mingled with old friends before leaving the event venue.

Many who witnessed the show as she closed the event with her catwalk were happy that she had gotten over the death of her husband and the drama that ensued during his burial

some months ago.

It would be recalled that she was embroiled in an eight month tussle with her late husband’s wife, Yemisi Ajayi and his five older children over the cause of his death, where and how he should be buried and claim of her marital status with the late medical practitioner. The squabble led to a delay in his burial for ten months. There was also mild drama between the warring parties while the burial rites were being conducted.

Unveiling Ezenwa Nerita, Femi Fani-Kayode’s New Found Love A

few weeks ago, it was reported that former Nigeria Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani Kayode, more popularly known as FFK has found love again after his controversial separation from Precious Chikwendu, the mother of his four handsome boys. Ezenwa Nerita, a light skinned exbeauty queen was said to have captured the erstwhile Minister of Aviation’s heart.

Many were not surprised because the handsome politician has a liking for beautiful and light skinned ladies and in recent times, ex-beauty queens. Many are even speculating that both Femi and Nerita might have made their relationship official after the politician posted pictures of Nerita holding a bouquet in an offshoulder wedding dress.

THEWILL reliably gathered that Fani-Kayode and Miss Nerita are indeed an item and Femi is head over heels in love with the ex-beauty queen. They have been sighted at different events together. The most recent one was their courtesy visit to

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Fani-Kayode & Nerita the Oni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi about two months ago. It was also gathered that he has met with Nerita’s mother and siblings and they are regular visitors at his Abuja mansion. They were in attendance during his birthday celebration.

Nerita Ezewa is from Abia state. She attended Government Secondary School, Gwarimpa before going to Cotonu where she bagged a degree in Economics at ISM Adonai

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University, Cotonu, Republic of Benin. She was the Most Beautiful Girl in Abuja Face of Dolce in 2016/2017. She contested for Queen of Aso International and won in 2019/2020. She is the Chief Executive Officer of Nerita Luxury, a company that deals in beddings, perfumes, accessories and clothing. She is also into interior décor, her company, Nerita Homes& Interiors provide unique interiors for both residential and commercial space.

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Daddy Freeze’s Mum Elected Member, Association Of African Universities Board

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Nwogu

PRETTY MIKE BAGS DOCTORATE DEGREE

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ontroversial socialite, Mike EzeNwalie Nwogu also known as Pretty Mike is now a doctor. The brand influencer bagged a doctorate degree in Business Management and Corporate Governance from the European America University, Republic of Panama, Central America.

The elated businessman has since been telling all who cares to listen that they should start addressing him as Doctor Mike. While celebrating his latest achievement, Mike expressed gratitude to his parents, friends and mentors for their support during the brief period that he was studying for the doctorate degree.

He also acknowledged God as his source and urged his fans to rejoice with him as he would not relent in his effort to continue pushing for better days.

Adorning a blue and yellow graduation gown while flaunting the certificate awarded him by the institution, Mike has since been flooding his timeline with pictures and inspiring words about his laudable feat.

Though a business man, Pretty Mike’s claim to fame is pulling bizarre stunts at events and parties. He made headlines last year after storming actor/ philanthropist, Williams Uchemba’s wedding in the company of six pregnant ladies. He was also at Toyin Lawani’s wedding in the company of six ladies each pushing a baby stroller in June this year.

rofessor Elizabetha Smaranda Olarinde, the beautiful mother of controversial On-Air Personality, Ifedayo Olarinde also known as Daddy Freeze, has added another feather to her cap .The light skinned woman has just been elected a member of, Association of African Universities.

The OAP who made this known a few days ago revealed that Prof Elizabeth and Abiodun Adebayo, the Vice Chancellor of Covenant University both won the elective post.

Daddy Freeze who couldn’t hide his excitement at his mother’s

Olarinde

new attainment sent a congratulatory message to her.

Professor Elizabeth Olarinde is both beauty and brain combined.

She seats atop several organizations and associations. She is a legal practitioner and a renowned law professor with a background in Romania and Common Law. She is also the President of the Nigerian Association of Law Teachers and the incumbent Vice Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ekiti State.

Professor Humphrey Abiodun Adebayo on the other hand is an ordained Pastor at Living Faith Church Worldwide otherwise known as Winners Chapel. He started his career as a lecturer at Covenant University and rose through the ranks before he was appointed a full professor of Biochemistry four years ago. He became the 7th Vice Chancellor of Covenant University last year.

Survive or Die, Hollywood Flick Featuring Emmanuella Hits Cinemas Across U.S

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igeria child comedienne, Emmanuella Samuel has continued to soar.

The talented skit maker who started her career at age five is now a popular face on Hollywood screens. It was gathered that Survive or die the movie where she made her Hollywood debut has now hit the cinemas across the United States. According to the producer of the movie, Daniel Okoduwa, negotiations and logistics have been ongoing for a while to ensure that movie lovers in the diaspora

Samuel

enjoy the film. It was first put up on different streaming platforms which was a huge success having enjoyed massive views before it began showing at the cinemas. Many of the international fans of the kid comedienne who heard the news have expressed their excitement about the good news. They also promised to support her career by going to watch the movie when it starts showing. Emmanuella features as a guest star in the movie. She acted as a “Ghost” who was hunting Shade, the lead character.

Survive or die tells the story of a young girl, Shade who made it out from a war- torn African country and battled for survival as she finds herself in an uninhabited part of Australia. It also amplifies the plights of immigrants who risk their lives in their search for better opportunities in the face of harsh realities.

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AUGUST 15 - AUGUST 21, 2021 www.thewillnigeria.com

BY IVORY UKONU

Leo Stan Ekeh, Paul Adefarasin bag Forbes Best of Africa Awards

ENE MAYA LAWANI BOUNCES BACK AFTER END SARS ATTACK

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Lawani

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hey say when life serves you lemon, you should make lemonade from it instead of wallowing in self-pity. This, former beauty queen, Ene Maya Lawani has incorporated into her business life. She is gradually recouping what is left of her investment after the devastating loss she suffered during the End Sars protest that rocked the nation last year. Her millinery studio, Enemaya, located at Shoprite, Adeniran Ogunsanya, Surulere, Lagos, was one of the shops which got looted by hoodlums. This ugly incident which happened just a few weeks to her 10th year

anniversary as a milliner, saw the studio vandalized and everything in sight carted away. It was indeed a dark period for her as she was unable to salvage anything from what she had built in the last ten years, from her sweat and hard work.

Ten months after the ugly incident, the business woman who is currently based in Abuja, is staging a comeback with the recent launch of her new millinery collection called Femme de Luxe, in celebration of Avant Garde femininity. A former Miss Nigeria, a beauty pageant she won in 2004, Ene is regarded as the longest reigning

queen of the pageant, by no fault of hers but due to the ineffectiveness of the pageant organisers. She eventually relinquished the crown in 2010 when a new queen was crowned. During and after her reign, Ene took both the Lagos fashion and social scene by storm, doing it all effortlessly with luxury lifestyle king, John Obayuwana of Polo Limited by her side. But with the demise of the relationship, Ene retreated from the social scene and relocated to Abuja where she lives a quiet life tending only to her millinery business and her Abuja based lover.

