Friday 16th June 2017

Again, FG Rules Out Total Deregulation, Oil Falls to Six-week Low Kachikwu: Nigeria has a refining gap of 900,000bpd Chineme Okafor in Abuja The federal government has again stated that it would not completely deregulate Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, saying that the move could increase the prices of petroleum products, especially

petrol, which would have negative consequences on the country.

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo stated this yesterday in Abuja at the 2017 African

Modular Refinery Discussion organised by the Modular Refiners Association of Nigeria (MRAN).

His statement came just as crude oil prices dropped to a

six-week low due to pressure from high global inventories and doubts about the ability of OPEC and non-OPEC producers to implement agreed production cuts.

Osinbajo, who equally blamed government’s involvement in the Kaduna, Warri and Port Harcourt refineries operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum

Inflation Drops Further to 16.25%... Page 10

Corporation (NNPC) for their failure and near collapse, stated that in the new modular refineries’ initiative that the government is pursuing, oil-producing communities would be made to acquire Continued on page 10

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N’Assembly: Osinbajo Must Have Been Misquoted, We Can Alter Appropriation Bill Lawmakers bicker over Senate/House superiority Damilola Oyedele and James Emejo in Abuja The National Assembly yesterday faulted acting President Yemi Osinbajo’s stance that the National Assembly was not constitutionally empowered to alter the budget proposal submitted to it by the executive arm of government.

Both chambers were responding to Osinbajo’s

remarks on Tuesday, when he expressed frustration over the National Assembly’s habit of introducing new projects into the nation’s annual budgets, insisting that the federal legislature only has the power to adjust funds allocated to projects by the executive.

The legislature’s amendments to annual Continued on page 10

EU Approves €143m Package for North-east Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The European Union (EU) Commission has announced a support package of €143 million to help the early recovery and reconstruction needs in Nigeria’s North-east, which has been ravaged by the insurgency.

The package is for the provision of basic services including energy, education

and health, job creation, strengthening monitoring and evaluation systems, as well as public financial management systems.

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, who signed the agreement for the package on behalf of Nigeria in Brussels, Belgium, Continued on page 12

ATTHE LEGISLATURE...

OGFZA MD: Eko Support Free Zone SEC Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki (2nd left), in a handshake with the Director General of the Securities and Exchange (SEC), Mounir Gwarzo, with them is the Leader of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan (left), when the commission to be Fully Operational This Year... Page 16 Commission visited the Senate President in Abuja… yesterday

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Inflation Drops Further to 16.25% Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja For the fourth consecutive month, inflation rate has continued to trend downwards, dropping from 17.24 per cent in April to 16.25 per cent in May, representing a 0.99 per cent point slide.

From 18.55 per cent in December 2016, Nigeria’s inflation rate increased to 18.72 per cent in January 2017, dropped to 17.78 per cent in February, 17.26 per cent in March and 17.24 per cent in April.

According to the latest figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the parameter for measuring inflation, increased by 16.25 per cent (year-on-year) in May 2017, compared to 17.24 per cent in April.

On a month-on-month basis, the headline index increased by 1.88 per cent in May 2017, 0.28 per cent points higher than the rate of 1.60 per cent recorded in April 2017.

This was indicative of the persistent pressure on prices

despite the general decline in year-on-year inflation.

Month-on-month, inflation has cumulatively risen by 7.7 per cent since January 2017, said the NBS. The percentage change in the average composite CPI for the 12-month period ending in May 2017 over the average of the CPI for the previous 12-month period was 17.63 per cent, higher from 17.59 per cent recorded in April 2017.

The food index increased by 19.27 per cent (year-on-year) in May 2017, down by 0.03 percent points from the rate recorded in April (19.30 per cent), indicating continued pressure in food prices.

Although the inflation rate is trending down, the NBS explained that the rise in the food index was caused by increases in prices of meat, bread and cereals, fish, potatoes, milk, cheese and eggs, as well as vegetables such as tomatoes.

Price movements recorded

by All Items less farm produce or Core sub-index rose by 13 per cent (year-on-year) in May,

down by 1.80 per cent points from the rate recorded in April (14.80 per cent). This represented the seventh straight month of decline in the core index since November 2016.

The urban index rose by 16.34 per cent (year-on-year) in May 2017, from 17.62 per cent recorded in April, while the rural index increased by 16.02 per cent in May, from 16.69 per cent in April.

On a month-on-month basis, the urban index rose by 1.84 per cent in May, from 1.61 per cent recorded in April, while the rural index rose by 1.92 per cent in May, from 1.59 per cent in April.

The corresponding 12-month year-on-year average percentage change for the urban index increased from 18.98 per cent in April to 18.88 per cent in May, while the corresponding rural index also increased from 16.37 per cent in April to 16.50 per cent in May. The report further indicated that All Items less Farm Produce or Core sub-index, eased by 1.80

per cent during the month to 13 per cent points, from 14.80 per cent recorded in April.

On a month-on-month basis, the Core sub-index increased by 1.17 per cent in May, 0.07per cent points higher than the 1.10 per cent recorded in April.

Food price index put inflation at 19.27 per cent, indicating a drop of 0.03 per cent points, from 19.30 per cent posted in April.

On a month-on-month basis, the headline index increased by 1.88 per cent in May 2017, 0.28 per cent points higher than the rate of 1.60 per cent recorded in April 2017.

Also, on a month-on-month basis, the food sub-index increased by 2.54 per cent in May, up by 0.50 per cent points from 2.04 per cent recorded in April.

The transport fare watch report for May also indicated that the average fare paid by intercity commuters for bus journey within decreased by 2.72 per cent month-on-month and increased by 48.78 per cent year-on-year to N131 in May

2017, from N134.66 in April 2017.

States with highest bus journey fares within city in May 2017 were Abuja (N250.00), Katsina (N212.82) and Cross River (N211.82), while states with lowest bus journey fares within city in May 2017 were Enugu (N79.55), Yobe (N75.00) and Borno (N58.57).

Average fares paid by commuters for bus journey intercity decreased by 1.39 per cent month-on-month and increased by 33.96 per cent yearon-year to N1,565 in May 2017, from N1,587.04 in April 2017.

States with the highest bus journey fares within city in May 2017 were Abuja (N4,833.33), Adamawa (N3,266.67) and Niger (N2,388.89), while states with the lowest bus journey fares within city in May 2017 were Kano (N875.00), Katsina (N900.00) & Jigawa (N995.45).

The average fare paid by air passengers for specified routes single journey increased by 2.76 per cent month-on- month and by 35.62 per cent year-on-year to N31,651.79 in May 2017, from

N30,803.03 in April 2017.

States with the highest air fares in April 2017 were Abuja FCT (N43,000), Jigawa (N40,800.23) and Taraba (N40,000), while states with the lowest air fares in May 2017 were Katsina (N23,450.00), Kogi (N23,400.00) and Osun (N25,400).

The average fare paid by commuters for journey by motorcycle per drop decreased by 1.32 per cent month-on-month and increased by 20.20 per cent year-on-year to N99.49 in May 2017, from N100.82 in April 2017.

States with the highest journey fares by motorcycle per drop in April 2017 were Bayelsa (N174.55), Rivers (N196.67) and Abia (N159), while states with the lowest journey fare by motorcycle per drop in May 2017 were Niger (N52.22), Bauchi (N55.00) & Zamfara (N56.25).

The average fare paid by passengers for water way passenger transport increased by 0.65 per cent month-on-month and 14.78 per cent year-on-year to N601.42 in May 2017, from N597.56 in April 2017.

leader’s position. I was at the House for eight years. I am convinced that no chamber can make any legislation without the concurrence of the other. “If you cannot send a bill to the executive for assent without the House, you will know that none of the chambers is superior to another. The Senate only got one additional responsibility,� he argued.

Continuing, he said: “I moved from the House to the Senate to participate in the additional responsibility of the Senate and not legislation.�

Saraki at this point waded into the argument. “The matter has become a controversial one. We should just leave it,� he ruled.

Just like the Senate, the House also took issues with Osinbajo’s statement, when the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara maintained that the National Assembly has the constitutional powers to introduce new projects; add, remove or reduce items in the Appropriations Bill.

Speaking at plenary yesterday, he also said the constitution further empowers the parliament to override the president in the interest of the public, should the executive decline to assent to any bill.

Reacting to a motion on a Matter of Privilege moved by Hon. Lawal Abubakar (APC, Adamawa), the speaker said the framers of the constitution vested the power of lawmaking in the legislature, while the execution or implementation was vested in the executive.

The judiciary, he added, interprets the law so as to ensure checks and balances.

He said the House under his leadership would not be a rubber stamp for the executive and will

“do everything to uphold and protect the independence of the legislature�. “When it comes to the budget, the power of the purse in a presidential system of government rests in the parliament. “A declaration as to which of the arms has the power and rights, in as much as it is related to the interpretation of the law, is the function of the judiciary and not of the executive,� he added.

Dogara argued that the Appropriation Act is a law enacted by the parliament and that public officers from the president to his ministers had sworn to uphold the constitution and the said refusal or failure to implement the budget was a violation of the constitution, which has consequences.

Abubakar had argued that his privilege as a member had been breached by the statement made

by Osinbajo, who was quoted on two occasions stating that the National Assembly has no power to introduce new projects into the budget before passing it.

But Dogara stressed that the parliament has the powers to override any veto, saying: “The worst the executive can do is to say they will not sign and after 30 days, if we can muster two-thirds, and it doesn’t have to be two-thirds of the entire membership, once a quorum is formed, with two-thirds of the members sitting and voting, we can override the veto of the president and pass it into law.�

He said in the United States, from which Nigeria copied its presidential system of government, any budget proposal sent to the Congress is presumed “dead on arrival� and only comes “alive� when passed by Congress because

the legislature has the powers to tamper with the proposal.

He further argued that the designers of the constitution left things the way they are “because the executive is just one man (the president), while every other person in the executive arm is acting on behalf of the president, “so the relationship between the president and every other person there, is that of servant and master�. “It is only in the parliament where we have representatives of the people that there is equality and you can state your mind on any issue, you can bring matters of priority the way you deem fit. “From the very pedestrian interpretation of the functions of the three arms of government, one makes laws, the other executes the laws, the other interprets the law. “So, a declaration as to which of the arms has the power and rights, in as much as it is related to the interpretation of the law, is the function of the judiciary and not of the executive. “I don’t even want to believe that the acting president made that statement; I don’t want to believe that, sincerely speaking. “Because when it comes to the issue of the budget, I think we better say these things and make it very clear, so that our people will have a better understanding. “When it comes to the budget, the power of the purse in a presidential system of government rests with the parliament,� Dogara maintained.

atmosphere for private investors to come in and invest. “Government cannot just go and be setting up refineries. If government sets up refineries and uses its people to run it, it won’t work. We have good examples in all the refineries that we have seen. “If you look at the refineries we have today – Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna – the primary reason they are not working today is because they are government-run,� the acting president explained.

He further noted: “Government cannot do business. Government business

is to create the enabling environment for business. And then government would put some investment into it. “Government should not be in the business of setting up refineries all over the place; that is just a waste of time and resources.�

Osinbajo equally argued that the country owes itself the responsibility of exploiting the massive petroleum resources that it has.

According to him, this was responsible for the decision of

N’ASSEMBLY: OSINBAJO MUST HAVE BEEN MISQUOTED, WE CAN ALTER APPROPRIATION BILL budgets, especially the insertion of new projects that were never proposed by the executive, have remained a recurring area of friction between both arms of government every year.

Tampering with the Appropriation Bill has also been blamed for the delays in the passage of budget every year.

Frustrated with the recurring problem, the administration is now considering filing a lawsuit at the Supreme Court to get a judicial pronouncement on the issue.

The Umaru Yar’Adua government had also filed a suit at the Supreme Court in 2009 on the same matter, but was prevailed upon to withdraw the suit and eventually opted for a political solution.

In its defence, the legislature has maintained that it is constitutionally empowered to alter the budget and would not serve as a rubber stamp for the executive.

However, reacting to Osinbajo’s statement, the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, speaking at plenary yesterday, said the acting president may have been misquoted, as there was no ambiguity over the powers of the National Assembly to tinker with the budget proposals submitted by the executive.

Saraki was reacting to a point of order raised by Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Ibn Na’Allah. “The point of order raised by the Deputy Minority Leader is very important. I also have the experience of having a couple of our colleagues coming to us on the 2017 budget. “I am sure that the acting

president must have been misquoted because there is no ambiguity in the constitution on our responsibilities. The matter has been cleared and settled,�

Saraki said.

Na’Allah had said that the statement by Osinbajo angered some senators, who he said complained to him. “I rise this morning based on what happened yesterday in my office. About five senators bombarded my office, angrily complaining about a statement credited to the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, to the effect that the National Assembly does not possess any power to alter the budget submitted to it by the executive,�

Na’Allah added that he knows Osinbajo very well, as they both worked together on several cases practicing as lawyers in Lagos, and was therefore sure that the acting president did not question the power of the lawmakers to alter the budget, or he was misquoted. “He (Osinbajo) is somebody I know so much. I would rather believe that what was alleged to have been said could not have been said by him. And even if it was, he must have been misquoted,� the Deputy Senate Leader said.

He went on to highlight the importance of the National Assembly in the structure of government, noting that the constitution has taken care to ensure that there is adequate representation for very part of the country in the legislature. “The decision to elect representatives is to make sure that every ethnic group in this country is represented. Therefore, landmass and population are the

bases by which elections into the House of Representatives are held, according to the Constitution,� “Again, when that was done, it was discovered that 68 per cent of those to be elected (into the House) would come from the Northern part of Nigeria by reason of landmass and population, which is obvious. “So it was decided that our legislature should be bicameral and a Senate should be established based on equality of states,� Na’Allah explained.

He went to state that the chambers in the National Assembly are equal. “There is nothing like upper and lower chamber as far as the constitution is concerned. It is a bicameral legislature and the intention is to put in check whatever democratic decisions arrived at in the House to avoid dominance,� he stated.

Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, however, disagreed with the statement that the two chambers are equal.

Raising a point of order, he noted that the Senate is superior to the House of Representatives, adding that the superiority informed the additional responsibilities to the Senate by the constitution. “The constitution assigns additional responsibility to the Senate and excluded the House: that is the confirmation of nominees. This is why many people contest for Senate from the House. “I hope one day that the deputy leader will contest for House and go back to the House,� Akpabio said.

However, Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan backed Na’Allah’s position. “I am in support of the deputy

AGAIN, FG RULES OUT TOTAL DEREGULATION, OIL FALLS TO SIX-WEEK LOW stakes in the refineries set up in their localities.

He also said the federal and state governments would have some stake, as well as private investors in the modular refineries.

Osinbajo stressed that government was committed to creating an enabling environment for private sector participation and investment in modular refineries, noting however that it was aware of the challenges and complications posed by the non-deregulation of the sector.

He said in spite of the challenges, government could

not afford to undertake complete deregulation of the sector, as it would bring untold hardship to a vast majority of Nigerians.

According to him, the government had reached the conclusion that it would focus on moderating the sector and continue to intervene to ensure it creates a balance. “There are those who are saying we need to deregulate fully. Why are they saying that, it is because if we do not deregulate it will not be cost effective for those who are producing petrol to sell. “At the same time, if you deregulate completely, prices

of everything else are going to go up. So there are those complications, meaning we’ve got to moderate all those things. “Government has to come in at a certain level and this is what is currently going on to try and balance things, because we cannot have, just overnight, another massive deregulation. “If you do that, obviously, the consequences would be very dire for the economy,� said Osinbajo.

On the failure of NNPC’s refineries, which government has also ruled out their concession, he noted that it would be necessary to create the right

Continued on page 12

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NEWS

Court Grants FG’s Application for Protection of Witnesses in Dasuki’s Trial

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted the federal government’s application seeking for the protection of prosecution witnesses in the trial of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.).

The trial judge, Justice Ahmed Rahmat Mohammed granted the application in a ruling he delivered yesterday in Abuja.

Dasuki is standing trial on a seven-count criminal charge bordering on illegal and unlawful possession of firearms, as well as for money laundering offences brought against him by the federal government.

By the ruling of the court, witnesses billed to testify in court will be allowed to give their testimonies behind a screen that will be provided by the court.

They would however not be shielded from lawyers in the court throughout the trial.

According to the judge, the screen would be used in such a way that it would not shield the witnesses from being seen by him (the judge), the defendant, and members of the prosecution and the defence teams. However, the public will not be allowed to see the witnesses.

In his ruling, in a motion on notice argued by Mr. Dipo Okpeseyi (SAN) for the defence, Justice Mohammed said that the request for the witnesses to testify behind the

screen was granted because part of the charges against Dasuki have to do with money laundering.

The judge said though a similar request had been presented before the court in 2015 and rejected by it, he held that the decision to allow the use of a screen was granted because of the nature of the case.

Justice Mohammed, also in the ruling, dismissed the objection of the defence to the application and held that the application was in order since Section 232(4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) allows the use of such screens for prosecution witnesses in cases involving economic and financial crimes.

The judge ruled that “Section 232(4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act permits the use of a screen in a charge of economic and financial crimes; and money laundering is part of the charges instituted against the defendant”.

He also held that the prosecution’s request for witness protection was in order, as this would not prejudice the defendant.

Justice Mohammed further dismissed the objection raised

by Dasuki’s lead counsel, Ahmed Raji (SAN), who argued that the application constituted an abuse of court process, because a similar one filed by the prosecution in the same case had been dismissed

by the former trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola.

He said that the fresh motion argued by Okpeseyi did not constitute an abuse of court process because the prayers in the old and the fresh one were not the same.

The government through Okpeseyi had insisted that Dasuki, being a former military officer, former aide de camp (ADC) to a former president, former NSA and a crown prince of the Sokoto caliphate, was a potential threat to its witnesses lined up to justify the charges against him.

Okpeseyi told the court that the witnesses who are operatives of the Department of Security Service (DSS) carry out their work across the country and could be attacked by sympathisers and well-wishers of Dasuki unless their identifiers were protected.

The counsel submitted that Dasuki was once the boss of the witnesses and that they (witnesses) could be jeopardised unless their names are not placed in the public domain, adding that the ex-NSA will not be prejudiced in any way if the request for the witness protection was granted.

However, counsel to Dasuki described the government’s application as cheap blackmail against his client and urged the court to dismiss the request for being speculative, baseless and unmeritorious.

Raji said the ex-NSA was

Dasuki not charged for a terrorism offence to warrant protection for any witness, adding that several operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had testified against Dasuki in two other courts without any complaint of a threat to their lives.

The application seeking witness protection, the second filled by the prosecution, asked the court not to allow the

names and addresses of the witnesses to be made public in the course of the trial.

But the Ex-NSA, in a counter affidavit, argued that there was no justification for the federal government to have brought the motion for a secret trial for the second time having lost in the first motion.

Among others, the federal government, in the charges against the former NSA, alleged that he (Dasuki), on

or before July 17, 2015, was in possession of prohibited firearms without a licence, and by so doing had committed an offence contrary to Section 3 of the Firearm Act Cap F28, Laws of Federation of Nigeria 2004.

The former NSA pled guilty to all the charges preferred against him.

The matter was adjourned till September 20 and 21 for trial.

put in place for them to meet their aspirations and sustain profitability.

But as the Nigeria government remained obstinate about the measures to revamp its downstream oil sector, oil prices yesterday dropped to a six-week low owing to the pressure from high global inventories and doubts about the oil producers’ ability to implement agreed production cuts.

Global benchmark, Brent crude, fell 30 cents to $46.70 a barrel, its weakest since May 5 and just above a six-month low, before recovering slightly to trade around $46.90.

US light crude was down 25 cents at $44.48, also not far off its six-month low.

Reuters reported that both crude benchmarks have lost all the gains made at the

end of last year after the OPEC agreed with other big producers to cut output in an effort to prop up prices.

Crude prices have also fallen by about 12 per cent since May 25, when OPEC agreed to extend its output limits by six months until March 2018.

OPEC and its allies have promised to restrict output until at least the end of the first quarter of next year to try to drain surplus supply.

But inventories are near record highs in many parts of the world, and many traders expect further price falls.

Despite the deal, some OPEC members, including Nigeria and Libya, have been exempt from cutting and their rising output is seen to be undermining efforts led by Saudi Arabia.

While Saudi Arabia has

reduced output, Nigeria and Libya are pumping more to the market.

OPEC’s pledge was to cut some 1.2 million bpd, while other producers including Russia agreed to bring total reduction to almost 1.8 million bpd.

But production in the United States, which is not part of the deal, has jumped 10 per cent over the past year to 9.33 million bpd.

The US government’s Energy Information Administration (IEA) has raised its forecast for domestic output growth in 2017 to 460,000 bpd from a predicted decline of 80,000 bpd in December.

OPEC now expects U.S. production to increase by 800,000 bpd in 2017, a pointer that global oversupply will persist for a while.

The IEA said it expected oil supplies next year to outpace demand despite consumption hitting 100 million bpd for the first time.

According to the energy adviser to over 26 industrialised countries, the growth in crude oil supply next year is expected to exceed the anticipated pick-up in demand.

The Paris-based agency said production outside OPEC would grow twice as quickly in 2018 as it will do this year, when OPEC and 11 partner nations have restrained output.

“For total non-OPEC production, we expect production to grow by 700,000 bpd this year, but our first outlook for 2018 makes sobering reading for those producers looking to restrain supply,” IEA said.

efforts, the minister said there still exists a huge funding gap, adding that this was why the Nigerian government was appreciative of the support of the EU and the United Nations system, which have been very useful in leading the other development partners in the support process.

Udoma noted that the process for the selection of implementation partners was at an advanced stage with the World Bank and some of the components of the project.

“This demonstrates the fact that the EU is committed to the timely execution of the project, and the bureaucracy that is traditionally associated with the EDF instrument will be minimised in the implementation of this project,” he added.

In his rematks, the EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica said the support package would assist approximately 1.3 million internally displaced people and affected communities

in and around Borno State.

“Our assistance will not only target the immediate needs of the people, it will also help to restore basic services, stimulate employment and create livelihood opportunities, particularly for women and young people.”

The Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides said: “The European Union is committed to get lifesaving aid to those in need in Nigeria. Emergency aid can

help them but to do so, aid organisations need safe and full access to do their jobs.”

He added that EU also needed to think about the long-term implications and how to help communities recover.

“I have visited the country several times and seen the sufferings of the victims of terrorism and also the strength and determination of the local people to rebuild their lives. It is this desire to rebuild a better future that the EU will support,” he stressed.

AGAIN, FG RULES OUT TOTAL DEREGULATION, OIL FALLS TO SIX-WEEK LOW the government to establish

modular refineries across the Niger Delta.

He stated that in ensuring increased community participation in the process, the people of the Niger Delta region should, however, not feel a sense of entitlement just because they are from the oil-bearing region.

“They are entitled not because they live in the Niger Delta, but they are entitled to it because they also have the brains, the resources to be able to make it happen, and this is what I have seen from my engagement with people in the Niger Delta.

“They themselves are bringing in the investors; they themselves are talking to private investors, locally and internationally, and they are bringing them here,” Osinbajo stated.

In his remarks at the discussion, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, who was represented by Mr. Olumide Adeleke, a deputy director in the Department of Engineering and Standards of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), stated that at present, the country has a refining gap of about 900,000 barrels per day to meet the daily national consumption.

Kachikwu explained that to close the identified gap, the government would have to set out some incentives to encourage investments in private refineries.

The minister said committed and qualified investors in the refining sector would continue to enjoy statutory support and prevailing government incentives, as well as other measures being

EU APPROVES €143M PACKAGE FOR NORTH-EAST said the support underscored yet another positive effort in the collaboration between the EU and Nigerian government to collectively work towards ameliorating the sufferings of victims of the Boko Haram insurgency.

A statement issued by the minister’s media adviser, Mr. Akpandem James, said Udoma noted that the financing agreement signed yesterday was for the sum of €20 million from the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa.

“A total sum of €143

million is now secured from the EU under this framework for ameliorating the sufferings of the affected population estimated at more than 14 million people,” Udoma added.

According to him, since the resurgence of the humanitarian crisis in the North-east, the Nigerian government has devoted substantial resources to bring the situation under control, meet the humanitarian needs of the victims, and restore normalcy to the area.

However, in spite of the

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COMMENT

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

THE BIAFRAN QUESTION: IN WHOSE INTEREST? It pays Nigerians to stay together, writes Adetola Odusote

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fter the political imbroglio that came in the wake of the annulment of the June 12, 1993 general elections, acclaimed to be the freest in the history of Nigeria, and won by philanthropist turned politician Chief Moshood Abiola, there has never been a test of the unity of the Nigerian nation until the recent Nnamdi Kanu’s Biafran call vis a vis Arewa’s Igbo three months exit order. Analysing the merits and demerits of the situation on face value, the protagonists and the antagonists of the Biafran and Northern banishment order have only demonstrated their naivety. Definitely, they are ignorant of the lessons of history and of cause they are oblivious of where Nigeria as a nation of many republics is coming from. Some of these recalcitrant youths were not born and have not even read about the history of neither the Nigerian civil war nor the post-independence political travesty that threw the nation into ethnic nationalism. For the want of space and time, I would want to address the Biafra question which Nnamdi Kanu, a certain Igbo youth previously with dual citizenship - British and Nigerian, but now has third citizenship.

Kanu was said to have been recruited by the MASSOB leader Ralph Uwazuruike who said he found him jobless, roaming the streets of London. He was recruited to join the MASSOB movement because he had nothing doing and he was very passionate about the Ndigbo cause.

After rehabilitating him, he became loose, uncontrollable and became a tool in the hands of politicians from the South-east who have lost out in the power play and flourishing free money rain under the immediate past leadership.

Unfortunately, Kanu finds easy loop in the current political imbalance and a rallying cry in the Biafra apologists. He became a cheer leader in the Biafra singsong. Like a joke, he started fanning the ember of hatred against the constituted authority and against the imaginary enemies of the Igbos. The word marginalisation once again became a front burner agenda. This time a tool for Biafra promoters to premise their agitation.

The political history of Nigeria since independence is not complete without the word marginalisation. The Yorubas have cried marginalisation; the Ijaws have cried marginalistion, like the Kanuris, Hausa- Fulanis, the Junkuns, etc. Almost every major tribe in Nigeria has a claim to that controversial word. It has been over-flogged and every tribe has learnt to live with it, reinvent themselves and move on. Political leaders in a place like Yoruba land are keenly watched and held accountable.

I however been wondering why the Igbos would not hold their political leaders accountable for their woes. The Igbo leaders are actually the ones marginalising them. Unlike South West, the Igbo leaders seek political power for personal aggrandisement. Not until the present governors took over, states like Ebonyi and Abia have suffered woefully and the Biafra apologists have not deemed it fit to go after these fraudulent leaders who have stolen their common patrimony. I have travelled round the whole of the five states in the South-East; I have been to the South-South, gone round the North Central, North East and North West, and of course I have lived in every state in the South-West where I

LIKE EVERY OTHER REGION IN NIGERIA, THE IBOS HAVE JUSTIFIABLE REASONS TO BE AGGRIEVED

come from. The South-east stands out worse in terms of development.

No region collects the kind of ecological funds that is apportioned to the South-east, but what do we have today is an area highly degraded by erosion.

So, why would the Igbo be looking at the spate of development in other regions and come to the conclusion that they are being marginalised? When past and present governors like (picking randomly) Donald Duke, Babatunde Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode, Ahmed Markarfi, Nasir el-Rufai, Ibikunle Amosun, Ayo Fayose, Olusegun Mimiko, Nyesom Wike, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, et al, are pushing a developmental and progressive frontiers in their respective states, South-eastern governors are going on jamboree, amassing state’s wealth and building and buying mansions in and outside the country and establishing private companies at the expense of the Igbo nation.

This is with exception of the present Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, who has been adjudged to be doing well.

So why should the Igbo blame other regions for their retrogressive state? Comparatively when it comes to commerce, the Igbo benefit more in the Nigerian state than any other tribes. There are no states, cities, communities, villages in Nigeria where you wouldn’t find Ibos.

And they are not just there; they establish commercial activities and are well received. Name any business in any community where you wouldn’t find my Eastern brothers thriving while the indigenes of such communities will be struggling and eventually fail in such trade.

So why would a Nnamdi Kanu come to mislead the Igbo and destabilise them from their favoured state to a pariah state?

The call for Biafra is to achieve what? Who will suffer if the Igbo nation exits the Nigerian nation? Is it Nnamdi Kanu, the sharp boy who carries UK Passport or their host communities across the nation?

A decisive but retributive remark from Arewa Youth, calling on all Igbo to exit the North has thrown the Biafra criers into confusion; they are now shouting blue murder. Though condemnable, there is credence in the ultimatum given by the northern youth in the face of the treasonable call for Biafran republic. Economically the South-east is not endowed. Ecologically, they are not blessed; natural resources wise, the South-east cannot boast much. So why would somebody in his right sense push a senseless cause?

Though, it could be argued that the Biafra call is a just cause because like every other region in Nigeria, the Ibos have justifiable reasons to be aggrieved. But Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe saw reasons in aligning with the principle of unity in diversity. That was why he supported the Eastern alignment with the North in the first and second republics against the emergence of Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s Action Group and Unity Party of Nigeria respectively.

Let us learn lessons from history. It pays us all as Nigerians to stay together and fight for our common emancipation from the economic oppression of our political leaders.

Odusote, a journalist, wrote from Lagos

AMING T HE T B S COURGE T Eniola Olakunrin writes on the need to do more to curb the curable disease

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ecently, the chief executive officer of Aurum Institute, a South African based public benefit organisation - Dr Andrew Titterton - in conjuction with officials of National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP) led by its Co-ordinator, Dr Adebisi Lawanson, paid visits to some key government institutions in a bid to soliciting their support in halting Tuberculosis (TB) spread in Nigeria. Even though TB is treatable, Nigeria still adds a minimum of 600,000 new cases every year due to the societal stigma attached to the deadly disease. This in turn, drives sufferers underground thereby inhibiting them from seeking treatment.

For emphasis, Nigeria is the highest carrier of the disease in Africa and to underscore the need to roll back the terrible menace of TB, here are some quick facts as encapsulated by NTBLCP : Nigeria and just one other country account for 43 per cent of the Global TB deaths (WHO 2016 Global TB Report.)

The Giant of Africa with five other countries also account for 60 per cent of the estimated 10.4 million new TB cases worldwide (WHO 2016 Global TB Report.) Only 17 per cent of the estimated TB cases in Nigeria report for assessment and treatment leaving a burgeoning 83 per cent undetected, thereby raising serious health implications for the larger population.

One untreated TB sufferer can infect 10 to 15 persons per year given the fact that the disease is air borne.

It is the need to address this latent TB threat to the larger community that the current Health Minister, Professor Isaac Folorunsho Adewole, in his characteristic wisdom, declared 2017 as the year of “accelerating case finding for TB.�

Due to the fact that most cases are unreported, even though treatment is free, it behoves on the NTBLCP to run with the mandate given by the minister to seek means of identifying and getting TB sufferers treated. Aurum Institute, a non-governmental and a non-profit health organisation with almost 20 years

experience is a leader in the response, treatment and research efforts aimed at eradicating TB and HIV in South Africa and by extension, the entire Africa.

With offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Ghana, Mozambique, The Gambia, Tanzania and Nigeria (in view), the 1,400-peopled organisation is poised to bringing its wealth of experience (in tandem with that of the NTBLCP) to bear in locating the elusive or hitherto unreachable sufferers, leaning on strategies adopted in South Africa.

As a start off, NTBLCP and Aurum identified four major Nigerian governmental institutions namely, Federal Ministry of Education, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, The Nigerian Prisons Service and The Nigeria Police Force as veritable grounds for the kick-off of the planned strategies of containing TB, easily more contracted in confined spaces.

The enthusiasm shown by the four institutions identified towards partaking in the programmes aimed at curtailing TB was remarkable and quite commendable. Whilst Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Alhaji Mohammed Abbas affirmed the support of the ministry for any quest by NTBLCP in arresting the TB spread, it was also soothing that the Ministry of Education is planning to inculcate TB control mechanism in the National School Health Policy presently under review. For The Nigerian Prisons Service, The Controller of Prisons, Alhaji Ja’afaru Ahmed said the service welcomes any collaboration which reduces the risk of the spread of the dreaded disease in their 244 prison formations nationwide, as staff manning these facilities, are also exposed to the same risks as the entire 71,000 incarcerated inmates.

The Deputy Inspector General of Police (Medical), Dr. K. Ahmadu echoed the position of the prisons helmsman and said the 370,000-strong Nigeria Police Force has 115 clinics nationwide which are open to policemen, their families and even the community where these clinics are located. In effect, the Police too are exposed to the spread of TB given the harsh

conditions in which they work, their interactions with detainees as well as exposure of their health workers to various form of hazardous conditions.

The DIG, therefore, welcomes any collaboration with the NTBLCP and affirmed the readiness of the police to partake in any programme deemed fit for TB eradication.

Titterton also lauded the cooperation of the identified government institutions and spoke on the need to getting the concept note and road map geared towards sieving sufferers ready and on time. The two documents once approved by the Ministry of Health, will form the ready plank to be deployed in seeking cases and fighting the TB scourge head-on.

Perhaps one area that is burdensome and worrisome is the increasing prevalence of multi-drug resistant TB. This is more common among patients who abandon their medicine intake midway when they started noticing improvements in their health.

This conundrum presents a special challenge to the whole TB fight as it costs as much as One million naira to treat every such patient excluding other ancillary costs. It is therefore imperative that patients adhere to and run through the course of their treatment regime. Constant training and re-training of health workers are important in this all-important fight so that when a staff is transferred, no vacuum is left in the (health) facilities handling TB control.

