Facebook, Google, Others Confirm Nigeria’s Requests for User Information MTN not transparent on information provided Tobi Soniyi A new report has confirmed what many Nigerians have long suspected to be true: that the federal government is spying on its citizens through the social media and email accounts. The report titled, “The
Growing Trend of African Government’s Requests for User Information and Content Removal from Internet and Telecoms Companies,” was released last month by the Collaboration on
International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) established under the Catalysing Access to Information and Communications Technologies in Africa (CATIA) initiatives
funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID). The organisation analysed transparency reports released by telecommunications and
social media companies. The reports by these companies including Facebook, Google, Yahoo, Twitter and others showed that there has been a surge in African governments’ requests for
FG to Issue $2.5bn Eurobond Before Year-end … Page 57
user information. According to the report, African governments’ requests are for subscribers’ data, content preservation, and content removal. Facebook listed Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt and Sudan Continued on page 54
Friday 29 September, 2017 Vol 22. No 8198. Price: N250
www.thisdaylive.com TR
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Kaduna Govt Obtains Warrant for Arrest of Arewa Youth Group Members John Shiklam in Kaduna
AFRICA’S LARGEST ECONOMIES RUB MINDS... L-R: Chairman, Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce (NSACC), Mr. Folusho Philips; Statistician General of the Federation & CEO, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Dr. Yemi Kale; Consul-General, South African High Commission in Nigeria, Mr. Darkey Africa; and Executive Director, Corporate & Investment Banking, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Andrew Machanda, at the monthly networking breakfast forum of NSACC, held in Lagos… yesterday
The Kaduna State Government has obtained a bench warrant for the arrest of members of the coalition of Northern youths that issued the quit notice to Igbos resident in the North to leave the region by October 1. The government, in a statement yesterday in Kaduna, urged members of the public to inform the police anytime those who issued the quit notice are seen or sighted. A group of Northern youths had in June ordered Continued on page 54
Kano, Katsina, Nasarawa Reject Restructuring, Devolution of Power Benue, Plateau say it’s the way to go Restructuring will not lead to Nigeria’s breakup, says Nwabueze Govs demand release of federal roads to states House: Passage of Devolution Bill not automatic Omololu Ogunmade, James Ememjo in Abuja, Seriki Adinoyi in Jos, Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu and Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano Kano, Katsina, Nasarawa and Jigawa States have expressed support for a strong and united
nation, even as they rejected the growing clamour for the restructuring of the country. Kano, Katsina and Nasarawa also rejected demands for the devolution of power. However,
Jigawa went against the grain of its neighbours in the Northwest zone by advocating for the removal of education and agriculture from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List in
the constitution. Benue and Plateau States, on the other hand, differed completely, saying restructuring was the way to go, as it would address
all the current agitation from all sides. Jigawa, Kano and Katsina made their positions known at the All Progressive Congress (APC) zonal forum on true
Fayose Declares for Presidency, Vows to Sack Buhari... Page 57
federalism held in Kano yesterday, while Benue, Plateau and Nasarawa voiced their opinions at the same meeting held in Jos for the North-central zone. The APC Committee on Continued on page 54
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COMMENT
Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com
FROM THE BRINK
The Igbos must engage in skilful and engaging politics, if they must compete for power, writes Nnamdi Ebo
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RINK is a point at which something, typically something unwelcome, is about to happen. Did Indigenous People of Biafra’s activities reach a dangerous point where it was a national threat? Was IPOB a threat to sovereignty? Did IPOB create an escalating threat of doomsday in Nigeria? On August 1, 1966, approximately 1.8 million easterners (mostly Igbos) were massacred by northerners in a pogrom which triggered an exodus from the north. The last-ditch peace attempts occasioned by a stalemated power tussle between Lt. Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu and the northern military-oligarchy collapsed. Ojukwu issued a “quit notice�: “. . .Republic of Nigeria should be split into its component parts; and all southerners in the North be repatriated to the South and all Northerners resident in the South be repatriated to the North�. On May 30, 1967, Ojukwu declared the State of Biafra to fulfill his dream for an Igbo homeland. On July 6, 1967, Nigeria-Biafra war broke out consuming approximately two million lives in just two and a half years. Fast-forward to June 2017. Irked by renewed secessionist calls from the same Igbo, a coalition of northern groups issued a “quit notice�: “all Igbo currently residing in any part of Northern Nigeria to relocate within three months and all northerners residing in the East are advised likewise�. Although made 51 years apart, those two statements are strikingly similar. Since the first was followed by war, there was panic amongst Nigerians that the second will be followed by war. Although there is no evidence of concerted efforts to marginalise the Igbos, generations of corrupt leaders entered and vacated office with no plan to rebuild the East from the ruins of the Nigeria-Biafra war – fuelling Igbo disenchantment and growing anger. Enter the 50-year-old Prince of Isiama-Afara autonomous community in Umuahia, Abia State; ex-director of London-based pirate “Radio Biafra�; and leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu. Before IPOB, there was MASSOB but Nnamdi Kanu hijacked Ralph Uwazurike’s MASSOB ‘Radio Biafra’ and inaugurated IPOB. Radio Biafra went full steam, “inciting war� and spitting venom against the Hausa-Fulani oligarchy, the Nigerian government or both. It is interesting to note that during the Jonathan administration, ‘Radio Biafra’ invoked pro-Biafra sentiments and independence. However, during the Buhari administration, the radio went ballistic spewing hate speech, embittered Biafra-separatist propaganda and emotive personal attacks on the same oligarchy, the government or both. Nnamdi Kanu’s bail was expressly guaranteed by some Igbo pseudoleaders and irredentists. They jostled for power in anticipation of “new Biafra� under the progenitor of “new Biafra�. Under this dispensation, IPOB foot soldiers commenced insurgent and belligerent activities: intimidation, harassment, extortion, indoctrination and irredentist propaganda in the southeast. Nnamdi Kanu presided over political rallies, declaring no-voting in Igboland, created IPOB military wings, treasonable slogans, secessionist statements, vituperating satire on officialdom and hoisting the flag of defunct Biafra, in defiance of the Nigerian state – not minding the “Igbo
ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF CONCERTED EFFORTS TO MARGINALISE THE IGBOS, GENERATIONS OF CORRUPT LEADERS ENTERED AND VACATED OFFICE WITH NO PLAN TO REBUILD THE EAST FROM THE RUINS OF THE NIGERIA-BIAFRA WAR – FUELLING IGBO DISENCHANTMENT AND GROWING ANGER
quit noticeâ€? to vacate the north, which had quickly endangered and put the lives of more than 12 million Igbos residing outside Igboland at risk. IPOB ignored rising hate speech and hate songs against their fellow Igbo, threats and counter-threats from all sides – caused by their belligerence. Despite looming catastrophe, Igbo intelligentsia, politicians, governors and Ohanaeze Ndigbo failed to call the progenitor of “new Biafraâ€? to order. Femi Fani-Kayode and Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, goaded Nnamdi Kanu in support of “self-determinationâ€?. Fani-Kayode hailed Nnamdi Kanu as “The Lion of The Eastâ€? boosting Kanu’s ego and stoking the wild fire. Back to May 1966, another Yoruba man, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, told Ojukwu in Enugu after Awo’s release from Calabar prison: â€œâ€Śif by acts of omission or commission the East is allowed to secede, the West will follow suit‌.â€? Republic of Oduduwa never materialised but Awo became Nigeria’s Commissioner for Finance and Deputy Chairman of the Federal Executive Council. So much for Yoruba support but Nnamdi Kanu plodded on, heating up the polity with a brazen assurance while Igbo and Hausa-Fulani made plans to vacate the east and north respectively. In response to Buratai’s snake charming music, the python danced into Igboland to save Igbos from themselves. Are Fulani herdsmen qualified to be classified as a terrorist group? That’s a discussion for another day. However, troop deployment saved Igbos from the jaws of Igbo irredentists. They created enmity between Igbos and fellow Nigerians, foreclosing, for decades, chances of an Igbo presidency. Is history repeating itself? Will Igbos be “abandonedâ€? once again? Where is Nnamdi Kanu? Will fleeing and abandoning the “Igbo struggleâ€? Ă la Ojukwu in 1970 be elevated to an Igbo art and replicated in 2017? His sureties are bound to produce him on his court-adjourned date. There is no standard of classification of terror. American law is not the standard of classification of terror status. The level of primeval nationalities, multi-diversity, ethnocentric disparities, embedded ethnic loyalties, socio-political awareness and democracy is still primordial in Nigeria. What is not terror in America is war in Nigeria. What’s in a name? Does it matter if the Nigerian military made a “declarationâ€? or “pronouncementâ€? on IPOB’s terrorist status – when a pogrom was on the brink? I will not join the debate over the legality or otherwise of IPOB’s proscription. For those fixated with legality and due process, if the python had not danced to the proscription of IPOB, a cross-exodus between north and east would have commenced, triggering a cross-genocide. This country just missed the point at which a second civil war was to begin. IPOB created an escalating threat of doomsday and many Nigerians questioned Igbo allegiance to Nigeria. The Igbos must reform, reorganise, jettison their defeatist attitude, change their mien and engage in skilful and engaging politics, if they must compete for power. Nnamdi Kanu single-handedly brought the “Giant of Africaâ€? to the brink. Nigeria just receded from the brink! www.nnamdiebo.com
THE MAN WHO HAS SEEN IT ALL Zik Zulu Okafor pays tribute to Dele Ezeoba, former Chief of Naval Staff
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had just finished a crucial corporate meeting with a partner in a hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos. Rather than hurry back to the office for another appointment, I succumbed to my partner’s plea to accompany him to another brief meeting. The place we arrived was another part of Victoria Island. Nothing prepared me for the man I was about to encounter. Not the structure, a modest duplex. Neither the number of staff, just five at sight. For here was a man who commanded thousands of men on land and waters nationwide and beyond. Now he was on the phone as we stepped in. Instantly I could feel his impeccable speech that carried the elocution of a star actor. But just as I tried to digest this, he code-switched to Hausa language and still spoke with unblemished fluency. I could tell he spoke this language like a native Hausa. But the man was not done yet. Dropping the phone, he turned to my partner, and hailed him with a perfect, stainless Yoruba language and intonation. And soon they were rapping in Yoruba. He had mastery of the raw Yoruba and the lingo to embellish it. And as I introduced myself with an Ibo name, this navigation and direction specialist switched once again to Ibo. And learning I was from the Ibo-speaking part of Delta State, he spoke my Ibo dialect with undiluted accent. ‘This man must be a total Nigerian’, I muttered. Then it dawned on me that this is Dele Joseph Ezeoba, retired Vice Admiral of the Navy and former Chief of Naval Staff. In the conversation that followed, and focused on Nigeria, I was jolted by his acute sense of history, incisive thinking, and certitude about the unity of Nigeria and faith in her unalterable destiny despite the current din of socio-economic challenges. “This country was created by God to be one nation. Our diversity should be strength, not weakness,� he asserted. “I have been privileged to travel the length and breadth of this country, I know this country
inside-out. I have sat at table to eat with the Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani, all,� he continued. “I have seen the abiding love, I have long seen that our languages, cultures and religions are no barriers because nobody discusses that when we eat or share a drink. It was always in an atmosphere of love and friendship. All we need to do as a nation is to continue to work hard, to elect leaders that love this country and would work tirelessly to find lasting solutions to our economic and political problems; you know, give us good leadership without manipulating the people for selfish interests and you will see how this great nation will explode with prosperity�, he stated. Ezeoba’s solemn patriotic spirit, his sincere hope for a prosperous nation, and his dignified faith that Nigeria would overcome the current political jangles, plus his polyglot’s traits inspired me to pry more into the life of this former student of Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna and Britannia Royal Naval college, Dartmouth, United Kingdom. Indeed I soon found out that he was born in Jos, and had his education in Jos, Agbor in Delta State and Kaduna. His parents hail from Ibusa in Delta State, but of Ibo extraction. Now I could connect the languages he spoke, yet it still remains a feat to me. But it was one of his childhood friends, Chris, who would give me a rare insight into Ezeoba’s character traits, his passion for the military, his patriotic zeal and wilful disdain for indiscipline even as a teenager. “Listen my friend�, Chris began. “You don’t know that guy. Right from the time we were about 10 to 14 years of age, he had made up his mind he was going to be a military man. And he behaved like them. His clothes were stiffly ironed, he wore beret like them and he hated any form of sloppiness or acts of indiscipline. And I am telling you, this was while we were still kids�. Continuing, he adds, “That man you are seeing has an inviolable integrity. As
kids, if he senses you don’t tell the truth or that you are a traitor, it’s over between you and him. And you can count on his loyalty, he was ever ready to stake everything for his friend or brother. He was simply a leader. That’s why I was not surprised he attained such a status in the Navy. That was his choice, his decision from childhood�, Chris narrated. Chris’ narrative, turned out a portrait of his childhood friend. Indeed a combination of fierce discipline, iron-cast will, an untrammelled integrity and loyalty would propel Ezeoba through an amazing career of distinction in the Nigerian Navy. He would attend such respectable institutions that include INS Venduruthy, Kochi, India; US Naval War College, Rhode Island, USA and Nigeria’s Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, in addition to the University of Ibadan, where he obtained a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies and Havard Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. With a vault full of distinction in career courses, certificates and degrees, providence would place this scion of Ibusa on the path to joining that revered pantheon of Navy gallants. Having distinguished himself in several command appointments, prominent among which is the Commanding Officer of the nations flagship NNS ARADU, a multi-purpose guided missile frigate, it came as no surprise that he was awarded the Command at Sea Badge, Navy Distinguished Service Medal and Defence Superior Service Medal, a testament to his competence and professionalism. An American-trained business mogul and Chairman of Sadiq Petroleum, Chief Peter Eloka Okocha, who had followed Ezeoba’s history in the Navy since the early ‘80s also pointed to one strong character trait: his loyalty. In his words, Ezeoba’s loyalty to his bosses and his nation never flinched. “No matter the challenge he is faced with, he will
not breach his integrity. He is a man of incredible conviction�, Okocha stated. Notably, attaining the status of Chief of Naval Staff, beyond professional competence, could be political. Yet many close watchers of the Nigerian Navy and the military in general were so optimistic that it was a pedestal reserved for a man they described as kind, and compassionate, but one who would make hard choices to actualise tough hopes. For his professionalism, he was promoted to the enviable rank of a Vice Admiral. And for his untainted record, discipline, service and allegiance to the cause of his country, he was made the mascot of the Nigerian Navy as he was appointed Chief of Naval Staff. Without the often-touted influence and prompting of a godfather, with sheer brilliance, steely courage and a robust faith in his manifest destiny, and almighty God, this unusual man, a father of two daughters and a devout catholic ran a solemn and enviable career marathon that spanned over 30 years. Some of his prominent career staff appointments would include Directing staff at National War College, now National Defence College, Abuja; Principal Staff Officer, Administration, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, and from Director of Training, Defence Headquarters, he ascended to Chief of Training and Operations, Naval Headquarters and Chief of Defence Administration, Defence Headquarters, Abuja. He would next become the Deputy Commandant, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Operations Officer, Eastern Naval Command and Director of Operations, Naval Headquarters. Ezeoba indeed seemed to have seen and done it all. Therefore attaining the pinnacle of his career, becoming the hallowed symbol of the Nigerian Navy as Chief of Naval Staff, appeared decreed to happen. Okafor, Media Consult and award winning journalist, wrote from Lagos
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EDITORIAL TINUBU AND THE RESTRUCTURING DEBATE Restructuring the federation has become inevitable
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the federal and state governments is at the root of our current challenges and for which Tinubu advocated a “true federalismâ€?. He said many of the 68 items in the exclusive list should be moved to residual list as obtained in the 1963 Constitution. The items include police, prisons, stamp duties, regulation of tourist trafďŹ c, registration of business names, incorporation of companies, trafďŹ c on federal truck roads passing through states, trade, commerce and census. Warning those eager to dispense with federalism in favour of more rash and impractical remedies, Tinubu said what he sought is a better Nigeria, not so much about a new or old Nigeria. He argued further that some of the changes we need cannot solely be bought from the shop of new while calling for a re-calibration of the revenue sharing formula in order to bring more funds to the state and local governments so that they could respond to their enlarged responsibilities.
n a speech titled “A New Nigeria Or A Better One: The Fitting Tools Of A Great Repairâ€? last Saturday, former Lagos State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu added his voice to the clamour on how the glaring failings of the present arrangement in the country should compel a rethink. While urging separatist groups to desist from their attempts to dismember Nigeria into smaller units, Tinubu said: “It would be better to restructure things to attain the correct balance between our collective purpose on one hand and our separate grassroots realities on the other.â€? The very dynamics of the current political economy, according to Tinubu, was to separate people from each other and that such mean isolation that had unwittingly crept into our culture was never part of us. In dismissing the calls for dividing country along some primordial lines, Tinubu explained that “not every split solves a problem. The political mentality, either good or WHILE WE HAVE ARGUED bad, that deďŹ ned a group before the THAT THE MAJOR split will remain PROBLEM IN THE SYSTEM after the divide. TODAY IS THE ABSENCE If one is imbued OF GOOD GOVERNANCE, with factionalism, WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE that perspective THAT WE HAVE A SERIOUS will remain even STRUCTURAL PROBLEM when the immediate problem is surmounted.â€? Arguing that a nation as diverse as ours had not taken the time to give our legal marriage its proper functional underpinning, Tinubu gave a thematic overview of laying the foundation for a new Nigeria, even as he condemned the national dependence on oil revenue and the rent-seeking behaviour such revenues encourage. According to him, even at the best of times and with the highest of oil prices, the economy was characterised by imbalance and inefďŹ ciency. Indeed, the imbalance between the roles of
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n all, we share the position of Tinubu. While, as we have consistently argued, the major problem in the system today is the absence of good governance at all levels (and not necessarily the concentration of powers at the centre), we must nonetheless acknowledge that we have a serious structural problem. We are of the strong view that most of the current 36 states are too small and too under-resourced to be economically viable, such that they depend almost entirely on allocations from the Federation Account, and the bulk of which they expend on salaries and other recurrent expenditures. Given the foregoing, we believe that restructuring the country, as many critical stakeholders have canvassed, is the way to go. Although Tinubu has not said anything new, the fact that someone of his stature within the ruling APC would lend his weight is an indication that a consensus is gradually being built on the need to tinker with the current structure of Nigeria if we are to ensure peace and prosperity for all citizens.
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BINDOW AND ADAMAWA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
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ince its inauguration, the Eighth Adamawa State House of Assembly has enjoyed relative peace and smooth romance with the state executive. On Monday, September 25, 2017 everything changed. The impeachment of some principal officers on that day was a resounding political blow to Governor Mohammed Umaru Jibrila Bindow. The deputy speaker, Peter Sunday; majority leader, Musa Mahmud; deputy majority leader, Mutawalli Mohammed and minority leader, Justina Nkom were affected and Emmanuel Tsamdu, representing Madagali as new deputy speaker and Hassan Burguma representing Hong as new majority leader of the House, including Abubakar Isa as deputy majority leader while Lamsumbani Dill as minority leader were elected as respective replacements. It was simply a smooth takeover of the house by the loyalists of former governor Murtalla Nyako and his allies. It was a surprise that speaker Kabiru Mijinyawa survived the ‘coup d’Êtat’. Notwithstanding his survival, he will operate under the control of the ‘majority’ opposition group in control and this is where Mr. Bindow will feel the impact. Before the storm occurred, the Adamawa state House of Assembly had two groups: an eight-member opposition group led by member representing Gombi constituency, Rufa’i Umar and 17-member group loyal to the governor led by speaker Kabiru Mijinyawa.
The genesis of the crisis is tripod – poor leadership and alienation of other members by the impeached principal officers; governor Bindow’s bossy approach in dealing with members, and pure politics. The Rufa’i Umar group took the opportunity of the issues and won the heart of nine aggrieved members, thus forming a majority 17-memebr group who engineered the impeachment of the principal officers. In a nutshell, the Nyako group now has 17 remembers on its side, while governor Bindow is left with only eight members who may be publicly loyal to him; but will be unhappy with the way he is treating the house. This should be highly frightening to the governor, knowing the intricate working of the Adamawa state House of Assembly which goes in tandem with the general local politics of the state. Looking at things from the political perspective, Governor Bindow has not been fair enough to the members in considering their political needs. For instance, since 2015, the house has approved constituency projects in the 2015, 2016 and 2017 budgets, but the last time the members got constituency project allowance was only in 2015. Equally, the impeached members were also penny wise and pound foolish as there were allegations that all the principal officers including the speaker Kabir Mijinywa were like puppets to governor Bindow. In fact, the impeached deputy majority leader Mutawalli Mohammed was alleged to be in the habit of leaking everything going on in the
house to the governor for pecuniary gains from Mr. Bindow, whom many close associates claim to be stingy. Some pundits are of the view there is a correlation between good legislation and members’ level of education. The Adamawa House of Assembly is young; but has a poor level of education. Of the 25 members, only five are graduates. In fact, Governor Bindow is lucky; the only barrister in the House shares the same constituency with him. Looking at the whole scenario, Governor Bindow appears ‘self-assured’ in the murky waters of Adamawa politics, because he thinks, as long as he has the former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar by his side- most political opponents can easily be dealt with thanks to Atiku’s immense war chest and history of successes in political legal battles that easily scares off his opponents. However, where the challenge lies for Mr. Bindow is that he reads the doctrine of politics in a poor; rural and salary-dependent state, up-sidedown,. In fairness to him, the governor is doing well in terms of infrastructure development. But Mr. Bindow has also failed woefully, notably in the political arena: he made a political blunder in his failure to manage the widening division within his own party and the growing disconnect between him and some political bigwigs in the state, and now the powerful House of Assembly has joined the league of the opposition within. Zayyad I. Muhammad, Jimeta, Adamawa State
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Group Politics Editor Tobi Soniyi Email tobi.soniyi@thisdaylive.com 08033146139 SMS ONLY
POLITICS
PERSONALITY FOCUS
Aspirants Line up for Ogun 2019 Buoyed by the decision of the Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun to hand over power to Ogun West Senatorial District which is yet to produce a governor for the state, many hopefuls from the district are lining up for the 2019 contest. Femi Ogbonnikan examines their chances.
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ecent public pronouncement by the Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun to hand over the baton of governance to someone from Ogun West, a district that has not been fortunate enough to get one of its own elected as governor, elective office-seekers from the district, regardless of their political affiliations, are leaving no stone unturned as they have embarked on horsetrading, scheming and as well, intensified their consultations with political leaders, leaders of thought, community leaders, religious leaders, traditional rulers, market women and men, and other critical stakeholders, seeking support for their bids. Cashing in on the available opportunity provided and jolted by the govenor’s pronouncement and commitment to make good his promise at different fora, no fewer than seven governorship aspirants (Sen Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (aka Yayi), Mr Wasiu Kolawole Lawal (aka KLM), current Ogun State Commissioner for Forestry, Gboyega Nasir Isiaka (aka GNI), Chief Tolu Odebiyi (incumbent Chief of Staff to the Ogun State Government), Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi (the incumbent Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly), Hon Abiodun Ishaq Akinlade (Special Assistant (SA) to the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon Yusuf Sulaiman Lasun) and Hon Adekunle Abdulkabir Akinlade (member of the state’s House of Assembly, representing Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency), of Ogun West extraction, have signified their interest in the coveted number one seat but four (Sen Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, Wasiu Kolawole Lawal, Tolu Odebiyi and Gboyega Nasir Isiaka) among them are reputed to have strong political base, appeal, pedigree, financial muscle, educational qualifications, influence and acceptability among the electorate. These four are believed to have brighter chances of clinching the seat, according to political watchers and pundits. Since the governor has not made public his preferred candidate, many more still plan join the race. Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (aka Yayi) Adeola is presently the Senator representing Lagos West Senatorial District at the National Assembly. The 47-year-old senator is a Chartered Accountant. His foray into the Ogun State Governorship contest has raised dust. He has an elaborate campaign organisation and enjoys a favourable disposition among the people. Notwithstanding, he faces major challenges. First, among the challenges is that he seems to have difficulty tracing his root in the senatorial district. While Yayi has claimed to hail from Pahayi, in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government of Ogun State, his political opponents and rivals have continued to query the authenticity of the claim, alleging falsehood. And this development has reinforced the belief in some quarters, in Ogun West, that the Lagos senator is not a true son of the soil. Some of his opponents have even posited that, if the senator should have his way through, to emerge as the next governor, there is probability, that members of his cabinet would be drawn from Alimosho Local Government, Lagos state, to the disadvantages of the Ogun West people who have, for long, cried foul of marginalisation and negligence. And as a result, they are not ready to trade
Sen Solomon Olamilekan Adeola ( Yayi )
Wasiu Kolawole Lawal (KLM)
Chief Tolu Odebiyi
Gboyega Nasir Isiaka (GNI)
off the golden opportunity, this time around. Besides, the current governor, Sen Ibikunle Amosun, has not concealed his disdain for Yayi’s emergence as he has repeatedly on severally public functions made bold to label him as one of the “tekobos”, who can’t succeed him in office, come May 29, 2019. But others have warned of the dire consequences of underrating the aspiration of Yayi. It was gathered, that Yayi is enjoying the support of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has no cause for worry. Besides, Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, and Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, are believed to working round the clock, for the
emergence of Adeola as the next Ogun State governor. It is feared that, if Yayi can’t get the governorship ticket on the APC platform, he is likely to actualise his bid on a new platform which it is yet to be unveiled. Wasiu Kolawole Lawal (aka KLM) Lawal is the current Ogun State Commissioner for Forestry and he is one of the governorship aspirants that have expressed interest in the number one seat of the state. He is a thorough-bred personality born on September 24, 1962 at Eyo Quarters, Oke-Odan, in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State. Unlike Yayi, no one doubts the fact that his is from Yewa.
In 2011, he claimed close to clinging the Peoples Democratic Party’s ticket for the governorship race when he lost out to Gen. Adetunji Olurin, who was fielded by the PDP. Among the Ogun West Governorship aspirants that have joined the governorship fray, KLM is said to be standing in head and shoulder taller than the rest. Besides, he is said to be enjoying the support of his co-cabinet members. KLM, as he is fondly called, began his formal education at St’ James Anglican School, Oke-Odan, which he completed in 1972 and subsequently, he was at Area Community High School, Owode - Yewa, for his secondary school education. His quest for higher educational qualification saw him through to the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun state and University of Jos, Plateau state where he obtained an HND in Accountancy and a B.Sc in Banking and Finance respectively. He also has to his credit an MBA in Management from the University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Rivers state. KLM’s work experience began at Associated Breweries and Company Limited, Agbara, Ogun state where he had a five - year stint and rose through the rank to become an Acting Distribution Manager. Also, he was at ExxonMobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited for 20 years as an accountant and rose to various leadership positions, including regional head of accounts. In realising how much providence has been kind enough to him, KLM dedicated his life to service to humanity through community service activities and this translated in the setting up of a philanthropic organisation, “Aseele Labowaba”, which has been involved in life-saving and transforming projects across the three senatorial districts in the state. Observers fear that he may have difficulty raising the needed fund to actualise his ambition. Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka (aka GNI) Isiaka, an Imeko-born politician, was a two-time Ogun state gubernatorial candidate, both on Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) in 2011 and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015. GNI, as he is fondly called, is a 1986 first class graduate in acounting from University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University). The 55-year-old politician served in the administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the immediate past governor of the state, between 2003 and 2011, and was Group Managing Director (GMD), Gateway Holdings Plc, an investment portfolio of Ogun State. A seasoned stock broker and a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountant, Isiaka has a stronghold in Yewa/Aworiland and he is taking another shot at the governorship seat on the platform of the PDP, come 2019 general elections. But his gubernatorial fate, political observers noted, would be determined by the outcome of the ongoing reconciliation processes between the two feuding parties to the intra-conflicts. GNI, a household name in Ogun politics is arguably the most popular candidate. But with his mentor, Gbenga Daniel turning against him, observers fear that GNI may have difficulty raising the necessary funds to actualise his dream of becoming the state governor. Chief Tolu Odebiyi Odebiyi is the current Chief of Staff to the CONT’D ON NEXT PAGE
T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2017
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POLITICS
PERSPECTIVE
How to Tackle Hate Speech Chidi Odinkalu weighs in on attempts by the federal government to curtail the growing menace of hate speech, but says it is imperative to get the diagnosis right
T
he federal government has chosen to declare a war on hate speech. Some of its senior-most officers appear uncertain about the applicable laws. Keen not to be left behind, the ruling party seems willing to make a party political issue out of the matter. The desire of the government is not misplaced but any effort to gain party political mileage out of hate speech risks destroying a currency that should be jealously guarded. Addressing the National Economic Council in Abuja on 17 August 2017, Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo announced that the government had “drawn a line against hate speech, it will not be tolerated, it will be taken as an act of terrorism and all of the consequences will follow it”. He explained that “hate speech is a specie of terrorism. Terrorism as it is defined popularly is the unlawful use of violence or intimidation against individuals or groups especially for political ends.” Five days earlier, on 11 August, Interior Minister, Abdulrahman Dambazau, a retired General, informed the media at the end of a meeting of the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), that “a draft bill to the Ministry of Justice on hate speech which will go as an executive bill after passing through the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation to the National Assembly.” Right on cue, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, announced on 15 August that the National Assembly will consider such a bill of a fast track. The optics of using a party meeting to enunciate policy on hate speech didn’t look good. Even worse, the Interior Minister was wrong in law and in fact: Nigeria does not need new law to deal with hate speech. There’s ample law in the books. Vice-President Osinbajo clearly knows. He is a law professor, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and one of Nigeria’s brightest lawyers and it shows. Nigeria’s Terrorism (Prevention) Act of 2011, amended in 2013, prohibits among many things, acts that “seriously intimidate a population”. These include acts that “incite, promise or induce any other person by any means whatsoever to commit any act of terrorism.” The Electoral Act prohibits “abusive language directly or indirectly likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings” as well as the use of “abusive, intemperate or slanderous or base language or insinuations or innuendoes designed or likely to provoke violent reaction or emotions.” Incitement to hate is a crime under both the Criminal and Penal Codes. The rationale for this in law is obvious: hate speech is not protected speech. Four questions, however, call for attention. First, what is hate speech? The answer to this is not easy. In September
Osinbajo...FG had drawn a line against hate speech
2013, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) issued General Comment No. 35 on ‘Racist Hate Speech” in which it clarified that “hate speech can take many forms and is not confined to explicitly racial remarks.” The Committee pointed out that “speech attacking particular racial or ethnic groups may employ indirect language in order to disguise its targets and objectives.” The jurisprudence has somewhat tracked the famous formulation of US Supreme Court Justice, Potter Stewart, from 1964 in relation to obscenity: “I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description and perhaps I could never
Above all, visionary leadership is needed to mediate bitterness and misunderstanding and give every section of Nigeria a sense of equal worth, not necessarily attained at the expense of others.
succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it.” Second, how often does hate speech occur in Nigeria and how serious is it? Digital expression has enhanced both the immediacy of hate speech and the capacity to monitor it. The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) in Kano, which tracks hate speech in Nigeria, has recently published an analysis of its monitoring undertaken over six months covering June-December 2016. Over this period, it recorded 6,258 incidents, a monthly average of 1,043 incidents. Hate speech directed at religion accounted for 2,603 or 41.59% while those directed against ethnicity or tribe accounted for another 39.13%. In other words, between them, religion and ethnicity were the focus of 80.72% of the incidents of recorded hate speech. With considerable understatement, CITAD concludes that “this means that Nigerians are becoming (more) ethnically and religiously insensitive, even intolerant.” Third, why now? Hate speech in Nigeria is not new but it seems to have got worse with increasing political competition. In 2011, following the post-election violence (PEV) in parts of northern Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan constituted an Investigative Panel headed by Sheikh Ahmed Lemu, former Grand Khadi of
Niger State. In its report, the Sheikh Lemu Panel found a pattern of “threats, verbal intimidation, hate speech, disinformation” and concluded that a major cause of the PEV was “inflammatory campaign utterances of politicians….reinforced by the preaching of divisive sermons of hate and hostility in mosques and churches across the country.” In its advisory on election violence in February 2015, the National Human Rights Commission complained of an election “characterized by bellicose rhetoric” and “a rise in hate speech”. Government has been somehow unwilling to act firmly with the instrumentality of the law but it’s never too late to do right. Fourth, how can we deal with hate speech? Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, claims that “all these fake news/hate speech is just to distort the hard work of the government,” and asks Nigeria’s media to “self-regulate or self-destruct.” The figures don’t support him and his effort to appropriate concern about hate speech for partisan political purposes is dreadful and desperate. His lines feed a strong perception that an increasingly intolerant ruling party has cottoned onto hate speech not out of any altruistic reasons but to undercut free expression. That is not allowable. It is necessary to get the diagnosis right. In his Reflections on the Nigerian Civil War: Facing the Future, published in 1969, Ralph Uwechue laments that “the principal cause of our current tragedy is bitterness born of misunderstanding.” In October 1972, then Head of State, General Gowon, condemned political activity “which tend to cause sectional hatred”. Far from progress, the country has retrogressed deeply in the intervening 45 years. The pathology of hate in Nigeria has deep roots and considerable resilience. We don’t have enough bullets to shoot it into extinction. Effective and even-handed law enforcement can help. Government communication needs to be more honest and transparent. To achieve that, it will need to be conducted more in verbs and less in adjectives. Above all, visionary leadership is needed to mediate bitterness and misunderstanding and give every section of Nigeria a sense of equal worth, not necessarily attained at the expense of others. In this enterprise, however, Nigeria has largely been luckless. Military rule profited from manufactured divisions while spouting hollow doctrines of unity. The PDP governments of recent years made a mess. President Buhari promised to change it but has deepened the mess. Segun Adeniyi is right when he wrote recently that “the post-election utterances of President Muhammadu Buhari energized certain subliminal impulses in our society.” Partisanship on hate speech will guarantee that we’ll never be able to get those impulses under control. Dr Odinkalu wrote in from Lagos
ASPIRANTS LINE UP FOR OGUN 2019 Ogun State Government. The 54-year-old APC chieftain is the son of late Sen Jonathan Odebiyi and hails from Iboro, in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State. He is also jostling for the governorship seat in the coming 2019 general elections. Ogun West senatorial district comprises of five local governments (Yewa South, Yewa North, Imeko-Afon, Ipokia and Ado-Odo/ Ota). Bordered in the west by the Republic of Benin, to the south by Lagos state, to the north by Oyo state and to the east by Ogun Central (Egba division), and with a headcount
of 1,109,884, according to the 2006 Nigeria Population Census figure, Ogun West has a land mass of 6.297.64 km2, which is 37 percent of the total land mass in Ogun state. Its sub-ethnic groups are Yoruba, Eyo, Anago, Awori, Ketu, Ifonyin, Ohori, Sabe and Egun. Insiders confided in THIS DAY that Amosun has kept the card close to his chest, of his preferred candidate and has not discussed with any living soul who his successor would be, that all hearsays, here and there, have been the antics of rumour mongers and mischiefmakers, attempting to stir the hornet’s
nest. It was further learnt that Amosun has neither adopted, nor anointed any candidate that would succeed him. But it is expected that, on January 21, 2018, a date when Gov Amosun will turn 60, tension would have been doused and the governor’s successor would be made public. To make the 2019 Ogun West Governorship bid a reality, political observers have warned that, if the current number of the gubernatorial aspirants from the district increases the more, to the existing long list, there is a tendency that the ambition may be jeorpardised.
“If truly the people of Ogun West are desirous, committed and sincere to themselves, they need to prune down the number of the gubernatorial aspirants. They are too many because everybody wants to be governor. They have been making mockery of the contest, thereby making it an all-comer show for every Tom, Dick and Harry, joining the fray. This time around, they need to get it right otherwise, they would trade it off to the opposition”, admonished an erstwhile Ogun State Commissioner who craved anonymity.
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BUSINESSWORLD
Group Business Editor Chika Amanze-Nwachuku Email chika.amanzenwachukwu@thisdaylive.com 08033294157
͡ Ëœ Í° ÍŽ ÍŻ Íľ NIBOR OVERNIGHT 1-MONTH
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Quick Takes NB Plc Unveils Classrooms in Uyo
ALL FOR CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Group Chairman, FBN Holdings Limited, Dr. Oba Otudeko, CFR (middle), anked by Group Managing Director, FBN Holdings Limited, UK, Eke, MFR (1st right); MD/CEO, SKG Pharma Plc, Dr. Okey Akpa (2nd right); Director, Society for Corporate Governance, Nigeria & MD\CEO JNC International Limited, Clare Omatseye (1st left) and Founder, Computer WareHouse Group, Austin Okere (2nd left); at the 2017 Society for Corporate Governance Annual Conference in Lagos ‌ recently
Customs Agents: Destination Inspection Responsible for Illegal Arms Importation Eromosele Abiodun Customs agents in the country have expressed concern that Nigeria’s import and export system as well as the economy are vulnerable to terrorist exploitation owing to its cargo inspection regime known as destination inspection (DI). The National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), the umbrella body of customs agents, stated this in a petition to the Chairman House Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff. NCMDLCA in the petition signed by its National President, Mr. Lucky Amiwero, said DI contravenes the WCOSafe Frame Work of Standard to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade (WCO Safe Framework). The DI regime process,
MARITIME they added, allows the influx of unwholesome goods into the country, such as arms, ammunitions, contraband and the reduction of revenue, pointing out that this exposes the nation to serious security threats. According to the customs agents, “Before the event of September 2011, Customs authority were responsible for the clearance of imported goods at the port of destination. The event of 9/11 precipitated a change in cargo inspection from destination to now at manufacturing site of port of loading, due to monitoring of supply chain mechanism of unwholesome products and revenue manipulation at destination. “Nigeria is a signatory to
the convention of the WCO Safe Framework of Standard to secure and facilitate global trade, which provides multilayered set of standards for container/cargo security, developed to enhance security, increase revenue and facilitate international trade,� they said. They stated the urgent need for Nigeria as a contracting party to the global Multilayered Security protocol the WCO SAFE Framework of Standards, to comply with the protocol by reducing the illicit-cross boarder movement of unwholesome goods into the country “There is the urgent need to initiate the process of memorandum of understanding (MOU) with various countries, where cargo throughput of import is high e.g China, Turkey, India, etc, for the agreement of Mu-
tual Administrative Assistant for collaborative activities on the prevention, investigation, repression and transnational crime as contained in various conventions. “There is the urgent need to repair the collapsed scanners in the ports that is the core on Security tool to reduce the influx of illicit Goods in the Country. There is the urgent need to Safeguard and Secure our nation from the influx of arms, ammunition, narcotics, dirty bomb, unwholesome items and weapon of mass destruction (WMD) through the implementation of the provision of international Cargo Security Agreement,� the agents said. They also stressed the need to accommodate various Continued on page 20
How Govt Inference is Killing Nigeria’s Airports Chinedu Eze Officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) have identified government interference as the major cause of infrastructure decay and poor management of Nigeria’s airports. They alleged that those in positions of authority enrich themselves from the agency and force their acolytes and relations to be employed by the agency even when they are not qualified. They also accused the agency of awarding concessions and contracts to their relatives and cronies. THISDAY investigations also revealed that corruption among top officials of FAAN
AVIATION encouraged by the perfidy of politicians, who demand money from the agency and other agencies of the aviation industry, might have whittled funds available for proper development of the airports. It is to stop such interferences and alleged diversion of revenues from FAAN to private accounts that prompted government’s decision to concession the airports. But a FAAN official who spoke to THISDAY said that every inch of the viable airport space has been given out largely to individuals recommended by top elected and appointed
officials of government, noting that concession of the airport would trigger “loads� of litigation “because it would be difficult to dislodge those that now operate at the airport under different concession agreements. The FAAN source lamented that the agency’s management operates by taking orders from officials of government, those in the National Assembly and the Ministry of Transportation. According to the FAAN official, the average revenue generated from the airports annually is about N70 billion and these revenues come largely from Passenger Service Charge (PSC), rents, landing and parking, fuel surcharge and others. “Lagos makes about N3
billion monthly; Abuja, about N1 billion, Port Harcourt, about N800 million and Kano about N800 million. If we are allowed to manage this money we would use it to effectively develop and manage the airports, but we do not have much say in the running of these airports. Most of the money so generated is taken by politicians, from the National Assembly to the executive. We are usually left with what we can use to pay salaries and overheads. “This may sound funny but it is true. I can tell you that most of the concessionaires who are providing services at the airports were recommended to FAAN Continued on page 20
Nigerian Breweries Plc, has commissioned a block of classrooms, library and toilet facilities at the Special Education Center for Exceptional Children in Uyo, State in honour of Imoh Eno-Essien, the 2016 Maltina Teacher of the Year. The construction of the facilities in the school where Mr. Essien teaches was part of the prize for emerging as the 2016 Maltina Teacher of the Year. Essien, who beat nine other ďŹ nalists to the coveted prize last year, also got one million Naira cash prize, an oversea training plus another one million Naira to be paid to him annually for ďŹ ve years. Managing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc., Mr. Johan Doyer, who was represented on the occasion by Mr. Kufre Ekanem, the company’s Corporate Aairs Adviser, explained that the idea of the school-based project was to ensure that when a teacher wins, the community where he/ she teaches also wins. Doyer noted that the Maltina Teacher of the Year initiative was hinged on a realization that teachers hardly get the recognition they deserve in spite of the pivotal role they play in determining the quality of our education and the future of our country. “We set out with an aspiration to recognise, celebrate and embolden teachers. So far, the Maltina Teacher of the Year initiative has produced 42 State Champions and two overall winners selected by an independent panel of judges,â€? he said. While thanking the governor of Akwa Ibom state, Udom Emmanuel, for accepting to commission the facility for use by the school, he congratulated Akwa Ibom State on its ongoing 30th Anniversary celebrations.
BabsGbollys Launches Advisory Services
A properties and boutique real estate agency, BabsGbollys, has announced the launch of its Commercial Advisory Services. According to a statement issued in Lagos, the new division oers comprehensive commercial services, specialising in investment sales, landlord and tenant leasing representation and strategic asset positioning. The statement stated that the Commercial Advisory Services will be handled by BabsGbollys Properties team of realtors as a result of its skilled and reputation for creating successful outcomes for investors and tenants alike. Speaking on this new service oering, the chief executive oďŹƒcer of ďŹ rm, Mr. Babalola Odunuga said; “As BabsGbollys Properties continue to experience rapid growth, commercial development and real estate ranks high for investors and we are keen about playing pivotal role in helping them secure the right land and properties.The Commercial Advisory Service will help strengthen businesses and allow the team to be the provider for our clients and their commercial projects. The team will handle leasing, tenant representation and investment sales for oďŹƒce, industrial, retail, medical, special purpose, ex, and multi-family spaces.â€?
