Thursday 21st December 2017

FG Finally Releases N739bn Capital Vote to MDAs Bolaji Adebiyi in Abuja Ostensibly responding to the National Assembly’s complaint over the low implementation of the capital component of the 2017 Appropriation Act, the Ministry of Finance yesterday finally released N739 billion to the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of the

federal government.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, in a release memorandum to the Federal Treasury Department, dated December 20, 2017 and cited by THISDAY, directed the immediate release of the

sum to the MDAs, thereby bringing the total capital vote releases for the fiscal year to N1.189 trillion.

The National Assembly has been very critical of the executive arm of government’s low-level implementation of

federal budgets, describing this year’s as the worst.

Efforts by the Muhammadu Buhari administration to return the budget cycle to JanuaryDecember suffered a setback on Tuesday when the Senate refused to proceed with the

passage of the 2018 budget estimates on the grounds of low implementation of the 2017 budget, which was rated at around 20 per cent.

Senators expressed their dismay that only N450 billion out of N2.17 trillion allocated

NFIU to Get Independent Status Jan 1… Page 6

for capital expenditure had been released, about six months into the life cycle of the budget.

Adeosun, who appeared before the Senate Committee on Finance on Tuesday to defend her ministry’s estimates, had tried to assuage Continued on page 8

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PDP Dismisses Threat as Defeated Contestants Open Parallel Secretariat Adeniran, Adejoh distance selves from splinter group Dickson asks aggrieved members to be patient Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja Barely forty-eight hours after a chairmanship candidate in the recently concluded national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prof. Taoheed Adedoja sued the party, another aggrieved group has set up a parallel office in Abuja, promising to

also constitute its own national executive by January.

However, the PDP has dismissed the emergence of a splinter group, saying that it was completely “unperturbed by the comical acts” of some individuals who make outlandish claims in the media Continued on page 6

Innoson Boss, Chukwuma, Rejects His Release by EFCC Senate, Ohanaeze youths, others condemn his arrest Damilola Oyedele, Paul Obi in Abuja, Christoper Isiguzo in Enugu and David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka More than twenty-four hours after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission stormed the residence of the chief executive officer and

founder of Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing (IVM) Group, Mr. Innocent Chukwuma, and arrested him over a commercial dispute between him and his bank – Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (GTBank) – the commission yesterday released him on bail.

Continued on page 6

Shell, Eni to Stand Trial in Italy over Malabu Deal ... Page 8

THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR IS UPON US...

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (middle), and his wife, Bolanle, at the end of the year Christmas party for children, held at the Government House, Ikeja, Lagos… yesterday

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NFIU to Get Independent Status Jan 1 Senate c’ttee concerned over paltry N800m allotted to unit in 2018 budget Damilola Oyedele in Abuja As part of the requirements to avert the expulsion of Nigeria from the Egmont Group, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) will from January 1, 2018, become a self-accounting institution, independent of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The acting chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, confirmed this yesterday when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Anti-corruption and Financial Crimes, where he confirmed that the unit, a department of the EFCC, has been granted self-accounting

status.

Last July, Nigeria was suspended from the Egmont Group, a body comprising financial intelligence units from 155 countries that provides a platform for the secure exchange of expertise and financial intelligence to combat money laundering and terrorism financing.

Nigeria’s suspension stemmed from concerns raised by the Egmont Group over the nonindependent status of the NFIU. The group warned that Nigeria could face expulsion if the country failed to make the NFIU autonomous.

Magu told the committee that

the self-accounting status of the NFIU granted by the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) and the Budget Office would start from January 1, 2018. “They were operationally autonomous actually, but now they would be on their own. They have an accounts department that would now manage their finances, independent of the EFCC. But they still remain with us in principle,� Magu said.

The committee chairman, Senator Chukwuka Utazi, however, noted that the N800 million allocated to the NFIU in the 2018 budget was a far cry from what was required

for its take off.

He noted that the amount might not even be sufficient for foreign travels of its personnel, which would be a common feature of the agency.

Utazi urged Magu to provide all necessary support to the NFIU to fully take off and remain autonomous. “If the impression is to let Nigerians think that you are letting them go and that is not the reality, it does not help anyone. N800 million is not going to work. “They have to go with all necessary prerequisites, so their budget has to be done properly. “If there are people that will

be seconded from the EFCC to the NFIU, the foundation must be done now, so that the world can take us seriously. We are working against the expulsion

by January,� Utazi said.

He directed the EFCC to submit adequate documentation on the NFIU workforce and other requirements pertaining its autonomy.

The director of the NFIU, Mr. Francis Usani who was also present, said the unit, in its budget proposal to the AGF, had asked for N2.9 billion.

Usani also confirmed that the unit had been granted its self-accounting status. “On 15th of September 2017,

we got our financial code from the Accountant General of the Federation that we have financial autonomy,� he said.

The committee thereafter retreated into a closed-door session to grill Magu over the arrest of the chairman of Innoson Motors, Mr. Innocent Chukwuma.

Magu, emerging from the meeting room about 30 minutes later, confirmed to newsman that Chukwuma was arrested by the anti-graft agency.

He, however, declined to make further comments, saying that the commission would release a statement on the matter.

rebellious group, saying that they had decided to throw their support behind the new leadership led by Secondus.

Former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, who spoke to journalists on the phone, said that he was disassociating himself from such a “recalcitrant group�, having given his word to the reconciliation committee not to make an issue out of the last convention.

Another aspirant for the post of national publicity secretary, Farouk Adejoh also disassociated himself from the aggrieved group.

the governor, Francis Ottah Agbo, Dickson made the call while fielding questions from reporters in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

He assured aggrieved member that his committee would reach out to them immediately after the yuletide season and will address all legitimate concerns arising from the convention.

Dickson expressed optimism that the ongoing reconciliation efforts within the party would yield positive results.

According to the governor, the committee has tentatively fixed an interactive meeting with all the aggrieved candidates and other members for the second week of January to address their concerns and with a view to building a strong and united PDP. He stated that the meeting which is expected to hold at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja, will also have in attendance the members of the new NWC, who will use the opportunity to interact with the aggrieved candidates and the reconciliation committee.

PDP DISMISSES THREAT AS DEFEATED CONTESTANTS OPEN PARALLEL SECRETARIAT regarding the party.

The group, which called itself the “Fresh PDP�, is led

by Mr. Emmanuel Obi-Nwosu, ironically, a member of the planning committee of the national convention of the party.

Although it is uncertain as to who is behind the group, it has threatened to go ahead and name a parallel national executive soon.

But in a statement issued yesterday by its spokesman, Kola Olagbondiyan, the PDP said that it was happy with the efforts of the Governor Seriake Dickson-led Reconciliation Committee as well as the responses from all the respectable and responsible leaders of the party in that regard. “We will, however, not be responsible or respond to any person or group of individuals who decide to allow themselves to be used by forces from another political party in a laughable and childish attempt to distract us,�

PDP said.

According to the main opposition party, “The Uche Secondus-led national leadership will continue to focus on

repositioning our great party to be the formidable opposition that will guarantee checks and balances in our polity and ultimately regain power in 2019.�

However, while addressing a press conference at its new office located in Asokoro, Abuja, Nwosu accused the former chairman of the National Caretaker Committee (NCC), Senator Ahmed Makarfi, and the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa-led Convention Planning Committee of imposing “predetermined persons� as leaders of the party.

While stating their grievances, Nwosu said the petition written by some of the aspirants with respect to the chairman and secretary of the Electoral Planning Committee, former Governor Gabriel Suswam and Dr. Sunday Onor respectively, who were clearly identified as lead campaigners to one of the chairmanship aspirants, was completely ignored by the NCC. He said the concerned members of the PDP would soon name a parallel NWC to push its cause. “The actions of the chairman of

the Electoral Planning Committee, Gabriel Suswam, during the convention, showed clearly that they had concluded the election even before the date of the convention. What a tragedy for democracy,� Nwosu alleged.

The group described the production of a “unity list� used to purportedly elect the present National Working Committee (NWC) as despicable, pointing out that some names on the list “collected nomination forms after the official closing date, while some others were not even screened as required by the party’s electoral guidelines�. “Consequent upon all the aforementioned acts of brazen impunity and electoral fraud, we the concerned candidates and stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), hereby roundly condemn the high-level political corruption perpetrated by some of our party leaders at Eagle Square. “We reject in its entirety the selected National Working Committee (NWC) list and we call on INEC and all other relevant authorities to disregard

the purported election of the NWC (members) because they were not elected in line with the provisions of our party constitution and in accordance with the electoral guidelines for the convention. “As committed and dedicated candidates and party stakeholders we have decided to ensure that internal party democracy is sustained in the party and that the dreams of our founding fathers who laboured and sacrificed so much to build this party are not destroyed. “To this effect, we have officially opened a national secretariat of the party here in Asokoro, Abuja, from where the authentic National Working Committee (NWC) of the party will be operating. “We call on all members of our great party to cease forthwith any correspondence with the illegal NWC selected through the most undemocratic process ever witnessed in the history of our party,� the group said.

Meanwhile, some of the chairmanship candidates have distanced themselves from the

Dickson Asks for Patience Also, the chairman of the party’s Reconciliation Committee and governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, has called on aggrieved candidates of the convention and other members to be patient, as the committee was doing everything possible to get all members back on board.

According to a press statement by the chief press secretary to

INNOSON BOSS, CHUKWUMA, RE JECTS HIS RELEASE BY EFCC But the businessman has rejected his release by the commission on the grounds that he had not been informed by the commission the reason for his arrest.

In a twitter post last night, IVM said: “Innoson has refused his release because he is demanding to know the reason for his arrest.�

This was just as his arrest on Tuesday morning was roundly condemned by the Senate, the Ohanaeze youth wing, Igbo elders and others from the South-east, with the lawmakers querying the role of the anti-graft agency in a commercial dispute between the firm and its banker, which they said was already before the Supreme Court.

However, in a statement yesterday, EFCC’s head of media and publicity, Wilson Uwujaren said: “The businessman who runs a local auto assembly plant was arrested on Tuesday, December 19, 2017 at his Enugu residence, following his refusal to respond to invitations by the commission, after initially being granted administrative bail by the commission, while his surety could also not be found. “Unfortunately, the industrialist resisted arrest and stirred controversy by bringing six truck-loads of thugs to block the entrance to his Plot W1, Industrial Layout, Abakaliki Road, Emene, Enugu, home. “This was after he initially misled the Police Command by informing them that his home had been invaded by armed robbers and kidnappers,

despite the fact that operatives of the commission duly identified themselves to policemen guarding his home.�

Uwujaren alleged that Chukwuma’s “unruly thugs� encircled and manhandled operatives of the commission who had gone to effect the arrest. “Consequently, a distress call was sent to the commission’s Enugu office for reinforcement. “In all of this, the commission’s operatives acted with decorum and civility. No one was manhandled or assaulted by the EFCC team, and not a single shot was fired, despite the provocation. “Chief Chukwuma and his brother, Charles Chukwuma (who is still at large) are being investigated by the Insurance and Capital Market Fraud Section of the commission’s office in Lagos over matters bordering on N1,478,366,859.66 fraud and forgery. “The industrialist, among other infractions, allegedly used forged documents to secure tax waivers,� the commission alleged.

However, before Chukwuma’s release on bail, the Senate yesterday decried what it called the Gestapo-styled arrest of the businessman by operatives of the commission and the alleged manhandling of Chukwuma’s wife in the course of the arrest.

