Friday 24th February 2017

Naira Extends Gains on Parallel Market, Now N480/$ CBN auctions another $230m, says manufacturers to access funding from diverse interventions Obinna Chima in Lagos and James Emejo in Abuja The naira continued on its four-day winning streak against the U.S. dollar on the

parallel market yesterday to close at N480/$, stronger than the N501 to the dollar from the previous day, as the new foreign exchange policy actions introduced by the Central Bank

of Nigeria (CBN) forced more currency speculators to sell off the greenback as sell rates fell as low as N460/$.

The buy rate of the dollar also strengthened yesterday to

close N470/$, as against the N490/$1 at which it closed on Wednesday.

In all, the naira has appreciated by N39 since Monday when the new FX

actions were announced by the regulator.

Also, as part of efforts to sustain dollar liquidity in the market and bridge the gap between the interbank FX

and parallel markets, it was gathered that the central bank auctioned another $230 million through forward contracts Continued on page 10

Bankers' Committee Reintroduces Charges on Cash Deposits ...

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Harvard School Appoints Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode into Its Leadership Board... Page 13

Police Warn Against Reprisals as MTN’s Office is Vandalised

FG not ready to speak on incident, says communications ministry Telco’s CEO leads team to meet Osinbajo Nigerian students want ties with South Africa severed, burn country's flag

Dele Ogbodo, Alex Enumah in Abuja and Emma Okonji in Lagos with agency report The Nigeria Police Force yesterday warned individuals and groups against engaging in acts that will result in the destruction of property and cause a breakdown of law and

order, especially against South African companies in Abuja, or in any other part of the country.

The police in the federal capital city issued the statement after the Abuja head office of South Africa’s mobile phone Continued on page 10

Sheriff Reopens PDP Secretariat

To unfold peace agenda Monday Makarfi accuses chairman of breaking into office Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja Eight months after security forces locked up the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, the office was reopened yesterday by the court-reinstated national

chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.

The national secretariat of the main opposition party was locked up due to the leadership crisis that led to a prolonged legal tussle and Continued on page 10

INEC to Overhaul Rivers Office, Punish 28 Indicted Staff... Page 12

Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, presenting a plaque to the Comptroller General, Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd.), during a courtesy visit by the management of NIMASA to the Customs Service in Abuja… recently

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PAGE TEN POLICE WARN AGAINST REPRISALS AS MTN’S OFFICE IS VANDALISED giant, MTN, was vandalised

by Nigerian protesters in a reprisal, following the recent wave of xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other Africans in Pretoria, South Africa.

This is just as the Ministry of Communications said yesterday that the federal government would not make a premature statement on the attack on MTN’s office.

Protesters in Abuja vandalised the head office of the South African mobile phone giant yesterday in retaliation for anti-Nigerian violence in South Africa, a witness and an MTN spokesman said.

The attack came after a Nigerian youth body threatened to shut down South African businesses after shops believed to be owned by mainly Nigerians and other African immigrants in the capital Pretoria were attacked and looted.

Nigeria and South Africa, African’s two largest economies and pre-eminent diplomatic and military powers, have a volatile relationship.

Protesters stormed the regional head office of MTN - the biggest South African company active in Nigeria - and stole customers’ phones, vandalised equipment and attacked customers, a spokesman for MTN said.

A Reuters reporter arriving at the scene after the storming

saw no obvious damage at the building in the centre of Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.

Security officers had cordoned off the entrance.

“They forcefully entered the MTN office. Security men were around but unable to curtail the protesters, who forced the gates open and entered the office,” a witness said.

“Some protesters were touts. Some were students.

In the midst were some criminals that took away some customers’ phones and other things,” he added, asking not to be named.

A South African government source described the attack as serious. “This wasn’t just some people on the street throwing stones. They broke into the building and stole things and broke things,” the source said.

The incident coincided with a visit by MTN group chairman Phuthuma Nhleko to acting President Yemi Osinbajo, who has been in charge for the last month for President Muhammadu Buhari, who is absent on sick leave.

This week, at least 20 shops believed to belong to immigrants were looted in South Africa’s capital.

The South African Police refused to say if the attackers were specifically targeting foreigners.

Responding to those attacks, Nigeria’s foreign ministry said it would summon the

South African envoy to raise its concerns over “xenophobic attacks” on Nigerians, other Africans and Pakistanis.

South Africa’s home affairs minister yesterday spoke out against renewed anti-foreigner violence.

Anti-immigrant violence has flared sporadically in South Africa against a background of near-record unemployment, with foreigners being accused of taking jobs from locals and getting involved in crime.

“Currently, in 2017, there are renewed incidents of violence against foreign nationals in Rosettenville and Pretoria West,” Gigaba told a media briefing.

“Unfortunately, xenophobic violence is not new in South Africa,” he said, recounting similar incidents in the past.

The minister said some residents in Pretoria have planned a march on Friday against immigrants, citing competition for jobs and allegations of criminal activities, such as prostitution and drug dealing in the poor township west of Pretoria.

However, the Nigerian Ministry of Communications yesterday said the federal government would not make premature statements on the reprisal attack on MTN’s Abuja office.

Mr. Victor Oluwadamilare, Special Adviser to the Minister of Communications, while speaking on the phone said the ministry will address the

issue next week.

He however admitted that the attack was a reprisal against MTN, following the xenophobic attacks in South Africa early this week.

Oluwadamilare said it was the police or its inspector general that should have commented on the Abuja incident, adding that the minister was in Akure, the Ondo State capital for the inauguration of the governorelect, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), as the state’s new governor today.

Attempts to speak with the Public Affairs Director of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr. Tony Ojobo, proved abortive, as he could not be reached The Commissioner of Police (CP) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Musa Kimo, however, warned individuals and groups against indulging in acts that will result in the destruction of property, or cause a breakdown of law and order in the territory and especially against South African companies.

A statement signed by the FCT Command’s public relations officer, Manzah Anjuguri, said the warning was necessitated by the attack on MTN’s office.

The CP, while condemning the action of the protesters, warned that the police, as the custodian of law and order, would not hesitate

to prosecute those arrested for causing the breakdown of law and order.

But as MTN’s office was being attack in Abuja, its group chairman led a team to meet with the acting president yesterday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Nhleko led a delegation comprising Gbenga Oyebode, a lawyer; Victor Odili, a businessman; Sani Bello, a businessman, and Ferdinand Moolman, the CEO of MTN Nigeria – all members of the board of MTN Nigeria.

Details of the meetings were not revealed.

In 2016, the telco recorded a loss for the first time in its history and blamed it on the fine slammed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in October 2015.

MTN’s Nigeria subsidiary also deferred its expected listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) this year.

The South African group, nonetheless, expressed its implicit confidence in its Nigerian operations, despite the grim challenges arising from the N330 billion fine imposed on it.

The confidence was relayed

by Nhleko when he led a high level delegation to the NCC headquarters in Abuja recently.

Nhleko, who was received by the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta and top management of the commission, said the group

has faith in Nigeria and will be willing to invest more in the sector in the years to come.

“We had challenges in the past, during the period of the fine, and we are grateful for the role the commission played towards an amicable resolution,” Nhleko said.

Nhleko whose visit to the NCC’s management was a valedictory one as he steps down as group chairman in March, 2017, said the MTN Group has injected over $16 billion into its Nigerian operations and “we have a very long way to go and so ask for a spectrum which is the oxygen and lifeblood to navigate this long and tedious investment journey, because without the spectrum, the sector will suffocate”.

Nhleko specifically solicited for more spectrum allocations and the release of the one that was held by Visafone Nigeria, which MTN acquired in 2015.

He also canvassed for a level playing field “despite being the dominant player”.

He said MTN has made its mark in voice and data services but more services like mobile financial services are underway.

In his response, Danbatta welcomed the delegation and assured them that the commission will always play by the rules and support every

the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, as part his peace overtures.

Sheriff and his faction of the PDP were reinstated as the de facto leadership of the PDP by the Appeal Court last week.

However, the faction led

by Senator Ahmed Makarfi has vowed to challenge the judgment at the Supreme Court.

But in reaction to the reopening of the secretariat of the party yesterday, Makarfi described it as illegal and capable of fueling violent conflict.

In a statement issued by the spokesman of the faction he leads, Mr. Dayo Adeyeye, the party said Sheriff and his team forcefully entered the party’s

premise without recourse to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) who was in the custody of the keys.

“As far as we are concerned, the forceful entry of Ali Modu Sheriff and his team into the party secretariat is illegal and most unwelcomed.

“We say this because the keys to the secretariat are with the Board of Trustees and we’ve checked with them, and can confirm that the keys were not handed over to Sheriff or any of his followers,” he said.

The statement said the implication of this was that he broke into the secretariat, terming it a criminal offence.

“We also expected that

Modu Sheriff should have waited for the conclusion of the appeal we filed at the Supreme Court before he forced himself in, just like we held on when we got a court judgment favouring us last year.

“We are condemning his action in totality and we view it as an affront on the rule of law. Given his act of illegality, we state clearly that he should be held responsible for any loss of documents or damage to the property within the party secretariat,” Adeyeye said.

He added that none of the staff of the PDP was around when the team led by Sheriff gained entry into the place.

“The administrative staff

as accounting officers were not around to see the event happen, and as the custodians of the property of the party, they refused to participate in the illegal entry made by Ali Modu Sheriff.

“His action is provocative and is capable of causing another round of crisis in the party. We advise him in his own interest to vacate the secretariat immediately.

“We also call on authority of the Nigerian Police to prevent chaos by flushing Ali Modu Sheriff and his team out of the PDP secretariat and let all parties wait for the judgment of the Supreme Court which is the highest court in the land,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the CBN governor, Financial Markets, Mr. Emmanuel Ukeje has said manufacturers could end up benefiting from other funding sources provided by the central bank that may exceed the 60 per cent preferential FX allocation to them, which was stopped last Monday when the new FX policy actions were announced.

Ukeje’s assurance to the manufacturing sector came against the backdrop of complaints by industries.

He said contrary to speculations that the CBN may have relegated the manufacturing sector, the central bank still holds the sector in high esteem.

Speaking on Arise News Network, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, he said the CBN has developed a strategy of ensuring that funding gets to the manufacturing sector.

“There are other avenues that they will end up benefiting more than the 60

per cent they were getting from those allocations,” he said.

According to him, “Even though manufacturers were given that preference in the past, manufacturers under any condition are still part and parcel of bank customers.

“And that’s what the CBN is going to fall back on, as we feed other sectors for other people to access the funds.

The manufacturing sector actually will benefit from other interventions by the CBN because we also hold this particular sector in very high esteem.

“We know the role they are supposed to play in terms of contributing to the economic development of the country.”

Despite its decision to stop the preferential treatment, which required banks to allocate 60 per cent of FX purchases from all sources to specific sectors of the economy, the central bank had maintained that the provision of FX to the manufacturing sector would remain its strong priority.

But since the announcement, there have been diverse interpretations of the central bank’s pronouncement, with some manufacturers raising concern.

Continued on page 11

SHERIFF REOPENS PDP SECRETARIAT clashes by party supporters.

Speaking at a brief ceremony held in his dusty office yesterday evening, Sheriff said he was keeping his promise to reopen the party’s office and get operations running.

A highly elated Sheriff said that he and his leadership had come to assess the offices and premises for necessary repairs to be made in readiness for the formal resumption of normal duties next week.

“We are here at the national secretariat to assess the place so that we can resume either on Monday or Tuesday. We will go round to determine the kind of repairs to be undertaken.

“We will get our painters and cleaners over by the

weekend to work on it and while they are doing that, we will continue with our consultations just like we have been doing since the judgment,” he said.

Sheriff and other members of the National Working Committee arrived the party secretariat at about 6 p.m. heralded with shouts of “PDP Power” from supporters who joined him to open the office.

Sheriff said he and other NWC members will be addressing a press conference at the national secretariat on Monday where he will unfold the agenda to restore peace to the party.

Sheriff will also be visiting one of the founding fathers of

NAIRA EXTENDS GAINS ON PARALLEL MARKET, NOW N480/$ on the interbank FX market yesterday.

It auctioned $370 million on Tuesday and sold $1.5 million on the spot market.

Commenting on the new FX measures, analysts at Cowry Assets Management Limited said the move by the CBN to increase FX availability to end users has been helped by the recent buildup of Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves amid increased crude oil revenues.

“Given the improvement in the external sector, we anticipate that the new measures could pave the way for a gradual return of confidence in the foreign exchange market.

“We also expect the monetary authority to do more to harmonise the exchange rates and thereby discourage arbitraging,” they added.

In the same vein, Ecobank Nigeria noted that the new policy actions would also help to reinvigorate the hitherto illiquid interbank FX market.

According to Ecobank, the decision to cap the settled rate

for the retail transactions at 20 per cent above the interbank market rate and the restriction of school fees to university education only was a subtle way of partly controlling bank charges and manage likely FX demand pressure in the market.

The bank added: “Over all, the impact of the circular could be short-lived, if the CBN does not show strong capacity to support the FX market with liquidity.”

Also, Cyprus-based FXTM Research Analyst, Lukman Otunuga noted that with dollar demand for school fees payments overseas and personal travel allowance enforcing downside pressures on the parallel market, the move by the CBN to sell dollars to retail users via commercial lenders was logical.

“While the policy may create some transparency, liquidity and efficiency in the Nigerian FX markets, this does not solve the overriding problem of multiple exchanges.

“Eventually, the CBN

may be forced to bridge the disparity between the official and parallel markets which have added to Nigeria’s woes.

“With expectations heightened over the central bank devaluing the local currency in an effort to create liquidity and stability, this new policy could be viewed as the first course.

“It must also be kept in mind that the inexhaustible demand for the dollar, that is not the legal tender in Nigeria, continues to leave the naira vulnerable to heavy losses,” he added.

Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) Limited also warned in a note that “Nigerians must remember that this recovery is only as good as the supply remaining consistent”.

“The good news is that oil is currently trading at $57pb.

If sustained, this will provide the buffer needed to support the CBN’s policy directive of substantial weekly dollar injections into the market,” FDC said.

TOP GAINERS NGN NGN BERGGPAINTS 0.30 6.38 GUINNESS 3.12 68.00 NPFMFB 0.05 1.15 LIVESTOCK 0.03 0.75 GTBANK 0.93 24.65 TOP LOSERS NGN NGN UNILEVER 1.53 29.16 UACN 0.63 12.02 UPDC 0.09 1.81 VITAFOM 0.09 1.81 DANGSUGAR 0.19 6.00 HPE Nestle Nig Plc N576.00 Volume: 146.709 million shares Value: N1.754 billion Deals: 2,563 As at yesterday 23/02/17 See details on Page 43

% 4.9 4.8 4.5 4.1 3.9 % 4.9 4.9 4.7 4.7 3.0

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˾ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017

NEWS

How Abdulmutallab Became a Suicide Bomber

The New York Times, through a Freedom of Information Act request, has obtained documents containing detailed accounts of how slain Al Qaeda leader, Anwar alAwlaki, mentored a Nigerian, Farouk Abdulmutallab, who tried to explode a bomb hidden in his underpants, on a flight from Amsterdam in the Netherlands to Detroit, United States, on Christmas Day in 2009.

Mr. Abdulmutallab, commonly referred to as the “underwear bomber” by the U.S. media, is the son of the chairman of Jaiz Bank Limited, Umaru Abdulmutallab. In 2012, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a defiant guilty plea.

The 200-page redacted documents, which contained information obtained from Mr. Abdulmutallab through extensive interviews, was released to the newspaper after two years of legal struggle.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had kept the account a secret and rejected a request made by an author of a 2015 book on the life of Mr. al-Awlaki, an American-born Islamic cleric, forcing the New York Times to

sue to obtain the documents.

Last December, a federal judge, Ronnie Abrams, ordered the FBI to release the document to the newspaper.

Mr. al-Awlaki was killed by a drone strike ordered by former President Barack Obama in 2011. He was the first American to be killed by the deliberate order of a U.S. president since the Civil War. In a series of interviews with the FBI, Mr. Abdulmutallab, a wealthy 23-year-old who studied engineering at the University College, London, revealed his journey towards radicalisation and how he sought out Mr. al-Awlaki, who mentored him into becoming a suicide bomber.

Mr. Abdulmutallab told an FBI agent about how he first encountered the Al-Qaeda leader through a recorded lecture he bought from an Islamic store in the United Kingdom in 2005. He became enamored by his teachings.

After a trip to the United Arab Emirates in 2009, he said he felt “God was guiding him to jihad”. He travelled to Yemen to meet Mr. al-Awkali, who then had fully embraced violence and was a rising Al Qaeda leader.

From then Mr. al-Awkali

Abdulmutallab transcended from being his religious hero into his tutor on how to become a jihadist.

Mr. Abdulmutallab told agents that the cleric did not only oversee his training in Yemen, but also conceived the plot leading to the failed bomb

attack.

According to the report, Mr. Abdulmutallab, in series of interviews, described every person he remembered meeting from Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, as the Yemen branch of the

terrorist group is known.

He also provided agents with a vivid description of the layout of training camps, Mr. al-Awlaki’s house and many other Qaeda buildings.

According to the New York Times, his descriptions were so precise that they may have aided the U.S.in its drone campaign in Yemen.

He said Mr. al-Awlaki, who was called “sheikh” out of respect, introduced him to other Al Qaeda trainers and bomb makers. The American, Mr. Abdulmutallab told the FBI, taught him how to prepare a martydom video, advising him to “keep it short and reference the Quran”.

Mr. al-Awkali told Mr. Abdulmutallab to hide his trail by first travelling from Yemen to an African country before booking a flight on which he planned to detonate the bomb.

Mr. Abdulmutallab flew from Nigeria to Amsterdam before joining Northwest Airlines Flight 253 to Detroit.

He said the choice of the date for the attack had no special significance and was mainly dictated by ticket prices and flight schedules.

Before he departed, Mr. al-Awlaki sent him a final reminder: “Wait until you

are in the U.S., then bring the plane down.”

He said he followed the progress of the flight on the seat-back screen. He waited until he approached the U.S. border and went to the plane’s bathroom to make final preparations for the attack.

He thought of detonating the bomb in the bathroom but wanted to be certain that he was doing so over U.S. soil, so he returned to his seat to check the map for a final time before igniting the explosives.

Maybe due to excess moisture, the bomb did not explode but let out a flame.

As he tried to get his burning pants off, passengers pounced on him. One passenger punched him and a crew member threatened to throw him out of the plane.

He began confessing to the terror act even before leaving the plane. He said he was a member of Al Qaeda and that he had tried to set off a bomb.

He later stopped talking and needed the presence of his relatives who were flown by U.S. authorities from Nigeria to persuade him to become cooperative again. r5BLFO GSPN UIF XFCTJUF PG 1SFNJVN 5JNFT

Bolanle Austen-Peters Becomes First Nigerian Woman to Build Private Theatre Mary Ekah Setting up a business in the art industry is no easy feat.

It takes a lot of hard work, patience and dedication with the mass of people and personalities that come with it.

Making a name for yourself in this industry is even more difficult, as the setbacks and naysayers can be a bit discouraging, but this was not the case with Bolanle Austen-Peters.

With the tremendous growth of Terra Kulture came the growth of Bolanle’s involvement in the arts, she noticed that there was an absence of spaces and resources for artists, thespians and theatre

enthusiasts to thrive and decided to do something about it. This gave rise to the birth of Terra Kulture Arena a 400-seater, state of the art theatre.

The theatre, which also doubles as a movie-screening venue, will host a range of shows, plays and musicals when it opens. It will also have the challenging role of providing Lagos, its environs, and Nigeria as a whole with a wide schedule of theatre, comedy, music and dance.

Thanks to the determination of Bolanle, the arts and culture industry has entered a revolutionary era and will never be the same again with the opening of Terra Kulture Arena come

March 19, 2017 at 1376 Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Born into the family of Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), Bolanle started out as a lawyer in her father’s firm and then proceeded to work with the United Nations. Her specialty in International Law was not relevant in Nigeria when she moved back in 2003 so she decided to follow her passion in theatre and literature.

She started Terra Kulture with a vision to create an artistic space to celebrate Nigeria’s music, literary arts, food and clothing, a space that would capture the essence of Nigeria’s culture and would be accessible to locals and foreigners alike.

Austen-Peters

POLICE WARN AGAINST REPRISALS AS MTN’S OFFICE IS VANDALISED operator within the ambit of the law.

“I like to state that our word is our covenant. When we take decisions, we are concerned about the stability of the industry and there is no way we can guarantee it without considering the dominant status of MTN and its obligations and if the dominant status is becoming stringent, we are open to engagement.

“We will be guided by what is happening in the market to ensure the growth and development of the sector,” Danbatta said.

Meanwhile, the anger triggered by the xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals in South Africa took a new twist yesterday, when the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) staged a protest at the South African High Commission in Abuja.

The protesting students, who expressed their grievance by burning the South African

national flag, also issued a 48-hour ultimatum to South African nationals to leave Nigeria.

The students, led by their president, Aruna Kadiri, commenced their march from the popular Unity Fountain in the capital city and moved to MTN and Multichoice offices in Maitama and Central Area in Abuja in protest against the renewed xenophobic attacks on Nigerian and other African nationals in South Africa.

They demanded that the officials of the South African High Commission cancel the dinner organised in honour of Regina Tambo, co-founder of the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League.

The students also visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where they urged the federal government to take concrete action to protect Nigerians in South Africa.

“We are demanding that they should break the ties between both countries if there’s any, because the

xenophobic attacks that happened a long time ago have recurred,” the leader of the protesters said.

“We have decided to clear the madness with madness,” he added.

According to him, the South African flag at the High Commission was burnt in order to pass a message that “we don’t have a relationship with them any longer”.

“Within 48 hours, all South Africans in Nigeria should leave or else we won’t be able to guarantee their security anymore,” Kadiri added.

Responding, the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Clement Aduku urged the protesting students to be calm, adding that the federal government was engaging in talks with its South African counterpart on the xenophobic attacks.

He also assured them that all diplomatic means would be explored to stop the killings of Nigerian nationals in South Africa.

But as Nigerians protested against the attacks against its nationals, South Africa yesterday ruled out the possibility of paying compensation to the victims of the 2015 xenophobic attack.

The South Africa High Commissioner to Nigeria, Lulu Mnguni disclosed this during a joint press briefing with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Khadijat Abba-Ibrahim at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.

“On the question of compensation, I clearly indicated that it is not on the side of our government to quantify the size of compensation because those people were not acting on instructions. They were criminals and of course had to be arrested,” Mnguni said.

Even when reminded of the bi-national commission agreement on compensation for the victims, the ambassadors claimed he was not aware of the agreement.

“Well I was not part of that, but I will follow up on that,” he said.

The ambassador stressed that his government would never condone killings carried out either by the police or individuals.

He appealed to other countries to help find lasting solutions to the issue, noting that it was not one his country could handle alone.

He said: “On the question of a recurrence of attacks, I said that we need to come to a situation where we develop a common approach to this. Yes we are using the police; yes we are talking to the people, sensitising them on our history and the contributions of Nigeria and other countries in ending apartheid.

“We hope that when they meet Nigerians, no matter how envious they may be, they will become sensitive to this history.”

The Mister of State for Foreign Affairs also dispelled rumours of the death of

any Nigerian in the latest xenophobic attacks and urged Nigerians both within and in South Africa to remain calm as both governments were already finding an amicable solution to the crisis.

“The ministry has not received reports of any deaths of Nigerians in the latest attacks against foreigners. The Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria is in constant touch with the Nigerian Union in South Africa, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, as well as the South African police.

“All these agencies have confirmed that no Nigerian life was lost in the recent incident,” she said.

While warning the media to desist from spreading information that may likely escalate the violence, Abba-Ibrahim reiterated the preparedness of the Nigerian government to protect its everywhere including in South Africa.

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FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

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

Bankers’ Committee Reintroduces Charges on Cash Deposits Cashless policy goes nationwide

Obinna Chima The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and deposit money banks in the

country, under the umbrella of the Bankers’ Committee, have re-introduced charges on cash deposits by bank customers.

NDIC: Banks’ Bad Loans Stood at N1.82tn in December James Emejo in Abuja The Managing Director/Chief Executive, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, has put banks’ total non-performing loans (NPLs) portfolio at N1.82 trillion as at December 2016.

Specifically, he said the 25 Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) had total loans portfolio of N18.53 trillion out of which N1.85 trillion or 10 per cent were NPLs where N740 billion or 40 per cent constituted Insider/ Directors related loans.

According to him, the figure was far above regulatory threshold of five per cent for the DMBs. Speaking during the defence of the corporation’s proposed 2017 budget before the House of representatives Committee on Insurance andActuarial Matters, he added that while the banking industry indicated strong fundamentals in regulatory assessment and rating, regulators were concerned about the rising tide of NPLs in the banking system.

Meanwhile, the NDIC boss said it proposed to spend the sum of N76.72 billion for 2017 while also targeting a total income of N102.29 billion in the same period.

Accordingtothecorporationsbudget estimate for the year, its operating expenses was put at N43.22 billion or 49.94 per cent of total expenditure as well as total Capital expenditure of N43.32 billion or 50.06 per cent of the total budget.

The capital expenditure would be funded by the corporation’s General Reserve Fund which stood at N45.67 billion as at December 31, 2016.

Ibrahim added that a total of

N47.25 billion was also being proposed as 80 per cent net Operating surplus to be transferred into Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) in 2017.

In his presentation, which was commended by the committee, Ibrahim stated that in 2016, the corporations actual income (net of provisions) was N85.02 billion which was expendable to the limit of 75 per cent in line with the provisions of Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) 2007 while its total expenses was N31.551 billion.

This gave a net operating surplus of N53.46 billion out of which the corporation made provision to transfer the sum of N42.77 billion or 80 per cent into the CRF. According to him, as at Febuary 2017, the Corporation had made a total transfer of N35.89 billion into CRF while awaiting the conclusion of its 2016 External Audit report before transferring the outstanding balance of N6.88 billion to the CRF in line with FRA 2007.

In a statement signed by Hakeem Bakare, on behalf of the Head, Communication and Public Affairs, Ibrahim said with this, the corporation had surpassed its budgeted sum of N35.89 billion as against the actual sum of N42.77 billion transferred into CRF. The members of the committee had expressed grave concern over the increasing wave of non-performing loans (NPLs) particularly delinquent insider related facilities in various banks and its consequences on the stability of the nation’s banking system-and members demanded an update on the state of the Nigerian banking system.

The Director, Banking and Payment System, CBN, Mr. ‘Dipo Fatokun, who announced this in a circular posted on the CBN website yesterday, revealed that the Bankers’ Committee at its 493rd meeting held on February 8, 2017, reviewed the cashless policy charges on withdrawal and deposit and decided that the policy be extended to the 30 remaining states of the federation.

The circular showed that charges on deposits and withdrawals were reviewed such that for individuals with less than N500,000 cash deposit and withdrawals, there would be no charge. In addition, for cash between N500,000 and N1 million, deposit would be 1.5 per cent charge while for withdrawals two per cent of the amount.

Similarly, for cash between N1

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it would carry out a comprehensive reorganisation of its operational office in Rivers State to weed out bad eggs in its ranks.

The commission said all its indicted 28 staff members would face prosecution by the police in addition to internal administrative sanctions.

Also yesterday, the commission said it had approved timetable for the conduct of the Anambra State governorship election with the date of the election fixed for November 18.

Addressing a press conference yesterday in Abuja, the INEC National Commissioner in charge of Publicity and Voter Education, Prince Solomon Soyebi, said apart from the 25 staff indicted by the

River, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Yobe, Sokoto and Zamfara. The income generated from the processing fees charged above the allowable cash transaction limits shall be shared between CBN and the banks in the ratio of 40:60.

“Existing exemptions remain sustained for revenue generating accounts of the federal, state and local governments (lodgments only).

Embassies, diplomatic missions, multilateral and aid donors in Nigeria are also exempted from all processing fees relating to the cashless policy implementation,” the CBN explained.

In view of this, banks were advised to commence enlightenment of customers on the cash-less policy, train their staff members as well as to embark on media communication and engagement of key stakeholders.

L-R: Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Oscar Onyema; Acting President, Prof . Yemi Osinbajo; and Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, at the Green Bonds Capital Market and Investors Conference in Lagos... yesterday Dan Ukana

Fixes Anambra governorship poll for Nov 18 Police Investigative Panel report, three additional staff members were also found wanting by the commission’s disciplinary panel.

He explained that since the staff were found guilty of both administrative and criminal offenses, they would be made to face separate sanctions.

Soyebi said the commission had resolved to fully co-operate with the police in ensuring that the affected staff faces prosecution.

He said commission had accepted to implement several recommendations that will improve the electoral process, adding that aising from the lessons learnt, “the commission will carry out a major overhaul of the entire Rivers State INEC office”.

On the other hand, Soyebi said the commission has accepted a recommendation of its panel to commend its staff and ad-hoc staff,

cash above N40 million, deposit is five per cent and withdrawals is 10 per cent.

The new charges would take effect from April 1, 2017, in the existing cash-less states (Lagos, Ogun, Kano, Abia, Anambra, Rivers and the FCT).

But the policy shall be implemented with the charges taking effect on May 1, 2017, in Bauchi, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Ondo, Osun and Plateau States according to the CBN. The policy would be implemented with the charges taking effect on August 1, 2017, in Edo, Katsina, Jigawa, Niger, Oyo, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Taraba and Nasarawa State.

“The policy shall be implemented with the charges taking effect on October 1, 2017, in the following states: Borno, Benue, Ekiti, Cross

INVESTORS’ CONFERENCE

INEC to Overhaul Rivers Office, Punish 28 Indicted Staff Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

million and N5 million, while deposit attracts two per cent of the amount, bank customers making withdrawals within the range would have to pay three per cent charge.

For cash above N5 million, deposit attracts three per cent charge while withdrawals is 7.5 per cent.

On the other hand, for corporates with cash less than N3 million, for deposit and withdrawals, there would be no charge.

But firms with cash between N3 million and N10 million, depositing such would attract two per cent charge, while withdrawals would attract five cent of the amount when the policy takes off. Also, for cash between N10 million and N40 withdrawn from a corporate account holder, three per cent would be charged for deposit and 7.5 per cent for withdrawals. For

Prof. Ralph Echebiri and Prof. Oji O. Ekemankama both of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike who served in Rivers West and East Senatorial Districts respectively and the Divisional Police Officer of Phalga at the time of the election, for his exemplary professional conduct.

Aguna Isaac and Ademola Oluwatoba of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), who served as Presiding Officers were also to be offered automatic employment by the commission.

According to the timetable, the Anambra State governorship election will take place on Saturday, November 18.

Soyebi said there is no legal impediment stopping the election as at now, adding that the date is within 150 to 30 days before the expiration of the tenure of the incumbent.

Osinbajo Inspects Toilets, Carousels at Lagos Airport Chinedu Eze In line with the federal government policy on the ease of doing business in the country, the acting President, Yemi Osinbajo yesterday inspected facilities, including toilets and the carousels, at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

Accompanied by the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, the acting president drove from the VIP section of the domestic airport through airside to the tarmac of the international wing of the airport.

He went through the security areas to the arrival hall, where he inspected the travelator and expressed disappointment that the facility was not working.

Osinbajo also inspected the carousels and toilets, before proceeding to the departure hall of the airport.

Throughout the inspection, he expressed disappointment that

many of the facilities were either obsolete or broken down, and even newly installed equipment like the carousels were not in efficient working order.

He inspected the immigration area and went to the Visa on Arrival section to enquire how quickly a visitor could obtain visa on arrival.

“We are doing a lot to ease the process of doing business in Nigeria, so we want to make the environment friendly, not only in the area of transportation but for everybody who wants to come and do business in Nigeria.

“The airport is one of the places where we need to ensure that facilities are working and that things are being done properly.

We have come and we have looked around and seen quite a few of the equipment.

“There are many things that need to be corrected, so a lot need to be done. We need to work on them,” Osinbajo said.

The minister also affirmed that

there were things that needed to be done at the airport to enhance easy facilitation and improve the comfort of travellers, adding: “We are here to look at these things. I agree with the vice-president. A lot needs to be done. That is why we are here.”

When THISDAY asked Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) sources why many of the facilities were not in good working condition, one official said most of the contracts awarded for the execution of projects at the airports were done by the Ministry of Aviation (now Transport).

He disclosed that oftentimes FAAN’s management is excluded from the award of contracts for project, “so for the agency to effectively handle the affairs at the airports, interferences from the ministry must stop.”

During the inspection, it was learnt that the company that ought to maintain the carousel had not been paid and discontinued work.

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWS

Osinbajo, Saraki, Dogara, Others Resolve to Ensure Continuity of 2016 Projects Gas C’ttee condemns abuse of budgetary process by NAPIMS FCT C’ttee assigns street maintenance task to banks Tobi Soniyi and Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, have resolved to ensure the continuity of all projects started in 2016 as captured in last year’s Appropriation Bill.

The resolution was the aftermath of a meeting called by the acting president at the Presidential Villa and attended by principal officers of the Senate and House of Representatives including the Chairmen of Appropriation Committees of both houses.

Also at the meeting which had the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, her counterpart in the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, Director-General of Budget Office and other members of the Economic Team chaired by Osinbajo, the acting president appealed to

the leadership of the National Assembly for the quick passage of the 2017 budget The meeting was spurred by the visit of Saraki to Osinbajo on Tuesday where he had reported the flaws discovered in the budget by the National Assembly as well as the perceived setback to the budget process caused by the failure of heads of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to appear before relevant committees to defend their budgets.

THISDAY learnt that following the complaints received from Saraki, the acting president opted to schedule an elaborate meeting for Wednesday with a view to nipping the issues raised in the bud.

The essence of the meeting, THISDAY learnt, was to ensure an exchange of ideas between the National Assembly and the Presidency with a view to ensuring that the budget process is faster and better than that of 2016.

THISDAY learnt that the meeting

resolved that none of the projects started in 2016 as captured in last year’s budget must be abandoned in 2017. Besides the continuity of the projects, it was also learnt that the meeting resolved that such projects must be well funded.

THISDAY also gathered that the meeting further resolved that all key projects in various parts of the country must be captured in the budget with a view to guiding against extra-budgetary spending in the course of the year.

Reference was said to have been made to the scheduled repair of the tarmac of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport scheduled to take-off on March 8 which was not captured in 2016 budget and yet being pursued by the federal government.

Given the resolutions at the meeting, all projects such as the reconstruction of Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Lokoja - Abuja expressway, the rail projects in different parts of the country,

among others, are expected to continue non-stop until they are completed.

Meanwhile, the Senate Joint Committee on Gas, Petroleum (downstream and upstream) yesterday accused the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) of abusing due process during the presentation of its 2016 budget performance to the committee.

At the meeting, NAPIMS’ Group General Manager, Dafe Sejebor, had told the committee that the company ended 2016 in debit balance. But the Chairman, Senate Committee on Gas, Akpan Bassey, reminded the company that a budgetary balance of $1.8 billion was carried over from 2015 to 2016 while another $3.8 billion was provided in 2016 out of which he said the agency spent $4.2 billion, leaving a huge balance of about $1.4 billion.

He also reminded the agency that $422 million was allocated to it for

gas infrastructure projects in 2016 out of which he said the agency spent only $318 million. But Sejebor claimed that the budgetary balance was used to settle outstanding joint venture commitments.

However, Bassey condemned the agency’s unilateral decision to move funds from one budgetary sub-head to another without appropriation.

The committee then ordered the company to furnish it with details of shortfalls of funds allocated for gas infrastructural projects.

Also yesterday, the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said the committee in collaboration with FCT Authority, had agreed that banks operating in the FCT would henceforth, shoulder the responsibility of maintaining street lights and environments of Abuja At a press briefing, Chairman, FCT Committee, Dino Melaye, said “the committee decided to invite

these banks and in line with their corporate social responsibility to the FCT, their host community, that we are going to share all the major streets in Abuja to banks.

“These banks will now do the maintenance of street lights; they will be responsible for environmental sanitation of all the streets, the beautification of roundabouts where you have them and by so doing, they will also have the logo of their companies or their brands at least being advertised on the street lights.

“Last week, the Committee on FCT summoned the managing directors of all banks operating in the FCT and 15 banks attended.

The essence of that meeting is to correct and ameliorate the problem associated with environmental sanitation of the FCT,” he said.

In pursuit of befitting environment for Abuja, Melaye also said every house in Abuja had been mandated to plant at least six trees.

Harvard School Appoints MuhammedOyebode into Its Leadership Board The Women’s Leadership Board of the Women and Public Policy Programme at the Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Massachusetts in the United States of America, has invited Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode onto its board.

Oyebode, lawyer, administrator and Philanthropist, is the CEO of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation (MMF), a non-governmental organisation.

The Women and Public Policy Programme is a centre of the Harvard Kennedy School that specialises in groundbreaking gender research, teaching, training and policy translation.

Comprised of leaders from the most senior levels of business, government, academia, and the non-profit sector, members of the Women’s Leadership Board and the Women and Public Policy Programme aim to create gender equality and improve the lives of women and men around the world, focusing on rigorous, high-impact research that furthers a shared mission of closing gender gaps in the areas of economic opportunity, political participation, health and education.

By her membership of the board, Muhammed-Oyebode joins a dedicated group of women who are committed to deepening their participation in gender research and to interface with high-level policy and decision-makers to deploy interventions and Women and Public Policy Programme expertise to close gender gaps in their spheres of influence.

