Thursday 17th August 2017

In a First, FG Accepts Blame for ASUU Strike NANS decries industrial action, says ERGP failed to address problems in varsities Omololu Ogunmade and Senator Iroegbu in Abuja The federal government, in a departure from the norm, yesterday admitted that its

failure to fulfil its side of the bargain with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) resulted in the strike action embarked upon by the lecturers of tertiary institutions

on Sunday.

Briefing newsmen in the State House, after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu

Adamu said it was saddening that ASUU went on strike owing to the failure of the federal government to fulfil its side of the bargain with the union last year.

Adamu, however, said the federal government was not happy over the way ASUU proceeded on strike, observing that it failed to follow due process by giving

the government reasonable notice as the case should be.

Nevertheless, he said he hoped to meet with the lecturers Continued on page 8

Finally, Osinbajo Assigns Portfolios to New Ministers, Swears in Perm Secs… Page 8 Thursday 17 August, 2017 Vol 22. No 8155. Price: N250

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Police Commence Investigation into Attack on EFCC Office … Page 50

NBS: Roughly N400bn in Bribes Given to Public Officials Annually Says bribery is an established part of administrative procedure in Nigeria Police, judiciary identified as biggest bribe-takers Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja An estimated N400 billion, or the equivalent of $4.6 billion in purchasing power parity (PPP), representing 39 per cent of the combined federal and state education budgets in 2016, is paid out as bribes to public officials in Nigeria annually,

a new report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), has revealed.

The National Corruption Report, which covered the Continued on page 9

Again, Shettima Meets Northern Elders, Arewa Coalition on Withdrawal of Quit Notice to Igbos Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja In continuation of efforts aimed at withdrawing the quit notice against Igbos living in northern Nigeria, a group of northern governors represented by the Borno State governor and Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, Kashim Shettima yesterday met with members of the Northern

Elders’ Forum (NEF) and key leaders of the coalition of Arewa youth groups in a closed-door meeting that lasted for four hours.

A statement by the governor’s media aide, Isa Gusau said the meeting focused on getting the coalition to withdraw its quit notice Continued on page 8

Trump Sacks Nigeria's Ogunlesi, Other Corporate Advisers... Page 50

IPI GEARS UP FOR 2018 WORLD CONGRESS IN NIGERIA R-L: Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, welcomes the President of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and Chairman/Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY Newspapers and ARISE News Channel, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, and Life Patron of NPAN, Alhaji Ismaila Isa Funtua, when media leaders met with Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa yesterday, to brief him on Nigeria’s hosting of the 2018 World Congress of the International Press Institute (IPI) next year in Abuja (See story on page 10) godwin omoigui

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Finally, Osinbajo Assigns Portfolios to New Ministers, Swears in Perm Secs

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday assigned portfolios to Professor Stephen Ocheni and Mr. Suleiman Hassan, three weeks after swearing them in as ministers.

While Ocheni from Kogi State was made the Minister of State for Labour, Hassan who hails from Gombe State became the Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, leaving the Ministry of Environment without a senior minister and the power and works ministry with two ministers of state.

Ocheni replaced the former Minister of State for Labour, Mr. James Ocholi, who lost his life in a ghastly motor accident along the AbujaKaduna road on March 16, 2016, while Hassan replaced Ms. Amina Mohammed who until her appointment as the United Nations (UN) Deputy Secretary-General, was the Minister of Environment.

The assignment of portfolios to the ministers was deferred when they were sworn in on July 26, following the instruction from President Muhammadu Buhari that the acting president should only swear them in

and suspend assignment of portfolios to them until his return from London where he has been receiving medical treatment since May 7.

The president had hoped that the pace of his recovery last month would enable him to return home soon to reshuffle the cabinet during which he hoped to assign the new ministers portfolios.

But at the weekend, the president told his media team led by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, in London that though he considered himself fit to return home, his doctors had advised against it. The president said he was left with no option than to obey his doctors’ orders.

It is believed that the uncertainty over when Buhari would return might have prompted the change in the earlier instruction asking Osinbajo to suspend the assignment of portfolios to the two ministers.

Osinbajo also swore in 15 of the 21 permanent secretaries who were appointed last week, in the council chamber of the Presidential Villa.

In his speech after the swearing in of the permanent

secretaries, Osinbajo said they were coming on board at a time the nation was heading towards a radical recovery and implementation of its economic diversification policy.

While enlightening the permanent secretaries on the four executive orders he recently signed, Osinbajo said the orders were meant to aid the reform agenda of the government, pointing out that their roles as permanent secretaries are to provide direction and leadership in their various ministries.

He also said the government was committed to its anti-graft war, explaining that the economic programmes of the government would not be realisable if the menace of corruption is not dealt with.

He charged the new officers to ensure that their conduct and lifestyle reflect the government’s zero tolerance for corruption.

“Your role is not just to provide direction and leadership but also in the training of the core of the civil service and that is under your care and charge.

“We expect that permanent secretaries will be the drivers of the implementation of the executive orders and this is

why the training programme has been undertaken and it is a continuous programme of training.

“Your coming into office at this time is a good signal and I believe very strongly that it will be an opportunity for a reset in some cases of projects and programmes that up till now may not have been fully implemented.

“It is also important to emphasise that this government is committed to an anticorruption programme. It is easy to speak about corruption and to speak about anticorruption programmes but we want to emphasise that we do not believe that any nation can survive at the level of corruption that we have witnessed in our country in the past years.

“It is completely impossible to implement government policies or programmes, or to ensure the benefit of economic programmes, or the benefits of democracy will ever reach the ordinary man if corruption continues at the level it has been in previous years.

“This is why our commitment to corruption is not just a glib reference, it is not just glib

talk, it is important, crucial and as a matter of fact, as the president has said, ‘If we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill us’.

“It is your responsibility as permanent secretaries, especially this new corps of permanent secretaries chosen and selected on merit, to ensure that you carry out to the fullest all of the anti-corruption programmes of this government. And to ensure also that in your practice and in your conduct, that you are also above board.

“Let me emphasise that the process of appointment of the permanent secretaries is one that was conducted in the fairest possible way and I hope this is the way that it will continue by this rigorous process of examination and tests that will bring the best that this nation can offer,” he said.

The newly sworn in permanent secretaries are: Ehuria Georgina Ekeoma (Abia), posted to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF); Akpan Edet Sunday (Akwa Ibom), posted to the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment; Anagbogu Ifeoma Nkiruka (Anambra), posted to the

Ministry of Women Affairs; and Walson-Jack Didi Esther (Bayelsa), posted to the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation.

Others are Gekpe George Isu (Cross River), posted to Ministry of Information and Culture; Aliboh Leon Lawrence (Delta), posted to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning; Uwaifo Osarenona Clement (Edo), posted to the Ministry of Health; Folayan Ayodele Olaniyi (Ekiti), posted to the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation; Abdullahi Abdulazeez Mashi (Katsina), posted to Ministry of Communications; and Adebiyi Bolaji Adekunle (Lagos), posted to the Ministry of Labour and Productivity.

Ibrahim Musa Wen (Nasarawa) was also posted to Ministry of Water Resources; Odewale Samson Olajide (Ogun), posted to the Head of Service of the Federation; Adesola Olusade (Ondo), posted to Ministry of Youths and Sports; Umar Mohammed Bello (Sokoto), posted to the Office of the Secretary to the Federation; and Gabriel Tanimu (FCT), posted to the Office of the Secretary to the Federation.

17 wagons that will be in use; we’ll be able to move a million tonnes of our goods, and by this, preserve the lifespan of our roads”.

He also said the council approved the revised cost estimate for the construction of 150MVA and 330, 132 KVA transformers for Birnin Kebbi and reinforcement of 330KVA sub-stations.

and results in economic losses.

He called on the federal government to consider the monumental risk to the millions of idle and redundant young people by urgently addressing the lingering issues that led to the strike embarked upon by ASUU so that the students can return to school.

He said the NANS leadership was also questioning the imperative of the over N1 billion expended to develop the National Economic Recovery and Growth (NERG) plan that did not make provisions to address the critical challenges of Nigerian universities and its students.

“NANS is of the considered opinion that human capital development is an integral component of the nation’s economic development and growth and so excluding appropriate consideration for the sustainable development of the nation’s tertiary institutions in a strategic roadmap for building a prosperous future for the country, is not only an absurdity but an aberration that is grossly not acceptable,” he said.

According to Obasi, the NERG plan was purported

to contain a holistic solution to the numerous challenges bedeviling the nation and designed to engender not only the recovery of the nation’s ailing economy but one that would move the country forward towards building a sustainable and prosperous future for the country with the youth at the center.

He emphasised that social inclusion and active participation of young people on issues that concerns them is a global trend, adding that Nigerian students and youths cannot continue to sit back and fold their arms while things go wrong.

He harped on the need for students and youths to become conversant with the NERG and how it directly impacts on their lives now and in the future and understand how they can actively participate in the implementation of the plan.

IN A FIRST, FG ACCEPTS BLAME FOR ASUU STRIKE later yesterday or today and expressed optimism that both camps would strike a deal that could end the strike, just as he itemised the demands of ASUU and gave an update on each of them.

“It’s very sad that I am here and ASUU is on strike. Late last year, we had a meeting because ASUU gave a oneweek notice of strike and we were able to work out some agreement.

“I must confess that government has not fulfilled its side of the bargain, even though we are unhappy that ASUU went on this strike without following due process and giving us good notice, we realised that we promised something and we did not fulfill it.

“I hope I will be meeting them later today or tomorrow and I’m sure we will be able to reach some agreement so that the strike will be called off as soon as possible. I’m sure you are aware of the issues we agreed on.

“There is the issue of re-negotiation which is the only one that they agreed government has done what it promised, because we set

up the re-negotiation team and negotiations are already ongoing.

“There is the issue of unpaid earned allowances and I think because of some miscommunication, what we promised could not be done, but I am assuring ASUU and the whole nation that this is going to be done.

“There is the issue of registration of the Nigerian Universities Pension Commission. I think that one, there are few issues that need to be sorted out with the National Pension Commission. I believe there will be no problem with that.

“There is the issue of their staff schools, which I think the court has given them a verdict to go ahead with it. They have also requested that they should be allowed not to remit their funds to the TSA (Treasury Single Account) and I think government will not do this, but there are some peculiar funds in the university like the endowment funds which are monies kept and all the interest they generate, prices and so on are given.

“Government will exempt the endowment funds, but in

universities, it is part of the peculiarities. I hope later on when I meet them today, there will be total agreement,” he said.

Also, the Minister of Information, Mr. Lai Mohammed, said the council approved the award of a contract for the rehabilitation of the Itakpe-Ajaokuta rail line and the completion of 12 railway stations in the country.

According to him, the contract was awarded to CCEC at the cost of $122.6 million, including all taxes and at the exchange rate of N305/$, with a completion period of 15 months.

He also said the council approved another memorandum from the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, for the interim construction of the narrow rail gauge system.

He said the second approval would aid the completion and full utilisation of the LagosKano, Calabar-Maiduguri, Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail lines from October this year.

He said the development “means that with effect from October this year, there will be new locomotives with about

NANS Bemoans Strike Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has lamented that the strike embarked upon

by ASUU would come with the attendant challenges and hardship to both university students and their parents.

The President of NANS, Mr. Chinonso Obasi, at a briefing in Abuja yesterday, said incessant strikes by ASUU translate to the distortion of learning and unnecessary delays and waste of time in the completion of courses of study.

Obasi also said the current strike poses a risk to the students who are forced to travel back and forth, amounts to a waste of scarce resources, adds pressure on the parents,

AGAIN, SHETTIMA MEETS NORTHERN ELDERS, AREWA COALITION ON WITHDRAWAL OF QUIT NOTICE TO IGBOS to Nigerians of south-eastern extraction, which elapses on October 1, 2017.

“The meeting, which is the third since July was at the instance of some Northern governors who mandated Shettima to engage the coalition with a view to preventing possible outbreak of violence in the event hoodlums take advantage of the quit notice to perpetuate violence when the ultimatum expires on October 1,” Gusau explained.

The meeting, which began at 2.30 p.m. lasted till 6.30 p.m.

at the Borno governor’s lodge in Asokoro, Abuja.

The meeting was attended by members of the NEF comprising Prof. Ango Abdullahi, Alhaji Sani Zango Daura, Air Marshall Al-Amin Daggash, AVM Mukhtar Mohammed, Professor Yima Sen and Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed, who represented the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation.

Key leaders of the Arewa youth coalition included Yerima Shettima, Ashir Sherrif, AbdulAzeez Suleiman, Aminu Adam,

Balarabe Rufai and leaders of other groups in the coalition.

“The meeting ended on a positive note, while the Arewa coalition is expected to meet members of the Abdulsalami Abubakar-led National Peace Committee who invited them for a meeting,” Gusau added.

The governor had held three separate meetings with the leaders of the Arewa coalition in Kaduna, Abuja and Maiduguri before holding yesterday’s meeting that included northern elders.

The meetings are part of

consultations aimed at ensuring the stability of the north in the wake of the quit notice against Igbos living in the region, which was issued in Kaduna last June.

The Arewa coalition of youths said their action was in response to the insults against the north by agitators for the Republic of Biafra who want to pull out of Nigeria led by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB).

During yesterday’s meeting with Shettima, the northern elders also spoke extensively

on serious problems bedeviling northern Nigeria, especially the Boko Haram insurgency and education backwardness, resulting in a high level of outof-school children roaming as Almajiris.

The leaders offered farreaching suggestions, which they requested Shettima to convey to his colleagues in the Northern Governors’ Forum.

The Arewa youth coalition is expected to make its decision public at a date to be determined by members of the coalition.

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THURSDAY, ͹Ϳ˜ ͺ͸͹Ϳ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Nnewi: Small Town of Super Rich Nigerians Shortly before Nigeria’s independence in 1960, Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu, reportedly Nigeria’s first black billionaire, and founding President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, was knighted

by Queen Elizabeth II. The royal honor came after he helped the British during World War II with his fleet of trucks. He was so wealthy that during the Queen’s visit in 1956, she was chauffeured around in his Rolls-Royce – apparently the only one in the country at the time – on the request of the colonial administration.

Profiled in September 1965 by TIME magazine, Ojukwu made his money by importing dried fish for resale, and diversifying into textiles, cement and transport.

When he died a year later, his wealth was an estimated $4 billion in today’s economic value.

His son, Chukwuemeka, who also ended up a billionaire, returned from Oxford University at 22 with a Master’s degree in History and led his fellow Igbos into the Nigerian civil war as head of the secessionist state of Biafra in 1967.

Their hometown, Nnewi, in the southeastern state of Anambra, either by good fortune or hard work, has bred more naira billionaires than any other town in Nigeria, and possibly Africa.

The Igbos, who sometimes refer to themselves as the ‘Jews of Africa’, have entrepreneurship in their blood. They have built themselves from the ground up, with little help from the government, after a controversial policy left them all with 20 pounds

each, regardless of their bank balance, at the end of the Nigerian civil war in 1970.

Nicknamed the Japan of Africa, Nnewi is famous as a hub for automobile spare part dealers, and most recently, Innoson, Nigeria’s first indigenous car assembly plant. The town is also known for its factories that manufacture household goods and is home to the biggest road transport companies in the country. Nnewi, with a little over two million residents, is a 30-minute drive from the Onitsha – the biggest outdoor market in West Africa – on the banks of the River Niger.

These are 10 of the most prominent naira billionaires from Nnewi, in no particular order: rCletus Ibeto: The Ibeto Group has been described as the largest industrial enterprise in southeast Nigeria. Starting out as an apprentice to an already established auto spare parts dealer, Ibeto eventually branched out on his own and effectively ended importation of lead acid car batteries in Nigeria in the late 80s. The result is a conglomerate dealing in hospitality, motor products, real estate, petrochemicals, agriculture and cement. rCosmas Maduka: One of the country’s foremost car dealerships, Coscharis Group, is the brainchild of a man who lost his father at four and had to drop out of school to sell bean cakes, a popular food staple. His company, one of the largest car dealerships in Nigeria that deals in BMW, Jaguar, Range Rover and Rolls-Royce, has diversified into agriculture.

A bus under assembly at the Innoson car manufacturing plant in Nnewi rInnocent Chukwuma: Another school dropout, he is the founder of Innoson Nigeria Limited which produces sport utility vehicles, commercial buses and passenger cars at the first indigenous assembly plant in Nigeria. The company has factories in Nnewi and Enugu and has the governments of Anambra and Enugu States, as well as a few federal agencies, among its customers. rGabriel Chukwuma: The elder brother of Innoson, Gabriel is invested in sports, real estate and hospitality.

As chairman of Gabros International Football Club, he oversaw its rise into the Nigerian Premier League and partnership with English side, West Ham FC before

selling to fellow Nnewi entrepreneur, Ifeanyi Ubah.

He began business as a patent medicine dealer. rAlexander Chika Okafor: Chicason Industries, and one of its products – A-Z Petroleum, are household names in Nigeria. The conglomerate has made significant inroads in the mining, manufacturing, and real estate in Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Okafor, its founder and chairman, was named in 2011 by the Senate as one of the beneficiaries of the subsidy fraud under the Goodluck Jonathan administration, pocketing as much as N18 billion ($54 million). rAugustine Ilodibe: An orphan and mass server in the Catholic church, young

Ilodibe was gifted £35 by one of the priests and he initially invested in motor spare parts trading. By the sixties, he pioneered the interstate luxury bus transport service; for years, he was the sole importer of these buses. After helping organise vehicles for the Biafran side during the civil war, he established the hugely popular Ekene Dili Chukwu Transport, his main cash cow and later diversified into brewery and agriculture. rIfeanyi Ubah: The flamboyant businessman funded parts of the Goodluck Jonathan campaign ahead of the 2015 presidential polls and unsuccessfully ran for the governorship of his home state, Anambra, in 2014. His wealth comes from investments in oil and gas, as

well as exportation of motor spare parts and, recently, from sales of football players. In June 2015, Ubah – described by one Nigerian newspaper as ‘the new sugar daddy of Nigerian football’ – completed the purchase of Gabros FC for N500 million and renamed it Ifeanyi Ubah FC. rLouis Onwugbenu: The head honcho of Louis Carter Industries dropped out of school in 1967 when the Nigerian civil war broke out.

He got his nickname from weekly trips to Lagos to sell motor spare parts under the popular Carter Bridge in the city. His reinvested profits allowed him to diversify into manufacturing car batteries and pipe fittings, agriculture, food processing, real estate and, by the age of 30, he was already a naira multimillionaire.

The headquarters of his conglomerate sits in the Carter Industrial Estate, spanning many acres in Nnewi. rObiajulu Uzodike: Nigeria is one of the foremost cable producers in the world due to many indigenous manufacturers across the southeast. One of the top cable companies is Cutix Nigeria, whose founder, Obiajulu Uzodike, cut his teeth in the business as a staff at a US-based aircraft and military wires and accessories’ company. By 1982, the Harvard Business School alumni and civil war veteran set up Cutix with N400,000 ($1,200), nurturing it to eventually become one of the first indigenous firms in the southeast to be listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. t$VMMFE GSPN 'PSCFT "GSJDB

NBS: ROUGHLY N400BN IN BRIBES GIVEN TO PUBLIC OFFICIALS ANNUALLY period between June 2015 and May 2016 also showed that almost a third of Nigerian adults (32.3 per cent) who had contact with publics officials between June 2015 and May 2016 had to pay, or were requested to pay a bribe to such public officials.

According to the report, the magnitude of public sector bribes in Nigeria becomes even more palpable when factoring in the frequency of the payments, adding that the majority of those who paid bribes to public officials did so more than once over the course of the year.

Bribe-payers, it added, pay an average of some six bribes in one year, or roughly one bribe every two months.

“Roughly 400 billion Nigerian Naira is spent on bribes each year. Taking into account the fact that nine out of every ten bribes paid to public officials in Nigeria are paid in cash and the size of the payments made, it is estimated that the total amount of bribes paid to public officials in Nigeria in the 12 months prior to the survey was around 400 billion Nigerian Naira (NGN), the equivalent of $4.6 billion in purchasing power parity (PPP). This sum is equivalent to 39 per cent of the combined federal and state education budgets in 2016,” the report said.

It equally revealed that bribe-payers spend an eighth

of their salary on bribes, noting that the average sum paid as cash bribe in the country was approximately N 5,300, which is equivalent to roughly $61(PPP).

“This means that every time a Nigerian pays a cash bribe, he or she spends an average of about 28.2 per cent of the average monthly salary of approximately NGN18,900.

“Since bribe-payers in Nigeria pay an average of 5.8 bribes over the course of one year, 92 per cent of which are paid in cash, they spend an average of NGN 28,200 annually on cash bribes—equivalent to 12.5 per cent of the annual average salary,” it added.

The report, which is the first of its kind in the country in terms of scope, said Nigerians consider bribery the third most important problem facing their country.

“The above findings could explain why, after the high cost of living and unemployment, Nigerians consider corruption to be the third most important problem facing their country, well ahead of the state of the country’s infrastructure and health services.

“Public sector bribery is not the only form of corruption affecting Nigeria: the prevalence of bribery in relation to selected employees of private companies is 5.5 per cent, meaning that bribery is also significant in the private sector in Nigeria.

“However, the payment of bribes to public officials is the

most familiar and widespread form of corruption directly experienced by the population and the one that most affects the lives of ordinary citizens,” it noted.

Giving an insight into how bribery works in the country, the report said public officials in Nigeria show little hesitation in asking for a bribe, noting that the vast majority of bribery episodes are initiated either directly or indirectly by public officials (85.3 per cent), while almost 70 per cent of bribes are paid before a service is rendered.

It stressed that with such a large portion of public officials initiating bribes, which are paid up-front, it seemed that many public officials show little hesitation in asking for a kickback to carry out their duty, adding that bribery is an established part of the administrative procedure in Nigeria.

“While money is by far the most important form of bribe payment in Nigeria, the survey shows that other forms of bribe payment, such as the provision of food and drink, the handing over of valuables or the exchange of another service or favour, also exist.

“Qualitative research shows that such exchanges may sometimes include sexual services, although the actual extent of that particular form of bribe payment is unknown,” the NBS report said.

The survey showed that a large proportion of bribes in Nigeria (42 per cent) are paid to speed up or finalise an administrative procedure that may otherwise be delayed for long periods or even indefinitely, thus making bribery the most effective option for facilitating that service.

According to the report, the second largest proportion of bribes (18 per cent) is paid to avoid the payment of a fine, a frequent request in citizens’ encounters with the police, while 13 per cent of all bribes are paid to avoid the cancellation of public utility services, an indication that the provision of the most basic amenities, including water and sanitation, can be subject to abuse of power by public officials in Nigeria.

On the categories of public servants indulging in bribery, the report said law enforcement and the judiciary were areas of particular concern.

“Police officers are the type of public official to whom bribes are most commonly paid in Nigeria. Of all adult Nigerians who had direct contact with a police officer in the 12 months prior to the survey, almost half (46.4 per cent) paid that officer at least one bribe, and in many cases more than one, since police officers are also among the three types of public officials to whom bribes are paid most

frequently (5.3 bribes per bribepayer over the course of 12 months) in Nigeria. At the same time, the average bribe paid to police officers is somewhat below the average bribe size.

“Although fewer people come into contact with judiciary officials than with police officers over the course of the year, when they do, the risk of bribery is considerable: at 33 per cent, the prevalence of bribery in relation to prosecutors is the second highest, closely followed by judges and magistrates, at 31.5 per cent.

“The experience of corruption in encounters with public officials whose duty it is to uphold the rule of law can lead to the erosion of trust in public authority,” it said.

The report put the prevalence rate of corruption in the public sector at 32.3 per cent, and the average number of bribes paid to public officials by bribe-payers at 5.8.

The total number of bribes paid to public officials in Nigeria in the 12-month period also stands at 82.3 million, while per capita number of bribes paid to public officials by the adult population was 0.9 per cent.

The contact rate with public officials in the review period was 52.2 per cent; the prevalence rate in the rural setting was 31.0 per cent while 34.8 per cent was posted in the urban setting

On the average number of bribes paid to public officials by adult Nigerians in the period, by zone, the North-west recorded 0.86 per cent; North-east 0.78 per cent; North-Central 1.1 per cent; South-West 1.13 per cent; South-South 1.05 per cent; and South-east 0.60 per cent.

The NBS said the data presented in the report was collected in the National Survey on the Quality and Integrity of Public Services, otherwise known as the Nigerian Corruption Survey, a project funded by the European Union and implemented by the UNODC in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics of Nigeria (NBS).

The statistical agency noted that Nigerian Corruption Survey was designed as a large-scale household survey, representative at the level of the Nigerian states, with the aim of collecting baseline information.

The report is the first comprehensive nationwide household survey on corruption to be conducted in Nigeria and in Africa at large, and covers all states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory.

According to the NBS, the report provides very valuable and reliable information, which will support the national efforts at reducing the corruption menace, as well as blocking loopholes in public services.

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

Osinbajo Pledges FG’s Partnership with IPI on 2018 World Congress in Nigeria Asks media leaders to deal with cancer of hate speech Obaigbena asks govt to provide safe and secure environment Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja Acting President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday said in line with the federal government’s commitment to the promotion of private sector partnership, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari would partner the Nigerian chapter of the International Press Institute (IPI) as it prepares to host the 2018 World Congress of the Global Network of Free Media.

Osinbajo, according to a statement last night by his media aide, Mr. Laolu Akande, gave the assurance when he received the board of the Nigerian chapter of IPI led by the Chairman/Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY/Arise, Mr Nduka Obaigbena, which briefed him on the forthcoming event at the Presidential Villa. The event is scheduled to hold in Abuja in June next year.

“It is a very important opportunity for Nigerians to showcase ourselves and also

to show that Nigeria is safe and secure for business. It is also an opportunity to advertise all of our ease of doing business initiatives...It is an important opportunity for tourism and for them to showcase some of the great initiatives that they have,” Osinbajo was quoted as saying.

The acting president, the statement added, also urged the local organising committee to consider putting on its agenda, the issue of hate speech and its implications for the polity, peace and security.

“The forum is an important one for raising the question of hate speech and its implications for our country, for our polity and for peace and security. These things are resonating all over the world, new found nationalism and all of that. But I think for us here in Nigeria, it is a very important issue.

“I think that it is important that we find ways of controlling these things. I think that we owe a responsibility, especially leaders of journalism, to find ways of

Police Confirm 16 Killed, 82 Injured in Borno Market Attack Troops neutralise Boko Haram insurgents along Lake Chad Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri The Borno State Police Command has confirmed that 16 persons were killed and 82 others injured in Tuesday’s attack on a market in Konduga by Boko Haram terrorists.

The state Commissioner for Police, Mr. Damian Chukwu, who spoke with journalists, gave the casualty figure.

The commissioner’s casualty figure was in sharp contrast with the figures given by residents who spoke anonymously with THISDAY on phone.

The residents of Konduga where the incident occurred, claimed that they counted 39 corpses and brought 103 injured persons to Maiduguri, the state capital for treatment.

One of the residents said most of the injured persons in the attack on the weekly Mandarari market were brought to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital for treatment.

Konduga is about 34 kilometres from Maidugiri, the birthplace of Boko Haram, a town which has been under siege for the past six years.

The latest attack on the state is coming barely five hours after the launch of the special force, mobile strike teams by the counterinsurgency operations (Operations Lafiya Dole) on Tuesday.

The special forces were given the directives to track down Boko Haram spiritual leader, Abubakar Shekau.

Meanwhile troops have ambushed a group of Boko Haram along the Lake Chad

Basin, neutralising ten insurgents.

The Lake Chad Basin, because of its difficult terrain, has become the latest hideout of the terrorist group.

It was along this axis that the group recorded its recent success, killing a team of oil explorers.

But, the troops handed a defeat to the terrorist group on Tuesday, neutralising 10 of their members just before they could creep into the swampy zone of the now notorious Lake Chad Basin.

The army in a statement yesterday by the Deputy Director, Public Relations, 8 Task Force Division, Col. Timothy Antigha, said: “In continuation of ongoing efforts to deny terrorists freedom of action in its area of responsibility, troops of 8 Task Force Division have neutralised 10 terrorists in Maza village in Marte Local Government Areas of Borno State.

“The terrorists fell into an ambush laid by troops at about 9p.m. on Tuesday, as they attempted to sneak back into their swampy hideouts in the Lake Chad.”

Atigha disclosed that items recovered from the terrorists include “10 bicycles, 11 carts containing food items and two cows.”

He also said: “In a related development, troops also recovered 50 cows abandoned by fleeing terrorists, during clearance operations conducted in Danari and Mowo villages in Monguno Local Government Area.”

He disclosed that “as the noose continue to tighten on Boko Haram terrorists, couple with the wet season, they have resorted to the use of bicycles and carts as means of transportation.”

dealing with this issue because it is a cancer,” he added.

Earlier, Akande said the leader of the delegation, Obaigbena, solicited the support of the federal government in its preparation to

host the event in different areas including, the provision of a secure and safe environment for delegates and visas on arrival, among others.

According to him, Obaigbena told the acting president that the

issue of hate speech would be part of the issues to be discussed during the IPI congress as he thanked Osinbajo for pledging to support IPI Nigeria in hosting a hitch-free congress.

The statement added that the acting president later thanked the delegation for the visit, as well as its efforts in ensuring that Nigeria is provided the opportunity to host the IPI World Congress.

MEETING FOR NATIONAL INTEREST

R-L: Northern Elders, Alhaji Sani Zangon Daura; Air Marshall Al-Amin Daggash (rtd); Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima; Professor Ango Abdullahi; and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, when the governor on behalf of the northern governors met some select group of elders and key leaders of Coalition of Arewa Groups over continued negotiation towards the withdrawal of quit notice issued to the Igbos living in the North at the Borno Governor’s Lodge in Abuja....yesterday

APGA Crisis: Appeal Court Sacks Agbaso, Reinstates Oye as National Chairman Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu The Enugu Division of the Court of Appeal yesterday resolved the leadership crisis rocking the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) ahead of the November 18 gubernatorial election in Anambra State.

The court in resolving the crisis affirmed Chief Victor Ike Oye as the authentic National Chairman of the party and by so doing authorised him to forward the name of Governor Willie Obiano as the party’s candidate for the governorship election to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In a unanimous judgement delivered by a three-man panel of the court led by Justice Abdul Aboki, the court set aside the judgment of an Enugu High Court

which on May 22, 2017 sacked Oye and in his place ordered that Chief Martin Agbaso be recognised as Acting National Chairman of the party.

It observed that the court was in breach of fair hearing when it sacked Oye without hearing his own side in the matter, when he would eventually suffer the damage imposed by the court’s ruling.

Oye had headed for the appellate court to challenge the order of Justice A. R. Ozoemena of the Enugu State High Court.

The high court’s decision followed an application brought to it by the party’s Deputy Chairman in Enugu State, Mike Alioke, asking the court for an order of mandamus, compelling INEC to recognise the decision of APGA appointing Agbaso as the acting national chairman of the party.

Alioke had also pleaded with

the court for a declaration that by section 4 of the Police Act, both the Inspector General of Police and the Enugu State Commissioner of Police are bound to ensure the compliance of the decision of APGA regarding the appointment of Agbaso as the acting national chairman of the party in order to forestall a breakdown of law and order. He had also prayed for an order prohibiting INEC and its privies from recognizing or accepting any other person as the national chairman of APGA other than the Agbaso as submitted to it by the party. But in delivering its judgment in the appeal, the appellate court resolved all the issues formulated in favour of Oye noting “the appeal has merit and accordingly, the judgment of the Enugu State High Court is hereby set aside. The parties should bear their costs.”

Other members of the panel, Justice Bolaji Yesuf and Justice Ibrahim Shatta Bdlya concurred with the lead judgment.

Reacting to the judgment, counsel to Oye, Chief Emeka Etiaba (SAN), applauded the court for ending the crisis in the party which would have adversely affected the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State.

“All the troubles the lower court foisted on not just the party but democracy in Nigeria has been doused and solutions have come.

We thank the court of appeal for resolving the matter and calming frayed nerves.

“The implication is that Oye is the authentic National Chairman of APGA. He is the only one to function and nominate Governor Obiano as the party’s candidate with the National Secretary, Labaran Maku,” he said.

One Feared Dead as Police, IPOB Clash in Anambra David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka The scheduled visit of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to Ekwulobia in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State yesterday allegedly caused the death of one person, THISDAY learnt.

The unidentified victim who was a member of IPOB, was said to have sustained a bullet wound on the head after a clash with police

officers who were drafted to the area to maintain peace.

It was gathered that as early as 8a.m. yesterday, security operatives including the military, navy, police and other paramilitary agencies had stormed Ekwulobia to protect the area to avoid miscreants seizing the opportunity of the rally to cause a break down of law and order.

IPOB members defied the large presence of security in the area, marching and driving in buses and chanting pro-Biafran songs.

THISDAY gathered that the seizure of some Biafran souvenirs including flags, caps, shirts and other items being sold by some youths by security operatives angered IPOB members who fought back, leading to a bullet wound on one of the members.

But the state Police Public Relations Officer, Nkeiruka Nwode, denied that any IPOB member died in the encounter.

She told THISDAY: “There was nothing like that, the presence of the security men was to secure

the place to avoid people being attacked by hoodlums.

“People should not take laws into their hands; the security operatives in Anambra are working day and night to secure the environment and are not ready to allow miscreants take over the society.”

Nwode said people should go about their normal businesses as the state was safe, adding that the police would not hesitate to deal with anybody or group that tried to cause trouble in the state.

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COMMENT

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

ANGER AND BALLOT IN NAIROBI Okello Oculi provides historical perspective to Kenyan politics

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furious mind in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, sent over the following gist from within the post-election chemistry of political relations in Kenya: ‘’You know what they say ...the bigger the lie the more people will believe it. ...the stealth oppression by the jubilous coated in their assumption of ethnic superiority continues to be perpetuated as hoards of community members are slaughtered and disappeared for bearing wrong names... all this happens as the local media and religious zealots stay muted in the name of peace...’’

The Kikuyu intellectual added that he had ‘’settled as a Jaramogi Vanguard’’. Jaramogi Odinga was Raila’s father and a main campaigner for Jomo Kenyatta to be the first ruler of independent Kenya. On becoming president, Jomo Kenyatta soon feared that Odinga would garner votes of landless Gikuyu and topple him from power. His British and American friends also resented Odinga’s leanings towards communist China and the Soviet Union.

Kenyatta told a British newspaper that he wished to create an aristocracy in Kenya. That class ensured political stability in Britain.

He ignored the raw reality that immigrant European aristocracies in Africa were fighting bitter wars to keep rich agricultural lands they had robbed. Kenya’s Mau Mau war was competing with Algeria’s liberation from brutal French occupation. Subsequently, horrendous freedom wars followed from Zimbabwe in the east to Angola on the Atlantic Ocean.

John Nottingham, a former colonial District Officer, told me in his office in Nairobi, that Kenyatta lost support among younger radical youths committed to armed struggle. They opposed his choice of negotiations with British officials. His arrest as Mau Mau leader was a clever British ploy for boosting his support by throwing on him a cloak and myth of ‘’liberator’’ rotting in their prison. He emerged from prison to win support from European immigrant farmers with a plea to landless Kenyans to ‘’suffer without bitterness’’.

