Monday 17th April 2017

FG, W’Bank Officials to Meet in Washington to Conclude Power Recovery Plan NERC report shows Discos accomplished just 12% of metering roll out in 2016 Chineme Okafor in Abuja

parties have worked on and agreed to use to respond adequately to the current challenges threatening Nigeria’s electricity sector.

THISDAY learnt on

Nigeria and the World Bank Group would meet this week in Washington D.C. to discuss and possibly conclude operational terms in the power sector recovery plan, which both

Sunday in Abuja that the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, will lead a team comprising key officials in his ministry and the Office

of the Vice President to the meeting which is expected to hold on the sidelines of the annual World Bank/ International Monetary Fund (IMF) spring meetings.

Reliable sources that are privy to this, confirmed that the meeting was purposely arranged to hold at the time of the spring meetings which will hold between

FAAN: Abuja Airport Runway Ready Today… Page 10

April 21 and 23.

The sources explained that Nigeria and the World Bank would take time out to discuss key factors in the implementation of the power sector recovery plan.

Continued on page 10

Monday 17 April, 2017 Vol 22. No 8033. Price: N250

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Osinbajo Reconciliation C’ttee Yet to Formally Contact Senate Damilola Oyedele in Abuja Almost two weeks after the constitution of a committee to resolve the Executive-Senate face off, the Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo-led committee

is yet to formally contact the Senate, or hold a meeting with the upper legislative chamber on the contentious issues.

Continued on page 10

FG: Looters Burying Stolen Funds in Forests, Cemeteries Wike seeks divine intervention for return of N13.3bn found in Ikoyi NIA sources deny any link between N13.3bn and Jonathan’s campaign Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt and Olawale Ajimotokan with agency report With the dust raised over the N13.3 billion recovered from an apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos yet to settle, the federal government yesterday revealed that the anti-corruption agencies

have been inundated with information of how looters have resorted to burying stolen funds in their backyards, deep forests and burial grounds.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who disclosed this in a statement issued in Lagos, Continued on page 11

Buhari to Send Harmonised Electoral LAGOS @ 50 KICKS OFF WITH BOAT REGATTA… Boats from the Ibasa Ijegun Egba and Igbologun communities at Five Cowrie Creek along Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (old Queen’s Drive), Bill to National Assembly… Page 47 Ikoyi, during the traditional boat regatta held to kick-off the 50th anniversary celebrations of Lagos State… weekend kola olasupo

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FAAN: Abuja Airport Runway Ready Today Chinedu Eze with agency report The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Saleh Dunoma has said that the runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, would be ready today, two days ahead of the deadline.

Dunoma, in a statement signed by the media consultant to the Minister of State for Aviation, Mr. Ariyo Akinfenwa, yesterday in Lagos, said: “We will be ready April 17 but we are leaving the remaining two days for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

“We have written to them and they will come by today (Sunday) to do the preliminary inspection.

“They have to certify the airport that what we have done is in accordance with their standards.

“If there is any observation as a result of the inspection, we will now make sure we carry out corrections,” the FAAN boss said after inspecting the progress of work at the airport.

He maintained that with the work done, the April 19

deadline for the reopening of the airport was no longer in doubt.

“All the critical items of work are 100 per cent except may be two items, which of course are the markings and cleaning.

“Asphalt work is 100 per cent, markings have reached almost 70 per cent and the airfield lighting system has reached 80 per cent,” Dunoma added.

According to him, the authority also used the opportunity provided by the closure of the airport to address other Airport Excellence in Safety (APEX) related items.

He said: “We are now levelling all the airfield lightings’ locations, all the installations will flush with the ground surface.

“In case of any skidding, there will be no concrete projection above the ground surface.”

The FAAN boss further explained that the rehabilitated runway does not need calibration because the previous navigational aids were not tampered with.

“The runway does not need calibration. All we need to check is to make sure there

is 100 per cent illumination.

“Calibration is done periodically. When the time comes for calibration, the appropriate authority will calibrate the Instrument

Landing System (ILS),” he said.

Dunoma also noted that the terminal building was also ready for flights.

The Abuja airport was shut

on March 8 for six weeks to enable Julius Berger rehabilitate the 3.6km runway.

The runway, which was constructed in 1982 was meant to last for 20 years,

but has been in use for 35 years without major repairs and maintenance.

During rehabilitation, flights were diverted to the Kaduna airport.

RACE TO FINISH LINE AT ABUJA AIRPORT

Construction workers of Julius Berger working on the rehabilitation of the Abuja Airport runway… yesterday

OSINBAJO RECONCILIATION C'TTEE YET TO FORMALLY CONTACT SENATE The committee was created at the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari to smoothen the deteriorating relationship between the executive and the Senate, following the decision of the Senators to suspend consideration of all executive requests until Buhari fires the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu.

The Senators were miffed that the president refused to act on the Senate’s memo formally conveying their rejection of Magu as the substantive EFCC chairman and allowing him to continue to act as head of the commission.

They therefore suspended for two weeks the process of

confirmation of 27 persons nominated as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and two ministerial nominees for the federal cabinet.

The decision to suspend the confirmation process was taken to allow the leadership of the Senate interface with the executive and convey the feelings of the senators to the president.

The constitution of the reconciliation committee on March 29 was hailed as the right move towards fixing the relationship between the warring parties, with the Senate expressing its readiness to work with the committee towards forging a harmonious relationship.

Sources however told THISDAY that since the announcement of the constitution of the committee and its membership from the executive, nothing more has been heard from the presidency.

THISDAY gathered that the Senate is yet to be formally notified about the terms of reference of the committee, or about the need to nominate members to be part of the committee.

A meeting which held on the night of April 5 between the vice-president and the leadership of the National Assembly, including Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, focused on the counterpart funding for

the $6.5 billion Chinese loan targeted at railway projects as its only agenda.

“We had thought that meeting was about the reconciliation efforts, apparently it was not. As of today, there has been no formal communication from the office of the vice-president or from the Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed who announced the establishment of the committee after the FEC meeting.

“We therefore simply consider the announcement as a political move which is fast looking like a smokescreen,” a Senate source said.

“If there has been any communication, with notice of a meeting, at least the Senate leadership would have

announced the members from our side,” the source said.

Another senator, who preferred not to be named, added that the development has led to skepticism among his colleagues, some of whom no longer believe that Buhari is interested, or committed to a harmonious relationship with the Senate.

He said senators were also skeptical of the ability of Osinbajo to meet the mandate of the committee, following his recent comments on Magu.

Osinbajo was recently quoted as saying Magu’s appointment does not require legislative approval and that the president would not replace him, despite his rejection twice by the Senate on the basis of a

Department of State Services (DSS) report that indicted him and declared him unfit for the office.

“The comments indicate that the VP who is charged with resolving the fight between the Senate and executive has already taken a position.

“Remember that the issue of Magu is the main reason for the recent disagreement,” the senator said.

He added that most of the lawmakers considered Osinbajo’s comments as offensive, effectively destroying his capacity to mediate in the face off.

Attempts to reach the spokesperson of the Senate, Senator Sabi Abdullahi were futile, as he was said to be away on pilgrimage.

performed woefully with meeting their metering plan in 2016.

NERC stated that while the Discos committed to add 1,754,800 meters in 2016, they only rolled out 215,424 meters, representing 12 per cent of the target.

The report showed that while Ibadan Disco provided the most number of meters - 67,473, representing 27 per cent of its metering commitment for 2016, Enugu Disco was the worst performer with just 2,356 meters, representing one per cent of its commitment for last year.

NERC also explained that there was a sharp decline in revenue remittances to the market by the Discos in 2016, with remittances to NBET falling from 51 per cent in 2015 to 26 per cent in 2016.

It said this was still

causing major liquidity problems for the market.

FG, W’BANK OFFICIALS TO MEET IN WASHINGTON TO CONCLUDE POWER RECOVERY PLAN Just last week, Fashola confirmed that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved the plan for use, paving the way for Nigeria and the Bank to conclude discussions on the plan.

However, total funding under the plan has not been disclosed by either the federal government or the Bank.

Last December, THISDAY had reported that the government and the Bank were working on a recovery plan that would among other objectives seek to improve the technical and commercial performance of the country’s privatised power sector, as well as restore its business viability.

The recommendations in the plan were reportedly based on a joint diagnostic exercise conducted on the sector by the government and the Bank.

Even though the government recently approved a N701 billion payment guarantee to the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) to support its financial commitments to power generation companies (Gencos) in the country, Nigeria’s electricity market still contends with illiquidity, which analysts said could lead to total market failure if not addressed.

Based on this, THISDAY learnt that the recovery plan was originated to turnaround the sector by helping to improve its governance practices, reduce technical and commercial electricity losses, and guarantee efficient sector investments.

When the plan was being worked on, the government and the Bank reportedly agreed that there were causes and dimensions to

the challenges of the sector, and that the sector needed urgent attention to restore its financial tolerance to attract significant private sector investments.

It was further learnt that the World Bank would from this galvanise private and public sector investments through its various groups to support the power sector.

Also, both parties agreed on the need to prioritise actions that will strengthen the sector’s governance including the appointment of Commissioners for the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) which has already been done, restore investors’ confidence, attract public and private investment in generation, transmission, and distribution for enhanced service quality, and protect sector revenues with improved metering and

collection.

The sources revealed that the planned Washington meeting would have other arms of the World Bank including the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) in attendance.

They explained that a couple of new generation projects like the solar power projects, for which the government has signed Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in July 2016, need the backing of the World Bank’s Partial Risk Guarantee (PRG) to move to closure, but have been held back and are waiting for the recovery plan to be launched.

Meanwhile, a report presented by NERC to power sector operators at their last monthly meeting in Oshogbo, Osun State, indicated that the 11 Discos

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˾ MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017

STARTERS

Family Blames British Doctor’s Wrong Diagnosis for Death of Magnus Onyibe’s Daughter Kikaose Ebiye-Onyibe, a second year Law undergraduate at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, passed away on Wednesday, April 12, 2017 following an unsuccessful surgery to remove a ruptured appendix at Gold Cross Hospital on Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

According to her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ebiye-Onyibe, Kikaose had been complaining of lower abdominal pains since October last year and had visited a General Practitioner (GP) in Birmingham, where she schooled.

The GP failed to diagnose the ailment correctly despite several visits in many months.

Instead of conducting a CT scan to identify her ailment, minor painkillers were recommended by the British doctor whenever she visited the clinic. Kika’s death is being blamed on service failure in the NHIS in the UK. This is because it was only after Kika had arrived Nigeria on Tuesday, April 11 that it was discovered that her appendix had ruptured. The revelation was made after a visit to a doctor in Nigeria where a CT scan was carried out.

Upon discovery of the rupture, an immediate surgery was recommended in Nigeria by doctors who warned that Kika’s life would be in grave danger if she were to be flown back to the UK for the procedure.

Unfortunately, the surgery was not successful, as the hospital had no life support system to stabilise her and Kika passed away.

Graduating from Greenwoods House School, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, and Lagoon School, Lekki, Lagos, where she had her primary and secondary school education,

Kika Kikaose had a clear idea of what she wanted to do in life.

Like most students in their early teens, she was ambitious and opted for her Basic Studies programme at Bridge House College, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Upon completing the course, she travelled to the UK for a Law programme at the University of Birmingham, where she was before her sudden demise.

Kika was a bubbling young lady that was full of lofty dreams and aspirations.

Above all, she loved her creator, the almighty God and it was unsurprising that she resolved to attend church regularly; assembled her mates together for fellowship and talked at informal sessions with her friends.

In fact, Kika had a passion for God. A Facebook post on her wall on May 27, 2011 explains her thought process.

“Can anyone tell me why it is so hard to pray, but easy to swear? Why clubs are growing and churches are shrinking? Why it is so hard to repost a Christian status but easy to post gossip?

“Why we can worship a celebrity but not Jesus? Jesus said: If you deny me in front of your friends, I will deny you in front of my father. Repost if you’re not afraid of what your friends will think,” she wrote.

A winner of many awards, she was the Yellow House captain at Lagoon School and also won an award for leadership, amongst others.

While schooling at Bridge House, she was the events coordinator.

She played an active role as a member of the GIFT fellowship, University of Birmingham.

Kika, who would have turned 19 on April 29, led a short but eventful life.

According to her family, Kika achieved more and was a good example of the adage, ‘life is measured by the quality of life lived and not the number of years spent’.

She once confided in her parents about her decision to concentrate on advocacy and rights issues in her Law programme.

Kika left behind her parents Helen and Magnus Ebiye-Onyibe and two siblings, Sopuluchukwu and Ebubechukwu.

In commemoration of her transition, a service of songs will hold today at 33B Eti-Osa Way Dophin Estate, Ikoyi, from 4 p.m. while the interment will be at Ebony Vaults, George Street, off Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos, tomorrow.

FG: LOOTERS BURYING STOLEN FUNDS IN FORESTS, CEMETERIES said the whistle blower policy was working and has led to the recovery of more looted funds in many currencies.

In a statement by his Special Adviser, Segun Adeyemi, Mohammed said all the recovered funds were safe and government would provide a full account to Nigerians on the recoveries.

The minister thanked Nigerians for their enthusiasm and commitment in helping the government to tackle corruption through the disclosure of useful leads to the appropriate government agencies.

“Since we launched the whistle blower policy, we have received immeasurable support from Nigerians.

“Yes, there is a monetary reward for any information that leads to the recovery of looted funds, but from what we have seen, most of the Nigerians who have come forward with useful leads were driven by patriotism rather than reward.

“Nigerians, fired by a fervid resolve to help banish corruption from their country, have daily inundated the offices of the appropriate government agencies with valuable information.

“We have been told how looters have resorted to burying stolen funds in their backyards, in deep forests and even in burial grounds.

“Thanks to whistle blowers, it is now clear that a rapacious few have pillaged the nation’s wealth through a vicious orgy of corrupt practices,” he said.

The minister was of the view that more funds were in the possession of looters than to government at all levels to meets its obligations including paying workers’ salaries and providing social amenities. “'As the looters continue to run helterskelter, many of them are even abandoning their booty at unusual places, including airports. We want to assure Nigerians that we will not abandon this policy for whatever reason,” he said.

He stressed that government will continue to rejig the policy and make it more effective as a tool for fighting corruption.

The minister assured the public that as soon as the necessary reconciliation process and the litigation in some of the cases are concluded, government would

give a full account of the recoveries to Nigerians.

Mohammed reassured Nigerians with useful information on looted funds that the government will protect their identities and give them their stipulated reward.

But as the minister waxed lyrical over the whistle blowing policy, the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, who on behalf of his state has claimed ownership of the cash discovered at the Lagos luxury apartment last week, turned to God to ensure that the funds he alleged were pillaged by his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi, were returned to his state.

Speaking during the Easter church service at Saint Peter’s Anglican Church in Rumuepirikom, Wike said the church has a responsibility to pray that God touches the federal government to return the money to the coffers of Rivers State, because the money belongs to the state government.

He said: “We need the prayers of the church because there is nothing that prayers cannot do. Pray that God should touch the Government of Nigeria, so that they will return the money to us.

What we are interested is for the money to come back to us.”

Wike maintained that contrary to the “false propaganda” being peddled by Amaechi, he has not declared war on the federal government, adding that the Rivers State Government was simply requesting for the return of the funds belonging to the state.

He said: “I cannot declare war on the Federal Government. Anybody bringing Buhari’s name into this matter should leave Buhari and face his own problems.

The issue is: who kept the money at the Ikoyi residence?

“The money was kept there by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.”

The governor vowed that “no amount of blackmail, no amount of distraction will stop us from getting our money”.

He said that between 70 and 80 per cent of the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaigns in 2015 were sponsored using funds sourced from the Rivers

State Government under the leadership of Amaechi.

The governor said that the selective war against corruption would not help development in the country.

He wondered why security intelligence works against opponents of the federal government, but when glaring corruption issues pop up like the Ikoyi case, where millions of dollars allegedly belonging to Rivers State have been found, the war against corruption is suspended and diversionary tactics adopted.

The vicar of the church, Venerable Israel Omosioni, prayed to God to grant the request of Rivers people for the Ikoyi billions to be returned.

He said with the execution of projects across the state by Wike, additional funds would assist the government achieve more for the state.

The church resolved to start the prayers, which would be sustained till the funds are returned, he said.

Meanwhile, reliable sources in the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) have dismissed the attempt by certain groups to link the cash found at the Ikoyi apartment to the Goodluck Jonathan campaign organisation, insisting the funds belong to the intelligence agency.

An official from the NIA who spoke to THISDAY yesterday said the NIA was aghast at the attempt to smear the past administration after its director general had gone public with the ownership of the cash.

He said: “The NIA has made it clear that the cash belongs to them and it was meant for a covert operation which the EFCC unfortunately blew.

“For obvious reasons, we cannot divulge what the covert operation was, but that does not give anyone the right to propagate outright lies, saying that the money was from the campaign of the former president.

“We have seen a few reports alleging that paraphernalia linked to the former president’s campaign organisation were discovered in the apartment. But all this is false and has no basis whatsoever,” the NIA source said.

Two-Minute Briefing NEWS PDP Challenges APC, Buhari to

Show Proof of Scorecard The National Caretaker Committee of PDP led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi has asked the APC and the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to show Nigerians valid evidence of its achievements in the last two years.

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EDITORIAL Unworthy Fight over Magu

Thesenior executiveof the organisation was furious as he addressed thestaff that hot afternoon. Although themeetinghall had all its air conditioningunits at its coldest level, thepetrified staff brokeout in bouts of sweat as the boss lashed out at them.

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POLITICS Destined for the Archives

Last week, northern delegates to the2014 National Conference called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to implement the conference’s report, even though thepresident himself has never shown any interest in doingso.

Page 17

FEATURES Securing Nigeria’s Maritime

Domain In a bid to securethenation’s maritimedomain, theNigerian Navy recently participated in theseventh Operation ObangameExpress held in theGulf of Guinea…

Page 20

BUSINESS CBN Unveils Guidelines on

Non-interest MFBs In linewith its mandateof promoting a sound financial system, theCentral Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued guidelines on theregulation and supervision of NIMFBSin the country.

Page 23

CITY STRINGS A Story of Neglect

David-Chyddy Eleke who took a tour of communities in Anambra North Local Government Area, with special emphasis on Amanuke community…

Page 38

INTERNATIONAL Syria War: At Least 68 Children Among 126 Killed in Bus Bombing At least 68 children wereamong bomb attack on buses carrying126 peoplekilled in Saturday’s evacuees from besieged Syrian towns…

Page 16

SPORTS Rivers Utd Revives Nigeria’s

Hope withVital Win over Rayon Sports RiversUnitedFootballClubpartially endedNigeria’smiseryincontinental club football with a 2-0 win over visitingRayonSportsofRwandain the first leg play-off CAF… Page 54

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MONDAY APRIL 17, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

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

PDP Challenges APC, Buhari to Show Proof of Scorecard Says power generation now less than 2,000MW

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi has asked the All Progressives Congress and the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to show Nigerians valid evidence of its achievements in the last two years.

The opposition party, which reacted to yesterday’s claim by APC and President Buhari that their administration has worked very hard to meet the expectations of Nigerians, said the ruling party’s scorecard has been abysmally poor.

In a statement issued by the spokesman of the caretaker committee, Dayo Adeyeye, the party said apart from the country’s economy which has grounded to a halt, the power generation dwindled from over 5,000MW in 2015 to the present all time low of less than 2,000MW. “There is nothing to show by the APC-led government and we challenge the president and his team to articulate the two years achievement of this government point by point and let Nigerians compare with previous PDP administrations,” he said.

Adeyeye said the statement from Buhari is to say the least untrue and an insult to the intelligence of Nigerians who have been at the receiving end of his government’s mismanagement in the last two years.

The opposition party also rejected the claim by the APC government that it defeated Boko Haram, saying Nigerians have been fed continuously with the wrong narrative as if we have all slipped into collective amnesia that President Goodluck Jonathan was hopelessly ineffective against the insurgents.

“We read with rude shock and utter dismay, the President Buhari’s Easter message to Nigerians and of particular interest is the paragraph that said: ‘In the almost two years of this administration, we have worked hard to meet the expectations of Nigerians by improving security, especially in the North-east, sustaining the campaign against corruption and have taken steps

to revitalize the economy.”’

On the war against insurgents, the spokesman said: “The origin of insurgency in the North-east part of the country is well known locally and internationally. We cannot forget in a hurry, the frantic efforts made by late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua to nip the ugly incidence in the bud that later escalated to the formation of the Boko Haram sect.

“Equally, when Jonathan took over government, his administration made several efforts to procure ammunition from the West to prosecute the war on terror despite stiff resistance from some of the western powers to sell weapons to Nigeria.”

He said before the 2015 general election, the Jonathan’s administration was able to procure sizeable number of war heads, ammunition and other modern weaponry to fight the Boko Haram terrorist group.

According to Adeyeye, this breakthrough led to the successful dislodgment of the terrorist sect in the North-east before the March 28, 2015 elections.

He said the armaments procured

by President Jonathan are what is still being used to prosecute the war.

“Nigerians can testify to the gallant display by the Nigerian Armed Forces that allowed elections to take place in virtually all the wards and local government areas of Borno, Adamawa, Kebbi and Gombe States respectively.

“Still on the war on insurgency in the North-east, the Jonathan administration set out to rebuild the region by establishing the Presidential Initiative for the NorthEast (PINE). This initiative covered all sectors in the rehabilitation efforts for the zone with comprehensive project cost and partnership.

“This project was later inherited

by President Buhari and Nigerians will note how PINE under the APC’s watch has fared. It has been a monumental disaster with allegations of contract awards to ghost companies and grass cutters while the internally displaced persons (IDPs) endure daily hardship and starvation. Tragically, we are yet to see the outcome of the investigation on the Nigeria’s

Govt Imposes Curfew on Ekiti Community Over Bloody Protest Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on Igbara Odo Ekiti in Ekiti West Local Government Area over violent protest that led to the death of one man.

The state police command has confirmed the death of one of its men in the fracas visited on Igbara Odo community in Ekiti South West Local Government Area of the state last Friday by youths of the town.

This is just as the police have restored normalcy there and also enforced the a dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed on the community by the state governor, who visited the area with the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abdullahi Chafe, in the wake of the crisis last Friday night.

Fayose said the curfew was meant to restore normalcy, saying it will take effect between 6p.m. and 7a.m.

Confirming the loss of a policeman in the crisis, the Public Relations Officer of the Ekiti State Police Command, Mr. Alberto Adeyemi, said his body had been deposited in the morgue.

Adeyemi also announced that three arrests had been made in connection with the crisis and added that “mobile and conventional policemen have been deployed in the area to maintain peace and ensure strict compliance with the curfew.”

He said normalcy had returned to town “but the monarch cannot return to the palace now because the place was gravely vandalised by the rampaging youths.”

Fighter Jet that bombed the IDP camp in Borno State killing more than 200 persons.

“For the record, the PDP not only defeated Boko Haram before it handed over power in 2015, we also reduced kidnapping and other anti-social vices in the country and there was palpable state of peace in Nigeria as at May 2015.

“The same cannot be said today as kidnapping has taken a new turn. We are also facing another menace of insecurity in the name of herdsmen attacking and displacing communities across the country.

Suicide is also gradually becoming a household name in Nigeria as citizens who cannot cope with the current harsh economic condition have resorted to taking their own lives,” PDP said.

On war on corruption, the opposition party said that just like other policies and programmes of the Buhari-led APC administration, it has failed as well.

“As we have mentioned in our previous statements, any war on corruption that is selective and targeted at humiliating only leaders and other members of the opposition is a total failure. The entire anti-corruption war of the

APC since inception is just in the media with only one conviction.

“Many of the cases in courts have been set aside and suspects discharged and acquitted while others are in Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), and DSS detention centers without trial against their fundamental human rights as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Nigerians may also recall the several allegations of corruption made against prominent APC members that the anti-graft agency has not attended to.

The Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, has been rejected twice by the Nigerian Senate because of damning corruption allegations against him made by another agency of government .

“The same with the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, and a host of other government officials against whom very serious allegations have been made. None of them have been subjected to the usual interrogations and investigation.

“The latest drama in town is the circus show of the discovery of huge sums of money of various currencies and denominations on daily basis without any trace of the owners.

“The most absurd of this charade is the macabre dance on the so called $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23,218,000 purportedly recovered at an apartment in Osborne Street, Ikoyi, Lagos. The government is at the crossroad as the Whistle-blower and the EFCC are now shying away from telling Nigerians who owned the monies because undeniable evidence links the monies to the proceeds from the sale of turbines by the former Governor of Rivers State and now Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi. It has also been revealed that part of that proceeds was used by Amaechi to prosecute the campaigns of the APC in 2015,” the opposition party stated.

The PDP said the claim by the Director-General of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA) that the agency owns the stolen money “found” in a private residence, is another bad comedy by this failed APC administration.

In the area of economic management, the statement noted that immediate past PDP government of Jonathan grew Nigeria’s GDP from $270.5 billion in 2009, and handed over a Nigeria that had grown to become the fastest growing and largest economy in Africa to APC. According PDP, under its administration, Nigeria attained the 24th largest economy in the World, with a GDP of $574 billion.

In May 2015, the PDP also handed over a single digit inflation rate but today, inflation rate in Nigeria is at a double digit of 17.26 per cent.

“The recession we are experiencing today in the country is as a result of the failure of the APC led administration to properly manage our economy.

“The Buhari government is indeed clueless and had no economic plan until March 2017 when it launched the so-called recovery plan. The economy is at a standstill. Major infrastructural development that began with the previous administrations of the PDP have been abandoned.

Power generation dwindled from over 5,000MW in 2015 to the present all time low of less than 2,000MW.’

WELCOME TO NIGERIA

L-R: Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr .Odein Ajumogobia; President/CEO, Baywood Continental Limited, Chris Baywood Ibe; and former President of Tanzania, Mr. Jakaya Kikwete, during Kikwete’s arrival in Nigeria on official visit at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos...yesterday

Police Ban Illegal Roadblocks by Revenue Collectors Nationwide The Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, has deployed Special X-Squad Teams of the Force across the country to commence with effect from today, the removal of all forms of illegal blockage and other obstructions on the highways and roads created by unlawful revenue/tax collectors, road transport unions, labour and trade related unions inhibiting vehicular movement and smooth passage of passengers and goods, and other road users across the country.

The Special X-Squad Teams deployed are under strict instructions to also arrest, investigate and prosecute any person or group of persons found committing this

‘illegal’ act.

It is unlawful and contrary to the laws for any individual, or group under any name to take laws into their hands and block any road or highway in full or any part of it under the guise of collection of revenue/tax or enforcement of the interests of such organisations,” a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Jimoh Moshood, said.

Idris said the Taxes and Levies Act, Laws of Federation of Nigeria 2004 Section 2 (2) disallows any person, including a tax authority from mounting a road block in any part of the federation for the purposes of collecting any tax or levy.

He advised the relevant state governments, local government councils, boards of internal revenue service across the country, various transport unions, labour and traders associations that it is against the law for any organisation to create a blockage and restrict or restrain members of the public the free usage of roads and highways anywhere in the country.

The IG said it was evident from the numerous complaints received at police stations across the country that these illegal blockage points were most times taken over and used by armed robbers and kidnappers to rob, kidnap and maim innocent travellers and other road users.

He implored the affected

stakeholders to prevails on their proxies, agents and representatives to desist forthwith the blockage of highways and roads across the country, as the full weight of the law would be applied on anyone arrested in the act, and they would be prosecuted along with their sponsors.

He also enjoined parents and guidance to monitor their children and wards not to be used to commit illegal acts under the pretence of employment.

The IG stated that the renewed commitment of the Force to continue to enforce the law, guarantee adequate security and safety of every Nigerian and ensure crimefree society remains unwavering.

T H I S D AY MONDAY APRIL 17, 2017

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T H I S D AY MONDAY APRIL 17, 2017

COMMENT

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

UNWORTHY FIGHT OVER MAGU Bolaji Adebiyi argues that the insistence of President Buhari on the appointment of Ibrahim Magu is baffling

T

he senior executive of the organisation was furious as he addressed the staff that hot afternoon. Although the meeting hall had all its air conditioning units at its coldest level, the petrified staff broke out in bouts of sweat as the boss lashed out at them. “You are here to ensure that those stealing the nation’s money are apprehended and brought to justice,” he said angrily. “But what do I hear? You are colluding with the thieves to evade justice. Watch out, I am watching your back. If you are caught, be rest assured that you would regret it!”

There was pin drop silence as he stood up to storm out in anger. Just then something happened. A bundle of US$100 bills fell off his trousers.

The staff of course could not laugh as oga had been found to be a thief himself.

That allegory may well apply to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, where the physician has failed to heal himself. Set up in 2002 to fight economic crimes capable of undermining the nation’s economy, the EFCC, like many other agencies of government, has been subject of hush hush talks of being riddled with corruption. The situation is said to have worsened under Ibrahim Magu as operatives are said not only to be involved in bribe taking but also extortion and illicit sale of seized property of corruption suspects.

Given an opportunity by the Senate to defend multiple allegations of internal corruption against his commission during his controversial screening last month, Magu bungled so badly. He said he was unaware of the allegations, including those under police investigation. According to him, the EFCC was such a large organisation that he could not possibly track everything that happens under his watch. He, however, promised to investigate the allegations and revert to the Senate. Not a few discerning people thought this was scandalous. A police officer saddled with the task of leading the fight against corruption tells the nation that he is unaware of the notorious fact of an endemic malady within his agency.

Those who have followed his career progression say they are not surprised though as tardiness and obstinacy are parts of Magu’s nature.

Series of recent setbacks at the courts would seem to confirm this below average assessment of his competence. The Patience Jonathan case is perhaps a befitting testimony to the shortness of Magu’s attention life span. The EFCC’s restraining order on the former first lady’s dollar accounts at Sky Bank was lifted simply because the commission’s lawyers failed to file a counter claim to Patience’s claim that the order was not in accordance with the law. Every first year law student knows that a claim not challenged would be upheld by the court. Yet the EFCC unleashed its internet attack dogs to misrepresent the incompetence of its lawyers as corruption fighting back through the courts.