The news of this appointment was well received by MuhammedOyebode who is one of the few Africans on the board.

“The Harvard Kennedy School is a globally reputed institution and I feel honoured to have been selected as a member of such a prestigious and illustrious board. I will surely contribute my best to make Nigeria proud.,” Muhammed-Oyebode said while responding to her honour.

Muhammed-Oyebode The Murtala Muhammed Foundation of which Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode is the founding CEO was established with a humanitarian mission to improve the living conditions of Africans through the reduction of poverty and the elimination of conflict, while promoting self-reliance of African people and communities. This mission has been practically implemented by the foundation through numerous humanitarian programmes covering core thematic areas such as education and capacity development, disaster risk reduction, good governance and policy compliance among others.

Inaugurated in 2001 to promote the ideals of the late General Murtala Muhammed, Muhammed-Oyebode’s father, the NGO, works closely with government, international organisations, local and international NGOs, religious institutions, professional organisations and relevant stakeholders, to address social issues bothlocallyandinternationallythrough buildingpartnershipsfordevelopment.

Muhammed-OyebodehasanLLM in Public International Law from the prestigious King’s College, University of London.After which she was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1989. She also has an MBA in Finance from the also prestigious Imperial College, University of London as well as various local and international certifications.

LAST MINUTE ASSIGNMENT

Outgoing Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko (second right); cutting the tape to inaugurate the Medical Village, he is being assisted by Vice Chancellor, Ondo State University of Medical Sciences, Prof. Friday Okunofua (right), Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom, Oba Victor Kiladejo (second left); and Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju (left), during the Inauguration of the Ondo State Medical Village (Trauma Centre, Mother and Child Hospital, University of Medical Sciences and Emergency Call Centre), in Ondo town...yesterday

Osinbajo Summons IG over Kidnap of German Archaeologists Abductors demand N60m ransom helicopters, others

Police deploy surveillance

Dele Ogbodo inAbuja andJohn Shiklam inKaduna withagency report

men arrived the village as early as 7a.m., combing the area in the bid to rescue the of the Germans while a helicopter surveying the bushes in an attempt to locate them.

Prof. Breunij said to be 65 years, his aide is believed to be in his early 20s.

Meanwhile, to promptly rescue Breunig and Behringer, the IG yesterday launched manhunt for the rescue of two German archaeologists.

While briefing journalists on the incident at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, Idris said two Deputy Inspectors General of Police (DIGs) in charge of Operations, Mr. Habila Josak and his colleague at the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, Mr. Hyacinth Dagala, have been relocated to Kaduna State.

The police, he said, are also

The Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday summoned the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Ibrahim Idris, over the kidnap of two German archaeologists, Peter Breunig and Johannes Behringer, in Kaduna State.

Breunij and Buringer were abducted on Wednesday in Jenjela village, Kagarko Local Government area of Kaduna State.

A source told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the police chief briefed the acting president on efforts so far made by police to rescue the victims unhurt and apprehend the kidnappers.

The summon of the IG is coming as the abductors of the German archaeologist have demanded for

N60 million as ransom.

A source in Jenjela village said the kidnappers demanded N30 million on each of their victims.

The source, who preferred not to be named, said the abductors called the line of the camp supervisor around 11a.m. yesterday to demand for the random.

According to the source, the kidnappers warned associates of the professor against involving the police and other security agencies in the bid to rescue their victims and advised them to source for the money immediately to secure their release “Obviously they were not worried about the involvement of the police and other security agencies whose men arrived the village yesterday and were asking questions,” he said.

It was learnt that security

reinforcing the operation by deploying surveillance helicopters to comb the nooks and crannies of the towns and villages around the excavation site where they were kidnapped.

The Special Police Forces, according to him, comprised the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), the Technical Intelligence Unit (TIU), the Anti-kidnapping Unit, the Counter Terrorism Unit, the Police Mobile Force, Police Surveillance Helicopters and Special Investigation Team on Kidnapping and Terrorism Cases are under the Command.

The IG, who was represented by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP, Jimoh Moshood, said the suspected kidnappers struck when the victims drove to the excavation site without police protection.

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T H I S D AY FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24, 2017

COMMENT

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

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND THE 2017 BUDGET PROCESS Sanni Onogu writes that this time around, the National Assembly is doing its job creditably

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he vetting of the 2017 budget by the National Assembly entered a crucial stage last week with a national public hearing conducted by the joint committee on appropriation of the Senate and House of Representatives. The positive appraisal of the National Assembly’s handling of the 2017 budget so far is arguably a direct attribute of a reset thinking by its leadership. One thing is clear: unlike previous episodes of budget consideration, the process this time has witnessed smooth sail.

Right from the day of presentation of the appropriation bill by President Muhammadu Buhari, on December 14, 2016, the budget has remained scandal free. There have been no stories of the budget developing wings and disappearing into thin air; no issues of ‘padding’ or ‘stuffing’ or ‘insertion’ by unauthorised means; ministers and lawmakers have not been found engaged in hot exchange of words over who did what. The spirit and eagerness to get things done and done differently for the good of the country has been palpable. Standing committees of the National Assembly have given ministries, departments and agencies ample opportunity to defend their proposals.

The fact that the 2017 budget is cruising home seamlessly is soothing to the heart of all and sundry. The National Assembly under the solid leadership of its chairman, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has amply demonstrated its commitment to a paradigm shift in attitudes and mindset by rising above the din of past omissions and commissions to do things differently. Courageous innovations were articulated and introduced to smoothen rough edges of the sometimes amorphous budget process. For instance, to avoid the 2016 experience, the National Assembly under Saraki constituted and inaugurated the public sector budget reform committee comprising senators, members of the House of Representatives, members of the executive arm of government, the academia and civil society organisations. Headed by the former Senate Leader, Mohammed Ali Ndume, the report of the committee and the committee’s recommendations, have in no small measure, contributed greatly to this year’s seamless budget defence in the growing understanding between the executive and the legislature.

One of the major recommendations of the committee was the opening up of the budget process to members of the public. That may have been informed by the pressure for open and inclusive budget process by Nigerians. The implementation of the recommendation to open up the budget process may have given rise to the hugely successful national public scrutiny of the budget last Monday through Wednesday.

The idea behind the public hearing was to give Nigerians the opportunity to scrutinise the document and air their opinions about the line items. The three-day event has been adjudged successful and rewarding by observers. Issues about the budget and how to make it better to serve and improve the lot of ordinary Nigerians most especially during a time of economic recession were critically interrogated.

Participants and observers alike have no doubt that the current open process of budget consideration would go a long way to engender transparency and accountability. Transparency and accountability in the budget process, they contended, would in turn aid the fight against corruption - from the roots rather than allowing the hydra-headed monster to fester before attempting to deal with it. That lack of transparency and accountability remained the bane of previous budget exercises which no doubt stifled their implementation.

Another innovation in the handling of the 2017 budget by the National Assembly was that critical standing committees of the Senate and House

THE HANDLING OF THE 2017 BUDGET HAS TAKEN A HIGHER GROUND AGAINST THE 2016 BUDGET, WHICH WAS FIRST REPORTED ‘MISSING,’ PADDED’ AND LATER SAID TO HAVE BEEN WITHDRAWN. THESE ABSURDITIES ARE COMPLETELY ABSENT THIS TIME AROUND

of Representatives held joint sessions to give MDAs an unencumbered opportunity to defend their budget proposals. The new arrangement did not only save time and cost on the part of the National Assembly and the executive, it made for greater collaboration between the stakeholders. Above all, the arrangement would also facilitate the early passage of the Appropriation Bill. This is because the two chambers would have nothing to harmonise or reconcile. It also presents early signals that will translate to more collaborative and beneficial working relationship between the executive and the legislature.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Mohammed Danjuma Goje, has already assured Nigerians that the National Assembly is working to produce an implementable 2017 budget. Goje also alluded to the success of the national public hearing for the 2017 budget, saying that a total of 44 stakeholders made submissions at the hearing. He added that the 2017 special budget hearing was the first of its kind in the history of parliamentary/legislative practice in the National Assembly. The level of excitement and enthusiasm shown by stakeholders, especially civil society organisations, he said, was quite unprecedented and encouraging. The pension, health, education and agricultural sectors, Goje said, came up and were given serious emphasis as the areas the country should pay urgent attention to. The challenge in the areas of pension payment, administration and general matters of non-performance, he added, was so clear and must be accorded top and effective priority.

What may be described as the clincher of the novel exercise was the point Goje said was repeatedly made that “the National Assembly must reassert itself as the possessor of the power of appropriation in order to produce the budget of the people at all times.” He further said that “all proceedings we took have been properly documented and will be presented and considered by the joint committee to enable the National Assembly produce an implementable budget for Nigeria and Nigerians.”

While declaring the public hearing open, Saraki did not lose sight of the observations of some stakeholders. “As most of you may have observed, while government has made efforts to ensure that provisions in the budget proposal align with the arching goal of pulling the economy out of recession and laying the foundations for diversified growth, certain provisions are clearly off the path. The budget must address the critical issues setting back our national growth and development,” Saraki said. Apart from assisting to pull the economy out of recession, Saraki was equally particularly interested in seeing the budget help in the creation of jobs and promotion of the non-oil sector.

For the Senate President, “On a more specific note, the 2017 capital budget proposal is intended to support activities that will help to speed up the diversification of the economy and the promotion of the non-oil sector, as well as create jobs for our youth. Accordingly, it is expected that “Made-in-Nigeria” (that is, domestic production of food, materials and other commodities) will be encouraged. In addition, 2017 capital budget proposal is intended to engender private sector partnership in infrastructure as well as other critical sectors of the economy such as agriculture, manufacturing and services.” Indications are that the 2017 budget will perform better. If the budget is passed in March as promised, chances are that implementation of the budget will begin immediately.

Onogu is Chief Press Secretary to the Senate President

SECURITY AGENCIES AND RIVERS RERUN ELECTIONS Security agencies need to shore up their professional role in the conduct of elections, writes Simeon Nwakaudu

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f you are not ashamed over the sad complicity of the nation’s security agencies in the desperate attempt of the All Progressives Congress to rig the December 10, 2016 rerun elections, I am.

When it emerged online on the websites of leading Nigerian Newspapers on Tuesday night (February 21, 2017) that an Independent National Electoral Commission Panel had indicted security agencies of gross electoral fraud and crime against the Rivers people, I was pleasantly surprised.

Pleasantly surprised because we still have responsible gentlemen who will never be intimidated by the police and administrative threats.

After the initial surprise, I waited for several hours to see if the report would be celebrated on the pro-All Progressives Congress television house domiciled in Lagos or whether our ‘I beg you sir’ national television would mention this landmark report. Expectedly, none of them had the courage to broadcast this credible report. Recall that they made headlines of the Inspector General Police Panel report for days. That report favoured their paymasters.

The administrative inquiry into the December 10, 2016 Rivers State Rerun Elections Report prepared by the INEC Panel with Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu, INEC National Commissioner as Chairman has exposed the top echelon of the security force for who they are: a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.

If they think their illegal actions would be swept under the carpet, then they are sadly mistaken.

I have consistently said that Nigeria cannot afford another Rivers Rerun where security agencies are deployed to kill, maim and steal the mandate of the people on behalf of the ruling APC. The country needs to shore up the integrity of the police and other security agencies as regards their roles in the conduct of elections. Ibrahim Idris men have fallen short of all acceptable standards as they used the nation’s security infrastructure to rig polls for the ruling party.

From the reports published in several national dailies, the IGP Panel is yet to send its report to INEC. Aside the sensational snippets of the report released by the panel, nothing has been made public for Nigerians to assess the methodology used by the panel to arrive at its predetermined position. The entire exercise is shrouded in secrecy and under-the-table actions for the purpose of diverting attention from the innocent Rivers blood spilled by the police and other security agencies during the Rivers Rerun of December 10, 2016.

The pointed indictment of security agencies for the fraud and violence during the rerun legislative elections by the INEC Panel confirms what has been in the public domain before, during and after the elections. All through this sad period, the police as the lead security agency, played unlawful part in the fraud.

It is necessary that I quote a section of the INEC Report. “But, the most mind-boggling were cases of hostage-taking, hijack of materials and physical attacks on INEC officials perpetrated by security

operatives …But, for the intervention of National Commissioners, we suspect that he would have put our staff in harm’s way. When he failed in his initial bid, he stalked the INEC officials to the collation centre in Port Harcourt and physically assaulted Dr. C. Odekpe and Mrs. Mary Tunkayo. In fact, Dr. Odekpe ended up with a gash on his head and both spent days at the Air Force hospital in Port Harcourt.”

How can security agents metamorphose into kidnappers and killers, simply because they were instructed to deliver the APC? Why would a constituted security authority assume the position of political thugs just because they want to protect the political interest of a minister who failed as Governor in Rivers State?

Why on earth would the security agencies agree to lose their integrity because of billions of naira released from an interventionist agency for them to rig elections? But the most heartrending question would be: why would the federal government allow itself to become the source of political violence against a federating unit?

Beyond the fact that Governor Nyesom Wike, a defender of Nigeria’s Democracy, has been vindicated, is the urgent need to reform the security agencies and the electoral process.

As presently structured, the electoral system has been kidnapped, its processes held hostage and democracy relentlessly and repeatedly raped. The ongoing wave of defections at the national level is the fallout of loss of confidence in the electoral

process. Feeble hearted politicians have seen the penchant of the system to rig for the ruling party, hence they want to be accommodated in the rigging agenda backed by the police and other security agencies.

Nigerians fought for democracy. They struggled to send the military back to the barracks. The military never wanted to go. Therefore, Nigerians must rise up to defend her democracy. These anti-democratic elements and their associates in the civil society, media and other arms of government will continue to deploy propaganda, falsehood, violence, deaths and bribery to defend a rejected a political party. Nigerians must stand up to resist them.

I shudder when I imagine what would have happened if Governor Wike did not sensitise the Rivers people to resist these criminals in uniforms. Despite the resolute stand of the people, these security agencies succeeded in manipulating elections in one senatorial district where results were written in the home of a senator.

The APC controls the tools of online and traditional propaganda. They can change any narrative with the injection of huge resources. But the issue at stake has gone beyond the proven APC propaganda machine. The issue at stake is about the integrity of our security agencies. It is about the survival of our democracy. It is about the lives of innocent Rivers people wasted by security operatives simply because they were instructed to rig for APC.

15

T H I S D AY Ëž Í°Í˛Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

EDITORIAL WAY OUT OF ARIK AIR DEBACLE

All the stakeholders, including AMCON, should sit at a table to decide the way forward

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ast week, the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) announced the takeover of Nigeria’s largest carrier, Arik Air, with a claim that it wanted to save the airline from collapsing and to ensure that over 3000 workforce in the company did not lose their jobs. The action was predicated on a court order which gave AMCON the power to do so, considering the huge debts Arik Air owed the federal government agency, put at around N135 billion.

Justifying the takeover, AMCON said that Arik Air has been in a precarious situation largely attributable to its heavy ďŹ nancial debt burden, bad corporate governance, erratic operational challenges and other issues that required immediate intervention in order to guarantee the continued survival of the Airline. But many industry stakeholders have misgivings about the action of AMCON for several critical reasons.

One, AMCON has a reputation for ruining all the businesses it has taken over. Example is Aero Contractors, which MANY HAVE SEEN THE has about nine FORCEFUL TAKEOVER OF aircraft when it was ARIK AIRLINE MORE AS A taken over in 2012, DISINCENTIVE TO PRIVATE but which now has INVESTMENT IN THE only three aircraft COUNTRY that are airworthy.

Besides, government has never run a successful airline in Nigeria, so using Arik to establish a national carrier may not be in the interest of the airline and the Nigerian public, as long as government has substantial shareholding in it.

Two, many also have seen the forceful takeover of Arik more as a disincentive to private investment in the country. It was reported that Deloitte of London ďŹ ve years ago placed Arik assets at $4.3 billion; but all the debts owed by Arik is still less than 50 per cent of its assets and therefore the forceful takeover of the airline could be described as illegal. So what

Letters to the Editor

was expected is for all the creditors, including AMCON to sit at a table to decide the way forward for the airline, rather than the current approach that could end up killing the airline.

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hree, Arik Air’s safety certiďŹ cation included European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) which enabled it to y to any country in Europe; advanced level of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), known as Enhanced IOSA, which enabled it to code-share or interline with any airline in the world.

It is also the only Nigerian airline that has Part 129, which allowed the airline to y to the US with Nigerian registered aircraft. Such goodwill will be lost with the action AMCON has taken.

Four, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has suspended the airline membership; which means it cannot use Billing and Settlement Plan, which is a payment platform for airlines that provide network and facilitates payment from any part of the world. By suspending Arik, IATA has indicated that the action AMCON has taken may not be in the best interest of the airline and possibly, the association may be seeing a bleak future for the domestic carrier, which was once a beckon of hope for Nigerians.

Five, it is an open secret that the plan to take over Arik Air by the federal government was hatched about a year ago at a period some ofďŹ cials were toying with the idea of establishing a national airline. Although AMCON said the action was a move to save the airline, which held about 60 per cent of the domestic passenger trafďŹ c, there are questions as to whether this was the best option for the federal government.

As late in the day as it may seem, we recommend AMCON to sit down with the management of Arik airlines to fashion the way forward. That would be a better option than using military tactics to take over a going business concern owned by a private investor, no matter the justiďŹ cation.

TO OUR READERS Letters in response to speciďŹ c 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.

AMBODE AND LAGOS’RISING PROFILE

A

ccording to a recent statistics, about 23 million people inhabit Lagos while about 86 others move into the city every hour. Due to this massive rate of urbanisation, Lagos experiences severe pressure on its infrastructure.

In spite of this, Lagos remains resilient; instead of being traumatised, the city-state has transited from being a symbol of disorder to a reference point in governance in the country.

Presently, the state is under the visionary leadership of Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode whose administration is committed to transforming the state to the third largest economy in Africa.

Towards achieving this, the Ambode administration is creating the enabling environment that will sustain Lagos status as the commercial and financial hub of West Africa.

A key driver of this mission is massive infrastructure development in critical sectors of the state’s economy. Recently, the state government commenced the process of awarding contracts for the construction of a total of 181 community roads across the 57 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state.

The initiative to rehabilitate the roads within the communities was introduced in 2016 to fast-track development simultaneously with other major road projects across the state.

Through the project, a total of 114 roads were either constructed or rehabilitated, two per each of the 57 council areas, in 2016. It is in a bid to consolidate on the success of the initiative thus far that the state government is increasing the number of roads to be rehabilitated or constructed from 114 to 181.

Presently, the list of concluded and on-going infrastructure development projects in the state is endless. Indeed, the tale around town now is that Lagos has become one huge construction site. From Abule-Egba to Agege, from Ikorodu to Epe, from Yaba to Ajah, from Iyana Oworo to Ojodu Berger and all across the state, visible infrastructure projects are massively on-going.

Realising the role of stable power supply in moving the state’s economy to desired height, the Ambode administration has devised strategies to improve power supply in the state. Though power is on the exclusive list of the federal government, considering its centrality to the economic development and growth of the state, the state government is justifiably desirous of intervening in the sector.

Governor Ambode recently acknowledged that the major problem of power is transmission and advocated an embedded power initiative that would allow clusters of Independent Power Projects (IPP) to run in cities. According to the governor, the quest by the country to achieve energy security can no longer be left for the federal government alone to address. Therefore, Lagos has developed a plan to attain 24-hour power supply through the generation of 3000 megawatts of electricity by 2022. The embedded power initiative of the state government was designed to permanently resolve power crisis in the state Waste management is equally receiving top attention. This is quite understandable as a 2008 report estimates that Lagos generates about 9,000 metric tonnes of waste daily. But a more recent report has, however, put the waste generated daily in

the state at 10,000 metric tonnes, almost three times higher than what the whole of Ghana generates daily. A major headache for successive administrations in the state has been how to device appropriate and efficient waste management mechanism that would enhance a cleaner, safer and healthier environment. This is why the Ambode administration is embarking on a reform in the state’s waste management system in partnership with the private sector.

Unemployment is equally being addressed in the state through diverse strategic platforms. One of such is the N25 billion Lagos State Employment Trust Fund. Governor Ambode recently presented cheques worth about N1billion to 705 beneficiaries of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (ETF) pilot scheme, charging them to utilise the funds responsibly to grow their businesses, create jobs for the unemployed youths and contribute to the growth of the Lagos economy. At the event, the governor revealed that the ETF was established to address the challenge of unemployment as well as provide support to youths, entrepreneurs, artisans and other unemployed residents of the state.

The promotion of T.H.E.S.E (Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment, Sports for Excellence) is also another platform through which the state government is empowering Lagos residents.

T.H.E.S.E is an initiative conceived basically to grow the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the state and offer wider opportunities to operatives of the sector.

Nwonah Olubukonla, Governor’s OfďŹ ce, Secretariat, Alausa, Lagos

16

T H I S D AY FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24, 2017

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017

17

POLITICS

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

PERSONALITY FOCUS

Keeping up with Yemi Osinbajo Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo is doing just fine in his acting capacity, writes Shola Oyeyipo

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari, determined to see a Nigeria of his dream, might have cleverly borrowed from the quote of a former President of the United States of America, Ronald Reagan, who once said: “Surround yourself with great people; delegate authority; get out of the way”.

Closely folowing Buhari’s political trajectory, he probably has a penchant for picking eggheads and persons with equal commitment and passion for national development as his running mates.

That can be established in his initial choice of Pastor Tunde Bakare as his running mate in one of his many attempts at the presidency.

As it is today, the choice of Professor Yemi Osinbajo as his deputy might have been informed by his ability to stand in for his principal at a crucial time like this, when the president is on an indefinite leave, apparently to attend to his health and, it is beginning to pay off.

Consistent with Section 145 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution, President Buhari, in his letter of Thursday, January 19, 2017, wrote to the National Assembly that during his 10-day leave, Osinbajo would act as president. And in another letter to the lawmakers at the expiration of the initial time-frame, the president elongated his leave indefinitely.

Though there have been complaints from a majority of Nigerians on the details of the president’s true state of health, which have been shrouded in secrecy, there have not been such about Osinbajo’s ability to stand in for his boss.

The reason is simple. The vice president has been effectively representative.

Just as preempted in Section 145 of the 1999 constitution as amended, he is bringing some more pep into leadership and at the same time making some dexterous political moves that are capable of providing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) an inroad into the South-east and South-south.

Already, government has shown more than a passing interest in sorting out the issue of resurgence of militancy in the Niger Delta region that has led to dwindling revenue from oil production. It was why Osibanjo visited Oporoza, headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom, home of Chief Government Ekpemupolo a.k.a Tompolo in Warri South-west Local Government Area of Delta State on a facts-finding mission in January.

The second leg of his peace and dialogue tour of the oil-rich Niger Delta region, which took him to Bayelsa, Rivers and Imo States has in fact had far-reaching impacts because the acting president did not only reaffirm government’s commitment to addressing the sufferings of the people of the Niger Delta, where Nigeria gets its major income, he openly agreed that the region has been largely neglected and promised that the federal government would discontinue the ugly trend.

Osibanjo, who went to Gbaramatu in company with the Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and Minister of State (Petroleum), Dr. Ibe Emmanuel Kachikwu, said the Niger Delta people have a genuine need as special economic zone for special developmental attention.

Later in Bayelsa on February 12, he assured the people that the federal government would provide rapid development for oil-producing communities in the region.

According to Osinbajo, while addressing the Bayelsa State stakeholders’ meeting, since oil is the dominant source of foreign exchange earnings in Nigeria, it is only proper that the country adds value to crude oil. To him, adding value to crude oil will bring enormous economic benefits to the oil-bearing communities.

The tour train berthed in Rivers State between February 13 and 14 in Port Harcourt, the state capital, where Osinbajo held another town hall meeting with governors, former governors, community leaders, women and various youth groups in the region.

Osinbajo...a competent ally

He underscored the fact that Rivers was critical to the development and stability of the country. He also urged vandals of petroleum infrastructure to desist from act, assuring them that unlike at any time in the past, the current administration is prepared to ensure that the needs of the region are met.

It was at the Rivers State meeting he hinted that the federal government had secured funding of over $1 billion from Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to develop the Niger Delta region, a piece of news well received by the people. He also noted that the template for the ‘Clean up Ogoni’ project of the federal government would be replicated in other oil producing communities affected by oil exploration.

From Rivers, Osinbajo made a stop in Imo State on a one-day working visit. There, he informed the people that he was there at the instance of President Buhari to consult with stakeholders in the oil producing communities of the Niger-Delta region, of which Imo is one.

Just as he did in Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers, Osinbajo, while at the palace of Imo State Chairman of Traditional Rulers Council, Eze Samuel Ohiri, owned up to the fact that the people of the state have been largely marginalised as an oil-bearing state of Nigeria, reiterating that the federal government would correct the anomaly.

Overall, that he was received with pomp and pageantry in the three states of the South-south

Now 35 days since ailing President Buhari has been away, Osinbajo has been holding forth and headlining the news for several positive presidential initiatives. And in spite of assumptions that President Buhari was not disposed to the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, Osinbajo has forwarded his name to the Senate for confirmation as the substantive CJN

is noteworthy. This is because the three states are controlled by opposition Peoples Democratic Party ((PDP). Again, that the people were convinced somewhat that government is truly ready to walk its talk is a pointer to an enduring peace in the region as leaders in the region are already enjoining the militants to give government the chance to make good its promise.

Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, seized the opportunity to re-echo that dialogue and consultation remained the most effective solution to Niger Delta crisis as against the military option. That is an indication that the people of the region are ready for peace as long as their aspirations are met.

Chief Press Secretary to Governor Nyesome Wike of Rivers State, Simeon Nwakaudu, in an article written after the acting president’s visit, said “The popular leadership of Rivers State always keys into opportunities to attract development to the state,” and that “On issues concerning development, politics is relegated and the interest of the Rivers State enthroned for the benefit of the people.”

In Gbaramatu, renowned militant leader, Tompolo and his kinsmen rolled out the drums to welcome Osinbajo. Hence, some lessons could be learned from the Niger Delta tour.

First, that irrespective of party affiliation, every Nigerian should have equal access to the federal government. The second is that the people in the oil-producing communities, who have been agitating for a better deal from government, could be pacified if government is committed to genuinely meeting their needs.

Above all, no one is oblivious of the fact that the South-south and the South-east regions are going to play very important roles in determining the next president in 2019. One politically savvy presidential hopeful is already covertly investing considerable time and energy into tilting the region towards himself, the more reason Osinbajo’s move is expedient.

The recent federal government activities in the regions could be a saving grace for the APC and the incumbent government, if they are considering winning the next presidential election. This is more so that issues of restructuring and true federalism are going to dominate the discourse ahead of the next election.

In addition to this was the recent tour of the two regions by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola to access the state of the roads, housing projects and the power situation with a view to synching them with the new vision, after 16 years of PDP’s failure to provide succor in the regions.

Aside the Niger Delta region parley that promises to bring better rapport between the

people and the federal government, Osinbajo got the support of the duo of the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr. Bukola Saraki and Hon. Yakubu Dogora, to approve the federal government’s $1 billion Eurobond this quarter.

The Eurobond, amounting to $4.5 billion, formed part of the federal government’s three-year $30 billion external borrowing programme, which was rejected by the National Assembly last year.

But Saraki and Dogora reportedly told Osinbajo that the emergency session would not be necessary since the National Assembly had already approved $3 billion external borrowing, including the $1 billion Eurobond, in the 2016 Appropriation Act, so they assured Osinbajo that National Assembly’s rejection of the $30 billion borrowing plan would not impede the $1 billion Eurobond issue.

On Thursday, February 16, few days after its issue, the $1 billion Eurobond started trading on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and the offer was oversubscribed about eight times, with the order book closing at approximately $7.7 billion. The listing also secured high quality investors’ support from the U.S. and Europe and it is expected to support Nigeria in financing its long-term infrastructure development.

Also, since he has been acting, Osinbajo has assented to seven bills passed by the National Assembly. The acts that were mainly amendments to the principal act include Oath (Amendment) Act 2017, Defence Space Administration Act, Veterinary Surgeons (Amendment) Act), National Film and Video Censors Board, Pension Rights of Judges, Nigerian Institute of Social Science Establishment Act and Mortgage Institutions Amendment Act. Now 35 days since ailing President Buhari has been away, Osinbajo has been holding forth and headlining the news for several positive presidential initiatives. And in spite of assumptions that President Buhari was not disposed to the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, Osinbajo has forwarded his name to the Senate for confirmation as the substantive CJN. Buhari, on November 10, 2016, appointed Onnoghen as acting CJN following the retirement of Justice Mahmud Mohammed at the attainment of the mandatory age of 70 years. The National Judicial Council had earlier forwarded Onnoghen’s name to the president as the new CJN based on the recommendation of the Federal Judicial Service Commission but he had remained in acting capacity until Osinbajo forwarded his name to the lawmakers for confirmation.

In another instance of personal example, the Vice-President rejected the new official residence built for the vice-president by the administration of Goodluck Jonathan. His Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, said Osinbajo was satisfied with living in Aguda House built in the 1990s by the General Ibrahim Babangida administration Although this one issue had almost created a friction between the executive and the legislature, however, while Buhari is still on medical vacation, Osinbajo, in a letter to the Senate re-presented the name of the acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Ibrahim Mustapha Magu for screening and subsequent confirmation as the substantive Chairman of the anti-graft agency. From all indications, Magu is likely to scale through this time around.

Hinging its argument on the unknown health condition of President Buhari, and probably the fact that government seems to be running smoothly with the acting President, an international human rights organisation, Opinion Nigeria (ON), advised President Buhari to tender his resignation letter without delay to pave the way for Osinbajo as president. Whilst this demand may not be popular with a majority of Nigerians, there is the perception that Osinbajo might actually be taking directives from President Buhari.

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017

18

POLITICS

POLITICS&ISSUES

In the Valley of Cynics Much more than the challenges of governance and development, Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has had to contend with cynicism. Olawale Olaleye writes

C

onstructive criticism is what anyone can deal with, however scathing. But cynicism which is never found on the crest of truth and reason or conscious attempt at righting wrongs, is an impossible ailment. The carrier is innately recalcitrant – sometimes irrational and therefore not amenable to its antidote, which is critical and objective thinking.

Talk about anyone, who has had a taste of the bitter dose of cynicism and still continues to do so, the Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu comes to mind. No doubt, a victim of what has been diagnosed as the major undoing of the average South-easterner – the Nshiko mentality or crabology as sociologists have discovered – Ikpeazu has had to deal with this scourge, whilst at the same time grappling with the mandate challenge – governance and development.

But first, what is crabology? Google defines it as the study of the mental attitude, language and actions of individuals within a culture, who refuse to support others in their efforts to better themselves, their community, and/ or their organisation(s).

Further down, Google has identified another term, crabbing. This, it defines as the emitting of a negative mental attitude, language, and/ or actions from an individual(s) or group, with the intent to stop or hinder the progress and success of an individual(s) or group.

Thus, the crab mentality simply means the negative mental attitude that causes language and actions from an individual(s) or group(s) towards other individual(s) or group(s), with the intent to hurt, cause pain, distract and ultimately stop or hinder the progress and success of an individual(s) or group(s).

Now, this will stun you. There is what is identified as spiritual crabology. Pastor Tom Stuart of the Ignited2pray denomination has discovered. According to him, this in effect, says: “If I can’t be free, neither can you.”

Breaking it down, he noted: “It is the tendency to want to downplay, discourage and even disallow someone else from a breakthrough or succeeding at something that we have not experienced. It may be motivated by envy or jealousy, a competitive attitude or simply ignorance as to what is really happening.

“Needless to say crabology also has spiritual applications and implications,” he further explained, adding “Paul, the apostle addresses this very thing in his letter to the Romans, when he said, ‘Rejoice with those who rejoice’. This injunction is set in the context of seven verses in which Paul is giving specific instructions to Christian believers as to how to get along with one another (Romans 12:9-16). All of it is great advice and very much needed, as evidenced by how frequently it has not been heeded.”

Therefore, to argue that Ikpeazu assumed office at a most inauspicious time in the political evolution of the state would seem to those in the crab category as some tell-tale.

But nothing can be farther from the truth. The last 16 years, albeit of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is easily adjudged as having failed the people. In most instances, where the foundation for infrastructure development was laid, it was a shoddy job, culminating in very weak sub-structure. But in many other cases, there was no foundation laid actually.

Ikpeazu, without any cheap play at power, inherited the totality of the mess, albeit a PDP governor too. But with a sound academic background, desirable experience in the public sector, significant political standing within the power equation in the state and creditable human relations, set out to change the Abia narrative with deserving attention on critical sectors of the economy of the state. It was a move in the right direction for the economic prosperity of Abia State.

As a bonafide ‘son of the soil’, his understanding of his people and their needs was not in deficit, not to debate the fact that

Ikpeazu...not swayed by the lies

he did not lobby for the job but earned on merit and excellent credentials. Above all, that he has the gravitas to drive the chain of command required of the office of the governor is always evident, even at first contact with him. Intelligent, smart and sharp, Ikpeazu is deep and is not given to flippancy or vain talks.

Thus, setting out almost immediately with reforms in critical sectors of the state, backed by stringent financial re-engineering of the economy that was guided by accurate siting of infrastructure in key regions of the state further attested to his personae, so much that his arch rivals knew it was just a question of time – Abia was already being positioned to catch up with its contemporaries should Ikpeazu sustain the pace.

Unfortunately, the hope stirred by the

The earlier Ikpeazu realises he is walking the valley of misanthropists, the sooner he understands the need to completely work them out of his development equations, because they are fixated and of no good to the collective agenda.

On the contrary, critics are always welcome and indeed, often seen as development partners so long it is constructive

coming of Ikpeazu was to suffer temporary setback following distractions from the political front, especially the cases instituted to challenge his electoral victory. This, no doubt, has gone on for too long and to assume it would not take its toll on development in the state is the height of hypocrisy and ill-conceived criticism.

The reason is because with the cases going back and forth at different courts, what are first affected are the confidence and trust of investors as well as their development partners, since a question mark has been cast on the mandate of the governor. But the current situation, many reckon, is temporary because by May 12, all of this would be over and the state can double up its stripes and catch up with the rest of the country.

Nonetheless, Ikpeazu has not hidden behind this finger of distraction to leave the state to deteriorate. He has continued to deal with the issues as much as time and chance can take him, hopefully the ruling will favour his mandate and the state can regain its sanity from the political hawks alleged to be bent on denting the credibility of the government, yet on unfounded grounds and criticism.

For the records, despite the staggering distractions which derived from the needless court cases, Ikpeazu has continued with the development agenda of the state slowly but steady especially with interventions in such areas that directly affect the people. This is consistent with his resolve as a change agent and ensuring that there is a distinct demarcation between his government and the previous ones.

Just recently, the government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Great Nobles Integrated Limited for the management and development of the once moribund Ndi Oji Abam Rubber Estate in Arochukwu Local Government Area of the state. Commissioner for Agriculture, Chief Uzo Azubuike, signed on behalf of the state

government. Hon. Acho Nwakanma of Noble Integrated Limited is the investor.

As the Marketer-in-Chief of the Made-in-Aba products, the governor has recorded huge success in his devotion to the initiative. The latest is that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) recently placed an order for 5,000 pieces of specially designed conference bags to be produced in Aba. Commissioner for Industries, Science and Technology, Chief Henry Ikoh said it was the first in the series of collaborations between the state and several agencies of the federal government for the promotion of Made-in-Aba goods.

Abia state’s internally generated revenue has progressed to over N1,000,000,000 (One billion Naira) from a paltry four hundred million and the projection is that by the end of this year, it would exceed N2,000,000,000(Two Billion Naira).

In the area of education, being a critical sector, Ikpeazu has done quite a lot, including but not limited to reducing the fees paid by the students of the Abia State College of Education (Technical from N50,000 to N35,000. And to attract foreign investments, the governor was in Egypt recently to seek support of the Afrexim Bank.

Apart from having done a number of roads since assuming office, an effort that is generally believed to have changed the face of the state, one key concern of his government is the Port Harcourt Road, Aba, a federal road, to which the governor has assured the people that the contractor would move to site within the next few weeks.

Some years ago, the Bank of Industry (BoI) closed its Abia office for administrative and other related reasons, but under Governor Ikpeazu the bank is back and has built a new office located at Adelabu Street, in Umuahia, the state capital. The return of the BoI was as a result of Ikpeazu’s invitation – a measure taken by his leadership in his esoteric approach to governance to revive the commercial drive of the state.

But in spite of these palpable efforts and the challenges that conspicuously stand in his way to promptly delivering on electoral promises, his own people have refused to honestly analyse these circumstances to justify the inadequacies of the moment, but they appear more interested in pulling him down.

Whatever that brings to the table for them, the unfortunate aspect of this is that this syndrome is fast becoming a character trait of the easterners in politics, to pull down their own people in office as if there is a national prize for it. The result is the dearth of underdevelopment that currently dots that part of the country.

Yet, this is a mentality that belongs only to the crabs in the animal kingdom and will achieve nothing but collective failure.

What is wrong with rallying round their own people in power and providing support – intellectual, technical, financial and human resources – as well as engaging the government constructively?

