Thursday 1st Setpteber 2016

Eight Banks Readmitted into FX Market Submit credible repayment plan on NNPC funds Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja and Obinna Chima in Lagos Following the plea by the Body of Banks chief executives and other sectoral groups, the Central Bank of Nigeria

(CBN) yesterday lifted its suspension of eight banks from participating in the foreign exchange market.

The eight banks were suspended after failing to return a total of $1.8 billion Nigerian National Petroleum

Corporation (NNPC)/Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Company dollar deposits to the Treasury Single Account

(TSA) as directed by the federal government.

The banks affected by the sanction are First Bank of

Finally, Brazil’s President Impeached by Senate… Page 11

Nigeria, Diamond Bank Plc, First City Monument Bank, Fidelity Bank Plc, Keystone Bank, Skye Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Plc and Heritage Bank.

Continued on page 6

Thursday 1 September, 2016 Vol 21. No 7797. Price: N250

www.thisdaylive.com TR

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Nigeria Slips into Recession, FG Attempts to Allay Concerns Says economy will improve in second half of 2016 Inflation rises further to 17.1%, unemployment jumps to 13.3% Oil production drops to 1.69mbpd, capital importation slumps to record low of $647.1m PDP calls for Buhari’s resignation Tobi Soniyi, James Emejo, Chukwuemeka Maduagwuna in AbujaandObinna Chima inLagos It’s official: The Nigerian economy is in recession. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) yesterday confirmed the public’s worst fears that the delayed response

by the Muhammadu Buhari administration to the structural adjustments needed to avert an economic crisis has resulted in a contraction of the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 2.06 per cent in the second quarter of 2016.

But instead of admitting that it had taken a number of missteps that could have averted the worst economic contraction in 29 years, the presidency and Ministry of Budget and National Planning attempted to put a spin on the damning economic

Troubled Aero Contractors Suspends Flight Operations

To refund passengers with tickets Innoson may lay off staff Chinedu Eze with agency report With one Boeing B737-500 and two Dash 8 aircraft still airworthy, out of 11 aircraft in its fleet, Nigeria’s foremost, but troubled airline, Aero Contractors,

yesterday announced that it was suspending scheduled services, effective today.

A statement from the airline’s Chief Executive Officer, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, said the development was part of a strategic business

realignment to reposition the airline and return it to the path of profitability.

The airline said this business decision, resulting from the current economic Continued on page 6

Shiites Warn Against Consequences of Continued Detention of Zakzaky… Page 10

data released by the NBS and engaged in a game of one-upmanship with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), assuring Nigerians that the economy will beat the fund’s gloomy forecast of -1.8 per cent for the year.

Continued on page 6

TOP GAINERS SEPLAT SEVEN-UP PRESCO AXAMANSARD CONTINENTAL TOP LOSERS JBERGER HONEYWELL MAYBAKER

NGN NGN 28.18 303.18 12.01 9.3 3.80 45.30 0.08 2.08 0.03 0.99 NGN NGN 4.70 43.69 0.07 1.33 0.04 1.57 WEMABANK 0.03 0.66 LIVESTOCK 0.04 0.89 HPE Nestle Nig Plc ₦825.00 Volume: 262.614 million shares Value: N4.881 billion Deals: 3,302 As at yesterday 31/08/16 See details on Page 48

% 10.2 8.3 9.1 4.0 4.5 % 9.7 5.0 4.8 4.3 4.3

SECTORAL GROWTH IN Q2 OIL SECTOR

–17.48%

NON-OIL SECTOR

–0.38%

- Manufacturing - Construction - Trade

–3.36% 3.77% 15.23%

- Power, Gas, Steam & Air Conditioning

–4.26%

- Transport & Storage

6.18%

- Information & Communication

–6.6%

- Agriculture

13.24%

- Accommodation & Food Services

0.06%

- Arts Entertainment & Recreation

10.95%

- Finance & Insurance

2.80%

- Real Estate Services

2.12%

- Administrative & Support Services - Professional, Scientific & Tech Services - Education

10.95% 9.86% 15.96%

- Public Administration

8.21%

- Human Health & Social Services

9.12%

- Other Services - Mining & Quarrying

20.25% –47.90%

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THURSDAY, september 1, 2016 • T H I S D AY

PAGE SIX NIGERIA SLIPS INTO RECESSION, FG ATTEMPTS TO ALLAY CONCERNS Nigeria officially slipped into a recession based on NBS’ GDP growth figures for Q2 2016, which showed that the economy contracted by 2.06 per cent, compared to the negative growth of 0.36 per cent recorded in Q1 2016.

Also, the increase in food prices and imported items pushed up the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures inflation, to 17.1 per cent in July, from 16.5 per cent in the month of June.

National unemployment rate also rose to 13.3 per cent in Q2 from 12.1 in Q1 2016, 10.4 per cent in Q4 2015, 9.9 per cent in Q3 2015, and from 8.2 per cent in Q2 2015.

However, labour productivity increased by 5.3 per cent to N637.5 in Q2 2016, from N605.27 in the previous quarter, the NBS stated yesterday.

According to the statistical agency, Q2 GDP declined by -2.06 per cent year-on-year in real terms, lower by 1.70 per cent from the growth rate of –0.36 per cent recorded in the preceding quarter, and also lower by 4.41 per cent compared to 2.35 per cent recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2015.

Quarter-on-quarter, real GDP increased by 0.82 per cent. But in normal terms, the GDP in Q2 stood at N23.48 trillion at basic prices, 2.73 per cent higher than estimates in Q2 2015 of N22.85 trillion and lower than the rate recorded in Q2 2015 by 2.44 per cent.

Daily oil production was estimated at 1.69 million barrels per day (mbpd), representing 0.42mbpd lower than Q1 production of 2.11mbpd and also lower than the corresponding quarter in 2015 by 0.36mbpd when output was recorded at 2.05mbpd.

The non-oil sector declined by 0.38 per cent in real terms

in Q2, representing a growth rate of 0.20 per cent, which was lower than Q1 2016 estimate of -0.18 per cent, and 3.84 per cent lower from the corresponding quarter in 2015 of 3.46 per cent.

In real terms, the non-oil sector contributed 91.74 per cent to the nation’s GDP, but contracted by 0.38 per cent in the quarter under review.

On the spike in inflation, energy and energy-related prices recorded the largest increases reflected in the core sub-index in the July inflation figure. The core sub-index increased by 16.9 per cent during the month, up by 0.7 percentage points from 16.2 per cent.

The highest increases were seen in the electricity, liquid fuel (kerosene), solid fuels, and fuels and lubricants for personal transport equipment groups.

Also, in the unemployment report for Q2 2016, the NBS said the nation’s labour force population – those within the working age population willing, able and actively looking for work – increased to 79.9 million from 78.5 million in Q1 2016, representing an increase of 1.78 per cent in the labour force during the quarter.

The economically active population or working age population – persons within the ages of 15 and 64 – increased to 106.69 million in Q2 from 106 million in Q1, representing a 0.65 per cent rise over the previous quarter and a 3.02 per cent increase when compared to Q2 2015.

According to the NBS, the number of the unemployed in the labour force, increased by 1,158,700 persons, resulting in an increase in the national unemployment rate, while 26.06 million Nigerians were either unemployed or underemployed, compared to 24.5 million in Q1 and 22.6 million in Q4 2015.

Also, the total number of jobs added to the economy in Q1 2016 fell to 79,469 jobs, representing a sharp decline of 83.1 per cent (389,605) year-onyear and 84.1 per cent (420,056) from the previous quarter.

The NBS noted that the sharp decline in employment generation was strongly correlated to the weakening economic output within that period, where the Nigerian economy recorded a negative growth of -0.36 per cent.

It said of the 79,469 jobs created, 21,477 were in the formal sector and 61,026 in the informal sector. The public sector recorded a negative figure of -3.038 per cent in new jobs created within the period in review.

The NBC also released its report on Nigeria’s foreign capital importation for Q2 2016, showing that it dropped by 8.98 per cent to $647.1 million, compared to $710 million in the previous quarter.

It was the second consecutive quarter to witness recordlow levels of foreign capital importation into the economy and also the largest year-on-year decrease.

The NBS attributed the continuing decline in capital imported to the “the difficult period that the Nigerian economy is going through”, adding that “the second quarter of 2016 saw the economy enter into the first recession during the rebased period (according to the technical definition of two consecutive periods of decline)”.

It said: “This may suggest less profitable opportunities for investment. In addition, in the second quarter there was considerable uncertainty surrounding future exchange rate policy, which may have deterred investors.

“The naira was allowed to

depreciate towards the end of the quarter. These factors were likely to have contributed to the record decline in capital importation.”

According to the Foreign Capital Importation report for Q2, which was released by the NBS yesterday, portfolio investments recorded the largest decline of 88.76 per cent yearon-year, compared with declines of 37.00 per cent and 1.22 per cent for Foreign Direct and Other investments, respectively.

“Compared to the previous quarter, however, FDI recorded the largest decline of 23.75 per cent, compared with a decline of 9.49 per cent for portfolio investment and an increase of 1.24 per cent for other investments.

“As a result of these changes, other investments replaced portfolio as the largest component of capital importation, and accounted for 41.53 per cent, compared with shares of 37.91 per cent and 20.56 per cent for portfolio and FDI. “In the same quarter of the previous year, portfolio investment accounted for 81.88 per cent of total investment, which highlights the fact that portfolio investment has been the hardest hit by recent economic events.

“This is possibly due to portfolio investment having a shorter term focus than other investment types,” the NBS stated.

However, other investments were the largest component of imported capital and accounted for $268.77 million, or 41.53 per cent.

This was despite the fact that only one type of other investment was recorded during the quarter: Other Investment Loans.

The second largest component

TROUBLED AERO CONTRACTORS SUSPENDS FLIGHT OPERATIONS situation in the country, had forced some other airlines to either suspend operations or pull out from Nigeria.

In the case of Aero, Akinkuotu said the airline had faced grave challenges in the past six months, which impacted on its business and by extension its operations.

“These factors are both internal and external environmental that made it difficult for the airline to continue its scheduled services,” Akinkuotu said.

He said during the period, Aero, which was once famed for its safety and timeliness, among other noteworthy attributes, provided epileptic operations and services to the public, caused primarily by the non-alignment of fundamental issue of the business, “which in some cases have been frustrating and embarrassing to all parties, including staff, customers and indeed all stakeholders”.

“As part of its resolve to ensure that the airline survives, unlike most other carriers that have experienced short life spans in the country, the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) had appointed Mr. Adeniyi Adegbomire (SAN), as receiver manager in February 6, 2016, with the aim of turning the airline around.

“Since AMCON’s intervention

in Aero Contractors in 2011, it has provided support for the airline to meet working capital requirements and fleet expansion. These were to ensure the airline remains a going concern providing services to various clients and the general public.

“Unfortunately, the operating environment within and outside the airline have hindered any possible progress especially in the last six months when the naira depreciated against the dollar, thus making it impossible for the airline to achieve its operational targets,” he added.

It noted that with these realities, coupled with protracted engagements with all relevant stakeholders, the management of Aero strenuously reviewed and assessed its options and opportunities in ensuring viability, safety and sustainability of operations during the period with a lot of sacrifices.

“The impact of the external environment has been very harsh on our operational performance, hence management’s decision to suspend scheduled services and operations indefinitely effective September 1, 2016, pending when the external opportunities and a robust sustainable and a viable plan is in place for Aero Contractors to recommence its scheduled services.

“The implication of the

suspension of scheduled services extends to all staff directly and indirectly involved in providing services, as they are effectively to proceed on an indefinite leave of absence during the period of non-services,” Akinkuotu stated.

He added that the management of the airline was “aware of the impact this will have on our staff and our highly esteemed customers, hence we have initiated moves to ensure that we are able to return back to operations within the shortest possible time, offering reliable, safe and secure operations, which the airline is known for”.

The management of the airline also assured all passengers who had bought the airline’s tickets that it would refund the fares paid for the tickets. It advised them to contact the airline for refunds.

THISDAY learnt that Aero Contractors is in dire need of funds, however, AMCON has remained adamant that 70 per cent of its workforce must be relieved of their jobs before it injects fresh capital into the airline.

Curiously, its unions had kicked against the sack of workers, reflecting the disconnect between the unions and the dire circumstances of the airline.

Similar inflexibility displayed by the labour unions contributed

to the demise of the nation’s national carrier, Nigeria Airways Limited.

Other than Aero Contractors, another major local firm has been hit by the economic downturn, as Reuters reported yesterday that Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM), the Nnewi-based automaker, might soon be forced to cut its workforce over the persistent foreign exchange scarcity.

According to Innoson’s CEO, Mr. Innocent Chukwuma, the company is unable to purchase imported components, hence its flagship white buses will have no engines for now.

Innoson is struggling to survive over its inability to secure the needed parts from Japan, China and Germany.

“We are waiting for the imported items for which there is a forex issue,” Chukwuma was quoted to have said while disclosing that production has also stopped.

In spite of the dour situation of things, he expressed confidence in the ability of the federal government to come to the rescue of the car manufacturing company.

“I believe they are doing something but if they can’t do anything, we’ll lay off some workers,” Chukwuma added.

Innoson’s product line includes heavy duty vehicles, middle and high-level buses.

was portfolio investment, which accounted for $245.32 million, or 37.91 per cent.

Portfolio investment was dominated by equities, which accounted for 83.18 per cent, a slightly lower share than the year before (when the share was 84.56 per cent), but higher than in the previous quarter when it accounted for 74.41 per cent.

Despite the overall fall in portfolio investment of 9.49 per cent, portfolio equity investment increased by 1.18 per cent. The bulk of the fall was accounted for by portfolio money investment, which fell by $26.60 million, or 39.20 per cent, although investment in bonds fell to zero from $1.50 million in the previous quarter, and from $50.54 million in the second quarter of 2015.

The decline to zero in capital imported in the form of bonds was particularly striking when compared to the high of $1,000.28 million recorded in the third quarter of 2014, at which time Nigeria was included in the JP Morgan

Emerging Markets Bond Index, the NBS noted.

FG Foresees Growth Despite the gloomy economic data released by the NBS yesterday, the presidency said that the nation’s economic outlook remained bright, irrespective of the contraction in the GDP growth rate recorded in the last quarter.

A statement issued in Abuja yesterday by the vice-president’s media aide, Mr Laolu Akande, assured Nigerians that the second half of the year would be better.

Quoting the Special Adviser to the President, Economic Matters, Dr. Adeyemi Dipeolu, the statement said the recession would be short-lived, assuring Nigerians that many of the challenges faced in the first half either no longer existed or had begun to ease.

The statement noted that the data released by the NBS on Continued on page 8

EIGHT BANKS READMITTED INTO FX MARKET The United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc was also suspended alongside the eight banks from the FX market last week Tuesday, but was able to refund NNPC/NLNG funds in its custody. UBA was subsequently readmitted into the market by CBN two days after it returned the funds.

CBN’s Director of Banking Supervision, Mrs. Tokunbo Martins, who announced the readmission of the eight yesterday, after a meeting with the Body of Banks CEOs at the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria’s (CIBN) office in Abuja, said the defaulting banks had submitted a credible repayment plan to warrant lifting of the suspension.

“We just held a meeting with the Body of the Bank CEOs at the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria. To my right is the President of the Charted Institute of Bankers, to my far left is the Registrar and the Managing Director of Access Bank.

“You will recall that a while ago, a number of banks where suspended from the foreign exchange market and all of you guys went to town reporting all sorts of stories and all that. And since then, I have received some inquires; some of you have sent me text messages asking what is going on.

“Well, we had engagements with the Body of Bank CEOs and they have been interacting among themselves and I’m happy to tell you today that the banks that where suspended have been readmitted into the foreign exchange market.

“The reason is because all of the banks, after discussions and engagement under the office of the Body of Bank CEOs at the CIBN have all submitted a credible repayment plan, which we the central bank found acceptable.

“So, as a result, all those banks have been reinstated in the foreign exchange market,” Martins said.

Also briefing journalists on the development, the Managing Director of Access

Bank Plc, Mr. Hebert Wigwe, said the Body of Bank CEOs, under the CIBN serves to get banks to work together each time there is a serious issue in the market such as the one involving the suspended banks.

He corroborated Martins that they held meetings with the central bank in the past couple of days, adding that the matter had been largely resolved.

In the same vein, the CIBN President, Prof. Segun Ajibola, said the institute is very interested in what happens among all the banks in the country.

According to him, under the enabling Act, the Body of Bank CEOs is now a communicable platform for the bank chief executives to look at issues that concern the banking industry and the economy.

Commenting on the readmission of the eight banks, the Deputy Managing Director, Aquila Asset Management Limited, Oyelami Adekola, said the developments would help rebuild confidence in the system.

“This would help to stabilise the banks and boost confidence in their customers. This is because with the suspension, their customers were not able to do transactions and that affected their business.

“But as we are all aware, the economy is in recession and anything the regulators can do, not necessarily for these eight banks, but to create confidence in the system would be helpful. We need to ensure that we don’t add to the problems the economy is currently facing,” he added.

Also, a bank analyst who pleaded to remain anonymous, anticipated that the decision to lift the suspension of the banks would lead to increased dollar supply in the market and strengthen the naira which has been under pressure since last week.

Yesterday, the naira fell to N423 to the dollar on the parallel market from N418 the previous day.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

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THURSDAY, september 1, 2016 • T H I S D AY

PAGE EIGHT

Return My Late Son for Burial, Father Tells Stella Oduah Sylvester Idowu in Warri The former husband of Senator Stella Oduah, Lt.-Col. Satchie Emmanuel Etoromi (rtd), yesterday pleaded with the ex-Aviation Minister to return their late son, Mr. Maxwell Chinedu Toritseju Etoromi, for burial in Warri, Delta State.

The former couple’s son reportedly died suddenly at an Abuja hospital from brain haemorrhage last Friday.

Chief Etoromi, who spoke to reporters in Warri shortly after sending a powerful delegation to his royal majesty, Igwe D. O. Oduah, the Igwe of Akili Ozizor, Ogbaru in Anambra State, who is also the senator’s father, expressed deep sorrow over the death of his son.

In his letter to the traditional ruler titled, “Appeal to

Intercede to Ensure Senator Stella Adaeze Oduah Brings My Son, Maxwell Chinedu Obiechina Wereyesigha Toritseju Etoromi to Me in Warri for Burial”, the bereaved father said he read about the death of their 28-year-old son in the newspapers without being informed by his ex-wife.

“His Royal Highness, Igwe Oduah I, betrothed Stella Oduah to me on the 18th November 1984 in Akili Ozizor. We married on the 16th of December 1984 in His Highness’s Palace in Akili Ozizor.

“After the payment of dowry and exchange of gifts, we were taken to Nde-Mili where we performed the final rites.

“I am surprised to see in the internet stories that my son Maxwell Omabuwa Temisanre

Obiechina Wereyesigha Toritseju Chinedu Etoromi, who Stella delivered for us on 14th March 1988 at 05.00 hour in St Mary’s Hospital Ugboroke, Warri, is dead,” the bereaved father said in the letter.

He alleged that up till now, his estranged wife had not contacted him on the death of their son, but had commenced preparations to bury him last Friday in her hometown.

“Up till now, Stella has not told me my son died in her custody. There is a rumour that my son will be buried in Akili Ozizor. That is not acceptable at all. My son must be brought to me in Warri for internment,” he said.

In the letter, which was copied to Most Reverend Valerian Okeke, the Arch-Bishop of Onitsha, and the parish

priest, Father Donald Uzoh of the Sacred Heart Parish, the bereaved father insisted that his late son must be returned for proper burial in his father’s place.

Chief Etoromi explained to the monarch that stories needed not be told now, but his grief over Omabuwa’s transition was too much to bear, hence his reaction.

Akili Ozizor, the quiet country home of Nigeria’s former Aviation minister and currently the senator representing Anambra North, on Monday witnessed unusual heavy vehicular and human movement when sympathisers, friends and dignitaries from across Anambra State rallied for vigil mass for the peaceful repose of the soul of her late son.

Oduah

NIGERIA SLIPS INTO RECESSION, FG ATTEMPTS TO ALLAY CONCERNS the GDP growth rate, while confirming a temporary decline, also indicated hopeful expectations for the country’s economic trajectory.

It also said that apart from the growth recorded in the agriculture and solid mineral sectors, the Nigerian economy, in response to the policies of the Muhammadu Buhari presidency, was doing better than the IMF’s forecast, with clear indications that the second half of the year would be much better.

The statement said the administration would continue to work diligently on the economy and engage with all stakeholders to ensure that beneficial policy initiatives are actively pursued and the dividends delivered to the Nigerian people.

“The data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that Gross Domestic Product declined by -2.06 per cent in the second quarter of 2016 on a year-on-year basis.

“A closer look at the data shows that this outcome was mostly due to the sharp contraction in the oil sector due to huge losses of crude oil production as a result of vandalism and sabotage.

“However, the rest of the Q2 data is beginning to tell a different story. There was growth in the agricultural and solid minerals sectors which are the areas in which the federal government has placed particular priority.

“Agriculture grew by 4.53 per cent in the second quarter of 2016, compared with 3.09 per cent in the first quarter.

The metal ores sector showed similar performance with coal mining, quarrying and other minerals also showing positive growth of over 2.5 per cent.

“Notably also, the share of investments in GDP increased to its highest level since 2010, growing to about 17 per cent of GDP. “The manufacturing sector though not yet truly out of the woods is beginning to show signs of recovery while the service sector similarly bears watching.

“The data also showed a reduction in imports and an increase in locally produced goods and services and this process will be maintained,

although it will start off slowly in these initial stages before picking up later.

“The inflation rate remains high, but the good news is that the month-on-month rate of increase has fallen continuously over the past three months.

“Unemployment remains stubbornly high which is usually the case during growth slowdowns and for reasons of a structural nature.

“The picture that emerges, barring unforeseen shocks, is that the areas given priority by the federal government are beginning to respond with understandable time lags to policy initiatives.

“Indeed, as the emphasis on capital expenditure begins to yield results and the investment as a percentage of GDP increases, the growth rate of the Nigerian economy is likely to improve further.

“As these trends continue, the outlook for the rest of the year is that the Nigerian economy will beat the IMF forecast of -1.8 per cent for the full year 2016.

“The IMF had forecasted a growth of -1.8 per cent for 2016, however, the economy is performing better than the IMF estimates so far.

For the half year, it stands at -1.23 per cent, compared to an average of -1.80 per cent expected for the full year by the IMF,” the presidency stated.

In another statement by the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, the federal government said that as capital spending begins to yield positive results with investment/GDP ratio increasing, the GDP growth rate of the Nigerian economy would likely surpass the IMF’s forecast of -1.8% for the full year 2016.

The ministry, in the statement yesterday, said a closer look at the data from the NBS revealed that the outcome was mostly due to a sharp contraction in the oil sector due to huge losses of crude oil production as a result of vandalism and sabotage.

But it said there was room for optimism that the recent commitment to stopping attacks on oil installations in the Niger Delta would help to resolve this situation, while also improving

government revenues.

This, it added, would however be a temporary solution in the sense that it still promotes the weak economic structure of the past, which the budget ministry said manifests in two ways – the over reliance on crude oil and the country’s economy being mainly consumption-driven with a high import propensity.

“With crude oil contributing 8-12 per cent of GDP and up to 50-53 per cent of the nonoil sector dependent on the oil sector, it is clear that the fortunes of up to 60 per cent of the Nigerian economy rest on a volatile sector.

“This shaky foundation was masked in the past by high oil prices and reasonably high foreign reserves.

“Again with the availability of foreign exchange it was possible to drive growth in national income through consumption without feeling the fallout of such structural weaknesses.

“These vulnerabilities were exposed when oil prices collapsed at a time the country did not have adequate revenues and reserves to cushion the effect, a situation further complicated by loss of production,” the ministry said.

It noted that the situation which pointed to the need for difficult but necessary structural reforms necessitated the federal government’s move to improve public financial management and change the structure of the economy through diversification and an investment driven model.

“The federal government therefore took policy actions to promote sectors like agriculture, solid minerals, manufacturing and services and to boost public and private investment in infrastructure and housing.

“It also acted to remove supply constraints with regards to foreign exchange and the supply of premium motor spirit while encouraging the private sector to add value to crude oil through refineries, petrochemical plants, fertilizer plants and gas infrastructure.

“In an attempt to maintain consumption demand in the short term, the federal government also assisted states to pay salaries and to encourage a private sector

supply response by bringing about improvements in the ease of doing business,” the budget ministry added.

Market Analysts React Also reacting to the data on the economy released by the NBS, the chief executive of Cowry Assets Management Limited, Mr. Johnson Chukwu, who said the lower GDP growth rate was expected, called for greater synergy between the fiscal and monetary authorities in the country.

“The government job is cut out for them. The key thing is how to use monetary and fiscal policies to address the situation. The emphasis should shift from fighting inflation to restoring growth.

“We expect the monetary and fiscal authorities to evolve expansionary policies that would inject liquidity into the economy and help jumpstart growth,” Chukwu said in a phone chat.

In his comment, Research Analyst at FXTM, Lukman Otunuga, said the signs of an imminent slowdown had been visible in the country as the nation struggled to support its currency.

“While naira’s vulnerability was highly expected following the official floatation, external risks such as a resurgent dollar have accelerated the devaluation of the local currency, consequently pressuring the nation further.

“With inflation and unemployment hovering around worrying levels, the CBN has been placed under immense pressure to act which may weigh on investor sentiment.

“While the news of Nigeria entering a recession may be painful, this should be no surprise as the incessant decline in oil prices has punished heavily oil export nations, with Nigeria being no exception.

“Although sentiment towards Nigeria remains bearish, it should be kept in mind that the blueprint to diversify and break away from the curse of oil reliance is already in progress.

“The government has already approved a conservative three-year medium-term framework, and plans to

reinforce infrastructure, services, manufacturing and agriculture are in place.

“The naira’s weakness may attract foreign investors in the future which could ultimately uplift overall GDP. However, Nigeria is undergoing a major structural change and although there is a risk of extended periods of low growth, this transition could be something which exceeds all expectations,” the Cyprus-based analyst said.

The Financial Derivatives Company Limited, in a research note, said that the depreciation of the naira by 7.1 per cent on the parallel market during the month of July led to an increase in consumer price levels.

It stated that imported inflation continues to be a key factor precipitating the increase.

“The impact of the FX policy that kicked off on June 20 has been marginal as low dollar supply persists due to reduced dollar inflows.

“Foreign investors remain hesitant about participating in the Nigerian market due to policy inconsistency and lack of clarity as to the direction of monetary policies.

“High energy costs, a major driver of increasing inflation in recent times, also contributed to rising production costs. There were diesel supply shortages in July and this led to the increase of 12.61 per cent in the national average price of the product to N206.55 in July, compared to N183.41 in June.

“Additionally, a shortage of kerosene, which is used in most Nigerian households, led to an increase in its price to N600/ ltr, far higher than the official price of N135/ltr.

“The average national price of petrol declined to N148/ltr in July from N149/ltr in June.

“With inflation increasing to an 11-year high, the central bank will be under intense pressure on the direction to adjust interest rates. This comes just after it increased the policy rate to 14 per cent in July, in spite of negative growth and increasing unemployment.

“An important fact is that with the average treasury bills stop rate for 182-day and 364-day at 17.8 per cent and 18.5per cent respectively in August, the MPR may be redundant as the anchor rate.

“The GDP report for Q2’16 shows a negative growth of (-2.06%). This is weaker than expected. With inflation slowing, and Nigeria in recession, the CBN is more likely to pursue an accommodative stance at its next MPC meeting,” FDC said in the note.

'Buhari Should Resign' In its reaction, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a swipe at President Muhammadu Buhari over the data released by the NBS. PDP, in a statement signed by its Director, New Media, Deji Adeyanju, said nothing better showcases the incompetence of the Buhari administration than the GDP growth rate, inflation and unemployment figures released by NBS. “The result of these indices is that Nigeria is in its worst economic state in 29 years – dating back to 1987 when the nation had to take harsh steps to recover from President Buhari’s policies of 1984-85.

“As with 1984-85, companies are fleeing our shores in droves.

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) recently stated that 272 companies have shut down in the past one year.

“Furthermore, like we suffered in 1984-85, we are suffering a brain drain where our best and brightest talents are leaving the country in search of a better life elsewhere.

“It is disheartening that the Buhari administration is destroying the Nigerian economy and our collective future by the implementation of his archaic and incoherent economic policies which failed in 1984-85 and are failing spectacularly now.

“Our dismay is worsened by the fact that every sphere of the Nigerian socio-political space, ranging from the conduct of elections, human rights, respect for the rule of law, security, technology, health, etc., is negatively affected by the Buhari administration.

“We join all well meaning Nigerians to call on @MBuhari to resign if he is unable to reverse the disastrous economic decline he has brought on Nigerians,” the party said.

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THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1 , 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWS

News Editor Davidson Iriekpen Email davidson.iriekpen@thisdaylive.com, 08111813081

FG Approves Three-year External Borrowing Plan Finance minister says no confusion in handling of economy

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja

The federal government has approved a three-year rolling external borrowing plan.

Briefing State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held in Abuja yesterday, the Minister for Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, said the approval would be transmitted to the National Assembly immediately.

She said the loans would come from agencies such as the World Bank, African Development Bank, China Exim Bank, and other development agencies like the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Also at the briefing were the Minister for Information and Culture, Lai Muhammed, Minister for Solid Minerals, Kayode Fayemi, Minister for Finance, Minister for Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, and Minister for Education, Adamu Adamu, who also briefed journalists with respect to FEC’s approval for their respective ministry.

Other highlights of the meeting included the changing of the name of Ministry for Solid Minerals to Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, the approval of a new roadmap for the development of the solid minerals sector, approval of contracts to build a new structure called international house at the University of Ibadan and a library at the University of Lagos.

The finance minister said the plan to borrow externally was in line with government’s strategy to focus on concessional debts, low cost loans particularly from multi-lateral agencies.

She said: “So this plan we have put forward today which was approved by the FEC and will be transmitted

to the National Assembly for the approval includes: “Concessional loans average interest rates 1.25 per cent, four to seven year moratorium, 20 years to pay. From agencies such as the World Bank, African Development Bank, China Exim Bank, and other development agencies lke Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).”

Adeosun said the loans would be applied to develop strategic sectors which government believed would help revive the economy.

She said the power sector would receive a significant amount of the loan to take care of projects militating against efficient power generation. She specifically cited transmission.

“This is long term money that will enable us solve some of the problems in that sector,” she added.

Adeosun said the health sector would also benefit from the loan.

She said: “There are projects around polio. There are some money that have been allocated to us to help us do some massive immunisation, in order to control this recent outbreak. This is being provided by the World Bank.

“There is provision for solid minerals and of course I’m very excited about the discovery of nickel. The World Bank is supporting the project by the Ministry of Mines and Steel with $150 million to enable them strengthen their capacity in that area.

“The largest beneficiary of our borrowing is agriculture because it is equally strategic and we have programmes by the minister some of which he inherited and is going to restructure and reform and some are new to the ministry.”

The minister said government would also seek funding through

Eurobond.

She said: “The FEC sent a strong signal to everybody that we need to reach out to the National Assembly to get this borrowing plan approved as soon as possible. Because a lot of this money is for developmental projects. We need this money and it is available for us.

“Remember these are foreign exchange coming to our country that will help our economy.”

Answering questions after the briefing, the finance minister said the present administration was on course to lay a solid foundation for Nigeria’s development.

Adeosun dismissed claims that the administration was confused about how to manage

the nation’s economy.

According to her, the government has a clear view of what to do to turn the economy around.

She said: “It is the worst possible time for us. Are we confused? Absolutely not. How are we going to get ourselves out of this recession. One, we must make sure that we diversify our economy. There are too many of us to keep on relying on oil.

We can all see what happened at the output data of the oil and gas sector. What’s happening in the Niger Delta has dragged down the GDP of the entire economy.

We’re too dependent on oil.

We have to invest in capital projects.

“No we are not confused, the

time are confusing but we are not confused. We are extremely focused. We know that if we can just bear and get through this difficult period, Nigeria is going to be better for it. If we rely on oil and the price of oil remains low and the quantity of oil remains low, we can’t grow.

We have to grow our non oil economy.

“I think that we have a long way to go. We’re not confused and we’re not deceiving ourselves that everything is rosy.

It’s not. It’s a difficult time for Nigeria but I think Nigeria is in the right hands and if we can stick to our strategy. We still have some adjustments to make. I think we need to make some adjustments in monetary

policy. It’s quite clear we do and we will do that. We’re working on that. We need to try and find a way to support the manufacturing sector better and we will do that.”

While answering question on the figure released by National Bureau of Statistics, Adeosun said the inflation was being pushed by cost and it would be curtailed.

“What we have is cost-push inflation and when you have cost-push inflation it is structural inflation. It is not going to respond to monetary policy tools such as increasing the rate of interest. We have to address the structural causes of the inflation “The trend, the rate of inflation growth has slowed down and that’s a good sign.”

DISCUSSING NIGERIA

L-R: Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu; and Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, at Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja...yesterday STATE HOUSE

Amaechi: Calabar-Port Harcourt Coastal Rail Line Fayose to Buhari: Hunger is Killing Nigerians to Be Completed in 2018 Olakiitan Victor in Ado Ekiti Department of State Services them with EFCC or ICPC, the per cent, with dollar that was The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has given an assurance that the Calabar-Port Harcourt Coastal rail line and the Lagos-Kano rail modernisation project would be completed before the end of 2018.

Amaechi said this yesterday in Abuja while signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the project with a Chinese company, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Ltd. (CECC).

The minister, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the MoU was being signed in compliance with the China Exim Bank requirement.

He added that the Ministries of Finance, Works and Housing, National Planning and Justice were all involved in efforts to drive the project to completion in record time.

“I am told that before November, we can commence the Lagos-Ibadan construction.

“So, we can begin to count for CCECC in the case of LagosIbadan from November, hoping that in November 2018, you should have finished work.’’

The minister further added that the Federal Government would get the counterpart fund for the project expected to cost 3.4 billion dollars.

In his remarks, Jack Li, the Managing Director of CCECC, said that the project would be completed in record time.

He expressed optimism that the project, when completed, would not only benefit the people but the society at large.

He further gave an assurance that the Calabar-Port Harcourt Coastal rail line would be built in line with international standard.

“I want to give my commitment and assure you that on completion, the rail line will be as good as, or even better than the completed Abuja-Kaduna rail line.

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to listen to the plights of Nigerians and stop tagging those with divergent opinions in the running of his government as enemies of the state.

Fayose said: “The reality our president must face now is that there is too much hunger in the land, Nigerians are hungry, they are suffering and the president should rather listen to those who are more knowledgeable than him in terms of management of the country’s economy instead of seeing them as threats.”

The governor, who said the reactions of the president and his men to divergent opinions had become predictable, added: “This style of sending the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC),

(DSS) and other agencies of the federal government against anyone that offers suggestions on how to rescue the country from total collapse is not in the best interest of Nigeria and its suffering masses.”

According to a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti yesterday by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the governor said President Buhari should realise that “a nation of hungry people is a nation of angry people” and seek help from economic experts in the country, not minding their political, religious and ethnic affiliations.”

Fayose, who particularly singled out the two former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governors; Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi and Prof.

Charles Soludo, who spoke at different fora last week, said: “Instead of adopting the usual style of trying to silence

president should listen to them and take their advice on board because they are experts in economic matters.”

He said: “It is no longer about politics. Rather, it is about preventing hunger from exterminating Nigerians and I am sure that the president himself knows that hunger does not understand political parties.

“A bag of rice that was less than N8,000 when President Buhari assumed office is now over N20,000! How can a civil servant that is earning N18, 000 minimum wage survive when his monthly salary cannot buy one bag of rice?

“Even basic drugs and medicare are getting out the reach of the common people and the resultant effect of this will be avoidable deaths!

“As at today, a bag of cement is N2,200, increment of N600 on one bag in just one day.

Within four months, exchange rate rose with more than 150

a little above N200 then, now more than N400.

“The harsh reality is that a Nigerian whose income was N100,000 per month in 2015 and still earning the same N100,000 now is actually earning less than N40,000 because what he could buy with N100,000 then cannot be bought with N200,000 now.

“This is the worst time for parents whose children and wards will be going back to school in September. How to pay school fees is causing depression for a lot of parents in just over a year of the Buhari’s administration.

“All these are signs that President Buhari needs help from those who can assist the country to avert this imminent economic collapse and he should not be ashamed to consult even those who ran the economy under the PDP government of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan because it then appears that things were better than now.”

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NEWS

Zuckerberg Pledges Support for Nigerian Tech Startups, SMEs Emma Okonji The founder and Chief Executive Officer of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, yesterday assured Nigerian technology startups and the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria

of Facebook’s support that will enhance easy access and connectivity to the internet.

Zuckerberg, who made the pledge in Lagos while addressing technology startups on the second day of his visit to Nigeria, said Nigerian, which

FG Appoints New MD for Niger Delta Power Holding Company Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja Joseph Chiedu Ugbo was yesterday appointed the substantive Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC).

His appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari was contained in a statement signed by Bolaji Adebiyi of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Ugbo, who had been acting in the same capacity, is a legal practitioner and infrastructure regulations specialist with a robust experience in electricity industry reform and privatization. He holds Bachelor and Master’s of Law degrees from the University of Lagos and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1991. For over 15 years, he provided legal advisory services to public sector power entities including legal support to the erstwhile National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) and to the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) during the privatisation of the 20 successor companies of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

Buhari also approved the

appointment of two Executive Directors for the company.

They are Babayo Shehu, the Executive Director (Finance and Administration) and Ife Oyedele, the Executive Director (Engineering and Technical Services).

Shehu has a First Class honours Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.

He began his working career with Bauchi State Development Board in 1981. He was in banking from 1987 to 2003 and thereafter joined the federal public service in 2003 and was in the service from 2003 to 2014.

Oyedele graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree, Electrical Engineering from the University of Lagos in 1982. He is a member, Nigerian Society of Engineers and Institute of Directors. Between 1982 and 1992, Oyedele worked in both the public and private sectors. He established his own company, Messrs Matcom Limited in 1992. He was the Managing Director of the company until his new appointment.

Delta Community Cries Out over Heavy Military Presence Sylvester Idowu in Warri Indigenes of Kokodiagbene, an Ijaw community in Gbaramatu kingdom in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, yesterday cried out over heavy presence of military personnel in the riverside communities in search of illegal oil bunkerers and militants.

The Chairman of the community, Sheriff Mulade, in a statement, said the presence of military in patrol boats in search of criminals in the creeks has forced his people to be relocating deeper into the swamps for fear of attack.

He said though the deployment of the military personnel in the Niger Delta was a welcome development, enough enlightenment ought to have taken place before the commencement of ‘Exercise Crocodile Smile.’

“No doubt, the presence of the military is a welcome development since it will help to protect oil installation, facilities and creeks.

It will curb and prevent pirates attacking traders; reduce crime

and eradicate illegal bunkering activities in the creek of the Niger Delta.

“But, we want to strongly advise the military authorities to apply professionalism and diplomacy” adding that the deployment has raised unnecessary tension among the residents of riverine communities who now live in fear.

“Most of our people are now relocating to nearby communities for safety due to the rumour of military invasion of flow stations and oil installations in host communities particularly in Gbaramatu kingdom.

“The people have therefore appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari and the military authority to direct the military personnel not to invade Kokodiagbene and other riverine communities in the name of illegal oil bunkers, criminals and militants,”he said.

Instead, the community leader strongly advised the military authority to go after the illegal bunkerers, militants and criminals in their hide out, noting that Gbaramatu kingdom does not host militants and oil illegal bunkerers.

is the largest African market for Facebook, currently has 18 million people that are connected to Facebook, while the global figure of Facebook account is close to two billion people.

He said supporting SMEs in Nigeria and Africa is key to economic development because SMEs drive economies, and that Facebook has created 16 million free pages on the Facebook platform for SME business globally.

Excited at his visit to Nigeria, Zuckerberg said he specifically visited Nigeria to meet with technology startups and to share in the views about various software apps they have developed to address immediate and long term challenges in the country.

“Nigeria currently has 18 million people on Facebook, that interact and do different kinds of online businesses, among them are SMEs and

Facebook is willing to support them to populate their numbers and provide easy access to connectivity and the internet,” Zuckerberg said during the question and answer session he had with startups and software developers in Lagos.

He however challenged the Nigerian government to reduce cost of internet access, and to create more access to internet for her citizens, as well as raise awareness campaign on the benefits of the internet, especially for rural dwellers.

He called for infrastructural development on the African continent and challenged software developers to focus more on local content in building apps that will address specific needs.

Facebook’s Director of Global Product Partnerships, Ime Archibong, who coordinated the developers, said: “When I came to Lagos back in May

this year, I was really struck by the energy of the tech scene in Lagos, and by how many of the developers were building relevant apps. As someone with strong links to Nigeria, I have been trying to expose Mark to this ecosystem for a while, and I am very excited for him to be able to come to Nigeria to meet some of Nigeria’s top entrepreneurs and apps developers.”

While stressing the need to develop apps using local contents, Zuckerberg said building content should be a priority for Nigerian apps developers so that there could be variety of apps that could work with different technologies like 2G, 3G, and 4G. Making some clarifications about Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, Zuckerberg said both are two different platforms, even though they are related in the area of text messages.

He promised to populate both

platforms and make them learning and training platforms.

He said language remained key to communication and that Facebook would continue to extend the language of communication on the Facebook platform. According to him, Facebook is currently working hard to bring additional 10 languages on the Facebook platform.

Speaking on the success of Facebook and its future projection, Zuckerberg said predictions of the future is best articulated by creating and self determination.

Admitting that his visit to Nigeria was unannounced and without government preparation for any kind of reception, Zuckerberg said his visit was primarily based on meeting the technology startups in Nigeria, having heard so much about their zeal for fantastic apps development.

BRAINSTORMING ON THE ECONOMY

Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar Onyema (left), and the Managing Director/CEO, Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, at the Nigeria Stock Exchange/Bloomberg CEO Roundtable, held in Lagos… yesterday dan ukana

Shiites Warn against Consequences of Continued Detention of El-Zakzaky John Shiklam in Kaduna

The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shiites has warned of the consequences of the continued detention of their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky.

El-Zakzaky and his wife have been in detention since December last year following a clash between the Shiites and the Nigerian Army in Zaria, Kaduna State.

