Wednesday 22nd March 2017

Buhari Meets Service Chiefs, Orders Probe of Zaki Biam Killings Egyptian, Gambian, Ghanaian presidents call to wish him well

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja and George Okoh in Makurdi President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday met with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Abubakar Sadique

at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, over the increasing spate of insecurity in the country and tasked the service chiefs to live up to their responsibilities.

The president who observed

that the wanton destruction of innocent lives in the country had become a major embarrassment to the nation’s image in the international community, challenged the

service chiefs to promptly arrest the situation.

The president, according to a statement issued later by his chief spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, also condoled

with the government and people of Benue State over the invasion and killing of innocent Nigerians at the Zaki Biam yam market by unknown gunmen on Monday.

Again, Five Nigerians Attacked in South Africa... Page 10

The president also condemned the wanton killings of Nigerians in different parts of the country and challenged the security forces to secure the lives of citizens, which he observed had become so Continued on page 9

Wednesday 22 March, 2017 Vol 22. No 8007. Price: N250

www.thisdaylive.com TR

TODAY'S WEATHER

ABUJA 16°C-33°C

MAIDUGURI 15°C-35°C

UT H

& RE A S O

ENUGU 22°C-34°C

N

KANO 11°C-33°C

LAGOS 23C-31°C

PORT HARCOURT 20°C-30°C

Emefiele Optimistic About Rate Convergence as S&P Affirms Nigeria’s Ratings With Stable Outlook MPC retains key policy rates, naira posts largest daily gain

Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja and Obinna Chima in Lagos The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele is upbeat about the convergence of the foreign exchange (FX) rates on the official and parallel markets, stating that the gains made by the naira against the greenback in the last five

weeks were not a fluke.

Emefiele’s statement came just as global ratings agency, Standard & Poor's (S&P), affirmed its ‘B/B’ long- and short-term sovereign credit ratings on Nigeria. S&P also stated that the country’s outlook remained stable.

Briefing journalists at the Continued on page 8

After 28 Years, Atedo Peterside Steps Down from Stanbic IBTC Board

Obinna Chima

The Chairman of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Mr. Atedo Peterside has announced his resignation from the board of the financial institution, having served for 28 years with the financial powerhouse starting from its inception in 1989 when it was known as Investment Bank & Trust Company (IBTC).

In an e-mail sent to other directors of the group, Peterside said the resignation would come into effect on March 31, 2017.

In the resignation notice titled “Moving on,” Peterside explained that having served as the chief executive officer of IBTC from inception and all the way up until the merger Continued on page 8

POSTER CHILD FOR LOCAL CONTENT Senate to Reopen Probe LADOL… L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Samsung Heavy Industry, Mr. Changwan Kim; Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Simbi Kesiye Waribotei; and Managing Director of LADOL, Dr. Amy Jadesimi, during the into PINE Activities... Page 10 and visit by the executive secretary to the LADOL yard in Lagos… recently

2

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017

Simple Banking for every Nigerian

Quick Links Airtime (Self) Airtime (Third Party)

*737*AMOUNT# *737*AMOUNT*PHONE NO#

Transfer to GTBank

*737*1*AMOUNT*NUBAN A/C NO#

Transfer to Other Banks

*737*2*AMOUNT* NUBAN A/C NO#

Bill Payment (Startimes)

*737*37*AMOUNT*SMART CARD NO#

Internet Banking Details

*737*6*5#

Generate Token Code

*737*7#

Account opening

*737*0#

Balance check/enquiry

*737*6#

For more information, kindly visit www.gtbank.com/737

Just dial *737# to start. +234 700 GTCONNECT or +234 700 482666328, +234 1 448 0000, +234 80 3900 3900, +234 80 2900 2900

Cote d’Ivoire • Gambia • Ghana • Kenya • Liberia • Nigeria • Rwanda • Sierra Leone • Uganda • UK

Connect with us

Wouldn’t you rather bank with us?

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017

3

4

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017

5

6

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017

7

8

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017 • T H I S D AY

PAGE EIGHT EMEFIELE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT RATE CONVERGENCE AS S&P AFFIRMS NIGERIA’S RATINGS WITH STABLE OUTLOOK end of the two-day Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of the CBN, where the key policy rates were retained, Emefiele said he was happy that the central bank’s intervention was yielding positive results.

“I am happy, indeed very gratified, that the interventions have been positive, we have seen the rates now converging and we are strongly optimistic that the rates will converge further.

“In terms of sustainability I think, it’s important for us to say that the foreign reserves at this time are still trending upwards to almost $31 billion as I speak with you.

“And the fact that we have done this consistently for close to five weeks, should tell everybody or those who doubt the strength of the central bank to sustain this policy.

“For me, they are taking a risk and they will lose in their bid to place a wrong bet.

The direction is that there is a determination to see to the convergence of those rates and with what we have seen so far, we are very optimistic that those rates will converge, and all the elements in the foreign exchange policy will no doubt be implemented,” he said.

The CBN governor also dismissed the notion that it was the National Economic Council (NEC) that directed the CBN to introduce the new policy actions in the FX market.

He said it was the central bank that made a presentation on the Nigerian economy and the FX market, after which NEC advised it to looked at all the issues that had been discussed on the FX market.

“But of course, before then, we had started to see the depreciation of the naira particularly at the parallel market and we had taken a decision that there was the need to reverse the trend and that is the reason we started the FX intervention, and I am happy that those interventions have been very positive,” he said.

On the outcome of the MPC meeting, he said in consideration of the headwinds in the domestic economy and the uncertainties in the global environment, the committee in a vote of nine to one member decided to retain the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 14 per cent alongside all other policy parameters.

The dissenting member of the committee, he disclosed, voted to raise the MPR. Emefiele added that the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) and Liquidity Ratio (LR) were also retained at 22.5 per cent and 30 per cent, respectively.

The MPC also retained the asymmetric corridor at +200 and-500 basis point around the MPR. The MPC, Emefiele explained, re-evaluated the implications of the continuing global uncertainties as reflected in the unfolding protectionist

posture of the United States and some European countries; sustenance of the OPECRussian agreement to cut oil production beyond July 2017; sluggish global recovery and the strengthening U.S. dollar.

“The committee also evaluated other challenges confronting the domestic economy and the opportunities for achieving price stability, conducive to growth in 2017.

“In particular, the committee noted the persisting inflationary pressures; continuing output contraction; high unemployment rate; elevated demand pressure in the foreign exchange market; low credit to the real sector; and weakening financial system indicators, among others.

“Nonetheless, members welcomed the improved implementation of the foreign exchange policy that resulted in the naira’s recent appreciation.

“Similarly, the committee expressed satisfaction with the release of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan and urged its speedy implementation with clear timelines and deliverables.

“On the strength of these developments, the committee felt inclined to maintain a hold on all policy parameters. Nevertheless, the committee noted the arguments for tightening policy which remained strong and persuasive.

“These include: the real policy rate which remains negative, the upper reference band for inflation remains substantially breached and elevated demand pressure in the foreign exchange market.

“The reality of the sustained pressure on prices (consumer prices and the naira exchange rate) cannot be ignored, given the central bank’s primary mandate of price stability,” Emefiele said.

According to him, the MPC noted that the moderation in inflation in February was due to the base effect as other parameters, particularly monthon-month CPI continued to rise.

Tightening at this time, Emefiele said, would portray the bank as being insensitive to growth.

“Also, deposit money banks (DMBs) may easily re-price their assets which would undermine financial stability.

Besides, the committee noted the need to create binding restrictions on growth in narrow money and structural liquidity and the imperative of macroeconomic stability to achieving price stability conducive to growth.

“The committee also considered the arguments for loosening the stance of monetary policy, noting its desirability in stimulating aggregate demand if credit increased with lower rates of interest.

“It noted the arguments that a loose monetary policy

was capable of delivering cheaper credit, making it more attractive for Nigerians to acquire assets, thus increasing wealth and stimulating aggregate spending and confidence by economic agents, which would eventually lead to lower non-performing loans in the system.

“However, the counterfactual arguments against loosening were anchored on the upward trending month-on-month inflation and its impact on the exchange rate.

“Loosening would thus worsen the already negative real interest rate, widen the interest rate spread and reverse the positive outlook for the current account position,” Emefiele explained.

On outlook for financial stability, he said the MPC noted that the banking sector was becoming less resilient as a result of the adverse macroeconomic environment.

“Nevertheless, the MPC reiterated its resolve to continue to pursue financial system stability. To this end, the committee enjoined the management of the central bank to work with DMBs to promptly address rising NPLs, declining asset quality, credit concentration and high foreign exchange exposures,” Emefiele said.

As the CBN governor announced the outcome of the MPC meeting, the naira recorded its strongest daily gain against the US dollar on the parallel market yesterday, where it rose by N20 to close at N410 to the dollar, compared with N430 from the previous day.

Also, the buy rate of the naira climbed to N420 to the dollar yesterday.

The sustained momentum of the naira was the fallout of the central bank’s resolve to continue to flood the interbank FX market with dollars, forcing black market operators and currency speculators to dump the greenback.

Nevertheless, the naira weakened to N307.50 to the dollar on the interbank market yesterday.

Reacting to the outcome of the MPC meeting, the Chief Executive of Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane said the wait and see approach came as no surprise and was based on the need to monitor the inflationary expectations as well as assess the impact of the current FX interventions.

“If they had the boldness and audacity, they should have brought down the interest rate.

So, they didn’t do anything because they didn’t want to rock the boat,” Rewane said in a phone chat with THISDAY. He, however, noted that the confirmation of a stable outlook by S&P for Nigeria was reassuring, especially at a time the country is trying to restore investor confidence.

“Furthermore, a gradual improvement in the GDP growth rate, increasing external

reserves, and improved oil production also factored in the MPC’s decision.”

The CEO of Times Economics, Dr. Ogho Okiti, also pointed out that MPC decision was mostly based on concerns about inflation, the level of economic growth, fluctuation in crude oil prices, and the direction of government revenue.

“Maybe by the next MPC when we start seeing concrete direction in these economic indicators, they may then begin to reduce interest rate,” the economist stated.

To the Chief Economist, Africa, Standard Chartered Bank, Razia Khan, the big question for the MPC members was whether there would be any further policy pronouncements from the CBN, following the endorsement of a “flexible FX regime” in the federal government’s Economic Growth and Recovery Plan (ERGP) that was announced recently.

According to her, the CBN’s interpretation “of that FX flexibility (for now) appears to be a continuation of more frequent FX sales aimed at achieving eventual convergence of Nigeria's different FX rates”.

She noted that the MPC members were still concerned about the month-on-month rise in inflation. “There is concern that easing now would weaken the real rate of interest and weaken the FX rate.

“Despite a turnaround in monetary aggregates in February, the MPC still signalled some concern about the growth of narrow money.

“Second, the MPC appears to have resisted pressure from the fiscal authorities for an easing of policy. By holding rates, and putting price stability at the centre of its ambition, the CBN could well be preparing for a more meaningful liberalisation, to come eventually, only when conditions are more conducive.

“The CBN appeared comfortable that its FX reserves position will be safeguarded even as it steps up the pace of FX intervention. Oil earnings are likely to provide a key test to this assumption.

“For now, however, the emphasis is very much on holding everything steady, and achieving more convergence between the different FX rates.

“Greater convergence appears to be a necessary pre-condition to any further FX market liberalisation,” Khan stated in a note yesterday.

Meanwhile, S&P yesterday affirmed its ‘B/B’ long- and short-term sovereign credit ratings on Nigeria, with a stable outlook.

S&P, in a report on its assessment on Nigeria, also affirmed its long- and shortterm national scale ratings on Nigeria at ‘ngBBB/ngA-2’, just as it maintained its transfer and convertibility on the country at ‘B’.

It, however, pointed out that the ratings on Nigeria were constrained by the country’s low level of economic wealth, as real GDP per capita trend growth rates below those of peers with similar levels of development, and future policy responses that may be difficult to predict because of the highly centralised political environment.

“We expect Nigeria’s economy to achieve a real GDP growth of 1.5 per cent in 2017 and 3.4 per cent on average over 2017-2020, supported by improvements in the oil sector and improved government budget execution under its recently released Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) 2017-2020.

“A gradual increase in foreign currency inflows through rising export revenues and government external borrowing could help reduce foreign currency shortages in the non-oil sector and allow industry and financial sectors more leeway to contribute to economic growth,” S&P added.

S&P stressed that Nigeria has significant infrastructure and energy shortfalls and low income levels, with GDP per capita at $1,800 in 2017.

“Although oil revenues support the economy when prices are high, we view them as exposing Nigeria to significant volatility in terms of trade and the government to swings in the revenue base.

“Nevertheless, the oil sector has a significant indirect impact on the economy.

A marked contraction in oil production, slower implementation of fiscal policy, and a restrictive exchange-rate regime resulted in Nigeria’s economy contracting, in real terms, by 1.5 per cent of GDP in 2016.

“Since then, oil production has increased back above two million barrels per day (bpd) in early 2017 (against the about 1.6 million bpd reported at times in the second half of 2016).

“Oil production has been supported by reduced incidents of sabotage in the Niger Delta as the government’s engagement with community leaders appears to have borne fruit, while repairs are being completed on key export pipelines,” it added.

To this end, S&P marginally increased its oil price assumptions to an average $53 per barrel (/bbl) over 2017-2020, compared with $51/bbl in its previous review in September 2016.

“Overall, we forecast that Nigeria’s general government debt stock (consolidating debt at the federal, state, and local government levels) will average 23 per cent of GDP for 2017-2020, comparing favorably with peer countries’ ratios.

“We also anticipate that general government debt, net of liquid assets, will average 16 per cent of GDP in 2017-2020.

We include debt of the Asset

This, he said, followed his appointment to the Board of Standard Bank Group Limited and the Standard Bank of South Africa Limited in August 2014.

“However several directors advised that there should be no change of guard at the top in Stanbic IBTC in the midst of such a dispute.

“Thankfully the FRC matter is now behind us and our Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc audited accounts for 2015 were approved late last year, whilst our audited accounts for 2016 have already been approved by the authorities this week.

AFTER 28 YEARS, ATEDO PETERSIDE STEPS DOWN FROM STANBIC IBTC BOARD that created Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc in 2007 and as chairman thereafter, he believed this was the ideal time for him to resign from the board of Stanbic IBTC Holdings and move on.

“We have a strong tradition of careful succession planning at both Stanbic IBTC and the Standard Bank Group.

I look forward to a new chapter where my interactions with Stanbic IBTC will be exclusively from the outside and/or from Johannesburg, i.e. looking in from the outside like every other parent company non-executive does when looking at all the group subsidiary operations across the Africa regions,” he said.

According to him, the protracted dispute with the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) led him to stay on as group chairman in Nigeria for much longer than he would have liked, as everything was on course for his planned departure in 2015 from the Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc board.

Continued on page 9

Management Corporation of Nigeria (around five per cent of GDP)--created to resolve the non-performing loan assets of the Nigerian banks--in our calculation of gross and net debt, in line with our treatment of such entities elsewhere.

“Over 80 per cent of government debt is denominated in naira. Despite the low government debt stock, general government debtservicing costs as a percent of revenues are high and have increased in recent years from below 10 per cent in 2014 to our projection of 18 per cent on average in 2017-2020,” it added.

Furthermore, S&P noted that despite changes to the CBN FX policy, the country still maintains FX controls on both current and capital transactions, including import restrictions on 41 categories of goods.

It also stated that banks continue to face shortage of US dollars, “which has caused them to shrink the volume of letters of credit they could extend to their customers and for some of them to restructure or pay back their facilities as correspondent banks tested their ability to pay”.

“The central bank has recently started to provide additional U.S. dollars to the banks, and to private individuals at a rate up to 20 per cent higher than the official rate. However, in the event of devaluation, banks' asset quality and capitalisation would be further constrained.

“We believe at least three banks are within 150 basis points of their minimum capital adequacy ratio owing to the 2016 devaluation of the naira and weak earnings.

“Further losses or devaluation could trigger an element of regulatory forbearance within the sector. It is therefore likely that a few banks will either actively shrink their balance sheets or seek capital injections in 2017, which could prove difficult in the current market and economic environment.

“We forecast that the Nigerian banks will suffer increased credit losses of 3.5 to 4 per cent in 2017 in aggregate, after an anticipated three per cent in 2016. Asset quality problems are expected to be most pronounced from domestic oil companies, power companies, manufacturing, and real estate.

“We also see particular risk from borrowers of foreign currency without foreign currency receivables,” S&P added.

TOP GAINERS NGN NGN JBERGER 2.00 38.000 LIVESTOCK 0.03 0.66 NASCON 0.32 7.12 CCNN 0.20 4.70 FIDSON 0.04 0.97 TOP LOSERS NGN NGN CADBURY 0.39 7.41 GUINNESS 3.15 60.03 DNMEYER 0.04 0.79 NAHCO 0.10 2.00 JAIZBANK 0.06 1.27 HPE Nestle Nig Plc N730.01 Volume: 153.720 million shares Value: N1.500 billion Deals: 2,675 As at yesterday 21/03/17 See details on Page 40

% 5.2 4.7 4.7 4.4 4.3 % 5.0 4.9 4.8 4.7 4.5

9

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

NEWS

Mixed Emotions for Orji Family as Police Recover Another Body Emergency workers resume search Suicide traced to Sickle Cell Anaemia Chiemelie Ezeobi At the Marine Police Division, it was a mixed bag of emotions for the family of the medical doctor, Dr. Allwell Chiawolamoke Orji, when they were invited yesterday to identify the body of a young man recovered from the Lagos lagoon by the police.

The unmarried medical doctor who worked at Mount Sinai Hospital, Papa Ajao, Mushin in Lagos, on Sunday jumped to his death from the Third Mainland Bridge into the lagoon.

Orji had ordered his driver to park his car, a Nissan Sports Utility Vehicle with registration number LND476EE at the bridge, before taking his final plunge.

Although the recovered body later turned out not to be that of the medical doctor, it was a mixture of relief and sadness for the family for two reasons.

The family, especially the mother of the 35-year-old doctor, Mrs. Chinyere Orji, had against all odds still held on to the belief that her son was still alive.

The devout Christian who attends the Deeper Life Bible Church, continues to hold out for a miracle, even as emergency workers had failed to recover the body in two days.

Typically, when a person drowns in a large body of water, it usually takes two days for the body to resurface.

On the other hand, had the recovered body been that of the doctor, it would have helped the family to get closure sooner and possibly sped up the process of healing.

The body recovered yesterday, which was referred to as ‘John Doe’, was brought out of the lagoon after it was found floating around the Marina on Lagos Island.

Upon its discovery, the people drew the attention of the Marine Police led by the officer-in-charge, SP Chinedu Iwuozo, who in turn moved their patrol boats to the area and recovered the body.

The body of the discovered male was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a neutral coloured T-shirt. It had no shoes on.

Although the water had

Late Orji changed the colour of his skin, it was obvious that he was a young man, even with the bloated, peeling and decomposing body.

Given that the body was recovered by the Marine wing of the Nigerian Police at about 10.30 a.m., the identity of the deceased remained unknown until the family of the doctor came in late in the afternoon to ascertain if it was that of

their son.

When THISDAY contacted the police, it was gathered that the mother of the doctor, a retired banker, was already heading to the police station alongside other family members to identify the body discovered yesterday.

But before she got there, five male relatives who were already at the station were shown the body and they confirmed that it was not that of the doctor.

Meanwhile, fishermen at the sawmill at the Okobaba area, near the scene of the incident where the doctor jumped off the bridge, said they were not aware that anyone had plunged into the water recently.

They however did not rule out the possibility of someone falling overboard, as according to them, they get to see a lot of bodies floating in the lagoon.

Also speaking on the search for the doctor, the Adeniji Adele Divisional Police Officer, SP Ayodele Umujose, said the investigation would continue since the recovered body wasn’t who they thought it was.

He said: “The family checked and the body wasn’t their

son’s, so this means that the investigation is still on going.”

On the doctor’s driver, Henry Ita, who was still in detention, he said: “The driver has given us his statement. He is still helping us in our investigation.

He will be released at the appropriate time.”

Also, following the false alarm on the discovery of the doctor, the emergency workers who had called off the search, resumed the search after the family had confirmed that the body was not that of the doctor.

Emergency workers from Lagos State Emergency Management (LASEMA), Lagos Ferry Services, the Lagos Waterways Agency and Marine Patrol had resumed the search at press time.

The General Manager, LASEMA, Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu, confirmed that they would continue searching the waterways until it yields results.

According to a post by one Ruth Okija on Instagram, Dr. Orji was a 2008 student of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos (Unilag). He was a locum medical officer with Mount Sinai Hospital

The post also revealed that the light-complexioned doctor was born on May 21 and loved reading in his spare time, adding that he found the practice sessions on respiratory and cardiovascular examinations very interesting.

It was also gathered from a post by the Nigeria Medical Association, Taraba Branch, that the doctor was battling with Sickle Cell Anaemia.

Due to his passion for surgery, he wrote the exam for his residency in surgery, so that he could become a consultant and passed but due to his ailment, he was turned down.

The hospital was said to have turned him down because its management felt his ailment, which is usually accompanied by seizures, could be a deterrent in the performance of his duties.

It was also gathered that the family got him a driver because of the seizures and had just employed his driver.

Also, one of his former classmates at the university, one Dr. Attah Essien, confirmed on his Facebook wall that the doctor attended Unilag.

Al-Makura’s Son Arrested over Death of Student

Khaleed Umar Al-Makura, son of Nasarawa State governor, has been arrested in connection with the death of Ovye Amos, a JSS 2 student of Government Secondary School, Lafia.

Amos died on Sunday night after being hit by a car driven by the governor’s son.

Amos’ colleagues had trooped into the streets to protest his death. They carried placards with various inscriptions, demanding justice.

The police, officers of the Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), teachers and government officials

were called in to calm the students.

Aliyu Tijjani, Nasarawa State Commissioner for Education, said Monday that the government had taken measures to ensure that the perpetrator was brought to book, reported online news website The Cable.

“He has already been arrested. I want to express my profound dismay and sadness over what happened here yesterday. It is unfortunate, very, very unfortunate,” he said.

Goodluck Agwu, the school’s head boy, explained that Amos was hit by the

car driven by Khaleed when he went out to buy batteries for his flashlight at 8.00 p.m.

The students, who were not satisfied with the explanation by the commissioner, continued their protest but the police were deployed to calm them.

“It is a painful thing, we

sympathise and empathise with you and we assure you that an investigation is ongoing and that the particular culprit as we are speaking now is in our custody,” Maikudi Shehu, the area commander of the Lafia area office, had told the aggrieved students.

Nigeria, I would like to be able to concentrate largely on ANAP Business Jets Limited, which I founded a couple of years ago and where I am chairman.

“I wish you every success as

you pilot the affairs of Stanbic IBTC into the future,” he said.

Peterside, one of the founders of IBTC, was one of many young bankers between the late 80s and early 90s who started the wave of

second generation banks that were to grow and challenge the dominance of the older established banks such as FirstBank, United Bank for Africa, Union Bank and the defunct Afribank.

Biam of their scheduled attack.

Another source stated that there was a clash between the leader of the gang and another member who had renounced his membership and was now working for the government as an agent.

He said the main goal of the gang was to eliminate the former member and anyone close to him.

On a visit to the area yesterday in the company of Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, THISDAY gathered from the locals that more dead bodies including students of Amensi Secondary School located on the yam market road were also discovered.

The students were said to have been on an extension, preparatory to writing their West African School Certificate (WASC) examination.

The locals, who pleaded for anonymity, said several persons were still missing, disclosing that the gunmen including a woman came to the area with sophisticated weapons in a pick-up van, Toyota Corolla car and on motorcycles shooting sporadically into the air to scare away people.

Following Monday’s bloody

attack, the Divisional Police Office (DPO) said he deployed his men in banks, hotels, schools and other institutions to safeguard them.

“We have dispatched as early as 8 a.m. and the gunmen attacked by 2 p.m. on Monday.

They numbered over 30 and abducted so many people,” he said.

It was observed that many houses were burnt and several people had fled the area. Shops and other institutions in the area were closed.

Many families were seen with their belongings leaving the town for fear of more attacks.

After his inspection, Ortom visited injured persons at the Light of Grace Hospital. He also went to St. Anthony’s Hospital where dead bodies had been deposited as well as the General and NKST Hospitals.

He appealed to residents to remain calm, promising that more security personnel would be deployed in the area to restore peace.

He also assured them that the culprits would be arrested.

In another development, the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and his

counterparts in The Gambia and Ghana, Adama Barrow and Nana Akuffo-Addo, respectively made telephone calls to Buhari in Abuja yesterday and wished him sound and perfect health.

In his phone conversation, the Egyptian president also congratulated Buhari for what he described as the strides Nigeria had made in the war against Boko Haram and other security challenges.

El-Sisi, according to a statement by Adesina, said his country was prepared to assist Nigeria in its quest to overcome its security challenges, promising that the two countries would continue to partner each other in other areas of mutual interest.

Also yesterday, Barrow of The Gambia made a goodwill phone call to Buhari and thanked Nigeria for its leading role in his emergence as president of his country.

Barrow then wished Buhari well.

In the same vein, Ghana’s president, Akuffo-Addo, in another phone call, wished Buhari good health, and promised improved bilateral cooperation between the two West African countries.

AFTER 28 YEARS, ATEDO PETERSIDE STEPS DOWN FROM STANBIC IBTC BOARD “I would like to seize this opportunity to thank all the directors of Stanbic IBTC for your support through the years. Some of you have been on this journey with me as investors since 1989.

“I am leaving the Stanbic IBTC board, but being a part of the parent company board in South Africa, means that I still have some indirect oversight functions.

“Some of you know that I

am a stickler for following due process and so, from 01 April, 2017, I will not be available to discuss our Nigerian operations unless required to do so by the parent board.

“In business terms in

BUHARI MEETS SERVICE CHIEFS, ORDERS PROBE OF ZAKI BIAM KILLINGS cheap in Nigeria.

In clear terms, Buhari condemned the Zaki Biam killings and directed security agencies to forthwith begin investigations into the tragedy with a view to bringing the assailants to book.

The statement added that Buhari sympathised with those who lost their loved ones in the attack, prayed God to comfort bereaved families, and grant the souls of the victims eternal rest.

Lamenting the perpetual loss of value for human lives in the country, Buhari pointed out that human life was sacred and no one has the right to take the life of a fellow human being.

“We must condemn inhuman and unnecessary shedding of human blood all over the country. We seem to have lost value for human life, which is sacred. Man is the glory of God’s creation and nobody has the right to unjustly and unlawfully take another person’s life in a reckless manner,” Buhari said.

He advised all citizens to cultivate the habit of living together in peace and brotherhood and promote the spirit of tolerance.

Fielding questions from State House correspondents after the meeting, Buratai said he met with the president to give him an update on security issues under the purview of the Nigerian Army.

He said following the update, the president was happy with the military and assured them that the armed forces would continue to live up to their constitutional responsibility.

“I visited the commanderin-chief to update him on security matters that the army is involved in – defending the territorial integrity of the country, the welfare of the troops, the state of our general administration. Basically, that is why I came.

“The president is happy with the Nigerian Army and the military. We will continue to do our work to defend the constitution of this country and we assured him of our absolute loyalty and to ensure we discharge our constitutional responsibility,” he said.

Also, Sadique described the meeting as routine one, adding that the Nigerian Air Force would ensure that Nigeria is secure and its citizens free to carry out their activities

without fear.

“It was just a routine meeting. I came to brief the president on what is happening in the air force.

He is the commander-in-chief and he has the right to meet with his service chiefs.

“For us in the air force and for all the services, really, we are doing everything humanly possible to ensure that our society is secure and our communities are stable so that people can go about pursuing their legitimate aspirations without any fear.

“That is the purpose for which the air force was established. That is why we are working to ensure that we do everything humanly possible to create the right environment because without security, you cannot think of development,” he said.

Meanwhile, facts have emerged that the deadly gang that massacred over 30 persons at the Zaki Biam yam market might have given notice of the attack.

A senior security officer, who preferred not to be named, told THISDAY that the gunmen with links to a notorious outlaw, Gana, had written to the residents of Zaki

10

WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017 • T H I S D AY

NEWS

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

Senate to Probe Saraki, Melaye over Seized Vehicle, Certificate Scandal Seized vehicle is a matter between NCS and supplier, says Senate President Melaye: I have seven degrees and ready for investigation Citing subjudice, Hameed Ali to shun Senate today APC wades into stand off

Omololu Ogunmade, Damilola Oyedele and Alexander Enumah in Abuja The Senate yesterday directed its Committee on Ethics and Privileges to conduct investigations into allegations that the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) in January this year impounded an armoured Range Rover Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) belonging to Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Saraki has however denied any links with the importation of the seized vehicle, stating that the matter was purely between the Customs Service and the supplier of the car, as the Senate has not taken delivery of the vehicle in question.

The Senate’s face off with the Comptroller General of Customs, Colonel Hameed Ali (rtd) has been linked to the seizure of the armoured vehicle.

The vehicle, according to an online news website, was seized following the failure to pay the appropriate customs duty for the car valued at N298 million, for which only N8 million was paid instead of N74 million.

The Ethics and Privileges

Committee was also directed to investigate allegations that the Senate President’s close ally, Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) does not possess an authentic first degree certificate from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.

At the Senate plenary yesterday presided over by Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the upper legislative chamber decided to conduct the investigations, following a point of order raised by ousted Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, who noted that both issues, raised by the online medium, borders on the privileges of the senators.

Ndume, brandishing a copy of a newspaper which reported the alleged certificate forgery, said the reports have caused insults to be rained on the Senate by Nigerians.

“My colleagues that are following events, particularly online, have seen, heard or read the rain of abuses on this Senate and the misconception of the fact that we invited the Customs CG based on a very unpopular policy that affects the people we represent, but now we are faced with this and the president has been found to be

....Red Chamber to Reopen Probe into PINE Activities

involved in this National Assembly,” Ndume said.

Ndume also argued that there had been cases of investigations into allegations of certificate forgery by lawmakers in previous assemblies, citing those involving Hon. Salisu Buhari, Hon. Bello Masari and Hon. Dimeji Bankole.

“Here in the Senate, in the Fourth Assembly, (Evans) Enwerem was accused and it was also investigated, (Adolphus) Wabara was accused of collecting bribe and it was investigated and determined.

“So, a lot of precedents have been set,” he said, and prayed that the matter be referred to the ethics committee.

“Accordingly, I will appeal we refer the matters to Ethics and Privileges Committee to investigate so that our colleagues would be cleared and this Senate will stand as it is supposed to,” Ndume said.

After allowing Ndume to raise his point of order, Ekweremadu referred the issues to the Ethics and Privileges Committee, which is expected to report back in four weeks.

Reacting to the development, Saraki’s spokesman, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, said the facts and documents concerning the seized

vehicle, showed that the Senate President had nothing to do with its importation.

“A supplier was engaged by the Senate to supply a vehicle. While transferring the vehicle between Lagos and Abuja, it was impounded by the Customs Service.

“We believe that it is an issue between the supplier and the Customs Service because the Senate has not taken delivery of the vehicle.

“So, why is somebody trying to drag in the name of Saraki into the issue,” he said in a statement.

“The documents on the vehicle are there for the general public to view and draw their conclusions.

Now that the matter has been referred to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, all the facts will be out,” Olaniyonu added.

In his reaction, Melaye said he was ready to submit himself to the committee’s investigation.

Melaye, who is a member of the Ethics Committee, would however be required to recuse himself while he is being investigated.

Addressing newsmen after plenary, Melaye threw a verbal jab at Ndume, describing him as a “Boko Haram suspect senator”.

“To say that I did not graduate from ABU is to say I am not a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The investigation is a welcome development.

“I already know the result (of the investigation). I have my results, admission letter and certificate of discharge. Thrice I was voted most popular student. I was President of the Students’ Union Government,” he said.

Melaye also disclosed that he possesses a Master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from ABU, and is currently pursuing another Master’s degree in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, “making it the eighth degree I am pursuing”.

“It is surprising that people would stoop so low,” he added.

Customs CG to Shun Senate But as the fallout of the face off between the Senate and the Customs CG reverberated in the upper legislative chamber and was threatening to give Saraki a new headache to deal with, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, yesterday wrote to the

Senate, informing it that its directive asking Col. Ali to appear before it today in uniform had been challenged in court.

The suit, with the Senate as defendant, wants the court to determine whether the Senate has the powers to compel Ali to wear the uniform of his rank.

The letter addressed to the Clerk of the Senate, Mr. Nelson Ayewoh, would be read on the floor of the Senate today.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Sabi Aliyu Abdullahi confirmed to newsmen that the letter was received by the clerk, but did not divulge the contents.

Ali is scheduled to appear before the Senate today to explain the policy on the customs duties verification for vehicles imported into the country before 2016.

The Senate had refused to grant him audience last week after he showed up in mufti, in contravention of the Senate resolution directing him to appear in his uniform.

Also, Ali who ran into newsmen at the State House yesterday evening while visiting

Cont’d on page 52

Invites Babachir for fair hearing Damilola Oyedele in Abuja The Senate will tomorrow hold another public hearing into the activities of the Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE) on the execution of its mandate to abate the humanitarian crises in the region affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

The ad hoc committee constituted to conduct the hearing, chaired

by Senator Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central), has therefore again invited the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (SGF), Mr. David Lawal Babachir, who oversees PINE to appear before it.

Last December, Babachir had shunned the invitation of the committee, whose interim report indicted him for alleged fraud pertaining to the award of non-existent contracts, over-inflated contracts and outright misappropriation of funds amounting to N2.5 billion.

The report also called for Babachir’s removal and prosecution on the grounds that he had awarded a multi-million naira grass cutting contract to his firm.

However, President Muhammadu Buhari in a letter dated January 24, 2017, had cleared Babachir on the premise that the SGF and the company involved, Rholavision, were not invited to the hearing and therefore not given fair hearing.

THISDAY gathered that the decision to reopen the hearing on the activities of PINE might not be unconnected to Babachir’s visit to Saraki’s residence recently.

Although Senate sources who confirmed that the SGF made a surprise visit to Saraki did not

confirm if the visit was at the instance of Buhari, they said Babachir came to present his case to the Senate President and asked that the matter be resolved.

The sources revealed that it was on the basis of the visit, it was agreed that the probe will be reopened and Babachir be allowed make a presentation on the management of the funds allocated to PINE. THISDAY was unable to get Senator Shehu Sani to confirm Babachir’s appearance tomorrow, as calls to his mobile number did not go through and he did not respond to a text message either.

The committee’s letter dated March 15, 2017, inviting the SGF and signed by Sani, read in part: “The Senate at its sitting on October, 2016 debated on a motion “Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in the North East”, after which an ad hoc committee was constituted to among other things: “i. Conduct a public hearing in order to ascertain how much has been released to the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE). ii. Ascertain how these funds have been utilised from inception to date; and iii. Investigate the diversion of grains and other food items from the Strategic Grain Reserves, NEMA and other sources for the IDPs. “Consequently, the committee held a three day public hearing between 6th to 8th December, 2016, even though some of the invited stakeholders refused to attend.

“In order to give them fair hearing, the committee has resolved to conduct another public hearing,” the letter read.

ROLLING OUT REFORMS IN NIMASA

Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, flanked by the agency’s Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Mr. Bashir Jamoh (right) and the Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr. Gambo Ahmed, during a press conference addressed by the NIMASA DG in Lagos… yesterday

Again, Five Nigerians Attacked in South Africa The Nigeria Union in South Africa yesterday said five Nigerians had been attacked in Polokwane, Limpopo Province of that country in renewed xenophobic attacks.

Secretary of the union in the province, Mr. Collin Mgbo, told journalists on telephone from Polokwane that three of the five Nigerians attacked were in critical condition in the hospital.

“I received a call that a Nigerian was attacked at Ivy Park in Polokwane on March 15. I got to the scene and saw that the Nigerian was almost dead, his house was looted and burnt,” he said.

Mgbo, according to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said another Nigerian was also attacked in the same neighbourhood same day and that while he got to the scene, the mob left the wounded man and descended on him.

“They left the wounded Nigerian and faced me. They destroyed my car and I managed to escape and ran to a police station,” he said.

The secretary added that three Nigerians, including the owner of a mechanic’s garage, were attacked at Moledji near Polokwane.

“Their shops and houses were looted, and destroyed. The local

chapter of the union has reported these attacks to the South African police, Nigerian mission and national secretariat of our union.

“Our national secretariat is on top of the situation. As we speak, three Nigerians in the hospital are in critical condition and I do not know if they will survive because of the severity of the attack”, he said.

Mgbo urged Nigerian government to persuade its South African counterpart to ensure the safety of Nigerians in t the country.

When contacted, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Olusola Enikanolaye, said

the ministry had not been briefed about the incident.

He, however, promised to get back to reporters after enquiries from the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa.

Last month, property worth millions of dollar belonging to Nigerians were destroyed.

The Nigerian government later sent a delegation led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffry Onyeama and his Interior Ministry counterpart, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) to South Africa to hold discussions on curtailment of the attacks.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017 • T H I S D AY

11

NEWS

NIMASA Acquires Floating Dockyard, to Save FG $1bn in 10 Years Introduces CIF to enable Nigerians lift crude oil

Eromosele Abiodun The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has stated that the modular floating dockyard acquired by the agency will save the federal government $100 million annually and $1 billion in ten years.

Dakuku, who disclosed this at a world press conference in Lagos, said the modular floating dockyard is the fifth largest in Africa.

The $1 billion, he said, would be a direct saving from the dry docking of vessels operating in Nigeria, which he stated are mostly done outside the country at the moment.

Dakuku added that it was the desire of NIMASA to partner the private sector to run the dockyard.

Also, Dakuku announced that the agency plans to introduce Cost Insurance and Freight (CIF) to enable Nigerians lift the country’s crude oil According to him, “One major factor that edges Nigerians out in the ‘affreightment’ of Nigerian cargo, especially crude oil lifting, is the prevalent Free On Board (FOB) trade term. As you know, Nigeria as a nation has no control in the distribution of its crude oil with respect to carriage, insurance and other ancillary services. Under a CIF arrangement, the tide would change in favour of our indigenous

FG, States, LGs Share N429bn for February A total of N429.127 billion has been distributed as federal allocation for the month of February 2017 to federal government, state governments and local government councils.

The communiqué issued by the Technical sub-Committee of Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) at the end of the meeting held yesterday in Abuja, indicated that the gross statutory revenue received for the month is N290.163 billion, which is lower than the N324.990 billion received in the previous month.

The shared amount comprised the month’s statutory distributable revenue of N258.692 billion, Value Added Tax of N69.207 billion, Exchange gain of N40.329 billion and Excess PPT Account of N60.899 billion.

There was also a N6.330 billion refund to the federal government

by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Accordingly, from Net Statutory revenue, federal government received N117.581 billion representing (52.68 per cent); states received N59.639 billion (26.72 per cent); local government councils received N45.979 billion

representing (20.60 per cent); while the oil producing states received N23.191 billion as 13 per cent derivation revenue.

Furthermore, from the revenue available from the Value Added Tax (VAT), federal government received N9.966 (15 per cent); states received N33.220 billion (50 per cent) while the local government councils received N23.254 (35 per cent).

The communique further revealed that there was a revenue increase of $4.06 million in federation export sales due to a rise in the crude oil export volume by 0.30 million barrels.

There was however, a decrease in the average price of crude oil from $49.57 to $44.74 per barrel during the period under review.

Production diminished during the period due largely to leakages in the pipelines arising from sabotage. Also the force majeure declared at Forcados and Brass terminals lingered.

Significant decreases in revenue were noted from PPT, CIT Import and export duties and oil royalty.

Consequently, the total revenue distributable for February including VAT is N429.127 billion.

17 Herdsmen Allegedly Killed by Soldiers in Southern Kaduna John Shiklam in Kaduna The Chairman of the Kaduna State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Haruna Usman, has alleged that 17 herdsmen have been killed by soldiers in Daile Alkariyo village, Jama’a Local Government Area in the southern part of the state.

Usman who said the incident occurred last Monday, added that over 40 houses were burnt by the soldiers during the incident.

Speaking in a telephone interview with THISDAY yesterday, he explained that a farmer in the community was wounded by unknown persons and people thought he was wounded by herdsmen.