Detainees/prisoners are also expected to be screened before they are allowed to mingle with others in detentions/prisons, and the screening is also expected to be repeated after the determination of their cases or after serving their sentences before they are released to the population at large.

Generally, TB is preventable and curable. The general public should note and encourage themselves, their friends, loved ones and colleagues to get tested in the nearest hospital for TB if they are experiencing the following: persistent cough for onwards of two weeks; night sweats; fever; unexplained weight loss.

Again, for emphasis, the diagnosis and treatment

are free. Interested parties are also enjoined to call the Help Line: 0800 225 5282 (free of charge) if so required. From an interested observer’s point of view, one needs to salute the enterprise, commitment to duty and rapid response make-up of the officials of the NTBLCP led by the indefatigable and dependable Dr. Adebisi Lawanson. This writer at various times did commend the work ethic of the entire staff which he finds comparable to (if not better) than most serious private companies and multinationals.

The question of their exemplary and unusual work attitude (at least in this clime, for a government institution) was put to the administration head of NTBLCP, Alhaji Usman Mustapha. His reply was one word: ‘Passion’. He said once a staff is posted to the programme, Dr Adebisi’s first question was always about if the new addition has the passion for what NTBLCP does. If not, such a fellow is respectfully asked to seek an alternative work place.

This writer has always advocated that the template on NTBLCP work ethic should be a work study circulated and embraced by other Nigerian civil servants. Anyone in doubt should visit the NTBLCP office in Abuja to see things for him/herself.

This reminds one of what the ruler of Dubai, Sheik Mohammed Al Maktoum stated in his best seller, ‘My Vision’, published in 2012: “Unlike the private sector, the public sector was known for its slow response, bureaucracy, low efficiency, and poor achievement but it’s efficiency is now better than that of many companies in the private sector....there is a new commitment in the public sector with regard to the need for discipline, professionalism and in dealing with the public in a civilised manner�

In short, people’s attitude is amenable to change given the right leadership, work environment, encouragement, gusto and commitment. Who knows, the work template of NTBLCP could just be the catalyst needed to revolutionise the way civil servants work in Nigeria.

Olakunri wrote from Abuja

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EDITORIAL AS DEBTS KEEP PILING UP‌ More debts are being acquired with uncertain results

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he nation’s total indebtedness to foreign and local creditors now stands at N19.16 trillion, the Debt Management OfďŹ ce (DMO) has said. This is N1.8tn increase from the N17.36tn recorded at the end of December 2016. As of March 31, 2015, the country’s total debt stood at N12.06tn. This means the debt level increased by N7.1tn in two years. Mrs Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Finance, said recently the problem was not that our debt is too high, but that our revenue is too low.

The World Bank recently expressed similar concern over the debt servicing to revenue ratio, saying that reduced earnings might render the country’s debt unsustainable. A total of N1.84tn was provided in the 2017 budget for debt servicing.

We are worried by the frequency of borrowing by the federal and state governments as many analysts have continued to sound a note of caution that the country may be heading for another debt trap if restraint is not exercised. The current perception of the THESE DEBTS BEING populace is that government, at all PILED UP FOR FUTURE levels, has failed to GENERATIONS OF plug the leakages NIGERIANS ARE EXPENDED ON PROJECTS and wastes, which THAT BRING LITTLE OR NO over the years have become institutionRETURNS alised in their states.

If they can do that, there may be no need for some of the debts they keep piling up for future generations to settle.

We must recall that in 2005, Nigeria successfully negotiated a complicated debt write-off deal of about $18 billion after a cash payment of approximately $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 and the proigacy of the various administrations at

Letters to the Editor

that time.

With about $3 billion dollars spent annually just on debt servicing at the time, the argument to exit the club was plausible. The idea was that the funds that would be saved from annual debt 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 engrossed in another national debate on the appropriateness of treading the debt path.

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e are even more worried by the debts being accumulated by the states. Ordinarily, if the aim was to help many of them bridge the gap between what 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 but another thing to ensure accountability and its judicious application.

Without the requisite oversight by their respective state legislature, a large chunk of these funds could not be accounted for. While some of the new governors inherited states that are heavily indebted on account of debts accumulated from the capital market by their predecessors, they have also spiked the debts through additional borrowing.

The indices of poverty everywhere make it difďŹ cult for us to understand the choices being made by government ofďŹ cials at all levels and the recklessness that drives some of the projects on which the loans are expended. Many of them are out-rightly bizarre in conception and clearly irresponsible in terms of the funds expended on them. More worrying is that these debts being piled up for future generations of Nigerians are expended on projects that bring little or no returns.

Clearly, many of these debts are not being taken to cushion the plight of the people but rather as a conduit for all manner of economic mischief.

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.

ATIKU AND THE POLITICS OF WAZIRI ADAMAWA

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he lifetime ambition of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is to be the President of Nigeria and to have absolute control of Adamawa politics. Atiku’s pursuit of this super-ambition dates back to nearly 34 years. When a typical Nigerian politician rises to a new position of traditional power and eminence, he or she becomes more ambitious and starts to seek more political relevance. Today, Atiku is the Waziri Adamawa, simply the second-in-command to the Lamido of Adamawa in the Adamawa Emirate Council.

The ancient emirate of Adamawa is a very important product of the Sokoto Caliphate. Adamawa was known as “The wild east� of the caliphate. Its vast highlands were occupied by Fulani settlers, stretching as far as Northern Cameroon and some parts Chad republic. Adamawa emirate is the most cosmopolitan among the emirates that were products of the Sokoto Caliphate because it is composed of diverse ethnic and religious groups. The Adamawa emirate, despite being a product of the Usman Danfodio Jihad, has non–Fulanis Christians holding some important traditional titles.

The title of Waziri Adamawa does attract much political analysis; but with the person of Atiku’s political standing being conferred with the title, some narratives about the title, by default, have assumed political tones. Often, one cannot separate politics from traditional titles especially when it is in the revered and historically significant emirate like Adamawa.

Many observers were surprised when Atiku was announced

the new Waziri. But students of political history were not because the previous holders of the title were of similar class with Atiku in terms of prominence and clout even though Atiku is in the class of his own in terms of personal wealth.

Many politicians work hard to secure many traditional titles in order to promote their private ambitions in local and national politics. Atiku is not different; he has been immersed in Adamawa politics for a long time. In 1983, Atiku shocked the political scene of the old Gongola State when he single-handedly donated one million naira and two vehicles to the Kontigi Movement- the Bamanga Tukur governorship campaign - which Tukur eventually won. While in 1987, during zero party elections, Atiku smartly installed his protÊgÊ -Atiku Wakili as Chairman of the old Ganye local government council. Atiku achieved these while he was not in active politics. In Adamawa politics, Atiku is always in the equation - he is either pulling the strings or those in power see him as the ultimate threat. The current politicians in Adamawa State can be categorised into three - they are either in Atiku’s team, or have left the team, or about to join the team.

In Adamawa politics, Atiku has witnessed moments of successes, failures and disappointments. Thus, he knows that for one to have absolute control of state’s politics, one requires strong war chest, well-established political structure and influence in the traditional class. Atiku seems to have cleverly walked his own path to get the latter in a way never seen before. He also has a

good influence on the Chamba chiefdom that has one of largest voting blocs in Adamawa. Though, having strong influence on the traditional class does not necessary mean controlling the voting population, it is certain that in many rural settings like Adamawa, emirs, kings and chiefs have influence on their poor subjects.

Nevertheless, being the Waziri does not automatically give Atiku the control of the Adamawa polity, because the politics of the state is always determined by some permutations – concessions, give and take and strong political structure, not also forgetting the thorny issues of faith, geography and tongue.

Atiku is well known for his longtime presidential ambition and being politically opportunistic. Atiku may have seen his new traditional title of Waziri as a further inch towards total grip of Adamawa politics and a chance at actualising his presidential ambition starting from the home front. After all, his previous presidential election outings were marred with very weak home support.

With Buhari’s incumbency and unexplainable strong followership in the north, Bola Tinubu’s tight grip of the South-west, Yemi Osinbajo’s new found footings, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s growing strengths and new breed presidential materials like Governors Aminu Tambuwa and Nasir el-Rufai, and the longtime tag of corruption on Atiku’s neck, the game seems over for Atiku. This is the same reason Atiku always flies the ‘restructuring kite’ Zayyad I. Muhammad, Jimeta, Adamawa State

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FRIDAY JUNE 16, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

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

CBN Dollar Sales on I&E Forex Window Falls Below 30% Bankers’ committee simplifies BVN registration process for MFB customers Obinna Chima The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) dollar sales on the Investors and

Exporters’(I&E) foreign exchange (forex) window have reduced to below 30 per cent, the Deputy Managing Director, Stanbic IBTC

20 Feared Dead in Cross River, Ebonyi Communal Clash Bassey Inyang in Calabar At least 20 people have been feared killed following the outbreak of communal war between the Ofonekom community in Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State and their neighbours in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

Information from the Obubra, community, about 250 kilometres from Calabar, the state capital, alleged that full scale fighting erupted in the early hours of yesterday when the Izzi community launched an all-out offensive on Ofonekom.

Sources from Ofonekom who refused to be quoted, said crisis between both communities in Cross River State, and Ebonyi State have been brewing for something before the outbreak of sometime hostilities.

The remote and immediate causes of the inter-state boundary clash have been linked to dispute over ownership of farmlands between both communities.

Information from the community indicate that scores of people were killed while several houses were razed in Ofonekom.

“I have been told from my community that not less than 20

people have been killed. Among them are four members of my community that I knew personally.

Many of our people have been killed, and not less than five houses have been razed. Many people have ran away from the community. I have also heard that one soldier who crossed from Ebonyi on illegal duty died. The federal government should step in and do something to stop this mindless attacks on our people. It is getting out of hand,” a community leader from the Obubra community who craved annonymity told THISDAY yesterday.

The claim that a soldier suspected to have been playing the role of a mercenary for the Ebonyi community was killed could not be independently verified by THISDAY. However, reacting to the outbreak of the violent clash between the two boundary communities, the Commissioner of Police in Cross River State, Mr. Hafiz Inuwa, confirmed the communal war between the two communities but debunked the claims that about 20 people were killed.

But the commissioner who did not put any figure to the human casualty, said some houses were razed.

OGFZA MD: Eko Support Free Zone to Be Fully Operational This Year The Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA) is to set up the structure that will help Eko Support Services Limited, an Apapa, Lagos-based oil and gas free zone, to fully function as and enjoy the complete benefits of an oil and gas free zone as provided for in the extant regulations of OGFZA and its establishment Act of 1996.

Making the regulatory plan known while visiting Eko Support during the week, the Managing Director of OGFZA, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, said OGFZA would help Eko Support to take full advantage of its free zone licence and exercise the full authority of its free zone status by adopting a standard operating procedure that has been fully tested at Onne Free Zone and keyed into the Executive Order of the federal government on the Ease of Doing Business.

“A licence is a piece of paper, what you make of the licence is the issue,” Umana told the management team of Eko Support led by Seni Edu, the General Manager of the free zone, who was on hand to receive the visiting team from OGFZA. “We have a model in Onne that is working. We would adapt the model and even improve on it by setting up a structure to run the system” for the benefits of the operator, clients and government.

He said OGFZA would have to interface with government

for the free zone operator and investors with regard to taxes, immigration, customs, security and other regulatory issues by setting up a one-stop shop infrastructure to enhance the ease of doing business in the zone.

In a presentation to the OGFZA team, Edu listed a number of concerns that he wanted the OGFZA to look into, including space constraint and policy direction.

Addressing the question of space constraint at Eko Support, Umana agreed that the free zone needed more space to optimise its operations and succeed in providing support services to its clients, adding that the space constraint challenge could be overcome by creating a sub-zone for Eko Support.

Umana equally addressed the question of apparent confusion in policy direction, saying whatever challenge there was in that regard would be fully taken care of by the ongoing review at the National Assembly of the laws setting up the regulatory agencies for free zones in the country.

“We are determined to make sure that our free zones succeed,” Umana assured Edu, leading the management team of Eko Support.

“We will set up a committee to work with you and make sure all parties benefit and perform their roles.”

Bank Plc, Mr. Demola Shogunle, disclosed yesterday.

Shogunle, who said this while addressing journalists on the outcome of the 333rd Bankers’ Committee meeting in Lagos, said the development on the I &E window was a reflection of the renewed confidence in the Nigerian economy.

THISDAY reported last Tuesday that cumulative transactions on the I&E window which was created in April has risen to $2.2 billion, from about $1 billion last month.

Speaking yesterday, Shogunle said the Bankers’ Committee

acknowledged that the efforts and measures that had been put in place regarding trying to encourage foreign portfolio investors (FPI) were already yielding fruits.

The Stanbic IBTC boss explained: “Specifically, you would remember that about six weeks ago, a new window was opened which is called the Investors and Exporters’ FX window. Between when it was opened and now, turnover in that market is in excess of $2.2 billion, which is very impressive.

The CBN’s share of that market is less that 30 per cent.

“What does that mean? It

means that FPI and exporters are the ones playing in that market and because of that, when that window initially opened, the bid and offer spread was as wide as N40-N60. As we speak now, the bid and offer spread has reduced significantly.

“Also, we have seen a kind of convergence between the rate on that window and that of the parallel market, which means that confidence is returning into that market, price discovery is returning into the market, price visibility is returning to the market and that is encouraging. Those who

have been sitting on the fence have started to look in. You can also see the impact on the equities market. Overall, we are seeing positive trends and the Bankers’ Committee acknowledge that.”

Responding to a question on when the CBN would stop intervening in the market, Shogunle said: “The CBN is also a buyer or seller in the market. Don’t forget we are coming from a regime in the past one year, whereby the central bank was the sole provider of dollars, 100 per cent. But today, on the I & E window, the CBN

Cont’d on 53

FACILITY TOUR

Managing Director of Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA), Mr Umana Okon Umana (third left), and General Manager of Eko Support Services Limited, Seni Edu (second left), when Umana visited Eko Support in Lagos...recently

Amnesty International Wants Nine Nigerian Military Commanders Investigated Ejiofor Alike Amnesty International has called on the federal government to investigate the nine military commanders it indicted in its report for human rights abuses in Nigeria.

Responding to the summary of the report by a the Nigerian military panel investigating the allegations of human rights violations, the Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Osai Ojigho, said yesterday in a statement that the military panel was not independent and impartial as recommended by the human rights body.

The group, however, welcomed the panel’s recommendation that there should be a Presidential Commission of Inquiry into these allegations of horrific war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the North-east.

The Media Manager of Amnesty International, Isa Sanusi, quoted Ojigho as also saying that the promise made by President Muhammadu Buhari to conduct independent investigation into the allegations of human rights violations by the soldiers must be implemented as a matter of urgency.

“We stand by the findings of our research and our call for an investigation that is independent, impartial and thorough; criteria that this panel clearly does not meet. We maintain that the nine senior commanders named in our report should be the subject of an effective and independent investigation. To this end we welcome the panel’s recommendation that there should be a Presidential Commission of Inquiry into these allegations of horrific war crimes and crimes

against humanity committed in north east Nigeria,” Ojigho explained.

“President Buhari promised an independent investigation into our allegations of human rights violations and crimes under international law two years ago. This is a vital step and must be implemented as a matter of urgency by the government. Amnesty International’s priority is justice, human rights and the dignity of human life in Nigeria. We maintain that those suspected of committing human rights violations and crimes under international law on all sides of the conflict must be brought to justice in fair trials before civilian courts without recourse to the death penalty. We also urge the military to make the whole of this report public,”

Ojigho added.

THISDAY had reported that the military panel had exonerated the military over allegations in its confrontations and treatment of Boko Haram terrorists and internally displayed persons (IDPs) in its operations in the Northeast, as well as members and sympathisers of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The report was presented late Wednesday by the Head of the Nigerian Army Civil Relations, Maj-Gen. Nuhu Angbazo, alongside the Director of Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman.

The United States and British embassies in Nigeria had also withdrawn and denied entry visa to some serving and retired Nigerian Army (NA) officers, according to the report of the Board of Inquiry.

Hate Speech: Osinbajo Meets Sanusi behind Closed-door Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja In continuation of his series of meetings with leaders and stakeholders in northern and South-eastern parts of the country

over agitations for secession and ultimatum by some northern youths ordering Igbo people to vacate their region in October, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday met with the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, behind closed-doors at

Aso Rock in Abuja.

Sanusi, who arrived the Villa at exactly 2:40p.m. and left at 4:50p.m., declined speaking with State House correspondents after the meeting. There was also no official statement from the Villa

about the meeting.

Osinbajo who had on Tuesday and Wednesday met with northern and South-eastern leaders respectively, in the State House, would meet with more stakeholders from both regions today.

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017

17

POLITICS

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

PERSONALITY FOCUS

In Honour of Olusola Saraki

Last month, relatives and associates of the late strongman of Kwara politics, Abubakar Olusola Saraki, gathered in Ilorin to celebrate his 84th birthday posthumously.

Hammed Shittu was there and files this report

L

ast month, the ancient town of Ilorin, the Kwara state capital went agog as associates and supporters of the late strongman of Kwara politics and former Senate Leader in the aborted second republic, Dr. Olusola Saraki , converged in the city to celebrate his legacy.

Highlights of the ceremony included the establishment of a foundation to honour and imortalise the name of the late politician.

The foundation, which was named Sola Saraki Education Foundation, was conceived by his political associates and supporters to mark his 84th posthumous birthday.

Saraki, fondly called by his political admirers during his life time as ‘Oloye’, died November 14, 2012 after a brief illness.

He was buried in Ilorin.

During his life time, he supported many less privileged students to pursue their educational both locally and abroad by payroll ng their school fees. In so doing, Saraki ensured that money did not stop brilliant students from furthering their education. Many of the beneficiaries are alive to testify to his support.

In order to ensure that his commitment to helping the less privileged realize their ambition did not die with him, his associates thought it wise to float an educational foundation so as to continue with his good work. This will enable more people to benefit from the gesture and therefore adding more values to the socio well being of the society.

At the official launching of the foundation, his associates and followers demonstrated their love for the god father as they, one after the other, paid tributes to his kindness.

Though, the wife and widow of the late politician, Chief Mrs Florence Morenike Saraki was not in attendance, she however, sent a representative in person of one Mr. Edward Adedapo who donated N1million to support the foundation.

An imposing edifice, named the Foundation House was already in place in Fate, GRA, Ilorin, to ensure a smooth take off of Sola Saraki Educational Foundation. Fate,GRA. Staff have also been recruited to execute the vision.

Members of the board of trustees include, a bosom friend of the late politician, Chief Tunji Arosanyin, Alhaji Saka Opobiyi, Otunba Edward Adedapo Ibidapo, Alhaji Mohammed Bashir Saliu. (OON), Sheik Aminulahi Tantolohun Imam, Mr Koye Sogbola and Alhaji Oba Bolanta.

Others are Senator Ahmed Mohammed, Dr (Mrs) Zainab Ambali, Ambassador Nimota Nihinlola Akanbi and Alhaj Ladi Hassan.

Many of those who donated to the foundation were beneficiaries of his political patronages.

Arosanyin, a lifelong associate of Saraki used the occasion to renew the clamour to rename Kwara State University (KWASU) after the second republic senate leader.

Arosanyin argued that legislative processes had been concluded for the name-change since 2013 and should be implemented without delay. He recalled participating in the public debate on the bill to name the university after Saraki adding that he and other followers of the late politician expected that the state government would would have acted on the bill by now.

“People who know the contributions of Saraki to Kwara state since its creation until he was called to glory are anxiously waiting for the positive decision of Kwara state government in the re-naming, especially

Saraki...honoured by his followers

when other states in Nigeria are honouring their leaders in such ways”, he said.

Not less than N50 million was realised at the launching of the foundation with the state government doling out the largest contribution of N15 million.

Other donors include the state’s House of Assembly (N10m), Deputy Senate Minortiy Leader, Senator Biodun Olujimi (N10m) and Alhaji Moshood Mustapha (N2m).

In order to ensure that his commitment to helping the less privileged realise their educational ambition did not die with him, his associates thought it wise to float a foundation to continue the good work.

Scion of the Saraki’s family and Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki was represented at the event by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Alhaji Kawu Baraje who donated N1milion in his personal capacity.

Baraje said that the late political leader was a gift from God to humanity and urged Nigerian politicians to emulate his virtues so that the country could be a better place for everybody to live.

He added that the indelible marks the late politician left behind in the state and even Nigeria as a whole would be there for generations to come to see.

The Governor of Kwara state, Abdulfatah Ahmed, the highest donor to the foundation also paid tributes to the late politician whom he described as a legendary philanthropist and a father of all, irrespective of tribe, religion or status.

He noted that the foundation, which would aid the less privileged to pursue their education especially in medical line in the state, was a right step in the right direction as education, “is the foundation

of human existence.”

Ahmed recalled that the late politician contributed in no small measures to the educational achievements of many of his followers and as well as indigenes of Kwara state at large and urged his followers from far and near to also support the foundation.

In his address, the convener of the foundation’s Board of Trustee, Hon Ladi Hassan said the idea came to establish a foundation to immortalise the late politician in 2010 during while Dr Bukola Saraki was the governor of Kwara state. According to him, Bukola had directed his political appointees to empower their constituencies with various skills and items.

He however noted that,”the drawbacks were numerous as most of the items eventually ended up at various markets in return for cash. For this reason among others, I felt I should do something different and still achieve the desired or targeted objective.This primarily was the off-shoot of this desire in establishing a foundation.”

He also noted, “More importantly, something struck my mind that we, followers and associates of late Dr Abubakar Olusola Saraki have not done enough to immortalise our leader. mentor, father and benefactor who had given so much to us and who had given all his life to the common people.

“To me, establishing a foundation thus become the most desirable in honouring him in such a way that his name will remain indelible in the minds of several Nigerians and mankind from one generation to another” Hassan said that one of the objective of the foundation was to sponsor indigent medical students pursuing MBBS degree in Nigerian universities, by giving full scholarship to cover the period of their studies.

The objectives, he said also include,”Endowment of academic chairs at faculties of medicine in some Nigerian universities, and university of London where Dr Saraki obtained his MBBS degree in 1962.

He added that the foundation, “will fund the pursuit of medical research in different or specialized fields of medicines, sponsor the medical and surgical correction of congenital health diseases such as hole in the heart and also establish a state of the art cardio vascular Cardio hospital to handle heart surgery and heart related diseases.”

“With this formal take off of the foundation, wednesday 17th May 2017 which coincidentally happened to be the 84th posthumous birthday of Baba, I wholeheartedly say Alihamudulahi and pray for the soul of our late leader and father to continue to rest in peace”he concluded.

Abubakar Olusola Saraki was born on May 17th 1933. He hailed from Agoras compound in Agbaji’s quarters of Ilorin. He was a medical practitioner by profession.

His political career started in 1964 when he contested for a parliamentary seat to represent Ilorin central at the Federal House of Representatives. He however, lost that election.

His first major political victory came in 1978 when he was elected by the Ilorin Local Government of Kwara state into the Constituent Assembly which later ratified the 1979 Constitution. It was at this conference that Saraki widened his political contact and later played active roles in the formation of the defunct National Party of Nigeria, the party that won both the 1979 and 1983 general elections. He was elected Senate Leader during the period.

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017

18

POLITICS

In Philanthropy He Trusts As the race for the Anambra governorship election hots up, one of the aspirants hoping to run on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, Obinna Uzoh, is banking on his philanthropy to secure the party’s nomination, writes Shola Oyeyipo

M

any factors, including political antecedents, the pedigree of the personality involved, previous contributions to the development of the state, philanthropic efforts, church affiliation, senatorial district, financial war chest and others will play a key role in determining who will emerge as candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the coming governorship election in Anambra State.

Many of the individuals that have already signified their intention to pursue their governorship ambition on the platform of APC in the state no doubt have sterling qualities that qualify them for the job. This will certainly make the selection process a tough one.

Among the array of aspirants, Dr. Obinna Chukwudum Uzoh is gradually worming his way into the hearts of opinion molders as someone capable of giving APC the needed victory in the state.

His growing acceptance is not by any means a fluke. He has a lot going for him as he enjoys a huge acceptance among the people for his tireless philanthropy. He has done so much for the people of the state but more importantly, he has done more in assisting the churches and this is presently counting in his favour.

A former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi while extolling Uzoh’s contribution to the church on an occasion, said: “Remarkable too is your spirit of philanthropy which has continued to earn you goodwill in Anambra State and beyond. You have equally excelled in missionary work, contributed in many ways to the Christian Youth Development, which you most recently demonstrated by building and donating a multi-million naira hostel edifice to the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha at Holy Family Youth Centre, Amansea. This gesture of yours is a challenge to other wealthy Anambra citizens on how best to give back to the society.”

Apart from being a major financial contributor to the building of churches across the country, Uzoh singlehandedly built the All Saints Catholic Church, Ihiala for his community. He completed the Saint Silas Anglican Cathedral, Ihiala, singlehandedly and also donated an ICT and skill acquisition centre to the All Hallows Seminary, Onitsha while the building of Youth Centre for Nnewi Diocese in Ihiala is ongoing. He is also reputed for his sponsorship of Christians for pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Rome.

Apart from his efforts in the churches, he has awarded scholarships to several students in primary, secondary, colleges of education, polytechnics and universities across the country, provided special scholarship award to indigenes of Anambra State in Medicine, Law, Accountancy and Engineering and others. He donated a 3-storey building to the Law Faculty of Madonna University, Okija, Anambra State, donated and renovated schools across the country, constructed and equipped several computer and science laboratories in secondary and tertiary institutions in Anambra State and also distributed text books and instructional materials to schools across the state.

He had also established small scale enterprises for indigenes of Anambra State and engaged in rural road construction and rehabilitation. He had also provided boreholes, rural electrification and transformers to towns and villages, provision of special fund to assist pregnant women, widows, disabled people, and people with heart, kidney, lung, sight and spinal cord problems. All these are in addition to providing drugs for free medical outreaches to Saint Charles Borromeo

Uzoh....says he is the man for the job

Hospital Onitsha for some selected towns and villages in Anambra North senatorial zone and many other notable efforts too numerous to list.

Many respected people have testified to Uzoh’s philanthropic character and antecedents, including the Archbishop of Onitsha, Most Rev. (Dr.) Val Okeke, who in an exclusive interview with an international media outfit stated that: “I have closely followed Dr. Obinna Uzoh’s activities towards the less privileged and they are edifying. He has assisted many indigent students through scholarship. He has built houses for the poor, built hostels for students, churches for worshippers of different denominations and he identifies with the poor and the lowly.

Many of the individuals that have already signified their intention to pursue their governorship ambition on the platform of APC in the state no doubt have sterling qualities that qualify them for the job.

This will certainly make the selection process a tough one.

“Right now, he is renovating one of the dormitories at the Onitsha prisons. He has not excluded the rich, his friendship cuts across the poor and the rich. He has identified with the governments, states and federal.

He is a good man in all sense of definition.”

The dominant church in Anambra State are Catholic and Anglican churches. Of all the governorship aspirants in Anambra State, he is the only person who has done so well for both the Catholic and the Anglican, as well as other religious and non-religious organisations. He has been recognised by Pope Francis as a Knight of Saint Gregory. In fact, he is the only Papal Knight in the race.

His good deeds are now speaking volumes for the teacher-lawyer-turned politician. An an astute entrepreneur who successfully nurtured his private business enterprises, Gocuz Group, from a very humble beginning to one recognized internationally.

Among his long list of awards is the Knight of Saint Gregory the Great conferred on him

by Pope Francis, Philantropist Extraordinaire and Business Titan award by the Anambra State Government during the event marking the 25 Anniversary of Anambra State. He is a Fellow, Institute of Cost Management, Fellow, Chartered Institute of Administration, Fellow, The Direct Marketing Association of Nigeria, Fellow, Postgraduate School of Credit and Financial Management Studies, Patron, European Economic Chamber of Trade, Commerce and Industry (EEIG-NG), Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Internal Auditors of Nigeria and recipient, Africa International Achievers Merit Award for Excellence among others.

He was the governorship candidate of National Democratic Party (NDP) in Anambra

State in 2003 before joining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but as today, he holds sway as a chieftain of APC in Anambra State.

On the burning issue of zoning, Uzoh’s argument is that since there is currently a preponderance of politicians from the Anambra North Senatorial District claiming that the incumbent governor, Dr. Willie Obiano has disappointed them with his abysmal non-performance and should step aside to give another person from Anambra North a chance. However, considering the fact that Anambra Central senatorial district has had 11 years in power and the north has had a single term of 4 years with an overwhelming agreement on lack of confidence and abysmal non-performance, equity requires that the Anambra South senatorial district, precisely the Ihiala LGA where Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju comes from should be given the opportunity of completing a second term in office.

Reacting to those calling on him to stay out of politics having recorded outstanding success in his private business, Uzoh said: “My sole intention for doing this is on account of a sense of mission I feel deeply inside. It is a mission replicate on the level of success which by God’s grace I have recorded in my private engagement as a businessman, an industrialist, an academic, a lawyer and a philanthropist. It is my intention, with your agreement and cooperation, to take Anambra State to another level.

‘Anambra State, given its human materials resources, is naturally positioned to be among the leaders in the 36 states of Nigeria. It is a state which is home to such illustrious Nigerians as the right Honourable Nnamdi Azikwe, Dr. Akunwafor Nwafor Orizu, Sir Odumegwu Ojukwu, General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, Francis Cardinal Arinze, Chinua Achebe, Cyprian Ekwensi, Kenneth Dike, Louis Mbanefo, Jerome Udoji to mention only a few. With its position beside the majestic River Niger and crisscrossed by numerous other smaller rivers, Anambra State is naturally positioned to be the hub of business activities in the whole of the South-east.

“There is every sign that we are performing below our endowment. We are still far from the place we should be in all performance index within the Nigeria context. The indicators of underperformance are there for all to see.

Our institutions are almost all second rate.

Our young ones are still moving in droves to search for greener pastures elsewhere in Nigeria and abroad. Anambra state has little or nothing to offer to the young, resourceful and efficient, qualified youth who are in abundance in our state.

“Our educational institutions are still very much in the mediocre range. Investment in productive industrial sector is paltry or non-existent; foreign investment is almost completely absent, and for many reasons local investment, even by our fellow Anambrarians find home in other parts of Nigeria instead of in Anambra state. On account of all these, prospects for our teaming job-seeking youth are really bleak.

“This is why I am presenting myself as a humbler servant to lead the next state administration in Anambra State. My conviction is that with ever ready help of God, we will bid farewell to the current situation in which we are. We can and must strive higher. We must look into the future and shape the present to make that future brighter for our children. My antecedents have prepared me very well for this task which with your help I can perform very creditably.”

19

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ ÍŻÍ´Ëœ 2017

BUSINESSWORLD

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

ÍŻ Íś Í° ÍŽ ÍŻ Íľ NIBOR OVERNIGHT 1-MONTH

NIBOR 21.3750% 21.0038 %

3-MONTH 6-MONTH

22.5331% 24.6856%

NITTY 1-MONTH 3-MONTH 3-MONTH

20.1827% 19.3855% 16.2693%

6-MONTH 9-MONTH 12-MONTH

21.3861% 21.5058% 22.4006%

EXCHANGE RATE N305.35//1US DOLLAR* ĚŠ

Quick Takes NCAA Sets UP Appeal Panel

AIICO’S 12TH AGM

L-R: Non-Executive Directors of AIICO Pension Managers Limited, Mr. Ayodele Bamidele, Mr. Bukola Oluwadiya, Mr. Asue Ighodalo, Mr. Ernest Ebi (MFR) Chairman, Mr. Eguarekhide Longe Managing Director, Mr. Edwin Igbiti and Mr. Adewale Adegbite, at the 12th AGM of AIICO Pension Managers Limited in Lagos ‌ recently

Master Mariners Urge FG to Reverse Duplication of Agencies Roles Eromosele Abiodun The Nigerian Association of Master Mariners has called on the federal government to review the laws setting up its agencies in the maritime sector to eliminate duplication of roles.

This, the association said, will expedite the evacuation of shipwrecks in Nigerian waters.

The maritime professionals, who stated this at their quarterly paper presentation in Lagos, opined that it was unethical for the federal government to have enacted similar laws and enshrine same in the articles of maritime agencies.

They pointed out that similar roles and obligations have been accorded maritime agencies such as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigeria Maritime Administration and

MARITIME Safety Agency (NIMASA) on the evacuation of shipwrecks in Nigerian waters.

They therefore stressed the need for government to realign existing maritime laws and make them adaptable for maritime institutions to implement.

In his presentation, Chairman Nigerian Ports Consultative Forum, Mr. Tunde Folarin said: The drafting of so many other maritime agencies laws has become conflicting. in the sense that it now very difficult for agencies to perform particular functions believing it is domiciled in the Act of another agency. So from individual agency’s perspective

it will be very difficult because they will probably try to control some policies within their laws and since we are saying it is domiciled in several laws it becomes very confusing. “This gives room for incompetence, jealousy and vested interest to arise. So at the end of the day it is like everybody is in charge and nobody is in charge. Then the industry is suffering. Hence, the Master Mariners Association, being a vested interest in the progress of the maritime sector, should set up a project kind of committee to deal with the issue of maritime policy. They can create the group as a subsidiary body to look at the issue of conflicting laws. “With due respect we have seen that the Ministry of Transportation is kind of

giving schedules to people who are career officers not necessarily career maritime professionals. The Master Mariner Association and all the other non-governmental agencies that have interest in the advancement of this domain should now understand that the agencies and ministries alone are not capable of driving this change,� he said.

