Sunday 24th September 2017 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd

Huge NPLs, Fragile Economic Growth to Top Agenda at MPC Meeting Tomorrow Kunle Aderinokun When the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) meets tomorrow and Tuesday, issues bordering on huge non-performing loans in banks and weak economic growth would top the agenda

for discussion, analysts have suggested. The forthcoming MPC meeting, which is the 258th edition is coming after the economy exited recession it entered in the second quarter of 2016, recording 0.55 per cent GDP growth rate, which is considered a weak one. The

meeting would also hold days after a report revealed that the top five banks were responsible for 47 per cent of the impaired credits in the industry. Just about the same time, two MPC members, namely, Dr. Doyin Salami and Hassan Balami, expressed concerns over the high level of non-performing

loans in four banks. Executive Director, BGL Capital, Femi Ademola, said the concerns raised by the MPC members on the NPLs were important ones that needed to be dealt with. According to him, “The importance of the banks to the financial system and the entire

economy as a whole and past experience suggest that we do all necessary to prevent any systemic problems.” Ademola, who pointed out that, “We must also consider that this situation is happening at the same time when the economy was in recession, noted that, “The

fall in oil price, the depreciation in the value of the Naira and the high inflation affected the capacity of borrowers to meet repayment obligations.” “However in the last few months, we have been Continued on page 82

With Force Majeure on Nembe Oil Line, Nigeria Risks Revenue, Production Cuts … Page 82 Sunday 24 September, 2017 Vol 22. No 8193

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2019: The State of Play (I) With Buhari's healthier than expected return from medical vacation, many eyeing the Presidency in 2019, are in disarray and back to the drawing board, write Tokunbo Adedoja and Olawale Olaleye The state of play in the period that President Muhammadu Buhari was away on medical grounds has changed. At that time, there was a near consensus amongst a majority of the active political actors that the president might not seek

re-election because of the state of his health. The political space was therefore open and free for all with several meetings and alliances across the land. The turf began to get really saturated with different characters and the accompanying projections

on the path to 2019. But after spending 103 days in London, the United Kingdom, on medical grounds, the second since he became president, Buhari returned to the country healthier, and has demonstrated his fitness going

by his itinerary so far. Since his celebrated return, he has consciously unsettled a lot of political plans, conspiracy and dreams at the presidential level. Although he has not specifically disclosed his take on 2019, indications are daily becoming

crystal clear that he might run. This assumption is supported by the subtle campaigns already being spearheaded by some of his followers. But should he decide to seek re-election, there are challenges he would have to contend with

on his path to a second term in office, which include the aspirations and grievances of certain key political figures, and the frequently changing political permutations. Continued on page 10

Tinubu: Nigeria Won’t Make Progress without Restructuring Says most items in Exclusive List should be in Residual List Faults FG’s approach to Paris Club refund Gboyega Akinsanmi Lending weight to growing calls for restructuring of the Nigerian federation, national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, said yesterday in Lagos that the country’s development would remain an unrealistic hope under the current quasi-federal structure. Tinubu stated this last night in his keynote address at the 2017 Founders’ Day Dinner of King’s College Old Boys’ Association. He said the present system was overcentralising power at the expense of the federating units. The former governor of Lagos State called for a return to the ideals of the 1963 Constitution, which he said

guaranteed fiscal federalism, regional autonomy, regional constitutions, and progressive competition among the federating units. Tinubu said, “Many of the 68 items on the Exclusive Legislative List should be transferred to the Residual Legislative List,” explaining, “This would be in harmony with the 1963 Constitution, again an instance of reaching back to revive something old yet more likely to give us a better Nigeria. That prior constitution granted vast powers to the regions, enabling them to carry out their immense responsibilities as they saw fit.” He faulted the approach of the federal government to the Paris Club refunds, saying it “has no right to withhold Continued on page 82

MARKETING BAYELSA TO THE WORLD… Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson (right) exchanging pleasantries with Chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (representing Texas's 18th District), in Washington DC, USA ...weekend

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PAGE TEN 2019: THE STATE OF PLAY (I)

Buhari, Tinubu and Atiku ...the battle ahead ATIKU ABUBAKAR... READY, WILLING AND ABLE! Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is one politician with a lot of courage, resources, gusto and staying power. He has never pretended about his presidential ambition, a dream he has nursed for many years, even after his former boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo, ensured he ( Atiku) did not succeed him in 2007. Since then Atiku has been in the race, hoping that one day he would be the proud and most prepared occupant of the Presidential Villa in Aso Rock, Abuja. That he gave Buhari a good run in 2015 was not unexpected even though he came third at the convention of the party, which produced Buhari as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, immediate former Kano State governor, surprisingly, beat him to the second position. However, that he would run again in 2019 has never been a secret within the political circle. He had launched his campaign immediately after the 2015 elections. Atiku, who plans to make the forthcoming election an issue-based exercise, had covertly kicked off his campaigns, using some of the lectures and speeches he delivered at different times. It was no surprise that it was he, who resuscitated the restructuring issue, which of course, promises to dominate debates in the next election. The fact that there is no let-up in his ambition was given fillip a couple of weeks ago, when a serving Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Senator Aisha Alhassan, openly declared support for him, adding also that even if Buhari resolved to run in 2019, she would still root for Atiku. Alhassan is considered a major force in Taraba State and a longtime ally of Atiku. This development generated a lot of controversies, the last of which has not been seen yet. But Atiku has remained unfazed, regardless. No one knows yet what the Atiku strategy is, but what appears evident is that he is quietly building a road to Aso Rock with alliances in the North

East, North Central, South East, South West and South South. For the North West Atiku sees challenges, both from Buhari supporters and the regional State Governors from whom he expects little support given their own ambitions. But he has plans to rely on the Babangidas, Abdulsalaamis and Aliyu Gusaus, along with his experience on how to govern the country, based on his knowledge of what the problems are and the ideal solution that would effectively contain them, having served the country as vice president for eight years. What is left now is the platform he would contest on - APC or PDP? He has refused, so far, to leave APC believing that would be his best platform to win the Presidency. But he has many friends, old and new alliances in the PDP especially the Class of 1999 - 2007 Governors who may well be his bulwark against the increasing opposition to his ambition, especially with the so far unsubstantiated allegations of corruption that may have created a perception crisis for him. Then he is increasingly warming up and secretly meeting with Team Goodluck Jonathan hoping to build a willing and winning alliances with Jonathan followers and voters in 2019. In which case he will divide the North 40/60; divide the South West 45/55 and then take the South South and South East, 80/20. With these permutations, Abubakar has a date with 2019, and he remains a challenge that Buhari has to contend with. BOLA TINUBU.... IF NOT ME, THEN WHO? Former Governor of Lagos State and a leader of the APC, Senator Bola Tinubu, is a major force in the ruling party, not just on account of his role in the victory of the president, but more because the party is no less his baby. Tinubu, like Atiku, has never hidden his interest in the nationâ€™s number one job, albeit cautiously with such conditions that he would not run against Muhammadu Buhari. He once said during the 2015 campaigns in Lagos that he had all it took to be president, but chose to back Buhari, because as it was with many nations that had passed through Nigeriaâ€™s

kind of challenges, generals were usually the kind of materials needed in times of crisis. Again, at a function in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, he alluded to his qualification for the presidency but would rather throw his hat in the ring if Buhari was not going to seek re-election. It is not certain, however, if that caveat still subsists. The issue now is that Tinubu is like a wounded lion that has retreated to his den to heal and eagerly waiting to re-launch when the time is right. Deliberately, he has kept quiet and refused to get involved anymore â€“ completely off the turf. His decision to spend more time outside the country remains a source of concern for his political allies and opponents. Even more worrisome is the fact that his people are believed not to be happy too with the way he had been treated so far by a government he helped to install. But the basis for such anger or disappointment has been dismissed time and time again by other stakeholders, who have maintained that Tinubu has benefitted more than anyone else in the government, unknown to the generality of the people. Perhaps, one thing that is still going on well for Tinubu is his belief in the North-west/ South-west alliance â€“ a tool he believes could come handy for his ambition if properly harnessed. An alliance he continues to believe will produce the President in 2019 if the South West is placated and kept happy. Tinubu has a strong network of associates in the northern parts of the country, the North-west especially. But whether or not he comes out to challenge Buhari in 2019, Tinubu definitely will fight to assert his place in the emerging equation and that could mean, possibly, combining forces to alter the current political landscape. But he seems to be at odds with Atiku Abubakar relying in the old doctrine, If not me, then who? NORTHERN GOVERNORS... WAITING FOR THE BUHARI COAT TAILS. Even though Buhariâ€™s popularity among northern masses has not waned despite the pains inflicted by the

economic recession, which the country recently exited, the changing political dynamics in the region may have further boosted his chances should he decide to seek reelection. This has to do with the rising support for him among governors of the region, most of who were elected on the platform of the APC. Though most of the governors in the zone rose to power on the back of Buhariâ€™s popularity in 2015, as his health deteriorated one year into his presidency, some of them began to toy with the idea of taking a shot at the presidency in 2019. His prolonged stay in the United Kingdom during his two medical visits this year further created a fertile ground for their presidential aspirations to begin to germinate. But his miraculous recovery after spending over 100 days in London during his last medical visit has not only quenched the flame of their aspirations, they have also scampered to safety as none of them could risk to be seen to be eyeing the seat of a president, whose popularity in the region remains high. Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-rufai, for instance, who was rumoured to be eyeing the presidency, has personally taken up the task of leading campaign for Buhariâ€™s reelection, using Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Senator Aisha Alhassanâ€™s verbal support for Atikuâ€™s aspiration as a launch pad. Many of the governors in the zone are also following that path because they are engaged in serious political fights with some of the key politicians in their states. This has to do with both the scrambling for sphere of influence and their re-election bids. While El-rufai is engaged in a fierce political battle with Senator Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central) and Senator Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi (Kaduna North senatorial district), Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar is having a running battle with Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Speaker, House of Representatives. In Kano, Governor Umar Ganduje is engaged in a political battle with his predecessor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who has

vowed to make him a one-term governor. In Buhariâ€™s home State of Katsina, Governor Aminu Bello Masari and his predecessor, Ibrahim Shema, have continued to slug it out. Also, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal whose victory in the 2015 election was recently upheld by a Federal High Court is not unaware of a possible rematch in 2019 of the fierce contest between him and two of his opponents in the 2015 APC governorship primary who challenged his victory in court, Senator Umar Dahiru and Aliyu Abubakar Sanyinna. Even if his name is often mentioned as a possible presidential compromise candidate Tambuwal has remained focused on his home state insisting that all politics is local! These governors are not oblivious of the fact that to overwhelm their political adversaries, they need Buhari, whose support is seen as the quickest and surest route to their reelection. THE OSINBAJO... AN ADMIRED DEPUTY. With a style atypical of the quintessential politician, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has lived true to type as a learned fellow. With his role clearly sculpted as Buhariâ€™s help mate, the vice president used the period that his principal was away to prove his mettle, without disputing the fact, either by accident or design, that there is only one presidency. Technically, Osinbajo has become a significant factor in the current Team Buhari. The two have not only complemented each other effectively, they have also redefined the very essence of team work, without undue bickering or attempt to undo each other. Evidently, the working understanding between both of them is what has helped to douse what would have been terrible fallout of speculated cracks in the presidency or the executive arm of government. But in spite of all these, Osinbajo is soon to prove the true meaning of loyalty and no other time presents this opportunity than 2019. His sojourn in national politics was generally known and believed to have been orchestrated by

Tinubu. Even when there was controversy as to how he became the vice president, he quickly laid the issues bare and confirmed it was Tinubu who made him Buhariâ€™s running mate. Unfortunately, his principal (Buhari) and his benefactor (Tinubu) are no longer on the same page and may have to engage in a battle for supremacy in 2019. So, where will Osinbajo stand and why? What if Buhari chooses to drop him on account of new considerations, will he fight back by aligning with his benefactor? On the flip side, if Buhari retains him and his benefactor is on the other side, how will he handle such situation? The scenario may not be particularly pleasant for this professor of law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), if his principal and his benefactor are on opposing sides. Yet, he remains a factor that must be considered as the nation journeys towards 2019 given that in the brief time he acted as President he has won praise and admiration from the business and economic elite. But his problem remains his lack of grassroots political structures beyond his church. SARAKI ... A LOYAL NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. Of all the arms of government, the National Assembly has been the most loyal to Mohammadu Buhari while on medical vacation and Senate President Bukola Saraki seems to have dropped any presidential ambition preferring to lead the National Assembly having successfully blocked all anti Buhari moves in the legislative branch. Many believe, however that Saraki is a fox awaiting his opportunity, as for now he sees no road to the Presidency and has decided to stay with Buhari 100 percent while looking out for the interest of his senators and assemblymen. THE DARK HORSES.... WHERE ARE THEY? There are many dark horses in this race, bidding their time, and watching every Buhari move..... THISDAY will be on the watch in part 2 of this series. Continued on page 82

T H I S D AY SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

SEPTEMBER 24, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

SUNDAY COMMENT

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

ARMS CACHE AND THE REIGN OF IMPUNITY The federal government should be more decisive in curbing arms build-up in the country

iolence recently returned to the plateau when no fewer than 20 persons were felled in Ancha Village in the Miango District by herdsmen said to be on a revenge mission over the killing of a Fulani boy by suspected cultists. As the Plateau State authorities moved to forestall a further escalation of the violence, President Muhammadu Buhari was on hand to express his displeasure with the disruption of peace and normalcy that had until then prevailed in the state. However, not a few Nigerians were disappointed that, as usual, no arrest has been made even as government and its security agencies go through the familiar ritual of sermonising over the need for citizens, including We think that the the aggressed, to interception of 2,671 keep the peace. Yet, imported illicit arms as this newspaper within a period of nine has pointed out on months is an indication several occasions, there is an organic of a systemic arms between the build-up. That requires linkage failure of the aua more urgent and thorities to secure the concrete response lives and property from the federal of citizens and the geometric rise in the government inclination towards self-help. In the instant case of Ancha Village, it was the unresolved murder of one person that led to the killing of 20 others as well as the maiming of many people by sophisticated gun-wielding non-state actors. If the federal government and its security agencies are in doubt about the enormity of the horrific consequence of their serious dereliction of duty and the concomitant rise in the privatisation of violence, that doubt ought to have been cleared by the obvious massive arms build-up in the country. By now, Nigerians have become familiar with watching on television open display of arms reportedly intercepted by agencies of government. A fortnight ago, the Nigeria Customs Service gleefully displayed the cache of arms it claimed to have intercepted at the Tin Can Island Port of Apapa

Letters to the Editor

in Lagos. Carefully concealed in a 20-footer container as wash hand basins were 1,100 pump action riffles imported from Turkey. That find was the fourth this year and is being traced to Turkey, just like the first time in January when 661 deadly AK 47 riffles were discovered in 49 containers at the same port. The second haul of 440 pump action guns was intercepted in May at Oshodi, a Lagos suburb, by the Special Operations Unit of the Customs Service. That one reportedly originated from China. There was yet another haul last week.

O S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R EDITOR TOKUNBO ADEDOJA DEPUTY EDITORS VINCENT OBIA, OLAWALE OLALEYE MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN

T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU GROUP FINANCE DIRECTOR OLUFEMI ABOROWA DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS PETER IWEGBU, FIDELIS ELEMA, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH, PATRICK EIMIUHI ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS HENRY NWACHOKOR, SAHEED ADEYEMO CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI GROUP HEAD FEMI TOLUFASHE ART DIRECTOR OCHI OGBUAKU II DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: ﬁrst name.surname@thisdaylive.com

n all these occasions, the ComptrollerGeneral of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd.), said the service would investigate the occurrences and bring the culprits to book. To date, nobody is on trial for any of these serious national security threats. Therefore, as the public awaits the outcome of the investigations, we think that the interception of 2,671 imported illicit arms within a period of nine months is an indication of a systemic arms build-up. That requires a more urgent and concrete response from the federal government, particularly when account is taken of the ominous statistics on the existing illegal Small and Light Weapons (SALWs) in the country. Indeed, a recent report by the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament and the Presidential Committee on SALWs showed that 7.5 per cent of Africa’s 100 million arms are illegal, and of the 70 per cent of the West African sub-region’s SALWs, 90 per cent are in the hands of non-state actors in the country. What these figures revealed is that the country sits atop a keg of gunpowder, a ticking bomb waiting to explode. It is, therefore, no longer convenient for us to sit by and watch government and its security agencies issue assurances that all would be well, when the evidence staring us in the face is that they are slacking hugely in their responsibilities. With the body count mounting and provoking further violence that threatens to rock the ship of our state, our charge to the federal government is that it should rise up to the occasion, fish out the entrepreneurs of violence and bring them to justice without further delay.

TO OUR READERS Letters in response to speciﬁc publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-200 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (950- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.

APC: T HE PARTY AND T HE E NEMIES

igeria is out of recession! So, let all men of goodwill clink glasses in celebration of the valuable worth of a country that will neither wear out nor rust out! Having said that, to say that all is well with party politics in Nigeria, especially, as 2019 draws nearer, depends on which side the observer is looking at. Like Siamese twins, things are scarily looking up for the ruling party and the opposition is closer to fire than it is to frying pan. The political lion and the economic bear are strategising; even the wolves and the hyenas of our ethno-religious belongingness are waiting in the wings, desperately hoping to devour whatever remains of the country called Nigeria. It is therefore time Nigeria’s David woke up to the responsibility of killing

the uncircumcised Philistines before they kill Nigeria dead. In my considered opinion, such an important task must start from the State of Osun! With only one year to the end of the Rauf Aregbesola-led administration as governor of Osun, it’s expected that the party in government at the national level would have examined all its cards in the overall interest of retaining power in the state. The challenge of power-shift, the sudden death of ‘Serubawon’ and the replacement of Adeleke with Adeleke, among others, have further underscored what needs to be done to rescue its Israel from losing focus of what lies ahead. From the look of things, the configurations are somehow unsynchronised and, if the permutations are not carefully handled, they may lead to conflagrations of unimagina-

ble proportions which one can only pray would not consume the party. For all I care, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) brought us to this sorry pass and it shouldn’t be allowed to take us for collective amnesiacs. Essentially therefore, genuine plans by All Progressives Congress (APC) to remain in Aso Rock in 2019 should start with retaining Osun for the party in 2018. On the road to this all-important victory, there may be some thistles and thorns which must be clinically uprooted before things get out of hand. For the constraint of time and space, I will restrict myself to only a few. First is the issue of salary, pensions and allowances of its workers which must be proactively resolved in order to prevent the ravenous, drained and docile opposition from wickedly feasting on a national stench to rubbish

Aregbesola’s achievements. Apart from the fact that more than 20 other states in the country are also caught in this web, the recently-held“peaceful protest” by retired military pensioners in Abuja to, among other things, demand “the payment of balance of gratuities of contributory pensions” and University College Hospital (UCH) doctors’ 14-day ultimatum to the federal government, also on salary and allowances-related matters are indications that the challenges being faced by Nigeria’s workers are not limited to Osun. Also in this group are Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU). To be fair to him, Aregbesola saw this coming as far back as 2013 and immediately took measures to confront it through salary apportionment. But, rather than appreciate his foresight, the governor was needlessly vilified and unnecessarily pilloried. As Nigerians can now see, the

road once forthrightly travelled by Osun is what is now giving some states like Kogi, Ondo, even Bayelsa a lot of hassles. Secondly, APC must avoid becoming victims of its own wrong choice. All over the world, cutting the nose to spite the face as a way of resolving differences has never been found to work wonders. Those who doubt this assertion had better ask members of the now-expired President Goodluck Jonathan’s party how it feels to be on the other side of the rung. Indeed, this is where those insisting that Aregbesola should “play aloof” in the succession battle but are in turn hobnobbing with men of questionable characters who spend more time in the courtrooms attending to one allegation of impropriety or the other than they do to their constitutionally-assigned responsibilities, also owe Nigerians some explanations! ––--- Abiodun Komolafe, Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State.

T H I S D AY SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

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OPINION The Youths And Cycle of Poverty Olusola Adeyoose argues that leaders must be held to account

have lately been running into familiar faces on campus. Old school mates are back for postgraduate degrees in their numbers. You probe here and there and you quickly discover that the pursuit of an academic career is rarely the motivation for these ventures. It is usually pure survival instincts. The university has become the only safe haven for the Nigerian youth. All over the land, the tale is the same. You graduate with smiles, hoping your degree will be a window to opportunities. But youâ€™re disappointed down the line. You roam the streets of Lagos. You comb Abuja. You comb Ibadan. But the stories are the same. Sorry Sir, there is no vacancy here. Alright maâ€™am, we will get back to you. But they really never get back. A year after you no longer wear polished shoes. Savings from NYSC are now gone. And your shoes are worn from the long walks. I have seen the dreams of young people wither as soon as they are formed. My children will not have to go through this when I graduate. When I start working I will take care of mama. But that moment just never comes. Typically, the agony of the average Nigerian is in triple folds. For many months he is without pay in 30 to 35 years of civil service. At retirement the pangs of hunger become more real as he is denied his pension. And the children he struggled to train - who ordinarily should now take care of their aged parents, barely survive, because they are denied jobs. And so does the cycle continue. Poverty is perpetuated for generations. And not even education manages to break it. How many of our youths still dream their childhood dreams? This is because there are no visionary leaders. This is because we are ruled by selfish elements. Our government is rich, yet the masses are poor. We have water, yet we cannot drink. We have food, yet we cannot eat. The gluttonous one per cent will not allow us. I read Professor Adesanmiâ€™s Away from Madam, and I was moved to tears. But such is the fate of our youth. Many of our youths now pursue postgraduate degrees. After Msc, they do PhD. This is so they wonâ€™t be idle by the roadside, and watch as the years go by. Those whose support bases are not strong enough simply take up menial jobs. And we have many of them in the country today. Some are motorcyclists, some are cleaners, some are errand boys and some are security men in banks and other corporate bodies. Thatâ€™s at least better than stealing, as thereâ€™s the dignity of an honest job.

There were PhD holders who applied to be truck drivers for Dangote. Not for their passion for driving. It was in a bid to make ends meet. In Nigeria, thereâ€™s hardly reward for industry. It is the fraudulent and corrupt politicians that thrive. While I was at the tap some weeks ago, I chatted with a server in one of the cafeterias in my hall. She spoke intelligently and I inquired about her level of education. I could feel her pain as she told me her story. She has Ordinary National Diploma (OND) from Federal Polytechnic Offa. She wishes to further her education and complete the Higher National Diploma (HND). But there is no money. And there are of course no affordable student loans. So she sells in the cafeteria with the hope of saving for her education. They resume by seven in the morning and on good days they close by eight at night, all for a paltry sum. In how many years will she be able to save enough for her education? Thatâ€™s a promising talent wasting away. Another encounter I recently had was with a woman I printed some questionnaires with. She graduated from the University of Ibadan. But she started the photocopy business because there was no job. Her husband would initially have none of it. But she was able to convince him it is better than sitting at home all day. Profit is minimal, so she still hopes for a better job. Such is the story of many Nigerians across the country. Even the postgraduate degrees we run are not well done. What we have are doctoral fellows with no attendance at conferences.

How many of our youths still dream their childhood dreams? This is because there are no visionary leaders. This is because we are ruled by selďŹ sh elements. Our government is rich, yet the masses are poor. We have water, yet we cannot drink. We have food, yet we cannot eat. The gluttonous one per cent will not allow us

What we have are postdoctoral fellows with no attendance at workshops. They simply canâ€™t afford the bills. And there are no travel grants; there are no indigenous scholarships to cater for them. Yet I hear Nnamdi cry of Biafra. A Biafra built on the oil in the Niger Delta. I hear Ayo shout about Oduduwa republic. I hear Adamu threaten war against the Igbo. And I wonder if Governor Abiola Ajimobi - whose celebration of â€˜koseleriâ€™ (itâ€™s the first of its kind) has been more of a celebration of his feat as the first governor to serve two terms in Oyo State, than a celebration of achievement, is from the North. I wonder if the governors, the senators, and other political leaders representing each state are not indigenous to them. I wonder if poverty - which the National Bureau of Statistics reports to be with 67% of Nigerians, has an ethnic group, or whether it belongs to a certain religion. Yet we allow the political elite polarise us across these lines. Power truly resides with the people. But thatâ€™s if they will take it. If the masses could resist a coup in Turkey, then we can certainly demand responsible leadership from our leaders. But we need to first identify who the enemy is. The enemy is not the Hausa/Fulani, the Igbo, or the Yoruba. The enemy is neither Muslim nor Christian. Our greedy political leaders are the enemies. And they are mostly of our ethnic stock. They donâ€™t wish us well. They seek our common destruction. And they enrich themselves at our detriment. Nigeria has the resources to ensure no child will die from malaria. We have the resources to ensure no child will die from diarrhoea. We have the resources to reduce maternal mortality. We have the resources to give the populace good education. We have the resources to provide good jobs for our youth. We have the resources to pay our work force. We have the resources to ensure workers retire from civil service in dignity. But our greedy leaders will not let things work. We need to fight back. We need to resist them. We need to shame them. I do not advocate violence, as violence erodes peace. But we need to start holding them accountable. We need to start speaking truth to power. Let them know they canâ€™t underperform in office and come home to meet peace. Let them know they canâ€™t steal in office, and still enjoy your support and patronage. Let them know you will ask questions. Donâ€™t sell your voice. Donâ€™t sell your votes for brown envelopes that will only last the night. â€“â€“â€“Adeyoose wrote from the University of Ibadan, via adeyoosesola@yahoo.com

The Macabre Dance of The Python The show of force in the Southeast is ill-advised, contends Gozie Irogboli

n September 11, 2017, the Nigerian Army began a military manoeuvre codenamed Operation Python Dance Two in South East Nigeria ostensibly targeted at curbing the rising spate of crimes and violent agitation in the region. Armoured carriers, tanks and other military hard wares were rolled out in the streets of Aba and Umuahia and within two days of this show of force, there were violent clashes between the army and the unarmed citizens as the country home of Nnamdi Kalu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was invaded by the rampaging soldiers leaving in its trail â€œsorrow, tears and bloodâ€? as hapless citizens including journalists were harassed, tortured, abducted and killed. The video footages which captured the gruesome manner with which this operation was carried out went viral on the social media attracting reaction from different quarters. The government has made an attempt to justify this gruesome killing of hapless citizens they are under obligation to protect and hastily classified IPOB as a terrorist organisation. The South East governors on their own, rather than condemn this unnecessary show of force by the army, also toed the line of the federal government by proscribing IPOB activities in the region. In the last couple of days, the trending story in the main stream media and the social media centered on this unwarranted invasion of Mazi Kaluâ€™s country home by the Nigerian Army acting on the orders from above. While men of good conscience were unequivocal in condemning the actions of the authorities, some Nigerians seem to support it. As horrendous and as terrifying as the footages are, there are some who have made farcical and risible comments trying to justify the actions of the government. No doubt, Nigeria has some citizens whose senses of justice are blighted by ethnic prejudice, whose eyes are blinded by ignorance and whose consciences are benumbed by unreasonable hatred for others. Meanwhile, many reasons have been put forward for this invasion. The army claimed the operation was targeted at containing the rising spate of crime and violent agitations in the South East Region. If this is their aim, the operation should have begun in the North East where Boko Haram is operating or in the Middle Belt Region where the Fulani herdsmen menace is the order of the day or other regions of the country where

kidnapping, cult wars and ritual killings are prevalent and not in the South East that is relatively peaceful. Mazi Nnamdi Kalu alleged in a telephone conversation with a sympathiser said that the aim of the army was to provoke IPOB into armed struggle so as to find cause to classify them as a terrorist group. The hasty conclusion of the authorities after the invasion seems to support this assertion. Some people from the Southeast have alleged that the intention of the government was to instigate genocide against Ndigbo in order to accomplish the purpose of the Northern youths that had given eviction notice to Ndigbo living in the North. Already an argument about the propriety of the military invasion of Southeast has claimed the lives of two innocent citizens in Jos as confirmed by the State Governor Rt. Hon. S. B. Lalung, and in Asaba, Port Harcourt it is the same tale of woe as there are observed tension and skirmishes between Hausa communities and IPOB activists. Some people believed that the intention of the government was to instigate crisis in the Southeast so as to find reason to declare a state of emergency in the area, and intimidate them into stopping the agitation for Biafra. It is not out of place to say that you do not blame anybody who may have misinterpreted the motive of the government for the Operation Python Dance Two especially given the frosty relationship between Ndigbo and Buhari who has never concealed his contempt and hatred for the Igbo nation. Chief Femi Fani-Kayode in a widely syndicated interview on social media during Mazi Kaluâ€™s thank-you visit to him said that Buhari confessed to him that he has deep-seated hatred for the Igbo man. Again, during the build up to the 2015 general election it was said that Buhari claimed Ndigbo hated him because of his role during the civil war and shortly after his election, he declared his infamous 97% to 5% dichotomy and followed it up by sacking Igbo people with tenured appointments that has not elapsed, selectively retiring and sacking Igbo officers in the army under spurious guises; non-appointment of Ndigbo to positions of authority except the ministerial appointments which is a statutory requirement. Earlier in his administration, he had made a surreptitious attempt to relocate Boko Haram prisoners to the Southeast but failed when the move was criticised for obvious reasons. He sacked Igbo people

with ambassadorial positions among whom were Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu , wife of the man whom he claimed to have sealed the unity of Nigeria with, with an excuse that they were not career diplomats. Last year, he submitted a request to the National Assembly for an approval to borrow $30 billion for projects in Nigeria and none of the said projects is for the Southeast. And only recently, the 15-member NNPC board was reconstituted without a single representation from the Southeast, an oil producing region. However, whatever the insinuation, it is luminous that the intention of the government for deploying troops to the Southeast was ignoble and therefore condemnable. The government is blatantly biased in handling IPOB issues. When the previous government declared war against Boko Haram, the group that had taken up arm against the state, Buhari criticised it in an interview aired by Liberty Radio on June 2, 2013 thus: â€œThe declaration of a state of emergency to fight Boko Haram in three Northern states is a grave injustice against the North.â€? Also, Mr. Lai Balogun now Minister of Information speaking then on behalf of the opposition ACN as published in the Nation newspaper of June 10, 2013 criticised the government for proscribing the notorious Boko Haram sect saying that it is a violation of the constitution. In 2016, when the rampaging Fulani herds were unleashing mayhem across the nation, Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd.), the Minister of Interior, while featuring on a Channels Television programme, â€œQuestion Timesâ€? declared thus: â€œThis is a non-military issue that borders on law and order. It is not every security issue that you call in the military. It is the responsibility of the police to maintain peace. I believe that if we put the police in proper position in terms of discharging its functions, then there would be no need for military option. The police are equal to the task. If you have to deploy the army, then you are going above board. In any case, I do not even have the power to deploy the military for anything. It is only when the situation gets out of hand that you invite the military.â€? The same minister was said to have declared that the coalition of Northern Youths that issued eviction notice to Ndigbo in the North were misquoted even after they have openly withdrawn their quit notice. â€“-- Irogboli (goziei@yahoo.com) is an economist and public policy analyst

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

LETTERS The Journalist As Endangered Specie “Truth, crushed to earth, shall rise again; The eternal years of God are hers; But Error, wounded, writhes with pain, And dies among his worshippers” -William Bryant

ruth is their first target. The next is the truth teller. The perpetrators of pure evil would go to great lengths to deploy all imaginable machinations, in a bid to arm twist, cover up or out rightly drown the truth in the vast ocean of grand deceit. But Truth is eternal, incontrovertible, beyond the devious manipulations of any mortal. If only the power monger, be he a tyrant, dictator or some desperado democrat knows. He does not! So, emboldened by the devilish desire to maintain a semblance of innocence, after some hideous crimes must have been committed, he strikes. And not a few patriotic journalists have fallen easy prey to their antics. One is talking about the vile and vengeful vampire rulers (not leaders) that dot our global landscape. In the line of duty, to their nation and mankind, some journalists have become the voiceless victims to this set of people, drunk on the heady intoxicant called political power. Some have been beheaded by ISIS. Others languish in Syrian jails. Indeed, some have had their skulls broken, their faces lacerated and their limbs decapitated. Records abound of

Odusile, NUJ President

those brutally raped or bruised and battered to a state of coma. In fact, victims still lucky to be alive have gory tales to tell. In this group are journalists suffering the trauma of persisting high blood pressure, lingering muscle pains, excruciating back ache and mind-bending insomnia. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), at least 2,297 journalists have been killed since 1990. Amongst the deadliest countries listed since 1992 are Iraq (184), Syria (111), the Philippines (78), Russia (58), Colombia (47) and India (41). On its part, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has recorded related deaths in

targeted assassinations, cross fire incidents and bomb attacks, including 112 who lost their lives to violence in 2015; 93 who were killed in 2016 and 25 so far murdered in 2017. Sectorially, those covering politics took the highest figures at 48 per cent, followed by war (38%), human rights, (21%), corruption (20%) and crime (15%). Though the number is lower than previous years, the IFJ has warned against complacency and continued impunity. But why, you may ask? Justice has been served for only four per cent of journalists killed worldwide! But before you breathe easy, delighted that Nigeria is not

amongst the deadliest countries so listed, think again. According to the media advocacy organisation CPJ, “Nigeria and Somalia are among the worst nations in the world in combating deadly anti-press violence, our 2013 Impunity Index has found. Five journalists have been killed with impunity in Nigeria since 2009. However, 13 Nigerian journalists were killed in 2012 alone in active service, making it the highest in the history of the country since independence in 1960”. We recall, with deep pains, the brutal murder of the two Nigerian journalists, Tayo Awotunsin and Krees Imobibie, who disappeared in August, 1991 in Monrovia, Liberia’s capital, while reporting on the civil war. Also, more than 30 years after, patriots still agonise over the cruel and callous killing of Dele Giwa, the pioneer Editor –in -Chief of Newswatch Magazine through a letter bomb in October 1986. That of Bayo Ohu, a reporter with the Guardian Newspapers on September 20,2009 and Channels Television reporter, Enenche Akogwu shot on January 20, 2012 in Kano still remain as scary scars on the conscience of the nation. They are indeed, a dark reminder of how far desperate power poachers could go in an attempt to cover the trails of their bloody footsteps. Are we done? Not just yet. On August 29, 2017 it was reported that security personnel attached to Kogi State government house

VAIDS: THE TAX GAME CHANGER

seismic change began in the country’s tax system on June 29, 2017 when an Executive Order signed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (then Acting President) gave life to the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS). The scheme provides a platform for tax defaulters to regularise their tax statuses and as expressed in the policy, VAIDS, an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Finance in collaboration with federal and state tax authorities, was conceived to rectify almost all anomalies and issues of defective orientation to taxation in Nigeria. It also reflects the Federal Government’s desire to widen the tax net while offering certain benefits to tax defaulters, who voluntarily declare their assets and pay their tax liabilities. Benefits accruable to entities, who voluntarily declare their assets and income, include immunity from prosecution for tax offences and tax audit, waiver of interest and penalties. They also include the option of spreading payment of outstanding liabilities over a maximum period of three years as may be agreed with the relevant tax authority. “The Voluntary Asset and Income Declaration Scheme is specifically targeted at taxpayers, who have not been fully declaring their taxable income/assets; have not been paying the tax due at all; have

been underpaying or under remitting; are under a process of tax audits or investigations with the relevant tax authority; are engaged in tax disputes with the relevant tax authority, but are prepared to settle the tax dispute out of court; are new taxpayers who are yet to register with the tax authorities; and are existing registered taxpayers who have new disclosures to make,” explained Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun. She explained that it does not matter whether the tax default arose from undeclared assets within or outside the country, saying VAIDS provides a once in a lifetime opportunity to declare outstanding taxes and resolve such for good. Voluntary compliance under VAIDS, however, does invalidate accrued interests or penalties already imposed by a court order on a tax defaulter. The Executive Order that gave life to VAIDS, as widely agreed by experts, is a far-reaching regulation and applies to all tax entities and country’s extant tax laws. This, therefore, implies that individuals and corporate entities, who earned income but have failed to register, registered but defaulted or underpaid their taxes to the federal and state governments, can take advantage of the scheme. The idea of tax amnesty was

proposed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2010. Since it was proposed seven years ago, over 47 countries across the world have implemented the variants of the programme. They include South Africa, India, Indonesia and Turkey. VAIDS offers a time-limited opportunity to taxpayers to regularise their tax status relating to past periods, in terms of registration, filing of returns, assessment and payment of all taxes due. Thus, the scheme offers companies and entrepreneurs, whose tax affairs are out of joint, a window to make amends between July 1, 2017 to March 13, 2018. While the window remains open, taxpayers will have the opportunity to voluntarily declare all previously undisclosed assets and income, thereby straightening out their tax affairs over a period of three years. VAIDS applies to all tax-paying individuals, companies, executors and trusts and covers all taxes collectible by federal and state tax authorities. These include Company Income Tax (CIT), Personal Income Tax (PIT), Capital Gains Tax (CGT), Value Added Tax (VAT) and stamp duty. Through VAIDS, the Federal Government desires to raise the percentage of non-oil tax revenue from the current

6 per cent to 15 per cent by 2020, improve tax collection and encourage voluntary tax compliance. The country expects to earn $1 billion from the implementation of VAIDS. In addition to raising revenue, VAIDS will boost investment and economic activities and create job opportunities, including 7,500 employment places for tax liaison officers by at the Federal Ministry of Finance, under the N-Power Scheme. The community tax liaison officers will be trained to educate on and sensitise Nigerians to the importance of paying tax and the country’s tax system. Tax education and enlightenment has also received a huge boost with the Tax Thursday initiative, under which the Federal Government has declared every Thursday from June 29, 2017 as a day for tax awareness and to welcome new taxpayers. Experts believe that VAIDS provides the perfect opportunity for individuals and corporate bodies, who have previously under-declared or failed to declare their assets and income, thereby awakening the tax culture and widening the base in line with global initiatives designed to tackle illicit financial flows and tax evasion. ––Adeboye Gbadehan in Lagos.

went on the rampage and beat up Channels TV reporter, Segun Salami. Outraged by this untoward attack, Governor Yahaya Bello promptly tendered an unreserved apology to the media house. But again the operatives of the EFCC unleashed mayhem on workers at the Sun Newspapers as reported on September 21, 2017. A statement from the paper stated that: “For one gruelling hour, EFCC operatives subjected our staff to crude intimidation, psychological and emotional trauma. The development had more to do with suffocating free press in Nigeria than law enforcement.” In a similar vein, a score of soldiers on Operation Python Dance against members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) stormed into the Nigerian Union of Journalists press centre in Umahia on September 12, 2017. Some journalists were beaten up, with the seizure and smashing of their cameras , smart-phones, computers and other equipment containing newly-shot photos and video. Truth be told, we do not want to go back to the dark days of military dictatorship when seasoned journalists including the likes of Kunle Ajibade, Chris Anyanwu, Ben Charles-Obi, George M’bah, Onome Osifo-Whiskey and Babafemi Ojudu saw hell in

Sani Abacha gulag. According to Reporters Without Borders journalists covering the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East axis of the country live under constant fear. Members have witnessed the murder of one journalist, the killing of another with no proof that it was linked to the victim’s work. There were nine assaults, seven arrests and three journalists threatened. It would be noted that even before the controversial, hate speech issue came to the public space attempts were made to muzzle freedom of expression by some lawmakers. In a curious twist of political events, many of those who used the same social media platform to climb to the pedestal of power became uncomfortable about its overwhelming influence. That was not too long ago. The way forward is for journalists to be insured as being championed by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) though not taken seriously by some members. They should be trained in the areas of job security, journey management and how to ensure their mental health. Safety training for them should have in attendance their employees, to drive home the message of protection of their lives and provision of enabling environment to thrive. ––– Ayo Oyoze Baje, Lagos.