Terry Waya’s Ex-wife, Susan, Eyes Benue Govt House S

Waya

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usan Waya, the ex-wife to billionaire businessman, Terry Waya has a dream and that dream is to one day, sleep and wake up in Benue State government house as the governor come 2023. Even though she currently resides in the United Kingdom as a business analyst, it remains to be seen how she plans to achieve this feat, if her dream doesn’t fizzle out before then. Susan recently took to her social media page to share a campaign e-flier where she declared her interest to join the race which will no doubt, be keenly contested for.

“Who is coming with me? There’s no right time to do this,” she captioned her post.

She plans to actualize her dream on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Whether her ex-husband, whom she is still on good terms with, would be supporting her dream, remains to be seen. But if he does support her, he will most likely go all out, financially and otherwise to ensure that she clinches the ticket.

ast week, both Pastor Paul Adefarasin, founder and senior pastor of House on the Rock church and chairman of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, both bagged awards at the 2021 Forbes Best of Africa Award, one of the most prestigious awards on the continent.

Adefarasin bagged the prestigious award of the Most Influential Personality in Africa. In addition to receiving the award, Adefarasin who is also the president of Rock Foundation, delivered the keynote speech on the day of the award titled, Leadership and Philanthropy.

An architect by training, Adefarasin who is married to Pastor Ifeanyi Adefarasin is also an author and the convener of “The Experience” - the largest gospel musical event in Africa.

Similarly, Ekeh, a serial digital entrepreneur, bagged the Forbes Best of Africa Leading Tech Icon Award. This award for Ekeh, is the latest in a long list of local and international awards and recognitions he has received in his over three decades of pioneering Information and Communications Technology space in Africa. Ekeh was singled out for founding the most integrated ICT group in Africa with influence in four continents. He

Adefarasin & Ekeh was also honoured for pioneering e-commerce, desktop publishing and computer graphics, wireless cloud and WiMAX, the first locally assembled and internationally certified computer brand – Zinox, digital dispensing pumps for fuel and gas stations as well as the biometric revolution for elections, among others in Africa.

Other recipients of the Forbes Best of Africa Award are Mr. Sam Matekane, Kwame Bediako, Mr. Mahmood Ahmadu, Ms. Wendy Ackerman, Dr. Rajan Mahtani, Mr. Ken Sharpe and Claver Gatete.

The Forbes Best of

Africa awards recognizes and rewards changemakers, individuals and organizations that have made a remarkable difference on the African continent, improving the lives of millions across the region in the areas of entrepreneurship, technology, leadership, vision and influence despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

And this is made possible by an independent, foreign network of individuals using intelligent data gathered across various platforms after months of intense research and thorough verification exercise.

Orode Uduaghan Keeps a Low Profile

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one are the days when Orode, the daughter of the immediate past governor of Delta State, Emmanuel Uduaghan caught the media bug and more often than not, appeared on the gossip pages of tabloids for one thing or the other; either for her charity work, or for her work in film or for her marriage which the media feasted on hungrily. Not any more now as Orode and everything that has to do with her, has taken a back seat since her marriage ended on a sad note. When she walked down the aisle in 2011 to the love of her life, Ryan Okpu at only 22, many wished her well

and hoped that the union would last. But alas, they were both unable to keep the threads that held her marriage together. They both ended things in 2016, citing irreconcilable differences as their reason.

The union produced two

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children. Many alluded to the fact that her husband married her as his meal ticket but then things degenerated so fast between them when he realized he wasn’t going to be living the life of luxury he had envisioned marrying a governor’s daughter. While Ryan has since remarried, Orode hasn’t, preferring instead to spend her time running her Pink Pearl Foundation that helps women battling with breast cancer, embracing film production, mentoring younger ones and sharing the good news of the gospel via her Youtube channel.

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AUGUST 15 - AUGUST 21, 2021 www.thewillnigeria.com

BY IVORY UKONU

MERCY AIGBE’S ESTRANGED HUSBAND, LANRE GENTRY FINDS LOVE AGAIN

Gentry & Busayo

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opefully in about a month’s time, the media space would take a breather from the constant diatribe between actress and entrepreneur, Mercy Aigbe and her estranged husband, Lanre Gentry, as the hotelier plans to return to the married men’s club next month.

The lucky lady, Busayo whom he will be tying the knot with is only 24 years old. Despite the huge age gap between them, they seem to be in love as could be depicted from a video Gentry posted on social media a week ago showing off his soon-tobe wife, while the young lady couldn’t help but gush about how lucky she is to have him all to

herself, and even referring to him as her property.

Since his separation from Mercy Aigbe in 2017, over allegations of infidelity and domestic violence, the estranged couple created a pattern whereby on each Father’s Day, they would both come on social media to rain insults on each other.

Their bone of contention is usually who caters for her two children. While Mercy, as is her custom would post a cryptic message on Father’s Day and throw subtle shade at her estranged husband, insisting that she is solely responsible for taking care of the bills of her two children, one of who is a product of her union with him, Gentry rather than let the shade

slide, would in turn post his own direct message at her, insisting that he is the one responsible for the upkeep of her two children including her first daughter from her first marriage. Gentry would then go on to slut shame her and slam her for living a fake life. To crown it all, Mercy revealed that she is yet to be divorced from him as he has refused to accept the divorce papers, not to mention signing them and he also refused to appear in court for divorce proceedings.

Perhaps before the wedding between him and Busayo happens, he may finally sign the divorce papers and the constant mudslinging would finally stop.

Bisoye Fagade Feeds Party Guests With Reptiles

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here seems to be some form of competition these days among party hosts on who throws the most talked about parties, what with the various strategies being deployed to make parties trend.

In an attempt to top this impressionable list, the CEO of Sodium Brand Solution, Bisoye Fagade, chose to literarily ‘visit the zoo’ to pick choice reptiles to serve his guests when he hosted them to his late mother, Deaconess Comfort’s burial ceremony recently in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. From crocodiles to huge snakes, the marketing communications expert turned politician had on display, barbecued reptiles that surprisingly looked pleasing to the eyes. Some of his guests who relished these delicacies were the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji; Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi,

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Fagade Oba Saheed Elegushi, House of Representative member, Shina Peller, AIG Tunji Alapini (rtd), Prince Segun Oniru etc. A former Oyo

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State governorship aspirant, Fagade who is also a youth mentor has his tentacles spread across the hospitality industry, oil and gas etc.

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Stephanie Coker Remembers Late Parents In-Law

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DOLAPO BADMUS CELEBRATES 44TH BIRTHDAY AT LAGOS MARRRIOT HOTEL

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he newly launched Lagos Marriot Hotel is obviously the ‘it’ place to be as virtually everyone; from VIPs to regular people who can afford to, all want to have a taste of the luxurious hospitality the international brand has to offer. The most recent known face who wanted a feel of the hotel’s hospitality is Chief Superintendent of Police, Ifedolapo Badmus. Dolapo who held various positions in the police force including being an Aide de Camp to a former number four citizen in the country, took time out to host some of the creme of society to her 44th birthday party on Thursday August 4th. Dressed in a long flowing sequined gown, she feted family and friends to sumptuous meals and drinks from the hotel’s kitchen. One of the highlights of the birthday party was her taking to the dance floor with her mum and kids.

A controversial police officer, Dolapo was reprimanded twice late last year on account of gross misconduct by the police hierarchy.