Actually, misrepresentation of facts and disinformation are a major strategy of Magu’s EFCC to mask its structural deformity. In a bid to explain the obstinacy of his sponsor, the executive, over his serial rejection by the Senate, his media war lords say a couple of rejected nominees for appointment had been represented in the past. True. Dr. Babalola Borisade and Chief Ugochukwu Onyema were beneficiaries of this rare occurrence. But the circumstances and narratives were totally different. President Olusegun Obasanjo had nominated Borisade

AN OFFICER APPOINTED AS AG. CHAIRMAN OF EFCC SHOULD BY ALL MEANS BE ONE OF IMPECCABLE CREDENTIALS, WITH PROVEN INTEGRITY AND CAPACITY TO LEAD THE NATION’S FIGHT AGAINST GRAFT IN HIGH AND LOW PLACES

as minister and Onyema as chairman of Niger Delta Development Commission. While the Senate rejected Borisade on account of a disagreement between him and some senators who were professors over his professorial status, Ugochukwu’s confirmation was declined as a result of agitations from the oil producing area of Abia State who argued that he could not take the appointment because he was from the non-oil bearing area of the state. Not one senator questioned the integrity of any of them.

But Magu’s case bothers on his integrity which was impugned by the State Security Services, an agency empowered by law to vet nominees for public office.

“An officer appointed as Ag. Chairman of EFCC should by all means be one of impeccable credentials, with proven integrity and capacity to lead the nation’s fight against graft in high and low places. Thus far, it is evident from Magu’s antecedents that he is by no means that kind of officer,” the SSS said, adding: “His relationship with Umar Muhammed, which involved disclosure of very sensitive and classified official documents in his possession shows lack of professionalism assails his integrity. More so, for an officer who was indicted and nearly dismissed six years ago, to again be involved in similar circumstances, it is clear that Magu is a perennial offender and cannot change.”

That is the officer Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo said on Wednesday that President Buhari had decided to retain in office as the acting chairman of the commission. This is ironical and baffling because the executive had given the impression, weeks ago, that it was ready to make up with the Senate, setting up a committee to negotiate the upper legislative chamber’s reservations over its (executive) perceived disregard for its (Senate) resolutions.

Interestingly, the executive, in its unrelenting and wilful disregard for legislative resolutions, has decided to import conflict into the provisions of Section 171 of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers the president to make certain appointments to some executive bodies, and Section 2 (3) of the EFCC Act that subjects the appointment of the commission’s chairman and board members to the confirmation of the Senate. This is extremely dubious.

If the executive was sincere, it would have been obvious to it that Section 171 of the Constitution relates to the appointment of personal staff of the president, which is not intended to defeat the constitutional doctrine of checks and balances in a presidential democracy like Nigeria’s that Section 2 (3) of the EFCC Acts reinforces. Is it saying for instance, that if the Senate had rejected the other nominees for membership of the commission, the president would have retained them in acting capacity? Is it not absurd that an officer would be retained in an acting capacity for four years as being argued by the president?

It would be interesting to see how this pans out in the days ahead as the Senate is likely to resist this direct affront on its legitimate privilege to check executive rascality.

Adebiyi is Deputy Editor of THISDAY Newspapers (08053069321)

BUHARI: ANOTHER FORYEARS? It is in the interest of the APC not to present the president for re-election, argues Michael West

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ince the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the 2019 timetable for elections, political activities are gradually gathering momentum.

There has been increased communication among top political gladiators across the geo-political zones as well as the political parties. Nocturnal meetings are already returning. Reconciliation of sworn enemies in the political arena is on-going, too. Possible alignment and realignment of political interests and forces are being discussed.

Apparently, the early announcement of the election timetable may be a strategy to divert attention of politics-inclined critics from the daily lampooning of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

It is open secret that all is not well with the rank and file of the ruling APC as political activities towards the 2019 general elections are gradually taking shape. The determinant factor that will shape the future or survival of the APC in 2019 and beyond is President Buhari. If Buhari ventures to run, then, the game is over for the party! I doubt if the party will retain up to 10 governorship seats at the end of the day. If you ask me, I think Buhari should not run, at least, in the interest of his party. Let me acknowledge here that Buhari is not a typical Nigerian politician. He

is too straight to bend for anybody and for any reason; not even his alliance with Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu that facilitated his victory was strong enough to make him shift ground. Like he would always say, “there could be contact without contamination”, and that is how he had smartly played the game with Asiwaju. The rest, as they say, is history.

One of the three major reasons I think will work against Buhari is age. He will, God willing, be 77 years old in 2019. If he should present himself for presidential contest again, he will not be doing himself, family, and party in particular any good.

Baba should not dare the move. The second reason is his health condition. Mr. President does not need his doctors’ counsel to know that he should not run. Forty-nine days out of power is not a joke in the life of a country. Thank God for an able Vice-President who managed the situation well.

The third reason is his lack-lustre performance in office so far. Between now and 2019, I don’t know the magic that this administration would perform to placate and convince Nigerians that it could do better if granted another four years in power.

This administration would readily come to mind as the first in history to spare just three slots for the entire Southern part of the country in the top security positions while the North comfortably cornered 14 out of 17. Like no other before it, lopsided political appointments were brazenly

done! Even those who invested their resources into electioneering campaigns that brought this party to power are now in penury; many of them were hoping that board appointments would be a compensation for their loyalty but almost two years after, like the masked singer, Lagbaja, would sing, “Nothing for you”. Blurred economic vision for the country has earned the people hunger. The naira’s steady decline, until the Central Bank of Nigeria’s recent intervention, was appalling. These, to mention but a few among the several shortcomings of this administration, will not help the APC should Buhari run again.

Listening to sycophants and ‘yes sir’ people and remaining rigid in his approach to party affairs won’t help both Buhari and APC at all. Can Buhari be so sure that Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, Bukola Saraki and even other minority stakeholders in the APC project would support his secondterm re-election in 2019? Those who contributed the blocks with which the APC structure was moulded are almost on their way out with their respective blocks. By the time these people quit the party, in addition to those that would still leave; I wonder how a feeble APC can withstand electoral contest with reinvented, revitalised and fortified political parties that would soon emerge on the horizon. It will be inglorious for the APC to lose power to the PDP in 2019.

I believe the APC should still garner necessary

legitimate strength to retain power at the centre.

The president should screen a good hand that he can put forward to succeed him. He could be a businessman, a media executive or better still, an astute politician with great potential for leadership, probity and service. If PMB, as he’s fondly called by his aides, fails to maximise this unique opportunity, Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida or even Goodluck Jonathan will outsmart him and present a successor. Buhari should begin a true reconciliatory process by placating aggrieved chieftains of the APC. He should begin to gradually correct his one-sided appointments by giving more slots to the South in the outstanding appointments. For instance, in case he eventually drops Ibrahim Magu as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as chairman nominee, he should look southward for a replacement.

Mr. President should trust Nigerians. If Nigerians in their millions could believe him enough to entrust their collective destinies to his care, he, too, should learn to accommodate and trust others; acknowledging that the task of nation-building is collective. He should discard his military mentality of ‘rule by fiat’ and put on the toga of a ‘born again democrat’ he professed to be before the 2015 general election by obeying court orders. This is because democratic governance is all about the rule of law. mikeawe@yahoo.co.uk

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EDITORIAL THE GROWING DEBT TRAP It is uncertain whether more loans will be put to good use

T

he frequency of borrowing by the federal and state governments has become a source of worry to many analysts who sound a note of caution that the country may be heading for another debt trap. According to ofďŹ cial reports, Nigeria’s debt stock is expected to rise by N6.72 trillion this year from the 2016 ďŹ gure of N12.58tn. The total debt liability will also rise to N19.3tn by the end of 2017. This at a time the federal government is seeking $30 billion loans from the World Bank, African Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency.

We must recall that in 2005, Nigeria successfully negotiated a complicated debt write-off deal of about $18 billion after a cash payment of $12 billion to free the nation from the Paris Club debts of over $30 billion, most of which were accumulated interests and charges. A chunk of these loans were secured in the 1980s to fund what turned out to be white elephant projects.

With about $3 THE CURRENT billion dollars spent PERCEPTION IS annually just on THAT MANY OF OUR debt servicing at the GOVERNORS HAVE time, the argument FAILED TO PLUG THE to exit the club was LEAKAGES AND WASTES, plausible. The idea was that the funds WHICH OVER THE that would be saved YEARS HAVE BECOME from annual debt INSTITUTIONALISED servicing would be channelled to productive sectors of the economy and to tackle some of the critical sectors that encompassed the Millennium Development Goals.

But 12 years down the line, we are again engrossed in another national debate on the appropriateness of treading the debt path.

We are even more worried by the debts being accumulated by the states. Ordinarily, if the aim was to help the states bridge the gap between what

Letters to the Editor

they receive from the federation account and their developmental needs in the areas of infrastructure, health, education, power and transportation, it would have been a laudable idea. However, it is one thing to raise these funds and quite another to ensure accountability and their judicious application.

Without the requisite oversight by their respective states’ legislature, a large chunk of these funds could be frittered away. In fact, some of the new governors inherited states that are heavily indebted with little to show for the accumulated debts.

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he Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi, a former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, recently painted a pathetic picture of how some of these loans were procured and what they were used for: “We have governors who go to China to spend one month on a tour and what do they come back with? China will lend you $1.8 billion to build light rail. The light rail will be done by the rail workers from China, the trains will come from China. The engines will come from China, the labour comes from China and the driver is Chinese�, said Sanusi.

Querying the wisdom of incurring such debts, Sanusi said: “At the end of the day, what do you beneďŹ t from it? Your citizens will ride on a train, in northern Nigeria; in a state like Kano or Katsina, where are you going to? You are not going to an industrial estate to work. You are not going to school. You are not going to the farm. You borrow from China to invest in trains so that your citizens can ride on them and go for weddings and naming ceremonies.â€?

The current perception of the populace is that many of our governors have failed to plug the leakages and wastes, which over the years have become institutionalised. If they can manage their resources with prudence, there may be no need for some of the debts they keep piling up for future generations to settle. The same goes for the federal government.

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

DESTINATION FOR NIGERIA: FISCAL FEDERALISM BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER AND DIGITAL SWITCH OVER

I

t is not by providence that Nigeria is where it is today but by choice of those who have ruled her for over five decades of her existence.

Many Nigerians have a warped notion that Nigeria is the giant or pride of Africa but they can’t be more wrong except in the area of population. At independence, Nigeria was the hope of Africa and it was expected to build the future destination for other Africans to look up to. When and how Nigeria lost the compass is no secret.

Hear the late Nelson Mandela, “You know I am not very happy with Nigeria. I have made that very clear on many occasions. Yes, Nigeria stood by us more than any nation, but you let yourselves down, and Africa and the black race very badly.

Your leaders have no respect for their people. They believe that their personal interests are the interests of the people. They take people’s resources and turn it into personal wealth. There is a level of poverty in Nigeria that should be unacceptable. I cannot understand why Nigerians are not angrier than they are.�

Governments after governments have come and gone promising to revamp the economy, open other revenue sources and make Nigeria less dependent on oil but they routinely fail. Why have our past governments failed in diversifying revenue sources?

The structure of Nigeria is the reason. Nobody,

no matter how smart or good intentioned you are, will be able to succeed in doing that with a unitary federalism in a multi-ethnically diversified country like Nigeria where suspicion, mistrust and uncertainty run deep. At independence, Nigeria was a hope for the whole of Africa, a nation scrupulously put together by the British but still had hopes to sell to the rest of Africa a brighter future. The regions had control over the resources and there were healthy competitions which resulted in massive production of palm oil, cocoa and building pyramids with harvested groundnuts. Something happened to that success breeding structure before we found ourselves in this unitary federalism where failure is assured. What really happened?

Ironsi on taking over the government in 1966 assumed that regional autonomy was the breeding point of disunity in Nigeria and abolished federalism with decree 34 and instituted unitary system which is inconsistent and incompatible with the nature and composition of Nigeria as a country. After Ironsi was removed, Nigeria was reversed to federal system only politically without its fiscal structures. Even the political stricture was a limited version of what it used to be. Prior to Ironsi’s regime, every region was run like a semi-autonomous component of a greater Nigeria.

Obi Ebuka Onochie, Abuja

W

ith the deadline for migration from analogue to digital broadcasting in Nigeria fast approaching, the claim by the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright, “to help Nigeria realise it’s digital switch over objectives� when he met Nigeria’s Information Minister, Lai Mohammed cannot be true.

Until now, the United Kingdom has shunned Nigeria’s four-year attempt to commence the Digital Switch Over (DSO) which started off in Jos and subsequently continued in Abuja in December 2016. Sources close to the industry maintain that all the critical stakeholders in the DSO chain are fully owned by Nigerians and registered as Nigerian companies and that no British company has been tasked with any responsibility.

The British High Commissioner recently held a “bilateral meeting� with the Minister of Information and Culture, where they agreed to explore areas of mutual interests including Britain’s desire to provide seamless technological expertise to Nigeria for its DSO transition from analogue television signals to digital by June this year. Much as this will be greatly appreciated stakeholders wonder what this will translate to given that the process is on-going.

Paul Arkwright did not mince words in pushing

for a British barge-in through its preferred private company: “We talked about the Digital Switch Over in Nigeria which is moving from a television analogue to digital. There is a British company, InView, that is working very hard in Nigeria and looking at ways in which British expertise can help in the very important switch over. Following very successful launches in Jos and Abuja, there are plans for other regions and other cities to benefit from that. And again this is an area of great cooperation which I am very proud to say the UK is at the forefront and the British company is leading the way on that,’’ Arkwright said.

The High Commissioner’s remarks may have caused more than a murmur among stakeholders in the DSO particularly as they indicate that there is no British company called Inview in the process but a Nigerian company called Inview Nigeria. The involvement of Inview Nigeria has been controversial as sources close to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) maintain that it was unilaterally appointed. It is also claimed that the involvement of Inview Nigeria has led to an astronomical increase in the cost of the transmission for Nigeria and Nigerians. His Excellency may have now unmasked the Nigerian company to be a puppet of Inview UK. The Honourable Minister must be wary of this.

Bala Hamza, Kaduna

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MONDAY APRIL 17, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

Syria War: At Least 68 Children Among 126 Killed in Bus Bombing At least 68 children were among 126 people killed in Saturday’s

bomb attack on buses carrying evacuees from besieged Syrian

Pence: North Korea ‘Provocation’ Shows the Risk to Military U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday that North Korea’s “provocation” underscored the risks faced by American and South Korean service members, hours after the North conducted a failed missile launch shortly before Pence’s arrival.

Pence landed in South Korea at the start of a 10-day trip to Asia and was quickly confronted with the stakes facing the United States as Pyongyang seeks to flex its muscles around the birth anniversary of the country’s late founder and advance the regime’s nuclear and missile capabilities.

While Pence was aboard Air Force Two flying over the Bering Sea, a North Korean missile exploded during launch on Sunday, U.S. and South Korean officials said, representing a high-profile failure that came as a powerful U.S. aircraft supercarrier approaches the Korean Peninsula.

After arriving in Seoul, the vice president placed a wreath at Seoul National Cemetery and then worshipped with military personnel at an Easter church service at the U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan.

During a fellowship meal after the services, he said the tensions on the Korean peninsula had put into sharp focus the importance of the joint U.S.-South Korean mission.

“This morning’s provocation from the North is just the latest reminder of the risks each one of you face every day in the defense of the freedom of the people of South Korea and the defense of America in this part of the world,” said Pence, who was introduced

by Army Gen. Vincent Brooks,

commander of U.S. Forces Korea.

“Your willingness to step forward, to serve, to stand firm without fear, inspires the nation and inspires the world.”

Pence told the military members that he had spoken twice with President Donald Trump during the day.

Pence said that under Trump’s leadership, “our resolve has never been stronger, our commitment to this historic alliance with the courageous people of South Korea has never been stronger and with your help and God’s help, freedom will ever prevail on this peninsula.”

Trump has suggested that the U.S. will take a tougher stance against North Korea, telling reporters last week: “North Korea is a problem. The problem will be taken care of.” He has repeatedly said if China, North Korea’s dominant trading partner, is unwilling to do more to pressure the North, the U.S. might take the matter into its own hands.

Along with the deployment of the Naval aircraft carrier and other vessels into waters off the Korean Peninsula, thousands of U.S. and South Korean troops, tanks and other weaponry were also deployed last month in their biggest-ever joint military exercises. That led North Korea to issue routine threats of attacks on its rivals if they show signs of aggression.

A White House foreign policy adviser told reporters aboard Air Force Two that the type of missile that North Korea tried to fire on Sunday was medium-range, and that it exploded about 4 to 5 seconds after it was launched.

North Korea Nuclear Programme: US ‘Working with China’ on Response The US and China are working on a “range of options” on North Korea, the US top security adviser has said, as tensions mount over the country’s nuclear and missile programmes.

Lt Gen HR McMaster told ABC News there was consensus that this was a “situation that just can’t continue”.

The comments come after a failed missile test launch by North Korea, and a massive military parade.

President Trump had earlier said China was “working with us” on the issue.

Beijing, Pyongyang’s biggest ally, has not made public comments about any co-operation with Washington on how to deal with the North Korean threat.

Gen McMaster, who was in the Afghan capital, Kabul, said the US would respond “in the best interest of the American people”.

“The president has made clear that he will not accept the United States and its allies and partners in the region being under threat from this hostile regime with nuclear weapons,” he said.

Sri LankansVent Anger as Toll Rises in Rubbish Dump Collapse Hopes of finding survivors under a collapsed rubbish dump in Sri Lanka are fading as anger builds among residents who say their concerns were ignored.

The death toll from Friday’s collapse in the capital Colombo has risen to 23, police say. Some 20 others are missing.

The 300ft (91m) high pile of rotting

debris shifted after floods and a fire, collapsing on to some 145 homes.

Residents had demanded for years the removal of the dump saying it was causing health problems.

The government has now announced the closure of the Meethotamulla dump. Reports said 800 tonnes of waste were added to it every day.

towns, activists say.

A vehicle filled with explosives hit the convoy near Aleppo.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said at least 109 evacuees from government-held towns were killed, along with aid workers and rebel soldiers.

Many more were injured in the attack, the group said.

The explosion shattered buses and set cars on fire, leaving a trail of bodies, as the convoy waited in rebel territory near Aleppo.

In his Easter Sundaay address, Pope Francis called the bombing a “vile attack on fleeing refugees”.

“May [God] sustain the efforts of those who are actively working to bring comfort and

relief to the civilian population in beloved Syria, who are greatly suffering from a war that does not cease to sow horror and death,” he said.

The bomb went off at Rashidin, west of government-held Aleppo, at about 15:30 local time (12:30 GMT) at the checkpointwherethehandover of evacuees was due to take place.

It happened when a vehicle

loaded with food arrived and started distributing crisps, attracting many children, before exploding, the BBC’s Middle East correspondent Lina Sinjab said.

She said it was not clear how the vehicle could have reached the area without government permission.

But there is also no evidence that rebels were involved in the attack, as the government claims.

Christian pilgrims light candles during the Easter Sunday procession at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed by many Christians to be the site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ

Turkey Referendum: Erdogan Camp Set to Win after MostVotes Counted Turks have voted to grant President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sweeping new powers in a referendum, partial official results indicate.

With 90% of ballots counted, “Yes” was on about 52.7% and “No” on about 47.3%.

Erdogan supporters say replacing the parliamentary system with an executive presidency would modernise the country.

Opponents have attacked a decision to accept unstamped ballot papers as valid unless proven otherwise.

A “Yes” vote could also see Mr Erdogan remain in office until 2029.

Three people were shot dead near a polling station in the south-eastern province of Diyarbakir, reportedly during a dispute over how they were

voting.

About 55 million people were eligible to vote across 167,000 polling stations, and turnout is said to have been high.

How significant are the changes?

They would represent the most sweeping programme of constitutional changes since Turkey became a republic almost a century ago.

Mr Erdogan would be given vastly enhanced powers to appoint cabinet ministers, issue decrees, choose senior judges and dissolve parliament.

The new system would scrap the role of prime minister and concentrate power in the hands of the president, placing all state bureaucracy under his control.

What is the case for ‘Yes’?

Mr Erdogan says the changes are needed to address Turkey’s security challenges nine months after an attempted coup, and to avoid the fragile coalition governments of the past.

“This public vote is [about] a new governing system in Turkey, a choice about change and transition,” he said after casting his vote in Istanbul.

The new system, he argues, will resemble those in France and the US and will bring calm in a time of turmoil marked by a Kurdish insurgency, Islamist militancy and conflict in neighbouring Syria, which has led to a huge refugee influx.

And what about for ‘No’?

Critics of the proposed changes fear the move would make the president’s position too powerful, arguing that it would amount to one-man rule, without the checks and balances of other presidential systems.

They say his ability to retain ties to a political party - Mr Erdogan could resume leadership of the AK Party (AKP) he cofounded - would end any chance of impartiality.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), told a rally in Ankara a “Yes”votewouldendangerthecountry.

“We will put 80 million people... on a bus with no brakes,” he said.

“No” supporters have complained of intimidation during the referendum campaign and that Turkey’s highly regulated media has given them little coverage.

TurkeyVotes in Key Constitutional Referendum Turkish citizens have begun voting in a key referendum on whether to adopt a presidential system with extended executive powers.

The constitutional changes proposed in Sunday’s vote seek to transform Turkey’s governance from a parliamentary system to an executive presidency, significantly expanding the powers of the top office.

People started casting their

ballots in eastern Turkey at 7am (04:00 GMT), while voting in the rest of the country started at 8am (05:00 GMT). Polls will close at 4pm (13:00 GMT) in the east and 5pm (14:00 GMT) elsewhere.

Unofficial results are expected later on Sunday.

A “Yes” vote in the referendum will give the president new powers to assign ministers, high-level state officials and

vice-presidents, as well as half the members in the country’s highest judicial body. It will also allow the president to dissolve parliament, and issue executive decrees and state of emergencies.

The changes are backed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) founded by him, and the leadership of the far-right Nationalist Action Party (MHP),

whose parliamentary support was vital to take the amendments to a public vote.

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), the pro-Kurdish People’s Democracy Party (HDP) and other critics argue that the amendments will give too much power to one individual, undermining the separation of powers in the government.

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T H I S D AY ˾ MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017

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

POLITICS

M O N D AY D I S C O U R S E

Destined for the Archives Last week, northern delegates to the 2014 National Conference called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to implement the conference’s report, even though the president himself has never shown any interest in doing so. Shola Oyeyipo wonders if the report still stands any chance of seeing the light of day

“T

he conference therefore commenced with the region that has the largest land mass and population grossly under-represented and brazenly treated unfairly. This engendered a deep sense of apprehension and justifiable suspicion. Above all, the action of that government (former president Goodluck Jonathan’s government) raised the serious issues about the credibility in the outcome of the conference conclusions” – That was the view of some northern delegates to the 2014 national conference when they urged President Muhammadu Buhari to jettison the resolution of that conference last week in Abuja.

No doubt, the above proposition is contentious, more so because not only has the agitation for a sovereign national conference to give birth to a truly federal nation persisted, some who consider the Jonathan conference as the best so far have been clamouring for the implementation of the report.

However, the northern opponents of the national conference are not without well marshaled argument to drive home their point.

Former Minister of Power and Steel during the late General Sani Abacha era, Alhaji Bashiru Dalhatu who presented a keynote address at the gathering stated the position of the conference antagonists when he noted that “The 2014 National Conference had 492 members and the north, which constitutes about 70 percent of the country’s landmass, and 55 percent of its population was allocated 189 delegates, while the South with only 30 percent of the landmass, and 45 percent of its population was given an incredible 305 delegates.”

So, basically, the grouse is that the north was not given fair representation in the conference with the 189 delegates allotted to it, despite its landmass of 70 percent and 55 percent of the country’s population.

Coming three years after the conference, Dalhatu who spoke on behalf of his counterparts on the platform of the Northern Delegates Forum (NDF) stated unequivocally that “This went against sensible demographics, law, and practice, which could have hardly been done in good faith. Certainly, it was designed to put in particular our delegates, and the north in general at a disadvantage. Therefore, we were not happy with the report, and have come out with this second report and communiqué.”

While it is not incorrect to note that historical facts point to it that the north has been the only proponent of the status quo in an haphazard national union, recent facts also suggest that the north is not in full support of the 2014 national conference because at the conclusion of the conference in 2014, some delegates from there already dissociated themselves from the ‘new draft constitution’ submitted to all delegates by the leadership of the conference.

They claimed they were neither privy to, nor were they accessories to the emergence of the controversial draft constitution contained in the proposed amendment titled: ‘A bill for an act to further alter the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) with the first, second and third alteration, and for related matters 2014.

Aside the fact that other issues like how to curtail the incessant clashes between farmers and herdsmen across the country and other sundry matters were discussed at the event, it would seem that NDF members needed not belabour themselves to advise Buhari who would easily pass as their compatriot in the

A cross section of Nigerians at the 2014 national conference

quest to throw the conference report into the trash can because he never hide his disdain for the conference report and recommendations.

Though some have said the last national conference was the boldest step in recent times in addressing the country’s structural defects and forging a nation, after initially ignoring the report, when Buhari eventually opened up on it, he said: “I advised against the issue of national conference. You would recall that ASUU was on strike then for almost nine months. The teachers in the tertiary institutions

I advised against the issue of national conference. You would recall that ASUU was on strike then for almost nine months.

The teachers in the tertiary institutions were on strike for more than a year, yet that government had about N9billion to organise that meeting (national conference), and some (members) were complaining that they hadn’t even been paid

were on strike for more than a year, yet that government had about N9billion to organise that meeting (national conference), and some (members) were complaining that they hadn’t even been paid. I never liked the priority of that government on that particular issue, because it meant that what the National Assembly could have handled was handed to the conference, while the more important job of keeping our children in schools was abandoned. That is why I haven’t even bothered to read it or ask for a briefing on it, and I want it to go into the so-called archives.”

What would however underscore the importance other Nigerians attached to the conference, irrespective of Buhari and his northern counterparts unfavourable disposition to it, was the immediate response to the president’s venomous comment by a cross section of well-meaning Nigerians.

Prominent Nigerians like General Zamani Lekwot (rtd) said to the president that “implementing the report is a solution to the nation’s problems.” Dr. Patricia Ogbonnaya said “It is being narrow-minded and unpatriotic because the president cannot claim that the report is entirely useless to the development of our country Nigeria.” Former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Aniete Okon, former presidential candidate of the National Transformation Party (NTP), Deacon John Dara, former Minister of Women Affairs, Iyom Josephine Anenih and national spokesperson of Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, all reacted to the president’s comment and urged him to reconsider his stance on the matter.

Not surprisingly, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, also reiterated the president’s position and dismissed the national conference as ‘job for the boys’, but he also got vituperative criticisms

from prominent delegates to the conference.

The widespread opinion among Nigerians has been that the country is suffering from structural defects which is considered as responsible for some negative tendencies such as violent agitations for self determination, militancy and terrorism. The suggestion therefore is that even if not all the recommendations of the conference are considered, there are some germane ones urgently needed to bring about unity.

The immediate reaction from the National Publicity Secretary of pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere and member of the 2014 national conference, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, to the recent position of the NDF opposing the restructuring of the country, is very instructive.

He did not only tag it as “self-serving and myopic”, he warned that it is impossible to sustain Nigeria the way it is much longer without consequences.

“They are self-serving opportunists. We all together at the 2014 national conference took unanimous decisions on over 300 resolutions and did not vote on any issue. The rules say that we have to have two thirds on any issue. We agreed on all those issues based on consensus.

Now because of their short sightedness to think, but because they are in charge-they got power back-all that is wrong with Nigeria should be over looked. This shows the opportunism in them,” Odumakin said.

According to him, at the 2014 National Conference, the north raised the issue of the south having more delegates than them but when we took account of the delegates, it was discovered that northerners were more at the gathering which took place in Abuja.

“What they have done is to preempt us by CONT’D ON NEXT PAGE

T H I S D AY ˾ MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017

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POLITICS

MONDAY DISCOURSE DESTINED FOR THE ARCHIVES

holding their own conference yesterday. Now this was what happened in 2000. Obasanjo called a meeting of all the leaders of the six geo-political zones in Abuja where Senator Adesanya led the South-west delegates and Professor Ben Nwabueze led the South-east delegates. Obasanjo asked for what should be done to preserve the future of Nigeria; Nwabueze was the first to speak and he spoke about the need to restructure Nigeria while Adesanya endorsed everything he said as the leaders of the South-south and the Middle Belt also endorsed it, but only the leaders the group of people who held a conference yesterday got up and said ‘oh we didn’t know this was what we were coming here to discuss’. We will go back home and come back, but till today, they have not come back.

“To think that Nigeria may be kept as it is for long is clear deception and delusional.

If they don’t allow us to restructure Nigeria with what would destroy all of us staring us in the face is short sighted, myopic and a clear lack of understanding of where Nigeria is and what has happened to other nations that have refused to do what is needed.

“Many of those countries have disappeared from the map of the world. So let them continue to do what they are doing, and we will continue to insist that we must sit down and make this country a proper one by the structure unit, and by God’s grace, we shall gather on May 2 in Abuja,” he said.

Some Important Recommendations of 2014 National Conference Though there were dissenting voices against the conference but at the end of it all, some far-reaching recommendations were made.

Some of them are listed below.

Creation of 18 New States The 2014 national conference: recommended three states per geo-political zone and among them are Apa, Edu, Kainji, Katagum, Savannah, Amana, Gurara, Ghari, Etiti, Aba, Adada, Njaba-Anim, Anioma, Orashi, Ogoja, Ijebu and New Oyo. The conference also recommended one new state for the South-east to make the zone have equal number of states with the other zones except the North-west which has seven. It also recommended that states willing to merge can also do so based on certain conditions.

Resource Control/Derivation Principle/Fiscal Federalism Agreeing that assigning percentage for the increase in derivation principle, and setting up Special Intervention Funds to address issues of reconstruction and rehabilitation of areas ravaged by insurgency and internal conflicts as well as solid minerals development, require some technical details and consideration, the conference recommended that government should set up a technical committee to determine the appropriate percentage on the three issues and advise government accordingly.