He said three herdsmen were arrested, two were killed while one was rescued.

According to him, after the attack on the farmer, “they

invited the security personnel to come and intervene in the issue, but when they came, they started killing Fulani people.

They killed about 17 and burnt about 47 houses.

“It is not the indigenes of the area that killed the Fulanis, the military men killed them.

So it is the government that killed them and I don’t know the reason.

“The military men burnt their homes and killed them.

In fact, one old man, almost 75 years old, was shot on the leg, he has only one leg, they shot the other leg.

“Yesterday (on Monday), I called the Garrison Commander to inform him about what was happening, he said he was going to check and contact the Commanding Officer of the area, but we have not spoken since then.”

The incident could not be confirm as all efforts to reach the spokesman of the the state police command, Aliyu Usman, proved abortive.

operators. Therefore, we are joining forces with well-meaning Nigerians to move for the change of trade term from FOB to CIF to reasonably involve our indigenous operators in Nigerian cargo affreightment.”

This, he added, would not only give distribution control of the country’s hydrocarbon resources to Nigerians, “but would also enable us to empower our people through cargo lifting and meaningful participation in the entire value chain of our export goods. As you are aware, CIF will enable Nigerians participate in cargo lifting, cargo insurance, create job for our teeming cadets and other ancillary economic and security derivatives.

“The plans are on top gear to reach out to relevant agencies of government and very soon, we shall do an executive memorandum to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for consideration and approval.”

He stated that the agency had embarked on empowerment programme through indigenous ship owners “Conscious of our mandate-to promote the development of indigenous commercial shipping in international and coastal shipping trade-we are poised, more than ever, to achieving this obligation. We understand it requires a great deal of capacity building, especially human, infrastructural and tonnage capacities of our indigenous shipping operators.

“We have reviewed the participation of Nigerians in the industry and are not satisfied with the outcome. The summary of our findings reveals a very low indigenous participation in international commercial shipping trade in Nigeria. As far-fetched as it sounds, there are no Nigerian Flagged Ocean-going vessels known to us.

“In the course of our review also, we observed the salience of cargo availability to the commercial fortunes of a ship owner/operator and to our national tonnage growth. We noted also that commercial shipping will less likely develop without conscious, proactive, well -structured and monitored government intervention as is done in other sectors,” he stated.

The NIMASA boss added that one area of such intervention is urgently needed is cargo availability.

Developed maritime nations, he said, have at one time or the other consciously supported, and are still supporting their indigenous operators in building their commercial shipping capacities.

“Recently, a bipartisan bill was brought before the United States Congress aimed at strengthening indigenous participation in shipping.

The bill seeks to allow US flagged

vessels carry up to 30 per cent of the U.S LNG as a matter of both economic importance and security concerns.

“On our part, plans are in top gear to use our existing enabling laws to make public cargo available for indigenous shipping operators in order to improve their commercial fortunes and competitive advantage over their well-capitalised and established foreign counterparts.

We are out to enforce Sections 36 and 37 of the NIMASA Act 2007 towards building indigenous capacities in shipping.

“This is already at executive management level and we are determined to take it to the highest level of bureaucratic, legislative and executive engagements necessary. We shall also involve our esteemed stakeholders at the right time because we understand they have roles to play in the entire process, “Dakuku said.

PHILANTHROPISM

L-R: Member, Board of Trustees, Stephen Awokoya Foundation for Science Education (SOAFSE), Chief Sonny Kuku; Honouree, Lady Maiden Alex Ibru; and Chairman of the occasion, Sir. Steve Omojafor, at the 22nd annual lecture and award of honours and postgraduate scholarships in Lagos...yesteray Kolawole Alli

Former NNPC GMD,Yakubu Gets N300m Bail Alex Enumah in Abuja A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday admitted former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Andrew Yakubu, to bail in the sum of N300million with two eminent sureties in like sum.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed granted the defendant bail while ruling on the bail application argued by his counsel, Ahmed Raji (SAN), last Thursday, stating that the offences for which the defendant was charged with are bailable.

The court stated that the defendant’s sureties should provide landed property as collateral for the bail with one of them maintaining permanent residency in Abuja.

The sureties are also to swear to an affidavit of means.

The court also ordered the defendant to deposit his international passport with the Deputy Registrar of the Federal High Court, adding that the

defendant should not travel out of the country during the period of his trial.

He, however, ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison pending the perfection of his bail.

In granting the bail, Justice Mohammed held that for the defendant to cut short his medical trip abroad in honour of the Economic and Finacial Crimes Commission (EFCC) invitation is proof that he will not jump bail and is ready to face his trial.

The judge however refused the other prayers of the defendant on grounds that what was before the court was the application for bail.

He held that the prayer for the release of the applicant’s international passport to enable him travel abroad for medical treatment should not arise at this stage.

Justice Mohammed had last week remanded the defendant in prison custody pending the ruling.

The federal government

had arraigned Yakubu before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Abuja Federal High Court on a six count criminal charge bordering on fraud and false declaration of assets.

The operatives of the EFCC had in February 2017, raided a building belonging to the former NNPC boss and recovered the sum of $9.7million and £74,000 stashed in a huge fireproof safe in Kaduna State.

At Thursday’s proceedings, the ex-NNPC boss pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.

Consequently, the prosecuting lawyer, Mr. Ben Ikani, asked the court to remand Yakubu pending the hearing of the suit.

However, Yakubu’s lawyer, Mr. Raji Ahmed (SAN), told the court that he had filed an application for his client’s bail.

Raji urged the court to admit Yakubu to bail either on self recognisance or on liberal terms.

The defence lawyer drew the

court’s attention to Yakubu’s alleged health conditions, saying he (Yakubu) honoured EFCC’s invitation from abroad where he had gone for medical attention.

But in opposition to the bail request, the prosecuting lawyer, Ikani, begged the court to dismiss the application.

He, however, admitted that the issue of bail was at the court’s discretion, urging the trial judge, Justice Mohammed, to attach stringent conditions that would compel Yakubu to attend his trial.

In one of the charges filed before the court, the federal government accused Yakubu of failing to declare the money when he filled his Declaration of Assets form at the EFCC in 2015.

The prosecution also accused the ex-NNPC boss of receiving huge sums of money without going through a financial institution.

The matter has been adjourned till May 9 for commencement of trial.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017 • T H I S D AY

12

NEWS

Makarfi, Sheriff Trade Words over Supreme Court Appeal Sheriff blackmailing judges, Adeyeye alleges Ojougboh: They’re seeking to buy judgement Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The two factions in the leadership crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have accused each other of making subtle moves to influence the handling of their case pending before the Supreme Court.

Following the rejection of the Appeal Court ruling which restored Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the PDP National Chairman, the National Caretaker Committee-led

by Senator Ahmed Makarfi had approached the apex court to quash the judgment.

However, just as the Supreme SDAY MARCH Court22, has2017 listed the case for hearing tomorrow, both parties have tried to gain advantage by arm-twisting the judges through blackmails and spurious allegations.

Addressing journalists yesterday, Sheriff’s Deputy, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, accused the Makarfi-led caretaker committee of boasting that it would buy the Supreme Court judgment.

In what seemed as an armtwisting tactics, Ojougboh cited the Rivers State governorship case between the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Dakuku Peterside, and PDP Governor Nyesom Wike, stating that there are moves to get the Supreme Court to act in the same way it did when it affirmed election of Wike.

“It is worthy of note today that the same groups of impunity peddlers have now resorted to boasting that they are in control of the Supreme Court and that the judgment rejected by the Court of Appeal will be adopted by the

Supreme Court. This same judgment that they paraded as the Court of Appeal judgment is what they have now claimed that the Supreme Court will uphold for them,” he said.

Ojougboh warned that no one can succeed in buying over the Supreme Court to abandon its sacred duty to deliver justice.

He called on the nation’s Supreme Court to protect the integrity of the judiciary in the appeal filed before it by the Makarfi National Caretaker Committee.

“It is worthy of note today that the same groups of impunity peddlers have now resorted to boasting that they are in control of the Supreme Court and that the judgment rejected by the Court of Appeal will be adopted by the Supreme Court.

“We state categorically that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), his lordship Justice Samuel Walter Onnoghen’s leadership is second to none and he will protect the judiciary bearing in mind his antecedents especially the dissenting judgment against President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in the 2011 general election.

“We make bold to say nobody can buy the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court cannot be bought, and that the party has implicit confidence in the CJN, Onnoghen and his colleagues in the Supreme Court.

“We, therefore, advise Senator Makarfl and his co-travelers that their wishful judgment which they are parading will remain in the thrash can while the party is moving forward and preparing for its national convention,” said Ojougboh said.

But the Spokesman of the National Caretaker Committee has described the action of Sheriff and his team as mere blackmail tactics meant to unduly put pressure on the judiciary in order to do their bidding. “They did the same against the second panel for which the Supreme Court awarded costs of over N20 million against them and their lawyers,” Adeyeye noted.

Adeyeye also reacted to the declaration by Sheriff last Monday concerning his 2019 presidential ambition, and said he could not imagine Sheriff as PDP presidential candidate.

According to him, Sheriff as presidential candidate of PDP will signal a death sentence to the opposition party and a delight for the APC. “That’s as good as having your sparring partner as your opponent in a major bout,” he said.

While defending the composition of the Sheriff-led NWC, the courtrestored National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, said the leadership merely implemented the provision of the party’s constitution which states that where a principal officer of the party resigns, his position should be taken up by his deputy.

He added that though it was true that the Appeal Court ruled that the party should return to status quo but it did not ask that we should subvert the PDP constitution.

Explaining further, Oladipo said having formed quorum, the party’s NWC met and appointed persons to the vacant offices of Deputy National Chairman and National Publicity Secretary.

INEC Tasks RECs on Distribution of PVCs Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, has asked Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and the administrative officers to ensure that the process of of PVCs’ distribution was expedited.

He also said the commission would not allow distribution of the permanent voters cards by proxy.

Yakubu expressed concern over the slow distribution of the permanent voters cards during a meeting with state resident electoral commissioners and administrative officers in Abuja yesterday.

He had said in a meeting with the mediaonMondaythatthecommission had not distributed 7.8 million permanent voters cards from the 2015 elections and ordered immediate distribution of the uncollected PVCs. He challenged the RECS and the administrative officers to ensure that the process of of PVCs’ distribution was expedited.

He said: “There is the issue of uncollected PVCs and preparations for the forthcoming continuous voters registration exercise. In one of our meetings, on approach and update on the level of collection of PVCs,

what I received as of Monday last week is not very encouraging.

“Not much has been achieved since the last meeting. We would like to know before we can expedite the process. There would be no delivery of PVCs by proxy. It has to be delivered to the owner.”

He said the meeting was necessary for the commission to reflect on of the elections it had conducted in order to learn some

lessons from them.

He stated also that it was necessary for the commission to take a look at the preparations for the next major elections inAnambra and Osun States.

Yakubu stated also that commission still had three elections to conduct from the 2015 general election in Anambra Central senatorial district, a state constituency election in Delta and a federal constituency election in Katsina.

LOSS OF LANDED PROPERTY DOCUMENTS.

We, MR. AUGUSTINE OMOEFE IGBUKU and MRS. ABIGIAL EREZI IGBUKU both of No 6,Ogbabu Street, Shell residential area, Rumuokwurusi, Port Harcourt hereby inform the general public that the landed property title documents of ALL THAT piece or parcel of land lying and situate at OHIA APAMINI RUMUWOKEH in Rumuibekwe Town in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State of Nigeria measuring approximately 951.563 square in area bounded by survey beacon Nos SC/F 796,SC/F 797,SC/E 5933 and SC/E 5932 with survey plan No EO/RV024/2004 prepared and signed by Otoma Eric. C. a registered surveyor lost on transit. All efforts at finding the said documents proved abortive. The general public should therefore take note and if found, please kindly return to the above address.

39

13

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017

CONSTITUTION AND ELECTORAL REFORM COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENT The Presidential Committee on Constitution and Electoral Reform will hold a public hearing for the South West Zone in ABEOKUTA, Ogun State as follows: Date:

Wednesday, 22nd March 2017

Venue:

June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Time:

9am prompt.

Memoranda are expected from State Governments, State Assembly Members, Youth groups, women groups, political parties, professional bodies, Civil Society Organisations and academicians from the South West Zone (Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo States).

For more information contact the Committee Secretariat on: 08095502583/ 08069725453/ 08036111164 or email – cercsecretariat@gmail.com

Signed Sen. Ken Nnamani, GCON Chairman

Dr. Mamman Lawan Secretary

14

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017

COMMENT

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

FANTA, SPRITE AND THE COURT

L

Sonnie Ekwowusi writes that the regulatory agencies should be alive to their responsibilities

ast week the attention of the public was drawn to a judgment of the High Court of Lagos State declaring Coca Cola drinks called Fanta and Sprite as unfit for human consumption if taken alongside vitamin C. The judgment was the result of a public-interest litigation commenced by a certain Lagos businessman and his company against the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) PLC. In the judgment, the court, held, inter alia, that NAFDAC woefully failed the Nigerian public by declaring that Fanta and Sprite were fit for human consumption when in actual fact the tests carried out in the United Kingdom stated that both drinks are poisonous when consumed alongside vitamin C. Succinctly, the case of the businessman is that he purchased large quantities of Fanta and Sprite and other drinks from NBC in Nigeria for export to the United Kingdom. But when the consignment got to the United Kingdom, the health authorities there carried out their tests on the products and came out with findings which were later corroborated by other agencies in other European Union countries that the products contained excessive level of benzoic acid and sunset additives which are carcinogenic and dangerous to human health. Consequently, the Fanta and Sprite shipped to the United Kingdom by the businessman and his company were rejected and they incurred huge economic loss.

But in its defence, NBC denies that it was negligent. Although it admitted supplying Fanta and Sprite to the businessman it argues that it thought they were for local consumption more so when the businessman did not tell them he was going to export the Fanta and Sprite to the United Kingdom. In its aforesaid judgement, the court held, inter alia, that it is immaterial whether or not NBC was informed that the Fanta and Sprite were to be exported to the United Kingdom because what will kill a Nigerian will also kill a Briton. The court held further that NAFDAC was grossly irresponsible and grossly negligent in its regulatory duties by refraining from carrying out the requisite tests to determine whether Fanta and Sprite were fit for human consumption.

Additionally, the court ordered NAFDAC to within 90 days compel the NBC to include on all bottles of Fanta and Sprite manufactured by NBC a warning clause to the effect that Fanta and Sprite can be dangerous to health when consumed alongside vitamin C. While the news of the aforesaid court judgment was making its round last week, the NBC issued a statement stating that it is untrue that its Fanta and Sprite could be poisonous when consumed with vitamin C. Not long after that, the federal government issued a statement stating that, after the meeting between the Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in Abuja, the federal government came to the conclusion that Fanta and Sprite were fit for consumption. Mrs Boade Akinola of the Federal Ministry of Health who spoke on behalf of the government first made reference to the High Court judgment and came out with her verdict that Fanta and Sprite are now fit for consumption in Nigeria.

Is the NBC and Federal Ministry of Health contemptuously overruling the Lagos High Court which after sifting evidence and seeing and examining the witnesses who testified before it had delivered its judgment that Fanta and Sprite are unfit for human consumption when taken alongside vitamin C? Granted, NBC has appealed against the judgment at the Court of Appeal. It has also filed a Motion on Notice for a stay of execution of the judgment. But neither the NBC nor the Federal Ministry of Health is a Court of Appeal capable of upturning the judgement of the Lagos High Court. It is well-settled that the rule of law

THE JUDGMENT OF THE LAGOS HIGH COURT SERVES AS A WARNING TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ON THE HEALTH HAZARD IN TAKING DRINKS THAT ARE UNFIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION

is the bulwark of our constitutional democracy. Contempt for the court is contempt for the rule of law. And contempt for the rule of law is a recipe for anarchy.

The consumers in Nigeria are at the mercy of cheats, swindlers and fake-product peddlers. This is because the regulatory agencies such as NAFDAC, SON, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), National Film & Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and others are not keen in performing their duties. The NBC is notorious for failing the consumers. You will recall that a couple of years ago, the federal government dragged the Nigerian Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited to court over failure to comply with orders of the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) in respect of a consumer complaint regarding two half-empty cans of Sprite manufactured by Nigerian Bottling Company Limited under the licence and authority of Coca Cola Nigeria Limited. What a pity! The consumer ought to wield great power in the market. In my “A� Level Economics we studied the sovereignty of buyers in the market. Our teacher taught us that a consumer is a king in the market. But not so in the Nigerian market. In the Nigerian market, the consumer is an exploited slave. That is why the Nigerian market is littered with all sorts of fakeries and adulterated products. I gather that 60% of the vehicle tyres used in Nigeria are substandard tyres that greatly contribute to ghastly accidents on our highways. I am also reliably informed that some Chinese tyre manufacturing firms, in conspiracy with some unscrupulous Nigerian businessmen, are importing deformed and substandard vehicle tyres to the Nigerian market. Little wonder that Nigeria is ranked second in road accidents among 193 countries in the world. Last Wednesday on this page I sadly narrated how some patients who successfully underwent heart surgeries sponsored by Nwankwo Kanu in Nigeria a couple of years ago still died because they took some drugs which happened to be fake. So, Nigeria is filled up with fake drinks, fake tyres, fake drugs, fake juice, fake everything because the regulatory agencies shirk their statutory regulatory functions. For example, the APCON code clearly states that every condom advert in Nigeria must carry a warning clause that condoms are not 100 per cent effective; nevertheless condoms are advertised in Nigeria without such a warning clause.

The Inspiration FM Radio Station, for example, has been advertising condoms every Tuesday without such a warning clause and has been getting away with it. The on-going Big Brother Nigeria TV Reality Show clearly violates the National Broadcasting Commission codes yet the regulatory agency has refused to stop the airing of the show of shame. So, we are in a complete mess in Nigeria.

The principle established in the old English case of Donoghue V Stevenson and applied by the Nigerian Supreme Court in the case of Edward Okewjiminor & ors V G. Gbakrji & Others still applies today that a manufacturer of good or a provider of a service or an advertiser of a product or producer of a programme owes a duty of care to the ultimate consumer to ensure that the good, service, product or programme are not harmful to the public.

The judgment of the Lagos High Court serves as a warning to members of the public on the health hazard in taking drinks that are unfit for human consumption. Faced with the warning, members of the public have taken their respective decisions. It is unlikely that any NBC or federal government counter-statement or counter-propaganda would reverse those decisions. After all, members of the public are not fools.

A SUITABLE BOX TO TICK

I

n about one year from now, the tenure of the incumbent governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayo Fayose would be drawing to a close.

It would therefore not be out of place to note that the governorship seat of this very enlightened state would be up for grabs by any of the gubernatorial contenders that presently parade its political landscape.

There is no gainsaying the fact that the governorship race would be a straight fight between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which is the ruling party in the state and All Progressives Congress (APC) which calls the shots in Abuja.

By their individual profiles, these two parties are the most dominant, visible and viable. Any other parties claiming to be in the race can only be seen to be pretenders.

Political analysts are of the firm view that the competition for the gubernatorial tickets of each of the two parties would be very stiff and tough because it is given that whoever picks the ticket of any of the two parties is very much closer to clinching the coveted gubernatorial prize.

The incumbent governor who has been the arrow head of the opposition to President Muhammadu Buhari and ruling APC is going to fight tooth and nail to install his own successor.

It has become the norm in Nigeria. But whether he would succeed or not is a different matter all together.

But with what happened recently in the neighbouring Ondo State, where the governor

Charles Ojo highlights the Kayode Fayemi factor in Ekiti politics of the PDP-controlled State failed to install a successor, it is without doubt that Fayose is going to have a rough time especially when the armada of federal forces are arrayed against him.

It is against this background that political analysts are watching with keen interest to know the unfolding political configurations in the APC. Of all the aspirants known and unknown, that have indicated intention to seek the guber ticket of the party, Dr. Kayode Fayemi is seen as the man to beat.

He is currently the Minister of Solid Minerals and Steel Development in the cabinet of President Buhari. He is highly respected and enjoys wide acceptability in the state, having served in the immediate past dispensation as the executive governor of the state. He lost in his re-election bid to Fayose in 2014 in circumstances that were very controversial.

As a good democrat, he accepted the outcome of the election and decided to forge ahead with his life. That singular act endeared him the more to a lot of Ekiti people and Nigerians in general who saw in him a cultured democrat and refined intellectual whose overriding consideration is the peace and development of Ekiti. From every indication and given what has transpired in the state since he left office, it could be stated without any sense of equivocation that Fayemi was ahead of his time.

Since he left office, a vast majority of Ekiti people have come to appreciate him as a visionary leader who has the interest of Ekiti uppermost in his

mind. They are therefore very eager to return him again to the Government House, Ado Ekiti.

Fayemi stands a better chance of picking the APC ticket than any other contender because of several factors which include his notable achievements as a governor and minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is rated as one of the high fliers in the Buhari cabinet. He is also one of the leading political strategists within the party. And above every other thing, he enjoys the confidence of the president who had in recent times given him some sensitive assignments on which he discharged and acquitted himself creditably.

For those who may not know, Fayemi was the arrow head of the federal forces that delivered the APC candidate in Ondo State, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu as the Governor-elect in the November, 2016 governorship election. He is very unassuming, pragmatic and effective.

As a cerebral intellectual and strategist within the power vortex of the APC, he enjoys tremendous confidence of the party leadership.

It is not surprising, therefore, that he has often been singled out and saddled with strategic party assignments.

From all indications, he is expected to pick the gubernatorial ticket of the APC for a battle royale with whoever Fayose may decide to field in the election. The major contenders in the PDP who are speculated to be gunning seriously for the ticket are Chief Dayo Adeyeye, former Minister of State for Works under the Jonathan administra-

tion; Senator Biodun Olujimi and Chief Abiodun Aluko, a former deputy governor in the State.

Barring any last minute emergence of a dark horse, Adeyeye, Olujimi, Aluko or Chief Eleka, the current deputy governor is likely to emerge on the platform of the PDP to face Fayemi. The problem that may confront each of them is the Fayose baggage. Fayose has made so many enemies for himself and the state. The big gorge existing between him and the Presidency is well known to all perceptive political observers. This obvious political disadvantage will definitely rub off on whoever becomes the PDP standard-bearer.

Apart from the deepening disaffection between Fayose and the Presidency, the unstable character of Fayose`s politics would also affect the chances of the PDP candidate in the final analysis.

Another meaningful point that would count during the election is the desire of the majority of Ekiti people to play at the centre and not at the periphery. Playing at the periphery in Nigerian politics does not guarantee the dividends of democracy. Rather, a closer connection to the centre is what opens the door for a fair share of the dividends of democracy.

Fayemi`s strategic location at the centre is seen as a major advantage as it is sure to guarantee the people of Ekiti State meaningful representation in Abuja. Many political analysts are of the view that if he is elected, Ekiti would get its own fair share of national cake. Only time will decide.

Ojo wrote from Ado-Ekiti

15

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017

EDITORIAL APO SIX: LESSONS FROM A TRAGEDY The police should work within the law

A

fter a trial that lasted for almost a decade, Justice Ishaq Bello, who also doubles as the Chief Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, recently delivered judgment in the case filed against six police men. They were charged for the extra-judicial killing of five young auto-spare parts dealers in Apo, a satellite town in Abuja, and a young woman, on the night of June 7, 2005. Two of the police personnel, Ezekiel Acheneje and Baba Emmanuel, were found guilty for their roles in the murder of two of the victims, Anthony Nwokike and Augustina Arebun and were accordingly sentenced to death.

However, the families of the deceased traders have since raised dust about the judgment and the acquittal of Deputy Commissioner of Police, Danjuma Ibrahim, who was believed to be the leader of the gang and had been indicted by previous investigations, including the police authorities. But given the twists and turns in the unfortunate saga that claimed the lives of the six innocent citizens who APART FROM ADOPTING were returning from A DISCRIMINATORY BAIL a night club when POLICY, THERE WAS NO they were stopped at a REASON FOR THE TRIAL TO police checkpoint, we LAST FOR 10 LONG YEARS are not surprised that the trial ended this way.

Indeed, it took public condemnation, outrage and protests before the federal government under President Olusegun Obasanjo could take a decision to look into the killings. First, a police probe panel chaired by then Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Mr. Mike Okiro found the six policemen culpable and recommended their immediate dismissal. Similarly, a judicial panel of inquiry established by the federal government against the backlash of protests resulting from the killings, chaired by Justice Olasumbo Goodluck, asked the government to tender a public apology and pay a N3 million compensation to each of the deceased families.

Letters to the Editor

T

The federal government has since complied with those recommendations.

More instructively, the judicial panel established that the account given by the police was false. The police had claimed that the victims, aged between 21 and 25 years, were members of an armed robbery gang that had opened fire on the officers when accosted at the checkpoint. The panel also recommended the six policemen, including two officers for trial. Those indicted were Danjuma Ibrahim, Othman Abdulsalami (said to be at large), Nicholas Zakaria, Ezekiel Acheneje, Baba Emmanuel, and Sadiq Salami. Only two were eventually convicted based on their confessional statements which they attempted to recount. Three others, including Danjuma Ibrahim were set free, discharged and acquitted by the court for want of evidence while one remains at large.

T H I S DAY

EDITOR IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU DEPUTY EDITORS BOlAJI ADEBIYI, JOSEpH USHIGIAlE MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOlA BEllO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOlAfE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OlUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN

T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D

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

H

owever, the manner the trial was conducted has since raised serious questions touching on the credibility of the justice system in Nigeria.

Apart from adopting a discriminatory bail policy, there was no reason for the trial to last for 10 long years. The trial suffered from countless adjournments mostly on frivolous grounds. The fact that there was a conclusion was because of sustained public interest in the matter.

While we once again commiserate with the families of the murdered citizens, we hope lessons have been learnt. There is no justification in the law for these despicable acts of violence and intimidation against ordinary law-abiding citizens. Unfortunately, reminding some of our police personnel of these fundamental guarantees is sometimes an invitation to be visited with more brutality. Strident attempts have been made to draw attention to these atrocities, bordering on outrageous violations of the constitutional rights of citizens. And yet, they still go on almost every day.

All said, we hope that the police authorities will learn some lessons from the Apo six tragedies and begin to inculcate in their officers and men that they are law enforcement agents and not licensed thugs. Even when they are manning roadblocks!

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

INEC AND ANAMBRA CENTRAL RERUN ELECTION

he delayed Anambra Central senatorial rerun election has, no doubt, become an issue of great concern to most discerning Nigerians who believe that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) no longer has reason to continue to put the exercise on hold.

After the Supreme Court pronouncement of February 10, 2017 that Court of Appeal decision on National Assembly election matters is final, it is expected that by now INEC would have done the needful and fixed a date for the rerun poll.

In the judgment delivered by the apex court, following the appeal brought by Mrs. Uche Ekwunife whose election as senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District was quashed by the Appellate Court, Justice Amina Augie said: “Looking closely at the wordings of Section 246 (3), it is clear that the decision of the court of appeal is final. This court is completely bereft of jurisdiction to entertain the appeal.

Once the court of appeal delivers its judgment on a National Assembly Election Petition appeal, the judgment becomes final.

For the umpteenth time, the constitution does not approve of the apex court to entertain this appeal no matter how cleverly it has been framed.”

INEC was about to conduct the Anambra Central rerun poll on March 5, 2016, but suddenly postponed the exercise indefinitely after a Federal High Court in Abuja presided over

by Justice Anwuli Chikere ordered it to include the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The judge was reported to have

directed PDP to replace its candidate, Ekwunife, who had at that time defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) following the nullification of her election based on invalid sponsorship by the PDP in the March 28, 2015 poll.

The electoral body, knowing full well that Chikere’s ruling in favour of PDP was against the verdict of the court of appeal which disqualified PDP candidate and barred the party from participating, suspended the conduct of the rerun and appealed the judgment. The electoral umpire was insistent that fresh candidates are not allowed in a court-ordered rerun poll, anchoring its position on a decided case between Labour Party and INEC by Supreme Court since February 13, 2009.

A year after her contentious judgment that gave rise to the series of litigations responsible for the unnecessary delay in the conduct of Anambra Central rerun, Justice Chikere, recently, dismissed a suit brought by Sharon Ikeazor seeking to compel INEC to accept her as a substitute to Dr. Chris Ngige. Ngige, the current Minister of Labour and Employment was the candidate of APC for the annulled election. He had said he was not interested in partaking in the rerun. Ikeazor was picked by APC to replace him.

Ruling on the Ikeazor’s suit, Justice Chikere held that the time for political parties to nominate candidates for the 2015 elections had expired. According to her, “The time for the nomination, withdrawal or substitution of candidates for the court-ordered election in Anambra Central senatorial district has elapsed.” Therefore, as it stands, APC can only participate

in the rerun if Ngige decides to contest. As for PDP, the party has been completely knocked out of the race by the December 7, 2015 verdict of the Enugu Court of Appeal duly affirmed by the highest court in the land.

In his reaction to Chikere’s latest judgment barring Ikeazor as APC candidate, the standard-bearer of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, who is obviously the frontrunner in the Anambra Central rerun contest said: “INEC has nothing holding it anymore from going ahead to conduct the Anambra Central senatorial election going by the judgment by the Federal High Court Abuja which dismissed the suit by Sharon Ikeazor seeking to compel INEC to accept her as a substitute to Ngige for Anambra Central rerun election which is consistent with the law and the firm position of INEC on the matter all along… So there is no other case that INEC can wait for before fixing the date of the election. The status of the APC has been defined by the court judgment y as there is no change of candidate permissible in the fresh election.

So the position now is that 14 out of 15 political parties that took part in the March 28, 2015 election with their previously nominated candidates are qualified to go for the re-run election.

Only PDP is out of the election by the combined effects of the Court of Appeal judgments of December 7, 2015, the Supreme Court judgment of February 10, 2017 on the Anambra Central senatorial poll and the Supreme Court judgement of February 13, 2009 between Labour Party and INEC.” Michael Jegede, Abuja

16

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017

17

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017

IMPORTANT PUBLIC NOTICE The Delta State Government wishes to notify all land title holders in the State, including but not limited to Statutory Rights of Occupancy (SRO), Customary Right of Occupancy (CRO) and Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) to pay all their outstanding Ground Rent liabilities on or before 30th June, 2017.

In recognition of the current economic situation, His Excellency, Sen. Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has graciously waived all Ground Rent liabilities outstanding before 2011.

We hereby call on all land title holders to take advantage of this magnanimous offer and pay all outstanding Ground Rent liabilities from 2011 to date within the 90-day window, starting from April 01, 2017. Failure to comply shall lead to sanctions, including but not limited to revocation of existing land titles.

All payments should be made into the Delta State Spatial Decision Support Accounts in the under listed banks.

S/N BANK

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

DTSG SDSS A/C

S/N BANK

7.

Delta Building Society (DBS MFB) 1556004135 Heritage Bank Limited

5900004315

FCMB

3765030012

Fidelity Bank PLC

5030067132

First Bank PLC

2030512915

Guaranty Trust Bank

0219567285

8.

9.

DTSG SDSS A/C

United Bank For Africa

1019511666

Union Bank

0050085212

Unity Bank

0025702666

10. Wema Bank 11. Zenith Bank PLC ( SDSS) 12. Access Bank

0122601127 1014666792 0710011916

Evidence of payment should be supported by an e-ticket and presented to the Delta State Committee on Ground Rent for the onward processing of the Ground Rent receipt. Please note that any payment outside the listed banks’ accounts will not be receipted.

For further enquiries, please call: • Olorogun David Edevbie (0906 938 7238) Commissioner for Finance & Chairman, Delta State Committee on Ground Rent • Dr. Frank Nwugo Esq. (0906 953 9410) Committee Secretary & Executive Assistant to the Governor on Revenue Matters • Hot line 0813 983 0004 • Email: info@groundrentdelta.com SIGNED

DELTA STATE COMMITTEE ON GROUND RENT

18

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

MIDWEEKPOLITICS

Group Politics Editor Tobi Soniyi Email tobi.soniyi@thisdaylive.com 08033146139 SMS ONLY

THE NEWSMAKER

As Bello Reins in Criminals

That Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, received an award from the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris as the best governor in the area of security attests to his commitment to reducing crime to the barest minimum in his state, Yekini Jimoh writes

S

ome few years back, Kogi State was renowned as a crime prone state. Successive governments in the state have had so much to do to curtail crime and violence.

But more recently, the state started facing serious security challenges as a result of increasing cases of kidnapping.

Many innocent people are being kidnapped for ransom and their families traumatised.

Before Governor Yahaya Bello’s emergence as governor, the state has been witnessing series of kidnapping, robberies and murders.

The governor’s 98 years old mother was also a victim. She was whisked away by unknown gunmen. Some undisclosed amount of money was alleged to have been paid as ransom before she was released by her abductors. However, the incident took place before Bello ever thought of becoming the governor of Kogi State.

But in recent years, the list of kidnap victims maintained an astronomical progression with those fortunate to escape with their lives telling the tales of horror.

In 2014, a former staff of Federal Radio Corporation - a retiree who later became a traditional ruler, Chief Ameh Edime was kidnapped in his house in Egume and killed.

In 2015, Reverend Phyllis Sortor an American Missionary, the Free Methodist Church in Seattle, United States of America who runs a missionary school in Emi-Woro in Ajaokuta local government council of the state was abducted by some kidnappers but later released after much pressure from the United States’ Embassy.

Also, a former Commissioner For Land and Housing during the administration of former governor Idris Wada, Mr. Steven Maiyaki was kidnapped on his way to his farm in Osara. Again, Justice Samuel Obayomi of Ebogogo High Court in Adavi was Kidnapped while his orderly, Corporal Usman Musa was killed.

A Judge of the Upper Area Court in Idah, Mr Timothy Salihu and a retired Inspector of Area Court, Mr Aliyu Okeme were also abducted at gun point but later released after undisclosed amount of money was allegedly paid.

Justice Siaka Momoh-Jimoh Usman of the Customary Court of Appeal, Lokoja was abducted and his police orderly, Corporal Tijani Mohammed was murdered.

As a result of this high level of insecurity, Governor Yahaya Bello then sought federal government’s intervention in order to deal with the situation.

Within a short period of his administration he procured over 150 operation vehicles, motorcycles and other security gadgets for all the security agencies in the state.

Not only that, vigilante groups were not left out. He also empowered them in their various communities across all the 21 local government councils.

Through the intervention of the federal government, helicopter was provided for the police for aerial surveillance and this has greatly helped in arresting many kidnappers from their various hideouts in the state by the security joint task force.

Today, Bello’s effort in tackling insecurity in the state is already yielding results as a result of various security management tactics adopted by his security team.

It was in recognition of the successes recorded in securing the state that the award on security was bestowed on him by IGP Idris.

Bello receiving Idris’s award...an honour well deserved

During the event that took place at the International Conference Center, Abuja, the police boss noted that the award was in recognition of the governor’s fight against

It was in recognition of the successes recorded in securing the state that the award on security was bestowed on Governor Bello by IGP Idris...the police boss noted that the award is in recognition of the governor’s fight against terrorism and all other forms of criminality

terrorism and all other forms of criminality in the state.

Part of this effort is procurement of over 100 vehicles to security agents in the state.

There is no doubt that relevant security outfits are not oblivious of the security challenges confronting the state and they are showing more than passing readiness to collaborate with the state in flushing out criminal elements.

The Chief of Army Staff, Major General Tukur Buratai was in the state late last year and he indicated that more troops would be sent to Kogi State to flush out criminals, having provided all the necessary assistance to the police. IG Idris also ordered the immediate deployment of a Special Strike Force to Kogi State to fight criminal elements.

The governor on the other hand has said that his priority is to fight crime in the state, saying that when there is no security, investors will not like to invest in the state.

Speaking during the Army Remembrance Day in Lokoja, the state capital, Bello said that his administration would not give room to miscreants or hoodlums to terrorise the state.

According to him, his administration was committed to improving the living standard of the people of the state and that was one of the reasons he has been relentless in providing needed support to security agencies in the state.

He commended all the security agencies in the state stressing that with their cooperations crime has been reduced drastically.

“My administration will not rest on its oars until hoodlums and miscreants making life unbearable for citizens are flushed out of the state” the governor further assured the people at the event.

He underscored the fact that no society could thrive in its development drive without providing adequate security.

Some security conscious residents of Lokoja, who spoke with THISDAY commended the governor on his stand against crime in the state.

According to them, the level the governor has gone by providing equipment to the security agents in the state is an indication that sooner than later Kogi State will be crime free. They, however, appealed to the governor not to relax.

19

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

UPDATE&TRENDING

MIDWEEKPOLITICS

Anambra Governorship: The Battle for Endorsement As the November 18 Anambra State governorship election draws near, David Chyddy-Eleke examines how the desire for endorsements is shaping the race

I

n Anambra state today, the professionals, traders, students, youth groups and communities have become kingmakers in the run-up towards the state’s governorship election as they all have been adopting and endorsing candidates whom they favour to win in the forthcoming election.

So far, the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano who is also in the race seems to be leading in the number of endorsement garnered so far.

The governor has been endorsed by several communities in the state for what they describe as his good work which they insist speaks for itself.

Last September, Monarchs from all the 45 communities in the Old Aguata Union which consists of four local government areas announced their support for the Governor in his quest for a second term in office. The monarchs, on behalf of their communities and people declared their support for Obiano at a mega rally convened for the purpose.

Chief Titus Anigbogu, the convener of the endorsement rally which was held at Ekwulobia township stadium said the move was consequent up the harmony that has existed in Anambra state in the sharing of political offices, under the governor. Which he said was unprecedented.

While reading the endorsement text, which was approved by the 45 monarchs, Anigbogu said, “Whereas Anambra South did two tenures

by Dr Ezeife and Dr Mbadinuju, and the central has done two tenures by Dr Ngige and Mr Peter Obi, it will only be fair and equitable to allow Anambra North, represented by the incumbent governor to go for a second term.

This will give the people of the area a sense of belonging. This is even so as the governor has done well in the areas of security and the payment of salaries.” Anigbogu stressed.

Several other speakers who spoke also lent their voices to why they support the endorsement and support Obiano to continue to be governor of the state beyond his first term in office. Former governor of Anambra state, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife who was the chairman of the occasion praised the people of Old Aguata Union for thinking it wise to come together and show support to the governor who is doing a wonderful work in the state. Ezeife said Anambra is a flagship state in the south east, and that Governor Obiano should not relent in organising steady meetings for governors of the region so as to present a front for the tackling of common problems.

The event which was capped by the conferment of a chieftaincy title on the Governor by the monarchs to buttress their adoption saw the presentation of a staff of recognition. The governor was honoured with the title of Agunechemba 1 of Aguata, a title which, translated into English language means; the lion that guard the towns of Aguata.

The obviously elated Obiano could not hold back his happiness as he took to the stage to address the people of the area who had turned up in their number to support him. He praised the people of the area and their monarchs for the endorsement, saying it will spur him to continue to work for the development of the area.

But in what seems a counter endorsement deal, the same Old Aguata Union (OAU) with all its 45 communities have also endorsed another aspirant for the governorship seat of the state, Chief Godwin Ezeemo. The endorsement which was held at Neros Stadium, Nanka also had the trappings of a high caliber event, with notable personalities from the area in attendance.

The 45 communities of Aguata in a dramatic move also endorsed the candidature of Godwin Ezeemo. The people said that it became necessary to take the action because they had been king makers in state’s politics without making one of their own king. They vowed that this time they would unite behind one of their own sons to win the governorship election in the state. Ezeemo hails from Umuchu in the same Aguata area.

The event was kicked off by an interdenominational church service organized by a group, ‘Odinma O.A.U. Forum’ where the people led by their traditional rulers, the clergy and Presidents-General of the 45 communities sought

Obiano ....first to secure Aguata endorsement

Ezeemo....also laying claim to same endorsement

God’s intercession on their behalf and grant them their heart’s desire of producing the governor of Anambra State. The chairman and secretary of the organizing committee of the event, Prince Joe Emenike and Hon. Dan-Chibo Umeh, had earlier in their address, lamented the inability of OAU people to be in the power corridors

With both events over, the controversy now is who among the two aspirants to the position of the governor of the state is the rightful one endorsed by the people of the area?

despite their huge potentials.