The judicial commission of inquiry set up by the Kaduna State Government to investigate the clash had in its report blamed El-Zakzaky for the incident which led to many loss of lives and recommended that he be investigated and prosecuted.

The Islamic group in a statement yesterday in Kaduna, demanded the unconditional release of El-Zakzaky, warning that it would be a tragedy of monumental proportion if the Islamic leader who is said to

have sustained an eye injury goes blind.

“We demand that our leader and the wife must be released unconditionally without delay. It will be a tragedy of monumental proportions should our leader go blind in detention or suffer further physical disability due to him being denied access to adequate medical attention,” the statement declared.

The statement signed by Ibrahim Musa, the President of the Media Forum of the IMN also alleged that those that are keeping El-Zakzaky in detention were doing so to humiliate him and make sure that he goes completely blind and render him powerless before releasing him.

The IMN said: “We understand those that sanctioned his detention and those detaining him want to humiliate him and make sure that he goes completely blind before he is eventually released thereby rendering him powerless

the moment he is released from unconstitutional and illegal detention.

“The health of our leader and the wife continues to deteriorate on a daily basis and those holding him in custody are playing politics with his detention and that of his wife.

“We urge the Nigerian people and the international community to intervene in this crude violation of the fundamental rights of our leader. The Nigerian constitution and laws do not sanction detention without trial.

“We still insist that our leader should be taken to court if those holding him believe that he has committed any offence known to the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, otherwise he must be released forthwith.”

Musa said, as a peaceful organisation the IMN has been demanding for the release of Zakzaky and his wife from detention through all known peaceful and legitimate means,

but rather than release them, “the Department of State Services (DSS) claimed that our leader was being held in protective custody.”

The IMN also disowned two legal practitioners, one Bello Ibrahim and Sadau Garba who claimed to be solicitors to the Movement and El-Zakzaky, and the DSS, purportedly connived with them and wrote a letter requesting El-Zakzaky release for treatment abroad.

“In the said letter, the two solicitors, acting at the behest of the DSS, claimed that the agency saved the life of our revered leader by giving him what they called the best medical care.

“They also claimed that our revered leader is appreciative of his treatment in detention and on the basis of that called on the DSS to allow the family take him out of the country for further medical care.

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NEWS

Tinubu: APC Can’t Win Ondo Election through Bickering Urges all aspirants, party faithful to close ranks

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja and Gboyega Akinsanmi in Lagosy Forty-eight hours to the governorship primary election in Ondo State, the National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, yesterday urged all aspirants not to allow the opposition sow discord in their ranks, noting that the APC would not win the main poll through bickering.

Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State, also urged the aspirants to we close ranks in order to achieve victory in the governorship election scheduled to hold on November 26, saying the people of the state “have a chance to break the shackles of misgovernance and suppression.

He gave the advice in a statement he personally signed yesterday, reminding the aspirants and party faithful that the mission of the APC “is too important and too humane to allow ourselves to be divided or sidetracked. We must remember what is truly at stake.”

The national leader, who has been widely criticised for

endorsing one of the aspirants, Mr. Olusegun Abraham, noted that Ondo “will either renew the way of progress or continue to be oppressed.”

He added that the APC “is the way of progress. Thus, let us make this progress hand in hand, united in our belief that we can make Ondo better. The APC must win the coming election and restore democracy and the virtues of public service to the seat of governance in the state.

“This is what the people desire and deserve. They have waited patiently. Now is the time to answer their call. This is our duty as a party and as people who care about their fellow man. The APC must go into the governorship, united in focus and purpose. All else is secondary to this objective.

“The journey to reestablishing governance for the people and for posterity begins with the primaries this Saturday. The process leading up to the primaries has been robust and energetic. We have the good fortune of having numerous renown and able party members seek the nomination.

“This has led to keen competition. During a such tight competition, tensions always mount and often, harsh things are spoken. But this back and forth, this committed dialogue, is an integral part of the democratic process. And it is this process that we have enshrined and shall cherish in this party.”

Tinubu, who expressed grave concern about the deepening crisis in the rank of the party aspirants and leadership in the state, thus said the APC “cannot accomplish this great deed through petty bickering or by allowing our very opponents to sow discord among us.”

He therefore, urged all the

Delegates’ list for primary election out

aspirants “to close ranks to achieve victory. The future of the state and of the party in the state should never be held to ransom due to insignificant personal animosities and perceived slights.”

He also urged the party leadership “to focus on what is more precious than our personal ambitions and more durable than our individual wishes.

We must dedicate ourselves to uplifting this state and the very lives of the people of this state and nation.

“All is minor and a distraction in comparison to this sound goal.

Victory is within your grasp.

Don’t let it fall away because you

were deceived into reaching for something less valuable…. The key to the victory resides in how well you conduct yourselves after the primary.

“Joined in unified and fraternal purpose, there is no gathering or alignment of forces in the state that can best you.

You must choose the history you seek. This cannot and will not be done in Abuja or anywhere else for that matter.

“Your walk toward destiny takes a momentous step with a successful primary. After that, all of the party, including its leaders will join the campaign trail in full support and commitment to the candidate you select that

we may achieve victory over a spent and undesirable PDP.” Meanwhile, ahead of the primary election, the party has made copies of the delegate list for the election in available to all the 24 aspirants jostling for the party’s ticket.

The ‘hard copy’ which contains the authentic names of all delegates, was given out to the aspirants at a brief ceremony at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

The decision to release the delegates list, as reliably gathered, was made by the national leadership of the party to ensure transparency in the conduct of the primaries.

Finally, Brazil’s President Impeached by Senate Zacheaus Somorin with agency report Finally, Brazilian Senate has impeached President Dilma Rousseff from office for manipulating the budget, a claim she has consistently denied.

The impeachment has put an to end the 13 years in power of her left-wing Workers’ Party.

Sixty-one senators voted in favour of her impeachment and 20 against, meeting the two-thirds majority needed to remove her from the presidency.

The acting President, Michel Temer will serve out Ms Rousseff’s term, which ends on January 1, 2019.

Temer, from the centre-right PMDB party, is expected to be officially sworn.

Rousseff had been suspended in May after the Senate voted to go ahead with the impeachment process.

She was accused of moving funds between government budgets, which is illegal under Brazilian law. Her critics said she was trying to plug deficit holes in popular social programmes to boost her chances of being re-elected for a second term in October 2014.

Rousseff fought the allegations, which she said amounted to a coup d’etat.

She argued that her right-wing political rivals had been trying to remove her from office ever since she was re-elected.

“From the day after I was elected, several measures were taken to destabilise my government. And you have been systematically making accusations against me,” she said when she defended herself in the Senate on Monday.

She said that she was being ousted because she had allowed a wide-ranging corruption investigation to go ahead which resulted in many high-profile politicians being charged. Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment trial in the Senate has raised important questions about Brazil’s democratic institutions.

Her fiscal manoeuvres were thoroughly examined during the sessions, but it was not just that which was on trial.

Her government policies, her U-turn on the economy after the election and corruption in her party were constantly part of the debate.

Also, as the trial unfolded, Temer’s interim government started its work reforming the economy and outlining new policies.

Senators - and Brazilians - knew that the question of condemning Rousseff went beyond just deciding technically whether she was guilty or not.

Temer, who will govern until January 1, 2019, has promised to boost Brazil’s economy, which is going through its longest and deepest recession in the past quarter of a century.

His critics have already warned that he plans to cut many of the popular social programmes introduced by the Workers’ Party.

But senators who voted in favour of her impeachment said it was Rousseff and the Workers’ Party who were corrupt and needed to go. Brazilians have been divided on the issue, with many expressing their support and loyalty to Rousseff while others have taken part in large demonstrations demanding that she stand down.

BUSINESS EXECUTIVES

L-R: Session Moderator and Professor at European Business School (ESCP Europe), Frédéric Ferrer; and Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Tony O. Elumelu; President/Managing Director, ASEAN Business Advisory Council, Oudet Souvannavong; and President of Procter & Gamble, Europe, Gary Combe, at the grand opening of the 19th MEDEF Summer University in Paris, France ....recently

Makarfi-led PDP Condemns Suit against Justices Abang, Auta Kashamu slams BoT

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

drawn to some publications in both the print and electronic The leadership of the National media alleging that the PDP Caretaker Committee of the has sued Justice Auta and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Justice Abang as a result of their has disassociated itself from a suit involvement in the judgment instituted by some party faithful delivered on the party. against Justice Ibrahim Auta and The party which has been Justice Okon Abang over their embroiled in crisis leading to involvement in the judgments series of litigations, said it has delivered on the party’s crisis. no reason to sue the justices of The party’s position came just the Federal High Court, since it as the Senator representing Ogun strongly believes on the judiciary East senatorial district in Ogun as the last hope of the common State, Senator Buruji Kashamu, man. criticised the BoT’s handling of “We wish to state unequivocally the PDP crisis, stating that it has that we are not part of the Suit no business passing a vote of at the Federal Capital Territory confidence on either of the two (FCT) High Court; and therefore, contending parties when a lot of we are urging any loyal party contentious legal issues are yet member or groups that initiated to be resolved. the suit in question to immediately In a statement issued yesterday withdraw the suit.

by Senator Ahmed Makarfi’s “The PDP under Makarfi has Special Adviser, Dr. Ibrahim no reason to sue the justices of Umar, he urged any loyal party the Federal High Courts and member or groups that may have the party will continue to rely initiated the suit in question to strongly on the judiciary as the immediately withdraw it. last hope of the common man, “The attention of the Chairman knowing fully that its only our of the PDP National Caretaker dependence on prudent court Committee, Makarfi, has been judgment that will continue to

stabilise our democracy and bring about good governance.

“In the light of the above, the PDP has not instructed anyone or group of persons to file any case on its behalf and therefore is not a party to suit number: 9V/2239/2016 before the High Court of the FCT. “The general public, our members and teeming supporters should note that the party is already taking appropriate legal steps to address previous dissenting rulings.

“The PDP will continue to maintain its position as a party that will provide alternative governance and people oriented programmes that is beneficial to all Nigerians,” he said.

Meanwhile, one of the key actors in the PDP conflict, Senator Buruji Kashamu has described last Tuesday’s decisions of the BoT on the crisis rocking the party, as laughable.

Kashamu who was once a strong ally of the embattled Sheriff, accused the BoT of taking sides, a situation he said has cast doubt over their ability to oversee genuine reconciliation among the warring

parties.

“By doing so, it means the BoT has taken sides on the matter which to any discerning person tantamount to passing a vote of no confidence in the other group, and further portrays the party as one which has no interest in due process or the rule of law.

“Taking any steps towards holding a national convention without transparently resolving the issues in such a way that it gets the buy-in of the feuding parties would amount to disobedience of valid and subsisting court orders and judgments, both by the courts in Abuja and Port Harcourt. It will amount to a continuation of impunity and an endorsement of illegality.

“My humble view is that what our elders in the BoT ought to have done was to preside over a transparent and unbiased reconciliation process whereby they would have summoned Sheriff and Makarfi and get the two respectable leaders to talk to each other in a room and come up with their own plans for the resolution of the crisis.”

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NEWS

ASUU Serves FG Strike Notice, Demands Full Implementation of 2009 Agreement Paul Obi in Abuja The Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) yesterday served the federal government with a strike notice over the failure to fully

implement the 2009 agreement signed by the government or “risks another full blown nationwide strike.”

The Zonal Coordinator (Abuja Zone) of ASUU, Dr. Theophilus Daniel Lagi, issued the threat

Dangote’s Net Worth Slips by $5.4bn on Nigeria’s Economic Woes Africa’s richest man and Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has lost $5.4 billion in his fortune since this year, according to data obtained, yesterday, from Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Using an average exchange rate of N250 to a dollar, Dangote’s $5.4 billion loss translates to about N1.35 trillion.

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index traced the sharp drop in Dangote’s net worth to the slump in commodity prices and

the devaluation of the naira in June by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The report put Dangote’s net worth at $9.9 billion, a 62 per cent drop since January 2014, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

However, the report stated that Africa’s second-wealthiest person, South African Christo Wiese, trails Dangote by $2.8 billion with his fortune climbing 12 per cent this year on the index.

at a press briefing in Abuja, stating that government had so far implemented only 30 per cent of the agreement on the NEEDS Assessment budget in 2013 which was disbursed indiscriminately to university councils, as a fallout of its six months industrial action.

He regretted the failure of government to address ASUU demands put forward to it and the non-implementation of the core provisions of the agreement, adding: “The present step by ASUU is a design to appeal and inform the Nigerian public on

the state of neglect of lectures by government and to serve as a prelude to full blown strike.”

He said: “The struggle to implement the 2009 ASUU/ FGN agreement is not about the union. It is not about the personal benefits of the members only. It is about saving the university system from total collapse.

“The current issues in contention include funding of universities for revitalisation in line with the MoU the FGN entered into with ASUU in 2013; renegotiation of the FGN/

ASUU 2009 agreement which ASUU believes will reposition the entire education sector; facilitation of the registration of the Nigerian Universities Pension Management company, among others in the list.”

Also speaking, the Chairman of ASUU, University of Abuja chapter, Dr. Ben Ugheoke, frowned at “government’s lethargic attitude towards the establishment of the pension company despite the fact that the union had fulfilled its side of the bargain including the payment its counterpart funding.

“We have not joined other PFAs because of the irregularities in the operation of the scheme; the system lacks integrity. That is why we asked our members to wait for our own company.

“Initially, ASUU was told to commit N600 million to the registration; from that N600 million, it was increased to N740 million but late last year, it was raised to N1 billion and I want to say that ASUU has already paid the N1 billion; it has been with the government since 2013 and yet government is frustrating the registration of the company,” Ugheoke said.

Osinbajo Praises Utomi for $136m Agric Investment Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

and at the state level. The one by the state, you can take it for The Vice President Professor, granted.

“The one by the federal level, Yemi Osinbajo, has praised the Chairman, Integrated Produce if you have any difficulties, I City in Edo State, Prof Pat Utomi, know the president is also very for investing $136 million in the committed because he is saying to us we must return to the farm. agricultural sector.

The vice president, represented Therefore, I believe we will match

by Governor Adams Oshiomhole words with action. But should said: “The timing of the project you have any difficulties, you can count on us because you couldn’t have been better.

“Not just because it confirms are helping us to deliver on one what we have been saying to of the key primary purposes of people over the past two or government which is to keep the three months. We have said to citizens busy, create prosperity and our people that we could create spread happiness in communities over two hundred thousand jobs, so that people have the basis to God giving our candidate, Godwin be loyal to their motherland.”

He added: “To the community, Obaseki, the mandate.

He said: “So, what you have this is your project. You must come to do in Edo, we cannot defend it the way you defended thank you enough, and we want the kingdom because this will to appreciate all your foreign provide jobs for you. And it partners who have shown will create prosperity and it has confidence in our economy at this already put you on the world point in time. And it is instructive map. You will be described more that you are not lobbying corridors as a product city where people of power in Abuja for an oil block. will come from Lagos, from Abuja, You are just looking for a piece of from Iyamho to come and find land that is idle. The next phase jobs. That is the way nations grow.”

Earlier in his address, the investor of our development must be to focus on job creation, and that we and initiator of the Integrated must also have a sensible land Produce City, Utomi said: “It is not administration, that we will give every day that one has the privilege of being part of history. A sense of land to genuine investors.”

He continued: “When there is gratitude, therefore, overwhelms no place for youths to work, once us as we break ground today to they grow up, they will leave usher in a combination of agriculture the village for the city to look for and an industrial complex. I should jobs. So, to bring those children begin therefore with this sense of back, we need jobs around here. gratitude with thanksgiving to the So, when they work here, they creator that gave us dominion over will be with us. I am glad that the earth and the privilege to be you have seen the link between co-creators with him, moving this effort and your security, and creation towards his perfection, even those hoodlums will see that to the government and people it is better to work than to be of Edo State for being diligent engaged in kidnapping and other partners in this endeavour and vices they have been committing. we expect they will transform “On our part, we want to Edo State for good in more ways assure you that every support than they realize. My boast, my that you need, it is in our own private boast, and with God’s self-enlightened interest to bring it. grace will come to pass that For now, our attitude is to provide within this complex, ten to fifteen all the incentives that government years from now, more will come can provide, both at the federal to Edo State.”

BILATERAL COOPERATION

L-R: Visiting Member of Parliament and United Kingdom Immigration Minister, Robert Goodwill; Minister of Interior, General Abdurahman Dambazzau (rtd); and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, during the signing of an MoU between UK and Nigeria on immigration in Abuja...yesterday

Space Agency Advises Nigerians Not to Panic over Today’s Eclipse Sets up viewing centres in Lagos, Abuja People advised to wear goggles to view eclipse Dele Ogbodo in Abuja The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) yesterday advised that Nigerians should not panic over the annular eclipse due to occur in different parts of the country.

In a statement signed by the agency’s Head of Media and Corporate Communication, Mr. Felix Ale, in Abuja, said the eclipse would be experienced between the hours of 7:15a.m. and 10:03a.m. with slight variations in actual timing across the country.

An annular eclipse, the agency said occurs when the sun and the moon are exactly in line, but the apparent size of the moon is smaller than that of the sun, hence the sun appears as a very bright ring or annulus surrounding the dark disk of the moon.

He said: “The agency has arranged a viewing centre at the Obasanjo Space centre, along airport road, Abuja, to enable members of the public, pupils and students from various

schools to view the eclipse.

Ale, said the agency would provide specially designed viewing instruments for Nigerians who wish to watch the eclipse between those hours According to him, eclipse is an astronomical event, and an occurrence of nature for man to behold but cannot be viewed with the naked eyes as this can cause permanent damage to the human eyes.

He said: “The eclipse will be experience at varying obscurities, with the southern part of the country having the highest degree of obscurity of eighty per cent, and in the north the lowest obscurity of fort-five per cent.

“In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, there will be a partial eclipse, with an obscurity of sixty per cent, and the first contact at about 7:17a.m., with maximum eclipse at 8:32a.m. and end at 10:00a.m.”

According to him, Lagos will also experience its first contact with the eclipse at 7:15a.m., with a maximum eclipse occurring at 8:32a.m. and ending at about

10:00a.m.

He advised the public not panic or attach any spiritual connotation to this appearance of the eclipse, as this is a natural occurrence which has been accurately predicted by science.

“The NSRDA has developed necessary capacity to accurately make these predictions.

“The viewing centre which has been set up by the agency will be open to the public on September 1, 2016 from 6:45a.m. for school pupils and students to observe the annular eclipse as part of its continuous programmes to expose Nigerians and students to

matters concerning astronomical environment.”

While appealing to the public not to panic or adduce any mystical interpretations to this event, it is also necessary to advise that nobody should observe the eclipse with naked, as this can cause damage.

An annular eclipse, Ale said, occurs when the sun and moon are exactly in line, but the apparent size of the moon is smaller than that of the sun, hence the sun appears as a very bright ring or annulus surrounding the dark disk of the moon.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

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COMMENT

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

FINDING COMMON USE FOR UNCLAIMED DIVIDENDS

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Channelling unclaimed dividends into the capital market could impact market stability, argues Bashir Ibrahim Hassan

he Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has a moral duty—to correct the inadequacies of other regulatory frameworks—if that is what it takes to the development of the capital market.

SEC is the government agency mandated to regulate and develop the Nigerian Capital Market. Its activities are currently governed by the Investments and Securities Act (ISA) 29 of 2007.

Under the leadership of an investment banker Mounir Gwarzo, SEC has directed its energy towards developing the capital market. It is now falling back on one of its many tools of regulating the capital market—rule making. This is a tool that the SEC evokes as development occurs to ensure the commission meets up with the standards of global best practices.

SEC is evoking this tool to address the apparent lacuna in the Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) with regard to unclaimed dividends. Dividends are returns on investment declared and paid by a company to its shareholders out of the company’s profit or reserves. CAMA empowers companies to declare dividends out of their distributable profits. Upon the declaration of dividends by companies, the registrars of companies are mandated by the SEC to, within 24 hours of the declaration of the dividends, open a separate interest yielding escrow account into which all declared dividends would be paid. The registrar is further expected to, within 20 working days, prepare and dispatch dividend warrants to the shareholders, who are expected to claim the dividends within the life span of the warrants.

However, the reality is that some of these dividends warrants end up never being claimed by shareholders, and end up in the abyss of unclaimed dividends in the Nigerian Capital Market. Where dividends are returned unclaimed, CAMA empowers an issuing company to invest these dividends for its own benefit, while awaiting shareholders to claim same. This is a major inadequacy of the CAMA. Furthermore, CAMA rules stipulate that where a shareholder fails to claim dividends within a period of 12 years, such dividends can no longer be claimed. If barring shareholders from claiming their dividend after 12 years is what the architects of the CAMA felt was right, they were silent on who should have custody of the dividends beyond this point.

This is the mother of all lacunae. And this is where SEC seeks to intervene and offer a way out, a law that will fill the gap created by the lacuna in the nation’s companies’ regulatory framework with regard to unclaimed dividends.

LIQUIDITY FROM THE UNCLAIMED DIVIDENDS WILL ENSURE THAT MARKET INDICES DO NOT FALL FAR BELOW FAIR VALUE, THEREBY PROTECTING THE VALUE OF SHAREHOLDERS’ WEALTH, INCLUDING THE WEALTH OF INVESTORS WHOSE DIVIDEND IS UNCLAIMED SINCE THEY OWN SHARES IN QUOTED COMPANIES

A solution is now found, which is in tune with what obtains in other jurisdictions. The solution is a simple one— putting the unclaimed dividends to common use. Evoking its rule-making powers, SEC has come up with the idea of establishing the Nigerian Capital Market Development Fund (NCMDF) as a company limited by guarantee.

What do other jurisdictions do with their unclaimed dividends? In India the Investor Education Protection Fund (IEPF) was created to receive, among others, unclaimed dividends which have stayed with a company for a period of seven years from the day it is due. In Australia all unclaimed dividends are transferred to the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) within a period of six years from the day it is due.

Gwarzo, a 2005 Fellow of the Instituted of Chartered Brokers, and his team at the SEC would not be going outside the provisions of the law if one looks deeply in to the provisions of the ISA. ISA has given SEC the power to prescribe, as it deems appropriate, necessary rules for dealing with unclaimed dividends and unclaimed certificates by public companies and their agents. This provision was wisely inserted by the National Assembly when coming up with the ISA in 2007. What the Gwarzo is doing is just prescribing an innovative way of dealing with the unclaimed dividends and the willingness to implement same.

In the past the issuing companies have profited from the returns on investment of the statutorily barred investors. Now is time to get its act more morally correct, by putting the benefit of these returns to common use. This is by channelling them into a fund that will further develop the capital market, the source of the returns in the first place.

The CMDF was established with the following broad objectives: facilitate the development of the Nigerian capital market; promote financial literacy and encourage an in-depth understanding of the market; and, finally, carry out infrastructure projects and initiatives.

Gwarzo, whose career path has exposed him to many jurisdictions and how they operate their securities and exchange institutions -- from the US to South Africa; and from Malaysia to Singapore, knew what is good for the development of a robust capital market. In 2006 Gwarzo had a study visits to and work attachment at Suruhajaya Skuriti – The Malaysia Securities and Exchange Commission, Bursa Malaysia; the Malaysian Stock Exchange; the AM Bank – one of the top three Investment banking Institutions -- and CIMB, one of the top three investment banking institutions in the world.

Hassan is a financial systems analyst based in Abuja

THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF A LETTER

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Femi Odere writes that Tunji Abayomi’s letters to Bola Tinubu is tearing the APC apart

r. Tunji Abayomi’s epistles to Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the National Leader of the All Progressives Party (APC) in exercising his right to endorse Olusegun Abraham may have come and gone.

But it’s noteworthy that not a few of the everyday people (considering their reactions to Abayomi’s letter on the social media), observers of politics and its pundits found the missives in bad taste, if not misguided.

Abayomi’s letters (most especially the first one) did not only attempt to redefine and refashion political endorsement, that age-old, time-tested and internationally acceptable political tool that the national leader rightly exercised to support the aspiration of Olusegun Abraham for reasons best known to him, since there’s no disputing the fact that he knows virtually all the major aspirants in many ways than one in their contestation for the APC ticket. It was not the first time that Asiwaju had exercised his right to endorse. And his endorsement of Olusegun Abraham will neither be the last.

In 2015, Asiwaju endorsed the aspiration of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari in the wake of the presidential primary that had been adjudged to be the most free, fair and transparent primary election in Nigeria in recent memory. But Abayomi would rather that Asiwaju, a national political colossus and a huge stakeholder in the southwest politics, sits back and allow an aspirant who may be fronting for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or someone who has no interest

of the party that gave him the ticket at heart to trash it at the poll. Because Asiwaju has always operated with uncommon resolve in areas where other political titans fear to even contemplate, let alone tread, what others see as his somewhat unconventional approach to politics and his well-calculated endorsements has almost always produced, and continues to produce high-achieving governors, among other public officials. His endorsement of Olusegun Abraham will be no exception when this international businessman and accomplished engineer becomes the governor of the Sunshine State.

As much as one is wont to see Abayomi’s open letters to Asiwaju as mere politics that no one should lose any sleep over, its negative effects has not only begun to manifest on that all-important cohesiveness of the party, but it may yet be used as a basis to float another political party after the primaries to which some of the aspirants who never wished the party well in the first place would defect. Although in the face of lack of credible and verifiable evidence, one may not be too far from the truth to infer that Abayomi’s letters were the ‘tonic’ that emboldened some miscreants, probably with the backing of some chieftains who are fifth columnists in the party when they reportedly passed “a vote of no confidence” and subsequently announced the sack of a duly elected state chairman Isaac Kekemeke.

A mere endorsement doesn’t get any more amazing than that. And you never know the unpredictable surprise and its level of intensity, if not its treachery, that politics will

throw up just when you least expected.

With Abayomi’s missives, one can also infer that the stage is already set to substitute an endorsement for imposition by the fifth columnists within the party after the August 27 primary regardless of its authenticity and credibility. Asiwaju’s legitimate right to endorse someone (which in this case falls on Olusegun Abraham in this particular gubernatorial race in Ondo State) will be negatively played up to the maximum in the public space by some of the losers and moles within the party. They will cast aspersions on Abraham even in the face of overwhelming evidence that the primary election was free, fair, transparent and thus credible. What is more, it should also be expected that the state’s “chief mischief maker” Dr. Olusegun Mimiko will not only play up this nefarious “imposition” trump card in all the airwaves under his control, but will also recruit foot-soldiers to engage in scare-mongering that Tinubu “the bogeyman” is once again coming to invade Ondo State with several bullion vans from Bourdillon Road with Abraham as his partner in crime before the electorate. But one hopes that the people of Ondo State has now known who has carted away their collective patrimony not to allow the lies the second time. This is the more reason why it’s extremely important that one must not relent in shouting from the rooftop even if the voice cracks and becomes hoarse in the process that members of this progressive party must subscribe to the highest level of discipline. They should channel their

legitimate grievances to the appropriate official channels rather than resort to self-help.

It’s against this background that the pathetic incident at the state secretariat of the party must be investigated and sanctions applied to anyone found culpable in that madness no matter how highly placed in the party.

Perhaps Abayomi’s letters has brought into the fore the contending issue of the rights and privileges of the leadership of the party vis-à-vis that of its members that need to be interrogated and settled once and for all. While Abayomi’s letters has proven once again that the enemy within can be more dangerous and lethal than the adversaries without, it has also revealed the chronic lack of understanding of who should be on the driver’s seat between a political party in a representative democracy and its actors. Although it may not have been explicitly stated, Abayomi’s disposition may not be unconnected to what may have been his belief that the leadership of the party may have inadvertently subsumed its rights within that of its major stakeholders in its state chapters most especially when it comes to who becomes the party’s standard bearer when aspirants go into the field in their individual capacities to expend their energies and financial resources on delegates to increase their chances of winning at the polls. This mindset may be fundamentally responsible for most of the intractable frictions that had always existed between political parties and their resource-endowed members in the country. femiodere@gmail.com

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EDITORIAL BOKO HARAM AND THE CHIBOK GIRLS

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Government should do whatever it takes to bring the school girls back home

n April 14, 2014, a gang of gunmen dressed in military camouflage broke into the students’ hostels at Government Secondary School, Chibok and forcibly herded no fewer than 276 female students into their trucks. “We are here to assist and protect you,” one of the gunmen reportedly told the frightened female students 57 of whom would later escape to tell their stories. That marked the beginning of a tragedy that reverberated across the world and has become a nightmare for many parents.

Recently, there was a glimmer of hope when a faction of the brutal insurgent group, Boko Haram, offered to swap the schoolgirls for some of its detained members.

The latest video contained images of about 50 dejected looking girls allegedly kidnapped from Chibok where the hooded spokesman on military camouflage claimed that some of them were killed by air strikes launched by the Nigerian Air Force, an allegation the military has denied. “We are suffering here,” said one NIGERIANS of the kidnapped girls DESPERATELY NEED THE in the video, identified ASSURANCE THAT THE later as Dorcas Yakubu FEDERAL GOVERNMENT by the parents. “There HAS THE CAPACITY TO is no kind of suffering DEFEND OUR TERRITORY we haven’t seen. Tell AND OUR PEOPLE the government to give WHEREVER THEY MAY them (Boko Haram) CHOOSE TO RESIDE their people so we can also come home to be with you.”

However, there are no clear indications that the government is making any efforts in that direction leading to what has become a war of words between the authorities and the BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) coalition as well as some parents of the missing girls who must have been further distressed as a result of the latest video evidence. Although

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOlA BEllO, KAYODE KOMOlAfE, ISRAEl IWEGBU, EMMANUEl EfENI, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU GROUP FINANCE DIRECTOR OlUfEMI ABOROWA DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS PETER IWEGBU, fIDElIS ElEMA, MBAYIlAN ANDOAKA, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS HENRY NWACHOKOR, SAHEED ADEYEMO CONTROLLERS ABIMBOlA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI GENERAL MANAGER PATRICK EIMIUHI GROUP HEAD fEMI TOlUfASHE ART DIRECTOR OCHI OGBUAKU II DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan handled the abduction in a sloppy manner, the response of President Muhammadu Buhari so far does not seem to inspire much confidence in the parents that the plight of their children is a priority. That was made clear last week by one of the parents who joined the BBOG in their protest to the Presidential Villa.

No doubt, the government has considerably decimated the ranks and the fire power of the insurgent group as they are increasingly hemmed in by troops from Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon. Besides, the Nigerian military has announced, so far, the rescue of some 20,000 people who had been kidnapped by Boko Haram, about the same number of people that had been killed by the insurgents since 2009. The military must be commended for their efforts. But the Chibok girls were ironically not among those rescued. Amina Ali Nkeki, one of the kidnapped school girls and daughter, were found on the outskirts of the Sambisa forest last May. Aside these, it is almost as if the government has surrendered to pessimism with the Chibok community practically left in the lurch since options about rescuing the schoolgirls appear unclear. This is why the government must seize the new window of opportunity offered by the insurgents to free the girls from captivity. The federal government must deploy all necessary resources, equipment, intelligence and whatever else it would take to find and bring the girls back home. And if it has to negotiate, the government must ensure that it is dealing with credible representatives of the insurgent group so as not to repeat the costly mistakes of the past.

What this administration must understand is that Nigerians desperately need the assurance that the federal government has the capacity to defend our territory and our people wherever they may choose to reside. And in a vibrant country such as ours, the issue of citizens in distress should always be on the front burner of public discourse. While the Chibok girls may have been away for more than two years, it can never be too late to bring them back home to their parents.

TO OUR READERS Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-200 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (9501000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.

MISDEED AT MADONNA UNIVERSITY Madonna University is one of the private tertiary institutions in the country, but while many others are getting accolades and winning laurels for setting the pace in academic excellence, reports about MU is nothing to cheer about.

The management of Madonna University almost killed my son, Stanley, a final year engineering student and his friend, Lord Galim, whom they abducted from their hostels and beaten to a coma on the night of February 3, 2015 at their Enugu campus.

But for divine intervention, the two students would have died as they were thoroughly dehumanised and taken out of the campus in a car trunk at midnight without informing their parents. Over one year after this incident, the school management is yet to communicate or reach out to the parents of the brutalised students. All they are doing is to cover up everything about the ugly incident and they still have the guts to advertise their 2017 academic session in Vanguard Newspapers of July 25, 2016, for new students to come on board to suffer the kind of evil treatment they meted to my son and his friend for no just cause.

Till date, the chancellor and vice-chancellor of Madonna University are yet to communicate with me on what happened to my son and the other student that was equally abducted by the school security guards on the night of February 3, 2015.

I however take solace in the fact that security agencies, including the Department of State Service (SSS) are already investigating the incident and I am sure that all those involved in the criminal act would soon have their day in court. I have received assurances from the highest authority in this country that the culprits who nearly killed my son and his friend would be brought to justice.

It is unfortunate that Madonna University which claimed to be founded on the Catholic doctrine of sound moral and ethical values has been found to be involved in serious occult activities and atrocities which have gone unnoticed by the public and parents who are paying millions of naira in tuition.

Though MU claimed to be a Christian institution, reports from students and alumni of the school showed that a lot of unpalatable and unwholesome activities are being perpetrated by the management, including the lecturers aided by the school’s security officers. Worse still, the leadership of the Catholic Church has kept mum and feigned ignorance of the happenings in the school. The church, by this conspiracy of silence, is essentially, encouraging Madonna University management to carry on in its corrupt ways.

I therefore call on the federal government, particularly the National Universities Commission and the Ministry of Education to investigate Madonna University for unethical practices and other malfeasance. If indicted, the university’s licence should be withdrawn and the school shut down.

A core plank of the agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is the fight against corruption and I believe this crusade should not be limited to the public sector alone, but should also be extended to the private sector, including the universities where all forms of unmentionable activities that are far from academics, are being perpetrated by those we have entrusted our children to. The change sweeping across the country must be felt in all dirty nooks and crannies-- Madonna University must not be allowed to get away with attempted murder.

Chief Sam Okoye, Garki, Abuja

WHY BUHARI DESERVES EMERGENCY POWERS There is no doubt that the nation’s economy is presently in a coma, but the efforts of the Buhari administration in finding solution to the myriad of inherited problems in the economic sector from the immediate past government deserves commendation. It is in view of this that the emergency powers bill from the executive should be given accelerated treatment by the National Assembly in the overall interest of the nation.

The template for good governance in Nigeria is visibly being laid for the present and future generations of Nigerians.

Therefore, anything needed by President Muhammadu Buhari in his bid to take our economy out of the woods should be supported.

Odunayo Joseph,Mopa, Kogi State

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POLITICS

Group Politics Editor Olawale Olaleye Email wale.olaleye@thisdaylive.com 08116759819 SMS ONLY

PERSONALITY INTERVIEW

Boakai: Nigerian Troops Still Helpful in Liberia Vice President of Liberia, Mr. Joseph Boakai was in Nigeria recently to drum up support for his country’s forthcoming national elections, especially his ambition to replace President Johnson Serleaf, who will be leaving office soon. The VP however made startling revelations about the state of affairs in his country, including the fact that many of Nigeria’s ECOMOG soldiers left children in Liberia. He spoke to select journalists in Abuja and Onyebuchi Ezigbo was there. Excerpts:

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far, there are mechanisms put in place to detect early for us to be able to confront it, for us to be able to find a solution, to find the remedy, so we are not threatened by Ebola anymore.

The institutions are in place now to counter it.

Even if it took a long time, whether it is Ebola, we can now detect it. And we have been trying to put in place safety measures. Liberians now are very conscious of their health – sanitation.

We are out of the wood, but it doesn’t mean that we should not keep surveillance.

hat’s your candid assessment of the out-going government in Liberia, of which you are a part?

Liberians enjoyed quite a good fortune in the first administration. We had a lot of support, and we achieved quite a lot. Of course, you know that we had some setbacks due to Ebola and other sectors that form the strength of the economy were affected like the rubber sector. And so, the economy is facing challenges. Very honestly, the administration, not because I am part of it, has brought in a lot of developments compared to what was there before. We do have challenges economically right now like any other places.

I believe that the government is original and trying to make sure that it is able to fulfill all the promises under the current circumstances.

As a presidential hopeful, what are the key things you intend to offer the Liberian people, which the outgoing government could not do?

Thank you very much. You know as the incumbent, you know some of the lapses; you know some of those things you could not have done in the past regime. I know the things that are critical to the development of our country.

I have worked in different sectors. I can assure you that I have a lot to bring to the table.

Of what importance is the land reform bill to the development of your country?

The land reform is very important being that traditionally all land is owned by government.

The land is called the reserve. They can use it for farming but if they want to transfer the ownership, it has to be signed by the president.

The reforms that are being made now will give

Boakai...we still count on Nigeria for peace-keeping

Nigeria should not pull out. I think Africa in general has a responsibility to ensure peace and tranquility in the region. We are not reckless not to be able to govern ourselves, but as a matter of reality in African solidarity, we don’t set up a deadline for Nigeria to pull out as much as we make commitment to sub-regional peace.

We look upon our brothers and sisters, who have the muscle for the region to be a part of the process.

So, there is no deadline for Nigeria pulling out

the custody to the people and that is still being refined because we have government land, private land and concession land. So, some of the problems we have had include the fact that people living in Monrovia, for example, may have 500 hectares of land outside that they are not using and they don’t allow people to use. So, these have direct bearing on agriculture, on environment. So, that reform has been put into place and the land commission has been dealing with that and they want to bring it down to the land authority and that is in progress.

What stands you out from others as a presidential aspirant in next year’s presidential election?

Well, I know that I have served in many capacities and nobody in Liberia can boast of experience in administration as compared to me. Thank God I have very clean record of service and it is known to Liberians and beside that, we are talking about continuity. There are several things that have been done that we would want to see continued. And I believe that quite a lot of people will agree that there is no better candidate than myself.

How can you assess Liberia’s relations with Nigeria?

That is splendid! I must say Nigeria has been that big brother to all the countries in the sub-region.

For us, in Liberia and Sierra- Leone, we will remain grateful for the ultimate sacrifice Nigeria has made and on top of that, they have been seen as people, who have always been in the vanguard of things when there are problems in Africa, plus the economic contributions they are making as well as in the social arena. We have in Liberia, doctors serving, teachers. Nigeria has been that country that has really put its neck on the line in the sub-region. While we have peaceful coexistence with our neighbours, Nigeria is that country that has really helped to sustain the stability on the continent and we remain grateful to her for what it has done for our country and the sub-region.

Do you think your country has not done enough to appreciate Nigeria’s sacrifices towards securing peace in Liberia?

So far that I know, almost all of the banks except very few that are in Liberia, are Nigerian banks. The insurance companies and a lot of the investments are owned by Nigerians. Liberia doesn’t ever stop Nigerians from investing in Liberia. As a matter of fact, if we take by region, Nigerians might have the biggest investments in Liberia. Then, Nigerians are aware that Liberians have always been grateful to them. They say that all the time. I was jokingly saying that we have a lot of Nigerian children in Liberia, kept there by ECOMOG soldiers. So, we have a very big community of Liberians that are Nigerians.

When will Liberia be strong and stable enough to warrant the pulling out of Nigerian troops from its territory?

Nigeria should not pull out. I think Africa in general has a responsibility to ensure peace and tranquility in the region. We are not reckless not to be able to govern ourselves, but as a matter of reality in African solidarity, we don’t set up a deadline for Nigeria to pull out as much as we make commitment to sub-regional peace.

We look upon our brothers and sisters, who have the muscle for the region to be a part of the process. So, there is no deadline for Nigeria pulling out. You know very well that most of the military leaders during the conflicts and even in the recent past were Nigerians, who were holding that position. So, no deadline!

The Liberian soldiers are in place. We have the paramilitary, but we will continue to work together for regional stability.

Your country suffered greatly from the deadly Ebola. Would you say that your country is now out of the woods?

We have a long time record now of being Ebola free, and as we all know, Ebola was an unexpected attack on the country. We didn’t know, but so

You seem to enjoy a cordial relationship with the incumbent president, what is the secret behind such cordiality?

I have learnt in life and I have always said that if you serve somebody – a leader, you should always push them up. As they go up, you go up too. But if you pull them down, they sit on you. My role was to assist the president. The constitution is very clear. I preside over the senate and I assist the president. And so that is the job I do because if the president doesn’t succeed, I won’t succeed and I won’t even be a successor in good faith.

After being in power for quite a while, do you still believe you have something different to offer?

That I have served in many capacities has prepared me better and more responsible as the candidate to replace the president. We are not here for experiment. Nation leading is not for experiment; it is to lead – to hit the ground running. That is what I will do. I do know what the issues are in Liberia that have not been tackled. I am not to criticise but I know exactly. I have the diary of where intervention needs to be made and I know that I am capable to make them and make the difference.

How are your country’s ties with America like?

We continue to relate with America but we have to know that we are an African country and Africans have been willing and ready to make sacrifice for us. We are not an America colony. We are friend of America. We continue to draw from America. We continue to look up to African region for cooperation at all times.

What do you think could be done to sustain the relative peace in your country?

That is the idea of continuity. We have to continue in a peaceful direction. That is why we want to make sure that this election is going to be transparent, it is going to be peaceful, that all political parties and contestants in this election are going to be respected, the press is going to be free and all the things that we need to put in place to make it a free election, we have to do because if we have free and fair elections, it leads to a peaceful country and there will be development.

NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

19

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

INTERVIEW

‘We Can’t Rule out Military Option in Niger Delta’ Ovie Omo-Agege, a lawyer, consummate grassroots politician and mobiliser is the Senator representing the Urhobo nation and people of Delta Central Senatorial District of Delta State. In this interview, he maintained that President Muhammadu Buhari is doing the needful to stabilise the country. He also disagrees with the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers. Shola Oyeyipo presents the excerpts:

W

hat is your assessment of President Muhamadu Buhari?

President Muhamadu Buhari was elected to change the course of a nation that was drifting in the wrong path.

Terrorists were moving freely within Nigeria and across borders, claiming territories, causing mayhem and killing people. The economy was deeply damaged by corruption and the biggest collapse in crude oil prices and revenue.

To deal with the security situation, government had to relocate the military command and control centre to Maiduguri, build international coalitions and equip the military. We have reclaimed most of the territories Boko Haram occupied, including the Sambisa forest. They are now unable to move freely and threaten us. Some of the Chibok girls have been rescued; Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS) are returning home, the borders and cities are no longer easily accessible to terrorists.