The Senate also directed its Committee on Anti-corruption and Financial Crimes to investigate the matter and the role of the EFCC and report back today.

Chukwuma, a business magnate and industrialist from Nnewi, Anambra State, set up his company more than two decades ago and grew it to become the first local automobile manufacturer in the country.

EFCC officials had arrested Chukwuma at his Enugu home on Tuesday in circumstances, which the senators said were reminiscent of the military era.

They also alleged that his wife was slapped by an operative of the agency.

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, raised the matter at plenary and wondered when the EFCC became a debt recovery agency.

Ekweremadu, who said he was able to speak with Chukwuma yesterday morning on the phone, provided details of their conversation. “Yesterday (Tuesday) I got a number of messages indicating that Mr. Innocent Chukwuma was arrested by the EFCC over a transaction between him and GTB. “This morning, I made an effort and I spoke with him.

His story is straight forward: he said he was at his house at 5 a.m. on Tuesday when he heard gunshots and he thought they were assassins and he went into hiding. “After about two hours, he saw some people and policemen, and he thought that help had come. So, he came out of hiding and ran to a policeman who promptly arrested him. “He tried to find out what

his offence was and they told him that when they get to the police station they would inform him of the offence. As of today, nobody has told him what the offence is,� Ekweremadu said.

The Deputy Senate President noted that any person who is arrested and detained must be informed about the reason for their arrest. “As I speak, Mr. Innoson Chukwuma is yet to be informed of what led to his arrest or detention, but if you go through the media today, the story is that he is owing GTB. “As a lawyer, I’m at a loss for words on how a transaction between someone and his bank will concern the EFCC,�

Ekweremadu added.

He lamented that Chukwuma, an industrialist who employs over 5,000 people, was being treated like a common criminal over a transaction with his bank. “The story he told me is that he was not owing the bank anything, that he borrowed money from the bank which he had since repaid but the bank kept charging him and withdrawing money from his account. “They set up an audit and the auditor came to the conclusion that they had deducted more than N500 million. He insisted on 22 per cent (interest on the deductions), but the bank said they would pay 17 per cent and that was where they had the disagreement,� Ekweremadu narrated.

According to the Deputy

Senate President, Chukwuma had won the case against GTB at the Federal High Court and at the Appeal Court, with the matter now before the Supreme Court. “The fact that the matter is before the court and is a commercial transaction gives no room for the intervention by EFCC. I would like to appeal to this Senate to ensure that Mr. Innocent Chukwuma is released promptly,� he said.

Senator Barnabas Gemade (Benue APC), contributing to the debate, said the bank in question took advantage of an “inept EFCC� to stampede Chukwuma into accepting a deal that is unacceptable in business transactions. “We should order that in whatever circumstances GTB has issues with Innoson, they should follow due process in dealing with the matter and not to take advantage of an inept institution to stampede the poor man into accepting a deal,� he said.

The role of the EFCC in the matter, Gemade added, is one that borders on the misuse of power and authority.

He, however, noted that the anti-graft agency would not have gotten involved if GTB had not “presented a cooked-up report with specific inducement to go and deal with the man�. “Today, our economy is skewed in the wrong direction.

Bankers who trade in money have become lords in this nation because raw cash has become

such an important commodity, that most of them who deal in it have become more important than any other citizen who produces goods and services,�

Gemade lamented.

Similarly, the Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, said the development involving the EFCC was a carryover of military mentality.

Continued on page 8

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY DECEMBER 21 2017

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NEWS

Shell, Eni to Stand Trial in Italy over Malabu Deal Ejiofor Alike with agency report A judge in Milan, Italy has ordered Royal Dutch Shell and Italian energy giant, Eni, to stand trial in Italy over allegations of bribery and corruption in the 2011 purchase of Oil Prospecting Lease (OPL) 245 from Malabu Oil in Nigeria.

The judge also ordered the other key figures such as Eni’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Claudio Descalzi and his predecessor Paolo Scaroni to stand trial in the proceedings that will begin on March 5, 2018.

The companies are accused of corruption in the 2011 purchase of OPL245, an offshore oil block estimated to hold nine billion barrels of crude, for $1.3 billion.

Eni has however denied any wrongdoing in the OPL 245

transaction. “Eni’s Board of Directors has reaffirmed its confidence that the company was not involved in alleged corrupt activities in relation to the transaction,�

Reuters quoted Eni as saying in a statement yesterday. “Eni expresses its full confidence in the judicial process and that the trial will ascertain and confirm the correctness and integrity of its conduct,� the statement added.

The Italian giant insisted in particular that “chief executive, Claudio Descalzi was not involved in the alleged illegal conduct�.

Shell and Eni were charged with corruption in Nigeria over the OPL 245 deal, which was brokered by former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

The deal saw the federal government act as an

Descalzi intermediary between the oil majors and Malabu Oil and Gas, a Nigerian company allegedly controlled by former petroleum minister, Dan Etete.

Allegations of corruption and bribery have mounted in the years since, forcing Shell and Eni to repeatedly maintain that they acquired the rights to the lucrative block in line

with Nigerian law.

But email exchanges between Shell management cited in a report by corruption watchdog Global Witness, and seen by AFP, suggest that Shell was aware the money was likely to be funnelled to individuals, including Etete and Jonathan.

Etete was also ordered to stand trial by the Milan court.

Nigeria’s anti-graft agency filed corruption charges against Shell and Eni in March, accusing 11 defendants, including Etete, of “official corruption� in connection with the oil block deal.

Jonathan has denied receiving kickbacks, saying in January that he has not been “accused, indicted or charged for corruptly collecting monies� linked to the deal.

OPL245 has been a source of contention for almost two decades.

In 1998, the block was

awarded by then petroleum minister, Dan Etete to Malabu Oil and Gas. Years of legal wrangling between Malabu, the Nigerian government and Shell ensued, with Shell ultimately winning rights to the block in a partnership with Eni. President Muhammadu Buhari, who has promised to fight corruption in Nigeria’s oil sector, has said “mindboggling� sums have been stolen from the public purse.

But in its reaction to the order by the Milan judge, Shell said yesterday that was disappointment over the decision.

A statement released on its website said Shell believed that the trial judges will conclude that there is no case against it. “Royal Dutch Shell Plc today made the following statement in response to the decision by the judge of the

preliminary hearing of the Tribunal of Milan in Italy to remand the company for trial for alleged offences related to oil prospecting licence (OPL) 245 in Nigeria,� the statement read. “We are disappointed by the outcome of the preliminary hearing and the decision to indict Shell and its former employees. We believe the trial judges will conclude that there is no case against Shell or its former employees. “Shell attaches the greatest importance to business integrity. It’s one of our core values and is a central tenet of the business principles that govern the way we do business. “Shell has clear rules on anti-bribery and corruption and these are included in our code of conduct for all staff.

There is no place for bribery or corruption in our company.�

because he opened his factory in Igboland. “We are warning those involved in the orchestrated campaign to frustrate Innoson Motors to desist from their evil act before it is too late,�

IPOB warned.

extended to Mr. Chukwuma; the various dates of the invitations and the letters of invitations extended to him. “We further challenge the EFCC to show proof of how and when Mr. Chukwuma jumped the administrative bail granted to him. “On whose petition is this investigation being carried out and proof of any letter of investigation ever written to Innoson from this unit stating also the month and year,� he said.

The company’s spokesman further noted that there was never a time Chukwuma got queries from the EFCC recently, disclosing that the last interaction he had with the EFCC was an invitation extended to him in 2012 based on a complaint against him by GTB, which he duly honoured. “Upon completion of the investigation, EFCC requested him (Chukwuma) through a letter to pay some money to GTB, saying that the money is what Innoson owed GTB after it (EFCC) deducted an excess charge of about N560 million that GTB illegally and unlawfully took from the company’s account. “Innoson rejected the demand, maintaining that it was GTB that was owing it and that GTB is supposed to pay interest on the excess and unlawful charges. “This resulted in a stalemate between Innoson and EFCC. Consequently, Innoson commenced a lawsuit against GTB at the Federal High Court,

Awka division in suit No: FHC/AWK/139/2012 and got a judgment in its favour in the sum of N4.7 billion against GTB,� Osigwe revealed.

On claims by EFCC that the Innoson boss used thugs to resist arrest, he said Chukwuma had no reason to either resist or evade arrest, insisting that he was a respecter of the rule of law. “The truth available at our disposal is that some factory workers on hearing that their boss was being arrested, mobilised themselves to his residence to protest what they said was an illegal arrest. “However, the EFCC operatives together with the police team fired tear gas and dispersed them. We have pictures to back up our claims. “At no point did these factory workers manhandle the armed EFCC and police officials at his residence. This is pure falsehood aimed at tarnishing the reputation of Mr. Innocent Chukwuma. “EFCC as a law abiding organisation and a strong advocate of the rule of law as constantly shown and practised by its chairman, Ibrahim Magu, should allow the court process to reach its logical conclusion. “Mr. Chukwuma’s case against GTB is already at the Supreme Court and we have absolute faith in Nigeria judiciary. “They should be allowed to adjudicate over this matter without undue interference from any quarters,� Osigwe added.

INNOSON BOSS, CHUKWUMA, REJECTS HIS RELEASE BY EFCC “These things don’t happen even in the African countries that surround us. We will admit that our procedures which we unfortunately inherited from the military must be reversed, in order for us to meet the world’s civic standards,� he said.

Presiding, Senate President Bukola Saraki said the focus should be on the role of the EFCC in a private commercial transaction. “As a society in which we are all as a country are trying to make civilised, I think this does not speak well for the country. How would a private commercial transaction now become the focus of EFCC? I think this is the area where our focus should be. “Whether he owes (the bank) or not, we must be seen to be protecting the rights of individuals. I don’t think you have heard where the FBI interferes in the affairs of Citibank and Fords Motors, or the financial crimes agency in the United Kingdom interferes in an issue between Barclays Bank and a customer,� Saraki stated.

He said that the arrest had made a mockery of Nigeria.

Also joining the Senate to condemn Chukwuma’s arrest, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide introduced an ethnic dimension to the development, when it described the arrest as an attack against the Igbo nation.

The group, in a statement by its Secretary General, Mr. Okwu Nnabuike and Vice-President, Obinna Achionye called on President Muhammadu Buhari to order the immediate and unconditional release of the automobile manufacturer.

They threatened to mobilise Igbo youths and youths of other ethnic nationalities to embark on a national protest in Enugu, Lagos and Abuja to protest against the arrest, warning that the anti-graft body was indirectly trying to plunge the nation into an avoidable crisis. “This is the highest level of impunity against the Igbo nation and another plot to cripple the economic fortunes of Ndigbo, and Igbo youths will mount pressure on Ndigbo to withdraw their money from GTBank if our investigation shows that

GTBank is intimidating one of the respected sons of Igbo land,� they warned.

Similarly, Igbo elders under the aegis of Igbo Leaders of Thought decried Chukwuma’s arrest, saying it was causing ripples all over Igboland.

They also warned that any attempt to ridicule Ndigbo in Nigeria would be resisted.