After all, if nothing is true about Ikpeazu, certainly not the fact that he is not accessible!

But because the cynics are naturally wired to not see the good or prospect in anything or anyone, the destructive darts becomes the only weapon, whether or not it further vitiates the collective interest.

The earlier Ikpeazu realises he is walking the valley of misanthropists, the sooner he understands the need to completely work them out of his development equations, because they are fixated and of no good to the collective agenda. On the contrary, critics are always welcome and indeed, often seen as development partners so long it is constructive. The Abia project cannot afford to fail and excuses on account of distractions from scoffers would not be tenable anywhere on the day of reckoning. Ikpeazu, therefore, must maintain total control.

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T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°Í˛Ëœ 2017

BUSINESSWORLD NIBOR OVERNIGHT 1-MONTH

R A T E S 18.5083% 16.6507%

A S

NIBOR

3-MONTH 6-MONTH

A T

17.7268% 20.3556%

Group Business Editor Chika Amanze-Nwachuku Email chika.amanzenwachukwu@thisdaylive.com 08033294157

D E C E M B E R ,

NITTY 1-MONTH 2-MONTH 3-MONTH

ͯͳ˛ͲͰʹͯϹ 15.7513% 16.1576%

6-MONTH 9-MONTH 12-MONTH

1 6 , 19.2703% 20.6120% 22.3006%

2 0 1 6

EXCHANGE RATE ͹ͯͲ˛;;˚˚ͯ ̊ ̊

Quick Takes NCS to Hold Training Programme

The Nigerian Chamber of Shipping (NCS) has disclosed plans for its ‘ABC of Shipping’ training programme billed for Wednesday March 15 to Friday March 17, 2017, in Apapa, Lagos.

In a statement, the NCS said the training, which is the ďŹ rst in a series that would hold this in 2017, is tailored to meeting current professional needs and challenges of the maritime sector.

NCSsaidthetrainingwouldeducateandequipmaritimestakeholders with knowledge of the fundamentals and processes of Shipping.

According to the NCS, “The training would further expound the “Principles of shipping operations & practices; maritime survey and operations; Maritime safety, health & environment; Maritime law &policy framework, Maritime ďŹ nancing; Marine insurance and Freight forwarding practice.â€?

The NCS said that in order to register for the training, interested participants would have to send their details via email to info@ nigerian-shipping.org with the subtitle “Registration for ABC of Shipping.�

The NCS had recently undergone some restructuring after which Mr. Andy Isichei was appointed the President of professional body.

CAPACITY BUILDING

L-R: National President, Mi-Yetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Muhammadu Kiruwa; MTN Nigeria Regional Manager, Enterprise Business North, Mr. Auwal Abdullahi; Convener/Chairman of the Occasion, Alhaji Jinadu Maina, and Senior Manager, SME Segment, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Mohammed Sharafadeen, during the MTN Animal IdentiďŹ cation and Management Solution Sensitisation Summit in Kaduna...recently

Arms Importation: Customs Accused of Contravening ICA Framework Eromosele Abiodun The National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) has stated that the current process of inspection of imported goods in the country encourages the influx of arms, ammunition, drugs, counterfeit goods, small arms, hazardous waste and human trafficking.

NCMDLCA stated this in a petition addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, signed by its national president, Mr. Lucky Amiwero.

Amiwero alleged that the process contravenes the International Cargo Agreement (ICA), the World Customs Organisation (WCO) SAFE Framework that allows non-intrusive inspection of outbound and inbound inspection in compliance with Custom-to-Customs Standard

MARTIME procedures, which is to secure and facilitate global trade as contained in the WCO SAFE Framework, for the interest of the security and the economy of the nation.

The present Inspection process, he added, also contravenes the global multi-layered security protocol, the WCO SAFE Framework adopted by the World Customs Organisation globally after the destruction of the twin tower of World Trade Centre in America on September 11, 2001 by Al Qaeda, which clearly exposed the vulnerability of international trade to terrorist exploitation on cross-border transportation security.

According to him, “As Sub-committee Chairman on the Draft report of Presidential

Task force on the Reform of Nigeria Customs Service and member of Presidential Committee on Destination Inspection (DI) IN 1999/2006, we have noticed serious defects and security threats in the Destination Inspection(DI) regime that encourages the influx of arms, ammunition and unwholesome product in the country due to the process that allows inspection in the country, without the application of the Supply chain security mechanism adopted globally to secure the domestic environment.�

He therefore stressed the urgent need for Nigeria as a contracting party to the global multi-layered security protocol the WCO SAFE Framework of standard to comply by reducing the illicit–cross border movement of unwholesome goods into the country.

He called on the federal government to urgently repair the collapse scanners in the ports that is the core on Security tool to reduce the influx of illicit goods in the country.

He said: “There is the urgent need to safeguard and secure our nation from the influx of arms, ammunition, narcotics, dirty bomb, unwholesome items and Weapon of mass destruction (WMD) through the implementation of provision of international Cargo Security Agreement. There is the need to accommodate various pre-shipment inspection process conducted by other government agencies such as Customs, NAFDAC, SON among, that are involved in quality , quantity and value Continued on page 20

Poor Management Threatens Survival of Arik Air Chinedu Eze Industry experts have expressed worries that Nigeria’s biggest carrier, Arik Air may go under in the next few months and over 3000 workers directly employed by the airline will lose their jobs; unless the airline is taken over by efficient management with international experience.

THISDAY learnt that the initial plan prior to its takeover by the Asset Management Corporation (AMCON), was that Ethiopia Airlines would run the airline and provide it with technical support by taking a percentage of the company.

The East African carrier was

AVIATION said to have withdraw from the deal when it learnt about the huge debts owed by the airline.

Industry experts opined that Captain Roy Ilegbodu, who is the current CEO of the airline might not have the requisite experience and international exposure to effectively management the airline with about 28 modern fleet, three international operations; over 10 regional flights and 18 domestic operations.

Informed sources who spoke to THISDAY disclosed that with the take over of the airline by AMCON, Arik was saved from

being grounded due to the expiration of aircraft insurance, which would have stopped its operations three days after it was taken over by the federal government agency.

AMCON was said to have spent about N100 million to renew the airline’s insurance, which kept it in operation and about N5 billion was made available to the airline to ensure fuel supply, take care of the airline’s workforce and carry out immediate maintenance of the fleet, with the hope that the airline would start generating revenue.

THISDAY also reliably learnt that the US has withdrawn Part 129 certification of the airline,

which enables Arik to fly to the United States with Nigerian registered aircraft.

The source also disclosed that Arik might also lose European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) third country approval certification, which also enables the airline’s aircraft to operate to any part of Europe in accordance with a bilateral agreement with the destination country.

In reaction to the take over, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) removed the airline from the Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP).

IATA Area Manager, South Continued on page 20

Indomie to Sample 10m Consumers

Indomie Instant Noodles has announced plans to reach 10,000,000 Nigerians this year in its annual sampling exercise.

The company in a statement said the programme will see millions of consumers freely taste the product across the country.

Speaking on the free sampling programme for the year, Brand Manager, Indomie Instant Noodles, Mr. Amber Yadav said: “Indomie is using this exercise to remind Consumers of how quality taste like.

We know things are hard at the moment but people should always remember that there is no price tag that can justify inferiority.

Noodles globally is loved by families and when you love your family you are expected to give them the very best; in the noodles market that best is Indomie.â€?Amber aďŹƒrmed that the sampling exercise will include all variants (SKU’s) of Indomie Instant Noodles and this will be carried out in all geo-political zones in the country: North-Central, North-East, North-West, South-East, South-South and South-West with special focus on key cities such as Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, Kaduna, Owerri, Enugu among others.“Indomie has remained the favourite instant noodles in homes, oďŹƒces and restaurants because it thrives on getting Consumers insight and using the knowledge of Consumer preferences to improve on the brand. Last year Indomie won awards even outside the noodles category because the brand is built on the preferences of Consumer rather than marketing beneďŹ ts.â€? Amber said.

On his part the Group Public Relations and Event Manager, DuďŹ l Prima Foods Plc, Mr. Tope Ashiwaju, said: “Asa brand we do not claim to know what the Consumer wants; that would be arrogant and misleading. We are merely asking our Consumers who are the reason we are in business to guide us as we continue to produce the best noodles for their satisfaction and enjoyment. The sampling will also give the undecided Consumers a trial experience and gear them towards becoming not just Consumers but Indomie ambassadors.â€?

Libya Sees Crude Output Rising

Libya’s crude production exceeded 700,000 barrels a day and is due to keep rising as working conditions in the conict-ridden country improve for international companies like Eni SpA and Total SA, Bloomberg quote an oďŹƒcial from the state oil company to have said.

The North African country’s crude production is due to reach 1.2 million barrels a day by August and 1.7 million by March 2018 when the nation’s ports and export terminals will be operating at full capacity, Jadalla Alaokali, board member of Libya’s National Oil Corp., said in an interview in Cairo. Output at the El-Feel, or Elephant, oil ďŹ eld is due to resume within one month, pumping 75,000 barrels a day, he said.

Eni andTotal are working in Libya without diďŹƒculty and Schlumberger Ltd. resumed operations in the country about three months ago, he said. Eni is due to start production from an oshore area in ďŹ ve years, he said.

“Arik Air’s suspension from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) financial systems does not affect its IATA membership or IOSA registered status. Arik Air remains a member of IATA and a fully IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registered airline,�

IATA Area Manager, SouthWest Africa

Dr. Samson Fatokun

20

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°Í˛Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

BUSINESSWORLD ARMS IMPORTATION: CUSTOMS ACCUSED OF CONTRAVENING ICA FRAMEWORK assessment of imported goods as practiced globally to safeguard the national security and reduce the process and cost of multiple charges. The federal government must urgently constitute a committee of trade procedure experts to address the short fall in the import process.�

He said Nigeria practice Destination Inspection (DI) of import which allows goods to be imported into the country without inspection.

This, he added, contravenes various provisions of Customsto-Customs standards on WCO SAFE Framework of standard to secure and facilitate global trade adding that, “Destination Inspection process of import on cargo allows the illicit crossborder movement of weapons of Mass Destruction(WMD), Drugs, Arms, Ammunitions, counterfeit merchandised hazardous waste and human trafficking as presently practiced in Nigeria.�

POOR MANAGEMENT THREATENS SURVIVAL OF ARIK AIR West Africa, Dr. Samson Fatokun, said in a statement on Wednesday that IATA is currently working with the new management of Arik Air to resolve the airline’s suspension from the IATA Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) and Cargo Account Settlement System (CASS) and noted that the airline’s suspension from the IATA financial systems does not affect its IATA membership or IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registered status. “Arik Air remains a member of IATA and a fully IOSA registered airline,� the statement said.

This means that until this issue is settled Arik will no more utilise the Global Distribution System (GDS) and IATA cannot guaranty cashless transaction between travel agents and the airline, so travel agents would have to deal directly with the airline and pay cash, a system that is limiting and cumbersome for the airline.

Group Business Editor

Ă’Ă“Ă•Ă‹ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă¤Ă?Ě‹ ĂĄĂ‹Ă?Ă’Ă&#x;Ă•Ă&#x; AgriBusiness/Industry Editor

ĂœĂ&#x;Ă?Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă‘Ă“Ă?

Comms/e-Business Editor

Ă—Ă—Ă‹ Ă•Ă™Ă˜Ă”Ă“ Capital Market Editor

NEWS

Peterside: Capacity Devt Panacea to Unemployment Eromosele Abiodun The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside has stated that human capacity development initiative is a panacea to the growing unemployment rate in the economy.

The NIMASA boss made this remark at the first annual lecture of Swaaya Limited, Publishers of Freedom Online news with the theme: “Unemployment: How do we tame this monster,?� held Lagos.

He disclosed that to stem this tide, the agency through its Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) has trained over 2,500 Nigerian students in various maritime related courses in reputable maritime institutions outside the country.

Peterside said that the capacity development initiatives embarked upon by the agency are geared towards taming the foreseen lacuna in the seafaring profession in the nearest future which is a global challenge.

Represented by the NIMASA Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr. Gambo Ahmed, Peterside also hinted that the NSDP scheme, which has already started producing graduates will soon take a new look where Nigeria will also be a large exporter of seafarers like India and the Philippines who generate millions of dollars from the pool of its seafarers in the globally market.

While assuring Nigerians of

the unflinching commitment of the current Management of NIMASA to ensure a virile maritime sector, through its capacity building initiatives, he called on them to support the President Muhammadu Buhari’s - led administration’s zero tolerance for corruption, to enable government and its agencies to achieve their set objectives particularly in the area of

curbing unemployment. “Let me use this opportunity to call on all Nigerians, regardless of race, religion or political interest or affiliations to support the federal government in its quest to defeat corruption, which has eaten deep into the fortunes of the economy, so that we can together make our country great again. And I assure you all, that very

soon; unemployment issues will soon be a thing of the past,� Peterside said.

The DG recently gave the assurance that the agency has made adequate provision in its 2017 budget for sea time training for the beneficiaries of the NSDP scheme, which will in turn qualify them to practice their trade anywhere in the world.

Present at the event were

the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Idiat Aderanti Adebule, Deputy Governor of Abia State, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu, former Governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, Leader of the People’s Democratic Party in the South West, Chief Olabode George and Factional Leader of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) Otunba Gani Adams amongst other dignitaries.

BUSINESS COLLABORATION

L-R: Senior Manager Marketing, Miss Ogechi Odigbo; General Manager, Marketing, Mr. Anietie Udoh; Chief Executive Officer, Loeries Durban, South Africa, Mr. Andrew Human; Publisher/CEO, Marketing Edge Publications Ltd, Mr. John Ajayi and Editor of the magazine, Mr. Joseph Ekeng Asuquo after the signing of Media Partnership Agreement with the leading marketing and advertising magazine on the 2017 Loeries Awards, at a breakfast meeting in Lagos ...recently

NPA Assures Stakeholders on Budgetary Performance Eromosele Abiodun The management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has assured stakeholders that it would ensure a most efficient budgetary implementation in all ramifications.

Managing Director of NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman said this while addressing members of the House of Representative Committee on Ports, Harbours and Waterways who visited the corporate headquarters of the NPA on oversight functions.

The MD, who was represented by the Executive Director, Finance and Administration of the authority, Mohammed Bello Koko, said the NPA was committed to maintaining the anti corruption stance of the present administration.

He enlisted the support of all and sundry towards the rehabilitation of dilapidated infrastructure and the procurement of plants and equipment across the nation Seaports.

On capacity building the MD said that NPA would pay premium to training

its staff in line with best practices particularly concerning certification required for them to operate seamlessly and efficiently.

In his address, the Committee Chairman Honourable Dr. Patrick Asadu enjoined NPA to keep the good work they are doing in the course of modernising the Ports Industry. He charged them to prioritise critical areas of concern in its budget implementation while others sections would be attended to accordingly.

Furthermore, he stated

that government would not compromise on improved operational efficiency. He then urged the NPA management to work towards greater revenue generation as the economic situation facing the country requires creative administrative management expertise in order for the living standard of Nigerians to appreciate once again. “We are generally impressed by the performance of the NPA and if there are other areas we want them to improve when they come for budget defence, these

areas would be highlighted to them,� he said.

The NPA, according to Asadu, is a very important organisation and quite strategic to the realisation of stronger economic growth in Nigeria. He therefore, urged the organisation to improve its savings especially in the face of the current realities in the country. The committee chairman was accompanied by other members of the Committee.

They later visited the office of the Lagos Channel Management Company, (LCM) and other areas of interests.

ÙÎÎã Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?

Senior Correspondent

Ă‹Ă’Ă?Ă?Ă— Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ĂŒĂ™Ă–Ă&#x; (Advertising) Correspondents

Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽĂ&#x; äĂ? (Aviation) Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹ ĂœĂ™Ă•Ă? (Labour) ĂœĂ™Ă—Ă™Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă? ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜ (Maritime) ÔÓÙĂ?Ă™Ăœ Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă? (Energy) Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă?ÔÙ (Nation’s Capital) ĂŒĂ“Ă˜Ă˜Ă‹ Ă’Ă“Ă—Ă‹ (Money Mkt) Reporters

Ă&#x;Ă—Ă? Ă•Ă?Ă‘Ă’Ă? Ě™ Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?Þ̚ Ă™Ă?Ă‹ Ă–Ă?Ă•Ă’Ă&#x;ÙÑÓĂ? Ě™ ËÚÓÞËÖ Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?Þ̚

Kano Disco Faults TCN on N8.2bn Debt Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano The Kano Electricity Distribution Plc (KEDCO) has rebuffed claims by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) that it owes N8.2 billion as arrears for energy wheeled to it in 2016.

It also informed that after amicable reconciliation by the

Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) over issues of wrong meter reading and imbalances in the energy wheeled to KEDCO, TCN had been directed to compensate the firm. However, Kano Disco advised TCN to rectify its records on the reconciled figures where the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Com-

mission (NERC) directed it to compensate KEDCO for the shortfalls on its eight percent statutory power allocation and wrong meter readings.

Reacting to media reports in some national dallies, KEDCO’s spokesperson, Mohammed Kandi said the TCN was yet to comply with NERC’s separate directives

that it should reimburse Kano Disco N2, 390, 310, 793. 33 for its inability to transmit 8 percent of the total daily power generation, and N858‌ million for wrong meter reading respectively. Kandi quoted the company’s Chief Finance Officer (CFO), Tasiu Ahmad Tijjani as saying: “After two years of protracted effort in

getting compensation for the deficits from the imbalances in the energy wheeled to our company, it was finally ruled in our favour that TCN should compensate us.�

The CFO said with the N3.2 billion difference, it would be incorrect to indicate that our company’s debt profile was N8.2 billion.

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21

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

FG Directs NIMN to Enact Statutory Powers Stories by Raheem Akingbolu After operating for eight years without exerting its charter status, the Federal Government has finally granted legal teeth to the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, (NIMN).

This feat was announced through a formal proclamation by the Hon. Minister for Industry, Trade and Investments, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah at the investiture ceremony of the newly elected president of NIMN, Mr. Anthony Agenmomen held recently in Lagos.

Commending members of the institute for putting their differences aside and working together as one, the minister observed that divisions in the past

years have denied the institute in playing its statutory roles. “Now that you are united and looking forward to fully playing your role as prescribed in the enabling Act of the National Assembly of Nigeria under the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria Act, 2003,‌ therefore, I Dr. Okechukwu Enalemah, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Federal Republic of Nigeria, being the supervisory minister, hereby formally proclaim the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria Act 2003â€? to the glory of God and the service of Nigeriaâ€?.

With the above quoted, the Hon. Minister, ably represented at the occasion by the Acting Managing Director of Bank of Industry (BOI), Mr. Waheed

Olagunju enjoined NIMN to live up to its statutory powers by playing its full part to members and national development.

Specifically, he observed that the strategic relevance of NIMN has convinced him that the Ministry of trade and investment can collaborate with the institute in the task of moving the nation forward, stating that “we need to market the enormous investments opportunities in Nigeria�.

Earlier in his paper presentation during the investiture lecture, Chairman of the Troyka Group, Mr. Abiodun Olusina Shobanjo had in his lecture titled “Marketing Nigeria – The Challenges� urged NIMN to bridge the knowledge gap of its members.

GIonee Set to Launch New Product, A1, at MWC Few weeks to the 2017 edition of Mobile World Congress (MWC), promoters of the Gionee brand in Nigeria have announced that the company will launch a new smartphone, A1, to commemorate this year’s edition. Oversees Marketing Director, Gionee Nigeria, Sony Song, told journalists in Lagos that the new offering will carry on the brand’s DNA, which includes; a long-life battery, a sensational selfie camera, and dual cameras for enhanced photo quality.

According to Song, the decision to introduce the product was said to have been informed by the outcome of a Gionee’s research into consumer needs in India and Africa, which revealed that handsets with a better selfie performance and seamless user experience have been becoming increasingly popular

with local consumers. “Users expect to be able to take bright, beautiful and natural-looking selfies at any time of the day or night. The younger generation, especially millennials, regard selfies as an expression of themselves and they tend to share their photos through various social channels whenever and wherever they are.

Gionee has noticed this increasingly popular trend and has devoted itself to the evolution of the selfie experience. At MWC 2017, they will launch a product which combines its traditional feature, its long-life battery, with outstanding selfie features and performance,�

Speaking on what consumers will benefit from the new product, the Marketing Director, Gionee Nigeria, Shomoye Habeeb, said with A1, users will be able to capture their

unique beauty through the camera. He added that the new device will be equipped with a function that will allow users to tailor the lighting effects to that of a professional photography studio.

The marketing director further pointed out that the brand will continue to feature its long life battery and leverage integrated solutions to guarantee the super battery - the large battery capacity combines an ultrafast charge via dual charging chips and excellent power-saving system. “As a leading smartphone manufacturer in China, Gionee is always pursuing evolution and globalisation. President of Gionee, William Lu, will be happy to share his insights into the global smartphone industry and future trends at the conference,’’ he added.

Bata Drummers Win in Goldberg Cultural Contest Otapo Bata Drummers from Abeokuta have emerged winners at the traditional drummers contest at the kick-off event of the Goldberg Excellency Tour held in Abeokuta recently. The group outperformed four other groups at the grand finale to cart home the coveted prize of Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N250, 000).

Ayanwale Drummers clinched the second position and won One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N150, 000) while Omo Aribido Drummers claimed the third spot and settled for the One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100, 000) on offer for the slot. The other two finalists, Ayandare Drummers and Paramount Band got Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000) each.

At the commencement of the event on Friday, February 17, 2017, 12 groups auditioned at the cultural centre, venue of the event, with five groups

emerging from the pool to reach the grand finale.

The traditional drummers contest which was organised as part of the Goldberg Excellency Tour kicked off with a procession through the major streets of Abeokuta and attracted a huge turnout of residents who were delighted by performances from drummers, praise singers and dancers.

The procession helped to pull a large turnout of residents who trooped to the venue of the contest to support their groups during the different performances.

Speaking at the finale, the Senior Brand Manager, Regional Mainstream Brands, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Funso Ayeni, stated that Goldberg Excellency Tour is scheduled for five other cities: Ilorin, Ado Ekiti, Ikare Akoko, Ile Ife and Benin City. ‘The Excellency Tour will resonate the brand’s essence and strengthen its identifica-

tion with the cultural values of the people of South West Nigeria,’ Ayeni affirmed. He added that in line with the brand’s ethos, the successful event in Abeokuta also helped to promote local talent, as the competition brought out the best skills from the performers who see the contest as an opportunity to showcase their talents and skills.

While commenting on their victory, the leader of Otapo Bata Drummers, Mr. Afolabi Mufutau, said it is a thing of joy to see his group clinch the first prize after putting in putting in many hours of hard work in preparation for the competition.

The Goldberg Excellency Tour is coming on the heels of the unveiling of Goldberg lager beer as “Your Excellency� in 2016 and it is in line with the brand’s unique credentials that position it in a class of its own, away from its peers in the market.

RISK MANAGEMENT WATCH Robert Mbonu

Risk Response – Hit or Miss?

W

Ă’Ă?Ă˜ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă?ĂŽ åÓÞÒ Ă‹ ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂžËœ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ‹Ă– ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă? ʨÑÒÞ Ă™Ăœ ĘŽĂ“Ă‘Ă’Ăž ĚŽ ĂĄĂ’Ă?ÞÒĂ?Ăœ ÞÙ Ă‹ĂŽĂŽĂœĂ?Ă?Ă? Ă‹ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• Ă’Ă?Ă‹ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ăœ ÞÙ ĂœĂ&#x;Ă˜ Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ÓÞ˛ Ă“Ă?Ă• ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ó×ÚÖĂ?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? ÞÙ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÙ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă•Ă?Ëœ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă? ÞÙ Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă™ĂŒĂ”Ă?Ă?ÞÓà Ă?Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă—Ă?Ăž åÓÞÒ Ă‹ Ă’Ă“Ă‘Ă’ Ă–Ă?Ă Ă?Ă– Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă?ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂŁË› Ă’Ă? Ă?ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ‹Ă– Ùà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂœĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?Ă–Ă™ĂšĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă™Ă—Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă?Ùà Ă?ĂœĂŁ ĂœĂ™ĂĄĂžĂ’ Ă–Ă‹Ă˜ Ě™ Ěš Ă‹Ă? Ă‹ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă? ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ăž Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂœĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă™Ă—Ă“Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă›Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ë? Ă“Ă–Ă– ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂŽËŁ Ă’Ă‹Ăž ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ÞÒĂ? Ó×ÚÖĂ?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜ ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ?Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă™Ă—ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“ĂžĂ? ĂšĂ?ÙÚÖĂ?ËŁ Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂ?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚĂ?ĂŽ ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă?ĂžĂœĂŁ Ă™Ă? Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă?Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŽĂ?ĂšĂ?Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ ÒÙå ĂĄĂ?Ă–Ă– Ă“Ă?Ă• Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă‘ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ ÞÒĂ? Ùà Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă–Ă– ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë›

Ăž Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ĂŒĂ? ËÚÚÖÓĂ?ĂŽ åÓÞÒ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă– Ă?Ù××ÓÞ×Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹ĘľĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă’Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ? Ă—Ă‹ĂŽĂ? åÓÞÒ Ă‹Ă˜ Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?ĂžĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă•Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ă Ă™Ă–Ă Ă?ĂŽË›

Ă—Ă‹Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă? ĂĄĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂŽĂœĂ“Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă–Ă™Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?ĂŁ Ă?Ă˘ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ™Ă‹ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă–Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă–Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă“Ă? ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă‹ ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ăž ÞÙ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ ĂĄĂ? Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă›Ă&#x;Ă“Ă?Ă•Ă–ĂŁ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜ĂŽË› Ă’Ă‹Ăž ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ÎÙˣ Ă‹Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ę¨Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă•Ëœ Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ?âÞ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă™ĂŒĂ”Ă?Ă?ÞÓà Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă Ă‹Ă–Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă“Ăž Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂ‹Ă?Ă“Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă?ÖÓÒÙÙÎ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ó×ÚËĂ?ĂžËœ ĂĄĂ? Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ ÞÙ Ă?Ă Ă‹Ă–Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂžĂ? ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• Ă‹Ă‘Ă‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ăž Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• ËÚÚĂ?ÞÓÞĂ?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă“Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă—Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞãÚĂ? Ă™Ă? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• ĂĄĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ ĂšĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă&#x;Ă? Ă™Ăœ ĂœĂ?ĂžĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă‹Ăœ ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă“Ă—Ă—Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ĂžĂ? ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ?ËÞ˛ Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă™ĂŒĂ”Ă?Ă?ÞÓà Ă? Ă“Ă? ÞÙ Ă‹ĂœĂœĂ“Ă Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă–ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ ÞÓ×Ă? Ă‹Ăž Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂŽĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă“Ă—Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ăž ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă‹ Ă—Ă‹Ă”Ă™Ăœ Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă‹ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă“ĂžĂŁ ÞÙ Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă™ĂŒĂ”Ă?Ă?ÞÓà Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă?ÖÓÒÙÙÎ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ó×ÚËĂ?Ăž Ă™Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă?Ă–ĂŁ ÞÙ ĂŒĂ? Ă’Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ë› ĂœĂ‹ĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? ÞËĂ&#x;Ă‘Ă’Ăž ÞÒĂ? ʨà Ă? ËŠ ËŞĂ? Ă™Ă? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ëž TERMINATE ĚŽ Ă?ÞÙÚ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă?ÞÓà ÓÞã Ă‘Ă“Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜ĂžË› Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂŽĂœĂ“Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŽĂ“Ă–Ă?Ă—Ă—Ă‹ ̙åÓÞÒ ÞÒĂ? ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ™ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ? Ă&#x;Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ™Ă‹ĂŽĚšËœ ĂĄĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă”Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă?ÞÙÚ ĂŽĂœĂ“Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ëž ÞÒÓĂ? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă˜Ă™Ăž ĂŒĂ? Ă‹ Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă?Ă–ĂŁ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒÓĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ë› TAKE ĚŽ Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• ÞÙ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ ĂĄĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?âÚÙĂ?Ă?ĂŽËœ ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ’Ă‹ĂšĂ? Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ?Ăœ ÞÙ ×ËâÓ×ÓĂ?Ă? Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜ Ă™ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂŁ ÞÙ Ùà Ă?ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă•Ă? Ă‹Ă˜Ă™ĂžĂ’Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ăœ Ă“Ă˜ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă˜ĂžËœ Ă™Ăœ ÞÙ Ă‘Ă?Ăž ÚËĂ?Ăž ÞÒĂ? Ă™ĂŒĂ?ÞËĂ?Ă–Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? ÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă? Ă‹ Ă?ÚËĂ?Ă? Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ™Ă‹ĂŽË›

In business we are faced with many risks and if we were to put into place actions for all of them, we are likely to go bust. The key is to determine those risks that need the most attention and therefore the most investment

TREAT ĚŽ Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă—Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă?ÓÞÒĂ?Ăœ Ă™Ăœ ĂŒĂ™ĂžĂ’ ÞÒĂ? Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă?ÖÓÒÙÙÎ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ó×ÚËĂ?Ăž Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• ĂŒĂŁ ĂžĂ‹Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă Ă™Ă“ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă—Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ăž Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ? Ă‹ĂšĂšĂ–ĂŁĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂœĂ‹Ă•Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĘŽĂ‹Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă’Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ–Ă“Ă‘Ă’ĂžĂ?Ëœ ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂ˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? ÚËĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ? ÞÙ ĂŒĂœĂ‹Ă?Ă? ÞÒĂ?Ă—Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă™Ăœ Ă?ĂžĂ?Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ÞÒĂ? ĂŽĂ‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă?ĂœË› TRANSFER ĚŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă&#x;Ă?Ă&#x;Ă‹Ă– ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ăœ Ă—Ă?ÞÒÙÎ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă–Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă‹Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ăž Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? ÚÙÖÓĂ?ĂŁ Ă—Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ăž Ă‘Ă“Ă Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă—Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă?Ù×Ă?Ă™ĂœĂž Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă˜Ă?âÞ ÞåÙ Ă™Ăœ ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ?Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ëœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ăž Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂĄĂ™Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ÞÓ×Ă? ÞÙ Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ùà Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă‘Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ÞÓ×Ă? ËÖÖÙåĂ?ĂŽË› TOLERATE ĚŽ ÞÒÓĂ? Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒËÞ Ă“Ă? Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ĂĄĂ’Ă?Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• Ă“Ă? ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• ËÚÚĂ?ÞÓÞĂ?Ë› Ă™ Ă–Ă?Þ˪Ă? ÖÙÙÕ Ă‹Ăž Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ÚÙĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ˜Ëž Ă‹Ă˜ ĂĄĂ? Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• Ě‹ Ă“Ă? ÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă™ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂŁ Ă’Ă?ĂœĂ?ËŁ Ă‹Ă˜ ĂĄĂ? ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• ĂŒĂŁ ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă?ÖÓÒÙÙÎ Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂ?Ă‹ĂŽËŁ Ăœ ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ’Ă‹ĂšĂ? ĂĄĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• ĂŒĂŁ ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? Ó×ÚËĂ?Þˣ

Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă?ĂŽ åÓÞÒ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă•Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă? ĂĄĂ? ĂĄĂ?ĂœĂ? ÞÙ ĂšĂ&#x;Ăž Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ ÚÖËĂ?Ă? Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ?Ă—Ëœ ĂĄĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă?Ă–ĂŁ ÞÙ Ă‘Ă™ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Þ˛ Ă’Ă? Ă•Ă?ĂŁ Ă“Ă? ÞÙ ĂŽĂ?ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ—Ă“Ă˜Ă? ÞÒÙĂ?Ă? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă•Ă? ÞÒËÞ Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă™Ă?Ăž Ă‹ĘľĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ? ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă™Ă?Ăž Ă“Ă˜Ă Ă?Ă?Þ×Ă?Ă˜ĂžË› Ă’Ă&#x;Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽĂ? ÞÙ ĂŒĂ? ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă’ Ă?âÚĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ”Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă‹ ĂœĂ“Ă‘Ă™ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă? ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă? Ă˜Ă™ Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ͽ× ÞÙ ĂŽĂ?Ă‹Ă– åÓÞÒ Ă‹ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• ÞÒËÞ Ă“Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă–ĂŁ Ă‘Ă™Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ Ă?Ă™Ă?Ăž Ă&#x;Ă? ÍšĂ—Ëœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ăž ÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă—Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ăž ĂŒĂ? Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ͚͸͸Õ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒËÞ ͚× ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă•Ë› Ă“Ă•Ă?ĂĄĂ“Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒĂ? ÞÙ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂŽËœ Ă‹Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂšĂ?Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă“Ă?Ă• Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ăž Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ĂŒĂ? Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ě™ Ěš ÙʊĂ?Ă?Ëœ ÞÙ Ùà Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă? Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă?ÞÓà ÓÞÓĂ?Ă?Ë› Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚĂ?ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă‘Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ? ÞÒËÞ Ó×ÚÖĂ?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? Ă—Ă‹Ă”Ă™Ăœ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă? Ă“Ă? ĂŒĂ?ĘľĂ?Ăœ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă?ĂŽ åÓÞÒ Ă‹ Ă?Ă—Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĘŠĂ?Ă“Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă“Ă?Ă• Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂžĂ?Ă‹Ă—Ëœ Ă?ÞËʼĂ?ĂŽ åÓÞÒ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă‘Ă’Ăž ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒÓĂ? ʨĂ?Ă–ĂŽË› Ă’Ă? Ă˜Ă“Ăž Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ—Ă“Ăž ĂœĂ?Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă–Ă‹Ăœ ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ? ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžËœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ’Ă?Ă‹ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ— ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? ĂŒĂŁ Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă?ĂŁĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÚÙĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă™ĂŒĂ?ÞËĂ?Ă–Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂžĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă—Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? Ó×ÚÖĂ?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă?Ă? ĂŒĂŁ Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă?ĂžĂœĂ“Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă?ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă“Ă–Ă?Ăž Ă‹ ĂĄĂ?Ă–Ă?Ù×Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚ×Ă?Ă˜ĂžËœ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ĂŒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ë› Ăž Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ăž ĂŒĂ? Ă’Ă“Ăž Ă™Ăœ Ă—Ă“Ă?Ă?Ë› Ăž ĂšĂœĂ™ĂšĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă– Ă“Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă?Ă? ÞÙ Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă?ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂ˜Ă?Ă?Ă? ÚÙÞĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă‹Ă– ĂœĂ?Ă Ă?Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă? ÞÒËÞ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă‹ĂŽĂŽĂœĂ?Ă?Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă‘ĂœĂ™ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ʨĂ?Ă?Ă‹Ă– ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă?Ăž ĂŽĂ?ʨĂ?ÓÞ˛ Ăž Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ? Ă™Ă&#x;Ăž ÑÙËÖĂ? ÞÙ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ— Ă Ă‹ĂœĂŁĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă™Ă—Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ? ÞÒËÞ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă™Ă˜Ă–ĂŁ ÞËÕĂ? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂŁ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăž Ă™Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ăž ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă™Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ Ă–Ă™Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ— Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă‘ĂœĂ™ĂĄĂžĂ’Ë› Ă™Ăœ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă“Ă—Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă‹Ăœ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžËœ ĂĄĂ? ĂŽĂ™Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ÞÒĂ? ÞÓ×Ă? ÞÙ ĂŽĂ?Ă‹Ă– Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëž ĂĄĂ? Ă”Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ÞÙ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă?Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?âÚĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă? ĂžĂ?Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁĂ™Ă˜Ă? ÞÙ ĂŒĂœĂ‹Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă‘Ă?Ăž ĂŽĂ™ĂĄĂ˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă’Ă?Ă?Ă• Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ăž ĂŒĂ?Ă–ĂžĂ?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă–Ă? ĂĄĂ? Ę¨ĂœĂ—Ă–ĂŁ ËÚÚÖã ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂœĂ‹Ă•Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞËÕĂ? ĂĄĂ’Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă Ă?Ăœ Ă‹Ă Ă™Ă“ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă? ÙÚĂ?Ă˜ ÞÙ Ă&#x;Ă? åÓÞÒÙĂ&#x;Ăž Ă?âÚÙĂ?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ăœ ÞÙ Ă‹Ă˜ Ó×ÚËĂ?Þ˛ Ă? ĂĄĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă™Ă? ÞÒËÞ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă–Ă“Ă Ă? ÞÙ ĂžĂ?Ă–Ă– ÞÒĂ? ÞËÖĂ? Ă‹Ę°Ă?ĂœĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ?Ëœ ÞÒĂ?Ă˜ ĂĄĂ? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ĂŽĂ™Ă˜Ă? ĂĄĂ?Ă–Ă–Ë› Ëž ĂŒĂ™Ă˜Ă&#x;Ëœ Ëœ Ě™ ĚšËœ Ëœ Ă? Ě™ ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ˜ĚšËœ Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ“Ă?ĂŽ Ă˜Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?âÚĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜Ă•Ă?Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂšĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă?Ă• Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ë› Ă‹ĂœĂ˜Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹ ÚÙĂ?Ăž Ă‘ĂœĂ‹ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă‹ĂžĂ? ĂŽĂ?Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă?Ă• Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă?ĂĄ Ă™ĂœĂ• Ă˜Ă“Ă Ă?ĂœĂ?ÓÞã ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ˜ Ă?ÒÙÙÖ Ă™Ă? Ă&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă? Ă‹ Ă—Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă˜Ă?ÞÓÞĂ&#x;ĂžĂ? Ă™Ă? Ă“Ă?Ă• Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ě‹ Ë› Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ ͸Π͸Πͺ͸Πͺ͸͟͞ Ě™ Ă˜Ă–ĂŁĚšËž Ă?Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă–Ë? ĂœĂ—ÍźĂœĂ“Ă?Õ×ÑÞ̜Ñ×ËÓÖ˛Ă?Ù×

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T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°Í˛Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

BUSINESSWORLD

AVIATION

AIR WATCH

Air Peace Delivers 12th Aircraft to Boost Regional Operations Stories by Chinedu Eze Nigeria’s rising domestic carrier, Air Peace has taken delivery of its 12thaircraft, a 114-capacity Boeing 737-500.

