Thursday 23rd November 2017

Address Fiscal Challenges, Despite GDP Growth, World Bank Tells Nigeria Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The World Bank has stated that notwithstanding Nigeria’s positive economic growth in the third quarter (Q3) of 2017, the country needs to address what it

identified as the many fiscal challenges at the different levels of government. The World Bank’s Nigeria Economic Update, released yesterday noted that Nigeria’s GDP expanded by 1.4 per cent in the third

quarter of 2017 (year-onyear), the second quarter of growth after the recession of 2016, reflecting recovery in oil production, good performance in agriculture, and stronger non-oil industry growth due to the easing of

foreign exchange constraints. “Yet, many fiscal challenges remain at different levels of government, and effort is needed to successfully address those,” it said. The new Nigeria BiAnnual Economic Update

has a special focus on the analysis of fiscal performance of Nigerian states. With the shortfall in revenue, fiscal pressure persists at subnational government levels, putting a strain on service delivery.

The special focus shows that the fiscal deficit of states increased significantly from an estimated 0.2 per cent of GDP in 2014, to one per cent in 2015 and 2016. Continued on page 6

Fidelity Bank Partners Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs on Youth Empowerment… Page 10 Thursday 23 November, 2017 Vol 22. No 8253. Price: N250

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Tinubu: APC Has Not Endorsed Anyone for 2019 Presidential Ticket Reaches out to Afenifere for reconciliation James Sowole in Akure Contrary to the impression created by the governor of

Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Bola Ahmed

Tinubu yesterday said his party has not endorsed any person as the sole candidate of the party for the 2019

presidential election. Okorocha on Monday had stated that 34 governors in the country had endorsed

President Muhammadu Buhari to contest the 2019 election, but did not name the governors, some of

whom are not even members of the APC. Continued on page 6

Citing Gaps in Management of Recovered Assets, Buhari Inaugurates Audit Panel Approves new measures to curb terrorism No going back on arrest of Ekpeyong, Oke, Magu insists Senate asks president to wade into DSS, EFCC face-off, to probe clash Omololu Ogunmade and Damilola Oyedele in Abuja Citing gaps in the management of recovered assets from looters of the treasury, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday inaugurated a three-man committee to audit all accounts containing recovered assets by agencies of the federal government. Members of the committee are Mr. Olufemi Lijadu, Mrs. Gloria Bibigha and Mr. Mohammed Nami. The president also approved the setting up of an intelligence fusion centre in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, for the purpose of gathering and sharing intelligence among the security agencies in the country and bolstering efforts to eliminate Boko Haram terrorists in the North-east. Continued on page 6

MENDING FENCES…

R-L: Mr. Femi Aluko; former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande; Leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Chief Reuben Fasoranti; National Leader of the APC, Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Chief Sehinde Arogbofa; and Ondo State Governor. Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, when Tinubu led some APC and Yoruba leaders to visit Fasoranti, at his residence in Akure, Ondo State… yesterday taiwo okalawon

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PAGE SIX CITING GAPS IN MANAGEMENT OF RECOVERED ASSETS, BUHARI INAUGURATES AUDIT PANEL In one of the worst attacks in recent times, a suicide bomber on Monday detonated a bomb inside a mosque in Mubi, Adamawa State, resulting in the deaths of 23 persons and several injured. The inauguration of the recovered assets audit panel came just as the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, after the inauguration, vowed that his agency was determined to bring the former DirectorGeneral of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Ita Ekpeyong, and the ex-head of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Mr. Ayo Oke, to justice. Magu was reacting to the stand off for several hours in Abuja between his operatives and those of the DSS and NIA on Monday, when the EFCC operatives tried to arrest Ekpenyong and Oke, but were thwarted by heavily armed officials of the two intelligence agencies. Ekpenyong was invited by the EFCC recently to respond to allegations of alleged corruption and arms procurement when he was the head of the DSS while Oke is being investigated over the discovery of $43.4 million in a luxury apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos, by the EFCC. Both men had refused to honour the invitation of the EFCC. However, the Senate yesterday urged Buhari to wade into the brewing crises between the EFCC and DSS, in order to avert an impending national embarrassment. The president who inaugurated the audit committee in the Office of the First Lady’s Conference Hall in the Presidential Villa, tasked members of the committee to conclude their assignment within four weeks and submit the report

directly to his office. He also directed the committee to carry out the audit on each account from the day of its opening up to April this year, saying the need to audit such accounts had become compelling in view of the involvement of various agencies of government in asset recoveries and the necessity to ensure that such assets are not only accounted for, but also managed with a sense of transparency. According to him, the measure to launch the assets recovery crusade by this administration was the fallout of the largescale mismanagement and misappropriation of public assets by previous administrations, pointing out that the efforts made so far were a bold statement that public resources will no longer find their ways into private accounts. He further noted that the need to audit the accounts arose from the need to ensure that all returns from stolen assets were in tandem with actual recoveries made by government agencies and consequently to ensure that such recovered assets are not looted again by unscrupulous individuals. He said the goal was also necessitated by the “existing gaps� in the management and accountability of recovered assets. He instructed all affected agencies of government and banks to effectively cooperate with the committee with a view to enabling it to discharge its responsibility efficiently and consequently set the stage for accountability in the management of the nation’s resources. He said the committee was empowered to explore the existence of the extant laws in the discharge of its assignment and wherever required, it should secure the

intervention of the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to compel any recalcitrant person to provide information through a legal process. “Members of the committee may recall that pursuant to the resolve of this administration since its inception to pursue a strong and effective anti-corruption regime, and in view of the multiple cases of mismanaged and misappropriated national assets identified by this administration upon our assumption of office, the federal government embarked on tracing and recovery of all such stolen assets within and outside Nigeria, using all legal and diplomatic resources at our disposal. “The gains of our initiatives over the past two and a half years have been very obvious to all Nigerians. This is clear from the level of investigation, prosecution and forfeitures involving both public and private sector officials in the country. “The message has therefore been passed out loud and clear that never again as a nation are we going to allow the wanton diversion and embezzlement of public funds to private pockets. “Nigerians will further recall that pursuant to requisite directives, recovered assets are progressively being returned to designated accounts by the anti-graft agencies and other agencies of government involved in the process. “In the course of implementing this exercise and given the number of agencies that are concurrently pursuing specialised initiatives and making recoveries for government, it has become obvious that fundamental gaps still exist in ensuring that the recovered assets are accounted for, and managed in an accurate, transparent

and logical manner. “It was in realisation of this and due to our determination to ensure that in pursuing the anti-graft war, we do not create new room for dishonorable conduct by any individual or agency that I directed earlier in the year that all agencies should send in detailed reports of all their recovered assets as at March, 2017. “The decision to inaugurate this Audit Committee on the Recovery and Management of Stolen Assets within and outside Nigeria today is therefore the next step in ensuring that all returns filed by the various agencies are accurate and consistent with actual recoveries made. “The committee, in essence, is therefore expected to judiciously undertake an audit of all recovery accounts established by government agencies from the date of opening such accounts up to 10th April, 2017. “The details of the committee’s functions are as set out in your terms of reference. “I congratulate all members of the committee on your appointment which is another opportunity for you all to serve your country. I therefore urge you to perform your duties diligently in the best interests of Nigeria. “I hereby direct and request all relevant ministries, departments and agencies, banks, and companies to give the committee full cooperation as your assignment is crucial not only to the harvesting of needed resources for our national development but also in setting out a fresh template of public accountability. “Where it becomes necessary, the committee will of course rely on existing laws to compel the production of information and will also have the benefit of necessary interventions by the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice in

obtaining such information through legal processes, where so required. “The committee is hereby given a time frame of four weeks to finish this assignment and submit its report to my office. I look forward to receiving your report and recommendations in due course and I wish you the best of luck in this assignment,� he submitted. Buhari also yesterday ordered a military crackdown on bandits operating in the rural communities in Zamfara State, following fresh attacks on some communities in Shinkafi and Maradun Local Government Areas. A statement by his media aide, Malam Garba Shehu said that in order to enable the army carry out this new mandate, the president has approved the request of the Minister of Defence, Brig-Gen. Mansur Dan Ali (rtd) for the stationing of a full battalion of Special Forces in Zamfara State, and the operationalisation of the newly-established 8 Division of the Nigerian Army in Sokoto in the new Order of Battle (OBAT). Shehu said the president also approved the movement of the 1 Brigade of the Nigerian Army from Sokoto to Gusau upon the take off of the 8 Division. According to Shehu, to tackle the desperate actions of Boko Haram terrorists in the North-east, through the use of mostly female, underage girls as suicide bombers, Buhari equally approved the setting up of an intelligence fusion centre in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, for the purpose of gathering and sharing intelligence among the security agencies in the country. He said this phase of the war will be intelligencedriven and the new centre was expected to intensify harvesting and sharing of

intelligence so as to bring to an early closure the desperate last-minute activities of the terrorists.

Magu Adamant on Arrests Meanwhile, the acting chairman of the EFCC has said that his commission was determined to bring the former directors general of the DSS and NIA to justice. DSS and NIA operatives on Monday had prevented the arrest of both men who failed to honour the invitation of the anti-graft agency. While EFCC invited Ekpeyong over his alleged role in the arms scam involving Sambo Dasuki, former National Security Adviser (NSA), Oke was summoned over the $43.4 million discovered in an apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos. Following their absence at the commission’s headquarters, officials of the EFCC stormed the residences of the former heads of the agencies but were prevented from gaining access to their compounds. The clash between the security agencies affected residents of Mamman Nasir Street in the Asokoro area of Abuja, where Ekpeyong and Oke reside. Speaking with State House correspondents after Buhari had inaugurated the committee to audit recovered loot, Magu said the law must take its course. He said the anti-graft agency had concrete evidence against both men. “We are not discouraged at all. The law must take its course; nobody is above the law,� he said. “There must be reasons, strong reasons, before we go for arrest.� When he was asked if he was discouraged by the Continued on page 8

ADDRESS FISCAL CHALLENGES, DESPITE GDP GROWTH, WORLD BANK TELLS NIGERIA Also, total state debt increased from 2.4 per cent in 2014 to 4.0 per cent of GDP by the end of 2016. The states’ fiscal crisis led to two sets of financial assistance packages by the federal government. The second—the Budget

Support Facility (hinged on a 22-point Fiscal Sustainability Plan)—was advanced in mid-2016 and due to close in mid-2017. The World Bank Lead Economist for Nigeria, Ulrich Bartsch, said: “In light of the continuing

fiscal pressures, there is a strong need to strengthen the performance of the states through the full and sustained implementation of reforms to increase internally-generated revenues and state spending efficiency, and

to strengthen state debt management and fiscal transparency.� The bank stated that while all states have made progress on the reform measures included in the 22-point Fiscal Sustainability Plan, implementation is

incomplete. It harped on the need to strengthen fiscal performance through sustaining the state fiscal reforms that have been accelerated in the past two years, adding that it was of paramount importance.

This aside, the most recent World Bank 2018 ‘Doing Business’ report highlighted improvements in Nigeria’s investment climate, and in its efforts to continue to diversify the government’s sources of revenue.

said the visit by Tinubu was an indication of good things to happen to the Yoruba race. “It is an indication of great things to come. With the coming together of Yoruba leaders, there will be an understanding on major issues affecting the Yoruba race. “We will consult and move ahead. As it is now, there will be great understanding among the leaders as Tinubu is a leader in his own right. “I think it should lead to the reconciliation between ARG and the mainstream (Afenifere), as Tinubu has a leg there. They (Afenifere) are his supporters. This signals that we will come

together,� Fasoranti stated.

TINUBU: APC HAS NOT ENDORSED ANYONE FOR 2019 PRESIDENTIAL TICKET Yesterday, he also said that only Buhari could defeat him in the presidential election. Tinubu spoke yesterday in Akure, Ondo State while fielding questions from journalists after a closeddoor meeting with the leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, and other leaders of the organisation. Commenting on Okorocha’s remarks, Tinubu said: “I have not heard about that and the party spokesman has not said that. No governor can appropriate the power of endorsement to themselves. “Buhari is a believer in due process. The Buhari I know believes in the rule of

law. We wanted him even before the last convention and primaries of the party and Akeredolu is here standing with me and he was not the governor then. “Akeredolu was one of the leading delegates that voted properly and Buhari was a clear winner. “We follow all the constitutional provisions and an individual opinion does not matter at this stage,� Tinubu stated. The APC leader who was accompanied by the former chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande and the National Vice Chairman, South West, Chief Pius Akinyelure, said the Buhari he knows would want a normal process.

“Who says the Buhari that I know will lose at any convention? But if the national body – the NEC (National Executive Committee) – and all of us as members endorse him as our single candidate, we will not be violating INEC regulations; we will not be violating our party constitution. “What you are hearing is just a campaign. Buhari has not excluded anybody and he has not affected the ambition of anybody,� he said. The visit of Tinubu signalled the beginning of a truce among the leadership of pan-Yoruba groups. While Chief Reuben Fasoranti is the leader of

Afenifere, Tinubu is the leader of the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), which the APC leader founded as a counterforce to Afenifere in the South-west. On his meeting with Afenifere, Tinubu said: “I’m in Akure to acknowledge the leadership of Pa Fasoranti in our own (Yoruba) race, as a great leader of the Omoluabi and in his evening we want him to be happy. “He has been a great leader in his youth and heydays. His intellect is still very intact. I am here to seek his advise, seek his understanding and prayers. That is why I am here.� Responding, Fasoranti

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Apple Sells MekaMons Robots Built by Nigerian-British Engineer Apple Stores in the United States and the United Kingdom have begun the sale of gaming robots, MekaMons, built by a Nigerian-British, Silas Adekunle. Adekunle’s company, Reach Robotics struck the deal with Apple recently. The product with a price tag of $299.95 went on sale from November 16 in shops and online. The robots can be operated with an iPhone and other smartphones. Reach Robotics, an augmented reality gaming company, creates robots for fun and STEM education. Adekunle who was born in Nigeria, moved to the UK when he was 11 years old. He is an engineer who graduated with First Class Honours from the University of the West of England in Bristol with a Bachelor of Science in robotics technology. He previously worked at GE Aviation and Infineon. “We’ve created an entirely new video gaming platform,� said Adekunle in a press release, published by Black Enterprise. “MekaMon straddles both the real and virtual worlds while taking the gaming experience beyond a player’s screen and turning their sitting room into a limitless robotic battle zone. “MekaMon represents a quantum leap forward in the leveraging of augmented reality. Players can whip out their iPhone to battle their multi-functional, connected battlebots in the physical and virtual worlds at the same time.� MekaMons are four-legged robots that players can control via a smartphone using a companion app for augmented reality gameplay. Multiple players can have their MekaMons battle each another. Each robot weighs a little over two pounds, with dimensions of 11.8 by 11.8 by 5.9 inches. MekaMons can connect to each other via infrared signals and Bluetooth, allowing for co-op gaming. The robots are powered by a rechargeable

Senate: Resolve Inter-agency Discord In its reaction to the stand off between the agencies of government, the Senate yesterday urged the president to wade into the crisis of confidence between the EFCC and DSS to avert an impending national embarrassment. The lawmakers also resolved to investigate the circumstances of Monday’s stand off between operatives of the agencies during the failed bid by the EFCC to arrest Ekpeyong and Oke. The matter was raised at plenary by Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi, APC) who said the drama by the armed operatives, created tension in the area for residents who were prevented from accessing their homes. “Same yesterday (Monday), the EFCC wanted to arrest the former DG of NIA, Mr. Oke. Also, the officers of the National Intelligence Agency stopped that arrest. “We will recall that the directorgeneral of the DSS had written this Senate before now on Mr. Magu, the chairman of EFCC. “We are not here to say who is to blame but we are being embarrassed by the sister agencies that engaged in fisticuffs. This is a recipe for national disaster,� Melaye said. Senator Abiodun Olujimi (Ekiti, PDP) said the modus operandi employed by the EFCC was the wrong approach. “The truth is you cannot go to the house of a security agent, a man who has kept the secrets of Nigeria for so long, and arrest him like a chicken.

NEWS Fidelity Bank Partners Africa’ss

Young Entrepreneurs on Youth h Empowerment Fidelity Bank Plc has unfolded its partnership with Africa’sYoung Entrepreneurs (A.Y.E) aimed at empowering youth entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Page 10

EDITORIAL The Exit Of President Mugabe After 37 years in power and followinf a week marked by intrigues and tension, Mr. Robert Mugabe on Tuesday resigned as President of Zimbabwe. Page 15

Silas Adekunle with his gaming robot battery that provides up to an hour of gameplay. They are compatible with the iPhone, using the smartphone’s camera and infrared tracking capability for precise navigation. Adekunle’s company, founded in 2013, is based at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL) Technology Incubator. His colleagues include Chris Beck who has been working as a roboticist in the BRL. The company, according to southwestbusiness.co.uk has experienced fast growth in the past few months and the firm is moving out of its offices at Future Space in Bristol. The company, which has taken space for its 29 members of staff at Bristol Business Park, has secured $9.5m (ÂŁ7.1m) of investment funding from organisations, which Adekunle says could “see the potential for what we were developingâ€?.

Adekunle said: “When I was a student at UWE Bristol I spent some time going into schools to help inspire young people and it struck me that there was a huge untapped market for a consumer robot with a difference. “We used to go in and explain simple robotics to try to inspire the young roboticists and engineers of the future and this experience set me off thinking about designing gaming robots.� Reach Robotics is anticipating fast future growth and is looking to target the UK and US markets in the lead up to Christmas. Adekunle added: “This is an exciting time for our company, as now after years of development work, we are finally able to bring Mekamon to customers across the UK and US and with plans to go global. “UWE Bristol has given us an amazing start and we are so grateful for their support.�

CITING GAPS IN MANAGEMENT OF RECOVERED ASSETS, BUHARI INAUGURATES AUDIT PANEL actions of the DSS and NIA, Magu said: “Never, never! I’m not discouraged but rather energised to do more. I am telling you, nobody is above the law.�

Two-Minute BrieďŹ ng

“We are seeing gross irresponsibility in government. We are calling on Mr. President, he has to sit up, to call these agencies to order. “Nobody is in charge of this government, and somebody needs to be in charge,� she added. Olujimi also recalled that Magu’s nomination was rejected by the Senate, yet he had been kept on by the president.

End Obstruction of Justice, Says SERAP Also wading into the issue yesterday, a leading civil society group, SocioEconomic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) condemned the “face-off between EFCC officials and officials of the DSS and those of NIA, saying it was counter-productive to the fight against grand corruption. It also urged the government to urgently instruct the leadership of the DSS and NIA to allow the anti-corruption agencies to carry out their mandate without any interference whatsoever. In a statement signed by SERAP’s deputy director Timothy Adewale, the organisation said: “Preventing the arrest of a former Director-General of the Department of State Services, Mr. Ita Ekpeyong, and a former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ayo Oke, so that they are unavailable to answer the charges of corruption against them amounts to abuse of power and obstruction of justice. “It is patently contrary to Nigerian laws and international standards such as the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party.� The statement added: “Nothing more fundamentally undermines public

confidence in the fight against grand corruption and trust in government than to see state security agencies paid for by public funds apparently aiding and abetting those suspected of engaging in corruption to escape justice. “Obstructing the work of anticorruption agencies is a text-book case of interference with the orderly administration of law and justice, which can send a particularly damaging message that the government may not be truly committed to the fight against corruption. “This may in turn affect the government’s whistle-blower policy and discourage the public from coming forward and providing the authorities with useful evidence of grand corruption. “By moving speedily to stop this kind of behaviour by the DSS and NIA officials, Buhari would be making clear that under his watch those accused of grand corruption would not be allowed to circumvent the law no matter their status in the society. “Protecting suspected perpetrators from facing justice for corruption may suggest that officials of the DSS and NIA are trying to cover up allegations of corruption against those involved. “Fighting corruption is not just for the EFCC alone or any corruption-specific mandate agencies but it is for all state security officials and law enforcement agencies to cooperate and work together to support the government to achieve its oft-repeated commitment to combat grand corruption and impunity of perpetrators. “Buhari must wade in to end this faceoff if his government is to successfully stop the spread of corruption in the country and protect the integrity and authority of anti-corruption agencies.�

POLITICS Masari: Nigeria Has Several

Big Men But Few Leaders Masari has warned that Nigeria will remain perpetually underdeveloped unless good leaders are allowed to take charge, adding that with the right leadership,‌ Page 18

FEATURES Saving Lives through Local

Drug Production Having access to adequate healthcare is a major challenge in Nigeria as nearly two- thirds of the populace lives below the poverty line. Page 20

BUSINESS PwC: Structural Reforms,

Political Risk Management Crucial to Nigeria’s Economic Growth PwC has said that the Nigerian economy is on track for a broadbased recovery, but noted that structural reforms and political riskk management‌ Page 23

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE Who is Afraid of Family

Planning? Rebecca Ejifoma who carried out investigation on the use of family planning by Nigerian couples, reports that the overall acceptance e is still below expectations‌ Page 36

INTERNATIONAL Merkel in Last-ditch Attempt to End Germany’s Political Crisis Germany’s president held talks with party leadersTuesday in a last-ditch attempt to save the EU’s top economy from the political turmoil sparked by the collapse of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s‌ Page 47

SPORTS Eagles’Victory over Argentina May Be Counterproductive, Ighalo Warns Ahead of the 2018World Cup slated for Russia in the summer, Super Eagles striker, Odion Ighalo, has warned his national teammates not to be carried‌ Page 53

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NEWS

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

Fidelity Bank Partners Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs on Youth Empowerment Nume Ekeghe Fidelity Bank Plc has unfolded its partnership with Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs (A.Y.E) aimed at empowering youth entrepreneurs in Nigeria. The partnership agreement signed recently by both organisations will strengthen the ongoing efforts and initiatives of A.Y.E in developing and supporting future business leaders, a statement issued yesterday by the bank said. According to the statement, it will also afford Fidelity Bank the opportunity to offer financial and technical advisory services to enhance the competitiveness and dynamism of young Nigerian

entrepreneurs. With a network of over 12.6 million members across the continent and 1.6 million Nigerian members, A.Y.E is the largest network of entrepreneurs in the world. The organisation uses conferences, workshops and motivational talks to share practical information on how to develop and manage businesses. As one of Nigeria’s top lenders operating out of over 240 business offices and other numerous e-channels, this was in tandem with Fidelity Bank’s unique solutions to supporting small businesses and practical steps in hand-holding and guiding entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses, the

NNPC Secures $3.7bn Alternative Financing in Three Years Ejiofor Alike The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, has said the corporation has secured a total of $3.7 billion in Alternative Financing Agreement in the last three years. Speaking yesterday in Lagos at the 35th annual conference of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), Baru said securing external funding arrangement was crucial to sustaining oil and gas production and ensuring the survival of Nigeria’s energy future. “Within the last three years, we have embarked on several successful alternative funding programmes to sustain and increase the national daily production and producibility,” Baru said. According to him, the $3.7 billion financing package included the $1.2 billion multi-year drilling financing package for 23 onshore and 13 offshore wells under NNPC/ Chevron Nigeria Limited Joint Venture termed Project Cheetah and the $2.5 billion alternative funding arrangements for NNPC/SPDC JV ($1billion) termed Project Santolina. Others include: NNPC/CNL JV ($780 million) termed Project Falcon and the NNPC/First E&P JV and Schlumberger Agreement ($700 million). Project Cheetah is expected to increase crude oil production by 41,000 bopd and 127Mmscfd with a government-take of $6 billion over the life of the project. Baru added that projects Santolina, Falcon and the NNPC/ First E&P JV and Schlumberger Funding Arrangement are expected to increase combined production of crude oil and condensate by 150,000 bopd and 618 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd) of gas with a combined government-take of about $32billion over the life of the projects. He noted that evolving a new funding mechanism for the JV operations was a critical part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s far-reaching reforms aimed at eliminating cash call regime, enhancing efficiency and guaranteeing growth in the nation’s oil and gas industry. Baru explained that as a result

of the cash call underfunding challenge which rose to about $1.2bn in 2016 alone, NNPC and its JV partners began exploring alternative funding mechanisms that would allow the JV business finance itself in order to sustain and grow the business. He added that with average JV cash call requirement of about $600 million a month, coupled with flat low budget levels over the past years, the budgeted volumes were hardly delivered. “The truth is that it is difficult to deliver the volumes without adequate funding. The low volumes and by extension low revenues had resulted in the underfunding of the industry by government, which has stymied production growth,” he said. According to him, with the new Alternative Funding Arrangement in place, JVs will now relieve government of the cash call burden by sourcing for funds for their operations (estimated at $7-$9 billion annually). Baru, who spoke on the theme: “Review of the Current State of Funding for the Upstream Sector and the need for a New Policy Initiative,” commended NAPE for its contributions towards shaping the oil and gas landscape in Nigeria, stressed that it was incumbent on NNPC to associate with such a professional body for the benefit of the nation. “It is on record that key pieces of legislation such as the Marginal Fields Act and the Deepwater Fiscal Policies, the Nigerian Content Act, as well as the Unitization Policy were all based on templates that came out of previous NAPE Conferences,” he said. Also speaking on alternative funding, a former Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mr. Funsho Kupolokun, called for fresh approaches such as the involvement of more indigenous participation to address the challenges of funding upstream operations in the country. In his speech, the president of NAPE, Mr. Abiodun Adesanya, described the challenge of cash call as very critical because it affects all the objectives and targets of growing the reserves and increasing crude oil production in the country.

statement added. “The partnership was made possible because we share the same ideas on entrepreneurship and job creation. In line with the federal government’s economic diversification plan, more employment opportunities lead to poverty alleviation, improved food security and GDP growth,” said CEO of Fidelity Bank, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo at a media parley in Lagos yesterday. A.Y.E encourages social entrepreneurship with role models, powerful mentors, social innovators, thought leaders, forward-thinking investors and people passionate about addressing a range of societal and environmental challenges. These stakeholders gather every once in a year in what is tagged the “Networking with the Giants

Conference”. The 3rd Annual Conference for 2017 is billed to hold in partnership with Fidelity Bank on November 30 in Lagos. The annual conference, according to the president of A.Y.E, Mr. Summy Smart Francis, is an exceptional platform for some of the world’s most accomplished business leaders to network with perhaps the brightest entrepreneurs in Africa. “It provides ample opportunity for individuals with vibrant business ideas to network with established industry leaders, policymakers and outstanding investors from around the globe to draw priceless, life-transforming inspirations from success stories,” he stated. Prominent business leaders and organisations expected to attend

the conference include the majority shareholder in Africa’s largest retail chain, Shoprite Holdings, Dr. Christoffel Wiese, Africa’s richest woman, Mrs. Folorunso Alakija, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former governor of Lagos State, Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Nigerian vicepresident, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Delta State governor; Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Borno State governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, Mr. Philip Auerswald from the U.S. and Mr. Fela Durotoye, among others. With the calibre and diversity of industry leaders billed to attend the conference, Fidelity Bank and A.Y.E are keen on reawakening the latent entrepreneurial spirit in the youth population. According to the statement, both organisations are committed

to identifying burgeoning startups with exceptional ideas and showcasing their potential to the entire world. “As a bank, we are committed to growing the economy and in pursuit of this, we are constantly searching for critical partners that are closely aligned with our strategic objectives. A.Y.E is one of those partners,” Okonkwo said. Speaking in the same vein, A.Y.E president said the partnership was in line with efforts at building the next generation of outstanding leaders, who will shape the economic landscape of the continent. “We are encouraged by this collaboration with Fidelity Bank which will no doubt enhance among other things, our entrepreneurship advocacy and empowerment objectives,” he stated.

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR VICTORY

Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano (right), being presented with a Certificate of Return by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Commissioner, May Agbamuche, in Awka....yesterday. With them is INEC REC, Mr. Nkwachukwu Orji.

Mubi Bombing: IG Places CPs, AIGS on Red Alert NAF destroys Boko Haram IED manufacturing plant Paul Obi in Abuja Following the bombing in Mubi, Adamawa State, where several people were killed, the Inspector General of Police, (IG) Ibrahim K. Idris, yesterday ordered all Commissioners of Police in charge of state commands and their Supervising Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs) and other police formations nationwide to be on red-alert with effect from November 21, 2017, to nip in the bud and prevent the spread of the renewed Boko Haram attacks on soft targets, such as mosques, churches, markets, schools, motor parks, farm lands, settlements, villages, towns and cities in the North-east states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. He also tasked them to quell the recent attacks by bandits in Zamfara State and other vulnerable states in the country. The Police Joint Team will also pay particular attention to the security of IDP Camps and liberated areas in the mentioned states. The Police Public Relations

Officer, Jimoh Moshood, explained that “while the ongoing joint operations between the police and other security agencies in the states of the North-east of the country is being sustained, additional deployment of police personnel from Police Mobile Force (PMF), the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Police Explosive Ordinance Department (EOD), Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID) Personnel,Attack and Sniffer Dogs Section have been made to Adamawa, Borno and Yobe State to bring new impetus to the fight against insurgency by Nigeria Police Force in the affected states. “The Nigeria Police Force deeply commiserates with the government and people of Adamawa and Zamfara States over the recent killings in a mosque in Mubi and another attack in Numan council area and in Shinkafi and Maradun Local Government Areas respectively.” Moshood said: “The Force also wishes to implore the people in the affected states to be vigilant and more security conscious most especially during periods of worship.

“A significant number of worshippers should be assigned and rotated to screen and watch over the praying venues to complement police personnel deployed to protect them. “They are to promptly report suspicious acts or persons to the nearest police detachment or station to avert untoward incidents.” He stated: “the Commissioners of Police in the affected states have been redirected by the IG to make additional posting of Joint Police Team to patrol mosques and churches and other vulnerable locations on 24 hours basis to ensure that no such attack occur again. “The Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and other Commanding Officers in the Area Commands, Divisions in the towns and villages are under strict instructions to work with the people in the localities and sustain Police Visibility Patrols in the mentioned States. “Meanwhile, a new Commissioner of Police who was previously Commissioner of Police, Federal Operations, has been

redeployed to Zamfara State and has since resumed duty. “Additional police personnel comprising 20-Units of Police Mobile Force, 10-cells of Counter Terrorism Unit, Special Police Forces and 2,000 conventional police personnel in compliance with the presidential directive have equally been posted to the state.” In another development,, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) under Operation Lafiya Dole has successfully destroyed a Boko Haram terrorists facility for manufacturing of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, said: “The Boko Haram facility, which was in a place known as YIWE Forest, located 23km south of Konduga in Borno State. Previous NAF Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions had revealed the location to be a Boko Haram hideout, from where the Maiduguri suicide bombing of 18 November 2017 was reportedly planned.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2017

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PDP Denies Makarfi’s Presidential Ambition Says members voted for APGA in guber poll, cautions trouble makers Secondus denies endorsement by party chairman Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it has no evidence to show that the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee (NCC), Senator Ahmed Makarfi, is nursing a presidential ambition. The party also bemoaned its loss at the just concluded Anambra State governorship election held last Saturday, blaming the defeat on the rebellious activities of some of its members. While responding to allegations of bias levelled by two chairmanship aspirants against the Makarfi-led NCC, PDP insisted that it would not be dragged into the controversy over micro zoning ahead of the December 9 national convention. Addressing a press conference yesterday, the spokesman of the party, Dayo Adeyeye, said the caretaker committee was aligning itself with the position of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and convention on the zoning of the presidency and the national chairman to North and South respectively. He said as far as the NCC is concerned, it has decided to distance itself from negotiations over micro zoning of national offices of the party. Adeleye said the party

leadership recognises that both North and South may politically micro zone positions to geo-political zones and the geo-political zones to states, but that such arrangement should be done without recourse to PDP headquarters. Commenting specifically on the issues raised by Chief Bode George and Prof. Tunde Adeniran Adeyeye, described the assertions as wild and not specific. Adeniran’s letter had specifically mentioned five names out of about 216 names appointed to oversee the conduct of state congresses whom he alleged are interested parties in the chairmanship tussle. When asked to comment on the allegation that Makarfi is interfering in the process due to his presidential ambition, Adeyeye dismissed the issue, saying the party is not aware of any such ambition. Regarding the continued face-off between the party and one of its leaders from the South-west, Senator Buruji Kashamu, the PDP’s spokesman accused the senator of disobedience and trying to arm-twist the party using spurious court injunctions to forestall any sanction against him. Adeyeye said the party is assuring all that it will pay

special attention to the conduct of delegate congresses to ensure fairness. “It pains us that on the one hand Chief Bode George who is fully aware of the pains we are still going through in Lagos in order to fairly and equitably carry everybody on board to the extent that we are being accused by others as siding with him is the same person accusing us of impunity,” he said. On the preparations for the convention, Adeyeye said the party had asked chairmanship aspirants to make input so that they have their eyes and ears in each committee. “It was only George that did not attend the meeting we had with the aspirants,” he said. On the lack-lustre performance of the party in the just concluded Anambra State election, Adeyeye said many PDP members voted APGA back to office. “We do agree that the Anambra State issue is a self inflicted injury which has been with the state since after the 2003 general election. In the last governorship election, we are aware that it is some of our members that supported and vote APGA to victory. “Irrespective of the perfections or imperfections of our party

primaries and the outcome, PDP Anambrarians had developed conflicting mindsets. We did our best to bring all under one caretaker committee hoping that things will work out well,” Adeyeye stated. On membership of committees supervising the congresses in respective states and the FCT, Adeyeye said the party never took nominations from any candidate but from the states and other organs of the party. “We wish to remind all that it’s the state chapters that actually conduct congresses. The committees only compile the results and attend to appeals after which they file their reports to the party headquarters. “When all reports are filed by the committees, we shall summon the states chairmen to come with their copies and reconfirm the results at a date to be fixed and all bonafide interest groups will be welcomed to witness it. This is to reassure everybody that validly elected delegates list is not tampered with,” he said. Meanwhile, one of the party’s chairmanship aspirants, Uche Secondus, has refuted claims that he is being supported by the chairman of the party’s caretaker committee, Makarfi.

He also said it is not true that the chairmanship position was micro-zoned to South-west geo-political zone, adding that the position was zoned to the 17 states in the South, same the presidential ticket of the PDP for 2019 polls was zoned to the 19 states in the North, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Secondus, who served as acting national chairman of the PDP before handing over to Senator Modu Sheriff stated that the party’s national secretariat in Abuja after submitting his nomination form. While dispelling insinuation over his links to Makarfi, the former party scribe said that it is true that the National Caretaker Committee chairman is not paving way for his emergence. “No truth in it. I have been going round quietly and canvassing for votes. I have not held any meeting with Makarfi and he has not endorsed me,” he said. Secondus explained that during the botched national convention of the opposition party, when the chairmanship was micro-zoned, he did not bother contest for the seat. There was not time in this time that the office (national chairmanship) was micro zoned.

“The office of national chairman zoned to 17 southern states of the federation. president zoned to 19 states. Let’s not dwell in misinterpretation: aspirants know this unless they want to be mischievous.” However, a former Minister of Women Affair, Hajia Inna Ciroma said, the PDP needs men and women of integrity to lead it to the next general election. Ciroma, who is contesting for the position of the PDP Deputy National Chairman (North) in the December 9 convention of the party, stated this yesterday after submitting her nomination form at the party secretariat. She blamed the loss of power by the PDP on disobedience to its rules but urged delegates to the convention to be guided by the antecedents of the various aspirants in choosing the next members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC). Ciroma said: “Nigerians believe PDP will come back to power. I want delegates to think critically before they vote. We want people who will deliver this party. We should not vote based on sentiments. We should look at antecedents. We must ensure that imposition does not continue in the party.”