Qatar Orders Two Boeing Aircraft
Qatar Airways has announced an order for two Boeing 747-8 Freighters and four 777-300ERs, valued at $2.16 billion at list prices. The order, a sign of the airline’s continued expansion and contribution to the US economy, adds to the airline’s current eet of nearly 100 Boeing wide-body airplanes and its more than 100 additional Boeing aircraftonorder. Theannouncementwasmadeatadeliveryceremony in Everett, Washington, where the airline also received the ďŹ rst of its 747-8 Freighters. The ceremony was attended by Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Boeing Vice Chairman, Mr. Ray Conner, and Boeing Commercial Airplanes Chief Executive OďŹƒcer, Mr. Kevin McAllister. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways operates one of the youngest and fastest-growing eets in the sky, and Boeing unceasingly proves to be a valuable partner to us in providing the quality aircraft that make us the world’s third largest international cargo carrier. We are very appreciative of our enduring partnership with Boeing, as it is key to our future growth, and we look forward to continuing to work with this important US partner.â€?Boeing Commercial Airplanes Chief Executive OďŹƒcer Mr. Kevin McAllister said: “We are proud of our strong, enduring and growing partnership with Qatar Airways and we truly appreciate the value its business has brought to Boeing, its employees, suppliers and our communities. As one of the world’s largest international cargo carriers.
“The only way forward which is what is being done worldwide now, is to concession the airports and bring in the private sector to fund airport infrastructure,� Director General�
the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)
Captain Muhtar Usman
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BUSINESSWORLD CUSTOMS AGENTS: DESTINATION INSPECTION RESPONSIBLE FOR ILLEGAL ARMS IMPORTATION pre-shipment inspection processes under Customs control as conducted by other government agencies such as Customs, NAFDAC, SON etc , that are involved in quality , quantity and value assessment of imported goods as practiced globally to safeguard the national security and reduce the process and cost of multiple charges. “Urgently constitute a committee of trade procedure experts to address the short fall in the import process, which constitutes bottle necks and impede the component of trading across border on ease of doing business,� they said. HOW GOVT INFERENCE IS KILLING NIGERIA’S AIRPORTS by these politicians. Most of these concessionaires owe us but whenever we request for these debts to be paid otherwise we sanction them, we would get a phone call from top government officials, asking us to give the person more time. It has been like this over the years,� the source said. The source also told THISDAY that FAAN collects the bulk of its revenues from foreign airlines, which pays passenger services charge of $50 from each passenger and lamented that most domestic airlines do not pay for the services rendered to them by FAAN. “What they will not tell you is that the whole of the airports have been given out. None is under the control of FAAN. Many of the instructions we receive come from the Ministry. Contrary to what people think, FAAN is not generating so much money; yet, what we get is taken away. Look at the area of cargo. What we are getting now is four million metric tonnes a month. When you multiply that number with N7 per ton you will get about N1.5 billion per annum. This gives us about N90 million monthly. But when the economy was robust we used to generate about N5 billion,� one of FAAN’s officials added.
NEWS
Operators Seek Effective Legislations for Nigerian Gas Devt Ejiofor Alike Operators in the Nigerian oil and gas sector at the opening session of a three-day Nigeria Gas Summit 2017, in Lagos, have called on the federal government to enact effective legislations to develop the Nigerian gas sector, stressing that the current legislation of Petroleum Act of 1969 prioritised crude oil production. The operators argued that for the country to maximise her potentials in the gas sector, all the political, regulatory, structural and fiscal challenges in the gas sector have to be addressed and all contractual or policy-based issues legislated. In his lead presentation on “Updating the Nigerian Gas Framework for a Gas Intensive Future,� Partner and Head of Energy and Natural Resources at Streamsowers & Kohn, Mr. Chiagozie Hillary-Nwokonko, insisted that with what is happening in Nigeria and the broader world, the country is destined for a gas-intensive future. Hillary-Nwokonko, who was a member of the technical committee of the Special Task Force for the review and implementation of the previous version of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), stated that the current legislative framework is insufficient to catapult Nigeria into the gas-intensive future. He noted that the current legislations, which were all
grounded on the Petroleum Act of 1969, focused largely on crude oil production. “We have all heard about the huge natural gas endowment that Nigeria has; the large market that we have in principle; the even larger regional markets and the sub-par performance so far in harnessing these resources to meet our requirements in Nigeria. Most of what actually happened in Nigeria in terms of gas has been more export-led or export-oriented. But going forward, I think
we all agree that with what is happening in the broader world and also what is likely to have in Nigeria, that we are destined for a gas-intensive future. The thing is how do we get there; how do we deliver that and how do we maximise the potentials that we have,� Hillary-Nwokonko said. He said for the country to achieve its potentials in the gas sector, effective legislations have to be developed to create the needed certainty that would incentivise investments. “My view is that for us to
achieve maximisation of our potential for a gas-intensive future, a lot of what today is either contractual or policybased has to be legislated and not just in secondary legislation but in primary legislation because that is what is going to create the certainty that investors need to be able to invest in gas projects, which are long term projects,� he explained. He added that the current legislations would be insufficient to engender a gas intensive future, stressing that
there are political, regulatory, fiscal and structural challenges that hamper the development of the gas sector. In his speech, the Chief Executive Officer of Seven Energy, Mr. Manish Maheshwari stated that the operators in the power and gas sectors cannot access funding as a result of the dysfunctional state of the value chain. He argued that only a quarter of the country’s 12,000 megawatt electricity installed capacity gets to the consumers as a result of the dysfunctional state of the value chain.
INSPECTION OF APAPA ROAD REHABILITATION
Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala - Usman (2nd left); General Manager Finance, Simon Egbo Asinobi (right); General Manager MD’s OďŹƒce, Iheanacho Ebubeogu (2nd right) and the Project Manager, Rehabilitation Project, Ministry of Works, Mrs. Kesha Olukorede (left),and other Stakeholders, during the tour of Apapa-Wharf Road on-going rehabilitation ... recently
NNPC, NCDMB to Strengthen Provisions of NOGICD Act Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) have stated their commitment to strengthen the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act to accelerate local capacity development and boost employment. Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, and the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Simbi Wabote, stated
this in Port Harcourt during the launch of Aveon Offshore’s six manifolds. Baru said he was elated that the fabrication and load-out of the firm’s equipment, which included six manifolds with associated suction piles with various subsea tree-frame elements of about 40 per cent SPS scope, were fabricated by a local sub-contractor. He added that the May 18, 2017 Executive Order 003 on “promotion of the use of Made-in-Nigeria goods�, signed by Prof. Yemi Osinbajo in his capacity as Acting President, would further
strengthen the NOGICD Act as the construction of the SPS module for Egina project had shown. Baru said: “As the fabrication and load-out of the subsea structures of the Egina SPS module were executed by a fully indigenous Nigerianowned company, this event, among others, testifies that our race to first oil from Egina field by last quarter of 2018 is guaranteed. “By this feat, we have reaffirmed our commitment to the Nigerian Content Act. We celebrate here a clear demonstration of growing efficacy
of the Nigerian Content Act. “On our part, NNPC is strongly committed to the successful implementation of all the provisions of the Act to improve and accelerate local capacity development in all our projects.� Similarly, the NCDMB Executive Secretary, Wabote, lauded the achievement, stating that since the enactment of NOGICD Act in 2010, the Egina project has provided opportunities for Nigerian companies to demonstrate their capacity and maturity. He said: “With the stride, Aveon can be counted among
the heavy fabrication yards in the country with fabrication capacity of 10,000 tonnage yearly and staff strength of over 600. “In support of investment like this, the board will soon embark on the categorisation of fabrication yards and other major services in companies for specific work scope in a way that will facilitate contract opportunities.� He gave the assurance that the measures would enhance transparency and further boost investors’ confidence and shorten contracting cycle.
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Ă&#x;Ă—Ă? Ă•Ă?Ă‘Ă’Ă? Ě™ Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?Þ̚ Ă™Ă?Ă‹ Ă–Ă?Ă•Ă’Ă&#x;ÙÑÓĂ? Ě™ ËÚÓÞËÖ Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?Þ̚
Nigeria a Safe Haven for Investment, Says Danbatta Emma Okonji in Busan, South Korea The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta has assured potential investors in Nigeria of safety and protection of their investments. Danbatta gave the assurance during the Nigeria Investment Forum at the ongoing ITU Telecom World in Busan, South Korea. He urged the investors to come to Nigeria and invest in an environment, which he described as “a potential platform for business growth
and success.� Danbatta said that the NCC in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), intervened in the crisis between Etisalat (now 9mobile) and a consortium of banks over the telecom firm’s failure to refund the money it borrowed from the banks in order to prevent the banks from taking over the management of the telecoms company. He said that the intervention became necessary because banks are not capable of successfully running a telecoms company that is fraught with high level of technicalities. Danbatta who stated that
investments in the telecoms sector had grown from a mere $50 million in 2001 to about $70 billion, reassured foreign investors of safety in their investments, since most of the investments were Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs), that needed full protection. Danbatta said: “The NCC is assuring the investors that our doors are open and that we will do whatever we can within the regulatory mandate assigned to us to ensure that their investment is safe and secure. “NCC will continue to build a reputation of a firm, which provides incentives to
operators and potential investors in order to ensure the gains recorded over the past couple of years are sustained.� “Banks are not competent to run telecom companies, they should concentrate their efforts in making the financial sector more robust, which I believe they are doing, and I have no doubt about it,� Danbatta said. He explained that Nigeria attended this year’s ITU Telecom Conference to tell the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) community that with a population of about 170 million, it is a preferred investment destination in Africa.
“With over 150 million active subscribers, in the voice segment, over 102 per cent teledensity and a little over 92 million internet connections, Nigeria is indeed a place to invest�, he added. Chairman, Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) and former Minister of Communications Technology, Dr. Omobola Johnson, said Nigeria has a huge population with over 90 per cent internet penetration, which she said, would continue to attract foreign investment. She said investments in the area of broadband infrastructure, remained critical for Nigeria.
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BUSINESSWORLD
NEWS
Ports & Cargo Receives First Voyage Vessel from Singapore Stories by Eromosele Abiodun Ports & Cargo Handling Services Limited, a subsidiary of SIFAX Group and operator of Terminal C, Tin Can Island port, Lagos, has boosted the general cargo component of its service bouquet with the maiden call of a brand new vessel, MV Maritime Challenger, at the terminal. The brand new bulk carrier, which made its first ever voyage to any port in the world and sailed from Singapore, is owned and operated by the IMC Shipping, China, a leading dry bulk shipping service provider with more than half a decade experience plying international waters and with major trading routes in the Asia-Pacific that serves markets in South America and Africa, focusing on major and minor bulk cargoes. The vessel, which has installed capacity of about 39,744 tons of cargoes, in its first call to Ports & Cargo terminal brought both major and minor bulk cargoes. Some of the items it brought include: chemicals (pure ammonium nitrate), fluid transport tank, fibre ceiling, pulp wood, coils, pallets, tractors and trucks. seamless pie and hot rolled sheets, construction equipment and materials, wheel loader, sodium sulphate, are other items on the vessel.
Speaking on the significance of the new line calling the terminal, Group Managing Director, SIFAX Group, Mr. John Jenkins, said the need to put the terminal and its facilities to full use and increase the company’s revenue base are the main reasons the company’s renewed interest in the general cargo business. He said: “We are delighted that history has been made again at our terminal with the arrival of this brand new vessel that embarked on its first ever voyage to any port. The voyage was from Asia to the Nigerian waters, and ends with its berth at our terminal. Ports & Cargo terminal has demonstrated over the years its leadership capability in the country’s maritime industry, particularly in the area of efficient port terminal management coupled with excellent customer service. “The company has made a huge investment in infrastructure and equipment at the terminal in the last ten years and has therefore attracted a number of discerning clients, including IMC, the operator of the vessel. What has been the unique selling proposition of the terminal is the quality of service that we provide. “While we have concentrated heavily on the container business over the
years, the terminal is actually a multi-purpose one that can conveniently handle other kinds of vessels. It is with this belief in our ability and opportunities that our unique terminal provides that we have decided to also develop the general cargo/bulk side of our business. This new line is a testimony of our commitment to excel in this business.� Also, General Manager, Ports &Cargo Handling Services Limited, Mr. Mustapha Mohammed assured IMC Shipping and other prospective clients of the readiness of the company to provide excellent terminal operations that would exceed their expectations. Speaking on his experience, the captain of the ship, Tang Jiang Tao, noted that he has received warm welcome from the Ports & Cargo terminal staff as well as other government regulatory agencies like Nigerian Ports Authority, among others. He also expressed his delight at the impressive equipment at the terminal. “We are delighted to take this ship on its first voyage from Asia to Nigeria and I must say that we are very impressed by what Ports & Cargo has offered us in terms of competent hands and quality service delivery. I and my crew will be happy to call the terminal again,� he said.
Concerted Efforts Needed to Stop Climate Change, Says NIMASA The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside has stressed the need for collaborative efforts to tackle the scourge of climate change. Peterside stated this at an event on climate change which was organised by Senator Florence Ita-Giwa led Cross Rivers State Calabar carnival award winning Seagull Band in conjunction with NIMASA and Heritage Bank in Lagos recently. Represented at the event by the agency’s Director of Marine Environment Management Department, Mrs. Sussana Asagwara, the NIMASA boss said that climate change is now a serious global concern citing the recent Hurricane Harvey and Irma ravaging some parts of the United States as one of the effects. “Climate change presents a serious cause for concern to humankind. The frightening phenomenon has completely altered the atmospheric composition of the earth leading to an intense warming of the globe. It has continued to pose unquantifiable threat to human social, political and economic development. Of great devastating effects is
the unprecedented destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma in Texas and Florida respectively,� he said. Peterside added that the global effects of climate change had challenged every country across the globe to scamper for mitigating factors. “Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as it is now evident in over 193 countries including Nigeria. These countries are no longer standing aloof; they are taking heed to tame this monster. On a global scale, climate change is having profound impact on ocean warming, decrease in polar ice and glacier, increase in extreme storm events and their intensity, sea level rise and coastal flooding all of which severely affect lives in many regions of the world,� he added. Peterside pointed out that the maritime which is international in nature depends on global regulatory framework to operate efficiently. According to him, shipping is the most environmentally sound mode of cargo transportation and a modest contributor to overall
greenhouse gases emission. He stated that in the face of this global challenge that the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), which is the United Nations body saddled with the responsibility of formulating policies to regulate global maritime activities have joined worldwide efforts at addressing climate change through effective global regulatory frame work and adoption of realistic workable solutions such as the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Annex VI which specifically deals with Air pollution. He also noted that Nigeria is one of the countries expected to be most affected by the impact of climate change through sea level rise, coastal erosion, storm surges owing to the stretch of her coastline of about 853km. He disclosed that NIMASA has come up with various strategies which include implementation of the MARPOL Annex VI as well as the regulation of bunker fuels of vessels calling at our ports to check the level of sulphur emission fuels and other related gases of concern with which the engines might be running.
RISK MANAGEMENT WATCH Robert Mbonu
Disaster Risk Management
he entire world watched with trepidation as hurricanes Harvey and Irma made landfalls in the US Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹ĂœĂ“ĂŒĂŒĂ?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă–Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ë› Ă’Ă? ÞåÙ catastrophic events made news Ă’Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ–Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă? ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?ÙÖÎĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă‹Ă”Ă™Ăœ Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă™Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ÞËÞĂ?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă?âËĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă–Ă™ĂœĂ“ĂŽĂ‹Ë› Ă’Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă˘ĂžĂœĂ?Ă—Ă? ĂĄĂ?ËÞÒĂ?Ăœ events could potentially be the costliest natural ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă˜ Ë› Ë› Ă’Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂŁË› Ă–Ă™Ă™Ă—ĂŒĂ?ĂœĂ‘ ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ? ÞÒËÞ ĂŽĂ‹Ă—Ă‹Ă‘Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă‹ĂœĂ Ă?ĂŁ Ă‹Ă–Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă’ $190 billion. Ă’Ă? Ă?ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ‹Ă– Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ě™ Ěš Ă“Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă“ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ ĂšĂœĂ?ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ùà Ă?ĂœĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă•Ă?ĂŁ ĂœĂ™Ă–Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă“Ă? Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă“ĂŽĂ?ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ Ă‹ ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă?ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• Ă˜Ă‹Ă—Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă?ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• Ě™ Ěš ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă“Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă–Ă‹ĂœĂ–ĂŁ Ă&#x;ÚÎËÞĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂšĂ&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă?Ă–ĂŁ Ă‹Ă Ă‹Ă“Ă–Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ĂĄĂ?ĂŒĂ?Ă“ĂžĂ?Ë› Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă?ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• Ă?Ă“Ă‘Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁ Ă’Ă?Ă–ĂšĂ?ĂŽ ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?âÞĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă? Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă–Ă“Ă Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ property in the US from both hurricanes. Ă’Ă? Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă?ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• Ě™ Ěš Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?âË×ÚÖĂ? Ă™Ă? Ă‹ ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă?ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă? Ă‹ Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă“ĂŽĂ? ÞÙ ÒÙå the US responds to all types of disasters Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă“Ă? ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă?ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ă–Ă?Ă˘Ă“ĂŒĂ–Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹ĂŽĂ‹ĂšĂžĂ‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ“ĂŒĂ?Ă? specific authorities and best practices for Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ? ÞÒËÞ ĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă™Ă&#x;Ă? ĂŒĂ&#x;Ăž ĂšĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă–ĂŁ Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ëœ ÞÙ Ă–Ă‹ĂœĂ‘Ă?Ě‹Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă? ĂžĂ?ĂœĂœĂ™ĂœĂ“Ă?Ăž ËÞÞËĂ?Ă•Ă? or catastrophic natural disasters. Similar to an Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂšĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă?Ă• Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ě™ Ěš Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă?ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă?Ă˜Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă?Ă? Ă‹ ÒÙÖÓĂ?ÞÓĂ? Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă•Ă?Ëœ Ă’Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ“ĂŒĂ?Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă?ÓÚÖĂ?Ă?Ëœ ĂœĂ™Ă–Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă“ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?ĂžĂœĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂŽĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă‹ĂšĂ‹ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă›Ă&#x;Ă“ĂœĂ?ĂŽ ÞÙ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂžĂ’Ă?Ăœ ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ“ĂŒĂ?Ă? ÒÙå ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂžĂ? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă‘ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? åÓÞÒ ÞÒÙĂ?Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ Ă—Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă?ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ?Ă? Ă‹ĂŽĂ Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂ˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ă Ă‹Ă?Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă? ÙÚĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ë› Ă“Ă—Ă“Ă–Ă‹Ăœ ÞÙ ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ“Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?âÚĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ě‹ Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă›Ă&#x;Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂ“ĂžĂŁ Ă™Ă? Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ‹Ă– ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ë› Ă’Ă? ÚÙÞĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă‹Ă– losses are set to increase as the impact Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă–Ă“Ă—Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? ÞÙ Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?ÙÖβ Ăž Ă–Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ăž ͚͞ Ă?ÞËÞĂ?Ă? Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă’Ă‹ĂŽ Ă Ă‹ĂœĂ“Ă™Ă&#x;Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă–Ă™Ă™ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă˜ ͺ͸͚Ϳ åÓÞÒ ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă™Ă?Ăž ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂŒĂ?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă? ÞÒËÞ Ă–Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? displacement of thousands of people from their homes. ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂž ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂ˜Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ Ă—Ă“Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜Ă? ĂĄĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ăž ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• Ă™Ă? Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ ÒÙ×Ă?Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă?Ă‹ Ă–Ă?Ă Ă?Ă–Ă?Ë› ÖÙÙÎ Ó×ÚËĂ?ĂžĂ? Ă’Ă“Ăž Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂŽĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă™Ă?Ăž Ă Ă&#x;Ă–Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?âÚÙĂ?Ă?ĂŽ ĂšĂ?ÙÚÖĂ?Ëœ Ă?Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă–ĂŽĂœĂ?Ă˜Ëœ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă–ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ–ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂ™Ă™ĂœË› Ă? Ă?ÓÞÓĂ?Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă–ĂŁ ĂŒĂ?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă’Ă“Ăž ĂŒĂŁ ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁĂ? Ă™Ă? ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă’Ă?Ă‹Ă ĂŁ ĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ—Ă? Ă‹Ăž ÞÒĂ? Ă’Ă?Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ăž Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă’ ĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă˜ĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ëœ the risk of catastrophic flood events must be addressed. Ă’Ă? Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă“Ă? ÞÒĂ? ÑÙà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă“ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?ÞÓà Ă? ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ ĂšĂœĂ?Ă Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ ĂšĂœĂ?ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă—Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă‘Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ë› Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă™ĂĄĂ˜ Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ ĂĄĂ?ĂŒĂ?Ă“ĂžĂ?Ëœ Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă‹ Ă Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ ÞÙ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă“Ă–ĂŽ Ă‹ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă? ĂšĂœĂ?ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂšĂœĂ?Ă Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă? and community resilience to disasters in Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ëœ ÒÙåĂ?Ă Ă?Ăœ ÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă? Ă˜Ă™ ĂšĂ&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă?Ă–ĂŁ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă˜ ÒÙå Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;Ăž ÞÒÓĂ? critical function. Ă“Ă Ă?Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂœĂ?Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă–Ă‹ĂœĂ“ĂžĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĚ‹ ÓÞã Ă™Ă? Ă?ÖÙÙÎĂ?Ëœ Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™Ă‘Ă˜Ă“Ă¤Ă? ÞÒËÞ Ă‹ Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ëœ Ă?Ă™Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ÙÙÚĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂž ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă›Ă&#x;Ă“ĂœĂ?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă?Ă˜Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?ËÚËĂ?ÓÞã ÞÙ
åÓÞÒĂ?ĂžĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ùà Ă?Ăœ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă?Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ?Ë› ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă?ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ĂŒĂ? Ă“Ă˜ ÚÖËĂ?Ă?Ëœ Ă“Ă? Ă˜Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?âÓĂ?ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă–ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂŽĂŁË› Ă’Ă? Ă™ĂŒĂ”Ă?Ă?ÞÓà Ă? Ă™Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’Ëœ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ? Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă“ĂŽĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂžĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă‘ĂžĂ’Ă?Ă˜ Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă?ËÚËĂ?ÓÞã Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŽĂ™ĂĄĂ˜ ÞÙ Ă‹ Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă?ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂœĂ?Ă‘Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžË› Ă’Ă? framework should ensure that appropriate Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ? ÞËÕĂ?Ă˜ ĂšĂœĂ“Ă™ĂœËœ ĂŽĂ&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ?Ë› Ăž Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ? ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ě‹ Ă?ĂœĂ? åÓÞÒ ĂšĂœĂ?Ă Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ĂšĂœĂ“Ă™ĂœĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ ĂšĂœĂ?ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ùà Ă?ĂœĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?ĂŽĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ë› Ăž must include the roles of states and local ÑÙà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ë› Ă’Ă“Ă–Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă•Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ‹Ă– Ă’Ă‹Ă¤Ă‹ĂœĂŽĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ăž ĂŒĂ? Ă?Ă–Ă“Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽËœ Ă“Ăž Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŒĂ? Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?ÞÙÙÎ Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă’ Ă‹ ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁ ÞÒËÞ ĂĄĂ? Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă—Ă“Ă¤Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă’Ă‹Ă¤Ă‹ĂœĂŽ ÞÙ Ă’Ă&#x;Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ&#x;Ă? Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă—Ă“Ă¤Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă•Ë› Ă‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚ×Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂœĂ?Ă Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂœĂ?Ă˜Ăž ĂžĂœĂ?Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ Ó×ÚËĂ?Þ˛ Ă™ĂœĂ? Ă–Ă“Ă Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ? can be saved if we act decisively. ÓÞÒ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă•Ă˜Ă™ĂĄĂ–Ă?ĂŽĂ‘Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă•Ă“Ă–Ă–Ă? Ă‹ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ‹Ă– Ă’Ă‹Ă¤Ă‹ĂœĂŽĂ? Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă˜Ă™Ăž ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ˜ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ?Ë› ĂœĂ?Ă Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă? ÚÙĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă?ĂžĂ?Ă˜ Ă–Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă?ÞÖã than disaster relief and response. Disaster risk Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŒĂ? ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ Ă?ĂžĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă‘ĂžĂ’Ă?Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă“Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă‹ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă“ĂžĂŁ ÞÙ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă?ĂžËœ Ă?ÙÚĂ? ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ recover from shocks. Ă“Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŒĂ? ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă“Ă–Ăž ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ?Ă? Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă˜Ë? Ă“Ă?Ă• ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë? ĂŁ Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?ĂžĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă•Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă“ĂšĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? ÚÙÞĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă‹Ă– Ó×ÚËĂ?ĂžĂ? Ă™Ă? Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ‹Ă– Ă’Ă‹Ă¤Ă‹ĂœĂŽĂ?Ëœ ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă–Ă“Ă—Ă‹ĂžĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă’Ă?Ă–Ăš ÑÙà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžËœ Ă?Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ě‹ ÞÓĂ?Ă?Ëœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă?ĂŽ ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă? ÞÙ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă? ÞÒËÞ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă•Ë› Ă“Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• information can inform different development Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ?Ă‘Ă“Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă”Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ? ÞÒËÞ Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ˜ ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă•Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?ÓÞÒĂ?Ăœ ĂŒĂ? ĂŽĂ™Ă˜Ă? ĂŒĂŁ Ă‹Ă Ă™Ă“ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă•Ă? Ă™Ăœ ĂŒĂŁ Ă‹ĂŽĂŽĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?âÓĂ?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă•Ă? ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë? ĂŽĂ?Ă›Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂžĂ? ĂšĂœĂ?ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ˜Ă?Ă?Ă? measures are essential because disaster risk can never be completely eliminated. ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ˜Ă?Ă?Ă? ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ–ĂŁ ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂ˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?ĂŁĂ?ĂžĂ?Ă—Ă? save lives and protect livelihoods and is one Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă™Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă™Ă?Þ̋Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?ÞÓà Ă? ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁĂ? ÞÙ ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ă? the impact of disasters. Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂœĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë? Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă? Ă™Ă? reconstruction also presents an opportunity ÞÙ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă—Ă™ĂžĂ? ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă‘ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂœĂ?Ă?Ùà Ă?ĂœĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂœĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒËÞ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŽĂœĂ“Ă Ă? Ă–Ă™Ă˜Ă‘Ă?ĂœĚ‹ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ— ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă˜Ăž development. Ă™Ă™Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă’Ă?Ă‹ĂŽËœ Ă?Ă–Ă“Ă—Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă—Ă‹Ă”Ă™Ăœ Ó×ÚÖÓĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă˜ Ă‘Ă–Ă™ĂŒĂ‹Ă– Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă?ĂŁĂ?ĂžĂ?Ă—Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă‘ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ‹ĂžĂ?Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂšĂšĂ–ĂŁËœ Ă?Ă?Ă‹ Ă–Ă?Ă Ă?Ă– ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ— Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ‘Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă– ÚËÞÞĂ?ĂœĂ˜Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă™Ă˜Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă˜Ă™ Ă–Ă™Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ăœ ĂŒĂ? Ă‹ ÑÙÙÎ ĂŒĂ‹Ă?Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ë› Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?ÞÓà Ă? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă• Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ?Ă‘Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ĂŒĂ? ËÎÙÚÞĂ?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă’Ă?Ă–Ăš Ă“Ă˜ ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă’Ă™ĂœĂž ÞÙ Ă—Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă&#x;Ă—Ě‹ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ—Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă–Ă? ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă Ă&#x;Ă–Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‹ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă“ĂžĂŁ Ùà Ă?Ăœ ÞÒĂ? Ă–Ă™Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ăœ ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ—Ë› Ëž ĂŒĂ™Ă˜Ă&#x;Ëœ Ëœ Ě™ ĚšËœ Ëœ Ă? Ě™ ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ˜ĚšËœ Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ“Ă?ĂŽ Ă˜Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?âÚĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜Ă•Ă?Ăœ Ëž ĂŒĂ™Ă˜Ă&#x;Ëœ Ëœ Ě™ ĚšËœ Ëœ Ă? Ě™ ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ˜ĚšËœ Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ“Ă?ĂŽ Ă˜Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?âÚĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜Ă•Ă?Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂšĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă?Ă• Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ë› Ă‹ĂœĂ˜Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹ ÚÙĂ?Ăž Ă‘ĂœĂ‹ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă‹ĂžĂ? ĂŽĂ?Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă?Ă• Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă?ĂĄ Ă™ĂœĂ• Ă˜Ă“Ă Ă?ĂœĂ?ÓÞã ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ˜ Ă?ÒÙÙÖ Ă™Ă? Ă&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă? Ă‹ Ă—Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă˜Ă?ÞÓÞĂ&#x;ĂžĂ? Ă™Ă? Ă“Ă?Ă• Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ě‹ Ë› Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ ͸Π͸Πͺ͸Πͺ͸͟͞ Ě™ Ă˜Ă–ĂŁĚšËž Ă?Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă–Ë? ĂœĂ—ÍźĂœĂ“Ă?Õ×ÑÞ̜Ñ×ËÓÖ˛Ă?Ù×
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T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°ÍˇËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ
BUSINESSWORLD
AVIATION
NAMA Commences Sectorisation of Lagos Area Control Centre Chinedu Eze The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has begun the process of sectorising the Lagos Sub-flight Information Region (Sub-FIR) airspace into Lagos West and Lagos East Area Control Centres (ACCs) in line with its commitment to enhancing the quality of air traffic services in the country. Managing Director of NAMA, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, who made this known recently at a stakeholders’ sensitisation forum held in Lagos, said the project was aimed at “reducing congestion on the available en-route radio frequency as well as increasing Air Traffic Management (ATM) capacity in order to manage the growing air traffic volume and simultaneously reducing delays within the Kano FIR particularly in the Lagos Sub-FIR.� Akinkuotu said sectorising the Lagos ACC would bring about optimum utilisation of the airspace by reducing controller-pilot workload, thereby increasing efficiency
and quality of service delivery. The Managing Director who was represented by the Director of Operations, Mr. Gabriel Akpen noted that sectorisation of the Lagos Sub-FIR would reduce the safety implications of overload on the air traffic control system and personnel as well as provide functional air navigation services that will meet international standards within the Kano FIR at no cost to the users, even as he expressed optimism that the service quality of Communication Navigation and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) would as well be enhanced. The sectorisation process, Akinkuotu said will be streamlined in accordance with the provisions of Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs) consistent with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Standard and Recommended Practices (ICAO SARPs). As part of the process, the NAMA boss said the agency is currently optimising the Voice Omnidirectional Radio Range
(VHF) and also installing a high-powered stand-alone VHF radio as backup to the total communications coverage of Nigeria, adding that controller working positions on the ACC consoles are also being aligned to ensure they are in proper ergonomic positions. He said in order to efficiently man these installations, the agency has embarked on aggressive manpower training and simulation exercises in collaboration with the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, to shore up capacity, just as he revealed that on-the-job training for air traffic control officers at Kano Area Control Centre, which already has a running two-sector operation is in progress. Created out of Kano Area Control Centre which hitherto controlled the entire Nigerian airspace in 2001, the Lagos Area Control Centre manages 15 subsidiary aerodromes within the southern sector of the Nigerian airspace, including flights overflying the upper airspace.
FAAN Graduates 300 AVSEC, ARFFS Personnel The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), which recently graduated 216 cadets from the second batch of officers in the Aviation Security (AVSEC) and Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Services (ARFFS) has again graduated another 300 AVSEC and ARFFS personnel from the class of September 2017 AVSEC and ARFFS cadets. The personnel were ushered into the Authority’s fold, after a passing out parade held at the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA) Staff School in Ikeja, Lagos for the new graduates, which comprised male and female officers. Speaking at the event, Managing Director/ CEO, FAAN, Saleh Dunoma said he was pleased to review the passing out parade of the class of September 2017 made up of 185 AVSEC, 115 ARFFS cadets, pointing out that the event further demonstrates
management’s continuous commitment to human capacity development in order to meet the highest standards of professionalism and best industry practices. Dunoma, who was represented by the Director of Engineering Services of FAAN, Salisu Nurudeen Daura, commended the parade instructors and trainees for the impressive performance, professional carriage and excellent “drill� exhibited. Admonishing the new cadets drawn from AVSEC STP 1-2-3 Class of 2017 and Fire Fighters Basic Class of 2017 to be committed to their jobs, Salisu pointed out that the career path for AVSEC and ARFFS officers is challenging but rewarding at the same time. Salisu said “In the course of its pursuit, you have a great responsibility to live up to the vision of the FAAN which is to be one of the best
airport groups in the world. You should be vigilant and ensure that you do not become the weak link in this value chain. While acknowledging the inherent challenges in your operations, you must guard against temptation, and compromises. You should always put service first before any other consideration as this organization places integrity above all other things. “At this point, I would like to acknowledge the unwavering support of the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, whose singular passion is the development of the Nigerian Aviation industry. The devotion and sacrifice of our staff, particularly the FAAN Training Centre, AVSEC and ARFFS Instructors, have made this day a reality. Your families’ contributions and support cannot be overemphasised. We sincerely appreciate you all�, he added.
Dana Celebrates Nigeria’s Independence, Plays Medview in Charity March Also as part of activities to mark the Independence Day, Dana Air said it would play a charity match against Medview Airline and spend quality time with ‘Special Children’ as part of its foundations Nigeria at 57 initiative. The Media and Communications Manager of Dana Air, Mr. Kingsley Ezenwa disclosed this in Lagos. He said: “In a few days from now, Nigeria will be 57. We are proud to be part of this great country with
enormous prospects. We also wish to congratulate the government, good and most importantly our guests, for their constant support, resilience and patriotism. “As part of activities to mark the independence day, we will also be playing a charity football match against Medview airlines and on the 2nd of October, we would visit and spend quality time with the ‘Special Children’ in our foundation while showering
them with gifts and love. This is part of our broad corporate social responsibility and we are always happy to bring smiles to the faces of the less privileged in our society. The airline said that for over 18 years, the Dana Foundation has been involved in a lot of community development projects as well as providing support to foundations and charity organisations that share same objectives.
AIR WATCH Reprieve for Ex-Nigerian Airways Workers
After 13 years of agitation, the federal government last week, finally gave approval for the release of N45 billion for the payment of gratuities and other retirement benefits of former staff of defunct Nigeria Airways Ltd (NAL). It was cheering news, especially for the exworkers of NAL, many of whom might have given up on the payment of their severance package. But what is instructive about this is the fact that the government that liquidated the nation’s national carrier, NAL was unable to pay the ex-workers. THISDAY learnt that some years ago, the workers were given five years retirement payment after the liquidation but they rightly demanded for pay off. This was after several years the labour unions had cried hoarse, obstructed aviation activities on behalf of the workers and risked their lives and their jobs. This was also after some of the ex-workers had died in penury and or lost their loved ones because they had no money to care for them. Early this year, THISDAY learnt that the corpse of one of the seasoned pilots of Nigeria Airways (name withheld) was in the mortuary many months after his demise because the children of the deceased could not pay for the cost of the mortuary service and burial. It would have been avoidable death if he had the resources to attend to his ailment. In a recent protest by the ex-Nigeria Airways workers, a former staff, Christiana Ojukoya noted that their colleagues in Europe and America were paid their full entitlements immediately the carrier was liquidated, whereas those in Nigeria, Cameroon and other West African countries were neglected for years until 2009 when late President Umaru Yar’Adua paid five years of their severance packages, instead of the 25 years paid to their colleagues abroad. “The sad thing is that I and my husband worked for this airline for 25 years and we both suffered until he died last year. My husband died in penury because we could not raise money for his medical bills,� she mournfully stated. Under these gory experiences, one can appreciate the succour the Buhari administration has given to these ex-workers of the defunct airline. The Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Muhtar Usman, told THISDAY that what happened was unprecedented and this showed that the Buhari administration is a listening government interested in positively impacting the lives of Nigerians. “This has demonstrated that this government is a listening government. The agitation by the ex-NAL workers for the payment of their entitlements has been going on for year until this government gave approval and provided funds to settle these workers many of whom have suffered so much,� the Director General said. He noted that the government had taken a
good decision considering the fact that it planned to establish a private sector driven national carrier. “So by this lofty action of government, it has put an end to the sad memories of the liquidation of the former national carrier and has created a convivial environment for the birth of a new national airline�, he added. But while commending government for approving the sum of N45 billion to settlement the entitlements of about 5,909 pensioners, the ex-workers are peeved that the initial sun of N87 billion, which was the actual calculated pension fund was slashed. Dr. Steve Mahonwu, who was Controller of Personnel Services of the former NAL, insisted that the government should complete the payment as “we would continue to agitate until it was done, noting that this government has started well and would “go the whole hog.� He added: “There is going to be workable arrangement for them to pay the balance in due course. They will let us know the payment schedule. Otherwise, we will continue to agitate until it is paid. But I commend this government for listening to us. When compared to the era of Chief Obasanjo, Yar’adua and Jonathan administration one can see the difference; although under the Yar’adua government we got five years payment.� THISDAY learnt that while the plans to pay this money was on, the Presidential Initiative for the Continuous Audit (PICA) stepped in and cut the money to N45 billion. The calculations of the pay off that came up to N78 billion included 10 years arrears of pension and 10 years of advance payment, which would finally rest all labour issues concerning the defunct Nigeria Airways. But PICA removed 10 years arrears of pension, insisting that only N45 billion would be paid. Since 2004, the defunct NAL was liquidated by the federal government, the workers of the once one of Africa’s greatest carriers have clamoured for pay off, as the airline’s liquidation was a decision taken by Nigeria’s government. With the pay off, labour issues concerning the defunct airline would be permanently settled, but this was not to be 13 years after NAL went under. Mahonwu, who noted that the amount approved was short of what should have been paid to the ex-workers, said they would take the payment in the hope that government would add to it, noting that the money is their right and is not negotiable. He gave kudos to the Buhari administration that made this possible. “We thank those who made it possible. This is a relief so we take it and continue to struggle for more. It is our benefit so it is not negotiable but we thank the federal government and all the people who contributed to make this possible, he said. It was also gathered that when the Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika was appointed, he sped up the process of the pay off for the ex-NAL workers. Being an aviator, Sirika definitely knew the background to the agitation, which prompted him to make every effort possible to put smile on the faces of the ex-workers, some of who live in penury.
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BUSINESSWORLD
AVIATION
The Snag with Airport Concessions Although many Nigerians, including airline operators, are in support of the federal government’s plan to concession the major airports, others have cautioned that if the process is not transparent, it could generate problems that will plunge the sector into endless controversies, writes Chinedu Eze From all indications, no amount of pressure will push the federal government to go back on its decision to concession the nation’s airports. Industry labour unions who are opposed to the airport concessions are threatening to paralyse activities in the industry if government did not rescind the decision. Despite the threat, the government said it will go ahead with the planned concession because it is convinced that the only way the airports could be developed is when the private sector injects funds to modernise airport facilities through public, private partnership (PPP). Also, the government would not be able to raise funds for the airport infrastructure; thus their concessions have become inevitable. THISDAY investigations revealed that major stakeholders in the aviation industry are in support of the concession plan but many are concerned that the process, if not conducted in a transparent manner could result in controversies may result in crisis that could ground the sector. The Managing Director of Medview Airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole told THISDAY that government does not have any option than to concession the major airports. He lamented the decayed infrastructure, noting that although efforts are being made to revamp some of the facilities, only the private sector has the capacity to turnaround the airports for them to compete favourably with others across the globe. Also, the Chairman of Air Peace, Chief Allen Onyema told THISDAY that he supports the plan by the federal government to concession the airports and expressed the hope that the process would be transparent. Transparency question The suspicion that the planned concession might not be transparent became poignant when unconfirmed reports said that top government officials had already slated a popular airport management company in Turkey, Tav Airports Holding, for the concession. The reports might have gained traction when mid last year some officials from the company visited the Lagos and Abuja airports. Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika listed the major airports in the country, including the Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt airports for concession, starting with the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. The federal government, according to the minister had given approval for the concession, adding after the first four, the other airports would also be given out in concession. “We are going to concession all Nigerian airports, beginning with the four major airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt and later the rest. The President has given his approval and we took it to the Federal Executive Council and it was also approved,� Sirika said. A former General Manager, Business Development, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nuhu Adam, told THISDAY that at this point, the federal government may not have alternative to concession, but noted that what would make the concession succeed is the transparency in the process. He noted that there should have been administrative and legal frameworks by now. Adam also pointed out that the National Assembly and the staff of FAAN to a large extend have been kept in the dark about the concession plan, adding that concession could be a sin qua none to decayed airport facilities, “which has been with us for decades, but we must invite the private sector to help government fund airport renewal and development in a very transparent manner.� The actions recently taken by the federal government might have allayed the fear that the pogramme would not be transparently done. From the office of the Vice-President, government has started a process that would ensure that concession agreement between government agencies and the private sector
Sirika
ends in a win-win situation. The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) must oversee the concession process to ensure that it is transparent as the efforts made in the past ended in controversies, which is still haunting the federal government today. Cautious Optimism Industry think-tank, Aviation Round Table (ART) in a recent statement on concession signed by its President, Gbenga Olowo, welcomed government’s plan to concession the airports and said that the action was overdue because airlines and passengers have suffered so much due to poor airport facilities. However, the body warned that Nigeria might have worst case scenario if the process of concession is not transparent. “The ART commends and supports the recent federal government decision to concession airports in the country. We are cautiously optimistic that the policy thrust designed to raise the level of services at our airports is in line with global best practices that will be of pride to all Nigerians. ART’s cautious optimism is premised on the following; that the government recognises the team spirit and interdependence of activities prevalent in the industry,� the body said. It enjoined government to adopt collaborative strategies in its decision making regarding aviation matters and canvassed for sustained and formidable stakeholders engagement of all relevant elements in the Nigerian aviation industry to reassure, gain confidence and buy-in into the new policy thrust. “Mindful of controversies that dogged the path of similar exercises in the recent past together with the need for transparency and the adoption of credible legislative instruments. ART implores the government to ensure transparency; accountability and fairness to all stakeholders and participants, which is the hallmark in a concessioning process and will advertently tally with the “Ease of Doing Business� model. The government could demonstrate this by making it accessible to interested members of the public, the report of consultants it engaged with public funds on the airport/ national carrier projects,� ART added. Gains of Concessions Many believe there are so many benefits in concession when it is properly done. For one,
it removes the funding of public infrastructure from government to the private sector and creates competition, more jobs and profitability, as concessionaires strive to modernise and expand such public utility. Despite the controversy, the concession of the domestic terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, has been a success in terms of facility upgrade and modernisation, according to industry observers. Highest Bidder The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has observed that one of the major factors why there is stunted growth in air transport in Africa is due to high charges levelled on airlines by the state and this include all kinds of taxes in addition to high cost of aviation fuel and attendant taxes on the product in some countries of the region. On concession IATA has noted that there is a tendency to concession airports to the highest bidder without ensuring that the company has the ability to effectively manage the airport, provide on regular basis the expected innovations, expansion and facility upgrade. The world body also noted that when such airport is given to the highest bidder the company may increase charges in order to recoup its investment in a short period, thus over taxing the airlines, which increase is subsequently passed to the passengers as part of the fares. IATA noted that all these charges build up exorbitant fares charged passengers in most African countries which tend to scare people out of the airports. This, it said, explains why in Nigeria with a population of about 180 million people, passenger traffic is still about one percent of the population. The Director-General of IATA, Alexander de Juniac in an interview with THISDAY last year, described concession as mixed bag, which must be managed with care. Juniac stated: “What we say is that we want governments to be cautious about privatisation of airports. We say to them, be careful because privatisation of airports has not led to cost efficient, technology efficient infrastructure. The experience we had from Australia, from Chile, from Europe is not convincing. So we say, beware. Of course, we understand that to run the airport as opera-
tions, privatising or even concession is much better than having civil servants doing the job, that’s for sure. Then we come to the process of choosing the concessionaire, which in many countries is based on the man who is buying at the highest price. So it means that the cost increases, at the end of the day the bill is sent to the airlines. And we say in the choice of the concessionaire, they always should look at other criteria. “We favour privatising the operation through the concessionaire with a process that is not only based on choosing the man who is paying the highest price, we say to government, be cautious about privatising the ownership of the infrastructure, be careful because you may privatise a local monopoly that may go out of control. If you do that, be able to implement a strong regulatory body. And, frankly, there is nowhere in the world, perhaps, except in the UK, that the regulation has been successful.� However, Sirika said the decision to run the airports through private operators was born out of government’s desire to have effective and efficient management of the airports and adequate utilisation of the abundant skilled manpower in the aviation sector. He said: “There are entrepreneurs, high net worth and knowledgeable people whose business is to be in the promotion, construction, selling and providing of airport facilities around the world. It is the business they know how to do and they also make money out of it.� Unions Divided But the Minister and the federal government have been criticised for not carrying labour along. But a top government official told THISDAY that it was not true, noting, as expected, labour is defiant and seemed transfixed in its position as strong opposition to concession. But the workers of FAAN who are the most apprehensive about the concession programme are miffed that they have not been carried along. To them, the concession of the most viable airports is a dark cloud, which is gathering to usher a turbulent future to their carrier. Despite assurances from government that their welfare would be taken care of, the workers still wear a visage of cynicism, especially for those who are discerning enough to know that the labour unions that would have stood and fight for them have been broken.