BETWEEN JONATHAN AND BUHARI

he axiom that government is a continuum has never been more clearly illustrated than in the, rather surprising, similarities between the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan and President Muhammadu Buhari. Thus, it seems very odd indeed that the agents of a sitting government would spend so much time and resources disparaging the deed of their predecessors. President Jonathan had the constant attention of a chubbycheeked, rotund military officer who stood upright and uptight behind him all the time; ditto a chubby-cheeked and rotund military man for President Buhari. President Jonathan ensured that a federal university went to Otuoke; President Buhari has now ensured that a federal railway terminus will go to Daura. President Jonathan had a loyal and fellow Niger Deltan, Mr. Ekpeyong, to watch over Nigeria’s secret police known as the Department of State Services (DSS); President Buhari has his kinsman, Mr. Daura, to watch over the DSS. President Jonathan had a loyal and fellow Niger Deltan, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to preside over a multi-billion naira money-spinner (the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources); President Buhari has his kinswoman, Hadiza Bala Usman, to preside over

another multi-billion naira money-spinner the Nigerian Ports Authority and himself to preside over the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources. President Jonathan had a loyal and fellow Niger Deltan, Gen. Kenneth Minimah, to head the army thus ensuring that if democracy is suddenly truncated federal power would still reside in the southern half of the country; President Buhari has a fellow Northerner, Gen. Yusuf Buratai, as the head of the army for similar reasons as President Jonathan’s. President Jonathan’s wife was active in the presidential NGO sector; ditto the wife of President Buhari; President Jonathan’s son-in-law was a welcome guest at Aso Rock; the sons-in-law of President Buhari also feel at home at Aso Rock. President Jonathan enjoyed his Christmas breaks at Otuoke; President Buhari enjoys his Sallah breaks at Daura. Thus, now, who is fooling who? The same enabling environment that is generally assumed to have favoured “corruption” under Jonathan is the same circumstances that exist for Buhari. The idea that President Buhari and his cohorts have taken a vow of poverty and “do not like money” and “would not touch a kobo” is rather whimsically entertaining. –– Sunday Adole Jonah, Department of Physics, Federal University of Technology, Minna.

T H I S D AY SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž Í°Í˛Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

INTERNATIONAL

CitizenDiplomacywithintheFrameworkofNigeriaChina Relations: The Case of NICAF and CPAFFC

igeriaâ€™s foreign policy is gradually being complemented by citizen diplomacy as postulated by the late veteran patriot and Foreign Minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe. The Bolytag Centre for International Diplomacy and Strategic Studies (BOCIDASS) in Yaba, Lagos, is also increasingly serving as an instrumental platform for the actualisation of citizen diplomacy in Nigeria. For instance, the BOCIDASS played host to a six-man delegation from the China Association for Friendship (CAF) from Monday, 15th to Thursday, 18th May, 2017. The delegation was led by Mr. Sang Linyu. The BOCIDASS platform not only provided the opportunity to hold a brainstorming session on Money Laundering and Counterterrorism in West Africa, but also to articulate the challenges and prospects of regional security. More importantly, emphasis was placed on the need to promote the engagement of people-to-people understanding in the maintenance of regional peace and security, by particularly promoting a better entente and complementing the warm relationship between China and Nigeria, both of which are regional influential on their own rights. In this regard, the Nigeria-China Friendship Association, (NICAF), founded by the late Ambassador Victor Chibundu in 1994, with which the BOCIDASS has also been collaborating since 2016, sent a four-man delegation to China on Wednesday, 13th September, 2017 on the kind invitation of the Chinese Peopleâ€™s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC). The delegation comprised Chief Jacob Wood, MFR, who succeeded Ambassador Chibundu as new the Chairman of the NICAF; Ambassador Gboyega Ariyo, Nigeriaâ€™s former High Commissioner to Namibia and currently the traditional ruler of Ibala in Osun State; Ambassador Oluwole Jonathan Coker, former Ambassador of Nigeria to China and former State Chief of Protocol; and Professor Bola A. Akinterinwa, a registered trustee and pioneer secretary of the NICAF. NICAFâ€™s visit to China took place against several interesting developments. First is the use of citizen diplomacy to complement official or government-to-government diplomacy in the quest for global economic development, as well as in the maintenance of regional peace and security in international relations. Citizen diplomacy is about people-to-people relations. Many developed countries, especially the Peopleâ€™s Republic of China, have developed citizen diplomacy to a level of admiration. For instance, as explained by the President of the CPAFFC, the association is a â€˜national peopleâ€™s organisation engaged in people-topeople diplomacy of the Peopleâ€™s Republic of China. The aims of the association are to enhance peopleâ€™s friendship, further international cooperation, safeguard world peace and promote common community and various countries around the world, lay and expand the social basis of friendly relations between China and other countries, and work for the cause of human progress and solidarity.â€™ More importantly, the association â€˜implements Chinaâ€™s independent foreign policy of peace, observing the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, while carrying out all-directional, multi-level and broad-area people-to-people friendship work to serve the great cause of Chinaâ€™s peaceful development and reunification and contribute to the building of a harmonious world of lasting peace and common prosperity.â€™ It is clear from the foregoing that people-to-people relationship

VIE INTERNATIONALE with

Bola A. Akinterinwa Telephone : 0807-688-2846

e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

is consciously conceived, designed, and desired to be a potent tool for the promotion of Chinese foreign policy interests. It is within this context that the roles and place of several friendship associations with foreign countries in China should be understood and that the raison dâ€™ĂŞtre of NICAFâ€™s visit to Beijing and Shanghai in China should also be explained. The visit was, indeed, a manifestation of citizen diplomacy per excellence. Explained differently, what do we mean by citizen diplomacy? How do we sustain citizen diplomacy as an instrument of official diplomacy? Perhaps, most importantly, how do we evolve the required linkages between the government and the people in foreign policy?

Nature of Citizen Diplomacy John McDonald and Louis Diamond, we have noted elsewhere, have rightly argued that there are many ways of bringing people together in addition to official diplomacy, hence they talk about â€˜multi-track diplomacyâ€™. In this regard, they identified nine tracks or channels of conducting diplomacy: official diplomacy (often referred to as Track One Diplomacy); Unofficial diplomacy which involves the use of professional conflict resolution processes and considered as Track Two Diplomacy; international business negotiations and exchanges; citizen exchanges (lecturers, professionals, etc); international research, education, and training efforts; activism; contacts and exchanges between religious leaders and followers; international funding efforts; and public opinion and communication programs (vide Bola A. Akinterinwa, Nigeriaâ€™s Citizen Diplomacy: Theoretical Genesis and Empirical Exegesis (Ibadan: BIP, 2010), p. 58 et s) From the foregoing, and using the scope of activity as defining criterion, it can be seen that the track one diplomacy that is official diplomacy, covers all issues in international relations while track two, which is the citizen diplomacy proper, covers professional conflict resolution processes. Explicated differently, citizen diplomacy is essentially about seeking resolution or prevention of disagreements. Track Three diplomacy seeks to promote good business relations through negotiations and exchanges. Another criterion worthy of note is the categorisation of citizens. In the first three types of track diplomacy, public officials are essentially involved in official diplomacy, while people with conflict resolution skills are involved in Track Two and business stakeholders are engaged in Track Three. Citizen exchanges (Track Four Diplomacy) and track Five Diplomacy involving research and training, involve academics and professionals. Activism, exchanges between religious

Nigeria-China Friendship Association, (NICAF) visit to China...recently

leaders, funding agents, public opinion makers, etc speak for themselves on who is involved. Grosso modo, when looking at citizen diplomacy in practice, especially in terms of case studies, it is essentially about the engagement of people in the achievement of the foreign policy goals of their country with or without the support of government. For example, there is the role of the six-Japanese War Witnesses who visited Changchun in Jilin Province on Tuesday, 12th September, 2017 to promote peace by sharing oral histories of their Japanese invasion of China. The Vice-president of the Sino-Japanese Oral History, Mr. Li Suzhen, said the six of them were all witnesses of the invasion and war. The average age of the six people is 83. The oldest is 93. The youngest is over 70 years of age (vide Han Junhongâ€™s report, China Daily, Friday, September 15, 2017, p.5). This clearly suggests that any engagement in citizen diplomacy requires experience. It is not amateurish in nature. It is one in which old age is an advantage, and specialisation and expertise is also required. The visit of the six witnesses took place in the week before the anniversary of the Mukden incident, which took place on September 18, 1931. The visit was to draw attention to the event that sparked Japanâ€™s invasion of China. The objective is â€˜to preserve peace and prevent war from happening again.â€™ Additionally, from the purpose of the visit, it can be seen that it is altruistic. It is peace seeking and it is particularly aimed at ensuring and securing a peaceable environment, without which development is not expected to take place. This is precisely what citizen diplomacy is generally meant to achieve: make the world free from threats to global peace and security in general, and ensure political stability, economic prosperity, and good governance at the national level, in particular. Citizen diplomacy can be a manifestation of government-togovernment or official diplomacy, especially when it is focused on the defence and protection of the national interest. For instance, an editorial opinion of China Daily has clearly shown that ignoring Chinaâ€™s security issue cannot be in the interest of the Republic of Korea (ROK). This observation, made at the level of the people, is that, in 2016, ties between Beijing and Seoul were strained by Seoulâ€™s decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-missile system in total disregard for Beijingâ€™s security concerns and protests. At first, tourist attractions and shopping venues in the ROK remained packed with Chinese visitors for one week. As reported during that one week, the ROK saw 250,000 visits by Chinese visitors and many shopping venues registered double-digit growth in sales. So there were the erroneous claims that THAAD and souring official ties had no impact on touristsâ€™ enthusiasm. However, it is expected that during the forthcoming Chinese national holiday, six million Chinese citizens are expected to travel abroad but the ROK may not be among their top 10 most favoured destinations, simply because of deterioration in the relationship, which is a resultant from the progress of THAAD deployment. Now that the entire THAAD is operational, it would be unrealistic to expect Beijing and Seoul to quickly rediscover their previous people-to-people support. As noted further in the editorial, â€˜on the heels of its talk embracing US strategic assets to counter threats from Pyongyang, the ROK military has more recently made public its intention to introduce the SM-3, or RIM-161 Standard Missile 3, a ship-based missile system known as a maritime version of THAAD. With the capacity to intercept enemy missiles, even satellites at higher altitudes, the SM-3 will further disturb regional security balance and invite strong protests from neighbouring countries. Corresponding information sharing with the United States and Japan will inspire suspicion that the ROK has finally joined the US missile defence regime. The ROK appears fully aware of the damaging potential. Its decision to go ahead displays an open disregard for Chinaâ€™s security concerns, for which it will logically receive reciprocal responses.â€™ The point being made here is that the people of China are reacting to the irritants in the official relations between their country and ROK. And more interestingly, whenever irritants exist at the level of the track one diplomacy, citizen diplomacy is an alternative approach to be considered, especially if there is a political lull at the level of official diplomacy. And without any iota of gainsaying, international relations is generally fraught with politics of self-deceit and intimidation. It should be remembered, for instance, that, regardless of the open pretensions that China-US relations are cordial, the United States has done treaties with Japan and South Korea, particularly seeking denuclearisation. Chinaâ€™s main concern about this is not denuclearisation, but stability in the Korean peninsula. China is not happy with the United States and Taiwan Relations Act by which the United States is obligated to provide defensive weapons to Taiwan in the event of any Chinese attack, as well as assist the country if need be. Apart from the many issues of mistrust at the level of China-Russia relations, there are also the questions of Chinaâ€™s border dispute with India and concerns about possible inflow of terrorists, especially to Xinjiang. As further explicated by the Chairman of the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS) in his opening remarks at a discussion on â€˜Chinese Military Reform, 2013-2030,â€™ held on August 23, 2017, the Peopleâ€™s Liberation Army (PLA) â€˜has not fought any sizable war since the 1979 Vietnam campaign, which raises the question: Is the PLAonly a parade ground army?â€™ (See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

ÍşÍźËœ ÍşÍ¸ÍšÍż Ëž T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

BUSINESS LAST WEEK Capital Market TheSecuritiesandExchangeCommission banned the Managing Director of Partnership Investment Company Plc and Partnership Securities Limited, Victor Ogiemwonyi, from operating in the capital market for life. Ogiemwonyi was also banned for life from holding directorship position in any public company in Nigeria for his alleged unprofessional conduct in the Nigerian capital market in respect of the activities of both companies. He wouldalsopayapenaltyofN100,000. With theban,thecommission said the companiesâ€™operatinglicenseshadbeen withdrawn,whiletheirchairman,Henry Omoragbon, was suspended from engaging in Nigerian capital market activities for ďŹ ve years.

A scene in Banana Island Ghost...the latest addition to movie entertianment industry generating huge revenue

PwC: Nigeriaâ€™s Entertainment & Media Revenue to Hit $6.4bn in 2021 Internet revenue projected to account for 83.9% of $2.8bn growth Kunle Aderinokun

A new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers has said the Nigerian entertainment and media market revenue, which rose to $3.6 billion in 2016 would increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.2 per cent to $6.4 billion in 2021. PwC, which revealed this in its â€œEntertainment and media outlook: 2017 â€“ 2021, An African perspectiveâ€? obtained by THISDAY, noted that due to the depreciation of the Naira, Nigeriaâ€™s E & M revenue expressed in United States Dollars was somewhat depressed when compared with last yearâ€™s figures. The report, which is the 8th annual edition, released this month, is an in-depth analysis of the trends shaping the entertainment and media industry in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and Tanzania. It is a comprehensive source of analyses and five-year forecasts of consumer and advertising spending across five countries and 14 segments. In terms of total E&M revenue, the PwC report rated Nigeria as one of the fastest-growing countries among those ones it considered. It, however, added that, â€œThis figure must be treated with caution, as a huge proportion of that growth comes from Internet access revenue aloneâ€”specifically mobile Internet access revenue.â€? â€œThis in itself is an interesting side point, with Nigerians embracing

ECONOMY

dual-SIM phones in order to circumvent issues with network coverage.â€? As such, the outlook on E & M explained that, out of the $2.8 billion that the Nigerian market would add between 2016 and 2021, only $452 million will not come from Internet access revenue, â€œdampening what seems like an optimistic picture for consumer and advertiser revenue growth.â€? This implies that a whopping $2.348 billion in revenue would be generated from internet access within the projected period, representing 83.9 per cent of the total. â€œIndustries such as the world renowned Nollywood, for instance, donâ€™t generate that much measurable revenue for Nigerian E&M due to issues such as piracy hampering official cinema owners and film vendors.â€? However, noting that, when internet access revenue was excluded from the figures, Nigeriaâ€™s CAGR dropped to a less stellar 5.4 per cent, which is behind the 7.7 per cent seen in Kenya, the report added that, there was still much to be positive about in the Nigerian market. According to the outlook, â€œThe combined elements of TV and video will add nearly US$200 million to 2021. Although the breadth of Internet coverage and speed of service is not yet

sufficient to support meaningful Internet video revenue, pay-TV will do well over the forecast period. Growth was low in 2016 as providers focused on low-cost entry level packages designed to entice new customers. This has helped pay-TV households to rocket from 1.9 million in 2012 to 4.0 million in 2016.â€? The latest PwC report expressed the belief that, once the emphasis shifts towards upselling households to more premium packages with wider ranges of content, HD channels and TV everywhere Internet advertising, though, is the most exciting growth area, with a CAGR of 19.5 per cent expected to propel the segment to US$157 million in 2021. Mobile Internet is seeing especially strong growth, and will overtake wired advertising by the end of the forecast period

services, a 4.1 per cent CAGR can be expected. â€œIn music, ringtones and ringbacks continue to make good running, thanks largely to their piracy-proof nature. And in video games, similarly, the social/ casual model is making gamers of anybody with a smartphone, explaining rapid rises in this metric as smartphone connections rise exponentially.â€? It explained: â€œTV is Nigeriaâ€™s largest advertising segment, with terrestrial dominant, but with multichannel rising at a double-digit CAGR to 2021 as advertisers chase the countryâ€™s increasingly large pay-TV base. Local content remains important

and MultiChoice continues to add programming to its DStv and GOtv services. MultiChoiceâ€™s dedicated sports channel, SuperSport, has invested significantly in Nigerian content, particularly in football and basketball.â€? Besides, the report also projected that, â€œA healthy proliferation of radio stationsâ€”Lagos State alone has 23â€”will also take radio advertising revenue to just shy of US$80 million in 2021, while the countryâ€™s rapid rate of urbanisation in particular spells good news for OOH (out-of-home media).â€? â€œInternet advertising, though, is the most exciting growth area, with a CAGR of 19.5 per cent expected to propel the segment to US$157 million in 2021. Mobile Internet is seeing especially strong growth, and will overtake wired advertising by the end of the forecast period. â€œIn March 2017, Facebook began accepting payments for advertising space in naira. Previously, prices were displayed in naira, but payments were not accepted in the currency, meaning that extra currency conversion fees and blocked transactions were commonplace. Businesses can now pay for Facebookâ€™s ad space using local debit cards, improving access to the social network for advertisers and local companies across Nigeria. This will only improve the transition of advertiser dollars to the segment, even if it may not spell ad revenue for the countryâ€™s content producers,â€? the report added.

Crude Oil Oil markets were ďŹ rm and remained near multi-month highs reached penultimate week as the number of U.S. rigs drilling for new production fell and reďŹ neries continued to start up after getting knocked out by Hurricane Harvey. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were at $50perbarrelat0547GMT,andclose to the more than three-month high of $50.50reachedpenultimateThursday. Brentcrudefutures,benchmarkforoil pricesoutsidetheUnitedStates,were at $55.71 a barrel, up 9 cents and not far from the almost ďŹ ve- month high of$55.99touchedonThursday.Brent was $56 the previous week. Cotonou Border ComptrollerGeneral,NigeriaCustoms Service, Col. Hameed Ali (Retd.) canvassedthecompleteclosureofNigeriaâ€™s most important border outpost at the boundary with Benin Republic, the Cotonou border, as a solution to the problem of smuggling. Ali made the submission at the 2017 Annual General Meeting of the Manufacturers Association ofNigeriain Lagos.He saidthesuggestionbecamenecessary because it was becoming increasingly diďŹƒcultfortheNCStomantheborder duetotheillegalactivitiesofsmugglers andtheadverseeďŹ€ectofsuchactivities on local industries and the economy, generally. Autonomy for AuGF PresidentMuhammaduBuharipressed for a review of relevant legislations by theNationalAssemblytogiveautonomy totheOďŹƒceoftheAuditor-Generalof theFederation.Buharidisclosedthison Thursday in Abuja at the launch of the 2017- 2022 Strategic Development PlanoftheOďŹƒceoftheAuditor-General oftheFederation,wherehewasrepresentedbytheMinisterofFinance,Mrs. KemiAdeosun.Thepresidentsaidthere was need to give the AuGF adequate powers to carry out his mandate in all the arms of government. Foreign Investment The Nigeria Investment Promotion Council said its target was to attract about $25 billion in foreign direct investment as the Nigeria-U.S. Investors Roundtable opened in New York. NIPCâ€™sChiefExecutiveOďŹƒcer,Yewande Sadiku, said the councilâ€™s target from theforumwasexpectedtosurpassthat oftheEconomicRecoveryandGrowth Plan. Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, who spoke at the opening session of the forum, also said the federal government was deliberately investing in the development of infrastructure to attractinvestorstothecountry.â€œNigeria of the future will be dramatically differentfromthepast,â€?theministertold participants at the forum held on the side-linesoftheUnitedNationsGeneral Assembly meeting.

Ëœ Ëž SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

BUSINESS/ENERGY

Examining NNPCâ€™s Plan to Dominate Crude Lifting Deals The plan by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to handle 80 per cent of Nigeriaâ€™s crude oil lifting contracts will have adverse effect on indigenous operators, which have over the years demonstrated huge capacity to competitively participate in the area previously dominated by foreign oil traders and refineries. Alike Ejiofor reports

igerian companies operating in the oil and gas sector have in recent years demonstrated increasing capacity, buoyed by the enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010. Having invested heavily in local capacity development, indigenous manpower and facilities are increasingly involved in complex projects, which were the exclusive preserve of the foreign services providers. The yearly lifting of Nigerian crude for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation is an area where indigenous downstream companies have demonstrated huge capacity to compete favourably with foreign oil traders and reďŹ neries. Industry operators had expected the corporation to allow only Nigerian companies to play in this area to compensate for their low participation in the exploration and production (E&P) sector of the oil and gas industry. But over the years, NNPC has split the contract almost 50:50 between Nigerian companies and foreign players. Breach However, local participation in the NNPC yearly contracts has improved over the years, even though operators had expected that the entire deals would be handled by only indigenous players, given foreign dominance in other sub-sectors of the industry, especially crude oil production. In the 2013 exercise, for instance, NNPC awarded the lifting contracts worth about $40 billion to both Nigerian and foreign companies. NNPC allocated the contracts to 28 companies, as against about 50 in 2012 term contracts. Though the corporation broke with tradition, as no contracts were given directly to foreign traders, such as Glencore, TraďŹ gura, and Vitol, with only Switzerlandâ€™s Mercuria winning a contract, NNPC initially made a failed attempt to exclude Nigerian companies. Before NNPC decided to favour local entities in the 2013 term contracts, the corporation had attempted to exclude local players from the contracts through stringent guidelines that could have favoured only foreign companies. In ďŹ‚agrant breach of the Nigerian content law, NNPC had deliberately issued 2012/2013 guidelines for crude oil lifting contracts to favour foreign contractors, prompting the intervention of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Presidency. Improving Local Content Following a THISDAY report, which prompted the intervention of the NCDMB and the Presidency, NNPC had issued new guidelines to conform with the Nigerian Content Act. The 2014/2015 contracts were expanded to about $52 billion worth of crude oil, up from $40 billion, while 38 companies were awarded contracts to lift crude oil from June 1, 2014 to May 31, 2015. The list comprised 21 indigenous companies; eight international oil traders; two foreign reďŹ neries; two subsidiaries of the NNPC, and three countries, represented by their state-owned national oil companies (NOCs). According to the list, 21 indigenous companies were awarded contracts to lift a total of 630,000 barrels per day of crude oil during the one-year period, representing 57 per cent of the 1,179,000 barrels per day awarded to the 38 beneďŹ ciaries. The list also showed that eight international oil traders got an allocation of 240,000 barrels per day, representing 20.5 per cent of the whole allocations, while two foreign reďŹ neries got 60,000 barrels per day, or 5.1per cent of the allocations. Two subsidiaries of the NNPC were awarded contracts to lift 90,000 barrels per day, which translated to 7.7 per cent, while three countries,

A barrel of oil represented by their NOCs, also got 90,000 barrels per day. A breakdown of the allocations showed that each of the 21 indigenous traders, mostly downstream companies, got an allocation of 30,000 barrels per day. Also included in the list were eight international oil traders, which got an allocation of 30,000 barrels per day of crude oil each. Two foreign reďŹ neries â€“ Fujairah ReďŹ nery Limited and PTT Public Company Limited received an allocation of 30,000 bpd each; while two subsidiaries of the NNPC â€“ Duke Oil and Calson were awarded 30,000 bpd each. NNPC also entered into bilateral commitments with the Republic of Malawi, SINOPEC of China, and Indian Oil Corporation Limited, with each of these entities receiving 30,000bpd. In summary, over 60 per cent of the 2014 to 2015 annual term contracts for the lifting of Nigeriaâ€™s crude oil were awarded to local ďŹ rms. Dwindling Fortunes In the 2016 crude oil lifting contracts, which were the ďŹ rst of such contracts to be awarded by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in December 2015, a total of 21 companies got the contracts. The administration had four months earlier revoked the term contracts awarded by the previous administration. Under the new contracts, indigenous Nigerian ďŹ rms were awarded contracts to lift 41 per cent of total crude allocation, while major trading ďŹ rms got 47 per cent of the crude oil allocation. NNPC trading afďŹ liates were awarded 12 per cent of the total allocation, bringing the total allocation to Nigerian companies to 53 per cent. Buhari had also earlier ordered the immediate cancellation of all offshore crude oil processing agreements and crude oil swap deals for reďŹ ned

petroleum products between NNPC and various oil traders, in line with the recommendations of the Ahmed Joda-led Presidential Transition Committee. The government had invited fresh bids and at the expiration of the deadline for the submission of application by prospective bidders, about 278 bids were received from various indigenous and foreign ďŹ rms and 21 ďŹ rms emerged winners. The companies awarded contracts to take 60,000 barrels per day of crude oil include Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), Indian Oil Corporation, CEPSA ReďŹ nery, Madrid, and Sara SPA ReďŹ nery. International trading companies â€“ TraďŹ gura PT Ltd, Mercuria Energy Trading SA, and Vitol SA â€“ won the contract to lift 32,000 bpd of crude. AfďŹ liates of international oil companies â€“ ENI Trading and Shipping SPA, Total Oil Trading SA (TOTSA), Exxon Sale and Supply LLC, and Shell Western Supply and Trading â€“ also received term allocation of 32,000 bpd each, totalling 128,000 bpd, representing about 13 per cent of total volume of crude oil on offer. Indigenous Nigerian downstream players were allocated about 405,000 bpd, representing about 41 per cent. NNPC trading company â€“ Carlson/ Hyson â€“ was allocated contract to lift 32,000 bpd, while Duke Oil Incorporated, the NNPC afďŹ liate, was awarded contract for 90,000 bpd, accounting for about 12 per cent of the total volume. For the 2017/2018 term contracts, 39 winners, comprising 18 Nigerian companies, 11 international traders, ďŹ ve foreign reďŹ neries, three National Oil Companies (NOCs), and two NNPC trading arms, were successful. The list of 224 bidders dropped from the 278 that applied for the contracts in 2015, because NNPC said it had introduced some new criteria that had to be met by bidders. The contract will run for one year effective

January 1, 2017 for 12 consecutive circles of crude oil allocation. All the contracts are for 32,000 barrels per day, except for Duke Oil Limited, the oil trading arm of NNPC, which got 90,000 barrels per day. Apart from the 16 Nigerian companies, and two NNPC subsidiaries, the international reďŹ neries that made the list included Indian reďŹ ner, Hindustan Energy, Varo Energy, Sonara ReďŹ nery, Bharat Petroleum and Cepa. TraďŹ gura, ENOC Trading, BP Trading, Total Trading, UCL Petro Energy, Moco Trading, Levene Energy, Glencore, Litasco Supply and Trading, and Heritage Oil are the 11 international traders that were selected. Term contracts were also awarded to India (Indian Oil Company), China (Sinopec), and South Africaâ€™s SacOil based on government-to-government contracts. NNPCâ€™s New Onslaught against Local Players The participation of indigenous companies in the NNPC crude lifting contracts has improved in recent years and this has promoted local capacity development in the industry. It has also impacted signiďŹ cantly On the Nigerian economy and created employment opportunities. Despite this improvement in local participation, operators have argued that competent Nigerian companies should replace foreign companies to further deepen local participation and curb capital ďŹ‚ight for the beneďŹ t of the economy. Therefore, the recent revelation that NNPC was planning to allocate 80 per cent of crude lifting deals to NNPC Trading, which evolved from the merger of its trading companies, is bad news for local operators. The move would potentially kill other Nigerian companies, which have invested heavily to build capacity in crude oil lifting.

Ëœ Ë¾ SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

BUSINESS/ENERGY

OANDO WALE TINUBU AND MOFE BOYO WIN THE BATTLE, BUT THE WAR RAGES Tinubu

Ëœ Ëž SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

BUSINESS/ENERGY

Oando: Wale Tinubu and Mofe Boyo Win the Battle, But the War Rages With the unanimous vote by the shareholders of Oando PLC expressing conďŹ dence in the management team led by the Group Chief Executive OfďŹ cer, Wale Tinubu, and retaining the companyâ€™s Board of Directors at its AGM in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State recently, Tinubu and his deputy, Mofe Boyo, have weathered the storm stirred by two petitioners, but the war rages as they continue in the task of consolidating the position of this indigenous integrated energy company as a key player in the Nigerian economy, writes Kunle Aderinokun

Engineers busy at a rig

or Mr. Wale Tinubu, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Oando PLC, and his deputy, Mr. Mofe Boyo, the unanimous endorsement of their leadership of the company and the retention of its board by shareholders at its AGM in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State recently, was a vote of confidence in their stewardship and capacity to continue to consolidate the position of the company in the Nigerian economy. The stakeholdersâ€™ unanimous endorsement came at a time two petitioners, Alhaji Dahiru Mangal and Gabriele Volpi of Ansbury Inc., were seeking their exit from the company, a development that put the company in the eye of the storm going by the fact that itâ€™s coming at a time when the oil and gas industry is not finding it so good, given the challenges with oil pricing in recent years. While oil prices are gradually rising now with crude sold at $56.75 per barrel at the weekend, they had hitherto remained at their lowest for a prolonged period and the resultant effects are still being felt by countries of the world. In Nigeria, apart from the industryâ€™s technical issues, their operations have been hampered by low financing from banks. Banks, which have been hugely exposed to the oil companies, are now reluctant to advance them additional credits, especially with liquidity challenges in the economy. Apparently against this background, the companyâ€™s shareholders voted unanimously for the endorsement of the team that had ensured the resilient of the company amid the challenges that have bedeviled the global oil market, the Nigerian economy and most recently the backlash it is receiving in the media by the actions of the two petitioners.

On July 14, 2017 an ongoing Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into Oando PLC brought by the two petitioners was leaked and aired on Channels TV. According to the TV report, the petitioners alleged gross abuse of corporate governance and financial malpractices in Oando and questioned the shareholding structure of the Company following the acquisition of ConocoPhillips Nigeria. The first petitioner is Alhaji Dahiru Mangal a 4 per cent shareholder in Oando PLC. In his petition to SEC, he indicated that he holds a 17.9 per cent interest in Oando. However, the company in its statement said that, â€œbased on its register of members maintained by, First Registrars & Investor Services Limited, he owns approximately 4 per cent of Oando PLCâ€™s shares in his personal capacity. He is yet to disclose beneficial ownership of 13.9 per cent in accordance with Section 95 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Cap. C20 LFN 2004 (â€˜CAMAâ€™); failure to do so is a violation of CAMA and this has been flagged by the Company in writing to Alhaji Mangal and the SEC since Wednesday, 24th May, 2017â€?. Alhaji Mangal, who media reports had claimed to have had a brush with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under the leadership of Malam Nuhu Ribadu over allegations of smuggling, is a businessman with interests in textile, aviation and logistics, among others. To date, Alhaji Mangal is yet to prove his said ownership of 13.9 per cent additional Oando shares. Sources said his claim stems from his desire to take over key Nigerian businesses. The second petitioner, Gabriele Volpi of Ansbury Inc. according to Oando, is not a shareholder of the company, but a shareholder in a company domiciled in a jurisdiction outside

Nigeria which in turn holds shares in a Nigerian investment company by the name of Ocean and Oil Development Partners (OODP) that is a shareholder in Oando PLC. Volpi claims to have made an equity investment towards Oandoâ€™s purchase of ConocoPhillips Nigeria assets through the holding company, OODP in the British Virgin Islands and is currently challenging the terms of his investment in the holding company. Volpi, an Italian, has over the years dominated the Nigerian oil and gas logistics services through his company Intels. The company was granted sole concession to operate terminals at Onne, Calabar, Eko and Warri Ports to the dismay of other local players such as Ladol and has allegedly been running a cartel along with powerful senior government officials. While Volpi is accusing Oando CEO, Wale Tinubu, and his deputy, Mofe Boyo, of financial mismanagement, he had been named in an Italian investigation. An Italian newspaper Giornalistica Repubblica reported that the investigations by Trani and Syracuse prosecutors into the existence of an international conspiracy aiming to destabilise the leadership of Eni, an Italian energy giant, were part of a wider investigation into illegal trafficking of waste and precious stones. The article named Volpi, â€œSani Abutchaâ€? (presumably Mohammed Abacha), and a certain â€œPesalâ€? â€“ a Nigerian company linked to deceased former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha. Apart from that, Volpi was named in a United States Senate investigation into allegations of money laundering against a former Nigerian top official. When in April 2015, former president, Goodluck Jonathan, gave a directive that Intels should have exclusive control over

Ëœ Ëž SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

BUSINESS/ENERGY

Oando: Wale Tinubu and Mofe Boyo Win the Battle, But the War Rages all oil and gas cargoes at its terminals in Onne, Warri and Calabar, other logistics companies such as Ladol and Julius Berger, were unhappy about this directive. Ladol, which felt the directive was against the concession agreement it entered with the government and therefore inimical to its interest, responded with a lawsuit against the government. Intels has basically held the entire ports sector to ransom, controlling and in most cases successfully pushed out competition, in some instances, the competition havenâ€™t even been able to make a start because of high market entry costs and legal restrictions. Volpiâ€™s evident stronghold is as a result of most cargoes in the sector being directed to his terminals for discharge allegedly by government agencies saddled with the responsibility of regulating port operations. Just recently, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) took a decision to break Intelsâ€™ monopoly in the handling of oil and gas shipment. Oando, in a press statement faulting Volpiâ€™s claim, clarified that Volpi via Ansbury Inc. was not even a direct shareholder in the company. Sources also claim heâ€™s trying to blackmail the company by his petition which is ruining its reputation and eroding shareholdersâ€™ value. Volpiâ€™s failed attempt to stop Oandoâ€™s 40th AGM, which successfully held in Uyo following the SEC approval, may have further proved his petitions lacked merit as stated by the company. While the Tinubu led management may have won the battle with the endorsement it received from shareholders, the war continues to rage as the two petitioners are not resting on their oars. In fact, following this media battle, Oandoâ€™ share price spiraled downwards leading to the much-needed and some may argue, late intervention by the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Market and Institutions summons of the Director General of SEC, Malam Mounir Gwarzo. This begs the question, is SEC meant to be investigating Oando PLC when the grouse is clearly between Gabriel Volpi and his business partners? Should SEC even be investigating a petition from an indirect shareholder? What does this mean for well-meaning shareholders? Resilience Notwithstanding the ongoing crisis, Oando has delivered on its promise to bring the company back to profitability by year end 2016. The Oando Groupâ€™s financial results for the year end 2016, turnover increased by 49 per cent, N569.0 billion compared to N382.0 billion in the corresponding period of 2015. Profit after tax increased by 107 per cent, N3.5 billion compared to a loss of (N47.6 billion) in 2015 and net debt reduced by 35 per cent N230.6 billion compared to N355.4 billion in 2015. This is in spite of the fact that during that year, Oando Energy Resources (OER) recorded a 20 per cent decrease in total production to 15.9MM barrels of oil equivalent (boe) (average 43,503 boe/day) from 19.9MMboe (average 54,520 boe/day) in the comparative period of 2015. Although, the results for the 2015 financial year were uninspiring, such would have been expected because of the situation in the global oil market, where oil prices took a plunge and the Nigerian economy, which had not found its footings. According to the 2015 financial results, the company recorded 10 per cent decrease in turnover, having posted N381.7 billion compared to N425.7 billion in 2014, and a marginal increase in gross profit, N77.7 billion compared to N72.3 billion in 2014. The groupâ€™s upstream business, spearheaded by OER, saw a 118 per cent increase in total production to 19.9 million barrels of oil equivalent in 2015 compared to 9.1 million boe in 2014, and growth in average production from 24,945 boe/ day in 2014 to 54,520 boe/day in 2015. That year, it also celebrated five years of continuous operations without a Lost Time Incident (LTI) on its â€œOES Teamworkâ€? swamp drilling rig and 3 years of continuous operations without a Lost Time Incident (LTI) on its â€œOES Passionâ€? swamp drilling rig. In the midstream, Oando Gas & Power (OGP) commenced an 8.5km pipeline expansion for the Central Horizon Gas Company (CHGC), and signed a Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) to sell the Akute Independent Power Plant. While in the downstream, Oando signed an agreement for recapitalisation via the injection of $210 million from a Helios / Vitol JV; it increased its global footprint by incorporating a trading business in Dubai; and completed the construction of a 14.4 million-litre PMS tank in Apapa terminal. Oando further recorded profit in its first quarter ended March 31, 2017 and half-year ended June 30, 2017 results, 1.7 billion and 4.6 billion naira respectively. Strategic Thinking Realising that the crisis at home and global market had been taking tolls on its operations, the Oando Group executive management led by Mr. Wale Tinubu, examined its business model and introduced a five-step corporate strategy to restore the business to profitability. First, it began to de-leverage the business and optimise its balance sheet through debt restructuring, asset divestments and the injection of $350 million of capital. By June 2016, it had successfully restructured its debt through a N94.6 billion Medium Term Note with lower capital costs of about 15 per cent and a renewed five-year tenor, a feat many thought impossible due to banksâ€™ reluctance in lending to oil and gas companies. When the first quarter results were

Volpi

Mangal

published, Tinubu insisted that the target to return the business to profitability by the end of 2016 was still achievable. As part of its strategy to ensure financial efficiency, Oando took a number of prudent steps in Q1 2016, one of which included delisting Oando Energy Resources from the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). The reason was simple: it had not realised any aggregate returns or fresh capital from the cost of listing the business and running its operations in Canada. As a result, it succeeded in improving its general and administrative costs from $3.70/boe in Q1 2015 to $3.19/boe in Q1 2016. Also, in that quarter, Oando Gas & Power successfully divested from the Akute Independent Power Plant, a 12.15MW power station servicing the Lagos State Water Corporation. The end of the year saw the completion of two key corporate actions that would change the structure of Oandoâ€™s business. The first was the $210million recapitalisation for a 60 per cent share of its downstream operations to Helios Investment Partners a premier Africa-focused private investment firm and the Vitol Group, the worldâ€™s largest independent trader of energy commodities. As a result a new company was formed â€“ OVH Energy. The second was the partial divestment of its midstream business subsidiary, Oando Gas & Power Limited to Helios Investment Partners. In Q1, 2017 Oando concluded the sale of Alausa Power Plant for a transaction price of N4.6 billion. Alausa Power Plant is a Public-Private Partnership project (Oando Plc and the Lagos State Government) developed in response to the need for stable and cost effective electric power supply to the Lagos State Government Secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja and its affiliate surrounding agencies. Commissioned in 2013 it is a 10.6MW capacity plant.

Both Akute and Alausa IPPs sales, analysts reason, are a testament of Oandoâ€™s legacy of building successful pipeline businesses, generating returns and transferring on operatorship.

Realising that the crisis at home and global market had been taking tolls on its operations, the Oando Group executive management led by Mr. Wale Tinubu, examined its business model and introduced a ďŹ ve-step corporate strategy to restore the business to proďŹ tability. First, it began to de-leverage the business and optimise its balance sheet through debt restructuring, asset divestments and the injection of $350 million of capital

Impact Oandoâ€™s impact on the economy cannot be over-emphasised. Apart from being a household name in the Nigeriaâ€™s oil and gas industry, it has become a force in the matters of development in the country. The company is influencing the way Nigerians live as it has been reported that one in five cars - around 2.3 million cars daily - on Nigerian roads drives on Oandoâ€™s fuel. Oando Group pioneered the development of gas infrastructure to power industry. Through its natural gas distribution network, it has been enhancing the global competitiveness of local industries by supplying gas to key clusters and infrastructure across Nigeria. Apart from successfully building the largest gas pipeline network in Nigeria â€“ 264km across Nigeria, Oando also pioneered the development of West Africaâ€™s midstream jetty, saving the country $120million in demurrage annually. The facility, which has a half-kilometre subsea pipeline, and a 16â€? 3km onshore line, will provide a more efficient platform for product receipt to all marketers currently using the MOMAN jetty. It is capable of delivering over 3 million tonnes a year. More importantly, through its upstream business it is harnessing the countryâ€™s natural resources to generate wealth for the nation. On job creation, the group is positively impacting the lives of over 25,000 Nigerians. As a fully indigenous integrated energy company, its core staff base consists of a 98 per cent indigenous workforce. It directly and indirectly employs over 2,000 Nigerians. As at June 2017, there were 168 companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange with a market capitalisation of N19 trillion. Of the 168 companies Oando is amongst the top 30 most capitalised with just over 12 billion shares outstanding. As at June 2017 Oando was 17.5 per cent (N115billion) of N654.65billion total oil & gas capitalisation on the Nigeria Stock Exchange. In 2016, at the height of the recession when Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Nigeria had dropped by about 49 per cent over a period of 2 years, specifically oil and gas investments into Nigeria was at a record low, Oando brought in the largest foreign capital inflow (Foreign Direct Investment) via its partnerships with Vitol the worldâ€™s largest commodity trading company and Helios a premier Africa focused private investment company. Through its partnership with Helios and Vitol, it is positioned to become the largest downstream operator in Africa. While it is on record that, Oando is the first African company to have a cross-border listing on the NSE and JSE, the two largest stock exchanges in Africa, it is also the first indigenous company to acquire an international oil company (IOC). With regards to social enhancement, through its cleaner and affordable cooking options, Oando has, by its downstream operations, reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent. The groupâ€™s foundation supports the federal government in achieving its education development goals through its signature â€˜Adopt A Schoolâ€™ initiative. In fact, through its foundation, Oando says it is educating Africaâ€™s next generation of future leaders. To date the foundation has positively impacted over 200,000 Nigerians.