T H I S D AY THURSDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2017

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COMMENT

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

EKWUEME: A BENEVOLENT BOURGEOIS Victor C. Ariole pays tribute to Alex Ekwueme, former Vice-President of Nigeria

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uman beings created in the image of God exhibit greatly two existential traits. They are either benevolent or malevolent in their rapport with fellow humans and the habitat available to them, the way the original garden, planet earth, was meant to be their habitat before Cain and Abel joined. Hence, they work to beautify the garden or expand the garden. A bourgeois works to expand the garden while the peasants work to beautify the garden – either for ecology or for the aristocrats who live by the sweat of the peasants. Dr. Alexander Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme was a benevolent African bourgeois who lived to expand whatever he met on ground that was humanistically good, notwithstanding the obstacles placed on his way in his immediate habitat designated as Nigeria. He came, he saw, he worked like a bourgeois – applying subtle approach to convince and get work done, fought his wars with great equanimity, not on “aluta continuaâ€? basis, conquered for those who are still alive to continue the battle like Nehemiah did for the Israelites, like De Gaulle did for the French people, like a group of women did for South Koreans, like Powel did for Great Britain, like Guillaume and Ouattara did for CĂ´te d’Ivoire; so also for others who believe in the bourgeoisie tenets. Even among the non-bourgeois, the mentality of tilling the soil and beautifying the garden still has its great humanistic goals and people like J. J. Rawlings (a.k.a Junior Jesus) continued from where Kwame Nkrumah stopped for Ghana and re-enacted the humanism era planned by Nkrumah. In Nigeria Aminu Kano, Murtala Muhammed and Balarabe Musa have their followers they had conquered battles for, so as to trudge on. Unlike other Nigerians of Igbo extraction who seemed to be eulogised by other Nigerians, either on selfish basis or on chop-I-chop basis, Alex Ekwueme is a true nwa afo, nwa amadi, Ikenga and, above all, the type of Nze originally known by the Igbos. Note that being a bourgeois is not evil and those who expanded the garden Earth acted on the challenges of bourgeoisie principles – make the world a better place than you met it; or, on individual basis, create more wealth for your progenitors than was bequeathed to you. Alex did that for his family and Nigeria; even when he joined politics that ate into his wealth, it did not make him poor, he rose above the burden created by the NPN (National Party of Nigeria) which wanted to reduce him to a pauper. Shehu Shagari is still alive to tell that story. Both Shehu Shagari as the President of Nigeria and Alex Ekwueme as the Vice President remained integrity personified; they are yet to be rivalled by any tested Nigerian who had occupied those positions. Being nwa afo is also a parlance in Igbo language that makes a person distinct from a hireling or a mercenary. The truth is that the system is bigger than an individual and what makes a nwa afo is when you reject anything that is known as NSO ALA – hara-kiri. Before any nwa afo embarks on a service delivery engagement, he/she craves not to offend the system, and what it means not to offend the systems is to act within the bounds of the law and the

HE CAME, HE SAW, HE WORKED LIKE A BOURGEOIS – APPLYING SUBTLE APPROACH TO CONVINCE AND GET WORK DONE, FOUGHT HIS WARS WITH GREAT EQUANIMITY, NOT ON ALUTA CONTINUA BASIS, CONQUERED FOR THOSE WHO ARE STILL ALIVE TO CONTINUE THE BATTLE LIKE NEHEMIAH DID FOR THE ISRAELITES

Igbos would say “Iji kwa Ogu� – do you have evidence to convey, justice on what you are doing; that is, the gavel to stamp on it as the ofo. Alex Ekwueme never offended the system; that, Nigerians could attest to. To be nwa amadi is to respect the principles set by your ancestors who preceded you on the land. If you relocate and never to come back there again, you might decide to be “tokunbo� or “onye ije� and the principles of onye ije is that you do not make yourself enemies; you must obey the alternative – rolling stone gathers no moisture. Alex decided to be more a Nigerian than being the King of Oko; he made no enemy of any Nigerian and fought the worst perceived enemy of the progress of Nigeria to a standstill. Prof. Jerry Gana & Co are still alive to tell that story. It shows how someone can transit from local interest to a greater global and humanitarian interest. To be Ikenga in Igbo parlance is to be faithful to what is true and never giving right to what is wrong. A musician once put it in song captioned: “Ikenga no go marry me�. To marry an Ikenga, perceived ugly by human beings who are struggling to just eat or too greedy to acquire material things could be daunting because, Ikenga does not mind dying, no matter the carrot you dangle to him/her to betray the truth. In all the political prostitution, some Nigerian politicians attune themselves to, Alex Ekwueme remained consistent with any political affiliation he found himself in; and they were political parties in tune with his bourgeoisie principles – give to Nigerians, after you, more than you inherited from your predecessors. Finally, to be an Nze in Igbo land, not chief; or to be an Ozo title holder, Ichie, not like someone who usurps it with paying money and cowering the people, the upper chamber of the “Lords� for the United Kingdom type, is where you belong. When taking decisions becomes difficult for the commons or people who find it difficult to uphold principles, the Nze group becomes the last resort. In Nigeria, people like Alex Ekwueme are “Ijere masquerade�, even when the masses admit their presence with awesomeness, they do not seem comfortable with what the outcome of their humanistic and enduring actions and decisions could do for them. See people like Balarabe, see people like Aminu Kano, see people like Awolowo outside south west, see people like Bala Usman.... Alex Ekwueme suggested six geopolitical zones to allow each zone grow and develop at its own pace; and call for help anywhere for the sustenance of its growth, without dragging other parts of the federation behind, and some Nigerians saw it as evil. Alex Ekwueme lives on and what he stands for should not be allowed to die. In Igboland, Nze is laid to rest standing upright or sitting on the stool of Nzeship, never buried so as to remind people who see his sculpted resting body that, what he stood for remains relevant. Ariole is a Professor of French and Francophone African Studies, University of Lagos

BETWEEN THE POLICE AND PEACE CORPS The Police should be held to account, writes Rogers Edor Ochela ‘’A bully holding a gift belonging to a child up in the air will be forced to bring it down when his hand starts to hurt’’—Wise saying

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t is now crystal clear, especially for those who invested so much hope and aspirations in the so-called transformation agenda of the incumbent Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, that they have lost their investment. For want of a better expression, the police remain its same old self—truculent, repressive, dictatorial and above all, lawless. In Nigeria today, the rule of law is increasingly under attack. In simple term, the law has two qualities; its “spirit�, and its “letter�. The spirit of the law infers that administration of law is about redressing unjust situations. It has long since been declared dead in Nigeria. In saner climes when people commence litigation their objective is to seek justice. Back home in Nigeria, the reverse seems to be the case. Our courts are increasingly used to frustrate justice. As for the letter of the law, Nigerian lawyers continuously seek ways in which to twist the meaning of very simple words to ensure that cases drag on for years and guilty persons go free. The legendary Lord Denning warned about allowing people to “use the law to escape justice!� Nigeria has graduated from the indiscipline of the 1980’s to lawlessness. Lawlessness isn’t the absence of laws, but rather disrespect for them and the inability to enforce them. This disrespect for rule of law and the courts has just manifested itself in the recent judgment given by Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Thursday, November 9, 2017, in the case between the Peace Corps of Nigeria VS the Nigeria Police and others. In the aforementioned judgment, Justice Kolawole specifically held that the police and other security agencies involved in

the invasion of the PCN office were reckless in their action and acted outside their statutory powers. Consequently, he ordered the police, being the ‘’chief antagonist’’ to immediately unseal the corporate headquarters of the Corps and pay N12.5million damages to the officials of the PCN, who were unlawfully arrested, brutalised and illegally detained. Instead of respecting the valid court order by peacefully vacating the headquarters of the PCN, which it illegally sealed off since Tuesday, February 28, 2017, the police, in its characteristic arrogant and intransigent manner, flagrantly disobeyed the court order. The police, which claimed that they were still studying the judgment and awaiting further directives from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), also said that their earlier action against the corps was at the instance of the NSA. Imagine the cheekiness! Can this kind of thing happen in any part of the civilised society? Even when some concerned Nigerians under the umbrella of Coalition of Civil Society Organisations for Justice and Equity (CCSO-JE) led by the President of Lawyers Integrity Crusade Network, Mr. Edward Omaga, decided to further the cause of justice through enforcement of the order by mobilising journalists, staff and well-wishers of the corps to make the police see reason why the office should be vacated on Thursday, November 16, 2017, the police rather became aggressive as over 100 more policemen were mobilised to completely take over the office. What manner of country is this? In a country where there is respect for constitutionality and rule of law, a valid court order like the one given by Justice Kolawole for the reopening of the PCN office will be clinically executed and not toyed with in such a cavalier manner that the police have done. This high level of impunity that the police have displayed is a direct affront on the culture of integrity that President Muhammadu Buhari’s

administration is instilling in the governance of the nation, which if not nipped in the bud, has all the potential of further smearing our country’s image in the comity of nations. This explains why the president, through the office of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice should urgently wade into this budding crisis by ordering the Inspector-General of Police to withdraw his men from the premises of the office of the PCN. The great works that the president has done in the last two years to burnish Nigeria’s image internationally must not be allowed to be rubbished by the selfishness of the leadership of this foremost law-breaking (sorry, law-enforcement) agency. The notoriety of the police in abusing the fundamental human rights of the citizenry which has flourished over the years must be halted forthwith. It would be recalled that the corps had won several cases against the police in the past. They include: Suit NO: FHC/ABJ/CS/231/2010; Suit NO: FHA/ABJ/CS/481/2012, which was delivered on April 22, 2012; Suit NO: FHC/ABJ/CS/613/07 and a report of Police Investigation into the activities of the Corps dated April 25, 2008, which exonerated the corps of any criminal activity. In the aforementioned police report titled: Re: Request For Police Clearance/Extract of Investigation Report ref no CR: 3000/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.66/85 dated April 25, 2008, which emanated from the Office of the IGP, the Police said: ‘’Discreet police inquiries conducted on the activities of the PCN (formerly known as International Peace Corps), among other things, to ascertain the legality of its existence, its activities and motives, objectives of its formation as well as the identity of its promoters did not reveal any negative motive or threat to security. ‘’Since its 11years of existence (1993-2004), it has operated in twenty-six (26) states and the FCT. From available records, the Corps as an entity has not been involved in any shady deals or any anti-social

or subversive activities that constituted security threat.’’ This investigation was conducted at the instance of the then President Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR. Similarly, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), while exonerating the PCN of allegations of extortion of money from applicants said in its report dated July 9, 2015 and signed by Adedayo A. Kayode (HOD Investigation) thus: ‘’The Commission investigated a case bordering on the violation of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offenses Act 2000. The Peace Corps of Nigeria was alleged to ‘’extort’’ the sum of N40,000 from every potential member into the Corps. However, after a thorough investigation by the Commission, this allegation has been proven to be false as this amount collected by the Corps represents a subsidised rate for enlisted members for the provision of complete uniform kits and the payment is voluntary.’’ For an organisation like the PCN that has rule of law as the fulcrum of its existence to be so wantonly abused and humiliated by an agency of the government without fear of consequences baffles all right thinking Nigerians. The corps, just like the erudite Justice Kolawole said in his ruling, has not committed any infraction against the laws of the land to warrant such a cavalier treatment. We are not in a banana republic, where the rule of the jungle reigns supreme. As a law enforcement agency, the primary responsibility of the police anywhere in the world is to ensure that the laws of the land are not infringed upon. But it is rather sad to note that the Nigeria Police has long departed from such well respected established norms and embraced the crude policy of reckless violation of the same laws it is expected to enforce. The time for President Muhammadu Buhari to tame the seemingly lawless Nigeria Police is now. Ochela, a journalist, wrote from Abuja

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EDITORIAL THE EXIT OF PRESIDENT MUGABE Robert Mugabe, the Zimbabwean strongman, quits after 37 years in office

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fter 37 years in power and following a week marked by intrigues and tension, Mr Robert Mugabe on Tuesday resigned as President of Zimbabwe. Although he had in the preceding days deďŹ ed demands to step down despite a military takeover and expulsion from his own ruling ZANU-PF party, Mugabe ďŹ nally caved in as a special session of the parliament commenced impeachment proceedings against him. And as speaker Jacob Mudenda read out Mugabe’s resignation letter, there were jubilations both within the chambers and across the country. It is noteworthy that the text of Mugabe’s resignation letter cited the relevant sections of the Zimbabwean constitution as the source of his action. Belated as that was in the context of the drama that played out for a whole week, obeying the supreme law of the land at a most critical period was unexpected but welcome. Besides, strict adherence to the constitution and a disciplined military that saw the restoration of order in terms of enforcing the THE ROUTE FOLLOWED spirit of the constituBY THE ZIMBABWE ARMY tion must be counted HAS SAVED THE COUNTRY in Mugabe’s favour. THE TRAGEDY OF BLOODY Indeed, viewed against our unatDISINTEGRATION THAT tering continental HAS BECOME THE LOT backdrop, these are by OF COUNTRIES LIKE no means small legaLIBYA, IRAQ AND SYRIA WHERE THE OUSTING OF cies, even when the THEIR STRONG MEN LEFT manner of Mugabe’s exit may make people DANGEROUS VACUUM to ignore this. “It is a shame that he is leaving through the back door and that he is forsaken by the parliament,â€? said Alpha Conde, the president of Guinea and current chairperson of the African Union (AU), who hailed Mugabe as a “great ďŹ ghterâ€?. But Mugabe has only himself to blame for leaving ofďŹ ce in disgrace. Until Tuesday the world’s oldest sitting head of state, Mugabe started life as a school teacher with seven

Letters to the Editor

university degrees. He rose to political prominence by leading a guerrilla war against the white colonial rulers of his country and he was jailed in the process. He went on to become the ďŹ rst post-independent president. And in the early years of his rule, Mugabe expanded social services, including building schools and hospitals and was indeed a good leader until he overstayed his welcome.

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THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN MARRIAGE

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arriage is a legal union between two consenting adults. Though this union is most times preceded by a period of scintillating love relationship, it is laden with huddles. Love is a strong basis for marriage but many married people will tell you that the challenge of marriage is not love, but living together; sharing the same space and tolerating each other. In this part of the world, the church is deeply involved with marriages; from the period of budding relationships to wedding solemnisation, ensuring that couples know and adhere to Christian tenets concerning it. One of these is the dogma of “for better, for worse� which means the couple must accept the consequences of their decision whether the outcome is good or bad. However, few years ago, a church had reason to change this doctrine. For decades, they had upheld and taught the usual principle “for better, for worse� and enjoined members to endure the ups and downs of their marriages however extreme. All this changed when a church member killed his wife. After years of marriage and a few children, things became sore between a couple. They became incompatible as their quarrels and fights increased in frequency. The man, an elder in the church, would beat his wife for every little reason. A few times, the woman who was also a church leader, would report her situation to the church council, but the pastor would

owever, the manner in which Mugabe left ofďŹ ce has opened a new vista. Even if self-serving, the new dimension to military intervention showcased by the Zimbabwean armed forces is rather novel. While it lasted, they did not suspend the constitution or assume executive powers. They restrained Mugabe from further damaging the nation but still skeletally respected his rights as the subsisting president while demonstrating to him that he had lost popular support. They were also civil in all their dealings both with Mugabe in what were evidently his last days in ofďŹ ce and with the populace. At the end, the respect for the constitution has only been complemented by respect for party supremacy. The army did not lock up all politicians, suspend the constitution, assume executive powers with funny titles or order politicians to form new parties as they do in other climes. Overall, the route followed by the Zimbabwe army has saved the country the tragedy of bloody disintegration that has become the lot of countries like Libya, Iraq and Syria where the ousting of their strong men left dangerous vacuum that had to be ďŹ lled by clashing armies of the night- both local and foreign. Without absolving Mugabe of his grave errors while in power, we should also place on record his contributions to the liberation movement both in Zimbabwe and Africa. He was a liberator before he became a dictator. Apart from his undeniable heroism and enormous sacriďŹ ce in the anti-colonial struggle, his ďŹ rst decade in power was toasted as a good example of governance and economic management. Despite the crippling economic crisis, the literacy rate in Zimbabwe is now 89%. It is therefore tragic that he developed clay feet at the twilight of his career and paid a heavy price for it.

always encourage her from the scriptures, reminding her of her status as women leader and the church marriage doctrine of “for better, for worse�. She endured to make the marriage work; to be a good example to young couples never to give up in marriage; to keep her status as leader amongst women and to keep her husband’s high-ranking portfolio in the church, all these to her detriment. On that fateful morning, as her corpse was being wheeled to the mortuary, the entire community, immediate family, and children were surprised and devastated. The church members wondered how this could ever happen to such a “spirit-filled, tongue-speaking and lovable� couple. The pastor felt very guilty because unlike other mourners, he had a chance to save the woman but rather opted otherwise, to preserve the image of the church. However, with this incident, the church council decided to revise its stands and amend the church policy concerning marriage and divorce. Even though the church encourages members to remain in their marriages, spouses who are under persistent physical abuse are now allowed to “separate�, live separately (not divorce) in the interest of their safety, and also that of their Perhaps all churches, as matter of responsibility and urgency, should also consider the dark side of marriage and modify doctrines so as to preserve the lives of their members because the sanctity of life far outweighs that of marriage if one were to be chosen over the other. Dr.Usha Anenga, Makurdi, Benue State

THE FARMERS OF GALMA RIVER, ZARIA

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know that when you are on top of a bridge, a lot of water will pass under it without you knowing. Perhaps that is what happened in the case of the poor farmers of Galma River in Zaria. Last year, His Excellency’s agents from the Ministry of Agriculture through Mallam Mannir, Mallam Shamsu and Sheikh Muslim reached an agreement with the poor farmers to purchase wheat cultivated under the supervision of the ministry officials. A total of 70 hectares was cultivated and over 500 bags were harvested. All the bags of wheat were collected by His Excellency’s agents since last year and kept in a store at Bizara junction without any payment. His Excellency’s agents promised to pay N80,000 per bag to the poor farmers but nothing seem to be forthcoming. Your Excellency, are you aware and you kept the poor souls impoverished? If you are not aware, now you are informed and you need to investigate and treat the matter with utmost dispatch. In fact, the poor farmers said they will not plant wheat this year since many of them have become worst off with debt hanging over their necks. Please pay the poor farmers their dues. Dr.Lawal Bello Dogarawa, Zaria

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2017

T H I S D AY THURSDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2017

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23 2017

POLITICS

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

PERSONALITY INTERVIEW

Masari: Nigeria Has Several Big Men But Few Leaders KatsinaStategovernor, AminuMasarihaswarnedthatNigeriawillremainperpetuallyunderdeveloped unless good leaders are allowed to take charge, adding that with the right leadership, the available resources are enough to transform Nigeria. He spoke with select journalists in Katsina. Ibrahim Shuaibu was there and presents the excerpts:

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ow close are you to fulfilling your campaign promises? We made promises during our campaign on five key areas. The last areas could not be achieved without the fourth one. We spoke about education, because education is our number one priority. Katsina was synonymous with education, and we made our name though education, we did not made that name because of oil . The first western type of school in Nigeria was established in Katsina. Prominent individuals in this country, especially from the north were either from Katsina or people who schooled in Katsina. But the position we found ourselves by 2014 was pathetic. We were number 33 in both WAEC, and NECO performance examination index before we came on board. So without education you cannot go further anywhere. For the first time in decades, Katsina cannot compete within the nation, let alone compete globally. We have sons and daughters who made their names internationally, and they were all products of public schools. The question we asked ourselves is what went wrong? Ours is to restore the faded glory, and in doing so we need to make sure we visited all the primary schools in Katsina to have a situation report of all institutions and to establish the number of enrolment in all our primary school and in our secondary schools, to know the number of teachers, both qualified and unqualified ones, to know our deficit and work towards rehabilitating them, then employing teachers, teaching aids and teaching materials, training of teachers, bringing them up to date to teach in the 21st century. We need to remind parents of their responsibilities. Parent must participate financially, physically in the development of their children. In the next world, the first question is how you manage the responsibilities of those trusted in your care. So it is your responsibility to train your child or children, government will only provide enabling environment, support you to do so. We have a situation where if your child leaves home for school, you don’t care to know if he has gone to school or elsewhere. That attitude is not acceptable. When we came on board, what we have was 5 percent of people passing exam with five credits in English and Mathematics. What is the situation now? I am happy to say that during the last exam, we introduced qualifying exams and it generated uproar. Before now, government was reckless, highly irresponsible in spending money, whereas you don’t have teachers, no teaching aids, and there are general low attendance in schools, and you have situation where classes that are supposed to contain 50 students had over a hundred. There are classes with 200 students, how do you expect magic from a teacher handling such class? We introduced qualifying exam, and introduced our benchmark, anyone that scales though will be sponsored by government to write WAEC or NECO, but if you fail, your parents have to come to the rescue. We made it clear, where such student made a stunning performance in such exams, Government will make refund to the affected parents. that is how to provide leadership. In the fifties, parents paid school fees and as well paid examination fees, so if in 1960 parents were deeply involved in the educational development of their children, the question we should ask ourselves is that why should they be exempted now? We have a primary school here with over 4000 pupils, and the head teacher told us that in

well, if they had complaint since we have a leader, they should lay their complaint before him. The president is accessible to them, and people working with the president are also accessible to them, they would have channelled their complaints and their grievances either against me or the party or the government of Katsina state to the president, unfortunately, they chose to go the market place.

Masari

any Parent Teachers Association meeting, the best attendance is 100, mainly mothers, and over 4000 parents don’t care what happened to their wards. In this scenario, you have to change this attitude by providing the kind of leadership that will force them sit up to their responsibility. Any result? This has started yielding dividend going by the result of the last examination. We presented 21,000, out of which 11,000 qualified for our sponsorship to write both WAEC and NECO. Out of those we sponsored, about 3,300 obtained five credits that include both English and mathematics and above. The most interesting thing was that those that were edged out of government sponsorship due to poor performance during our qualifying exams , over 5000 passed, and we made a promised to refund , and we are paying back to the affected parents N75million. For those who sat , for NECO, we had 77 percent pass, and for WAEC, we got 70 percent pass, out of this percentages, surprisingly 48 percent came from public schools. In areas where we used to have five percent in the past. We all talk about fighting poverty, illiteracy; it is clearly evident that you cannot fight poverty without education. and this education we are talking about is public education because 90 percent of the population attend public schools, and if you address this problem you have constructively addressed poverty. The purpose of providing basic education is that it guaranteed the beneficiaries the opportunities to be self employed. The population is here and the opportunity is here, if we continue to talk about the benefits of education, its endless, what you have been able to do with education is also endless, because in the primary education, no ward in about 361 in Katsina that we did not intervene in at least 5 schools. Our intention is that by 2018,

all our boarding secondary schools , girls in particular would have been comprehensive with everything, because if we leave behind a legacy in education, we would have achieved our mission on why we are here. We also believe that if you want to empower ordinary people or the middle class, you have to address people where they spend their earning. They spend their money on their children to attend private schools, if the public schools are improved, they will make great saving. With a responsible leadership our problem is solved. How sir? We have the highest population in term of poverty, illiteracy, and all the vices put together if you come to north-west. I think it is only north-east that is ahead of us on Boko Haram, and Islamic scholars going to the north east in search of knowledge were also part of the leadership and some of them are from here. We believe if we are able to get it right in the north west it will have positive impact in the whole of the country. The central key which we must all focus in this country is leadership. When we get it right , everything will fall in place. How comes Katsina APC is factionalized under your watch? People around here understand their motives knowing full well that in this part of the country it will be suicidal for anybody or group to attack the person or personality of Mr. President, but coming through the back door thinking that doing so will destabilize the party in his home state. In other states, the governors are leaders of the party, but in Katsina, I am not the leader of the party, because the president is here, but automatically what I am doing is holding forth for him. So to discredit the president is to discredit the party. If these people are genuine and they mean

How were you able to cope in the face of dwindling finances? It is not that the country is poor, it has never been poor and it is not even poor today but the country has shortage of people we called leaders at various levels, but big men are all over the places. We have big men in this country, and especially in this part of the world, we have big men, but few leaders. I do believe that the direction Mr President wants to take this country is the one that would produce leaders, not rulers. At this point of our journey to nationhood, we need leaders, not rulers, and I am sure with the right leadership; the little resources we have will be enough to take us to the promised land. When people cry of no money, yes, we believe that if their is enough, it will be better, but when the country had the money, when the price of crude oil was $140 dollars per barrel. From 1999 to 2015, if you average the price of crude oil, you can put it at $100 dollar per barrel, what has been the achievement? You know that it was not about money, we had money but there was nothing to show for it. So the problems boil down to leadership. When China, and Indian started, it was rough, but let’s ask ourselves, where are these on the scale of development? You will agree with with me that our problem is not about oil money. When we fought the civil war, there was no oil, and Nigeria did not borrow to execute the war. The central issues is about leadership. Poor leadership is our major problems. You mean leadership is our major problem? Yes, if you have good leadership, the leaders will be able to maximise the little resources at their disposal for the benefit of the citizens, and in my honest opinion our major problem is leadership. If you solve the problem of leadership, you would have achieved great things for this country. When it is rosy, and juicy everybody becomes an expert and hero of somewhat description, but when it is difficult that is when real leaders emerge. Look at Saudi Arabia today, the founder of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia did not had formal education, but he provided the leadership and established the country on a sound footing, he could not even sign his name. So also the leader of United Arab Emirate, he was a man from the desert who united seven emirates to have a powerful UAE. He did not go to Harvard neither was he at Oxford. He did not attend any formal school, but he provided leadership to his country, and even if you take a blind man to Abu Dahbi today, or other emirates you will know that there was a leader here who put in a foundation for his country. The man died hundred of years ago but he will continue to be remembered. In a nutshell, it is not how long you live but how well you live. if we work towards producing the right leadership, we have the potentials, and the human resources to move our country to a greater height not only for the benefits of Nigerian alone but for the benefit of the black race as a whole because there is no country that is heavily populated with black people like Nigeria.

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2017

POLITICS

Events Have Proven Buhari’s Govt is Corrupt’ After careful consideration of President Muhammad Buhari’s handling of allegations of corruption against members of his cabinet, a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, Chyna Iwuanyanwu says people were right to conclude that the president condones corruption. He spoke with Adedayo Akinwale who presents the excerpts:

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our view on the contest for the PDP chairmanship? Let me start by going back a little bit, starting with my own personal experience, I contested for the national chairmanship of the party in 2008. After running around the whole country, a magic happened in the night, before 12 midnight, they told us that a group called governors forum who had already hijacked the party, had decided and gave it to Ogbulafor. We got to Eagle Square, fat men, big men were being lined up to just go and affirm. There was no courtesy of even calling us, we bought forms, there was no screening, they just came and told us that it was over. Some of us wanted to go to court but I saw the beginning of an end because how can you bring 5,000 delegates from Sokoto, Lagos, Calabar, some of them in very rickety old vehicles, they came and were not even allowed to vote. At that point, power of the people was hijacked, kidnapped by a group called governors’ forum and it was the beginning of the slide to what happened to us. 2012, I contested for the National Publicity Secretary, simple common sense, the national legal adviser is a lawyer, the national financial secretary is an accountant, national auditor also an accountant, here is a 30 years old mass communication graduate with a broad based experience within and outside Nigeria, well known. I went round the whole country, everybody could testify to that, then the day they were burying Ojukwu, all attention was in Awka, some cabals in the southeast, just beckoned themselves there, went to Enugu and re-zoned it, not just to state but to themselves. Now, If they brought all the candidates there, consensus is acceptable, but they just took Metuh and zoned him my publicity secretary, they took Amachikure, zoned her the national woman leader of the party, they didn’t even have the courtesy of calling us, even if that was a wise decision, they should have called us. So, I went to town, I screamed hell, I wrote to INEC and I did everything. INEC annulled that 2012 convention and then declared another one for 2013. Like wounded lions, these perpetrators of this injustice, impunity, they now rolled out their tanks against me and said they would not swallow this disgrace. We were doing screening at Rockview Hotel, we saw them, people who were supposed to be umpires were running around. Senator Ndoma Egba was the chairman of the screening committee, by 12 midnight they sent me a text that ‘congratulations you are number one’ and I rolled out my tanks with about forty (40) vehicles with my supporters, we were now going from states, hotel to hotel, giving money.By 6am, another text came that your brothers and sisters from the southeast have said that if it happened, they would abandon Jonathan, they threatened him that it must be as they wanted it. Imposition, impunity, arrogance and none of them ever tried to get back to me till today. So, I fought them and found out I was alone. In my full page article that I wrote about the 2013, I narrated the problems; injustice, impunity, God fatherism, lack of internal democracy that produced a leadership that inflicted the disaster on us, that is called 2015. The second one which is in 2013, they thought the only way to silence me was not to bring out my name at all at Eagle Square, so they refused to publish the result, which I still have in my phone till today. Both the chairman and the secretary of the committee gave me my scores, so I started hearing all kinds of thing and they did what they did. I walked out of Eagle Square, within 30 minutes, about 9 states walked out, I didn’t say I took them out. God began to work and they ended up at Yar’Adua Centre, they were calling me to come that they have formed a new PDP, they were calling me to come and become the National Publicity Secretary of the new PDP, I said no I want to be National

have to see some clique here and there to say you have seen the people, no, the senators are not the people, the ministers are not the people, we are the people, the people are the people and they are not reaching out to us. So I am inclined towards him, if I have a vote to cast at this time today, I will give it to Raymond Dokpesi.

Iwuanyanwu

Publicity Secretary of PDP that I have laboured since 1998 as a member. No contract, no appointment, when I win election they steal and twist me because I have nobody except my God. So, God became angry with PDP and the result is Jonathan down, Ekweremadu wanted to be governor of Enugu state, it did not work. All those who were part of that architecture that brought in this character called leadership and the leaders were now massively corrupt. They were interested in stealing, even the money we were bringing out for campaigns never got to project. So basically, that is what happened to us in 2015 because nothing can come out of nothing. Would you say the scenario is still playing out now? When they started all their reforms, I told them, we now formed a group called PDP Renaissance Group. Those of us who are victims of the perpetual injustice, impunity and all that, we did not go outside the party, we remained inside the party advocating for change. We were singing, screaming, writing governors, writing senators, they all received my letters that we must get it right and that’s the only way to move forward. How do we get it right? We must go the original vision of the founding fathers of PDP, great men who under the most vicious military regime of Abacha risked their lives and their businesses. Ekwueme, Jerry Gana, Solomon Lar, Sunday Awoniyi, Abubakar Rimi, some of them from the old NPN stock, some of them from the progressives, but they came together in the interest of Nigeria to arrest military dictatorship.They took a risk and then these things now happened and was as if that vision had been scuttled by people who were basically strangers, they were not there, we were carrying portfolios, we were servants to these great men you talk about, but some people just came. PDP lost the goodwill of Nigerians, so we had that Peoples Democratic Party disconnected from the people, where did the people go, change. The change we couldn’t get inside, they looked for it outside, it was an emotional decision and what we are seeing is consequence for any decision based on emotion cannot be right. They went and started reforms

and I said that the people doing these reforms were those who are actually the architect of our problems. You can’t send a thief to a scenario where people stole, he may actually be the one who stole, got home and then you call him. A policeman who is a thief, you cannot ask him to go and investigate a crime situation and we say the right persons to deal with this change that we want are the victims because he who wears the shoes knows where it pains.They ignored us, so the same people who captured the party since are still holding it except the few of them. So that is my apprehension and fear. But the event of the last few years ought to have taught us a lesson. So far there is mountain of ‘we would do it right’, we are watching, jealously, cautiously, any attempt to return to the dark days of impunity, imposition, lack of internal democracy, any attempt to return to those things would plunge the party into a crisis. I hail Markafi, my brother and leader, Ben Obi, men of integrity and Adeyeye, the publicity secretary, they have fought like men and they must not allow their victory to be stolen away by all the pharaohs. There are so many pharaohs in the states who are still plotting to impose their candidates because they want to be President, Vice Presidents and governors so that is the problem. So, our warning at the level of this organisation is that there must be a clear departure, there must be remorse and repentance and they must allow the delegates to choose, that is when power will return to the people and if the people choose, their confidence would be connected to those they choose and then the party can move forward. All we are doing now is writing letters, talking to people, warning, advising but we are also monitoring and watching. Are you in support of Raymond Dokpesi? Well, he is the only man who has reached out to me and when I look at his pedigree, I am inclined to but now I don’t have a candidate. I am inclined to support him, he is the only one that has reached out properly to me and explained himself to me. Bode George I have not seen, all of them I have not seen and as you see me here, having been in this party since 1998, you want to walk into my national chairmanship, there are some people you don’t

Don’t you think it’s too late for PDP to start mopping up things? My interest is the re-engineering going on in PDP, if we get it right, it is goodbye to APC and that is why I am praying, singing and begging, let us do it right.This is the party that has been in government for 16 years and a coup happened called amalgamation of parties, that is the biggest fraud in Nigeria because up till today CPC and Buhari have their own agenda. As for the other parties, you can see the fragmentation inside that place and that is why there is fragmentation, agitation, crisis in Nigeria. National Assembly and the president are not in good terms. We do not have one party called APC. Now PDP is one party, check the origin of the party, a group of prominent Nigerians from across, various political device came together and formed it. It was not a party formed on anger of let us remove Jonathan or that party must go to the north. The ideological foundation was strong, patriotic, national, we may have gotten it wrong because of some people that we brought into the system, if they sit here with me, I will tell them that you contributed this, we know what they did. Did we have a failure, yes we had a failure, have we learnt from it, that is what we are saying, this is a human mind thing, while we are doing that, some people are already picking tickets in the dream. They are working, manipulating, so that the tickets of presidents, vice presidents and all that to be given to them, those are the ones that are anti-PDP. But because this party has been here for 16 years, before circumstances brought it down, 50% of it was self inflicted by themselves, the wrong choice of leaders and wrong choice of policies. We have greater opportunity, having learnt a lesson to be able to rise again. Now, if APC has provided a credible alternative, it would have been goodbye to PDP, but unfortunately, my people say if a woman marries two husbands, you will know the one that is better, not when you marry one you start saying this man is a very dangerous man, leave and go and marry another one, then you know the one that is dangerous. Nigerians have married two wives, what we are seeing today is not an APC government, Buhari had his own agenda and rode on the platform of APC and got to where he is. So, the greatest enemy of APC is the presidency and his agenda. You cannot have a political party unleashing pythons and gorillas and hyenas in a whole zone of 5 states when the election is coming next tomorrow, a good political party thinks of winning an election and they don’t say to hell with people. Come 2019, will the PDP be a credible alternative for Nigerians? I can tell you that right now in the minds of hungry Nigerians, this would be my worst Christmas. I am sixty years. Economically speaking, in the minds and pockets of Nigerians, which is the main thing, economy. All this GDP, OPD and others are world bank songs that don’t matter, what matters to the Nigerian citizens is how much is rent, how much is garri, how much is yam and we have seen that the foreign exchange situation is very bad. What we are seeing is motion without movement and they have admitted it to some extent. I am saying if we put our house in order, get a credible leadership from our national convention that is connected to the will of the people, there would be a mass movement of people and once there is a mass movement, the rest is history.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

FEATURES

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

Saving Lives through Local Drug Production Having access to adequate healthcare is a major challenge in Nigeria as nearly twothirds of the populace lives below the poverty line. Jonathan Eze examines the feat of FIDSON Pharmaceutical in bridging the gap with affordable and quality drugs

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he need for increased capacity in local drug production has been well recognised and it cannot be overemphasised. Such capacity should cover the production of raw materials and intermediate products, not just formulation and packaging. Hence, indigenous companies like Fidson Pharmaceuticals, which despite the economic downturn continue to expand its production capacity and base should be encouraged not only with local patronage but with favourable government policies and waivers that will spur them into doing more in order to sustain economic growth recorded in the last few months that took the country out of recession. Also, in line with the numerous executive orders aimed at making doing businesses easier, there is a need to enforce the National Drug Policy that makes it mandatory that government at all levels must give priority to locally manufactured drugs during procurement planning and tender pre-qualifications. It will also not be out of place if the government can immediately put on prohibition list of all drugs that the local manufacturers have adequately and in sufficient capacity to meet national need. Stakeholders believe that if these recommendations are religiously implemented, indigenous companies would be encouraged. This brings to fore the leadership being demonstrated by Fidson especially with regards to increasing its capacity. Despite the fact that drug production facilities in the country are currently operating under severe constraints, the company has succeeded in translating the challenges to strength. The company has recorded many firsts over the years including being the first company in Nigeria to manufacture its own brand of anti-retrovirals called Virex in 2005. This drug was 100 per cent formulated and manufactured in Nigeria and it successfully reduced the cost of anti-retrovirals to the public by about 70 per cent. It was also the first company in Nigeria to manufacture Proton Pump Inhibitors in 2002, with their Meprasil brand, in the treatment of gastro-ulcer conditions. The new plant in Sango-Ota, Ogun State, is increasing the company’s manufacturing

Indigenous companies like Fidson Pharmaceuticals, which despite the economic downturn continue to expand its production capacity and base should be encouraged not only with local patronage but with favourable government policies and waivers that will spur them into doing more in order to sustain economic growth recorded in the last few months that took the country out of recession

L-R: Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah; Chief Financial Officer, Fidson Healthcare Plc, Mr. Oludare Adanri and MD/CEO Fidson Healthcare Plc, Dr. Fidelis Ayebae. during the familiarisation tour of Fidson state-of-the-art facility at Sango Ota, Ogun State...recently

Fidson staff monitoring a process in the factory

capacity in line with its growth trajectory. The plant incorporates manufacturing regular pharmaceutical products, whose demand is expected to exceed supply, with intravenous (IV) infusions and injectables. The demand for IV infusions is large and Fidson’s penetration into the IV infusions market has no doubt broken the oligopoly as well as reduce prices and increase quality of the products bought by consumers. The plant doubles its existing production capacities, thereby enabling the company to achieve economies of scale and reduce prices; and imminent WHO GMP compliance will open doors for contract manufacturing for multinationals, who wish to enter the Nigerian market without having to establish a manufacturing plant. These new opportunities have taken

Fidson to a higher level of manufacturing, where they are collaborating with some of the biggest companies in the world in terms of pharmaceutical knowledge, formulation, processes and the best standards in global pharmaceutical manufacturing. The new plant also positions it to take advantage of the changing government regulations that aim to increase locally manufactured medicines to about 70 per cent (from current 40 per cent) of total medicines consumed in Nigeria. Hence, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, on an industry tour recently reaffirmed the federal government’s support to local pharmaceutical manufacturers in Nigeria while calling for public-private partnership between government and major industry players.

The minister who was received by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Fidelis Ayebae and the management team, later proceeded to the factory where he was conducted round the new state-of-the-art facility, its production lines and equipment, after which he expressed his amazement at the efforts of the indigenous company towards transforming the country’s pharmaceutical landscape. He commended Fidson Healthcare Plc for its contribution to the growth of the pharmaceutical industry and economy at large, particularly with its huge capacity for local manufacturing of pharmaceutical products from the company’s newly constructed multi-billion naira facility. Enelamah noted that he is impressed with what the company has on ground and

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Ëž T H I S D AY THURSDAYËœ Í°ÍąËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

FEATURES

L-R: President, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMGMAN), Mr. Okey Akpa; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah; MD/CEO Fidson Healthcare Plc, Dr. Fidelis Ayebae and MD/CEO Bank of Industry, Mr. Olukayode Pitan, during the familiarisation tour of Fidson state-of-the-art facility at Sango Ota, Ogun State

Fidson's new installation

optimistic that Fidson is on the right path. He also emphasised the need for public-private partnership between government and major industry players like Fidson and restated government’s support towards improving the healthcare sector. While sharing Fidson’s milestone with the minister, Ayebae stated that the plant, which boasts of an unmatched capacity for drug production, is equipped with different production lines, such as Tablets, Capsules, Liquids, Creams, Ointments, Dry Powder and Infusion. He stressed that the factory has the capacity to meet the healthcare demand of the Nigerian and West African markets. He also commended the minister and the federal government for their commitment to the growth of the sector. Responding to the minister’s question on how the issue of fake drugs in the market is affecting the company, Ayebae stressed that locally manufactured drugs threat is almost non-existent. “The drugs that are fake are mostly international brand that are imported, and as we speak it is huge.� Reiterating Ayebae’s comments, Chairman, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMGMAN), Mr. Okey Akpa added “We are very worried, as a professional group, we have taken the issue up, we are in the process of engaging NAFDAC very aggressively to curb the issue of fake drugs.

He went further to say the group also visited factories of member-companies in order to ascertain compliance.� Still on encouraging indigenous drug production, like a new bride, the Minister

I am happy to be in a pharmaceutical company that has done signiďŹ cantly well to the development of Nigeria. This is the ďŹ rst pharmaceutical company I will be visiting as a minister. I am so proud of what I have seen and I will be delighted to read in another 15 to 20 years that Fidson is the best in the world

of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, also visited Fidson and urged the management to target a dominant position in African pharmaceutical manufacturing landscape and ultimately compete for global reckoning. The minister said he was impressed with the company’s achievement so far and promised government’s support in ensuring sustainable growth. While observing the leading pharmaceutical company’s contribution to national economic development, he added that the company must not rest on its oars until it becomes a leading pharmaceutical company in Africa and ultimately the world. “I am happy to be in a pharmaceutical company that has done significantly well to the development of Nigeria. This is the first pharmaceutical company I will be visiting as a minister. I am so proud of what I have seen and I will be delighted to read in another 15 to 20 years that Fidson is the best in the world,� he said. He charged the company to identify ways of further integrating research and development into its operations by partnering with various research institutes and also set up its research facility. Onu stressed that the federal government is concerned with the development of the country through diversification of the economy and is charting a new course by ensuring that

raw materials produced locally are utilised in production processes with the intervention of Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO) and that purchase of made-in-Nigeria product is encouraged amongst Nigerians. Furthermore, the minister spoke of the federal government’s plans to encourage local industries, especially fully indigenous organisations that have shown great promise like Fidson. Reacting to the minister’s comment, Fidson’s Sales and Marketing Director, Mr. Olugbenga Olayeye, appreciated the minister for his confidence in the company. He expressed confidence that government’s support will go a long way to boost the company’s capacity for local pharmaceutical manufacturing and ultimately transform the country’s pharmaceutical industry and the economy at large. Also speaking during the meeting, Fidson Operations Director, Mr. Abiola Adebayo highlighted the several benefits of the factory to include high quality and affordable healthcare products, world-class pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity, employment generation, increased local content, generation of stronger partnerships, as well as strategic brand and market positioning. Adebayo urged the minister to help advocate for the enactment or review of policies that will address the plight of local pharmaceutical manufacturers by the federal government. These, he said, will go a long way to ensure more regular supply of drugs, further enhance response to health emergencies and ultimately save more lives of Nigerians. Fidson offers its customers an extensive product range of its own branded generics. The company works closely with local and international universities for research and development (R&D) to continuously improve formulations and pharmaceutical product offerings to the market. The indigenous company recently entered into a partnership with the University of Sunderland in the UK to foster collaboration in R&D. Beyond R&D, there is also an opportunity for knowledge and resource sharing between both organisations as well as training opportunities. Fidson has positioned itself as a local company with global standards and prides itself on quality pharmaceuticals that are comparable to any other pharmaceutical manufacturing company in the world. “We are the largest employer of pharmacists in the Nigerian private healthcare sector. Employing pharmacists enables us to maintain quality control standards and product formulations. We are now well-recognised and placed within the market for sustained growth.� The company, which was incorporated in 1995, is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and has over 200 quality products across several therapeutic classes. “Our product portfolio cuts across anti-infectives, gastrointestinal, antiretroviral, anti-malarial, cardiovascular, analgesic, haematinics and supplements. “Our vision has always been to add value to the lives of Nigerians by providing affordable pharmaceuticals of excellent quality. This drove the evolution from a distributor for multinationals in 1995, to a distributor of our own brands in 1996 with our brand of Ciprofloxacin, Ciprotab, which is today a market leader in the antibiotics segment. “We subsequently set up our first local manufacturing facility in July 2002, which was eventually lent to a contract manufacturing Joint Venture after we inaugurated a bigger plant in 2006, incorporating a liquid line. In 2008, Fidson was listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and is now one of the leading indigenous pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria. “Investing heavily in local production capacity has been an effective strategy that Fidson has followed. The company’s state-of-the-art manufacturing plant would see us double, if not triple, our production capacity and for the first time, adding intravenous fluids to our product portfolio. The facility is built to conform to the World Health Organisation (Geneva) current Good Manufacturing Practice (WHO-cGMP) standards.� The company’s consistent performance in the Nigerian pharmaceutical sector was recognised by Frost and Sullivan, who named Fidson as the recipient of its ‘2014 Growth Excellence Leadership Award in the Nigerian Pharmaceutical Industry’ among other recognitions in recent time.

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Photo Editor ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜ ÔËÖË Email Ă‹ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜Ë›Ă‹Ă”Ă‹Ă–Ă‹ĚśĂžĂ’Ă“Ă?ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁĂ–Ă“Ă Ă?Ë›Ă?Ù×

L-R: Managing Director, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency [NAMA], Capt. Fola Akinkuotu; former Director General, NCAA, Dr. Harold Demuren, and President, Aviation Round Table Safety Initiative, Elder Gabriel Olowo, during the opening ceremony of 2017 ART Conference on Nigerian Aviation Infrastructure: Development and Challenges in Ikeja, Lagos...recently. KOLAWOLE ALLI

L-R ,Credit Operations Manager, RMB Nigeria, Ngozi Kejawa; Senior Transactor, RMB Nigeria, Kemi Owonubi; President, CFA Nigeria & Director, Head of Treasury & Financial Institutions, AFC, Banji Fehintola; Finance, RMB Nigeria,Aisha Remi-Adedeji and Corporate Marketing Manager, RMB Nigeria, Oluwayemisi Ogunbodede during the CFA 2017 Charter Award Ceremony sponsored by RMB Nigeria in Lagos...recently

L-R; Chief Executive OďŹƒcer, AgathaĂ­s Interior Design, Mrs. Agatha Eric-Udorie; Chief Executive OďŹƒcer, Luxury Villas Group, Mr. Tommy Oduma; and Director, African Artists Foundation, Mr. Azu Nwagbogu, at a press conference on Real Estate, Interior Design and Art by Luxury Villas Group, in Lagos,...recently SUNDAY ADIGUN

L-R: Executive Director, Prestige Assurance Plc, Mr. Sarbeswar Sahoo; Managing Director/CEO, Prestige Assurance , Dr. Balla Swamy; President, Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Mr. Shola Tinubu and Executive Director, NCRIB, Mr. Lanre Shogbesan, during the courtesy visit to Prestige Assurance by NCRIB in Lagos... recently ETOP UKUTT

Secondary Students from Aba, Abia who recently came toLagos to participate in the NESH-NXT Annual Conference for Young Entrepreneurs visited the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode accompanied by Founder,NESH, Emeka Ugwu-Oju;Deputy President,South East South South Professionals, Dagogo Karibi-Whyte and Representative of Ndigbo Lagos, Collins Ugwu.