President of the association, Captain Joseph Awodeha suggested that the government should revisit the different Acts setting up the maritime agencies to avoid confusion in implementation. He said: “The government and other relevant authorities should revisit all the different Acts of Continued on page 20

Why Experts Fear Airlines May Compromise Safety in Nigeria Chinedu Eze Although Nigerian airlines have not recorded any major accident in the last three years because of what aviation experts attributed to proper regulation by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), there are renewed fears that some domestic carriers may compromise safety.

This, according to some experts was because the airlines have not really imbibed the safety culture; rather, but only obey regulation by the NCAA to avoid being sanctioned.

One of the experts told THISDAY that major air crashes could occur because many of

AVIATION the airlines do not have safety structure of their own and the technical personnel that constitute their safety management only strive to abide by NCAA regulations without intrinsic safety culture.

This, the source said unless the NCAA inculcates in the airlines the ability to maintain safety without supervision and ensures that airlines abide by the high safety standard, safety standard could still be comprised, which may eventually lead in accident.

The expert observed that many countries including South

Africa have operated for over 10 years without major accidents involving commercial airliners and this is because the airlines have imbibed safety culture and therefore needed minimum supervision. “If you trace the many accidents that have happened in Nigeria some of them had to do with the failure of the airlines to adhere strictly to safety culture.

So the major implication to safety is the poor orientation of the airlines management to safety culture. What most of the airlines are doing is to carry out NCAA regulation without cultivating the safety standard for their airlines. The situation is even more difficult

now that those old experienced ex-Nigeria Airways technical personnel are old and retiring.

They replacements are at best mediocre, especially those expatriate who come to Africa on their own to look for jobs,� the source said.

Meanwhile, the DirectorGeneral of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Alexandre de Juniac has commended African airlines for their improvement in safety record, but noted that for the region to extend this level of safety standard could be a challenge. “Last year, sub-Saharan Africa realised an important Continued on page 20

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has constituted a ďŹ ve-man Appeal Panel to hear the appeal ďŹ led by First Nation’s Airways against civil sanctions imposed on it (airline).

This was contained in a letter written to the airline dated May 9, 2017, with reference number NCAA/DG/CSLA/RM/1-06/17/163.

The airline was informed that the Chairman and members of the panel have considered their request and ďŹ xed new dates for deďŹ nite hearing and determination of the appeal. The NCAA said procedurally, First Nation Airways and its pilot were requested to submit written witness statements and submissions in support of or against the appeal. This would be submitted in 10 hard and soft copies and forwarded to the Secretary of the Panel.

The pilots would thereafter distribute same to all members of the Panel before the due date. However, during the hearing of the appeal, the Appeal Panel might, at its discretion allow time for oral submissions if deemed necessary. Members of the Appeal Panel were drawn from two other airline operators, a private aviation lawyer and observers from NCAA. The Panel had since commenced sitting.

First Nation Airways and one of its pilots were ďŹ ned 32 million naira and 1.5 million naira respectively for violation of safety regulations in November, last year.

Global Airline Shares Surge in May

Global airline share prices performed strongly in May, surging 7.8 percent to be up more than 20 percent over the past year. Gains were observed in all three regions, but European airline shares led the way again this month, with a 14.3 percent rise. The latest ďŹ nancial results for Q1 provide further evidence of the squeeze on airline proďŹ t margins, reecting higher costs and weak yields.

Industry-wide free cash ow also eased in Q1, compared with the outcome in Q1 2016. The fall in Brent crude prices in April extended into May and despite some recovery, the monthly average price fell almost 4 percent. Jet fuel prices behaved in a similar fashion and were down 5.6 percent for the month overall.

The strong start to the year for passenger and freight demand growth has continued. The passenger load factor set a new record high in April while freight loads consolidated recent gains. Growth in premium passenger traďŹƒc has exceeded its economy counterpart in many key markets in the past year. Passengers yields remain 3-5 percent lower than a year ago amidst ongoing signs that the downward trend in yields of the past three years may have bottomed.

The initial data available for Q1 2017 points to industry-wide free cash ow (FCF) easing to 2.4 percent of revenue, from 3.2 percent in Q1 2016. Q1 is a seasonally soft period for net cash ow, and the fall in FCF comes despite a lower capex spend, at 13.4 percent of revenue vs 17.1 percent a year ago. Bearing in mind the relatively small sample sizes at the regional level at this early stage, free cash ow was negative in both North America and the Asia PaciďŹ c in Q1 but actually increased solidly, to a robust 8.8 percent of revenue in Europe.

NAMA Trains Personnel on Safety

As part of eorts to enhance safety of air navigation in the country, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) is to embark on the training of various categories of its workforce in safety management training. The training, which will dwell on areas such as Safety Audit of Air TraďŹƒc Services; Safety Oversight Management and Practical Preparation for International Civil Aviation Universal Safety Oversight Programme (ICAO USOAP) and Air TraďŹƒc Management Safety Investigation and Analysis among others is targeted at equipping critical sta of the agency with the capacity and proďŹ ciency to investigate and analyse air traďŹƒc incidents with a view to mitigating or eliminating future occurrence. Making this revelation while signing the NAMA Safety Policy and Commitment to Safety Management, the Managing Director, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu noted that safety management has become key in a highly sophisticated and dynamic industry such as aviation, stressing that “aviation has no room for I am sorry.â€?

“Egina FPSO will increase our knowledge base of inspection techniques, certification and rules for maintaining classification and ultimately benefit the Nigerian economy in terms of foreign exchange“ Director General of NIMASA

Dr Dakuku Peterside

20

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ ÍŻÍ´Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

BUSINESSWORLD MASTER MARINERS URGE FG TO REVERSE DUPLICATION OF AGENCIES ROLES these agencies so that they can pick up a responsibility and say this responsibility should go to such agency and the other to another agency. This is such so that there is no confusion in implementation. There is no point you send somebody abroad to train at the end of the training he has no practical experience to carry out the job he is supposed to do. There is a difference between theoretical training in the university or college and practical training aspect of what one should do. “We have so many cadets that have gone abroad trained but cannot perform their duties as marine officers or marine engineers because the platform for them to do the practical aspect to qualify them to actually work onboard and be employable have not been attained.

So they just come in with academic qualification with no professional competency qualification.�

WHY EXPERTS FEAR AIRLINES MAY COMPROMISE SAFETY IN NIGERIA safety milestone. There were no jet hull losses in the region. Extending this great performance into the long-term will be a challenge. Airlines must continue the commitment to the IOSA discipline. And governments must continue to raise their levels of adherence to the global standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). In contrast to the progress in Africa, we have taken a step back in air accident investigations. They are mandated by Annex 13 of the Chicago Convention for good reason. Every accident represents an opportunity to learn more about making aviation even safer.

Also, the Vice-President of IATA, Africa, Raphael Kuchi commended African airlines, disclosing that more African airlines have obtained the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) but regretted that as some African airlines are entering IOSA registry, others are losing it.

Group Business Editor

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

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NEWS

Customs Decries Increased Exportation of Prohibited Items at Lagos Ports Eromosele Abiodun The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Command, has stated that some Nigerians are taking advantage of the federal government’s move to diversify the economy to export prohibited items from the seaports.

Customs Area Comptroller (CAC), Apapa Command, Jibrin Muhammed disclosed this in a chat with journalists in Lagos. He stated that his command has stepped up measures to ensure that all goods leaving the shores of Nigeria are properly vetted so as to save the country from needless embarrassment.

The comptroller therefore, charged prospective exporters of made in Nigeria products and other raw materials to come to Apapa Command for their exports.

Specifically, he said: “We have intercepted and detained some export containers of scrap metals, wet blue (leather) and unprocessed wood which in under export prohibition in the extant laws.� “Investigations are ongoing and sanctions will be applied in line with extant laws. However, the seized pharmaceuticals will be handed over to National Agency for Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).�

He stated that he was ready to facilitate export trade considering the country’s economic state and the federal government efforts at diversifying the nation’s economy through encouragement of exportation of agricultural products.

Speaking on measures put in place to enforce the ease of doing business in the country,

he said the command created a functional customs examination centre to facilitate trade.

Jubrin said creating the examination centre was to implement the federal government’s directive on the Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria.

He added: “I want to use this medium to inform stakeholders that the Apapa Area Command has in line with the federal government’s directive on the Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria initiative created a functional Customs Examination Centre within APMT.�

This, he added, serves as a coordinating centre for all stakeholders in cargo examination at the Apapa Port. “I have already held a meeting with all the critical agencies where we rubbed minds on the smooth operation of the centre and they have already keyed into the project. The system will continue to be perfected as the project progresses with intention to reduce human contact as well as time spent on cargo clearance,� he stated.

Jubrin said the command’s enforcement unit effected

detentions including containers of different items, such as frozen fish, medicaments, pharmaceuticals which were either falsely declared and resulted to under payment of customs duties. “We have also intercepted and detained some export containers of scrap metal, wet Blue (leather and unprocessed wood which falls under export prohibition.

Investigations are ongoing and sanctions will be applied in line with extant laws. Besides the revenue generated from import duties, over N1.8billion was also

realised from infractions with the period under review.

Jubrin said on resumption of office, he explained to his officers that value addition must be a propelling force for the command’s team. “This implies that we all must be committed to adding value that will leave the command progressively better each day.

The principle over time has been internalised by officers and men of the command hence an impressive result recorded in the first five months of the year,� he added.

COURTESY VISIT

Head, Administration and General Services of INTELS Nigeria Limited, Mr. Chibuisi Onyebueke (right) and the Chairman, House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Relocation, Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka (left) when members of the committee visited INTELS ‌recently

FG Targets 5,000 Participants at Nationwide MSME Clinic Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The Office of the Vice President will organise the Nationwide Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSME) at Eagle Square, Abuja from July 19 to 20.

The federal government’s initiative to diversify the economy through strengthening the MSMEs in the country by facilitating business meeting with regulators and financiers, will be organised in collaboration with the FCT Administration, through its vehicle for

entrepreneurial development and wealth creation, the Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA).

Aside from accelerating business growth and providing on the spot support services for micro and medium enterprises, the scheme will also provide the platform to showcase and promote Made-in-Nigeria goods and services.

The clinic started in February and has been held in six states of the federation, namely Abia, Sokoto, Cross River, Kaduna, Kwara and Plateau.

The Managing Director, AEA, Arabi M. Tukur said on

Wednesday that the two-day clinic that will feature exhibition, business matching and market linkage, is expected to host 5,000 MSMEs within and outside the FCT. Of the figures, 4,000 will comprise of participants while the rest will be exhibitors.

Tukur said that the sum of N104 million has been budgeted to organise the programme, while a committee has been working with the coordinator Aisha Dasuki, and the representative of the Vice President, to ensure a hitch free clinic.

“The programme will create opportunities for business regulatory bodies including Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Industrial Training

Fund (ITF), Bank of Industry (BoI), Bank of Agriculture BoA), Raw Materials Research and Development council (RMRDC) amongst others, to understand the challenges business owners in FCT are going through,�

Tukur said.

The Technical Adviser to the Vice-President on MSMEs, Tola Johnson said that donor agencies will be invited to explore the possibility of providing grants to the micro business operators and different investors to see if they have interest in the business of the MSMEs.

Comms/e-Business Editor

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

ÙÎÎã Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?

Senior Correspondent

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

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

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

House of Representatives Committee Scores Intels High Eromosele Abiodun The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Relocation has commended the management of Intels Nigeria Limited for building and sustaining high standards in its operations.

Chairman of the House Ad-hoc Committee, Hon Ibrahim Isiaka, who led 12 other members of the Committee on a tour of Intels facility at the Onne Free Zone in Rivers State,

said he was impressed with what he saw. “I am impressed. Like I said earlier on, this is an environment I lived in and I have seen a lot of improvement especially in the expansion of the new phases you are bringing up. I am highly impressed with the facility on ground, the newly acquired Big Mama Crane, the mother of all cranes you have, the lifting operations.

So all we need do is to gain back the confidence in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria

so that all these idle vessels, idle hands, idle facilities will become operational again and people will have one or two things to do,� he said.

Isiaka said the Ad-hoc Committee was set up to prevent the relocation of SPDC from Rivers State because of the potential negative impact such move could have on the Niger Delta region and on the national economy. “I can assure you that with the confidence we have gained back from Shell and

those that were gained from other stakeholders, by the grace of God, we should not be talking about any major oil company leaving Rivers State.

The consequences are grave, they are high. The implication is there. So no one should think about it. No one should think about leaving an environment like this. What for? They should just look at grey areas and have them resolved. And that is why the House is going to intervene.

The Speaker of the House, in his wisdom, has put this

caliber of people together in the committee and you can see what we have done so far,� he said.

While conducting the lawmakers round the expansive facility at the Onne Free Zone, Head of Administration and General Services of Intels Nigeria Limited, Mr. Chibuisi Onyebueke, said the oil and gas logistics giant has developed a “One-Stop-Shop� concept to enable it provide top class logistics service to industry operators.

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BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

NAICOM Approves Accounts of 32 Insurance Firms Ebere Nwoji The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), has approved the financial reports of 32 out of the existing 59 insurance and reinsurance firms in the country.

The commission, in a statement titled ‘Status of 2016 Financial Statements of Insurance Companies as at June 13th, 2017 gave the names of the approved firms as FBN General Insurance, Wapic Life Insurance, Ensure Insurance, Continental Reinsurance, Zenith General Insurance, FBN Insurance, Zenith Life Assurance and Consolidated Hall Mark Assurance.

Others are Custodian and Allied, Custodial Life, Law Union and Rock, Wapic General,

AIICO Insurance, AXA Mansard, Prestige Assurance, Nem Insurance, Regency Insurance and LASACO Assurance Plc. Also approved by the commission were the reports of the following Companies ‘UnityKapital Assurance, Cornerstone Insurance, Fin Insurance Royal Exchange General, Leadway Assurance Plc, Old Mutual General Insurance Plc, Staco Assurance, Mutual Benefit Life Assurance, Sovereign Trust Insurance, NSIA Insurance, Standard Alliance Life, Mutual Benefit Assurance Plc, Old Mutual Life Assurance, The accounts of these companies have been approved.

NAICOM, however, did not approve the accounts of the following nine insurance

firms that have submitted their accounts statements.

They include Guinea insurance, whose account was queried by the commission, ARM Life whose account is still undergoing review, Niger Insurance, still at review stage, Nigerian Reinsurance corporation, whose report was queried, United Metropolitan Nigerian Life report also queried, Standard Alliance General Insurance, report also queried, Linkage Assurance, review in process, sterling Assurance and KBL Insurance whose reports are under review in process stage. The firms are required to present their accounts accounting to international Finance Reporting requirements.

N6tn Pension Asset: Suleiman Attributes Growth to Robust IT Infrastructure Ebere Nwoji The tremendous growth in pension assets, which now stands at over N6trillion and the successes recorded in the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in less than one and half decades, have been attributed to the vibrant role played by Information Communication Technology (ICT) in pension service delivery.

Managing Director Future Unity Glanvils Pension, Ltd, Usman Suleiman, who stated this at the 2017 edition of e-Governance Conference organised by the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State recently, stated that the tripartite arrangement between the National Pension Commission (PenCom), the Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs) and Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) guarantees the security of the over N6 trillion pension

funds. This, he said, is a major and unique characteristic that differentiates it from the old pension scheme, where several frauds cases were recorded. “IT plays an integral role in prompt service delivery in pension industry and it’s responsible for why pension operators are able to manage over N6 trillion Retirement Savings Account (RSA) holders without having a single fraud record since the inception of CPS in 2004,� he said.

Suleiman, whose company FUG sponsored the conference as part of its usual Social Responsibility gesture to the university charged other sectors of the economy, including federal and state government parastatals to take a clue from the pension industry by automating all their processes, saying, this, if done, would checkmate excesses in the governance system.

Speaking on ‘The Role of Information Technology (IT) in Pension Industry’ at the conference, which took place at the African Leadership Development Centre of the University recently, Suleiman, said his firm values good governance, especially when such governance is driven by IT; saying, the conference is coming at a time the country needs change in governance to, not only exit the current recession, but to also eradicate all manner of sharp practices in civil service.

He urged other sectors of the economy to automate all their processes, adding, this, if done, will checkmate excesses in the governance system.

Also speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary, Jigawa (State & Local Governments) CPS Board, Comrade Suleiman Adamu Kiyawa, said that the success recorded by his board.

NIMASA: Egina FPSO Will Enhance Our Safety Regulatory Capacity Eromosele Abiodun The Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has said that the on-going construction of the multi-billion dollar Egina Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) project will increase the knowledge base of NIMASA as a safety administrator and enhance its regulatory capacity.

Peterside stated this during a meeting with the Executive Vice President of Samsung, Mr. Younsang Won, Representatives of Total Nigeria and the Vice President in charge of Egina project, Yongho Jo, while on a working visit to inspect the project at the Samsung Shipyard in the Samsung Heavy Industries in Geoje, South Korea.

He said that the project, which is unprecedented in the history of Nigeria, will increase the knowledge base of NIMASA and ultimately fetch the country the

much needed foreign exchange.

According to him, “This project is the first of its kind in Nigeria; it will increase our knowledge base of inspection techniques, certification and rules for maintaining classification and ultimately benefit the Nigerian economy in terms of foreign exchange.�

He also assured Total and other prospective investors that the agency would continue to create a conducive environment for investors to be able to be confident to come up with projects of this nature.

This is a mega offshore project that will bring out the best in us, let me assure you that we will discharge our responsibility as the facilitator of maritime business in Nigeria and ensure that our maritime domain remains safe and secure for this kind of projects, we will give both Samsung and Total Nigeria necessary support to actualize the Egina FPSO project for the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians, “Peterside said.

He commended Samsung and Total oil for having faith in Nigeria and its effort to comply with Nigerian content law. He particularly commended Samsung for having NIMASA Surveyors on ground at South Korea to work with world class classification societies on the project which will make certification and passage of the project easier and faster.

The NIMASA boss, however, charged the Executive Vice President of Samsung to ensure compliance to the Cabotage law and other enabling Nigerian laws when the FPSO gets to Nigeria adding that the Nigerian government is working hard to provide conducive business environment. In his response, Younsang Won promised the visiting NIMASA boss that the project would be ready for movement to Nigeria in August and assured that the quality of the project will bear the mark of excellence associated with Samsung Heavy industries.

RISK MANAGEMENT WATCH Robert Mbonu

ERM – As a Solution to Business and Project Failures Who is Robert Mbonu?

I am an Enterprise Risk Management framework advisor, born into a close-knit family of a Nigerian father, and mother from Kingston, Jamaica in the West Indies. So, I have dual citizenship - being both Nigerian and Jamaican.

My primary and secondary school education was in Lagos at St. Marys Private School and St. Gregory’s College respectively. University degrees were first in Civil Engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Lagos.

I worked as a structural engineer for a couple of years before moving to the banking industry where I spent over 25 years. Starting as an equipment leasing officer, rising to supervisory levels in loans administration, then branch management and later to board roles as Executive Director and acting Managing Director. I was fortunate to attend various executive training programmes at prestigious institutions namely IESE Barcelona, IMD Switzerland, Harvard Business School, Lagos Business School, City University London to mention a few. My interest in risk management was heightened by trends in corporate successes and failures. This led me to qualify as a Member of the UK Institute of Risk Management (IRM), and undertake further post graduate degree studies in Risk Management at Stern School of Business, New York University, USA. I am a member of The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN); The Institute of Directors (IOD), Risk Management Association of Nigeria (RIMAN), and Fellow of both The Institute of Credit Administration, and The Association of Enterprise Risk Management Professionals (AERMP).

I am presently the managing partner of MCBRMCIR, an ERM consulting firm. My objective is to assist boards and teams understand their risk management needs, and so doing achieve their objectives with greater assurance.

You are passionate about risk management, how did you develop this interest?

Risk Management is a very broad area considering the different types of risks out there. My primary focus is on Enterprise Risk Management (ERM). This involves structured and holistic methods and processes used by organisations to manage risks and seize opportunities related to the achievement of their objectives.

ERM can also be described as a risk-based approach to managing an enterprise, integrating concepts of internal control, and strategic planning. Enterprise Risk Management is evolving to address the needs of various stakeholders, to understand the broad spectrum of risks facing complex organisations. Starting work as an engineer honed my analytic and creative skills. I joined the banking industry with this mindset, to constantly seek solutions to business problems, and alter existing norms where necessary. Working in the various areas of banking gave me an appreciation and understanding of the nature of risks, its importance in every credit facility, by customer type and sector, and business venture. I was exposed to the critical role of corporate governance having served on a few boards including two financial institutions, a major international hospitality chain group, a few SME’s and non-profit organisations. I have also personally experienced firsthand a corporate failure and crises, and start-ups.

There is a risk management lesson to be learnt from every corporate failure, from poor strategy execution, to weak corporate governance frameworks, to non-regulatory compliance.

Contrary to popular belief, Risk manage-

ment is not restricted to the banking and insurance sectors.

Other non-financial sectors, especially public sector ministries, departments and agencies need to deepen their maturity in risk management to effectively deliver social services and projects.

This is the level the profession has advanced to in more developed countries.

As a professional in the ďŹ eld, how would you explain risk management?

Risks are uncertainties that matter; uncertainties that affect the achievement of goals and objectives.

As humans, we intuitively make decisions about risks in our daily lives. Risk management is the process of identification, analysis and acceptance or mitigation of uncertainty in decisions we take.

The tools and techniques that are applied in the Risk management profession are constantly changing. As resources and funding gets more difficult and scarce, businesses and government ministries, departments and agencies (MDA’s) are forced to take cost cutting measures to achieve their objectives with greater assurance. Today, any business or MDA operating without a proportionate and comprehensive enterprise risk framework is like a person crossing a busy highway blindfolded.

You were recently appointed Head of the Nigeria Regional Group for The UK Institute of Risk Management (IRM), what is the IRM about?

The IRM is a global professional body for risk management and leaders of education and training in Enterprise Risk Management.

Through its training, qualifications and thought leadership activity, including seminars, regional and special interest groups, the IRM aims to bring together sound academic work with the practical experience of its members worldwide.

As leaders in the research of new tools and methods, The IRM provide the necessary support to meet the growing expectation for boards, audit committees, and senior executives to design and implement effective enterprise wide risk management systems.

The Nigeria regional group, comprising IRM members resident in Nigeria, has just been set up. Our aim is to grow implementation of ERM in strategy development and corporate governance through: ERM Roundtables; Internet Resources; Research on Enterprise Risk Management; Response to Issues Affecting Public Policy; and Hands-on Consulting and Speaking Opportunities.

What has been your experience so far as a weekly columnist in this ďŹ eld?

With the support of THISDAY, a leading news media group, I have produced over 25 weekly articles so far. The response and enquiries from readers has been encouraging.

I have kept the narrative simple to appeal to a wider public. My objective is to deliver the knowledge of ERM, which could be complex, in a simple and easy to follow style, and by so doing sensitise boards and management about its benefits. In the long run giving back to society, as a method to avoid some business and project failures in both public and private sectors t.CPOV '&31 $*3. 6, )$*# .T3.

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22

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BUSINESSWORLD

AVIATION

AIR WATCH

NCAA Explains Conditions for Obtaining AOC Stories by Chinedu Eze The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said that it has defined regulatory condition that spells out ways an airline can obtain Air Operator Certificate (AOC) or renew it after it has already started operation.

The Authority said its insistence on issuance of airline licences is one of the processes to ensure that no airline cuts corner in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) regulation.

It noted that this has come at a great expense to prospective operators who find it extremely difficult to go through the tortuous five stages of certification.

Spokesman for the NCAA, Sam Adurogboye said “it is laughable when people who

do not know how the system operates say that airlines borrow aircraft to deceive NCAA into issuing them AOC license�. He dismissed such assumption, adding that the agency has even made it more difficult and stringent to cheat the system.

Recently, it was alleged that one of the private airline operators, Omni Blue borrowed aircraft to meet NCAA condition, but NCAA explained that Omni Blu Aviation limited got her AOC certification in 2015 and as at today, referencing the NCCA Document and Omniblu Operational Specification, Omniblu has five helicopters and three aeroplanes on her AOC. - HS123-850XP (5N-SPL); Challenger 604 (N880ET); and Boeing 737 Freighter (5N-IZB).

For Helicopters, Omni Blu Aviation has, Two Agusta

Westland 139 (5N-BTR) and (5N-BQB), Two Bell 4125 (DHIPP), (D-HAFW) and One Bell 212 (D-HBZT).

Adurogboye also explained that there are five processes for granting of AOC to any interested persons. “These requirements are preapplication phase. This entails initial enquiry or request about NCAA’s certification; obtaining of Civil Aviation Regulations (CAR) and advisory; provision of forms to prospective applicants, which NCAA receives and reviews “The next stage is document compliance phase which involves certification team reviewing applicant’s documents for compliance acceptance/approval. This also includes formal application, letter of compliance, training and acceptance.

Sabre Network to Introduce MBA in Aviation at Babcock University One of leading airline distribution solution providers in the aviation industry, Sabre Network West Africa, Alpha First Travel and Tourism Academy and Babcock University, Ilisan Remo have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to commence Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA), programme in aviation studies.

The programme is to run between 12 and 18 months period. With that agreement, Babcock has become the first university in Nigeria to offer such a course in aviation.

The President, Sabre Network West Africa, Mr. Gbenga Olowo said that the programme in aviation studies is open to all first degree graduates in any discipline anywhere in the world.

According to him, the programme would help to provide manpower for the nation’s aviation industry and

explained that the company chose Babcock because of its integrity and willingness to work with the organisation.

Olowo however, lamented that graduates are regularly rolled out of higher institutions of learning across the country, but most of them were not employable as they have to be retrained before they could fit into the system, but expressed the hope that with the partnership with Babcock, Nigerian graduates who intend to work in the country’s aviation industry would improve their knowledge of the industry.

He noted that the first set of students would resume in September this year when the school is expected to resume for another academic session. “We are bothered that graduates are being rolled out regularly and they come to us for jobs, but they are not employable because they don’t have what it takes to

be engaged by organisations. By the time we give this foundation here, the training that would be given to young graduates would reduce. “The signing of MoU between Sabre Network, Alpha First and Babcock is for MBA programme in Airline Studies.

The next thing is registration of intending students and it will be on the website of the school.

The session starts in September this year. It is for between 12 and 18 months programme and basically for weekends.

We are expecting as many as many people. In fact, we are thinking of 180 million Nigerians.

Luckily, there is no university in Nigeria or on the continent that runs this programme. So, we are pioneering his programme.

International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Maevis are conceptualising their own now and we are ahead of them,�

Olowo said.

FAAN to Deploy New Safety Scanner at Major Airports The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has carried out a test-run on an upgraded baggage scanner machine that can detect explosives, narcotics and other prohibited items at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

After the test-run, it is expected that the equipment would be deployed to major airports in the country.

According to the spokesperson of the agency, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, this is to boost safety and security programmes around the country’s airports.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of FAAN, Mr. Saleh Dunoma said that his interest is to ensure the airports are safe and secure, protect lives and provide machines of immense benefits to airlines and all our stakeholders.

He said the scanner was intended to complement the Executive Order recently issued, by the acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and also to assist the operations of other agencies at the airport, making them more efficient. “Our intent is to deploy these scanners to our international airports but this depends on the outcome of its performance in Lagos,� Dunoma said.

Supplier of the machine, Akin Mustapha explained: “This is an Astrophysics Baggage Scanner which is manufactured in California, USA. It will identify hidden threats in carry-on items and checked-in baggage at airports.

It has high penetration steel and it can detect explosives and narcotics. It has six colour generation and that enables it to do a proper analysis of

objects that go into it, better than others. It is highly reliable and very sensitive. In other airports around the world, they are taking away other machines and replacing them with this machine (Astrophysics) for upgrade and efficiency.�

Mustapha also said with Superior image quality and innovative features including Six Color Imaging for increased object identification and Screener Assist for automatic programmable detection, Astrophysics provides operators with the advanced tools required for quick and reliable airport screening. FAAN said it is committed to putting all necessary measures in place in line with international aviation standards and recommended best practices to enhance safety and security at the airports.

Executive Order as Change Agent

R

ecently the federal government issued executive orders on ease of doing business in Nigeria. This was aimed at removing obstacles that tend to prolong the process of doing business in Nigeria. Since Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ă?ĂĄ ĂĄĂ?Ă?Ă•Ă? Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ëœ ÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă˜ eorts by government agencies to implement the new policy.

Ă Ă“Ă?Ă“ĂžĂ? ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă&#x;ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă–Ă‹ Ă&#x;Ă’Ă‹Ă—Ă—Ă?ĂŽ Ă“ĂœĂšĂ™ĂœĂžËœ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă? ĂŽĂ&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? ĂĄĂ?Ă?Ă•Ëœ ĂœĂ?Ă Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ ÞÒĂ? ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă•Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÚÒãĂ?Ă“Ă?Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă’ Ă™Ă? ÚËĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ?ËŞ Ă–Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă‘Ă‹Ă‘Ă? Ă’Ă‹ĂŽ ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă˜ ĂœĂ?×Ùà Ă?ĂŽË› Ă–Ă?Ă™Ëœ checks revealed that several other changes have taken place recently at the airport.

Ă˜ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂœĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ“ĂžĂŁ Ă?âÚĂ?ĂœĂžĂ?Ëœ ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă Ă?Ă–Ă–Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ airport users had been expressing concern about ÞÒĂ? ÚÒãĂ?Ă“Ă?Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă’ ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă•Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ“ĂžĂŁ ÙÚeratives (from other agencies besides the oďŹƒcials Saleh Dunoma, Md FAAN Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ‹Ă– Ă“ĂœĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ? Ă&#x;ĂžĂ’Ă™ĂœĂ“ĂžĂŁ Ă™Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ Ě™ Ěš allegedly use to extort money from passengers. Ă˜Ă™ĂĄ ĂĄĂ? Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜Ăž Ă›Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ? Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă’Ă? ËʾÓÞĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ?Ă?Ă? ÙʊĂ?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ëœ ÚËĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă˜Ă?Ă‘Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÙÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă?Ă’Ă?Ă?Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ Ă–Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă‘Ă‹Ă‘Ă? ÞÒËÞ the main objective of instituting the desks. But comes in. There are several screening monitors the executive order has ďŹ nally eliminated the now. Every agency has a monitor to him or herself so every oďŹƒcial knows what his oďŹƒce wants to notorious tables.

During a visit to the airport terminal at the peak ďŹ nd. Everybody knows what he wants to see. So Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă? Ă‹Ă?ÞÓà ÓÞÓĂ?Ă? Ă™Ă˜ Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁ Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ Ă“Ăž ĂĄĂ‹Ă? ĂŽĂ“Ă?- we have several monitors being manned by several cernible that the literally suocating crowding agencies now.â€? had eased.The absence of screening desks seems ÙåĂ?Ă Ă?ĂœËœ Ă?Ă’Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă?Ă˘ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ ÞÒÓĂ? Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă˜Ă™Ăž to have created more space at the check-in hall compromised security in any way because the new Ă?ĂŁĂ?ĂžĂ?Ă— Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă?Ă–Ă“Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂžĂ’Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă’Ă?Ă?Ă•Ă?Ëœ Ă˜Ă™ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ and there was no milling of people.

Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă˜Ă™ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ ÞÒĂ? Ă˘Ě‹ĂœĂ‹ĂŁ Ă—Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ăž that whenever there are further checks such checks the entrance of the airport terminal has been put would be carried out. to serious use. In the past as passengers pass their ËŤ Ă™Ăœ Ă?âË×ÚÖĂ?Ëœ Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ“Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă‹Ăœ Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă–Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă‘Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ëœ ÞÒĂ? Ă&#x;Ă?Ă&#x;Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ù×ÚÖËĂ?Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ă Ă“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ“ĂžĂŁ luggage of having any prohibited goods they would Ě™ Ěš Ă?ÞËʼ Ă—Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ăž ĂŒĂ? Ă–Ă™Ă™Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ăž ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ ÚÖËĂ?Ă?Ă? put the luggage aside for further checks. So having rather than the monitor or be chatting with his one screening point has not stopped further checks Ă?ÙÖÖĂ?Ă‹Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă—Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ăž ĂšĂœĂ™Ă—ĂšĂž Ă™Ă˜Ă? ÞÙ Ă‹Ă?Ă•Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă™Ă˜ Ă–Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă‘Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ë› Ă? Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ă’ Ă‹Ă? Ă“Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ Ă™ĂŒĂ?ĂŁ ÞÒĂ? the objective of installing the screening machine Ă?âĂ?Ă?Ă&#x;ÞÓà Ă? Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂœËœ ĂĄĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂœĂ™Ă—Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ“ĂžĂŁË› at the entrance of the terminals? But all these Even the executive order allows us to be thorough in the area of security so we cannot compromise seem to have changed.

Ă?ÚÙÕĂ? ÞÙ Ă?Ù×Ă? ÚËĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ? ĂĄĂ’Ă™ Ă?Ù×- it. So when there is need for further checks it is Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă“Ă—ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÙÚĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ăž Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂœĂ“Ă?ĂŽ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăž Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă–Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă‘Ă‹Ă‘Ă?ËœËŹ Ă?Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă˘ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽË› ÞÒĂ? ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ—Ă“Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ë› ÙåĂ?Ă Ă?ĂœËœ Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ÚËĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă•Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă Ă?Ă–Ă–Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂœĂ‹Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? ÞÙÖÎ ÞÒËÞ Ă’Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă“ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂĄĂ‹Ă? Ă˜Ă™Ăž ËÖÖÙåĂ?ĂŽ new changes and are commending the federal into the terminal to help her with her luggage. ÑÙà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ëœ Ă‹Ă? ÚËĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ? ĂĄĂ’Ă™ Ă?ÚÙÕĂ?