In a statement issued by the Deputy Secretary General of the group, Mr. Elliot Uko who doubles as the Founder of Igbo Youth Movement, the elders warned that they would not continue to fold their arms while Igbo people are treated with disdain. “The show of power displayed on Tuesday in Enugu by EFCC’s Magu is a loud statement to the Igbo nation that we are perceived as slaves in Nigeria. “Sources close to Innoson confirm that there was neither earlier invitation, nor notice by the EFCC before Tuesday’s Invasion. “The raw display of brute force by the EFCC, the empty shells of expended bullets all over the compound, are a sad reminder that in Nigeria, easterners remain second class citizens. “Will Magu abduct Aliko Dangote that way? The total disregard for the ongoing court actions and a resort to military era abductions confirm to all that Ndigbo remain an endangered specie in Nigeria. “The largest employer of labour in Igboland and a genius who has transformed the economic landscape of this clime in the area of automobile manufacturing, is abducted in a humiliating manner at his residence in Enugu, ostensibly over issues with a bank, issues which lawyers are handling. “This is a loud message to the people of Eastern Nigeria of our status in Nigeria. “Everybody knows Aliko Dangote cannot be abducted that way over issues with a commercial bank. The owners of Nigeria keep reminding the people of Eastern region that they are not wanted in Nigeria,� the group stated.

Uko added that an emergency meeting of the Eastern Consultative Assembly where he serves as secretary would hold this week to deliberate “on this humiliation on a leading light in our land�.

Also, the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) condemned, in strong terms, the arrest of Chukwuma by operatives of the EFCC. The secessionist group also accused the federal government of deliberately masterminding his arrest as one of its plans to stifle prominent businesses in the South-east.

A statement issued yesterday by the spokesman of the group, Mr. Emma Powerful stated that the federal government was embarking on this after several failed attempts to emasculate Igbos through economically punitive policies.

It accused the federal government of secretly hatching a de-industrialisation policy against the South-east, adding that it specifically chose Chukwuma because as an Igbo man, he decided to set up his company in Igboland. “Had Innoson sited his factory in Lagos or Kaduna, every possible line of credit would have been extended to him. But due to the fact that his company is located in Enugu, he must be chased down and destroyed. “This hopefully is to serve as a deterrent to others who might be entertaining the idea of relocating their businesses to Biafraland.�

IPOB described Chukwuma as a very successful businessman and one of Africa’s topmost industrialist who must be supported rather than being humiliated. “What Innoson Motors has accomplished so far, no indigenous business in subSaharan Africa has been able to do. If Innoson Motors were owned by a Northern Hausa Fulani man, he would have been revered and idolised to the high heavens. “But because it is a business owned and run by a Biafran and equally sited in Biafraland, it must be destroyed. “Since the emergence of this Buhari regime, Biafrans of Igbo extraction have been lurching from one persecution to another. After Operation Python Dance, the Buhari regime has turned its attention to the destruction of economic interests in the South-east starting with Innoson Motors, in the hope of frustrating the first indigenous automobile company in West Africa

Innoson: It's a Witch Hunt Meanwhile, 24 hours after Chukwuma was whisked away by the EFCC from his residence, his company has dismissed as false and deceitful the claims by the commission that Chukwuma's arrest was as a result of his refusal to honour their invitation.

The company also denied knowledge that he was admitted to administrative bail in the past as claimed by the EFCC. Sources at the EFCC Southeast zonal office in Enugu told THISDAY that Chukwuma had spent the night in their office and also confirmed that he was flown to their Lagos office yesterday.

Another source also disclosed that the Innoson owner was interrogated throughout the night, adding that attempts by some close family members to initially give him his drugs were rejected by the operatives of the agency who were said to have come from Lagos.

Speaking on the ordeal of his boss, the head of Corporate Communications of Innoson Group, Cornel Osigwe, said the reason adduced by the EFCC for arresting him was false and unfounded. “The information published in the website of the commission that Chief Innocent Chukwuma’s arrest followed his refusal to honour an invitation of the commission having earlier jumped an administrative bail granted him in a case being investigated by the Capital Market and Insurance Fraud Unit of the commission’s Lagos office is totally false,� he said.

Osigwe called on the antigraft agency to provide proof of such investigations, stressing that he still had a pending case on the commercial dispute with GTB at the Supreme Court. “We challenge EFCC to show proof of the invitation

FG FINALLY RELEASES N739BN CAPITAL VOTE TO MDAS the feelings of the visibly angry senators, telling them that in addition to the N450 billion that was released in June, an additional N750 billion had been disbursed to jerk up the implementation level of the capital vote.

With the additional funding, said Adeosun, most of the MDAs would have achieved above 50 per cent implementation, while a few would be around 40 per cent.

A finance ministry source told THISDAY yesterday that the N750 billion released yesterday would bring capital implementation to about 50 per cent, saying this would be a

good showing for a budget that had only run for six months.

On the disparity between the N750 billion that the minister told the Senate had been released and the N739 billion indicated on the release memorandum, he said the difference might have gone to institutions that are self-accounting and whose votes have a first line charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) of the Federation, including the judiciary and the legislature.

Last year, the federal government released N1.3 trillion out of its N2.17 trillion capital spending estimates.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY DECEMBER 21 2017

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THURSDAY DECEMBER 21, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

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

After Six-hour Meeting, Council Approves over N300bn Projects Meeting continues today Buhari swears in six perm secs Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja A six-hour Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Abuja approved a volume projects valued at over N300 billion in various parts of the country and across different sectors of the economy.

Yesterday’s FEC meeting which took off at 11 a.m. and ended at some minutes before 6p.m., was the longest ever presided over by the president. Following its inability to exhaust the agenda before it, the meeting will continue today in its commitment to exhaust 42 memoranda it is considering before the end of 2017.

Of the 42 memoranda tabled before FEC in the Council Chamber yesterday, 22 were considered and approved while the remaining 20 have been scheduled for consideration today. It is the first time that FEC meeting would be held on two consecutive days since the advent of the current Buhari administration.

Leading four ministers into the press gallery to brief journalists on issues considered at the meeting, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said both the massive approvals made yesterday as well as the resolve to continue

the meeting today underscored the level of government’s commitment to the wellbeing of Nigeria.

In his briefing, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, said some of the projects approved were institutional while others bordered on transport, roads, power and education.

He was joined in the briefing by his counterparts in Transportation Ministry, Rotimi Amaechi; Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammad Bello.

According to Fashola, the institutional projects approved included the completion of Police Service Commission (PSC) headquarters whose cost was reviewed by the council from initial N3.4 billion to N3.9 billion as well as a review of the cost of building Nnamdi Azikiwe Mausoleum in Anambra State from hitherto N1.496 billion to N1.953 billion.

He also said FEC approved N155.7 billion for the construction of Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road and another N14.4 billion for the rehabilitation of the EfireAraromi-Aiyede-Ayila Road to connect Ondo State with Ogun State.

He also said the council approved the augmentation of Amanze section of OnitshaEnugu expressway at the cost of

N38.74 billion as well as the full rehabilitation of Umunya section of the road earlier awarded at the rate of N23.4 billion, both totaling about N62.06 billion.

The minister also said the council approved the provision of independent power plants to nine universities and one teaching hospital at the cost of N38.965 billion to provide power for students’ use and street lighting.

Fashola also said his ministry was working assiduously to ensure the restoration of power to Ondo South senatorial district of Ondo State which has been in black for over three years.

In his own briefing, Suleiman said council approved N5.6 million for the completion of Adada dam which was started in 2010 in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu to supply water to Nsukka in 2018.

He also said the council approved N16.5 billion for the completion of the second phase of Galuma dam, an irrigation dam in Kaduna meant to supply water to Zaria as well as the review of consultancy fee for a dam in Ogwashiukwu in Delta State at the cost of N133 million.

In his own briefing, Amaechi said the council resolved to fund early childhood education including the distribution of text books to pupils in primary 4, 5 and 6 in public schools nationwide at the cost of N6.9 billion.

He also disclosed the approval of the construction of Jos central library and faculty of animal sciences and engineering at the cost of N587 million, adding that the council also approved the purchase of two vessels hitherto being hired by the Nigeria Ports

Authority (NPA) to escort vessels to sea port at the cost of N1.9 billion.

Amaechi also said approval was made for the purchase of two other vessels in eastern port of 17 metres to assist vessels in the sea port at the cost of N1.2 billion.

Other projects approved according to Amaechi, were the purchase of calibration inspection at the cost of N111.6 million; a new terminal at Aminu Kano Airport, Kano, at the cost of N621 billion and direct procurement of installation and inaguration of wide area of multilateration for the Gulf of Guinea at the cost of N3.9 billion.

He said this purchase would help to capture equipment flying below the radar.

Also briefing, the Minister of FCT, Bello, said approval was made for the completion of Goodluck

Jonathan expressway whose section was opened recently to aid traffic flow in Abuja at the cost of N3.8. billion. Bello said the completion would aid movement from Keffi to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Garki.

He also said Wassa resettlement site in South-eastern part of Abuja consisting of 197 roads of 88.9 kilometres was approved at the cost of N26 billion.

Meanwhile, Buhari yesterday swore in six new permanent secretaries before the formal take-off of the FEC meeting.

The new permanent secretaries are: Mustapha Sulaiman (Kano); Adekunle Adeyemi (Oyo); Ekaro Chukwumogu (Rivers); Adedayo Apata (Ekiti); Abdukadir Muazu (Kaduna); Osuji Ndubuisi (Imo) and Bitrus Nabasu (Plateau).

Benin Republic Withdraws Globacom’s Operating Licence Benin Republic’s telecommunications regulator has withdrawn the operating licence of Nigerian mobile telecoms company, Globacom’s local unit in a dispute over new terms, according to a document seen by Reuters.

The regulator, ARCEP-Benin, said it took the decision after negotiations with Glo Mobile Benin to renew its licence broke down earlier this month after the company refused new conditions imposed by the government.

Officials with the parent company, which is owned by

Nigerian billionaire, Mike Adenuga, were not immediately available for comment.

The ARCEP document did not say what the government’s new conditions were, but a source close to the regulator, who asked not to be named, said they included an increase in the cost of the licence.

Glo Mobile Benin said it had over 1.6 million subscribers in 2015, according to the most recent statistics available on ARCEP’s website.

Globacom also operates mobile networks in Nigeria and Ghana.

Senate to Probe FG’s Planned Sale of National Theatre,TBS Damilola Oyedele in Abuja The Senate has resolved to probe the alleged proposed sale of the National Theatre and the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) in Lagos by the federal government to raise funds to finance the 2018 budget.

It also urged the government to halt the proposed sale, and rather declare them alongside the State House, Marina and Dodan Barracks as National Monuments.

The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Senator Fatima Raji-Rasaki (Ekiti PDP) who said TBS and the others represent landmarks of history in Nigeria.

She queried the proposal particularly as the Senate already approved a loan facility for the executive to finance the 2018 budget. “ Informed that nowhere in the

world did any nation dispose of the symbols of its nationhood and attainment. The United States of America cherished its attainment of independence as the structures relating to its independence are under the National Park Service as monuments to cherish and behold. They are all places of tourist attraction,” she said.

The senator said there have been several unsuccessful attempts to sell TBS and the National Theatre off in the past, adding that declaring them national monuments would permanently block such attempts.

Raji-Rasaki observed that while the Lugard House in Lokoja and the house of the colonial Governor of Eastern Nigeria in Calabar, are national monuments, the residence of Nigeria’s first prime minister in Onikan, Lagos, is yet to be declared as such.

DIGITAL BROADCASTING ON COURSE

L:R: Director General, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Mallam Yakubu Ibn Mohammed; Representative of the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Mahmud Babatunde Ajeigbe; Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; and the Director General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). Mallam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu, at the official launch of the Digital Switch Over in Ilorin ....yesterday.