Ëœ Ëž SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

BUSINESS/ENERGY

NERCâ€™s Contentious New Steps on Electricity Tariff Review Though, its Vice Chairman, Mr. Sanusi Garba, said electricity tariff review was not on its plate, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission last week initiated processes that have direct bearing on the review of electricity pricing in the country, stirring up angry rejections. Chineme Okafor writes

or obvious reasons, issues bordering on electricity tariff review have remained quite contentious among stakeholders in Nigeriaâ€™s electricity supply industry. Since the inception of reforms in the electricity sector, and introduction of the Multi Year Tariff Order â€“ the regulatory framework that guides the economics of electricity trading in Nigeria â€“ the processes of periodic tariff reviews, as mandated by the MYTO, have never really gone without some form of suspicious remarks and rancorous exchanges among stakeholders in the sector. Allegations of inefďŹ ciency and proďŹ teering through tariff reviews and increments are usually made against operators in the sector by consumer groups whose distrust of operators have not been helped by the sectorâ€™s inefďŹ ciencies. Eventually, interactions on tariff reviews always end up with parties not satisďŹ ed with the outcomes. Yet, NERC, which is the sectors umpire, would have to try to impartially arbitrate based on the extant issues to come up with a tariff structure it considers cost-reďŹ‚ective and good enough for the market. Procedure As part of the business rules of NERC, the regulator is expected to, in conjunction with the electricity distribution companies, also called Discos, hold public consultations with all stakeholders in the electricity market before any review of electricity rates. Usually, such consultations on tariff reviews are publicised and stakeholders, including all classes of consumers in the networks of the Discos as well as other critical stakeholders, like the organised labour, are expected to attend. This is aimed at broadening the decision making processes on the tariff. It is mostly at these consultations that key decisions on the content of the new tariff are reached after considering the positions of the different stakeholder as regards the tariff. While arguments are raised for and against the tariff proposals at the consultations, compromises are often expected at the end of the process. Past Tariff Reviews Despite the traditional procedure, the last tariff review exercise did not quite end well, after both residential consumers and industrial users refused to accept its outcome, and the industrialists preferred to stick with the previous tariff. Industrialists, especially those with huge labour base in Nigeria, had in expression of their dismay with the tariff review, stated that the rates approved by NERC in the MYTO 2.1 were going to push them out of business. They alleged that the review was done in bad faith and without consideration of their thoughts. The manufacturers, which included hoteliers, steel manufacturers, and other service providers, told NERC then that the MYTO 2.1, which came into effect on January 1, 2015, was not acceptable to them on the grounds that the parameters upon which they were decided and foisted on them were unfavourable. They also noted their resolve to contest the review and, if need be, shut down operations if the rates were allowed to stay. New Steps towards Tariff Review As part of its responsibilities and steps on tariff review, NERC last week called out stakeholders to deliberate on the most preferred frequency of tariff for the market. At the meeting, stakeholders had options that included the existing biennial reviews, a monthly review, or an annual review, to choose from. NERC explained that the options had their respective beneďŹ ts and drawbacks, stressing that the most preferred by the stakeholders would be adopted. During the process, top electricity consumers, comprising the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Nigeria Electricity Consumers Advocacy Network,

A power distribution facility and Hotel Owners Forum Abuja, roundly rejected the proposal to adopt a monthly review of electricity tariff in the country. The consumers, who were unanimous in their rejection of the proposal, said review of tariff should be done either annually or left to remain biennial as it is now. A breakdown of comments received by NERC from other consumers on the tariff review frequency indicated that most consumer groups rejected a higher review frequency. NECAN, in its submission, noted that any increase in the review frequency will greatly affect electricity consumers, while MAN stated that the monthly or quarterly review and implementation of the tariff will be detrimental to the manufacturing sector. Chairman of NECAN, Tomi Akingbogun, said the last tariff review resulted in over 95 per cent rise in electricity rates paid by consumers. He urged the federal government to protect the interest of electricity consumers. Akingbogun requested NERC to ensure that customer enumeration and adequate metering were done by all Discos in the country before implementing any tariff review. On his part, HOFA president, Eze Ude, said the rates for hotel accommodation and other services in the sector were not reviewed monthly, explaining that there is no rationale for monthly review of electricity rates. â€œIt will not be fair to the end users to raise tariff either monthly or quarterly,â€? Ude stated. Discos Choose Monthly Review But some of the Discos that were present at the meeting, especially the Eko and Ibadan Discos, indicated their support for a monthly review of tariff. They said their energy invoices were paid monthly and as such tariff should reďŹ‚ect the changes in the monthly energy payments. Speaking through their association, the Association

of Nigeria Electricity Distributors, the Discos also said monthly review of electricity tariff was a global practice, and not entirely new. They added that Nigeria would be standardising its power sector with the adoption of a monthly tariff review exercise. For the electricity generation companies, Gencos, Executive Secretary of the umbrella body, the Association of Power Generating Companies,

Top electricity consumers, comprising the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Nigeria Electricity Consumers Advocacy Network, and Hotel Owners Forum Abuja, roundly rejected the proposal to adopt a monthly review of electricity tariff in the country

Dr. Joy Ogaji, said NERC should factor into the MYTO review about 2,000 megawatts of electricity that is stranded within the Gencos and which cost they bear. NERC Trying to Douse Tension Attempting to douse tension that may follow the process, especially as regards the perception of Nigerians about rates review, Vice Chairman of NERC, Mr. Sanusi Garba, said in his address that the consultation was simply to consider changes in the frequency of tariff review by the commission. Despite the consumersâ€™ rejection of the proposal for a monthly review, Garba explained that the exercise was not about increasing the current tariff used by the market, but checking the various indices in the tariff and proffering a better review formula. In a presentation made at the consultation, NERC said part of its concerns about the MYTO 2015 was the rise in foreign exchange from N198 to the dollar, to over N300 without a reďŹ‚ection of such changes in the tariff. It explained that this had resulted in revenue shortfall in the electricity market, in addition to the reduction in power generation resulting from gas constraints and vandalism of assets. The commission also noted that the macroeconomic indices in the tariff were impacted, adding that while the previous tariff was computed on an 8.05 per cent inďŹ‚ation rate, inďŹ‚ation had risen to about 18 per cent afterwards. On the implementation of the tariff after the review, a former Managing Director of the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, Mr. Rumundaka Wonodi, said he supported that tariff should be reviewed monthly but implemented quarterly. Wonodi, said NERC should create a stabilisation fund to bridge the gap between the review and implementation time to protect customers from feeling the shocks of such reviews instantly.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R Ë¾ SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

BUSINESS PERSONALITY

AIGBOJE AIG-IMOUKHUEDE

FROM

SUCCESS TO SIGNIFICANCE AND LEGACY

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R Ëž SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

BUSINESS

PERSONALITY AIGBOJE AIG-IMOUKHUEDE

FROM SUCCESS TO SIGNIFICANCE AND LEGACY

was one of a handful of senior media executives invited last September 29, 2016, to witness the inaugural meeting of the Panel of Advisers for the Africa Initiative for Governance (AIG), an idea established to be a catalyst for high performance across Africaâ€™s public sector. In attendance at the highly restricted event, which was held at AIG Founderâ€™s Ikoyi offi ffice, were some of the initiativeâ€™s partners and panel members: Nigeriaâ€™s former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; Professor Ngaire

kill lions, bears and other dangerous animals which were after his fatherâ€™s sheep. While on the job, he entertained himself with some music, a skill that would open a door of opportunity for him later when he was invited to the palace to play music for Saul, the then King of Israel who was suffering from bouts of mental illness. To many, it looked like just a small window of opportunity but in no time, conscious of the anointing on him, David quickly blew that window into a door, stretching it further into a cavernous archway

my mind all along: â€˜Do you want to work for other people, surviving on a salary and bonuses forever? Or do you want to seize your own destiny. If so, then this is the way to do it.â€? Aig adds: â€œIt was at that moment that I knew exactly what I wanted to do, what I had to do.â€? Moments after that encounter, and back at his desk at the GTB where he had recently been promoted as the youngest Executive Director of a bank, Aig stepped out of the comfort zone, resigned his appointment from

Wood, Dean of Oxford Universityâ€™s Balvatnik School of Government; and Olusegun Adeniyi, THISDAYâ€™s Chairman of Editorial Board, among others. Just as Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, AIGâ€™s Founder and Chairman, stepped in to give introductory remarks explaining the vision and mission of the not-for-profit fi organisation, a senior journalist sitting by my side blurted quietly: â€œWhat is this guy (Aigboje) up to, really? Who or what is driving him? Is he not taking on too much too quickly?â€? He wasnâ€™t directing the questions at anyone in particular; he was just wondering aloud, echoing the sentiments of many of the close watchers of Aig, as he is fondly called by friends, who are keen on knowing what next is on his sleeve and why he appears to have a midas touch. Thoughtfully considered, Aigâ€™s story reads like a script, the story of David, reckoned to be the most impactful ruler of the state of Israel till date on account of his unbelievable exploits in warfare as detailed in the Christian Bible. For years and away from the glaring eyes of the public, David was in the forest building up his warfare muscles, training on how to use unconventional weapons to

good fortune, including overcoming Israelâ€™s arch adversary, Goliath, which eventually landed him in the palace as Israelâ€™s next king.

the bank and set off on an entrepreneurial mission that has brought him success, fame and wealth. â€œOne other interesting thing I got from that book was a quote that dwells on taking risk if you truly want to succeed. â€˜Behold the Turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.â€™ That was what I knew I had to do. It would be all too easy to stay in the comfortable shell of a big and successful employer, but I would never get to where I truly wanted to be if I did not stick my neck outâ€?. And this has paid off handsomely for Aig and Herbert Wigwe, his soul mate in his early banking years who also embarked on the entrepreneurial journey with him. During a period of 15 years Aig has been able to stamp his imprints on the countryâ€™s financial fi services industry in a remarkable way that cannot be ignored. His greatest success so far and the one that has brought him much recognition is his turn-around exploits at Access Bank. When Aig and his friend launched an acquisition campaign against Access Bank code-named â€˜Operation Festivalâ€™, they inherited a bank that was mired in bad debts, poor corporate

THE TRIGGER Many have said that success comes when an individual is able to connect a series of dots that have been pre-arranged by God. One such connection came for Aig in the autum of 2000 while attending an Executive Management Programme at the Harvard Business School in Boston sponsored by his former employer, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), when his late brother in law handed him a book, entitled: BUYOUT: The Insiderâ€™s Guide to Buying Your Own Company by Rick Rickertsen and Robert E. Gunther. And that appeared to be what he needed to trigger off the entrepreneurial juices and a deep sense of independence that had been building up in him before that encounter. Aig recollects that moment in one of the notes he is putting together: â€œNot only was the title of the book appealing to me, the introductory notes from the author also caught my attention. The book started with a question that had been agitating

governance, poor management and bereft of a modern banking world view. They turned things around quickly and by persuading the board they inherited to back them, within a short time they were able to successfully position the bank on an unprecedented growth trajectory, transforming it to a Top-5 leadership position in Nigeria, with assets of USD 12 billion and 350 branches, employing over 20,000 staff in nine countries. Aig has evolved from a banking whiz kid into a highly regarded thought leader in Nigeriaâ€™s financial markets, leaving indelible fi footprints in every single intervention he has made there. He chaired presidential and national banking industry committees on various monetary policy initiatives and was elected Chairman, Board of Trustees, of the Financial Market Dealersâ€™ Association. As chairman of the Bankersâ€™ Committee sub-committee on Economic Development, he convinced Nigerian banks to adopt the Nigerian Sustainable Banking Principles, a voluntary code of practice for sustainable banking. Aig was also a key founder of FMDQ OTC Exchange which today specialises in fi fixed income securities and derivatives, serving as its pioneer chairman. He is President of the Nigeria Stock Exchange. Expectedly, Aig has become like a magnet to awards, attracting several national and continental laurels that recognise his contributions to different fields of endearvour. He is a recipient of the National Productivity Order of Merit (2009) and in 2011 was conferred with the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) and has served on several additional committees and initiatives focused on the progress and well-being of Nigeria. In 2012, Aig was appointed by Nigerian President Good luck Jonathan to chair the Presidential Committee on the Verification of Fuel Subsidies which helped the country save billions of dollars in fraudulent fuel subsidy payments. Notable among Aigâ€™s social and entrepreneurial philantrantrophic engagements are: serving as Chairman of Friends of Africa, a partner organization of the Global Fund; serving as Chairman of the Board of GBC Health; being a founding member of the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria . In 2010 he announced a $1million contribution to the Global Fund and has also mobilized millions of Dollars in donations to the Global Fund through the â€˜Gift from Africa Campaignâ€™ Earlier this year, the trio of Aig, Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche and Attahiru Jega were elected into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a prestigious group of world leaders find solutions to the with an uncanny quest to fi challenges facing humanity. The admission is given to individuals who have initiated projects that not only show their commitment to the overall development of Africa and its people, but are also models that can be replicated globally for the good of all. And only last week it was announced that Aig had joined the Advisory Board of Oxford Universityâ€™s Blavatnik School of Government.

END OFACT 1 Today is Aigâ€™s 51st Birthday, and by tomorrow, he will be stepping aside as the President of The Nigerian Stock Exchange which he stepped into three years ago. Many

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

PERSONALITY

BUSINESS believe that this effectively closes the first phase (his business associates would rather call it Act 1) of Aig’s professional exploits. Within a space of three years, Aig’ Council, working with the management of the Exchange, has been able to change the NSE’s software architecture and Aig has been able give a best shot to the promise he made when he assumed the Presidency of the Exchange, that is making it to operate at a level comparable to its peers in more advanced economies, become the flag bearer of global best practice. His tenure as President of the NSE witnessed a number of innovations including the landmark publication of a Due Diligence Book which is expected to transform the quality of listing applications. Significantly also, Aig says one of his proudest achievements during his tenure at the exchange was planting the seed of bringing gender diversity to the council. If all goes according to plans, the NSE, at its AGM tomorrow, will be announcing the appointment of three distinguished female members to the Council of the NSE.

sometimes say this guy does not fail; what people don’t see is that my investment in systems, people and structures to guide what I do and reduce the risk of failure to manageable levels.” When Aig and his partner took over Access Bank, they needed to fi find something to offer the market that the other banks were not offering. They had very strong treasury skills which involved a lot of client relationship management; they had extensive trade finance fi and corporate cash management knowledge; they were also confident about their being able to build a team of professionals; between the two they also had extensive connections and respect of CEOS, Chief Financial Offi fficers and Treasurers of several large companies. But all those put together were not enough to compel organisations to switch; they needed to do something extra-ordinary. Their value chain model did the work; they had to put their intellectual endowment to task. They identifi ified big corporations, looked

investments, such as Africa Initiative for Governance (AIG) and other initiatives that are silently being worked out opens Aig’s next act, which would see him move to a stage of significance and legacy. This is how an insider puts it: “Now we are expressing our enterprenurial skills across platforms such that in about 20 years, we will have built the equivalent of several Access Bank-type stories. Having perfected his own unique way of spotting opportunities and raising leaders, Aig is said to be now moving out of his comfort zone, creating companies in sectors outside banking and empowering leaders to run them while maintaining low visibility to enable them establish their own identity. Aig throws more light: ‘My job in this phase is not to run the companies but my job is to inspire those who run the companies, transfer what I have and know to them so that they can use that advantage to run the organisations. These managers have what I did not have. They have Aig

BUSINESS MODELS Many people have often wondered what could be the business model Aig has employed that has enabled him to start up or acquire companies and make a huge success of the experiment. In their seminal book, Teambuilding, Alister Frazer and Suzanne Neville profiles eight personality types (known as Belbin Team Roles) that must be present in a successful project. According to them; Shapers (SH) generally make good managers because they thrive under pressure; Coordinators (CO) are known for their abilities to cause others to work towards shared goals; Resource Investigators (RI) are good communicators within and outside the organisation; Monitor Evaluators (ME) are good at analysing problems and coming up with suggestions; Implementers (IMP) are known for their reliability and capacity for application; Complete Finishers (CF) have great capacity for follow through, unusual attention to details and seldom start what they cannot fi finish; Team Workers (TW) are always known to prevent interpersonal problems and assisting to ensure that everybody contributes effectively within the team. By their classifi ification Aig would perfectly fit fi into the last category which they have called Plant (PL). Plants, according to the authors, are very creative individuals who are known to invent things and provide seeds and ideas on which major developments spring. Plants, according to them, are needed at the initial stage of a project or when a project is failing to progress as planned. They conclude that in most cases, plants have made their marks as founders of companies or originators of new products. But those who work closely with Aig think he has been able to develop a unique business model that not only recognises his role as a plant but has also created structures that enable him employ and deploy individuals with other personality types to make success of his endeavours. Aig confi n rms this in an informal chat with me: “I think the strength I have is that I embrace frameworks made up of science and theory that allow me to express my instincts in a much more effective manner. This is what I mean: I have instincts that allow me, for instance, to identify opportunities e g buying a company which many are scared to touch. But I don’t just buy companies, I assemble teams of gifted people, send them to schools to learn how to acquire and build companies and then empower them to apply their talents to build great institutions.” Aig adds: “People who worked with me at Access Bank knew that I always talked about frameworks. What is your framework for doing this? What is your structure to manage this opportunity? God has blessed you with the ability to see but that does not mean you are able to exploit what you have seen and create sustainable value out of it. You need a framework to dimension what it is that you have seen, apply the science of numbers or fi finance. You need to be able to ask and answer some strategic questions: What is the likely return and risk associated with the venture? Not many people are comfortable with doing that. That is what I do. People

take advantage of opportunities, Aig says there have been too many coincidences that make him to see the hands of God in every face of the journey so far, which he publicly acknowledged during a THISDAY Award in 2004: “The more I reflect, fl the more I conclude that I am just fulfilling God’s well-laid out plans. He just arranges for me to be at the right place at the right time.” While he was at GTB, Aig developed personal relationships with senior offi f cers at FMO, the Netherlands’ Development Finance Company, relationships that have endured till date and which were to prove very critical in Aig’s entrepreneurial journey. In 2004, the CBN Governor had suddenly announced that all banks must raise their capital to N25billion failing which they would be merged with other banks. Few days to the December 2005 deadline, Access Bank still had some gaps to fill and FMO bent all protocols and saved the day by converting an exiting credit line to the bank into a $15million equity investment. In 2002, a Director of the CBN had opposed the confirmation of his appointment as Access Bank CEO, insisting that he was too young to own a bank. That delayed confirmation lasted two years but turned

“

First of all, I believe that success that does not endure is not true success. I measure the success of an individual particularly when it comes to institutions by what happens to that institution after the person had gone

“

through their entire value chains and looked at where they could help them to reduce costs and increase revenue. And they went to work to design solutions. That sent the corporate world into frenzy, from Dangote Group to MTN Communications. They wasted no time implementing the innovations they shared with the board; they introduced a reward structure that enabled them to attract good brains from Citbank and GTB; they established entry-level training programmes designed for the best graduates from leading universities; they leveraged their value chain strategy to migrate their loyal customers from GTB to Access; they also played to their strengths earlier identified. That has stood out them in the banking arena.

FROM SUCCESS TO SIGNIFICANCE AND LEGACY Many leadership experts –Lloyd Reeb (From Success to Signifi ificance); John Maxwell (From Impact to Signifi ificance);John Cook (From Success to Significance)- suggest that many people in the first half of their lives tend to measure life in terms of success: wealth, recognition, power and status. They also agree that those who would achieve true success shift into another phase-using their talents and time to serve others. While Aig’s exit from the NSE is believed to have effectively closed a phase in his professional pursuits, the establishment Coronation Capital a platform for the building of great companies in the fi financial, oil and gas and digital technology sectors; philanthropic

behind them. They have my network and contacts behind them. They also have my systems and structures to run with. I will be spending quality time with the CEOs and management teams of the companies I have created.’

SUCCESS AND WEALTH MEAN DIFFERENT THINGS TO HIM Aig also explains that he views success and wealth differently. ‘First of all, I believe that success that does not endure is not true success. I measure the success of an individual particularly when it comes to institutions by what happens to that institution after the person had gone.’ “Again, I also don’t see wealth as accumulation of cash. I defi efine my own wealth in terms of the institutions I am creating and their impact, the businesses I am building that deliver dividends, pay taxes and employ thousands, the contacts and networks that I have built over time that I can now make available to the companies I am involved in. This, to me, is the real wealth. Every single Naira I earn is reinvested in an existing or new opportunity and by doing that I am allowing the principle of compounded returns to work for me. So, for instance when you ask me for N5million, I am not likely to have that in cash. Everything is reinvested.

THE UNSEEN HANDS Beyond strategy, beyond education, beyond deployment of structures and systems and

out to be God sent when the 10-year tenure rule was introduced. It meant that instead of having to exit in 2012, Aig had two additional years to plan for his exit and ensure the smooth, much admired succession with Herbert. THE BACKBONES Could Aig have been able to achieve such phenomenal success without the complementary roles of Herbert as well as his wife Ofovwe Aig–Imoukhuede? Aig says: ‘During the 12–year period that we worked together as CEO and Deputy, Herbert and I had never had a divergence of views or positions on issues of corporate governance and risk management. I constantly thank God for giving me wisdom in the choice of my Deputy. He was my friend and professional colleague for 10 years before we came together at Access, and he is a tremendously gifted and respected banker. But the basis of my choice for this ‘second pair of eyes’ was my confidence that we shared the same beliefs and values regarding how a bank should be run.’ He came into banking at the same time with Wigwe and both were from parents who were civil servants. For his wife Ofovwe, who left a high profile job at Citibank to be the family CEO, Aig says she is the pillar of support. His wife is more than an intellectual match able to engage him at the same cerebral level in all aspects of his professional and entrepreneurial endeavours. Ofovwe holds a Law degree, an MBA from Cambridge, a MSc from the London School of Economics (LSE). She is pursuing a PhD in Development. Aig says ‘she is a perfect companion.’ He also believes his four children who have tolerated him to nurture his dreams deserve commendation. While much may not be known on the details of Aig’s next move, it is only logical to predict that they are likely to enable another string of enduring successes.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

TRAVEL

Edited by Demola Ojo Email demola.ojo@thisdaylive.com

Rediscovering Nigerian Destinations on Independence Day Demola Ojo

n a few days, Nigeria will be celebrating another Independence Day anniversary. Expectedly, there’ll be a day set aside as a holiday, which coupled with the fact it falls on a weekend, gives those bitten by the travel bug an opportunity to explore new places, or rediscover old ones. Despite the sobering state of the nation amid an infrastructural deﬁcit that has also adversely affected the tourism industry (the poor state of roads is an example), a few travel brands headed by young, vibrant Nigerians are organizing tours to Nigerian sites on the verge of slipping into oblivion, helping to promote them via social media while still having a swell time. Driven by zeal, passion and an adventurous spirit, budding brands such as Naija Nomads, Tripzapp, Unravelling Nigeria, TVP Adventures among others are bringing the road trip culture back, or at the very least, adding some glamour to it. This is noteworthy because in recent times, tourism in Nigeria – especially projects birthed by various levels of government - has been centered on the country’s rich and diverse culture; music, entertainment, arts, fashion, cuisine and religion. While it makes perfect sense to highlight and promote Nigeria’s culture (it’s easier, considering it will take some effort and time to elevate the sites to world class standards), those desirous of experiencing unique destinations within the country now have a range of options to choose from. Many of the trips set out from Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial and entertainment capital. Some, like Irinajo.com’s boat trip to Kamp Ikare, stay within the shores of the city. The three-day Independence getaway offers tourists the opportunity to experience a side to Lagos many don’t know exist, with the resort only accessible by water. TVP Adventures’ trip to Abeokuta leaves Lagos but is close enough to be a day trip, with highlights being a tour of the famous Olumo Rock and the Adire market. Naija Nomads will be leading a tour further out, with Ondo State being the focus of the present adventure. Fresh from a trip to the Epe mangroves during the Sallah holidays, the Nomads are encouraging youthful Nigerians to reconnect with Mother Nature at the Smoking Hills Golf Resort at Ilara Mokin. Activities spread over three days will include golf lessons, a tour of one of Africa’s largest palaces and a visit to Idanre Hills. Idanre seems to be enjoying a new wind in its sails with many new-age tour companies choosing it as a location for trips in recent months. Hot on the heels of a private canoeing trip to Epe during the last holidays, Tripzapp will also be heading to Idanre Hills. However in its own case, the itinerary includes a trip to Erin Ijesha

Idanre Hills waterfalls, which means participants will get to experience two of the leading tourist attractions in Nigeria’s South West region. Still further out from Lagos, Unravelling Nigeria will be embarking on a tour to“Unravel Kwara”. The visit to the State of Harmony will include tours of Owu Waterfalls, Imoleboja rock formations, Dada pottery and the Esie museum. These are just a few of the tours taking place over the Independence Day period. They all bear similar hallmarks: groups ranging from a dozen people to scores; affordable pricing; destination focused and technologically driven. Social media -Instagram especially - is the tool for promotion prior to the tours and displaying alluring pictures of the destinations after. If you would like to participate in any of these tours (some are sold out already), or looking for different options, Instagram is your best bet to ﬁnd or rediscover ways to explore the hidden treasures of Nigeria.

GhanaTourism to Partner Nigeria, Qatar Rolls out Global Chauffeur ECOWAS on Seamless West AfricaTravel AirportTransfer Service The Ghana Tourism Authority has said it will be partnering with the Nigerian government and the ECOWAS community on the need to re-emphasis the seamless travel of people along the West Africa corridor. The acting Chief Executive of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Mr Kwasi Agyeman, who spoke at the just concluded 13th Akwaaba African Travel Market 2017, said there was need for greater collaboration among countries in the region to promote tourism and travel in West Africa. Narrating the ordeal of the Ghanaian delegation which travelled by road to Nigeria for the Akwaaba Travel Market, he said the team had to endure hours of frustration at the Ghana-Togo and the Togo-Benin borders over immigration processes. According to him, it took at least three hours and 20 minutes to be cleared at both barriers.

He said: “The worst was yet to come at Seme which borders Benin-Nigeria. It took more than three hours to complete the immigration process. “Although the team had all documentations intact, the Nigerian immigration ofﬁcials were at their slowest. It had to take a call from one of the state governors to release the team. “From Seme through Badagry, there were at least 18 barriers and checkpoints, comprising police, Nigeria Drugs Law Enforcement Agency and immigration. “In the end, a journey that should have taken four hours from Benin ended in almost eight hours.” He said tourism growth in the sub-region would thrive better in an atmosphere of free movement of people. “We will work together to ensure that more of our citizens visit each other’s country to boost the tourism business,” he stated.

Qatar Airways has begun offering door-to-door chauffer-driven transfers for travellers in all classes in more than 85 destinations to which it flies. Offered in tandem with global chauffeur service, Blacklane, the service can be booked for a fee through the airline’s website or app. Travellers can choose their vehicles, which include Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Cadillac, with business class, business vans, SUVs or first class cars available. Speaking about the new service offering, Qatar Airways group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “Our partnership with Blacklane is an innovation that we know our passengers will value. Offering luxurious door-to-door transfers will enhance their overall travel experience when they fly with Qatar Airways.” Rates are all-inclusive and cashless, and

are determined prior to booking. Taxes, tolls, fees and gratuities are included in the fare, as is a complimentary one-hour wait time for airport pickups. Customers can also change and cancel free of charge up to one hour before their journey for one-way trips. For those travelling to other destinations, Blacklane is also available at more than 500 airports around the world, and earlier this year expanded its presence significantly in Asia-Pacific. In similar news, Dubai-based Emirates announced back in June that it has partnered with BMW for its new fleet of chauffeur-driven cars for business class passengers. However in the same month, Etihad announced it would be cutting chauffeur services from all of its international destinations.

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MARKET NEWS

IEI-Anchor Pensions Grows Assets by 23%,Â Â Bounces Back to ProďŹ tability Ebere Nwoji The IEI-Anchor Pensions Managers Limited,Â has said that it grew its assets by 23.4 per cent for theÂ Â Â year ended December, 2016 from N46 billion in 2015 to N58 billion in 2016. The company, alsoÂ saidÂ Â itÂ grew itsÂ gross revenue by 21 per cent from N451 million in 2015 to N544 million for the year under review. The companyâ€™s chairman, Senator Jonathan Zwingina,Â who disclosed this at the annual

general meeting (AGM) of the company held in Abuja, said despite the huge challenges in the 2016 business year, the company, was able to toe the path of profit. â€œWe returned to the path of profit this year from the previous loss position of N17 millionÂ after tax to a profit after tax position of N81 million. â€œThis represents a massive leap. Consequently, earnings per share rose to 3 7kobo from negativeÂ Â eight kobo position in 2015â€?.

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 â€˜sharesâ€™ on the

He said the company, also recordedÂ 20 per centÂ growth in Retirement Savings Account (RSA) PIN generation fromÂ 8,000 to 10,000 account holders. â€œOur RSA unit price grew from 1. 7706 toÂ Â 1. 9411, while our Retiree Unit Prices also grew from 2.0079 to 2.2331Â Â as at June 2017, we have moved to 2.0727 for the RSA and 2.3939 for the Retiree funds respectivelyâ€?, he stated. On future plans of the company, the IEI-Anchor Pension chairmanÂ Â said:â€?We

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 21-Sept-2017, unless otherwise stated.

reviewed our foundation for the structured growth we desired. We found a need to renew the culture of stronger corporate and individual discipline, focus, customer sensitivity and developing more fully our core values namely - dependability, integrity, friendliness, proficiency and innovation,â€? he stated. He said these values, which have continued to develop , though abstract, has given the company, theÂ right mental

attitude for itsÂ destination; which is to be an efficient, trusted and competitive elite organisation. â€œOur goal was to establish a new order where, at the mention of our corporate name, people, our clients, all stakeholders will feel a sense of peaceâ€?. According to him, thisÂ will not take place unless the company undertakesÂ thorough self-scrutiny - staff and management mental outlook on matters, processes, timelines,

self-management, who really the customer is - internal and external, what would make the company the true bride . in various risks classifications. Â â€œAs we look up to God Almighty for life and the future, we will rapidly consolidate on our achievements for both long and short term goals. We are perfecting our strategies and tactics for improved market share, funding, return on investments and profit enhancement through efficient cost management,â€? 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 168.87 169.58 32.99% Nigeria International Debt Fund 232.61 233.42 9.99% 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 0.79 0.80 13.59% 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 18.92% 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 16.51 17.01 33.74% ARM Discovery Fund 352.21 362.83 22.65% ARM Ethical Fund 25.21 25.97 12.86% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 18.30% 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 139.80 140.79 32.92% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 18.71% 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 19.91% Paramount Equity Fund 11.56 11.85 23.47% Women's Investment Fund 95.00 97.43 12.30% 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 19.70% 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 1,136.04 1,137.17 11.96% FBN Heritage Fund 140.20 141.44 25.78% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 19.77% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional $110.72 $111.73 7.67% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail $110.15 $111.17 7.86% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 147.49 149.63 30.99% 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 1.30 1.33 39.89% Legacy Short Maturity (NGN) Fund 2.87 2.87 11.83% 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 2,811.48 2,853.65 27.95% Coral Income Fund 2,362.75 2,362.75 13.39% 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 15.75% 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 18.33% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.03 2.05 20.58% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 17.85%

LOTUS CAPITAL LTD ďŹ ncon@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 1.15 13.71% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,042.08 1,042.08 8.37% 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 12.25 12.35 26.72% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 18.96% 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 1.17 1.19 17.74% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 10.78 10.85 3.78% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 14.44% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 119.89 122.00 18.31% 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 1.37 1.37 10.19% 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 2,134.30 2,146.33 16.55% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 165.83 165.83 7.71% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.93 0.94 21.43% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 210.05 210.05 12.39% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 164.48 166.56 26.67% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 18.52% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 9,126.85 9,229.04 20.33% 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 16.33% United Capital Bond Fund 1.41 1.41 15.19% United Capital Equity Fund 0.83 0.85 24.04% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 18.43% 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 12.24 12.42 26.06% Zenith Ethical Fund 12.92 13.06 18.00% Zenith Income Fund 18.48 18.48 11.76%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

11.41 130.37

1.01% 5.16%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

10.46 102.01

10.56 103.93

21.29% 34.62%

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 GrifďŹ n 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

4.27 9.25 16.33 19.55 132.45

4.31 9.33 16.43 19.75 134.45

54.29% 31.40% 38.16% 22.43% 4.64%

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 managerâ€™s website and FMANâ€™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.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

UT H

N E A SO

LIFE LESSONS WITH AYO AROWOLO

ayo.arowolo@thisdaylive.com

09067059433 (SMS only) The first cultural shock came during my 1st semester at the University of Waterloo. In one of my courses, we were given a test, I did what I thought was ‘sufficient’ to have a First Class. I scored 76. When the results were published, the lecturer in charge called me into his office and warned that I might not graduate if I did not improve on my performance. I discovered there were many classmates that scored 90s and 100s. I felt ashamed and this is me, brilliant, First Class from Lagos, Commonwealth scholar. I was right there, 76. So for the first time in my life I learnt that when you do a competitive examination, you have to push yourself beyond excellence, because the grading and ranking of the result is what is important. It is not the absolute score. You should target more than 100 per cent. So anything I do in life, I want to be the best. That was a big lesson.

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR DECISIONS

–Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe Professor Oye Ibidapo-Obe, former Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has been back in the classroom doing what he loves most -teachingand generating research papers. While climbing the ladder to the top at the university, Professor Ibidapo-Obe, a First Class graduate of Mathematics, was the brain behind the creation of the consultancy unit (UNILAG CONSULT) in the university in 1982, which enabled the institution to generate its own cash to execute many projects outside government subventions. And this initiative has been replicated in many universities in Nigeria. In this interview, he shares the lessons he has learnt rising to the pinnacle of his professional career. Enjoy the reading. LESSON

CAREER A timely move can mold a destiny. When you are in a position of authority, you have to be sensitive to others and sufficiently knowledgeable to know when to stick your neck out and pursue a just cause. This may be costly but it is worth it. When I was the VC, there was and still is this Quota System for admissions-a procedure whereby admission quota is reserved based on states of origin, i.e., catchment areas, educationally less-advantaged states (ELDS) and on merit. No discretion was accepted. I had those two candidates for Medicine who had been classmates together from the beginning. They went to primary school together; they went to secondary school together; and they took JAMB examinations together. One of them of course did better than the other which was reflective of their absolute academic ranking. However, the university policy at the time offered admission to the one in our catchment who did not do as well as the other because of her state of origin. The two parents and the two candidates came to see me as the ViceChancellor. We tried as much as we could to convince the other child who did better (and never visited the state nor town of origin) but was not admitted to do a change of course or school, she neither understood nor agreed on the rather ‘obnoxious criteria’. Clearly, she was not going to be a nationalist as she felt ‘cheated’ and was very sad. I was touched by her predicament and decided to test the system’s fidelity with the support of the UNILAG Senate. The University admission

office sent her name to JAMB with a detailed explanation, and that worked. She was offered an admission. Years later at the 90th Birthday of one of our elders, Chief Jonathan Obafemi Olopade, OFR, last year; the referenced lady who I could not recall neither her face nor name was one of the guests. She is now a qualified medical doctor. Clearly, barring any unforeseen circumstance, a person like that would ‘die’ for Nigeria. That is what we need to try to cultivate in this country through orientation and doing so that people will see a reason to die for Nigeria. All these catchment, quota system and Federal Character may have been put in place for good reasons, but the reality is that it is frustrating our brilliant young men and women and making them to lose faith in Nigeria.

LESSON

ATTITUDE Pride and over conﬁdence will cost you fortune. I learnt a very big lesson early in my academic career in Canada. No matter how brilliant you think you are, there is always someone somewhere who is far better than you. I went through the University of Lagos and by the Grace of God, I did very well and I got a Commonwealth Scholarship to do my Master’s and Ph.D at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Those successes almost got into my head? My sterling performances as a student in the university also attracted a lot of publicity and that got into my head. I thought that I was a celebrity?

LESSON

LEADERSHIP Take responsibility for your decisions. I returned to the University of Lagos after my Ph.D from the same University in 1976, and then, I was deeply involved in research and publications. I became a full professor during the tenure of Professor Akin Adesola. He gave me my first out-of-academics assignment as the Managing Director of UNILAG CONSULT in 1983. I knew he had a soft spot for me but he was very firm and admonished me that I was free to make my decisions but a fatal decision might lead to instant termination! He told me that it was quite a good job for me and it would help me to learn how to manage people. In any case I took up the assignment, the first formal university consultancy in Nigeria. How can universities impact the society and still make money for the university? I did the job and a lot of things played out. I understood machines but have not learned human dynamics. The big lesson for me is that you must be a man of yourself. You have to grow up, you make decisions for yourself and you should be ready to take responsibility for your decisions.

LESSON

RELATIONSHIP Simple courtesies can take you far. I must also say that I have been able to segment. I am able to understand the thinking of people, especially the elders. I communicate with elders with ease. Justice Atanda Fatai Williams, CJN, was a former Chief Justice of Nigeria and the former (2nd) President of the Metropolitan Club of which I am a member. At that time for whatever reason, I can’t remember, he called me on a landline and he left a message for me that I should call him back. That was on a Monday, when I got home, it was very late but I got the message and I told myself that I could not call Baba that late since I would see him tomorrow, I would discuss the matter with him when we meet. When I met him the next day, he wanted to know why I did not return his call - my excuse was of no consequence to him. He told me that any time you get a phone call, you must return the call. You must show respect for elders. At that time, there were no mobile phones. I learnt a lesson there. Even now I strive to return my missed calls. That lesson has translated into respect for elders. If you respect elders, you will go places.

LESSON

FAMILY/PARENTING Communicate; earn the respect of your children My children are all grown up now and they are very supportive. When they were

young, they told me that once I was getting home they quickly went and got everything in place because they didn’t want me to be upset with them. I hardly give corporal punishment because it was unnecessary. We communicate always and I tried to find out what they were doing in school. I think we must earn that respect. In other words, I believe I earned my respect from them. They know that if there are issues, I will listen to them. Again, you must remove the potential for distraction for your children, you need to do that. It may be tough, but you must take that decision. When I discovered one of my children was being distracted through playing computerized games, I banned it, so the time for school was cleared off the Nintendo and that discipline worked! .As for my wife, she is a friend. She understands me very well and she knows what I like. So, it has been a very blissful and productive marriage. We thank the Lord for these blessings.

LESSON

MONEY/ INVESTMENT Money will never be enough When it comes to the issue of money, contentment is important. The problem with money is that it will never be enough. I have learnt that money will never be enough. If you are first contented and you do your work well, money will come, you will never lack. That’s my experience. I’ve never been lacking; the Lord provides bountifully. I have never lacked what I need and want. Intervention will always come from somewhere. Things that impress me are very simple. If you ask me, what I have enjoyed most as a teacher, you won’t believe it, just little courtesies from people that passed through me as students, not going after money for the sake of it. God has blessed me sufficiently in my own way. For me wealth means the ability to live well, not living extravagantly. Wealth is not cash.