This in no small way contributed to a drastic reduction in her regular social media commentary. She was at one point dubbed an ‘Instagram police officer,’ for always dabbling into matters on social media outside of her jurisdiction.

arely two months after she and her husband, Olumide Aderinokun were conferred with the chieftaincy titles of Akinruiyiwa and Yèyé Akinruiyiwa of Owu kingdom by the Olowu of Owu kingdom, Oba Olusanya Adegboyega Dosunmu, the beautiful media personality about two weeks ago hosted the crème de la crème of high society to a high-octane party in celebration of the life and times of her parents in-law, Dr Kehinde and Deaconess Olabisi Adunni Aderinokun.

While her father in-law passed on years ago, her mother in-law passed on in July of 2020 and was buried shortly after. But it

wasn’t until recently that the Aderinokuns decided to host guests to a burial party, perhaps owing to the Covid19 pandemic which in a way restricted them from throwing their ideal kind of party.

Having waited until a year after her death, they decided to just call the party a remembrance/ thanksgiving one for the matriarch and patriarch of the Aderinokun family.

The party which took place at The Monarch event centre had King Sunny Ade on the band stand. Besides the regular socialites on the Lagos party scene who attended, her immediate constituency, the media/ entertainment industry, was well represented.

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CORRIGENDUM: Fola Ogunlesi Loses son to Cerebral Malaria

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HEWILL regrets its error in an earlier story that concerns a member of the Ogunlesi family which has since been discovered to be inaccurate in light of new discovery that Olumide Ogunlesi is alive and not dead. THEWILL has instead reliably gathered that Fola Ogunlesi jnr,

Ogunlesi

one of the sons of Fola Ogunlesi, the eldest of the Ogunlesi brothers (made up of Lanre Ogunlesi and Kayode Ogunlesi), is the one who died as a result of Cerebral Malaria, the most severe neurological complication of infection with plasmodium falciparum malaria. He did not die by suicide as a result of depression.

Fola, who lives in England, succumbed to the illness due to his low immunity, according to sources close to the family.

THEWILL apologizes for the error, mix up and embarrassment that our previous report may have caused the Ogunlesi family.

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AUGUST 15 - AUGUST 21, 2021 www.thewillnigeria.com

BY IVORY UKONU

Gbenga Daniel Unites Members of Political Opposition Parties For Daughter’s Wedding I

t has been called by many, the wedding of the year due to the preparations, the number of events held that culminated into the actual ceremony as well as the caliber of persons who registered their presence at the wedding between media entrepreneur, Debola Williams and Kehinde Daniel, daughter of ex Ogun State governor, Gbenga Daniel.

His daughter’s wedding had the hallmarks of his first son’s wedding which held last year.

Here are tit bits from the lavish ceremonies

PARTIAL ADHERENCE TO COVID19 PROTOCOLS

For a wedding of that caliber, where one would expect Covid19 protocols to be taken very seriously, what with the third wave of the virus claiming more lives than one can possibly imagine, everyone present was at the mercy of the virus. Save for some who had on their face masks and face shields which they removed intermittently, some of the guests couldn’t be bothered.

THE WEDDING VENUE

Many had expected the wedding to take place at Gbenga Daniel’s multi billion naira Conference Hotel in Abeokuta, Ogun State. But instead, the families of the couple opted for the Balmoral event center at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island. Not only would it have been an opportunity for the former governor to show off the numerous amenities available for guests to enjoy at his hotel, it would have been the biggest event to take place at the hotel since it was opened to the general public late 2019. The hotel had been under lock and key for the greater part of the immediate past Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun’s administration for what Amosun termed land encroachment and Daniel’s use of public funds to build the hotel. The hotel was eventually released to Daniel shortly after he decamped to the incumbent governor, Dapo Abiodun’s camp during the 2019 general elections. Besides, a gas explosion at the hotel about three months ago which left two people dead may

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The couple

perhaps be one of the reasons why the ceremonies were all held in Lagos.

THE THREE-IN-ONE WEDDING/ EVENT Saturday August 8th started out with the holy solemnization of the couple.

This was followed shortly after with an engagement ceremony. A pre engagement dinner had held a day before.

Then there was a wedding reception. And to round up events was an after party that saw the wedding venue literally turned into a ‘night club’. Everything happened at the Federal Palace Hotel.

THE LEGION OF OFFICIATING GOSPEL MINISTERS

The first order of events of the day was the white wedding which was officiated by a legion of ministers of the gospel. The solemnisation was conducted by Rev Dr Rufus Ositelu who was ably assisted by Rev Dr Israel Adelani Akanji, Rev Dr Michael Fape, Bishop Akin Akinsanya, Rt Rev Gboyega, Rev Dr Wale Sulola, Prelate of the Methodist church, his eminence, Dr Samuel Chukwuemeka Kanu Uche, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, Pastor Tony Rapu and Tunde Bakare.

WHY THERE WERE FOUR MASTERS OF CEREMONIES

There were four masters of ceremonies who steered proceedings at the wedding, one of who was ace broadcaster and MC of repute, Bisi Olatilo. It was indeed a pleasant surprise to see Olatilo back to doing what he knows how to do best, especially after his harrowing experience with the deadly Covid19 virus. He represented the older generation. Apart from him, actor and MC of note, Yemi Shodimu represented the middle aged guests while actor/comedian, Bovi Ugbomah and Big Brother Naija host, Ebuka

The couple, bride’s parents, Osinbajo, Balogun Obi-Uchendu represented the younger generation who were guests of the couple.

It is instructive to note that Yemi Shodimu was a special adviser on information when Gbenga Daniel was the governor.

THE PERFORMING ARTISTES

Besides Waje who performed a soulful song as the bride was walked in by her dad, King Sunny Ade also performed a medley of his songs to the delight of the older guests at some point during the ceremonies.

Veentage band was also on hand to thrill the audience from their repertoire of songs.

GOVERNORS HONOR GBENGA DANIEL

Six state governors thought it necessary to attend the wedding. They were Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Sokoto state governor, Aminu Tambuwal; Ondo state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu; Ekiti state governor, Kayode Fayemi; Kebbi state governor, Atiku Bagudu and Jigawa state governor, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.

DAPO ABIODUN’S CONSPICUOUS ABSENCE

The Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun was conspicuously absent at the party. His absence may not be unconnected to the death of his father, Dr Emmanuel Adesanya Abiodun, which happened four days before the wedding. So it is safe to say that he is still mourning

his father who died at the age of 89 and whom he was quite close to. His deputy, Engr Mrs Noimot Salako Oyedele ably represented him.

THE WEDDING, A POLITICAL MELTING POINT

The saying that in politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests, aptly played out at the wedding as the lines between the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the ruling party, All Progressives Congress, APC, was perfectly blurred.

Besides the governors who left the job of steering the ships of their various states to attend the wedding, the wedding witnessed a huge number of politicians who are members of both parties, all of who interacted animatedly with each other. This may not be unconnected to the fact that the host was once a long standing, card carrying member of the opposition party but is now currently a member of the ruling party.

Despite his cross carpeting, Otunba Gbenga Daniel has managed to maintain his relationship with members of both parties.

THAT GLOW ON TITI OSENI GOMEZ

The glow on the former speaker of the Ogun State house of assembly under Gbenga Daniel’s tenure, is a testament to the fact that she is having the best of time in her second marriage. Titi who used to be a card carrying

member of PDP before cross carpeting to African Democratic Congress, ADC and later to APC, looked every inch a happy and fulfilled woman and many couldn’t help but marvel from afar and from within earshot how that she made the right decision to move on and settle with someone who she is truly happy with. The politician who used to be married to Kunle Oseni is currently enjoying marital bliss with her second husband, businessman, Frank Olawale Gomez.