Here was the onset of the key flaw in the political legacy of Jomo Kenyatta. The language of racial superiority by white immigrants was also inherited by the Gikuyu elite who took over vast landed property and political offices. Biblical notions of God’s chosen people who suffered enslavement in ‘’Egypt’’ had been nurtured by GiKuyu Christian churches adapted for resistance against colonial oppression. When scrambled with Kenyatta’s drive to create an ethnic aristocracy, this notion of God’s anointed people crippled the task of ‘’nation building’’ from the dawn of Kenya’s Uhuru (freedom). Subsequent assassinations of pan-ethnic politicians with dreams of succeeding the ailing Kenyatta, notably: Tom Mboya (a Luo); J.M. Kariuki (a Kikuyu), Ronald Ngala (from Mombasa) became inevitable inconveniences.

Observers of Kenyatta’s office noted that Gikuyu cabinet members and top officials treated his Vice-President Daniel arap Moi with open

THE LANGUAGE OF RACIAL SUPERIORITY BY WHITE IMMIGRANTS WAS ALSO INHERITED

BY THE GIKUYU ELITE WHO TOOK OVER VAST LANDED PROPERTY AND POLITICAL OFFICES. BIBLICAL NOTIONS OF GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE WHO SUFFERED ENSLAVEMENT IN ’EGYPT’ HAD BEEN NURTURED BY GIKUYU CHRISTIAN CHURCHES ADAPTED FOR RESISTANCE AGAINST COLONIAL OPPRESSION

disdain and contempt. He was a Kalenjin, an ethnic outsider. On assuming power on the Kenyatta’s death in office, Moi announced a policy of ‘’Nyayo’’ (or following in Kenyatta’s footprints). It was at once deceptive and prophetic. To the orphaned hostile Gikuyu ‘’mafia’’, he dangled a promise their uninterrupted dominance. In reality, he too ruthlessly built a Kalenjin ‘’mafia’’ in political jobs; routinely snatching property from Kikuyu elites. In building allies, he rewarded minority groups including Somali and Masai. He earned the reputation of killing opponents with car accidents (labelled as ‘’accidenting’’); and death in dungeons. ‘’Nation-building’’ was drowned in the slogan of ‘’IT IS OUR TURN TO EAT’’; and another murderous ethnic exclusivism.

The bitterness that this policy brewed drove Raila Odinga into leading the campaign to get Mwai Kibaki, a Kikuyu rebel from the same homeland as Dedan Kimathi, leader of Mau Mau; an outsider to the ‘’Gatundu mafia’’ – the base of Kenyatta. Kibaki, however, focused on repairing the economic and bureaucratic exclusion President Moi had inflicted on the Gikuyu elite. Betrayed allies led by Raila Odinga, would pledge to deny him a re-election in 2007. Their mountain of frustration over denied rights of citizenship exploded in the arson and slaughters directed against Gikuyu from the last week of December 2007 to March 2008. In the peace negotiated by the African Union, Raila settled for a mainly symbolic post of Prime Minister. The ethnic cabal around Kibaki; and their corruption survived him. Uhuru Kenyatta was a cabinet minister in that government.

A French historian has claimed that President Bill Clinton believed in anchoring democracy in Africa on genocide and hosting power in the hands of minority ethnic groups. In Ethiopia, Uganda and Rwanda the formula holds. Nkurunziza, in Burundi, disrupts this formula by coming from the majority Hutu ethnic group, hence the hostility to his holding power. Ethnic minority power is inherently insecure and fragile: needing support from the Americans. If Raila’s claims of being rigged from electoral victory are valid, this thesis might have favoured Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta.

Kenya’s long coastline on the Indian Ocean; access to the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Cape of Good Hope as a route to the Atlantic Ocean, offers an intelligent ruling elite resources for enticing support from naval powers, namely: NATO, China, Russia, India, Ian, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Korea, and South Africa. In a post-Cold War ecology populated by global terrorism, Kenya’s strategic location can also become a grave source of vulnerability. Arms dealers would be tempted to promote conflict in Kenya especially when the oil and gas deposits now being developed become a source of income. Her current war against Al Shabaab in Somalia offers the hazard that failure to undertake inclusive nation-building may compel Chinua Achebe to warn Jomo Kenyatta, in ‘’After-Africa’’, that things are falling apart in Kenya.

Prof. Oculi is a member of THISDAY Editorial Board

LEADING NIGERIA’S MILITARY TO RECLAIM LOST TERRITORIES Chinwe Ugwu pays tribute to Abayomi Olonisakin, Chief of Defence Staff and a courageous officer

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nlike politicians, military officers and men are hardly celebrated no matter the contribution they have made to nation-building. Hence, their achievements are always hidden and not flaunted. But it is axiomatic that the Nigerian military has played a significant role in keeping this nation one and it has produced some of the finest officers; and this has been acknowledged globally. When President Muhammadu Buhari was inaugurated as the 19th leader of this great nation on May 29, 2015, it was a fact that the dreaded Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram had firm control of some local government areas and over 25 towns in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States. In fact, as at September 2014, the Archbishop of Maiduguri Catholic Diocese, Rt. Rev. Oliver DasheDoeme had acknowledged that although the government and Boko Haram both claimed control of these areas, the exodus of people from the towns and villages was an indication that the Islamists had the upper hand. According to the Archbishop at the time, Boko Haram had “armoured tanks, armoured personnel carriers, rocket launchers, anti-aircraft guns, anti-tank weapons, sub-machine guns, new and latest AK47, and inexhaustible boxes of ammunitions and bullets.”

However, a few months into the administration, the military was more than ever before motivated and gingered to take on the terrorists head on.

Hence, the era when acts of indiscipline or cowardice from many military men were the order of the day is history. The military is now better positioned and soldiers are more proactive and respond quickly and promptly to distress calls and emergency security situations.

Today, it is indisputable that Boko Haram has been degraded and all the territories recovered from them. Now, it is pretty difficult for Boko Haram terrorists to freely unleash their lethal weapons in bombing motor parks, shopping malls, mosques, churches, schools, hospitals, banks, markets and offices in Abuja, the Northeast and other parts of the

north. They can no longer annex Nigerian territories and declare these areas Boko Haram “Islamic Caliphate.” This herculean and enviable assignment was undertaken under the able leadership of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin, who was appointed by the president and given the clear mandate to liberate Nigerian territories and wipe out Boko Haram in the country.

On assumption of duty, Olonisakin went into action with his colleagues, the service chiefs and other security agencies and cleared several Boko Haram camps and destroyed many equipment used by the insurgents. While uncountable terrorists have been killed in various communities and forests and many are being killed every day with many more victims freed, the Nigerian military has not rested on its oars.

On December 22, 2016, the last component of the Boko Haram insurgents from the Sambisa forest was displaced at the “Camp Zero”. The gallant troops also dismantled the official Boko Haram terrorists’ flag signifying the capture of the insurgents’ headquarters. The fall of dreaded Sambisa is a major milestone in the fight against insurgency.

The Sambisa forest, which was a no-go-area before the appointment of Olonisakin as defence chief, is today a museum of the Nigerian military. Several military installations are now firmly in place in the once dreaded forest and people could now walk in and out of it freely. For example, on June 8, 2016, Nigerian troops conducted fighting patrols and cleared the following villages: Kircha, Gonye, Wujjal, Alkelu, Kita JIiddum, Goniye, Jameri, Gerigana, Gerekura, Jabe, HassanaJere and Chachile. During the patrol, two Boko Haram terrorist were killed while others fled.

Another indelible milestone achieved by the military under the leadership of Olonisakin is the release of some of the abducted Chibok school girls.

Many of the girls who were captured in April 2014, have been rescued and some of them have graduated from schools in different parts of the world while others have since reunited with their families.

Olonisakin, working in collaboration with military

authorities from neighboruing countries such as Cameroun, Chad and Niger was able to force out Boko Haram out of Sambisa to Lake Chad Basin.

The Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) comprising Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon has since been able to flush out the Boko Haram terrorists at the far northern fringes of Borno State and the Lake Chad Basin. Under the leadership of Olonisakin as chief of defence staff, the air component of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has become very much effective and reliable, providing air support for operations.

Of course, under the immediate past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, the Nigerian military was being ostracised by most western countries and in fact, very crucial nations like the US had denied Nigeria access to purchase of vital arms to fight Boko Haram. But with a clear-cut focus and military diplomacy, Olonisakin has been able to warm Nigerian military into the hearts of the US. Only last year, Olonisakin, along with several of his most senior military officers, met with Gen. David Rodriguez, commander, U.S. Africa Command and AFRICOM component commanders to discuss strategies for security cooperation. The purpose of the visit was to reinforce the importance of a strong US-Nigeria security cooperation relationship. Topics for discussion focused on ways to counter terrorism, joint operations, logistics and maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea. Born on Dec 2, 1961 in Kaduna, although an indigene of Gboyin Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Olonisakin began his military career in 1973 at Nigerian Military School Zaria.

He was later admitted into the Nigerian Defence Academy and commenced cadet training on January 1979, as a member of 25 Regular Combatant Course. Gen. Olonisakin was later commissioned on December 18, 1981 as a Second Lieutenant and was posted to Nigerian Army Signals Corps.

In the course of his career, the general attended various military courses, attaining highly decent grades with several awards. The courses amongst others include; Young Officers Course (Signals),

Young Officers Course (Infantry), Squadron Commanders Course, Communication Management Course and Commanding Officers Course (Infantry).

Others include Regimental Commanders Course; Junior Staff Course, Senior Staff Course as well as National War College (National Defence College).

A highly educated professional military man, he holds degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, BSc Electronic Engineering from the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile Ife, Diploma Electronic and Telecoms Engineering also from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, with specialties in Telecommunication Engineering, Power Engineering, Satellite Communications and Control.

The General also held various key appointments in Command, Staff and Instruction appointments among which are Director, Nigerian Army System Development Centre Lagos; Director, Department of Army Data Processing; Commander, 51 Division Signals Kaduna and Commander 59 Division Signals Lagos. He was Commandant Nigerian Army School of Signals, Commander Corps of Signals and until his current appointment, Commander Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). The General also holds Staff appointments some of which are: Grade II Staff Officer Operations/Training (G2 Ops/ Trg) Nigerian Army School of Signals and also Military Assistant to Commandant Armed Forces Command and Staff College. General Olonisakin was at one time an Instructor – Nigerian Army School of Signals, a Directing Staff, Armed Forces Command and Staff College as well as Aid-de-Camp To Governor Lagos/Ogun State Olonisaki has equally participated in various operations home and abroad. Notable among the operation he has participated is United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM III).

During this period the Force Commander recognised him as a gentleman officer with sterling leadership qualities. A successful family man, he is happily married and blessed with children.

Hon. Ugwu is the Executive Director, Centre for Reform Education Initiative

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EDITORIAL GROWING CASES OF SNAKE BITES There is need for an enlightenment campaign on how to manage cases of snake bites

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he prevalence of fatal snake bites in Nigeria should worry the authorities.

According to a recent report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), statistics of snake bites obtained from some medical centres across the country revealed a steady rise with the Kaltungo General Hospital in Gombe, for instance, recording an average of 20 cases every day. Most of these victims visited herbalists because they could not afford the antisnake venom which costs an average of N27,000 a vial. The solution lies in manufacturing anti-snake venom (ASV) locally, but that has been a major challenge.

Reports by the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicate that in Nigeria 174 snakebites per 100,000 population/year are reported and that the saw-scaled or carpet viper is responsible for 90 per cent of bites and 60 per cent of deaths. In the Benue Valley, where most of these tragedies occur, the incidence of snakebite was found to be 497 per 100,000 population per year RURAL POPULATIONS ARE with a mortality rate of 12.2 per cent.

FREQUENT VICTIMS AS Ordinarily, snakes THEY GO ABOUT THEIR attack their victims DAILY FOOD PRODUCTION either when they are AND ANIMAL REARING threatened or are ACTIVITIES AND AS THEY surprised or picked RESIDE IN THE COMFORT up mistakenly or OF THEIR HOMES trodden on. Whichever way, the life of the victim is usually in grave danger and the speed at which incapacitation and death come to the victim depends on how venomous the snake is. Not even those who pretend to love snakes or exhibit them as performing animals survive their treacherous bites.

According to WHO, snakebite is a neglected public health problem for most of the countries in Africa. Rural populations are frequent victims as they go about their daily food production and animal rearing activities and as they reside in the comfort of their homes. Unfortunately, many of these snakebite cases go unreported and thus do not appear in ofďŹ cial epidemiological statistics. Health

Letters to the Editor

workers often have little or no formal training in the management of snakebite, and appropriate antivenom is rarely available.

Unfortunately, snake bites can be deadly if not treated quickly. Children are at higher risk for death or serious complications due to snake bites because of their smaller body size. But the right anti-venom can save a person’s life. Getting to an emergency room as quickly as possible is very important. If properly treated, many snake bites will not have serious effects. It is therefore important for the government to strengthen the nation’s clinics and hospitals as well as engage in health education as the main preventive measure. This is because it has been determined that only 8.5 per cent of snake bite victims attend hospitals in Nigeria.

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ccording to medical practitioners, snake treatment and management are very expensive, putting the average cost of treating one case at N62,000.

Only recently, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State said he incurred N30 million cost treating snake bite victims on charity within months. Most of the victims are unable to afford the amount because they are mainly subsistence farmers. On account of this, it is important for the government to subsidise the treatment or provide it free of charge and make the anti-venom available in shops and pharmacies. In 2011, the federal government said it would make available and affordable anti- snakebite venoms (ASV), but insisted on the application of preventive strategies.

Beyond the development of ASV in the country, the government also needs to embark on sustained public enlightenment, particularly of people in rural communities. They should be told how to prevent snake bites and what to do as ďŹ rst aid when someone is bitten. Besides, to ensure the availability of the ASV before local production of the drugs begins, government should import large quantities.

It is also important to train medical personnel to effectively manage cases of snakebite early since the venom usually worsens the health of victims by the minute and increases their likelihood of succumbing to death as a consequence of its potency.

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.

APC AND THE POLITICS OF APPOINTMENTS

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s the office of the Secretary to the Federal Government of the Federation (SFG) remains in limbo following the suspension of its last occupant, Babachir David Lawal, who is under probe, there is serious political horsetrading going on over which zone would produce the successor, if eventually Lawal doesn’t return.

For a while, the South-east was in contention to produce a nominee, and a former Governor of Akwa Ibom, Obong Victor Attah was believed to be favourably disposed to the incumbent Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonaya Onu. According to this calculation, an Igbo appointee could douse tensions in the South-east where Biafran agitatiors are promoting a separatist agenda because of alleged marginalisation of the Igbo.

But sources say the Presidency is now looking in the direction of the South-South where the defeat of the former President Goodluck Jonathan, a son of the soil, sparked Ijaw anger and led to the violent campaign of the so-called Niger Delta Avengers.

Although the All Progressives Congress government

seems to have succeeded in reigning in the restive Niger Delta youths, at least, for the moment, a resurgence of their bombings of oil pipelines is a luxury the nation could illafford, hence the appointment of a major stakeholder like the SGF from the volatile region is politically expedient.

Among the names being bandied are former Governors Adams Oshiomole, of Edo State, Obong Victor Attah, Obong Anwan Rita Akpan, Ambassador Sam Edem, and Obong Anwan Grace Ekong.

Although, Obong Attah and some of the aforementioned are PDP members, or still have close ties to the former ruling party. It is argued that with Attah’s defection to the APC, he stands a better chance.

However, according to some permutations, Rita Akpan and Grace Ekong, who both had previously served under former Governor Attah as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and headed boards of parastatals in the Akwa Ibom State, also have a chance because of their experience in a similar office at state level.

Both, Obong Anwan Grace Ekong and Rita Akpan, though the dark horses, appeared to have a stronger sup-

port base and the backing of the region’s power brokers, and are likely to be in contention , though Akpan may be the favourite at the end of the day.

The APC government may consider a woman as Babachir Lawal’s replacement because of the comlplaints about unfair representation of women in this administration. This appointment would redress this imbalance, at least to some extent, and court the huge women voters ahead of 2019.

Also, a South-South appointee could correct the notion that President Muhammadu Buhari’s pattern of political appointees is skewed in favour of the north.

Moreover, most APC big-wigs in the region tend to favour a grass-root politician with broad support like Ekong because her appointment to a key post like the SGF could help deliver Akwa Ibom State, now in PDP hands, to the APC in 2019 and thus help the party’s chance of retaining power at the centre in the next Presidential elections.

How all these play out remains to be seen, moreso as President Buhari is still abroad for medical treatment.

Dare Ayodeji, Lagos

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POLITICS

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

PERSONALITY INTERVIEW

Okonkwo: Non-violent Restructuring is Possible On the sidelines of the 2017 edition of the Leading Edge Conference, the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, Dr. Mike Okonkwo weighed in on the clamour for restructuring, saying that it is possible to reorganise the country peacefully. Chineme Okafor was there and presents the excerpts: People are saying that restructuring is the solution to the problem of Nigeria. What is your opinion on this?

When it’s the season for something, you can’t hold back the season. Like you rightly said, there has never been so much agitation for restructuring as like it is now. Even those who had hitherto been indifferent to it and never touched it are now beginning to touch it.

That’s an indication that the hour has come.

I believe with all my heart that if this nation is restructured, it will help us to be creative.

It will take us faster than we expected. It would make even those that are in politics to be creative because what most of them are doing is to go cap-in-hand to Abuja and collect money and squander it and nothing is happening. But now, your people will demand accountability, competition would be all over the place. If I’ve seen results in Kebbi State, Sokoto and Zamfara, and I’m supposed to be in Niger and no result, I would ask my governor what is it this person is doing differently that you’re not doing. Same thing applies to the east. It will bring real competition, heavy competition for development in different parts of this country.

To be honest with you, I feel ashamed sometimes to answer Nigerian in the sense that this nation is highly endowed in human and material resources, I mean, we just have what it takes to be a giant amongst comity of nations, not just in Africa but amongst the nations of the world. But look at where we are. Other nations have moved on.

Recently, I read in the newspapers that Dubai in 2020 would not be using petrol again. In other words, their petrol stations would be shut down. What they would have would be recharge stations and the cars would be moved by electricity, and we are still talking about oil. So, there’s an issue. We need to restructure. For me, anybody who refuses restructuring is an enemy of this country.

Can we really achieve restructuring peacefully in this country?

It is possible if our lawmakers, those in the National Assembly would give it a chance.

When they say no, then there would be violence because people want it. They better soft-pedal and know that they are to serve the people and not themselves. Once that is done, there would be no violence.

No one wants war more especially if you have experienced it once. That is why most of our young people who are agitating for war, I keep telling them, claim down, you don’t understand war, if you understand war, you will not ask for it.

Everything can be resolved on the table.

And not to go to war. In a war, you can lose everything you have in a day; everything you have laboured for from the day you were born. In a day, everything is lost. In a war, you can lose your entire family. And so, we’ve done that in the 1960s to 70s and we know what it cost us. We shouldn’t do that again, let’s give peace a chance.

What role can the church play in this situation?

Of course, the church is playing its role by telling our people not to join the people who are agitating for war. I do that. Don’t join them, that’s not the best way to go. There is no nation that doesn’t have problems. We can resolve our issues on the conference table.

Let us abuse ourselves, let us fight ourselves, when we finish, let us still come back to the table, we can still agree.

The National Assembly which could have

We need to restructure. For me, anybody who refuses restructuring is an enemy of this country

people are coming up and saying enough is enough! I believe that restructuring will address this imbalance. I personally, I won’t advocate a geographical Biafra, I would advocate a restructuring. Because my question when people raise the issue of Biafra is this: I believe that even in the mind of Kanu himself, he may not be looking for a geographical Biafra, he may be saying hey! Address the imbalance, but we will pressurise you with this. And people better listen to that guy because he has crowd.

Let me be honest with you, you can’t stop him. I don’t know how he pulled that off, but you must give that to him. In fact, if I have the opportunity to talk to him, my advice to him would be that he should connect with the other pressure groups - Arewa, Oduduwa, connect with all of them so that we can make our politicians know that the chicken has come home to roost. That they can no longer cheat and deceive the people. If you’re not ready to serve, get out of the way. That would be my own direction.

Okonkwo..churches ditching out wrong teachings

speeded up restructuring in a recent constitution amendment rejected this aspect in the process, have you anything to say about that?

I believe they will still go back to it. There is a limit to which you can reject the people’s agitation. As long as they’re rejecting it, there will still be pressure groups, people will still be talking, the Biafran people will still be creating problems, and when it becomes a national issue, they would be forced to address it. So, for me, I think that’s the best thing to do, is not to run from it.

If the people in the National Assembly care for the people, what are they afraid of in restructuring? What’s wrong with restructuring and letting every state develop at its own pace and contribute to the centre? What’s wrong in that? That was how the regions

were operating before - the Western Region, Northern Region, and Eastern Region, and all of them were progressing with groundnut, cocoa, coal and palm oil. We were able to build universities, our rails and other facilities were working. It is because we discovered oil and everyone is running into oil. For me, any person in the National Assembly saying there should be no restructuring is there to service his belly, he is not serving the nation.

What is your opinion on the South East Development Commission Bill that failed in the House of Representatives?

That’s one of the reason again for the agitation for Biafra. If the truth must be told, the South-East has been marginalised. That’s the truth. It has been marginalised and now, young

We’re hugely considered to be a religious country, yet we seem to produce leaders who don’t care about the welfare of the people. Where did we get it wrong?

Wrong teaching. That’s where we got it wrong. From the pulpit. Those on the pulpit have to go back to the Bible and begin to preach the truth and complete gospel that will truly change people.

What we have now is a bunch of hypocrites in the church. They tell people everything that is wrong with them but without a solution of how to get out of it. So, you have told him, you are wrong, this is what is wrong with your life, try and do this so that you can change, and they try it and see it’s not working.

They blend in and begin to pretend they are Christians. So, when they now have to confront the gladiators in the frontline, their Christianity will fall like a pack of cards because they did not receive the true gospel.

So, we must go back to the pulpit to preach because if the people receive wrongly, they will behave wrongly. And that is what we’re seeing in the society And I’m ashamed, we have crowds in meetings, crowds in our programmes, but where is the result on our society? The effect is not there, no development. The purpose of speaking in tongues is not to speak in tongues, the reason is to be empowered to impact society. But it’s not there because the people are thought the wrong thing. So, that’s what we’re facing in our nation. So, the church has failed in that area. But I believe that the church leaders are beginning to realise that and they are beginning to address it from their different pulpits. In the next few years, we will begin to get the result we expect in our nation.

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2017

POLITICS

Bamidele: Why Voters Still Prefer APC Aformer member of the House of Representatives and governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State, Opeyemi Bamidele, says come 2019, APC will remain the party of choice because it is not in government to steal. He spoke to Victor Ogunje who presents the excerpts: President Muhammadu Buhari has been in London for a couple of months. Will this not work against your party?

In what way? Since President Buhari left Nigeria, government has not shut down unlike when the late President Umaru Yar’Adua had similar problem in 2009. When Buhari was leaving for medical trip on May 7, 2017, he sincerely transmitted power to the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, a capable hand.

The Acting President has not disappointed Nigerians. He has carried out several policies to show that the presidency is still agile and functional. We even thank God that our president will return very soon to his table and begin his service to the nation. It could have been a different ball game if he had refused to transmit power the way the PDP treated Nigerians and took them for a ride.

APC didn’t come to power to steal but to sanitise the system and Nigerians are already aware of this. To us in APC, Buhari’s giant strides in anti-corruption war, war against Boko Haram and the series of bailouts he has given to states to pay salaries will work in our favour. To us in APC and other reasonable Nigerians, Buhari’s presidency is a plus to our chances in Ekiti the way it happened in Edo and Ondo states.

You were invested as a patron of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Ekiti chapter.

Was it part of the political strategies ahead of 2019?

This investiture has nothing to do with politics or someone being a professional colleague in pharmaceutical line. It is about what you have offered to the society. Don’t forget that other eminent Nigerians were honoured by the prestigious medical body. They included the founder of Afe Babalola University and erudite lawyer, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), former Secretary of Health during the military government of Gen Ibrahim Badamasi Banbangida, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Wole Olanipekun.

Recall that the PSN National President, Ahmed Yakassai while presenting the award said that it was based on my contributions to national development in terms of service to the people and the development of humanity. They said they appreciated my contributions to Nigeria and Ekiti State while at the National Assembly between 2011 and 2015 where I served as Chairman, Ad Hoc Committee on Media and Public Affairs and later Chairman, House Committee on Legislative Budget and Research. During that time I built two ultra modern medical facilities in Ado Ekiti and Igede. If you get to the one in Ado Ekiti, it can rival any other hospital around here. I did not only build, I put all the equipment and facilities in place.

Yakassai made mention of this achievement even when I didn’t make mention of it in my citation to them. I have served this country in so many capacities, I had been students’ leader, a commissioner and federal legislator.

I want to appreciate the pharmacists for this honour. Pharmacy is one profession I respect, because my wife is a professional in that field. She has practised for 31 years in USA. She was licensed to practice in two states in US and that accounted for why I took the award with humility while also returning glory to God. After the award, you visited your campaign office. When are you making formal declaration for the governorship seat?

I only visited the place to assess the level of work done. But let me say this, having such palatial campaign office is enough body language that I will contest the governorship seat in 2018. As an experienced politician, I understand that there must be a place where my supporters can converge and intensify the legwork in our quest to get the ticket of the APC at the primary. You know we are going to be dealing with over 3,000 delegates and

Bamidele...thinks he is the best for Ekiti

so that shows that we have enormous task ahead of us but I am not new in the game.

I understand the terrain and I contested in 2014, so I am in a familiar path and by the grace of God, we shall navigate the path and come out victorious. It is one race we are going to pursue with vigour and all our strength, but not a do-or-die way because I don’t belong to that category of politicians that will kill or main or inflict injuries on the people to win party’s ticket.

Why do you choose APC that is divided against itself? Will that not jeopardise your chance?

I am not too naïve to know that politics is about interest and conflict management. There is no way there won’t be conflict when people are having different and non-aligning interests and that is the situation we find ourselves. I don’t know what you meant by division, do you mean caucuses? Caucuses are allowed in a party and what you see the leaders doing was to create caucuses that will drive the vision and mission of our dear party. And if you call it rancour, let me assure you that

To us in APC and other reasonable Nigerians, Buhari’s presidency is a plus to our chances in Ekiti the way it happened in Edo and Ondo states

all the differences among our gladiators in APC will be resolved to afford the party the chances of approaching the battle with well-fortified and united front. All the leaders are together. I interact freely with my brother and leader, Otunba Niyi Adebayo. I interact with our minister and former governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi and Chief Segun Oni and other leaders, particularly members of the state working committee led by Chief Jide Awe and all these leaders always interact with one another. Whatever crisis we have is not beyond what we can settle. We are all brothers with the same vision to make Ekiti great .

You contested the last election and lost and today you are back to your root in APC. What do you think qualifies you better than other contestants?

In terms of antecedents and experience in governance, I am the best for Ekiti. There is no doubt about that. I have what it takes to win the party’s ticket, confront the PDP in the forthcoming poll and win resoundingly based on my antecedents and progressive politicking since 1999. People are just talking about the ticket, but election is broader than this. Getting the party’s ticket is not the end of the battle, it is just the beginning. You may win the party’s ticket and lose flatly in the general election and that is what the APC must think about deeply.

The governorship poll is not going to be contested on the basis of emotions, but on the basis of antecedents, records and what you can offer. The beauty of it is that, all the aspirants shall have the opportunity to tell the party and Ekiti people what we have in our manifestos. During my sojourn in Lagos, I served as special adviser, political matters. commissioner for sports and youth development and commissioner for information. During those years, I worked with 27 permanent secretaries and 76 directors among countless of staff. So, human management has been part of my life. I have also

practised law for 25 years. Am contesting this election based on loaded experience on my side. I am prepared to win the ticket because our party too knew my values. We will tell our party people what our manifesto is. We will tell them how we intend to tackle the challenges of youth unemployment, the debilitating and depreciating health sector, the dwindling education sector, the non-payment of salaries to our people, because workers deserve their wages and how we will cooperate with President Muhammadu Buhari to fight corruption, because this government is passionate about reducing graft to the barest minimum and it has reflected in the ways some people who were regarded as sacred cows are being made to account for their past misdeeds through prosecution.

Your party has about 40 aspirants jostling for the ticket. Don’t you think this may cause internal crisis?

People have expressed serious concerns about this, but to me it is a non-issue. The large number of aspirants in APC won’t spell a doom for the party, rather it will fortify it more. The large number shows that the APC has a lot of qualified hands. I see nothing negative about this. All I have fear for is how the party will manage the primary and once the primary is well managed in a credible and acceptable manner, the rest is immaterial. In Ondo State, the party has over 20 aspirants. However, there was crisis which should have been managed better but the party still won, so APC is going into this election based on solid background of our belief in progressive politicking and not on the basis of propaganda of the PDP. The PDP is in the saddle in Ekiti, can you compare it with what we had under the APC government during Adebayo and Fayemi? The answer is no. APC runs an organized government and it is on that basis that Ekiti will vote.

In brevity, let there be transparent primary and once that is assured, APC is going to the election to win and not to participate.

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

FEATURES

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

Securing Bauchi’s Future The recent house-to-house registration exercise carried out by the Bauchi State Government through the National Population Commission and the United Nations Children's Education Fund was hitch-free, writes Segun Awofadeji

Field officers registering under-five children in Papa Ward during the house-to-house birth registration exercise in Bauchi...recently

A

name and nationality is every child’s right, enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international treaties. In spite of these treaties and efforts by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) across the world, the births of nearly one fourth of children under the age of five worldwide have never been recorded. And this lack of formal recognition by the state usually means that a child is unable to obtain a birth certificate. As a result, he or she may be denied healthcare or education.

Registering children at birth is the first step in securing their recognition before the law, safeguarding their rights, and ensuring that any violation of these rights does not go unnoticed.

Taking into cognisance the failure of governments to prioritise registration of children at birth, as well as the UNICEF survey which shows Bauchi State as among states in the North-east that had the highest number of children not registered at birth (an estimated 600,000 children were unregistered at birth), Bauchi State Government, through the National Population Commission (NPC), and in collaboration with UNICEF, recently embarked on massive house-to-house registration campaign exercise between 6th to 16th July across the 20 local government areas of the state, to improve birth registration coverage.

With funding support provided by the European Union (EU) integrating birth registration with the healthcare delivery system is the practical approach in which UNICEF, the NPC, the state Ministry of Health and the State Primary Health Care Development Agency (BPHCDA) are collaborating to ensure increased birth registration coverage is attained and sustained in the state.

Flagging off the ceremony, Bauchi State governor, Mohammed Abubakar, assured that all primary healthcare facilities and government hospitals in the state will have a desk officer dedicated to registration of birth.

He also added that all relevant state government agencies and departments are to key into the initiative of UNICEF Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and Nutrition (MNCHN) project to ensure that henceforth all births in the state are registered and appropriate certificate issued.

He therefore called on all parents, caregivers, traditional and religious leaders, as well as opinion leaders to cooperate with the registrars that will go from house-to-house in the next 10 days to register all children under five years.

Speaking in a welcome address at the flag off ceremony, the NPC Federal Commis-

Registering children at birth is the first step in securing their recognition before the law, safeguarding their rights, and ensuring that any violation of these rights does not go unnoticed

sioner, Alhaji Hassan Bashir, said that the essence of the campaign was to address the low level of birth registration of children between zero to five years in the state.

"The figure is least in the North-east region standing at about 25 per cent of expected number. Such intervention has taken place in two other states (Adamawa and Kebbi States) and since then, the level of registration in those states have really boosted to about 70 per cent.

He said that the exercise will also help in providing an accurate data for proper policies planning by the state and federal governments in the areas of health, education and provision of social amenities.

The NPC federal commissioner therefore commended Bauchi State Government for providing office accommodation for the commission to carry out the exercise.

In his address, the Head of UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Abdulai Kai-Kai, said that the exercise, which is being funded by the European Union, is a collaborative effort involving UNICEF, the National Population Commission, the Bauchi State Ministry of Health and the Primary Health Care Development Agency.

He added that the exercise is a practical approach to ensure increase in birth registration coverage in the state.

"As of January 2014, about 1,292 health workers in various health facilities across Bauchi State have been trained on birth registration process so that they can support conduct of birth registration efforts in the various health facilities in the state.

“However, in spite of the support garnered so far and foundation strengthening efforts, the National Population Commission in Bauchi State needs a lot of intensive effort to register thousands of children being missed, both at the health facilities and in marginalised, hard-to-reach rural

and very rural communities,” he said.

THISDAY checks revealed that as part of efforts to ensure a successful birth registration exercise in the state, in January 2014 to be precise, about 1,292 health workers in various health facilities across the state were trained on birth registration process so that they can support conduct of birth registration efforts in the various health facilities in the state.

Other integration efforts included the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NPC and the state’s Universal Basic Education Board (BSUBEB) on June 20, 2016 to build partnership for integrating birth registration services into educational service delivery in the state.

There was also integration of birth registration services into Nutrition/CMAM programmes and that of the WASHCOMS in focus local government areas, with several meetings and engagements had with health actors and traditional institutions just as birth registration services were also consistently provided during the MNCH weeks/rounds in the state.

Shortly after the flag off of the exercise, about 10 journalists were dispatched to the 20 local government areas that make up the state to give effective coverage and assessment to the house-to-house birth registration of under-five children, and the exercise was not only successful but rewarding.

THISDAY monitored the exercise in Darazo and Bogoro Local Government Areas. It observed that the under-five registration campaign recorded tremendous acceptability and success.

In Darazo for instance, the Acting Chairman, Darazo Local Government Council in Bauchi State, Alhaji Ibrahim Umar, described the exercise "smooth and

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FEATURES hitch-free," and attributed its success to the awareness creation embarked upon prior to its commencement.

“The awareness campaign embarked upon preparatory to the commencement of the registration exercise has significantly contributed to its smooth and successful conduct in Darazo Local Government Area of the state,” he explained.

The chairman also described the exercise in the state as a veritable tool that will enable the government plan for children as well as implement basic social services for the future well-being of the children in the state. While expressing optimism that the exercise will achieve over 75 per cent success in the local government area, the council boss however advocated for strict adherence to routine, continuous registration of all newborn and all children below 18 years in the state.

In an exclusive interview with THISDAY, Umar appealed to parents and guardians in the area to seize the opportunity of the registration exercise and ensure all unregistered under-five children are registered for them to obtain their birth certificate from the NPC. According to the council boss, “with the positive response of parents and other stakeholders in local government, I can assure you that we will record over 75 per cent success in this exercise and will definitely exceed the 35,000 target slated to be achieved by God’s grace.”

Also speaking, the birth registration monitor in the local government area, Rufai Adeniyi Adedeji, who told THISDAY that he has been able to go round the 17 wards in the LGA noted that the “turnout is very encouraging and we hope that it will continue to the end of the exercise.”

According to him, “there's been a lot of progress in the centres as we were able to surmount the initial challenges we encountered on the first day of the exercise. We are happy with the support we are getting from the parents, traditional rulers and other stakeholders.”

The comptroller of NPC in-charge of the council, Alhaji Ahmed Haruna Mohammed, while conducting THISDAY round some of the registration centres in Darazo, Konkyel and Gabare towns, explained that the awareness campaign embarked upon preparatory to the commencement of the registration exercise has significantly contributed to its smooth conduct in the area.

“We are reaching out to all those children who have missed registration at birth either at the health facilities or staying in rural communities where birth registration did not take place because we want them to have identity as Nigerians,” he further explained.

THISDAY also monitored the exercise in Bar, Bogoro, Mwari, Boi, Gambar, Lusa and Badagari communities, among others, in Bogoro Local Government Area. It observed that the exercise was hitch-free as households in the local government gave maximum cooperation to the field workers.