“We have been plunged into slavery from which we are yet to regain freedom, otherwise why are we in the habit of holding the ladder for other zones to climb to power only to turn around and grumble that we are kicked out and side-lined?” They wondered. The group went further to list some of Nigeria’s leading names who hail from the area to include former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme; the late industrialist, Chief Mathias Ugochukwu; former Governor of Central Bank, Professor Charles Soludo; former Governor Chukwuemeka Ezeife; Senator Andy Ubah and his brother Chris; the Catholic Bishop of Awka, Most Rev. Dr. Paulinus Ezeokafor; Bishop of Ahiara Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Peter Okpaleke; Anglican Bishops of Ogbaru, Most Rev, Dr, Chukwudi Ezeofor and his counterpart at Amichi, Rt. Rev. Ephraim Ikeakor, among others.

Mr. Clement Onyemobi, chairman, Movement For Greater Anambra State (MOFGAS), in Aguata

Local Council, moved a motion for Ezeemo to be adopted as OAU’s sole candidate in the 2017 governorship election, while Mr. Emeli Vincent and Prince Joe Emenike, moved same motion for Orumba South and North and thereafter Ezeemo’s hands were raised and he was taken round the arena in jubilation.

An elated Ezeemo like Obiano after his own endorsement, while speaking with journalists, said every zone in Anambra State has had its turn in the governance of the state which meant that Government House had become vacant and should be filled by someone from any zone, most preferably from Aguata.

Said he: “Right now the people of Old Aguata Union have made a choice. There are a couple of us in the race from Old Aguata and if they decided that it is me, who am I to say no? I will give myself willingly to serve the people in the best way nobody has ever served the state. I will do the very best and make sure that we regenerate the state to take its place in the committee of states as the light of the nation.”

With both events over, the controversy now is who among the two aspirants to the position of the governor of the state is the rightful one endorsed by the people of the area? Mr. Edwin Ezeuzor, a political analyst told THISDAY that both endorsements can best be described as charades, which were simply meant to swindle the aspirants of their money. He said endorsements do not necessarily determine who the people vote for as a day to election is enough to change the mind of an individual voter. He added that he will not be surprised if in the build up to the election other aspirants emerge even after primaries would have been conducted in some parties with endorsement galore coming from every angles.

But Chief Titus Anigbogu, the convener of the first rally that endorsed Obiano in a telephone chat condemned the later endorsement of Chief Ezeemo. He said what the organizers of the event had done was merely an interdenominational service, but the presence of Chief Ezeemo, who is a governorship aspirant, may have swayed the gathering into turning it into and endorsement rally.

“What they did is of no effect. You saw the number of people that attended our endorsement rally for Obiano and the caliber of people that came. Theirs was just a group, they called it Odimma OAU, but ours was the entire OAU, which was attended by all the pillars of the area, the monarchs and the communities. We still stand by that endorsement for the governor, and I can tell you that nothing has changed.”

Engr Chris Osisioma, one of the founders of Odimma OAU, the group that held the later endorsement for Chief Ezeemo does not share the same view. He said that the endorsement of Chief Ezeemo, who is also from the area, invalidates the earlier endorsement of Governor Obiano.

“What is special about this endorsement is that the 45 communities of old Aguata and their monarchs were involved, and the clergy too. We had to consult and arrive at this decision. We cannot have our son who is credible running for governor, and we leave him to go to endorse other people. We want to produce the governor, instead of going to look for other people from other places to endorse. This endorsement of Ezeemo supersedes the previous one,” He said.

The duo of Obiano and Ezeemo can at best be described as candidates of their respective parties.

While Obiano, the governor of Anambra State is of the All Progressives Grand Allaince(APGA), where he is also the leader, chairman Board of Trustees, Ezeemo is of the Progressive Peoples Alliance(PPA), where he could also at best be described as the sole financier of the party. In APGA, the party has shut out other aspirants for Obiano, citing his good work in the state as reason, while in PPA, Ezeemo may likely contest as the sole candidate, being the alter ego of the party since its founder dumped it years ago. But the big question is; which of the two will get the vote of Aguata people, which is, besides Idemili, considered to be the federal constituency with the largest number of voters in the state? Only time will tell.

20

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017, • T H I S D AY

FEATURES

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

Kebbi’s Rice Revolution The emergence of a 100,000 metric tonne rice mill in Argungu, Kebbi State, is set to make Nigeriaself-sustainableinriceproduction.Solomon Elusoji whotouredthefacility,reports

L-R: President Buhari, Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Bagudu, CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, during the flag off of dry season farming in Kebbi in 2016

S

ometime in June, 2016, President Muhammadu Buhari, in a Ramadan meeting with members of the business community, announced that his administration would make the country self-sufficient in rice production within 18 months. The President was piqued that the country was still importing its number one staple food in the face of a foreign exchange crisis. Nigeria, Africa’s largest consumer of rice, devours about six million metric tonnes of rice annually, but half of that volume is mostly imported from India, Thailand and Brazil.

Several months down the line, the President’s promise has been buoyed by the emergence of a 100,000 metric tonne capacity Wacot Rice Mill in Argungu, Kebbi State. It’s the first rice mill project to be executed and completed during the Buhari administration and its ambitions are staggering.

Rice mills dot the country, but the world-class posture of Wacot’s will set it apart. Occupying 10 hectares of land, it cost 10 billion naira to build.

It has about 10 silos with the capacity to store 18,000 tonnes of rice paddy and warehouses for storing an additional 12,000 tonnes of rice paddy. The mill is stocked with machines from world renowned machinery suppliers like Buhler, Petkus, SKF, Thermax and Silos Cordoba and includes a fully equipped lab to test all parametres for ensuring consistent quality of its rice products.

The Rice Mill has also been built with the economics of the environment in mind.

It will generate electricity from husk (the

hard protecting coverings of grains of rice), thereby ensuring that all by-products from the processing are well-utilised. It will generate 1 MW of electricity via turbines to reduce dependence on the national grid. It also has a fully equipped water treatment plant that takes care of its liquid waste before they are discharged into the community, where they can be safely used for irrigation.

The mill is managed by Mr. Amit Gupta, an Indian business manager with eyes for detail, who believes that Nigerian is an “amazing”

Although rice has always been grown in Argungu, it has not always been commercially viable. In the past, a 100kg bag of rice cost between 3,000 to 4,000 naira.The farmers did it just to feed their family. But within the past two to three years, it started to become profitable. Now, directors of companies are closing their offices and going to the farm

place to work and live. He acknowledges that the mill is an important project, but he is more focused on working with local farmers to increase their rice yield. “The mill is the more visible parts of our initiatives,” he said, “but what we are really excited about as a company is the work that we do with farmers on the ground.”

The mill’s parent company, Wacot (West African Cotton Ltd, a subsidiary of the TGI Group), has successfully worked with Nigerian farmers for decades. It was the first company to do an Out Growers Model and Farmers Assistance Scheme with cotton farmers in Katsina. The success of those programmes has helped the company to become one of the largest producers and exporters of cotton in West Africa. Wacot has its ginnery (Continental Eagle) in Funtua, Kastina State and has a capacity for over 50,000 metric tons of seed cotton per season.

Now, the company is extending its expertise to increasing yields among rice farmers in Argungu and beyond, since more farmers need to increase their yield if the country is to meet its self-sufficiency target. Although the building of the mill only started in February 2016, since 2013, Wacot has been engaging with farmers via two training schemes: the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and the Yield Enhancement Techniques (YET). The company has worked with over 4,000 farmers and distributed inputs – high quality seeds, fertilisers, agro-chemicals – worth 144 million naira.

“We did it because we felt there is a value

chain where we can participate in, where we can grow with the country, and then over a period of time the value appropriation will come automatically,” Gupta said. “Sometimes you don’t enter a business to make money, you enter a business because the industry is growing and you can be a key player in ensuring the growth and the well being of the industry. Automatically, by virtue of being the first mover, you will get certain benefits later on.”

The choice of Argungu as the site of a Rice Mill is not a random one. To the people of the community, rice farming is like a second nature. “When I was a child, I did not know that human beings eat anything other than rice,” a retired Justice of the Supreme Court who is now the Chairman of a rice farmers association in Kebbi State, Justice Uthman Mohammed, told THISDAY at his residence in Argungu.

Although rice has always been grown in Argungu, it has not always been commercially viable. In the past, a 100kg bag of rice cost between 3,000 to 4,000 naira. The farmers did it just to feed their family. But within the past two to three years, it started to become profitable. Now, directors of companies are closing their offices and going to the farm.

“We were not getting value for the kind of effort we put into the work,” Mohammed said. However, last year, the retired judge, who produces around 1,000 bags of rice paddy a year on his farm, sold a bag for 10,000 naira.

“Most of the young men in the community are now into farming of rice,” he said.

21

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017, • T H I S D AY

FEATURES

The Rice Mill

Some of the silos

Farmers working on a rice farm

The economic incentive has urged farmers, not just in Argungu, but all over Kebbi, to double their yields. In 2017, the state is set to produce about two million metric tonnes of rice paddy. “Very soon we shall be exporting rice,” the retired judge said.

This explains the enthusiasm that has enveloped farmers in Argungu on the emergence of the Wacot Rice Mill. “Before the mill, we used to get the rice to the market and then it will be taken far-away,” Mohammed said.

“So when we learnt about the rice mill, you cannot explain the happiness of the people.

Now we have no problems of getting buyers and it will encourage us to feed the mill. We have told the farmers, now grow more rice. We are very delighted that a mill has come here.”

Another stakeholder who is delighted at the

presence of the mill is the Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Samaila Mohammadu Mera. “The most

So when we learnt about the rice mill, you cannot explain the happiness of the people. Now we have no problems of getting buyers and it will encourage us to feed the mill. We have told the farmers, now grow more rice. We are very delighted that a mill has come here

important thing to a farmer is an available market for his product,” he told THISDAY. “With Wacot around, we have that. We are guaranteed good prices for what we produce.

The future is big and bright and we have a responsibility to ensure that the company is sustained.”

The community is also witnessing an economic transformation; more jobs are flowing in (the mill alone will provide direct and indirect employment for 3,500 people), new businesses are being built around the mill and there’s a bubbly sense of optimism in the air. Wacot has also completed several humanitarian projects in the community. They’ve renovated a school and a hospital and have organised health camps with free consultation and medicines to over 1,000 farmers. “We’ve always had the aspiration

to implement positive change,” Gupta said.

Now, attaining self-sustainability in rice production is only a matter of time as different states in the country have prioritised increasing paddy yield. The partial ban on the importation of the product and dollar scarcity has raised the prices of foreign rice, turning the head of consumers towards their local substitutes. But Wacot is bent on not just being a substitute.

“We want to change the perception that Nigerian rice is inferior to Thai rice; it’s not,” Gupta said. “It might be slightly shorter, but in terms of polish, safety parametres and ability to give nutrition to the body, it is top-of-the-line.

When people buy our bag of rice, they will also be buying in assurance that what they want to consume is best in terms of food standard, health standard and safety standard.”

22

IMAGES

THISDAY •WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017

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

L-R; Executive Director, Babatunde Fajemirokun; Managing Director, Edwin Igbiti and Head, Retail Business, Sola Ajayi, all of AIICO Insurance Plc during the Company’s press briefing on an alleged unethical activities reported by the media at its corporate head office in Lagos on Monday. abiodun ajala

L-R; Ogun State Commissioner for Commerce and industry, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru; Special Adviser to Presdent/ CEO Dangote Group, Engr Joseph Makoju and Minister of mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi; during the Minister’s tour of the Dangote Cement’s limestone mining site in Ibese, Ogun State….recently

L-R; Group Managing Director, Multitek Group, Osa- Peters Ihevba; Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Rahul De; Managing Director, Garmin Sub Sahara Africa, Jennifer Van Niekerk; and Business Development Manager, Garmin West Africa, Mike Clarke during the official announcement of the MTN /Garmin Partnership in Lagos... recently

L-R: Senior Manager, Products and Proposition Development, MTN Nigeria, Aisha Umar Mumuni; General Manager, Brands and Communications, MTN Nigeria, Richard Iweanoge and veteran comedian, Ali Baba, at the launch of a first-of-its kind comedy platform, Comedy+ iin Lagos....recently

L-R: Project Director, Project Smile 4.0, Emmanuel Udoro; Group Brand Operations Manager, Procter & Gamble, Tolulope Fogoson; Initiator, Project Smile, Dr. Amy Traore-Shumbusho; and Project Technical Director, Project Smile, Dr. Dada Ayodeji; during the media briefing/launch of Project Smile 4.0 ‘Smile Alive!’ on World Oral Health Day in Lagos…recently sundayadigun

L-R:Director, Value Added Services, Inlaks, Mr. Oladimeji Koyejo; Director, Sales, Strategy and Infrastructure Business, Mr. Tope Dare; Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Toyin Ogundipe; Managing Director/ CEO, Africa Operations, Inlaks, Mr. Femi Adeoti;and Group Head, Human Resources / Administration, Inlaks, Mrs. Adetokunbo Ayo-Ogunsanya, during the inauguration of solar powered Street Lamps as CSR Initiative of Inlaks at the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos. recently

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, PRINSULT Global Consulting Ltd.,Mrs Raliat Oyetunde; President/CEO, ROFENIK Associates and Investment Ltd., Mr. Femi Ogunje ; Regional Head,Lagos, Bank of Industry,Mr. Adetokunbo Akinsola; Founder/ CEO,W-Holistic Business Solutions, Mrs Olanrewaju Oniyitan; Director of Industrial Promotion,Ministry of Commerce and Industry,Ogun State, Olaoluwa Olufemi J. and State Officer, Ogun State BOI office, Mr. Babatunde Ajala ,during the Bank of Industry Lagos regional Customers’ in Lagos....recently

23

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017, • T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S NIBOR OVERNIGHT 1-MONTH

A S

A T

NIBOR 15.3333% 17.0332%

3-MONTH 6-MONTH

20.1621% 23.1621%

M A R C H 9 , NITTY 1-MONTH 2-MONTH

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

2 0 1 7

13.0970% 14.0684%

3-MONTH 6-MONTH

15.7898% 19.6644%

EXCHANGE RATE N305.50//1US DOLLAR* *AS AT LAST FRIDAY

Quick Takes Gennex Energises Petrocam Station

OUR SCORECARD

L-R: Non-Executive Director, United Capital Plc, Emmanuel Nnorom; Group Chief Executive Officer, Oluwatoyin Sanni, and Chairman, Chika Mordi at the annual general meeting of the company in Lagos…recently

SEC Moves to Deepen Capital Market via New Cost Structure Goddy Egene The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is intensifying efforts to deepen the nation’s capital market by ensuring that more companies raise funds and get listed in the market.

The new issue market has been relatively dormant with initial public offering (IPO) drying up in recent times. Although the market has witnessed the listing of two companies this year, the prospect of more companies coming to list is not very bright. However, in a move expected to attract more activities in the market, SEC has proposed a reduction in the cost of primary equity and fixed income issues.

CAPITAL MARKET However, the commission is seeking the contributions of stakeholders in the market before making the new fees operational. In the proposed cost structure, the total primary fixed income issuance fees will be 2.293 per cent, down from the current 3.9375 per cent.

Similarly, primary equities issuance fees will be 2.833 per cent as against 3.17 per cent.

SEC will charge issuers 0.275 per cent for any N500 million to be raised, as against 0.30 per cent currently charge. The next N500 million will attract 0.225 per cent fees, while balance above N1 billion will attract 0.15 per cent commission. Also,

NSE will charge listing fee of 0.25 per cent on the Main Board subject to maximum fee of N200 million. Listing fee for the Premium Board will be 0.25 per cent of offer size subject to maximum fee of N400 million, while listing on ASeM attract flat fees of N100,000. For fixed income primary issuance fees, the SEC is expected to charge 0.15 per cent on the first N500 million being raised by an issuer compared to 0.15 per cent of offer size previously charged. The next N500 million will as well attract 0.145 per cent fee, while balance above N1 billion will attract 0.1425 per cent fee. For the NSE, there is zero fee for companies already having equity listing, compared to 0.15 per cent of offer size

originally paid by issuers.

Issuing houses are expected to charge 1.35 per cent for every initial N1 billion being raised by companies from the equities market, just as issuing houses are expected to charge 1.35 per cent of offer size. The next N1 billion will attract 1.225 per cent fee, while balance over N2 billion will cost the issuer 1.15 per cent of the offer size.

Furthermore, the Central Securities and Clearing System (CSCS)’ commission on N5million is fixed at 0.0075 per cent of the offer size as against 0.01 per cent currently charged.

But companies without equity listing are expected to pay 0.0375 per cent issuance fee.

Continued on page 24

51.72m Bank Customers Enrolled on BVN as at February Obinna Chima The total number of bank customers that now have Bank Verification Number (BVN) has increased to 51.72 million as at February 2017.

Data compiled from the Nigeria Interbank Settlement Systems Plc’s (NIBSS) website, showed that as at January 2017, the number of bank customers that had obtained their BVN stood at 50.92 million.

The data showed that on monthly basis, the enrolment on BVN has continued to improve steadily.

For instance, as at January last year, 30.13 million customers had gotten their BVN, compared with the 2.24 million it was as

BANKING at January 2015. Also, enrolment increased further to 31.11 million as at February last year (2.71 million as at February 2015); 32.19 million as at March last year (3.34 million as at March 2015); 33.63 million as at April 2016 (7.71 million April 2015); 35.44 million as at May last year (9.2 million as at May 2015); and 36.12 million as at June 2016 (12.49 million as at June 2015).

Furthermore, the data showed that enrolment on the BVN platform sustained its uptick as at July last year, when it climbed to 36.79 million registered bank customers (12.73 million as at July 2015); 46.39 million in Au-

gust 2016 (13.74 million in same month in 2015); 47.35 million in as at September 2016 (14.58 million as at September 2015); and 48.14 million customers as at October last year. BVN enrolment was also at 49.14 million as at November last year and 49.99 million as at last December.

The BVN has been very helpful in the fight against corruption in the country, especially since the federal government whistle-blowing policy was unveiled last December.

For instance, through BVN, Bankers, mainly account officers, have been taking advantage of the whistleblowing policy to report the wrongdoings of former and current public

office holders suspected to have embezzled public funds and stashed them in several Nigerian banks, investigations

by THISDAY recently revealed.

A reliable source with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had revealed that some bankers have been encouraged largely by the reward of between 2.5 per cent (minimum) and five per cent (maximum) of the total amount recovered.

According to the source, several former and current public officers who had allegedly stolen from the treasury either hid the physical cash in safe houses or used shell companies, close Continued on page 24

GennexTecnologies has provided solar power to another Petrocam filling station in Lagos, thus bringing to three the company’s filling stations that are solar-powered in Lagos.

Speaking to journalists during the opening ceremony of the new station in Lekki area of Lagos, the Executive Director in charge of Engineering at Gennex Technologies, Mr. Tunji Tayo noted that the 112 kilowatt-capacity solar power would guarantee 24 hours of uninterrupted power supply to the station.

He said the capacity could also be increased if the need arose in the future. “Nigeria is still very far behind in terms of renewable energy.

Apart from Total, which has built one solar-powered filling station in Maryland, the next retail solar-powered station is Petrocam.

Petrocam has built three solar powered stations. So, Nigeria is still very far from getting there. But we are supposed to be there because that is where the whole world is going,” he said. “Solar will appear expensive if you look at the initial capital outlook but I can tell you that you should consider the fact that these solar panels are going to be there in the next 20 to 25 years. So, it is actually an asset. If you want to build a house, you cannot say that the house is actually expensive because you know that the house probably would outlive you. So, if you look at Solar from this perspective, the manufacturers’ warranty for the solar panels is 25 years. That is not to say that the panels will become useless after 25 years. No! It is just the warranty,” he added.

Amoda Wins Consumersng Awards

An online consumer rights advocacy platform, Consumersng, has named the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), Mr. Oladele Amoda among other eminent Nigerians in its 10 outstanding personalities who impacted Nigeria positively in year 2016.

The group said Amoda is being recognised for “his timeless efforts and roles in corporate leadership.”

Others listed for the awards are Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki who was conferred with a leadership award for the several pro-people roles played by the 8th assembly under his leadership and Lagos Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode with his counterpart in Kebbi, Atiku Bagudu, was chosen for the agricultural business relationship between the two states which apart from feeding several homes kept thousands of Nigerian farmers in Kebbi employed at a time the country is in dire need of a boost in local production/consumption.

Other awardees include philanthropist, Tony Elumelu who has touched many lives through his Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), one of the largest private philanthropic organisations in Africa.

The Chairman of Ifeanyi Ubah FC, Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah, is also being recognised for “his exemplary leadership and roles in the improvement of Nigeria’s league games.”

Group Organises Conference

Mastercard is partnering Mobile Money Africa to host CashlessAfrica Conference and Expo in Nigeria.

Mastercard has been unveiled as one of the sponsors of the sixth edition of the CashlessAfrica Conference and Expo. The event is organised by Mobile Money Africa and is scheduled for 22 to 23 March in Lagos. The CashlessAfrica Conference and Expo is a platform for technology companies, FinTech’s and other financial institutions to come together and share best practices in order to build a strong economy in Nigeria. The event looks at the importance of rethinking current models and gaining valuable market insight to introduce relevant digital payment solutions to the benefit of all people. With over 85 percent of retail transactions still made in cash and cheques, the potential for digital payments to make a tangible difference is immense.

This year, the Vice President and Area Business Head of West Africa at Mastercard, Omokehinde Adebanjo, will participate as a keynote speaker to discuss matters impacting Nigeria and the broader continent and how partnerships will be critical to shifting economies beyond cash.

It is standard practice in the Ministry of Finance to undertake independent monitoring of compliance with the terms and conditions of funds released. This will be conducted in due course

Minister of Finance

Kemi Adeosun

24

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017, • T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD SEC MOVES TO DEEPEN CAPITAL MARKET VIA NEW COST STRUCTURE While that of CSCS is capped at N5 million at 0.0075 per cent of the offer size, stockbrokers are expected to collect 0.13 per cent of offer size as fee.

However, the commission proposed 900 per cent increase in registration filing fees for all categories of Capital Market Operators( CMOs), from N5,000 to N50,000, while processing fee is pegged at N200,000.

According to the proposed rule, registration for stock/ commodities exchanges, bankers to an issuer, clearing and settlement agency/depository agency will go up by 900 per cent from N100,000 to N1 million respectively, registration for an over-the-counter market is being raised to N1 million.

51.72M BANK CUSTOMERS ENROLLED ON BVN AS AT FEBRUARY aides, associates and family members to stash the ill-gotten funds in bank accounts using the names of the companies or their friends, family members and associates.

However, though the accounts are not in the names of the political office holders, they usually operate the accounts themselves, a fact that is well known by the bank account officers who help them to manage the accounts.

As a result, since the federal government unveiled the whistleblowing policy as a means of recovering stolen public sector funds, a number of junior and middle-level bankers have been quietly ratting on the true beneficiaries of the accounts in order to cash in on the rewards derivable from the policy.

The EFCC source informed THISDAY that once the commission is contacted by a banker, it is usually easy to identify the real beneficiary of the bank accounts through the BVN, since an account holder can only have one BVN for all of his individual and company accounts.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee had introduced the BVN on February 14, 2014.

NEWS

CIN Pledges to Instil Compliance, Discipline Culture in Banking Sector Ugo Aliogo

Finance Committee, Board of Trustee, Compliance Institute of Nigeria, Raheem Owodeyi, said the negative image which most countries have about Nigeria was a result of failure to have quality compliance in the area of leadership, adding that as an institute they want to build compliance in leadership, and improve the compliance list in the banking sector in the country.

Owodeyi explained that the regulators have mandated them to train staffs of a bank or financial institution in the area of compliance yearly, adding

that through the Chief of Bankers’ Compliance Committee, they have an arrangement where they meet with other stakeholders to improve the awareness of everything taking place in the area of compliance.

He added: “We have a strong closed committee where we don’t consider compliance as a competitive issue. Everyone we will need to engage each other and improve what they do. The other thing we do well is that anyone in their institution that has a problem, we take it

upon ourselves to solve it. Once we are done with these crops of professionals we will go to the society to teach people about compliance. Therefore it is not just banks. This is the pilot accreditation we are starting off today. The next phase will be in Abuja and Port-Harcourt.”

He added: ‘‘Compliance, simply means that you should do things the way it ought to be done.

When that is done things will go on well. What we are doing with the compli-

ance institute is to build skills with the professions. If we have succeeded in building compliance in different regions in the country; we would have succeeded in promoting good governance in the country. The bad image you have about Nigeria is because we don’t have quality compliance in the area of leadership. As an institute we want to build compliance in leadership, improve compliance list in the banking sector for the entire country. We believe we are setting the ground work for what will be a very good country in the future.

The Compliance Institute of Nigeria (CIN) has expressed its willingness to improve the culture of compliance and discipline in the banking sector as part of measures to increase productivity, and strengthen growth in the financial industry.

Speaking recently at the CIN training programme, the President of the CIN, Pattison Boleigha, said that the institute’s focus was on sustaining the culture of compliance in Nigeria, pointing out that the socio-ills the country is facing can be attributed to non-compliance.

He further stated that the need to instil the culture of compliance in every sector of the economy, while expressing the hope that compliance would be an effective way to address the socio-ills facing the country.

He noted that the banks’ compliance, which is backed by the Chief Compliance Officers of Bankers’ Committee of Nigeria (CCCOBIN) would be concerned with engaging regulators in promoting the discipline of compliance in country, expressing hope that with the efforts they have put in place aimed at setting the ground work in achieving compliance.

Boleigha added the focus of the institute was to spread the compliance culture across all sector of the environment, noting that presently they are starting with their catchment areas which are the financial institutions, “we believe that we have been able to make significant impact in the financial L-R: Femi Aribaloye, Dr. Richard Alonge, Engr.. Timothy Oyewole, all board members of Cocoa Products (Ile Oluji), board chairman, Dr. institution, it will go a long way.” Ayo Abina; Managing Director, Mr. Akin Olusuyi; another board member, Mr. Joseph Babatunde, and Company Secretary, Mr. Afolabi In his remarks, the Chairman Akinyosade, after a board meeting and re-presentation of one of the company’s products in Lagos … recently

SHOWCASING OUR PRODUCTS

NSE Mulls Local Production of Speed Limiting Device Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Following the commencement of implementation of the speed limiting device policy by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has expressed its desire to produce the device locally.

NSE President , Otis Anyaeji made the intention of the body known when he led a team to the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu in Abuja.

He said though the body was aware that some companies had

already won the bid to supply the device, the engineers still deemed it necessary to make its intentions known.

Anyaeji stated that the immediate outcome of the success of the local manufacturing of the device to Nigeria would include creation of sustainable jobs, rather than the type of job creation that relies on budget vote. According to him, it has been established that the cost of importation of a single commodity in a year was enough to set up a factory in that particular area and such factory has a life span of 25-30 years.

The FRSC had introduced

the speed limiting device policy to reduce the number of road crashes in the country; though the target was on commercial vehicles for mmediate compliance. According to him, “We had course to send a letter to you on Speed Limiting Device technology and our national responsibility to stimulate the manufacturing of these devices in Nigeria. We understand that the retail price of this device is about N40,000, maybe now it should be more with the career of the naira.”

Anyaeji added: “Because FRSC is targeting commercial vehicles complying immediately

with the installation of these devices, we estimate that about a million of such vehicles would be involved, and this translates to a N40 billion industry at commencement.

“In the long run, we can forsee the market has potential for future expansion and growth, because ultimately private vehicles will also be expected to get into the scheme , it will really be a huge sector to the science, technology and manufacturing sectors.

“What we found out when the FRSC was trying to initiate these moves was that Nigeria ns, who submitted bids for the

provision of these devices, have to go to Kenya to get partners.

They are already manufacturing the devices in Kenya. So, we know some of people who are supposed to bring these devices in are bringing in from Kenya.”

Responding, the minister said that the ministry and NSE were actually thinking along the same line saying that on his assumption of office, he already gave the marching order last year December to Director General of Sheda Science and Technology Complex Prof.

Sunday Thomas to commence work on the development of speed limiting device.

Group Business Editor

Chika Amanze-Nwachuku AgriBusiness/Industry Editor

Crusoe Osagie

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

Senior Correspondent

Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents

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

Nume Ekeghe (Money Market) Nosa Alekhuogie (Maritime)

JICA Trains over 2,000 Nigerians in Human Capital Devt Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) said it has trained more than 2,000 Nigerians in human capital development since 1975 through its Knowledge Co-Creation Programme (KCCP).

JICA Chief Representative, Mr. Hirotaka Nakamura disclosed this in Abuja at JICA Alumni Association of Nigeria (JAAN) annual celebration

tagged; ‘JICA Day’.

He said that KCCP programme is aimed at supporting capacity development in developing countries.

Nakamura explained that the participants learn through lectures, observations, practices and discussions/brainstorming sessions with participants from other countries leading to formulate action plans that would be implemented in their respective countries.

According to him, since 1975,

more than 2,000 Nigerians have benefited from JICA trainings, while 126 participants benefited in Japanese fiscal year 2016.

Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion and the former Federal Director of Coopertaives, Dr. Dickson Okolo said culture has a role to play in revamping the economy of Nigeria , stressing that it was time we begin to do a lot in supporting agriculture at various levels.

He opined that the federal

government should support co-operatives society and also encourage them to embrace small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) so as to revamp the ailing economy.

Okolo stated: “I think we really need to do something about supporting cooperatives in Nigeria.

The cooperative sector has done so much in some African countries. If you go to Tanzania, Kenya and even South Africa you will see that cooperative

is supporting the economy especially through agriculture.

“Of course, the cooperative is a cross-cutting business model and it’s capable of being used to address so many areas of endeavour and it is time for us in Nigeria to do a lot about supporting cooperatives. We can start that by encouraging cooperatives to move into SMEs at least for a start, and then give them the relevant support that they need in terms of credit, technology and others.”

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017, • T H I S D AY

25

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

BEDC Restores Power Supply to Delta Community after Seven Years of Darkness Ejiofor Alike The Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) has restored electricity supply to Ogwashi-Uku community in Aniocha-South Local Government area of Delta State after the area has been in darkness for seven years.

BEDC also plans to restore power supply to other residents of Ogwashi-Uku in due course as more transformers will be metered and energised in the coming days after the enumeration revalidation, network rehabilitation and safety checks.

According to a statement by the company, the restoration process started with a town hall meeting organised by the members of Ogwashi-Ukwu D-Forum in collaboration with the management of BEDC led by the Chief State Head (Delta), Mr. Ernest Edgar; Business Manager, Asaba Business Unit, Mr, Adekola Abiodun and his technical team, among others.

The town- hall meeting, which had in attendance

delegates from the various quarters and sub-clans that make up Ogwashi- Uku and environs, was meant to brief the residents on the extent of job done so far, which included, the completion of re- enumeration in some areas, the installation of transformer statistical meters as initiated by the company at no cost to the Community among other on- going process.

Edgar, in his speech, expressed shock at the level of vandalism of the network in spite of rehabilitation work carried out by BEDC in June 2016), and pleaded with the community leaders to work with the company to educate the public on the need to protect the equipment.

He further emphasised the need to re-orientate and sensitise the residents through safety lectures as delivered by BEDC Safety Manager, Mr. Gilbert.

Nweke who enlightened the delegates on basic safety tips to be disseminated to their people in readiness for the gradual restoration of power in phases to the various areas.

This approach he explained will create the needed awareness to gradually introduce the residents to the reality of the restoration of power after so many years to avoid accidents.

The Director General of D- Forum Pastor Joseph T. U. Nwadiashi who was visibly elated while acknowledging the meters, in reaction commended BEDC for keeping fate with the community in line with NERC’s directive after many years of waiting. He pleaded that the company should keep to its promise of ensuring that within a short period all parts of Ogwashi-uku were be supplied with electricity.

Edgar also seized the opportunity to educate the people of Ogwashi-Uku on the NERC directive on the use of methodology for Estimated Billing; and confirmed that individual estimated bills would be delivered to each customer based on the global readings from the statistical meters installed on each Transformer feeding the respective customers connected to the same Transformer.

Bible Society Urges FG to Fix Apapa Port Roads Eromosele Abiodun General Secretary/CEO of the Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN), Dare Ajiboye has called on the federal government to urgently repair the roads leading to Apapa and put an end to the untold suffering road users’ face on a daily basis.

Ajiboye, who stated this at a press conference on the deplorable state of Apapa roads held in Lagos, said that the stress of going in and out of Apapa and its attendant health challenges have adverse effects on the productivity of the nation.

According to him, “It is no longer news that the two major access roads to Apapa in Lagos-the Oshodi/Apapa Expressway and the Ijora/ Apapa Road are in deplorable conditions begging for urgent attention of the federal government. The Oshodi/Apapa Road is replete with deep gullies at various sections of the road from Westminster up to First

Gate Bus Stop. The road from Coconut Bus Stop is blocked daily by trucks and fuel tankers, making it impossible for Apapa-bound vehicles to move.

The gridlock is compounded by gullies on both the Oshodi and Apapa-bound carriageways between the Tin Can First Gate and Second Gate Bus Stops.

Most people have for a long time abandoned this road because of its terrible state and this has increased the pressure on the Ijora/Apapa Road which is the second access road to Apapa.”

A lot of man hours, he stated, are lost in the traffic caused by the sorry state of these roads.

“This is the time that would have been used for productive activities. Very often, articulated trucks fall on top of commercial buses or private cars, killing innocent people.

The stress of going in and out of Apapa and its attendant health challenges have adverse

effects on the productivity of the nation. There was a day I left the office by 4:05 p.m after closing for the day, got stuck at the Apapa end of the Ijora bridge and could not leave there until about 10 p.m. This is a regular occurrence on the two access roads to Apapa.

“There was a particular period in 2015 when the road was so bad that some of us resorted to the use of Ferry to cross from Marina to Apapa. Disturbed by the continuous hardship being experienced on these roads, a number of people ranging from residents of Apapa, truck drivers, members of Maritime Journalists Associations of Nigeria, among others have staged peaceful protest to call the attention of the government to the issue, but unfortunately nothing is being done,” he said.

Apart from dangers these roads pose to human lives, he said the economic implications are enormous as it has negative effects on trade and commerce.

Firm Inaugurates iSabiwork.ng to Connect Artisans with Customers Raheem Akingbolu With a commitment to promoting and exposing the work of Nigerian local talents and the SMEs, Isabiwork Nigeria Limited in partnership with the Lagos State Government has launched isabiwork.ng, an online platform.

The platform according to the company is born out of the desire to help project the work of local artisans, connect them with a wide range of customers and serve as a reliable source for services of local artisans such as Carpenters, furniture makers, shoe cobblers, electricians, fashion designers, nannies,

painters, printers, etc.

The platform is designed for artisans to register with their phone numbers, state their business names, what they do and proof of their handwork.

This company said will help display their talent which in turn will transcend into referrals for them.

MD/CEO of Isabiwork Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Oghenekevwe Omotosho while presenting the platform to the public said the company has put in place measures to ensure artisans on the platform are credible and experts at what they do. She said the online platform provides opportunity for people to have

easy access to reliable artisans in their localities at the right time, adding that the company is committed to working with only skilled, efficient, and reliable artisans after a thorough due diligence has been put in place regarding their credibility and expertise She said: “We promise to always deal with only skilled efficient and reliable artisans after a thorough due diligence has been put in place as regards their credibility and expertise.

There is a big gap between the artisans and their viable customers. We are also here to provide as much benefits as possible.

ELEVATING TO THE NEXT LEVEL Marie-Therese Phido

Strategies for Becoming a Better Speaker This weekend we attended a program we had all been excitedly looking forward to. The topic was very catchy and relevant to all of us from various perspectives. Everybody wanted to get their own message and start acting on the recommendations and experience from the speakers.

The session had two speakers.

Each speaker had been assigned the responsibility to speak on a particular area of the discussion. When we got to the venue, the first speaker was invited to start his presentation and given twentyfive minutes to present his topic.

He commenced with the usual opening speech of being grateful to have been invited and wishing all of us well. Then his slides were a few minutes delayed.

Our first observation was that he could not start without his presentation. The second was that, fifteen minutes into the presentation, he was still going through the introductions. By then, many people had started to fidget and were wondering when the meat of the presentation would start.

At the twenty-five minutes mark, we were still struggling to understand the message. Extra time was given to him to ensure that he passed his message across but it was almost impossible.

Many of us left his session with different interpretations as questions were being asked about what each person understood by what he said. Nobody really got a clear understanding and each person conjectured their own take away.

The contrast with the second speaker was like night and day. He started immediately, went straight into the topic, brought out the salient points with relevant examples and illustrations and even tried to cover up for the first speaker because he knew that the first message was not coherently delivered.

If we had not had a second speaker, many of us would have felt cheated and left upset because of the precious time that would have been taken out of the limited hours we have on weekends.

I am sure many of us can relate with the situation above, where we have listened to speakers who are very ineffective.

I remember my very first presentation with Dick Kramer. We were preparing for a strategy session and had to have dry-runs to get ready.

After my dry-run, I knew I had not done very well, so I told my immediate boss then, Ifueko Omoigui about my poor performance. The night before the presentation, Ifueko helped me dryrun and gave me learning points. When I delivered my presentation the next day, Dick came to me and said: “What happened? Are you the same person? The contrast was remarkable.” Since then, I have attended additional training to hone my skills.

From my narrative, you can decipher the difference between the first speaker and the second speaker. Comments from participants about the first speaker were: lack of subject matter knowledge, presentations skills and articulation, while the opposite was the case for the second speaker.

Maybe if the first speaker had taken the time to learn how to speak, he would have been more effective and we would

not have felt cheated about the waste of time and the expended emotion in looking forward to the event.

How do we ensure that we become confident, compelling and strategic speakers? According to Mind Tool:

• Plan appropriately – plan your communication appropriately.

Your paramount objective at the beginning should be to grab the attention of your audience.

You need to intrigue them by starting with powerful openers like storytelling, statistics, headliners or facts that are relatable to the topic.

Planning will also help you think on your feet, especially when unexpected questions are asked or you have to start without your slides like the first speaker.

• Practice – you cannot be a confident compelling speaker without practice.

Volunteer for speaking opportunities, whether formal or informal. It is also an effective tool to sell and position your business. Speaking opportunities are invaluable to your personal brand.

• Engage with your audience – Ask leading questions. Encourage your audience to ask questions. Limit the use of words that reduce your power as a speaker ‘such as’, ‘I think’. They reduce your authority and conviction. Other words are ‘actually’, which conveys submissiveness. In addition, be conscious of how you are speaking because talking too fast may convey nervousness.

Learn to gather your thoughts and pause.

Pauses make you sound confident, natural and authentic. Avoid reading your slides or speech verbatim. Instead, make a list of important points and memorize them.

• Pay attention to your body language – Your body language gives cues to your audience about your inner state. Pay attention to how you stand, your breathing, eye contact and smile. Avoid leaning on one leg or using gestures that feel unnatural.

• Think positively – Don’t be afraid.

Fear makes us slip into negative self-talk, especially right before we speak. Use affirmation and visualization to raise your self-confidence.

• Watch recordings of your presentation – Record your presentations and speeches. You can improve your skills dramatically, by watching yourself speak.

As you watch, notice verbal stalls like ‘um’ or ‘like’. Look at your body language: are you swaying, leaning on the podium, have your hands in your pockets, or leaning heavily on one leg? Are you looking at the audience?

Did you smile? How did you gesticulate and so much more.

Becoming a strategic speaker as you can see from the above is learnable and doable.

You can be trained to become impactful and effective. Let’s work on honing our skills and elevating our public speaking to the next level.

– Marie-Therese Phido is Sales & Market Strategist and Business Coach Email: mphido@elevato.com.ng tweeter handle @osat2012 TeL: 08090158156 (text only)

26

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017, • T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

EQUITIES WATCH

Improved Cost Management Lifts Total Nigeria The 265 per cent jump in profit of Total Nigeria in 2016 was mostly achieved through its improved cost management strategy, writes Goddy Egene When investors buy stocks, they do so with the hope of getting returns in three major forms.