At this point, it is important to underscore the fact that issues relating to how resources domiciled in each state, particularly in the Niger Delta region where Nigerian oil wealth is derived, have been the real aspect of argument as regards the present structure. Some of the states would prefer full resource control as against the current 13 per cent derivation.

The 2005 National Political Reform Conference (NPRC) had recommended an increase in the level of derivation from 13 to 17 per cent in the interim pending the report of the expert commission and that massive and urgent programme of development of infrastructure and human resources of the Niger Delta should be embarked upon by the federal government.

Public Finance/Revenue Allocation The 2014 conference noted that the sharing of the funds to the federation account among the three tiers of government should be done in the manner that the federal government gets 42.5 per cent, state governments (35 per cent) and local governments 22.5 per cent.

Forms of Government It was recommended that the country adopts a modified presidential system, which would be a home-made model of government that effectively combines the presidential and parliamentary systems of government. Where such recommendation sees the light of the

Buhari…simply not interested

day, the president would be picking the vice president from the legislature.

Legislature The national conference recommended bicameral legislature, where all elected members of the legislative arms of all the tiers of government would serve on part-time basis Power Sharing/Rotation It was also agreed upon that the presidential power should rotate between the north and the south and among the six geo-political zones while the governorship will rotate among the three senatorial districts in a state.

Local Government Going by the recommendation of the conference, local government will cease to be the third tier of government. The federal and states would remain the only tiers of government.

States government would however have the power to create as many local governments as they want. The Joint State/Local Government Account be scrapped and in its place the establishment of a State RMAFC with representatives of LG and a chairman nominated by the governor. The constitution should fix the tenure for local government councils at three years. Conference also recommended the scrapping of State Independent Electoral Commission, SIECs. Immunity Clause The immunity clause would be removed if the offences attract criminal charges to encourage accountability by those managing the economy.

That promise of true federalism is contained in Article 14 of the Nigerian Charter for National Reconciliation and Integration, which was unanimously adopted and signed by the delegates to the 2014 national conference, including myself, as the basis of our union. I appeal to President Buhari not to ignore the report of the 2014 national conference!

Bakare...unrepentant restructuring advocate

Independent Candidacy It was recommended that every Nigerian who meets the specified condition in the Electoral Act should be free to contest elections as an independent candidate without requiring the platform of any political party.

Governance In the 2014 national conference the creation of the office of the Accountant General (Director-General) of the Federation as a distinct and separate office from the office of the Accountant General of the Federal Government was recommended. The office of the Accountant General of the Federation shall oversee the accruals of revenue into and disbursement from the Federation Account as and when due; and shall administer these funds as required by the Constitution, while the office of the Accountant General of the Federal Government shall oversee the accounts of the Federal Government.

Anti-corruption: 2014: A special court to handle corruption cases should be established in the light of undue prolongation in the trials and prosecution of corruption cases in the regular courts.

A non-conviction-based asset forfeiture law should be enacted with broad provisions to deal with all issues of proceeds of crimes by the anti-graft agencies and the courts.

Land Tenure Act According to the conference, the Land Tenure Act should remain in the constitution but it would be amended to take care of those concerns, particularly on compensation in Section 29 (4) of the Act to read “land owners should determine the price and value of their land based on open market value.”

National Anthem The old national anthem was to be reintroduced Religion The conference recommended that there will be no government sponsorship of Christian and Muslim pilgrimages to the holy lands.

It also resolved that churches and mosques should begin to pay tax to government.

An Unending Clamour for The Implementation The argument by the North and even Buhari runs contrary to the sustained quest for the implementation of the conference report by all other geopolitical zones. In fact, eminent Nigerians, including a former running mate to the president, Pastor Tunde Bakare have continued to implore the Nigerian leader not to abandon the recommendations of the 2014 national conference for any reason.

Bakare, in stressing the need for Buhari to implement the recommendations of the 2014 national conference, has persistently noted

Odumakin...no restructure, no Nigeria

that its outcome is in tandem with the All Progressives Congress (APC) manifesto. In a state of the nation address in his church entitled: ‘Road map to successful change,’ Bakare said though APC opted not to participate in the exercise, the report was done by Nigerians.

“Let it be known that in spite of the rejection of our pre-election call for a transition period, Nigeria is now a nation in transition. This transition period will predictably be followed by a revolution which will, in turn, be followed by a reformation that will eventually usher in the desired transformation of our nation.

A key outcome of this process will be the emergence of a true peoples’ constitution that will facilitate national integration and provide a suitable governmental framework for the Nigeria of our dreams – a truly federal state with such powers vested exclusively on the federal government as are necessary to firmly and prosperously knit together the federating units upon which residual powers shall be vested,” he said.

The renowned cleric said further: “That promise of true federalism is contained in Article 14 of the Nigerian Charter for National Reconciliation and Integration, which was unanimously adopted and signed by the delegates to the 2014 national conference, including myself, as the basis of our union.

I appeal to President Buhari not to ignore the report of the 2014 national conference! God went ahead of you to provide a navigational map with which you can begin to steer the ship of state to a safe destination. The APC may have refused to participate in the 2014 national conference, but the report of that conference is completely in tandem with the promise of the APC manifesto.”

During the 17th convention of the Igbo Youths Movement (IYM) held in Enugu last year January, the same position was endorsed by former Vice-President, Alex Ekwueme; former governor of old Anambra State, Chukwuemeka Ezeife; former National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) chieftain, Ayo Adebanjo; former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana; former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi; renowned author, Arthur Nwankwo; Niger Delta activist, Ms Annkio Briggsand others.

They all enjoined Buhari to restructure Nigeria in line with the principles of true federalism and the option of the implementing the 2014 constitution conference was also on the table.

Addressing the theme: ‘Still in Search of True Federalism’, all the speakers at the event advised Buhari to implement the 2014 national conference report as a prelude to restructuring the country. They asserted that the current spate of sectional protests and demand for separation by various groups as well as other socio-economic crises could be reduced if the conference report is implemented.

Ekwueme, a proponent of the current six geopolitical zones structure, which now takes CONT’D ON NEXT PAGE

T H I S D AY ˾ MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017

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POLITICS

PERSPECTIVE

No Vacancy for Senior Advocates at S’Court As the debate on whether to appoint Senior Advocates of Nigeria justices of the Supreme Court rages on, a member of the Bar, Kayode Ajulo argues that it will be unfair to judges to make such appointments

T

he Supreme Court of Nigeria (SCN), as the highest court in Nigeria and in its current form was shaped by the Supreme Court Act of 1990 and by Chapter VII of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.

Under the extant laws, the Supreme Court has both original and appellate jurisdictions, has the sole authority and jurisdiction to entertain appeals from Courts of Appeal, having appellate jurisdiction over all lower federal courts and highest state courts. Decisions rendered by the court are binding on all courts in Nigeria except the Supreme Court itself.

The Supreme Court is composed of the Chief Justice of Nigeria and such number of justices not more than 21, appointed by the President on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, (NJC) and subject to confirmation by the Senate.

Justices of the Supreme Court must be qualified to practise law in Nigeria, and must have been so qualified for a period not less than fifteen years. Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria have a mandatory retirement age of 70 years.

In the recent past, particularly since the advent of democratic rule, appointments into the highest bench in Nigeria have by convention been restricted to serving judges from the Courts of Appeal across the federation.

Under the military, however, a couple of appointments to the Supreme Court were made directly from the Bar, the first being Justice Teslim Elias, an academic who was appointed Chief Justice of Nigeria by Gen. Yakubu Gowon in 1972, having been Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice at various times since 1960.

Another lawyer so appointed was Justice Augustine Nnamani (SAN), who was nominated by Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo to the Supreme Court in 1979 from his position as the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. He was at the Supreme Court for 11 years.

Recently, however, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen had asked the Bar to nominate lawyers for appointment as Supreme Court Justices.

The NBA has nominated nine lawyers, among whom are six Senior Advocates of Nigeria.

This request has generated mooted reactions, sprouted covert ripples with members of the learned profession and ideologues outside its tent lending their voices and comparing stances on the contentious issue. The ranks of the trade, both Bar and Bench have gauged the decision and given points of the law and viewpoints as practitioners and stakeholders.

I agree with Wale Babalakin, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and other senior jurists that such a decision by the CJN with utmost respect to the incumbent is not without flaws and is indeed fraught with danger.

Other thinkers outside the profession

Onnoghen....asked NBA to nominate qualified lawyers

similarly faulted the idea on the proposed appointment of SANs and other lawyers to the Supreme Court Bench. Part of the criticisms is that this decision is the granting of that apogee of privilege to the NBA, a seemingly divided house, who in all likelihood will in turn serve distinctions to the undeserving on a golden platter.

As a matter of fact, Senior Advocates who are found fit for the specific positions can be appointed to the lower courts for and can therefrom be elevated as time and performance advance. The positions at the Supreme Court should be, undebatably, for very exceptional people. The legal system should be configured in a manner that affords only distinguished lawyers to aspire to such height of judicial appointments, as doing this will ensure sanity and justice.

To surreptitiously make the NBA a middleman is to do a disservice to the noble quest of finding God-like men who would be vested with the power to play God in the affairs of men.

There is no gain saying the fact that NBA as it were, is politicised and polarised, a situation that has given birth to perennial wrangling and disharmony within its ranks. For a professional tent with a history of discordant tunes, it cannot, expectedly, be healthy to expect it to bring forth fine fruits that are free from shades of injections.

There is no denying the truism that such free appointments, if made, inherently carries the potentiality of enthroning demagoguery. I agree with analysts who hold the standpoint that lawyers who are appointed straight to the Supreme Court should be those with extra ordinary accomplishments, and who are of exceptional intellect.

Appointments of this extremely pivotal essence should not be made an easy take to tepid advocates because it would kill the morale of brilliant judges at the lower

bench. Conversely, it is disingenuous that the judges who have been made to give up their right to practice advocacy after leaving office should be made to compete for the high offices of their calling with those who have attained the peak of their careers in the same profession from which they have been perpetually excluded by virtue of their appointments to the Bench.

Besides, the fact that one is a good lawyer does not automatically mean that one will be exceptional when appointed into such office as a Supreme Court Judge.

While it is true that there have been appointments from the Bar to the highest court in the land and those appointees have proven to be legal geniuses, the fact that there were two success stories does not provide a platform wide enough for the current CJN to stand upon to seek to make a convention of an anomaly.

As noted, I believe that the caliber of men who should make claim to a direct appointment to the Supreme Court of any country should be men with the rarest of fibre, not a case of awarding positions which has a high prospect to demotivate hard work and discourage diligence.

There should be thorough professional performances and a testimonial of talents to merit a loftier rung. It should not be a gift to long runners when distinction is palpably lacking.

While some might argue that those gifted with the guts of the trade, those with exceptional skills be recommended for a few appointments to the Courts of Appeal where, upon deeds of distinctions, they may be given an accelerated promotion to the Supreme Court, I am of the view that a person who has distinguished himself by attaining the rank of Senior Advocate should maintain his enviable course. He should lend himself as a friend of the court and a statesman in the legal profession, a shining light in the Temple of Justice.

Appointments of this extremely pivotal essence should not be made an easy take to tepid advocates because it would kill the morale of brilliant judges at the lower bench. Conversely, it is disingenuous that the judges who have been made to give up their right to practice advocacy after leaving office should be made to compete for the high offices of their calling with those who have attained the peak of their careers in the same profession from which they have been perpetually excluded by virtue of their appointments to the Bench.

What one cannot deny in the perspectives so far rendered is the fact that they swept up fundamental points that are of dire import on the learned profession.

Positions of such pivotal height in the business of justice administration should be earned by distinctions and stellar accomplishments, and should not be served to the laps of the lackeys of individuals who are privileged to call the shots.

Having posit above, a decision I believe, would soon be taken, albeit in good wisdom. Even as whichever decision taken is in the interest of Justice and the best methods of its application, decisions that have such magnitude of consequence in the future should be weighed against its width of worth and colossal imports. NBA, an umbrella body of Nigerian lawyers, who in this instance, had the honour of naming the highest jurists, should in future plug the loopholes that it creates by venting varieties where homogeneity of goal should take primacy, so that the nation’s law department can begin to get it right again, under my Lord Chief Justice of Nigeria Walter Onnoghen.

Dr. Ajulo, the Principal Partner, Kayode Ajulo & Co. Castle of Law, wrote in from Abuja.

DESTINED FOR THE ARCHIVES care of minorities in the south and the north, has always maintained that Nigeria agreed with the colonial masters to have a regional government where each has a constitution, annexed to the Republican constitution of 1963.

“There is need for us to return to the basics from what we inherited from our founding fathers,” and to him, that would be the Republican Constitution which stipulated 50 per cent revenue sharing formula for the

regions, 30 per cent to a pool from where it could be shared and 20 per cent for the centre.

A Kaduna based legal practitioner and member, 2014 national conference, Barrister John Achimugu, has advocated that a committee be set up by Buhari to take a critical look at the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference with a view to implement them for the progress of the country.

“It was the first time that people with diverse

opinions came together for the purpose of discussing national problems and finding solutions there to. Most of the members came to the conference with nationalistic interest and tremendous energy to find a way to advance and develop full potentials as a country to be reckoned with globally,” he said.

While Bakare’s advice would pass as a candid suggestion from a sincere friend, agitations among other Nigerians are indeed pointers

to the importance of the topic in the scheme of things in the country. And as most of his predecessors, the president can’t deny the unending agitation among Nigerians that the best legacy he could give the country is to allow a political restructuring of the country whereas the implementation of the report is one important step in that direction. The proposal is that Nigeria must restructure to correct the glaring mistakes in its federal system.

MONDAY, APRIL ͯ͵˜ Ͱͮͯ͵ ˾ T H I S D AY

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FEATURES

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

Nigerian Navy in the Gulf of Guinea

Securing Nigeria’s Maritime Domain In a bid to secure the nation’s maritime domain, the Nigerian Navy recently participated in the seventh Operation Obangame Express held in the Gulf of Guinea, writes Chiemelie Ezeobi

T

he statutory responsibilities of the Nigerian Navy have always been mapped out; these include protecting the nation’s maritime domain from threats, which might come in form of piracy, crude oil theft and trafficking. As expected, the navy constantly seek ways to hone their skills in carrying out their constitutional duties and one of such ways is participating in sea exercises, either local or international.

Thus for the seventh time, they actively participated in the international and regional Operation Obangame Express, a maritime interdiction and interoperability exercise, designed to not only boost the capacity of individual navies that participated, but also provides an opportunity for partner nations to work together, share information and refine tactics, techniques and procedures to assist African maritime nations in building capacity to monitor and safeguard their territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ).

It therefore won’t be out of place to state that to a large extent, Exercise Obangame Express has been effective in terms of boosting surveillance at sea, given that each member nation in the region has specific exercises geared towards tackling the prevalent maritime challenges in their domain.

This year, for the Nigerian Navy, their focus was on anti-crude oil theft, anti-piracy, illicit drug smuggling and illegal and unregulated fishing. Sponsored by the United States Africa Command, the exercise was designed to improve regional cooperation, maritime domain awareness, information-sharing practices and tactical interdiction expertise to enhance the collective capabilities of Gulf of Guinea and West African

nations to counter sea-based illicit activity.

This year, the exercise was conducted in phases within the territorial waters of the participating nations and being the seventh edition the exercise had 30 participating countries from four continents with scheduled and specific pre-planned scenarios initiated by the Exercise Control Group (ECG) and Maritime Observation Centres (MOCs), who tracked suspect vessels through Regional Maritime Awareness Centres (RMAC), Falcon Eye and other maritime capability gadgets.

According to an earlier brief by the Director of Naval Information (DINFO), Captain Suleiman Dahun, the multi-national annual maritime exercise was sponsored by U.S. Africa Command and is designed to improve regional cooperation, maritime domain awareness, information-sharing practices and tactical interdiction expertise to enhance the collective capabilities of Gulf of Guinea and West African nations to counter sea-based illicit activity.

He said, “Exercise Obangame Express’s purpose is to create realistic scenarios that reflect past

Exercise Obangame Express’s purpose is to create realistic scenarios that reflect past piracy incidents whereby a hijacked vessel will transit from one territory to another

piracy incidents whereby a hijacked vessel will transit from one territory to another.

“Maritime Operations Centres (MOCs) during the exercise will be challenged to recognise these illicit acts appropriately and share with other MOCs. Additionally, the exercise will test each individual maritime force to patrol their Exclusive Economic Zones and detect and prosecute illegal activity accordingly.”

Participating countries The exercise, which was conducted in phases within the territorial waters of the participating nations, saw 30 nations in attendance. The nations include Angola, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Liberia and Nigeria.

Others include Norway, Mauritania, Portugal, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Spain, South Africa, Togo, Turkey, the Netherlands, and the United States, along with regional organisations such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

Nigeria’s fleet contribution The Nigerian phase of the exercise was conducted in the nation’s waters by the Nigerian Navy and platforms like Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) OKPABANA, NNS CENTENARY, NNS SAGBAMA and one helicopter were deployed to participate in the same region with French Navy ship, JACOUBET, which sailed into Nigerian waters from Cameroon.

What happened at sea

After the pre-exercise briefing onboard, NNS OKPABANA set sail from Onne Jetty manned by the Commanding Officer, NNS OKPABANA, Captain Abdulraman Mohammed and his Executive Officer, Commander Seyi Oladapo.

The formation sailed from the Onne Jetty, Port Harcourt, Rivers State on a Thursday, and the frequency was alternated between 120.50KHZ and the speed of seven knots, the course was at a point set at 090 and a latitude of 05 52.

As expected given the time of the year, the weather was clement when the contingent totaling 160 personnel and crew- 35 officers and 125 ratings, as well as a handful of civilians boarded Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) OKPABANA to patrol from Onne waters to the Gulf of Guinea (GOG) for the exercise. At sea, it was miles and miles of endless blue water with a serenity that was unrivaled.

After the take off, the sea exercise began the next day as the vessel sailed through the GOG and for four days patrolled Brass, Bonny and Opobo waters to conduct maritime interdiction exercises as well as counter illicit trafficking, vessel boarding, search and seizure (VBSS), which was done by the Special Boat Services (SBS), unregulated fishing exercises and communication drills.

Meanwhile, there was also room for the NN Augusta helicopter to fly overheard the arrested vessel, giving it aerial coverage, although it did not land on the flight deck.

But the high point of the exercise was the simulation at sea, when the naval ship encountered a French Navy Ship, JACOUBET offshore Bakassi Pennisula, which was 35 nautical miles from the nearest coastline. The exercise area was symbolic because there are plenty oil rigs in that axis.

The vessel acted as a fully laden oil tanker with

T H I S D AY ˾ MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017

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FEATURES 300 metric tonnes of crude oil, that left Angola (Zone D) and was heading to Cote D’Ivoire when it was hijacked in Cameroonian waters.

When the information was passed across to the navy, since the French ship had entered Nigerian waters, NNS OKPABANA was deployed to intercept it.

In another exercise, the same French ship played the role of a merchant vessel conveying illegal drugs, which the NN, upon suspecting it, deployed operatives of the Special Boat Services (SBS), who searched and seized it.

For the last exercise, which was done in Lagos waters, NNS OKPABANA improvised as an illegal fishing vessel, while NNS CENTENARY was tasked to pursue, intercept search and seize the contents. With that done, NNS OKPABANA set sail for naval dockyard in Victoria Island, where it berthed, thus signaling the end of the exercise.

Assessing the navy’s performance Like it has always been obtainable, each year, an Officer in Tactical Command (OTC) is appointed to oversee the exercise and this year was not different. This year, the Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral James Oluwole, who also doubled as the OTC and the Commander Task Group 17.1, was in charge.

During one of the days after the exercises were conducted, he assessed the navy’s performance and participation in the exercise. According to him, the personnel showed great improvement in discharging their duties.

Speaking on the exercise of the day he said: “We started around 3pm and the exercise lasted 90 minutes. It was an opposed boarding and it was successfully carried out because the personnel were able to secure the ship. This is the first part of the maritime interdiction exercise, where we use our special forces and detachment from the ship.

“They carried out VBSS. Two boats were lowered because it is unprofessional to use just one. We also had the U.S. trainers onboard the French ship to access the exercise. The other exercise executed was the anti-drug trafficking.

From my assessment, we have given it our best shot. It also shows we have improved over the years since the commencement of Obangame Express in 2011.

“When we started, we had challenges such as inability to muster the ships we have now for this exercise. It is a big plus for Nigeria that three capital ships took part in this exercise. It shows we are ready and well prepared to take on the expected role within the Gulf of Guinea.

“This simulation started from Angola before we took over to enact our part of it. This shows that maritime crime has no boundary and the fight against such illicit activities must be done with the collaboration of all. We have had instances where ships are hijacked in Togo and ended up in Angola. But we all have a responsibility to go after the hijackers. Successes recorded by the navy in recent times can be attributed to the trainings we have received over the years.

We have improved and have more assets to execute our own part of the maritime security deal within the region.

“Although we are at sea, there’s a behind the scene Maritime Operations Centres (MOCs), monitoring activities and telling us what has happened. It cuts across all stakeholders within ECOWAS and ECCAS. There is what we call threat migration. A militant today can become a pirate tomorrow. When he has been dislodged as a militant and is less busy, he could take to the high seas and constitute a threat.

“The training has also helped in the fight against illegal bunkering because it is the special forces we usually deploy to man oil wells/ fields that are offshore. We have well trained personnel keeping duty at the fields 24 hours a day. If you check the statistics, you would see there’s drastic reduction in crude oil theft and it has reflected in the barrels of oil produced now.

“The training from this exercise is also useful to officers and men when they are onshore and posted to operational bases. So, the training has great impact on us. The U.S. initiated the exercise and it’s under their 1000 ships maritime strategy.

They came up with the idea of bringing all navies of the world to collaborate since there’s no clear demarcation in the maritime domain.

Once you go off your territorial waters, you enter international waters and anything can happen there.”

Stakeholders observations Again, as was obtained in the past, stakeholders from relevant agencies often participate in

L-R: The Executive Officer, NNS OKPABANA, Commander Seyi Oladapo_ Commanding Officer, Captain Abdulraman Mohammed_ Rear Admiral Rasaq Babalola and Commodore Mustapha Hassan

L-R: Assistant Superintendent of Customs Shehu Ibrahim and Watchman Simon-Peters of NIMASA on board the navy ship the exercise and this year was not different as personnel of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and that of the Nigeria Customs Service participated.

From the customs was Assistant Superintendent of Customs (ASC) Shehu Ibrahim, who said the experience was a tough one for him, nonetheless, he added that it worthwhile for him.

In an interview with THISDAY after the exercise he said, “The navy and the customs have always had a long history of collaboration. Our responsibility as we board ships is to rummage and discover drugs. In the case the navy draws our attention to a drug case, they hand over the exhibits to us for investigation and prosecution.”

On what he feels the navy should do more next year he said, “There is need for more platforms to be added for an exercise of this nature and they should get more foreign ships to interdict with them unlike in this case where we only saw one foreign ship.

“There is need for more Special Boat Services (SBS) personnel to be deployed to board and search vessels and at the same time, the navy needs more funding to maintain their ships and keep them operational. Another flaw I noticed was that no helicopter boarded our ship like we were previously informed.”

For his NIMASA counterpart, Watchman Simon-Peter, he noted that last year’s exercise was better and more coordinated than that of

The exercise tested each individual maritime force to patrol their Exclusive Economic Zones and detect and prosecute illegal activity accordingly

this year, which he said was scaled down by two notches.

According to him, “This year’s exercise was a scaled down version of last year in various aspects. Take for example, the number of exercises and activities that took place; there were exercises like the Gunnex (gun exercise) that was skipped totally and the fire drills.

“Last year also, we had series of boarding and opposed boarding exercises but this year, we just had one boarding exercise. I do believe that the recession has a hand in the scaled down activities though.”

He however charged the navy to improve on their information dissemination, as was obtainable in the past. He said, “During the previous exercise, which I participated in, we had pre-briefing before each exercise and post briefing afterwards. This year, we were kept in the dark and were only fed information on a-need-to know basis.

“Nonetheless, this exercise afforded me the opportunity to see the navy from a different perspective. I appreciate the service and its personnel for what they do. I learnt a lot in this exercise. I have seen how aerial cover is given during boarding. Most times we grumble that when we pass information to navy, they don’t give us feedback. But now, I have seen the distance covered to get to distress points.

“I also appreciate the navy for helping NIMASA execute its functions since we can’t come to the high seas. I believe if the good relationship between both agencies is sustained, together, we can make our waters safer. This is because although all NIMASA vessels are managed by the agency, we only use our patrol boats around the anchorage because our vessels cannot go to the high seas. That is why we have different MoUs with different government agencies for efficiency and effectiveness.”

About Obangame Sub-Saharan Express Since Nigeria relies heavily on the sea for

commerce and international trade like any other maritime nation, the 2016 Exercise Obangame SubSaharan Express was timely and quite germane given the need to jointly tackle the security challenges of piracy, poaching, smuggling, oil theft, trafficking and other transnational crimes.

Thus, the exercise entailed interoperability and creating a maritime domain awareness, as part of a multinational training organised by America and African Partnership Station (APS).

The exercise is a maritime interdiction based on simulated scenarios of the most prevalent transnational crimes at sea, also designed to improve cooperation among participating nations for the benefit of the GOG. Bearing that in mind, the 2016 engineered partnership and synergy was not just between 32 countries but between appropriate agencies, who all gathered for the exercise.

Its core objectives was geared towards improving the maritime domain awareness capability of concerned nations, enhancing the maritime interdiction capabilities of maritime forces and inculcating the spirit of interagency and subregional cooperations amongst maritime forces and concerned countries. This is because the insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea, has led to the loss of billions of dollars by countries within the coast of West Africa, particularly countries like Nigeria which relies on sea for commerce and international trade.

Thus, it gives cause for concern when such huge resources and potential in the Gulf of Guinea are being undermined by multifaceted domestic, regional and international threats and vulnerabilities.

So collaborative opportunities like this seek to curb maritime illegalities, which is also in line with the Chief of Naval Staff’s, vision of zero tolerance for maritime illegalities.

Started in 2010, as one of the four United Nations Naval-Forces Europe-Africa-facilitated regional exercises and focuses on increasing capabilities to deter piracy, illicit trafficking and other maritime threats. Over the years, it has gone from basic tactics to regional cooperation, with the core essence being to improve the capacity of the African navies to combat crime in order to allow economic activities at sea to flourish.

The exercise aim to increase the collective ability of African, European, South American and United States maritime forces to work together in order to increase maritime security and sustain global commerce. Furthermore, it was an avenue to buttress the cliche that ‘there is strength in numbers’, as well as strengthened regional cooperation to help address challenges that no nation is capable of tackling alone.

In all, the operation afforded the navy the opportunity to sharpen their skills on anti-piracy operations, test their ability to share information and contend criminalities within the Gulf of Guinea, it also tested the tactical skills in Vessel Boarding Searching and Seizure (VBSS), seamanship and Communication Exercises (COMMEX).

Thus, having participated in this year’s exercise despite the hitches, it behooves the Nigerian Navy to tap into the benefit of the exercise, especially as regarding training and capacity building, which in effect will be a force multiplier in tackling headon maritime illegalities and criminals on the GOG waters.

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IMAGES

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L-R; Mr. Ken Hall of Globacom; Managing Director, Monyashau Limited, Mr. ZinikiďŹ ni Yesufu and Mr. David Maji of Globacom at a Dealers’ get- together organized by Globacom in Lagos.... recently

L-R Manager Adeem Adex, Tola Adetoya; Country Manager Kenya (Dizayn Group), Selcuk Yeginoglu; Senior Vice President, Sales, Dizayn Group, Ihsan Aksu, and , MD/CEO Adeem Adex Nigeria Limited, Adediran Adekoya at the unveiling of Dizayn/Adeem Adex PPR Pipes and Fitting in Lagos...recently

L-R; Chief Financial OďŹƒcer, UACN of Nigeria Plc., Mr. Abdul Bello, Managing Director, Chemicals and Allied Products (CAP) Plc. Mrs. Omolara Elemide; Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Commerce and Industry, Mr. Benjamin Adeyemi Olabenjo; and the Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ikeja branch, Prince Felix Oba Okojie at the commissioning of the new State-of-The-Art Automated Paint In-Plant Tinting Factory held in Lagos...recently SUNDAY ADIGUN

L-R: Corps Marshal FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi;, Sector Commander Lagos State, Hyginus Omeje and, Head, Media Relations and Strategy, Bisi Kazeem during the assessment of operations in Lagos State,...recently

L-R:Chief Executive OďŹƒcer, Red Star Express Plc, Sola Obabori; Technical Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cynthia Umoru and Chief Executive OďŹƒcer, Thelma Farms, Babatunde Ogunyemi during the Red Star Express Plc Strategic Management Retreat in Abeokuta, Ogun State...recently

L-R: Head, Money Transfer, Skye Bank, Lekan Ifaleye, winner of smartphone from the Western Union Skye Bank Better life Promotion, Jennifer Wu Jong and Country Manager/ECOWAS Region, Western Union, Olumide Olorunsola during the prize presentation to the winner in Lagos.....recently.

L-R; Director, lnnovation Consultant, CC Hub, Femi Longe; Head, Corporate Strategy, Union Bank, Lola Cardoso and CEO, Union Bank, Emeka Emuwa during a press conference to announce the Centenary lnnovation Challenge in Lagos ABIODUN AJALA

L-R; MD/CEO, Wapic Life Assurance Ltd, Ranti Ogunleye; Executive Director, Wapic lnsurance, Olufemi Obaleke; MD/CEO, Wapic lnsurance Plc, Yinka Adekoya and Executive Director, Bode Ojeniyi at the introduction of Wapic lnsurance Smart Life Products in Lagos ABIODUN AJALA

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Quick Takes Tecno Camon CX to Rule African Market

TECNO Mobile has stated that its newly introduced handset - Camon CX, which was recently launched in Kenya would be a game changer in the African market.

Designed specifically for young, independent smartphone users, the latest handset was predicted to be the “Selfie Camera” for this market’s generation.