The Comptroller in-charge of Bogoro Local Government Area, Mr. Paul Daniel, who monitored the exercise alongside THISDAY, addressed a gathering of parents in Mwari ward who brought their under-five aged children for birth registration, highlighted the various advantages derivable from the

We are reaching out to all those children who have missed registration at birth either at the health facilities or staying in rural communities where birth registration did not take place because we want them to have identity as Nigerians

A field officer registering an under-five child during the house-to-house birth registration exercise in Bauchi

The house-to-house birth registration exercise at the palace of Sarkin Lanzai

birth registration exercise emphasising that a name and nationality is every child's right.

He stressed that registering a child's birth is a vital first step towards establishing an official identity and nationality for the child, adding that without birth registration, children are shut out of society activities as they are exposed to exploitation, violence and abuse.

Daniel, who expressed optimism that the exercise will achieve 70 per cent success, however attributed the success of the exercise to the high response the parents of children.

Some of the field workers who spoke to THISDAY said that the turn-out was very encouraging and the exercise was going on smoothly because of the massive sensitisation campaigns earlier embarked upon by UNICEF, NPC, traditional and religious leaders, among other stakeholders in the area.

Like the other registrars at the exercise, Timothy K. Aliyu and Esther Simon who said though the exercise was hectic, noted that “the awareness campaign embarked upon preparatory to the commencement

of the registration exercise has significantly contributed to its smooth conduct in our local government area and this is encouraging.”

Also, a traditional ruler in Gabate, Alhaji Yakubu Waziri Gabare, Maiangwa Beriberi in Gabare, who could not hide his excitement over the exercise, warned parents and guardians in the area not to deprive a child from being registered. He told his subjects that the exercise would assist the government in planning for the socio economic welfare and education of the children's future.

Also, women who came out in their hundreds to register their children could not hide their joy over UNICEF and NPC house-to-house birth registration exercise saying it had assisted in defining the future of their children.

Those of them who spoke to THISDAY are optimistic that the initiative would help shape the lives of their children saying that “We are very happy because with this initiative by UNICEF and NPC our children will now have a valid national identity which will help them in their future endeavours as we have been told by our

ward head and mallam.”

The Bauchi State Director of the NPC, Alhaji Musa Haruna, had in a Bauchi Radio Corporation (BRC) live radio phone-in programme, monitored by THISDAY, said 3,000 ad-hoc staff were trained from across the 20 local government areas of the state to conduct the exercise.

According to him, the exercise jointly supervised by the commission, the European Union and UNICEF will ensure that all registered children will instantly be issued with certificates by the registration officials.

The director explained that the purpose of the registration exercise was to provide statistical data of children under the age of five in the state for development objective of the state.

THISDAY checks revealed that before the official kick off of the exercise, all traditional rulers including Emirs and village heads, religious and community leaders in the 20 local government areas of the state as well as other relevant stakeholders had met at different fora and agreed to sensitise their people on the importance of birth registration.

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L-R: Winner of the dancing competition, male category, Hajila Tobiloba; Registrar, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Mr. Richard Yinka Arifalo; 1st runner-up of the competition, Adepatoye Oluwaseyi and Globacom’s Manager, Ondo State, Mr. Tunji Omoworare, during the Glo Mega Music Nationwide Tour

L-R:Manager of FICO, Derick Cluley, Managing Director/ CEO, CRC Credit Bureau, Mr. Tunde Popoola and Senior Representative Director, FICO, Daniel Melo, at the unveiling of CRC FICO partnership in LagosÖrecently

L - R: Head, Mass market; Diamond Bank Plc. Osita Ede; Head, Consumer Banking, Aishah Ahmad; N1million Winner, Diamond Xtraordinary Wins, Mamiska Kanayochukwu; and DiamondXtra Season 9 Ambassador, Chioma Omeruah aka Chigul, at the cheque presentation ceremony for Winners of the Diamond

L-R; Head, Research and Corporate Strategy Department, National Pension Commission (PenCom), Dr Farouk Aminu; Chairman, Pension Funds Operators Association of Nigeria (PenOp), Eguarekhide Longe; Managing Director, FUG Pensions, Usman Sulaiman; and Executive Secretary, PenOp, Susan Oranye, at a media retreat organised for Insurance and Pension Correspondents by PenOp in Abeokuta, Ogun

L-R: Chief Financial Officer, Fidson Healthcare Plc, Mr Oludare Adanri; General Manager Sales and Marketing, Fidson, Mr Ola Ijimakin; National Overall Best Distributor, Mr Daniel Ugbah of Great Dan White Pharmacy; Sales and Marketing Director Fidson Healthcare Plc, Mr Olugbenga Olayeye and Divisional Manager, Fidson Healthcare Plc, Mr Olugbenga Olayemi during the 2017 Fidson Distributors Award/Gala

L-R: Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Nonny Ugboma; Chief Operating Officer, MTN Nigeria, Muhammad Zia; Chairman MTN Foundation, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi and Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof, Rahmon Ade Bello, at the handover ceremony of the MTN foundation Universities connect projects, at the University’s Campus, Lagos...recently KOLA OLASUPO.

L-R: Directorate Apex, Mainland and Yaba Local Government, Miss. Omolara Riberio; Chairman, Yaba Local Government, Mr. Kayode Omiyale; Marketing Manager, Pathcare Laboratories Limited, Mr. Oluwatosin Otusanya and Head, Sales and Marketing, Megaleetrics Limited, Mr. Olamide Alli-Balogun, during the 2017 pathcare, Classic and Naijafm, free doctors medical mission in Lagos...recently KOLA OLASUPO

L-R: People & Organisation Consultant, PwC, Iretioluwa Jooda; Commissioner for Home Affairs & Culture, Lagos State, Abdulateef Abdulhakeem; Country Head, Human Capital, Stanbic IBTC, Olufunke Amobi; Senior Manager People & Organisation, PwC, Seyi Onasanya;, Senior Manager People & Organisation, PwC, Lola Esan and , Director People & Organisation, PwC,Olusola Adewole at the 2 day HR Academy session hosted by PwC in Lagos....recently

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Quick Takes Future Project, Microsoft Collaborate

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IS OUR FIRST PRIORITY

L-R: ED, Retail Banking North, FirstBank, Abdullahi Ibrahim; MD/CEO, First Bank of Nigeria Limited and Subsidiaries, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan; and MD Nigerian Mortgage ReďŹ nance Company Ltd, Dr. Charles Inyangete at FirstBank’s Voice of the Customer Forum in Abuja ... recently

NCC Moves to Sanction Telecoms Operators over Call Masking Stories by Emma Okonji The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has vowed to sanction telecoms operators involved in call masking and call refilling. In technical parlance, call masking is a situation whereby a caller’s true identity is hidden by the network provider, especially during international calls.

These calls are not usually charged because the callers’ true identities are hidden by the network providers.

The NCC, which regulates the telecoms industry, said it will impose a whopping fine against any operator that indulges in sharp practices that could jeopardise the growth of the sector.

ECONOMY The Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management at the NCC, Mr. Sunday Dare, who revealed this to journalists in Lagos recently, said the commission concluded its checks last week and it discovered that some of the big GSM operators are still involved in call masking and call refilling, despite several warnings by the NCC to desist from such unwholesome act.

He said the operators involved would be sanctioned by next week. “The practice of call masking is becoming widespread and profitable among telecoms operators, who indulge in them, and the NCC will not

spare any operator involved in the act,� Dare said.

THISDAY had last month reported that the NCC summoned two of the telecoms operators, suspected to be conniving with callers on their networks to mask their telephone numbers, while making calls.

The two operators were summoned to a meeting with the NCC in Abuja to explain their involvement in call masking, which the NCC said, amounted to national security risk and threat to the Nigerian economy.

The commission gave the telecoms operators one week ultimatum to end all forms of call masking and refilling activity on their networks.

Specifically, they were given till Friday July 28, 2017 to clean up their networks of call masking and refilling activity.

Dare however said that despite the warning, the operators continued in the act of call masking and call refilling, which also attracted other operators to the illicit act.

The NCC’s investigation showed that most operators connive with international callers to operate masked calls in Nigeria. It said such act could breach national security, if not addressed.

NCC also discovered that when subscribers make interContinued on page 24

Consistent Drop in Telecoms’ Subscriber Number Worry NCC, Stakeholders Telecoms subscribers number has continued to drop consistently from 155 million in January this year, to 143 million as at the end of June this year, according to the recent statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecoms industry regulator.

The NCC however said that the consistent drop is worrisome, even though the reasons for the drop are obvious.

According to figures obtained from NCC’s website, subscriber number had in January this year, reached a high peak of 155 million active subscribers across all networks, but the figures began to drop consistently from 155 million in January, to 143

ICT million in June this year.

The consistent drop in subscriber number also reflected in the drop in subscriber teledensity from 110.8 per cent in January, to 102.19 per cent in June this year.

Teledensity in technical parlance is the number of active telephone connections per 100 inhabitants living in a particular area, and expressed in percentage.

Reacting to the drop, the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders’ Management at NCC, Mr. Sunday Dare, attributed it to shunning, consolidation and recession.

According to him, most

subscribers shun making calls for a long period of time, and by the time it reaches 90 days, the SIM card is automatically deactivated. He also explained that consolidation has forced most subscribers with multiple lines to drop some lines and stick to one line, since they can do data and voice from a single line across other networks.

Economic recession, he added, also forced subscribers to cut down on their spending culture on recharge cards, and devised other means of communication through the social media platform like WhatsApp and Skype, which are free and driven by over the top technology (OTT).

A breakdown of the figure as at June this year, showed

that MTN still maintained the lead in the total number of subscribers across networks, with 53.1 million active subscribers on its network, followed by Globacom with 37.4 million subscribers on its network, and next is Airtel with 34.1 million subscribers on its network and 9mobile with 18.2 million subscribers.

The drop in subscriber number, cuts across all networks, as MTN had as at last year, recorded over 61 million subscribers on its network, before dropping to 53.1 million in June this year, while 9mobile had crossed the 20million mark subscriber Continued on page 24

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Academix.ng Unveils Solutions for Varsities Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă“Ă˘Ë›Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ Ă‹ ÎÓÑÓÞËÖ Ă–Ă“ĂŒĂœĂ‹ĂœĂŁËœ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă–Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ?Ă?ĂœĂ“ĂšĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă“Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ă?ÞÓÞĂ&#x;ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™ĂœĂšĂ™ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ë› ĂŁ ÞÒÓĂ? ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚ×Ă?Ă˜ĂžËœ Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă“Ă˘Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ ĂšĂœĂ?Ă Ă“Ă™Ă&#x;Ă?Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă–Ă? Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ?Ă?ĂœĂ“ĂšĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ëœ Ă“Ă? Ă˜Ă™ĂĄ Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? ÞÙ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂž Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă›Ă&#x;Ă“ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă—Ă&#x;ÖÞÓ̋Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ăœ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ăœ Ă‹ Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă–Ă? Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžË› ĂšĂ?Ă‹Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚ×Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă? Ă?ÞËÞĂ?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁËœ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœËœ Ă?Ă™ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂŁ Ă?Ă˘ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă’Ă“Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ăž Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒËÞ ËŤĂŒĂ?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? ÞÙ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂž Ă?Ă™ĂœĂšĂ™ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă“Ă? Ă?Ù×Ă?ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒËÞ ĂĄĂ? Ă‹Ă?ĂšĂ“ĂœĂ?ĂŽ ÞÙ ĂŽĂ™ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂšĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë› ĂœĂœĂ“Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă™ Ă›Ă&#x;Ă“Ă?Ă•Ă–ĂŁ Ă“Ă? Ă‹ Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ăž Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ù×ÚÖÓĂ?Ă’Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂžĂ?Ă‹Ă—Ë› Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă‘Ă“Ă Ă?Ă? Ă&#x;Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă™ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂŁ ÞÙ Ă—Ă?Ă?Ăž ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă? Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽĂ? Ă™Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂŒĂ“Ă‘Ă‘Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă? Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă Ă?ĂœĂ?ÓÞÓĂ?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă?˛ˏ ĂšĂ?Ă‹Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă&#x;Ăž ÞÒĂ? Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? ÞÙ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜ Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă Ă?ĂœĂ?ÓÞÓĂ?Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂŁ Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽË? ËŤ Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă™ĂœĂšĂ™ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ?Ă?ĂœĂ“ĂšĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ×ÙÎĂ?Ă– Ă“Ă? ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?ÞÖã Ă?Ă&#x;Ă“ĂžĂ‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă Ă?ĂœĂ?ÓÞã ĂšĂœĂ™Ă‘ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă—Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă™Ă? Ě™ Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă˜Ă“Ă Ă?ĂœĂ?ÓÞÓĂ?Ă? Ù××ÓĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ěš Ă‹Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă™Ăœ Ă‹ Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?ËÞÓĂ?Ă?ĂŁ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ ĂœĂ?Ă›Ă&#x;Ă“ĂœĂ?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹ ÎÓÑÓÞËÖ Ă–Ă“ĂŒĂœĂ‹ĂœĂŁË›ËŹ Ă’ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ Ă™Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ ååå˛ËĂ?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă“Ă˘Ë›Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă? Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? ÞÙ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ? Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă? Ă‹Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă“Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ă?ÞÓÞĂ&#x;ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™ĂœĂšĂ™ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? ÞÙ Ùà Ă?Ăœ ͹͎ Ă—Ă“Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă™Ă˜ Ă–Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă? Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ăœ Ă‹ Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă–Ă? Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ăž Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹ĂŽĂ—Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ™ĂœË›

Ericsson Demonstrates Near-gigabit Speed ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ÞÙ×Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă˜Ă?Ă‹ĂœĚ‹Ă‘Ă“Ă‘Ă‹ĂŒĂ“Ăž Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?ĂŽĂ? Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ù××Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă&#x;ĂœĂ™ĂšĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ÞËÞĂ?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂĄĂ?Ă?Ă•Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă—Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ù××Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă‘Ă“Ă‘Ă‹ĂŒĂ“Ăž Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?ĂŽĂ? Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ÞÒĂ? ÚÙÞĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă‹Ă– ÞÙ ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ù×Ă? ĂœĂ?ËÖÓÞã Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă—Ă™ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă? ĂŒĂœĂ™Ă‹ĂŽĂŒĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă˜Ă?Ă‹Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëœ åÓÞÒ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? Ě™ Ěš Ă‹ Ă•Ă?ĂŁ Ă?Ă˜Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ?Ă?Ă’Ă˜Ă™Ă–Ă™Ă‘ĂŁË› ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ Ă?à ÙÖà Ă? ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă? Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ™Ă‹ĂŽ ÞÙ Íł Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ Ă“Ă—ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă˜Ăž Ă—Ă“Ă–Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒÓĂ? ÔÙĂ&#x;ĂœĂ˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă‘Ă‹ĂŒĂ“Ăž Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?ĂŽĂ? Ă“Ă˜ Ă–Ă“Ă Ă? Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă?Ë› Ă&#x;Ăž Ă“Ă‘Ă‹ĂŒĂ“Ăž ĂœĂ?Ă›Ă&#x;Ă“ĂœĂ?Ă? Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?ĂžĂœĂ&#x;Ă—Ëœ Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ? ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ă˜ ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž Ă—Ă™Ă?Ăž ÙÚĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ? Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? ÞÙ˛ ËÖÖÙåĂ? ÙÚĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ? ÞÙ Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?ĂžĂœĂ&#x;Ă— Ě™Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ Ă?Ă‹Ă“Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă?ĂœĚš Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂŒĂ“Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ åÓÞÒ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?ĂžĂœĂ&#x;Ă—Ë› ĂŁ ĂŽĂ™Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒÓĂ?Ëœ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ?Ă?ĂœĂ“ĂŒĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă?âÚĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜ Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ? Ă?ËÚËĂ?ÓÞã Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?ĂŽĂ? ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă–Ă? ÙÚĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ? Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?ĂžĂœĂ&#x;Ă— ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ë›

“National Assembly should pass the postal reform bill and other related bills, aimed at restructuring the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST)�

Minister of Communications.

Adebayo Shittu

24

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ ÍŻÍľËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

NCC MOVES TO SANCTION TELECOMS OPERATORS OVER CALL MASKING national calls, the operators in Nigeria will mask the number and alter the local number to have international status, just to avoid being charged with the international rate for terminating such calls on international network, whereas the Nigerian operators will charge the local caller at international rate but will pay at local rate to the international network where the call was terminated.

Dare said the NCC has all the details of the operators involved in call masking and assured Nigerians that they would be duly sanctioned by next week. Although the amount of the fine was not disclosed, the commission said the operators would be fined based on the number of masked calls noticed on their networks.

CONSISTENT DROP IN TELECOMS’ SUBSCRIBER NUMBER WORRY NCC, STAKEHOLDERS number as at last year, before dropping to 18.2 million in June this year. Likewise, Globacom and Airtel also dropped in subscriber number, bringing the total number of subscribers on their networks to 37.4 million and 34.1 million respectively. Based on the drop in subscriber number across networks, which also affected their market shares, the NCC therefore put the current market share of MTN as at June this year, at 37.21 per cent, Globacom market share at 26.22 per cent, Airtel market share at 23.92 per cent, and 9mobile market share at 12.63 per cent. NCC was however silent on ntel, which transformed from NITEL, the former government owned parastatal that was launched as the fifth GSM operator in the country, over a year ago.

The NCC figure also captured the active data subscription in the country, which according to it, has reached 99.7 per cent for mobile GSM, 0.14 per cent for mobile CDMA, 0.09 per cent for fixed wireless and wired network, and 0.03 per cent for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

Group Business Editor

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

Ă™Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ă˜ äĂ?

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) Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă—Ă? Ă•Ă‹Ă?Ă™Ăœ (Energy) Reporters

Ă&#x;Ă—Ă? Ă•Ă?Ă‘Ă’Ă? (Money Market) Ă™Ă?Ă‹ Ă–Ă?Ă•Ă’Ă&#x;ÙÑÓĂ? (Cap Mkt)

Stakeholders Back Shippers’Council’s Efforts to Achieve Fraudfree Port Activities Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt Stakeholders have declared their support for efforts of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to instill discipline in the clearance of goods at the nation’s ports.

In a 12-point communique issued at the end of a one-day enlightenment seminar on ‘Ethics, Integrity in International Trade and the Need for Shippers to Comply with Customs Clearance Procedures at the Seaports/ Boarders’, organised by the NSC in Port Harcourt, stakeholders resolved to cooperate with the council in ensuring compliance with clearance procedures and ethical standards in international trade. The communique, which was jointly signed by the Chairman of the occasion, Sir Sam Epiah, and the South-south Zonal Coordinator of NSC, Mr. Ekpenyong Eke, also called on stakeholders to always comply with the guidelines and procedures set by regulatory authorities as well as the need to carry out their international trade in a sincere manner to avoid falling victim to the long arm of the law.

The stakeholders also pointed out the non-adherence to ethical standards in international trade discredit stakeholders both locally and internationally, and called for cooperation with government to sanitise the ports to make them efficient and competitive in line with global best practices.

The communiquĂŠ added: “Stakeholders should always

have the right ethical attitudes in international trade to avoid high prices of goods and diversion of business to neighbouring countries, thereby causing loss of revenue generation for the country,� adding that the right security gadgets should be put in place in the ports by relevant government agencies to enhance ease of doing business in the ports.�

Stakeholders were also urged to be honest in the declara-

tion of their goods to avoid unnecessary delays which could amount to high cost of doing business, and also endeavour to comply with all procedures towards achieving 48 hours of cargo clearance in the ports.

Worried by the poor state of facilities and patronage of the Eastern Ports, the stakeholders called on the NSC to interface with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to dredge the channels and also provide

adequate security in the Eastern Ports waterways to encourage more patronage.

Earlier, in his welcome address, the South-south Zonal Coordinator of NSC, Ekpenyong Eke, lamented that “some unscrupulous and unpatriotic elements within the shipping community� who imported contraband cargo (arms and ammunition) into the country had raised a lot of suspicion and mistrust of shippers by

the authorities.

He said the events forced government to impose 100 per cent inspection policy on all containerised cargo coming into the country. “This automatically means delay in cargo clearance, possible damage to cargo in the process of inspection, pilfering of cargo and collection of bribes by unpatriotic inspection officials, among others,� he lamented.

SHOWCASING NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE

L-R: Managing Director, Rack Centre, Ayotunde Coker; President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Mrs. Nike Akande, CON; Honourable Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu and Business Development Director, Rack Centre, Frederick Udoaka, at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce ICTEL Expo held in Lagos, where Rack Centre sponsored a session on Data Centre as a Critical National Infrastructure...recently

Skye Bank Set to Boost Customers’ Experience with Digital Offerings Stories by Emma Okonji Skye bank Plc has expanded its digital financial offerings, designed to boost customers’ experience and offer them a platform for easy financial transactions.

The bank plans to achieve the feat with the launch of SkyeXperience, a banking solution, developed and tailored towards its customers.

According to the bank, the digital solution is a display of its commitment to its valued customers who have continued to not only do business with the bank, but also challenge it on how best they can be served better.

Speaking about solution, the Group Managing Director of Skye Bank Plc Mr. Adetokunbo Abiru said the overriding objective of launching SkyeXperience is to simplify service delivery and personalise the customer experience. “As a pledge of commitment to a new service charter with our customers, we have decided to render to them this digital banking solution, which we have we called SkyeXperience denoting such positive values as experience, excellence, excitement and experiential,� Abiru told the bank’s customers, stakeholders and the regulator during the unveiling of the solution in Lagos.

According to the Skye Bank’s

GMD, SkyeXperience is today Nigeria’s most advanced digital financial solution that will make banking a hassle-free and provides exciting lifestyle for both the young and the old.

The unique features of the SkyeXperience digital solution, are its overriding benefits of providing for the customer, an omni-channel experience and seamless navigation on multiple platforms. The solution is also self-service enabling the customer to do several transactions on the go and manage time better. “For our dear retail customers, who need to pay school fees from their home or office to our SME customers who need to make instant payments to suppliers and vendors in distant cities, this solution is for you,� Abiru added.

In his welcome address, the Chairman of Skye Bank, Mr. Mohammed Ahmad said the launch of SkyeXperience, remained the bank’s own modest contribution towards the economic development of Nigeria, especially in the area of financial technology and digital revolution.

He noted that Skye bank had always taken the lead in terms of digital offering in the financial service space, saying it is a response to the needs and expectations of the customers especially the digital natives who are either caught up or born with technology.

“By the unveiling of the new service platform called SkyeXPerience, we are offering you a smarter way to bank, and a more convenient way to live,� Ahmad said.

The Skye Bank Chairman lauded the federal government policy on broadband penetration and digital revolution which seek to achieve 30 per cent broadband penetration

by 2018, believing that the SkyeXperience will encourage more Nigerians to embrace the use of technology solutions to attain a more convenient and quality living.

Globacom Celebrates 14yrs Anniversary, Partners FG on Free Lines Globacom, the third entrant into the GSM space, this week, celebrated its 14th year anniversary, with lots of appreciation to its over 37 million subscribers who have remained with the network of choice without wavering.

Globacom rolled out its commercial services in August 2003, with per second billing on its network; two years after the first two GSM operators operated with per minute billing on their networks.

Since then, Globacom has been playing strong in data services as well as voice.

To further appreciate Nigerians on its 14th anniversary, Globacom has rolled out a series of free access telephone lines to the entire Federal Civil Service of Nigeria as part of its contribution to the productivity of public servants in Nigeria.

The lines are programmed under a Closed User Group (CUG) platform which gives all civil servants seamless yet

affordable communication opportunities within and outside the service. The lines will also be documented in a formal directory with the names and ministries of domicile of all public servants at the federal level.

Globacom said in an address at the unveiling of the scheme in Abuja recently, that the relationship between telecommunications and the civil service in any growing nation cannot be over-emphasised. “For one, telecommunications enable nations to improve the productivity and efficiency of their workforce because employees can deploy voice and data services to make calls, send or receive email, browse websites, conduct research, access databases or participate in conference calls,� the company added.

According to the network, workers do not have to switch between ranges of different communication devices; they rather enjoy the opportunity to

save precious executive time and reduce organisations’ communications equipment costs.

In addition to this, productivity, efficiency and passion for excellence are kindled owing to the fact that tedium of work is lessened, while greater results are obtained in the process.

The Head of service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, in her remarks at the event, commended Globacom for the offer. She described the brand as a truly Nigerian company whose activities reflect its deep commitment to the welfare of the populace professionally and in their personal endeavour.

Globacom, she said, “is a true pride of the nation�.

She added that the civil service of the Federation will avail itself of the scheme to improve on its productivity and inter-ministerial relations for the enhancement of the nation’s policy formulations and executions for the good of the entire citizenry.

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Securing Citizenship through NIN Registration The warning by the National Identity Management Commission that all Nigerians must register and obtain the National Identity Number or risk losing their nationality, has compelled more Nigerians to begin the process of registration, writes Emma Okonji

Former President Gooluck Jonathan admiring his national identity card after it was issued

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) commenced registration of National Identity Number (NIN) in 2012 and the issuance of electronic identity cards in 2014. However, the response to the registration has been very slow, a situation that has been blamed on two factors. The first factor is that most Nigerians are skeptical that the idea of issuing new electronic identity cards may not fly, given past experiences when national identity cards were registered for by many but issued to only few Nigerians.

The second factor is on the delay by NIMC to issue the new electronic identity cards to several Nigerians that had already registered since the commencement of the registration exercise in 2012.

Giving reasons for the delay in issuing the new electronic identity cards to those that have registered and obtained their NIN, the Director General at NIMC, Aliyu Aziz, said over 20 million people have registered and obtained their NIN. He said the commission had been able to print only 1.2 million identity cards among, while less than one million have been issued. He, however, blamed the delay on paucity of funds occasioned by economic recession, but advised Nigerians who are yet to register and obtain their NIN, to do so without further delay or risk losing their national identity as Nigerians in few years’ time.

this week, the number of registration increased to over 20 million, an indication that Nigerians are not willing to lose their national identity.

He said the number registration is increasing by the day and that more people now visit the 809 NIN enrollment centres spread nationwide on a daily basis, unlike before when registration officers were virtually idle because few people going to register at the designated centres.

According to Ogbonna, the ongoing harmonisation of data, beginning with the data from SIM card registration, coupled with the registered BVN data, is fast driving the NIN registration process across the country.

Threat of losing national identity Given the low NIN registration experience across the country , Aziz, had penultimate week in Lagos, warned that Nigerians who were yet to register and obtain their NIN, may run the risk of being regarded as non-Nigerian citizen in the next few years.

He spoke of the commitment and renewed efforts of the federal government, through NIMC, to enlighten Nigerians on the importance of enrolling to obtain the National Identification Number, but explained that Nigerians were not keen at registering to obtain their NIN, since less than 10 per cent of the Nigerian population of 170 million has registered as at two weeks ago.

“It is the duty of every citizen to enroll and obtain his or her NIN, which entitles one to Rush for registration Following the warning issued by NIMC that be fully regarded as a Nigerian citizen,” he Nigerians who fail to register for NIN and obtain stated, adding that without the NIN, anyone’s national identity card, risk losing their national claims of being a Nigerian citizen are doubtful, identity in a matter of few years, the number as stipulated in the NIMC Act. According to him, “the Commission has of registration for NIN surged, according to NIMC. Head, Corporate Communications at enrolled only 18.5 million Nigerians, into the NIMC, Mr. Loveday Ogbonna told THISDAY national identity database, as at two weeks ago, that as at two weeks ago when the warning was out of the over 170 million Nigerian population, issued by the Director General, the commission which is less than 10 per cent of the entire registered 18.5 million persons, but that as at population of Nigerians.”

He, however, said the registration number had increased, since the warning was issued.

He said registration centres are located in NIMC offices and other designated centres across every state and local government areas of the country. He insisted that all Nigerians, irrespective of their age, were expected to enroll and obtain their NIM, through which the national identity card would be produced and issued.

He, however, said identity cards would not be issued to minors until they attain the age of 18, but that it was necessary for them to enroll and obtain their NIN. Benefits Reeling out the many benefits of NIN and the national identity card, Aziz said they included: one person one identity; enhances participation in the political process; important tool for fight against corruption and terrorism; enables citizens to exercise their rights and facilitates management of subsidies and safety net.

Other benefits are: the facilitation of service delivery in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs); enhancing activities of law enforcement agencies thereby providing public safety; policing; national security and border protection, among others.

Achievements Aziz, who was appointed in November 2015 as the DG of NIMC, listed some of the key achievements of the Commission to include: the population of the National Identity Database, which currently boasts of about 20 million records; the establishment of up to 809 NIN enrollment centres nationwide; launch of the new electronic National ID Card with multiple functions; achievement of GVCP Certification and recertification of the NIMC Card Personalisation Bureau in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, among other achievements.

He, however, named funding as the overriding hindrance of the Commission in executing its mandate.

The NIMC DG used the opportunity to clarify the misconception held in some sections of the society that NIMC’s primary role was merely the production and issuance of national identity cards to citizens, which he said go beyond registration and issuance of national identity cards.

Achieving single database Despite the achievements of NIMC in registering Nigerians to obtain their NIN, and the national identity card, Nigerians have called on NIMC to expedite action on its harmonisation exercise in order to achieve a single database for Nigerians.

Reacting to calls for harmonisation and integration, Aziz told THISDAY that NIMC had begun the process of harmonisation with data from SIM card registration, but insisted that the process of achieving a single database would take the next three years to achieve.

According to Aziz, NIMC was established

by Act No. 23 of 2007, to register and maintain a unique national identity database, and to harmonise and integrate existing identification databases in Nigeria, and it has since commenced the process of harmonisation and integration of existing databases in the country, beginning with BVN database. He, however, expressed worries about limited funding, occasioned by the current recession facing the country, which he said, is slowing down the pace of harmonisation and integration.

Nigerians are of the view that should there be a single database agencies will easily log on the single portal to get the desired data, instead of duplicating same data in different databases that operate in silos without the necessary integration.

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Visa: Nigeria Needs Digital Solutions to Enhance E-commerce President, sub-Saharan Africa for Visa, Mr. Andrew Torre, and Senior Vice President in charge of digital solutions, Mr. Uttam Nayak, spoke with journalists on Visa’s partnership with some banks to boost online transactions. Emma Okonji brings the excerpts:

Torre Visa has announced fresh plans to enhance online financial transactions in Nigeria, using the mVisa digital solution. What is unique about the solution?

Visa is global payments solution provider, and we have partnered some Nigerian banks to launched mVisa, an innovative mobile payment service, in Nigeria.

The solution is currently being rolled out across Africa. The solution will enable bank customers to enjoy easy and secure payments and merchants will also benefit from it, as it helps to reduce cost and friction for accepting electronic payments. With mVisa, consumers from Visa’s Nigerian partner banks can pay with any mobile phone wherever mVisa is accepted. mVisa transactions are processed via Visa’s global network, VisaNet, applying the same scale, security and reliability as any other Visa transaction.

How many banks have signed up with the mVisa digital solution?

The banks that have already hooked on to the mVisa platform are Diamond Bank, Fidelity Bank and First Bank. But other bank like Access Bank, Ecobank, United Bank for Africa and Zenith Bank, have concluded deal with Visa to go live with mVisa in the coming weeks. With the digital solution, Nigeria will become the first market to provide customers the convenience of making cross-border payments using mVisa.

What are the benefits of the new digital platform to small businesses?

Small and medium merchants in particular, will no longer have to invest in expensive point of sale infrastructure as mVisa gives them the freedom to accept payments in a convenient, secure and affordable manner that their customers trust.

We are very excited to see more and more

Nayak merchants come on board every day as they begin to understand the benefits that mVisa brings, including real-time notifications of payments and access to sales and transactions history. We have campaigns lined up for the coming months to support our merchants and encourage new customers to experience mVisa at various locations across Nigeria.

How will the mVisa solution enhance eCommerce business in Nigeria?

Let me start by saying that before now, customers used the 16 digit numbers of their bank card to do transactions, but with mVisa, the sane customers can take a picture of it and complete the online transactions.

Basically, the solution is an enabler of e-commerce.

There are several factors limiting the unbanked in Nigeria, which include bank locations and the processes involved in banking.

But the mVisa solution guarantees faster access. Diamond, Fidelity and First banks, which have signed on the platform, will offer their customers the convenience of mVisa through their mobile banking apps. Access Bank, Ecobank, United Bank for Africa, and Zenith Bank, will go live with mVisa in the coming weeks. Nigeria is the first market to provide customers the convenience of making cross-border payments using mVisa.

Is this solution peculiar to the Nigerian market?

The solution is not peculiar to the Nigerian market, but it is best in Nigeria, designed to enhance online transactions across existing banking apps. We have launched in India, Rwanda, Egypt, and Kenya. We have to get to sub-Saharan Africa as it is a massive market and to effectively service the sub-Saharan Africa market, we believe that Nigeria is crucial,

because banks in Nigeria are sophisticated, and they all display banking applications that integrate these solutions on the fast lane.

Who are the targets markets for this solution in the country?

Small and medium merchants are part of our target audience, as they will no longer have to invest in expensive point of sale infrastructure, since mVisa gives them the freedom to accept payments in a convenient, secure and affordable manner that their customers trust.

We expect to see more and more merchants come on board every day as they begin to understand the benefits that mVisa brings, including real-time notifications of payments and access to sales and transactions history.

We have campaigns lined up for the coming months to support our merchants and encourage new customers to experience mVisa at various locations across Nigeria.

Today, Visa and its financial institution partners are, for the first time, providing the benefits of digital commerce to potentially everyone, everywhere across Nigeria and the African continent, bringing millions more people into the formal financial system.

What must have motivated Visa in creating this solution?

Our plan is to have everyone digitised, both consumers and merchants. So, we see mVisa really changing that by allowing anyone to be a merchant with a simple QR code and with the solution, banks can get people enrolled into their mobile banking platform.

The way VISA works is through our clients, we can reach everyone across different areas.

We do not physically reach out to consumers, or merchants, but we have since realised that it is so much better to partner with industry stakeholders, especially the banks. They already employ the services of the 16 digit

card numbers, but we see things changing fast with mVisa. All that is needed is for partners to enable it on their mobile banking platform and transactions are rolled out.

How important is this platform to the Nigerian market considering the fact that when there are challenges, most other companies will back out?

We have been in Africa for decades. We are long term investors. Africa is important to us and more so, Nigeria as the largest economy in Africa. If you look at what we have done this year, which include opening of new office, employing new staff and even doubled it.

We have brought in more technical experts, more marketing people, and we think it is a great time to invest. We offer technological solutions that are immensely beneficial. We have been here for 20 years; we will be here for more years.

We stay strong even when the chips are down. For instance, India went into demonetisation six months ago, knocked out 86 per cent of the currency.

They asked us to come back with products, which we did. So, when things are down with the government, paying with digital cards help to reduce cost, puts more money into the banking system, and this enables more productivity. The Nigerian government has been talking about cashless policy, so, we believe we have aligned with the government focus with this new solution.

What are the security measures put in place to secure the platform?

The security of the solution is a combination of what the banks apply on their mobile platform and what we offer too. Just as you authenticate yourself, it will lay out on the other ends also.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY AUGUST 17, 2017

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Unleashing Local Resources As more companies begin to look inwards for raw materials, Raheem Akingbolu takes a look at how the development will impact the economy and soften the ground for consumers of goods Things appear to be looking up for manufacturers of goods in the country. In a desperate move to bridge the gap following the fall in the value of naira, which made importation a bit tight, and in line with government call on the companies to look inwards for untapped resources, more manufacturers are beginning to source for raw material locally. Today, companies are yielding to the advice with many of them either cultivating their own raw materials by purchasing their suppliers or establishing farms to grow produce for their factories. Thanks to the crash in crude oil prices which started in the fourth quarter of 2014, thus compelling company owners to start thinking out of the box.