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Dilemma of Nigerian Exporters Eromosele Abiodun examines the importance of non-oil exports to the economy and the negative impact of the deplorable state of Apapa access roads to export promotion The very important roles export plays in an economy include but not limited to increase productivity, provision of employment, improvement of trade balance and expansion of growth of a nation’s economy. Given the current economic situation, the diversification of the economy from oil to non-oil export is imperative. This is currently the focus of the federal government. The government wants the development of non-oil export process that is expected to play significant role in revamping the ailing economy. But to make exports to be one of the mainstays of the Nigerian economy, the ports will play a vital role. This is because the sea is the medium through which goods originating from and destined for different parts of the world are transported. Overtime, the maritime industry has substantially changed from an industry that was always international in its character to a truly global entity with routes that span across hemispheres, transporting raw materials, parts and finished goods. Maritime transportation plays a major role in the national and international trade and economic growth. The seaborne trade represents 90 per cent of the international trade in the world. A seaport is defined as a terminal and an area within which ships are loaded and/or unloaded with cargo and includes the usual places where ships wait for their turn or are ordered or obliged to wait for their turn no matter the distance from that area. Seaports in relation to trade are major gateways to the economy of a country. They represent a complex structure in a country’s transportation system providing ship harbour interface services such as pilotage, dredging, provision of berths, maintenance of navigational channels, etc., ship-port interface in terms of loading and unloading cargoes and port-land interface in delivering cargo to and from the hinterland. In general seaports have five principal roles. They include: Cargoes and passengers handling, providing services for ships such as bunkering and repair, shelter for ships in case of heavy sea and storm conditions, bases for industrial development and terminals forming part of a transport chain. Seaports, expert believe, are complex dynamic systems consisting of numerous interacting elements, influenced by random factors. Seaports in relation to trade are major gateways to the economy of Nigeria hence, play an important role in the development of the country. In Nigeria, for instance, freight types are mainly containerised cargoes, general cargoes, roll-on-roll-off cargoes and petroleum products. General cargo was handled mostly by Tin Can island port, dry cargo by Apapa port and liquid cargo by Okrika port. Apapa port accounts for 30 per cent of cargo throughput in the Nigerian seaports. This form of port specialisation has implications for the provision of facilities at the ports. Between 1990 and 2005, there was an increase in the cargo throughput, container traffic, net registered and gross registered tonnage of vessels at the ports and crude oil terminals. However, major problems affecting freight traffic include inadequate cargo handling plants and equipment, long turnaround time, cargo pilferage and excessive charges. Exporters’ Dilemma Export process from Nigerian ports is plagued with factors in cross border trade, which greatly affect Nigeria’s product competiveness that result in rejects in the international trading environment. However, a worse situation now bedevils exporters. That monster is port access roads. The deplorable state of the roads has resulted in losses for exporters with thousands of jobs laid off. A visit to the ports revealed that goods worth billions of naira are rotting away in the port as export process becomes impossible. Non-oil exporters have lamented the negative impact of the Apapa gridlock and port congestion on
their earnings. In a chat with THISDAY, an exporter, Sotonye Anga said the situation was causing a delay in shipment, adding that shipment that should ordinarily take one day was beginning to take five days. He said because of this, exporters were unable to meet up with their contractual obligations even as they had their capital tied up in banks. “When we should have shipped more, we are shipping less. There are so many warehouses filled with goods that should have been exported. And when these goods stay too long in the warehouses, they lose their original value. This is impacting negatively on our earnings,� he said. He suggested that alternative ports should be used for the exportation of goods instead of Apapa. On his part, the National President, National Cashew Association of Nigeria, Mr. Tola Faseru suggested that the government should establish a base outside the port where goods coming in should be taken for the owners to pick them up and a place where empty containers should be deposited, so as to ease the traffic situation at the ports. The Chairman, Seaport Terminal Operators of Nigeria (STOAN), Mrs. Ify Haastrup, had expressed fears that there might be congestion at the port due to the ongoing palliative work being done on the Apapa Ijora/Wharf road. She explained that it was difficult for containers to enter the ports because empty containers that had been offloaded were unable to get out due to the traffic situation. Obstacles to Export In a letter to the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), the National President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero name factors such as: lengthy and cumbersome documentation process on export, multiplicity of regulatory/security agencies, high and duplicated terminal/ shipping company charges and process and lack of export infrastructures as the bane of export. The inspection of containers, he stated, is conducted by the following agencies on product quality: The appointed pre-shipment Inspection of export agents, the Federal Department of Forestry, the Federal Produces Inspection Service and the Plant Quarantine Service. According to him, “The Pre-Shipment of Export Company who issues Clean Certificate
of Inspection (CCI) is expected to carry out in pursuant to Pre-Shipment Inspection of Export Act of 1996 section 4-(c) clearly states, the inspection agents is provided with necessary facilities to enable the inspection agents to carry out quality and quantity inspections, price comparison and other process as may be required in the circumstance. “The pre-shipment Inspection of export agents appointed by the federal government is responsible for three major functions: rice comparison (value), quantity and quality (product standard). The contract covers the international requirements with regards to the quality of the product, which is the standard of the product that should have eliminated other agency involved in terms of process and cost, so as to reduce the level of international product reject that is rampant, and in effect enhance our export capacity.� He added: “The following federal government agencies duplicates the process of quality inspection with that of the appointed federal government Pre-shipment Inspection on Export: The Federal Department of Forestry under the Ministry of Environment is involved in Quality of Product, with documentation, operational process and Cost. “The Federal Produce Inspection Service is involved in quality of product inspection, with documentation, operation and cost. Plant Quarantine Service is involved in quality product inspection, documentation, operation and cost.� Duplication of Product Quality Amiwero added that the duplication of product quality (standard) inspection by the four agencies constitute serious bottleneck due to lengthy and cumbersome process, procedure and cost. This, he stated, resulted to associated delays and high cost that necessitated the movement of our product to our neighbouring West African ports. He pointed out that another major factor affecting export is shipping companies’ duplicated charges and charges not tied to service on export. He said: “The Nigerian shipping companies in line with the contract of carriage, handle import container that are loaded back to the country of origin as empty container without any charge due to the level of export activities that is still very low in the country. The shipping lines Terminal Delivery Charges (TDC)
is a charge that is not tied to service, as such charge is duplicated in the charges of terminal operators.� “The excessive terminal charge coupled with various other charges are not tied to services in line with WTO Articles VIII –(1)-(a), which stipulates that all fees and charges of whatever character imposed by contracting parties in connection with importation and exportation shall be limited in amount to the approximate cost of service renders. “The terminal charges are charges component that are not tied to service and it’s duplicated by the shipping company who do not perform any service in the terminal. The operational procedure of terminal/shipping activities contributes to the associated delay due to short shipment of consignment that result to late Loading and reloading of exported containers.� On the provision of weighing and application of Verified Gross Mass (VGM) by exporters, he said: “The verification of gross mass shall be verified by shipper either by weighing the packed container using calibrated and certified equipment as contained in the provision of Solas Chapter VI Part A Section 4 paragraph 1&2, which clearly states, the shipper of a container shall ensure the verified gross mass is stated in the shipping document and shall be signed by the shipper. “The responsibility of verified gross mass is clearly the responsibility of the exporter and not that of the terminal operator, who exploit the system to Charge as much as N20, 000 per container even when the container has already been weighed by the exporter in compliance to the VGM convention. Terminal operators go ahead to enforce unconventional operational practice in contravention of the SOLAS Chapter VI convention by charging N20, 000 per container with other operational complexities.� As a way out he said: “We as organisation that has served in close to 167 Federal Government Committee some attached, which include:, presidential committees on Destination Inspection, Port problem, 48 hour Clearance of cargo, Customs Reform etc,, request that trade procedure committee (TPC) be set up with expert, to address the obstacle and the shortfalls inherent in our system as it relate to Export and Import Trade. This would, in turn, properly position Nigeria for the desired change in other to focus on export drive that will rescue the country from the dependant oil.�
T H I S D AY FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2017
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T H I S D AY FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2017
WEEKLY PULLOUT
WEEKEND Acting Features Editor: Charles Ajunwa Email: charles.ajunwa@thisdaylive.com
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FILE
'HOW FATE CHANGED MY DESTINY FOR GOOD'
ACTING EDITOR CHARLES AJUNWA / charles.ajunwa@thisdaylive.com
28/COVER
29.09.2017
'How Fate Changed My Destiny for Good' Motivated by the conversations amongst engineers at a construction site many years back, young Chudi Kalu, a trainee plumber then, took a bold step to change his fortunes. As fate will have it, he met his luck in the real estate business. Ever since, it has been success stories for the Founder of Africa’s Property Investment Group. In this interview with Mary Ekah, he talks about how investing in real estate can change the life of every Nigerian for the better What motivated your interest in real estate in the first place? I grew up knowing a particular man called Baba Deborah, who actually instigated in me the idea for real estate. He couldn’t express himself in English but it was from him I first heard the word “quit notice” and he could not even pronounce the word properly but I realised that my father who could express himself very well in English was the one paying him rent and it was from the rent that my father paid Baba Deborah, who was just a carpenter, that he used to send his children to school abroad. My father would tell stories of how he was one of the engineers that built the National Theatre but he ended up becoming a security at the end of the day and couldn’t even afford his children’s school fees, but Baba Deborah had something that protected him till old age and all of his children are doing well today merely from a face-me-I face-you property he erected on a quarter plot of land in Ijesha, Lagos. And each time this man came to the compound, everyone will begin to shiver and that was when I actually realised that someone who invests on properties is actually the “Lord of the land”. So I felt then that if I was to also become the “Lord of the Land”, I needed to invest maximally in real estate. Can you tell me your success story as a real estate investor? I started as a plumber. I learned plumbing and while doing plumbing, I was worked on a construction site and usually observed the conversations between engineers and other stakeholder handling the project on the site and got so fascinated. I was a trainee plumber that also worked on the site with about 400 other people. What actually puzzled me and also motivated me at the same time, was how the person who owned the project was paying all the workers. We were more than 400 workers at the site and he kept making payments to us every week. I kept asking myself where the money was coming from because it was not the federal government that was making the huge payments to the workers every week. And then I later learned that some people put funds together to do the construction and so the money was from the pool of their resources. I also started reading a lot of books on how to get into real estate business and my motivation grew. Before then, I had done a lot of businesses that had failed. I started as a publisher, I had worked as a writer for some newspapers and all of that but I was not successful until I ventured into real estate and within three months, I was able to make my first three million naira. Thereafter, we got another project in which I invested in and that project generated about 300 million naira within another three months and that was when I was like wow! If I have been failing in everything, I have not failed here and so I will give this my best shot. And that is how my venture into real estate business started and thereafter, I decided to set up a 10-year goal to retire just within 10 years even though I am still in my 30s right now. And right now I am just two years away from that goal. It is not just for me alone but also for anybody who wants to be an investor in real estate. I see a lot of people make the mistake of buying a property that is not giving them residual income. So what people should now begin to do is to invest in properties that would fend for them in future. If I have a property somewhere in the village or in Agbara that does not fetch me money, then I am not working towards securing my future. And if a lot of Nigerians are making money right now through investments in real estate, then Nigeria will never be in recession because it is not the government of the day that is in recession but it is the country as a whole that is in recession and the country is the combination of every one of us. So if the people aren’t doing well financially, it will affect the general economy. I also discovered that because of the way we do
succeed in life. And I will say it again that it is not where you start from – wherever you start from, is your platform. That is why I have always preached that if I am limited, it does not mean that I cannot think nor invest in projects. My limitation must not be what is stopping. Some people think that some people connive together to set themselves up for success but that is never the truth. The truth is that some people decided on their own that they are going to set themselves up for success. People say real estate business is supposed to be for the rich but I was not rich when I started. Anybody can invest and also make it in real estate. If others are investing, why can’t you too? If anybody is ready to pick up the challenge, he can rise above his/her limitations.
Kalu
a lot of things in Nigeria, we believe that we need to have deep pocket to invest in real estate. I didn’t start with deep pocket. I actually went to inspect a property with N500 that was borrowed from my mother. As I inspected the property, people thought I had all the money but they never knew all I had was just a borrowed N500 in my pocket. After inspecting the property, I sold it to someone else. It was the money that I got paid from the transaction that I used in starting my investments in real estate. So wherever you start from is your platform. If you have N10, 000, you can get started. It is just for you to be able to look beyond your limitations and explore the opportunities that have been presented to you. So it is not about what you start with but about the deal that you get. Why did you choose to be a plumber in the first place? When I finished secondary school, my father decided that I needed to learn a skill and because he was working as a security man at a construction site, he just fixed me up and that was when I decided to learn plumbing work. I was just 15 years old then. The reality is that at the end of the day, I still decided that was the line I wanted to toe. I have done a lot of things that I have failed in - things which I thought would bring me money but never did. Not necessarily because they were bad businesses but because I was not doing businesses that were generating money on a regular basis. What people actually live on is cash flow. Cash flow enables people to invest and have piles of cash that they rely on as their source of livelihood and even help them to retire before the retiring age. The truth of the matter is that here in Nigeria, we think that we must get to certain age before we retire from whatever we are doing. But that is not true because if my income is higher than my expenses, I can retire at whatever age I want and also if I don’t need to go out and work on a daily basis but my income keeps coming, then I can retire. So what investment in real estate does to me is that if I have an investment somewhere that can protect me, it will help my dream to be fulfilled because most people forfeit their dreams because of the present economic hardship in the country. Some people are working in places that they are not fulfilling any of their dreams and are being frustrated on a daily basis; but once people get their financial lives straight, it will enable a lot of dreams to be fulfilled. You started life as a trainee plumber at about 15 years of age just about when you delved into the real estate business, so when exactly did you
make your first million naira? It took me some time from then before I made my first million naira because after training as a plumber, I worked on all sorts of things. Like I mentioned earlier, I failed a lot of times and then by the age of 26, I decided to go fully into real estate. I have lost some friends and I have gained some friends in course of doing this but at the end of the day, I decided that this was what I wanted to do and here I am today. How much are you worth presently? I don’t know … (bursts into a long laugh). I am a real estate enthusiast. I like investing in properties again and again. I do collaborative investments whereby I join others to invest in a particular project. So I don’t actually know what I am worth, I don’t even know where some of the properties I invest in are but I know for sure that by the end of the day from whatever we generate, we are able to make more money from it. What did you study at school? I didn’t go to school. I am not a graduate. I never went to school and because I couldn’t finance my education then. So going to school became a challenge for me and so I could not attend the university at that point. My father went blind when I was 17 years old. My mother used to sell corn and what she had was not sufficient for her to send me to the university. At some point I was pushing wheelbarrow on the streets and I used what I got from pushing the wheelbarrow to pay for my younger ones school fees. If I didn’t do that, it meant that their education would have stopped like mine did. But today, even though I couldn’t study at the time, by the grace of God, I am privileged today and currently I’m running a programme in one of the best universities in the world. So it is not all about how you set out in life but it is actually about if you are able to continue with what you set out to do. I have been privileged to be one of the first set of people in this country to be invited by the United Nations to the Conference of the Parties (COP) Convention on Climate Change, where I was privileged to talk on real estate and the opportunities that it has for this country. During that period, I also met with a former governor of Delta State who was also invited for the programme amongst other dignitaries from Nigeria. Those are some of the rare opportunities that my sojourn in real estate business has afforded me. Now things have really picked up and this means that sometimes we will fall but we can always pick up ourselves and people need to be motivated inwardly for them to really
So how were you able to get to the stage of physical and intellectual reform that you are today? I read voraciously. I was 15 when I read Ben Carson’s “Gifted Hands” and this particular book propelled me and my reading habit. There was a time that I read five books on a weekly basis. I realised that I learn very fast when I read on my own. I have grown with that habit and up till now I still read very widely. And it is whatever you deposit in the inside that you are able to give on the outside. So it is not a mere me doing this but those that have taught me through their books. Are you married? Yes, I am presently married to a beautiful wife and we have lovely kids. I am always proud and very excited to talk about them. I have a boy and a girl and that is all I want. What would be your advice to Nigerians with regards to investment in real estate? Basically, I will recommend that anybody who is investing in real estate at this time should not just buy plots of land but should invest for cash flow reason, being that it is the investment that you make money from that will pay you over time. Cash flow is simply when you are enjoying consistent income for your investment. There is a research that states that 80 per cent of people currently working will be broke and penniless by the time they get to 50 years old. To avoid being amongst these ones, it is advisable that now that you are working, you should be able to ask yourself, what you should invest in that would be fetching you money when you get to that particular age. Government won’t do that for you because you have to take up the responsibility of overseeing your finances. So real estate gives people leverage. Like I have said, real estate is not for the rich but an opportunity for people to be rich. So what we are creating now is a situation where you don’t need to have all the money but you can simply invest in a property and own a share in the property and also have something to rely on in future. So I would tell people that they should not just invest for emotional reason but for cash flow. We live in a country where people want to own their own houses before they invest in real estate and again, that you have a house does not mean that you are a real estate investor. That I own a house does not mean I am making money from the house. So I don’t necessarily have to be a landlord for me to invest in real estate. Now what my investment does is that, it helps me to be a Landlord that I want to be. Being a real estate investor does not mean buying a land and keeping it fallow for so many years without doing anything on it. Why not invest that money in a cash flow project through which I can earn money from it and I can channel it into building my own house knowing that at least my money is working for me. But what some people do is that they trap their money somewhere, the money trapped is not working for them but they are expecting that someday, the property will appreciate.
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Bello: The Security Anambra is Enjoying Today was As a Result of the Efforts of Peter Obi Former Commissioner of Police in Anambra State from 2006 to 2010, Alhaji Amusa Bello, in this interview with Mabel Benson, speaks on what it was like during his eventful tenure fighting kidnapping, violent crimes, armed robbery and the various steps taken that culminated in improved security in Anambra
Bello
As a former Commissioner of Police in Anambra State and one who knew the terrain of the state, how would you describe the security of the state at the time you arrived? What would have happened in Anambra State is a reminiscence of what is happening in the North-east now. At the time I came, the state had serious security challenges, but the former governor of the state, Mr. Peter Obi was very prompt and nipped it in the bud. Former governor Peter Obi met the then Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Gabriel Ehindero in 2006 and complained about insecurity in Anambra State and the need for Police High Command to tackle it. The IG of police, having assessed the insecurity in Anambra then with his high command management team, decided to raise a crack squad, comprising late Haruna John, who was then the DCP in charge of operations, Lagos State Command, and my humble self who was DCP in-charge of Force CID, Area 10, Abuja, with some other officers like Alhaji Saleh Tanko and others to attack the insecurity head on. We were given all the logistic support in terms of funding, personnel to work with and armaments. We were based in Onitsha, because Onitsha seems to be the headquarters of these criminals. We organised various operations, using Onitsha as our operational base. We were equally operating from Asaba. Akpaka Forest Onitsha, near 33 Nkwere Ezunaka was a-no-go area then. Any person can be kidnapped and taken to Akpaka Forest, so nobody moves into Akpaka Forest anyhow. The joint operation that went to Akpaka Forest were also supported by the military from 82 Division Enugu with General Purpose machine guns and other arsenals. The army military base from Onitsha was getting support from 82 Division and that was how we launched offensive attack on the ‘terrorists’ as led by Haruna John and my humble self. Apart from the Akpaka Forest operation, there were other places like the Fegge in Onitsha that we tackled. Did you experience fatality during these operations? Normally, but due to the coordination and experience we deployed, the number of casualties we recorded was nothing compared to our successes. There was a particular day I was almost killed at Cemetery Road Onitsha because we received a distress call that robbers were
operating there, I led my men to the place with OC SARS at Awkuzu, Awka, Gabriel Haruna. We met near-death experiences and even lost some of our men in those critical times. We launched operation in all the flag points and subdued the criminals, while the remnants moved out of the state. We operated from Onitsha, because the area was mostly infested. Mr. Peter Obi, thereafter had various meetings with the traditional rulers and various stakeholders in Anambra State because he himself was operating from Onitsha Government House. He moved Government House then to Onitsha to feel what the people were feeling and every support was given by him to the security agencies both the police and other sister agencies. Peter Obi funds the operation and gave us weekly allowance. Vehicles and logistics were provided, not only to the police but other service agencies, the military, the DSS and the Vigilante and others. We were having regular meetings with the former governor and other stakeholders on strategies and areas of focus where information from stakeholders were analysed. We were able to dislodge these hoodlums from Akpaka Forest. Vehicles that were earlier snatched and taken to Akpaka Forest were recovered in the forest. There was a particular day the sector commander SARS in Onitsha was seriously wounded at Akpaka Forest. He went and marched on improvised explosives. We never knew he would survive that incident but he latter survived. But at last we recovered the forest, which was then like the Sambisa Forest. What other things did government do to assist you? Plenty, former governor Peter Obi purchased and gave us armoured protection carriers, which was unusual. The headquarters of SARS was relocated at Awkuzu because Awka was so vulnerable. Part of the party secretariat offices built during IBB’s administration was what we used at Awkuzu because that place was another den of criminals. Mr. Obi did not only fence the SARS headquarters but made it a bullet proof fencing in such a way that when you are bombarding the fence, no bullet could penetrate. The SARs detective themselves adopted a sentry that is solid apart from the one we used sand bags at the entrance gate so that at a glance, when any attack is coming up, the attacker will be identified in good time. Severally, bank robbery and robbing of bullion
vehicles were crimes that were prevalent in Anambra then, including kidnapping and so on but we made sure that we had fully armed men at strategic points. I cannot go into details of various high level operations we engaged in, but that was actually the time security started to return to the state, because in his last five years in office, those violent crimes like bank attacks did not occur. The security the state is enjoying today was as a result of the efforts of those days. It was like a war theatre, so ferocious that we had to lose the DPO, Awka, a CSP. Chris Ezike, who is now Imo State CP was part of the struggle to liberate Anambra State those days. It appears the police and other security agencies did not enjoy cordial relationship in Anambra until you came to establish one with Obi’s administration which helped you nip kidnapping and armed robbery in the bud. Can one rightly say that you performed the magic wand? It is a well-known fact that before the emergence of Mr. Peter Obi as the governor of Anambra State, there was no good relationship between the governor, CP, and police officers. The emergence of Mr. Peter Obi as Anambra governor brought about a synergy between the government, the police and the community as well as other security agencies and vigilance groups. After bringing sanity to Anambra state in 2006, the IGP directed Haruna John and myself to take over police headquarters in Amawbia. Haruna John, who was my senior then, took over as police CP, and my humble self took over as DCP, Anambra State. There were lots of innovations brought about by Mr. Peter Obi at the police headquarters at his expense. He provided money, we put up structures and the state headquarters was given a face lift. He financed state headquarters, fenced it, provided infrastructure, procured communications vehicles, armoured cars, and provided weekly allowances of all officers and men of Anambra State Police Command. So, the morale was very high. There were constant meetings with other services, the military and other para-military services in the service. We co-opted the vigilante. We were working together because we used the vigilante very well in Anambra State. I disabused the minds of my officers who countered the formation of vigilante. I made them understand that they
have not taken over our duty. There must be synergy and that was why I often invite them for meetings, to integrate them into what we were doing. Obi’s administration provided over 600 patrol vehicles to various security agencies in the state including Immigration, NDLEA, FRSC, Nigerian Prisons and others. He fenced some police formations and fenced the Army Barracks, he worked for the siting of Naval Outpost in Odekpe and over 250 vehicles for vigilance groups in markets and communities. He started the demolition of property owned by kidnappers and his Chairmanship of South East Governors Forum for years brought about the needed synergy between the governors to chase away dreaded armed robbers from the South-east. He started Security Trust fund. Evans, the richest kidnapper was chased out of Anambra during your time as CP, and he also confessed running away during Obi’s administration? Yes, so many armed robbers and kidnappers relocated from Anambra and Evans must have ran away during that time because if we had spotted him, I don’t think he will still be in existence. He was very lucky to have escaped because if he had remained, he would have died. How true was it that armed robbers attacked from the river? If only Anambra people know what Obi did for them. When pirates were intercepting people, along Ogbaru, Ogwuikpele to Delta areas, Peter Obi pronounced the operation which was led by my AC operations, ACP Sali Tanko and they dislodged all the sea pirates and bandits. They were intercepting traders along the River Niger. Tanko left Aba where he was then to Anambra because we needed him. Obi did much to Anambra State without the fanfare people expected. He was interested in results rather than noise making. He was in touch minute by minute. Can we say that Peter Obi started the Security Trust Fund in Anambra? Yes he did? Though, I had left the state before its implementation but he actually started it because the funding was so massive because he needed something that will support the government and that was why he introduced the Security Trust Fund.
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35 Years After, Agbani Community Takes a Directional Course Stories by Mary Ekah The Agbani Community Union in Lagos is presently navigating a new and progressive direction with its new crop of leadership headed by the Union’s President General, Udo Chuma Chukwu. Agbani, located in Nkanu West Local Government area of Enugu State, Nigeria, is said to be home to the diverse Eke Market and several institutions of learning such as the Nigerian Law School, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Renaissance University, Mea Metea School, Airforce School. Agbani is seen as a student town because of the presence of students all year round. In a chat with THISDAY, the Union President, Chukwu, revealed that Agbani is one of the oldest towns in Nkanu and it is more or a less a homogeneous state in the Eastern part of Nigeria. According to him, “Agbani has from 1910 up till today been the headquarters and commercial nerve centre of Nkanu North senatorial district. And in Enugu today, we have three major senatorial zones – Enugu North, Enugu West and Nkanu. And Agbani can be described as a university town in that we have a cluster of universities in the town and also a cluster of so many secondary schools and other higher institutions. “What actually is making news today is the fact that in the last 35 years, Agbani
President General, Agbani Community Union in Lagos, Mr. Udo
people in Lagos have been living without having a definite crop of leaders to steer its progress in Lagos and home. But recently, things took a different dimension with the election into office of new leaders to take the Agbani Community Union in Lagos to an enviable level.” Chukwu, who described himself as the millennium president of the Lagos Union, added: “In the last 35 years, we have not had elections in Lagos. And then just about three months ago we held an election during which, by the grace of God, my people unanimously elected me their president and then also our Chairman emeritus, Chief Tony Njoku, handed over leadership to my team.” He said further that “prior to this time and
within the last 35 years, Chief Njoku held on as president, combining the Lagos branch and also as the National President. Along the line, there were periods of infighting amongst the union for over 16 years but graciously, the union came together and decided to hold an election and I contested against other erudite sons of Agbani and emerged the winner.” On how he plans to close the lapses that must have existed in the union for the last 35 years that had apparently witnessed a sort of anarchy amongst members, he said, “I can tell you that we got prepared coming into governance of Agbani and we have looked at Agbani from socio-economy and political points of view and we said within ourselves that it is incumbent on us to address the areas I have just mentioned. And we hope that God enabling us, we would impact on the economic, social and political spheres of Agbani community.” Chukwu, a graduate of History and International Studies, a community leader and a general consultant, said further that the union intends not only to empower the Agbani people but to also create an enabling entrepreneurship skills acquisition scheme, drawing from the rich repertoire of knowledge inherent in Agbani to boost our economy, adding, “If a man is hungry, he is angry but if you create an enabling atmosphere where the man is able to feed himself, then automatically every other thing falls into place.”
Cleric Unveils Stockpile of Predictions for 2017 and Beyond Founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Isolo, Lagos, Primate Babatunde Elijah Ayodele, has unleashed revelations of things to come in the year 2017, 2018 and beyond in a book form. The Holy Spirit inspired 2017/2018 and beyond edition of the book of divine messages compiled by the prophet and titled, ‘Warnings to the Nations – A Collection of Divine Signals’, is a compilation of happenings expected to take place in future in Nigeria and the world over, some of which have already taken place within April 2017, the period they were conceived, and now. Some messages in book received since April 2017, according to the prophet, have already come to pass namely, the crisis about the election in Kenya, flood disaster in different parts of the world, the political issues in Togo amongst others. Addressing journalists during the formal presentation of the book of prophecies in Lagos, Ayodele said, “As you read the book, you will come across messages about Nigeria from
Primate Babatunde Ayodele
2017 to 2019 and beyond and other divinely revealed future happenings,” adding, “I want to assure you that irrespective of your religious inclination, you will come across messages that will touch your heart in this book.” The book, the author explained further, contains prophetic messages about nations, governments, institutions, the economy, amongst other things. It also contains
messages about sports, energy, climate, politics, health and so on. Ayodele, who averred that majority of people do not know how to interpret prophetic statements, noted, “I am surprised when people interpret prophecies like poems or newspapers stories.” He therefore warned that prophetic messages have deeper meanings and thus requires one’s inner mind to be at work when reading meanings to prophecies so as to be divinely guided. “You need a divine wisdom to do it right. A very good example is the divine words of God during the last general election in Nigeria. God’s words have spiritual codes and only the spiritually discerning minds can get it right. God is not man,” he said. The cleric, who claimed that Nigeria is at the moment in a very confused state, stressed that the nation needs serious prayers at this particular moment to enable the nation move forward , most especially as the country approaches the 2019 polls.
Nigerian Breweries Leads as Beer Festival Debuts The first Nigeria Beer Festival is living up to its billing as Lagosians continue to enjoy the excitement, fun and entertainment that pervade the Atlantic City Waterfront, venue of the festival. The event which kicked off on Monday, September 25, opens daily with hundreds of fun seekers trooping to the waterfront to enjoy the carnival. The weeklong festival boasts of the largest community of beer consumers from across the country. Nigerian Breweries Plc, the foremost brewer in the country, has proved to be the dominant attraction at the event with its array of products to provide enjoyment to consumers. The company has taken the lead in terms of the most visible and exciting branding with its products available for tasting and exhibition. Consumers grabbed the opportunity to sample and enjoy the variety of brands from the brewers’ portfolio. Brands like Heineken, Star, Goldberg, Gulder, 33 Export and others were readily available for the crowd. Kufre Ekanem, Nigerian Breweries’ Corporate Affairs Adviser, explained that the company’s involvement in the beer festival is to reinforce the culture of beer as a social
Ikoyi Club Commences 79th Anniversary The 79th anniversary of the Ikoyi Club is taking a different dimension from the previous years as it kicked off last Monday with a weeklong exhibition from various sectors of the economy. The exhibition, which will have various stakeholders from all the major sub-sector of the Nigerian economy exhibit their products all through the week, organisers said was first of its kind in the history of the anniversary celebration of the Africa's premier club. At a press conference held at the club’s office in Ikoyi, Lagos, to herald the commencement of the 79th anniversary activities of the club, organisers said this year’s anniversary was very significant as it is a build-up to the club’s landmark 80th anniversary next year. The club’s Chairman, Babatunde Akinleye, explained that globally it was difficult to find an establishment like Ikoyi Club in terms of size and diversity of its offerings, coupled with the fact that it is still in its full glory 79 years down the line. This he said was a testimony to the memory of those who set it up and put the structures in place to enable it to stand the test of time. Akinyele said that the club has a tradition of celebrating its anniversary every year, an avenue that not just celebrate the members but also allows the club to look back at its progress in the previous year and also to contribute to the society in various ways such as the club’s annual charity visits to the less-privileged homes as well as the anniversary lecture, which afford them the opportunity to contribute to the discourse in the society. High points of the anniversary activities include the Elders’ Day which held on Wednesday September 27; the anniversary lecture which held on Thursday, September 28 with the topic: Nigeria’s Economic Diversification – The Role of Agriculture for Sustainable Wealth Creation. The speaker for the lecture was the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh while the Chairman/Keynote speaker was the Chairman Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote. The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode was the host at the lecture while the grand finale of the Club’s anniversary will be a dinner party on Saturday, September 30, featuring the renowned Sugar Band as the guest artist of the day.
Organisers Announce Hosts of Lagos Inter Schools Cup Competition Organisers of the yearly Lagos Inter Schools Cup have picked four schools as venues for the third edition of the competition. Coordinator of the event and CEO of Wonderland Sports, Tayo Adeyemo, said Supreme Education Foundation Schools Magodo and Effortswill Schools, Ejigbo, will host matches involving Secondary Schools while Honeyland College, Ipaja and Tee-Tops Schools, Magodo, will serve as venue for Primary School category. The four schools will serve as venue for the third edition of the competition which has three categories; Primary boys, college boys and the new entrant, College girls. He expressed gratitude to the management of the four schools for providing the facilities free. “After visiting some proposed venues, we have decided to pick the four schools due to their friendly nature and kind sporting environment which are ideal for the competition. We were satisfied with what we saw on ground, couple with the keen interest shown by the management of the schools to host us and contribute their corporate social responsibility by supporting Nigerian children through sports.” He revealed that the female category has been included in the third edition due to the interest by female students. “We want to give our girls the opportunity to also show case their talents.” A total of 76 private schools are expected to participate in the third edition. The competition is aimed at providing opportunities to children to demonstrate their sporting prowess and build up a child physically.
WARIF to Launch New ‘Gatekeepers’ Initiative
L-R: General Manager, On and One Events Limited, Akinola Oluwaleimu, Organisers of Nigeria Beer Festival; Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Kufre Ekanem, and Corporate Communications and Brand PR Manager, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Patrick Olowokere at the Nigeria Beer Festival at Eko Atlantic, Lagos
lubricant, which brings people from diverse backgrounds to unite in enjoyment through responsible drinking. He added that the beer festival would impact positively on the nation’s economy through its tourism channels. “As the nation’s foremost brewer, we want to ensure that the Nigeria Beer Festival is rich in various beer brands that would
connect with diverse consumers in a unifying and responsible manner. We are also here to promote responsible drinking among consumers and fun seekers,” he said. Organisers of the event have said that the festival is indeed a carnival of entertainment, sales, tourism and a gathering of the largest community of beer consumers from across the country.
The Women at Risk International Foundation is set to launch its new initiative in partnership with the ACT Foundation called The Gatekeepers initiative. This project aims to address the issue of gender based violence in the rural areas through traditional birth attendants (TBA), also known as traditional midwives or community midwives. These are women who are regarded as pregnancy and childbirth care specialists and provide the majority of primary maternity care in many developing countries based on their experience and knowledge acquired informally through the traditions and practices of the communities where they originated. TBA’s are the first choice when it comes to healthcare for expectant mothers, women and their children in the rural areas as they are considered trusted members of their communities and are held in high regard. In addition, misconceptions held about primary healthcare centres such as death from caesarean sections, harsh and unsympathetic treatment from nurses and staff and exorbitant hospital fees contribute to TBAs being the primary health providers to these women.
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One of the developmental projects executed by the company
The Corporate Caregivers Eroton Exploration and Production Company is leading the charge in attending to its community needs, writes Solomon Elusoji Corporate Social Responsibility, the idea that businesses should strive to ‘give back’ to their communities, has a long, cherished history. In his book ‘The Social Responsibilities of Business’, Morrell Heald posited that the idea and practice of CSR started to gain traction in the early years of the 20th century, but its roots reach back at least into the 19th Century, and far earlier if one recognises that the earliest corporations were founded with public goals and public interest objectives, as well as private economic objectives in mind. In Nigeria, there are thousands of businesses in existence, but only a handful can be said to be involved in effective CSR. One of such companies is Eroton Exploration and Production (Eroton E&P) Company Limited, a leading Nigerian energy company which was incorporated in August 2013 and began full operations on May 15, 2015. Eroton’s core business emerged after it submitted a successful bid for a 45 per cent total interest in OML 18 from Shell Petroleum Development Company, Total E&P Nigeria Limited and Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited, an asset which it gained full acquisition of in October 2014. As an integrated Oil and Natural Gas Exploration and Production Company, Eroton is uniquely positioned for growth in the oil-rich Niger-Delta area of Nigeria and its management has continued to add value to its stakeholders through successful full-cycle oil and gas exploration and development, exemplary leadership in ethics, integrity and environmental protection. The company’s business is conducted via
its head office in Lagos State and a branch office strategically located in Port Harcourt, Rivers State that oversees the operations at the fields. To date there are over 11 developed fields comprising the following; Alakiri, Akaso, Asaritoru, Buguma, Bille, Cawthorne Channel, Orubiri, Krakama, Ibibio, Tema and Awoba. The head office, branch office and the fields are linked by state-of-the-art technologically advanced systems. Also there are considerable numbers of hydrocarbon prospect within the OML 18 asset to be explored. In line with the vision to build a world-class organisation, Eroton has sourced a highly skilled and motivated team with in-depth knowledge in Upstream Oil and Gas operations combined with a young and dynamic workforce that is proudly 100 per cent Nigerian. Eroton’s commitment to positively improve lives in the local communities of its operations is the primary focus of its CSR programme. The company has developed strong relationships within its communities through the provision of essential long-term programmes, while ensuring that all initiatives promote health and well-being while being environmentally conscious. According to a statement from the company, “Eroton strives not only to be compliant with local content laws as issued by the Nigerian Content and Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB) but ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law, ethical standards and national or international norms. It recognises the need to assess and take responsibility for its actions and inactions on the environmental and social well-being of its host community.
“Eroton endeavours to go above and beyond the requirements by regulators, environmental protection and interest groups, non-profit organisations and host community activities. The objective is to develop and implement a wide variety of strategic initiatives to achieve greener business operations and specifically aligned to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for the year 2015.” In carrying out its CSR activities, the company keeps in mind some strategic objectives, which include: the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, the attainment of universal primary education, the promotion of gender equality and women empowerment, the reduction of child mortality and improvement in maternal health. Others include a campaign against diseases such as HIV/AIDs and malaria, environmental sustainability and the initiation of global partnerships that spur development. One of the driving forces of the company’s CSR policy also stems from its observation of a decline in CSR investments by Nigerian companies, perhaps due to the recent economic recession. Rather than be weighed down by worries of diminishing revenue, the Eroton leadership team has adopted a proactive strategy to integrate CSR by working closely with its host communities to implement tailor made CSR projects. “The Chairman of our Board of Directors, Onajite Okoloko and Executive Management of Eroton E & P are determined to engage leaders of our host communities in the Niger Delta region to ensure all developmental projects are beneficial and positively accepted,” the
statement from the company said. “Eroton E & P company limited lives up to one of its core values of “Care for people and environment” through a strategic restoration of a mutually beneficial relationship with its host communities. Eroton consistently takes pride in identifying with and giving back to the people and the environment, with CSR methodologies as a strategic tactic to gain host community support for their presence in Nigerian oil industry.” To achieve its vision of becoming the leading indigenous producer of hydrocarbon in Nigeria, the company has successfully executed several developmental projects in its host communities, some of which include: the supply of drugs to Ilomatoru community; supply of drugs to Isaka community; rehabilitation of Sumo handheld pump at Offiominama community; rehabilitation of Sumo handheld pump at Ogu community; online Post Graduate Scholarship Award to 23 beneficiaries in OML 18 communities; supply of medical; equipment to Bille Primary Health Centre; donation to the House of Oduduwa Foundation to rehabilitate 20 orphanages around Nigeria including other support initiatives within OML 18. This year, the company paid WAEC fees for 1,250 students pooled from all the OML18 communities. Also, they are currently sponsoring 10 students in an American University. The results of these developmental initiatives, the company believes, illustrates the potential of CSR to improve the social and environmental situation of the country and affect, positively, the legislative, administrative and entrepreneurial context.