OSCAR IBRU IS BACK

That Oscar Ibru, the life of any party is back on the social scene, would be simply stating the obvious.

The 63 year old who ‘kicked Covid19’s ass’, in his own words, has been traversing the Lagos party scene like he did before the deadly virus kept him hovering between life and death for at least seven weeks. For that reason, he can’t stop thanking God for another chance at life. The very jovial and deep pocketed socialite was at the wedding dressed in his native regalia and looking as bubbly as ever.

ENTERTAINMENT CONSTITUENCY WELL REPRESENTED

Even though the groom, Debola Williams is a media entrepreneur, his friends spread across all facets of life, particularly the entertainment industry. And they did not disappoint him as they were well represented in their

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numbers. Some of those who made it to his wedding were, Richard Mofe Damijo, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Timi Dakolo, Omawunmi Megbele, Lala Akindoju, Toke Makinwa, Chioma Akpotha, Omoni Oboli, Ufuoma McDermott, Banky W and wife, Adesua Etomi, Kaffy Shafau, Chioma Omeruah, Sola Sobowale, Mo Abudu, Mawuli Gavor, Kemi Adetiba, Tola Odunsi etc.

ROLL CALL OF DIGNITARIES

Some of the dignitaries in attendance were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame Peace Jonathan, Otunba Subomi Balogun, former Niger state governor, Babangida Aliyu, Mrs Alice Moji Obasanjo, former speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, former Anambra state governor, Peter Obi, Senator Florence Ita Giwa, Erelu Abiola Dosunmu, former Delta state governor, James Ibori and his wife, Senami Sosu, Oba Saheed Elegushi and his wife, Olori Sekinat, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, former Ogun state governor, Segun Osoba, former Osun state governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, minister of transport, Rotimi Amaechi, Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sherrif Oborevwori, Rt. Hon. Victor Ochei, an executive director for Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services of NIMASA etc.

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AUGUST 15 - AUGUST 21, 2021 www.thewillnigeria.com

BUSINESS NEWS VAT: CITN Reacts To Rivers Court Judgment

BY SAM DIALA he Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) has reacted to the recent judgment of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, declaring as unconstitutional the collection of the Value Added Tax (VAT) by the Federal Government through the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

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In a judgment delivered by Justice Stephen Pam of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt Division, Rivers State, it was held that the Rivers State Government, and not the Federal Government, is empowered to collect VAT and Personal Income Tax (PIT) in the State.

L-R: Olamidun Majekodunmi, Country Director for Nigeria, Nexford University; Abubakar Suleiman, Managing Director and CEO of Sterling Bank Plc; Fadl Al Tarzi,CEO, Nexford University, and Obinna Ukachukwu, Divisional Head, Health and Education Sectors, Sterling Bank Plc, during the signing of the partnership in Lagos recently.

The court held that there was no constitutional provision backing the collection of VAT, Withholding Tax, Education Tax and Technology Levy in Rivers State or any other state of the Federation by the FIRS. It declared that the Federal Government is restricted by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to taxation of incomes, profits and capital gains.

AMCON Debunks Take-Over Bid Of Dangote Refinery T

The Court further declared that the said taxes do not in any way include VAT or any other levy other than those specifically mentioned in Items 58 and 59 of the Exclusive Legislative List of the Constitution.

Leadership reports that some online news platforms had reported that Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, could forfeit the Dangote Refinery over a $7 billion debt burden owed to commercial banks in the country with a possible takeover by AMCON.

“In the Registered Trustees of Hotel Owners and Managers Association of Lagos v. A. G. Federation, the court invalidated some of the provisions of the VAT Act. In Ukala v. FIRS, the court nullified the VAT Act. In A.G. Rivers v.

F.I.R.S., it has been reported that the court has nullified the VAT Act and empowered the States to impose, demand and collect VAT within their States.”

BY ANTHONY AWUNOR

he Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has declared as false a recent newspaper publication that it mulls taking over the Dangote Refinery over debts owed by the Dangote Group to banks.

AMCON said neither Dangote Refinery nor the Dangote Group is on its debtors’ list such as could warrant its taking over of the assets.

up in the World billionaires’ list as his fortune increased to $17.8billion as against last year’s $14.8billion to emerge as the only Nigerian in the Bloomberg’s yearly top billionaire lists.

Other Africans on the lists are three South Africans. They are Johann Rupert and family, worth $10.1billion; Nicky Oppenheimer with a worth of $7.80billion and Natie Kirsh who is reputed to be worth $7.15billion. Nassef Sawiris from Egypt is also among African billionaires with a worth of $6.93 billion.

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index is a daily ranking of the world’s richest people. In calculating net worth, Bloomberg News strives to provide the most transparent calculations available, and each individual billionaire profile contains a detailed analysis of how that person’s fortune is tallied.

The CITN said “the Institute is restricting itself to the vexed issue of the constitutionality of the Value Added Tax”, adding that there had been previous court decisions nullifying the VAT Act or parts thereof.

The Institute also cited the case involving the Hotel Owners and Managers Association of Lagos.

“From the foregoing decisions, it is evident that this is not the first time that the VAT Act has been declared unconstitutional.

It could be recalled that AMCON had in 2010 purchased 12,743 bad loans worth N3.8 trillion from 22 Eligible Financial Institutions (EFIs) for a purchase price of N1.8 trillion.

According to AMCON, Dangote Refinery was not part of the bad debts that it took over and there was no way it would be taking over the assets of the company now.

The index is a dynamic measure of personal wealth based on changes in markets, the economy and Bloomberg reporting.

Each net worth figure is updated every business day after the close of trading in New York. Stakes in publicly traded companies are valued using the share’s most recent closing price. Valuations are converted to U.S. dollars at current exchange rates.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) had recently approved the acquisition of 20 per cent minority stake by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in the Dangote Petroleum and Petrochemical Refinery.

Dangote, who remains the richest man in Africa for the 8th year running, was the only Nigerian on the list of the top 120 billionaires, as released on Monday by Bloomberg in its yearly billionaires list.

“As soon as we receive the certified true copy of the judgement, our legal advisers will study it and advise us accordingly. When that is done in the next few weeks, the Institute will take an informed position and the public will be duly communicated.

The Dangote Oil Refinery, is a 650,000-barrel per day (BPD) integrated refinery project under construction in the Lekki Free Zone, Lagos, Nigeria.

Ellon Musk and jeff Bezos are the richest in the world with $194billion in their respective kitty while Bernard Arnault and Bill Gates followed respectively with $174billion and $148 billion. Mark Zuckerberg was the fifth richest with $135 billion on the world’s billionaires chart.

“We are mindful of our statutory mandate as the only Institute that controls and regulates the tax profession and tax practice in all its ramifications, and we will not shirk our responsibility to the public in all matters relating to taxation in Nigeria,” the statement declared.

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote has significantly moved

Sterling Bank Reports N5.7bn PAT in H1 2021

BY SAM DIALA

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The body said it was waiting for the appellate courts to take a definite position on the matter before making its comments on the recent judgment.

espite the prevailing difficult macro-economic environment, Sterling Bank Plc, , has reported a profit after tax (PAT) of N5.691 billion for the first half of 2021.

This was achieved on gross earnings of N68.609 billion for the half year ended June 30, 2021 compared to gross earnings of N66.541 billion it declared in the corresponding period of 2020. This represents a 5.097 percent growth in net profit, from N5.415 billion in the first half of 2020, and 3.108 percent in gross earnings.