At the last count, manufacturing giants like Nigerian Breweries, Friesland Campina Wamco Plc, Nestle, PZ Wilmar; Dangote Group and Flour Mills of Nigeria, have shifted drastically to local inputs for their products. Others are; De-United Food, Chi Limited, Presco Oil, Okomu Oil, and BUA Group.

For example, Nigerian Breweries recently struck a deal with Psaltry International Limited, a local manufacturer of starch, located at Ado Awaiye, a community 112km away from Ibadan, Africa’s third largest city. The company is owned by YemisiIranloye, a former staff of Ekha Agro Processing Company, with a stint in Nigerian Breweries before damning the consequence to go into local manufacturing of starch in the village. Ekha is an agricultural processing firm based in Lagos.

The story began to change for the brewery giant in 2016, when it turned to cassava as a source for starch, an ingredient critical to the production of its varied brands of beer and malt, including Heineken.

According to the company’s Corporate Communications and Brand Public Relations Manager, Mr. Patrick Olowokere, NB was then looking for innovative ways to locally source for its production inputs and the production team of the company discovered that the food grade starch gotten from local cassava would help it achieve just that. “We are growing and looking for opportunities, the quantities of imported barley are decreasing and Cassava boosts the local content,� he told reporters during a recent tour of the farm at Ado Awaye. In the same way, one of the country’s leading one-step packaging solutions company, Shongai Technologies Limited, recently disclosed that it had concluded plans to produce corrugated carton and self adhesive labels locally, as part of its backward integration drive and effort to support the made-in-Nigeria initiative.

This, the Managing Director, Shongai Technologies Limited, RavinderKanwal, told THISDAY would be achieved by the importation of more high technology machines for corrugated carton and other packaging solutions being currently offered to clients. With the proposed machineries, Kanwal disclosed that its production capacity would increase from 2,500 tonnes per month to about 6,000.

He said: “There is a huge requirement of paper board, there should be paper board mills set up in Nigeria to supply paper. Similarly, we are also thinking of getting into corrugated cartons, apart from that paper has to be imported today. Thus, if there is a good mill that can produce corrugated cartons, I think it would be welcome.� Last year April, at the inauguration of the over $1 billion 2-line six million metric tonnes capacity cement plant, built by Dangote Cement, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. KayodeFayemi, indicated that the greatest desire of the government was seeing Nigerian entrepreneurs working together with the government through backward integration to unlock the potential of the solid minerals sector.

According to the minister, a recent report he commissioned had revealed that Nigeria’s mineral resources were to be used to drive the country’s industrialisation adding that whereas the sector contributed just 0.34 per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, with more investment in the sector, the government would stand to earn $25bn annually by 2025.

Psaltry cassava factory at Ado Awaye

Also, while commending Dangote for producing cement locally by using the abundant raw materials that were available in Nigeria, the Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomole, noted that the practice where manufacturers obtained land from government only to use the land as a base for importation was the most destructive practice for an economy.

In an interview with THISDAY, one of the players in the corporate sector, who had at different times worked as brand managers at Unilever Nigeria and Nestle Nigeria, Mr. Sola Fakorede commended government for its recent stance on backward integration. According to him, there had been time in Nigeria when most companies had farms scattered around the country and this was able to make the naira compete favourable with foreign currencies. ‘’What we are witnessing now is the best that can happen to the economy. There was a time in this country when manufacturing companies had farm in different locations. Nestle had its farm somewhere in the old Gongola State, I think the location now falls within Adamawa, Guinness had farm in Mokwa, while Friesland Campina Wamco Plc, had its own in Vom, Plateau State. Along the line, one government came and relaxed the rules and companies began to do what they like,’’ Meanwhile, in recent investigation carried out

by THISDAY, it was discovered that Friesland Campina Wamco Plc, now source 40,000 litres of raw milk locally from dairy farmers in Oyo State. He also expressed delight about the company’s commitment to the local content initiative as almost 90 percent of raw materials being used for the biscuit are sourced locally.

Equally, Shongai Technologies, a member of Sona Group of Industries, has begun to offer packaging solutions like flexible laminates, self adhesive labels, blown films and mono cartons to clients. The company was said to currently has 10 colour Gravure printing machine, eight Colour UV Flexo printing machines, five layer blown film line and speedmaster offset printing m/c for mono cartons.

The company’s contribution in this regard must have informed its clinching the 2016 Afristar Award for developing plastic vegetable for packaging wrapper with high barrier polyfilm.

It currently works for Dangote, Oando, IDL, Chi Limited, among other leading brands in the country.

During a recent visit to the Lagos office of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) located in Ikeja, Lagos, THISDAY findings revealed

that investments in backward integration projects have boosted local content by 53.17 per cent.

The findings further revealed that Nigerian Breweries, for instance, has been procuring 99 per cent of its packaging materials from local suppliers. The breakdown showed that the company is now procuring 60 per cent of its cassava starch and 100 per cent of sorghum from indigenous suppliers.

In 2013, Nigerian Breweries began to partner with Psaltry to help develop the capacity of the firm and the farmers supplying the raw materials. They linked up Psaltry with 2scale, a Dutch funded non-profit with the objective of accelerating inclusive businesses in the agri-food industry. 2scale took the burden of training local farmers off Psaltry shoulders and helped the latter free its cash-flow.

The Managing Director of Psaltry confirmed this when she declared that “They (Nigerian Breweries), hired one of the best agronomists in the country to train our farmersand the farmers started to imbibe higher degrees of agronomic practises, compared to their counterparts.�

She also pointed out that NB committed to buying 60 per cent of Psaltry’s output and facilitated a seven-day receipt process, to improve the processing company’s cash-flow and allow them take more products from farmers.

From the picture painted by Iranloye, it was a win-win situation for both sides.Last year, when the foreign exchange crisis deepened, Psaltry, according to her, received a deluge of requests from firms who could not import their starch.

The implication of this is that while struggling to meet up with demand, both the starch manufacturing companies and its trade partners successfully saved Nigeria about $4 million.

There is indeed a lot of lesson to learn by Nigeria and manufacturing companies in the life of this young entrepreneur. In 2005, when many of her mates were yet to know what to do with their lives, YemisiIranloye purchased a piece of real estate in Ado-Awaye.

Although she didn’t have a solid grasp of what she would be doing with the real estate, she also incorporated Psaltry International Limited.

After the incorporation, she started to ask herself what kind of business she would love to do when she left paid employment. She found her answer when she observed the pain of the farmers who supplied raw cassava to her company.

The farmers lived in the hinterlands and had to transport their goods to distant cities like Lagos and Akure to sell their cassava for processing.

But due to poor roads, outdated trucks, and the

time-gap between harvesting and sales, they faced frequent product degradation. “Sometimes when we did starch analysis, cassava that actually left the farm with about 17 per cent starch content, would have dropped to about five per cent, and that meant less money for the farmers,�

Iranloye told THISDAY that when she was with her former employer, sometimes the company rejected cassava from farmers, because they were already rotten.

From this observation of the farmers’ misery, she decided to, upon leaving paid employment in 2011, to set up a cassava processing plant in Ado Awaiye. Rather than allowed the fear of the unknown to dampen her ambition, she damned the consequence and built a well furnished farm house to accommodate her family. Then, there was no power, no connecting roads into the community and no water at Ado-Awaye. She took a further step by building the community’s first hand-pumped well-water. “I told myself I wanted to do cassava differently than it was being done at the time, so I decided to meet the farmers where they are, to close the gap,� she said. “I believed I could surmount the challenge of road, power, and human resource.�

Her business model was to get small-holder farmers and transform them into commercial farmers. Although a lot of people told her it was not going to work, she was ready to find out. “I was ready to take the pain,� she said, “it meant no party, no wedding-attending, no aso-ebi; I was just trying to grow the business.�

The first major hurdle the business had to leap was attracting funding from financial institutions. When First Bank asked her to write a business plan, she wrote down her vivid thoughts for the business and plans for growth. The bank executives were impressed.

The lady who approved her loan request drove from Victoria Island in Lagos to Ado-Awaye on the eve of the approval and told her they were investing, not because she had provided collateral, but because she had left everything behind to start the business. “You can’t afford to let it die,� the banker said.

Out of the money she got from the bank, Iranloye decided to take a risk on her local farmers. Psaltry started to buy tractors, herbicides and clustering the farmers into groups to provide them with training. The idea was to help the farmers grow and increase yield, Continued on page 29

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Another Look at the Nigeria Brand Evolving the right template to position Nigeria as a country of opportunities has always been the wish of her drivers. Last week, experts converged in Lagos at the second edition of BRANDish Meeting of Minds to dissect the process. RaheemAkingbolu, who attended the event reports It was a moment of truth and no holding back.

The subject matter - Nigeria perception problem, affected all. At home and abroad, Nigerians are related with suspicion. The country’s stories that appear in the foreign media are nothing but negative. Unfortunately, the local media that should play up the beauties also reels out the negatives as well.

Worried about the embarrassment and how the negative perception is undermining the equity of the Nigeria brand, promoters of BRANDish Meeting of Minds, a periodical workshop on marketing and business activities zeroed in their second edition on how to evolve a right cord for the Nigerian brand. The theme of the workshop was ‘In Search of the Right Purpose for the Nigerian Brand’.

At the event, experts, drawn from core marketing communication agencies and their counterparts who man the corporate affairs of top companies all gathered to share their experiences. Among other things, the expertsadvise Nigeria on the need to define her purpose ease FDI. They also established that creating and amplifying a welldefined purpose for the Nigerian brand would help the country attract foreign direct investment and also ensure global competitiveness. They also called on Nigerians to consume made in Omoyele Okusaga Muhammed Nigeria goods and advised the media to begin He pointed out that the advent of the internet of Prof.BolajiAkinyemi, the country’s external campaign to address observed negatives and to play up the good side of the country. has revolutionised the way humans interact and affairs minister in the 1980s and recommended get the world to see Nigeria differently,’’ Evolving a purposeful Nigerian brand One of the lead speakers at the event and this is gradually changing the Nigerian narrative. that the report should be revisited.

He called for the need to redefine Nigeria’s He also pointed out that conversation around Investment Brand Essence with a view to the Managing Director, LUCENT Consulting, ‘’ There is a constant exchange, interactions, Mr. Lampe Omoyele, advocated for the need import and export of cultures in the digital space. what strengthens Nigeria and which are creating a clear purpose of both appeal and to create a deliberate and consistent purpose Impressions are made and perceptions formed sellable to other parts of the world must be direction. In his view, this must be articulated about our lifestyle; the power of the people aggregated and structured into a thematic in well-thought out above-the-line and belowfor the Nigerian brand.

This, he said has become imperative with the now rests in their hands, on their smartphones. campaign deliberately designed and targeted the-line campaigns that would effectively increasing competition among nations for capital The major drivers of this revolution are digital at critical power and economic centres. communicate the country’s selling-points as Attracting global attention destination, global, regional and sub-regional natives, not tribal natives, the youths, who are well as build and sustain Equity through Another key speaker at the event and the strategic Reputation Management influence, as well as product and cultural willing to collaborate and fight for a common export.He spoke on a paper titled; ‘Evolving cause. They embody the ‘Naija’ spirit, and can Managing Director of The Quadrant Company ‘’Branding Nigerian must take the form be veritable ambassadors for the repositioning MSL, BolajiOkusaga, while presenting a paper of a precise purpose statement with clear A Market-Led Positioning for Nigeria’ titled, “Foreign Direct Investment and the emotional and commercial opportunities. Such ‘’Corruption, poor leadership and infrastructure of Nigeria in the global space,’’ According to him, there is urgent need to Power of Made for Purpose PR,� called for precise purpose statement must embody and deficit have all combined to hamper the journey of Nigeria to becoming a viable nation brand. search, identify and amplify Nigeria’s common a redefinition of Nigeria’s “Investment Brand be a functional summary statement reflecting There is growing need for Nigeria to become purpose with a view to creating a uniform Essence� with a view to creating a clear purpose the direction the country wish to go.Such assertive as a nation of power in Africa and the and consistent narrative around the Nigerian of both appeal and direction. purpose statement must also be reflective of Okusaga admitted that Nigeria has tried and the policy direction of government,’’ world leadership is critical to evolving a strong brand. ‘’For Nigeria to be truly successful in crafting failed in three previous branding projects. ‘’The nation brand. As a result, the country’s leaders On branding, the PR expert further stated that should be the ambassador plenipotentiaries of a strategic positioning a concerted unearthing first was the Giant of Africa project, which Nation branding is usually a long term project the positioning, accentuating the positives. Their of our shared values and amplification, not was an unconscious proposition during the that outlived the government of the day. He actions and body languages should resonate the fabrication, of these truths in a manner that Yakubu Gowon era. pointed out that Nigeria must design it in the This was an Afro-centric proposition – more form of national development plans to ensure the very fabrics of the envisioned brand promises resonates with Nigerians is required. This would involve engaging stakeholders in the a derivative of Foreign Policy. The second was aggregation of economic opportunities as well that Nigeria represents,’’ he said.

In positioning Nigeria as a land of hope and Nigerian enterprise. Participation and convic- the Heart of Africa project which started during as the intangible emotional selling propositions opportunity for business and investment, the tion of the populace in the overall agenda of the second coming of Obasanjo and was a Earlier, the Analyst-in-Chief, BRANDish, expert stated that the development, involve- the country in manners where ideas are not conscious proposition, global in nature and more IkemOkuhu, had pointed that Nigeria should ment and strengthening of the private sector just imposed on them but communicated as of a derivative of Economic and Investment borrow a leave from India in repositioning Policy. The third was the Good People, Great the brand Nigeria. He said the theme of the is important, arguing that the most successful partners in progress is imperative,’’.

In his recommendation, Omoyele reminded his Nation campaign which started during the event was deliberately chosen in line with the nation-state positioning strategies have been audience on the Technical Aids Corps initiative Yar’Adua era as a national a reorientation government aspiration to drop the old toga. driven by public-private partnership.

UNLEASHING LOCAL RESOURCES thereby ensuring that the factory has access to enough raw materials to keep its end of the bargain with buyers. It worked. A farmer who was cultivating one acre of farmland started doing 15 acres. About 2,000 small-holder farmers are now cultivating about 4,000 hectares of land, producing about 60,000 tonnes of cassava per annum. “Before Psaltry, we were only farming to survive,� the Baale of Alayide, Psaltry’s host community, BusariDauda, told THISDAY. “We had no tractors, but our hands and hoes. She encouraged us to farm in commercial quantity.

She bought us improved cassava seeds and we started to farm and see the difference. She dug us a borehole, even before the company started. She also helped us gain government funding. Farming was suffering, but when we started selling to Psaltry, I bought a car the second year. That’s what has encouraged many of us to go into commercial farming.�

Four years after starting production, Psaltry has emerged as one of the biggest cassava processing companies in the country, with two lines that each produce between 20 to 30

tonnes of food grade starch per day; about 10,000 metric tonnes per annum. “We are looking to grow bigger and trying to increase capacity,� Iranloye said. “We have about 300 staff and run this plant non-stop, except when we shut down to clean and do maintenance. We have staff quarters that house about 40 per cent of our total staff. We have a clinic and a canteen that offers employees one free meal per day and we have a small gym where workers can exercise.�

Ask Iranloye, a graduate of Bio-Chemistry at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, and a Masters Degree from the University of Ibadan, to tell you how she has been able to move this far and she will be delighted to state that it was her ability to stay motivated when the odds did not look good.

In a recent encounter with journalists, on the extent of backward integration projects in the real sector, President of MAN, Dr. Frank Jacobs, said: “MAN has gauged the performance of local raw-materials utilisation in the sector over the period 2014-2016, and the outcome

of the survey showed that local sourcing of raw-material increased to 53.17 per cent in 2016 as against 48.75 per cent of 2015 and 47.18 per cent of 2014. The increase has been the highest since 2013 when it was 54.73 per cent. “The beauty of increased investments in backward integration projects by manufacturers is that they would, in the short and long run have positive trickle down effects on foreign exchange (FX) conservation, FX earnings through export proceeds, the demand for US dollars, value of naira, employment and wealth generation “The beauty of increased investments in backward integration projects by manufacturers is that they would, in the short and long run have positive trickle down effects on foreign exchange (FX) conservation, FX earnings through export proceeds, the demand for US dollars, value of naira, employment and wealth generation, etc. “No doubt, local raw-materials development is critical to sustainable growth of the economy and the manufacturing sector. The short-run effect is already being felt. Manufacturers are now able to source more raw-materials locally thereby

conserving FX for importation of other inputs that are not locally available at the moment.

From the recent experience, going back to the old order, whereby companies look within for raw material may be the solution needed to rescue the economy and crash price of goods. In a way, this will also go a long way in positioning Nigeria as a country that is not all about oil and importation.

Speaking at the BRANDish Meeting of Minds in Lagos last week, the Managing Director, LUCENT Consulting, Mr. Lampe Omoyele, captured this mood. Speaking on the paper titled; ‘Evolving A Market-Led Positioning For Nigeria’, Omoyele advocated for the consumption and appreciation of made in Nigeria goods.

While calling on the country to look beyond oil, the expert stated that in developing the positioning strategy for Nigeria, it would help to do a SWOT analysis of the nation, in order to gain insights into what can be. “Nigeria has assets such as our people, music, movies, natural resources, a burgeoning IT industry and more� he stated.

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY AUGUST 17, 2017

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TEXEM, UK Inspires Nigerian Executives on How to Build Innovative Organisations Considering the current difficult economic situation in Nigeria, organisations need to urgently develop strategies that will position them for superior competitive advantage.

Therefore, initiatives that help organisations to stimulate growth by inspiring innovation for superior value creation are very critical. It is on account of this that These Executive Minds (TEXEM), a UK based organisation successfully developed and delivered the executive development programme: ‘Inspiring an Innovative Organisation for Sustainable Competitive Advantage’ on the 26th – 27th July 2017 at the British Deputy High Commissioner’s Residence, Ikoyi, Lagos. The programme was co-lead by world renowned Professor Rodria Laline from Harvard, who is also a visiting Professor at INSEAD and IESE and Clive Carpenter, Vice Chair Business Council for Africa.

Carpenter’s expertise of leading in Africa and Laline’s wealth of knowledge and experience in innovation (she developed the intellectual property that is used in every ATM card and has led many multinationals in almost every continent in the world) was brought to bear.

The programme equipped senior executives and business owners with the requisite skill sets that they require to successfully lay out the strategic direction of their organisations to attain sustainable competitive advantage while offering the opportunity to enhance their social capital and forge fruitful synergies.

Participants explained that the training was essential for organisations as it offered senior executives the opportunity to understand the many vistas of innovation methodologies they can use to provide strategic repositioning of their business, particularly in this critical time as it relates to return on investment, staying afloat and forging ahead.

Laline is the Chair and founder of Intrabond Capital and the company’s international holdings in Asia and has more than 30 years of business experience in the C-level suite of large-cap corporate companies. Professor Rodria said that “nothing more could have added to my challenge as an academic director in board governance programs at Harvard than the turbulent environment facing Nigerian leaders in solving the structural reform agendas which are crucial for growth, economic resilience and the creation of jobs in the country. I am glad that I was able to offer fresh insights that could help organisations succeed in these dire times.�

Carpenter is an international banker, a trustee, an independent non-executive Director and a corporate governance specialist. Carpenter echoed the sentiments of participants and said that he considered “TEXEM’s various programmes to be immensely valuable to executives and offers organisations via their directors, practicable frameworks to help stimulate superlative performance and acquire competitive advantage that endures.�

The programme was at-

tended by reputable senior executives from different business sectors in the country, both public and private. Participants attended from Central Bank of Nigeria, Access Bank, Planet Projects Ltd., NNPC, Petroleum Equalisation Fund Management, Age Consult Ltd., Businessday, Tilimanjaro Nig. Ltd., Nigerdock, Polaris Digital, THISDAY, and NIRSAL. The programme commenced with networking and registration of delegates at 8 am. After which, the Head of Prosperity Fund and Deputy Head of Mission, British Deputy High Commission, Andrew Davidson and Chair of TEXEM, UK, Dr. Alim Abubakre delivered the welcome remarks. First, Clive Carpenter led an interactive session on ‘Strategies that Have Succeeded and Failed in Africa.

A session on strategies for inspiring and developing an innovative organisation was the next event of the day, delivered

by Prof. Laline. Laline thereafter, presented ‘Optimising DecisionMaking Process in the Midst of Uncertainty’.

In her presentation, Laline said: “At all occasions in Nigeria where TEXEM invited me, I was extremely pleased with the many enthusiastic references to the well-run organisations.

TEXEM deepens and increases the insight of delegates in the complex issues of corporate governance, innovation, and leadership. TEXEM invest responsibly in the sustainable development of its leaders and the leadership in Nigeria.�

Subsequently, Carpenter presented some interesting case studies of businesses that had succeeded in Africa as well as those that have failed and, with the active engagement of delegates; he analysed the key factors contributing to both business success and failure on the African ContinentThereby drawing out lessons.

Carpenter said: “Through this programme, participants were able to learn how to build a culture of creativity, lead successful innovation initiatives in different areas of their organisation and target areas that require strategic advancement to achieve breakthrough performance for sustainable competitive advantage.�

The final segment of the day involved a brain storming session on the organisations that have successfully implemented innovation and attained competitive advantage chaired by Abubakre and presented by Carpenter and Laline.

The programme continued on Thursday the 27th of July, 2017 and was co-delivered

by Prof Rodria Laline and Clive Carpenter who were both impressive in their sessions. They consolidated the previous day’s discourse by offering actionable insights to participants on strategies for developing an innovative organisation and how to develop an innovative culture for competitive advantage. Also, through this capacity development programme, participants said that they developed fresh perspectives into how to foster agility across their organisations. Furthermore, delegates explained that they were able to challenge assumptions about how to successfully manage

the training center. It’s good to know that I don’t have to travel abroad to have this type of training. The facilitators have been fantastic. I think I am going to recommend that some of my colleagues that have not been here should please give it a try, they would really enjoy it�, said -Dele Adewunmi, Head Internal Audit Petroleum Equalisation Fund Management Board. “I’m really glad to have taken this course. I sincerely recommend TEXEM’s courses.

You will be made better if you attend their courses�, Elizabeth Agu, Branch Controller, Central Bank of Nigeria Asaba. “Before this session, I had never heard of TEXEM, but after

organisational politics for excellent results and learn different approaches to optimising the decision making process in the midst of uncertainty.

The programme ended with the presentation of certificates by the faculties, the CEO of TEXEM and the Director for International Trade, West Africa, John Woodruffe. This executive education programme provided the platform for high-level executive networking, and it was successful, given the very positive remarks provided by the participants at the end of the programme. Excerpts of the feedback from some delegates include: “I love the networking; I love

this session, there are a lot of things I’m taking away from here. In Nigeria, you don’t really have this level of exposure, but the fact that TEXEM has brought in personnel that has broad experience overseas to Nigeria to show us things on competence is a very significant addition. I see that there is a lot of value�, Agu added.

Also Adebola Adesoye, Head HSEQ Nigerdock commented: “I am very pleased to have attended this training. It’s been quite interesting, and I will recommend it to my colleagues.� It’s been insightful and educative. -Niyi Okuboyejo.

CEO Polaris Group.

Head, Group Project Management Courses, Access Bank, Ms.

Barong Taiwo commented: “I have participated in this programme, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. What was particularly interesting to me was the part about innovation and how they can be applied in the organisation and even in the country at large. These sessions have been very stimulating. I will truly recommend this to anybody as the sessions are really value adding.� “The training has been very insightful. I will highly recommend this training to all executives in Nigeria to attend�, said Executive Director, Operations, Nigeria Incentive Based Risk Sharing System Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), Kennedy Nwaruh.

COURTESY CALL

L-R: President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Olusola Teniola and CEO, MainOne, Ms Funke Opeke, during ATCON’s courtesy visit to MainOne in Lagos...recently

Executive Order: NPA Inaugurates Experts Link Nigeria’s Economic Vibrancy to Entrepreneurship 24/7 Emergency Clinic Eromosele Abiodun The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has inaugurated a 24hour emergency clinic to cater for health concerns in order to ensure effective implementation of the Executive Order on the ease of doing business at ports. The Managing Director of the NPA, Hadiza BalaUsman, who declared open the clinic located at Apapa Port Complex (LPC) for operations assured stakeholders that the NPA management would not relent in its firm resolve at bringing dividends of good governance and administration to the ports community at large.

She said the establishment of the clinic was in consonance with the organisation’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy as well as a commitment to excellence on the side of the organisation’s workforce.

She told stakeholders that optimal attention is paid by the NPA management to their health challenges which is expected to lead to greater efficiency and revenue generation for the nation. A healthy nation, she stated, is a wealthy

nation.

The NPA boss added that the NPA management would strive to achieve the utilisation of appreciable level of modern applications and equipment at the clinic in other to keep up with current global trends in health matters.

Bala-Usman therefore appealed to port users to avail themselves of the facility adding that, �we have to sustain this efforts subsequently.�

Furthermore, the NPA boss told stakeholders, that it is for the reason of prompt response to casualties, the clinic was conceptualised, noting that matters concerning safety and sound mind of port users were paramount in the operational thrust of the NPA management.

She emphasised and challenged staff to contribute most meaningfully and relevantly towards making the NPA a model agency.

Stakeholders at the event jointly commended the management equally for exemplary and competent qualities as exhibited across board.

They assured the NPA management of collaboration and synergy when required.

Raheem Akingbolu Top business owners and financial analysts, including the Chairman, Sahara Group, Mr. Tonye Cole and CEO, Tink Africa, Mr. Franklin Ozekhome, have predicted a positive rise in Nigeria’s economics graph in the years ahead. They spoke at the 2017 edition of Co-Working Conference held recently in Lagos and tasked people within the working bracket to embrace entrepreneurship.

Cole, who was a guest speaker at the event, established that the only way Nigeria and Africa can catch up with other nations of the world economically is for young people to work together as entrepreneurs , as they conceptualise having their businesses. According to him, many people successful people like him are not from Nigeria yet the country has far more talents than other countries in Africa. “We shouldn’t go to sleep as if the rest of Africa is asleep,� he admonished. “They are challenging us and are moving fast.

The continent has realised that entrepreneurship is the only way. They are seeking new opportunities because they

realise they need to move forward,� he said.

In his presentation titled: Future of The Co-World, Ozekhome said it is important to understand the consumer when co-creating. “The brand must have a purpose, something that a consumer must feel that they are a part of. We have to look at what communities are creating for a better understanding of the consumer.

You can no longer base consumers on their age or location.

We need to create an ecosystem where the product is already embedded in the service. How can we trigger the evolution of consumerism?�

The event bought together global experts, entrepreneurs, investors, service providers, and leading figures in Nigeria’s Coworking industry, who explored the drivers of the growth in Coworking spaces in Nigeria, and the opportunities and value being created Earlier, the Creator, CoWorking Conference Nigeria and founder/CEO, Venia, Mr. Kola Oyeneyin, had said in his welcome address that co-working spaces are the future of work places in the world.

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BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

Harnessing the FoI Act for Transparency, Devt AbimbolaAkosile looks at the impact an effective implementation of the Freedom of Information Act can have on transparent governance and development in Nigeria, as spearheaded by a civil society organisation CAFSO-WRAG for Development, with support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) For twelve years, the Freedom of Information Act suffered setbacks from the legislators before it was passed into law in May 2011 by then President Goodluck Jonathan. Its major purpose is to guarantee citizens’ rights to information.

According to the FoIA, 2011 Explanatory Memorandum “The Act makes public records and information more freely available, provide for public access to public records and information, protect public records and information to the extent consistent with the public interest and the protection of personal privacy, protect serving public officers from adverse consequences for disclosing certain kinds of official information without authorisation and establish procedures for the achievement of those purposes.�

FoIA falls under the specific context of the right-to-know and the rights to information as enshrined in international human rights law and widely recognised in democratic states.

The right to seek and receive information is protected expressly in Article 19 of both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Points to Ponder In a welcome/keynote address by the Principal Coordinator, CAFSO-WRAG for Development, Dr. Tola Winjobi during a two-day training for principal officers of some Ministries on FoIA, supported by OSIWA, which took place in May in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, he noted that Nigeria cannot be an exception among the states (countries) implementing FoIA while the local states (36 of them) cannot distance themselves from its implementation.

According to Winjobi, “Nigerians need the right to access information without conditions attached. However, since the act was signed into law six years ago, there is an increasing relatively moderate level of awareness of the FoIA among members of the public in Nigeria and especially in the southwest geo-political zone that is taking the lead in the implementation.

The situation is worse across the country as many public servants are not aware of the Act while those that are aware do not know the import of the Act.�

To him, “In spite of the laudable and noble objectives of the FoI Act, there has been a lot of challenges towards the effective and efficient implementation of the FoI Act. Among such challenges are: poor record keeping, unwillingness on the part of government officials to accept the new information regime, attorney-generals’ ignorance, and conflicting judgments from the judiciary.� “CAFSO-WRAG for Development, supported

by OSIWA, believes that there is the need for robust and sustained interventions on the provision of Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) by strengthening FoIA institutions for the promotion of Nigerian citizens’ unfettered access to public records and information for transparency and accountability�, he added.

Crucial Recommendations Winjobi stressed the need to create periodic dialogues and synergy on FoIA implementation among the key stakeholders including the judiciary staff, the office of the Attorney-General, principal officers of the Ministries Department and Agencies, the legislators, Nigerian Bar Association, the CSOs and the media.

He also underlined the need to facilitate policy interface between the judiciary staff, legislators and legal professionals on one hand, and also build the advocacy skills of the CSOs and the Media, and strengthen the skills of key public officials on Freedom of Information Act 2011 so as to facilitate citizens’ greater access to information, and promote transparency and accountability in government.

Also, in another welcome address at a Town Hall meeting for stakeholders on FoIA, held in July at Ibadan Business School, Ibadan, Oyo State, Winjobi said, “Since Nigerians have the right to know and they have the right to

Knowledge is power! request for public documents in public interest, governments are enjoined to provide an enabling environment for Nigerian citizens to make request without being unnecessarily denied access to such public records within the purview of the FoIA.�

He urged governments, in line with Section 13 of the FoI Act 2011, to organise “appropriate training for government officials on public right to access information or records held by government or public institutions as provided for in the Act because no state government has ever done this training.�

To him, this training would equip public officials with the necessary skills in relating with the public and providing appropriate records for requesters and in turning down requests within the provisions of Act. Officers dealing with FoIA would therefore be able to develop and maintain proper record keeping for easy access to information by members of the public. He called on State actors to entrench the culture of openness while the political class should be sensitised on the need to embrace FoIA in order to improve the image of the government. “If transparency is the hallmark of democracy, governments should be open and accountable to the Nigerian citizens�, he added.

www.connecteddevelopment.org Other Tips Among other recommendations, Winjobi called for repeal of conflicting and inconsistent laws impeding implementation of the FoIA to allow for its effective workability across the nation while the judiciary should synergise pronouncements and refrain from churning out conflicting judgments arising from FoIA litigation.

He sought for partnership between CSOs, media and public officials to be strengthened for the successful implementation of the FoIA in Nigeria. To him, “the obsolete Official Secret Act which gags the civil servants should be expunged in all our statute books, while clampdown on media, which is a reminder of obnoxious Decree 24, should be repudiated.� “Government should be seen as seriously prosecuting the anti-graft war with stringent sentencing not minding whose ox is gored rather than being selective in apprehending political oppositions or the perceived enemies of the government for prosecution. “Plea bargaining may not be the best approach as it encourages public officials to amass more wealth and being left off the hook at the payment of a fine that is not commensurate to what has been stolen. Outright jail coupled with

forfeiture of the ill-gotten wealth would serve a better option in order to serve as deterrent to other intending kleptomaniacs�, Winjobi recommended.

He called for the banning of the political class and public officials from undertaking international medical tourism “as this attitude belies the government’s policy of patronising made in Nigerian products. Our policy-makers, especially the executive and the legislators, should be made to benefit from infrastructural decay they are making policies on so that they can make all-inclusive better policies for all. “The executive arm of the government should cause the National Assembly members to publish what they earn. Secrecy on the jumbo pay package of these law makers negates the letters and intendment of the FoIA�, he added.

According to the development activist, “over 100 million Nigerians are suffering from poverty yet these lawmakers are feeding fat on the commonwealth of all Nigerians who are suffering amidst plenty.�

If the provisions of the FoI Act are followed and implemented for the benefit of the majority of the citizenry, Nigeria will be a better place and there would be equitable development for all. That is a crucial goal.

RANDOM THOTS Sacred Looters Ă™Ă™ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹ĂœĂž Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒÙĂ?Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă™ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă•Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂž Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă’Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă•Ă“Ă–Ă–Ă? ÞÙ Ă—Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă’ ÞÒĂ? Ă’Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ă–ĂŁĚ‹ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă– Ă‹ĂœĂžĂ“Ă?ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹ĂœĂžĂ“Ă?ĂžĂ?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă?ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ë› Ă™ Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă–ĂŁĂ?ĂžĂ?Ëœ Ă“Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă˜Ă?Ă‹ĂœĚ‹Ă“Ă—ĂšĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă“ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹ ĂšĂ™Ă™Ăœ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ ÞÙ ĂŒĂ? Ă‹ ÖÙÙÞĂ?Ăœ Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ëž ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă—Ă? ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁ Ă“Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă Ă“ĂœĂžĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ó×ÚÙĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹ Ă’Ă&#x;Ă˜Ě‹ Ă‘ĂœĂŁ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ ÞÙ ĂŒĂ? Ă‹ ĂŒĂ“Ă‘Ě‹ĂžĂ“Ă—Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ? ÙÓÖ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă˜Ě‹ Ă•Ă?ĂœĂ?ĂœË› Ă’Ă™Ă?Ă? ÞåÙ Ă Ă™Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ? ÞÒĂ? Ă?âĂ?Ă–Ă&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă Ă? ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă’ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ?Ă–Ă–Ě‹Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ă?Þ̋ Ă?ĂŽËœ Ă?Ù×Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă Ă?Ë› Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă?ÓÞÓäĂ?Ă˜Ă? ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă–Ă™Ă™ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă? Ă’Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ? Ă™Ă? ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? ĂŽĂ™Ă–Ă–Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă“ĂšĂ’Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ Ùà Ă?Ăœ ÞÒĂ? ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂŒĂŁ ÒÓÑÒÖã̋ÚÖËĂ?Ă?ĂŽ ÑÙà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ě‹

Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž ÙʊĂ?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ÞËĂ?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ?Ă“Ă‘Ă˜ Ă‹Ă?Ě‹ Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ë› ÙåĂ?Ă Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă? ÞÒÙĂ?Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ă Ă™Ă–Ă Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹ĂœĂ? ÞÙÙ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă‘Ă™ ÞÙ Ă”Ă‹Ă“Ă–Ëœ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂž Ă™Ă? Ă–Ă™Ă™ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ó×ÚÖã Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă–ĂŒĂ?Ă“Ăž Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹ Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂŒĂžĂ–Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă‘Ă“Ă Ă?Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ăž ÑÙà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžËŞĂ? ĂĄĂ‹Ăœ Ă‹Ă‘Ă‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă™ĂœĂœĂ&#x;ĂšĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁËœ Ă?Ă™Ă–Ă–Ă™ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ ĂœĂ?Ă?ÎÙ× Ă™Ă?