Omo-Agege

The truth is that we have succeeded in degrading and decimating Boko Haram in a way we thought was impossible and today, we

are significantly safer than we were 15 months ago. I give the President a lot of credit for the strategic decisions made to get us to this position of relative security. Keeping our nation safe and defending its sovereignty is the most important duty of a president. And on this, President Muhamadu Buhari has delivered.

In the area of corruption, it is very clear that the government has done very well. Never in the history of Nigeria has any government achieved what this government has done. Before now, corruption was a way of life. It is hard to imagine how our country was ripped off.

People were just sharing our money. But all that is changing. Huge amounts have been recovered and counting.

The economy has been more challenging to the government. As I said earlier, the government inherited a deeply damaged economy that was on a free fall. The 2016 budget was designed to stabilise the economy and lay a strong foundation for a diversified economy that will create jobs for those who

want to work and opportunities for those who want to set up businesses.

The removal of fuel subsidy and the introduction of flexible exchange rate are policies that will help to stabilise the economy, so we can begin the long road to recovery. Increased infrastructural spending in the budget will help to diversify the economy. Overall, the government has done well in moving the country in the right direction.

But many do not share your view and in fact, some are already saying this was not the change they voted for. Are you not unduly praising the government?

I can tell you that most of those blaming the president for the hardship in the land today did not vote for him in the first place, so they cannot be expressing any buyer’s remorse.

NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

Akeredolu: Tinubu Hasn’t Endorsed Any Aspirant One of the governorship aspirants in Ondo State in theAll Progressives Congress, Mr. RotimiAkeredolu, recently spoke to journalists on some of the challenges in the party ahead of its primaries. James Sowole presents the excerpts:

T

he APC primary election has been shifted twice. What is your reaction to this?

My take on that is that the party at the state level has not shown enough cooperation with the National Secretariat. You will notice that at a meeting with the executive member of the party, the chairman was said to have stated repeatedly that they were not prepared, so let’s be fair to ourselves, if the state is not prepared, like they have not made bookings, they have not contacted the INEC and have not done anything as they said and those coming to conduct the election expect those basic things to have been done only for them to come and look at what they have done and probably approved or change some few things.

So, I’m sure that the primary committee is yet to come now and they needed time so that when they come to probably carry out some of the things they are afraid to do, I want to

Akeredolu

believe that it is ill-preparedness that has given rise to this shift, though there are many rumours here and there, I don’t want to believe but the reasons I believe for the last postponement, I am

informed and truly believe that the presidency wanted to see all the aspirants and the earliest time they could have an engagement with us.

aside not only until after the primary election but until the governorship election because we do not have confidence in him any longer.

Before the latest postponement, there had been leadership crisis at the state level. Where do you belong?

I am not too sure we have a divide because APC is still one and APC remains one. What had happened overtime in the last couple of weeks is that the party apparatus, the executive members, the elders, the women wing, the youths and all tendencies in the party have virtually passed vote of no confidence on the chairman and this speaks a lot; it speaks volumes that we do not have confidence with those we are supposed to be working with, that is just probably the only thing.

But since the chairman has refused to step aside and allow interim transition for all of us, because I can also tell you that a majority of the aspirants also said the chairman should step

What informs your no confidence in the chairman?

I am of the opinion that the chairman deserves the right if he wants to support any aspirant of his choice. It is quite possible and he might say as chairman, I want to hold the balance, it is still another possibility, but when you now choose to endorse a candidate, which I said he reserves the right to do, he cannot use the apparatus of the party for the support of the aspirant he chooses. So, what most people have found out is that because he’s the chairman he now called all local government chairmen and told them that this is where they should go.

NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

Amupitan: Padding is Lawful, Constitutional In this interview with Seriki Adinoyi, the former Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Jos, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan cleared the air over some raging controversies in the National Assembly, especially as regards the budget padding allegations and immunity for lawmakers. Excerpts:

R

ecently there has been this controversy about budget padding in the National Assembly. Legally, what is budget padding, and how is it different from forgery?

Talking about budget padding, there are two important words there. First is budget, and then padding. A budget is a proposal, an estimate of the income and the revenue that is derived or to be spent in a given year. In every financial year, there must be an estimate of government expectations from the various sources of revenue, including taxation, as well as expenditure. The essence is to know whether there is balanced, surplus or deficit budget. Budget, therefore, refers to the process

Amupitan

of determining how you are going to spend your money.

When you talk of padding, it means something added unnecessarily or dishonestly.

For instance, I have written a speech and you decided to add what is not there to it. Or a budget has been prepared and then you have included items or you have made a false charge when you don’t have the power to do so. And you are trying to present it to the public as if that was what has been done by the authors – those that are vested with the authorities and powers to prepare and enact the budget to law. Budget padding is a novel concept in Nigeria jurisprudence because even the president said it was for the first time in his life he was hearing about budget padding.

How is it different from forgery?

As far as the constitution of Nigeria is concerned, there is nothing here that has been dishonestly or fraudulently done by the Speaker or by the Deputy Speaker (at least there is no proof of it) because they have acted within their legislative powers. It is if it was somebody that is not empowered by the law that you can now begin to say you have forged something. So, you need to understand the allegations or controversies around the budget padding in the National Assembly, and may be the situation of forgery must be understood properly.

NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

20

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 • T H I S D AY

FEATURES

Acting Features Editor Charles Ajunwa Email charles.ajunwa@thisdaylive.com

Sahara Gives Back

One of the leading energy firms in Nigeria has been embarking on several society centric initiatives to enhance socio-economic development, write Ugo Aliogo, Eberechi Imo and Chinenye Nduka

Raising next generation of power sector experts

G

ibson Emmanuel is an engineering student from Kaduna State Polytechnic. He is a prodigy with innate abilities in the areas of electrics and renewable energy solutions.

While growing up, he had showed signs of a great inventor if given the right platforms and opportunities.

As an engineering student, he was worried that most small businesses and health facilities did not have access to renewable energy solutions, which could serve as a viable option to electric power supply.

Like a divine call, he felt the desire to play a pivotal part in addressing these challenges.

Emmanuel and a group of friends partnered to build Renewable Energy Advancement Project (R.E.A.P). The project was submitted alongside 28 projects from other schools at the second edition of the Sahara Light Up Nigeria Challenge in Lagos.

The initiative was aimed at providing alternative and renewable energy sources with the potential to enhance eco-friendly and sustainable electricity supply in Nigeria.

The competition is an annual event organised

by Sahara Group in partnership with Enactus Nigeria. It is an initiative which seeks to inspire students of tertiary institutions across the country to explore opportunities towards achieving sustainable power supply within their environment. It also serves as the Group’s contribution to the growth and development of the power sector which it has affiliates in the generation and distribution sectors through the Sahara Power Group.

The 2015 challenge involved the development of simple Power Models that can

Teaching and shaping future leaders

reduce production cost and encourage the broad utilisation of different energy sources to power communities and schools. At the end of the competition, the polytechnic’s Renewable

The Sahara Light Up Nigeria Challenge provides the opportunity for young minds to broaden their creativity as they seek to find solutions to the challenges in the country’s power sector. Over the years, we have seen teams present incredible inventions that make us look forward to the future with great expectations

Energy Advancement Project emerged as the winning entry in the competition amidst other entries.

The Polytechnic team created a self-running hydro-power system that runs solely on the kinetic energy of water. The energy produced is stored in a 75-litre enclosed water tank that houses a pump and other materials required to drive generation of electricity. The technology is made from locally modified and recycled parts to ensure that it is environment friendly.

The development of this project has brought about an alternative to electricity generation for small businesses, a healthcare centre and a school within the impact area of the project.

In expressing his appreciation on behalf of the Group, Emmanuel said: “We are excited about our performance and want to thank the Sahara Group for giving us a platform to express our abilities. With more support, we believe we can contribute immensely to efforts aimed at improving power supply in Nigeria.” The Polytechnic also represented the country at the Enactus World Cup competition 2015 at Sandton Convention Centre, South Africa from October 14-16, 2015.

The Sahara Foundation’s Manager, Babatomiwa Adesida, said the company has always been delighted to provide platforms that inspire and empower youths to transform opportunities in their environment into solutions that enhance socio-economic development.

“We believe the Sahara Light Up Challenge has started a movement that will ultimately redefine the way we produce, store and consume power in Nigeria, whilst ensuring environmental protection. We are confident that the competition will ultimately light up Nigeria,” he stated.

Michael Ajayi, Country Director Enactus Nigeria, said the competition showed that the nation’s youths only need the right platforms to express their huge potential.

“The Sahara Light Up Nigeria Challenge provides the opportunity for young minds to broaden their creativity as they seek to find solutions to the challenges in the country’s power sector. Over the years, we have seen teams present incredible inventions that make us look forward to the future with great expectations,” he said.

Coming in second position was the Babcock University’s which produced the H-Power project. The project involved the use of water to power an H-Power generator. Using Ijesha Ijebu as their pilot community, the H-Power generator was used to provide electricity to give the community access to water and electricity.

Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, was placed third with the Project DTMS. The project focuses on generating electricity from bio-degradable waste materials in the pilot community. The students created a bio-digester that imitates the human digestive system. It collects waste materials from the environment and processes it into fuel used to generate electricity.

In Africa, Nigeria is seen as a one of the most viable entrepreneurship destinations.

With a population of over 170 million, the country is home to millions of entrepreneurs who are captured mainly in the informal sector. There is strong emphasis on income generation, without a corresponding attention to wealth preservation and creation. Recently, Sahara Foundation adopted the extrapreneurship strategy to drive integrated economic empowerment programmes through strategic

21

• T H I S D AY THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

FEATURES partnerships and support for innovative as well as scalable business ventures.

Over the next four years, the foundation plans to impact 12,000,000 beneficiaries directly and also create value through the identification, development and maintenance of relevant stakeholders through which beneficiaries can grow and sustain businesses. This will be achieved through skills acquisition training, mentoring and access to a network of committed stakeholders.

The Executive Director and Co-Founder, Sahara Group, Mr. Tonye Cole, explained that the core of the extrapreneurship framework is “to produce a platform that finds, creates and connects young people with business interests in emerging markets,’’ adding that this would be achieved by leveraging on the company’s key strength of bringing together various committed stakeholders and promoting cross-sectoral collaboration.

Cole said the shift in the group’s focus is modelled after its strategy, adding that Sahara has evolved from a fledgling entrepreneurial business which began 20 years ago, into a world class conglomerate with operations across the energy value chain including upstream, midstream, downstream operations. “We have leveraged our network of committed stakeholders to expand the business, embrace opportunities and grow the franchise sustainably over the past two decades,” he added.

The Group aims to drive the extrapreneurship programme through the establishment of community/academic hubs and the social media. These platforms will provide resource materials and inspire networking and collaboration on a mass scale for local, regional, national and global beneficiaries.

“You cannot even imagine the multiplier effect we are hoping to generate with the new model as young business owners are exposed to bundles of opportunities that exist within the various hubs and our dedicated web portal where leading business individuals and organisations will be available to guide and link budding extrapreneurs. We are mostly excited about the fact that this is a sustainable approach to empowering youths and engendering economic growth and development,” Cole said.

Observers believe that no nation can truly attain economic prosperity without a strong intellectual base charting a road map. Therefore, there is need to empower the education sector in Africa through the provision of requisite reading materials. In 2016, the group’s Cor-

Over the years, Sahara has supported several cancer programmes within and outside Nigeria to raise awareness and reduce the stigma associated with cancer. The aim is to enlighten the public about the disease, detect it at the early stage and promote long-term survival rates. The programmes were implemented through awareness walks, educational sessions, free screening exercise for men and women, and the provision of treatment for an agreed number of positive cases

Vocational Cntre, Oshodi...Inspiring dreams and empowering young minds

Home Economics Laboratory, Oshodi

porate Social Responsibility (CSR) organ, will engage in sustainable projects to improve the reading culture of children and their learning environment. One of such projects involves the quest to donate over 50,000 books and set up 10 rural libraries in selected rural communities and public schools in Benue State. This initiative is aimed at making books more accessible to children and youths. It also will be replicated in Sahara locations globally and other areas with the support of strategic partners.

To mark this year’s World Book Day, the Group is embarking on a book drive to amass books that can be sent to children in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps and other high need areas. Therefore in keeping with the Group’s policy of Personal Corporate Social Responsibility (PCSR), Sahara Group staff volunteers will give out books and make cash donations towards the purchase of books for students of Bethesda School for the Blind.

In 2014, the Group launched the ‘Read to Me’ School Project to promote a reading culture amongst children. The initiative, which was spearheaded by staff members who served as volunteers, encouraged reading for knowledge and leisure. In 2015, the Group upgraded the library at the United Mission College (UMC) Primary School, Ibadan and also provided

the library with books to enrich the minds of pupils. The Group also refurbished and equipped a Guidance and Counseling Centre for Eko Akete Senior Secondary School, Lagos Island. The Centre effectively serves the academic, psycho-social, and career needs of the students.

As part of the group’s commitment to tackle cancer, it has donated N120 million towards the cause of acquiring Mobile Cancer Centres (MCC).

The MCC is a clinic on wheels with state-ofthe-art facilities for screening, follow-up and treatment including surgeries for pre-cancer and early cancer cases. The centre also offers screening exercises for 10 cancer-related killer diseases, including hepatitis, diabetes, and malaria, among others, which are ultimately helping to improve life expectancy in Nigeria where at least 100,000 cancer cases occur annually.

In his remark, Cole stated that the Group expressed delight to be part of the initiative which he described as being “crucial to the success of addressing the cancer scourge sustainably."

“Through the interventions we continue to make through the vehicle of Sahara Foundation, we remain even more convinced that it is possible to address socio-economic and

health challenges globally when committed stakeholders pool resources together.

“At Sahara, we are passionate about sharing and giving to causes in line with our focus on education and capacity building, health, environment and sustainable community development, that will transform lives, communities, businesses and nations. Nothing gives us more joy than touching lives since we started bringing energy to bear in Sahara 20 years ago,” Cole noted.

Over the years, Sahara has supported several cancer programmes within and outside Nigeria to raise awareness and reduce the stigma associated with cancer.

The aim is to enlighten the public about the disease, detect it at the early stage and promote long-term survival rates. The programmes were implemented through awareness walks, educational sessions, free screening exercise for men and women, and the provision of treatment for an agreed number of positive cases. Some of Group’s cancer awareness programmes include, annual sponsorship of prostate cancer surgeries, cancer screening and awareness programme for staff members, cancer screening for rural women across Nigeria, cancer awareness walk in Lagos and Abuja and paddle for cancer dragon boat festival, Geneva, Switzerland.

22

IMAGES

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

Photo Editor Abiodun Ajala Email abiodun.ajala@thisdaylive.com

L-R: Commissioner of Finance, Bayelsa State, Mr. Maxwell Ebibai; Managing Director, FBN Trustees Limited, Mr. Adekunle Awojobi; Member, George Ikoli Okagbu Group, Mrs. Omolara Ikwuagwu, Head, Trust Services/ Legal, STL Trustees Mr. Akin Oni, during the Annual General Meeting of Bayelsa State Bond, held in Abuja... recently .ENOCK REUBEN

Conscience Nigeria and Centre for Public Accountability in partnership with 30 other Civil Society Organisations in Lagos staged a protest at the premises of EFCC over the allegations of 2016 budget padding scandal in the House of Representatives...recently ETOP UKUTT

L-R: Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sulaiman Atolagbe Alege; Chairman, Igbomina Mobile Clinic Implimentation Committee, Mr. Emmanuel Adewuyi; Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed and Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Alhaji Abdulraheem Adedoyin during a courtesy visit to Governor at Government House, IlorinÖ.recently

L-R; Brand Management Officer, First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited, Mr. Oluwatosin Dada; Manager, Ejirin Road Branch (Ijebu-Ode), Mr. Oluwatosin Adegbenle; Representative of FCMB Founder/Head, Corporate Affairs & Media Management, Mr. Louis Ibe; Chairman, Ojude Oba Festival Planning Committee, Otunba Wahab Osinusi and Vice Chairman of the Committee, Chief Olu Okuboyejo, during the Pre-Ojude Oba Festival press conference in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun

L-R: Sales Director, Nutricima, Mr. Bola Arotiowa; Managing Director, Mr. Eelco Weber; Olympic Brand Ambassador, Mr. Peter Okoye; Marketing Director, Mr. Kalyan Bandyopadhyay and Supply Chain Director, Nutricima, Mr. Tamme Pool, during the re-launch of Olympic Nutri-Active Milk by Nutricima in LagosÖrecently KOLA OLASUPO

L-R; Keynote Speaker, Mrs. Yinka Ogunde; Delegate, Elizabeth Oly-Alawuba; Protocol Officer, Burkina Faso Embassy, Mr. Ouedraogo Marcel; and Founder, Future Trust Initiative for Capacity Bulding,Mrs. Maureen Ifeyinwa, at the United Nations 2nd Edition Conference, on the African Future trust model , in Lagos... recently SUNDAY ADIGUN

Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwa(right)l inspects the failed portion of the Isa-Marnona federal highway which was washed away by rain, in Sokoto...recently SOKOTO GOVT HOUSE

L-R; APC Zonal leader, Epe, Alhaji Akanni Seriki; Lagos State Commissioner for Wealth and Job Creation, Hon Babatunde Durosimi Etti; Hon Wale Raji; and Mrs Shonubi, one of the graduating students of Wale Raji empowerment Programme in Epe,

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

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Quick Takes Layer3, Juniper Harp on Data

ICT industry stakeholders comprising participants from service providers, the public sector, oil and gas companies, energy companies, military and security agencies, among others were recently hosted to a workshop on the evolution of the data centre organised by Layer3 and Juniper Networks in Lagos.

With the theme, ‘Data Centre Instant Evolution’, participants were educated on how best to survive in the evolving digital world.

Juniper Data Centre and Virtualisation Leader in charge of Middle East and Africa (MEA), Mark Hosking, in his presentation titled ‘Enabling Organisations for Data Centre Leadership’, emphasised the need for organisations to automate operations and virtualise solutions for business value to be realised as the status quo.”

Hosking rounded up by making the participants understand the importance of ensuring that the data centre and its underlying infrastructure can keep pace with the demands placed upon it in the present and can scale for future demands.

ForexTime App Offers Solution

PUTTING HEADS TOGETHER

Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun (right) with Managing Director, Nigeria LNG Ltd Mr. Babs Omotowa during a courtesy visit of the Nigeria LNG team to the Minister in Abuja…recently

Nigeria Still Lags Behind in Internet Protocol Distribution Stories by Emma Okonji African record on Internet Protocol (IP) distribution has revealed that Nigeria is lagging behind other African countries like South Africa and Egypt.

Statistics from African Network Centre (AFRINIC), which is the regional internet registry for Africa, placed Nigeria behind South Africa and Egypt for internet resources distribution on Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4), which was declared exhausted by Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

The exhaustion of IPv4 in

ICT assigning internet names and numbers, led to the campaign for the adoption of the next version of IP address, called IPV6.

Again, the IPV6 prefixes issued by country, also placed Nigeria behind South Africa.

While South Africa was issued 177 slots, which is about 26 per cent, Nigeria was allotted 34, which is about 8 per cent.

Nigeria is however closely followed by Kenya 31, at 7 per cent and Malawi, which is the least, having 9 slots which is about 2 per cent.

In order to create further awareness on the adoption of IPV6 in Nigeria, AFRINIC, in collaboration with the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA); the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) and the University of Ibadan, held a workshop last week in Lagos, where they urged the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and content producers in Nigeria to hasten up the migration from IPV4 to IPV6 in order to further deepen internet penetration in the country. The move, it was gathered, was to enable Nigeria garner more population

of internet users and increase her chances of getting more slots in the allocation of internet resources for the region.

NiRA’s President, Rev. Sunday Afolayan, said the new internet protocol, IPv6 would open a pool of Internet addresses that is about a billion-trillion times larger than the total pool of IPv4 address which he said is about 4.3 billion addresses. He explained that the number of IPV6 is virtually inexhaustible for the foreseeable growth of the domain name system Continued on page 24

Number Porting: 568,782 Subscribers Switched Networks in Three Years Among the 149.8 million recorded active telecoms subscribers across all networks in Nigeria as at June 2016, a total of 568,782 subscribers were said to have ported from one network to another, within a space of three years that Mobile Number Portability (MNP) was introduced in the country.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), had on April 22, 2013, introduced mobile number porting, which allows subscribers to migrate from one network to another in search of better service quality, while still retaining their original number, irrespective of the network the subscriber chooses to go.

Within 48 hours that MNP was launched in Lagos by the

TELECOMS former Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, 4,000 subscribers ported from their original networks to alternative networks, in search of better service quality and customer care, and since then, the number has continued to increase.

As at June this year, a total of 547,662 subscribers ported to other networks since 2013 when the scheme was introduced, according to figures posted recently on the NCC’s website.

In the month of July, 2016, about 21,120 subscribers across Airtel, MTN, Etisalat and Globacom, ported to different networks, bringing the total number of subscribers that

have ported in the last three years, to 568, 782.

The figures showed that for all incoming porting, which explains the migration of subscribers to another network, Etisalat recorded the highest number of incoming subscribers to its network, which NCC puts at 12,378 for the month of June, 2016 only, followed by Airtel, which had 5,527 new subscribers to its network. Globacom had 1,558 new subscribers that ported to its network, and the least was 1,341, which ported to the MTN network.

In the month of July 2016, Etisalat still maintained the lead position for the number of incoming subscribers that ported. Etisalat had 11,136; Airtel had 8,177; Globacom

had 1,446; while MTN still maintained the least incoming porting at 361.

Pleased with introduction of number portability and the success it has recorded so far, the Director, Public Affairs NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobo told THISDAY that the NCC has succeeded in putting powers in the hands of consumers to exercise their rights to move from one network to another at will, in search of better service quality and better customer care. Ojobo listed the benefits of number porting to include the ability of subscribers to make informed choice of networks, ability to experience value added services from operators, Continued on page 24

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Since the launch of the first version of the ForexTime App in October 2015, it has gained enormous popularity among traders and investors from across the globe, with more than 15% of its users originating from Nigeria. These latest features are sure to provide traders with complete flexibility and control over their trading experience – anywhere, anytime.

While functionality of account management is often separated from the monitoring of the financial markets, the new ForexTime App has been specifically designed to integrate the two, bringing a 360-degree view of the trading environment in one place. The app allows users to receive on-the-spot updates on the financial markets, open and fully verify a trading account, deposit and withdraw their funds and download the trading platform of their choice.

Commenting on the launch, Vice President of Corporate Development and Market Research, Jameel Ahmad, said: “Today’s traders are seeking innovative, mobile solutions which will meet their entire trading needs. Offering our clients the latest technology is a key priority for FXTM, and we are extremely pleased to unveil the latest version of the ForexTime App which offers traders fast, easy and full command over their trading accounts and funds, while keeping them up to date with the markets.”

Lekki Gardens Appoints Indigo

As part of strategic business repositioning drive, Lekki Garden Limited, a leading Real Estate Development Company, has appointed Integrated Indigo Limited as Public Relations consultant.

With this appointment, Integrated Indigo Limited is saddled with the responsibility of managing perception and reputation for the company to ensure that the company maintains mutual understanding and goodwill with its varied publics and relevant stakeholders.

According to the Managing Director/CEO, Lekki Gardens Limited, Mr. Richard Nyong, the appointment of a Public Relations consultant became imperative considering the company’s growth and huge investments in the real estate sector as well as the future business direction, which requires effective communication with its stakeholders.

Nyong stated that the Public Relations consultant is expected to provide support for the company in key functional areas including PR Advisory Service, Government Relations, Media Relations & Engagement, Media Coverage, Customer Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility working closely with the management team of the company.

“The proposed Communications Tax Bill has the potential to erode the achievements that have been made since the telecoms sector was liberated” ATCON President, Olusola Teniola

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T H I S D AY •THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD NIGERIA STILL LAGS BEHIND IN INTERNET PROTOCOL DISTRIBUTION due the opening of the new domain name and the emerging Internet of Things (IoTs).

“Most developing countries of the world have already embraced IPv6, competing for positions in the global ranking on IPv6 adoption.

Major content producers such as Google, Facebook, Microsoft, have all adapted IPv6 giving the opportunity to IPv6 networks access to their content,” Afolayan said.

ICANN has been contracted by the Department of Commerce of the United States to fulfill the function of the Internet Assigned Name and Number Authority (IANA). The IANA function was designed to ensure a coordinated and transparent management of internet numbers parameters for a seamless operation of the internet and to continuously strive for the enhancement of its resilience, capacity and performance.

The IP address space is therefore managed by IANA globally, and by five other regional internet registries, including Africa, responsible in their designated territories for assignment to end users and local internet registries, such as Internet Service Providers.

NUMBER PORTING: 568,782 SUBSCRIBERS SWITCHED NETWORKS IN THREE YEARS ability to experience superior network quality, and the ability to experience increase competition among telecoms operators that will in turn boost better service delivery among other benefits.

Apart from its benefits, MNP comes with some attached strings, which include a period of 48 hours to complete porting exercise, strict adherence to the rule of not porting more than twice within 90 days, risk of losing all existing data on the old SIM card, including airtime while porting. The subscriber is expected to use up every airtime loaded into the old SIM card before porting, or lose every airtime, immediately porting is completed.

Group Business Editor

Chika Amanze-Nwachuku AgriBusiness/Industry Editor

Crusoe Osagie

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

Senior Correspondent

Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents

Chinedu Eze (Aviation) Linda Eroke (Labour) Eromosele Abiodun (Cap Mkt) Ejiofor Alike (Energy) James Emejo (Nation’s Capital) Obinna Chima (Money Mkt) Reporters

Nume Ekeghe (Money Market) Nosa Alekhuogie (Maritme)

NEWS

Zinox Secures $25m Funding to Roll Out Digital Hubs Targets over 500 Jobs Emma Okonji Zinox Technologies, a foremost Information and Communications Technology (ICT) company has secured a whopping $25 million counterpart funding with which it seeks to roll out a trio of digital hubs in Nigeria that will create jobs for over 500 Nigerians.

According to the technology company, construction work has commenced in one of the digital hubs in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, and the fund will help speed up work and ensure that the project is completed in good time.

The hubs, among other things, will create employment and empower thousands of digitally-minded Nigerian youths in search of the right platforms to develop their skills.

Chairman of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh made the disclosure when the acting Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, led a team of the agency on official working visit to the Zinox headquarters in Gbagada, Lagos recently.

According to Ekeh, the other digital hub located in Abuja, which is nearing completion, would become active by early 2017.

“With the current improvements raising hopes of stability in public power supply by early 2017, the company plans to install the digital plants and commence production shortly,” Ekeh added.

“Our investment in digital

hubs will provide jobs for 500 Nigerians, with more expected to benefit from other investments set to commence once the economy stabilises,” he said.

Ekeh said the Nigerian economy is in dire need of an alternative to crude oil, a role, which he said the ICT sector could effortlessly play in boosting the nations dwindling earnings. In the view of the Zinox boss, Nigeria has millions of young Nigerians of digital mindset with the potential to

become dollar billionaires.

Referencing the case of Nigerian start-up and pioneer composite e-commerce outfit Yudala, which received little funding from investors and within one year is a leading e-commerce brand in Nigeria employing over 400 graduates, Ekeh disclosed that their strength is not cash but knowledge of the business backed with strong front and back-end technologies. Ekeh affirmed that thousands of

such brilliant Nigerians exist in the country, even as he urged the government to partner technologically-minded companies in unearthing such raw digital diamonds in the country.

I had a similar experience when Zinox acquired an Ibadan-based software company Xputer. The young chaps behind Xputer were so talented and had huge capacity to develop amazing content but no individual, corporate or government saw any potential in them. Some of

the apps developed by these young Nigerians are being used today by e-commerce companies in Nigeria which they would have paid millions of dollars for, had it been developed by foreign companies Ekeh said.

Responding, Olatunji affirmed the commitment of the agency in partnering with Zinox Technologies in the task of empowering the youth through the provision of requisite capacity-building programmes and initiatives.

AWARENESS CREATION

L-R: Guest Speaker, Dr. Bayo Adaralegbe; Director-General, Consumer Protection Council, Mrs. Dupe Atoki; and acting Head, Customer Feedback and Collaboration, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, Ms. Mosunmola Samuel; at the CPC’s stakeholders’ meeting on warranties and guarantees in Lagos…recently

NIA: Why Mass Housing Schemes Have Failed Survey: Unstable Energy, Govt In Nigeria Policies Squeezing Nigeria’s Manufacturers Stories by Chineme Okafor in Abuja

The Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) has said that Nigeria’s efforts to build affordable and liveable homes for its citizens through mass housing schemes initiated by governments at federal and state levels have recorded little successes because stakeholders have refused to include local materials and processes in their design and building of the homes. NIA said that each time governments in the country launches any mass housing schemes, Nigeria eventually ended up enriching the economies of countries where building materials and accessories are procured and used in the projects. The President of NIA, Tonye Oliver Braide stated this in his opening remarks at the 2016 edition of ‘Archibuilt’, an annual exposition of materials and building technology used in Nigeria’s built environment. The annual event was organised by Archibuilt Development Services Limited (ADSL) in Abuja.

Braide explained that the decision of IDSL to harp on local content development as the theme of the 2016 edition was quite apt. He noted that notwithstanding the remarkable results achieved by builders who have used local materials to execute their projects, most

builders and developers have rather cultivated the culture of executing their projects wholly with foreign components.

He stated that the foreign components were not entirely superior to local materials but that they were more about ego.

He said such attitudes have resulted to the country being unable to bridge her housing deficit which is estimated to be about 17 million.

“Local materials are the materials indigenous to our communities which have been in use in our early settlements to present day. They represent the cultural identity of the Nigerian people and can form the template to develop architecture that can truly be called Nigerian.

“Many builders have used local materials to achieve marvellous masterpieces like most of the palaces in northern Nigeria and the vanishing walls in Kano and its historic gates,” said Braide. He added: “We as a people therefore have an innate capacity to build and meet the requirements of shelter for the Nigerian people but have failed to build on this capacity to create solutions which are exportable and self-sustaining.

We have been too eager to seek solutions outside our shores than look inwards when it comes to building design and construction.”

“The result of this attitude may partially be contributing to our ever growing housing deficit. Each time we make an effort in developing mass housing we actually end up expanding the economies of foreign countries,” he noted.

Braide also said the huge foreign exchange disparities could become a god omen for the country’s built industry.

According to him, builders are now forced to look inwards to develop home grown solutions to Nigeria’s construction requirements. However, he said there are steps needed to ensure that the momentum in the use of local materials is sustained.

He listed the steps saying: “We have to develop the process of commercialising the production of local materials for buildings. This will involve developing the entire value chain of using local materials in building construction.

“We have to develop production optimisation and sustainable methodologies to make the products cost effective and competitive. We have to add value to the existing process and develop the practice as going concerns.”

Braide also said the NIA will become pragmatic in seeking solutions to low and middle income affordable housing, adding, “we should not stop at fancy talk.”

The latest result of a survey conducted on the productivity of Nigeria’s manufacturing sector by an independent socio-economic polling agency, NOIPolls has revealed that a larger number of manufacturers in the country are currently finding it hard to maintain their productivity on account of several factors.

Conducted in collaboration with the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA), the poll result stated that unavailability of petrol and diesel, poor power supply, policy inconsistency, and limited access to credit are the major challenges facing the manufacturing sector in Nigeria.

The poll result, which was released recently in Abuja explained that majority of the manufacturers surveyed stated that when compared to one year ago, the availability of petrol and diesel, power supply, and access to credit, as well as relative stability in government’s policy, have worsened.

It noted that about 78 per cent of the manufacturing outfits that participated in the survey revealed they have been negatively affected by the disparity in foreign exchange rates in the country.

“This cuts across the differ-

ent company-size categories as large-(83 per cent), medium-(76 per cent), and small-(78 per cent) indicated this negative impact of forex. This finding is particularly poignant as 52 per cent of sampled companies disclosed that they are highly dependent on imported inputs in their production, and only 25 per cent indicated that the export market was highly important to their turnover,” said the result of the poll.

It further stated that a majority of sampled firms (60 per cent) decried the lack of support within their current business environment; with at least 90 per cent of the firms not operating up to their optimum installed capacity, and 45 per cent operating below 60 per cent of installed capacity.

The survey however noted that they are upbeat and have a positive outlook on the economy over the next one year, with 76 per cent expecting economic conditions in the country to improve.

The report said: “In summary, due to the chronic challenges of infrastructure and inputs, the Nigerian manufacturing sector is yet to transit from a demand-driven regime to a supply-driven regime that is essential for long-run growth.

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BUSINESSWORLD

E-BUSINESS

Indigenous Vs Foreign Software: The Remita Factor The huge financial losses to the Nigerian economy arising from the over-dependence on foreign and proprietary software, is nudging Nigerians towards locally developed software, writes Emma Okonji In the face of dwindling oil prices on the international market, most forward-looking nations of the world are exploiting viable alternative presented by Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to develop their economies.

The focus, which is now on ICT, is beginning to tilt towards software development, which has a history of fast-tracking economic development with minimal investment.

However, in Nigeria, the reverse has been the case in the past, where multinational companies, including home-based companies and even government agencies, relied largely on foreign software to the detriment of indigenous software, thereby causing Nigeria huge financial losses, aside capital flight. One major excuse that was readily given as the reason for patronising foreign software, was that indigenous software had never met international standards in terms of quality.

But that scenario has now been proven wrong

by Remita software that was locally developed

by Nigerians working in a Nigerian software company called SystemSpecs.

Remita software Remita, which is a software package developed as an electronic platform that helps the government, corporate organisations, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and individuals make and receive payments easily, has turned out to become the major local software deployed by the federal government for financial remittances through the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

Since the federal government engaged Remita software about a year ago, there had never been any known case of underperformance.

Rather, the Remita software, which is locally developed, has made Nigeria proud by helping the federal government to block all financial leakages, thereby saving billions of Naira for the country on a monthly basis.

Remita has therefore proved to Nigerians and multinationals doing businesses in Nigeria, that there are lots of local software out there that are of high quality with international standard, but are facing rejection simply because they have indigenous roots.

The history Indigenous software giant, SystemSpecs, made its foray into Nigeria’s growing ICT industry with this goal in its sights. Little wonder that within a short space of time, the company is already doing Nigeria proud globally with the revolutionary changes it has made in the nation’s financial landscape.

The Managing Director of SystemSpecs, Mr. John Obaro, in 1992, left a fulfilling career in the banking industry to establish SystemSpecs.

He started with a limited number of staff as a partner agent of Systems Union, UK. He had since grown to develop a firm that has become Nigeria’s foremost indigenous software house, with over 160 talented Nigerians from various backgrounds and disciplines. Today, SystemSpecs’ homegrown Human Manager Payroll and Human Resource Management software is a leading name among public and private sector organisations in Nigeria, while its flagship software Remita is credited with redefining Nigeria’s financial landscape.

Remita aggregates multiple bank accounts, giving customers the ability to perform the complete suite of electronic transactions. Major billers also find Remita a useful tool, since it offers multiple payment options, generates instant receipts and transaction reports Before the President Buhari administration implemented the much-vaunted TSA policy, government agencies reportedly operated about 17,000 scattered and poorly monitored bank accounts. This bred a culture of corruption, manifesting in fragmented bank accounts, compromised revenue remittances and deposit dormancy. For years, the government’s attempts to adopt TSA were unsuccessful, as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) lacked the technological capacity to manage the retail aspect of the policy.

Remita software has been around for 10 years, with a view to revolutionising payment in Nigeria, said SystemSpecs Executive Director, Deremi Atanda, during a recent interview on CNBC

Pesident Buhari

Africa’s mid-belt programme Power Launch.

“Somewhere along the line, the country wanted to implement a fiscal policy which required the support of payment technology. We got onto the scene and proved we could deliver. That actually marked the start of our involvement with a significant national initiative,” Atanda said.

According to him, although it took several years for government to recognise the potentials in Remita software, some Nigerians and organisations that honour technology companies that have contributed to the development of the country, had in the past recognised SystemSpecs through Remita software.

At the high-profile Titans of Tech awards held in Lagos last month, SystemSpecs beat notable competitors in the industry to emerge the ‘Pan African Software Company of the Year.’ Its brainchild Remita also received accolades as the ‘Most Revolutionary eGovernment Product of the Year’, while the company’s founder, Obaro, made the list of Nigeria’s Top 50 Tech Titans at the industry night.

At the June, 2016 CBN Cashless Card Expo, Remita came up for mention as the most efficient e-Revenue service, even as it emerged the ‘Best Software Solution of the Year’ at the Nigerian Telecoms Awards.

One major excuse that was readily given as the reason for patronising foreign software, was that indigenous software had never met international standards in terms of quality. But that scenario has now been proven wrong by Remita software that was locally developed by Nigerians working in a Nigerian software company called SystemSpecs

Obaro

This steady stream of recognition is hardly surprising to ICT pundits. Nigeria is reportedly lagging behind in the global ICT market share, considering that the sector contributes over 10 per cent to the nation’s GDP and can potentially overtake South Africa as the continent’s largest ICT market with more investments. SystemSpecs is in the business of realising this dream.

On a global scale, SystemSpecs is also making giant strides. Earlier this year, the company was conferred the Leadership in Technology award by the Africa Forum Scotland to recognise its promotion of excellence, best practice and innovation, especially with its software Remita.

The award was multi-pronged, since Obaro was also named a fellow of the Centre for African Policy, Development and Research, Scotland for his efforts at improving ICT. Foreign and proprietary software Following from the success recorded by most indigenous software, some government agencies that have patronised foreign and proprietary software are beginning to express regret over the huge financial loss they have incurred in such patronage.

The country’s national identity card project for instance had suffered so much from foreign and proprietary software issues that has affected the success of the project for ages.

Sources close to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have revealed that the national identity card project handled by the commission under the previous management, may come to a halt, following huge debt incurred for using a foreign and proprietary software in running the card system. According to the sources, NIMC engaged the services of a foreign software company to use its software believed to be more standard than any locally developed software in managing the few cards that were produced and distributed. Unfortunately, the software licence deal was a proprietary software deal, which demands that Nigeria will continue to pay a certain amount of money to the foreign software company as long as the deal lasts, an amount that is said to be running into millions of Naira on a quarterly basis.

The inability of NIMC to maintain payment of the proprietary licence deal became a serious issue for NIMC, as the foreign software company had to withdraw all support services for the functionality of the software, a situation that rendered the identity card project almost useless.

It was gathered that the new management of NIMC is looking inwards into the direction of locally developed software that could be trusted

to manage the country’s identity card scheme.

Local software developers have continued to blame NIMC for neglecting the potentials of local software, which they said are capable of rendering quality services any day anytime.

NCS’ position on local software The President of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Prof. Adesola Aderounmu, has called on all government agencies, including multinationals and home-based companies to begin to build trust in local software. According to him, the big names in the global software industry today, started small from garages, and got support from government over the time before they were able to perfect their software solution. “If Nigerians begin to patronise local software, it will provide an opportunity for the developers to improve on their software and unless we begin to imbibe the culture of supporting local brand, the country will continue to depend on foreign products to the detriment of local products that could stand the test of time,” Aderounmu said.

ISPON’s position on local software The Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) has blamed policy inconsistency in government circles for the neglect of locally developed software.

President of ISPON, Olorogun James Emadoye who raised the concern recently, cited instances of gross neglect of implementation of national policies.

He gave instances where government had in the past, issued directive that government agencies should patronise made in Nigeria products, including procurement of locally assembled computers and locally developed software, but expressed regret that the directive was never implemented.

He said the industry landscape for Software Nigeria is characterised by rapid change driven by technological advances, platform disruptions, and broader adoption of Information Technology (IT), as well as the emergence of fragmented yet critical multi-nodal, multi-play actors in the ecosystem.

Emadoye therefore urged Nigerians, including government, to consider patronising local software, which he said could deliver better services than the foreign developed software.

Now that Remita software that was locally developed has proved that local software could provide services of international standard, there is therefore the need for Nigerians to support and patronise locally developed software.

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BUSINESSWORLD

E-BUSINESS

Kwekowe: The Computer Adoption Campaign Will Boost Internet Access The Chief Executive Officer, SlateCube, Chris Kwekowe, spoke on the value of Intel’s computer adoption campaign, as well as the need to redesign the computer education curriculum in tertiary institutions. Emma Okonji presents the excerpts: and majorly during our residential programme, are both industry relevant, practical and project driven. Learning shouldn’t stop at lecture rooms.

We believe learning should involve, building a project to test comprehension, work/internships to gain experience, and finally impact driven so that learners have a sense of purpose and responsibility rather than entitlement.

You are a strong advocate of Intel’s campaign for computer adoption among Nigerians. What value is the campaign bringing to Nigeria?

It is good to note that mobile penetration was successful in Nigeria because people could readily relate to how it was useful and important to their lives. I guess with more projects highlighting stories like ours and that of others, and how we have been able to actually impact people’s lives with a computer, a lot more people would be motivated to see the computer as that window to make ideas possible. So the current personal computer (PC) campaign by Intel Corporation, will not only add value to individuals, but will also add value to rapid technology growth of the country, because it will provide more people access to computers, thereby increasing access to the internet.

Do you agree with the public outcry for a change in computer study curriculum at tertiary institutions. What should be the direction of change, if you were to advise school authorities and government?

Schools should work more closely with innovation and tech hubs to allow for experiential knowledge transfer. Also, the languages being taught in schools should be reviewed. Sadly, hardly any school is doing anything along the lines of Big Data/Data Science, and Virtual/ Augmented Reality. Schools bombard students with way too many irrelevant courses. These need to be revised.

So why did you choose to work with Intel on the PC adoption scheme?

I chose to work with Intel on the PC adoption campaign because I know it is a good initiative that will enhance individual and collective growth. Again, Intel has become a global brand that people will want to identify with, having revolutionised the PC experience globally. They continue to pioneer ground-breaking innovations and research in this space. We are excited that they have reached out to us and involved us in this laudable project. They believe that the PC can open doors for Nigerians, and we are excited about the initiative because it is laudable.

How laudable is this initiative?

It is laudable because the campaign is targeting at the youths of this country, which are Nigeria’s biggest asset and not the natural resources like oil and gas that are already failing the country. Nigeria should believe in her youth and make efforts to develop them. Whatever is geared towards positively developing them is laudable and worthy of mentioning. Intel’s initiative fits perfectly into that narrative.

What do your think are some of the challenges a student may face for not having personal computer?

Generally, having a computer/laptop has moved from being a privilege to being a necessity.