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Culture, National Development And the Nigerian Theatre Reuben Abati Duro Oni, Striking Expressions: Theatre and Culture in National Development (Maiduguri: Society of Nigeria Theatre Artists, 2017, xvii + 480 pp). Professor Duro Oni, pioneer Professor of Theatre Design, Aesthetics and Technology at the University of Lagos brings together in this book, a collection of his reflections, and engagements on key issues of drama and theatre in Nigeria in the context of the integrality of drama and theatre, theatre education, culture administration and the significance of the creative arts as vehicles and structures for promoting peace, understanding and stability in the face of complex, competitive and increasingly unpredictable globalisation and national circumstances. In a career of over 40 years, Professor Duro Oni has been active on the Nigerian culture scene as a lighting and design expert, theatre scholar, policy advisor and administrator. Not surprisingly, this book strongly projects his research, teaching, professional experience and practice. Beyond this, the book is a useful contribution to the growing list of bibliography being generated by technical theatre scholars in Nigeria. It would sound trite to remind theatre artists of the value of design, aesthetics and technology in theatre practice. Drama as text or literature conveys its artistic, pedagogical and functionalist essence more concretely when it is so interpreted in the arena of performance, that is as theatre, as a living and spatial exploration of significant aspects of human experience. Technical theatre is the point at which literature, aesthetics, and the sciences – engineering, architecture, and electrical/electronics converge in the arena of performance, making the theatre a truly collaborative, multi-disciplinary enterprise. In Nigeria, from the traditional theatre, to the modern theatre and the thriving Nollywood phenomenon, the role of the theatre designer has been central to the value-creation process in the performance arena. But whereas there has been so much historical, cultural, theoretical and critical analysis of the text in Nigerian theatre scholarship, the bibliography on the study of performance and technical aspects of production has been comparatively slim. Professor Duro Oni is the first Professor in his field of specialisation in Nigeria, the first to deliver a university inaugural lecture on the subject of technical theatre, and one of not more than 10 Professors in this field in all the more than 50 departments of Theatre/Dramatic/Creative/ Performing and Media Arts in the country. His writings, in this book, and in previously
published works, as well as the writings of his younger colleagues including Sunday Enessi Ododo, and Molinta Enendu should generate further interest in technical theatre scholarship in Nigeria. It is important to reiterate however, that what Professor Duro Oni offers in this book, beyond the specialist content in Chapters 6 -11, is not a teaching manual, but broad-ranging analysis of key issues in theatre, culture and national development. Striking Expressions: Theatre and Culture in National Development, is part-history, part-scholarship, part-advocacy, part-reflection, including majorly, previously unpublished papers, presentations and speeches. Divided into three parts, namely (a) Theatre and Cinema, (b) Culture and Pan-Africanism and (c) Development and Change Agenda, the book highlights a number of key issues. First, the author offers a historical account of tradition, innovation and change in contemporary Nigeria theatre, a theme he returns to in other chapters, focusing on actual events and actors, and the challenges and changing fortunes of theatre practice in Nigeria. His content in this regard is all-encompassing as he analyses the festival/ritual basis of the travelling theatre, and the growth of the Nigerian film, the video and the Nollywood phenomenon. His 2010 inaugural lecture at the University of Lagos, titled ‘Lighting: Beyond Illumination’ stretches this historical approach further by providing an outline of the evolutionary trajectory of technical theatre practice in Nigeria, with an accent on the author’s research, practice and encounters. In Chapter 3, he discusses the Second World Festival of Arts and Culture hosted by Nigeria in 1977 (that is FESTAC ’77) and what he describes as “the Nigerian National Theatre Legacy.” And for the reader who is further interested in historical narratives, the author examines in Chapter 13: “Ebenezer Obey and his Musical Activities in Lagos” and in Chapter 14: “The Changing Fortunes of the Cinema in Post-Colonial Lagos”. Second, Professor Oni devotes much space to theatre education in Nigeria, particularly the teaching of technical theatre. His observation that there is an inadequacy of training in the sub-fields of design and theatre technology, and the inadequacy of facilities and equipment can hardly be controverted, particularly with regard to the need for theatre departments to adjust the curriculum to meet the realities of a digital and computer-driven age. What he probably overlooks is the shortage of students willing to specialise in technical theatre. The scientific orientation of this field of theatre practice and the physical activity and risks involved in the technical production process discourages many students, and perhaps another factor is the shortage of technical theatre teachers in Nigeria as well.
The challenge for the technical theatre teachers in Nigeria is to mentor more students. It is true that the quality and nature of the performance space determines the design plans, and that lighting goes beyond illumination and there are determining environmental factors that have made the Grotowskian “poor theatre” and improvisation an inevitable option, but what is the scope of the school-to-work transition for the technical theatre specialist seeking work after graduation, and how many can the existing theatre market in Nigeria absorb? As it is for technical theatre training, so it is for other market-oriented specialisations within the discipline; some departments across the country have reviewed their titles to align with the demands of the market and reflect the broader scope of theatre training, but this must be accompanied by a review of the curriculum. Shouldn’t theatre and creative arts departments make entrepreneurship part of the curriculum, for example? Third, in a number of chapters, Professor Duro Oni returns us to the old argument about the role of the creative arts including literature in society. It may be an old argument but clearly an unsettled one, given the lukewarm attitude of government agencies and policy makers in Nigeria to the strategic value of the creative arts, that is their seeming failure to move beyond the treatment of arts and culture as mere entertainment, and locate them properly in alignment with trade and diplomacy, peace, education and national development. Professor Oni’s consistent argument is that the creative arts should and can play a “pedagogical and educational role” in society, that is serve as vehicles of change, nation-building, and mobilisation. This point is explored further in the two sections of the book titled ‘Culture and Pan-Africanism’ and ‘Development and Change Agenda’. Mainstreaming culture and the arts into the national development agenda is thus the main substance of Professor Oni’s advocacy. In other words, culture, tourism and the arts can be used to transform and humanise society, address the challenges of democratic consolidation, leadership and corruption and make society “more desirable”. He sees a principal role for government in this regard, private sector investment in the creative sector and the transformation of society as a collective responsibility. A caveat is probably needed here and it is as follows: In the 80s, there was indeed a rush of private sector investment in the theatre outside the university system, as banks and other private investors sponsored performances and there seemed to have been a revival of the stage. But a combination of factors led by economic dispossession discouraged private sector investment, this economic dispossession resulted in increased costs, rising levels of insecurity made many outdoor evening activities unsafe,
the spread of poverty reduced purchasing power parity and the emergence of the video phenomenon kept many at home in front of television sets. In recent times, the cinema seems to have been making a return, but the stage appears to be dying still. Theatre is a leisure-time activity, but with no sustainable policies and funding to promote leisure, much of what passes as leisure in Nigeria is unstructured and disconnected. Professor Oni acknowledges the role of government but he is lenient in his commentary on culture administrators, government policy and the role of university administrators. Fourth and finally, a significant part of this book is devoted to the specialist analysis of design and technology considerations in the Nigerian theatre and the interface between the designer and the dramatic text. Students of the play production process and performance will find most relevant Oni’s analysis in such chapters as “Scenograhy and Dramatic Atmosphere in Ukala’s The Placenta of Death” (Chapter 9), “Producing Osofisan’s Midnight Hotel and Tegonni: Challengesfor the Design Team” (Chapter 10); “Multiculturalism and the Predicament of African and African Diaspora Dramatists” (Chapter 11) and “Historiographic Representations of Africans and Diasporan African in Theatrical Works: Performance Paradigms of Walcott, Aidoo and Onwueme in Perspective” (Chapter 12). Every production in the theatre is invariably a conversation among a group of creative artists and of these the conversation between the technical crew and the dramatist or script writer, or rather the dialogue between text and design and technology is most crucial. Oni’s interrogation of dramatic texts cited above unveils the interrogative and analytic nature of that conversation, which in reality can be textual and informal, theoretical or social, often times with the technical crew re-interpreting the text and in the case of premieres, even guiding the dramatist to rewrite or rework, the shared objective of performance being the creation of the right atmosphere and mood, and shape and picturisation in space, to bring the text to life. One of Professor Duro Oni’s contributions to the study of technical theatre in Nigeria is demonstrating the theory-praxismix of this specialisation, which he explores to good advantage in this book. He has raised issues that are bound to be of continuing academic research, as well as professional and policy interest. The arrangement of the chapters may not be thematically consistent; there are also one or two chapters that may appear supernumerary, in addition to proof-reading errors, but on the whole, Professor Duro Oni’s Striking Expressions: Theatre and Culture in National Development is an insightful, engaging and well-presented contribution that should be read by students and teachers of the subject, and policy makers.
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Fidelity Pension Managers Limited Records Impressive Funds, Profitability Growth Mabel Benson Fidelity Pension Managers Limited has announced impressive growths in size of funds under management and profitability in its financial statement for the year ended 2016. The company also declared a dividend of 10 kobo per share at its annual general meeting held recently in Lagos. In a statement issued to journalists, the Managing Director, Amaka Andy-Azike, stated that Fidelity Pension Managers Limited is poised to continue to grow the company’s share of market, expand product offerings in the industry and deepen customer engagement through cutting edge technology and focused activities for its target market. “We have put structures in place to play aggressively and take advantage of the huge business opportunity in the informal sector of the business once the National Pension Commission issues the guidelines. “The focused leadership of our board of directors, the doggedness of the management team and the commitment of Fidelity Pension Managers Limited staff are our greatest assets. We shall continue to tap into these assets to retain
L-R: Director, Mr. Chris Okenwa, MDCE, Amaka Andy-Azike, and Director, Mr. Mike Osime, at the AGM of Fidelity Pension Managers Limited held recently in Lagos
and motivate all our deserving team members. “In addition, the World Finance Global Pension Awards, a leading voice in the global pensions sector has named Fidelity Pension Managers the Best Pension Fund/Provider in Nigeria for the 2017 financial year. The Company has thus won
the prestigious award consecutively for two years on account of an international recognition for its strong brand performance, sector leading status and expertise as a reliable, sound, client centric pension fund provider and financial partner. “We are prepared to move our company
to the next level, break barriers, conquer new frontiers and gain new grounds in our industry and in our communities,” Andy-Azike stated. In a Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative to mark its 10thanniversary, Fidelity Pension Managers Limited partnered with the Regina Mundi Holy Family Home for the Elderly, Mushin, Lagos, to identify with and positively impact on the lives of the seniors. This is an affirmation that Fidelity Pension Managers Limited stands for promoting and enabling quality post work life and our way of giving back to society. The shareholders commended the management and staff of Fidelity Pension Managers Limited for their achievements. Fidelity Pension Managers Limited commenced operations as a pension administrator in 2007 when it obtained its license from the National Pension Commission (PenCom). This year marks a decade of its eventful existence in the Contributory Pension Industry. “Our experience has been both exciting and challenging, as we work to establish the company very firmly in the top echelons of operators in the industry and delight our clients with exceptional customer experiences,” the Managing Director noted.
Pastor Predicts Happy Times as Church Marks 20th Anniversary Solomon Elusoji Just as Nigeria officially emerges from a recessionary period, the General Superintendent of Christ Redemption Bible Church (CRBC), Pastor John Oluwadare, has said that the country’s economic fortunes can only get better. Pastor Oluwadare made this comment during a press conference, held in Lagos recently, unveiling CRBC’s 20th anniversary celebrations. Urging Nigerians not to lose hope in the country, the Pastor said God has a special interest in Nigeria and gave assurances that if the nation returns to God, things will start to look up for the man on the street. “Nigeria was one, there was love and there was no tribal difference,” he said. “What our leaders need to do, to correct this, is to return back to God as a nation. We must take over our community for Christ and everybody must be identified with Christ. Our leaders should rise up and have the fear of God.” Pastor Oluwadare called for a genuine national prayer declared by the president, noting that Nigeria would be better than any nations of
R-L : Pastor John Oluwadare and his wife, Pastor Martha, during a press conference to unveil CRBC’s 20th anniversary celebrations held in Lagos...recently
the world, if we all go back to God in prayers. Meanwhile, CRBC, one of the fastest growing Pentecostal churches in the country, is contributing its quota to national development by uplifting its immediate community. As part of its 20th anniversary convention, which is themed ‘The
Bread of Life’, the church is organising a four-week skills empowerment programme, instituting a water project and repairing access roads. The convention, which will run from Tuesday, October 10 till Sunday, October 15, will feature a variety of programmes, including a family summit, a 20 hours praise and worship session, revival and anointing services, ministers and workers conference and culminate in a convention thanksgiving service. “The theme for the convention is centred on winning souls: populating the kingdom of God and depopulating the kingdom of Satan,” Pastor Oluwadare said. The Mother of the CRBC Ministry, Pastor Martha Oluwadare, said the convention is special, noting that 20 years has been a long journey. “If a child is 20 years old, he will probably be a university graduate already, preparing to study for a Masters Degree. This is why I believe that this church has come of age,” she said. “During the convention, ministers will be taught the way to build the church. This would enable them to know their calling and understand how to
carry out God’s work. Leaders are to serve the people and church leaders are to serve God’s people. The conference will teach leaders to have a spirit of service, to carry out the work of God. Nigerians would be taught how to survive in the face of the global economic turbulence.” Through a ministry that has spanned two decades, Pastor Oluwadare, who also hosts a show on television, has helped millions experience a victorious and purposeful life in God’s word. Born on December 29, 1958 at Ikire, Osun State to the Christian family of Late Pa Joshua Babafemi Ogundare and Mrs. Eunice Olasumbo Ogundare, Pastor Oluwadare resigned from his job as Senior Purchasing Officer at Ashaka Cement Plc in 1999 to become a full time Christian minister. Prior to that life changing decision, he had equipped himself with theological education after attending the LIFE Theological Seminary in Lagos for five years and starting CRBC in 1997. CRBC began as a Family Night Prayer Meeting, before it metamorphosed into a Christian Fellowship Centre before becoming a full-fledged Christian ministry in January 1997.
Coker Building Materials Market Union Leadership Changes Baton Peace Obi The Coker Building Materials and Allied Products Dealers recently inaugurated its new executives after a successful election that marked an end to a four-year tenure of Nze Sam Okpala-led executive. Speaking at the event, the Union's outgoing president, Nze Sam Okpala thanked God for a successful completion of his tenure. Appreciating the Union members for confidence reposed in him and his team, Okpala said it was an opportunity to contribute to the growth and development of the Union. The outgoing president who noted that though he inherited a Union that was faced with so many challenges, he however said that having carefully waded through the various storms, addressed several issues and challenges along
with his team that he was happy to handover to his successor a transformed union as well as a repositioned organisation. According to Okpala, his executive's mission at inception to manage the affairs of Coker Building Materials and Allied Products Dealers such that that would become one of the most coordinated and serene business environment in Lagos State was achieved. "We promised on assumption of office that our administration will be hinged on three cardinal points - transparency, accountability and improved welfare of members. We pursued these policies with every sense of responsibility and today, I am elated to say that we got it rights." Enumerating some of the team's achievement, Okplala said, "We entrenched the culture of due process in the management of the union's
finances. My administration revived the association's annual football league competition for our sports-loving youths. We encouraged members who have financial needs to apply for soft loan as enshrined in our constitution. "I am happy to announce that as at date, over 70 members have benefited from the scheme. We have maintained cordial relationship with our host community and neighbouring unions alike, discharging our corporate social responsibility,” he said. Congratulating the new executives, Okpala urged them to sustain the tempo of good governance. Speaking also, the incoming President, Mazi Justin Okpani thanked the members of the association for their sacrifice of time and confidence reposed on him to pilot the affairs of the Union for the next four years. Calling for members' support, Okpani also
appealed on the financial institutions around the market to partner with the new executive its drive to improve members welfare in granting credit facilities to interested members as well as support the association's corporative society in the area of information sharing. Restating his team's commitment to serve and move the union forward, Okpani said, "On behalf of my team, I wish to state the confidence you reposed in us will not be dashed. And in line with my campaign promises, we will move the union forward and ensure genuine unity that will ensure the peace, progress and prosperity of our great Union." The electoral chairman, Mr. Okechukwu Obi, presenting the certificate of return to the 13-man executive committee, urged them to endeavour to print their names on the sand of time with quality leadership.
‘Nigerian Youths are Stakeholders in Building Sustainable Peace and Security’ Godbless Eduviere: To celebrate young people’s contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in conflict prevention, transformation and inclusion, social justice and sustainable peace, a non-governmental organisation, Youth Orientation for Development (YOD), marked the International Day with some youths in Lagos. Celebrating the 2017 International Youth Day with the theme ‘Youth Building Peace’, the NGO, a UNICEF affiliate said that the event was aimed at mobilising youths as agents of building peace and security in the country. In his opening remark, YOD President, Ambassador Emmanuel Ejiogu, said that the day was dedicated to celebrating young people’s contributions because they are critical actors in conflict prevention and sustainable
peace in the society. According to him, “The current generation of youths are the largest in history and young people often comprise the majority in countries marked by armed conflict or unrest, therefore considering the needs and aspirations of youth in matters of peace and security is a demographic imperative. “Youth’s inclusion in the peace and security agenda and in society more broadly, is key to building and sustaining peace. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development committed to fostering peaceful and inclusive societies has affirmed that sustainable development cannot be realised without peace and security. Goal 16 aims to ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. “The World Programme of Action for
Youth, also encourages promoting the active involvement of youths in maintaining peace and security and this is why in marking this year’s International Day in Nigeria, our organisation, YOD, which is solely a youth based UNESCO NGO, is putting together a day event on youth participation in building peace,” Ejiogu said. The international guest, Seif Eldawla Merbah in his remarks called for more participation of Nigerian youths in achieving SDG 16. He noted that youths are one of the important stakeholders in the United Nations development goals and should rise to the challenge. Merbah who encouraged the youths to always be agents of peace wherever they go said that conflict, unrest as well as war hampers growth and development of people and the society. Urging the young people to feel free to
participate in the conflict management, social justice and sustainable peace, Merbah said, "We all are humans with one soul. We share one soul. I noticed that some of the students were not fully participating. They are not being close because they do not have peace inside of them. We all are human and no matter where, who and what we are, we all are the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve, which is one soul. We want you to feel like there is no difference between us, because we are all the same, no matter what we believe." However, the event saw students from various schools around Lagos who dedicated songs to wrap up its message of peace and security as well as entertain guests. They were also given opportunities to air their views and discuss possible measures they think are necessary for building peace and security in the Nigeria.
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Inside NIMASA’s Turnaround Within 16 months of being under a new administration, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency has witnessed a remarkable turnaround that has catapulted Nigeria into maritime heaven. It has also become the darling of the federal government, which has hailed it for its huge contribution to the Consolidated Revenue Fund, writes Solomon Elusoji After a recessionary period triggered by declining oil prices, Africa’s biggest economy has chosen an aggressive diversification route, to sustain its buoying economy. There have been huge speeches and policies devoted to reviving agriculture and local industry, as parts of efforts to diversify government revenue. However, key to the country’s diversification strategy is the maritime industry, where opportunities for growth are huge and diverse. As at 2016, the Nigerian Maritime Industry was estimated to exceed $153 billion, representing about 30 per cent of the country’s GDP. And with a vast coastline of over 850 kilometres, the possibilities are truly endless. The country’s Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who was at this year’s Nor-Shipping, a bi-annual event that brings together stakeholders in the maritime sector from various continents, held in Lillstrome (Norway), knows this and the inherent potential in the sector. “Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa with about 183 million people and by extension, with the cumulative population of two landlocked countries of Chad Republic which is 14.9m people and Niger Republic with 21.3m people creates a huge consuming market and comparable cheap labour,” he said in Norway, while adding that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration “is committed to ensuring that Nigeria becomes a maritime hub for the West and Central Africa sub region.” Interestingly, the man in charge of the nation’s leading maritime agency, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside is Amaechi’s political ally, a factor which, undoubtedly, is an ingredient for excellent policy chemistry. Peterside was appointed as NIMASA’s Director General in March 2016, and within 17 months of assuming office, he has somehow repaid the trust endowed on him by the Buhari administration, owing partly to the ‘excellent policy chemistry’, but more to the qualities that make the man himself. Within one year and one month, the agency has contributed N9.975 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF). The agency also paid over $38 million to the CRF. The agency, on June 1 last year paid N5 billion into the CRF. On June 2, 2016, it paid N4.975b. It paid $7 million on November 22, 2016. By April 19, 2017, NIMASA paid $15 million to the CRF. On July 18, 2017, it paid $16.272.121.12 million to the CRF. In 2015, NIMASA’s contributions to the CRF was just N2 billion and $15m. There was also the payment of $24,025,017.90 described as “direct debit by CBN on NIMASA accounts”. Close to half of 2015 was under the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration. President Buhari appointed Dr. Peterside as director-general on March 10, 2016. Minister of Finance Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, earlier this month, at a workshop in Abuja said the management of NIMASA was able to generate more money in six months than it did in the two preceding years. “Unlike NIMASA and the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB), some Agencies and Departments are operating in such a manner that returned minimal funds to government. To this effect, a circular has been issued restricting allowable expenses in line with reforms occurring across government businesses, as compliance checks would be undertaken regularly to ensure that all Agencies and Departments adhere to the new requirements,” she said. The Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Ahmed Idris, also said: “It was also the first time in recent years that NIMASA will remit huge revenue into government coffers.” In June, at the inaugural TELL Awards for Excellence held in Lagos, NIMASA was awarded the Public Organisation of the Year for its outstanding achievements in 2016. And its Director General, Dr. Peterside, was on hand
Peterside
to receive the honour. The TELL Award, organised by one of the strongest journalism voices in the country, is a strong testimony to the remarkable work Peterside has done at NIMASA, since he was appointed as its Director General in March 2016. Taking into consideration the importance of hi-tech, the Peterside administration instituted a medium term strategy through digital transformation to hasten processes at NIMASA. The process allows stakeholders to register their vessels and conduct transactions digitally with a click of a button on their laptop. Also, the swift automation of processes and devolution of power, with the creation of zone offices at NIMASA, is also reducing time spent and removing middlemen from chain of transactions. Within 10 months, NIMASA had reduced the rate of sea accidents by 51 per cent – a record that prompted countries like the United States to send envoys to the reinvigorated agency for partnership. Also, the agency is undergoing a rebranding, in order to align it with other foremost Maritime Administrations in the world. The Chairman of the TELL Awards Committee, Mr. Babs Alasa, noted that the award was an honour well deserved, pointing out that Peterside has repositioned NIMASA for greater recognition within and outside Nigeria in a short period. “NIMASA has done very well under Peterside and even President Muhammadu Buhari recognised this and congratulated him when he was unanimously elected as the chairman of the highest Maritime body in Africa.” This – the unanimous election – recognition of Peterside’s leadership genius occurred in April this year when NIMASA, in conjunction with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), hosted the 3rd Conference of the Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA) at Abuja. There, establishing Nigeria’s leadership status in the continent’s maritime industry, Peterside was elected as the AAMA Chairman. AAMA is charged with the responsibility of assisting and enhancing the capacity of Maritime Administrations in Africa in the adherence and implementation of IMO instruments, and Peterside has already swung into action, with the force of a bullet. In July, Peterside, met with representatives of African countries at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), under the auspices of African Maritime Advisory Group (AMAAG) at the IMO Headquarters in London, where he charged them to work
together to ensure Africa takes its rightful place in the global maritime community. "Africa is a major stakeholder in maritime so we must take our rightful place and that can only happen if we work together, and these cooperation issues would be brought to the front burner during the meeting of the executive committee of AAMA coming up in September in Egypt,” Peterside said. At this year’s Nor Shipping, Peterside also positioned Africa as a continent ready to engage on equal terms with the rest of the world in the area of maritime businesses. “What we are trying to do is to change the terms of engagement for the rest of the world in terms of maritime businesses. We want to operate on equal terms not lopsided terms against our own interest, thereby creating room for a mutually beneficial relationship,” he said. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Maritime Industry now has a vigorous international presence due to Peterside’s strides. This July, as the Chairman of the AAMA, Peterside led a delegation of AAMA Executive Committee members to the International Maritime Organisation’s headquarters in London, where they met with IMO’s Secretary General, Mr. Kitack Lim, to seek increased representation of the continent on the IMO council. “You will agree with me that the number of African Nations at the council of the IMO is disproportionate to the size of the continent’s representation at the global maritime body, therefore to drive Africa’s maritime sector development agenda, there is need for a proportionate and effective representation of the continent in council and at the secretariat,” Peterside said. While commending the IMO for the technical support so far extended to members on the African continent, Peterside also solicited for a Memorandum of Understanding between the IMO and AAMA to have an integrated position, adding that this would aid a lot of African countries needing technical support. In his response, the IMO Secretary General, Mr. Kitack Lim promised to liaise with the technical staff of IMO and get back to AAMA on the various requests made impact. Also, under Peterside, Nigeria is set to benefit from deep sea mining through effective harnessing of the opportunities stemming from working with the International Seabed Authority (ISBA). The ISBA, which is an autonomous international organisation established under the
1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 1994 Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, will help the country in the area of capacity building to survey deep sea and establish a database of mineral resources available for the benefit of all mankind. At the moment, the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic office is undertaking hydrographic survey and charting of the country’s maritime area, while NIMASA cooperates with the Navy to effectively enforce the United Nations Convention on the law of the sea and other relevant international maritime instruments. Under Peterside, Nigeria will soon take delivery of the fifth largest floating dock in Africa, which is expected to be delivered by the last quarter of the year. In addition, as part of the efforts to ease doing business in Nigeria, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) have stepped up efforts to fast track investment entry into the country, among which is the commencement of a 24-hour ports operations. “Nigeria has not only put the right infrastructure in place, but has put the right regulatory regime and also a set of incentives to make us a hub,” Peterside said. “So, talk about stability, you can say Nigeria has it, and the government is also working on intermodal transport system to facilitate the ease of doing business and of course good regulatory regime.” Peterside’s excellent stewardship of NIMASA is a brilliant reminder of his impressive leadership roots. Born to a middle-class family in Biriye Polo, Opobo, he grew up in Abia, Kaduna and Rivers states. In the 1980s, he attended Okrika Grammar School, one of the pre-eminent public schools in Rivers State, where he served as a school prefect, a role acquired through his impeccable conduct, leadership qualities and academic standing. He took the same character to the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUT), where he earned his first degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences, before acquiring a Post Graduate Diploma and Masters Degree in Business Administration. Proceeding from RSUT, where he was an outstanding student union leader who fought for hope, he also attended the University of Port Harcourt, Georgia State University, Atlanta and Harvard University. He is equally a member of the Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM), a fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria (IMCN) and a member of the Institute of Medical Laboratory Sciences of Nigeria. His sojourn into state politics crystallised when he was elected as the Local Government Chairman of Opobo-Nkoro in 2002, where he was declared the most outstanding chairman by the Rivers state government. He then held several executive portfolios, serving at a time as Rivers State Commissioner of Works and the Executive Director of a development and leadership institute. Peterside was elected to represent Andoni/ Opobo-Nkoro Area in the House of Representatives in 2011-2015. While in the lower chamber he served as Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), where he had the oversight responsibility on strategic national oil and gas establishments such as Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF), Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC). He also served in the House Committees on Anti-corruption, National Ethics and Values, Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes; Cooperation and Integration in Africa, Electoral Matters; Industry; Communications and Works – a multifaceted work experience that prepared him for his present role at NIMASA. It is not hard to see, then, why he has succeeded in putting Nigeria’s maritime industry on the right course towards excellence.
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Widowed Mother of Triplets Gets Cash, Gift Items from Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu The wife of Ondo State governor, Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu has donated gift items to Bukola Afolabi, a young mother of triplets who lost her husband two months into her pregnancy. The items which included packs of baby food and diapers were also donated to another mother of triplets. Mrs. Bola Olayinka at the Government House, Alagbaka, Akure. Akeredolu who promised to help train Bukola, the widowed mother in Information Communication and Technology (ICT) so that she can have socio-economic empowerment, urged the young mothers to take up family planning in order to remain healthy and better manage their families. The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Adekola Olawoye who received the gifts items on behalf of Mrs. Bola Olayinka used the opportunity to thank the First Lady for her kind gesture. Earlier, the Chairman of Akure South Local Government, Comrade Margaret Atere also expressed appreciation at the First Lady's act of benevolence noting that Ondo State people are lucky to have her.
Mother of triplets Bukola Afolabi, receiving gift items donated by the First Lady of Ondo State, Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu
Babalola Lolade Needs Your Help to Save Her Life A patient of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Lolade Babalola, needs four million naira to complete an eye and tumour surgery in India and Nigeria. According to a letter of assistance sent to THISDAY by the patient, “the tumour has affected the eyes and the only solution Mrs Babalola to save the life of the patient is to perform the operation with immediate effect. The operation will take place in India and will cost three million naira, while the tumour surgery will take place at the University College Hospital, Ibadan,” and gobble up one million naira. According to the letter, the name of the consultant is one Professor Malomo and the patient’s doctor is one Dr. Fashina. Her account number is Lolade Babalola Banke, 3117876407, First Bank.
Foursquare Cleric Rejects NGO Bill Wants FG to address problems in the country Peter Uzoho The District Overseer of Foursquare Gospel Church, Akowonjo District, Lagos, Reverend Goddey Ebojie, has stated that the NGO Bill before the House of Representatives seeking to regulate activities of non-governmental organisations, civil society groups and the like would not stand. Ebojie, disclosed this while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the 2017 Annual Convocation of the Foursquare Gospel Church, Akowonjo District, held on Sunday at the District Headquarters with the theme: ‘The Unlimited God’. According to him, communist administration in the former USSR thought it could suppress the voice of God through such policy but failed, noting that no man can regulate God, the unlimited. “No man can regulate God. No institution can regulate God. God is unlimited. Communism in the old USSR thought they could suppress the voice of God. When Perestroika took place and it was dismembered, it was realised that while they tried to suppress the word of God, it was growing in the heart of the people. Today, in all the nations that have come out of that, they remain Christian nations – Christianity remained the most populous among them. So you can’t regulate God,” Ebojie said.
L-R: General Overseer, Foursquare Gospel Church Nigeria, Rev. Felix Meduoye; District Overseer, Akowonjo District, Rev. Goddey Ebojie and his wife, Rev. Mrs. Charity Ebojie; National Treasurer, Foursquare Gospel Church Nigeria, Rev. Ogedemgbe and his wife, Rev. Mrs Ogedemgbe, at the 2017 Annual Convocation of Akowonjo District…recently
However, the cleric urged government to listen to the voice of Nigerians, who he said are crying for help. “There is a need Nigerians are expressing at this time; Nigeria needs to be attended to; Nigerians are poor. Why we pray for the government they must
hear the voice of the people. Number two is inequality. People can call it marginalisation or whatever, but inequality and injusticeinthe land is crying out and government must listen,” he said. Ebojie further advised government to listen
to the call for restructuring and other demands of the Nigerian people, warning that any attempt to disregard such calls would not be good for the country. Meanwhile, he expressed his excitement and fulfillment about the programme and thanked God for having the privilege of holding the convocation for the first time in the District Headquarters. Ebojie explained that the message conveyed by the theme of the convocation was that, with God all things are possible. “And we’re also using it to challenge ourselves, to challenge our members that they should strive to the limit because with God’s backing they can break new ground; they can break into any sphere of life and be successful.” In his goodwill message, the General Overseer, Foursquare Gospel Church Nigeria, Reverend Felix Meduoye, said he was glad about what God had been doing in the District since its creation. “As a District, I want to Thank God and appreciate everyone of you for your noteworthy contributions towards expanding the kingdom of God,” Meduoye said. He said the theme of the programme, taken from I Samuel 14: 1-22 was very apt, inspiring and instructive, noting that God works in mysterious ways. “His ways are past finding out. He can bring about overwhelming victory to His people through limited human resources,” the G.O said.
Soroptimist International Surulere Installs New President Ugo Aliogo, Afolabi Lawal and Nofiscat Malik Soroptimist International Surulere, Lagos, has installed Mrs. Orienda Onyilofor, as the new president of the SI Surulere. Onyilofor who takes over from Soroptimist Angela Ezechukwu will be the 11th president of SI Surulere from 2016-2018. Speaking at the installation/change of insignia celebration and fund raising ceremony in Lagos, at the weekend, Onyilofor said the flagship project for SI Surulere was to build a safe halfway house and skills centre for
women who are victims of domestic/sexual violence and those displaced. She explained that the flagship project would provide a temporary safe sanctuary, offer a sustainable means of livelihood through skills acquisition, provide legal services where necessary, provide medical care if the need arises and other services. The new Surulere SI president said they have purchased a plot of land for the project in Ajah, adding that they are hopeful with the necessary support they would commence the project in her tenure and also pursue
other projects initiated by her predecessors. Onyilofor further stated that a recent study conducted in Lagos and Oyo states indicated that 65 per cent of educated women are abused and 56 per cent of market women experience similar attacks, stating that women around Nigeria suffer domestic violence, including widows who are forcefully dispossessed of everything after the demise of their husbands. She added: “In addition to the skills acquisition and halfway house project, we have numerous other projects such as some of
which were initiated by my predecessor such as the breast cancer awareness in collaboration with Prof. Ifeoma Okoye’s Breast Without Spot Initiative targeting women of all ages. The BTE hearing aids project, whereby we fit hearing aids to people with impaired hearing. The Atunda Olu School for the physically and mentally challenged people which SI Surulere adopted and continues to support. The empowerment of widows through skills acquisition. The eye screening/dental checks in conjunction with Odotonville dental clinic and distribution of eyeglasses.”
Clergy Cautions Members Parading Themselves as Pastors to Desist Ugo Aliogo, Omotayo Ajayi and Efuwape Mary The Pastor, Celestial Church of Christ of International Headquarters, Rev, Josiah Owodunni, has warned of members of the Celestial Church parading themselves as pastors to desist from such act, adding that they are constituting bad eggs and giving the church a bad reputation. Owodunni who disclosed this in Lagos, at the World Press Conference to announce
the 70thPlatinum Anniversary, said they are worried about the bad elements fighting the successful growth. He also stated that the church constitution provides anyone who wants to be a pastor in the church must be appointed by the incumbent pastor to act as his successor, adding that the constitution doesn’t provide for two pastors shepherding the flock of Christ. Owodunni further noted that before the death of the founder of the church, he appointed him as his successor, noting that the church
hierarchy knew it, but some members who felt disgruntled were not happy and wanted to occupy the position. He lamented that the spirit of pride has affected some members of the church, therefore they are working contrary to the will of God, and urged them to imbibe the spirit of humility in their service to God and man. Speaking on the anniversary, he stated the event would provide the church the opportunity to think, reflect on God’s goodness over the church, adding that it is not a time for jamboree.
He added: “We are using this anniversary to think critically of what we didn’t achieve as much we expected. On September 29, by 4p.m. we will have full service at the International Headquarters in Ijesho Tedo, and on October 1, there will be thanksgiving service at 10 a.m. I want to state here that Nigerians should give President Muhammadu Buhari some time, and he has done a lot. What is happening to Nigeria is not peculiar to us alone. Every country has its ups and downs. We need to support the administration.”
36/COLLAGE
29.09.2017
Benue State Governor, Dr Samuel Ortom (L), receiving a symbolic relief item presented by the Executive Director, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF), Abimbola Okoya (R), during a courtesy visit to the governor, when the Foundation came to deliver relief materials to victims of the Benue ooding ...recently
National Wholesale and Compliance Manager, BIC, Mr. Olasore Fatai; Sales & Marketing Manager, BIC West Africa, Mr. Guillaume Groues; Business Development Manager, BIC, Mr. Adeyemi Ojo, handing over the car key to the winner of the BIC 1 Shave & Realize your Dream, Mr. EďŹƒong Okon Bassey during the BIC 1 Shave & Realize your Dream Promo Draw in Lagos... recently.
L-R: Parents of the bride, Mr.& Mrs. Kenneth Okoli; the couple, Daniel and Onyinye Kwesiaku and the groom's parents, Mr.& Mrs. Robinson Kwesiaku, at the couple's wedding in Abuja,...recently
L-R; Glo Subscribers, John Bright, Sonia Aminu, Mariam Aminu, Comedian, Godwin Komone (Gordons), Human Resources Consultant, Somto Amobi and Shina Azeez, at the 24th edition of the mega comedy show, Glo Laffta Fest, in Port Harcourt...recently
L-R: Otun Olubadan, Oba Lekan Balogun; Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin; Ashipa Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Eddy Oyewole; Ashipa Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Lateef Gbadamosi; and Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; during a meeting with the traditional council, chairmen of the eleven local governments and fourteen Local Council Development Areas of Ibadanland, by the governor in Ibadan..recently
General Secretary, Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Senior Apostle General, Dr Napo Emuchay( left) and Chairman, Mount Zion Management Council Elder, Apostle General Dere Otubu, during the induction thanksgiving service for the new Baba Aladura of the Church, in Lagos...recently
Mr. Godwin Monday Ukana and his Wife Abosede during the naming ceremony of their new baby boy, Monday( jnr) Uje Ukana in Lagos...recently.
L-R; Past District Governor, Kamoru Omotosho; Rotarian Martha Ese Najomo; Past Assistant Governor Susan Omotosho and President, Rotary Club of Ikoyi, Rotarian Isichei Osamgbi during the decoration of a new Paul Harris Fellow(PHF) pin with additional star on rotarian Najomo in Lagos...recently
37/THISLIFE
29.09.2017
Ikorodu GRA Residents Cry Out Over INEC Office Femi Ogbonnikan takes a look at the cries of the residents of Ikorodu GRA-1, Beach Road, Ikorodu, over the location of an INEC area office in a government approved residential area and its security implications on the inhabitants
INEC oďŹƒce in the Estate
Smarting from the fears of the Niger Delta militants that have made creeks in Isawo, a suburb in Ikorodu community, their safe havens to kidnapping and the birth of the dreaded Badoo cult group which has ravaged the serenity like a monster in recent times, all seem not well as residents of Ikorodu Government Reservation Area (GRA) Residential Scheme 1, Ikorodu, Lagos State, have cried foul and expressed resentment over the continued location of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office within their community. The residents' grouse is, thus, predicated on the strength that the community which is primarily designed for private residential use has been flouted by the commission that has turned it into a public office. According to the residents, the community has become porous, following the relocation of the INEC office from its former site, Ikorodu Local Government Area Office, Ita-Elewa, Ikorodu, prior to the 2015 general elections, and it has become a beehive of activities for all manners of persons hawking, on account of unrestricted access to the Estate, with 56 buildings and a population of nothing less than 160, thereby undermining the security and serenity of the environment. At the inception, it was gathered that the property, located at Plot 25, Ajiga Close, within the estate, was allocated to the commission's officials as accommodation but it was later converted to an office, following the disposal of the Ikorodu Local Government Area office, Ita-Elewa landed property and the subsequent relocation of the commission's office when an alternative outlet could not be secured for its day-to-day business. To save the situation, the residents through their Association, Ikorodu Government Reservation Area-1(GRA-1) Community Development Association (CDA), Ikorodu, Lagos State, stated that it has on six separate occasions officially written letters to the Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner and as well copied the National Chairman of the commission in Abuja, protesting the location of the office within their estate, but without response. In its maiden letter written by Olumide Adejumo & Co., solicitor, to the Ikorodu GRA-1, Ikorodu, to the Lagos State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, dated January 19, 2015 and obtained by our correspondent, it appealed to the Lagos State headquarters of the commission to relocate its Ikorodu office out of the Estate. While further several entreaties made to prevail on the commission to relocate failed, a similar overture was made in a letter written and addressed to the Lagos State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, dated May 8, 2017, signed by its Chairman (Dr. O. Shobowale) and General Secretary (Anthony Okosodo) read thus: "Re: Request for relocation of the
The GRA during PVC collection
INEC Office situated inside the Government Reservation Area-1 (GRA-1), Ikorodu town, Lagos State. "The GRA-1 is located along TOS Benson Road, in Ikorodu town, Lagos State. The GRA-1 is in a serene, peaceful and quiet environment, occupied by responsible private and public individuals from various walks of life. The occupants are made up of notable, law abiding, reputable and responsible citizens amongst whom is a former Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, a former Lagos State Commissioner, a former House of Representatives member, and present top civil servants, and captains of industries, to mention but a few. "The estate is gated with only one entrance which also serves as the exit. We have observed with great shock and concern since the last five years, especially during INEC activities such as general elections and other voter's registration exercise, that the entire estate has become a beehive of activities for all manners
of people, including road side hawkers that have unrestricted access to the estate, thereby undermining the security and serenity of the environment. During such occasions, residents do not feel safe by the heavy influx of human and vehicular traffics to the hitherto quiet and peaceful community. "Thus, the private security guards employed by the estate have had to, on various occasions, bear with miscreants and other persons of questionable characters that now have access to the hitherto secluded, secured and safe estate. The situation is a reminiscent of a real public domain, with people shouting, arguing, smoking Indian hemp and littering the ground to the annoyance and discomfort of the residents. "We want to appeal to your good office to take urgent steps to correct the anomaly by immediately relocating to an alternative location, or create a separate access from TOS Benson Road direct to the INEC Office, Ikorodu without causing disrupting to the
safety of lives and property of the residents of the estate. Luckily, this is possible at a very minimal cost," the letter read in part. Shortly after the INEC moved its corporate office to the estate late 2014, residents have blamed two separate armed robbery attacks recorded recently within the community on the security porosity caused by the influx of all manner of persons who come calling on a daily basis, except on weekends to the INEC Area office. In one of the attacks sometime in May 2017, it was learnt two members of an armed robbery gang were apprehended by the residents with the aid of private security guards employed by the community. Two locally made guns and personal belongings such as mobile handsets and cash allegedly belonging to their two victims, both old women in their 70s were recovered from them before they were subsequently handed over to the police operatives at Igbogbo Road Divisional Police Station, Ikorodu, for further probe into the matter. The other incident recorded, it was said, shortly after one of the elections conducted in 2015, two young men were arrested and on them, two locally made pistols were found on them at the entrance gate of the INEC Area Office. These and others, they say, have constituted and portended great risks and danger to the lives and property of the residents of the estate. Besides, the residents noted if it were to be an individual who had flouted the Physical Planning and Urban Development laws the government would not have stayed long before moving its demolition equipment to the purported site and pull down such a structure. Mr. Femi Akinbiyi, spokesman, Lagos State INEC, in a telephone chat, averred that the building being used as its office within the estate was allocated to it by the Lagos State Government, insisting there is nothing the commission could do to leave, until the state government finds another building for them outside the estate to use as office. "We have proto - type offices within all Local Government Areas (LGAs) Secretariats nationwide, but that was the place (estate) the Lagos State Government gave us. Originally, we had our office at the Ikorodu Local Government Area Office located at Ita-Elewa, Ikorodu , but when all the structures there were pulled down, we asked for relocation and the state government gave us the building wiring the estate to use as office. So, what do we do now if the residents of the estate want us to leave? But we can't move to the Lagoon. I think what the residents could do is to take up the issue with the state government, if they don't want us within their estate, so that we can be given another building which we can use as office," said the INEC PRO. But the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mrs. Bukky Nwonah, declined to comment over the matter, claiming she was not competent to speak on behalf of the ministry, except the commissioner in-charge of the ministry. "My boss (Commissioner, Mr. Wasiu Abiola Anifowoshe) is attending an executive meeting now. All I can advise is that, you should send an sms to him, discuss what the matter is all about and tell him, that you would call him later in the day. Because I am not competent to say anything about the matter, except the Commissioner himself," averred Nwonah. However, several entreaties made to reach out to the Lagos State Government relevant authorities in-charge of housing allocation to react to the matter have proved unsuccessful. Both the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Regional Development, Mr. Wasiu Abiola Anifowoshe, and Permanent Secretary (PS) in-charge of Lagos State Lands Bureau, Mr. Bode Agoro, have declined to pick the calls put through to them during days and nights, in the last one week, and as well, did not acknowledge the short message service (sms) sent to them.