Ă˜Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ě™ Ă™ Ěš Ă?Ă&#x;Ă“Ăž ĂŒĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’Ăž ĂŒĂŁ Ă™Ă?ÓÙ̋ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă™Ă—Ă“Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă’ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĚ‹ Ă‹ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă“ĂžĂŁ ĂœĂ™Ă”Ă?Ă?Ăž Ě™ Ěš Ă‹Ă‘Ă‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ăž ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ‹Ă– Ùà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžËœ Ă‹ Ă?ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ‹Ă– Ă“Ă‘Ă’ Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂž Ă”Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă? Ă’Ă‹ĂŽËœ Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ ĂœĂ&#x;Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă?ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ‹Ă– ÑÙà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž ÞÙ ËŤĂ“Ă—Ă—Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă–ĂŁ ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? ÞÙ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă&#x;Ăž ÞÒĂ? Ă˜Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă’Ă“Ă‘Ă’ ĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂšĂ&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă? ÙʊĂ?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— åÒÙ× ĂšĂ&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ? ĂĄĂ?ĂœĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ùà Ă?ĂœĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ?

Ă?Ă“ĂœĂ?Ă&#x;Ă—Ă?ĂžĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ăœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ? ĂĄĂ?ĂœĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ùà Ă?ĂœĂ?ĂŽËœ Ă‹Ă? ĂĄĂ?Ă–Ă– Ă‹Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?âËĂ?Ăž Ă‹Ă—Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ùà Ă?ĂœĂ?ĂŽ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă’ ĂšĂ&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă? ÙʊĂ?ÓËÖ˛ˏ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă? ÞÒËÞ Ă”Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂĄĂ‹Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă Ă?ĂœĂ?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŁËœ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜Ă˘Ă“Ă™Ă&#x;Ă?Ă–ĂŁ åËÓÞ̋ Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ Ă?Ă?Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ę¨ĂœĂ?Ăž Ă–Ă“Ă?Ăž Ă™Ă? ÖÙÙÞĂ?ĂœĂ? ÞÒËÞ ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ? ĂœĂ™Ă–Ă–Ă?ĂŽ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăž ĂŒĂŁ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă?ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ‹Ă– ÑÙà ̋ Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžËœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă’Ă‹Ă? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă—Ă“Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă?Ù×ÚÖã åÓÞÒ ÞÒĂ? Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ?Ăœ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂžË› ÙåĂ?Ă Ă?ĂœËœ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă?ĂŁĂ˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹Ă– Ă?ÓÞÓäĂ?Ă˜Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă Ă? Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–ĂšĂœĂ“ĂžĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂž Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂœĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă‹ĂŽĚ‹ Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹ĂœĂ? ÞÙÙ Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂœĂ?ĂŽ ÞÙ ĂŒĂ? Ă?âÚÙĂ?Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ?ĂŽË› Ă™ ÞÒÓĂ? Ă‘ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;ĂšËœ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă’ ĂĄĂ‹Ă“Ăž Ă—Ă‹ĂŁ ĂŒĂ? Ă?Ă˜ĂŽĂ–Ă?Ă?Ă?˛˛˛Ă?Ă‹ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă‹ĂœĂ“Ă™ Ě‹Abimbola Akosile

33

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ ÍŻÍľËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

Ëš

Voting process in Nigeria; for all types of candidates

Can Independent Candidates Improve Governance?

Among the constitutional amendments voted in by the legislators at the National Assembly was the issue of independent candidates during elections in Nigeria. Although some argue that such candidates may be overwhelmed by established party structures in the contest for elective positions, others believe such candidates will not carry excess baggage and party obligations into office when elected, and will thus perform optimally to ensure good governance and fulfil campaign promises.

From your viewpoint, can independent candidates improve the governance process in Nigeria?

THE FEEDBACK

Abimbola Akosile * Can Nigerians vote for independent candidates who are not willing to buy votes?

Let’s resolve that question before tackling the expected performance of these candidates.

How does an independent candidate with limited financial power square up against other candidates being sponsored by political parties with access to limitless public funds?

Nigeria’s political evolution should start from the strengthening of its electoral laws as well as clearly defining how political activities can be financed.

- Mr. Yommi Oni, Paris, France

Yes, they can:

7

No, they can’t:

1

Others:

3

Radical tip:

Same set!

Number of respondents:

11

Male:

10

Female:

1

Highest location:

Lagos (3)

* No. Independent candidates like Perot and Trump in America, throw misguided public utterances drawing violent reactions e.g. in Los Angeles e.t.c leaving much to be desired.

Perot, an expert with figures, defended the year’s budget he claimed to know very much about so badly and failed with human relations.

Trump too claimed to have studied the Iran nuclear deal in greater detail than almost anybody, his reaction to North Korea’s empty threats e.t.c. are absurd. No to independent candidates, simple.

- Miss Apeji Patience Eneyeme, Badagry, Lagos State

act without undue interference. They stuck to established vital party structures, focus, free mind etc.

- Mr. Apeji Onesi, Lagos State

* Obviously, independent candidates will definitely improve governance in our today’s Nigeria. These are people who have the country and the citizens at heart and are ready to use the resources and the talents garnered to better their lots. The problem they will face is our tribalism, sectionalism and the worst, religion; otherwise such people should be encouraged as it will prove our maturity in politics.

- Hon. Babale Maiungwa, U/Romi, Kaduna * Yes, they often make the difference, even in advanced climes. All men are created equal; the creator allows them equal access to life, liberty, happiness and societal functions. Money bags bring their actions and experiences in business to bear in governance variously. Pragmatists like: Perot - America; Urlashov - Russia; Kazuko - Japan; and Lassalle – France, all contested and excelled independently. They are self-sponsored and patriotically independent with freedom to

* The proposed independent candidate for elective position is long overdue because some parties pick their candidates with favouritism, without knowing whether the candidate will perform if elected or not. We must support an Independent Candidate bill to sail through into law. There are many Nigerians who are interested in politics but the way parties do their things, they decline their ambition of becoming leaders. Independent candidacy will make parties to amend their ways.

- Mr. Gordon Chika Nnorom, Public Commentator, Umukabia, Abia State * The issue of independent candidates partaking in our elections is an idea whose time has come. It frees would-be public office holders from extortionist-fees political parties collect in the name of filling nomination forms and such things. In addition, it empowers women and youth. I take you to the Balkans for a good example. Atifete Jahjaga served as President of Kosovo, with accolades from 2011 to 2016; she got elected as the first female leader of her country, the first independent candidate so elected, taking power before she saw her 36th birthday.

- Mr. E. Iheanyi Chukwudi, B.A.R., Apo, Abuja * Independent candidate will let us look at the contribution Dangote is contributing towards development of this country and Africa. In terms of creating job opportunities, employment of graduates and other trades

etc., I strongly believe being an independent candidate the electorate will vote such a person in over-whelmingly. Such people will bring the desired governance. Ross Perot contested US presidency as an independent candidate; Bill Clinton got picked as the best candidate over George Bush Snr. in 1992. The electorates were forced to focus and concentrate on better choices to emerge.

- Mr. Dogo Stephen, Kaduna * If we cannot get governance right through party’s base politics, suitable with our multiethnic and cultural nature, independent candidacy may worsen it, making the entire populace a political candidate.

- Mr. George Emeka Nwani, Port Harcourt, Rivers State * If it’s the same candidates that are going to be contesting, then there won’t be a difference. The problem we have is that even if you bring the best possible leadership the nation has to offer, the corrupt, slow and inefficient system will put such leadership in its place. Doing things differently in Nigeria is extremely difficult. However, strengthening the efforts at plugging the various leakages in government will go a long way in cleaning up our institutions.

- Mr. Buga Dunj, Jos, Plateau State * I personally think independent candidates can make a difference in delivery of good governance in Nigeria; as long as the political parties allow them a level playing ground.

At the end of the day, personality may eventually overcome money politics, and those who eventually emerge without the excess baggage of party obligations, will have no hindrances or challenges in ensuring and delivering good governance to all citizens, without fear or favour.

- Mr. Olumuyiwa Olorunsomo, Lagos State * An independent politician is an individual politician not affiliated with any political party. This is a recurrent feature in the Federal Parliament of Australia and they are more commonly elected to state parliaments.

There have been up to five independents in every Federal Parliament since 1990, and independents have won twenty-eight times during national elections in that time. On

one hand, we have governance, meaning the joint management of society by co-opted elite, on the model of business corporations. On the other side, the traditional system called ‘democracy’ means the people’s choice of leaders through free and fair elections. Thus, independent candidates will definitely improve transparency, accountability, reduce cost, and allow easy development of the country, which will tailored to delivery of quick plans, improving administration, management, promoting peace, democracy, and it will also increase performance of the voted-in candidates because the systems will not be too cumbersome and help to foster cordial relationship with the citizens, comparative advantage of selections of officers, and help in nation building peace, achievement; thus helping to improve continuity, democracy and development.

- Mr. Michael Adedotun Oke, Founder Michael Adedotun Oke Foundation, Apo, Abuja

Next Week: Are Women Truly Better Change Agents? ÖÞÒÙĂ&#x;Ă‘Ă’ ÞÒÓĂ? Ă’Ă‹Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă˜ Ă‹ Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ĂœĂ‘Ă&#x;Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžËœ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă–ĂŁĂ?ĂžĂ? ĂŒĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă Ă? åÙ×Ă?Ă˜ Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ— ĂŒĂ?ÞÞĂ?Ăœ Ă“Ă˜ ÚÙĂ?Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă–Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă’Ă“ĂšËœ ÞÙ ĂŽĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă Ă?Ăœ Ă™Ă˜ Ă?âÚĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ? ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă?ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ăž ÑÙÙÎ ÑÙà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ÓÞÓäĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ëž Ă“Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă–ĂŁ ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ě‹Ă?ÙÖÕ ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ËÖÖÙå ÞÒĂ?Ă— Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? ÞÙ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă’ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă‹Ă– ÚÙĂ?Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă?Ă“Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă? ÞÒËÞ åÙ×Ă?Ă˜ Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ? Ă?Ù××ÓÞÞĂ?ĂŽ ÞÙ ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚ×Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ ĂžĂœĂ&#x;Ă–ĂŁ ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă? Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ? ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ă˜ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ă—Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ?Ë› Ă™ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă? åÓÞÒ ÞÒÓĂ? ÚÙĂ?Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă™Ăœ Ă“Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă”Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă‹ ×ãÞÒˣ Ă–Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă? ĂŽĂ“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžËœ Ă?Ă’Ă™ĂœĂž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ó×ÚÖĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ÞËÞĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă– Ă˜Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ëœ ÞÓÞÖĂ?Ëœ Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂŒĂ?ÞåĂ?Ă?Ă˜ ÞÙÎËã Ě™ Ă&#x;Ă‘ ÍŻÍľ Ęś Ă™Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁËœ Ă&#x;Ă‘ Í°ÍŻĚš ÞÙ abimbolayi@yahoo.com, greatbimbo@ gmail.comËœ abimbola.akosile@ thisdaylive.comË› Ă?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹ Ă?Ă’Ă™ĂœĂž ĂžĂ?âÞ Ă—Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă‘Ă? ÞÙ 08023117639 Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽËš Ă™Ăœ 08188361766 Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽËšĂ™Ăœ 08114495306Ë› ÙÖÖËÞĂ?ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? ĂšĂ&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ Ă’Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁËœ Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ͰͲ

34

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͯ͵˜ Ͱͮͯ͵

BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

Time for vital remediation; preliminary work at Wharf Road, Apapa, Lagos

ABIMBOLA AKOSILE

UN Urges Nigerian Youths to Shun Hate Speeches, Violence Youths, key to building sustainable peace, says YIAGA Senator Iroegbu and Alex Enumah in Abuja The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has called on youths in the country to shun activities capable of destabilising and destroying the nation, and rather engage in activities that would promote the unity and peace of Nigeria.

The advice was coming on the heels of heightened tension and disintegration being promoted by some youths across the country.

The world body also advised governments at all levels to include the youths in peace building efforts as well as making them part of decisionmaking if the nation’s drive towards sustainable peace and development must be achieved.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark this year’s International Youth Day in Abuja recently, UNDP Country Director, Samuel

Bwalya, while addressing the String B, Batch A, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), noted that the theme: ‘Youth Building Peace’, was more apposite to the current situation in the country, where youths across the six geo-political zones were at the centre of agitations for secession, quit notices, restiveness, violence and crime.

While noting that not all youths display negative tendencies, Bwalya called for a situation where conscious efforts would be made at harnessing the huge potentials in them.

“Our presence this morning, to address over 2,000 graduate youth in Nigeria, is recognition that you are powerful agents of change and that your inclusion in the peace and security agenda is critical to building and sustaining peace in Nigeria”, he said.

Bwalya, who was represented

by the agency’s head, Governance and Peace Building, Adams Bergman, disclosed that the UNDP in realisation of the crucial role of youths in peace building went into partnership with NYSC; to explore sustainable mechanisms for engaging highly educated Nigerian youths to acquire conflict prevention and peace building skills.

He also advised that Corps members and youths should be exposed to skills acquisition that would enable them contribute meaningfully in the promotion of peace and stability in Nigerian communities.

“The NYSC is a unique platform that can mobilise youth for peace, and help reverse the negative trends of violent conflicts with attendant loss of lives and property in Nigeria”, he said.

“The process of social inclusion for youth, including

goals.

According to a statement issued in Abuja by Mr. Moshood Isa of the Initiative to commemorate the recent annual youth day celebration, since the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2250 in 2015, there is growing recognition that as agents of change, young people are critical actors in conflict prevention and sustaining peace.

“International Youth Day 2017 is dedicated to celebrating young people’s contributions to conflict prevention and transformation as well as inclusion, social justice, and sustainable peace. Young people’s leadership and roles in preventing and resolving conflict, violence and extremism are rich resources essential to achieving sustainable peace.

“Young people are agents of change, and their contributions should be actively supported,

solicited and regarded as essential to building peaceful communities and supporting democratic governance and transition”, the statement read.

In celebrating the International Youth Day, YIAGA recognises that in order for Nigeria to succeed in achieving the sustainable peace, governments must seek out an active and substantive engagement of young women and men from diverse backgrounds in inclusive decision making and participation in democracy as a means of building peace.

While commending the passage of the constitutional amendments by the National Assembly in Nigeria to reduce the age for contesting elections, YIAGA joined its voice to the demands of young people in Nigeria to increase commitment and investment and also increase youth participation and partnerships in peace-building.

powered streets light to other towns in the second phase.

Speaking earlier, the National President, Licensed Electrical Contractors Association of Nigeria, Chief Akintola said he was at the Government House to acquit the governor about the readiness of some investors to build solar power stations in the state. He appealed to Governor Ahmed to consider the proposal and provide two

hundred and fifty hectares of land for the project, saying that the project would create employment opportunities for the teeming youths and boost the state economy.

Akintola added that the United Nations (UN) was supportive of states or countries investing in the reduction of environmental pollution and appealed to the governor to buy into the proposal.

participation in decision-making as well as access to quality education, health care basic services, promotes their role as active contributors to society, and affords young people the opportunities to reach their potential and achieve their goals”, he added.

In a related development, the Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth, and Advocacy (YIAGA) has called for young people’s inclusion in the peace and security agenda and in society, as key to building and sustaining peace.

The process of social inclusion for youth, according to YIAGA, includes participation in decision-making as well as access to quality education, health care, and basic services promote their role as active contributors to society and afford young people with opportunities to reach their potential and achieve their

Kwara Deploys Solar Energy to Boost Economic Activities Hammed Shittu in Ilorin The Kwara State government has said it has deployed solar energy systems to villages, small scale businesses and key government establishments to boost electricity supply and enhance economic activities in the state.

Already the state government said the first phase of Light up Kwara is ongoing with the

street lights across major roads within Ilorin metropolis, and promised to extend the solar powered street lights to other towns in the second phase.

The State governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, who disclosed this when he received the National President, Licensed Electrical Contractors Association of Nigeria, Chief Dele Akintola at the Government House, Ilorin recently, said

the move would provide an alternative source of energy supply to critical sectors instead of waiting endlessly for energy supply through the current hydro-thermal energy source.

According to him “those to benefit from the proposed solar energy systems include Water Corporation, hospitals, villages, small businesses and isolated critical government areas.

Energy is the most important

ingredient and determinant of economic growth and development of any country in the world.”

The governor explained that Nigeria was lagging behind in its energy supply needed for industrialisation. He noted that already the first phase of Light up Kwara is ongoing with the streets light across major roads within Ilorin metropolis and promised to extend the solar

35

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͯ͵˜ Ͱͮͯ͵

BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Wearechangingthefinancialprofileofthecountryand of course, taxation is in the forefront.Ourvisionisto ensurethatthegovernments, atall levels have enough resourcestoprovideessentialfacilitiesto everyone.We are also movingawayfrom taxesbasedsolelyonoilthatarenotpredictable to non-oil taxes” - EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF THE FEDERAL INLAND REVENUE SERVICE (FIRS), BABATUNDE FOWLER, SPEAKING AT THE 138TH MEETING OF THE JOINT TAX BOARD (JTB) IN ABUJA

USAID to Launch Research Report on Cassava,Yam Flour, Ginger Production in Nigeria Women farmers advocate budget increase to agric in Bauchi Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja and Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

Bauchi Declares Dass LGA as Open Defecation Free First out of 70 LGAs in six states Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi The Bauchi state government has declared Dass Local Government Area in the state as Open Defecation Free (ODF); thus becoming the first LGA out of the 70 LGAs in the six Sanitation, Hygiene, and Water in Nigeria (SHAWN) project states in the country.

The Secretary to the Bauchi State Government (SSG), Muhammad Nadada Umar said with the declaration of Dass LGA as defecation free, it also became the second out of the 774 LGAs as ODF in the country.

At a press briefing in Bauchi recently, Alhaji Umar described the achievement as a remarkable milestone in the implementation of the Department for International Development/United Nations Children Fund (DfID/ UNICEF) project in the state.

“This means that the right steps and accreditation procedures have been completed in Dass LGA for its conferment of the status of zero open defecation in all its 351 communities, including institutions (schools and PHCs) and public places (markets and motor parks).”

He disclosed that arrangements are ongoing for a grand national celebration, to be led by the Minister of Water Resources, to be hosted by Governor Mohammed Abubakar sometime in the last quarter of the year, where the minister would present a certificate to Dass LG and the State.

Umar revealed that Warji and Gamawa LGAs are also on the verge of attaining the ODF status probably before the end of the year, and called on all concerned stakeholders to work assiduously towards achieving the desired goal.

The SSG therefore appealed to all the other LGAs in the state to remain focused on the state roadmap for the attainment of the state-wide ODF by 2025 in the collective efforts towards of the WASH Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He commended the commitment, support and efforts of Governor Abubakar, UNICEF,

Rural toilet facilities to curb open defecationa DfID, FMOWR, Emir of Dass and his council, as well as Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and all stakeholders who contributed to the actualisation of the dream come true.

Also speaking at the occasion, the permanent secretary, RUWASSA, Garba Babaji Magaji said the SHAWN project was aimed at accelerating and sustaining progress in safe excreta disposal, adoption of basic safe hygiene practices and access to safe water, thereby reducing water and sanitation related diseases.

He recalled that the project which started with three LGAs of Dass, Gamawa and Warji in 2010, had by 2016 expanded to ten LGAs with additional seven LGAs of Shira, Toro, Bogoro, Ganjuwa, Zaki, Katagum and Bauchi.

Alhaji Magaji noted that at the inception of the project, open defecation was considered a normal and general practice; traditional and cultural beliefs inhibited, to a taboo level, the provision and usage of toilets.

“Personal hygiene, especially menstrual hygiene was at its lowest, women and children, especially the girl child, spend most of their time searching for water, from mostly unsafe sources, and water and sanitation related diseases, such as diarrhea, typhoid, cholera, etc were highly prevalent”, he added.

Garba said however that sanitation intervention was adopted as entry point of project implementation that offered potential to deliver behaviour change through creating a feeling of shame and disgust among community members on the implication of their behaviours.

“This gingers the whole communities into spontaneous action and commitment to end their unsafe sanitation and hygiene behaviours, and end open defecation, through the construction, usage and management of toilets, not only at household level but also in schools, health centres, markets, motor parks and other public places,” he added.

The Nigeria Expanded Trade and Transport (NEXTT) project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced the launch of eight model business/industry studies for processing, export and subsequent development of their value chains in Nigeria. The commodities are cassava, ginger, kenaf, moringa, sesame, shea, soya milk and yam flour.

They form a great deal of staple food consumed across Nigeria as well as export market. But processing of these commodities has remained at the primary and crude level, limiting the massive inherent gains available across the entire value chain if well managed, hence the need for the industry study.

The industry studies, which were carried out by leading Nigerian Business Development Service Providers (BDSPs) were conducted to resolve financing barrier that prevents potential investments in value addition for these commodities, which will result in creating thousands of jobs as well as increasing productivity and income of smallholder farmers across Nigeria.

The industry studies were fully funded by the Project Development Facility (PDF) managed

by NEXTT to also provide seed funding for early-stage project development, and unlock significant amounts of private investment and financing for value chain development.

The manuals are expected to catalyse private investments required to drive these value chains; thereby improving the competitiveness of Nigerian agro-industries in both domestic and international markets.

According to NEXTT Chief of Party, Marc Shiman, “There are remarkable unexploited opportunities in many of Nigeria’s agricultural value chains for entrepreneurs to take advantage of, and the more these opportunities are exploited, the more jobs will be created, foreign exchanged earned, industries modernised, and competitiveness increased. By providing these turn-key solutions, NEXTT is hoping to accelerate investment in these value chains by Nigerian entrepreneurs”.

Meanwhile, women farmers in Bauchi state have called on the state government to allocate at least 10 per cent of its budget to agriculture in the 2018 fiscal year in order to revitalise the economy of the state as well as create wealth and jobs for the teeming unemployed citizens.

The women made the call in a communique issued at the end of a one-day budget tracking meeting of women farmers organised by Fahimta Women and Youth Development Initiative (FAWOYDI) in collaboration with ActionAid Nigeria held in Bauchi recently.

According to the women farmers, the state allocated 4.32, 3.98, 7.05 and 4.65 per cents to the agricultural sector in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively “which were not sufficient considering the significance of food production especially now that the country was faced by food scarcity and inflation.

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2017

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

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

Lassa Fever: A Deadly Disease Forty-eight years after the discovery of Lassa fever in Nigeria, the virus has remained a recurring challenge with hundreds of lives lost every year to the disease. Recent cases in Lagos, Ogun and other states have again brought to the fore the need for a permanent solution to the menace.

Martins Ifijeh writes

W

hen in 2015 and 2016 Nigeria recorded one of the largest outbreak of Lassa fever with 273 reported cases resulting in 149 deaths, spread across 23 states, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) described it as the last straw, saying it was putting measures in place to prevent future occurrence.

The Centre’s Chief Executive Officer, Chikwe Ihekweazu, specifically said in Lagos that with the inauguration of the Lassa Fever Eradication Committee under the leadership of Professor, Oyewale Tomori, solutions would be proffered towards preventing future outbreaks and reduce the deaths from the disease.

Corroborating Ihekweazu’s statement, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, earlier last year also said the government would stamp out Lassa fever outbreaks from the country before the end of the year (that is 2016).

“We are also concerned. We want to find out why we are still having this Lassa fever in spite of human and material resources that we have in this country. We inaugurated a Lassa Fever Eradication Committee chaired by one of the foremost virologists in this country, and we are committed to signing the obituary of Lassa fever this year (2016),” he said.

But fast forward a year and half after, Nigeria is in a familiar scenario. Over 106 persons have so far died from the recent outbreak which started in December 2016 with more than 200 laboratory confirmed cases and over 1,000 people placed under surveillance at different times, scattered across 18 states of the federation.

Like a recurring decimal, the spread of the present outbreak can almost be predicted, especially by keen observers who had monitored previous outbreaks and how they played out.

First, an outbreak will be recorded in a state, then it spreads to neighbouring states, with many confirmed cases, accompanied by casualty figures, and then suddenly, there will be interventions by the relevant bodies to tackle it, including sending out press releases on awareness. Then the outbreak dies down, and in few months time, picks up again, while exactly the same approach the government used the last time will be used again to suppress it.

Since the past eight months of this year, the outbreak has occurred in 18 states, including Anambra, Bauchi, Borno, Cross River, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba, and more recently Lagos. It is still very much active in about 10 states with bouts of cases recorded at intervals.

The recent is that of Lagos State, which quickly gained media attention because of the uniqueness of the state in terms of population (22 million residents) and its economic and cosmopolitan nature. Last week, Lagosians were greeted with the outbreak of the hemorrhagic fever in the state, which unfortunately killed two persons in the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, while three resident doctors of the Department of Anatomy and Molecular Pathology got infected, and are currently receiving treatment. Also, not less than 122 persons are currently under surveillance in the state.

100 in LUTH and 22 in Imota, Ikorodu where the index case, the late 32 years old pregnant woman first received treatment before she was taken to LUTH for further treatment. She unfortunately died of bleeding following a still birth in the hospital.

Lagosians, reacting to the outbreak called on the government to contain it considering the volatile nature of the state.

But the Director of Disease Control, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Eniola Eniosho, told THISDAY that there was no need for panic as the state will be declared Lassa fever free in few days, adding that the three infected

Multi-breasted rats are the primary carriers of Lass virus

were responding to treatment, and would be discharged this week.

“In few days the 100 health workers in LUTH and the 22 persons from Ikorodu (including some family members of the index case from Imota) who are under 21 days surveillance would be certified free since none of them has so far come down with fever.

Some stakeholders are of the opinion that old approaches against Lassa fever outbreaks should be suspended, as it has obviously not yielded lasting solutions to the menace, while also calling for solutions geared towards vaccines and establishment of Lassa fever centres for prompt tackling of the scourge. They said government must look beyond providing fire brigade approaches to ending disease outbreaks in the country, adding that, that had been the approach since the very first outbreak of the virus, which was why at 48 years after, people were still dying from the disease.

For example, a Virologist, Dr. Olaolu Akinjide, believes since the disease originated from Lassa community in Borno State, it behoves on the country to find a lasting solution to its reoccurring bouts, which he said was becoming a national embarrassment. “It’s almost 50 years since the first case of the disease was noticed here. We should not wait for another country to find a vaccine for us. Researches in this regard should be given priority by the government. We have a medical research institute that should be funded to come up with solutions,” he said.

This again brings to fore the level of priority placed on medical research in the country. While the United States National Institute of Health will spend about 32.3 billion dollars this year alone on medical research for the American people, the entire health budget for Nigeria cannot be said to be anywhere close to that figure.

According to the World Health Organisation, between 300,000 and 500,000 cases of Lassa fever are recorded annually, with about 5,000 deaths recorded yearly, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

Apart from Nigeria, which has one of the highest burdens of the disease, other countries that have recorded the outbreak are Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and the Central African Republic.

Akinjide also wondered why the country only has two active Lassa fever centres to cater for the several Nigerians who are infected yearly by the virus. “The government should scale up

the establishment of Lassa fever centres across the country. The present two centres, which are the ones in Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) and that in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) cannot be said to be enough for prompt diagnosis and treatment of cases,” he explained. Though the federal government had consistently said the country has 13 Lassa fever centres, Akinjide insists that there were only two centres serving the over 180 million persons living in the country.

Transmission According to the Chief Medical Director, LUTH, Prof. Chris Bode, the reservoir or host of the Lassa virus is the multi-mammate rat called Mastomysnatalensis, which has many breasts and lives in the bush and around residential areas.

“The virus is shed in the urine and droppings of the rats hence can be transmitted through direct contact, touching objects or eating food contaminated with these materials or through cuts or sores. Transmission also occurs in health facilities where infection prevention and control practices are not observed. Person to person transmission also occurs most especially when a person comes in contact with the virus in the blood, tissue, secretions or excrements of an infected individual.”

Who is at risk?

According to Bode, Lassa fever occurs in all age groups and both sexes, adding that persons at greatest risk are those living in rural areas where Mastomys are usually found, especially in communities with poor sanitation or crowded living conditions. “Health workers are at risk if Lassa fever is not suspected or while caring for Lassa fever patients in the absence of proper barrier nursing and infection control practices.

Signs and symptoms “The onset of the disease when it is symptomatic, is usually gradual, starting with fever, general weakness, muscle and joint pains, prostration and malaise. After a few days, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, cough, and abdominal pain may follow.

“In severe cases, facial swelling, fluid in the lung cavity, bleeding from the mouth, nose, vagina or gastrointestinal tract and low blood pressure may develop. Protein may be noted in the urine.

Shock, seizures, tremor, disorientation, and coma may be seen in the later stages. Deafness occurs in 25 per cent of patients who survive the disease.

In half of these cases, hearing returns partially after 1-3 months. Transient hair loss and gait disturbance may occur during recovery. Patients may die from shock,” he added.

Laboratory diagnosis “Lassa virus infections can only be diagnosed definitively in a virology laboratory using the following tests: the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay, testing for IgM, antigen detection tests and virus isolation by cell culture.These tests can be done at Virology Reference Laboratory at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos.”

Management He explained that the only known specific treatment for Lassa fever is Ribavirin, which may be effective if given within the first six days of illness. “It should be given intravenously for 10 days. Supportive treatment should include; Paracetamol, Vitamin K (Phytamenadione), Heamacel, Ringers lactate, antimalaria and antibiotics- start by I.V. If patient is severely anaemic, consider transfusion.There is currently no vaccine that protects against Lassa fever,” he added.

Prevention of Lassa fever He said prevention of Lassa fever relies on promoting good community hygiene to discourage rodents from entering homes. Effective measures include storing grain and other foodstuffs in rodent-proof containers, disposing of garbage far from the home, maintaining clean households “In healthcare settings, prevention is by standard precautions where all blood and body fluids are considered potentially infectious. Standard precautions are applied to all patients at all times and in all health care settings. These include hand hygiene, use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), waste disposal, cleaning and disinfection of medical equipment and environment, safe injection practices.”

Bode said in case of any suspected case of Lassa fever, LUTH response team should be notified on 08058019466, 08058744780, 07035521015 and 08023299445.

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2017

NEWS

Alli: Adequate Knowledge is Key to Preventing, Managing Heart Attack Martins Ifijeh A Consultant Cardiologist, Lagos Executive Cardiovascular Clinic, Dr. Folasade Alli, has stated that with proper knowledge on prevention, management and treatment of heart diseases, people with heart attacks can still live healthier and longer lives.

She said despite being the leading cause of death among adults and aged Nigerians, its consequences could be averted for those who are aware of the risks, symptoms, prevention, and for those who are cautious

of their lifestyle.

In a statement made available to THISDAY, she said, people in such conditions need toknow what heart disease means.

“Heart disease refers to any condition that causes the heart not to function appropriately.

For example, atherosclerosis heart disease results from the build-up of plaques that clutters the arteries and vessels, thereby causing the heart to pump against high resistance.

“Other examples of heart diseases include hypertension, congenital heart defects, coronary heart disease, inflam-

matory heart disease, ischaemic heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, and so on. All these heart conditions cause the heart not to pump well, which can cause heart failure, and even heart attack. If not monitored well, they can lead to cardiac arrest, and worst, sudden cardiac death. “Nigerians need to know if they are either at risk of developing a heart disease, or at risk of complicating existing heart-related condition.”

While stating that anyone and everyone was at risk of

heart diseases, she said, those especially prone to it were unborn babies in the womb (foetus); adults from their 30s, and the aged; youths in their 20s with excessive drinking and/or smoking habits; individuals with diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and kidney disease; individuals with a family history of heart-related diseases; and women experiencing their menopause,” she noted.

According to the LECC boss, that of an unborn baby occurs when when the mother is not

controlling or monitoring existing diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, when the mother is not keeping up with immunisation schedule, when she drinks alcohol or smokes, when she takes hard drugs, among others.

“For children, adults, and aged folk, smoking or dwelling for long in smoke-filled environments, eating an unhealthy, salt-rich diet, non-compliance with prescribed medications, and physical inactivity, are all risk factors.” She said

symptoms of heart diseases vary depending on the kind of individual and his or her heart condition.

“For many, chest pain and discomfort in the arms, upper abdomen, or shoulder are the first signs. For others, it may be pain or discomfort in the face and neck area, including the jaw and tooth ache; physical weakness and light headedness, breathlessness, gasping, panting, shortness of breath, cold sweat, swollen ankles and foot,” among others.

Gates Foundation Commits $10m for Food Fortification in Nigeria, Two Others Martins Ifijeh As part of efforts to tackle one of Africa’s major health concerns, malnutrition, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) has provided a $10 million grant for food fortification in Nigeria, Tanzania andKenya.

The grant, which is being managed by TechnoServe, an international nonprofit organisation that promotes business solutions to poverty in developing world, is aimed at taking a holistic approach to strengthening enabling environment that promotes competitive, healthy and effective production of fortified foods; and to address the technical challenges faced by processors in the three countries.

Stating this during the launch of Strengthening African Processors of Fortified Foods in Lagos recently, the Head of Nutrition, BMGF, Mr. Shawn Buker, said the four-year support will go a long way in addressing micronutrient deficiencies in Nigeria, Tanzania and Kenya.

He said while lack of such

nutrients have been fingered as major health issues for children, they are also responsible for the reduction of intelligent quotient by 10 to 15 per cent, and in turn cuts down gross domestic products of a country.

“To set the context; undernutrition is the cause of 45 per cent of under-five mortality.

About half of under-five deaths are linked to undernutrition.

There are many ways to tackle malnutrition, but one fundamental way to ensure that the food the people take in essential vitamins and minerals; vitamin A, iodine, folic acid, zinc is through large scale food fortification.”

He called on Nigerian Government, development partners, civil societies and the press to work towards the target of having global and acceptable standards of food fortification in the country.

The Deputy Governor, Kano State, Prof. Hafiz Abubakar, in his speech said the launch was timely, adding that, even though micro nutrients affect all age brackets, children were most hit.

FG Endorses Health Insurance Scheme for Creative Industry Rebecca Ejifoma The federal government has endorsed a new unified Healthcare and Life Insurance Scheme for the movie and creative industry as efforts to enhance access to affordable health services by its members and avoid preventable deaths to chronic illnesses.

The government’s endorsement is on the heels of the call by a preferred provider of health organisation for implementation of universal health coverage requirements of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Nigeria without further delay.

Addressing the participants at the recent launch of Nolly Health Insurance, comprising Life Insurance and Pension Scheme for the practitioners in the creative industry in Lagos, the Managing Director, Nigerian Film Corporation, Dr. ChidiaMaduekwe, noted that the unified insurance scheme was a bold and commendable initiative.

“On behalf of the Federal

Government of Nigeria, the launch of the unified health Life Insurance and Pension Scheme (LIPS) is a thing of joy and it gladdens my heart to be associated with it.”

He further assured participants that “We shall compliment and back it with full faith and credit of the government under the auspices of Nigeria Film Corporation (NFC).”

According to the Lagos State’s Acting Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Adebimpe Akinsola, the scheme was long overdue in view of the health challenges including Kidney and heart problems which had claimed many lives in the industry due to lack of fund for medicare.

She commended the leadership of the movie and creative industry for the laudable programme and explained that Lagos State Government had planned to establish Art Theatres in the different geographical zones of the state in order to bring the industry closer to the people.

L-R: Regional Director, TechnoServe, Rizwan Yusufali; Head, Nutrition, Bill and Melinda Gates Nigeria, Victor Ajeiro; President, GAIN Canada, Dominic Schofield; President, TechnoServe, William Warshauer; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Aminu Bisala; Country Director, TechnoServe, Larry Umunna; CEO, Partners in Food Solution, Jeff Dykstra; and Managing Director/CEO, Dangote Foundation, Zouera Youssoufou, during the launch of Strengthening African Processors of Fortified Foods in Lagos recently

Edo Govt Flags off Distribution of 2.6m Insecticidal Nets Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City The governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, recently flagged off the distribution of 2. 6 million long lasting insecticidal nets with a call on households to ensure they sleep under the nets to eradicate malaria from the state.