The return can be in form of cash dividend, bonus issue or capital appreciation. While capital appreciation, which is the value an investor gets when shares appreciate above the purchase price, has been irregular due to volatility in the market.

Investors are therefore left with mostly dividend and bonus shares. However, dividend payment is dependent on the level of profitability of a company. And considering the challenging operating environment, which has been affecting the profitability of many companies, expectations for high dividend have also been affected.

However, since companies began announcing 2016 results, it has not been too bad with most of the companies declaring dividends.

The three banks that have reported their results, all recommended dividends which are higher than the previous year. The banks are Access Bank Plc, GTBank Plc and Zenith Bank. Also, two petroleum marketing firms-Forte Oil Plc and Total Nigeria Plc- have announced their results. However, while Forte Oil Plc did not recommended any dividend because of a major decline in its profit after tax (PAT), shareholders of Total Nigeria will receive a final dividend of N7.00 per share. In all, shareholders of Total Nigeria will be receiving a total dividend of N17.00 per share, having paid an interim of N10.00 before now.

But some analysts believe that given the high growth recorded by Total Nigeria, the company ought to have paid a higher dividend compared to 39.01 per cent payout ratio.

The Financial Results Total Nigeria posted revenue of N290.9 billion in 2016, showing an increase of 40 per cent from N208 billion in 2015.

Cost of sale rose from N183 billion to N241 billion, making gross profit to stand at N49.1 billion, up from N24.7 billion. Finance costs moderated at N852 million, down from N1.790 billion in 2015. Consequently, profit before tax (PBT) improved by 213 per cent to N20.35 billion, from N6.49 billion, while PAT soared by 265 per cent to N14.7 billion, from N4.1 billion.

Directors have therefore recommended a final dividend of N7.00 per share.

The market reacted negatively to the results on the day the results were announced with shares falling by 5.4 per cent to close lower at N274.55 each.

Analysts at FBN Quest said the final dividend recommended by Total Nigeria was below market consensus.

“Total declared a final dividend of N7.00 (total dividend of N17.00) which is rather disappointing given the strong earnings growth recorded. This works out to a dividend payout of just 39 per cent, the lowest in over two decades. We forecasted a final dividend of N26.00 (consensus N19.00).

Year to date, Total shares have declined 6.0 per cent, broadly in line with Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index ( ASI). We rate the stock underperform,” the FBN Quest said.

According to them, sequentially, while sales and PBT declined by six per cent quarter-onquarter (q/q) and 18 per cent q/q, PAT was up 17 per cent year-on-year(y/y) on the back of a lower tax rate.

The analysts said gains from Total’s foreign exchange (FX) supply agreement with Total Upstream, a related company, were realised yet again.

“Given that the independent marketers struggled to source fx for imports during the period, we suspect that major marketers, especially firms with related exploration & production entities, continue to gain market share. The situation also provides Total with some level of pricing flexibility, especially within the corporate segment where gross margin expanded the most,” they said.

Assessing the Results In their own assessment, analysts at Meristem Securities Limited (MSL) said the performance

was in line with their expectations. They said cost-of-sales increased at a slower rate relative to revenue by 31.96 per cent to moderate costto-sales ratio to 83.12 per cent (vs 88.10 per cent in 2015), despite the relatively high cost environment and the FX scarcity that rocked the economy in 2016.

However, operating expense ratio advanced by 0.71 per cent y/y to 10.18 per cent vs. 9.47 per cent recorded in the prior year.

According to them, the significant y/y increase in earnings by 265.63 per cent can be credited to growth in top line, increase in operating income and the 4.98 per cent and 52.43 per cent respective moderation in direct cost ratio and finance cost in the year.

“Consequently, net margin pegged at 5.09 per cent relative to 1.95 per cent recorded in 2015.

Furthermore, the company proposed a final dividend of N7.00 per share, which implies a dividend yield of 2.50 per cent. Given that the

result was much in line with our expectations, we still maintain our buy rating,” they said.

Sales across All Segments Bolster Revenue The analysts said out of the N290.95 billion, petroleum products proceeds accounting for 87 per cent of the total sales, advanced in the period by 38.02 per cent to (N251.99 billion in 2016 vs N182.57 billion in 2015).Revenue from lubricants also increased by 53.04 per cent (N38.97 billion in 2016 vs N25.46 billion in 2015).

Similarly, the company’s operational segment analysis shows that sale proceeds from its retail outlets, corporate customers and aviation industry advanced by 42.31 per cent, 31.4 per cent and 36.58 per cent respectively.

“We attribute the growth in revenue in the year to the price increase in PMS, averaging

TOTAL 2016 FINANCIAL SUMMARY

300 250

DEC.2016 N291Bn DEC. 2015 N208Bn

200

DEC.2016 N242Bn

150 100

DEC.2016 N20Bn

20

DEC.2016 N15Bn

15 10

DEC. 2015 DEC.2016 N1.8Bn N0.85Bn

05 0

REVENUE

COST OF SALE

FINANCE COST

DEC. 2015 N6Bn

PROFIT BEFORE TAX

Cost Management Strategy The company’s cost management strategy paid-off in 2016, as cost-to-sales ratio moderated to 83.12 per cent compared to 88.10 per cent in 2015. Consequently, the gross profit advanced by 98.36 per cent to N49.10 billion (vs. N24.75 billion in 2015), settling gross margin at an all-time high of 16.88 per cent, compared to the downstream industry average of 12.3 per cent.

However, operating expenses advanced significantly by 50.33 per cent during the period to N29.62 billion, as operating expenditure ratio advanced to 10.18 per cent (vs. 9.47 per cent in 2015), due to N 9.06 billion foreign exchange loss on transactions booked in the period.

“However, it was not substantial to offset the cost savings from direct cost and the 20.33 per cent increase in operating income, hence, operating profit expanded by 234.63 per cent. We expect cost-to-sales ratio to hover around this level going forward, however, upon the completion and commencement of Dangote Refinery in 2019, we expect a moderation in direct cost at that,” the analysts said.

Bottom-line Surges to New Levels They explained that the surge in revenue and encouraging cost management strategy translated to growth in the company’s bottom-line, despite the 86.53 per cent decline in finance income in the year.

“Given the company’s renewed strategy and our outlook, we forecast a 7.66 per cent and 2.18 per cent growth in the company’s profit-before-tax and profit-after-tax to N21.91 billion and N15.12 billion for full year 2017 accordingly,” they said.

DEC. 2015 N183Bn

50

N140 per litre across all states in 2016 as against N105 per litre in 2015, coupled with price increases in AGO and HHK to N176 per litre and N259 per litre respectively. Also, we highlight that the company recorded substantial increase in volume sales, buoyed by the company’s retail outlet expansion strategy in the year,” MSL said.

DEC. 2015 N4Bn

PROFIT AFTER TAX

Favourable Valuation According to MSL, Total Nigeria was valued using a blend of absolute and relative valuation models.

“After reviewing our initial outlook alongside economic and industry headwinds, as well as the company’s performance, we maintain our BUY recommendation on the stock, as the company currently trades at 29.52 per cent discount to our 2017 target price of N355.59,” they said.

27

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017, • T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Rescuing Nigeria’s Ailing Economy Obinna Chima reckons that beyond fiscal and monetary policies, restoring confidence would play a vital role in Nigeria’s quest for economic recovery Exactly two years after President Muhammadu Buhari was elected as Nigeria’s President, there appears to be no end in sight to the country’s economic woes. With contraction in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), rising unemployment and job losses, declining capacity utilisation, and perennial foreign exchange shortage, the rate of poverty in the country has no doubt continued to escalate.

In addition, some other economic indicators that have worsened in the last two years include the market capitalisation of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, which fell from N11 trillion, two years ago, to about N8.65 trillion and business confidence, which has dropped significantly.

That was why the economy was the focus of the recently held Vanguard Economic Summit titled: “The Hard Facts to Rescue the Nigerian Economy,” organised by Vanguard Newspapers in Lagos. The event had economic experts as well as past and serving public officers who shared their thoughts about the best therapy for the economy.

In his presentation, a former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo faulted the federal government’s recently launched Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), which was expected to help get the economy on track.

The ERGP, which was unveiled recently, targets a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of seven per cent by 2020. The four-year plan (2017-2020), which unveils a roadmap for Nigeria’s economic recovery, growth and sustainable development, was made public by the Ministry of Budget and National Planning.

Some other highlights of the plan include the government’s target to increase oil production from 2.2 million barrels per day (mbpd) to 2.5mbpd by 2020.

The government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria also aims to implement a marketdetermined exchange rate regime to build confidence and encourage foreign exchange (FX) inflows. Real GDP under the plan is also projected to grow by 4.62 per cent on average over the plan period of 2017-2020, from an estimated contraction of 1.54 per cent in 2016. However, real GDP growth is projected to improve significantly to 2.19 per cent in 2017, reaching 7 per cent at the end of the plan period.

To this end, the former CBN governor sought to know: “Is this the plan for a post-oil economy that Nigerians had been waiting for? Will it (the ERGP) finally do it? First we must commend the federal government for this effort. But let me raise two or three questions. Whose plan is it? Ownership would determine whether the plan is just a public relations document or whether it would be implemented.

“More fundamentally, to what extent is the ERGP consistent with the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) manifesto? People make promises, produce fantastic manifestos and after the election nobody opens the page anymore. But we must hold every government accountable. If only they implement 25 per cent of what they promised us, we would be on the road to Eldorado.

“The APC manifesto promised “a conscious plan for a post-oil economy.” So, is this plan that plan? The APC manifesto promised to halt Nigeria’s drift to a failed state with a conscious plan for a post-oil economy for Nigeria and it promised to restructure the country to achieve that. All previous plans since 1960 promised to diversify away from oil.

“So how is the ERGP different? Where is the new structure in the country to deliver the new plan as promised by APC? How would you translate to a post-oil economy when the plan was designed to depend on it? Or are we trying to repeat the same thing?

“The plan as packaged is a good effort. But in terms of our expectations, as a plan for transition to a post-oil economy as promised by the APC, it is a missed opportunity. It is a generic plan and in several aspects resembles the NEEDS document that was designed for

“For example, while we are fixated on stopping the imports of toothpicks and stopping the petty traders from taking dollar cash away, we have created havoc that shutdown many factories as well as ignited massive capital flights and halted capital inflows. Put simply, we have missed the macro picture. While we are winning selected micro battles, we are losing the war on the macro economy.”

Continuing, he said: “Have we learnt any lessons from the experience so far? We ought to, but I am not sure we did. A lesson is that the claim to Nigeria’s economic exceptionalism is false. Nigerians, like economic agents everywhere, respond to incentives and sanctions.

Furthermore, the pseudo-intellectualism framed around infantile but insular nationalism, does not offer a practical template for prosperity in the 21st century.

“It merely massages our emotions, offering no pragmatic action plan. Another lesson is that Nigeria has refused to learn from the history of the boom and bust cycles in the oil commodity prices. The current government is responding exactly like some did in the past, by treating oil price fall as temporary, while treating a rise as permanent or normal.

“Every government, except those that had been forced by external agencies such as the World Bank and IMF to take painful adjustments, have always skirted around the margin when faced with negative shocks and pass on the harsh decisions to the next government.

Every government talks of diversification.

Every government blames the previous one for “doing nothing” and promises to be the one “for the first time in Nigeria’s history, get the job done,” but nobody has got it done.”

Emefiele

a different era.

“It is a plan to consumer the oil and commodity rent, and not one to restructure in other to replace them. With rising oil prices, the economy would recover, not because of the plan. I am willing to bet that no much would happen to the structure of the economy at the end of the plan.”

Continuing, he pointed out that the economy is in crisis and requires all hands to be on the deck to be able to come out of the present situation.

But, Soludo acknowledged that the present government inherited a bad economy, saying that the previous government had an unprecedented rate of debt accumulation, even at a time of unprecedented oil boom and was even depleting the foreign reserves instead of doubling it.

Furthermore, he noted that then, insecurity, especially in the north-east was very high, and corruption was pervasive. According to Soludo, the situation then called for a state of emergency with a progress responsive plan to lay the foundation for a post-oil economy.

He said the foreign exchange controls had wreaked havoc on business confidence and private investments, with massive capital flight

We would get out of recession any moment from now, with oil price increasing. But it would be a miracle if the government is able to return the GDP in US dollar terms back to the level it met it, even by 2023

that drove the macro economy into recession.

Soludo also reiterated that most macroeconomic variables have worsened in the last two years under the present government He added: “Paradoxically, Nigeria’s rank on the corruption index remains unchanged at 136th position, while its ranking on the Fragile States Index has worsened. We are now in the red alert category of fragile states. Many economic agents have lost count of how many exchange rates operates.

“On fiscal policy, the federal government has continued to spend over 100 per cent of its revenue on recurrent expenditure, just exactly as it was done by the government.

There remains half-hearted commitment to the deregulation of the petroleum pricing as well as privatisation of refineries. The budgeting framework remains largely the same with all the institutionalised inefficiencies.

“Let me make a point. In domestic currency terms, the Nigerian economy is in a recession.

But in the US dollar terms, the economy has suffered a massive compression. The size of Nigeria’s GDP has shrunk from about $575 billion to about $354 billion, if you use the official rate, to $232 if you use the parallel market. “’In the previous 16 years, Nigeria’s GDP more than doubled in US dollar terms. But in less than two years, depending on the exchange rate you use, we have more than reduced the value to less than 50 per cent of what we met, in less than two years, in US dollar terms.

“We would get out of recession any moment from now, with oil price increasing. But it would be a miracle if the government is able to return the GDP in US dollar terms back to the level it met it, even by 2023.

“Let me congratulate the government for plucking some of the loopholes and stopping some of the bleeding. The challenge however is that much of these have focused on the micro. While trying to tie down the chicken, we are either stopping the cows from coming in or chasing them away.

No to Free-floating Naira But a former Governor of Edo State, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole disagreed with Soludo’s criticism of the CBN’s foreign exchange policy.

He however, advised the central bank not to bow to suggestions by some economists and financial market commentators that it should allow the naira to freely float in the forex market.

According to Oshiomhole, there is “’no such thing as a free market,” just as he opined that every nation has a central bank that manages their currencies.

“I have seen how the International Monetary Fund (IMF) lamented how China refused to allow its currency to float. Whether we like it or not, in spite of their outright rejection of IMF’s prescriptions by rigidly managing their exchange rates, the Chinese economy has enjoyed sustained growth. Now, if we resort to complete market tools, will that enhance supply in the forex market?

“The fact is that we also have to deal with the demand side. The truth is that you are dealing with speculative demand, not real demand.

So, in my view, if you say the market should take charge, it won’t work,” he argued.

He faulted the position by some Nigerians that prevailing forex rate in terms of goods and services is the parallel market rate and not the official market and that the way out is to allow the official exchange rate to depreciate.

“But by common sense, the word parallel means biologically, things that can’t meet. So, for me it is insulting for people to say that the real exchange rate should be based on the parallel market rate. For me, it doesn’t do much to our credibility.

“Unless there is attitudinal change, policies in this country would not work. So, at the end of the day, our focus should be how to improve the welfare and purchasing power of the average person,” he added.

A labour leader and Vice President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Issa Aremu, while stressing the need to continue capital controls, added: “Everywhere in the world, you have to find a way to control the allocation of capital.

It is very important. You cannot have a free Continued on page 28

28

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017, • T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

RESCUING NIGERIA’S AILING ECONOMY

It is quite surprising and disingenuous that some of the people talking today about how we can manage our exchange rate were the same persons who frittered away these reserves such that when I assumed office, I met only US$37 billion in FX reserves. To make matters worse, in the aftermath of the sharp drop in oil price, made worse by falling production volumes in Nigeria, the monthly FX inflows into the bank dropped precipitously to less than US$700 million per month for all market.”’

According to him, the recent assault on the naira was as a result of the activities of speculators in the forex market.

“As the CBN moves right, they move left, if the CBN goes left, they move right. I think the CBN has done few things right, although it could do more. There are lots of few distortions they must overcome.

“But if you see the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme for rice production, today we are more or less building food security in terms of rice production. For me, the 41 items should be more than that. There are more things that should be banned, where we have productive capacity at home,” he added.

But in his reaction, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, outlined the objectives of the ERGP, saying it did not come out of the blues. According to Fayemi, the ERGP focuses on how to restore the economy for sustainable growth.

Also speaking during the panel session, a former Deputy Governor of the CBN, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, said there was need for a broad national consensus for the country to evolve. He described the ERGP as a fire-fighting framework to get the country out of recession.

“In the ERGP, the reference to the youths is very minimal, yet they are the majority. The young people of this country don’t have a voice and if we don’t plan for them, if we don’t build opportunities for them, definitely we would be sitting on a time bomb. There is need for civil service reform,” Mailafia said.

Promoting Private Sector Investments On his part, the Director General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Muda Yusuf, pointed out that in order to get the economy out of recession, there was need to bring in more private sector investments.

“We need to see how to activate the private sector to move this economy forward. But the key driver is confidence and the policy environment is a major driver of confidence,” he said.

To a former Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Bank Plc, Dr. Alex Otti, speculators would always operate when there are incentives for them to operate.

“We have done a few things right, but there are still a lot more to be done. Situation like this presents opportunity for people to look at things differently. I don’t agree that we need the type of presidential system that we are running currently.

“We can’t afford 109 Senators and with due respect most of them doing absolutely nothing!

We can’t afford 360 House of Representatives members. We can’t afford 36 governors and 36 deputy governors, all of the taking fat security votes. I am aware that some state governors take over N1 billion as security vote and nobody

President Buhari

ask questions. We cannot afford 1000 House of Assembly members all over the country and 774 idle local government chairmen and councils,” he argued.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr. Bismark Rewane stressed that if the government doesn’t reform the forex market, this economy would continue to underperform, saying that exchange rate is sensitive to signals and supply and demand.

CBN’s Position In response to the criticism of his policies, CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele explained that the reason the apex bank is opposed to the idea of unfettered float of the naira is because adopting such policy could hurt the nation’s currency.

Emefiele while commenting on the gap between the interbank and parallel market exchange rates, averred that a purchasing power parity analysis would confirm that the naira is not as weak as the rate in the parallel market suggests,.

He said the only logical explanation for the high rates in that market “is that a lot of illegal and criminal activities are being carried out there.”

Given this scenario, he said the CBN would not sit idly by and allow such faceless and criminally minded people to destroy the currency under the guise of a free float as is being canvassed by some experts.

“In fact, I have always had one simple question for this group of persons: name just one country in the whole world that practices a freely floating exchange rate regime? Just one.

I have heard commentators suggest we should follow Egypt’s example and free the naira.

“What they do not tell you is that following their currency adjustments; inflation today in Egypt is over 30 percent. Is that what we want in Nigeria? As with most economic problems, we need to understand the kind of inflation we have in Nigeria. Is it demand-pull, where too much money is chasing few goods, or cost-push, where supply constraints lead to few goods in marketplace?”

Emefiele said: “In Nigeria, I believe we have cost- push inflation, exacerbated by supply shortages in food, fuels, and FX. And that is why the CBN is supporting farmers across the country through various schemes to increase food supply. We are also very responsive to the needs of fuel importers to ensure availability.

And we continue to respond as much as possible

Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun

to FX supply shortages in the market.

“In view of the fact that our current episode of inflationary pressure is coinciding with contracting economic growth, we have to recognise the dilemma it poses to policymaking. This is because no single macroeconomic policy can address rising inflation and slow growth simultaneously, because fighting inflation may require implementing policies that might, in the short term, be inimical to economic growth.”

Commenting on the exchange rate, the CBN governor noted that like every product, the exchange rate ought to be determined by the forces of demand and supply in a fair, competitive, and open market.

He however recalled that shortly before he assumed the position of Governor in June 2014, the monthly foreign exchange inflows into the CBN was about US$3.6 billion.

Emefiele explained: “For five straight years preceding June 2014, crude price averaged over $110 per barrel and indeed in September 2008 specifically, Nigeria’s external reserves stood at US$62 billion after the country had spent US$12 billion in settling the Paris club debt.

“It is quite surprising and disingenuous that some of the people talking today about how we can manage our exchange rate were the same persons who frittered away these reserves such that when I assumed office, I met only US$37 billion in FX reserves. To make matters worse, in the aftermath of the sharp drop in oil price, made worse by falling production volumes in Nigeria, the monthly FX inflows into the bank dropped precipitously to less than US$700 million per month. Yet, the demand for FX from the market has continued to be about US$4.8 billion monthly.

“Given this situation, the CBN dealt with the supply side of the problem by allowing commensurate depreciation of the currency several times. Having done this, and bearing in mind the devastating effects of significant depreciations on inflation, purchasing power, government debt service, financial system stability, fuels and energy prices, unbiased and reasonable people would agree that we also needed to do something with the demand side of the problem.

“Why exactly should we spend scarce FX resources paying for things we can produce here in Nigeria? I believe that only entrenched interests, who do not have the interests of ordinary Nigerians at heart, would want us to do so.”

Speaking on the rationale behind the continuous exclusion of 41 items from the FX

market, Emefiele who said the policy was basically borne out of necessity to conserve FX, urged policymakers across the country to pay attention to global trends and ensure that they reflect upon their strategy and thinking.

Furthermore, he pointed out that there were the new realities of nationalist and populist sentiments sweeping across the world.

“It is on record that variants of this policy have proven to be highly effective in other climes and even here in Nigeria. For example, throughout the early days of South Korea’s economic renaissance, the government intermittently used excessively stiff tariffs, quantitative restrictions and prohibitive inland taxes to effectively ban many items with potential for high imports, and simultaneously, offered generous and subsidized loans to firms for export promotion causes. In fact, at some point, about 93 percent of total imports into South Korea were subject to one or more such restrictions.”

Giving further explanation, the CBN governor said: “And here at home, this policy have been used to achieve significant sufficiency in cement, a product whose importation could have been costing us over US$3.2 billion in FX Reserves annually. In effect, therefore, this policy needs to be supported not just in response to the pressure on the naira but as an opportunity to change the economy’s structure, resuscitate local manufacturing, and expand job creation for our citizens.

“Take rice imports, for example: why should we keep allocating scarce FX to rice importers when vast amounts of paddy rice of comparable quality produced by poor hardworking local farmers across the rice belts of Nigeria are wasted, and farmers are falling deeper into poverty while we export their jobs and income to rice producing nations.”

Emefiele said CBN was acting in the best interests of ordinary Nigerians, regardless of the noise from the few entrenched interests whom the bank’s policies may be hurting.

“Let me also reiterate the central bank’s willingness, determination, and capacity to continue to meet all legitimate transaction-based FX demands in the market. I obviously cannot be of help to people or businesses who are into speculative FX demand. My promise instead to this group, whether foreign or local, is that the CBN will make sure they lose money!”

Emefiele therefore stressed the need for Nigerians, especially policy makers, to develop a sense of national consciousness in carrying out their duties.

29

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017, • T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

INTERVIEW

Olowo: Nigerian Environment is Very Hostile for Business President/CEO of Sabre Network NMC, West Africa and President of the Aviation Round Table, Gabriel Olowo, in this interview with Chinedu Eze, spoke on unfavourable government policies and the harsh operating environment, which he blamed for the failure of businesses in Nigeria, including airlines. Excerpts: Thirty percent of the failures of the airlines are mismanagement by the owners and 70 percent are from government and the harsh economic environment. I have been in the sector since 1973 and I have seen the airlines failing within a space of ten years they started operations

Why do you think domestic airlines fail in Nigeria?

Thirty percent of the failures of the airlines are mismanagement by the owners and 70 percent are from government and the harsh economic environment. I have been in the sector since 1973 and I have seen the airlines failing within a space of ten years they started operations.

So, there is a common factor. The business of Nigeria Airways was government business. The problem of corporate governance has always been there. The Nigeria Airways was supposed to be repackaged and become a new carrier but the then President said the government is not buying into the repackaging programme.

The second generation airlines such as Okada Air, Harco, Oriental Airlines, Triax, Kabo among others all meant well. Okada said they wanted to prove to the government that they could do the business and they brought a Boeing B747 but that aircraft never flew but was left to rot.

The investment was wasted. He got a promise from then second in command then during the Military regime, which was not fulfilled, so we were looking at the airplane everyday as it parked at the airport rotting. It was initially planned to do Lagos-London-Lagos routes. The aircraft did not operate due to government’s inimical policy. It was the same situation with Okada and Kabo Air. Recently three banks wanted to take over Etisalat due to the debts it owed the banks but the Nigerian Communication Commission and the Minister of Communication intervened and stopped them, but there was no indication that the Minister or the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) made any step to save Arik or even Aero Contractors. Why is it so in the aviation industry?

The Nigerian environment is very hostile for business and our civil servants in the Aviation Ministry (now Ministry of Transport) are supposed to see to the advancement of the sector, ensuring that airlines succeed. They are supposed to measure their progress from year to year.

They should tell us the number of aircraft in the last one year, the number of airlines that have increased their fleet over the years, the growth rate amongst others. So, if there is no growth, there can be no development. Aviation Ministry, what are you set up to achieve? Where is aviation? How come Ethiopian Airline took us over? How come South Africa Airways took us over? What is that Ministry doing? The civil service is the government. The President will talk through the Minister of Aviation, who is responsible for the ministry, even if the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority is autonomous.

How has the foreign exchange policy affected the aviation sector?

What I am trying to establish first and foremost is the mortality rate of our airlines.

Why has it been ten years, after which they die?

Bellview was 14years. 30 percent are caused by owners’ arbitrariness. Success got into their head so quickly and they ignored professional decisions and professional managers. In the government environment, there are a lot of factors. Foreign exchange is one that is highly volatile. It has always been like this in the last forty years. Early 1970s, I remember, the exchange rate was N4.00 to a dollar. During the first coming of President Buhari, we faced the foreign exchange problem and the airlines were running with what was called blended rate. Various banks offered different exchange rates. Foreign airlines were faced with that.

About five airlines left Nigeria. I was working for a Brazilian airline, Varig. I was deputy General Manager. The airline left this country because

Olowo

of foreign exchange. They had naira in Nigeria, but they could not repatriate their revenue due to scarcity of foreign exchange. Iberia left, Varig, Scandinavian Airline amongst others left. Since then a big vacuum was created. During Buhari’s first coming, there was trade with Brazil; we had counter trade with Brazil. Volkswagen Nigeria was relating with Volkswagen Brazil. We had Sakamori, we had telecom from that country, pharmaceutical businesses from Brazil. There was huge economic exchange that time, but since their airline left there is vacuum between Nigeria and Brazil in terms of business interaction. There was huge economic boost between Africa and South America then.

Once aviation link is broken, economy is dead.

We lost everything. \ As far back as 1994, exchange rate was around N22 per dollar. Nigerian airlines were selling one hour flight ticket for Lagos-Abuja or Lagos-Kano at N2, 200 and at the exchange rate of N22 per dollar that amounted to $100. Lagos-Abuja was $100 value in 1994, which was about 23 years ago. Today exchange rate has moved from N22 to N450. Today, an airline sold ticket for N16, 000, which amounts to 30 dollars. Someone in government should raise an alarm over this. Do they want to kill us? If I am in government, I will shut down the airline because this is showing you desperation for cash flow. And they call it promotion.

What kind of promotion? Exchange rate will never make you earn the right tariff because people will not be able to buy the ticket. So, you decide to reduce the price; meanwhile, your cost is increasing.

The airlines in Nigeria currently are not charging the right tariff after 23 years. If people cannot fly, then do not kill them. If I am NCAA Director General, I will shut any airline that charges less than $100 for one hour flight ticket.

The recession, which peaked last year, adversely affected the business in Nigeria, but it seems to have affected the airlines more?

The airlines borrowed a lot and their borrowing has dollar content and you do all your sales in naira, how can you get the foreign exchange content? You go to CBN, CBN sells dollar at N305, which is not available. You spend so much on training, maintenance, so much for distribution. You have to pay dollars for virtually everything. The dollar is not available so, the operators have to go to the black market to get dollars at a higher rate than the rate he sold the ticket. How do you want that airline owner to service

his debts? Because he has started, he cannot kill the business, so he keeps on struggling and he gets to a level that all the creditors gang up against him.

The airlines AMCON has taken what success has it made of them? What is the objective of taking them over? A job of the receiver manager is to assess your assets and liabilities and make up your mind on whether you will revive it or kill the company? All over the world, when a business goes to receivership, he might decide to say since the company is bankrupt; they will keep the business running and make sure the business does not die. They can set all the debts aside and say when the business picks up, they can attend to other things. I do not think we have bankruptcy law in Nigeria and if that is the case, it behooves on our regulator to find a way to support our airlines, having seen how and why they are dying, which is as a result of direct and indirect contribution. If Richard Branson came here and failed, what are the factors responsible? Richard Branson is doing well in Australia, in US and Europe, why did he fail in Nigeria?

The Ministry of Aviation, NCAA and all stakeholders should consider this. If Richard Branson failed in Nigeria, then do not blame Nigerian airlines at all. When Branson was leaving, he said Nigerian politicians are carrier destroyers. They do not follow through an agreement, they cancel agreements. What is going to be the investor confidence? The NCAA and the Ministry which are supposed to be government agents and decision makers should not have allowed AMCON to do what it did. They will ask AMCON their objective.

An airline that went from 30 aircraft to nine and your eyes are wide open.

Did the bad economy of the airline happen in one day? The aircraft would have been going for maintenance and not coming back. They are supposed to monitor the economic health of the airlines on a daily basis. The airline fills the forms and the NCAA has the right to make sure it is correct. When you are talking about capitalisation in this sector, it is not like the banks. Capitalisation is not liquidity. Our NCAA must be ready to see how liquid the airlines are. If they are not liquid, they must find out why and you must account for his problem of liquidity and where he can account for it. When you realise that revenue is not covering cost; you have a job to do.

Nigerians are watching to see the development in the new management of Arik Air. What is the hope that they will Continued on page 30

30

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017, • T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

INTERVIEW

OLOWO: NIGERIAN ENVIRONMENT IS VERY HOSTILE FOR BUSINESS be able to revive the airline?

Personally, I have no hope on AMCON because antecedent has not convinced me otherwise. The way they have been moving in the last three to four weeks, I see no hope.

They took over Aero Contractors and I haven’t seen anything after that. They removed the CEO of Aero and sent him to the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) (Captain FOla Akinkuotu), they brought in the chief pilot from Arik to Aero (Captain Ado Sanusi), all their postings have been haphazard, so I see no hope but I pray that they don’t kill the airline. The airline must not go under. It is not about paying off the banks but it is an in-depth understanding of the cause of the problem. If there are priority allocations of foreign exchange to some sectors, even religion, this is a very sensitive sector for FX allocation.

If the airline operator has borrowed with huge FX content, and FX has gotten to such an alarming rate, then there is a problem. For foreign airlines, they reduce frequencies, they are cutting their expenses, their operational base is not in Nigeria. So, all they do is sell here and move their money. So, they know how to handle their problems. The Nigerian airlines’ home is here. Somebody needs sympathy for them and that sympathy should be from our own government, our NCAA and the Ministry.

I see no reason why we cannot call the airlines together and find a way to make them strong.

If I have my way, I will merge all of them into one without killing their individual identity.

The total aircraft for Nigerian airlines today is less than thirty. South African Airways has 53 aircraft, Ethiopian airline has close to 100.

We can bring our airlines together and do a very robust schedule for all their airlines put together.

I will draw a roster; the first airline for flight one; the next flight will be used as flight two.

If the first airline does not go for any reason, the second airline can go, while the third airline can be used as flight three. The schedule will be maintained. So, you will be competing to do your flight because you are on the schedule and I will do 1000 flights using all the aircraft.

I will use technology. If they can grow their fleet, they will continue to grow it to make it efficient. If you are going to position the aeroplane, we must have a standby. If you cannot position it in 30 minutes to take off, then the airline on standby will move in.

The issue is policy. The NCAA just needs to ask for the airlines’ airworthy aircraft; we can have two strong competitors. This is to reduce competition and improve standard because NCAA will not take rubbish from any airline. That is what Imo Air is trying to do. Imo Air operated by Dana Air that is the concept. It is done all over the world. If you go to the United State that is what is done. American Airlines operated by different operators. American Airlines has robust schedule and it is not operated by American Airline aircraft but aircraft under the supervision of American Airline.

There are reports in the industry that the new management of Arik may have to dispose 70 percent of the workforce.

What do you think will be the effect of this, considering the size of Arik?

If they do this, it will be suicide. I will make manpower 60 percent and money 40 percent. If you fire the Arik workers and you are thinking of a good airline tomorrow, you may be running into problems. Look at the workers in the industry, the people circulating are people that came out of most airlines that have gone under. Manpower is the key and if AMCON is serious about managing the airline, it should just retain manpower now.

Keep the manpower because it is even the least costly. In Nigeria, each time there is crisis; manpower is the first they will cut, which is not supposed to be so. Manpower should be retained because we need it again and again.

When we were planning the restructuring of the now defunct Nigerian Airways, we realised it had 6,000 workers but just one aircraft. We said to ourselves, let us keep some of this 6,000. So we looked at all the assets of Nigeria Airways, which include the engines, the catering department, water department, maintenance department, amongst others. After we did the forensic audit, we knew that from all the assets, we should be able to get six brand

media. We have reflected on almost every issue in the last one year, it is left for government to implement some of the solutions we have proffered. What is driving us is to know how aviation can advance? What is making Emirates big? We are celebrating Ethiopian Airlines to Kaduna but where is our own to celebrate?

This is very sad. Ethiopian came to run Air Nigeria for us and now Ethiopian is on top.

Olowo

new aircraft. We said we would call Boeing and Airbus and offer them all the assets in exchange for six aircraft.

We would put four for domestic and West Africa and two for international. Then Nigerian Airways would complement other indigenous airlines and we would not have too much competition in the domestic market. We then looked at the world average with regard to workforce per aircraft. In some countries, you need 50 to 100 workers per aircraft, in some airlines we have between 150 to 300 workers per aircraft. So, we did an average and arrived at retaining 200 people per aircraft.

Since we would be able to get six aircraft from the assets, that would give us 1,200 workers

If the airline operator has borrowed with huge FX content, and FX has gotten to such an alarming rate, then there is a problem. For foreign airlines, they reduce frequencies, they are cutting their expenses, their operational base is not in Nigeria. So, all they do is sell here and move their money. So, they know how to handle their problems

from the six aircraft. So, we bloated it and said we would take 2,000 out of the 6,000.

So, our recommendation was to retain 2,000 out of 6,000 because we are going to start a new airline and we wanted to go to the Nigeria Stock Exchange where we would float a company for the Nigerian people and it would be the people’s airline. The owners would be qualified, chosen from the Nigerian people and serious managers would be in charge, home and abroad. A Nigerian is the Director of Engineering in American airline. The man manages 800 aeroplanes. Unfortunately, all we said was not implemented and we learnt that the airline was shut down. So, manpower is the key.

What is your take on the national carrier proposed by the Minister?

I am in haste and I want to see it quickly.

I support it but I will not agree it be called a national carrier. It should be called another flag carrier. If the kind of consolidation I am suggesting for the existing ones happen, we will have two big players to face a British Airways. With the kind of players we have, we cannot face a British Airways or a Lufthansa.

We cannot even compare with Ethiopia Airlines.

Commercial discussion here is not a joke, while our people in the Ministry will go without the airline officials to negotiate.

What is the level of collaboration between private sector and government when it comes to issues that affect aviation?

Aviation Round Table is an NGO, which is made up of concerned people in the industry.

The best we can do is to talk and send the communiqué to the government to see. We discuss the issues and recommend the best ways to go about the issues. The communiqué goes to the President, the Minister and the

What do you think should be the average number of aircraft by Nigerian airlines in your own estimation?

In the Nigeria of my dream an operator must start with an equivalent of a South African Airways, which is 50 aircraft for one operator.

We must do equal services to the countries of all the foreign airlines. If Lufthansa does three flights, I will do three to Germany. BA will do seven and I will do seven. You will not let them do 21 and ask me to do 21 because they already have the market. I am going to deliberately reduce their market and give it to my people. I must make sure that our airline has what it takes before I will go to Britain to negotiate. They will tell you Heathrow is not available, then, I will tell them Lagos is also not available.

You have to give my own people Heathrow Airport, London for me to give you Lagos. I won’t do open sky because I do not have the muscle yet. The muscles the foreign airlines have are stronger than mine. What kind of nationalism do I have? I went to negotiate air traffic in India for the defunct Bellview because Nigeria said we cannot do London and other lucrative routes, I wanted to prove that we can do it as we have aeroplanes and pilot to do it. We had Airbus 300 and A800, which was the biggest at the time, sold for $52million. Those in the Ministry said if we go to London we would disgrace the (Nigerian) flag; they didn’t believe us.

So they asked if we could go to India and we agreed, but unknown to us, we didn’t know what they meant was for us to go and die.

Stupidly, we took the business. When I went to negotiate Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA), the Indians I met were real experienced aviators. They said we should not come to India because they did not want to come to Nigeria. They held our aircraft at some point.

So they put all the bills down and they asked us to pay the bills if we want to come to their country. So, we agreed to settle the bills. They went on to tell us that inside our aircraft, they will give us 100 seats and we will be selling as Air India. Those are commercial negotiations.

How will you go and negotiate for Arik and you will not take Arik official with you?

What kind of Ministry is this? When they take Arik officials, they tell them they are observers, they are not supposed to talk, we are the Ministry and we should talk. Is it the Ministry that will fly? Our industry is dead.

They were selling Air India but it is inside my aeroplane. They were making money, doing nothing. That is commercial agreement. How can a Ministry go and do commercial agreement without an airline? Going forward, we need someone who understands the economics of the business. As the minister of Aviation, you should understand where the money is coming from.

There are reports in the industry saying foreign airlines are taking some of our best hands, meanwhile we have pilots with fewer experience that do not have anywhere else to go. Do you think it is a plus?

It is plus for us. What will a pilot do if there is no aeroplane to fly? If my aeroplane reduces from 30 to nine and my pilots are sitting down, they cannot fly. That was why they picketed Landover because pilots were rostered and there was no service for them.

They are very delicate specie because if you want to hire them you have to be very careful, especially if you don’t have sufficient hour for them to fly. Let them go and get experience and the day I need them, I will go for them.

The day we have strong two players with 50 aircraft each, then we will get there. Then, a Nigerian pilot will be cheaper; a Nigerian engineer will be cheaper. If a give a Nigerian pilot house in Ikeja, an expatriate will say he wants a house in Ikoyi, with security.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017, • T H I S D AY

31

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

AIICO Insurance Moves against Fraudulent Sales Agents

Ebere Nwoji

AIICO Insurance Plc, has said it will leave no stone unturned in its ongoing efforts to bring to book perpetrators of unethical and fraudulent activities uncovered in the company’s dealings with the insuring public.

AIICO Insurance Managing Director, Edwin Igbiti told journalists that one Mr. Adesanmi, is presently being investigated

for fraudulent practices and misrepresentation of AIICO Insurance Plc. “Consistent with our practice and in line with the processes in the company, upon receiving reports of the fraud allegedly perpetrated by Mr. Adesanmi, he was immediately placed on suspension pending the outcome of an investigation that was commenced immediately and which is presently on-going.

Igbiti said that AIICO

Insurance is an underwriter of more than 50 years’ experience, the largest life underwriter in Nigeria and one of the biggest Insurance underwriters in the West African sub-region.

According to him, the firm has also created and sustained a reputation that cuts across the globe as an underwriter of repute, with clientele from within and outside Nigeria and claims profile payment that runs into multi-billions of Naira.

He explained that the company has since put in place a policy against the payment of cash to individuals, adding that this is visibly indicated on the company’s communication materials and policy documents.

“We have invested in technology and infrastructure to provide multiple payment channels for payment and renewal of Insurance policies.

These channels include: Point of Sale (POS) terminals at our

locations, NIBBS & Quickteller payment platforms, Bank Branches, AIICO e-Insurance Web Portal, Third Party Scratch Cards, Direct Debit and Cashier Points at our locations”, he stated.

He added that the company encourages its customers to continue utilising these channels which provide instant automation of records.

He said in addition to this, the payment of over N30 billion

in claims and benefits between 2013 and 2015 by the company attests to its avowed commitment to prompt claims settlements to its valued customers.