L-R:General Manager, Revolutionplus Property Company Lld, Toyin Success; Managing Director/ Chief Executive OďŹƒcer, Bamidele Onalaja; Brand Ambassador, Revolutionplus Property Company/ Music Artiste, Adekunle Gold; and Executive Director, Revolutionplus Property Company Ltd, Mrs. Tolulope Onalaja, at the Company’s Stand during the 2017 Lagos International Trade Fair... recently

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Oluranti Adebule (left); presenting a souvenir to the UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Comfort Lamptey, during a courtesy visit with her team to the Lagos deputy Governor, at the Secretariat, Alausa Ikeja...recently KOLA OLASUPO

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Ă˜Ę¨Ă˜Ă“Ă˘ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă–Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă“ĂžĂ? Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ Ă˜Ę¨Ă˜Ă“Ă˘ Ă?ĂœĂ™ Íł Ă?Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂžĂšĂ’Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ëœ Ă“ĂžĂ? ĘŽĂ‹Ă‘Ă?Ă’Ă“Ăš ×ÙÎĂ?Ă– Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă˜Ę¨Ă˜Ă“Ă˘ Ă?ĂœĂ™ Íł Ă?Ă˜Ă”Ă™ĂŁĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹ Ă‘Ă–Ă™ĂŒĂ‹Ă– ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?ĂšĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă’Ă™Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă?ĂŒĂœĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă—Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŒĂ–Ă™Ă‘Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ĂŽĂ“ĘĽĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÙÚĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ?Ă?Ë›

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L-R: British Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Nigeria, John Howell MP; Director of Operations, Rack Centre, Ezekiel Egboye; Group Chief Financial OďŹƒcer, Jagal Group, Richard Turner and the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Laure BeauďŹ ls, during the visit of the trade envoy to Rack Centre Collocation Data Centre facility in Lagos...recently

PwC: Structural Reforms, Political Risk Management Crucial to Nigeria’s Economic Growth Stories by Emma Okonji PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has said that the Nigerian economy is on track for a broad-based recovery, but noted that structural reforms and political risk management are very vital to the country’s economic growth. Defining the path for Nigerian economic growth, Economists at PwC Nigeria noted that aside the improvement in real GDP, following the exit from recession in Q2 of 2017, the performance across several other macro-indicators suggest that the economy has turned a corner. Some of these indicators

ECONOMY according to the report, include headline inflation at a 16 month low at 15.9 per cent year/year in September; maintenance of trade surplus for three consecutive quarters; Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) remaining above the 50 points threshold for six consecutive months and the foreign reserves up to a 34-month high. The PwC report further assessed the fundamental determinants of economic growth, with findings suggesting that economic freedom, consumption growth and investment share in GDP are significant drivers of the Nigerian economy.

Partner and Chief Economist at PwC Nigeria, Dr. Andrew Nevin, said: “We find that an increase in the economic freedom index by 1 point could lead to a 1.7 percentage point increase in Nigeria’s economic growth. This underscores the role of economic policies as a major catalyst for economic development. Similarly, a one percentage point increase in investment share in GDP and consumption growth were found to be associated with 0.2 percentage points and 0.7 percentage points increase in economic growth respectively.� To show Nigeria’s potential economic performance over the next five years, the report pres-

ents three scenarios in which PwC examined the impact of political shocks, and the implementation of structural reforms and economic diversification on key economic indicators in Nigeria. The firm, in its analysis, assumed that oil will continue to be the main driver of fiscal and export revenues over the forecast period. As such, the extent to which the Nigerian economy moves towards its near-term development aspirations is dependent upon the success of its import substitution policies. In the first scenario, the Continued on page 24

Again Telcos Express Concern over Multiple Taxes Licensed telecommunications operating companies in Ogun and Kogi states have raised the alarm over multiple taxes imposed on them by the state government agencies. The operators expressed worries that the taxes, which they described as outrageous are threatening their operations in the states. They have therefore called on the telecoms regulatory body, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the federal government to intervene and save their business from total collapse owing to the outrageous taxes imposed on them. According to the operators, there have been outrageous and multiple demand notices on

TELECOM telecoms operators, in Ogun and Kogi states, by the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service and the Ogun State Ministry of Urban and Regional Planning, alleging that the workers are constantly harassing and intimidating telecoms staff working on various telecoms sites in both states. “Our staff members working on telecoms sites are harassed on a daily basis and most of our sites have been shut down by government agencies in Kogi and Ogun states for refusal to pay some of the levies that have been duplicated by the state agencies. The situation is already adding to the poor state

of our telecoms networks and the quality of services adversely affected in those areas,� the operators lamented. Disturbed by the situation, the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), the umbrella body for all licensed telecoms operators in the country, have written both states and the NCC on the ugly situation. In one of the letters signed by the Chairman of ALTON, Mr. Gbenga Adebayo and its Secretary, Mr. Kazim Oladepo, and addressed to the Executive Chairman, Kogi State Internal Revenue Service and the Ogun State Commissioner, Ministry of Urban and Regional Planning, a copy of which was sent to

NCC, the Director General of the State Security Service and the Executive Governors of both states, ALTON explicitly explained their challenges. According to ALTON, the demand notices evidently seek to promote an arbitrary revenue drive with resultant punitive measures on the telecoms industry for non-payment, which could discourage the operations of telecoms providers in both stares. The letter to Kogi Stare Internal Revenue Service, read in part: “Also prominent among the outrageous levies, is the Annual Economic Development and Social Services ContribuContinued on page 24

Ă‹ĂŁĚ‹ĂžĂ?Ă–Ă?Ă Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ?ĂœËœ ĂžĂ Ëœ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹ Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ ÙʼĂ?Ăœ ÞÒËÞ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ?Ă?ĂœĂ“ĂŒĂ?ĂœĂ? ĂĄĂ’Ă™ Ă?ÞËã Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă˜Ă™Ă˜Ě‹Ă?ÞÙÚ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Í°Íł Ùà Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ ÞÙ ͹ͯ Ă‹Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍśËœ Ă?Ă˜Ă”Ă™ĂŁ Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’ Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă? Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă?ĂŒĂœĂ&#x;Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Ͱ͎ͯ͜˛ Ă’Ă? ÙʼĂ?ĂœËœ ÞËÑÑĂ?ĂŽ ËŤ Ă?ĂŒĂœĂ&#x;Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Ă™Ă˜ Ă?ËŹËœ Ă“Ă? ÙÚĂ?Ă˜ ÞÙ ĂžĂ Ëœ Þà ÖĂ&#x;Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Þà ËÖĂ&#x;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ÞÙ×Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ù×Ă?Ă? Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ăœ Ëœ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă Ă?Ě‹ĂŽĂœĂ“Ă Ă?Ă˜ ÚÖËÞĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ— Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹Ă–Ă– Þà Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ÞÙ×Ă?ĂœĂ?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă–Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂŒĂ?Ăœ Ͱ͎ͯ;˛ Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă? ÙʼĂ?ĂœËœ Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœËœ Ă&#x;ÖÞÓ ÒÙÓĂ?Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ëœ Ă™Ă’Ă˜ Ă‘ĂŒĂ?Ëœ Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽË? ËŤ Ă? Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?ĂžĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ ÞÓ×Ă?Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂž Ă™Ă? Ă‹ Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ ĂŁĂ?Ă‹Ăœ Ă“Ă? Ă&#x;Ă?Ă&#x;Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ åÓÞÒ Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ă?Ë› ÓÞÒ ÞÒÓĂ? ÙʼĂ?Ăœ ĂĄĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂžĂ‹Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ùʼ ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂœĂŽĂ?Ă˜ Ă™Ă? Ă‹ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’ËŞĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ?Ă?ĂœĂ“ĂšĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ÞÙ×Ă?ĂœĂ?Ëœ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ Ă?ÞËã Ă‹Ă?ÞÓà Ă? Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă–Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ÚËĂ?Ă•Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă?˛ˏ

WorldRemit, Arsenal Sign Deal Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÎÓÑÓÞËÖ Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁËœ Ă™ĂœĂ–ĂŽ Ă?Ă—Ă“Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ˜Ă?ĂœĂ?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? ÞÒĂ? ÚÙåĂ?Ăœ Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă™ĂžĂŒĂ‹Ă–Ă– ÞÙ Ę¨Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹ ĂŒĂ?ĘľĂ?Ăœ ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁ ÞÙ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă?Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă™Ă˜Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă? Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂœË› Ă’Ă? Ă–Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÎÓÑÓÞËÖ Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ăœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă?ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ Ă‹ Ě‹ĂŒĂ‹Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ?ĂšĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă™Ă—Ă‹Ă–Ă“Ă–Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽËœ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă”Ă™Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă? åÓÞÒ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă˜Ă‹Ă– ÞÙ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁËŞĂ? Ă‘ĂœĂ™ĂĄĂžĂ’ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă’Ă?Ă–Ăš Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ? ĂšĂ?ÙÚÖĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ?Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă‘Ă–Ă™ĂŒĂ‹Ă– ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă’Ă“Ăš ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ? Ă™ĂœĂ–ĂŽ Ă?Ă—Ă“Ăž åÓÞÒ Ă‹ ĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă? Ă™Ă? ĂœĂ“Ă‘Ă’ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÚÖËãĂ?Ăœ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? ÞÙ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂž Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă˘ĂšĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă? ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă’Ă“Ăš Ă‹Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ?Ă? Ă—Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă’ ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁ ĂŒĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ ĂœĂ?Ă—Ă“Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ă‹Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă? Ă&#x;Ăš Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă&#x;Ăš Ă—Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă’ Ă‹Ă–Ă™Ă˜Ă‘ åÓÞÒ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?ĂĄ ĂŒĂ‹Ă?Ă•ĂŽĂœĂ™Ăš ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ ÒÙ×Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă—Ă“Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă? Ă—Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă’Ëœ Ă‹Ă–Ă™Ă˜Ă‘ åÓÞÒ Ă‘Ă–Ă™ĂŒĂ‹Ă– ÎÓÑÓÞËÖ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă—Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ ĂœĂ“Ă‘Ă’ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă˜Ă‹Ă–ËŞĂ? Ă™Ă˜Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă—Ă™ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă? ÚÖËÞĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă?Ë›

Zowasel Promises Black Friday Discounts ÙåËĂ?Ă?Ă–Ëœ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ËŞĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă‘ĂœĂ™ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ě‹Ă?Ù××Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă? Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?Ăž ÚÖËĂ?Ă?Ëœ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂ“Ă‘Ă‘Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă?âĂ?Ă–Ă&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă Ă? ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă“Ă˜ Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă–Ă‹Ă?Ă• ĂœĂ“ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁ ÙʼĂ?Ăœ Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’ Ă™Ă? Ùà Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?ĂœË› ÙåËĂ?Ă?Ă– Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă™Ă˜Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă? Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?Ăž ÚÖËĂ?Ă? ÞÒËÞ ÙʼĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŒĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŽĂ?Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă™Ă˜ Ă‘Ă?ÞËåËãĂ?Ëœ Ă’Ă?ËÖÞÒ Ęś ĂŒĂ?Ă‹Ă&#x;ĂžĂŁËœ ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă?ÞËĂ&#x;ĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ë› ĂšĂ?Ă‹Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁËŞĂ? ĂŒĂ–Ă‹Ă?Ă• ĂœĂ“ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁ Ă?Ă‹Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă“Ă‘Ă˜Ëœ ÞÒĂ? Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă? âĂ?Ă?Ă&#x;ÞÓà Ă? ĘŠĂ?Ă?ĂœËœ ÙåËĂ?Ă?Ă–Ëœ Ă?ĂœĂœĂŁ Ă?Ă’Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽË? ËŤ ÙåËĂ?Ă?Ă– Ă“Ă? Ă•Ă˜Ă™ĂĄĂ˜ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ăž ĂŽĂ?Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŒĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ëœ ÞÒÓĂ? Ùà Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂ–Ă‹Ă?Ă• ĂœĂ“ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ëž ĂĄĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂŽĂŁ ÞÙ ÙʼĂ?Ăœ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜Ă? ĂŒĂ“Ă‘Ă‘Ă?Ăœ ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ? Ă?âĂ?Ă–Ă&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă‹Ă–Ă? ÞÒËÞ Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă™Ă˜Ă–ĂŁ ĂŒĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ Ă™Ă˜ äÙåËĂ?Ă?Ă–Ë›Ă?Ùײˏ Ă? Ă‹ĂŽĂŽĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ ËŤ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ Ă‘Ă?Ăž ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂŽĂŁ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒĂ? åÙå Ă?âÚĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? äÙåËĂ?Ă?Ă– Ă“Ă? Ă•Ă˜Ă™ĂĄĂ˜ Ă?Ă™ĂœËœ ĂĄĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒÓĂ? Ùà Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ Ă‹ Ă—Ă?Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă? åÓÞÒ Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŒĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă&#x;Ăš ÞÙ ͎͡ ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă“Ă˜ Ă‘Ă?ÞËåËãĂ?Ëœ Ă’Ă?ËÖÞÒ Ęś ĂŒĂ?Ă‹Ă&#x;ĂžĂŁËœ ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă?ÞËĂ&#x;ĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂžĂ?ËŹË›

“Our staff members working on telecoms sites are harassed on a daily basis and most of our sites have been shut down by government agencies� Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) Gbenga Adebayo

24

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°ÍąËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

PWC: STRUCTURAL REFORMS, POLITICAL RISK MANAGEMENT CRUCIAL TO NIGERIA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH

S’Africa Becomes 47th Shareholder of Afreximbank

report is of the view that there is fast-paced implementation of structural reforms, particularly those related to the business environment. In addition, the oil price will rise from an estimated average of $55/bbl in 2017 to $60/bbl in 2018, while domestic oil production is assumed at 2.2mbpd from 2019 to 2022. In the second scenario, the PwC is also noted that there is sluggish implementation of structural reforms, with the drive for import substitution progressing at a slow pace. The oil price and domestic oil production remain stable at $60/bbl and 2.2mbpd respectively over the forecast period. Scenario 3 presents a less optimistic picture with increased political tension in the wake of the 2019 general elections negatively impacting policy implementation. A return of restiveness in the Niger Delta results in a collapse in oil production levels to an average of 1.7mbpd by 2019, before a gradual recovery to 2.2mbpd by 2022.

South Africa has taken up shareholding in the African ExportImport Bank (Afreximbank), the African continental multilateral trade finance institution in a bid demonstrate its commitment to promoting intra-African trade and economic integration. With the shareholding, South Africa becomes the 47th African country to join Afreximbank as a participating state and/ or shareholder. It is being represented by the Export Credit Insurance Corporation of South Africa (ECIC) as its designated investor in line with the terms of the provisions of the Charter of the Bank. “It is a significant vote of confidence to have South Africa join Afreximbank as a shareholder,� said Dr. Benedict Oramah, President of the Bank, in welcoming the news that the country had joined the Bank as a shareholder. “South Africa accounts for about 30 to 35 per cent of total intra-African trade, making its membership critical for the attainment of the Bank’s strategic goal of moving intra-African trade share of Africa’s total trade from about 15 per cent currently to 22 per cent by 2021 and raising its annual value to more than $250 billion by that year. We are confident that its membership of Afreximbank will enable it to play a significant role in driving trade across the continent.� “We are humbled while also motivated by the trust and confidence that the South African government has placed on ECIC to assume the role of designated

AGAIN TELCOS EXPRESS CONCERN OVER MULTIPLE TAXES tory levy, which is premised on the recently passed Kogi State Board of Internal Revenue, Administration, Harmonisation, of Taxes, Duties, Levies, Rates, Fees and Charges due to the State and the Revenue Appeal Tribunal Law, which came into force on February 27, 2017. We are of the view that the aforementioned law is an ad-hominem legislation, which is discriminatory and unfair.� Considering the implication of the action of Kogi State Internal Revenue Service, in the areas of illegal closure of telecoms sites, unlawful act of sealing of telecoms infrastructure, inappropriate investigation and prosecution of matters affecting telecoms operations in the state among others, Adebayo said the action would adversely impact on telecoms services available in the state and its environs.

Group Business Editor

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

Ă™Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ă˜ äĂ? Comms/e-Business Editor

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

ÙÎÎã Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă? Senior Correspondent

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

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

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

Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

institution for membership of the Bank,� said Kutoane Kutoane, CEO of ECIC. “We are certain that South African exporters, especially our small and medium-sized exporters, will now have access to the expanded pool of structured trade finance facilities offered by the Bank.� Kutoane said that ECIC intended to make the partnership mutually beneficial, adding, “this marks a watershed moment defining the era of more inclusive intra-continental

trade facilitation on a grand scale�. South Africa was unable to join Afreximbank at the Bank’s creation in 1993 as the country was still under apartheid rule at the time. Countries currently on the list of Afreximbank participating and shareholding states include Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt,

Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, and Lesotho. Others are Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and Principe, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Afreximbank shareholders are a mix of public and private entities divided into

four classes and consist of African governments, central banks, regional and sub-regional institutions, private investors and financial institutions, as well as non-African financial institutions, export credit agencies and private investors. Class “A� shareholders are African states, African central banks and African public institutions, including the African Development Bank, while Class “B� is made up of African financial institutions and African private investors.

WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE

L-R: CEO, RMB Nigeria Stockbrokers, Abiola Adekoya; Head, Business Technology, RMB Nigeria, Grema Ogboru; Chairperson, WIMBIZ/ Executive Director, Diamond Bank, Aishah Ahmad and Corporate Marketing Manager, RMB Nigeria, Oluwayemisi Ogunbodede, during the 2017 WIMBIZ annual conference sponsored by RMB Nigeria in Lagos...recently

Ogbeh Tasks State Govts on Food Security Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Monday in Lokoja Kogi State, tasked state governments to tackle issues of food security from the perspective of citizens’ Right to Food, second only to Right to Life. Speaking in Lokoja, at the state Agricultural Summit, 2017 with the theme Agriculture: ‘Investment Opportunities’ and the launch of “Fair Agricultural Project�, the minister said denial of rights of citizens to ask questions and hold governments accountable when their policies failed to address food issues was the “genesis of our problem.� The minister who was represented by President, Farm and Infrastructure Foundation, Prof. Gbolagade Ayoola, noted that if food security was addressed from the perspective of right and policies were tailored to meet the food requirements of the people government policies and programmes would be taken more seriously. He observed that plausible agricultural projects were often initiated by the federal government or external bodies, saying that most states had lost touch of the fact that the primary function of agriculture was production of food. Ogbeh commended Kogi State government for blazing the trail as the first to adopt the bottom-top-approach in ensuring food security through the launching of its Fair Agricultural

Project (FAP). Earlier, the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello in his speech, commended the federal government’s giant stride in encouraging massive local production of rice which had facilitated the current sharp drop in the importation of the product to Nigeria. The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Mrs. Ayoade Folashade Arike disclosed that his administration had keyed into the federal government’s programme of diversification the nation’s economy to agriculture. He said that his administration had allowed youth and women participation in agriculture to reduce the alarming unemployment situation in the state adding that government had also encouraged the exportation of agric products that are in abundant across the state such as cassava and rice. In his welcome address, the state Commissioner of Agriculture, Kehinde Oloruntoba lauded the state government gesture to declare a state of emergency on Agriculture by embarking on mechanised system of agriculture to ensure food security and boost massive local production of agric products. The commissioner said Bello’s administration procured Tractors and other farming equipment worth billions of naira and as well established 1,000 fish ponds

and another 1,000 boreholes to enhance agricultural activities across the state. Facilitator of the programme

and Managing Director of the Kogi Agricultural Development Project (ADP), Paul Okatahi, in his remark, challenged youths

to embrace agriculture saying, “there are no longer White Collar Jobs to absorb them in the labour market.�

Eko Disco Announces Five-week Power Outage in Lagos Ejiofor Alike Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has announced planned power outage programme that will affect some residents of Lagos metropolis for five weeks. Eko Disco’s General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr. Godwin Idemudia said in a statement on Tuesday that the planned outage was to enable Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to carry out routine maintenance work on some its vital facilities servicing the area. According to Idemudia, the planned outage which is scheduled to take place every Tuesday and Thursday for the next five weeks will last for four hours on each day of the maintenance work. Idemudia listed areas to be affected by the planned power outage to include Lagos Island, Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lekki, Ajah, Ibeju and their environs. The release further added that in order to minimise the effect of the planned outage on the company’s customers, back-feeding arrangements have

been put in place from Ijora Transmission station to Alagbon Transmission Station. According to him, this will enable customers in Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lagos Island to receive reasonable power supply. He appealed to all residents that would be affected by the planned outage to please bear with the situation adding that the maintenance work would lead to better services to all customers. In a related development, Ikeja Electric Plc said it has been conferred with the ISO 9001 & OHSAS 18001 International Certification. Speaking on the certification, the Chief Executive Officer Ikeja Electric, Anthony Youdeowei said Ikeja Electric Plc becomes the first company in the power sector to receive the OHSAS 18001 Certification. He attributed it to the firm’s commitment to safety, quality management of materials and resources. He noted that the company is also the first Electricity Distribution Company to set up Business Improvement Models

with customer focus in Nigeria, in line with international best practices. He attributed the achievement of the company’s respect to the new innovations on safety compliance permit, Safety Code (10 Commandments) just like the lifesaving rules, Reward system for safety Compliance, Top management commitment and involvement in safety activities, Training and the use of quality materials at all time in its daily operations especially the maintenance and replacement of obsolete electrical items in the system. “The new innovations which we have put in place has enabled the company win various awards including Best HSE Practicing Company, Power and Utility at 9jaSafe Hall of Fame Award – 2015; Best Health and Safety Initiatives in Nigeria at the Nigerian Risk Award – 2016; Merit Award for Outstanding Commitment to Health, Safety & Environment at 9jaSafe Hall of Fame Award – 2016, Health & Safety recognition Award by the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers (NISE) - 2016� he explained.

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MTN: Big Data Will Address Nation’s Socioeconomic Challenges Stories by Emma Okonji The Chief Transformation Officer at MTN Nigeria, Mr. Olubayo Adekanmbi, has said that with proper application, nations, especially developing economies can apply big data to solve fundamental socio-economic challenges, particularly the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This was the MTN Nigeria’s Adekanmbi who made the disclosure at the recent Information Technology Conference (ITC) in Abuja, which was organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), explained that nations who intelligently apply big data, will have commensurate growth in their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) than those who do not apply it. Speaking on the theme: ‘Fostering Digital Economy through Local Content

Development and Effective Regulations’, Adekanmbi said: “Big data can be applied to tremendous effects. For instance, it has been linked to multiple uses in infectious disease tracking, weather management, agricultural yield optimisation, precision policing, human migration, governance, urban planning, emergency response, intelligent transport network and many others.� He however cautioned on the importance of data security, customer privacy, and anonymisation for effective use of aggregated data for social good. Adekanmbi leveraged the platform to reinforce how MTN Nigeria uses the power of intelligent aggregation to transform the Nigerian music industry by creating easy-touse, on-demand music, which has been most profitable for the practitioners in the music

industry. “With data, comes information and with information comes knowledge. Good knowledge powers decisions that deliver results and when we commit to using big data in a most logical way, we can transform industries, society, and the world at large,� he said. He commended the government’s planned open data policy and how it would aid the private sector in strategic planning and increasing investment levels in Nigeria. The conference was declared open by President Muhammadu Buhari, who stated that a renewed focus in ICT has yielded positive effects on the Nigerian economy, while citing examples of the Biometric Verification Number (BVN) and Treasury Single Account (TSA) exercises, which he said have yielded positive results for the Nigerian economy.

‘Nigeria Needs Ubiquitous PoS Deployment to Drive Cashless’ Given the importance of electronic cards in driving the cashless initiative of the Central Bank of Nigeria, financial experts have called for the deployment of additional Point of Sales (PoS) terminals that will ease the use of electronic cards. The financial experts spoke at a recent press conference in Lagos to announce the fourth quarter PoS Innovation Summit. The event, which holds in Lagos on December 5, is being organised by Intermarc Consulting. The experts insisted on the need for the adoption and growth of PoS as a cashless payment channel for businesses in Nigeria. Addressing the issue of network challenges in the deployment of PoS terminals, the Group Head, Customer Relationship Management, Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Systems Plc (NIBSS), Mr. Dapo Adeosun, emphasised the need for telecoms operators to invest more in network

expansion, in high volume areas where financial transactions are highest. He said NIBSS has come up with solutions that measure the health of telecoms networks, particularly in high volume areas of financial transactions using the card payment system, in order to help operators to give priority attention to network expansion in such areas. He said the solution became necessary to further drive card payment system and reinforcing acceptance of PoS as an alternative means of payment in Nigeria. The PoS Innovation Summit has been established as a critical intervention necessary for the adoption and growth of PoS as a cashless payment channel. The summit brings together all the stakeholders in the PoS value chain to discuss and strategise in a bid to explore opportunities and improve service delivery in the PoS

business sector of the Nigerian payment system. The theme for the edition, ‘Secure PoS Transactions’, aims at strengthening PoS terminals as one of the safest means of paying for goods and services. Speaking on the essence of the summit, the Chief Operating Officer of Global Accelerex Limited, Mr. Kayode Ariyo, reiterated the need for stakeholders to come together to share, improve and promote optimum performance and seamless operations for the PoS business in Nigeria, particularly enhancement of security, which would bolster confidence of customers and merchants. “A large percentage of Nigerians have embraced PoS terminals as a payment channel and we owe it to them to sustain the security of their transactions. It is essential for us to come up with novel ideas that lead to growth and adoption of cashless payments,� Ariyo said.

‘More NCC Emergency Centres Will be Operational Next Year’ The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, has said that the commission will ensure that more emergency centres in the country become operational next year. He gave the assurance in Abuja recently, while receiving a delegation of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) led by its Director General, Julie Okah- Donli. Danbatta said the projects of building and equipping the emergency centres in the 36 states of the federation and Abuja were currently at various stages of completion. According to him, “The federal government has mandated the commission

to provide emergency communications centres in all states of the federation and Abuja. We already have 3 digit emergency line, 112, which is equivalent to 911 in other climes,� he pointed out.� Allaying the concern of high telecommunications services prices in the country, the NCC boss noted that Nigeria has one of the lowest telecom tariffs in the world. He said the NCC has so far resisted pressure from telecom operators calling for tariff hike of telecommunications services like voice calls and internet data to protect many people from being deprived of access to communications. “We will continue to look at the regime of fees being charged by service providers, I am talking on voice services,

SMS or data service, to ensure these rates are consistent with global best practices as Nigeria cannot live in isolation. “We do, from time to time, benchmarking so that Nigeria will not be in the forefront of charging very high prices as well as ensure that the mobile operators are not charging amounts that are unrealistic, which will make them lose their business,� he explained. Okah-Donli told the EVC that she was at the NCC’s headquarters to seek for collaboration and supports against human trafficking in Nigeria. She also revealed that a new subject on human trafficking would start as an independent subject in primary and secondary across Nigeria in the next academic session, 2018/2019.

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT OLODU KEONYEDI

Strategically Positioning for 2018 We have less than 40 days till the end of the year 2017, which is plenty of time to position ourselves for a better 2018. If you take just one action per day, you will break through inertia, build a habit of systematic and regular action, and make critical progress toward next year. We are the architect of our future; we determine how things turn out to a great extent by the choices and habits we have imbibed. How you can position yourself for 2018: Review/evaluate your performance for the year 2017 The only way we can reasonably decide what we want in the future and how to get there is to know where we are right now and what our current level of satisfaction is. Prepare a list of things you are grateful for, write down all you were able to accomplish, the areas that you didn’t do well, what were the reasons why you failed in those areas, how can you make it better the coming year. Evaluate every activities you were involved in; what where the lessons learned? What do you need to do better for 2018 to be a success? What habits do you need to

gives us the ability to hone in on the exact actions we need to perform to achieve everything we desire in life. In order for us to be properly position for 2018, we must set goals and make them happen. Decide on the goals you want to achieve next year, and then commit to it. Carefully write them down to make them feel tangible, and then plan the steps you must take to realise the goals. Setting goals allows you to plan how you want to move through life. Ask yourself some questions about what you want for your life. What do you want to achieve. Give yourself a deadline within a reasonable time frame (no more than a year for short-term goals)

Get a mentor: A Japanese adage says; “better than a thousand days of a diligent search is a day with a great teacherâ€? Nothing great was ever accomplished alone, for every goal achieved in one’s life, it can be trace back to a mentor or individual who helped you achieve it. Whatever it is that you want to accomplish in life, a mentor is going to kick start you on the path to achieve it. By far the hardest part of accomplishing anything is The only way we can reasonably decide what getting started. we want in the future and how to get there is to We all have dreams know where we are right now and what our curand goals but until we make a move to act on rent level of satisfaction is. Prepare a list of things you are grateful for, write them, they will always down all you were able to accomplish, the areas remain just a dream or a goal. When you have a that you didn’t do well, what were the reasons why you failed in those areas, how can you make mentor, you are learning from someone who it better the coming year has already arrived at where you want to be. change? Which people do you need to cut They know exactly what it takes to get o? Which people do you need to align there and what sacriďŹ ces need to be with? made. A proper evaluation of yourself will give you a proper sense of direction and focus Spend more time reading books: for 2018. When was the last time you read a book? The importance of reading cannot be List out the names of supportive col- overemphasis; through reading, you exleagues, friends, family members and pose yourself to new things, new informamentors for the year 2017: tion, and new ways to solve a problem. A major step in better positioning ourBook reading can hasten your success selves for 2018 is to review the people/ toward a goal, as you don’t need to repeat relationship in our life, note down all the the same mistake while focusing on the people that were supportive to us this right path in achieving one thing. year. Write down the names of all supYou can discover people’s successes, failportive friends, spouse, family members, ures and advices from books. There are mentors, bosses so you can further nur- more than four thousand billionaires and ture the relationships; while any relation- 12 million millionaires today, to become ships that are not supportive should be one of them, the ďŹ rst thing is to learn and cut o. get to know their past, what they did in the past that got them where they are today. Set goals for 2018 and make them hap- Reading is a great path to get to know pen: them and learn from these great people. Goal setting is very powerful because it Start planning for the future today, and I provides focus. It shapes our dreams; it will see you at the top. - Olodu keonyedi is a trained engineer and by passion and personal development a public/motivational speaker, a business coach and human capacity developer, he has a B.Eng degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nigeria Nsukka, he is a member of Nigeria Society of Engineer and a COREN registered Engineer. Email: olodukeonyedi@gmail.com Tel: 08037489704, www.instagram.com/sir_keon www.facebook.com/olodu keonyedi_mentorship

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Enforcing Corporate Governance Code in Telecoms Sector The renewed sensitisation campaign on the adoption of the mandatory corporate governance code in the telecoms industry, will drive the growth in the sector, writes Emma Okonji Convinced that strict adherence to the rules that are enshrined in the Code of Corporate Governance, which was introduced in the telecoms sector in 2014, would address all grey areas affecting the health of operators in the sector, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), last year, decided to make the code a mandatory baseline for all operators. In order to achieve this, the commission, last week, commenced the enforcement of the mandatory code, through a sensitisation campaign at the zonal level, beginning with the South-east zone. Introducing the code Before 2014, each telecoms operating company had its own traditional corporate governance code that guides the daily operations of its business. But most times the code was either not adhered to or is restructured intermittently in line with the interest of the business owners and at the detriment of its staff, especially the non-management staff who are not on the board of directors of the telecoms company. However, in order to reflect the international flavours of the country’s telecoms industry, the telecoms regulator, in 2014, after wide-industry consultation, came up with a standard code of corporate governance for the telecoms sector, and made it a voluntary code that could be applied side-by-side with the existing traditional code of the telecoms companies. Two years after the voluntary code was introduced, NCC saw the need to make the code a compulsory baseline for all telecoms operators. But unsatisfied with the implementation level, despite the reward and punishment strings attached to the compulsory code, NCC, last week, commenced a full sensitisation campaign at the zonal level, beginning from the South-east of Nigeria, Enugu precisely. Reason for mandatory compliance Giving reasons for introducing the mandatory code of corporate governance in the telecoms sector, and the need for the sensitisation campaign, beginning with the South-east, the Chairman, Governing Board, NCC, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, said the mandatory compliance framework was introduced amidst a receding economy triggered off by a combination of factors such as falling oil prices, embarrassing public and private sector corruption, huge internal and external debts, weak income per capita/per head, excess of imports over exports resulting in adverse balance of trade and of international payment, huge expenses in combating and refurbishing Boko Haram damages in the North-east and infrastructural deficit and restiveness in the Niger Delta. According to him, by July 2016, inflationary pressures, spiked by successive negative growth in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), effectively slipped the economy into recession. At the telecoms industry level, the picture was not any better. On the surface, the industry posted stellar performances and contributed significantly to GDP well above N1.4 trillion per quarter in 2016 in the face of a receding economy. It also appeared insulated from shocks at the macro-economic level. Durojaiye, however, said that occasioned by the ubiquitous and predatory new media such as Over the Top (OTT) providers, poor service quality indices, as well as rising debt/ expenditure profile, all combined to foist an oppressive operating environment on industry players. “Over the years, the commission has made remarkable progress in the technical regulation of the industry, but was also concerned about the absence of a formidable regime to guide the ethical conduct of its licensees across various market segments and value chain, and the introduction of the code was designed to address this yawning gap,� Durojaiye said.

Danbatta

“Furthermore, the events of the recent past in the industry underscore the urgent need for stakeholders to implement the time-tested governance principles in the conduct of their businesses. From deliberate violation of licence conditions to serial breaches of contractual obligations, the industry has never been this threatened. The industry is on a threshold, and requires a paradigm shift from the traditional corporate governance principles of board/ management strategic initiatives, stakeholder satisfaction and financial auditing, to a more robust enterprise risk management framework that speaks to value propositions such as reputation, quality and quantity of human capital, protection of human and labour rights, among others,� Durojaiye added.

Over the years, the commission has made remarkable progress in the technical regulation of the industry, but was also concerned about the absence of a formidable regime to guide the ethical conduct of its licensees across various market segments and value chain, and the introduction of the code was designed to address this yawning gap

The objectives Citing the recent World Bank report on the ease of doing business in Nigeria as part of the objectives to intensify campaign on the adoption of the code as a compulsory baseline for all telecoms operators, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta said the World Bank report, which disclosed that Nigeria moved 24 points in the international ladder on that body’s index on ease of doing business, corroborate the need to implement the compulsory adoption of the Corporate Governance Code. “The deliberate efforts of the federal government under an initiative in that regard under the FGN’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) geared towards creating transparent business investment environment which will be attractive to potential investors, led to the initiative on ease of doing business framework released by the FGN Economic Team led by the Vice President. Efforts in that regards has in less than two years brought positive fruits. That positive trend has equally positively impacted foreign direct investment (FDI) in that period,� Danbatta said. NCC’s determination Speaking on the relevance of the code and the need for operators to adhere strictly to it, Danbatta said in appreciation of the relevance of the telecoms sector to the attainment of those objectives, the regulator is committed to deliver regulatory excellence and facilitate operational efficiency, geared towards making the sector attractive to drive the level of investment and capital inflow needed. According to him, the evaluation report of the state of the industry suggests that most challenges negatively affecting the health of operators in the sector are attributable to poor governance issues. Trending issues Worried about the poor state of the telecoms industry, which the NCC wants to address with the compulsory adoption of the code of corporate governance, Danbatta highlighted the views of members of the House of Representatives at a recent public hearing convened to inquire into the health of the sector, which disclosed that the sector was owing about N143 billion in taxes to government. “Without prejudice to the sanctity of the

ball pack sum quoted, the fact that such huge sum could be owed say a lot about the standard of corporate governance in our sector. Better disclosure policy would in our opinion not allow such huge debt to accumulate,� Danbatta said. He added that NCC has also been having serious issues with operators on the integrity of SIM registration data generated by operators and their agents under the SIM registration regulation, which portends national security implications. These challenges emanate from the state of our corporate governance practices, which the sensitisation campaign and the code are intended to sensitise the telecoms industry about,� he said. Strategic collaboration In order to effectively address the poor state of the telecoms sector through the code, Danbatta said the regulator would seek strategic collaboration and partnership, as vehicle for building synergy and trust to boost investor confidence through accountability and disclosure policies. He is of the view that optimal compliance level could ultimately lead to sector players-self-regulation in due course. “However, consistent with the regulator’s open and transparent approach to discharging its regulatory oversights the commission has further developed a programme for further stakeholders’ sensitisation workshop anchored on zonal basis to further enlighten and gain more robust stakeholders’ buy-in to ensure attainment of the code stated objectives,� Danbatta said. He added that as technology trends emerge to disrupt traditional economic order, the sector must leverage its strength to provide the safeguard needed to ride the storm of the disruption in a manner that the disruption is both innovative and creative. He explained that a regime of sanctions has been put in place to facilitate compliance. He however added that a regime of reward and recognition for excellence has equally been developed to recognise full adoption and consistent compliance, while urging stakeholders to embrace the code and strive towards full compliance even as the regulator commits to constant review of the principles in consultation with stakeholders to ensure alignment with global best practices and standards.

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‘Increase Investment in STEM MasterCard, Business Leaders Set to Transform Nigeria’s Cities to Drive Growth in Technology, Stories by Emma Okonji and CEO, Ajay Banga. Rewane ogy with open standards and in Lagos, making it the largest reinforced the point that 60 per platforms to drive scale in order megacity on the continent,� Education’ With half of Nigeria’s popula- cent of the country’s Gross to deliver economic growth and discussants said. Sunday Okobi and Ugo Aliogo The Director, Design and Technology Innovation Company, Stanley Agwu, has called on the federal government to increase investment in Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) especially with a focus on entrenching the initiative at the primary school level in the country. Agwu, who disclosed in Lagos at the Interactive Presentation and Exclusive Networking Reception with HME Technology, said investment in the technology space would help drive growth, and increase Nigeria’s competitive in technology and manufacturing with the Western World. He also stated that as a group they are focused on introducing design technology an initiative under STEM in primary schools, stressing that it is the foundational level where the mind of the child is formed and developed. The technologist explained that the product they have developed is between N9, 500 and N10, 000 per child, adding that it would assist a child for one year period because it is curriculum based and there are three kits stages (kit stage one, Kit stage two and kit stage three). Agwu added that one of the kits would serve a child from primary one to two, while the second kit would serve from primary three to four, and the third kit would serve from five to six. He further stressed that in each of these kits also have the teachers’ kits, which equally have their own lessons. He explained that all of them

work together. Agwu remarked that China was able to grow her STEM skills through investment in foundational programme such as this. He therefore, noted the Federal Ministry of Education and stakeholders play a key role in advancing the course of this project especially through support. In his remarks, the Chairman, HME Technology, United Kingdom, Martyn Hale, said after studying the Nigeria market, they decided to launch a product which could be easily accepted at primary levels, and teach children to learn how use their hands in creating things. He also stated that they understand that in creating, they can add science, technology, engineering and mathematics, which he said is innovative. According to him, design technology is not being taught in primary schools in Nigeria, adding that in the UK, it is part of the school curriculum. He stressed that it is very important to bring back technology subjects in schools in the nation. Hale explained that initiatives such as this would equip people’s skills set in order to contribute to the manufacturing environment, whether at a technician or graduate grade, it is all about engineering. He expressed confidence that this would work in the country because the focus would be at ages five-10 in primary school, “I think if we get children involved and they like building things, such as structure it will be great.�

tion currently living in cities, MasterCard, in collaboration with some Nigerian business leaders, has stressed the need for government to put development framework in place to ensure future growth and sustainability. This was a key message highlighted at the Mastercard CEO Conversations Dinner held recently, with focus on ‘Developing Nigeria’s Smart Cities through Technology Transformation’. A renowned economist, Bismarck Rewane, led discussions with MasterCard President

Domestic Product (GDP) is generated by those living in cities. Leaders in businesses attended and joined the discussion with Banga and Rewane. Others were financial institution and telecoms CEOs and other business leaders, who gathered for an evening to discuss the country’s continued growth, and the increasingly important role of the private sector. The question of the evening was, how do smart cities deliver economic growth and resilience. “Smart cities leverage technol-

efficiency. In Nigeria, technology is helping citizens connect to services that help them lead better and easier lives. Mobile is playing an important role, and more Nigerian’s have access to the internet via their smartphones, with current estimates stating that over 97 million users have access. As cities such as Lagos develop, the technology and other innovations are expected to help serve the growing demands from consumers and businesses. By 2035 close to 30 million people are likely to live

Discussion focused on the importance of partnerships as part of the cities strategy. It was highlighted that the need for cross functional support is required with further focus on gathering knowledge from global organisations to share best practices and knowledge. The importance of transparency and ease of doing business was also tabled, and with Nigeria recently securing a stronger rating, the country is on the right track to reinforcing its position as an economic powerhouse.