The event tagged ‘Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) Replacement Campaign’, organised by the Edo State Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Catholic Relief Service (C.R.S), attracted international and local stakeholders in the health sector, who lauded the government for putting healthcare on the front burner.

Assuring Edo people of “well articulated policies on public health issues”, the governor stressed that a proactive approach like sleeping under the nets was cheaper than treating the disease. Adding that the state has set a 100 per cent distribution target from the current 86 per cent.

The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, said Edo has been in the fore front and continues to make giant strides in keeping up with malaria elimination intervention.

Represented by the Director, Public Health in the ministry, Dr. Evelyn Ngige, added that the state occupies a strategic

position in the country and maintained that “If we succeed in the replacement of the LLINs in Edo State, it will translate to rapid scale up of our overall national coverage target.”

The First Lady, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, who was installed as the Ambassador of the Roll Back Malaria campaign in the state said she was taught early in life to always sleep under nets and that the practice kept her and her siblings free from malaria during childhood.

“As a child, I have always slept under mosquito nets and I remember my father at that time will go round all our beds to ensure our nets were well tucked under the mattresses.

Apart from its health benefits, it created a strong bond between us and our father,” she said.

The Edo State Coordinator, World Health Organisation (WHO), Ms Faith Ireye, noted that efforts by Obaseki’s in the health sector have ensured that young children and pregnant women have access to life saving prevention tool such as the LLINs. In his remark, Acting Country Representative of CRS in Nigeria, Dr. Emeka Anoje, said Edo Government has shown that it is a reliable partner in the campaign against malaria through the provision of operational funds to support planning and logistics of the distribution of the LLINs.

Processed, Chemically Grown Foods Cause of Male Infertility, Says AFRH Ayodeji Ake Processed foods or chemically grown foods are some of the major risk factors for male infertility, Consultant Obstetrician Gynecologist and President, Association of Fertility Reproductive Health (AFRH), Dr. Faye Iketubosin,has said.

Stating this at a forum on Ethics in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) organised

by AFRH in Lagos, he said Nigerians are now embracing the Western lifestyle, especially in areas of foods, while abandoning the natural foods the country was used to, noting that this is unhealthy, especially in areas of fertility.

According to him, while male infertility could be trace to chemically grown and processed foods, the female infertility is sometimes caused by their career pursuit resulting to delay in child bearing.

“Male fertility has been on the increase for the last 20 years. The average sperm count in men has dropped so much that the World Health Organisation actually revised the figure downward from 20 million to 15 million “The way out is for us to embrace organic farming. Some countries have gone back to that. We can replicate same if government actually looks

at agricultural policies in that direction,” he said.

Speaking from a religious perspective, Dr. Ahmad Sa’eid of the Department of Surgery, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), who was a panelist argued that for IVF to be considered, the religions in the country should be put into consideration.

“When making laws regarding fertility, our government should take into perspective that we are a religious conscious nation. More than 90 per cent of the population is either Christians or Muslims.

I know childbearing brings joy, but the fact that I want to feel that joy does not mean I must go get it at all cost,” he said.

Chairman, AFRH Ethics Committee, Dr. Richardson Ajayi, said the essence of the programme was to enable the practitioners reflect on the perspective of the society as regards religion and non-religion.

“The whole concept of ethics is the fusion of different positions. There are religious groups that have certain positions and non-religious groups that have a certain position, so we are only trying to reflect the framework of our society by getting the position we believe is right or wrong according to our own society.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2017

38

HEALTH

Onanuga: Lagos Has Renovated over 60 PHCs in Two Years The Special Adviser on Primary Health Care, Lagos State, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga, in this interview with Martins Ifijeh, spoke on the current multi billion naira renovation and equipping of PHCs across the state, plans to buy ambulance boats for riverine communities, increase PHC staffing, among others that way. Now everyone has sat up. They now go to work on time and close as at when due.

How was kicking off as the Special Adviser on PHCs like?

I assumed office as Special Adviser on Primary Health Care to His Excellency, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on the 19th of October 2015.

We immediately afterwards made assessment of all PHCs and then had an advocacy visit to all the 20 local government areas and 37 LCDAs. While meeting with stakeholders, we were also doing evaluations to ascertain where to kick off from. You know I also oversee disease control, family planning, nutrition, pharmaceuticals in the state. But I discovered these other areas were striving very well except for the PHCs. That is why we are very focused on revamping them for the benefit of Lagosians.

How many PHCs do we have in Lagos?

In total, we have 320 PHCs, but the ones that are very functional are about 290.So after assessment infrastructure and medical equipment wise, we decided to renovate and equip the PHCs better. I discussed with His Excellency, who is also very vast in how PHCs are run, because he was once in the local government.

We discussed and agreed on how to start the renovation and equipment in phases. We knew we could not do everything at once, so we decided to face the most important ones. We selected the ones which are centres of attraction and we made sure we include at least one in every local government and LCDA in the state.

We started with a partnership with the federal government, which enabled us renovate 14 PHCs, tagged the MDG PHCs. They are ours but we partnered with the FG to renovate and equip them. That was the first phase and it happened at the middle of 2016.

When you first came in and assessed these PHCs, how many were actually working?

Most of them were in a state of despair with infrastructural decay. The equipments were obsolete, and it was like there were no people working there. People were working there, no doubt, but it wasn’t to my satisfaction because that’s my field of specialisation. We concluded on taking the bull by the horns. After the first face of the FG partnership, we went ahead to pick another 37 PHCs, all scattered in each of the various local governments. We tagged them the comprehensive health centres.

Why are they called comprehensive health centres. Are they different from the others?

They are so called because they are comprehensive in package. You will find mother and childcare, antenatal care, deliveries, family health and nutrition, food demonstration classes and a lot of immunisation activities. So it’s a total package with the exemption of those things that we feel are for the secondary health facilities, like complicated deliveries or major surgeries.

These 37 were renovated and equipped by the state government. We also identified some areas without PHCs at all and built new ones there. We picked one in Ijegun, Alimosho,

But some people believe PHCs are understaffed in Lagos?

After we carried out this monitoring and evaluation, with staff having a renewed drive for work, we then realised truly we are short of staff but not as what people were saying. So we made our recommendations. Now the Head of Service is working on it. We have finalised the number of staff we need in the PHCs.

Onanuga

another in Badagry, while the third in Ori-Okuta, Ikorodu. In those places, we realised they were not having government presence in terms of healthcare delivery. The three have been duly completed and now in use.

When we decided to work on the 37 PHCs and build the three new ones plus their equipments, the governor graciously approved N1.4 billion, which was approved by the executives for this total renovation, out of which we spent N900 million for structural renovation, and N500 million on purchase of equipments. Those ones are near completion now, and 51 of the 57 PHCs have been equipped with state-of-the-art equipments. We equipped each with the cost of N11.5 million.

But we realised that we have not gotten to half of the distance that we are running. We are talking of about 290 PHCs and we are only able to renovate about 60. Although, we decided to first pick the ones that are not operating to our satisfaction. Others were at least still manageable, but now we are graduating to ticking another set. We are going to renovate about 20 more now, which I have discussed with His Excellency and he has graciously also approved about one billion naira again for renovation of the newly ticked 20 plus another 10 set of equipment and furniture in 10 PHCs, that simply means the total furniture we will be purchasing will be about 61.

When will the proposed 20 PHCs be renovated, equipped and delivered?

Within four months they will be ready. Health workers will be working there, not that we are abandoning or closing them down.

Comparing when you came on board and now, has the state’s health indices improved?

Health indices have improved greatly. People have now realised they can go to our PHCs and get health services. Maternal and child

health has improved. Ante-natal and deliveries have improved. Mortality rate has generally reduced compared to when we came on board.

Some PHCs are in riverine areas and are not accessible to Lagosians and health workers.

What are you doing about this?

To operate optimally in those areas, we are considering buying at least three ambulance boats. They will cover the coastal areas in all the senatorial districts. One in the Epe axis, one at the central, and one in the Badagry axis. From Badagry axis down, we have about 400 communities that are living behind the coastal area and there are different diseases that are prevalent in those areas. So they need our services.

Some government workers are usually known for their layback approach to work. How are you tackling this in the PHCs? From the beginning we decided to face squarely the issue of workers in PHCs and primary healthcare services. We started with advocacy to all local governments and LCDAs, and told them what we want. After which, we went into monitoring, evaluating and needs assessment.

While some people often say we are short of staff, we said to ourselves we need to evaluate those that are actually working.

When we came in, we noticed in situations where we were supposed to be having eight nurses on ground, only three will be seen.

There was a lot of absenteeism. This affected patient handling. We then started going round the PHCs. Workers we do not meet on duties are punished.

Part of the punishment for some was that irrespective of their location, they must resume in our office in Alausa. They would stand on our corridors from morning till close of work, for at least one week. Even doctors who were absent during our monitoring were also punished

Did you discover ghost workers during your monitoring and evaluation?

So far, no. But absenteeism was high. All that has stopped now. There are times we go to PHCs as early as 8a.m., just to know those who resumed as at when due. We visit PHCs unannounced, and then evaluate what is going on. There was a day we went to Epe on a Sunday evening. We lodged in a guest house, and first thing Monday morning we stormed the centres. Those who were not on ground were punished. So generally, we have been able to bring sanity back to the system. There must be standard. In every PHC, there must be a minimum of three doctors, 10 nurses, eight community health officers (CHOs) which we don’t have for now. We know this is not easy for the government, but at least, instead of having eight nurses, we can have six to seven of them on ground, CHOs six to seven as well. And if they all work hard, they should be able to cope.

Some PHCs are not accessible because of bad roads. How have you tried to tackle this?

For sometimes now, one would have seen the difference in the road construction that Governor Ambode has been doing. He has done more roads than any other regime so far. He is not only doing Ssate roads, he is doing local government roads as well. Last year, he fixed 114 roads belonging to local governments. Two roads each in every local government. This year, he has fixed 181 roads.

He is now fixing three roads each in the local government and LCDA areas.He is also fixing federal government roads. So the governor is very much ready to fix a lot of roads, and I am sure once we continue to do our monitoring and evaluation and discovered where roads will hamper our patients visiting our PHCs, we will inform the Ministry of Works and ensure those roads are fixed.

After completing the next phase of the project, which is the 20 PHCs, what next?

We will pick another set of PHCs and renovate them. But that will depend on the availability of funds. Because these renovations and equipping cost a huge amount. So it depends on funds and our allocation, but we will continue with out renovation notwithstanding. We will also continue with our advocacy,monitoring, evaluation and assessments.

St. Nicholas Kidney Expert Bags Royal College of Physicians Fellowship Martins Ifijeh Only a few months after making the London Stock Exchange’s (LSE) list of Africa’s fastest growing companies, St. Nicholas Hospital has been celebrated for the outstanding contributions of its consultant nephrologist, Dr. Ebun Bamgboye, who has been admitted as a Fellow of the 499-year-old Royal College of Physicians, London.

Founded in 1518, the Royal College of Physicians is the old-

est medical college in England which plays a pivotal role in raising medical standards and shaping public health policies.

Its prestigious Fellowship is conferred on medical professionals who have made outstanding contributions in Medicine, and is held by some of the most innovative physicians across the world.

The Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director, St Nicholas Hospital, Dr. Dapo Majekodunmi, said: “Such an honour is a rar-

ity for private practitioners and particularly those from an emerging economy. Dr. Bamgboye represents all that is good about persevering with medical practice as an indigenous practitioner and is a great example of what we can achieve on our own shores with the correct support and framework. As a key member of the St. Nicholas leadership team, Dr. Bamgboye is integral to the delivery of good medical practice and the improvements needed

to assure that St. Nicholas delivers world-class medical services in Nigeria.”

Bamgboye who heads the Dialysis/Transplant Unit of St. Nicholas and serves as its Clinical Director, has developed one of Nigeria’s most prestigious and functional Dialysis Units which receives referrals from around the world. He is also the Head of the St. Nicholas Renal Transplant Unit credited with performing over 60 per cent of all kidney transplants in

Nigeria and the West African sub-region.

In his capacity as Clinical Director, Bamgboye is responsible for supervising the Medical arm of the hospital. He has also been a major influence in the recent expansion of St. Nicholas Hospital, which includes St. Nicholas Specialist Hospital at Maryland, Ikeja and the St. Nicholas Hospital Clinics at Victoria Island and Lekki Free Trade Zone. He is currently a member of the International Society of

Nephrology, the European Dialysis and Transplant Association, the American Society of Nephrology and the Advisory Board, St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos.

Bamgboye was the 13th President of the Nephrology Association of Nigeria from February 2014 to February 2016, and is the current President of the Transplant Association of Nigeria as well as the Court of Governors, Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM).

39

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2017

NEWS Exclusively Breastfed Babies Have High Mental Intelligence, Says Odiboh Martins Ifijeh A well exclusively breastfed infant for the first six months of life is more likely to have a high mental intelligence than the one not exclusively breastfed, the Executive Director, Afribaby Initiative, Mrs. Olayinka Odiboh has said.

She said the breast milk contains all nutrients needed for optimal development of the brain of a child hence there was no need for mothers to add other types of foods along with the breast milk for the baby until he or she clocks at least six months old.

Stating this during the 16thAfribaby Babies and Moms Exhibition and 2017 World Breastfeeding Week in Lagos recently, she said the society needs to be concerned about children’s first five years of life, adding that with exclusive breastfeeding they are more likely to be protected from diseases as well as have a

well developed brain to face their adulthood.

“We have found out that those things that cause our babies to die are preventable. As we celebrate the World Breastfeeding Week, we believe its time to let our nursing mothers, and the society at large know that exclusive breastfeeding has a very important role to play in a child’s health and development in life.

“We are also using this opportunity to encourage our mothers not to be tired of giving breast milk to their infants. We know it is time consuming, but it is worth it,” she added. According to her, fathers also have a big role to play in the process. They should support and encourage their wives to give exclusive breast milk to their newborns.

The event brought several nursing mothers together for a breastfeeding competition, while health journalists were part if the judges.

NHIS: Rectify Anomalies Hindering Functions of Scheme, Medical Directors Tell FG Kuni Tyessi in Abuja The Guild of Medical Directors (GMD) has called on the federal government to decisively and speedily intervene to rectify all anomalies hindering the smooth functions of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

The call came as a result of the suspension of the Scheme’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Usman Yusuf, by the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole as a result of various allegations and petitions leveled against the ES. The guild in a statement signed by its president, Prof.

Femi Dokun-Babalola, said the

current situation has affected the smooth running of the scheme and has led to negative consequences for enrollees.

The worried GMD while citing examples with countries like Ghana and Kenya which have recorded up to 69 per cent of citizens, Nigeria has recorded only about two per cent, reiterating that the coverage is abysmally low and has advocated for a strong introduction of mandatory enrollment by all eligible families in the country.

He said: “Despite the challenges engendered by this face off, hospitals affiliated with the guild continue to

render uninterrupted service to enrollees, even where payments have been unduly withheld we therefore call on government to decisively intervene to rectify all anomalies.

“It will be noted that other African countries such as Ghana and Kenya have embraced a similar scheme and have enrolled up to 69 per cent of their populations while here in Nigeria, we have enrolled less than two per cent of our population.

“It should be noted that the GMD has no objection to the current structure of the scheme involving NHIS, HMOs and service providers. This is to

ensure the satisfactory role of each stakeholder. However, there is a need to fine-tune the relationship between these organisations in such a way that high quality service is delivered to the enrollees.

“There is a need to accredit more private institutions in anticipation of the increased load of enrollees.

At the moment, GMD hospitals account for about 60 per cent of all healthcare in the country and it is unfortunate that the GMD is not even in the national or state health council.

This should be looked into by the appropriate authorities,” he said.

Kwara Carries Out 33 VVF Successful Operations Hammed Shittu in Ilorin Kwara State Government recently, said it has carried out successful surgical interventions on 33 patients suffering from Vesico vaginal fistula (VVF) at the Sobi Specialist Hospital, Alagbado in Ilorin.

The State Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Sulieman Atolagbe, who disclosed this in Ilorin said the successful surgery carried out on the affected patients, would ensure those affected regain their humanhood and dignity among members of the public.

He said, it took the surgeons about seven hours to operate on one of the patients but ended up successful. “I commended the surgeons and the Country Director Fistula Plus, Chief Iyeme Efem and Professor Oladosu Ojemgbede

of the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan for the programme.”

He called for the establishment of a VVF centre in the state to take care of the North Central zone of the country.

The commissioner also used the occasion to refute the rumour that some people died in a community in the state as a result of a mysterious ailment.

He appealed to members of the public to always verify their information to guide against causing unnecessary panic and anxiety.

Atolagbe said: “on hearing of the rumor, the Head of the Epidemiological Department of Ministry of Health and other personnel were drafted to the town where the rumoured strange disease they claimed happened and they discovered it was untrue.

Centre Organises 4th Training Workshop on Diabetes Foot Care Martins Ifijeh As more Nigerians grapple with the complications of diabetes foot, arising from the increasing incidence of diabetes in the country, Rainbow Specialist Medical Centre, in partnership with the World Diabetes Foundation and the Podiatry Institute, USA has announced plans to organise its 4th annual five-day capacity building workshop on diabetes foot care. According to a press release signed by the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Afoke Isiavwe, the workshop, which holds in Lagos from August 21stto 25th in Lagos, aims at improving management and prevention of diabetes-related foot complications and raising awareness on proper foot care in persons living with diabetes mellitus.

Diabetic foot complications, though preventable, are a leading cause of admission, amputation and mortality in diabetic patients worldwide.

“For diabetes mellitus foot syndrome, prevention is better than cure. Sadly many persons affected report for treatment too late when not much can be done to help them, except amputation, to save their lives.

The workshop is therefore being organised to bring the medical practitioners and other healthcare workers involved in diabetes management upto-date, especially in the care of the foot of persons living with diabetes,” Isiavwe said.

With the theme: ‘Setting The Standard for Diabetes Foot Care In Nigeria’, the workshop is expected to feature resource persons from the USA, and from within Nigeria.

The President, Royal College of Physicians London, Dr Jane Dacre (l), presenting the prestigious fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians London, to the Consultant Nephrologist, St. Nicholas Hospital, Dr. Ebun Bamgboye in England recently

HEI to Support Poor Nigerians for Cheap Health Services Martins Ifijeh To reduce death rate caused by lack of cheap health services, Health Emergency Initiative (HEI), said it would pull funds together to save the lives of poor Nigerians who cannot afford payment of low cost services in the country. HEI’s Board of Trustee Chairman, Dr. Ndi Onuekusi, who stated this during a press briefing on Accident Victim Campaign recently in Lagos by the humanitarian body, said it was unfortunate that people die on a daily basis because they are unable to pay for cheap health services as low as two thousand naira.

He said although the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is currently running, those who are not covered in the scheme (mostly the unemployed) lack appropriate healthcare, hence the need for HEI to mobilise funds from individuals and corporate persons which in turn will be used to pay for cheap health services of the poor, adding that the idea is to make sure everyone has access to healthcare.

“Many Nigerians have lost their lives because of lack of N2,000 for healthcare services.

We need to stop this through our self sacrificed values. We would love every Nigerian to contribute N500 monthly

through our banking system to pull funds together. Over 150 persons have benefitted from this initiative, and we are currently working with 20 hospitals.”

Chairman, Hospital Engagement Committee, HEI, Mr. Kanayo Okonkwo said the initiative was presently working on signing memorandum of understandings with general hospitals, adding that they have been visiting hospitals to supervise emergency cases needing financial assistance.

“My department fills in the gap by visiting these hospitals and checking case files of patients to ensure they are truly indigent before we intercede.

The Unit Commander, FRSC, Lagos State, Mr. Charles Ibe, who represented FRSC Sector Commander, Lagos State, called on health workers not to refuse to attend to accident victims.

“Most times when we go to rescue people and take them to hospitals for treatment, health workers are sometimes not willing to treat them. Even a five minutes assistance can save somebody’s life. Likewise a little money can save a life. We want the hospitals to understand that there is a need for them to accepts victims irrespective of whether they are known or not.”

Commending HEI, Ibe appreciated the initiative for pulling out funds to help poor

Nigerians and most specially to save lives.

Beneficiaries of the initiative

who were present at the event gave testimonies of how they have been rescued from death.

Power Tussle: Again, PCN Wins, Remains Regulatory Body over NAPPTON Kuni Tyessi in Abuja The Court of Appeal has again affirmed the regulatory powers of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) over National Association of Pharmaceutical Technologists and Pharmacy Technicians of Nigeria (NAPPTON) and three others seeking to be independent in regulation matters as it relates to its members.

NAPPTON had, in Suit No. CA/C/246/2014, approached the Court of Appeal to reverse the 2012 decision of the Federal High Court, Calabar, which recognised the PCN as the authentic body to register and regulate members of NAPPTON. NAPPTON had claimed that the judgment of Justice I. N. Auta of Federal High Court, Lagos in Suit No. FHC/L/ CS/455/06 delivered on the 27th day of April, 2007 was sufficient ground to enable

members of the association establish drug sales outlets without recourse to registration and licensure by the PCN. But Justice Phoebe M. Agua on 27th day of February, 2014 dismissed for lack of merit the argument of NAPPTON, a judgment which the plaintiffs approached the Court of Appeal to set aside. While dismissing the suit in favour of PCN on 22nd day of May, 2017, the Court of Appeal, in a unanimous decision, upheld the contention of the respondents that PCN did not breach the fundamental human right of members of the association when it sealed shops in Calabar operated by members of the association which were not duly registered by PCN. This decision has finally put to rest the misunderstanding employed by members of NAPPTON in claiming to have powers to register and issue licenses to its members to establish drug sales outlets.

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ ÍŻÍľËœ 2017

40

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Keystone Bank Gets Substantive MD/CEO Chika Amanze-Nwachuku The board of directors of Keystone Bank Limited has appointed Mr. Obeahon Ohiwerei as substantive Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, a source close to the bank disclosed last night.

Already, the Central Bank of Nigeria was said to have given its nod to the board to formally communicate its decision to Ohiwerei.

Ohiwerei is expected to bring enormous wealth of experience he had acquired in both domestic and transnational financial institutions to bear in the leadership of the Bank as the new MD/CEO. According to the source, the

new helmsman will soon assume office, adding that during the interval between his appointment by the Board and the regulatory approval, he has been in close contact with the bank in a bid to understudy the management of the bank.

Until his appointment, Ohiwerei was the Deputy Managing Director of First Ally Capital Limited. He holds a first degree in Mathematics and a Masters degree in Business Administration and began his banking career in August 2002 with Pacific Bank Limited, Lagos.

Following the successful conclusion of the divestment of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) from Keystone Bank Limited and

the hand-over to the Sigma Golf – Riverbank Consortium a few months ago, the bank on April 1, 2017 appointed Mr. Hafiz Bakare as acting Managing Director/CEO. He assumed this position under a transitional governance arrangement as a bridge between the erstwhile AMCON-appointed Board under which he served as an Executive Director, and the transition Board instituted by the new owners.

This was to ensure continuity and stability pending the constitution of a substantive Board and Management for the Bank.The transition had been very seamless with a number of positive developments recorded during the period.

Dozie: SMEs Greatest Contributor to Economic Devt Kunle Adewale The Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Bank Plc, Mr. Uzoma Dozie has stressed that small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) remain the greatest contributor to economic development in any country.

Speaking at a media conference to herald the 7th edition of the bank’s pet project-Building Entrepreneurs Today (BET), Dozie said that given the required support, small scale businesses would be a major contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic

Product (GDP).

Ahead of the seventh edition of BET, the bank CEO promised that this year’s edition would be bigger than the previous ones. “Small scale business remains the greatest contributor to national development and that is why at Diamond Bank we are putting our money where our mouth is by developing small businesses through BET,� Dozie said.

Speaking in the same vein, the Director, Enterprise Development Centre of the Lagos Business

School, Peter Bamkole opined that until business development gets to the remotest part of the country, “the change we crave for as a nation might not be achieved.�

He said the 7th edition of BET is opened to all sectors, saying it would be bigger than the previous editions.

Bamkole said the 50 successful candidates would go through a six-month intensive training after which 15 successful ones would then go to the next level after which five winners would emerge.

Lagos Lauds Sterling Bank on Environmental Sustainability In a show of endorsement of Sterling Bank’s sustainability campaign known as Sterling Environmental Makeover (STEM), senior officials of the Lagos state government have paid glowing tributes to the initiative, saying it is in line with the state government’s vision of encouraging residents to show respect for the environment.

Speaking at the inauguration of the mega cleaning exercise, which took place at the Computer Village in Ikeja, recently, a statement quoted Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, to have commended Sterling Bank for its show of commitment to the campaign for a livable environment.

Adejare said: “We need to have more respect for our environment than we do now.

The state government cancelled the monthly sanitation exercise because it believed that cleaning

the environment should be part of our daily lives and not just a monthly routine.�

The commissioner disclosed that the state government recently introduced the Cleaner Lagos Initiative in a bid to better manage solid waste.

He urged participants in the cleaning exercise to extend the practice to their different homes as part of their contribution to the emergence of a cleaner Lagos that is fit for human habitation.

Adejare enjoined residents in Lagos not to block drainages with their refuse but to put them in bags and tie the mouths before leaving them in front of their houses for officials of Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) to pick up.

In his welcome address, the Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Bank, Mr. Yemi Adeola, disclosed that the STEM programme was being held simultaneously in eight other

locations across the country.

These include the seven state capitals of Ogun, Oyo, Kwara, Rivers, Enugu, Plateau, Kano and in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Adeola explained that STEM is the bank’s corporate social responsibility initiative which promotes sanitation and helps to reduce the impact of human activities on the environment with the aim of making planet earth a clean and safe place for all. He added that the STEM programme “covers partnership with waste management agencies in 14 states, planting of trees in Bauchi, Gombe and Plateau to combat desertification and an annual national cleaning exercise.�

He said the phenomenon of global warming which triggers flooding, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes, among other natural disasters can no longer be denied.

Access Bank Rewards Loyal Customers Obinna Chima As part of efforts to reward its customers, a total of 120 families that are customers of Access Bank Plc were yesterday rewarded in the monthly draw of the bank’s ‘Family Fortune Promo,’ that took place in Lagos.

A breakdown of the items won by customers showed that while 50 families that signed up for the promo won DSTV

decoders each; 30 other families were rewarded with N50,000 shopping vouchers respectively; while 20 others emerged winners of Samsung mobile phones.

In the same vein, while 10 families won home theater, five other loyal customers were rewarded with 42 inches LED television and another five were rewarded with sets of sofa respectively. The Group Head, Inclusive Banking, Access Bank Plc, Ope Wemi-Jones expressed

appreciation to the customers for their loyalty and trust in the bank, adding that the promo was initiated to add value to customers, who continued to do business with the Bank. “Some people have asked us, why are you encouraging people to save when there is recession and all that? The simple answer is that savings has never been a respecter of what you earn. It is a habit you need to imbibe, whether you are rich or poor.

Ohiwerei

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

DECEMBER 2016 Broad Money (M2)

23,840,392.42

-- Narrow Money (M1)

11,520,166.67

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,820,415.90

---- Demand Deposits

9,699,750.76

-- Quasi Money

12,320,225.75

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

9,353,504.03

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

14,486,888.39

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

26,774,684.47

---- Credit to Government (Net)

4,595,579.89

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

7,436,917.79

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

-2,841,337.90

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

22,374,718.08

--Other Assets Net

-12,483,409.58

Reserve Money (Base Money)

5,837,322.41

--Currency in Circulation

2,179,174.28

--Banks Reserves

3,318,344.71 Ëž Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă? Ě‹

MONEY MARKET INDICATORS (%) December 2016 Inter-Bank Call Rate

10.39

Monetary Policy Rate (MPR

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

13.96

Savings Deposit Rate

4.18

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.53

3 Months Deposit Rate

8.80

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.23

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.76

Prime Lending rate

17.09

Maximum Lending Rate

28.55

Ëž Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂŁ ÙÖÓĂ?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ě‹ ͯͲϹ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT TUESDAY, 16 AUGUST 2017

The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $48.45 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $49.46 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), ZaďŹ ro (Equatorial Guinea), 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).

41

˾ THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2017

Nigeria’s top 50 stocks based on market fundamentals

15-Aug-17 14-Aug-17

% Change

Capitalisation

EPS

P/E

P/S

Div. Yld

Price/ Book Value

Table 1 Market Statistics Mkt Indicators

01 Dangote Cement Plc

225.00

235.00

-4.26%

3,834,114,166,125.00

10.95

21.91

6.65

3.33%

5.13

02 Nigerian Breweries Plc

190.00

193.00

-1.55%

1,506,529,168,720.00

3.58

53.02

4.80

1.89%

9.08

03 Guaranty Trust Bank Plc

38.92

39.50

-1.47%

1,145,461,495,398.08

4.49

8.91

2.84

4.42%

2.34

1,208.10

1,208.00

0.01%

957,608,018,041.20

10.00

121.63

5.30

2.38%

31.22

Thisday BGL 50 Index Thisday BGL 50 Market Cap (N'Trillion)

05 Zenith Bank Plc

23.26

23.50

-1.02%

730,282,445,462.36

4.13

5.81

1.48

7.50%

1.07

Table 3 Top 5 Gainers

06 Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc

38.95

41.00

-5.00%

389,500,000,000.00

2.85

14.03

2.56

0.25%

2.84

Stock

07 United Bank for Africa Plc

9.41

9.60

-1.98%

341,390,342,690.02

1.99

4.77

0.90

6.31%

0.77

08 Ecobank Transnational Incorporated

18.00

18.00

0.00%

330,291,921,870.00

0.68

25.55

0.54

3.59%

0.51

09 Access Bank Plc

10.45

10.49

-0.38%

302,297,303,543.95

13.18

0.78

0.78

5.37%

0.65

10 Presco Plc

71.98

71.98

0.00%

285,794,937,699.10

0.03

2,461.71

4.01

1.81%

6.83

11 Lafarge Africa Plc

60.01

63.00

-4.75%

273,339,657,618.10

3.71

16.17

1.24

5.00%

1.10

Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Nig. Plc AIICO Insurance Plc Wema Bank Plc Continental Reinsurance Plc Seplat Petroleum Dev. Co. Ltd

482.00

480.00

0.42%

266,695,570,866.00 -82.02

-5.73

4.10

3.39%

0.69

Table 4 Top 5 Losers

6.01

6.20

-3.06%

215,730,709,679.92

0.21

29.40

0.41

2.46%

0.35

14 Unilever Nigeria Plc

45.63

45.50

0.29%

172,631,807,887.50

0.81

53.02

2.33

0.12%

13.93

15 Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc

12.67

12.80

-1.02%

152,040,000,000.00

1.20

11.30

0.96

3.69%

2.46

16 Guinness Nig Plc

89.89

90.00

-0.12%

135,364,289,219.32

-3.06

-29.76

1.33

3.52%

3.48

17 International Breweries Plc

34.00

34.00

0.00%

112,004,475,520.00

0.02

1,508.97

4.21

0.74%

10.21

7.20

7.30

-1.37%

86,649,256,036.80

0.29

24.87

0.19

10.39%

0.45

19 Mobil Oil Nig Plc

236.90

236.90

0.00%

85,425,017,567.80

22.61

10.48

0.91

3.04%

3.98

20 Total Nigeria Plc

236.55

236.55

0.00%

80,313,890,542.35

43.58

5.71

0.29

5.62%

3.59

21 Flour Mills Nig. Plc

27.60

27.60

0.00%

72,428,946,361.20

-1.19

-24.31

0.18

6.90%

0.76

22 Okomu Oil Palm Plc

72.72

72.72

0.00%

69,368,335,200.00

5.15

14.13

4.83

0.14%

4.08

23 Forte Oil Plc.

51.50

54.00

-4.63%

67,077,776,804.50

2.22

24.23

0.47

6.42%

1.62

24 7-Up Bottling Comp. Plc

96.96

96.96

0.00%

62,111,641,596.48

-0.05 -2,145.59

0.67

2.24%

2.83

1.35

1.42

-4.93%

52,273,346,523.75

-0.03

-49.48

0.94

0.00%

0.64

35.99

35.99

0.00%

47,506,800,000.00

-2.89

-12.45

0.34

4.17%

0.68

1.26

1.31

-3.82%

36,492,857,971.92

0.39

3.49

0.26

11.85%

0.21

28 U A C N Plc

16.85

17.00

-0.88%

32,366,564,920.95

3.37

5.04

0.43

5.89%

0.43

29 National Salt Co. Nig. Plc

11.69

12.30

-4.96%

30,971,934,638.82

0.91

13.79

1.82

4.38%

4.14

30 Sterling Bank Plc

1.05

1.05

0.00%

30,229,939,032.30

0.18

5.74

0.27

8.74%

0.35

31 Diamond Bank Plc

1.24

1.30

-4.62%

28,718,882,320.32

-0.29

-4.46

0.14

0.00%

0.13

32 PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc

25.65

27.00

-5.00%

25,650,000,000.00

5.69

4.75

1.88

0.37%

0.73

33 Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Nig. Plc

21.00

20.00

5.00%

25,113,406,248.00

3.51

5.69

1.66

1.50%

1.40

34 Cap Plc

34.40

34.40

0.00%

24,080,000,000.00

2.29

15.28

3.59

3.29%

10.73

1.21

1.21

0.00%

23,961,280,045.01

0.72

1.68

0.14

8.20%

0.14

12.70

12.70

0.00%

23,853,165,908.00

-0.16

-80.48

0.80

10.24%

2.16

37 Custodian And Allied Insurance Plc

3.75

3.75

0.00%

22,056,990,731.25

0.91

3.92

0.54

3.94%

0.69

38 Mansard Insurance Plc

2.05

2.15

-4.65%

21,525,000,000.00

0.25

8.37

1.06

2.38%

1.09

39 Wema Bank Plc

0.53

0.52

1.92%

20,444,467,022.93

0.07

7.89

0.38

0.00%

0.42

40 Honeywell Flour Mill Plc

2.02

2.09

-3.35%

16,018,999,269.16

-0.40

-5.44

0.36

7.27%

0.53

41 Continental Reinsurance Plc

1.24

1.22

1.64%

12,862,202,946.88

0.42

3.02

0.59

9.45%

0.70

42 Cement Co. Of North.Nig. Plc

10.15

10.68

-4.96%

12,755,279,324.90

0.22

48.92

1.21

0.93%

1.25

43 Skye Bank Plc

0.69

0.69

0.00%

9,577,407,972.90

-2.93

-0.24

0.06

43.48%

0.09

44 Unity Bank Plc

0.59

0.60

-1.67%

6,896,709,385.78

0.19

3.27

0.08

0.00%

0.09

45 Wapic Insurance Plc

0.50

0.50

0.00%

6,691,369,126.00

0.18

2.89

0.89

5.77%

0.42

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 Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc

3.40

3.40

0.00%

5,522,343,750.00

0.36

10.46

0.76

5.35%

0.94

48 UACN Property Development Co. Limited

2.90

2.97

-2.36%

4,984,374,985.50

-0.90

-3.29

0.80

23.57%

0.15

49 Fidson Healthcare Plc

3.00

3.13

-4.15%

4,500,000,000.00

0.21

14.68

0.61

1.61%

0.71

50 AIICO Insurance Plc

0.57

0.55

3.64%

3,950,216,553.60

1.48

0.39

0.15

8.62%

0.46

04 Nestle Nigeria Plc

12 Seplat Petroleum Dev. Co. Ltd 13 FBN Holdings Plc

18 Oando Plc

25 Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc 26 Julius Berger Nig. Plc 27 Fidelity Bank Plc

35 FCMB Group Plc 36 Cadbury Nigeria Plc

TOTAL

12,209,119,579,329.70

TOTAL MARKET CAP

12,786,186,982,538.40

% OF MARKET CAP Annotation - MA* = Simple Moving Average

95.49%

NSE All Share Index NSE Market Cap (N'Trillion)

Open 14-Aug-17

Close Change % 15-Aug-17

37,950.96 13.08

37,096.60 12.79

-2.25% -2.25%

160.42 12.49

156.80 12.21

-2.26% -2.26%

Open Close Change 14-Aug-17 15-Aug-17 %

Stock

20.00

21.00

5.00%

0.55 0.52 1.22 480.00

0.57 0.53 1.24 482.00

3.64% 1.92% 1.64% 0.42%

Open Close Change 14-Aug-17 15-Aug-17 %

PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc Cement Co. Of North.Nig. Plc National Salt Co. Nig. Plc Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc

27.00 41.00 10.68 12.30 1.42

25.65 38.95 10.15 11.69 1.35

-5.00% -5.00% -4.96% -4.96% -4.93%

Equities Market ends south with 2.25% depreciation Market pulse on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) today - Monday, August 14th, 2017 ended negative as the market closed red. This was further highlighted by negative performance from the NSE Subsectors: Banking, Consumer Goods and Oil & Gas (Save Insurance). However, trading activities increased in volume as 391.63 million shares worth N5.44 billion in 5,285 deals exchanged hands today.