The aircraft, which landed at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos at about 2.15 pm Tuesday, was celebrated by the staff of the airline, as it is primed to extend its routes in the West and Central Africa destinations. The airline said the arrival of the aircraft would greatly boost its expansion drive, as the carrier commenced its daily Lagos-Accra-Lagos flight operations on February 16.

According to statement from the airline, signed by its spokesman, Chris Iwarrah, Air

Peace had earlier entered the Lagos-Benin-Lagos, Abuja-BeninAbuja and the Lagos-Uyo-Lagos routes. Air Peace is also planning to start flight operations to Sokoto in a few days’ time.

In a statement announcing the arrival of the latest aircraft, the Chief Operating Officer of Air Peace, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Olajide said: “Our customers are our greatest asset. Their support and loyalty have ensured our rapid growth, expansion and choice as Nigeria’s preferred airline.

At a time the aviation industry is facing a lot of challenges, we have continued to show strength and maintain very high standards. Our banks and other creditors have also been very supportive because of

our integrity.� The airline, she added, was uncompromising in the maintenance of its aircraft to guarantee the safety of its customers. “Two of our aircraft are also arriving from C-check.

We insisted on the regulatory heavy maintenance in accordance with Boeing requirements.

We insist on very high safety standards because we greatly value the lives of our esteemed customers�, Olajide said.

She enthused: “The coming of our new aircraft will infuse new energy into our expansion drive.

Since the last quarter of 2016, we started a massive expansion effort that has firmly positioned us on the Lagos-Benin-Lagos, Abuja-Benin-Abuja and LagosUyo-Lagos routes.

Ethiopian Airlines Aviation Academy Graduates 184 Aviation Professionals Ethiopian Airlines Aviation Academy (EAA), a certified International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) training institution and International Air Transport Association (IATA) authorised global training center, has graduated 184 aviation professionals at a ceremony held at the Academy’s Commercial and Cabin Crew Training Building on Saturday, February 18, 2017.

Among the total graduates, 145 are females.

The Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam gave out diplomas to the graduates and achievement awards to top performing ones.

In this round, 90 graduates are from Cabin Crew and Catering, 84 from Commercial and Ground Operations Training School and the rest are trained on Equipment and Facility Maintenance.

Tewolde said: “Education is the greatest Equalizer in our highly integrated world today and for this reason we are putting great emphasis in training young Ethiopians and our African brothers and sisters in order to enable them develop the required global

standard qualification to fly successful African Airlines. We are very proud of our Aviation Academy achievements and global standard capabilities in various professions in the Aviation industry. In line with our vision 2025, we are expanding the capacity of the Academy to accommodate from 1,000 today to 4,000 students by 2025. Today’s graduation is a continuation of this long journey. I take this opportunity to congratulate the graduates and their families and friends. I also thank the Academy staff for their hard work and achievements.�

Ethiopian Aviation Academy is certified by the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority, the U.S Federal Aviation Administration, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and IATA Safety Audit (IOSA). The Academy has been providing training for pilots, aircraft maintenance technicians, cabin crew, marketing personnel and leadership development trainees for Ethiopians and other nationals from Africa, Middle East and Asia for more than seven decades.

In addition, the Ethiopian Airlines, proudly announces

that it will host the ICAO Global Aviation Training and Trainer plus Symposium with the theme: “Together, Enhancing Training to Build Capacity� at the seat of the African Union, Addis Ababa from April 11 through 13, 2017.

Group CEO Ethiopian Airlines, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, said: “It is a profound honour for all of us at Ethiopian Airlines to host the ICAO Global Aviation Training and TRAINAIR PLUS Symposium which brings major industry players together, to exchange best practices and experiences in human resources development and aviation training, and more specifically on the TRAINAIR PLUS Program for the advancement of the Global aviation. I believe this symposium will also be an opportunity for us to showcase our hospitality, the state-of-theart Aviation Training facilities at our Aviation Academy and the key role Ethiopian is playing in the development of the African Aviation industry. “While attending the symposium in this beautiful country, I would like to remind you all that you are coming back home.

FAAN Graduates Newly Recruited AVSEC, ARFFS Candidates The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Saleh Dunoma, has said that the agency would continue its commitment to human capacity development in order to meet the highest standards of professionalism and best industry practices, as well as continue to train and develop capacity of its members of staff, in line with the provisions of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

He made this disclosure at the passing out parade for the second batch, Aviation Security (AVSEC) and Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Services (ARFFS) personnel held in Lagos recently.

Dunoma, who was represented at the event by the Authority’s Director of Commercial and Business Development, Alhaji Sadiku Abdulkadir Rafindadi, admonished the graduating officers to remember all they have learnt and make a personal commitment to excel in their chosen careers.

He added: “I indulge you to pursue this challenging career path, because it’s rewarding, you have a great responsibility to live up to the vision of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria which is “to be amongst the best airport groups in the world.�

The Director of Human Resources, Hajia Salamatu Umar-Eluma in her address to

the new officers, said that they have been recruited to serve in the Para-military arms of the organisation where discipline, professional conduct, loyalty and special vigilance are required.

Commending the instructors and coordinators of the training programme for their commitment to management’s vision, she applauded the support of her team received from the Managing Director in the course of implementing the training.

The event climaxed with presentation of awards of excellence to those who distinguished themselves in the programme.

The awards are in three different categories, for Aviation Security officers, Fire Officers and Parade Commanders.

Winning Back the West Coast

T

erennial aviation fuel scarcity and its skyrocketing cost since 2016 hampered operations of Nigerian airlines in the West and Central Africa. ÓÞÒ ÞÒĂ? ĂŽĂ™Ă–Ă–Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ?ÓÞã Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂŽ ĂŽĂ™ĂĄĂ˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă Ă‹Ă–Ă&#x;Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă‹Ă“ĂœĂ‹Ëœ Ă?Ă?Ăž ÙËĂ?Ăž operations gave Nigerian airlines the leeway to earn foreign exchange. Ă‹ĂœĂ–ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ ÍşÍ¸ÍšÍžËœ Ă?ĂœĂ™ Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ?Ëœ ĂœĂ“Ă•Ëœ Ă?ĂŽĂ Ă“Ă?ĂĄ Airline and African World Airlines (AWA) from Ghana served the Accra-Lagos route eectively until Dana Air joined the fray. Dana brought a Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂšĂ™Ă“Ă?Ă? ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžËœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ ĂŒĂ?Ă‘Ă‹Ă˜ ÞÙ dwindle in load factor and became over saturated. ĂœĂ“Ă• ÙÚĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă?Ă‹Ăœ Ă‹Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ?ĂŁĂ™Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ‹ ÞÙ ĂŒĂ“ĂŽĂ”Ă‹Ă˜Ëœ Ă‹Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă™Ëœ Ă˜Ă‘Ă™Ă–Ă‹Ëœ Ă‹Ă•Ă‹ĂœËœ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂĄĂ˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ĂœĂ™Ă Ă“Ă‹Ë› ĂœĂ“Ă• ĂĄĂ‹Ă? Ă?ÙÖÖÙåĂ?ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ Ă?ĂŽĂ Ă“Ă?ĂĄËœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă–Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă&#x;ĂœĂ‹Ă– ĘŽĂ“Ă‘Ă’Ăž ÞÙ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂĄĂ˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ĂœĂ™Ă Ă“Ă‹ Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ?

December last year. Ă&#x;Ăž Ă?Ă&#x;ĂŽĂŽĂ?Ă˜Ă–ĂŁËœ Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹ Ă?ÞÙÚÚĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă? ĚŽ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ‹ ĘŽĂ“Ă‘Ă’ĂžËœ Ă?Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă’Ă“Ă‘Ă’ Ă?Ă™Ă?Ăž Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂ‘Ă?Ă? Ě™Ă“Ă˜ ĂŽĂ™Ă–Ă–Ă‹ĂœĂ?ĚšËœ Arik’s epileptic ight schedule and cancellations forced passengers to shun the airline and Aero Ă™Ă˜ Ă?ÚÞĂ?Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ ͚˜ ͺ͸͚͞ Ă?ÞÙÚÚĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă–Ă? ÙÚĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ëœ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă?Ăž ÙËĂ?Ăž Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ë› Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ ÒÓÞÒĂ?ĂœĂžĂ™ ÙÚĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă?Ě‹ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ‹ ight three times weekly started daily ight with its Embraer E145 aircraft and at a time was operating four times to Lagos from Accra.

West and Central African destinations are huge Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ? Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă˜Ëœ Ă›Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă– Ă&#x;Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă‹Ëœ Ă‹Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă‹Ă–Ă“Ëœ ÙÞĂ? ĂŽËŞ Ă Ă™Ă“ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă‘Ă‹Ă–Ëœ Ă’Ă?

Gambia and others. This market is only served by Asky with other upstart airlines that do not have durability. Ironically majority of the passengers in these destinations are Nigerians. Ă‹Ă?Ăž ĂĄĂ?Ă?Ă•Ëœ Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă‹ĂŽĂ? ÞÒĂ? Ę¨ĂœĂ?Ăž Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ outside Nigerian domestic market with its inaugural ight to Accra from Lagos. The airline within two years of its operation has warmed itself to the hearts of travellers who now demand that it should take them farther than domestic destinations.

The airline’s service to Accra is a harbinger to other destinations in the West Coast and Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă– Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ë› Ă™ Ă?ĂŽĂ Ă“Ă?ĂĄ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? have become two Nigerian airlines that will provide hundreds of Nigerian businessmen and women and others the needed service to move around the West and Central Africa. Ă&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă˜Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă&#x;ĂœĂ‹Ă– Ă?Ă–Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ăž ÞÙ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ëœ Ă–Ă‹Ă?Ăž ĂĄĂ?Ă?Ă•Ëœ ÞÒĂ? Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă? ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĘŠĂ?Ă?Ăœ Ă™Ă? Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂœĂ?Ë› Oluwatoyin Olajide said the airline would help travellers to make seamless connections across Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ëœ Ă‹Ă? Ă“Ăž ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜Ă? ÞÙ Ă‹ĂŽĂŽ Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ? ĂŽĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? in the continent. ËŤ Ă˜ Ă”Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă&#x;Ăž ͺ΀ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă™Ă? ÙÚĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ darling airline has experienced tremendous growth. We have not only given air travellers Ă‹ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă–ĂŁ Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ Ă?ÒÙÓĂ?Ă?Ëœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ăž Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă?ĂŽ to distinguish ourselves with our excellent on-time departure record and high safety and maintenance standards. “The launch of our Lagos-Accra-Lagos route opens a new chapter in our spectacular ight ÙÚĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ë› Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă›Ă&#x;Ă“ĂžĂ? ÒÙÚĂ?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă– ÞÒËÞ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ăž experience here will guide our plan to expand into other regional and international routes in

ÞÒĂ? ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă‹Ă’Ă?Ă‹ĂŽËœËŹ ÖËÔÓÎĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽË› Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽË? ËŤ Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?ĂŽ Ă“Ăž Ă‹ Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ăž privilege “to be given the opportunity to provide seamless air travel between Ghana and Nigeria and help individuals and businesses connect their destinations with ease. “We promise not to lower the high standards we have been known for since we started operations.

We are in Ghana to oer nothing but the best air travel experience and treat our customers with the greatest respect. We will continue ÞÙ ĂŽĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă›Ă&#x;ËÖÓÞã Ă™Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂžĂ?Ă‹Ă— Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁĂ? ahead. We will continue to honour our promise to place a non-negotiable premium on the comfort Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă?Þã Ă™Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă Ă‹Ă–Ă&#x;Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ÞÙ×Ă?ĂœĂ?ËœËŹ ÞÒĂ? Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă?

Operating OďŹƒcer said.

The acting Nigerian High Commissioner to Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ëœ ĂŽĂ?Ă•Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŒĂ“ Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă“Ă•Ă?Ě‹ ãÙÎĂ?ÔÓ ĂĄĂ’Ă™ ĂĄĂ?Ă–Ă?Ù×Ă?ĂŽ the new airline to Ghana said the coming of Air Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? ÞÙ Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹ ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ™Ă™Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă™Ă—Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂŽĂ? relations between Nigeria and Ghana. “This is another feather to Nigeria’s existence Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ă–Ă–Ă‹ĂŒĂ™ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ åÓÞÒ Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ë› Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ę¨ĂœĂ—Ă? ÞÒËÞ ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă? Ă‹Ăž ÒÙ×Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ë› Ă™Ăœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ÞÙ ÞËÕĂ? Ă‹ Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăš ÞÙ Ă?Ù×Ă? ÞÙ Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹ Ă—Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă? Ă‹ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂŁ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă‹Ă–ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂŽĂŁ ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă˜ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹Ăž ÒÙ×Ă?˛ˏ Ă’Ă? Ă˜Ă™ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ăž ÞÒËÞ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă—Ă™Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă•ĂœĂ™ Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă‹ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ? ËÎÙÚÞĂ?ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ĂŒĂŁ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă? ÞÒÓĂ? ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœËœ Ă?Ă“Ă‘Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ă? ÙÚĂ?Ă˜ Ă?Ă•ĂŁ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă—Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ă“ĂœĂ–Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă?Ă˜Ăž would not have any restrictions ying from one Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂŁ ÞÙ Ă‹Ă˜Ă™ĂžĂ’Ă?ĂœËœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ăž ÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă? Ă?ÞÓÖÖ Ă“Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ‹Ă– Ă“Ăœ Service Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and Ghana. ËŤ Ă? ÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™ĂœĂ?Ă“Ă‘Ă˜ ĘĽĂ‹Ă“ĂœĂ? Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă‹Ă–ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁĂ? been doing is to promote bilateral relations. This is one of them because we have what we call bilateral air services agreement. It is on the basis of this ÞÒËÞ Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă? ËÖÖÙåĂ?ĂŽ ÞÙ ĘŽĂŁ Ă”Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă? ĂœĂ“Ă•Ëœ Ă”Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă? Ă?ĂŽĚ‹ Ă“Ă?ĂĄË› Ă™ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă&#x;Ă? ÞÙ Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă’Ă?ĂœĂ?Ëœ it is an achievement that can be shared between Nigeria and Ghana. ËŤ Ă’Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă Ă?Ăœ Ă“Ăž Ă“Ă? ÞÒËÞ Ă“Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂœĂ™ĂžĂ™Ă?Ă™Ă–Ëœ ÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă? also the rudiments. The protocols might say you are free to come in but there are nitty-gritty that Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă›Ă&#x;Ă“ĂœĂ?ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ÞÙ Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă‹ ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ‹Ă–Ë› The rudiment of it is still going to be one to one Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜Ă? ÞÙ Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă“Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă“Ă Ă“Ă– Ă‹Ă Ă“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŽĂ?Ę¨Ă˜Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž Ă‹ĂœĂ? ÞÒĂ? Ă–Ă“Ă—Ă“ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă?âÚĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă™Ă? Ă‹Ă“ĂœĂ–Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?ËœËŹ Ă?Ă’Ă? said. Sonaike-Ayodeji noted that the trade relations between Nigeria and Ghana have increased greatly ĂŒĂ&#x;Ăž ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂž Ă™Ă? Ă“Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă?ÞÓÖÖ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă–Ëœ Ă?Ă™ Ă“Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă˜Ă™Ăž ĂĄĂ?Ă–Ă– ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂŽ because so many businesses exist as a result of just moving in from Ghana to Nigeria or Nigeria to Ghana. ËŤ Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ ĂŒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂŽ Ă’Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂžĂ’ Ă˜Ă™ĂĄ as a trade relation between Nigeria and Ghana. All these are adding up and I can tell you that Nigeria is more or less enjoying the opening of ECOWAS protocols at the same time we are also encouraging Ghanaians to go to Nigeria because if we put our ÚÙÚĂ&#x;Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ÞÙÑĂ?ÞÒĂ?ĂœËœ ĂĄĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂžĂ‹Ă–Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă? Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă&#x;Ăž Ùà Ă?Ăœ ͺ͸͸ Ă—Ă“Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă™Ă˜ ĂšĂ?ÙÚÖĂ?ËœËŹ Ă?Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽË› Nigeria has at least 60 percent of the passenger ĂžĂœĂ‹ĘŠĂ? Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă?Ăž ÙËĂ?ĂžËœ Ă?Ă™ Ă“Ăž ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ù×Ă?Ă? ĂšĂ?ĂœĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă?Ă˜Ăž that Nigerian airiness should play major role in airlifting these passengers from one destination ÞÙ Ă‹Ă˜Ă™ĂžĂ’Ă?ĂœË› Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă’Ă‹Ă? ÚÙĂ?Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ Ă“ĂžĂ?Ă?Ă–Ă? ÞÙ ÚÖËã ÞÒËÞ Ă?Ă“Ă‘Ă˜Ă“Ę¨Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ăž ĂœĂ™Ă–Ă?Ë›

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͰͲ˜ Ͱͮͯ͵

23

BUSINESSWORLD

AVIATION

As NCAA Steps up Measures on Air Safety Safety in air transportation is largely dependent on effective regulation, surveillance, training and manpower development. Chinedu Eze highlights some of measures put in place by the NCAA to improve safety in the aviation industry weather related issues grievously hampered flight services and “led to increase in delays and cancellations. This also led to increase in complaints from domestic passengers.”

Recently when the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), sanctioned some airlines for violation of safety regulations, the airlines were angry that the fines given to them were made public. However, the action made Nigerians who over the years had accused NCAA of complacency and compromise to become convinced that the regulatory authority is really checking the excesses of the airlines.

Last year, there was a report that pilots and cabin crew personnel of some airlines were suspended by NCAA, after the agency found out that their conduct infringed the rules- from taking alcohol few hours to flight time to the discovery of marijuana substances in their blood during test. Their licenses were suspended for a given time. Although industry sources said such drastic measures ought to be a continuum but there was a time “NCAA was lax and complacent, but now they have upped their game.”

This week, the agency also penalised First Nation Airways and fined one of its pilots the sum of N33.5 million for violation of safety regulations. The agency explained that the pilot failed to present his medical report to its officials, who were on ramp inspection and there was no indication that the pilot had current medical certificate when he was to operate a flight as the Pilot in Command (PIC).

Safety Checks To ensure safety of flights in Nigeria’s airspace, NCAA issued guidelines to owners and users of remotely piloted aircraft and drones in order to prevent possible collision with aircraft. The authority attained level three in the state safety programme implementation process and Nigeria is now at the same level with US, UK and major countries of the world in safety rating.

Usman

The authority said it ordered the airline to pay N32, 000, 000 and the pilot N1, 500, 000, totaling N33.5 million. Although First Nation Airways filed an appeal against the sanctions in accordance with the requirements of Nig. CARs 1.10, but the matter indicated the new approach in NCAA. Review Last week the regulatory authority reviewed its activities last year and the plans it has in this current year, 2017, disclosing that the New Year would be approached by four-point agenda.

The Director General of NCAA, Captain Muhtar Usman described last year as a successful year with a mixed bag of fortunes for the industry, stressing however, that 2016 was another zero accident year in the commercial air transport category and it was the year the recorded the least incidents in the last three years.

During this period, air travel still recorded ticket sales worth N330, 548, 324, 796.84 from January to October 2016, a little less than N385, 909, 897, 028. 80 sold between January and December in 2015.

It was however projected that the total number of ticket sales last year surpassed that of the previous year due to high December season not yet reflected in the records.

Also, between January and September 2016, airlines airlifted about11, 344, 936 passengers.

This was slightly lower than the passenger movement in 2015, which was 11, 402, 899, during the same period.

However, passenger movement figures in 2015 and 2016 were lower than the pre-recession era when the total inbound and outbound passenger movement rose to 15 million in 2014.

Usman explained that in 2015, domestic flights airlifted 8, 130, 568 with 202, 352 flights in the given period, while foreign airlift was 3, 272, 331 with 31, 493 flights and the total number of flights for that year was 233, 845.

In 2016 domestic flights airlifted 8, 090, 816 passengers with 130, 745 number of flights, while passengers on international air travel was 3, 272, 331 with 33, 099 number of flights and the total number of flights was 163, 844.

Usman said what was remarkable was that in the past three years Nigeria has recorded zero accident and there has not been any major incident, with 2016 identified as the best year in the area of safety records.

He said there was similar volume of passengers in 2015 and 2016, while the later recorded less number of flights, adding that it is expected that there should be continuous increase in passenger volume every year.

Challenges Usman said that one of the challenges facing the aviation industry is the current economic situation, which has eroded the personal income of many Nigerians. The poor economic situation in the country has reduced the passenger traffic at a time the airlines need more money in naira value to exchange for dollars. The recession led to the significant reduction of Nigeria’s currency and jerked up the prices of everything that is imported.

Another challenge is the paucity of foreign exchange, which the Director General said has made it difficult to source dollars and pay for aircraft spares, maintenance and training.

Foreign airlines find it difficult to repatriate their funds. Although Nigeria is not the only country affected by this; in fact, the Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Alexander de Juniac, told THISDAY last December in Geneva that the worst hit were Venezuela and Angola but foreign airlines operating in Nigeria are still finding it difficult to repatriate their revenue but they have been working with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and NCAA and substantial sum of the funds have been taken out.

But another huge challenge the airlines in Nigeria is contending with is the scarcity of aviation fuel. This has led to outrageously high fares, flight delays and cancellations and it has also eroded the operations of domestic carriers and threatening their existence. But the Director General of NCAA on Monday told THISDAY that government in collaboration with the regulatory authority is seriously seeking for solution of that intractable problem and very soon the problem of aviation scarcity would be over. The high point of the negative effect of the scarcity was in December last year when it combined with Harmattan haze to adversely disrupt flight operations. Many flights were cancelled, climaxing on December 27, 2016 when less than one percent of scheduled flights operated, leaving passengers stranded and frustrated during the Yuletide season.

Achievements As a regulatory authority, NCAA besides ensuring safety and security of air transport in Nigeria liaises with other countries and international aviation organisations on behalf of Nigeria; so these organisations review its activities from time to time to determine the safety standard of the country’s aviation industry.

Captain Usman said NCAA passed the US Transport Security Administration (TSA)

during the evaluation period and the Director General was elected Chairman of Banjul Accord Group Aviation Safety Oversight Organisation (BAGASOO) and during the period also, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) certified four Nigerians as security auditors, which means that they now can audit the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of other countries on security.

“This is unprecedented in any CAA in the world because officials from our authority will now join hands with other top ICAO personnel to audit other countries,” Usman said.

In 2012 Ministers of Transport in African nations met in Abuja to say that in the next five years every airline operating in the continent must be IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certified.

With that declaration NCAA and IATA went to work and by this January majority of Nigerian airlines on schedule commercial service have been certified.

In addition, NCAA has commenced the aerodrome certification of Lagos and Abuja airports in order to meet ICAO standard. The phase three of the certification programme has been completed and recently ICAO team came and inspected the airports.

The agency has also certified air navigation service providers; that is, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) in addition, NCAA has audited aerodromes and heliports in the country. It has also automated the obtaining of personnel licenses, an effort that attracted commendation from the National Assembly, adding that there has not been any open item during the auditing of the Directorate of Licensing by international organisations.

Nigeria scored over 90 percent in ICAO security audit and was successful in the ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP).

During the review period NCAA received 7, 281 complaints from passengers on foreign airlines in 2015; 4,343 were processed and resolved. In 2016, the authority got a total of 2, 236 complaints and 1, 792 were resolved.

In 2015 also there were 47 complaints from domestic airlines and 33 were resolved. In 2016, 71 complaints were recorded and 51 were resolved.

But in 2016, NCAA noticed sharp decline in the number of complaints from foreign airlines.

Despite these achievements the Director General noted that highest point of flight disruption, as stated earlier, was occasioned by paucity of aviation fuel and harmattan haze. He said that the lingering non-availability of aviation and

Plans for 2017 Compared to other CAAs in Africa, NCAA has gone ahead in many ways that ICAO had advised some African countries to understudy Nigeria’s regulatory body, but to maintain the good standard it has achieved so far, NCAA continues to pursue improved safety regulation as it is said that safety is a process; it is not an end in itself, so it is a continuum.

In the New Year NCAA said it wants to continue with robust regulations, proficient safety oversight, increased surveillance on all certificate holders and daily ramp inspection. It also wants to continue with en-route inspections, improve the regularity of base inspections, line station inspection and spot check inspection on maintenance facilities. The aim of this is to ensure that airlines are kept on their toes, to ensure that they abide by the rules.

Training and Personnel Captain Usman said all staff of NCAA was trained in 2016 in line with ICAO Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and these include local and foreign training, and the authority in response to the prevailing cash crunch in the country innovatively domesticated some foreign mandatory training. The agency spent hugely on training last year, but Usman said the agency has world-class professionals in sufficient number, which is a major ICAO requirement.

“The aviation industry is replete with astute professionals. We have active licensed pilots of up to 2, 226; 1, 532 active licensed aircraft maintenance engineers, 543 active licensed flight dispatchers and 313 active licensed air traffic controllers. There are also 1,888 active licensed cabin crew, 254 air traffic safety electronic personnel and 100 aeronautical station operators personnel,” Usman said.

Industry Growth The Director General said Nigeria’s air transport industry retained its attractiveness as the sector recorded increase in Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA). Nigeria has BASA with 88 countries before but this was increased to 90 countries in December 2016.

The additional countries include Seychelles and Bahamas and the countries that requested for additional frequencies include UAE, Netherlands, Turkey, Brazil, Qatar and Cote d’Ivoire.

Usman said there are several new applicants for air operators certificate (AOC) and up to 18 firms had applied on which their AOC certification process is on going, while nine were still at the level of intent.

Zero Accident NCAA said it wants to sustain zero accident in 2017, increase safety oversight and have wider and more regular surveillance, stringent enforcement and application of appropriate sanctions on erring airlines. This year NCAA will review and strengthen economic regulation and sight airlines operational books more regularly. It would also improve consumer protection and increase the motivation of officers in that Directorate with plan to have faster process and resolution of cases.

NCAA in 2017 has geared up to reinvigorate the aviation industry and is poised to give the country a more efficient air transport sector.

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WEEKLY PULLOUT

WEEKEND TR

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

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ALL HAIL THE NEW OLOWA OF IGBARA-OKE

ACTING EDITOR CHARLES AJUNWA / charles.ajunwa@thisdaylive.com

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24.02.2017

All Hail The New Olowa of Igbara-Oke The joy of the sons and daughters of the agrarian Igbara-Oke Town in Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State knew no bounds, when the new monarch of the town was presented with the staff of office, writes James Sowole

L-R: H.R.M. Oba Adefarakanmi Agbede, the Ogidi 111 of Igbara-Oke Land and the Ondo State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo, at the presentation of staff of office to the new monarch

L-R: The Alara of Aramoko Ekiti, Oba Dr. Adegoke Olu Adeyemi_ The Ogaga of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Olu Alagbado and H.R.M. Oba Adefarakanmi Agbede, the Ogidi 111 of Igbara-Oke Land, at the presentation of staff of office

L-R: H.R.M. Oba Adefarakanmi Agbede, the Ogidi 111 of Igbara-Oke Land and the Elerimo of Erimo Ijesa, Oba Michael Ajayi Arowotawaya, at the presentation of staff of office to the new monarch

L-R: H.R.M. Oba Adefarakanmi Agbede, the Ogidi 111 of Igbara-Oke Land and the Ondo State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo, and the Chairman, Ifedore Local Government, Mr. Olusola Adu, at the presentation of s

One of the popular albums of the juju music exponent, Chief Ebenezer Fabiyi popularly known as “Ebenezer Obey” in the late 70’s was the one he waxed in respect of conferment of chieftaincy titles on individuals. He sang that before a chieftaincy title is conferred on an individual in a particular community, such person must be of good character and must be responsible in the community.

According to him, such person must have contributed immensely to the development not only of his immediate environment but mankind in totality.

It is also a common saying that one cannot know his or her worth until when one showed interest in leadership position either during quest for elective political office or traditional title, especially the position of an Oba of a community.

That the new Olowa of Igbara-Oke in Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Francis Adefarakanmi Agbede, Ogidi III, possessed those attributes mentioned by the juju music legend in his album, was not an overstatement.

Agbede, who people had been referring to as Obalola of Igbara-Oke, contested for the throne in 2004 but lost to the immediate past monarch, who joined his ancestors in December 2016.

It was therefore a jubilation galore among the people of Igbara-Oke on Tuesday, February 14, 2017, when the head of the nine kingmakers of the community, Chief Joseph Olofin, the Sapetu of Igbara-Oke, announced that Adefarakanmi Agbede had been elected as the new monarch for the town.

Agbede from the Ogidi ruling house according to Olofin scored eight out of the nine votes cast by the kingmakers in a contest that involved four princes from the same ruling house that

presented candidates for the throne. The jubilation that greeted the town as people both old and young indicated that the choice of the new monarch was acceptable to the people.

The jubilation witnessed by the town on February 14 after the emergence of the new monarch, was very small compared to the situation on Friday, February 16, when the staff of office was presented to the new monarch by the Ondo State Government on the playing field of his alma mata, Anglican Grammar School, Igbara-Oke. The presentation of the instrument of office was witnessed by some traditional rulers from within and outside the state including the Alara of Aramoko Ekiti, Oba Olu Adeyemi, the Ajero of Ijero Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Adewole.

Others are Arajaka of Igbaraodo Ekiti, Oba Edward Jayeola, the Adapogun of Ipogun, the Olubuji of Ibuji.

Though, the ceremony came just three days after the selection, sons and daughters of the town turned out in their large numbers to witness the ceremony even with the short notice singing and dancing while commending the new monarch with the slogan ‘Igba Otun De’ meaning This is Down of New Era for our community’.

In his welcome address, the Chairman of Igbara-Oke Development Council, Mr. Siji Ijogun, said the monarch had done a lot for the community in the last 10 years.

Ijogun said Adefarakanmi’s choice was in line with the popular saying that one’s previous performance and character is a major factor when considering somebody for chieftaincy title.

He noted therefore that the kingmakers and the entire community had made the right choice because the new monarch had touched many lives and that he will make the people to be

happy.

The chairman said even within the short notice for the ceremony, four sons of Igbara-Oke were responsible for the money used for the celebration.

Speaking with THISDAY, one of the childhood friends of the new monarch, Col. Oluwole Apata, said the emergence of the Adefarakanmi as the new monarch of the town, would attract more development to the town.

Apata who said Igbara-Oke was lagging behind in terms of infrastructural development, expressed optimism that the new monarch, who had been doing a lot for the community would be spurred to do more for the people and the community.

Presenting the new monarch to the people, the head of the kingmakers commended the people of the town for giving them the opportunities to select an acceptable person as an Oba for the town.

Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, while presenting the staff of office to the new monarch, said approval of the memo on the selection of the monarch by the State Executive Council, was in line with the decision of the administration not to meddle in the selection of any Oba. Mimiko, who was represented by his deputy, Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo, said the endorsement of Adefarakanmi by eight out of nine kingmakers and the joyous atmosphere since his emergence, showed that his choice was acceptable to the people of the town.

The governor said the fact that the new monarch had been living among the people for more than a decade, would be an added advantage for the people and the community unlike the situation in some towns when somebody who had not been living among

the people is just brought to become the king.

He cleared the government from the insinuation that the selection was based on the fact that the outgoing administration which is winding up was desperate to install an Oba. He expressed optimism that whatever is done right irrespective of any insinuation would stand the test of time even after the current administration leaves office.

“It had been the practice of the current administration to accept whoever the people chose as their own monarch in line with the tradition. The selection of Oba is that of the people and not of the government. The people speak and the government accepts.

“Mimiko is a product of democracy and the rule of law. The people voted for him in 2007 and 2012 and now that the people had decided to look at the other side, that is what the people want. A town also gets an Oba when the people want one.

“So the approval of the Executive Council on the new monarch for Igbara-Oke, was based on the decision of the people to have an Oba at this time and it does not matter whether the governor is leaving office tomorrow,” Mimiko stated.

Speaking after receiving the staff of office, Oba Adefarakanmi thanked the state government for approving what the people wanted.

The monarch said he would continue to work for the people of the community urging people to support him in the task of moving the community forward.

He assured the people that all those good things that had been lost would come back to the town.

The monarch also assured the people that the incoming government would also be for the people urging them not to be apprehensive in any manner.

29/XTRA

24.02.2017

Cole: Public-Private Sector Ventures Hold the Key for Sustainable Development in Nigeria In 2014, the United Nations Development Programme created the UN Sustainable Development Fund to serve as a development cooperation mechanism to support sustainable development activities through integrated and multidimensional joint programmes. To achieve this, the SDG-F inaugurated the Private Sector Advisory Group in 2015 to facilitate the emergence of formidable platforms through which the SDG-F can partner with the private sector to achieve its goals across the globe. The PSAG ship is set to berth in Nigeria – the first in Africa - as the Presidency and several private sector organisations seek to partner on ventures that will help the nation achieve the SDGs. The Executive Director and Co- Founder, Sahara Group (a member of SDGF’s Advisory Board), Tonye Cole, in this interview with Peter Uzoho, speaks on the PSAG in Nigeria and how it will inspire renewed public-private collaboration towards ensuring inclusive growth and development across the nation What led to the introduction of the Private Sector Advisory Group (PSAG)?

Due to the numerous challenges faced by the United Nations during the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Fund (SDG-F) in New York inaugurated the Private Sector Advisory Group (PSAG) made up of 13 private sector organisations from across the world in April 2015 to support the SDG-F in coming up with sustainable solutions to identified global problems. The private sector was invited as a critical partner mainly because the UN had observed that in multiple countries across the world, many private companies had carried out very successful and thriving CSR projects with little or no involvement of the host governments.

Some of the key milestones achieved since the PSAG was introduced include: A workshop with various private sector organisations in Nigeria to create awareness on the SDG’s and the role of the private sector in the achievement of the goals; The launch/commencement of a flagship project between the UN SDG-F, Sahara Group and Kaduna State towards achieving certain SDG’s; The setup of a local PSAG in Nigeria with the role of coordinating public-private sector partnerships towards achieving the SDGs in Nigeria while also reporting same to the United Nations headquarters with the aim of improving the global SDG ratings of Nigeria.

How will the PSAG in Nigeria advance the quest for the SDGs? The Private Sector Advisory Group in Nigeria will provide the PSAG Global with guidance and strategic support to achieve better development results in coordination with the private sector in Nigeria. It is expected that the Advisory Group will contribute in the identification of areas of common interest and promote the sustainability of global public goods with the primary objective of establishing productive public-private partnerships with the private sector, as well as offering suggestions for how to work more effectively with one another at the National level.

The PSAG will work closely with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs (OSSAP SDG) in ensuring that the global goals are achieved in Nigeria. We strongly believe that the achievement of the PSAG objectives will not only improve the global SDG ranking of Nigeria, it will also improve the standard of living of numerous underprivileged Nigerians through the provision of sustainable solutions to basic problems.

The PSAG launch in Nigeria comes up on February 28, 2017 in Abuja. Who are the key partners driving the project in Nigeria to ensure effectiveness and sustainability?

I think the first point to note is that the involvement of the Presidency through the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs (OSSAP SDG) indicates the high premium placed on the initiative by the government. The key partners at this point include the following: Sahara Group, Growing Businesses foundation (GBF), Lagos Business

The PSAG is open to other committed sustainability driven private sector organisations and business leaders of major companies from various industries across Nigeria. However, there are restrictions as to how many members that can be accommodated at every point in time.

Laudable projects like the PSAG sometimes receive mixed reactions as people tend to believe their usefulness will be short-lived.

What makes the PSAG project one that people should embrace and support?

Given the level of enthusiasm and commitment of all the stakeholders to the vision of the project, I am confident that the PSAG has come to stay.

With direction from the global PSAG as well as the support of sister groups in Africa and global development agencies, we can expect so much in terms of creativity, efficiency and sustainability. The support from the Presidency and Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDG’s will also drive the initiative and encourage more participation from other stakeholders. It is also important to note that the PSAG is strategically aimed at utilising SDG 17 (partnership) to drive the adoption and implementation of the SDGs. Hence, the cross sectoral and cross border partnerships are the strength of this group which make it different from others.

Cole

School (LBS), British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF), Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), PricewaterhouseCoopers Ltd. (PwC) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Unilever Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, GT Bank, General electric (GE), Dangote Group and Channels Television. All partners, working in collaboration with the Presidency are confident that the event will lay a solid foundation for sustainable public-private partnerships in Nigeria as we continue the quest for achieving the SDGs. We also intend to extend invitations to other committed and SDG driven organisations in a bid to have wider geographical and cross sectoral representation. We believe the formal inauguration of the PSAG in Nigeria will give impetus to ongoing and new initiatives that will be aimed at accelerating socio-economic growth and development. The focus of the PSAG will be to increase public-private sector participation through advocacy and awareness, promote the development of practical and effective business models, improve capacity building for stakeholders, midwife relevant dialogues between public and private stakeholders to provide alternative viewpoints and engagement opportunities and determine deserving recipients of public-private ventures and allocation of resources to projects that will promote inclusive economic growth.