38/OPINION
29.09.2017
Workers’ Salary and Enugu Govt’s Worthy Example Charles Ezeamu Before the crash in the price of crude oil and the economic recession that hit Nigerians, not many see government’s payment of workers’ salaries as an achievement. It is often seen as government’s fulfillment of its obligation. But across the country today, many state governments are struggling to stay afloat talkless of paying workers’ salary. Not because they are not getting or don’t have resources, but because they lack leadership sagacity to manage it for the well-being of the common people in their states. That is the reason some state governments are owing workers’ salaries for months, despite receiving bailout and Paris Club funds from the federal government. This development has prompted the leadership of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to disclose recently that it will soon hold “name and shame” rallies against governors in the states, where workers are being owed salaries and pensions for several months. According to the communiqué issued by the union, Kogi, Ondo, Ekiti, Benue, Osun, Ebonyi, Abia, and Bayelsa states were identified as specific examples of those owing their workers between five to 10 months salaries and pension arrears. “There are other cases like Kaduna and Zamfara states that have refused to disclose any information about how it had utilised the bailout and Paris Club refunds, despite demands from the unions and (the) general public,” the NLC stated in the communiqué signed by its President, Ayuba Wabba, and the Secretary-General, Peter Ozo-Eson. The germane questions begging for answers are: why and how do other state governments like Enugu for example manage to pay their workers salary regularly, when some oil producing states that collect monthly federation allocation and 13 per cent derivation funds are unable to pay? Why should state governors owe workers salary, but pay political appointees that do no
Ugwuanyi
much work? Why have some state governors refused to disclose how they spent bailout funds and Paris Club refunds? Why are some state governors always quarrelling with workers in the state? State like Enugu is a good answer to the above-mentioned questions and there is need for other struggling state governors to take a clue from Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. On assumption of office in 2015, Ugwuanyi, made workers and ordinary man’s welfare his government’s top priority. He brought in prudence, teamwork, accountability and transparency into governance. No wonder, the people of the state quickly and wholeheartedly embraced his style of leadership that is people and developmentoriented. Today, the state is very peaceful and has become investors’ destination. Its IGR has improved significantly and the state government is managing it well. Above all, Ugwuanyi is more of a home governor than an Abuja or globetrotting governor. He is always on ground in the state and has only travel abroad once, since he became governor. It is of note that workers in the state have never embarked on strike action since he became governor. This is unprecedented in the history of workers-state government relationship in a
civil service state like Enugu. Under Ugwuanyi’s watch, workers in the state have continued to have a good working relationship with the state government. This is built on confidence, truth, camaraderie, openness and accountability. In order to appreciate Governor Ugwuanyi’s caring and fatherly disposition to them, the workers under the auspices of Trade Union Congress (TUC) passed vote of confidence on his government during a one-day symposium organised by the union in Enugu this year. Speaking the state chairman of TUC, Comrade Igbokwe Chukwuma Igbokwe, said the symposium themed ‘Good Governance and the Development of Enugu State: A Focus on the Present Administration’ was designed by the Congress “to generate opinion pool from the various sectors of the economy of Enugu State on the performance of this administration.” Also speaking President General Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo (jnr) said he was delighted at the kind of peace, love and unity being enjoyed in the state today, telling the workers that it was as a result of the above that “none of you has been arrested or intimidated since the inauguration of this administration.” He noted that in spite of the fact that “Enugu State is fifth from the bottom in the federal allocation list,” the governor has been able to execute numerous road projects mostly in the rural areas and installed streetlights to the excitement of dwellers, among others. In his speech, the then state’s Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Prince Cornelius Nnaji, commended Ugwuanyi’s landmark achievements in the state, adding that he gave the Transitional Chairmen of Council Areas in the state “a free hand to manage our due allocations without any interference.” In his response, Ugwuanyi thanked the state chapter of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) for deeming it fit and in collaboration with all the
civil/public servants in Enugu State to organise the event. According to the governor, “we have always said (and I reaffirm), that we will forever be grateful to the organised labour and to all civil servants in Enugu State for the exceptional support and cooperation that they have offered my administration since inception. “They have indeed remained our trusted allies and partners in the quest to enthrone good governance in Enugu State and I must once again, express my gratitude for their kindness in conferring on me the award of ‘The Most Labour Friendly Governor’ in the history of Enugu State during the last Workers’ day or May Day celebrations.” It is also a huge applause for Governor Ugwuanyi that today no civil servant in Enugu State is being owed a kobo as salaries or arrears of salaries. On assumption of office, Ugwuanyi government paid workers every 25th of the month, but he later changed it to 23rd making Enugu workers the first to receive salary across the 36 states of Nigeria. What the state does each time it receives her share of the refunds is to immediately call for a meeting of the stakeholders–the two labour unions-NLC and TUC, representatives of pensioners, leaders of traditional institutions and community-based associations, and development experts–to decide how best to use the refund. At the meeting, a sharing formula is established between the states and local councils. The portion reserved for salary and pensions payments is kept aside and used to pay workers and pensioners as and when due. This is the secret of Enugu State Government’s harmonious relationship with its workers since Governor Ugwuanyi became governor. It is worthy of emulation by other governors, who are groping in the dark to provide good governance. Ezeamu, a development expert wrote from Agbani, Enugu State
PERSPECTIVE
Guinness Nigeria Plc Takes CSR Initiatives a Notch Higher Kasie Abone examines CSR activities in the private sector in Nigeria "When the list of companies in Nigeria that understand the place of corporate social responsibility in business growth and development is being compiled, Guinness Nigeria Plc will surely be among the top-of-the-ladder contestants." The commentary above which credits the foremost brewer for its impactful CSR initiatives in the country is a testimony of the commitment to working with its stakeholders to make life better. Essentially, Guinness Nigeria Plc has intervened in several communities across the country thereby helping to enhance the socioeconomic development and general well-being of the people. Through such interventions, businesses and livelihood of the beneficiaries have been significantly transformed. These interventions span across focal areas such as healthcare, water and sanitation, and economic empowerment. It is noteworthy that these areas of concentration are pivotal and instrumental to fostering socio-economic development and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals which if combined would make Nigeria more investment friendly and a better place for its people. One of such initiatives is the Guinness Nigeria Eye Centre, which provides peerless, quality eye care services to people with sight impairment. The initiative, which cuts across the country, has received accolades from various state governments where these eye care centres are situated. Guinness Nigeria Plc has consistently made cash donations and optical equipment to select teaching hospitals in some universities in the country. It also recently made a cash donation of N5 million and multi-million naira optical equipment to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and revamped the Guinness Nigeria Eye Centre at the Nnamdi Azikwe University Teaching Hospital in Onitsha, Anambra State. Also, Guinness Nigeria Plc launched a lifesaving initiative, tagged, ‘Water of Life’ project to further enhance access to safe drinking water in Nigeria. This came at the heels of the global call by the United Nations through its Millennium Development Goals, which aimed to halve the proportion of the population without access to safe drinking water, especially in Africa. Through this
L-R: Bola Olajomi-Otubu, Human Resources Director, Guinness Nigeria Plc (GN Plc); Ahmed Bolaji Nagode, Acting Director-General, National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN); Owolabi Babatunde Adeoye, beneficiary of the Guinness Graduate Skills Development Scholarship; and Viola Graham-Douglas, Corporate Relations Director, GN Plc, during the graduation ceremony of the Guinness/NAPTIN Scholarship Scheme at Guinness Ogba Brewery, Lagos...recently
initiative, the leading brewer has raised its ante as a socially responsible organization thatcares about the overall wellbeing of Nigerians. Guinness Nigeria Plc edged further to expand the scope of its ‘Water of Life’ project by addressing some of the major challenges encountered by smallholder farmers in the course of their farming operations in select rural communities in the country. To facilitate this intervention, Guinness Nigeria partnered with the state ministries of agriculture in the Northern part of the country, thereby helping to irrigate farmlands that are confronted by adverse climatic conditions resulting in drought, among other weather-related challenges. In its recent move, Guinness Nigeria Plc took its CSR initiatives a notch higher when it made yet another stride in the power sector through capacity building. The brewer entered a synergetic partnership with the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN), an agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria, operating under the aegis of the Federal Ministry of Power, to train select fresh engineering graduates on the requisite technical skills required to raise the socio-economic productivity in the power sector. This collaboration is coming on the heels of the
present administration’s transformation agenda for economic recovery, which named power as one of the key focus areas in which it hoped to make immediate and lasting impact. As part of its contribution to socio-economic development of the nation, Guinness Nigeria Plc, whose strategic vision is also woven around capacity building and empowerment, even though, it is not a major player in the power sector, sponsored 10 qualified engineers who participated in the Guinness Nigeria Graduate Skills Development Scholarship. The first set of Guinness-sponsored engineers recently completed a one year training programme, giving them theopportunity to upscale their technical skills in power generation, distribution and transmission. Upon completion of the programme, the beneficiaries have gained valuable skills that are invaluable for personal career progression and the growth and development of the industry. Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Corporate Relations Director, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Viola Graham-Douglas, said: “The objective of our collaboration with NAPTIN is to provide a pool of resourceful, competent and versatile engineers who can deliver peerless technical services to
further shore up the government’s transformation agenda in the power sector”. She noted that the graduands, having scaled through all hurdles in the course of their training, have remarkably demonstrated high technical and leadership competencies, which “we strongly believe, will help accelerate their career progression.” Graham-Douglas further commended all the beneficiaries for putting in so much hardwork to earn their certification. “You scaled through the competitive selection process for the scholarship; you excelled in the class-based component of the training and you successfully fulfilled the requirements of the job placement programme. Indeed, you should all be proud of your achievements,” she said. In his remarks, the Acting Director-General of NAPTIN, Mr Ahmed Bolaji Nagode, commended Guinness Nigeria Plc for its involvement in the socio-economic development of the nation. He explained that the participation of the foremost brewer is legendary and noteworthy owing to the fact that the company is not a core player in the power business ecosystem. He further noted that Guinness Nigeria’s commitment to youth development is commendable as it provides an example worthy of emulation by other non-core power sector players. Testimonies from the beneficiaries of the Guinness Nigeria Graduate Skills Development Scholarship programme showed that the newly inducted and NAPTIN-certified engineers have greatly enhanced the skills and knowledge base in the power sector, and indeed have raised their game as far as efficient service delivery is concerned. According to Owolabi Babatunde Adeboye, a beneficiary of the Guinness sponsored scheme, “I used to think that I was a certified engineer until my recent exposure to the NAPTIN training. My key learning from the training is exposure to real-life in the power sector.” He noted that, “Back then in school, all we do is to cram whatever we were taught and thereafter we would go to the examination hall to just put down what we had memorized. With this new experience, having worked with various expatriates and highly skilled technicians at Egbin Power Plant, I make bold to say that success is inevitable.”
39
T H I S D AY FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2017
His Excellency, Alhaji Kashim Shetima The Executive Governor of Borno State, Mogaram Street, Maiduguri, Borno State. His Excellency, Chief (Dr.) Samuel Ortom The Executive Governor of Benue State, Benue Peoples House, Kashim Ibrahim Way, Old GRA, Makurdi, Benue State.
Your Excellency Sir,
Alhaji Kashim Shetima
Executive Governor of Borno State
Chief (Dr.) Samuel Ortom
Executive Governor of Benue State
REFERENCE: DONATION OF ONE TRUCK LOAD OF FOOD ITEMS EACH TO INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS IN BORNO AND BENUE STATES VALUED AT N12, 000, 000.00 AND N8, 000,000.00 RESPECTIVELY. We refer to the above captioned subject and wish to call the attention of your Excellency as follows: production/manufacturing of various brands of food items that include Tomato paste, Garri Mix 3in1, Milk cubes, Beverages etc. These donations were offered to be made by our Board and BORNO STATE: management as our own contributions towards alleviating the sufferings of Internally Displaced 1. We had on May 23, 2016 addressed a letter to Your Excellency indicating our interest to donate Persons in the states as a result of insurgency through Boko Haram or Natural Disaster through a total sum of N12.5 million (N5million cash and N7.5 million worth of Erisco Foods products) flood. to Internally Displaced Person’s in your state. We needed a formal communication/reply to our letter directly from your Excellency’s office before the delivery of both the cash and the food As a good corporate organization, we deemed it appropriate to contribute our quota as part of our corporate social responsibility towards ameliorating the hardship being faced by fellow Nigerians items. in the Internally Displaced Persons’ camp in the two states. Because of cases of diversion of items 2. No response was given but rather some people who claim to be acting on your behalf from donated to either the less privileged or victims of natural disaster in the past, we always insist that your office came and requested to take delivery of the fund and goods. We insisted that formal communication from the office of the Executive Governor of the recipient state must be they will only be released if we receive a formal communication from your office. The so sent to us before the donations will be made. called representatives left and promised to return but were never seen again till date. This is shocking because this gesture was borne out of your appeal that well-meaning Nigerians and Sadly, the aides of the Governor who should be more cooperative in receiving these donations are corporate bodies should come to the aid of the IDP’s in Borno state. Due to our strong interest the ones consistently trying to frustrate the good intentions of our company. in helping humanity, we made several attempts to communicate directly to your office to no Only the Almighty God knows how many other corporate organisations/persons these wicked avail. syndicate have frustrated through this kind of terrible attitude. It is also possible that the rumoured 3. Similarly Sir, on September 07, 2017, we addressed another letter to you indicating our diversion of items donated to the IDP’s are made possible by the attempts by some aides of the intention to donate one truck load of food items worth N12 million to the Internally Displaced Governor trying to take delivery of these items without the knowledge of their respective state Persons (IDP) through your office. The letter was sent to your Excellency on 12/09/2017 Governors. through UPS courier service and was received on 14/09/2017 at 14:09pm by one Lefami Ali. Like the first referenced letter above, we requested for a written confirmation from your Excellency’s office about where the goods would be delivered and the time and date of delivery. Again no response has been received from Borno State up till today.
As a responsible organization, we decided to bring this frustrations in the delivery of the above items to your Excellency, The Executive Governors of Borno and Benue states for necessary and prompt action through this publication with a view to stop these bunch of wicked fellows that are happy to kill by proxy. The Almighty God must surely bring them to justice.
BENUE STATE
LONG LIVE BORNO STATE
We addressed a letter to your Excellency dated September 07, 2017 on the above captioned issue indicating our interest to donate a truck load of various food items worth N8million to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Benue State. The letter was sent through UPS and was received in your Excellency’s office by one Shaagee J.D on 14/09/2017. Till date, there has not been any response from your Excellency’s office. In all our corporate social responsibility donations, we always request for a confirmation in writing from where the goods would be delivered and the time for a formal presentation of same. We have not received any response to this effect from your office. It is more than two weeks from the date of the receipt of our letter.
LONG LIVE BENUE STATE LONG LIVE ERISCO FOODS LIMITED LONG LIVE THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA Please accept the assurances of our highest regard.
Yours Faithfully, Erisco Foods Limited is a wholly owned indigenous Nigerian company that is engaged in the For: ERISCO FOODS LIMITED
T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2017
40
CITYSTRINGS
Acting Features Editor Charles Ajunwa Email charles.ajunwa@thisdaylive.com
L-R: The Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II (1st left), inaugurating the reinvigorated EDSTMA at Government House. Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki (middle) watches
Revamping Traffic Management in Edo The Edo State Government recently reintroduced and inaugurated the state traffic law enforcement agency to instil discipline, law and order among road users. Adibe Emenyonu who covered the event, reports
I
n the 15th Century when Europeans of Portuguese extraction first arrived Benin City in pre-colonial days, one major issue that struck them was the way the Benin kingdom of then was planned with designed streets, roads, landscapes and alleys of the kingdom. The development of then sprawling kingdom and the ingenuity of the city’s planners became a masterpiece that rivalled some of Europe’s best cities. It was against this premise that the place earned the appellation of the “Great City of Benin” because of the way the streets were planned which can hardly be found in any other place in Africa of that time. As a result of this, they (Europeans) classified Benin as “one of the most beautiful and bestplanned cities in the world.” Notwithstanding, one of the defining features of a great city is its metropolitan nature, which often helps the mass of people, who are either settling, visiting or commuting through the city to other towns or city centres navigate it effortlessly. Therefore, from being the toast of all in those times due to its elegantly planned cities, Benin City, the capital of then Midwest Region, Bendel and now Edo State, has transformed in the 21st Century, into a sprawling hub for transportation which therefore called for efficient traffic management that requires a coordinated action plan to ensure that the
movement of people and goods are managed in such a way as to eliminate loss of man hours and other resources. This same historical undertone came to bear
The officials of EDSTMA must not see their appointments as an avenue for enriching themselves by accepting bribes from motorists who may want to undermine traffic rules. I am glad that the government deemed it appropriate to create a Public Complaints Department for the agency, where members of the public can lodge their complaints. It is hoped that such complaints will be addressed speedily
August 31, 2017 at Edo State Government House when His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin, inaugurated the revamped Edo State Traffic Management Agency (EDSTMA). His speech was almost a playback to how the best of hands were recruited into elite guards to guard the city walls of the kingdom of yore. Reminiscing on Benin City’s envious town planning heritage, Oba Ewuare II, said “the city has always had a well-designed layout of roads; feeder roads, streets and lanes since pre-colonial times.” He observed that “over the years, the increase in vehicular movement coupled with bad roads and poor traffic management resulted in chaotic traffic situations, made worse by some motorists with a penchant for disregarding traffic rules.” This is made worse by the central location Benin City as entry and exit point to different parts of the country. Coupled with this is that the state also became home to a number of notable transport companies, which grew from nurturing their businesses from Benin City. The increasing activities from these companies and the large haul of passengers put immense pressure on roads, leading to traffic congestion and the need for proper calibration and management. It is in view of the above that EDSTMA was conceived by the administration of former
Governor Adams Oshiomhole. But like many traffic agencies, EDSTMA, when it was first introduced, came into force to control traffic, maintain decorum and curtail the excesses of drivers and other road users. With time however, people began to complain that the agency has lost its track because of the antics of its officials, who were accused of harassing road users and hassling them for pecuniary gains. It was in recognition of these and the bid to change all that terrible narrative, that the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led government decided to retool the agency for optimal performance, with the mindset that better results can come from a reformed institution. Just as the great Benin monarch ably took on the task of inaugurating the initiative, so had the officers of the agency undergone a stringent selection process that started in May this year and culminated in the best hands being thrust with the mandate to oversee efficient traffic management in the state.. Inaugurating the reformed agency, the Benin monarch cautioned officials of EDSTMA against bribery, extortion and harassment of road user especially motorists. “The officials of EDSTMA must not see their appointments as an avenue for enriching themselves by accepting bribes from motorists who may want to undermine traffic rules. I am glad that the government deemed it
T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2017
41
CITYSTRINGS
EDSTMA officials during the inauguration
An EDSTMA official demonstarting on a motorbike
L-R: Oba Ewuare II,Obaseki, Edo State deputy governor, Hon. Philip Shaibu and Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Kabiru Adjoto, at the inauguration of the revamped Edo State Traffic Management Agency
Officials of EDSTMA standing beside motorbikes and Toyota Hilux vehicles procured by Governor Obaseki for their operations
appropriate to create a Public Complaints Department for the agency, where members of the public can lodge their complaints. It is hoped that such complaints will be addressed speedily,” the Oba said. While delivering his address, Obaseki was quick to note the historic role the Oba of Benin was playing at the occasion, stressing that the monarch’s presence not only showed the support of the royal father for the agency’s reform, but was a sign of the cordial relationship the government enjoys with the Oba. In his speech, Obaseki expressed joy at the presence of the Oba of Benin, which he described as an official royal visit and an honour to his administration. He said the rebranding of EDSTMA became necessary considering the fact that the state serves as a transportation hub to the country with heavy vehicular traffic. “This re-branded EDSTMA is made up of trained men and women who are more civil, operate within the ambit of the law and citizens are to relate with them as such,” Obaseki said, assuring Edo people that, with the establishment of a Public Complaints Unit, they would not be exploited by officials of the traffic control agency. He commended the immediate past governor of the state, Oshiomhole, who had the foresight to create EDSTMA to manage vehicular traffic in the state. The Managing Director of EDTSMA, Oloriegbe Dennis Ade, said the agency would adopt unique and advanced strategies to
overcome the challenges that they may face. Beyond rhetoric, the presence of the EDSTMA officials with their motorbikes and Toyota Hilux vans on constant patrol, have not only brought sanity to roads in Edo State, it has provided jobs for the teeming youths in the state. Standing sentry alone at traffic hotspots in the state, officials of the agency have now brought a new sense of dread to those who hitherto broke traffic laws without a wink. Hence, areas that are traditionally chaotic like the Kings Square, New Benin Market Ekiosa Market (3rd East Circular) and Ramat Park, have been given a new lease of life through the watchful eyes of traffic officers. No doubt with this, people in the state have started feeling the impact of the change of guards. They are basking in the new lease of life that has greeted the ever-busy roads in Benin City and its environs. Many commuters are delighted at the new state of things. Speaking
This re-branded EDSTMA is made up of trained men and women who are more civil, operate within the ambit of the law and citizens are to relate with them as such
on the new order, a bus driver at the New Benin area of the city, Mr. Eghosa Omoruyi, hailed the presence of EDSTMA officials, stating that the reformed agency would instil fear and discipline in “bus drivers who are always in the habit of disobeying traffic light. I hope to see changes with the new EDSTMA that was inaugurated by our Royal Father, the Oba of Benin. I believe they will be different from the EDSTMA of old,” he said. Traders, who ply the roads, are also delighted about the state of the roads. Njoku Onyeka, who trade at the Ekiosa Market area and Seidu Abubakar who trade at the Ramat Park axis of Oregbeni Market said not only is the state government deserving of praise, but that the reformed agency would make living and trading in Benin City a delight. Commenting on the agency, Secretary to Edo State Government (SSG), Osarodion Ogie, while speaking with THISDAY, noted that the introduction of EDSTMA was in line with state government vision of bringing sanity and ensuring that law and order are maintained in line with its “Operation Clean Up Edo” initiative. Ogie while saying that the exercise would bring sanity to public spaces and enhance the business climate, said because of the commendations from residents in Benin City, it would be expanded to other parts of the state, including Ekpoma and Auchi. The SSG disclosed that the Governor Obaseki-led administration intends to make Edo cities more habitable and welcoming, without compromising on the dictates of the
law. The ‘Operation Clean Up Edo’, he reiterated is an initiative of the state government aimed at decongesting major areas in the city centre and restoring order and sanity to improve the business climate and attract visitors, tourists and investors. In view of some negative comments by the opposition party in the state, Ogie said the exercise was being carried out in consultation with relevant stakeholders in the state, noting that union leaders in major parts and markets in the metropolis are carried along. “To ensure public buy-in and contribute to the success of the initiative, we have a public enlightenment team that ensures everyone is carried along. We engage the unions and their leaders to communicate the plans of the government before embarking on an exercise such as this. We have been on this exercise for three months now and have recorded good results. So, we will expand our operations to other parts of the state such as Ekpoma, Auchi, Iguobazuwa. “The Edo State Traffic Management Agency has fast tracked the implementation of this initiative. We have six zones of EDSTMA now in Benin; we have to create additional zones and move out of Benin City to other parts of the state and ensure that traffic situation is improved. “We appreciate the cooperation of residents in the Benin metropolis for cooperating with officials of state in decongesting the city. Government is glad with the feedback from the people and I assure everyone that this administration will leave Edo better than it met it,” he declared.
T H I S D AY Ëž , Í°ÍˇËœ 2017
42
BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE
Nigeria’s Manufacturing Index Sustains Upswing in September Obinna Chima Nigeria’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) stood at 55.3 index points in September 2017, indicating expansion in the manufacturing sector for the sixth consecutive month. The PMI is an indicator of the economic health of the manufacturing sector. The PMI is based on five major indicators: new orders, inventory levels, production, supplier deliveries and the employment environment. According to the PMI report posted on the central bank’s website yesterday, 14 of the 16 sub-sectors reported growth in the review month in the following order: appliances &
components; electrical equipment; chemical & pharmaceutical products; nonmetallic mineral products; printing & related support activities; plastics & rubber products; food, beverage & tobacco products; furniture & related products; transportation equipment; cement; paper products; computer & electronic products; textile, apparel, leather & footwear and fabricated metal products. But, the primary metal and petroleum & coal products subsectors contracted in the review month. Also, the production level index for the manufacturing sector grew for the seventh consecutive month in September 2017. The report showed that at 58.8 points, the index indicated an
increase in production at a faster rate, when compared to its level in the preceding month. Thirteen of the sixteen manufacturing subsectors recorded increase, while three subsectors declined during the review month. At 53.5 points, the new orders index grew for the sixth consecutive month. Ten sub-sectors reported growth, while six subsectors contracted in the month of September, 2017. However, the supplier delivery time index for the manufacturing sector, at 55.4 points in September 2017, rose for the fourth consecutive month. Twelve sub-sectors recorded improved suppliers’ delivery time, two remained unchanged while two subsectors recorded delayed delivery time.
NIRSAL Disburses N2.63bn to 24,732 Rice Farmers The Nigeria Incentive Based Risk-Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) yesterday disclosed that it had successfully disbursed N2.63 billion to 24,732 rice farmers for the 2017 planting season. This, it said was in continuation of its mandate to facilitate the flow of finance to the agriculture sector and help achieve the objectives of the Economy Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP) of the Buhari administration to diversify the economy, attain self-sufficiency in food production and entrench inclusive economic growth. The Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Aliyu Abdulhameed stated this in a key note address at the sixth AGRIKEXPO & NABG Conference 2017 with the theme: “Harnessing Agricultural Potential for Food Security, Youth Development,
Nutrition and Wealth Creation,� at the International Conference Center (ICC), Abuja. Abdulhameed stated that the disbursement was part of a N17 billion NIRSAL nationwide support program for rice growers that is being implemented under the CBN Anchor Borrowers’ Program (ABP). The NIRSAL chief executive also revealed at the event that more banks have already expressed interest in collaborating with NIRSAL for on-Balance Sheet Lending following the N10 billion NIRSAL/Stanbic IBTC two-part agricultural scheme announced last week. Abdulhameed explained that NIRSAL was deploying a two-pronged strategy to ensure farmers do not only get access to finance but are also supported to get the best possible yields from their
efforts so they can pay back their loans and still make good profit. Abdulhameed said in order to eliminate instances of loan diversion that had plagued similar interventions, the affected farmers would directly receive a huge proportion of the value of the loans in the form of physical farm inputs like improved rice seedlings, fertilizer, pesticides etc. The farmers will only be given a small part of the loan as money for operational purposes. NIRSAL is a wholly owned corporation of the Central Bank Nigeria and was recently appointed as implementation partner for the Anchor Borrower Program (ABP) because of its institutional capacity to manage risks by ensuring close monitoring and supervision of beneficiary projects across the country.
FirstBank Increases Stake in FBNBank DRC First Bank of Nigeria Limited yesterday announced the acquisition of the remaining shares in FBNBank DRC Limited (FBNBank DRC), making the bank FirstBank’s wholly owned subsidiary. FirstBank said the move followed its initial investment in FBNBank DRC (formerly Banque Internationale de Credit) in 2011, when it acquired a 75 per cent stake in FBNBank DRC. Following the acquisition, a statement explained that FBNBank DRC has continued to expand its product offerings, deepen its customer base and
is currently ranked amongst the top five banks serving the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a country with a population of more than 82 million. Commenting on the acquisition, the Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan said: “This transaction underscores our belief in Sub-Saharan Africa’s growth and our focus on providing a differentiated banking experience throughout Africa. This acquisition further consolidates our already robust African footprint and positions FirstBank to take advantage
of emerging opportunities in DRC and the sub-region. This increased investment by FirstBank in FBNBank DRC – the 3rd largest banking entity in the group, will surely accrete value for shareholders.� Also in his remark, the CEO, FBNBank DRC, Mr. Akeem Oladele pointed out that with 100 per cent holding by FirstBank, FBNBank DRC now has much greater flexibility to deliver differentiated propositions by fully tapping into the resources and innovative capabilities of FirstBank in eight countries, on three continents.
Afreximbank Beats Private Placement Target The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) said it is off to a successful listing of its depositary receipts (DRs) on the official market of the Stock Exchange of Mauritius (SEM) following the close of the private placement with subscription far in excess of the $100 million minimum target. The first day of listing and trading of the Afreximbank DRs would be October 4, when 5,000 DRs must, by regulation, be made available for trading at a price of $4.30 per DR. The private placement closed on September 26. The SEM had announced approval of the
proposed listing on the official market of up to 69,770,000 depositary receipts backed by 6,977 Class D shares of Afreximbank, subject to Afreximbank raising the minimum aggregate amount of $100 million through the private placement. The approval was for Afreximbank to list the full 69, 770,000 within 12 months. In pursuance of the DR issuance, Afreximbank organised investor meetings and roadshows in Port Louis, Lagos, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Nairobi, New York, and London, drawing very positive responses from the investor public. Afreximbank goal was
to achieve a subscription level between the required aggregate minimum of $100 million and an upper limit of $300 million notwithstanding the 12 month window allowed. Reacting to the conclusion of the private placement, Afreximbank President Dr. Benedict Oramah said he was impressed with the high level of support received from investors and noted that the DRs would enhance the Bank’s capitalisation, enabling it contribute more significantly to narrowing the trade financing gap in Africa and to growing intra-African trade and export manufacturing in Africa.
MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS
Ě™ Ěš
DECEMBER 2016 Broad Money (M2)
23,840,392.42
Ě‹Ě‹ Ă‹ĂœĂœĂ™ĂĄ Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ě™ ÍŻĚš
11,520,166.67
---- Currency Outside Banks
ÍŻËœÍśÍ°ÍŽËœÍ˛ÍŻÍłË›ÍˇÍŽ
---- Demand Deposits
ÍˇËœÍ´ÍˇÍˇËœÍľÍłÍŽË›ÍľÍ´
-- Quasi Money
12,320,225.75
Net Foreign Assets (NFA)
9,353,504.03
Net Domestic Assets(NDA)
ÍŻÍ˛ËœÍ˛ÍśÍ´ËœÍśÍśÍśË›ÍąÍˇ
Ě‹Ě‹ Ă?Ăž Ù×Ă?Ă?ÞÓĂ? ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ“Ăž Ě™ Ěš
26,970,297.97
Ě‹Ě‹Ě‹Ě‹ ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ“Ăž ÞÙ Ùà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ě™ Ă?Þ̚
4,595,579.89
Ě‹Ě‹Ě‹Ě‹ Ă?Ă—Ă™Ë? ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ“Ăž ÞÙ Ùà Þ˛ Ě™ Ă?Þ̚ Ă–Ă?Ă?Ă?
ÍľËœÍ˛ÍąÍ´ËœÍˇÍŻÍľË›ÍľÍˇ
Ě‹Ě‹Ě‹Ě‹ Ă?Ă—Ă™Ë? Ă?ĂŽË› Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“ĂœĂœĂ™Ăœ Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ě™ Ěš
-2,841,337.90
Ě‹Ě‹Ě‹Ě‹ ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ“Ăž ÞÙ ĂœĂ“Ă Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ™Ăœ Ě™ Ěš
22,374,718.08
--Other Assets Net
-12,483,409.58
Reserve Money (Base Money)
ÍłËœÍśÍąÍľËœÍąÍ°Í°Ë›Í˛ÍŻ
Ě‹Ě‹ Ă&#x;ĂœĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ Ă“ĂœĂ?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜
Í°ËœÍŻÍľÍˇËœÍŻÍľÍ˛Ë›Í°Íś
Ě‹Ě‹ Ă‹Ă˜Ă•Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă?Ă?
3,318,344.71 Ëž Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă? Ě‹
MANAGED FUNDS Month
December 2016
Inter-Bank Call Rate
͎ͯ˛͹͡
Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)
14.00
Treasury Bill Rate
ͯ͹˛͡ʹ
Savings Deposit Rate
4.18
1 Month Deposit Rate
͜˛ͳ͹
3 Months Deposit Rate
8.80
6 Months Deposit Rate
͎ͯ˛Ͱ͹
12 Months Deposit Rate
͎ͯ˛;ʹ
Prime Lending rate
ͯ;˛͎͡
Maximum Lending Rate
28.55 Ëž Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂŁ ÙÖÓĂ?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ě‹ ͯ͹Ϲ
OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT, WED , 27 SEPT 2017 The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $56.07 a barrel on Wednesday, compared with $56.43 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), ZaďŹ ro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela). SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna
43
˾ FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2017
Nigeria’s top 50 stocks based on market fundamentals
28-Sept-17 27-Sept-17
% Change
Capitalisation
EPS
P/E
P/S
Div. Yld Price/ Book Value
01 Fidson Healthcare Plc
3.57
3.24
10.19%
5,355,000,000.00
0.50
6.46
0.41
1.56%
0.69
02 PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc
26.00
25.00
4.00%
26,000,000,000.00
5.69
4.73
1.87
0.37%
0.72
03 Zenith Bank Plc
23.30
22.51
3.51%
731,538,305,213.80
4.13
5.52
1.41
7.89%
1.02
04 Unity Bank Plc
0.60
0.58
3.45%
7,013,602,765.20
0.19
3.16
0.08
0.00%
0.08
05 Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc
1.30
1.26
3.17%
50,337,296,652.50
-0.03
-43.98
0.83
0.00%
0.57
06 International Breweries Plc
37.00
36.00
2.78%
121,887,223,360.00
0.02 1,642.11
4.58
0.68%
11.11
07 Guaranty Trust Bank Plc
40.00
39.20
2.04%
1,177,247,168,960.00
4.49
8.79
2.78
4.48%
2.16
212.99
210.00
1.42%
3,629,457,672,190.95
13.34
15.95
4.93
3.76%
4.40
09 Nestle Nigeria Plc
1,225.00
1,210.06
1.23%
971,003,908,700.00
10.00
122.02
5.32
2.38%
31.32
10 Lafarge Africa Plc
50.20
49.78
0.84%
228,656,070,862.00
3.71
15.36
1.18
5.26%
1.04
11 Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc
40.00
39.75
0.63%
400,000,000,000.00
2.85
14.20
2.59
0.25%
2.88
166.00
165.50
0.30%
1,316,230,747,408.00
3.58
51.23
4.64
1.96%
8.77
08 Dangote Cement Plc
12 Nigerian Breweries Plc 13 Access Bank Plc
9.51
9.50
0.11%
14 7-Up Bottling Comp. Plc
90.02
90.02
15 Cadbury Nigeria Plc
11.00
16 Cap Plc
13.18
0.76
0.76
5.50%
0.64
0.00%
57,665,944,477.26 -21.86
-4.21
0.52
2.39%
5.47
11.00
0.00%
20,660,222,440.00
-0.64
-18.74
0.70
10.77%
2.15
33.00
33.00
0.00%
23,100,000,000.00
2.17
15.89
3.54
3.33%
16.77
17 Continental Reinsurance Plc
1.50
1.50
0.00%
15,559,116,468.00
0.30
4.51
0.54
8.96%
0.69
18 FBN Holdings Plc
5.47
5.47
0.00%
196,347,251,572.24
0.16
35.99
0.35
2.55%
0.35
19 Flour Mills Nig. Plc
26.55
26.55
0.00%
69,673,497,314.85
3.71
7.82
0.14
6.90%
0.72
20 Forte Oil Plc.
49.90
49.90
0.00%
64,993,807,039.70
3.66
13.66
0.50
6.90%
1.38
21 Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Nig. Plc
22.00
22.00
0.00%
26,309,282,736.00
3.02
6.95
1.67
1.43%
1.50
22 Guinness Nig Plc
99.28
99.28
0.00%
149,504,579,304.64
-3.06
-25.17
1.12
4.16%
2.94
2.00
2.00
0.00%
15,860,395,316.00
-0.40
-5.19
0.35
7.62%
0.50
29.33
29.33
0.00%
38,715,600,000.00
-2.89
-11.83
0.32
4.39%
0.64
2.00
2.00
0.00%
21,000,000,000.00
0.25
7.57
0.96
2.63%
0.99
167.99
167.99
0.00%
60,576,398,063.38
22.61
7.69
0.67
4.14%
2.92
5.90
5.90
0.00%
71,004,251,474.60
0.29
23.59
0.18
10.95%
0.43
28 Okomu Oil Palm Plc
63.21
63.21
0.00%
60,296,651,100.00
5.15
12.75
4.36
0.15%
3.68
29 Presco Plc
59.00
59.00
0.00%
234,258,145,655.00
0.03 2,338.93
3.81
1.90%
6.49
0.50
0.50
0.00%
5,664,866,202.00
0.03
17.71
3.72
0.00%
1.94
31 Seplat Petroleum Dev. Co. Ltd
450.00
450.00
0.00%
248,989,640,850.00 -82.02
-5.88
4.21
3.30%
0.71
32 Total Nigeria Plc
231.00
231.00
0.00%
78,429,544,347.00
43.58
5.43
0.28
5.92%
3.41
15.00
15.00
0.00%
28,812,965,805.00
3.37
4.44
0.38
6.68%
0.38
34 UACN Property Development Co. Limited
2.85
2.85
0.00%
4,898,437,485.75
-0.90
-3.23
0.79
24.05%
0.15
35 Wapic Insurance Plc
0.51
0.51
0.00%
6,825,196,508.52
0.18
2.78
0.85
6.00%
0.41
36 Wema Bank Plc
0.50
0.50
0.00%
19,287,233,040.50
0.07
7.59
0.37
0.00%
0.41
37 United Bank for Africa Plc
8.46
8.51
-0.59%
306,924,792,684.12
1.99
4.81
0.91
6.26%
0.78
13.55
13.65
-0.73%
162,600,000,000.00
2.01
6.92
0.77
3.60%
2.19
39 Fidelity Bank Plc
1.30
1.31
-0.76%
37,651,361,399.60
0.39
3.54
0.26
11.68%
0.21
40 Diamond Bank Plc
1.10
1.11
-0.90%
25,476,427,864.80
-0.29
-4.02
0.13
0.00%
0.12
41 FCMB Group Plc
1.07
1.08
-0.93%
21,188,900,535.67
0.09
13.13
0.13
8.93%
0.12
42 Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc
2.99
3.03
-1.32%
4,856,414,062.50
0.36
9.51
0.69
5.88%
0.85
43 Custodian And Allied Insurance Plc
3.60
3.65
-1.37%
21,174,711,102.00
1.06
3.35
0.51
3.93%
0.64
44 Unilever Nigeria Plc
43.61
44.29
-1.54%
164,989,549,462.50
0.81
49.26
2.17
0.13%
12.95
45 Ecobank Transnational Incorporated
17.70
18.00
-1.67%
324,787,056,505.50
0.68
26.61
0.56
3.44%
0.53
46 Sterling Bank Plc
1.00
1.02
-1.96%
28,790,418,126.00
0.18
5.86
0.27
8.57%
0.35
47 AIICO Insurance Plc
0.53
0.55
-3.64%
3,673,008,374.40
1.48
0.38
0.14
8.93%
0.45
48 Skye Bank Plc
0.51
0.53
-3.77%
7,078,953,719.10
-2.93
-0.21
0.05
49.18%
0.08
49 Cement Co. Of North.Nig. Plc
8.36
8.80
-5.00%
10,505,826,123.76
1.29
6.96
0.70
1.11%
0.90
12.02
13.10
-8.24%
31,846,249,303.56
0.91
14.26
1.88
4.23%
4.28
23 Honeywell Flour Mill Plc 24 Julius Berger Nig. Plc 25 Mansard Insurance Plc 26 Mobil Oil Nig Plc 27 Oando Plc
30 Resort Savings & Loans Plc
33 U A C N Plc
38 Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc
50 National Salt Co. Nig. Plc
275,105,010,210.81
TOTAL
11,609,808,702,787.20
TOTAL MARKET CAP
12,213,251,594,060.80
% OF MARKET CAP Annotation - MA* = Simple Moving Average
95.06%
Table 1 Market Statistics Mkt Indicators NSE All Share Index NSE Market Cap (N'Trillion) Thisday BGL 50 Index Thisday BGL 50 Market Cap (N'Trillion)
Open Close Change % 27-Sept-17 28-Sept-17 35,103.40 12.10
35,429.31 12.21
0.93% 0.93%
148.78 11.58
149.11 11.61
0.22% 0.22%
Table 3 Top 5 Gainers Stock
Open Close Change % 27-Sept-17 28-Sept-17
Fidson Healthcare Plc PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc Zenith Bank Plc Unity Bank Plc Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc
3.24 25.00 22.51 0.58 1.26
3.57 26.00 23.30 0.60 1.30
10.19% 4.00% 3.51% 3.45% 3.17%
Table 4 Top 5 Losers Stock
Open Close Change % 27-Sept-17 28-Sept-17
National Salt Co. Nig. Plc Cement Co. Of North.Nig. Plc Skye Bank Plc AIICO Insurance Plc Sterling Bank Plc
13.10 8.80 0.53 0.55 1.02
12.02 8.36 0.51 0.53 1.00
-8.24 -5.00 -3.77 -3.64 -1.96
Market slides by 1.15% Market pulse on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) today - Thursday, September 28th, 2017 ended positive as the market closed green. This was further highlighted by positive performance from the NSE Subsectors: Banking and Consumer Goods (Save Insurance and Oil & Gas). Also, trading activities increased in volume as 346.22 million shares worth N3.99 billion in 3,066 deals exchanged hands today. This is an increase from the 136.40 million shares worth N1.27 billion in 2,860 trades were carried out on Wednesday. Topping in volume terms are: Skye Bank Plc, Mansard Insurance Plc and Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc; while Dangote Cement Plc and Lafarge Africa Plc ended trading as the most active stocks in value terms. The All Share Index (NSEASI) closed positive with 0.93% (+325.91) increase to close at 35,429.31 from 34,951.27 the previous trading day. Market capitalization appreciated in tandem to N12.21 trillion from N12.10 trillion of prior trading day. Similarly, the Thisday BGL 50 Index closes with an increase of 0.22% to 149.11 from 147.05 recorded at the end of the previous trading day, while its market capitalization stood at N11.61 trillion from N11.58 trillion of the previous trading day. A total number of 20 stocks gained on the bourse today while 23 stocks declined, leaving 49 stocks unchanged. Leading the pack again was Fidson Healthcare Plc led with a gain of 10.19% to close at N3.57 per share. It was followed by BOC Gases Plc with a gain of 5.00% to close at N3.78 per share. Others on the gainers’ list include: C&I Leasing Plc, African Prudential Registrars Plc and PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc. On the decliners’ list, National Salt Co. Nig. Plc led with a loss of 8.24% to close at N12.02 per share. It was followed by CCNN Plc with a loss of 5.00% to close at N8.36 per share. Others on the decliners list include: MRS Oil Nig. Plc, Vitafoam Nig. Plc and A.G. Leventis (Nigeria) Plc. Fidson Healthcare Plc emerged the toast of investors as it topped the Thisday BGL 50 Index gainers’ list with a gain of 10.19% to close at N3.57 per share. It was followed by PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc with a gain of 4.00% to close at N26.00 per share. Others on the gainers chart include: Zenith Bank Plc, Unity Bank Plc and Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc. On the decliners’ list, National Salt Co. Nig. Plc led with a loss of 8.24% to close at N12.02 per share. It was followed by CCNN Plc with a loss of 5.00% to close at N8.36 per share. Others on the decliners’ list are: Skye Bank Plc, AIICO Insurance Plc and Sterling Bank Plc. REQUIRED DISCLOSURE This report has been prepared by BGL Plc. BGL Plc does and seeks to do business with companies covered in its research reports. As a result, the firm may have a conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of this report. Investors should use this report as one of many other factors in making their investment decisions.