This is an increase from the 316.12 million shares worth N4.22 billion in 4,113 trades carried out on Monday. Topping in volume terms are: Access Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc; while Access Bank Plc and Zenith Bank Plc ended trading as the most active stocks in value terms. Brent crude oil price today currently sells at US$50.69 per barrel while it dropped to $50.73 per barrel against Monday’s closing.

The All Share Index (NSEASI) closed negative with 2.25% (-854.36) decrease to close at 37,096.60 from 37,950.96 the previous trading day. Market capitalization depreciated in tandem to N13.08 trillion from N13.17 trillion of prior trading day. Similarly, the Thisday BGL 50 Index closes with an decrease of 0.70% to 160.42 from 161.55 recorded at the end of the previous trading day, while its market capitalization stood at N12.49 trillion from N12.58 trillion of the previous trading day.

A total number of 11 stocks gained on the bourse today while 35 stocks declined, leaving 53 stocks unchanged.

Leading the pack was GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nig. Plc with a gain of 5.00% to close at N21.00 per share. It was followed by Berger Paints Plc with a gain of 5.00% to close at N7.14 per share. Others on the gainers’ list include: Golden Guinea Brew. Plc, Conoil Plc and Learn Africa Plc. On the decliners’ list, Morrison Plc again led with a loss of 8.16% to close at N0.90 share. It was followed by PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc with a loss of 5.00% to close at N25.65 per share. Others on the decliners list include: Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, CCNN Plc and National Salt Co. Nig. Plc. GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nig. Plc emerged the toast of investors as it topped the Thisday BGL 50 Index gainers’ list with a gain of 5.00% to close at N21.00 per share. It was again followed by AIICO Insurance Plc with a gain of 3.64% to close at N0.57 per share. Others on the gainers chart include: Wema Bank Plc, Continental Reinsurance Plc and Seplat Petroleum Dev. Co. Ltd. On the decliners’ list, PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc led with a loss of 5.00% to close at N25.65 per share. It was followed by Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc with a loss of 5.00% to close at N38.95 per share. Others on the decliners’ list are: CCNN Plc, National Salt Co. Nig. Plc and Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc. REQUIRED DISCLOSURE This report has been prepared by BGL Plc. BGL Plc does and seeks to do business with companies covered in its research reports. As a result, the firm may have a conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of this report. Investors should use this report as one of many other factors in making their investment decisions.

For more details go to www.thisdaylive.com

42

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͯ͵˜ Ͱͮͯ͵

MARKET NEWS

Equities Market Falls Further on Continuing Profit Taking Goddy Egene The Nigerian Stock Exchange All-Share Index (NSE) ASI fell by 2.68 per cent yesterday closed lower at 36,102.38 as profit taking persisted on the bourse. After hitting a record high last week, investors moved in to lock in part of the gains recorded in the past months.

Consequently, the market had resumed on a bearish note since

Monday. It went down by 0.65 per cent on Monday, 2.8 per cent on Tuesday and 2.68 per cent yesterday.

Analysts at Meristem Securities Limited, on Monday said bearish sentiments had dominated the equities market as investors took profit on stocks that have appreciated in recent times particularly the large cap banking stocks.

“We expect a similar trend

T H E

in the remaining trading days of the week,” they had stated.

At the close of trading yesterday, 31 stocks depreciated while only 10 stocks appreciated.

The depreciation recorded in the share prices of Dangote Cement, Lafarge Africa, GTBank, Nigerian Breweries, and Stanbic IBTC was mainly responsible for the loss recorded in the index.

However, Jaiz Bank Plc led the losers’ table with 5.0 per

N I G E R I A N

cent, trailed by Access Bank Plc, FCMB Group, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc that went down by 4.9 per cent apiece.

Dangote Cement fell by 4.8, while Cutix Plc, just as May & Baker Nigeria Plc ND Livestock Feeds Plc lost 4.7per cent each. Even Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, which declared an interim dividend of 30 kobo on Tuesday, was not spared in profit taking, as it fell by

STO C K

4.6 per cent to close at 37.10 per share. GTBank recommended an interim dividend of 30 kobo, which is higher than the 25 kobo paid in the corresponding period of 2016 after recording a profit after tax of N83.6 billion. The PAT showed an increase of 16 per cent from the N71.7 billion posted in the corresponding period of 2016.

Commenting on the

E XC H A N G E

performance, the Managing Director/CEO of GTBank Plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje, said: “Our strong performance in the first half of 2017 reflects the strength of our businesses, the quality of our past decisions and the success of our efforts towards becoming a digital-first customer-centric Bank that offers simple and easily accessible products and services.”

43

˾ THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2017

MARKET NEWS

SEC Bullish on Market, Encourages E-Annual Reports Dispatch Goddy Egene The Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr. Mounir Gwarzo yesterday said that the nation’s capital market would continue to regain investors’ confidence and remain bullish.

Speaking at the 2017 Second Post Capital Market Committee (CMC) news conference in Lagos, Gwarzo said that the various economic policies of the federal government,

the new foreign exchange management strategies of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), as well as efforts being made by the Commission and CMC would help sustain the bullish trading so far witnessed in the market this year.

According to him, while the CBN forex window for import and exporters has encouraged the return of more investors to the market, many companies would also benefits from efforts to bring down interest rates and report

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

improved financial results going forward.

“Besides, SEC and other market stakeholders have been introducing initiatives that are aimed at protecting investments in the market.

The electronic dividends, the direct cash settlement among others are initiatives that would encourage more patronage in the market on the long run,” he said.

Gwarzo said the commission will soon embark on a robust enlightenment

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 15Aug-2017, unless otherwise stated.

campaign that would make more investors understand the benefits of these initiatives so as they can embrace them.

Meanwhile, he said the commission is also working on a pilot scheme that would ensure electronic circulation of annual reports to shareholders in order to save costs.

Gwarzo said that quoted companies would save between N500 million and N1billion from printing and dispatch of hard copies of annual reports to the shareholders.

He stated that the CMC had reviewed the issue in line with economic realities and decided to introduce a pilot scheme for electronic distribution of annual reports to save cost and ensure enhanced dividend payment in the market.

Gwarzo, however, noted that given the low level of internet penetration among the shareholders, companies secretaries would still dispatch hard copies of annual reports during the pilot scheme.

According to the DG, a significant percentage of shareholders don’t get dispatched copies of annual reports before the annual general meetings.

“We have been doing something for the last 50 years which is not helping the companies or even investors.

The market would review the pilot scheme in first quarter of 2018 and address identified loopholes before deciding on total stoppage of printing of annual reports,” he said.

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 178.34 178.74 40.31% Nigeria International Debt Fund 233.27 233.69 9.72% 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 0.80 0.81 14.85% 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 18.71% 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 17.45 17.98 41.34% ARM Discovery Fund 366.34 377.39 27.57% ARM Ethical Fund 26.18 26.97 17.18% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 17.99% 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 143.61 144.62 36.54% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 18.69% 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 19.60% Paramount Equity Fund 11.50 11.80 22.89% Women's Investment Fund 93.23 95.62 10.21% 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 18.86% 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 1,108.99 1,110.09 9.48% FBN Heritage Fund 142.51 143.78 27.85% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 18.24% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional $109.77 $110.71 6.72% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail $108.45 $109.38 6.18% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 154.29 156.52 37.03% 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 1.35 1.37 44.68% Legacy Short Maturity (NGN) Fund 2.83 2.83 10.03% 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 2,910.73 2,963.91 32.18% Coral Income Fund 2,324.26 2,324.26 10.45% 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 14.45% 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 18.35% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.09 2.11 24.36% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 18.11%

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 1.12 1.14 12.97% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,030.90 1,030.90 7.27% 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 13.10 13.21 35.56% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 19.10% 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 1.13 1.15 14.00% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 10.71 10.76 3.03% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 14.83% 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 124.44 130.09 24.49% 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 1.35 1.35 8.33% 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 2,172.03 2,184.23 18.61% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 161.94 161.94 5.18% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.99 1.00 29.22% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 206.15 206.15 10.31% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 177.01 179.37 36.37% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 18.56% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 9,588.54 9,697.23 26.42% 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 1.30 1.31 16.14% United Capital Bond Fund 1.38 1.38 12.83% United Capital Equity Fund 0.86 0.88 27.77% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.10 1.10 16.07% 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 12.49 12.69 28.64% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.12 13.27 19.83% Zenith Income Fund 18.49 18.49 11.82%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

11.41 129.51

1.01% 4.47%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

11.08 109.32

11.18 111.39

28.31% 44.27%

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

4.48 9.78 17.78 22.80 131.61

4.52 7.86 17.88 23.00 133.61

61.79% 24.75% 48.61% 42.68% 2.09%

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.

44

T H I S D AY THURSDAY AUGUST 17, 2017

T H I S D AY THURSDAY AUGUST 17, 2017

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY AUGUST 17, 2017

T H I S D AY THURSDAY AUGUST 17, 2017

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY AUGUST 17, 2017

49

THURSDAY AUGUST 17, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

Trump Stance on Charlottesville Violence Angers Republicans Leading figures in Donald Trump’s Republican party have reacted angrily to his latest comments blaming both sides for the violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday.

They culminated with a person being killed and many injured when a car hit people opposed to a far-right rally.

Many echoed House Speaker Paul Ryan who said: “White supremacy is repulsive.. There can be no moral ambiguity.”

Mr Trump had condemned white supremacist groups on Monday.

But on Tuesday he reverted to his initial reaction.

The right-wing march had been organised to protest against the proposed removal of a statue of Gen Robert E Lee, who commanded the pro-slavery Confederate forces during the American Civil War. The event drew white supremacy groups.

Violence broke out after they were confronted by anti-fascism groups. A BBC correspondent at the scene described how members of the so-called “alt-right” openly carried rifles and were dressed in full tactical gear. Their leftist rivals threw bottles, rocks and paint.

Pepper spray was used by both sides.

“I think there is blame on both

sides,” Mr Trump told reporters at a tense press conference at Trump Tower in New York.

“You had a group on one side that was bad. You had a group on the other side that was also very violent. Nobody wants to say that.

I’ll say it right now.”

“What about the alt-left that came charging... at the, as you say, the alt-right? Do they have any semblance of guilt? (...) There are two sides to a story,” Mr Trump said in response to one reporter.

He condemned the driver of a car that ploughed into one group of anti-racism protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring 19 others.

But he said that those who had marched in defence of the statue had included “many fine people”; and he asked whether statues of former presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson should also be torn down, because they had been slave-owners.

His comments were said to have caught senior White House officials off guard. One official, who was not authorised to speak publicly, told CNN it had been agreed that Mr Trump would talk only about infrastructure, which was the reason for the news conference.

The Associated Press reported that as Mr Trump spoke, new chief of staff John Kelly barely glanced

at the president, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tried to make eye contact with other top aides, and one young staffer stood with her mouth agape.

Following the news conference, the White House sent a set official talking points to Republican congressmen, urging them to say Mr Trump was “entirely correct” in his latest remarks on Charlottesville, US media have reported.

“Despite the criticism, the President reaffirmed some of our most important Founding principles: We are equal in the eyes of our Creator, equal under the law, and equal under our Constitution,” a bullet point read.

Mr Trump’s remarks were welcomed by David Duke, a former leader of the Ku Klux Klan, who tweeted: “Thank you President Trump for your honesty & courage to tell the truth about #Charlottesville & condemn the leftist terrorists in BLM/Antifa.”

But many others strongly condemned the comments.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday it was important to condemn far-right views “wherever we hear them”.

“I see no equivalence between those who propound fascist views and those who oppose them,” she said.

50

THURSDAY AUGUST 17, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Police Commence Investigation into Attack on EFCC Office Paul Obi in Abuja The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Commissioner of Police, Mr. Musa

Kimo, has said the police are yet to get any clue on the motive of some unknown gunmen who were said to have attacked one

TSA: FG Saves N4.7bn Monthly in Bank Charges Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja With the introduction of the Treasury Single Acount (TSA), the federal government saves N4.7 billion monthly as banks charges, the Accountant General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris disclosed yesterday He spoke in Abuja at a twoday workshop on the TSA and other public financial management reforms.

According to him, prior to the introduction of the policy as part of the public financial management reforms, the sum of N4.7 billion was expended by the federal government as bank charges, interest on loans, and account maintenance fees, among other charges, noting that the withdrawal of the fund from banks under the TSA scheme had foreclosed charges on government funds as it now maintains a single account for all its agencies with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Through the policy, Idris noted that the government had been able to block inherent leakages and abuses which had been the hallmark of the public sector prior to the commencement of TSA in September 2015.

Besides blocking leakages, the AGF said the TSA scheme also assisted the government to overcome the burden of indiscriminate borrowings by the ministries, departments and (MDAs), thereby saving government a lot of bank charges associated with borrowings.

He said: “TSA has enabled us to make tremendous gains to the federal government and to the Nigerian economy. We have successfully eliminated multiple banking arrangements resulting in

consolidation of over 20,000 bank accounts which were spread over Deposit Money Banks across the country.

“This has further brought about transparency and effective tracking of government revenues. It has also led to the blocking of leakages and abuse which characterised the public financial management before the implementation of the TSA. “TSA has taken us out of the era of indiscriminate borrowings

by MDAs and saved government the charges associated with those borrowings which hitherto amounted to N4.7bn monthly.

I can therefore confidently assert that TSA has been beneficial to all stakeholders and the country as a whole.”

According to the AGF, the workshop was part of efforts to increase the level of consciousness on why the federal government is carrying out the public finance management reforms, noting that a major objective of these reforms is to support the fight against corruption in the country.

On the payment of backlog of promotional arrears for civil servants, he explained that the government had commenced the process of making payments to those affected, noting that unlike in the past where funds were released to the various MDAs for onward disbursement to beneficiaries, a new approach had been adopted to check the rate of abuses of the process.

The accounts of those promoted with owed arrears, he stated, would henceforth be credited directly after all the necessary verification exercise, adding that about N13.2 billon had been provided for the payment of a backlog for promoted civil servants.

SERAP Asks ICC to Investigate Alleged Missing N11tn Electricity Fund The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Mrs. Fatou Bensouda, to use her “good offices and leadership position to investigate the allegations of widespread, systematic and large-scale corruption in the power sector since the return of democracy in 1999.

The group alleged that governments of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan committed crimes against humanity within the jurisdiction of the ICC, and to prevail on the Nigerian government to surrender all suspected perpetrators for trial by the ICC. SERAP noted that Nigeria is a state party to the Rome Statute and deposited its instrument of ratification on 27 September 2001.

In the petition issued on August 16, 2017, and signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Timothy Adewale, the organisation said:

“Allegations of corruption in the power sector in Nigeria have had catastrophic effects on the lives of millions of Nigerians, akin to crimes against humanity as contemplated under the Rome Statue and within the jurisdiction of the ICC.” According to SERAP, “The Rome Statute in article 7 defines crime against humanity to include ‘inhumane acts causing great suffering or injury,’ committed in a widespread or systematic manner against a civilian population. The common denominator of crimes against humanity is that they are grave affronts to human security and dignity.

“Therefore, the staggering amounts of public funds alleged to have been stolen over the years in the electricity sector created just these consequences. Crimes against humanity are not only physical violence; allegations of corruption in the electricity sector hold a comparable gravity, which the prosecutor should examine and thoroughly investigate.”

of the annexes of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), located in the Wuse Zone 7 area of Abuja in the early hours yesterday.

Kimo, who spoke with THISDAY yesterday, in Abuja, however said his men had commenced investigation into the matter in order to unravel the circumstances that led to the attack.

The CP promised that the investigation would be thorough in order to fish out the culprits involved in the attack and the death threat left behind for a senior

investigator of the commission, Mr. Ishaku Sharu.

The unknown gunmen reportedly attacked the Wuse Zone 7 office of the anti-graft commission, which houses its AMCON Desk, Procurement Fraud and Foreign Exchange Malpractices Sections, and left a death threat for Sharu.

The EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement yesterday explained that the attack was a major security breach recorded at the EFCC’s

office.

“A group of heavily armed bandits invaded the office at about 05.00 hours and began shooting into the premises, damaging vehicles parked in the premises in the process.

However, the attack was repelled by guards on duty,” the EFCC spokesman stated.

“The hoodlums escaped in a getaway vehicle but not without leaving a message; a white envelope dropped by the fleeing attackers was found to contain a death threat

addressed to Ishaku Sharu, a senior investigator with the commission.”

Ishaku, who heads the section, is in charge of corruption investigations involving several politically-exposed persons and retired military officers.

The attack, Uwujiaren said, came a few weeks after another investigator, Austin Okwor, was shot and wounded by unknown assailants in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

He confirmed that the latest incident was reported to the police for investigation.

DON’T BE BIASED

L-R: Some of the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), Prof. Sam Egwu; Mrs. Asmau Sani Maikudi; and Mr. Mike Igini, at their swearingin by the Chairman INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, in Abuja... yesterday Julius Atoi

Trump Sacks Nigeria’s Ogunlesi, Other Corporate Advisers Nigerian-born international CEO, Adebayo Ogunlesi, has ceased to be an adviser to the embattled US President, Donald Trump.

Trump sacked Ogunlesi yesterday along with other distinguished CEOs counselling him via two councils on how to “Make America Great Again.”

The US president sacked Ogunlesi on Twitter when he announced the dissolution of two business advisory councils, in one fell swoop.

Ogunlesi was a member of the Strategic and Policy Forum, one of the two disbanded by the unpredictable president. The other group was the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative Council.

Ogunlesi, heads Global Infrastructure Partners, a private equity firm and one of Fortune 500 companies. He was the only African on the panel.

The New York Times reported before Trump’s tweeted dissolution, that members of Ogunlesi’s panel were debating dissolving the body entirely as Trump wallowed deeper into bigotry quagmire. But Trump pre-empted their move.

“Corporate leaders had hoped that President Trump would help businesses by slashing taxes and gutting regulations. It is not clear how much he will deliver on that score. On top of that, he is

putting many chief executives in the position of answering for a president with an unparalleled track record of outraging people, most recently at a contentious press conference on Tuesday when he drew a false equivalence between the white supremacists who protested in Charlottesville, Va., last weekend and counter-protesters,” New York Times reported.

Trump had earned rebuke and isolation from business leaders for supporting racial bigotry, White Supremacists and the KKK, following his remarks that failed to blame the tragic violence in Charlottesville, Virginia on the groups. Instead, he blamed all the sides and the group that challenged the racists.

The leaders of three companies — Kenneth Frazier of Merck, Kevin Plank of Under Armour and Brian Krzanich of Intel — were the first to resign from the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative Council.

They resigned on Monday because Trump was slow to condemn the white supremacists during the weekend and blamed “many sides” for the violence.

When Trump moderated his tone on Monday by saying “racism is evil” and also condemned neoNazis, he did not assuage some of the CEOs working with him.

Scott Paul, the President

of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, an organization backed by the steel industry and the United Steelworkers resigned.

He was followed on Tuesday by Richard Trumka and Thea Lee, the president and deputy chief of staff for the union group A.F.L.-C.I.O. The latter’s resignationa followed Trump’s reversed position at a press conference at Trump Tower in New York, in which he said that “not all of those people were neo-Nazis, believe me,” referring to the white nationalists who were chanting “Jews will not replace us” as they marched with tiki-torches.

Ogunlesi’s Strategic Forum, composed some of America’s most highly respected and successful business leaders.

Members of the body were expected to meet with Trump frequently to share their specific experience and knowledge as the president implemented his plan to bring back jobs and “Make America Great Again. ” The other members of the forum were: Stephen Schwarzman (forum chairman), chairman, CEO, and cofounder of Blackstone; Paul Atkins, CEO of Patomak Global Partners, former commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission; Mary Barra, chairwoman and CEO, General

Motors; Toby Cosgrove, CEO, Cleveland Clinic; Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO, JPMorgan Chase & Co; Larry Fink, chairman and CEO, BlackRock; and Bob Iger, chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company.

Others are: Rich Lesser, president and CEO, Boston Consulting Group; Doug McMillon, president and CEO, Wal-Mart Stores Inc.; Jim McNerney, former chairman, president, and CEO of Boeings; Ginni Rometty, chairwoman, president, and CEO of IBM; Kevin Warsh, Shepard Family Distinguished Visiting Fellow in economics at the Hoover Institute, former member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Mark Weinberger, global chairman and CEO, EY; Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO, General Electric; Daniel Yergin, Pulitzer Prize winner, vice chairman of IHS Markit.

Apart from being managing partner of Global Infrastructure Partners, Ogunlesi also serves on the boards of Callaway Golf Co. and Kosmos Energy Ltd. At the same time he is the chairman of Africa Finance Corp. and serves on the boards of various not-for-profits ranging from New York Presbyterian Hospital to the NAACP Legal Defence and Educational Fund, Inc.

THURSDAY AUGUST 17, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

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Police: Why We Did Not Arrest Attackers of Charlie Boy’s Group It’s obvious Nigeria is under siege, says musician Fayose: Harassment height of dictatorship FCTA bans unauthorised political protests in Abuja markets Olawale Ajimotokan, Paul Obi, Kasim Sumaina, Nwafor-Orizu Ononso and Udora Orizu in Abuja and Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The Nigerian Police yesterday gave reasons why they did not arrest those who attacked members of ‘OurMumuDonDo’ movement asking for the return or resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari from office.

The group, led by popular musician and entertainer, Charlie Boy, had gone to Wuse Market last Tuesday to protest, but were attacked by an angry pro-Buhari mob.

The incident, which led to serious tension within Abuja metropolis, prompted the police to intervene and rescue the ugly situation.

But speaking to THISDAY, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Musa Kimo, said there was no way the police would have arrested the attackers as they were a mob.

“For Charlie Boy, the police restored normalcy and we were able to rescue him and his people and even prevented the mob from burning his SUV and BMW vehicle.

The vehicles have been returned to him,” he stated.

On the inability of the police to arrest the attackers, the commissioner said: “It was a mob, serious angry mob; ours was to ensure that there was no breach of peace, and in fact we were not even notified about their movement to their meeting point.

“You know how a market is; who are you going to arrest? We don’t want to provoke the situation.

We were concerned with how to ensure that tempers do not rise.

We do not want it to snowball into a serious crisis.”

Kimo further stated that “we also dissipated our energy in trying to rescue some of his members-as he ran away-and also to protect his vehicles.

“In the process, a DPO and some of our men were injured because they were stoned.”

But Charlie Boy, while briefing journalists at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, said with the attack on him and his group, it was obvious that Nigeria is under siege.

The popular musician and

entertainer, hinted that the youths cannot continue to stay at the corridor waiting for handouts, adding that they must be in the room discussing their future with the leadership of the country.

According to him, “I must give special thanks to my colleagues, fellow journalists, who have covered all our proceedings in the most decent manner, and I want to say that the responsibility of the media is not about being balanced, but seeking the truth and exposing the truth. On behalf of me and my colleagues, l thank you for a job well done.

“It is obvious we are under siege. It’s obvious that our country, through intolerance is falling apart. I’ll like to take this time to acknowledge the people who were hurt yesterday, and today, we’ve made our point.

“The world sees our heart, the world understands and we leave it to fellow Nigerians, the youths, the masses to judge for themselves if this really is the country that they desire, and to also take this opportunity to tell Nigerian youths that nothing can change except they change their mindset and change the way they see Nigeria.”

He explained that “Nigerian youths cannot go far, and that they do not have a future in this country except they engage, ask questions and are part of the government. The youths cannot continue to stay at the corridor waiting for handouts, they must be in the room discussing their future with the leaders.”

Speaking further, Oputa said: “I see Nigeria as a country of intolerance. Looked at what happened yesterday. I have been to that Wuse market severally to do my advocacy work. It’s not the first time, but what happened yesterday shows the ugliness of our country which is a shame.

“But, I urge everybody to still remain peaceful, as we are not violent people, but we are only here to say that the Nigeria of our dreams is not what we are seeing today.”

Responding, pro-Buhari group which was equally on ground to show solidarity with President Muhammadu Buhari disclosed that it isn’t a crime to fall ill.

The group, led by the Niger Delta youths, was seen chanting solidarity songs with placards with different inscription like ‘Isoko Youths Support Buhari, ‘PDP, Stop Anti-Buhari Protest’ among others.

Speaking on behalf of the Niger Delta youths, the Public Relations Officer of the group, Chief Johnny Michael, said: “To me, I believe this is an instigated protest and I can categorically tell you that they are being instigated by the opposition party.”

Meanwhile, Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has condemned the attacks on the ‘Resume or Resign’ protesters, describing it as the height of dictatorship and demonstration of intolerance to opposing views by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government.

The governor who said he was particularly miffed by what he called orchestrated attack on the protesters at Wuse Market in Abuja yesterday, added that “why arranging hoodlums to attack Nigerians who were exercising their fundamental rights to protest against the government? The APC government has shown that it has

lost support and trust of Nigerians.

The Special Assistant to the governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said in a statement issued yesterday that the governor told journalists that any attempt to silence Nigerians, especially those opposed to the APC government, would fail.

He said it was now more obvious that the APC-led federal government does not have anything in stock other than destruction of the country.

The governor, who maintained that demanding for the health status of the president is the right of Nigerians, said it was funny that armed policemen were available to protect those who protested in support of the APC government, but the same police attacked the “Return or Resign” protesters.

He said: “When PDP was in government, these same people in government now held series of protests against the government then. They held ‘Occupy Nigeria’ to protest against fuel price hike and the BringBackOurGirls protesters were everywhere then.

“Even President Buhari led protests in Abuja against PDP

government. The president led protesters to the National Assembly to protest against the continued absence of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua from the country and went ahead to call for Yar’Adua’s impeachment.

“Then, no one was attacked by security men and hoodlums were not set after the protesters as was done in Abuja yesterday.

“It is therefore shameful that the same people who rode on the back of democratic principles to power are now standing against the rights of Nigerians to complain and the international community should pay special attention to the rule of brute force going on in the country.”

However, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has banned any person or groups from staging political protest in markets and other unauthorised areas in the territory.

The decision was an apparent fallout of the skirmishes involving the ‘OurMumuDonDo’ group last Tuesday and some traders at the Wuse market, Abuja.

The protest pitted the group, led

by Charlie Boy, against a segment of the traders, who were opposed to

the call for the returner resignation of President Buhari.

FCTA, in a statement signed

by Cosmas Uzodinma, the Chief Press Secretary to the FCT Minister, warned that it would not allow political protests to be staged in market places.

It said defaulters would be apprehended and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

The FCTA, however, said many accounts of the unfortunate event at the biggest market in Abuja were inaccurate. It said there was no loss of life due mainly to the timely intervention of the security and the market management agencies, who forestalled the riot from getting out of hand.

“The attention of the FCTA has been drawn to reports and misrepresentations on the recent clash between anti-Buhari protesters led by Charlie Boy and a segment of traders in the Wuse market of Abuja.

“It is noteworthy that this incident has spun a lot of versions and false figures of purported casualties. Indeed our findings which were confirmed by the various security agencies clearly indicate otherwise,” it said.

BUILDING ENTREPRENEURS

L-R: Head, Corporate Communications, Diamond Bank, Chioma Afe; CEO, Diamond Bank, Uzoma Dozie; Deputy Director, Enterprise Development Centre (EDC), Nneka Okekearu; and Director, Enterprise Development Centre (EDC), Mr. Peter Bankole, at a press conference on the seventh Building Entrepreneur Today by the bank held in Lagos....yesterday Sunday Adigun

APC Puts off Meeting with Governors

S’West PDP Begins Reconciliation, to Expel ‘Dissidents’

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the regular monthly interactive meeting with governors elected on its platform could not hold due to the short notice on the event.

The National Publicity Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdulahi, who spoke to THISDAY on issue, said some of the governors were not in the country while the ones around could not make it to Abuja due to the short notice for the meeting.

However, there were indications that the absence of the governors might be linked to a brewing conflict of interest between the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and the governors.

A top party member working

with one of the governors pointed out some of the contentious issues to include the decisions taken by the John Oyegun-led NWC on the complaints trailing the recent conduct of state congress.

For instance, he cited cases of disagreement between some party stakeholders and governors in states like Kano, Kaduna, Kogi, Bauchi and Edo. He cited the case of the alleged move by the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to have the state executive of the party dissolved but which the NWC failed to approve.

It was gathered that the meeting was hurriedly suspended when the party leadership got wind of the fact that some of the governors might not attend due to the grievances they have against the party.

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, yesterday said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is ready to embrace reconciliation of warring factions in the Southwest zone, reiterating that the party will henceforth expel whoever takes the party to court over any issue.

He said the party is pursuing its policy of reconciling with various aggrieved groups and people in the party, but will never tolerate those who are dissidents and seeking the downfall of the party.

He spoke in Ado-Ekiti yesterday at the opening of reconciliation meetings involving some chapters of the party in the South-west geopolitical zone.

Fayose, who is the chairman of the reconciliation committee in the

zone, said this while addressing delegates from Osun and Oyo States.

“This exercise is fallout of our recent non-elective national convention. The leaders have mandated us to bring on those who are ready to support our great party in the drive to chart a new way forward for the party.

In doing this, we won’t give room for dissidents to frustrate us and our effort.

“Some people are claiming to be members of our party and at the same time going to court to frustrate the party. They tried unsuccessfully to stop the last convention using the court, but they failed woefully. There is no room for anybody who is one leg in and one leg out. It is either you are here or there. I am sure no

judge would allow himself to be used as a spoiler by some filthy politicians.

“Sanctions will be imposed on errant members and those who are loyal party members and working for the progress of the party have nothing to fear.

“The success of our last convention brings the hope for a new Nigeria. The opposition must be organised for the sake of democracy in our country. For us to be organised, we need to shift ground where necessary.

Whoever loses out today, may win tomorrow. I am not from Oyo and won’t be biased.

“In my situation, after leaving office, God still brought me here as the governor of my state. If President Goodluck Jonathan had won a second term, I may not

be relevant like I am today. My appeal to you is that don’t allow anybody to use you for evil in our party,” he said.

Former Ogun State Governor, Chief Gbenga Daniel, lauded the reconciliation steps taken by the party, saying this will help the party to defeat the APC in 2019.

The Zonal Publicity Secretary, Rev. Bunmi Jenyo, said he had no doubt that the committee would do a good job, and said it was a sign of good thing that people who had not spoken together sat and discussed under the same roof.

Jenyo said leaders in Osun State were told to work together like they did in the last senatorial election where the party defeated the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

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NAPIMS: New Business Processes Saved Nigeria $5bn in Two Years Says $17/b oil production cost possible by 2018 Chineme Okafor in Abuja The National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) yesterday disclosed that it had saved Nigeria between $3 billion and $5billion it could have spent to fund oil and gas production between 2015 and 2017, through its revised business processes.

The Group General Manager of NAPIMS, Mr. Dafe Sejebor, stated this in Lagos while briefing journalists at the inauguration of

a seven-member anti-corruption committee that the agency set up in line with a recent directive from the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, that all the subsidiaries of the NNPC set up anti-corruption units to monitor and tame instances of corrupt practices within their operations.

NAPIMS is the investment management arm of the NNPC, and it oversees the corporation’s

Body of Missing Police Inspector Resurfaces in Lagos Waterfront Chiemelie Ezeobi Almost nine months after Inspector Musa Sunday of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) disappeared from radar while responding to a distress call, his body yesterday resurfaced at the Ibeju-Lekki waterfront.

Months of due diligence and undercover investigations however paid off as an informant who revealed that the community members were sworn to an oath of secrecy, tipped off the police.

When the informant took the police team to the waterfront, they dug up his decomposed body and his service rifle, an AK47.

When the body was found, the police immediately swung into action and arrested the Baale of Oshoroko Village, Chief Olusegun Oyeri, alongside three others who

were identified as Aroki Badiru, Nasiru Isiaka and Akeem Balogun alias Apollo.

Confirming the incident, the state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said the deceased was declared missing on November 29, 2016.

He said: “Inspector Musa Sunday disappeared from a scene of crime in Ibeju-Lekki when he and other officers were deployed to that axis from Ibeju up to Lekki Free Trade Zone.

“In the course of that patrol, they were alerted by the community of a communal fight between two families over land issues.

“Dutifully, they joined the informant but on getting there, one of the community callously turned against the patrol team and at the end of the fight, the team returned but without Sunday.”

interests in upstream oil and gas operations amongst other responsibilities.

Sejebor however, disclosed that within the last two years that he has managed the affairs of the subsidiary, he has turned around its operations to impact positively on Nigeria’s oil industry.

He said through new measures which include review of oil and gas projects’ contracting cycles; renegotiation of arrears of Joint Venture (JV) cash call debts to International Oil Companies (IOCs); and continuous tweaking of per barrel of oil production cost, the agency was able to save the country that much of money.

He equally stated that beyond the cut in production cost from $78 per barrel to $23/b, NAPIMS was working to arrive at a $17/b production cost in 2018.

“Our achievements are simple.

It’s a huge estimate. We were able to bring down the cost of production from $78 per barrel to $23 per barrel and we are charged to further drop it to $17 per barrel for 2018. We’ve been able to save about $3 to $5 billion since we came in,” said Sejebor.

He explained that IOCs who were initially reluctant to invest in upstream oil and gas projects have now begun to make considerable investment decisions following a payoff deal for

JV cash call debts which he noted would not tamper with Nigeria’s income from oil production.

According to him: “The implication of them not investing is that production continues to drop and facilities decay. That was scary because if you allow that to continue, operations could die in five years.

“We sat down with them and they said we owed in cash call arrears and then we negotiated a way to pay back without tampering with the cash flow coming into the Federation Account to forestall drop in revenue.”

Sejebor further stated: “Also, we turned around our contracting circle from two to three years to six months.”

He noted that staff of NAPIMS found guilty of corrupt practices had been made to go through established disciplinary procedures of the NNPC, adding instances that required the interventions of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) were equally allowed to take course.

“Such erring staff will be referred to a disciplinary committee. If found wanting, we have our various penalties. If it is a financial crime it goes to EFCC but if it’s a corruption against NNPC itself,

it goes to ICPC,” he explained.

Speaking on the backlogs of annual financial audits that NAPIMS had not done, Sejebor, stated that as at 2015, NAPIMS had about five years accounts that were not prepared while standard governance meetings were deferred.