LESSON

SPIRITUALITY God controls everything. For me God is central to everything I do. He is that unseen hand controlling and directing everything I do. Sometimes we don’t know why or how things just happen. Everything that has happened to me and all the things I have received, I believe God preplanned them. That is why I thank God all the time.

BOOKS The Bible Autobiographies like those of Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obasanjo, and of course, regular persons who are not politicians, such as Chinua Achebe, Cyprian Ekwensi, T. M. Aluko and others. WS (Wole Soyinka) books are tough but full of wisdom. A publication that challenges DNA, a brief history of human kind and The Emperor’s New Mind, etc.

ADVICE The advice I got from my parents to marry my wife who has been my friend and pillar of support. The other one is the advice and encouragement I got from my teachers who advised me when I graduated to go and do postgraduate studies. That greatly helped me to advance in my profession.

HEALTH My health is very good. I do exercise every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Of course, that does not mean I don’t use your regular drugs to keep ‘aging’ at bay for as long as possible. But most importantly, my wife has been of tremendous help. I am a happy man; she gives me joy.

ONE MESSAGE TO THE PRESIDENT Scrap the quota system and Federal Character. They stifle creativity.

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

24.09.2017

ARAMIDE BELLO

THE FACE BEHIND ‘TANK & TUMMY’

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R Ëž Í°Í˛, Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

COVER

Aramideâ€Ś I am a hands-on person. All my cooks are trained by me

ARAMIDE BELLO

THE FACE BEHIND â€˜TANK AND TUMMYâ€™ Eleven years ago, she looked more stunning. Her head was in the clouds. She was at every party in town that boasted of the whoâ€™s who. Many musicians and other entertainers were close to her. All of that living on the fast lane changed in a twinkle of an eye, under circumstance which was not clear to many. Aramide Bello who has now assumed a totally different persona as CEO of one of Nigeriaâ€™s fast growing quick-service restaurants told Nseobong Okon-Ekong that she moved out of the spotlight to live an exemplary life for her children

he way she talks about food, one may think she is such a glutton. Far from filling her stomach with as much nourishment as she can find, Aramide Bello is actually a nibbler. She is very fussy and hard to please when it comes to what she eats. However, she loves to cook. Nothing gives her as much pleasure as watching people relish her meals. Looking through the window of the second floor of her new multi-storey office complex, it is not immediately clear if she is distracted by speeding cars on the busy Oba Akran Street in IkejaLagos or she is buying time to ponder the question. She returns presently with a multi-layer answer that requires more probing. This has been going on since the interview began. She is trying to play around penetrating the parley with a playful disposition. She wants to talk. But she does not want to reveal too much. She wants to avoid disclosing the years she was on the grind. She switches

into a serious mode. It is almost like a flash. Only a keen observer can catch it. There is something about those years that she has dumped into a coffin, nailed and buried. She doesnâ€™t want to remember. That past is dead! Not quite. Letâ€™s say, she wants to recall it on her terms. For now, it is safe to say that she was not born with a silver spoon. Getting her to talk about the period when the lines fell in pleasant places for her is not as difficult as encouraging her to confront the years of grinding poverty. Credit to her increasing affluence goes to her mother, a woman she understandably calls her champion. â€œI watched her grow from nothing. When people see us today, they may think that we have always been wealthy. That is not true. We struggled. I was not born into money. We went through very tough times. I do not want to open a can of worms. It is better to forget or allow a more opportune time to tell that story. My story is a whole lot deeper than I am willing to tell.â€? Scratching the surface of her life from a cautious side, she reveals that her

mother used to own a restaurant. That is not the interesting part. It is attention grabbing to know that she went on to find her place in the oil and gas business. Aramide was a student of Economics at the University of Lagos by the time her mother inched her way into the upper echelons of business in Nigeria. The University of Lagos is also where she found her passion for food. The institution helped her establish an ability to mobilise people. This led to her emergence as the Chair of Madam Tinubu Hall before she graduated from the university. By this time, her mother was no longer a restaurateur. Her investment in oil and gas had grown in leaps and bounds. Aramide moved to the United States of America, where she found the opportunity to give an expression to her passion. â€œI was working in restaurants all over the US to get myself the experience and expertise. I am a certified Kitchen and Restaurant Manager. I am a certified Nutritionist. I am a certified Food Professional. It is about 20 years ago since I started dreaming of owning a

chain of restaurants. Owning an eatery is a small dream.â€? She looks around at the surrounding, as if in disbelief. The Aramide of today is calmer and more reserved; a totally different person from when she came back to Nigeria from the US 11 years ago, when she looked more stunning. Her head was in the clouds. She was at every party in town that boasted of the whoâ€™s who. Many musicians and other entertainers were close to her (she still keeps an acquaintance of some of them). All of that living on the fast lane changed in a twinkle of an eye, under circumstance which was not clear to many, as she took the conscious decision to slow down her pace. â€œI thought of my daughter. There are certain things that are better taught by example. I needed to inculcate certain values in her. If I failed to do this at a particular age bracket, I have lost her for good. Popularity has a price. I am not willing to pay that price because of my daughter. Some people donâ€™t care how the public views them.â€? Her quick service restaurant business, Tank and Tummy, started in 2006.

SEPTEMBER 24, 2017 ˾ T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

COVER The name sounds like a joke. It is indigenous. It is different. Many laugh at it. While they are yet laughing, they are drawn in by the curious name. But who gives that kind of name to a quick service restaurant? Funny as it sounds, there is no denying the fact that it immediately drives home the message. The explanation is intoned in her husky baritone. “The name came from my mother. She came up with the proposal for a one-stop place for food and petrol - a place where you can fill the tank of your car and your tummy simultaneously. The name just stuck.” From one carefully nurtured outlet in Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos, Tank and Tummy has sprung a huge surprise by unveiling an imposing four-storey building in Ikeja. Like a bolt out of the blue, no one saw it coming. The second outlet took 11 years to grow, but its sheer commanding stature has been worth every day of those years. “This land was purchased a long time ago. It has been in our plan that the second location is going to be here. It just took us time to get there. The market is here. The need is here. The demand is here. But there is a big disconnect between me and the people I want to serve. There is this thinking that they cannot afford to come in here. The reason this building is so beautifully done and gigantic is because we want to match cheap price with class. We want people to come in and feel the coziness of the environment.” Although things have stabilised, the early days were challenging. She had to understand the mentality of the average Nigerian. “Manpower was my biggest challenge because putting people through and then having them conform to instruction is a big deal.” Her opinion of how things work in Nigeria changed with the unsolicited honour bestowed on her restaurant for a few consecutive years. Tank and Tummy was adjudged the cleanest by the Lagos State Government. “I don’t value awards. I value appreciation. Awards can be bought. I think the award is just a signal to tell me I am doing the right thing, not that I do not know that I am doing the right thing.” Rather than reading about it, Aramide has been directly involved in all the

Aramide Bello (m) surrounded by some of her staﬀ

Aramide... If there is one thing that she is so particularly proud of, it is the transformation that she has witnessed in her staﬀ

processes leading to acquiring foodstuff and preparing them for serving. “What do you learn in school? Interestingly, you find that at the end of the day, we can’t really remember all that we were taught in school. Even if you are an accountant, at the end of the day, it is the calculator that is working. I am a hands-on person. I know it all. I teach it all. All my cooks are trained by me. I guarantee that our food has the same taste at the two outlets. I am a good tutor of knowledge. I impact people easily. I can motivate easily.” If there is one thing that she is so particularly proud of, it is the transformation that she has witnessed in her staff. “My Kitchen Manager used to be a cleaner.” Her community service engagement has been carried out with the utmost tact and discretion in the last seven years. To date, she is responsible for training five primary school pupils. She opted to start

from this crucial level, in order to measure the impact of her intervention. “I want to see them up. All the way up. I cannot give money to charities in Nigeria because I don’t believe the money is going to get to the right persons. Nigeria is so corrupt. I make my contribution to the needy directly to them. When I can, I take bags of rice and other foodstuff to them. I feed the homeless. I pray I can have a soup kitchen, but I have not got their yet.” In the food value chain which begins from farming all the way to ready-toeat meals, Aramide rates cooking as the most critical link in the chain. She states her reason. “Cooking shows the beauty of the farm and the people selling foodstuff. Cooking is what satisfies the people. If you cook good materials, the people who buy it also are happy. Cooking is what brings out the end product of either the material or the service.”

THE NAME CAME FROM MY MOTHER. SHE CAME UP WITH THE PROPOSAL FOR A ONE-STOP PLACE FOR FOOD AND PETROL - A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN FILL THE TANK OF YOUR CAR AND YOUR TUMMY SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE NAME JUST STUCK

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R Ëž Í°Í˛Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

Ě“ ÍŽÍśÍŻÍŻÍ˛Í˛ÍˇÍłÍąÍ°Í˛Ëœ nseobong.okonekong@thisdaylive.com

Itâ€™s going down at One Nite Live and Unplugged with Wale Ojo

On One Memorable Night, Wale Ojo Transforms from Actor to Show His Musical and Dancing Skills What happens when an acclaimed actor decides to showcase his skills in music and dance? Nseobong Okon-Ekong reports on an interesting evening featuring Wale Ojo on stage You know Wale Ojo as an actor. His face is prominent in movies like â€˜Alter Egoâ€™, â€˜Fiftyâ€™, â€˜Kalakuta Express-inspired by Fela, â€˜Phone Swapâ€™ and â€˜Meet the Adebanjosâ€™. I bet you did not reckon he could sing up a storm. Recently, NMO Management and PR Limited offered him its premium platform, One Nite Live and Unplugged to showcase the musical side to the multi-talented skills of this award-winning actor. His grand performance at the Nine Zero Degrees Lounge in Victoria Island, Lagos was originally backed by instrumentalists from LoudnProudâ€™s One Sound Band. Wale opened his performance with a Luther Vandross classic, Songs made popular by Kool and the Gang, Carlos Santana and Bob Marley were given a unique Wale Ojo treatment that surprised many in the audience. Anchored by music producer, Ambassador Elajoe, the show was taken to a new refreshing height, when Wale asked the distinguished crowd to applaud the One Sound Band. Unknown to them, he was preparing the ground to bring on Milagro Band, particularly to perform the Fela renditions with him and a song, â€˜Wajewaâ€™, which he said he heard and fell in love with in South

Africa. Showcasing his dance skills and music agility effortlessly, he bent over and rocked like only his close friends know of him. At his age, Wale proved to have quite a flexible body. He twisted and turned at many delicate angles that many younger persons dare not try. He was also joined on stage for a live jam session surprise collaboration by music icons Gloria Ibru and and music royalty, Muma Gee who took the already charged atmosphere to fever pitch to the delight and excitement of all present including VIPs in attendance Legend & icon Frank Osodi, Satchmos Jazz fest head Mr. Oludolapo Ajayi, fashion guru Ovo Ogunfere, Abi (Ember Creek) and Obukome Ibru. Ngozi Omambala whose company, NMO created the LoudNProud brand has segmented them into three distinct products including the LoudnProud Live Series -multi artiste live platform, keeping real live music pomping every last Thursday of the month. There is the Great Break Through, (GBT) Auditions, which is a talent platform for aspiring artistes. It holds every third Thursday of the month. The One Nite Live is the premium stage for established artistes. Obukome Ibru takes a pose with guest Linda Li

GBENRO AJIBADE, RAHAMA SADAU UNVEILED AS HOSTS OF BON AWARDS 2017 Two of Nollywoodâ€™s finest new generation actors; Gbenro Ajibade and Rahama Sadau, have been unveiled as hosts of the 2017 Best of Nollywood Awards holding December 16th in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The exciting duo would direct affairs at Nollywoodâ€™s most prestigious reward platform being hosted this year by the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-helmed Ogun Sate government. Seun Oloketuyi, executive producer of BON, said, â€œThe choice of Rahama and Gbenro was a painstakingly debated one. Our criteria were diversity, versatility and youth; some other names came up for consideration but Gbenro and Rahama tick the boxes.

And we are happy at their enthusiasm and acceptance to be a part of history.â€? A successful model cum actor, Gbenro, is one of the more popular acts in Multichoice-sponsored Tinsel. The Biology graduate of the Benue State University has also featured in several home videos including The Wages, Twisted Throne, Gbomo Gbomo Express and 10 Days in Suncity among others. Married to fellow thespian, Osas Ighodaro, with whom he has a baby girl, Gbenro says he dreams of a day â€œWhen Iâ€™d have contributed significantly to the arts and entertainment industry globally to earn me a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records or the Hollywood Walk of Fame and when the characters I play come alive and begin to transform lives, and significantly create an impact on society and popular culture in general.â€?

One of the breakout stars of Kannywood who have successfully transited to mainstream Nollywood, winsome Rahama Sadau is a Business Administration graduate of the Kaduna Polytechnic. Crowned â€œFace of Kannywoodâ€? at the City People Entertainment Awards 2016, Rahama has featured in popular soaps like Super Story, MTVâ€™s Shuga - Season 6 and Sons of the Caliphate while playing prominent roles in movies like Ajuwaya, Tatu and The Accidental Spy. She says, â€œIn addition to acting, I also produce my own movies, one of which is the recently completed Rariya. Furthermore, I participate in charity and humanitarian work and visit Internally Displaced Peopleâ€™s Camps regularly to offer support and aid through my charitable initiative â€˜Ray of Hopeâ€™,

Gbenro Ajibade

SEPTEMBER 24, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

ENTERTAINMENT which I launched in 2016. I am very ambitious and since my first appearance on screens, I have worked hard to build the ‘Rahama Sadau’ brand.” Meanwhile, as the organisers of the award released the nominees list, focus is on the Best Actress category where Omotola Jalade Ekehinde (Alter Ego), will slug it out with younger, equally tested actors like Mitchell Dede (What Lies Within), Ufuoma Mcdermott (The Women), Rahamatu Sadau (Tatu) and Esther Audu (Inikpi). No less stiff is the competition in the Best Actress in Supporting Role (English) category where the nominees are Queen Nwokoye (Excess Luggage), Bayray Mcnwizu (Trace), Bisola Aiyeola (Picture Perfect), Toyin Abraham and Funlola Raimi (Tatu) and the trio of Kate Henshaw/ Omoni Oboli/ Katherine Obiang for their role in The Women. In the best actor category, one of Nollywood’s newest hunks, Bolanle Ninalowo (Picture Perfect) goes up against Gabriel Afolayan (Tatu), Paul Utomi (What lies Within), Sambasa Nzeribe (Slow Country), Alexx Ekubo (Inikpi) and former TV host cum actor, Joseph Benjamin for his role in Dance to my Beat. In unveiling the nominees, Head of the Screeners Committee, Niran Adedokun, said, “This year, we had over 128 films of which 120 including 113 feature films, seven short films and two TV series were screened. Eight others were disqualified for various reasons relating to not meeting entry requirement. On the whole, we can say that practitioners are doing all possible to raise the bar of production even though a lot of entries still leave much to be desired. One sure thing however is that Nigerian filmmakers are doing their best to attain international standards and they need to be encouraged.” OF GULA ON STAGE ‘The story of Baba Ali’ by President Olusegun Obasanjo has inspired a stage play, ‘Gula’ which is based on the life of the head of all the ruthless criminal gangs in Northern Nigeria and part of Cameroun -Baba Ali. The play which stars the like of Tunji Sotimirin assuming the character of Obasanjo will be staged at the Terra Kulture in Victoria Island, Lagos from September 30 Using drama, dance and music, we bring to life and to the Nigerian theatre for the first time, Gula, a true-life story that has been in the making for decades, from Gula’s formative years. This is a story of courage, hope, taking responsibility and of second chances. This play speaks to the state of our prisons, the need to upscale reform homes for juveniles, rehabilitation and re-integration plans for ex-convicts and highlights the question of family planning among the less privileged and the population control challenges ahead. According to the Executive Producer, Mr. Tunde Oduwole, “In this story of two unlikely inmates, I see a deeper story for many and a message to a nation. Like the good Samaritan who took personal responsibility to take care of the wounded, we all must be committed to good works particularly in our communities. There is indeed, no garden without a gardener.” GUINNESS, SPRITE BACK LAGOS CITY SUYA CARNIVAL TO BREAK SUYA RECORD Top brands led by Sprite and Guinness Nigeria have thrown their heavyweights behind the Lagos City Suya Carnival scheduled for October 1, 2017. The first edition of the edibleoriented carnival is scheduled to break the world record of the longest suya/ steak with the production of a single 50ft suya. This feat is to be achieved in conjunction with the Guinness Book of World Record in Lagos, Nigeria. Speaking at a press briefing, the executive producer of the carnival,

Alex Ozone is taking Nigeria Music to the World Vanessa Obioha Alex Ozone cannot sing, even if his life depended on it. Singing is not a talent he is interested in pursuing and he is so conﬁdent that he will fail woefully if he attempts it. He has good reasons though for feeling that way. His voice is not smooth or silky and he has a conspicuous Ibo accent. You simply cannot persuade him to go into the studio and record a song. It’s simply not in his DNA. However, he is madly in love with music. Not just music but the entertainment industry. His environment contributed largely to his uncanny knack to promote Nigerian music. He grew up in Ojuelegba- that populous area which has become famous for churning out renowned entertainers. Growing up in this entertainment community opened Ozone’s eyes to the world of showbiz. He watched entertainers struggle to make a name for themselves. He heard tales of disappointment by these artistes who toil day and night to churn out incredible talents only to be rejected. “I saw a lot of artistes coming together but nobody wanted to listen to them. Nobody really wanted to hear their music.” Out of that gaping need sprang Ozone’s desire to promote artistes and entertainers. He decided to be the middle man, taking the songs of these artistes to the people who matter most in the industry so they could get airplay. The ﬁrst entertainer he professionally worked with was Ayo Makun popularly known as AY the comedian. It was during those days of his AY.com comedy skits. Terry G later came on board. There are many few A-list artistes he had worked with but Ozone modestly refrained from blowing his trumpet. The music landscape has changed drastically since Ozone started out his media company, 03 Media in 2000. Back then, there were no mobile phones and words like ‘online streaming’ or ‘mp3 download’ were novelty. Ozone however managed to stay up to his game by keeping up with the trend. If you ask him, he will tell you that any creative person in this industry must be able to keep up with the trend. Obviously, managing artistes within the country wasn’t the bigger picture in Ozone’s mind. Promotional tours were. In the past couple of years, he’s been busy scheduling promotional tours for artistes in Europe, UK, US and elsewhere in the world. It didn’t happen overnight. First, he had to make the right contacts, market these artistes and then gain the trust of the artistes as well as the show organisers. Trust turned out to be a dicey word for these artistes and talent management companies. “I keep telling people that if you want to go into a business, you have to study that business, know its terrain. Too many

people go into show business based on heresies and what they see in the media, forgetting that it is a make believe industry. You have to study the business, you must sacrifice before you gain but most people want to gain without making any sacrifice, simply because they hear or read that Davido bought a gold chain of N30 billion. It’s all make-believe. That gold chain might be a gift who wants him to promote his brand, not that he bought it with his money or at that amount. But someone will hear about it and will want to do same. You are using your last money to impress. So the issue of trust will always be there because they are not real to themselves. They want to reap where they have not sowed. If they are real to themselves, they won’t have any problem. I try as much as possible to tell them the truth. For example, I tell them how much they are worth in Europe even if they are superstars here. If they are good with the offer, we seal the deal, if not; they can walk out the door. I’m always transparent in my dealings. The truth is that they don’t trust themselves and hardly tell each other the truth.” His biggest break came when he took Tekno on tour. It is actually his most memorable tour yet. “When I started this tour six years ago, they didn’t believe in Nigerian music in Europe. It wasn’t selling but we kept on pushing because of the passion. Moreover trust was also an issue because most of these international promoters have fallen victims to fraudsters. I have to sacrifice a lot and build my trust. Then last year, after Tekno tour, the buzz became greater. There were lots of positive changes. We began to receive a lot of demand for Nigerian music artistes.” Other artistes he has taken on tours include Kiss Daniel, Patoranking among others. Interestingly, there are no female artistes in his list yet. According to the Ebonyi-born entertainment mogul, the female artiste lacked the strength to keep up with the physical demands of city tours. However, he is open to work with them if they are up to the task. Regarding the acceptance of Nigerian music outside the country, Ozone ranked the country music number two in the world. “Nigeria music is number two in the world. It is generally accepted anywhere, be it Caribbean, Uganda, the whole Africa. They believe in Nigerian music more than their own superstars. Right now, Olamide is the most demanded artiste in the world. He is our next project.” So far, entertainment has been very rewarding for the young businessman. He believes that the industry had taken him to greater heights which other sectors would have been unable to. Notwithstanding, as an Ibo man, he is involved in other businesses.

Executive Producer, Gula, Mr. Tunde Oduwole; Ex-Nigerian President and author, ‘The Story of Baba Ali, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; and Group Managing Director, CMC Connect Limited (Perception Managers), Mr. Yomi BadejoOkusanya; during the Gula On Stage press conference held on Wednesday in Lagos

Kehinde Talabi, explained that the carnical which is organised in conjunction with the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture, has so much to offer in terms of entertainment, fun and so much more. The carnival, which is billed to wrap up the long month celebration of Lagos, Nigeria’s foremost state at 50, is billed to hold on October 1, 2017. Speaking to media men at a press briefing of the highly-anticipated event, Talabi said the event will bring so many people together while offering the opportunities to mingle and meet new people. The event’s producer, Mr Timothy Nostradamus has also revealed that the event will take a three-course shape. “The Lagos City Suya Carnival is a three-course entertainment filled meal, that I can assure you. We have the first course, which is the morning session, where you can come to the carnival ground, ride your bicycle, do your yoga, spa and other exercises that you might deem fit for the morning. “ The second course kicks off in the afternoon with the proper carnival as well as the kickoff of the grilling of the 50ft long Suya steak on the carnival ground. Performances of music acts will herald this session, the governor, permanent secretaries in Lagos State, Lagos lawmakers, DGs and Commissioners will be thoroughly entertained during this session with Suya sales going around the ground. “ The third session of the carnival starts by evening and this is where Quilox night club takes over the centre stage to give exquisite party feel on the carnival ground for a token. There are surprise performances as well as major DJs on the wheels of steel,” Nostradamus explained. On his part, Mr Damilola Odujinrin, the Experiential Execution Excellence Manager at Nigerian Bottling Company said the reason Sprite has endorsed the carnival is that of the belief in the landmark achievement while supporting the Lagos State government. THE VOICE NIGERIA SEASON 2 WINNER IS... The die is cast. The Voice Nigeria season 2 has reached its climax. Tonight’s episode will be a turning point for one of the eight contestants who entered the show few months ago. It’s been an interesting journey for Syemca, Jahtell, J’Dess, Idyl, Chris Rio, Yimika, Ebube and Wow. Out of these eight, Jahtell was the only one that didn’t went through the eviction tension. It will be interesting to find out how she will fare in tonight’s show which will be only dependent on public votes. No doubt, she is a good performer. However, there are seven other performers who will be vying for the coveting prize of a record deal with Universal Music Nigeria, a GAC car and an expense-paid trip sponsored by Ajala.com. Going by the number of times other contestants have been saved by the public, Syemca, Idyl, Wow and J’Dess might make it to the top four. Syemca however stands a higher chance than the rest being that his younger brother Chike was among the finalists in previous editions. Nevertheless, Wow is another great contender. His electrifying performance makes him a fan favourite. For the judges, Yemi Alade stands a better chance of winning. Her biggest trumpcard is Syemca but with Wow on Team Waje, the latter may as well retain her title. Patoranking and Timi Dakolo will have to hope for a miracle. If Idyl’s fans got more aggressive, Timi will smile home since Jahtell’s fan base have never been measured. Patoranking will have to depend on either Ebube and Yimika to emerge the winning judge.

SEPTEMBER 24, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Woman of Steel: Telemundo’s Alternative to HBO’s Game of Thrones Vanessa Obioha Arguably, America’s oldest cable and satellite television network Home Box Office (HBO) is home to compelling and suspense filled TV drama series. Over the years, it has churned out gripping tales that turned viewers to couch potatoes. Think of Sex and the City, Entourage, True Blood and fans favourite Game of Thrones which missed out in the Emmys for the first time. HBO’s creative ability to sustain viewer’s interest over a period of time is perhaps its winning streak. Yet, no one enjoys that painful long wait for another season of a riveting TV series. If viewers were to have their way, they would want the filming process of popular TV series like Game of Thrones to be hurried. The HBO production recently concluded its final episode and viewers will have to wait for at least one more year for the concluding season to be aired. No doubt, there are tons of TV shows on air but none comes with the thrilling drama and suspense that Game of Thrones has become famous for like Telemundo’s Woman of Steel. In more ways than one, the AmericanSpanish terrestrial TV network owned by NBCUniversal operates similarly to HBO. Apart from both companies being in the media and entertainment industry for too long, they have also entertain their wider audiences with captivating TV shows. Since the network joined the DStv

family,it has constantly thrilled viewers with captivating telenovelas, and for the first time, it is airing a telenovela in a series format. Woman of Steel as the name implies celebrates the valiance and confidence of exceptional women. Its first season introduced us to the fearless and determined Sara Aguilar, played by the former beauty queen Blanca Soto, who was forced to transform from a jubilant bride into money laundering crime lord after the murder of her husband. She soon became the most revered woman in the underworld. With the president and some other crucial enemies in high places hot on her heels, Sara was eventually captured by the police and even though Manuel, her love interest, tried to take the fall for all her crimes, his gesture of love fell flat as Sara’s arrest was of utmost importance to the powers that be. In the second season,which is currently airing on Telemundo, DStv Channel 118, Sara returns with more fierceness, motivated by her undying love for her son. She excites viewers with her mission to take revenge on all her enemies. This new season opens with Sara in prison, waiting out her five-year sentence. When she receives news of a kidnapping of her only son, she attempts a prison break but fails and is sentenced to further 25 years in prison. Litzy, Luis Resendez, Jorge Zarate, Aurora Gil, Andy Zuno, Luciana Silveyra are some of the fan favourites back to reprise their roles in the series with the inclusion of a couple of new faces

Sara Aguilar in Woman of Steel

and characters all blending together to create stellar performances in the show. Like Game of Thrones, Woman of Steel does well to create intimate scenes with class and taste all the while painting a compelling picture of the thin line between right and wrong and the stumbling blocks women who domi-

nate in a predominantly man’s world are likely to face. With a total of 75 episodes this season fans should expect thrills, well choreographed fight scenes, and a whirlwind of emotions as we are thrown into the mix of a mother’s love and the consequences that lie therein.

ALL FEMALE DIRECTORS LINE-UP FOR ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY’S 2018 SUMMER PLAYS For a while now, diversity has been at the core of Royal Shakespeare Company’s activities. Not too long ago, it had an acting masterclass for disadvantaged teenagers. Recently, it announced an all-woman line-up for its 2018 summer season plays. It is the first time in history that the theatre company will have all its plays in its main theatres directed by women. This announcement comes on the heels of the large outcry over gender imbalance in the silvescreen and stage. With this act, RSC is projecting these women according to the artistic director, Gregory Doran who have grown and developed with the company. The women include Polly Findlay who will direct the Macbeth production of the season; Erica Whyman will direct Romeo and Juliet; Fiona Laird will direct The Merry Wives of Windsor; Maria Aberg will direct a new production of Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi; and Jo Davies will direct a play by a writer lost to history, Mary Pix. ITALIAN FILMMAKER GUSHES OVER FILMING POPE FRANCIS Call it an opportunity of a lifetime for the Italian-born Hollywood filmmaker Andrea Iervolino who had the head of the catholic church Pope Francis on the set of his new movie ‘Beyond the Sun’. “We make eight to 10 movies every year with big movie stars. This is not just a movie. This is something special,” he gushes to the Guardian UK. “I have the opportunity to do a movie with a special appearance of the pope for charity. For me, this is the most important thing that I can do with my life.” A devout catholic, Iervolino made his first film aged 15 with the help of his local church, which lent him costumes, a horse and a filming location. Beyond the Sun has cameo appear-

Pope Francis speaking to children at the Vatican

ances of Pope Francis who starred as himself and seen in the beginning, middle and end of the movie. Recently screened at the Vatican, the narrative centres on children searching for God who are urged by the pope to talk to Jesus and read the gospels. Iervolino revealed that the pope’s part was unscripted and shot in a single take. “He did his own speech,” Iervolino said. “We only explained to him the story and the compass. He’s not an actor. He’s himself. So he’s real, which is important.” Beyond the Sun which is scheduled to premiere during the Christmas season will send its proceeds to charities for less privileged children in Argentina.

FOX TAKES EMPIRE TO TWITTER The TV network recently partnered with Twitter to create a new pre-show of its successful drama series ‘Empire’ as well as stream episodes of comedies ‘Ghosted and ‘The Mick’ on the social networking platform. It is an innovative move by the broadcaster to boost ratings for its fall slate. The new deal include an exclusive weekly pre-show of ‘Empire’ for the entire season where cast members and guest stars will be joined by journalists and influencers to discuss the show each week. Its new comedy ‘Ghosted’ will also premiere on Twitter before its television premiere on October 1, as well as five episodes of ‘The Mick’.

Taraji P. Henson of Empire

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R Ëž Í°Í˛Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

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For Okauru, Honour Well-deserved Abulrazaque Bello Barkindo

he ease of going shopping with which Nigerians thump their chests around the world, brandishing credit and debit cards in their habitual lavish purchases, could not have been possible without the dedication of the Association of Chief Compliance Officers of Banks in Nigeria (CCCOBIN). These were drawn from all Deposit Money Banks, DMBs, in the country. CCCOBIN is celebrating the tenth anniversary of its existence, this year, with activities that began the week, which culminated in the honor they gave to their founders yesterday, one of whom is Mr. Asishana Bola Okauru, the Director General of the Nigeria Governorsâ€™ Forum, NGF. As the pioneer Director of the Nigeria Finance Intelligence Unit, Okauru had overseen financial transactions in banks, up to a certain threshold, through the prying eyes of Chief Compliance Officers. The main object of this duty is to track suspicious movement of funds and submit Suspicious Transaction Reports (STR) links to security agencies. Up until 2007, it meant looking at the movement of funds in 87 banks which were eventually pruned to 25 by the then Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Dr. Charles Chukwuma Soludo. At the time, there was unhealthy rivalry among the banks that they held information back from one another. To the NFIU, this was a red flag as it allowed fraudulent people to commit the same crimes using the same modules in several banks simultaneously. Consequently 419 activity, which the rest of the world referred to as â€œNigerian lettersâ€?, had a free reign. What to do? The NFIU, under Okauru, invited the banks to form a committee

Okauru

which eventually metamorphosed into what is today the CCCOBIN. They began to share information and this stemmed 419 and reduced financial crimes in Nigeria to a reasonable extent. In the words of members of the CCCOBIN, 2007 was an inflection point in their distinguished history when the committee can look at to see how it ensured that its dream of sanitising the Nigerian financial environment

remains relevant and sustainable intellectually, ethically, economically, and socially, and also added that â€œOkauru sowed the seed of what we are celebrating todayâ€?. While trying to upgrade the anti-money laundering regime in Nigeria, Okauru had aided the coming together of CCCOBIN to share information among themselves, something they once thought was inimical to their respective banks. Okauru himself told of how the NFIU itself

was formed and got Nigeria admitted into the Egmont Group on May 30, 2007 and Nigeria became a compliant country among AML/ CFT stakeholders globally. Just after it was established, Okauru had visited France with the pioneer Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Malam Nuhu Ribadu. In France, members of the worldâ€™s antigraft community reached out to congratulate Ribadu for the birth of the FIU in Nigeria. Ribadu became curious and set out to know more about FIUâ€™s and discovered that there were just two in Africa, one in South Africa and the other in Mauritius. Ribadu then set up a ten-man committee which went around the world over a year understudying FIUâ€™s. Okauru was a member of that committee and when their findings were eventually submitted to the EFCC Chair, he was selected to head Nigeriaâ€™s FIU. By 2007 Nigeria had applied to be a member of the Egmont Group and was admitted along with nine other countries. This gave Nigeria and Nigerians access to conducting financial transactions worldwide. From then on, VisaCard, MasterCard and all other cards which were mere baggage in the wallet in Nigeria became legal tender at home, as they were abroad. Nigeria was removed from the Financial Action Task Force list of Non-cooperative countries and Territories (NCCTs), the rogue nations of economic transactions. In its letter to Okauru, signed by Franklyn Bennie, Chairman, Planning Committee, ACCOBIN said it was honoring Okauru â€œfor his contributions to the advancement of the committee.â€? Barkindo is head media and public affairs, Nigeria Governorsâ€™ Forum Secretariat

NEW INSTALLATION PROMOTING SANITATION L-R: Chartered President, Rotary Club of Ikoyi Metro, Dr. Mike Ileka; Assistant Governor, Rotary Interna- L-R: Governor, Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ortom, with Regional Business Executive, North Central, Sterling tional, District 9110 Nigeria, Ify Ejezie; New President, Rotary Club of Ikoyi Metro, Laurine Ubanozie; and the Immediate Past President, Florence Egbeyemi, at the installation of Rotarian Laurine as the 16th president the club in Lagos...recently

Bank, Mr. Suleiman Umar, during the donation of street sweepers overall uniforms by Sterling Bank to Benue State Environmental Sanitation Authority (BENSESA) in Markurdi, Benue State...yesterday

CANCER AWARENESS CAMPAIGN FOR NEW CATHEDRAL L-R: Apostle General Emmanuel Ajomo; Deputy Baba Aladura Samuel Olajide Adewunmi; and Apostle R-L: Director, Rotarian Sanjay Srivastava; Vice President, Rtn Sandeep Pahariya; Vice President, Rtn General Babajimi Okunsehinde, all of the Eternal Scared Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim, Mount Zion Cathedral, Ebute Meta, during the pre-dedication media briefing of the N500 million ultra-modern new cathedral in Lagos...recently PHOTO: ESOSC Media Centre

Suneet Debroy; President, Rtn Sanjeev Tandon; Secretary, Rtn Mamta Debroy; Director, Rtn Kamlesh Jain; Director and President, Indian Women Association, Rtn Geetika Tandon; Rtn Chandra Nalode; Rtn Kativa Pahariya; and Rtn Meenu Bendre, at the Rotopink Walkathon 17 Breast Cancer Awareness Advocacy Campaign in Lagos...recently

SEPTEMBER 24, 2017 Ë¾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

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ARTS & REVIEW A

TEN CANDIDATES SECURE WOLE SOYINKA FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP PAGE 66

PUBLICATION

24.09.2017

ANTICIPATING LESSOR’S NEXT LESSONS… Buzzy Night 45in X 45in oil on canvas

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

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ARTS & REVIEW\\EXHIBITION

ANTICIPATING LESSO NEXT LESSONSâ€Ś

Lagos-based artist, Mavua Lessor re-aďŹƒrms his individuality and credo in a forthc exhibition, Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports

efore the artistâ€™s inner vision unfurls a mosaic of experiences... True: Jonathan â€œMavuaâ€? Lessor owes his ascent up the ladder-rungs of reckoning to his diligence and tenacity. Yet, it is these experiences that have earned him his seat of honour among the front-line artists of the Lagos art scene. Even so, three decades of art practice have taught the 1986 Auchi Polytechnic graduate one valuable lesson. And that is that he still has a lot to learn. â€œWith every work I produce comes a new experience and a new lesson,â€? he explains in his Artist Statement. â€œThis, after all, is one journey that has no destination and cannot be completed in a single earth life.â€? It is for this reason that his forthcoming solo exhibition â€“ titled Impressions of Reality â€“ should elicit the Lagos-based aficionadosâ€™ curiosity. Perhaps, curiosity is not the word since Lessorâ€™s patented depictions of cluttered landscapes are not unfamiliar to the art public. Surely, keen devotees of his paintings would welcome any opportunity to engage with these condensed impressions. Recall that these are the paintings that earned him the recognition in the talentglutted art scene. First earning a living as a freelance artist between 1987 and 1993, he had worked with metals and sundry materials for interior and exterior decorative purposes. Later, he would finally settle down to a full-time studio practice in 1993. That was when two things happened almost simultaneously. He first focused exclusively on his area of specialisation: painting. Then, he tied the nuptials with the Signature Art Gallery in Lagos, Abuja and London as the platform to exhibit and market his works. This collaboration with the gallery, which he deemed â€œcordial and rewardingâ€?, lasted for 14 years â€“ that is, until 2007. In 1998, a year after his first decade of art practice, Lessor had his first solo outing in Lagos. The exhibition, titled Consciousness of Form, formally introduced him to the Lagos exhibition circuit. Encouraged by the art publicâ€™s reception of his works, he had followed up with another solo show, titled Colour Amidst Squalor, in 2001. After another exhibition (Tones of Light) in 2005, the subsequent outings followed closely on the heels of each other as biennial shows â€“ Art on the Rooftop in 2006, The Stages of Time in 2008 and Bond Across in 2010. He would break this biennial tradition in 2011 with his foray into the American art scene. There, he held a solo exhibition, titled Glimpses, in Montserrat, Fort Worth, Texas. That exhibition, it turned out, was the open sesame he needed to further opportunities in the US. More importantly, it earned him a listing in the third volume of an annual publication for international contemporary artists called International Contemporary Artists. Till date, he remains the first and only Nigerian artist listed in that publication. Back to Nigeria in 2012, Lessor wormed his way back into industryâ€™s consciousness with the solo exhibition, Vitality in Diversity. This show, in which he exhibited over 100 paintings, evoked an unprecedented interest in the Delta State-born artist. Among

Gold and Crystals 26in X 48in mixed media

Lessor the fallouts of the show were local commissions, which were mostly private, as well as several international invitations for exhibitions. In addition, there were publications by museums and galleries across Europe and America. One of these publications was from Hidden Treasures Art Magazine Year Book, in which he was listed and in 2014.

The following year saw the artist, who turns 57 on November 26, feature at a dinner cum art salon organised by the Deutsche Bank at the Eko Hotel and Suitesâ€™ Sky Restaurant sometime in March 2013. At that event, his works were discussed and reviewed before a distinguished international audience.

In 2014, he made a spirited attempt at returning to his biennial tradition with the exhibition, Amidst the Mire held at the Alexis Galleries in the upmarket Victoria Island neighbourhood of Lagos. This was while Nigeria smarted from the attack of Ebola. That show eventually became a metaphor for the collective resolve of Nigerians to stamp out the dreaded deadly disease. It was not surprising therefore that Patty Chidiac, who runs the Alexis Gallery, had declared her outfit â€œvery excited and privilegedâ€? to feature the artist. There are good reasons for her sentiments, which are widely shared among the local cognoscenti. That Lessorâ€™s works are among the most sought-after among collectors explains why they have done so well in three editions of the Arthouse Contemporary Limited auction. This is besides the fact that he has earned his stripes as one of the most referenced artists of the Lagos art scene. So, Lessorâ€™s next solo exhibition â€“ coming up on Thursday, October 19 at Wings Tower along Ozumba Mbadiwe Street in Victoria Island â€“ is one aficionados are bound to look forward to. This is not because the offerings at this show are radically different from those of the previous ones. Rather, aficionados seem to be enthralled by the intensity of their depictions of the artistâ€™s visions. Therefore, call these works â€“ as well as his previous ones â€“ the artistâ€™s visual opinions of his environment. This is an environment he

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virtually encounters and fantasises about daily. Sharing his perception of this world with his viewers is an arduous task. â€œMy works are not exactly a copy from life but my opinion about life as defined by my nature,â€? he corroborates. â€œIn truth, as we have it today, most of what surrounds us is anything but beautiful. Ugly forms dominate our world and we are shrouded and enmeshed in it. This is the challenge. With my works, I attempt to subscribe to the ideal and stimulate reflections. My primary motive is aesthetics, since all human endeavours can be summarised in beauty.â€? This struggle to wring beauty from out of the prevailing chaos around him is evident in the works â€œBusiness Energyâ€?, â€œShadow of a Cityâ€?, â€œBuzzy Nightâ€?, â€œFaces of Depressionâ€?, â€œHeartbeat of Lagosâ€?, â€œPiping Lightâ€? and â€œGold and Crystalsâ€?, among others. Burdened with the material density around him, the artist laments the inability of his sensibilities to soar up to the lighter and more luminous spheres. Also, with the exhibition, which ends on Wednesday, October 25, the artist hopes to reaffirm his credo and assert individuality in the noxious torrents of the corrupting influences around him. In the desperation to claw his way from out of the stifling cesspit of this material consistency, his spirit cries out for more lightâ€Ś This, the viewer, discerns in his works...