Reflecting on the financial highlights of the accounts, the Managing Director and CEO of Sterling Bank, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, remarked that the bank’s net interest income also appreciated by 2.619 percent to close at N30.986 billion, compared with N30.195 billion for the corresponding period of THEWILLNIGERIA

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2020 while net fees and commission income rose markedly by 57.738 percent to finish the first half of the year at N8.368 billion as against N5.305 billion in June 30, 2020.

Sterling Bank’s cash and balances with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) stands at N331.748 billion as at June 30, 2021 as against N303.314 billion during the corresponding period in 2020, while loans and advances to customers grew to N646.883 billion as at the first half of this year from N596.827 billion during the corresponding period of last year.

Earnings per share (EPS) rose to 20 kobo from 19 kobo, while non-performing loans closed the mid-year at 1.79 percent as against 1.90 percent in 2020.

The board of directors of the bank is confident that barring any unforeseen circumstances, this trend would be improved upon in the remaining period of the financial year.

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Sterling Bank Plc is a leading national commercial banking establishment in Nigeria. It commenced operations as NAL Bank in 1960. Presently, with total assets of N1.393 trillion, 157 business offices and more than 800 ATMs nationwide, it has grown into a major financial institution and prides itself as ‘Your One-Customer Bank’ that celebrates each customer as a unique individual.

With a strategic focus on the Health, Education, Agriculture, Renewable Energy and Transportation (H.E.A.R.T.) sectors, it is engaged in commercial banking services with emphasis on retail, commercial and corporate banking, trade services, investment banking activities and non-interest banking. It also provides wholesale banking services including the granting of loans and advances; letter of credit transactions, money market operations, electronic banking products and other banking activities.

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STATE OF THE STATES

BY SAM DIALA & OLAYEMI SHABA

Introduction:

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here are concerns that Nigeria’s deepening revenue challenge may escalate into a financial implosion, with the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (sub-nationals), being the worst hit. The situation is aggravated by the nation’s escalating public debt stock (standing at N33.107 trillion as of March 31, 2021), consuming a huge amount of money for debt servicing.

The debt stock comprises domestic and external loan obligations of the Federal Government and the subnationals.

With over 70 percent of the nation’s revenue committed to debt servicing annually, governments at all levels are struggling to survive. There is little left for capital budget,

State of the States, a bi-weekly publication, will periscope two states per edition. It endeavours to unearth hidden treasures in each state and ascertain, through consultations and evidence-based survey, areas of comparative advantages and economies of scale. The publication will show-case, in no exaggerated terms, the socio-economic status of each state and highlights the opportunities and threats.

pay salaries and undertake other priorities to grow the economy. Moreover, there is a limit to which the people and corporates could be taxed. Yet, profligacy takes the centre of our governance space while frugality assumes the back seat.

As such, the sub-nationals are hemorrhaging huge resources in paying salaries and other emoluments of a bloated bureaucracy. To survive, they are urged to diversify their resource base, embark on aggressive internally generated revenue (IGR) and depend less on shrinking federal allocations.

Furthermore, State of the States will examine existing realities that hinge on sector-specific competitive advantage – Agriculture, Tourism, Transportation, Education & Skill Acquisition, Wellbeing and MSMEs. Ultimately, the project seeks to create the desired spotlight on the sub-nationals to motivate them into something different for better results. We have featured Lagos, Ogun, Kwara and Kogi State.

The purpose of the State of the States project, is to present evidence-based alternatives. These include avenues for the sub-nationals to become more viable and less dependent on the proceeds of the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) – referred to as Abuja handout.

This week periscopes Anambra and Enugu.

ANAMBRA

Anambra State was first created in February 1976 from then East Central State. Its present status excludes Enugu which was carved out in August 1991 with the valley of the lower Anambra River, which is a tributary of the Niger River.

The northern part of the state consists of open grassland with occasional woodlands and clusters of oil palm trees. The southern part includes a tropical rainforest

Agriculture is of great significant to the state’s economy with major produce such as yams, taro, oil palm produce, rice, corn, cassava, and citrus fruits as the principal crops.

Other agro-based activities include fish farming and animal husbandry. The state is also popular with industries, including textile manufacturing, foundry, tools and brewery.

Onitsha is the business and economic capital and one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing commercial cities, with one of the largest markets in West Africa, while Nnewi is the home of industries for manufacturing of motor vehicle parts. Onitsha has one of the nation’s largest inland river ports.

The state has a land area of 1,870 sq km and an estimated population of 5.35 million people.

Its location as Eastern Gateway positions it for strategic business and economic development among the South-East and South-South regions.

NATURAL RESOURCES Anambra is rich in natural resource natural gas, crude oil, bauxite, ceramic. It has an almost 100 percent arable soil. Lead, zinc, and lignite are also mined in the southern part of the state.

OIL AND GAS Being a state rich in oil and gas, Orient Petroleum Resource Ltd, (OPRL) was licensed in June 2002, by the Federal Government to construct a private refinery with a capacity of 55,000 barrels per day. The foundation-laying ceremony of the was performed in 2012 as a private refinery, making Anambra to became an oil-producing state.

INDUSTRY Anambra is one of the most industrialised states in Nigeria, with many SMEs engaged in organised value chain activities.

Onitsha Inland River Port is a major economic advantage to the state.

TOURISM Tourist attractions include Ogba waterfalls located in Owerre-Ezukala town. It is a waterfall in front of the Ogba Ukwu cave. It is listed tentatively as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Agulu Lake is located in Anaocha Local Government Area. This lake has a width of about 7km and is endowed with different species of crocodiles and fish.

Fishing is not allowed on the lake and the crocodiles are not to be hunted.

The Odinani Museum is located in Nri and was founded by the Archaeology Department of the University of Ibadan. It has received wide recognition for its documentation of the ancient Nri Kingdom whose monarchy dates back to about 900 AD. Located at Ogbunike, Anambra state are the Ogbunike caves. These caves were discovered 100 of years ago by a hunter that was known as Ukwa. These caves are situated in a tropical rain forest very close to the Ogba hills.

Anambra State Government in a bid to earn more income for the state and create more job opportunity has decided to fast-track the Tourism industry .

It commissioned its international cargo airport recently.

FACT-FILE Numbers of businesses: 1,220

Number of registered vehicles: 3,797 Pupils in public primary schools: 584,170 (2009) Public secondary schools: 504 (2009) Enrolment in private secondary schools: 13,102 (2009)

University: Three - 1 federal, 2 states.

Polytechnic: Two – 1 federal, 1 state.

College of Education: Two - 1 federal, 1 state One state technical school Total Revenue: N78.92 billion (2020 FAAC Allocation: N50.91 billion (2020) 64.51% of total revenue IGR: N28 billion (2020) 35.49% of total revenue

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External debt: $108 (2020)

million

Domestic debt - N59.97 billion (2020)

Niger bridge

Onitsh river port

Total Tax: N15.84 billion (2020)

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STATE OF THE STATES

Anambra: Driving Industrialisation, Modern Agriculture on Fast Lane

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nambra is Nigeria’s fourth largest economy (after Lagos, Rivers and Abuja) with a GDP of $6.74 billion. It is on the fast lane to industrialistion. According to Debt Management Office (DMO), Anambra has one of the lowest domestic debts and highest internally generated revenue profiles.