Senate C’ttee: Police Got Only N3bn of Its N20bn Capital Budget ThisYear IG: Force requires N1tn annually Damilola Oyedele in Abuja A paltry sum of N3 billion of the N20 billion capital appropriation for the Nigeria Police Force has so far been released in its 2017 budget.

The force has also received N5billion from its appropriated N11.6 billion for its 2017 overhead, which is deployed towards its operations in providing security for the country.

The figures were presented by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Abu Ibrahim, at the public hearing on the bill for an act to establish the Nigeria Police Development Fund.

Ibrahim disclosed that the force in its 2016 N16.1 billion capital appropriation, received N10 billion, while the sum of N6.3 billion was released from its

N9.2 billion overhead budget.

The evident underfunding hampers the bid to provide an efficient police capable of maintaining law and order as in other advanced countries, the senator said.

The police, he said, currently has a total strength of 298,735 personnel spread across the country in 12 zones, 37 states including the FCT, 128 Area commands, 1,381 divisions, 1,579 police stations and 3,856 police posts.

“The force depends wholly on the government for its operational and administrative requirement through the annual appropriation.

Unfortunately, budgetary allocations in recent times have been based on envelope concept, which does not reflect the enormous size, scope of responsibility and actual needs of the Force,”

“Arising from the limitations of funding occassioned by ceiling, most of the requirements that would enable the force to perform are never met,” Ibrahim said.

This, he added informed the need for the initiative to establish a development fund for the police to be funded from 0.5 per cent of total revenue accruable to the Federation Account, which requires constitutional amendment.

It is also to be funded from a levy of 0.005 percent of the net profit of companies operating in Nigeria, and an amount not less than 30 per cent of money accrued to the Cyber Security Fund.

The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, in his presentation said the force requires over N1 trillion annually to be effective.

Idris said all police formations

and infrastructure in the North East have been destroyed by Boko Haram, informing an urgent need to restore civil authority to the region.

“Allocations on paper are insufficient yet the actual releases are far below what is allocated,” he said.

At least N19.9 billion is required for the fuelling of police 14,306 operational vehicles and 3115 motorcycles annually while N7.04 billion is required for their maintenance.

Lauding the proposed development fund, Idris urged that the 10 year time frame for its existence be expunged from the bill.

“Restricting the Trust Fund to 10 years is not good. Issues of security are not time bound, nor are they tied to any political dispensation,” he said.

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NEWS

ECA: Yari Has Exposed El-Rufai, Oshiomhole, Amaechi, APC as Liars, Says Omokri Ejiofor Alike An aide of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Reno Omokri, has stated that in an attempt to justify the ‘dubious’ process by which $1billion was taken from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) by the federal government ostensibly to fund an anti-terror war with the same Boko Haram that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration said was ‘finished’ and ‘technically defeated,’ the Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, has exposed the All Progressives Congress (APC), and its members, as a patently dishonest bunch with no credibility whatsoever.

Yari, an APC member and Chairman of Nigerian Governor’s Forum (NGF) had admitted that he and his colleagues in the APC all agreed to the withdrawal of $2 billion from the Excess Crude Account that was made in 2014.

According to the governor, there was no controversy and no opposition to the decision taken in 2014.

But Reno recalled that at the material time when the $2 billion

was withdrawn in 2014, both the APC and its prominent members like the then Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi; the then Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, and their National Leader, Bola Tinubu, denied that there was ever any agreement with the Jonathan administration over the withdrawals.

Reno added that these APC members also publicly attacked the then president and accused him of looting and other forms of corruption.

“In fact, in 2015, when the then Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, said exactly what Yari has been forced to admit to, Governor Nasir El-Rufai (who was not even a governor in 2014 and was not present at the meeting Yari has described) called Mrs. Iweala a liar and described her as ‘morally flexible’. Then on July 1, 2015, Oshiomhole was interviewed on Channels Television and described as untrue the statement by Iweala that the governors under the aegis of the National Economic Council agreed to the withdrawal of $2 billion from the Excess Crude

Account and called the process by which the money was withdrawn by the Jonathan administration as an “administrative arrangement not known to the constitution,” Omokri explained.

Omokri disclosed that it was last week that “the fallacious Rotimi Amaechi repeated the falsehood that neither he nor his colleagues were ever consulted or given their acquiescence before the Jonathan administration withdrew funds from the Excess Crude Account,”

he said.

Omokri also stated that the then APC spokesman, Mr. Lai Mohammed, had also claimed that the monies President Jonathan was seeking was meant to be used to impeach APC governors and rig the 2015 elections.

His (Mohammed) exact words were “With the Jonathan administration allegedly spending or setting aside an average of N2billion to impeach each governor of APC states, and the PDP-led

administration using the common wealth to bribe voters in a desperate bid to win elections at all costs”.

Omokri also noted that Tinubu had called the request by the Jonathan administration “dubious”.

“But in keeping with the principle that no matter how far and fast falsehood has travelled, it must eventually be overtaken by truth, Governor Abdulaziz Yari has now vindicated both former President Jonathan and OkonjoIweala, by admitting in 2017 that

both he and his colleagues (which included Amaechi and Oshiomhole) actually agreed with the Jonathan administration to withdraw $2 billion from the Excess Crude Account in 2014. I therefore call on the Nigerian public and the international community to note that the APC and its members all lack credibility and are willing to say anything at anytime to justify their political position irrespective of whether it is true or false,” Omokri added.

DMO Lists $300m Diaspora Bond, $3bn Eurobonds on NSE, FMDQ, OTC The Debt Management Office (DMO) will list the $300 million Diaspora Bond and $3 billion Eurobonds on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and Financial Market Dealers Quotation Over-the-Counter (FMDQ, OTC) securities exchange respectively.

The Diaspora Bond issued in June and the $3 billion Eurobonds issued in November at the International Capital Market (ICM) would both be listed today.

Both offers were issued with significant features with the $300 million Diaspora Bond unveiled with five-year tenure and 5.625 per cent coupon.

The Eurobonds issuances came in two tranches of $1.5 billion 10-year offer with 6.50 per cent coupon and another $1.5 billion 30-year offer priced at 7.625 per cent coupon.

According to the DMO, listing the $300 million Diaspora Bond and $3 billion Eurobonds on the NSE and FMDQ, OTC would help increase the number and range of securities available in the domestic capital market. Such exercise, it added, would deepen the market and

promote financial inclusion.

The exercise, it added, would give more visibility to the domestic debt capital market which would be beneficial for attracting capital from local and foreign investors.

Also, for the Eurobonds, which remains a sovereign security, the information it would provide such as coupon, yield and tenor, will serve as benchmarks for corporates who may issue Eurobonds in the ICM. The DMO expressed its commitment towards meeting the needs of its diverse group of investors as well as supporting the development of the domestic capital market.

It said the listing of the Diaspora Bond and the Eurobonds are examples of the various ways in which the it exercises its borrowing powers on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria to support the development of the domestic capital market and in particular.

The exercise, it added, would also create opportunities for the private sector to access long term funds in the domestic and international capital market.

INEC Promotes 4,917 Senior, 2,413 Junior Staff Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the promotion of 4,917 senior officers who were successful in the promotion exercise conducted at the commission’s headquarters and state offices throughout the country betweenAugust and November 2017.

This represents 92.1 per cent of a total of 5,335 staff (Grade Level 07-15) that were eligible to undertake the exercise.

However, some 326 individuals, constituting 6.1 per cent failed or absconded from the examination, while 92 persons on interdiction, representing 1.7 per cent could not write the test.

The successful officers had

secured the mandatory pass mark - 60, paving the way for their elevation.

The commission has also endorsed the promotion of 2,413 eligible junior staff on Grade Level 03 to 06. “The commission considers regular promotion of staff as one of the surest ways of boosting staff morale and welfare, in order to encourage their dedication, loyalty and improve productivity. It is also designed to motivate them to contribute positively to the commission’s set goals and objectives,” it said.

National Commissioner, Alhaji Baba Shettima Arfo, is the Chairman, Appointment, Promotion and Disciplinary Committee (APDC).

SIGNING AGREEMENT

Managing Director, Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA), Umana Okon Umana (left), and Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Cyril Azobu, during the signing of partnership agreement between OGFZA and PwC in Lagos...recently

Ahead of Schedule, $900m Azura Power Plant Comes on Grid with 153MW Chineme Okafor in Abuja Nigeria’s first project-financed independent power plant - the 459 megawatts (MW) capacity Azura-Edo power plant yesterday started generating electricity to the national grid, following the successful completion of the first-fire on one of its generation turbines - the 153MW GT-11, and subsequent synchronisation of same to the national grid by the Transmission Company of Nigerian (TCN).

Coming seven months ahead of its scheduled date of inaguration the testing and synchronisation of the second and third turbines of the gas powered generation plant would reportedly be completed between January and March 2018, at which time the plant would have reached its commercial operations.

“Earlier today (yesterday), Azura Power’s first turbine was synchronised to the national grid and began producing electricity for distribution across the country.

This is a red-letter day for the country’s first large-scale, projectfinanced, independent power plant, and a testament to the work of the many government agencies that have helped to bring this project to life,” Azura, in a note shared with THISDAY in Abuja, said.

The company explained that: “Today’s event marks the start of a four-month period of intensive commissioning of the

459MW Azura-Edo IPP located in Benin City, Edo State. The plant is comprised of three Siemens turbines, each of which is capable of producing 153MW. “The first turbine was synchronised to the national grid on December 20, 2017, and will undergo a battery of tests over the coming five weeks. Tests on the second turbine will begin at the end of January 2018, with the tests on the third turbine commencing at the beginning of March 2018.

The inaguration process will then conclude at the end of April 2018 when the plant is scheduled to reach full commercial operations.”

It stated that during the fourmonth inauguration period, the plant would produce over 100,000 megawatt hours (MWH) of electricity which will be sold by the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) to the 11 electricity distribution companies (Discos).

According to Azura’s Deputy Managing Director, Mr. Edu Okeke, the inauguration process was on time to allow more power come to the national grid for Nigerians to celebrate the Christmas holiday.

“This festive season is one of the peak periods for electricity consumption in Nigeria and it is a source of real pride for Azura that we were able to bring our first turbine onto the grid before Christmas Day,” said Okeke.

Similarly, the General Manager, Origination, Contract

Management and Administration, of NBET, Mr. Yesufu Alonge, told THISDAY that Azura’s coming on the grid was a significant milestone for the sector and the federal government’s plan for incremental power generation in the country.

Alonge said: “Azura, being the first Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) signed by NBET and getting to operations after over seven years from the beginning of engagement, is actually getting closer to fulfilling the purpose of the contract beteween Azura and NBET and a pride for the contracting parties.

“With the successful fire that led to the attainment of Full Speed No Load (FSNL) and subsequent synchronisation of one of the three units to the grid, it shows that the whole processes have succeeded so far and 459MW will be added to the national grid to meet the government’s policy of incremental power come April 2018 when the whole plant would have been fully inaugurated.”

He further stated the development meant that government has to make it a priority to ensure that the power gets to consumers in the country.

According to Azura, construction began on its site in January 2016 and was anticipated to reach completion in December 2018, seven months ahead of its scheduled completion date.

It attributed this to the high-level performance of its Engineering

Procurement Construction (EPC) contractor comprising of Siemens and Julius Berger, and all the stakeholders involved in the project including the NBET, Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), TCN, Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Ministry of Finance, and Edo State government.