CONGRATULATIONS

L-R: Head, Northern Region, STL Trustees Limited, Jibril Mohammed; MD/CEO Metropolitan Skills Ltd, Ummahani Ahmad Amin; MD/ CEO, STL Trustees Limited, Funmi Ekundayo; Commissionaer for Finance, Osun State, Bola Oyebanji; and Head, Trust Services/Legal, STL Trustees Limited, Akinwumi Oni, when STL Trustees Limited won the Non-Interest Trustees of the Year 2017 Award, during the 3rd African International Conference on Islamic Finance ‌ recently

Bosch Eyes Continuous Growth in InsuranceMarket to Equip FIRS Launches VAT Automation Nigerian Market Practitioners with Technology System Pilot for Hospitality Sector solutions in sectors such as Emma Okonji infrastructure, automotive, Skills German technology company Bosch is keen to expand its footprint in the Nigerian market after establishing its first local office in 2014 following more than a century of operating in the country and around the continent through appointed dealers. That decision has since paid off with the local Bosch office having doubled its domestic staff to more than fifty as its market outlook continues to improve. Addressing the media during the company’s event tagged ‘Bosch in Everything,’ designed to host customers and business, which held in Lagos, the Managing Director Bosch Nigeria, Ghislain Noumbessy said the sentiment was that Bosch has found a home away from home in the Nigerian market. Bosch Group’s President for Africa, Markus Thill, said: “With an estimated population of more than 206 million by 2020, Nigeria is a strategically important market for Bosch. Our company provides

food processing, and energy which enhance quality of life of the growing Nigerian population by making it safer, easier, and more efficient.� The company has operations in all of its four business sectors in the country: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology The Power Tools division has aligned with the construction industry in imparting skills through onsite training for artisans and tradesmen and offering suitable solutions in terms of tools and accessories. Bosch security systems, has been supporting projects from concept to design and finally implementation with our appointed partners. A key focus for Robert Bosch Nigeria is to provide packaging technology solutions to the food processing industry which has the benefits of reduced wastage, improved production and ultimately improve food hygiene.

InsuranceMarket, an insurance industry focused technology company, has announced the commencement of a series of training programmes for insurance practitioners in Nigeria on e-Insurance. The training is a follow-up to the successful hosting of the maiden edition of the e-Insurance conference and the clamour by a number of people in the insurance industry for a deeper understanding of the application of e-Insurance to insurance business growth. Announcing the training in Lagos, the Executive Chairman of Insurance Market, Lanre Ajayi said the training workshop is focused on an aspect of e-Insurance that enables the use of information technology for the creation, promotion and marketing of insurance products. According to Ajayi, at the end of the training, participants are expected to acquire the skills to migrate their operations online.

He said that the training will equip them with the capacity to create and enlist Insurance products online, integrate various e-Payment gateways, including credit/ debit cards, drive traffic to their products and grow sales through the adoption of affiliate programs and promotional programs, like discount codes and coupons. Ajayi further said that the training, which is targeted at all staff of insurance companies, particularly staff from Underwriting, Marketing, Risk management, IT departments will enable them master how to market their company’s insurance products through digital channels like social media, email marketing and blogs. He also said participating insurance companies would be offered free enrollment on InsuranceMarket.ng, an online insurance products trading platform, where products from various companies are made available to the buying public.

West Metro Limited (WML), a corporate technology provider, has initiated an auto-tracking system to accelerate the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) monitoring of value added tax (VAT). The FIRS has initiated the automation of Value Added Tax in the hospitality sector to accelerate the monitoring and remittance of VAT in the sector. The auto-remittance technology has been designed to automatically track VAT from various points of transaction in the hospitality sector all the way to final payment with as little human intervention as possible. The Executive Director, WML, Soji Abolarin, who spoke at a stakeholder round table said the initiative was targeted at actualising the revenue collection goals of the service and plug leakages using improvised technology. He explained that it would primarily perform automatic reporting of VAT at transaction source using

the principles of fiscalisation and automatic remittance to the federation account auto deduct. According to him, hospitality operators and regulatory bodies will expend less energy on manual records management as the electronic system would make necessary communication with the FIRS on their behalf. Giving an analogy of the process flow, Abolarin said: “Merchant enrolls on ATRS platform with Tax Identification Number (TIN), corporate email address and CAC number. Once enrolled, merchants billing systems are enabled to provide Unique Identifier Codes for each transaction as well as Security Identifiers as confirmation from the FIRS.� Abolarin further explained that every receipt would be delivered to FIRS in real time and response with security ID for FlRS authentication would be delivered in real time to the merchant.

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Udoaka: Businesses Need Tier 111 Data Centres to Boost Growth Business Development Director, Rack Centre, Mr. Fredrick Udoaka, spoke with Emma Okonji on the relevance of data centres to businesses, and how he will use his global experience to address customers’ needs. Excerpts: room for expansion of racks to accommodate more data from organisations, and that is the best business model that has really made Rack Centre a successful brand. Secondly our owners, the Jagal Group decided that we do not need to be a licensed telecoms operator in order to do telecoms business. So there was no need for us to invest in telecoms licence because the Jagal Group decided that we become Carrier Neutral Facility Company and we are carriers to several telecoms companies and we have been able to attract them to do business with us because we are not competing with them in any way. Again, all the undersea cables that landed in Nigeria, the likes of MainOne, Glo 1, MTN WACS, Ace and the Sat 3, are connoted to Rack Centre. These decisions that were taken by the Jagal Group at the onset of business, coupled with the choice of location of Rack Centre at the highest landscape point, have conferred on us unique selling point of business that has made Rack Centre a very successful brand.

Having worked in the technology space for several years, could you list some of the technology companies you have worked for in the past, and what were the experiences like? I have worked as the managing director at IBM, covering Middle East and Nigeria for five years. I also worked with Oracle as Sales Director for West and Central Africa for three years, worked with MTN Nigeria as Director for Enterprise Business for close to one year, before joining Rack Centre few months ago. My work experiences with these multinational companies have been very awesome and rewarding, and have helped in boosting my career. Having worked in the capacity of director and managing director with IBM, Oracle and MTN Nigeria, how will you compare your new role with that of your previous roles in other organisations? I have worked in the enterprise technology space since 2004, and one common denominator among them is about the enterprise business, serving the same kind of customers. My new role in Rack Centre will not be too different from my roles in my previous jobs. And over the years, I have grown to become a trusted person and I also understand a great deal of insight into organisation’s infrastructure, and I quite understand the terrain and the journey with enterprise customers. So my previous experience is making it very easy for me to understand the needs of Rack Centre enterprise customers and how best to address their needs and create solutions that will help the customers better manage their businesses. So my experience at IBM, Oracle and MTN has been very critical to our success in managing our enterprise customers at Rack Centre. So what exactly attracted you to settle with Rack Centre, after working with bluechip companies like IBM, Oracle and MTN? The point of attraction for me is the similarities about servicing the enterprise customers, which I have been involved in since 2004. So it delights me to work with an organisation like Rack Centre that manages enterprise customers, which has been my core competence since 2004. Again, another point of attraction is that Rack Centre has business relationship with IBM, Oracle Microsoft and we are strengthening those relationships, because all these companies I just mentioned, are knocking on open doors just like Rack Centre, and majority of their customers have their data seated and managed at Rack Centre.

Udoaka

for electricity bills, diesel, maintenance and staff that will manage the data centre. But if such data is allowed to be managed by core data centre operators like Rack Centre, it will save the organisation a whole lot of money.

So what are the core competencies of Rack Centre that will attract organisations to host their data with the centre? Our core competences are in management of data centre operations 24/7 to increase organisations The business game is changing and busi- efficiency when it comes to data operations. nesses are beginning to outsource their Storage requirements of organisations expand data management to a Tier 111 data centre as the organisation grows and we have that collocation company like Rack Centre. What competence of scaling up and accommodating more data in our centre because we have the has informed this decision? Absolutely correct to say that the business expandable facilities to do so. game is changing because organisations are beginning to realise the importance of outsourc- As Tier 111 Data Centre operator, what is ing to enable them face their core businesses. your take on large volume of unstructured When I returned from the UK, I discovered that data in the technology space? organisations were investing in data centres Yes, there are lots of unstructured data in the in-house, just to host their data and it takes society, which makes it difficult for organisations huge sums of money to build a standard data with unstructured data to make instant valid centre with optimal cooling systems. But the decision. But the good news is that most of game is changing and organisations are mov- the organisation we partner have solutions ing their data to a trusted collocation data that address the issue of unstructured data centre like Rack Centre, which gives better in the country. So at Rack Centre, we have management and high efficiency and also space for such organisations to put their data together and house them with us. One of helps organisations to save cost. In the UK, outsourcing of data by organisations the solutions is database-as-a-service, which is the new business model and organisations removes organisation’s burden of investing in Nigeria are beginning to see such need, and in expensive database licences. So we play in Rack Centre is the best place to manage data, that space by providing the infrastructure for because it is a certified Tier 111 Data Centre customers who need big data infrastructure by the Uptime Institute, the global certification and they could go to sleep, with their data running in our space. body for data centre operations. Having a managed data centre, automatically adds to the operational expenditure (OPEX) As a collocation data centre operator, what of organisations because they have to cater would you say are the benefits of a collocation

data centre to customers? The basic service of a data centre is collocation and on top of that, is the managed services and the cloud services. In 2004, when I was selling enterprise data infrastructure, most organisations bought into it, but today, some of them who had such data as legacy data, would want to virtualise it by throwing up resources and making such resources available, thereby reducing OPEX. But as they expand, they will want to bring such data to a collocation data centre for the purposes of collocation, thereby freeing up all IT infrastructure from the organisations’ premises that has to do with data management. After the collocation, organisations can actually decide to do data managed services by having infrastructure-as-a-service and we are providing that through our customers. From there they could graduate to having software-as-a-service and platform-as-a-service and ultimately some organisations will say they want to operate in the cloud space and that is the acquisition journey from personal data management to moving data to the cloud. In all of these, organisations stand a better position to manage their core businesses. What could be the business strategies that have made Rack Centre a successful collocation data centre operator? Several factors in terms of decision taking have made Rack Centre very successful today. Firstly, out owners, the Jagal Group, had the foresight and vision to invest in modular data centre, which allows customers to pay for what they utilise and gives Rack Centre the opportunity to scale up and double its capacity as demand increases. We have doubled our capacity in the past based on demand and we still have

What sectors of the economy are data centres targeting and which area has been most promising? For Rack Centre, we operate open facility and we target every organisation that operates with data. If you look at technology adoption in Nigeria, you will find out that the financial sector is investing heavily in data through the deployment of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), mobile banking, SMS transactions, among others and they are good targets for data business because they need technology company that will help them manage their data. We have signed business deals with several financial institutions and they are happy with the kind of technology services that we offer them. Again, there is a directive from the central bank that all financial institutions must collocate their data services, and that has raised huge demand for data services from the financial institutions. Apart from the financial institutions, there is also heavy data usage from the oil and gas sector of the Nigerian economy. What is the relevance of Internet Xchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) to data centre operations? The relevance of IXPN to data centre operations is huge because it is able to keep local internet traffic local, instead of first routing it to foreign countries like the US and the UK, where most local data were initially hosted and managed. It means that customers will begin to have lower latency and lower cost of business transactions. Again, if there are issues, the customer can easily meet with the host organisation to sought things out, because IXPN is local and locally operated. It has also led to increased speed, better customer experience, reduced latency and it has built customers’ confidence. The development with IXPN is critical to local content development, FinTech players, SMEs among others, because local internet traffic is now being controlled locally within the country. How will you describe data growth in Nigeria? Data is growing very fast in Nigeria just like the rest of the world, and we are beginning to see huge data explosion in various sectors of the Nigerian economy and this is a healthy development for business growth in the country. But what I see is that several government data are in silos. Some are with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Federal Road Safety Corporation (FRSC), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the banks, telecommunications operators, among others and there is need for data synchronisation to bring all of these data seated in solos at various locations, to a single data platform where there will be easy access to the data.

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Nigeria, Senegal, Cape Verde Dominate W’African Hotel Pipeline W Hospitality Group’s 2017 Hotel Chains Pipeline report has shown that hotel groups need to tackle lengthy development periods in West Africa. West Africa has been at the heart of the continent’s growth and economic transformation in recent years. Notwithstanding the sharp slowdown experienced in 2016 and 2017, the region’s economy is expected to rebound in 2017 onwards. Commodity-based economies, like Nigeria, are slowly recovering from the fall in oil prices and oil production, while countries like Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Senegal have shown economic resilience and sustained growth. As many of the countries continue to stabilise politically and economically - the region will be better integrated from a local and international context. This increased integration raises the need for quality travel and accommodation infrastructure. The growth of the hotel sector is an important indicator of how well a market is developing its travel infrastructure, and the indicators for West Africa are mixed. According to W Hospitality Group’s 2017 Hotel Chains Pipeline report, West Africa has a pipeline of 114 hotels and 20,790 rooms, accounting for 42% of the Sub-Saharan African hotel pipeline. However, of these hotel deals signed and planned, only approximately 9,875 rooms, or 48% have moved to construction. In addition, projects in the region have longer than average development periods at approximately six years, compared to the two- to three-year development program that is usually planned. Some of the reasons for these delays are high capital investment required, lack of access to adequate financing options, limited access to

raw materials, high construction and material costs, a heavy reliance on importation, inadequate technical capacity to manage the development program, and other barriers to entry. Of the hotel pipeline for West Africa, Nigeria contributes 49.6% or more than 10,000 hotel rooms (in 61 hotels). Nigeria is also the top market in Africa for planned rooms. The other substantial markets in West Africa include Cape Verde with 11 hotels and 3,478 rooms, and Senegal with 14 hotels and 2,164 rooms. These three markets contribute a total of 15,955 hotel rooms, or 77% of the West African hotel pipeline. Approximately 57% of the pipeline in these countries have moved to site, however some of these projects have been stalled for some time. In a country, like Nigeria, this can be significant. For instance, 40% of Nigeria’s pipeline was signed between 2009 and 2014, and as the chart above illustrates, a large portion of these projects is still in the “planning� phase. In Senegal only approximately 44% of the deals signed have moved to site. Although the pipeline of hotels to the subregion is encouraging and indicative of strong investor interest, the low completion rate of projects could be troubling for the development of the hotel sector. It is also difficult for the hotel chains whose expansion plans in these markets rely on partnerships with local and foreign investors to develop these hotels. All the major global hotel chains have strong expansion plans to increase their operating presence on the continent, and in West Africa. The growth strategy for these hotel chains have traditionally relied on their development teams signing deals for new build hotels, primarily

with their flagship brands, with local owners. However, more chains are adopting creative expansion strategies, such as conversions and rebranding of existing properties, acquisition of existing local hotel operators, effecting growth through the franchise model, or developing owned hotels first. Senior representatives from major hotel groups such as Hilton, Carlson Rezidor and Mangalis, and other key hotel experts will be discussing growth strategies in the ever-changing West African economic environment at the upcoming West Africa Property Investment (WAPI) (http:// APO.af/jyUvGs) Summit to held on November 28 & 29 at the Eko Hotel, Lagos Nigeria. Hilton recently announced a plan to support the conversion and rebranding of 100 existing hotels through its Hilton Africa Growth Initiative, by committing US$ 50 million to supporting these conversions. Commenting ahead of the conference, Mike Collini, Vice President Development Sub-Saharan Africa, Hilton, remarked on the opportunities presented by the inadequate hotel supply. He said: “to overcome this we are looking at rolling our focused service brands in key markets with a focus on our Hilton Garden Inn product. We are also pioneering the use of modular construction with a new Hilton Garden Inn in Accra, which is a fast and cost-effective build model for owners and developers.� Andrew McLachlan, Carlson Rezidor’s Senior Vice President Africa & Indian Ocean for Development, said in a direct comment to Estate Intel, “Today we have 17 hotels open or under development in the region and in our new 5-year development strategy we have

identified five Tier 1 Cities in West Africa (Lagos, Abuja, Accra, Abidjan and Dakar) where we see scaled growth opportunities‌across the luxury to midscale hotel segment.â€? McLachlan also commented on the model of conversion of existing hotels, saying that the group sees an opportunity to adopt this model to reposition the hotel under its management, particularly in cases where the existing hotel may not be performing to its full potential. Newcomer and regional hotel chain, Mangalis Hospitality Group, intends to increase its presence in West Africa, in the next five years. Wessam Oshaka, in a statement to Estate Intel reiterated the group’s “ambition to operate at least 13 hotels by 2020 in West Africa.â€? The group had initially focused development on owned hotels in core markets such as Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal, but the second phase of development will now focus on management agreements, resulting in a portfolio that will comprise 75% owned hotels and 25% managed hotels. Oshaka explains: “Africa as we know, suffers from a lack of properties responding to the needs of modern travelers. The region comes with its challenges especially in terms of financing, logistics and skilled workforce. Taking all these factors into account, we adopted the most suitable approach for a healthy growth plan.â€? The hotel sector discussions at WAPI will expand on these topics, highlighting the success cases and the more challenging markets. The discussions will also center on key indicators of hotel performance in West African markets.

More Than Half of Trucks in Apapa Have No Business in the Port – Report A new report released by a leading maritime consulting firm has revealed that more than half of the container trucks visiting Apapa, Lagos, daily have no immediate business to transact at the ports. The report, which stems from an independent study conducted by Ships & Ports and a don of the Lagos Business School, Dr. Frank Ojadi, also stated that truckers that have genuine business in Apapa Port spend an average turnaround time of two days. “The report was prepared with the purpose of giving insight into the number of container trucks coming into Apapa Port in relation to the total number of trucks sighted in the Apapa environs. “Two points were selected - the start of Creek Road at the tip of Liverpool Bridge and the start of Wharf Road near Area B - to collect information on trucks coming into Apapa. “It was observed that 44% of the containers coming into the Apapa community through these access points were intended for transactions in Apapa Port, while 56% do not involve any form of transactions in the port. “The data gathered was analysed to show the time and frequency taken from sighting to entry into the port,� the report stated. A total of 5,515 trucks were surveyed at both observation points over a period of two weeks. The report stated that the prolonged closure of the Ijora Bridge, which is the main exit point from Apapa for repairs, is a major contributor to the

perennial traffic congestion in the area. “The Ijora Bridge is the main exit point from Apapa but it was closed to repairs. 20 days was communicated for the repairs but it is still closed more than 30 days after. “An alternative route is the Leventis exit by the bridge but this exit is narrow and riddled with several bad spots. The Leventis exit is also characterized by truckers moving against traffic, thus blocking the outbound traffic for several hours. The truckers are aided by security officials who collect money and pass trucks and tankers. “The Federal Operations Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service has also set up checkpoint for container laden trucks along the same road stretch during the day,� the report said. The report also found that there is no presence of a traffic management system to coordinate the affairs of the multiple government agencies responsible for traffic control in Apapa. According to the report, “There is no engagement or communication with or to stakeholders before roads are closed and to control abuses and corrupt practices. There are also no tow trucks or rescue equipment to address the constant breakdown of trucks and containers falling along the road. “The collapse of the ApapaOshodi expressway, which is the major entry and exit point for trucks accessing the Tin Can Island Port, the Apapa Port and several tank farms in the

area, has led to an increased number of trucks accessing these facilities through the narrow Apapa-Wharf road, thereby compounding the congestion on this stretch of road,� the report further stated. Various stakeholders interviewed in the course of the study believe that the solution to the Apapa gridlock is to compel shipping lines

to receive all empties at their empty depots. The report, however, disagrees stating that “While the popular notion on the return of empty containers have no direct impact on port operations, the study supports the assumption that it may compound the Apapa gridlock. This is because more than 80 percent of truckers perform

dual transactions i.e. drop off empties and pick up imports. This implies that the return of empty containers to depots will add more trucks to the road when they have to return the empties to the terminal.� The report also stated that Apapa Port has recorded significant drop in gate transactions in the last few weeks due to the traffic gridlock.

BOOSTING CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS

“Yard Occupancy is currently at 80% which is above the 70% mark for efficient port operations, thereby requiring more resources to be deployed as there are more re-handles to be done. “Operators are only able to meet and exceed expected transactions on Sundays because the traffic is lighter on those days,� the report added.

L-R: Sales Manager, West Africa Symantec, Seun Ogunpolu; Founder, HackCess Cybersecurity Conference, Chukwuemeka Nwakanma; Regonal Director, EMEA, Symantec, Fady Iskander and Techinical Manager, West Africa, Symantec, Tunde Balogun, during the 2017 HackCess Cybersecurity conference held in Lagos...recently

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No End in Sight to Farmers’, Herdsmen Clashes Odimegwu Onwumere writes that despite lives and property lost to the clashes between farmers and Fulani herdsmen nationwide, the authorities seem incapable of finding a lasting solution to the menace

“When we talk to the Fulani herdsmen over the gratuitous destruction of our crops by their cows, they would point guns and arrows at us. And this is why we hardly question them in our farms, because we do not want to die.� Those were the words of Mrs. Nkechinyere Nwosu, the wife of the Ekwu I of UmuekwuneOhoro, Igbo-Etche, Etche Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State, while leading the women of the community in a peaceful protest recently, to the palace of the monarch to register their plight in the hands of Fulani herdsmen and correspondingly call on Governor Nyesom Wike of the state, not to tarry in saving them and their crops. Known as nomads from the Northern part of Nigeria traversing towns and villages in the Southern part of the county with their cattle for the purpose of grazing, some school of thoughts were of the scrutiny that the Fulani herdsmen resorted to violence, when rustlers started making a career of rustling their cows. Investigations by this writer, conversely, showed that the incessant reports by the herdsmen to the authorities in the hands of rustlers, which were attended to with wave of the back hand, pushed them to be carrying arms, not minding that illegal possession of arms is outlawed in Nigeria. According to a source that would prefer to remain anonymous, “The herdsmen have reportedly encountered cattle rustlers as they move from place to place and made complaints to the relevant authorities who fail to investigate the issue, hence their purported reason for carrying arms about.� The source further said: “During their journey, they frequently trespass farmlands owned by locals in their host communities, destroying crops and valuables. Attempts by farmers to prevent them from causing havoc are met with stiff and violent resistance. “Most times, the farmers are overpowered, injured and killed, while others are evicted from their homes. Sometimes, the herdsmen are accused of taking these opportunities to steal, rape, raze houses and kill innocent members of the communities they pass through.� Against this backdrop, a former Military Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, at a forum organised by Search for Common Ground, Nigeria, in collaboration with Abdulsalami Abubakar Institute for Peace and

Sustainable Development on October 30, 2017, said that Nigeria loses 13.7 billion dollars annually as a result of farmers-herdsmen conflicts in Benue, Kaduna, Nassarawa and Plateau States. Farmers and their ordeals While some women and men farmers who have encountered Fulani herdsmen in IgboEtche have stories of alleged rape, killing, destruction of their crops meted out to them to tell, the senator representing Nasarawa West Constituency in the National Assembly, Senator Abdullahi Adamu equally noted in a public presentation, saying that disputes between famers and herdsmen typically arise from disagreement over the use of possessions such as farmland, grazing areas and water. A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Olu Falae experienced this “disagreement over the use of possessions� when he was abducted by some Fulani herdsmen during his 77th Birthday on September 21, 2015, at his Ilado farm in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State. Sources said that until the conviction of the abductors in April 2017 in the persons of Abubakar Auta, Bello Jannu, Umaru Ibrahim, Masahudu Muhammed, Idris Lawal and two others, Falae was released after paying N5m ransom four days after his abduction. Farmers in Igbo-Etche nonetheless believe that the herdsmen have ulterior motive, because they prefer their cows feeding on crops than grass. This, however, has led to incessant complaints by the villagers. Farmers cry for govt interventions Across the country, farmers have been lamenting the deadly stumbles-upon with Fulani herdsmen in their farms. Many of the farmers weep about the sorrowful attacks the Fulani herdsmen have made as a career against them. For example, in Ogun and Oyo communities, especially in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, there has been heightened tension for over 12 years, when herdsmen numbering nearly one thousand started using the Eggua boundary every December to April for grazing. In most cases, the herdsmen authoritatively venture into homes of their host communities

and open the barns to feed the cows with maize, yam, cassava and others found in the barns. Like the women of Igbo-Etche, if the inhabitants of Ogun and Oyo communities ask questions, the herdsmen would pull out their guns and cause troubles. School farms not left out Then-again, just in September 2017, the Vice Chancellor, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun lamented what he described as illegal moves by the Fulani herdsmen in grazing their cattle in the institution’s farm sites. Ajibefun disclosed this while speaking at a security forum organised by the Ondo State Police Command to interact with stakeholders including security agencies, heads of institutions, royal fathers, religious leaders, artisans, students, farmers, cattle rearers, hunters and other concerned persons and groups, in Akoko South West Local Government area of the State. In his words: “We are aware that the issue of security is very complex. And because we don’t want to make it more complex, we have been trying to manage our experience with Fulani herdsmen each time they intrude on our campus. “It is a very bad situation the way they invade our farm and destroy the place. I would like to appeal to our security agencies to come to the aid of the university by finding a lasting solution to the problem.� Heads roll for cows to feed Reason for this is not farfetched: In some views, the Fulani herdsmen when interviewed have said that they’d be no option than making sure that their cows feed. The outcome of this is in the statistics provided by the Institute for Economics and Peace, saying, “1,229 people were killed in 2014, up from 63 in 2013 and Benue State seems to be the hardest hit in the farmers and Fulani herdsmen conflicts in recent times. “Barely five days to the end of Governor Gabriel Suswam’s administration in May 2015, over 100 farmers and their family members were reportedly massacred in villages and refugee camps located in the Ukura, Per, Gafa and Tse-Gusa local government areas of the state.� It was further noted that in July 2015,

“Suspected herdsmen attacked Adeke, a community on the outskirts of the state capital, Makurdi. Last December, six persons were killed at Idele Village in the Oju Local Government Area. A reprisal attack by youths in the community saw three Fulani herdsmen killed and beheaded.� Locals counting losses In some localities like Asa, Agon-Ojodun, Ayetoro, Ogunpa, Kodera and Igbonla, the locals said that they have been sacked in many occasions by the herdsmen when they resisted them feeding their cows with their farm produce. From Ayete, a lethargic town in Ibarapa North Local Government Area, Oyo State, to the 10 local government areas in Oke-Ogun, the story is the same. In many occasions, the authorities’ interventions have yielded little or no result. The House of Representatives had encouraged all stakeholders to an open hearing in order to tackle what it once illustrated as “incessant clashes between herdsmen, farmers and their host communities.� However, explorations revealed that just in February 2016, “40 more people were killed (as a result of a clash between herdsmen and farmers in Benue State); about 2,000 were displaced and not less than 100 were seriously injured.� The source added: “Most recently, more than 92 Nigerians were massacred by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Benue and Niger States. Also, before this time, there have been reported attacks by the Fulani Herdsmen in Southern states of the country, including Enugu, Ekiti and Ondo States.� Calling herdsmen to leave There is a belief that some farmers in some communities across the country have said that they do not want the herdsmen in their communities. This, though, has generated some rebuttals suggesting that since every Nigerian has a right to reside in any part of the country without prejudice, the call against Fulani herdsmen is uncalled for. According to a source that would not want Continued on page 31

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NO END IN SIGHT TO FARMERS’, HERDSMEN CLASHES

the name mentioned, “The solution is not for the herdsmen to leave the communities. There are a lot of political intrigues attached to the development and some people create mischief out of it.� The source enthused that some elements want to create an impression that the clashes between herdsmen and farmers are prevalent in the present administration forgetting that from time immemorial, before democracy, herdsmen and farmers have been fighting. Among all odds Some communities and their traditional rulers are not sleeping on their oars in making sure that agriculture is boosted in the country, no matter the over $13.7b that have been reported lost to farmers and herdsmen conflicts yearly. The Otaru of Auchi, Alhaji Aliru H. Momoh, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, even with the fears of farmers and herdsmen clashes, braced up on Sunday, June 18 2017, to advise all the 25 village heads in the kingdom to influence their wards, to embrace farming. In the highlight of this, Momoh motivated that his traditional council had donated 5,000 hectares of land: Being their support to the federal government agricultural project, in order to revolutionise agriculture. According to the monarch, “We have allocated some hectares of land to the federal government for the planting of cashew, cassava, maize and groundnut, and we are expecting them to come and inspect the land.� Checks revealed that over 200 women have been encouraged in Auchi to go back to agriculture in the tone of N5 million. According to Momoh, “Because of the Fulani herdsmen issue, we gave out some money to farmers to ease them of the threat of Fulani herdsmen who threaten them in the farm.�

Dissenters over ranches In making sure that the stalemate between farmers and herdsmen are resolved across the country, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh had assured that some states, which included Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Gombe, Katsina, Taraba, Niger, Adamawa, Jigawa, Sokoto and the FCT, among others, had provided hectares of land for the business of ranches to control clashes between farmers and herdsmen in their states. According to Ogbeh, “The way forward is to strive to attain self-sufficiency in animal protein by checking constant exposure of our cows to long distance trekking in search of pasture which affects their productivity. “This administration has therefore set out to establish ranches to be planted with high quality improved tropical grass and legume species. We shall provide irrigation for all year commercial fodder production to enhance settlement of pastoralist and ensure cattle, sheep and goat improvement through an expanded breeding programme that would use artificial insemination.’’ But Dr. Mohammed Ahmed, a former Chief Executive Officer of the National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Plateau, was afraid that a typical Fulani herdsman wouldn’t accept the initiative. According to him, “Ranches are capital intensive; government must ensure that there is enough water and all-year-round grass for grazing. The herdsmen must also be encouraged to cut grass in the rainy season and store same for use during the dry season in addition to being educated on how to manage limited space. “I am not sure that the typical Fulani man in Nigeria will happily embrace a ranch, but with the current realities, settling them in one place is the best way out, especially if

they can have what they want where they are settled.� While government has taken a move for ranches, Alhaji Sale Bayeri, the spokesman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Plateau, the sunshade body of the Fulani herdsmen, said, “The herdsmen will not accept ranches; we shall prefer to explore our traditional grazing routes/reserves.� That was contained in a media chat last year with MACBAN’s National Legal Adviser, Mohammed Bello Tukur, saying, “stakeholders should rather demarcate routes and cattle resting points with support from technical and financial partners.� According to the source, “MACBAN rejects the setting up of ranches and supports the establishment of grazing reserves; we want government to create a Ministry of Livestock Development to ease the establishment of the reserves.� Local farmers must be included in ranches Some farmers nevertheless said that if government wants the scheme to succeed, local farmers must be included. In the views of Senator Jerry Useini representing Plateau South, “We just woke up and heard that cattle ranches will be established in parts of Plateau. Such decision cannot be popular because no one was consulted and neither was any wide enlightenment carried out.� This was even as Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau said, “No human policy or plan can be perfect, but we want those with reservations about the ranches to suggest something better. It is not enough to just oppose what is being worked out since what we are doing is in the interest of peace.� According to Mr. Timothy Golu representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam in the House of

Representatives, “Ranches are far better than grazing reserves if we are to check incessant clashes between farmers and herdsmen, but we must be able to listen to what the ordinary farmers feel about what is being worked out. “We must carry the farmers and traditional rulers along in carving out the affected areas. We must carefully work out and ensure payment of compensations; otherwise we shall only be breeding another recipe for even worse crises.� Against this influence, the Minister of Interior, retired Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau was of the view that herdsmen and farmers’ gridlocks are a threat to national peace. According to him, “The effect of this conflict has been loss of lives, dislocation of people and communities and the disruption of socio economic activity. Even more importantly, it is a threat to the integrity and peaceful co-existence of the Nigerian state. The objective, therefore, is to identify any laws and regulations that impact on the conflict; this will in turn inform the design of a definitive policy intervention.� On the contrary, the authorities have done little or nothing to arrest the farmers and herdsmen standoffs. Once more, the standoffs have infused fears into the women and men farmers in the areas to attend to their farms, thereby causing a setback to their agricultural productivities. This is due to unyielding peace agreements that some states have signed in respect to farmers and Fulani herdsmen conflicts. There’re also the rejected cattle ranches proposed by President Muhammadu Buhari government. However, for Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue, “The ranches remain the generally acceptable practice and will serve as the permanent solution to the unending clashes between the herdsmen and farmers.�

SWIFT NETWORKS Launches Customised ICT Solutions for SMEs Emma Okonji SWIFT NETWORKS has launched a suite of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) products customised to support Nigerian SMEs. The bundled solutions are expected to reduce cost and give small businesses better control of their operations to drive efficiencies and growth. To operate under the subbrand of SWIFT SMARTBusiness Kit, the all-in-one service bundles will consist of all the office and home connectivity, hosting and bespoke business software solutions available to small businesses in the market today. Managing Director of SWIFT NETWORKS, Mr. Charles Anudu, said: “SWIFT SMARTBusiness Kit continues in SWIFT’s tradition of demystifying and simplifying technology to help unlock Nigeria’s abundant potentials so that people can achieve more in their daily undertakings.� The Chief Operating Officer of SWIFT NETWORKS, Mr. Chukwuma Okoye, said: “SWIFT SMARTBusiness Kit is user friendly and will resolve the problem of small busi-

nesses dealing with multiple vendors who often present them with conflicting solutions that are not future-proof. With our solution, SMEs will obtain all their ICT solutions from a single trusted service provider with the industry’s best of customer care team on one monthly bill.â€? He further added that for the early birds, we shall throw in a free home internet access for the business for as long as the subscription is current A sample SWIFT Business Kit solution consist of office, internet, web and e-mail hosting, attractive business and international travel voice call rates, Ă la carte business software modules for sales, accounting, customer relationship management, inventory management and human resource management. A customer can start with a basic plan and either add or drop modules as the business evolves. “SWIFT SMARTBusiness Kit is specially targeted at businesses in the professional services, eCommerce, traditional retail, educational, healthcare, hospitality and cottage industries.

The services will be distributed directly through

SWIFT’s customer centres as well as those of its online and

off-line channel partners. It will also be supported by a

professional field sales team from SWIFT,�Okoye said.

MERITORIOUS AWARD

L-R: Business Development Division west, Sigma Pensions Ltd, Mr. Sunday Okolie; Vice President Business Development Division, West, Sigma Pensions Ltd, Mrs. Mabel George; Managing Director PWAN Homes, Mr. Micheal Afamaefuna Okonkwo, and Strategy Department, Sigma Pensions Ltd, Mrs. Yetunde Adebiyi, receiving the award for Global Best Pensions Company in Customer Relationship Management at the 2017 Global Quality Award ceremony in Lagos ‌ recently

HackCess Cybersecurity Confab Harps on Digitisation Emma Okonji The need for organisations to digitise their operations in order to address digital breaches, was the focus of this year’s HackCess Cybersecurity Conference held in Lagos recently. According to the forum, digitisation has enormous positives but the terrifying

reality is that of the ability for massive casualty when its security is compromised. “Today’s speed of digitisation is a call to arms for cybersecurity professionals, enterprise architecture and security policy makers,� the forum advised. The conference was organised by Tobeit Consulting Limited and sponsored by The West-Comstor Group,

Sophos- Martnetworks and the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC). It was a free event with participant from multi industries, universities, government and vendors across Nigeria and Africa. The theme for HackCess Nigeria 2017 was “Digitisation: Future CyberSecurity Landscape�. The Chief Technology Officer

of MNT Nigeria Mr. Hassan El-Cham, addressed the conference on the ‘Journey to Security of Things’. He explained that digital breaches happens because businesses choose to ignore or are reluctant to adopt best practices. Regional Director, Symantec, Mr. Fady Iskander, stressed that there had been over 400 million malware attacks in 2016 and

more to come in the future. Now is the time for decision makers to review their security strategies in order to stay safe in this era of digitalisation, he added. Other speakers at the conference stressed the need for cybersecurity awareness, explaining that those that have not being hacked today, could be victims any day. They

said everyone must take on precautionary measure to stay safe. The conference had a discussion panel that was chaired by the CIO of Accion Bank, Mr. Benedict Anyalenkeya; Group Head, IT and Digital Banking Control at UBA, Mr. Laja Sorunke and Security Manager, Network Group, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Elliot Dhliwayo.