Sahara Group as a member of the SDGF’s advisory board is one of the arrow heads of the PSAG in Nigeria. What does the project mean for Sahara?

We feel quite privileged to serve on the advisory board of the SDGF and treasure every activity and project we have been involved in across the globe. As a sustainability driven organisation, the project means a lot for Sahara. Through our various Personal and Corporate Social

Responsibility initiatives implemented through Sahara Foundation, we have touched the lives of many beneficiaries and provided local solutions to global challenges in nine countries across the world where we operate. Sahara is passionate about empowering people and providing opportunities for individuals, small businesses and communities to thrive and attain achievements beyond imagination. If we could record such great success on our own, imagine the success potential that could come into fruition when organisations with a common goal come together to work with the government. This is why we are passionate about the Private Sector Advisory Group which we believe is a step in the right direction towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Through this newly set up vehicle, Sahara Group will continue to serve as an anchor that brings various players together to for the benefit of Nigeria.

Are there structures in place to integrate the PSAG in Nigeria with similar organisations globally?

Yes, that is the plan. We have direct lines to the global PSAG with our local PSAG being a mirror of the global group. Nigeria being first to set up a local PSAG in Africa, will encourage other member organisations to establish local chapters in their respective countries. The ultimate aim of the local PSAG is to promote cross sectoral collaborations in a bid to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs. We expect that there will be a lot of collaborative efforts with the global PSAG to explore how global social issues can be solved locally.

Are there special requirements for corporate organisations or individuals seeking to be part of the PSAG in Nigeria?

Sahara had as part of its 20th anniversary activities said that it would establish an extrapreneurship hub that is designed to provide opportunities for young entrepreneurs to develop their businesses. Can you give us an insight into what we should expect from the hub?

The Sahara Hub, www.saharahub.com is a technology powered convergence of youth and young adults to inspire innovation. Through the extrapreneurship framework, Sahara will promote a common ground for shared expertise and capacity to help young entrepreneurs enhance their craft and businesses. This will ultimately enhance wealth creation and preservation.

Over the next four years (2017- 2021), Sahara Foundation plans to directly impact 12,000,000 Nigerian youth 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 hub is expected to attract the most innovative entrepreneurial projects and connect them to the global village of social investors. This platform will provide resource materials, inspire networking and collaboration on a mass scale for local, regional, national and global beneficiaries. The multiplier effect we are hoping to generate with the new model as young business owners are exposed to boundless 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 particularly excited about the fact that this is a sustainable approach to empowering youth and engendering economic growth and development.

30/ NEWS

24.02.2017

APPBN: Akewusola to Groom Upcoming Generation as He Takes up Leadership

ActionAid Supports Access Bank Lagos City Marathon

Mary Ekah

Oluwafunke Lasisi

As Mr. Waisu Akewusola takes up the mantle of leadership at the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) Lagos Chapter with an investiture held in his honour as the 4th Chairman of the professional body last Tuesday, his main focus, he said would be on the development of upcoming generation of professionals in Lagos State.

Speaking during the investiture held at the LCCI Conference and Exhibition Centre, Alausa, Lagos, Akewusola, who is currently the General Manager/Chief Executive Officer, Lagos State New Towns Development Authority, said that apart from the usual programmes of the association such as public lecture, annual Lagos professional week and so on, he would be paying more attention to the tertiary students who are already in the process of becoming professionals as well as secondary school students who are yet to choose careers.

“We shall make sure that we catch them young by way of organising structured career programmes for them in order to assist them in choosing careers that will assist the country in general and the individual students in particular in the near future,” he noted.

Akewusola who said that current war against corruption has opened cans of worm that affect all facets of the nation’s economy, revealed that the association has started a collaborative visit to media houses to address the issue, adding that the reason for this new strategy by APBN, is to have a full synergy with the fourth realm of the government. He stressed further that, “The war against corruption by the

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), ActionAid Nigeria recently joined the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon to race against poverty facing communities as well as to fight against injustices among the lessprivileged in the society across the world.

The Marathon of 42 Kilometres from National Stadium through Third Mainland Bridge to Eko Atlantic was tagged ‘Race to End Poverty’ by the NGO in Lagos.

Speaking just before the race took off, the Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Ojobo Atuluku, said the marathon organiser, Access Bank approved their participation as a charity platform to race against poverty calling national and international attention to both participants and non-participants to contribute financially for the welfare of the less-privileged and also to eradicate poverty to zero level in the society.

She further explained that ActionAid focus is to work with excluded communities and persons; people who have no access to right, protection and public service; disability persons and other less-privileged persons who are deep in poverty in order to overcome social injustice they may be experiencing.

Atuluku stressed that many communities are excluded especially the rural area where there are no schools, hospitals, healthcare, water and good roads among other related issues. She therefore called on governments, individuals, private and public organisation to pay more attention on excluded areas both in urban and rural area; and also to find solution to financial issues around them.

In addition, the Lagos State General Secretary, Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities and Co-founder/Director General, Human and Organisational Resources Development Centre appealed to the NGO and government at all levels to remember them in their agenda as they also need the welfare provided for healthy.

L-R; President & Chairman of Council, Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), Dr. Omede ldris; Outgoing Chairman, Lagos State Chapter, APBN, Dr. Bolarinde Patunola-Ajayi and lncoming Chairman of the Association, Mr. Wasiu Akewusola during the investiture of Akewusola as the 4th Chairman of the Association in Lagos recently - ABIODUN AJALA

federal government cannot be fought alone unless the professionals and the press are involved. “ The importance of the profession, the APBN boss said cannot be overemphasised in any society, adding, “For an emerging economy like Nigeria in this recession, the professionals hold the ace for specialised ideas which will lead to sustainable development.

Akewusola, a proud professional who has contributed a lot to Nigerian professional bodies in general and construction industry in particular, noted that the evolvement of knowledge-based economy makes it imperative that professionals should take

the lead in the economic development and governance of the nation, adding that the Nigerian government stands to benefit more in tapping from the abundant experts in all professional areas especially for policy formulation and development of strategies and implementation of policies and programmes of the government. He therefore called on Nigerians to collaborate with the government and APBN in developmental process of the nation as well as in the “great war against corruption”.

APBN is the umbrella body for all the recognised professionals in Nigeria; The Lagos chapter of the body comprised about 40 per cent of the professionals in Nigeria.

Minjin Drops ‘Baby Kojo’

Renowned Space Adventurer to Visit Nigeria Renowned astronaut, adventurer and inventor, Nik Halik will be visiting Nigeria from March 1 to 4 for the Nigeria’s edition of ‘Rocket Your Success’, a motivational programme for young and aspiring entrepreneurs. While in Nigeria, Halik, who is presently on a world tour, will have two live events in Ile-Ife and Lagos as part of the programme to promote the entrepreneurial and adventure spirit among young people.

Rocket Your Success (Nigeria) will be hosted by the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Ogunwusi Ojaja II with partnerships from local NGOs and the media.

Speaking about his upcoming trip to Nigeria, the astronaut said that Nigeria presents a unique opportunity in the future of space science and technology. “In many ways, Nigeria and Africa as a whole, is open for many opportunities to develop its young people and foster interest in a future thriving space programme and adventure. In my trip to Africa, I have seen eager and curious minds wanting to take on the world. Now is the time

Renowned astronaut, Nik Halik

to encourage them to attain their full potential,” he noted.

He also said that apart from encouraging young people to embrace space research, his mission is also to motivate entrepreneurs and people who like to venture into the unknown: “It is entrepreneurs who move

the world forward, who shape the future for others. This is why as an entrepreneur myself, I like to engage people to let them know that there is so much to offer the world.”

Also speaking about the coming “Rocket Your Success” programme with Nik Halik are the programme’s coordinators, Adeleke Olukoya and Wale Olukoya, who thanked the Ooni of Ife for his involvement in the programme and encouraged others to support. “We would like to thank His Imperial Majesty the Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, Ooni of Ife for supporting this programme with Nik Halik and to just say that the programme is unique in many ways. We must encourage our young people to literally reach for the stars and dare to dream that they can be something great in life. This programme will definitely help in providing direction for them.”

About 3,000 people are expected to attend the “Rocket Your Success” programme, which will feature keynote speeches, exhibitions and a VIP business networking session.

Notjustok Nigeria's Premier Music Site Expands to East and South Africa As part of its commitment to exposing African music to the world, West Africa’s premier music entertainment site, Notjustok is extending content offering to East African and South African countries. With this move, the popular website which is over 10 years old clearly sets itself ahead of other online entertainment content providers across the continent.

“Notjustok pioneered the popularity of Nigerian and Ghanaian music online and our entrance into East and South African markets is an attempt to popularise the amazing music coming out of countries such as Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Botswana and other countries in the region”, said Founder, Notjustok, Demola Ogundele.

He explained that, “This will both

Notjustok

provide variety to our three million

monthly users and attract even more users from these regions so that they can also enjoy and consume music from their local markets and discover music from other African regions. The intention is to add more value to these regions as we added to the Nigerian music space which is currently the dominant force in African music."

Ogundele noted further that Notjustok has been at the forefront of promoting Nigerian and Ghanaian music which is now popularly referred to as ‘Afrobeats’ in the West.

This new extension has already been added to the website and can be accessed by simply clicking on the Region button at the home page and navigating to the East Africa or South Africa additions on www.notjustok.com.

Minjin

Mary Ekah Talented Afro-Pop cum RNB singer Adewale Lawanson Junior better known as Minjin has shown his versatility in the music industry having dropped Jare, Boogie which gained massive airplay. The Swaga record act has once more dropped another major hot single ‘Baby Kojo featuring Egberipapa 1 of Bayelsa, Timaya.

Produced by famous hit maker Orbeat (Producer of Timaya’s Sanko song), the visual of the song is expected to drop very soon.

Blessed with raw stage energy and vocal prowess, Minjin has carved a niche for himself since 2010 after he played the lead male character in the first all-black cast high school musical where he played the role of Troy. Not relenting on his first love for music, Minjin won the Centage musical contest and ever since he has been releasing good music.

Speaking on his act, the Chief Executive Officer, Swaga records, Big Mike, noted that having followed Minjin’s music career years back, he discovered that he has the potentials and understands the art so well, “he is good at what he does and after listening to several songs from his stable and other recordings; I find him worthy to invest on even though the industry is currently competitive.”

Swaga Records Entertainment Limited is an international company incorporated in Nigeria in 2011 and owned by Mr. Frank Steven Jerome (Big Mike), a full businessman with immeasurable passion for the entertainment business. With over 10 years in the showbiz game, Swaga Records understands and believes in discovering and breeding new talents. As an international multi-entertainment media organisation based in Nigeria, Swaga Records helps develop entertainment talents to a marketable and exportable standard, leveraging to create opportunities for empowerment and development.

31/LIVING

24.02.2017

Rescued By Emmanuel Mary Ekah Emmanuel TV, a Christian television network founded by Prophet T.B. Joshua, the general overseer of The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), has over the years built a team reputable for its focus on reaching out to the four corners of the troubled world regardless of continent, nationality, race, tribe or tongue.

Weather it is responding to natural disasters or initiating welfare programmes for indigenous communities, the Emmanuel TV team has proven its commitment to Christ’s mission of bringing bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, hope to the broken-hearted and a roadmap to the lost.

A very recent and typical case of the Emmanuel TV team giving hope to the broken-hearted and the lost was when 12-year-old then, Praise Sunday, a victim of armed robbery, whose life was almost snuffed out was rescued and his life given back to him. Unfortunately however, Praise’s 10-year-old younger sister and their dear mother’s lives weren’t spared. Right in front of young Praise, these daredevil robbers killed both mother and child in front of the boy before they finally slit his throat open leaving him to die also but Praise was divinely saved.

Recounting how it all happened during a special service, two Sundays ago, at the Synagogue, Church of All Nations before a very huge congregation that fought hard to hold back their tears while the testimony lasted, the little boy now, 13 years old, said the incident happened on May 8, 2016.

The hypothetical armed robbers whose mission turned out to be not just to rob a helpless and poor widow of her valuable possessions but to probably wipe out the entire family of three whose breadwinner had been snatched by the cold hands of death a few months back, tuned out to be the cruelest act of this dispensation.

It was obviously more than a mission to rob.

The husband and father reportedly died from a motor accident thereby leaving behind his wife and two children solely to themselves and two were killed in the cruelest manner and one of them miraculously survived.

Giving his testimony in the midst of family members who had accompanied Praise to the special Sunday service, he recalled that his mother had stepped out of the house to her shop, just in front of the house where she does petty trading, which also served as her kitchen occasionally, where she does quick meals for the family while she also watches over her wares and also attend to customers, to bring their evening meal.

On her way back to the house with a pot in her hand which was meant to serve as dinner for the evening, she was intercepted by a group of hungry and fierce looking hoodlums who led her at gunpoint into the sitting room where the children were watching a programme on the television while waiting eagerly to have their meals. But instead, the volume of the television suddenly increased, they looked up to find strangers inside their home with their mother being led at gunpoint.

Tying their hands and feet, in their presence, the invaders ate their dinner and also went into the poor woman shop and took drink which they drank to their satisfactions. After satisfying themselves, the daredevil robbers began demanding for physical cash and ATM cards from the poor widow, which she never had.

The mother brought out all her possessions but that wasn’t enough for these armed robbers and so they went ahead with the cruelest act.

Hale and hearty Praise during his testimony at The Synagogue, Church of All Nations

Praise during his initial treatment in Nigeria before TB Joshua took over his case

Praise with the pipe pass through his vocal pipe before he was flown to South Africa Praise with his aunty, Helen at the South Africa hospital

They grabbed her 10-year-old daughter and, in a sudden movement, slit her throat. Provoked by her shouts of agony, they then grabbed the mother and raped her in front of her 12-year-old son. When he tried to intervene, the attackers slit his mother’s throat and began to stab the young boy. He was stabbed in his stomach and chest and his throat was slit. The armed robbers took the family’s possessions and disappeared.

The robbers left having been satisfied that they had probably wiped out the entire family and so their mission accomplished but what they never knew was that they were never going to be able to take the life of one person, even though they had satisfactorily checked that he was also dead.

And with a slit throat, hands and legs tied, he lied helplessly in his pool of blood; he was left to die too. But Praise, survived!

The story shared via a documentary broadcast across Emmanuel TV showed how the prophet splashed millions of Naira on a 12-year-oldboy from Agbor, in Delta State before he was finally flown abroad for surgery on the bills of TB Joshua through his Emmanuel TV team platform. Praise’s testimony evoked tears and pity as the congregation fight hard to hold back tears from dropping from their eyes while many who could not just control it bowed their heads as they let down the tears.

Left to die and unable to move, the young boy Praise was surprised to see an angelic being take him up and deposit him to his neighbour’s doorstep. As he landed on the ground, the white being pounded the door and disappeared. The neighbour came to the door and saw Praise in a

pool of blood. Shouting in horror, the neighbour rushed Praise to the hospital and subsequently informed his next of kin. Praise was literally dead on arrival. Coming in with the Morning Water and Morning Sticker, a spiritual water and sticker from the Synagogue Church, his aunt and uncle believed in God for a miracle.

“I managed to open my eyes and saw something white, sparkling and tall like a human being.

It carried me, took me to my neighbour’s gate, banged the gate and then disappeared,” Praise told the congregation.

Lapsing in and out of consciousness and fighting for his life, Praise was taken to the General Hospital in Agbor before being transferred to the Federal Medical Centre. “Blood was pumping out like a shower; they could not control it,” he recalled of the shocking torment.

Although Praise miraculously survived the attack following emergency surgery and the usage of “T.B. Joshua’s Morning Water”, he was left with his vocal chords severely damaged and a pipe inserted into his throat. For nine long months, he could not utter a single word.

After seven operations at medical institutions across the country yielding no result and several pleas for financial aid to government bodies within Delta State falling on seemingly deaf ears, the family decided to pay a visit to The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) in Lagos.

After hearing the story of the heartbreaking ordeal of a little boy, T.B. Joshua, well known for his philanthropic gesture, instantly sprang into action, promising to sponsor Praise’s travel overseas for more advanced medical attention.

Prophet T.B. Joshua provided shelter, feeding and clothing for Praise and his aunt Mabel while medical specialists were consulted for the referred operation abroad. Praise’s health began to improve while living in The SCOAN. Prophet T.B. Joshua helped them obtain international passports and visas and provided $5000 for the initial medical deposit, $2,000 for visas, passports and flight tickets and an additional $2,000 for their welfare while in South Africa.

Flying for the first time, Praise and his aunt travelled to Johannesburg, South Africa and were welcomed by the Emmanuel TV Team who accompanied them to Cape Town where the specialised hospital is located. Providing transportation and accommodation within South Africa, Prophet T.B. Joshua sponsored all medical operations and procedures. T.B. Joshua spent a total of $50,000 (N25m) on Praise’s trip, covering his welfare, travelling expenses and medical bills.

Shortly afterwards, the young boy left for Cape Town, South Africa with his caring aunt Mabel, all expenses paid for by Prophet T.B. Joshua and Emmanuel TV partners, there, a four-hour major operation was conducted at Life Vincent Pallotti Hospital in Cape Town, overseen by specialists Dr. Martin Vanlierde and Professor Mark De Groot.

Given a clean bill of health after several months of check-ups, Praise returned to Nigeria to testify that his vocal abilities had been completely restored.

After two months and several procedures, the pipe was removed from Praise’s throat and he was able to breathe and speak for the first time in nine months Coming back to The SCOAN, a fully talking Praise and his aunt give glory to God for His hand of love, generosity and healing through Prophet T.B. Joshua.

Next Gear Resources to Tackle Property Fraud in Nigeria Mary Ekah Those interested in buying plots of land or developing property in any parts of the country no longer need to worry about being conned or getting a shoddy job as a reliable real estate firm, Next Gear Resources Limited has come up with a service that eliminates these concerns and put a stop to property fraud in Nigeria.

The company, which procures land for clients in places that are fast-growing, affordable and are not more than 30 minutes drive to the city centre, takes care of the property of its clients and interested customers through a platform it calls WatchMyProperty.

According to the Next Gear Resources Chief Executive, Mr. Sola Owomoyela, this unique service came into existence because of the yearning and pains of a lot of people that wants

to own houses and lands but were duped or treated unfairly by industry operators. He added that the platform helps investors to buy lands; supervise their projects or professionally help them develop such properties through Next Gear Resources' architects, engineers, masons and other technicians who are top-notch. The company also helps clients do due diligence on properties they want to buy and even help in forecasting it to ensure maximum profit for its customers.

"We watch over property anywhere in Nigeria.

The service is for a token and for those who are buying from us be rest assured that these services are free from us. But if you are buying from other people or you have bought already there is a fee. The fee depends on the kind of services we are going to offer to the client," Owomoyela said.

"People who invest or desire to invest in real estate in Nigeria should not be scared because there is the assurance that whatever property you want to purchase or project you want to develop, we can be your third eye and fight for your interest until the end. We do project support services, we have caterpillars, we have architects, engineers we have masons that work with us. Those who work with us are top of the notch. If you want a project that is of standard and has high quality we are the ones to go to," he added. The real estate company, located in Gwarimpa, Abuja, has come up with a three-purpose house innovation, by which it develops properties for clients that can serve as an office, a living area and a bedroom. Owomoyela insists that with Next Gear Resources, everyone including low-income earners can own a home in Abuja.

Owomoyela further stated, "Some people are paying N1, 000 per day. A hairdresser, a mechanic or artisans can at least save up N1000 per day. For instance, if your land is 300,000 or 250,000 you can pay within a year by paying N1000 daily. So this makes it easy for everyone to own a property. You may not have to come to us; we can come to your office to collect these monies, through appointed agents that work directly under us. They will issue you a receipt for every deposit. This is just like a contribution system and at the end of the year you own a property. All our lands are guaranteed before we purchase a land we do our due diligence, we conduct research on the land, we conduct research on the area, we also conduct research on government policies about these areas. Most of us have legal backgrounds so we understand," the lawyer added.

32 / XTRA

24.02.2017

Umeh: We’re Eagerly Waiting for INEC to Fix a Date for the Conclusion of the Anambra Central Senatorial Election Former National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the party’s candidate for the Anambra Central Senatorial election, Chief Victor Umeh, in this interview with select journalists in Lagos, speaks on his recent victory at the Supreme Court, among other issues. Charles Ajunwa was there What is the significance of this latest victory?

Well, you are all aware that Anambra Senatorial District remains the only senatorial district out of 109 senatorial districts in Nigeria which still does not have a senator at the National Assembly.

It is very unfortunate because the people of this senatorial district have been denied representation at the National Assembly, including the opportunity to obtain deserved attention for the district in all matters which the National Assembly deliberates on. Our case ought not to have lingered up to this point, if not for the clear attempt by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to do everything to manipulate the process and frustrate a rerun election ordered by the Court of Appeal on the 7th of December 2015 from taking place, for the simple reason that PDP is out of the race for that senatorial seat, for the fact that the Court of Appeal, which is the final court vested with authority and jurisdiction to decide on all matters relating to National and State Assembly elections, had nullified the elections in that district and ordered fresh ones. But PDP, instead of accepting their fate, their candidate having been disqualified by the decision of the Court of Appeal, decided to use frivolous actions to frustrate that rerun election from taking place according to law.

But on the 10th of February, 2017 the Supreme Court, in a unanimous judgement, affirmed that the decision of the Court of Appeal was final in all aspects over the dispute relating to that Anambra Senatorial rerun election. The candidate of the PDP in that election had to take adventure to the Supreme Court to get the judgement of the Court of Appeal set aside when the Supreme Court has no jurisdiction to do such a thing.

That being the case, the order and the decisions arrived at by the Court of Appeal on the 7th of December remains final. No court below the Court of Appeal can do anything to frustrate that order. In other words, according to one of the Judges at the Supreme Court, the order made by the Court of Appeal on that matter remains final forever. It cannot be revisited by anybody.

PDP, having lost out completely in this matter, have resorted to filing frivolous actions at the High Court to frustrate an order made by the Court of Appeal and affirmed by the Supreme Court.

And what they are trying to do now by their posturing in the press, is that they have several litigations standing in the High Court which must be respected by INEC before conducting the elections. That’s against the process of law.

A High Court cannot come to any decision that will be contrary to that handed by a superior court. In this instance, there are two superior courts – the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. So, anything PDP is doing at any High Court that will affect the decision of the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court will be an affront. So, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which was a party to all the proceedings, both at the Tribunal, at the Court of Appeal and at the Supreme Court, are very much aware that the matter has come to a final rest. The INEC has every authority under law to conduct that rerun election without the PDP. The Supreme Court had since 2009 delivered a judgement, in a case cited as Labour Party versus INEC, on the fate of any fresh or rerun elections that will be ordered by any court of law. Where an election is nullified, the rerun election that will be ordered by the court will now be between the parties and candidates that participated in the general elections that were nullified by the court. It does not admit any new candidate by way of withdrawal and substitution or by any means.

Is it possible that the former PDP candidate, who is now in APC, will run against you?

PDP clearly is standing the law on its head.

They know the truth, but they are just postulating various theories to delay the elections. There is nothing like that. The general election took place on 28th March 2015. This outstanding

Umeh

election is an offshoot of that election that was nullified by the Court of Appeal. It is not a general election. The word ‘fresh’ has been clearly defined by the Supreme Court. In this 2009 judgement, whether it is called fresh or rerun election, they all mean the same thing.

It is not a bye election or a general election. It is an election ordered by the court pursuant to the nullification of a general election that has taken place. So PDP know this and INEC is not going to conduct a general election.

Why is INEC waiting on the decisions of the High Court? PDP is saying that the 90 days which the Court of Appeal set for the rerun election has elapsed. If 90 days has elapsed, if you follow the PDP logic, it means that the election should not take place again. INEC took steps to conduct the election within 90 days and INEC has rights and powers conferred on it by the Electoral Act and Commission to shift an election to another date, for any reason it can give.

PDP in Anambra State is being totally mischievous for the simple reason that all the fresh elections ordered by the Court of Appeal in December 2015, most of them took a year to be held. Like in Rivers State, all the fresh elections ordered by the Court of Appeal in December 2015 did not take place until 10 December 2016.

That’s a difference of one year. But they have conducted those elections peacefully and those who won have assumed their positions. Kogi State also had rerun elections ordered. One was conducted in July 2016; the other one was on 19th March 2016. So when there is threat to an election, INEC can shift the date to a time that is convenient. So, it is a case of somebody who has lost out in a process and is now saying that thing should not take place again because they can no longer be part of it.

INEC had scheduled the election for 5th of March 2016, but the combination of factors three or four days to the elections, a very spurious court order was obtained by PDP trying to force PDP into an election the Court of Appeal had disqualified them from. PDP was all over the place, saying they were going to take part.

So that was a threat to security. If they had proceeded within two days, PDP may disrupt the exercise, leading to mayhem and killing of people. Also, if the Supreme Court had agreed on 10th of February that their candidate should have been reinstated, if INEC had conducted the election, it would have been a waste of resources.

But, clearly, the Supreme Court judgement paves the way for INEC to conduct the election.

Nobody in this country can stop an election scheduled by INEC. The provisions of the law is clear. Once INEC fixes an election, no court can stop it. The only option you have is to go to the tribunal. And PDP know that they cannot challenge this election at any tribunal, for the fact that two Supreme Court judgements are in operation in this matter. One is the Supreme Court judgement of 2009 which

has not been reviewed or revised or set aside.

It says that once an election is nullified, the defaulting candidate and the party that fielded the defaulting candidate in that election will not take part in the rerun election. And with this decision of the Supreme Court. INEC can no longer look in the way of PDP in this exercise. In the last judgement, their claim that they should be reinstated was also dismissed by the Supreme Court. So, INEC is at liberty to fix the date of that election next week and nothing will happen. No court in the land can stop it. The Court of Appeal nullified Federal House of Representatives elections in Gombe State, and a High Court made an order that the candidate that was disqualified by that judgement should be included in the fresh election; INEC ignored it and conducted the elections. That APC candidate went to the tribunal and lost, went to the Court of Appeal and also lost. So it is the same thing with Anambra Central.

So INEC should, really, help the people of Anambra Central Senatorial District by scheduling a date for this election and conclude it. Because the laws and decisions of superior Courts in operation are in support of INEC going ahead to conduct the election without looking at bad losers. PDP, in this case, remain bad losers.

This is not the first time such thing is being played out. In Kogi East Senatorial District, Kogi Central Senatorial District and Okene Federal Constituency and two state constituencies in the House of Assembly, elections were nullified for the same reason that the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, nullified the Anambra Central election. PDP, in those cases, went to the tribunal to challenge the APC elected representatives: two senators, one House of Representatives member, two House of Assembly members, for the sole reason that APC did not conduct primaries in fielding those candidates. The same thing with Anambra Central, where I was able to prove that PDP did not conduct primaries in Anambra Central Senatorial District. So, that was the same thing they did. They challenged APC primaries in Kogi. And in Anambra Central , PDP is shouting that we have no locus to challenge PDP primaries. But they went to the internal affairs of APC in Kogi, to remove two APC senators, one House of Representatives member and two House of Assembly members.

The rerun elections have all been conducted last year and the APC candidates did not take part in any of them. PDP took those seats. And in Anambra they are running and hitting the roof.

How soon do you expect INEC to conduct fresh elections?

I believe they should be able to do that quickly, for the reason that they were ready for the rerun election since the 5th of March, 2016 before PDP threw confusion in the whole thing. So it’s just a question of retooling. They have recruited and trained the ad-hoc staff, they’ve printed ballot papers without the PDP, so what they need now is to refresh their operational logistics; and they can do that even within two weeks. There is nothing to wait for. At this time, what INEC should weigh heavily is the denial of the Senatorial District of a representative through the actions of the PDP. They should look beyond the antics of the PDP and get that election concluded. Our people are losing so much.

With the PDP out of the way, what are your expectations?

The law is there for everybody to follow and understand. If you follow the law, you will never go wrong. We have problems where people deliberately want to disobey the law and the constitution. In one of the contributing judgements at the Supreme Court in February, it was noted that the PDP’s appeal to the Supreme Court in this matter was a flagrant disobedience to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a gross abuse of court process. Nothing can be heavier than these two statements. So somebody will know what the law says and

try to circumvent it.

There’s a question that someone asked that Uche Ekwunife has defected to APC and based on that the High Court made an order that PDP must be included in the election by bringing in another candidate to replace; when by the judgement of the Supreme Court in 2009, you cannot introduce any new candidate at that stage for the simple reason that the period for nomination, withdrawal and substitution lapsed before the general election. So what is ambiguous about this pronouncement. And in this case, the matter is worse for the PDP. PDP was the party in default, who put a candidate that was not qualified to contest the election by not following the processes outlined by law.

The election was nullified. The question is if the candidate had remained in PDP, is she entitled to take part in the fresh elections. The answer is no. So what has her defection to another party has to do with what we are discussing? Can you give what you don’t have? The question would have been, like you asked me, that Dr. Chris Ngige was qualified to contest that election. In the rerun election, he is qualified. Now that he has become a Minister of the Federal Republic, what happens to APC. Can APC now change Ngige for another candidate to replace him? The answer is still no. Because time for withdrawal and substitution has lapsed.

You know there are about 60 political parties, but at the election time, only 15 parties were able to field candidates. Then when the election was nullified, can you now open the door to other parties who didn’t participate earlier to begin to bring in candidates? The answer is no.

The Supreme Court, in that judgement, was able to make everything certain and clear.

So if Dr. Chris Ngige wants to run, he has to resign within 30 days before the election date. That’s what the law says. He cannot be replaced.

For a political party like the PDP to be announcing that they have about six to seven litigations in the High Court, all instituted by PDP members, against an election they have no right to contest, is it not a mad house? As far as I’m concerned, PDP should bury their faces in shame.

So I think, beyond issue of words and rhetoric, PDP is dead on the issue of Anambra Central Senatorial District.

What’s your message to the people of Anambra Central?

I’ve continued to plead with them to be patient. They’ve lost so much. But there is no substitute to doing what is lawful. When this thing started in December 2015, I remember I came to Lagos. I was the one who addressed the press in Lagos early enough to point out to everybody, including INEC, that these fresh elections does not give any room for fresh primaries to select new candidates. And INEC’s examination of the laws followed the laws. And published notices of those rerun elections everywhere in Nigeria excluding parties that were not supposed to take part anymore have been concluded, except Anambra Central where you have some heady politicians who think that they can destroy what they cannot have.

I win all my court cases and my opponents have even alleged that I know all the judges in Nigeria. But the thing is I don’t indulge myself in frivolities. I’m a graduate of Estate Management and I read a course called Feasibility and Viability Appraisal when I was in the university.

Anybody who read this course will always know where to put his feet. You test the feasibility of whatever you want to do, and if it’s possible, you also test the viability. So I study issues I’m involved in and know my limits. When I see a window that is permitted by law, I follow it and eventually I prevail. So I apply myself to the laws and the constitutional provisions.

That’s all I do and nothing else.

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

33/TRAVEL, LEISURE & TOURISM

24.02.2017

Ethiopian Airlines Aviation Academy Graduates 184 Aviation Professionals To host the ICAO Global Aviation Training and TRAINAIR PLUS Symposium in April Ethiopian Airlines Aviation Academy (EAA), ICAO TRAINAIR Plus member and IATA authorised global training centre, has graduated 184 aviation professionals at a ceremony held at the Academy’s Commercial and Cabin Crew Training Building on February 18, 2017. Among the total graduates, 145 are females. The Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, gave out diplomas to the graduates and achievement awards to top performing ones. In this round, 90 graduates are from Cabin Crew and Catering, 84 from Commercial and Ground Operations Training School and the rest are trained on Equipment and Facility Maintenance.

GebreMariam said, “Education is the greatest equaliser in our highly integrated world today and for this reason we are putting great emphasis in training young Ethiopians and our African brothers and sisters in order to enable them develop the required global standard qualification to fly successful African Airlines.

We are very proud of our Aviation Academy achievements and global standard capabilities in various professions in the aviation industry.

In line with our vision 2025, we are expanding the capacity of the Academy to accommodate from 1,000 today to 4,000 students by 2025.

Today’s graduation is a continuation of this long journey. I take this opportunity to congratulate the graduates and their families and friends.

I also thank the Academy staff for their hard work and achievements.”

Ethiopian Aviation Academy is certified by the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, the

The graduands

European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and IATA Safety Audit (IOSA). The Academy has been providing training for pilots, aircraft maintenance technicians, cabin crew, marketing personnel and leadership development trainees for Ethiopians and other nationals from Africa, Middle East and Asia for more than seven decades.

Furthermore, Ethiopian Airlines has announced that it will host the ICAO Global Aviation Training and TRAINAIR PLUS Symposium with the theme: ‘Together, Enhancing Training to Build Capacity’ at the seat of

the African Union, Addis Ababa from April 11 through 13, 2017. Group CEO Ethiopian Airlines, GebreMariam, said: “It is a profound honour for all of us at Ethiopian Airlines to host the ICAO Global Aviation Training and TRAINAIR PLUS Symposium which brings major industry players together, to exchange best practices and experiences in human resources development and aviation training, and more specifically on the TRAINAIR PLUS Programme for the advancement of the Global aviation. I believe this symposium will also be an opportunity for us to showcase our

hospitality, the state-of-the-art Aviation Training facilities at our Aviation Academy and the key role Ethiopian is playing in the development of the African Aviation industry. “While attending the symposium in this beautiful country, I would like to remind you all that you are coming back home because this is the land where it all began which is the land of Lucy, the 3.2 million-years-old Grandmother of humanity and the most complete skeleton of an early human ancestor ever discovered.

Wishing you all a successful deliberation in the symposium, I recommend you to visit Lalibela; the beautiful rock-hewn churches well known throughout the world or Axum; the single granite stone of the Axum Obelisk or others of the mesmerizing tourist sites in the country if you may wish to take a side trip. Whatever your choice, I’m sure you will enjoy the unparalleled hospitality and the friendly people of, Ethiopia.”

An estimated 400-500 expected participants will be taking part in the Symposium, including the ICAO council President and the Secretary General, transport ministers, ambassadors, civil aviation and airport authorities, civil aviation officials, aircraft manufacturers, airline and airport operators, industry policy makers, and tourism experts. Ethiopian Aviation Academy, the largest and most modern aviation academy in Africa, ICAO TRAINAIR PLUS Member and Regional Training Centre of Excellence and IATA Authorised Global Training Centre, is playing a vital role to address the growing need for Skilled Aviation professional in Africa and the region.

Ayade, Air Peace MD Onyema and Okezie of Wakanow Win Man of the Year Awards Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade has won the Atqnews Tourism Man of the Year award for 2016. This is as the CEO of Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyema also emerged the Aviation Man of the year while Mr. Obinna Okezie, Managing Director of Wakanow wins the award for Travel Personality of the Year. All the awards are for the year 2016. ATQnews.com is a member of Travel Media Group. It is the online platform for African Travel Quarterly (ATQ), the first Travel magazine in West Africa which solely focuses on travel and tourism issues. ATQnews. com is a foremost African online travel news platform with a global reach. The awards would hold at the Travellers Night Gala Dinner on the 16th March 2016 at De Edge Hotel Resort, Port Harcourt during 2017 edition of Port Harcourt Bantaba.

The awards and recognitions are intended to distinguish Nigerians both in government and in the private sector who have distinguished themselves in moving the travel and tourism business forward in Nigeria. This edition of Bantaba with the awards and Top 100 Hotels in Nigeria is organised by ATQnews.com in partnership with Akwaaba African Travel Market. This year is unique as Bantaba would be returning after two years absence and with a shift from its traditional Abuja location to the Garden City of Port Harcourt, popularly referred to as the Treasure Base of the Nation.

The event will hold at De Edge Hotel Resort, Port Harcourt on 16 – 17 March, 2017.

Ayade, was voted Tourism Man of the Year for sustaining the Carnival Calabar and most importantly, for improving on the offerings of the carnival with the international edition and bikers fiesta despite the economic recession. While Onyema, Managing Director of Air Peace was voted the Aviation Man of the Year for positioning Air Peace as one of leading domestic airlines in the country including its expansion drive on the Ghana route. Okezie, Managing Director of Wakanow won the Travel Man of the Year for building the travel company to become a big African brand with branches abroad.

Other awards include Hospitality Man of the Year: Chief Nnaeto Orazuruike of The Genesis

Ayade

Onyema

Okezie

group; The three Most Active Tourism States in Nigeria Cross River State, Lagos State ands Osun State are to be recognised; Domino's Pizza is to be aware for the best Quick Service Restaurant while the Restaurant of the Year award goes to The Place. The award for the Hotel Man of the Year will be announced later. The organiser. Mr. Ikechi Uko, speaking about the Man of the Year awards, explained that the awards are worth the effort as they seeks to recognise great travel and tourism companies and personalities in Nigeria.