“Whenever the unexpected happens, AIICO remains duty bound and owe our customers the responsibility to protect their interests. We hereby restate our unwavering commitment to continue to create and protect wealth for our highly esteemed customers.”

Linkage Assurance Strengthens Ties Babington-Ashaye Launches Book with Insurance Brokers on Insurance Ebere Nwoji Linkage Assurance Plc, in a deliberate move to increase its market share of the competitive insurance market, and achieve financial growth, has taken steps to strengthen its relationship with insurance brokers.

Brokers, according to industry statistics control over 70 percent of the Nigerian insurance market share, particularly in the corporate private and public sector business.

Linkage says coming to work with brokers more closely was

in line with its vision to increase visibility, deepen penetration and provide insurance to nook and crannies of the country.

Managing Director, Linkage Assurance Plc, Dr Pius Apere, speaking at the Members’ Evening of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) said brokers have a big role to play in helping to ensure that insurance takes deeper root in the economy of Nigeria.

Apere said insurance sector, is the backbone of any economy, adding, without insurance, no economy can grow because

insurance sector helps other businesses to survive, particularly in a period of economic recession.

“Without insurance, many businesses will die in this recession, that means we have a role to play by ensuring that we help businesses remain on the part of growth and sustainability, Apere stated.

The Linkage boss further stated that the Company recently launched seven new products targeted at low income people, to enable them manage their risks and enhance their standard of living.

A book on Insurance titled ‘Insurance in Practice, What You Need to Know About Insurance in Nigeria’ is to be launched on March 22, 2017.

The book, written by a former Managing Director of NICON Insurance Corporation and erstwhile Managing Director, Cornerstone Insurance Plc, Mrs. Funmi Babington Ashaye, will be launched at the auditorium of Nigeria Insurers Association(NIA,) Victoria Island, Lagos. Ashaye, who is currently, Managing Director, Risk Analyst Insurance Brokers, was described

by an analyst as a pathfinder for the insuring public and insurance practitioners.

Ashaye, said the beautifully package book, presents insurance in a simple and understandable language. According to her, there is need to deepen insurance knowledge in the country and bring to fore the fact that insurance is a human and business necessity.

She said this is the key motivating factor for writing the book. She added that the book is very inviting and worth exploring.

Industry analysts, said the 17-chapter book is a must-have for everyone, adding that the author, brilliantly brought her over 30 years experience in the industry to bear on the book whose Foreword was written by Olola Bode Ogunlana, the Doyen of the Insurance Profession in Nigeria.

For the launch, many Captains of industry, regulators and the Insurance industry’s leading executives have been invited to grace the occasion which would be chaired by Chief Ajibola Ogunsola.

32

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

EDUCATION Ensign: AUN’s Peace Initiative is Attracting More Students The American University of Nigeria, Yola, Adamawa State recorded the highest enrolment figure in this year’s Spring Semester, as about 155 new students took the matriculation oath. The President, Dr. Margee Ensign attributed the increasing population to parents’ confidence in the ability of the institution to keep their children safe even as the insurgency continues to wane, in addition to other benefits of studying at the university. Uchechukwu Nnaike reports The American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, Adamawa State is probably reaping the reward of its hard work and dedication to peace and security in the state as the number of candidates indicating interest to study at the institution continues to increase. The university recorded its highest enrolment in the 2017 Spring Semester with 155 new students taking the matriculation oath.

According to the President, Dr. Margee Ensign, despite the havoc caused by insurgency in the north-eastern part of the country and the security challenges in the area, the university remained a safe haven for staff, students and members of the community. It adopted series of programmes under the aegis of the Adamawa Peace Initiative (API), which engaged youths of the area positively and constructively and reduced in them the tendency of becoming terrorists.

This she said endeared the university to parents and students, who are now attracted to it. “Parents and students have realised that the insurgency is fading and that is very important because while we remained a safe and secured campus during some rough times, now it is clear that parents and students are very attracted to this university.

“I think we made it. I have had some parents say to me ‘we read about what this university did during the insurgency and we want our children to have an education where they become leaders, where they learn to solve problems, so I think those two go together. Security is better, parents have realised that we are quite different, our education is different; it is an American education.”

Another unique feature of the university she said is that it offers the same quality as the best schools in the US with other added values. “It is the same thing you get at the best schools in America, but we take it one step further; we ensure that these young people become leaders who can solve problems so I think that is why the classes are increasing because parents in the country and abroad are realising that this is high quality education for a great value. We cost one-fifth of what a parent will pay in US.” Of the 155 new students (110 undergraduates and 45 postgraduates) she said 10 of the undergraduates were transferred from universities in Canada, US and UK, adding that the university is connected with a body known as Nigerians in the Diaspora (NIDO) and following series of meetings with the members, most of them are convinced that their children will get at AUN the quality of education they would have got abroad. “Nigerians are everywhere in the world, how wonderful that they are coming home for their education; so we are very proud of that.”

Commenting on the selection process, which she said was tasking, the president said: “Going by the statistics, 4,000 young people showed interest in this university, several thousand applied, we took it down a few hundred and we have a class of about 155 students with the graduate class and 15 per cent of them are on scholarship so we are looking for the best and the brightest in this country and around the world now there are students coming back from the US, UK, Canada.”

Though many students applied to study at

Ensign

the university, she said the number admitted was what the university could accommodate for now. “Every university has its target, we exceeded our target and the target is based on academic performance, personal character and the facilities at the university, so with this class we will be quite full in our residence halls.

“Some universities will just say let’s put a few more in a room, we don’t do that because a lot of the educational programmes happen in the hostels, we do trainings there, we want students to be comfortable so we take great pride in our residence halls and we are not going to put six students in a room that was built for three, some for four and we also have to watch the gender breakdown because the women and men are in separate hostels so with this class we are at full capacity.”

On the institution’s expansion plan, Ensign said: “We have asked our board to approve additional housing to be built because the fall class, already the projections look like it is going to be much bigger so we are growing rapidly for all the right reasons.

“We have in the design phase the design for two new residence halls; design for engineering laboratories, at the moment we are expanding our health clinic it will be a 14-bed facility and that is to take care of every one and if we are going to move forward with public health and medicine, we need more facilities, but we are laying the ground work for some very important programmes in housing, in

laboratories and we will now determine how many additional faculties we need.”

In terms of introducing new courses into the curriculum, she said: “We have the School of Business and Entrepreneurship, which has first degree, masters and PhD; the School of Arts and Sciences at the moment has undergraduate programmes and everything from petroleum and chemistry, we are looking at masters and PhD especially in international development; the school of Information Technology and Computing has undergraduate, masters, executive and PhD. We have the school of law which is a first degree, you don’t do another one; engineering will have undergraduate masters and PhD. Because in Nigeria so many senior faculty are retiring and not enough PhDs are being trained, we have been asked by a variety of the regulatory agencies to add more quickly so we are looking at a variety of new PhD programmes because Nigeria is doubling every 25 and 26 years, so every 25 or 26 years you have this huge pool of young people who need to be educated and we are doing everything we can to respond to that quickly.”

She also stressed the need to introduce online programmes, adding that the new executive secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) has supported that and that is a major development in Nigeria “because when you look at the demographic bulge, it is a pyramid, at the top are the older people, the bulge at the bottom is so huge, and right now Nigeria

has some of the worst education indicators in the world and it is because of access.

“We have to make sure that every child in this country has access to education, there is no question that digital resources should be deployed more. We have a programme which continues, we are funding it ourselves, it is called Technology Enhanced Learning for All (TELA), it was for out of school children, 20,000 listened to radio; 2,000 used tablets with apps written in Hausa and Fulfulde, written by our computer science students, the performance is outstanding; in five months we took one little girl from grade 0 to grade 5.

“Nothing excites me more than to see that level of performance, so these children whether they are out of school or in school, digital resources, online resources should be deployed much more in the country, it is the answer, we have them, that is the answer to this big bulge coming forward. We are writing proposals for online masters and PhD to move access forward and to make it lighter in the country and continent, once you do that anyone can be a student so we are very excited about that.”

Asked if the university has plans to extend the TELA programme and other communitybased programmes beyond Adamawa State, Ensign said: “We have a variety of development programmes that are already extending to way out of Yola into other communities and it looks like we are going to get some international funding to expand Peace through Sports, TELA, Feed and Read; we are doing major reconciliation work which has to happen for people to move forward.

“The Adamawa peace members recently met to plan how we are going to duplicate the work we have been doing here for three or four years in Bornu and Yobe States we are excited about that, it is a lot of work, a lot of planning. We are laying the foundation and the ground work to expand.”

Among the new students is Miss Mariam Habilla Usman, a former student of Airfoce Girls Comprehensive School, Jos, Plateau State, who is the recipient of the national scholarship for the top scorer in the scholarship examination conducted at the university for new students.

The award covers tuition, housing, feeding and other things for the first semester, but the student can apply for extension; to sustain the scholarship, the recipient must have a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.5.

The Bornu State born, who made seven As and two Bs in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), told THISDAY that she initially applied to another university for information technology, but was not satisfied with the course she was offered so her mother suggested AUN, she tried it and was accepted and when she learnt that all new applicants are eligible for the scholarship, she applied.

Usman, 17, who is studying Natural and Environmental Sciences said: “I feel it is a challenge but I am going to take it. My expectation is to be who I want to be in future, to achieve my goals, to be a better person in the society.

With the knowledge I believe I will acquire from the course I will like to make a change, I know about the climate change and other natural disasters I will make a change.”

33

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

EDUCATION

‘Govt’s Takeover of Schools Ruined Education’ Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The Annunciation School Old Boys Association (ASOBA), Ikere Ekiti, has thrown its weight behind the advocacy for the return of schools to missionaries, describing the takeover of schools as a policy that crippled education in Nigeria.

The association reiterated the need for the country to be stable with its educational policies, saying that government’s inconsistent policies, particularly the incessant alteration of curricula contributed to the damage of the country’s goodwill in education.

Speaking at a press conference heralding the 60th anniversary of the school, the National President of the association, Prof. Olu Agbedana, called for the return of schools to missionaries for better provision and maintenance

of facilities.

He said activities lined up for the celebration include N100 million fund raising to increase the infrastructure in terms of classrooms, dormitories, boarding facilities, among others.

“It is sad that government took over schools from missionaries without necessary back up.

Only Lagos and Anambra had made successes in the return of schools. When government took over schools, the standard in public schools started falling and private schools began to blossom. Is that the best? So I support the return of schools to the original owners.”

Agbedana said the alumni have intervened in meeting the needs of the students by sinking boreholes, constructing a new main gate and providing books for the library, describing the celebration as a clarion call on members to contribute more.

On how the school rose to

stardom, Agbedana said: “This school started with three members of staff and 33 students at inception in 1957 now it has 86 academic staff covering all areas of school’s curriculum with 819 students. Today, the school ranks among the leading educational institutions in Ekiti

State and her products spread all over the world in public and private sectors.”

The academic added that the school was also outstanding in English Language and Mathematics in last year’s WAEC and NECO examinations results.

He commended Governor Ayodele Fayose for the provision of solar energy, e-learning and vocational education in the school, saying that the move will help the students to gain special skills before graduation.

Prominent among the alumni are: Ekiti Deputy Governor,

Kolapo Olusola; Ogun State former military Governor, Navy Capt. Kayode Olofinmoyin; Senator Ayo Arise, former Minister of Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye; Funminiyi Afuye, former Nigerian Defence Attache to US, Col. Sunday Akinola, among others.

Pace Setters Academy Mentors Pupils on Career Path Kuni Tyessi in Abuja As part of efforts to confront the societal anomaly of putting square pegs in round holes, Pace Setters Academy, Gwarinpa, Abuja recently held its Career Day to groom its pupils on suitable career paths they can follow based on interest, intelligence quotient and performance.

The Principal of the school, Mrs. Henrietta Odum, said there is need to catch them young because nature has blessed man with the ingenuity to solve all his challenges. She advised that parents can serve as facilitators to help their children in choosing suitable careers and not forcing them to study a course that is of little or no interest to them.

“We group them into different career paths according to their interests and desires and according to the direction of their parents. We invited resource persons who are professionals in the various professions to talk to them about the different career paths, what they entail and what they stand to benefit. So from now, the child is expected to begin to groom him/herself towards that career.

“Let the children choose what they want to be. They should just act like facilitators.

If you look around the world, we have a lot of needs. There are so many things pressing on humanity and we need answers to all of the problems.

God has given us the ingenuity and wisdom to be able to answer our own problems.

“We cannot continue to put square pegs in round holes.

Everybody must not heal the world. Everybody must not defend territories, everybody must not teach. There are specific things people can do and that is when we can begin to find answers to most of human problems.”

In tackling the reasons

students study courses they do not want, but have been saddled with, Odum opined that “it starts from the admission process. Basically, it is an institutional problem. Many times you find out that people end up studying what they don’t want. So it is only natural for such persons to go back and still read what they had in mind. Many times you will find people who studied medicine or engineering going into singing and they love it. There are several other examples and such people are excelling.

“Education is not just about classroom and teacher/pupil communication. It is also about letting the children know that there is a world outside the classroom and there are demands in life. I will advise other schools to start this programme in case they haven’t. They should learn to catch them young so that the youths can be focused at a particular direction. If we have a large percentage of people who do not have focus, we still will not be able to achieve our goals as a nation.”

A primary four pupil of the school, Toyin Badmus advised other pupils not to always wait for their parents to decide their careers for them. Badmus who aspires to be a nurse, said their chosen profession should be a definition of who they are.

“I have a passion for saving lives and when you do, you feel good about yourself. I don’t basically want to be a doctor because I have a passion for being a nurse.

“The career you choose has to be an example of who you are and nursing is an example of who I am. I don’t want pupils like me to always wait for their parents to tell them what to read. They should follow their hearts and let their chosen profession be a definition of who they are.”

SUPPORTING EDUCATION

L-R: The Chief Executive Officer, Okadabooks, Okechukwu Ofili; the Chairman MTN Foundation, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi; CEO, Terra Kulture, Bolanle Austin-Peters; Director, MTN Foundation, Mr. Dennis Okoro; and the Executive Secretary, Ms. Nonny Ugboma, at the foundation’s STSS/ SSBS scholars’ alumni conference in Lagos… recently

LASU to Honour Dangote, Two Others, Produces 26 First Class

MTN Foundation Invests N16bn in Education, Others

Funmi Ogundare

The MTN Foundation has as part of its Corporate Social Investment (CSI), invested over N16 billion in 550 projects across the country with N1.5 billion in education. It said the investment in education was on scholarship for 7,717 indigent science and technology students across the country, while another N147 million was spent on 737 blind students in different public higher institutions in the country.

Speaking at the foundation’s inaugural alumni conference in Lagos recently, the Chairman, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, said the investment in education is part of the foundation’s commitment towards tackling the problem of unemployment in the country.

“As a former minister of health and Chairman, Board of Directors of MTNF, youth unemployment is a challenge that has caused me a lot of concern. This is why I am pleased about the potential of today’s conference, which is aimed at providing critical information and assistance to all students who have benefitted from MTNF scholarship.

“It is my hope that through the MTNF alumni, we will create social media platform for networking which will expose our graduates to valuable career information so that your careers can be as inspiring as that of Chukwudi Ohaka.

For their contributions to the betterment of the society, the Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; the Executive Vice-Chairman of Famfa Oil Limited, Chief Folorunsho Alakija; and renowned entrepreneur, Sir Kessington Adebutu will receive honorary doctoral degrees at the 21st convocation ceremony of the Lagos State University (LASU).

Dangote will receive honorary degree in Business; Alakija will bag Honorary Doctorate of Arts and Humane Letters; while Adebutu will get Honorary Doctorate of Science and Communication. The university will graduate a total of 36,489 students, out of which 26 bagged first class.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun, who briefed journalists recently, said the university has instituted an award of distinguished Professor this year and has found Prof.

Peter Akinsola worthy of the rank, adding that though it had for several years refrained from conferring honorary awards to individuals, it had to change that this year for their impact on humanity.

“The honorary degree is not targeted at money bags or for them to give the university money, but because of impact and support for humanity. A lot of individuals were considered,

but we had to limit it to three.”

Giving the breakdown of the graduands, he said a total of 133 graduated with diploma; 28,300 with first degrees from the Faculties of Arts, Education, Engineering, Law, Management Sciences, College of Medline, School of Communication, among others, while 8,056 finished in higher degrees.

“The reason we have a high number of graduates this year is because we had to clear the backlog of outstanding results of students in LASU external systems; and for the lower number of first class graduates, we had to ensure that our standard is used the way it ought to be such that any of our student that graduates with second class will be able to prove themselves anywhere.”

On other programmes lined up for the ceremony, the VC said there would be a convocation lecture titled ‘Bridging the Gap for Graduate Employability’, to be delivered by the Managing Director, UACN Property Development Company Plc, Mr. Hakeem Ogunniran on March 21.

According to him, award of first degrees and diplomas will hold on March 22; inauguration of the new senate building, foundation laying of 6,000 capacity LASU hostel by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and award of higher.

Peace Obi

“Chukwudi studied engineering at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, had to work for about three years to save the initial N50,000 to register and pay fees as an entry-level student of the university. Subsequently, he went through a rough patch trying to get through the first year.

“Then in his second year, he applied and was selected for the MTNF scholarship and his story changed. Receiving the award helped him reduce the financial pressure on his mother and ensured that he completed his studies successfully. On graduation, he was accepted by MTN Nigeria, where he currently works.”

Adelusi-Adeluyi said such stories justify the quest by the foundation to help write the success stories of several brilliant but indigent students across Nigeria.

He also urged the graduates to take advantage of the platform to connect, collaborate and commit to the development of themselves and the country. He promised that the foundation would continue to impact the lives of the people and will continually strive to put smiles on the faces of people in communities across Nigeria.

The Chairman of MTN, Dr. Pascal Dozie, said through the foundation, MTN would execute more projects in various communities across the country.

34

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

EDUCATION

‘Private Schools are Social Service Providers, Not Businesses’ In this interview with Uchechukwu Nnaike, the Education Who Cares WhatYou Read?

Director of Mind Builders School, Lagos, Mrs. Bola Falore I can’t believe I read English as a first degree. I’m actually highlights the challenges private school owners encounter glad I did. It’s been the gateway to what I’ve done since! We maximally and achieve a balance when we are doing in the quest to provide quality education, while calling on the function the work we enjoy. Did you know that scientific research found that ‘office-people’ spend more hours of their government to see private schools as social service providers, has lives at work? Unfortunately, for many people nowadays, their jobs are just drudgery. The pity of it all is that they not business ventures, and to properly fund public schools are doing nothing about it. What then is your purpose in life Many people view private schools as business establishments that make a lot of profit, especially the high fee-paying ones, so when their proprietors voice out their challenges, especially financial constraints, they are usually not taken seriously.

The Education Director of Mind Builders School, Lagos, Mrs. Bola Falore told THISDAY that these challenges are real, coupled with the multiple levies and fees that private school owners are made to pay. She said multiple taxation affects private schools because they use the fees to pay teachers, improve facilities and other maintenance.

“Private schools are rendering social service, they are not business ventures so government should look at it that way.

We cannot get loans from banks because the collateral they will ask for is not something schools can afford.”

According to her, government should make the terrain of private schools less challenging by reducing multiple taxes and create an avenue for private schools to access loans maybe by establishing an education bank, where private schools can get loans with little or no interest.

This she said will enable private school owners to develop their schools “so that they can make the environment conducive for learning and have resources.

When we go to the normal banks they slam us with the same percentage they give to people in oil and gas, it is not the same.”

In spite of the challenges, Falore said the school currently runs a scholarship scheme as a way of giving back to the society and encouraging brilliant students, irrespective of their backgrounds. The school recently awarded N3 million worth of scholarship to four of its new students to cover part of their tuition fees for the

Falore

six years secondary education.

She said about 12 students are currently benefiting from the scholarship scheme. “For some it covers tuition and uniform and for others it is tuition free, especially those from fairly okay background; their parents can take care of things like uniform, lunch, among others.”

In the area of pedagogy, she said the school operates what she described as enhanced curriculum, mainly Nigerian curriculum because she want to train students that would be relevant in the country.

“Why I call it enhanced is that I just pick a little from each method like the Montessori, I love the practical life aspect, which I picked. It gets the children ready; at the age of four they should be able to button their shirts themselves, lace their shoes and pour water appropriately.”

The education director regretted that sometimes the impact of learning is not felt

among children because the home does not collaborate with the school. While describing the home as the first agency of education and parents as the first set of teachers, she stressed that the home and the school must work together.

“When the children know that the home and the school are in partnership with each other, they will have a better chance to be useful to themselves, their families and the society in the sense that there will be no disparity.”

However, she said the problem is that parents are never there, “that is why I said that parenting is very challenging these days because most parents are never there, they don’t give their children the quality time they deserve, especially during the developmental stages.

“Parents have transferred their responsibilities to the school, they will drop the children in school as early as 7am and the children will be in

school till 2pm, they put them in another after school lesson and by the time the parents return home the children would have gone to sleep, they are not there to see what the children are doing in school. How can they assist the school in terms of doing the children’s home work?”

According to her, the absence of parents is glaring among some children who come to school in the morning looking very untidy; all their books torn, and their home works never done, adding that some parents will leave their children in school till about 8pm.

She therefor advised parents, especially mothers to take up flexible jobs that will give them time to look after their families. “When you leave the responsibility to someone else, you cannot get the best. You cannot go looking for money at the detriment of your children, especially for mothers.

“Some of them leave their children with external helps whose backgrounds are not known and in most cases they teach the children wrong values. We are talking about abuses here and there because the opportunity is there for people to perpetrate the act.

If the opportunity is not there it will reduce.”

On the importance of teaching indigenous languages in schools, she said: “In my school the emphasis is that a child must learn two Nigerian languages and Yoruba which is the language of the environment is compulsory.

But the challenge we have is that teachers for Hausa and Igbo are scarce.

“So for the nursery and primary section, we dwell on the Yoruba Language, but when they move to high school, they must either pick Igbo or Hausa, the two teachers I have are in the high school but I am still looking for either an Igbo or Hausa teacher so that the children can have access to two Nigerian languages in the primary school.”

UNILORIN Alumni Association, Abuja Elects Officers The Abuja chapter of the University of Ilorin Alumni Association recently witnessed a change of guard at its helm of affairs as a new set of executive members was elected to pilot its affairs for the next two years. At the well-attended elections meeting, Mr. Olusegun Adekunle, the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources emerged the new Chairman while Assistant ComPol Sadat Ismaila was elected Vice-Chairman.

Other members of the newly constituted exco are Bolanle Olatunde - General Secretary; Mr. John Freeman Ondoma

- Assistant General Secretary; Mr. Zubairu Attahiru - Treasurer; Eno Essien - Social/ Welfare Secretary; Mr. Yusuf Surajudeen Financial Secretary; and Mr. Abdullahi Ridwan Olalekan - Public Relations Executive.

In his handover notes, Dr. Adetayo Haastrup, the immediate past Chairman, who will still serve in the new executive committee as an ex-officio, expressed delight at the well-attended event and pledged his continuous support for the association.

In his acceptance speech, Adekunle

thanked the members for the confidence reposed in him and his team and promised to among other things, deploy technology to improve the alumni data base, as well as reach out to many more distinguished alumni towards making the Capitol Assembly a model chapter that it should be.

He also promised that his team will review the alumni constitution and bye laws as it affects the FCT chapter. While charging members to be committed, the chairman also stressed the need for members collaborate towards making the April 22 alumni reunion day a memorable one.

with regards to your work-life?

On the other hand, you might have sourced yourself out and are ready to enjoy what you do. So, are you looking for a total career change or an adjunct to the career you are presently in?

If you are and if you have a love for beauty and fashion for instance, have you investigated the careers that are fashion and beauty orientated? If you are yet to do so, you may want to take some time to familiarise yourself with some of the many beauty and fashion focused careers that you might find interesting.

One of the many different ways that you could make a living off of your love for beauty and fashion is by becoming a beauty consultant. A beauty consultant is also commonly referred to as a fashion consultant or an image consultant. A beauty consultant often advises or consults with those who are looking for beauty tips like what type of makeup they should wear for a special event like a wedding, a birthday celebration, a social event.

Beauty consultants also offer varying services, depending on the individual in question. For instance, there are some beauty consultants who also specialise in makeup application, herbal make-up options, essence and fragrance options for beauty and home-remedy use, exercise and stretches for optimal muscle and bone maintenance, advice on accessories to use for certain occasions, colours and hues of clothes and accessories to use for varying celebrations and so on.

Another career opportunity that has a focus on fashion and beauty is that of a beauty salon owner or a beauty salon spa owner. In all honesty, there is a very small difference between a beauty salon and a beauty salon spa. Both offer popular services like hair care, nail care, makeup application, tattooing and tanning. Beauty salon spas also have a focus on many spa treatments like: massage treatments, acupuncture, facials, and so on. Getting your own beauty salon or beauty salon spa up and running can be a little bit difficult and expensive. Nevertheless, as more men and women are deciding to pamper themselves, it is a business venture that may bring you profits.

As mentioned above, owning your own beauty salon or beauty salon spa is potentially profitable. It often takes quite a bit of money, hard work, and determination to get started. If you would still like to work at a beauty salon or a beauty salon spa, but you don’t want to start your own business, you can still do so. Each year in countries all over the world, hundreds of new beauty salons and beauty salon spas open for business and many more decide to hire new employees. If you have experience working for a beauty salon or a beauty salon spa or if you attended beauty school, even if it was just a locally offered training course, you stand a good chance of being hired as an employee at a beauty salon or a beauty salon spa.

If you have love for beauty, but you don’t necessarily have experience trimming hair or doing popular nail care procedures, you may want to think about opening your own little beauty supply store. What is nice about opening your own beauty supply store is that you have a number of different options. For starters, you could choose to have a storefront location, you might choose to operate your business online or you could do mobile trading services. In fact, you could even choose to do a bit of all, if you wanted to.

Furthermore, you have the option of carrying on you, wherever you go, a few beauty products and your business card.

You never know whom you might bump into and offer your products to. Buying all of your merchandise wholesale, which many business owners seem to find more affordable, is the ultimate way to go.

As with working as an employee at a beauty salon or a beauty salon spa, you could choose to work at a beauty supply store instead of actually owning one. Many beauty supply stores often hire beauty consultants, as well as managers, stockers, and cashiers. You may even want to think about selling beauty products for another company, like: Forever products, Avon, or Mary Kay, as an independent contractor.

The world is indeed now an oyster.

As you can see, there are a number of different careers out there for those who may have love for fashion and beauty.

It is a known fact that those who work in a career field that they enjoy are more likely to be happy with their lives, even outside of work; therefore, you may want to further research the above mentioned career and job opportunities.

Omoru writes from the UK

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

35

EDUCATION

Masari Bemoans Decline of Education in Katsina

John Shiklam in Kaduna

The Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, has expressed concern over the decline in the state education sector over the years.

Painting a gloomy picture of the situation during a town hall meeting with indigenes of the state resident in Kaduna, Masari said urgent steps need to be taken to salvage the situation.

He noted that education used to occupy a pride of place among the people of the state, lamenting that the situation has now changed for the worse over time.

“There is no position in Nigeria that a Katsina indigene has not occupied in Nigeria.

We are the only state that has produced the presidency of Nigeria two times. This is a foundation that was built by our parents but before our own eyes, we have left it to deteriorate.”

He said the situation is not only peculiar to the state, but the entire northwest zone.

“Every survey or study that has been carried out by development partners or federal ministry of education shows that the north-west is the most backwards in education and that is where poverty is the most severe.”

Masari maintained that past administrations in the state neglected the education sector leading to the poor state of things. He said the highest that Katsina had recorded in WAEC or NECO exams is 11 per cent of those that had five credits, including English Language and Mathematics.

This statistics according to him is not limited to residents of the state alone, but all indigenes elsewhere across the country.

“From 2011 to 2013, we presented 250,000 candidates for WAEC and NECO out of which only 58,000 got five

credits including English and Mathematics.

“When we removed students in private schools in the state and our indigenes that sat for the external exams in other states, the number of students who got five credits, including English and Mathematics in public schools which government is running is about 340 to 500 students.” Masari said his administration is determined to change the situation, adding that a committee has been set up to identify the magnitude of the problem and proffer solutions. He said the committee undertook a head count of pupils in schools across the state, adding that the exercise revealed a great disparity between the number of pupils on the ground and the figures in the school registers.

“The committee found that on the registers of the schools, there are 1.2 million pupils in primary schools but when it

conducted a head count, there were only 728,000.

In secondary schools, the committee saw that 378,000 students werein the register but only 328,000 were actually on ground,” he added.

The governor also recalled that in a survey by UNICEF and federal ministry of education 80 per cent of children in the Northwest were out of school with only 20 per cent attending primary school compared to southern states including Kogi State with 80 per cent school enrollment.

He noted that lack of qualified teachers is part of the problem in the state education sector, as most of the teachers lack basic qualification. He said for instance UNICEF and DFID conducted another survey in the north-west where they interviewed and assessed primary school teachers but “most of them couldn’t pass the exams of the primary four pupils.”

RUNNING THE CLASSROOM

CHIOMA ERUOTOR

The Goal

What is the goal? Yes what is it? Is the goal to be a doctor or a lawyer or is it simply to be a science student or better still a socio-science student? The answer is no.

The goal is to be great at whatever you do. What will make you recognized all over the world is your goal. Do you want to be one in a million or you want to be part of the million practicing one occupation? You will notice more than fifty thousand doctors in Nigeria alone but what will make you different in the whole world should be your desire.

We are the future generation. How it will look like is our responsibility, it is ours to build. A friend of mine once told me that seriously.

He told me that the system of government is completely corrupt and that if he were to be in government he will steal. These are the things we have to kick against children are now growing up to be very cruel. He had a bad mind-set because of what he had heard people say. What I am trying to say is let’s give ourselves hope and not disappointment.

There are many doctors, lawyers, engineers, pilots, scientists, leaders, sport stars, etc. But what is going to make you different from others is your ability to excel. We are all given gifts but how to use it we must know, for example the sportiest person in a class does not understand maths and the smartest person in the class is not creative but an average person with leadership skills was able to combine all of this to make a team in which everyone in it is a beneficiary.

To establish any great goal or dream, first the goal or dream should be practical not to give yourself false hope or dreams. Secondly, believe in yourself and in God you worship. Do not be surrounded by people who will discourage you. Thirdly, never give up and always works hard.

I believe in a better tomorrow now with doctors, lawyers, nurse, policemen, pilots politicians, footballers, businessmen and women, writers etc where we can leave as a team in unity..

Eruotor writes from Lagos

Firm Advocates for Accurate Data among Schools Funmi Ogundare

UNITY IN DIVERSITY

Pupils of Amazing Talents Schools, Idimu, Lagos, showcasing various cultural outfits during the school’s Cultural Day… recently etop ukutt

Stakeholders Seek Better Funding of Technical Colleges Uchechukwu Nnaike The recent 46th inter-house sports competition of the Federal Science and Technical College (FSTC), Yaba also provided an opportunity for stakeholders to appraise the level of technical education in the country, and called on the government to properly fund the colleges so as to produce manpower for the country.

Dignitaries at the occasion also harped on the importance of sports to the development of students, saying that any school curricular that exclude sporting activities will not achieve a holistic development of the students.

Addressing the guests, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Jamila Shu’ara, stressed that sports helps students to develop themselves mentally, physically and psychosocially and thanked the college authority and all staff who worked tirelessly to make the event a success.

The Director, Technology and Science Education in the ministry, Mr. Samuel Ojo, who also stressed the importance of sports to the physical and psychological

wellbeing of students, said the competition would engender the spirit of competition among them.

On the state of technical schools in the country, he said the country is not there yet, but the ministry is doing its best with the recent launch of the ministerial strategic plan to ensure that federal and technical colleges are upgraded to standard and put on a competitive footing by ensuring that equipment, physical infrastructure and other facilities are put in place.

In his remarks, the Principal of the college, Rev. Chris Ugorji, stated that a sound mind must be found in a sound body and that any curriculum that does not include sports is not complete.

“It keeps them fit and when one is fit one reasons very well and it builds confidence in him, they may not be very good in academics, but when they excel in sports it helps to tell them they can make it.”

He however expressed displeasure with the state of sporting facilities in the college, saying “we don’t have a sports arena, funding is a challenge, we

are calling on friends of the college and partners to help us. The children have talents; they need to be motivated more with good sports facilities.”

Ugorji, who reiterated that his vision is to transform the college to a world class institution, said his tea had to work on the psyche of parents to tell them that their children can make it. He said it took parents time to embrace change and believe in his vision and mission.

“The college is still work in progress, they now believe in us and trust in us.”

On his part, the Chairman of the occasion Chief Charles Okeke, the Managing Director of Tshabron Group, who expressed satisfaction with the sporting skills displayed by the students, donated N200,000 to the school for the upgrade of the sports facilities.

On the state of technical education in the country, he said “Nigeria is lacking in many areas. Technical education is not going well to the best of my knowledge.

The federal government must encourage technical schools. Technical education should be improved to develop artisans that will do a lot more in the society.”

The Managing Director, Sidmach Technologies, Peter Arogundade, has stressed the need for schools to have accurate data so as to monitor the performance of their students adequately.

Arogundade, who made this known in Lagos recently at the unveiling of Sidmach Cloud Solutions, expressed concern that most public schools lack data to project the results of students, saying that their performance largely matter to enable them plan well.

He said his organisation is reaching out to state government to key into the SmartSchool safety portal initiative, adding that it has also partnered Microsoft to enable schools improve productivity and efficiency, grow revenue, as well as reduce operational costs.

“When you look at the state of some of the schools, you will know that there is need for proper management of the data of schools, there is need for accurate data from the proprietors of these schools and when you look at this against what we are doing for NERDC portal, you will understand that there is need for adequate steps to be taken to be able to project the results of students, because it matters a lot.”

Arogundade added that in an era of digital transformation, the cloud platform enables institutions to operate without boundaries. “Our SmartSchool is an effective, reliable, and affordable school management solution developed totally in compliance with UNESCO

and Nigerian government education policy framework. It simplifies and improves school administration.”

He said the company is also reaching out to WAEC and JAMB to register and process the results of candidates and reduce the problems of registration, adding that schools will be able to use the SmartSchool solution for free till the end of the current session and will only need to subscribe from next session.

“It will help the board and the council to collect data, manage and plan adequately.

We are making the platform available. Our target for next year is at least 20,000 schools.

It covers, parents, students, proprietors; they will be able to have access to information.”

The Director, Small Midmarket Solutions and Partners Group, Microsoft Nigeria, Mrs. Oluwawemimo Adeniyi, said the Microsoft Cloud solution provider programme is designed to strengthen customer relationships and expand sales opportunities by enabling partners to provide direct billing, sell combined offers and services, as well as directly provide, manage and support products and services.

The implication, according to her is that Sidmach owns the complete customer lifecycle, allowing it to easily sell its solutions and Microsoft offerings which include Office 365, Microsoft Azure, Dynamics 365 subscriptions and helping customers drive new business value through the cloud by owning the entire billing process and directly managing support.

36

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017, • T H I S D AY

CITYSTRINGS

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

LaurelsfortheWesternNavalCommand Chiemelie Ezeobi writes that at the recently concluded 11th Nigerian Navy Games, officers and ratings of the Western Naval Command were motivated to sweep 187 medals at the event

The Western Naval Command team with the FOC and some senior officers after their victory at the 11th Nigerian Navy Games held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State

F

or the military worldwide, the essence of keeping fit cannot be overemphasised and for the Nigerian Navy (NN), this is no different. An unfit military portends doom for a nation and so, for the navy, a means for its personnel to remain fit has been one of its core values. Aside the weekly (every Wednesday) games held in all formations nationwide, there is also a quarterly 10km route march and then the Navy Games held once every two years.

This year, the 11th Nigerian Navy Games was held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where the Western Naval Command, Logistics Command, Eastern Naval Command, Central Naval Command, Naval Training Command and Naval Headquarters Command participated in the competition.

From each command, 250 athletes and officials participated, making it a total of 1, 500 athletes and officials, tugging it out on 17 different sports categories.

While the aquatic sports competition; swimming, sailing and kayak were held at both Navy Town and Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos, other sports like athletics (track and field events), badminton, basketball, boxing (male), chess, football (male), golf, handball,

judo, scrabble, squash, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis , tug of war, volleyball and wrestling were held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The Director of Sports, Nigerian Navy (NN) and facilitator for the 11th Nigerian Navy Games, Commodore Suraj Bello, who was hands-on whilst the competition lasted said the NN promulgated the establishment of the games to improve the physical fitness of its personnel.

The Kickoff Prior to the competition, a press conference was held at naval headquarters in Abuja and the date announced was from February 26 to March 4, 2017.

At the briefing, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, said the

The games which was aimed at consolidating on the physical and mental fitness of naval personnel, has also helped in identifying talents in various sports in the country since its inception

games were consistent with the Navy’s policy of using sports to build the mental and physical fitness of its personnel to man the ships for sea and ashore duties.

Similarly, he said the navy had also participated in the Indian Navy Regatta in December last year and intended using the events for talent hunt for Nigeria for the African Games (formerly All Africa Games) in Equatorial Guinea in 2019 and the forthcoming Armed Forces Games.

Ibas who was represented by the Naval Chief of Administration, Rear Admiral Henry Babalola, said all the commands, including the Western, Eastern, Naval Training Command and Naval Headquarters Command were expected at the games, adding that each command would be represented by 250 athletes and officials.

He said: "Sports and physical training have always been the bedrock of Naval personnel's daily mental and physical readiness for sea and ashore duties. It is in recognition of this fact that led to the promulgation of the specific sports related Nigerian Navy Order (NNO) in the early 60s.

"Since the NN Games' establishment, the quality of participation at each edition has continued to improve in terms of the number of participants and events featured."

Ibas had also lauded the wisdom of the

Akwa Ibom State government for gracefully accepting to host the games in 10 secondary schools across the three senatorial districts of the state, adding that the facilities will make the state a force in the country in the years ahead.

He added that the Nigerian Navy which in 1974 took the first practical steps when it organised sports championship for the Navy Week celebrations, hoped to use the games to produce great athletes for Nigeria in the mould of Nojeem Maiyegun, who won Nigeria’s first Olympic medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964 in the light middleweight category and Warrant Corporal and Training Instructor Gilbert, who was also at the 1964 Games and second All Africa Games in 1973 as a member of the Nigerian boxing team.

The Water Sports in Lagos Whilst other sports held at Uyo, the aquatic competition involving the four water sports — swimming, rowing, sailing and boat-handling, held at Navy Town, Ojo, Lagos, where the navy pledged its commitment to enhance the growth of water sports and other calibre of sporting exercises in the country.

According to Ibas, who was again represented

by Rear Admiral Babalola, he said one can’t mention the navy without talking about water.

37

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017, • T H I S D AY

CITYSTRINGS

We are celebrating because the Nigerian Navy just concluded the 11th Navy Games and the command with overall best performance was mine; the Western Naval Command.

We won with 69 gold, 69 silver and 49 bronze medals He said, "This is because most of our activities revolve around the water and this is why the navy is passionate about water sports.

“We decided to bring the water events to Lagos because of the available resources in the state and boat-handling will be part of the events for the first time as a demonstration sport.

“We have a robust relationship with the Nigeria Rowing, Sailing and Canoe Federation to move water sports forward. We know the games will help to promote the swimming spirit among our personnel. Also, the games which are aimed at consolidating on the physical and mental fitness of naval personnel, has also helped in identifying talents in various sports in the country since its inception.

“This is because the military over the years had been in the forefront of sports development, as notable military men had done the nation proud in the international sports arena. Be it navy, army or the air force, these military bodies have contributed immensely to the growth of sports. Already, the navy is building a massive sports complex at Navy Town, Ojo, Lagos to aid sports development.”

The swimming events kicked off on a Tuesday at the Teslim Balogun Swimmimg Pool Complex, Surulere and was officially opened by Mr. Babatunde Fatai-William, the president of the Nigeria Aquatic Federation.

He acknowledged the continuous support of the navy in developing aquatic sport in Nigeria, adding that the programme of the navy that was geared towards improving physical and mental fitness of the Nigeria Navy personnel are laudable and encouraged esprit de corps amongst the personnel.