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BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

Developing Nigeria through Investments in Rail Transport Beyond the ports, the rail form of transportation is critical to moving goods and people more cheaply and efficiently across the country; hence, the need for renewed focus on the rail sector by government to boost the economy. Kasim Sumaina writes Gloomy Situation As at 2003, Nigeria’s rail system had only some 3,557 kilometres of single gauge track largely not functioning. The country had just two major rail lines: Lagos to Kano and Port Harcourt, River state to Maiduguri, in Borno state. Both lines were relatively in a state of disrepair until in 2009, when some significant investments began to flow into resuscitating the sleeping economic giant. Thus the country has had to rely on road to transport heavy goods across the country, a situation that has left many roads in worse conditions with huge human and economic losses. The only operational long haul segment of Nigeria’s rail network is between Lagos and Kano and it came alive in 2013; refurbished by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and Costain West Africa. Desired Impact Railway transport is doubtless the most important and effective means of land transportation, and plays an un-substitutable role in the socio-economic development of all economic powers. Thus, a focus on railways is critical to Nigeria’ becoming one of the top 20 global economies in 2020. Already the building of the standard gauge tracks has commenced. The first leg of the line – the Abuja-Kaduna service was completed and unveiled in July 2016 by President Muhammadu Buhari. The second leg, the Lagos-Ibadan has commenced and should be delivered by 2020. The standard gauge rail system is coming with huge economic benefits to Nigeria. It is also coming with transfer of new skills and technology. Coastal Network To underscore the benefits of the new gauge, a feasibility study showed that the coastal rail project alone is projected to “create 50,000 direct job opportunities for Nigerian professionals and non-professionals and 100,000 indirect jobs during its execution.� The study also projected that “after completion, the operation, maintenance and management of the coastal railway will provide more than 20,000 permanent jobs as well. Among the 50,000 direct jobs, 26,000 will be for professional cadre, such as management staff, engineers, foremen, operators and artisans etc and 23,800 for nonprofessionals.� Other intrinsic benefits include easy and efficient transportation of farm produce from the farms to markets and decongesting the roads thereby saving more for the government and prolonging the life span of the roads; increase in the value of land along the route of the railway thereby increasing national wealth, accessible to all citizens being the cheapest mode of transportation; ease of movement of labour and raw materials thereby enhancing industrial development. There are also stability of market process of goods and services due to efficient movement of people and goods and bulk transportation of food and clothes in times of emergencies such as floods and famine. This value also transcends to the Lagos-Kaduna standard gauge train services. Capacity Building Already, the Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge train service is having a positive impact on the Nigerian economy and the Nigerian Railway Corporation. Whilst a lot of commuters now travel quickly from Abuja to Kaduna, the NRC is now benefiting from new skills, trainings and technological transfer. The NRC Liaison Officer in Abuja, Mr. Pascal Nnoli, told our correspondent that the CCECC trained a number of NRC technicians on the Abuja-Kaduna train service and same will be done on other new lines being built. He said “62 Nigerian railway professionals were trained in the first instance. The training cuts across civil engineering, signalling and

A viable rail system can transform Nigeria’s economic growth and development telecommunications, mechanical electrical, operations and commercial. Subsequently, more people were trained by the CCECC as they were deployed to the corridor.� He explained further that, “between July 2016 and July 2017, we worked with 42 Chinese on the Abuja-Kaduna train service that provided technical support. But from August 1, the number reduced to 21 Chinese experts. That’s about 50 per cent reduction in expatriates.� On operations of the line, he said the NRC determines 100 per cent but occasionally, it can consult with the Chinese technical staff. But basically, the NRC determines the running of the services. “As we speak, the NRC has 488 staff working on the corridor compared to CCECC’s 21. The NRC now carries out independent maintenance of the standard gauge rail lines except major maintenance where the Chinese expatriates also join the NRC team.� He also said “the NRC has equally taken possession of critical equipment that are used for maintenance. We now own the tamping machine, the ballast profiling machines and ballast distribution machine. These machines are now operated by Nigerians with little support from the Chinese. The NRC also has 130 tone rescue crane in case of accidents,

we can evacuate the train�. A further analysis of the local benefits of the Abuja-Kaduna corridor showed that the contract had significant input from local partners as the subcontractors and suppliers. Ripple Effects Findings from the authorities concerning local contents of Abuja - Kaduna Railway Project showed that during construction period, the average number of direct local employment created by the project each year was around 2,400, which comprised office managers, engineers, technicians, operators, drivers, labors and so on. The accumulative job opportunities created in the seven years is around 17,000. Also at the first stage of operation of Abuja to Kaduna train service, around 600 people were involved in the operation management. As the operation service becomes more and more mature, the number of job opportunities will rise to about 1,000 in the near future, a government official told THISDAY under condition of anonymity, as he wasn’t authorised to speak on the matter. “During the construction and operation period, it is estimated that the project created 150,000 indirect job opportunities to Nigerians in such areas as material manufacturing, material and

equipment supply, subcontract and catering services, among others� he said. He also indicated that “in order to make sure ensure timely completion of the project, the contractor invited around 86 local companies to participate in specialised subcontract works, in such areas as geographical exploration, drilling boreholes, building bridges and culverts, fire control, construction of fence, laying continuous power lines and so on. “During the execution of the project, the project made extensive use of locally manufactured materials like cement and rebar, and materials imported by local suppliers like diesel, bitumen, lubricant and tyres, etc. “According to the record, among other bulk materials, 45,000,000 litres of diesel, 200,000 tonnes of cement, 23,000 tonnes of rebar, 3,000 tonnes of bitumen, 10,000 drums of lubricants, and 20,000 pieces of tyres were supplied by local suppliers� he noted. He explained further that the local suppliers and subcontractors engaged in the project are around 200 persons. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

RANDOM THOTS Presidential Pardon Ă’Ă“Ă–Ă? Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă‹Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ăž ÞÒĂ? ͺ͸͚Ϳ Ă–Ă– Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜ Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă?Ă?ËŞ Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă&#x;ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă™Ăœ Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂžĂ? Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁËœ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă&#x;Ă’Ă‹Ă—Ă—Ă‹ĂŽĂ&#x; Ă&#x;Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂ“ Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽ Ă’Ă? Ă’Ă‹Ă? ĂŽĂ“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ÑÙà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă™ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ÞËÞĂ? Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă”Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă?Ă? ÞÙ ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? ĂšĂœĂ“Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ? ĂĄĂ’Ă™ Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ“Ă–ĂŁ ĂŽĂ?ĂžĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ ĂŽĂ™Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă? ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂž Ă™Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă‘Ă™Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă”Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă“Ă‹ĂœĂŁË› Ăž ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ&#x;Ă— åÓÞÒ Ă‹ ÞÒĂ?Ă—Ă? ËŠ ĂžĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă‘ĂžĂ’Ă?Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă‘ĂœĂ“ĂžĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă&#x;Ă–Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă‹ĂĄËŞËœ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă˘ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ Ùà Ă?ĂœĚ‹ Ă?ĂœĂ™ĂĄĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă˜ ĂšĂœĂ“Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă™Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ? ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ ĂšĂœĂ™ĂŒĂ–Ă?Ă—Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă”Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă“Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ę¨ĂŽĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂŁĂ?ĂžĂ?Ă—Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹ĂŽĂŽĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂ&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă? Ă?âÚĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂœĂ˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă“Ă—ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ“Ă‹Ă–Ă“ĂžĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹ĂŽĂ—Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? Ă”Ă&#x;Ă?ÞÓĂ?Ă?Ë›

Ă&#x;ĂœĂ‘Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă”Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă?Ă? ÞÙ ÚËã Ă?Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă? Ă‹ĘľĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ÞÙ Ă?ĘĽĂ™ĂœĂžĂ? Ă‹Ăž ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂŁĂ?ĂžĂ?Ă—Ëœ åÓÞÒ Ă?ĂžĂœĂ“Ă?Ăž Ă‹ĂŽĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă? ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Ă&#x;Ă–Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă‹ĂĄË› Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ ĂœĂ?Ă?ÞËÞĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ ÞÒĂ? Ă™ĂŒĂ”Ă?Ă?ÞÓà Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă‹ĂŽĂ—Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ĂĄĂ‹Ă? ÞÙ Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂŒĂ‹Ăž Ă?Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă“Ă? Ă‘ĂœĂ‹Ę° Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă™ĂœĂœĂ&#x;ĂšĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ ĂšĂ&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă? Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă? ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă‹Ă– ĂŽĂ“ĂœĂ?Ă?ÞÓà Ă? Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă–ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂŽĂŁ ĂŁĂ“Ă?Ă–ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă™ĂœĂžĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ă?ÓÞÓäĂ?Ă˜Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă™ ĂĄĂ?ĂœĂ? ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ–Ă?ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ ÞÒĂ? ÚÙÖÓĂ?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ ĂšĂœĂ“Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă? ÞÙ Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ ĂšĂœĂ“Ă—Ă? ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ę¨Ă˜Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ùà Ă?Ăœ ÙʰĂ?Ă˜Ě‹ ÞÓ×Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă—Ă‹Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă—Ă?Ă?Ë› ĂœĂ™Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁËœ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂœĂ“Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă“Ă? Ă—Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ăž ÞÙ ĂŒĂ? Ă‹ Ă?Ă™ĂœĂœĂ?Ă?ÞÓà Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă?ÓÖÓÞã Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÙʼĂ?Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă’Ă‹Ă? ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ˜Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă‹ ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂŽĂ?Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ë› Ă–Ă?Ă™Ëœ Ă‹Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ? Ă‹ Ă?Ă?ĂĄ Ă’Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ě‹ĂšĂœĂ™Ę¨Ă–Ă? ÚÙÖÓÞÓ-

Ă?Ă‹Ă– ĂšĂœĂ“Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ? ĂĄĂ’Ă™ Ă?ÞÙÙÎ ĂžĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă– Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă‘Ă?ĂŽ Ă—Ă&#x;ĂœĂŽĂ?Ăœ Ă™Ăœ ĂžĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂŽĂ–ĂŁ Ę¨Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă’ Ă™Ăœ ĂĄĂ?Ă–Ă–Ě‹Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă?ÓÞÓäĂ?Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ ĂšĂœĂ“Ă?Ă™Ă˜ Ă˜Ă™ĂĄĂ‹ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁĂ?Ë› Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ëœ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂœĂ“Ă?Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă? ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ&#x;ĂžĂ?ĂŽĂ–ĂŁ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ÙÙÖÓĂ?Ă’ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂ™Ă™ĂœË› Ă’Ă“Ă–Ă? ËÚÚÖËĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžËŞĂ? ĂŽĂ“ĂœĂ?Ă?ÞÓà Ă? ÞÙ Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂœĂ“Ă?Ă™Ă˜ Ă?ĂŁĂ?ĂžĂ?Ă—Ëœ Ă’Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽĂ? ÞÙ ĂŒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă—Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂœĂ?ĂŽ Ă?ÙåĂ? Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă–ĂŁ ÞËĂ?ĂžĂ? Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ă’Ă“Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂœĂ“Ă?Ă™Ă˜ ĂĄĂ‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ëœ Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă™Ă˜Ă‘Ă™Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ʨÑÒÞ Ă‹Ă‘Ă‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă™ĂœĂœĂ&#x;ĂšĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă– ÞÒËÞ Ă“Ă? ĂŽĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ëœ Ă‹ĂŽĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă? ÞÙ ĂœĂ&#x;Ă–Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă–Ă‹ĂĄ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă™Ă˜Ă–ĂŁ ËÚÚÖã ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Ă–Ă?Ă?Ă?Ě‹ĂšĂœĂ“Ă Ă“Ă–Ă?Ă‘Ă?ĂŽËœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă˜Ă™Ăž ÞÙ Ă?Ă™ĂœĂœĂ&#x;ÚÞ Ă?Ă‹Ăž Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ?˛˛˛Ă?Ă‹ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă‹ĂœĂ“Ă™ -Abimbola Akosile

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Ëš

Rural power supply, still a huge development challenge in Nigeria

What is Nigeria’s Current Biggest Devt Challenge? Nigeria is currently faced with myriad challenges affecting her development trajectory and growth, many analysts have noted. However, some of these challenges vary or mutate from time to time, while some are equally consistent. Corruption, unemployment, and insincere leadership have also been identified by some as top challenges. To you, what is Nigeria’s current biggest development challenge and how can it be successfully tackled? THE FEEDBACK

Abimbola Akosile * Incompetent political leadership has been our bane which ultimately accounts for our level of economic development so far. Nigeria needs upright, visionary and competent leaders for us to sit right globally. - Ms Nkeiruka Abanna, Lagos State

Top challenge:

Poor leadership

Second:

Epileptic power supply

Third:

Widespread corruption

Radical tip:

Change of mindset!

* Nigeria’s current biggest development challenge is disunity. Corruption, unemployment and insincere leadership e.t.c. are all fruits of disunity. We cannot succeed in anything in this country if we are not united. It is said “In unity we stand, divided we fall�. If we truly love our country, how can you like to enrich yourself at the expense of others? In fact, unless we throw away our differences between one another, the development we are yearning for wouldn’t come. - Hon. Babale Maiungwa, U/Romi, Kaduna

Total no of respondents:

9

Male:

7

Female:

2

Highest location:

Lagos (4)

* Insincere leadership has been our undoing ab initio. Past leaders dubiously ignored honesty, sincerity, truth etc but took to lies, greed, avarice, corruption etc to our detriment. Hence our huge collective wealth is stolen and stashed away in already wealthy but greedy nations abroad. Citizens are treated as nobody by thieving nations. Such fraudulent nations devalue or mentally enslave poorer nations. Hence, Nigeria unwisely imports her needs than produce them till date; too bad an unfortunate culture. Our leaders must serve and not lie or steal. - Miss Apeji Patience Eneyeme, Badagry, Lagos State * Power issue has become our biggest development challenge. In spite of the huge funds ploughed into the power sector, there is still nothing to write home about concerning regular power supply in the country. This is rather very unfortunate and shameful. l suggest that PMB should withdraw the licences given those investors that the past government sold the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to, because they are not living up to the expectation of Nigerians’ desire to have light 24\7 each day. This government should find new investors

that will manage our power sector; that is our major problem for now. - Mr. Gordon Chika Nnorom, Public Commentator, Umukabia, Abia State * The biggest issues affecting our development growth include corruption, unemployment, insincere leaders, e.g. a GMD single-handedly awarding contract of billions of dollars without due process. There is also the Maina pension scandal, where many pensioners have not been paid their full benefits till date, and some are dead without enjoying their hard earned labour during their meritorious years of service. He should be given full protection if need be, so that those involved can be identified by him to face prosecution and full wrath of the law. Should they be allowed to continue such principles by which they gained their wealth through their exploitation of the poor through crooked business practices? Yet, unemployment, crimes such as Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen, and kidnapping e.t.c., persist. - Mr. Dogo Stephen, Kaduna State * Of the myriad challenges affecting Nigeria’s development trajectory and growth variously mutating over time or even consistent is electricity, which lack has critical adverse multiplier effects on Nigeria and her citizens, crippling everything deleteriously. Electricity; as father

of development is too vital to be ignored. We must ban the harmful importation of generators outright. Researched power from wind, solar, water (hydro), nuclear, coal must be explored by government using indigenous experts in their relevant fields. Private public participation is key. A stitch in time saves nine. - Mr. Apeji Onesi. Lagos State * The mindset of the people is the biggest challenge facing our development as a nation. It’s people that make up institutions and systems, not the other way round. Anywhere in Nigeria a system or institution does not seem to be working or corruption is rife, it is as a result of the mindsets of the people. We need to purge our minds from the moral corruption that breeds the failing state of affairs in our country, through obeying our laws and justice delivery. - Mr. Buga Dunj, Jos, Plateau State * Nigeria’s current biggest developmental challenges are poor leadership, bad followership, lack of capable and effective state and bureaucracy, neglect of the economy, private sectors that will improve the condition of living of citizens, poor infrastructure, educational and university systems, health, agriculture, corruption, weak civil society, poor execution of policies and programmes, unemployment, crime and terrorism especially Boko Haram insurgency, poor control of resources to meet the peoples’ demands and the higher demands for foreign goods, the environmental and health standard of Nigeria are in a bad state, civic pride and poor patriotism in Nigeria. The best and possible way is to have focus-oriented leaders, Godfearing people full of integrity, academicians, and experts in the economic sectors putting an economic blueprint to foster development and allow different technocratic people with knowledge base to oversee and well-articulated policies that will take us to the Promised Land. - Mr. Michael Adedotun Oke, Founder, Michael Adedotun Oke Foundation, Abuja * To me, Nigeria’s actual biggest development challenge is corruption, which has permeated

every sector of the society. Corruption is so ingrained in the average Nigerian’s psyche that it would take drastic measures, total value reorientation and generations of discipline to bring it down to a bearable level. Leaders especially in public office must visibly eschew corruption and punish severely any discovered corrupt acts, as done in some countries like China and Japan. If the masses see what the leaders are doing to fight corruption, they will equally fall in line in the struggle for a better society. Until this is done, we can as well kiss development goodbye in this country. - Mr. Olumuyiwa Olorunsomo, Lagos State

Next Week: Do Nigerians Truly Deserve Bad Leaders? Ă’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă? Ă‹ Ă?Ă?ÒÙÙÖ Ă™Ă? ÞÒÙĂ&#x;Ă‘Ă’Ăž ÞÒËÞ ĂŒĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă Ă?Ă? ÞÒËÞ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜Ă? ĂžĂœĂ&#x;Ă–ĂŁ ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ ĂŒĂ‹ĂŽ Ă–Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă’Ă“Ăš ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ Ă‘Ă?ĂžËœ Ă?Ó×ÚÖã ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă™Ă?Ăž Ă?ÓÞÓäĂ?Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă?ĂŒĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă?Ă™ĂœĂœĂ&#x;ÚÞ Ă–Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ Ă?ÓÞÒĂ?Ăœ Ă•Ă“Ă–Ă– Ùʼ ÞÒÙĂ?Ă? ÚÙÞĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă‹Ă– Ă–Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ? ĂĄĂ’Ă™ Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? ÚÙĂ?ÓÞÓà Ă? ĂŽĂ“ĘĽĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ÚÙåĂ?Ăœ Ă™Ăœ ĂŽĂ™ Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜ ËÖÖÙå ÞÒĂ?Ă— ÞÙ Ă‘Ă?Ăž Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ ĂšĂ&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă? ÙʊĂ?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ę¨ĂœĂ?Ăž ÚÖËĂ?Ă?Ëœ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ăž ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ Ă˜Ă?Ă Ă?Ăœ Ă’Ă‹ĂŽ Ě™ĂŒĂ™ĂžĂ’ Ă—Ă“Ă–Ă“ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂŁ Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă“Ă Ă“Ă–Ă“Ă‹Ă˜ĚšË› Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă™ĂĄĂ˜ Ă Ă“Ă?ĂĄËœ ĂŽĂ™ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜Ă? ĂžĂœĂ&#x;Ă–ĂŁ ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ ĂŒĂ‹ĂŽ Ă–Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ? ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ Ă‘Ă?Þˣ Ă? ÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăž Ă™Ă? ÞÒÓĂ?ËŁ Ă–Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă? ĂŽĂ“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžËœ Ă?Ă’Ă™ĂœĂž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ó×ÚÖĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ÞËÞĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă– Ă˜Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ëœ ÞÓÞÖĂ?Ëœ Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂŒĂ?ÞåĂ?Ă?Ă˜ ÞÙÎËã Ě™ Ùà Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ Í“Í” Ęś Ă™Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁËœ Ùà Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ Í“Í˜Ěš ÞÙ abimbolayi@yahoo.comËœ greatbimbo@gmail. comËœ abimbola.akosile@thisdaylive.comË› Ă?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹ Ă?Ă’Ă™ĂœĂž ĂžĂ?âÞ Ă—Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă‘Ă? ÞÙ 08023117639 Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽËš Ă™Ăœ 08188361766 Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽËšĂ™Ăœ 08114495306Ë› ÙÖÖËÞĂ?ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? ĂšĂ&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ Ă’Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁËœ Ùà Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ ͔͑

34

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°ÍąËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

In Nigeria, there is still dignity in hard labour

ABIMBOLA AKOSILE

CISLAC Sensitises Citizens, CSOs on Rights, Anti-corruption Strategies Abimbola Akosile The Advocacy and Legal Advice Centres (ALAC) established by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) held a one-day sensitisation workshop in Abuja recently, to educate citizens and women groups on their rights. CISLAC is currently implementing a project through Transparency International (TI), with support from Global Affairs Canada to empower citizens to become part of the anti-corruption campaign, which is the core focus of the present administration. In his welcome address, the Executive Director, CISLAC, Mr. Auwal Musa (aka Rafsanjani), said it is expedient for citizens to begin to demand accountability from the government. He added that Nigerians are not aware of their fundamental rights and

as such, cannot tell when it is violated or know where to go to seek redress. Rafsanjani noted that there is a need for all Nigerians to understand their rights and demand accountability from those who govern them, hence the need for the ALAC which offers citizens the opportunity to actively engage in fighting corruption by reporting corruption cases; in line with one of Nigeria’s commitment under the Open Governance Partnership (OGP) to support victims and witnesses of corrupt practices. Senior Programme Officer with CISLAC, Mr. Kolawole Banwo, who gave an overview of the IMPACT project, said it is about getting citizens involved in the fight against corruption, building knowledge, sharing ideas and supporting victims and witnesses of corruption. He further stated that ALAC takes information in a confidential

manner, so the victim or witness is protected. ALAC is a centre designed to take reports from witnesses and victims of corrupt practices, forward it to the relevant authorities for investigation and seek redress where necessary, while following up on the case so as to provide feedback to the client in order to shore up confidence in citizens, Banwo added. The project focus is on increasing the integrity, transparency and accountability of public and private sector, while empowering civil society to advocate for change in policy and practice. In a related development, CISLAC also organised a one-day capacity building workshop on Anti-Corruption Programming for its staff members, other Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and some anti-corruption agencies, which was held at Bolton White Hotel,

Abuja. It was organised within the framework of CISLAC current project ‘Tackling Inequalities in Nigeria through Transparent, Accountable and Participatory Governance’, which is being implemented in collaboration with TI-S in Berlin, Germany with support from the Ford Foundation under their governance project. In his welcome address, Rafsanjani, who was represented by Mr. Adesina Oke who is a board member of CISLAC, stated that corruption is a cankerworm that affects all Nigerians directly and indirectly hence, it is important for all stakeholders to collectively combat it. The project coordinator, Mr. Lukman Adefolahan, while giving a brief on the project and the training session pointed out the need for stakeholders in the anti-corruption fight to be

strategic, dynamic and sincere. He further outlined a list of activities under the project, which he said, involved the creation of a local advisory group, the exchange meetings, and high-level meetings amongst other events. The facilitator of the forum, Mr. Soji Apampa of the Integrity Organisation, taught participants on ‘Building Integrity and Emerging Best Practices on Curbing Corruption’. In this session he underscored the crucial role integrity plays in the fight against corruption, stressing that if individuals, agencies and entities can display utmost integrity, corruption will be brought to its barest minimum. While making reference to Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, recent United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) report and Nigeria’s Fitch rating, he

informed participants that the results Nigeria is getting in the fight against corruption are not commensurate with the effort, hence the need for a holistic approach. Apampa also urged CSOs to fully practice transparency and accountability before they preach it. He also listed incentives and sanctions, education and social tolerance as factors in the fight against corruption; and advised them to develop a self-regulatory framework to ensure adherence to the principal of transparency and accountability. Participants at the workshop were drawn from agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other related Offences Commission (ICPC), Ministry of Justice, while CSOs like Publish What You Pay, 21st Century, were also present as well as the Media.

Unemployment: Use Recovered Loot to Create Jobs for Youths, Buhari Urged Hammed Shittu in Ilorin The Spiritual Father of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement of Nigeria Worldwide, ‘Ayo Ni o’ (C&S) Most Rev Samuel Abidoye has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to make use of all the recovered looted funds to create jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the country. This, he said, would go a long way in reducing the high rate of unemployment among the teeming youths and also stem the reported cases of ritual killings and other social vices in the country.

Abidoye gave the advice at the recent 77th annual conference of the church held along IlorinOgbomoso road, Orile-Igbon, and added that, “the high rate of unemployed youths in the country has continued to be alarming and all efforts should be put on ground by the government to bring the situation into the barest minimum.� According to him, “I want to say that President Buhari should assist the unemployed youths in the country by making use of the recovered looted funds to create jobs for them in order to reduce the suffering being faced

by these unemployed youth.� The clergyman, who commended the Buhari administration on recovery of looted fund from politicians, advised him not to relent, saying corruption had eaten deep into the fabric of the nation, while youth wander streets in search of jobs. He also called on Nigerians to support the current administration in its effort at implementing people-oriented programmes aimed at making lives better for the people. The nonagenarian flayed some church leaders in the country for always promoting preaching on prosperity instead of

salvation, and said such acts had increased love of money, criminality and materialism among Christian youth. “Ritual killing and kidnapping are all because of quick money. It’s a wrong way to look for money. People should stop. What do they really want? You can’t even take this money along when you die. We should think of nurturing our youth for future greatness since we will leave them behind when we’ve gone. If not they are used for war and other social ills when they are jobless or useless for national growth�, he said. He also said the church should

lead by example, adding that the display of affluence among some men of God had attracted the devil into the church, while calling on the rich ones to assist the poor ones in the society. Abidoye also called on Nigerians to give President Buhari a second term in office for him to have the needed time to make the country great again. “As far as I’m concerned, President Buhari is doing very good; what he has been doing since he assumed office with particular reference to the recovery of the nation’s stolen money has never been done by any government in this

country before. “In view of this, he needs more time to do this work very well in order to make Nigeria great again, so Nigerians should consider him for second term in office, let’s give him time to do more�, he added. The cleric also urged Nigerians to ensure that all hands are on the deck to make the country reclaim her glory as the true giant of Africa. “We don’t need to go anywhere, we have everything in abundance in terms of manpower and human development, we can all make Nigeria great again,� he said.

35

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ ÍŻÍ´Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Theplaceofchildreninthematrixofdevelopmentissacrosanct.Wemustendeavourtobuild enduringlegacies,notjustbyerectingstructures,butbyinvestinginouryoung.Itiswiththisthinking thatwehaveembarkedonaholisticpolicyreformtorepositionthebasiceducationsysteminEdo State.WedonotwantourchildrentocompetewiththeircounterpartsinNigeria;wewanttomake themglobalcitizens� - GOVERNOR OF EDO STATE, MR. GODWIN OBASEKI SPEAKING IN COMMEMORATION OF UNIVERSAL CHILDREN’S DAY, MARKED EVERY NOVEMBER 20 BY THE UNITED NATIONS

Make TB Drugs Accessible, Affordable, Govts Urged As Agbami launches awareness campaign in Oyo Abimbola Akosile

SDGs: Orelope-Adefulire Seeks Improved CSR Action from Private Sector Abimbola Akosile The Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire has charged the private sector players in Nigeria on the need to step up in the delivery of Corporate Social Responsibility efforts for the benefits of their various stakeholders and the general society. The presidential aide gave the charge while delivering a keynote remark at the SERAs CRS annual awards in Lagos recently. According to her, effective CSR engagement should not only be focused on fostering and strengthening the relationships of organisations with their direct stakeholders, but also help in acceleration of the overall quest to improve the health and wellbeing of especially the vulnerable mass. This, she noted, would also be in line with the determination of the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to improve the lot of vulnerable Nigerians. “In re-echoing the resolve of President Muhammadu Buhari, I would like to use this opportunity as a call to action to revitalise our collective resolve to improve the lives of the poor�, the aide noted. She therefore called for the partnership of the private sector with the Federal Government for the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals through the platform of CSR. “This is a responsibility that is cross-cutting, one that needs a multi-sectoral approach in view of the multi-dimensional nature of poverty. There is therefore the need to work together and build synergies in order to reduce vulnerabilities, build resilience, reduce inequality gap and to scale up social protection for those who fall at the margins of the society. “As you may be aware, CSR refers to the social demands on corporate entities to initiate, partner and add value to the host communities (i.e. ploughing back to the communities where it conducts business the much needed social and infrastructural amenities).

“It also describes effort made by corporate organisations to improve society and contribute towards sustainable development, as well as initiatives taken by such organisations to evaluate and take responsibility for their impact on a number of issues ranging from human rights, to protecting the environment, making efforts to address social problems such as poverty, deprivation, hunger etc,� she said. Orelope-Adefulire noted that CSR is about an organisation taking responsibility for the impacts of its decisions and activities on all aspects of the society, community and environment, and insisted that it is more than just donating money. “It’s about contributing to the health and wellbeing of society, operating transparently and ethically. As a public valued organisation, social responsibility and public value must remain at the core of the mission for all. Organisations should be driven by public value and a desire to impact positively in the lives of the citizens at all levels.� She further added that in keeping faith with the SDGs Agenda, Nigeria, under the

administration of President Buhari, has kept faith with delivering social goods to the people. “In doing this, emphasis is on bringing about significant, positive change that will substantially address the various pressing social needs of the citizenry. Bearing in mind that effective and efficient social impact can only be achieved through a systematic implementation of carefully designed policies and programmes, the government has continued to build and forge strategic partnerships with all critical stakeholders.� Some of the high-impact initiatives targeted at the lower-end of the society, according to the presidential aide, include: an ambitious Social Investment Scheme targeted at the extremely poor and vulnerable, government enterprise and empowerment programme for unemployed youths and women economic empowerment, NPower programme for job creation for the youths as well as Women’s Economic Empowerment Scheme and the Conditional Grant Scheme, which has continued to function as a social development project at the sub-national level.

Governments across Nigeria have been enjoined to make Tuberculosis (TB) drugs accessible and affordable in various health facilities as most of the people affected do not have the means to purchase drugs even when the drugs are available. Private clinics were also urged to offer free treatment of TB patients, where not yet in operation, in a bid to reduce its spread and prevalence. The calls were made at the launch on tuberculosis awareness raising campaign in Oyo State, which was organised by Agbami and Parties in collaboration with the Oyo State government. In his presentation at the programme, Principal Coordinator, CAFSO-WRAG for Development and Co-organiser of Agbami & Parties’ Launch, Dr. Tola Winjobi described tuberculosis as a disease of the tropical region in which Nigeria falls. “As a matter of fact, Nigeria ranks second among the countries affected in Africa, according to World Health Organisation. This should be a cause for worry while every effort should be made to combat its spread. More so, one’s body may harbour the bacteria that cause tuberculosis without the person knowing it which is called latent TB as against the Active TB which makes one sick and can easily infect others. This is all the more reason one needs to consult a physician no matter the nature of TB one has�, he said. Also speaking, Executive Director, Women’s Rights and Health Project, Ejigbo, Lagos, Bose Ironsi “Nigeria is fifth among the 22 high TB burden countries of the world and ranks second in Africa. According to USAID and WHO estimates, more than a quarter of new TB patients in Nigeria are also HIV positive. Estimated annual incidence of TB in the country is 311/100,000. Despite these high levels of incidence, case detection of TB in Nigeria is a mere 30 per cent. “There are many reasons for the high incidence of TB and its poor detection ratios in Nigeria; however, chief among these is the fact that there exists a very low level of health service uptake, which is reinforced by the poor health seeking behaviour among the general populace. “Addressing this challenge requires a strategic community-based Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) intervention. This is premised on the belief that TB is spread mainly due to poor knowledge, which in turn influences the health seeking behaviour of the people. Hence, there is the need for continuous and sustained communication to motivate positive behavioural change, through a Peer Educators Training Programme�, she said in a release. According to her, “Against this background Agbami and Parties in collaboration with the Oyo State Government Tuberculosis Unit and Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP) is implementing a sustained awareness raising campaign on TB in Oyo East and Atiba Local Government Areas to reach 10,000 beneficiaries with information and services in TB prevention and control. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

36

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2017

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

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

Who is Afraid of Family Planning? Rebecca Ejifoma who carried out investigation on the use of family planning by Nigerian couples, reports that the overall acceptance is still below expectations in the country

N

igeria has made progress in improving the use of contraceptives over the past decades. However, there is room for improvement even in the face of longstanding myths and misconceptions concerning their use. First mother Women of all age groups have adduced different reasons to explaining their non-acceptance of contraceptives. Omonigo Onwuka is one of such. The 33-year-old mother of six has never believed in the use of modern contraceptives or family planning. Omonigo narrated a scary tale she heard on her first visit to Amuwo-Odofin Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) recently. “Waiting at the family planning unit, I got talking with a patient about the joy of motherhood among other things including family planning and what she said gave me the fright of my life. “She narrated how her younger sister, who used the Implant, had a nasty experience that almost resulted in being infertile and even losing her life in the process. She spoke in such a pathetic way that I developed goose bumps. Ever since, I have had fear about contraceptive devices. My husband is not even aware I went there.” After six successful pregnancies, Omonigo is not on any family planning method because she is yet to decide which of the contraceptives to adopt. “I’m still scared,” she confessed. Her children have just a year difference in age and could pass for twins and triplets. But this was as a result of her thirst for a male. “I have never gone for family planning before because I wanted to still have more children, two boys at least. But it didn’t happen. Now I have five girls and a boy – the fifth child. So, I’ll just continue with my life that way.” Sadly, Omonigo is not among the 15 per cent of women in Nigeria using any form of contraceptives for limiting and spacing birth, as reported by World Bank Collection, World Health Organisation and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Second mother But Chinaza Ibeneme, a mother of three is part of the statistics. Chinasa – whose children are aged six, four and two – shares her experience. “I had my first child in 2011. And the age gap between them is two years. Actually, I didn’t use any contraceptive after my first child, a girl. I noticed that my body was different. Whenever I was breastfeeding, I don’t take in,” she explained. But Chinaza, a Human Resources Practitioner and Masters degree holder, later discovered she was pregnant even while breastfeeding her second child. “I didn’t know I was pregnant until I fell ill. I went to my doctor, who advised a pregnancy test. I was so sure that I could not be pregnant and that I had malaria. So, he advised that I took malaria and pregnancy tests. To my surprise, I was pregnant.” The lesson from the third pregnancy prepared her for the next one. “I didn’t want to take chances again. I went for family planning but the provider insisted my husband be present. According to the provider, they had encountered problems in the past after giving family planning methods to women without their husbands’ consents. “I’m currently on the injectable method called Sayana Press as the provider recommended. I take it every three months. The doctor asked me if I still wanted to have another baby. I said yes, but not now.” Although some people have complained about weight gain as a result of some contraceptives, Chinasa debunked the myth. “It is not true. If you control your cravings, you will be fine. When I started, I observed that I craved to eat more. But I met a friend, who told me I could control it. She had been on it for three years. My weight has been 60 kg in the last three years.” Today, Chinasa is an advocate for family

Ruth and her children

planning. “I did family planning at the Amuwo Odofin PHC and I don’t regret it. The provider was so nice to us. He enlightened us step by step. I even recommend it to my friends.” Third mother But Ijeoma Okoro, a career woman, believes use of contraceptives is against her maternal lineage. And whoever uses it in her extended family experiences continuous miscarriage. “Actually, it’s a family thing. My mum had three children then went for family planning just to delay child birth. That was 26 years ago. So, she visited the general hospital in Abuja. I don’t know if they carried out any test on her as done these days. The providers did Inter-Urine Device (IUD) for her. But she still got pregnant. So because our background does not permit abortion, she kept the pregnancy,” she told THISDAY. She continued that her “mum went for implant after the fourth child. It lasted for three years. That was where the troubles began. Every pregnancy she had afterwards resulted in miscarriage. She got frustrated and ruled out her mind on children.” According to Ijeoma, who is in her late 20s, when it was time for her to go for family planning after her first child, her mother vehemently declined. “My mother refused when she heard I was about to do it. Hence, Ijeoma’s first child is just months old and she is heavily pregnant with her second child. “My first child is months old. Because of my medical condition, my gynaecologist advised me to take in every year. I’m not using any form of contraceptives. We just need the space between the children to be a year plus. My husband and I are okay with it.” Sadly, the UNFPA has said that about 20 million Nigerian women have no access to safe effective family planning services. The organisation says fulfilling the unmet demand for FP in Nigeria will avert 750,000 unintended pregnancies and reduce one-third of the estimated over 40,000 annual maternal mortality. This is also backed up by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), which disclosed that the current CPR (2013) for family planning is 15 per cent and the modern CPR is 10 per cent; however, relatively little progress has been made over the past five years. The goal is to increase CPR to 36 per cent by 2018; this target was announced at the London Family Planning Summit (2012). 400,000 infant and 700,000 child deaths will be averted by achieving the CPR goal. 1.6 million unintended pregnancies will be averted by achieving the

CPR goal. Approximately US$600 million is needed to achieve Nigeria’s FP goals. A family planning expert and member of Public Health Sustainable Advocacy Initiative, Mrs. Abiola Olabisi Adekoya, backed this up: “The uptake of family planning in Nigeria is very low. Right now, it is 15 per cent, and we are saying by 2018, we should reach 36 per cent. In Lagos, we are clamouring for 74 per cent. Right now we are at 48 per cent. And 2018 is almost here.” Adekoya, however, decried that consumables was the challenge in Nigeria. “Although government is trying, it needs to put more effort. Even development partners are trying. But if the development partner comes and goes, what do we do?” She further described one of the biggest reasons for non-adoption of family planning as lack of knowledge about the various available options combined with misconceptions about the use of contraceptives. Although Nigeria Family Planning Blueprint of October 2014 compiled by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) shows that to date out of the 36 states, only Lagos has officially disbursed budget monies directly for family planning services. Accordingly, the State Team Leader for Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI), Dr. Edun Omasanjuwa, said in the last couple of years, there hasn’t been an increase in the health budget. “And there hasn’t been an increase in the family planning reproductive health component of the budget. So, one thing that will really fast track the increase to access of FP services would be to increase at least the minimum of RH FP component of the health budget for Lagos State.” In line with this, State Team Leader Kaduna, Nigerian Urban and Reproductive Health Initiative,” Mr. Kabir Abdulahi, blamed myths and misconceptions as responsible for the poor statistics. Findings from PHCs– Amuwo, Isolo and Igando– in Lagos State, showed that FP units do not operate under the same standard and do not break protocols. A visit to the Amuwo PHC on 41 Road Festac Town on a Friday was instructive. The family planning provider was not too helpful. “Come back next Thursday by 8.00a.m. or 9.00a.m,”she said. THISDAY went undercover on a Friday as a nursing mother to Isolo PHC. Inside the dilapidated building, a woman dressed in pale brown instructed that the client should return on Tuesday or Wednesday for the services. Her excuse was that the family planning provider was on leave. “He will resume on Tuesday. So,

come by 12.00p.m., we will tell you everything you need to know.” Efforts to obtain more information proved abortive. As it was only on Thursdays (at Amuwo) or Tuesdays and Wednesdays (at Isolo) that family planning care and services could be obtained. THISDAY, also, visited Igando PHC on Akesan Street on a Monday. She disguised as a new bride in the vicinity, and met with three staff including two women at the family planning department. They chorused: “The provider is not on seat. Come back tomorrow by 12p.m.’’ One of the women said: “This must be your first time. When you come tomorrow, we will know if you are on or not before we do anything for you.” The bottom line is that at the PHCs, there are delays at the point of service. They also do not operate long enough. The current Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) for Nigeria is 16 per cent while next year target is 36 per cent in line with the global movement on FP 2020. This aims to enable 120 million women and girls have informed choice and access to family planning information and various modern contraceptive methods. The Maternal and Child Mortality Reduction Programme in Lagos, according to Head Nurse and FP provider, Okokomaiko PHC, Mrs. Mifirinso Kent recognises the role family planning plays in improving the health of women and children throughout the state as paramount. She told THISDAY during a visit: “We have administered over 15 injectables among other contraceptives since we were given this place. We have donors providing the commodities. We ensure they get contraceptives whenever they come for antenatal or immunisation.” Kent asked for more consumables. “Some of the women appreciate us with N100 at most. We got N900 in total and bought some bowls and disinfectants. We hope the contraceptives will always be available.” According to the National Demographic and Health Surveys (NDHS) 2013, only 9.8 per cent of married women use modern contraception. This figure has remained static in the last five years. The NDHS listed some reasons women eschew contraception as: concerns about health risks or side effects, opposition to use, either by the woman or her partner, for personal or religious reasons; perception that they would not get pregnant because they had sex infrequently, had postpartum amenorrhea, or were breastfeeding; lack of knowledge about methods of contraception or where they could get them and inability to obtain or afford contraceptives. Fourth mother Ruth Chijioke, a 33-year- old mother of three boys told THISDAY that more awareness is needed if Lagos intends to reach the 2018 target of 74 per cent. “I had mixed feelings about using any of the methods. But I’m not done with childbearing. I love to have one more children.” Ruth had her first child at age 25. Her children are aged eight, seven and three. “I have used contraceptives before for spacing. I used pills first then retired for condoms. The reason I stopped pills was that I was no longer comfortable with it. Most times, I unintentionally skipped my dose.” Ruth holds firmly to faith that the next child would be a girl. “Another boy? Hopefully not!” She exclaimed. “With the help of doctors’ chart and prayers, as my God has told me to ask and it shall be unto my request, I don’t believe it will be otherwise. By three months, the ultrasound will show it. And by choice, I can do DNC.” But experts say the misconceptions about family planning are borne out of ignorance about its benefits. Kabir said: “People don’t even understand that the health of the woman is very critical for the survival of the family and also their viability. It affects the family as well as the society.”

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2017

NEWS

2018 Budget: PHC Practitioners Decry Poor Allocation, Neglect of Health Sector Say 3.9% far below WHO, AU threshold of 15% Senator Iroegbu in Abuja The Primary Health Care (PHC) Practitioners in the country have described as abysmal the 2018 budgetary allocation of 3.6 per cent to the health sector. To this end, the professionals under the National Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria (NACHPN), warned that the Ministry of Health’s Community Health Influencers, Promoters and Services (CHIPS) would become a pipe dream with such a poor funding. The National President of

NACHPN, Comrade Okechukwu Akor, stated this recently in Abuja at a press conference tagged: ‘The 2018 Budget Proposal and the Health Sector- Consolidation or Consolation?’ organised in collaboration with the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH). Akor while commending the government and President Muhammadu Buhari for early presentation of the budget tagged ‘Budget of Consolidation’, however, expressed doubt “if the government is committed to consolidation in the health-

care system.” He noted that while as a reflection of the overall budgetary increase over that of 2017, the health budget witnessed a nominal 14 per cent increase but a drop in percentage ratio far below the African Union (AU) and World Health Organisation (WHO) standard of 15 per cent. He said: “We found that while the overall National Budget of Nigeria has grown by 92 per cent from N4.49 trillion in 2015 to N8.61 trillion in 2018, the same cannot be said of the Health Budget. The health budget has only grown by

small- 14 per cent. The prosperity of the country reflected in the growth of the national budget has unfortunately not yet been fully felt in the health sector. “But there is a bigger problem. This problem is that 2018 health budget as a proportion of total budget is only 3.9 per cent. This is the lowest share of national budget allocated to the health sector in recent times.” Akor noted that in 2015, the health sector budget is 5.7 per cent of the total national budget but has dramatically reduced to 3.9 per cent, which is a short fall of about two per cent.

He however, stressed that it is not all bad news from the 2018 budget as it contains a lot of important new activities attracting good funding. But he still insisted the budget was not good enough especially for the Primary Healthcare System, reminding that in 2001, Nigeria signed a document in Abuja, “called the Abuja Declaration together with other African leaders, which promised to allocate not less than 15 per cent of total budget to health. “The 3.9 per cent share of total budget proposal for health in the NASS in Abuja is not in

fulfillment of the Abuja Declaration. This is not food enough for the health of Nigerians. “Does the 2018 budget provide enough resources to consolidate the good work of the primary healthcare providers working within the policy of Primary Health Care Under One Roof? Will this budget enable the Minister of Health to keep his promise of revitalising 10, 000 PHCs? No, it is more like the health sector is a runner up in this budget taking consolation prize and not consolidating anything,” Akor added.

Bauchi Records 507 Cases of Measles Outbreak Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi No fewer than 507 suspected cases of measles have been recorded in Bauchi State from January to October 2017. This was disclosed recently by Measles Consultant with World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Bezu Bashir, while speaking at a sensitisation meeting with the media and MDA’s in preparation for the 2017 measles vaccination campaign organised by Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (PHCDA). According to him, out of the 507 suspected cases reported, 56 were positive while 162 specimen were collected, adding that they had outbreak of measles disease in 12 local government areas in the state this year. The local governments without outbreaks are Bogoro, Dass, Katagum, Kirfi, Shira, Ningi, TafawaBalewa and Toro while Gamawa, Ganjuwa, ItasGadau , Giade, Misau, Kirfi, Shira, Ningi, and Toro recorded outbreak. He said 95 per cent of all children between ages of 9-59 months are expected to be immunised at national level at this year measles campaign

while the state is expected to achieve 97 per cent and local government is to cover 98 per cent and 100 per cent are expected to be achieve at ward level. Bashir, who said measles diseases was one of the contagious diseases which can be prevented by ensuring that all children are immunised added that measles affects all age group especially under five. He said, “measles occur in children 2-5 years interval and the vaccine programme is key intervention to reduce measles outbreak.” Speaking earlier, the state Immunisation Officer of Primary Health Care Development Agency, Bakoji Ahmed, said about 1.7 million under the age of five are expected to be immunised in the state in 2017. He said the phase 1 of the programme would commence from November 30 to December 5, 2017 while the second phase comes up on December 7 to December 12, 2017. Bakoji called on all parents to immunise their children saying vaccination against measles reduce mortality of infant under five years.

Stimuno Commemorates Pain Free Day in Onitsha Major Pain killer Company, DexaMedica makers of Boska brand recently, conducted another wave of its Pain Free Day initiative at Onitsha where they also introduced another superior quality brand called Stimuno. According to the Brand Executive, Boska, Uche Aghado, Stimuno brand is a unique immune booster that helps the body fight against infections and diseases. “It is a recommended brand for everyone both healthy and unhealthy for the total maintenance of the body system. The body immune system can be affected by several factors such as inadequate sleep, extreme weather change, pollutions, toxins, unbalanced diet, lack of exercise, insufficient water intake and as such needs to be kept strong. “Following the trend of lifestyle in Nigeria today,

DexaMedica decided to leverage the Pain Free Day event to connect with consumers as there is no better time to introduce consumers to the #1 brand (Stimuno) that can keep them safe from infections and diseases, thereby helping them to save up funds that would have been used for hospital treatment should they fall sick.” He said the team provided the opportunity for consumers to see health experts who gave full range of health services for free, including drugs for eye, ear and nose defects. “We remain firm in our commitment to improving consumer’s health because health is an important part of one’s life and should be taken seriously. DexaMedica (Boska) will continue to improve consumers “lives with superior and quality product,” Aghado said.