For more details go to www.thisdaylive.com
T H I S D AY ˾ , SEPTEMBER 29, 2017
44
MARKET NEWS
Fidelity Bank Launches $500 Million Eurobond to Boost Operations Goddy Egene and Nosa Alekhuogie Fidelity Bank Plc yesterday announced plans to launch up to $500 million Senior Unsecured Medium Notes (Eurobond) as well as a tender offer to purchase the banks’ outstanding $300 million 6.875 per cent Notes due May 9, 2018. Fidelity Bank disclosed this in a notification to the Nigerian Stock
Exchange (NSE). According to the bank, it intends to list the $500 million on the Irish Stock Exchange with the expectations that the notes will be traded on its regulated market. The bank said it intended to issue the notes directly but will retain the flexibility to substitute issuer with an offshore special purpose vehicle (SPV), where market conditions require and allow
T H E MAIN BOARD
DEALS
MARKET PRICE
for such prior to the maturity of the notes. Fidelity Bank Plc said the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), have given ‘no objection’ approvals to the transaction. According to the bank, the net proceeds of the notes will be used to finance the tender offer of existing notes and for its general banking purposes.
N I G E R I A N QUANTITY TRADED
STO C K
VALUE TRADED ( N )
Daily Summary as of 22/02/2016 Printed 22/02/2016 14:36:10.010
Daily Summary (Bonds) No Debt Trading Activity Daily Summary (Equities) Activity Summary on Board EQTY AGRICULTURE Crop Production OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC Crop Production Totals Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. Livestock/Animal Specialties Totals AGRICULTURE Totals CONGLOMERATES Diversified Industries A.G. LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC. TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC U A C N PLC. Diversified Industries Totals CONGLOMERATES Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Infrastructure/Heavy Construction JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. Infrastructure/Heavy Construction Totals Real Estate Development UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. LIMITED Real Estate Development Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Totals CONSUMER GOODS Beverages--Brewers/Distillers CHAMPION BREW. PLC. GUINNESS NIG PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. Beverages--Brewers/Distillers Totals Beverages--Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC. Beverages--Non-Alcoholic Totals Food Products DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC NASCON ALLIED INDUSTRIES PLC N NIG. FLOUR MILLS PLC. TIGER BRANDED CONSUMER GOODS PLC Food Products Totals Food Products--Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. NESTLE NIGERIA PLC. Food Products--Diversified Totals Household Durables VITAFOAM NIG PLC. Household Durables Totals Personal/Household Products P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. Personal/Household Products Totals CONSUMER GOODS Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ACCESS BANK PLC. DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED FIDELITY BANK PLC GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. SKYE BANK PLC STERLING BANK PLC. UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC UNION BANK NIG.PLC. UNITY BANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC. Banking Totals Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INSURANCE PLC LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. AXAMANSARD INSURANCE PLC N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. UNITY KAPITAL ASSURANCE PLC WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals Micro-Finance Banks NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC Micro-Finance Banks Totals Other Financial Institutions AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS PLC CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED PLC FCMB GROUP PLC. STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC UNITED CAPITAL PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals HEALTHCARE Pharmaceuticals FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC
6 6 12
30.00 34.00
19 19 31
“The bank will pay the net proceeds from the notes issuance after settling the existing notes in foreign currency or converted into Naira, depending on the bank’s requirement from time to time,” it said. Market analysts said, if successfully raised, the new funds would help to boost the bank’s performance going forward. Fidelity Bank had ended the half year to June 30, 2017
12,629 11,640 24,269
374,530.15 421,345.20 795,875.35
1.25
1,078,511 1,078,511 1,102,780
1,358,964.30 1,358,964.30 2,154,839.65
5 68 13 86 86
0.77 1.13 20.47
33,500 6,740,423 65,995 6,839,918 6,839,918
25,070.00 7,635,453.96 1,344,425.15 9,004,949.11 9,004,949.11
13 13
41.50
31,970 31,970
1,409,214.78 1,409,214.78
5 5 18
5.20
28,901 28,901 60,871
154,716.48 154,716.48 1,563,931.26
6 24 7 98 135
2.85 118.85 20.00 99.00
190,900 53,000 15,200 429,541 688,641
528,079.00 6,201,924.95 293,757.00 42,728,789.84 49,752,550.79
9 9
168.50
166,476 166,476
28,285,937.95 28,285,937.95
54 38 6 12 1 29 140
5.61 19.00 1.37 6.86 6.65 1.27
2,120,306 314,421 40,000 119,863 433 3,285,739,119 3,288,334,142
11,610,520.13 5,953,792.96 55,716.00 842,442.48 2,736.56 4,074,348,894.07 4,092,814,102.20
11 54 65
17.86 700.00
18,825 98,360 117,185
329,518.50 68,567,962.00 68,897,480.50
11 11
4.46
99,050 99,050
420,455.00 420,455.00
13 21 34 394
21.90 28.00
36,887 133,117 170,004 3,289,575,498
820,034.75 3,737,067.92 4,557,102.67 4,244,727,629.11
82 51 21 25 200 41 16 147 11 15 67 676
4.10 1.49 15.60 1.21 16.70 1.07 1.76 2.95 5.30 0.63 0.98
3,962,506 2,163,396 278,470 790,900 4,847,312 1,969,858 1,204,932 8,586,418 39,752 501,617 5,920,564 30,265,725
16,210,255.82 3,314,106.88 4,136,459.40 958,864.34 80,963,793.44 2,115,552.11 2,087,767.85 25,302,954.71 205,645.40 316,018.71 5,813,502.17 141,424,920.83
14 8 2 3 7 10 1 1 46
0.80 0.90 0.50 0.50 2.06 0.76 0.50 0.50
200,107 276,500 5,004,000 1,000,000 351,540 327,285 37,708,135 10 44,867,577
160,838.67 251,350.00 2,502,000.00 500,000.00 720,728.80 245,325.31 18,854,067.50 5.00 23,234,315.28
1 1
1.08
4,760 4,760
4,950.40 4,950.40
31 7 105 7 20 170 893
2.46 4.00 0.85 14.15 1.31
1,149,464 27,041 31,257,120 38,035 708,255 33,179,915 108,317,977
2,830,722.84 104,002.06 26,613,309.20 537,985.34 931,556.31 31,017,575.75 195,681,762.26
27
2.69
614,065
1,572,223.05
with an impressive financial results, posting growth in key performance indicators. The bank posted gross earnings of N85.8 billion in H1 of 2017, up 22 per cent from N70.2 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2016. Interest income grew by 27.8 per cent, while interest expenses grew faster by 48 per cent to hit N38.2 billion compared with 25.7 billion in 2016. As
a result, net interest income stood at N34.7 billion in 2017 compared with N31.2 billion, indicating a rise of 11 per cent. Impairment charges remained flat at N4.8 billion in 2017 as against N4.79 billion in 2016. Despite the high inflationary trend, the bank reduced operating expenses by 1.7 per cent to N30.9 billion, from N31.4 billion in the corresponding period of 2016.
E XC H A N G E
MAIN BOARD GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC Pharmaceuticals Totals HEALTHCARE Totals ICT IT Services TRIPPLE GEE AND COMPANY PLC. IT Services Totals ICT Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials ASHAKA CEM PLC BERGER PAINTS PLC CAP PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC PORTLAND PAINTS & PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC LAFARGE AFRICA PLC. Building Materials Totals Electronic and Electrical Products CUTIX PLC. Electronic and Electrical Products Totals Packaging/Containers BETA GLASS CO PLC. Packaging/Containers Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Totals OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Energy Equipment and Services Totals Integrated Oil and Gas Services OANDO PLC Integrated Oil and Gas Services Totals Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors CONOIL PLC ETERNA PLC. FORTE OIL PLC. MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. TOTAL NIGERIA PLC. Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Totals Exploration and Production SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD Exploration and Production Totals OIL AND GAS Totals SERVICES Automobile/Auto Part Retailers R T BRISCOE PLC. Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Totals Courier/Freight/Delivery RED STAR EXPRESS PLC Courier/Freight/Delivery Totals Printing/Publishing LEARN AFRICA PLC Printing/Publishing Totals Transport-Related Services AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Transport-Related Services Totals Support and Logistics CAVERTON OFFSHORE SUPPORT GRP PLC Support and Logistics Totals SERVICES Totals EQTY Board Totals Daily Summary (Equities) Activity Summary on Board ASeM CONSUMER GOODS Food Products MCNICHOLS PLC Food Products Totals CONSUMER GOODS Totals ASeM Board Totals Daily Summary (Equities) Activity Summary on Board PREMIUM FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC Banking Totals Other Financial Institutions FBN HOLDINGS PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials DANGOTE CEMENT PLC Building Materials Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Totals PREMIUM Board Totals Equity Activity Totals
DEALS
MARKET PRICE
QUANTITY TRADED
VALUE TRADED ( N)
32 4 6 69 69
25.33 0.94 0.69
551,998 16,020 597,000 1,779,083 1,779,083
13,903,164.18 15,299.40 412,110.00 15,902,796.63 15,902,796.63
1 1 1
1.69
500 500 500
805.00 805.00 805.00
16 9 4 6 10 31 76
24.00 9.30 35.78 8.62 3.36 80.50
110,727 40,229 26,700 142,300 299,900 14,373,223 14,993,079
2,707,053.97 362,501.29 992,680.00 1,227,076.00 966,480.00 1,157,057,077.16 1,163,312,868.42
6 6
1.51
134,500 134,500
204,240.00 204,240.00
5 5 87
50.00
24,529 24,529 15,152,108
1,165,135.50 1,165,135.50 1,164,682,243.92
2 2
0.50
24,262 24,262
12,131.00 12,131.00
90 90
3.47
3,827,573 3,827,573
13,288,632.05 13,288,632.05
21 7 8 21 7 64
18.34 1.84 342.00 150.00 145.00
81,125 100,300 20,300 16,295 13,699 231,719
1,505,034.50 182,832.00 6,595,470.00 2,396,080.60 1,959,692.96 12,639,110.06
33 33 189
318.00
389,934 389,934 4,473,488
124,037,602.56 124,037,602.56 149,977,475.67
1 1
0.50
941 941
470.50 470.50
5 5
3.80
32,870 32,870
127,756.40 127,756.40
13 13
0.89
624,500 624,500
538,430.00 538,430.00
1 22 23
2.29 4.00
4,588 251,094 255,682
10,001.84 1,001,583.80 1,011,585.64
1 1 43 1,811
1.68
10,000 10,000 923,993 3,428,226,216
16,000.00 16,000.00 1,694,242.54 5,785,390,675.15
2 2 2 2
1.21
270,464 270,464 270,464 270,464
327,261.44 327,261.44 327,261.44 327,261.44
306 306
11.45
13,929,679 13,929,679
159,605,439.23 159,605,439.23
278 278 584
3.74
10,438,552 10,438,552 24,368,231
39,515,087.18 39,515,087.18 199,120,526.41
35 35 35 619 2,432
139.83
38,770 38,770 38,770 24,407,001 3,452,903,681
5,304,666.00 5,304,666.00 5,304,666.00 204,425,192.41 5,990,143,129.00
2 2 2 2 2 10 10 10
2,330.00 2.33 6.02 11.09 18.07
3,000 20 20 20 15 3,075 3,075 3,075
6,986,000.00 46.70 120.20 221.80 270.65 6,986,659.35 6,986,659.35 6,986,659.35
Daily Summary (ETP) Exchange Traded Fund Name NEWGOLD EXCHANGE TRADED FUND (ETF) VETIVA BANKING ETF VETIVA CONSUMER GOODS ETF VETIVA GRIFFIN 30 ETF VETIVA INDUSTRIAL ETF Exchange Traded Fund Totals ETF Board Totals ETP Activity Totals
45
˾ FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2017
MARKET NEWS
Coronation Merchant Bank Inaugurates Academy, Graduates Analysts Goddy Egene Coronation Merchant Bank has graduated the first set of analysts from the Coronation MB Academy in a bid to foster continuous capacity development and grow its own unique brand of finance professionals. According to the bank, the graduation of the analysts is the culmination of an intensive eight-month trainee programme covering various areas of banking and financial
services including broad based organisational learning across functions, on the Job-learning (experiential), corporate/soft skills development and culture management. Speaking at the graduation ceremony in Lagos, Head, Enterprise Management at Coronation Merchant Bank, Ms. Onayimi Aiwerioghene said the Coronation MB Academy was established to train and provide a pool of competent, capable banking and finance
A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return. An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the
professionals to be well versed in the modern business of banking and finance as well as equip them with tools which will empower them to become leaders and build meaningful careers in the industry. She said successful trainees from the current set will be engaged by the bank as executive trainees immediately. Aiwerioghene further added that at the Coronation MB Academy, excellence is the
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 27Sept-2017, unless otherwise stated.
watchword. “From our talent acquisition process to the quality of facilitators to the curriculum and structure of the programme, participants are given the best instructional and practical experience to enable them attain the highest levels of excellence espoused in the Coronation MB way. Through our Graduate Trainee Programme, we are poised to develop global talent locally, and raise the next generation of finance leaders
for the bank and the Nigerian economy,” she said. Speaking in the same vein, Managing Director/CEO of Coronation Merchant Bank, Abu Jimoh, urged the new analysts to use their unique and valuable skills acquired during the programme as a ladder to the top of their careers. He said the bank would continue to invest in promising talent, whilst providing the opportunity for qualified and dedicated finance students in
Nigeria and across Africa. Driven by its vision of becoming Africa’s premier Investment bank and with an asset base of over N100 billion, the banking group said it is certain to leverage its privileged direction by some of Nigeria’s individuals who excelled and rose to the top of merchant banking sector at its height of excellence to become the industry model for risk management, corporate governance and responsible business practices.
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 169.17 169.93 33.24% Nigeria International Debt Fund 232.79 233.66 10.09% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.80 0.81 13.96% ACAP Income Funds 0.63 0.63 79.39% 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 18.95% 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 16.59 17.09 34.40% ARM Discovery Fund 353.76 364.42 23.19% ARM Ethical Fund 25.20 25.96 12.79% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 18.46% 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 140.43 141.42 33.51% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 18.60% 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 19.04% Paramount Equity Fund 11.57 11.87 23.63% Women's Investment Fund 94.94 97.47 12.28% 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 1,140.84 1,141.98 12.40% FBN Heritage Fund 140.50 141.74 26.05% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 18.81% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional $110.90 $111.90 7.84% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail $110.38 $111.38 8.07% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 148.91 151.07 32.25% 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 1.31 1.33 40.43% Legacy Short Maturity (NGN) Fund 2.88 2.88 12.12% 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 2,834.97 2,877.57 29.02% Coral Income Fund 2,367.93 2,367.93 13.64% 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 15.94% 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 18.27% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.03 2.05 20.68% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 17.64%
LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.13 1.15 13.80% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,042.99 1,042.99 8.46% 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 12.42 12.53 28.56% 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 1.19 1.21 19.76% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 10.81 10.88 4.04% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 17.12% 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 1.38 1.38 10.58% 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 2,140.65 2,152.73 16.90% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 166.30 166.30 8.02% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.93 0.95 22.08% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 210.71 210.71 12.75% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 165.01 167.10 27.08% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 18.50% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 9,135.22 134.18 -39.24% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.04 1.04 4.00% SIAML PENSION 40 131.34 134.18 32.76% 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 1.31 1.32 16.82% United Capital Bond Fund 1.42 1.42 16.20% United Capital Equity Fund 0.83 0.85 24.15% 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 12.26 12.44 26.22% Zenith Ethical Fund 12.95 13.08 18.24% Zenith Income Fund 18.51 18.51 11.98%
REITS NAV Per Share
Yield / T-Rtn
11.41 130.42
1.01% 5.20%
Bid Price
Offer Price
Yield / T-Rtn
10.49 101.61
10.59 103.52
21.63% 34.09%
Fund Name FSDH UPDC Real Estate Investment Fund SFS Skye Shelter Fund
EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund
VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund
funds@vetiva.com Bid Price
Offer Price
Yield / T-Rtn
4.26 8.92 16.27 19.07 134.04
4.30 9.00 16.37 19.27 136.04
53.93% 26.73% 37.66% 19.44% 5.85%
The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY
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INTERNATIONAL
email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com
China to Shut Down North Korean Companies China has told North Korean companies operating in its territory to close down as it implements United Nations sanctions against the reclusive state. The companies will be shut by early January. Joint Chinese and North Korean ventures will also be forced to close. China, Pyongyang’s only major ally, has already banned textile trade and limited oil exports.
The move is part of an international response to North Korea’s sixth and most powerful nuclear test. The UN Security Council, of which China is a member,voted unanimously for fresh sanctions on 11 September. China’s commerce ministry said it had set a deadline of 120 days from the passing of the resolution for any North Korean companies within its borders to close. North Korea is politically and
economically isolated, and the vast majority of its trade is with China. Beijing has traditionally been protective of its neighbour, but has sharply criticised its nuclear tests and escalating rhetoric. Earlier this year, it clamped down on its purchase of coal from Pyongyang and on seafood and iron trade across the border. Coupled with the textile trade ban, North Korea has lost several
of its scant sources of foreign currency income. Beijing has been under public pressure to take action from US President Donald Trump, who has both applauded and denounced Chinese policy at different times. Mr Trump has also been involved in a direct war of words with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, labelling him a“rocket man”on“a suicide mission”. He
warned that he would have no choice but to “totally destroy” North Korea if forced to defend the US or its allies. Mr Kim, in turn, has called Mr Trump “deranged” and a “dotard”, and said the US president’s comments have convinced him he is right to seek a nuclear deterrent, and has even accused Mr Trump of declaring war.
Hugh Hefner: Playboy Magazine Founder Dies Aged 91 Hugh Hefner, American founder of the international adult magazine Playboy, has died at the age of 91. Playboy Enterprises Inc said he passed away peacefully at home in Los Angeles, from natural causes. Hefner began publishing Playboy in his kitchen in 1953. It became the largest-selling men’s magazine in the world, shifting seven million copies a month at its peak. Cooper Hefner, his son, said he would be “greatly missed by many”. He paid tribute to his father’s “exceptional and impactful life as a media and cultural pioneer,” and called him an advocate for free speech, civil rights and sexual freedom. Hefner’s trailblazing magazine helped make nudity more acceptable in mainstream
publications, despite emerging at a time when US states could legally ban contraceptives. It also made him a multimillionaire, spawning a business empire that included casinos and nightclubs. The first edition featured a set of nude photographs of Marilyn Monroe originally shot for a 1949 calendar that Hefner had bought for $200. The silk pyjama-clad mogul became famous for his hedonism, dating and marrying Playboy models, and throwing decadent parties at the luxurious Playboy mansion in Los Angeles. He claimed to have slept with more than 1,000 women, and credited the impotence drug Viagra with maintaining his libido. “I am a kid in a candy store,” Hefner famously said.“I dreamed impossible dreams, and the
dreams turned out beyond anything I could possibly imagine. I’m the luckiest cat on the planet.” From 2005-10, a reality TV show called “The Girls Next Door” showcased Hefner’s libertine lifestyle - and the harem of young blonde women who shared it. Friends of Hefner and former Playboy models have been paying tribute to him. Pamela Anderson, who appeared on the cover of Playboy 15 times, said on Instagram: “You gave me my life... I’m in such deep shock.” Civil rights figure Rev Jesse Jackson tweeted:“Hugh Hefner was a strong supporter of the civil rights movement. We shall never forget him.” In 2012, aged 86, Hefner married his third wife Crystal Harris - who was 60 years his
junior. Though critics saw Playboy as a byword for sleaze, its founder - who was born into a strict Methodist family - never shared that view. “I’ve never thought of Playboy quite frankly as a sex magazine,” Hefner told CNN in 2002. “I always thought of it as a lifestyle magazine in which sex was one important ingredient.” Hefner faced obscenity charges in 1963 for publishing and distributing Playboy, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict. The magazine’s most significant interviewees included civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, Beatle John Lennon, and Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro. Its huge sales were certainly driven by glossy colour pictures of nude “playmates”, but it also developed a reputation for fine
writing, with Norman Mailer, Kingsley Amis, Kurt Vonnegut, James Baldwin, Vladimir Nabokov, Margaret Atwood and Ray Bradbury among its contributors. Their contributions allowed men to say they did not buy the magazine only for the pictures.
CHANGE OF NAME
I, formerly known and addressed as MISS CHIMAOBI TERESA ANISIOBI now wish to be known and addressed as MRS CHIMAOBI TERESA ATOBATELE. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note. I formally known and addressed as MISS. ADEKOYA OLUBUKOLA OLUFUNKE now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. AFOLABI OLUBUKOLA OLUFUNKE. All former documents remain valid. The general public, take note.
I, formerly known and addressed as AKINBOYE OLUWATOSIN JUNIOR now wish to be known and addressed as AKINBOYE OLUWATOSIN OLAMILEKAN. All former documents remain valid. WAEC and the general Public take note.
I, formerly known and addressed as MISS NNENNA CHARITY UFERE now wish to be known and addressed as MRS NNENNA CHARITY ROLLAND OKECHUKWU. All former documents remain valid. &ĞĚĞƌĂů WŽůLJƚĞĐŚŶŝĐ /ůĂƌŽ͕ /KE DŝĐƌŽ &ŝŶĂŶĐĞ ĂŶŬ and General Public take note.
I, formerly known and addressed as ALFRED MARSHAL UMAH now wish to be known and addressed as UMAH ALFRED IRO. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note.
I formerly known and addressed as MRS EMMANUEL OKOKO GLADYS IFEANYICHUKWU, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS EMMANUEL GLADYS IFEANYI. All former documents remain valid. EŝŐĞƌŝĂ ƐĞĐƵƌŝƚLJ ĂŶĚ Đŝǀŝů ĚĞĨĞŶĐĞ ĐŽƌƉƐ and the general public please take note.
I, formerly known and addressed as IKE CHARLES C. now wish to be known and addressed as IKE CHARLES CHIZOBAM. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note. I formerly known and addressed as OLUBUSOLA FISAYO IJADUOLAKOMOLAFE now wish to be known and addressed as OLUBUSOLA FISAYO OLUFEMI. All documents remain valid. ĂŶŬŝŶŐ ŝŶƐƟƚƵƟŽŶƐ͕ ĞůƚĂ ŝƌůŝŶĞƐ and the general public should please take note.
CORRECTION OF NAME
dŚŝƐ ŝƐ ƚŽ ĐŽŶĮƌŵ ƚŚĂƚ I, OMOLOLA OLAYEMI JOHNSON, ŵLJ ŶĂŵĞ ǁĂƐ ǁƌŽŶŐůLJ ǁƌŝƩĞŶ ĂƐ OMOLARA OLAYEMI JOHNSON instead of OMOLOLA OLAYEMI JOHNSON. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note
At a news briefing on Thursday, China’s foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said:“We are opposed to any war on the Korean peninsula.” “Sanctions and the promoting of talks are both the requirements of the UN Security Council. We should not overemphasiseoneaspectwhileignoring the other.”
CHANGE OF NAME
I, formerly known and addressed as NWOKOH ALOYSIUS CHUKWUEMEKE now wish to be known and addressed as ALOYSIUS CHUKWUEMEKE. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note. I, formerly known and addressed as DZ^ >Kz^/h^ͳ NWOKOH FAITHHOPE now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ALOYSIUS FAITHHOPE. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note. I, formerly known and addressed as >Kz^/h^ͳ NWOKOH PRECIOUS now wish to be known and addressed as ALOYSIUS PRECIOUS. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note. I, formerly known and addressed as HARUNA ADAMU now wish to be known and addressed as HARUNA ADAMU BABANGIDA. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note. I, formerly known and addressed as MISS JIMOH FAUISAT ABIOLA now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OKUNOLA FAUISAT ABIOLA. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note. I, formerly known and addressed as UJU OLOBO now wish to be known and addressed as DANIEL EMMANUEL. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note. I, formerly known and addressed as OGUNJOBI AZEEZ now wish to be known and addressed as TAIWO AZEEZ OLAMILEKAN. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note. I, formerly known and addressed as AKINTUNDE HABEEBAT TITILAYO now wish to be known and addressed as AJIYO HABEEBAT TITILAYO. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note. I, formerly known and addressed as OROLADE MUMEEN now wish to be known and addressed as MR OROLADE MUMINI OROBODE. All former documents remain valid. The general Public take note.
CONFIRMATION OF NAME
dŚŝƐ ŝƐ ƚŽ ĐŽŶĮƌŵ ƚŚĂƚ I, BABA-ALI KABIR is the same person as BABA-ALI MUHAMMAD KABIR. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.
dŚŝƐ ŝƐ ƚŽ ĐŽŶĮƌŵ ƚŚĂƚ /͕ ONYEMAECHI NWOBODO and ONYEMA NWOBODO ANI is one and same person, I henceforth wish to be known and addressed as ONYEMAECHI NWOBODO. The general public please take note.
Ëœ Í°ÍˇËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ Ëž T H I S D AY
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WORLD OF ISLAM
Edited by: MJO Mustapha Email deji.mustapha@thisdaylive.com
How Abraham Initiated Globalization Omar Abdel Haleem Al-Jumah/IslamiCity
S
ocial scientists, historians, and economists have been running something of a competition to theorize the origins of the two hallmarks of our time: The catalyst that occasioned the modern era, and the event-onset of globalization. They’ve mostly spun sightlessly from speculation to conjecture, blinded by the cowls of secularism they must wear. This causes them to miss the real driver of social transformation among humanity—the divinely ordained brotherhood of the prophets of tawhĂŽd, or revealed monotheism. Anyone who studies prophethood can easily discern the celebrated harbinger of both. Abraham pbuh, father of prophets. Two aspects of his advent are decisive in history: His coming ushers in a new era for humanity, and he enters as the inspired herald of the end of time, the vast bulk of humanity’s generations having already passed from the earth before him. So in mission and message, Abraham pbuh proclaims the inevitability of the modern era and globalization. Before Abraham pbuh, humanity is not nearly as connected as it is after him. Peoples in the eras preceding him fundamentally live in their own worlds. That is why, as the Quran tells us, to each one God sends its own messenger, a brother from among themselves, with a specialized message directed exclusively to them. That is also why there is so little meaningful continuity between the nations before Abraham pbuh. A people would rise to prominence. A messenger would be awakened among them. He would call them to Oneness and away from their self-styled idols. He would condemn their treatment of their downtrodden and poor—for always the exploited were the “necessaryâ€? byproduct of a people’s propagated identity. And bleakly he would censure the very particular vices that they claimed their beliefs arrogated to them. Then the people would disbelieve. Then God would bring down a shocking cataclysm upon their heads, or from beneath their feet, or from before their very faces, or from behind them, unaware—until the unmoved earth and tearless sky swept their faceless corpses and traces into silence. Then another messenger would arise among a successor people.
The Run Up to Abraham Yet there is perceptible motion among humanity preceding Abraham pbuh. In travel. Gradually the trade routes become more established and better. In recording. it grows easier to keep records of human events, and so to obtain them. I would guess that improvement in political organization could similarly be detected, until out of these sophistications a people like the Romans can envision a global empire; whereas in pre-recorded history, the notion of empire as such is unrealized (not to say that expansive realms didn’t exist). But when the new era verges, nothing but a change in prophet-hood can usher it in and match the unprecedented capaciousness of its mind. So it is the mission of Abraham to reintroduce monotheism in the globalizing world—and this time for good. For the world will never after return to a state vacant of monotheism. And how could it? The elaboration of travel, the capacity for capture of datum and occurrence—and now the expansion and elevation of prophethood—all the elements of returning man to a whole-earth, human-wide level of home, place, and space existence would make it forever unnecessary to reinstate monotheism in the world.
Abraham, and the Sacred Way Ever After This speaks to Abraham’s unique God-given characterization in the Quran as a nation, or community in entirety, in himself (SÝrat Al-Na^l, 16:120). Thus Abraham—exemplar of monotheism, devoutly obedient to the immutable morality set by God for all humankind—goes where God commands him in the earth, his purpose to sow the seeds
of taw^Îd, the Oneness of God, therein, and to set its geo-spiritual axes for all human beings and nations after him. Centrally, in this quest, Abraham raises the foundations of the Kaabah, the very First House of God established on earth, and simultaneously purifies it for worship and reestablishes the human obligation of pilgrimage in the season of Hajj to it. This is crucial. For had humanity not come full circle to the threshold of globalism, Allah would not have had Abraham pbuh raise up the Kaabah’s foundations to reintroduce it to us for these four specific purposes: (1) For the Hajj as the unifying focal point of humanity; (2) as our human origin in the world; (3) as the source of the cardinal directions, from which east becomes east, west west, and north and south the left and the right respectively; and (4) as the culminating place and rite of all human worship of Him as Sole Divine. Before Abraham, it would have been too much to expect a person on the other side of the world to make Hajj. This leaves us with an important question. Where did God command Abraham to go, aside from the Valley of Tears, Bakkah, where Makkah stands? He went to three other places: Iraq (where he was born and started his call to taw^Îd). Al-Shâm (Greater Syria, which hosts the Furthest Sacred House, Al-Aqsa, in Jerusalem). And Egypt. Indeed, the event of building and re-sacralizing he Ka’bah of Makkah comes last on this inspired itinerary, and thus does the last become first. If we look at these four regions, we see that today they share certain defining characteristics: 1. All are predominantly Muslim 2. All are Arabic-speaking, which naturally keeps them closely tied to the Quran, the Sunnah (Way) of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh, and Islam 3. All have tangible connections between them and Heaven: (1) The sources of the Nile and Euphrates are in Heaven. (2) The Ka’bah in Makkah holds the Black Stone, a stone of Heaven, and is connected with Al-Bayt Al-Ma’mÝr (The Much-Frequented House (by the Angels in pilgrimage) in Heaven. (3) And in Al-Shâm, in Jerusalem, within the Sanctuary of Al-Aqsa Mosque (established by Abraham pbuh 40 years after the Ka’bah), there is a Stairway to Heaven from The Sakhrah—the Stone from which the Prophet Muhammad œ ascended to Heaven during the Mi’râj, Ascent to Heaven 4. All exist in or near the desert 5. In the case of Makkah, Iraq, and Egypt, civilization has been made possible by miraculous water: Zam Zam, the Nile and Euphrates (as above-mentioned) 6. They hosted the oldest civilizations in the world 7. They occupy the most central geographic position in the world, and hence its central trade routes must pass through them 8. The region as a whole God has blessed with rich natural resources 9. None of the Holy Scriptures (The Torah of Moses pbuh, The Evangel of Jesus pbuh, or The Quran) specifies any place outside of this region. Rather, all the events of the Revealed Scriptures occur within these places. Makkah enjoys a special station as the place of the Hajj-Pilgrimage, we’ve noted. But set it aside and look at the modern-day political conditions of the Abrahamic countries, Egypt, Syria, and Iraq. Each is in calamitous upheaval, metamorphosis from which they shall not return to their previous socio-political states. In this context, let us recall the command of God to Abraham pbuh, to call people—all humanity!—to His Oneness and worship, to make the Hajj-Pilgrimage to His House. What does Abraham, stark in the desert vale, do? He ascends Mount AbÎ Qubays near the Ka’bah and cries out, against all the odds, in this wilderness to the far-flung family of man, who cannot hear him. He calls man to return to his origin, to the sole worship of his Sole Creator, to the singular, most unifying, comprehensive, and equalizing Pillar of Worship, the Hajj-Pilgrimage. He proclaims and Allah conveys. It is as if we can hear his prophetic, clarion voice ring out upon the winds and through the ages today, calling humanity to return all together, in unified peace, to the pure, easy, and upright belief in God, the One, and to the faith and prophetic conduct this entails.
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Hearty Cheers We, your friends heartily congratulate you, Prof. Osita Ogbu (OSHIMIRI NSUKKA) as you turn 60. May God bless you with sound health, wisdom, grace and everything you need to continue on the part of excellence and service to God and humanity. We’ve also received the programme of events as stated below: Friday September 29 Public Lecture by Dr. Benedict Oramah, President Afrexim Bank Cairo. Venue: Margaret Ekpo Refectory, UNN. Time: 12 noon. Drama presentation by the Theatre Arts Department of the Novel, The Moon also Sets, by Osi Ogbu Venue: Arts Theatre UNN. Time: 7pm Saturday September 30. Thanksgiving Service at St. Francis Catholic Church, Ovoko Igbo-Eze South, Nsukka, Time: 10am Reception thereafter at Prof. & Dr. Mrs. Osita Ogbu’s Country home Isiuja, Ovoko. Again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Prof.
Osita Ogbu (OSHIMIRI NSUKKA) SIGNED: His Excellency Chief Ken Nnamani, GCON Fmr. Senate President
Mr. Chinyeaka Ohaa, Fed. Perm. Sec. FCT, Abuja
His Excellency Okwesilieze Nwodo 1st Executive Governor, Enugu State
Mr. Emeka Odo Chairman Enugu State BIR
Prof. Charles Soludo Former Governor, CBN
Dist. Sen. Ben-Collins Ndu
Chief Onyemuche Nnamani Chairman Autostar Group Chief Ogbo Asogwa Hon. Commissioner for Housing Enugu State Adaonah Uyanwune
Chief Inno Chukwuma, Chairman/CEO Innoson Group
Chief Ben Etiaba Chairman Enugu Sports Club
Dr. Chinedu Eze Basil Onugu Ugwueze Nnaemeka Chukwudi
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September 27, 2017 UPDATE ON THE $400M CONVERTIBLE BOND ISSUE
On April 18, 2017, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated announced its proposed Convertible Bond issue of up to US$400 million. Further to the announcement and the shareholders’ approval at the Extra-Ordinary General Meeting held on June 16 2017, ETI wishes to provide the following update; x
Transaction Advisers have been appointed to advise on the completion of the structure and terms of the convertible bond in line with the approval given by Shareholders. The transaction is expected to be completed before end of 2017;
x
Subject to the necessary legal and regulatory authorisations, the Convertible Bond will be listed on the International Securities Market (ISM) of the London Stock Exchange by end of 2017;
x
Subject to the necessary legal and regulatory authorisations, the terms of the transaction will be available to the Shareholders. Shareholders may contact ETI’s Investor Relations team to know more about the transaction.
All remaining information will be disclosed to the shareholders on the website as soon as it is defined and available.
*Important Note* This announcement does not contain or constitute an offer of, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for, securities to any person in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. The securities referred to in this press release have not been, and will not be registered under the regulations in Nigeria, Ghana and UEMOA, and may not be offered or sold in these regions.
Investor Relations Email: ir@ecobank.com Tel: (228) 22 21 03 03 / 22 21 31 68 Fax: (228) 22 21 51 19
FRIDAY, ÍşÎ Ëœ ͺ͸͚Ϳ Ëž T H I S D AY
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PAGE FIFTY FOUR KANO, KATSINA, NASARAWA REJECT RESTRUCTURING, DEVOLUTION OF POWER True Federalism headed by the governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai had kick-started the regional public hearings on September 18. But as the ruling party held its zonal meetings, renowned constitutional lawyer and leader of the Igbo Leaders of Thought, Prof. Ben Nwabueze (SAN) yesterday reiterated the urgent need for the restructuring of the country, dispelling concerns that it would lead to the breakup of the country or encourage separatist groups to secede. Ironically, even as some Northern states rejected restructuring and devolution of powers from the federal government to the states, the 36 state governors in Abuja asked the federal government to give them control over some federal roads in their states. At the APC true federalism committee hearing in Kano, the state subtly rejected tinkering with the structure of the current federating units of Nigeria and equally opposed amending the current devolution of power format. Articulating the position of Kano, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje said even if any constitutional amendment would be effected, it should be a gradual process. “We are of the view that power should, in a process of gradual constitution amendment, continue to be shared among and between the current tiers of government in keeping with the dictates of the principles of federalism,� he said. Ganduje added that Kano people believe in one united nation, saying: “Kano is in total support of the indivisibility and oneness of Nigeria as a single geographical entity based on the solid principles of democracy, liberty, justice
and federalism.� On the creation of more states, the governor said the nation needs not be saddled with extra financial burden such extra states would entail. Ganduje also said the derivation formula pegged for oil-producing states should not exceed 13 per cent. “Equally the Federal Republic of Nigeria should maintain the present presidential system of government, the three tiers of government consisting of the 36 states and 774 local governments as provided in the 1999 Constitution,� Ganduje said. In his contribution, the Katsina State governor, Aminu Bello Masari, blamed the military’s foray into politics, saying this was the primary reason the calls for restructuring were mounting daily. He also said Nigerians needed to be on the same page regarding the true meaning of true federalism to be able to proffer solutions on the way forward. “Many have forgotten that we, in the first place, need to be even enlightened on what true federalism and restructuring is, because as it is, many have given it different meanings,� the Katsina governor argued. He also reiterated the belief in the indivisibility of the nation as presently constituted. “Katsina rejects devolution of powers and restructuring as being pushed, but believes in one united Nigeria that takes care of every section of the nation,� he said. He assured that Katsina’s position aligned with that of its sister states in the Northwest zone, which he listed as Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi.
“This is because whatever touches them or concerns them, concerns us,� he added. Speaking also, the Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government Alhaji Adamu AbdulKadir, while rejecting restructuring of the country, advocated for the devolution of power from the centre to the states. Badaru argued that some key issues including education and agriculture should be removed from the Exclusive List in the Nigerian Constitution, thereby enabling states and local governments to effectively manage their own affairs. Badaru also posited that the government was in support of true federalism, review of the fiscal and federal allocation and the federal system of government. The Jigawa governor, however, opposed the creation of more states. The three states representing the North-west zone present were in agreement on unity and strong federating units for the country. They were also unanimous on balanced economic development and the spread of social growth across the country. Also, in their different speeches, they declared that the unity of the country remained sacrosanct and nonnegotiable, pointing out that it will not be in the interest of any part of the country to break off. Former Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu, who represented the committee in Kano, said Nigerians needed to communicate with the same language concerning the agitations so as to fashion a
way forward. Chime urged Nigerians to “critically examine the calls for restructuring and give their input on how best the clamour could be tackled�. The committee, according to a statement issued by elRufai at its inauguration, was expected to organise 13 public hearings across the nation before finally fashioning out a position on the matter at the national level. However, the position of the Kaduna State Government created an obvious vacuum at the forum yesterday as el-Rufai was not only conspicuously absent, but did not send a representative, nor did he submit a memoranda on behalf of his state. Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi were also not represented at the meeting. Also speaking yesterday at the North-central meeting on true federalism held by the APC, Nasarawa State governor, Umaru Tanko AlMakura said his state was not comfortable with restructuring, adding that the country had benefited immensely from the presidential system and all that was needed was to fine tune it and make it work better. He said: “We are comfortable with the presidential system that has been in practice for over 40 years. The word restructuring is often misused; all we need is to fine tune the existing practice and make it better. “Some people think that restructuring is to create more state, while others think it is to merge states. But the truth is that the presidential system remains the best practice.� But Plateau and Benue States, which were represented at the forum, differed with AlMakura, saying restructuring was the way to go, as it will
address all the agitation from all sides. Presenting his paper, the Director of Research and Documentation in the Plateau State Government House, Professor John Wade said restructuring was born out of agitation, so it should be applied to address all aggrieved zones, adding, nonetheless, that agitators should pursue their demands through legal and constitutional means. On its part, the Benue state government also consented to restructuring, saying it couldn’t have come at a better time. Speaking while presenting the state’s position, the APC Legal Adviser, Mr. Omale Omale, who represented the Benue State Government, added that the state was gunning for local government autonomy, power devolution and land tenure as its restructuring bid.
Nwabueze Allays Concerns But even as the states in the North could not agree on restructuring, renowned constitutional lawyer and leader of the Igbo Leaders of Thought, Prof. Ben Nwabueze (SAN) yesterday reiterated the urgent need to restructure the country and dispelled concerns that it would lead to the breakup of the country or encourage separatist groups to secede. In a press statement on restructuring to mark the nation’s 57th anniversary, the elder statesman said restructuring would herald a new Nigeria that would have enormous regard for her people. According to him, restructuring should be seen as a “clamour for the setting
up of appropriate platforms or fora to renegotiate suitable governmental structures for the pursuit and realisation of our common needs for development, good governance and national transformation�. He said it had become imperative for the restructuring of the nation’s model of “federalism� as a governmental structure, which according to him was no longer what it used to be under the 1960/1963 Constitutions of Nigeria before the military interventions that changed everything. In a envisioned “New Nigeria�, Nwabueze said ethnic nationalities should, for the purpose of the restructuring, be grouped into six or eight zones or regions as federating units, without prejudice to the existing 36 states, noting that the implementation of restructuring imperatively requires a new constitution adopted by the people through a referendum. “The federal system under the two constitutions (1960 and 1963) may fairly be described as a model of true federalism. “Regrettably, the intrusion of absolutist military rule for 28 years after 1965 has brought about the accretion of a vast amount of additional powers to the centre, over and above what they were under the 1960/63 Constitutions, resulting in the system being turned virtually into a unitary system; the system is still tagged federal, but it is so largely in name,� Nwabueze said. He further described the undue concentration of power and financial resources at the centre as an anomaly, adding that the notion of true Continued on page 55
KADUNA GOVT OBTAINS WARRANT FOR ARREST OF AREWA YOUTH GROUP MEMBERS Nigerians of South-east extraction to leave the North on October 1 to actualise their agitation for an independent nation of Biafra or face the consequences, declaring that the North could no longer live in the same country with Igbos. However, the group was roundly condemned by the Northern governors and many prominent Northerners. Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State had ordered for their arrest following the declaration but nothing became of the directive.