While our books are important, most of what we had been doing with the rest of our lives would revolve greatly around a PC, one way or another. Considering the fact that the most effective way to up-skill a large number of largely dispersed graduates and job seekers across Nigeria and the African continent, was most feasibly going to be through the internet, it was pretty daunting to find out that a large number of this target market lacked their own PCs and Laptops, and even in cases where they could afford them, they would rather stick to their mobile devices.

What advice do you have for Nigerian youths in the area of computer skills acquisition?

It is pretty difficult to imagine people would feel comfortable without being computer literate or having computer skills. That is generally what gives people the edge. The youths who did not study Computer Science in school can actually learn and acquire the skills on their own. Best of, they can get in touch with us at SlateCube. We have free sessions on computer training. It is really never late to begin.

How easy it is to sign up on SlateCube?

It’s pretty easy. Visit www.slatecube.com and click the signup button. Since large population of internet users are on Facebook, we integrate the signup process with Facebook so all you have to do next is click the “Sign up with Facebook” button. You get access to over 300 professional courses cutting across Business, Technology, Finance, Media, and Sales. All courses are free. Best performing students are then qualified to enroll for the SlateCube iDeaLabs programme, which is a paid residential

What are the industry skills and experience relevant for a Job seeker?

There are tons of skills and experience relevant for job seekers in today’s Job market. However, most of them are pretty specific to what exactly you are applying for. We have seen however that, soft skills like presentation, conflict management, computer literacy, among others are common place whenever companies look to recruit talents.

Kwekowe

programme that further develops SlateCubers, pairs them with international professionals for mentoring, connects them to local startups for experience, and places them into companies globally for paid virtual internships, before eventually matching them with recruiters for jobs, or helping them start and scale viable businesses.

How do you balance computer knowledge with Job acquisition?

Truth must be told at all times. All facet of human endeavor depend on a computer-based utility to be productive. Hence, the fastest way a job candidate can distinguish themselves is by not just having the required grades, but

“Nigeria should believe in her youth and make efforts to develop them.

Whatever is geared towards positively developing them is laudable and worthy of mentioning. Intel’s initiative fits perfectly into that narrative”

also having accompanying skills, as well as being proficient with a computer.

What makes SlateCube different from other learning platforms?

We believe that knowledge should not just end at the acquisition stage, but should be used to solve the challenges in our communities. That’s why SlateCube goes beyond just a learning platform, it is a pipeline that helps Africans build skills from some of the best schools in the world, connects them to internships in leading local and international startups and established companies so they can build experience, and then matches them with well paying organisations across the globe.

There is huge gap between computer skills thought in tertiary institutions and skills needed in the labour market. How can SlateCube solution bridge the skills gap?

SlateCube partners with some of the best institutions like MIT and Harvard in the United States to provide industry relevant trainings designed to develop African talents into world-class professionals. Also, we believe in experience, however, since Nigerians are disperse based on different geographical locations, we offer virtual internships that ensure that SlateCubers work remotely with startups or established business anywhere in the world through a PC so they can build experience and connect with established professionals real time, and on real projects.

Employers of labour spend so much money and time retraining young school graduates after employment because they lack the required technology skills for the job. How can the anomaly be addressed?

Truth be told, our universities have a lot going for them and unfortunately haven’t really revised the technology curriculum to a point where they actually develop technology graduates fit for today’s job market. In order to stop, or at least reduce this sad reality, we offer our trainings in partnership with technology experts in order to ensure that skills taught on our platform,

How can the knowledge of computer help youths start their own business?

Long story. Slatecube is a technology company.

It won’t be as effective if it was simply a school.

We developed the entire process from designing the structure and data scheme of the platform to implementing the codes, and designing the graphics and layout, all through a computer.

The good thing is, even without the required capital, the joy that we could pull out what we had in our heads and make it real with our computers, always got us going.

Could you share your thoughts on the new trends in the tech industry in Nigeria today?

I’m pretty impressed at how tech has presented a huge opportunity for young people in Nigeria.

The presence of incubators and labs as well as accelerator programmes are pretty laudable.

My major concern, and the concern of most startups in Nigeria is the difficulty at accessing capital to scale. We had to bootstrap our way into raising enough to run a proof of concept.

With difficulty in accessing capital, most young entrepreneurs simply get frustrated and resort to other alternatives.

How would you count the success achieved

by SlateCube so far?

SlateCube has been in existence for 2 years now.

In this period, we’ve maintained an 80 per cent success rate in converting unskilled graduates into world class professionals and matching them with well paying jobs. About 10 per cent of our testers have gone on to start their own business and also got access to funding between $5,000 to $10,000. In 2015, we became the first ever Nigerian winners of the Anzisha Prize, an award by the African Leadership Academy and the MasterCard foundation that celebrates Africa’s youngest and brightest entrepreneurs.

We also presented the SlateCube model at the African Union during the e-Learning Africa Conference, as well as in Germany at the Online Educe Conference. In 2016, we were invited by President Barack Obama to attend and present at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit at the Silicon Valley. I was also inducted into the Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance. I also had the privilege of sitting and talking with Bill Gates last month, about our work at SlateCube, and how I think he should be more focused at investing in startups than solely giving out funds to charity.

T H I S D AY •THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

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BUSINESSWORLD ntel Unveils Promo, Delights Subscribers with Unlimited Data Stories by Emma Okonji NatCom Development and Investment Company, trading as ntel, has unveiled a two-for-three data promo for customers who want to enjoy more data for less on its 4G/ LTE advanced network. ntel is offering prospective customers, who buy any of the 4G/VoLTE-enabled Tecno Camon C5 or Konka R2 devices, the opportunity to enjoy three months data for the cost of two months.

The Chief Executive Officer of ntel, Kamar Abass, who announced the new development, said subscribers who visit ntel outlets in Lagos and Abuja will enjoy super-fast internet access and make clear high definition (HD) calls on the devices, which also supports streaming, browsing, messaging and hotspot services without data caps or throttling.

The Konka R2 device, which is just making its way into the Nigerian market is a steel with its Quad core Cortex A53, 1.3GHz processor, and ideal for subscribers, who want a whole new experience with smartphones. It is also a great device for taking selfies on account of its wide 5.5 inches screen.

The silver-plated device offers users two micro-SIM slots, Android 5.1, 2gb RAM, 16gb ROM, back camera of 13mp and long battery life.

The smartphone also supports GSM, HSPA and

LTE giving a wide range of options to consumers.

With a battery life of 2700 mAh, users can spend longer time livestreaming on ntel’s unlimited data.

According to Abass, “ntel is determined to ensure that more Nigerians enjoy superfast internet at minimal cost. ntel’s overarching aim is to enhance productivity by enabling broadband access to Nigerians and doing that entails price points that provide access without impoverishing subscribers.

That is what this offer means and we will soon be extending our coverage and services to Port Harcourt to enable more Nigerians experience ntel’s HD voice and superfast internet services enabled over a 4G/LTE advanced network.”

The Tecno Camon C5 offers subscribers a slim smartphone of 8.6 millimetres as well as a metallic-looking frame and phone jacket. The dual SIM device has a 1.3 GHz processor and with 1 GB RAM to enable users enjoy decent performance and responsiveness.

The smartphone also features a 5-inch touchscreen and HD resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. With both front and back cameras, users can share their picture and video experience on the go.

The device also supports a memory card slot of up to 32GB and has a battery life of 2500 mAh.

Stakeholders’ Forum for ITU Telecom World 2016 Holds As preparations for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom World 2016 are intensified, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Stakeholders will next week hold a forum in Lagos.

The forum, which is open to policy makers, regulatory agencies, network operators, value added service providers, equipment vendors, software specialists, innovators, banks and financial institutions, among others, will open opportunities for all to rub minds on the benefits of ITU events in general and the yearly ITU Telecom World 2016 in particular.

The forum, which will hold in , Ikeja, is being packaged by the Local Organizing Committee (LOC).

Director, Public Affairs at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr. Tony Ojobo, in a statement said Nigeria’s theme for this year’s edition of ITU Telecom World is “Smart Communities: the key to a digital Nigeria” and that the country is expected to showcase its achievements and opportunities in its fast growing ICT Sector.

Participants at ITU Telecom World 2016 will have the opportunity to exhibit, showcase their services, attend ITU fora, host sessions, network and engage international participants across the globe through key visibility platforms presented at the event.

ITU Telecom World 2016 holds in Bangkok, Thailand from November 14 – 17.

In the light of multiple benefits derivable by participants, the stakeholders forum will be hosted for stronger collaboration towards a common goal to deepen ICT penetration in Nigeria.

The LOC will provide answers to participants at the forum which is going to be interactive.

Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu; Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta; Managing Director, Galaxy Backbone Limited, Mr. Yusuf Kazaure; his Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited counterpart, Ms. Abimbola Alale are among those slated to give keynote addresses.

The Vice President, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Ibrahim Dikko and the acting Director General of Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr. Vincent Olatunji among others will also share their experiences at previous ITU Telecom World events.

ITU Telecom World 2016 has the theme: “Collaboration in the digital economy” and will feature top level CEO/ Ministerial roundtables and open dialogues between governments and business leaders, among others.

E-BUSINESS

Digital Innovation Pact for Northern Youths Underway The Centre for Cyber Awareness and Development (CECAD), in collaboration with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Kano State government and the Bayero University, Kano are on the verge of signing a digital innovation pact for youths of Northern Nigeria.

The decision formed part of the discussions at this year’s Nigeria Digital Innovation Conference held at the Bayero University, Kano last week.

The conference tagged ‘Building a new Nigeria in a digital economy’, which was

well attended by youths from various states of the North west region, was organised to bridge the widening digital poles between the Northern and Southern axis of the country.

According to the Executive Director of CECAD, Bayero Agabi, said the conference, which had in attendance the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje; the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu; the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof.

Garba Umar Danbatta; the Vice Chancellor Bayero University

Kano and other stakeholders from the public and private sector, was organised to see how Nigeria, its businesses and innovations are responding to the digital competitive world.

He said from the interaction, there is a gap in the area of capacity building among the youths in the Northern part of the country, which has informed decision to give opportunities to them in an effort to engender a total knowledge-based economy.

“We have identified a gap in the area of capacity building for the youths. We are already in discussions with our partners

to bridge that gap by exposure the youths to ICT tools that would make them competitive and create jobs for themselves and others,” Bayero said.

According to him, “lacuna exists in our educational system where ICT-related curricula have become outdated and out of touch with the reality in the industry, making the ivory towers produce students, whose skills are at variance with the industry skills requirements.

This has to be addressed, since innovation can only be achieved through the right education, backed by the right policies.

UPLIFTING EDUCATION STANDARD

L-R: Head, IT Business, Samsung Electronics, Rotimi Agboola; Chairman, Braced Commission, Ambassador Joseph Keshi; Deputy Governor, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Moses Frank Ekpo; Commissioner for Education, Aniekan Akpan; Managing Director, Etiam Global and partner to Samsung Electronics, Mc Anthony Nduka Eze, at the commissioning of smart classroom in Uyo, donated by Samsung to the state...recently

Airtel Partners Genesis on Customers Free Access Airtel Nigeria has announced a strategic partnership agreement with Genesis, a global mobile Internet company, to provide customers on the Airtel network with an amazing opportunity to access and surf on Naij.com and Jiji.ng for free, without data charges and at an absolutely zero-rate.

Naij.com is Nigeria’s number one most visited digital content website and most downloaded news and entertainment mobile application in the country with over 17 million unique visitors every month and more than three million app downloads.

Naij.com releases news, videos and updates in English, Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, and in Pidgin.

JiJi.ng is dominating Nigerian marketplace/classifieds destination, attracting over five million unique users each month. On Jiji.ng you can buy, sell, trade, or find jobs and just about anything from 100 000+ trusted sellers and advertisers in cars, electronics, fashion, property, jobs, among others.

With the partnership, Airtel subscribers can access Naij. com and Jiji.ng for free via the mobile applications or via the websites www.naij.com and www.jiji.ng Commenting on the partnership, Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Ahmad Mokhles, noted that Airtel Nigeria remained committed to its vision of becoming the preferred network for mobile

Internet services, stating that the partnership demonstrates the telco’s resolve to creating massive empowerment opportunities that will connect Nigerians to their dreams and enable them fulfill their full potentials.

“Airtel is passionate about everything mobile Internet and we are intensely interested in enriching the lives of telecoms consumers by creating opportunities that will help them connect with their friends, loved ones and business associates and also empower them to realise their professional and business goals,” Mokhles said.

“Recently, we pioneered the Free Basics innovation with Facebook, a first of its kind in Nigeria. This partnership with Genesis, without a doubt, underscores our commitment to democratizing mobile Internet and creating a more connected society where people will be closer to their dreams,” Mokhles added Naij.com Editor-in-Chief, Bayo Olupohunda, said: “In a world where news breaks like the drop of a hat, you will need the fastest medium of getting the news that are important to you at no cost. Naij.com, Nigeria’s number one online news portal understands that times are hard in our country but we have found the cheapest means of getting the news to your mobile devices.

Eclipse Smart Devices Launched with UK Franchise Pumoh, an exclusive online services platform has unveiled the new smart Eclipse Tab 7 and Eclipse 9, having concluded its partnership engagement with the UK, to become the exclusive distributor of UK-produced Eclipse feature phones, smartphones, smart tablets and smart watches in Nigeria and Africa.

Speaking at the launch, Pumoh’s Managing Director, Mrs. Umuh Adingwupu, who was represented by Mrs. Ijeoma Sabo, said the new range of smart devices would revolutionise the mobile devices market in Nigeria and the rest of Africa.

She said the devices were specially designed to allow users enjoy seamless experience from personal entertainment to business functionality.

“Although the market is currently filled with all kinds of products, we are confident that the Eclipse brand will stand out because the devices come with extra value for the user, having being subjected to rigorous product testing thorough quality control processes to ensure users enjoy great aesthetics, high level functionality, super durability and portability,” Adingwupu said. According to her, the tablet range includes the Eclipse Tab 7 and Eclipse 9, and both devices run on upgraded Android operating system (OS) and the slates are handy, sleek,

feather-weight and very easy to carry and handle. Other range of the Eclipse device include the Tab 7, which has 7-inch high resolution touchscreen display, the Tab 9, which has 9.6-inch high definition (HD) touchscreen with 120 hours of battery life, among other valuable features. It also has on display, the Eclipse Copmbo 3 device. Another interesting feature of the Eclipse smart devices is that the Eclipse Combo 3 device has unique features that stand it out among equals.

It is a feature phone that can browse the internet and social media. It is equipped with dual SIM slots, self sustainability and charging capability, which also makes the Combo 3 a power bank. With Combo 3, you have a phone that does all the basic things, provides access to the internet and also serves as a power bank to charge other phones.

“With the global rise in wearable technology, the Eclipse range of smart devices does not exclude the wearable watches.

The Eclipse smart watch promises user friendliness, non-invasive display, attractive drain and easy connectivity with other devices as well as effective security. The core objective of introducing the Eclipse range of smart devices into the Nigerian and African markets is to make life easier for users,” Adingwupu noted.

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BUSINESSWORLD

ICT-SQUARE

Your Smart Phone Mobile Security and You

MICHAEL MICHAEL OKEKE OKEKE

Fingerprint, PINs or Patterns It is impossible for humans to function well without food, likewise, smartphones have become an integral part of our daily lives. For some, they cannot do without their smartphones. From Techno smartphones to Huawei, from Samsung to HTC to mention a few, all these smart devices have one thing in common – Operating System popularly known as OS. Be it Android OS or iOS or Windows Mobile OS each of these have it own share measure of security challenges.

Losing your smartphone can result in a catastrophic security breach. After all, these devices are potential treasure troves of confidential corporate and personal information waiting to be exploited by anyone who comes across them. Because of this, a mobile device security industry has sprung up over the last few years, offering everything from simple data encryption for mobile applications to complex mobile device management systems. But the most basic level of security is provided by the devices themselves. Devices lock themselves if they are idle for a few minutes.

So if a thief, a hacker or even a foreign government agent wants to access the data on a phone, in most cases he must unlock it first.

This begs a simple question: What’s the best unlock mechanism to choose in this context “the best” means one that provides the most appropriate balance between security and convenience.

Pin Lock A common solution used by iOS devices is to require a simple four digit PIN. On the face of it, such a PIN should provide an adequate level of security because there are 10,000 possibilities, and mobile operating systems can be set to erase all data on the device after 10 failed PIN entries. So there is only

a one in a thousand chance, or a probability of 0.001, that anyone could access the device by guessing a correct PIN before the data is erased.

Many people choose predictable PINs like 1212 or ones that make patterns on the keypad, like 2580 (straight down the middle of the keypad) or 1739 (top left, bottom left, top right, bottom right) or 5684 (which spells LOVE). “That means that the chance of guessing a PIN is more like one in 10 because people tend to choose such predictable PINs,” said Ben Schlabs, an expert at German security collective Security Research Labs.

There is another reason that a four digit PIN is undesirable, even if you choose a PIN that is not an easily guessed one.

Four-digit PINs are highly susceptible to shoulder surfing, someone looking over your shoulder or sitting next to you can easily see the digits you enter when you unlock you phone. Not only that, but many people choose the same four digit PIN for their phone, ATM card and for other uses such as disarming their security alarm. That means that anyone shoulder surfing a phone PIN could also possibly access your bank account and even your home. Most mobile operating systems allow you to choose to unlock your phone by entering a longer password rather than a four digit PIN. These are harder to shoulder surf (because they are longer and more complex) and much harder to guess - as long as you avoid obvious ones - because there are many more possibilities.

That is important, and here is why. A foreign government agency that gets access to your phone may have the technical ability and resources to bypass the device’s operating system.

That means it can make unlimited attempts to guess your PIN without the data being erased after 10 failed attempts.

But it would be much harder

to “brute force” a password that has a minimum of six characters or letter combination compared to one that was four digits, because of hardware limitations on the rate at which you can make guesses.

An expert in mobile security states: “With the hardware limits of one guess every five seconds it would take 50,000 seconds (about 13 hours) to brute force a four digit PIN, compared to a hundred times that (about two months) to brute force a six digit one” .

Android’s Unlock Patterns Android phones offer the option to use unlock patterns - tracing a pattern on a grid of nine points or nodes - rather than using a PIN or password to unlock. But using an unlock pattern is not a good idea in terms of security. Marte Loge, a researcher at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, has shown that many users employ the same predictable patterns - analogous to PIN users choosing 1234 or 5280. She recently gave a presentation entitled “Tell Me Who You Are, and I Will Tell You Your Lock Pattern” at the PasswordsCon conference in Las Vegas.

Her research found that 44

percent of all patterns start in the top left, and most of them move to the bottom right. Many people also trace out a letter, often the initial letter of their name. Unlock patterns are also easy for shoulder surfers to see, but Loge found that patterns that pass over the same node twice or which connect more than four nodes make life significantly more difficult for shoulder surfers. Turning off the “make pattern visible” option in Android, which shows a line connecting the nodes as they are traced, also helps to confound shoulder surfers.

But Schlabs believes unlock patterns should be avoided altogether. “They are really begging for people to shoulder surf them, and no one involved with IT security would use them” he said, adding that in many cases it is possible to work out the unlock pattern on a phone by looking for a tell-tale smear pattern on the screen left after the pattern has been traced numerous times.

Malware and Fingerprints The best way to avoid the shoulder surfing problem is to avoid using PINs, passwords and unlock patterns. This can be done easily on an iOS

or Android device with a fingerprint reader, by using fingerprint recognition to unlock the device. But there are problems with fingerprint readers that should not be overlooked. Security Research Laboratories has been at the forefront of showing how these can be spoofed - sometimes by lifting a latent fingerprint from the touchscreen and using that to make a false finger. For many people, this is more of a theoretical than a practical concern, because few thieves or people finding your device will have the knowledge or desire to try fingerprint spoofing. A more realistic concern is posed by malware. In August, a team of researchers from security firm FireEye revealed at the Black Hat conference in Las Vegas how stored fingerprints can be remotely harvested from some Android devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One Max. Most Android device makers do not make use of Android’s Trust Zone to protect biometric data like fingerprints, and the HTC One Max actually stores fingerprints as unencrypted images that unprivileged processes or applications can read and download from the

phone, the researchers found.

This means that an attacker could also conceivably upload an image of their own fingerprint using malware to gain access to a phone. Fingerprint readers are a special hazard for people travelling internationally, warned Schlabs. Many countries, including the U.S., take high-resolution fingerprint scans of foreigners as they cross the border. “They can take a picture that is at least as high resolution as the picture taken on an iPhone, for example, and from that, they can make a spoof fingerprint,” he said.

He has this advice for travellers. “If you are an average citizen that never leaves the country and are not a target of foreign agencies, then for most people a fingerprint reader offers good security and convenience. But if you are someone who is crossing border controls then there is no good reason to use the fingerprint reader on your phone.”

Instead, he recommends using a good old fashioned lock-screen password or PIN - with the provisos that it is six or more characters, is not an obvious one and, if it is a PIN, does not spell out a

THISWEEK ON GADGETS The Taiwanese Multinational Electronic giant Acer has introduced the Aspire One Cloudbook 11 and 14-inch size respectively, which is design for on the budget consumers who might not want an expensive notebook but yet powerful enough to deliver tasks and accomplish roughed assignments at an amazing speed. The Aspire One Cloudbook shows that Acer is set to rival major players in the netbook market. The term netbook may have died but Chromebooks continue to grow in popularity also manufactures like HP, Lenovo, and Asus to mention a few have all introduce thin-lightweight portable notebooks.

Due to the recent economic

situation, not everyone might want to spend a chunk sum on an expensive powerful laptop.

For most end users all they require is a notebook that is portable, lightweight, fast and rugged. Able to perform basic functions of web surfing, document processing watching videos and other related entertainments without a snag.

At the centre on today’s review is the Acer Aspire Cloudbook, come with me as we explore this startling Cloudbook.

Design The slim design of the Cloudbook gives it an attractive look.

The Cloudbook’s casing is entirely made of plastic. Apart from the display bezel, all casing components feature

a grey colour. In addition, the base unit’s upper side is roughened.

The lid’s back and base trays are structured.

The notebook weighs about 2.5 pounds and measures 11.5 x 8 x 0.7 , making it small enough to slide into a bag and

carry with you almost anywhere.

Acer says you should be able to get around 7 hours of battery life from the notebook’s 4,200 mAh battery, which is quite an accomplishment and an improvement in the overall built.

The Cloudbook 11 is equipped with a matte, 11.6-inch screen

that has a native resolution of 1366x768 pixels.

The screen’s brightness and contrast are acceptable considering the price range. Positive: The screen does not display PWM flickering at any brightness level. Acer has equipped the Cloudbook with a viewing angle dependent TN panel.

Thus, the screen is not legible from every position. The laptop can be used outdoors although, not in very bright sunlight since the screen’s brightness is dimmed in battery mode. Windows 10 is the basic operating system for the Acer Aspire One Couldbook portable notebook.

Storage Device & Memory Card Reader An eMMC memory module

with a capacity of 32 GB serves as the system storage. The transfer rates are within a normal range for this type of storage.

The laptop’s owner has approximately 14 GB available for free use in the state of delivery.

The pre-loaded applications have to be uninstalled for additional storage capacity.

The laptop has not been named “Cloudbook” without a reason. The buyer receives 1 TB of storage capacity (for one year) in Microsoft’s cloud service OneDrive with the device.

Expanding the storage via an SD card is not very practical.

The card cannot be completely inserted into the device and just out by a centimetre.

Michael.okeke@thisdaylive.com

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CONSUMER

Driving Brand Loyalty through Sponsorship With a renewed commitment to inject life into the Nigerian Football League using Star Lager’s NPFL Partnership, the management of the Nigeria Breweries has created a new vista for the Star brand in the market, Raheem Akingbolu reports

L-R: Marketing Director, Nigeria Breweries, Franco Maria Maggi; Chairman, League Management Company, Mr. Shehu Dikko; Managing Director, Nigeria Breweries, Nicolaas Vervelde; and First Vice President, Nigeria Football Federation, Seyi Akinwunmi, at the unveiling ceremony

Sponsorship of sport and entertainment activities has gained prominence over other platforms in recent time because of the huge followership they command. To this end, leading global brands are daily using the two platforms as tools to connect with more consumers. From Coca Cola to Adidas, Nike to MasterCard, sports and entertainment have remained permanent tools for positioning.

For Star Larger, from the stable of Nigerian Breweries, Sports and Entertainment are like Siamese twins being used periodically to boost the profile of the brand. In the last five years, promoters of Star have not only leveraged entertainment to woo consumers, they have used it to nurture talents and gain more market share. This explains why activation platforms like Star Trek, Star Quest and Star Mega Jam, have always been recurrent decimals in the nation’s entertainment scene.

NPFL partnership Months after the 2016 Nigeria Professional Football League season kicked off without a title sponsor, the brand last week signed on as official beer partner in it bids to increase the brand profile of the league. The partnership agreement will run from 2016 till the 2019/2020 football league season.

Though handlers of the brand argued that Star was not expecting anything from the partnership, except to use it to celebrate with their Nigerian customers, who were passionate about the game of football, it was obvious that the relationship would achieve more than that as it would bring together patrons of the brand and potential consumers.

For the existing customers, it would turn out to be a bonding platform that would increase loyalty while it beckoned on new comers to think of Star.

The Nigerian Professional Football League, run by the League Management Company, is starting to hold down its place as a veritable avenue for Nigeria’s teeming football fans that enjoy their game with all its entertainment and drama.

An average of 8000 fans attended games in the 2014/15 season, according to the LMC’s season review. This is the biggest crowd number for domestic football in Nigeria for more than 15 years and is expected to rise

this year. It is common place these days to see families attend local league matches in their bright club replica jerseys due to the increased security at venues across the country.

While the win-at-home at-all-cost syndrome is fast becoming a thing of the past with 31 away wins, the highest in 10 years, the league has become more competitive as clubs now chase points on the road leading to greater excitement for the fans, the biggest stakeholders.

Need for corporate sponsorship It is obvious that the NPFL, like many important leagues across the world, needs big corporate organisations to support its message of youth empowerment – at least 700 footballers are employed across the 20 club sides in the league.

According to the Chairman of the League Management Company, Mr. Shehu Diko, the partnership agreement with Star shows that there is opportunity for corporate Nigeria in the local league. He expressed his confidence that many more organisations would take advantage of football to reach their target market as the management company continues to build an attractive league.

He said: “However, due to the fact that more than 70 per cent of clubs are still owned by state governments, player salaries are hampered by the financial insolvency of many governments across the country. Still, there have been more positives than negatives in the domestic scene, which has seen brand impressions grow digitally with increased interest. An average of 500 posts with 4 million impressions are made about the NPFL on Twitter every weekend (Keyhole),” he said.

Meanwhile, analysts have reasoned that issues related to lack of support from individuals and corporate bodies must have informed why handlers of Star Lager Beer, has taken interest in this growing local success story in order to push it beyond its current reach.

Reacting to the new development, the Managing Director, Nigeria Breweries, Nicolas Vervelde, said NB was excited to sign the agreement with the LMC that sees the company become Official Beer of the NPFL for the next four seasons. “It’s a partnership that we expect to bring excitement to Nigerian

of the brand was further enhanced by this football and the fans who love the domestic smart marketing move.

By October 1st 1960, when Nigeria got her game,” he said. independence, Star was eleven years old. But being the first indigenous beer brand, with The brand’s journey to the stardom Since the first STAR Lager bottle rolled out lots of loyalists in the market, it turned out in 1949 out of its Lagos plant, Star has been to be the most visible drink used for the a market leader and was listed by African celebration. Since then, Nigerian Breweries Business magazine in its 100 Most Admired has consistently stood by the fact that Star African Brands in 2015. Star has put its brand was a Nigerian beer and has since used this to good use in promoting music and youth to position the brand.

In 1963, the Kaduna factory was opened lifestyle via various entertainment projects.

With a massive investment in the NPFL to cater for consumers in the northern axis through this new partnership, Star will be of the market.

Meanwhile, as all these were going on, able to connect its message of vibrancy and excitement with football fans across the country. competitions were not sleeping. By the 70s, The partnership would see the brand Star had become the premium beer brand and provide excitement to fans during matches there was the need to checkmate it. Though through activations, music and fun games at there were moves by rival brands to check match venues. Fans would be able to win the unbridled growth of the larger brand, signed memorabilia, replica match balls and it was too late.

In 1982 and thirty-three years after its jerseys as well as key rings.

For many that have complained about hitting the market, the success of Star as a the lack of entertainment after matches, the brand was so obvious that the Iganmu, Lagos company has also indicated that Nigerian factory could no longer satisfy the demands of Breweries experience with music would ensure the South-west market. There was, therefore, there’s never a dull moment post-match. This the need to open another factory to meet the is aside the fact that it would also amplify the demands of this strategic market, hence, the NPFL brand via radio, television broadcasts, commissioning of the Ibadan factory some traditional and digital media, which would twenty-seven years ago. increase the awareness of the Nigerian League’s brand that is set to rival the biggest European Indigenous Brands While the brand has not done everything leagues. right since 1949, there is something even its strongest competitors, cannot take away In the Beginning Star hit the nation’s beer market on June 2, from the brand and its handlers. And it was 1949. Those who were part of the midwifery the fact that it opened doors for many other would attest to the fact that it was not one indigenous brands to take the courage and of the easiest deliveries. Not because the hit the market.

From 1974 when Gulder was introduced to attendants were not honed enough in the skill of getting a baby out of its mother but the market by the same company (ultimately simply because the existing brands in the to extend the horizon of NB in the market) market then were not ready to give space. to 1989, when Star marked its 40th year in Then Star was the first indigenous beer the beer market, there had been over forty brand in the country. Not ready to bite the beer brands in the market.

And it goes without saying that by that dust in the battle for survival, the brand and 1989, forty years after the first beer rolled off its handlers trudged on.

To make it the household name it was, the conveyor belt of the Iganmu factory, Star its parent company, Nigerian Breweries, had been the market leader for twenty-nine opened the Aba factory in 1957 to cater for of those forty years. And guess what, as at consumers in the eastern part of the country. today, the almost six billion bottles of Star The advantage of this was that the visibility beer had been consumed by Nigerians.

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BUSINESSWORLD

CONSUMER

Musa: Business of Wellness Will Change with Our Natural Sauna Centre

An entrepreneur, Mr. Lance Musa, is set to commence business in his natural artesian and sauna centre. He tells Raheem Akingbolu in this encounter on how nature’s gift has become a veritable business opportunity

Health Resort as Business Opportunity…

While many have not seen it as a major business, or perhaps for the rich and affluent, the idea of a wellness centre as a business and therapy centre might have a new and different look with the impending opening of the Lasena Artesian Natural Steam Bath Sauna and Wellness Centre. But it is deeper than that. According to Musa Lance Elakamah, the owner of the centre and former deputy director-general of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, the idea is beyond just having sauna centre but looking at the whole gamut of health and relaxation business. According to him, it is not just enough for people to come and have a steam bath and then return home but also important to see that it improves their lives and the health while the increasing the bottom line of his own business.

When THISDAY visited the site recently, Elakamah said the delay in opening the place for business was because he was looking for investors. Sources close to the lawyer turned businessman informed THISDAY that he is a kind of businessman who has an unusual aversion for bank loans. But he said despite initial challenges of funds, the place would soon be ready for business. He said nature has done the greater part of the job while what is left for him was to complete the remaining part of it: which is exploiting the gift of nature for the benefit of mankind and for his own business opportunities.

Natures Gift…

The idea of the sauna did not come to Elakamah by accident. It was his own way of maximising the gift of nature, which he stumbled upon.

Explaining how he got to the point of turning the natural artesian water into a business venture, he said he had set up a plastic factory with the aim of producing plastic bottles for other bottled water producers. Considering that a bottle was being sold for a paltry N10, he toyed with the idea of his company going into the business of bottled water. It was when he dug a borehole for this that he discovered he had been standing on top of raw gift of nature in the name of natural artesian water

which included a restaurant and massage centre. The structures were constructed in such a way that after the steam sauna bath, all a patron of the place needs to do is to go to the massage centre where there trained masseurs are waiting to attend to him or her.

Explaining further, he said the other saunas all over the place are either powered by Infrared, artificial heating or electrical heating via the furnace.

“What you have is not mineral water. Yes, it is hot but the heat is generated mechanically.

You cannot compare that sauna with one that is powered by natural heat with a lot of mineral resources that will enter the pores in your body and heal you. I am not saying the artificial ones are not good, but they are not natural.

What I am saying is that this will be the first natural sauna in Africa. So I implore Nigerians to come and see and take the advantage of what nature has freely given us.”

Musa

which was rushing out of the soil at over 70 degrees centigrade. When asked how he felt when he first discovered the water, he simply said: “we all ran away.”

It was after this he summoned the courage to come back and took a sample of the water to know its properties. He said the first place he went to was the University of Ibadan, in Oyo State.

“The first place we went to was University of Ibadan to see one Dr. Adeleke, head of department of pharmacy. We sent samples to him and he discovered that the water had a lot of minerals. He discovered that it was purely alkaline water. Water can either be acidic, neutral or alkaline. Neutral has a ph of 7. Anything below 7 is acidic while anything beyond 7 is alkaline. And ours is 7.8 which is the real alkaline level the human body needs.

Even too much alkaline is not good; it must be in the right proportion of between 7.2 to 8.5 and we are in 7.8. And if your body is in good alkaline state, you are healthy as diseases thrive in an acidic environment. So if your body is in alkaline state, your body is healthy and if you

are healthy, you are likely to live long. Others can claim it has alkaline by adding artificial materials to it like chlorine and caustic soda, but our water does not have any of that. We call it the gift of Mother Nature to man.”

And now the Sauna…

Elakamah said it was after they started the bottling plant that they discovered they were not even using up to 10 per cent of the water.

That was how the idea of a sauna and wellness business came up.

“We are doing the first natural sauna in Africa.

You can see that it is almost 90% complete.

And you can see the extent of wok on that when I took you round. It will be powered by the natural heat of the water; it won’t be boiled. That will be the first sauna bath house in the whole of Africa. We have in Australia, Czech Republic and the US. But in Africa, ours will be the first where you come and have a complete wellness centre. It will be a complete hydro-therapy centre. It will be wellness of the body, soul and mind.”

He showed THISDAY round the facilities

A Whole Wellness Business Centre…

Part of the wellness centre was also a block of chalets which, according to Elakamah, would be for customers that want to come with the families and stay overnight. He explained that for nature to have blessed his company with the natural artesian water, what is left is to exploit the business opportunities that go with it.

“That is why we want to change the face of the business health resort and wellness. We might be bragging that we have the number one natural artesian water in the whole of Africa and hence, the first outfit to provide natural sauna bath. But what will endear us to our patrons is the way we go about the business of making their visit to the place a worthwhile experience. And that is why we are leaving nothing to chance as we get set to open for business.”

Perhaps, what many do not see as a viable business idea might well turn out to be a gold mine for this man who likes to call himself the curator. And when asked why that title, his answer was simple: “I am the only one who knows the history of this place. Just like a curator knows the history of every artifact in a museum.”

UpsurgeinCookingGasDemandReduces FG Woos Investors on Oil Finds in Frontier Basins Price of Kerosene green frontier basins in order Company (NNDC) which he Chineme Okafor in Abuja Marketers want NLNG to double supply in 2017 Ejiofor Alike Despite the current scarcity of kerosene, the ex-depot price of the product has dropped as a result of upsurge in the demand for cooking gas, which has equally led to declining demand for kerosene, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.

Following the upsurge in the demand for cooking gas, the marketers of the product, who spoke to THISDAY at the weekend, have called on the Nigeria LNG Limited to double the supply to the domestic market from the present 250,000 metric tonnes yearly to 500,000 metric tonnes by 2017.

THISDAY gathered that many households have switched over to the use of cooking gas after the pump price of kerosene soared above N200 per litre in recent weeks.

With this development, the ex-depot price of kerosene, which was above N180 per litre some weeks ago, has dropped

to around N170 per litre in most depots at the weekend.

Some Kerosene marketers told THISDAY that the drop in price was as a result of reduced demand as many households had switched over to cooking gas.

“The ex-depot price of DPK (Dual Purpose Kerosene) has dropped to average of N170 per litre. The product is still scarce and the price has not come down in the international market but the demand has reduced. Many people are now using LPG because of the high cost of kerosene,” one of the depot owners told THISDAY. The National President of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Marketers (NALPGAM), Mr. Basil Ogbuanu also corroborated the position of the kerosene marketers in an interview with THISDAY at the weekend.

Ogbuanu argued that with the current price of kerosene, the product is now three times more expensive than cooking

gas.

Ogbuanu added that with 12.5kg cylinder selling at N3,000 and 20MT Tanker selling at N3.7 million, a gas equivalent of one litre is less than N120, compared to kerosene, which is above N200 per litre. He also raised the alarm that if the Nigeria LNG Limited does increase domestic supply from the current 250,000 metric tonnes to 500,000 metric tonnes by 2017, the sub-sector will experience supply crisis.

“The usage of cooking gas has really gone up. NLNG dedicated 250,000MT yearly but this is not enough. Despite the pricing policy of NAVGAS, they are the only company bridging the supply gap.

As it is now, NAVGAS is bridging the supply gap but if we continue with this trend, supply will not be enough.

The minimum NLNG should allocate to the domestic market in the next contract year should be 500,000MT,” Ogbuanu explained.

The federal government has said that it will provide incentives to investors who are willing to invest in oil and gas exploration in Nigeria’s frontier basins.

The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Dr. Maikanti Baru disclosed this recently when he hosted members of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) in his Abuja office.

Baru urged NAPE to play a key role in promoting a public private partnership structure in the exploration of some of the green frontier basins.

He noted though without clearly specifying what the government would offer, that it would be willing to make provisions for incentives for such prospective investors.

NAPE was led by its National President, Mr. Nosa Omorodion to the NNPC Towers where Baru explained that the government decided to explore the hydrocarbon potentials of the country’s

to increase her depleting reserves.

The country’s frontier basin both the Chad basin and extensively into other sedimentary basins which includes the Anambra, Bida, Dahomey, Gongola/Yola and the Sokota basins, as well as the Middle/Lower Benue Trough.

Recently, Baru said when he hosted the Governor of Bauchi State, Mohammed Abubakar, that President Muhamadu Buhari had instructed the NNPC to intensify its exploration for oil in the Chad basin towards theand Kolmani River.

He told Abubakar when he hosted him that president asked the corporation to further explore the reported indicative discovery of hydrocarbons by Royal Dutch oil company, Shell in the Chad Basin and Kolmani River, with a view to making the most of it.

He also said the presidential directive has been heeded to and the corporation’s Frontier Exploration Services retooled to commence this with the Northern Nigeria Development

noted was already prospecting for oil within the basin.

Baru equally explained then that the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has been intimated on the need to assign blocks in the basin for prospective investors to take up.

He however described NAPE as a very important part of the country’s oil and gas industry, especially in promoting policy formulations that have led to the growth of exploration of hydrocarbon resources in the country.

Similarly, Omorodion said the primary objective of the association has always being to promote excellent ideas in the exploration of hydrocarbon which has contributed to the passage of landmark legislations in the country like the local content law.

He said the association was happy with Baru’s appointment as NNPC’s head, and will in November confer on him a honourary membership award which is its highest award, due to his outstanding track records in the country’s oil sector.

T H I S D AY •THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

31

BUSINESSWORLD Research Firm Rates MTN, Milo, Most Influential Brands 2016 For the first time in five years of in its study, a global brands and marketing research firm, Ipsos Marketing, has listed MTN, Milo, Close-Up, Coca Cola, Peak Milk, Indomie, Etisalat, Bournvita, Omo and Maltina as top ten most influential out of 100 brands in Nigeria.

According to Ipsos, the brands were selected based on marketing survey carried out on 1000 Nigerians to assess 100 brands based on various marketing parameters such as Influence, trustworthiness, leading edge and corporate citizenship.

However, during the survey which was administered on consumers in Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Enugu, Bauchi and Abuja, the MTN ranked number one, Milo occupied second position, Close-Up came third; Coca-Cola, fourth; Peak Milk, fifth; Indomie, sixth; Etisalat, seventh; Bournvita, eighth; Omo, nineth; Maltina, tenth.

“Beyond our own measures, metrics, and surveys, there are a number of other factors very much related to brand influence. Influential brands invest, and this investment pays dividends. A number of the Most Influential Brands have healthy media spend levels.

In other markets, Influential brands also show positive trends in share price. When comparing the growth of the DOW/ NASDAQ over the past several years with the stock of our Top Ten Most Influential Brands, it is clear that influential brands have more value and that this is consistently the case,” the survey stated.

However, each of the brands in the ranking is the only selected product in its market categories except MTN and

Etisalat which operate in the same market category.

“For the first time in the 5 year of this global study, we canvassed the country to ask 1000 Nigerians to assess 100 brands. We spoke to Nigerians in Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Enugu, Bauchi and Abuja, males and females, aged 18 – 65yrs. The selection criteria for a brand to make the list of 100 were based on media spends and also factors such as market share and penetration across Nigeria. What follows next is our Top Ten countdown overall influence index score and the top 3 influence drivers associated with each brand.

We also include some of our own thoughts about why these brands performed so well in this year’s study,” says Steve Spicer, general manager IPOs. While underscoring the heritage of the brands, Ipsos stated that all but two of the brands in the Top 10 were birthed on the other side of the 21st century adding that these brands have been around for so long and have made themselves ‘part of the family” that Nigerians forget that they are actually foreign brands.

It also stated that the top ten brands are very advertising spender hence bringing positive results to their table in the ranking. “Nigeria’s top Influential brands are all heavy spenders in the advertising and sponsorship space. They are spending millions of Naira every year to continue to be visible to consumers.

Continuous innovation and Visibility – Influential brands are still around and successful because they have not rested on their past triumphs but continue to look for ways to remain visible, and above all relevant,” he stated.

CONSUMER

New Logistic Firm to Give Nigerians One Click Import, Export Solutions Stories by Raheem Akingbolu The worries of thousands of Nigerian businesses owners, who face difficulties making orders and receiving ordered goods from global suppliers, may have come to an as the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Simplified Corporate Logistics, Nduka Udeh, has promised a new regime.

With the world going digital, Udeh told THISDAY that it’s about time Nigerian business experience a one click solution to solve problem of high shipping cost and unreliable shipping companies.