L- R: Stimuno Brand Ambassador, Mariam Alabi; one the beneficiaries from Elepe community; and Brand Ambassador, Stimuno, Precious Agboola, during the Commemoration of Pain Free Day, organised by Boska in Onitsha recently

Organ Harvesting: ‘Beam NNMEP: Despite Reduction in Searchlight onYour Members’, Malaria Prevalence, 30 Children NAPTIP Urges NMA Still Die Every Hour Alex Enumah in Abuja As reported cases of organ harvesting continue to be on the increase, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has called on the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to beam its searchlight on activities of its members, noting that removal of organs for transplant can only be done by professionals in the medical profession. Director-General, NAPTIP, Julie Okah-Donli, who gave the charge at a media briefing in Abuja, expressed worry that the incident of organ harvesting which is closely connected to human trafficking has become a booming business on a global scale in today’s world. Okah-Donli said trafficking for sexual and labour purposes is no longer attractive to traffickers hence they turn to organ harvesting. She therefore called on all concerned Nigerians to join the agency in the fight against human trafficking and other organised transnational crimes. While remarking that NAPTIP was in concerted efforts with the Police and other sister agencies to ensure that culprits

were brought to book so as to discourage others, she called on the medical association to begin the monitoring of its members, noting that removal of organs from people can only be done by medical doctors. “Illegal organ harvesting and trafficking have become another business venture whereby organs of victims of human trafficking are harvested unwillingly and sold. Trafficking for sexual and labour purposes seem no longer a quick money-making venture for the traffickers who are not ready to wait for years for their “Investments” to yield desired results”, she said. “Consequently, I have directed the investigation Department to liaise with the Nigerian Police Force anytime there is a reported case of ritual murder to ensure that it is not a case of illegal harvesting of organs. “We are aware that removing of organs for transplant can only be done by professionals in the medical profession. I therefore, call on members of the Nigerian Medical Association to do a soul-search concerning their members’ involvement in such dastardly activities,” she said.

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The National Malaria Eradication Programme (NMEP) has lamented that despite the reduction in malaria prevalence in the country, it said malaria remains a leading cause of death of under-five children, saying about 30 children die every hour. The National Coordinator, NMEP, Dr. Audu Muhammed, revealed this in Abuja at the fourth quarter media chat aimed at informing the public through the media on the importance of a stronger partnership between the private sector and NMEP towards sustaining continuous access to ACT. He said though as challenging as elimination of malaria could be, the federal Ministry of Health through NMEP and her RBM partnership have made some progress towards elimination of malaria in the country. Muhammed stated: “it is indeed sad to note that malaria is still a leading cause of death for under-five children in Nigeria, snuff-

ing out the lives of about 30 children every one hour and rendering a substantial number of them incapable of effective learning. However, today we have good results on reduction of prevalence. “In this year, over 8.4 million Long Last Insecticide Nets (LLINs) have been distributed in three states (Kogi, Edo and Osun) while a total of 105 million LLINs have been distributed so far. “Consequently, the prevalence of malaria has reduced from 42 per cent to 27 per cent (MIS 2015). The National Insecticide Resistance Management (IRM) plan has been finalised, it is meant to guide the country’s decision on malaria management in the future. “A total of 130 million doses of ACT were distributed in 2016 whereas 25.4 million were dispensed to the private sector as at October, 2017 for treatment of malaria. Also, malaria preventive measure through seasonal malaria chemo- prevention was carried out in the sub Sahel regions of the country,” Muhammed noted.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2017

38

HEALTH HEALTH

SOGON’s Logon to Yobe’s Healthcare Marks Gaidam Out Abdullahi Bego In Sokoto today, the Society of Obstetrics and Gynecologists of Nigeria (SOGON), which is holding its annual meeting there, will confer an award on Governor Ibrahim Gaidam for the progress that Yobe has made in maternal, newborn and childcare. There are many reasons why this award is significant. First, although data has shown a global decrease in the ratio of maternal deaths from 380 per 1, 000 live births to 210 per 1, 000 livebirths from 1990 to 2013, maternal and child health is still a concern, especially in Northern Nigeria which had some of the most dismal maternal and child mortality and morbidity statistics. Cultural factors may have something to do with this but across vast swathes of the region, healthcare infrastructure and investments have yet to measure up. Second, in the North-east where Yobe State is located, years of Boko Haram’s ruthless insurgency has hit women and children with particular ferocity. They are often the worst affected when tragedy struck, and they are likelier than most to shoulder the burden when a Boko Haram attack displaces a community, say, or when family heads were felled down by Boko Haram bullets. These and other factors have made it harder to rein in those disturbing maternal and child health statistics. And although it is difficult to quantify, the costs to lives and livelihoods are better imagined. But thanks to the effort of the Gaidam administration, a better picture is emerging across Yobe State. Incentives and investments now ensure that more women and children are reporting in hospitals and clinics for medical care and routine checkups. The government’s free drug policy for pregnant women and children from zero to five years has eased the burden on many families struggling to make ends meet and has improved childbirth survival rates. More women are now better poised to contribute to the economies of their individual families and children to enroll and remain in school because of improved health statuses. The Gaidam administration has also made significant leaps in immunisation and the effort to roll back vaccine-preventable diseases, such as polio, measles, tuberculosis, tetanus, diphtheria, etc. Working with local and international partner organisations, the Yobe State Government has improved overall vaccine coverage in communities across the state. For more than three years because of these efforts, there is not a single case of polio reported anywhere in the state. In video conference meetings held in Dama-

Gaidam

turu and Kano during the year, both co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates and Chairman of Dangote Foundation, Aliko Dangote, who are some of Yobe’s partners in immunisation and child health, have commended Governor Gaidam and the Yobe State Government for their demonstrable commitment to rooting out polio and other child killer diseases. When he starts to enjoy the rest that he so richly deserves after an eventful two terms in office by May 2019, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam can look back to the accomplishments of his administration with great pride. The governor’s dedicated effort has led to the largest healthcare investments in Yobe’s 26-year old history. The state now boasts of one of the best teaching hospitals in the country. With some of the best medical equipment of any government hospital and hundreds of

well-trained professionals, the Yobe University Teaching Hospital (YSUTH) is on course to curb medical tourism and make Yobe the healthcare hub of the North-east. Across the state, too, Governor Gaidam is making healthcare more accessible to the people by embarking on the reconstruction and expansion of at least six General Hospitals in the towns of Damagum, Potiskum, Jakusko, Gashu’a, Gaidam and Dapchi. Some of these hospitals had never been subjected to any major renovation or upgrade since they were established in the 1970’s. In addition to the ones already provided with new medical equipment, the Gaidam administration has approved hundreds of millions of naira to equip the three major hospitals in Gashu’a, Gaidam and Potiskum as reconstruction, renovation and expansion works are completed. Already the three

hospitals have started taking deliveries of these state-of-the-art equipment. The governor has also upgraded the State Specialists Hospital, Damaturu from a 150-bed capacity hospital to a nearly 400-bed capacity hospital. The significant uptick in outpatient visits to around 28, 000 per month since January 2017 at the Specialists Hospital is indicative of the progress in patient care. Governor Gaidam has also recorded a first by establishing a College of Medical Sciences at the Yobe State University. While some had greeted the idea of the medical college with some skepticism when it was first mooted over three years ago, the governor has convinced the Doubting Thomases and Tanimus that he really meant business. As construction of the medical college complex is completed and equipment and furniture ordered, Yobe is set to begin the training of its own indigenous corps of medical doctors and professionals. There is no question that the returns on this investment will be significant and far reaching. In the medium to long term, for instance, Yobe will have no need to recruit medical personnel from outside the country. Right now, as part of the governor’s effort to make sure that all major hospitals have doctors, nurses and other professionals available to patients, about 18 doctors were recruited from the Republic of Egypt. Over 400 other doctors and professionals from across the country were recruited recently as YSUTH began to roll out clinical services. All told, Governor Gaidam will go down in history as the leader who has modernised and prioritised Yobe’s healthcare sector above anyone else and directly impacted the lives of the people for many years to come. It is also fitting that the governor can achieve this while doing remarkably well in other areas as well. Under Gaidam’s watch, for example, the Yobe State Government has always paid the salaries of its workers and the pensions and gratuities of its retirees without fail. It has built nearly 1, 200 kilometres of road. It has rebuilt and rehabilitated many primary and secondary schools, after many of them were razed or vandalised by Boko Haram insurgents. It has set up new irrigation schemes in the Nguru Lake area and in Boloram and Mugura Garin Gada, and it has improved access to clean, potable water across the state. These and other interventions of the Gaidam administration are clear markers of progress and they are certainly the reason that SOGON is logging in from the Seat of the Caliphate today to give credit where credit is deserved. r #FHP JT (PWFSOPS (BJEBN T TQPLFTNBO BOE XSJUFT GSPN %BNBUVSV

Izunaso: 25 Million Persons Live with Disabilities Bauchi Expends N16.8m on Maternal and Child in Nigeria Week Kuni Tyessi in Abuja The senator representing Imo West and Orlu senatorial zone of Imo State, Senator Osita Izunaso, has revealed that over 25 million people live with different types of physical disabilities in Nigeria and as such, there is the need for inclusiveness of such persons in the nation’s constitution. Izunaso who is also the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Kpakpando Foundation revealed this in Abuja on the 12th anniversary of the Kpakpando Foundation for persons with disabilities and with the theme ‘Disability, inclusive development, entrepreneurship and self employment’. He said some state governors have seen the zeal and importance of such persons and have keyed into the vision

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi of establishing a commission which will cater for their needs, adding that several of them are better and have excelled where those without disabilities have been unable to excel, thereby calling on other governors to key into the vision. He said: “There has to be inclusiveness of persons living with disability in the Nigerian constitution because they contribute to the socioeconomic and political growth of the country. “Private sector should be encouraged to have persons living with disabilities as their employees as many of them have proven to be more qualified that many without physical challenges. “The National Assembly has already passed a bill on persons with disabilities after

recognising their contributions as members of the electorate who vote and can be voted for. We shall also engage INEC to make provision for them in the constitution which should stipulate that they can vote from their houses and so do not need to come out. Special cards and others can be made for them. They should also be made to vie for positions in politics and should not be made to pay for the buying of forms,”he added. The foundation was established against the backdrop of the multifarious problems encountered by Nigerian citizens living with disabilities and the foundation has embarked on championing the cause of the growing needs of the teeming number of persons with disability across the nation.

Bauchi State Government has earmarked the sum of N16.8 million for the 2017 second round of Maternal Neonatal Child Health Week (MNCH) in the state.\ This was to disclosed by the Executive Chairman of Bauchi State Primary HealthCare Development Agency (BSPHCDA), Mr Adamu Gamawa Thursday while briefing newsmen in Bauchi. Gamawa said that the exercise would be conducted in 646 facilities across the 323 wards in the state targeted towards 1,351,025 under five children and 341,059 pregnant mothers. The Chairman that the interventions said it includes Vitamin A, Iron and Fesolate, counselling on HIV/AIDS, Nutritional screening and referral on nutrition, Malaria

drugs among others. According to him, “The services will be provided free in 646 facilities, that is, two facilities per ward and it will last for five days starting from 20th to 24th November. Supports were received from partners such as United Nations for Children Fund (UNICEF) provided 996,500 doses of vitamin A, World Health Organization gave technical support, Plan International HC3 and Helen Keller international also supported in social mobilization” . Gamawa also commended other line Ministries in the state for their support towards discharging such exercise that would impact on public health. Flagging-off the second round of the 2017 Maternal, New-Born and Child Health Week on Tuesday, at Town Maternity Bayan Fada, wife of the state governor, Hajiya

Hadiza Abubakar expressed concern over the high rates of maternal and child morbidity and mortality in the North East. Hajia Abubakar who was represented by the wife of Deputy Governor, Hajiya Fatima Nuhu Gidado, said the five days dedicated to celebrate the MNCH week, was part of the present administration’s efforts to improve maternal, new-born and child health in the state. According to her, the 5-point health agenda of Governor Mohammed Abubakar is to ensure quality health care delivery services for the citizens of the state particularly women and children. She thereby called for collective efforts in reducing maternal and child mortality in the state and the country at large and appealed to parents and wards to take their children to health facilities for MNCH week.

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017

HEALTH

Augustine: Legislation Will Encourage Diabetes Screening in Nigeria Usifo Augustine is the Head of Marketing, Biofem Pharmaceuticals. In this interview with Martins Ifijeh, he said diabetes can be tackled through healthy lifestyle, routine screening and effective treatment plan. He also touched on the need for legislations as a tool to encouraging screening any other disease burden globally. Awareness will help people prevent factors that will predispose them to the disease. Once you are diabetic, it is as if you have signed a lifetime marriage to diabetes. For us in Biofem, we have, in conjunction with our South Korea partners, been able to secure a unique and smart blood glucose machine called CodeFree. This will be used for free mass screening in designated centres in Lagos. The centres are Computer Village Ikeja, Trade Fair, Lagos Island and Ikotun. We are not only planning to screen 10,000 Lagosians with Codefree device, we also plan to educate them through our health professionals. This is part of the support we have been doing on diabetes for the past 15 years. Apart from the fact that November 14th marks World Diabetes Day, it was also our Managing Director, Mr. Femi Somerekun’s birthday.

What are the risk factors involved in diabetes? Diabetes can either be gotten from genetic predisposition or environmental factor. The later deals with issues of lifestyle, dietary considerations, among others. Age is a risk factor; once people get to age 40, the possibility of coming down with diabetes increases. Another thing is obesity, especially abdominal obesity, which is often noticed in males compared to women. There is also gestational diabetes. There are some women who come down with high blood glucose during pregnancy. Even if such women deliver and the blood glucose comes back to normal, the fact that she even came down with it at all is enough reason for her to be careful in future. It means she is at risk of having diabetes later in life. Intake of alcohol and smoking are all risk factors. Sedentary lifestyle is also a factor. We believe when every Nigerian is aware of these risk factors, they will know what to do or avoid in order to prevent it. How can awareness be raised to tackle diabetes? While we have been accustomed to the traditional ways of creating awareness, there are several emerging platforms that can help. For instance, look at the last general election, and how social media platforms were used. Technology is now a very strong tool used by both the young and the workforce. It is important to use a diverse means to create awareness. Let there be legislation also on this. We need legislation to encourage diabetes screening in Nigeria. With legislation, every Nigerian will be aware that it is a national issue, otherwise diabetes will not only be epidemic, it will become pandemic. What are the symptoms of diabetes? In diabetes, the body is unable to handle blood glucose load properly because it either lacks insulin or the insulin in the body is not working 100 per cent. This means glucose (which is energy) is unable to go into the body cells, thereby causing energy deficit. It is important to understand diabetes from this angle. Once there is energy deficit, all the symptoms observed fall in line. If the body can’t handle glucose properly, it means it will be in the blood as it can’t go into the body cells. This will cause the person to urinate frequently leading to dehydration. This sequence happens because the large volume of glucose need to leave the body, and as it does that through urine, it carries along with it water. Then because the urine is heavy with glucose, it will encourage infection to grow. You find out that people with diabetes also have infection. Since the body is unable to utilise glucose, you will also find out that the person will be weak and always hungry.

Does Biofem support research and development in areas of tackling diabetes? We support researches and studies in our area of bias. Though we also make our researches, that has helped us in making internal decisions.

Augustine

Diabetes affects different organs negatively, like the eyes, kidney, nerves, and so on. For some people, they may begin to have niddle like feel and numbness in their extremities. That is why when such people get injuries, they may hardly feel pain, and may have poor wound healing. Foot ulcer is a complication that can arise as well. The ulcer may be so bad that the leg would have to be amputated. Diabetes can also affect the heart and the brain. How can Nigerians prevent this? The first thing for every one is to know whether they are genetically predisposed to it or not. Which ever way, it is advisable to live a healthy lifestyle. Routine and regular checks are very important, that way it can be niched in the bud if there is a possibility of it. We should check the kind of food we eat. The mistake most people make is that they think the type of food diabetics eat must be different from what others eat. What diabetics eat is ideally what everyone should eat. The nutrient and size of food must be apt. We have to make sure we eat complex carbohydrate, which means the body will take time to gently break it down. We should avoid refined food which contains simple sugars which immediately shoots up simple sugar. We should eat lots of vegetables and fruits. Giving up smoking and reducing alcohol intake is a way of preventing it. This reduces the work the liver does. Don’t forget the liver is the grave yard of the body, such that every

chemical and poison are worked on in the liver. The liver is a very robust organ of the body, but it must not be overworked, otherwise diseases like diabetes can surface. We should stop sedentary lifestyle. Our schools should encourage play grounds. Work places should be structured in a way that people can move around or exercise. Now we are even beginning to see adult onset diabetes in young people because of obesity. Most of the things we do now are automated. Farming and other lifestyles were helping our health in the past, but we have left them. Another important thing is for us to cultivate the habit of routine medical checkups. It should be done at least once a year. Why is Biofem championing causes on diabetes awareness? We plan to screen and educate over 20,000 Nigerians on diabetes. This is part of our efforts to commemorate this year’s World Diabetes Day which is on the 14th November 2017. We are creating awareness on diabetes because the government’s body language seems to favour more of communicable disease, more and we feel that diabetes is a very serious disease that is killing us underneath. Our government often sponsors programmes on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and the likes, but if you look keenly, you will discover that non communicable diseases are killing people more. Diabetes is the leading cause of death globally. As at 2015, diabetes caused about five million deaths all over the world, which is higher than

Is it treatable? As of now diabetes can’t be cured, but can be managed to the point that diabetics can live normal lives. There are quality drugs that help in managing it in addition to lifestyle. We recommend that diabetics always go through their doctors and pharmacists for treatment. They should not self medicate. For us, we are partnering with Merck from Germany and we distribute one of the leading anti-diabetic drug in the world. We have also taken time to ensure we also get the best of products from very competent partners across the globe. At the end of the day, what is more important for us is the quality of drugs. So diabetics should go for quality drugs. Diabetes drugs are still expensive in the country, especially for poor Nigerians. How can we tackle this? It is unfortunate that the trunk of the drugs we use in Nigeria are imported, when produced here, it will come with many benefits. We know the government is trying in the area of ease of doing business, but we are still lagging behind in getting some of our partners to establish their factories in Nigeria. This will make our drugs cheaper. During the last recession, pharmaceutical companies were the worse hit. Some drugs went up to as high as 100 per cent. The country has a deficit of infrastructure. We will need time to close that gap. Let the cost of doing business improve just as we are championing ease of doing business.

What are the complications?

Ahmed Signs State Health Insurance Bill into Redcare Announced as Official Health Partner of Law with N200m Support Arm Pensions’ Marathon Race Hammed Shittu in Ilorin. Kwara State governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, has signed the State Health Insurance Agency Bill into law with a promise to support it with an initial N200 million. Speaking during the signing ceremony at Government House, Ilorin, he said the agency would operate with contributions from other sectors like the consolidated funds, grants from donors and other agencies. The governor said the State Health Insurance Agency is part of the govern-

ment’s commitment to human capital development noting that it has quality healthcare service and functional education as its main components. He stated that the agency is saddled with provision of qualitative, affordable and accessible healthcare delivery for all the people of the state adding that apart from the N200 million grant from the state government, the scheme will be funded with one per cent state consolidated fund, grants from donor agencies like World Bank and Pharm-Access. Premium, he said, wasa to be

paid by beneficiaries and other funds that may accrue to the agency from time to time saying insurance bill will be built on the existing Community Health Insurance Scheme which covers 10 local government areas of the state to provide a state-wide healthcare service to cater for separate categories of Kwarans and residents based on means testing. The governor said the agency will be sustainably used to develop healthcare service in the state beyond the existing levels with the hope that it will outlive the present administration.

Following successful collaborations with notable brands from various industries in recent times, Redcare Health Management Organisation (HMO) has been announced as the official health partner of the upcoming Run For The Future mini-marathon being hosted by ARM Pensions, one of Nigeria’s leading insurance companies. The announcement was made recently at the ARM Group Head Office in Ikoyi, Lagos, where Redcare representatives met with the organisers to discuss the activities lined

up for the occasion, slated for Saturday, 25th November, 2017. Now in its fifth edition, the event aims to create awareness on the importance of exercise and healthy living. This revelation, amongst others, is coming at a time whenRedcare consistently strives to fulfill the healthcare needs of its enrollees, partner healthcare providers and the communities it serves. Asides its numerous health fairs and exhibitions, the organisation is known for staging regular fitness competitions for its vast social media followers, especially Facebook, Twitter

and Instagram. Participants also stand to win special gifts from Redcare, including latest smartphones, custom-made health insurance plans and a wide range of exclusive items. Other partners of the event include Nestle and Lucozade. The ARM Pensions fifth edition of the “Run for the Future” event, according to the organisers, is a run/walk aimed at creating awareness amongst its clients and the general public on the need to engage in exercise as medicine against several diseases

40

T H I S D AY ˞ ˜ NOVEMEBER 23, 2017

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

AfDB: DBN’s Role in MSMEs Sector Extremely Important to Us Ndubuisi Francis Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Udora Orizu Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË The African Development Bank (AfDB) has stated that the role of the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) in the micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs) sector was extremely important to the pan-African bank. AfDB Vice President, Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialisation, Pierre Guislain said the pan-African bank was a founding partner of the DBN as well as one of the lenders to the bank, noting that the newly-established wholesale finance institution started off well. He added that its role in the MSMEs sector in Nigeria was considered extremely important by the AfDB. Guislain, who paid a courtesy call on the DBN headquarters in Abuja, said: “The overall strategy

of the African Development Bank is something that we want to support as much as we can. It’s much more effective for us to support micro, small and medium enterprises through local institutions. DBN is a new institution and we are one of the parents so it’s off to a very good start. “The start has been excellent and we are looking forward to processes that require for all of us to tie loose ends .It’s good that DBN has started lending operations and it feels there’s a critical need in Nigeria to support SMEs in a very effective manner. In supporting DBN, first of all, we have created the institution; we helped set it up. Secondly, we invested over $50 million in equity and about $450 million in loans. It’s a very big commitment and on the loan part it will be continued

as planned,� Guislain said. In his remarks while welcoming the AfDB chief, the Chairman, Development Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Shehu Yahaya said that DBN had begun lending activities with three micro finance institutions, including LAPO, FORTIS, NPF, adding that other financial institutions as well as commercial banks would be involved. He said: “The federal government of Nigeria in close partnership with international development finance institutions such as the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group established the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) to provide sustainable financing through eligible participating financial institutions (PFIs) for on-lending to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) for the development of that segment.�

Broad street

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

ABINBEV Restates Commitment to Nigeria with $250m Investment

Broad Money (M2)

21,851,454.31

-- Narrow Money (M1)

9,890,813.10

Nume Ekeghe

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,523,239.91

---- Demand Deposits

8,367,573.19

-- Quasi Money

11,960,641.22

As part of efforts to increase its market share,ABINBEV, one of the world’s largest brewer has merged three of its subsidiaries and has also injected over $250 million into building second largest brewery plant in Africa. The company announced the merger of International Breweries, Intafact beverages limited and Pabod Breweries, stating that the business combination strategy would enable it expand, access new markets, access cheaper funds, reduce cost and enhance its operational efficiencies. Presently, International Breweries, which is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, has1.5 million hectolitres capacity, while

Intafact beverages based in Onitsha has a capacity of 2.7 million hectoliter. Pabod Breweries in Port Harcourt has 1.5 million hectolitres capacity. Speaking yesterday at a media briefing, the Managing Director Designate, International Breweries Plc, Mrs. Annabelle Degroot said: “We are committed to long term investment in Nigeria. So, the business here is on the spotlight on ABINBEV global corporation who believes there is a lot of opportunity just as many companies do believe in Nigeria. “Already, we are investing in 4th and large brewery outside Lagos in Shagamu that would come online next year, and it is our largest brewery in Africa outside of South Africa.

“That shows the commitment of the group to the country and the level of investment which for that brewery is over $250 million.� Speaking further on the merger, Degroot said: “We have decided that running these three companies individually has not been as efficient as it can. “We have reached a size where it makes sense now for us to merge these companies together and act as one larger corporation to well in Nigeria. It is welcomed by the board of Intafact and the other two companies. “AbInbev would have the majority shareholding so we would have over 70 percent of the shares and all companies would merge into international breweries.�

Farmers Laud CBN for Reducing Rice Importation Segun Awofadeji Ă“Ă˜ Ă™Ă—ĂŒĂ? The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has extolled the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for drastically reducing the importation of rice, wheat and fish, thereby boosting local production of rice and other agricultural commodities. AFAN spoke Wednesday at their North-east zone meeting held in Gombe under the chairmanship of the National Vice President, Arable Crops, Auwal Tukur. They, however, called for timely release of loans and other agricultural inputs to farmers for more effective utilisation of the facilities as well as to facilitate timely repayment. The body also called on the

CBN to consider removing bank guarantee in order to frustrate the various state government officials’ control of the funds. AFAN said the difficulty in accessing insurance cover due to bureaucratic bottlenecks and procedural requirements was worrisome, and therefore called on NAIC to enlighten farmers on the processes involved. The north-east meeting also reinforced the appeal to the federal government to recapitalise the Bank of Agriculture in order to reflect CBN current efforts and also aid the funding of agricultural activities and diversification of the nations’ economy. The meeting commended the introduction of Acceler-

ated Agricultural Development Scheme (AADS), saying it would reduce youths’ restiveness, create jobs and reduce poverty. Farmers however agreed on the need to sensitise members to always payback their loans to facilitate the sustainability of the programme and the loans are revolving in nature. The meeting also agreed on the need to have a comprehensive database for all its members for proper identification. While urging the federal government to buy up excess grains from farmers at harvest season to increase their income, members called on AFAN to monitor inputs sold to farmers and report adulteration as AFAN must protect its members in all ramifications.

AUGUST 2017

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

9,732,990.89

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

12,118,463.42

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

26,821,446.81

---- Credit to Government (Net)

4,824,226.22

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

7,834,536.74

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

--3,010,310.52

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

21,997,220.59

--Other Assets Net

--14,702,983.39

Reserve Money (Base Money)

5,486,804.65

--Currency in Circulation

1,868,735.07

--Banks Reserves

3,268,266.17 Ëž Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă? Ě‹

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

August 2017

Inter-Bank Call Rate

22.63

Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

13.35

Savings Deposit Rate

4.08

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.86

3 Months Deposit Rate

10.14

6 Months Deposit Rate

11.51

12 Months Deposit Rate

11.40

Prime Lending rate

17.69

Maximum Lending Rate

31.20 Ëž Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂŁ ÙÖÓĂ?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ě‹ ͯ͹Ϲ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT TUESDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2017

The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $60.49 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $60.33 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

41

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°ÍąËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

MARKET NEWS

Nigerian Stock Exchange Bullish on Exchange Traded Derivatives Market Goddy Egene and Nosa Alekhuogie Nigeria will soon witness a robust Exchange Traded Derivatives (ETD) market that can support the growth of country’s ambitions, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has said. An ETD is a financial instrument whose value is based on the value of another asset, and that trades

on a regulated exchange. Futures and options are two of the most popular ETDs. The NSE is planning to launch its ETDs. Speaking at the a training seminar on the ‘Legal and Risk Aspects of Derivatives and Central Counterparty Clearing (CCP) Transactions, in Lagos, General Counsel and Head of Regulation at the NSE, Tinuade Awe said that Nigeria’s ETD initiative

will eventually develop into a robust market place that can support our growth ambitions as a nation, using South Africa as an example of Africa’s first derivative market. According to her, the concept of derivatives remains relatively novel in the Nigerian financial market space and has only been noticeable within the Over-The-Counter (OTC) segment of the market. She

explained that the frontiers of the Nigerian financial market is expected to grow exponentially due to enhanced liquidity arising from the development of new and intricate financial instruments. “Given the open and transparent financial market place the NSE offers to a wide range of domestic and international investors, it is expected that all participants

must have the commensurate capacity and knowledge-base to deal with the intricacies and the sometimes esoteric features of derivatives,� she said. Awe explained that the training is one of many designed by the NSE under its X-Academy, which is the learning center of the exchange. The X-Academy offers a wide range of courses

geared towards bridging the knowledge gap of investors, capital market operators and the general public about products and services of the capital market, whilst enhancing financial literacy and inclusion. This training seminar could not have come at a better time than now, particularly that the exchange is concluding plans to launch its ETDs,� she said.

PRICES FOR SECURITIES TRADED AS OF 22/11/2017

˜ ͺͻ˜ ͺ͸͹͵ ˾ T H I S D AY

42

Nigeria Daily Stock Market Report: dŚŝƐ ĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ /ŶĚĞdž ŵĂƌŐŝŶĂůůLJ ĂĚĚƐ ϮďƉƐ

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

dŚĞ dŚŝƐ ĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ /ŶĚĞdž ĂĚĚĞĚ ϮďƉƐ LJĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ ƚŽ ĐůŽƐĞ Ăƚ ϭ͕ϰϲϱ͘ϲϯ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ͘ zĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ͛Ɛ ŐĂŝŶ ǁĂƐ ƉƌŽƉƉĞĚ ƵƉ ďLJ ƉƌŝĐĞ ĂƉƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶƐ ŝŶ 'h Z Edz ;нϬ͘ϭйͿ͕ E/d, ;нϭ͘ϯйͿ͕ ŶĚ E ^d> ;нϯ͘ϭйͿ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĐƵŵƵůĂƟǀĞůLJ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ ϰϯ͘ϱй ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚĞdž͘ dŚĞ dŚŝƐ ĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ /ŶĚĞdž ŚĂƐ ƌĞƚƵƌŶĞĚ ϰϲ͘ϲй zd ͘

Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

Ticker

DĂƌŬĞƚ ůŽƐĞƐ &ůĂƫƐŚ͙ E^ ^/ ƵƉ ϮďƉƐ dŚĞ EŝŐĞƌŝĂŶ ĞƋƵŝƟĞƐ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ƚŚĞ ĚĂLJ ŶĞŐĂƟǀĞ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ůů ^ŚĂƌĞ /ŶĚĞdž ƐŚĞĚ ϱϮďƉƐ ƚŽ ƐĞƩůĞ Ăƚ ϯϲ͕ϲϬϬ͘Ϭϳ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ͖ ĂĐĐŽƌĚŝŶŐůLJ͕ zd ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ƌĞƚƌĞĂƚĞĚ ƚŽ ϯϲ͘Ϯй͘ WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ LJĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ ĐĂŶ ďĞ ůĂƌŐĞůLJ ĂƩƌŝďƵƚĞĚ ƚŽ ůŽƐƐĞƐ ŝŶ E/' Z/ E Z t Z/ ^ ;Ͳϯ͘ϯйͿ͕ E/d, ;Ͳϯ͘ϬйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ 'h Z Edz ;Ͳϭ͘ϰйͿ͘ Ɛ Ă ƌĞƐƵůƚ͕ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝnjĂƟŽŶ ĚĞĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ďLJ Eϲϳ͘ϬďŶ ƚŽ EϭϮ͘ϳƚŶ͘ EŽŶĞƚŚĞůĞƐƐ͕ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ůĞǀĞů ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ĂŶĚ ǀĂůƵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ŝŶĐŚĞĚ Ϯϯ͘ϲй ĂŶĚ ϯϰ͘ϯй ŚŝŐŚĞƌ ƚŽ Ϯϱϴŵ ƵŶŝƚƐ ĂŶĚ Eϯ͘ϯďŶ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ͘

P/E

P/BV

46.6%

46.6%

20.1%

6.3%

6.7x

0.7x

4.3%

11.7%

70.3%

70.3%

26.0%

4.3%

8.7x

2.2x

4.9%

11.4%

2

Nigerian Brew eries PLC

130.00

-3.0%

9.4%

-12.2%

-12.2%

18.9%

8.6%

32.0x

5.8x

2.8%

3.1%

24.55

1.3%

13.1%

66.4%

66.4%

21.7%

3.2%

4.9x

1.0x

8.2%

20.6%

230.00

0.0%

6.6%

32.2%

32.2%

30.4%

15.7%

15.9x

4.5x

3.7%

6.3%

3

Zenith Bank PLC

4

Dangote Cement PLC

5

Nestle Nigeria PLC

1,300.00

3.1%

7.1%

60.5%

60.5%

78.4%

19.0%

33.9x

22.4x

1.9%

3.0%

6

Access Bank PLC

9.76

0.2%

4.4%

66.3%

66.3%

15.1%

2.0%

3.9x

0.6x

6.7%

25.5%

7

United Bank for Africa PLC

9.75

1.0%

5.6%

116.7%

116.7%

17.2%

2.2%

4.3x

0.7x

7.7%

23.4%

6.90

-0.4%

4.6%

106.0%

106.0%

2.6%

0.3%

11.2x

16.50

-2.9%

2.9%

60.5%

60.5%

-14.6%

-1.3%

50.00

0.0%

1.9%

29.0%

29.0%

47.1%

9.8%

490.00

0.0%

1.8%

29.0%

29.0%

-12.4%

-6.7%

Lafarge Africa PLC

Yϯ ƐƚĂŶĚĂůŽŶĞ ǁĂƐ ůĂƌŐĞůLJ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵƉĂŶLJ ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ŵĂũŽƌ ůŝŶĞ ŝƚĞŵƐ͘ 'ƌŽƐƐ ƌĞǀĞŶƵĞ ŐƌĞǁ Ϯϯ͘ϳй YͲŽͲY ƚŽ EϮϱ͘ϯďŶ ;ĨƌŽŵ ϮϬ͘ϰďŶ ŝŶ YϮ͗ϮϬϭϳͿ͘ /Ŷ ƚƵƌŶ͕ ŽƐƚ ŽĨ ƐĂůĞƐ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ϭϲ͘ϲй YͲŽͲY ƚŽ EϮϬ͘ϳďŶ ǁŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ ŽŵƉĂŶLJ ǁĂƐ ĂďůĞ ƚŽ ƌĞĐŽƌĚ Ă ϯϰ͘Ϭй YͲŽͲY ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ŝŶ KƚŚĞƌ /ŶĐŽŵĞ͘ Ɛ Ă ƌĞƐƵůƚ͕ W d ƐƵƌŐĞĚ Ϯϲϲ͘ϳй YͲŽͲY ;ĨƌŽŵ EϮϱϯ͘ϴŵ /E YϮ͗ϮϬϭϳ ƚŽ EϵϯϬ͘ϳŵͿ

Afrinvest Securities Limited

(RC 603 315)

(A Dealing Member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange)

2.9%

8.9%

3.7%

-21.0%

7.6x

2.0%

0.6x

22.4%

SEPLAT Petroleum Development C

12

Unilever Nigeria PLC

39.95

5.7%

1.6%

25.5%

25.5%

50.3%

8.4%

24.6x

9.4x

0.2%

4.1%

13

Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC

42.00

-0.9%

3.1%

180.0%

180.0%

28.7%

3.4%

9.7x

2.5x

1.4%

10.3%

14

Guinness Nigeria PLC

101.00

0.0%

1.4%

28.5%

28.5%

4.5%

1.4%

71.1x

3.5x

0.6%

5.99

-21.3%

0.0%

1.3%

27.4%

27.4%

40.7%

4.2%

2.7x

0.6x

40.00

0.0%

1.4%

15

Oando PLC

16

Forte Oil PLC

0.5%

-52.6%

-52.6%

44.3%

3.7%

10.1x

4.5x

17

11 PLC

170.00

0.0%

0.5%

-39.1%

-39.1%

32.6%

12.0%

9.0x

2.5x

4.7%

11.1%

18

Total Nigeria PLC

230.00

37.0%

0.0%

0.6%

-23.1%

-23.1%

37.3%

7.4%

8.6x

3.0x

2.6%

11.7%

0.0%

11.0%

9.9%

19

Okomu Oil Palm PLC

68.20

1.2%

69.8%

69.8%

37.4%

25.9%

9.1x

3.0x

2.2%

20

UAC of Nigeria PLC

16.35

-3.8%

0.6%

-0.9%

-0.9%

6.3%

2.2%

10.5x

0.7x

6.0%

9.5%

21

Conoil PLC

28.00

0.0%

0.4%

-25.3%

-25.3%

12.8%

3.5%

8.1x

1.1x

11.1%

12.3%

22

Fidelity Bank PLC

1.60

0.6%

0.9%

90.5%

90.5%

8.0%

1.1%

1.4x

0.2x

8.7%

71.6%

23

Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC

15.42

0.8%

1.1%

152.4%

152.4%

23.8%

10.3%

6.0x

2.6x

3.2%

16.6%

24

Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC

31.50

-5.0%

0.7%

70.4%

70.4%

10.4%

2.6%

7.9x

0.8x

3.2%

12.6%

3.81

-3.1%

0.4%

-2.1%

-2.1%

18.9%

7.6%

4.0x

0.7x

7.3%

0.3%

-30.2%

-30.2%

-56.7%

-13.9%

25

Custodian and Allied Insurance

26

7 UP Bottling Co PLC

90.00

0.0%

27

Julius Berger Nigeria PLC

28.00

-4.5%

0.3%

-27.4%

-27.4%

-12.2%

-1.2%

28

FCMB Group Plc

1.13

0.0%

0.4%

2.7%

2.7%

0.9%

0.1%

13.2x

0.1x

29

Transnational Corp of Nigeria

1.31

-1.5%

0.6%

50.6%

50.6%

19.6%

4.1%

5.2x

0.9x

30

Diamond Bank PLC

4.4x

25.1% -18.7%

1.5x

-8.1% 8.8%

7.6% 19.1%

1.16

0.9%

0.5%

31.8%

31.8%

2.5%

0.3%

4.7x

0.1x

0.0%

0.5%

64.6%

64.6%

42.9%

25.9%

3.3x

1.1x

2.3%

30.7%

2.0%

4.7%

21.4%

31

Presco PLC

66.00

32

PZ Cussons Nigeria PLC

24.65

-0.3%

0.5%

70.0%

70.0%

11.5%

5.8%

21.1x

2.3x

33

International Brew eries PLC

51.80

0.2%

0.8%

180.0%

180.0%

24.6%

7.4%

54.2x

12.3x

1.8%

34

Cadbury Nigeria PLC

11.40

0.0%

0.3%

10.8%

10.8%

4.5%

1.6%

32.5x

1.9x

3.1%

6.19

0.8%

0.3%

29.7%

29.8%

5.6%

1.2%

7.9x

0.4x

34.00

0.0%

0.2%

6.3%

6.3%

84.3%

38.5%

14.8x

10.4x

1.00

0.0%

0.3%

31.6%

31.6%

6.1%

0.6%

5.3x

0.3x

22.80

-9.7%

35

Union Bank of Nigeria PLC

36

Chemical and Allied Products P

37

Sterling Bank PLC

38

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Niger

0.3%

44.8%

44.8%

61.2%

23.6%

4.7x

1.7x

1.3%

39

AXA Mansard Insurance PLC

2.02

-1.5%

0.1%

21.0%

21.0%

11.9%

3.9%

10.1x

1.2x

2.5%

40

Continental Reinsurance PLC

1.38

0.0%

0.1%

39.4%

39.4%

9.6%

4.4%

8.1x

0.7x

12.6% 6.5%

6.7% 19.0% 21.2% 9.9% 12.4%

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V o l u m e

T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

UN ILEVER

39.95

5.7%

C UST OD YIN S

55.2

-3.1%

LIN KA SSUR E

0.64

4.9%

T A N T A LIZ ER

43.0

0.0%

WA P IC

0.52

4.0%

UB A

N EIM ET H

0.61

3.4%

LEA R N A F R C A N EST LE H ON YF LOUR Z EN IT H B A N K UB A D IA M ON D B N K

T ic k er

31.1

1.0%

F ID ELIT YB K

28.4

0.6%

0.97

3.2%

A C C ESS

12.4

0.2%

1300.00

3.1%

Z EN IT H B A N K

11.9

1.3%

2.00

2.6%

GUA R A N T Y

11.1

0.1%

24.55

1.3%

T R A N SC OR P

10.0

-1.5%

9.75

1.0%

FB NH

7.9

-0.4%

1.16

0.9%

D IA M ON D B N K

7.8

0.9%

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V a l u e

T o p 10 L o s e r s T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

Value

P ric e C hg %

GLA XOSM IT H

22.80

-9.7%

D A N GC EM

1166.6

0.0%

F LOUR M ILL

31.50

-5.0%

N EST LE

1139.1

3.1% -3.0%

0.84

-4.5%

NB

785.8

J B ER GER

28.00

-4.5%

GUA R A N T Y

465.0

0.1%

UA C N

16.35

-3.8%

UB A

302.1

1.0%

LIVEST OC K

^ŝŶĐĞ ƚŚĞ ƌĞůĞĂƐĞ ŽĨ ŝƚƐ ƌĞƐƵůƚ͕ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ŚĂƐ ƌĞŵĂŝŶĞĚ ůĂƌŐĞůLJ ŶĞƵƚƌĂů ĂŶĚ ǁĞ ĞdžƉĞĐƚ ƚŚŝƐ ƚŽ ďĞ ƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĞĚ Ɵůů LJĞĂƌ ĞŶĚ͘ ,ŽǁĞǀĞƌ͕ ŽǀĞƌĂůů ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ƚŽǁĂƌĚƐ ƚŚĞ ƐƚŽĐŬ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϳ ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ŶĞĂŐƟǀĞ ǁŝƚŚ Ă zd ĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ŽĨ Ϯϱ͘ϯй ;ϮϮͬϭϭͬϮϬϭϳͿ Ͳ ƵŶĚĞƌƉĞƌĨŽƌŵŝŶŐ ƚŚĂƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ;Ͳϴ͘ϳйͿ͘