“NBET, for example, has a team of engineers that have conducted intensive, monthly, on-site monitoring of the works since the first day of construction.

NGC has partnered with Azura in the construction of the gas spur line that connects the Escravos Pipeline System to the power plant and in the construction of the pressure reducing and metering station. TCN has also worked assiduously with Azura in the construction of the on-site switchyard and the connection into the neighbouring Benin-North Switchyard,” Azura added.

It further stated that: “Today’s milestone also marks the historic completion of an industry chain where all the links are forged together through commercially negotiated contracts. Siemens and Julius Berger built the plant under the terms of the EPC contract.

“The gas that was used to generate today’s electricity was supplied by Seplat Plc and the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) in accordance with the Gas Supply and Purchase Agreement. NGC transported the gas to the site in line with the Gas Transportation Agreement.

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COMMENT

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

TAZARA RAILWAY ANDYOUTH FLIGHT ACROSS THE SAHARA The people should be the utmost focus of development, writes Okello Oculi

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n 1979 the Embassy of China, on Marina Street in Lagos, most generously lent the Department of Political Science at Ahmadu Bello University a set of cinema reels containing a documentary on the construction of the railway line from Tanzania’s port of Dar es Salaam to Zambia’s copperbelt. Zambia’s trade routes across South Africa and Mozambique had been blocked by the racist government in South Africa as a measure for forcing President Kaunda to stop supporting liberation struggles by the African National Congress, the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique and the two fronts of the Liberation war in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).

As a teacher of Public Administration, it seemed important to expose students to policy measures guiding the construction project; the spectacle of Chinese workers mixing together with Tanzanian workers deep inside mud and ponds. This was different from racist practices of white ‘’supervisors’’ standing away from dirt and sweat while barking orders at African labourers. In TAZARA, local workers also attended lessons at night on how to lay steel rails, and skills for ensuring future maintenance. What I failed to draw attention to was the absence of what I had witnessed in Kenya, namely: tributary rail lines which served ‘’European Settlers’’ by taking inputs to farms and bringing out farm harvests and dairy products for eventual haul to markets in Eldoret, Nakuru, Nairobi and even Mombasa. There were no such farms along TAZARA because its primary focus was on getting out Zambia’s copper mines for export of copper to markets abroad.

The most visible output of the documentary was the crucial importance of collective human labour. This was obviously a reflection of Mao Zedung’s focus on providing welfare to peasants so that they can offer their labour and lives to the guerrilla warfare he led from 1921 to 1949. He had offered them security by killing the cruelest landlords and ensuring that they never held power again. He had seized their vast land holding and distributed them to those who worked on them while a landlord took 75 per cent of harvests. These were vital aspects of welfare.

The difference with TAZARA was that it was a relationship with governments of Tanzania and Zambia and not a plan to win over support of villagers for a war.

The history of building military and economic power from the mountain ranges of China taught the lesson of power belonging to the people; and is for serving the welfare of the people. This lesson was missing from the ‘’struggle for independence’’ in most of Africa.

This is currently expressed in ‘’development’’ projects in which huge sums of money is spent but there is very low input in labour by the people. The construction of a tarmac road, for example, gives most of the money to owners of imported bull dozers, graders that fell trees;

THE HISTORY OF BUILDING MILITARY AND ECONOMIC POWER FROM THE MOUNTAIN RANGES OF CHINA TAUGHT THE LESSON OF POWER BELONGING TO THE PEOPLE; AND IS FOR SERVING THE WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE. THIS LESSON WAS MISSING FROM THE ‘STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE’ IN MOST OF AFRICA

cranes that lift crates and trucks that haul soil, stones, etc. Government officials roll out mathematical figures of ‘’billions of naira’’ spent while millions of youths sit under cruel shades of ‘’lack of money for chop’’.

I recall noting a lonesome lady walking barefoot with a bundle of shrubs on her as fuel for cooking. The tarmac road from Umuahia to Ohafia must have cost ‘’millions of dollars’’ but what economists call its ‘’multiplier effect’’ had not touched her income.

I had seen the same lack of benefits for a lonesome Fulani woman walking with milk and fura in her calabash towards a market while on the tarmac road to Katsina from Funtua. The contract awarded for that road had not flowed into her income. It was NOT in the plan for that road.

This dead-end economy for the majority of the people offered ready recruits for the liberation struggle in Guinea Bissau and Mozambique - as indicated in the writings of Amilcar Cabral and Samora Machel. Commentators blame this condition for the rise of ethnic and religious violence and/ or migration of youths into death in the Sahara Desert and Mediterranean Sea. Whatever policy that fails to end the ‘’money-give-aways’’ in contracts awarded behind the backs of the people cannot be seen as promoting economic and social ‘’development’’.

The current discourse on Africa’s youths seeking to replicate Europe’s practices of exporting her poor (hounded from streets into prisons), across the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans to occupy lands as far away as Australia, Argentina and Canada, ignores critical analysis of this dead-end economic policies of African governments.

China claims that it does not interfere in ‘’internal affairs’’ of African countries it relates with. This should not include economic ideologies and practices which drives youths whose ambitions are blocked into ‘’economic suicides’’ inside the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara. As a country which anchors its stability and progress on arousing geniuses of each Chinese citizen, it must anchor this attitude in her relations with African countries. The projects that link Africa to the ‘’New Silk Road’’ should draw in the 600 million unemployed youths in Africa. The Mombasa to Nairobi railway line has not shown the spectacle of employing scores of millions in the slums of Kibera; the impoverished violent youths in Kisumu, Eldoret and rural areas.

In Kampala, thousands of youths are trapped in low income motorcycle or bicycle ‘’taxis’’ known as ‘’bodaboda’’. Government officials are blaming them for aiding criminals: including passengers who murder and rob their carriers. Little focus is put on massive losses to the economy of their productive powers. A new economics of people-driven and people-benefiting growth must rise.

GROWING THE PUBLIC SERVICE SECTOR Yusuf Adamu writes of new strategy to bring significant change to the civil service

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n efficient public sector drives the process of growth in the economy. It prepares the environment for robust and sustainable partnership to take place between government, local and foreign private investors and with strict regulations to serve as guide in its operations and quality control assurance units to monitor ease of doing business in Nigeria.

The public sector determines how far any country can thrive in the increase of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and its export in major commodities locally produced and the demand for other products in its raw materials stage of development.

Nigeria since independence has transited from one civil service with the slogan of transformation; though marginal success has been recorded in the past on the various levels of attempts made to grow the public service sector by seasoned career managers.

However, the present leadership of the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) has on approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari commenced the implementation of the 2017-2020 Federal Civil Service Strategy Plan to ensure a sustainable and result-oriented civil service in Nigeria. Work has commenced in earnest with various levels of modules in place since the launch and inauguration of the strategy plan some weeks back. Epic culture is aimed at developing efficient, productive, and incorruptible and citizen-centered culture, enterprise content management targets to improve efficiency through digital transformation, complete automation of records and civil service content, thereby eliminating redundancy and ensuring harmonisation of data.

Entrepreneurship, culture and commercial orientation aimed at transforming the civil service from being a cost centre completely reliant on government funding to a revenue generator, there is as well the welfare and benefits packages focused on improving the welfare of civil servants in terms

of compensation, housing support and pensions.

However, major objectives in the reforms process are to activate culture change across the service, build knowledge work environment, and institutionalise structured mandatory continuous training to build competences, strengthen the civil service through institutionalisation of career performance management system.

Develop and implement enterprise resource planning policy, develop enterprise content, adopt and operationalise records management, achieve automation of civil service content, achieve automation of human resource component on the integrated personnel payroll information system (IPPIS).

Reforming Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) from cost to revenue generating centres, promote pre-retirement enhancement programmes, promote public/private partnership, and create awareness of enterprise culture and commercial values. The various reforms in the past were to drive this improvement, transparency and reduce corruption, improve performance management, enhance communications across MDAs, improve efficiency and effectiveness, reduce cost and process inefficiencies. The reforms are also aimed at boosting public perception, upward wage review, timely and consistent pension payments, improve government data on wages, improve transparency and reduce corruption and the overall boost in talent development and retention of competency, training capability enhancement.

There has been low level of ownership and resistance to change due to lack of inclusiveness in policy making, key individuals and bodies not supporting use of performance measurement system, again inadequate access to timely information gathering.

Also hampering performance is inadequate and inconsistence funding of training initiatives, policy reversals from one administration to the other, suspension of tenure policies and low competency and staff capability to deliver service in the federal structure. Others are budget constraints, prevalent

cases of bribery and corruption, ineffective monitoring and evaluation, weak enforcement of compliance and sanctions, current approach of tenure base promotion, political influence in posting and appointments.

There is the case of ICT infrastructure currently deployed unable to support level of digitisation required, slow automation of core human resources (HM) processes, IPPIS, HR modules yet to be deployed, slow adoption rate of already deployed ICT tools.

The suspension of all five core training modules, backing of civil servants due to attend training programmes, inadequate training content and delivery methods, no performance management system beyond promotion exams with not emphasis on merit because of lack of incentives.

Low value proposition for civil servants, lack of transparency on innovation across the service, limited support to incubate innovative ideas and perception of MDAs solely as cost centres, observable mindsets that foster weak culture in service, hierarchical environment limiting employee participation and low accountability levels.

Again, there are improved staff competencies and skills through well targeted and funded programmes across all grade levels, result based performance and meritocratic environment for civil servants with clarity on metrics and link to incentives, monetary and non-monetary; clear career path value proposition, training benefits, salary that retains top talent, a more innovation civil service that draw new ideas and strategy from within and externally to grow the economy in all sectors within a reasonable period of time.

It is common knowledge that the current head of service has embarked on several innovative programmes that are aimed at ensuring efficiency and result -oriented public service that will impact in positive terms the operational mode of sectorial reforms in Nigeria.

For the first time in the history of Nigeria, public service reforms under the present administration

has experienced a boost and needed transformation, though there are areas with potential improvement and standardisation to meet the required modules.

The Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, has at various interfaces and public gathering expressed government commitment and preparedness to change the conduct and way of doing things in the public service to boost various sectors.

According to her, so much has been achieved in the public service during President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and that a lot more would be achieved within the next two years to aggregate the overall performance of the public service in the period under review. She posited that public sector reforms in Nigeria is key to the development and growth of the nation’s economy especially at this critical period of economic recovery and repositioning to address in perpetuity anomalies in the conduct of government business.

However, the entire process of reforms in the public service under the leadership of Winifred can be described as a huge success considering the damage done by successive regimes in the past.

It is therefore pertinent to give the OHCSF the needed support to go through these initiatives to take the Nigerian civil service to a World class, efficient oriented service that will be the envy of all.

The Nigerian government had in the past suffered setbacks in enthroning various public service regimes that would stand the test of time, but today the country is gradually waxing strong in the federal government reforms in the public sector over the last two years.

Statistics have clearly shown that documents are no longer put in the shelf for later day implementation, but such policies being rolled out daily for effective commencement and supervision to achieve the 2017-2020 implementation strategy plan with the intent to look back after two years and appraise the level of success recorded in transforming the way of doing government business for a productive public sector.

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EDITORIAL PDP CONVENTION AND THE DAY AFTER The new leadership should work hard to change the course of democracy - for the better

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ith the successful conduct of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention last week, there are expectations that the nation will have a credible opposition platform that can effectively proffer alternative views on the policies and programmes of the current All Progressives Congress (APC) administration at the centre. This is important because the ability of the opposition to challenge and check the ruling regime is integral to representative democracy.