"Last year was difficult in Nigeria. But some organisations and people dared, and did good things that brought good news to Travel and Tourism. These great efforts and successes are worth recognising and celebrating," says Mr. Uko. Top 100 Hotels in Nigeria is aimed at recognising and celebrating hotels which have impacted positively on the growth and development of travel and tourism business in Nigeria through maintaining resilience, high quality in service delivery, excellence in operations, top class in infrastructure and steady progress in growth.

It was started in 1999 by Travellers magazine.

Winners emerged through a rigorous process that started at 2016 Akwaaba African Travel Market through over 2,000 nominations by delegates, top travel professionals, travel agents, tour operators, travel experts and professionals with collations

from returned questionnaire from nominated hotels. Uko, talking about this year's Bantaba in Port Harcourt, said that, “The Government of Nigeria through the Minister of Tourism had asked us to return Bantaba to Nigeria. We had planned to move Bantaba to Atlanta, Georgia in America because for four years Boko Haram disrupted our events in Abuja. As a response to the Honourable Minister's request, Bantaba is back to Nigeria. It might be rotated to different cities based on request,” Uko explained. In order to empower hotels in Nigeria, organisers of Port Bantaba has included a TWO-DAY Master Class training for e-tourism including Trip Advisor, Facebook, Google and other online tools, even as it creates networking opportunities for the participants. The first day will be training on how to package inbound and outbound tours and admission for day 1 is free. Bantaba is a travel and tourism speed dating event that was first held on Abuja in 2011.

And it was a success story. It was an opportunity for stakeholders in the industry to come together to discuss some of the salient issues affecting the sector and the way forward. With the Akwaaba annual travel fair, the foremost West African travel fair holding in Lagos, ACCRA Weizo in Ghana, the Bantaba speed dating will offer a platform for travel trade networking in the

South-south and South- east region of the country this year. Port Harcourt Bantaba, would be a two-day event that will include speed-dating and high-powered seminar sessions with mini exhibition, matching travel buyers with sellers and allied tourism players; focus on developing the South-south and South-east as a tourism destination by attracting several countries in Africa and reducing the cost of individual marketing in the region.

“For this year, Port Harcourt Bantaba will be attracting speakers drawn from different tourism fields across Nigeria and Africa with different topics allotted to them for discussion and in return touch on salient issues affecting the tourism industry and how they can firmly proffer solutions that would bring decency to the partnership drive for onward development,” Uko said.

Leading globally rated experts who would be speaking this year include Mr. Damian Cooke from East Africa, an expert on e-tourism, Training will cover topics; eTourism in Theory and Practice, eMarketing Strategy, Web Design, Content and Management, Analytics and Conversion Optimisation, Search Engine Marketing, Relationship Marketing,The Generation Gap- Encouraging User Generated Content; Trip advisor, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Managing Multimedia, Mobile and Location Based Services.

34/INTERVIEW

24.02.2017

Nwibe: Why I’m Aspiring to be Governor of Anambra The governorship aspirant under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State, Engr. Barth Nwibe in this interview with journalists in Lagos, speaks on his ambition. Peace Obi was at the parley With a successful career in Engineering as well as business mogul, why do you want to go into politics?

I am aspiring to be the governor of Anambra State under APC. I believe that professionals like me should get involved in politics so that we can start the process of rebuilding our nation.

Because I believe we are in crisis. We have a lot of things that are holding our nation down. We have ethnicity and tribal sentiments which do not allow us think the way we should think some of the time.

We have religion, which is holding us down in terms of our belief system. These days some people even believe in miracles, the kind that do not seem to believe that we can achieve things only through hard work. These are tendencies and belief systems that are holding us down. And the people in politics today exploit such things to their own advantage. Where I come from – South-east, we have a big failure in leadership which today has translated to youth restiveness. People are believing today that everybody is against them...

So, these are challenges of leadership which we presently have in Igboland. And I believe that such needs to be addressed because if Igboland is unstable, Nigeria is unstable. And if Nigeria is unstable, none of us can attain his/her manifest destiny.

I believe that our generation as Nigerians must work to change Nigeria, and to get it to work because it is not working. It is not working because we are kind of docile. We believe that only the very wealthy could lead us, that money controls everything, not even ideas. I believe these are things that are wrong with our nation. I do not believe that some of us who have ideas and who have background should sit back and allow the present crop of people who are leading us to continue because we have not gotten anywhere.

I believe that our country is blessed and richly endowed. All of us need to do everything we need to do to get involved in politics. I am not running on the basis that I have money to surpass everybody running for this election. But I believe I have better ideas. I believe my background has prepared me for leadership. I realise that you don't to have billions of Naira to live a useful life.

I think that makes me a bit different from some of the people who are running with me today.

I have quietly touched lives in my own little, quietly without making much noise about it. I have followed leaders. I have remained steadfast in APC and ACN where I started my political life.

I believe that people like us should be encouraged to continue. I believe that those who believe in PDP philosophy should continue with PDP philosophy so that Nigerians will have a choice.

I don’t think it is wise today to be in PDP and tomorrow you jump into APC for the sole purpose of contesting election. These are some of the challenges I think Nigerians have today.

That is, trying to get the right kind of people to assume leadership position so that we can get politics and governance of our country right.

Because if you don’t get it right we can never really do anything right.

We don’t need the 180 million Nigerians to sit together and change Nigeria. I think we need few committed Nigerians to change this country.

Like I said before, the country is richly endowed in terms human capacity, in terms of resources.

The only thing lacking is that we have not been courageous enough to take our country back and enthrone the right kind of leadership that will galvanise this nation. That is why I am offering myself to start in Anambra State. Get it right and if other states see that Anambra is working, maybe we replicate what we have in Anambra State everywhere and get it right for our country.

The challenge is high. We stop some characters from polluting the environment. This country is in crisis because of the actions of some of these people. So, we can’t afford to sit back and allow them to continue.

I’m not a green horn in politics. I was originally in ACN. In 2011 for the House of Representative election for Aguata Federal Constituency under ACN and I have remained with the party till date. My background is oil and gas. I graduated in 1985 from the University of Nigeria Nsukka; I read Civil Engineering. Thereafter, I did my youth service in Rivers State after which I got

Nwibe

into oil and gas business. I worked for several service companies. I worked for Halliburton, Baker Hughes Inteq, Schlumberger Drilling and Measurement and I did five years consultancy work for Shell.

In December 2005, I quit Shell and started my own business – Segofs Energy Services Limited.

We are into directional drilling and measurements and oil field consultancy work and by the grace of God, we are doing well. At a point, we had over 200 people in our employment but today we are about 165. I also have investment in real estate, hospitality business and I run some other civil engineering and allied engineering companies.

So that is me in terms of background.

In the course of my life, I have tried to touch the society where I come from. I founded Ugo Igboukwu Foundation about 12 years ago and we do award scholarship to brilliant students from primary, secondary and tertiary institution.

I am also a patron of the Catholic Laity Council of Awka Diocese. I am a Catholic by faith. I am married with five kids. I am a member of Nigerian Society of Engineers, I have my COREN certificate. I am a member of Society of Petroleum Engineers International (SPE).

What are the specific challenges confronting Anambra State now that you hope to find solutions to if elected governor?

The first thing I would want to do for my state is to change the mind set of my people.

The young men in Anambra State today do not have a role model to look up to. Today, people believe in miracles. We need to get back to get our youths realise that hard work pays and preparation helps you to do your work better at least to success.

So, we need somebody to change the mindset of our people to make them to go back to school and to realise that education is the path to success.

The other problem confronting Anambra State is lack of employment opportunities for the youths.

And it is because we don’t have industries in Anambra State. We don’t have industries, we don’t have power and it is affecting the youths of Anambra State. So, my first project in Anambra State will be to really make Anambra State an oil and gas state because on paper, we are. On paper Anambra is an oil and gas state. I am sure you might have heard about Orient Petroleum which is owned majorly by citizens of Anambra State.

It is a Plc. Orient Petroleum is developing the oil and gas resources in Anambra Basin. They have drilled some wells which by the grace of God, my company participated in drilling. I know they have challenges financially and boardroom. And I think the government of Anambra State needs to step in to help them get to a second level.

If they get to that second level, we are going to actualise that refinery. With the refinery and the associated gas that comes out of it, we will have petrochemical companies; we will have gas companies that will power Anambra State.

Once we have power, industries will spring up in Anambra State. The state has a lot of businessmen with capital but they have not been investing at home because of the issue of power. So, once we guarantee power for the industrial takeoff of Anambra, so much will happen in Anambra.

Anambra State is blessed with professionals in different fields. There is a miracle going on in little community in Anambra State today, where a US-based surgeon is building a city in his community, investing heavily in medical and other things. This is a surgeon building a world class hospital in his own community, building such much things, all the support facilities he needs to run it. And I have travelled around the world. Last December, I was in a small party in Houston hosted by a Nigerian family and in a room like this, we were about 40 people and four of the women there were Nigerian medical doctors. And when I interacted with them, I discovered that all of them want to come home. They live in U.S., but their spirit is here. But today, when we are sick here, we go to India, we go to South Africa or we go to Europe or America, depending on your pocket.

And sometimes when you get there, you meet Nigerians to look after you both in America and in Europe. The best eye doctor in UK today is a Nigerian. So, if the Arabs can build the Dubia Heir City, can we not do it? And in Enugu there, we have a Neuro Surgeon, Professor Umegbulam.

He does brain surgery in Enugu there. People come from all over Africa to him. Why should we have these talents and no government in Nigeria has thought it wise to create an enabling environment for medical practice to thrive. I think we can do it in Anambra State. It does not take too much to be done. These are some of the things I think we can do differently. We do these things because of the training I have had, because of my background.

You see, we stay in Nigeria and talk about crude oil. If the white man was not here, that crude oil we would not have brought it out because this crude oil, sometimes you get them at 10 thousand feet below the ground level. And before you bring this thing out, you will meet so many challenges. It is not something you start and you meet a challenge and you will go back. When we start a well, we finish it.

It doesn’t matter the budget, the thing is that when you start it, you are going to finish it. So, I have a background that if something is a task, it must be completed. It is not something you will go and cut corners. You don’t cut corners in all those things. I believe until we have this kind of mentality; until we have somebody like this prepared to govern a state, that is the only time we can get it right.

Fortunately for us, the money is no longer coming as it used. So, anybody who is going to run state now, must have the ability to think outside the box. This recession is a blessing to Nigeria because if this oil boom had continued maybe we would never have had people who will think. People have always sit back in the state and every month they send their commissioners to Abuja where they divide money. I wish that thing will dry up completely, so that everybody will go back and find how to exploit the natural resources that abound in every state to develop the state. These are things I think I can help to do in Anambra and I believe we will get it right.

What are the things you will be telling Ndi Anambra that Governor Willie Obiano is not doing well, that if given the opportunity, you will do better?

I think Obiano is doing well in the area of security, before he came there was high rate of kidnapping but I think he has done well. But then, Obiano has failed in internalising that security.

He has disrupted what is called ‘town unions’ in Anambra State. Every community in Anambra State has a town union and it is the town union that built almost every community in Anambra State. He has dabbled into the politics of town union and in extension, traditional rulers. Those are areas where he has destroyed the intrinsic democracy in Igboman which is a great disservice to our people.

It is an issue that needs to be addressed and that is the only the way we can internalise the

so-called security we have in place today. Obiano campaigned on the basis of 3C - continue, complete and commission. He campaigned that he was going to do what Peter Obi was doing. Today, you know his relationship with his predecessor.

He did not continue, he has not completed and he has not commissioned. Everything you see on the pages of newspaper is neither here nor there. I will invite you to Anambra State to come and see the bridge Obiano built. If you google that kind of bridge that was the kind that was built 40 years ago. It is an eyesore, he defaced the capital city. You need to come and look at it, but that is what he calls his signature project.

So, I don’t know any other area Obiano had impacted. He has not really created employment for the youths. Since he took over, no government hospital has been accredited again. The schools that were handed over back to the mission, he is not funding them well. The local government administration is not really working. As at today, I don’t think we have local government chairmen.

What has he really done? In fact that bridge, Dr. Chris Ngige was so annoyed that he said that the bridge needs to be demolished. I am sure you must have read about it. I don’t really know what you can say that this is the signature project Obiano has done. I don’t think that he has done so much that he should be allowed to continue.

Peter Obi campaigned that power needed to be shifted to Anambra North, it was on that basis that Obiano came in. He is going to complete his four years. I am from Anambra South, when this politics started, Chinwoke Mbadinuju was the first governor under this dispensation. He did four years and our people felt that he didn’t do well. That was why they replaced PDP then with Chris Ngige from Anambra Central and eventually, it was Peter Obi from Anambra central that won the election.

So, Anambra South did four years and our people felt like, no, no, you are not good enough to rule Anambra State. Now Peter Obi did two tenures and now power has gone to Anambra North. This is four years of Obiano, it is left for Anambra people to assess him and see whether he has done all that is expected of him. He campaigned on 3C and I don’t think he has delivered on those of 3C. And he has been very parochial and sectional in his appointments.

We don’t need that kind of thing in a state like Anambra State, we should run it on the basis of merit. We should enthrone meritocracy.

Do you realise that you will be contesting with some perennial actors in Anambra politics, how do hope to beat them in this game?

I am happy that many of them today are coming into APC. But I do expect that they realise that APC is a different kind of environment. That is a party that is different from where they are coming from. I will expect that when they come in, they should undergo some apprenticeship to realise that this is an environment with a different way of thinking. Because these are guys who don’t believe in democracy who believe in the powers of Nicodemos movement. In other words, they never believed in anything straight. The kind of politics they were doing in Anambra State was a situation where during the primary election, there will be primaries in different four or five places and after that everybody will write his list and rush back to Abuja to spend money for it to be accepted. So, this is bad politics that brought Igboland to the present past.

I have said it before that the challenge in Igboland is lack of leadership. So, we certainly don’t want these kind of people to still come and pollute the environment. They are not coming on the basis that they have superior ideas or that they are trained or that they are properly educated and prepared for the challenges of leadership today. They don’t have it. The only thing they can lay claim to is that they have money. I am sure that if Ibrahim Magu (EFCC Chairman) invites many of them today, some of them will shit in their pants because the so-called money they are brandishing about, we don't know how they got it.

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

35/ENTREPRENEUR

24.02.2017

'As a Young Entrepreneur I Have Learnt Not to Give Up On My Dreams’ Marvis Marshal Idio is a young ingenious Nigerian entrepreneur and CEO of JACMARVIS, a company involved in interior design, building construction and furniture, located in Port Harcourt, River State. In this interview with Peter Uzoho, Idio who emerged winner at the Next Titan Season 3 show last December, speaks about her experience at the competition, her business operation and challenges, amongst others have any impact on your business?

I have been producing most of these pieces using the most stressful process due to lack of appropriate machinery. So yes, it will have a huge positive impact on my business.

Can we meet you?

My name is Marvis Marshal Idio; wife, super-mum and entrepreneur. I hail from Imo State. I am a graduate of Architecture from University of Uyo. I also hold a Master’s Degree in Interior Design from Florence Design Academy, Italy.

Do you think the initiators and organisers of the Next Titan Entrepreneurial show deserve commendation for the work they are doing on the lives of young Nigerians?

Yes, they definitely deserve commendation.

Beyond the price money, they are constantly awakening the entrepreneurial spirit in young Nigerians, building hope and making dreams come alive. The auditions, boot camp and tasks carried out while in the academy opens your mind more to your plans and pushes you to actualise your goals.

Can you tell us about your brand?

Our brand name is JACMARVIS; we are in the business of crafting elegant art forms in interior design, building construction and furniture. We are growing start-up, currently located in Port Harcourt, River State. Our core mission is to become the brand of choice in the interior designs and contemporary furniture space. Our aim is to provide high quality aesthetic creations at affordable value to clients across all income bands. Our creative process is defined by a "waste to wealth" mind set; consequently our raw materials include used rubber tyres, pet bottles, cardboard, discarded furniture pieces and shipping containers

For three consecutive seasons Heritage Bank has been the chief sponsor of this life -changing and economic empowerment programme.

What do you say about that?

This is a clear show of their passion for entrepreneurship and support for young Nigerian talents.

What inspired you to go into this line of business?

My late father, a truly gifted Civil Engineer ignited my interest in furniture making. I guess I inherited his passion for designing intricate yet functional pieces. Studying Architecture was naturally a course for nurturing my passion. Attending design exhibitions during my post-graduate studies overseas deepened my intellectual appreciation for the concept of translating waste to wealth in a practical, commercially viable and fun way. These experiences catalysed what is now a continuous adventure in my research and experimentation with recyclable materials.

Would you say you grabbed your destiny by hard work and by taking advantage of an opportunity?

The word ‘hard work’ can't be over emphasised, it surely paid off.

Being a female entrepreneur in Nigeria, does it come with any challenges?

I wear the badge of "womanpreneur" with great pride. I'm happy to join the vanguard of amazons and Titans who are spicing up the business domain with our unique and highheeled talents. That said, being a womanpreneur used to be considered ‘Norm-defying’. However, I'm happy that many before me and many after me will re-define the narrative with our success. I like the novelty of my identity, female carpenter! Truly iconic. Work - life balance is perhaps the trickiest aspiration; combining my roles as a home-maker and creator-in-chief can get knotty.

How do you source your raw materials?

I go to dump sites to pick them depending on what I need. After which I sort them out to know the ones that really meet what I need them for and then use them for my construction.

You know going to dump sites directly to pick them by yourself you don’t have to pay for it- it saves cost. Even those that pick for us go to dump sites to pick them.

Was there a problem you intended solving through your business?

Most certainly, furniture and furnishings is an essential part of the home, and building is no doubt a necessity. The reality is that the cost of importing these pieces is outrageous, when we can produce them here, use, and also export.

My aim is to bridge the gap between the expensive cost of housing, furniture and furnishings and the inability of the modest income earner to afford them, and invariably reduce the need to import furniture largely.

And definitely, through recycling we will greatly curb waste problems What were the major challenges when you started and how did you overcome them?

My major challenge while starting up a business was definitely lack of funds, so I concentrated on producing samples. It is not enough to tell people what you do, you need to show them. I ensured I persisted in my endeavours.

Presently, the country's economic climate has not been favourable to businesses. As a young entrepreneur, are you in anyway affected?

Certainly! Culturally, our appetites for furniture are deeply embedded in conventionality- conventionality of raw materials and process.

What is your message to young Nigerians?

Keep your head high, challenges are bound to come, don't give in. Everybody doesn't have to believe in your business idea at first but keep at it and someday they would understand. Also ensure you get the right kind of mentoring.

Idio

Essentially, people consider wood to be a more cost-functional material; the materials I choose to work with are considered "exotic, luxurious and cost ineffective". So, in a recession climate, functionality prevails over exotic. Secondly, access to capital, be it loan facility from banks or seed capital from Angel investors is strangled in a recession climate. Although government has set up numerous funding initiatives for cottage industries and SMEs, penetration is shallow and bureaucracy leaves many young entrepreneurs uncaptured.

How is your business contributing to reduce the unemployment challenge in the country?

Presently, I have seven people working with me on contract basis and I pay them. Being a contract thing it’s about you doing your work and you get paid at the end of the day.

So as you can see in my own little way I’m helping in that regard and hope to do more if things improve.

You participated at the Next Titan Season 3 last year and emerged the star prize winner.

Can you explain how it went?

It was for me, a truly titanic milestone on my personal journey. For over eight weeks, I was nested with some of the most-compellingly talented persons I have ever met. There was an overflow of passionate creativity; there were several "light bulb" moments of new wisdom from our accomplished panel of judges; there was the intensity of bare competition, the irresistible nudge towards collaboration and the obvious vitality of diversity. Being away from my baby girl forced me to draw on a reserve of inner fortitude and sharpened my focus to the point where I wanted to win for her.

What do you think gave you an edge over other contestants at the show?

It was definitely grace, complimentary to originality and practical perspectives defined in my business plan. True, I was saved by the judges on a number of occasions; I took every such occasion as an opportunity to raise the bar for myself and translate my talent with greater clarity.

The money and the car you won do they

Can you tell us more about your family?

I am code-named "double-o three" in a family of three girls and a gentleman. My mum is "double-o one". We were raised with Christian virtues, and my (late) father's magnetism and generosity meant we always had a full house.

We are a closely-knit unit, and it’s usual for all four ladies (mum included) to go out for social outings and fun. My family is my most committed fan base!

Who would you say has been a major influence in your life?

My mother, she has believed in me even when it didn't make sense, always pushing me to be and do better. I have always admired her strength to bounce back after all the challenges she had to go through. I call her 'My African Queen'- she is a true African Woman How would you describe your husband’s support to your venture?

Frankly speaking, I am married to a good man who is not afraid to let me be all I set my heart to and who is constantly supporting me every step of the way.

36/COLLAGE

24.02.2017

Celebrant, Mrs Mary Joke Shofolahan (middle) anked by her children from left, Mrs Olufunke Hamilton, Mrs. Olubukunola Olukoga, Mr. Oluwqsegun Shofolahan and Mrs Anthonia Oyinlola during the celebration of her 70th birthday party at Jakande Estate, lpaja, Lagos...recently ABIODUN AJALA

L-R; Children of the deceased, Chief Adegboyega Akin- Deko, Dr ( Mrs) Modupe Owolabi, Chief Akintayo Akin-Deko and Dr Akintunde Akin-Deko.during the funeral service for the late Chief ( Mrs) Caroline Akin-Deko at St Paul's Anglican Church Odode - Idanre in Ondo State....recently;

L-R; Wife of the Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti Kingdom, Olori Funmilola Adejimi Adu; Ogbenuotesoro II, Oba Samuel Adejimi, General Overseer, Abundant Life Gospel Church, Rev Dr. Jane Onaolapo, and the wife of Kwara State governor, Deaconess Omolewa Ahmed, at the ordained of new ministers of Abundant Life Gospel Church, Agege, Lagos,.. recently

R-L ; Grand patron, Eguono R'Ukori Social Club ,Lagos, Olorogun Robinson Eregare; President of the club, Mr.Godday Onyeme and the Chairperson, Mrs .Regina Omashaye during a dinner organized in honour of Eregare by the club in Ajeromi, ,Lagos..... recently

L-R: Awardee, Chief Chris Okunowo; receiving Merit award from President, Igbobi College Old Boys Association (ICOBA) Mr Foluso Phillips and Chairman, Igbobi College Board of Governors, Mr. Kehinde Smith, at the ICOBA Merit Awards and Luncheon held at Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos...recently

L-R: Chairman, TAD Group, Mr. Babatunde Adebola; member, Board of Trustees, Manifesting Him, Mrs. Adebimpe Adebola; Chairperson, Manifesting Him, Pastor (Mrs.) Folake Daniels; and Senior Pastor, Lighthouse, Pastor Ayo Daniels, during the inauguration of TAD Group of companies and Manifesting Him in Lagos... recently.

Former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore (right) condoling Senator Zainab Kure, widow of the late former governor of Niger State , Abdulkhadir Abdullahi Kure,in Minna, Nger State...recently

37/THISLIFE

24.02.2017

Late Borha

BORHA: A Seasoned Technocrat Bows Out at 94 Ide Eguabor Pa Lawrence Leo Borha (LLB), pioneer national trade unionist, technocrat and politician passed away on January 3, 2017 in Benin City the Edo State capital at the ripe old age of 94 years, after a bravely fought protracted illness.

And so, with his passage the curtain has effectively been drawn on the nation’s first generation labour leaders, master strategists and political tacticians. Along with late Michael Imoudu, LLB, as he was fondly called, played a pivotal and major organisational role in the establishment of the National Trade Union Movement in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Indeed his managerial dexterity ensured its growth and survival.

A seasoned technocrat, he, along with others, remain the pillars of the then newly created Midwest Region, later Bendel and now Edo State.

Early Days: He was born in Ubiaja on August 10, 1923 to the famous Alumhen Borha family of Idumhenbor Quarters in what is today Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State. His mother was Avere Borha.

LLB had his elementary school at St. Benedict’s Catholic School, Ubiaja and proceeded to African College, Onitsha for his secondary education. He was a brilliant and exceptional student and even though from a comparatively poor background, support for his education came readily and steadily. His immediate family and kind hearted individuals had spotted his great potentials and pulled resources

together to see him through his secondary education.

Adulthood: After graduation he was offered a teaching job and before he could settle down fully to his new job, events around the globe began to unfold very fast. Then, the dark clouds of World War II was looming.

Being a British Colony at the time, the impact on Nigeria was immediate and resonated around the entire country.

Imports dried up and proceeds from local exports – largely rubber, timber, groundnuts, cotton, palm oil/kernels etc were directed to the war efforts.

This was the scenario when the second campaign towards the war efforts began.

Conscription of able bodied adults to join the Army became the vogue while the educated joined the army with adventure in mind regardless of the risks involved.

Young Lawrence belonged to this group.

He enlisted and was moved to Egypt before being posted to the medical Corps.

His regiment later moved to Burma until the end of the war before his subsequent demobilisation.

He exhibited an incredible independent spirit on his return as he first tried his hands on local trading and business. He then joined the Civil Service, the Ministry of Information and resigned after a few years to take up a full time job as a Trade Union Secretary. In this capacity, he frequently attended International Labour Organisation Congresses in Geneva, Switzerland, where he made international friends like Tom Mboya of Kenya, Helmut Schmidt, later Chancellor of West Ger-

many and many others. Indeed, he was so close to Helmut Schmidt that the German made it possible for his two nephews to travel to Germany on scholarship.

The narrative of LLB’s labour activism would be incomplete without particular reference to the Nigerian General Strike of 1964 that crippled the entire country.

According to the history books, as regional and ethnic competition intensified during the census crisis, tensions of a wholly different order was gathering explosive force. Wage labourers were beginning to focus their indignation over declining real income and gross economic inequality into military demands for Government attention and higher pay.

For a brief but crucial year in Nigerian politics, the severely fractured trade union movement united in a concerted challenge to the political class and what began as a protest over wages quickly widened into an attack on the very basis of the regimes authority. Spanning the later stages of the Federal election the census crisis and the preliminary maneuvering of the Federal Election, the conflict peaked in a thirteen day General Strike that brought the economic life of the nation to a virtual standstill.

In the confrontation, Nigerian workers scored a significant victory while the regime was discredited across a wide and crucial segment of public opinion.

There is no gainsaying that the forces that led that General Strike were among others, Michael Imoudu as labour leader and Lawrence Leo Borha as secretary general of the Nigerian Labour Congress.

In the 50’s, Trade Unionism and Union

leaders were closely aligned to political parties as indeed they still are till date.

LLB was one of the stormy petrels of these arrow heads in the labour movement with the likes of Michael Imoudu, Duke Idise Dafe, Gogo Chu Nzeribe, Tunji Otegbeye and others.

He served as Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources and later Information in the Col. Samuel Ogbemudia administration in the Midwest region of Nigeria for nine years. Much later he and others like late Chief Tony Enahoro and late Oba of Benin, Oba Erediauwa initiated the formation of Edo Movement that later resulted in the creation of Edo State.

Little wonder that when told that LLB was very alive and in Benin two years ago. General Ogbemudia (Rtd) retorted: the great one, where is he?

He was appointed Labour Adviser to President Shehu Shagari before the Second Republic was overthrown in a military coup in 1983. He was indeed a notable NPN leader in the then Bendel State.

A man of humour devoid of bitterness he was very compassionate and caring. He was always involved in peaceful resolution of conflicts in his rural area, state and the nation at large.

He is survived by a wife, Madam Lola Borha and four children Edmund, Charles, David and Mrs. Rachael Ugboadaga as well as grand children and great grand children. He is also survived by daughters-in-law, a son-in-law, Cousins, Nephews and Nieces.

A great one has indeed departed. When comes another?

May his gentle soul rest in peace.

38/OPINION

24.02.2017

ADEOLAAKINREMI HOME TRUTHS

Email: adeola.akinremi@thisdaylive.com

Tel 08116759785(sms only)

Our Country in Denial, But Children are Paying the Price of Brutal Boko Haram War

S

ickeningly sad story. Insurgents burned down her house. Her husband was killed. She became a widow. Her two-year-old eldest child died of measles. Her only child, a 20-month-old baby faces death from hunger. It is the story of Rakiya told by Save the Children, a nonprofit that has established a stabilisation centre in Nigeria’s North-east.

Like you, the story caused a swift kick in my ribs, but I can connect with the story, because of my previous firsthand reporting from the region.

Terrifyingly, as a country we failed to admit that Nigerian children faced death from malnutrition, despite evidence.

We are looking at London and not Maiduguri.

Some politicians have even turned London to a Mecca for lesser hajj.

Like the rest of us, last December, President Muhammadu Buhari, even denied the graveyard situation in the North-east in relation to starvation using two words to describe it: uncharitable and unnecessary.

Sure, Mr. Buhari, wants citizens to see him rather as a compassionate and committed leader, but truth is a hardball.

To my mind, the fact that severe malnutrition is hampering the future of our kids does not remove from him his commitment to Nigeria, it simply means more is required.

Often, whenever I read reports on the emergency situation in the North-east as regards food crisis, my panicky heart soars.

But Mr. President called it “non-existent

A young girl being screened for malnutrition in the Dalori camp for IDPs in Borno State

fear,” and “hype”. His words increased the anxiety among international partners rather than offering some relief.

But today we know that the problem is not limited to the North-east.

According to UNICEF, about 1.4 million children are at risk of death from severe acute malnutrition across the country, but famine is already framing surviving kids of Boko Haram war in skeleton.

Figures don’t represent reality, but with diarrhea, measles and malaria taking residence in their weakened bodies, death is just a matter of time, if nothing urgent is done to rescue the kids.

Everyone knows that our healthcare infrastructure is on the blink, and there’s no better way to see it than knowing the president himself continues to stay put in London, United Kingdom, for prolong medical care.

Mr. President simply could not rely on Nigeria’s healthcare system for his own survival, and while abroad now more than 30 days, and receiving high-level visitors, the children in the North-east are malnourished.

Unfortunately, the healthcare workers have now served the government a notice of strike action for “flagrant display of lawlessness, perversion of justice and the rot in the health sector accounting for millions of preventable pains and deaths in Nigeria.”

No food, no well-equipped hospital, and no service from healthcare workers means one thing: we are in the soup.

The sorry truth about Nigeria’s situation is what Senator Lanre Tejuoso, declared as “double emergency” in a piece he recently penned for Thomson Reuters Foundation News.

“Up until now,” Tejuoso wrote. “our response to the malnutrition crisis—both the emergency in the North-east and high rates of chronic malnutrition around the country—has not matched the severity of the problem. Of the 2.5 million children suffering from severe acute malnutrition each year, we only treat about 500,000 with the help of our partners, leaving a huge gap that calls for more commitment.”

Truly, we cannot continue to compromise the development and future productivity of our children and remains a fair and forward

nation.

With more billionaires in our country, farmlands and existing healthcare policies that should help scale up healthcare intervention, if implemented, Nigeria should not be talking about death of its children, most especially when a larger percentage of the deaths are preventable.

I’m always optimistic based on what our past experience has taught us as nation that we can always overcome, if we act early and not live in denial.

In our most recent history, when Ebola epidemic showed up on our soil, the rapid response and compact coordination by the government agencies saved our country, though we lost a few (medical officers) who were in direct line of its attack.

In contrast, when Boko Haram ideology started and members of the militant groups were increasing, we waited too long and we suffered the consequence.

These two stories should challenge the leaders to act and they should inspire everyone to be concerned about how to respond to the figure of 1.4 million children in severe acute malnutrition across the country, most especially to those who are now at the risk of dying in places like Borno State.

In 2005, we all cried as gory pictures from the Republic of Niger showed up on our televisions and newspapers. After famine pounded the country hard, children became carcasses for vultures. God forbid that we should get to that level, but we must not act too late.

LEKANFATODU HEADS-UP

Email lekantodun@yahoo.com

Tel 07058069255

No Alternative to Improved Dialogue

T

he public statement recently made by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) detailing remarkable improvements in oil production, sales of crude oil and absence of attacks on oil and gas installations was the subject of a post on one of my social media platforms recently.

In that post, I wrote: “Massive reduction in pipeline vandalism and increasing growth in the production of crude oil. VP Osinbajo is seriously doing the long suggested reaching out, dialogue and strategic engagement with every concerned person in the affairs of the Niger Delta. And kudos to Kachikwu for his effort on that path. The VP must open the MEMO to Baba when he returns and he must emphasise the consequence of any delay to further the step or any alteration in the on-going plan”.

And as is the tradition on social media, a commenter, Chukwuemeka Ojielo, who felt the need to shed more light on the subject swiftly added his voice.

“Very correct Lekan Fatodu, but in all fairness, this outreach started long before PMB went on vacation. VP thank you for deepening this work. Nigeria go better.”

Actually, the point I tried to make with the post was to emphasise the impact of dialogue that is driven not just by words i.e as part of policy steps but also in actions which is to have a head of government or an

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo

establishment present at critical spots where serious deliberations and negotiations are necessary for peace and progress to take place.

And, of course, this column is aware of the desire and decision of the President to deepen discussions with the Niger Delta. But experts and concerned persons from the region have equally underscored the need for the President to consistently and strategically mark his presence within the region to continually assuage the deep agitations of its people..

Evidently, the talks being held by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo in the Niger Delta is, essentially, fulfilling the yearnings of the majority of the people from that region who feel neglected by the central government.

It is therefore quite pleasing to see that the NNPC itself is attributing the recent advancement being made with its mandate to “sustained engagement with stakeholders by the Federal Government and Corporation.”

This indeed comes as a strong validation of my sentiment that, in the case of the Niger Delta, there are no viable alternatives to improved dialogue. No number of bullets and boots can guarantee the peace that is so needed in that region for the sustenance of the nation’s fragile economy.

For our country at this moment, our capacity to mitigate crisis and secure peace through profound deliberations will surely save more money, preserve more lives to support economic growth and boost investors’ confidence.

In fact, all efforts and strategies of soft diplomacy rather than force should be deployed to prevent the return of the days of relentless bombing and destruction by the new militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers, and other violent elements who succeeded considerably in slowing down economic activities in the country.

At the time of those debilitating attacks, the oil production capacity of Nigeria dropped from 2.2 million barrels per day upon which the 2016 budget was premised to 1.6 million

putting further strains on the already poor financial standing of the government.

Thankfully, there seems to be an indication of light at the end of this very dark tunnel and the government has been projecting better days ahead. And the NNPC's statement on the records of these latest achievements is testament enough.

According to the corporation, only 18 cases of vandalised points on downstream pipelines were recorded in December 2016 as against 43 in the previous month. And it’s also reported that there was a 13.4 per cent rise in oil and gas sales in December 2016 over sales in November 2016. Similarly a total export sale of $195.40 million was recorded for crude oil and gas in the month of December as against the sum of $166.18 million recorded in November 2016.

With onward movement, I reckon the reasonable stance should be: if this much has been achieved largely on the strength of deepening discussions and moving physically closer to the critical stakeholders in the Niger Delta, there shouldn’t by any reason to ever consider a tough approach.

At this juncture, I will have to reiterate my previous stance on this effort that regardless of any provocation and recklessness of the militants, the government shouldn’t lose focus of its resolve. Because there are indeed lots the government stands to gain than lose for considering the approach of wider dialogue with the region.

T H I S D AY FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24, 2017

39

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017

40

CITYSTRINGS

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

Rites of Passage Obosi in Idemli North Local Government of Anambra State is one of the towns in the state that takes its customs and tradition seriously. David-Chyddy Eleke writes on the rites that admit one into the Ndi Ichie, the highest decision making body in the town parading the likes of Chief Emeka Anyaoku

A

s this reporter walked through the gate of the expansive compound of Dr. Emmanuel Monagor, a youth came out of a small hut at the back of the Obi (a small house habited by the head of a family in Igboland), a big lifeless cock in his hand, and a close look showed that the cock was strangled to death.

He threw the cock far away from the hut, and it fell on the ground with a thud. The youth moved swiftly back into the hut, and this reporter peered towards the hut to see that they were over two dozen men in the hut, all dressed in white attire, including their shoes, except for the red cap on their heads, and beads round their necks.

Thoughts ran riot in the mind of this reporter over what the men could be doing in the hut, when the youth returned again, this time he was carrying a big lifeless goat with both hands. The neck of the goat, just like the cock had been slit, with blood dripping from it. Again, he threw the goat on the ground, beside the cock, and it fell with a bigger thud than the cock had. THISDAY later learnt that the men in white were members of the Ndi Ichie society of Obosi, and the slain animals were those with which they were performing traditional rites known as Ime Uke, to mark the admission of Dr. Emma Monagor into the Ndi Ichie society of Obosi kingdom.

Among the over two dozen Ndi Ichie, who were on hand to admit Monagor into the Ndi Ichie Society were great men of substance, including; Chief Emeka Anyaoku; former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Osita Chidoka, former Minister of Aviation among many others. As they filed out of the hut after performing the Ime Uke rite on Monagor, into the Obi, the bell boys ran

to their bells, picked them up and began ringing.