“But, we have been able to clear the backlog. 2016 accounts would be ready by December. NAPIMS was able to achieve all these in a short period because all we did was change our attitude towards work and in the way we carry out operations.

“We worked tirelessly round the clock to clear all backlog of legacy contracts in order to close our books and balance our accounts to show that NNPC has nothing to hide,” he stated.

He called on journalists to consistently imbibe professionalism in reports of NAPAIMS activities, alleging that most times contractors with shady acts attempt to smear the agency through the media.

“While trying to drive this change and run an upright establishment, we are bound to make mistakes, please cross-check with us before publishing. When a change is being made, you will meet with resistance who will fight you every step of the way.

“When you are dealing with

contractors that are not used to losing they will go all out to smear your name, please when the media encounters this, please cross-check with us,” Sejebor urged.

On the need for the anticorruption committee which he inaugurated, Sejebor, said: “It’s a milestone to bring corruption to zero level in NAPIMS because we have a zero-tolerance for corruption. We came in August 2015 at a time when oil prices crashed and investments came to zero but today we’ve been able to sit down with our partners, operators to arrest the situation, re-negotiate interest, exit cash-call and the strategy worked.”

“Accountability, transparency should be our watchword. We don’t want to end up like the old NEPA or the old NITEL. We must fight corruption so we don’t eat away our future.

No matter how many years you have left, one day we will all exit NNPC, so my appeal is that we emulate the GMD and support his drive by having zero-tolerance for corruption. Let us all therefore work together to creatively drive positive initiatives that would help in improving our efficiency as we grapple with turning around our industry while also ensuring that our business remains profitable,” he added.

APDA: Why Shittu-led NWC was Sacked Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The newly elected National Working Committee (NWC) of the Advance Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA) led by Mainasara Ilo has described the sack of the immediate past leadership of the party as a done deal.

The committee said the Mallam Shittu Mohammed and all other members of the interim NWC of APDA were given letters of appointment whose terms and conditions were clearly stated that their tenure will be for only three months-March 14 to June 14, 2017.

In a statement issued yesterday by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Ide Eguagbor, the party said it has become necessary to clarify issued “following series of distorted, inaccurate and totally misleading information emanating from Shittu and his group who have resorted to violent attacks on characters and blackmail of founders of the APDA in the social and core media.”

Regarding the role and position of one of the founding members, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, the spokesman said the founder of DAAR Communications Plc, had since returned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), adding that APDA now has a life of its own.

Also, while speaking in an interview with THISDAY, the party spokesman described Shittu as an opportunist who is trying to pull a fast one on the leaders of the party.

According to him, “Shittu had

started to behave funny since the day we received the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) certificate, but we set up a reconciliation committee headed by a prominent member of the party, the chairman of APDA in Sokoto State. They met with Shittu and Dokpesi. Shittu came here, and everybody agreed that the misunderstanding was based on wrong perception, and the meeting was fixed for the secretariat.

“We went to the secretariat and inaugurated the media committee at which Shittu brought the certificate he got from INEC and handed over to Dokpesi which I have the picture. He handed over the certificate he received as a way of showing that we have reconciled.

A few days later, we learnt that it wasn’t the real certificate.”

Meanwhile, the other faction of the party led by its interim National Chairman Alhaji Shittu Mohammed, met and resolved to set up a disciplinary committee to try members found to have violated the constitution of the party for holding an unauthorised meetings and other anti-party activities including Dokpesi, Dan Nwanyanwu and Mainasara Ilo. In a communique after its NEC meeting, the faction said the trio is to be given an opportunity to state their case within 48hours and make themselves available to the disciplinary committee to be headed by Mohammed Sani Takori, former Attorney General of Zamfara State and former member House of Representatives.

A CALL TO SERVE

L-R: Newly elected President, Rotary Club Ikeja, Adeniyi Adelaja; former President, Olaitan Ojuroye; wife of the President, Mrs. Yetunde Adelaja; and Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello, representing the state governor, during the installation ceremony of Adelaja as the 51st President of the Rotary Club of Ikeja...recently Kola Olasupo

ICC Commences Probe on Fulani Herdsmens Attacks Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The International Criminal Court (ICC) has commenced investigation into the incessant attacks on diverse farming communities across the country by armed Fulani herdsmen, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has revealed.

A statement issued yesterday in Abuja by the National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said ICC disclosed this through a letter it sent to the group from The Hague, The Netherlands.

The letter signed by the Head of Information and Evidence Unit, Office of the Prosecutor, ICC, Mark .P. Dillon, and dated August 15, 2017 was sequel to the earlier petition the rights group sent to

ICC demanding action to prosecute sponsors of the armed Fulani attacks.

HURIWA said it had invited ICC in a letter of petition dated September 15, 2016 to investigate the widespread killings going on in Nigeria especially by armed Fulani herdsmen and to take action to bring the perpetrators to international justice since the current Nigerian government was doing nothing to address these issues radically in compliance with the Nigerian laws.

Onwubiko however, noted that ICC revealed that a similar petition that had been filed and that the matter was already undergoing preliminary examination by the office of the chief prosecutor.

The ICC letter addressed to

HURIWA according to him, stated thus: “On behalf of the prosecutor, I thank you for your communication received on 15 /09/2016, as well as any subsequent related information.”

“It appears that your communication relates to a situation already under preliminary examination by the office of the prosecutor. Accordingly, your communication will be analysed in this context, with the assistance of other related communications and other available information.

“Under Article 53 of the Rome Statue, the prosecutor must consider whether there is a reasonable basis to believe that crimes within jurisdiction of the court have been committed, the gravity of the crimes, whether national systems

are investigating and prosecuting give the relevant crimes, and the interest of justice. Analysis will be carried out as possible, but please be aware that meaningful analysis of these factors can take some time.

“As soon as a decision is taken on whether there is a reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation, we will advise you promptly and we will promptly reasons for the decision.

“We thank you for your interest in the ICC. If you would like to learn more about the ICC, please consult our website at www.icc-cpi. int. If you would like to learn more about how the Office carries out analysis of information, please see our policy paper on preliminary examinations, on the office webpage at the website above.”

THURSDAY AUGUST 17, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

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Global Hunt for Nigerian Cyber Criminal Spreading Malware A Nigerian working alone around Abuja has stirred a global hunt as he orchestrated numerous malware infection campaigns targeting more than 4,000 organisations globally over the past four months, a cyber security company has claimed. www.Securityweek.com quoting Check Point security researchers said the attacks targeted various companies and industries such as oil and gas, manufacturing, banking, and construction, in an attempt to steal data and commit fraud.

Many of the companies are leading international names and some have had their defences breached by the attacks, the security researchers reveal.

According to Check Point, at least a dozen companies confirmed they have been infected during the campaign, including a marine and energy solutions company in Croatia, a transportation company in Abu Dhabi, a mining company in Egypt, a construction company in Dubai, an oil and gas firm in Kuwait, and a construction organisation in Germany.

Despite the large-scale campaign, behind it is not an expert gang of cybercriminals or a nation state actor, but “a relatively unskilled man in his mid-20s, operating from a location near the capital of Nigeria,” Check Point discovered.

Working on his own, the Nigerian uses fraudulent emails seemingly coming from oil and gas giant, Saudi Aramco, the world’s second largest daily oil producer. The phishing messages target financial departments within

companies in an attempt to trick employees into revealing company bank details or into opening a malware-infected attachment.

The malware used in these attacks includes NetWire, a remote access Trojan that provides its operator with full control over infected machines, and Hawkeye, a software for logging key strokes (malware already associated with Nigerian cybercriminals).

The attacks eventually resulted in a total of 14 successful infections.

The cybercriminal ended up earning thousands of dollars in the process, the researchers said.

Despite showing a low level of cyber-skills, using crude and unsophisticated fraudulent emails, with almost no research or social engineering involved in creating them, the attacker was successful in his attempts.

The attacker used generic email titles, phrased as “Dear Sir/Ms,” sent the same email to numerous targets, “all in blind carbon copy, urging victims to send back banking details, perhaps for future scams”. He sent the emails from email addresses sale. cement_till_tw@yahoo.com, and cciticarinternational@yahoo.com.

The fraudster used old, generic and readily available online malware, as well as freeware to ‘scrape’ email addresses from corporate websites and used them as targets for his campaigns.

“The fact that the campaign was still effective, despite using only basic cyber-criminal techniques, highlights just how much of a

Tambuwal Donates Truck Load of Food, Cash to Parents of Quadruplets Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has donated a truck-load of food, baby items and cash to the local farmer whose wife gave birth to quadruplets in Sokoto last weekend.

A statement issued by Tambuwal’s spokesman, Mallam Imam Imam, said the man, Lawwali Maishinkafa Illela, was given the sum of N500,000 to support his farming business while assorted food items and baby wears was presented to the couple at their family home in Illela Local Government Area of the state.

Presenting the items on behalf of the governor, the state Commissioner for Social Welfare, Alhaji Surajo Gatawa, said the state government will continue to cater for the needs of the new born babies and their parents.

“We are here to present these items as a means of support to you. The birth of a child is a moment of joy to us. And because God decided to give you four at the same time, our joys are four-fold.

“We thank God for this joy and addition to your family and we will continue to monitor the progress of the children through you,” the commissioner told the father and his wife Shafa’atu.

He added that the Illela Local Government Area has already been directed to monitor the progress of the babies, and ensure that health officials at the nearby primary healthcare centre constantly check on the family.

Responding, Illela commended Tambuwal for his show of humanity, and expressed delight

that the intervention is coming at a time it is needed most.

problem these business email compromise (BEC) attacks have become,” Check Point said.

Since uncovering the campaign and establishing its origins, Check Point’s research team has notified law enforcement authorities in Nigeria and internationally and shared its findings with them.

Check Point said the Nigerian in his 20s operates social media accounts, where he uses the motto: “get rich or die trying”.

Last year, the FBI revealed

that losses caused by BEC scams exceeded $3.1 billion. Victims are estimated to lose between $25,000 and $75,000 on average, per attack. However, it’s not only financial losses that victims should be concerned about, but also the fact that “the malware used by the criminal to infect organisations gives remote control over infected machines, and can perform key-logging functions. This enables harvesting of a variety of information from infected machines,

such as details on the companies’ operations, assets and intellectual property.”

Such details could be worth much more than the thousands of dollars obtained by fraud, Check Point said.

Another alarming aspect was that some of the targets are energy and infrastructure companies, which the unsophisticated cybercriminal was able to easily breach. Not only was the attacker able to compromise the networks of several large

organisations, but he also managed to distribute his malware globally and remain under the radar for a long while.

“This highlights the need for all organisations to improve their security to protect against phishing and business email compromise scams, and to educate their employees to be cautious about opening emails, even from companies or individuals that they recognise,” Check Point said.

INEC Starts Countdown to 2019 General Election Says all is ready now Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has started the countdown to the February 16, 2019 presidential and National Assembly elections.

The Chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who gave update on the preparations for the poll yesterday at the swearing in of the nine newly appointed Resident Electoral Commissioners in Abuja, said it was now exactly 548 days to general election.

According to the INEC timetable, presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on Saturday, February 16, 2019 while governorship, state assembly and area council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will hold two weeks later on March 2, 2019.

Yakubu said in terms of strategic planning, the commission was prepared for 2019.

“Furthermore, we are already taking practical steps towards actualising the strategic plan. The complimentary document, the Election Project Plan, is almost ready.

Very soon, the Election Management System that will enable us track activities almost on daily basis will be ready.”

The INEC chairman again dismissed doubts over the readiness of the commission to deliver credible election, adding that going by the outcome of recent elections conducted by INEC, it is clear that votes count “We shall continue to uphold the sanctity of citizens’ choice as the only basis for determining elective representation in Nigeria,” he said.

He told the new resident commissioners that they were fortunate to be assuming duty at the time when the commission is almost done with preparatory

activities for the 2019 election.

“In terms of strategic planning, we are prepared for 2019.

Furthermore, we are already taking practical steps towards actualising the strategic plan. The complimentary document, the Election Project Plan, is almost ready. Very soon, the Election Management System that will enable us track activities almost on daily basis will be ready.”

On the commission’s engagements in the later part of the year, Yakubu said the it would conduct four elections in quick succession in the next few months, The elections are for Dukku North State Constituency by-election

in Gombe State which would hold this weekend to be followed by the Eti Osa I State Constituency in Lagos State, Kware/Wamakko Federal Constituency in Sokoto State and the governorship election in Anambra State scheduled to hold on November 18.

The nine Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) sworn in yesterday are Mrs. Asman Sani Maikudi, Sam Olugbadebo Olumekun, Prof. Riskuww A. Shehu , Kassim Gana Giedam, Jibrin Ibrahim Zerawa, Abdulganiyu Olayinka Raji, Prof. Sam Egwu, Mike A. igini and Mallam Sadiq Musa.

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THURSDAY AUGUST 17, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Otti Asks FG to Monitor Abia’s Disbursement of Bailout Funds, Loans Protests $200m AfDB loan My administration is open to any probe, says gov Ikpeazu Jonathan Eze The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate in Abia State in the 2015 general election, Mr. Alex Otti, yesterday called on the federal government to pay attention to how the state used the two bailout funds and other loans obtained by the state government.

Otti also urged the anti-graft agencies to probe past and present governments in the state to unravel the “disappearance of billions of naira accrued to the state.”

He stated this at a press conference in Lagos, where he condemned the National Assembly’s approval of the $200 million loan for the state from the African Development Bank (AfDB).

According to Otti, the administration of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has left many Abia workers miserable, given that they are owed eight months salary arrears despite several billions that have accrued to the state.

He specifically mentioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and

Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), urging the anti-graft bodies to beam their searchlight on Abia and commence urgent investigation so as to unravel the mystery of why the state has remained in ruins despite all the money it had collected from allocations, Internally Generated Revenues (IGR), bailouts and loans.

He said: “There is absolutely no doubt that the Ikpeazu/PDP led government does not mean well for Abia State and its people as the consistency of negativity of the government, especially in the management of the people’s commonwealth has assumed a provocative and insulting dimension, hence the need for all men of good conscience to collectively raise their voices in saving the state by calling Ikpeazu and his collaborators to order so that they don’t plunge Abia and Abians into long term financial and economic chaos.

“I demand that the National Assembly should review its decision taken few weeks ago and quickly withdraw or reverse its approval of the $200 million loan, as any money given to the Abia State government

by the issuing body is bound to disappear going by its crazy record of financial recklessness. Besides, the capacity to repay this humongous loan has not been demonstrated in any way or form, irrespective of the outdated document titled “Abia State Integrated Infrastructure Development Project” dated October 2015, which was the only document placed in front of the Assembly for the loan.

He said the government should tell Abians where the billions given to it so far for the development of the state have gone to, adding that the House of Assembly should without delay, set up a panel to investigate the financial activities of the Ikpeazu led government and ensure that anyone found culpable in the obvious financial crimes halting the development of the state is made to pay the price.

“That the federal government should henceforth prevent Abia State government from accessing

any form of loan from within or outside the country until it accounts for the funds already received.

“The state government should immediately pay up all salary arrears for which it had received bailout funds and two tranches of Paris Club refund. May we also advise the federal government to pay attention to how funds are used by the states, especially when they are bailout funds and other loans that future generation would be made to repay.”

Chronicling the funds received

by Abia State since inception of Ikpeazu’s administration, Otti said the government has on various occasions, announced it was going to pay salary arrears from the money but did not.

He said: “On assumption of office, the present Abia State Government led by Ikpeazu began dishing out figures of funds required to clear salary arrears owed workers. After initially

claiming that it required N6 billion to clear the salary arrears, the governor later approached the state House of Assembly seeking approval for a loan of N30 billion from a local bank.

“My party, APGA, challenged that request after the state government contradicted the then speaker, who had informed his House members that the loan was for infrastructural development, only for the government to turn around and claim it was meant to clear different debts owed by the state.

Meanwhile, the Chief Press Secretary to the Abia State Governor, Enyinnaya Appolos , in a statement sent to THISDAY, described the financial recklessness levelled against the governor as baseless and unfounded.

According to him, Ikpeazu is open to any probe of his administration’s management of the state’s financial resources by

any constituted authority of the state or federal government.

He added that the government of Ikpeazu has not borrowed a single kobo from any commercial bank in Nigeria.

“If indeed Otti is current, he can easily verify this fact from the CBN and DMO. In any case, states have long been stopped from borrowing from commercial banks at the prevailing double digits interest rates, especially for the purpose of paying salaries. Only Otti, the selfstyled astute banker seems not to know this and hence he continues to dish out lies which accounted for his failed Governorship run as Abians saw through his politics.

“With regards to the approval from the Abia State House of Assembly to borrow N30bn, the Ikpeazu administration never accessed those funds to date.

We challenge Otti to publish the name(s) of the local bank that availed the facility to the state government.”

Senate Delighted with Lagos-Ibadan Railway Modernisation Project

Rail line to be delivered in 2017 Sunday Okobi and Solomon Elusoji Members of the Senate Committee on Land Transport and Foreign and Local Debt have expressed delight with the progress of the LagosIbadan railway modernisation project.

They stated this during their visit to the Agege, Lagos section of the rail line this week after the National Assembly approved the federal government request of a $1.4 billion loan to complete railway projects in the country.

In his remark, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, said: “We have been mandated by the Senate to go to the site and look at how far the work has gone.

We are here today and we have seen for ourselves that indeed there is progress. “We’ve been given a deadline of which to report back to the Senate so that other conclusive parts of the foreign loan agreement can be sealed. And that is taking our own report to the Federal Executive Council for them to prepare the signing of the loan agreement with the China Exim Bank.”

Ashafa also observed that the contractors, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), are complying with the local content clauses inserted into their contract with the Nigerian government.

According to him, “We have also confirmed that on ground, the local content factor of the loan agreement is being adhered to strictly; that is, the purchase of some of the raw materials needed from local sources. We confirmed that they are getting their sand locally, from the riverine areas in Lagos, Ogun States and sometimes Oyo State, for the gravel.

“Again, they’ve confirmed to

us that labour, which forms part of the dividends of having this kind of project on ground will be sourced locally; at least about 70 per cent will be Nigerians. At the end of day, when this project is about to be completed, we will have about 7,000 fresh employed Nigerians. If you marry that to the infrastructure development and the essence of having a modern rail project, you will see that we are moving forward in ensuring that the promise of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is being achieved gradually.”

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign and Local Debt, Senator Shehu Sani, also noted that he was impressed with the work going on.

“We are here to ascertain what is actually going on and to deliver a clear message to the contractors that this project must not stop.

“The necessary funds have been approved, and we have also learnt that they will get N12 billion within the next seven days, so there is no excuse for this project to stop,” he stated.

Sani also pointed out that the Senate is “very cautious in terms of approving loan requests for the very fact that we don’t want to leave a legacy of debt for the future generations of Nigeria.

If we must borrow, there must be a concrete evidence that that money was judiciously used for the next generation of Nigerians to enjoy,” he stated, adding that “no nation can aspire to the status of industrialisation without upgrading its railway system.”

He said the Lagos – Kano, Lagos – Calabar, Port-Harcourt – Maiduguri, and Kano – Kaduna railway lines will also be carefully studied.

TAPPING FROM TAMBUWAL’S KINDNESS

Malam Lawwali Maishinkafa Illela (third left), and his wife, Shafa’atu (left), with their new born babies displaying the N500,000 donated to them by Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal in Sokoto....yesterday

Ribadu Advises Judiciary to Help EFCC Fight Corruption Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja Former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has disclosed that the problem or difficulty in bringing corrupt people to justice is because many Nigerians don’t know that the corrupt can do whatever it takes to escape justice.

He advised the judiciary to team up with the commission in the ongoing war against corruption in the country.

In an exclusive interview with THISDAY in Abuja yesterday, Ribadu urged the judiciary not to be a willing tool in the hands of the corrupt persons, saying the EFCC must have done a lot of works before taking its cases to court, contrary to insinuations that the commission does not carry out proper investigation before charging their suspects to court.

He said cases are taking to court after a thorough work must have been put in, adding that the judiciary is in a better position to tell the public why the EFCC loses

many cases or why their cases are thrown out.

According to him, “The problem or difficulty we are facing in Nigeria today in fighting corruption, bringing people to justice; we must understand what is going on. People do whatever it takes to escape justice. ‘’If only you know what the law enforcement agency goes through, the prosecutors and what they overcome before taking a case to court, and when it gets to court it is off the hands of the prosecutor but in the hands of one Judge or many who will sit down and determine the case.’’

The former EFCC boss asked members of the public to direct their questions to the judiciary as to why the executive would work so much as represented by the EFCC; does its own part and build up a case and gets its case dismissed by the court.

He added, “No one knows what the EFCC goes through to bring up a case in courts; it is not a small job. They prepare it and go

through the process; go to court and lawyers will argue; prosecutors will follow the case day in, day out and at the end of the day, the judge or the judiciary will throw out the case.

“It is not true, at least when I was there, and now, I believe nobody will go to court unless you are prepared and you know that your own case will stand the test of time. No prosecutor will take a case which is empty. In law both sides don’t win; ultimately one side must win.”

He argued that as someone who had been involved in prosecution since 1980s, the corrupt who are facing criminal charges would do whatever it takes to escape justice, not to minding the cost.

He advised the law enforcement agencies and prosecutors not compromise or be tempted in any way to stop their work.

He further argued: “On the side of the prosecutors, they should refuse to be compromised, tempted or in any way want to stop their work. They take the

case to court and I can assure you that those facing criminal trial will do anything on earth to ensure that they escape justice.

“So, it is a big problem; unless you think deep and understand what is going on and if you do so, you will salute law enforcement agents and you will salute the prosecutors for even bringing a case to court because it is not a small feat. ‘’All my life, I have done that; I have prosecuted cases; I did it in the 1980s, 90s and up to 2000, and I know what is going on.

It is the most thankless job you can ever think of doing. It is a job you do with passion, honesty and fear of God hoping that you will get results but the results are not in your own hands.

“You do your part; you will not collect money; you will go through intimidation, harassment, they will paint you as a bad person; yet you still stand and continue with that case but the worst thing that can happen to you is when the case is ultimately thrown out.”

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2017

THURSDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

SUMMER TRANSFER

Onazi Denied Work Permit to Join Birmingham Nigeria international Ogenyi Onazi has been denied a work permit to play for English Championship side Birmingham City.

Birmingham had agreed terms with the 24-year-old to sign him from Turkish club Trabzonspor.

However the English Football Association turned down a first application for a work permit for Onazi last week.

An appeal made by the club was rejected yesterday despite Onazi being a regular in the Nigeria national team.

BBC Sport learnt that the player and his representatives are bitterly disappointed that the panel rejected an appeal.

Onazi has played 38 times for the Super Eagles and helped the team to win the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and reach the last 16 of the World Cup in Brazil a year later.

However Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the past two editions of the Nations Cup has affected his chances of securing a work permit to play in the English Championship.

Despite appearing in over 80% of the national team games, Onazi failed to earn a permit after the FA considered Nigeria’s world ranking in the past two years.

Eagles are ranked 38th in the August 2017 ranking, but Nigeria finished 54th on aggregate over the past two years.

Onazi joined current club Trabzonspor from Lazio last year and scored twice in 27 Turkish Super Lig matches last season.

Ogenyi Onazi ‘s switch from Trabzonspor to Birmingham has been blocked by the refusal of the work permit

Amazon, Bayelsa Queens to Kick off NWPL Super 4 on Sept 11 Femi Solaja with agency report Nasarawa Amazon will square it up with Bayelsa Queen when the Nigerian Women Professional League (NWPL) Super 4 contests get underway next month in Benin City. In a tournament to be played in double-header format, Delta Queen will immediately face Rivers Angel on the Day 1 of the tournament being bankrolled by the Edo State Government.

That was the high point of the brief, but colourful draw ceremony held Wednesday afternoon at Protea Hotel, Ikeja Lagos. The ceremony was graced by President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, as well as three of the prominent women footballers in Nigeria: Precious Dede, Rasheedat Ajibade and Onome Ebi. At the end of the six-round robin contest, the winning team will get a reward of N3 million while the runners-up get N2 million.

It is the first time that women football teams in Nigeria will be so heavily rewarded. Before now, winning teams merely got tokens of appreciation which were not even regular.

It was so gratifying for the

chairperson of the Nigerian Women Football League (NWFL), Aishat Falode that she remarked that the league will be going places in the years to come.

Even though this season, the NWFL had to opt for an abridge league owing to logistics, Falode was happy that the season ran well unlike in the past when the fun was soiled by spate of walkovers, which curiously also involved clubs that were supposed to play at home.

Falode thanked the NFF president for his efforts at assisting the women’s football league. “He was the chief marketer of the league and he carried me along in all efforts made at getting sponsorship for the league,” said Falode who added that part of the results of the efforts was the N10 million that the winners of the maiden women’s edition of the AITEO Cup will get.

The NWPL Super 4 will kick off on September 11 and run through to the 16th.

Sports Ministry’s Assets Seized over N10m Debt Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports suffered an ignominious seizure of its assets yesterday when three companies bundled away some of the properties belonging to it over a debt valued at just N9.9 million.

For failing to pay up the debt, the companies shocked officials, when they impounded three buses, a Hilux truck and two Mikano generators from its premises.

The companies were, Zeminex Nig. Ltd, Micnovos

Nig. Ltd and B.N. Donagel Ltd. They were executing an order granted them in 2010 by an FCT High Court, in respect of the debt owed them by the ministry.

Though the debt was not in contention, the seized assets were comparatively above the liability.

Nwude I. Emmanuel, the principal partner of Ifeanyi Nwude & Associates law firm, led the companies and court bailiff in enforcing the court order yesterday afternoon.

“We are obeying the judgment of the court following

the failure of the Ministry of Sports to pay the debt owed our clients since 2010. The total liability is N9.9 million, but the matter can be resolved if the ministry begins to make payment of the debt, even on instalment basis,” Nwude clarify.

THISDAY learnt that the case was heard on May 12, 2016 and judgment given on March 6, 2017.

Although sources in the ministry claimed that the matter was referred to the Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung, no efforts were made to respect the

Real Wins Super Cup Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-0 at the Bernabeu to win the Spanish Super Cup 5-1 on aggregate. The Spanish and European champions were dominant, even without the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo.

AITEO CUP

THE FULL FIXTURES N’Amazons vs B’Queens Delta Queens vs Rivers Angels R’Angels vs N’Amazons Bayelsa Queens vs Delta Queens N’Amazons vs Delta Queens Rivers Angels vs Bayelsa Queens Leaders vs Runners-up

court order before the bailiffs stormed the ministry t5o cart away the assets yesterday.

No official of the ministry was willing to make any official statement on the matter when THISDAY sought the reaction of some directors.

L-R: AIPS Africa President, Mitchell Obi; Secretary General of NOC, Hon. Tunde Popoola; LMC Chief Executive Officer, Hon. Nduka Irabor and former Lagos State Director of Sports, Dr Kweku Tandoh at the 2017 Lagos SWAN Week Lecture in Lagos ...yesterday

The AITEO Cup (formerly Federation Cup) lived up to it image of where clubs in top flight leagues are subdued by minnow.

League defending champion, Rangers International of Enugu, MFM FC, Wikki Tourists, Rivers United and Enyimba FC of Aba were all bundled out of the Round of 64 games played yesterday.

TEAM THROUGH TO ROUND OF 32 Ngwa FC, Heartland FC, Katsina United Feeders, Unicem Rovers, Sunshine Stars, Bayelsa United, Ede United, FC IfeanyiUbah Feeders, Ekiti United, FC Atete, Delta Warriors, FC IfeanyiUbah, Shooting Stars, Nasarawa United, Doma United, Osun United, El-Kanemi Babes, Kwara United, Plateau United, ABS FC, Abia Warriors, FRSC FC, Almar FC, Akwa Starlets, Samba Kurna

Thursday, August 17, 2017

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Price: N250

MISSILE Garba Shehu to ASUU “This strike is unnecessary. The issues can be resolved, especially when we have full understanding of where we are coming from. The governments that signed those agreements did not deem it fit to implement because the capacity was not there.

They (ASUU) want all the problems to go with a wave of the hand. They want all the answers to all their problems at a go” – Presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, on why the striking university lecturers should be more realistic.

OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

A Season of Photographs A

ll over the world, smart politicians play to the gallery. And they do so with their cameramen in tow in an elaborate scheme that is now part of the game. Politicians carry babies in the market place. They pump fists with plumbers. They pose with books even when they are not reading.

And they do chores that ordinarily they don’t do at home, in order to appear like the man next door.

While Nigerian politicians have also learnt those tricks, there is little or no imagination in some of the things they do for the camera: They buy and eat roasted corn or groundnuts by the roadside; they ride on Okada; they share in drinking ‘agbo jedi’ with motor park touts.

Ordinarily, these are not bad in themselves, as monotonous as they seem. However, the real challenge is that when golden opportunities for impactful public relations come, they simply bungle it because they just don’t understand the power of strategic gestures.

Take a look at the iconic photograph on top of this page. It was one of those unscripted moments: a little boy with no shoes, standing by a mud house sees a governor passing by from a distance. From his vehicle, the governor gestures with a “Victory” thumbs-up popularised

by Winston Churchill or “peace sign” as it is often described. The boy returns the gesture.

In that brief moment, a virtual connection is established between the governor and the little boy; as one perhaps reflects on the past while the other dreams about the future. It was a moment frozen in time which perhaps explains why Arthur Brisbane, a 20th century Australian newspaper editor, said most memorably that a picture is “worth a thousand words.”

Yet as iconic as that photograph is, it is also very delicate due to the unequal relationship between the two characters joined in a fateful but distant embrace. Handling, therefore, can make a lot of difference. After all, as Elliot Erwitt would argue, photography has little to do with the things you see but “everything to do with how you see them.” A good product carelessly mismanaged could be a public relations disaster.

I am sure the Osun State Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola and his media handlers would by now know what I am talking about.

In sending out the above photograph from Aregbesola’s Twitter handle last Saturday, the governor’s handlers (I doubt if he did it himself) borrowed a quote from the 19th century Russian writer and philosopher, Fyodor Dostoyevsky: “The soul is healed by being with children.”

It was a most inappropriate quote for which Aregbesola received instant rebukes from the ever-attentive Twitter users, especially since there was no suggestion that the governor actually came down to meet the boy.

While some of the comments were abusive, as you would expect in the Nigeria of today, a few of the respondents also spoke to the core of the issue. Two stand out for me. The first is of course interpretative and it doesn’t matter whether or not we agree with it: “He (the little boy) is not waving because he likes you. That is a call for help. Too bad you can’t discern.”

Aregbesola...displaying victory sign to the little boy The second hits at the choice of quote: “Being with children” you say? He is like a half mile away from you on foot and you are in a bus driving by. That’s not ‘being with children’”.

First, I must commend the photographer for producing the kind of photograph that wins awards. By his spontaneous and evidently genuine gesture, as captured on camera, Aregbesola was breaching a divide between him and that little boy in a manner that transcended boundaries and class. Had he waited to take a photograph with the boy to accompany the one from the vehicle, it would have been a public relations coup.

Now to the question: Should the governor have come down from his vehicle to greet the boy? May be; maybe not. But that is not the point. The real challenge is in the quote which did not fit the occasion since whoever came up with it lacked the imagination that produced the photograph in the first place. The person ought to have looked beyond the governor to make the little boy the object of his imagination.

But since he didn’t, he exposed the governor to merciless social media trolls and his political traducers.

There are obvious lessons to learn. According to Ms Kiku Adatto, a Scholar in Residence at Harvard’s Mahindra Humanities Center, the Internet age and the advent of a 24-hour news cycle, “have heightened the demand for arresting images” while politicians and their handlers “know all too well the power of pictures to persuade — and to destroy.” Flattering camera angles and carefully-staged backdrops, as Adatto explains in her book, “Picture Perfect: Life in the Age of the Photo Op”, can enhance the profile of a politician while “a gaffe caught on camera (or worse, on video) can be devastating fodder for ridicule in the endless video loops of cable news and YouTube…”

What the foregoing says most eloquently is the importance of the media team to any politician and public official as Reuben Abati pointed out in his piece on Tuesday, “Buhari’s Reunion with His Media Team” and Louis

Odion amplified in his of yesterday, “The art of managing the truth”. Although looking at the same issue from different angles, both spoke to the elaborate photographic sessions being organized for President Muhammadu Buhari in London, the most effective of which was the latest one involving his media team, even with all its flaws. Considering that the fight for turf in the Villa can be very vicious, I can hazard a guess as to why the media team was excluded from accessing their principal for such a long time: ‘security reason’!

What most Nigerian politicians and public official fail to understand is that by feeling less guarded and more spontaneous in their actions, it becomes very easy to connect with their various publics. Citizens almost always demand in their leader a personal touch which can only happen if they shed all inhibitions and directly engage the people. But because our leaders, at all levels, allow themselves to be caged by security operatives who believe they know everything, media handlers have to constantly contend with all manner of busybodies in trying to do their job. This is a general story

that you find from Abuja to all the 36 states.

All said, as good as posing for photographs and posting them out may be, making a difference in the lives of the people is far more enduring and that unfortunately is where majority of our politicians fail. In most of the states of the federation today, for instance, the common story is that of misplaced priorities.

One Governor is building Mosques in a state where majority of his people are notoriously poor after another had tried to replicate the Roman Catholic St. Peter’s Basilica in his State Government House. Yet another is erecting a multibillion Naira governor’s lodge in Lagos so that he can have a “befitting place to meet foreign investors” while many others are either building airports or some bogus secretariats.

The question remains: how do such projects, which are no better than monuments to waste, translate into more jobs for the poor who are now only good for wheelbarrows?

Nothing exemplifies the level of deprivation in the country than the fact that many of our young citizens are still willing to embark on death trips across the Sahara desert in the futile bids to cross to Europe for the ‘greener pastures’ that are not even available over there, assuming they succeed in their desperate journey. The pervading state of hopelessness across the country therefore calls for concerted efforts by all the stakeholders who must understand that we are in a very precarious situation.

Meanwhile, thanks to a more professional information management, Nigerians now know that President Buhari (whose placid dining table photographs we have had to endure in recent weeks) can actually talk and walk unaided. Yet that still has not addressed the question that Nigerians (majority of who live below poverty line) elected him to take care of our welfare. But since Nigerians find humour in their challenges, that perhaps also explains the “baffling Naija facts” that are now in circulation: PHCN offices run on generator; Chairman of Okada Union drives an SUV; the MD of Techno uses an i-phone; Police now lock-chain generators within their barracks to prevent theft and the President of Nigeria resides in London!

2017 Teens Conference Cheating does not pay. Back in the days, that was usually a topic for an essay or a debate in secondary school. Given what I have learnt in almost one a half decades as a teacher in Teens church, such a topic would now sound very hollow in a milieu where examination malpractices have been deodorized into a positive word: Cooperation!

To therefore rebuild our society, we must begin to inculcate in our young people the values of diligence and honest living. That is the basis of the RCCG (TEAP Zone) Abuja Teens Career Conference which started last year while the second edition is scheduled for next week Saturday, 26th August. With the theme, “Life is a Stage”, the invited speakers are veteran actor, Mr Richard Mofe

Damijo (RMD); former Education Minister, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili; former Kaduna State Health Commissioner, Mrs Charity Shekari and the host, Pastor Eva Azodoh, a medical doctor (consultant urologist) and retired army colonel.

In bringing accomplished professionals and role models in the society to share their stories, we want the teenagers to learn how to find purpose for their own lives as well as how to avoid the distractions that could prevent them from achieving such purpose.

Attendance at this conference—usually a day of fun with music, food and drinks—is free but interested participants need to visit www. rccgteapteens.org to register. Enquiries can also be sent to info@rccgteapteens.org.

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