We are, however, not unmindful of the reservations by some of the PDP aspirants about the misconduct and awed processes, especially before and during the national convention where Chief Uche Secondus was elected the national chairman.

Our charge is that these disaffected politicians should submit their grievances to the conict resolution machinery of the party. On this, we also urge Secondus and the entire PDP IT IS IN THE INTEREST OF leadership to listen OUR DEMOCRACY THAT to the aggrieved and CRITICAL STAKEHOLDERS take concrete steps to WITHIN THE PARTY assuage their feelings.

SHOULD MOVE IN AND This is certainly no RESOLVE WHATEVER THE time for combative DIFFERENCES ARE SO exchanges that are THAT THE PDP CAN MOVE capable of bringing AHEAD AS A STRONG the party into another OPPOSITION PLATFORM round of crisis.

Meanwhile, it is also important for the PDP to learn lessons from its own experience. Just a few years ago, the party controlled more than 60 per cent of the National Assembly membership as well as no fewer than 23 of the 36 states of the federation. Unfortunately, the PDP got enmeshed in a self-inicted crisis arising from the virtual overthrow of its constitution by a cult of former and serving governors. That habitual impunity was also in full display at its national convention last weekend. But it is in the interest of our democracy

Letters to the Editor

that critical stakeholders who still command respect within the party move in and resolve whatever the differences are so that the PDP can move ahead as a strong opposition platform.

In the present circumstance, the PDP has a responsibility to ensure that the Buhari administration is answerable to the public at all times by putting the spotlight on serious issues and making public ofďŹ cials more accountable to the people. But to do that effectively, the party has to reinvent itself by learning from the mistakes of the past. That entails answering questions about how and why it lost power at the 2015 general election.

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e note particularly that the alleged heavy monetisation of the last convention, to a large extent, defeated the whole essence of free choice and voting. But the responses from the defeated candidates in the last few days strongly suggest they may have put the outcome behind them and willing to support the party. This is reassuring. With many loyalists willing to subsume their personal interests for the greater good of the party, there are grounds for optimism that the PDP may be able to put its act together.

What the party leaders need at this demanding moment of our democracy is unity of purpose. For us and many Nigerians, there is no better time than now for a resilient opposition that can help to galvanise and mobilise the people around alternative views. But the PDP leaders need deliberate and sustained efforts in image and perception management, in order to regain the conďŹ dence of the people, following their not-so-edifying record of 16 years in power.

Meanwhile, aside from the sound bites and empty slogans, there is nothing to differentiate between the two political parties and that explains why members criss-cross from one to the other. But if the PDP is to regain power at the centre, it must begin to play the politics of ideas, platforms and programmes. It has to redeďŹ ne itself as a counterpoise to all that the APC promised before the 2015 general election that brought it to power but cannot deliver.

TO OUR READERS Letters in response to speciďŹ c publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-200 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (9501000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.

FIGHTING A‘DEFEATED’BOKO HARAM WITH $1BN

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ivergent views have continued to dominate the social media landscape since the news of federal government decision to spend a whopping $1bn dollar on a “technically defeated� Boko Haram terror organisation hit the media. For most people who diligently study the Buhari-led administration, it is very fresh to recall media-based achievements of the All Progressives Congress party especially in “defeating� Boko Haram. It was in 2015 the army declared victory, a hoopla which gave a lot of Nigerians confidence the present administration was on track. The excitement didn’t last as the terror organisation insisted they were not defeated by successfully lunching series of deadly attacks across the flashpoint areas in the north eastern states. Once again, President Buhari-led administration was quick to insist Boko Haram was only attacking “soft targets�, alleging that their actions are reminiscent of a dissipated terror organisation.

The rational question to ask: Was the terror organisation ever defeated since Buhari came on board? Was the declaration of a defeated Boko Haram a mere propaganda? At what time did the “conquered’’ terrorists regroup to be so formidable to require $1bn to fight them?

There is no way these hypothetical questions can be answered without raising a red flag that we certainly have a highly volatile administration insanely propelled to dish Nigerians meals of propaganda. They have failed to get it right. Every time their lies catch up with them, they have former President Jonathan’s administration to blame.

The evident emptiness of this administration has left spots of doubt in the seemingly clean sheet of rationale behind pulling out

of the $1bn for Boko Haram war. Even Mr. President’s age has been reduced; instead of celebrating 82, it’s now 75. There are myriads of empirical results which has left no one in doubt that President Buhari is not only surrounded by desperate, wicked class of politicians but he has allowed himself to be willingly manipulated. The cabals in the corridors of power have 2019 figured out already. The embarrassing, and consistent blackmail of Jonathan’s administration is just a prelude to their devious plans to keep a Buhari in power just to manipulate him for their self-based agenda. The fact that we are entering an electioneering year few weeks away is simply clear that a repeat of the Dasuki sharing spree is upon us. Desperation is already setting in on the APC politicians as the more than empty promises, economic frustrations and security crisis are beyond their serial propaganda.

With those who messed the Peoples Democratic Party up working the mills of APC, it is most certain, the money will go down the drain on partisan politics as campaign funds.

Sadly emotional card is played up once government raises the issue of spending in the north east to battle terrorism. The tormented people of the northeast have become cash minting machine as exposed in the immediate past administration. With issues bordering on lives and property, government is crafty enough to use as shield those fraternally committed to the idea of saving lives first, then ask questions later. Considering what largely happened during Jonathans’ era, it is therefore instructive to insist on rationality to spend such colossal amount albeit claims of defeating the terror organisation, transparency in administration of the money, accountability with traceable results

after a target period of time – if the money should be spent.

Many Nigerians with mindset fused along with the incumbent administration may be fooled by the federal government decision, which by the way is not subject to National Assembly approval. Some of us cannot be fooled all the time because we are wearing our thinking caps devoid of all forms of sentiments. The present administration is taking advantage of too many sheepish followers to carry on with its comedy of errors. Everything they condemned about previous administration is what they have turned squarely to undertake. They increased fuel price and supporters were quick to say Buhari could manage the economy well enough to be trusted. Nigeria economy cascaded into recession; they blamed it on the past administration, as criminals under Buhari are saints. Same administration claimed excess crude account a “fraud� and many other nauseating positions, which were promptly jettisoned without apologies to right thinking Nigerians.

Something tells me the colossal sum will be utilised as electioneering prebend without a stir. This is certainly a payback time for those who used state resources to bankroll the 2015 polls for the APC. Some prominent Nigerians who we expect to condemn the $1bn misnomer are likely beneficiaries, hence forced to keep quiet. For the ruling APC, the fear of defeat by the regrouping PDP is real. The 2019 polls for the ruling party is a “do or die’’ affair as possible vengeance administration experienced since 2015 will be replicated with so many messy revelations from unlikely suspects.

Israel Ebije, ebijeo5@gmail.com

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY DECEMBER 21 2017

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

POLITICS

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

PERSONALITY INTERVIEW

Daramola: There’s Nothing Mysterious about Fayose A former member of the House of Representatives, who represented Ekiti North Federal Constituency, Abimbola Daramolaflhas accused his state governor,Ayodele Fayose of leaving the people of Ekiti State hungry after promising to provide them with stomach infrastructure. He spoke with Shola Oyeyipo who presents the excerpts:

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bring out the value that is inherent in that state and once I have the value restored and everybody accepts there is value, value added to any product, people will pay for it.

hile the Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose is busy criticising President Muhammadu Buhari, people at home are equally complaining about his

How do you intend to cross the hurdle of the primary?

Let me make this clear abundantly, I am not a desperate man. If it is the will of God it is going to happen. Number two, I am a man of faith. Number three, I am in with a strong resolve. Number four, in terms of nitty-gritty, out of the2400 delegates that will be showing up at that primary elections I am too sure 1500 of them have met with me one-on-one. As the Director-General of a gubernatorial election, I was the quasi-candidate, so, I was just wearing the face of Dr. Fayemi.

Every village that I visited, every youth leader, every woman leader, every chairman that I spoke to will have a recourse to the day that I took the battle of Dr. Fayemi on my head as if it was my battle and indeed it was my battle. It is about time to tell them that the same person who did that is the person who is right here now before you.

Out of the 46 or 50 people who are jumping around wanting to be the candidate, many of them will need introduction, I don’t need any introduction. So, in the minds of these delegates, everyone of them has the picture of who Bimbo Daramola is.

administration.

It’s obvious that we have not cut a very good deal. If I say this most people will interpret that to mean, one, this is a sour grape. That he is saying this because his candidate did not win at that election. Don’t forget that I was the Director-General of the Kayode Fayemi re-election, so, if I begin to put up my assessment, whatever I put up is going to be tainted to imply that it is because we lost election, what do you expect?

But the truth of the matter is that I am also a stakeholder in that place. I am an Ekiti State indigene. I lived the first 25 years of my life in the state and I have my concerns. So, in terms of tangible impact and all of that I am not too sure that the past four years have vindicated those who voted for Peter Ayodele Fayose.

The people voted for stomach infrastructure because if you look at it critically that was the main reason that tilted the vote Inn Fayose’s favour. Do you think your people have benefited from the concept of stomach infrastructure?

Let me make this clear to you, we would let history makers decide whether Ekiti people actually voted for stomach infrastructure because today, they are hungry. You need to reconcile the paradox of winning election on the basis or riding on the popularity, so to speak, of stomach infrastructure or a political philosophy that amplified tokenism as against enduring political philosophy like the one Dr. Kayode Fayemi did. So, today, if eight months salary have not been paid you will now connect the dot to know that stomach infrastructure as a philosophy has failed.

So, I am not too sure that Ekiti people voted for stomach infrastructure and I am convinced that today, nobody needs to be told; civil servants who have not been paid for eight months, pensioners who are languishing in debts and wallowing in poverty and all of that need to now undertake an introspection to determine whether the choice of Peter Ayodele Fayose was right in the first place.

I think there were a number of things that worked against us at that election and I dare say one of them will be the fact that we had people even who were beneficiaries, people who were officials of government who decided to take a pound of flesh against the administration at the time. And of course, you cannot oversight the fact that the federal government at that time reined heavily against us. They wanted to win at all cost. As I sit with you I have a compact disc to show to that effect. My 87 year old man was beaten black and blue. So many people were sacked from their polling units and all of that. Election is a process, when you eventually see them count the ballot paper and all of that there are conditions precedent to that and you should be generous enough to know that if the process leading to the end of the story is wrong, it is not likely that the result would have been right.

Away from such issues, now you state is heading for another election, what do you think should be the defining issues in who becomes the next governor?

Track record! If you allow me to speak to that I will tell you. You know the only thing that validates your promises is your reputation. If you say I am going to do this for you tomorrow, the only thing that makes you believe is the fact that he said it yesterday and he did

Daramola

it. So, Ekiti people should be looking out for a man who has proven beyond reasonable doubt, against all circumstances to say first and foremost what is your reputation? Come with your strong reasons.

Why would you say you are the best candidate?

I am not going to say I am the best candidate.

I like to shy away from words like the best, superlative descriptions like that but I know that I am going to be a very good governor.

One, I have a reputation that goes ahead of me. I was in the House of Representatives for four years and by the grace of God I challenge you to go to my constituency and see what I have done and compare it, humbly speaking, and compare it with 16 years of representation before me. Today, we have a 32 bed-hospital built by me, we have intervened in the lives of many people; medically, educationally, all kinds of manners and ways. There is no town or village in my constituency that does not have the impact of Bimbo Daramola. I never cut deal with anybody. I am in touch with them. The young people believe in me, the elderly trust me, so, what else are you looking for? As a parliamentarian I was opening rural road network from my pocket.