The promoters of the brand indicated at the launch that it will be available in 41 countries across Africa; the Middle East and Latin America, allowing consumers to take brighter, clearer and faster selfies than ever before.

Since the Camon series was introduced in 2015, over 5 million handsets globally were said to have been sold, helping consumers experience high quality selfie technology at the touch of a button.

Securing their position as the leading smartphone provider in African markets such as Nigeria,Tanzania, Egypt, Kenya and Cameroon,TECNO Mobile has adopted the latest visual technology in the Camon CX. The smartphone uses a smart image sensor composed of 16 Mega pixel sensors at the front camera, coupled with unique ‘4 in 1’ technology.

Each pixel sensor detects light, captures individual images and converts the information into signals before forming the final image, resulting in selfies that are 30 per cent brighter, capturing special moments perfectly.

Binatone Unveils Ital 1660 Fan

LAUNCH OF INSURANCE MARKET PLACE

L–R: MD/CEO, VDT Communications Limited, Biodun Omoniyi; MD, Pinet Informatics, Lanre Ajayi and Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu during e-insurance conference, 2017 held in Lagos...recently

CBN Unveils Guidelines on Non-interest MFBs Obinna Chima In line with its mandate of promoting a sound financial system, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued guidelines on the regulation and supervision of non-interest (Islamic) microfinance banks (NIMFBS) in the country.

Part of the 57-page guidelines posted on the central bank’s website recently stated that a NIMFB shall be required to maintain not less than five per cent of deposit liabilities in liquidity management instruments compliant with the principles underpinning this model and as approved by the CBN. According to the CBN, noncompliance with this directive shall attract a fine of one per cent of the amount not invested.

ECONOMY Investment in such instruments by any MFB shall, however, not exceed 10 per cent of its deposit liabilities at any point in time.

Furthermore, it noted that the operation of a NIMFB requires the maintenance of high quality liquid assets to meet frequent request for funds from clients and for field operations.

However, in view of the paucity of eligible liquidity management instruments, NIMFBs shall be required to maintain a minimum liquidity ratio as may be determined by CBN from time to time.

The Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of a NIMFB shall be measured as a percentage of shareholders’ funds unimpaired by losses to its risk weighted

assets, the CBN added.

In addition, the minimum CAR (Capital/Weighted Assets Ratio) for NIMFB shall be one per cent of such percentage as may be determined by the CBN from time to time.

Also, the NIMFB shall be required to submit, within a specified period, a recapitalisation plan acceptable to the CBN. “Failure to comply with the above shall constitute grounds for the revocation of the operating licence of the NIMFB or such other penalties as may be deemed appropriate.

“Every NIMFB is enjoined to ensure its shareholders’ funds unimpaired by losses do not fall below the prescribed minimum capital requirement, notwithstanding meeting the capital adequacy benchmark.

“The maximum amount which a NIMFB can invest in fixed assets is 20 per cent of its shareholders’ funds unimpaired by losses.

“Any contravention shall attract a penalty of one per cent of the excess investment in fixed asset and prohibition of further investment in fixed assets until the requirement is achieved,” it added.

According to the CBN, the impact of delinquent risk assets which may result in capital erosion, calls for stringent maintenance of capital funds.

Every NIMFB shall therefore maintain a reserve fund into which it shall transfer from its profit after tax for each year.

The CBN said the guidelines Continued on page 24

NCAA Clarifies on 5% Remittances by Airlines Chinedu Eze The Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Muhtar Usman has explained that the five percent ticket and cargo sales charges (TSC), must be paid by domestic airlines from their ticket sales after value added tax (VAT) was deducted.

The regulatory authority and the airlines have been at loggerheads over the charges following the NCAA’s insistence that airlines must automate their payment system to ensure transparency in the payment of the charges.

The airlines are insisting that the charges must be taken from their base fare and not from their overall ticket cost, noting that

AVIATION international airlines are charged by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) through the Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP).

But the Director General of NCAA, while shedding more light on the issue in an exclusive interview with THISDAY, said that after VAT deductions, the five percentage charge should be taken from the cost of the ticket.

He explained that the charge is not tax, but payment stipulated by the Civil Aviation Act to sustain the operations of aviation agencies, which NCAA, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Nigeria Meteorological Agency NIMET),

the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) benefit from.

Usman also dismissed the threat of the airlines to shut down operation over disagreement on the charges, insisting the charge is not arbitrary payment at the whim of the airlines, but a payment stipulated by law, which the airlines ought to abide by.

NCAA had earlier explained that in order to ensure transparency and to stop the piling up of the debts owed the agencies by the airlines; the payment system should be automated so as to deduct the five percent charge from ticket sales.

The airlines also hinged their protest on the fact that they operate in a harsh environment

with obsolete airport facilities, prompting many of them to operate for limited period.

But the Director General urged the airlines to dovetail their operations to the period each airport is open for activities.

“Lack of facilities or inadequate facilities at airports does not have anything to do with five percent charge to NCAA by the airlines. Every airport has opening and closing time and it is subject to equipment and manpower. The airlines should plan their flight schedule to suit the operational period of each airport. This is straight forward because everybody knows the operational hours of every airport.

One of the leading electronics manufacturer, Binatone Industries has launched a new fan called “Ital 1660” into the Nigerian electronics market just as it is planning to formally introduce the world’s firstTower Fan with a digital music system into Nigeria and other African countries.

The Managing Director of Binatone in Nigeria, Mr. Prasun Banerjee said in a statement that the latest addition to its wide range of fans is the result of a constant desire to bring continuously better products to the Nigerian consumers.

“Binatone engaged the renowned Italian designer, Gina Gianni, to design a fan that would enhance the decor of any household and become a talking point for any visiting guest. She worked closely with the Binatone engineers to ensure that good design was paired with outstanding performance and high reliability. The result is the spectacular ITAL-1660.”

“We are so excited to have this cutting edge product brought to the African and Nigerian consumer. Products that are designed for the local needs at prices our customers can afford. The ITAL-1660 looks more like a work of art than a product and we are just three months away from launching the Music Fan, emphasizing all the more that Binatone is always looking to bring us tomorrow’s products today.” he added He stated that while the company believes that all products should be made to be functional and technically sound, there is no reason why that should mean a trade-off for good design and affordability pointing out that Binatone, the London based company that specializes in domestic appliances is a brand that exemplifies this.

Foundation to Tackle Global Risks

The Global Challenges Foundation’s prize has called for new models of collaboration to help the world tackle 21st century global risks including climate change, extreme poverty To this end, a prize aimed at reinvigorating international cooperation to tackle global risks has seen a surge in interest amidst growing concerns about increased nationalism and populism around the world.

The US$5million Global Challenges Prize 2017 – A New Shape, backed by the Stockholm-based foundation is a quest to find new models of global governance capable of tackling serious the most pressing global threats – from climate change and weapons of mass destruction to extreme poverty and pandemics. It opened for entry submissions this month.

The foundation’s Vice Chairman Mats Andersson said: “We’re living through a critical time in our planet’s history when we need more global cooperation, not less to tackle serious threats to humanity such as global warming and weapons of mass destruction.

“This is no time for countries to look inward or turn away from international obligations.That’s why we’re seeking out brilliant, transformative thinking from all over the world to redesign the way the international community makes decisions that affect humanity as a whole.”

“NNPC under my leadership will not accept such underhand practices, and would recover the outstanding stock of its missing petrol in Capital Oil Depot” Group Managing Director, NNPC,

Dr. Maikanti Baru Continued on page 24

T H I S D AY ˾ MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017

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BUSINESSWORLD CBN UNVEILS GUIDELINES ON NON-INTEREST MFBS

were developed to provide a level playing field between the conventional and non-interest MFBs and to address issues underpinning the operation of non-interest financial institutions. It is expected to enhance financial inclusion by bringing to the formal sector, individuals, communities and corporations that are not captured by the conventional MFBs. The role of MFBs in poverty reduction, increased access to financial services, contribution to financial stability and economic development has been established in Nigeria and around the globe. Beyond making credit facilities available to micro, small and medium scale enterprises and the promotion of savings culture, MFBs also serve as veritable means of employment generation and enhancing financial inclusion.

Since 2005 when the CBN issued the first regulatory framework for MFBs in Nigeria (revised in 2013), a number of MFBs were established across all states in Nigeria and Abuja and have continued to thrive and cater for the economically active poor in the country.

NCAA CLARIFIES ON 5% REMITTANCES BY AIRLINES

“The five percent charge is clear as stated in the 2006 Civil Aviation Regulation. It stated the percentage of the ticket sales, not what the airline decides to pay. It is what is actually charged, minus tax.

So the five percent is charged on whatever is the cost of the ticket, minus tax. This is because airlines pay value added tax (VAT), which they are not supposed to pay because other modes of transport don’t pay VAT. So when you remove VAT from the ticket, every other thing is chargeable.

The airlines ought to know that the TSC is a charge; it is not a tax and it is meant to support the operations of the aviation agencies,” Usman explained.

The Director General said the NCAA and the airlines would continue to talk until they reach amicable resolution over the matter.

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 (Maritime) Ejiofor Alike (Energy) James Emejo (Nation’s Capital) Obinna Chima (Money Mkt) Reporters

Nume Ekeghe (Money Market) Nosa Alekhuogie (AgriBusiness)

NEWS

CBN’s New FX Policy Will Take Nigeria Out of Recession Hameed Shittu in Ilorin Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim has said that the current monetary policies put in place by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) would lead the country out of recession.

Ibrahim, a Senator representing Kwara South senatorial district made the assertion during the special Easter prayers session organised by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to mark this year Easter celebration.

The special Easter prayer programme was well attended

by CAN representatives in all the seven local government councils of Offa, Oyun, Ifelodun, Irepodun, Oke-Ero, Ekiti and Isin that make up Kwara South senatorial district of the state.

Ibrahim said: “The new efforts have started yielding positive effects in the economic stability of the nation’s currencies that would go a long way of accelerating the socio economic growth of the country.

The CBN is currently working tirelessly to stimulate the economy through its current economic policies management.”

The Senator declared: “The CBN is managing the economy very well now and I know that it will surely lead the economy into prosperity and stability.

“The recession is global, but we hope that at least, we will be able to manage our own,

so that we will not go into depression.

“And we are also hopeful with the way the resource is managed and another thing is that this government is very prudent, accountability is number one under this our President, and with the help of the National Assembly, we know that the nation will continue to forge ahead.”

He noted that, the relationship between the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institution is proactive.

“The current leadership of the Central Bank of Nigeria is very proactive. They discuss with us on the way forward on the economic growth of the country in the National Assembly and this has continued to bring positive

Pay TV network, Star Times Nigeria has called on the federal government to consider policy implementation that would support speedy growth of the broadcast industry.

This is as it said despite the challenges in the broadcast industry, it has continued to expand its footprint across the African markets owing to its commitment to innovation and superior technology.

The company’s Chief Operating Officer, Tunde Aina, who made the remarks in a recent chat with journalists, blamed the challenges on poor policy implementation.

He noted that the private sector was in a better position to develop the broadcast industry if government could only come up with policies that are acceptable to all players.

According to him, “Businesses that require a relatively longer time to be profitable also require long term funds at relatively low interest rates. The federal government needs to enable businesses to have access to this type of funds either through local financial institutions if they have the capacity or from foreign financial institutions.

Broadcasting infrastructure is almost 100 per cent imported into Nigeria, the current economic policies have made it difficult to meet

He added: “I feel alive, and I give thanks to Almighty God and the whole Christian community for their putting our love in their heart, and they prayed for the whole State.”

The lawmaker therefore called on religious faithfuls in the country not to rest on their oars by continuing to pray fervently for the political and economic development of the country.

MEETING WITH CEOS

L-R: The Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, Precise Financial Systems (PFS), Yele Okeremi; Managing Director, Rack Centre, Ayotunde Coker; Chief Executive Officer, Internet eXchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), Rudman Muhammad; and Chief Executive Officer, IDM Services Plc., Atul Kshetry, during the maiden ‘Think Breakfast Series’ organised jointly by Nigeria CommunicationsWeek and CFAtech.ng for CEOs in Lagos, recently...

StarTimes Tasks FG on Broadcast Policies Emma Okonji

development on what the nation is experiencing now as far as dwindling dollar rate in the country”, he said.

The lawmaker who lauded the leadership of CAN in the local government for their fervent prayers said that the development has manifested on the peaceful co-existence of the people of the state and the country in particular.

up our foreign monetary obligations and it’s been very challenging to continue to provide our services at the same cost to our customers.”

Addressing the challenges of broadcast business, Aina said it is capital intensive and takes a relatively long time to recoup investments while stable policies and regulation on the part of government can give investors the confidence to continue to invest in the industry.

“Since we deliver our Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) signals via terrestrial, we are also affected by the shortcomings of any terrestrial signals which rely on line of sight between transmitter and receiver. We are continuously working to improve our signals within the big cities by building more transmitter sites in order to improve signals in identified areas, Aina said.

In Abuja for example, we are currently building two sites, one in Kuje and the other in Kubwa. We are continually optimizing our coverage in areas where we already operate and are building new sites to cover areas not previously served, Aina added.

He further said: “We recognise that it is almost impossible to cover every inch of Nigerian territory using terrestrial signals, we have therefore provided the Direct to Home (DTH) platform which relies on

satellite and covers the entire sub-Saharan African territory.

He however said despite the challenges faced in the broadcast industry, StartTimes would continue to provide quality and innovative services to its customers.

“We have continued to grow stronger and cover more grounds across Africa starting with two countries and now in over thirty countries and very active in over 15 of them,” he added.

According to him, “Our success story is fuelled by a strong belief and investment in cutting edge technology, life-enriching innovations and quality television entertainment content for our viewing families and households.”

He said the pay Tv has given opportunities to many local channels to start broadcasting localised content at minimal cost, and has also created more than 2,000 direct jobs and more than 20,000 indirect jobbs, enabling new opportunities for actors, actresses and musicians to showcase their talents on many more television platforms and earn more revenue.

The StarTimes boss said as the pioneer digital terrestrial television operator in Nigeria, StarTimes has made pay-tv much more accessible and affordable to the low and middle income class which comprise a greater part of the Nigerian population.

SON Alerts Nigerians of Illegal Flavoured Cigarettes Eromosele Abiodun A few months after the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth International (ERA/FoEN), notified the Nigerian government that Philip Morris International was flooding the country with “unlicensed, tax-not-paid” cigarettes, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has raised the alarm over attempts by another tobacco manufacturing company to begin the distribution of illegally imported cigarettes in the country.

This followed the discovery of the planned deployment of 500 Mond flavoured cigarettes hawker boxes in Kano State.

The move is in contravention of government’s efforts to curb the influx of illicit cigarettes, and resuscitating the nation’s economy by discouraging the importation of goods that are sufficiently produced locally.

THISDAY investigation revealed that the shipment was received last weekend by Dubai-based Gulhabar Tobacco International, distributors of the cigarette brand.

Following checks, the industry regulator, SON, observed that the company/distributor did not have the SONCAP Certificate (SC), a mandatory Customs clearance document which is issued by the SON. Cigarette is one of SONCAPregulated products.

“In addition to the product being a flavoured cigarette, the non-possession of the SONCAP certificate by the company is clearly in breach of the National Tobacco Control Act (NTCA) 2015 on advertising and promotion.

“Flavoured cigarettes are a type of contraband cigarette

and illicit trade products. The products are manufactured with sweet fruity flavours that have a powerful appeal to children and completely mask the smell of tobacco. They have a strong allure for young people and are capable of encouraging underage smoking as well as initiating non-smokers into the act,” said an official of SON who do not want his name in print.

SON and other regulatory agencies in the country have constantly expressed their determination to rid the market of flavoured cigarette brands and stem the importation of the product by faceless marketing companies that are not registered in the country.

This move, experts believe, is aimed at protecting the few indigenous tobacco companies that manufacture the legally permitted menthol brand from unfair competition.

Also, apart from some of these illicit tobacco brands being unregulated and substandard, their importers often evade tax thereby denying government of the much-needed revenue.

“Protection of the local companies helps boost tax revenue government generate from them, “said a top player in the industry.

SON, in particular, has raided outlets where such illegally imported goods are sold in the country.

Also recently, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) confiscated substandard goods and contrabands as well as ensured that illegal importation of food products like fish is discouraged so as to boost self- sufficiency in local production.

T H I S D AY ˾ MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017

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BUSINESSWORLD

MARKET REPORT

Stock Market Sheds 1% on Profit Taking Goddy Egene and Nosa Alekhuogie

(+1.2 per cent) and Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc (+2.8 per cent).

Contrarily, the NSE Industrial Goods Index dipped 2.3 per cent as investors booked profit in Lafarge Africa (-5.0 per cent). Similarly, the NSE Oil & Gas Index shed 0.6 per cent on the back of price losses in Seplat (-2.0 per cent) and Mobil (-0.6 per cent).

The market sustained the positive performance for the second day, although marginally as the NSE ASI rose by 0.05 per cent to close at 25,510.01. The gains recorded in last two days of the week were not enough to wipe out the losses recorded the two days. Consequently, the market closed the week 0.92 per cent.

Profit taking by some investors ended a two-week positive performance at the stock market last week as the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index (ASI) fell by 0.92 per cent to close at 25,510.01. Similarly, market capitalisation ended lower at N8.827 trillion.

The market had recorded upward performance for two weeks following improved corporate earnings for 2016 declared by some companies.

However, profit taking set in last week as investors locked in part of gains earlier recorded by some stocks. Another factor that led to the decline last week was price adjustments for dividend declared by some companies. The market was open for only four days as the federal government declared Friday Public Holiday to commemorate Easter celebration. Despite the fact that some companies still declared improved earnings for 2016 last week, profit taking dominated. Consequently, the market closed in the bear’s territory.

Daily Market performance Investors embarked on profit taking on the first day of the week following the previous week’s gains. Consequently, the NSE ASI fell by 0.45 per cent to close lower at 25,626.39, pushing the year-todate ( YTD) loss to 4.6 per cent on Monday. The negative performance was affected by losses in Nigerian Breweries , GTBank Plc and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) among others. Despite the bearish close, the activity level was mixed as volume traded rose 77.7 per cent to 191.8 million shares units while value traded fell 35.6 per cent to settle at N584.7 million.

Sector indices were largely bearish with the NSE Oil & Gas Index closing as the only gainer for the day with a marginal appreciation of 0.04 per cent. The indicator was bolstered by gains in Total (+4.1 per cent) which offset the decline in Oando (-4.8 per cent). The NSE Consumer Goods Index shed 1.4 per cent as Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc was adjusted for dividend. Investors sold off on Nigerian Breweries led to a slide of 2.0 per cent. In a similar vein, the NSE Insurance Index went down by 1.1 per cent following sell pressure on AIICO (-3.8 per cent) and Continental Reinsurance Plc (-3.9 per cent) weighed on the sector.

The NSE Banking Index depreciated by 0. 47 per cent due to losses in GTBank (-0.8 per cent) and ETI (-2.8 per cent).

“The decline in performance today was in line with projection as investors expectedly took a breather following two weeks of positive momentum.

Whilst we believe upsides to equities are capped by subsisting capital controls which restrict foreign investor participation, our outlook for the market remains positive for April as we expect strong first quarter(Q1) earnings, due for release this month, to further propel market performance,” analysts at Afrinvest said.

The market extended losses for the second day of the week with NSE ASI going down by 0.58 per cent to close at 25,478.06. In terms of market capitalisation, it shed N51.3 billion to close at N8.8 trillion.

Depreciation in the shares of Mobil Oil (-9.4 per cent), Dangote Cement (-0.4 per cent) and GTBank (-1.4 per cent), was partly responsible for the negative performance on Tuesday.

Unlike the previous when one sector recorded positive performance, all sectors closed in red. The NSE Oil

& Gas Index led the losers’ chart, shedding 2.6 per cent . The NSE Banking Index went down by 0.62 per cent as a result of losses by GTBank (1.4 per cent) and Zenith Bank (1.3 per cent).

The NSE Consumer Goods Index trailed with a 0.31 per cent decline due to further losses in Nigerian Breweries (-0.4 per cent) and Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc (-1.9 per cent).

Similarly, the NSE Insurance Index fell by 0.2 per cent on the back of AXA Mansard’s depreciation (-1.9 per cent). The NSE Industrial Goods Index closed 0.1 per cent lower.

The Nigerian equities market returned to positive territory yesterday on bargain hunting, pushing the NSE All-Share Index by 0.07 per cent to close at 25,496.71. Similarly, market capitalisation added N6.5 billion to close at N8.8 trillion, while year-todate decline stood at 5.1 per cent.

The positive performance was majorly driven by gains in GTBank Plc, Nigerian Breweries Plc and FBN Holdings Plc. But Trans-nationwide Express Plc led the price gainers’ chart with 4.6 per cent, trailed by Fidson Healthcare Plc, which went up by 4.3 per cent.

Transcorp Plc and AIICO Insurance Plc appreciated by 4.1 per cent and 3.7 per cent respectively, just as FBN Holdings Plc, Oando Plc and Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc 3.2 per cent and 3.1 per cent in that order.

Conversely, Unilever Nigeria Plc led the price losers, shedding 5.0 per cent, trailed by Lafarge Africa Plc with 4.9 per cent. Ashaka Cement Plc, Nigerian Aviation Company Plc and Jaiz Bank Plc declined by 4.9 per cent, 4.8 per cent and 4.5 per

cent respectively.

Sectoral performance showed that three sectors advanced, while two declined. The NSE Banking Index rose by 0.8 per cent following gains recorded by GTBank Plc (+1.7 per cent) and Zenith Bank Plc (+0.4 per cent).

TOP TEN BROKERS

The NSE Insurance Index appreciated by 0.5 per cent due to price appreciation in AIICO Insurance Plc (+3.8 per cent) and Continental Reinsurance Plc (+2.5 per cent), just as the NSE Consumer Goods Index gained 0.3 per cent bolstered by gains recorded by Nigerian Breweries Plc

(BY VALUE)

BROKER

AS AT LAST FRIDAY VALUE % VALUE

STANBIC IBTC STOCKBROKERS LIMITED

2,363,996,336.45

19.56

A.R.M SECURITIES LIMITED - BRD

1,411,770,183.30

11.68

RENCAP SECURITIES (NIG) LIMITED FBNSECURITIESLIMITED

967,996,432.12 697,872,060.85

8.01 5.78

CHAPEL HILL DENHAM SECURITIES LTD - BRD

667,289,236.71

5.52

EFCP LIMITED

557,993,658.31

4.62

MERISTEM STOCKBROKERS LIMITED

467,639,084.99

3.87

CARDINALSTONE SECURITIES LIMITED

437,379,538.47

3.62

370,711,774.06

3.07

204,218,424.47 8,146,866,729.73

1.69 67.43

CSLSTOCKBROKERSLIMITED REWARD INVESTMENT AND SERVICES LIMITED

TOP TEN BROKERS

(BY VOLUME)

BROKER IMPERIAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED -BRD

AS LAST FRIDAY VOLUME

%VOLUME

214,804,249

9.01

155,007,793

6.50

FBN SECURITIES LIMITED

152,229,984

6.39

STANBIC IBTC STOCKBROKERS LIMITED MORGAN CAPITAL SECURITIES LIMITED

148,824,984 103,617,331

6.25 4.35

A.R.M SECURITIES LIMITED - BRD

REWARD INVESTMENT AND SERVICES LIMITED

99,592,322

4.18

CENTRE POINT INVESTMENTS LIMITED - BRD

94,044,029

3.95

PRIMERA AFRICA SECURITIES LTD

87,627,336

3.68

ARTHUR STEVEN ASSET MGT LTD - BDR

87,451,896

3.67

FSDH SECURITIES LIMITED

73,239,518

3.07

1,216,439,442

51.05

Market turnover Meanwhile, investors traded 1.191 billion shares worth N6.037 billion in 11,820 compared with 786.176 million shares valued at N5.828 billion that exchanged hands the previous week in 14,343 deals. The Financial Services Industry led the activity chart with 1.014 billion shares valued at N3.070 billion traded in 6,700 deals. The Consumer Goods Industry followed with 51.888 million shares worth N1.581 billion in 2,025 deals. The third place was occupied

by Conglomerates Industry with a turnover of 47.517 million shares worth N66.904 million in 542 deals.

Trading in the top three equities namely – Fidelity Bank Plc, FCMB Group Plc and Standard Trust Assurance Plc- accounted for 679.949 million shares worth N639.862 million in 1,622 deals, contributing 57.06 per cent and 10.60 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

Also traded during the week were a total of 16 units of Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) valued at N1,088.00 executed in one deal compared with a total of 1,510 units valued at N4,113.20 transacted the previous week in three deals.

A total of 4,800 units of Federal Government Bonds valued at N4.892million were traded this week in 10 deals, compared with a total of 11,064 units valued at N10.256million transacted the preceding week in 21 deals.

Price Gainers and Losers The price movement chart showed 13 gainers lower than the 36 gainers equities of the previous week.

Conversely, 37 equities depreciated in price, higher than 22 equities of the previous week.

Fidelity Bank Plc led the price gainers with 21.4 per cent, trailed

by C & I Leasing Plc with 14.2 per cent. Transcorp Plc chalked up 5.3 per cent, just as Fidson Healthcare Plc appreciated by 5.2 per cent.

International Breweries Plc, NPF Microfinance Bank Plc and Total Nigeria Plc went up 4.9 per cent, 4.8 per cent and 4.1 per cent in that order.

Other top price gainers were: UACN Property Development Company Plc (3.4 per cent); Caverton (3.3 per cent) and FBN Holdings Plc (2.8 per cent).

On the flipside, Dangote Sugary Refinery Plc led the price losers with 14.2 per cent. FCMB Group Plc shed 12.2 per cent, while Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc went down by 10 per cent.

Jaiz Bank Plc depreciated by 8.7 per cent, just as Dangote Flour Mills Plc and Oando Plc closed the week 7.4 per cent and 7.2 per cent lower respectively. Oando Plc, Unilever Nigeria Plc, Union Dicon Salt plc and Ashaka Cement Plc declined by 5.2 per cent, 5.0 per cent, 4.9 per cent and 4.9 per cent in that order.

T H I S D AY ˾ MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017

26

BUSINESSWORLD

INSIDE BROAD STREET

A view of Lagos financial district

AKINWUNMI IBRAHIM

Options for ERGP Financing Obinna Chima The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma last week assured Nigerians that the newly launched Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) would not be abandoned like previous programmes.

According to the minister, the implementation of the plan would be driven by a task force to be constituted by the federal government.

Udoma said the federal government is also working on a detailed implementation roadmap that would spell out timelines for deliverables and how the targets set in the ERGP would be achieved. He said the roadmap for implementation would also include details of costs of achieving the targets.

The ERGP is a four-year plan designed to pull Nigeria out of recession and reposition the economy for sustained, inclusive and expansionary growth. 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 (CBN), also aims to implement a market-determined 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 planned 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. The core vision of the plan is anchored on sustained inclusive growth.

Udoma also said the delivery unit for the ERGP would be manned by a special team domiciled in the Presidency, and would be tasked with the function of coordinating the implementation of the plan to ensure synergy among implementing agencies.

The taskforce, he further explained would be responsible for monitoring the implementation and filling in feedback.

To this end, in order to ensure that the ERGP doesn’t go the way of other national planning programmes in Nigeria, experts who spoke at the ‘Bullion Lecture,’ titled: “Financing Nigeria’s Economic Recovery and Growth,” organised by the Centre for Financial Journalism, in Lagos recently, stressed the need to ensure that members of the organised private sector are provided the right incentives to be able to effectively

MARKET INDICATOR

Udo Udoma play their roles in the ERGP. To achieve the broad and associated sub-objectives detailed in ERGP, a total of N75.03 trillion gross domestic investments are envisaged.

Moreover, it is envisaged that the contribution of federal and sub-national governments will decline from 14.04 per cent and 12.61 per cent in 2017 to 8.11 per cent and 7.77 per cent by 2020, respectively. Correspondingly, the contribution of the private sector is expected to rise from 73.35 per cent in 2017 to 84 per cent by 2020.

Clearly, the bulk of the investment programme is expected to come from the private sector.

Also, the sub-national governments are expected to contribute at least N1.85 trillion in capital expenditure annually throughout the plan period.

But the Executive Chairman, African Centre for Shared Capacity Development Building, Prof. Olu Ajakaiye, who was the guest lecturer at the event, noted that it was evident that continuing the exclusive reliance on issuance of interest-bearing debt as a strategy for deficit financing from domestic sources in Nigeria would escalate debt service, cause interest rates to rise and crowd out the private Available data from the Debt Management

Office showed that as at 2015, the CBN held less than 10 per cent of total interest-bearing domestic debt stock.

“Therefore, financing budget deficit by issuing irredeemable fiat non-interest bearing monetary liabilities of government by the CBN should be considered seriously. This approach which had been dubbed Overt Money Finance has the benefit of stimulating the economy without raising interest rates and crowding out the private sector as well as stoking cost push inflation.

“The approach however requires the monetary and fiscal authorities to coordinate their activities and work in concert to stimulate the economy at lower direct costs.

“In this regard, the monetary authorities may have to give greater consideration to economic growth and employment generation and be ready to accept higher inflation benchmark in the medium term.

“In other words, the gradual reduction in inflation rate from 15.74 per cent in 2017 to 9.9 per cent in 2020 is a reasonable outcome that should be supported by the monetary authorities. Accordingly, they should not be too unhappy with double digit inflation rate between now and 2019, for example.

“Meanwhile, the usual risk of abusing this approach has been significantly reduced in the Nigerian context as the fiscal authorities must comply with the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which already prescribed a ceiling of three per cent of deficit GDP ratio,” Ajakaiye explained.

The economists also stressed the need for the government to be mindful of another round of external debt overhang in the future.

He pointed out that an external debt management strategy which aims at maximising low-cost concessional external debt while minimising non-concessional and commercial debt should be sustained during the plan period.

“In this connection, the current arrangement whereby over 80 per cent of total external debt is stock is concessional should be sustained so as to keep the external debt service quite small.