She alleged that her sibling was rough handled ÞÙ Ă?Ă˘ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? ÒÙÚĂ? ÞÒËÞ ÞÒĂ? Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ ĂžĂœĂ?Ă˜ĂŽ would continue and the agency would continue to by security operatives at the gate. ĂĄĂ™ ĂĄĂ?Ă?Ă•Ă? Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ëœ Ă˜Ă™ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă“Ă—Ă“Ă–Ă‹Ăœ Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ă? improve on it. Ă‹Ăž ÞÒĂ? Ă˜Ă‹Ă—ĂŽĂ“ äÓÕÓåĂ? Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă“ĂœĂšĂ™ĂœĂžËœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ô˲ “We are already getting positive responses now. Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ? ĂĄĂ’Ă™ ĘŽĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹ Ă“ĂœËœ ĂœĂ“Ă• Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ëœ If you go to our terminals now you will perceive whose oďŹƒces are located at terminal B needed this ambience and friendliness that will make the not go to terminal D to board their ight because a passenger enjoy his stay while being facilitated to new boarding gate had been opened at the ground travel.That overcrowding at MMIA you used to know ĘŽĂ™Ă™Ăœ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă“ĂœĂšĂ™ĂœĂžËœË› Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂŁ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă“Ă–Ă“ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë› is no longer there. The collapsing and dismantling of After the inspection of activities at the inter- several desks have eliminated people milling around Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ—Ă“Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă™Ă? Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă? Ă‹Ă“ĂœĂšĂ™ĂœĂžËœ our terminals. AVSEC has also intensiďŹ ed its checks Ă?ÚÙÕĂ? ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă– Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?ĂœËœ Ă™ĂœĂšĂ™ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? on those entering the check-in hall to ensure that Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? Ëœ ĂœĂ?Ë› Ă?Ă˜ĂœĂ“Ă?ʾË Ă‹Ă•Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ&#x;Ëœ those who enter the terminal are those who want who explained that in fulďŹ lling the new policy on to travel. This has been able to eectively get rid Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? ĂŽĂ™Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ ĂĄĂ‹Ă˜ĂžĂ? ÞÙ Ă‘Ă“Ă Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÙĂ&#x;ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÙĂ&#x;ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ËœËŹ Ă?Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽË› passengers better experience at the airports and Ă’Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ ÞÒĂ? Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă“Ă—ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă‹Ă?ÓÖÓÞÓĂ?Ă? also to facilitate passenger movement process. Ă‹Ăž ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË Ă‹Ă“ĂœĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ?Ëœ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ĂœĂ?Ă’Ă‹ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă“ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ She explained why the luggage screening desks ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă™Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?ĂŁĂ?ĂžĂ?Ă—Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ ÚËĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă?Ă•Ă˜Ă™ĂĄĂ–Ă?ĂŽĂ‘Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? ĂŒĂ?ĘľĂ?Ăœ Ă˜Ă™ĂĄËœ ÞÙ Ă‹ĂŽĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞåÙ Ă–Ă“Ę°Ă? ÞÙ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? were removed: “We want to ensure that our passengers that come passengers’ movement. and the ones that are leaving the country don’t “We have worked on our cooling system. Immediately have to go through unnecessary checks so we want you go into the terminal you feel the cooling system; seamless transition for our passengers. We want that it is working eectively. We have been able themtohavegoodexperienceandgoodfacilitation. to replace our signage. We have better ones now.

This is because when you want somebody to go We also have improved ight information display from one table to another it is a bit frustrating Ă?ĂŁĂ?ĂžĂ?Ă— Ě™ Ěš ĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? ĂšĂ?ÙÚÖĂ? Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ™Ăœ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă? but to enhance the ease of doing business we of their ights. We are doing complete renovation have been able to dismantle these several check of the toilets at the airports. We are painting our terminals too and we have also improved on our points to only one point. “So as soon as you come into our terminal like Ă?Ă–Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ë› Ă? Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ?Ëœ ĂĄĂ? ÞÒĂ? Ă&#x;ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă–Ă‹ Ă&#x;Ă’Ă‹Ă—Ă—Ă?ĂŽ Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă“ĂœĂšĂ™ĂœĂžËœ are working on our lifts and we are also working on you pass through the screening machine. At the sitting arrangements. We have gotten new chairs screening machine before the executive order so that passengers can sit in comfort and enjoy it was only AVSEC oďŹƒcials that were there but ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ ĂĄĂ‹Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă™ĂŽ ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ? ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ ĂŒĂ™Ă‹ĂœĂŽ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ ĘŽĂ“Ă‘Ă’ĂžĂ?ËœËŹ Ă‹Ă•Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽË›

T H I S D AY FRIDAY JUNE 16, 2017

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T H I S D AY FRIDAY JUNE 16, 2017

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ ÍŻÍ´Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

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Still on Electricity Metering Chika Amanze-Nwachuku writes that with the recent data provided by NERC that only 3.39 million out of the 7.47 million customers nationwide have electricity meters, the metering gap poses a serious challenge to the liquidity, efficiency and survival of the power sector The Nigerian power sector is bedevilled by sundry challenges that have continued to stunt its growth; chief among them is the huge metering gap. The importance of electricity meters in the power sector value chain cannot be over-emphasised; it is the cashbox of the power sector industry. While the generation companies (GENCOs) produce the electrons that are transmitted and distributed to homes, offices and industries, the revenue generation process starts from the meters installed at these locations. Therefore the huge metering gap and inefficient and obsolete metering infrastructure constitute serious challenge to the survival of the power sector.

A recent data obtained by THISDAY revealed that over 50 percent of electricity customers are unmetered, while a significant proportion of installed meters are faulty, non-functional electronic and analogue meters. Besides, there is a high rate of energy theft due to by-passed pre-paid and post-paid meters.

According to the data from the electricity industry regulator, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), only a paltry 3.39 million out of the 7.47 million customers nationwide have electricity meters.

Although the distribution companies (Discos) made commitments to provide and install 1.7 million meters in 2016, they were only able to provide and install 215,424 meters to their customers for the entire year.

Investigations revealed that of the 3.39 million customers that are metered, more than half of these meters are either faulty, non-functional or are completely obsolete electro-mechanical devices that have outlived their useful lives. In fact, the true metering gap, in reality, is far higher than 4.08 million unmetered customers recorded by NERC, if you factor in the faulty, non-functional and obsolete meters. Also, the average annual new customer growth is predicted at about 9 percent per year (under the MYTO tariff structure), which means that an additional 300,000 to 500,000 meters are required every year.

Past Initiatives to Address the Metering Gap Prior to the privatisation of the power sector in November 2013, the federal government had implemented a mass metering programme under the National Prepaid Metering Programme (NPPMP) to address the metering gap. The NPPMP was focussed on the adoption of the pre-paid metering technology.

Under the NPPMP, the federal government appointed Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) contractors to procure and install pre-paid meters at “no cost� to electricity customers.

However, the NPPMP was not sustainable owing to a number of reasons among them, the huge cost of funding the meters, which the government was unable to provide, the lack of transparency in the appointment of RCMs, the short duration of the RCM contracts, uncoordinated meter procurement processes, proliferation of sub-standard meters, non-standardisation of meter technology and corruption.

To bridge the enormous metering gap and address the funding issues under the NPPMP/RCM model, the NERC, in 2012, introduced a new meter intervention programme tagged, ‘Credited Advance Payment for Metering Implementation’ (CAPMI). Under the CAPMI scheme, the customer was expected to self-finance the meter, with the meter cost amortised over a period from his/her energy charge at a 12 percent interest rate per annum. However, the CAPMI scheme, which at first proved to be a viable exercise, became riddled with a lot of difficulties, making it unsustainable due majorly to the fluctuating forex regime that adversely affected the Nigerian economy.

Since most of the meters given to customers are imported, the stability of the forex

be able to finance and own electricity meters.-households and businesses would then be able to move their meters when they move premises or relocate, the same way customers move with their DSTV decoders when relocating. Implementation, according to the experts, would require regulations guiding the procurement and ownership of meters by third parties and customers. Besides, deregulating meter ownership, they added, would free up the balance sheets of Discos s to absorb more liabilities, reduce electricity tariffs as the RAB of Discos becomes lower, while also allowing them utilise their allowable CAPEX more efficiently to finance critical network infrastructure.

Minister for Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola

is of utmost important for contractors to be able to bring in meters for distribution.

When CAPMI was launched, the rate at which meters were sold to customers was fixed at a price when the rate was still $1 to N195, but due to forex volatility, the cost of procuring these meters became almost double the price, rendering the scheme unrealistic.

Owing to the foreign exchange scarcity too, companies were unable to import meters and could not meet up customers’ demand.

This prompted the regulatory authorities to halt the CAPMI scheme. And a directive was thereafter issued to the Discos to implement their own metering schemes.

Impact of Privatisation on the Metering Gap One of the objectives of the power sector privatisation was to address the metering gap. Thus core investors in the Discos were required to explicitly commit to a firm meter rollout plan over a five-year period.

Today, given the liquidity challenges in the industry, Discos and their core investors are financially constrained to meet their metering obligations under the Performance Agreements with the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE).

Another constraining factor is the size of allowable CAPEX under the MYTO tariff model. For instance, the Ibadan Disco, the largest by customer number, has an allowable CAPEX provision of less than 8billion. The allowable CAPEX provision for each DISCO is a function of its Regulatory Asset Base (RAB). Meters form part of a Discos’ RAB and the tariff structure should allow for the full recovery of the RAB. If the RAB increases, through addition of new network assets, electricity tariffs should increase as well. This is a catch 22 situation – i.e. if NERC increases Discos allowable CAPEX to factor meter rollout, electricity tariffs will have to go up! According to stakeholders, the key challenge for Discos, NERC and other stakeholders in the power sector is developing and implementing sustainable, long-term meter financing initiatives to fund the huge capital outlay necessary to address the metering gap.

Deregulating Meter Ownership Under existing regulations, Discos have an obligation to provide meters to their customers and own the electricity meters regardless of who financed the meters.

Experts have suggested that part of the solution to address the metering gap is for NERC to deregulate meter ownership and financing. They reasoned that in a deregulated meter market, electricity customers and/or third parties should

Managing the Meter Apart from financing and installing a meter, another very important thing is meter management. Management of electricity meters involves the reading, inspection, routine parts replacement, testing, emergency repair of meters and all such actions required to ensure the meter is functional at all times. This is necessary for revenue assurance for the distribution companies. Meter management has its own costs as well. In other jurisdictions where there is a competitive metering industry, electricity customers usually bear this cost.

Thus, it is necessary for NERC to consider re-introducing a meter management fee component of electricity tariffs, solely applicable to managing electricity meters.

Another challenge with meter management is the huge rate of bypass in Nigeria. A recent statistic within the franchise area of IBEDC revealed that for every 10 meters installed, between five and six are bypassed within 48 hours. This inadvertently means that the more customers are metered, the more revenue is being lost. This brings additional cost into the business as not only do Discos have to finance metering; they also have to finance a system or taskforce that will stem bypassing the meters.

Metering as an Investment Opportunity Whereas the Discos are financially constrained to fund both the metering gap and other investments to improve the network, NERC is constrained to increase tariffs to cover an increased RAB. Discos

would therefore need to develop creative, off-balance sheet funding structures suitable for financing the metering gap, in line with extant regulatory constraints on their CAPEX. One of such solutions considered is for the Discos to outsource metering to third party companies but this also comes with its own challenges.

Owing to the huge capital involved, not many people consider financing and operating meter asset as an investment opportunity.

For instance, at the current forex rate, over N50billion is required to meter the currently registered customer population within IBEDC alone. There is simply not enough liquidity within the Nigerian economy to absorb this financial burden as most customers cannot afford to buy meters outright. This still leaves the financing to the Discos who already have their own fair share issues.

Simply put, there is no sensible business model for meter financing, neither is there a deregulated, competitive metering industry which may drive investment. All the same, deregulating the meter industry has both potential and likely pitfalls.

Should Govt Finance Discos Metering Programmes?

The recently approved power sector recovery plan by the federal government recognises inadequate metering infrastructure as one of its intervention areas that require financing.

The federal government and the World Bank are certainly working out the implementation details of the metering intervention, and funding the metering gap.

It is worth of note that the current model of the power recovery programme cannot work given the lapses in metering alone. Therefore there is the need to review the standing of the government on the liquidity issues in all tiers of the electricity value chain. Industry experts posit that the injection of cash to stabilise generation is not enough as it does not consider the metering challenges and the fact that debt will continue to build if it is not addressed.

In fact, power sector experts suggest that the proposed power sector recovery programme should focus on creating a deregulated and competitive metering industry, and the entry of third party specialist meter asset financing and management companies, rather than provide direct funding to discos to implement their metering programmes.

TABLE 1 The table below summarises the state of metering as at the end of 2016.

Total Customer Base Total Metered Customers Unmetered Customers % Number of unmetered customers Total Meters Added in 2016 Disco Meter Commitment % Meter Commitment Achieved

7.47 million customers 3.39 million customers 4.08 million customers 55% 215, 424 meters 1.754 million meters 12%

TABLE 2 The table below shows the gradual depreciation of the dollar value of a single phase meter under the CAPMI scheme over a four-year period.

YEAR NAIRA DOLLAR CAPMI (NAIRA) 2014 150 1 24,832 =$166 2015 190 1 24,832 = $131 2016 400 1 24,832 = $62 2017 480 1 24,832 = $52

TABLE 3 Meter rollout plan of IBEDC over 5 years: YEAR 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 TOTAL

METER DEPLOYMENT 103,130 115,810 119,960 122,240 109,070 570,210

COST 4,908,000,000 7,134,268,000 6,746,400,500 8,074,560,000 7,651,000,000 34,514,228,500

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WEEKLY PULLOUT

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

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‘MY PRIORITY IS TO TRANSFORM LIVES OF WOMEN AND GIRLS’

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

28/COVER

16.06.2017

‘My Priority is to Transform Lives of Women and Girls’ The National President of Soroptimist International of Nigeria, Mrs. Nneka Chris-Asoluka, in this interview with Ugo Aliogo, speaks about her plans, the place of women in political leadership in Africa and other vital issues What is Soroptimist International?

Founded in 1921, Soroptimist International consists of Soroptimist International of the Americas, Soroptimist International of Europe, Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland and the South West Pacific. It is a global volunteer movement advocating for human rights and gender equality.

At the heart of Soroptimist International’s advocacy is its work across six United Nations (UN) Centres, where our UN representatives ensure that the voices of women and girls are heard.

With a network of over 75,000 club members in 133 countries and territories, our members work at local, national and international levels to educate, empower and to enable opportunities for women and girls. They assist them to achieve their potentials, realise aspirations and give them a voice in communities worldwide.

Soroptimist International of Nigeria (SINA) currently belongs to Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland Federations. We are working tirelessly to create a new federation – Soroptimist International of Africa Federation where most of the African Soroptimist Clubs will belong and I’m the current Chairman of the Task Force for this budding African Federation.

Our mission as Soroptimists is to transform the lives and status of women and girls through education, empowerment and enabling opportunities. The principles of Soroptimism are to strive for: the advancement of the status of women, high ethical standards, human rights for all, equality, development, peace, the advancement of international understanding and goodwill.

You were recently elected as the new national president of SINA. What are your plans for the administration?

Leading an organisation where the strength lies within each member is a privilege and the invaluable contribution Soroptimists make to enhance society should not be underestimated.

During my investiture on March 26, I articulated in the inaugural address the programme focus for my service years (2016-2018) to be centered on empowering and supporting the 14 Soroptimist International Clubs in Nigeria; SI Abuja, SI Apapa, SI Asaba, SI Awka, SI Eko, SI Enugu Coal City, SI Ikeja, SI Ikoyi, SI Lagos, SI Lagos Mainland, SI Nnewi, SI Onitsha Niger, SI Osogbo, and SI Surulere.

These clubs have done and are still doing fantastic projects which tackled the five programme areas identified by SI which are included: economic empowerment, education, environmental sustainability, food security and healthcare, violence and conflict resolution. As Soroptimists our theme is to educate, empower and enable, so it is fitting that we carry out projects that promote education, good health, protection of human rights and preservation of human dignity. I intend to help clubs raise monies to fund these projects. My priority is to transform lives of women and girls.

Do you have plans to build on the legacies of your predecessor?

My predecessor, Mrs. Bona Okigbo-Udebiuwa, brought great innovation and structure to SINA. She created and acquired a secretariat for SINA which is now the office where we operate from. The secretariat has become the hub of Soroptimist activities and our history centre.

She also introduced the quarterly free medical clinic/consultation and legal advice sessions.

The centre provides opportunity for the public to receive free healthcare and free consultation on legal matters. I intend to continue with these sessions.

What is the focus of your administration in addressing female gender mutilation?

Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures involving partial or total removal of the female external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Here in Nigeria, reports have it that many Nigerian girls are cut as infants (16 per cent before their first birthday), and 82 per cent of women who have had FGM say that they

Chris-Asoluka

were cut before the age of five.

In May 2015 Nigeria’s former President, Goodluck Jonathan, banned FGM, but there remains an inconsistency between the passing and enforcement of laws across the country.

While a majority of Nigerians do not want the practice to continue, there is no one centrally funded body bringing anti-FGM organisations together to achieve the abandonment of the barbaric practice, which can cause infertility, maternal death, infection and the loss of sexual pleasure.

To eradicate FGM from Nigeria, we need to do a lot more. We should increase community awareness and knowledge on the health hazards associated with FGM. On our part, we will continue our community awareness programmes geared towards targeting the circumcisers, which is aimed at urging them to drop their knives and accept the campaign against FGM. What has been the socio-economic impact of SINA in Nigeria?

SINA is a non-profit organisation that relies

on private donations, corporate support and foundation grants to help Soroptimist clubs provide services to women and girls in their communities.

When we dare to dream for women and girls, amazing things can happen. They go forward with courage to do great things for themselves, their families, communities and the world.

Our scholarship award programme recipients consistently report completing or continuing their education, getting a better job, increasing their self-esteem, improving their standard of living and serving as a role model to their children.

In 2013, we launched career support guidance counselling to girls in secondary schools who face obstacles to their future success. The programme gives girls access to professional role models, career education and resources to live their dreams. Topics covered include career opportunities, setting and achieving goals, overcoming obstacles to success, and how to move forward after setbacks or failures.

On healthcare, we have constantly continued to raise awareness about the importance of maternal healthcare. Our clubs in their various communities hold workshops and seminars for pregnant women and nursing mothers on the need to seek good medical care before and after delivery. New equipment is purchased, distributed to hospitals and community health centres across the country.

Our soroptimist clubs also, from time to time, host free breast, cervical, ovarian cancer screening, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis and HIV screening exercises which gives the public opportunity to get tested.

The national association also introduced a quarterly medical consultation and legal advice sessions that is open to the public. This takes place in our secretariat. Our healthcare intervention also includes the distribution of drugs, mosquito nets, hearing aids, reading glasses etc, to vulnerable members of the public.

What has been the progress report of SINA in addressing female gender issues in Nigeria?

Women are under-represented in almost every sphere of social and political life in Nigeria, including politics, commerce, agriculture, industry, military, and educational institutions. Furthermore, gender discrimination remains highly pervasive, from biases in the constitution, right down to workers rights, legal protections from abuse, and inheritance and land rights.

Politically, Nigeria women are a negligible and undermined force, with little political involvement.

Economically, they constitute the majority of the peasant labour force in the agricultural sector, while most of the others occupy the bottom of the occupational ladder and continue to be channelled into service and domestic occupations.

The consequence of the unequal status between men and women is high level of economics and political powerlessness among women.

Powerlessness in turn retards development at every level, politically, economically and socially.

Nigeria took a bold step in the year 2000 when it adopted and passed into law the National Policy on Women guided by the Global Instrument on the Convention of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Nigeria, indeed, has tried to respond to this development from the international arena by articulating policies and programmes that seek to reduce gender inequalities in socio-economic and political spheres, however, the success of bridging the gap between men and women is not farfetched. A lot still needs to be done and this is where we come in.

SI advocates making gender equality a reality. Every woman and girl must have access to education, be economically empowered and live life free from violence. SI campaigns against early child marriage. In her journey through life, the girl- child, when lucky enough to be spared, undergoes a lot of harrowing experiences ranging from early marriage, low level of schooling, exposure to violence, HIV infection, maternal death and visco-vaginal fistula.

Invariably, these early marriages deny girls the opportunity for quality education in addition to depriving them of their childhood. In Nigeria, women and girls constitute 60 per cent of the illiterate population. Also, most young wives are burdened by growing up responsibilities, household chores, rearing of children, and consequently do not get a chance to interact with their peers or carry on friendships outside the household.

Again, they cannot contribute to the economic growth of the country, as they are put in a state of complete dependency on their husbands. As a result of the age gap existing between the child brides and their spouses, they are often exposed to domestic violence and other forms of abuse. At least one in three girls and women worldwide has been beaten or sexually abused in her lifetime. It is now a common occurrence to hear of girls and women being frequently raped, irrespective of their ages.

Today, rape is the greatest fear of girls and women. The rape epidemic in our society reflects the extent to which women’s and girls’ rights are being flagrantly violated. It has gone so bad that minors, as young as four years old and less are now being raped with resultant effect of preventing the victims from socialising or settling down later in the future.

Kidnapping of young girls of school age, either as sex slaves or for ransom is the in-thing. In order for this situation to be addressed, there are a number of actions that must be taken.

Government should put an end to all forms of gender discrimination in both public and private sectors, including in education, employment, housing, property and inheritance rights.

Moreover, anti-discrimination legislation and affirmative actions should be pursued, and there needs to be legal protection for the fundamental rights of the girl-child on religious, social, and economic life. The patriarchy structure which gives men ascendency in inheritance, authority, and decision-making should be discouraged through education, and enlightenment.

In order to emancipate women in education sector, the government should provide education and relevant trainings for all girls and women, including those with special needs. The gifted and handicapped, nomads, women in purdah, widows, single parents, market women, and career women. Also, the government must forbid, under threat of legal sanction, the removal of girls less than 18 years of age from school for reasons of marriage.

29/PERSPECTIVE

16.06.2017

Apapa Family’s Soulful Gift to LASUTH Zik Zulu Okafor writes on how Apapa Family of the Redeemed Christian Church of God is touching the lives of people through the art of sacrificial giving The Apapa Family of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), is sending a quiet but clear message to the world. In spiritual intercession and Christian social responsibility, the art of sacrificial giving.

Their huge strides, in the health, and spiritual cum political goals in June 2017 alone, are eloquent testimonies to this solemn statement. And while one happened in Nigeria, the other was enacted in London.

Yes, Apapa Family has parishes in all the continents of the world including Africa, Europe, USA, Asia and Oceania, plus 1,500 parishes in Nigeria.

Let us start with the first event in Nigeria.

This is the upgrading and equipping of an Intensive Care Unit, ICU, of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), by the Apapa Family, RCCG, which it donated free of charge to LASUTH on Sunday, June 4, 2017 as a climax to Excel 2017.

The state-of-the- art equipment which the Family brought the top class, corporate giant, General Electric, to supply include 5,000 ICU Beds, four Alpha-Active Mattresses, B-Braun Infusion Pumps, Syringe Pumps, Multi-Parameter Patient Monitors and Beside-Lockers.

For Apapa Family which marked 10 years of Excel, a programme that brings all its parishes together annually for prayers, and music ministration, the donation to LASUTH is a continuation of its fervent passion to support the cause of humanity. This they have done gallantly investing billions of naira in areas of health, poverty alleviation, education, and provision of social amenities.

Speaking after the inauguration of the ICU, named after Pastor Enoch Adeboye and his wife, Pastor Folu Adeboye, the Director, Clinical Services, Dr. Ayoade Adedokun, who represented the Chief Medical Director, Professor Adewale Oke, urged well-meaning Nigerians and corporate organisations to emulate the amazing gesture of Apapa Family.

The General Overseer, Pastor Adeboye, also present at the inauguration ceremony, visibly elated by this awesome humanitarian effort of his church, prayed for “the inauguration of this centre to be a turning point for the better not only in the hospital but all hospitals

Pastor Adeboye inaugurating an Intensive Care Unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital upgraded and equipped free of charge by the Apapa Family of the RCCG

The upgraded ICU facility donated to LASUTH by the Apapa Family of the RCCG

across the state and to the entire workforce of LASUTH.” But while Apapa Family and Excel were busy showcasing excellence in spirit and in flesh through prayers and practical hope for

mankind with the donation to LASUTH, on June 4, a parish of the Family, Jesus House, was also making strides in their core area of spirituality, praying for a nation and raising hope for peace and political stability in

London in the same week.

The event that heralded these ecstatic rendezvous of prayer and teachings was the 21-day Pursuit of God Conference. The forerunner and precursor of the prayer to come was the Prime Minister of United Kingdom, the Right Honourable Theresa May, who paid a visit to this Apapa Family Parish, in Brent Cross, North London. It was one visit that arrested the focus of London and made a huge statement about the rising profile of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. Then on the 8th day of the annual programme, the event attained the peak of spiritual height in London as the highly revered Archbishop of Canterbury, the Senior Bishop and Principal Leader of the Church of England and symbolic Head of Anglican Communion, worldwide, The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby, accompanied by his wife, visited and led a prayer session in Jesus House Parish of Apapa Family.

Indeed, Jesus House’s Pursuit of God Conference this year was linked with up with the Church of England’s Thy Kingdom Come global prayer initiative in which hundreds of thousands of churches in about 85 countries of the world are praying for the renewal of churches and restoration of countries. The first 10 days of the programme are focused on joining in intercession for the United Kingdom at a very critical and indeed perilous times in the history of the country following the recent vote to leave Europe, dubbed Brexit, the election that was to come (already taken place) and the barbarous terrorist attacks.

For the Head of Apapa Family, the compassionate and very much respected Pastor Idowu Iluyomade, the Family will continue relentlessly in its quest to feed the spiritual thirst of the nation, joining in intercession for the world while impacting on their environment materially through robust Christian social responsibility, CSR. As the highly successful lawyer and pastor put it, “The bible tells us in Hebrews 13:16, do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. We are guided by this passage in Apapa Family,” he affirmed, his face an emblem of conviction.

Stakeholders Commend Lalong’s Development Strides Okorie James writes that Governor Simon Bako Lalong’s achievements in Plateau State in the first two years of his administration has endeared him to the people of the state Political stakeholders in Plateau State have commended the achievements of Governor Simon Bako Lalong in the first two years of his administration and said that he is fulfilling what he promised the people of the state during the election campaigns.

Speaking on behalf of the stakeholders, the former Commissioner of Information in the state, Mr. Yakubu Dati said Lalong is approaching governance with a sense of responsibility and the seriousness it deserves, noting that his predecessor elevated his birthdays as a state affair, but Lalong warned against such frivolities but also dedicated himself to a solemn self-appraisal of the Plateau project.

Dati who spoke to journalists recently in Lagos said Lalong took notes in every of the 67 town hall meetings he conducted round the state and chronicles the desires of the people of the state and the first two years of his administration showed that he is fulfilling the aspirations of the people.

“These requests, which he carried as a burden, create his compass for leadership.

For a fair assessment of the Simon Lalong’s government, the key performance indicator cannot be situated far from the dialogues at those town-hall meetings.

It is well known fact that Governor Simon Lalong inherited a state in crisis caused by a self-serving regime. He knew that without peace and security, nothing tangible would be achieved in the state. Working in tandem

Lalong

with all arms of security apparatus, he applied his brinkmanship by initiating series of town hall meetings with all stakeholders in the state on issue-based policies sensitisation, and held consultative fora with the Berom and Fulani communities amongst others.

These significant steps resolved some of the crises that bedeviled the state by entrenching peace, unity and security of lives and property,” Dati said.

He said Lalong institutionalised peace building by creating a proactive agency known as the Plateau Peace Building Agency - a significant shift from the reactionary

pattern, adding that today, Plateau is in peace and following the restoration of peace, the administration promptly paid up the backlog of eight months salaries owned workers by the last regime.

“The consistent payments of salaries thereafter, and the general welfare of the workforce, which in itself stimulated the local economy has endeared him to the average Plateau man. Simon Lalong rolled up his sleeves to face the education sector, but was taken aback by the rot and decay. The performance of Plateau State at the WAEC examination was a disaster – 36th out of 37 states in the federation. Never known to shy away from the frontlines, Governor Lalong took the bull by the horns and changed the landscape through employment and training of teachers, construction of new classrooms, and massive injection of funds. Recently over 4000 teaching personnel were recruited on ad hoc basis, while infrastructural deficit is being tackled through construction and renovation of more classrooms. More than 500 classrooms have been built and renovated in the past two years alone,” Dati said.

He noted that the Plateau State University, Bokkos has been given a new lease of life with the reconstitution of the Governing Council with Prof. Attahiru Jega as ProChancellor, adding that so far, all its 17 programmes are being accredited which in turn facilitated the mobilisation of two sets of graduands for the NYSC scheme earlier this

year, the first since its establishment.

Other state tertiary institutions, Dati noted, are also receiving the desired attention. The regular intervention in the sector has made it to run smoothly without any interruption on grounds of non-payment of salaries, which usually give rise to industrial dispute, remarking that today, Plateau students, especially those living with disability are being supported with scholarships and grants from the rescue administration.

“Lalong is also paying attention to agriculture, which is the mainstay of most of the Plateau people. About 800 trailers laden with 24 thousand metric tones of fertiliser are being offloaded to farmers at subsidised rate.

The resuscitation of the Panyam Fish Farm, Bokkos Fertiliser Blending Plant, accreditation of Garkawa College of Education and the provision of soft loans to farmers have restored Plateau to its pride of place in agriculture.

“In line with the yearnings for community leadership, vacant stools of traditional institutions in the state are being filled based on laid down law and gazettes. So far, more than 50 communities cutting across all the local government areas have benefitted, ranging from the first class status chiefs to district heads. The creation of districts and development areas are at its final stage of implementation, to bring development to the grassroots,” the former commissioner said.

30/ NEWS

16.06.2017

AUN Appoints New President Solomon Elusoji The Board of Trustees of the American University of Nigeria (AUN) has appointed an American international educator, Dr. Dawn Dekle, as president of the institution after an international search to replace the former occupier of the office, Margie Ensign. Dekle is expected to resume on July 1, 2017. Chairman of the AUN board, Mr. Akin Kekere-Ekun, said, “We are delighted that Dr. Dekle has accepted our offer and will join our learning community. I am confident that she will take our university into the next phase of development. Her vision for AUN in a global era resonated with the entire board and we welcome her with great enthusiasm and anticipation in the coming years.”

Dekle visited the AUN campus during the May commencement weekend and met with members of the Board and the AUN community. “I believe AUN is the best kept secret in Nigeria,” she said, then.

AUN President, Dekle

“The campus is buzzing with potential, and I was inspired by this new generation of talent, the engaged learning experiences, and community collaborations.” She is currently serving as President of Orkhon University in Mongolia. Before joining Orkhon University, Dr. Dekle was President of the American University of Iraq, Provost at

the American University of Afghanistan, and Dean at the S P Jain School of Global Management in Singapore.

Dekle has held leadership positions outside of academia, such as council member for the Singapore Institute of International Affairs and as leadership specialist and global knowledge manager at the consulting firm McKinsey & Co., where she helped launch the McKinsey Centre for Asian Leadership. As a scholar of psychology, law, leadership, and management, Dekle has published in academic journals, presented at international conferences, given keynote addresses for the Young Presidents Organisation, and served as an analyst for television and radio regarding President Obama and his strategies in Asia and the Middle East.

Dekle earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Texas A&M University, Ph.D. in psychology from Dartmouth College, and J.D. in Law from Stanford University.

CP Harps on the Attendant Effects of Cultism Mary Ekah The attendant effects of cultism cannot be exhausted as both intra and inter-cult clashes negatively affect people in a very high proportion in various communities while the peace in the affected communities is adversely affected whenever there is cult invasion. The Commissioner for Police, Rivers State, Mr. Zaki Ahmed, has said.

Speaking at the occasion of the celebration of Rivers State golden jubilee by the Eleme People’s Congress, held at the Eleme Civic Centre, Ogale-Eleleme, in Rivers State, Ahmed said that a lot of lives and property have been destroyed through cult violence. “Young people who are supposed to be leaders in future have fallen victims of trigger-happy cultists in our society,” Ahmed said. “Some members of cult groups are caused bodily harm that may result to physical injuries and or death especially during their initiation ceremonies. Closely related to this is the fact that some of them risk health problems because of use of harmful drugs such as marijuana, cocaine among others.”

He added: “In schools, sometimes it leads to incarceration, rustication, expulsion of both innocent and student members or they may spend more than the required number of years for graduation. In extreme cases, it may result in death of cult members and non-cult members.”

He urged the Eleme community and Nigerians in general to join hands with

Commissioner for Police, Rivers State, Mr. Zaki Ahmed delivering a speech at the event

the police in the fight to bring crime down to its barest minimum in our society. “I call on you to cooperate, to partner and to synergise with the police in the area of providing useful information that will lead to the arrest of the criminals to the police. This is what we mean by the term ‘Community Policing’. Be whistle-blowers in your communities. When you see something, say something. These criminals are not spirits. They are not ghosts. They live among us. Report criminal hideouts and any suspicious movements or characters in your communities to the nearest police station; do not wait until it happens before you report them. Let me assure you that your information will be treated with utmost confidentiality,” Ahmed said.

He stressed that the Nigeria Police, being a lead agency in the internal security architecture, is saddled with the responsibility of providing an enabling environment for all to go about their lawful businesses, detect crime, apprehend and proceed against offenders in the court of law.