The Inverted Pyramid; Adapted from a novel by Emeka Dike

SEPTEMBER 24, 2017˾THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

ARTS & REVIEW\\LITERARY CAFÉ EXHIBITION

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed receiving a painting work from FCET Umunze team

L-R: Dr Habib Jafaar, Temi Soyinka and Prof. Wole Soyinka

TEN CANDIDATES SECURE WOLE SOYINKA FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP Yinka Olatunbosun

t is no longer news that 10 candidates have been selected in The Wole Soyinka Foundation's Study Abroad in Lebanon, (SAIL). They recently left for the Cedars Institute, Notre Dame University in Lebanon. At the press briefing held in Lagos by the Board of the Foundation, the names of the candidates were disclosed. Led by the chair of the Foundation, the Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, assisted by the project facilitator, Dr Habib Jafaar of Apple & Pears, the project is a cultural and educational exchange programme between Lebanon and Nigeria aimed at improving scholarship in Nigeria. Two of the candidates, Rev. Sister Mary Aboekwe (of the Odumegwu Ojukwu University) and Adenle Ademola, a budding writer were present at the briefing. Others are Oladele Faji, Khalid Imam, Salamatu Sule, Kassima Okani, Wole Adedoyin, Blessing Christopher, Temi Soyinka and Christian Nyamali. Dr. Jafaar said the programme was second of its kind. “The SAIL programme has many different chapters; the Russian chapter, where the Russian students come. They have the Brazilian chapter, the Ukrainian chapter, the Indian chapter and the Nigerian chapter. And we are very happy that this is the second one. It is a very intensive 10-day course taught by at least

six faculty professors very conversant in their fields and it is complemented by lectures at the UNESCO Heritage Centre sites,” Jafaar said. Jafaar, who is a Nigeria-born Lebanese, declared that Soyinka Foundation is a credible organisation, the kind they sought for at the onset of the programme. "We have very good report from the candidates and the host in Lebanon, and we are encouraged to expand the number from four last year to 10 this year. It may be more next year". Executive Director, Wole Soyinka Foundation, Mrs Folake Soyinka, appealed for support from individual and organisational philanthropists, especially corporate organisations to broaden the scope and reach of the project, and thus deepen its impact on the society. She remarked that with improved financial supports, which she emphasised is better rendered "in kind that is through adoption and sponsorship of one or more candidates, the Foundation and its partners would be able to increase the number of participants. Also, the Foundation will be able to achieve other objectives of the programme which could include bringing students from Lebanon to Nigeria to realise the exchange dimension. Mrs. Soyinka said that the 10 going this year are mostly young writers, sourced from past participants in the Ebedi Writers Residency founded in Iseyin Oyo State by writer-medical doctor, Wale Okediran. Last year, four people took part in the programme. These were: Damilare Justice (PGD

Environmental Geology, student University of Jos); Zubairu Bambale (M.Phil student, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria); Ibrahim Jimba ( BA student, Kwara State University, Malete, Kwara State); and Olumuyiwa Ajayi (PhD student Convenant University Ota, Ogun State). They were accompanied by a board member of the WSF, Omofolabo AjayiSoyinka, Prof of Theatre and Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies Department, University of Kansas, Lawrence, US. One of the previous participants named Jimba expressed his gratitude for the sociocultural programme in a statement read at the briefing. "I consider the program (SAIL) an intellectual and cultural tourism. It was a really fascinating and knowledge-filled experience as we were able walk through, and live history in a distinct way. In addition, we saw world history through the eyes of Lebanon. The enthusiasm of our tutors was really admirable and intriguing. He also drew the parallels between the two nations, suggesting that Nigeria should learn from the Lebanese Civil War. "My perception about the Lebanese community and the Lebanese-Nigerian relations have positively changed. The two countries have so many religious, Socio-cultural and political historical traits in common. These include plurality in culture, religion and ethnicity. Those beating the drums of war in Nigeria should realize that 25 years after the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990), Lebanon is still unable to come back," he stated.

ART FESTIVAL

Kolade Oshinowo Heads LIMCAF 2017 Jury Olufunke Adepuji

igeria’s largest art festival, Life In My City (LIMCAF), enters its 11th year with some of the most reputable artists and art experts on its competition jury. The 2017 LIMCAF Jury panel is headed by the former president of the Society of Nigerian Artists, Kolade Oshinowo, a distinguished artist and art teacher. He is joined by an equally eminent team of veteran and contemporary artists such as Joe Musa, former DG of the National Gallery of Art; international artist-curator, Amarachi Okafor; founder of Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Jeff Ajueshi; internationally-acclaimed poet and painter, Nkechi Nwosu-Igbo; and, artistic director of Kaduna-based Masterpiece Artstec, Ayo Aina. They will be responsible for judging the more than 200 artworks usually entered for the annual competition in 10 zones, out of which 100 is selected for the grand finale in Enugu and from which 15 winners emerge, going away with more than N3 million in prize

money. However, at least another 10 artists get consolation prizes and many more get to sell their paintings in Nigeria’s most recognisable and longest running art festival organised in 10 zones over a six-week period. According to Kevin Ejiofor, Executive Director of LIMCAF, the 2017 jury were selected, as usual, with the greatest care and to reflect the immense growth of the festival over the past 11 years, as well as to represent the great diversity of artworks usually entered for the festival. In the meantime entries for the 2017 Festival, which for the first time were online, have since closed and LIMCAF’s zonal exhibitions are beginning this week and into October in Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan, Auchi, Uyo and Enugu. From these zones, 100 finalists will be selected to feature in the Grand Finale Exhibition and Gala night opening in Enugu on Monday October 23 to Saturday, October 28. For 10 years, LIMCAF’s grand finale has brought the top 25 young Nigerian artists, including the prize winners and youths from across the country, art educators, journalists, curators, collectors, businessmen and art lovers to the Festival in celebration of the art’s enduring splendour.

Oshinowo

A New Dawn at Abuja Expo 2017 Yinka Olatunbosun

henewbreedofartistswerequiteacatch whentheFederalCapitalTerritory,Abuja, recentlyplayedhosttothebiggestAfrican ArtsandCraftinthecontinent,with delegatesfrom24differentcountriesinattendance. Nofewerthan150exhibitorsparticipatedinthe event,includingtheFederalCollegeofEducation (Technical),Umunze,AnambraStatewhich paradedfreshpiecesbysomestaffandstudents oftheinstitution.Itwasthe10theditionofAfrican ArtsandCraftsExpo2017heldfromAugust27 toSeptember17,2017organisedbytheNational CouncilforArtsandCulture(NCAC).Theevent, describedbyorganisersasthelargestofitskind, washeldattheArtsandCraftsVillage,withthe theme,"OurCrafts:TheUntappedTreasure." TheDirector-GeneraloftheNationalCouncilfor ArtsandCulture(NCAC),Abuja,OtunbaSegun Runsewe,saidtheeventprovidedaplatformfor participantsfromdifferentcountriesandtheexhibitorstoshowcasetheiruniqueculturalidentities.He notedthatculturecouldserveasveritabletooltosell theNigerianbrand. “Theexposervedasamarketplaceforshowcasingartsandcraftsproductssuchasfabrics,leather andsouvenirsfromNigeriaandotherAfrican countries.TheexpoisalsoaptasNigerianeedsto recordremarkableachievementsindeveloping thecultureindustrytoenviableheightsthrough festivals,’’hesaid.Runsewesaidtheculturalfestival wouldbegearedtowardsharnessinganddevelopingartsandcraftsandothercreativeendeavoursin thecountry. Theartvillageislinedwithtreesprovidingshade andeco-balance.Moreimportantly,itpavedthe wayforstakeholderstomeet,buyandsellwhile drivingtheeconomytowardsfruition. FortheparticipantsfromFCETUmunze,their exhibitswereessentiallyindigenousartsandcrafts thatincludedsetsoffurniturewithinstallation woodandbio-artsasmedia,intricatebeadworks, advancedtextileworks,newmediagraphics, paintings,pencilandcharcoaldrawingsandmore. TheDean,FineandAppliedArtsofFCET,Bella Onu,wholedtheCollegeteam,commendedthe organisers,notingthatitprovidedanopportunity toshowcasetheentrepreneurialskillsofthecollege whichhasbeenpartoftheinstitution'sleading objectives.ShecommendedtheProvostofthe College,ProfJosephatOgbuagu,mniforemphasisingentrepreneurshipeducationintheCollege, therebyequippingstudentswithvariousskillsfor employment. Sheexplainedthatvariousskillsacquisition programmesintheCollegehavehelpedinproducingstudentsthatareself-reliantandjobcreators. Likewise,ProfOgbuagucommendedthe effortsoftheDirectorGeneral,NCAC,Otunba SegunRunsewe,fororganisingtheevent.He described culture and arts as untapped treasure, whichcouldbefullyexploredtoboostthenation’s internationaltradeandinvestment.Theevent, whichwasflaggedoffbytheActingSecretarytothe GovernmentoftheFederation,Mrs.HabibaLawal, alsohadseveraldignitariesinattendance,including theDeputyGovernorofEdoState, Rt.Hon.Philip Shaibu,asSpecialGuestofHonour,RoyalFatherof the day, Emir of Abaji, Alhaji Adamu Baba Yunusa, Chairman,FCTCouncilofTraditionalRulers, AlhajiIsma’ilaMohammed,EmirofKarshi.Others include:formerDeputyGovernorofPlateauState, PaulinTallenandMinister,FederalMinistryof InformationandCulture,AlhajiLaiMohammed, amongstothers.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

CICERO

Editor Olawale Olaleye Email wale.olaleye@thisdaylive.com, SMS: 08116759819

IN THE ARENA

Now that IPOB is Officially Proscribed By officially proscribing the Indigenous People of Biafra, perhaps, the prevailing tension in the land is expected to subside considerably, writes Olawale Olaleye

he seeming indiscretion by the Nigerian military the previous week had almost set the nation on fire. Although the plight of the military, which had been drafted in the Southeast state of Abia, using Operation Python Dance II to quell some of the growing disorder as well as the simmering lawlessness in that region, must have been agitated to take the position it took by first designating IPOB as a terrorist group by virtue of what it described as its analysis of the group’s activities. That the development would later become very controversial was also not unexpected. The military was however made to recant its position and consequently, President Muhammadu Buhari took the initiative to take the heat off the military when he first signed a declaration proscribing IPOB, shortly before he left for the 72nd United Nations General Assembly in New York, the United States. Sources in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation had informed THISDAY earlier in the week that the president signed the declaration last Sunday before his departure to New York. Thus, with the signing of the proclamation by Buhari, the presidency effectively initiated the formal process to proscribe IPOB in accordance with the provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011. It also paved the way for the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) to head to court to give legal backing to the presidential proclamation, which he eventually did, using a Federal High Court, Abuja. Section 2 (1) of the Terrorism Act states that “where two or more persons associate for the purpose of, or where an organisation engages in: (a) participating or collaborating in an act of terrorism; (b) promoting, encouraging or exhorting others to commit an act of terrorism; or (c) setting up or pursuing acts of terrorism, the judge in chambers may on an application made by the Attorney General, National Security Adviser or Inspector General of Police on the approval of the President, declare any entity to be a proscribed organisation and the notice should be published in the official gazette”. Sub-section 2 goes further to state that: “An order made under sub-section (1) of this section shall be published in the official gazette, in two national newspapers and at such other places as the judge in chambers may determine.” The acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdul Adamu Kafarati, who granted the order proscribing IPOB, approved of all the prayers brought before him by the justice minister. While granting the prayers that were signed by the court’s registrar Babatunde Ashada, the Judge said: “Upon reading through the affidavit I support, certificate on compliance with Section 84 of the Evidence Act 2011 both sworn to by CPL Kolawole Mathew of the Nigerian Army and written address attached thereto all dated and filed at the court registry, Abuja.

Muhammadu-Buhari-Signs MOU

“It is hereby ordered as follows: That the application is granted as prayed. That an order declaring that the activities of the respondent (IPOB) in any part of Nigeria, especially in the South-east and South-south regions of Nigeria, amount to acts of terrorism and illegality, is granted. “That an order proscribing the existence of the IPOB in any part of Nigeria, especially in the South-east and South-south regions of Nigeria, either in groups or as individuals by whatever names they are called and publishing same in the official gazette and two national dailies is granted. “That an order restraining any person or group of persons from participating in any manner whatsoever in any form of activities involving or concerning the prosecution of the collective intention or otherwise of the respondent (IPOB) under any name or platform however called or destined, is granted.” At this point, no excuses in support of IPOB will suffice anymore. Those challenging the proscription against the mindset that IPOB was never registered in the first place and therefore not recognised in law might also have to answer a related question, which borders on whether or not Boko Haram was registered by the CAC. Attempt to turn the law or the constitution on its

head by those, who should know better, is a major problem that confronts the nation today beyond the leadership quagmire. There is no debating the fact that IPOB had begun to constitute a huge nuisance if not threat to the corporate existence of Nigeria, notwithstanding the legality or otherwise of their demands. Indeed, its activities had peaked to the point that questioned the existence of a government, hence the swift intervention of President Buhari, who not only salvaged the initially ﬂawed process by going ahead to ensure that the right thing was done, completely bringing to a close, any debate about the process leading to the proscription and or designation of any group or person as terrorist. It is therefore imperative that the South-east leadership takes this initiative a step further and explain the implications of this development to a majority of the people in the zone, who have blindly bought into the Nnamdi Kanu folly and fantasies. These fanatic followers must avoid activities that could lead to deadly encounter with the military. As far as the government of Nigeria is concerned, the IPOB ideology remains in the past and attempts to bring it up by any means possible could attract the wrath of the law and genuinely so.

P O L I T I CA L N OT E S

On IPOB Sponsors…

Lai-Mohammed

he Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, last week said looters were the ones sponsoring the agitations by the Indigenous people of Biafra in order to destabilise the present government of President Muhammadu Buhari. It is okay to make allegations, especially one that attempts to throw light on an issue, but certainly when such allegations cannot be substantiated before the law let alone in a basic conversation, it becomes a problem

deliberately ignited through incautious propaganda. What Alhaji Mohammed has done is an effort to further politicise a rather volatile and sensitive issue. There should be a limit to propaganda, because ultimately it demystifies those pushing it. The IPOB matter is a sensitive one at this time in the nation, particularly given the ethnic slant to it. It is therefore not one to be coloured or adorned in the garb of politics. It will not only complicate things, but stoke further crisis. Here and now, let all sides observe caution.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

BRIEFINGNOTES Buhari at UNGA: A Postscript President Muhammadu Buhari’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday was accompanied by mixed feelings at home and abroad. Omololu Ogunmade gives a dispassionate analysis of the speech

resident Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday delivered what was tagged a national statement during a general debate at the 72nd Session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 72) in New York. During the speech, the president called for international co-operation and material support for his administration’s prosecution of the war against corruption and asset recovery. The 15-minute speech, when compared to United States President Donald Trump’s 41-minute address, was described as the most scanty ever delivered by a Nigerian president at any session of UNGA. Some observers were however, quick to attribute the scanty nature of the speech to the president’s state of health, having just recovered from an undisclosed ailment, which he treated for the last eight months of the year. But analysts were swift to criticise the speech, which they said was made up of paltry local content. According to them, Buhari lost a notable opportunity to market his country on the global stage as the entire speech dwelt mainly on crisis ravaging the world without citing any role his government is playing to raise the standard of governance in the country. Where the president eventually mentioned an activity of his government – fight against illicit fund and asset recovery move – he only called for material support for asset recovery adding that institutions of state in the country were being strengthened to promote accountability and curtail corruption. According to him, the country’s desired goals could only be achieved when the international community co-operates with it and provides critical assistance and material support, adding that Nigeria would also cooperate with the international community in the fight against transnational crimes, including cybercrime, human trafficking and forced labour. “Through our individual national efforts, state institutions are being strengthened to promote accountability, and to combat corruption and asset recovery. These can only be achieved through the international community cooperating and providing critical assistance and material support. We shall also cooperate in addressing the growing transnational crimes such as forced labour, modern day slavery, human trafficking and cybercrime,” Buhari said. Buhari’s speech was however, completely antithetical to that of Trump as the latter seemed to have greater understanding of the opportunity to deliver a speech at a global stage. Unlike Nigeria’s president, who did not mention any progressive move by his administration to advance good governance and improve the living standard of his people since coming to office, Trump seized the momentum to reel out the achievements of his administration since he was elected late last year and consequently advanced the beauty and glory of America in the eyes of the world, even when they are largely controversial. Before Trump eventually began to address issues affecting the world, he had already proved to the gathering that charity indeed begins at home. Hear Trump: “Fortunately, the United States has done very well since election day last November 8. The stock markets at an all-time high, a record! Unemployment is at its lowest level in 16 years, and because of our regulatory and other reforms, we have more people working in the United States today than ever before. “Companies are moving back, creating job growth, the likes of which our country has not seen in a very long time, and it has just been announced that we will be spending almost $700 billion on our military and defence. Our military will soon be the strongest it has ever been. For more than 70 years, in times of war and peace, the leaders of nations, movements, and religions have stood before this assembly.” That was irrepressible Trump, who maximised the opportunity of

Buhari addressing the UN General Assembly appearing on the global stage to advertise both his country and government. It had also been observed that Buhari mentioning only corruption fight in the speech was another minus for Nigeria as critics believed that it continued to create the impression that Nigeria was only synonymous with corruption and nothing else but fraud takes place in the country especially as the president failed to mention any positive development in the country. On the other hand, Buhari’s speech on Africa and current issues threatening world peace and progress was meaningful and promising. For instance, his speech, unlike that of Trump, which threatened absolute destruction of North Korea, canvassed the need for the UN to embrace dialogue with the North Korean Leader, Kim Jong-un. Whereas Trump had threatened “total destruction” of North Korea if it does not halt its continuous test of nuclear weapons, Buhari counselled otherwise. According to him, instead of meeting North Korea force with force, a delegation of world leaders and members of the UN should be sent to North Korea to engage Jong-un in a dialogue on the need to halt his nuclear war threat. This advice appeared to make greater sense to the world than Trump’s threat of fire and brimstone and may likely be adopted by the UN body. Comparing the threat of North Korea’s nuclear weapons to the Cuban missile of 1962 and Hiroshima and Nagasaki disasters, Buhari warned that only a stitch in time saves nine as he pledged Nigeria’s commitment to global peace. “In all these crises, the primary victims are the people, the most vulnerable being women and children. That is why the theme of this session: Focusing on People: Striving for Peace and Decent Life for All on a Sustainable Planet” is most apposite. “While the international community grapples with resolving these conflicts, we must be mindful and focus on the widening inequalities within societies, and the gap between the rich and the poor nations. These inequalities and gaps are part of the underlining root causes of competition for resources, frustration and anger leading to spiralling instability.

“The most pressing threat to international peace and security today is the accelerated nuclear weapons development programme by North Korea. Since the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, we have never come so close to the threat of nuclear war as we have now. “All necessary pressure and diplomatic efforts must be brought to bear on North Korea to accept peaceful resolution of the crisis. As Hiroshima and Nagasaki painfully remind us, if we fail, the catastrophic and devastating human loss and environmental degradation cannot be imagined. “Mr. President, Nigeria proposes a strong UN delegation to urgently engage the North Korean Leader. The delegation, led by the Security Council, should include members from all the regions. “The crisis in the Korean peninsula underscores the urgency for all member states, guided by the spirit of enthroning a safer and more peaceful world, to ratify without delay the Treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons, which will be open for signature here tomorrow,” the president said. On Africa, the president said the continent’s faith in democracy remained unshaken as he recalled how the collective efforts and resilience of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) forced out former leader of The Gambian president, Yahyah Jammeh, as was the case earlier in Côte D’Voire. “Our faith in democracy remains firm and unshaken. Our regional organisation ECOWAS came together to uphold democratic principles in The Gambia as we had done previously in Cote D’Ivoire,” he stated. He also said the frontiers of democracy and good governance were being enthroned in Africa including the creation of the atmosphere for the conduct of free and fair elections and promotion of rule of law. “In the last year, the international community came together to focus on the need for gender equality, youth empowerment, social inclusion, and the promotion of education, creativity and innovation. The frontiers of good governance, democracy including holding free and fair elections, and enthronement of the rule of law are expanding everywhere, especially in Africa,” he added.

Buhari also canvassed the support of the international community in stopping members of ISIS from fleeing into the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin to take refuge, emphasising that such cooperation was necessary, because the region does not only lack sufficient resources to fight ISIS but it’s response capacity is also weak. “These cooperative efforts should be sustained. We must collectively devise strategies and mobilise the required responses to stop fleeing ISIS fighters from mutating and infiltrating into the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, where there are insufficient resources and response capacity is weak,” he noted. But as good as this appeal might sound, it is believed that such a sensitive matter as that should not have been discussed in the public as it may trigger what he was trying to prevent. Instead, it is believed that a better approach would have been sending a private memo to the Security Council of the UN. He also spoke on UN’s role in settling individuals, who were displaced by the conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan as well as the support of the international community in containing the threat posed to West Africa by Boko Haram and Al-Qaeda. He praised the Security Council of the UN for visiting the Lake Chad Basin for assessment of the security situation and also for pledging assistance to rebuild the lives of the victims, assuring that Nigeria would continue to provide “relief and humanitarian assistance to millions in internally displaced camps and those afflicted by terrorism, drought, floods and other natural disasters.” While tasking the UN to make the maintenance of peace and security in the world its primary responsibility, he recalled that the UN resolution on Middle East had not been implemented since 1967. He also drew the attention of the world body to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, Myanmar as he likened the Myammar crisis to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and tasked the body not to look the other way over the state-sponsored Rohingya crisis which has displaced many residents. These submissions were also adjudged to be good and in tandem with the spirit of humanitarianism.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

CICERO/ONTHEWATCH

Where is Nnamdi Kanu? The sudden disappearance of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, and members of his immediate family since the invasion of his home by soldiers has become a major talking point in the South-east of Nigeria, writes Christopher Isiguzo

ince the invasion of his home in Isiama Afaraukwu, Umuahia, Abia State last week by soldiers, resulting in the alleged killings of several persons including one Adaku Odoemenam, identified as his cousin, the whereabouts of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu has remained unknown same with his father and traditional ruler of the community, Eze Israel Kanu and wife. Rumours have been flying around as to what may have happened to the separatist leader and members of his immediate family since the incident in Umuahia, penultimate week, where soldiers were said to have not only invaded his home but also ransacked his father’s palace in what was obviously seen by his followers as the height of clampdown against the group. Some of the rumours had it that Kanu sustained serious gunshot wounds during the attack in his country home and because he’s not been able to visit any hospital for proper treatment, the injuries have remained a major discomfort. “The wound is deteriorating that sometimes he feels dizzy and unconscious. I can tell you that the young man is presently in pains,” one of his ardent followers, who refused to have his name in print told THISDAY. Another IPOB loyalist, Uzoma Nduka, claimed that Kanu successfully escaped from his home on the fateful night but was accosted around Okigwe in Imo State, where he was allegedly killed and his body taken away. Yet, another rumour claimed he was arrested in Okigwe by soldiers and taken away in an unmarked vehicle. These are all rumours as none was confirmed. It was said that Kanu had remained defiant at the arrival of soldiers in Umuahia preparatory for the official take off of the military operation codenamed “Python Dance II” and vowed that no amount of intimidation would make him abandon the struggle for Biafra’s independence. Not even the arrival of a large contingent of wellarmed troops into Umuahia in a long convoy of troop carriers, patrol vans and armoured vehicles instilled fear in him. “They want to use force and beat us into submission, because they have lost the argument but they will fail. They want to trigger war but we won’t oblige them, because we are committed to our non-violent philosophy,” the source said. The defiance however gave way on Thursday September 14, when the soldiers intensified their attacks as they invaded Kanu’s home very much ready to dismantle any possible opposition. On the said day, heavy gunfire broke out at the Afaraukwu home of the IPOB leader as the sound of gunfire rented the air for almost an hour. At that point, many feared that every living thing in the building had been brought down. By the time the dust settled, only four bodies were reportedly sighted as the soldiers were said to have made away with the bodies of many IPOB members, who died as a result of the melee. This obviously raised fears that Kanu might as well have been felled in the process and his body taken away. Since that Thursday, nobody can give account of the whereabouts of the separatist leader. The slow response by the group in the wake of many unsavoury developments, especially its proscription on September 15 by Governors of the South-east, its categorisation as a terrorist group by the Defence Headquarters and formal proscription by a Federal High Court, Abuja on Wednesday September 20 has further increased fears that all may not be well with the embattled IPOB leader. The group and traditional rulers of Ibeku clan in Abia State on Wednesday demanded an explanation from the federal authority and military high command on the whereabouts of Kanu, his parents, Israel and Ugoeze Kanu. This anxiety stemmed from the belief that the worst might have happened to Kanu and his parents, following the invasion of their home last Thursday

Kanu by the army. A statement issued by the IPOB media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, said the group had “gone deep” in the search for its leader without any clue on his whereabouts as well as his parents, asking that information on their condition – dead or alive – should be made available within seven days to avoid dire consequences. “We are using this opportunity to inform the whole world, including the United Nations, that the Nigerian Army killed our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu during the attack and invasion of his compound in Umuahia, Abia State,” IPOB said. The group explained that it had come to the conclusion that Kanu might have been eliminated “after going through the record of IPOB members in the compound on the day of this heinous attack and invasion,” adding that it discovered that about 38 members were arrested and up till now no one had seen or heard from them. “We also discovered that the Nigerian Army left the compound of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in Isiama Afaraukwu Ibeku with 22 dead bodies on the same day,” the separatists group alleged, adding that the fate of Kanu had become a puzzle. “We are once again raising the alarm for the United Nations and other relevant bodies across the globe to ask the Nigerian government and her security operatives to give details of the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and his parents, including those dead bodies and those picked up alive during the attack and invasion of our leader’s compound in Isiama Afaraukwu Ibeku Umuahia,” the group said. IPOB blamed the governors of the South-east for the fate that befell Kanu, saying it could not fathom why “the South-east governors would decide to collaborate with Hausa Fulani oligarchy to kill our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and his parents. “Nnamdi Kanu has been using a non-violent

approach for the realisation of Biafra since 2012, when the struggle for Biafra’s independence started. Okezie Ikpeazu, who was mandated by the federal government and other South-eastern governors to lead the fight against Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB members in Abia State must be held responsible for this action in the distant time. “We are giving the federal government and South-east governors to produce or declare the condition of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, if he is still alive or charge him to court within seven days, because if anything happens to him the South-east governors can never bear the consequences after the expiration of this notice. “Again, the federal government and South-east governors should hasten to build more prison yards and acquire more weapons that they will use to kill more Biafrans,” IPOB stated. Consequently, the royal fathers of Ibeku clan in Umuahia North Local Government made their call for Kanu and his parents’ whereabouts after a meeting at the palace of their chairman and traditional ruler of Emede Ibeku autonomous community, Eze Henry Ezekwem. Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Ezekwem said the Ibeku royal fathers were unhappy over the “desecration of the throne” of Eze Kanu and his ofo, the symbol of authority of the traditional stool. They however expressed concern that Kanu’s parents had not been seen after the invasion of their palace, adding that the Nigerian Army owed them an explanation, because many people were killed in the attack including the female cook of the Kanus. “The army should release our colleague, Eze Israel Kanu, because we have not seen him since his palace was invaded by soldiers. If they have killed him they should please release his corpse to us so we can give him a befitting burial,” Ezekwem appealed, adding that “they (army) have to appease the gods” for desecrating the

palace and ofo”. When contacted, the Secretary of Eastern Consultative Assembly (ECA), Evangelist Elliot Uko, who was part of the team that accompanied Kanu during his meeting with the South-east governors in Enugu said “we’ve heard so many rumours but I can’t confirm whether he is safe where he is or whether he was arrested. I am not sure of his whereabouts and we are deeply worried”. On his part, renowned constitutional lawyer, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, SAN expressed worry at the sudden disappearance of the IPOB leader and also asked the governors of the South-east zone to re-engage him in fresh talks “when the tension caused by last week’s military invasion had quietened down”. In a statement made available to journalists and personally signed by him, the lawyer, who is also the chairman of the Igbo Leaders of Thoughts, gave the indication that the Kanu was ready for peaceful resolution of the impasse before the military invasion. The elder statesman, who accompanied Kanu to meet with the governors in Enugu on August 30, 2017 dismissed as false, insinuations in some quarters that Kanu was opposed to the amicable resolution of issues during the meeting. He said on the contrary, Kanu was not just ready to shift ground but had insisted that the entire leadership of IPOB must be involved in the discussions. Nwabueze expressed dismay over the disturbances in Umuahia, Aba and other parts of the South-east on account of the attempt to clampdown on the separatist group. He further noted that also on September 15, he travelled back to Enugu from Lagos for the meeting and spoke on phone with the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, who never mentioned a word to him about the decision which must have been taken days before, to proscribe IPOB. The issue of Kanu’s whereabouts has remained the talking point in virtually every gathering and in practically all the state capitals in the five states of Abia, Imo, Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu. At a popular newspaper stand around Edimbugh Street, near Obiagu, New layout, Enugu, Kanu has remained the issue. One Emeka Eneh, who spoke to THISDAY said they would not take it kindly with the federal government should anything happen to Kanu. Another concerned indigene, Mrs. Rosemary Agbo, said: “We are disturbed that he has not been seen for almost two weeks now. We are looking for him and hopefully, we’ll see him hale and hearty soon.” Comrade Paschal Iwedinobi was rather excited that normalcy had returned to the South-east with the proscription of IPOB by the federal government and the disappearance of Nnamdi Kanu. “Who will not be happy to live in a peaceful environment? Kanu has caused more problems to us in the zone than anything else. Let him remain wherever he is because we are better off without him. Imagine the effrontery, that election will not take place in Anambra State? Who is Nnamdi Kanu to issue such orders? Does he understand the implications of such a childish order. Whether election takes place or not, power must change hands in Anambra by March 17 next year and someone is here saying what we don’t know. Let the soldiers remain here until we are through with our election by November 18,” Iwedinobi noted. However anyone looks at the divergent opinions being expressed by different people, one undeniable fact is that the sudden disappearance of Kanu and members of his family is creating its own tension already as most of his adherents are obviously not at ease. Among the political class, it is the general view that Kanu has upped the ante in the discourse about marginalisation of the South-east and restructuring, even though is approach is arguably defective. They therefore believe that for the issues about the resurrection of Biafra to completely fizzle out, government must begin to equally address the issues that are fuelling the agitations.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

CICERO/ANAMBRA ELECTION 2017

The Odds are in Favour of Obiano With the Anambra State governorship campaigns in full gear, David-Chyddy Eleke looks at some of the changing dynamics that could enhance the chances of the incumbent governor, Chief Willie Obiano

articipating political parties in the November 18 governorship election have already commenced strategy for selling their candidates to electorate in the state. This usually starts with the appointment of a campaign Director-General and his team, who now take the burden of fashioning out what the campaigns would look like, the places to visit, the possible ways to woo voters and other such plans. For the incumbent governor, Chief Willie Obiano, who is also seeking re-election on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), he has chosen a campaign team to be headed by no other than the former national chairman of his party, who is considered a political tactician and very well aware of the political terrain in the state, Chief Victor Umeh. THISDAY gathered that all is now set for the formal campaigns for the governorship position, just as various modalities have been mapped out by the campaign team to sell Obiano to the people of the state. The job of the campaign team may, however, be less unlike those of the other candidates, who have either not held political power before and do not have any antecedents in such area, or have not been in the executive arm of government, and as such would need more vigorous campaigns to convince the people that they can do better than the incumbent. In the case of the incumbent, the job of members of his campaign organisation is made easier by the fact that he has to point to what he has been able to do in the last three and a half years and also assure the people that more is on the way. As usual, the taste of the pudding is always in the eating, and it is left for the Anambra people to evaluate what they are experiencing today and judge the governor on that basis. Some of the factors that would determine the victory or otherwise of the governor are the things he has been able to do with the mandate given to him by the people of the state in the last over three years. To this, Umeh recently told Anambra women, who converged on the Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Centre for the Mothers Summit that arrangements were in place for the publishing of the achievements of the Obiano government in all the 187 communities of the state. He said the APGA train would visit all the communities and also point at them, just as a booklet comprising all the achievements of the government was being published. APGA faithful have already identified a few areas that would help Obiano’s acceptability.

The Payment of Salaries

Nothing best describes the relationship of the Anambra workforce with their governor than the usual chant of ‘Alert Governor’, each time Obiano was in a function with civil servants of the state. This is a code name the civil servants describe the governor with, after observing that since the commencement of his tenure, salaries of workers do not come any time after the 25th of every month. Many have however argued that it is no feat as workers are entitled to their wages, and no government should boast of achieving anything if all it does is pay salaries of workers. But to Obiano, what is more important to him is the fact that he is happy that workers are happy. He once described it as the highest level of criminality not to pay workers their wages, and to know that in most states, as a result of the previous downturn in the economic growth, workers are owed salary arrears running into months, not minding the Paris Club refund

Obiano...between performance and political correctness

that was meant to help governors meet their obligations. Some states even pay half the salaries of workers each passing month. It was therefore understandable, when last week, the Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Communications Strategy, Mr. Tony Nnachetta, sent out a press release refuting strongly a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), which included Anambra as one of the states owing workers’ salaries, despite the release of the second batch of the Paris Club refund. The commissioner said there was no truth in the report as Anambra has been religiously meeting its obligation of paying salaries. He said it was for the feat of paying workers not later than 25th of every month, that workers during the 2017 workers’ day celebration crowned him the most worker-friendly governor. It is expected that civil servants in the state might be swayed to vote for him for this singular feat.

Security

This has been listed among one of the most visible achievements of the Obiano administration. Before Obiano, Anambra was almost sliding into a state notorious for criminal activities like robbery and kidnapping. Obiano, while addressing the cream of Anambra elite at a function in the governor’s lodge, once said Anambra fell so low that its indigenes dreaded coming home, and it got to the extent, where even traditional marriages that are statutorily supposed to be held in the ancestral origin of the lady were held in Lagos and Abuja, because of fear of kidnap. Obiano said it was for these that his government, upon inauguration swung into action and quickly constituted the Operation Kpochapu, which was a combined team of security agencies in the state, with the mandate to clean up the state of criminal elements. He quickly followed it up with a seminar, which involved an Israeli

security expert, Kennan Morshe. When the security strategies started yielding fruits for the state, Obiano felt the need to also help sister states to secure their territories by also expanding the security seminar to include all the South-east states and Delta. Today, Anambra prides itself as one of the safest in the country, and Obiano takes the credit. With this, it is expected that the governor would most probably remind the people of the security situation in the state before his emergence.

The Choose Your Project Initiative

Through his choose-your-project initiative, Obiano has affected all the communities in the state positively. The project is one contrived in the need for communities to identify their own priority projects and get funding from the state government for its execution to the tune of N20million, using a local contractor from the community. During a ceremony for the inauguration and disbursement of N20million to each community for their own project, Obiano said the initiative will help the communities to identify their own needs, devoid of the usual way government moves into a community and builds a project for them, without recourse to what the real needs of the people are. The governor also added that the reason for the use of local contractors was to ensure that the community knew who the contractor is and to also task him appropriately for the completion of the project in the case of abandonment. While some communities are building civic centres, others are erecting new blocks in community schools, while some are constructing new stalls in their community markets. The good news is that the initiative has entered its second phase, and communities have started accessing fresh N20million for other projects, and this has helped Obiano to affect the lives of the people in the rural community, and he may not be forgotten

for this.

General Infrastructure Development

Since the inauguration of his administration two years ago, Obiano has been working to stamp his foot on the sands of time, through infrastructure development. One of such is the triple flyover bridges in Awka, which has come to be known as Obiano’s signature project. Also, the state governor has maintained that his government has road projects in all the local governments of the state, just as bridges have also been built in some areas to connect communities that were previously not motorable.

Payment of Pensions and Gratuities

Two categories of people that have suffered great neglect in the hands of successive government in Anambra State are retirees of the state’s print and electronic media; National Light and Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS) and employees of the state water corporation. While the first are usually lucky with salaries, but never smelt anything like pension and gratuities since the creation of the state, the latter got neither salaries nor pension and gratuities for the same period. Both groups now have a reason to smile, being that Governor Willie Obiano commenced the payment of the salaries of members of staff of the state water corporation and have also cleared all, amounting to N1.9billion. It is also the same for the retirees of the National Light and ABS, where even the pioneer staff of the company, including veteran actor Pete Edochie, who retired from ABS decades ago, were recently invited for the payment of their pension and gratuities, which have eluded them for decades now. All these may come to play as factors that would sway the sympathy of voters towards Obiano, or better still make it easy for his campaign managers to sell him easily to the people.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

CICERO/ANAMBRA ELECTION 2017

UPP Begins a Crucial Journey Anayo Okolie, reports on the increasing popularity of the United Progressive Party ahead of the governorship election in Anambra State

“T

he tiger caresses its cobs with its powerful canine but tears down the enemy with the same powerful canine.” With those poetic words, the national chairman of United Progressive Party, Chief Chekwas Okorie, handed over the three instruments with which Chief Osita Chidoka commenced the quest for victory at the Anambra State governorship election slated for November 18 on the platform of UPP. Okorie said regarding Chidoka , “The journey he is commencing now and what we have is the journey of the tiger. He looks every inch a tiger. He will protect the assets of Anambra people. He will make Anambra develop, jobs will be created. But the enemies of Anambra, beware. The tiger is the king of the jungle.” Okorie handed Chidoka the Certificate of Return from the party declaring him the rightful winner of the August 19 primaries held in Awka, the Independent National Electoral Commission’s form CF-001, and the INEC nomination form. The handover of the electoral instruments to the UPP governorship candidate took place at a ceremony at the party’s secretariat in Abuja. It was witnessed by party chieftains.

Level Playing Field

Okorie reiterated his call for a level playing field during the ceremony in Abuja. He has always believed in an electoral atmosphere of equity and fair play, where the electorate are allowed to vote for the candidate of their choice in a transparent process devoid of inducement or intimidation. This, certainly, calls for proactive steps on the parts of INEC, to ensure a free and fair poll, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, to eliminate the corruptive influence of money during the election. “I wish to appeal to the Independent National Electoral Commission to, please, comply with the promises they made to political party leaders, the promises they made to media chiefs, which they assembled differently, the promises they made to pro-democracy and donor agencies, and that is that the Anambra governorship election will be conducted with an upgraded card reader that will transmit results direct from the polling units to the central server,” the UPP national chairman stated. He stressed, “That was the promise that was made to all of us. And it was demonstrated before us and we all acclaimed it, acknowledged it and applauded it, because for the first time, the ordinary Nigerians, the voters, the electorate in Anambra State, will be granted the opportunity to, indeed, choose who their governor will be. “Once that is done, we are home and dry. Then, I wish to also recommend, if only for the Anambra election, the EFCC should be part of the monitoring team. I say this because in 2013, we were also in that governorship election in Anambra State. “We saw people carry sacks of money close to polling stations and were paying N5, 000. They induced to vote for a particular political party. But when the attention of the police was drawn to this anomaly, the police, who had obviously been compromised, said that they were invited to maintain law and order and were not invited to chase people who were carrying money.

Chidokas

“Because there is a limit to the amount of money anybody can carry at a particular point in time, and that falls within the purview of the EFCC, I, therefore, recommend that the EFCC should be incorporated into the monitoring agencies, so that these malfeasances and perfidy will not be allowed to repeat itself.”