“It will also be necessary to broaden the tax base and improve the tax administration capacity and process in order to mobilise additional non-oil revenue to support the various programmes and activities aimed at structural transformation of the economy envisaged in the ERGP,” he added.

Specifically, Ajakaiye said it will be necessary for the Federal Inland Revenue

Service (FIRS) and the Federal Ministry of Finance to sustain the on-going reforms aimed at plugging the leakages, especially the introduction of Tax Identification Number system, approval of reasonable incentives for staff of FIRS, sustained capacity building and application of information technology in tax administration.

He pointed out that tax evasion and avoidance are among the set of challenges plaguing tax administration in Nigeria. Apart from paid formal private sector and public sector employees, most affluent Nigerians secure necessary technical assistance to pay the minimum tax, if at all, he said.

Furthermore, he recommended that given the high proportion of private sector contribution to total investment envisaged by the ERGP, the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) should be a major avenue for mobilising capital.

This, he said is especially so because the stock exchange provides a veritable institutional arrangement for mobilising investment from the general public into the stock market.

According to him, in view of the very large proportion of private investment in total ERGP investment, efforts should be intensified to increase the number of companies listed on the NSE. “This way, government portfolio can be divested to the general public, including foreign investors and avoid the controversial and sometimes questionable privatisation arrangements.

“In that case, government divestment can be instrumental in mobilising financial resources to support worthy development activities, including infrastructure projects.

“In addition, the capital market will be efficacious in mobilising the much needed private investment capital to support the ERGP programmes if its operational modalities modified to enable it mobilise capital for infrastructure projects like construction which can be put up on toll collection,” he explained.

He noted that the Nigerian pension funds had grown substantially and presents an opportunity for long-term investment capital under appropriate regulatory conditions. Pension funds have increased from N815 billion in 2007, to N6 trillion as at November 30, 2016.

“However, if capital projects envisaged in the ERGP are packaged in ways that can guarantee security and they can yield reasonable returns, pension funds could be encouraged “Government in concert with the CBN should consider issuing project tied bonds and market them among Nigerians in diaspora. It is good that government has more seriously returned to planning. It is hoped that this plan would be implemented faithfully,” he added.

On his part, the Chief Consultant, B. Adedipe Associates, Dr. Biodun Adedipe, pointed out that the problem with national planning in the country has always been that of the execution as well as internal inconsistencies.

“If any plan has to work, first you have to be clear about where you are going and that means by 2020, we would not be where we are today.

When you have a plan for a nation, there are three important components to that: the first is that they place out the policies, deriving from your policies are programmes and deriving from your programmes are projects.

“In which case, you use your projects to deliver your programmes and your programmes deliver your policies. So, if it does not cascade in that manner, it would just be an academic exercise,” he explained.

Adedipe, while commenting on issues around financing options for the ERGP, stated that naturally, people respond to incentives, while stressing the need to encourage private sector investors.

“So, in this case, there should be incentives that would make the private sector respond to the lofty objectives in this plan. Equally, if the government wants to ensure that the private sector remains the key to achieving this plan, it is to ensure the safety of the money they commit to the project, stakeholders must take ownership of the plan and we must be bold and creative.

“There are many people outside Nigeria that may not agree with what we want to do, but we must stand our ground. If we are persuaded that we must achieve this plan, whatever policy choice we adopt, we must stand by it,” the economist stressed.

In his remark, the Rwandan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Stanislas Kamanzi, recommended that as part of efforts to achieve the plan, the Nigerian government should use microfinance as a tool for poverty alleviation.

T H I S D AY ˾ MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017

27

BUSINESSWORLD

APPOINTMENT / AWARDS

NCC Gets Platinum Rating in Institutional Work Processes The Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), which has strong business organisational structure, policies and practices that facilitate effective service delivery, has rated the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), high in institutional work processes.

The NCC got platinum rating, which tops institutional work processes in the country.

Director General of BPSR, Dr. Joe Abah presented the report and plaque to the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, at the NCC Headquarters in Abuja, last week.

The BPSR boss listed accountabilities and responsibilities for set standardised operating procedure (SOP) manuals of the Commission’s 19 departments, in arriving at its conclusion.

Accurate measurement of responsibilities and performance assigned to staff were the

parameters for the evaluation of the Commission, Abah said.

In terms of governance, the Bureau said: “NCC strategic objectives are prioritised for potential impact using standardised principles including the balanced score card.”

NCC’s understanding of stakeholders needs and contributions are quite robust, it said, adding, its vision, strategy and impacts, complement other sectors organisational direction.

According to the Bureau, the NCC’s staff can articulate what the Commission wants to achieve, its role and purpose; strategy is considered by the management team regularly throughout the year because; since the NCC has a sense of where it is going and how it should get there.

The Bureau also rated NCC very high in procurement processes saying the Commission “has adequate systems,

processes and experienced personnel responsible for executing its procurement activities in line with extant provisions of the Public Procurement Act”.

The Bureau also commended the establishment of NCC central store at Mbora, Abuja where all procurement records are archived electronically from loss.

The Bureau listed in its report that “NCC demonstrates that formal performance management processes are clearly understood, constantly applied and seen by all staff to be a valuable activity, that individual performance targets are clearly assigned with the team, business unit and overall organizational performance targets”.

According to Abah, it took BPSR, it took 15 months to go through evaluation during which period the BPSR team had a meeting with the Human Capital Department team of NCC. Based on the approval

of the EVC, the evaluation of the work processes took place thereafter whereby top management, senior and junior management staff were nominated to assess the work processes of the Commission under nine main areas covering 117 questions supervised by officials of BPSR. After the BPSR presentation, Danbatta said as someone from the academia, he is very conversant with empirical analysis and criticisms and welcomed the Bureau’s report.

These bring out the best of the situation. He thanked the Director General for the rare show of professionalism by making the presentation himself.

Director, Public Affairs at NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobo, said the conclusion by BPSR had further justified NCC’s position as a foremost regulator in Africa whose robust regulatory activities are based on international best practices.

VoguePay Wins Best Fintech Startup Award VoguePay.com, a secure payment gateway has won the “Best Fintech Startup” at the 6th edition of the Cashless Afria Awards 2017, organised by Mobile Money Africa in Lagos recently.

It award ceremony was attended by stakeholders in the digital finance industry across Africa and the globe Principal Associate, MobileMoneyAfrica, Mr. Emmanuel Okoegwale, organisers of the awards, said: “the awards honour organisations that have made significant contributions to the digital financial services sector and are poised to make considerable market impact in the future. The Awards are dedicated to acknowledging creativity, commitment and excellence in the digital financial services across Africa.”

VoguePay won special recognition award as the Best Fintech Startup as a result of contribution to online payment in Nigeria and Africa in general. VoguePay is a secure payment gateway launched in 2012 with the vision to make online, cross-currency payments and transactions safer, cheaper and more accessible for businesses, traders and consumers in Africa and internationally.

It has offices in Lagos, Nigeria and UK with expansion plans to other African countries.

While acknowledging the award, Co-founder and Director of Marketing, Legal and Compliance, VoguePay, Mr. Geoffrey Weli Wosu, reiterated VoguePay’s commitment to excellence, and explained that the award came on the heels of several industry recognitions to VoguePay in 2016.

These include being honoured as the “best online payment in Africa” at African Achievers Awards which FORBES Magazine rated as one of the most prestigious award ceremonies that represent the whole of the African continent.

Head, Digital Media and Strategy at VoguePay, Wole Ogunlade, noted that the award was well deserved given VoguePay’s innovative solutions as a payment bridge that connects Africa with the rest of the world. He noted that VoguePay is the biggest payment gateway by merchant size in Nigeria and also serves customers in four continents including North America, Europe, Asia and Africa.

The CashlessAfrica awards, which held as part of CashlessAfrica expo celebrated innovative fintech solutions across 15 categories honouring individuals and corporates. Some of the award recipients across Africa include Diamond Bank, TransferTo and WorldRemit, among others.

Digital Encode Expands, Appoints Legal Adviser

ALL FOR DATA CENTRE DEVELOPMENT

L-R: Director, Infrastructure Business Unit Inlaks, Tope Dare; Principal Solutions Engineer, DCIM Solutions, Middle East and Africa (MEA), Vertiv, Gary Harris; Team Lead, Enterprise Systems, Union Bank Nigeria, Charles Arabome; Sales Manager, DCIM Solutions (MEA), Vertiv, Ian Paul, and Director, Value Added Services, Inlaks, Koyejo Oladimeji, during the Inlaks/Vertiv forum on Data Centre Ecosystem in Lagos... recently

NSC Boss Inaugurates SOAN’s New Executive The Executive secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Mr Hassan Bello, over the weekend in Lagos inaugurated the newly elected executive members of the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN).

Speaking after the inauguration, Bello charged the new executive members to be alive to their responsibilities.

He urged them to do all that is possible to ensure that the shipping industry continues to thrive and contributes meaningfully to the development and growth of the Nigerian economy.

At the occasion, SOAN flagged off a five-point agenda, stressing that its newly inaugurated executive members would assiduously work to conclude the establishment of crude tanker fleet, working closely, with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The President of SOAN, Greg Ogbeifun identified the other

major areas of focus as breaking the jinx of non -disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund; collaborating to see the Nigerdock become more vibrantly determined to tackle the nation’s ships repair challenges; providing teeth for the SOAN’s Cadetship Seatime Training Scheme; and working to evolve what is akin to a subregional P&I Club, to tackle members insurance and other basic challenges.

According to him, “The new Exco will continue to encourage strategic engagements with relevant stakeholders to bring about harmonisation and growth of the sector”, Ogbeifun assured Nigerians shortly after the SOAN’s new Executive team was inaugurated, by the Ports industry Regulator Boss and Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council, Barrister Hassan Bello. One of our key projects will be to drive to conclusion, the establishment of the crude oil tanker fleet,

working closely with the NNPC who is providing support and encouragement. I am pleased to announce that the NNPC has appointed the General Manager, Marine Logistics in the person of Mr Ibrahim Lamin as the focal person to work with the SOAN project team, towards the actualisation of this initiative.

“Secondly, we will progress our engagement with NIMASA and the Federal Ministry of Transportation to achieve the much desired objective of making the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) available to eligible industry players.

To this end, some members of the Association who, have signified interest have formally applied to NIMASA for this fund and we are anxiously awaiting the disbursement to enable us grow capacity.

One thing we can guarantee is that any member that benefits from the CVFF will definitely utilise the fund judiciously to grow their fleet, create more

employment opportunities, provide more berths for cadets training and contribute further to the CVFF.” He added: “We have already started discussing with the Nigerdock and shipbuilding/ship repair yards in the country to provide affordable, quick and quality access to ship repair services for our members. This initiative will also provide Industrial Training /SIWES opportunities for boat building technology cadets from the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron. Another area that we intend to focus on is the ongoing development of sea time training Scheme being developed by the Association.

“We will work closely with the Committee set up by Government to restructure and reposition Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, so that the school can emerge as a global institution where industry players can comfortably send their cadets and other personnel for training.

Digital Encode, a leading Information Security Management and Compliance Advisory company as part of a global reach has expanded its business operations to the United States of America.

It also appointed Olaniwun Ajayi LP as the company’s Legal Adviser.

Unveiling the office in New York, the Chief Technical Officer, Digital Encode, Oluseyi Akindeinde, said the expansion would give them the much needed presence in the global market place as well as access to foreign capital and affords Digital Encode the proximity to her international partners.

He added that the expansion the first outside of Africa would position Digital Encode as a global company. “We can now take on projects that hitherto we would not have been able to take on prior to now. Technology Partners are more willing to deal with a company with a global reach. We are also closer to the technology research and development hub. It definitely benefits the company in the long term,” he said.

On the appointment of Olaniwun Ajayi LP as company Legal Adviser, Akindeinde, said the firm was selected because of their pedigree in the legal profession.

“They anticipate your needs and meet it even before you realize those needs. Couple with their vast array of legal expertise. For an LP, they are absolutely excellent,” he stated Olaniwun Ajayi LP has in nearly 60 years, distinguished itself as the Nigerian commercial law Firm. They provide on demand services, and recognize

the need for perfection in all they do. They’ve got a vastly experienced technology, finance and international trade legal practice only second to none.

Speaking on recent accolade for his company, Akindeinde said Digital Encode was recognized in the industry for its vendor independent perspective, “our expertise lies in solving multifaceted, complex enterprise network security and audit problems.”

This informed the company’s appointment by Central Bank of Nigeria as the sole technical partner to the Nigerian Electronic Fraud Forum (NeFF), an initiative set up for the identification, mitigation, prevention and prosecution of all electronic fraud-related acts perpetrated in the country.

Digital Encode recently introduced a technology monitoring solution that could remotely monitor the cyberspace of organisations and report or stop unauthorized access to database.

The solution, which was developed by the Centre for Information Security Intelligence (CISI), an arm of Digital Encode, was necessitated by the growing rate of cyber attacks and cyber espionage, leading to loss of data and money, running into several billions of naira.

At Digital Encode, technology serves two purposes: to save money and solve a problem.

Digital Encode also provides advisory services toward improvements in Information Security Management, Network Security, Vulnerability Management, Penetration Testing, Computer Forensics, Risk Management and Business Continuity Management.

28

T H I S D AY ˾ MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017

BUSINESSWORLD

INTERVIEW

Uganda Will Borrow Nigeria’s Model in Oil Production The Deputy Commander Operations, Wealth Creation, Uganda, Lt. Gen. Charles Angina, in this interview with Peace Obi states that his country would find Nigeria’s experience very handy as the country joins the comity of African oil producing states. Excerpts: in Nigeria, together with the private-sector driven economy of Nigeria. And we will be able to do much, much more together from both fronts – government and private sector engagement.

Uganda in addition to the discovery of oil has also discovered commercial deposit of natural gas, what is your country’s plan towards tapping these resources?

Our government and President, Yoweri Museveni, have said that these resources would be committed towards infrastructure development in order to create conducive environment for investment and also for smooth running of businesses in the country.

As Uganda joins the league of African Oil Producing Countries, where do you see the African continent in self-management of its God-given resources in the next 20 years?

Certainly, we will become self-sustaining given that Nigeria has proven to be a lead in this aspect of local content. So, it leaves us with no other option than to take this particular direction so that in the next 20 to 30 years, we will be able to maintain and sustain this oil and gas sector to the benefit and development of the continent. We would also be able to attain self-sufficiency in human and material resources such that we would be able to build the pipelines, gas capacity and to continue to have trainers of trainers as we come to Nigeria, learn from some of her experiences and go back, my rain and build more capacity.

Are you considering a business relationship with Nigerian government, having been in the business of oil for some years now?

Absolutely yes! Nigeria is our admired African country who have demonstrated and exhibited local content in building and running its energy sector. And they have managed to promote this particular sector to a point that Nigerians now actively involved in different segments of the nation’s oil and gas sector.

We felt Nigeria is the best country to come and learn from as well as work with our brothers and sisters of Nigeria, so that we can be able to do the same in building the local content in Uganda, so that together we benefit as Africans.

Nigeria has come a long way in oil production, however, one of its major challenges has been inability to sufficiently refine its crude oil internally, what is Uganda’s plan in setting up to deal with this aspect of the oil sector?

That one is for certain. The refinery is under procurement and we will not have our oil go out of our country in crude form, it is going to be refined in Uganda. It is some of the things we have in the pipeline as gear towards tapping the resources.

Has the Ugandan government taken any practical steps to that effect?

Yes, we have done so through our brother, Engr. Emeka Okwuosa who has visited Uganda in a number of occasions and we are at an advanced stage in operationalising this move.

Are there lessons your country can learn from Nigeria’s over 50 years’ experience in oil business?

Yes, we stand to learn quite a lot from the Nigerian experience. One is that Nigeria has built the capacity of running this sector of oil and gas. And they have run it for many years on their own. They have also gone through some ups and down in the process and have come out fine. As it stands today, most of what we see in the field today, in terms of operators and operations in the sector were formerly dominated and run by foreign companies like Shell, Total, ExxonMobil, but today, Nigeria has gained substantial control of this sector. And we believe that if we work with Nigeria in this journey, it will be the best way for African to go.

Are you considering some of the Nigeria’s policies in oil and gas sector management?

That is the bottom line. We do not want to reinvent the wheels when our brothers and sisters from Nigeria have already gone through this experience. We are learning lessons from Nigeria’s experience and we believe that together as Africans and in the spirit of PanAfricanism, we need to take lessons from the success of Nigeria in order to quickly redeem time and be able to take advantage of this discovery.

What plans do you have in place towards developing the human and material resources needed in the sector to guard against overbearing dominance of foreigners operators as well as capital flight?

The process is on-going and we have already put up policies towards ensuring that this is checked. And we would want to quickly train and provide skills for as many Ugandans as possible so that most of the personnel involve in taking these resources out are done and utilised within the country and the region at large. We, on our own as regional countries will be able to control most of these resources when we have quality manpower in strategic areas.

And if we are to develop our industries, our

Where do you see African unity with your country’s intended bilateral relationship with Nigeria?

This certainly will create more solidarity and give Africa the aspect of being proud of what we have. And I believe we shall be able to negotiate better with the western world and all those other big economies that are outside our continent. Because our unity is our strength, our unity gives us room to negotiate better. We shall be able to choose what we think is good for the continent rather than as we were conditioned in the past because of lack of unity, capacity and resources. All these are coming handy for us to have an upper hand in this situation.

businesses and different sectors, certainly, we would need quality and competent manpower to effectively run the petroleum sector. So, it is one of the prioritised areas of focus of the government and the President of Uganda to rightly equip her citizenry with the needed skills to harness its resources to the benefit of every Ugandan citizen.

that would aid proper development of this important sector. We appreciate the strategic role education plays in the developmental process of any people. This is because when people get educated, they have their capacity developed and improved upon. You would also realise that it makes the attainment of the developmental goals easier and achievable within a reasonable time frame.

Are there some mistakes you feel African continent made in the past that your country would like the young Africans to guard against?

The past failures of the continent has more to do with lack of unity and Africans accepting to be used against themselves, like in wars that diverted us, took our time, caused us to fight among ourselves and we lost out in both human and material resources. The other aspect that has affected Africa for a long time is corruption that is greed; a situation where people want to have more than they needed.

But all these things are being addressed and I see Africa with a much brighter future with the current crop of leadership we have across the continent.

Education is said to be the basic tool for both individual and national development; is your country considering adjusting its educational policies to accommodate the emerging demand?

Yes, in our educational curriculum, we have put all of this in place, only that it is still at its infancy stage. And we believe learning lessons from Nigeria we will be able to catch up and implement some educational policies

At the moment, are you considering a direct business relationship with the country or do you have a go between your country and Nigeria?

At the moment, our flagship is Oil Serve Limited. They are the ones who have made an effort to link up with Uganda and we feel that it is divinely orchestrated and through them we will be able to connect with different government‘s investment platforms

So, do you think Africa’s democracy is growing and moving towards better leadership?

Absolutely; And we can see African democracy taking root, and which will certainly be able to work very well for us, rather than being forced with democracy that does not bring reality with the situations we face on the ground. We need democracies that are grounded to our culture and to our tradition.

Angina

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NPA Reiterates Commitment to Social Responsibility Eromosele Abiodun The management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has restated its resolve to sustaining its corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts across the country.

The Managing Director of the organisation Hadiza Bala Usman stated this in Maiduguri, Borno State whilst handing over relief materials and items procured for internally displaced persons (IDPS) in Borno State.

The MD, who stated that the organisation had made

similar gestures to IDPS in Adamawa and Yobe States, added that the NPA is desirous of prioritising its CSR efforts as well as sustaining it.

According to her, “The NPA believes that there is need to strengthen our CSR which amongst others are projects addressing the needs of host communities in other not just to enlist support and synergy towards a harmonious mutual dividend”, but to partner government in the quest to provide for IDPS and others that are in need.

This continued support is

expected of us as a responsible corporate entities and agencies of the federal government of Nigeria.”

She called on other corporate entities to join hands in this very important journey.

The NPA boss commended the state Governor Kashim Shettima for his commitment and courage in bringing dividends of good governance in a holistic manner to the people even under very difficult situations, stressing that the developmental projects running through the state speak volume in this regard.

In his response, Shettima appreciated the kind gestures from the NPA MD and promised that the relief items would be judiciously utilised across board in the affected areas.

He called for the support of stakeholders in the maritime sector and beyond for the NPA MD in her set agenda of making the NPA a model agency and hub in sub Saharan Africa.

Amongst the relief items unveiled during the event were bags of rice, beans, corn, millets, and tins of palm oil, mattresses and solar lamps.

UNVEILING DIGITAL PR WIRE PLATFORM

L–R: MD, Compaq Communications, Mr. Chuddy Oduenyi ; Senior Special Adviser to Gov Willie Obiano of Anambra State on Social Media, Mr. Ifeanyi Aniagoh; founder/CEO, Cihan Group, Mr. Celestine Achi; Vice President, Public Relations Consultant Association of Nigeria (PRCAN), Mr. Muyiwa Akintunde and Lead Director, Reliks Media Ltd., Mr. Ikem Okuhu, at the media launch of DigitalPRWire in Lagos...recently

PETAN: WAIPEC 2018 to Hold Nigeria to Emerge Maritime Hub in West, Central Africa in February 2018 Nosa Alekhuogie The Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) has said that the West African International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (WAIPEC) will return to Lagos for its second edition 6-8th February 2018 following hugely positive feedback from the inaugural event, which took place at the Eko Convention Centre in February this year.

Over 350 delegates and over 200 participating companies took part in WAIPEC 2017, which over two days through topical debates and speaker sessions, offered exclusive insight in to how to unlock strategic value within West Africa’s oil and gas sector, how to leverage innovation, best practice and technology to grow the industry and how to remain competitive in a tough global market.

In addition, an international exhibition ran alongside the conference showcasing all of the latest products and services from companies. Speakers and participating organisations included representatives from the Nigerian National

Eromosele Abiodun Petroleum Company (NNPC), Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Companies Ltd (Snepco) Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, First E&P Development Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board.

The Chairman of PETAN, Bank Anthony Okoroafor stated that WAIPEC’s programme for 2018 will build on the progress of 2017 and will once again be driven by an esteemed steering committee, representing a cross section of key stakeholders from the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

He said: “WAIPEC 2017 provided a great platform for the very best representatives from across the West African energy industry to come together and discuss, deliberate and share their insight and knowledge towards creating beneficial strategies for the betterment of all areas of the industry. After some fantastic feedback and much demand, we are delighted to announce that WAIPEC will return for 2018, where we will continue the conversation and hopefully reflect on the progress that has been made from 2017.”

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside has stated that the hosting of the Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA) will boost Nigeria’s quest to become a hub of maritime destination for the West and Central African region.

Peterside, who stated this in Lagos, recently, noted that the hosting of AAMA, which is currently the biggest maritime event on the continent will assemble all the major operators in Abuja for the duration of the event.

He added that apart from showcasing Nigeria’s maritime potential to the maritime community in Africa, it will also bring about interactions, business meetings, exchange of ideas and contacts among the maritime stakeholders across Africa including those from Nigeria.

According to him, “In addition to the maritime administrations that would be attending the event other

critical stakeholders such as shipping companies, terminal operators, shipping agents, freight forwarders and other sundry maritime and shipping services providers would also be in attendance and this will bring about exchange of ideas and contacts with the Nigerian stakeholders.”

The NIMASA DG also said that 32 countries from all parts of Africa are expected to participate at the continental conference and a number of maritime stakeholder organisations around the world.

“The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) delegation will be led by Mr. Kitack Lim the Secretary General of IMO which is a United Nations specialised agency that regulates shipping globally, “he said.

Peterside also said that the convening of these Maritime Administrators in Nigeria would afford the country the opportunity of improving its economy via the maritime sector as issues such as Ports development and its modernisation, maritime tourism, shipbuilding and repairs will be at the front burner of the discussions.

Aqua Firm to Boost Fish Production in Nigeria Sheriff Balogun in Abeokuta Following the low production of tilapia fish supply in the country, an aqua firm, Premium Aquaculture has disclosed that it is set to boost tilapia fish production supply with more than 20, 000 MT in next five years.

Speaking at the inaugural harvest of tilapia fish at Oyan Dam in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, the Farm Manager, Mr. Govin Daraju said the company was incorporated in 2014 to develop tilapia, catfish and shrimp farming projects across Nigeria.

He said the aim was to produce food fish locally and make Nigeria self - sufficient in line with federal government’s agricultural transformation agenda.

The Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri who inaugurated the first harvest of the tilapia fish disclosed that the nation’s fish demand stood at 3.1 metric tonnes per annum.

He added that the country is currently hovering around 1.1 metric tonnes per annum, leaving a deficit of 2.1 metric tonnes.

According to him, the federal government resorted to backward integration to encourage local fish farmers, to bridge the gap between

demand and supply The minister added: “When this administration came on board, the supply was around 800, 000 metric tonnes per annum, but due to government policy on fishery by the ministry of agriculture, the country is now doing 1.1 metric tonnes per annum.”

Daraju, however, noted that the hatchery facility at Oyan dam has a capacity to produce 12 million fingerlings per annum that can supply half of the country’s present tilapia fingerlings requirement.

According to him, the food wastage in the country is very high due to lack of fish processing and storage facilities and it can be curtailed only through cold chain.

He added: “The cold chain facility would help the company to supply all-natural, freshly frozen, premium tilapia to the market.”

He, therefore, identified lack of aquaculture inputs in the local market as the company’s initial challenges, pointing out that the other major challenge was lack of fast growing tilapia fingerlings and uninterrupted supply of good quality feed to grow fish to marketable size.

“Foreseeing the challenges, our company has strategically invested in fish hatchery at first place and also invested in 100 Cages”, he said.

APCON Moves to Stop Unwholesome Advertisements The Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), has commenced a task force enforcement exercise to stop further exposure of unwholesome and unapproved advertisements in the media.

According to a statement signed by Assistant Director, Operations and Special Duties at APCON, Mr. Joe Eugene Onuorah, the exercise, which commenced in Abuja has so far been carried out in Minna, Jos, Katsina Ilorin, Onitsha/ Nnewi and is planned to extend to several other cities across Nigeria.

The statement indicated that in the course of the exercise, advertisements exposed on outdoor structures without satisfying the regulation requiring advertisements to be submitted for vetting and approval by the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP) will be blanked out.

The exercise is said to also involve enlightening advertisers, media owners and the public on the regulatory responsibilities of APCON as well as on the purpose and procedures for compliance with advertising regulations.

Incidences of indiscriminate exposure of advertisements, some of which contain misleading and unwholesome messages, have caused

APCON serious concern. These unprofessional conducts have been traced mainly to persons and organisations that are not licensed to practise Advertising in Nigeria.

A large percentage of the advertisements targeted in the exercise are first party advertisements usually produced and displayed by business owners without the use of advertising professionals.

The advertisements typically employ graphic designs, images and messaging which attract, persuade or invite patronage for the businesses advertised.

Some of them make claims requiring substantiation.

The exercises do not affect regular business signages which are typically identification or informational signs without persuasive illustrations and claims.

It stated further that the task force enforcement exercise is one of the measures to stem incidences of misleading, deceitful, offensive and other forms of spurious messages and protect members of the public from the harmful effects of such unwholesome and unprofessional advertisements.

The exercise complements the Council’s routine monitoring and enforcement activities undertaken by its various zonal and liaison offices across the country.

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PERSPECTIVE

Roles of Financial Markets in Economic Growth In this article, Henry I. Osazuwa notes that financial markets play a pivotal role in economic development Financial Market comprises securities exchange, commodities trading, and trade in their respective derivatives. Banking is a financial institution but distinguishable from a financial market based on their roles which are however complementary where corresponding growth exists, and both serve as props for economic sustenance. A lopsided growth in favour of banking practice creates a usurpation of functions, confusion of roles, and reduction of the other’s economic importance into a minuscule.

While banking practice and financial market are important predicates to the economy, the financial market is the cornerstone, because it creates wealth from which savings accrue and form revenue sources for the banks, which banking institutions utilise as redistributable assets on collateralised principles. Where savings is almost nonexistent as in Nigeria, the financial market is unorganised, and also not viable; the economy is shallow, meaning the people spend more on living than they earn. That economic environment has no incentive for creativity, and business enterprise suffers from lack of system support. Consequently, the viability of the banking institutions will either be in jeopardy or banking funds will generate from sources other than savings.

The incessant banking reforms and recapitalisations in Nigeria is a classic example of how funding derive from extraneous sources.

Nigeria banking Institutions have gone wholesale into financial products to justify existence and augment revenue sources whereas banking in economies with healthy investment base continue to find savings a lucrative source of capital, using value additions to create niches and competitions.

Although the strategy in Nigeria has increased banking assets tremendously, but because it is an economic aberration, it has never been able to give the economy any sustainable lift.

Empirically, investment reliance on collateralised funding, systems have been found to be ineffective to boost economic sufficiency as a result all such systems have presented a shallow economy.

Researchers have repeatedly demonstrated this by developing a catalogue with countries operating banking products source of investment, and another for countries operating financial market as source of investment financing. The result was always incontrovertible! Countries deriving financing source from the financial market are mostly developed countries, meaning they have a deepened economy, while countries reliant on banking for investment are mostly third world countries, and all have shallow economies.

In Nigeria, because savings is scanty or non-existent, banking funds constitute the major source of investment, and the economy is thus shallow. The low purchasing power of the naira attests to the shallowness of the economy, and it will be simplistic to attribute the recession just to oil pricing challenges without reflecting on

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele the impact of low productivity in non-oil sectors of the economy.

Infusion of dollar into the economy does not address the purchasing power problem of the naira, although it may give impetus by way of subsidy to import, it will not address the issues of living standard and unemployment. President Muhammad Buhari’s initial reluctance to deregulate the FX rate was a sure palliative, if it was matched with local productive stimulation.

The stimulation of local productivity will require more than random policy thrust; it will require structure, law, concertedness, and organisation. Nigeria lacks all of these, and could not have achieved the stimulation of local productivity on random policy thrust as a result the President’s initial reluctance to

Financial market is pivotal to the resurgence in other sectors, and will kick start the Nigeria economy. As a viable Investment environment, Nigeria will be attractive to meaningful foreign investments and local participation.