“From the comfort of their office, business owners can use a simple solution to process shipment from their suppliers

globally, procure items globally, process their customs documentation, manage their warehouse inventory as well as process shipments for exports,” According to him, Nigerian businesses are about to receive some much needed help with the launch of Simplified Corporate Logistics, a full service procurement, shipping, clearing and forwarding and warehousing suite that offers a simple online solution to these challenges. With the great demand for more forex, he also stated that Simplified Corporate Logistics has also launched a suite as part of their solution to aid companies needing to export goods to the US to do so in an easy straight forward process where ever they may be in the country.

He said: “The service covers the full spectrum of business cargo handling from procurement to delivery, saving clients myriad of costs and risk associated with shipping, storage and clearing of inward bound cargoes.

Businesses simply place their requests online using a secured platform, and Simplified Corporate Logistics takes care of the rest, whether import or export.

Working from offices in Lagos, Nigeria and Houston, USA, as well as with a network of global partners, the company offers Nigerian businesses local and global solutions to suit their needs including local dispatch, airfreight, ocean freight at rates that are highly affordable,”

Other services he mentioned include forex sourcing and financing as well as helping in equipment support as needed.

“One of the biggest challenges facing small and medium scale businesses in Nigeria is that of lack of a simplified solution that caters for all their logistics needs that can be accessed from one simple online portal.

The process of procurement, shipping, clearance and delivery of goods has turned into an incredibly expensive and time-exhausting one for business owners due to hidden customs charges introduced by agents whose unreliable business practices has lead many business to pay huge amounts on clearing.

FACE OF NEW OLYMPIC

L-R: Sales Director, Nutricima, Mr. Bola Arotiowa; Managing Director, Mr. Eelco Weber; Olympic Brand Ambassador, Peter Okoye; Marketing Director, Mr. Kalyan Bandyopadhyay and Supply Chain Director, Nutricima, Mr. Tamme Pool during the re-launch of Olympic Nutri-Active Milk in Lagos...recently

Hollandia Yoghurt Excites Consumers with Social Media Mr. Bigg’s Introduces Promo to Broadcast Arts Institute Promo Begins Training for Media Mark 30th Anniversary Practitioners One of the lucky winners Following the successful conclusion of the Hollandia Yoghurt ‘Colours of Goodness’ social media promo, lucky winners have been rewarded with mouthwatering prizes.

Entries poured in from excited consumers eager to participate and emerge winners in the contest which was unveiled

by Chi Limited as part of efforts to engage with loyal consumers of the brand on the digital landscape At the prize presentation ceremony held recently, several prizes including Smart Phones, Tablets and Packs of refreshing and nourishing Hollandia Yoghurt were handed over to winners of the social media contest promo.

A cross section of satisfied participants who expressed their views on the promo said the gifts are a bonus to the tasty goodness that they get from Hollandia Yoghurt which nourish them inside and out.

It would be recalled that only recently Hollandia Yoghurt redesigned its packaging to wear a trendy and modern look that better communicates consumer benefits on the pack.

who smiled home with a Samsung Galaxy Smartphone, Victoria Damilola Thomas, was full of gratitude to the management of Chi Limited for the promo.

“I am excited to know that I am now a proud owner of a Samsung Galaxy Smartphone courtesy of Chi Limited. The Hollandia Yoghurt ‘Colour of Goodness’ contest has made me feel the goodness within and gave me an opportunity to flaunt it outside.” she stated The promo required consumers to like the Hollandia Yoghurt Facebook page and follow the brand’s Instagram and Twitter handle.

They were encouraged to post creative photos of themselves with three packs of the new Hollandia Yoghurt using the hashtag ‘#Coloursofgoodness’.

Entries were then made on the social media platforms. From the submissions, final entries were selected and posted to the Hollandia Yoghurt Social media handles with winners emerging from the overall number of likes on their entries across all social media platforms.

To mark the Mr. Bigg’s 30th anniversary, the UAC Restaurant has launched an in-store promotion in conjunction with Coca-Cola to celebrate with and reward its teeming customers nationwide. It is tagged Mr. Bigg’s Shout-out. The promo, which was unveiled at the company’s first franchisee’s outlet on Marina, was witnessed by some key franchisees drawn across Nigeria.

UAC Restaurant (UACR); Marketing Manager, Mrs. Eustesia Ogunnusi, said the promoters of the brand decided to mark the milestone, with an in-store promo to celebrate with and reward customers. She added that Coca Cola, the company’s age long partner, has also provided branded 50cl PET drinks with the inscription ‘’Mr Biggs @ 30’’ to celebrate the brand and excite our customers.

The Marketing Manager urged customers to take advantage of the gesture from the brand and share in the company’s joy.

Speaking at the event, Human Resources Manager, UACR, Mr. Bola Olatinwo, said Mr. Biggs

evolved from reactions to the growing demand for greater variety in fast food offerings for freshly baked, hot snacks and meals.

He said at its opening of business to the general public, Mr Bigg’s shocked business with its possibilities, pointing out that the customers count easily hit the roof, thus making Mr Biggs one of the top ten fast foods restaurants in the world in terms of customer counts.

He said: “Mr Bigg’s opened the first restaurant at 51 Marina Street, Lagos in 1986 and at that time only a limited menu of pastries; beef, chicken and apple pies, sausage rolls, doughnuts and beef burgers was available, a far cry from the extensive menu on offer today.

The pioneer restaurant had 12 cash points with seats for 108 customers at the same time.”

He said the second Mr Bigg’s restaurant opened two years later, in 1988, and thereafter one restaurant was opened in Lagos every two years, adding that by 1995, Mr Bigg’s had opened five restaurants in Lagos, and moved to Port Harcourt.

As parts of its contribution to the development of the media industry, the Broadcast Arts Institute Limited, a foremost media training institution, has commenced training to equip media practitioners, on how to use their profession to effectively counter radicalisation by extremists. The three-day master classes which began yesterday will take place in Lagos and Abuja.

According to a statement issued by the institute’s Programme Director, Maduka Ojimadu, the training which is targeted at online, print and broadcast practitioners, is designed to explore how responsible media professionals can help communities to understand their choices and the consequences of their decisions to promote violence.

“What can media professionals do to turn the tide of radicalisation? How can we debunk the potent messages of extremist propaganda?

This course provides tools to target communities with convincing narratives that

change minds. The peaceful world is struggling to cope with the persuasive powers of extremists. These are the questions that will be answered at the training,” the statement stated.

The statement stated that participants would be introduced to universal theories on story, format, persuasion and audience mapping and how these can be applied as an antidote to the global problem of radicalisation.

“Media is used by extremist radicalisers, so the antidote must also have media as part of the answer. Extremists use a closed media system and have made tremendous success in getting innocent minds into their ranks in droves. Whereas the open media have not made any visible attempts to counter the extremists and their message. It is time for us to defend the society with positive narratives.

“Alternative narratives should not just react to or counteract extremist stories and propaganda.

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BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

Kaduna: Adopting Strategies to Tackle Youth Unemployment Kaduna State is said to be one of the 10 states with very high rate of unemployment in the country. But the state governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai is exploring various avenues, including opening up the state to investors to create jobs. John Shiklam writes

T

he growing rate of unemployment in Kaduna state is one of the challenges the state government is grappling with in its attempt to address the situation. Recent statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicate that the Kaduna is among the 10 states in the federation with high rate of unemployment.

Realising the danger this poses, the state governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai is exploring all available avenues to create jobs for the growing population of jobless youths in the state.

Job Priority Since his assumption of office in 2015, the issue of job creation has remained in the front burner.

Various programmes aimed at creating jobs had been initiated in the past one year as part of efforts to reduce unemployment rate to the barest minimum.

These efforts seem to be paying off with a recent disclosure by the governor that over 125,000 direct jobs were created in less than one year through the ongoing interventions in the education, health and environmental and other sectors as well as entrepreneurial training scheme.

According to him, the massive renovation and equipping of schools across the state and the free feeding programme introduced in primary schools in the state also led to the creation of about 85,000 jobs which include food vendors, their staff members and supervisors while the provision of free school uniforms created about 11,100 jobs.

“We are making concerted efforts to ensure that people benefit from all our programmes.

There is something for everyone in the School Feeding Programme. In seeking to take care of our children, we are creating jobs, boosting demand and exposing our people to new skills”, the governor said at the launching of the school feeding programme in January.

Vital Initiatives Also, the establishment of the Kaduna State Traffic and Environmental Law Enforcement Agency (KASTELEA) on May 24 has also provided employment opportunities to 2,503 youths who were recruited to enforce traffic rules, check vehicles plying the various roads as well as ensure a healthy environment.

Furthermore, the “Keep Kaduna Green” project which was launched in June by President Muhammadu Buhari, in addition to tackling problems of desertification, will create thousands of jobs in the state.

According to the governor, “the projection is to engage about 26,000 persons across the state in the massive tree-planting effort we have embarked on. I believe that we can persuade our people to invest their efforts in protecting our environment, in beautifying our cities and in creating jobs.”

The Keep Kaduna Green project involves the planting of economic 65,000 trees in the 23 Local Government Areas of the state every year.

“We have deliberately chosen economic trees for this project so that those who nurture them will have a share when the trees begin fruiting. Trees are valuable in themselves, but we hope the bonus of fruits will help make them much more valuable to many more people” the governor added.

Budding Entrepreneurs Perhaps one of the laudable initiatives aimed at job creation is the introduction of the Kaduna State Entrepreneurial Training Programme otherwise known as KAD-STEP by the state government.

The programme is being implemented in collaboration with the Kaduna Business School (KBS) and the Bank of Industry (BoI) aimed at promoting entrepreneurship among unemployed graduate by providing them with un-matched

Girls from the Centre for Girls Education performing a drama skit at the Screening in Government House, Kaduna

skills and attitudes that could propel them become the drivers of any economy given the right atmosphere.

According to the governor, KAD-STEP is targeted at training 5,000 unemployed graduates drawn from the 23 local governments of the state in the next three years in various entrepreneurial skills.

The first batch of 270 beneficiaries of the programme have already completed the training successfully. Of the 270 participants who underwent the two-month intensive entrepreneurial training programme and one month practical session in business plans development, 15 of them got credit facilities ranging from N2 million to N5 million from the BoI. The beneficiaries were those whose business proposals met the bank’s risk acceptance assessment.

The governor had directed that another batch of 500 trainees be inducted so that they could also benefit from the programme.

El-Rufai noted that “as business creators, they will strengthen the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector as a driver for job creation”, stressing that empowering the youths with the skills and the funding to establish businesses is not a trivial matter.

According to him, “the challenge of unemployment is largely a youth issue and people under 35 years constitute the significant majority of 8 to 10 million people that live in Kaduna state.

Indeed 88 per cent of people in Kaduna are aged 35 years and below.”

Under KAD-STEP, successful small business operators would also have opportunities to leverage on existing N1billion matching fund instituted between the bank and the state government.

Investment Summit In his quest to attract investments to the state, the governor hosted the Kaduna Economic and Investment Summit, the first of its kind, in April.

Tagged KADINVEST, the summit was informed by the fact that private investment is the best vehicle for job creation, hence the need to bring together the private sector, international development partners and development finance institutions to identify opportunities in the state and take the investment initiatives that create growth.

The summit has helped in highlighting opportunities for investment, joint ventures and trade in Kaduna as well as afforded both local and international business concerns the opportunity to have first-hand information about the abundant resources in the state, especially in the agriculture, health, solid minerals sectors.

This goes to show that the state government understands the critical significance of mobilising domestic and international financial resources, leveraging international trade, and increasing

Bigger Headache When the eight global Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were adopted in September 2000, every United Nations member-country, including Nigeria, thought it would be easy to achieve the goals and related targets within the 15 years life-span, despite the various identified challenges of non-inclusion and narrow scope attributed to the goals.

By the deadline year of 2015, only very few countries around the world could boast of having met all the targets contained in the development goals.

As if that wasn’t worrying enough, the scope of the MDGs were ex-

international development cooperation in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Agric Pivot Already, Olam Group, one of the leading companies in the world is establishing the largest poultry farm with integrated feed-mill in sub-Saharan Africa in Kaduna. The ground breaking foundation was performed by governor El-Rufai in April. This is expected to generate thousands of jobs and business opportunities for the people of the state.

The governor said, amidst the challenges confronting the state, his administration is drawing attention to the opportunities that abound.

According to him, “Kaduna state has comparative advantage in agriculture and mining; the government is delighted that many investors agree that we indeed offer a decent business proposition. The government has ambitious goals for Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency (KADIPA) because we know that investments and jobs are fantastic in themselves, but they are also enablers of individual dignity and social harmony.

“We believe that the return of vibrant economic activity and the reduction of poverty will drive prosperity and reduce the divisions that became pronounced as the state’s economy entered dire straits from the late 1980s.

RANDOM THOTS

panded to include some standalone goals like hunger, water, sanitation, climate change and these are among the new 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted to global acclaim in September 2015, with another lifespan of 15 years for realisation of the new goals and the 169 targets.

Nigeria, through internal mechanisms and international donor support tried to achieve the lesser MDGs, but only made true progress in the areas of basic education, HIV/AIDS and gender issues.

Now, one year has gone back and the national outlook is not so positive as regards the domestication

and implementation of the SDGs, which are far more daunting than the MDGs. The time to act is now and the new goals need to be mainstreamed into the nation’s development strategy and also integrated into the development plans of states, local governments and even grassroots communities. If this is not done speedily and efficiently by all stakeholders including state and non-state actors, Nigeria risks leaving huge chunks of her population behind in the race to improve mankind and livelihoods. A sobering thought…

Abimbola Akosile

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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

DEvELOPMENT/ISSUESINBOx

President Buhari

Can PMB Risk Hiring Opposition Experts?

Many Nigerians are disillusioned with the present administration under PMB, because rather than improve their livelihoods as promised in an era of change, things have actually worsened. Some analysts expect PMB to drop the winner-takes-all mentality and recruit experts and technocrats even from opposition parties to help revive the economy. At the risk of sabotage, can the President afford to hire ‘enemies’ to help him deliver the gains of democracy and vital development to the longsuffering citizens?

Abimbola Akosile

THE FEEDBACK

* Yes, PMB should waste no time in doing that.

To be successful you need friends and to be very successful you need enemies.

- Mr. Ezenwa Chika, Ikeja, Lagos

Yes, he can hire them:

12

No, he cannot:

2

Others:

11

* With the rate at which the fortune of Nigeria is dwindling, it is expected of Mr. President to drop the winner-takes-all mentality and recruit experts and technocrats who are competent, tested and trusted not minding their political affiliation, ethnic group, or religion. The president should look beyond his circle of friends.

- Mr. Augustine Ubadire, IT Student, Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Ltd, Port Harcourt, Rivers State

Radical tip:

No-go area!

Total no of respondents:

25

Male:

18

Female:

7

Highest location:

Lagos (16)

* These ‘enemies’ are Nigerians with results in their own rights. We need these experts and technocrats more than they need us and the earlier we cut it to the chase, the better for all Nigerians, especially PMB’s administration.

- Miss Nkeiruka Abanna, Lagos State * Despite the challenges what Nigerians are facing now are mistakes of the past government. When good things are about to happen, they always come with difficult tests to try the faith of the people. It is not time to write this government off.

- Mr. Gordon Chika Nnorom, Public Commentator, Umukabia, Abia State * No, PMB must not make the mistake of bringing opposition parties into his government now as they can summarily truncate this government.

There are yet unidentified but existing genuine experts within APC that can truly make the desired change a reality.

- Mr. Apeji Onesi, Lagos * Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians, so no citizen should be denied a chance to contribute his or her quota simply because he or she is in the opposition. There shouldn’t be any sectionalism, tribalism or religious sentiments e.t.c.

- Hon. Babale Maiungwa, U/Romi, Kaduna State

- Mrs. Patricia Enahoro, Lagos

- Mrs. Funke Osae-Brown, Lagos State

* There is no risk; were there no complaints against some of the governors and ministers from onset? Nigerians concurred because there had to be a starting point. Nigerians need the desired change they voted for.

- Mr. Dogo Stephen, Kaduna

* The current Federal Government leadership has not shown any objective inclination. So such hire is a no go zone. At this time, Nigeria needs ‘all hands on deck’ but parochial political interest makes hiring the best hands for the job expendable.

- Mr. Utibe Uko, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State

* Are there no experts and technocrats in the ruling party? Or should we hire the same opposition’s technocrats that brought the nation to her knees? We cannot continue to do things the same way and get different results.

- Mrs. Mary Adeola Tehinse, Lagos State

to moving Nigeria forward. After elections are over, we must learn to close ranks and downplay party affiliations as we move our nation forward.

- Mr. Biodun Aiyegbusi, Engineer, Lagos

* Even the so-called party members are not in one accord with him in seeing Nigeria moving forward. The Lord will help Nigerians and Nigeria.

- Mr. Isaac Olomola, Legal Practitioner, Lagos

* My advice is: follow the Lee Kwan Yu of Singapore’s example. Attach no sentiments in very sensitive matters of governance. God bless Nigeria.

- Pastor Bass, Maitama, Abuja

* PMB is the President of every Nigerian; therefore there shouldn’t be any enemy. But he should look for Nigerians who have the technical know-how to move the country forward, whether they are from opposition parties or not.

- Mr. Daji Sani, Yola, Adamawa State

* Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is one ‘opposition’ expert we need urgently because of her experience. Politicians are never really ‘enemies’ to one another, that’s why they jump from one political party to the other with ease.

- Mr. John Ogunsemore, Lagos State * A true leader will not be carried away by party politics. If he identifies technocrats that can help turn around the economy from other political parties, he can bring them; putting the interest of the country first.

- Mr. Frederick Ekekwe, CEO Seasoniss-Eve Nigeria Ltd, Trans-Ekulu, Enugu State * Until he has admitted failing Nigerians...

- Mr. Acha Moses, Lagos

* Despite economic challenges and other related vices, Nigeria will overcome the problems. It is just a matter of time and patience; I believe good things are about to happen.

- Mrs. Ijeoma Nnorom, Lagos State

* Yes, he can and we should in view of the current challenges confronting Nigeria employ any experts that can and will save Nigeria from these shackles of the social economic quagmire ravaging the system. If our fate is in the hands of opposition parties we must wisely enjoin them to be patriotic.

- Miss Apeji Patience Eneyeme, Badagry, Lagos

* There should be no ‘enemies’ when it comes

* Please, who are the enemies?

* There are experts who are not politicians; some are members of the smaller parties. He can choose from those.

- Mrs. Ada Agina-Ude, Gender and Development Action (GADA), Lagos * Buhari didn’t create these economic issues, it is unfortunate that this is happening now but we should still thank God. Notwithstanding, there is nothing wrong in hiring anybody to revive the economy.

- Mr. Ayodele Ajayi, Lagos State * The major problem we have under this administration is sectionalism. Besides ‘enemy’ technocrats in opposition parties, there are also scores of tested experts even in APC from various parts of this country, who could help give the nation a new lease of life, if called to serve.

- Mr. Ndubuisi Francis, media practitioner, Abuja * The American example. Obama worked with experts from opposition to succeed. PMB shouldn’t hesitate to do so. Nigeria is more important than any party

* Bringing in experts and technocrats does not necessarily mean they will come from the opposition. However, if you have one or two that can help solve the country’s problems why not? There won’t be sabotage because our politicians are not principled. They change parties like napkins.

- Mr. Pacer Aderinokun, Surulere, Lagos State * The national interest must super-cede any partisan politics or sectionalism. To move Nigeria forward, all hands are required on deck, and the President must employ this collective strategy.

Time is of essence.

- Mr. Olumuyiwa Olorunsomo, Lagos

Next Week: Did the FG Make a Wrong Turn?

Despite the frantic efforts of the present administration to deliver the gains and dividends of democracy to the electorate, things are not getting better and many Nigerians appear to have lost hope and patience with PMB. To you, inspite of the promises of positive change for the citizens, did this government make a fatal wrong turn somewhere in the governance process, which has led to this current depressing state? If yes, what can be done to turn back? Please make your response direct, short and simple, and state your full name, title, organisation, and location. Responses should be sent between today (Sept 1 & Monday, Sept 5) to abimbolayi@yahoo.com, greatbimbo@ gmail.com, AND abimbola.akosile@ thisdaylive.com. Respondents can also send a short text message to 08023117639 and/ or 08188361766 and/or 08114495306.

Collated responses will be published on Thursday, Sept 8

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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

Struggling To Make Ends Meet In Ibadan, Oyo State

ABIMBOLA AKOSILE

UNDP Report: Gender Gap Costs Sub-Saharan Africa $95bn Annually Abimbola Akosile The new Africa Human Development Report 2016 has disclosed that gender inequality is costing subSaharan Africa on average $95 billion a year, peaking at $105 billion in 2014 – or six per cent of the region’s GDP – jeopardising the continent’s efforts for inclusive human development and economic growth.

The report titled ‘Advancing Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Africa’ was published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and released in Nairobi Kenya on August 28.

Speaking at the launch, which was attended by Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) VI, UNDP Administrator

Helen Clark said “If gender gaps can be closed in labour markets, education, health, and other areas, then poverty and hunger eradication can be accelerated.”

Achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment is the right thing to do, and is a development imperative, Clark said.

The UNDP report analyses the political, economic and social drivers that hamper African women’s advancement and proposes policies and concrete actions to close the gender gap.

These include addressing the contradiction between legal provisions and practice in gender laws; breaking down harmful social norms and transforming discriminatory institutional settings; and securing women’s economic, social and political participation.

Deeply-rooted structural

obstacles such as unequal distribution of resources, power and wealth, combined with social institutions and norms that sustain inequality are holding African women, and the rest of the continent, back. The report estimates that a 1 per cent increase in gender inequality reduces a country’s human development index by 0.75 per cent.

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable and have a decent standard of living While the continent is rapidly closing the gender gap in primary education enrolment, African women achieve only 87 per cent of the human development outcomes of men, driven mainly by lower levels of female secondary attainment, lower female labour

force participation and high maternal mortality.

The report states that while 61 per cent of African women are working they still face economic exclusion as their jobs are underpaid and undervalued, and are mostly in the informal sector.

African women hold 66 per cent of the all jobs in the nonagricultural informal sector and only make 70 cents for each dollar made by men.

Only between 7 and 30 per cent of all private firms have a female manager.

In a key finding, the report estimates that total annual economic losses due to gender inequality in the labour market have averaged $95 billion per year since 2010 in sub-Saharan Africa and could be as high as $105 billion, or 6 per cent of the region’s GDP in 2014.

Social norms are a clear obstacle to African women’s progress, limiting the time

women can spend in education and paid work, and access to economic and financial assets, according to the report. For instance, African women still carry out 71 per cent of water collecting translating to 40 billion hours a year, and are less likely to have bank accounts and to access credit.

It also noted that African women’s health is also severely affected by harmful practices such as under-age marriage and sexual and physical violence, and high maternal mortality - the most at-risk women being those of childbearing age. According to the report, a 1 percentage point rise in adolescent birth rate increases the overall adult female mortality rate by about 1.1 percentage points.

“With existing gender disparities, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and Africa’s Agenda 2063 would remain an aspiration, and not

a reality”, said UNDP Africa Director Abdoulaye Mar Dieye. “Closing the gender gap would not only set Africa on a double-digit economic growth track, but would also significantly contribute to meeting its development goals.”

The report proposes four strategic pathways to greater gender equality and women’s empowerment – adopting legal reforms, building national capacity to accelerate women’s involvement in decision-making, adopting multi-sectoral approaches in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment, and accelerating women’s ownership of assets and management of resources.

It further recommends six enabling actions to fast-track the achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment, and by extension, the SDGs and Africa’s Agenda 2063.

WaterAidNigeriaDonatesWater,SanitationFacilitiesto20PlateauCommunities Seriki Adinoyi in Jos No fewer than 20 communities of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, including schools now have increased access to Safe Water and Sanitation/Hygiene projects of Hong-Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC).

The communities were elated when the water and sanitation facilities were unveiled and

handed over to them recently through their community leaders and Principals of the beneficiary schools by WaterAid Nigeria in collaboration with Community-Based Development Non-Governmental Organisations (CBD-NGO).

The facilities donated by WaterAid Nigeria among others include; eight new Hand Pumps boreholes, four improved Hand-Dug wells, two blocks of

institutional Latrines in three schools, and also rehabilitated 12 existing Hand Pump boreholes across the 20 communities.

Speaking at the event, programme coordinator CBD-NGO, Mrs. Vou Shom, said the project was focused on improving the economic lives of vulnerable rural communities, with a vision of seeing a world where everyone, everywhere has access to safe water, improved

sanitation and hygiene.

She said CBD-NGO is a non-political, non-religious and non-governmental national network of over 150 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working in several fields of human development, and that Bokkos was lucky this time around to benefit from the organisation’s laudable projects.

Responding, the Council Chairman of Bokkos LGA, Mr.

Luka Makut commended the organisations that made the projects possible, especially the CBD and WaterAid Nigeria.

He urged the various communities to handle the facilities with utmost care, stressing that water, hygiene and sanitation was a vital part of human existence, especially as it concerns their health.

Makut promised that government would continue to play its

role through counterpart funding in sustaining these facilities to ensure that citizens derived maximum benefits from them.

Water and sanitation are important goals under the new 17 global Sustainable Development Goals, which were adopted by all United Nations member-countries at the landmark 70th UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, USA on September 25, 2015.

35

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Where corruption is endemic like in Nigeria, strong institutions are critical to achieve success. It is in this context that the debate on the propriety of the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) investigating and prosecuting financial crimes at the same time is appropriate” -SENIOR COUNSEL AND MARITIME LAW EXPERT MR. OLISA AGBAKOBA (SAN), SPEAKING IN A STATEMENT ‘Under-investment in Agricultural Research, Bane of Growth’ Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

UNICEF, UN, Train Stakeholders in Disaster Management Ahead of Flooding Daji Sani in Yola The UNICEF in collaboration with the United Nations (UN) have embarked on the training of Disaster Management workers in Adamawa, Gombe, Borno, Yobe, Bauchi and Jigawa states, which are prone to flooding and the Boko Haram insurgency.

The Emergency Specialist of UNICEF, Mr. Olusoji Adeniyi, disclosed this at a threeday training workshop convened in Yola, Adamawa State capital, and noted that the training was in response to the prediction of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), that there will be heavy downpour this year.

Adeniyi further explained that the training workshop was to aid the Disaster Management Workers in those states prone to flooding plan ahead of any eventuality of flood.

He said this was what informed UNICEF to train disaster workers and stakeholders involved in disaster management to have prerequisite knowledge on ‘Contingency Planning’ in disaster management that is of international standard.

Adeniyi, who is one of the facilitators at the workshop, said his organisation selected stakeholders in disaster management from different departments of disaster management so as to encourage team work so that every department will be involved in the early stage of planning to the end.

He said the reason for planning is to aid disaster workers’ response quickly and promptly to emergency cases when they happen, adding that responding quickly will create impact and many lives will be safe.

Adeniyi identified inadequate funding as one of the major problems affecting the effectiveness of State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMA).

He also identified lack of legal backing for some of the SEMA at the state levels as well as lack of political will by some political leaders to fund emergency interventions as other challenges.

Flooding in Lagos He further observed that some states relief agencies only focus on provision of relief materials, which only represented just one element of their responsibility as managers of emergency.

While declaring open the three-day training workshop, the Executive Secretary of the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA), Mr. Haruna Furo, said the state Government has embarked on the construction of roads and drains in major towns of the state to curtail the incident of flooding.

The stakeholders were discussing on the Contingency Plans ahead of 2016 Flooding Season organised by UNICEF ‘D’ Field Office in charge of the North-east.

Furo said the government was also involved

in awareness campaigns to encourage the public to imbibe the culture of proper waste disposal.

“Governor Muhammadu Jibrilla has embarked on massive construction of roads and drains across the state particularly around flood prone areas as well as engaged in various awareness campaigns on proper waste disposal. This will in no small measure help address some of the challenges associated with flooding,” he said.

Furo lauded the UNICEF zone ‘D’ office for organising the meeting which he described as timely. He also urged participants to make good use of the opportunity in coming up with modalities to have comprehensive plan to nip in the bud current emergencies bedeviling the North-east, of which flood is one.

President, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Dr. Anthony Onoja has said the significant decline in the rate of agricultural productivity growth in developing countries could be attributed to under-investment in researches that promote productivity.

Onoja stated that the panacea for agricultural growth in Nigeria is an increase in research investment in the sector while adding that only this would lead to agricultural productivity and growth in productivity on the long run.

He disclosed this at the APRNet 3rd national stakeholders’ forum with the theme: ‘The Role of Government in Promoting Quality Agricultural Research to Grow the Nigerian Agricultural Industry: Lessons from Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria’ held recently in Abuja.

In his welcome address, Onoja said the mission of ARCN is to achieve significant improvements in agricultural productivity, marketing and competitiveness by generating appropriate technologies, policy options, promoting innovation, establishing a knowledge management capacity and strengthening the agricultural research system.

According to him, “Globally, governments play critical roles in stimulating quality output to grow the agricultural industry. Development and deployment of agricultural R4D output is the critical stimulant of productivity growth in agriculture.

“The agricultural sector would not attain its potential in productivity growth and the businesses volume without the active participation of the private sector” he said. Onoja stated that several attempts have been made to encourage private sector participation in the agricultural research sector/industry through various programmes, adding that “attracting private sector investments into agricultural research is more challenging than imagined.” He said, “The focus of this paper is to share some perspectives through the lens of ARCN on the role of government in promoting quality agricultural research towards the attainment of food security.

“Agricultural research for the development sector is one of the areas in which the government plays the important role of stimulating quality output in the Nigerian agriculture. Some of the roles performed by government to actualise quality of output capable of growing the agricultural industry in Nigeria include the establishment and organisation of public agricultural R4D institutions, funding of public agricultural R4D institutions and creating enabling environment through relevant growth stimulating policies.”

He explained that in Nigeria, agricultural research is on the concurrent legislative list and that the implication of it is that, both the Federal and State governments have responsibilities and critical roles to play. He stressed that the responsibilities of government to public R4D institutions do not in any way preclude the participation of the private sector, adding that government’s commitment would stimulate other key stakeholders to respond with corresponding action and this will result in the actualisation of the dream of an economy that does not solely depend on oil.

According to Onoja, the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria is the main organ of government responsible for the coordination and supervision of agricultural R4D in Nigeria, but, “notwithstanding the current and anticipated participation of private sector in agriculture and agricultural R4D, government must continue to take the lead in fulfilling its responsibilities to public agricultural R4D.”

36

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

Acting Features Editor Charles Ajunwa Email: charles.ajunwa@thisdaylive.com

‘How Hard Drugs Almost Ruined Our Lives’ The testimonies by recovered drug addicts on how their addiction robbed them of several productive and healthy years have again brought to the fore the severity of drug abuse in Nigeria. Writes Martins Ifijeh

I

t was a time of mixed feelings as recovered drug addicts, who through their quest for ecstasy and intense excitement, delved into the use of hard drugs like cocaine, marijuana, heroine, as well as the habitual use of the 21st century addiction substances like tramadol and codeine.

For some, it was a feeling of regrets and sober reflection as several productive years have been lost due to drug life, while for others, it was a time for celebration since not every addict has the luxury of retracing his or her self back to living a normal life without any push from an induced substance.

The occasion was at the 8th graduation ceremony of House of Joy Rehabilitation Centre, where drug addicts are picked randomly among members of the society, rehabilitated for a period of six months with intense psychological, moral, spiritual and goal-driven teachings, and then reintegrated into the society where they are expected to become advocates against drug abuse, as well as become relevant to the society.

For one of the graduands, Sumbo Sowande, a 49 years old building technologist, who started smoking cigarette right from his primary school, life was a living hell when he ‘graduated’ into marijuana, and then heroine and cocaine. The more he tried to get out of addiction, the more he saw himself deep into it.

Going down memory lane, Sowande said he grew from a home where smoking cigarette was not a crime because his father was a smoker, adding that the Reverend Father in charge of the catholic primary school which he attended was also a smoker. “With this, I never saw cigarette as a crime since my father and my spiritual guardian were smokers. That was how I started smoking in my primary school.

From secondary school, I was then introduced to Indian hemp, and then cocaine. That was where my life turned upside down. I started stealing, lyings, among others.”

Sowande, who was no longer comfortable with the addiction, started looking for help everywhere.

Temporarily, he got solace in Fountain of Life Church, Ilupeju, where the late Pastor Bimbo Odukoya ministered to him.

“After I gave testimony in church one day on how I was no longer addicted to drugs, two movie producers, Fred and Agatha Amata decided to do a true life movie on my addiction story where I was the lead actor. That was how National Drug Law Enforcement Agency saw my story and picked me up as one of their ambassadors. And then I started going with them to speak to youths,” he added.

But, like every other addiction where the habit constantly fights for prominence, Sowande, who went to Ghana courtesy of NDLEA to speak, again got caught in a web of a Liberian cocaine addict, who again, re-introduced him to the habit. He left Nigeria a clean man and an advocate, and then came back with a strong urge to continue the destructive act.

“That was how I left the good books of NDLEA, and the good life I was already building for myself. People were no longer relating with me as a rational person. I lost respect, I lost attention and a lot of opportunities during this period,” adding that, luckily, a friend of his introduced him to House of Joy, where he had spent six months on rehabilitation.

“The first two weeks I started rehab was my most difficult period. There was constant push for me to abandon it and go satisfy my body, but I thank God a month after, that feeling was subdued through the teachings we were getting. Since then I have totally lost the urge for drugs,” he declared.

The case of a 65 years old Professor of French and English Semantics, Prof. Ayo Adegoke-Craig was more pathetic, as his story suggests, hard drugs is no respecter of status or age. “I have learn’t one thing in life now; hard drugs can reduce a Professor or President of a country to the level of a mechanic who is also on drugs. It

Prof. Adegoke-Craig

Engr. Fasawe

does not discriminate, it will reduce you to its level until you become a scum to the society,” Adegoke-Craig said.

Adegoke-Craig, who started taking hard drugs from his secondary school days, said when he got admission in a UK University, cocaine intake became part of him 24 hours a day. “Initially when I started taking it, I felt it was helping me to write, it was much later I discovered it wasn’t the reason, I was naturally a good writer.

“A while later, I got married and had a child, but they all ran away when they discovered I couldn’t eat, think or continue discussions without the influence of hard drugs. At a time I had to come to Nigeria to stay,” he said.

Revealing that as a Professor who had made name for himself, he came back to Nigeria again to live as a pauper, a bachelor and a reduced human. “It was at this point I started looking for help, because I was fast losing my pride.

Food became my worst enemy, and I could wear one shirt for days because I only had one interest, which was to satisfy my body.

The professor, whose quest for solutions took him to three different conditions, said he first went to Asia where they told him with acupuncture he would be fine and free from the addiction, but the more he takes the treatment, the more he was getting the urge to take cocaine. “I then had to continue my research until I discovered there was a therapy in Bolivia.

Like someone who was dedicated to lead a normal life, I embarked on another journey to Bolivia where I was told the coca leafs would be used for his treatment that can help one out of addiction.

“After the treatment, I didn’t just continue the life, I even bought cocaine in large quantity in that country, which I brought back along with me to Nigeria. I went to Bolivia to get help, but I left there with more cocaine.

“I was becoming more miserable by the day.

That was how I bumped into a report by a certain Harvard University professor who said drug abuse was a strong power and that only a higher power could cure it. That was when I knew all I needed was a rehabilitation centre with a touch of God in it, and then I came to House of Joy,” he said.

Ezenwa

Jasper

House of Joy Rehabilitation Centre is owned by the Redeemed Christian Church of God. The story of 23 years old Jasper Ben, from Abia State is another pathetic one. As a confirmation that drug life only takes away the good side from its victims, making them wretched and miserable addict, the case of Jasper was not any different.

Ben, who was a very bright and promising child, started smoking cigarette and marijuana at a young age of 17, but while he got admission the same year to the university, the addiction of marijuana took a toll on him.

“I started well in class until I had this quest to always remain ‘high’. That was how I decided to look for substances that could give me a stronger feeling than marijuana. I then decided to be living on tramadol, rohypnol and codeine,” he said.

Like the euphoria it gave him, Jasper started missing classes, started spending all his school money on drugs because he needed to maintain the certain level of highness constantly. Exams came and he couldn’t cope until he was advised by the management to withdraw; all within his first year in school.

“Like a second opportunity, I got another admission a year later in Rivers State to read law. But because I had been deep into drugs, it was easier for me to identify drug addicts and cultists in school from the very beginning, and quickly, I pitched tents with them. We were always together constantly living on drugs.

“I would go to class ‘high’, I would read ‘high’, and I would even write exams in the same state. There were times during my exams, I would go to class with so much substance in my blood stream, and the next thing will be that I would sleep off during exams.”

Ben, who spent three years of his school fees on drugs, again couldn’t cope with classes.

“While my class mates are done with law education now and are set for their National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) I am still in 300 level in the school because I couldn’t meet up with them because of the lifestyle I was living.

I have deferred my admission now because I needed help first to tackle the addiction problem. I just wanted to be free from the

Sowande

addiction that almost ruined me.

“My Dad is a Bishop and I was not just a brilliant child, I was very close to God, but drugs took everything my parents cherished in me away. There were times I even fasted and prayed that God should take this addiction away from me. But while I was fasting and praying, I would still go out to take the drugs on empty stomach. I couldn’t even leave the drug during fasting and prayer time. It became a spirit controlling me until I found House of Joy, and it’s been six months now I haven’t tasted drugs. Even the urge for it is gone totally.”

He advised youths to run from tramadol, codeine and their likes, adding that it destroys lives just like cocaine.

Another recovered drug addict who relayed his story was a 62-year-old civil engineer, Mr. Olabisi Fasawe. During his youthful days God blessed him through his profession, as he was a major contractor in Lagos, especially at the airport where he executed a number of projects.

He was good at what he does until a female friend of his introduced him to cocaine and heroine. “The first day she gave it to me, I enjoyed the feeling and then I continued it with her until I got addicted. I couldn’t live a normal life any more. I would take contracts and then I would end up spending the money to satisfy that urge in me. That’s how I ended up not finishing jobs I was given. I started losing clients and they started fighting me because I had used their money for drugs.

My family was crying, because I became a shadow of my former self,” he narrated.

Fasawe, today is a bus driver in Lagos because he had sold everything he had and spent the money on drugs. “Even the proceeds from the bus I was driving before I came to this rehabilitation centre was still going into servicing my desire for hard drugs. “ He said now that he had gone through the rehabilitation process, he would dust off himself, start a new life and set up his former engineering company again.

NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

37

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

NEWS

UNICEF: 22% of Children under Five in South-west Suffer Stunted Growth 13.2% children in Oyo State are underweight About 200,000 Osun children stunted due to malnutrition James Sowole in Akure, Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo, Martins Ifijeh The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) recently raised fresh concerns over the prevalence and effect of malnutrition in the Southwest geo-political zone of the country, stating that 22 per cent of children under five years in the zone have stunted growth.

The UNICEF Communication Specialist, Mr. Geoffrey Njoku, gave the figure in an opening remark at a media dialogue organised by the UNICEF for select journalists in some states of the federation, adding that it was erroneous to believe that malnutrition was prevalent only in the North.

Quoting a 2013 survey, Njoku said studies had shown that malnutrition was prevalent among children of the rich people of the South-west under the age of five, saying malnutrition was a national problem and harped finding sharing responsibilities on investing in simple cost interventions.

Njoku, who narrated his Owerri hometown experience in the South Eastern part, Imo State, revealed that 13 per cent of children born to rich families also suffer malnutrition in the geo-political zone.

A resource person from the Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs. Ogunbumi Omotayo, noted that “Nigeria has the highest number of stunted children under age five in sub-Saharan Africa and second highest in the world with 37 per cent of all children stunted, 18 per cent wasting and 29 per cent underweight.”

She explained further that infant mortality rate was 69/100 live births, and children under five years have 128/1000 live

births, while only 17 per cent were exclusively breast fed.

Mrs. Ada Ezeogu, the UNICEF Nutrition Specialist lamented that the Nigeria Nutrition Indices (2013) disclosed that only 17 per cent of Nigerians engage in Exclusive Breast Feeding (EBF), which is far below 50 per cent international standard requirement.

Ezeogu affirmed that malnutrition was not all about food but inadequate care, knowledge, food insecurity, unsanitary environment and other factors, which are highly manifest in the six states of the region.

She identified overnutrition, undernutrition and micronutrient deficiency as the burdens of malnutrition in the country, urging more emphasis on the 1000 days from period of conception to when the child attains two years.

The nutritionist, however, said the South-west was noted for good compliance with the six months on EBF, but pointed out that it fails in the complementary feeding that follows immediately after the six months EBF. Ezeogu emphasised that if the 50 per cent EBF international standard was adhered to, killer diseases in children will be reduced by 50 per cent. She canvassed for policy, coordination and partnership to promote EBF in the region and nation at large.

Also, the Nutrition Officer, Ministry of Health, Oyo State, Dr. Khadijah Alarape revealed that 13.2 per cent of children in the State were underweight, a percentage she said was a significant improvement from the previous 17.7 per cent two years ago.

She said the national percent-

age of underweight children in the country was about 19.4 per cent, adding that, apart from underweight, stunting among children in the State was 20.5 per cent, while wasting was 7.3 per cent, advised Nigerian mothers to give their children exclusive breast milk for six months, while breastfeeding continues for the first 1000 days of the infant’s life.

She called on mothers to give their babies breast milk within the first 30 minutes of life, an approach she said was very important to the survival and health of the child. “Women should not throw away the

first breast milk after childbirth.

Colostrum is rich in immunity and it has a long way in helping the child’s survival,” she added.

She said to improve further the nutritional life of pregnant mothers and infants, the state has embarked on a number of interventions. “We have nutritional development centres in Oyo State where soya milk production has been subsidised drastically for women to give to their babies. This has been known to help mitigate the impact of malnutrition in the state and we have a lot of testimonies on that.”

In the same vein, a nutrition

specialist with UNICEF, Mrs Ada Ezeogu, said 195,245 children below five years were stunted in Osun state due to malnutrition .

Urging the state government to pay attention to early child care that would cover children below three years in addition to its school feeding programme in the state, she said 21.8 percent of children in Osun were stunted and that the situation may improve if the early child care was included in the school feeding programme.

Mrs. Ezeogu, who spoke at the parley on ‘Good Nutrition, Invest More’, said the figure

stated was generated from National Nutrition and Health Survey 2015.

She commended Osun State Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola for the school feeding programme in the state and urged him to take proactive measures in addressing the current situation, saying that the current 21.8 per-cent malnutrition level in the state was not acceptable.