Ahmed who spoke on the topic, ‘Tackling Insecurity and Cultism through Community Policing’, and described insecurity as “an important subject which is eating deep into the fabrics of our society in particular and the globe in general,” noted that the discourse was coming at a very good time in order to educate and enlighten not just the youth but the entire public on insecurity and the need for community policing to tackle the challenges posed by this ugly menace.

Internet is the Enabler for the Classrooms of the Future, Says Vodacom Peace Obi As the impact of technological advancement sweeps across sectors and human activities with its widespread adoption in education management as a basic tool in teaching and learning processes, Vodacom Business Nigeria has called on parents, teachers and governments to put necessary facilities in place, in preparation for the classrooms of the future.

Speaking at the 9th edition of the Total School Support and Exhibition (TOSSE) in Lagos recently, the Internet service provider company's Senior Manager, Product Portfolio, Funke Atanda hinted that the days of classrooms where a teacher’s desk sits at the front and students’ desks neatly arranged in rows will soon be over. She noted that in the future, classrooms will no longer be described as rooms within a school, where students are taught, but rather any space where learning takes place.

She said, "Today, assignments are completed online and uploaded through classroom portals. Posting of grades and results are also done online. However, in the near future, group projects will be completed through collaborative software and students will use cloud storage instead of flash drives or paper to store their work. Teachers, parents, students and administrators will communicate

Draiklinas Celebrates Outstanding Staff

L-R: Chairman, Board of Directors, Draiklinas Limited, Dr. Tunde Ayeye; Pionner Staff and long serving Staff, Mr. Sina Ogunbona and the Country Manager, Mr. Afolabi Abraham, during the event

During the recently concluded World Facilities Management Week Celebrations, Draiklinas Limited, a leading corporate and industrial cleaning company recognised the contributions of the often neglected but extremely important resource within the cleaning industry – human resources. To this end, one of its staff, Mr. Valentine Mbachu was rewarded as the 2017 Service Ambassador for the company. Mbachu, who is a Cleaner, was in addition rewarded with an all-expenses paid trip to Dubai by a technology partner and TAMS supplier to Draiklinas Limited for being the most punctual and most productive janitorial operative for the past year. The company also specially recognised Mr. Jude Mmaduwuba for his long service to the company and unwavering commitment to excellent service for the past 13 years. He trained and mentored Valentine, the 2017 Service Ambassador.

Pioneer staff, Mr. Sina Ogunbona, who has been with company for the past 17 years and is popularly called Staff 001, was equally honoured the Pioneer Staff Award and a cash gift.

The company’s Country Manager in Nigeria, Mr. Afolabi Abraham, stated that the company is determined to make its people proud to be a cleaner and will continue to push the frontiers of the cleaning industry into national consciousness and ensure the actualisation of its contribution to national development. He also used the opportunity to thank its numerous prestige clients spanning financial, tele-communications, oil and gas, real estate, residential, and the public sector for their patronage and stated his company’s continued commitment to enable positive experience by continuous improvement of its services, development its people and aligning its process and technology to delight them, stressing on the need for a more deliberate effort at structuring, professionalising and supporting the cleaning industry in Nigeria.

Humanitarian Groups officials during the visit to the school

Humanitarian Groups Empower Pupils

L-R: Senior Product Manager, Vodacom Business, Nigeria, Mrs. Funke Atanda, CEO, EDUMARK Consult Ltd and Convener of Total School Support Seminar and Exhibition (TOSSE), Mrs Yinka Ogunde and John Maxwell leadership coach, Mrs. Vera Role, during the event

through social media platforms designed specifically for education or for a school.

All this will be made possible through the power of the Internet.”

Stressing on the role of the teacher in the classrooms of the future, the Manager, she said teachers will change from instructor to guide, and the responsibility now lies with teachers to become tech savvy and ready for the future classrooms as well as for the future learners.

Enumerating some of the Internet giant's contributions to providing affordable Internet

connectivity solution for different sectors, Atanda said, "Vodacom Business Nigeria has been at the forefront of creating reliable and affordable connectivity solution for corporates and schools. Vodacom has now gone a step further to create EduLink Wireless Internet Services that gives schools across Nigeria access to fast, reliable and cost-effective Internet. This solution offers access to curriculum content from primary school to local and international qualifications preparations such as SSCE, UMTE and A-Levels.

Mavrodi Mondial Movement (MMM), in conjunction with Hope Givers Humanitarian Services, an NGO, under an initiative tagged, ‘Welcome Back to School’ recently empowered pupils of FOA Primary School 2, Okokomaiko, Iba LCDA, Lagos, with donation of items.

The organisers of the initiative said the objective was to empower the kids so that they will have a sense of belonging which will translate into a better learning attitude.

Items donated to the students, who were obviously in dire need of essential educational materials, included school bags, exercise books, sandals and stationery, among other things. The organisers said they identified those in need and then contact corporate bodies for sponsorship. In this instance, Hope Givers Humanitarian Services contacted MMM and they responded promptly after a school was identified at Okokomaiko. Addressing the students, MMM representative, Amaka Benson, said that MMM is a charity platform that believes in empowering the needy, taking care of the sick and also runs skills acquisition centres: “MMM is a charity platform and we are known for putting smiles on people’s faces. Carry on with your learning so that you can do better and strive to achieve your dreams because you are the leaders of tomorrow.” The school’s Headmistress, Mrs. Udensi, thanked the both groups for remembering children whose parents could not provide for them.

31/LIVING

16.06.2017

Religious Group Gives Succour to the Needy Mary Ekah It is an indisputable fact that life does not offer equal opportunity to people and that while life endowed and elevate some people and provide them with abundance of wealth some beg for their daily food and at times die in poverty. This was brought to bear recently during an empowerment programme where people who have suffered various dehumanising circumstances in their lives due to situations beyond their control, were relieved of their pains, sufferings and shame.

Knowing fully well that anyone who is denied of the basic necessities of life like food, clothing and shelter can automatically feel neglected and estranged and then filled with whimsical thoughts could commit crime or suicide, Nasfat Agency for Zakat and Sadaqat (NAZAS), a non-governmental organisation established with the aims to give succour to the needy in the society, decided to do something about it by giving out financial, moral and emotional support. To a needy set of people, the group donated items like deep freezer, cooler, photocopying machines and other valuables which can be used to start a business. The beneficiaries expressed delight over NAZAS’s gesture.

Lukman Oluwo, a physically challenged young man from Shomolu area was in shock as he was given N200, 000 as start-up for business.

With this N200, 000 from NAZAS, I will build a container and start up my business and by the grace of God I will rise again. I am grateful to NAZAS.” Hazizat Adelagun, a trader from Mushin area who also received a cash donation of N200, 000 said, “I currently sleep in the Mosque but God used these kind-hearted individuals through NAZAS to put an end to my homelessness and resuscitate my business. I am a petty trader of pure water and soft drinks. But due to life

L-R: Alh. Shamsideen Afunku, Alhaja Suwebat Kupolati; beneficairy, Lukman Oluwo and Alh. Kabir Alaraba during the NAZAS empowernment programme in Lagos

challenges, I have been struggling as I currently live in the mosque. With this money I will get an accommodation and put my business back on track. I pray to God to continue to be with them and their families.”

At a Ramadhan lecture tagged, ‘The Benefits of Giving in Islam’, powered by NAZAS, where the empowerment was carried out, the focus was on shedding more light on the concept of spending and giving in the cause of serving the Almighty Allah.

Speaking on the theme, one of the guest speakers and a member of Nasrul-lahi-Fatih Society (NASFAT) National Mission Board, Dr. Daudu Oniyide explained that Islam has established an institution of charity to eradicate poverty and cater for the have-nots. “It has become a religious obligation upon whoever the

Almighty Allah has endowed with abundance of wealth to stand and respond to the need of such people and putting smile on the faces in order to create a peaceful co-existence between the poor and the rich and also to maintain balance in the society,” he said.

Oniyide said further that Islam, being a religion of peace, wants everyone to have a meaningful life and strongly advocates charity as one of the means of sharing wealth to cater for the needs of others.

“The Quran emphasises on the issue of feeding the hungry and helping those who are in need, and the more one helps others, the more he or she would receive Allah’s help,” he said. “Nobody can claim that he is a true believer without helping others.”

Charity, Oniyide stressed, comes in differ-

ent forms. “It can come be in form of money, food, shelter sharing experience and spending valuable time with those who need assistance.”

He said, “We cannot discuss the act of giving without considering Zakat as the foremost.

Zakat is the third pillar of Islam, it is a specific payment prescribed by the Almighty Allah to all Muslims whenever his wealth reaches a specific percentage and must be adequately distributed to a specific set of people in the community.” Zakat is a form of alms-giving treated in Islam as a religious obligation or tax, which, by Quranic ranking, is next after prayer in importance.

The Missionary, NASFAT Oworo/Ifako Branch, Alhaji Isiak Folorunso Faagba, also admonished Muslims to pay their Zakat as at when due as that was the only one God accepts and the one that can redeem one’s sins in the sight of God. The cleric said Zakat is not for boasting rights. “In whatever position you find yourself, don’t be arrogant because God is the giver of all positions and even as Muslims be patient and persevere in the face of adversity, provocation and challenges and above all be like God in forgiveness, patience and mercy,” Faagba said.

NAZAS, an offshoot of NASFAT, is committed to touching lives. Incorporated on January 31st January 2014, it swung into action immediately through empowerment and scholarship programmes, which cuts across primary, secondary, tertiary, visually impaired, law school and prison inmates. The agency’s benevolent acts are not limited to individuals alone as it has reached out to the vulnerable within the society through donations of relief materials to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Also, through its public health initiative, the agency has been collaborating with the Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria (IMAN) to provide free medical services to the downtrodden in underserved locations.

Best Jollof Rice Cook in Africa to Win $5000 The food conversation in Africa hits a new height as Brand Television Network (BTV), a lifestyle and entertainment television network, takes off with the African Jollof Rice Challenge, a continental lifestyle and entertainment taste tour and cooking contest that seeks to discover the country that cooks the best Jollof Rice in Africa.

The contest will have representatives of different African countries slug it out and, at the end, the winner will go home with a sum of $5000.

According to Felix King, an Executive Producer at BTV, the argument on which country has the best Jollof Rice in Nigeria inspired social network and street conversations across Africa, especially among the West African Countries, where Jollof Rice is most popular.

This argument has grown into a very strong continental debate, which has dominated both conventional and social media spaces.

This debate sprang up from a statement

by Lai Muhammed, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture that, “Senegalese Jollof Rice is the best and a counter claim by our Vice-President, Yemi Osibajo that, “We all know that Nigerian Jollof Rice is the

L-R: Executive Producer, BTV, Ororo Pattaya; former BB Naija 2017 housemate, Uriel Oputa and Executive Producer, African jollof Rice Challenge, Felix King at the event

best anywhere. We beat the Ghanaians and

Since then, Jollof Rice lovers have taken to all media platforms to present their perspectives on which country’s Jollof Rice is the best in Africa. The argument gets fiercer with each passing day with claims and counter claims on which country actually has the best Jollof Rice in Africa.

King said, “There is no official position yet on which country has the best Jollof Rice in Africa, hence, BTV’s desire to unravel the mystery through this contest.”

None of the perspectives has proved convincing, despite Nigeria’s strong claims to the African cuisine. The different viewpoints on the streets have only generated more controversies and continuous placement of different points to back up individual claims,” the BTV Executive Director said.

Ororo Pattaya Otono, an Executive Producer with BTV said the challenge would start with an online recipe contest, where the best contestants will be selected for the live screening and then the Grand Finale. He said the programme would come to a flourishing end at the Reward Night that will be used to mark the World Jollof Rice Day on Tuesday, August 22.

Senegalese handsdown.”

Lagos First Lady Advocates Women Empowerment The First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode has admonished women on the need to seek economic empowerment. According to her, empowerment will guarantee stable income, which will enable them to be focused and committed to their most cherished ideals.

She disclosed these at the recently concluded All Sisters Regional Conference of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Region 19, Ogba, Lagos, which was themed ‘Occupy Till I Come’.

She advised women not to entirely depend on their husbands for survival, noting that having sustainable source of income will also make them better Christians.

She likened the gathering with the day of the Pentecost, when the disciples gathered to seek the face of the Lord and were baptised with the Holy Spirit, saying “we are also

humbly gathered here, to seek the counsel of God on many issues, with a firm conviction that our merciful God will give us direction.”

While referring to the theme of the Conference, ‘Occupy Till I Come’, she said “this statement is neither a suggestion nor an advice but a definite instruction to us. It is a charge that conveys enormous responsibilities on us as children of the Most High.”

She urged the women, as true children of God, “to occupy till He comes so that when He finally arrives, we will not be found wanting like the servants that buried his talent.”

Wife of the Pastor-in-Charge of Region 19, Pastor Helen Oyitso said the programme was aimed at refocusing the women as individuals and as a group.

The Conference also provided opportunity for free health screening for over 1000 members.

Pastor Helen Oyitso and Mrs. Bolanle Ambode at the event

32/ TRAVEL, LEISURE & TOURISM

16.06.2017

Ikechi Uko Wins African Tourism and Hospitality Personality of the Year at MICE East Africa Peter Uzoho Mr. Ikechi Uko, the organiser of the Akwaaba African Travel markets annual exhibitions in Lagos, Nigeria, has clinched the 2016 MICE East Africa’s Tourism and Hospitality Personality Award. The award was part of the 2017 MICE East Africa Forum and Expo in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The award was presented to Mr. Ikechi Uko by the Chief Executive Officer, Ethiopian Tourism Organisation, Yohannes Tilah, in the presence of Ambassador Amin from Foreign Ministry after the ICCA CEO, Martin Sirk, gave a keynote address on Business Meetings as an Economic Driver.

The award was given to Mr. Ikechi for his unrelenting passion towards tourism and hospitality in Africa.

“This award is presented as recognition for your invaluable contributions for the overall advancement of tourism and hospitality businesses in Africa. Your tireless effort to promote African tourism has greatly helped domestic hospitality becoming sources of economic growth and social development as well as building international reputations.

“Therefore, on behalf of MICE East Africa Forum and Expo and the Hotel Show Africa Hospitality Investment Trade show we are grateful to honour you and acknowledge your continued works throughout African tourism and hospitality industry”, said Mr. Kumneger Teketel WG, Managing Director of Ozzie Business and Hospitality GP – the show organiser. In his response to the award, Uko acknowledged the sustained efforts of African working hard to uplift tourism on the continent.

“I dedicate the award to Africa and all Africans promoting travels within Africa,” Uko said. Mr. Rick Taylor of the Business Tourism Company also received the award and recognition as the MICE Africa’s African Meetings/MICE Industry Personality of the Year 2016.

Ikechi Uko is also the Publisher of ATQNews. com and Travellers magazine, first travel magazine in West Africa. He is also the convener of Port Harcourt Bantaba which is aimed at stimulating tourism and hospitality in Nigeria and Accra Weizo, which holds in Ghana, aimed at promoting seamless travels in West Africa.

Uko (1st left) displaying his award

Top Promoters of Tourism and Travel in West Africa Honoured at Accra Weizo Michael Enoette In an event that attracted the crème de la crème in tourism in West Africa the organisers of Accra Weizo, an ECOWAS region travel expo has unveiled Top 100 Tourism Personalities in West Africa at Accra, Ghana. The ceremony was held on Friday, May 26th 2017 at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Accra, Ghana.

“The Top 100 Tourism Personalities was set up to recognise individuals who have distinguished themselves and through their efforts or that of their organisations have impacted positively on the travel and tourism sector across the West African sub region, whose efforts have stimulated and helped to achieve their individual country's tourism goals and forging interactions among stakeholders and customers across the region,”says Mr. Ikechi Uko, organiser of the awards.= While the Balafon Awards was instituted 2009 by the publishers of ATQNews, the Balafon Awards Committee made up of travel professionals and journalists from across West Africa had earlier met and shortlisted nominees. The award was set up to recognise individuals and organisations that have excelled in Tourism and Travel and who also have contributed to the growth of hotels business, tourism and travels in West Africa.

The event was graced by his royal highness, Nene Nagai Kassa VIII, Honourable Mike A. Gizo, Chief of Agomeda, and President of Shai Traditional; members of the diplomatic corps in Ghana and which included high commissioners and ambassadors, among whom are Lulu Xingwana, High Commissioner, South African High Commission in Accra – Ghana; Mr. Thomas

Participants at the just concluded Accra Weizo held in Ghana

Okyere, the Honorary Consul, Botswana Honorary Consulate in Accra – Ghana; Ambassador Pavelyn Tendai Musaka, Zimbabwe Embassy in Accra – Ghana and Mwansa S. Rowland, Deputy High Commissioner for Zambia High Commission in Accra-Ghana. The Namibian Ambassador and the Nigerian High Commissioner were also in attendance. The ambassadors and high commissioners were honoured with the Awards of Recognition for their outstanding roles in driving travel and tourism between their countries and West Africa.

The chairman of the event is one of Ghana’s finest and most versatile former Tourism Minister, Nene Nagai Kassa VIII, Honourable Mike A. Gizo, Chief of Agomeda, and President of Shai Traditional. In his speech he called on stakeholders

and practitioners in the travel and tourism industry in Ghana to seek progressive knowledge towards moving the industry forward by attending travel fairs, while urging them to support Accra Weizo, an ECOWAS travel fair which holds in Accra, Ghana annually. Honourable Mike Gizo made this remark as he was concerned about the low turnout of Ghanaian tour operators and travel agents at the 3rd Accra Weizo.

“Every great tree started as a small seed. People should learn to appreciate and associate with great gestures while it is still very small or in its formative stages. We used to have the African Travel Association (ATA) based in America. For most of our events we have to travel to America.

When we get to their office, all the correspondents are from America. I got worried and began to

write to fellow Africans to stimulate it in Africa.

But many of them were not participating. The royal father appreciated the support of the Ghana Tourism Authority and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts towards this year’s event. We need to encourage ourselves as Africans to develop Africa,” he concluded.

The winners include Leeford Quarshie, General Manager, La Villa Boutique Hotel Accra – Ghana, Hazel Gumpo, General Manager, Oak Plaza Hotel, Accra Ghana; Dr. Felix Anyah, General Manager, Holy Trinity and Spa, Accra Ghana. The list also included Nana Dwomoh Brobbey, Chief Executive Officer, Capital View Hotel Ghana; Mr. Nicolas J. Gebara, Fund Manager, Busac Fund Ghana; Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey, Chief Executive Officer, Strategic Communications, Ghana; Mrs. Bella Ahu, Managing Director, Bella Travels Ghana; Manish Nambiar, General Manager, Kempinski Gold City Hotel Accra Ghana; Nancy Sam Quartey, Chief Executive Officer, Staples Travel and Tours, Accra Ghana; Daniel Mckorley, Chief Executive Officer, McDan Shipping Company Accra Ghana; Roman Krabel; General Manager, Accra City Hotel, Accra – Ghana, and Sajid Khan, General Manager, Tang Palace Hotel, Accra – Ghana, among several others. They also include Dr. Michael Pinder, Managing Director, Sun Heavens Hotel and Resort, Stella Fubara - Obinwa, Director Africa International Operations of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, received the Balafon Award of the Travel Personality of The Year in West Africa and also the Top 100 Tourism Personalities in West Africa.

Lufthansa Provides Cabin Staff with iPads Brings direct payment option to the check-in counters and gates in Nigeria with card terminals A gentle push on the home button and the digital world opens up to the user. A finger swipes the surface and navigates to a yellow app. With the "Lufthansa crewFlight" apps, the seating plan is quickly opened, providing the cabin crew with a plenty of information on the guests of their next flight.

Lufthansa has been providing its 20,000 flight attendants with iPad Minis. The so-called cabin mobile device (CMD) will be successively issued to the entire cabin crew over the next few weeks.

This is a major and – above all – visible step in the year of digitisation at Lufthansa. The so-called Electronic Flight Bag has already been in operation in the cockpit since the beginning of 2015 and is used by 4,300 pilots for flight planning and operations. At the same time, cabin crew managers also received a tablet, and this is now to be extended to include all cabin crew as a result of the positive experience.

The CMD will allow cabin crew members to access all the data they need to work on board, to access important service manuals and service schedules, and easily view any changes in plans.

The CMD heralds a new way of "paperless"

Lufthansa gives out iPads to staff

working and simplifies existing processes so that staff have more time for customers. Moreover, it significantly improves communication with the personnel on board.

The Cabin Mobile Device project is part of a major current programme of transformation called

'OPSession', which aims to further digitise the operational areas of Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian Airlines. Employees with no fixed workplace are to be equipped with mobile devices so that they may meet the needs of the customer in an even better and more personalized way.

In another development, Lufthansa will now enable secure simple payments at the check-in counter in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, by introducing “Amadeus Airport Pay”. This new service, developed by Amadeus and Ingenico, will subsequently be available at more than 170 airports around the world. The customers will be able to pay for ancillary services, such as excess baggage, with chip-cards (credit/debit cards), girocard payments and compatible digital wallets.

“This direct-payment option will further improve the customer experience for our passengers in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt,” says Robin Sohdi, Lufthansa General Manager Nigeria.

Additionally, airline staff are able to initiate compensation payments with these terminals, for instance in case a passenger voluntary steps back from an overbooked flight.

“To bring secure and seamless payment options to our passengers to ease their individual and seamless travel experience is a core objective for the Lufthansa Group. Amadeus Airport Pay enables our travellers to choose customised ancillary services for their flight while checking in or at the gate – securely and with a variety of payment options, and without the need for detours,” said Kai Schilb, Head of Payment at Lufthansa Group Hub Airlines.

“Besides, as an IT solution, Amadeus Airport Pay gives the Lufthansa Group full control over its payment infrastructure by enabling bilateral connections with a wide range of payment providers. We look forward to bringing this service to our airport check-in desks and ticket offices in more than 170 airports very soon,” added Philipp Vetten, Head of IT Payment Projects at Lufthansa Group Hub Airlines.

The standard used by the Amadeus Airport Pay solution is also fully compatible with PCI-DSS, a series of security standards defined by the payment card industry. By using a PIN method for the cards, fraud is prevented during the payment process itself.

33/XTRA

16.06.2017

Bello

‘Abuja is Still a Growing City’ Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Musa Bello, recently shared insight with media when he responded to questions on the activities of the ministry in the past two years. Olawale Ajimotokan reports on the abridged version of the interview The herdsmen menace in the city This is obviously something of great concern to all of us and that is why the administration set up a committee. That committee was set up because it is something that has been recurring for quite sometime and the committee has submitted a preliminary report. The reality of the report is that fundamental communication issue between the herdsmen that are within the FCT, especially the city itself and may be the city officers and even the general public.

The reality is that in some of the areas that we have including the highbrow areas, these are areas that actually for long time before the city was created were also inhabited by the herdsmen. And now unfortunately development came up, they were always being pushed. Various committees by my predecessor had acknowledged that fact and tried to relocate them. Locations were identified but unfortunately appropriate compensations were not paid. So we are dialoguing with the herdsmen through their leadership and through the FCT traditional authority to make sure that they do not operate within the city centre and the major roads within the city centre, even though many of them actually feel that they are operating within areas that had been their ancestral home even though they are basically nomads but some of them were quite settled. To solve the issue of herdsmen in the city and also the herdsmen crisis within the fringes of the city is something that requires a lot dialoguing, patience from both sides and communication, but I assure you the work of the committee that has been set up the way I see us going with that work, I think in the very near future this matter will be resolved once and for all.

What it takes is quite complex and it is not as simple as saying ‘get off the street’ but we all know and appreciate the fact that in a modern city, there is no way animals can share road with vehicles. It is a recipe for accident and loss of life and this has been acknowledged. I am sure the administration

is working towards making sure that this is properly done.

On slow pace of projects Government wants to reach everywhere but the reality is we took a decision that once your resources are limited you have to prioritise. But meantime, it’s better for us to continue this mega projects of road network within the city because they have the potential of giving the greatest benefits to the greatest number of people. I give you an example, just on this way now there is a road we call Parkway. It starts from the Christian Ecumenical Centre and across the road near Kano House, there is a bridge over Goodluck Jonathan Expressway. That one goes near the NTA, bursts out here (FCDA) and straight to Area 1. By the time that road is completed once you are coming from the Mabushi axis, and going to Abuja Central District, you don’t need to go towards Ahmadu Bello Way. All you need do is come straight and then emerge at the other side to save a lot of time. Imagine if that road is completed and how it can divert traffic and make movement efficient.

And that is why with these limited resources we realised that it is better to complete these roads. Also look at the AYA Bridge through Asokoro and linking up with Shehu Shagari Junction and eventually Ahmadu Bello. By the time it is done, it is going to ease traffic, that is why while it is essential for us to look at the satellite towns which we are doing.

Our intension is by the time we are done with these ones, then resources as they come will be deployed to other sectors. And like I told you, Abuja is still a growing city. It is not possible for one administrator, in fact it is not possible in one tenure, for a person to be able to do this. I will be very frank with you by the time I am done, I will just carry my small brief case and move on. We are almost close to delivering the Abuja Light Rail project that was conceived as an addendum under the Lagos-Kano rail line project by

the Obasanjo Administration. By the time we complete this rail, the people of Abuja will benefit and Nigerians will have a city that we can say is truly a city developed by all of us.

On the Apo- Karshi Road It is one road that I personally thought that by now it should have been done. It is a project very dear to everyone in the city. I discussed with the Permanent Secretary and they are working seriously on it. But on a more positive note that road as conceived, though it is called Apo- Karshi Road, actually terminates at Wassa Junction. There is a 5km stretch that was not planned for and I am happy to say that about a month ago, we got a FEC approval to be able to complete that stretch. I recall when I went there, I said that was a road that was conceived to terminate in the bush—it was not really going to give us the connectivity that we were hoping for. But I am happy to say that Gilmor is the contractor that will do that segment from Wassa Junction to Ring Road 3. By the time that is done we will all be very happy.

Light in the city Light in the city is another challenge and Abuja is always dark at night because of this. It has to be dark because we don’t get enough power from the National Grid to be able to power Abuja. All the street lights in Abuja have been configured to get power from the National Grid. We are working towards making some of the major streets and the business areas to be powered with generators especially in the night. It is very expensive and polluting to the environment but we have no option because we have to make Abuja bright at night even for security purposes.

Provision of security Abuja is one of the most secure areas of

Nigeria and we have made a lot of effort to secure it. But having said that we have a pocket of criminality here including challenges of kidnapping. But you are living witnesses to what the administration together with security agencies have been able to do with regard to some of the high profile kidnappings in the state. You have to recall the most recent incident at Kuje, where about 10 persons were kidnapped and we succeeded in using the security agencies to rescue them.

Regarding way slums grow in the city and the seeming lack of action by the administration.

I want to put two points for you to understand: the reality is that Abuja is growing at a very fast pace. It is growing beyond the expectation of the planners and with all growing cities in the world slums come about. Yes, we can go in with the bulldozers and demolish the whole place as it has been done in the past but in reality has bulldozing resolved the problem? And that is why I said I would not go and be destroying places any how because as cynical people feel action is by destruction. No. We have been trying to strengthen the system so that these things would not happen. For instance, any property built in a wrong place, no matter how long you stay there, will ultimately give way because the rule is clear. But if slums thrive in the first place is because of institutional weaknesses of people not doing their work. You should strengthen the institutions by not allowing these things start and we realise that most of these institutions are grossly overstretched, underfunded and understaffed. And now the world over you don’t go and clear slumps, you upgrade them, give them facilities provide them with necessary roads and at the end of the day if it is indigenous communities, you give them the option of either selling the property because the value would have gone higher or allow them stay there by the time they pass away their children will be able to improve it.

34/THISLIFE

16.06.2017

Ambode

Ambode: Celebrating ‘Product of the Coconut’ at 54 Habib Aruna writes on the humane side of Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, who turned 54 on Wednesday, June 14, 2017 It is always a herculean task to write tributes celebrating your boss on his birthday, not for want of what to write, but for the possible misconception of readers who may accuse you of being too patronising. As a matter of fact, there is no way a leader, mentor and boss like Ambode will not be celebrated on his natal day to let people know the humane side of him which hitherto is hidden from the public.

Many have read and watched events marking Lagos at 50 and two years of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in the saddle, so they are aware of what he has done in the areas of social development and security, infrastructure, economic development and sustainable environment.

I however owe it a duty to let the public know certain qualities which make him tick and propel him into changing the face of Lagos from a mega city to a smart city in just two years. Ambode is not a run-of-the-mill politician, but a thoroughbred professional who has an undying passion for the job. His daily itinerary shows he is more than prepared for the job and the result is what we are witnessing in Lagos today.

As James Allen More noted, "work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts and right efforts will inevitably bring about right results." This is an apt description of Ambode, a workaholic. I wonder many times where he gets the strength.

He hardly sleeps and so are his aides who he can call at any time of the day and night for an urgent assignment, especially when he embarks on inspection of projects, ensuring security agents are alive to their duties or/and ensuring the streetlights, one of his signature achievements, are perpetually functional.

Ambode deliberately prowls about most nights to certain parts of Lagos to feel not only the pulse of the city but also to iden-

tify black spots and whatever black spot he discovers is addressed almost immediately.

So once everybody knows that the governor will personally monitor, they do their bits as diligently as practicable. All the projects he has executed so far are products of a well thought out idea though he invites others to make inputs.

His day starts from as early as 6a.m. when he usually wakes up having stayed up working till about 3 a.m., and sometimes, he may have just returned from inspection of projects around the city. He usually flips through online editions of the newspapers and then the print editions, before setting out to act on matters concerning citizens of the state.

What worried the governor most in his early days in office was the traffic gridlock especially, on Third Mainland Bridge, (inward Lagos in the morning), and Apapa road. This usually takes him out to personally assess the situation and he may not resume in the office until as late as 6p.m. in the evening.

He discovered that the Apapa gridlock was caused by the arbitrary parking of trucks on both sides of the road and the abandoned pedestrian bridge.

The road which belongs to the federal government has been neglected for a long time but just like the way he is addressing other bad spots in the city, the governor had to last year order the State Public Works to move in for a quick fix of the road. And due to his persistent request, approval was recently given by the federal government to the state to reconstruct the much expected Oshodi-expressway to the International Airport.

One day, the Commissioner for Information, Steve Ayorinde and I left the governor at around 1:00a.m. and we agreed to meet him by 9:30a.m. later same day so that he will go through his speech which was scheduled

for statewide broadcast at 11:00a.m. To our surprise, the governor was in the office as early as 6:30a.m. to prepare his speech himself; he only gave it to us to proof read when we got there at 9:30a.m.! Such is the nature of Governor Ambode who has an uncommon passion for the job.

Another hidden side of Governor Ambode is the milk of human kindness running in his blood. He is generous to a fault. You cannot be a staff of Governor Ambode or that of his wife and be sad except the issue is not brought to their notice! He is somebody who has so demystified governance that things that were hitherto insurmountable become easy.

You need to drive through the Third Mainland Bridge to Ketu/Alapere during rush hours to understand and marvel at the way he thinks.

Or do you want to talk about the hundreds of roads that have been fixed; the two flyovers that were completed in record time and the palpable feeling around town that the state is moving in the right direction?

In truth, this milk of human kindness stretches to those in need of any assistance and it's brought to the notice of the governor or if he saw it himself when glancing through the papers. He would immediately intervene, putting smiles on their faces, but with a stern warning that his identity must never be revealed.

I have always been in a difficult position to keep hiding these interventions from those who are hell-bent on expressing their gratitude.

For sure, what has helped Ambode in his current job as governor is his wealth of experience having served in the state civil service for 27 years. A first class material who rose through the ranks and retired as the Accountant General of the state; Ambode has lived in most slum areas of the city, including Ajegunle and he knows most interior parts of Lagos like the back

of his hand. This much he used during his campaign in 2015, when he told Lagosians that his experience would work for them.

He stunned the people of Ajegunle during an event recently when he mentioned all the roads in Ajegunle and how they interlinked and the ones that should be done urgently and they all agreed with him.

And what has shaped his personality and made him so unassuming is his very humble background which enabled him to know what suffering means. Though many successful people today were also from humble backgrounds and are still remain uncaring and heartless, yet Ambode in his usual humility would remark that, "the only way I can continue to show gratitude to God for his mercy and favour over me is to assist as many people as possible not as governor alone but in my personal capacity." He has indeed kept that promise.

Growing up in Ebute-Metta part of Lagos like any other young lad of that time in the 60s, he imbibed the culture of hard work, diligence and perseverance from his parents.

A brilliant and well behaved child, Ambode, early in life discovered that a man's destiny is in his own hands so he set a goal for himself and he set out to achieve that goal. Today, he is a success story in every way.

An astute administrator and a team leader, Ambode is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and a Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management. As this product of the 'coconut', ala Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s protégé, celebrated his birthday on Wednesday, June 14, 2017, I join other teeming Lagosians to wish him a happy birthday and pray that God grants him longevity, renewed strength and wisdom in his service to the state and our country.

Aruna is the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ambode

T H I S D AY Ëž FRIDAYËœ ͚͞˜ ͺ͸͚Ϳ

35

SPECIAL PROJECT ON LEADING MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS AGENCIES (I)

UNMASKING THE BIG MASQUERADES‌

Nigerian Top Agencies that Have Changed the Game of Marketing Communications

Managing Director, Insight Publicis, Mr. Feyi Olubodun

Regional Managing Director, mediaReach OMD, Mr. Tolu Ogunkoya

Chief Operating OďŹƒcer, Media Perspectives, Jude Odia

Group CEO, DKK, Temitope Jemerigbe

Chief Executive OďŹƒcer, X3M Ideas, Mr. Steve Babaeko

Chief Executive OďŹƒcer, Leo Burnett Lagos, Sam Osunsoko

As 2017 rolls down to the second quarter, facts are emerging that a few Nigerian marketing communication agencies have begun to speak the complete language of the twenty-first century agency.