The coalition was to later retrace its steps by withdrawing the ultimatum, following consultations and mediation by both Northern and Igbo leaders. The statement signed by Samuel Aruwan, spokesman to the Kaduna governor said: “When some elements barged into our state capital to deliver an illegal ultimatum to a section of our community, the government condemned it and ordered the arrest of those concerned.� He said the state government had lodged a
criminal complaint against those behind the quit notice and obtained a bench warrant against them. “Therefore, anybody that sights them or is aware of their location should proudly discharge the civic duty of informing the police,� statement said. According to the state government, “The criminal complaint specifies the sections of the recently updated Penal Code Law of Kaduna State, 2017 that were violated by those who issued the illegal ultimatum.
“These include Inciting Disturbance: Section 78; Disturbing Public Peace: Section 77; Injurious Falsehood: Section 373; Unlawful Assembly: Section 66; and Criminal Conspiracy: Section 59. “The formal criminal complaint and the bench warrant secured on August 8, 2017, provide a basis to investigate, apprehend and ultimately prosecute the suspects. “Accordingly, a competent court has directed the Commissioner of Police,
Kaduna State to act on the criminal complaint. The Kaduna State Government considers this a most important matter of law enforcement, and will not relent on the matter. “Anybody contemplating unlawful action should know that such will invite a vigorous law enforcement response. “The Kaduna State Government is persuaded that a law-governed society should always signal that sanctions will follow illegal behaviour. This is in the interest of justice, peace and harmony,� it stated. The statement called on all
FACEBOOK, GOOGLE, OTHERS CONFIRM NIGERIA’S REQUESTS FOR USER INFORMATION as the African countries that made the highest requests. The social media giant said that the government of Nigeria had specified the highest number of user information on its user information requests with 113 accounts. South Africa made 32 requests for user accounts, Egypt (31) and Sudan (24). Facebook said that Nigeria also made requests for content in six user accounts to be preserved. It said that Nigeria made requests for 96 users’ information during the second half of 2015, meaning that the requests were made after President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office on May 29, 2015. The report stated: “It is worth noting that the number of requests to Facebook by African governments is small
when compared to the United States of America which made nearly 50,000 user information requests relating to over 80,000 user accounts and 69,437 preservation requests in 2016. “Facebook’s compliance rate with the U.S.’ requests last year was over 80 per cent.� Tech giant, Google also declared that Nigeria in 2015 made requests to it. Google launched the first transparency report in 2009, followed by Twitter in 2012, and Facebook and Yahoo in 2013. The report stated: “Since 2013, Google has received user information requests from 10 African countries – Algeria, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, The Seychelles and South Africa. “Over three years, Kenya made the highest number of
user information requests to Google – 21 relating to 32 user accounts – followed by South Africa and Nigeria. “Aside from eight requests made by the Kenya government during the second half of 2013 relating to 11 user accounts, of which Google complied with 63 per cent, all the other requests were rejected. “Nigeria is the only government in Africa to have made a user information request to Google and it was fully complied with. The emergency disclosure request was made by the Nigerian authorities in the second half of 2016 and it related to five user accounts. “Google had rejected all of Nigeria’s seven previous requests,� it explained. Twitter, in its transparency declaration, stated that Nigeria made three emergency requests,
of which two were complied with. It stated that the first request was made in the second half of 2015 while the second was made in the second half of 2016. Yahoo, however, did not list any request made to it by any African countries. The report described MTN as not being transparent because it refused to provide details of requests made to it by governments of the 19 countries where it operates in Africa. The report added: “In its 2016 Annual Sustainability Report, MTN reaffirmed its support for human rights including access to information, freedom of expression, privacy and security of its users’ communications and information. “However, the telecommunications company, one of the largest service providers in Africa with a
presence in 19 countries, provides no information about how it handles requests from governments and private parties for user information or surveillance support. “Similarly, MTN provides little information about its processes for handling such requests. “The South Africa based company also does not disclose any data about the number of requests it receives or complies with, which places it a rank lower than the likes of Millicom, Vodafone and Orange when it comes to transparency about its policies relating to users’ freedom of expression and privacy,� it stated. Recently, the Nigerian Army had said it was monitoring social media site as part of its surveillance programme. However, following a backlash, it recanted.
residents of the state to go about their lawful business, uphold and respect their neighbours and report any suspicious activity or person. “Nobody has the power to evict another citizen or to tell them where they can or cannot live,� the statement warned. The statement added that the government and the security agencies were working to prevent any threats to peace and harmony, adding that vigorous security patrols will continue as part of concrete actions to reassure residents and demonstrate that bad behaviour was unwelcome and would not be tolerated.
TOP GAINERS FIDSON BOCGASES C & I LEASING AFRIPRUD PZCUSSONS TOP LOSERS NASCON CCNN MRSOIL
NGN NGN 0.33 3.57 0.18 3.78 0.07 1.52 0.14 3.50 1.00 26.00 NGN NGN 1.08 12.02 8.36 8.36 1.68 31.98 VITAFOAM 0.13 2.57 A.G LEVENTIS 0.03 0.62 HPE Nestle Nig Plc â‚Ś1,225.00 Volume: 346.215 million shares Value: N3.995 billion Deals: 3,066 As at yesterday 28/9/17 See details on Page 44
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NEWS
Asst Police Commissioner, Family Members Abducted by Gunmen John Shiklam in Kaduna An Assistant Police Commissioner, Mr. Emmanuel Adeniyi, and members of his family have been reportedly abducted by armed gunmen along the Birnin Gwari-Funtua road in Kaduna State. The incident was said to have occurred on Wednesday when the police officer, serving
in Gusau, Zamfara State, was travelling with members of his family along the Birnin Gwari road noted for armed banditry. The police boss and three members of his family were said to be travelling in a Hilux van when they ran into the gunmen who forced their vehicle to stop and whisked them away in another vehicle.
Also, another police officer was said to have been abducted with three others while travelling to Birnin Gwari in a Sharon bus on Wednesday. Sources said immediately the police patrolling the route got the information that some persons travelling in a Sharon bus had been abducted, they raised the alarm as one of
the passengers had during a stopover at a police post identified himself as a policeman. It was also learnt that a popular businessman from Birnin Gwari known as Danhaza and his driver were also abducted three days earlier along the same route while travelling to Kaduna from Birnin Gwari.
The businessman and his driver were said to be travelling in a VW Golf car when the gunmen blocked them and forced them into the bush. The police in Kaduna could not, however, confirm the kidnappings, as the spokesman of the command, Aliyu Usman did not respond to phone calls.
without crude oil. The plan is called ‘the zero oil plan’. “Council was informed that Nigeria is going through the sharpest falls of export revenues in her history, losing over $100 billion of national export revenue between 2015 to 2017 due to the crashing oil prices, which resultant effect was the recession. “Council was informed that there was urgent need to rapidly ramp up non-oil exports as our future earnings from crude oil faces significant headwinds. “The zero oil plan aims at earning at least $30 billion from non-oil sources in the near to medium term as against the current earnings of about $5 billion. “The objectives of the zero oil plan are to add $150 billion to Nigeria’s foreign reserves in the next 10 years, create 500,000 jobs, lift 10 million Nigerians out of poverty and integrate each state of the federation into the export value chain. “The focus of the plan is on the export of the following items - rice, wheat, corn, palm oil, rubber, hides and skin, sugar, soya beans and automotive parts, among others. “Destination countries for our exports include: Netherlands, China, Iran, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, India and Saudi Arabia, among others,� he said. Awolowo also said the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) briefed NEC on what he described as the “states export development initiative being pursued as a medium to long term strategic plan aimed at stimulating and increasing deliberate funding intervention for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the non-oil sector for attainment of its objectives�. He said: “The initiative is built on schematic transaction dynamics with key features like the provision of dedicated funding of a minimum of N5 billion as a pilot phase with a window for other facilities and partnership for transactional support.� Furthermore, Awolowo said the Managing Director of Nigerian Export Zones Authority (NEPZA) briefed the council on the need to have more special economic zones in addition to the Calabar Free Trade Zone. “He told the council that the major defect in the Calabar Free Trade Zone is that the zone has not been linked to the Calabar Port and that there is urgent need to do so in order to make the zone a lot more effective. “Partnership between the federal and state governments as well as the private sector is needed. He urged council to ensure that the location of free trade zones should
be done strictly on business considerations and not political considerations. “He also asked council to provide incentives for free trade zones to include linkage to rail and expressways and close the proximity to utilities and airports, among others,� he added. Also, the Kwara State governor said the council constituted a committee saddled with the task of drawing up a plan to boost exports in pursuit of government’s diversification programme. The committee, which will be chaired by the governor of Jigawa State, also has the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah as co-chairman. He listed other members of the committee to include: Ministers of Agriculture, Power, Works and Housing, Finance as well as the governors of Lagos and Ebonyi States. Ahmed added that the committee would also draw up templates on the structure of accessing information on exports. In his briefing, the governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu said the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh briefed the council on Nigeria’s exports in recent times. According to him, the minister said exports had increased by 82 per cent with rubber, kolanut and palm kernel, among others, being exported to other countries A statement last night by Osinbajo’s media aide, also said Nigeria earned N30 billion from agriculture exports in the first quarter (Q1) of 2017.
Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris
KANO, KATSINA, NASARAWA REJECT RESTRUCTURING, DEVOLUTION OF POWER federalism demands separate a constitution and coercive forces at the federating units. “Restructuring, as it is presently being demanded, seeks to revert our federal system to the true federalism of the 1960/63 Constitutions, to further reduce the powers of the federal government as may be thought necessary, and to reverse the specific matters mentioned above. “The intention, furthermore, is to assuage, to an optimal extent, the demand for self-determination or selfgovernment consistent with the territorial sovereignty of the country. “Self-determination connotes essentially, not independent government, but the right of each group, within the territorial sovereignty of the country as one state, to govern itself in matters that concern it alone, without undue control by the federal government; the control is oppressive because it is being exercised without due regard to the requirements of justice, fairness and equity. “The ethnic nationalities, other than those in the meantime in charge of the federal government, are groaning under the emasculating yoke of federal control, as evidenced by the recent authoritarian proscription of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), without first resorting to dialogue as a means for amicable resolution of disagreements in a democracy, and without a hearing by a court of law. “Restructuring is being demanded as a means of release from the choking federal yoke. “The term ‘self-government’ expresses the essence of re-structuring in our understanding of it. To reiterate, self-government requires that the ethnic nationalities, grouped together by reference to culture/ language and geographical contiguity, should be enabled to govern themselves in matters that concern them alone, within the sovereignty of a central government common to all, with powers appropriately circumscribed. “Self-government connotes therefore true federalism. The ethnic nationalities should, for this purpose, be grouped into six or eight zones or regions, as federating units, without (it is suggested) prejudice to the existing 36 states. “The implementation of restructuring imperatively requires a new constitution to be adopted by the people at a referendum,� he stated.
Govs Want Federal Roads But as the arguments for and against restructuring gathered pace, the governors of the
36 states of the federation yesterday demanded the release of some of the federal roads to the states for rehabilitation and reconstruction in view of the deplorable state of such roads and the federal government’s inability to fix them all. Briefing State House correspondents at the end of yesterday’s National Economic Council (NEC), presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the governor of Ebonyi State, Mr. Dave Umahi, said in view of the deteriorating state of Nigerian roads, NEC approved the governors’ decision to write President Muhammadu Buhari to demand for the release of some federal roads to them. According to Umahi, the roads would be fixed through private public partnerships with the aim of tolling the roads and consequently save Nigerians the pains of plying collapsed roads. He said if granted, concrete measures would be employed to construct the roads with a view to guaranteeing their longevity. He also said the council resolved that the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola should come up with strategies on how to control the weight of items being conveyed by trucks on the roads which he added was the major cause of frequent collapse of roads. “Council was highly concerned about the state of our roads. Even after fixing the roads, the roads will collapse within six months and we identified that overloading is one of the major factors because in the road designs, you use an axial load. “Most of the time, you don’t use more than an axial load of 35 tonnes but a lot of our trucks carry loads of fuel, conveying 45 tonnes, 60 tonnes, 70 tonnes and that is a major concern to state governors. “So we said the Minister for Power, Works and Housing should come up with strategies to replace the weight of the trucks plying the roads fingered as the major cause of road collapse. “The state governors are very concerned. These failures have been agitating our minds and we are thinking about strategies to resolve the problem. “We solicited that the federal government should give out some of the federal roads to states so that states can fix the roads and maybe toll them. “We believe this will be more effective because we believe that the number of federal roads being handled by the federal government, no amount of budget can fix them.
“But if some of these are given out to state governments and they maintain a handful of them, of course, some of the budgeted funds, the annual budgets can be given to the states and that will help. “So we came to the agreement that we are going to write Mr. President to proffer some of the strategies by which we can participate in this kind of programme. “We believe that it is going to enhance our road situation. So we resolved that governors would write President Muhammadu Buhari to release some of the federal roads to fix them through private public partnership initiatives with the aim of tolling the roads and consequently saving Nigerians the pains of plying collapsed roads. “He said if granted, concrete would be used to construct the roads to guarantee their longevity,� he said. Umahi also gave the current balances in Federation Accounts to include: N4.3 billion in the Stabilisation Account, N84.69 billion in the Natural Resources Account and $2.3 billion in Excess Crude Account. Responding to a question on the ability of state governments to assume the responsibility of road rehabilitation and maintenance, given their inability to pay workers’ salaries, the Kwara State governor, Mr. Abdulfatah Ahmed said despite the challenges of unpaid salaries confronting the states, they could still take on the responsibility of fixing federal roads through public private partnerships and achieve good results. Also briefing, the DirectorGeneral of the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr. Segun Awolowo disclosed that Nigeria lost over N30 trillion, the equivalent of $100 billion, to the fall in the price of crude oil in the last two years. According to him, in view of the drastic fall in oil prices, NEPC conceived what it tagged a “zero oil plan� with the aim of generating $30 billion from non-oil revenue sources in the near medium term. He said the objectives of the zero oil plan are to add $150 billion to Nigeria’s foreign reserves in the next 10 years, create 500,000 jobs, alleviate poverty and get the states of the federation integrated into the export value chain. He also said sources of exports would come from food crops such as rice, wheat, corn and palm oil, among others, which he added would be exported to places such as France, Spain, Italy, and the like. “The NEPC made a presentation to the NEC on a plan to restructure the Nigerian economy to survive
Devolution Bill Not Automatic Meanwhile, spokesman of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abdulrazaq Namdas yesterday clarified that the plan by the lower legislative chamber to revisit of the Devolution of Powers Bill would not make its passage automatic. He said the reintroduction of the bill would still be subjected to laid down procedures of constitution amendment when the lawmakers might have consulted with their respective constituencies before voting on the bill again. He cautioned further that the bill could still either be passed or rejected. Addressing reporters at the weekly media briefing, Namdas said the newly constituted Special Ad hoc Committee on Political Agitation in Nigeria was expected to meet all agitators across the country with a view to easing political tension across the country.
The ad-hoc committee, which is chaired by Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Sulaimon Lasun Yusuff, held its inaugural meeting yesterday. Lasun, who presided over the meeting called on Nigerians to give support to the National Assembly in ensuring that all political agitations in the country are resolved. He said the committee was saddled with the responsibility of making sure that all political agitations from various quarters are stopped, adding that the committee would go from one location to another to investigate the cause of the agitations and also provide a lasting solution to the various concerns. The deputy speaker appealed to members of the committee to take the assignment seriously, given the urgency and complexity of the agitations. In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Wole Oladimeji, Lasun assured the public that the committee would do everything within its power to come up with solutions that would stop further agitations in the country. The 16-member committee has House Leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila as deputy chairman as well as seven principal officers and two members of the House. Also, yesterday the House denied the conclusion reached by the Supreme Court against House Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara whom it accused of disobeying court orders. The Supreme Court had warned the Speaker of the consequences for disobedience to court orders and urged him to comply with the court’s decision that sacked a member of the House Hon. Herman Hembe and ordered him to refund all the monies collected as salaries and allowances from June 2015 when they were sworn in as a legislator. The court further ordered that Mrs. Dorothy Mato be sworn in to replace Hembe. Dogara was yet to comply with the June 25, 2017 judgment, hence drawing condemnation from the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen who argued that the seeming disobedience could spell doom for democracy. But Namdas told reporters that Mato was yet to complete her documentation with the House’s management, adding that there was nothing personal to it. He said though Mato might have been cleared by the Code of Conduct Bureau, there are House procedures she must certify before she is presented for swearing-in. He added that she will be duly sworn-in whenever she does the “needful�.
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T H I S D AY FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2017
No. 22 Katsina-Ala Crescent, Off Yedseram Street, Maitama, Abuja.
ANNOUNCEMENT THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY ANNOUNCES THE COMMENCEMENT OF
The Verification Exercise for Pensioners of New Nigerian Newspapers, NICON Insurance, Nigerian Defence Academy (Civilian) and Nigeria Re-Insurance under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), will commence For the Next of Kin (NOK) of Deceased Pensioners, the following its verification for Pensioners of New Nigerian Newspapers, NICON documents are essential: Insurance, Nigerian Defence Academy (Civilian) and Nigeria Re-Insurance. 1. Death Certificate of the Deceased from a Government recognized The verification exercise will take place from Monday, 2nd October, 2017hospital. 2. Letter of Administration Friday, 6th of October, 2017. These categories of Pensioners are to come along with both originals and 3. Joint Application Letter by the NOK(s); as listed on the Record of photocopies of their employment records. The following documents and Service. 4. Marriage Certificate (for Spouses) information are mandatory for all pensioners: 1. Letter/Gazette of First Appointment 5. Duly signed and stamped NUBAN Joint Bank Account Statement of 2. Letter/Gazette of Confirmation of Appointment. the NOK(s), with Bank Logo 3. Letter/Gazette of Last Promotion. 6. 1 Coloured Passport Photograph for each NOK 4. Letter/Notice of Retirement Approved by a Competent Authority 7. NOKs to deceased State Pensioners with Federal Share must provide 5. Evidence of Change of Name (Where Applicable). the deceased’s Record of Service 8. Birth Certificate of NOK(s) 6. Approval Letter for Condonation/Merger or Transfer of Services from 9. Bank Verification Number (BVN) Slip of NOK(s) the Head of Service of the Federation (where Applicable) 7. Record of Service 10. Valid Means of Identification (Driver’s License, International Passport, 8. Bank Verification Number (BVN) Slip National Identity Card or Voter Identification Card) 9. Duly stamped and signed NUBAN Bank Statement of Account with Mobile Verification will be conducted for sick and infirm the Bank Logo showing the last 1 month of activity. Pensioners. Please contact PTAD through the toll-free 0800-CALL10. 1 Coloured Passport Photograph PTAD (0800-2255-7823) for special arrangement to be made. 11. Computation Sheet Security Agencies will be at the venues. FRAUDSTERS BEWARE.
The field verification exercise will commence on the following dates as indicated below: State
Centre
Dates
Location
Lagos
NUT Paviilion
2nd – 6th of October, 2017
Plot 5, Block B, NERDC Road, Beside Tisco Plaza, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos
Abuja
PTAD Headquarters
2nd – 6th of October, 2017
No. 22 Katsina-Ala Crescent, Off Yedseram Street, Maitama, Abuja.
Kaduna
Nigerian Defence Academy
2nd – 6th of October, 2017
NDA Staff Secondary School, Old Site, Ribadu Campus, Kawo, Kaduna
NOTICE: For further inquiries contact: Toll Free Lines: 0800-CALL-PTAD (0800-2255-7823)
Phone No: +234(0)9-462-1700, +234(0)8136048117 (Rates Apply) Follow us on Twitter @PTADNigeria Email: info@ptad.gov.ng, complaints@ptad.gov.ng www.ptad.gov.ng
Signed: SHARON IKEAZOR Executive Secretary
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Ă?ĂĄĂ? ĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ™Ăœ Davidson Iriekpen Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă– davidson.iriekpen@thisdaylive.com, 08111813081
Fayose Declares for Presidency, Vows to Sack Buhari Nwodo: Why governor cannot contest EFCC arrrests Ekiti commissioner, AG Onyebuchi Ezigbo Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Victor Ogunje Ă“Ă˜ ĂŽĂ™ ÕÓÞÓ The Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, yesterday formally unveiled his intention to contest for the 2019 presidential election, vowing to defeat President Muhammadu Buhari. The tough-talking chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum challenged his party men from the northern part of the country where the party zoned the presidency to for 2019 to stop dilly-dallying and come forward to declare their intentions. He said the constitution of Nigeria guarantees every Nigerian the democratic right to contest for the presidency, adding that zoning is only a gentleman agreement which does not foreclose anyone from participating in the process. “I do not stand before Nigerians today to present myself as one with the answers to all our national questions. Rather, I present myself as one with the required knowledge, understanding, competence and above all, the political will to coordinate the human and material resources that we have in abundance to achieve national greatness,â€? he said. The governor, however, said his seeking the ticket of the PDP to contest the 2019 presidential election is without prejudice to the party’s position on the zoning of presidency to the
North. He challenged politicians from the North interested in the presidential race to come forth now and declare their intentions, adding that Nigerians would no longer subscribe to a packaged president.  Fayose said: “I am a supporter of competence and capacity, especially now that this country needs young and able leaders that can take our country out of this present state of hopelessness. “Most importantly, despite that the party has zoned the presidency to the North, it may interest you that no one has come out in this manner to show interest, and our party should not wait or beg anyone to fly its flag. Do we now say that if no one comes out from the North, the party won’t have a candidate?� Speaking about his chances, Fayose whose intermittent jabs at the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration drew applause from the audience, said PDP needs to field a strong candidate with right disposition to winning elections. According to him, “When I was contesting for the governorship of Ekiti State, they were about 22 aspirants but I defeated them  to become the governor. The party needs a candidate like me with a penchant for defeating the incumbents in electoral contests. While insisting on his
competence to rule the country, Fayose drew attention to his achievements in his state especially the feat recorded in education. He lambasted the All Progressives Congress (APC) for incompetence and poor governance, adding that the economy has recorded its second worst investment inflow in 10 years under APC watch. “Like they lied to win election, the APC government of President Buhari has been deceitful for over two years, and an end must come to this deceptive government by 2019. “My party leaders, standing before you is Peter (The Rock) Ayodele Fayose, the man already destined by God to take Nigeria out of the present political and economic stagnations. “You are all witnesses to
my commitment to this party in this difficult period, where I have demonstrated uncommon courage that makes me stand out as capable of leading our country at this time. “Our economy will be revived and returned to the path of progress that it was before we had the misfortune of having these clueless people in power. We will ensure diversification of the economy through agriculture, adequate supply of power and massive industrialisation, thereby creating employment for our youths,� he said. The former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, listed qualities of  Fayose that stood out from his peers to include his uncommon courage, outspokenness and indefatigable approach to the cause of equity and fairness in the affairs of
the country. Fani-Kayode, who delivered his speech in fine prose to thrill the audience, described Fayose as a trusted ally who cares much about the down-trodden and does not support oppression of the weak. Former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Senator Iyola Omisore, said Fayose has shown himself as a man of courage who can change the state of things in the country for the better. Meanwhile, speaking yesterday in Abuja, a member of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Okwesilieze Nwodo, has said Fayose cannot contest in the party’s primary poll for 2019 presidential election. Nwodo, a former National Chairman of the PDP, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that party’s ideology forbade
Fayose and other members from the South from contesting in the presidential race in 2019. He said the ideology would be followed to the letter in spite the governor’s declaration. “Fayose cannot run and I will tell you my reason,� he said. “When we formed PDP, the first battle we fought and won as a party was to zone the presidency to the South. “Those of us from the south made a case because in the first republic, prime minister was from the North; in the second republic, the president was from the North, and in the third republic, a southerner won and the election was annulled. “There was no way we could go back to the south and say let’s elect a northerner again
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FAAC Allocation Rises as FG, States Share N637bn for August There was a significant increase in revenue for the month of August 2017, as a total of N637.704 billion has been distributed as Federal Allocation among the federal government, state governments and local government areas. The communiquÊ issued by the sub-Committee of Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation at the end of the meeting held today in Abuja, indicated that the gross statutory revenue received for the month is N550.992 billion, which was higher than the N387.319 billion received in the previous month by N163.673 billion. The shared amount comprised the month’s Statutory distributable revenue of N550.992 billion and Value Added Tax of N86.712 billion, totalling N637.704 billion. Accordingly, from net statutory allocation, the federal government received N260.609 billion representing (52.68 per cent); states received N132.184 billion (26.72 per cent); local government councils received N101.908 billion representing (20.60 per cent); while oil producing states
received N41.977 billion as 13 per cent derivation revenue. Furthermore, from the revenue available from the Value Added Tax (VAT), federal government received N12.487 billion (15 per cent); states received N41.622 billion (50 per cent) while the local government councils received N29.135 billion (35 per cent). The communique further explained that there was a decrease in the average price of crude oil from $51.05 to $50.44 per barrel but a significant increase in export volume by 0.85 million barrels, which resulted in increased revenue from export sales revenue by about $41 million. There was also shut-in and shut-down of pipelines due to the activities of vandals as well as for maintenance which impacted negatively on production. Furthermore, the force majeure declared at the Forcadose terminal since February, 2016 was still in place. Significant increases were also recorded in companies income and petroleum profit tax while import and excise duties and Value Added Tax recorded marginal increases. Meanwhile, the balance of the excesses crude account stood at $2.309 billion.
EMINENT VISITOR
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (right), and Special Envoy of President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi of Egypt, Mohammed Al Oraby, at the State House in Abuja....Wednesday
FG to Issue $2.5bn Eurobond Before Year-end Obinna Chima The federal government is considering issuing a $2.5 billion Eurobond before the end of the year, the latest in a series of debt sales as the government seeks to fund a record budget for 2017. The Director General of the Debt Management Office (DMO), Patience Oniha, said this at the 2017 Nigerian Debt Capital Markets Conference & Awards organised by the FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange in Lagos. The federal government’s N7.44 trillion budget is meant to fuel growth after the economy pulled out of its first downturn in a quarter of a century in the second quarter of 2017. The mid-November issue would complement the $1.5 billion raised in Eurobond
sales in February and March. She said Nigeria needed to build stronger and responsive institutions that could support infrastructure agenda of the government. According to her, the government had proposed to channel new borrowings into capital investments instead of consumption. Oniha explained: “We are already working with transaction advisers and by the middle of November we should have issued $2.5 billion either in Eurobonds or a combination of Eurobonds and Diaspora bond. The debt ratio is not tangible and adequate components of borrowing because it is not going into funding others than capital investment.� But the National Assembly would need to approve the debt, Oniha said, adding that
the borrowing would be part of a total of $4 billion allotted in the 2017 budget. “The domestic debt is high in terms of cost and interest rate. We want to use the external borrowing to lengthen the maturity profile of our borrowing. We have done 15-years (bonds) and were told that we can look at 20- or 30-year tenor. We reduced our interest cost by about 10 per cent.� Nigeria now has a treasury bill portfolio worth N3.7 trillion, Oniha added. On the N100 billion Sukuk Bond, the director-general said the federal government had identified 25 road projects to be funded with the proceeds. These include the Ore-Sagamu road, Kaduna by-pass, Enugu Port Harcourt road, Kano Maiduguri, Benin Lokoja road,
among others. According to her, government has also decided to finance other trunk A, roads that would provide support that is needed to accelerate nation’s developmental goals. “We need to build the business in terms of products that meets specific needs of investors,� she added. Oniha said the acceptance of the Sukuk offerings was an indication of the viability of the instrument as an investment option as well as a demonstration of utmost faith in the economy. She also commended the federal government for the policy support that led to the success of this initial offer, adding that it had been encouraged to introduce new instruments to aid government’s funding.
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CBN, Labour Unions,Others Oppose Amendment of Pension Reform Act Ebere Nwoji
Stakeholders in the pension sector, mainly the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) among others, at the public hearing on bill for an Act to amend the Pension Reform Act 2014 opposed the bill. They said it was not in the best interest of government, the Nigerian workers and the economy. The stakeholders, reacting to the multiple private bills filed by some members of the House of Representatives especially the bill seeking the exemption of six paramilitary agencies of the government from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), rejected what theydescribedasanactofcommission or omission, legislatively or otherwise that is targeted at undermining or destroying the existing pension system in the country. Describing the current pension system in the country as a solid good house built by President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, they said they were ready to resist any attempt
to return Nigeria workers to the old Defined Benefit Pension Scheme which according to them, subjected them to unimaginable dehumanising post- service treatment. The one-day public hearing on Pension Reform Act 2014 which took place at the House of Representatives auditorium was presided over by Chairman House Committee on Pension, Hon. Hassan Adamu Shekarau. Prior to the hearing, multiple private bills demanding the amendment of the Pension Reform Act 2014 were filed by some members of the House of Representatives. Among the bills, the one that has generated much comments from the public especially the stakeholders in pension subsector, was the bill on exemption of six paramilitary agencies of government namely the police, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigerian Customs Service, Nigerian Prisons Service, Nigerian Immigration Service and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from the contributory pension scheme. The bill was sponsored by
Hon. Oluwole Oke while the bill seeking the approval of 75 per cent sum withdrawal by retirees from their Retirement Savings Account(RSA), instead of the prevailing 25 per cent minimum and 50 per cent maximum withdrawal was sponsored by Senator Aliyu Wamko. At the public hearing, among the stakeholders who presented their submissions to the House were members of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners(NUP), NLC, TUC, Nigerian Police, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), EFCC, Association of Retired Police Pensioners, the National Pension Commission (NAICOM), Security and Exchange Commission, CBN, National Pension Commission,(PenCom), Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate(PTAD), Centre for Pension Rights Advocacy, Certified Pension Institute among others. In his submission, National President of NUP, Dr. Abel
Afolayan, said for the pensioners under the defined pension scheme, the introduction of the contributory pension scheme and the enactment of the Pension Reform Act 2004 amended in 2014, was the most laudable step taken by the government to transform and improve the pension sector in Nigeria. “The year 2004 will therefore remain a significant landmark in the history and development of our pension industry. It will not be out of place to commend all the dignitaries, personalities, agencies, establishments and institutions and particularly the legislative and executive arms of government for the laudable roles they played. It is our hope however that none of them, individually or collectively, by any act of omission or commission, will take any step that will undermine or destroy the work they have started,” he stated. In his submission NLC
President, Ayuba Wabba, said on the surface, the bill looks attractive but that in practical reality, it will be destructive and will collapse the existing pension system. According to him, most of the agitations of the bill have been taken care of in the existing act. He said the pension act should be allowed to remain as it is, adding that the Act has obviously brought huge relief to the pensioners. The Inspector General of Police (IG), Ibrahim Idris, who was represented by Commissioner of Police, David Bodo, said the NPF Pension Fund Administrator (PFA), has done very well and that the police are of the opinion that it will remain with the CPS. He called on the government to attend to issues already raised by the Force which are being attended to by the PenCom, stressing that the welfare of the Nigerian police would be well taken care of under the CPS.
The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) also supported the remaining of the paramilitary agencies of government with CPS, arguing that those pushing for the bill on the ground which the CPS guarantees for payment of benefits for only 18 years should remember that the annuity aspect created by the existing act also pays pension benefits throughout the life of a pensioner. CBN noted that going by current realities, especially now that Nigeria depends more on oil which the world are presently turning away from, it would be difficult to cater for the pension of members of the paramilitary if they are exempted. Former Director-General PenCom, Mohammed Ahmad, said there is need to sustain policies, adding that the number of people seeking exemption may be up to 50 per cent of government workers, which it cannot cater for.
NEITI: Nigeria Does Not Know Its Daily Oil Output 59 Years after First Export Says country earned $715bn from oil in 34 years Chineme Okafor ÓØ ÌßÔË The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) yesterday disclosed that 59 years after Nigeria exported its first vessel of oil, it still cannot state precisely the amount of oil it produces every day from her oil fields in the Niger Delta. It said the country has continued to rely on production figures supplied by operators in the industry, but do not have an independent verification of the figures. NEITI also stated that the total amount of monies earned in 34 years – between 1981 and 2015, by Nigeria from the sale of crude oil was $715 billion. Speaking at the third edition of the annual lecture of the Dauda Adegbenro Foundation at the University of Ibadan in Oyo State, the Executive Secretary of NEITI, Mr. Waziri Adio, stated that over the years, Nigeria has been unable to make the most of what it earned from its oil, as well as failed to place meters to verify her production volumes. Adio also stated that the increasing volatility in oil prices and the commodity fast losing its once glorious relevance in the global energy mix meant that Nigeria has to quickly cut off its overreliance on oil. A text of his presentation titled: ‘Transparency in the Extractive Sector: Driving Wealth Creation and Sustainable Revenue as Solution to Economic Recession,’ was made available to THISDAY in Abuja. He explained in the
presentation that Nigeria’s exit from an economic recession was partly influenced by the gradual rise in the fortunes of crude oil, that is, price gains and Nigeria’s production growth. “We need to know exactly how many barrels of crude oil we produce, not just how many barrels that we export. NEITI’s first audit report (covering the period from 1999 to 2004) claimed that Nigeria did not know or could not independently and scientifically state its oil production beyond the say-so of the operators. “The situation remains the same, 11 years after that report was released, 59 years after we exported our first vessel of oil and 61 years after we discovered oil in commercial quantity in Oloibiri, in present Bayelsa State,” he stated. Adio claimed that the NEITI had recommended the need for multi-phased, calibrated meters at oil well-heads, flow stations and export terminals, but this was yet to be considered by the government. Speaking on oil earnings, he stated: “We need to come to terms with the reality that a natural resource-led development approach leads to a mirage. From 1981 to 2015, Nigeria earned a total of $715 billion from oil. “It is a lot of money, but not an awful lot when you take our population size and developmental needs into consideration. And for perspective, the market value of Apple is $751 billion. That is just one company.”
GENDER ISSUES
L-R: Speaker, House of Representatives,Yakubu Dogara; Executive Director,WARDC, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi; National Commissioner, INEC, Prof. Antonia Simbine; Chairperson, House Committee on Women in Parliament, Evelyn Omavowan; Guest Speaker, Prof. Oluwafunmiayo Pera-Mallam; and Country Director, Health Policy Plus, Dr. Onoriode Eze, at the sixth National Summit on Women in parliament held in Abuja...yesterday
Tuggar: FG Committed to Functional, Friendly Business Environment Obinna Chima Nigerian Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany, Yusuf Tuggar, has stressed the commitment of the federal government to a functional and business-friendly environment. Tuggar said this in his welcome address at the sixth German – Nigerian Business Forum held in Frankfurt on Wednesday. He noted that in recent times, the narrative on Nigeria had been that of oil, corruption and Boko Haram. These, he said had in one way or another become the principal lenses through which many have viewed Nigeria. According to the envoy, that narrow perspective – alongside long-standing erroneous stereotypes of Africa and Africans – are impediments leaders in the continent are committed to uprooting. “I am happy to proclaim
that there are many reasons for us not to despair. Where we allow negative perceptions delivered in comfortable clichés free rein, we permit narratives that are riddled with distortion. We must not be diverted and deflected from fully engaging the opportunities that abound between us. “Transition, like other forms of change, is notoriously difficult to manage and can often be destabilising. President Muhammadu Buhari’s mandate to restore the primacy of the rule of law necessarily means an end to “business as usual”. Our president has popular support and is resolute in his determination to make Nigeria better placed than ever to revisit its development trajectory. “My task in reshaping perceptions of the Nigerian narrative here in Germany is made infinitely easier by the passion and commitment of our government to renewing the
basis of our domestic affairs as well as our global engagements. Nigeria is transitioning to a different kind of economic foundation, as well as a political culture more accepting of the scrutiny that comes with our commitment to transparency,” he said. The ambassador noted that the centrality of oil to Nigeria’s economic disposition over the last few decades had proven to be a misadventure that policymakers are consciously working to countervail. This, according to him, was the major reason why the Nigerian government took the strategic decision to decouple the economy from inordinate dependence on oil. Furthermore, he argued that the federal government has been breaking new ground in laying the foundation for Nigerians and others to grow into new and more future-oriented businesses in the country.
He added: “At every opportunity, the Nigerian government’s commitment to renewing the country is evidenced in its approach to new challenges. The approach to renewal through the six Special Economic Zones spread across the country to pioneer advanced research, engineering and production speak of change. “As I stand here before you, as a representative of my country, let me reiterate the Nigerian government’s commitment to being unrelenting in the struggle against corruption. That fight will never be done until the cancer is excised from our body politic. “Going forward, no area – not politics, not the economy, not domestic business, nor in international business and cooperation – in no area will there be immunity for corruption. Our objective is to make the business and regulatory environment user-friendly.
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Fashola: Regulations on Eligible Customers Ready in October Ejiofor Alike The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has stated that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) would
release the regulation that would define eligible customers in the power sector by next month. Speaking yesterday in Lagos at a power roundtable organised by the Lagos Chamber of
Jibrin Tackles House Spokesman over Resumption Date James Emejo ÓØ ÌßÔË Former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin has carpeted the spokesman of the House, Hon. Abdulrazaq Namdas over the latter’s comments on his date of expected return from his suspension. Jubrin had been suspended for 180 legislative days amid the budget padding saga which rocked the House last year. The embattled lawmakers reportedly got angered by Namdas’ comment that he was yet to complete his suspension and that Jibrin would have to apologise to the lower chamber as a condition for his return to the chamber. However, Jibrin, in a statement issued last night by his media aide, Godwin Onyeacholem, berrated Namdas for making comments which are “insensitive and insult to the people of his constituency, coming on a day Kiru/Bebeji constituents gathered to further deepen their protests and mark a one year of brazen impunity and injustice meted on
them and the member representing them (who it is a public knowledge committed no offense).” The statement further read:”For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to state that Hon. Jibrin’s position on this issue remains, as always, immutable. He has maintained that denying his constituents representation for one good year is unconstitutional and negates all known democratic principles, just as asking him to apologize for doing no wrong is a negation of all known social norms. “It is somewhat weird that the official spokesman of the House claims that he does not know the exact date that Hon. Jibrin’s purported suspension would lapse. That in itself speaks volume of the subterfuge and sinister motives around the whole issue. “Hon. Jibrin is aware of sacrifices required during struggles like this. He is therefore prepared to make whatever sacrifice for the good of the House of Representatives and Nigeria as a whole, so that posterity will remember him on the good side of history.”
Abaribe: You Can’t Hold Me Responsible If Kanu Fails to Appear in Court Obinna Chima As the October 17 date for the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, whose whereabouts remains unknown, draws closer, one of his sureties and senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has said he cannot be held responsible if the IPOB leader fails to appear in court. Abaribe said this yesterday, during an interview on ARISE News, the sister broadcast station of THISDAY Newspapers. He said prior to the intervention by the military, Kanu had always assured him that he would be in court on the said date. Abaribe explained: “He was supposed to appear in court on October 17. It was our job as sureties to produce him in court. We have been speaking with him. “I spoke with him around August 23. I had to invite him to meeting with the South-east Senate caucus in my home at Obingwa, in Abia.
“We discussed and we told him what we felt and where he was going out of bound and we told him to confine himself to the laws of the land.” He added: “Now, I spoke to him on September 11, and it was same day that the military moved into his place. “So, he was supposed to be in court on October 17, on September 11, the military were doing exercise around his home and since then, nobody has seen him.” The senator said he hasn’t been able to speak with Kanu since the incidence occurred, because the number he used to use in reaching him (the IPOB leader) is off. According to him, nobody knows Kanu’s whereabouts presently. “The real question is why will you go one month before his appearance in court to effect an arrest, to kill him or whatever? “So, we felt that you cannot hold me responsible if you didn’t wait for the date he was supposed to be in court.”
Commerce and Industry (LCCI), the minister also disclosed that the regulatory authority would also next month issue the regulation on metering to enable the distribution companies to sell bulk power in their feeders to meter service providers, who will provide meters to customers and sell the power to them. Fashola said the new regulations were in line with the Electric Power Sector Reform Act of 2005, which he described as one of the best piece of legislations that has ever come out from the National Assembly. The minister further clarified that there is no exclusivity in any Disco or Genco, stressing that NERC
is empowered by law to license a new Disco within an existing Disco, provided the new license would not diminish the commercial viability of the original holder of the license. He noted that the primary business of the Discos is to sell power and not to provide meters. “Outsourcing is underway and that is why I said that we must read the law because contrary to the impression that a lot of people have, there is no exclusivity in any Disco or Genco. The law says that unless exclusivity is actually prescribed in your license, there is no such thing. So, we can license another Genco next year, subject to terms
that does not reduce or diminish their commercial viability. We can license within Eko Disco, another Disco, but the industry is a regulated industry. Those regulations are made by NERC,” Fashola explained. The minister stated that NERC is currently going round the country to engage stakeholders on new regulations on metering. According to him, the law allows NERC to issue licenses for ancillary services, adding that metering is one of such services. “But there must be a way to ensure that the original license holder’s business is not destroyed because you create another business. So, those regulations will be
issued in October,” Fashola said. “So, the regulations that are coming next month are for meter service providers. The Disco can now say that ‘look at Victoria Island Feeder; I don’t want to retail that area again’. Then we can license a meter service provider, who can go to the Eko Disco who will sell him Victoria Island Feeder and say ‘just pay me for the bulk power that goes to the VI Feeder and go and meter customers by yourself and keep the money.’ That is going to happen,” Fashola added. The minister also stated that the regulations for the eligible customers would also be ready by next month.
INVESTMENT IN DELTA
Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa (middle); Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, Felix Mujakperuo (right); and Executive Vice-President of Porton Energy Limited, Mr. Ikomi Oti, during ground breaking ceremony of Proton Energy Power Plant at Ogorode-Sapele....yesterday.