She contended that over 50 per-cent of infant death in the country occurred as a result of malnutrition and called on government and stakeholders to address the situation and prevent avoidable infant deaths.

Cross section of participants at the Nutrition Media Parley organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Ibadan ...recently

Quality Decision Will Impact the Health Sector Positively Dr. Samson Parker served as the Commissioner for Health in Rivers State under the previous administration. In this interview with Segun James, he spoke on a number of issues including making proactive government plans for the management of issues in the health sector You were recently given an award by the African Institute of Public Health Practitioners, AIPHP, in recognition of your role in the control of the spread of Ebola in Rivers State during the infamous incident in which one of the quarantined contacts defied restrictions and came to Port Harcourt. How do you feel about the honour bestowed on you?

The award by the African Institute of Public Health Practitioners (AIPHP) was for my humble role in leading the health sector under the previous government in Rivers State to an effective control of the potential spread of the Ebola virus throughout the state and possibly to nearby states. In containing the spread and preventing further spread, the health sector and other teams, including the media and other stakeholders saved the country from a disaster of uncertain dimensions.

As I clearly highlighted before, one helped to lead in mobilising and coordinating the required resources to ensure that everything that needed to be done was done, but we must always remember the frontline technical and administrative people who were very professional in ensuring that the goals we set were attained and that we ensured that ultimately, Rivers State remained a safe and exciting place to reside or visit and

not a ghost town as would have been the case, if the virulent disease had not been stopped.

So in reacting to the honour, I am filled with a profound sense of accomplishment for myself and on behalf of all those who played their roles effectively to ensure that collective success.

Given the current state of preparedness, do you think that the country and Rivers State will be able to control such a potential health disaster with the same effectiveness, if it presents again?

Well, I am certain there are professionals within the state with institutional memories and the required competencies, but having been away from the system, I cannot make a direct assessment of the current state of facilities which were all put in place at that time, If those facilities are still in place, in the conditions which we left them, then one might assume so, however if they have been left in disrepair and allowed to decay, then one cannot give such assurances.

In terms of public health risks, a society should be prepared for those hazards and risks that have the highest possibility of occurrence based on the context, by increasing the resilience of society to such potential incidents, while some specific preparations should also be in place in

case of some unknowns. For these reasons you keep training and retraining personnel, in this instance public health and epidemiology as well as community health professionals, particularly, and all medical and ancillary personnel in general, to be able to respond to such issues whenever the occasion arises.

What governance challenges restrains governments in Nigeria from making proactive management plans for such health challenges?

If there are any such challenges, it will be because we do not do enough visioning, brainstorming and scenario simulations.

Normally progressive governments plan rationally for the known and simulate possible unknowns. In simulating, you can therefore reasonably prepare to some degree for the unexpected. Frequent simulations will prepare the administrator for different degrees or intensities of possibilities. But you cannot simulate all possible uncertainties, therefore there may still be some adversities which you can only mitigate their impacts by heuristic measures. So if there are any governance challenges it may be in the extent with which we take preparations for the known and unknown seriously enough to commit resources in terms of time, funds and

personnel to planning preventive, mitigating, response and recovery measures to known and unknown possibilities.

What can be done to institute better governance measures to increase capabilities in managing such challenges generally?

Governance is mainly practices and traditions for guiding decision-making towards reaching corporate goals. Hence the first measure for increasing capabilities generally is to improve the quality of decision-making at all levels. As I have highlighted above you make rational decisions, when you know all the angles, where information is available or can be made available through the mobilisation of resources. And where you have time, which is a very important resource and must always be respected, because it is the only resource you cannot replace if you lose it.

Where you don’t know all the angles, where you cannot get all the required information, you must then rely on what is called, bounded decision-making, that is, you are limited in what you can know about the problem or issue.

NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

38

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

HEALTH

Giving Back to Society through Free Heart Screening Recently, SET Plc visited Apapa/Iganmu LCDA where residents numbering over 1000 were given free heart screening and drugs to curtail the high rate of cardiovascular and related diseases ravaging the people, writes Peter Uzoho As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Health Response Initiative (HRI), the management of Secure Electronic Technology (SET) Plc has successfully conducted a three-day free screening exercise on cardiovascular and other health related diseases for residents of Ijora-Badia in Apapa-Iganmu Local Council Development Area of Lagos.

The exercise carried out from Monday 15 to Wednesday17 August, 2016, in partnership with the LCDA and some other non-governmental organisations saw residents numbering over 1,000, comprising women, men, and the elderly getting examined by Dr. Sabu George, a cardiovascular disease specialist based in Philadelphia, United States of America.

Speaking at the event, Chief Executive Officer, SET Plc, Dr. Odunlami Kola-Daisi, said one of the reasons that drew their attention to the area was because of the high population of indigent and vulnerable people living in the local government as revealed by the United Nation’s statistics.

Daisi, who is also the Chairman of NSL Foundation pointed out that apart from the three days free screening and consultation, the organisation also provided the beneficiaries with seven to 30 days free drugs supply and in serious cases, onward referral to state specialist clinics.

He also stressed that apart from the free medical attention offered to the residents, the exercise was dedicated towards capacity building and development of local doctors and nurses on the basic cardiovascular health issues by the foreign specialist.

“The expert will teach our doctors and nurses on the basic cardiovascular health issues and how to use and read data from the Electrocardiography machine (ECG or EKG) provided for the LCDA medical centre,” Daisi noted.

He also disclosed that as a trained medical doctor the programme was very important to him because he recognised the importance of good health to productivity and that the foundation would ensure that other parts of the country have access to the periodic medical mission.

Also speaking on the programme, specialist cardiologist, Dr. George Sabu, said that cardiovascular diseases was a general term used to describe diseases of the heart or blood vessels, saying that the diseases could be controlled, if detected at the early stage.

Sabu who is an Indian citizen born in Nigeria, and attended the University of Jos, where he was trained as a medical doctor before moving to America 25 year ago, said “Cardiovascular diseases are a silent killer, and if not detected at the early stages, the sufferer is at high risk and can lead to sudden death.

“It is more expensive to treat the ailment and cheaper to prevent it by maintaining a healthy diet, regular exercise, checking cholesterol, avoiding too much of carbohydrates and sugar.

“We can avoid cardiovascular diseases by eating less of carbohydrates, but more of vegetables and drinking more water than fizzy drinks. We will ensure that any person detected to have such ailment will be given proper care by providing free treatment and there will be regular consultations, to monitor the patients,’’ he said.

Speaking further, Sabu said “I believe if the Nigerian government must do one thinn about the health section in the country is to encourage the citizens to regularly check their blood pressure, I saw over 200 people whose blood pressure was above 200, I saw cases which most people only read in textbooks.”

However, Sabu noted that although he had always desired to come back to contribute to the development of Nigeria, a country that gave him a lot, his busy schedule made it almost impossible until he was invited back by Dr. Kola-Daisi to participate in the medical mission.

He said that the gratitude they got from the beneficiaries and the staff during the programme was so overwhelming, saying it was “the kind you can hardly get anywhere else in the world.”

Sabu revealed that plan was on the way for him, Dr. Kola-Daisi and seven other international renowned medical specialists, all of whom attended the University of Jos, to come

L-R: Intervention Cardiologist, Lower Bucks Hospital, Pennsylvania, Dr. George Sabu; Sole Administrator, Apapa Iganmu LCDA, Mr. Olumide Olayomi and NSL Foundation Chairman, Dr. Odunlami Kola-Daisi, during the free health screening in Lagos ...recently

back to Nigeria next year for the expansion programme and also to give back to the society that made them.

Expressing his gratitude to SET Plc and Dr. Sabu, for the laudable programme, the Sole Administrator, Apapa-Iganmu LCDA, Mr. Olumide Olayomi said it would go a long way in curtailing the pace at which people die of heart disease due to ignorance.

According to him, “Since heart-related diseases have been observed as one of the major causes of sudden death in recent times worldwide, early detection can help stem the tide of sudden death.”

Olayomi, a Fellow of Rockefeller Foundation, USA Leadership for Environment and Development, said he keyed into the screening exercise because of his desire to improve healthcare delivery to residents of ApapaIganmu and its environs within his sphere of influence, while also aligning with Governor Akinwunmi Abode’s policy on improved public health.

The council boss also stated that, “the health screening focused on individuals who do not have immediate access to treatment of heart-related diseases. The health of people in the community is critical to

the progress of this local council development area, because it will boost our economy because healthy people are always productive,” he said.

Olayomi said further that many people were expected to benefit from the exercise, after which any critical health issues would be referred to the general hospitals and teaching hospitals, for further treatment.

On his part, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, urged residents of the Apapa/Iganmu Local Council Development Area and all Nigerians to undergo regular medical tests for diabetes and hypertension.

According to him, “noncommunicable diseases are major public health challenges in the state which are as deadly as communicable diseases.”

The commissioner, who was represented at the event by the Director, Disease Control, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Eniola Erinoso, said the state government would not succeed if its human capital was not healthy and productive. While advising residents to patiently go through the processes, Idris said the state government was focusing on disease prevention at the grassroots.

“Governor Akinwunmi Am-

bode has a special interest in having a healthy citizenry and at the primary healthcare level, we are after disease prevention.

We have been having ‘Wellness Week’ where medical doctors treat Lagos residents for noncommunicable diseases. We are creating awareness for the next event which will hold in the Lagos East Senatorial District because cardiovascular and metabolic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes are major problems for our people,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the beneficiaries who were full of joy and excitement for having such God’s agents in the like of SET Plc come to lift their burden from them, sang, danced and praised SET Plc for the kind gesture extended to them as they could not believe that their health challenges could be treated free.

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Ike Akinsola, expressed her deep appreciation to the organisers for their thoughtfulness and their rescue mission.

According to her, she heard about the screening two weeks ago through a friend and she decided to come to take advantage of the free treatment.

“I am glad that I came because not only was I treated

free of charge, I was also given free drugs which has gone a long way to save me money. I want to appeal to the organisers to extend the duration of the screening to enable many people to be treated because of the large number of people that will be coming for the screening,’’ Akinsola said.

Another beneficiary, Alhaji Wasiu Oseni, said that he was happy to be given such opportunity to know his health status for free.

“Many of us don’t even know that we need to go for medical check-ups regularly, but this free health screening and consultation has opened our eyes to the importance of putting our health first,” Oseni added.

A 46-year-old trader and beneficiary of the programme, Mrs. Basirat Adebayo, said a neighbour invited her for the free health check, noting that in spite of the crowd, there was adequate control which made the process very commendable as people didn’t have to fight over position.

“It is well organised, even with the massive crowd, the queue is moving, unlike some events where it will be rowdy,” Adebayo noted.

Experts Warn FG against Accepting GMO over Adverse Effects Paul Obi in Abuja The Association of Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (AMLSCN) earlier in the week cautioned the federal government against accepting the introduction of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) foods in the country as the consequences may affect the nation in the long run.

AMLSCN disclosed this at the end of annual scientific

conference in Abuja, saying the effects of GMO could be severe on the nation’s healthcare system.

In the communique signed by AMLSCN Chairman, Ndubisi Ebitea, Secretary, Joseph David and PRO, Musa Wazani, the association said: “GMO and its implications for Public Health and called on the Nigeria Government to build capacity of Medical Laboratory Scientists in the detection of GMO and

the diagnosis of its impact.

“GMO has its merits, but caution needs to be applied in its acceptability in a society like Nigeria considering our weak institutions and inadequate diagnostic infrastructure for detection of GMO related products, controlling and detecting the consequences of GMO in our society.”

The AMLSCN maintained that “it is, arguably, believed that GMO could be a solution

in resolving world crisis of acute famine especially amongst developing nations.

“However, the long term adverse effect without research is a source of major concern to the Association, since there has been very little testing and research done on genetically modified foods and drugs in Nigeria. This makes many people feel uneasy at the high use of the foods and drugs containing GMO.”

They contended that “some genetically modified products are modified using bacteria and viruses, thus there is the fear that there could be an emergence of new diseases, we therefore call on the government and other stakeholders to look critically into this issue of GMO and make provisions for further research and studies for the benefit of mankind.”

Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Laboratory

Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN), Dr. Irabor Tosan said the council has been positioned to tackle quackery in the profession, stressing that, culprits will soon be charged to court.

Tosan assured that the MLSCN with its collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice, trial of quacks will be speedy and swift in order to discourage others in the illicit business.

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

HEALTH

‘Mpempe Died Out of Poor Healthcare Service’

When will the ordinary Nigerian benefit from the national healthcare scheme?

Odimegwu Onwumere As I’m leaving for work in the morning of August 16, 2016, I see the woman near the fire, shivering. She is ill. She tells me that her little daughter, Mpempe, of say three or four years old, is also ill.

I erroneously call the child, Pempe, and it glues. Anytime I’m passing their house and see her, I will pet her, shouting, “Pempe!” She will run inside their room, complaining to the mother, “Oga has called me Pempe.”

The mother tells me of how her daughter feels by my call, anytime I see her in front of their cemented mud house.

The lively husband is more or less doing nothing. They eat from hand to mouth. The woman makes sure that her family is happy; always going or coming from the farm with either firewood or loads of cassava or something.

I tell her that I shall see to their health problem when I am back. We joke and laugh, as usual. But as I’m leaving, I tell her that I was down about a month ago.

The hospital was only giving me drugs anytime that I went there. If not for one woman that advised I should drink water squeezed out of scent

leaf and vegetable, I would have died.

I didn’t know that the drugs had sucked and sacked my blood. So, I was suffering from loss of blood, while the hospital continued to give me drugs for treatment. I advise her to be taking same with her children, since we are facing hunger in the country. At the office, I am calculating how much money to give to her while coming back, only to be informed by a neighbor close to my house that Pempe has died.

My worry now is that I saw the girl playing and laughing a day before her death and as usual, I called her Pempe.

My worry stems from the fact that there are many Pempes out there, dying of preventable deaths. My worry is not that I’m related to this family by blood, but since I relocated to this remote village, due to the increasing noise in the city I detest with my life, they have shown me likeness that I cannot express just in words.

They were not ignorant of what to do to save their child.

When I interviewed the woman, she said that the family did their best by going to the patent medicine store, where they do go to, whenever any of them is ill, because they cannot afford going to the

hospital, with mountainous bills that patients encounter at the hospitals across the country.

Within me, I thought that if the national healthcare does not only exist on the pages of the newspapers, perhaps, Pempe would have been alive.

I’m not happy that we are so given over to carelessness in Nigeria.

The lives of the living seem nothing to the leaders and death, seems nothing to the living. We are living in an era when deaths are celebrated than mourned. The woman is not even properly sound, but what can she do. She has not left her motherly chores, because she has no one to help her do them. I see the mourning of her child written all over her since then, even though she is not crying every day.

I know that in her closet, she must be crying, but pretends in the open that all is well.

She cannot leave the death of her daughter behind her in a country where government’s overconfidence has bred a lot of carelessness.

Pempe’s death has caused me to ask about the provision of healthcare in Nigeria which we were told, remains the functions of the three tiers of government: The federal, state, and local government.

I am yet to see the primary healthcare system being managed by the 774 local government areas (LGAs), as was speculated.

If there has been anything like that, there is little or no support that the locals are getting from their respective state ministries of health as well as private medical practitioners.

If the primary healthcare was functional at the village, district, and LGA, Pempe could not have died.

If the country is yet to function optimally in the primary healthcare delivery, the secondary healthcare system being titular and managed by the Ministry of Health at the state level is balderdash.

I wonder how patients who have not seen the primary healthcare function would be referred to the secondary healthcare as the case was programmed. I laugh when I hear that the state primary healthcare comprises laboratory and diagnostic services, rehabilitation, and others. I just laugh.

If the primary and secondary healthcare systems are for the marines, then the tertiary primary healthcare which is said to be provided by teaching hospitals and specialist hospitals is a sorry tale.

A government that is gasping for the breath cannot work with voluntary and nongovernmental organisations, as well as private practitioners, at the level of tertiary healthcare system.

Our country behaves like young people that are careless of their virginity; they have it today and by tomorrow, they lose it.

The system that our country operates makes one get angry like when an illiterate does.

Imagine that before independence in 1960, there was the introduction of a 10-year developmental plan (1946–1956) to boost healthcare delivery.

There were many health schools and institutions, just as there are today in Ministry of Health, several clinics and health centers, were developed according to this ‘plan’.

There was great development of this plan by 1980s, when leaders could be said, led with Nigeria at heart. But we lost this ‘plan’ since democracy.

I do not want to say that the carelessness we have come to endure in the hands of our government is a form of cruelty. I’m sober always that the mother of Pempe does not break down and go the way of her daughter.

If the Nigerian health insur-

ance scheme had ensured that every Nigerian has access to good health care services, protect Nigerians from the financial burden of medical bills, limit the rise in the cost of health care services, ensure efficiency in health care services, ensure equitable distribution of health care costs among different income groups – equitable patronage of all levels of health care, maintain high standard of healthcare delivery services within the scheme, improve and harness private sector participation in the provision of healthcare services, ensure adequate distribution of health facilities within the Federation, ensure the availability of funds to the health sector for improved services, the many Pempes, their fathers and mothers would not have died.

There has not been any medical test conducted on the woman, no psychologist or medical advise given to her since she lost her daughter. All that we see is a woman who has been relieved of the fever that made her stayed besides the fire. And there are many of her ilks out there.

can be discovered and/or developed for ailments that afflict mankind, including those, like malaria that are particularly endemic in Africa and kill millions annually, is by research and development.

“The Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy is therefore driving advocacy to raise awareness in this area in order to prod government to better fund research and scientific education in general, as well as encourage wealthy individuals and charitable foundations to sponsor scientific research.”

The Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy brings together distinguished pharmacists across different spheres of life and helps to drive thought leadership, providing expert opinion on matters pertaining to the pharmacy profession. In so doing, it helps to ensure that the profession remains relevant to the needs and aspirations of Nigeria. Founded in 2014, it is the fifth such specialized Academy in Nigeria with others being the Academies of Science, Letters, Arts and Engineering, respectively.

Onwumere is an awardwinning journalist based in Rivers State. Email: odimegwu@journalist.com

Kolade to Headline Academy of Pharmacy Investiture Former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Christopher Kolade, is expected to be the lead presenter at the forthcoming investiture event of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy. The diplomat will examine the place of Pharmacy in enhancing the quality and accessibility of healthcare in Nigeria.

According to the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Caleb University, Professor Fola Tayo, who doubles as General Secretary of the Academy, they have every

confidence that Dr. Kolade will ignite robust self-appraisal in the profession with his lecture.

The investiture event, said Tayo, which is billed for September 15 in Lagos, will see six distinguished pharmacists being inducted into the Academy, a sterling gathering of accomplished pharmacists drawn from different sectors – academic, public and private.

The event will also enable the Academy assess progress so far made regarding the Pharmacy degree curriculum

reviews currently ongoing across Faculties of Pharmacy in Nigeria’s universities.

“Globally, the curriculum for Pharmacy training is rapidly evolving in response to the growing needs of the larger society,” adding that “we want to ensure that this is happening at the right pace in Nigeria too, such that the health and wellbeing of Nigerians can continue to be impacted optimally by Nigeria’s pharmacists working in tandem with other health professionals.”

The Academy, said Tayo, “is of the view that emphasis on research and development in the sciences in general and pharmaceutical and health sciences in particular, continues to wane dangerously in Nigeria, and believe that this can only spell disaster for a developing country like ours. Funding of research by government is poor while the private sector hardly sees the need to fund research. This, he said, is not good for the country, as the only way by which better remedies

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

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THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 T H I S D AY

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 • T H I S D AY

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INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

Earthquake: Italy to Hold Mass Funeral as Search for Bodies Continues Italy is to hold mass funeral for earthquake victims after protests by bereaved relatives, as crews continued to dig for

bodies under mounds of rubble. Family members had objected to plans to hold the ceremony in an aircraft hangar in the

Police Question Suspect after Frankfurt Airport Security Breach German police said a misunderstanding may have led to a security breach that prompted the evacuation of Frankfurt airport’s Terminal 1 and caused delays and flight cancellations at Europe’s fourth largest airport on Wednesday.

Police were questioning a female suspect who had entered into the departure gate area at Frankfurt, a major hub for international travel and home to Lufthansa, without completing the security check, a spokeswoman for the federal force told Reuters.

“Based on initial findings of the questioning, it looks like this may have just been an accident,” she said, declining to provide further details until the interrogation was completed.

She also said police did not

find any suspicious items in the departure area following the evacuation.

The security breach interrupted flight operations, delaying departures and forcing some planes to divert to other German airports instead. Airport operator Fraport said around 100 flights were cancelled due to the evacuation. Operations at the terminal resumed at 1030 GMT, it said, adding that all passengers were asked to go through the security check again.

Lufthansa was not immediately able to say how many of its flights were affected by the evacuation. In a similar incident, a Spanish man was arrested at Cologne-Bonn airport in May after bypassing the security check, also leading to flight delays.

town of Rieti where the bodies had been stored.

The funeral will instead be held in Amatrice, the place hardest-hit by last week’s 6.2-magnitude quake.

Of the 292 confirmed dead, 231 were found in Amatrice, which was left in ruins. A number of foreigners were among the dead, including 11 Romanians and three Britons. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, President Sergio Mattarella and Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos were scheduled to attend the funeral at 6 p.m. (1600

GMT), the Civil Protection Agency said.

Tuesday’s funeral is for some three dozen of the victims. Many of those who died in Amatrice on Aug. 24 were not residents and their funerals are being held in their hometowns.

Workers used heavy machinery to gravel over an area on Amatrice’s outskirts where the ceremony will take place within sight of shattered buildings.

Marquees were still being erected for the funeral ceremony as the first caskets arrived. A hearse and a

van carrying at least four coffins had to be turned away until the work could be completed.

In the center of town emergency workers used mechanical diggers and bulldozers to search for bodies, an unknown number of which may still be trapped beneath dust and debris. It is the second state-sponsored funeral in three days. On Saturday rites were held for victims of the quake from the adjoining Marche region. Amatrice is in the region of Lazio.

Investigators are looking into work done on the bell tower in Accumoli, which was recently restored but collapsed during the quake onto the home of a family of four, killing them all.

Italy sits on two seismic faultlines. Many of its buildings are hundreds of years old and susceptible to earthquake damage. Almost 30 people died in earthquakes in northern Italy in 2012 and more than 300 in t h e c i t y o f L’ A q u i l a i n 2009.

Key Islamic State Leader Killed in US Islamic State said on Tuesday one of its most prominent and longestserving leaders was killed in what appeared to be an American air strike in Syria, depriving the militant group of the man in charge of directing attacks overseas.

A U.S. defense official told Reuters the United States targeted Abu Muhammad al-Adnani in a Tuesday strike on a vehicle traveling in the Syrian town of al-Bab. The official stopped short of confirming Adnani’s death, however.

Such U.S. assessments often take days and often lag behind official announcements by militant groups. Adnani was one of the last living senior members, along with selfappointed caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who founded the group and stunned the Middle East by seizing huge tracts of Iraq and Syria in 2014.

As Islamic State’s spokesman, Adnani was its most visible member. As head of external operations, he was in charge of attacks overseas, including Europe, that have become an increasingly important tactic for the group as its core Iraqi and Syrian territory has been eroded by military losses.

The group reacted by saying his death would

not harm it, and his killers would face “torment”, a statement in the group’s al-Naba newspaper said, according to the Site Intelligence monitoring group.

“Today, they rejoice for the killing ... and then they will cry much when Allah will overpower them, with His permission, with affliction of the worst torment by the soldiers of Abu Muhammad and his brothers,” the statement said.

Advances by Iraq’s army and allied militia toward Islamic State’s most important possession of Mosul have put the group under new pressure at a moment when a U.S.backed coalition has cut its Syrian holdings off from the Turkish border.

Those military setbacks have been accompanied by air strikes that have killed several of the group’s leaders, undermining its organizational ability and dampening its morale.

A U.S. counter-terrorism official who monitors Islamic State said Adnani’s death would hurt the militants “in the area that increasingly concerns us as the group loses more and more of its caliphate and its financial base ... and turns to mounting and inspiring more attacks in Europe, Southeast Asia and elsewhere”.

CONSOLIDATING PARTNERSHIP

Minister of information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, signs MoU with Sir Ciaran Devane, Chief Executive of the British Council, on Cooperation in the Creative Sector in Edinburgh, Scotland...weekend

North Korea ExecutesVice Premier in Latest Purge North Korea has executed its vice premier for education and rebuked two high-ranking officials, South Korea said yesterday, which, if true, would mark a new series of measures by leader Kim Jong Un to discipline top aides.

Kim took power in 2011 after the death of his father, Kim Jong Il, and his consolidation of power has included purges and executions of top officials, South Korean officials

have said.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee said the government had confirmed the execution of the education official, Kim Yong Jin,“through various channels” but declined to provide details.

Kim Yong Chol, the influential head of the North’s United Front Department which handles inter-Korean relations, was made to undergo“revolutionary

measures,”Jeong told a briefing.

Another ruling party official in the propaganda department was also reprimanded, Jeong said.

It is difficult to independently verify news about top officials in the North or the inner circle around the leader. Some previous reports of executions and purges in the reclusive state have proven inaccurate.

Vice Premier Kim Yong Jin was executed for not keeping his posture upright at a

public event, a South Korean government official later told Reuters. Kim Yong Chol was punished for his overbearing demeanor, the official added, but gave no details.

The execution, by firing squad, took place in July and Kim Yong Chol was re-educated at a rural farm for a month until mid-August, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency said.

Kenya’s Anti-graft Chief Resigns The chairman of Kenya’s antigraft body said yesterday that he had quit after lawmakers recommended removing him from office over an alleged conflict of interest between his family business and another state-run agency. Kenyan media reported parliament’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee wanted lawmakers to ask President Uhuru Kenyatta to set up a tribunal to force out Philip Kinisu.

The committee had accused

Kinisu of a conflict of interest in his family company’s dealings with state-run National Youth Service, which the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) that he leads was investigating over lost money.

Kinisu denied any wrongdoing by him or the company.“At the same time, I am mindful that significant resources and attention are being expended by the state and public on deliberating these matters rather than to the fight

against corruption,” he said in a statement announcing his resignation.

Kenya has a history of corruption scandals that have failed to result in high-profile convictions, angering the public who say it demonstrates top officials can act with impunity and encourages graft by ordinary employees.

Faced with a growing public outcry last year, Kenyatta promised to root corruption out of the government.

Five ministers stepped aside in 2015 after they faced investigations and

then lost their jobs in a reshuffle.Two former ministers face trial proceedings.

Kinisu took up his position in January.The EACC is an independent state-funded institution, whose head is nominated by the president and vetted by parliament. Kinisu’s predecessor, Mumo Matemu - who also quit - had faced allegations of incompetence that he denied, but said he was resigning for the sake of the campaign against corruption.

44

T H I S D AY •THURSDAY,SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

BoI to Boost Mining Sector Funding James Emejo in Abuja The acting Managing Director, Bank of Industry (BoI), Mr. Washed Olagunju yesterday pledged to increase funding support for the mining sector.

Speaking in Abuja on the sidelines of the International Mining Investment Conference, he said such intervention had become inevitable given the present administration’s efforts to diversify the country’s revenue base.

He said the bank had reached out to other financial institutions both within and abroad to mobilise funding to promote mining activities in the country.

Olagunju said the current efforts by government, in collaboration with the private sector to come up with credible data on mining deposits in the country will not only help investors make credible investment decision, but also aid donor agencies’ grant decision.

He said: “We are aware that our government and the private

sector are now collaborating to produce the data. Once the credible data is produced, we will be able to catalyse more investment resources into the country, particularly from abroad. A lot of international financiers and investors are willing to operate in Nigeria in partnership with the Bank of Industry.”

In order to be able to play active role of in the sector, the BoI boss noted that the bank had been engaging its staff in capacity development programmes both at home and abroad to acquaint them with international best practices.

To match word with action, he said some of the bank’s staff were already undergoing training programmes at the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa.

On the viability of the development finance institution to mobilize funding support for the mining sector, Olagunju averred that the bank has high credit rating.

According to him, “There are a lot of grants that are meant to support solid minerals development. Once there is a reliable financial institution, those donors will feel comfortable to make grant available. The BoI is already well positioned to act in the regards.

“We are supporting real sector in a viable manner; we take our time to identify genuine entrepreneurs. Our non performing loan ratio is 3.87 per cent, which is below the CBN ration of 5 per cent.

Also, as at June this year, the collection from MSMEs was N2.97billion as against N2.19bn for last year. This shows that on a sustainable basis, our promoters are paying back.”

Olagunju also restated the commitment of the DFI to the development of commodity based industrialization, stressing that the country would only be able to derive maximise benefits from its verse natural resources when there is value addition.

Elumelu Seeks Stronger Business Ties Between Africa and France Obinna Chima The Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu has highlighted the opportunities Africa offers and urged stronger business relationships between France and Africa.

He also called for deepening of commercial relationships based on mutual respect and interest between African economies and France.

The founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation said this at the recent MEDEF Summer University Forum in Paris, the annual meeting of French business and political leaders.

The forum is one of France’s leading gatherings, bringing together over 7,500 business and opinion leaders, including Heads of State, government officials, political and business leaders, academics and over 450 French and international journalists.

A statement explained that Elumelu was one of the select representatives from Africa, where he contributed to the opening panel debate, ‘The World is Watching Us’.

Moderated by Frédéric Ferrer, journalist, consultant and professor at ESCP Europe, other participants were the President of MEDEF, Pierre Gattaz; Gary Coombe, President of Proctor & Gamble Europe; and Oudet Souvannavong, Executive VicePresident of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and President of Lao Hotel & Restaurant Association.

He urged France to look beyond its traditional relationships with Francophone countries, important as they are, and to embrace Anglophone and Lusophone Africa.

He called on small and large businesses in France and in Africa to seek ways of collaborating in order to deepen economic ties.

“France has very strong links with Francophone Africa, and we would like to see you engage more commercially with the Anglophone countries; creating a new form of economic and commercial partnership between France and the whole of Africa,” he said.

He highlighted the role of

Africans themselves investing on the continent, while making a call to the French public and private sector to do the same, stating that there is nowhere else that can give as much return on investment as in Africa.

“There is a reason MEDEF has a new economic interest in Africa. Africa is home to the largest and fastest growing consumer population globally.

It is a huge opportunity for both international and domestic businesses – and African businesses are increasingly competing successfully.

What we all want to see is Africa growing its own value adding industries; the days of commodity extraction are over.”

Elumelu advised governments to support the private sector, in order to create more value in the society.

“What is good for the private sector is also good for society.

The private sector is best placed to assist government achieve its mandate. If the private sector succeeds, it creates more jobs, enhances security, and improves living standards,” he added.

WorldRemit Commends CBN for Licencing Money Transfers Operarors WorldRemit, one of the international money transfer operators (IMTOs) that was registered by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Tuesday has commended the banking sector regulator in Nigeria.

The CBN licenced WorldRemit and ten other international money transfer operators.

A statement from WorldRemit said Nigerians in the diaspora would benefit from increased competition in the remittance market.

The founder and CEO of WorldRemit, Ismail Ahmed said: “We launched our service to Nigeria in 2011 when we pioneered instant deposits to all bank accounts. Our service

provided the Nigerian diaspora with an easy, secure and low cost way to send money home as well as bringing much-needed foreign exchange into the local economy. We’re delighted that we can now resume operations.

“We commend the Central Bank of Nigeria for reaffirming the country’s commitment to building an enabling environment and level-playing field for international money transfer services to Nigeria. Increased competition will help to bring the estimated 50 per cent of remittances to Nigeria that currently go through unregulated, informal networks into formal networks channelled through

licensed IMTOs. “We’re grateful to the many Nigerians both at home and in the diaspora that supported our call for money transfers to be restored.”

A competitive remittance market provides Nigerians with greater convenience and better pricing.”

To celebrate the relaunch of its service to Nigeria, WorldRemit is offering promotional pricing of $0.01, €0.01, £0.01 or equivalent on all money transfers to Nigeria until 30 September 2016.

In furtherance of its efforts to liberalise the foreign exchange market, to ensure liquidity, and make FX readily available to low end users.

Broad street

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

MARCH 2016 Broad Money (M2)

20,470,436.00

-- Narrow Money (M1)

9,040,817.68

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,441,365.03

---- Demand Deposits

7,599,452.65

-- Quasi Money

11,429,618.32

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

5,551,714.27

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

14,918,721.73 22,664,815.74

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC) ---- Credit to Government (Net)

3,782,578.01

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

4,991,246.39

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

-1,208,668.38

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

18,882,237.7

--Other Assets Net

-7,746,094.02

Reserve Money (Base Money)

5,758,634.07

--Currency in Circulation

1,811,090.48

--Banks Reserves

3,383,756.72 • Source - CBN

MANAGED FUNDS Initial Price (N) Stanbic Balanced Fund

Buying Price(N)

Selling Price

1,660.29

1,685.29

Stanbic IBTC NEF

1,000.00

11,002.32

11,326.67.11

Stanbic SIBond

20

120.47

120.47

Stanbic IBTC Ethical

1

1.10

1.13

Stanbic IBTC GIF

142.90

143.38

UBA Balanced Fund

1.2563

1.2493

UBA Bond Fund

1.3443

1.3443

UBA Equity Fund

0.8205

0.8074

UBA Money Market Fund

1.1510

1.1510

ARM Aggressive Growth Fund

N13.0544

N13.4480

ARM Discovery Fund

N288.2515

N296.9425

ARM Ethical Fund

N22.5268

N23.2060

ARM Money Market Fund

13.1030 (Yield % ) • Monetary Policy Rate - 14%

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT TUESDAY 30, AUGUST 2016 The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $45.25 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $45.44 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The new OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Rabi Light (Gabon), Minas (Indonesia), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela) SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

45

T H I S D AY • thurSDAY, September 1, 2016

Nigeria’s top 50 stocks based on market fundamentals

31-Aug-16 30-Aug-16

% Change

Capitalisation

EPS

P/E

P/S

Div. Yld

Price/ Book Value

01 Dangote Cement Plc

175.89

175.50

0.22%

2,997,254,847,465.45

9.56

18.35

5.52

4.56%

4.40

02 Nigerian Breweries Plc

140.02

140.00

0.01%

1,110,232,706,337.76

4.50

31.14

3.71

2.57%

6.82

03 Guaranty Trust Bank Plc

26.50

26.10

1.53%

779,926,249,436.00

4.20

6.22

2.14

6.78%

1.70

825.00

825.00

0.00%

653,941,407,900.00

19.41

42.50

3.94

3.52%

18.59

05 Zenith Bank Plc

14.90

14.95

-0.33%

467,807,757,411.40

3.10

4.82

1.12

12.04%

0.76

06 Lafarge Africa Plc

58.00

58.00

0.00%

264,184,304,980.00

-6.71

-8.64

1.19

5.17%

1.89

175.00

175.00

0.00%

227,934,193,025.00

4.22

41.47

1.54

1.97%

5.32

08 Ecobank Transnational Incorporated

11.54

11.50

0.35%

211,753,821,021.10

0.23

50.05

0.39

5.39%

0.35

09 Presco Plc

45.30

41.50

9.16%

179,862,610,138.50

0.54

77.37

2.37

3.13%

4.03

303.18

275.00

10.25%

167,752,620,695.34 -14.43

-19.06

1.63

5.79%

0.40

11 Access Bank Plc

5.53

5.58

-0.90%

159,971,683,119.43

2.56

2.18

0.47

9.86%

0.38

12 United Bank for Africa Plc

4.35

4.34

0.23%

157,815,939,500.70

1.66

2.61

0.50

13.82%

0.39

13 Unilever Nigeria Plc

39.00

39.00

0.00%

147,548,553,750.00

0.46

84.34

2.42

0.13%

16.56

14 Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc

14.50

14.50

0.00%

145,000,000,000.00

2.04

7.12

1.23

0.69%

1.29

15 Guinness Nig Plc

93.51

93.50

0.01%

140,815,604,459.88

3.70

25.29

1.25

0.00%

3.17

16 FBN Holdings Plc

3.05

3.00

1.67%

109,480,643,015.60

0.30

9.84

0.21

5.00%

0.18

17 7-Up Bottling Comp. Plc

140.00

127.99

9.38%

89,682,650,820.00

3.75

34.14

0.92

1.72%

3.18

18 Total Nigeria Plc

240.00

241.92

-0.79%

81,485,240,880.00

31.13

7.77

0.34

5.79%

3.89

19 Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc

6.50

6.50

0.00%

78,000,000,000.00

1.05

6.19

0.65

7.69%

1.31

20 International Breweries Plc

19.76

19.76

0.00%

65,094,365,772.80

0.17

113.27

2.61

1.27%

5.28

170.78

170.78

0.00%

61,582,458,844.36

17.69

9.65

0.75

4.22%

3.58

4.92

4.89

0.61%

59,210,324,958.48

-3.46

-1.41

0.31

15.34%

0.43

23 Julius Berger Nig. Plc

43.69

48.39

-9.71%

57,670,800,000.00

0.24

199.88

0.62

3.10%

2.85

24 Flour Mills Nig. Plc

20.00

20.01

-0.05%

52,484,743,740.00

6.81

2.94

0.14

10.00%

0.52

1.10

1.11

-0.90%

42,593,097,167.50

-0.37

-2.98

0.95

0.00%

0.57

26 U A C N Plc

20.50

20.50

0.00%

39,377,719,933.50

2.44

8.40

0.55

4.88%

0.53

27 Okomu Oil Palm Plc

36.00

36.00

0.00%

34,340,760,000.00

4.60

7.83

2.79

0.28%

2.21

0.93

0.96

-3.12%

26,775,088,857.18

0.31

3.11

0.26

9.38%

0.33

14.00

14.00

0.00%

26,294,828,560.00

0.83

16.95

0.95

9.29%

2.12

30 Fidelity Bank Plc

0.89

0.93

-4.30%

25,776,701,265.88

0.39

2.39

0.19

17.20%

0.15

31 Wema Bank Plc

0.66

0.69

-4.35%

25,459,147,613.46

0.06

10.94

0.54

0.00%

0.56

32 Diamond Bank Plc

1.05

1.05

0.00%

24,318,408,416.40

0.11

9.52

0.12

0.00%

0.11

33 Custodian And Allied Insurance Plc

3.85

3.95

-2.53%

22,645,177,150.75

0.76

5.20

0.70

3.54%

0.83

34 Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Nig. Plc

18.51

18.51

0.00%

22,135,673,792.88

-2.54

-7.29

0.76

1.62%

2.42

35 Mansard Insurance Plc

2.08

2.00

4.00%

21,840,000,000.00

0.27

7.36

1.09

2.50%

0.99

36 National Salt Co. Nig. Plc

8.01

8.00

0.12%

21,222,001,407.78

0.89

9.03

1.17

6.88%

3.07

30.09

30.09

0.00%

21,063,000,000.00

2.36

12.76

3.03

3.82%

14.43

1.04

1.04

0.00%

20,594,819,212.24

0.61

1.70

0.13

9.62%

0.12

39 PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc

18.20

18.20

0.00%

18,200,000,000.00

4.14

4.39

1.37

0.55%

0.54

40 Honeywell Flour Mill Plc

1.33

1.40

-5.00%

10,547,162,885.14

-0.40

-3.46

0.23

11.43%

0.67

41 Continental Reinsurance Plc

0.99

0.96

3.13%

10,269,016,868.88

0.33

2.92

0.48

12.50%

0.51

42 Unity Bank Plc

0.78

0.78

0.00%

9,117,683,594.76

0.54

1.44

0.14

0.00%

0.11

43 Skye Bank Plc

0.63

0.63

0.00%

8,744,589,888.30

-2.93

-0.21

0.05

47.62%

0.08

44 Cement Co. Of North.Nig. Plc

6.00

6.00

0.00%

7,540,066,596.00

0.44

13.54

0.68

1.67%

0.70

45 Wapic Insurance Plc

0.50

0.50

0.00%

6,691,369,126.00

0.11

4.62

0.88

6.00%

0.43

46 UACN Property Development Co. Limited

3.50

3.53

-0.85%

6,015,624,982.50

-0.05

-67.70

1.80

19.83%

0.17

47 Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc

3.50

3.50

0.00%

5,684,765,625.00

0.15

22.69

0.71

5.71%

0.92

48 Resort Savings & Loans Plc

0.50

0.50

0.00%

5,664,866,202.00

4.68

0.11

0.02

0.00%

1.89

49 AIICO Insurance Plc

0.64

0.64

0.00%

4,435,330,867.20

0.26

2.45

0.14

7.81%

0.47

50 Fidson Healthcare Plc

1.70

1.70

0.00%

2,550,000,000.00

0.31

5.55

0.38

2.94%

0.40

04 Nestle Nigeria Plc

07 Forte Oil Plc.

10 Seplat Petroleum Dev. Co. Ltd

21 Mobil Oil Nig Plc 22 Oando Plc

25 Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc

28 Sterling Bank Plc 29 Cadbury Nigeria Plc

37 Cap Plc 38 FCMB Group Plc

TOTAL

8,936,390,427,285.15

TOTAL MARKET CAP

9,478,869,647,317.02

% OF MARKET CAP Annotation - MA* = Simple Moving Average

94.28%

Table 1 Market Statistics Mkt Indicators NSE All Share Index NSE Market Cap (N'Trillion) Thisday BGL 50 Index Thisday BGL 50 Market Cap (N'Trillion)

Open 30-Aug-16

Close 31-Aug-16

Change %

27,493.12 9.44

27,599.03 9.48

0.39% 0.39%

114.17 8.89

114.77 8.94

0.53% 0.53%

Table 3 Top 5 Gainers Stock

Open Close Change % 30-Aug-16 31-Aug-16

Seplat Petroleum Dev. Co. Ltd 7-Up Bottling Comp. Plc Presco Plc Mansard Insurance Plc Continental Reinsurance Plc

275.00 127.99 41.50 2.00 0.96

303.18 140.00 45.30 2.08 0.99

10.25% 9.38% 9.16% 4.00% 3.13%

Table 4 Top 5 Losers Stock

Open Close Change % 30-Aug-16 31-Aug-16

Julius Berger Nig. Plc Honeywell Flour Mill Plc Wema Bank Plc Fidelity Bank Plc Sterling Bank Plc

48.39 1.40 0.69 0.93 0.96

43.69 1.33 0.66 0.89 0.93

-9.71% -5.00% -4.35% -4.30% -3.12%

Market closes bullish as ASI gains 0.39% Market pulse on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) today – Wednesday, August 31, 2016 was bullish as the market closed green today. This was further highlighted by positive performance from all the NSE Sub sectors: Banking, Insurance and Consumer Goods and Oil & Gas. Trading activities increased in volume as 262.61 million shares worth N24.88 billion in 3,302 deals exchanged hands today.