This is necessary in order to provide the quality of total communication needed for the effective tracking of the modern shifty consumer. For many, 2016 was a year. A year like never before for the all negative reasons; at least business wise.The Marketing Communication industry was not left out. Since it is an ancillary service in the business mix, it was not insulated from the recession. But even at that, these advertising agencies still pulled off some laudable feats during that year. And this has continued to give them an edge in 2017. Today, these set of agencies appeared to have turned full cycle in providing the much needed total marketing communications services required to add fillip and vibrancy to the plethora of competing brands in the market place. Consequent upon this,THISDAY, the flagship of the nation’s newspaper industry, decided to put together a special pulled-out on this top agencies that are not only changing the game in the market but also have clear understanding of the direction the modern Nigerian consumer is headed. Among them are agencies that have remained leaders in the industry for decades with lots of laurel and outstanding creatives to show for it. Of course the list also includes some young agencies that have displayed an uncommon understanding of global trend and as such participated in international awards and did the country proud at the end. Again, it has often been said that when there is any downturn in receivables by companies, even multinationals, the first casualty is the advertising and media budget. But in Nigeria, that seemed to have been taken to another level as advertising spend in the last two quarters of 2016 was abysmally low. No thanks to the economic recession that held the country at her financial jugular. Even companies that normally increase their media visibilities and other below the line activities towards the end of each year drastically cut down on this.To this end, the fortunes of some notable agencies of the past have not only nosedives; they have lost the steam and pushed to the back seats. However, as discouraging as the advertising horizon was in recent years, these celebrated agencies still pulled the punches and one could not but notice them among the park.They are the agencies that are daily reminding the industry that advertising still remains an integral part of the marketing mix.

In this special report put together by RAHEEM AKINGBOLU, GODWIN ANYEBE and BUNMI AWOLUSI, the stories of these outfits are not likely to be different in 2017. Below are a few of those to watch out for as businesses in various sectors boom in the years ahead.

FRIDAY, ͚͞˜ ͺ͸͚Ϳ Ëž T H I S D AY

36

SPECIAL REPORT

LEADING MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS AGENCIES (I)

mediaReach OMD: Ahead of Others in Media Planning and Buying

T

hink of a media planning and buying agency with the right strategy, right human resources and tools, mediaReach OMD comes to mind.

Borne out of the need to change the media advertising landscape in Nigeria by lifting the standard of media specialist services in the country, mediaReach OMD has steadily grown to become the number one media planning and buying agency since 1999; and remain in that pole position till date.

One thing clients can be sure of at mediaReach OMD, is their ability to hold fast to a set of sound business values comprising of professionalism, responsiveness, innovative service delivery and above all, unimpeachable integrity.

Since inception, mediaReach OMD has been relentless in the drive towards achieving professional excellence in all spheres of media specialist services; providing world class media planning, buying, control and inventory management services to leading and very demanding clients in Nigeria and across West and Central Africa.

It is worthy of note that mediaReach OMD attained that position under three years of operations.

In a recent interview, the Regional Managing Director, mediaReach OMD, Mr. Tolu Ogunkoya, attributed the success of the agency to God, who he said has been very good to the team, giving them the right guidance and direction to navigate the turbulent business environment in Nigeria and across West & Central Africa. Succinctly put, Ogunkoya admitted that the success story is a combination of the right business strategy, the right human resources, right tools and right approach - all inspired by GOD. Not forgetting the unalloyed support of their esteemed clients and media partners.

At a time the country is undergoing a critical economic period, no thanks to the recession, Ogunkoya is happy to state that that the agency’s little contributions have seen most of the brands it handles survive the current economic quagmire and maintain their enviable position in the market place.

In recent time, awards; (local and international), have suddenly become the yardstick to identify agencies that can stand tall in the

market.

Perhaps more than any media buying agency, mediaReach OMD stands tall as a well awarded agency. For instance, the agency has consistently won the Young Media Lions competition and in fact will be representing Nigeria for the 8th time at the Cannes, since 2008. mediaReach OMD Nigeria will be the only Agency to represent the Country at Cannes Young Lions Media Competition next month.

Aside winning numerous local awards and recognition, in March this year, mediaReach OMD ranked No. 35, the only Media Agency in Jobberman Best 100 companies to work for in Nigeria, which was measured across various parameters including Job Satisfaction, Career Growth Prospects, WorkLife Balance, Staff Welfare, Equal Opportunity Policy, Company Culture.

In February 2017, OMD Worldwide was awarded the Most Creative & Innovative Network of the Year for the 11th consecutive time by the Gunn Report for Media. This is clearly a testimony of the agency’s level of professionalism and commitment to continuous improvement. mediaReach OMD became a member of the OMD Worldwide Network in January 2003 and this led to a change of name from mediaReach to mediaReach OMD and became the hub for OMD in West and Central Africa with offices in Lagos, Ghana and Cameroon as well as partner offices in Senegal, Sierra Leone, Benin, Cote D’Ivoire, Niger, Democratic Republic of Congo and Central Africa Republic covering over 22 countries.

What today becomes a leading media buying agency was established on March 1,1999 when the then multinational advertiser – British American Tobacco – decided to have an independent media agency to handle its media advertising.

The founding team was keen to change the advertising landscape in Nigeria by lifting the standard of media specialist services in the country, making it comparable to what obtains in Western Europe and North America.

To bring this dream of a truly professional and independent media specialist firm to fruition, mediaReach OMD opened shop with a clear mission to assemble a team of media specialists providing cutting edge

solutions to advertisers, advertising agencies, and media owners in Nigeria and indeed, West and Central Africa.

From day one, its promoters didn’t hesitate to tell whoever cares to listen that their aspiration was to be number 1 in billings and reputation for integrity as evinced by their media planning dexterity, low cost buying, prompt payments and effective controls for accountability.

One wonders how the agency has been able to weather the storm during this recession but Ogunkoya was quick to add that mediaReach OMD is surmounting the challenges by focusing on the opportunities, fine-tuning their business strategy and advising their esteemed clients accordingly.

Regional Managing Director, mediaReach OMD, Mr. Tolu Ogunkoya

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To achieve its targeted result, Media Perspectives is believed to always deploy insight - driven media strategy and planning by defining marketing problems, probing challenges among others

Chief Operating Officer, Media Perspectives, Jude Odia

Media Perspectives: Leading the Pack through Provision of Dynamic Media Solutions

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f the yardstick for judgment is based on volume of business, billings and ability to rejuvenate brands, obviously, Media Perspectives is a market leader in the media planning and buying business. A member of the Troyka group, Media Perspectives started playing in the big league from day one in 2005 when it opened shop with the media buying and strategic planning businesses of Nigerian Breweries, Indomie and Zain, as Airtel was then known. By 2009, the agency

witnessed a huge expansion with blue chip accounts like P&G, Nokia and Hennessy.

However, the agency’s biggest breakthrough in recent times was in 2012, when it won the MTN Account, which is unarguably the largest buyer of media space and airtime in West and Central Africa. Through referral, it added accounts from SMG: Coca-Cola and Samsung as well as winning local accounts like Jumia, E.J Gallo, Jovago and Kaymu between 2014 and 2015. Along the line, Media Perspectives sealed a global partnership

with Starcom MediaVest Group, reputed to be the World’s No 1 media group and became its Nigerian Agency.

To achieve its targeted result, Media Perspectives is believed to always deploy insight - driven media strategy and planning by defining marketing problems, probing challenges among others.

Perhaps the secret of the agency’s success lies in the strength of its network and outstanding talents.

As at today, its global partner –Starcom is in 78

markets, with 129 offices across the world. Africa has three regional hubs; Nigeria, Kenya and Senegal.

According to a source close to the agency, it’s network currently manages $39.2b in media investments. For its laudable achievement in the industry and consistent effort to further extend the frontiers, one may find it difficult to dismiss the assertive statement often quieted by the promoters of Media Perspectives brand that they know Nigerian media users better than any of their

competitors especially with the publication of Nigeria Media Advertising Guide (NMAG). The next edition will be released anytime soon.

Media Perspectives is an integrated media solutions partner primarily focused on the growth of its clients’ businesses. This is evidenced by many successful campaigns they have executed for clients. Few among them are the ‘Good Morning Nigeria Initiative’ for MTN, MTN Season of Surprises campaign,

Coca-Cola ‘Share a Coke’ campaign, Jumia Launch campaign, Samsung 8 & 8+ Launch in Nigeria and many others.

They are arguably the most decorated media agency in Nigeria with the following industry awards Marketing World 2016 Media Agency of the Year, Marketing Edge 2015 Outstanding Media Buying Agency of the Decade, Marketing World 2014 Media Agency of the Year, Marketing Edge 2014 Media Agency of the Year and many more.

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Insight Publicis: Long History, Great Stride

Managing Director, Insight Publicis, Mr. Feyi Olubodun

The creative geniuses at Insight Publicis have one mandate, and that is to develop high octane creative solutions that solve their Clients’ business challenges and increasingly deliver value for their businesses

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nsight Communications mean many things to many people. To advertising students and budding brand builders, it is simply the University of Advertising but to top players and other stakeholders in marketing communication, Insight is simply the industry leader.

It is not however by accident that most Chief Executive Officers of various agencies in today’s market passed through Insight Publicis.

Today, Insight Publicis is not just Nigeria’s foremost

agency but arguably West Africa’s largest marketing communications group.

After winning many local and international accounts, as well as building many brands, what appears to be the major aim of the agency today is to compete on the global stage. Few years ago, precisely in 2011, many stakeholders were shocked when Insight decided to look away from the annual Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival. It was not until after the event had come and gone that the revelation came out that Insight didn’t

participate because it was already looking beyond local awards.

Established in 1980, the creative powerhouse has redefined the marketing and business landscape not only in Nigeria but across Africa.

With its recent affiliation in 2016 with the Publicis Groupe Global Network, the third largest marketing communications company in the world, Insight Publicis is taking African advertising global.

As an ambitious creative community of talents, Insight Publicis works have

received global attention and accolades, notable amongst them are Bank PHB’s Cars run on water, the Adventurous Gulder Ultimate Search show and most recently Pepsi Longthroat campaign to mention a few.

The creative geniuses at Insight Publicis have one mandate, and that is to develop high octane creative solutions that solve their Clients’ business challenges and increasingly deliver value for their businesses.

The great team at

Insight develops brand experiences by working with their clients in a collaborative way that yields experimentation and new ideas.

Their consistent great works are what has continually brought fame and fortune to them at Insight.

This strategic thrust has undoubtedly guaranteed Insight Communications dominance of the Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival Awards (LAIF) awards in the last decade, several marketing awards,

young lions and most recently Silver Award in the 2016 WARC (World Advertising Research Council) Awards for Social media effectiveness.

Truly, Insight Publicis has stayed true to her core belief of seeking and building differentiation on profound truths about all her Clients’ brands, no wonder they have remained an ambitious creative community in their quest to become an iconic global ideas brand creatively turning knowledge into value for businesses.

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X3MIdeas: The Creative Industry Game Changer

We didn’t setup to be second best to any other agency, we thought we could be the best and we have tenaciously work at this.Today, the fact that we win at that pan-African level underscores all the dreams, all the aspirations we had at the inception of X3M Ideas

Chief Executive Officer, X3M Ideas, Mr. Steve Babaeko

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hough the Chief Executive Officer of X3M Ideas, a full service digital agency, Mr. Steve Babaeko had been around for years, only a few took him serious when he decided to open his own shop. The reason is simple; the top players in the industry who had been around for years appeared not ready to shift ground for new comers. But Babaeko and his team stuck to their gun, and thus birthed the new industry baby named X3M Ideas in the year 2012.

From day one, the new firm made it clear that it was obsessed with the vision to create a creative revolution in

the Nigerian marketing communications landscape and beyond. Within few months of commencing business, the agency didn’t only achieve this but set the pace in the nation’s creative environment.

Within a short period, it won many accounts and raked in many awards.

In line with the mission, the agency has demonstrated ample creativity in challenging the status-quo through its works.

The agency displays youthfulness and modernity in its mode of operation, flaunting cutting edge equipment and gadgets in a seamless office setting peopled by young but brilliant talents.

The marketing communications outfit, is one of the young and vibrant leading advertising agencies in Nigeria providing solutions to brand owners and functional coatings for consumers, craftsmen and industrial applications. The agency displays youthfulness and modernity in its mode of operation, flaunting cutting edge equipment and gadgets in a seamless office setting occupied by young but brilliant talents.

Having been dubbed by analysts as one of Nigeria’s fastest growing communication agency, X3M Ideas has a robust portfolio of clients and brands that cut across

telecoms, satellite broadcasting, banking and FMCG, among others.

The agency offers a multitude of applications to satisfy the needs of different target groups: consumers, craftsmen and industrial businesses. No wonder the agency was called out to receive an award at the African Cristal Awards held in Marrakech Morocco recently. With agencies from Nigeria, it became a very humbling experience as they nudge Nigeria and Nigerian agencies forward on the African and global creative arena.

Speaking on how they felt after receiving the award, the CEO of X3MIdeas, Steve

Babaeko said; “it is a very humbling experience. Like I always tell people, when we set up X3M Ideas, we didn’t setup to be second best to any other agency, we thought we could be the best and we have tenaciously work at this.

Today, the fact that we win at that pan-African level underscores all the dreams, all the aspirations we had at the inception of X3M Ideas. We are glad we are leading the onslaught to break down barriers and destroy myths. We are indeed humbled.

Technology has always played an important role for the creative agency; they have a state-of-art digital recording studio for radio commercials.

This has drastically cut down on the agency’s turn-around time for clients’ briefs in a bid to reflect its hunger and readiness to deliver as a nimble and dynamic team of young professionals.

Creating sustainable value is seemingly one of the purposes that unite the entire young professional at X3M. They always want to create value for their clients and, for their teams and their people, as well as for the larger society and communities in which they operate. This understanding must have influenced their decision to establish a tradition of commissioning a CSR project in commemoration of its anniversaries.

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Leo Burnett Lagos: Ad Agency with Unique Winning Edge

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t a time stakeholders in the marketing communication industry thought the business environment was too tough for anybody to venture into, Leo Burnet Lagos was established with the promise to change the marketing communications landscape.

However, in just abouttwo years of operation in the highly competitive advertising business in the country, Leo Burnett Lagos has proven to become an iconic creative brand, with the array of local and international awards and accolades it has carted in the industry.

On the list of her landmarks in the industry is the 1st international award which Leo Burnett Lagos won at the just-concluded African Cristal awards in Morocco.

Leo Burnett Lagos won 2 Awards in the Radio category.

Also at the 2016 LAIF awards, the Sam Osunsokoled marketing communication agency was a glaring star of the night when it won three Gold, five Silver and five Bronze medals, hitting age old agencies in the competitive industry.

Beyond the conventional creativity, Leo Burnett Lagos is an agency that prides itself as a solution provider to brands challenges in the marketplace by looking into their business problems and strategic way of solving them.

Leo Burnett Lagos prides itself as an external student of Human Behaviour, which gives an unparalleled ability to better understand people and what drives them.

The 360 degree marketing communication agency has made huge and impactful contributions to brands such as Konga, Heritage Bank, Nestle, Crusader Sterling Pensions, Phizer and Philip Morris.

Considering the group of multi-disciplinary and multi-skilled talents that are available at Leo Burnett Lagos, the agency is poised to deliver excellent innovation in the industry in the year 2017 and ahead.

Leo Burnett Lagos, which is an affiliate of Leo Burnett Inc., is not resting on its oars and is poised to become a market leader a market leader in the business of advertising Africa.

In a recent interview with THISDAY, the Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Sam Osunsoko, described the two years operation of the agency as a watershed. He spoke about the factors that have helped the agency’s growth and how it clinched 13 medals at the 2016 edition of the Lagos Advertising &

Ideas Festival (LAIF) held in Lagos.

“From inception, we’ve been very clear in our minds as to how we’d defy the odds of the industry – maintain an obsessive focus on our clients’ brands with a strong intent to growing them. It is for this reason that our objectives of business and creative leadership in this country seems to be taking shorter time for us to achieve than we initially projected. To give an example, the Heritage Bank’s Kings and Queens campaigns we developed was deeply insights-driven.

It celebrates the enterprise spirit of Nigerians and Africans at large. This has further reinforced perception of Heritage Bank as one with a very strong SME focus.

In terms of how almost every major campaign we developed has not only step-changed the brands we developed them for but has also won one creative award or the other, you could be forgiven if you likened Leo Burnett Lagos to the artiste that spoke about all his songs being hits back-to-back (…laughs).

One reason why this is so is because of how we have created work environment that fosters creativity in all we do. The results are just now becoming apparent.”

He related the factors that shaped the agency’s growth to the parable of the gazelle and the lion. According to him, every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up, it knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. ‘’Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up, it knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn’t therefore matter whether you‘re the lion or the gazelle –when the sun comes up, you’d better be running. So, when we started operation in 2015, we knew we must not just have a challenger mentality but we must sustain it, otherwise we would find it tough achieving our long-term objectives in the market.

Having done this fairly successfully, our focus is on the future. One brand at a time, how do we create a bandwagon of brands that have gone through the HumanKind thinking and have come out tops in their respective categories? How do we turn the brands we work for into Power-brands in the marketplace?

“A few set out goals made it possible for us to make some of the impacts that you’re seeing today. One; our creative philosophy – we believe that because creativity is the most potent force in life and therefore

has the power to transform human behaviour, then we must the best at what we do to consistently be relevant to the brands we work for. Number two, which I think is perhaps the most important is our HumanKind approach to eliciting the deepest of human insights, which ensures more spot-on creative solutions. At Leo Burnett, we pride ourselves in being Eternal Students of Human Behavior. We seek to understand human beings – who you know as consumers, better than our peers.

‘In understanding people, we understand their fears and motivations, we

understand what their wants are and because we understand them better, we are able to elicit deep rooted insights which helps us come up with competitively better creative solutions.

We ask ourselves, what do people really want? What do consumers want? We then seek to match that with what the brand can competitively do and we develop our brand promise around that. By doing this, Leo Burnett Lagos has been consistently rewarded by the consumers, who buy the brands and we have also been rewarded by the industry that recognizes our work and the solutions we provide,” Osunsoko said.

Chief Executive Officer, Leo Burnett Lagos, Sam Osunsoko

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DKK: Taking Bold Steps Towards A Great Vision

The DKK Team, sitting in the middle is the agency’s CEO, Temitope Jemerigbe

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ooking for “The Mistress�? Well, DKK proudly presents herself as Nigeria’s leading Marketing Communications agency that prides herself in the quality of service she offers.

She is the Mistress for the mastery of her craft. Or you could see her as the other “Mistress� simply for being right on hand when your brand calls.

Industry experts in the country will disagree. To them, DKK’s trajectory resonates more with the story of the Phoenix; the famed Greek mythical bird.

According to Greek mythology, the Phoenix is a mystical bird that burns to death only to resurrect from the ashes. For the Greeks, the Phoenix symbolizes rebirth and regeneration - two qualities that best describe DKK’s evolution over the years.

Only five years ago, DKK Nigeria, which was established back in 1997, was on the brink of collapse and in dire need of a new lease of life. Enter Temitope Jemerigbe. Under her cerebral leadership, the company has bounced back

into reckoning. Today, DKK has cemented her position as an integrated marketing company of note in Nigeria, winning the confidence of major brands like NLPCPFA, Mastercard, telecoms giant; MTN, Roche, Fortune Games, DKT,Visafone (before the buy-over by MTN), amongst others.

Following the company’s resurgence in Nigeria, DKK expanded the boundaries of its business beyond the shores of the country by going into a joint venture with GEPetrol, the National Oil Company of Equatorial Guinea. The joint venture allowed DKK to open shop in Equatorial Guinea and enjoy exclusive access to GEPetrol’s marketing business, alongside the accounts of its other joint venture partners.

This development is unique in many ways. For one, it’s not an affiliation or a buy-out, two phenomena prevalent in Nigeria. Rather, a wholly owned Nigerian advertising agency would be planting roots in a foreign land and becoming fully operationalabroad.

While Temitope Jemerigbe now assumes the position of Group Chief Executive, overseeing DKK’s entire

Even as we continue to expand our frontiers across Africa, sustaining the momentum in the Nigerian market remains a key focus for us.

It’s a market that we will continue to treat with all the seriousness it deserves because we will remain rooted here. Our dynamic team would continue to steer the DKK ship in Nigeria to ensure that the agency maintains the same high standards of service delivery that has brought us this far.We are optimistic that the DKK brand will keep getting stronger as we build for the future operations across Africa,the duo ofFolabomi Salami, theExecutive Director/Chief Operations Officer (who has beenwith the company since its rebirth) and Dave Chukwuji, Chief Creative Officer will now take charge of the Nigerian arm of the business.

According to Jemerigbe,

DKK will leverage the company’s experience in Nigeria todeliver cutting-edge service to clients across the African region.

She said: “Since our rebirth,we have had aclear vision of where we wantedDKK to be in five years and a critical component of the vision

was to establishourselves as a strong player in Nigeria’s IMC industry. We are pleased at the progress we have made in actualizing the vision.

Now, we are taking the next big step which is expanding our unique offerings to other parts of the continent, starting with Equatorial Guinea, where we are kicking off with some choice accounts.

We are excited because the establishment of our branch in Equatorial Guinea is taking off on a very strong footing with GEPetrol,following the joint venture agreement we have with them. So these are indeedvery interesting times for DKK.�

The birth of DKK Equatorial Guinea notwithstanding, Jemerigbe is confident that DKKwill continue to harness and consolidate her presence in Nigeria. Little wonder the agency recently clinched the 2017 NBA Conference business as well as the Infinix Mobility account. “Even as we continue to expand our frontiers across Africa, sustaining the momentum in the Nigerian market remains a key focus for us. It’s a market that we will continue to treat with all the seriousness it deserves because we will remain

rooted here. Our dynamic team would continue to steer the DKK ship in Nigeria to ensure that the agency maintains the same high standards of service delivery that has brought us this far.We are optimistic that the DKK brand will keep getting stronger as we build for the future�.

A member of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), DKK operates a result driven business, ensuring that all results are measurable and transparent. In its tool-kit are: excellence, creativity, accountability, professionalism & integrity.

With this, it has successfully proved its services to a wide array of clients in the area of advertising, media planning and buying, content and sponsorship, Public Relations, events and activation as well as digital marketing.

Depending on which angle of the prism you are looking from, you would see DKK either as a phoenix or the mistress of IMC. You would be right any ways. But be certain that great things lie ahead for the agency!

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WORLD OF ISLAM INTERNATIONAL Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas The Rulings of Thabane’s Wife Shot Dead Sadaqat al-Fitr - 1

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

Edited by: MJO Mustapha Email deji.mustapha@thisdaylive.com

Mufti Faraz ibn Adam/Darul Fiqh The great Hanafi faqih (jurist) Imam Ibn al-Humam mentions: “Sadaqat al-Fitr is compulsory upon every free Muslim.” (Sharh Fath al-Qadir, 2:285) The Evidence All the scholars base their opinion on the following ahadith: ‘Abd Allah Ibn ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with him) narrates, “The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) enjoined the payment of onesa’ of dates or one sa’ of barley as Zakat al-Fitr on every Muslim slave or free, male or female, young or old, and he ordered that it be paid before the people went out to offer the ‘Id prayer.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1:409) ‘Abd Allah Ibn ‘Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) narrates, “The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) declared the payment of Sadaqat al-Fitr as obligatory; it purifies the fasting person from any indecent act or speech, and is a source of feeding the poor. If one pays Sadaqat al-Fitr before the salah (i.e. the ‘Id prayer), it is considered an accepted charity, if he pays it after the salah, it is considered an ordinary charity.” (Sunan Abu Dawud, p. 263) There are many similar narrations establishing the same ruling.

The Pre-Requisites of Sadaqat al-Fitr Being Compulsory 1. Islam: According to the four schools of thought (madhahib), being a Muslim is a pre-requisite. (Sharh Fath al-Qadir, 2:286) 2. Free (not being enslaved): All the scholars agree that a slave will not be obliged to dispense of Sadaqat al-Fitr. (Ibid.)

3. Possessing the quantum (nisab) for Sadaqat al-Fitr: This condition is deduced from the hadith: “Sadaqat isn’t compulsory except for he who is well-off.” (Musnad Ahmad, 10:7) What is meant by quantum (nisab) is: that threshold of wealth one must have for Sadaqat al-Fitr to be compulsory. If somebody possesses less than that amount, he will not be obliged to pay Sadaqat al-Fitr.

The Hanafi madhhab is solitary in specifying a set quantum. According to the Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali madhahib, one who possesses surplus provisions for the night and day of ‘Id for himself and his dependants, will be obliged to discharge Sadaqat al-Fitr. (Mawahib al-Jalil, 3:257;Mughni al-Muhtaj, 1:594; al-Mughni, 4:301) The specifying of a quantum is based upon the fact that in many places, Sadaqat al-Fitr has been termed as Zakat al-Fitr. For example, the narration of ‘Abd Allah Ibn ‘Umar in Sahih al-Bukhari has the wording Zakat al-Fitr. Also, the report of Abu Sa’id al-Khudri in Sahih Muslim bears the same terminology. Hence, by way of analogy and the alluded meaning (isharah an-nass), we can conclude that Sadaqat al-Fitr enjoys the same threshold and quantum as that of Zakat.

In principle, there are three types of quanta (nisab) in the Hanafi madhhab, each quantum results in different rulings.

1. That which obligates Zakat: to possess assets of a productive nature equivalent to the value of 612.36 g of silver.

In this quantum, it is a requirement that the wealth one possesses has the capacity to grow and develop (numuw). Zakat is only compulsory in that asset which is of a productive nature; the asset has the capacity to increase. For example, in the animals which are regarded as zakatable, namely camels, cows and sheep, they grow and increase in reality by reproduction. These assets in reality are of a productive nature, it is witnessed by the eye. Hence, Zakat is obligatory on them.

Another form of assets being of a productive nature is innately (hukman); in such assets, the actual asset doesn’t multiply or increase, but it inherently possesses the characteristic of being productive; they have the potential to result in a profitable return. Thus, gold and silver fall under this category, likewise cash.

2. The second type of quantum is to possess any asset beyond ones necessities equivalent to the value of 612.36 g of silver. One who has this will be liable for the following rulings:

1. Sadaqat al-Fitr becomes compulsory 2. The receiving of Zakat is impermissible 3.Animal sacrifice (udhiyyah) becomes compulsory 4. The financial maintenance of one’s family becomes obligatory For this quantum, it isn’t necessary to possess wealth which is of a productive nature, nor is it necessary to be trading in a commodity. Likewise it isn’t a condition to possess these commodities for a full lunar year, unlike the first quantum.

Whoever possesses this quantum will not be obliged to discharge Zakat, however, he will have to dispense of Sadaqat al-Fitr.

3. The final quantum is to be in possession of one day’s provision. According to some, it is to possess 50 dirhams (153.09 g of silver). This quantum results in: 1. The impermissiblity of begging 2. The permissibility of receiving Zakat In addition, the possessor of this quantum will not be obliged to pay Sadaqat al-Fitr, nor will he have to perform animal sacrifice in the days of Hajj. (Ashraf al-Hidayah, 3:161) In short, according to the Hanafi madhhab, for Sadaqat al-Fitr to be obligatory, one must possess any asset surplus of one’s basic needs which are equivalent to the value of 612.36 g of silver.

Who Has to Pay According to the four schools of fiqh, one will have to pay Sadaqat al-Fitr on behalf of himself and his minor dependants when the above conditions are met.

Imam al-Haskafi mentions that a Muslim who meets all the above criteria is required to pay Sadaqat al-Fitr for himself and on behalf of his minor children who do not possess the required quantum. The same ruling applies for those suffering from dementia. (al-Durr al-Mukhtar, p.140) If one’s children who haven’t reached the age of puberty possess the quantum, it will be permissible for their guardian to dispense of Sadaqat al-Fitr from their wealth. (Fatawa al-Hindiyyah, 1:211) A husband will not be responsible to pay Sadaqat al-Fitr on behalf of his wife, nor his mature children. The reason being is that Sadaqat al-Fitr is compulsory on behalf of those whom you have complete guardianship (wilayah) and complete financial maintenance. So as the man has complete guardianship over his minor children and he is totally responsible for all their maintenance, he will be obliged to pay Sadaqat al-Fitr on their behalf. However, a man doesn’t have complete guardianship over his wife nor is he responsible for every form of maintenance. As for guardianship and custody, a husband only has custody over his wife in terms of marriage related rights. Likewise, a husband is duty bound to financially maintain his wife in relation to the usual expenditure, clothing, food and shelter. A husband will not be required to pay for anything beyond that.

Similarly, a man doesn’t hold complete guardianship over his mature children; they are regarded as adults. Plus, the father isn’t obliged to maintain these children financially. Thus, the two elements inducing the obligation of Sadaqat al-Fitr are deficient, so Sadaqat al-Fitr will not be compulsory on the husband on behalf of his wife, nor the father on behalf of his children.

Having said this, it will be permissible for a husband to discharge of Sadaqat al-Fitr on behalf of his wife. Equally a father can pay on behalf of his mature children. (Sharh Fath al-Qadir, 2:289-290) A woman who has the quantum will be obliged to pay the Sadaqat al-Fitr herself, irrespective whether she is married or not. (Imdad alFatawa, 2:110) Mature children who are in possession of the quantum will also be responsible to pay Sadaqat al-Fitr for themselves.

A point worthy of mentioning here is that a male isn’t responsible to pay Sadaqat al-Fitr on behalf of his parents, minor siblings or his relatives. However, if he did dispense of Sadaqat al-Fitr on their behalf, it will be permissible. (al-Fiqh al-Islami wa Adillatuhu, 2:903) In conclusion, every male and female is responsible to give Sadaqat al-Fitr when they are eligible to do so.

The estranged wife of incoming Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane has been shot dead two days before his inauguration.

Lipolelo Thabane, 58, was travelling home with a friend when both women were shot by an unknown assailant, the police say.

The police add the motive is unknown and an investigation is continuing.

The couple had been living separately since 2012 and filed for divorce which hasn’t been granted yet.

BBC southern Africa correspondent Karen Allen reports that neighbours claim there had been an incident earlier in the week when a group of unidentified men were spotted hammering on the First Lady’s door.

She won a high court battle

against her husband to secure the privileges of a First Lady, instead of Mr Thabane’s youngest wife, Liabiloe, reports the AFP news agency.

Mr Thabane is now living with a third wife.

Samonyane Ntsekele, the secretary general of Mr Thabane’s All Basotho Convention party, told AFP that the prime minister was devastated by the shooting.

Somali Survivors Tell of Restaurant Siege

By Rebels, 31 Dead Islamic extremists attacked a popular Somalia restaurant in an overnight siege and killed 31 people — many at point-blank range — before they were slain by security forces, police said Thursday.

Survivors described harrowing scenes of hiding under tables and behind curtains as the five gunmen hunted for victims in the darkened

Pizza House restaurant. Nearly 40 people were wounded.

Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack, which began Wednesday evening with a car bomb exploding at the gate to the restaurant and ended when troops secured the site after dawn, said senior police Capt. Mohamed Hussein.

“I never thought I would have

London Fire: Prime Minister Orders Full Public Inquiry Prime Minister Theresa May has ordered a full public inquiry into the fire that engulfed a west London block of flats, killing at least 17 people.

That figure is expected to rise, as fire chiefs do not expect to find any more survivors in the burnt-out Grenfell Tower, in north Kensington.

People have been desperately seeking news of missing family and friends. The PM said people “deserve answers” as to why the fire spread so rapidly and that the inquiry “will give them”.

Mrs May, who made a brief, private visit to the scene earlier, said: “[The emergency services] told me that the way this fire had spread and took hold of the building was rapid,

it was ferocious, it was unexpected.

“So it is right that, in addition to the immediate fire report that will be produced and any potential police investigation, that we do have a full public inquiry to get to the bottom of this.”

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, also visited the site, telling community leaders “the truth has to come out”.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly known and addressed as MISS JOSHUA BLESSING MGBECHI now wish to be known and addressed as MRS AKPOGHENE BLESSING MGBECHI. All former documents remain valid. Babcock Unviersity, Tai Solarine Univesity ŽĨ ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ the general Public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as EVANS PRINCE ITA now wish to be known and addressed as EVANSON FRIDAY ITAI. All former documents remain valid.

Banks the general Public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as EDWIN ONYEBUCHI MMADUKOLO now wish to be known and addressed as EDWIN ONYEBUCHI DD h<K>K EE D E Έ t/E K͘D͘ EE D E Ή. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as OYEDIRAN OLASUNKANMI SAIDI now wish to be known and addressed as OYEJUWO OLASUNKANMI SAIDI. All former documents remain valid.

The general Public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ARIT SUNDAY CHARLES now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ARIT IDORENYIN BASSEY. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, OLA ODOFIN , am the same person as ODOFIN OLASUNKANMI SUNADY. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid.

Fidelity Bank and the general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MR. SEGUN SEGUN SALAWU now wish to be known and addressed as MR. SEGUN SALAWU. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note.

the chance to see the sun again.

They were killing people on sight,” university student Saida Hussein told The Associated Press. She said she survived by hiding behind a large table.

Soldiers in gun-mounted vehicles surrounded the building, and troops later entered the ground floor as al-Shabab snipers defended their positions upstairs.

The battle to end the siege was hampered by darkness, Hussein said.

Aden Karie said he was wounded by an attacker who spotted him moving behind a curtain.