Conﬁdence

The UPP candidate was optimistic. He saw bright prospects of his victory at the poll on November 18. Chidoka, a former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission and ex-Minister of Aviation, believes UPP represents the best option for calming the multifarious agitations in different parts of the country arising from disenchantment with the ruling class on the part of the masses. He believes credible elections and the emergence of the people’s choices in free and fair polls would help to eliminate the suspicions that often cause restiveness. Chidoka lamented what he called the woeful crash of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, which had been formed by Okorie as a means of achieving the vision of credible polls and credible representatives of the people. According the former FRSC boss, “In 2003, Chief Chekwas Okorie founded the All Progressive Grand Alliance on the idea that all the grievances of Ndi-Igbo would be channelled through a political party to engage the rest of the country. Unfortunately, that dream was betrayed. APGA became an electoral vehicle meant for the election of people whose desires and interests are the maximisation of their personal capacity and the denunciation of the people. That

is why today, APGA as a party has no position, neither does the government of Anambra State, on the agitation for the actualisation of Biafra by Ndi Igbo. They have no position on the issue of restructuring of the country. They have worked with PDP and they are willing to work with APC. APGA as a party is adrift and we want to send it to its final funeral and on this mission, we have the full backing of the Anambra people. “The reason why we have to do that is because we want to help Nigeria as a country to re-channel Igbo anger, to re-channel Igbo energy towards building a nation that works for everybody, towards building a country that accommodates all, towards building a country that all the constituent parts are able to join freely to build a great nation.”

Promise of Prosperity

Chidoka said if elected, his government would build a knowledge economy in the state and develop its hi-tech and information technology capacities. He said he would enhance the ingenious attributes that made the Igbo the driving force of the Nigerian economy and a reference point internationally. He said, “I want to send a message today to the people of Anambra State. Number one, Anambra State is about to start a new beginning. The journey of this tiger is the journey of a new beginning; a new beginning that will make sure that Anambra State is truly the home for all, in Nigeria and in Igboland, a journey that will make it possible for Anambra people to come back again and own their state. “No more shall Anambra people be voting for people who are sponsored by forces who are not the people contesting

the election. No more shall Anambra State be ruled by people whose major interest and whose efforts in the state are to line their pockets and the pockets of their party members. But more importantly, no more shall Anambra State be ruled by an ideologically vacuous bankrupt and backward party, but by the known ideology of our people, the ideology of Ndigbo, the ideology of uche, of uchu na egwu chukwu, the ideology of the restoration of our homeland, the rebuilding of our capacity as a people; the ideology of self-determination and right to determine our role in Nigeria, the ideology of building a nation where no man is oppressed, the ideology of re-enacting our people’s hopes and aspirations, the desire to be part of a country where they are recognised as a free constituent of the country and where they are not relegated to being a mere five per cent and 95 per cent. “Let it be known that today, the United Progressive Party has come to restore the Igbo voice in Nigeria. The United Progressive Party has come to give hope to our people. The United Progressive Party has come to end the cries emanating from our people. “So, the election in Anambra is not a referendum on the failed government that is existing in Anambra, it is a referendum on our future and I stand here today to say that any vote for UPP is a vote for the future of ndi Anambra, is a vote for the future of ndi Igbo.” Chidoka said, “Our greatest resource is our human beings,” and promised that his government would harness this rich human potential to make Anambra great. “Our economy as a people is bigger than our geography. We will not be constrained by our geography. We will not be constrained by the forces that have held us down before. For, we will go out to meet the world, not with anger, not with just agitation, but with knowledge and pride in our heritage.”

Non-performance

Chidoka accused the incumbent governor, Chief Willie Obiano, of lack of performance on virtually all fronts. While inaugurating his campaign office for Orumba North and South local governments, he said, “Our people have had enough. Ndi Anambra cannot continue to be under a government without a conscience and a sense of responsibility towards the people; a government that has over time failed to stand up for the people when the occasion demands, yet continue with impunity. Our people are our greatest assets and deserve a government that upholds their interests and values.”

Popularity

Chidoka and UPP have continued to grow in popularity in Anambra State and beyond. He says he respects the Biafran spirit of industry and standing up against oppression and marginalisation. But Chidoka is not on the same page with the groups advocating a territorial Biafra. He believes an egalitarian Nigeria is what the Igbo need to develop their rich potential for their own good and the good of the wider Nigerian society. An Awka resident, Chibuzor Nwafor, said, “As far as the masses of Anambra State are concerned, Chidoka is the most popular candidate in the coming governorship election. We only pray and hope that the moneybags and Abuja influence peddlers would allow us exercise our freewill on November 18.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

CICERO/INTERVIEW

Olafemi: The Future is Bleak for Kogi APC Chief Clarence Olafemi, a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress was Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly and once acted as governor of the state. In this recent interview with journalists, he spoke on the political crisis rocking the state and other national issues. Yekini Jimoh, who was there, presents the excerpts:

wo days after returning back to the country recently, a meeting of APC stakeholders was held in your house, what the meeting was all about? Actually, while I was abroad, I received a lot of calls from political associates, complaining vehemently on the state of our party APC in Kogi State, particularly the recently conducted ad hoc delegate congress. The complaint was so tense that I had to beg them to calm down till I return from my journey. I was a member of the Board of Trustees of the party before we were dissolved, but that alone shows that I am an elder in the party that should be respected. Again, I was a member of the presidential campaign organisation that worked assiduously for the emergence of our President, Muhammadu Buhari. But today issues of congress of the party were conducted without being informed. The usual and normal channel of communication to members of the party is through the structure of the party. Whether the Congress is mid-term or ad hoc, we were supposed to be informed. Instead, we suddenly read on social media platforms that a delegate congress had taken place in Kogi and even in my own local government and names that were submitted are not known to me. The party stakeholders, who called me on phone, said they were not aware and they were furious the way and manner the national body of the party handled the congress in Kogi State as if it was an attempt to further tear the party apart. I spoke with the national secretary of the party and from our discussion I think the national body of APC was totally wrong to have arranged the delegate congress. I don’t really know what they stand to gain by their action. If you take a look at the genesis of APC in Kogi State, I carried a lot of burden before the party was accepted by the people of the state. That time, I did not see anybody especially those who are now claiming that they own the party in the state. It was only the late Prince Abubakar Audu, who came out boldly to uplift the party and eventually became the standard bearer of the party. But I went round the 21 local government areas, canvassing for support and registration of membership. I spent my resources to ensure that the party becomes the bride of the people. But today, some people, who came when the party had recorded success, now hijacked the party and want to push us out by all means. Today, I will not say that I regretted joining the party or spent my resources on the party, but I am not happy that I did all that I have done that time, because I believed that God wanted to use me for a purpose. So when I returned safely, I quickly called for a meeting before some notable members of the party scattered, though several meetings were held while I was abroad especially in the eastern flank of the state. At the meeting, which was held in my house, the stakeholders presented three salient opinions. The first was that we should wait for the outcome of the reconciliation, may be the governor could change for the better, but some members still believed that they could not trust Governor Bello based on the way and manner he behaves to the genuine members of the party. And the second opinion said we should embrace a new party and abandon APC for them just the way we did when PDP was misbehaving in the state, so that when they finally push us out of the party by force, we can fall back to the new party and ensure its success at any election in the state. The third opinion was that since in the last governorship election PDP and APC were neck and neck and the difference was not up to 5 per cent, if we could take only 10 per cent from what constitutes APC and join PDP,

completely enmeshed in crises. Kano State that gave the party over two million votes during the presidential election is also in crises. Bauchi, Kaduna and Benue States respectively are in serious crises while Kogi State is leading. It is high time the President took a look at the situation of the party. It is piteous that the national body of APC that is supposed to intimate the president with the true picture of the crises in the party at states level were even the people causing it, because of lack of sincerity. I am appealing to the president to create time to look into the issue of APC, because 2019 is around the corner. Since party members are complaining he should set aside time to look into their complaints.

Olafemi...Buhari must rise up to the challenge

we will have a smooth ride during election over APC. This is a fact, because election is an issue of numerical strength and since during election it is those who are in the state that will cast votes, we will be able to achieve our aim, bearing in mind that Kogi State has 21 local governments and once an opposition party can capture 10, the party will certainly be at the top. Imagine, in my local government area, which is Mopa-Moro, the three people they brought as delegates, one of them is Director General on media to the governor; the second person is also the council administrator, while the third person I don’t even know him. Where were those people when I deployed my resources? I sold my properties to nurture APC in the local government, which became so strong that the party won all positions during the 2015 general election in the state. It was an insult of the highest order that delegate Congress was held and I was not contacted even when I single-handedly brought the party to the local government. But now they want to push me away. I really don’t know what is wrong with the leadership in the state government and the National. I have occupied this number one position before and I have worked closely with former governors and what is happening now looks strange to me. It is a clear fact that as a governor, everybody cannot be your friend but that does not mean that the governor should start waging war against the owners of the party in the state. I expected him to use his position to make more friends than making enemies and those who are misleading him are not on the ground politically in their various localities. In short, with the current crises in Kogi APC, the party’s future is between the deep blue sea and the devil, though I am not God but the party is heading toward total collapse if urgent steps are not taken by President Buhari, who is today the national leader of the party. It is a clear fact that the elders of the party whom the governor does not want to see are the people, who have been playing politics in the last twenty years in the state and they enjoyed goodwill from the people they have helped in one way or the other. These are people that are

connected to the opinion moulders and in my view, the governor in the last almost two years has not got things right. Your trip to Abuja afterwards, was it reconciliatory? Truly, I travelled to Abuja, but not for reconciliation. I went to see Hon. Abiodun Faleke, who is also a factor in Kogi politics. So, when I heard that he called a meeting almost the same period with the one we held in Lokoja, I decided to meet him and his complains was similar to mine. He expressed worries over the behaviour of the national body of the party. It is annoying and painful to say that 95 per cent of people in the government of Kogi State today, who were given jeeps and other expensive cars are the same people that fought us during the election. It is wrong for anybody either at the presidency or national secretariat of the party to have erroneous belief that those of us complaining about the governor’s behaviour are just giving him headache. That is where the pain, the agony comes in. We unanimously believed and accepted that God put Nebuchadnezzar, but did not ask him to behave the way and manner he did. The governor is acting Nebuchadnezzar in the Bible. He was brought by God but he went against the wish of God and he got punished by God. It is a fact that we are heading to the river of Babylon and we will sing the real song because we are in captivity in Kogi State and no amount of struggles or talks can make the governor see what we are trying to avoid in the interest of the party. For four years, I did not enter the Government House during Captain Idris Wada’s era. I am not poor and I don’t beg for contract, but politics is all about recognition and interest even if I don’t get anything in return. I have to say categorically that I am not a push-over in Kogi politics and Senator Dino Melaiye attested to that fact when he attended my mother’s burial sometime ago in Mopa. I don’t give up when it comes to issue of politics. What is the situation with the APC, both at the state and national level now? Presently, there are eight APC states

Is the issue of marginalisation still on the card? The national chairman of APC, Chief Oyegun is my friend and cannot claim that he is not aware that I have been complaining of being marginalised as I have laid my complaint to him on several occasions but my complains ended there, because I don’t have link with the so-called cabals at the national level. I am an advocate of peace and my complaint of marginalisation was misunderstood by Governor Yahaya Bello. My candid complaint was in line with federal appointments, which were made and Kogi western senatorial district was not carried along, but instead of the governor to call me so that I could tell him the details of my complaint, he mistook it as an attack on his government. If my complaints are not genuine, why was it that two weeks after my complaint, the federal government hurriedly balanced the marginalisation with four appointments? What I said was that since we have three senatorial districts, whatever comes should be shared among the districts instead of neglecting one district. There is an ongoing agitation for a restructuring of Nigeria. Do you share this view? I have deliberately refused to comment on the issue, but one thing is key here and what I thought we should do at this point in time, is to ask ourselves the type of restructuring we needed. I believed that the type of restructuring we need now is the rearrangement of our political structure in such a way that it will be manageable, because the political expenses on our economy is too high. We have to also ask ourselves whether we need 109 senators and 360 House of Representative members sitting full time and at the same time having large numbers of aides gulping reasonable percentage of our income, which can be channelled to providing infrastructure that are lacking across the country. Why can’t we formulate our own form of democracy that will take a bit of the presidential and a bit of parliamentary form of democracy, where members of the legislative arms will also hold ministerial position, thereby reducing the cost of running the government? The restructuring I am looking at is the type that will end the agitation for state creation through the introduction of regional government by having six regions which of course we have already defined by our action, such as North-east, North-west, North-central, South-west, South-south, and South-east. This will enable the region to set up their security apparatus, but the regions will contribute to the central command and the local government authorities will also contribute to regional police force. This system will be manageable and also very effective. We can also restructure some offices. For instance, the office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice can be broken into two. Let one be professional and the other administrative. This is my concept of restructuring.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

CICERO//REPORT

Governors Bagudu, Lalong, Masari, Ikpeazu, Shettima and Tambuwal in Abia

Northern Governors as Their Brothers’Keepers The visit by five Northern governors to Rivers, Abia and Imo States in the thick of the recent security challenge in the South-east and South-south regions is a welcome development and in national interest. Emmanuel Ugwu reports

s the security situation in the South-east state of Abia degenerated penultimate, week following the clampdown on the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the entire nation was gripped with apprehension and justifiably so. Asupposed military exercise code-named Egwu Eke or Python Dance II suddenly snowballed into clashes between soldiers of the Nigerian Army and members of the separatist group. Every Nigerian of good conscience was worried due to the bloody outcome of the clashes and the fear that reprisal attacks could erupt in other parts of the country. A restive Hausa community in Jos, Plateau State had already arisen against the Igbo residents before the state governor, Simon Lalong quickly moved in and nipped the situation in the bud. Similar pro-active actions were equally taken by many other governors in the Northern part of the country, which have different levels of volatility and the propensity to embark on reprisals. The governors variously assured the south-easterners living in their states that their safety was guaranteed. In the South-east, too, the states’ chief executives had also ensured that the lives of northerners were not endangered in anyway. In Abia State, which was the boiling point of the army operation against IPOB, the northerners living in Umuahia and Aba were already scared stiff. There was no case of attacks on them but many of them nonetheless took precautionary measures by seeking refuge at police and military posts. The deputy governor of the state, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu, visited the panic-stricken non-indigenes at their camps located at the Police Area Command and the Central Mosque in the commercial city of Aba. The deputy governor’s entourage included the GOC 82 Division Enugu, Major Gen Adamu Abubakar; Commander 14 Brigade Ohafia, Brig Gen Abdul Khalifah Ibrahim and the then police Commissioner, Mr. Leye Oyebade. Acting on behalf of the governor, Oko-Chukwu donated N1.5 million to the Area command to feed those taking refuge with the police and at the Central Mosque, the same amount of money was given for the feeding of the northerners sheltered at the place of worship. In addition, he visited those being treated at the hospital for injuries and undertook to offset their medical bills. While addressing the northerners at the Aba Central Mosque, the deputy governor assured them that adequate arrangement had been put in place to ensure their safety in the state. Similar gestures were however reported in

other states of the South-east and South-south, particularly Rivers and Delta States, where there were reported clashes. In fact bloody clashes had erupted at Oyigbo local government of Rivers State, when IPOB members were said to have protested the invasion of the home of their leader by soldiers in Umuahia. It was in the heat of this national apprehension that the Northern Governors Forum (NGF) decided on the need to send a delegation to the South-east and South-south zones to ensure that the already bad situation was not allowed to become a catastrophe. The high-powered five-man delegation led by the governor of Borno state and chairman of NGF, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, set off from the North on Monday and headed the South side of the country, waving the olive branch. Other members of the delegation were Governors Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Aminu Masari (Katsina) and Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi). Their mission was peace and peace they preached. Governor Shettima confessed that as the chief executives of their states, “We have a moral obligation” to ensure that peace reign in the country, because an atmosphere of anarchy and bloodshed would serve nobody any good. The urgency of their peace mission was underscored by the speed at which the delegation traversed the three states of Rivers, Abia and Imo – all of which they visited in a day. The first port of call was Port Harcourt, the capital city of Rivers State and from there, the governors arrived at the Government House, Umuahia in the evening before proceeding to Owerri, the Imo State capital. The NGF chairman explained that the delegation was on a peace mission and was desirous of the fact that Nigeria should remain one united entity, adding that the governors had already visited Rivers to deliver the same message of peace. According to him, they were in Abia “to reassure the people that “we have faith in one Nigeria” and to show solidarity with Governor Ikpeazu and the people of Abia. “We are here on behalf of Northern Governors to commend Governor Ikpeazu on his high quality leadership in handling the crisis in Abia. He rose to the occasion and declared curfew in Aba just as Governor Lalong also declared curfew in Jos to avert a reprisal attack on the Igbo. We are here to show solidarity. We have a moral obligation to ensure that Nigeria remains one. Nigeria is the largest conglomeration of black people in Africa and we cannot afford to separate”. Shettima pointed out that a disintegrated Nigerian state would not serve the interest of any

of the component parts, because each part of the country has its own weakness, which could be turned into strength if they lean on one another, reiterating: “We are here to remind Nigerians that we are better off as one. If we separate, where do we go? North is the Sahara desert and Chad basin cannot contain us, if we go South it is the Atlantic Ocean. South is too small for us and the mountains of East Africa with their so many challenges cannot accommodate us,” he sermonized. The Borno governor noted that Nigeria had come a long way as a nation with rich diversities hence the need to sustain the country’s unity, adding also that it was in the interest of all Nigerians to stay together and work for the building of a strong united nation. “We are here to also invite our South-east colleagues to also come to the flash points of the North to speak to Igbo living in the North,” he said. To further solidify the ongoing efforts to seal the cracked wall of national unity, the NGF chairman invited the South-east Governors Forum (SEGF) to come up North and reassure easterners living in the north that all is well. Shettima said having stayed this long together, the diverse people of Nigeria should have by now melted their diversities to produce a nation without fault lines. He cited the National Assembly, which has continued to serve as a melting pot of Nigeria’s diversities, noting that those of them that have been there were able to inter-mingle with other Nigerians from different parts of the country. He said people like him have come to see Nigeria as one and built alliances across the nation, adding that irrespective of the challenges of nation-building that Nigeria is contending with presently, there is no strong reason for the country to remain one. The visit by the northern governors delighted Governor Ikpeazu, as it further helped to douse the tension that had arisen to a near-boiling point. He expressed his gratitude to the governors for coming to show solidarity with the people of Abia, saying “When this crisis started, I asked myself: what will my brother Tambuwal in Sokoto do if he is in my shoes or Shettima of Borno? I am delighted by this show of solidarity by our brothers from the North. We are one and I want to assure you of the security of all Abia residents,” he said. Alluding to the crisis that Abia was plunged into following the clashes between the Nigerian army and members of IPOB, Ikpeazu assured the governors that the separatist tendencies of IPOB would not be allowed to cause the breakup of Nigeria. In his reckoning, those clamouring for secession are on their own and

constitute an insignificant percentage of those they claim to represent hence, “We cannot allow infinitesimal few to separate us”. The Abia governor further assured his northern counterparts that normalcy had been restored in the state, adding that Muslims had peaceful worship on Friday, September 14. The Muslim worship day followed 24 hours after soldiers stormed IPOB leader’s home at Afaraukwu Ibeku in the capital city of Umuahia. It was to the credit of the governor that there was no violent reaction to the invasion of Kanu’s home, which greatly agitated not a few residents given that the city had been very peaceful before the military clampdown. Ikpeazu also took proactive measure by imposing a dusk-to-dawn curfew on the commercial city of Aba, which is more volatile than Umuahia. Though he lamented the economic losses the curfew would incur to the state, the governor said it was necessary to stem the tide of violence from getting out of control. All through the week of tension, he engaged in frantic efforts to contain the situation as he held consultations and meetings with critical stakeholders, including heads of security agencies in the state, traditional rulers and leaders of market associations. He was also at the meeting of South-east governors in Enugu, where the decision was taken to proscribe IPOB as part of efforts to douse the tension. Ikpeazu was later to explain that the proscription of IPOB helped to save the lives of 11.6 million Igbos living in the northern states, who could have been victims of reprisal attacks if the degenerating security situation was not arrested. He told journalists, when he visited the NUJ Press Centre to sympathise with the union over the invasion by soldiers that the measures taken by the governors really averted what could have become “a holocaust”, adding that their efforts was received by divine support. “God has intervened in what could have been the greatest bloodbath in the history of the whole world,” he said, announcing that normalcy had returned to the state and that “doomsday prophets have lost the battle”, apparently alluding to insinuations that the security situation could have degenerated to the point of a state of emergency being declared in the state. Normalcy has though returned to Abia the challenge now is to sustain the peace. To this end, Ikpeazu has extended the curfew at Aba to run from 10pm to 6am. The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris also visited Abia and assured the governor and people of the state that the police would do all in their power to sustain the peace and ensure that it won’t take flight again.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

CICERO/INTERVIEW

Abubakar: Nigeria Once Gave a Loan to IMF Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji is a former Minister of Finance and ex-Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. In this interview with Mohammed Aminu, Abubakar, who is the Sardauna of the Sokoto, speaks on the current clamour for restructuring by some parts of the country, agitation by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra and other sundry issues. Excerpts:

lthough Nigeria is gradually said to be exiting recession, the economy is still generally bedeviled by many challenges. What do you think is the way out? I started my career as an assistant secretary in the ministry of finance since the era of Festus Okotie Eboh and even during the time of Obafemi Awolowo. I worked with Edwin Ogbu, who was the first black permanent secretary of the federal ministry of finance. I served as the executive director of African Development Bank in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire and was also on the board of the development bank. When I was the minister of finance, the value of naira was equivalent to a dollar but now it is N365 to a dollar. I still recall that Nigeria lent money to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during the time of Gen. Yakubu Gowon in 1974 and I signed the agreement. Though I cannot remember the actual amount, I was received like a king in Washington, United States of America. It is very sad what is happening to the Nigerian economy now and it is partly our own fault. The United States President, Donald Trump, is right for saying that Nigeria is not doing well as expected. When I was in the ministry of industry, I led a delegation to the United States of America. I was received warmly and we invited 12 American companies to set up industries in Nigeria. They came and established various industries here. But it is sad that at the moment, you cannot find a single company working. They have all collapsed. What happened that the industries collapsed? I was chairman of all the steel rolling mills in Nigeria then and I signed all the agreements between Nigeria and Russia to build the Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Mills. The late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua led the delegation and we went to Russia and discussed with the Prime Minister. He later sent people to Nigeria to sign agreement for the revival of Ajaokuta steel plant but today it is down. I was also the first chairman of Delta steel but today it is not working. We have many Nigerians qualified to run any industry in Nigeria and if we don’t have enough technicians to run them, why can’t we bring foreigners to help us run them? Other countries also did that. I traveled to Canada with Philip Asiodu and we requested help from them for our energy sector. We brought six experts to work in various departments in NEPA then. How do you then see the Privatisation exercise carried out by the federal government? I am against privatisation. I warned the federal government against privatisation and fought against it. I warned against selling strategic industries to private investors such as NEPA, NITEL, Nigerian Airways, NNPC, among others, because we will end up

Abubakar transferring their inefficiency to the private sector. I believed then that these six strategic parastatals should not be privatised but the federal government failed to listen to the advice. Now where are we heading to after selling them? NEPA has been sold to private investors but we are still in darkness. There is no electricity and they have transferred their inefficiency to consumers. That some countries recorded success in privatisation doesn’t mean Nigeria will succeed. You cannot as a National Assembly or Senators summon the Managing Director of the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company today to explain why there is no light in a particular area. Many believed the Structural Adjustment Programme introduced in the 1980s by the IBB regime led to the collapse of the Nigerian economy. Is that correct? It is not true that the structural adjustment programme introduced during the regime of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida contributed to the collapse of the Nigerian economy. SAP means you have to reform the way you run your economy. The World Bank and the IMF advised Nigeria to restructure the economy so that they will help us. Anybody that wants

to assist you to grow is not an enemy. The argument then was that if it pains, then it works. You cannot have restructuring without pains. We are in an era of globalisation, if you don’t have the right people in the right place, it is your fault and you cannot blame anybody. Do you share the sentiment of restructuring the country? As for me, I don’t believe in restructuring of Nigeria. And I am against the regional system as practised in the first republic. The states we have now are too many and Nigeria should not have 36 states. We should have at least only 12 states in the federation. It is just that the military were creating states during series of coups to please the people. We spend huge chunk of the nation’s revenue in running government and paying public officials. We have 36 states, 36 state houses of assemblies, national assembly, commissioners, and various public office holders. So, Nigeria’s money is being used to settle political office holders. You see, people are just playing politics with this issue of restructuring. I strongly believe that we should have a competent leadership to run the affairs of the country.

When I was the minister of ﬁnance, the value of naira was equivalent to a dollar but now it is N365 to a dollar. I still recall that Nigeria lent money to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during the time of Gen. Yakubu Gowon in 1974 and I signed the agreement. Though I cannot remember the actual amount, I was received like a king in Washington, United States of America…It is very sad what is happening to the Nigerian economy now and it is partly our own fault

We should focus on getting the right man wherever he is to lead Nigeria, whether he is Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa/Fulani, Ijaw, Efik or any other ethnic group. In what context do you see the recent agitations by the Indigenous People of Biafra to secede from Nigeria? I don’t believe secession is the answer to our problems. We should remain united. Sometimes, I wake up and weep for Nigeria. Buhari said late Odumegwu Ojukwu visited him in his hometown Daura and told him that he is for one Nigeria and not interested in Biafra and that those clamouring for secession are on their own. I knew Buhari for a long time and we were in the same secondary school in Katsina. I was in form six while he (Buhari) and the late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua were in form one. I was their prefect then. In fact, Yar’Adua and Buhari were in Durbi compound and I was their prefect. So, Buhari was my boy then. How do you think Nigeria can completely get out of this recession? Everybody is talking about diversification. We have been talking about diversification since the era of the Second Republic President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari. The simple truth is that Nigerians are not willing to go back to farm and work to enhance food production. The industries we set up in the 1980s were all geared towards diversifying the nation’s economy. We can only exit recession if we resolve to curtail our excesses. We must resolve as a nation to cut our cloth according to size. We must cut down the huge expenditure on servicing public office holders. We must stop corruption by putting in a system to prevent people from stealing public funds. That is the only way we can move forward.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

CICERO/INTERVIEW

Silas: It’s Too Early to Assess Akwa Ibom’s Industrialisation Udo Silas, former Senior Special Assistant on Media to Governor Godswill Akpabio (now Senate Minority Leader) and former General Manager/Editor-in-Chief, Akwa Ibom Newspaper Corporation, the state owned media House, in this interview with Anayo Okolie, speaks on the 30th anniversary of the state and other issues Excerpts:

kwa Ibom State just celebrated 30. how did it go? How has the Daakaada philosophy helped the Orange State? 30 years of statehood is not easy, even in the life of man, so it’s worth celebrating. I must commend my friend at the helms of the tourism ministry. He saw an opportunity and maximised it. He succeeded to evoke the air of celebration. There was a street carnival; I understand was a success and many other such activities that made the weeks leading on to the birthday quite celebratory. He stirred the Orange colour controversy and succeeded in using it to gain mileage for his boss. So kudos to him and Akwa Ibom. Now, you must understand that Daakaada is at two levels. There is the political and then the personal. Daakaada, simply translated means ‘Arise’. So at the political level, the people are being asked to rise into a consciousness of not only what society ought to be but also what government ought to do, to bring the envisaged society into being. Now, this is not a consciousness that deifies authority. Daakaada respects authority. But inherent in that respect is the concurrent responsibility of government to her people. Through Daakaada, the Akwa Ibom man has become more aware of what accountability is or ought to be. This is because, where they were asleep before, now they have risen. So the Akwa ibom man is now more politically conscious. So the positives of Daakaada are all encompassing. Agility of mind and thought does not equate to non-subscription to authority. Daakada recognises our right to disagree. It emphasises reciprocity of respect between the governed and the government. At the personal or individual level, Daakaada speaks to the ‘can do’ spirit. Daakaada means arise. It abhors docility of thought and action. So while Daakaada as a philosophy is expected to imbue self-belief, industry and entrepreneurship in her people, it has also accentuated their participation in political processes and governance. I hope the Udom government doesn’t treat it as a fad. Infact, I am sure the ramifications are not lost on them. Let’s talk about industrialisation. It was the main plank of the Udom campaign. What’s the score so far? Yes, industrialisation was the rallying cry. I think it is safe to say that the government has done as best as it can, under the circumstances. There is talk of the syringe factory, the coconut refinery and a host of ideas deemed and posited as the beginnings of industrialisation. Question is, do they signpost the vision of an Attah? The daring of an Akpabio? Or the ambition of a Dangote? I believe it is too early in the day to properly assess.

went to press without exhaustive interactions with him. We were even accused of insolence. Sometimes, when you speak truth to power it may be deemed insolence. I could speak truth to Akpabio. I served under him for eight years. Then again, that might be because we are and have been friends right from our university days in Malabo. We were schoolmates from 1983-1987. Naturally, our outcry attracted the minority leader, who intervened and asked that we apologise to the governor for going to press. We complied and we understand His Excellency Udom has received our apology. So the minority leader did intervene, as any leader ought to. He has done his bit. It is now in the hands of His Excellency Udom. Udom is a deacon. He understands compassion and forgiveness. He knows our demands are statutory. All we did was ask in the spirit of Daakaada. (laughs). But seriously, if we erred by going to the press, we had said sorry. We, the forum cannot fight government. We are too small. They are the big tree. We are not even the small axes. As Coordinator of the forum, I must say that my colleagues are not angry. We are hopeful that the intervention of the minority leader and the Church-mind of His Excellency would bear fruit. What if it doesn’t? Well, what can we do? Go to court? We do not envisage we would get there. We pray good counsel prevail. For instance one of our colleagues lost the wife and baby at childbirth just recently, due in large part to paucity of funds. It is sad. Really sad. So we hope for the best. If for nothing, at least for the simple fact that the forum played an active role in the emergence of the Udom administration. Silas

Industrialisation takes time. You were a technocrat in government and seemed to have a robust relationship with your former boss, Akpabio. What is your relationship with the present government? And what was the outcry over severance entitlements? I would say that the relationship is cordial. For example when I laid my father to mother earth about two years ago His Excellency Udom Emmanuel gave me support. And we hail from the same local government, Onna and he is my brother. So a cordial relationship is not when you speak to a person regularly or work with the person. There was an incident recently, when we, as the forum of former aides to the immediate past governor went to press to ask that our statutory severance be paid. I understand the governor was angry that we

So how do you see the politics of Akwa Ibom in 2019? Time and chance reside in the pouch of our maker. Exactitude is not a mortal strength. But if you are asking whether the opportunities exist for a take-over in Akwa Ibom come 2019, it does. Opportunities are to democracy what butter is to bread. Donald Trump saw his opportunity in America and he took it. Yes, there is all to look forward to in 2019. Whether the democrats gave Trump the opportunity or not is neither here nor there. Back home in Nigeria we saw Mimiko do it in Ondo state. Oshiomole did it in Edo state. We saw Buhari do it at the center. So like I said, opportunities always exist in politics. I know His Excellency Udom Emmanuel knows that. He knows others know that too. Politics has always been a game of the possible. Your opponents see opportunities, while you strive to close their eyes.

NOTES FOR FILE

Okorocha’s Intolerant Culture

Okorocha

The habitually intolerant Governor of Imo State, Chief Rochas Okorocha, last week gave an obnoxious dose of his quintessential disposition when he banned the correspondents of THISDAY and Vanguard Newspapers, Amby Uneze and Chidi Nkwopara, from covering the Government House activities, effectively carrying out his threat against journalists operating in the state. Sadly but not unexpectedly, the governor did not give any reason for his action except the assumption that the said correspondents do not like him. How further petty can a chief executive ofﬁcer of a state sink? Apparently, Okorocha has declared the correspondents enemies of government, because they have refused to be his lackey and during a chat last Saturday night with journalists, he still failed to point out any of the journalism ethics the correspondents had breached to have deserved such ban. Rather, he boasted and vowed to deal ruthlessly with either of the banned reporters that

shows face at the Government House. It is pertinent to state that the culture of clamping down on journalists and media houses already appears a lifestyle of the Okorocha administration. This is because most of the state-based newspaper houses have consistently had issues with him just because they demanded accountability which he is unable to give. But what he has failed to realise is that history is always unkind to those why try to stiﬂe the media. Given his fast-dropping popularity and performance rating in practically all fronts, particularly, his poor handling of a recent demolition exercise in which a 10-year old Somtochukwu Ibeanusi died, he had further exposed the indiscretion and negative temperament of an administration elected to look after Imo people. It was not surprising therefore that Okorocha would become what he is now. Posterity certainly awaits him!

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

CICERO/TRIBUTE

Keyamo’s Tortuous Journey to the Elite Club As family, friends and associates gather in Lagos today to celebrate Festus Keyamo, who was last Monday conferred with the prestigious Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Davidson Iriekpen chronicles the tortuous journey of this distinguished lawyer to the elite club of the legal profession

e is variously described as a lawyer, social crusader, critic or columnist, but today, Festus Keyamo has added a very big one to his titles: Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). Last Monday, the man who has successfully etched his name in the consciousness of Nigerians with his activism in the last couple of years, was among the 28 others conferred with the prestigious title of SAN at the Supreme Court, Abuja. For many, even though the award was late in coming, it could not have come at a better time. This is because for close to three decades he had been in the forefront of the struggle to entrench the rule of law and good governance in the country. And in a conservative profession, where seniority is taken seriously, Keyamo’s voice has resonated so resoundingly to the admiration of many, both home and abroad. For those who have been following his career, his attainment of the golden crown was not by fluke, but through the dint of hard work. Keyamo was born in Ughelli, Delta State on Wednesday, January 21, 1970 by a father, who hails from Uvwie Local Government Area near Warri, in Delta State. However, his mother is from Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State. He is the third child and first son in a family of seven children. He attended Oharisi (Model) Primary School, Ughelli from 1975 to 1981, Government College, Ughelli from 1981 to 1986 and proceeded to his Higher School Certificate (HSC) course in the same school. Before he completed his HSC course, he gained admission through JAMB in 1988 to study law at the Bendel State University, (now Ambrose Alli University (AAU)) Ekpoma, in Edo State, and obtained his LL.B degree (Second Class Upper) in 1992. He was called to the Nigerian Bar on December 15, 1993 setting the stage for a colourful career in law. Much later, Festus Keyamo proceeded to the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in the United Kingdom, where he qualified as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK). He started his legal practice in the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi Chambers in Lagos at the height of the agitation for the revalidation of the June 12, 1993 election. Even as a young lawyer, he was on the front row of legal activism with Chief Gani Fawehinmi, representing icons like Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, Chief Frank Kokori and Ken Saro Wiwa as well as the duo of Chief M.K.O. Abiola and Anthony Enahoro, who were arrested in 1994 and other NADECO leaders. These challenging responsibilities helped to build Keyamo’s confidence in trenchant advocacy emerging with the award of Best Lawyer in Gani Fawehinmi Chambers in March, 1994. He left Gani Fawehinmi Chambers in 1995, had a brief stint in a partnership and then established his own law firm, Festus Keyamo Chambers, which has since grown rapidly with three offices in Lagos, Abuja and Warri and liaison offices in many states with over 23 lawyers and more than 30 para-legal staff. Keyamo is one of the private prosecuting counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). In that capacity, he has prosecuted some politically exposed persons on behalf of the commission. He is still pressing on with appeals in respect of the cases that have gone against him. As such, the last has not been heard in respect of those cases. He secured the conviction of Chief Bode George and five others at the High Court and Court of Appeal, before it was overturned by the Supreme Court. A few years ago, he went to court to challenge the power of the Nigerian President to unilaterally appoint Service Chiefs without the approval of the National Assembly. In a landmark judgment, the court agreed with him and declared the appointments of the nation’s Service Chiefs without the concurrence of the National Assembly as null and void. In 2014, he won the case of the former Deputy Governor of Adamawa State, Bala James Nggilari, who was said to have resigned, but was later sworn-in as governor when he (Keyamo) argued that his “resignation” was unconstitutional and therefore he ought to have been sworn in as substantive governor upon the impeachment of the Governor, Murtala Nyako. He has also handled several controversial and landmark cases. He was counsel to the leader of the Niger-Delta Peoples’ Volunteer Force, Mujaheed

Keyamo as SAN Dokubo-Asari, in his trial for treasonable felony, lead counsel in the treason trial of the leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, and other MASSOB leaders. He secured the freedom of both separatist leaders from prolonged prison custody. He played a prominent role in the search for the prime suspect and other suspects in the brutal murder of former Attorney General of the Federtion, Chief Bola Ige. Keyamo also has a rich history of social and legal activism. In 1994, he teamed up with his late boss, Fawehinmi, and other pro-democracy activists to campaign against military rule, and he suffered several arrests and detentions as a result. Sometime in 2009, he prompted a probe of the leadership of the House of Representatives over alleged profligacy and mismanagement of public funds in the purchase of 380 units of 407 Peugeot cars. His crusade for accountability by the legislators led to the eventual investigation and trial of the House leadership. The case is still at the Court of Appeal, Abuja. While working with Fawehinmi, he teamed up with him to establish the National Conscience Party (NCP), which was originally designed to challenge military rule. He was the first Northern Coordinator of the movement. In 1997, he formed the Youth against Misguided Youths that mobilised thousands of youths to oppose the self-succession bid of General Sani Abacha. Keyamo’s brushes with the various Nigerian authorities have been audacious. He has been detained many times in prisons and cells across Nigeria on account of his crusades for justice, human rights and against corruption. This also led to his facing several charges in courts that were all dismissed. A man of amazing gusto and dogged spirit, right from his days in school, his activism and advocacy have not gone unnoticed. He has always been rewarded. These include: Best Single Advocate of Nigeria Law Students, (Taslim Elias Moot Trial Competition) 1992; Best Lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi Chambers (March, 1994); Honorary Alumni of various Students’ Associations; Activist of the year (2001) by the Students Union, University of Jos; Listed in the New Who is Who in Nigeria, 2003; and nominated for the World Medal of

Honour, 2003, by the American Biographical institute, in 2005. He was conferred with the chieftaincy titles of Ogba-uri of Ogor Kingdom (Strong man of the law) 2005 and Omorokaro of Uvwie Kingdom (The child who leads the way) 2011 in Delta State but he still prefers to be called ‘Mr.’ As the compassionate person that he is, Keyamo did not just receive the SAN award without a word to the poor, weak and defenceless. He urged them not to feel neglected or abandoned, promising to always be with them. In a statement, he said although it was a long and tortuous road, “full of thorns and thistles, but to the glory of Almighty God,” he finally became a SAN. He pointed out that even though the award showed that he has reached the pinnacle of his career as a lawyer and as an advocate, “this is the beginning and not the end.” According to him, for too long the Inner Bar had been perceived as too elitist and deployed only in the service and defence of the rich and powerful or the upper echelon in society. That narrative, Keyamo said, has to change, saying there cannot be greater injustice than giving arms to the already powerful to fight the weak and defenceless. He stressed that the only honour he can do to the silk he adorns is to help the weak, defenceless and just, against what he described as the oppressive might of the powerful and unjust. “And on the flip side, it is also to ensure that the weak do not use the weakness as an excuse to unjustly blackmail the powerful and manipulate society. For me, my admission into the Inner Bar is an encouragement to continue to speak truth to power; to continue to hold government accountable to the people; to continue to confront the high and mighty in defence of truth and justice. ‘To make my modest contributions to the reforms in the judiciary and to continue in the pro-people path I charted for myself since my call to the Bar. I would not thank all those who wished me well in this journey. Why? Because, we succeeded together; it is our collective elevation. It is those who did not wish me well that I wish to thank specially. Why? Because, they were the ones who pushed me to my limits in order to succeed,” he added.