The four-day competition witnessed 38 swimming categories, which comprised thirty individual and eight relay categories.

The Winners Emerge Over the weekend, the 11th edition of the Nigerian Navy Games ended at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State with the Western Naval Command emerging the overall winner of the championship.

At the event tagged, ‘Uyo 2017’, the navy personnel from the Western Naval Command won a total of 187 medals, including 69 gold, 69 silver and 49 bronze to top the medals table The Eastern Naval Command emerged second position in the competition with 38 gold, 22 silver and 34 bronze medals while the third position went to Naval Headquarters with 108 medals.

The medals table further showed that Naval Training Command emerged fourth with 32 gold, 43 silver and 51 bronze, the Central Naval Command emerged fifth with 56 medals while the Logistic Naval Command came sixth with 54 medals.

The competition which featured 17 games in seven centres across Uyo metropolis had the Naval Headquarters emerging winner in the football match played on Saturday. It defeated the Western Naval Command by a lone goal.

Eastern Naval Command won the combat relay race while the second position went to Naval Training Command while the Western Command won the third position.

Presenting the cup to the overall winner, the CNS, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas commended the athletes for the spirit of sportsmanship exhibited throughout the games, urging the athletes to constantly remain fit even after the games to enable them perform their duties effectively.

He said the immediate appraisal of the games has revealed that the objective of the naval games had been achieved as the policy of the navy is to use sports to build the mental and physical fitness of its personnel.

He said, “They are important factors in the management of personnel in the navy and

The FOC, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Ferguson Bobai (holding the trophy) with the winning team

The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, teeing off at the Golf Tournament of the recently held 11th Nigerian Navy Games

therefore have always attracted attention from the authorities.

"The promotion of mass participation in sports by personnel on-board ships and ashore establishments helped to promote esprit de corps that enhance healthy working environment. The games, has also helped to develop talents among the personnel and raise strong athletes which could represent the Navy and the Armed Forces in national and international

sports competitions."

Meanwhile, the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel who was represented by his deputy, Moses Ekpo, lauded the navy for choosing the state for the games, adding that the state is noted all over the world for its sound and impeccable hospitality.

Bobai's Magic Wand Behind every successful team is a well-oiled

operation fueled by a leader. Same applies to the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command (WNC), Rear Admiral Fergusson Bobai, who motivated his team to success with all the right machineries put in place.

The team first won on their home turf at the sports competition and later went on to sweep laurels and emerged overall winner with 69 gold, 69 silver and 49 bronze medals in their kitty. While describing his personnel as the healthiest in the navy, Bobai said his assertion was based on the command's performance at the just concluded Navy Games.

Hosting the athletes and the officials from the command to a celebratory fiesta at the headquarters in Apapa, Lagos, Bobai said his command gave the runner up command a gap of over 30 gold medals.

According to him, emerging the winner and having competitors who surpassed all time record in one of the sports, was an indication that his personnel were mentally and physically fit.

He urged them to sustain the tempo, noting that those who emerged victorious would be called upon to represent the navy at the Armed Forces Games and other international competitions. Bobai said: "We are celebrating because the Nigerian Navy (NN) just concluded the 11th Navy Games and the command with overall best performance was mine; the Western Naval Command. We won with 69 gold, 69 silver and 49 bronze medals.

"Using that as a parametre, I would say my command is the healthiest because we gave the next command over 30 gold medals gap. It shows we are physically and mentally sound."

Commending the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas, for hosting the games, Bobai noted that the last time Navy Games held was in 2011 at Kaduna. He said: "It is not easy to move personnel from different commands and concentrate them in a place for over 10 days. It's cost effective and has its attendant risks.

"For us at WNC, it was a good initiative because it provided opportunity to showcase our skills. If CNS had not provided the platform for competition, we wouldn't have known we were blessed with talents that produced the results we got at the games."

One of the record breakers at the competition was a female Rating, Seaman Esther Omoseni, who won eight gold medals in swimming.

With this win, the Western Naval Command has consolidated its stand as the premier command of the navy. And for whom much is given, much is expected, which means that the burden of doing better now lies on their shoulders squarely.

38

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Improved FX Supply Raises Optimism about Nigeria’s Outlook Nume Ekeghe The improved foreign exchange (FX) supply by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN,) through stepped-up special intervention auctions, has given rise to greater optimism over the likely trajectory of FX policy, as well as the inflation outlook in Nigeria, a report has stated.

Standard Chartered Bank in a report titled: “Nigeria – A checklist for FX liberalisation,” noted that the improved FX availability was seen as key to any sustained deceleration in inflation.

It pointed out that the spreads between the official interbank market and the parallel FX market have already narrowed considerably.

“With the release of Nigeria’s

Economic Recovery and Growth Plan in early March, which broadly endorses currency flexibility, attention has shifted to the conditions that might need to be in place before Nigeria proceeds with meaningful FX liberalisation,” the report added.

It showed that the Standard Chartered-Premise Consumer Price Tracker (SC-PCPT) for Nigeria rose 1.6 per cent month-on-month (m/m) in February.

The SC-PCPT revealed a far more modest pace of monthly price rises than we have seen in recent times, the lowest m/m rise since August 2016, when food prices were likely impacted by Nigeria’s main harvest. In addition, many sub-categories have already

started to show a year-on-year (y/y) deceleration, as a strong base effect kicks in.

“In y/y terms, the SC-PCPT rose 30.15 per cent, less than the 30.5 per cent recorded in January. The evidence from the SC-PCPT supports the view that we may see a turning point in official CPI when the February data is released.

“As a result of the base effect, we expect y/y inflation to decelerate in the months ahead.

This is despite some concern, still, around the extent of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) financing of the government’s budget deficit.

“The publication of November and December money-supply data suggests that reliance on the CBN for deficit financing is still significant,” it added.

Sterling Bank Partners NEPC on Agric Exports Sterling Bank Plc said it has entered into a partnership with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to drive the export of agricultural produce in the country.

The move, according to the bank, was also part of its support for the diversification programme of the federal government.

Under the partnership with NEPC, Sterling Bank has powered the Information Communication Technology (ICT) laboratory of the South West Regional office of the council by providing 24-hour internet service for the staff and entrepreneurs exporting products outside the country.

A statement quoted the bank’s Executive Director,

Mr. Kayode Lawal, who spoke at the launch of the ICT laboratory in Lagos recently, to have said the partnership with NEPC will be sustained beyond the launch of the ICT laboratory.

The executive director noted that agriculture and exports were closely related and that the bank was working aggressively to drive agricultural and export initiatives in the country because they would help to create employment for the teeming population of the country.

He said significant export of made in Nigeria goods was the only direction the country could take now because Nigeria is the largest economy as well as the largest crude oil exporter

on the African continent, but was lagging behind in terms of export of other products.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo appreciated Sterling Bank for the partnership and the synergy the initiative would produce.

He noted: “We are doing many things with the Bank.

We hope it (Sterling Bank) will prove to be the number one export bank in the country.”

He said the council had six regional offices across the country and it was its intention to have one smart office in each state of the federation in a bid to drive export businesses to realise the diversification programme of the federal government.

Flour Mills GMD Becomes Polymer Institute Fellow The Group Managing Director (GMD) of Flour Mills Nigeria Plc, Mr. Paul Gbededo has been conferred with a fellowship award by the Polymer Institute of Nigeria (PIN).

The National President, PIN, Dr. Paul Mamza, at the investiture of the Flour Mills boss in Lagos yesterday, described Gbededo as a consummate industrialist, a charismatic leader and an administrator per excellence.

In his acceptance speech, the Flour Mills boss commended the institute for honouring him and pledged his support for the PIN. He stated that previously,

packaging was heavy, often fragile and costly. According to him, plastics have so far revolutionised packaging by providing light, strong and flexible-packaging materials.

He added that plastic packaging have reduced overall packaging consumption, noting that without plastics, overall packaging weight would increase 300 per cent.

He explained: “Today, several polymer types are currently used for foodstuff packaging. Plastics have emerged as the most preferred choice of packaging materials for various products –from food, beverages, chemicals, electronic

items and so on.

“They offer unique advantage over conventional materials.

With its packaging company called Bagco, Flour Mills Nigeria Group consumes over 35,000 MT of polymeric materials annually, providing packaging solution which includes 300 million woven bags and tons of films per annum.

“In house, it supports all our packaging needs for B2B and B2C fast moving consumer goods. Bagco is known for its innovation and appetite for state of the art packaging technologies. This strategy is made possible by the flexible nature of plastic materials.”

Ecobank Nigeria Bags ISO 22301 Certification Ecobank Nigeria Limited said it has been awarded the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 22301 certificate for ‘Business Continuity Management Systems.

This certification, according to a statement from the bank yesterday, was achieved way ahead of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s deadline date of June 2018 for all financial institutions to get certified.

The award was presented to the bank by the British Standard Institute (BSI), after about four months of rigorous business impact analysis and risk assessment across all the

departments and business functions of the bank.

Commenting on the development, the Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Charles Kie said the award attested to the bank’s deliberate effort at ensuring its operations deliver sustained, consistent and exceptional services to customers; and also meeting the expectations of all stakeholders even in the event of any disruption. Furthermore, he said Ecobank had instituted internationally accepted standard that guarantees the security of its customers’ information, the ability to consistently provide

quality service and its capacity to resume business operation within a pre-defined timeframe in the event of any disruption.

ISO 22301, the world’s international standard for Business Continuity Management (BCM) was developed to help organisations minimise the risk of disruptions.

It specifies requirements for organisations to plan, establish, implement, operate, monitor, review, maintain and continually improve a documented management system to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disruptive events when they arise.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

DECEMBER 2016 Broad Money (M2)

23,840,392.42

-- Narrow Money (M1)

11,520,166.67

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,820,415.90

---- Demand Deposits

9,699,750.76

-- Quasi Money

12,320,225.75

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

9,353,504.03

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

14,486,888.39

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

26,970,297.97

---- Credit to Government (Net)

4,595,579.89

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

7,436,917.79

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

-2,841,337.90

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

22,374,718.08

--Other Assets Net

-12,483,409.58

Reserve Money (Base Money)

5,837,322.41

--Currency in Circulation

2,179,174.28

--Banks Reserves

3,318,344.71 • Source - CBN

MANAGED FUNDS Month Inter-Bank Call Rate

December 2016 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 • Monetary Policy Rate - 13%

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT, MON, 20 MARCH 2017 The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $49.00 a barrel on Monday, compared with $49.81 the previous Friday, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Rabi Light (Gabon), 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

39

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017

Nigeria’s top 50 stocks based on market fundamentals

21-Mar-17 20-Mar-17

% Change

Capitalisation

EPS

P/E

P/S

Div. Yld

Price/ Book Value

01 Dangote Cement Plc

165.00

165.00

0.00%

2,811,683,721,825.00

9.20

17.93

4.95

4.85%

3.76

02 Nigerian Breweries Plc

130.00

130.00

0.00%

1,030,783,115,440.00

4.03

32.22

3.42

2.77%

6.29

03 Guaranty Trust Bank Plc

26.79

27.15

-1.33%

788,461,291,410.96

4.90

5.47

1.96

6.61%

1.60

750.00

750.00

0.00%

594,492,189,000.00

8.81

85.11

3.44

3.87%

18.84

13.65

14.00

-2.50%

428,562,140,178.90

3.91

3.49

0.90

13.19%

0.62

398.00

398.00

0.00%

220,217,504,574.00 -44.58

-8.93

2.84

4.00%

0.56

5.31

5.47

-2.93%

192,644,284,769.82

1.75

3.04

0.58

11.30%

0.44

08 Presco Plc

47.00

47.00

0.00%

186,612,421,115.00

0.03

1,607.40

2.62

2.77%

4.46

09 Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc

18.50

18.50

0.00%

185,000,000,000.00

2.04

9.08

1.32

0.54%

1.57

10 Access Bank Plc

6.20

6.29

-1.43%

179,353,424,112.20

2.59

2.40

0.51

8.87%

0.41

11 Ecobank Transnational Incorporated

9.40

9.80

-4.08%

172,485,781,421.00

0.68

13.90

0.29

6.60%

0.27

12 Lafarge Africa Plc

36.00

36.00

0.00%

163,976,465,160.00

-9.39

-3.83

0.77

8.33%

0.81

13 Unilever Nigeria Plc

34.00

34.00

0.00%

128,632,072,500.00

0.69

49.12

1.94

0.15%

13.71

14 FBN Holdings Plc

3.09

3.10

-0.32%

110,916,454,727.28

0.21

14.89

0.21

4.85%

0.18

15 Mobil Oil Nig Plc

298.99

294.00

1.70%

107,814,377,385.38

19.32

15.47

1.19

2.41%

5.82

16 Total Nigeria Plc

275.00

274.55

0.16%

93,368,505,175.00

38.02

7.23

0.35

5.09%

4.10

17 Guinness Nig Plc

60.03

63.18

-4.99%

90,398,467,925.64

-3.06

-19.63

0.88

5.33%

2.29

18 Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc

6.19

6.00

3.17%

74,280,000,000.00

1.03

6.03

0.52

8.08%

1.19

19 Oando Plc

5.06

5.10

-0.78%

60,895,171,603.64

-3.15

-1.60

0.24

14.82%

0.38

20 Forte Oil Plc.

46.53

47.83

-2.72%

60,604,445,722.59

3.31

14.07

0.39

7.41%

1.40

21 Julius Berger Nig. Plc

40.00

38.00

5.26%

52,800,000,000.00

-2.95

-13.58

0.45

3.75%

2.78

22 International Breweries Plc

15.70

15.70

0.00%

51,719,713,696.00

0.02

696.79

1.94

1.59%

4.71

23 7-Up Bottling Comp. Plc

77.71

77.71

0.00%

49,780,277,108.73

-0.05 -1,701.37

0.54

2.83%

2.24

24 Flour Mills Nig. Plc

17.79

17.85

-0.34%

46,685,179,556.73

-1.19

-14.91

0.11

11.24%

0.47

25 Okomu Oil Palm Plc

48.00

48.00

0.00%

45,787,680,000.00

4.82

9.95

6.96

0.21%

2.84

0.75

0.72

4.17%

29,040,748,068.75

-0.47

-1.61

0.56

0.00%

0.39

13.51

13.51

0.00%

25,950,877,868.37

3.37

4.01

0.34

7.40%

0.34

28 FCMB Group Plc

1.23

1.19

3.36%

24,357,334,260.63

0.61

2.01

0.15

8.13%

0.14

29 Fidelity Bank Plc

0.82

0.83

-1.20%

23,749,320,267.44

0.39

2.12

0.16

19.51%

0.13

30 Diamond Bank Plc

0.92

0.95

-3.16%

21,307,557,850.56

-0.29

-3.13

0.10

0.00%

0.09

31 Sterling Bank Plc

0.74

0.75

-1.33%

21,304,909,413.24

0.29

2.57

0.20

12.16%

0.26

28.12

28.12

0.00%

19,684,000,000.00

2.28

12.31

2.95

4.09%

11.50

33 Wema Bank Plc

0.50

0.50

0.00%

19,287,233,040.50

0.06

8.39

0.38

0.00%

0.41

34 National Salt Co. Nig. Plc

7.12

6.80

4.71%

18,864,001,251.36

0.85

8.38

1.00

7.72%

2.55

35 Custodian And Allied Insurance Plc

3.16

3.07

2.93%

18,586,690,856.20

0.76

4.14

0.51

4.43%

0.65

36 Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Nig. Plc

14.50

14.50

0.00%

17,340,209,076.00

-2.98

-4.86

0.62

2.07%

1.97

37 Mansard Insurance Plc

1.60

1.60

0.00%

16,800,000,000.00

0.28

5.74

0.84

3.13%

0.80

38 PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc

13.99

13.99

0.00%

13,990,000,000.00

5.69

2.46

0.98

0.71%

0.38

39 Cadbury Nigeria Plc

7.41

7.80

-5.00%

13,917,477,116.40

0.50

14.84

0.50

17.54%

1.36

40 Continental Reinsurance Plc

1.19

1.19

0.00%

12,343,565,731.28

0.42

2.83

0.56

10.08%

0.66

41 Honeywell Flour Mill Plc

1.02

1.05

-2.86%

8,088,801,611.16

-0.40

-2.52

0.17

15.69%

0.24

42 Unity Bank Plc

0.67

0.67

0.00%

7,831,856,421.14

-0.10

-6.54

0.12

0.00%

0.09

43 Skye Bank Plc

0.50

0.50

0.00%

6,940,150,705.00

-2.93

-0.17

0.04

60.00%

0.07

44 Wapic Insurance Plc

0.50

0.50

0.00%

6,691,369,126.00

0.18

2.78

0.85

6.00%

0.41

45 Cement Co. Of North.Nig. Plc

4.70

4.50

4.44%

5,906,385,500.20

0.22

21.47

0.53

2.13%

0.55

46 Resort Savings & Loans Plc

0.50

0.50

0.00%

5,664,866,202.00

0.03

17.71

3.72

0.00%

1.94

47 AIICO Insurance Plc

0.57

0.59

-3.39%

3,950,216,553.60

0.22

2.56

0.14

8.77%

0.39

48 Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc

2.00

2.10

-4.76%

3,248,437,500.00

0.15

13.24

0.40

10.00%

0.54

49 UACN Property Development Co. Limited

1.82

1.85

-1.62%

3,128,124,990.90

0.30

6.08

0.74

38.46%

0.09

50 Fidson Healthcare Plc

0.97

0.93

4.30%

1,455,000,000.00

0.24

4.12

0.22

5.15%

0.23

04 Nestle Nigeria Plc 05 Zenith Bank Plc 06 Seplat Petroleum Dev. Co. Ltd 07 United Bank for Africa Plc

26 Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc 27 U A C N Plc

32 Cap Plc

TOTAL

8,277,383,817,818.60

TOTAL MARKET CAP

8,842,881,637,592.72

% OF MARKET CAP Annotation - MA* = Simple Moving Average

93.61%

Table 1 Market Statistics Mkt Indicators NSE All Share Index NSE Market Cap (N'Trillion) Thisday BGL 50 Index Thisday BGL 50 Market Cap (N'Trillion)

Open 20-Mar-17

Close Change % 21-Mar-17

25,671.55 8.88

25,558.57 8.84

-0.44 -0.44

106.78 8.31

106.31 8.28

-0.44 -0.44

Table 3 Top 5 Gainers Stock

Open Close Change 20-Mar-17 21-Mar-17 %

Julius Berger Nig. Plc National Salt Co. Nig. Plc Cement Co. Of North.Nig. Plc Fidson Healthcare Plc Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc

38.00 6.80 4.50 0.93 0.72

40.00 7.12 4.70 0.97 0.75

5.26 4.71 4.44 4.30 4.17

Table 4 Top 5 Losers Stock

Open Close Change 20-Mar-17 21-Mar-17 %

Cadbury Nigeria Plc Guinness Nig Plc Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc Ecobank Transnational Incorporated AIICO Insurance Plc

7.80 63.18 2.10

7.41 60.03 2.00

-5.00 -4.99 -4.76

9.80

9.40

-4.08

0.59

0.57

-3.39

Market Dips by 0.44% Market pulse on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) today – Tuesday, March 21st, 2017 ended on a negative note as the stock market closed red. This was further highlighted by negative performance from the NSE Subsectors: Banking, Insurance, Consumer Goods and Oil & Gas. Also, trading activities decreased in volume as 153.72m shares worth of N1.50 billion in 2,675 deals exchanged hands today. This is a decrease from as 495.24m shares worth of N2.55 billion in 2,587 deals which exchanged hands on Friday. Topping in volume terms are: United Bank for Africa Plc, C & I Leasing Plc and Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc; United Bank for Africa Plc and Nigerian Breweries Plc ended trading as the most active stocks in value terms.

Brent crude oil price today settles at US$51.06 per barrel.

The All Share Index (NSEASI) closed negative with 0.44% (-112.98) decrease to close at 25,558.57 from 25,671.55 the previous trading day. Market capitalization depreciated in tandem to N8.84 trillion from N8.88 trillion of prior trading day. Similarly, the Thisday BGL 50 Index closes with an decrease of 0.44% to 106.31 from 106.78 recorded at the end of the previous trading day, while its market capitalization stood at N8.28 trillion from N8.31 trillion of the previous trading day.

Market breath closed positive today as 16 stocks gained on the bourse while 14 stocks also declined, leaving 57 stocks unchanged.

Topping the Thisday BGL 50 Index gainers’ list Julius Berger Nig. Plc as it emerged as the day’s toast of investors with a gain of 5.26% to close at N40.00 per share. It was followed by National Salt Co. Nig. Plc with a gain of 4.71% to close at N7.12 per share. Others on the gainers list include: CCNN Plc, Fidson Healthcare Plc and Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc; while on the decliners’ list, Cadbury Nigeria Plc lead with a loss of 5.00% to close at N7.41 per share. It was followed by Guinness Nig. Plc with a loss of 4.99% to close at N60.03 per share. Others on the decliners list include: Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated and AIICO Insurance Plc. REQUIRED DISCLOSURE This report has been prepared by BGL Plc. BGL Plc does and seeks to do business with companies covered in its research reports. As a result, the firm may have a conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of this report. Investors should use this report as one of many other factors in making their investment decisions.

For more details go to www.thisdaylive.com

40

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

MARKET NEWS

Cadbury Records Full Year Loss of N563m Goddy Egene and Nosa Alekhuogie Shareholders of Cadbury Nigeria Plc are to be without dividend for 2016 as the company yesterday, reported a loss for the year. The audited results for the year ended December 31, 2016, showed Cadbury recorded revenue of N29.979 billion in 2016, up by eight per cent from N27.825 billion in 2015.

Cost of sales went up from

N18.9 billion to N23 billion, bringing gross profit to N6.86 billion, compared with N8.9 billion in 2015. Selling and distributing expenses stood at N5.59 billion, as against N5.6 billion in 2015, while administrative expenses increased to N2.058 billion, from N1.909 billion. Net finance cost stood at N169.98 million, compared with N156.796 million in 2015.

The company ended the year with loss before tax of N563

T H E MAIN BOARD

DEALS

MARKET PRICE

million, compared with profit of N1.577 billion. However, a tax credit of N266 million, reduced the loss after tax to N296 million, compared with profit of N1.15 billion. The market reacted negatively to the results as the share price fell by 5.0 per cent to lead price losers at the stock market.

Assessing the results for the fourth quarter (Q2), analysts at FBN Quest said although the company grew sales by

N I G E R I A N QUANTITY TRADED

STO C K

VALUE TRADED ( N )

Daily Summary as of 22/02/2016 Printed 22/02/2016 14:36:10.010

Daily Summary (Bonds) No Debt Trading Activity 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. TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC U A C N PLC. Diversified Industries Totals CONGLOMERATES Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE 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 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 SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC NASCON ALLIED INDUSTRIES PLC N NIG. FLOUR MILLS PLC. TIGER BRANDED CONSUMER GOODS 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. SKYE 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 CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INSURANCE PLC LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. AXAMANSARD INSURANCE PLC N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. UNITY KAPITAL ASSURANCE PLC WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals Micro-Finance Banks NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC Micro-Finance Banks Totals Other Financial Institutions AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS PLC CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED PLC FCMB GROUP PLC. STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC UNITED CAPITAL PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals HEALTHCARE Pharmaceuticals FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC

28.2 per cent to N8.7 billion, its PBT of N279 million was 81.8 percent lower.

“We believe the top-line was boosted by prices increases as well as slower demand for imported competition. However, the impact of the naira devaluation on Cadbury’s raw material costs for key inputs such as sugar and milk resulted in a gross margin contraction of 990 basis points (bps) to 27.5 per cent. Operating expenses

6 6 12

30.00 34.00

12,629 11,640 24,269

374,530.15 421,345.20 795,875.35

19 19 31

1.25

1,078,511 1,078,511 1,102,780

1,358,964.30 1,358,964.30 2,154,839.65

5 68 13 86 86

0.77 1.13 20.47

33,500 6,740,423 65,995 6,839,918 6,839,918

25,070.00 7,635,453.96 1,344,425.15 9,004,949.11 9,004,949.11

13 13

41.50

31,970 31,970

1,409,214.78 1,409,214.78

5 5 18

5.20

28,901 28,901 60,871

154,716.48 154,716.48 1,563,931.26

6 24 7 98 135

2.85 118.85 20.00 99.00

190,900 53,000 15,200 429,541 688,641

528,079.00 6,201,924.95 293,757.00 42,728,789.84 49,752,550.79

9 9

168.50

166,476 166,476

28,285,937.95 28,285,937.95

54 38 6 12 1 29 140

5.61 19.00 1.37 6.86 6.65 1.27

2,120,306 314,421 40,000 119,863 433 3,285,739,119 3,288,334,142

11,610,520.13 5,953,792.96 55,716.00 842,442.48 2,736.56 4,074,348,894.07 4,092,814,102.20

11 54 65

17.86 700.00

18,825 98,360 117,185

329,518.50 68,567,962.00 68,897,480.50

11 11

4.46

99,050 99,050

420,455.00 420,455.00

13 21 34 394

21.90 28.00

36,887 133,117 170,004 3,289,575,498

820,034.75 3,737,067.92 4,557,102.67 4,244,727,629.11

82 51 21 25 200 41 16 147 11 15 67 676

4.10 1.49 15.60 1.21 16.70 1.07 1.76 2.95 5.30 0.63 0.98

3,962,506 2,163,396 278,470 790,900 4,847,312 1,969,858 1,204,932 8,586,418 39,752 501,617 5,920,564 30,265,725

16,210,255.82 3,314,106.88 4,136,459.40 958,864.34 80,963,793.44 2,115,552.11 2,087,767.85 25,302,954.71 205,645.40 316,018.71 5,813,502.17 141,424,920.83

14 8 2 3 7 10 1 1 46

0.80 0.90 0.50 0.50 2.06 0.76 0.50 0.50

200,107 276,500 5,004,000 1,000,000 351,540 327,285 37,708,135 10 44,867,577

160,838.67 251,350.00 2,502,000.00 500,000.00 720,728.80 245,325.31 18,854,067.50 5.00 23,234,315.28

1 1

1.08

4,760 4,760

4,950.40 4,950.40

31 7 105 7 20 170 893

2.46 4.00 0.85 14.15 1.31

1,149,464 27,041 31,257,120 38,035 708,255 33,179,915 108,317,977

2,830,722.84 104,002.06 26,613,309.20 537,985.34 931,556.31 31,017,575.75 195,681,762.26

27

2.69

614,065

1,572,223.05

increased by 91.2 per cent following the company’s aggressive marketing initiatives. We also suspect that disruptions to gas pipelines in the Niger-Delta might have forced the company to switch to more expensive fuels such as diesel for power to run manufacturing plants,” they said.

They added that Cadbury’s PAT of N822 million, grew by 11 per cent, and came in higher than its PBT due to a

tax credit of N266 million and other comprehensive income of N276 million.

According to FBN Quest, the full year results showed that sales grew 7.7 per cent.

“However, a gross margin contraction of 921bps to 22.9 per cent more than offset a 188.3 per cent rise in other operating income to lead to a pre-tax loss of –N563 million (versus N1.6 billion profit in 2015),” the analysts said.

E XC H A N G E

MAIN BOARD GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC Pharmaceuticals Totals HEALTHCARE Totals ICT IT Services TRIPPLE GEE AND COMPANY PLC. IT Services Totals ICT Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials ASHAKA CEM PLC BERGER PAINTS PLC CAP PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC PORTLAND PAINTS & PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC LAFARGE AFRICA PLC. Building Materials Totals Electronic and Electrical Products CUTIX PLC. Electronic and Electrical Products Totals Packaging/Containers BETA GLASS CO PLC. Packaging/Containers Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS 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. 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 Automobile/Auto Part Retailers R T BRISCOE PLC. Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Totals Courier/Freight/Delivery RED STAR EXPRESS PLC Courier/Freight/Delivery Totals Printing/Publishing LEARN AFRICA PLC Printing/Publishing Totals Transport-Related Services AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Transport-Related Services Totals Support and Logistics CAVERTON OFFSHORE SUPPORT GRP PLC Support and Logistics Totals SERVICES Totals EQTY Board Totals Daily Summary (Equities) Activity Summary on Board ASeM CONSUMER GOODS Food Products MCNICHOLS PLC Food Products Totals CONSUMER GOODS 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

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

32 4 6 69 69

25.33 0.94 0.69

551,998 16,020 597,000 1,779,083 1,779,083

13,903,164.18 15,299.40 412,110.00 15,902,796.63 15,902,796.63

1 1 1

1.69

500 500 500

805.00 805.00 805.00

16 9 4 6 10 31 76

24.00 9.30 35.78 8.62 3.36 80.50

110,727 40,229 26,700 142,300 299,900 14,373,223 14,993,079

2,707,053.97 362,501.29 992,680.00 1,227,076.00 966,480.00 1,157,057,077.16 1,163,312,868.42

6 6

1.51

134,500 134,500

204,240.00 204,240.00

5 5 87

50.00

24,529 24,529 15,152,108

1,165,135.50 1,165,135.50 1,164,682,243.92

2 2

0.50

24,262 24,262

12,131.00 12,131.00

90 90

3.47

3,827,573 3,827,573

13,288,632.05 13,288,632.05

21 7 8 21 7 64

18.34 1.84 342.00 150.00 145.00

81,125 100,300 20,300 16,295 13,699 231,719

1,505,034.50 182,832.00 6,595,470.00 2,396,080.60 1,959,692.96 12,639,110.06

33 33 189

318.00

389,934 389,934 4,473,488

124,037,602.56 124,037,602.56 149,977,475.67

1 1

0.50

941 941

470.50 470.50

5 5

3.80

32,870 32,870

127,756.40 127,756.40

13 13

0.89

624,500 624,500

538,430.00 538,430.00

1 22 23

2.29 4.00

4,588 251,094 255,682

10,001.84 1,001,583.80 1,011,585.64

1 1 43 1,811

1.68

10,000 10,000 923,993 3,428,226,216

16,000.00 16,000.00 1,694,242.54 5,785,390,675.15

2 2 2 2

1.21

270,464 270,464 270,464 270,464

327,261.44 327,261.44 327,261.44 327,261.44

306 306

11.45

13,929,679 13,929,679

159,605,439.23 159,605,439.23

278 278 584

3.74

10,438,552 10,438,552 24,368,231

39,515,087.18 39,515,087.18 199,120,526.41

35 35 35 619 2,432

139.83

38,770 38,770 38,770 24,407,001 3,452,903,681

5,304,666.00 5,304,666.00 5,304,666.00 204,425,192.41 5,990,143,129.00

2 2 2 2 2 10 10 10

2,330.00 2.33 6.02 11.09 18.07

3,000 20 20 20 15 3,075 3,075 3,075

6,986,000.00 46.70 120.20 221.80 270.65 6,986,659.35 6,986,659.35 6,986,659.35

Daily Summary (ETP) Exchange Traded Fund Name NEWGOLD EXCHANGE TRADED FUND (ETF) VETIVA BANKING ETF VETIVA CONSUMER GOODS ETF VETIVA GRIFFIN 30 ETF VETIVA INDUSTRIAL ETF Exchange Traded Fund Totals ETF Board Totals ETP Activity Totals

41

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

MARKET NEWS

NSE, Access Bank to Promote Saving Culture Goddy Egene The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in collaboration with Access Bank Plc will commemorate the 2017 Global Money Week themed: ‘Learn. Save. Earn’ with a series of educational programmes to raise awareness and improve the capabilities of young people to make sound decisions when it comes to financial matters.

The knowledge sharing sessions will hold from March 27 to March 31, 2017 across all

NSE’s offices in Nigeria. It will see its employees mentoring young people on how money works, saving, investing, creating livelihood, gaining employment and entrepreneurship. Other activities for the week will include a Closing Gong ceremony at the exchange, excursions to the trading floor, interactive session with executive management of the Exchange.

Speaking on the event, acting Head, Corporate Services Division, NSE, Pai Gamde, said

A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager.

Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

the exchange is playing its part in building a financially savvy generation of future leaders.

“To develop an inclusive finance system, we believe we must first solve the problem of educating financial consumers to enable them efficiently utilise access to basic financial services We believe that as a nation, children and youths are an important component of building a secured future and we must train these future leaders on how to make sound financial

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 20-Mar-2017, unless otherwise stated.

decisions,” Gamde said.

On his part, Head of Corporate Communications, NSE, Olumide Orojimi said, “The Global Money Week initiative is fully consistent with our vision to promote a market place where investors are well educated to make sound investment decisions. We continue to be proud of this programme as it allows our employees and partners to make available their expertise to prepare young people for a secured financial

the future. For the past two years, the Exchange has been able to directly reach over 3,033 students and pupils from over 54 secondary and primary schools with an indirect effect on about 10,000 young people across its operating environment.”

The collaboration is with Access Bank, which recently declared a profit after tax (PAT) of N71.4 billion for the year ended December 31,2016, up from N65.9 billion in 2015.

Shareholders are to receive

a final dividend of 40 Kobo per share bringing the total dividend for the year to 65 Kobo per share.

Commenting on the results, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Herbert Wigwe said:“The full year 2016 results demonstrate the effective execution of our strategy underpinned by a robust risk management framework. With strong business fundamentals, our position in the top tier was further consolidated in the industry.”

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 1 270 1680 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 129.85 130.32 2.23% Nigeria International Debt Fund 220.90 221.58 2.62% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.70 0.71 -0.09% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 17.84% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 12.40 12.77 0.41% ARM Discovery Fund 290.27 299.02 1.08% ARM Ethical Fund 22.02 22.69 -1.43% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 15.83% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 105.57 106.31 0.46% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 17.31% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Nigeria Global Investment Fund 2.22 2.27 2.05% Paramount Equity Fund 9.41 9.65 0.53% Women's Investment Fund 86.76 88.97 2.55% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 18.55% FBN CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,129.77 1,130.96 3.61% FBN Heritage Fund 112.28 113.03 0.62% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 17.19% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional $107.20 $107.86 3.01% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail $106.92 $107.58 3.44% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 113.63 115.09 0.84% FIRST CITY ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD fcamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcamltd.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Equity Fund 0.96 0.97 2.66% Legacy Short Maturity (NGN) Fund 2.65 2.65 3.24% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 2,207.00 2,232.59 -0.11% Coral Income Fund 2,189.15 2,189.15 4.03% GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 17.23% INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 16.71% Vantage Balanced Fund 1.71 1.72 1.50% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 15.15%

LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.02 1.03 2.75% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,025.41 1,025.41 2.24% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 9.82 9.89 1.54% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 14.89% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.08 1.10 2.76% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 10.44 10.48 0.32% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 13.14% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 110.94 111.76 8.92% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.27 1.27 2.14% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 1,846.74 1,856.56 0.83% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 155.12 155.12 0.75% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.76 0.77 -0.65% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 192.28 192.28 2.88% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 128.44 130.08 -1.08% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 17.45% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,431.58 7,522.27 -1.97% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.15 1.16 7.80% United Capital Bond Fund 1.28 1.28 15.80% United Capital Equity Fund 0.65 0.66 0.89% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.14 1.14 11.37% ZENITH ASSETS MANAGEMENT LTD info@zenith-funds.com Web: www.zenith-funds.com; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 9.93 10.08 2.99% Zenith Ethical Fund 11.17 11.28 2.38% Zenith Income Fund 17.32 17.32 4.82%

REITS

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

11.41 125.28

1.01% 1.06%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

8.03 72.96

8.13 74.32

-8.49% -3.73%

Fund Name FSDH UPDC Real Estate Investment Fund SFS Skye Shelter Fund

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS

Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund

VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697

Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

2.81 6.19 11.75 14.76 126.95

2.85 6.27 11.85 14.96 128.95

2.14% -11.88% -2.05% -7.41% -2.24%

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

42

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017

43

44

WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017 • T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

Martin McGuinness, IRA Peacemaker, Dead at 66 Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness, a former deputy first minister of Northern Ireland and IRA commander who was a key figure in Irish politics for five decades, has died at 66, prompting tributes from allies and enemies alike.

Ireland’s state broadcaster RTE reported his death on Tuesday and said that he had died at Derry’s Altnagelvin Hospital with his family by his side.

The face of Irish Republicanism for many during three decades of violence that killed more than 3,600 people, McGuinness remained a figure of hate for many pro-British Protestants until his death.

But he earned widespread respect across Britain and Ireland by embracing his bitterest rivals to cement a peace deal in 1998 that allowed Northern Ireland to slowly return to normality.

As a young Irish Republican Army (IRA) fighter, he saw his mission as defending the Catholic minority against the largely proBritish Protestants who for decades dominated Northern Ireland.

For his critics, that cause was never enough to justify the IRA’s lengthy armed campaign for the northern province, which is part of the United Kingdom, to be united with the independent Republic of Ireland in the south.

In 1973 he was convicted by the Irish Republic’s courts of being an IRA member after being stopped in a car packed with explosives and bullets and was briefly jailed.

He went on, though, to serve as deputy first minister in a powersharing government in Northern Ireland. Key to its success was his close relationship with Ian Paisley, a firebrand preacher many Catholics see as a key player in the genesis of the conflict.

A partnership many thought would prove impossible was

soon dubbed by the media “the Chuckle Brothers” and allowed McGuinness to become Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister in 2007.

“Martin McGuinness, certainly when I was growing up, was the godfather of the IRA and he was a man who struck terror quite literally into the hearts and into the lives of many, many people and that moved of course from being the godfather to being the man in government and that remarkable journey is something that is incredibly important,” Paisley’s son, Ian Paisley Junior, also a leading politician, said.

“As a Christian, as someone who reflects on life, it’s not how you start your life that is important, but how you finish your life.”

McGuinness was hailed as a peacemaker for negotiating the 1998 peace deal, sharing power with his once bitter enemy Paisley and shaking hands with the British Queen, though the gestures were condemned by some former comrades as treachery.

Unlike his close Belfast associate, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams, McGuinness was always open about the fact that he had been a senior leader of the IRA - classed as a “terrorist organisation” by the British government.

“Martin McGuinness never went to war, it came to his streets, it came to his city, it came to his community,” Adams told RTE on Tuesday. “He was a great man in my opinion and he will be missed.”

McGuinness appeared unmasked at early IRA press conferences, and the BBC filmed him walking through his native Bogside area of Derry discussing how its command structure worked.

During one of his two Dublin trials for IRA membership, he declared from the dock he was

France Election: Leading Candidates Clash over Burkini in TV Debate The two leading candidates in the French election have traded barbs in an occasionally fiery TV debate.

Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and centrist Emanuel Macron clashed over the full-body “burkini” swimsuit worn by some Muslim women.

Ms Le Pen said multiculturalism must end, but was accused by Mr Macron of making enemies of Muslims in France.

Polls suggest Ms Le Pen will get the most votes in the first round, but Mr Macron will defeat her in the run-off.

The other three candidates in Monday’s debate were centre-right contender Francois Fillon, and left-wingers Benoit Hamon and Jean-Luc Melenchon.

All five traded punches on the big issues for France, including jobs, terrorism and the country’s place in Europe.

During the debate, Mr Macron said he would change the country’s traditional political divisiveness, while Ms Le Pen said she wanted a France that was not a “vague region” of the EU or subservient to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Germany and later vowed to stop all immigration.

Mr Fillon said that if elected, he would be the president of what he called the “national recovery”.

He was keen to take on Ms Le

Pen, arguing that the burkini was a “public order matter” and not a challenge to France’s tradition of secularism as Ms Le Pen suggested.

Several southern French resortsbanned the swimsuit last summer before France’s highest administrative court found the ban breached fundamental freedoms.

Mr Macron also appeared to take a swipe at Mr Fillon. After accusing Ms Le Pen of defamation, he said justice would prevail as it would in the case of “certain presidential candidates”.

That was an apparent reference to judicial investigation into allegations that Mr Fillon paid his wife hundreds of thousands of euros for parliamentary work she did not do.

Mr Fillon has denied the allegations and refused to quit the race, complaining he is the victim of a “political assassination”.

The candidates also clashed over how to tackle unemployment, which has long stood at about 10%.

Ms Le Pen - hoping to broaden her appeal - called for a “patriotic economy” and protectionist measures favouring French companies.

But Mr Fillon said her plans would cause “economic chaos”.