FAYOSE DECLARES FOR PRESIDENCY, VOWS TO SACK BUHARI without giving the south a slot. “A decision was taken that the presidency should come from the south and the chairman of the party to come from the North. “That was how Solomon Lar became the chairman of PDP and secretary was zoned to the south; that was how I became the first secretary of the party.” Nwodo, a former governor of Enugu State, said the party would take a decision to ensure that its constitution and ordinances were respected. He explained that those who tried it in the past failed to achieve their aim. He said: “For example, late Abubakar Rimi, former Governor of Kano State paid for a form and wanted to run. “Then I was the national secretary, I returned his cheque and informed him that the party had taken a decision that the presidential candidate could only come from southern Nigeria. “When we went to the convention in Jos, he went to the venue and started to campaign without having a form because
we didn’t give him. “We had to get some party leaders around to go and counsel him; we didn’t want security agencies to manhandle or embarrass him and good counsel prevailed and he stepped down. “That was what PDP did and now we did not only zone the presidency to the north, we have re-emphasised at every opportunity we had that the zoning will take place. “So, the party will not collect expression of interest money from anybody else who is not from the North and will not issue him a nomination form to contest; no, we will not do that.’’ However, the euphoria of Fayose’s declaration for the presidential election was cut short when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested top officials of his government. According to EFCC Head of Media and Information, Wilson Uwujaren, the arrest was effected due to the refusal of the officials to
honour the commission’s invitation. Uwujaren said: “Ekiti State Commissioner for Finance, Chief Toyin Ojo and the Accountant General, Mrs Yemisi Owolabi, are currently in the custody of the EFCC. “They were picked up today following their refusal to honour previous invitations for interrogation in relation to pending investigation on the misuse of bailout funds by the Fayose administration,” he added. Meanwhile, efforts by the EFCC to challenge the Appeal Court’s ruling dismissing the commission’s application to get a stay of execution on the order to de-freeze the governor’s two accounts with a new generation bank, suffered a setback yesterday, as the court adjourned the case to November 7. Justice Ahmad Belgore of the Appeal Court, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state capital, gave the fact that a notice of hearing of the date of the motion filed by EFCC was not yet served
on the second respondent, Zenith bank, as reason for the adjournment. Fayose has been having a running battle with the EFCC over the freezing of his two accounts on the allegation that the money in them were proceeds of crime. Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court granted Fayose’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, an order to de-freeze the governor’s accounts by the bank on grounds that the EFCC suppressed the fact that Fayose, as a sitting governor enjoys immunity from criminal prosecution according to section 308 of the 1999 Nigeria constitution as amended. Adjourning the hearing of EFCC’s motion filed since June 22, to November 7, justice Belgore said the court could not proceed on hearing the motion yesterday as the hearing date notice was yet to be served on the second respondent which is the bank.
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I’ll Reveal Why PDP Lost 2015 Poll in Due Course, Says Jonathan Lamido: Buhari administration clueless Daniel lobbies former speakers for chairmanship post Onyebuchi Ezigbo ÓØ ÌßÔË Former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has said he will in due time give an accurate account of how the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost the 2015 presidential election. Speaking yesterday in his office when he received a delegation of former Speakers elected on the platform of the PDP, Jonathan said he would advise that the leadership of the party take measures to review the number of delegate downwards to about 70 per cent so as reduce the problems being witnessed during party primaries. Jonathan who led the PDP to lose the presidential election in 2015, told his visitors that though a lot had been said and written about how the party lost the election, the actual reason was yet to be revealed. According to him, some of these issues would be properly addressed in future at the
appropriate time. “PDP is still the strongest party. We know the reason why we lost elections. People maybe writing left and right, at the appropriate time, some of these things would be properly addressed in the course of history. There are certain things you don’t write now because it would be misunderstood as if you are playing politics. “After some years five, six or eight years when the beneficiaries have left, you can state it in writting and people will not fight with you,” he said. He said PDP did well during its ruling for 16 years by the number of reforms its introduced and implemented. The former president commended the forum members for coming together to form such association, adding that they are important in the strategy of PDP reclaiming power in 2019. He asked the former speakers not to abandon the party like those playing “politics of the
stomach” and defecting to other parties. On the issue of war against corruption, Jonathan advised PDP members not to be intimidated. “There are stories of corruption. I say this will always be there because if you read the statement of the organisers of the first military coup, their statement was attributed to corruption. “After that, all other the coup plotters, it is always corruption. It will continue to be but one day we will get out of it. Most nations passed through this stage of life. The only thing I plead of you is not to politicise certain basic things. Issues of corruption,
yes, it is worrisome. No body will encourage it,” he added. Meanwhile, the former Governor of Jigawa State, Mallam Sule Lamido, has described the All Progressives Congress (APC) as an alliance of failures who are using force and other unconstitutional means to intimidate PDP members. Lamido who spoke to journalists shortly after meeting with former PDP Speakers said President Muhammadu Buhari administration has no clues on how to fix the economy. He charged PDP members to remain united against the oppressive tendencies of the Buhari-led government who he noted had resorted to nepotism
as a way of running the country. “Be courageous and stand up. Nigeria has been around before APC and APC cannot take us hostage. We need to stand up. We need people to be courageous. “We shall not keep quiet. It is our country. Enough of this culture of nepotism and fear. Governemt should be respected not feared. Government should be there for all of us, whether APC or PDP. 2019 will be a defining moment for Nigeria,” he said. The former governor also commented Governor Ayo Fayose’s declaration for presidency, saying Ekiti State governor is constitutionally
entitled to contest the presidential ticket of the PDP, even though it has been zoned to the North. Also, a former governor of Ogun State, Chief Gbenga Daniel, met with the forum of former speakers of the PDP to solicit for their support for his plan to become the next national chairman of the PDP. Addressing the gathering, Daniel debunked the perception that PDP members are corrupt, saying that most persons who are now driving affairs in the APC were previously of the PDP. He insisted that the PDP’s lost the 2015 election because the party deviated from its original vision which is “to give power to the people.”
Melaye’s Recall: Court Strikes out INEC’s Motion for Substituted Service Alex Enumah ÓØ ÌßÔË Efforts by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to enforce a court order against the embattled senator representing Kogi West senatorial district, Dino Melaye, suffered a setback yesterday as the Abuja division of the Federal High Court struck out a motion ex parte seeking substituted service on the senator. Justice Nnamdi Dimgba struck out the motion following an oral application by INEC’s counsel, Yunus Ustas (SAN), to withdraw the motion. Dimgba also directed that all applications relating to the petition be henceforth resolved at the Court of Appeal. He Justice Dimgba had on September 11, 2017, in a judgment delivered, gave INEC the go-ahead to commence the process to recall Melaye after dismissing Melaye’s suit that sought to to stop his recall by INEC. The judge however ordered INEC to forward a copy of the said petition it received from Melaye’s constituency, signatories, including the full list of petitioners to Melaye and time table for verification. But efforts by the electoral body to serve the court’s order on the senator proved abortive as he was alleged to have been evading service. Consequently, INEC in an application dated September 15, 2017, approached the court for an order of substituted service on Melaye. When the matter came up yesterday, Melaye’s counsel, Nkem Okoro, who said he was holding brief for Mike Ozekhome (SAN), urged the court to divest itself of jurisdiction in all applications
relating to the matter on the grounds that appeal had been entered at the Court of Appeal. Okoro argued that it would amount to judicial impertinent for the judge to continue with any application relating to the issue. Responding, INEC’s counsel who claimed he was just served with the record of the appeal argued that ordinarily, the judge should hands off from any application related to the matter if it were ordinary cases. He said since the matter, the referendum is election related the court cannot be restrained. He also argued that the said record of appeal was not the carbon copy and hence should not be admitted by the court. However, in attempt at resolving the matter the judge asked if in view of the final judgment the court delivered on September 11, 2017, wherein the matter was disposed of on merit, it still has powers to entertain any application on the same matter. The judged further asked if besides the ex parte motions of the plaintiff there are no other means available for the plaintiff to enforce the court order of September 11. It was at this point that INEC counsel applied to withdraw the ex parte motion and filed the necessary application. “I concede to the point made by my lord and I want to withdraw the motion ex parte dated September 15 2017,” Ustas said. Justice Dimgba then struck out the exparte motion at No cost following it’s withdrawal by INEC’s counsel. The judge said: “In the face of uncleared evidences of the record of appeal, it is better that all applications relatingtothematter be resolved at theAppeal Court”.
EXECUTIVE COLLEAGUES
L-R: Yobe State Governor, Ibrahim Gaidam; Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed; and Jigawa State Governor, Abubakar Badaru, in a chat after the National Economic Council meeting in Abuja....yesterday
Cry over Marginalisation Will End If APC Wins in S/East, Says Oyegun Andy Uba shuns reconciliation meeting Onyebuchi Ezigbo ÓØ ÌßÔË The National Chairman of the the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John OdigieOyegun, has said agitations over perceived marginalisation by the people of the South-east will only end if the region joins the progressives fold. Against the background of a long-standing agitations by the people from the South-east which recently snowballed it outright clamour for a state of Biafra by the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, Oyegun said the party was eager to bring the zone into the mainstream of progressives politics. He said this yesterday at the party’s national secretariat, during a reconciliation meeting organised to pacify the aggrieved aspirants in the recently conducted Anambra State governorship primary. According to Oyegun, Anambra is an important state
for the party to win, describing it as “the gateway to the Southeast.” He also stated that it was important for all to work very hard to win Anambra being a critical state in the South-east. Oyegun said: “It is important that we do everything we can, fair and square, to bring Anambra State into the fold of the progressives for a lot of reason. Until we manage to bring few states into the mainstream of progressives politics, we may not see the end of this continued cry of marginalisation.” However, one of the aggrieved aspirants who petitioned against the outcome of the APC governorship primary, Senator Andy Uba, boycotted the meeting. Also, Paul Chukwuma and Uchegbu Adaobi did not attend the peace meeting. While appealing to defeated aspirants at the meeting, Oyegun said: “We are in politics and we recognise that each and every
one of those who aspired for the office of the governor of the state has a constituency. Each has something very significant to contribute if we are to have hope of winning the governor’s seat in the state from an incumbent. “It is very important, that we manage to hammer together not just a patch work of peace or make believe kind of camaraderie but a very serious unity of purpose among all those who aspired for that office to act as a serious guarantee that we are indeed also serious in winning the governorship seat.” Also speaking, former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, while congratulating all the defeated aspirants for aspiring to be the candidate, he urged them to accept the outcome of the primary poll and move on. “I speak out of experience, observation and interest. We have people who have gone through the crisply of planning in Nigeria’s electoral process.
The chairman talked about unity of purpose but I want to add that we need unity of action,” Nnamani said. Speaking on behalf of other aspirants at the meeting, Bart Nwibe urged the party and the presidency to actively step into the matter to help in achieving the set goal. “We are optimist that we will do our best. We are on ground, and if we do the needful, there is no reason we cannot win our state. We have a candidate who is a very young fellow and I am certain he will bring kind of freshness but I think our party and the presidency will have to step in to help us achieve this,” he said. Present at the meeting were the party’s governorship candidate, Tony Nwonye, other aspirants, George Moghalu, Madu Nonso, Bart Nwibe, Patrick Nwike, Chike Obidigbo, Johnbosco Onunkwo, and Uzoh Obinna.
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Constitution Amendment: Ekweremadu Briefs Governors’ Forum on Progress N’Assembly to revisit devolution of powers to unbundle FG Damilola Oyedele ÓØ ÌßÔË The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has briefed the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) on the ongoing constitution amendment exercise. Ekweremadu, who met with the forum at the Presidential Villa last Wednesday night, explained that of the 33 bills on the proposed amendments, 21 were passed by the Senate and House of Representatives, while 12 failed. He, however, explained that efforts were on to build consensus around some of the failed bills, especially the bill on devolution of powers, with a view to revisiting it to unbundle and make the federal government more efficient. On the concerns that it would be an aberration of federalism for state Houses of Assembly and the local governments to draw revenues directly from the Federation Account, Ekweremadu explained that amendments towards financial autonomy for both only seeks to alter Section 162 of the Constitution to abrogate the State Joint Local Government Accounts and create the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the state from which all allocations due to the local government councils and the state assemblies shall be directly paid from the Federation Account. The deputy senate president said the proposed amendments would guarantee the democratic existence, funding, and tenure of local government councils. He said financial autonomy for local governments would not return primary education to the era of unpaid salaries. He explained that although education remained the constitutional responsibilities of the local governments, provisions have been made
to deduct from the source the monthly financial obligations of the local governments to primary education for remission into the account of state agencies overseeing basic education. The lawmaker further maintained that altering Section 134 and 179 of the Constitution would avail the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) sufficient time for INEC to conduct by-elections; and section 225 to empower it to de-register political parties was not total. “INEC’s power to deregister parties will apply strictly to nonfulfillment of certain conditions such as breach of registration requirements and failure to secure/win either a presidential, governorship, local government chairmanship or a seat in the national or state assembly or a councillorship seat. “Bill No. 10, seeks to alter sections 58, 59, and 100 only seeks to resolve the usual situation where the president or governor neglects to signify his/her assent to or veto a bill from the legislature. “So, the president or governor will now have 30 days to signify his/her assent/veto rather than keep everyone in endless suspense, while passed bills gather dust in the shelf. In the United States, the constitution provides for only two weeks. So, the intent is to enable timely passage of laws for good governance,” he said. On Bill No. 4, which seeks to set a timeframe of 30 days for the president and governors to nominate the ministers and commissioners along with their proposed respective portfolios, he maintained that the 1999 Constitution did not envisage a situation where some governments would run without cabinet for months or years.
“It will also serve the nation better if members of the National Assembly can screen nominees based on specific portfolios. That way, we are able to ascertain their suitability as we see in developed democracies like the United States,” he added. Ekweremadu allayed the fears that independent candidacy could make the electoral process cumbersome, noting that INEC would, by law, set the modalities for qualification as an independent candidate. He said Bill No. 16 seeks to restrict a person who was sworn- n as president or governor to only completing the term of the elected president or governor from contesting for the same office for more than one term. On Bill No. 21, he explained that the successful amendment of the constitution in 2010, which set the timeframe for the determination of election petitions, had greatly improved the nation’s electoral system, hence the need to replicate it in the area of pre-election disputes. Meanwhile, Ekweremadu said the National Assembly had not given up to the proposed amendments of Second Schedule, Part I & II to move certain items, such as railway and power, to the Concurrent Legislative List to give more legislative powers to states. “Besides making governance difficult, concentration of so much power at the centre fuels the struggle for federal power. We believe that devolving some power to the States will improve good governance and also make the centre less attractive,” Ekweremadu stressed.
Court Fixes November 2 to Hear Patience Jonathan’s Suit against EFCC The Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed November 2 to hear the N200million fundamental human rights enforcement suit filed by the wife of former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, against Skye Bank Plc. Joined as defendants in the suit are former Special Adviser to President Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Waripamo Owei Dudafa, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Four firms linked to Dudafa were also joined as defendants in the suit. They are Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited; Seagate Property Development and Investment Co. Limited; Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited and Development Company Limited and Globus Integrated Service Limited. Patience Jonathan filed the suit to protest against the ‘No Debit Order’ placed by the EFCC on
the bank accounts of the four companies domiciled in Skye Bank. The four companies were said to have a total of $15.5million in their bank accounts, which the EFCC had since last year July frozen. The EFCC froze the accounts while investigating Dudafa for money laundering. But Patience claims that the funds in the companies’ accounts belonged to her, though she was not a signatory to any of the accounts In an affidavit filed in support of the suit, one Sammie Somiari explained that Patience had asked Dudafa to help her open five bank accounts, only for Dudafa to open one in Patience’s name and four others in the names of companies linked to him. According to Somiari, Dudafa had on March 22, 2010, brought
two Skye Bank officers, Demola Bolodeoku and Dipo Oshodi, to meet Patience at home to open five accounts. He, however, claimed that after the five accounts were opened, the former first lady later discovered that Dudafa opened only one of the accounts in her name while the other four were opened in the names of companies belonging to Dudafa. Somiari added: “The applicant (Patience) complained about this to Dudafa, who, at his prompting and instance, promised to effect the change of the said accounts to the applicant’s name, and to effect this change Dudafa brought the said bank manager, Mr. Dipo Oshodi, who purported to have effected the changes. This was about April 2014. “The applicant is not a director, shareholder or participant in the companies named in the aforementioned four accounts.
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CRIME&PUNISHMENT Police to Partner Customs in Smashing Turkish Arms Smuggling Syndicate Chiemelie Ezeobi The Inspector General of Police (IG), Ibrahim Idris, yesterday expressed the readiness of the force to partner the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in smashing the international syndicate behind the illegal importation of arms from Turkey. The Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), had at a recent press conference held in Lagos fingered a syndicate made up of Nigerians based in Turkey as those behind the illegal importation of about 2,671 pump action guns that were impounded recently by operatives of the service attached to Tin-Can Island Command, Lagos. He also said the customs high command was already in touch with the Turkish government on the issue. The IG who made this disclosure yesterday at the official inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari housing estate, at Agemuwo area of Badagry, also expressed concern over the frequency of importation. Idris who said the police high command was keeping close watch on the issue, also noted that the police was already investigating the issue since it borders on national security. He said: “The Comptroller General of Customs had made a broadcast on the seized arms. The police as a security agency will join force with them to investigate the source of the arms and we will ensure that those behind the illegal importation do not go Scott-free, no matter the circumstances.” Idris who condemned the
activities of secessionist in the country, revealed that he had gone round the country and has observed that Nigerians as a people still want to continue to live together as brothers and sisters. He said police as an agent of government has a responsibility towards ensuring that the unity of the country remain intact. “We have the constitutional power to safeguard the lives and property of Nigerians anywhere in the country,” he added. Idris who also commissioned a newly constructed Mopol 22 Headquarters building in Ikeja said he is committed to improvement of the welfare of police officers. “In my inaugural speech on July 22, 2016, I said the Nigerian police force will henceforth be guided by international core values of policing with integrity, ensuring that the rule of law prevails in all our actions and activities. “I also assured police personnel of my determination to accelerate all issues as regards the welfare of police men and their families such as promotion, prompt payment of salaries, provision of affordable housing units among others. “These promises I pursued with zeal because of my firm believe that police officers deserve the support in terms of welfare and other logistics given the nature of our job. “In view of the above, my administration has sustained major result oriented initiatives aimed at reinvigorating the police welfare system through police cooperative and insurance which involved investments made by police personnel.
Gunmen Abduct Catholic Priest in Edo Adibe Emenyonu ÓØ ÏØÓØ ÓÞã A Catholic Priest with the Auchi Diocese, Rev. Fr. Lawrence Adorolo, has been reportedly abducted by gunmen at Okpella, Etsako East local government area of Edo State. Adorolo, who is the Parish Priest of St. Benedict Church, Iddo 2, Okpella, was kidnapped at about 6: pm on Wednesday. He was abducted at a bad spot on Okpella Road on his way back from Igarra, where he along with other priests attended the ‘Month Mind’ of the oldest Priest of the Auchi Diocese, late Fr. Lawrence Balogun, at St. John Apostolic Church, Igarra. At the time of his abduction, Adorolo was said to have drove a Mercedes 350 ML, and was putting on his white Cassock and in company of a seminarian and a boy living with him. His abductors were said to have shot sporadically and dragged the Priest into the bush after taking his mobile phone and those of the others who were with him. The Priest’s Mercedes car has since be recovered and taken to the police station at Okpella. When contacted yesterday, Edo State Police Command spokesman, DSP Moses Nkombe, confirmed the incident. He said, “Immediately it happened, the OC of Antikidnapping was contacted
and they swung into action. Hopefully, let’s see what happens today”. The kidnap of the priest is the second in recent time in the state. Last Sunday, a gang of suspected kidnappers abducted the younger brother to the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, Andy Ehanire, Managing Director, Ogba Zoo Natures Park, Benin City. In the process of the kidnap, three Policemen were killed. Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishop of Auchi Diocese, Rev Gabriel Dunia, has also confirmed the abduction of Adorolo by suspected gunmen. Bishop Dunia who made the confirmation at a media briefing held in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo, condemned the act, adding that the abductors committed an abominable act by keeping a priest who offers selfless service to God and humanity for ransom. He said “The abductors have made contact with the church for ransom. The church does not pay ransom as it is not a profit making organisation”. Calling on security agencies to ensure the release of the priest, Dunia said: “ The diocese is calling for an unconditional release of the priest. We are holding a mass for the unconditional release of the priest”.
“The product of this painstaking effort has culminated into these housing units named after the president whose moral support has brought us this far.
“It is therefore with high sense of fulfillment and honour and gratitude that I commission the Muhammadu Buhari Housing Estate Mowo, Badagry, Lagos
state on the 28 day of September 2017 in keeping my promise to my hard working police officers across this country. “If you may recall, similar
projects were commissioned in other parts of the country such as Katsina, Zamfara, Niger and FCT while that of Enugu will kick off soon.
IMC FELLOW L-R: Council member, Institute of Management Consultants (IMC), John Ogbu, Director-General, IMC, Prof. David Iornem,
Barr. Moses Duku, representative of the Executive Director Administration of Julius Berger Nig. Plc, Alhaji Zubairu Bayi, and Mr. Friday Akhere during Alhaji Bayi’s Investiture as Fellow of the IMC in Abuja...yesterday
Customs Blames Border Community, Residents for Arms, Contraband Smuggling Eromosele Abiodun Controller, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr. Mohammed Uba, yesterday blamed ignorance on the part of residents of border communities across the country for increased smuggling of arms and contrabands. He said the residents who see smuggling as legitimate business, is one of the challenges faced by the unit in its effort to curtail illegal border trades and other forms of smuggling. Uba stated this when he received members of the Shipping Correspondent Association of Nigeria (SCAN) who paid him a courtesy visit at
the unit’s headquarters in Lagos. He said the lack of knowledge is the reason why people see customs officials as enemies and sometimes attack them while carrying out their legitimate duty. He, however, noted that the challenge would not deter the unit from performing its statutory responsibility of suppressing smuggling. While making reference to section 147 of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA), Uba said the law empowers customs to search any warehouse where there is reasonable suspicion that prohibited goods are kept there. He called on the media to support the service in the fight against smuggling by educating
and enlightening the public on the dangers of smuggling. “It is because of ignorance people living in the border communities feel and believe smuggling is a legitimate business. Customs is a constituted authority by the government but to our surprise, the whole community will just come and be attacking us. Because we collect tax, people see us as enemies. “It is the media and some individuals who understand that smuggling is dangerous. So we must continue to educate ourselves and that is why we are soliciting the support of the media to educate people that smuggling
is injurious to the economy. “I have also been talking to my colleagues at the borders by advising them on customs community relation activity. We advise them and they set up such communities and advise them on what to do. “Smuggling is a war not only for customs but all of us. For example, look at the issue of rice. What is the point bringing in rice when we can locally produce this rice or bring them through the port, this are some of the issues we are facing but that will not deter us from doing our work,” he said. Uba said the unit has also devised other means to curb smuggling.
Pirates Strike Again, Seize Passenger Boat in Bayelsa Emmanuel Addeh ÓØ ÏØËÑÙË An armed gang suspected to be pirates yesterday struck again in Bayelsa waterways barely 48 hours after launching an ambush that killed three passengers on Tuesday. The gunmen reportedly hijacked a passenger boat along the Nembe-Brass creeks, took its occupants deep into the sea before asking them to disembark. None of the passengers died as they were all said to have swum to safety. Another gang had on August 28 ambushed a military houseboat and killed a soldier and civilian crew.
Again, last Friday, the bandits attacked an oil services vessel killing three security men on board. Before they struck yesterday, it was gathered that the suspects had trailed the boat after it had dropped off its occupants in Brass from Nembe before hijacking it. An eyewitness who declined to be named said the suspected pirates armed with sophisticated weapons shot several times into the air before seizing the boat. Chairman of the Bayelsa State Chapter of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Lloyd Sese, who confirmed the incident, said pirates’ activities on the waterways have made life
unbearable. Sese said the union had appealed to relevant authorities to come to the aid of commuters on the waterways saying that the attack on boats has become a frequent occurrence. A youth leader from the area, Robert Desmond, also condemned the incessant sea pirate attacks on the waterways, describing the acts as not only senseless but inhuman. He wondered why a group of Bayelsa youth should be ”terrorising their own people”, and urged the security agencies to up their activities in the area. Desmond tasked security personnel to be on the alert particularly the Brass-Nembe
people who are in dire need of marine security. He called on law enforcement agents to apprehend the pirates, destroy every network and arsenal they may have in their possession, in order to bring respite to the Nembe-Brass people. Also confirming the incident, Asinim Butswat, a deputy superintendent of police, and spokesman of the Police Command, said that the command had intensified efforts to check criminality and restore security in the area, insisting that the security agencies were on top of the matter.
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Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com
E U R O PA
Nwakaeme’s Lone Strike Fails to Save Hapoel, Gunners Crush BATE Duro Ikhazuagbe with agency report Super Eagles invitee, Anthony Nwakaeme’s lone strike was not enough to save his Israeli club, Hapoel Beer Sheva from a 3-1 away defeat to Viktoria Plzen of Czech Republic in the UEFA Europa last night. The 28 year-old Nigerian who came on as a 62nd minute substitute for Ben Sahar scored seven minutes after his introduction to equalise the 29th minute advantage Plzen gained with Milan Petrzele opener. Two other second half goals sealed victory for the Czech club. Nwakaeme’s Super Eagles teammate, John Ogu, was on duty for Hapoel for all of the 90 minutes duration of the game. Both Nigerian internationals are expected in Uyo on Monday as Eagles regroup for next weekend’s World Cup qualifier against Zambia at the Nest of Champions. Elsewhere, injured Eagles forward, Alex Iwobi was conspicuously absent as his English Premiership club, Arsenal crushed Bate Borisov 4-2 in Group H clash of the
Europa showdown in Belarus. Iwobi’s compatriot, Chuba Akpom was an unused sub for Arsenal. Theo Walcott scored twice as a much-changed Arsenal beat Bate Borisov to make it two wins from two in Group H. Jack Wilshere was excellent and set up a Walcott chance which hit the post before assisting the forward’s closerange opener. Bate keeper Denis Scherbitski then inexplicably passed the ball straight to Walcott to slot home a second. Rob Holding scored his first Arsenal goal, turning home Per Mertesacker’s flick-on from Walcott’s corner to seemingly put the game past Bate after 25 minutes. But Mirko Ivanic pulled one back for the Belarusians after one of their few real attacks in the first half with an excellent 10-yard header from Aleksey Rios’ cross. Arsenal restored their threegoal advantage after the break as Olivier Giroud scored his 100th Arsenal goal from the spot after a soft penalty award against Vitali Gayduchik, who did not appear to make much contact with Shkodran
Nwodo Endorses Nigeria Maiden Ladies Professional Golf Tour Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja Former Governor of Enugu State, Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo has endorsed the Ladies Professional Golfers Association of Nigeria (LPGAN) as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. The dream of LPGAN will finally be realised with a first female professional golf tournament in Abuja between November 29 and December 2. The tour is the brainchild of Uloma Mboku, Nigeria’s only certified female professional golfer. It will hold with a minimum field of 20 players drawn from Ghana, Senegal, Congo, South Africa among others. The logistics support will be provided by Ojay’s Travel and Tour Limited. The sponsorship agreement was signed yesterday at the IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja. Mbuko said the floating of the tour was a fulfillment of a dream she had nurtured over
the years. Nwodo, a former two-time secretary of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the ladies tour was long over due in Nigeria and is primed to achieve greatness. “This ladies tour is the first time it will happen in Nigeria, though it is coming very late. Golf is the only sport with the capacity to compete with football for money and fame. It is easier to be known as a sport person than a politician,” Nwodo said. He lauded Mboku, who is a member of the South African Ladies Golfers Association and US Female Professional Association, stressing that she has the education and technical capacity to impact her knowledge to others. “Uloma is a professional who has refused to domicile the talent she has acquired to herself. I took interest in her because I found out she has the knowledge and communication skills to impact her skills to others,” Nwodo stressed.
AITEO CUP: S’final BattlesTomorrow The semi final, first leg matches of the 2017 AITEO Cup competition will take place on Saturday with Cup holders FC IfeanyiUbah (men) and Rivers Angels (women) eyeing spots in the grand finale with the firm intention of defending their crowns. The Anambra Warriors are away to Niger Tornadoes at the Confluence Stadium, Lokoja but must be wary of a side that has not lost a match in the confluence city since moving home there two seasons ago. Tornadoes bumped Nigeria
Professional Football League champions Plateau United in the quarter - finals, winning 2-0 in Lokoja and leading by the same margin in Jos before the homers drew level in the second period.
SEMI FINALS WOMEN Bayelsa Queens Vs Rivers Angels (Nembe) Ibom Angels Vs Confluence Queens (Uyo) MEN Niger Tornadoes Vs FC IfeanyiUbah (Lokoja) Sunshine United Vs Akwa United (Ijebu-Ode)
Mustafi. Bate did pull another back when Mikhail Gordeychuk slammed home from close range after David Ospina
parried Ivanic’s header. And Arsenal - who had looked comfortable up to that point - were hanging on at times in the end. Aleksandr
Volodko could have set up an anxious finale but he fired a shot wide from inside the box. The Gunners are top of Group H on six points with
Red Star Belgrade second on four points after they beat Cologne, who have lost both matches, 1-0 thanks to Richmond Boakye’s goal.
L-R: Coach of the National Beach Soccer Team of Switzerland, Angelo Schirinzi; Group Head, Corporate Affairs of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Mr. Diran Olojo; Chief Executive Officer of Kinetic Sports, Mr. Samson Adamu and Coach of the Super Sand Eagles of Nigeria, Audu Adamu, during the COPA Lagos press briefing ceremony in Lagos…yesterday
Bayern Munich Sacks Carlo Ancelotti Carlo Ancelotti has been sacked as manager of Bayern Munich. Following Wednesday’s 3-0 Champions League defeat by Paris St-Germain, the club’s board has decided to dismiss the Italian, who replaced Pep Guardiola at the start of last season. Ancelotti, 58, helped Bayern win the Bundesliga last term, but they only reached the last eight of the Champions League and the German Cup semi-finals. Assistant boss Willy Sagnol will take temporary charge. Bayern, league champions in each of the past five seasons, are third in the German table, three points behind Borussia Dortmund, with four wins, one draw and one defeat from
their first six matches. They next play away to Hertha Berlin on Sunday (14:30 BST). “The performance of our team since the start of the season did not meet the expectations we put to them,” said Bayern’s chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. “I would like to thank Carlo for his cooperation. Carlo is my friend and will remain my friend, but we had to make a professional decision. The game in Paris clearly showed that we had to draw consequences.” Former Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid and AC Milan boss Ancelotti has won the Champions League three times - with Milan in 2003 and 2007, and with Madrid in 2014.
That return makes him the joint most successful manager in European Cup history, along with former Liverpool boss Bob Paisley, who also won three titles, in 1977, 1978 and 1981.
Ancelotti also led Milan to the Champions League final in 2005, but the Italian side were beaten on penalties by Liverpool, despite having led 3-0 at half-time.
Ancelotti
Lebanon,The Netherlands Confirm for COPA Lagos Kinetic Sports, organisers of the annual Copa Lagos have confirmed that Lebanon and The Netherlands are two foreign teams to feature in the sixth edition of the beach soccer tournament scheduled to hold between December 8 and 10, 2017 at the Eko Atlantic City, Lagos. Nigeria’s beach soccer team, the Super Sand Eagles and the National Beach Soccer are also listed to participate in the football fiesta that will also feature a combination of sports, music, fashion and celebrity entertainment. The organisers promised to unveil the fourth team at a later date. Speaking at a media briefing to herald the sixth edition of Copa Lagos, Managing Director of Kinetic Sports, Samson Adamu, revealed that the football
and music fiesta was back to its traditional three-day affair. The last edition was compressed to accommodate the African Beach Soccer Nations Cup which Lagos hosted. “This year’s edition is back to its normal three days of soccer, fashion, music, business and networking opportunities and fun. “Furthermore, the plan is to make Copa Lagos more than just a beach soccer event but to be a major spectacle that will put Nigeria on the global tourism space and promote a beach culture and lifestyle in Lagos more so as we plan ahead with the hope of staging the best ever beach soccer World Cup in the nearest future,” stressed the Kinetic Sports chief executive. The Copa Lagos organisers
also revealed that there will be the Club Challenge that will consist of Pepsi Football Academy with the introduction of a Lagos selected beach soccer side. Also, there will be a variety of celebrity matches between ex-internationals and popular Nigerian celebrities. As a prelude to this year’s Copa Lagos, other interesting events lined up to add colour include; “Clean the Beach”, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of the tournament that involves beach football players, staff, sponsors, celebrities and volunteers helping to clean the beach to encourage healthy clean habits and conserving marine life. A Beach Soccer Kids Clinic, a training and mentorship programme for kids aged
between 8 and 14 years in Lagos aimed at promoting and showcasing beach soccer for the younger generation will be organised. The exercise is in partnership with the Lagos State Sports Commission who will bring the kids from various schools in the coastal areas of Lagos State. Sponsors of beach soccer fiesta include, FCMB, who has been Copa Lagos lead Sponsor since inception; Pepsi, the official beverage drink company for Copa Lagos; Hero, the official Beer for the event; and Wakanow who joined up as the official Travel Agency for Copa Lagos. Switzerland won the 2016 Copa Lagos after defeating the Super Sand Eagles 8-3 in the final.
Friday, September 29, 2017
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MISSILE Fashola to Critics “I did not say the words they said I said, I was responding to residents in Lekki and Victoria Island who asked me when they can get powers in their homes, and my answer to them was that we would be encroaching the jurisdiction of the Disco without permit from NERC and that if NERC gave us the permission to provide power for them, the plant was there, connecting to them was a matter of six months” – Minister of Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola clarifying his statement where he is alleged to have promised to fix the power sector within six months.
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Musings on Atiku for President H
ow do I begin to write about former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition? Where do I start from? I hardly know with any certainty. But what I do know with the certainty of day and night is that former Vice-President Atiku Ababakar, an indigene of Adamawa State wants to be the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria come 2019. His campaign has practically commenced and damn anyone who thinks otherwise. He has latched on to the issue of the moment: restructuring and has been campaigning on that platform at a time his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), is foot-dragging on it. Atiku is making all the right noises at the moment even at his party’s expense. While the APC continues to equivocate and prevaricate on burning national issues such as marginalisation, particularly of the South-east, and restructuring the federation to make the country work better, the former vice-president continues to score a bull’s-eye with his interventions in contentious national issues. Atiku has had a chequered political career. He once ran as a candidate on the platform of the defunct Action Congress (AC) in 2007 after he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but was roundly trounced. On the two other occasions, he failed to get his party’s ticket, first under the PDP in 2010 after defecting from the AC to his former party, the PDP. And in December 2014, when he contested for the ticket of the APC, after he yet again, defected from the PDP. For those who thought Atiku would give up and rest his presidential ambition in peace after his last failed attempt, they were sourly wrong. Atiku would be 71 in a few weeks’ time, November 25 to be precise and 72 years by election time in 2019. About 17 months to the next presidential election, Atiku’s shadow already looms large in the political calculus, such that any aspiring candidate already knows one of their would-be opponents. Let me concede that the former vice-president has every right to aspire and contest as many times as he desires until he either achieves his ambition or gets tired trying. For those who may not know, Atiku’s ambition to govern Nigeria actually dates back to as far as 1993 in the days of the evil genius, military president Ibrahim Babangida; when he (Babangida) was using Nigeria as a laboratory for all sorts of political engineering and experiments. Atiku, who was then a Yar’Adua boy, at least politically vied for the ticket of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). It can be safely said that Babangida’s banning of Yar’Adua and Olu Falae who were front-runners from contesting after the ill-fated staggered primaries of the now defunct SDP paved the way for the likes of Atiku, Babagana Kingibe and of course MKO Abiola, to step forward and slugged it out for the SDP presidential ticket. The ban also affected front-runners like Adamu Ciroma and Umaru Shinkafi of the NRC which also paved the way for Bashir Othman Tofa to contest and eventually became the NRC presidential standard-bearer. In the first primary ballot, Abiola scored 3,617 votes, Kingibe 3,255, while Atiku polled 2,066 votes. Trounced by Abiola in the first round of the primary ballot, there was intense lobby for Atiku
Atiku to drop out of the race to allow a straight fight between Abiola and Kingibe. After pressure from Yar’Adua, a distraught Atiku stepped down in deference to his godfather. The whole calculation was to weaken Kingibe’s support and boost Abiola’s chances of clinching the ticket which he eventually won. Yar’Adua then vigorously pushed for Abiola to nominate Atiku his running mate. However, Abiola against expectations picked Kingibe who had the backing of the state governors then who like we have today, had constituted themselves into a power bloc. Yar’Adua was not pleased but as they say, the rest is history. Fast forward 1998. Atiku wanted to be president but realised the sentiments in the land after the death of Abiola were strongly against any Northerner becoming the president. Not to be politically redundant, he went for the governorship of Adamawa State and won easily. But over the late Abubakar Rimi, Obasanjo picked him as his running mate. But his ambition to become president never diminished nor abated. The desire burned deep in his heart. And very early in the life of the Olusegun Obasanjo tenure, Atiku had started to plot to upstage his boss. And that is a sacrilege in the school of power and politics. By 2001, Obasanjo, his boss, knew he had a problem in his hands when stories started flying in the media on the need for Obasanjo to follow the Mandela option: serve one term and retire to his Ota country home. It did not take rocket science to figure out who was beating the drum. This brief historical voyage is necessary to help the younger generation better understand the nuances and theatrics of some of the current political actors, and situate them in the context of Nigeria’s political history. It is also to show that Atiku Abubakar has indeed come a long way in Nigerian politics and that his desire to rule Nigeria spans over two decades. Atiku is a tenacious fellow who pursues his dreams with uncommon energy and zest - a quality that ordinarily should inspire, but is increasingly becoming a troubling liability and
baggage for a man who once boasted that he had “three options” at the height of his influence. He appears not having any real option now but to scavenge for assurances of the ticket as the standard-bearer of his next party. Let me also state here that he is a fighter and a consensus builder, arguably the most cosmopolitan politician of northern extraction to contest for the office of president of Nigeria. He has friends all over the country who support his presidential quest. His cosmopolitan credentials are furthermore enhanced by his marriages to women of different ethnic groups in the country and even beyond. To some, he appears to be the “best prepared” of the many candidates eyeing the presidency. He has splendid credentials as a businessman and an investor of immense means with interests that cut across various sectors of the economy. To be honest, methinks he would have made a better choice to Buhari and even the much younger Rabiu Kwankwaso - a man very much like Buhari, a rabid bigot who sees everything from the prism of North vs South and would care less about burning his bridges to promote his narrow ethnic interests over and above national interests. Despite some people’s claim about him being the “best-prepared” aspirant, Atiku suffers a huge deficit: perception. It is a problem for as long as I can remember. And in the eyes of many, perception is reality even though it’s not necessarily so. Accused of sundry allegations of corruption but never proven in a court of law, he carries the huge baggage of suspicion that may still return to haunt him and his ambition. I have a sneaking suspicion about his defence and for some funny reason, anytime Atiku is mentioned, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa immediately jumps to my mind. And whenever I think of Zuma or read about him, Atiku comes to my mind. I have no idea why this is so. For Atiku, the quest to become president has become an obsession-motivated desire and even now borders on aggressive desperation. A serial “decampee” from one party to another in search of the ticket to contest for the presidency, he appears set to repeat his now infamous nomadic trademark in politics, given some of his utterances of being “sidelined” in the APC. Many have said that it is just a matter of time before we see him move again from his party to another party, maybe, the PDP. And then of course, the party that has learnt nothing from its loss will celebrate his return with a “sweet-home-coming” red carpet reception. Meanwhile his reason of being “sidelined” in the APC, is eerily similar to the reason he gave for leaving the PDP to join the APC just a few years ago. Atiku’s decampment from one party to another usually starts with his associates dropping notso-subtle hints in the media to test the waters for weeks or even months of not getting a fair deal; then the masquerader will become critical of his party, before finally making his move. It is now a familiar trademark of Atiku’s career of switching parties. And some of us are not fooled by his latest claim of being “sidelined”. A friend joked recently, that should Atiku defect
to the PDP and fails to get the ticket, he is sure that if the IPOB assures him of the ticket, Atiku would jump at it. We both laughed. That just underscores how some see his ravenous pursuit of his presidential ambition. To be honest, he is not the only politician moving from one party to another, it is the character of our politicians of today who lack principle and always want to win at all costs. But his status as a former vice-president places him above others. More than anything else, this particular character trait has created fears about his personal stability and suitability to be president. I will be hard-pressed to support a candidate like him. Politics has become too casual and switching of parties too routine a ritual for Atiku as an aspirant for the high office of president to be taken seriously by any serious-minded person. The four-yearly cycle of his run for president is now greeted with a mixture of derision, loud jeers and at best, with hoarse applause. My grouse about Atiku doesn’t end there. In 2010 at the height of the controversy whether former President Goodluck Jonathan should contest the 2011 presidential election given that Umaru Musa Yar’Adua died in office in his first term, Atiku was one of those who threatened violence, insisting that zoning must be adhered to: “Let me again send another message to the leadership of this nation, particularly the political leadership that those who make peaceful changes impossible make violent changes inevitable,” Atiku threatened at the National Stakeholders Conference organised by the Adamu Ciroma-led Northern Political Leaders Forum in Abuja. I had the opportunity to seek clarifications from him in 2014 when he met with editors to intimate them of his intention to contest the 2015 presidential election. At that forum in Eko Hotel, I pointedly asked him what he meant by that threat and if he thought it was in good faith as a former vice-president to utter such a threat. Atiku mumbled and rambled on about his answer. At the end of his response, he said nothing meaningful or convincing to lay my worries to rest. Of course there is another issue that has worried me. Atiku has never really spoken out on the near demise of public schools - from primary to university levels nor have I heard him say anything on how to revamp our public health system. Yet he was in office for eight years as the vice-president. All I can remember about him in this respect is that he established his own university where only the children of the establishment can afford the fees charged. Is this the man to now redeem Nigeria? I certainly don’t think so. We want a disruptive candidate that will disrupt the establishment; a charismatic guy with big dreams, fresh ideas and new thinking to rebuild our country, inspire us and renew our hopes; a selfless leader with boundless energy for national service. We are tired of these recycled aspirants whose loyalty is to the establishment and not the people. Without mincing words, Atiku is part of the problems of Nigeria. Many of us are taking a dim view of his seductive antics to promote his ambition and are looking past him for solutions. He is not the president we want.
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