SEPTEMBER 24, 2017 ˾THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

PERSPECTIVE

Oil tanker vessel

Nigeria’s Fate in an Impending Era that Deemphasises Oil Bisi Daniels

country, the Aiteo Group purchased the troubled 97-kilometre pipeline with 600 barrels of oil per day design capacity from Royal Dutch Shell Plc. But vandals have not spared the pipeline. t may be an assault on sensibilities to Okorokwo explains the new scenario:”Clean insinuate that Nigerians will have to drink their oceans of oil, as it may be unscientific energy initiatives are springing up with countries announcing target dates to move from oil and to suggest that the resource will dry up soon. But the alarm bells are ringing loudly gas to renewables; and with the emergence of as the world increasingly turns away from unconventionals, what used to be major demand centres for fuel like the US have turned into supply oil. centres. “So it behoves on us to be proactive in The rate at which major oil consuming commercialising our oil and gas resources before countries are setting deadlines for the use of the commodity spells doom for any oil economy. And they completely lose their value as the global energy mix is changing in favour of renewables.” indeed Nigeria! Sooner than later we would be asking ourselves what we did with all that oil. Scenarios A very expressive analyst puts it this way: Effective scenario building has become vital in “They say life is not fair, but God is fair. He visionary planning and development of nations compensated the Arabs for the harsh desert and corporate bodies, such as oil majors. conditions with abundant oil resources, and Although no official link has been made between evidently they have used it well, but why did He one of such exercises in the US and the cessation of give Nigeria so much oil and gas?” oil imports from Nigeria, it is on record that weeks That may be a special favour to the country, after a scenario exercise in the US predicted major but he doesn’t answer the question. He continues violence in the oil-rich Niger Delta, the first bomb another illustration: “A character will have to be attack on an oil facility occurred in the Opobo added to the ancient story of talents to represent Channel in Rivers State. people and countries that waste their resources. The war gaming exercise called the Oil In the story, which is also a parable, a master Shockwave was conducted in 2005. It was a policy empowers his servants with resources (talents) war-gaming scenario created by the joint effort before he sets out on a long journey. On his return, of several energy policy think tanks, the National he calls for accounts to be rendered. While some Commission on Energy Policy and Securing of the servants invested the talents for multiple America’s Future Energy, which outlined a series returns, one servant decided to bury his. Some of hypothetical international events taking place in Nigerians prefer to keep resources in their domain December 2005, all related to the world’s supply of untapped or abused rather than engage resources and demand for petroleum. from elsewhere for exploitation because of the The hypothetical events included civil unrest pride of ownership and other reasons – it is our in the OPEC country of Nigeria, and coordinated oil, it is our refinery, it is our airport, it is our terrorist attacks on ports in Saudi Arabia and national asset, etc. Alaska. In the simulation, a decrease in oil supply and price spikes caused a variety of negative effects on the United States economy. Oil is Dying The very first scenario involved the outbreak of Unfortunately, the reality today is that oil is violence in the oil-producing area of Nigeria that dying. It may not be a sudden death because it would lead to evacuation of expatriates, including will take a while for the world to be weaned off US citizens, and hike in oil prices. Nigeria was the fossil fuel, but several scenarios paint a gloomy eighth largest oil exporter in the world and the picture for oil-dependent economies. fourth largest exporter of crude oil to the US. “The window of opportunity to maximising About six months after the Oil Shockwave our oil resources is fast closing,”observes Victor exercise, massive bomb explosions at major oil Okoronkwo, Senior Vice President, Aiteo Eastern facilities announced the commencement of oil Exploration and Production Company. The company operates one of the most important but most industry violence in Nigeria that resonated around the world. vandalised pipelines in the country - the Nembe The industry scenario is changing again! Oil Creek Trunk Line which evacuates crude from is dying; the alarm bells have gone off. Luckily, the Niger Delta to the Atlantic coast for export. In Nigeria has some of its brightest and the best at a rare show of courage and commitment to the

the helm of the oil and gas industry and they are not unaware of the emerging scenario. They know and they voice it out that the time has come for all stakeholders in the oil and gas industry to allow for the unfettered utilisation of oil and gas resources before the country turns out to be that character who buried his talents or wasted it in the ancient story.

Vice President Osinbajo’s Homily Only recently, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo urged the people and investors in the Niger Delta region to make effective use of the proceeds from oil, because the product may soon become unprofitable. Although he noted that Nigeria currently relied on oil for its foreign exchange earnings, the vice president said as nations of the world crave for cleaner alternative sources of energy, Nigeria and indeed the Niger Delta region stood at a disadvantage, unless drastic steps were taken to stem the over-dependence on the product. He said that while Asia was earnestly looking for alternative sources of energy, China and Japan had more electric charging points than fuel stations. “Many of the countries in Europe have set deadlines for phasing out cars using hydrocarbon,” he said. He added that the development meant that Nigeria’s crude oil would not be needed in the global market soon.

Ibe Kachikwu The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, is so concerned about the situation that it has become a refrain in his speeches. He noted recently that the world is moving away from oil, hence, it will no longer be an income resource in 10 years’ time. Mr. Kachikwu said in Abuja while answering questions on his outlook for the commodity in 2018 that: “If Europe is saying ‘in five years’ time, we are going to exit oil cars to electric cars’, oil, therefore, is getting its last years. “Except for those who produce and use it for local consumption because they’re moving slowly away from it but in terms of an income resource, you can begin to count the years. “In 10 years’ time, I’d be very surprised if any country that hasn’t diversified enough is counting really seriously on oil.”

The race to phase out fuel vehicles Many countries have set sales targets for electric

cars. And more are likely to join, according to CNN reports, which show that globally, 95 per cent of electric cars are sold in only 10 countries: China: The world’s largest car market, is working on a plan to ban the production and sale of vehicles powered only by fossil fuels. The ban will lead to a reduction of oil demand in China, as the country is currently the world’s second-largest oil consumer after the US. China wants electric battery cars and plug-in hybrids to account for at least one-fifth of its vehicle sales by 2025. Xin Guobin, China’s vice industry minister, said it had started “relevant research” but that it had not yet decided when the ban would come into force. Chinese-owned carmaker Volvo said in July that all its new car models would have an electric motor from 2019. Geely, Volvo’s Chinese owner, aims to sell one million electric cars by 2025. Other global car firms including Renault-Nissan, Ford, and General Motors are all working to develop electric cars in China. Britain: The U.K. said in July that it would ban sales of new gasoline and diesel cars starting in 2040 as part of a bid to clean up the country’s air. By 2050, all cars on the road are expected to have zero emissions. Nearly 2.7 million new cars were registered in the U.K. in 2016, making it the world’s sixth biggest market. France: The government says that it wants to end sales of gas and diesel powered vehicles by 2040 as it fights global warming. After that date, automakers will only be allowed to sell cars that run on electricity or other cleaner power. Hybrid cars will also be permitted. The share of cars powered by electric, hybrid and alternative fuels in France is minimal -- about 4 per cent -- but growing fast. Sales of those vehicles were up 25 per cent in the first quarter of 2017. Germany: In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel has hinted that it’s only a matter of time before the country that invented the modern car sets an expiration date of its own. Some German towns and cities have already threatened to introduce their own diesel bans to curb pollution. India: The government declared earlier this year that every vehicle sold in the country would be powered by electricity by 2030. “This is an aspirational target,” said Anil Kumar Jain, a government energy adviser. “Ultimately the logic of markets will prevail.” Norway: The government’s transportation plan

Cont’d on Pg. 78

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ PTEMBER 24, 2017

PERSPECTIVE

The Nigerian State: A House of Cards Femi Gbajabiamila “if you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you. If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you But make allowances for their doubting too If you can wait and not be tired of waiting Or being lied about , don’t deal in lies Or being hated don’t give way to hating And yet don’t look to good nor talk too wise” –––(Poem by Rudyard Kipling)

house of cards is a complicated structure or organization with component parts delicately but precariously placed on each other that can easily fall apart. It is a metaphor that best describes Nigeria. If one card (in this case a state or region) leans too heavily on the other, the equilibrium is destroyed and the whole pack comes crashing, destroying an otherwise beautiful and strong edifice. For the structure to remain standing, the relationship must be symbiotic there must be interdependence on one another knowing if there is a crack or slip everything comes crashing.As is often said united we stand divided we fall. Nigeria is very much like the human body that has been beautifully, painstakingly and miraculously put together by God. Every part is dependent on some other part to function and the whole is greater than the sum of its part. Whilst I believe in the right to self determination, after all we had Brexit and now Calexit which has always been muted but has gathered momentum since the emergence of Donald Trump as the President of the United States with Californians collecting signatures for a constitutional amendment and eventual referendum to exit the United States (noteworthy is the fact that California’s GDP is equal to or higher than that of many developed countries). However these attempts at exiting a country or union is never done willy nilly or in a capricious manner. There are always laid down legal and constitutional procedures and hurdles to cross. Even the annulment of a marriage by a court of law is based on a standard of “irretrievable breakdown” or “irreconciliable differences.” I truly believe it will be a regrettable error in judgment if we go this route. This country has not fully tapped into or harnessed its potential.America, Britain, Germany, France and others we call the great nations of this world are still exploring theirs. America prides itself on the fact that it built its fortune and greatness on the back of immigrants of diverse ethnicity and cultures. On its Statute of liberty those inspiring words of Emma Lazarus are boldly inscribed “ Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free …” Yet we, a nation of 170million with about 300 ethnic groups, blessed with material resources

Gbajabiamila including oil and the finest of human intellect and minds still do not appreciate that our strength remains in our diversity and that God whether through the British colonialists or whomsoever, put us together as a nation for a reason. I believe He does not make mistakes and what He has put together no man should put asunder. It is from this philosophical and almost spiritual premise that I believe as Nigerians we must approach the present agitations bedeviling our country and threatening to tear it apart. The marriages that survive are those with couples that understand the importance of dialogue and communication. Communication of real truth. If we can agree on some truths, we are well on our way to building a modern day Nigeria. Let us forget all the legalese, the arguments and the fine points of law. Forget who has the power to declare a person a terrorist or who is a terrorist. Forget whether or not theArmy has the right to go into a state and not the police. These are circumloquitous and miss the point.Aclever lawyer and spin doctor can make a case and argument for all sides and so can I, then what happens? I have read and heard arguments from the most ingenious and audacious to the most atrocious and sulphuric. Sometimes in positing, we have taken leave of our senses and decency has taken flight. It is time to stop. These arguments go to nothing and at best only kick the can further down the road. Lets address the real issues and not skirt them as we look for practical solutions to what has become an existential threat. So if truth be told, there is an imbalance in the way the cards in this House of cards are stacked. If truth be told the states are too weak and the Federal Government too strong. If truth be

told power needs to devolve to the states as the states are no longer able to pay salaries or sustain themselves because the capacity to generate much needed revenue has been taken away from them by the constitution. If truth be told there is a lack of equity in the control of resources and distribution of wealth. How does one explain a situation where revenue collected from stamp duty transactions that originate and terminate in a state is collected by the Federal Government? How does one explain where for instance prisons are built only by the Federal Government and inmates convicted of state offences are locked up in Federal prisons. The absurdity is even more apparent when one considers Lagos with a population of over 20million has 5 prisons and Adamawa with a population of less than 5 million has 17. Or how do you justify the Federal Government controlling inland waterways of a state and the commercial activities thereon? Pray tell, what sense does it make that local governments are found in the constitution and a state is not at liberty to create more local governments if the people so desire but must get the imprimatur/approval of a big brother at the center. These are some of the many anomalies not found in any federal structure. Restructuring, reengineering or whatever fancy name we give it is what Nigeria needs and such must be on the basis of equity and fairness. There is more than one way to skin a cat. Lets keep it simple. Acomprehensive amendment to the constitution with the transfer of Federal powers to the states is what is needed. It is not rocket science.AFederal Government does not need the burdensome 54 items presently exclusive to the Federal Government in our constitution. It reads like a laundry list. We must circle the wagons and protect our union. In striving for a more perfect union, the NationalAssembly must pick up the IPOB gauntlet and face the challenge of our time. The responsibility falls squarely on us and we are faced with the fierce urgency of now. It is said that the hottest part of hell is reserved for those who in the face of evil do or say nothing. Let me give one consequence of devolution of powers as an example. Devolution of powers will automatically transfer a lot of government parastatals and agencies to the states with the Governors appointing indigenes of their state to head or fill the top cadre of the agencies. This scenario reduces the cry of marginalization from states or regions and also reduces unemployment in the states. We must not allow those whose agenda or motive remain unclear to divide us or dash our hopes and aspirations as a nation. Where there are legitimate concerns on the structure of this great country we must address them intellectually and through constructive engagement, dialogue and negotiations on a round table. Over 50 years ago the founding fathers seized the moment and fought for our independence and now we must seize this moment and fight for our codependence. We must remember that for over 10 years, ethnic

tension brewed in the six republics that made up Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovania, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Slovenia. Eventually there was a separatist uprising similar to what is going on here and four of the Republics broke from the union. The pains and pangs of the war linger in that region till today. Syria, Libya, Yemen and Ukraine are theaters of conflicts known to us all. We must not put our country through this. We have experienced this before and once bitten twice shy. We must imbibe the language of our old national anthem “though tribe or tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand” I am made to understand that our brothers have sought international support from the West. Let me say that this is an exercise in futility and at best vain glory. The West has generally adopted a non intervention foreign policy with very few exceptions. I doubt very much the readiness of the West that respected Nigeria’s sovereignty at a time it was clear that a free and fair election was won and annulled will jump in support of a treasonable approach to the break up ofAfrica’s super power. We must remember that Nigeria is a sovereign state, savvy enough to deal with its internal problems. We must not wash our dirty linen in public As a legislator I have been blessed and privileged to have worked alongside the finest men and women from the East, the West the North and the South who mean well for this country irrespective of the opinion of many out there and I must commend the National Assembly South East caucus for their recent patriotic communiqué which was laced with a dose of nationalistic fervor. It was leadership 101. The Senate President and the Deputy Senate President have also weighed in on this and I am in agreement with them that the National Assembly needs to be proactive in this matter. There will be those who want to double down on hate speeches and a call to arms. We must continue to appeal to their inner angels and work together to make this country great (again). To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done. No apologies to Gen Gowon. Our country has many problems with lots of moving parts but we only need to work together so we can put this behind us once and for all. In times of crisis, great countries drop their differences, come together and speak with one voice for good of country. TheAmericans did it during 9/11 and during national disasters like the recent hurricanes. There were no blacks or whites or democrats or republicans. There were onlyAmericans. Like the United Kingdom, the United States of America, the UnitedArab Emirates, maybe we should rename our country the United States of Nigeria. There just may be something there. May the labours of our heroes past never be in vain. My two cents. –––Femi Gbajabiamila is the Leader of Nigeria’s House of Representatives.

t NIGERIA’S FATE IN AN IMPENDING ERA THAT DEEMPHASISES OIL t Continued from Page 77 outlines a clear target: All new passenger cars and vans sold in 2025 should be zero-emission vehicles. Norway is leading the way. About 40 per cent of all cars sold in the country last year were electric or hybrid vehicles. The others: At least eight other countries have electric car sales targets in place, according to the International Energy Agency. Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Korea and Spain have set official targets for electric car sales. The United States doesn’t have a federal policy, but at least eight states have set out goals.

Overgeneralisation? Some experts have dismissed the generalisation of this scenario to reflect doom for the oil industry because of the many other uses of fuel, but it has also been observed that the allure of renewables will sustain the trend. Futurist Stanford economist and RetinkX founder, Tony Seba, noted for the accuracy of his projections, predicted the solar energy boom at a time when prices for solar power were 10 times what they are today. He predicts that by 2030 electric vehicles will devastate the global oil industry. He says the impact of this innovation on the oil industry will be “catastrophic,” with global oil demand which will peak at 100 million barrels per day by 2020, dropping to 70 million barrels per

day by 2030.

Maikanti Baru While not dismissing the current importance of oil in the socio-economic development of the country, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, a core industry personnel who has worked in various capacities in both the upstream and downstream sectors of the industry, says the Corporation is not unmindful of emerging trends in the industry. “We are active players in the industry, so we monitor developments closely and are guided by them.” “Aware of the threat to oil, we have been active throughout the value chain – from exploration for oil and gas in Benue Trough and Lake Chad Basin, through production by the NPDC and with our partners, down to downstream industry – to ensure that Nigeria derives maximum benefit of her petroleum resources. “Nigeria is basically a gas country which also has oil, so gas provides a great opportunity for the diversification of our resource base. Our gas Masterplan, which has been approved by the Federal Executive Council does not only cut waste but ensures efficient utilisation by various units of the economy through gas for electricity, clean energy source for industries, for domestic use, as well as for exports through LNG projects.” In a bid to realise the Federal Government’s

mandate to deploy the nation’s gas resources to stimulate economic growth, the Corporation and its partners recently evolved a scheme to grow gas supply for domestic consumption by 285 per cent from1.3 billion standard cubic feet per day to 5bscf/d by 2020. The Corporation has even gone outside the box for opportunities in animal feed production from gas with Danish partners. And in order not to be left behind by the rest of the world, it is championing the diversification of the nation’s fossil-based economy to renewable energy for which it has an active department. Last year it announced the acquisition of 20,000 hectares of land in Benue State to establish a $400 million dollar project for the cultivation of sugarcane and other agro-products to generate ethanol, as a renewable energy source. To plug leakages and ensure efficiency and optimisation of resources, the NNPC has also intensified its anti-corruption drive. Last month, it reconstituted its anti-corruption committee to achieve this objective. Baru noted that it is important to change from our old ways of doing business; NNPC has a zero tolerance for corruption, and we will continue to do business with transparency so as to retain the current progress made. “So without being immodest, I must say that the Corporation is on top of the new game in the energy mix,” says Baru, who recently inaugurated eight committees to get the country’s refineries

working at full capacity. “We continue to solicit for understanding and cooperation of all stakeholders to save Nigeria from a monumental waste of resources if they are left unexploited in the coming years.”

The Challenge A major industry challenge remains the cooperation of all stakeholders, especially assetbearing communities for maximum utilisation of all oil and gas potentials before they go waste in the emerging scenario. Recent engagement of communities by the Federal Government and the leadership of the oil industry has been a game changer, but beyond those efforts, oil producing communities must insist on the effective use of resources that accrue to the states from the Federation Account, while the attack on oil and gas facilities should stop for maximum capacity utilisation as the stakeholder engagement continues across the board. Maximisation of the benefits of all oil and gas assets now will save the country the humiliation of “drinking its oil.” In the words of the Vice President, “The future of oil is declining and that is why it is the duty of all stakeholders to exploit all the opportunity now.” –––Bisi, a journalist and author who worked for many years in the oil industry, wrote “The Second Oil War”

SE Í°Í˛Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľËžTHISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

PERSPECTIVE

Two Wrongs at a Time Michael West

n an interview on Aljazeera recently, President Muhammadu Buhari did not hide his rage, and outright abhorrence for anything that has to do with the agitation for the Independent People of Biafra, IPOB, and its chief mover, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Like he betrayed his emotion on national television during his presidential media chat in January 2016, the only one so far, Buhariâ€™s countenance did not reflect that of a true pan-Nigerian leader who was intent on keeping the nation together, rather, it portrayed more of a potentate who detested anyone that tended to dare him. There is a clear difference between the action of a nationalist and that of a maximum ruler in the garb of a democrat; and it is best known by the naked show of power using the â€˜protection of our sovereignty as a nationâ€™ as an alibi. On the Presidential media chat, a national newspaper in its editorial took a swipe at Buhari for his reactions on Nnamdi Kanu and the refusal of the federal government to honour court rulings that granted him bail. The newspaper wrote: â€œWe hasten to point out, however, that the President is yet to come to terms with the change in his standing. He is still struggling with realising that he is no longer General Muhammadu Buhari who could freely express a personal opinion on any issue. As President, in which capacity he was being interviewed, he was expected to be more circumspect in considering and volunteering information. On the arrest, detention, arraignment and trial of Mr. Nnamdi Kanu for treasonable felony, for example, the President could hardly contain his annoyance. He referred to the campaigner for resuscitation of Biafra as â€œthat one you call Kanuâ€?. He did not deny having a preference for continued detention of the man, despite a bail order by the court, thus giving the impression that he has no respect for the judiciary and its decisions. â€œPresident Buhari should note that no arm of government is necessarily superior to the other. Under the Rule of Law that should prevail in a democracy, supremacy of the executive is a strange doctrine. No man or institution of state has the right to be complainant and judge in its own case.â€? That comment by The Nation in its January 7, 2016 editorial basically gave a forensic prognosis to the harsh response from Buhariâ€™s administration to Biafra agitation and its proponents as duly expressed in the deployment of soldiers to lay siege on Abia State. Two wrongs can never make a right, people do say but President Buhari, being an erstwhile military dictator does not share that opinion. I think it is more of a military trait than his civil person. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo wiped out Odi town in a similar show of power during his tenure of office. It is in their character to ignore court orders and detest any person or group or institution that dares to challenge their authority. They have zero tolerance for democratic nuances. They are frenetic and short-tempered when â€˜bloody civiliansâ€™ go to court to challenge their authority. It is provocative, annoying, and insulting to them! Buhariâ€™s detestable disposition towards â€˜rebelliousâ€™ agitation against wise and strategic counsel to ignore Kanuâ€™s ranting and effect his release as pronounced by the courts ostensibly catapulted the nonentity to a â€˜superstarâ€™ ethnic interests campaigner. For Kanuâ€™s prolonged bail denial, agitation for Biafra became an issue presented to the global community as â€˜Biafransâ€™ in Diaspora internationalised the campaign

Kanus with processions on the streets of many Western nationsâ€™ capital cities as well as embassies. If Buhari had allowed political solution to prevail, we wonâ€™t be where we are now. There had been a flurry of disapproval and criticisms of the Python Dance operation in Abia State, Umuahia in particular ostensibly because of Nnamdi Kanu. It is a show meant to intimidate as well as instill fear into the agitators and their leader, Kanu. The entire Eastern region was under military siege for three weeks running. The President is still unyielding, rebuffing suggestions that he dialogue with Biafra agitators. The anchor of the Aljazeera interview asked Buhari to invite them for dialogue, he blurted: â€œWhy should we invite them?â€? Further explanation by the anchor couldnâ€™t make sense enough to our President to shift ground. Obasanjo also joined the league of those asking the President to invite the Nnamdi Kanu-led agitators for dialogue as military â€˜jackbootâ€™ approach wonâ€™t solve the problem. According to Obasanjo, it isnâ€™t that the military option wonâ€™t just work; it also will aggravate an already tensed situation. Senate Deputy President, Ike Ekweremadu, in his letter to the President, reminded him that rebuffing pleas for Kanuâ€™s release while he was in detention had shot the guy to the limelight. He still persuaded our President to be calm and toe the line of reason by dialoguing with the agitators in the company of eminent Igbo leaders, including the Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Social media platforms are smoking with divergent views, pro and con analyses, as well as hateful and baleful expressions by intemperate commentators, many of who are hauling insults at

one another. Both real and â€˜adoptedâ€™ videos of purported arrest, torture and killing of the â€˜Biafransâ€™ are in wide circulation. All these further heightened the tension in the country, especially in the South Eastern region. Fear of a possible outbreak of civil unrest pervaded the air. Thank goodness for frantic efforts of Igbo leaders, Governors, politicians, and well-meaning Nigerians across the country and beyond who intervened to stem the tide from snowballing into another bloody civil upheaval. In my opinion, President Buhari laid the foundation for this needless crisis. His abrasive attitude to the feelings and opinions of other sections of the country as demonstrated by his lop-sided appointments further fueled the IPOB agitation. Nigeria has always had issues with imbalance on many fronts, which has now placed the restructuring card on the table as a prelude to attaining a true federal system of government. This agitation was stridently enunciated by the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by the late Bashorun M. K. O. Abiola. To be candid, Nigeria has never been this divided; and official response to these legitimate demands has left much to be desired. Rather than respond to the issues by employing diplomatic and political solution, this government prefers to roll out barrels of lies and propaganda as well as employ the use of security forces to intimidate and coerce agitators. In all the key security appointments, despite giving 95 per cent to the North, none went to the South East. A couple of few weeks ago, another round of restructuring took place at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC; as usual, the North has 10 out of 15 positions but none went to the South East. In the appointment of heads of educational bodies, I doubt if the South East has any slot. This is in addition to the inherited imbalance of the region having only five states while others have six states each. Like I noted earlier, other regions, including the North Central, have genuine issues against the system that requires immediate attention, most of which restructuring the polity will peacefully address. Let our President be man enough to adjust his apparent ethnic jingoistic, religious preferential and nepotistic tendencies through equitable and fair treatment of all composite regional blocs of this country; things will naturally fall in place and tension will ease off immediately. The second wrong, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is a colossal failure! He mobilised to a point he could fully attain a good bargain for the Igbo Nation but inadvertently blew up the chance. From all available facts, he was recalcitrant to wise counsel. He rebuffed every contribution and chose to be Solomonic in wisdom. Itâ€™s a mission impossible to single-handedly lead unarmed agitation to taunt the security might of a sovereign nation like Nigeria. Kanu was carried away with hero worship and self-adulation. Simply because he had the sympathy of the human rights campaigners, some legal opinion leaders and a section of the political class over his continued detention since he was granted bail by the court, Kanu got swollen-headed, arrogant and equated himself with, even greater than, Odumegu Ojukwu. His utterances were so immature, daring, militant, and uncouth. Too bad that he lost the game! *Michael West is a public affairs analyst mikeawe@yahoo. co.uk

IPOB/Fulani Herdsmen: One Nation, Double Standard Samuel Adakole

as I surprised that the Federal Government (FG) declared the unarmed pro-Biafra agitators, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a terrorist organisation? No! I am only surprised that many

Nigerians were surprised. Was I also surprised that the same FG dares not as much strongly rebuke and condemn the atrocities of militant Fulani herdsmen rated by the Global Terrorism Index as the fourth deadliest terrorist group in the world, surpassed only by Boko Haram, ISIS, and al-Shabab? Never! I was rather surprised that most Nigerians were surprised that herdsmen were not declared terrorists despite plundering, raping, killing, unleashing maximum destruction in mostly the Middle Belt and southern parts of the country. For those who were surprised, the highly Honourable Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, cleared their surprises. He said: â€œAll I know is that IPOB has engaged in terrorist activities, viz: clashing with the national army and attempting to seize rifles from soldiers, using weapons such as machetes, Molotov cocktails and sticks, and mounting roadblocks to extort money from people, among othersâ€?. On the other hand, Presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, lectured Nigerians on difference between a criminal activity and a terrorist activity. Hear him: â€œYes, some Fulani herdsmen are a criminal gang. But IPOB, like Boko Haram, has a territory they have carved out to themselves. They have shown the willingness to invade other neighbouring states. They have raised concerns in neighbouring Kogi and Benue states (more than the

Fulani herdsmen)â€?. Can we now see why Fulani militant herdsmen, who invade and feast on peopleâ€™s farmlands and livelihood; who sack communities, burn down their houses, kill natives in their thousands, and occupy their ancestral lands with audacity will continue to get away with it jollily for a long time to come? Then, a government, which made security of the country its prime campaign promise gleefully tells us that these are foreign Fulani herdsmen- as if that is not the more reason they should dealt with as terrorists. We now know why the Fulani herdsmen brazenly display deadly weapons likeAK47 riffles in broad daylight.After all, even the Presidency just told us that IPOBâ€™s sticks, stones, and machetes are deadlier than those riffles. We now know why the FG mobilises the firepower of the NigerianArmy andAir Force to bombard cattle rustlers in parts of the north, while not bothering to contain herdsmen, who kill at the drop of a hat. In fact, it took the Presidency almost eternity to condemn the massive genocide in Southern Kaduna, which the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan put at 808 lives in 53 villages as at December 30, 2016. Our minds are now open to why the Committee for the Containment of Cattle Rustling in Nigeria (CCCRN) set up by the Inspector-General of Police recently launched a device for tracking stolen cows, but does not see the need for well-resourced intelligence to apprehend the supposedly invisible killer herdsmen. We now also know why the massive destruction of lives inAgatu, Benue State went unchallenged by security forces while the Minister of InternalAffairs, Lt. GeneralAbdurrahman Dambazzau (Rtd), quickly hopped into Mambilla, Taraba State, once the indigenes said enough was enough of the destruction inflicted by Fulani herdsmen excesses. We now know why the security agencies dared

not invite, for questioning, theArewa Youth coalition, which issued a quit notice to fellow citizens and bared their intent to criminally convert their properties. They claimed arresting the almightyArewa Youths would worsen the already tensed atmosphere in the country. But the atmosphere was conducive for pythons to dance in the East rather than the Sambisa Forest. It was also okay for the military to show force in front of Nnamdi Kanuâ€™s compound andAbia with their armoured tanks at a time the North East is boiling over with Boko Haram killings. IPOB? Oh! What a hopeless set of terrorists. That was exactly why President Muhammadu Buhari regaled the 72nd United Nations GeneralAssembly with the need to get the government of Myanmar to halt what he called â€œa state-backed programme of brutal depopulation of the (Muslim) Rohingya inhabited areas in Myanmar on the bases of ethnicity and religionâ€?, while the military invasion and reported atrocities inAbia and South East are state-backed population boosting and infrastructural development programmes. TheAmnesty International gives a glimpse of alleged state-backed killings in the South East this way: â€œThe Nigerian security forces, led by the military, embarked on a chilling campaign of extrajudicial executions and violence resulting in the deaths of at least 150 peaceful pro-Biafra protesters in the South East of the country. â€œAnalysis of 87 videos, 122 photographs and 146 eye witness testimonies relating to demonstrations and other gatherings betweenAugust 2015 and August 2016 consistently shows that the military fired live ammunition with little or no warning to disperse crowdsâ€?. See https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/ news/2016/11/peaceful-pro-biafra-activists-killed-inchilling-crackdown/. While every reasonable and patriotic Nigerian must condemn the excesses of IPOB and its leader, especially the invective and irresponsible utterances of Nnamdi

Kanu, we cannot shy away from discontent they try to project. We cannot run away from the reality of the utterly discriminatory 5 percent and 97 percent policy of the Buhari government that has reduced Igbos to third class citizens.And in a situation where the Igbos feel they cannot get justice and equity, can we rightly discountenance their inalienable and internationally recognised right for self-determination? Meanwhile, it is certainly not in Nigeriaâ€™s interest and quest for direct foreign investments, to be saddled with the ugly image that comes with hosting two terrorist groups- Boko Haram in the North and IPOB in the South. Again, it negates the spirited and patriotic efforts made by the South East leaders to reign in the group and their excesses. It is a slight on the governors and leaders of the region, who had recently proscribed the activities of IPOB and the appeal by the South East NationalAssembly Caucus to the group to suspend all agitations to allow Igbo leaders to engage the FG on their concerns. In branding IPOB a terrorist group after its night raid that has left the whereabouts of Kanu and his parents unknown, it appears the FG might have unwittingly driven the IPOD underground that could get radicalised and transformed into another faceless monster. In proscribing IPOB, I am afraid also the FG has only addressed the symptoms, leaving the disease to fester. Even if IPOB does not transform into something sinister; even if the name dies today, what is the guarantee that the group will not simply melt into the pro-IPOB faction of the Movement forActualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) or a myriad of other pro-Biafra agitators or simply change its name? â€“â€“Adakole writes from Benue (See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

T H I S D AY SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ EPTEMBER 24, 2017

SUNDAYNEWS

News Editor Abimbola Akosile E-mail: abimbola.akosile@thisdaylive.com, 08023117639 (sms only)

2019: The State of Play (I) Continued from Page 1 HOW THE REGIONS STAND...

With a resurgent agriculture anchored on cheap fertiliser and CBN funding for farmers, Buhari’s base remains the North West. A periodic analysis of how the regions stand as events unfold may have become a routine task from now till the time of the elections, following the pace at which things are happening, often times against the run of play. There is no pretending that the North West region is still very much behind the president, his challenges notwithstanding. His provision of cheap affordable Presidential fertiliser and CBN funding for agriculture has led to bumper harvest across the region, making poor farmers a lot richer. All the states in the zone are controlled by APC. If anyone had doubted the state of his popularity rating before now, the hero’s welcome he was treated to after his return from his medical vacation recently disapproved of any such thinking. But Buhari might be challenged a bit in the North Central

which is now grumbling loudly due to the pains of the economy; and parts of North-east because of the Atiku influence. Unfortunately, again, for the former vice-president, Buhari’s effective handling of the Boko Haram scourge in that part of the country would competitively swing the votes in his favour. In the North central, activities of marauding herdsmen may have widened the opposition base, but with APC in control of all the states in the zone, it remains safe for Buhari. While not underplaying Atiku’s influence and acceptability as far as the presidential election is concerned, Buhari still appears to hold the aces as the whole North may likely swim together. The understanding of the North when it comes to the power game does not contemplate frivolity or uncalculated risk. That is the edge that Buhari seems to be enjoying. However, in the South, the whole of the South-east and the South-south regions remain a no-go-area (for now) for the president, especially with the growing Biafran senti-

ment, exacerbated by the recent deployment of the military (Operation Python Dance II) to that part of the country to quell the simmering unrest there. It is important to establish that some of the sentiments that guided voting in this part of the country in 2015 have not quite changed and rather, become more volatile. Thus, the South-west, in this case, might be the battleground region in the 2019 elections. This is not to say that the Tinubu factor is totally discountenanced here. Indeed, the Tinubu factor still carries a lot of weight, although limited to a few states like Lagos and Osun, his capacity and political sagacity to rally the other states in the region for a common cause cannot be over-emphasised. This, therefore, makes South-west the battleground states for Buhari, whose ministers, at least a few of them, are generally regarded as not politically firm on the ground to actively swing things in his favour. Interestingly, while the ministers in the South-east and the South-south are also not fancied enough by the people to pull any significant surprise, save for one or two, one or two of the South-west ministers, who are believed to have aligned properly can actually spring some surprise for Buhari. But they will have the Tinubu factor to deal with. At the end of the day, the jury is still out and dynamics are changing everyday.

Huge NPLs, Fragile Economic Growth to Top Agenda at MPC Meeting Tomorrow Continued from Page 1

COMMISERATING WITH THE LAKANUS L-R: Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Lagos and Ogun State Command, Mr. Adamu Ibrahim; Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps,

Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi; one of the children of the deceased, AIG Taiwo Lakanu; Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Mr. A. Iliyasu; and Assistant Corps Marshal, Policy, Research and Statistics, FRSC, Dr. Kayode Olagunju, during the church service for late Hon. Samson Temitayo Solarin at The Cathedral Church of St Paul, Sagamu, Ogun State...weekend PHOTO: Kolawole Alli

Tinubu: Nigeria Won’t Make Progress without Restructuring funds that constitutionally belong to the states.” Represented at the dinner, where he was Principal Guest of Honour, by chairman of the Board of Trustees of the HydroCarbon Pollution Restoration Project and former Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Olawale Edun, Tinubu spoke on the topic, “A New Nigeria or A Better One: the Fitting Tools of a Great Repair.” He said the vestiges of the country’s military past were still been allowed to haunt its democratic future. APC, which had promised restructuring and true federalism as cardinal principles in its manifesto while contesting the 2015 general election, has been widely criticised for jettisoning that promise since winning power. But owing to pressure from the public, the party recently set up a committee on restructuring headed by Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai to make recommendations on the hot issue. The committee has, reportedly, submitted its report to the APC authorities, but it has not been made public. Tinubu, whose defunct Action Congress of Nigeria was a key proponent of restructuring and fiscal federalism before entering the merger that gave birth to APC, re-echoed his stance on the structure of the federation at the KCOBA dinner, lending a strategic voice to a growing

demand. Lamenting that Nigeria functioned as a unitary state, despite being constitutionally defined as a federal republic, Tinubu said, “We cannot become a better Nigeria with an undue concentration of power at the federal level. Competition for federal office will be too intense, akin to a winner-take-all duel. Those who lose will bristle at the lack of power in the periphery they occupy. “They will scheme to pester and undermine the strong executive because that is where they want to be. The executive will become so engaged in deflecting their antics that it will not devote its great powers to the issues of progressive governance for which such powers were bestowed.” He said if Nigeria continued in the current pseudo-federal path, it “will be in a constant state of disequilibrium and irritation. Such a situation augurs toward the maintenance of an unsatisfactory status quo in the political economy. It augurs against reform.” He stressed that the country must restructure “to attain the correct balance between our collective purpose, on one hand, and our separate grassroots realities, on the other.” Under the 1963 constitutional order, he explained, regional autonomy was a major feature by virtue of the fact that the re-

Continued from Page 1

gional governments were closer to the people and had a better understanding of the material and intangible priorities of their populations. The APC leader stated, “We must return to this ideal. Some items which should be left for the states to handle, such as police, prisons, stamp duties, regulation of tourist traffic, registration of business names, incorporation of companies, traffic on federal truck roads passing through states, trade, commerce and census, are now on the Exclusive List for the federal government. “Regarding the all-important electrical power, while the federal government takes the lead, there is no logical reason to limit federating units to generate, transmit and distribute electricity only to areas not covered by the national grid. “The states should be allowed to augment power generation so long as they do not undermine federal operations. For instance, a state may wish to develop an industrial park or housing estate either of which will require a boost in power generation. “However, if the national government does not agree, the state will be foreclosed from projects that provide jobs and better living conditions to its people. This is not in keeping with the spirit of federalism. It is consonant with an undemocratic tradition that keeps us from approaching a

better Nigeria.” The former governor advocated a review of the revenue allocation formula to give more funds to the states. He said the Paris Club refunds belonged to the various state governments, arguing that the federal government “does not have legal basis for withholding the Paris Club refunds.” Though he said, “We all support propriety of expenditure,” and acknowledged that the sentiment behind the withholding “is understandable, if not laudable,” he insisted that the federal government “has no right to withhold funds that constitutionally belong to the states. “The fear of possible misuse of funds is no reason to violate the constitution. Provide the funds to the states as legally required. Committed and fine governors will use the funds wisely. And the people will be better off. As to those who squander the money, there are appropriate ways to expose and sanction them.” Tinubu said “to withhold the funds, no matter how well intended, is to undermine federalism and the rule of law. It will have adverse long-time consequences; as such, it is too high a price to pay.” Tinubu canvassed compassion in governance and condemned the growing tendency towards the rule of the might.

experiencing a stable and acceptable oil price and exchange rate and also a moderating inflation which resulted in a positive GDP growth in the second quarter of 2017.” Besides, stating that the reported growth of 0.55 per cent is very little, the economist, noted that, it signaled that the country was out of recession. “This is expected to be followed by initial recovery in which business activities should improve, earning capacity restored and obligations settlement capacity strengthened.” Ademola posited that, “I will therefore expect that the MPC will do whatever needed to support the positive but fragile economic growth through liquidity stimulating policies that would also help the banks to remain strong. A lowering of the MPR should be encouraged at this moment.” In his own view, the CEO, Global Analytics Consulting, Tope Fasua, expected the MPC to hold all rates steady for now, because “Inflation is down to 16.01 per cent and may be maintaining a downward trajectory howbeit slowly.” While recalling that, the economy recently exited recession and GDP growth has recorded a fragile 0.55 per cent, Fasua doubted, “if this is the time to toy with volatility.” According to him, “The MPC may seek to observe trends for at least one more quarter, in spite of rising NPLs. The way to tackle NPLs is not to further sterilise bank deposits by increasing liquidity ratio or cash reserve, but to be firm with supervision and ensure that insider-related loans are outlawed.” “Most of the bad loans we understand, are sitting with powerful directors of the banks. It may be a good time to seek presidential approval and ensure that they bear personal liability like was done in 2009. There should be consequences for ruining a bank and jeopardising depositors’ funds. Creating AMCON 2 as being suggested in some quarters, while AMCON 1 still struggles for resolution, is equivalent to taking the whole country for a ride,” he reasoned. To the Director, Union Capital Ltd, Egie Akpata, the MPC is unlikely to make any changes to its key benchmarks. “Inflation is still above 16 per cent, falling at an anaemic pace and is well above CBN target inflation of 6-9 per cent. This means the hawkish stance of the MPC has to be maintained for now and MPR retained at 14 per cent. “However, CBN is already using other market tools to moderate treasury bill rates (particularly at the 1 year end) and if this is sustained, the risk free rate (T-bills) will keep dropping. These rates are more relevant for banks to price the opportunity cost of their loans to customers,” he said. Akpata believed, “The MPC might leave the door open for a symbolic MPR cut in November if by then, all T-bill discount rates have fallen to around the 14 per cent level, FX reserves keep rising and the I&E window rate for USD is still under N370.” The same position was held by the CEO, The CFG Advisory Ltd, Adetilewa Adebajo, who said, “While we have sustained momentum on the Downward Trajectory for inflation, it is still at 16 per cent and base interest rate is at 14 per cent, so there is no incentive yet for a rate cut. We expect the Status Quo to be maintained.” However speaking on the massively impaired credits, Adebajo stated that, “The problem of NPL is not a new one and is more severe than reported. The real problem is that 45 per cent of the NPL are insider related according to the NDIC. Liquidity ratios are also narrowing and banks will eventually need to shore up their capital base.”