On the left, Mr Hamon - hoping to differentiate himself from Mr Melenchon, who wants to attract

“a member of the Derry Brigade of the IRA and I’m very, very proud of it.”

Tony Blair, who was British prime minister during the process that led to the 1998 agreement, said he had come to know a man that had decided to set aside armed struggle to seek peace.

Ireland’s president, Michael D Higgins, praised his commitment to democracy and said his leadership would be missed in both Northern

Ireland and the Republic.

Tony Blair, who was British prime minister during the process that led to the 1998 agreement, said he had come to know a man that had decided to set aside armed struggle to seek peace.

Ireland’s president, Michael D Higgins, praised his commitment to democracy and said his leadership would be missed in both Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa

May said in a statement: “While I can never condone the path he took in the earlier part of his life ... he made an essential and historic contribution to the extraordinary journey of Northern Ireland from conflict to peace.”

McGuinness was forced to step down in January, a number of months before a planned retirement, because of an undisclosed illness.

Irish media reported he was suffering from a rare heart condition.

At the time, frail and emotional, he told a large group of supporters gathered outside his home in the Bogside area of Northern Ireland’s second city that it broke his heart that he had to bow out of politics.

“I don’t really care how history assesses me, but I’m very proud of where I’ve come from,” he told RTE. He is survived by his wife, Bernadette, and four children.

ANNIVERSARY MARCH

A file photo of Martin McGuinness, the Sinn Fein Chief Negotiator (left), and Sinn Fein’s president Gerry Adams as they participated in the Bloody Sunday anniversary march in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. recently

UK Set to Ban Laptops on Flights from Middle East Countries Britain is set to follow the US cabinluggage ban on laptops and other electronic devices on UK flights from Middle East countries, with new regulations expected to be announced imminently.

Government sources told the Guardian the UK rules would not exactly mirror the ban issued by the US, which forbids airlines from eight countries from allowing passengers to carry electronic devices such as laptops, tablets and even cameras larger than mobile phones into the plane

cabin. Passengers must check in any such devices in their hold luggage.

The ban and its full details were expected to be formally announced on Tuesday afternoon.

The decision by the UK government is understood to have come after several weeks of meetings about airline security, including one on Tuesday morning. Discussions have also been taking place with US counterparts.

“This is about keeping the

British people safe,” the source said.

Saudia Airlines and Royal Jordanian airlines are among the airlines included in the US ban. Affected airports include Queen Alia in Jordan, Cairo International in Egypt, Ataturk International in Turkey, Dubai international and Abu Dhabi international in the United Arab Emirates.

In a statement on Tuesday, the US Department for Homeland Security said: “The

US government is concerned about terrorists’ ongoing interest in targeting commercial aviation, including transportation hubs over the past two years, as evidenced by the 2015 airliner downing in Egypt; the 2016 attempted airliner downing in Somalia; and the 2016 armed attacks against airports in Brussels and Istanbul.

“Evaluated intelligence indicates that terrorist groups continue to target commercial aviation, to include smuggling explosive devices in various consumer items.”

President Trump’s Daughter Ivanka to Get White House Office President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump is to have an office in the White House, her lawyer says.

The 35-year-old will have security clearance and access to classified information.

But she will not have an official title or salary when she works in the West Wing - the hub of US executive power.

Ms Trump’s role will be to serve as Donald Trump’s “eyes and ears” while providing broad-ranging advice, her attorney told Politico.

“While there is no modern precedent for an adult child of the president, I will voluntarily follow all of the ethics rules placed on government employees,” Ms Trump said in a statement.

“I will continue to offer my father my candid advice and counsel, as I have for my entire life.”

Ms Trump, who owns a fashion brand, will be joining her husband Jared Kushner, who is a senior adviser to the president.

After Mr Kushner’s appointment was announced, Ms Trump said she would focus on settling her family in Washington rather than work for the administration.

Her step-mother, First Lady Melania Trump, has so far chosen to stay in New York with Mr Trump’s youngest son.

Ms Trump’s lawyer, Jamie Gorelick, told AP news agency: “Our view is that the conservative approach is for Ivanka to voluntarily

comply with the rules that would apply if she were a government employee, even though she is not.”

But some have criticised the decision to give her a White House position, even though she will have no actual job title.

The political influence of the US first daughter and her husband has raised questions about possible conflicts of interests.

Federal anti-nepotism laws bar relatives of the president from being appointed to government positions.

But an exception was made for Mr Kushner after the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel cited the president’s “special hiring authority”.

Since the election Ms Trump

has placed her fashion company’s interests in a trust, handing off day-to-day operations to her top executive.

Her brother-in-law and sisterin-law, Nicole Meyer, have been named trustees, reports the New York Times.

However, several retailers have dropped her products, saying that sales of her brand were falling.

Ms Trump is also being sued by a fashion company in San Francisco that says she is cashing in on her position as first daughter.

Modern Appealing Clothing said in court documents filed last week that Ms Trump’s firm has an “unfair advantage” in the marketplace.

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017

45

46

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017

47

WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017 • T H I S D AY

48

NEWSEXTRA

House Committee Grills Oyo-Ita over Tenure Extension of Former Perm Sec Shu’ara steps down James Emejo in Abuja The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Institutions yesterday put the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HoS), Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, on the spot over the controversial tenure extension granted the now former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Dr. Jamila Shu’ara.

And in a dramatic twist, the embattled Shu’ara who was present at yesterday’s scheduled meeting,

was addressed by committee members as well as the HoS as former perm sec, an clear indication she may have been consumed by recent controversies.

The lawmakers had acted on a letter from the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, with reference No: SH/ COS/100/A/1541, dated March 20, 2017 and addressed to the Head of Service of the Federation.

A portion of the letter had it that the president decided to elongate Shu’ara’s tenure of service “under a

Benue Governor Ortom Involved in Car Accident Benue State Governor, Mr. Samuel Ortom was yesterday involved in a car accident when a commercial Carina II Toyota car rammed into his convoy.

The governor was returning from Zaki Biam, where he had gone to carry out an assessment of the attack by gunmen on International Yam Market, when the accident occurred.

Ortom however, escaped unhurt!

According to the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Terver Akase, the accident occurred about

4:30p.m. between Abakwa and Adi in Buruku Local Government Area.

Akase said an oncoming vehicle, Carina II, left its lane and hit the Nigeria Union of Journalists’ bus which was on Governor Ortom’s convoy.

He added that no life was lost in the incident but one occupant of the Carina car sustained head injuries and was taken to hospital on the directive of the governor.

The state’s NUJ Chairman, Kris Atsaka, who was in the bus also sustained minor injuries.

special dispensation that shouldn’t be cited as policy.”

This sentence baffled the lawmakers who demanded interpretation from the HoS, and pressing her to indicate whether the president went against established rules to have extended her tenure.

Oyo-Ita, while avoiding to play into the hands of the lawmakers was reserved, and at some point, asked her legal counsel to come to her rescue.

The committee Chairman, Hon. Zokari Mohammed (APC, Kwara) chided the HoS severally for not

providing direct answers to their questions.

Mohammed also said the committee was working on an initial extension granted Shu’ara before it stumbled on a second extension and demanded that the letter to that effect be brought to

the committee.

The HoS didn’t turn up with the alleged letter, a development which further infuriated the lawmakers.

Asked if she vacated her office at the expiration of her tenure on

Cont’d on page 52

I am Not a Director of Arebs Resources Nigeria Limited, Says Atafo Abure Ejiofor Alike The law firm of Felix PO Nwadialo & Co has clarified that a minor, Master. Atafo Abure, has averred that he was neither a subscriber nor a director of Arebs Resources Nigeria Limited as he was only about three years in 2004 and did not know anything about the incorporation of the company.

According to the statement of claims in the suit between Master Atafo Abure, issued by his friend, Mr. A. Ebho Abure, who is also his father, Vs Fidelity Bank Plc, THISDAY Newspapers Limited and Arebs Resources Nigeria Limited, the law firm also clarified that neither did Master Abure as an infant at that time nor did his parents consent to his name being used as a member

and director of the company.

Master Abure, who is the claimant, also argued that up till now, he is still a minor and lacks the capacity to decide to be a shareholder in a strange company that was not promoted by his parents.

The claimant faulted a publication on page 40 of THISDAY Sunday edition of August 9, 2015 captioned “CBN’s Directive on Recovery of Delinquent Credit Facilities” which claimed that Arebs Resources Nigeria Limited was indebted to the first defendant, Fidelity Bank, in the sum of N73,777,919.15 and also listed the claimant, Abure Atafo, as a director of the company.

But the chambers of Nwadialo & Co argued that by listing Master Abure Atafo as a director of the Arebs, the publication portrayed

the claimant as a “cheat, who has obtained money by false pretences and as somebody who cannot pay has debts and as a dishonest, fraudulent and untrustworthy person who would not be found fit and proper to advance his education.”

The law firm also clarified that the claimant as an under aged person, who is less than 18 years could not be a director of Arebs Resources Nigeria Limited, which is the third defendant, as the law does not allow infants to be directors of a company.

The claimant, according to the law firm, averred that Fidelity Bank in its hurry to disburse money to Arebs, failed to carry its due diligence as the claimant was never invited by the bank to ascertain and confirm that he was at that tender age, a

director of the company.

The claimant also denied signing any documents at the bank as the director of the company, adding also that his passport photograph was not given to the bank by himself or his parents.

The statement of claim also maintained “that the publication, which was circulated nationwide, dragged the innocence and integrity of the claimant who is a minor to disrepute and odium and jeopardises the ambition of the claimant to attain lofty heights in his academic, spiritual, business and professional pursuits as people can always refer to the publication and use it to discredit the integrity and the suitability of the claimant to opportunities that he would otherwise be entitled to.”

WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017 • T H I S D AY

49

NEWSEXTRA

Again, First Nation Airways Suspends Operations Air Meridian abandons 40 passengers at Lagos Airport Chinedu Eze Nigeria’s domestic carrier, First Nation Airways, has suspended operations six months after its resumption in September, 2016.

The airline last year suspended operations for three weeks when the two aircraft in its fleet had to go for maintenance.

Informed sources from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said the airline’s technical crew had to go for simulator training while the two aircraft in its fleet have to be taken out for maintenance.

The two aircraft must be airworthy before the airline would be allowed to operate again because, according to regulation, schedule flight airlines must operate with a minimum of two aircraft.

THISDAY learnt that NCAA sent a circular to the airlines the agency noticed might compromise safety standard and directed them to abide by the regulations in order to prevent safety breach.

“First Nation Airways suspended its operations because they have to abide by regulations. We sent a circular to some airlines that may compromise standards and warned them to abide by the rules. So it suspended operation because we are monitoring them. We have also given them deadline because we must ensure that they keep to safety standards,” NCAA source told THISDAY.

But an insider in the airline told THISDAY that the management decided to use this opportunity to do crew training because since the closure of Abuja airport, the market shrank significantly and many airlines are now operating at a loss, noting that NCAA commended the airline for taking the decision for shutting its operation in order to train its crew.

“We have to shut down and train our crew because there is a significant reduction in load factor since the closure of Abuja airport to the extent that some airlines are now combining two destinations.

The closure of Abuja airport also affected other domestic destinations, so the market has shrunk. NCAA commended us for the decision we have taken,” the informed source said.

Meanwhile, about 40 passengers were yesterday left behind by the Italian carrier, Air Meridien at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

The passengers comprising males, females, children and minors were prevented from checking in by the airline ground staff, who did not readily explain to the bewildered travellers why they would not be checked into the flight.

Some of the passengers, THISDAY learnt, came from different states, especially in the South-east and South-south and had spent some time in Lagos in hotels before the day of the flight.

One of the affected passengers, Mrs. Justina Eghaghe Otaniyen, from Benin Edo State, told journalists that she arrived the airport as early as 12noon for the 2:40p.m. flight to Milan, but was not airlifted by the airline despite arriving early.

She said when all the passengers that were not checked in visited the Consumer Protection Department (CPD) of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to lodge their complaints; they were directed to send an email message to the airline for rebooking as no show, which means they missed their flight.

According to Eghaghe, after rebooking NCAA officials at the airport informed them that they would only be airlifted on March 31, 2017 as the airline operates twice weekly: Tuesdays and Thursdays

to Lagos.

NCAA explained that no arrangement was made for them by the airline.

Otaniyen said: “I arrived here at 12:21p.m. for a 2:40p.m. flight.

As at the time I got here, the passengers were still being checked-in, but all of a sudden, the airline stopped checking us in and refused to collect our luggage. But, an official of the airline later allowed some of the passengers to check in even those that came after us.

“I leave in Benin and I’ve been in Lagos since Monday; I even paid for hotel accommodation, but now, I don’t have anywhere else to go. As I am talking to you now, the airline has closed its counters. We immediately went to the CPD of NCAA who

directed us to send the airline an email stating that we missed our flights even when we didn’t.”

THISDAY spoke with the Director of Consumer Protection, NCAA, Adamu Abdullahi who explained, “About 14 Meridiana passengers came to CP desk to complain that the airline denied them check-in. When contacted as to the reason why they were denied checking in, Mr. Kabiru (Duty Manager, Air Meridian), informed us that the passengers came late to the check-in counter as counter opened since 08:30hrs and closed at 13:00hrs even though the counter was supposed to be statutorily closed at 12:30hrs.

“He then came to address the passengers from the boarding gates after the flight departure and informed them that they

should forward their details to the airline office at Milan for flight rescheduling charges free through an email: callcentre@meridiana.com.

He assured them they would be rescheduled on request through the email.

He further stated that he has educated their passengers who normally come direct to catch their flights from Benin Edo state or outside Lagos of the need to come to Lagos at least a day before the flight date.

“Their next flight which falls in summer flight schedule is to commence on 31/03/3017 and to be continued on every Friday of the week. The estimated time of departure is put at 21:45 hours, counter opens at 19:30 hour and closes at 20:00 hours,” the NCAA report said.

CCB InvestigatorVisits Saraki’s Property after Testifying in Court Alex Enumah in Abuja Samuel Madojemu, a witness in the trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, over alleged false declaration of asset, yesterday admitted visiting Lagos to investigate a property said to belong to Saraki after he (Madojemu) gave evidence against Saraki in the matter.

The witness who is the Head of Intelligence Unit of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), made the admittance under cross-examination by counsel to Saraki, Paul Erokoro (SAN), at the resumed trial yesterday at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

Madojemu, also confessed taking photograph of the Lagos property of Saraki with his ipad in February but cannot however, recall the exact date.

The witness had initially told the court that he did not conduct any search on the property.

He also stated that he did not see any search report on the said property or any other property belonging to Saraki.

When asked by the defendant if he visited the property in Lagos at any time, he said he did but cannot remember exactly the period.

When it was put to him that he visited the property after he gave his evidence-in-chief, the witness maintained that he could not remember, even when the defence volunteered February 2 and 3, the witness still maintained he could not recall the exact date.

However, upon further prodding by the counsel to Saraki, that there are evidence that he visited the said property within the period and that he should produce his phone which would

produce the date and time the photos were taken, the witness stated that he took photograph with his ipad but cannot tell if some of his colleagues who went with him at the time took photographs with his phone.

He, however, promised to produce the phone in court today.

Asked if CCB ever invited Saraki to enter a statement, the witness said the asset declaration forms sworn to under oath by Saraki served as a statement.

“When Saraki made the asset declaration, he was not under suspicion. At the point of receipt of forms, when the receiving officer discovered that the form was not properly filled or some corrections need to be made, he will draw the attention of the declarant to effect the corrections in the form.

“The errors may be typographical errors, it may be disputive errors,” he said, adding that he cannot confirm if these errors were noticed in Saraki’s forms since he was not the receiving officer.

He also said he cannot recall in his 20 years at the CCB if anyone was ever charged to court after not being invited.

“I have handled many cases and there are instances where you invite the subject and they refuse to honour our invitation.

“Elder Godsday Orubebe was invited severally but refused to honour the invitation and was thereafter charged to the tribunal and convicted,” he said.

Asked if it was justifiable that in the case of Saraki he was not invited even for once when Orubebe was invited severally, the witness said it is the prerogative of the bureau to invite or not to invite.

COURTESY VISIT

Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, flankedby the Head of Mission, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mr. Eloi Fillion (right); and Mrs. Isabel Ronison, during a courtesy visit by the ICRC delegation in Nigeria to the Speaker in Abuja....yesterday

Military Task Force Intercepts 213Vehicles of Armed Vigilantes in Jos Seriki Adinoyi in Jos The military Special Task Force (STF) in Jos yesterday said it intercepted 213 vehicles of armed vigilantes making unauthorised entery into the state.

Commander of the task force, Major General Rogers Ibe Nicholas, who disclosed this during a courtesy call on the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), added that the vehicles were intercepted at Sector 9 command check point in Ryiom

Local Government Area of the state.

He said the vigilante group came from various states with the aim to commence training at the NYSC orientation camp located in Mangu Local Government Area of the state without authorisation from relevant authorities.

He also said: “The group wore different types of uniforms and when intercepted, they said they were coming from Jigawa, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Taraba, Kwara, Kaduna, Kebi and Benue States. Upon due interrogation, we

found out that they were illegally making entry into Plateau State for the purpose of training, and we have made it clear that we shall not allow any group of persons come into the state with arms for whatever purpose without due authorisation because we want to sustain the peace we have laboured so hard to build.

“If anyone is coming into Plateau State with arms to train, you must have documents to show, before we can allow you.”

The state CAN Chairman, Rev.

Soja Bewarang, lauded the STF for acting promptly by arresting the strange intruders in the guise of vigilante group, adding that the church will continue to pray for the task force for the sustenance of the existing peace in the state.

The commander has been consulting with relevant stakeholders in the state in recent times, including Christian and Muslim leaders, soliciting their support and prayers for the sustenance of the existing peace in the state.

Magu: Don’t Let Corrupt Elements Derail Fight against Corruption, Falana Tells Buhari Martins Ifijeh Following the second rejection of the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, by the National Assembly as the substantive chairman of the commission, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to consider options available to him in order not to weaken the fight against corruption.

He said the rejection of Magu

on the basis of a security report compiled by the Department State Services (DSS) was the height of official ridicule of the office of the president, and that it was high time the DSS was restrained from sabotaging the fight against corruption by the federal government.

“With respect to the Senate, the confirmation hearing hurriedly conducted is illegal. The participation of many senators who are either under investigation or being prosecuted by the EFCC has

vitiated the entire proceedings of the Senate on the ground of conflict of interest. It is also a contravention of the Rules of the Senate which stipulates that matters which are subjudice shall not be discussed by the Senate,” Falana said.

According to him, notwithstanding the rejection by the Senate, President Buhari should take the options available to him.

“These options open to the president are as follows; Magu’s nomination may be re-presented to the Senate if and when the federal

government decides to put its house in order; Alternatively, the president may allow Magu to remain the Acting Chairman of the EFCC since he was appointed in that capacity pursuant to section 171 of the Constitution; or on the alternative, if the president is not satisfied with Magu’s performance, he is at liberty to appoint another person whose nomination will be forwarded to the Senate in accordance with section 2 (3) of the EFCC Act, 2004,” he added.

50

WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017 • T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

MPC: FG Moves to Adopt Open Market Policy Targets fiscal, monetary policy cohesion

Senator Iroegbu in Abuja The federal government is considering adoption of open market policy in its ongoing monetary and fiscal policy aimed

at driving the economy out of recession.

This hint was made yesterday by the Trade Adviser to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Chiedu Osakwe, while speaking

Bill Banning Tribal Marks Passes Second Reading Damilola Oyedele in Abuja A bill seeking to criminalise facial mutilation under the guise of cultural and tribal marks yesterday passed through second reading in the Senate.

Sponsored by Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West), the bill is fully named ‘A Bill for an Act to provide for the Prohibition of Facial Mutilation, the Offences, Prosecution and Punishment of offenders and the protection of victims under threat of facial mutilation and to provide for other related matters.’

Melaye while presenting the lead debate, said the era where facial marks were needed for identification with certain affiliations are long gone, as the popularity and acceptance of the practice continues to wane.

“These tribal marks have become emblems of disfiguration and have hindered many situations of life. Some have developed low self-esteem, they are most times treated with scorn and ridicule. The reactions of people who interact with them on interpersonal basis somehow dampen their spirit or lower their self-esteem. They are reduced in most cases to laughing stocks in the communities and called several horrible names,” Melaye argued.

“Long before the awareness

programmes on AIDS, many innocent people, mostly children, who were subjected to tribal marks laceration, had inadvertently been infected with the deadly HIV virus.

Sharp instruments used by the locales to inscribe the tribal marks were not sterilized, thus exposing kids, even adults, to the risk of HIV/ AIDS,” he added.

Contributing to the debate, the Senate Whip, Senator Olusola Adeyeye (Osun Central) said the practice brings reproach to the African race, all around the world.

“We must stop it, and we must ensure stiff penalties, not just for the parents but for the so-called local surgeons who administer the marks. African legislatures must stop it. All African countries must ban this practice in the name of tribal marks,” he said.

Adeyeye displaying the mutilations on his arm, disclosed that he was a victim of the practice, when his grandmother forcefully took him to a local surgeon who made the cuts, while his father was away.

My father did not want any of us to have marks, he said, and recalled the pains of being cut with a knife without any form anaesthesia.

Senate to Investigate NHIS Boss for Mismanagement, Alleged Fraud Damilola Oyedele in Abuja The Senate yesterday resolved to constitute an ad hoc committee to investigate allegations of mismanagement and scam amounting to N860 million by the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof.

Usman Yusuf.

The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Senator Kabir Garba Marafa (Zamfara Central), who expressed concern at what he called the scandalous activities of the ES/CEO, since his appointment.

Yusuf is also being alleged to have carried out illegal and lopsided appointments into the agency without recourse to due process.

“Further aware that the Executive Secretary has a spending limit of only N2.5 million; aware that any spending above his threshold must either be referred to the board or his supervising ministry; aware of the corrupt expenditure of N292 million singlehandedly incurred by the Executive Secretary for Health Care Financing Training without recourse to any appropriate approving authority,” Marafa said.

The senator also alleged that Yusuf expended N118 million on training of staff without recourse to approving authority, and

executed another expenditure of N400 million again for staff training in October 2016.

“Aware also that despite presidential orders banning promotional items and souvenirs, the Executive Secretary still went ahead to expend N50 million for such promotional items, such as, T-shirts and face caps,” he added.

The senator speaking on the illegal appointments, alleged that there was a unilateral recruitment of 15 staff either on full employment or secondment without adherence to extant civil service rules.

“Aware of the recent appointment or elevation of a barely 32 year old to the position of Assistant General Manager (AGM), equivalent to an Assistant Director in the ministry who, in fact, had less than 10 years in service,” he added.

Marafa noted that the attitude of the ES/CEO has dampened the morale of the staff of the agency, resulting in petitions by the NHIS Staff Union to the presidency, the Senate Committee on Health and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

He added that the actions of the NHIS boss, if not quickly checked, would have far reaching consequences on industrial peace, the anti corruption war, and the health sector.

as a special guest at Arise TV, a THISDAY sister organisation.

Osakwe, who is also Nigeria’s Chief Trade Negotiator, Economic Management Team, said the government has put up a formidable Economic Management Team anchored by the trio of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment under the supervision of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to map out the economic blueprint.

To this end, he said the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) set up by the federal government met last weekend to harmonise the grey areas affecting the alignment of the monetary and fiscal policies of the country.

He said: “There is a process that is initiated by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari since it came into office. And they have been bringing together some of the best minds to the country, both in and out of the government.

Therefore, the MPC meeting that you talked about started with a retreat last Friday and then went into the weekend. Essentially, the whole idea is to establish cohesion not only between monetary and fiscal policy as you correctly said, but also structural reform policies. So you need to have coherence across these pillars of policies to be able to drive the economic activities.

“It’s not simply an act of the CBN. The CBN is one authority, one pillar of the economic policies of the country. It is within the government MPC; then you have the Ministry of Finance that is working with our fiscal authority, and the Minister of Investment, Enalema, who is working in the area of industry, trade and investment.

“So talking about the Nigerian economy at this particular moment... this economy has to pump at all pittances. A considerable damage was done over a long period of time with excessive reliance on one commodity (oil), and what

happened in 2014? Crash in oil prices. So the whole idea now is to have coherence across the three pillars of policy so as to move to structural...”

Speaking further, Osakwe also gave a hint of a possible policy differences between those favourable disposed to open market fundamentals against those that prefer the prevailing command and control economic management.

According to him, “It is my advice to embrace the market fundamentals but it’s not about me as there are group of very competent people in government.

You have the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment; you have a first class Finance Minister, and you have the CBN that operates based on the Monetary Policy Committee.

“And I must say to you that in all these, the oversight of the very cerebral leadership is provided by the vice president of the country who chairs ex-officio, the Economic

Management Team. A lot of these economic policies of Nigeria are being subjected to so much logical argument, debate, and rational scrutiny.”

On how to lift the country out of the current economic doldrums, Osakwe singled out improved power supply as the main key driver of the economy.

He was emphatic that without any progress in the area of power, all other efforts would be exercise in futility.

He said: “The problem that we have currently is inadequacy of power.

“You cannot do anything in the economy, you cannot industrialise, you can’t diversify, you can’t manage homes; universities cannot run, hospitals cannot function, irrigation and agriculture, SMEs can’t work, and agro-business will be impossible.

The number one priority in this economy is power, and getting it right.”

DEVELOPMENTPARTNERS

L-R: Special Representative to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State in Lagos, Mr. Samuel Bassey; Managing Director/CEO, ME Consultants, Mr. Victor Eromosele;DirectorAfrica,VisionPlusMediaEnterprises,Mr.IdeFelixEguabor; andExecutiveVice President,HudsonGroup,NewYork, Mr.TomIseghohi, atthe nationalenterprisedevelopmentstrategysessionbyHudsonGroupco-sponsoredbyAkwaIbomStateGovernmentinLagos...Monday EtopUkutt

SERAP Asks FG to Investigate Mob Attack on Amnesty International The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on both President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo to “urgently instruct appropriate authorities to promptly and thoroughly investigate apparently sponsored and coordinated attacks against Amnesty International Office in Nigeria, and ensure the safety and security of its staff.”

A group of protesters yesterday barricaded the Abuja office of Amnesty International and asked the international organisation to quit Nigeria within 24 hours.

But in a statement yesterday signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Timothy Adewale, the organisation called on Buhari and Osinbajo to “act swiftly to end the increasing and apparently sponsored attacks, intimidation, harassment and threats against Amnesty International Office in Nigeria and its staff. Any failure to hold to account those who may be responsible will invariably increase

the vulnerability of civil society in the country, and strengthen the perception that attacks against NGOs and human rights workers can happen with impunity.”

The statement read in part: “If the Buhari government does not take all necessary measures to immediately end the mob attack on Amnesty International or any other civil society group for that matter, SERAP will be compelled to take appropriate legal action nationally and internationally including approaching the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders for a remedy.

“SERAP will continue to work to challenge any attempt to restrict, silence or eliminate the voices of credible civil society in the country. We urge the presidency to speak out strongly against intimidation and harassment of Amnesty International Office in Nigeria and its staff. Investigating the attacks against AI, naming and shaming

the sponsors and bringing them to justice will send a powerful message of protection and support to civil society groups who stand up to speak truth to power.

“Any attack on Amnesty International Office in Nigeria or harassment and intimidation of its staff members is an assault on the entire human rights community in the country.

Sponsoring protests against NGOs that have shown astonishing courage in their human rights work hurt those most in need, undermine access of Nigerian victims of human rights violations and abuses to justice, and contribute to a culture of impunity of perpetrators.

“This government has an obligation to support and protect civil society groups and human rights defenders against violence and sponsored attacks. Nigeria is a democratic society and the government can’t just sit back and watch reprisals, threats and

increasing hostility to Amnesty International in particular and the NGO community in general.

“Under the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and international human rights law, everyone whose rights are violated is entitled to a right to an effective remedy. Exposing human rights violations and seeking redress for them is largely dependent on the degree of security enjoyed by civil society groups and human rights defenders. Protecting NGOs against sponsored attacks and ending impunity for such attacks is therefore a critical element in the promotion and protection of human rights in this country.

“While some may not like to hear some of the things Amnesty International has said, this in no way justifies this kind of mob attack on its office and staff members. The authorities should show commitment to protecting the right to freedom of expression and guarantee conditions for civil society to flourish.”

WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017 • T H I S D AY

51

NEWSEXTRA

Senate Pushes for Commission of Inquiry into Ile-Ife Clash Damilola Oyedele in Abuja The Senate yesterday called on the Osun State Government to set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the recent clash between the indigenes and Hausa community in Ile-Ife, where several persons lost their lives, and houses and businesses were destroyed.

This, the Senate said is necessary as the two ethnic groups have lived together in Ile-Ife peacefully for decades without skirmishes.

The lawmakers also urged the federal government to bear the cost of rebuilding the burnt houses and businesses, and pay adequate compensation to the families of the bereaved victims and the injured as a matter of utmost urgency.

The resolutions followed a motion sponsored by Senators Jibrin Barau (Kano North) and Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central) who noted that the clash which has threatened the peace in the area, generated from a dispute between two persons.

Barau lamented that the clash

occurred at a time when strenuous efforts are being made to build bridges of understanding between and among all ethnics groups in the country as a symbol of one people united under one nation.

“Further notes that Ile- Ife holds a special place in the consciousness of the Yoruba race as their ancestral home and in which other ethnic groups including the Hausa have lived and thrived for several decades, if not centuries;” “Conscious of the fact that the amity could not have been achieved if the people of Ile-Ife were not a part of a race that is very accommodating as exemplified by the fact that the immediate past Ooni of Ife, Oba Sijuade was the closest traditional ruler, friend and ally to the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero,” he added.

Sani, contributing to the debate, noted that while some Nigerians are still reeling from the aftermath of the xenophobic attacks on them in South Africa, their counterparts at home are not any safer.

“Almost 58 years after independence, we still find it difficult to tolerate ourselves. We

Seven-Up Bottling Company Announces Leadership Changes The Board of Directors of Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc (SBC), producers of the popular household brands Pepsi, 7up, Mirinda, Teem Bitter Lemon, H2O, Aquafina premium table water, has announced the reorganisation of its leadership.

Effective April 1, 2017, Sunil Sawhney, having served as Managing Director for eight years, will be elevated to the position of vice-chairman of the company.

Sunil Sawhney has led SBC in various roles for the past 16 years during which time the company

witnessed a most impressive track record of sustainable growth in every aspect of its operations making SBC one of the foremost non-alcoholic beverage producing companies in West Africa.

Ziad Maalouf will succeed Sawhney as the Managing Director of the company. Maalouf joined SBC nine years ago as National Sales and Distribution Manager, and was later promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer.

Maalouf has over 20 years work experience in various reputable organisations.

Kaduna Government Launches #TravelThruKaduna Campaign The Kaduna State Government has announced the launch of its #TravelthruKaduna campaign which has at its core, travel information website; www. travelthrukaduna.com.

The site has been designed as the ultimate travel guide providing up-to-date transit information for passengers, hotel information and local attractions in the state.

“It became necessary to make sure that travellers through Kaduna were made aware of the transit options for them to reach their destinations, hospitality options and other local attractions in Kaduna,” said Muyiwa Adekeye, Media Adviser

to the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai. “We want to assure them that we are doing everything to ensure a pleasant and safe transition regardless of their mode of transfer.

“The Travel-thru-Kaduna website brings you regularly updated travel information for all modes of transit from the Kaduna Airport to the Abuja Airport.

Created with the user experience firmly in mind, the website has been designed to provide quick, sharp information on the go, even from mobile devices. Awareness for the website is currently being driven through paid and owned digital channels.”

Aquila Leasing Denies Alleged Diversion of Funds Aquila Leasing Limited has denied the recent news publications regarding the alleged diversion of funds by one of its directors.

The leasing company has stated categorically that the publications do not portray the correct statement of facts, as it was not involved in the matter.

“It is pertinent to state that no such alleged diverted fund was found in the account of Aquila Leasing Limited. Aquila Leasing

Limited conducts its affairs in a transparent and proper manner, within the confines of the law”, the company noted.

“The general public, our esteemed clients and stakeholders are hereby assured that Aquila Leasing Limited is a responsible organization and would continue to operate with the highest ethical standards, in accordance with global best practices,” it stated.

must look at the organogram of our political structure, and see what we can do to avert the reoccurrence,” Sani said.

Senator James Manager (Delta

South) however called for caution in discussing the motion, and adopting its resolutions, as the facts of the clash are not well known, beyond what has been reported

in the media.

He advocated that the relevant committee be allowed to look into the crises.

“If we have disagreement in any

part of this country, this Senate of unity must be worried. Our people need sufficient education to know why they should stop harming themselves,” he said.

STAKEHOLDERS MEET

L-R: Registrar/Chief Executive, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Alhaji Garba Bello Kankarofi; General Manager, Research and Insight, DStv Media Sales, Nosipho Mabuza; President, Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), Dr. Ken Onyeali Uko; General Manager, DStv Media Sales Nigeria, Kholeka Maringa; and CEO, DStv Media Sales, Chris Hitchings, during the third DStv Media Sales/MIPAN stakeholders’ summit 2017 in Lagos...recently

FG Issues Fresh Directives to Accelerate Implementation ofVision for Niger Delta Omololu Ogunmade The federal government has issued a new set of directives in its bid to accelerate the implementation of the Buhari administration’s new vision for the development of the Niger Delta.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) issued the directives at a recent meeting of the interministerial working group following up on the renewed Niger Delta interactive engagements of the Buhari administration.

A statement by his media aide, Laolu Akande, said the federal government had given all contractors including those handling Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) projects in the region a 30-day ultimatum from today to return to site or

face prosecution.

It said the federal government had also directed that the list of all contractors who have not returned to site within the stipulated period be compiled and submitted to the Ministry of Justice and the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission for investigation and prosecution.

A concerted implementation work plan that would respond to the developmental issues and projects proposed by PANDEF is also being prepared, while fresh mandates are also being issued to all the relevant MDAs as appropriate.

This includes the federal government’s directive to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Ministries of Niger Delta Affairs;

Environment; Power, Works and Housing to proceed with the design and implementation of work plans in line with the administration’s new vision for the region.

Ministries and agencies of government involved in furthering the establishment of the Maritime University at Okerenkoko in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta State, have also been directed to come up with a clear path to the eventual actualisation of the objective including consideration for a possible and timely take-off grant for the university.

The meeting also discussed the plans to continue presidential visits to the remaining states with oil-producing communities so as to effectively conclude the interactive engagements with the people of the region.

Specific instructions have also been given to the Ministry of Environment to ensure and report on the progress of the Ogoni Cleanup, for which a Project Office is now located in Rivers State and is functional.

A directive has also been issued to the Ministry of Environment for a plan to commence considerations for the clean-up of other polluted areas in the oil-producing communities.

The membership of the Niger Delta inter-ministerial group comprises officials from the Presidency, all relevant ministries including the Petroleum Resources, Niger Delta Affairs, Environment, Power, Works and Housing and Office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme among other MDAs.

House Directs FG to Apply Stringent Measures to Secure Borders James Emejo in Abuja The House of Representatives yesterday passed a resolution asking the federal government to urgently introduce more stringent policies to safeguard the country’s borders against smuggling and illegal immigrants.

It also resolved at the plenary to organise a public hearing to determine the porosity of the country’s borders and what could be done to ensure it’s strictly guarded and monitored. The report from the planned hearing is expected within four weeks.

It followed a motion sponsored

by Hon. Rotimi Agunsoye (Lagos, APC), on the need to stem the continued smuggling and unlawful

access of immigrants through the land and sea borders.

The House also mandated the Committees on Customs and Excise, and Interior to liaise with the Comprollers-General of Customs and Nigerian Immigration Service to unravel the nature of the porosity of the borders which have resulted into unbridled smuggling and illegal immigration and report back to the House within five weeks for further legislative action.

Members are particularly disturbed that the inability to control movement of persons and goods may have compounded the current security challenge whereby unidentified individuals have gained access only to wreak havoc on Nigerians.

Similarly, the lack on control over goods that enter into the country has given room to all sort of substandard products all over the country.

The House had expressed concern that the country’s borders have become “very porous” and providing for unlawful access of both goods and immigrants.

It further expressed worry that markets, shops and stalls are replete with smuggled goods including clothing materials and food items while the roads are filled with cars smuggled into the country largely because anti-smuggling units and other formations of the Nigeria Customs Service appear helpless in stemming the tide.

It regretted that the customs, having failed in its duty to prevent the goods from entering the country, has “resorted to accosting and harassing innocent citizens who have purchased vehicles and other goods off-the shelves.”

It also noted that foreigners who had gained entry into the country without proper immigration papers or whose visas have expired still live in the country, competing with citizens and living on tax payers money.

The House, again, expressed worry that the customs and immigration service are currently operating below expected standards in controlling entry of goods and persons across the borders.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017 • T H I S D AY

52

NEWSEXTRA

Dangote Group to Launch Fundraising for The Africa Centre in New York Crusoe Osagie The Dangote Group, yesterday announced plans to organise events towards raising funds for the Africa Centre in New York.

This is coming on the heels of the appointment of Halima Dangote as the President of the centre with the

responsibility of providing visionary leadership for the group, as well as helping to drive funding of the organisation’s projects.

According to a statement issued by the Dangote Foundation, “the goal is to raise funds to complete the organisation’s building in New York. In 2017, there would

HOUSE COMMITTEE GRILLS OYO-ITA OVER TENURE EXTENSION OF FORMER PERM SEC February 17, 2016 when her tenure elapsed, Shu’ara said she formally handed over to the next senior officer and left adding that there was no letter of acceptance of her retirement before her recall.

Nevertheless, the lawmakers insisted that the HoS explains “special skill set of Dr. Shu’ara to warrant two different extensions of her stay in the Civil Service having gone past the retirement age of 60.”

It was learnt that the former PermSec had earlier enjoyed a year extension from 2016 which ended last month before the recent extension approval was effected.

The lawmakers, therefore probed the HoS to explain what the President’s Chief of Staff also meant by “special dispensation which should not be cited as policy”.

Responding, she said:” like I explained at previous sittings, although, the public service have guidelines as to the promotion of officers, but when it comes to

removal or appointment of officers, Mr. President has the constitutional powers to appoint officers as it is in the case of Dr. Jamila Shu’ara.”

Displeased with her answers, Mohammed put it to her that she may have misled the president in taking a decision on the extension.

But the HoS insisted:”any advise that’s given to Mr. President is given to assist him in taking decisions, and any advice I give to my boss, I don’t think that advice can come to the public domain, it’s purely for Mr. President’s personal consumption.”

The chairman went on to read the provision of section 171(2), saying that there’s no aspect of the provision that talked about extension of service of a retired or a retiring public officer.

Dissatisfied with Oyo-Ita’s submissions, the committee resolved to adjourn sitting and fix next Tuesday for another meeting with the HoS where she is expected to come along with the extension letter in question.

be three fundraising events lined up to achieve this, one of which will be hosted in Nigeria by the Aliko Dangote Foundation on the March 23 at the Eko Hotels & Suite, Victoria island.”

The statement described the Africa Center in New York City as a non-profit, multidisciplinary institution that provides a gateway for engagement with contemporary Africa, and a platform for the most compelling content from the continent.

It noted that the goal is to help people understand and engage with contemporary Africa.

“The center is located at One Museum Mile, at the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 110th Street in East Harlem, Manhattan. The new location represents a cultural gateway to Harlem, the traditional African- American neighborhood in New York. The building, designed by architect Robert A.M. Stern, is the first museum building built on

New York’s Museum Mile since the completion of the Guggenheim in 1959.

“While construction is being finalised, the Africa Center continues to present pop up events in its new space until the building is completed. It will serve as a cultural center, and will make the museum accessible to a wide range of people from the world over, thus solidifying the museum’s presence as one of the most challenging and diverse art institutions in the U.S. The new building will encompass approximately 90,000 square feet (8,400 m2) with 16,000 square feet (1,500 m2) of exhibition space, as well as a theater, education center, library, classrooms, event space, restaurant and gift shop. The growth into the cultural center has been spearheaded by, among others, Hadeel Ibrahim daughter of Mo Ibrahim, and Chelsea Clinton,” the statement said.