Unemployment, corruption, and other ails, which actually are symptoms of ineffectiveness in current status quo, will at worst become an exception to the rule

Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun deregulation was overwhelmed by demand forces. Economic result responds to economic principles, Nigeria cannot be investing in consumer culture, when its problem is productivity and hope to achieve result.

The enabling environment for productivity can still be achieved with the President’s political will to resuscitate the Nigerian economy, by reforming the financial market with the primary objective to grow wealth. Wealth creation is the bye product of a viable financial market which Nigeria does not currently have, but could have through the strumming of the above factors.

There are a number of financial and intermediary institutions trading financial products in the country without the requisite market organisation due to absence of structure, and law as a result the objective of wealth creation is lost. Wealth creating function of the financial market is sustained through enabling structure, and effective regulation.

To randomly apply market instrument or loosely assign Institutions to market operations undermines market confidence, and prevents participation which thus impairs wealth creation.

To understand the importance of regulation, structure, and control, it is important to look at the meaning of security transaction and commodity trading: Security transaction in its simplest sense is investment into a business venture at the control and management of another person who promises a profit in return for the investment, and the promise is the motivation for the investment. Security transaction is therefore more than stocks and bonds.

While this article is not to look at types of security items, regulation is crucial in ensuring that(i) a venture thus exist or that there is a meaningful intention for one

to exist;(ii) the promise of profit is honoured; (iii) that savers are encouraged to invest. Regulation and structure is used to protect the public against exploitation, and to provide financing source for bona fide business growth.

Although transactional exemptions from regulation can be created, law must enforce public protection against any form of investment exploitations, and Ponzi schemes.

Absence of regulation or ineffective regulation impairs growth because of the absence of market confidence. Regulation by itself will be tested and strained if the requisite structure is absent for monitoring, control, and enforcement. To guarantee investment, the regulation and control mechanism must be robust and proactive not only for protection but also for market creativity.

Commodity trading traditionally is the exchange of desiderata between parties, but corresponding with societal growth, satisfaction in trading started to assume complexities and trading started to evolve different platforms to achieve the most proximate satisfaction. As a result trading types evolved from the traditional and oldest exchange form known as cash market or spot delivery.

Subsequently Forward Contract and Futures Contract evolved in sequence. Contingencies in trading also impacted the conditions of trade and so commodities could be bought OTC, on the exchange, or purchase may be on option basis.

Today satisfaction is still the key in trading and consequently trading objective is to manage the cost of risk, as a result there are mechanisms in commodities trading for risk redistribution like hedging. Hedging is just about managing risk, and could generate different sides of interests beside those of the buyer and seller of an underlining commodity; and those interest creates added value to the

benefit of all, as well as distribute risk in the process. For a single commodity on trade, there could be different sides which operate as speculators, arbitrageurs, and hedgers. Commodity trading is now very complex, thus if Nigeria expects to participate in global trade on equal term, we should expect the other or counterparty to seek maximise satisfaction which we don’t seem ready to offer as yet. Spot delivery is how Nigeria currently trade, and does not only make us unprepared for global trade, it deprives the country of legitimate earnings and employment opportunities.

Financial market’s objective is wealth creation and the liquidity generated from its activities help not only to support savings, but the proliferation of capital sources in the market, for investment needed to stimulate innovativeness and enterprise. Enterprise, liquidity flow, volatility control, and market close proximities are all interdependent and inures from a principled legal and structural support which allows inherent mechanisms to play, and guarantee investment fungibility. Investors look for this environment, and foreign governments welcome their citizens’ entry into such market. Nigeria has more to gain if we evolve a viable financial market.

Financial market is pivotal to the resurgence in other sectors, and will kick start the Nigeria economy. As a viable Investment environment, Nigeria will be attractive to meaningful foreign investments and local participation. Unemployment, corruption, and other ails, which actually are symptoms of ineffectiveness in current status quo, will at worst become an exception to the rule.

Henry Osazuwa Esq, can be reached on 08082409096 (SMS); Email: Henry.Osazuwa@law.nyls. edu

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

The abandoned Awka North General Hospital, Amanuke

A Story of Neglect David-Chyddy Eleke who took a tour of communities in Anambra North Local Government Area, with special emphasis on Amanuke community, reports that theirs is a tale of total neglect and near absence of government

A

wka North is one Anambra council areas that is made up of mostly agrarian communities, and is just few kilometres drive from Awka metropolis, which is the state capital of Anambra State. Despite this nearness to the capital, despite being renowned as the food basket of the state, communities that make up the local government have been condemned to lack and suffering as a result of decay in infrastructure and other amenities that can make life easy for the people.

Approaching Awka North LGA from Awka metropolis through Oby Okoli Road, off the Enugu/Onitsha Expressway into Mgbakwu, one is first greeted by the absence of good road, better still, a dusty or muddy road, depending on the day’s weather on the day of visit or the season of the year one visits. Through Urum, Awba Ofemili, Ebenebe, Achalla the headquarters of the local government and Amanuke, the story is the same thing. In some parts of the council area, two neighbouring communities have been severed by fallen bridges, leading to a total absence of access to each other, while accessing the state capital, a journey of most times less than 10 kilometres, the indigenes have to go through about three local government areas to return back to

the state capital.

In this way, their claims of being the food basket of the state have been diminished as their food stuff remain with them until

During a visit to Amanuke village, one of the communities that make up Awka North LGA, THISDAY gathered that the community despite being home to several millionaires, and also aides to the governor of Anambra State, the community has suffered neglect in all areas, ranging from healthcare, roads, schools, potable water and other basic infrastructure

traders find their way into the villages to buy their yams, cassava, garri and others at totally give away prices, only to sell back at cut throat prices as a result of money spent on high transportation.

During a visit to Amanuke village, one of the communities that make up Awka North LGA, THISDAY gathered that the community despite being home to several millionaires, and also aides to the governor of Anambra State, the community has suffered neglect in all areas, ranging from healthcare, roads, schools, potable water and other basic infrastructure.

The erosion ravaged community a source said has suffered bad roads from the creation of the new Anambra State, and successive governments have failed to recognise or even fix its amenities, leaving the people in want.

The Awka North General Hospital sited in Amanuke, said to be built by community effort in the '70s is one example of the decay.

The mighty edifice, standing in the middle of an expansive compound has been abandoned for many years, leaving it to serve as a pen for goats and shelter for village miscreants.

Our guide, Mr. Emmanuel Obinna told THISDAY that the hospital is supposed to serve the entire Awka North, but because of the abandonment of the property as a result of refusal by medical doctors to be resident in the area, residents have to source

alternative means to access healthcare.

“A lot of us who still believe in western medicine patronise chemists here, they are the people that check us at least through the duration of the pregnancy. We also access our routine drugs from them. It is during delivery that we now go to Urum, where there is a healthcare post for delivery. Going to Urum is not also easy because the road is bad, so most times we have to use motorcycle to get to the place,” a rural woman told this reporter.

Mrs. Uju Onwunyelu, another rural woman who sells cassava at the popular Orie Amanuke told THISDAY that, “We have a lot of challenges in this town, but chief among them is the absence of a hospital.”

He lamented that as a result of this, pregnant women, children and other sick people have to rely on patent medicine dealers for their health needs, and that they have to go to Urum, a neighbouring community each time a woman is to be delivered of a baby, while the condition has forced many to use traditional birth attendants, who are cheaper and more accessible, as there exists one in almost every family.”

Another respondent, Mrs. Grace Okafor, a farmer tasked government on roads, saying the lack of good roads was hindering them from selling their farm produce upon

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The abandoned Physics Laboratory in Community Secondary School, Amanuke

A block of classrooms in Union Primary School, Amanuke

A classroom in Union Primary School, Amanuke

A corpers lodge attached to Community Secondary School, Amanuke where three female corpers were raped recently

harvest. He said that to get to Awka, she has to charter a tricycle at a very high rate to take the goods to Awka where she can find willing buyers, instead of selling in the village where retailers come to buy them very cheap. She said the entire local government is populated by farmers, but lack of roads and functional transport system has driven them into subsistent farming, just to ensure survival.

In the area of educational facilities, members of the community lamented the backwardness of the area, blaming poor funding by the state governor for it. At Union Primary School, Amanuke, our guide, Obinna, pointed to a town hall being constructed by the leadership of the community with N20 million donated to it by the state government, right inside a school compound, questioning the rationale for building inside the school compound, or even having to build a town hall at all as the community already has three functional town halls. Looking at the primary school, though two new buildings have been erected through the Universal Basic Education project, THISDAY noticed that the buildings were poorly ventilated, just as inside of it lacked the basic necessities to make it conducive for health.

At Community Secondary School, Amanuke, THISDAY accessed its chemistry laboratory which our guide said had been abandoned because of its state of dilapidation. A former student of the school said the laboratory was abandoned after a new one was built, but the school management decided to use the new building as Physics lab, while retaining the chemistry lab in the dilapidated building. The school’s principal who refused to welcome our reporter said she was not interested in an interview, and also declined to introduce herself. She said she was not ready for an interview on the state of the school, referring this reporter to Awka for an interview with ‘the authorities’.

A community leader and pioneer transition committee chairman of Awka North, Hon.

The Awka North General Hospital sited in Amanuke, said to be built by community effort in the '70s is one example of the decay. The mighty edifice, standing in the middle of an expansive compound has been abandoned for many years, leaving it to serve as a pen for goats and shelter for village miscreants

Orie Amanuke, the biggest market in Amanuke community

Evangelist Ebenezer Okafor in an interview lamented the neglect in the area, while also absolving government of some of the rot.

For the abandoned general hospital, Okafor said the people of the area share partly in the blame for the collapse of the hospital, saying that low patronage and lack of use was the reason for the collapse. He said the people of the area prefer to patronise traditional medicine people, or even patents stores, because of the high bills from hospitals.

For this reason, most of the doctors sent to the hospital feel redundant. But our guide, Obinna, insisted that it was not true. He said that because of the backwardness of the area, the bad road and others, medical doctors posted to the area do not accept to stay. He said they usually returned after a

week assessment of the area to lobby for fresh posting, leaving the patients at the mercy of untrained nurses.

Another community leader, Chief Udegbunam Udegbunam while speaking on the measures adopted by the community to alert government of their suffering said the community has tasked and taxed itself severally, with hope to get some of their amenities working. He said as it stands, the community was also working to notify government of some of its challenges. He blamed the leadership of the community for the neglect, saying that because of divisions among them and Igweship tussle which has torn the town union apart, it cannot speak with one voice and work in unity to attract government presence in the community. He

said only unity will help the community to speak with one voice to attract government presence in the community.

THISDAY however reached out to the local government chairman of the local government, Chief Onwuka Lawrence Emeka for reaction as to how he plans to liberate most of the communities in his local government area especially Amanuke, but a visit to his office was not successful and he was said to be out of office. One of his aides who refused to introduce himself however stated that the chairman was only appointed as a transition committee chairman a week ago and had only assumed office a day before, meaning that he may not be abreast with happenings in the various communities until he has gotten himself acquainted with the council area. Until then, the community will continue in its sorry state, hoping on government presence someday.

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Buhari to Send Harmonised Electoral Bill to National Assembly Ken Nnamani’s committee submits report next week Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja A member of the Presidential Committee on Electoral Reforms, Mr. Clement Nwankwo, has said the report of the committee will be ready in the next few weeks.

He also said the committee expects President Muhammadu Buhari to send a harmonised version of what the Senate, House of Representatives and that of the Presidential Committee on Electoral Reforms headed by Dr. Ken Nnamani to the National

Supreme Court to Decide on Finality of Industrial Court Decisions June 30 Davidson Iriekpen The Supreme Court will on June 30, 2017, decide whether the decisions of National Industrial Court (NIC) are generally appeallable to the Court of Appeal or are restricted to only appeals on questions of fundamental rights as contained in Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

A full panel of eminent jurists of the apex court presided over by Justice Mary Peter-Odili last week heard arguments from parties who contend that the decisions of NIC are generally appealable on one hand and parties who contend to the contrary on the other hand in consolidated appeals that came by way of reference under section 295 of the 1999 Constitution.

The Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal had in 2014 referred to the apex court the appeal in Mainstreet Bank Ltd (now Skye Bank Limited) vs Victor Anaemen Iwu seeking a resolution of the substantial question of law on finality of decisions of NIC. The Skye Bank appeal was consolidated with another related appeal - Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited vs Mrs. Titilayo Akinsanya in which the Court of Appeal Lagos Division had in 2013 held that there is no general right of appeal for a litigant against the decision of the NICN except as limited in Section 243(2)-(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) At the resumed hearing of the appeals, the court hall was filled to the brim with lawyers, litigants and other interested parties including some judges of the National Industrial Court who came to observe the court’s proceedings.

The issue of ‘finality’ of the decisions of NIC has recently generated a lot of controversy in the legal profession; among litigants, employees and employers of labour and the academia resulting in conflicting decisions by the Court of Appeal in various divisions.

Sources at various registries of the Court of Appeal across the country indicated that there are not less than 100 appeals now put on hold awaiting the outcome of the decision of the Supreme Court on the vexed issue.

The conflicting decisions of the Court of Appeal arose mainly in their interpretation of Sections 240 and 243 (1-4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) by the 3rd Alteration Act of 2010. The 3rd Alteration had promoted the National Industrial Court (NIC) from the status of an inferior court to a superior court of records having the same powers like a High Court.

Section 240 of the Constitution as amended listed the NIC as one of the courts from which an appeal can lie from their decisions to the

Court of Appeal.

However, section 243(2) granted a right of appeal to litigants in matters relating to fundamental rights connected to the jurisdiction of NIC as of right but section 243(3) provided that “An appeal shall only lie from the decision of the National Industrial Court to the Court of Appeal as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly ... while Section 243(4) then provided that “...the decisions of the Court of Appeal on appeals on the civil jurisdiction of the National Industrial Court shall be final.”

On February 13 and 15, 2013, the Court of Appeal sitting at Ado-Ekiti Division decided four cases viz: Local Government Service Commission, Ekiti State and Anor. Vs Mr. M. A. Jegede (2013) Lpelr-21131; Local Government Service Commission, Ekiti State and Anor. Vs Mr. M. K. Bamisaye (2013) Lpelr-20407; Local Government Service Commission, Ekiti State and Anor. Vs Francis Oluyemi Olamiju (2013) Lpelr-20409, and Local Government Service Commission, Ekiti State and Anor. Vs Mr. G. O. Asubiojo (2013) Lpelr-20403, that litigants have right of appeal as of right in matters relating to fundamental rights as granted by section 243(2) of the Constitution and also that litigants can appeal with leave of the Court of Appeal on all other matters.

In other words, the Appeal Court held that the NIC is not a final court and that the decisions of the NIC are appealable to the Court of Appeal.

However, later in the same year, the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal surprisingly, in the ‘Coca Cola case’ -Coco-Cola (Nig) Limited vs. Akinsanya (2013) 18 NWLR (pt.

1386) 225 - delivered on July 4, 2013, held that until the National Assembly passes a law granting litigants right of appeal with leave, that the right does not exist.

In other words, it held that the right of appeal from decisions of the NIC to the Court of Appeal is limited to decisions of the NIC relating to fundamental rights.

This was the confusing state of the law until Dr. Charles Mekwunye, a Lagos-based lawyer, appearing for Skye Bank, lodged an appeal at the Court of Appeal and thereafter applied for a reference to the Supreme Court, seeking the interpretation of the said sections of the constitution.

Mekwunye when contacted, declined comments, saying that he has done his bit as a servant of the legal profession and has left the rest for the highest court in the land to decide.

Fees Ekeh, the respondent’s counsel did not pick or return calls made to him at the time of going to press.

Assembly for passage into law.

Stating these during a telephone conversation with THISDAY in Abuja, Nwakwo said all the relevant sections in the Electoral Act had been amended to accommodate technological innovations in future elections as there is no refrain from the constitution prohibiting the use of technology during elections.

He added that the report of the presidential committee would be ready before the end of the month and that the president would send an executive bill to the National Assembly for harmonisation.

“Amendments were made to the use of the card reader in the Electoral Act, in terms of the constitution there is no constitutional restrain; because the relevant sections in the Electoral Act were amended to provide for the method of voting, collation and transmission of results.”

‘’But it’s also important to emphases that this amended Electoral Act is only the Senate version; so we will have to wait for the House’s version. Hopefully, we should have the report of the Ken Nnamani committee report by the end of this month. The president would have to send his own proposal as an Executive Bill to both houses of the National Assembly. The National assembly will harmonize the bill and send it to the President for assent. ‘’You know the Senate’s version, which I hope will be upheld by both houses will be sent to the President for assent,’’ he stated.

Nwakwo further said the Electoral Act as amended by the Senate empowers the Independent Electoral National Commission (INEC) to use technology in the conduct of elections such as the use of card readers for accreditations

and voting, compilation and transmission of results.

He added: “The Senate version empowers the sending of polling unit results to a central server, which then is collated at that level. It empowers media observers to use technology send whatever result they have.

“Once anybody has the polling unit results, he can collate across all of the polling units to get the totality of the results. I think that will aid credible elections and help civil society, the media and the political parties to get a well collated result.”

He said people can only project a possible winner based on the collated figures but will have to wait for INEC to declare the official result “I don’t think anybody can announce result; it is the responsibility of INEC to announce

results. I think what people can do is to project likely winners of elections because if you can tabulate polling units results yourself and that is what this law is seeking to achieve, then you can project a winner without necessarily announcing the result.” ‘’It happened in the Ghana in the last elections in December and I was there that the polling unit results were accessible to the media, observers and political parties and the opposition already knew at 10pm on the night of elections that they have won and the following morning it was just a formality announcing it. ‘’So I think we have to get to that point where you do not have somebody in INEC watching and altering results after they have seen the calculations and seen that their preferred candidates are not winning.” he said.

CONSULTATIVE VISIT

L-R: Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (left), in hand shake with the Managing Director/CEO, Kaduna Electric, Mr. Garba Haruna, during the MD’s visit to Government House, Birnin Kebbi...recently

Conference of Speakers to Support Agitation for LG Autonomy Hammed Shittu in Ilorin The Conference of Speakers in the 36 Houses of Assembly may have concluded arrangement to back the current agitation by the leadership of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to ensure the realisation of autonomy for both state Houses of Assembly and local government areas in the country.

Already, the Speakers are poised to back the NULGE when the constitutional amendment on the local government councils autonomy kick off across the nation’s state assemblies.

The Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr. Ali Ahmad, gave the indication in Ilorin, the state capital, at the weekend when the members and leaders of NULGE in the North Central zone of the country staged a peaceful protest to the state House of Assembly complex, Ilorin to solicit the support of the assembly for the ongoing

agitation for the local government autonomy in the country.

During the protest, the workers in the 16 local government councils in the state moved from Sango, Moraba, Post Office and finally to the state assembly complex.

The workers were armed with placards with various inscriptions like: ‘Stop illegal deductions of federal allocations of local government councils,’ ‘We don’t want JAAC (Joint Account Allocation Committee) again,’ ‘We want financial independence at local government councils,” among others.

The Speaker however, said: “Granting of Autonomy to state Houses of Assembly and local government councils in the country will go along way to strengthen the nation’s hard won democracy.”

Ahmed said the development would also make the concept of democracy more meaningful to

an average Nigerians.

He added that: “To this end, the state House of Assembly has resolved to actualise this when it is the turn of state legislature to play its part in the on going constitutional amendment.”

Ahmad represented by the Assembly Leader, Hon. Hassan Oyeleke, explained that the granting of autonomy to the first arm of government and the third tier of government in the nation’s constitution, would further reinforce the doctrine of checks and balances and spread of dividends of democracy to every nook and cranny of the country.

The speaker who disclosed that the eighth legislature under his watch has been people-oriented in its legislative activities since its inception in June 2015, assured that he was dedicated towards ensuring that at least two third of the state Houses of Assembly in Nigeria vote in favour of the autonomy

in the nation’s constitutional amendment.

Earlier, the National President of NULGE, Ibrahim Khalid, said the union embarked on the rally in all the six geo- political zones of the country to sensitise the state legislatures on the need to support autonomy for local government councils in the on going constitutional amendment to permanently address issues impeding effective local government administration in the country.

Khalid whose position document was delivered by the Deputy National President, South West, Famola Oluwadare, equally among other things, called for the abolition of Joint Account Allocation Committee, scrapping of the state Independent Electoral Commission and payment of percentage of salaries to local government workers to engender effective local government administration in the country.

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SERAP Asks Buhari to Resolve Doubts over Real Identities of Those Behind $45m Haul in Ikoyi Davidson Iriekpen Following the controversy surrounding the ownership of the N13billion found by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the Osborne Towers in Ikoyi, Lagos State, the SocioEconomic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently address the country on the matter so as to clarify the issue, and resolve lingering doubts among Nigerians

regarding the real owner(s) of the cash.

The organisation also called on the president to ensure legal backing for his government whistle-blowing policy by vigorously pursuing the passing by the National Assembly of the Whistle-blower Bills.”

Both Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) last week reportedly claimed ownership of the cash, casting doubts on the ‘real claimants.’

In a statement issued yesterday

by SERAP Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organisation said: “The government increasing reliance on whistleblowers’ tips to fight corruption has to be backed by some level of transparency and accountability in the real identities of those claiming recovered cash. Clearing the doubts surrounding the real identities of those behind the Ikoyi cash haul would demonstrate that the president values transparency

Oshiomhole Consoles Tony Anenih over Wife’s Death A former Governor of Edo State, Mr. Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, has sent a condolence message to the former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Tony Anenih over the death of his wife, Patricia, who passed away at the age of 74.

Oshiomhole, who described Tony Anenih as his leader, said in a statement yesterday that the news of the passing on of Patricia struck him with shock.

“When death comes, it leaves us speechless, mournful and sorrowful, making us to do a quick review of life and its ephemerality. It leaves on its trail anguish and a deep sense of painful nostalgia, with blurred memories. It hurts and discomforts.

It disorients our sensibilities and famishes our thoughts. No matter how old, when death comes, it

conveys very painful memories,” he said.

“The death of your wife of many years, Patricia Anenih; aged 74, leaves a bitter taste in our mouth. I know how it feels having travelled this road before when I lost my wife and a true companion of many years to the cold hands of death. It’s a feeling that comes with disheartening nuances and discomforting scenarios. Often times, we are consoled by the achievements of the dead and the exemplary life they lived during their time here on mother earth,” Oshiomhole added.

Oshiomhole described Anenih’s wife and the matriarch of the Anenih dynasty, as a role model to many women.

According to the former governor, Patricia held the home

front with dignity, class and distinction, especially on many occasions when the home almost became a public place on account of his husband’s engagements in the political history of Nigeria.

“Her quintessential conduct distinguished her as a woman of fantastic background, nurtured in the emulative indices of a unique thoroughbred. She was calm and unassuming, always beaming with smiles at visitors and making sure one feels at home as soon as one steps his feet into your home,” he said.

Oshiomhole described the loss as a huge loss not just to Tony Anenih, whom he described as his leader, but to all the people, including Oshiomhole, who have had opportunity to connect with Anenih in one way or the other.

Emeh Salutes 7,800 APC Defectors in Rivers, Congratulates PDP, Wike The new members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State have been congratulated for their courageous decision to dump the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The commendation came from the former Chief of Staff, Rivers State Government House, Chief Emeh Glory Emeh, while speaking with journalists in Port Harcourt.

Last Thursday, over 7,800 APC members had publicly defected to the PDP at the Sharks Stadium in Port Harcourt.

The defectors were received by the state Governor, Nyesom Wike and other leaders of the PDP. But Emeh, former Commissioner for Transport and Aviation in the state described the defectors as brave sailors who knew when to dump a sinking ship, just as he commended the PDP in the state and Wike for his open heart, and receptive disposition to the new members of the PDP. He described the governor as a “pragmatic leader; an advocate of peace and unity which has cemented the bond of fraternal

coexistence, and broken the barriers of ethnic separatism, thereby abolishing the age long riverine/ upland dichotomy in Rivers State.”

Emeh, however, advised those who think that the Brick House would be vacant in 2019 to think twice, as according to him, Wike has shown that ability to perform should be the precondition for voting any body into office, rather than primordial sentiments.

He urged politicians to be united and play politics without bitterness.

Protesters Pelt Masari, Lawmakers with Stones The Senator representing Katsina South, Abu Ibrahim, and Amiru Tukur, the member representing Bakori/Danja federal constituency, Katsina State, in the House of Representatives narrowly escaped mob action at a political event organised by the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the weekend in Funtua.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that it took a combined teams of security personnel to rescue notable politicians, including the state governor’s entourage, as they came under attack from protesters.

Stones and shoes were used in attacking the dignitaries.

Some vehicles in the entourage of the governor were smashed by irate youths while security personnel had to use tear-gas to disperse the crowds and free the dignitaries.

The event was an APC rally where the ruling party was

accepting defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) and other parties into its fold.

The event however ended abruptly.

Reports said trouble started when some youths started chanting “Bamaso Abu Ibrahim’’ (We don’t want Senator Abu Ibrahim) and then started throwing stones and shoes at dignitaries and entertainers invited to perform at the event.

Tukur, the representative from the area, suffered injury while Ibrahim, along with some of his aides and supporters,who were trying to rescue the senator, were also assaulted.

Before the proceedings descended into chaos, Governor Aminu Masari had urged party members to promote the party’s manifesto.

The governor reiterated his

administration’s commitment to giving proactive leadership that would turn around things for the better in the state.

He said the government would ensure increased investments in education, health, water supply, agriculture among other areas.

In his remarks, the Katsina State Chairman of the APC, Shitu Shitu, said thousands of people were trooping to the party based on its achievements, adding that similar rally was organised in Dutsi local government for Katsina North senatorial zone recently.

He assured the new members of fair treatment in the party’s affairs.

Speaking on behalf of those who defected, a former Chairman of Malumfashi Local Government Area, Mansur Banki, said he led more than 5,000 persons to join the APC from the PDP because of the good programmes of President Muhammadu Buhari and Masari.

over secrecy, provide further encouragement to blow the whistle on governmental corruption, and enhance the public right to know.”

According to the organisation, “Democracy abhors secrecy, and for Nigerians to be able to hold elected leaders accountable, they must have access to information such as on the real identities of those behind the Ikoyi cash haul. This transparency is fundamental to the operation of the government’s whistle-blower policy, and inextricably rooted in the notions of good governance and the rule of law under the 1999 constitution (as amended).”

The statement read in part: “No good comes from secrecy in governance, as officials who have become accustomed to operating without accountability are loath to relinquish the power that comes from conducting their business without public scrutiny. When public authorities resist efforts to shine a light on their activities, it gives the impression that there is something to hide. It’s counter-productivetooverstate national security based secrecy needs, as secrecy encourages poorly informed and under-vetted decision-making.

“Public scrutiny is a prerequisite for changing harmful, entrenched practices. Rather than operating the whistle-blowers policy as hidden, mysterious mechanism at the far edge of democracy, this government should make the operation of policy

more transparent and accessible to the public. Both transparency and accountability are necessary to uphold the rights of victims of corruption and ensure that suspected perpetrators are held to account. The ‘sky will not fall’ if the true identities of those behind the Ikoyi cash haul are revealed.

“It’s clear that as the EFCC continues to uncover more suspected looted or ill-gotten cash, those blowing the whistle will need greater level of protection.

But without outlawing retaliation and attacks against whistle-blowers, and taking a firm stance on protecting them, the incentive of bounty rewards would be negated, as potential whistle-blowers may be discouraged from performing invaluable public interest service.

“It shouldn’t be the case that the government knows the risks of whistle-blowing and yet fails to provide the needed legal protection against retaliation and attacks, regardless of whether whistle-blowers are entitled to bounties.

“The policy of giving whistleblowers some percentage of recovered loot would seem to be a game changer in the fight against corruption but this government now has to squarely address the significant risks that those who blow the whistle faced urgently working with

the National Assembly to ensure the necessary legal backing that would ensure protection against reprisals and attacks.

“The government should ensure that the National Assembly expedites the process of passing the Whistle-blower Bill, as ensuring that the bill is passed without further delay would recognise the necessity of whistleblowers and the value they add to the anti-corruption fight by reporting otherwise unknown corruption-related information. It would also ensure that whistleblowers are fully protected from any retaliation and attacks they may experience, and that the government fully appreciates the information they provide.

“Continuing the delay in the passing of the Whistle-Blower Bill would have a chilling effect on potential whistleblowers and hinder the public’s ability to learn about the kind of cash haul found in Ikoyi and elsewhere across the country. It’s also contrary to Article 33 of the United Nations Convention on Corruption, which Nigeria has ratified. The convention obligates the government to put in place appropriate measures to provide protection against any unjustified treatment for any person who reports in good faith and on reasonable grounds to the competent authorities any facts concerning offences established in accordance with the convention.”

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Ekweremadu Lauds Nigerians for Their Investment in Democracy Rates Enugu most peaceful state in Nigeria The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has lauded Nigerians for their support and investment in democracy, which he said, has helped sustain the democratic process in the country.

He also commended the Governor of Enugu State, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, for making peace and development the cornerstones of his administration, thereby turning Enugu into the most peaceful state in the country.

Trouble in Awka as Kingmakers Dethrone Traditional Ruler David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka The Awka Council of Kingmakers, yesterday announced the dethronement of the traditional ruler of Awka Kingdom, Obi Gibson Nwosu.

The council listed alleged violation of the community’s constitution perpetrated by the monarch as part of the reasons for his removal.

They accused him of violating the Traditional Rulers’ Amended Constitution for Awka 1986; as well as Code of Conduct which he reportedly signed in January 1, 2000 after he was crowned.

At a press conference attended by the members of Awka Council of Kingmakers held at the Obu of the Chairman of Awka Council of Kingmakers in Umuogbu Awka, Ozo Obuora Essell, the council said the action took place on April 14, 2017 in liaison with the Ndichie Awka.

In a statement signed by the Secretary of the council, Chief Emmanuel C.G. Okechukwu and

its Chairman, Ozo Obuora Essell, it also announced the Head of Ozo Awka as the Regent in accordance with the 1986 constitution of Awka pending the election and installation of new Ezeuzu Awka.