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R Ëž ÍşÍźËœ ÍşÍ¸ÍšÍż

NEWSXTRA With Force Majeure on Nembe Oil Line, Nigeria Risks Revenue, Production Cuts Chineme Okafor in Abuja The volume of crude oil produced and sold daily by Nigeria could take a fresh cut from the shutdown of a critical oil line in the Niger Delta region â€“ the Nembe Creek Trunk Line

(NCTL) for emergency repairs. Coming shortly after Nigeria convinced the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC members to uphold its exemption from an existing crude oil production cap agreement signed

to shore up prices and stabilise the oil market, the country from the development may see up to 150,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil that should pass through the line to the Bonny export terminal deferred for an undisclosed period of time.

A statement from Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company, which owns and operates the NCTL, stated that a new oil leak discovered on September 15, had forced the firm to declare a force majeure on the line. Signed by the Senior

Manager, Corporate Communications, Aiteo Group, NdianaAbasi Matthew, the statement, which was made available to THISDAY yesterday, explained that emergency repairs on the line would commence as soon as the relevant procedures to guarantee safe works on it had been concluded. As one of Nigeriaâ€™s major oil transportation arteries that evacuate crude from the Niger Delta to the Atlantic coast for export, the NCTL reportedly has a capacity to move up to 150,000bpd of oil at Nembe Creek. It equally has the capacity to evacuate up to 600,000bpd of liquids from the end point at Cawthorne Channel. The statement from Aiteo stated that, â€œOur emergency pipeline and response teams are onsite and a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA)

and other relevant government agencies is scheduled for next week to monitor line pressures and confirm safe-working levels.â€? â€œAiteo is working towards concluding the process speedily and will communicate further developments as they become available,â€? it added. Though Nigeria on Friday got OPEC and non-OPEC members at the meeting of their Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee, which ended in Vienna, to endorse its position that the exemption granted it at the November 2016 ministerial conference and subsequently extended at the May ministerial conference should be sustained until it stabilises its crude oil production, industry experts, however, told THISDAY developments such as that on the NCTL were some of the reasons the country had insisted on staying out of the pact for now.

American Lawmaker Lauds Dicksonâ€™s Efforts at Developing Bayelsa NEW INSTALLATION L-R: His Majesty, Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli, and the Oyewunmi of Warri Kingdom, Chief Olivia Agbajoh, at the installation of new chiefs by the monarch in Warri, Delta State...yesterday

Best Western Owner Alleges Apapa Gridlock: NPA, Lagos Assault as AMCON Finally to Partner on Holding Bays Takes over Hotel tion and subsequently attract Eromosele Abiodun t AMCON: He is a blatant liar Obinna Chima The Group Managing Director of Suru Worldwide Ventures Nigeria Limited, the owner of Best Western Hotels, Allen, Ikeja, Mr. Edward Akinlade yesterday alleged that the mobile policemen that were sent by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) to enforce the takeover of the hotel tear-gassed him and members of his staff during the exercise. Akinlade, who spoke during an interview at his residence in Lagos, said he was also injured during the process as he showed THISDAY a minor injury on his leg. But a source at AMCON who pleaded to remain anonymous, described as blatant lies the allegation by Akinlade. Akinlade explained that on Friday morning, at about 4.30 am, about 100 mobile policemen invaded his hotel to forceful take over the asset from him. He insisted that AMCON did not follow due process. He explained: â€œI was actually on my way to Abuja that morning, when I was informed about what was taking place at the hotel. By the time I got there, which was around 5.30am, all my staff were outside. â€œSo, I had to force myself in. I opened the door and took my staff in. And the next thing that happened was tear gas ev-

erywhere. They tear-gassed my staff outside. They went inside the hotel, a five-storey building and all the guests from international organisations and from other countries were there and they tear-gassed the whole place. â€œOne of the tear gas, as it was passing burnt my leg and they discharged ammunition. They said they had the order of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to take over the hotel. No matter what I did to try and stop them, it didnâ€™t work. So, I had to be carried to the hospital until Saturday morning.â€? Akinlade argued that his loan ought not to have been sold to AMCON by the then Oceanic Bank as it was performing. â€œAMCON went to Justice Idris in August 2016 and got a court judgment, which is between AMCON and the IGP. They then listed our property and quoted three registered mortgages which I signed for the old Oceanic Bank, and when we obtained the certified true copies, we discovered they were forged. â€œThe whole saga is that we were in court with AMCON in July this year on the compensation fight we have with Oceanic Bank and Ecobank. Our loan should never have been sold to AMCON because it was a performing loan.

As part of efforts to end the traffic gridlock in Apapa, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms Hadiza Bala-Usman has disclosed that the authority has concluded arrangement to work with the Lagos State Government to create holding bays for trucks and tankers. She stated this yesterday when she inspected the progress of work at the ongoing reconstruction sites at Apapa. Addressing newsmen during the tour, the NPA helms-person observed that the Federal Government was interested in ensuring that the â€˜Gateway to the nationâ€™s Economy- the portsâ€™ were effectively and efficiently serviced in order to tap into the financial dividends accruable to the national economy. According to her, â€œThis would impact most positively on the nationâ€™s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).â€? Usman stated that the inspection was part of the NPAâ€™s aggressive continuous monitoring strategy at ensuring that all the components required to meet deadlines are achieved. Similarly, she noted that efforts are being made by the federal government to facilitate express funding of the project, which she stressed would create a more enabling environment for doing business at the ports on comple-

investment in the sub sector. Hadiza postulated that the federal government would appreciate swifter operational deployment by the construction company A G Dangote whilst assuring port users of quality of work already achieved. Speaking further, Hadiza said, â€œEfficiency is key in the NPA managementâ€™s operation, thus, all stones would be turned to actualise the reason for the portsâ€™ roads rehabilitation, which basically cascades to the stimulation of the ease of doing business at the ports across the country.â€? She noted that the role of Holding Bays in decongesting the traffic gridlock in Apapa was critical, pointing out that a licensing regime on the subject is being perfected between the NPA and the Lagos State Government, to enable operators in this regard to have access into the ports and function under guided directives. Informing stakeholders of the deployment of an electronic device in the management of access into the ports - biometrics, Hadiza appealed to them to be patient while the road reconstruction lasts. She urged them to also contribute to the project realisation by abiding strictly with necessary directives put out in respect of this in order for all in the sector to uphold an atmosphere of customer satisfaction.

Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa Chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Rep Sheila Jackson Lee, has praised the Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, for â€œplacing the state on the path of development, prosperity and peaceâ€?. A statement signed by the governorâ€™s Chief Press Secretary, Francis Agbo, quoted Lee as saying that Dickson deserved a pat on the back given the â€œdifficult and treacherous terrainâ€? in the state. Lee said if well-articulated and religiously implemented, the policies and programmes of the government could lift the state from the backwaters. The statement added that Lee, who is Texasâ€™ 18th Congressional District Representative, spoke at an interactive

session with the governor at the Foundation Convention Centre in Washington DC. It said the Representative also called on investors to do more especially in African countries, stressing that Africa needs the support of the Western world to develop. In his response, Dickson called for global support to tackle environmental pollution and the fight against terrorism. The governor also urged the international community to heed President Muhammadu Buhariâ€™s call for global collaboration against terrorism. Dickson, who was also a parliamentarian, said Bayelsa remains the safest state in the Niger Delta region, declaring that both Bayelsa and Nigeria in its entirety are safe havens for investments.

â€˜NAF Has Eradicated Boko Haram Frontline Leadership, Logistics Basesâ€™ Says Air Chief Paul Obi in Abuja The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar yesterday said the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has eradicated Boko Haram frontline leadership and several of the terrorist groupâ€™s logistics bases. Abubakar stated this when he delivered a lecture to students of Senior Course 40 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji, Kaduna State with the title â€˜The Nigerian Air Force in Contemporary Warfare; the Chief of Air Staffâ€™s Vision for Future Engagements.â€™ According to him, â€œNigerian Air Force air strikes in the North East have devastated and coerced the insurgents by limiting their freedom of action to operate openly and in mass, as was

the case before. Equally, these punitive strikes have eradicated the insurgentsâ€™ â€˜frontlineâ€™ leadership and logistics bases, thereby reducing their operational capability.â€? The CAS added that given the current precarious situation Nigeria operates in and the rampant cases of conflicts, â€œthe Armed Forces must prepare for the conduct of war and secure military victories until peace is restored politically. Indeed, the war fighting mission of an armed force will determine how it is organised, equipped, and trained.â€? He stressed that despite efforts to prove standards and NAF operations, â€œequipping and sustaining a balanced air force, therefore, is one of the greatest challenges facing the Nigerian Air Force today.â€?

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

SUNDAYSPORTS

Edited by Demola Ojo Email demola.ojo@thisdaylive.com

Premier League: City, United Remain on Top R

aheem Sterling shone for Manchester City and Romelu Lukaku delivered for Manchester United as the Manchester clubs maintained their grip on the Premier League title race with victories yesterday. Sterling scored a brace as City crushed bottom club Crystal Palace 5-0 to go top on goal difference above United, who won 1-0 at Southampton courtesy of Lukaku’s first-half goal. Champions Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool all kept pace with the top two, putting the pressure on Arsenal, who host West Bromwich Albion tomorrow.. “The first half we had problems as the ball must be moved and we didn’t move it,” said City manager Pep Guardiola. “But the last 10-15 minutes of the half, we got it. The second half was much, much better. (Leroy) Sane’s (opening) goal was so important.” Palace have lost their first six games of the season after crashing to a heavy defeat at the Etihad Stadium in Roy Hodgson’s second league game as manager. City went in front shortly before halftime when Leroy Sane converted after a one-two with David Silva. Sterling’s quick-fire double took the game beyond Palace, the England forward tapping in passes from Sane and Sergio Aguero in the 51st and 59th minutes. Aguero made it 4-0, heading in Sane’s cross to close to within one goal of Eric Brook’s all-time City record of 177 goals, before Fabian Delph curled in a fine fifth. Guardiola’s side have scored 16 goals in their last three league games, having previously trounced Liverpool 5-0 and won 6-0 at Watford. City left-back Benjamin Mendy will undergo tests today after a knee injury forced him off in the first half. United had a rather less straightforward afternoon at Southampton, but they prevailed thanks to Lukaku’s sixth goal of the campaign. The Belgium international struck in the 20th minute, scoring at the second attempt after his header from Ashley Young’s in-swinging cross was saved by Fraser Forster.

Five Sent Off in Istanbul Derby Five players were sent off as Fenerbahce beat Besiktas in an Istanbul derby featuring two goals and three red cards in the final five minutes. Giuliano gave the hosts the lead and Vincent Janssen - on loan from Tottenham made it 2-0, before ex-Liverpool striker Ryan Babel pulled one back. Besiktas’ Ricardo Quaresma was sent off for two yellows before Luis Neto was dismissed for bringing down a player through on goal just before half-time. The visitors had Atiba Hutchinson sent off with five minutes left for two bookings. Ismail Koybası of Fenerbahce was then shown a red car for a dangerous tackle, before Oguzhan Ozyakup’s second yellow card deep into injury time meant the visitors ended with eight players.

RESULTS

West Ham Burnley Everton Man City Southampton Stoke City Swansea Leicester Roma SPAL 2013 Juventus Atl Madrid Alaves Malaga Girona

2–3 0–0 2–1 5–0 0–1 0–4 1–2 2–3 3–1 2–3 4–0 2–0 1–2 3–3 0–3

Tottenham Huddersfield Bournemouth Crystal Palace Man United Chelsea Watford Liverpool Udinese SSC Napoli Torino Sevilla Real Madrid Athletic Bilbao Barcelona

Morata scored a hat trick for Chelsea against Stoke yesterday “It is not always possible to operate at high quality, butwefoughthard,”UnitedmanagerJoseMourinho told Sky Sports after being sent to the stands in stoppage time for encroaching onto the pitch. “It was a hard game, but I am really happy.” Chelsea remain three points off the pace in third place after Alvaro Morata scored a hat-trick in a breezy 4-0 win at Stoke City, with Pedro also on target. “Morata played a good game, a really good

performance,” Chelsea manager Antonio Conte told the BBC. “Now he has to continue this way to be a great striker.” Philippe Coutinho scored a stunning free-kick – his first goal since being refused a transfer to Barcelona – as Liverpool narrowly won 3-2 at Leicester City. Mohamed Salah and Jordan Henderson were also on target, but Shinji Okazaki and Jamie Vardy replied for Leicester and Liverpool were indebted to Simon

Mignolet for saving Vardy’s 73rd-minute penalty. Harry Kane took his tally to six goals in four games as Tottenham won 3-2 at West Ham United to chalk up a third successive away win. Kane’s first-half brace and a Christian Eriksen effort put Spurs 3-0 up before Serge Aurier was sent off and West Ham came back into the game through Javier Hernandez and Cheikhou Kouyate. Liverpool and Spurs are level on 11 points, five points off the leading pair.

Barca Remain Perfect, Real Bounce Back in La Liga

arcelona maintained their perfect start to La Liga with a sixth straight win as LuisSuarezandtwoowngoalssecured a 3-0 win at Girona in a match laced with political tension yesterday. Real Madrid remain seven points behind Barca thanks to Dani Ceballos’s double on his full debut to bounce back from a shock midweek defeat by Real Betis with a 2-1 win at Alaves to move up to fourth. Girona were hosting Barca in a Catalan derby for the first time in the top flight, but a one-sided game on the field was marked by persistent chants in favour of independence for Catalonia. Catalonia’s pro-separatist president Carles Puigdemont was in attendance, while the proindependence Estelada flag was waved by sections of both supports. “The game had its difficulties,” said Barca boss Ernesto Valverde. “It’s a derby, there was a great atmosphere, tension. It is normal, but we played well.”

On the field there was much less controversy as Barca were rarely troubled after Aday Benitez turned JordiAlba’s wayward shot into his own net after just 17 minutes. Another own goal extended their advantage three minutes after halftime when goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz was fooled by Suarez’s dummy from Aleix Vidal’s cross. And Suarez rounded off the scoring himself with just his second goal of the season by whipping the ball into Iraizoz’s near post from Sergi Roberto’s pass over the top. At Mendizorroza, Madrid were once again wasteful in front of goal, but still sneaked by an Alaves side that remain without a point after six games. “Today we needed the three points. We are not in brilliant form, but for sure we will play better on other days,” said Real boss Zinedine Zidane. Ceballos was one of three changes made to the side that lost to Betis by Zidane as Luka Modric and Gareth Bale were left on the bench ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Borussia Dortmund.

And the Spanish under-21 international settled Madrid’s nerves after just 10 minutes as he caught Fernando Pacheco flat-footed. Alaves did register their first goal of the season five minutes before halftime when Manu Garcia met Munir El Haddadi’s cross flush to power a header into the top corner. Madrid retook the lead just three minutes later, though, as Ceballos pounced on a poor punch from Pacheco to fire into the bottom corner. Earlier, Diego Costa was an interested spectator as Atletico Madrid leapfrogged Sevilla into second thanks to goals from Yannick Carrasco and Antoine Griezmann in a 2-0 win at the Wanda Metropolitano. Costa won’t be able to feature until January after completing his prolonged return to the club from Chelsea for a reported club record fee of 55 million euros ($66 million), plus 10 million euros in add-ons. “We are happy that a player of his stature wants to come to Atletico Madrid,” Atletico boss Diego Simeone said of Costa’s return.

Aubameyang Nets Hat-trick as Dortmund Stay Top in Germany

ierre-EmerickAubameyanggrabbed a hat-trick as Borussia Dortmund romped to a 6-1 home thrashing of Borussia Moenchengladbach to regain top spot in the Bundesliga

yesterday. Gladbach had no answer to Peter Bosz’s fleetfooted Dortmund, who opened a two-point lead over Hoffenheim at the top in a perfect confidence boost before Tuesday’s Champions League clash with holders Real Madrid. Aubameyang, last season’s top scorer in Germany’s top flight, has now netted eight goals

in six league games – one ahead of main rival Robert Lewandowski of Bayern Munich. Left winger Maximilian Philipp scored Dortmund’s first two goals before Aubameyang’s hat-trick, with defensive midfielder Julian Weigl scoring a superb sixth. “We were very dominant. It was an intense game and we can be very satisfied,” said Philipp, who also scored two goals against Cologne last weekend. Weigl was delighted to score on only his second game back from injury. “It feels great, the goal was the icing on the cake,” said the Germany

midfielder. “We were lucky that Gladbach did not use their chances and usually they have the quality to fix problems.” Afterthird-placedBayernthrewawayatwo-goal lead on Friday in a 2-2 draw at home to Wolfsburg, Dortmund are now three points ahead of the defending champions. Bayern could finish the weekend in fourth if Hanover 96 beat bottom side Cologne today. Hosts Dortmund needed just 28 minutes to take the lead at Signal Iduna Park whenAubameyang, who hit the post twice in the first half, played provider.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R Ëž Í°Í˛Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

High Life

ÍŽÍśÍŽÍľÍ´ÍśÍśÍłÍľÍłÍ°

...Amazing lifestyles of Nigeriaâ€™s rich and famous

Double Celebration for Aig Imoukhuedeâ€Ś as He Clocks 51 Today

t takes a steel heart and keen will to make money. It takes character and wisdom to tame it. But very few bankers are aware of this fact. Thus many have fallen to the lure of money, the common whore and procurer of people and nations. But where his peers flounder and stumble, Aig Imoukhuede, the former MD of Access Bank soars like falcon. Yes, Aig affects the depth of the ancient thus his capacity to command the bittersweet complexities of money and its steep per cents. However, Aig is 51 today. It has long been established that Aig knows how to throw a party; and those who were at his birthday soiree last year are still talking about it gleefully. Predictably, the celebration was a high-class event that attracted the crĂ¨me de la crĂ¨me of Nigeriaâ€™s

high society. The starstudded event took place in his mansion in Surrey, London. Nothing ever runs out of supply; not even the extremely rare Armand de Brignac Brut Gold â€˜Dynastieâ€™ collection of champagne favoured by his billionaire friends. It was a great party and an undeniable testament to the celebrantâ€™s worth as a true man of the people. Today promises to be grander. Interestingly, he has joined the International Advisory Board (IAB) of the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. The invitation to join the schoolâ€™s IAB, was extended to Aig by the boardâ€™s chairman, the Lord Browne of Madingley, on behalf of the board and the school. Other members of the board include former United States President Bill Clinton and Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google.

Ademola Adeleke

SAVE THE LAST DANCE! MAKING SENSE OF SENATOR ADEMOLA ADELEKEâ€™S DANCING PROWESS Ademola Adeleke is flamboyant, gregarious and bohemian. A connoisseur of sort when it comes to choice drinks; he knows wines and cognacs as intimately as a child knows his sandbox. But funnily enough, Ademola has caught the funny bug. The new Osun State Senator cuts the sharp, narrow silhouette of an aggressive jester. He has two claims to fame; being music superstar, Davidoâ€™s uncle, and his predilection to burst into a dance move for the flimsiest of

reason which earned him the nickname â€˜Dancing Senator â€™. He was in the news again last week when a video of him dancing and singing in a church in America went viral. As usual, he leapt and spin, bobbed and weaved in excitement while the audience cheered him on. Really, there is nothing untoward about an old man dancing. But eyebrows are sure to be raised when the man in question is dancing Yahoozee, a popular afro hip hop dance style, like a hip teenager in a church would raise many a brow. And it sure did. Only an old jester, can be audacious enough to be dancing like Ademola, throwing his hands back and forth in a rhythmic cadence while his head pans hither and thither. For effects, he raised his arms heavenward in a prayer format, with fingers locked together like a gun and start rolling it around both ears. However, trust Nigerians, they went for his jugular, the blogosphere was on fire. According to one of the critics, â€œIâ€™d like to advise our â€œdancing senatorâ€?, Ademola Adeleke to start applying moderation to this dancing pastime of his. The indiscretion of always throwing himself all out each time a music is playing is becoming irritating, if not resentful. Personally, I hold the view that moderation is a compulsory demand of age at certain times and he obviously has attained that age, combined with his new status

Aig Imoukhuede

as a senator. Enough of his infantile exuberance. Dancing without a conscious attention to his immediate environment like a kid handed a long craved cup cake is no longer a cute sight to beholdâ€?.

FROM POLITICS TO THE PULPIT... EX-HOUSING MINISTER, AMA PEPPLE, FINDS SUCCOUR IN THE LORD The pulpit becomes the cradle and last resort of the disenchanted politician. Thus the idea that only a cleric can represent Christ at the altar is a most serious heresy in the parlance of the Nigerian politician. When push comes to shove and disillusionment sets on the erstwhile brilliant horizons of the career politician, the latter beats a retreat to seek comfort in unlikely places. Some would retire to the bosom of a woman. Many more would retreat to comfort and safe havens of their business dynasties. But a certain breed would rather mount the pulpit. As you read, Ama Pepple, a former minister of Housing, Land and Urban Development in former President Goodluck Jonathanâ€™s cabinet, has embraced the pulpit. The Opobo, Rivers State born beauty is seriously enmeshed in the gospel of the Lord. She is currently preaching salvation and righteousness and devoting the better part of her days to preaching and living Godâ€™s word.

While information about her ordination remains sketchy, she is said to have mastered the art of mounting the pulpit to preach the gospel. Until she retreated to the pulpit, Ama Pepple was one of Nigeriaâ€™s well-known female technocrats who rose to the pinnacle of the civil service. She was later named the minister of Housing, Land and Urban Development before the cabinet shake-up that relieved ministers believed to be loyal to the G-7 governors who walked out of the Peopleâ€™s Democratic Party (PDP) PDP convention in the build up to the 2015 election.

Ama Pepple

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R Ëž Í°Í˛Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

Flipsides of a Dull Coinâ€Ś Patience Jonathan Clocks 60

hose who summon the storm must never cringe from a storm cloud. But having beckoned the storm, Patience Jonathan cringes from its ravage like a spaniel fleeing the gusts of a snowstorm. While her husband, Goodluck Jonathan, was President, Patience wore chaos like a crown and stirred the hornetâ€™s nest with reckless abandon. She elevated strife and cut-throat politics from an eyesore to an art form. But no sooner did her husband lose his re-election bid than her impotence dawn on her. Patience is not so powerful and influential after all. Not with the incumbent government anyway. Little wonder she is on the radar of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). And her husband, the former President, subtly seeks to outfox his traducers and keep a wide berth from his successor, President Muhammadu

Buhariâ€™s anti-corruption landmine. This explains his discomforting silence in the wake of his wife, Patienceâ€™s mounting travails in the dragnet of EFCC. Despite the controversies trailing his wife and Nigeriaâ€™s former first lady, Patience Jonathan, over her alleged complicity in moneylaundering and other fraudulent activities during his tenure in the presidency, Jonathan has remained silent. However, Patience would be 60 in few weeks time. But we are not sure if she is going to roll out the drums or her praise-singers who morphed into a group called Friends of the First Lady of Nigeria (FFLN), will organise a party for her the way they used to when she was in power. The group comprised of self-acclaimed society women who paraded themselves Dame Patienceâ€™s closest circle of friends and associates.

Her removal was more dramatic in that she was said to have gone to President Jonathan a few days earlier to plead with him to make peace with Governor Rotimi Amaechi. Pepple travelled abroad immediately she was sacked and has since maintained a low profile and modest lifestyle.

JACKPOT! SHORELINE BOSS, KOLA KARIM, STRIKES GOLD No doubt, the gods have smiled on the uber-wealthy oil and gas magnate, Kola Karim, again. He has just cleaned out in a deal worth some tidy millions of dollars. But this didnâ€™t happen

by a stroke of luck; he probably prepared for today. According to the news doing the rounds, Kola, boss of trading firm, Shoreline Energy, has landed a big fish partner to distribute natural gas to electricity producers in the Lagos region. His new buddy is none other than Anglo-Dutch major Shell. Shoreline won a NNPC allocation to sell crude in early 2017, as did its partner Heritage Oil, a property of Al Mirqab owned by former Qatari prime minister Hamad ben Jassem al-Thani. Shoreline also works in exploration and production (OML 30) and bought over in late 2016 the Nigerian affiliate of Indian group Essar Energy (OPL 226).

Patience Jonathan

crowd. Such clubs include Nasir Ado Ibrahimâ€™s Club Towers, Tony Sabatâ€™s YNot, Larry Onuegboâ€™s AutoLounge, Lanre Nzeribeâ€™s Deuces and Dakovaâ€™s Aristotle. Others include Marshall, Yusuf And OSA Asemotaâ€™s A-bar, Ahmed Uveubettiniâ€™s 11.45, Folake Odutolaâ€™s Aqua 27, Louis Priddyâ€™s Bacchus, Biola Adegokeâ€™s Grotto and many others. These clubs are defunct now although there was a time that they were identifiable as very successful night clubs and bars. They reigned supreme and attracted the happening crowd. If you donâ€™t visit those clubs back in the days, you havenâ€™t arrived.

They hosted the nouveau riche comprising the dandiest guys in town and hottest babes around the city. But unfortunately, they have all closed down and the owners have gone underground. How did they all get it wrong? Was it bad management or were they over hyped?

FROM UYO TO LONDONâ€Ś GOV. EMMANUEL TO SPEAK IN BRITISH PARLIAMENT ON ISSUES IN NIGERIA Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom will be a guest speaker at a high-level summit to be held in the British parliament on October 18.

THE â€˜STARSâ€™ WHO BURNED OUT...

Kola Karim

The trappings of fame command the lust of infinite segments of Nigeriaâ€™s celebrity crowd. Everybody wants to be famous. Thus in pursuit of instant wealth and acclaim in the night life business to mention a few, many have died and more are still dying to actualise their fantasies of celebrity life. But beyond the trappings of fame subsists an ill-bliss that becomes the bane of many a celebrity hopeful. However, night clubs come and go but the Lagos social scene has enduring spirit. Like jetsam and flotsam cluttering the paths of sturdier vessels on the Pacific, extinct clubs clutter the coastal cityâ€™s memories. Often times they elicit random sighs from the lips of the Lagos party

Larry Onuegbo

Udom John Emmanuel Abebe

Ëœ Ëž SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

HIGHLIFE

Heaven Can Wait! RCCGâ€™s City of David Parish Pastorâ€™s Wife, Siju Iluyomadeâ€™s love for Christian Louboutin

any a rich, privileged woman totter into vogue but it takes a profound, perceptive lady to mirror the breadth and depth of burgeoning trends to the world. Siju Iluyomade, wife of the Senior Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Idowu Olusola Iluyomade, is a rich, privileged woman. She is profound and perceptive too, thus she dictates and sets the pace in her social circuit. Siju symbolises the incontestable affirmation of charm and ĂŠlan as acceptable traits in a virtuous woman. Been a Christian, according to Siju, should not sentence anyone to the dungeons of bleakness and aesthetic barrenness. Siju glamourises her trendiness and love for high fashion as much as her love for God. She lives her life like a queen, always dressed in Christian Louboutin, LV, Gucci, Zagliani, Hermes and Marc Jacobs products. For her, few of the notable participants from the British establishment. This event will also attract influential policymakers and top business figures who are passionate about Nigeria and are interested in investments in the country.

YEMI IDOWU EXCITES LAGOS HIGH SOCIETY WITH AVANTGARDE PLEASURE PROJECTS There is something unusual about Yemi Idowu; everything is unusual about him. Where his peers stay content in being ordinary, the 49 years old billionaire seeks to be extraordinary. He does not wish to appear the best, he seeks

Yemi Idowu

Christianity has evolved beyond conservative dress. Among other pastorsâ€™ wives in Nigeria, she reigns as the queen of style and fashion. Although she is a pastorâ€™s wife, she remains the essence of glamour, elegance and unrestrained aura. City of David, arguably one of the richest RCCG parishes in Nigeria, is filled with elegant women who appear in church in elegant and immaculate dresses. But they mostly pale into insignificance compared to the flamboyance of their pastorâ€™s wife. Her pretty face looks more like a work of art. She drives the best of cars and wears the most expensive of accessories. Heads turn each Sunday when she steps into church in appreciation of her beauty, while some ladies are simply green with envy. Her jewelry twinkle with carats of diamonds and gem stones and cause the hearts of many to overflow with longing. to be the best. But despite his predilection for excellence, the handsome dude with tiny frame and mammoth reputation does not seek to become a Nigerian Voltaire or Gibbon, neither does he intend to model his exploits after the great deeds of mankindâ€™s deceased heroes, Idowu simply wishes to be his own man; a 21st century hero cut from a rare stock. A very humble, but wealthy young man drives himself in a Toyota car (bulletproof though). He owns that humongous, first class estate not too far from Chevron known as the â€œNorthern Foreshoreâ€? estate amongst many other estates. Yemi is a former banker (a former â€œNon-Executive Director at Sterling Bank PLCâ€? and in fact a shareholder) and he was also the â€œformer Chairman of Sterling Capital Markets and also Vice Chairman of NBM Bankâ€?. According to our findings, â€˜Northern Foreshoreâ€™ alone has not less than 500 homes of various range from 4 bedroom maisonette, to bungalows all totally upscale. Idowu also owns another estate known as the â€œFriendâ€™s Colonyâ€?, another first class estate where a 4 bedroom apartment goes for about 60 million Naira now. Thereâ€™s also the Mayfair Gardens, Cadogan Estate and Bourdillon Court. He is the scion of the late great Ibadan, well respected industrialist and super sports philanthropist, in the person of the great Chief Nathaniel O. Idowu, the Okanlomo & Mayeloye of Ibadan then.

Siju Iluyomade

ROYAL TREATMENTâ€Ś ALAKE OF EGBALAND, OBA GBADEBO, CLOCKS 74 IN GRAND STYLE Ëž

For Alake of Egba, Oba Gbadebo, life is beautiful and existence itself does not feel horrible. It feels like an ecstasy, rather, which only the king can savour the experience. The joy he feels is highly personal and peculiar to him. Last Wednesday, Ogun State was charged with the grandeur of the gods, men like gods to be precise, as the cityâ€™s high society pulsated to the pomp and charm of Oba Adedotun Gbadebo on his 74th birthday. It was a celebration galore at the Ake Palace. Guests and dignitaries trooped to the palace the way snowflakes trickle down from heaven above. Every guest was given the royalty treatment. Knowing the royal father and dealing with him is like acquainting oneâ€™s self with the best that has been known and seen in the world, a perfect pilgrimage through the soul of the human spirit; little wonder, friends, families and political leaders joined him in marking his 74th birthday in grand style. Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, wife of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Bola, and Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, were also at a prayer session organised to mark Alakeâ€™s 74th birthday at Ake Palace, Abeokuta. Indeed, Oba Gbadeboâ€™s heart beats with compassion that extends beyond the lives and fate of the poor. His

heart also throbs in favour of the high and mighty craving various needs and conveniences to better their lives. His commitment to the plight of the needy inspires all and sundry that nothing looks better on a human than the clarity, courage and conviction of vision. He also understands that while there are many good causes and pressing problems, ultimately our chances of thriving as species depend on tending and feeding the precious flame of knowledge for the benefit of future generations. Thus his investments are futuristic. They take the long and intensive view of growth and posterity.

Oba Adedotun Gbadebo

Sunday September 24, 2017

UT H

& RE A S O

Price: N400

MISSILE Wike to APC

“They know Nigerians are tired of being deceived. That is why they will plan to massively rig the 2019 elections. As IPAC members, you must be vigilant. They will do everything possible to remain in power. This is because the people have rejected them.” – Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Police of planning to rig the 2019 general election in favour of APC.

SIMONKOLAWOLE SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE!

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Ethnic Pride and Prejudice in Nigeria

iddle: name the Nigerian ethnic group known for being “arrogant” and “clannish”. I will give you one or two clues to make things easier. They are perceived by others as thinking and acting like they are God’s greatest gift to Nigeria. They think they are by far superior to the other ethnic groups. Give them a space in public office and they will take a yard, filling every available position with people from their ethnic group. Even the gateman, the cook and the cleaner will be from their own part of the country. When one of them starts a line of business, sooner than later they will populate and dominate that space with their kith and kin. Any guesses? Yoruba? Hausa/Fulani? Igbo? Maybe your guess is Yoruba. They are accused of “ethnic arrogance”. They actually call themselves the “Yoruba race”, meaning they are not just an ethnic group like others but a whole race — as you have the white race, the black race and the human race! In fact, the Yoruba pride themselves as the “most educated” and the “most sophisticated” in Nigeria. Their elite often say “the rest of the country is holding us back”. The solution is the revival of the defunct Oyo Empire under an Oduduwa Republic! There is this Yoruba saying: “Ajise bi Oyo laari, Oyo kiise bi eni kookan” (“You can only imitate Oyo; Oyo do not imitate anyone”). Pride? Arrogance? On clannishness, some argue that the Yoruba are the kings of “tribalism”. Some say Yoruba started ethnic politics in Nigeria when the Greak Zik was denied premiership of Western region in 1952. President Olusegun Obasanjo was initially accused of running an “Afenifere government” in 1999. Mr. Louis Odion, respected columnist, wrote in Daily Sun (November 9, 2003) that Obasanjo had established a “new Yoruba oligarchy”; the NNPC GMD, the police IG and the CBN governor were all Yoruba, he said. Most recently, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo was accused of filling government with Yoruba and Redeemed Church members within two weeks of being acting president! Being classified as “arrogant and clannish” is not limited to the Yoruba, so my riddle remains unsolved. You want to make another guess? The “born-to-rule” Fulani and their Siamese twin, Hausa! I grew up being made to understand that the “Hausa/Fulani oligarchy” think they own the country. In fact, I used to hear of the “Kaduna Mafia” that decided everything about political power in Nigeria. The rest of Nigeria believed (believes?) if you do not pander to the Hausa/Fulani interest, you can never become president. The late Alhaji Maitama Sule, former minister, was once quoted as suggesting that northerners were the ones

Buhari divinely gifted with the leadership of Nigeria. As for clannishness, one of the raging accusations against President Muhammadu Buhari is that he has filled his government with the Hausa/Fulani. Since he came to power in May 2015, there has been an outcry that most revenue-rich agencies (“plum jobs”, as we call them in Nigeria) and key security bodies are headed by the Hausa/Fulani. The recent recruitment by the DSS, in which more people were employed from Katsina state than the entire south-east, is further given as evidence. The late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was also intensely accused of not just filling strategic positions with northerners but making sure they were from the Katsina-Kano axis. So maybe Hausa/Fulani is the answer to the riddle? Or Igbo? I recently got entangled in a protracted but decent argument with a reader over my article, “Biafra is Not a Dirty Word” (May 28, 2017). In it, I broached the possibility of a president from the south-east in 2019 to balance the national equation and continue the nation-building project. The reader objected furiously. She said she would never support an Igbo to become president. She said the Igbo think they are superior to everyone else “and that the rest of us are just making up the numbers”, reminding me that the Greak Zik was quoted in 1949 as saying the Igbo were created “to lead the children of Africa

from bondage”. She referred to a statement attributed to Mr. Charles Onyeama, an Igbo lawyer and member of the central legislative council, in 1945 that “Igbo domination of Nigeria is only a matter of time”. She argued that the central thesis in Prof. Chinua Achebe’s book, “There Was a Country”, is that Nigeria was making progress when Igbo were the ones calling the shots — “an arrogant suggestion that merit is an exclusive Igbo thing”. She added: “Achebe more or less said Nigeria was no longer a country because his Igbo brethren lost their strategic positions at federal level after the July 1966 countercoup. That is conceit undisguised.” Sure, I am aware of the arguments being articulated against the Igbo by other ethnic groups, particularly the charge of clannishness. They are often accused of seeking to dominate anywhere they operate. It is said that when an Igbo trader rents a shop, he will soon make sure all the surrounding shops are taken by fellow Igbo traders. I am aware of the accusation that Senator Anyim Pius Anyim filled his office with Igbo when he was secretary to the government of the federation, and that the financial sector was overwhelmingly Igbo when Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was minister of finance. So, is Igbo your final answer to the riddle? Wait a minute — what about the Ijaw? They were also accused of being “arrogant and clannish” when President Goodluck Jonathan was in power. Ijaw leaders and youth constantly reminded the rest of Nigeria that it is “our oyel” (also known as “oil”) that is sustaining Nigeria, isn’t it? The haughtiness of Ijaw militants such as Asari Dokubo and Government Tompolo, it was said, stank to high heavens. They were accused of walking on people’s heads. The Ijaw also speak proudly of their rich history, reminding anyone who cares that they had an embassy in Portugal many centuries before the rest of Nigeria knew civilisation. And the clannishness? I used to argue that there were only two Ijaw appointees in Jonathan’s 42-person cabinet: Elder Godsday Orubebe and Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke. So how can you accuse Jonathan of running an Ijaw government when there were only two of them in his cabinet? Then I was reminded of the influence the “almighty” Chief EK Clark, the Ijaw leader, had on Jonathan to the extent that Clark’s word was final on most of Jonathan’s decisions. All Clark’s nominees for federal positions got appointed, I was informed, and the militants virtually ran Aso Rock — in addition to controlling the pipelines. To solve the riddle then, we may need a lifeline. But here are my thoughts and personal convictions. One, there is no ethnic group

in Nigeria that cannot be accused of being “arrogant”. We always use Abuja and any incumbent government to make our conclusions about ethnic pride and prejudice, but when we shift the focus to our states and localities, we will discover that these complaints and accusations are universal. Ethnic pride is human, I suppose. Go to India, Kenya, Ethiopia, Singapore and even mono-ethnic societies such as Somalia and you will find it there. Even the most advanced societies are not immune to it. You have white supremacists all over the world. Two, “clannishness” is not confined to one ethnic group. Sociologists and anthropologists are in a better position to explain why the Yoruba control taxi business in Jos, why northerners dominate retail kiosks, and why Igbo rule the motor spare parts trade. More so, every ethnic group uses derisive terms to describe others — “Ofe Manu”, “Awusa”, “Yanmiri”, “Aj’okuta ma mumi”, etc. It is not limited to Nigerians, I know, but why are our prejudices so inflammable and so easily mobilisable, thereby leading to conflict? We have to view this within the bitter competition for limited opportunities in a country where whoever holds political power controls the juices. My conclusion, lest I forget, is that we will never build a strong and viable nation if we continue to look at the negative traits in others rather than the positive things they have to offer. Agreed, every ethnic group has something bad to say about the other, but why do we always have to look at one another from the points of weakness rather than the points of strength? I will never argue that conflicts, prejudices and biases will disappear from our society. There is no society in the world devoid of prejudice — be it ethnic, racial, religious, ideological or regional. As far as I can see, it is human. I am not expecting Nigeria to become the first perfect country in the world. Not so fast. My expectation, however, is that those who call the shots, those who mould opinion, those in positions of influence would reflect deeper. There are no saints in the underdevelopment of Nigeria. No ethnic group is devoid of arrogance, clannishness, corruption, indiscipline and greed. How then can we begin to construct a positive story for Nigeria, in spite of prejudice? That is the challenge. I’m convinced Nigeria can work. Unfortunately, it is easier to destroy than to build. What Nigeria desperate needs are builders, but what Nigeria is getting is a growing tribe of preachers of hate and purveyors of prejudice. Those who wish Nigeria well must create a new narrative. Imperative. Read 4 Other Things on www.thisdaylive.com

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