This is an increase from the 230.14 million shares worth N2.74 billion in 3,536 deals exchanged on Tuesday. Topping in volume terms was Access Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc and GTB Plc while GTB plc and Zenith Bank Plc ended trading as the most active stocks in value terms.

The All Share Index (NSEASI) closed positive with a 0.39% (+105.91) increase to close at 27,599.03 from 27,493.12 the previous trading day. Market Capitalization appreciated in tandem to N9.48 trillion from N9.44 trillion of prior trading day. Similarly, the Thisday BGL 50 Index also followed suit with an increase of 0.53% to close at 114.77 from 114.17 recorded at the end of the previous trading day, while its market capitalization stood at N8.94 trillion from N8.89 trillion of the previous trading day.

A total number of 16 stocks gained on the bourse today while 20 stocks declined, 54 leaving stocks unchanged. Seplat Petroleum Dev. Co. Ltd emerged the toast of investors as it topped the Thisday BGL 50 Index gainers’ list with a gain of 10.25% to close at N30.18 per share. It was followed by 7-Up Bottling Comp. Plc with a gain of 9.38% to close at N140.00 per share. Others on the gainers list include: Presco Plc, Mansard Insurance Plc and Continental Reinsurance Plc while on the decliners’ list; Julius Berger Nig. Plc led with a loss of 9.71% to close at N43.69 per share. It was followed by Honeywell Flour Mill Plc with a loss of 5.00% to close at N1.33 per share. Others on the losers list include: Wema Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc and Sterling Bank Plc.

REQUIRED DISCLOSURE This report has been prepared by BGL Plc. BGL Plc does and seeks to do business with companies covered in its research reports. As a result, the firm may have a conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of this report. Investors should use this report as one of many other factors in making their investment decisions.

For more details go to www.thisdaylive.com

46

T H I S D AY •THURSDAY,SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

MARKET NEWS

CEOs, Stakeholders Point Ways Out of Economic Doldrums Goddy Egene and Eromosele Abiodun Some stakeholders in the Nigerian economy yesterday spoke on ways the federal government can take the economy out of the current doldrums.

The stakeholders, who spoke at the second Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE)-Bloomberg CEOs Roundtable, at the stock exchange in Lagos, included

operators from the financial services, manufacturing and telecommunications sectors.

For instance, the Managing Director of Nestle Nigeria Plc, Mr. Dharnesh Gordhon, who noted that the middle class is disappearing, urged the government to tackle the foreign exchange crisis, improve infrastructure, saying the problem of inadequate power supply had worsened due to

T H E

unavailability of gas, forcing companies to resort to more expensive alternatives.

The Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya said government should have a visionary approach to the development of the economy. He said the government should digitise the economy, noting that would enhance the diversification programme and have rippling

N I G E R I A N

positive effects on the other sectors of the economy.

In the opinion of Executive Director of Chapel Hill Denham, Mr. Ayo Fashina, rather embarking on external borrowing, the government should sell some its assets to raise money to finance the budget deficit. He said considering the devalued naira, borrowing $1billion from the international capital market would come with many

STO C K

challenges that would continue to affect the economy.

An economist and policy analyst, Dr. Ogho Okiti, said the government has just begun to bring out policies that would address the challenges, advising a more private sector collaboration and consultation. He declared that “Money doesn’t grow the economy, policies do.”

He also called for a major programme that would find

E XC H A N G E

a lasting solution to the banking crisis, saying the country has not exited the problem of 2009 that led to the creation of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

According to him, nonperforming loans (NPLs), continue to increase, saying “I hope we do not repeat the same mistake of 2009. We have seen the symptoms and we don’t know how deep it will be.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1 , 2016 • T H I S D AY

47

NEWSXTRA

FG Says Mining will Add 5% to GDP in 10 Years, Launches Ambitious Road Map

Solid minerals ministry renamed Approves new post-graduate hall for UI, library for UNILAG

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja Four years after the federal government announced a roadmap for the development of the solid mineral sector, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday announced a new road map for the sector.

Also yesterday, the federal government approved the building of a new postgraduate hall for the University of Ibadan and a new library for the University of Lagos.

These were announced by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Muhammed, after the FEC meeting.

The information minister then called on the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi, who gave a fuller details.

Fayemi said the road map would lead to job creation in the mining industry and would also in the next 10 years contribute five per cent of the GDP. He said: ”FEC approved the roadmap for the growth and development of the mining industry. What the roadmap seeks to do is to grow the contribution of minning to the GDP. On the back of the president’s vision to diversify the economy. It is to build on old roadmap of 2012.

“What distinguishes this roadmap is its determination to build a regulatory agency - an independent regulatory agency in the minning sector.

Stakeholders have been insisting that the ministry should not also be the regulator of the industry.

“We will now have minining cadastral zonal offices which will issue the licenses together with the minning inspecting directorate, minning environment compliance unit as well as the neutical minning units.

“These are directorate within the ministry but will form part of the independent regulatory agency.”

Fayemi said the new roadmap also addressed the critical issue of partnership with states.

According to him, one of the challenges in minning is the tension between the federal government and the states.

He said: “The federal government owns the minerals but the states government own the land.

“Without a robust partnership between the two critical components of minning you are not going to make any headway.”

He said minning had not been thriving because of the tension between the federal government and states. To address this problem, he said minning cadastrail and zonal offices would also be created in the states.

The minister said: “In line with global standard, the roadmap is also to change the name of the ministry from Ministry of Solid Mineral Development to Ministry of Mines and Steel Development , which is what obtains across the board.”

He explained that the roadmap would also To make it easier for foreign direct investment into the country and that government would also improve on geo-science data gathering.

He said government recognised the fact that mining was about science and required a lot of research and had therefore agreed that a lot of money be put into exploration.

He said the roadmap also focused on financing the industry and that President Muhammadu Buhari would want mining to have access to the Natural Resource Fund of the Federation Account which is really meant for agriculture, mining and water resources.

He said mining had never benefited from the fund, which is similar to ecological fund 1.8 per cent of federation.

Fayemi said: “Another focus is to ensure that value addition is gradually being invested to and reduce the manner in which raw minerals are exported from Nigeria. It is to emphasise beneficiation and processing, so that what we produce is also improved upon before we embark on exportation. We also want to ensure it is utilised here. We have granite, marble, bitumen yet we import the bulk of those products into Nigeria because processing does not

Wike Suspends Four Commissioners, HoS, Special Adviser Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has suspended four commissioners; Head of Service, Rufus Godwin; and the Special Adviser on Lands; Anugbum Onuoha, for three months.

A statement issued yesterday evening by his Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, listed the affected

commissioners as Chieftaincy Affairs, John Bazia; Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Tonye Briggs -Oniyide; Finance, Fred Kpakol; and Sports, Boma Iyaye.

The statement did not however state the reasons for suspension of the officers.

Kpakol had been suspended once before.

Also suspended for three months are state Head of Service and the Special Adviser on Lands.

take place here “Above all, it focuses to increase the contribution of mining to the GDP of the country. Mining fell from 4.5 per cent of the GDP at independence to 0.33 per cent of the GDP as at today. Given the new focus we can begin to scale that up again, within the next decade it’s readily expected that it will begin to claim up to about five per cent of the nation’s GDP. “The roadmap gives a sense as to how the country is paying attention to minning development which is more of an employment generator and wealth creator unlike oil, which recruits fewer people. We want to upscale it and improve the skills of the people, making access to finance available and making technology available

to them.”

Also speaking, the Minister for Education, Adamu Adamu said the federal government had approved contract for the constructing international house for the University of Ibadan, which is a post-graduate hall, at the cost of N1.302,709,02.34.

He put the completion period at 44 weeks.

The minister also said approval was given for contract for the reconstruction of a new library for the University of Lagos at the cost of N1.935,135,87.35.

He said the library built in 1964, had not been expanded nor modernised adding that the new library would augment the old one.

The work would be completed in 64 weeks. Adamu said both contracts would be handled

by a local contractor.

Also speaking, the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said FEC approved the renewal of a service providers for technology platform- e-wallet for the delivery of seeds and fertilizers and capturing database of farmers in every local government in the country.

According to him, the e-wallet is a programme of the administration of Dr Goodluck Jonathan under the current president of African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina, who was then the Minister of Agriculture.

Ogbeh said the programme ran very well in 2012 and 2013 but had few hitches as the ministry got involved in trying to select the providers.

This, he said led to the figure

of debts piling up to the sum of N67 billion.

He said: “Council today approved the extension by one year of the service provider.

They will at the end of the year transfer all the data to an inhouse group that will manage the system because the price is quiet high, so that we can keep on monitoring who gets what, at what price and we can also keep an eye on the cost.

The quotation by the company was N884 million but we bargained N380 million “They will work with us for one more year, teach our people how to do it, domicile the data of farmers which is 20 million of them and continue to work on how to get agriculture inputs to farmers and keep away those who tend not to deliver but make claims.”

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT

L-R: Chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Youth and Social Development, Hon. Adedamola Richard Kasumu; Assistant CSR Manager, Airtel Nigeria, Chioma Okolie; and Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, during a leadership training conference organised for youths by the Lagos State Government in partnership with Airtel to commemorate the 2016 International Youth Day in Lagos.... recently

OPEC’s Oil Output Hits Record High as Gulf Production Offsets Nigerian, Libyan Losses Ejiofor Alike with agency reports There are strong indications that crude oil production by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in August reached its highest in recent history, as increased output from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf members make up for production losses in Nigeria and Libya.

Production in top OPEC exporter Saudi Arabia has likely reached a fresh record, as it meets seasonally higher domestic demand and focuses on maintaining market share.

Other big Middle Eastern producers, except Iran, also boosted output, pushing the cartel’s output to 33.50 million barrels per day (bpd) from a revised 33.46 million bpd in July, according to the Reuters

survey based on shipping data and information from industry sources.

The failure of the cartel to agree on output ceiling at their December 2015 meeting had led to price drop to an all-time low of $27 per barrel in January this year before it recorded to a year-high of $52 per barrel in June.

The price later dropped but rose towards $48 a barrel from $42 at the start of August, helped by such speculation, but these hopes have waned in recent days.

Of countries with lower output, the biggest drop came from Nigeria as militants attacked oil facilities.

For instance, the Qua Iboe stream, Nigeria’s largest grade, was under force majeure for the whole of August, thus reducing exports However, the increased

output from the Gulf could add to scepticism about renewed OPEC talk of freezing output to support prices.

Supply has risen since OPEC in 2014 dropped its historic role of fixing output to prop up prices as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran pumped more.

Production has also climbed due to the return of Indonesia in 2015 and Gabon in July as members.

The survey showed that the membership changes have skewed historical comparisons.

August’s supply from OPEC excluding Gabon and Indonesia, at 32.54 million bpd, is the highest, starting in 1997.

In August, Saudi Arabia is expected at least to match July’s record of 10.67 million bpd, while other industry sources told Reuters a new record as high as 10.90

million bpd was possible in August.

Saudi Energy Minister, Khalid al-Falih told Reuters last week that August production had remained around July’s level, without giving a precise figure.

The United Arab Emirates continues to expand output, hitting 3.0 million bpd in August for the first time in the Reuters survey. Iraq and Kuwait pumped slightly more than in July, the survey found.

Supply in Iran, OPEC’s fastest source of production growth earlier this year after the lifting of Western sanctions, has held steady this month as output nears the pre-sanctions rate. Iran is seeking investment to boost supply further.

Libyan output slipped further and another decline occurred in Venezuela, hit by an economic crisis.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1 , 2016 • T H I S D AY

48

NEWSEXTRA

Investments in Ogun Free Trade Zone Secure, Say New Chinese Managers Firm drags state, NEPZA to court over termination of mgt contract Tobi Soniyi in Abuja The new management of the Ogun Free Trade Zone, Igbesa, has dispelled insinuations that the multi-million dollars investment at the zone is at risk following the take-over by a new team of Chinese managers. They stated: “Not only are the current investors not leaving the zone, the new management under the New South Group are already in the process of attracting more investments to the zone.”

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos yesterday, Chairman of China-Africa Investment Ltd, the new owners of the controlling shares Mr. Chen Yuejin, said recent claims by former managers that investors were threatening to leave the zone were untrue and unfortunate. Yuejin was joined at the briefing by other investors: Mr. Gao Jian Zhong, Mr. Abbey Onas and Mr. Jiang Qingqing.

A former Administrative

Manager of the zone, Mr. Qianmy Dalu, recently alleged that Zhongfu International Investment Nigeria who were former managers of the zone was forcibly ejected by the officials of the federal and Ogun State government to pave the way for the new management.

Speaking yesterday, the new foreign investors, New South Group stated that the claim by the former managers was to discourage several foreign investors who have indicated interest in bringing investments to the zone under the new management.

“We know that these disparaging remarks are, primarily, designed to achieve the unsavoury measure of discouraging potential investors from investing in the zone by creating a siege mentality within the zone as to cause an investment flight away from the zone,” Yuejin stated.

According to him, “It is

Gaidam Appreciates Customs for Support to IDPs Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State has expressed appreciation to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for providing food support to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.

The governor stated during a visit to the Comptroller General of the NCS, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) in Abuja yesterday, adding that quantities of rice provided for IDPs in the state by the customs would go a long way in alleviating the conditions of the beneficiaries, who only recently returned to their communities after they were liberated from Boko Haram control.

Gaidam explained that as a result of the displacement suffered by the IDPs, many of them are still unable to go back to their farms and resume farming activities.

He added that while his administration was doing its best to assist the IDPs, the state government alone cannot do everything for them in view of the fiscal and economic situation in the state, saying that the support provided by the customs and other organisations and individuals would complement the state government in helping the IDPs settle back to normal life.

Ali thanked the governor for the visit, saying the service’s decision to offer support was in line with the federal government policy of helping victims of Boko Haram insurgency.

Ali said the service would continue to support the IDPs in every way possible as they reclaim their lives after their areas were liberated by the Nigerian army from Boko Haram control.

Bloggers Union Gives Sept 1 Deadline for Full Compliance on Plagiarism The Guild of Professional Bloggers of Nigeria has given September 1, 2016 as the deadline for all bloggers in Nigeria to stop the practise of plagiarism.

This was contained in a statement by the union after its general meeting held in Lagos.

The meeting presided over by its Acting National President, Mr. Chris Kehinde Nwandu, advocated a situation where bloggers should be seen to live above board in their practices.

To ensure full compliance with this directive, the union raised an eight-man ethics committee to among other things, monitor the ethical behaviour among its members and to recommend adequate sanctions where necessary.

All members are expected

by this directive, to adhere to the conventional practise of acknowledging and crediting sources of their materials.

The union also enjoined other mass media across the globe to adequately credit all sources of news materials lifted from pages of its members as well.

According to it, the association is now out to bring some level of credibility and sanity to the practise of blogging in Nigeria and to give its practitioners their rightful place in the scheme of things. It has also mapped out refresher programmes and continuous training to adequately equip its members with effective tools to discharge its duties as managers of information in a digital age.

also very important to state that, contrary to the falsehood in Zhongfu’s press conference (addressed by one Mr Qianmy Dalu), Zhongfu did not make any investment in the sone. The physical structures erected therein and the amenities therein were put in place by China Africa. On the contrary, Zhongfu depleted the assets and infrastructure they met on ground and up till date, are yet to account for all revenues made during the period of management..

It is therefore no surprise that Zhongfu was only able to express its investment in vague terms in the press conference.

“Since the termination of Zhongfu’s management of the zone, the existing investors registered several complaints on the inability of Zhongfu to address the needs of the investors within the zone. In the same vein, due to the fact that most of the investors within the zone are aware of the managerial pedigree of the New South Group, they have expressed their support

for the new management and readiness to work with the new management under New South Group.

“It is also worthy to note that the Government of Guangdong Province in Peoples Republic of China is also looking into the activities of Zhongfu within the Zone and in its interface with Ogun State Government with a view to prosecution in accordance with the applicable Chinese law.”

Meanwhile, Zhongfu International Investment Limited, has dragged the Ogun State government and the Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA) before a Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge its removal as the manager of the multi-billion naira Ogun-Guandong Free Trade Zone.

In a suit with No, FHC/ ABJ/CS/60/2016 filed by Professor Gbolahan Elias (SAN) on behalf of the plaintiff, the court was asked to stop NEPZA from giving effect to the

purported action of the Ogun State government against the company.

The court processes show that the Ogun State government was said to have on March 15, 2012 appointed the company as the manager and administrator of the trade zone and the appointment was subsequently endorsed by NEPZA on behalf of the federal government to enable the firm carry out the day to day management of the zone.

The court was also urged to stop the defendants from harassing, intimidating and hindering the company and its workers from carrying out their lawful duties based on the agreement executed in respect of the management and supervision of the trade zone by the company.

In an affidavit of urgency in support of a motion on notice deposed to by one Timilehin Ehibuzor Wigwe, the plaintiff claimed to be a free zone enterprise in the

Ogun-Guandong free trade zone at Igbesa, Ogun State and duly registered by NEPZA. In the 36-paragraph affidavit, the plaintiff said that prior to 2008, the Ogun State government in a bid to promote economic activities and develop the state, approached it along with other investors for collaboration for the purpose of developing a multi-purpose free trade zone in the state.

Plaintiff averred that it was appointed administrator of the zone in 2012 and that the appointment was consequently approved by NEPZA on behalf of the federal government on April 10 same year.

Within months of the appointment, the deponent claimed that the plaintiff attracted foreign investors and tenants at the trade zone from five to fifty while it also invested $65,800,000 on provision of infrastructures at the zone due to the growing number of tenants.

BE OUR MATRON

Wife of the Rivers State Governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike, (middle) , President of African Women Lawyers Association, Mrs. Mandy Demechi Asagba (right); Alternate Chair of the association; Jaka Jones (second right), state chapter PRO, Irene Pepple (left); and state Coordinator of the association, Cordelia Uwama Ekeremadu, during the investiture of Justice Nyesom-Wike as the Matron of the association at the Government House, Port Harcourt...yesterday

Ondo PDP Disowns Jimoh Ibrahim James Sowole in Akure

scam were hired into Premier Hotels, Ibadan, venue of the The Peoples Democratic Party congress, from nearby hubs of (PDP) in Ondo State yesterday hoodlums and touts in the town. described the August 29 “Section 25 of the PDP governorship primary election constitution clearly stipulates held in Ibadan, Oyo State as a those who are eligible to mere scam. participate in the state The state Publicity Secretary of governorship primary election the party, Mr. Banji Okunomo, of the PDP. stated this in a statement stating “All the persons that fall in that the governorship, primary the various categories making election held on August 22, up the governorship primary 2016 in Akure, that produced election congress had already Mr. Eyitayo Jegede SAN as participated in the congress its stanadrd bearer is the only that produced Jegede as the authentic exercise. flag bearer of the party.

Okunomo said apart from the “These persons cannot be fact that the so-called primary impersonated and their roles election was illegal having been in the electoral college cannot be impeded by an Akure High replicated, duplicated or copied Court, more than 99 per cent in whatever guise,” he said. of those who participated in the Okunomo alleged that Jimoh

Ibrahim, the acclaimed candidate of the ‘illegal PDP primary’ is not a member of the PDP from the ward to the state level.

“Jimoh Ibrahim had publicly declared for the Accord Party and is yet to relinquish his membership of the Accord Party at any point in time.

“Also, Ibrahim has not at any point in time followed the procedure necessary to rejoin the party,” he said..

The publicity secretary said the PDP constitution was clear on the process of returning to the party after leaving.

“Cap 2, part 1 of the PDP constitution states that: “A person who desires to join the party after leaving it shall

apply to his Ward Secretary for re-admission.

“It is not only illegal for a member of another party to pick the governorship ticket of the PDP but it also amounts to double standard.

“Hence, the Peoples PDP in Ondo State has declared Jimoh Ibrahim a persona non grata,” Okunomo said.

Okunomo called on all genuine members of the party whose minds were hitherto swayed to remain steadfast in the mainstream of the party under the leadership of Mr. Clement Faboyede.

He said all members should join hands to work for the victory of the PDP candidate, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) as the next governor of Ondo State..

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N’Assembly to Sponsor Bill to Remove NHIS, Emergency Agencies from TSA Paul Obi in Abuja Following the impediment of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) of the federal government to the implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and other emergencies related agencies, the National Assembly yesterday said plans are underway to remove the NHIS and others from TSA. The Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Health, Hon. Chike Okafor, stated this during a threeday NHIS management retreat in Kaduna, stressing that due to TSA, the NHIS quest to implement universal health insurance or the teeming Nigerian population hangs in the balance.

Represented by the Deputy Chairman of the committee, Hon. Muhammad Usman, the lawmaker stated that the House would soon initiate a bill to effect such changes, adding: “it is the legislative agenda of the eighth assembly to ensure that easy access to healthcare for all Nigerians is achieved and it is my resolve to give every necessary legislative assistance to ensure the realization of the scheme’s

statutory mandate.

“As such it is my resolve as a legislator to call for the removal of the National Health Insurance Fund from the TSA as it is wrong based on the Act establishing the scheme.

This fund is contributors’ fund and should not be warehoused in the TSA but should be reinvested and the proceeds used for cross-subsidy in the informal sector. I would like to introduce a legislative bill to remove it and will need your support in achieving that,” Usman said.

He observed that “such commitment to the future of Nigeria will be the greatest achievement by the health sector and the eighth assembly Legislative Health Agenda.

Sadly to note that the feedback we get today from the beneficiaries of the scheme has turned out to be a story of “water water everywhere but no water to drink” as such the theme of this retreat has presented an opportunity for us to tell ourselves the truth if we must reposition and achieve UHC in Nigeria.

“There is an obvious perceived disservice by some Health Maintenance

Organisations (HMOs) in payment of capitation to the various Primary providers and this has led to an obvious abuse of the scheme and threatened the confidence and trust of the beneficiaries. We must shift our attention to the end users, the beneficiaries, we must do everything to care for all and stand by the guiding principles of the National Health Acts

(2004) and deliver health care services to all Nigerians.”

Similarly, Chairman Senate Committee on Health, Sen. Olanrewaju Tejuoso expressed the readiness of the senate to enact a law that would exempt NHIS and other agencies with critical needs from the TSA. Tejuoso contended that the importance of NHIS would be lost should the TSA continue

to impede the implementation of the programme, as it would deny Nigerians affordable healthcare services.

Speaking, NHIS Executive Secretary, Prof. Usman Yusuf, regretted the poor performance of the scheme, stating that misappropriation of funds and other scams in NHIS so far surpassed the oil subsidy scam.

“What we have here is not healthcare financing. This is worst than fuel subsidy. I need to see monies returned

by HMOs, through the NHIS that were not used.

The waste I see, the impunity I see, and the political patronage I see makes me want to throw up. The resident’s mandate is crystal clear: “Go and make the NHIS work for all Nigerians.”

PIND Hails LEAD’s THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT Yobe State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam (left), in a chat with the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali Efforts at Strengthening (rtd), when the governor visited the customs boss to express gratitude for his support to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Yobe State.

Governance in Niger Delta in Abuja ....yesterday Arik Air, Passengers in Abdulmumin Appears The Foundation for Partnership for dialogue.

Initiatives in the Niger Delta He also noted that the LEAD Shouting Match over Flight (PIND) has commended the project had improved internal before PACC, Demands Leadership Empowerment processes of local government Disruption in A’Ibom Advocacy and Development areas, inter-governmental Reforms in N’Assembly Okon Bassey in Uyo (LEAD) for strengthening relations, government and Staff Union of Universities governance in the region.

The Executive Director of PIND, Sam Daibo, represented by the PIND programmes Director, Dr. Dara Akala, yesterday said at the end of project documentation, sharing and learning forum of LEAD’s three-year project in Port Harcourt that the group has through its programmes brought governance closer to the people.

Daibo said: “For United States Agency for International Development (USAID), PIND, and Research Triangle Institute (RTI), we are delighted to say that the concept of LEAD has been proven to be a successful model for local governance strengthening in Niger Delta.

“For us, a very clear learning from LEAD is that we all have a role to play individually and collectively either as citizens in demanding for good and responsive governance or as public officials in providing effective people-centred services to the communities.

“Another learning is that is the presence of democratic structure is a necessary feature and motivation for development partners to support governance at the local level.”

He noted that since the project took off in Rivers State in 2013, it had built partnerships with state institutions, interacted with citizens and communities and created a range of platforms

community relations.

Daibo expressed optimism that lessons shared from the project would assist other CSOs to “commit to improving on areas of weak achievements and to sustain, scale up, and build upon areas in which the project recorded good success”.

In his welcome remarks, the Chief of Party of RTI/LEAD, Tijjani Muhammad, said the group worked on three objectives of strengthening the capacities of local governments and increasing transparency in their operations; increasing the capacity of local civil society organisations; and improving services delivery and support local economic development.

He said the project had also promoted better practice of public financial management, including budgeting, internallygenerated revenue mobilisation and management, and enhanced internal control and audits as well as improve the delivery of water and sanitation services, and promoted entrepreneurship and livelihood opportunities.

The state Programme Manager of LEAD, Borve Paago-Inieber, said six local government areas of Rivers State were chosen for the pilot scheme of the programme after the state met and surpassed the set criteria, adding that the benefit of the project had permeated all facets of the state.

Damilola Oyedele in Abuja

The sacked Chairman of the Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Jibrin Abdulmumin, yesterday appeared before the Presidential Advisory Council against Corruption (PACC), where he again made allegations of corruption against the principal officers of the House of Representatives, and demanded reforms in the legislature.

The embattled lawmaker testified before the Prof. Itse Sagay led council for about four hours, where he accused Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Speaker, Yussuff Sulaimon Lasun, Chief Whip, Alhassan Ado Doguwa and Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, of corruption and abuse of office.

Speaking with journalists after the session, the lawmaker said he is committed to pursuing reforms that would rid the National Assembly of corruption.

“I am equally ready to answer queries from any of the anti-graft agencies because as we speak none of my colleagues has written anything against me as a person.

Rather all the allegations I levelled against the 4 principal officers and nine others has not gotten any response till date,” he said.

Abdulmumin reiterated his call to Dogara to resign from office, saying the Speaker has no moral standing to continue to parade himself as the number four citizen of the country.

“I have taken them through all the allegations against Mr. Speaker, the deputy speaker, the whip of the house and of course the minority leader and nine other members. It has been a challenging six weeks and some of my colleagues that we share the same vision within the house of representatives, we have remained resolute, we have remained focused, we would do all within the laws of our land to ensure that justice is served on these corrupt members of the house of representatives,” he added.

Abdulmumin refuted reports that he is out to rubbish the legislature, but noted that he wants to ensure comprehensive reforms to sanitise the budgeting system.

“It is a committee and they have their terms of reference. I do not know what they are going to do but a lot of revelations were made, I also know that they are men of integrity and they have taken all my submissions and they asked a lot of questions to which I provided answers and I am sure that within the powers of what they can do, they would take decisive actions,” the lawmaker said.

“The issues of allowances that I raised is a simple matter, anybody who I have mentioned, I mentioned the 10 principal officers anybody who believes judiciously for the purpose he is meant for, is to come to say I have collected this amount but I have used it properly,” he said.

There was confusion at the Ibom International Airport on Tuesday when the management of the Arik Air reportedly engaged passengers in a shouting match that could have resulted into physical combat over delayed flight.

THISDAY gathered that the flight initially scheduled to take off to Abuja by 11.45a.m. was delayed till about 9.30p.m. without any explanation to the passengers from the management.

Sources said the passengers that had arrived the airport at about 9.30a.m. to join the Arik Air flight that was scheduled to take off at 11.45a.m. were surprised when there was an announcement that the flight was stood down after their tickets were checked.

The manager of the Arik Air was said to have disappeared when some of the passengers approached the office at the airport to seek clarification on the development.

Trouble was said to have started when the manager eventually emerged and was confronted by the passengers.

Instead of apologising, he decided to fume and started cursing the passengers and with the support of the staff they threatened to engage their passengers in a fight.

One of the passengers, former Chairman of Academic

(ASUU), Prof. Dipo Fasina, was said to have strongly berated the action of the Arik manager at the Ibom Airport.

Fasina expressed dismay that instead of the manager to have carefully, patiently and humbly explain the state of affairs to the passengers, decided to flare up to fight the frustrated passengers with his workers.

“They really wanted to fight.

I think the normal thing was for the proprietors and their representatives to apologise.

“The manager was feeling some self-righteousness without really trying to explain anything to the passengers. He lost his temper which I think he ought not to have done.

“They were the ones who sold the tickets; they could not deliver what they got the money for.

“So, it took a lot of restraint on the people who are with us here not to engage them in fight.

“The situation is even worse than this, we don’t know what would happen next. They told us that a plane was coming from Lagos and would be going to Abuja, but it was not supposed to go to Abuja straight without coming through here.

“There is nobody who is sure of anything but the manager didn’t do what he was supposed to do to explain carefully, patiently, and humbly to the people who paid their money for the flight,” he maintained.

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Labour Crisis: Al-Makura Denies Agreement to Compensate Families of Slain Workers Adams Abonu in Lafia In what appears to be a further twist in the sour relationship between the organised labour in Nasarawa State and the state government, Governor Tanko Al-Makura has denied that he accepted to pay compensation to the families of two workers who were felled by bullets of a police man attached to the Government Hose in Lafia during a supposed parley.

Several print and electronic media reported that the state government had agreed to pay compensation to the families of those who lost their lives and several others who sustained various degrees of injuries upon intervention

by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in accordance with the Employees Compensation Act. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, had hinted on President Muhamudu Buhari’s displeasure to the “unfortunate” incident in Nasarawa State on July 29 2015 which had led to the death of the two aggrieved workers.

But in a statement released

by Ahmed Tukur, the Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Governor AlMakura, the state government denied the reports, insisting that accepting to pay compensation to the families

of the affected workers would amount to taking responsibility for their demise.

“This publication is misleading and totally false and a calculated attempt to create the impression that the state government has owned up to the unfortunate death of the two persons.

“The report is mischievously calculated to jeopardise or pre-

empt the ongoing investigation by the police and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) especially as both parties have returned to the negotiating table facilitated by the Federal Ministry of Labour.

“For the avoidance of doubts, the position of the Nasarawa State Government is to await the outcome of the

investigation by the NHRC and the police while adhering to the interim order by NHRC for all arties to the case to maintain the status quo.

“The public is therefore urged to disregard the report by the media which is intended to mislead the public that the state government was alleged to have accepted responsibility for the payment

of the compensation for the lives of the workers who lost their lives as a result of the protest staged by the workers on July 29, 2016,” the statement read in parts.

There has been palpable tension in the state since the July incident described by a cross-section on the state as a “debacle.”

Don’t Drag RCCG into Your Dirty Politics, Ize-Iyamu Tells Oshiomhole, Obaseki The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Edo State governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has advised Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State and the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Godwin Obaseki, not to drag the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) into their dirty and unholy politics.

The Ize-Iyamu Campaign Organisation stated this yesterday, while reacting to a statement signed by Governor Oshiomhole’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Peter Okhiria, on Tuesday, accusing the RCCG Edo Region 13 headquarters (Trinity Sanctuary) in Benin City, of converting RCCG into the PDP campaign office of Ize-Iyamu.

Oshiomhole through his CPS had said that banners of the PDP and its candidate adorn all the walls of the church, alleging that only the altar is spared of what he described as disgrace.

“Oshiomhole and Obaseki, should not drag RCCG into their dirty, unholy politics.

The allegation is a cheap blackmail from those who want to bring the name of the church to disrepute and they will surely fail,’’ the campaign organisation stated.

However, the campaign organisation said in the middle of untold hardship and fast deteriorating socio-political, cultural and economic institutions in Edo State, caused by the “unholy and anti-people’’ policies of Oshiomhole’s APC-led government, good Christian leaders cannot continue to remain in the middle-of-theroad and aloof.

The PDP candidate campaign organisation added:, “As part of his on-going efforts to sell his manifesto to the Edo people, Pastor Ize-Iyamu recently had a wonderful interactive session with the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN).

“He told them his desire to serve and give purposeful

leadership and he believes the time is now. As an ambassador of God, his desire is to continue to be a role model in politics and inspire hope in our people.

“Some will say that Christians shouldn’t be active in politics, that we should simply focus on the life of the church. Others will argue that Christians can’t be active in politics; that the so-called separation of church and state prevents people of faith from participating in the political process. Pastor Ize-Iyamu believes both of these arguments are false.

“In fact, Christians have a moral obligation to be faithful citizens. Patriotism and service to our nation are hallmarks of the Christian calling, so long as duty to God is not compromised. People of faith can and must help revitalize our state and nation. We have a vital role to play.’’

Ize-Iyamu strongly believes that pastors are free to help their congregants understand and embrace the role they must play as active and faithful citizens in our nation, adding that Pastors also are free to encourage registering to vote, becoming informed, showing up on Election Day and casting votes that protect their liberties and support Godly values. ‘’Why can’t pastors be part of our efforts to rescue Edo State? Just yesterday, three more pensioners in Edo State died while others are presently languishing in penury and different ailments following the long wait for their arrears of pension and gratuities after retirement from active service’’, the campaign organisation added. ‘’The pensioners drawn from various establishments in the 18 local government councils with placards had early in the month protested along major roads and streets in Benin the state capital with a call on Oshiomhole to urgently come of their rescue as some of them are dying gradually but painfully.

WORKING TOGETHER

L R: Chairman Public Policy Group (PPG),Prof. Ademola Oyejide; Mr. Felix Adelaike; and Mr. Kolade Mosuro, at the inauguration of Board Advisers of the Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy (ISGPP) at school’s office in Ibadan....yesterday FELIX ADEMOLA

Shettima Raises the Alarm over Plan to Cause Breach of Peace Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri

servants for July and August 2016.

Governor Kashim Shettima of The governor also vowed to Borno State yesterday alleged that deal decisively with anybody there was an ongoing conspiracy found wanting in any fraudulent to cause a major beach of security act in respect of the workers and disorder by beneficiaries of salary. the corruption in the state civil Shettima who addressed service wage system. journalists after the broadcast, The state which was almost at stated that there is no amount the precipice due to prolong Boko of mischief and blackmail that Haram insurgency just recently will stop his government from got back his groove. ensuring sanity in the civil service Addressing a state broadcast, and bring an end to the fraudulent Shettima said the state recently elongated list of workforce. discovered over a billion naira He said he would ensure even at in its wage bill after a biometric the cost of his life that the stealing audit of the system. of hundreds of millions of naira He alleged that there was grand monthly in the name of ghost conspiracy by the top beneficiaries workers stop. of the scam to undermine his He said during his 2016 budget government by sponsoring series presentation to the state assembly, of protest and beach of security. he stated that a biometric data Shettima who declared that exercise would be conducted he won’t budge to the pressure in all the state workforce and to allow the sleaze to continue, he constituted a high powered said he was even ready against committee with the Secretary all odds to pay the supreme price to the State Government (SSG), in order to ensure that the people Alhaji Usman Jidda Shuwa as of the state already deprived are Chairman to carry out the no longer robbed. screening exercise of the civil The governor, who had to stop service and the verification the payment of salaries for two committee discovered that out of months to give room for the the over 25,000 workforce on the audit, immediately ordered payroll of the state government that the salaries of over 12,000 which government pays about workers captured in the biometric N2.7 billion monthly as salary audit should be paid. of workers, it is actually a total He said the state Ministry number of 19,763 names of of Finance should commence workers who collected verification immediately payment of forms for the screening exercise N2,258,641.912, which represent having N1,129, 320, 950.00 on the two months salaries of civil the payroll.

Stakeholders Poised to Reposition Printing Industry Chidinma Okonkwo, Imo Eberechi and Chinenye Nduka As part of efforts to reposition the printing industry and tackle the challenge of capital flight facing the sector, Printivo, the largest packaging, printing and plastics exhibition will organise a conference of industry stakeholders to develop a solid blue print for the sector from September 20-22 in Landmark Centre in Lagos.

According to a statement issued by Jamie Pearson, the sector is rapidly expanding and it is beginning to make enormous contributions to national development.

The statement expressed worries over the issue of capital flight facing the sector, adding that despite the viability of the sector, there are still notable problems such as high cost of production, the cost of doing business, low profit margins and low cost of print jobs, “this unfavourable factor places Nigerian printers at a great disadvantage when they have to compete for print jobs with printers in other countries.”

Pearson stated that the Nigerian non-digital print market, Managing Directors from FC Exports and Portion Consult would discuss new technologies, sharing exciting developments and key market trends.

“At a time when globalisation has prompted fierce competition, innovative technologies and

staying ahead of the market is important now more than ever. If Nigeria is going to fare well in this game of globalisation, knowledge sharing from leading industry members it is important to help home-grown organisations find their way globally,” the statement said.

Pearson in the statement said in the conference, panellists would focus on how to avoid capital flight in the industry, stressing that this would allow their delegates to receive and solid insight into these problems and discuss viable solutions.

The panel discussion would be chaired by the Chief Executive Officer of University Press, Samuel Kolawole.

The statement added: “As well as the printing element of this year’s show. Our packaging and plastics programme is also set to prompt interest across the region. We are expecting to welcome senior representatives from manufacturing associations such as the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN); The Ministry for Industry Trade and Investment (MITI) and the Bank of Industry, alongside leading brands such as Heineken and Guinness.”

The statement said the Nigeria’s economy has been forecasted as capable of attaining a value of $1trillion by 2025, from its present level of $560billion, noting that in order to achieve this, it will require a robust manufacturing sector and a detailed programme for industrialisation.

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Sheriff on Suicide Mission, Says Ex-deputy Spokesman Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja As efforts to broker peace in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has continued to hit the rocks, the immediate past Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Abdullahi Jalo, has said the former National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, is desperate to destroy the party.

He said current posture of the former governor of Borno State is like a man on ‘suicide mission’ to destroy an entity he has benefited from.

Speaking with journalists yesterday in Abuja, Jalo said Sheriff has failed to stick to his conditions for truce, adding that he keeps shifting his conditions, including the latest condition that the Board of Trustees (BoT) chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin must resign.

Jalo who frowned at the recalcitrant posture of Sheriff, said the former chairman fell out with Governors Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo State), Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti), Nyesom Wike

(Rivers) and Emmanuel Udom (Akwa Ibom) because he promised all of them separately to give them vice presidential ticket for 2019 if he emerges presidential candidate.

“It is an instrument of coesion that made our August 17 convention to be aborted. Is Sheriff is on suicidal mission to destroy the PDP, why should he say the convention should be aborted? And if the federal government says it has no hand in the PDP crisis, where did Sheriff get the security forces from to stop the convention. Does Sheriff hasve police?,” he said.

Jalo said the former governor was sacked at the May 21 non-elective convention of the party in Port Harcourt because of his “inconsistency and deceit” in handling the affairs of the party in addition to the expiration of his three months tenure.

According to the former PDP spokesman, the August 17 convention which was non-elective succeeded in

Bauchi Governor Denies Misapplication of N8.6bn Bailout Funds Tobi Soniyi in Abuja Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubabakar, has denied reports that he misused the N8.6 billion bailout fund given to the state by the federal government.

Speaking with State House Correspondents after he met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Aso Rock, the governor said the fund was utilised for the purpose for which it was given.

He said the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) both at the national level and the Bauchi State branch had commended him for utilising the fund to take care of workers’ salaries.

He said when he was away abroad a week ago some members of the House of Representatives and Senate led by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara went to the headquarters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to report him to the party.

He said: “In the process, they made some spurious allegations which I feel it’s appropriate to let the president know first hand evidence regarding all the allegations they made against me.

“Major among the allegations is that I misapplied the bailout funds and I thought that was a matter of common knowledge in Nigeria. ICPC investigated the bailout and gave a report in which it said Bauchi State utilised all funds but N165 million. I wrote to them to check their facts again.

I utilised all but N88 million out N8.6 billion and shortly before I left for China and Hong Kong the Vice Chancellor of the state university came to me that he has a back log of salaries which I gave an approval of N70 million out of N88 million, all in all Bauchi

State has utilised N8.6 billion remaining N18m which is in a dedicated account “I have documented evidence to prove and will give it to anybody who is interested. The NLC both at the state and national level sent me a letter of commendation on the bailout funds.

“A little over a month ago, civil society groups in Abuja had a meeting with all the governors that utilised the bailout funds and it was only me that attended, I opened up my books to them that I have utilised the funds very well.”

The governor said in terms of salary payment he was among the best.

According to him, in Bauchi, the state civil servants are owed just one month salary while local governments are owed two months.

The governor said he had not reduced salary and had been paying the minimum wage and above the minimum wage.

He said: “I pay N18,500. This has been going on and I have documentary evidence to prove.

When NLC called out a strike in support of Nasarawa, Bauchi workers did not strike.

“My problem with Dogara started during the elections of the leadership of the National Assembly. I stood on the side of the party, I said every Bauchi lawmaker should tow the line of the party,you know that Bauchi has a candidate but I said irrespective of that we should tow the line of the party. At that 9 out of 11 did that. Later the candidate of Bauchi won and it’s common knowledge. Now in a position to dispense favours and all the lawmakers went to his side. The fact is politics in Bauchi State is played in Abuja and not in Bauchi, the people of the state are intact with the party.”

extending the tenure of the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee to legitimise his signing of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) documents on behalf of the party where the need arises.

The former deputy spokesman also accused the ruling All Progressives

Congress (APC) of using the former law maker to “destroy” the PDP, saying: “the APC should give us a breathing space so that we can operate as an opposition party.”

He restated his earlier call on the federal government to arrest Sheriff and consider the numerous factors published by the

Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General of Borno State Kaka Shehu Lawan pointing to “Sheriff’s romance” with the dreaded Boko Haram sect.

“I have not seen any reason why the federal government is yet to effect the arrest. If Sheriff is doing a dirty job for the federal

government, darkness has come to light. The federal government should be sincere.

“If Sheriff is arrested today, Shekau will name the sponsors of Boko Haram. I respect President Muhammady Buhari but there are some people around him that wants to tarnish his image,” he said.