The statement read, “Dr Gibson Nwosu was dethroned after he failed to come to defend himself from numerous acts of his violation of the Code of Conduct signed by him on January 1, 2000, after he was crowned.

“Some of the allegations further violated the Traditional Rulers Amended Constitution for Awka Town 1986; and some of these vices are: Violating the grounds of his pardon by Awka People after he did “Osu na Nkiti for his previous transgressions.”

Reacting, the dethroned monarch, Nwosu, dismissed the group, saying that they have no such powers to remove him.

He said the group were not the authentic kingmakers.

“They are not the kingmakers of Awka and have no powers to remove me. We have the authentic kingmakers,” he said.

Monarch Wants Traditional Rulers to Refrain from Politics Joshua Odebisi The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, has called on traditional rulers in the country to refrain from partisan politics at both the federal and state levels, to enable them attend to matters affecting their communities and address the challenges of the people they preside over.

The Obi of Onitsha who was a guest speaker at a public lecture organised by the Yoruba Tennis Club in Lagos recently, also called on the National Assembly to amend the constitution in such a way that it would promote non-involvement of traditional rulers in partisan politics.

Speaking on the theme, ‘The traditional institution in the Modern Nigerian Society,’ the Obi said: “Traditional rulers have no business taking part in partisan politics.”

According to him, state governments have adequate laws that clearly defines the role of traditional rulers and this should be implemented as well at the federal level.

“The laws governing the traditional institution are enacted at the state government level only and this provides strictly for consultative and advisory functions for the state traditional councils set up by these laws. There is no equivalent provision at the federal government level. It is therefore imperative that the roles of the traditional rulers are well captured and given legal backing in the constitution of the federal government,” the Obi said.

The constitution, he added, should recognise the role of the traditional institution in communal life, such as mobilising the community for enlightenment, education, economic empowerment, peace building, safety, security and custodianship and leadership in advancing our culture.

“It is also necessary for the constitution to guarantee funding for community development activities over the existing provision of five per cent of the gross statutory allocation to the local governments, which is not even guaranteed and is haphazardly implemented,” he said.

The Obi gave a brief history of Nigeria’s traditional rulers from the time of colonialism, through the military era, up to the age of the new political elite and commended their roles in nation development.

According to him, our traditional institution today is probably at its peak of popular acceptance, compared to other periods since the colonial times. A nationwide perception study carried out in 2010

by Professor Sylvanus Cookey and four other senior academics, found overwhelming support in all parts of the country for the traditional institution as being relevant to the lives of the people.

He said the reason for it was due to a combination of factors such as the counter reaction to globalisation, the declining confidence in modern political institution, and the rising calibre and leadership abilities of the emerging traditional rulers.

Ekweremadu made the statements at the grand reception organised in his honour by Agbada Nenwe community in Nenwe, Aninri Local Government Area in Enugu State at the weekend.

He said: “Nigerians have left no one in doubt that they want democracy to succeed. Even in extreme hardship, they have continued to endure and make sacrifices. The resilience and patience of our people are unmatchable.

However, leaders must reciprocate

the unalloyed fait people’s and resilience in protecting the nation’s democracy by delivering good governance and development.

“I enjoin Nigerians to continue to support government at all levels because I am sure that there will be light at the end of the tunnel.

But as leaders, we must eschew recrimination, divisiveness, and deploy the best hands on deck to move the nation forward.”

Ekweremadu commended Agbada Nenwe community for

the newfound peace in the area and urged the people to sustain it by continually emulating the peaceful and humble dispositions of the state governor.

“I want to specially commend Ugwuanyi for enthroning peace and harmony in the state. There is no doubt that Enugu is the most peaceful state in the country,” he stressed.

Earlier, the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe F.N. Imoh, said the honour accorded

Ekweremadu was in appreciation of the numerous projects and services he had rendered to the community, such as the Nenwe-Oduma-Uburu road, rural electrification, water projects, scholarships through the Ikeoha Foundation, construction of Information Communication Technology (ICT) centres, appointments, among others.

Igwe Imo said that Nigeria would develop faster if every political leader toed Ekweremadu’s footsteps.

SEASON’S GREETINGS

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike (middle), his wife, Justice Eberechi Suzzette (right); and former Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, during Easter church service at Saint Peter’s Anglican Church in Rumuepirikom,

Tambuwal Commends Sokoto Assembly for Passing Right to Education Law Mohammed Aminu in Sokoto Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, yesterday described the passage of the Right to Education law by the state House of Assembly as a great leap geared towards providing free and compulsory basic education to all children in the state.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Public Affairs, Malam Imam Imam, made available to journalists in Sokoto.

The statement said the

lawmakers deserve special praise considering the diligent manner they committed themselves to the passage of the important legislation.

According to the statement, this was a key intervention in the state government’s efforts to expand access to education in the state.

“The decision to pass this law has given us the necessary legal framework to push forward our policy of the state of emergency we declared in the sector over a year ago. We commend especially members of the assembly’s committee on education who showed enough zeal and determination to convince their colleagues to pass the bill at a

record time.

“As the first state in Nigeria to make education a right, we hope to implement the provisions of the law to the latter. For us, the work on realising our objectives for the education sector has only just begun.

“We seek the support and cooperation of members of the public and all stakeholders, local and international, to enable us provide quality and accessible education to our children,” the statement read.

The statement added that the working relationship existing between the three arms of government in the state is worthy

of emulation from all and sundry, adding that the same zeal would be extended to ensure smooth passage of other executive bills currently before the lawmakers.

The Right to Education law will compel government and parents to ensure all children between the ages of six and 18 are educated on public expense.

It also prescribes punishment for parents and guardians who refuse to let their children attend school.

This also include the institutionalisation of the SchoolBased Management Committee (SBMC), which ensures public schools are properly supervised by parents and members of the public.

Borno Monarch Calls for Reversal of Ndume’s Suspension Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri The Emir of Shani in Borno State, Alhaji Mohammed Sanusi Mailafiya, has appealed to the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and other senators to reverse the suspension placed on Senator Ali Ndume.

Ndume was suspended last month by the Senate after calling for the investigation of both Senators Saraki and Dino Melaye, for which they cleared.

Speaking at the weekend during the official launch and distribution of

poverty alleviation materials by the embattled senators to youths, women and less-privileged persons in Borno South, the traditional ruler insisted that the suspension of the former Senate Leader amounted the suspension of the people of Borno South from the Senate.

He said with the suspension, Ndume’s immense contributions to the people of his constituency and his unreserved commitment to always stand for the truth and fight against corruption has been put on hold.

He said Ndume has been very supportive and a crusader to President Muhammadu Buhari’s

fight against corruption, stressing that, “if Ndume erred on the floor of National Assembly by giving an information which later turned to be unsubstantiated, that does not mean that he committed a crime or breached the constitution that can warrant his suspension.”

The traditional ruler however appealed to the Senate leadership to recall Ndume back immediately, arguing that the ongoing suspension of the senator is a total disregard to he fundamental human rights of the people of his constituency and Borno State, in general.

Ndume who was cheered up

by a mammoth crowd, thanked the emir for his concern and effort at sustaining peace and harmony among his subjects. Ndume told the emir that he was in his domain to distribute poverty alleviation materials to over 200 beneficiaries, in addition to N30,000 cash for each of the 119 APC youth coordinators with 119 women receiving N20,000 each from his Foundation to start up small scale businesses. The poverty alleviation materials according to Ndume, comprised 25 Keke Napep (tricycles), 35 grinding machines, 45 sewing machines, 30 bicycles, 30 vulcanising machines, among others.

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Group Questions FG’s Corruption Fight after N13.3bn Discovery David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Inter Society has called to question the fight against corruption by the federal government.

The group called on the

federal government to account for the monies so far recovered as government cannot claim to be fighting corruption whereas monies recovered cannot be accounted for.

According to a statement by the Chairman of its Board of Trustees (BoT), Emeka Umeagbalasi, “Nigerians want

Kaduna Electric Seeks Bagudu’s Support on Bills Payment The Managing Director of Kaduna Electric, Mr. Garba Haruna, has appealed to the Governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, to help mobilise the entire residents of the state to appreciate the value of electricity and the need to pay electricity bills as at when due.

Haruna made the appeal when he led the management team of the company on a courtesy visit to the governor at Government House, Birnin Kebbi.

He said when citizens live up to their responsibilities, it would help the distribution companies to effectively carry out their duties of distributing power to customers and strengthen to the power value chain.

He disclosed that the company was being repositioned for effective service delivery and expressed appreciation to the governor for the enduring partnership and

mutually beneficial relationship that is existing between the company and the Kebbi state government.

The governor in his remark, applauded the management of Kaduna Electric for its innovative management and untiring efforts at ensuring steady and qualitative power supply to the state capital and environs.

The Kebbi State Governor described “electricity as not only an instrument for social comfort but, an economic necessity and catalyst for human development.”

He charged Haruna whom he described as a worthy ambassador of Kebbi State to look at the power supply challenges in Zuru and Yauri Emirates of the state with a view to addressing it.

He pledged his administration’s continue support and cooperation to Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company.

Ngillari’s Bail in Order, Says Civil Society Group Sunday Okobi Coalition of Civil Society and Media Executives for Media Stability (COCMEP) has described as false and mischievous public speculations that the bail granted the immediate past Governor of Adamawa State, Bala Ngillari, was manipulated through forged documents by prison officials.

In a statement signed by Executive Director of COCMEP, Innocent Okadigbo, and made available to THISDAY, the group stated that based on their investigation, the same state High Court Judge in Yola which convicted the ex-governor on March 6, 2017, exercised his discretion pursuant to order 342(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code to grant the bail after examining the motion and affidavits for the bail, medical records from Nigerian and foreign hospitals on Ngillari’s ailments for over six years, report of the failing health condition of the former governor in Yola Prison and counter-affidavit from the office of the Attorney-General of the state.

The civil society group exonerated the Yola Prison staff of any blame and wrongdoing in the matter “because they merely responded to the court warrant explaining why they could not produce Ngillari in the court due to his bad and failing health condition.”

According to Okadigbo, “It could have amounted to

administrative dereliction of duty and judicial contempt of court if the prison staff did not respond to the court warrant to produce the ex-governor in court, and as such, the Prison headquarters should clear their Yola staff of any wrongdoing for carrying out their lawful duties.

“If there was any wrongdoing by the prison staff, the judge would have noted it and punished the staff accordingly,” the statement added.

Okadigbo blamed the aftermath which followed the bail and the punishment of Yola Prison staff on the former governor’s political traducers who are hell-bent in punishing him for certain vested interests, urging the entire public to discountenance the speculations that Yola Prison staff forged documents for Ngillari’s bail which he described as spurious and wicked.

He further claimed that there is no such forged document and challenged anybody to produce and tender such forged document publicly.

The statement further stated that the judge took note of part of the motion which stated that Ngillari’s appeal pending at the Court of Appeal is recondite and substantial, and cited Section 58 (5) of the supposed law as one of the issues to be determined by the Court of Appeal as to whether Ngillari’s conviction was in order.

to know about the discovery of over N13.3billion domiciled in foreign currencies including United States dollars, British pounds and naira notes at a high rising building in Ikoyi, Lagos State.

“Not long ago, on February 3, 2017, officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) claimed that they discovered and recovered another mysterious sum of $9.8million domiciled in dollars and pounds. The discovery and recovery, according to EFCC, were made in a house located in Kaduna State belonging to a

former Managing Director of NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu.

“Critics also alleged that the said former NNPC managing director is presently having some political differences with the incumbent Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasiru el-Rufai, possibly over next governorship poll in the state.

“As if these are not enough, the EFCC has illicitly embarked on further mysterious cash discovery jamboree by invading markets and other private business outlets, confiscating cash sums belonging to some innocent business operators.

These include N49million it

claimed to have discovered at the Kaduna airport on March 14, 2017; N448million confiscated at a Lagos Bureau de Change plaza on April 7, 2017, and another N250million confiscated inside a shop located at Balogun Market in Lagos.

“The legal basis and intents of these operations as well as their genuineness have remained sketchy, shoddy, blatant, brazen and condemnable. In crime, guilty act (actus reus) can never secure competent investigation, prosecution, conviction and sentencing except it is combined with guilty mind (mens rea).

“Till date, and as we

write, the generality of Nigerians do not know the whereabouts of all the monies that the DSS, EFCC and the federal government claimed falsely or otherwise to have recovered since the mysterious cash discovery and recovery jamboree was started by the DSS in October 2016.

“Whether such mysterious cash actually and genuinely exists or were arranged and periodically planted to frame up regime enemies and falsely shore up the so-called federal government’s anti-corruption crusade have totally remained outside the collective or public knowledge.”

SUPER STARS GATHER FOR GLO

L-R: Nollywood legend, Richard Mofe Damijo (RMD); Secretary to the Anambra State Government (SSG), Professor Solo Chukwulobelu; Nollywood star and Globacom brand Ambassador, Patience Ozokwor, (aka Mama G); and another Nollywood star, Kanayo O. Kanayo, at the Glo Mega Music Nationwide tourinAwka....weekend

Saraki Defends Constituency Projects for Lawmakers Hammed Shittu in Ilorin The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, at the weekend canvassed for more provision of constituency projects for execution by lawmakers across the country.

He said such provision would allow the lawmakers to impact on the lives of their constituents.

Saraki disclosed this in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, after his turbaning as ‘Baba Adini’ of Ansarul Islam Society of Nigeria.

The Senate President proceeded from the venue of the ceremony to the sites of his ongoing constituency projects for inspection.

He inspected erosion controls projects at Oja-Gboro, Ubandawaki/Oloje/Ajikobi, Abata Baba-Oyo and Digital Capacity Building Centre at Ansarul Islam secondary school, Ilorin. The projects were facilitated by his office.

The Digital Capacity Building Centre is at the instance of National Information Technology Development

Agency (NITDA).

With the projects inspection, the Senate president explained that it was clear to the discerning minds that the projects were real contrary to the impression that constituency project was an avenue to fritter away public funds.

He expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work done on the projects, saying they will impact positively on the lives of the residents.

He said: “I’m happy with

the quality of work; I am happy would the impact it has created. There has been a lot of criticism due to lack of knowledge when you talk about constituency projects.

“These are projects needed at the grass root. These are projects people have been yearning for over ten years ago.

“These are projects are real unlike the impression that constituency project is just money people share. So, I’m proud that those who elected us can see the benefit of the projects.”

Foundation Honours Teachers in Lagos Meadow Hall Foundation, a non-profit organisation, borne out of a need to improve the educational outcomes of the Nigerian child, has announced its annual merit-based Inspirational Educator Awards (INSEA), which is aimed at elevating the teaching profession and motivating school teachers and educational leaders to continue to strive for excellence in their

profession.

A subsidiary of Meadow Hall Group, The Inspirational Educator Awards (INSEA), a meritbased award organised by Meadow Hall Foundation (MHF), is split into two categories; The Inspirational Teacher of the Year Award and The Inspirational Head Teacher of the Year Award.

The Inspirational Teacher of the Year Award is aimed at honouring teachers dedicated to imparting life-long learning in their students.

This prestigious award recognises, rewards, and promotes excellence in the teaching profession.

A cash award of 1,000,000 will be given to a resourceful, caring and innovative teacher who has made an inspirational

impact on his or her students and community.

The Inspirational Head Teacher of the Year Award is aimed at honouring head teachers (head-teachers/ headmasters/ headmistresses/ principals) dedicated to achieving optimal school effectiveness. The prestigious award recognises the importance school leaders have on our educational system.

52

MONDAY APRIL 17, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

EASTER FELICITATIONS...

EASTER FELICITATIONS...

Saraki, Governors, Others Preach Peace at Easter As Christians all over the world celebrate Easter, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has admonished Nigerians to continue to live in peace and unity in the spirit of the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in order to move the nation forward.

In his Easter message issued yesterday, he equally appealed to Nigerians to continue to have confidence in the All Progressives Congress (APC) -led federal government, assuring them that the government was working hard to overcome myriad of challenges confronting the country.

Saraki also called on the citizens to be optimistic and stay focused.

“My message is for us to live in peace and unity. I know that we will continue to make sacrifice, and we should be hopeful that the country will get better. We should be hopeful that we will attain our promises with time. We just have to stay focused and determined and should not get distracted. I’m sure that at the end of the day, we will get there.

“But the most important thing is that there must be unity and peace, and we must be able to come together and support government to be able to do our best. People should not give up. They should be rest assured that all is going to be well,” the Senate president noted.

Nigerians Charged to Imbibe the Lessons of Easter Wife of the Kogi State Governor, Mrs. Rashida Bello, has charged Nigerians to imbibe the lessons of Easter and offer selfless services for the development of the country as she also enjoined the people of the state to continue to pray for President Muhammadu Buhari as he leads the country out of recession.

The state first lady in an Easter message signed by her Senior Special Assistant on Media, Olamide Adesoro, said the present situation in the country demanded collective efforts from the people.

According to her, since Easter celebration is about selflessness as exhibited by Jesus Christ, the people should also endeavour to think of how the country can move forward with their collective efforts.

Bello, who is also the founder of the Kogi Women and Youth Advancement Foundation (KOWYAF), however, pledged to continue to contribute to the development of the people of the state.

She said the foundation and other initiatives she had put in place would continue to collaborate with other organisations with the aim of making life more meaningful for the people.

The first lady therefore urged the people to continue to pray for the Governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, and his team in order to be able to make the state a place of pride in Nigeria.

Wike Felicitates with Christians Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has felicitated with Christians on the celebration of Easter, urging them to emulate Jesus Christ by making sacrifices that will advance the course of development.

In an Easter message, Wike said Easter exemplifies the ultimate sacrifice made by Jesus Christ to save mankind, noting that as individuals, Christians must take into consideration the welfare of others.

He called on the people of the state to re-dedicate themselves to the service of the state as they reflect on the ideals of Good Friday and Easter celebrations. The governor assured the people of state that he would continue to make sacrifices for the state, defend its interests and ensure that the people always enjoy good governance. He said Easter is a period of fresh beginning, forgiveness, love and friendship, urging the privileged to reach out to the less privileged as everyone works to deepen the culture of true Christianity. While wishing the people of the state a happy Easter celebration, Wike assured them of their security before, during and after the celebrations.

Aregbesola Urges Nigerians to Keep Hope Alive The Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, has charged Nigerians on the need to keep hope alive despite of the daunting economic challenges being faced by the people. He said it is this situation that the citizens can be galvanised towards contributing their quota to the overall progress of the country. This was the summary of the governor’s message to Nigerians as Christians all over the world celebrate Easter to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Jesus Christ. Aregbesola, in the message signed by the his Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, urged Christians to reflect on the significance of Easter celebration in their dealings, not only with other Christians, but with people of other religions.

He said Nigerians must eschew bitterness and all forms of violence, stressing that the progress, peace and security of the nation is anchored on good neighbourliness and peaceful co-existence.

According to the statement, “I urge you all to let the significance of the celebration reflect in our relationship with one another both Christians and the people of other religions. There is no doubt that these are tough times in our country but we must all keep hope alive that life will be better.”

El-Rufai Preaches Peace Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has urged Nigerians to live in peace and harmony as well as embrace one another as one great family created by God. In his Easter message issued yesterday, the governor charged Nigerians to take the lessons of Easter as a practical guide to life. He noted that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, through sadness, pain and despair at

L-R: Proto Presbyter, Methodist Church of Nigeria (MCN), Connexional Secretary of Evangelism, MCN, Rt. Rev. Edoka Amuta; Prilate, MCN, Dr. Samuel E.K. Uche; Bishop of the Trinity Council, Rt. Rev. Oladapo Babalola; and Head of Communications, MCN, Very Rev. Taiwo Ogunfile, after the Easter Church Service at Methodist Church of the Trinity, Tinubu, Lagos....yesterday Kolawole Alli crucifixion, also embodies hope, liberation and victory over darkness as evidenced in the resurrection.

El-Rufai stressed that people of faith must not deviate from the lessons of the resurrection. “Through tough and calm times, people of faith have an example to emulate. Easter is a pointer to the power of hope and a demonstration that sacrifice ultimately brings liberation and hope,” El-Rufai said.

He expressed hope that the universal message of a common humanity would spur Nigerians to uphold peace and harmony, and to always embrace others as one family under God.

Love One Another, Okowa Urges Nigerians Delta State Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has urged Nigerians to show love for one another in the face of the challenges confronting the nation.

The governor in a goodwill message on Saturday in Asaba, by his Chief Press Secretary, Charles Aniagwu, to mark this year’s Easter celebrations, urged Christians to reflect on the import of Easter celebrations in their dealings, not only with other Christians, but with people of other religions. He said Nigerians must eschew bitterness and all forms of violence, stressing that the progress, peace and security of the nation is anchored in good neighbourliness and peaceful co-existence “I urge you all to let the significance of the celebration reflect in our relationship with one another both Christians and the people of other religions. There is no doubt that these are tough times in our country,” he stated.

“Intolerance and impunity continue to rear their heads through sectarian violence. But, rather than succumb and feel threatened about these uncertain times, we should rise to the fact that these are trials that are supposed to strengthen our resolve to confront our challenges,” Governor Okowa added. He reminded Christians that having gone through forty days of fasting and praying, Easter was a better time for them to purge themselves of those weights that “have impeded our progress as a people over the years by demonstrating love in its fullness not only to one another but also to our society.”

Dickson Tasks Nigerians on Forgiveness, Patriotic Service Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has renewed his call on Nigerians to sink their political and religious differences and work together to promote the collective interest and development of the country.

The governor made the call at the Easter Cantata programme organised by the state government to mark the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ at the King of Glory Chapel, Government House in Yenagoa.

Describing Easter as a special season of love and sacrifice in Christendom, Dickson urged Christians to reflect on the life and times of Jesus Christ who paid the supreme price to save mankind and put His teachings to practice in all their dealings. He emphasised the need for Nigerians particularly Christians to forgive one another and work for the peace, stability and development of the country as there cannot be any meaningful progress in any society where hatred and unforgiveness hold sway. Dickson, who read the only bible lesson of the service drawn from Mark 16:1-7, expressed gratitude to the church, other leaders and people humbled before an Almighty God.”

Corruption, Recession will Soon Be History, Say CAN The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, has said the menace of corruption and economic recession currently bedeviling the country will soon become history.

Ayokunle gave this assurance yesterday in his Easter message to Nigeria which was signed by his Special Assistant (Media and Communications), Adebayo Oladeji. He assured Nigerians that the

power of Jesus Christ resurrection would not only end the menace of corruption but bring the economy out of the wood very soon. The cleric prayed to God to put into an end to the economic hardship as He rolls away the stone from the tomb of Jesus Christ.

He said: “I wish all Nigerians a happy Easter in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. It is a season of hope, joy and restoration. “The Lord that rolled away the stone from the mouth of the tomb to put the enemy to shame will also roll away all the causes of economic hardship from our nation in the name of Jesus. “Corruption will be a thing of the past. As earthquake came to help in removing all hindrances to the resurrection of Christ for a glorious dawn to emerge, the God of heaven will divinely intervene to bail our nation out of economic downturn in the name of JesusChrist.”

Ayokunle, who recalled the agony of the disciples of Jesus Christ over his death and how their sadness turned to joy on the resurrection morning, is optimistic that the future of the country would be characterised by abundance, joy and celebrations.

Ahmed, Atunwa Call for Unity As Christians celebrate Easter across the world, the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, yesterday called on the people of the state across all socio-religious affiliations to be more united and renew their commitment to moral rejuvenation of the state. Ahmed made the call in Ilorin in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba, to mark this year Easter celebration.

The governor who congratulated Christians for the successful completion of lent, said they must imbibe the lessons of the holy period and allow them reflect on their daily life. According to the statement, “I urge Christians to remain committed to the service of God and humanity. “You should be determined to show affection, care and sympathy to all and sundry as demonstrated by Jesus Christ. “As you came out pure and simple from this spiritual rejuvenation, you are expected to live an exemplary life of Jesus Christ.”

Ahmed also called on Kwara people to pray for the success of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government in its determination to right the wrong and restore dignity and honour to Nigeria. The governor reiterated the determination of his administration to continue to serve the people of the state and fulfill his electoral promises. Also, in his Easter message, former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Abdulrasaq Atunwa, has urged Nigerians to continue to keep hope alive despite the various challenges confronting the country.

He said it was by so doing that the people of the country can work towards a new Nigeria. The former speaker who is currently representing Ilorin West, Asa and Ilorin East federal constituency at the National Assembly, disclosed this in Ilorin in a statement issued to mark the Easter celebration.

Daniel: Renew Covenant with God Former Governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, has enjoined Christians to use the Easter period to renew their covenant with God and imbibe the spirit of love, peace and selfless service to humanity as exemplified by our Lord, Jesus Christ.

In his message to the people on the universal occasion, Daniel, who is also the Asiwaju of Remo Christians stated that Easter is a period when Christian the world over mark the redemption of our souls through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He therefore called on Christian faithful to use the period to rededicate themselves to God and reflect on the significance of Easter, which is the bedrock of the Christian faith. “It is a period when, after the 40-day Lenten period in which we deny ourselves of comfort and celebrate God’s ultimate sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ for mankind. We must rededicate our time on earth to selflessness and to loving our neighbors and to remind ourselves that no matter who we are, or how much we achieve, we each stand.

53

MONDAY APRIL 17, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

CRIME&PUNISHMENT Suspected Assassins Kill Radio Editor in Bayelsa Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa An armed gang suspected to be hired assassins, yesterday invaded the home of an editor with the Bayelsa State-owned radio station, Glory FM 97.1, Mr. Famous Giobaro, and shot him dead.

The group of five gunmen, reportedly attacked Giobaro, who worked as a Desk Editor before his death at about 5a.m. around the INEC Road area in Yenagoa, Without taking with any of the deceased’s belongings, the gang was said to have shot their target many times in the stomach at close range and watched him die in a pool of his own blood.

The hoodlums, neighbours said seemed to have had a complete knowledge of the house, as they navigated the man’s residence without much trouble.

They reportedly pulled down the kitchen door and forced their way to the broadcaster’s bedroom through the living room after climbing the fence by using a ladder.

The gang was also said to have earlier destroyed the wires on the fence of Giobaro’s house, a job that neighbours said appeared to be professionally done.

Two unidentified men, who were in the bedroom with the deceased, were said to have tried to resist the

gunmen from entering the room, but reportedly fled into the wardrobe and the toilet respectively when the gunmen started shooting at the door to force it open.

A neighbour to the deceased, who preferred to remain anonymous, said Giobaro, who tied a piece of wrapper round his waist, was first hit by a bullet when he came out of his bed following the sounds of gunshots.

“They didn’t steal anything and they didn’t go to any other flat. It was a case of assassination,” the source said.

The source said the children of the deceased were not at home when the gunmen struck as he sent them to stay temporarily with his wife, whom she had separated from sometime ago.

“They were on a mission to kill him. They shot many bullets on the door. They still came to him on the pool of his blood to shoot him many times in the stomach,” the source added.

It was gathered that the police came shortly after the incident and took the corpse to the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Yenagoa.

It wasn’t clear why the gang killed Giobaro, however, it was learnt that the late journalist had earlier received multiple threat messages in connection with the relationship he had with a women before he was

killed.

The Chairman of the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr.

James Sowole in Akure A first class traditional ruler, the Oniyani of Iyawo Akoko in Akoko South West Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Joel Sunday Daodu, was at the weekend kidnapped by gunmen.

The monarch, THISDAY gathered, was kidnapped along Ose Oba Akoko axis of Ikare-Owo road almost the same spot where the Regent of Akungba Akoko, Princess Toyin Omosowon was kidnapped about two years ago.

It was gathered that the monarch was riding in the same vehicle with his second-in-command when the abductors struck.

The monarch’s abductors had demanded a ransom of N15 million before the Oba could regain his freedom.

A colleague of the kidnapped monarch, the Owa of Ogbagi, Oba Victor Ojo Adetona, said a brother to the Oniyani had called him that the abductors had demanded for N15 million.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the Ondo State Command, Mr. Femi Joseph, said the command would not encourage payment of ransom or any money to kidnappers.

He, however, said men of the command were already on the trail of the abductors in order to ensure

safety return of the monarch.

Speaking on the incident, the Olowa of Ogbagi said it was high time the government provided security for monarchs in the state.

He said they had written to the government on the need for at least on policeman for monarchs but nothing has been done.

He also decried the treatment being given to traditional rulers, who were being treated with respect in the past but had not been turned to another thing.

The monarch therefore demanded that government should revert to the old tradition whereby Obas were being treated with respect and honour.

Daodu

Angese called on the police to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to book.

When contacted, the state

Police Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Asinim Butswat, said the case was being thoroughly investigated.

ALL FOR THE SEASON

Picnickers at a playing ground celebrating Easter in Ibadan Oyo State....yesterday

Felix Ademola

Black Easter Sunday in Akwa Ibom as Transition Secretary is Killed Okon Bassey in Uyo

Gunmen Kidnap First Class Oba in Ondo

John Angese, condemned the incident describing it a big blow to the journalism profession in the state.

The Transition Secretary of the Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Ime Atakpa, has been assassinated by unknown gunmen Sources told THISDAY that the council scribe who was shot several times by some yet-to-be identified gunmen, died while being rushed to the hospital for medical

attention.

The hoodlums were said to have trailed the deceased to his poultry farm at Awonguyo village in the local government area.

At the time of going to press, information on the likely cause of the killing was still very sketchy but a source said it could be politically-motivated.

Confirming the report, the Police Public Relations Officer

(PPRO) of the state police command, Mr. Chukwu Okechukwu, said the state Governor, Udom Emmanuel, and Commissioner of Police, Mr. Donald Awunah, visited the scene of the incident.

He said efforts were in top gear to unravel those behind the killing as top police officers had been assigned to investigate the matter.

THISDAY reported that about week after the Rector of Sure

Foundation Polytechnic in the area, Dr. Idongesit Udom, was kidnapped by gunmen, he has not been released.

Udom was picked up penultimate Sunday by the gunmen while on his way to the church, the Qua Iboe Church, Idung Nneke.