“He shot at me twice, and one bullet struck me on the leg,” Karie said as he was taken to an ambulance.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS. STELLA UKAMAKA NWANDO OKOYE AND MRS. STELLA UKAMAKA NWANDO UGWU now wish to be known and addressed as DZ^͘ ^d >> h< D < E͘ K<Kz ͳ UGWU. All former documents remain valid. University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the general Public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as ALAKO CHRISTOPHER now wish to be known and addressed as CHRISTOPHER SAMUEL OMOBANI. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MRS AKINBOTE ELIZABETH ONIOVOSA now wish to be known and addressed as MISS ATAMAKO ELIZABETH ONIOVOSA. All former documents remain valid.

The general Public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as UDOKANMA OGBONNAYA ANOKE now wish to be known and addressed as UDOKA ISAAC ANOKE. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as ONOKA IHUOMA BENITA now wish to be known and addressed as MRS EMENIKE IHUOMA BENITA. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as ARUEYINGHO OLA ESSE now wish to be known and addressed as ARUEYINGHO OLA ORITSE. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as ABUDU KUBURATU now wish to be known and addressed as ABDULRAMAN KUBURATU. All former documents remain valid.

The general Public take note.

T H I S D AY Ëž , JUNE 16, 2017

49

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

CBN Mops up N200bn in Special OMO Obinna Chima As part of efforts to strengthen the decelerating level of inflation, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday unveiled plans to mop up a total of N200.322 billion from the Nigerian banking system through a special Open Market Operation (OMO) at the rate of 16 per cent per annum.

Rising from a meeting of the Bankersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Committee in Lagos, the CBN said its decision to mop up liquidity was in reaction to the maturing of N206 billion yesterday.

CBNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Acting Director in charge of Corporate Communication, Isaac Okorafor, further explained that the central bank decided on the rate of 16 per cent per

annum due to the falling rate of inflation, which he noted will continue to fall. The CBN had on Monday released its Treasury Bills Issue Programme for the third quarter of 2017 in which it disclosed that the maturity dates for the various tenors will be June 15, June 22, July 6, July 20, August 3, August 17 and August 31, 2017, respectively.

Julius Berger Records N1.24bn Loss Iyobosa Uwugiaren Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x;Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x2039; For the first time in the history of its operation, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc recorded loss in the financial year ended December 31, 2016, posting a loss before tax of N1.239 billion, compared to a profit before tax of N6.500 billion in the 2015 financial year.

Even though it recorded an increase in turnover of N119.813 billion in 2016, compared to N119.243 billion in 2015, the chairman of the company, Mr. Mutui Summonu, said the achievement was not enough to â&#x20AC;&#x153;offset the tremendous and critical challengesâ&#x20AC;? the group continued to face in the light of dwindling economic performance and greater uncertainty in the country. Presenting the Annual Reports 2016 and Financial Statement of the company to the shareholders at its annual general m eeting (AGM) in Abuja on Thursday, Summonu at-

tributed the poor outing of the company to the persistent and increased severity of the economic hardships, specifically the large premium paid for the acquisition of foreign exchange at exorbitant rates, which resulted in the unbearable losses that absorbed the operating profit completely. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This, coupled with the federal and state governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s continued inability to honour contractual obligations on the majority of their projects, had drastic negative effect on the company liquidity and profitabilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;, the chairman of Julius Berger added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Consequently and regretfully with respect to the unbroken trend of dividend payment of your company, your director will not be recommending the payment of dividend for the financial year ended December 31, 2016. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Your board and management is more focussed on ensuring the survival of Julius Berger in this harsh economic

and operational environment.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; The chairman added that the company would continue to implement its long-term strategy of diversification with regards to business segments and client mix, saying emphasis will continue to be placed on further increasing the share of private sector clients within its portfolio.

According to him, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The company will continue to strengthen its presence in the power sector by enhancing its position as an engineering, procurement and construction contractor of choice. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Opportunities in other new business areas will continue to be identified and explored diligently, with negotiation already proceeding on a number of promising projects, and debt recovery measures, including extraordinary actions already initiated with the federal government, will continue to be pursued to find amicable solution.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Mutual Benefit Grows Underwriting Income, Posts N4.1bn Profit Ebere Nwoji Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc, said that it grew its underwriting income by 27per cent from N8.3 billion in 2015, to N10.7 billion for the year ended December 31, 2016.

The company, in its audited financial statement recently released on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), said its underwriting Profit (non-life and life) grew by 16 percent to N4.1 billion, from N3.6 billion in 2015, which according to it, was one of the highest in the industry.

The result also showed that the Mutual Benefit Group, paid out claims amounting to N3.3 billion, which shows 43 percent

increase from the N2.3 billion paid out in 2015.

This development, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chairman, Akin Ogunbiyi, said was in line with the Mutual Benefitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to honouring its obligations and delighting its customers, while improving customer service excellence .

He said that despite the challenging economy and consumer apathy towards insurance, the result was achieved through its improved risk retention policy.

Other contents of the audited financial statement showed that in the year under review, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s investment income, stood at N966 million, representing 13 percent

increase against N854 million recorded in 2015 .

Speaking on future growth plan of the company, the Head Corporate Communications of Mutual Benefit, Ellen Offo, said a few months back, Mutual Benefit Assurance, in conjunction with KPMG, embarked on a strategic five year roadmap for the company aimed at repositioning it for future opportunities and challenges. She said the plan focussed on four key areas of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business, namely deepening Market penetration and customer acquisition; achieving customer service delivery excellence; transforming people and culture as well as driving operational effectiveness.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS Broad Money (M2)

23,840,392.42

Ě&#x2039;Ě&#x2039; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;ĂĄ Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?ĂŁ Ě&#x2122; ÍŻĚ&#x161;

11,520,166.67

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,820,415.90

---- Demand Deposits

9,699,750.76

-- Quasi Money

12,320,225.75

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

9,353,504.03

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

14,486,888.39

Ě&#x2039;Ě&#x2039; Ă?Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E; Ě&#x2122; Ě&#x161;

26,970,297.97

Ě&#x2039;Ě&#x2039;Ě&#x2039;Ě&#x2039; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x2122;Ă Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ě&#x2122; Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ě&#x161;

4,595,579.89

Ě&#x2039;Ě&#x2039;Ě&#x2039;Ě&#x2039; Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2122;Ë? Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x2122;Ă Ă&#x17E;Ë&#x203A; Ě&#x2122; Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ě&#x161; Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ă?Ă?

7,436,917.79

Ě&#x2039;Ě&#x2039;Ě&#x2039;Ě&#x2039; Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2122;Ë? Ă?Ă&#x17D;Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ě&#x2122; Ě&#x161;

-2,841,337.90

Ě&#x2039;Ě&#x2039;Ě&#x2039;Ě&#x2039; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ě&#x2122; Ě&#x161;

22,374,718.08

--Other Assets Net

-12,483,409.58

Reserve Money (Base Money)

5,837,322.41

Ě&#x2039;Ě&#x2039; Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă?ĂŁ Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;

2,179,174.28

Ě&#x2039;Ě&#x2039; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2022;Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă Ă?Ă?

3,318,344.71 Ëž Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă? Ě&#x2039;

MANAGED FUNDS Month

December 2016

Inter-Bank Call Rate

10.39

Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

13.96

Stanbic IBTC Bank Supports Drive for Savings Culture

Savings Deposit Rate

4.18

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.53

3 Months Deposit Rate

8.80

Nume Ekeghe

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.23

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.76

Prime Lending rate

17.09

Maximum Lending Rate

28.55

Stanbic IBTC said it recently launched Max Yield Savings Account (MYSA), which pays a premium on savings compared to its competitors. The bank said MYSA is a high interest paying account that pays interest at fixed deposit rate (currently up to 6.2% per annum) on savings balances of N100,000 and above, thus increasing the interest returns enjoyed on the account in excess of the regular savings account rate. In a statement recently, the bank said the Stanbic MYSA account was well suited for people who desire to save towards a target purchase

or investment, like property purchase, school fees payment, vehicle purchase, vacation, annual rent, etc. The high interest yield helps them achieve their target savings faster while also allowing easy access to the fund through the bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s multiple transaction channels.

Head, Personal Banking, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Nkolika Okoli, said the product was introduced to help customers achieve their savings and investment objectives.

According to her, in line with the retail banking drive of the Stanbic IBTC Group and the financial inclusion policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the

bank will continuously explore ways to develop financial solutions that are relevant to the financial and economic aspirations of Nigerians. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Max Yield was developed to ensure customers get better returns on their savings, which we believe will help them achieve their savings and investment objectives in a disciplined and profitable way. Although one of the set objectives of Max Yield is maximizing returns on savings/ investments, funds invested or saved in this account are left readily available and accessible to the account holders,â&#x20AC;? Okoli said.

Ě&#x2122;

Ě&#x161;

DECEMBER 2016

Ëž Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;ĂŁ Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă?ĂŁ Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ě&#x2039; ͯ͹Ϲ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT, TUE, 13 JUNE 2017 The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $46.01 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $45.93 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela). .

SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻÍ´Ë&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

50

Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top 50 stocks based on market fundamentals

15-Jun-17

14-Jun-17

% Change

Capitalisation

EPS

P/E

P/S

Div. Yld

Price/ Book Value

01 Dangote Cement Plc

205.00

204.99

0.00%

3,493,304,018,025.00

10.95

18.72

5.68

3.90%

4.38

02 Nigerian Breweries Plc

163.75

160.00

2.34%

1,298,390,270,410.00

3.58

45.69

4.14

2.20%

7.83

03 Guaranty Trust Bank Plc

36.00

35.41

1.67%

1,059,522,452,064.00

4.49

8.01

2.56

4.92%

2.10

04 Zenith Bank Plc

22.90

21.89

4.61%

718,979,707,699.40

4.13

5.55

1.42

7.86%

1.02

900.00

900.00

0.00%

713,390,626,800.00

10.00

90.02

3.92

3.22%

23.10

06 United Bank for Africa Plc

8.76

8.83

-0.79%

317,808,650,580.72

1.99

4.40

0.83

6.85%

0.71

07 Stanbic IBTCÂ Holdings Plc

31.00

31.01

-0.03%

310,000,000,000.00

2.85

10.87

1.98

0.32%

2.20

08 Access Bank Plc

10.00

10.11

-1.09%

289,279,716,310.00

13.18

0.76

0.76

5.50%

0.64

09 Presco Plc

68.89

68.89

0.00%

273,526,163,630.05

0.03

2,356.03

3.83

1.89%

6.54

460.00

465.51

-1.18%

254,522,743,980.00 -82.02

-5.61

4.02

3.46%

0.68

11 FBN Holdings Plc

6.99

7.04

-0.71%

250,908,096,616.08

0.21

33.69

0.47

2.15%

0.40

12 Lafarge Africa Plc

53.50

54.99

-2.71%

243,687,246,835.00

3.71

14.42

1.11

5.61%

0.98

13 Ecobank Transnational Incorporated

13.00

12.65

2.77%

238,544,165,795.00

0.68

19.22

0.41

4.77%

0.38

14 Unilever Nigeria Plc

43.00

40.70

5.65%

162,681,738,750.00

0.81

52.96

2.33

0.12%

13.92

9.23

9.61

-3.95%

110,760,000,000.00

1.20

7.69

0.65

5.42%

1.67

73.00

73.00

0.00%

109,929,837,724.00

-3.06

-23.87

1.06

4.38%

2.79

8.68

8.65

0.35%

104,460,491,999.92

0.29

29.90

0.23

8.64%

0.54

18 Total Nigeria Plc

282.50

282.50

0.00%

95,914,918,952.50

43.58

6.48

0.33

4.96%

4.07

19 Mobil Oil Nig Plc

265.00

276.51

-4.16%

95,557,744,430.00

22.61

11.72

1.02

2.72%

4.45

20 International Breweries Plc

27.95

28.56

-2.14%

92,074,267,376.00

0.02

1,240.46

3.46

0.89%

8.39

21 Flour Mills Nig. Plc

28.50

28.00

1.79%

74,790,759,829.50

-1.19

-23.89

0.18

7.02%

0.75

22 Forte Oil Plc.

55.58

56.00

-0.75%

72,391,899,704.74

2.22

25.05

0.49

6.21%

1.67

1.85

1.84

0.54%

71,633,845,236.25

-0.03

-63.56

1.21

0.00%

0.83

24 Okomu Oil Palm Plc

66.84

66.84

0.00%

63,759,344,400.00

5.15

12.98

4.44

0.15%

3.75

25 7-Up Bottling Comp. Plc

91.80

90.30

1.66%

58,806,195,323.40

-0.05 -2,009.85

0.63

2.40%

2.65

26 Julius Berger Nig. Plc

39.80

39.80

0.00%

52,536,000,000.00

-2.89

-13.76

0.38

3.77%

0.75

1.38

1.33

3.76%

39,968,368,254.96

0.39

3.56

0.27

11.59%

0.22

18.03

17.62

2.33%

34,633,184,897.61

3.37

5.35

0.46

5.55%

0.46

29 Diamond Bank Plc

1.39

1.42

-2.11%

32,192,940,665.52

-0.29

-4.73

0.15

0.00%

0.14

30 Sterling Bank Plc

1.09

1.07

1.87%

31,381,555,757.34

0.18

6.08

0.28

8.26%

0.37

14.75

14.78

-0.20%

27,703,480,090.00

-0.16

-93.47

0.92

8.81%

2.51

32 FCMB Group Plc

1.38

1.37

0.73%

27,327,740,877.78

0.72

1.91

0.15

7.25%

0.15

33 Mansard Insurance Plc

2.60

2.48

4.84%

27,300,000,000.00

0.25

10.36

1.32

1.92%

1.35

34 Cap Plc

37.80

37.80

0.00%

26,460,000,000.00

2.29

16.50

3.88

3.04%

11.59

35 Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Nig. Plc

21.59

21.59

0.00%

25,818,973,375.92

3.51

6.15

1.79

1.39%

1.51

9.50

9.60

-1.04%

25,169,664,591.00

0.91

10.42

1.38

5.79%

3.13

22.09

22.08

0.05%

22,090,000,000.00

5.69

3.88

1.54

0.45%

0.59

38 Wema Bank Plc

0.55

0.54

1.85%

21,215,956,344.55

0.07

8.19

0.39

0.00%

0.44

39 Custodian And Allied Insurance Plc

3.38

3.51

-3.70%

19,880,700,979.10

0.91

3.73

0.52

4.14%

0.66

40 Honeywell Flour Mill Plc

2.16

2.27

-4.85%

17,129,226,941.28

-0.40

-5.34

0.36

7.41%

0.52

41 Continental Reinsurance Plc

1.45

1.44

0.69%

15,040,479,252.40

0.42

3.45

0.68

8.28%

0.80

42 Cement Co. Of North.Nig. Plc

8.03

7.65

4.97%

10,091,122,460.98

0.22

36.68

0.91

1.25%

0.94

43 Unity Bank Plc

0.86

0.86

0.00%

10,052,830,630.12

0.19

4.60

0.12

0.00%

0.12

44 Skye Bank Plc

0.69

0.63

9.52%

9,577,407,972.90

-2.93

-0.24

0.06

43.48%

0.09

45 Wapic Insurance Plc

0.51

0.52

-1.92%

6,825,196,508.52

0.18

2.83

0.87

5.88%

0.41

46 Resort Savings & Loans Plc

0.50

0.50

0.00%

5,664,866,202.00

0.03

17.71

3.72

0.00%

1.94

47 UACN Property Development Co. Limited

2.94

2.80

5.00%

5,053,124,985.30

-0.90

-3.26

0.80

23.81%

0.15

48 Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc

3.10

3.10

0.00%

5,035,078,125.00

0.36

8.67

0.63

6.45%

0.78

49 Fidson Healthcare Plc

3.15

3.00

5.00%

4,725,000,000.00

0.21

14.92

0.62

1.59%

0.72

50 AIICO Insurance Plc

0.56

0.54

3.70%

3,880,914,508.80

1.48

0.38

0.14

8.93%

0.45

05 Nestle Nigeria Plc

10 Seplat Petroleum Dev. Co. Ltd

15 Dangote Sugar ReďŹ nery Plc 16 Guinness Nig Plc 17 Oando Plc

23 Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc

27 Fidelity Bank Plc 28 U A C NÂ Plc

31 Cadbury Nigeria Plc

36 National Salt Co. Nig. Plc 37 PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc

TOTAL

11,081,378,715,892.60

TOTAL MARKET CAP

11,687,390,037,399.20

% OF MARKET CAP Annotation - MA* = Simple Moving Average

94.81%

Table 1 Market Statistics Mkt Indicators

NSE All Share Index NSE Market Cap (N'Trillion)

Open 14-Jun-17

Close 15-Jun-17

Change %

33,598.20 11.62

33,797.84 11.69

0.59 0.59

141.39 11.01

142.32 11.08

0.66 0.66

Thisday BGL 50 Index Thisday BGL 50 Market Cap (N'Trillion)

Table 3 Top 5 Gainers Stock

Open Close Change 14-Jun-17 15-Jun-17 %

Skye Bank Plc Unilever Nigeria Plc Fidson Healthcare Plc UACN Property Development Co. Limited Cement Co. Of North.Nig. Plc

0.63 40.70 3.00 2.80

0.69 43.00 3.15 2.94

9.52 5.65 5.00 5.00

7.65

8.03

4.97

Table 4 Top 5 Losers Stock

Open Close Change 14-Jun-17 15-Jun-17 %

Honeywell Flour Mill Plc Mobil Oil Nig Plc Dangote Sugar ReďŹ nery Plc Custodian And Allied Insurance Plc Lafarge Africa Plc

2.27 276.51 9.61 3.51 54.99

2.16 265.00 9.23 3.38 53.50

-4.85 -4.16 -3.95 -3.70 -2.71

Market gains 0.59%; Brent crude oil slumps to persist Market pulse on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) today â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Thursday, June 15th, 2017 ended on a positive note as the stock market closed green. This was further highlighted by positive performance from the NSE Subsectors: Banking, Insurance and Consumer Goods (Save Oil & Gas). Also, trading activities increased in volume as 573.60m shares worth of N7.85 billion in 6,584 deals exchanged hands today. This is an increase from 759.05m shares worth of N6.30 billion in 7,357 deals which exchanged hands on Wednesday. Topping in volume terms are: Access Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc and FBN Holdings Plc; Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Zenith Bank Plc ended trading as the most active stocks in value terms. Brent crude oil price downturn continues on the back of crude oil inventory as prices slides to US$46.88 per barrel.

The All Share Index (NSEASI) closed positive with 0.59% (+199.64) increase to close at 33,797.84 from 33,598.20 the previous trading day. Market capitalization appreciated in tandem to N11.69 trillion from N11.62 trillion of prior trading day. Similarly, the Thisday BGL 50 Index closes with an increase of 0.66% to 142.32 from 141.39 recorded at the end of the previous trading day, while its market capitalization stood at N11.08 trillion from N11.01 trillion of the previous trading day.

Market breath closed positive today as 33 stocks gained on the bourse while 24 stocks also declined, leaving 44 stocks unchanged. Leading the pack was May & Baker Nigeria Plc with a gain of 9.79% to close at N4.15 per share.

It was closely followed by Skye Bank Plc with a gain of 9.52% to close at N0.69 per share. Others on the gainersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; list include: Unilever Nigeria Plc, Fidson Healthcare Plc and UACN Property Development Co. Limited. On the declinersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; list, Champions Breweries Plc led with a loss of 4.89% to close at N3.11 share. It was followed by Honeywell Flour Mill Plc with a loss of 4.85% to close at N2.16 per share.

Others on the declinersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; list are: Jaiz Bank Plc, Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc and Mobil Oil Nig Plc. Topping the Thisday BGL 50 Index gainersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; list Skye Bank Plc as it emerged as the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s toast of investors with a gain of 9.52% to close at N0.69 per share. It was followed

by Unilever Nigeria Plc with a gain of 5.65% to close at N43.00 per share. Others on the gainers list include: Fidson Healthcare Plc, UACN Property Development Co. Limited and CCNN Plc; while on the declinersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; list, Honeywell Flour Mill Plc lead with a loss of 4.85% to close at N2.16 share.

It was followed by Mobil Oil Nig. Plc with a loss of 4.16% to close at N265.00 per share. Others on the decliners list include: Dangote Sugar ReďŹ nery Plc, Custodian and Allied Insurance Plc and Lafarge Africa Plc. REQUIRED DISCLOSURE This report has been prepared by BGL Plc. BGL Plc does and seeks to do business with companies covered in its research reports. As a result, the ďŹ rm may have a conďŹ&#x201A;ict of interest that could affect the objectivity of this report. Investors should use this report as one of many other factors in making their investment decisions.

For more details go to www.thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY ˾ , 16 JUNE, 2017

51

MARKET NEWS

FBN Holdings Improves Risk Management to Reduce NPLs Goddy Egene and Nosa Alekhuogie The Managing Director of FBN Holdings Plc, Mr. Urum Kalu Eke yesterday said the company was working hard to reduce its non-performing loan (NPL) ratio from the 26 per cent recorded in 2016 to below 20 per cent this year.

Speaking at the company’s fact behind the figures presentation at the Nigerian Stock Exchange

(NSE) in Lagos, Eke said the NPL ratio rose last year due to impairment charges of about N226 billion.

According to him, five major accounts constituted the company’s NPL, disclosing that one of the accounts would drop off

by June 30, while the second major account would follow.

He therefore, expressed high optimism that the five NPLs accounts would be resolved very soon.

T H E MAIN BOARD

DEALS

MARKET PRICE

“There are no fresh NPLs forming in our books, the books are clean and our focus on lending is now on manufacturing sector. Besides, we have reviewed our credit process and strengthened governance framework to ensure improvement in asset quality,” he said. According to him, the company recruited a new chief risk officer to drive the new credit architecture and build a robust and sustainable credit

N I G E R I A N QUANTITY TRADED

STO C K

VALUE TRADED ( N )

Daily Summary as of 22/02/2016 Printed 22/02/2016 14:36:10.010

Daily Summary (Bonds) No Debt Trading Activity Daily Summary (Equities) Activity Summary on Board EQTY AGRICULTURE Crop Production OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC Crop Production Totals Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. Livestock/Animal Specialties Totals AGRICULTURE Totals CONGLOMERATES Diversified Industries A.G. LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC. TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC U A C N PLC. Diversified Industries Totals CONGLOMERATES Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Infrastructure/Heavy Construction JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. Infrastructure/Heavy Construction Totals Real Estate Development UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. LIMITED Real Estate Development Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Totals CONSUMER GOODS Beverages--Brewers/Distillers CHAMPION BREW. PLC. GUINNESS NIG PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. Beverages--Brewers/Distillers Totals Beverages--Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC. Beverages--Non-Alcoholic Totals Food Products DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC NASCON ALLIED INDUSTRIES PLC N NIG. FLOUR MILLS PLC. TIGER BRANDED CONSUMER GOODS PLC Food Products Totals Food Products--Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. NESTLE NIGERIA PLC. Food Products--Diversified Totals Household Durables VITAFOAM NIG PLC. Household Durables Totals Personal/Household Products P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. Personal/Household Products Totals CONSUMER GOODS Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ACCESS BANK PLC. DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED FIDELITY BANK PLC GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. SKYE BANK PLC STERLING BANK PLC. UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC UNION BANK NIG.PLC. UNITY BANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC. Banking Totals Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INSURANCE PLC LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. AXAMANSARD INSURANCE PLC N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. UNITY KAPITAL ASSURANCE PLC WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals Micro-Finance Banks NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC Micro-Finance Banks Totals Other Financial Institutions AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS PLC CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED PLC FCMB GROUP PLC. STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC UNITED CAPITAL PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals HEALTHCARE Pharmaceuticals FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC

6 6 12

30.00 34.00

19 19 31

underwriting practice, noting that the company restructured credit terms of obligor with compelling business case to match cash flows.

Based on these strategies, the MD said the company’s NPL would be in single digit by 2019, while cost of risk would be less than two per cent.

Eke, therefore assured capital market operators and shareholders of enhanced dividend in the years ahead, noting that,

12,629 11,640 24,269

374,530.15 421,345.20 795,875.35

1.25

1,078,511 1,078,511 1,102,780

1,358,964.30 1,358,964.30 2,154,839.65

5 68 13 86 86

0.77 1.13 20.47

33,500 6,740,423 65,995 6,839,918 6,839,918

25,070.00 7,635,453.96 1,344,425.15 9,004,949.11 9,004,949.11

13 13

41.50

31,970 31,970

1,409,214.78 1,409,214.78

5 5 18

5.20

28,901 28,901 60,871

154,716.48 154,716.48 1,563,931.26

6 24 7 98 135

2.85 118.85 20.00 99.00

190,900 53,000 15,200 429,541 688,641

528,079.00 6,201,924.95 293,757.00 42,728,789.84 49,752,550.79

9 9

168.50

166,476 166,476

28,285,937.95 28,285,937.95

54 38 6 12 1 29 140

5.61 19.00 1.37 6.86 6.65 1.27

2,120,306 314,421 40,000 119,863 433 3,285,739,119 3,288,334,142

11,610,520.13 5,953,792.96 55,716.00 842,442.48 2,736.56 4,074,348,894.07 4,092,814,102.20

11 54 65

17.86 700.00

18,825 98,360 117,185

329,518.50 68,567,962.00 68,897,480.50

11 11

4.46

99,050 99,050

420,455.00 420,455.00

13 21 34 394

21.90 28.00

36,887 133,117 170,004 3,289,575,498

820,034.75 3,737,067.92 4,557,102.67 4,244,727,629.11

82 51 21 25 200 41 16 147 11 15 67 676

4.10 1.49 15.60 1.21 16.70 1.07 1.76 2.95 5.30 0.63 0.98

3,962,506 2,163,396 278,470 790,900 4,847,312 1,969,858 1,204,932 8,586,418 39,752 501,617 5,920,564 30,265,725

16,210,255.82 3,314,106.88 4,136,459.40 958,864.34 80,963,793.44 2,115,552.11 2,087,767.85 25,302,954.71 205,645.40 316,018.71 5,813,502.17 141,424,920.83

14 8 2 3 7 10 1 1 46

0.80 0.90 0.50 0.50 2.06 0.76 0.50 0.50

200,107 276,500 5,004,000 1,000,000 351,540 327,285 37,708,135 10 44,867,577

160,838.67 251,350.00 2,502,000.00 500,000.00 720,728.80 245,325.31 18,854,067.50 5.00 23,234,315.28

1 1

1.08

4,760 4,760

4,950.40 4,950.40

31 7 105 7 20 170 893

2.46 4.00 0.85 14.15 1.31

1,149,464 27,041 31,257,120 38,035 708,255 33,179,915 108,317,977

2,830,722.84 104,002.06 26,613,309.20 537,985.34 931,556.31 31,017,575.75 195,681,762.26

27

2.69

614,065

1,572,223.05

the commercial banking arm had not contributed dividend to the holding company in the past two years. Eke said that the capacity of the holding company to distribute dividend would be enhanced by the time the commercial bank starts contributing dividend.

He explained that the decision of the commercial bank not contributing dividend to the group was strategic to enable the company to clean up its

book.

Meanwhile, in his speech, the Chief Executive officer of NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema, hailed FBN Holdings for using the facts behind the figures platform to engage the market on its strategic and operational development.

Onyema also commended the company for posting out strong fundamentals in spite of challenging operating environment witnessed in 2016 financial year.

E XC H A N G E

MAIN BOARD GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC Pharmaceuticals Totals HEALTHCARE Totals ICT IT Services TRIPPLE GEE AND COMPANY PLC. IT Services Totals ICT Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials ASHAKA CEM PLC BERGER PAINTS PLC CAP PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC PORTLAND PAINTS & PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC LAFARGE AFRICA PLC. Building Materials Totals Electronic and Electrical Products CUTIX PLC. Electronic and Electrical Products Totals Packaging/Containers BETA GLASS CO PLC. Packaging/Containers Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Totals OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Energy Equipment and Services Totals Integrated Oil and Gas Services OANDO PLC Integrated Oil and Gas Services Totals Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors CONOIL PLC ETERNA PLC. FORTE OIL PLC. MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. TOTAL NIGERIA PLC. Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Totals Exploration and Production SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD Exploration and Production Totals OIL AND GAS Totals SERVICES Automobile/Auto Part Retailers R T BRISCOE PLC. Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Totals Courier/Freight/Delivery RED STAR EXPRESS PLC Courier/Freight/Delivery Totals Printing/Publishing LEARN AFRICA PLC Printing/Publishing Totals Transport-Related Services AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Transport-Related Services Totals Support and Logistics CAVERTON OFFSHORE SUPPORT GRP PLC Support and Logistics Totals SERVICES Totals EQTY Board Totals Daily Summary (Equities) Activity Summary on Board ASeM CONSUMER GOODS Food Products MCNICHOLS PLC Food Products Totals CONSUMER GOODS Totals ASeM Board Totals Daily Summary (Equities) Activity Summary on Board PREMIUM FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC Banking Totals Other Financial Institutions FBN HOLDINGS PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials DANGOTE CEMENT PLC Building Materials Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Totals PREMIUM Board Totals Equity Activity Totals

DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

32 4 6 69 69

25.33 0.94 0.69

551,998 16,020 597,000 1,779,083 1,779,083

13,903,164.18 15,299.40 412,110.00 15,902,796.63 15,902,796.63

1 1 1

1.69

500 500 500

805.00 805.00 805.00

16 9 4 6 10 31 76

24.00 9.30 35.78 8.62 3.36 80.50

110,727 40,229 26,700 142,300 299,900 14,373,223 14,993,079

2,707,053.97 362,501.29 992,680.00 1,227,076.00 966,480.00 1,157,057,077.16 1,163,312,868.42

6 6

1.51

134,500 134,500

204,240.00 204,240.00

5 5 87

50.00

24,529 24,529 15,152,108

1,165,135.50 1,165,135.50 1,164,682,243.92

2 2

0.50

24,262 24,262

12,131.00 12,131.00

90 90

3.47

3,827,573 3,827,573

13,288,632.05 13,288,632.05

21 7 8 21 7 64

18.34 1.84 342.00 150.00 145.00

81,125 100,300 20,300 16,295 13,699 231,719

1,505,034.50 182,832.00 6,595,470.00 2,396,080.60 1,959,692.96 12,639,110.06

33 33 189

318.00

389,934 389,934 4,473,488

124,037,602.56 124,037,602.56 149,977,475.67

1 1

0.50

941 941

470.50 470.50

5 5

3.80

32,870 32,870

127,756.40 127,756.40

13 13

0.89

624,500 624,500

538,430.00 538,430.00

1 22 23

2.29 4.00

4,588 251,094 255,682

10,001.84 1,001,583.80 1,011,585.64

1 1 43 1,811

1.68

10,000 10,000 923,993 3,428,226,216

16,000.00 16,000.00 1,694,242.54 5,785,390,675.15

2 2 2 2

1.21

270,464 270,464 270,464 270,464

327,261.44 327,261.44 327,261.44 327,261.44

306 306

11.45

13,929,679 13,929,679

159,605,439.23 159,605,439.23

278 278 584

3.74

10,438,552 10,438,552 24,368,231

39,515,087.18 39,515,087.18 199,120,526.41

35 35 35 619 2,432

139.83

38,770 38,770 38,770 24,407,001 3,452,903,681

5,304,666.00 5,304,666.00 5,304,666.00 204,425,192.41 5,990,143,129.00

2 2 2 2 2 10 10 10

2,330.00 2.33 6.02 11.09 18.07

3,000 20 20 20 15 3,075 3,075 3,075

6,986,000.00 46.70 120.20 221.80 270.65 6,986,659.35 6,986,659.35 6,986,659.35

Daily Summary (ETP) Exchange Traded Fund Name NEWGOLD EXCHANGE TRADED FUND (ETF) VETIVA BANKING ETF VETIVA CONSUMER GOODS ETF VETIVA GRIFFIN 30 ETF VETIVA INDUSTRIAL ETF Exchange Traded Fund Totals ETF Board Totals ETP Activity Totals

52

˾ FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017

MARKET NEWS

Stockbroker Advises Investors on Equities Investing Goddy Egene Investors who are still hesitating to return to the nation’s stock market have been advised to move in now and continue to invest regularly. The advice was given by a stockbroker and Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Finmal Financial Services Limited, Alhaji Umaru Kwairanga.

Speaking to journalists in Lagos, Kwairanga said the Nigerian stock market has growth potential as many stocks are still trading

below their intrinsic values.

He said: “My advice has always been that investors should make investing a regular habit, invest after thorough research and more importantly seek the opinion of a professional stock broker. Keep an eye on your investments and the fundamentals of the companies you invest in.

Buy low, sell high. Our stock market has growth potential as many stocks are still trading below their intrinsic values. This is a good time to move in.”

A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager.

Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

Assessing the performance of the market so far this year, he said that the market has been on a rebound recently, especially from the end of the first quarter till now. According to him, recent initiatives taken by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to solve the problem of chronic scarcity of forex have boosted the economy and the capital market in particular.

“The Nigerian Stock Exchange All Share Index has swung into positive territory after months of

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 14Jun-2017, unless otherwise stated

persistent decline and trading volumes have increased dramatically in the last couple of months.

I would say the Nigerian capital market has done quite well in the last couple of weeks,” he said.

Kwairanga said before now, the macro economic instability impacted trading on the NSE very badly, as the index and market capitalisation were down by almost five per cent while the uncertainty lasted and trading volumes halved from previous years.

“As you know, participation in our capital market has been slightly skewed in favour of foreign portfolio investors for most of the past decade and this category of investors refused to participate in the Nigerian capital market while the forex issues persisted. I believe the drastic dip in liquidity of the Nigerian capital market was partly due to the refusal of this category of investors to play in the market while the macro economic issues were

prevalent,” he observed.