Each member of the Ndi Ichie society had his own bell boy, and as they walked out of the hut, each went straight to a spot, where all the members of the society had left their staff to pick them up, before walking into the Obi, just as the bell boys rang their bells to usher them in. One of the bell boys who identified himself simply as Arinze, and said to be a bell boy for Agbadike Obosi, one of the Ndi Ichie members, while speaking with

Among the over two dozen Ndi Ichie, who were on hand to admit Monagor into the Ndi Ichie Society were great men of substance, including; Chief Emeka Anyaoku; former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Osita Chidoka, former Minister of Aviation among many others. As they filed out of the hut after performing the Ime Uke rite on Monagor, into the Obi, the bell boys ran to their bells, picked them up and began ringing

A large array of titled men from Obosi Kingdom

THISDAY on the reason they were ringing the bells said, “each member of the society is supposed to have a bell boy who carries their bell. The bell boy is expected to ring it anytime the Ichie appeared. It is meant to mark the arrival or exit of the Ichie. That is why each time you see them, whether they are going or coming, we had to ring the bell to herald their presence.”

The Ndi Ichie Society of Obosi is considered to be the highest decision making body of the town, admission into it automatically makes one a member of the ruling class in the town. THISDAY gathered that there can only be one member of the society in a family, which means that once one is admitted into it, every other member of that family is barred from being a member, and that also automatically confers on the entrant the headship of the family, irrespective of his age. The society, THISDAY gathered admits only people of integrity, who must have the backing of their family members for them to be accepted as members. Membership confers on one the right to be the one to break kola nuts in family gatherings, and to give out daughters as wives to suitors in the family.

In an interview with THISDAY, Monagor, the newly admitted member of the society said there was nothing fetish about the Ime Uke ceremony, which admits one into the society. He said the ceremony mostly consists of prayers from other members of the society who come to pray for the new entrant for God to help him lead his family well, endow him with wisdom to make the right decision at all times. He said that truly there were some elements of fetishism in the culture before now, but with the spread of Christianity, and its wide acceptance, it became obvious that some of the laws must

be repealed. He said the tradition and customs of the community has also been married to Christian religion, and some dangerous practices removed.

On his part, Chief Osita Chidoka, who is a member of the society said the town cherishes its tradition, and will not jettison them for the simple reason that some people think it is fetish. He said the community has the obligation to tell its story and believe in their customs without apologising to anyone about what they do. “It depends on the person who said the practice is fetish.

For us, we will not let others describe our custom for us, so we need to tell our own story by ourselves,” Chidoka who bears the traditional title of Ike Obosi; strength of Obosi kingdom said.

Another fascinating aspect of the Obosi culture as it concerns the Ndi Ichie society is the fact that each member is supposed to take an Ichie name, different from the title they took, when they were admitted into the Ozo society. A brother of the newly admitted member, and a Nollywood star, Mr. Amaechi Monagor told THISDAY of the origin of Dr. Monagor’s Ozo name, which is Mkpu Na Elu Aku. He said, “My father had 12 children, and he worked very hard to educate all of us. At a time when his mates were taking titles, he refused to take titles, preferring to train his children with his money.

He later started bearing the name, Mkpu Na Elu Aku, which in English meant; the anthill that grows wealth. The significance of this was that he was telling his friends who were laughing at him for not taking any traditional title that he is an anthill on which wealth will grow. True to his words, out of his 12 children, the least educated of us are those with Masters Degree. He has doctors, engineers, lawyers and all other

T H I S D AY Ëž FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017

41

CITYSTRINGS

The Traditional Ruler of Obosi Kingdom, Igwe Chidubem Iweka, being anked by two great sons of Obosi, Chiefs Osita Chidoka (left) and Emeka Anyaoku (right)

Newly admitted member of Ndi Ichie Society of Obosi, Dr. Emma Monagor (right), being congratulated by Chief Osita Chidoka

A rich array of Ndi Ichie in Obosi posing with the monarch of the kingdom, Igwe Chidubem Iweka, during a traditional event

profession. He also has a film star like me, who is known all over the world. Today, that anthill as he called himself now grows wealth. So our brother decided to make the name more pronounced by using it as his Ozo title name. Today that he has joined the Ndi Ichie, he has changed his name to Mkpu Obosi.�

Joining the Ndi Ichie Society is not a move one can start and conclude in just one year. Chief Chidoka told THISDAY that even though Monagor has been formally admitted, he still has two more rigorous stages to pass through before he will be a full-fledged member of the society. He said the two stages left, when done will complete the six stages that a man is supposed to pass through before he can be seen as a member. The two stages left include; the coronation ceremony which takes place in the palace of the king of the community and the outing service. This he said entails the new entrant walking through one end of Obosi Kingdom to the other end, and must be accompanied by his kinsmen as a

way to show support to him, after which he would be deemed to have completed all

The society, THISDAY gathered admits only people of integrity, who must have the backing of their family members for them to be accepted as members. Membership confers on one the right to be the one to break kola nuts in family gatherings, and to give out daughters as wives to suitors in the family

the processes.

Monagor in an interview took THISDAY through the four processes he has already passed through. He said the first is the submission of application to the society, requesting to be a member, while the second is the first visit of the intending member to the palace of the king of Obosi.

During this second process, the intending member is interviewed by the king in the presence of his cabinet to ascertain his level of preparedness for the task ahead. The third process is the second visit, where the intending member is expected to go with the members of his kindred, who will also be subjected to interviews on how prepared they are to let the intending member lead them. The fourth, which is what Monagor underwent is the Ime Uke, where other members of the society converge to perform rite, welcoming the member, and also praying for them. He also told THISDAY that he is looking forward to the remaining two processes with relish, and hopes to accomplish them soon.

The high point of the event was the expulsion of everyone from the Obi, as the men filed into it. All non-members of the society were ejected, and the door securely locked, while after a moment, Monagor emerged from the Obi, accompanied by all the Ndi Ichie. The crowd erupted into jubilation at his emergence at the door, while all traditional dance groups in attendance began playing their instruments, while Monagor danced into the crowd, with shouts of Mkpu Obosi renting the air. As he moved towards the crowd, he shook hands in the traditional way with all male guests, which entailed slapping the back of the hand thrice, before also slapping together the front of their hands. For the female, they simply squatted at his feet and bent their back at him as he approached them, while hailing him in his title; Mkpu Obosi! He taps their back gently and the ladies get up again. Chidoka who is also a member of the society told THISDAY that Obosi has about the richest culture in Anambra State, and that they plan to sustain it.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017 • T H I S D AY

4

mARKET NEWS

FG: Green Bond Will Deepen Capital Market, Tackle Poverty Goddy Egene and Nosa Alekhuogie The acting President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday said proposed N20 billion Green Bond to be issued by the federal government would provide an opportunity to further deepen the nation’s capital market and tackle poverty.

Green bonds enable capital-

raising and investment for new and existing projects with environmental benefits. The federal government is to raise N20 billion via the issuance of Green Bond initiative.

Speaking at the Green Bonds Capital Market & Investors Conference organised by the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Federal Ministry of Finance and the Debt

T H E MaiN Board Activity Summary on Board DEBT Federal Bond Name 15.54% FGN FEB 2020 16.00% FGN JUN 2019 Federal Totals DEBT Board Totals Bond Activity Totals Daily Summary (Equities) Activity Summary on Board EQTY AGRICULTURE Crop Production OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC Crop Production Totals Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. Livestock/Animal Specialties Totals AGRICULTURE Totals CONGLOMERATES Diversified Industries A.G. LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC. JOHN HOLT PLC. S C O A NIG. PLC. TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC U A C N PLC. Diversified Industries Totals CONGLOMERATES Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Building Construction ARBICO PLC. Building Construction Totals Infrastructure/Heavy Construction JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. Infrastructure/Heavy Construction Totals Real Estate Development UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. LIMITED Real Estate Development Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Totals CONSUMER GOODS Automobiles/Auto Parts DN TYRE & RUBBER PLC Automobiles/Auto Parts Totals Beverages--Brewers/Distillers CHAMPION BREW. PLC. GUINNESS NIG PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. Beverages--Brewers/Distillers Totals Beverages--Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC. Beverages--Non-Alcoholic Totals Food Products DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC NASCON ALLIED INDUSTRIES PLC Food Products Totals Food Products--Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. NESTLE NIGERIA PLC. Food Products--Diversified Totals Household Durables VITAFOAM NIG PLC. Household Durables Totals Personal/Household Products P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. Personal/Household Products Totals CONSUMER GOODS Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ACCESS BANK PLC. DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED FIDELITY BANK PLC GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. JAIZ BANK PLC STERLING BANK PLC. UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC UNION BANK NIG.PLC. UNITY BANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC. Banking Totals Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CORNERSTONE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC. AXAMANSARD INSURANCE PLC N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. STANDARD TRUST ASSURANCE PLC STANDARD ALLIANCE INSURANCE PLC. UNITY KAPITAL ASSURANCE PLC UNIVERSAL INSURANCE COMPANY PLC WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals Micro-Finance Banks FORTIS MICROFINANCE BANK PLC NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC Micro-Finance Banks Totals Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services INFINITY TRUST MORTGAGE BANK PLC Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals Other Financial Institutions AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS PLC CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED PLC DEAP CAPITAL MANAGEMENT & TRUST PLC FCMB GROUP PLC. STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC UNITED CAPITAL PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals

DEALS

Management Office (DMO) at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in Lagos, Osinbajo said the bond would support the federal government’s shift to non-oil base assets for project financing for economic growth and development.

According to him, the proceeds of the bond would be used for environmental projects such as renewable energy micro-utilities

N I G E R I A N Market Price

quantity traded

STO C K value traded ( N )

No. of Deals 1 1 2 2 2

Current Price 98.7 135

Quantity Traded 105 100 205 205 205

Value Traded 103,815.41 137,197.80 241,013.21 241,013.21 241,013.21

No. of Deals 11 4 15 No. of Deals 5 5 20

Current Price 44.18 46

Quantity Traded 41,208 5,201 46,409 Quantity Traded 153,470 153,470 199,879

Value Traded 1,887,024.20 240,161.40 2,127,185.60 Value Traded 119,266.60 119,266.60 2,246,452.20

No. of Deals 1 1 4 56 48 110 110

Current Price 0.78 0.66 3.77 0.78 15.1

Quantity Traded 100 500 10,000 4,840,952 350,363 5,201,915 5,201,915

Value Traded 78 315 35,900.00 3,807,735.66 5,054,510.34 8,898,539.00 8,898,539.00

No. of Deals 1 1 No. of Deals 5 5 No. of Deals 65 65 71

Current Price 4.79

Quantity Traded 200 200 Quantity Traded 10,272 10,272 Quantity Traded 1,656,711 1,656,711 1,667,183

Value Traded 958 958 Value Traded 375,647.04 375,647.04 Value Traded 3,493,667.49 3,493,667.49 3,870,272.53

No. of Deals 1 1 No. of Deals 3 64 7 208 282 No. of Deals 18 18 No. of Deals 33 22 32 15 11 113 No. of Deals 25 98 123 No. of Deals 14 14 No. of Deals 26 17 43 594

Current Price 0.5

Quantity Traded 100,000 100,000 Quantity Traded 5,160 288,915 51,123 1,386,914 1,732,112 Quantity Traded 6,947 6,947 Quantity Traded 616,050 345,909 84,482 1,028,600 117,500 2,192,541 Quantity Traded 136,880 133,592 270,472 Quantity Traded 140,811 140,811 Quantity Traded 203,505 43,451 246,956 4,689,839

Value Traded 50,000.00 50,000.00 Value Traded 11,558.40 17,613,098.61 801,955.76 156,078,414.27 174,505,027.04 Value Traded 675,390.11 675,390.11 Value Traded 2,410,595.00 2,125,832.90 1,491,827.07 1,128,310.00 833,010.00 7,989,574.97 Value Traded 1,172,206.13 79,110,103.35 80,282,309.48 Value Traded 289,850.97 289,850.97 Value Traded 2,596,373.80 1,424,799.57 4,021,173.37 267,813,325.94

Quantity Traded 11,476,994 1,149,393 58,189 8,142,068 20,039,315 1,081,695 25,994,229 5,772,233 251,225 350 800 73,966,491 Quantity Traded 214,682 503,100 200 3,000 44,144 900 5,100 1,000 401,000 1,000 384 1,174,510 Quantity Traded 1,000 25,100 26,100 Quantity Traded 1,000 1,000 Quantity Traded 450,576 325,400 1,000 3,530,043 12,830 8,474,959 12,794,808

Value Traded 76,018,367.81 990,711.98 560,377.50 6,806,919.19 477,105,071.95 1,417,729.20 18,222,090.30 27,705,413.04 1,185,050.41 276.5 408 610,012,415.88 Value Traded 126,611.20 530,295.00 100 4,770.00 36,196.64 450 2,550.00 500 200,500.00 500 192 902,664.84 Value Traded 2,700.00 27,111.00 29,811.00 Value Traded 1,440.00 1,440.00 Value Traded 1,399,304.19 1,084,759.00 500 4,689,332.14 211,696.60 31,174,405.94 38,559,997.87

No. of Deals 167 26 27 69 219 24 1,530 73 33 1 1 2,170 No. of Deals 9 6 2 2 5 1 2 1 2 1 2 33 No. of Deals 1 2 3 No. of Deals 1 1 No. of Deals 31 16 1 68 6 132 254

Current Price 0.78

Current Price 34.83 Current Price 2.12

Current Price 2.35 60.92 16.15 117.5 Current Price 106.5 Current Price 4.1 6.1 18 1.1 7.03 Current Price 9 600 Current Price 2.08 Current Price 12.16 34

Current Price 6.6 0.86 9.8 0.84 23.8 1.31 0.7 4.8 4.9 0.83 0.5 Current Price 0.59 1.05 0.5 1.59 0.79 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 Current Price 2.58 1.08 Current Price 1.47 Current Price 3.05 3.32 0.5 1.31 17 3.7

in three communities estimated at N10 billion and would provide an average of 33KW of power through solar technology.

He noted that the environment finance was very important for environmental projects, noting that the Green bond would address climate change and environmental projects to ensure sustainable development.

He explained that under

E XC H A N G E

the Green Bonds initiative, the federal government would raise the sum of N20 billion under the first tranche before the end of the first quarter of 2017.

Osinbajo, who described the initiative as a new addition to the market funding portfolio, added that the proceeds would be used by Nigeria to fight climate change.

He said that climate change

had led to increase in natural disasters thereby affecting food, water and energy supply, thereby increasing poverty level of populace.

Osinbajo said that power had poised a major challenge in the nation’s universities, stating that 37 Federal universities and seven teaching hospitals would benefit from the Energizing Education Programme (EEP).

1 5 / 0 2 / 2 0 1 7

MaiN Board FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals HEALTHCARE Healthcare Providers UNION DIAGNOSTIC & CLINICAL SERVICES PLC Healthcare Providers Totals Pharmaceuticals FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC PHARMA-DEKO PLC. Pharmaceuticals Totals HEALTHCARE Totals ICT IT Services TRIPPLE GEE AND COMPANY PLC. IT Services Totals Processing Systems CHAMS PLC Processing Systems Totals ICT Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials ASHAKA CEM PLC BERGER PAINTS PLC CAP PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC MEYER PLC. LAFARGE AFRICA PLC. Building Materials Totals Electronic and Electrical Products CUTIX PLC. Electronic and Electrical Products Totals Packaging/Containers BETA GLASS PLC. GREIF NIGERIA PLC Packaging/Containers Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Totals NATURAL RESOURCES Metals ALUMINIUM EXTRUSION IND. PLC. Metals Totals NATURAL RESOURCES Totals OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Energy Equipment and Services Totals Integrated Oil and Gas Services OANDO PLC Integrated Oil and Gas Services Totals Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors CONOIL PLC ETERNA PLC. FORTE OIL PLC. MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC. TOTAL NIGERIA PLC. Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Totals Exploration and Production SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD Exploration and Production Totals OIL AND GAS Totals SERVICES Advertising AFROMEDIA PLC Advertising Totals Courier/Freight/Delivery RED STAR EXPRESS PLC TRANS-NATIONWIDE EXPRESS PLC. Courier/Freight/Delivery Totals Hotels/Lodging TOURIST COMPANY OF NIGERIA PLC. TRANSCORP HOTELS PLC Hotels/Lodging Totals Printing/Publishing LEARN AFRICA PLC STUDIO PRESS (NIG) PLC. Printing/Publishing Totals Transport-Related Services NEWREST ASL NIGERIA PLC NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Transport-Related Services Totals Support and Logistics CAVERTON OFFSHORE SUPPORT GRP PLC C & I LEASING PLC. Support and Logistics Totals SERVICES Totals EQTY Board Totals Daily Summary (Equities) Activity Summary on Board ASeM FINANCIAL SERVICES Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services OMOLUABI MORTGAGE BANK PLC Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals ASeM Board Totals Daily Summary (Equities) Activity Summary on Board PREMIUM FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC Banking Totals Other Financial Institutions FBN HOLDINGS PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials DANGOTE CEMENT PLC Building Materials Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Totals PREMIUM Board Totals Equity Activity Totals

DEALS

Market Price

2,461

quantity traded

value traded ( N)

87,962,909

649,506,329.59

Quantity Traded 738,000 738,000 Quantity Traded 5,177,490 110,135 5,015 11,000 900 5,304,540 6,042,540

Value Traded 369,000.00 369,000.00 Value Traded 5,178,570.00 1,551,318.88 4,770.10 7,063.20 1,836.00 6,743,558.18 7,112,558.18

Quantity Traded 2,438 2,438 Quantity Traded 100,000 100,000 102,438

Value Traded 3,023.12 3,023.12 Value Traded 50,000.00 50,000.00 53,023.12

Quantity Traded 11,405 2,997 1,215,127 141,429 300 23,390 1,394,648 Quantity Traded 792,168 792,168 Quantity Traded 70,030 100 70,130 2,256,946

Value Traded 130,100.00 17,322.66 35,970,022.30 604,431.24 249 987,177.40 37,709,302.60 Value Traded 1,142,840.30 1,142,840.30 Value Traded 2,552,593.50 1,016.00 2,553,609.50 41,405,752.40

No. of Deals 1 1 No. of Deals 13 12 4 6 2 37 38

Current Price 0.5

No. of Deals 1 1 No. of Deals 1 1 2

Current Price 1.3

No. of Deals 7 2 7 11 1 20 48 No. of Deals 15 15 No. of Deals 3 1 4 67

Current Price 11.25 6.08 29.6 4.28 0.87 42

No. of Deals 1 1 1

Current Price 9.75

Quantity Traded 2,000 2,000 2,000

Value Traded 18,540.00 18,540.00 18,540.00

No. of Deals 2 2 No. of Deals 76 76 No. of Deals 16 20 229 20 1 16 302 No. of Deals 2 2 382

Current Price 0.5

Quantity Traded 18,000 18,000 Quantity Traded 1,722,434 1,722,434 Quantity Traded 35,100 284,436 905,220 12,017 100 8,826 1,245,699 Quantity Traded 5,150 5,150 2,991,283

Value Traded 9,000.00 9,000.00 Value Traded 8,234,046.51 8,234,046.51 Value Traded 1,190,988.64 886,497.72 56,399,639.77 3,215,511.70 3,708.00 2,400,901.12 64,097,246.95 Value Traded 2,045,501.50 2,045,501.50 74,385,794.96

No. of Deals 1 1 No. of Deals 2 3 5 No. of Deals 1 3 4 No. of Deals 1 1 2 No. of Deals 7 6 13 No. of Deals 14 1 15 40 3,786

Current Price 0.5

Quantity Traded 55,000 55,000 Quantity Traded 575 29,090 29,665 Quantity Traded 1,000 13,000 14,000 Quantity Traded 500 1,000 1,500 Quantity Traded 101,050 46,801 147,851 Quantity Traded 274,973 1,000 275,973 523,989 111,640,921

Value Traded 27,500.00 27,500.00 Value Traded 2,645.75 26,607.80 29,253.55 Value Traded 3,550.00 61,623.60 65,173.60 Value Traded 355 2,190.00 2,545.00 Value Traded 275,866.50 114,662.45 390,528.95 Value Traded 242,233.86 500 242,733.86 757,734.96 1,056,068,322.88

Current Price 1.01 14.75 1 0.66 1.95

Current Price 0.5

Current Price 1.45 Current Price 36.45 9.69

Current Price 4.71 Current Price 35.49 3.24 62.5 275.99 39.03 270 Current Price 380

Current Price 4.4 0.91 Current Price 3.65 4.98 Current Price 0.68 2.19 Current Price 2.73 2.57 Current Price 0.9 0.5

No. of Deals 1 1 1 1

Current Price 0.9

Quantity Traded 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000

Value Traded 90,000.00 90,000.00 90,000.00 90,000.00

No. of Deals 279 279 No. of Deals 140 140 419

Current Price 15.01

Quantity Traded 48,467,690 48,467,690 Quantity Traded 1,684,690 1,684,690 50,152,380

Value Traded 727,624,234.12 727,624,234.12 Value Traded 5,345,599.68 5,345,599.68 732,969,833.80

No. of Deals 10 10 10 429 4,216

Current Price 169

Quantity Traded 45,766 45,766 45,766 50,198,146 161,939,067

Value Traded 7,736,239.30 7,736,239.30 7,736,239.30 740,706,073.10 1,796,864,395.98

Current Price 3.2

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017 Ëž T H I S D AY

4

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

W’Bank Report Outlines Actions to Leverage Islamic Finance Obinna Chima The World Bank Group and the Islamic Development Bank have published a first Global Report on Islamic Finance, which detailed the prospects for the global Islamic finance industry and its potential to help reduce worldwide income inequality, enhance sharing prosperity, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Subtitled “A Catalyst for Shared Prosperity?�, the report provides an overview of trends in Islamic finance, identifies major challenges hindering the industry’s growth, and recommends policy interventions to leverage Islamic finance for promoting shared prosperity.

Islamic finance advocates for just fair and equitable distribution of income and wealth.

With a strong link to the real economy as well as risk-sharing financing, Islamic finance can help improve the stability of the financial sector. It can also bring into the formal financial system people who are currently excluded from it due to cultural or religious reasons. Unlike conventional finance, Islamic

finance is based on risk-sharing and asset-based financing. By making people direct holders of real assets in the real sector of the economy, it reduces their aversion to risk.

The report outlined a theoretical framework to analyse Islamic economics and finance based on four fundamental pillars: institutional framework and public policy; prudent governance and accountable leadership; promotion of an economy based on risk sharing and entrepreneurship; and financial and social inclusion The report noted, however, areas where policy interventions are needed to develop Islamic finance’s effectiveness and fulfill its potential in helping to reduce inequality. These interventions include: enhance harmonisation, implementation and enforcement of regulations; create institutions that provide credit and other information to support equitybased finance, particularly for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs); and develop capital markets and sukuk products to help finance large infrastructure projects. “The Islamic finance industry needs to expand beyond

banking, which is currently a dominant component of Islamic finance, accounting for more than three-quarters of the industry’s assets. However, for the banking sector, the report recommends creating an enabling regulatory and supervisory environment that addresses systemic risk across jurisdictions; introducing innovative risk-sharing products and services, rather than replicating conventional risk-transfer products; unifying cross-country shar ‘ah rulings on Islamic finance; enhancing access to Islamic finance; and bolstering Islamic finance human capital and literacy. “Another area of development is Islamic capital markets. While still relatively young, they can provide opportunities to build assets but through equity- and asset-based finance. Particularly, the sukuk markets (Islamic bond) are suitable for financing infrastructure and encouraging entrepreneurship. The use of sovereign sukuk to mobilize financing is essential to develop the market, as well as to promote transparency and efficiency of the asset pricing,� according to the report.

Lawmakers Commend CBN Intervention Projects The House of Representatives Committee on Banking and Currency has commended the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervention projects in the educational sector.

The lawmakers also affirmed that the projects would add value to Nigeria’s economic development aspirations.

The Committee’s commendation came at the end of its oversight visit to the Bank’s project locations in Lagos State, according to a statement.

The intervention project

sites visited by the Committee included the three blocks of two and three-storey hostel buildings and an adjourning 500-seater auditorium at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), Topo,.

Badagry and the multi-complex faculty, hotel and auditorium facilities at the University of Lagos Centre of Excellence.

The facilities are part of the CBN’s commitment to building capacity for the nation’s banking industry.

The Chairman of the Com-

mittee, Hon. Jones Onyereri, however warned the contractors to stick to the specifications and timelines of the projects as contained in their contracts as the Committee would not accept any deviation from the contractual agreements nor agree to any variation to the contract sums.

The oversight visit was in furtherance of the Committee’s constitutional responsibility and legislative mandate of supervising agencies of government under its purview.

Fidelity Bank Rewards More Customers in Promo Peter Uzoho Fidelity Bank Plc has given out a total cash prize of N8 million and 12 consolation prizes to its faithful customers in the fifth round of its ‘Get Alert in Millions Savings Promo’.

The cash prize winner for Lagos zone, Mr Ifeanyichukwu Okenwa, was rewarded with N1 million, while consolation prices of refrigerator and generator set went to Charles Igwe and Okodo Chukwuebuka respectively.

Speaking at the 5th Prize Presentation ceremony for Lagos zone, at the bank’s headquarters in Lagos, Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of the

financial institution, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo, who was represented at the occasion by the Executive Director, Shared Services, Mrs Chijioke Ugochukwu, said for the month of February, six cash prizes of N8 million and 12 consolation prizes of refrigerators and generator sets were being given out to 18 winners that emerged from the six geo-political zones of the country where the bank operates. “This is our sixth promo so far but it’s becoming one of the most widely accepted, most popular and most timely promo. It’s a unique promo, and this time we’re focusing largely on cash prizes,� he said.

Giving more insight into

the promo, Chairman of the Promo Committee, Mr Ubaro Odeghe, said the essence of the promo was to drive the savings culture by ensuring that the bank’s customers and indeed all Nigerians imbibe the culture of saving, saying “secondly, we’re also rewarding faithful, loyal customers of the bank that have been banking with us for a very long time and to continue to grow their savings accounts with Fidelity Bank�. “Beyond the CSR drive or initiative of the bank, it’s clearly one way of driving the financial inclusion strategy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and also imbibing the savings culture among Nigerians,� Odeghe added.

SilverBird Group Hails AMCON The Silverbird Group yesterday thanked the management and leadership of the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) for working with Silverbird through what it described as a “challenging period� in their existence.

The Vice President Silverbird Group, Guy Murray-Bruce, in a statement also hailed AMCON for their support in helping to resolve the challenges the organisation in a fair, patriotic and businesslike manner.

Murray-Bruce added: “We particularly want to single out Mr. Ahmed Lawal Kuru, Managing Director and CEO of AMCON for his dedication and commitment to ensure that Silverbird survives and goes on to thrive. Nigeria benefits when public servants show altruistic leadership and Mr. Kuru’s actions have renewed our faith in Nigeria’s public service. “Let us also thank the Receiver/Manager appointed by the corporation, Messrs.

M.A. Banire & Associates on the amicable resolution of the challenges that can arise in business. Our working relationship will doubtlessly be a template for how to resolve future issues that may face other organisations. “Finally, we wish to emphatically register our heartfelt appreciation to all our stakeholders (employees, tenants, clients, viewers and listeners, suppliers, government parastatals, shareholders and Directors) for standing firm with us during this period.�

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

OCTOBER 2016 Broad Money (M2)

22,275,512.54

-- Narrow Money (M1)

10,023,616.69

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,521,797.77

---- Demand Deposits

8,501,818.92

-- Quasi Money

12,251,895.85

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,612,243.68

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

14,654,268.86

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

26,774,684.47

---- Credit to Government (Net)

3,705,049.41

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

6,242,932.95

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

-2,537,883.55

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

23,069,635.07

--Other Assets Net

-12,120,415.62

Reserve Money (Base Money)

6,580,594.55

--Currency in Circulation

1,825,664.51

--Banks Reserves

4,415,126.62 Ëž Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă? Ě‹

MANAGED FUNDS Month

December 2016

Inter-Bank Call Rate

10.39

Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

13.96

Savings Deposit Rate

4.18

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.53

3 Months Deposit Rate

8.80

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.23

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.76

Prime Lending rate

17.09

Maximum Lending Rate

28.55 Ëž Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂŁ ÙÖÓĂ?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ě‹ ͯ͹Ϲ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT 22 FEBRUARY 2017 The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $53.48 a barrel on Wednesday, compared with $53.88 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

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T H I S D AY FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24, 2017

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T H I S D AY FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24, 2017

ADVERTORIAL

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T H I S D AY FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24, 2017

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

47

WORLD OF ISLAM INTERNATIONAL Edited by: MJO Mustapha Email deji.mustapha@thisdaylive.com

God as the Only Creator - I Spahic Omer/IslamiCity

S

tudying a conceptual framework for Islamic architecture is vital. That is so because erecting buildings is a very important enterprise in Islam.

It accounts for establishing a physical locus of the daily individual, family and social activities of Muslims. It follows that the built environment, as both a concept and sensory reality, is indispensable for the fulfillment of the divine purpose on earth. However, just like any other interest of Muslims, erecting buildings likewise should be inspired by the heavenly message of Islam and its perpetual and dynamic spirit. The functions of Muslim buildings have got to mirror the interests and engagements of Muslims as God’s trustees on earth. Indeed, there must always exist a high level of harmony between the two. Whenever a conflict or dichotomy between them occurs, that is, whenever the purpose and functions of Muslim buildings become incompatible with the values and standards of Islam which Muslims are required to exemplify in their deeds, words and thoughts, that scenario spells an imminent end to the phenomenon of genuine Islamic architecture.

Divine names and attributes for God as the Creator One of the most compelling messages of the Qur’an concerning architecture is that God is the only Creator; the rest is His creation unable to match His power, competence and creativity.

For a creation to be able to create the way God does, that would mean an alteration in the existential hierarchy of titles and grades, which is inconceivable. Just as the Creator cannot become creation, similarly a creation cannot become a creator.

Five major beautiful names and attributes of God the Creator are given to imply the sublimity, significance and scale of what they stand for. Those five names and attributes are al-Khaliq (the Creator), al-Bari’ (the Maker), al-Musawwir (the Fashioner), al-Fatir (the Bringer into Existence), al-Badi’ (the Originator).

Five different expressions are given for the composite act as well as process of creation in order to expound to the potential aspirants to the rank, especially from among mankind, that that particular jurisdiction belongs to God alone, and that each and every act as well as aspect of creation, regardless of its size and significance, was dealt with directly by God and thus, via both its appearance and function, attests to the existence, authority and benevolence of its Creator.

The name al-Khaliq appears eight times in the Qur’an with its derivatives al-Khallaq and Ahsan al-Khaliqin (the Best of Creators) appearing twice each, al-Bari’ three times, alMusawwir once, al-Fatir six times, and al-Badi’ twice. The root words of these divine beautiful names and attributes are also widely used in different verb forms with regard to God the Creator. Besides, there are several other terms in the Qur’an, both nouns and verb forms, which also denote the splendid divine act of creating and creation and are used in relation to God the Creator, such as the verb dhara’a (to create and multiply) used both in past and present sense six times, bada’a (to begin or originate the creation) used eleven times both in past and present sense as well, the noun sun’ (the work or artistry) used once and the verb istana’a (to produce and prepare) also used once and which is a derivative of the former, and the verb atqana (to perfect) used once in its past tense.

The three names al-Khaliq (the Creator), al-Bari’ (the Maker) and al-Musawwir (the Fashioner) are mentioned together, one after another, in Surah (Chapter) al-Hashr, verse 24: “He is Allah, the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner; to Him belong the best names.

Whatever is in the heavens and earth is exalting Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.” (al-Hashr, 59:24). When these three names are mentioned together, each of them conveys a specific meaning. Together, they represent the complete act of creation from deciding and determining what and how to create, to a decided thing or an object to receive a particular form and, as such, to begin its preordained existence. The three names manifest themselves in created things sequentially, the last of which is fashioning the form. “The attribute of creation (al-Khaliq) refers specifically to God’s determination of what He creates, so it comes first. The name al-Bari’ (the Maker) refers to the creative act of bringing about what God wills to create. Finally, the name al-Musawwir (the Fashioner) refers to giving each created thing its particular form. So, God decrees what he creates, brings it into existence, and specifies its particular, unique form.” (Salman al-Oadah,

In the Company of God) The name al-Fatir (the Bringer into Existence) implies the creation of the universe and everything in it, giving every living thing its particular character, objective and meaning.

This connotes total harmony, equilibrium, balance and stability that pervade each and every aspect and component of the creation and their subtle relationships. It connotes, furthermore, the notion of unity in diversity, the unity of origins and spiritual purpose insofar as both the most insignificant and grandest features of the universe are concerned, and the diversity of their respective innate dispositions and existential missions and operations.

It was due to this that in a Qur’anic verse, while referring to the creation of man using the verb fatara from which God’s holy name al-Fatir (the Bringer into Existence) is derived, God brings to light that Islamic monotheism and man’s constant inclining to truth constitute the pattern on which God has made mankind.

And exactly in line with that pattern the innate nature of man called fitrah, which, too, is a derivative of the verb fatara (to bring into existence), has been fashioned. The human fitrah or nature is the result solely of the Creator’s divine will and choice meant for mankind.

The Qur’an thus concludes that “… There is no altering (the laws of) Allah’s creation.

That is the right religion, but most men know not.” (al-Rum, 30:30). Everything has its own inborn nature different from other natures and identities. There are no two things, animate or inanimate, that are exactly alike.

The name al-Badi’ (the Originator) means originating the creation without model or material, from absolute nothingness and after no pre-existing similitude. God does not need previous knowledge to think, to investigate and to figure things out. He invents the original of everything in the creation. There was nothing before Him, so He is unlike anything, and everything after Him is made

by Him – unique, matchless, unequalled by anything else, and in no way similar to Him. Everything God creates is a wonder, a marvel, since He originated it from nothingness and after no pre-existing precedent. Like the original creations, all the continuously created things are different from one another. (Tosun Bayrak, The Name and the Named) This is the most genuine and sublime form of creativity and artistry, hence in Arabic the word ibda’ which means creativity and originality. In addition, this could be a reason why when God on two occasions in the Qur’an declared that He is the Creator and Originator of the heavens and the earth, using in both instances His holy name al-Badi’, he in most categorical terms repudiated the idea of Him begetting a son. It is thus an Islamic tenet that there is nothing which is like Him (al-Shura, 42:11); nor is there anything that could be compared with Him (al-Ikhlas, 112:4). The quality of God’s Being is beyond the range of human comprehension or imagination. Attributing to God, or likening Him to anything from the realm of His creation is a blasphemous act. It can never and under no circumstances amount to a creative or artistic act of inventiveness and inspiration, or to an audacious exploit of pursuing and affirming the truth.

Humans as creators As seen above, creating ex nihilo (from absolute nothingness) is both the right and power of God alone. Such a style of creation cannot be ascribed to humankind.

Humans were and will remain forever short of enjoying a power of bringing into being anything without making use of the available raw materials and elements created for them in nature. Indeed, everything that humans invent, conceive, concoct and create, is only possible thanks to the unbounded bounties and munificence from God, which humans only discover, manipulate, process, use, and reuse in different ways most convenient and efficient for them and their terrestrial goals.

Consequently, humankind’s civilized and cultural ‘creations’ are a relative thing. They are not really ‘creations’ but only the temporary possessions of humankind in their temporary custody. As such, humans neither create nor possess anything. The Qur’an declares this emphatic truth time and again, such as in the following verses: “To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth.

Whether you show what is within yourselves or conceal it, Allah will bring you to account for it… ” (al-Baqarah, 2:284).

“Do you not know that Allah’s is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and that besides Allah you have no guardian or helper?” (al-Baqarah, 2:107). “… His verily is all creation and commandment. Blessed be Allah, the Lord of the Worlds!” (al-A’raf, 7:54) To Be Continued

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

Germany, Norway, Nigeria, UN Draw World’s Attention to North-east in Oslo Alex Enumah in Abuja Representatives of the international community have gathered in Oslo to raise funds and pledge support to provide humanitarian assistance to over seven million people said to be in urgent need of food assistance in the North-east of Nigeria and the Lake Chad region.

Norway, Nigeria, Germany and the United Nations who are at the forefront of the Oslo Humanitarian Conference are hoping to raise at least $1.5 billion to support the most vulnerable people in the region in 2017.

In a joint statement issued by Foreign Ministers of Germany, Norway, Nigeria and the Emergency Relief Coordinator of the United Nations, the entire world are been urged to take urgent steps to safe lives of people

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly known and addressed as OLADAYO JOLADE, now wish to be known MR RAFIU OLADAYO JOLAADE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as OLUDININWA BLESSING ADEBOLA, now wish to be known ADEGBOLA BLESSING All former ADEBOLA. documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as PAUL IOKO, now wish to be known SULE AKOGWU. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS JOY AYOOLA OGUNLESI, now wish to be known MRS JOY AYOOL ADESOLA AYANDIJI. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS JOY AYOOLA OGUNLESI, now wish to be known MRS JOY AYOOLA ADESOLA AYANDIJI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as EMMANUEL DORCAS ENIOLA, now wish to be known and addressed as ANU DORCAS. All former documents remain valid.

UNILAG and general public should take note.

currently threatened by drought and famine in the region.