Family sources alleged that the kidnappers are demanding for a whopping N500 million for Udom, ex-Exxon Mobil staff, to be released.

Group Petitions EFCC, Demands Prosecution of Defaulting Contractors in Niger Delta Projects A coalition of over 150 anticorruption organisations, Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC), has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to commence prosecution of some defaulting contractors on some projects in the Niger Delta region.

CSNAC in a petition signed by its Chairman, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, said it was furnishing the commission with a list of some of the projects after its on-the-spot-assessment of the projects.

The petition read: “You will recall that during the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo’s visit to Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on February 10, 2017 following a peace mission to Niger Delta, he gave assurances of the federal government’s commitment to the rapid development of oil producing communities in the

Niger Delta.

“In addition to the above, the acting president stated at a town hall meeting in furtherance of his fact-finding mission in Benin City, Edo State that defaulting contractors who were meant to handle the failed and abandoned projects in the Niger Delta region will face prosecution, as a reiteration of the federal government’s commitment to a new way of doing things, especially in the oil producing communities and other parts of the country.

“It is in line with the above that we hereby furnish your commission with our on-the-spot assessment report and demand your independent investigation and the prosecution of all contractors who had been duly mobilised by the federal government in respect of some relevant

education, health, electrification and road works project in different communities in the Niger Delta.”

The projects defaulted on is found in education, health, electrification and road works in different communities in the Niger Delta.

Among the projects are: “Federal Science Technical College Ahoada; Renovation of Kugbo Primary School, Rivers State; Omuma Oroyo Health Centre, Cross Rivers; Ediba-Itigidi Bridge, Cross Rivers, among others.

CSNAC noted further that the call for the prosecution of the said contractors is in line with the federal government’s professed zero tolerance for corrupt practices of neglect, abandon or outright refusal to carry out projects for which mobilisation were received.

It said the prosecution of

the contractors would send a strong message to all contractors handling government projects on the need to ensure that projects are carried out diligently and with the required commitment.

The coalition said the projects have been abandoned within the current status range of five per cent to 60 per cent completion rate while there are also some isolated cases of non-existent projects.

“We hereby demand that contractors found to be in default be made scapegoats in other to sanitize the system and rid same of greedy individuals who sabotage federal government’s efforts at boosting the infrastructural development of the country, thus depriving citizens of the dividends of democracy,” CSNAC said.

Ëœ ÍŻÍľËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ Ëž T H I S D AY

54

MONDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

C O N F E D E R AT I O N C U P

Rivers Utd Revives Nigeria’s Hope with Vital Win over Rayon Sports Femi Solaja Rivers United Football Club partially ended Nigeria’s misery in continental club football with a 2-0 win over visiting Rayon Sports of Rwanda in the first leg play-off CAF Confederation Cup second round of 16 fixture.

A brilliant goal from Ivoirian marksman, Guy Kuemian early in the second half and Emeka Atuloma’s sweetly-struck effort just before half time to put themselves in control of the playoff tie.

The other Nigerian representative, Enugu Rangers had crashed out 24 hours earlier in a comprehensive 3-0 defeat by Zesco United of Zambia after 2-2 first leg score line in Enugu last weekend.

But yesterday, Rivers United gave the country’s football fans something to cheer with the massive win in a match played at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt.

Emeka Ogbugh should have scored in the fourth minute when he turned his marker inside out only to drag his effort inches wide from eight yards.

Six minutes later, the ‘Pride of Rivers’ enjoyed a gilt-edged opening but the chance to get an early breakthrough went up in smoke as Bolaji Sakin hit his effort straight at the Rayon Sports goalkeeper, Ndayishinye Eric.

The visitors were meanwhile looking assured in possession, menacing in the final third and were unlucky not to score on two occasions inside the opening 25 minutes.

Sunday Rotimi was the saviour for United both times and in the first instance on 12 minutes, his heroic block saved the hosts embarrassment following a poorly-executed offside trap.

The assistant coach of the team,

Willie Udube, in his post match comment said though his team won but they could not execute their game plan. “We had our game plan. The match didn’t go the way we wanted and we ended up having only two goals. We are going home now to work on the players. “We found out that the boys from Kigali are very good. They are ball jugglers. We need to neutralise the ball juggling spirit in them. “While football is not mathematics, we have however learnt our lessons and I strongly believe that with hardwork, we will win in Kigali,� he said.

Udube said Rivers United were under pressure during the match because of the current form and position of the team in ongoing competitions. “I want to say that we are under pressure. We are trying to pick the pieces and put the team together and get something. “Before now, you will come here and watch a team that is winning with confidence. But now things are different and the boys have been losing confidence. “It is left for the technical team to put confidence in the boys by encouraging them and teach them what to do,� he added.

Festus Austin, captain of Rivers United, said they had hoped to score more goals but succeeded in scoring only two goals. “We hope to improve because I appreciate that the fact that our opponents our good.

The second leg match comes up on April 22nd athlete imposing 300,000 capacity Amahoro stadium in Kigali. Rivers United needs to avoid three goals deficit without scoring and be assured of a place in the group stage of the African club second tier club competition.

Rivers United players celebrating one of the goals‌ yesterday

Obaseki Seeks More Local Participation in Okpekpe Race Edo sate governor Godwin Obaseki wants increased participation of runners from Edo state and other adjoining states in the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) Bronze Label Okpekpe international 10km road race. ‘The Okpekpe race has come to stay and we are happy to be associated with It is an event that has put Edo state on the map of the world as a destination for world class sporting event and we are grateful for this.I will however like to have more local participation in the event. I want runners from all

over Edo state and other nearby states (Delta,Ondo,Ogun and Anambra) to be part of what has become an annual celebration of athletics excellence, ‘said the governor who has signed on as the first celebrity runner at the race.

Obaseki is confident the race, already in its fifth edition will continue to grow bigger. ‘If a race has gone on for five years I think we should commend the organisers and praise their commitment towards the success of the race.’ Meanwhile spokesman for the race Dare Esan said organisers

of the race are delighted with the massive support they are getting from Governor Obaseki. ‘The Governor has been a strong part of the race right from its inception and we are grateful for his continued support,’said Esan who revealed that the race has been witnessing increased participation from runners across the nooks and crannies of Edo state and its environs. ‘It is because of this that we instituted prizes for Edo state runners. This was designed to get more athletes from the state to participate in their own event. Last

year we had the chairman and chief executive officer of Channels Television, John Momoh Institute monetary awards for indigenes of North Ibie comprising Okpekpe clan and the three Ibie Clans of Imiegba, Imiakebu and Itsukwi of Etasko East Local Government Area of Edo State. ‘This is meant to pave the way for these communities that are of the same historical background besides their common Ibie language to also benefit from the empowerment that the race has become for the area ‘said Esan.

Lagos SWAN Faults Remo Stars on Assault Z E N I T H B ’ B A L L L E A G U E on Sports Journalist First Bank, Dolphins, Customs Remain The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Lagos chapter, has described the defense by Remo Stars FC of Sagamu on the assault of a sports journalist as an unfortunate sad commentary on the attitude of the club towards the safety and security of participants and the growth of the Nigeria Professional Football League.

The League Management Company (LMC) last Tuesday, in a summary jurisdiction, found Remo Stars guilty for allowing several acts of violence by its supporters against its visitors, including Sportsville reporter, Ekerete Kelvin who was manhandled and suffered both physical, material and emotional damages during their match day 16 home game with Wikki Tourists.

Remo Stars admitted guilt in all other charges but denied responsibility towards the journalist on the claims that “Kelvin Ekerette was neither accredited as a Journalist for the game nor seated at the media tribune for easy identification

like other over 15 Journalists that covered the match.�

Chairman of Lagos SWAN, Fred Edoreh, in reaction, has described the defense as a shameful afterthought and an affront on sports journalism, unbecoming of any true stakeholder in football. “For the good of the game, true stakeholders abhor and condemn soccer violence and it behooves every club management to protect all persons, without exception, admitted into their stadiums, be they spectators, visiting players and officials or journalists,� Edoreh said. “For the avoidance of doubt, there is yet no universal accreditation for admission of sports journalists as various clubs clear reporters to the games in different ways. In this case, Ekerete presented his SWAN and media organisation’s identification card at the entrance, diligently also put a call to the Media Officer of Remo Stars, Oladimeji Oshode who answered the call, confirmed to the gate attendant and cleared him for admission.

Unbeaten as Curtain Falls on First Phase The first phase of the 2017 Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League ends today (Monday) in Abuja with three teams battling to emerge tops after maintaining an unbeaten run so far.

First Bank, Dolphins and customs are the unbeaten teams in the first phase looking to compete for the top position

and also make the second phase in Kaduna an explosive competition.

Today in Abuja, First Bank will square up with Taraba, Dolphins take on Zamfara while Customs will entertain Oluyole. The results in terms of victory margin could determine the best team in the first phase.

The Secretary General of the

Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, Augustine Balewa, has applauded the sponsor, Zenith Bank for the support and improved package of the women’s basketball league as d Abuja phase ends on Monday.

Balewa said the pace would improve as the league moves on. He said the prize money would be jerked up adding

that he was happy with the enthusiasm shown by the girls. “The event has been keenly contested and the players are so enterprising. This is turning out to be one of the best league in recent times.

We expect more fireworks in Kaduna when the big teams meet one another,� Balewa said.

NTF Celebrates Taekwondo Legend Aime on Wednesday The Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF) has concluded plans to host Nigeria’s Taekwondo pioneer Grandmaster, Aikpa Aime, at a reception billed for Wednesday April 19 at the NTF secretariat

at the National Stadium, Lagos.

According to NTF Chairman of Media and Publicity, ASP Gideon Akinsola, “The NTF led by George Ashiru and the board members are proud to honour the man who first

introduced Taekwondo to Nigeria in 1975.�

Akisola added that: “Grandmaster Aime later left Nigeria and sojourned in Europe for more than 40 years and no contact was

established with him since these years. He recently returned to Nigeria in April and the NTF has deemed it fit to recognize and celebrate this living legend with a warm reception,� he noted.

T H I S D AY ˾ MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017

55

MONDAYSPORTS

Why a Lagos Slum is Producing Nigeria’s Top Football Talents

Ighalo Taribo West is just one of the many top footballers to come out of Ajegunle Ajegunle is known for being one of Lagos’ toughest, most dangerous slums, but it also has another reputation - for producing some of Nigeria’s top footballers. So what’s the secret to its unlikely success?

For a football-obsessed nation like Nigeria, talent can be found in every corner, but there’s definitely something special about Ajegunle, or AJ City, as it’s known by locals.

Since the early 1990s, Ajegunle has been churning out football talent. Famous names such as Taribo West, Odion Ighalo, Brown Ideye, Samson Siasia, Obafemi Martins and Jonathan Akpoborie all started here.

Life is not easy for many of the residents of this sprawling ghetto.

They have to contend with high crime rates, as well the absence of running water, grid-

Ideye

Akpoborie

Martins

powered electricity or healthcare.

So what are the factors that contribute to Ajegunley’s footballing pedigree?

Diversity, for one. “It’s a community with so many people from different ethnicities,” says Bennedict Ehenemba, a football scout for German clubs who is a native of Ajegunle.

“Ajegunle accommodates the Yorubas, the Igbos, the Hausas, the Itsekiris and all the other tribes in Nigeria. “It’s a raw talent hub of Nigeria,” he tells me.

Young boys have to find safe spaces to play football in Ajegunle. Many success stories can be traced back to two local institutions - St Mary’s Catholic Church and the Navy Barracks Camp. They remain safe places for many young people to play the game. Other open spaces are often claimed by so-called “Area Boys”, unruly gangs who often demand a fee for people

to play there.

Super Eagles striker Jonathan Akpoborie, who made his name in Germany’s Bundesliga in the 1990s, also honed his skills here.

“This is actually the home of football in Nigeria,” Akpoborie tells me, adding that the game is seen by many youngsters as a route to a better life.

“I don’t want to downgrade the area by attributing the success of footballers to poverty but there’s just nothing to do for the kids.

“They spend most of their time here playing football and in so doing they develop themselves and naturally become gifted footballers.

“In one national team there’s always one player who originated from Ajegunle.

“It’s exactly how I started - the grown-ups play first, we watch them play, then eventually we get in the field. They were inspirational to us.”

Nigerian forward Jonathan

Akpoborie made his name in Germany in the 1990s The slum also has an established system of grassroots football, which encourages talented youngsters to play competitive football for local clubs at an early age.

This often gives them an edge over players at competing academies across the country.

Alfred Emuejeraye, who plies his trade in the Swiss lower leagues, also grew up in Ajegunle.

He believes the secret of the slum lies in its deep love of the game. “The people here, the community are passionate about football, passionate about everything and are driven to succeed in whatever they do from musicians to taxi drivers...

It’s an all-round community,” he tells me.

Odion Ighalo - formerly of Watford FC in the English Premier League but now playing for Chinese Super League outfit Changchun Yatai

Siasia

West

FC - is another Ajegunle native.

Now he lives in some of the world’s biggest cities, but still remembers Ajegunle fondly. “It was very tough growing up there. It’s not like in Europe where you have everything provided.

“You have to look for money to buy football shoes, jerseys, transport and even water for to drink after training. If you can’t afford the transport then you stay - and those who stay are great players,” says Ighalo.

Odion Ighalo - a striker for Chinese club Changchun Yatai FC - grew up in Ajegunle Bolarinwa Olajide is a sports reporter with Lagos-based radio station Wazobia. He saw many of these players emerge from Ajegunle over the years.

“We see the hopeless, those who know they have a talent but they can’t exhibit it anywhere. They can’t afford fees to join a football academy, so

they go to Ajegunle because they know scouts come to watch them play, and it’s a chance to show what they can do as footballers,” he tells me.

Leicester City and Nigeria midfielder Wilfred Ndidi did not grow up in Ajegunle but played against boys from the slum during his time at an academy in Lagos.

He believes Ajegunle has produced good football players because the boys there “work hard, the lifestyle is difficult so they try to work very hard and come out with their best.”

To keep the Ajegunle legacy going, some of the footballers are already giving back to the community with projects to nurture future talent.

Akpoborie is helping to identify future football talent, while Ighalo is building an orphanage in the heart of the slum.

Pogba.

With the willing Jesse Lingard playing in support of Rashford, United looked far more lively going forward.

Ashley Young twice spurned presentable shooting opportunities from the edge of the box, while Rashford saw a cross headed onto the roof of the net by Gary Cahill.

Short of a 25-yard drive by Costa that flashed wide in stoppage time, the half-time whistle sounded without Chelsea having offered anything in attack.

Any hopes the visitors had of masterminding a turnaround vanished within four minutes of kick-off in the second half as Herrera doubled United’s lead.

Zouma’s tackle on the burrowing Young sent the ball rolling into Herrera’s path and his drilled effort flicked off Zouma to fly past the grounded Begovic.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte sent on Cesc Fabregas for Victor Moses, with Pedro moving to wing-back, but still the league leaders toiled, Pedro twice curling shots over De Gea’s bar.

At the other end Rashford remained a constant menace, teeing up Lingard to bend a shot over and twice going close himself, ruffling the side-netting and testing Begovic at his near post.

When he departed in the 82nd minute, with Ibrahimovic taking his place, he was accorded a richly deserved standing ovation.

EPL

Man Utd Stun Chelsea Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho masterminded a brilliant and unexpected 2-0 home victory over former club Chelsea yesterday to breathe new life into the Premier League title race.

Mourinho gambled by resting Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera’s goals gave United a win that leaves Chelsea just four points above Tottenham Hotspur with six games to play.

Victory also lifted United to within four points of fourth-place Manchester City, on whom they have a game in hand, ahead of the derby at the Etihad Stadium on April 27.

It was a personal triumph for Mourinho, who saw his

side thrashed 4-0 at Chelsea in October and was branded “Judas” by fans of his old club during last month’s FA Cup defeat at Stamford Bridge.

A wet, cold Manchester afternoon was the setting for United to end a run of 12 games without victory against Chelsea, stretching back to a 3-2 away win in October 2012.

Chelsea have now lost twice in four games, having gone down 2-1 at home to Crystal Palace earlier this month, which will give in-form Spurs fresh hope that the Blues may yet collapse as the finishing line nears.

The top two meet at Wembley in the FA Cup semifinals next weekend in what now looks a significant test of Chelsea’s mettle.

United, meanwhile, will approach Thursday’s Europa League quarterfinal second leg at home to Anderlecht, which is poised at 1-1, on the back of their best display under Mourinho.

Chelsea were without goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois due to an ankle problem, while Marcos Alonso succumbed to injury in the warm-up at Old Trafford, bringing Asmir Begovic and Kurt Zouma into their usual first XI. Mourinho set United up to stop Chelsea, with Herrera and Matteo Darmian tasked with the responsibility of tracking dangermen Eden Hazard and Pedro wherever they went.

But despite Herrera’s chief role as a stifler, he created United’s seventh-minute opener, albeit in

contentious circumstances.

He seemed to block Nemanja Matic’s pass with his right hand, but referee Robert Madley played on, enabling Herrera to split the Chelsea defence with a sublime through ball for Rashford.

The 19-year-old raced in behind David Luiz before clipping a shot past Begovic for his ninth goal of the season.

With Chelsea striker Diego Costa spending more time provoking his opponents than taking shots at goal, David de Gea was a virtual spectator between the posts for United.

Costa became embroiled in penalty-box tangles with United centre-backs Eric Bailly and Marcos Rojo and was booked for a late challenge on Paul

Monday April 17, 2017

TR

UT H

& RE A S O

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Price: N250

MISSILE Phillips to FG “We condemn in totality these acts of terrorism that are going on in the country.

Government has not shown serious concern or taken steps to address the frequent attacks by herdsmen as it did to Boko Haram in the north east that is why the killings have continued.� National Chairman, Northern States Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF), Olaiya Phillips blaming the federal government’s continuous inaction as reason behind the relentless killings by herdsmen.

ALEXOTTI OUTSIDE THE BOX

alex.otti@thisdaylive.com

No Madam, Please Let’s Not Go There “A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury.

From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through this sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to apathy; from apathy to dependence; from dependence back into bondage.� – Alexander Fraser Tytler (1747-1813) he concept of democracy is hinged on two fundamental principles. These are first, separation of powers and second checks and balances. Separation of powers requires that each organ of government is independent of the rest, to avoid abuse of power.

The doctrine of checks and balances, on the other hand, makes it possible for each arm of government to limit the powers of others to ensure against excessive power appropriation. A classic example is that while the executive branch of government can veto bills from the legislature, the legislature can also override the veto, subject to laid down rules. Over time, as democracy continued to take root, countries started granting some form of independence to other important agencies of government. These include the military, the press and the Central Bank also known as the reserve bank in some climes. Despite the independence of these agencies, there is still some influence exerted on them by the government. Narrowing down to the Central Bank, it is reasoned that the autonomy of the institution is critical to insulate the lender of last resort from interference from politicians whose interests are normally short-term in nature. While politicians may want to pursue populist agenda to win votes, an independent Central Bank should be more interested in pursuing policies that may not be popular, but would lead to long- term stability of the economy. Thus, a political party may want to pursue a fiscal deficit policy to put more money in the system and make people happy, but a professionally-run Central Bank with eyes on the inflationary implications of fiscal deficit, would roll out a contractionary monetary policy to contain inflation and stabilise the economy.

The major mandates of the Central Bank include: r .BOBHJOH UIF OBUJPO T DVSSFODZ r .BOBHJOH NPOFZ TVQQMJFT r .BOBHJOH JOUFSFTU SBUFT r 4FUUJOH DBTI SFTFSWF SFRVJSFNFOUT r "DUJOH BT MFOEFS PG MBTU SFTPSU r 4VQFSWJTJPO PG UIF CBOLJOH TZTUFN r &OTVSJOH Ă OBODJBM TZTUFNT TUBCJMJUZ 3FDFOUMZ UIF )POPVSBCMF .JOJTUFS PG 'JOBODF .ST Kemi Adeosun, was quoted to have asked a legislative team that paid her a visit, to consider cutting down the “monstrousâ€? powers of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. According to the report, she had said that it was the erstwhile Governor of Central Bank, Professor Chukwuma Soludo that had gone to the National Assembly in 2007 to seek and obtain legislative approval that resulted in the overbearing powers of the Governor of Central Bank.

While one sympathises with the Honourable .JOJTUFS JU JT JOTUSVDUJWF UP BWPJE UIF LJOE PG TJUVBUJPO highlighted above by Professor Alex Tytler who paints a very worrisome picture. Though some commentators have described it as being “hyperbolic� the import of his assertion cannot be lost on any student of history.

T

Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun 'JTDBM EFĂ DJU IBT CFFO UIF CBOF PG NPTU HPWFSONFOUT and when it is not controlled, the tendency for the economy to be plunged into a crisis is almost axiomatic.

Beyond the certainty of inflation, is the burden of debt service on the economy. A cursory look at our economy shows that beyond the 18% inflation rate in the last few quarters, a whopping 35% of our revenue budget goes into debt service. This is a huge number as it leaves the country with just 65% of the budget to work with.

If you consider that a large part of the remaining 65% goes into salaries, then you will agree that what is left for infrastructure is infinitesimal and this is inspite of huge infrastructure deficit facing the nation. Now, if we go ahead with the proposed $30billion loan, (I IPQF XF EPO U BOZXBZ XF EPO U OFFE B TPPUITBZFS to tell us that virtually all our revenue would go into debt servicing.

I am aware that sometime in September last year, the )POPVSBCMF .JOJTUFS IBE BEWJTFE UIF .POFUBSZ 1PMJDZ $PNNJUUFF .1$ PG UIF $#/ UP DPOTJEFS SFEVDJOH JOUFSFTU SBUFT CZ MPXFSJOH UIF .POFUBSZ 1PMJDZ 3BUF .13 GSPN UIF QSFTFOU UP FODPVSBHF JOWFTUNFOU BOE SFĂĄBUF UIF FDPOPNZ 3FDBMM UIBU JO UIF .1$ NFFUJOH PG +VMZ UIF DPNNJUUFF IBE SBJTFE .13 GSPN to 14%, a decision many analysts disagreed with, given that the economy had just been pronounced as being technically in recession. However, members of the .1$ JO B VOBOJNPVT WPUF PO 5VFTEBZ 4FQUFNCFS SFUBJOFE .13 BU 5IF NJOJTUFS XBT OPU BMPOF JO UIF EJTBQQPJOUNFOU PG UIF .1$ T EFDJTJPO BT ZPVST USVMZ TIBSFT UIF NJOJTUFS T WJFX UIBU JO B QFSJPE PG recession, interest rates should be lowered to encourage DPOTVNQUJPO 5IF .1$ IBE JUT PXO BSHVNFOUT XIJDI included that given the level of inflation at almost 18%, lower rates would lead to negative real interest rates and is capable of discouraging savings and investments, both MPDBM BOE GPSFJHO .1$ BMTP DPOUFOEFE UIBU MPXFSJOH interest rates would encourage speculators to borrow and launch further attacks on foreign exchange which was rising very rapidly against the Naira. I have checked the literature and I am unable to lay my hands on other areas of sharp divergence between the CBN and the ministry, even though I concede that there may be other issues that may not be in the public domain. It is, however, curious that the Permanent 4FDSFUBSZ .JOJTUSZ PG 'JOBODF JT B NFNCFS PG UIF .1$ At least one should have expected one descent at that meeting in question, but the vote was unanimous. .Z VOEFSTUBOEJOH JT UIBU UIJT JT B VTFGVM QMBUGPSN UP attain monetary and fiscal policy harmony.

It is important to note that this is not the first time an attempt is being made to whittle down the powers of the CBN Governor. Under Soludo, in 2007, against the understanding of the independence of the

CBN, the Presidency, directly intervened by stopping the redenomination of the Naira, full current account liberalization and currency convertibility policies that the then Governor was set to implement. President Yaradua was said not to have been properly briefed and therefore not convinced. The CBN had briefed the Presidency just a day before the public announcement BT JU CFMJFWFE JU EJE OPU SFRVJSF UIF 1SFTJEFOU T BQQSPWBM as per the CBN Act 2007. Of course that was the end of those policies.

Under Sanusi, legislators championed the CBN amendment Act 2012 that sought to bring annual budget of the CBN under the approval authority of the Senate.

This generated a lot of opposition from the polity leading to strong representations at the public hearing.

If I remember correctly, the amendment was stillborn.

National Assembly proponents of the amendment were irked by a statement made by Sanusi to the effect that the National Assembly was responsible for 25% of UIF SFDVSSFOU FYQFOEJUVSF PG UIF 'FEFSBM HPWFSONFOU Senators descended heavily on him summoning him to come and not only withdraw the statement, but apologise. Sanusi stood his grounds and refused to apologise. The battle line was drawn and in what looked like a vendetta mission, the Senators went BGUFS UIF $#/ BDU UP DVU 4BOVTJ T QPXFST )F XBT also accused of bailing out 9 banks in 2009 with some N620b ($4.2b) without appropriation by the National "TTFNCMZ $#/ FYQMBJOFE UIBU UIF GVOET EJEO U OFFE to be appropriated as they were loans to the banks in the discharge of its role as lender of last resort. The CBN was further accused of issuing some N5.6trillion ($36.6b) government backed zero coupon bonds to purchase toxic assets and recapitalise some ailing banks between 2010 and 2011. All these are now history, 4BOVTJ IBT TJODF NPWFE PO UP CFDPNF UIF &NJS PG Kano but the institution remains. This points to the truism in the local proverb of “soldier come, soldier go, but barrack remain�. It also speaks to the fact that rules should neither be made nor changed because of disagreements with incumbent occupants of an office as those occupants will leave sooner or later.

A cursory look at the CBN Act 2007 shows that the activities of the CBN are supposed to be regulated and directed by a board of directors like every other institution. The board is made up of the Governor who is also the Chairman, 4 Deputy Governors, Permanent 4FDSFUBSZ .JOJTUSZ 0G 'JOBODF %JSFDUPST BQQPJOUFE by the President, and the Accountant General of the 'FEFSBUJPO *O QSBDUJDF FYUFSOBM CPBSE NFNCFST BSF in the majority making it difficult for the internal members to have their way without the consent of the external members, most of them appointed by the President. I believe that this is a great governance standard adopted by the act. Unfortunately, since the advent of the present administration, the board of CBN has not been constituted and therefore, the control envisaged by the Act has been put in abeyance.

While all the aforementioned roles are important, monetary policy seems to be one of the most important.

Simply put, monetary policy refers to the process by which the central bank controls the supply of money in a bid to contain inflation rate or interest rate to ensure price stability and confidence in the local currency. On the other hand, fiscal policy deals with taxation, government spending and government CPSSPXJOH 'JTDBM QPMJDZ JT VTVBMMZ VOEFS UIF DPOUSPM PG UIF .JOJTUSZ PG 'JOBODF 6OEFS OPSNBM DJSDVNTUBODFT there is need for complementarity between the two policies. In practice, however, both of them work at cross purposes with each other, particularly, when the two institutions have different targets. Best practices

require that the roles are entrusted in different hands without one reporting to the other. It must be noted UIPVHI UIBU CPUI UIF .JOJTUFS PG 'JOBODF BOE UIF $#/ Governor report to the President and both serve at his pleasure, even though for a CBN governor to be relieved of his position before the expiration of his tenure, the President would need to secure the nod of the National Assembly with two thirds majority vote. We are, however, aware that President Jonathan found a way round the National Assembly vote when he decided to remove Sanusi in 2014.

It is only in Zimbabwe out of all the countries I researched that the Central Bank is not independent.

Given the experiences of that country, I am not sure UIFSF JT BOZUIJOH UP MFBSO GSPN JU 'PSFJHO JOWFTUPST and the international community look out for how independent the Central Bank is as a condition for making a decision to invest in that country or not.

So, independence gives the investing community a lot of confidence. The truth is that foreign investors and international multilateral agencies feel that our CBN as currently constituted is not independent enough as they have been clamoring for a full- fledged deregulation of the Naira which the CBN has refused to implement.

5IFZ EPO U CFMJFWF JU JT UIF $#/ BDUJOH XJUIPVU TPNF influence from the executive.

An independent Central Bank is usually very prompt in taking decisions which can save the economy huge losses rather than waiting for approvals from either a minister or parliament. Because an independent Central Bank is supposed to have a long-term view of the economy as against the short-term interest of the politician, there is bound to be disagreements BOE UFOTJPO CFUXFFO UIF .JOJTUFS BOE UIF (PWFSOPS That tension is productive as the economy stands to benefit from it.

I will therefore make some recommendations for the minister which I believe would help her get round the frustration. One, both the minister and the governor TIPVME CF NFNCFST PG UIF FDPOPNJD UFBN XIJDI * N told is now in place. The direction the economy should go should be thoroughly discussed and agreed at that committee. This would ensure more congruence, once everyone is convinced on the right way to go.

Thankfully, the President has nominated 5 members of the CBN board a few days ago, awaiting Senate DPOĂ SNBUJPO &WFO UIPVHI UIJT JT DPNJOH BMNPTU years late, the minister will benefit from a functional board with appointees of the President in the majority.

5IF NJOJTUFS T QPTJUJPO BOE PQJOJPO XPVME IPQFGVMMZ be well represented at the CBN board.

'JOBMMZ UIF NJOJTUFS XJMM EP XFMM UP FOHBHF productively, with not only the CBN, but other arms PG HPWFSONFOU &OHBHFNFOU JT WFSZ VTFGVM HJWFO UIBU JU helps to sell superior positions and opinions and bring otherwise opposing sides to the desired side, subject to the superiority of argument and debate. Within the fiscal policy framework are major changes that will help stabilise the economy. The minister must insist on zero-rising ways and means, aggressively work to rebalance recurrent expenditure with capital expenditure, reign in the debt service baggage, and move towards increasing tax to GDP ratio from our current lowly 6% to at least the sub Saharan African average of about 13% , just to mention but a few. If we can wrap our heads around these issues, then monetary policy will just become a sweetener.

The walk to CBN independence is a very long one that started in 1958. The progress that has been made so far is very commendable. Any attempt to reverse it, is like setting us on a reverse journey to the Stone Age. It is not a trip that anyone should contemplate.

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