Anambra has frontally tackled its revenue challenge – a major stumbling block to the economic development of many states.

From all indications, the state realises its potential as an industrialised economy and the government is firing from all cylinders towards that. This has become a priority to the current government with focus on human capital development, infrastructure, security and conducive environment for domestic

and foreign investors. The export oriented-policy of the government has also created an environment to promote private sector-driven economy.

The state had launched a unique project for export of agricultural products to Europe. In 2016, it commenced a working relationship with ABX World – a Nigerian-based courier/ cargo company, partnering with Arik Air and Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL), to airfreight agro-allied exports to Europe.

The NBS Unemployment and Underemployment report for the third quarter of 2020 (Q3 2020) showed that Anambra had the lowest unemployment rate (13.1 percent) among the 36 states of the federation and the FCT. It also had the lowest

underemployment rate, (17 percent) in Q2, 2020”.

Anambra ranked among 10 top revenue generating and least indebted states in 2020.

Under its unique tax awareness campaign, the state has created an avenue for the effective capturing of taxpayers in both formal and informal sectors via Anambra Social Service Identity Number (ANSSID). This is a unique identification number for every transaction with the state government. Findings showed that about 400,000 tax payers were captured as of December 2020. Community Revenue Officers (CROs) have been deployed to effectively relate with taxpayers across the 181 communities.

It is driving industrialisation and modern agriculture on the fast lane.

Challenging Factors: Fast-growing insecurity in the SouthEast, large number of touts in several uniforms, traffic congestion, poor electricity supply, lack of potable water, high cost of business operations.

ENDOWNMENT AND INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Tourism: Developing the existing tourist locations will launch the state further ahead of the others in terms of development.

Tools/Parts Production: The large number of industries will depend on quality fabricated tools and parts to boost local production

Hotel & Guest House: The large number of visitors for business, especially with the commissioning of the state’s new airport, will boost hotel business.

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Agriculture: There is huge potential for production of yam flour and related items.

Agent Banking/Mobile Money Services: The huge commercial activities will require effective non-bank financial services

Private Security Service: Many businesses would prefer to outsource their security needs than permanent engagement of the personnel.

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Maritime: River Niger provides opportunity for transportation, trawler, fishing activities

Supermarkets & Grocery: This will offer job opportunities to many and boost SMEs.

Textile: Revival of Onitsha Textile Mill will boost industrialisation

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STATE OF THE STATES

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ENUGU

billion (68.74% of total revenue) IGR @ 2020: N23.65 billion (32.16% of total revenue)

reated on August 7, 1991, out of old Anambra, Enugu state is located in South- Total Tax @ 2020: N13.45 billion East Nigeria. The capital, Enugu, was the headquarters of the old Eastern Nigeria, now made up of the South-East and part of the South-South geo-political zones. Domestic Debt: N68,088 billion It sits on top of a hilly land mass area of 7,534.0 sq. km with estimated population of 4.41 million people. Its status as the base of the old colonial administrative headquarters External Debt: $24.23 million confers some aura of myth and admiration of the place, popularly called the Coal City, (after its huge deposit of coal).

Pupils in Primary Schools: 246,751 (2009) Agriculture plays an important role in the state’s economy and offers the largest window of employment among the people who engage in the production of yams, oil palm, taro, Public Primary Schools: 1,485 (2009) corn, rice and cassava – their major crops. The state is rich in mineral resources such as coal and iron ore. There are also huge deposits of limestone, fine clay, marble, and silica Public Secondary schools: 498 (2009) sand.

Private secondary schools: 102 (2007) Enugu has many places of tourist attraction – both natural and man-made. These include: the Enugu Museum, Milken Hills, Ezeagu Complex, Awhum Cave and Waterfall, Enrolment in public secondary schools: 75,643 (2009) Ngwo Caves and Waterfall, Awhum Monastery in Universities: Six - 1 federal, 1 state, 4 private Udi, Opi Lake Complex, Ogelube Lake. Others are Polytechnics: Four – 1 state, 3 private Polo Amusement Park, Nike Lake Resort, Ngwo Pine Colleges of education: Five – 1 state, 4 private Forest, Ogelube Lake, Polo Amusement Park, Ani Local Government Areas: 17 Ozalla Lake, Eastern Region Parliamentary Building, Numbers of businesses: 3,357 companies Bona Gallery, Silicon Hill, Ugwueme, Udi Hills.

The Projects Development Institute (PRODA), a Federal Government parastatal under the Ministry of Science Technology and Immovation, liaises with the state government to carry out research into, and production of locally fabricated instruments for industry and agriculture.

SFACT-FILE 2021 Budget: billion Total Revenue N73,53 billion FAAC

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N169.84 @

2020:

@ 2020: N49.88

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STATE OF THE STATES

‘There are Practical Moves to Boost Food Production in Enugu’

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HEWILL findings showed that Enugu possesses potentials of eco-tourism. Its peculiar geographical values have been discovered as an appropriate site for groundwater exploration. Recently, the state government in its determination to ensure progress in the agricultural sector supplied infrastructure and other essential support to boost productivity.

In appreciation of this intervention, farmers in the state, under the aegis of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), commended the Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his administration’s efforts in the agricultural sector, which include the provision of seed inputs, infrastructure and

mechanisation for over 11,000 farmers under the FADAMA III Additional Finance. They also applauded the provision of basic inputs as empowerment to over 700 commercial farmers and co-operatives all over the state through the Commercial Agricultural Development Programme (CADP).

The profiling and listing of 1,700 farmers and farmers’ cooperatives under the Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support Project (APPEALS) will soon commence. There will be predisbursement training and the provision of intervention fund in support of agricultural development in rice and cassava production in five local government areas: Aninri, Nkanu

East, Isi-Uzo, Enugu East and Udenu. This will be executed under the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The Chairman of AFAN, Enugu State chapter, Chief Romanus Ezeh, on behalf of the farmers, commended Governor Ugwuanyi for the provision of critical infrastructure for the production of rice, cassava and sorghum in partnership with the African Development Bank through the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme I (ATAPS1).

According to him, the provision of farm inputs, fertilizers, improved seeds and agro chemicals to over 2,000 rice and cassava farmers under the COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (CARES), was a giant stride in this direction.

Challenging Factors: Multiple taxes by local and state governments; notoriously poor electricity supply; menace of road transport touts; bad roads to the rural areas.

ENDOWNMENT AND INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Mechanized Farming: Opportunities exist in this area, leveraging on the state government’s FADAMA programme.

Rice Processing: The fertile lands of Isi-Uzo provide huge investment opportunities for these commodities

Tourism: The natural landscape, waterfalls and relics of colonial/early independence government will attract tourists all year round.

Restaurant & Catering Services: SMEs developed in this area will achieve sustained patronage, especially if packaging is incorporated.

Financial Services: The cosmopolitan nature of the state and the move to develop the rural areas requires effective non-bank financial services

Transportation: Intra-state transport services

Supermarket/Grocery: Neighbourhood grocery facilities with lower prices will yield high turnover for investors

Mining: There are several miniral resources to ex.

Energy: Power generating facilities relying on the mass deposit of coal is a potential cash-spinning venture.

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TOURISM

Strategic Approach Critical To Sustainable Tourism Development

interested in the tourism and hospitality sector.

“Application for training would be welcome as the institute operates more than eight campuses.

“With NIHOTOUR’s certification, individuals should be assured of working in any tourism and hospitality outfit in the country and beyond.”