4.5x

0.4x 0.6x

11

T o p 10 G a ine r s

ϵD͗ϮϬϭϳ ƌĞƐƵůƚ ƌĞůĞĂƐĞĚ ďLJ ŽŶŽŝů ŝŶĚŝĐĂƚĞĚ ĂŶ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ƐĂůĞ ŽĨ ƉĞƚƌŽůĞƵŵ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƚƐ ;tŚŝƚĞ WƌŽĚƵĐƚƐ ĂŶĚ >ƵďƌŝĐĂŶƚƐͿ ĂƐ ŐƌŽƐƐ ƌĞǀĞŶƵĞ ŐƌĞǁ ϵ͘ϴй zͲŽͲz ;ĨƌŽŵ Eϲϰ͘ϬďŶ ŝŶ ϵD͗ϮϬϭϲ ƚŽ EϳϬ͘ϮďŶ͘Ϳ ŽƐƚ ŽĨ ƐĂůĞƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ƉĞƌŝŽĚ ĂůƐŽ ŵŽǀĞĚ ŝŶ ƚĂŶĚĞŵ͕ ƵƉ ϵ͘ϳй zͲŽͲz ;ĨƌŽŵ Eϱϰ͘ϰ ŝŶ ϵD͗ϮϬϭϲ ƚŽ Eϱϵ͘ϳďŶͿ͘ ,ŽǁĞǀĞƌ͕ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ĂďƐĞŶĐĞ ŽĨ ƐƵďƐŝĚLJ ƉĂLJŵĞŶƚƐ ƚŚĞƌĞ ǁĂƐ Ă ŶŽƟĐĞĂďůĞ ĚƌĂŐ ŝŶ ŽƚŚĞƌ ŝŶĐŽŵĞ ;ĚŽǁŶ ϵϬ͘ϴй ƚŽ Eϭϴϰ͘ϱŵͿ ĐŽƵƉůĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ĂŶ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞ ŝŶ ĮŶĂŶĐĞ ĐŽƐƚ ;ƵƉ ϭϴ͘ϴй zͲŽͲz ƚŽ Eϭ͘ϴďŶ ŝŶ ϵD͗ϮϬϭϳͿ ǁŚŝĐŚ ƚĂƉĞƌĞĚ ŽŶ ƉƌŽĮƚĂďŝůŝƚLJ͘ ĐĐŽƌĚŝŶŐůLJ͕ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ƉĞƌŝŽĚ W d ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ Ϯϱ͘ϰй zͲŽͲz ƚŽ Eϭ͘ϰďŶ͘

Divinden Earnings d Yield Yield

23.3%

10

ŽŶŽŝů EŝŐĞƌŝĂ WůĐ ;͞ KEK/>͟ Žƌ ͞ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵƉĂŶLJ͟Ϳ ǁĂƐ ĞƐƚĂďůŝƐŚĞĚ ŝŶ ϭϵϲϬ ĂŶĚ ŚĂƐ ŝƚƐ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶƐ ƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞĚ ŝŶƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƟŶŐ ŽĨ ƌĞĮŶĞĚ ƉĞƚƌŽůĞƵŵ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƚƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ŵĂŶƵĨĂĐƚƵƌŝŶŐ Θ ŵĂƌŬĞƟŶŐ ŽĨ ůƵďƌŝĐĂŶƚƐ͕ ŚŽƵƐĞŚŽůĚ ĂŶĚ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů ĐŚĞŵŝĐĂůƐ͘ dŚĞ ĐŽŵƉĂŶLJ ŚĂƐ ŝƚƐ ƌĞǀĞŶƵĞ ůŝŶĞ ƐĞŐŵĞŶƚĞĚ ŝŶƚŽ ϯ͖ ^ĂůĞ ŽĨ tŚŝƚĞ WƌŽĚƵĐƚƐ͕ >ƵďƌŝĐĂŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ >ŝƋƵĞĮĞĚ WĞƚƌŽůĞƵŵ 'ĂƐ ;>W'Ϳ͘

ROA

0.1%

FBN Holdings Plc

ŽŵƉĂŶLJ ŝŶ &ŽĐƵƐ͗ ŽŶŽŝů EŝŐĞƌŝĂ WůĐ ;͞ KEK/>͟ Žƌ ͞ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵƉĂŶLJ͟Ϳ

ROE

0.02%

Ecobank Transnational Inc

Price Change Index to Date

42.06

8

/ŶǀĞ/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ &ƵƌƚŚĞƌ tĞĂŬĞŶƐ

Price Change YTD

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 1,465.63

9

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞƌƐͬĚĞĐůŝŶĞƌƐ͛Ϳ ǁĞĂŬĞŶĞĚ ĨƵƌƚŚĞƌ ƚŽ Ϭ͘ϴdž ĨƌŽŵ Ϭ͘ϵdž ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ ƚŚĞ ƉƌĞǀŝŽƵƐ ĚĂLJ ĐŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚ ŽŶ ϭϳ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĂĚǀĂŶĐŝŶŐ ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ ϮϮ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĚĞĐůŝŶŝŶŐ͘ zĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ͛Ɛ ƚŽƉ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĞƌƐ ǁĞƌĞ hE/> s Z ;нϱ͘ϳйͿ͕ >/E< ^^hZ ;нϰ͘ϵйͿ ĂŶĚ t W/ ;нϰ͘ϬйͿ ǁŚŝůĞ '> yK^D/d, ;Ͳϵ͘ϳйͿ͕ &>KhZD/>> ;Ͳϱ͘ϬйͿ ĂŶĚ >/s ^dK < ;Ͳϰ͘ϱйͿ ůĞĚ ůĂŐŐĂƌĚƐ͘ ůƚŚŽƵŐŚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ǁĂƐ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ͕ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ŚĂƐ ƐŽŌĞŶĞĚ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ƚŚŝƌĚ ĐŽŶƐĞĐƵƟǀĞ ĚĂLJ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ĂŶ ĂďƐĞŶĐĞ ŽĨ ĨƵŶĚĂŵĞŶƚĂů ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ĚƌŝǀĞƌƐ͘ EŽƚǁŝƚŚƐƚĂŶĚŝŶŐ͕ ǁĞ ĞdžƉĞĐƚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ƚŽ ƐƚĂLJ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŶĞĂƌ ƚĞƌŵ ĂƐ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ƉŽƐŝƟŽŶ ĂŚĞĂĚ ŽĨ ĂŶƟĐŝƉĂƚĞĚ LJĞĂƌͲĞŶĚ ƌĂůůLJ͘

Previous Current Price Weighting Change

Guaranty Trust Bank PLC

ĂŶŬŝŶŐ ^ĞĐƚŽƌ WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ WŽƐŝƟǀĞ ĂƐ ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž >ĞĂĚƐ 'ĂŝŶĞƌƐ

Current Price

1

^ĞĐƚŽƌ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ǁĂƐ ďƌŽĂĚůLJ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ĂƐ ϯ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ϱ ŵĂũŽƌ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ǁŚŝůĞ Ϯ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ŇĂƚ͘ dŚĞ ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ŐĂŝŶĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ͕ ƌŝƐŝŶŐ Ϭ͘ϯй ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬ ŽĨ ƉƌŝĐĞ ĂƉƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶƐ ŝŶ E ^d> ;нϯ͘ϭйͿ͕ hE/> s Z ;нϱ͘ϳйͿ ĂŶĚ E'^h' Z ;нϬ͘ϴйͿ͘ /Ŷ ƚŚĞ ƐĂŵĞ ǀĞŝŶ͕ ƚŚĞ ĂŶŬŝŶŐ ŝŶĚĞdž ŝŶĐŚĞĚ Ϭ͘Ϯй ŚŝŐŚĞƌ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƌĞŶĞǁĞĚ ďƵLJŝŶŐ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ E/d, ;нϭ͘ϯйͿ͕ h ;нϭ͘ϬйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ 'h Z Edz ;нϬ͘ϭйͿ͘ ^ŝŵŝůĂƌůLJ͕ ŐĂŝŶƐ ŝŶ t W/ ;нϰ͘ϬͿ͕ >/E< ^^hZ ;нϱ͘ϬйͿ ĂŶĚ E /D d, ;нϯ͘ϰйͿ ĚƌŽǀĞ ƚŚĞ /ŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ ŝŶĚĞdž͕ ƵƉ Ϭ͘Ϯй͘ dŚĞ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ ĂŶĚ /ŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ƚŚĞ ĚĂLJ ŇĂƚ͘

Thursday, November 23, 2017

3.81

-3.1%

Z EN IT H B A N K

292.0

1.3%

NB

130.00

-3.0%

C UST OD YIN S

207.0

-3.1%

ET I

0.2%

C UST OD YIN S

16.50

-2.9%

A C C ESS

121.0

C ILEA SIN G

1.33

-2.9%

P R ESC O

94.9

0.0%

T R A N SEXP R

0.75

-2.6%

UN ILEVER

71.4

5.7%

Investment Research

Brokerage Ayodeji Ebo | aebo@afrinvest.com

Robert Omotunde | romotunde@afrinvest.com

Bolaji Fajenyo | bfajenyo@afrinvest.com

Omotola Abimbola | oabimbola@afrinvest.com

43

˾ THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2017

MARKET NEWS

FINT Technology Introduces Platform for Easy Access to Loans FINT

Technology Africa Limited (FINT) has launched Nigeria’s first loan marketplace where borrowers residing in Lagos can access loans/credit at competitive rates and lenders can earn returns by funding these loans directly. Speaking at the launch of the Platform in Lagos recently, Chief Executive Officer of FINT, Chiwete JohnNjokanma, said: “Currently 95 per cent of the Nigerian population cannot access consumer loans to fund basic

needs like health care, shelter, education even though 90 per cent of the 50 million Nigerian middle class have verifiable income and have the ability to pay back these loans.” According to JohnNjokanma, despite the lack of access to credit, three of the Nigerian population, those who can access credit, borrowed about $7 billion in 2016, an evidence of the immense opportunities within the consumer loan space.” Also, speaking at the launch, Chief Technology Officer of

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

FINT, Nnamdi Okeke, said: “FINT is the first and only player currently intermediating in the debit financing marketplace purely through the use of technology. Access to credit on FINT is fast and easy because the loan process is online. Borrowers do not require guarantors or collateral and the platform is designed to be user-friendly. They explained the FINT platform facilitates loans of between N60,000 to N2,000,000 for tenors of six months, 12 and 18 months

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg. Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 21-Nov-2017, unless otherwise stated.

to borrowers to be used for various purposes such as education, medical expenses, rent, vehicle purchases. Annual percentage rates (APRs) through FINT range from 26 per cent to 39 per cent for first-time borrowers, with the lowest rates for the most creditworthy borrowers. The company also disclosed that borrowers are insured for defaults resulting from loss of life, loss of job, critical illness and physical disability. According to FINT, it

seeks to address a number of challenges in the consumer loan space which include high cost of consumer credit, onerous loan processing procedures and reluctance by traditional financial institutions to provide low amount consumer loans seen as not being economically viable. FINT Technology Africa was registered in Nigeria on the 19th of April, 2017 and is licensed by the Lagos State Government as a Money Lender. The company said it connects

investors or lenders looking for high returns with creditworthy borrowers looking for short term personal loans or business opportunity loans. “Our automated, simple to use, transparent and hassle free debt financing marketplace ensures that the borrowing needs of individuals are met quickly and efficiently. Connecting lenders and borrowers in the debt financing space, it’s a win-win situation for both lenders and borrowers,” it added.

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 176.29 177.49 39.01% Nigeria International Debt Fund 234.51 235.83 10.99% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.82 0.82 16.49% ACAP Income Funds 0.63 0.63 79.47% 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 18.03% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 17.73 18.26 43.56% ARM Discovery Fund 371.62 382.82 29.41% ARM Ethical Fund 26.07 26.86 16.71% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 17.79% 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 147.30 148.34 40.05% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 18.11% 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 18.68% Paramount Equity Fund 12.07 12.38 28.96% Women's Investment Fund 98.08 100.60 15.94% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 18.24% CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronation.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 17.70% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.00 1.01 0.47% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.00 1.03 1.56% FBN QUEST 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 1,120.34 1,121.48 10.52% FBN Heritage Fund 147.04 148.30 31.90% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 17.80% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional $111.89 $112.45 8.57% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail $110.61 $111.17 8.08% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 156.72 159.01 39.20% 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 1.37 1.40 47.35% Legacy Short Maturity (NGN) Fund 2.94 2.94 14.55% 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 2,898.36 2,938.06 31.81% Coral Income Fund 2,426.08 2,426.08 16.40% 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 17.51% INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 17.60% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.08 2.10 23.67%

Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 18.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 113.20 113.20 16.83% 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 1.17 1.19 17.81% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,040.08 1,040.08 10.39% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 13.28 13.39 37.44% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 18.82% 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 1.22 1.24 22.41% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 10.93 10.98 5.09% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 16.92% 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 123.77 125.50 21.92% 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 1.42 1.42 13.66% 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 2,204.69 2,217.81 20.42% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 174.71 174.71 13.48% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.98 0.99 27.92% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 216.46 216.46 15.82% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 171.13 173.35 31.81% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 17.81% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 9,448.93 9,559.48 24.61% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.05 1.05 5.00% 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 1.32 1.33 17.54% United Capital Bond Fund 1.51 1.51 23.55% United Capital Equity Fund 0.89 0.91 32.93% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 17.40% 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 12.68 12.86 30.37% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.32 13.47 21.63% Zenith Income Fund 18.85 18.85 13.95%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

11.41 131.74

1.01% 6.27%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

10.89 136.59 105.03

10.99 139.55 107.02

27.75% 38.07% 38.61%

Fund Name FSDH UPDC Real Estate Investment Fund SFS Skye Shelter Fund

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 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

4.55 8.63 17.06 19.84 142.87

4.59 8.71 17.16 20.04 144.87

64.29% 22.63% 44.14% 24.24% 12.60%

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2017

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THURSDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

Merkel in Last-ditch Attempt to End Germany’s Political Crisis Germany’s president held talks with party leaders Tuesday in a last-ditch attempt to save the EU’s top economy from the political turmoil sparked by the collapse of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition talks, according to AFP. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who takes centre stage because he can call snap elections, was expected to use his diplomatic skills as a former foreign minister to persuade reluctant party chiefs to return to the negotiating table. The head of state -- who spoke

with Merkel on Monday and meets Bavarian CSU leaders Wednesday -- held talks with the left-leaning Greens at his Berlin Bellevue Castle and then with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) but refrained from making any immediate public comments. The FDP’s shock decision late Sunday to withdraw from a potential three-way alliance has thrown the government of caretaker chancellor Merkel into chaos, leaving her with only bad choices: wooing reluctant coalition

partners back to the table, running a minority government, or new elections. However, the latest polls suggest that a fresh vote now would deliver similar results to the last one, not a game-changing outcome that would allow new coalitions. “Germans are not natural fans of instability, minority governments or immediate repeat elections, to put it mildly,” said Berenberg Bank chief economist Holger Schmieding about the unprecedented situation in German post-war politics.

Lebanon’s Hariri in Egypt ahead of Return Home Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri stopped in Egypt for talks on Tuesday on his way back from France to his country, which is reeling from his surprise resignation amid an escalating regional crisis, AFP reports. Minutes after Hariri landed in Cairo, small groups of supporters took to the streets of central Beirut in noisy convoys, honking, cheering and waving flags with the colours of the premier’s Future Movement. Hariri’s visit to Cairo follows two weeks of deep uncertainty after he announced his resignation

on November 4 in a speech from Saudi Arabia. He has said he will return to Lebanon by Wednesday. A message on Hariri’s Twitter account said he would meet and then dine with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who has sought to defuse the tensions between Hariri’s sponsors in Saudi Arabia and the powerful Lebanese Hezbollah and its Iranian patrons. Sisi’s office said he received a phone call from Lebanese President Michel Aoun in which they discussed “the importance

of preserving Lebanon’s stability and elevating Lebanon’s national interests.” Hariri’s failure to return to Lebanon since his resignation sparked rumours he was being held in Riyadh against his will, which both he and Saudi officials have denied. Speaking after talks in Paris on Saturday with French President Emmanuel Macron, who is also seeking to broker a way out of the crisis, Hariri said he would “make known my position” once back in Beirut.

Angola Purge ‘Hailed by Rapper Luaty Beirao’ A purge of high-level officials in Angola by new President Joao Lourenco has been hailed as a victory by those campaigning for change in the country. His sacking this week of the police boss and intelligence chief follows the dismissal of his predecessor’s daughter as head of the state oil firm.

Rapper Luaty Beirao, once jailed for his activism, is quoted as saying these actions were “revolutionary”. Jose Eduardo dos Santos stepped down as president in September after 37 years. Mr Lourenco, nicknamed “JLo”, was hand-picked by Mr Dos Santos to stand in elections in August - and at the time analysts expected him

to maintain the status quo. The year before he handed over power, Mr Dos Santos appointed his daughter, Isabel dos Santos - Africa’s richest woman, to head Sonangol, the state oil company. But she was fired last week, a move seen as an attempt to weaken the influence of the Dos Santos family.

Stolen John Lennon Items Recovered in Berlin German police have recovered more than 100 items stolen from John Lennon’s estate, including three diaries, BBC reported. The diaries were put on display at Berlin police headquarters with other items including a tape recording of a Beatles concert,

two pairs of glasses, sheet music and a cigarette case. Police said a 58-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods. The items were stolen in New York in 2006 from Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono.

Detectives said much of the haul was confiscated from an auction house in Berlin in July, sparking an investigation to find the rest of the stolen items. Ono identified the objects from photos she was shown at the German consulate in New York, German media reported.

Shot North Korea Defector Wakes Up A North Korean soldier who was shot at least five times while defecting to the South has regained consciousness, according to BBC. The soldier asked to watch television and is being shown South Korean films, Yonhap news agency reports. “We believe the most life-threatening moment has now passed,” a government official told the agency. The soldier made his escape over the demilitarised border last week and was shot at more than 40 times before reaching safety, the South says. Medical staff say that he is traumatised from his ordeal. “To provide psychological stability a South Korean flag has been placed hanging on the hospital room wall,” the government official told Yonhap. The identity of the soldier, who had been in a critical condition, has not yet been announced. He crossed to the South Korean

side of the Joint Security Area (JSA) in the village of Panmunjom on 13 November. He had to finish his journey on

foot when a wheel on his vehicle came loose - but he made it across and was found under a pile of leaves, the South said.

New parliament speaker Wolfgang Schaeuble, the former finance minister, opened the legislature by reminding all parties of their promise to voters to deliver a stable government, but also conceded that no-one could

be forced to join a government they don’t want. As Germany’s usually staid and consensus-driven politics enter uncharted territory, Schaeuble, aged 75 and its longest-serving MP, stressed that the country

faces “a trial, not a crisis of state”. He underlined that its EU neighbours “need a Germany that is capable of action”. In Brussels, the European Commission made clear that “Europe will not pause during this period”.

Merkel in Last-ditch Attempt to End Germany’s Political Crisis Germany’s president held talks with party leaders Tuesday in a last-ditch attempt to save the EU’s top economy from the political turmoil sparked by the collapse of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition talks, according to AFP. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who takes centre stage because he can call snap elections, was expected to use his diplomatic skills as a former foreign minister to persuade reluctant party chiefs to return to the negotiating table. The head of state -- who spoke with Merkel on Monday and meets Bavarian CSU leaders Wednesday -- held talks with the left-leaning Greens at his Berlin Bellevue Castle and then with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) but refrained from making any immediate public comments.

The FDP’s shock decision late Sunday to withdraw from a potential three-way alliance has thrown the government of caretaker chancellor Merkel into chaos, leaving her with only bad choices: wooing reluctant coalition partners back to the table, running a minority government, or new elections. However, the latest polls suggest that a fresh vote now would deliver similar results to the last one, not a game-changing outcome that would allow new coalitions. “Germans are not natural fans of instability, minority governments or immediate repeat elections, to put it mildly,” said Berenberg Bank chief economist Holger Schmieding about the unprecedented situation in German post-war politics.

New parliament speaker Wolfgang Schaeuble, the former finance minister, opened the legislature by reminding all parties of their promise to voters to deliver a stable government, but also conceded that no-one could be forced to join a government they don’t want. As Germany’s usually staid and consensus-driven politics enter uncharted territory, Schaeuble, aged 75 and its longest-serving MP, stressed that the country faces “a trial, not a crisis of state”. He underlined that its EU neighbours “need a Germany that is capable of action”. In Brussels, the European Commission made clear that “Europe will not pause during this period”.

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THURSDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

AfDB Portfolio in Nigeria over $6bn, Says Adesina The President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Adewumi Adesina, has said the bank’s total active portfolio in Nigeria is over $6 billion. Adesina said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abuja. “The bank supports Nigeria very strongly. “When Nigeria was going through a tough economic time, we led the world actually in rallying support around for a budget support which we did at 600 million dollars to help build more resilient economy as it shows a better diversified economy. “If you look at our total active portfolio in the country now, it is

over 6 billion dollars. “Take for example, we invested over 300 million dollars from the private sector part of the bank in Dangote industries – petro-chemical industries and the fertilizer manufacturing companies. “We also invested over 100 million dollars in the Indorama fertilizer companies as well; they are looking at us to do more, additional 100 million dollars for them.’’ In addition, he said the bank had been supporting the recovery effort of the federal government in the North-east. He, however, commended President Buhari for the investment made so far in rebuilding the North-east.

“I give the president kudos for all that has been achieved. We have to rebuild the infrastructure – road, “We have Basic Livelihood Support Programme for over 250 million dollars that we have done for the North-east of Nigeria. “On agriculture, the Board has just approved a programme called Enable Youth. “The programme is to create a generation of young commercial farmers in Nigeria; that is about 430 million dollars we are investing in that.’’ Adesina, who won the 2017 World Food Laureate Award in Agriculture in the United States further said that the bank had been doing a lot of line credit in Nigeria for commercial banks to

lend to small and medium size enterprises. He said that the bank had been talking with the Minister of Power about how to help in the power sector in Nigeria. “We have invested a lot in the transmission companies of Nigeria. “We are also helping them to have an additional 200 million dollars to post bonds, to be able to raise money to modernise the transmission network in Nigeria. “I remember during COP 22 in Morocco, I spoke to the Minister of Power, Fasola and I told him to visit Noor Ouarzazate, the largest Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant in the World, that was financed by the AfDB in Morroco. “He said he was very pleased with

the idea and we are supporting his ministry now with a big project, we are going to do in Jigawa a project on solar. “We have a number of states that have approached us and we are looking at various opportunities of supporting from Ogun, we are looking into that; we are looking at Kaduna, Kano States and others. “Nigeria is a big market for us and we are going forward in terms of our planning investment over the next three years. “It will be over $4.1 billion that we are planning for Nigeria that will cover agriculture, infrastructure, power sector, basic livelihood in terms of water and sanitation,’’ he said. Adesina, however, expressed optimism over the implementation of

the bank projects in Nigeria, adding that there was a very stringent monitoring system to ensure implementation of set targets. “We are quite pleased with a lot of progress I have seen on several of the projects that we have in Nigeria. “Obviously, a lot of improvement is needed in terms of the time it takes to actually sign some of the required agreements; it takes a lot of time. “We are going to do better because the more we can do that, the more we can actually show better impact in Nigeria. “Having talked to the authority to help us improve the time, it takes between when we approve something and when it is signed, it becomes effective in Nigeria.”

Nigeria Records 26% Pass in WAEC Exam for Private Candidates A total of 34,664 candidates, representing 26.01 per cent of the 133,223 candidates who sat for this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for private candidates in Nigeria obtained a minimum of credits in five subjects and above, including English Language and General Mathematics. This shows a decline in the performance this year, as the percentage for 2015 and 2016 was 28.59 per cent and 38.50 per cent respectively. The Head of the Nigerian National Office of the West African Examinations Council, (WAEC), Mr. Olu Adenipekun, who announced this at a press conference which was also used to announce the 55th annual meeting of the council’s Nigeria National Committee in Katsina, said the examination was conducted in all the five member countries of WAEC from August 15 to October 4, 2017. According to him, a total of 135,945, candidates registered for the examination, out of which 133,223, candidates sat for the examination. Of the total number of candidates that sat for the examination, 67,279 were males and 65,944 were females, representing 50.50 per cent and 49.50 per cent respectively. “Out of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, 131,485 candidates representing 98.70 per cent have their results fully processed and released, while 1,738 candidates, representing 1.30 per cent have a few of their subjects

still being processed due to errors traceable to the candidates in the course of registration or writing the examination. Such errors are being corrected by the council to enable the affected candidates get their results fully processed and released subsequently.” Further statistics he said showed that of the total number of candidates who sat for the examination, 111,763 candidates, representing 85.89 per cent obtained credits and above in two subjects; 98,506 candidates, representing 73.94 per cent obtained credits and above in three subjects; 83,256 candidates, representing 62. 49 per cent obtained credits and above in four subjects; 65,483 candidates, representing 49.15 per cent obtained credits and above in five subjects; while 46,824 candidates, representing 35.14 per cent obtained credits and above in six subjects. He added: “The results of 14,756 candidates, representing 11.07 per cent of the total candidature for the examination are being withheld in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice. The cases are being investigated and reports of the investigations will be presented to the appropriate committee of the council in due course for consideration. The committee’s decisions will be communicated to the affected candidates. Candidates who sat for the examination are now free to check the details of their performance on the council’s results website: www.waecdirect.org.”

Police File Murder Charges against Wife for Alleged Murder of Ex-PDP Chair’s Son Paul Obi in Abuja The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command yesterday filed charges against Maryam Sanda, wife of Biyamin Bello, for the murder of the son of the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Dr Haliru Bello. Maryam was alleged to have murdered her husband after stabbing him several times while asleep. FCT Police Command Public Relations Officer, Anjuri Manzah, explained that the suit against Maryam was filed at FCT High Court No: 32 and charged of culpable homicide under section 224 of the Penal Code.

Manzah said: “It should also be noted that this present charge is as a result of preliminary findings; at the end of investigation, additional findings will determine whether the current charge will be amended or whether other persons will be charged along with the suspect.” He explained that “to assist the Police with their ongoing investigation, some persons have been invited for questioning on the matter. “The security guards were released after telling the police what they knew about the incident. “They subsequently agreed to serve as prosecution witnesses, meaning they would appear in court to give evidence on the

I NEED TO MAKE THIS POINT CLEAR

L-R: National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd); Minister of Mines and Steel, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha; and Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the State House in Abuja....yesterday State House

Anambra Govt Plans Befitting Burial for Ekwueme Family opens condolence register at eight centres Christopher Isiguzo inEnugu and David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, has said the state would set up a committee to give the late former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, a befitting burial. Obiano disclosed this when he paid a condolence visit to the family of the late icon at his country home, Ezioko village, Oko in Orumba North Local Government Area of the state. He told journalists in Awka that the plan was imperative because the late Ekwueme was a worthy son of the state who deserved to be honoured at death. The governor revealed further

that due to the personality of the deceased, the committee will draw members from the five South-eastern states and beyond. He said the committee would be charged with the responsibility of planning for the state on how to give Ekwueme a befitting burial, whether or not the federal government provideds assistance or not. The governor described the late elder statesman as a father whom he shared very intimate relationship with, describing his demise as a great loss to the state and the country. “We will give him a state burial just as we did to the late Ikemba Ojukwu; he was one of the finest jurists that the nation has

produced and deserved that his state honoured him,” Obiano said. Meanwhile, the Ekwueme family has opened condolence registers at eight centres for Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora to pay their tributes. The family was however silent on when his remains would be brought back to the country for burial. The elder statesman died at 85 years last Sunday at a London hospital. The traditional ruler of Oko Community in the state and the younger brother of the former vice president , Igwe Laz Ekwueme, said in a statement issued yesterday that one of the registers would be opened at the country home of the

late octogenarian in Oko, Orumba North Local Government Area. He said the other locations are the Office of the Rector, Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State; the Nigeria High Commission, 9 Northumberland Avenue Westminster, London; the International Conference Centre, Abuja; No. 4 Ikoya Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos; No. 11 Ezzikwo Street Independence Layout, Enugu; the Vice Chancellor’s Office, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State and the Vice Chancellor’s Office, Paul University Awka, Anambra State. He also gave the online address as: http://www.forevermissed. com/alexekwueme and alexekwuemetributes@gmail.com.

Maina: Again, Senate C’ttee Meets Malami Behind Closed Doors Damilola Oyedele in Abuja For the third time in a week, the Senate Adhoc committee investigating the circumstances of the return and re-instatement of the fugitive former Chairman of the Presidential Pension Reforms Task Force Team, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, into the civil service, yesterday, met with the Attorney General of

the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, behind closed doors. There was no official brief to journalists on details of the meeting which last edfor about an hour. Malami who walked out of the office of the Committee Chairman where the meeting held, declined to entertain any questions from waiting journalists. A source privy to the details

however disclosed that Malami had responded to queries on his alleged involvement in the scandal. “He was implicated by some correspondences, letters he wrote and signed. He has provided his response to explain these,” the source said. The source added that the committee members led by Senator Emmanuel Paulker are

studying the responses. Paulkner last week said the meetings are being held behind closed doors to avoid media influence and to provide an atmosphere where those summoned can open up honestly on their involvement. Malami is alleged to have written the letter clearing Maina of corruption allegations and directing that he be re-absorbed into the service.

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

49

NEWSEXTRA

UNDP, NHRC Release Report on Humanitarian Crisis in N’East Accuse federal, state govts of lacking political will in addressing plight of IDPs Alex Enumah in Abuja The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) have released report on its findings on humanitarian conditions in six states of the Northeast, accusing both the federal government and its counterpart in the Northeast ravaged by Boko Haram insurgents of lacking the political will to address the humanitarian challenge in that region. Similarly, rights activists in their contributions on the draft report presented at a media forum in Abuja, warned that the nation may be heading for another disaster if urgent and concrete steps are not taken to address issues of development and good governance, particularly in the North east. In the report tagged: ‘North East Nigeria: Human Rights Assessment Report (2015-2017), the two bodies did not only accused the government of making paltry provisions to address urgent needs of the victims of Boko Haram insurgents, but failing to release budgetary allocations to the region. The indictment notwithstanding, actingExecutiveSecretaryoftheNHRC, OtiOvrawah,toldthegatheringthatthe reportwasnot aimed at apportioning

blame on government but, was rather meant to draw attention to the dire humanitarian crises of re-building region. The report noted that in 2014, the government provided N2billon, and increased it to N6.6billion and N14.3billion in 2015 and 2016 respectively which it regarded as paltry in addressing humanitarian needs such as basic security, food, health, housing, education among others in the six states devastated by Boko Haram. “However, the central provisions for the main intervention in the Northeast as shown above are evidently paltry and will only scratch the surface of the required humanitarian needs. “They do not show sufficient political will to address the humanitarian challenge. This paltry provisions point in the direction of state failure to perform the obligation to fulfill the right to an adequate standard of living for the IDPs,” the report noted. Presenting the report, the Lead Consultant, Eze Onyekwere, disclosed further that as at July 2016, “A total of N8.352bn had been released to the Presidential Initiative on the North-East, (PINE), N6.326billion had been spent leaving a balance of N2.026billion. “However, PINE paid less

attention to the critical needs of the IDPs in the areas of housing, food, education and healthcare, but rather used the bulk of the resources on contracts that were found to have immensely benefitted some public officials, including the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal.” On the states, the report noted that while Yobe State made various budgetary allocations to the state Emergency Relief Agency for procurement of undisclosed relief materials between 2013 and 2016,

there is no information as to the actual disbursement for those years. It also indicted Bauchi State Government for not making any provisions for IDPs and humanitarian services for 2016 and 2017, while commending Borno State for creating the Ministry for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement to handle the reconstruction and resettlement of IDPs. “With the exception of Borno State, which was devastated, all other states seemed to have treated

the humanitarian challenges arising from the insurgency with kid gloves. “The provisions made were grossly inadequate for the challenge facing the people.” The report recommended that government at all levels should mobilise more resources through the budgeting system for investments and interventions in the Northeast. It also recommended the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to enable stakeholders openly discuss

about the insurgency and how wounds could be healed. Speaking at the event, convener of Women of Arise Network, Dr. Joe-Oke Odumakin, and Co-convener of Bring Back Our Girls, Mrs. Aisha Yesufu, called for the prosecution of individuals that were involved in the heinous crime of undermining the welfare of IDPs. They urged the government to take the issue of education of children seriously if the war on Boko Haram must be won.

Obiano Receives Certificate of Return David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, who was announced winner of the state’s governorship election last Saturday has been issued a Certificate of Return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). His Deputy, Dr. Nkem Okeke, and Mrs. Nkoli Mmegbuanaeze of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) who was also elected on Saturday into the House of Assembly to represent Idemili North state constituency as a replacement for her late husband, Hon Francis Mmegbuanaeze, also received their Certificates of Return. An obviously excited Obiano, in his address, assured the people of Anambra State that he and his deputy were poised to work for the state, more than what was experienced in their first four years. The governor said he would ensure massive development in all areas of the state so that by the time he would have completed his eight year term, the state would wear an entirely different look. Obiano, who spoke after receiving the certificate, said: “I am happy to have picked my Certificate of Return, which confers on me the assignment of governing the state for another four years. I thank God who performed the miracle that made my 21 over 21 victory possible. “I also thank President Muhammadu Buhari for sticking to his promise that the election would be free and fair. This is the beginning of the huge impact our party, APGA, would make in Nigeria. We are going to rise and present governorship candidates in other states.

“I assure you that Anambra State would continue to shine. God has been with us and will continue to be with us. I will work harder in my second term than I did in the first. We will ensure we leave a legacy in the state. “Finally, I call on other candidates to join hands with me let us move the state forward. Anambra State is bigger than our individual interests, so this is the time to work for the state interest.” INEC National Commissioner, May Agbamuche, who presented the certificate to Obiano at about 1:30a.m., said: “I hereby certify that Willie Obiano of APGA has been elected into the office of the governor of Anambra State.” Earlier, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Nkwachukwu Orji, said the certificates symbolise the mandate received by the elected officials, stressing that it was not an end, but a means to an end. “The end here is the development of the society and the people. Your election is not a reward but a responsibility. Responsibility for the people, to improve them and develop the society and the way it is discharged will determine how the people will vote in future elections.” Meanwhile, members of APGA yesterday engaged in elaborate celebration of the victory of their candidate, Obiano. The celebration which began at the INEC office where the candidate picked his Certificate of Return witnessed streets shows as long motorcade of party vehicles and those of top government functionaries, including the governor, rode through the capital city to the governor’s lodge, Amawbia.

WELCOME TO APC

National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun (left), formally receiving Emeka Ojukwu jnr, son of the late Chief Chukwuemeka Ojukwu into the APC at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja....yesterday

Lasun: FG Aware Oil Output in 2018 Budget Not Realisable House to meet executive today to address grey areas Damilola Oyedela and James Emejo in Abuja It emerged yesterday that the executive may have deliberately pegged the oil benchmark for the proposed 2018 budget at $45 per barrel knowing well that the oil out target of 2.3 million barrels per day (mbpd) was unrealistic. The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma, reportedly admitted to the leadership of the House of Representatives during series of meetings between last Monday and Tuesday that the current production estimates were mere assumptions. It was further gathered that another round of meeting between the executive and the leadership of the House is billed to hold today in a conscious efforts to iron out grey areas in the 2018 appropriation bill which continues to raise dusts among members of the lower chamber. Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Suleiman Yussuff Lasun, gave the hint on the ongoing interface with the federal government economic team during the debate on the 2018-2020 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper TFSP) which was almost frustrated mainly

by members of the opposition party. The debate on the 2018-2020 MTEF had commenced on a rather contentious note largely because of the controversial timeline for submission of the document which members said does not afford them adequate opportunity to critically examine and digest the content for an informed opinion and contributions. Meanwhile, the Senate Committees on Finance, Appropriation, and National Planning yesterday laid its report on the 2018 MTEF before the Senate. Nevertheless, the House voted to set aside the earlier referral of MTEF to enable debate on the request of President Muhammadu Buhari. It also committed the document to the Committees on Finance, Appropriations, National Planning and Economic Development, Legislative Budget and Research and, Aids, Loans and Debt Management to scrutinise and make recommendations to the House. According to the Leader of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, the House, upon reading the communication from the president on the MTEF on October 17, the request was inadvertently referred to the relevant committees without debate and which was not the right thing to have done.

Senate C’ttee lays report on MTEF

Essentially, yesterday’s exercise was to enable the House to properly debate the document as required by law and properly commit same to the relevant committees for scrutiny and recommendations. However, the exercise was nearly stalled by members of the opposition party particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who believed that irrespective of the time constraints and pressure to pass the budget, due process ought to have been adhered to in the submission of the MTEF by the executive as prescribed by the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA). They further expressed frustration at the leadership of the House and the Senate by extension for condoning a breach of the FRA by the executive arm. The opposition members had threatened to boycott debate on the MTEF until the right procedure is followed. However, it took the pleas from the deputy speaker as well as Gbajabiamila and other principal officers of the House before some PDP members were pacified to allow the document scale through to the committee level. Both appealed to members to put aside perceived lapses on the part of the leadership regarding budget submission procedures in

the interest of the Hon. Betty Apiafi (PDP, Rivers) had contended that time was too short for members who only got hold of the document in less than 24 hours, to properly digest the MTEF and make useful inputs. She argued that caution was needed so Nigerians don’t end up accusing the lawmakers of budget padding in the future, adding that if the document had been submitted earlier as stipulated by the FRA, there wouldn’t have been the present urgency for its passage. Similarly, Hon. Nnenna Ukeje Elendu (PDP, Abia) said though there is the urgency to pass the budget, there’s need to really scrutinise the MTEF to be able to make informed contribution and not be blamed for lapses in future. On his part, Hon. Daniel Asuquo (PDP, Cross River) said more time was needed to understand the MTEF as the power sector recovery plan appeared faulty and untested. He said: “We should take time and look at this document.” At that point, it took the intervention of Hon. Daniel Reyenieju (Delta, PDP) who prevailed on his colleagues to sheath their swords and allow for the debate on MTEF so it could be referred to the appropriate committees.

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THURSDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

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Northern Youths Ask FG to Tell the Truth about Boko Haram Death toll rises to 60 in militia attack Daji Sani in Yola Northern Youths Leadership Forum (NYLF) has accused the federal government and military of using propaganda to sweep the frequent attacks by Boko Haram terrorists under the radar. It lamented the military has refused to take responsibility for the weekly deaths of soldiers and citizens in the fight against the sect in the North-east. The forum was reacting to the recent bomb blast that rocked Mubi town and last Monday’s militia attack on four villages in Numan Local Government Area of Adamawa State which resulted to the killing of over 50 people and 60 people respectively in the two separate attacks. It noted that the security challenges were becoming unbearable in the North-east, adding that if the military had mopped up the Sambisa forest as claimed, why is the insurgents operating from the dreaded forest again? Speaking, NYLF National Chairman, Afiyo Elliot, said there are no two Sambisa forest “if truly the military had cleared Sambisa forest of insurgency, why are insurgents living and organising their operations from the forest? According to him, an intelligence reports made available to them indicated that the Boko Haram insurgents are still the occupants of the forest where they plan and carry out

their operations. He said the true situation about the activities of Boko Haram insurgency and herdsmen/ farmers crisis especially in the North-east was hidden by the military and other security agencies from Nigerians. “There is a big disconnection between what we are told and what is real,” he said While the chairman condemned the two separate attacks in strong terms, he said if the military had degraded the insurgents as they claimed, why are the recent bombings occurring continuously as more lives have been lost to these attacks than when the insurgents were using smaller weapons to fight. The chairman said the authority should stop using propaganda to deceive Nigerians but to tell Nigerians the truth in order to allow them offer genuine prayers and seek solace from God. Elliot said if they continue to tell lies, God might not answer the prayers of Nigerians, adding that telling the true situation might attract help from somewhere else However, Senator Abubarkar Girei also condemned the attack in a strong term, describing it as demonic and inhuman that every Nigerians should condemn the unholy act perpetrated by the insurgents. Girei, who was one time the governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa State,

2018 Budget: Senate Warns Heads of MDAs against Shunning Invitations Damilola Oyedele in Abuja The Senate has warned against what it said is a new trend by heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to deliberately shun invitations from its constituted committees, noting that the attitude could slow down the 2018 budgetary process. It lamented that the chief executives of critical agencies such as the Nigeria Customs Service (Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (Dr. Maikanti Baru), Central Bank of Nigeria (Mr. Godwin Emefiele), the National Bureau of Statistics (Dr. Yemi Kale) and others, did not honour the invitation of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriation to defend the 2018-2020 Medium Term Expenditure Frame work, on Tuesday. Such attitude, the Senate said, would not help their principal’s, (President Muhammadu Buhari) bid for the passage of the 2018 budget be passed before the end of the year. Senate spokesman, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, briefing journalists in yesterday said the committees are hampered when the heads of these critical agencies do not show up, or when they and

their representatives who cannot adequately respond to questions put before them. “If the national budget is very important and all of us depend on the resources of the country to run our businesses, what other business could be more important than looking at this very critical assignment for this country. “For example, on the issue of revenue projections, where there are shortages, we will look at the performance in 2017 to see what informed the projection for 2018. But where these people are not there, how do you get answers to the things that agitate your mind,” Abdullahi queried. The spokesman said the Senate decided to make the attitude public now, so it would not later be accused as an institution of slowing down the passage of the budget. “For the budget, what we are trying to say is that it is serious enough for all of these chief executives to honour the National Assembly by their presence so that we can look at these issues critically. In doing so, they will be honouring the request by their principal and our overall President and Commander-inChief, President Muhammadu Buhari,” the spokesman added.

further explained that caution should be taken to checkmate the activities of the insurgency, saying if nothing is done to stop the incessant attack on indigenes

of the North-east, the situation will be worse. General Buba Marwa (rtd) also joined prominent Nigerians to condemn the act perpetrated by

the Boko Haram terrorists as he explained that the military should step up its strategies to contain the onslaught of the terrorists. Also, North-east Chairman

of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN), Mafindi Danburam, said for now, 60 people were killed in the attacks as the death toll continues to rise.