The broker noted that investor confidence is gradually returning as can be seen by the positive numbers in recent weeks.

“Our prayer is that the government ,the CBN and other regulators remain consistent in their resolve to tackle the issues that have held our economy and this great country’s potential down in recent years. That will definitely boost investors’ confidence further and guarantee stability,” he stressed.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 1 270 1680 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 162.87 163.96 28.42% Nigeria International Debt Fund 223.47 224.92 5.41% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.75 0.76 7.55% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 18.72% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 15.82 16.29 28.12% ARM Discovery Fund 341.95 352.26 19.07% ARM Ethical Fund 24.64 25.39 10.30% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 16.20% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 135.02 135.96 28.37% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 18.51% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 0.00% Paramount Equity Fund 11.19 11.48 19.57% Women's Investment Fund 91.09 93.42 7.67% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 18.45% FBN CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,083.80 1,084.93 7.17% FBN Heritage Fund 131.07 132.09 17.52% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 18.93% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional $109.43 $109.83 6.14% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail $108.43 $108.81 5.89% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 149.31 151.44 32.59% FIRST CITY ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD fcamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcamltd.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Equity Fund 1.26 1.29 35.64% Legacy Short Maturity (NGN) Fund 2.75 2.75 7.19% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 2,440.98 2,473.30 10.58% Coral Income Fund 2,261.13 2,261.13 7.45% GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 16.91% INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 17.83% Vantage Balanced Fund 1.96 1.98 16.45% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 17.56%

LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.07 1.09 8.54% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,034.77 1,034.77 5.15% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 13.06 13.16 35.12% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 17.88% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.15 1.17 15.74% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 10.61 10.68 2.12% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 16.66% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 119.90 121.76 18.19% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.31 1.31 5.37% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 2,073.68 2,085.83 13.26% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 159.79 159.79 3.79% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.93 0.95 22.08% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 200.13 200.13 7.08% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 162.72 164.99 25.40% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 18.58% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 9,019.54 9,123.97 18.94% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.27 1.29 10.27% United Capital Bond Fund 1.35 1.35 15.12% United Capital Equity Fund 0.82 0.83 6.75% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.17 1.17 11.08% ZENITH ASSETS MANAGEMENT LTD info@zenith-funds.com Web: www.zenith-funds.com; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 11.90 12.10 22.77% Zenith Ethical Fund 12.69 12.84 16.02% Zenith Income Fund 18.02 18.02 9.02%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

11.41 127.46

1.01% 2.82%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

10.17 98.29

10.27 100.11

15.74% 29.69%

Fund Name FSDH UPDC Real Estate Investment Fund SFS Skye Shelter Fund

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund

VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.92 7.89 15.64 19.92 129.76

3.96 7.97 15.74 20.12 131.76

41.79% 12.16% 29.84% 24.74% 0.67%

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

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PIB Scales Second Reading in House James Emejo in Abuja The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) yesterday scaled second reading in the House of Representatives without a single opposition from any member.

The Speaker of the House, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, thereafter announced the composition of a newly created ad-hoc committee and referred the bill to it.

The committee is chaired by Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa and Hon. Victor Nwokolo as deputy chairman.

Essentially, the PIB will now be up for public hearing preparatory to its third reading, passage and concurrence with the Senate.

The House could not consider the PIB as a whole as earlier indicated, but rather dealth with the three components of the bill in parts-one after the other, beginning with the Petroleum Industry Governance (PIGB) framework); the Host Community Participation as well as the Legal and Regulatory Framework.

Though some members had raised concerns on the need to consider and pass the document as a whole instead of taking it in parts, however, Dogara reigned in their argument explaining that the decision to split the bill into sections followed the recommendations of experts who were of the view that taking it as a whole could be cumbersome to deal with as there are lots of issues around it- which had also contributed to the delayed passage in the past.

Nonetheless, the debate commenced with the bill for an Act to provide for the governance and institutional framework for petroleum Industry and to establish a fiscal framework that encourages further investment

in the petroleum Industry while increasing accruable revenues to the Federal Government of Nigeria and for other related matters.

The bill which emanated from the Senate was moved

by Hon. Pally Iriase and 11 others, including Hon. Victor Nwokolo, Hon. Iranola Joseph, and Hon. Agbedi Fredrick.

Leading the debate, Hon. Tahir Monguno said the PIGB seeks to unbundle the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) into various entities to enable it conform to international best practice in its operations, enhance ease of doing business and boost transparency in its dealings.

The second component. the bill for an act to provide for the framework relating to petroleum producing host community’s participation, cost and benefit sharing among the government, petroleum exploration companies and petroleum host communities and for other related matters was sponsored by Hon. Victor Nwokolo, Hon. Iranola Joseph and Hon. Agbedi Fredrick.

It was likewise debated and passed.

Also, considered by the lower chamber was the bill and memorandum on legal and regulatory framework, institutions and regulatory authorities for the Nigerian petroleum Industry to establish guidelines for the operation of the upstream and downstream sectors and provide for the establishment of the legal and regulatory framework and authorities as well as guidelines for the operation of upstream and downstream sectors of the

FG to Recruit 7,500 Graduates as Tax Liaison Officers to Boost Revenue Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja In a bid to increase enrolment into the tax net and boost revenue generation, the federal government is set to recruit no fewer than 7,500 graduates as outreaches in communities across the country in order to raise awareness on the tax system This is a deliberate move by government to recruit more people into the tax net with the overall aim of boosting revenue generation.

The planned recruitment of 7,500 community tax liaison officers would be tied to the government’s N-Power programme.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Kemi Adeosun, who revealed this in Abuja yesterday alongside the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Babatunde Fowlers, said when recruited, the graduates would be trained and deployed in communities with a view to raising tax awareness among the populace.

The recruits, who would be trained and deployed in communities, are expected to go to schools, churches, mosques, and markets, among others, to enlighten people on the tax system and as well as their obligations.

“We will be recruiting them through N-Power and they can apply through the website of the Federal Ministry of Finance or through the N-Power website.

“It’s a two-year fixed contract and they will be deployed to states, attached to state Internal Revenue Service or FIRS. Their job is to improve the level of education on Nigeria’s tax system.

“Our tax system is progressive, meaning those who earn less should pay less and those who earn more should pay more. A lot of people don’t know that.

So it is a chance to get people on ground to answer all these pertinent questions.

“This exercise is extremely important for the fiscal sustainability of states because as you know, most of the revenue for states, apart from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) is supposed to come from tax.

“So if we improved the number of taxpayers, we will be improving the fiscal health of our state governments as well as the federal government. It is an important initiative for the nation as we undertake reforms to reduce our over dependence on oil.

“We have to make sure that everyone who is economically active pays tax, no matter how little, they have to contribute to the pool,” she said.

The minister noted that out of an estimated 69 million taxpayers either working for themselves or fully involved in one economic activity or the other, only 14 million were registered.

Nigeria petroleum industry and for connected purposes.

Hon. Abiodun Adeola (Oyo,

APC) had enjoined members to set aside sentiments and pass the all important bill.

It could be deduced that the majority of lawmakers are keenly to having the oil sector legislation

passed, so history could count them among the heroes which made it happen.

HONOUR ACROSS THE MEDITERRANEAN

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Oil & Gas Council, Iain Pitt; Executive Director, Sahara Group, Tonye Cole; and Partner, Streamsowers & Kohn, Chiagozie Hilary-Nwokonko, at the Africa Energy Awards where Cole received a Lifetime Achievement award for his individual role and Sahara Group’s corporate role in promoting provision of energy across Africa and inclusive economic growth for poverty eradication, capacity building, food security and access to potable water in Africa in Paris, France....recently

CAN Protests Replacement of Christian Education in Secondary Schools with Islamic Studies Demands restoration of old curriculum Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) last Wednesday stormed the Presidential Villa, Abuja, and vehemently protested the elimination of Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) in the new education curriculum being introduced in secondary schools.

Leading a delegation to the acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, CAN Chairman, Dr. Samson Ayokunle, said whereas CRK, according to the new curriculum, would no longer exist as a subject in schools but rather as themes in civic education, Islamic/Arabic Studies/French subjects on the other hand, have been introduced in the new curriculum.

He said with the new arrangement, a pupil would have to study either of Islamic Arabic Studies or French, pointing out that the end result is that a Christian

student will be left with no option than to settle for Islamic Arabic Studies since French teachers are more or less non-existent in secondary schools.

Ayokunle who observed that the Ministry of Education had earlier come up with the curriculum but was dropped following an objection to it from CAN, said it was surprising that the curriculum had resurfaced again in a way that will deprive pupils of moral trainings which CRK offers.

Demanding a return to the old curriculum, CAN which described moves to force Islamic studies down the throats of non-adherents of the religion, described the action as injustice and one agenda deliberately crafted towards Islamisation.

“We are here to point your attention to a time-bomb, obnoxious, divisive and ungodly secondary school curriculum that the Federal Ministry of Education is introducing into our schools

and of which we had earlier complained to the presidency.

Then, if I am not mistaking, it was suspended but has again been re-introduced without any review at all.

“This curriculum is the brainchild of Nigerian Educational Research Council, an agency of the Federal Ministry of Education. To us in CAN, its introduction is an ill-wind that blows nobody any good for so many reasons. A state has started implementing it already and Christians that are more on the receiving side of it are already crying fowl because of its potential dangers now.”

CAN also rejected the persistent destruction and dehumanisation of Nigerians by herdsmen with seeming indifference from the federal government in various parts of the country and regretted the failure of security agents to arrest any of the herdsmen since the tragic acts

began.

While challenging the government to rise from its seeming complacency towards the pains and anguish being inflicted on Nigerians by killer herdsmen, CAN which commended the recent arrest of some kidnappers by the police, also tasked the security operatives to halt rampaging activities of kidnappers on Lokoja-Okene Road, Lokoja-Kabba Road and Abuja-Kaduna Road.

It also condemned the ultimatum issued to the Igbo in the North to vacate the region, describing it as divisive, misguided, ethnocentric and unconstitutional.

The group also expressed grave concern over the spate of unemployment among the youths and urged the government to pay more attention to the situation by creating an investment friendly environment that could offer jobs to millions of jobless Nigerian youths.

CBN DOLLAR SALES ON I&E FOREX WINDOW FALLS BELOW 30% is now a minority player.

“So, it is not impossible that we get to a point where the CBN intervention in the market would be zero. If FPIs continue to bring dollars into the system, if exporters continue to bring dollars into the system, of course the CBN would keep its dollars.”

Also, Shogunle said with increased liquidity, the issue of multiple exchange rate would be addressed, “not by fiat, or by decree,” but through an inerplay of demand and supply.

Earlier, the CEO of Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo, who also joined in briefing the media, disclosed that as part of efforts to simplify the Bank Verification Number (BVN) registeration process for customers of microfinance banks (MFBs), the committee decided that such

customers can walk into any commercial banks to get register for BVN. The committee also warned MFBs to desist from charging customers for BVN enrolment.

“Anything that would stop more people from being included in the formal financial sector, we work jointly as banks to make sure that such bottleneck is removed.

So, one key issue that came up today was the issue of customers of MFBs who do not have their Bank Verification Numbers.

“Some feedback we got as a committee was that some banks charge such customers when they try to register BVN. So, the Bankers Committee decided today that MFBs can walk into any bank and register their BVN free of charge.

That would make sure we don’t discourage financial inclusion.

So, registration of BVN for MFB customers is free and you can do that in any bank,” the Fidelity Bank boss explained.

His counterpart, the CEO of Standard Chartered Bank, Mrs. Bola Adesola, said the Economic Sub-Committee of the Bankers’ Committee is working with the Development Finance Department of the CBN, CBN Legal Department, Banking Supervision Department and five highest contributors Agric/ SMEs Equity Fund, adding that once customers meet the criteria, the committee would start investing.

“After the audited accounts of banks were published, we all contributed five per cent of our profit after tax to a fund at the CBN towards contributing equity to Agric and SMEs. As you know, many companies cannot just survive on debt because of

the cost of debt. So, long term capital required to catalyse growth in SMEs to make them viable and sustainable.

“Right now, there is about N26 billion in the fund. We are working on the framework for the investment.

We are looking at partnerships, we are looking at co-investing, maybe with private equity firms as well.

The objective basically is to catalyse growth in SMEs, to ease access to finance, build capacity in the SMEs, create jobs and ultimately improve prosperity,” she said.

On his part, the Director, Banking Surpervision, CBN, expressed optimism that the economy would record positive GDP figures by the third quarter, owing to decelerating inflation, renewed investors’ confidence, exchange rate stability, among others.

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Military Equipment to Fight Boko Haram Held up at Tin Can Port Paul Obi in Abuja The federal government yesterday revealed that military hardware such as sophisticated weapons meant to fight Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east part of the country had been help up at the Tin Can Island Port.

The Minister of Defence, Brig-General Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd), stated this in Abuja during the inauguration of the Nigerian Army War College, Abuja.

According to him, though “government will continue to support the armed forces in its quest to continue professionalising,” at the moment, government is confronted with delay of many of its imported equipment held up at the Tin Can Island Port.

Dan-Ali said: “Already, government is acquiring necessary equipment ‘required by the military to prosecute the war against

insurgency in the North-east.

“New platforms are already waiting final clearance from Tin Can Island Port and very soon, they will be inserted into Operation Lafiya Dole.

“The procurement of new equipment coupled with good leadership has boosted the morale of the troops; which has led to the numerous successes recorded in the fight against terrorism.”

He explained that “the Army War College was established in order to develop the capacities of officers at the operational level. This level forms the nucleus of the armed forces being the level between the tactical and the strategic levels.

The minister noted that “the curriculum of the Army War College cover operational art as well as inter-agency cooperation and coordination in military operations.

These are important requirements for any operational level leader.

On adhering to democratic norms, the minister said: “It is the duty of all officers and men to be absolutely loyal to constituted authority at all times. Issues of Indiscipline will be viewed seriously in order to maintain professionalism in the military.”

Speaking to the participants of Course 1/2017, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, urged them to put in their best mentally and rigorously to uplift army operations in the country.

Buratai called on the participants to concentrate on their studies as excellent performance in the college is likely going to be a criterion for promotion to higher ranks in the army such as Brigadier General.

The Commandant of the Army War College, Major General AG Okunola, likewise pledged the commitment of the college to best practices and standards.

Gas, Power Operators Decry State of Nigeria’s Electricity Industry Ejiofor Alike Operators in the Nigerian power and gas sectors have decried the poor state of the country’s power sector, saying that nearly four years after the power assets were handed over to the private sector, both the government and the private sector have failed to deliver on their post-privatisation commitments as a result of liquidity challenges.

Speaking yesterday in Lagos at the Business Forum organised by the Nigerian Gas Association (NGA), the operators argued that $3.9 billion proceeds realised from the sale of the power assets was misapplied to pay off the workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), instead of applying the fund to boost the transmission infrastructure for which it was meant, according to the terms of the power reform.

In his speech, while moderating the debate by the operators, the Chairman of Independent Petroleum Producers Group and Chief Executive Officer of First E & P, Mr. Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, said the federal government should have considered the fact that the private investors would require seven times the money they paid for the assets to upgrade the assets

after take-over, before asking the investors to pay such high price to buy the power assets.

Also speaking, a Director of Eko Electricity Distribution Company and Principal Partner, George Etomi and Partners, Mr. George Etomi, said the privatisation agreement had set clear Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for the owners of the distribution companies but argued that the federal government did not fulfill its part of the agreement.

According to him, the government was supposed to provide N100 billion subsidy, ensure sanctity of contracts and also ensure that the investors inherited clean balance sheets, free from liabilities.

Etomi also added that the federal government was supposed to give the investors six months shadow management of the power assets to enable them study the assets, stressing that government did not fulfill any of these obligations as a result of the pressure by the labour unions.

He said the sector was facing liquidity challenges because of government’s failure to meet its obligations as contained in the privatisation agreement, adding that even the $3.9 billion realised from the sale of the assets was used to pay the labour instead of deploying

it to upgrade transmission as planned.

In his keynote address, a former Minister of Power and Chairman of Geometric Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji, argued that tariffs must reflect currency movement, stressing that Nigeria is at the bottom in terms of power generation in Africa.

In his presentation, the new Managing Director of NIPCO Plc, Mr. Sanjay Teotia, argued that natural gas is the preferred fuel for vehicles, stressing that the technology of natural gas vehicles is available and most competitive.

A former Group Executive Director (GED) in charge of Gas and Power at the NNPC, Dr. David Ige, said the power sector faced tactical and non-tactical challenges and identified the delay in the completion of the Escravos – Lagos Expansion and the Bonga Divert, which was initiated in 2014 to supply 120 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (equivalent of 650MW), as some of the tactical challenges.

In his welcome address, the President of NGA and Chief Executive Officer of Frontier Oil Limited, Mr. Dada Thomas, stated: “Nigeria is not without its challenges at present but I believe we are capable of finding solutions.”

FG Denies Alleged Quit Notice to Nigerians in South Africa Alex Enumah in Abuja The federal government yesterday dispelled rumours of a quit notice given to Nigerians leaving in South Africa to leave the country

by June 16, 2017 or face dire consequences.

The Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Martin Cobham, who denied the report in a telephone conversation with THISDAY, advised people to be wary of some reports in the social media or online news media.

He said some of the reports have the capacity of straining the relations between Nigeria and South Africa.

Cobham however, promised that

the mission would investigate the matter and report accordingly to the appropriate quarters.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaye, said in a telephone conversation that the ministry was unaware of any threat to Nigerians living in South Africa, adding that the mission in South Africa was yet to report any of such to the ministry.

According to some online media publications, the President of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, Ikechukwu Anyene, had in a statement revealed that two communities in Johannesburg had issued quit notices to Nigerians to

leave over allegations of dealings on hard drugs, as well as luring young girls into prostitution.

According to the statement, the Kuruman community in Northern Cape Province gave Nigerians until yesterday to leave the place while the Klaafontein community, Extension 5, Johannesburg, also directed landlords not to renew the rent of Nigerians in the area.

Anyene said the grievances of the South Africans were that Nigerians were responsible for some social vices such as illicit drug trade and prostitution and they blamed every crime in the country on Nigerians even when it was clear that they were not committed by Nigerians.

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Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

Russia 2018: Don’t Put Pressure on Rohr, Warns Chukwu Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja Former international captain, Christian Chukwu, has warned that undue pressure on coach Gernot Rohr following the loss to South Africa could put Nigeria’s chances of reaching Russia 2018 World Cup on a cliff-hanger.

A nervous Super Eagles suffered their first defeat under the watch of Rohr when they were spanked 2-0 in an African Cup of Nations qualifier last Saturday in Uyo. The resultant loss, came as a rude shock to the public, as it marked South Africa’s first win over Nigeria in a competitive fixture, since the first meeting between both country in 1992, when a turbo- charged Eagles romped to 4-0 win in Lagos.

Chukwu, who captained the Eagles to first African Cup of Nations win in 1980, warned that instead of dwelling on that unfortunate result, team officials should be reflecting on the forthcoming World Cup 2018 qualifier against Cameroon.

The Eagles, who are topping Group B will host their perennial rivals at home in August.

Chukwu, the General Manager of Rangers International of Enugu, said instead of hanging Rohr, the Franco-German should be allowed to concentrate on the engagement against the

Indomitable Lions.

He submitted that the match against Cameroon is winnable as the Eagles have already secured 70 per cent of the result required to berth the World Cup. “My worry is that we are putting to much pressure on Rohr over the loss to South Africa. We should allow him to concentrate on the Cameroon match which we can win because we are 70-80 per cent within the threshold of qualifying for Russia 2018,” Chukwu warned.

The former national chief coach said Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) must do every thing necessary to ensure the Eagles succeed against one of their most formidable continental rivals.

He said Rohr should be excused for the loss to Bafana Bafana because he was still building a new team and experimenting with new players.

But he, however, kicked against the penchant of building the national team entirely on foreign-based players.

“My opinion is that our national team should not be based outside the country as it is at the moment. I am not in support of inviting as many as 25 players from abroad two days before a fixture.

They won’t blend. We have talented and good players at home. We just need to identity

L-R: MTN Nigeria Chief Operating Officer, Muhammad Siddiqui; Arsenal F.C, Head of Partner Services, Gordon Tannock; MTN Nigeria Chairman, Pascal Dozie; MTN Nigeria, Chief Marketing Officer, Rahul De; and Partner Services Manager at Arsenal F.C, Michael Higham, with the English FA Cup won by Arsenal F.C at MTN Nigeria Head Office, Lagos …recently them, even the South African team was mainly dominated by local players.

“When Clemens Westerhof called the shot from 1989 to

1994, he used home-based players before some of them left for clubs in Europe,” recalled the former influential captain of Nigeria.

Chukwu said the preference for professional players is responsible for the habitual exodus of half-baked players from the domestic league to

leagues in Vietnam, Cyprus, India and other foreign nations, with weak football profile just out og desperation to be called ‘foreign-based players’.

Nigeria Pitch Award Death Stalks Nigerian Sport, Claims MJ, Onyenwenwa Falcons’ Coach, Omagbemi, loses son in swimming pool Excites Egbe CEO of Monimichelle, a sports facility construction outfit, Ebi Egbe has expressed delight over the award bestowed on him by organisers of Nigeria Pitch Award last weekend in Uyo. Egbe was honoured for his efforts at changing the face of Nigerian playing turfs and bringing state of the art technology to the country.

The Bayelsa-born sports facility expert had after receiving the award said it would spur him to do more for the country.

“I am happy my modest contribution to the game is being appreciated. This is

an award that would propel us to do more,” Egbe said.

Egbe who is also a FIFA match agent said his vision is to see the country boast of the kind of good playing surfaces that are in Europe.

“I don’t see any reason why Nigeria shouldn’t gave good pitches. That is the biggest problem facing the game in the country and our vision in Monimichelle is to change all that,” Egbe said.

He thanked organisers of the award for making integrity their watchword, pointing out that this informs why the nation’s soccer governing body has endorsed the award.

Another pall of darkness enveloped the Nigerian sports scene yesterday following the deaths of the first Director of Professional Golfers Association of Nigeria (PGAN) Matthew Jacob and Lizzy Onyenwenwa, a former NFF Women Football Secretary. Head Coach of the Super Falcons, Florence Omagbemi also lost her 15 year-old son, Samson Omagbemi Atamako.

Lizzy Onyenwenwa was reported to have passed on at the National Hospital in Abuja early hours of yesterday.

in Nigeria after receiving the baton from where Englishman, John Norsworthy, who established PGAN in 1968.

Through hard work and consistency, he rose from being a caddy to become one of the best regarded administrators in Nigeria’s golf history.

Some of the country’s professional golf icons including Peter Akakasiaka, Tony Uduimoh and Bello Seibidor were evidence of his administrative acumen.

As the Director of PGAN, he presided over the organisation of several editions of the

national golf championship, the Nigeria Open, until the last edition was held in 2001, after it was rested for five years (1995 -2000).

He was ousted in 2002 as the director and replaced by Uduimoh in the wake of the crisis of leadership that split the ranks of the association and made many sponsors to back out from professional golf.

He was also the first Resident Pro at Ikoyi Club 1938, where his pro-shop, named after him, stands as a legacy in his memory.

Sportswriters Co-opted into New Edo Gov to Refurbish Ogbemudia Stadium Facilities Federation Boards as Associate Members Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

CEO of Monimichelle, Ebi Egbe (right) receiving his Pitch Award from Chairman of the Nigerian Football Supporters Club, Vincent Okumagba, last weekend in Uyo

Until her death, she was an acting director of planning at the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Samson Omagbemi reportedly got drowned in a swimming pool at a hotel in Effurun, Delta State, where he along with classmates, had gone for an after their JSS 3 examination party.

MJ, as the former PGAN director for fondly known, also died yesterday morning in Lagos after a brief illness, aged 74.

Jacob will be remembered for shaping professional golf

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has indicated the readiness of his administration to refurbish facilities damaged by the last rainstorm at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.

He disclosed this during an inspection tour of the damaged facilities at the stadium in Benin City, the Edo State capital, where he also note revealed that some of such facilities would be overhauled and upgraded.

The governor, who was taken round the damaged facilities by the Assistant Director of sports Facilities, Victor Edokpayi, said the inspection became necessary following the damage to some

facilities at the stadium to strategise on how the facilities could be fixed.

“We are here to inspect the damage done to some facilities. We can see some of the rooftops blown off by the rainstorm. The rooftop of the swimming pool and the gymnasium were totally blown off. The facilities here need total overhauling,” he noted.

Governor Obaseki, accompanied by his deputy, Hon. Phillip Shaibu and the SSG, Osarodion Ogie, said his administration would refurbish the facilities in the stadium particularly the swimming pool section and some other damaged sections such as the judo hall and indoor sports complex that were damaged by the rainstorm.

The President, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Honour Sirawoo has commended the Minister of Youth and Sports, Barr.

Solomon Dalung for approving the Association as Associate Members of national Sports Federations.

Sirawoo, who stated this in Abuja, shortly after the minister gave the approval following recommendation from the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), said the gesture will ensure a bigger platform for sports journalists to continue to play key role in sports development in Nigeria.

He lauded Dalung for his commitment to sports development and global best practice which have seen him act, less than three months after the International Sports Press Association (AIPS)

secured Associate Membership of the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) at the 2017 SportAccord Convention in Aarhus, Denmark.

“The Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung, has graciously approved the presence of our members in the national sports Federation Boards, even though it is as Associate Members.

“What the Minister has done is to domesticate what is fast becoming the norm worldwide, meaning that, he is a respecter of rules and an implementer of international Conventions.

“We are key to sports development, because we hold the key to effective sports promotion, our role is very essential,’’ the SWAN President said.

TR

Friday, June 16, 2017

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MISSILE Saraki to Traducers

“I harbour no grudge against anyone, regardless of the role they might have played in the persecution that I had endured in the last two years. “I believe that if my trial had in anyway given hope to the common man that no matter the forces arrayed against him, he can still get justice in our courts, then my tribulation has not been in vain” – Senate President Bukola Saraki celebrating his landmark acquittal by the Code of Conduct Tribunal after a tortuous trial spanning two years over a 18-count charge including money laundering by the federal government.

OKEYIKECHUKWU EDIFYING ELUCIDATIONS

okey.ikechukwu@thisdaylive.com

Issues in Anambra Politics T he Anambra State Traditional Rulers’ Council recently organized a statewide seminar to discuss several issues. Central to it all was the need for a sustainable approach to managing the politics of the state, especially as events are seriously warming up towards the governorship elections. An Igbo proverb says that it is the duty of elders to provide platforms for civilized conversation when their children are skirting around potentially volatile matters. In the case of Anambra State, matters may easily get out of hand – as it often does in the state.

In anchoring the aspect of the conversation that has to do with the zoning of political offices and the effect of this on democracy and good governance, I had to point the following: (1) The concept and practice of democracy have evolved over the centuries.

(2) The technical details of democratic culture are not the same in all climes today. (3) The original democracy of the Greeks spoke of equality, but disenfranchised slaves and the larger population because it held that only equals should be treated equally. (4) The concept of “citizenship” and group/individual rights, has also evolved along with the expansion of freedoms in the evolution of democracy.

(5) The Soviet, British and American variants of democracy are reference points for all fledgling democracies, only to the extent that the latter use them to understand how to historical experiences and the prevailing political maturity of a people shapes their Politics.

In a world that is increasingly (and simultaneously) demanding political inclusiveness and good governance, it is important that the problem of “Inadvertently Displaced Persons” (IDPs) in the internal politics of states is handled in such a way that group cohesion is maintained without undermining excellence and good governance. Part of the prevailing global campaign, especially with the newly instituted Sustainable Development Goals, is for all human communities and nation-states to strive for inclusiveness. This striving for inclusiveness means creating and reinforcing a sense of belonging among minorities or otherwise disadvantaged segments of the polity; but this need not be at the expense of best governance practices.

Zoning, or rotation, has always existed as the rotation of Kingship stools in our various towns and villages, in other domains outside Anambra State among designated Ruling Houses and even more especially in the more entrenched feudal states and communities all over the world. It is always the people (then and now) who must exercise vigilance, to ensure that rotation does not enthrone impunity or mediocrity. There is no community, town, local government or Senatorial District that does not have sons and daughters who can play key leadership roles in the various institutions of state. There is no homestead, or extended family, from which the village cannot not find at least one person who will be useful to the community.

Traditional wisdom says: “If the only voices

Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano heard at meetings in the village square are those of the largest, richest, most learned or most widely travelled families then it must mean that the community is governed by indiscretion, poor sense of accommodation or a depraved king”. Most political choices are either reasoned, or forced, responses to the vagaries and sociocultural challenges facing a people at a particular historical hour. In the end, lasting results are achieved only when the challenges are handled with the requisite realism.

It is within the context of the foregoing that the tacit understandings about the zoning of political offices emerged as a convenient tool for sustaining faith in a system that could otherwise be disowned by some stakeholders who do not feel sufficiently recognized, or catered for, by it. Ndigbo would say: “Nmegbu ma obu aluluani gbaa aro, obulu omenani”.

(When impropriety or an unsound practice is allowed to subsist for up to a year it becomes part of the laws of the land). The difference between “Omenani” (that which is upheld by the laws of the land) and “Aluluani” (a

As we edge towards the next governorship elections in Anambra State, it would not be news to hear that some aspirants already have a handful of court injunctions, ready to pull them out as and when necessary

wrong, unfair or even evil practice or act) is that progress come with one, while decay, strife and much more come with the other.

That zoning has become part our national (and state) political lexicon and political practice, is because it is now seen as a redemptive political tool, especially amidst real and imagined cries of inequity and marginalization in the nation. The question it raises, are: (1) Is democracy not about numbers?

(2) Is good governance not about excellence and best practices? and (3) Is it not possible that democracy and good governance could be terminally undermined by zooning”? These questions are made more pertinent by the linkages established between poor governance paradigms/outcomes and zoning of political offices in some instances.

But does zoning, just by itself, always undermine excellence and good governance?

While it is true that democracy rests on majority rule, it is also true that it is fundamentally designed to be underpinned by equity. The modifications it finds in the various “types” of democracy out there boil down, at the end of the day, to individual group responses to governance challenge in their search for social equity. The idealistic notion of democracy, as simply a matter of numbers, ignores the fact that we must use qualitative” and “numerical” equality in determining the role and relevance of stakeholders in any serious democracy. All minority and majority groups are equal as human beings. It is their numerical inequality, or difference in population size, that is often used to determine who belongs to a minority group and who does not. Both minority and majority groups have produced geniuses, superstars, Popes, great generals, prophets, etc.; and no one has contested the ontological standing of these personages. For instance, the Jews would be declared the world`s largest majority human group if we measure the population of the world by the number of winners of Noble prizes, number of inventors, etc. per capita.

Nigeria has an overlooked national crisis in the fact that the Nigerian constitution can be violated in defense of extra constitutional zoning arrangements. For instance, provisions of Article 7, section 7.2 (c) of the PDP Constitution says: “…pursuant of the principles of equity, the Party shall adhere to the policy and zoning of Party and public elective offices and it shall be enforced by the appropriate executive committee at all levels”. This provision which has its variant, or equivalent, in the constitutions of all political parties in Nigeria violates a cardinal provision of the constitution; which says that no one may be discriminated against because of the place, or circumstances, of his birth.

Specifically, President Jonathan`s decision to stick to the Constitution and ignore the PDP constitution cost him the Presidency in 2015.

That is because we have a leadership class that defines its relevance by undermining our nationhood and also by explicitly violating the constitutional provision against nondiscrimination. Such an elite will bother much about excellence and it would be “out of

character” for anyone to object to the provisions of the constitutions of our various political parties, given the type of country in which we find ourselves. Thus the possibility, or wisdom, of doing away with the zoning of political offices, or the pretense that it is an inconvenient rather than useful political tool at the moment, is still open to argument.

As we edge towards the next governorship elections in Anambra State, it would not be news to hear that some aspirants already have a handful of court injunctions, ready to pull them out as and when necessary.

But the time has come for Anambra State to review its recent political history in order to move forward in a sustainable way. The state has its own internal cultural diversity, economic interdependence and a history of interactions built on mutual respect and comparative economic and other advantages.

But it also has its many divisive sentiments.

And zoning has come up as a (hopefully temporary) tool. The real challenge is for each Senatorial District to aspire to outshine others in developing the state during its “turn” in power. Genuine democratic culture does not arbitrarily prevent anyone from exercising any rights granted him by the law, thus cannot forbid those who are warming up to contest the coming elections from doing so, simply because they are not from Anambra North.

Such people and their actions may actually help us to gauge the mood and political maturity of the populace, so as to know when and how to move from zoning to the type of consensus that gave us an Abiola/Kingibe presidential victory. We would not know this if no one falls out of the political line, to test his or her appeal before the people. Every historical hour has its challenges and these are relevant variables, or useful building blocks, for ultimately creating a strong and stable polity.

The cultural autonomy and authenticity of Anambra’s various Senatorial Districts make them equal stakeholders. The problem of good governance, or lack of it, has more to do with the number of renegade elder statesmen, consumption-driven godfathers and godmothers, as well as disoriented godchildren dominating the Anambra political space. The political children and violated leadership traditions have characterized Anambra politics for too long because of limited political literacy and little investment in political education. The electoral value of substantial sections of the population is also lost to ignorance, as most traders and businessmen register near their shops and business premises. Meanwhile they have no access to these locations on the day of election and are thus self-disenfranchised.

For now, my submission is that zoning is neither new nor necessarily a bad thing in itself. It is also not the automatic cause of good or bad leadership anywhere in the world. In addition zoning neither rules out, nor makes unlawful, the decision of anyone to fall out of line and test his popularity. It is for all parties to prove their mettle in the field of battle.

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