“We are improving constantly and we remain committed to rendering the needed training every hospitality or tourism operator desires.”

Founder, Akwaaba Africa Travel and Tourism Market, Ikechi Uko, maintained his consistent advocacy for government to synergise with tourism investors in Nigeria as a way of growing tourism businesses.

Zuma Rock

Also speaking, Dr. Ifeoma Adora Anyanwutaku, Permanent Secretary of the Information and Culture Ministry, said personnel in the tourism and hospitality sector in Nigeria must acquire skills that will enable them conduct their businesses in a safer and sustainable manner in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, assuring that the NIHOTOUR is in a better position to provide the platform for impacting the necessary skills for such professional conducts that adhere strictly to the Covid-19 non-pharmaceutical protocols.

STORIES BY JANEFRANCES CHIBUZOR ffective application of modern technology, collaboration, capacity building among others are considered non- negotiable and essential to overcoming the inhibitions affecting tourism growth in Nigeria.

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In this report, TheWill writes on the need for adopting a more strategic policy to address major challenges in the tourism sector.

According to a report, stakeholders in Nigerian tourism sector are pushing for the adoption of digital technology, partnership of real value to boost tourism business in the country. They reiterated that getting involved in partnership with likeminded practitioners is a recipe for business sustainability.

With commitment to train hospitality, and tourism operators, they are of the belief, such giant strides will improve status of tourism industry across Nigeria. The stakeholders restated their commitments to training hospitality and tourism operators, which would further enhance the continuous improvement of the industry.

Earlier, Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom has advised tourism stakeholders to device new methods that would make the country’s tourism industry attractive and economically beneficial.

He pledged the assistance and partnership of the state government but urged practitioners to adopt measures that would project their services and attract goodwill to the country.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has called on operators and practitioners in the Nigerian Travel-Tourism and Hospitality industry to seize the opportunity occasioned by the Covid-19 global pandemic to re-strategize and re-position the industry for better growth and development via the application of digital technology, noting that as bad and critical as the pandemic is, it is an eye opener for the Nigerian tourism industry to be resilient in ensuring that the industry works for the socio- economic good of the country.

Lai Mohammed who made the call in Abuja recently said that human capital development of the Nigerian tourism sector must be compliant with the provisions of the protocol guidelines of Covid-19 for the safety of both service providers and customers as a way of building confidence in the sector.

She stated that the current technological break-through in ICT has made it possible for people to conduct business without much of physical contact through the deployment of electronic and online transactions that are a critical component of the Covid-19 protocol provisions.

Alhaji Kangiwa said though the Tourism and Hospitality sector is the hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic globally, the industry remains the most viable sector of the Nigerian economy, stressing that while government’s proactive measures and efforts must be appreciated at stemming the tide of Covid-19 pandemic spread, stakeholders in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry must deploy the use of modern technology to adequately equip themselves with necessary skills for efficient and effective service delivery without compromising their safety and wellbeing and those of the patronizing customers against the deadly virus.

Early, Director General, NCF, Dr. Muhtari Aminu-Kano noted.

“And we have a consultant who is a tourism expert that is developing component and we have biodiversity experts that are working together to propel the proposal for this program jointly are NTDC and other organisation from World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). It is a very big step and I think we can pilot the Shaka and Yankari.”

Special Adviser on Tourism, Arts and Culture to the governor, Mr. Solomon Bonu, unveiled plans by the ministry to train 500 youths from the five IBILE Divisions of the state as Tour Guides. He equally stated that the Tour Guides in place would complement efforts at domesticating tourism activities in the local government areas. “With this idea, tourists that visit our state would now have a better experience as they would be professionally guided and accompanied to all the tourism sites in the state by local people with local knowledge of their respective communities.”

Director General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, NIHOTOUR, Alhaji Nura Sani Kangiwa, noted that “the core mandate of the institute is to provide professional basic, intermediate and advanced training for individuals

In a nutshell, the same way the ministry is training creative practitioners under its Lagos State Creative Industry Initiative, LACI, Tour Guides and members of Tourism Clubs will also be trained to meet the needs of tourists in all our tourism sites.

NCF Set To Charge Over 2000 Youths On Restoring Ecosystem T here have been consistent galvanized efforts by the global community towards ecosystem restoration since the declaration of 2021–2030 as the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

In line with this, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) through the instrumentality of its advocacy lecture instituted in memory of its founder, late Chief Shafi Lawal Edu, will gather over 2000 youths to charge them on the need to take the lead in the campaign, process and activities leading to the restoration of the ecosystem. These efforts are aimed at saving a world that is in a dire need of ecosystem restoration and threatened by climate change.

The 19th edition of NCF’s annual lecture tagged Chief S.L. Edu Memorial Lecture with the theme: “Youth and Ecosystem Restoration” is a hybrid event which took place last week.

The continental acclaimed youth activist, Ms. Simangele Msweli, Senior Manager, Youth Leadership Programme, African Wildlife Foundation will be the Guest Speaker, while Chief Philip Asiodu, President, Board of Trustees, NCF will chair the event. The lecture will also feature three youth conservationists, who were among the

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Top 100 Young African Conservation Leaders, spotlighted in 2020, Omobola Eko; Abubakar Muhammad & Nella Duke Ekpeyong.

Ecosystem restoration is the practice of renewing and restoring degraded, damaged or destroyed ecosystems and habitats in the environment by active human intervention and action. Example of human intervention and actions employed towards ecosystem restoration include planting trees, cleaning up wetlands and river banks, or just leaving a swathe of natural land to recover. Ecosystem restoration can help to combat climate change and prevent a mass extinction of species and end poverty.

Chief S.L. Edu Memorial Lecture is an annual event organised by NCF in collaboration with the family of late chief and supported

by Chevron Nigeria Limited. The lecture series aims at bringing environmental issues to the front burner of national discourse while articulating solutions through speakers from diverse backgrounds.

The event equally serves to award scholarship grants to two PhD students whose research works are in the field of environmental sciences in any Nigerian university. The grant is sponsored by Chevron Nigeria Limited and seeks to promote research works in nature conservation, biodiversity preservation, environmental

management and sustainable livelihood.

Some of the topics and guest speakers in its 18-year history include: “A Quiet Revolution: Faith and the Environment” delivered by Mr. Martin Palmer, Alliance for Religions & Conservation, UK; “Environmental Management: Imperatives in Africa’s Sustainable Development” delivered by Prof.

Charles Okidi, University of Kenya; “Environmental Policy and Performance: a Sustainable Development Agenda for Nigeria” delivered by Chief (Dr.) Ernest Shonekan, former Head of Interim Government in Nigeria; “Decline of Vultures: Consequences of Human Health and the Economy” by Ms. Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (former Minister of Environment, Nigeria); “The role of Traditional Leaders in Protecting and Restoring the Nigerian Environment”

by His Eminence, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar CFR, the Sultan of Sokoto.

The Nigerian Conservation Foundation is the foremost environmental Non-Governmental Organisation in Nigeria dedicated to nature conservation and biodiversity resources management.

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SportsLive

NPFL: Kwara United’s Appeal For Justice

BY JUDE OBAFEMI

the decisions of the Disciplinary Committee became public.

What followed was as unexpected as it threatens to become something much bigger than could have been foreseen by the clubs involved, the NPFL, the LMC and those following the developments as they break.