MARKETING STERLING BANK

Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade (right), receiving environmental safety reflective vests from a management staff of Sterling Bank Nigeria, Mr. Emmanuel Emefienim, during a courtesy call on him in government house Calabar......yesterday

Court Orders FG to Reinstate Ex-NEMA Spokesperson FourYears After Retirement Justice David Isele of the National Industrial Court (NIC) has ordered the immediate reinstatement of former spokesperson of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Yushau A. Shuaib, back into the public service after being forced to retire in 2013 over an opinion article he wrote on former Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala. Through James Ode Abah of Bamidele Aturu Legal Chamber, Shuaib had sued the Finance Minister, Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) and Federal Ministry of information over the purported retirement. Delivering the judgment, Justice Isele declared that the letter retiring Shuaib from service has no force of law and is therefore illegal, unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect whatsoever being in flagrant violation of the civil service rules.

The judge also declared “the premature retirement of NEMA spokesperson by the federal government without conducting any investigation, without giving him an opportunity to defend himself and without complying with the condition precedent for retirement is contrary to section 36 of the 1999 Constitution and therefore illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and null and void.” The court, therefore, ordered the immediate reinstatement of Yushau Shuaib to his duty post as the Chief Information Officer without any loss to seniority, salaries, position and other emoluments. The judge orders the federal government to compute and pay within 30 days (before Xmas/New Year) all Shuaib’s salaries, allowances and other emoluments due to him from June 2013 to the judgment date (November 22, 2017) and interest at the prevailing commercial bank’s

rate on his total package. The case centred on the illegal and unlawful retirement of Shuaib over an allegation of criticising Okonjo-Iweala in an opinion article on lopsided appointment in the public service. Early in his statement of defence before the court, Shuaib had stated that Public Service Rule 030421 gave him the right to write an article. The section states that “Nothing in this rule shall be deemed to prevent an officer from publishing in his own name, by writing, speech or broadcast matters relating to a subject of general interest which does not contain a critic of any officer.” He also cited Section 39 (1) of the 1999 Constitution which states that “Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including the freedom to hold opinions and receive and impart ideas and information without interference.”

Shuaib, an award-winning writer, was offered automatic employment by Delta State and federal government after winning state and presidential awards of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) scheme in 1993. He had served at various organisations as Public Relations Officer and Press Secretary including Delta State Govt House, Asaba; Ministry of Information, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), National Press Centre, and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). After his purported compulsory retirement, Shuaib activated PRNigeria, a press release platform for critical institutions in Nigeria serving the military, security, intelligence and response agencies among others.

Army Orders Personnel to Learn Three Major Nigerian Languages Solomon Elusoji The Nigerian Army has made it compulsory for its personnel to within one year learn the three major Nigerian languages. According to a statement signed by Director, Army Public Relations, BrigadierGeneral Sani Kukasheka Usman, said the standard of proficiency to be attained is the basic level while certificated proficiency

level would attract language allowance. This policy, according to the army, “will foster espirit-de-corps and better communication with the populace to enhance information gathering, civilmilitary relations, increase understanding between militaries when operating abroad and assist officers and soldiers to perform their duties professionally.” Prospective candidates into

the Nigerian Army have also been advised to learn the three languages to increase their chances of being selected during enrollment. Meanwhile, the army noted that “English remains the official language in the Nigerian Army. Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa languages could be used during Civil Military Cooperation (CIMIC) activities or interrogation.” The army statement also

explained that “the study of foreign and local languages is worldwide practice among armies, in which officers and soldiers are encouraged to be multilingual. “Before now, the Nigerian Army officially encouraged the learning of French, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese and Swahili. French language is an assessed subject in some career courses and examinations for Nigerian Army personnel.”

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

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Nigeria Loses $9bn to Illegal Mining in Two Years FEC approves N987m for purchase of 50 vehicles to curb menace ≠≠ߺ Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja Nigeria lost a whopping $9 billion to the export of proceeds of illegal mining activities between 2014 and 2015, the federal government disclosed yesterday. Making this disclosure at the end of weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting which was held in the conference room of the Office of the First Lady in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, said the $9 billion loss in the sector was contained in a recent report by the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI). In government’s bid to curb the menace of illegal mining and increase revenue accruable to government coffers, Fayemi said FEC approved N987 million for the purchase of 50 Toyota Hillux vehicles at the cost of over N19 million per one for deployment towards the monitoring and curbing of illegal mining in 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). According to Fayemi, the bulk of the significant increase of 8.97 per cent in the contribution of agriculture and industry to gross domestic product growth (GDP) in the third quarter of 2017 as released by the National Bureau of Statistics

(NBS) last Monday came from mining and quarrying activities. Fayemi who said the $9 billion loss was recorded mainly from the illegal export of gold, lead, tin and coal, added that the council consequently approved the memo he presented to it pursuant to the approval of the constitution of Special Mining Surveillance Task Force with the mandate to monitor and curb illegal mining across the country. He said the approval was sequel to the realisation that the deployment of one vehicle per state could not make significant impact in the monitoring of illegal mining activities. He also disclosed that the task force will be made up security personnel deployed from all security agencies including the Nigeria Police, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Department of State Services (DSS), National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the office of National Security Adviser. Further disclosing that the police had established mines police to support the initiative, Fayemi said consequently, a mines police commissioner had been appointed by the Nigeria Police and similar office has also been created in NSCDC. He also said once illegal mining

is put under control, there will be a significant contribution from the sector to the country’s GDP as well as an increase in government royalty and job creation for the teeming populace. The minister who said government’s ultimate goal was to deploy technology to monitor illegal mining, also noted that federal government’s initiative on mines and steel development will involve the collaboration of federal and state governments through the setting up Mineral Resources and Environmental Committee as provided for in Mining Act. He also said the memo presented to the council also included moves to formalise small scale mining and artisan’s mining which he said was preceded by the earlier deposit of N5 billion in the bank to assist small

scale miners and artisan miners. He said this would also involve the advent of a cooperative society. In his own briefing, the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, said the council also approved NN606.31 million for the payment of the contractor who executed an irrigation project in the FCT. According to Adamu, the Ajara-Jere irrigation project which he said was completed since 2008, was meant to supply water in the FCT from Gurara Dam to lower Usman Dam over a distance of 75 kilometres with three metres diameter pipelines. He said in the last nine years since the project was completed, the maintenance of the project had been left in the care of the contractor. However, he said since last year,

the government had been working hard to take over the management of the pipelines which he said were strategic in the move to supply water to Abuja. However, he said the N606 million approved by FEC yesterday would enable the government to pay off the contractor and take over the management of the project by both the personnel of ministry and FCT. Also briefing, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, said the council was updated on the activities of Presidential Enabling Business Environment Committee (PEBEC) following the recent movement of the country 24 places upward in World Bank doing business report. He also said the council was

updated on second National Action Plan which he said would involve the mobilisation of ministries, department and agencies (MDAs) the need to do more and achieve greater success in ease of doing business in Nigeria. Enelamah also said the plan would include the expansion of the scope of ease of doing business beyond Lagos and Kano to all states of the federation adding that the move would be aided by an “omnibus bill” before the National Assembly. He described the bill as an all encompassing bill that will address the constraints faced on doing business in Nigeria. He said PEBEC was given approval to continue with its good work with integrated operationalisation plan on transparency.

OttiVows to Unleash Obiano Tsunami on Abia as APGA Faithful Celebrate Emmanuel Ugwu inUmuahia The victory recorded last weekend by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the Anambra State governorship poll reverberated in Abia State yesterday with the state leader of the party, Mr. Alex Otti, vowing to reproduce the feat in 2019. Otti gave the assurance at a victory rally put together in Umuahia by the Abia State chapter of APGA to celebrate the renewal of the mandate of the Anambra State Governor, Mr. Willie Obiano, who is the only state governor on APGA platform. The former banker, who received over 400 PDP defectors from Obingwa Local Government Area before addressing the rally, said the outcome of the 2017 governorship poll in Anambra State has rekindled the hope of APGA in Abia State and the South-east in general. Explaining the significance of Obiano’s victory, Otti said: “APGA has special place in our hearts, as it represents the political launch pad upon which we can chart a new course and turn around our socio-political and economic fortunes if we properly utilise the beautiful opportunity which APGA provides.” Specifically the former Diamond bank boss who was APGA’s governorship standard bearer in Abia State in 2015 noted that the people in the state must follow the footsteps of their brethren in Anambra State by using their voters’ cards to take their destiny into their own hands.

“To us in Abia State, it was an emotional victory, just as it was monumental and record breaking. “We must draw inspiration from this and show greater determination to change the Abia State political narratives for the better.” Alluding to the forthcoming 2019 governorship poll in Abia, Otti charged his fellow Abians and all residents of the ‘God’s own state’ “not to wait for our situation to become irredeemable before we look for a solution. “Therefore let every Abia State resident here today realise that to break the jinx of underdevelopment ravaging Abia State. We must show an extraordinary kind of altruism, think outside the box and do something extraordinary for the good of our state and our people.” Otti did not leave anybody in doubt that he was ready to take another shot at Government House in Umuahia in 2019 “On my side, I want to assure you that the burning desire to replicate and even surpass the Anambra State leadership example in Abia State is very much alive, hence the need for all of us to remain optimistic, committed and steadfast in our quest to herald Abia State of our dream, as that’s the only way my lofty leadership vision for Abia can be actualised.” The secretary to Anambra State Government (SSG), Professor Solomon Chukwulobelu, who represented Obiano at the rally, told the gathering of APGA faithful in Abia State that the party’s victory was not for Anambra State alone as it was indeed for the entire Ndigbo.

HUMANITARIAN SERVICE

L-R: District 9110 Secretary, Rotary International, Segun Adewakun; Assistant District Governor, Kayode Aderinokun; President, Rotary Mega Club of Lagos Island, SanjeevTandon; District 9110 Governor, Dr. Adewale Ogunbadejo; President-elect, Rad Gulati and Chairman, Club Polio Eradication Project, Jairam Rupchandami, at the presentation of the club’s $1500 donation to the District 9110 Governor, Ogunbadejo , during his official visit to the Rotary Mega Club of Lagos Island....recently

Gridlock: Lagos Begins Evacuation of ArticulatedVehicles on Apapa- Oshodi Expressway In its determination to ensure free flow of traffic and safety on the road, the Lagos State Government yesterday commenced the process of clearing Apapa-Mile 2 axis of illegal parking of tankers and articulated vehicles. This action, the government said is aimed at freeing Apapa-Oshodi Expressway of avoidable traffic gridlocks, and making the axis accessible to other road users. Speaking in Lagos after a visit to the area, the General Manager of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr. Olawale Musa, said despite series of meetings the agency had with the stakeholders on the imperative of freeing Apapa of all traffic impediments, vehicles were still parked on the roads. According to him, no responsible government would fold its arms and allow lawlessness and impunity to reign. The General Manager stressed that the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode administration is alive to its responsibilities and will not shy away from attending to the plight of the people.

According to him, this informed the setting up of a Special Task Force comprising of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigerian Navy, Police, Civil Defence and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) under the Chairmanship of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Edgar Imohimi to rid Apapa and environ of activities of illegal parking and menace of articulated vehicles. He expressed optimism that with the creation of the Special Task, support and cooperation of other security Agencies and all stakeholders with LASTMA, issues of illegal parking of vehicles and other lawlessness will soon become a thing of the past. Musa noted that at the stakeholders meeting held on Friday, November, 2017 at the NPA headquarters Marina, activities of articulated vehicles returning empty containers to the Port was identified as the major cause of traffic gridlock in the axis, as many of them had to wait up to ten days to discharge empty containers. “This made them to park on the

main carriageways for days and in the process impeding free flow of traffic. This was largely due to the fact that shipping companies that were supposed to provide holding bays for the empty containers in accordance with the license issued for them to operate in the country have either refused to provide or the ones existing were inadequate. The stakeholders have therefore resorted that henceforth, these vehicles are to use the following holding bays and terminals which includes, Comet Terminal, Joatelim, Ballore Transport and Logistics, HBX Terminal, Unity Bonded Terminal, Falcon Terminal, Port and Marine services and Duncan Terminal for their activities,” Musa said. The LASTMA boss said the stakeholders also agreed that the all trucks currently loading at the port will be issued a docket indicating where they should return their empty containers instead of waiting ceaselessly on the roads to return them. Musa assured the residents of Apapa and Lagos State in general that the current effort and exercise

to restore sanity and orderliness to Apapa would be a continuous one, warning that anyone who defies government directive not to impede free flow of traffic will be dealt with according to the law. He therefore enjoined all stakeholders especially the Shipping Council and Shipping Lines to sensitize and educate their members on the new directive. According to him, “people should stop putting individual interest over and above public interest. Members of the public should also take possession of the already cleared roads, and not hesitate to inform the Agency of any broken down or abandoned tankers and trucks on Apapa – Oshodi Expressway as LASTMA has been empowered and positioned to response promptly to any distress.” It would be recalled that owners and drivers of articulated vehicles illegally parked on the roads at Apapa and environ have been given up to the Friday, November 24 to remove them from and failure to do so would lead to full enforcement of laws.

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

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Senate to Review National Security Infrastructure Divided over state police Damilola Oyedele in Abuja Senators yesterday decried the rising insecurity in different parts of Nigeria, and resolved to institute a high powered roundtable discourse on how to review the current security infrastructure in the

country to address contemporary challenges. The lawmakers were however divided on the clamour for the creation of State police for effective policing of communities. The Senate said an ad hoc committee would be charged with

Lai Mohammed: All Votes will Count in 2019 The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari is determined to ensure that peoples’ votes count come 2019. Speaking with political editors, Muhammed said by providing a level playing ground for all candidates in the Anambra governorship election, Buhari had shown to the whole world that he was committed to a free and fair election. According to him, by allowing all candidates to compete uninhibited, President Muhammadu Buhari sent a clear message- ‘let the people make their decisions’. He said if the people decided to sell their votes, there was nothing the government at the centre could do about that. He said: “We will continue to drum it and let them understand that vote is the single most powerful weapon they have and once they sell it, they can’t come round again until the next four years to complain about the kind of leaders they have.” Mohammed said the APC-led government wanted the people to decide the outcome of every election. He said: “It is not about who is at the centre but we did not follow the temptation to use our muscle. It was quite tempting because we don’t have any governor in the South-east but we felt it is only fair for the people to decide their own fate. “The Buhari-administration provided a level playing field for all and he showed that from the manner he restored the security aides of Governor Obiano. “For whatever reason, the Inspector- General of Police (IG) felt that going by experience, it will not be proper to leave the

security aides. So, he posted out the Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the governor and other key security officials. But the president felt that it is not enough to be honest, you must also appear honest and whatever the reasons the IG might have is about perception. “He said the right thing to do is to restore the governor’s aides and design a manner to ensure that nobody will abuse the constitution. “This has never happened in the history of Nigeria. I know that the practice before was that a few days before election, commissioners of police will be posted out even sometimes, INEC officials or DG SSS will be posted out.” He also said the fact that the people came out to vote despite the threat by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra proved that IPOB did not represent the good people of Anambra or any state in the South-east. “If truly they represented the people, the IPOB propaganda about the election really showed that they are not on ground,” he added. He said the people of Anambra have shown that there was no alternative to democracy and that they believed in one Nigeria and federal system of government. He said: “If there are issues to be resolved, let us resolve it. But terrorism and separatism is not the answer. “I think the Anambra election has sounded the death knell on IPOB because they said election will never hold. The election has come and gone, the turnout was quite reasonable. Every party competed very competitively and at the end of the day, the people of Anambra have decided who is going to be their governor.”

the responsibility of thoroughly exploring the situation in conjunction with security agencies, and make recommendations to address the inadequacies. The resolution followed discussion on a motion over the killings and arson which occurred last weekend in several local governments in Zamfara State. Lawmakers for about two hours, in contributing to the motion argued that insecurity has become a national monster which requires a holistic approach for resolution. The Senate therefore suspended all other items listed on the order paper to adequately debate the matter with Senate President Bukola Saraki calling for recommendations on solutions. Senator Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara APC) said killings have been going on for years in Zamfara on a daily basis. “What is more worrisome is the proliferation of arms. Our youth are forced to bear arms, even in the state capital, you see people bearing arms without hinderance. Unless something is done, I foresee that axis becoming heavily militarised,” Marafa said. In his contribution, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu said the same matter of killings by bandits in Zamfara

have been addressed on the floor of the senate several times. “And this will not be the last time unless it is address” Ekweremadu warned and emphasised that insecurity has assumed a national dimension which threatens the economic development of the country. He cited tension in Benue (over the grazing law) and threats by the Niger Delta Avengers to resume attacks on oil installations. “Centralised police is not helping matters. Marafa just said people are bearing arms on Zamfara. Why won’t they when you have 350,000 policemen for 170 million Nigerians? We must decentralise the police and address the insufficiency,” Ekweremadu urged. Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi APC) argued that community policing and establishment of vigilante groups would help address issues of criminality. Aliero also advocated that the military should be deployed to some of the crises areas as the criminals are better armed than the police. “There is nothing wrong with federal police, but their posting should be to their states of origin,” he argued. Opposing the call for decentralised police, Senator Danjuma Goje (Gombe APC) said

in instances of clashes by groups in the state, the police may be prone to bias. He noted that the attacks in Numan, Adamawa State might have more casualty figures than is currently being reported. “It is no longer news when you hear that people are killed, this is alien to our society,” he said. “State police may not necessarily solve the problems. For instance, the victims in Numan were killed by people from the same community, which means if the police were there, they may take sides,” Goje said. His position was supported by Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi APC) who harped on the need for intelligence gathering by the police. He opposed state police which he noted would be prone to abuse and cited the case in his state where he alleged that vigilante groups move around openly with pump action rifles. “If the situation is not arrested, the elections in 2019 and 2020 in Kogi would be volatile,” Melaye said. Senator Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom PDP) however said state police can be regulated centrally to ensure it is not subject to abuse by politicians.

Senator Magnus Abe (Rivers APC) in his argument raised the critical issue of funding. He noted that the challenges of insecurity would remain as long as the police remains underfunded. “If we need N500 billion and we provide N5billion, it would not work. We also need to redesign our security architecture to protect lives and properties otherwise we would continue to have these controversies,” Abe noted. Presiding, Saraki said the Senate must seize the opportunity to consider how the issues of insecurity can be addressed. He announced that the composition of the adhoc committee to spearhead the discourse would be announced at plenary on Thursday. “We need to confront this issue. We cannot be coming here all the time to condole or condemn, that is not enough. I hear a lot of people saying the military should be deployed, but the military is overstretched,” “The good point here are that we must examine and redesign the security infrastructure and also the issue of funding.This is a commitment we make this morning, we would face this head on. We cannot continue this way and people would be dying,” Saraki added.

CAPACITY BUILDING

Officials from the Lagos State General Hospitals receiving training on how to combat outbreak of deadly viral infections in Lagos...recently

Senate Orders Reinstatement of Dismissed Colonel Lagos General Hospitals Prepare to Manage Outbreak Damilola Oyedele in Abuja The Senate has urged the authorities of the Nigerian Army to immediately reinstate one of the 38 dismissed officers, Colonel Chidi Kalu Ukoha, and pay all his entitlements. It also cautioned the army against arbitrary disengagement of its officers as such action would not only lower the morale of serving officers and soldiers, but would also amount to colossal waste of resources spent by the country to train such officers. Ukoha is one of 38 officers who were summarily dismissed by the army in June 2016. The 38 officers, some of whom are in court challenging their dismissal, also petitioned the Senate, on grounds that they were never queried for any act of indiscipline, but were suddenly dismissed. The army had claimed that all the officers were given fair hearing, and compulsorily retired for involvement in arms procurement or political

election corruption. Adopting the recommendations of its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, the Senate lamented that Ukoha was compulsorily retired even though he still has 12 more years to serve. “That the statement of the Nigerian Army that the officer was retired on disciplinary ground and given fair hearing before the retirement, could not be substantiated by the Army, as the officer was never warned, queried or made to appear before any disciplinary committee/court marshal. “That the NigerianArmy could not also prove that the petitioner was in anyway involved in arms procurement or in political election corruption,” “That on June 13, 2016, the officer wrote a letter of appeal to the president through the Chief of Defence Staff, for his intervention in his wrongful retirement, but till date the officer was yet to receive the decision of Mr. President on the matter,” the report said.

of Deadly Viral Infections The Lagos State Government in collaboration with the Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh (DRASA) Health Trust has conducted training for health workers in all General Hospitals in the state towards increasing their capacity to identify and promptly manage patients during outbreak of emerging infectious diseases. In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, the government noted that with a population of over 22 million people and rapid urbanisation, Lagos State remains at high risk of outbreak of infectious diseases. Idris stated that the training is focused on a group of illnesses called viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) which includes deadly viruses such as Ebola, Lassa fever, Yellow fever, and Dengue. He said these viruses cause sporadic outbreaks all over the country

and the goal of the training is to build capacity in identifying and containing them in the megacity of Lagos. The commissioner said that he has mandated all Medical Directors of General Hospitals in the State to designate a ward as isolation unit to quarantine suspected cases. Once diagnosis is made, a confirmed case of VHF will be moved to the isolation ward for expert management. He however added that “there is need to build the capacity of health workers in the state hospitals to identify and diagnose cases before they could be properly managed. “Those of us around when Ebola happened know what it was like. So we need these kinds of trainings to refresh and remind people that the threat remains. It’s clear that infectious diseases are not going away. With this

training, LSMoH and DRASA seek to increase the state’s level of outbreak preparedness, protect its health workers and help keep the people in Lagos state safer,” added Jide Idris. The commissioner concluded his remarks by commending DRASA for the laudable initiative and pledged the commitment of Lagos State Government to the successful implementation of the project on Simulation Training on Emergency Preparedness and Response for Emerging Infectious Disease in Lagos State being sponsored by DRASA. In her contribution, Ms. Niniola Soleye, Managing Director of DRASA said, “This isn’t a typical lecture or presentation type of training. We’re using simulation and scenarios to make it hands-on and to ensure that the doctors and nurses we’re training actually go

through the process. So when they’re faced with a real live infectious patient as Adadevoh was with the first Ebola patient in 2014, they will know what to do. That’s our goal. “The training will cover multiple topics including how health workers can identify and triage suspected VHF patients, how they should apply standard precautions, and how they should put on and take off personal protective equipment (PPE) before and after dealing with a suspected case” she added. Niniola concluded stating that, “This training is just the beginning. We look forward to fulfilling the MoU between DRASA and LSMOH to keep our communities safe and protected from public health threats by providing an ongoing series of capacity building simulation trainings for health facilities across the state.”

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2017

THURSDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

RUSSIA 2018

Eagles’Victory over Argentina May Be Counterproductive, Ighalo Warns Kunle Adewale Ahead of the 2018 World Cup slated for Russia in the summer, Super Eagles striker, Odion Ighalo, has warned his national teammates not to be carried away by the team’s smooth sail during the qualifiers and the recent 4-2 victory over South American giant-Argentina. Ighalo further warned that using the easy run and the victory over the Albiceleste as Eagles arrival at the global stage could spell doom for Nigeria at the competition proper in Russia. Speaking with THISDAY at the launch of his pet project-Ighalo Orphanage Home in Janaith Hotel, Ajah, the Changchun Yatai striker admitted it was not a small feat qualifying for the Mundial without losing a game from a group that had Cameroon, Algeria and Zambia and recently coming back from two nil down to beat an argentine side that paraded some of the best players in the world. “Naturally, such feat should be a morale booster to the team with the World Cup just few months away but it could also have a ripple effect as the team might get carried away by such achievements at the competition proper. “We should just put behind

those little successes and focus properly on what is coming ahead of us if we really want to do well in Russia,” Ighalo reasoned. The striker indeed admitted that the recent victories recorded by the team had taken away the ‘underdog’ tag Nigeria would have enjoyed at the World Cup. “Now, we are the team to beat. We are now like the proverbial golden fish with no hiding place,” he noted. Next year’s showpiece in Russia would be Ighalo’s first attempt at the World Cup, but said he is not under any pressure to perform. “I just pray that I would be injury-free when the World Cup kicks off, however, I’m not under any pressure to perform in Russia,” the former Watford of England striker assured his fans. Meanwhile, Ighalo has given reasons as to what inform his reason for the orphanage foundation, stressing that it has to do with his tough background. “Life was tough growing up in Ajegunle and I vowed that if I eventually had a breakthrough, I’ll give back to the society that made me, hence, the Ighalo Orphanage Foundation,” revealed the Super Eagles forward.

MATCH Hospitality Appoints Integral as Exclusive Sales Agent in Nigeria MATCH Hospitality yesterday confirmed that Nigeria’s leading sports events and hospitality company, Integral, has been appointed as the Exclusive Sales Agent in Nigeria for the sale of the Official Hospitality Programme of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. MATCH Hospitality is the exclusive rights holder of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Official Hospitality Programme and is the only company worldwide that has been officially appointed by FIFA to promote and sell, either directly or via its global network of sales agents, official commercial hospitality packages including guaranteed match tickets. The company has successfully operated the FIFA Commercial Hospitality Programmes for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa and more recently, the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, where over 290,000 commercial hospitality packages were sold, significantly surpassing the previous largest hospitality programme in international sports events. Chief Operating Officer of MATCH Hospitality, Pascal Portes, said: “We feel a tremendous sense of pride in the product range offered by MATCH Hospitality as FIFA’s official hospitality rights holder for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. “Nigeria is an established

and very passionate market, and we are extremely optimistic about the sales potential for our hospitality programme in 2018. “We know that Integral are our best partners to open the door to a thriving Nigerian market ready for the extraordinary experiences promised by this exceptional FIFA World Cup environment.” Also speaking about the Russia 2018 hospitality arrangement, Managing Director of Integral, Abimbola Ilo, added: “We are delighted to act as the Exclusive Sales Agent of MATCH Hospitality in Nigeria for the sale of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Official Hospitality Programme. “After months of negotiations and discussions, this deal clearly confirms Integral’s pedigree to have been selected, and on an exclusive basis in Nigeria. This basically means now that we have the entire inventory to deliver unforgettable experience to all our clients during the FIFA World Cup, right from the moment they think about attending the event to support their team,” concludes the Integral boss. The FIFA Hospitality Programme offers clients guaranteed match tickets bundled together with a wide range of services such as facilities at the stadiums (including private suites, lounges and marquee tents), gourmet catering, preferential parking, entertainment and gifts.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Chelsea Through to Last 16 Willian scored twice as Chelsea progressed to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League with a comfortable victory against 10-man Qarabag last night. Forward Willian had scored just one goal prior to this game this season against Everton in the League Cup - but played a pivotal role in this win for the Blues, also winning two penalties. After former Birmingham City midfielder Michel hit the bar for Qarabag, Chelsea were awarded their first spot kick when Rashad Sadygov was adjudged to have pulled down Willian inside the area. Sadygov was subsequently sent off and Eden Hazard sent the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot. The visitors quickly added a second following a stunning passage of play which ended with Hazard back-heeling the ball for Willian to side-foot home. Chelsea beat Qarabag 6-0 at Stamford Bridge in the first Group C game between the two sides back in September and a repeat of such a score-line looked likely with Antonio Conte’s side capable of scoring with every attack.

RESULTS CSKA 2 - 0 Benfica Basel 1 - 0 Man Utd Anderlecht 1 - 2 Bayern PSG 7 - 1 Celtic Qarabag 0 - 4 Chelsea Atletico 2 - 0 Roma Juventus 0 - 0 Barcelona Sporting 3 - 1 Olympiacos

Willian (right) and Eden Hazard celebrating Chelsea’s 4-0 defeat of Qarabag in the UEFA Champions League… last night

Aiyegbeni Retires from Football Former Super Eagles forward, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, has retired from professional soccer on his 35th birthday. Yakubu, who played his club football at Portsmouth, Everton, Middlesbrough and

Blackburn Rovers, made 250 Premier League appearances and scored 96 goals in a career spanning 20 years. He also featured three times for fourth-tier side Coventry City this year before being released.

“I would like to officially announce my retirement from professional football today,” Yakubu told Sky Sports yesterday. The powerful striker scored 21 goals in 57 appearances for Nigeria and took part in four

Africa Cup of Nations as well as the 2010 World Cup. “The Yak... is 3rd best all time scorer of the senior national team. Thank you for the memories,” the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) tweeted.

‘Why NCC is Splashing N23m on Tennis League’ Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu The Head of Public Relations, at the Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC), Reuben Muoka, has stressed that the need to improve the quality of Nigerian tennis players is largely responsible why his commission is sponsoring the 2017 NCC Tennis League to the tune of N23million. Speaking after a two-day first semifinal of the NCC Tennis League held at the Enugu Sports Club at the weekend, Muoka said the commission remained committed towards encouraging young talents. “The major objective is to improve tennis in the country

because we take quality tennis to all parts of the country and those that participate in this tournament are those best Nigerian tennis players in males and females”, Mouka disclosed. According to him, the winner of the tournament would go home with N7 million, while the first runner-up will receive N5 million. The 3rd and 4th positions will receive N3 million and N2 million respectively. The NCC spokesman said Nigeria did not have tennis league until NCC introduced matches between teams in 2015, in which eight teams participated, comprising males and females. “We partnered the International Tennis Academy (ITA) and the

Nigerian Tennis Federation (NTF) in 2015, to organise the first tennis tournament in Nigeria, which had eight participating team. Last year, about 10 teams participated and 12 teams are participating in this year’s edition. “Apart from what the winners will get, we also gave each of the twelve teams the sum of five hundred thousand naira (500,000), to enable them prepare for this competition,” stressed Muoka. The Executive Captain of Tennis Section of Enugu Sports Club Dr. Lawrence Azike said the essence of the tournament on the part of Nigeria and NCC was in line with the government’s desire to partner the private sector to promote sporting activities in

the country. He said it would be an opportunity to empower Nigerian youths to make a living and contribute their own quota towards national development. The tournament which had been taken to 12 different major cities of Nigeria; Abuja, Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Ilorin, Onitsha, Jos, Ibadan, Ekiti and Owerri, had its first semifinal in Enugu and produced team Muller as the winner after defeating team Ndoma with 5-2 aggregate. Another round of semifinal will be in Abuja in December to produce the team that would play the final with Team Muller in Lagos.

Gov Emmanuel Honoured at NSA, Reaffirms Commitment to Sports Devt Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom has reaffirmed his commitment to sports development in Nigeria particularly having been part of Super Eagles eventful qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and supporting Akwa United to AITEO Cup victory. Governor Emmanuel was unanimously voted the Sports Governor of the Year at the 20017 Nigeria Sports Award held at Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos and attended by crème-de-la-crème of

Nigeria sports and captains of industry Represented at the event by the Chairman of Akwa United FC and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Sports, Mr. Paul Bassey, he expressed his satisfaction with the Eagles’ qualification for Russia 2018 World Cup while pledging his continued support for sports development. “We are proud to be part of the Nigeria’s qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and we will not relent in our effort to

support sports. We are committed to empowering our youth and also use sports to support their dreams. We are delighted to recieve this award from the organisers of the Nigeria Sports Award and this will surely spur us to do more for sports in the country,” Bassey said. Recall that since assumption of office, Gov. Emmanuel has championed the drive for sports revolution in Nigeria. Through the efforts of the sports loving Governor, Akwa Ibom has become the emerging

football capital of Nigeria playing host to the National Team; the Super Eagles all through the team’s successful qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. The state-owned football team; Akwa United FC has over this period been the most funded and best managed state-owned team which has seen the team emerge winners of Nigeria FA Cup twice in 3 years. The female team, Ibom Angels also emerged runners up in the female FA Cup for the first time ever in 2017.

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2017

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MISSILE Bode George to Ahmed Makarfi “Everywhere you look, Makarfi is planting the agents of his favourite South-South candidate to stage-manage warped and skewed congresses in an undisguised mockery of all the normative patterns of our founding fathers whose enduring forte about equity, justice and fairness is being flung into the gutter” —PDP Chairmanship aspirant, Chief Bode George, accusing caretaker committee chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, of manipulating the process in favour of Chief Uche Secondus.

OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

Zimbabwe and the African Tragedy T here is a temptation to hail the outcome of the ‘military coup’ in Zimbabwe that eventually led to the ouster of President Robert Mugabe as a triumph of popular will. That would be a myopic reading of the situation. While the resignation came amid popular discontent fuelled largely by the military and a faction of his own political party, there is an inconvenient truth that we should not shy away from: In Africa, power still does not belong to the people! Meanwhile, for the generation who know only Mugabe the dictator, it may be necessary to highlight the fact that he did not start that way. He was at some point in history, an African hero. At the risk of his life, Mugabe had led a bloody guerrilla war against the white colonial rulers of Rhodesia (as his country was then called) who jailed him for 10 years over a “subversive speech” he made in 1964. When he was released a decade later, Mugabe did not relent as he merely crossed into the neighbouring Mozambique to continue his struggle. With independence in 1980, he was elected the first prime minister and six years later, the president. Mugabe’s first decade in office was marked by improvement in the lives of the Zimbabweans and he was well regarded across the world as a good leader of his people. But the moment Mugabe became consumed by an overriding ambition to stay in power in perpetuity, the problem started. He became intolerant and repressive while his land reform policy was marred in controversy. The genesis of the crisis in Zimbabwe can be traced to 1979 when the Lancaster House Accords agreed to an equitable compensation in the distribution of farmlands in the country that were held by the British. Even when there were justifications for the policy, the British government refused to fulfil its part of the bargain and acting in collaboration with other western powers, used the issue to bring down the economy of Zimbabwe and ultimately, Mugabe. I recall that a few days before the March 2002 election, the then Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Francis Sengwe (a friend of our own ‘Comrade’ Kayode Komolafe) visited THISDAY and he explained how the land issue touches on the pride and sovereignty of his country. “There are a few white people who individually own plots of farmland as big as the size of Imo and Abia states combined. Where is the justice and equity in that? Our parents suffered in the hands of these people. My parents worked in a tobacco farm owned by a white man and we had nothing; in our own country. President Mugabe is only trying to correct some of these imbalances and the British would not allow him to have any peace.” What the foregoing suggests is that amid the global euphoria that has greeted the ouster of Mugabe from power in Zimbabwe, it is important to remember the hypocrisy of the British government on the land issue. At the end of the day, whatever may be the other sins of Mugabe, it was the mismanaged land reform, not the fact that he stayed too long in power or that he was a dictator that accounted for the challenge of his last two decades in

Mugabe office fuelled largely from Britain. As it would happen, the more the international pressure visited on Mugabe on account of the land issue, the more he became desperate about regime protection at the expense of the welfare of his people. Yet throughout, he was enabled by a class of other leaders especially those regarded as war veterans, who believe it is their birthright to rule Zimbabwe because they fought for independence. To understand this power game better, we may have to go back to recent elections when a very unpopular Mugabe faced the greatest challenges of his leadership. For instance, before the 2002 general elections, all the senior military commanders in the country declared they would serve under no president except

Mugabe. In turn, Mugabe signed into law an Electoral Act which gave the armed forces a legal role in national elections for the first time in Zimbabwe’s history. Section 17 of the controversial legislation allowed the heads of the “service commissions”(defined in the Act as the army, air force, police and prison service) to second personnel to serve as “constituency election officers, deputy constituency elections officers, assistant constituency elections officers and polling officers”. Six years later, the opposition was far stronger against Mugabe. Following a presidential election held on 29 March 2008 believed to have been won by Mr Morgan Tsvangirai of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), it took more than a month for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to announce that while Tsvangirai may have secured 47.9% of the votes against Mugabe’s 43.2%, there was no outright winner hence a run-off was needed. But shortly before that poll, slated for 27 June, Mugabe vowed that he would never accept ‘traitors’ taking over power in Zimbabwe. “It shall never happen ... as long as I am alive and those who fought for the country are alive; we are prepared to fight for our country and to go to war for it.” In pursuit of that agenda, military commanders and Mugabe’s hirelings went on the offensive against opposition politicians and due to the violence, Tsvangirai announced on 22 June 2008 that he was withdrawing from the run-off because, as he said, the lives of his supporters were in danger. The election went ahead as scheduled and even though Mugabe’s (Zanu-PF) ruling party lost its majority in the House of Assembly for the first time (as the opposition won more seats) he still went on

to secure 85.5 percent of the total votes cast to continue in office. In all the foregoing perversions of democratic will by Mugabe, he always had behind him the military commanders who treated him like a god. The real challenge for Mugabe, however, came when it recently became obvious that his young and ambitious wife, Grace, was remote-controlling him in a not-so-subtle bid to move from ‘The Other Room’ to the presidency of Zimbabwe. Following the removal of Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, army commander Constantino Chiwenga had warned that the military would act if purges against former war liberation fighters did not cease. But Mugabe was too drunk in love to listen and he paid the ultimate political price for that. In the tragedy of Zimbabwe was an arrogance that bordered on entitlement, almost as if the country belongs to a few men on account that they fought for independence. It was that same entitlement that fed into the coup that eventually ousted Mugabe. If ‘The Crocodile’ had not been sacked and there were no surreptitious moves by Mugabe to make his wife succeed him, there would have been no coup. At the end, the military commanders and their political collaborators, led by the man who has now inherited power, merely used the people to achieve a predetermined end. Now that he has, by a sleight of hand, become the main man in Zimbabwe, I believe it will serve Mnangagwa well to lead the cult of personalities within the ZANU-PF to outgrow their sense of entitlement. The immediate challenge facing Zimbabwe today is that of ensuring good governance, deepening democracy and fostering national unity. I wish ‘The Crocodile’ the best of luck.

The Book of Jonathan

A

day to the public presentation of my book, “Against The Run of Play: How an incumbent president was defeated in Nigeria” in April this year, I got a call from the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, who said someone had given him a copy and that he had read it. After the usual pleasantries, he asked, “but why did oga (President Jonathan) say that about Stella (Oduah)?” Since I didn’t know how to respond to such question, I simply kept quiet and just allowed Anyim to talk. He told me of how people within their circle were angry that Jonathan simply threw Oduah under the bus by using her removal as a justification for his fight against corruption. Although I couldn’t understand the point Anyim was making considering that Oduah’s saga played out in the public glare and President Jonathan merely echoed an open secret, I can now see the bigger picture after reading Bolaji Abdullahi’s very insightful book, “On a Platter of Gold: How Jonathan won and lost Nigeria”. In the book, Oduah gave a counter-narrative

which presented the manner in which she left Jonathan’s cabinet as a product of negotiation between the two of them. Excerpts: “Did Diezani ask you to sack me”, she asked the president. “No, she did not”, a troubled Jonathan answered. “But I am confused. Tell me what I should do now.” “Why don’t you just announce it, since we have got to this stage? But if I go now, you would not get the credit for it. May be you should just wait and announce it with the rest.” By the account that followed, President Jonathan actually waited and added the name of Oduah among a list of other members of the federal executive council who were said to be leaving to seek other political offices. What makes Abdullahi’s book rather fascinating is that his former cabinet colleagues provided a lot of background information that enriched the narrative. But it is also a well-researched book with penetrating insights on the factors that combined both to throw up Jonathan from the obscurity of a teaching job to the pinnacle of power and to throw him down as the first incumbent president to be defeated in Nigeria. Although Abdullahi was a minister under

Jonathan for almost three years before he was removed on account of politics and he is currently the spokesman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), he has produced a most scholarly work. Reading the book, especially against the background of the ongoing political developments in Zimbabwe, one cannot but agree with Mr. Mo Ibrahim’s summation that “Africa’s history over the last 50 years has been blighted by two areas of weakness. These have been capacity – the ability to design and deliver policies; and accountability – how well a state answers to its people.” That essentially is the thrust of the blurb to Abdullahi’s book by Wale Adebanwi, Rhodes Professor of Race Relations at Oxford University, who put the whole narrative in perspective. The “selective outrage regarding some fundamental crises which members of the elite used in propelling themselves to power”, according to Adebanwi, “emphasises how the various factions of the Nigerian political elite are gifted in the art of the capture and recapture of power but largely vacuous in the art of building and sustaining a good society”.

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