INVESTORS FROM CHINA

L-R: Deputy Manager, China-Africa Investment Limited, Mr. Gao Jian Zhong; Chairman of the company, Mr. Chen Yuejin; Chairman, ZGM Investment Limited,Mr Abbey Onas; and General Manager, Hewang Packaging and Printing FZE, Mr. Jiang Qingqing, at a press conference in Lagos...yesterday

Anti-grazing Law: Herdsmen’s Lawyer Disagrees with Fayose over Terrorism Charge Fulani leader opposes ban on night movement Olakiitan Victor in Ado Ekiti

“The law of the federation on terrorism is very clear and no one The Legal Adviser of the Ekiti can be charged for terrorism for State chapter of the Jamu Nate carrying lesser arms like cutlasses, Fulbe Association of Nigeria, an catapults and knives during the umbrella body for herdsmen grazing period as contained in from Ilorin, Kwara State, Mr. Ekiti new law.

Umar Imam, has declared that “I have made it in my Governor Ayodele Fayose can’t submission during the public charge erring member of the hearing on the bill in the state association with terrorism for House of Assembly that these carrying light weapons.

Fulani herdsmen used to carry Imam disclosed that herdsmen these lesser weapons for certain who carried light weapons like purposes that can make grazing cutlasses, catapult and arrows easier. within the time stipulated by the “I also told them that new law cannot be charged with movement at night while terrorism, saying acting contrary relocating from one place to will negate the Anti-Terrorism Act. another was to ensure that they Fayose had on Monday signed don’t wreak havoc on the people the “Prohibition of cattle and during the day while relocating to other Ruminants Grazing in other towns. I expected the state Ekiti Bill, 2016 into law, which government to have taken care prevents free grazing of cattle in of these in the new law rather the state and carrying of firearms than total banning. by members as well as restriction “What the state government of grazing period to between ought to have done is to allow 7a.m. and 6p.m. whoever wants to relocate at Part of the provisions of the night to take permit from a law is that any herdsman, who certain government’s authority or contravenes the law shall be jailed inform their Seriki, but banning for six months without an option them from moving at night may of fine. not help the situation, it will Speaking with journalists make their jobs difficult,” in Ado Ekiti yesterday on the Imam said. contentious issue, Imam said The Seriki of the the Anti-Terrorism Act of the Association in Ekiti, Alhaji Federation states clearly what Ahmadu Mahmoud, appealed to constituts an infringement of the Fayose to amend the new law so law and that carrying of lesser that his members can be allowed arms does not constitute offence to carry lesser arms to ward off under the provision. attacks from robbers.

NSCIA Delegation Arrive Saudi Arabia Jameelah Sanda in Madina, Saudi Arabia

recently that the airlift of about 60,000 Nigerian pilgrims to the Holy Land.

The Nigeria Supreme Council Reports from the various for Islamic Affair (NSCIA) departure centres revealed delegation for 2016 Hajj have that the pilgrims airlift arrived Madina, Saudi Arabia, is progressing steadily to ensure the implementation with records of little hitches. of plans for this year’s Similarly, there were strong Pilgrimage. indication that the first batch The Chairman supervisory of Zamfara pilgrims whose committee for NSCIA, Yahaya flight was inaugurated by Abubakar (Etsu Nupe), President Muhammadu Buhari in an interaction with in Sokoto on the 8th of this journalists at King Abdulaziz month would leave Medina International airport, Madina, for Makkah after staying the said NSCIA will do what prescribed eight day in the it can to ensure that the second holiest city. objectives of this year’s hajj With the steady progress are met. made so far coupled with Abubakar said the the number of aircraft made delegation was in the available for the operation by Kingdom to monitor and the airlines, the commission supervise the activities of said the airlift may be all the stakeholder that are completed before the closure involved in hajj operations. of Saudi Arabia airspace.

According to him, “We Ilorin Zone which comprises are here to let them know of Kwara, Ondo and Ekiti states what they need to do. We with a population of over 2000 will ensure that all that is pilgrims concluded its operation required of the pilgrims are early yesterday morning with the done to the later. airlift of remaining 454 pilgrims The NSCIA chairman and officials made up of Ekiti therefore confirmed that 178 , Kwara 258 and Ondo 18. part of the implementation The Chairman/CEO of of the planes for the 2016 hajj NAHCON, Barr Abdullahi is that the air carrier have air Muhammad Mukhtar had lifted over sixty thousand promised during the flag off Nigerian Pilgrims to Saudi ceremony in Sokoto to ensure the Arabia. completion of hajj airlift before The National Hajj the September 4 deadline set by Commission of Nigeria the Saudi General Authority (NAHCON), had announced on Civil Aviation(GACA).

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THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1 , 2016 • T H I S D AY

CRIME&PUNISHMENT Police: How Atsuete was Killed

Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt

The Rivers State Police Command has said from its initial findings, popular human rights activist and lawyer to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ken Atsuete, was killed when he went to pick his neighbour who had escaped from suspected kidnappers.

The APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been at daggers-drawn since news of the murder of Atsuete made the rounds last Monday.

While the APC said the state government and the PDP should be held liable because the slain Atsuete had announced he was going to

expose how the PDP was parading a fake court order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the result of Tai Local Government Area in the last rerun election, the PDP said the APC should allow the police do their job to unravel those responsible for his death.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Omoni Nnamdi (DSP), told THISDAY last night that the police have so far established that Atsuete’s murder was not premeditated as he actually met his death while playing the good neighbour.

Nnamdi said: “Ken Atsuete’s neighbour, Pastor Abba

Emmanuel, was abducted on Sunday by unknown gunmen at his gate at Aluu.

But the pastor later that night escaped from his abductors and called his family. They would have gone that night to pick him (the pastor) up but the time was too late and they decided to go early in the morning. As the only man in the yard, Atsuete decided to accompany Abba Emmanuel’s wife at about 5a.m. to pick up the pastor.

“It was in this process that Atsuete was shot in his car.”

Nnamdi however assured the public that the police would in no distant time unravel Atsuete’s killers as the state Criminal Investigation

Department (SCID) has already swung into action.

“I can assure you that we will get and prosecute the killers as the state criminal investigation department is already on the matter,” he said.

THISDAY additionally gathered that the late Atsuete might have survived if he had received medical attention on time.

A source said he was rushed to the nearby University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) but could not get attention as the doctors were on strike.

“It was in the process of taking him to another hospital that he gave up, having lost so much blood,” the source said.

In Brief

47 Get Bail over Alleged Illegal Toll Collection An Onitsha Magistrate Court yesterday granted bail to 47 persons accused of allegedly collecting illegal tolls in Onitsha in Anambra for the sum of N1,000 each. The Magistrate, Mr. Uchenna Amaechi, who gave the ruling in Onitsha, also asked the accused persons to provide known sureties with tax evidence as part of the bail condition. The accused persons, who pleaded not guilty, are facing two-count charges of breach of peace and illegal collection of tolls. Earlier, the prosecutor, Uwakwe Okonji, told the court that the accused persons committed the offence between August 22 and August 30 along the Onitsha-Asaba expressway, Onitsha. Okonji said the offences contravened Sections 496 (a) and 247 (d) of the Criminal Code Cap 36 Vol II, revised law of the state, 1991 as amended. The prosecutor did not oppose the bail application by counsel to the accused persons, Mr. Okey Odimgbe, who argued that his clients were accredited government revenue agents. The magistrate adjourned the case till October 26 for hearing, warning the accused persons to return to court on next adjourned date. It could be recalled that an Anambra Government agency, Ocha Brigade on Aug. 30 arrested over 70 persons for allegedly harassing, extorting and collecting revenue illegally following complaints by motorists.

Police: Eight Dead Victims of Zamfara Blasphemy Killings are ‘Suspects’

The Zamfara State Police Command said it had identified 14 persons as masterminds and perpetrators of the August 22, Talata-Mafara crisis which claimed eight lives. This was contained in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the command, Muhammad Shehu, yesterday in Gusau. Crisis broke out at the Abdu Gusau Polytechnic, Talata-Mafara, on August 22, following a fight between two male students which turned religious and led to the death of eight persons. One of the students was accused of blaspheming the Prophet of Islam.

According to the police statement, the eight persons that died during the crisis were among the suspects that were discovered in the course of police investigation. It said Bashir Adamu from Kuryan Madaro of Kauran Namoda Local Government Area of the state had been arrested and charged to court over his involvement in the crisis. Similarly, another person who sustained injuries during the disturbance was undergoing treatment at the hospital after which he would also be charged to court. The statement, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that the police had spread its dragnet to arrest those on the run and bring them to book. The command warned that anyone found disturbing the peaceful coexistence among the people in the state would face the full wrath of the law.

TIME TO FACE JUSTICE

Six suspects accused of robbing Vanguard Publisher, Mr. Sam Amuka, after they were arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate Court in Lagos...yesterday.

Police Arraigns Suspected Robbers of Vanguard Publisher Akinwale Akintunde The Nigeria Police yesterday arraigned six suspected armed robbers who robbed the home of the Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Sam Amuka three months ago and carted away cash and other valuables.

The suspects who were arraigned before Magistrate Bola Osunsanmi of an Ikeja Magistrate Court are Koyis Usman ( 22), Umaru Oseni (46), Abdurasaq Hassan (43), Musa Atim Abubakar (31), Gambno Umar (31) and Abdulramon Kashil (25).

They were arraigned on a four-count charge offence bordering on conspiracy, armed robbery and grievous bodily harm and have however been remanded in prison custody.

According to the police, the defendants on June 5, 2016 at about 2.30a.m. at Anthony Village, Lagos did conspired amongst themselves,

with others now at large, “to commit felony to wit armed robbery and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 297 and punishable under section 295 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011.”

The charge sheet stated in part: “That you Koyis Usman, Umaru Oseni, Abdurasaq Hassan, Musa Atim Abubakar, Gambno Umar and Abdulramon Kashil and others now at large on the same date, time and place whilst arm yourself with gun and knife did rob your victim of one Samsung Galaxy valued N100,000; $5,500.00 (equivalent of N1,815,000.00); three gold wrist watches valued N360,000.00; two leather wrist watches valued N100,000; and cash sum of N500,000 property of one Samson Oruru Amuka, publisher of Vanguard Newspaper and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 295(c)

of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011.”

“That you Koyis Usman, Umaru Oseni, Abdurasaq Hassan, Musa Atim Abubakar, Gambno Umar and Abdulramon Kashil and others now at large on the same date, time and place whilst arm yourself with gun and knife did unlawfully inflicted grievous harm on their victim by using iron rod cutter to hit and damage the left rib and two fingers of Samson Oruru Amuka, publisher of Vanguard Newspaper and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 243 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011”.

The defendants were further alleged to have on the same date, time and place “cause damage to a window burglary asbestos, two doors, property of Samson Oruru Amuka, publisher of Vanguard Newspaper and

thereby committed an offence punishable under section 337 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011”.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Simeon Imohwa prayed the court for an order remanding them in prison custody.

Magistrate Osunsanmi, asked what was found in the possession of the defendants as at time of arrest and the prosecutor listed them to include one iron cutter, one military camouflage uniform, one salon car marked LSD 337 and one hammer.

The plea of the defendants was not taken by the court, neither were they represented by any legal counsel.

Following the prosecutor’s request, the trial magistrate ordered that the suspects be remanded in Kirikiri Prison custody and adjourned the matter till November 10, 2016 for hearing.

Police Arrest Three for Extortion, Illegal Revenue Collection in Lagos

Police operatives attached to the Zone 2 Police Command yesterday said it arrested three suspects operating at Berger, at the boundary between Lagos and Ogun States, for extortion and illegal revenue collection at the Lagos end of the LagosIbadan Expressway. Their arrest was effected based on incessant complains of transporters, their unions and associations, hence the arrest of the trio of Ajala Kabiru, Olasukanmi Popoola and Kazeem Hassan. Confirming the arrests, the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the arrests were in line with the directives of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 2 Command, AIG Abdulmajid Ali. He said: “In line with the effort of the AIG Zone 2 Command, AIG Abdulmajid Ali, to curb touting, extortion and illegal revenue collection on the major highways within the zone, the zonal command has arrested three suspects at Berger Area. They were arrested at the boundary between Lagos and Ogun States, on Saturday, for extortion and illegal revenue collection at the Lagos end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The zonal command had received series of petitions and complaints from various transport associations/unions about the illegal toll or revenue collections and even extortion by some touts or hoodlums,who disguise as government agents/officials, along highways within the zone particularly on Lagos-Ibadan, Sagamu-Ijebu Ode-Benin Expressways and at various points in Lagos and Ogun States In response to people’s complaints and intelligence reports, the AIG directed police operatives attached to the Zonal Department of Criminal Investigation and Intelligence (ZCIID) to curb such illegal activities and apprehend anyone or group of persons engaging in such criminal acts on our highways. Ali has also challenged government revenue agencies(agents) and departments to always issue marks of identification or personal identity cards to their staff or operatives for easy identification so as to assist the police and other security operatives in the course of their duties of law enforcement and maintenance of law and order.”

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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

THURSDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

A F T E R M AT H O F R I O 2 0 1 6

Dalung Proposes New Roadmap for Nigeria Sport Duro Ikhazuagbe Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung, is craving the return of the National Sports Commission (NSC) to play a pivotal role in the new sports architecture being proposed to move the sector forward.

Speaking on an NTA Network Programme, Tuesday Live, Dalung said for the ministry to get it right in sports development, it must go back to the foundation of sports which is the grassroots.

“We have to restructure our sports architecture where government will concentrate on investing grants on talents or grassroots sports development while the elite sports will be left for the federations and professionalism,” stressed the minister who claimed not to be part of the move that scrapped the NSC. Dalung explained that a technical committee was set up to streamline the merging of the Youth and Sports ministries of which he was not part of.

“The NSC was scrapped when I was appointed minister of Youth and Sports. The merging of two ministries to become one led to the establishment of a technical committee to merge the ministries. What came out of the report of the committee was just a briefing for me. The committee had already decided to merge the ministry independent of the minister (Dalung) but the popular opinion was that I scrapped NSC,” stressed the minister while fielding a question during the programme late Tuesday night.

He admitted that one of the major predicaments of sports administration in Nigeria was the election of people into offices of the federations.

“There, you have the immigration of people from their traditional sports to other federations to assume leadership.

“In the next elections, we will ensure that elections are conducted based on the rules and regulations of the federations.

“Federations will not be created for the purpose of accommodating political interests. They must be viable and functional and will be charged with the responsibility of

identification of talents,” the minister further observed.

He pledged to have men and women of proven integrity on the boards of the federations at the next elections.

The minister continued: “The management of the resources is also important because when you talk about Corporate Nigeria, nobody will invest in a place where he’s not sure of transparent management of the resources. So the federations have to manage their affairs very transparently.”

Dalung however promised that shortly, the ministry will revisit the architecture of sports in Nigeria to ensure that it serves the passion of Nigerians against all these issues.

“We will soon put up a council memo that will get the backing of the Ministry of Education to restore school sports as part of the compulsory component of the school curriculum in Nigeria because sports development cannot be isolated from educational development. This has to be restored back to our school system,” he said.

On talents development, the minister noted that some of the athletes who took part in the Rio Games have been recycled over the years.

“Some of the athletes have been to the Olympics five to six times without replacements.

How can we make progress without setting the pace for new talent development? So for me, the job for 2020 Olympic has started and by this week, we will begin to unfold some of the things we have for restructuring the sports architecture of the country and ensure that it is compatible with passion of Nigerians,” concludes the minister.

NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, Dream Team VI coach, Samson Siasia and two others who were part of Team Nigeria to the Rio2016 Games spoke on various ways to avoid a repeat of the country’s poor outing at the next Olympiad in Tokyo, Japan.

Nigeria finished in the 78th place on the final medals table with only a bronze medal won in the men’s football event.

Ighalo

Ideye

A H E A D N I G E R I A V S TA N Z A N I A

Ighalo, Ideye Score as Eagles Beat Akwa Utd 3-0 Akwa Ibom Govt throws gates open to fans to come cheer Eagles Okon Bassey in Uyo Super Eagles yesterday defeated Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) club side, Akwa United FC, 3-0 in a test game ahead of Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Tanzania also in Uyo. An impressive crowd turned up at the equally impressive Akwa Ibom International Stadium to watch the Eagles in action with youngster Victor Osimhen, goalkeeper Ikechuwu Ezenwa and Shehu Abdullahi seeing action, while the likes of John Mikel Obi, Ahmed Musa and Kelechi Iheanacho were rested.

The Eagles under new coach Gernot Rohr won thanks to first half goals by Brown Ideye and Nosa Igiebor with Watford striker

Odion Ighalo wrapping up the win after the interval.

Franco-German Rohr insisted on the game to ascertain the match fitness of his call-ups for the AFCON dead rubber which will serve as a dress rehearsal for a 2018 World Cup qualifier on October 3 in Zambia.

Nigeria will then welcome Algeria in another Russia 2018 showdown in November.

Meanwhile, in a mark of solidarity, the Akwa Ibom State Government has declared the 2017 AFCON qualifying match between Nigeria and Tanzania scheduled for the Ibom International Stadium on Saturday free for football enthusiast to watch.

The state’s Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr. Monday Ukoh, said yesterday that the

government decided to throw the gate open for fans to cheer the Super Eagles to victory.

According to him, the gesture would attract more fans to watch the Eagles and to ensure the 30,000 capacity Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo is filled during the encounter.

It is new Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr’s first competitive test on the Nigerian job. He is hoping to use it to test players ahead of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers starting in October.

The state government, the commissioner said was not unaware of the economic challenges facing many Nigerians especially youths, hence the need to assist them with free tickets to watch the game.

Football fans in the state have

called on the state government not to politicise the tickets as such actions in the past have denied genuine football fans in the area of watching the Super Eagles According to one of the fans, Abasiama James, the free tickets by the state government is commendable but it should be made available to everybody on first come first serve basis.

“Nice one, but the tickets should be made available for everybody; they should not politicize it as usual.

“It is not a political event, it’s a football match of the national team not a political party team, so the idea where only political groups are given the tickets should be stop.” he declared.

to hear the matter in view of the appeal filed by LMC against the earlier interim order of the Judge made on 12th August, 2016.

When the case came up, the LMC’s Counsel, Olumide Olujinmi, informed the court that the league body had filed an appeal against the interim order and applied to the court to adjourn the matter sine die pending the outcome of the hearing of the appeal by the Court of Appeal in accordance with decided cases and legal authorities.

He referred the court to the

affidavit of pending appeal filed

by LMC to this effect.

But the application was vopposed by the counsel for Abubakar, H.S. Adzard, who though admitted to having been served with the affidavit of pending appeal.

Adzard had argued that there is no pending appeal since the records of proceeding has not been transmitted to the Court of Appeal within 60 days as required by rules.

He also contended that the Affidavit of Pending Appeal was incompetent and urged the court to go on with the case.

Jos High Court Suspends NPFL Seriki Adinoyi in Jos The Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) has been suspended indefinitely until the League Management Company (LMC) fully complies with the earlier order of reinstating Giwa FC to the league.

Justice I. Kunda in his ruling delivered at the Plateau State High Court which sat in Bukuru, near Jos yesterday decried the delay tactics being employed by the counsel to the LMC, Olumide Olujimi to delay the case knowing well that the Nigerian league is time-bound, and the league would

have effectively ended before the case is determined.

The judge declared the case adjourned sine die but also told the defendants that they can proceed with their appeal at the Appeal Court if they so wish.

But in a swift move yesterday, the LMC said in a statement that it was yet to be served the ruling suspending the premier league.

It statement read: “The League Management Company (LMC) has been inundated with sundry calls and enquirers regarding a piece of news being circulated that Plateau State High Court, Jos has made an order stopping

Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) until the reinstatement of Giwa FC to the League.

“For the avoidance of any doubt, LMC states categorically, that it has not been served with any such order and is consequently unable to comment on this matter.

“If such an order is at any time in the future produced or served on it by due process of law, LMC wishes all our clubs, footballers, fans, partners and all Nigerians to be reassured that it shall take all steps appropriate in the circumstances to protect the

integrity of the NPFL,” observed the statement from the LMC last night.

Accordingly, the LMC states that the operation of NPFL proceeds apace as scheduled and unhindered in any manner whatsoever.

At the resumed sitting on Monday in a case filed by one Mustapha Abubakar seeking to reinstate Giwa FC into the NPFL and also reschedule all the games the club was excluded from playing following its expulsion in May, the only issue argued by counsels on both sides was whether the judge can continue

54

thurSDAY, September 1, 2016 • T H I S D AY

THURSDAYSPORTS

Pinnick Clarifies on Japanese’s Cash Reward to Dream Team Says cash could expose Eagles to match-fixing syndicate

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, has offered insights into why the federation initially rejected the $390,000 cash gift

by Japanese surgeon, Katsuya Takasu to the national U-23 team for winning the bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Brazil.

Takasu travelled to Belo Horizonte, where he gave two cheques to the team in the names of Coach Samson Siasia and John Mikel Obi, after Nigeria defeated Honduras 3-2 to finish third at Rio2016.

NFF had blatantly refused to acknowledge the donation, though the Nigerian Embassy wrote the Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, to allow Takasu present the donation to the team after a background checks were done on the Japanese.

The largesse stirred controversy in the country with the Chairman, Senate Sports Committee, Obinna Ogba, among those who have questioned the proprietary of Siasia and Mikel decision to accept the donation on behalf of the team.

Speaking on why NFF refused to commend Takasu in writing for his magnanimity, Pinnick told reporters on Tuesday night that the federation declined because it was not put in the picture initially when the doctor offered to donate the money.

He said the donation was in breach of due process and the order of protocol originating from NFF and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) was also by-passed. As a result of the gap, they could not formally brief the sports minister.

Pinnick insisted NFF position was anchored on protecting the integrity of Nigeria as taking money from questionable sources could expose Nigerian players to the match-fixing scheme of

the notorious gambling ring in South East Asia.

“We rejected the donation because it did not follow due process. We should be careful about who we receive money from and our concern is about the integrity of our players and coaches, so that they are not induced with money to fix matches by the betting syndicate in Asia,” Pinnick said.

“It (the donation) did not pass through the proper channel. The minister would have communicated with government to see, for example, if Nigeria is in conflict with the man’s country of origin. A lot of processes were isolated,’’ Pinnick said.

He also highlighted the challenges faced by the federation in buying flight tickets for the players of this weekend’s Africa Cup of Nations match against Tanzania, arising from the unbeareable effect of assessing money in the Treasury Savings Account (TSA).

According to him the federation had to a sign a guarantee before its travel agency agreed to issue flight tickets to enable the foreign-based players come for the match.

Pinnick

L-R: Mikel, Japanese plastic surgeon, Katsuya Takasu and Siasia at the presentation of the $390,000 cheques to Dream Team

Team Nigeria to Depart for Rio2016 Paralympic Games Today Team Nigeria’s contingent to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games is expected to depart today for Brazil.

Paralympic Committee Nigeria Media Officer, Mr. Patrick Ibeh, said the team which is made up of 23 athletes and six coaches plus one athlete’s competition partner will depart the country through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja via Emirates Airline at 5pm.

The Secretary General of Nigeria Paralympic Committee, Dr. Frank Thorpe and some senior officials of the sports ministry to Rio are in the

advanced party that will welcome the athletes on arrival in Rio tomorrow night.

The Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung, charged the athletes to go for gold and be good ambassadors of the country by competing clean at the Games even as he emphasised on the need for them to be of good behaviour and avoid any act capable of tarnishing the good image of the country.

Dalung warned that the sports ministry will not take it kindly with any athlete caught spiking his system with performance enhancing drugs in order to excel.

He stressed that available records showed that Nigeria has in the past been doing well at the Paralympic Games especially the last edition held in London, 2012 where the country won 6 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze medals.

President of Paralympic Committee Nigeria, Monday Emoeghavwe, is optimistic that the athletes will not be of any disgrace in Rio. According to him, “the expectations are high and the athletes who are already in high spirit to do the country proud by winning laurels at the Games are set to go”, he

remarked.

One of them, Nick Chinedu Emmanuel, a table tennis player said he is not going to Rio to see Marcopolo buses rather his mission to Brazil is to win gold for Nigeria.

Also sounding optimistic is the power-lifting head coach, Prince Are Feyisetan who has vowed to repeat his London 2012 Paralympic Games magic of six gold medals if the lifters adhere to instructions and no biased officiating.

Nigeria will compete in only three sports – para-athletics, power-lifting and table-tennis.

CJN Games Kick off Amapakabo Denies Being Ousted from S’Eagles Camp in Kogi Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja The 22nd edition of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Games kicks off in Lokoja, Kogi State capital following the unveiling of the tournament trophy yesterday.

The CJN, Justice Mohammed Mamoud, who unveiled the trophy at the Kogi State High Court, assured the organisers of the support of the judiciary.

The CJN who was represented

by Justice Suleiman Galadima said the bench was happy to host the tournament in the state because it has one of the best judiciary in the country.

He noted that the judiciary in the state was scandal free, saying he was convinced that the tournament would be hitch free.

Mamoud also noted that the preparation put into the competition by the state

Super Eagles’ Assistant Coach, Imama Amapakabo, has denied government would make it to a report in the media that he be one of the best organised in was asked out of the team’s the history of the competition. camp in Uyo by FrancoThe Kogi State Chief Judge, German Technical Adviser, Justice Nasir Ajana, said the Gernot Rohr.

The Enugu Rangers FC head tournament would further strengthen the oneness of the coach was part of the team’s first training session in the judiciary in the country.

Ajana, who spoke through Akwa Ibom State capital on Justice Henry Olusuyi, said Tuesday evening before leaving stars would emerge from the for Enugu yesterday morning to take charge of the ‘Flying competition.

According to him, the Antelopes’ in a rescheduled tournament which formed part NPFL match.

But a report stated that he of recreational opportunities for the bench would also had been shoved out of the foster unity among the team by former Paris Saint Germain FC defender Rohr. judiciary.

“There is no truth in the The Kogi State Commissioner for Sports report that I was told to leave and Youth Development, the camp. On Tuesday, the Arome Adoji, said the state Technical Adviser (Gernot was ready for the competition, Rohr) arrived camp and held adding that adequate security a first meeting with everyone measures had been made for in camp, in a wonderful atmosphere. the participants.

“He preached team spirit and insisted each and every person in camp is important.

After the day’s training, I went to meet him for permission to travel to Enugu and lead my team against MFM FC in a rescheduled NPFL match yesterday.

“He saw the need for me to be there and wished me good luck. The TA (technical adviser) also told me that it was important I returned to camp immediately after the match,” he reacted.

Rohr, who had earlier declared his readiness to work with Nigerian indigenous coaches in order to leave a useful and positive legacy at the expiration of his contract, corroborated Amapakabo’s statement.

“I never dismissed him.

Rather, I was excited that we have a member of the technical crew doing so well

Amapakabo with his club and I have heard many people say Rangers have a good chance of winning the League, and I know it is a great club with a great tradition.

“He (Amapakabo) told me it was important for him to go as three points from there would see his team topping

the table, with few matches left in the season. You can only encourage such a person.”

Team official Dayo Enebi Achor also confirmed that former Nigeria junior international Amapakabo is being expected back at the team’s Le Meridien Hotel in Uyo this morning.

55

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

THURSDAYSPORTS

T R A N S F E R D E A D L I N E DAY D E A L S

EPL Clubs Spend Record £1bn in Summer Window

Balotelli Lucas Perez’s move to Arsenal on Tuesday added £17.1m to the summer spending total Premier League summer transfer spending has surpassed £1bn for the first time.

Clubs had spent a combined £1.005bn as of 08:30 BST yesterday’s transfer deadline day, according to sports business group Deloitte.

The previous record of £870m, set last year, was passed on Thursday, six days before transfer deadline day.

Arsenal’s £52m double signing of Lucas Perez and Shkodran Mustafi on Tuesday helped push spending beyond the £1bn mark.

Premier League clubs are

Luis benefitting from a new £5.1bn television deal coming into force, meaning they have more spending power, and 12 teams have broken their transfer record this summer.

Earlier this month, Manchester United set a new British transfer record when they spent £89m on Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba.

But some managers have complained that British clubs are being asked to pay too much for players on the back of the TV deal.

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte last week said the market was “crazy”, and that he was being asked to “pay £50m for medium players”.

The transfer window in England closed at 23:00 BST last night.

Wilshere PLAYER

Nasri

FROM

TO

01 David Luiz

P.S.G

02 Mario Balotelli

PLAYER

FROM

TO

Chelsea (£38m)

12 Serge Gnabry

Arsenal

Werder Bremen (£4.5million)

Liverpool

Nice (Free Transfer)

13 Kenneth Omeruo

Chelsea

Alanyaspor (Loan)

03 Jack Wilshere

Arsenal

Bournemouth (Loan)

14 Lazar Markovic

Liverpool

Sporting Lisbon (Loan)

04 Islam Slimani

S’Lisbon

Leicester City (£29.7m)

15 Juan Cuadrado

Chelsea

Juventus (Loan)

05 Eliaquim Mangala

Man City

Valencia (Loan)

16 Nigel de Jong

LA Galaxy

Galatasaray

06 Joe Hart

Man City

Torino (Loan)

17 Asamoah Gyan

Shanghai SIPG

Al-Ahli (Loan)

07 Wilfried Bony

Man City

Stoke City (Loan)

18 Emmanuel Riviere

Newcastle

Osasuna (Loan)

08 Marcos Alonso

Florentina

Chelsea (£24m)

09 Samir Nasri

Man City

Sevilla (Loan)

19 Didier Ndong

Lorient

Sunderland (£13.6m)

10 Alvaro Arbeloa

Free Agent

West Ham (One year deal)

20 Bruno Martins Indi

Porto

Stoke (Loan)

11 Georges-Kevin N'Koudou

Marseille

Tottenham (five-year deal)

21 Umar Sadiq

Roma

Bologna (Loan)

US OPEN

Serena Eases Past Makarova Serena Williams showed no sign of the shoulder injury that disrupted her US Open preparation as she dismissed Ekaterina Makarova in straight sets.

The top seed faced a tricky first-round opponent in Makarova, Russia’s world number 29, but won 6-3 6-3.

Williams, 34, will monitor how her shoulder reacts before her second-round match against Vania King.

“I’ll have to wait until tomorrow (Thursday) to see - I haven’t been able to play that much since Wimbledon,” said Williams.

“Every day I’ll just see how it goes.”

Williams had played just three matches since winning Wimbledon, but impressed against 2014 semi-finalist Makarova in the night session.

“I love coming out here in front of this New York crowd, it’s super special,” said the six-time champion, chasing an open-era record 23rd Grand Slam singles title.

“I got off to a really fast start - I wanted to get some momentum.”

Venus Williams, seeded

sixth, survived 63 unforced errors to beat Kateryna Kozlova of Ukraine 6-2 5-7 6-4.

Fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska and fifth seed Simona Halep lost four games between them as they progressed, while leading names Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori and Juan Martin del Potro went through in the men’s draw.

Meanwhile there was an upset in the men’s draw as 12th-seeded Belgian David Goffin was beaten 4-6 7-5 6-4 6-0 by 19-year-old American qualifier Jared Donaldson.

Dope: Three More Russians among Six Disqualified by IOC The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has stripped more Russian athletes of medals for failing drugs tests at the Beijing 2008 Games.

Silver and bronze-winning weightlifters Marina Shainova and Nadezhda Evstyukhina have been sanctioned along with 4x400m runner Tatyana Firova.

Russia had already lost their 2008 4x400m relay silver.

The other three are weightlifters Tigran Martirosyan, Alexandru Dudoglo and Intigam Zairov.

They hail from Armenia, Moldova and Azerbaijan respectively.

The IOC carried out more than 4,500 drugs tests at the 2008 Olympics but only nine athletes tested positive.

It has since retested more than 450 samples, using new

methods to uncover banned substances which would have gone undetected at the time.

The IOC has also carried out about 250 retests on samples from London 2012.

Russian track and field athletes were banned from competing at Rio 2016 by the IAAF after widespread, state-sponsored doping was uncovered in the country.

Serena

Murray Dispatches Rossol to Make Second Round Andy Murray sent an early signal that he is ready to make a serious run at the US Open title when he made it through to the second round with ominous ease, by beating Lukas Rosol 6-3 6-2 6-2 in what was his first match in the Arthur Ashe Stadium since its new roof was fully installed.

Back under the watchful eye of Ivan Lendl for the first time since winning Wimbledon, the 29 year-old Scot was on the late night shift for his match against another Czech, Lukas Rosol.

After a few close early games

there were no indications of any fatigue from his exertions at the Olympics and Cincinnati Masters.

Faced with a sometimes explosive opponent who had pledged that he would take risks, Murray soaked up what he needed to and protected his own serve to the extent that he did not face any break points.

He will now face world No 45 Marcel Granollers of Spain, having made it three British men in the US Open second round for the first time since 1978, joining Kyle Edmund and Dan Evans.

Okocha’s Goal Makes Me Dizzy, Says Oliver Kahn German legendary goal keeper, Oliver Kahn has disclosed that he is yet to recover from the wonder goal he conceded against Nigeria’s Austin Jay Jay Okocha in a Bundesliga fixture between Eintracht Frankfurt and Karlsruhe in 1993.

Okocha who came on as a second half substitute for Eintracht Frankfurt provided an assist and scored his wonder goal, by dribbling the entire back-line of Karlsruhe before slotting

Kahn the ball past Kahn to secure a 3-1 win.

The former Bayern Munich

skipper paid a tribute to the Nigerian legend as he recalled the encounter exactly 23 years after on his Twitter page.

“Exactly 23 years is the sensational goal from Jay-Jay Okocha today ago - and I’m still dizzy ...,” kahn tweeted.

The goal was voted as 1993 Goal of the Year by viewers of Sportschau (an ARD German TV sports programme).

Thursday, September 1, 2016

TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

Price: N250

MISSILE Ango Abdullahi to Nigerians “If Lord Lugard made a mistake in 1914, let’s correct it now. Why not? If Nigerians cannot live together and allow peace and development to take place; then let’s go our different ways and to our different places” A former Education Minister of Education and member of the Northern Elders Forum, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, speaking on the agitation for the restructuring of Nigerian federation by many politicians across the country

MOHAMMEDTUKURUSMAN GUEST COLUMNIST

What Are We Restructuring?

A

mericans strive for a more perfect union; Nigerians strive to unbundle a federation some of them view with great disdain. Restructuring is the innocuous term used to describe this endeavour; the effectuation of which, in the form it is presented, will undoubtedly lead to the balkanization of the country. It has been the political talking point this last quarter-century, ever since the late Mr. Alao Aka-Bashorun sought the convocation of a sovereign national conference, in imitation of events taking place in neighbouring Francophone West African countries then seeking the dethronement of dictators.

The annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election provided the fertile ground for the idea to grow, uniting its promoters and the opposition to the late General Sani Abacha dictatorship.

NADECO galvanised the opposition to Abacha, while PRONACO took the lead in the emerging campaign for restructuring. It even undertook to provide a draft constitution alongside a new structure that resembled a rabbit warren and was a model example of gerrymandering.

However, the strength of the agitation for restructuring varies with the political climate and how its protagonists fare therein. Advocating restructuring helps rejuvenate ailing political careers, provides oxygen to moribund organisations and keeps political dinosaurs in the public eye. Concepts have been developed to “explain” restructuring and copious literature issued on its two main planks: true federalism and fiscal federalism, with “resource control” the latter’s philosophical underpinning. These are explained through a mix of sophistry, misleading information and false analogies.

First, there is nothing like “true federalism.”

There are only variants of the political arrangement described as federalism. As most people are aware, there are currently several countries in the world that answer to the name federation, none of which resembles the other, each the product of the circumstances of its founding, all with varying degrees of central government control over their component parts. For instance, the first federation in the world, the United States began life as a confederation after winning its War of Independence, but soon found it unwieldy and ineffective in uniting the peoples. A new arrangement that has come to be known as federalism was therefore arrived at, together with a system of government that distinguished the country from the Old World.

Nigeria as a post-colonial country has similarities in origin and composition to the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa, being “multinational, linguistically and culturally diverse,” with its “component ethnic nationalities territoriality separated.” Yet it was not fated to be a federation by these very facts, otherwise Africa would have been a continent of federal states. The British penchant for administering their colonies as much as possible on the cheap caused the Amalgamation of 1914 while Nigeria’s territorial expanse and huge population necessitated local rule by colonial officers acting on behalf of the central government.

The introduction of regional government provided the foundation upon which the founding

President Muhammadu Buhari fathers negotiated the federation that heralded independence and the First Republic, though they did toy with the idea of a confederation at some stage during the constitutional talks. Nigerian federation is therefore a product of serial acts of a central authority, the British colonial government, not of any “federating units” agreeing to come together as it is being repeatedly presented.

The protagonists of restructuring have seized upon both the Independence and the Republican Constitutions as the ideal constitutional arrangement for our country. It is claimed that those constitutions “allowed regions to retain their revenue, remitting agreed portion to the federal government” and “allowing each region to develop at its own pace,” etc. in a false presentation of the past.

The Republican constitution had 45 items on the exclusive federal list and 29 on the concurrent list, upon which both federal and regional governments could act.

The fact is that leaders of the First Republic who were visionaries did not view that configuration as constraints. For instance, when the Premier of the Northern Region ventured into foreign affairs by declaring his non-recognition of Israel, the Prime Minister promptly checkmated him and went on to receive the then Israeli Foreign Minister, the late Golda Meir. The exclusive federal list has since expanded to 68 items in the 1999 constitution against 30 in the concurrent list, mainly because of the challenges the country was facing at that material time.

The 1979 Constitution (to which the current one hews closely), especially was drafted by a stellar assembly of politicians and legal luminaries while the military rulers who were the approving authorities did not so tamper with what was presented to them as to void its fundamental thrust. Nevertheless, save for the power to declare war, the shortened concurrent list still grants states enough powers to deliver the required service to their constituencies.

The revenue allocation question is the real reason for the campaign for restructuring, not the preponderance of exclusive federal list. As a former United States’ President famously once declared, “It’s the economy, stupid!” And it is in this area that misleading statements are regularly dished out. There was no time the regional governments controlled their “own resources”

let alone remit agreed portion of revenue to the federal government. The fact was that mineral resources, revenues from which are the issues of current contention, were under the federal government; it is useful to remember that before Oloibiri, tin and columbite were the principal export minerals.

The revenue allocation formula in operation in the First Republic was the one based on the Reisman Commission Report (1958). It added to the sole parameter identified by earlier Commissions on the issue - derivation - the factors of minimum responsibility, population and balanced development of the Federation. It also introduced the Distributable Pool Account (DPA) into which specific percentages from the various revenue heads were paid to give effect to the new parameters.

A chapter in the book by F.A.O. Schwarz, “Nigeria: The Tribes, The Nation or The Race” (MIT Press 1965) revealed interesting details about fiscal relations between the federal and regional governments in the First Republic. For instance, the federal government collected most of the taxes for the country, even as it remitted most of the proceeds to the regions as provided for under the revenue allocation formula. Secondly, the revenue so received by the regional governments outstripped internal revenue collection in the fiscal years 1959/1960, 1960/1961 and 1961/1962. Even now that is the case.

A most interesting thing in this section was the observation of the author that as oil revenue, derived from mining rents and royalties (50% of which was remitted to the region of origin), became more prominent in the revenue profile of the Federation, the more the likelihood of “political controversy” arising from its distribution. How prophetic!

The Niger Delta has been racked by militancy and pipeline vandalism these past 20 years, to protest neglect and press for increased revenue/ resource control. A disturbing aspect of the current situation is that both the established leadership elite and the elected public officials have surrendered the initiative to militants who have unleashed economic terrorism on the country, receiving unseemly applause from some media outlets.

What is often ignored is that the plethora of initiatives and institutions brought to bear on the developmental challenges in the Niger Delta has not yielded significant fruits because of non-uniformity in the motivations of the various stakeholders. Otherwise, tangible improvement in the standard of living and the environment could have been recorded in the last 15 years with the unprecedented revenues available for that purpose.

Another issue is the centralised police system now in operation which is seen as antithetical to federalism. It may well be so, but it must be viewed against the country’s experience in the First Republic when the local (N.A.) Police were used to oppress opposition in the regions. Nothing precludes local/state police being similarly used in the current dispensation. It is indeed worth recalling the case where an Assistant InspectorGeneral of Police (ordinarily under the command of the IGP) connived with some local political

godfathers to kidnap a sitting governor in order to force his resignation. For sure, local knowledge and flavour could be injected into the policing system by ensuring that at least 50% of personnel deployed to any state are indigenes. But under the current climate, it is difficult to envision an apolitical state police force which will maintain law and order without interference from state authorities.

Now to the proposed “solution”: Neither the National Political Reform Conference (2005) nor the National Confidence (2014) passes the test of purity of motives. President Olusegun Obasanjo hoped to achieve the removal of presidential term-limit, while President Goodluck Jonathan’s was to galvanise his support base and tempt the South-West politicians who live by the idea of “a Sovereign National Conference.” Besides, most of the recommendations have been in circulation for ages and could be put into effect by administrative action or through constitutional amendment(s).

Like the position of derivation factor in the revenue allocation formula; it is an issue that could be handled via legislative action rather than constitutional amendment. It is a good sign that the House of Representatives will adopt the National Conference Report as a working document in its constitution review. A determined effort on its part would see the National Assembly effect necessary amendments to the Constitution that will reduce areas of dispute.

The geopolitical zonal structure is another step advocated in aid of restructuring. A charitable view of this construct is that it is a reaction to the mindless state-creation exercises of the 1990s. Otherwise, the political class is its only “beneficiaries.” They have used it to build party bureaucracies that would be the envy of Communist Parties of old - BOT, NWC, NEC, etc. The practical effect of the geopolitical zonal structure however will be the creation of ethnic lagers, a situation even its supporters warned against but know will happen. Regional government will just add another layer of administration to a country some would consider over-administered.

It is amazing that in all these discussions about restructuring no thought is given to the issue of good governance, which by some measure is more relevant to our current realities. If the country had witnessed good governance in the last decade and a half, we would have been truly on the way to the El Dorado we all crave.

Restructuring is not a substitute for it. Granted that it is a legitimate undertaking for any ethnic group to seek political solutions that could better reflect their aspirations and protect their interests, such a quest should be without inducing mass hysteria or the mass-marketing of hate and prejudices against those who hold contrary views.

Nigeria has been badly served by the various elite groups (from both the North and South).

Most of these people have articulated no vision for the country; rather, they work its many fault-lines to satisfy personal ambitions. Yet, a country that consistently receives negative ratings from its own ruling elites cannot hope to survive, let alone prosper. Nigeria is in that unhappy position today.

• M.T. Usman wrote in from Kaduna and can be reached on aboumahmud@yahoo.com

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