Highlighting the focus areas

of the Centre’s programming, the statement explained that in the area of business the group will help the private sector to navigate Africa’s 53 distinct business climates, make hard-to-obtain data available and understandable, and will facilitate peer-to-peer introductions.

“The Center will help potential partners find each other, and share best practices from the continent.

“It will focus its efforts on linking research capacity with change agents on the ground in Africa, building transcontinental teams to find policy solutions. They will also work to build a broader constituency for good policy through educational initiatives that aim to bring basic “Africa literacy” to a wide range of audiences.

“Building on its history as the Museum for African Art, the Center will be a home for exhibitions, performances and showings of visual, performing, and digital

art from Africa.”

The statement further explained that companies such as Dangote Group are at the forefront of redefining for the world what African business is and what Africans can accomplish.

“Showcasing Africa in a new and positive light is what makes this project worthwhile and something that we can be proud to attach our name to – so long as we are on the Board and able to effectively influence what the Center does.

“The ambition of the Center is to become a major rallying point on African issues globally, and Dangote Group’s position and relevance in Africa makes us a natural partner to the project.

“President and CEO of the Dangote Group,Aliko Dangote and President of The Africa Centre, Halima Dangote, will host an online press conference on the forth coming activities on Thursday, March 23.

Scientists Meet to ImproveYam Production in Africa Scientists yesterday began this year’s conference on the progress of research efforts towards the improvement of the genetic potential and productivity of two most cultivated yam species in Africa at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Oyo State.

The meeting will provide a platform for stakeholders to review current standing of the project in relation to project goals.

In 2015, ‘AfricaYam’ was initiated with the mandate to use latest technologies in the science of plant breeding to develop high yielding varieties of white yam (Dioscorea rotundata) and water yam (D. alata) that will show great promise in resisting infestation by nematodes, viruses, and anthracnose known to greatly limit productivity in West Africa’s most preferred staple crop.

Every year, Sub-Saharan Africa produces no less than 54 million tons of yams from about 4.6 million hectares of land. But this output is only 40 percent compared with cassava production on the continent.

As a result, farmers are unable to cope with the demand for the crop which is further constrained by low yield and losses in storage.

Plant Breeder/Geneticist and the AfricaYam project leader, Dr. Patrick Adebola, noted that the important constraint limiting the productivity of yam is the cost of production.

“In Africa, one very important constraint limiting productivity for most smallholder farmers apart from climate change, diseases and pests infestation is production cost.

“The AfricaYam project recognises this challenge and is

developing yam varieties that will make yam production more profitable for farmers. The project is also exploring environmental friendly technologies to breed quality yam varieties that will meet the demands of farmers in the region,” Adebola further said.

He revealed that the project is also seeking to enhance active yam breeding programmes in Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Benin—the countries in West Africa, producing over 95 percent of Africa’s yam.

“It will employ faster and more precise genomic tools to improve the efficiency of yam breeding programmes as well as improve yam genotypes adapted to production systems and suited to market preferences.

AfricaYam is led by IITA in partnership with the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Ebonyi State University (EBSU); Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); Savanna Agricultural Research Institute; le Centre National de Recherche Agronomique (CNRA) and l’Université d’Abomey-Calavi (UAC), Dassa Centre, Benin.

The project also receives support from the Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), France; the Iwate Biotechnology Research Center (IBRC), Japan; the James Hutton Institute (JHI), UK; Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), Japan; and the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research (BTI), Cornell University, United States.

PRODUCT PROMOTION

L-R: National Surveillance Officer, World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Irene Isibor; Brand Building Director, Personal Care, Unilever Ghana/Nigeria, Miss Nana - Yaa Kissi; Corporate Affairs Director, Unilever Ghana/Nigeria, Mrs. Soromidayo George; Global Vice President, Oral Care, Unilever, Severine Vauleon; Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, at the World Oral Health Day celebration with Pepsodent...recently

SENATE TO PROBE SARAKI, MELAYE OVER SEIZED VEHICLE, CERTIFICATE SCANDAL the mosque located beside President Muhammadu Buhari’s office, confirmed that he will be a no show at the Senate today.

Ali, who appeared not to be ruffled by the Senate’s seeming threat to his job, did not hesitate to rule out the possibility of appearing before the legislature as directed.

He insisted that the matter had already been overtaken by events and sub judiced given the lawsuit challenging the Senate’s directive.

According to him, he had been served with a writ of summons following a suit instituted by a concerned Nigerian in the court.

“The case is in court already.

Somebody has sued us. It is sub judiced. I have gotten my writ of summons and they said the status quo should remain, which means nothing must move until the court makes a pronouncement.

“A private individual sued all of us. He wants an interpretation of the section that is in contention.

I don’t want to talk so that I am not held in contempt of court,” Ali said.

Ali’s decision stemmed from a suit instituted by a maritime lawyer, Mohammed Ibrahim, who has asked the Federal

High Court, Abuja, to stop the National Assembly and its agents from compelling him to wear the uniform of the NCS in the performance of his duties.

In the suit filed yesterday, the defendants include the Comptroller General of the NCS, the NCS, National Assembly, the Senate and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as the first to fifth defendants, respectively.

The plaintiff, Mohammed Ibrahim is seeking for a court declaration that Ali’s appointment as the CGC cannot be subject to the provisions of Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) or any other law. The plaintiff is also seeking “a declaration that Col. Ali who is not a commissioned officer of the NCS is not mandated by law to wear the NCS uniform and that the oversight functions of the National Assembly do not extend to compelling and mandating Col. Ali to appear before it in uniform”.

The plaintiff is therefore praying the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining both the National Assembly and the Senate from compelling Ali to wear a uniform in the performance of his duties.

In a three-paragraph affidavit deposed to by one John Kyauta in support of the case, the plaintiff said that he is a lawyer who specialises in human rights enforcement, maritime matters and business law.

The plaintiff also wants the court to determine whether Ali’s appointment by the president, having been made pursuant to Section 5 and 171 of the constitution, can be subjected to the provisions of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) or any other law.

The plaintiff is asking the court to declare whether there is any legal provision that prescribes the wearing of a uniform as a condition precedent by Ali and whether he, not being a commissioned Customs officer, is mandated or under compulsion to wear the NCS uniform before the performance of the duties of CGC. No date has been fixed for hearing of the case.

APC Steps into the Fray But with the stand off between the Senate and Ali threatening to snowball into a full-blown crisis, the All Progressives Congress (APC)

moved yesterday to settle the rift.

A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi, said the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun will lead the “party’s peace mission to meet with the leadership of the National Assembly”.

The statement said having watched the situation with “growing concern”, the party found it necessary to intervene.

“The APC has keenly observed the controversy that has trailed the invitation extended to the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd.) by the senate.

“We have watched the issues with growing concern and the expectation that they would be resolved in a manner that would be agreeable to all the parties involved.

“However, we wish to state that at this point, we have found it necessary to intervene.Accordingly, the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun will lead the party’s peace mission to theleadershipoftheNationalAssembly and the concerned party member.

“We are confident that the party’s effort to broker peace would resolve the matter amicably,” APC said.

53

WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017 • T H I S D AY

CRIME&PUNISHMENT

Court Suspends Trial of Ashinze, Former Dasuki Aide over Alleged False Publication by EFCC Alex Enumah in Abuja The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday suspended the trial of Col. Nicholas Ashinze and three others over alleged publication of falsehood and what it termed media trial of the defendants by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Ashinze, who was Military Assistant to former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (Rtd) and three others are been prosecuted by the commission for allegedly transferring the sum of N3bn unlawfully.

At the resumed trial, Counsel to Ashinze, Mr. Ernest Nwoye, had protested a press statement issued by EFCC in which the defendant was reported to have

been indicted by the court for diverting and misappropriating a whopping sum of N36billion.

The statement, in addition, referred to Colonel Ashinze as a retired officer.

The offending EFCC press statement was tendered before Justice Gabriel Kolawole alongside the newspaper publications to establish bias and misrepresentation of the court proceeding of March 7, 2017 by the anti-graft agency.

Nwoye told the Judge that Colonel Ashinze was never charged by EFCC for any offence on N36billion diversion and misappropriation and wondered where the EFCC media team, that was not present in the court, got its proceeding that the defendant had been indicted for that amount.

Okowa Calls for Speedy Trial of Kidnap Cases Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has urged the judiciary to ensure the speedy dispensation of kidnap cases assuring that the judiciary remains the last bastion of hope for the common man.

Okowa who said this yesterday when he received on a farewell visit retiring Justice Ifeoma Okogwu of the state judiciary and also inaugurated Mr. Dennis Agbaga as a member of the Judiciary Service Commission (JSC) restated his administration’s commitment to the independence of the judiciary in the state and called for the speedy trial of kidnap cases to act as deterrent to criminaly minded individuals.

While receiving retiring Justice Okogwu, the governor decried the spate of kidnapping disclosing that the state’s law on kidnapping would be implemented to the latter as special courts have been established to handle quick dispensation of kidnap cases.

He commended the synergy

among the security agencies in the state in tackling security issues explaining that some of the kidnappers have been arrested.

While commending Justice Okogwu for her meritorious service to the state, Okowa hailed the Judiciary in the state for their boldness, support and understanding assuring them of the cooperation of the executive arm in providing conducive working environment for them.

Inaugurating Agbaga as a member of the committee, Okowa urged the judiciary to be dispassionate in the dispensation of justice stressing “the judiciary should remain the last hope of the common man as it is expected, you should embrace faithfulness, diligence, service above personal interest, shun discrimination and avoid corruption in the performance of your duties. You should also not allow anything to stand against unfettered dispensation of justice.”

Court to Deliver Judgment on Cynthia Osokogu’s Murder Tomorrow The four-year legal battle to ascertain the guilt or otherwise of four men charged with the murder of Cynthia Osokogu, would be concluded on March 23.

Justice Olabisi Akinlade of a Lagos High Court, Igbosere had on January 12, during the adoption of the final written addresses by all the counsel in the case fixed March 23, for judgment on the case.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Osokogu was allegedly murdered on July 22, 2012 at Cosmilla Hotel, Lakeview Estate, Festac Town, Lagos, by her Facebook lover.

The accused are: Okwumo Nwabufo, 33; Olisaeloka Ezike, 23; Orji Osita, 33, and Ezike Nonso, 25.

They are facing a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, murder, stealing, recklessness, negligence and possession of stolen goods.

NAN reported that the murder trial began on February 8, 2013, with the state calling the hotel’s receptionist as the first witness.

NAN also reported that the

body of late Cynthia Osokogu,24, the only daughter of General Frank Osokogu (rtd) was discovered in a Lagos morgue a month after she was declared missing by her family.

She was a post-graduate student and had a boutique in Nasarawa State until her death.

However, during the trial proceedings, ten witnesses gave various testimonies in the case.

The court in a proceeding, foreclosed the right of the second accused person, Olisaeloka Ezike, to file his address.

The judge made the order due to the delay by the second accused’s counsel to file his final written address.

The judge said there were several adjournments by the court to enable the second accused file his address but the counsel chose to sleep on the right of his client.

However, some reasons of ill health and change of counsel were given as the reason for the delay, the judge allowed the address to be regularised.

He therefore urged the Court to frown at what he referred to as media trial, which according to him, the defendant is being subjected to. He said if such actions were not checked, it would lead to misrepresentation of facts by the general public.

Nwoye also tendered newspaper publications that emanated from the EFCC press statement issued by one Mr. Wilson Uwujaren who claimed to be the Head of Media and Publicity in the EFCC. He said that both the complainant and the defendant are bound by court records of proceeding and any attempt by one of the parties to concoct lies to prejudice the order is against the rule of law and natural justice.

Responding, trial Judge, Justice Kolawole, who was taken aback by the EFCC’s press statement, asked the EFCC counsel, Mr. Ofem Uket to confirm the issue.

But, Uket denied ever granting press interview in respect of the

trial. He admitted receiving letter of complaint from Nwoye and that he consulted with EFCC and discovered that the Press Statement was actually released to the media.

Uket, in his defence, said that contrary to the charge of N3bn unlawfully transferred, evidence from witnesses has shown that about N5billion was involved.

However, Justice Kolawole who was not impressed by the argument of the EFCC counsel told him that the proceeding would have to stop pending the time the EFCC would put its house in order and no more mislead the public on court proceedings.

Justice Kolawole in a short ruling on the protest from Nwoye said: “It is unfair for EFCC as a complainant in this trial to resort to self-help by engaging the defendant in the media trial at the same time in the court trial.

“If you want to try the defendant in the media, you have to limit yourself to the media. You have to

stop misleading the public on the fact of this trial. Let me say it for the sake of emphasis that EFCC must stop the use of journalists to distort proceedings in my court. You cannot be engaging in two trials: one in the court and one in the media at the same time. If you are not satisfied with my decision to stop this trial pending the time the EFCC retracts this offending press statement of my court proceeding, then you can take your case to another court.

“This press statement by one Wilson Uwujare who claimed to be from EFCC is scandalous and prejudice to fair trial of the defendant in this matter.

“In order to prevent media and court trial at the same time with one misrepresenting the order, I have stopped this trial pending the time the EFCC retracts the offending press statement. The trial of the defendant has nothing to do with N36billion diversion and misappropriation.

“The retraction has to be done between now and April 13, 2017.

And this EFCC witness is hereby ordered to step down from the witness box and come back on April 13, 2017.

“The court proper proceeding cannot materialise where records and facts of the case are being distorted by EFCC that is even the complainant in the matter.”

It would recalled the EFCC, had arraigned Ashinze, an Austrian, Wolfgang Reinl; Edidiong Idiong and Sagir D. Mohammed before Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja on a 13-count charge of corruption and money laundering to the tune of N3.1bn.

The defendants however denied the charges preferred against them.

Ashinze and other defendants were arraigned alongside five companies accused of allegedly diverting huge sums from the office of the former NSA.

BE FAIR AND JUST TO ALL

Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade (right), congratulating the new acting Chief Judge of the state, Justice Michael Edem, during the swearing-in ceremony at the governor’s office in Calabar...yesterday.

Soldiers Nab N’Delta Community Leader for Shutting down 11 Oil Wells Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa Soldiers attached to the Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS) have arrested Mr. Chikeobi Alali, a Niger Delta community leader in Ogba-Ndoni-Egbema Local Government Area of Rivers State over alleged shutting down of 11 oil wells.

Alali, along with his lieutenants at the Local Government Oil and Gas Landlords Association in the council, were said to have disrupted production at the oilfield over unresolved issues with Agip, operators of the oil field.

The security operatives were said to have taken him from his base in Rivers to their headquarters in Igbogene, outskirts of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State where he is currently being held.

The spokesman of joint military force deployed in the Niger Delta region, Major Abdulahi Abubakar, who confirmed the arrest, explained that several oil wells belonging to

Agip were shut down by the host community.

Abubakar noted that it was wrong for the community to take laws into their hands, adding that efforts were underway to resolve the crisis as officials of the oil firm had visited the suspect.

He said troops deployed in the area had reinforced security around the oil field and reopened the facilities for operations, adding that the military will not tolerate interference with oil facilities.

But wife of the suspect, Mrs. Ngozi Alali, disclosed yesterday that her husband was arrested by the JTF and had been held incommunicado since last Saturday.

The distressed woman said after several visits, the soldiers eventually admitted picking up her husband, insisting that the JTF has denied the family and lawyers access to Alali.

“My husband was arrested by soldiers and taken away and when we traced him to the headquarters in Yenagoa, the soldiers feigned

ignorance of his arrest.

“We kept pestering them until they admitted that he was in their custody but they denied me access to him.

“Efforts by his family and lawyer to secure his bail have been fruitless; we were told on Monday to write a letter to the Commander of JTF to allow us to see him; we wrote the letter and we were told that the commander was not around,” she said.

She added that her husband, the Chairman of the local government oil and gas landlords association, was arrested with the secretary of the group along with one other person.

While disclosing that the two others arrested along with him had since been released, the suspect’s wife said the problem they have had with the oil company bordered on failure to review an expired agreement.

According to her, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) review had dragged on for a long time before the alleged incident.

“And the last meeting they held last year, they gave a deadline of November 2016 and all the parties agreed that if after November 2016, the agreement is not reviewed, the community would shut down the oil wells, that was why they arrested him,” she said.

Also, Mr. Pat Obiene, a Social Activist in a reaction called for the immediate release of the community leader as his detention had led to a protest at Agip’s office in Port Harcourt on Monday.

“From available records, Agip reneged on an arrangement to close out the MoU in November 2016 and we are already in March 2017 and the only reasonable thing to do is to detain the community leader?

“This is counter-productive and not in line with the peace initiative of the federal government. The military should change their attitude and promote dialogue and consensus which the Vice President preached during his recent tour to the region,” Obiene noted.

54

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017

WEDNESDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

I N T E R N AT I O N A L F R I E N D L I E S

Iheanacho, Iwobi, Others Impress at Eagles Training in London Sadio Mane insists Eagles will fall Femi Solaja with agency report Ahead of the first of the two friendly matches for Super Eagles in London starting tomorrow, all the core members of the squad impressed Coach Gernot Rohr at the first training session of the team in London yesterday.

Eagles had a light training in the morning but the evening session was a bit more detailed considering the add ups to the players available before the match scheduled for 8pm tomorrow.

Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, Ahmed Musa, William TroostEkong, Shehu Abdullahi and Carl Ikeme took part in the training focused on ball work.

Others include Ogenyi Onazi, John Ogu, Moses Simon, Kenneth Omeruo, Kelechi Iheanacho, Isaac Success, Tyrone Ebuehi, Chidozie Awaziem and Noah Bazee.

The match will come up at the Hive Stadium in central London.

The Super Eagles did not participate in the 2017 African Cup of Nations, and are using the games with Senegal and Burkina Faso to test their preparedness for the 2018 World Cup qualifier against Cameroon and the 2019 AFCON qualifier against South Africa.

Rohr’s men will have another session this morning to fine-tune strategies for the game against the Teranga Lions of Senegal

Eagles at training for the Senegal clash in London... yesterday tomorrow night.

Both team last met at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations staged in Egypt with Eagles smiling away with a 2-1 victory in the final group stage match in Port Said.

Obafemi Martins scored a late winner.

The two teams met against in the third placed match at the Military Stadium in Cairo

which Nigeria won to claim her third consecutive bronze medal after Mali 2002 and Tunisia 2004 tournaments.

In another development, Austria based former junior international forward Olanrewaju Kayode, called up in place of injured youngster Victor Osimhen, has arrived.

He was later joined by Sporting Gijon of Spain’s

B O A L AW Y E R S L E A G U E

nff media Elderson Echiejile.

Nigeria–based Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Oghenekaro Etebo (Portugal) and Musa Mohammed (Bosnia Herzegovina) are expected in camp today (all delayed as a result of visa), while goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi (South Africa) can only arrive on Thursday as a public holiday in South Africa

meant he could not collect his visa earlier. Kingsley Madu (Belgium) and Uche Agbo (Spain) are also delayed by visa.

With injury to Victor Moses, only 24 players will now prosecute both matches.

Meanwhile, Liverpool star, Sadio Mane, has claimed that his Senegal side will get the better of Nigeria when they

meet in tomorrow’s friendly.

Nigeria has not lost a match against Senegal since 2002, but Mane believes his national side will get the better of Gernot Rohr’s side.

“Senegal is the best, Nigeria not best anymore. Senegal will beat you guys in London,” Mane told Jalili Oladimeji, as quoted by scorenigeria. com.ng.

C A F C O N F E D E R AT I O N C U P

Adaramewa’s Hat-trick Highlights Match-day Four Tough Draws for Rangers, Rivers Utd Lagos State Ministry of Justice (LSMJ) star player, Dele Adaramewa, rediscover his scoring tricks again at the weekend when he scored three goals in his team’s 4-0 defeat of Olajide Oyewole at the 2017 BOA Lawyers’ Football Tournament in Lagos.

With LSMJ’s sluggish start to the competition they won the 2014 edition, Adaramewa’s hat-trick appears to be the tonic the Lagosians need to dream of another title again.

Adaramewa emerged the highest goal scorer of that edition with six goals.

They however remain third in Group A where they are tied on same six points as Olaniwun Ajayi but are below on goals difference. They both have an outstanding game.

BA Law/Probitas is comfortably seated as the leader of the group with maximum 12 points from

four matches.

In Group B, Falana & Falana though drew goalless with Babalakin at the weekend, are still hanging on to the leadership of the group on six points from four games. Fides & Fiducia who had no game at the weekend remains in the second position on five points.

Pinheiro who defeated Udo Udoma 3-1 at the weekend is leading Group C with maximum nine points from three matches while Udo Udoma and Tayo Oyetibo/B. Osipitan on six points each are second and third respectively on the log.

Udo Udoma has a superior +2 edge over Oyetibo and Co. In Group D, Aluko & Oyebode leads the pack on maximum nine points from three games. Aluko & Oyebode hammered Ajumogobia 3-0 at the weekend to stay on course

for a possible shot at the 2017 title.

Both Banwo & Ighodalo and Streamsower/ Foundation are tied on six points but the former have a superior +2 to stay ahead.

Other results from the weekend matches include; Olisa Agbakoba Legal defeated Templars 2-0 while Tayo/B Osipitan also defeated ACAS 1-0.

Streamsower/Foundation ran away with maximum point in the clash with Punuka after scoring two unreplied goals at the Astroturf 2000 venue of the tournament in Ikoyi, Lagos.

So far, only two players have been sent off in the four weeks old 2017 Bankole Olumide Aluko Lawyers’ Football Tournament. They are Oyewole Femi and Egbiri Egbiri of Templars law firm and Obimma Chike of Babalakin & Co. Matches continue this weekend at the same venue.

Nigerian champions Rangers of Enugu will face Zambian side Zesco United for a place in the group stages of the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup while Rivers United will battle it out with Rayon Sports of Rwanda.

At the draw, conducted in Cairo yesterday, Rangers discovered they will be home for the first leg on April 7-9 while the return leg will be on the weekend of April 14-16.

Rivers United, who were knocked out of the CAF Champions League by El-Merrikh of Sudan, will welcome Rayon Sports to Port Harcourt for the first leg before heading to Rayon Sports for the second leg.

Zesco United will be tricky customers for the Nigerian side and have been steadily building a profile for themselves on the continent.

They made the semifinals

of the 2016 CAF Champions League before losing to eventual champions Mamelodi Sundown. They will be a tough nut to crack as they have very good players like the Kenyan duo of Jese Were and David Owino as well as goalkeeper Jacob Banda.

Rivers United will hope to banish the ghosts of their capitulation in Sudan by picking up a place in the group stage by defeating Rayon Sports.

The Port Harcourt-based side suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat against El-Merrikh after winning the first leg 3-0 and they will hope to qualify for the Caf Confederation Cup to give their fans some sort of consolation.

However, real battles at this level of the competition are between old rivalries former continental champions, TP Mazembe

of DR Congo, and Algerian giants JS Kabylie.

The clubs boast seven CAF Champions League titles between them: five for Mazembe and two for Kabylie, back on the continental front after some time off the scene.

Another interesting pairing is the Moroccan derby which pits FUS Rabat against MAS Fez, a battle of two former winners of the second-tier continental club championship. FUS Rabat won the trophy in 2010, and fellows MAS Fez, the following year to complete back-to-back titles for Morocco.

South Africa’s Bidvest Wits will come up against yet another Egyptian opposition in Smouha.

The South Africans were eliminated from the Champions League by Al Ahly after losing 1-0 on aggregate.

55

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017

WEDNESDAYSPORTS

Hayatou: The Intrigues that Cost Him the CAF Job Cameroonian Issa Hayatou’s 29-year grip on African football ended last Thursday inside the plenary hall of the African Union House in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

DURO IKHAZUAGBE covered the historic event…

To followers of the politics of African football, the exit of Issa Hayatou from the coveted position of president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) didn’t come as a surprise. What was most surprising however was that he could only muster a miserly 20 votes from the 54 delegates that voted last Thursday at the 39th General Assembly of the continental football ruling body which took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Yet, this was the gangling Cameroonian who was in firm control of CAF affairs for 29 years!

How come Hayatou lost the CAF presidency to Ahmad, the 57-year-old Madagascar Football Federation president?

Was Hayatou’s defeat part of the sweeping changes going on globally concerning the governing of the game? How come the CAF Ceaser did not see the end of his reign coming for him to look for the more dignified exit route without facing the embarrassment he went through at the congress? Only Hayatou can explain why he lost grip of his flocks and allowed ‘rebels’ within the confederation snatch the rein of power from his grip.

As far back as February last year when Hayatou made the blunder of teaming up with Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al Khalifa of Bahrain in the race for who to succeed deposed Sepp Blatter, followers of football politics knew that the hand writing was already on the wall. The moment SwissItalian Gianni Infantino, 47, succeeded in the second ballot to become the new FIFA president, it was just matters of days and weeks for Hayatou’s glorious ‘reign’ to succumb to the wind of change blowing across the world.

It therefore was not surprising when the rank of opposition to Hayatou’s reign in CAF began to grow. First, a group of young presidents of mostly Anglophone countries came together to form a common front to fight Hayatou. The arrowhead of these ‘progressive’ football administrators was Nigeria’s Amaju Pinnick. He had support in Liberia FA chief Musa Bility and Danny Jordaan of South Africa. They began to reach out to others from across other regions in the continent, sharing ideals on how to end Hayatou’s reign and align CAF along the same line as other continents that have young, dynamic men to chart new course for football.

THISDAY checks revealed that the real first move to get Hayatou out of the CAF job started at the 66th FIFA Congress May last year in Chile. That initial move was further consolidated with Pinnick hosting Infantino two months later in Lagos where 17 FA presidents from other African countries were present. Although the move was still a hush-hush affair, those involved had however formed a solid bond that was going to be hard to abandon.

Hayatou and his group at this stage had started to feel uneasy with the moves they were seeing as several presidents

Issa Hayatou... end of an era of federations were crisscrossing the continent on every available reason to move. It therefore was not surprising that in desperation, Hayatou was opposed to Infantino attending the 58th birthday celebration of Zimbabwean FA President, Dr Philip Chiyangwa. Ahmad, who had almost 100 per cent support base in his Southern Africa region (COSAFA) and his supporters (over 24 FA presidents) used the occasion in Harare to fine tune how to finally get Hayatou out of the coveted position. After that meeting, the group became sure of pulling the biggest surprise in CAF in its 60 years existence.

By the time it was three months to last week’s elections in Addis Ababa, the coast became clear and assurances of a brand new CAF had emerged. Unfortunately, Hayatou and his die-hard loyalists refused to notice that the party was over. They rather choose to play the old card of enlisting government ministers of the various member-federations to prevail on the presidents (delegates) to vote for Hayatou based on ‘favours’ he has done in the past. While other countries left their presidents to use their discretions in voting, Nigeria’s Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung, went the extra mile of invoking

President Muhammadu Buhari’s name as insisting Pinnick must vote for Hayatou because of some absurd reasons. That option however failed to swing support back to the man who was aiming to equal Jule Rimets’ 33 years record of the longest serving sports administrator ever!

In the eleventh hour to the D-day, Hayatou’s camp eventually made a belated offer to Pinnick to stop the group from voting him out. Part of the horse-trading was to sacrifice Beninoise Moucharafou Anjorin and allow Pinnick pick the West B ticket into the Executive Committee of CAF. But the Warri-born NFF chief was far too deep into the plot to install Ahmad to accept such an offer.

An inside source in the Ahmad camp told THISDAY two days before voting began that nothing was going to stop the Madagascar FA boss from defeating Hayatou. “ As I speak to you now, we are sure of no less than 33 votes out of the 54 delegates to vote at the election. Only two delegates are still seating on the fence and we are sure by the time we enter the hall to vote, they certainly would have decided where to throw their votes,” stressed the FA president from a COSAFA region to THISDAY at

the Hilton Hotel lobby on Tuesday night.

What reinforced the position of the Ahmad camp was the defeat of Hayatou’s suggestions at the opening of the Congress to pass some of the reforms he introduced.

It was the first time such was happening to him. That was the first clear signal that the game was over.

True to the statement of the top football administrator, Ahmad polled 34 votes against 20 given to Hayatou to become the new president of CAF for the next four years as well as replace the Cameroonian as one of the vice presidents of FIFA. Apart from Anjorin, almost all loyalists of Hayatou lost out in the elections that followed. Cote d’ivoire’s Sidy Diallo who Hayatou used to silence Jacque Anouma lost in the race to the FIFA Council to Omar Constant Selemani of Congo DR. Ghana’s Kwesi Nyantakyi who is a well known confidant of Pinnick floored Tanzania’s Leodegar Tenga. Another interesting result was that of Danny Jordaan of South Africa who succeeded this time to get to the FIFA Council despite previous failed attempts. He defeated Rui Eduardo Da Costa of Angola, Suketu Patel of Seychelles and Frans Mbidi of Namibia.

Sadly however, despite the 29 years reign, Hayatou proved to be a very bad loser.

In his remarked at the end of voting the deposed president made scathing remarks about FIFA interfering in African football affairs. He didn’t care Infantino was on the same VIP seat with him. Hayatou wondered why FIFA was talking about some of the reforms he carried out. “Some are saying I am old and should go but they also failed to remember that some others have ruled FIFA well above my age. Some were even 80 years and above.” He was making a veiled reference to the likes of Blatter and Joao Havalange who were FIFA presidents at 78 years and 80 plus years respectively.

Hayatou was not done: “Those who want me to leave, I am leaving now. But I want the in coming executive to realize African football more important than allowing outside people to interfere.”

He then tried a last minute attempt to fill some position on the floor of the Congress but was opposed again by Ahmad who wanted such item moved to the next Congress of the body.

Despite his defeat, nobody can take away the many achievements of Hayatou for African football. Topmost of them was his getting Africa to host the 2010 World Cup for the very first time. It was during Hayatou’s reign that Africa’s slots at the World cup increased to five and the continent recorded many first in global soccer, including Nigeria winning the Olympic football gold for the first time with Ghana following up on that success.

It certainly was a historical end for Hayatou to hand over the throne to another person in the city of Ydnekatchew Tessema, the late CAF president the Cameroonian defeated to ascend the throne in 1988.

GuinnessTreats Lagos Fans to Amazing EPL Match-day Experience It was all fun and excitement as Guinness Stout treated fans across Lagos to an exciting ‘Match-day Made of black’ experience last Sunday.

The events that held simultaneously across four locations in Lagos- Abule Egba, Ikorodu, Surulere and Ajah had Guinness screen the three English Premier League matches of the day to its teeming consumers and

football lovers.

The highpoint of the event was the Manchester City v Liverpool game that saw the rehash of a rivalry between Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp that dates back to Germany even as both teams who currently are 3rd and 4th on the EPL table battled for supremacy.

The event also featured live commentary by the Supersport crew of Charles

Anazodo and Segun Agbede and other popular football enthusiasts such as Deji Omotoyinbo, Murphy Ijemba, Biola Kazeem, Emma Dele, Damilola Elebe, Ifreke Iyang and Joachim MacEbong.

“There are two things you can be sure will always bring Nigerians togetherFootball and their favourite Guinness,” said Senior Brand Manager, Guinness, Kunle Faloye. “What better way to

show this than an infusion of Guinness and Football.”

“As a brand,” he continued, “we celebrate those who are made of black- those who continually carve their own path without inhibitions. Football is one of the media where our consumers get rid of all inhibitions and as a brand; we cannot but stay true to their passion”.

As is reminiscent of

Guinness, the audience was also treated to beautiful music by Small Doctor, Jaywon, Illbliss and Magnito even as they enjoyed the free internet provided by Don Jazzy’s internet companyFlobyt, one of the event partners.

Infinix mobile was also on ground to gift phones, earpieces and other accessories to winners at the events.

Guinness has sustained a historic association to football in Nigeria through its sponsorship of the EPL broadcast in Nigeria on SuperSport as well as its sponsorship of the various age national teams.

The Match-day Made of Black train heads to other cities in Nigeria making its second stop at Owerri on the of April 1 before proceeding to Enugu, Benin and Ibadan.

Wednesday March 22, 2017

TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

Price: N250

MISSILE

Umar to Governors

”It is now revealed that some state governors contracted consultants with fees ranging from 10 to 30 per cent to secure refunds from the Paris-London Clubs. It is also evident now that most of the earlier released funds were deployed for other purposes than the payment of salaries and pension arrears as directed by Mr. President. This impunity has got to stop” – Former Kaduna State Military Administrator, Col Abubakar Umar (rtd) lambasting state governors for compromising the recently released Paris and London Clubs Refunds meant for the payment of workers’ salaries and pension arrears in their respective states.

RIGHTOFREPLY UCHE EWELUKWA OFODILE

Xenophobic Violence and Intl Law I like to respond to Kayode Komolafe’s piece entitled “Beyond Xenophobia” published in the THISDAY edition of March 1, 2017.

The xenophobic violence in South Africa is reprehensible and completely unacceptable. While Mrs. Abike DabiriErewa, the Senior Special Adviser (Foreign Affairs) to the President can be commended for speaking up against the violence against foreigners in South Africa and for understanding that diplomacy may not be enough; it does not appear that the Nigerian government is taking concrete steps beyond diplomacy to address the situation.

There are many options available to the Nigerian government and the government is presently not exercising any of these options.

The Nigerian government must do more than summon South Africa’s ambassador to explain the xenophobic violence. The Nigerian government must do more than call on African Union organs to intervene.

If Nigerians violate the criminal laws of their country of residence, the host state has every right to prosecute and punish offenders. There is, however, absolutely no justification under South African law or under international law for the wanton destruction of the lives and property of foreigners in South Africa. That a country that remains the poster child for all that is terrible about apartheid and intolerance – the country that hosted the 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, xenophobia and Related Intolerances (aka Durban I) – should sink so low is really sad. Horrific as the xenophobic violence in South Africa is, the bigger crime will be if the Nigerian government does nothing in response. Given the recurring nature of these attacks, ordinary diplomacy is no longer enough. Nigerian government must make use of all mechanisms available under regional (AU) law and international law to address the situation.

South Africa has an obligation under customary international law and under international human rights law to protect the rights of all individuals within its territory.

Pursuant to Article 2(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a treaty that South Africa ratified in 2002, South Africa undertakes to “respect and to ensure to all individuals within its territory and subject to its jurisdiction the rights recognized in the present Covenant, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status” (emphasis added).

Although poor, unemployed and largely ignorant youths are the direct perpetrators of the xenophobic attacks in South Africa, under international law South Africa can be held responsible for the various acts violence. There are two circumstances under which South Africa can be held to be responsible for the attacks. In the first instance, South Africa can be held responsible for the attacks if it can be established that the killings and the destruction of property are attributable to South Africa and constitute a breach of South Africa’s international

President Muhammadu Buhari

President Jacob Zuma of South Africa

obligation. In the alternative, even if the xenophobic attacks are not attributable to South Africa, South Africa can still be held responsible if it can be shown that it failed to exercise due diligence to prevent, punish, investigate, or redress the harm caused by acts private persons.

Can the xenophobic violence be attributed to South Africa? Answering this question calls attention to recent statements by Johannesburg Mayor, Herman Mashaba.

Mashba has been accused publicly of instigating the attacks on immigrants.

Mashaba openly called immigrant animals and criminals and blamed them for all the crimes in Johannesburg. Gauteng Community Safety MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane blames Mashaba for the recent violence. “If he didn’t actually refer to people as animals and criminals and all the crimes happening in Johannesburg, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” Nkosi-Malobane is quoted as saying. Under international law, conduct of an organ of a State is attributable to the State regardless of what position the organ holds in the organization of the State, and whatever its character as an organ of the central Government or of a territorial unit of the State.

As already noted, even if the violence cannot be attributed to South Africa, South Africa has a positive obligation to use due diligence to prevent, investigate, prosecute, punish and provide remedies for acts of violence perpetrated by private persons and groups in the country and has clearly failed in this duty. In its General Comment No. 31 (2004), the Human Rights Committee, a United Nations human rights body, noted that states have an obligation to take appropriate measures or to exercise due diligence to prevent, punish, investigate, or redress the harm caused by acts private persons and entities. Other human rights bodies including the European Court of Human Rights (in X and Y v. Netherlands), the Inter-American Court of Human Rights

(in Velàsquez Rodríguez v. Honduras), and the African Commission of Human and Peoples’ Rights have reiterated the due diligence obligation of states. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission) came to this conclusion in Movement burkinabé des droits de l’Homme et des peuples v. Burkina Faso and Social and Economic Rights Action Center (SERAC) and Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR) v. Nigeria. The recurring nature of xenophobic violence in South Africa raises serious questions about whether South Africa is allowing private persons and groups to act freely and with impunity to the detriment of the migrants and foreign nationals in the country. Based on the response of top South African government officials to recent violent attacks, it is debatable whether South Africa will take serious steps to prevent, punish, investigate or redress the harm caused by the violence.

Nigeria has a duty and a right to protect Nigerians in South Africa. As the Permanent Court of International Justice noted in the 1924 case of Mavrommatis Palestine Concessions [Greece v Great Britain] [Jurisdiction], “It is an elementary principle of international law that a State is entitled to protect its subjects when injured by acts contrary to international law committed by another State, from whom they have been unable to obtain satisfaction through the ordinary channels.” Nigeria has a right to ensure, in the person of its subjects, respect for the rules of international law. This law of diplomatic protection allows Nigeria to take up the case of its subjects and to resort to diplomatic action or international and regional judicial proceedings on their behalf.

Nigerians affected by the violence in South Africa must be advised to explore all domestic remedies available in South Africa. However, the Nigerian government can also take up the case of all Nigerians

affected by the situation in South Africa.

First, the Nigerian government should at the very least provide necessary legal and financial assistance to affected citizens to enable them to use and exhaust available domestic remedies in South Africa. Second, the Nigerian Government should consider providing necessary legal and financial assistance to affected Nigerians to enable them explore remedies available under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter) and under other applicable international human rights treaties.

Third, the Nigerian government can on its own initiate a complaint against the South African government using mechanisms available under the African Charter or under international law. The Nigerian government can and should consider using the State-to-State complaints mechanism under the African Charter and other international human rights treaties. Article 47 of the African Charter stipulates “If a State Party to the present Charter has good reasons to believe that another State Party to this Charter has violated the provisions of the Charter, it may draw, by written communication, the attention of that State to the matter” (emphasis added). Article 49 further stipulates that “Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 47, if a State Party to the present Charter considers that another State Party has violated the provisions of the Charter, it may refer the matter directly to the Commission by addressing a communication to the Chairman, to the Secretary General of the Organisation of African unity and the State concerned” (emphasis added).

Recurring xenophobic violence in South Africa is regrettable, repugnant, and undermines the goals of regional integration in Africa. In the Charter of the Organization of African Unity (1963), the Heads of African States and Governments expressed “a common determination to promote understanding among our peoples and cooperation among our states in response to the aspirations of our peoples for brotherhood and solidarity, in a larger unity transcending ethnic and national differences.” According to Article 3 of the Constitutive Act of the Africa Union (2000), one of the objectives of the Africa Union is to inter alia “Achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and the peoples of Africa,” and “Accelerate the political and socio-economic integration of the continent.” Regional integration means nothing and will mean nothing if intolerance and xenophobia is tolerated in the continent and private citizens and groups are allowed to engage in xenophobic attacks with impunity. South Africa must not allow unruly youths to act freely and with impunity to the detriment of foreign nationals within its borders. The Nigerian government has a right and an obligation to act and to act immediately.

• Ofodile, (SJD Harvard), a professor at the University of Arkansas School of Law, is the Secretary General, African Society of International Law

Printed and Published in Lagos by THISDAY Newspapers Limited. Lagos: 35 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos. Abuja: Plot 1, Sector Centre B, Jabi Business District, Solomon Lar Way, Jabi North East, Abuja .

All Correspondence to POBox 54749, Ikoyi, Lagos. EMAIL: editor@thisdaylive.com, info@thisdaylive.com. TELEPHONE Lagos: 0802 2924721-2, 08022924485. Abuja: Tel: 08155555292, 08155555929 24/7 ADVERTISING HOT LINES: 0811 181 3086, 0811 181 3087, 0811 181 3088, 0811 181 3089, 0811 181 3090. ENQUIRIES & BOOKING: adsbooking@thisdaylive.com