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n Wednesday, July 21 at the Kaduna Stadium, in a Week 34 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) fixture between Jigawa Golden Stars and Rivers United FC, the Golden Stars forward Lala Abdullahi scored twice, in the third and 58th minutes to ensure the 2-1 defeat of Rivers United as the League calendar approached an end and the race for top place finishes heated up.

It comes from the domestic side that finished third in the league at the end of the 2020/2021 season: Kwara United Football Club. Out of the 38 games played, Kwara United won 19, drew eight and lost 11 to finish on 65 points. In the course of the season, they scored 48 goals in all, while conceding 28 for a goal difference of 20. They ended the season a point away from second-placed People’s Elephant of Aba, Enyimba International FC. Having fought valiantly all season, the third place finish qualified them for continental glory next season.

It was an unfortunate away loss for the men from the Niger Delta as the precious three points deficit played a huge role against them when the league wrapped up after the matches of Week 38. Rivers United finished 6th on 63 points, with only three points separating them from second place and a chance to play continental football next season.

Therefore, when they realised that at their match against Golden Stars, the Jigawa club had featured an ineligible player, according to the statutes of the competition, they promptly filed an official petition with the League Management Company (LMC) to challenge the loss they suffered in that match and seek immediate redress.

The petition filed by Rivers United held that the Golden Stars had played Christopher Richard, a defensive midfielder, at that 2-1 match loss to Jigawa in the Week 34 NPFL fixture.

They believe that this was a contravention of the regulations as the Golden Stars had been previously informed by the LMC ahead of the tie that Richard was not eligible to feature due to the five yellow cards already accumulated in his name.

What the Rivers United FC sought from their petition was an application of the LMC guidelines for the league which state clearly that: “if it is established that, a team intentionally featured a player who had earlier received five (5) yellow cards or red card before the match in question, the affected team will lose three points, three goals to its opponent.”

However, all that effort and persistence were on the verge of collapsing all around them by the simple decision of the Disciplinary Committee to award three points to Rivers United. That action brought Rivers United up to a 66-point tally, which shot them up from their sixth position in the final standings to second and, by implication, effected the drop of Kwara United to fourth, and out of continental competitions as a direct consequence.

“

Kumbi Titiloye, the Chairman of Kwara United FC, took a suspicious angle when claiming that there is a sense of unfairness in the overall tone of the affair as he pointed out that things appear setup against them since the Chairman of the Appeals Committee, Barrister Eddy Mark was an employee of Rivers State government, and may prejudice the outcome to turn out exactly as benefits the other party

After filing the petition, Boma Iyaye, the Rivers Commissioner for Sports, was hopeful that the LMC was going to see that Rivers United get justice as the guidelines stipulate especially with its avowed objective to restore the confidence of domestic clubs, administrators and football fans in their management of the NPFL. The Rivers State official remarked: “This is a straightforward issue that requires no long stories. The LMC is well aware of the case in question and even wrote to the club, informing them of the player’s ineligibility, but Jigawa still went ahead and used him. We do not want to believe that the LMC will allow its image to be rubbished over a matter that is so easy to judge and sanction.”

The case was handed over to the Disciplinary Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to address for a resolution. At a meeting held on Thursday, August 5, and attended by Committee Vice Chairman, Prof. Olufemi Adegbesan, and members Damon N. Dashe, Esq., Chike Onyeacho, Esq., Adamu Sani Osmond, Esq., Kelvin Omuojine, Esq. (Member) and Committee Secretary Queen W. Otarakpo, Esq., the evidence was examined.

Based on their investigation, they were able to establish that the player, Richard Christopher of Jigawa Golden Stars had actually accumulated five Yellow Cards and was suspended for that fixture by virtue of C2 of the NPFL Rules. As Rivers United alluded to exactly in their petition, this suspension was duly communicated to the Jigawa football club by the LMC in an email to the club on July 19 and the club chairman was copied.

However, some discrepancy in the exact club email that this suspension notification was sent to due to inconsistencies in the official email for the Jigawa club, whose letterhead bears jgoldenstars@yahoo.com but who have used jgwgstars@ gmail.com in their licensing agreement, Golden Stars tried to excuse themselves from receiving the notification.

The two sides agreed that the LMC did not live up to THEWILLNIGERIA

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its responsibilities in terms of the manner in which the correspondence was handled, yet the Committee stuck to the provisions of the guidelines, especially C5 of the NPFL Rules. Therefore, it decided that a player who is suspended stands suspended whether or not a notification to that effect was sent to the player or his club as notifications are simply for the purpose of clearing perceived discrepancies not to validate suspensions.

The Committee also made the point that it was the responsibility of each club to keep accurate records of their players especially in terms of eligibility and other aspects of their participation in the NPFL. They stressed that this onus cannot be placed on a club’s opponent to notify the club or raise the issue that its player is suspended nor was it the place of the opposing team to protest the ineligibility of one team’s player or the other.

For these, the Committee having established the culpability of Golden Stars in fielding an ineligible player in breach of C5 of the NPFL Rules, declared the penalty as the forfeiture of three points from Jigawa and the allocation of three goals to Rivers United FC. The decision was tough on Jigawa Golden Stars but the team was already in the red line of the relegation zone, out of the top division and could not have been saved either way.

But, as a decision that was meant to give the case a sense of closure, it was not the end of the issue as it appeared after

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It was no surprise therefore when Kwara United’s first reaction to the decision was negative; they filed an Appeal.

Not content with simply feeling hard done by an action for which they had no hand in, the Kwara club issued a statement that clearly communicated their dissatisfaction with the turn of events, their displeasure with the ruling of the Disciplinary Committee while questioning the onesided attendance of the Committee, as well as the headship of the Appeal Committee as a whole.

Kumbi Titiloye, the Chairman of Kwara United FC, took a suspicious angle when claiming that there is a sense of unfairness in the overall tone of the affair as he pointed out that things appear setup against them since the Chairman of the Appeals Committee, Barrister Eddy Mark was an employee of Rivers State government, and may prejudice the outcome to turn out exactly as benefits the other party.

He also branded the current Appeals Committee as illegal as a proper Appeals Committee will have to be duly constituted by the newly inaugurated board of the NFF. Yet, the most consequential part of the Kwara United grouse is their threat to pursue their case as far as it can possibly go, even if it means going all the way to the international arbiter and final adjudicator of all things sports-related, the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). Titiloye made this unprecedented threat when he said: “Kwara United FC rejects this decision in its entirety and will put NFF on notice immediately before proceeding to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).”

That might not be necessary since, in response to their challenge, the NFF at its extraordinary General Assembly in Benin City last Sunday ordered a review of the judgement to ensure justice to all concerned and also enable the federation choose the right candidates to represent Nigeria in CAF competitions next season in a fair and appropriate manner.

The NFF added, “Given the importance of forwarding to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) the names of Nigeria’s four representatives in the next CAF Club competitions, the committee ordered that the NFF Appeals Committee must meet immediately to dispense with the appeal lodged by Jigawa Golden Stars FC and Kwara United FC against the decision of the NFF Disciplinary Committee at its sitting of August 5, which favoured Rivers United FC.” It will be interesting to follow the development of the Appeal given the suspicions of the Kwara Club chairman even before the case is considered, on the one hand, and the Rivers State links of the Appeals chairman Barrister Mark.

The barrister may have to recuse himself in much the same way as the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, Musa Amadu, Esq., did at the initial hearing to avoid potential conflict of interest and to ensure impartiality.

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