Why do you want to be the governor of Ekiti State?

When we lost Dr. Fayemi re-election, I keep

There is nothing mysterious about Fayose but the man understands the psychology of the people

saying we because I appropriate that lost too.

The lost of Dr. Fayemi in that election was my lost, because I was massively involved in the enterprise. May be the governor, his wife and a few others will say we did much more. Now, what got me interested in this race, riding on the back of our lost at Dr. Fayemi’s election and it was logical we were going to lose anyway because there will be bandwagon effect, so I pulled away, I said I was done with politics but when people began to show interest in this race and there were twenty four people at that time, eight assembly members came to me and said we are not saying you should run or you should not run but look at these twenty four people, tell us one of them by your own estimation, who thoroughly represents the ideals and the ideas of this party?

I can humbly say to you that I have been an active member of this party for twelve years. I am a die-in-the-wool progressive, I have never shifted my ground one day, I have remained with the people. And more than anything else, I have the will to do. That is one of my strongest edge.

Do you think the incumbent governor will play strong roles in determining who becomes the governor?

I am not too sure. He has already gone ahead to pick his candidate of the PDP. You know, you can’t take that away from him. Ayodele Peter Fayose has political mastery but he doesn’t have political mystery. There is nothing mysterious about Fayose but the man understands the psychology of the people. For instance, when he gives you food he is in your face and let your face take him to your heart. That is a simple philosophy. Even if you feed some livestocks for too long, they become loyal to you. So, that is the simple analogy. Let me tell you another thing Ekiti people want a governor who is in touch, who robs shoulders with them, who they feel is their own, who they can take ownership of, and I am that kind of person. They call me lover of the elders and friend of the youths.

Primary is an attempt to bring the best out of a family – to bring your best foot forward, there is no family that will be desirous of running a relay race or 400m race and go and bring a great grandfather to run the race, you will rather pick a young man.

If you win the mandate, what are those things you will be doing differently?

The first challenge that I am going to deal with is the perception that is very rife in town that Ekiti is a dead zone – a far flung place, a rejected place, a desert – a place that should be forgotten.

That is the very first thing I needed to break and that is why the mantra of my campaign is ‘Restoring our Pristine Identity.’ The same state that had the appellation of the state that breeds professors already is now the scumbag among states. I need to fix that. And there is something I call the softer side of government, if you don’t get the idea of softer side of government; any idiot can build schools, do roads and things like that but it will take a man who is completely deep to know that one of the challenges that we have in Ekiti State today is the fact that we have been stereotyped and our minds are beginning to accept that stereotype to accept that nothing good can come out of Ekiti State.

So, the first thing I am going to do is, one,

Do you see other party leaders who are also eyeing the ticket conceding it to you?

I have a very good relationship with virtually all of them, I believe so, except the new entrants that we don’t know. You can imagine a man like me who may not know some of these aspirants. If you leave Redeemed today as a pastor who has your own leisure and you go to Winners Chapel would they make you a pastor the same day?

My answer is that some of these people in the race, beyond the fact that they claim that they have fat wallets or deep pockets; do you think Ekiti people will be ready to gamble for another four years by voting a man they don’t know? That is why I said I am a die-in-the-wool APC member. The DNA of APC is inside of me.

I told you about primary elections as elections within a family, if there is paternity dispute in a family what kind of test do you conduct? You conduct a DNA. So, let them go and conduct DNA test on some of these people.

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

ANALYSIS

Debt Trap for Future Generations State governments are borrowing more monies in foreign and local denominations to fund questionable projects, thereby raising their debt stock. Chineme Okafor examines the implications for future generations

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he easiest options available always appear to be the best way to go, but in reality, they never always turn out to be the best for reasons not too far from lack of best judgements and priority. Yet governors in almost all the states in Nigeria are always found on the easy lanes when making decisions for their states and people they govern.

With a debt figure of $1,446,968,827.85 for Lagos, $232,097, $155.45 for Kaduna, $213,954,599.08 for Edo, $168,501,080.08 for Cross River, $116,391,687.55 for Enugu, $106,800,468.91 for Bauchi, $106,249,326.78 for Ogun, and $100,951,841.29 for Abia, these eight states are clearly leading on the list of states with so much monies borrowed on behalf of their states.

And while some of them have continued to pile up these debt stocks in the name of seeking funding for infrastructure developments, it is a no-brainer that they are further binding their states and next generation of leaders to financial obligations that would take years and efforts to repay after they (current leaders) would have left offices.

Though some of the financial debts that are tied to the books of the states were not necessarily incurred by their current governors, nevertheless some of the governors in this current dispensation have however made good their efforts to continue to increase the debt profiles of their states.

Freely, these governors would often claim they are borrowing to fund infrastructure projects in their states, yet these projects have mostly come to be uneconomical and never really useful to the state, talk less of generating incomes to repay the loans obtained to build them.

In a recent report released in Abuja by the World Bank, it was stated that though Nigeria had gone past the economic recession it slipped into in 2016, there were still a couple of economic challenges that are deep at her subnational levels.

Indeed, the subnational levels are where real issues of governance should be concentrated and pushed to ensure citizens derive maximum benefits considering that it is at the state levels that the ordinary people reside, yet this level still lacks the desired good governance.

However, the World Bank bi-annual report noted that increasing debts and fiscal deficits were rampant amongst states in Nigeria, and that debts of the states increased from 2.4 per cent in 2014 to four per cent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at the end of 2016, while their fiscal deficits rose from an estimated 0.2 per cent of their GDP in 2014 to one per cent in both 2015 and 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.

“While all states have made progress on the reform measures included in the 22-point Fiscal Sustainability Plan, implementation is incomplete. The need to strengthen fiscal performance through sustaining the state fiscal reforms that have been accelerated in the past two years is of paramount importance,” said the bank in a statement announcing the report.

Clearly highlighting the absence of fiscal prudency amongst the states, the report also appeared to indicate that the states were finding it difficult to plan well for their economies and sustenance, thus lending credence to claims by experts that most of the governors are largely lazy and not resourceful.

“In the 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,”

El Rufai

Following from this, it has become obvious that at the point state governors negotiate and contract foreign loans to fund projects or plug gaps in their annual budgets the impacts of such debts on the future of their states are hardly considered especially from a broader perspective of economic returns or opportunity costs to the state.

Usually, the decisions to take these foreign loans have been found to be made exclusively by the state governors and then rubberstamped by the state assemblies without detailed appraisals to determine really the economic basis for the loans.

Further, in granting approvals, the state assemblies often rely on the economically pedestrian explanations tendered by the state governors, and which, on many occasions failed to justify, or make sense of the choices

the governors impose on the state.

Additionally, in making these decisions, priority considerations are exclusively given to the desire to borrow to fund gaps in government’s revenue for expenditure in a fiscal year. However, while borrowing from multilateral sources to fund budgetary gaps comes pretty easier to the governors, viable instances or sources of funding these gaps like prudent fiscal measures and resourceful internal revenue generation initiatives which do not necessarily lead the states to debts, are ignored. Indeed, very few governors want to roll their sleeves to genuinely work for their states, they would rather wait to cash in from the federation purse and disburse.

As confirmed by the World Bank report, states have largely remained fiscally irresponsible with their resources. And, if this is the case, it thus puts into question their capacity to prudently manage loans they borrow from multilateral agencies.

States have largely remained fiscally irresponsible with their resources. If this is the case, it thus puts into question their capacity to prudently manage loans they borrow from multilateral agencies

The Excuses In 2015, the Senate on the request of President Muhammadu Buhari and its former governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, approved a $75 million World Bank loan to support Edo State’s Development Policy Operation (DPO). The loan as was learnt then was to help enhance private sector development, improve facilities for increased internal revenue generation and increase private investment and employment opportunities in the state.

Also at that time, instead of putting forward a sound economic justification for seeking the loan, Oshiomhole, rather resorted to needless political mudslinging and accusations of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He reportedly stated then that the state was forced to take a World Bank development loan because the PDP-led federal government plundered the nation’s treasury and subsequently pauperised states like Edo. Similarly, Kaduna state recently defended its request of an additional $350 million loan from the World Bank, saying it would be

warned the World Bank Lead Economist for Nigeria, Ulrich Bartsch in the report.

used to refurbish schools. Despite being the second most indebted state after Lagos in Nigeria, the governor, Mr. Ahmed El-rufai, stated it has a sound financial footing and was recognised by the World Bank to be stable and able to repay the loan.

“The World Bank has scrutinised Kaduna State and they are convinced we meet their standards. We have healthy Fitch ratings ‘B’ Credit Rating with stable outlook. The World Bank checked our laws, our accounts and our performance, they are convinced we merit their support.

“Our commissioners have appeared before the relevant committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and presented detailed explanations for the rationale and the purposes of the loan. Our delegates were commended for the quality of their presentations. Nobody in those committees of the National Assembly can honestly claim not to be aware of the justification and the purpose of the loan,” El-rufai, stated in defence of his government’s actions.

In the same vein, the Sokoto State governor, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, in defence of his government’s approach to the World Bank for loan, stated: “The declaration of state of emergency in the education sector is still on course. Take your time and go to the Shehu Shagari College of Education and Sultan Abdulrahman School of Health Technology, what you will see there is a state of decay of infrastructure.

“The general state of infrastructure like libraries, laboratories and classrooms are in state of dilapidation in a lot of schools and this is because these concerns were not addressed in the past. If you remember that I recently received the report of the technical committee on the needs assessment of about 400 schools in Sokoto and we need about N47 billion to turn them around.

“I can tell you that we have no less than 2300 schools comprising primary and secondary in the state. This estimate is only covering about 400 schools. The funding gap is very high. We are approaching World Bank to see how we can get funding. We are aware of the level of dilapidation in the schools but we need a lot of resources to fix them. The general infrastructure of these schools such as laboratories, libraries, teachers’ accommodation, hostels are in dire need of attention.”

But while loans pile up, considerations must be given especially by state assembly members that the governors would leave their positions someday, and leave the states with accumulated debts to deal with.

Borrowing not Necessarily Wrong but…

Though borrowing to finance government’s projects or expenditure is in itself not a bad decision, however the choice of beneficiary projects or expenditure items, repayment plans and servicing terms, are amongst other considerations that should determine how economically sound it is for a state to borrow to finance its expenditures, or in most cases, continue to borrow.

Nowadays, it must be stated that state governments have rather taken to borrowing from both local and foreign sources to finance deficits in their annual budgets too easily, and while this practice has become a norm, its impacts in terms of economic growth and attainment of major macroeconomic goals have been found to be failing.

If a state borrows money to fund an agricultural innovation programme, and manages it well, its impacts on its economy would no doubt be obvious in terms of food security, returns in revenue and broader employments.

Same goes for borrowing to fund education.

But when a state’s borrowings are hardly felt by its citizens, then questions about priority comes into play.

Today in Nigeria, very few citizens would in every sense of the truth dispute existing facts and figures on poor governance indices

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T H I S D AY Ëž THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

FEATURES

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

Kwara to the Rescue With the establishment of a state-of-the-art diagnostic centre to tackle over 3,000 ailments and conditions, the Kwara State Government is set to change the face of healthcare in Nigeria. Hammed Shittu writes

Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre, Ilorin

H

ealth is wealth so says an adage. That is the reason every level of government has been working round the clock to ensure that healthcare delivery remains its major focal point.