“One of the largest humanitarian crises of today is currently unfolding in North-Eastern Nigeria and neighboring regions of Niger, Chad and Cameroun. The brutal violence of Boko Haram has raged for years, terrorising people, forcing millions to flee their homes, as well as in some cases their countries,

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly known and addressed as IMOH NICHOLAS, now wish to be known NICHOLAS IMOH NNAH. All former documents remain valid. Diamond Bank and the general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as OLUWATOYIN TOUN OJO, now wish to be known OLUWATOYIN TOUN AFANA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS ISIKWEI ONYINYE HAPPINESS, now wish to be known MRS ONIFADE ONYINYE HAPPINESS. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS OKORONKWO CHIOMA HELEN, now wish to be known MRS KIMEBE-CHINEDU CHIOMA HELEN. All former documents

remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as ANDREW OGHOSA OSAGIE, now wish to be known OSA ANDRE OMO-OSAGIE. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as JEKELI AMINA ROSEMARY, now wish to be known JEKELI AMINA ROSEMARY. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as IBIKUNLE ADEFUNKE, now wish to be known MRS JIMOH ADEFUNKE IYABODE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as ISHOLA TITILOPE MULIKAT, now wish to be known MRS ONIKOYI TITILOPE MULIKAT .

All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as ADEDAYO OLUWABUKANLA MOTURAYO OMOWUNMI, now wish to be known ADEDAYO OLUWABUKANLA MOTURAYO and was born on 24th May, 1995 . All former documents remain valid.

The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS OKE OMOLARA KEHINDE, now wish to be known ADEYEMI OMOLARA KEHINDE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME I, MRS. STELLA AUGUSTINE NWAKAEGO is the same person as UGWUOKE, UGWOKE, UGBEDA AUSTINE, NNEKA, NWAKA. All former documents remain valid.

NDLEA, LASU, IBTC BANK and the general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS OLUKOYA REBECCA OLUFUNMILAYO, now wish to be known MRS ARUKU REBECCA OLUFUNMILAYO. All former documents remain valid. Lagos ^ƚĂƚĞ DŝŶŝƐƚƌLJ ŽĨ ĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ͕ Diamond Bank and the general public should take note.

and disrupting local economies,” the statement said.

It added that as more areas are becoming accessible for humanitarian organisations, the full scale of the suffering of the people is being revealed.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly known and addressed as MISS EKUNDAYO KALE, now wish to be known MRS EKUNDAYO OMO-OSAGIE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as UJU TRACY BENSON-NWAWULU, now wish to be known TRACY UJU NWAWULU-EGGEONU. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MRS ANTHONIA EGBENOMA AKAKPOR, now wish to be known MRS TONIA IRIABE AKAPOR. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS LILIAN IROGHAMA OSAGIE, now wish to be known MRS LILIAN IROGHAMA ALOLADE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS ASIYA ISIAKU, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ASIYA ISIAKU SALKA . All documents remain valid, Zenith Bank, Jaiz Bank, Consumer ƉƌŽƚĞĐƟŽŶ ĐŽƵŶĐŝů and the general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as ISA MUHAMMED, now wish to be known and addressed as ISIAKA MUHAMMED ISA and my correct date of birth is 1/12/1993. All documents remain valid and the general public should please take note I formerly known and addressed as MISS AAGA COMFORT ONYECHE, now wish to be known MRS IDAKWO COMFORT ONYECHE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS ATINUKE ESTHER ADEYEMI, now wish to be known MRS ATINUKE ESTHER SODE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as OLURINDE OLAYINKA ABIGAEL, now wish to be known MAJEKODUNMI OLAYINKA OLURINDE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as VICENT ODINBU, now wish to be known VICENT CHILE ODINBU. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as AWONOGUN OMOLOKUN SUNDAY, now wish to be known AWONOGUN OREOLUWA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as JOY AVUEDOYA THOMAS, now wish to be known JOY AVUEDOYA OLADIPUPO. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

48

T H I S D AY FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24, 2017

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

49

NEWSEXTRA

Akabueze: No Padding in 2017 Budget, Explains Repetition in Line Items Infrastructure devt will drive economic growth, says Adeosun Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The Director-General the Budget Office of the Federation, Mr. Ben Akabueze, has declared that there was no padding in the 2017 budget proposals.

He explained that repetitions in line items in the budget were occasioned by non-funding of such

items in previous appropriations.

Akabueze, who provided the explanations in Abuja yesterday, spoke against the backdrop of some contentious issues in the budget proposals, which had drawn criticisms from some stakeholders.

The Ministry of Budget and National Planning had last Tuesday responded to one of the issues on

Court Refuses Application for Appearance by Dasuki in Metuh’s Trial Alex Enumah in Abuja An application by the former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, to compel the Department of State Services (DSS) to release the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col, Sambo Dasuki (rtd), to testify as a witness over the payment of N400million by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to Metuh, was yesterday refused by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Also refused by the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, was another application by Metuh seeking the release of his international passport to enable him travel abroad for medical treatment.

Delivering his ruling on the application to subpoena the former NSA to testify in the matter, the court held that the application was lacking in merit, and was done in bad faith with the intention of delaying the trial and consequently dismissed the application.

The judge said Col. Dasuki was not a compellable witness in the trial since the defendant had not made any effort to invite him and failed.

Abang stated further that there was nothing before the court to show that the defendants had made any effort to reach the authorities keeping Dasuki and it was rejected.

While stating that the application was made in bad faith and with the intention to delay the trial, the court observed that the defendants have exhausted all the adjournment

they are entitled to as stipulated in Section 394 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), and as such the 1st defendant is no longer entitled to any adjournment in the matter having granted eight adjournment since the commencement of the trial.

On the other application which borders on the release of Metuh’s international passport to travel abroad for medical treatment, the court in turning down the request recalled that the same application was earlier rejected by it and wondered why the defendant is bringing up the request a second time.

Abang said: “The defendant ought to have appeal the earlier ruling. This is not a sentimental or sympathetic issue. It is purely an issue of law. The applicant should not create problem for the court.”

After the ruling, Metuh’s counsel, Onyeachi Ikpeazu (SAN), obviously not satisfied with the ruling told the court that the defendant lack confidence in the court to go on with the trial. According to him, the court has not only shown bias but clear bias against the 1st defendant and added that the ruling is against the interest of justice.

Ikpeazu therefore prayed the court to recuse itself from going on with the trial.

But prosecuting counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, urged the court not to take the allegations of bias seriously.

Meanwhile, Justice Abang after listening to the submissions in a short ruling described the statement made by Metuh’s counsel as “contemptuous” of the court.

Abaribe Denies Receiving Pension from Abia Govt Former Deputy Governor of Abia State, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, has denied an advertorial alleging that he has been receiving pension from the state government and at the same time collecting remuneration as a senator.

Abaribe, currently representing Abia South in the Senate, said he was never a corrupt public officer, who is enriching himself while in office and at the expense of the large number of poor Nigerians.

He stated this in a letter his counsel, Mr. Ogechi Ogbonna of Beracha Solicitors wrote in reaction to an advertorial published on February 19, 2017, in which Abaribe was listed as part of the senators collecting pension from their states and still receiving remunerations

from the federal government as senators.

The advertorial was sponsored

by EIE Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and titled: ‘Who Is Serving Who?’ Since 2003 he left as the deputy governor of the state, Abaribe said he “has at no time till date been paid nor received pension from the Abia State Government or any of her agencies.”

Unlike civil servants who had served the Government of Nigeria for 35 years and were paid a single pension, Abaribe lamented that he was accused of earning pension from Abia State for 160 months while at the same time collecting public funds as for being a senator.

the alleged N250 million gate-house for the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, saying there was no such provision.

Explaining the repetitions yesterday, Akabueze said: “It is not a secret that for a long time now, the federal government has not been able to fully implement its annual budget, especially the capital expenditure component.

“It should be noted that capital budget implementation depends on resource availability.

As such MDAs’ (Ministries Departments and Agencies) budgetary provisions not fully funded in the 2016 Budget will be repeated in the 2017 budget.

“When we sent out the Call Circular, we told them (MDAs) clearly that those items that could not be funded in the previous budget should be re-presented, ” he said.

On the budget for the State House kitchen utensils, he stated: “I

believe that the permanent secretary has made a public statement about it and even when he appeared before the National Assembly, the fact that though it was in the 2016 budget, it was not funded because it was not classified as a priority. That corroborates what I said earlier.

“In fact he did say that it was in the budget of 2015 but was not funded,” said.

According to him, the federal government had failed to fully fund the overhead component of the recurrent budget on recent years, adding that personnel is prioritised while overhead is not being fully funded.

“So, if the overhead of an MDA is not fully released for that year, they may not be able to procure all that they budgeted to implement,” stressing that there was no case of padding in 2017.

The process leading to the preparation of the budget, he

said was very transparent and advised members of the public accusing government officials to seek clarifications with a view to have greater insight rather arriving at hasty and wrongs conclusions.

Items with varying prices from different MDAs, he added, would be streamlined by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) which has to give the “No Objection Certificate” before every procurement process can be concluded.

Prices of items, he stressed, had taken a sharp rise since last year, noting that the different prices on items would not make any difference since the same pricing template would be used for approval.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has said infrastructure development will play a fundamental role in unlocking Nigeria’s economic potential, laying a foundation

for economic competitiveness and long-term future growth.

Adesoun, who spoke at the United Capital launch of its Eurobond and Wealth for Women Funds, stated that investment in critical infrastructure across the country would unlock job and wealth creation and strengthen economic development across all states in Nigeria.

Other speakers represented at the event included: Tony O. Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Toyin Saraki, wife of the Senate President, and Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, President, African Women’s Development Fund.

Speaking on the outlook for the Nigerian economy, the minister noted that the government is committed to increasing capital spend on critical infrastructure across key areas; power, rail, roads and water which will underpin growth in priority sectors especially agriculture and agro-allied, solid minerals, manufacturing, and power.

APC CHIEFTAINS

L-R: MD/CEO of OGFZA, Umana Okon Umana; Managing Director/CEO of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Nsima Ekere; and former Governor of Bayelsa State, My. Timipre Silva, waiting to receive the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, at the Port Harcourt International Airport....recently

NNPC Renegotiates Deep Offshore Rig Rate, Gets 72% Discount Says unit technical cost for oil has dropped to $27/b from $70/b Chineme Okafor in Abuja The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday said it has renegotiated its deep offshore rig rate from a staggering $580,000 to $164,000 per day, translating to a cost savings of 71.7 per cent.

It also stated that it achieved a 35 per cent downward review of rig rates per day for both swamp and land operations within its oil production portfolios.

The corporation’s Group General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndu Ughamadu, stated this in a statement he sent to THISDAY in Abuja.

Ughamadu said the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, who was represented by the Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power of NNPC, Saidu

Mohammed, at the 14th annual Aret Adams memorial lecture in Lagos, said these.

Baru said these cost reductions were also effected in NNPC’s Unit Technical Cost (UTC) for oil production, which he noted dropped from $70 per barrel to $27/b between 2014 and 2016.

By definition, a rig rate is a major cost element incurred by an oil and gas Exploration and Production (E&P) company in the course of drilling for oil or gas in deep offshore, shallow offshore, swamp, land areas or basins.

Baru however, declared that the various reductions would serve as incentives for investors to grow oil reserves in Nigeria, increase profitability and improve Return on Investment (ROI).

He added that these can also

boost government revenue from oil production, as well as improve its commitment to developmental projects across the country.

“I am proud to announce that our UTC has significantly dropped from above USD70 per barrel in 2014, to about USD27 per barrel, as at year end 2016. Indeed, NNPC is committed to further driving down the UTC,” Baru said in the statement.

He reportedly solicited the support of all industry stakeholders to achieve more of such cost reductions and productivity, stating that there was an urgent need to link the oil industry with other sectors of the Nigerian economy.

According to him, although the increased oil production involved the cost factor and the commodity

price, the NNPC had produced oil within the year with much efficiency.

He said: “Price may not be readily under our control, but we need to manage cost of production within the industry. Within the period we took over the reign of leadership in the corporation, we have been able to drive down cost to a very commendable level.”

Baru equally explained that to achieve the 40 billion barrels of crude oil reserves and a production of four million barrels per day that the government aspires to achieve by 2020, the country would need to increase its reserves by one billion barrels every year till 2020, while adding a minimum of 500,000 barrels of production to her daily capacity within the same timeframe.

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Forte Oil MD: FG Owes Oil Marketers N300bn Oil Subsidy Emefiele fails to turn up at investigative hearing on undeclared crude revenue Damilola Oyedele in Abuja The federal government still owes over N300 billion subsidy claims to major oil marketers for fuel imports between 2014-2015.

This was revealed by the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Forte Oil Nigeria, Mr. Akin Akinfemiwa, when he appeared yesterday, before the House of Representatives adhoc committee investigating debts owed to the Petroleum Pipeline Marketing Company (PPMC) by oil marketers.

N13.8 billion out of the debt, is owed to Forte oil, he told the Hon. Abdullahi Mahmud Gaya led committee, noting that efforts are already ongoing to settle the subsidy debts.

“So far, the government, led by the Chief of Staff to the President invited us to a meeting with other stakeholders to address two issues.

One was to continue petrol supply, and two was for Federal

Government to pay its debts. For the debts, a committee was set up to settle them. The total stands at over N300 billion. Right now, we cannot even do much, but we do not want a situation where there will be queues in the country,” Akinfemiwa said.

Forte Oil however owes the sum of N5.9 billion to the PPMC, after a payment of N5 billion in December 2016, he told the committee.

Gaya noted that the committee’s mandate is to recover the debts owed by the oil marketers to the PPMC, and queried what efforts the company is making to pay the N5 billion outstanding debt.

Hon. Henry Nwaoba (Imo PDP) requested for details of Forte Oil ‘s credit dealers, to enable the committee ascertain the subsidy claims.

Responding to several questions from the committee members, Akinfemiwa said the company does not sell directly to individuals, but to dealers, whose companies

are well known.

“With respect to N5.9bn, I think the executive arm’s committee finishes its work in the next two and half weeks before we can talk about paying. We’ll continue to pay what we can till we’re able to liquidate the debts,” he said.

“So most of the time, the security is the company, which is like the company guarantee.

We sell both on credit and sometimes not. Since 2015, we have had a situation where we migrated more to credit dealers because of the situation in the country. We have seen a shift from cash and carry, to credit,” he said.

Akinfemiwa disclosed that the company has about 12-13 per cent of market share in the industry, with about 500 retails outlets spread across Nigeria. The company is

however being hampered by cash flow, he said.

The members were however resolute that Forte Oil must pay at least half of the N5.9 billion debt it owes to the PPMC, else the committee would direct the agency to stop fuel supply to Forte oil.

In another development, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, yesterday, made no appearance, or representation, at the House of Representatives adhoc committee investigating the $17billion stolen crude.

Emefiele’s absence stalled proceedings at the hearing, leading the committee to issue a week ultimatum to him to respond to its summons.

The committee, chaired by Hon. Namdas Abdulrazak is charged

with investigations into the $17 billion stolen through undeclared crude oil and liquified natural gas exports to global destinations between 2011 and 2014.

Namdas, briefing newsmen at the hearing said while the CBN is key to the investigations, the committee had received conflicting information from the apex bank when contacted to provide information regarding the subject matter.

Displaying the letters received from the CBN, Namdas said the apex bank initially wrote, to ask for more time because of the volume of data requested for, while another letter from the bank, said they have no information regarding the stolen crude.

“After they wrote the first letter asking for time, we had written

and given them two weeks. Their second letter was shocking, that they do not have any information on undeclared crude. Then we wrote another letter asking him to be here, but he is not here, and did not send any representative,” Namdas said.

“We are disappointed, a very serious matter like this. We expect that under this regime, fighting corruption would be taken seriously, particularly by MDAs, but we will not relent,” he added.

Namdas, who is also Chairman of the Committee on Media and Publicity, said the committee would still write to Emefiele, summoning him to appear at the hearing.

“If he does not come, then we will invoke the relevant sections of the constitution,” he added.

Prosecution Witness in Saraki’s Asset Declaration Trial Contradicts Self Tobi Soniyi in Abuja The Code Of Conduct Tribunal prosecuting the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on false asset declaration has been told that it is lawful for the Senate President to own shares in companies like any other public officers in the country as allowed by law.

A prosecution witness in the trial, Mr. Samuel Madojemu, told the tribunal that Saraki as a former governor of Kwara State, was not prevented by any law from owning shares in any company while he was the Kwara State Governor.

Under cross-examination by Mr. Paul Erokoro (SAN) who is a counsel to Saraki, the witness who is the Head of Investigation at the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), admitted that public officers were allowed to own shares in companies in addition to owning farms for agricultural purposes.

The witness told the tribunal that there was no law in the country at the moment that forbids public officers from having even majority or controlling shares in any company.

Specifically, the witness said the Senate President has the right to own shares in any company that trades in Rice and sugar commodities and any other materials.

Under further cross-examination, Madojemu said he never asked the senate president during investigation on whether he had shares in any company trading in rice and sugar or nut.

The witness also admitted that he did not see any audited account of any company linked to Saraki who was accused of false asset declaration by the federal government.

The senate president is charged with 18-count further amended charges and had denied any wrong doing.

The prosecution witness had earlier testified that Saraki in one of his asset forms claimed to have acquired properties at No. 15a and 17 a Macdonald Street Ikoyi Lagos

from proceeds of rice and sugar commodities.

According to him engaging personally in rice and sugar commodities business is unlawful for any public officer.

The witness also said contrary to his averment in his asset declaration form, the senate president did not acquire the said properties from the Presidential Committee on sales of federal government properties, but from another company G & C real estate property and investment company.

However, under crossexamination, the witness claimed that he did not know the year the senate president assumed office as governor of Kwara State and that he never met the senate president in person before he became governor.

As the Head of Investigation unit of the Code of Conduct Bureau, the witness admitted that he never treated any letter from the Senate President to the CCB and that he had no knowledge of Saraki’s handwriting other than the one on his asset declaration form.

The witness said most of the documents tendered as exhibits were obtained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives and not by his own team.

He recalled that on September 14, 2015, he swore to an affidavit at the CCT and that he knew that the affidavit was going to be used by the federal government to file the present charge against the senate president.

He added that at the time he made the affidavit he was aware that it must be truthful in facts and contents and that he stood by the truthfulness of the affidavit.

However, when his attention was drawn to his claim that the senate president returned four asset forms to the CCB as against the seven tendered by the prosecution, the witness admitted contradictions and also agreed that four asset forms and seven asset forms were not the same.

Trial has been adjourned to continue on March 2.

PAYING HOMAGE

Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi (left), and Olowa of Igbara-Oke, Oba Adefarakanmi Agbede, at the palace of Ooni, Ile-Ife....recently

Nigeria, Benin to Implement MoU on Border Security, Trade Facilitation Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and its Beninoise counterpart are set to implement the Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) entered into by both countries on border safety and trade facilitation.

MoUs centre largely on how to combat border crimes and ease of doing business for the mutual benefit of both countries.

Between 2015 and 2016, the NCS and the Beninoise customs had entered into two MoUs on how to effectively police the borders as well as enhance trade for the mutual benefit of both countries.

To kick-start the implementation of the agreements, NCS’ Comptroller-General, Col. Hammed Ali (rtd), and top echelon of the service yesterday hosted their Beninoise counterparts led by that country’s Director General of Customs and Direct Tax, Mr. Saka Charles.

Receiving them at the customs headquarters in Abuja, Ali said the visit was aimed at discussing

the modalities for the setting up of a technical committee by each of the two countries for the implementation of the MoUs. The setting up of the technical committees, he stated, would be the take-off point of the implementation of the MoUs. Expressing gratitude to the newly-appointed Beninoise customs chief and his team for the visit, Ali said it was imperative for both services to come together to operate and solve customs administrations’ problems.

He emphasised the need for a collaborative effort, saying such synergy was not only aimed at generating revenue for the respective nations but to ensure the security of the peoples.

“If our peoples are not secured, whatever we make as revenue will not be secured,” he said, adding that the safety of the peoples was paramount.

He said series of meetings had been held between NCS’ officials and their Beninoise counterparts, culminating in the signing of MoUs.

According to him, what was required was to dust up the agreements and put in place an implementation mechanism with technical committees for monitoring.

In his remarks, the Beninoise customs chief while expressing his appreciation to the Nigeria Custom said the collaboration between the two countries was a demonstration of a keen spirit and discipline in pursing solutions.

He said the collaboration on issue of security around customs will ultimately bring the custom services closer.

According to him one of the difficulties they face was over second hand cars, popularly know Tokunbo with illegal routes for people going into Nigeria.

“When you are seated under a tree that gives you shade, it is important not to cut that tree and that is why this collaboration with Nigeria cannot be over-emphasised.

We would like to devise a roadmap, which may include involving Benin military in tackling this

problem.

“I think Nigeria and Benin have the same destiny and those who share such destiny also have to sit at a roundtable to discuss and find out how the means of resources of the government can be used to sustain and fulfil their obligation to the public,” he said.

He refuted the notion that the meeting was as a result of the recent decision by Nigeria to ban car import through land borders.

In an interview with journalists, Ali who gave an insight into the MoUs, said the major contents include how to promote ease of doing business between Nigeria and Benin Republic, ensuring security as well as checking the movement of illicit items to and from both countries.

Meanwhile, the NCS boss has denied knowledge of the reported breaking and carting away of about 4,550 bags of rice from shops at the Sango Market, in the Ado Odo/ Ota Local Government Area of Ogun by Customs officials.

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FRIDAYSPORTS C A F

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

E L E C T I O N S

It’s Statemanship If Hayatou Withdraws, Says Pinnick Femi Solaja with agency reports Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) boss, Amaju Pinnick, has once more voiced out his support for Madagascar’s Ahmad Ahmad who is the sole challenger to the long term ruling Issa Hayatou in next month’s Confederation of African Football (CAF) presidential election in Ethiopia.

The NFF boss, in an interview on CNN World Sport programme yesterday disclossed that he was joining forces with those advocating for a change in the leadership of the continental rulling body, CAF. Cameroon’s Issa Hayatou has been president since March 1988 and is going for eighth term in office.

“People want change and a new generation of leadership.

I join those advocating for the change”, said the Nigerian football boss who becomes the first official outside the 14-nation Council of South African Football Association (COSAFA) to have openly backed Ahmad Ahmad and conversely oppose Hayatou.

Pinnick told CNN World Sports that the 57 year old Madagascan Ahmad Ahmad represents the bridge between the old and the young and is very keen at bringing positive change to African football.

“Football money is not meant to be warehouse in the bank as CAF is currently doing. It is meant for the field, to develop the game”, said Pinnick.

He extolled the virtues of Ahmad who is in his third term as Madagascar FA boss

and also the vice president of Madagascar Senate. When asked of his opinion should Hayatou suddenly withdraw from the race, Pinnick remarked that it would be the height of statesmanship.

Two years ago, CAF Congress voted to change the statutes which had stopped officials above 70 years from serving in the executive committee. That change allows Hayatou who will be 71 in August to contest and serve for a record setting 33 years as CAF president.

The 39th Ordinary Congress of CAF, at which the elections would take place, comes up in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in exactly three weeks’ time.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee of NFF Hon. Suleiman YahayaKwande, yesterday cleared the air on the Federation’s mandate to Pinnick, with regards to the forthcoming election into the presidency of the Confederation of African Football.

“The issue of which of the two candidates the NFF should support came up during our last Board meeting in Abuja, on Tuesday 7th February 2017. Every single member of Board spoke on the issue and expressed support for the NFF President, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, to use his discretion and vote for that candidate who will best serve Nigeria’s interest during the election.

This support was given based on the fact as the NFF President and a Member of the CAF Organizing Committee for the Africa Cup of Nations, he is fully in tune with the

CAF President, Hayatou political play at that level and knows what would be best for Nigeria.

“There was not a dissenting voice in the room that day.

Everyone agreed that Mr. Pinnick should go ahead and cast his vote for the

candidate he feels would support Nigerian Football to grow the way we want it. It is not correct for anyone to say the matter was not discussed.

“The Board spent good time discussing the CAF elections and the importance

of Nigeria having someone on the CAF Executive Committee, considering the huge role that our nation has always been playing in peace –keeping and sundry noble programs on the continent.

“There is no division in the

NFF Board. We are giving full and unconditional support to Mr. Pinnick to stand for the elections and for him to cast his vote for that candidate whose presidency of CAF would serve the interest of our great nation,” he explained.

NFPL

Lagos Polo: Sao Polo Edge Hago, Eat N’ Go Win Again

‘Rangers Must Fall to MFM Today’

Bashir Dantata scored all six goals for Lagos Caverton Sao Polo to beat Kano H Hago 6 - 5 1/2 in a Low Cup match at the 2017 NPA Lagos International Polo Tournament which will end on Sunday.

Kano Agad and Lagos Eat N’ Go were also victorious yesterday by beating Lagos La Mansuri and Petrosmith 8 1/2 - 6 and 6 1/2 - 6 in the GTBank-sponsored event.

Head coach of high-flying Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Football Club, Fidelis Ilechukwu has said his side’s priority for the moment is to defeat reigning Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) champions, Enugu Rangers tonight.

The Olukoya Boys will host the Flying Antelopes in one of Matchday 10 fixtures of this weekend at the Soccer Temple, Agege Township Stadium in Lagos.

The Nnewi-born tactician spoke about his team’s priority and the importance of the maximum points during a pre-match press conference yesterday before wrapping up preparations for the big game at the Soccer Temple.

“I’m aware they have a strong team with quality coaches and quality players as well playing on the

continent but beating them is our priority for now and we want to do just that on Friday.

“The game is very, very important to us and we are prepared well enough to face Rangers because last season we were not able to beat them both home and away.

“The maximum points is so crucial to us and I’m sure we will do all our best to defeat Rangers which I know will not be easy but we will beat Rangers by God’s grace,” the youthful coach told mountaintopfc.com.

MFM FC are in fourth place on the 20-team Nigerian top flight table with 13 points with two outstanding matches at hand against Rivers United and Wikki Tourists. Rangers on the other hand are fifth from bottom of the log with nine points from seven NPFL games.

In the Caverton Sao Polo and Kano H Hago encounter, Tata Alikura (+2) had his goals cancelled out each in the first and second chukka by fellow two-goaler, Bashir Dantata in a topsy-turvy clash which saw lead changes seven times in a row to highlight a tough contest.

Dantata gave the home team the lead early in the third chukka but Alikura was on hand to keep Hago,

who started the match on a half-goal goal handicap in the lead again at 3 1/2 - 3.

Bashir scored again after a great run by Seyi Oyinlola (0) but for the umpteenth time, Alikura scored to keep Hago in front at 4 1/2 - 4 to set up a frenetic final chukka which saw Dantata and Yusuf Ibrahim Katako (+2) goal, in order, for a 5 1/2 - 5 lead advantage Hago.

In the second match of the

day, Yemo Alakija was the hero for Eat N ‘Go scoring what proved to be the winning goal with barely two minutes to the end of the explosive match.

The one-goaler, who was facing his twin brother, Yinka (0) at the opposing side, opened scoring by finishing off a shot from Jamilu Umar (+2). Hamisu Buba (+3) responded with a solo move to end the chukka.

StarTimes to Broadcast Chelsea, Swansea Game Free-to-air StarTimes says football fans on its cable network will enjoy another action-packed weekend of live games, particularly the match between premier league leaders, Chelsea and Swansea. Fans will enjoy the game free-to-air on NTA Sports 24 (STarTimes channel 270) on Saturday, 4PM. Head of Public Relations, StarTimes Nigeria, Mr. Israel Bolaji who disclosed this in a

chat said StarTimes will do everything necessary to lavish Nigerians with varieties of football entertainment Bolaji explained that as the battle for the league title heats up, Antonio Conte’s squad will be looking to further tighten their grip on the league with 8-points gap atop the table and 52 goals till date while relegation battlers, Swansea will attempt to battle their way up to

safety. Chelsea has maintained a great form, thrashing Arsenal 3-1 in their last home game, an 11th successive victory in all competitions this season to the delight of an excited home crowd.

Victor Moses, Ngolo Kante, Diego Costa and Eden Hazard are key Chelsea hitmen who have spearheaded the onslaught this season, and they will all be in action on Saturday for the

game that can further extend Chelsea’s leadership and reach for the trophy.

StarTimes will also broadcast other top leagues games from Serie A, Bundesliga and Chinese league, on sports channels including ST World Football (channel 245 or 254), ST Sports Premium (channel 246 or 252), ST Sports (channel 251 or 241), and ST Focus (channel 250 or 240).

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Friday, February 24, 2017

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Price: N250

MISSILE Awodein to Witness “...Any link whatsoever with Mr. President, or any court case or cases, of my personal gift from my personal resources delivered to Justice Niyi Ademola by myself on that occasion, or any suggestion whatsoever that it was anything but a gift, or that it ever came from Mr. President, or at his instance, or that I was acting under any circumstances on his behalf, is most malicious, utterly ridiculous and in very, very poor and revolting taste and most undeserving of any further comments” – President Muhammadu Buhari’s lawyer, Kola Awodein describing insinuations that he bribed Justice Niyi Ademola with N500,000 on behalf of the president as despicable and ridiculous.

AKINOSUNTOKUN DIALOGUE WITH NIGERIA

akin.osuntokun@thisdaylive.com

From Awo to Mimiko-A Farewell I n anticipation of the instant umbrage of the short attention span category of rejoinders-who are wilfully constrained from reading beyond the title and perhaps the first paragraph of this essay, I need to quickly enter a proviso.

It is to the effect that, I am, by no means, insinuating Governor Olusegun Mimiko as the crown prince to the Obafemi Awolowo legacy. In making this concession, I crave the indulgence of those who would otherwise adequately grapple with the totality of what is on offer today.

A significant character trait of the Fourth republic is how it uniquely bears the imprint of Yoruba triumphalism-hereby interpreted as the (Yoruba) concessionary and compensatory character of the 1998\99 transition to civil rule programme; and the subsequent role of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Afenifere and the expansive Ahmed BolaTinubu caucus.

Collectively and severally the Yoruba have had the most decisive effect on the politics of Nigeria since 1999 but it was seldom to its advantage, long term aspiration and enduring benefit. It was at the same material time at war with itself-as it has always historically been the case.

To begin with, and as it is the case with the other Nigerian ethno-regional counterparts, Pan Yoruba political unification did not predate British colonialism. Significant evidence of this observation was the implosive 19th century interminable strife, wars and sundry internecine conflicts and crisis. Prior to 1914, Yoruba knew themselves not as Yoruba but Oyo, Ekiti, Ijesha, Egba, Ijebu and the like. There was a latent historical, linguistic and cultural unit which the name Yoruba subsequently encompassed-but the name was never formally applied and given spiritual unification force until the (colonialism) necessity became the mother of invention.

Nonetheless, to imagine that the Oyo Empire was on course to incorporate all potential Yoruba national affiliates is a logical projection and the intervention of colonialism may well have arrested this trajectory only to reinvent it. It is always useful to bear this harmless historical memory in mind as a guide and precursor to the interpretation of subsequent phases of Yoruba politics.

There was nothing particularly impressive in the formation of Egbe Omo Oduduwa in 1951 (the tribal predicate of the Action Group founded by Chief Obafemi Awolowo)-which was a politically realistic reaction to similar exploitation of tribal\cultural sentiments by rival political leaders of the other Nigerian regions. The nobility and pre-eminence of Chief Obafemi Awolowo as unrivalled Yoruba political leader derives from the exemplary quality of modernisation leadership he provided the Western region from 1951 to 1960. To be more specific, without his singular far sighted socially transformative education policy, there would never have been the Awolowo myth. It was from this singular utilitarian vision that he reaped a lifetime of hero worship from a grateful

Mimiko Yoruba confederation.

Awolowo would remain the most dominant Yoruba leadership figure in history but it is not in the nature of Yoruba traditional politics to become unified in submission to one political leader. Group survival instinct and perception of common threat may dictate a Pan Yoruba resolve to resist and fight as one but such concerted response seldom endured beyond the particular occasion-as was the case with the stance taken to battle and turn back the Fulani imperialist incursion into Yorubaland in 1840 and the resistance to the annulment of the 1993 Presidential election won by Chief Moshood Abiola. One of the more remarkable attributes of the Yoruba response to the shared sense of the annulment injury was how it was individually and personally appropriated; individuals concluded and decided they were going to resist-with or without collaboration from any group. I was struck by how personalities who never before expressed interest in politics took offence and responded with risky far reaching actions to confront the adversity.

The result was the concession of the Nigerian Presidency to the Yoruba and the acceptance of its participation in the Fourth republic politics on more or less its own terms. Granted that the concession was compelled by the force of circumstances (but) it was still a consummate act of conflict and crisis management by the transiting General Abdusalam Abubakar headed military government. It effectively tied the hands of the Yoruba by foisting on them the seductive role of anchoring the Fourth republic.

The deal clincher was the choice of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as the Yoruba compensatory President-the most passionate believer in Nigerian unity and challengerin-chief of Yoruba regionalism standpoint.

In tandem, the Yoruba nationalist fervour that was roused by the annulment crisis was

pacified by throwing into the bargain the further concession of a regional political party sanctuary, the Alliance for Democracy, AD. This inbuilt political divergence (represented

by Obasanjo and the AD) in the concessionary package meant that Yoruba triumphalism was birthed in conflict and guaranteed to remain so mired.

The uneasy coexistence of the two power blocs, Obasanjo/PDP vs Afenifere/AD escalated in 2003 with the bloc displacement of the AD by the PDP from political power in five of the six South West states in the general elections of that year. The easy and convenient explanation of the PDP victory was its attribution as a product of outright electoral fraud. A little probe below the surface reveals a more detached and objective accounting. Beyond the general tar brush of electoral shenanigan, each of those five states offers probable individual explanations for the loss of AD and the victory of PDP. The PDP triumph in Ogun state, for instance, will find better explanation in the leverage provided by the politically ascendant personalities of Obasanjo, Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun. Obasanjo is from Abeokuta and after four years as incumbent Nigerian President it is reasonable to expect an uptick in the degree of the son of the soil support for him. Walking back from the present, it has to be a reflection of the grass root potency of the PDP tact team of Daniel and Amosun that the governorship of Ogun state had remained exclusive to both since 2003. The coincidence is clearly an indication of their proven political capability and by extension an explanation of the victory of the PDP in the 2003 elections in Ogun state.

Similarly, in regard of what transpired in Ekiti state in 2003, what inference can we draw, a posteriori, from the inspired Ayo Fayose overwhelming victory of the PDP in the 2014/2015 elections in Ekiti state? Would the superlative performance he posted at the 2014 elections not amount to a validation of his earlier success in the Ekiti governorship election of 2003?

Equally, if there was any doubt that Olusegun Mimiko was a more relevant and explanatory factor (than rigging) in the victory of PDP in the Ondo state governorship election of 2003; his subsequent commanding exploits in the 2007 and 2013 elections had categorically put to rest any such doubt. And he is, easily, one of the most outstanding political revelations of the Fourth republic.

Against the Obasanjo norm of deferring to his protégé governors on the choice of ministerial nominees from the states (and they do not come more protégé than Governor Olusegun Agagu) Mimiko improbably emerged (given his chilly relationship with Agagu) the ministerial successor to Chief Mrs Mobolaji Osomo in 2005.

It was not quite clear whether to ascribe his abandonment of the lofty ministerial position in quest of a most uncertain Ondo state governorship, as borne of confidence or fool hardiness. And seemingly more fool

hardy was that he took this leap of faith in defiance of the express wishes of an intimidating and hegemonic Obasanjo-not to run against Agagu. In full rebellion mode, Mimiko resigned from the government and the PDP, and ran, in effect, as an independent contestant on the nominal platform of the Labour party. He confounded sceptics and pulled off a major upset victory against the incumbent PDP governor.

In acknowledgement of the deeply flawed 2007 general elections, President Obasanjo had sought my opinion on possible remedial measures. I counselled the outright cancellation of the elections in six states where evidence of electoral irregularities was most compelling. I named Ondo state (where Agagu had been declared the winner) among the notorious six and the President agreed. The plan was ultimately aborted by the legal standpoint that once the result of an election is declared, only the authority of the court can invalidate such.

And to the courts did Mimiko proceed.

The stars were aligned in his favour and after two years of judicial arguments, he was declared rightly elected governor by the final judicial authority on governorship adjudication on February 2009. He would go on to break the two term jinx of his predecessor governors-none of whom endured to serve out the maximum two-term tenure.

One of the stars that aligned in his favour was the coincidence of the Akure origins of Afenifere leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti and crown prince Olu Falae. It devolved on him the role and honour of hosting and providing sanctuary for the Afenifere-the flagging preeminent custodian of the Awolowo heritage politics. In turn, the Afenifere boosted his legitimacy and gave wind to his sail in the intra Yoruba supremacist struggle between him and the ascendant Bola Tinubu faction of the South West political establishment. Yoruba politics then became a three track horse race between Obasanjo, Tinubu and Mimiko. His return to the PDP and the Fayose rout of the APC in Ekiti state further complicated the political calculations of the South West in the run up to the 2015 general elections.

In the run and tumble of this political quicksand, Mimiko remained dominant in Ondo state politics in a manner that no individual before him had accomplished. His political master class performance was well complemented by a remarkable governance effectiveness and substantial social welfare policy deliverance to the people of Ondo state. His lone ranger signature tune hacks back to the Yoruba national predilection for contradictorily destructive and creative political tension. The inability to mentor a successor governor represents for him the end of a phase in his extraordinary political career. In his subsisting political limbo and suspended animation, he will need to dig deep into his fabled well of providential political rescue and divine favour to chart a path forward. It is now time for me to say sayonara-fare thee well.

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