In view of this, the hands of every arm of government must be on deck in order to add value to the social well-being of the governed. No wonder, each level of government sets aside a large per cent of its annual budget to meet the needs of the people in its bid to bring healthcare delivery to the doorsteps of the populace. All these moves hitherto were to meet the world’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In Kwara State, the objectives are not different, as the present administration under the leadership of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has been doing well in its quest to improve the healthcare delivery of the populace by reducing infant mortality and

The present administration under the leadership of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has been doing well in its quest to improve the healthcare delivery of the populace by reducing infant mortality and enhancing the good health status of the common man in the state

Kwara State governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah ... investing in the health of his people

enhancing the good health status of the common man in the state.

It will be noted here that, the admin-

istration which is built on the legacy of continuity laid down by the immediate past administration of Governor Bukola

Saraki, now Senate President, had succeeded in bringing healthcare delivery to the doorsteps of the people through provision of drugs, recruitment of qualified medical personnel, renovating majority of existing medical centres among others in all the three senatorial districts of the state.

Apart from these, in the past nine years now, the state has become the first to start community-based health insurance scheme in Nigeria. The scheme which kicked-off in Shonga in Edu Local Government Area of the state had expanded its coverage from Shonga in Kwara North senatorial to Kwara Central senatorial to Kwara South senatorial district of the state with the payment of just N500 to enjoy the healthcare scheme.

Apart from committing several millions of naira to upgrade all the state-owned General Hospitals located in Offa, Share, Omu-Aran, Ilorin and Kaima to effectively meet the healthcare of the people of the affected areas.

However, in order to ensure the efficient and effective healthcare delivery to the people of the state and other parts of the country, the administration put up the construction of a multi billion naira Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre located in Ilorin, so as to assist patients to conduct some tests in order to diagnose and get information on the various kinds of aliments that may be affecting them.

The project was financed from the bond raised by the administration of former governor, Saraki, so as curtail medical tourism and to determine the kind of ailments that are affecting them. It is globally recognised that accurate and prompt diagnosis of ailment is the foundation for effective medical care. Several lives have been lost over the years due to inaccurate or incomplete medical diagnosis in Nigeria.

The consequence of this ugly situation had led to the spending of over N300 billion

by Nigerians annually abroad in search of

21

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

FEATURES

Magnetic Resonance machine (smaller size) use to screen Spinal Cord) Electro Cardiography machine ( use for screening heart diseases)

Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine ( bigger size) use to screen Turmoil, Spinal Cord

reliable medical diagnosis and treatment.

Painstakingly planned and implemented, the Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre is divided into two major departments; the Imaging and the Laboratory Services Departments. Both are fitted with state-of-the-art equipment to run diagnosis in over three thousand ailments and conditions.

Amongst several others, the Imaging Department will provide CT and MRI Scans, Fluoroscopy, mammography and other X-Ray and scanning services with the most up-to-date equipments including 3D Magnetic Resonance Image Module, Ultrasound Scan, ECG, Mammographs, fluoroscopes, 16-slide and 64 slide CT scan amongst others powered and sustained by dedicated Uninterrupted Power supply Units.

The laboratory services department, which includes haematology analyser, automated coagulation analyser, the COBAS 4000 Analyser used for serum chemistry and immunoassay in the immunology laboratory amongst others have the ability to deliver world class services.

The centre is also automated and customers can register for services online, receive their results in zero down time, while the microbiology unit has the automated culture system, modified fuchs Rosenthal Counting Chamber, Class 1 Biological System and Polymerase Chain Reaction techniques and equipments.

It is also important to mention that the centre has a number of partners across the world, who collaborate with it to confirm the

results of tests and diagnosis with a view to reducing human error to the barest minimum.

The centre also boasts of an admixture of Nigerians and expatriates with expertise in various fields of medical diagnosis. This has subsequently attracted some of the best brains especially indigenous experts from across the globe.

It would be further noted here that, the project was started by former governor Saraki but was completed by the incumbent governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed and since its completion and inauguration by the former Vice-President, Namadi Sambo in 2013 in Ilorin, the centre has been waxing stronger, providing efficient healthcare delivery to the people of the state and beyond.

However, a visit of our correspondent to the centre recently revealed that, the centre is functioning well as people have been patronising it.

Those who spoke with our correspondent lauded the state government’s gesture of establishing the centre.

The centre has a number of partners across the world, who collaborate with it to confirm the results of tests and diagnosis with a view to reducing human error to the barest minimum

The acting Managing Director of Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Center, Ilorin, Dr.(Mrs.) Bunmi JetawoWinters

They said the centre has helped them have access to medical attention through the determination of their health-related problems at affordable cost rather than travelling abroad.

Also speaking with our correspondent, Acting Managing Director of the centre, Dr. Bunmi Jetawo-Winters, a trained Pharmacist, said despite the centre’s sophistication in terms of equipment and personnel, Nigeria still lags behind in the area of diagnosis.

She said the centre was poised to be a centre of excellence in the North-central in the next two years. The centre began operations in 2014 and since then it has positioned itself as one of the leading diagnostic centres in Kwara, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Oyo Kogi, Benue and Niger States.

“Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre’s mission statement is ‘to ensure the consistent provision of comprehensive diagnostic and allied healthcare services and to remain a centre of excellence for high quality services for all’”.

She stated further that “we do not have enough diagnostic centres in Nigeria. We also have few laboratories that carry out expansive tests in the country, considering Nigeria’s population. That is not too good.”

Jetawo-Winters, who doubles as the Director General, Kwara State Hospitals Management Bureau, said that the centre was not out to carry empirical treatment on patients, but rather it does investigations on patients to get to the proper target of the problems.

She added that HADC is interfacing

with teaching hospitals in the state and neighbouring states, saying that “we have highly sophisticated equipment not readily available in other states of the federation.”

The diagnostic centre is not without some challenges, she insisted. “We have multi-faceted problems. Just like in any other parts of the country, power supply is one of the problems.

“No enough biomedical engineers. There is a big gap in that respect. We need a lot more training for available bio-medical engineers. Universities in the country should be encouraged to identify the gap.”

The managing director used the avenue to debunk rumour in town that Senate President, Saraki and Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed have majority shares in the centre.

She said the centre “is 100 per cent and wholly owned by the Kwara State Government, but it is being run like a private concern.”

She also enjoined government at all levels to encourage and promote the health sector for the wellness and well-being of the society.

Conducting reporters round the laboratory section, the Laboratory Manager, Chukwukelu Jason, said that the state government had invested multi-billion naira in the centre.

Jason encouraged Nigerians to carry out annual general medical check-up of the system, adding that the lab department also comprises different sections.

He revealed that their operation is not posing any danger to the environment, saying that “we incinerate waste products at high temperature before disposing them off.”

22

IMAGES

L-R: Associate, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (ACIPM), Miss Charity Nwaigbo; the Award winners, 3rd position University of Nigeria Nsukka, Ijoma Daniel Onyebuchi; 2nd University of Ilorin, Apalando Ishaq Obashola; 1st positiuon, University of Ibadan, Adebayo Adekunle; and Director Professional Standard Regulations, (CIPM), Charles Ugwu, during the 6th Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) Award Night in Lagos.. reently

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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;: Mrs. Patsy Odigbo; former Managing Director, Fidelity Bank, Mr. Reginald Ihejiahi; Chairman, Casers Group, Mr. Enyi Odigbo; Chairman, Beachfront Managemnt Services Ltd, Mr. Ositah Ogbuche; and Director, Interconnect Nigeria, Ogbueshi Alban Ofoli-Okonkwo, during 30th anniversary of Casers Group in Lagos..., recently YOMI AKINYELE

L -R ; Corporate Sales Head ,Multipro Consumer Products Ltd , Mr Ripudaman Sharma ; Brand Manager , Arla Dano Ms Rosette Agbor ; President ,Nutrition Society of Nigeria ,Dr Bartholomew Brai ; Managing Director , TG Arla Nigeria , Mr Mads Burmester and Marketing Manager, TG Arla Nigeria, Ms Ifunaya Obiakor, at the Launch of DANO avoured milk powder in Lagos ...recently SUNDAY ADIGUN

L-R; Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria Ltd. Charles Kie; Executive Director, Consumer Banking, Carol Oyedeji; and Head, Consumer Distribution Ayotunde Kuponiyi during the unveiling of Ecobank Xpress Account in Lagos,..recently SUNDAY ADIGUN

L-R - Governor of Taraba State, Arc, Darius Dickson Ishaku; Deputy Governor of Taraba, Engr Haruna Manu; and Dr Innocent Vakkai at the launch of the Taraba State Hepatitis Project at specialist Hospital, Jalingo, Taraba State..recently

L-R: Guest Lecturer and Vice Chancellor (Academics) Lagos State University, (LASU) Prof Olumuyiwa Noah; Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs, Adebunmi Adekanye; Deputy Governor, Dr. Oluranti Adebule and the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Hon. Lanre Ogunyemi, at the opening ceremony of a 3-day education reform and retreat by the Lagos State Ministry of Education, in LagosĂ–.. recently KOLA OLASUPO

L-R: Consulate General, PeopleĂ­s Republic of China in Lagos, Yao Wenjun; Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, Mr Yinka Sanni; and Administration Director, PeopleĂ­s Republic of China in Lagos, Wang Jianzhong, at the 2017 Stanbic IBTC Fine Arts and The Acts event in Lagos,..recently

L-R;Zonal Commanding OďŹƒcer, Zone 2, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Shehu Zaki; Corp Marshal, FRSC, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi; International football icon and Guinness Made of Black ambassador, Thierry Henry; Managing Director/Chief Executive OďŹƒcer, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mr Peter Ndegwa; Corporate Relations Director, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mrs Viola Graham-Douglas; Director of the Vehicle Inspection Service, Mr. Gbolahan Toriola, and Corp Public Education OďŹƒcer, Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC), Mr Bisi Kazeem during the Ember Months rally, held in Ojota Park, Lagos...recently

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MainOne is Connectivity Provider

MERITORIOUS AWARD

L-R: CBN Deputy Governor Operations, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu presenting award “For Sustainable Transaction of The Year in Agricultureâ€? to the MD/CEO of Heritage Bank, Mr. IďŹ e Sekibo, who was represented by the Executive Director of the bank, Mr. Jude Monye at the inaugural Nigeria Sustainable Banking Award convened by the Central Bank of Nigeria, during Bankers Committee Meeting held in Lagos‌ recently

Budget Delay Inimical to Economic Growth, Says Expert Stories by Emma Okonji Public Relations Expert, and President, Business Education Examination Council (BEEC), Mr. Mike Okereke has warned that Nigeria’s economic growth will be grossly affected by the continuous delay in budgetary process. He has therefore called for speedy approval of the 2018 budget. Okereke insisted that such delay negates the principles of the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ policy in Nigeria.

Okereke gave the warning during a keynote speech on ‘Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria’ at the 2017 Presidential Award Dinner, organised by the

IT Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) in Lagos, recently.

He said early budget approval and implementation would not only create enabling environment that would promote the ‘Ease of Doing Business, but would also help the private sector align with government plans and aspirations and in the process speed up the growth of the economy.

He called on the National Assembly to ensure that the national budget is delivered on schedule and ready for implementation on January 1, each year.

“Nigeria cannot be serious about instituting the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ policy when the national budget, which is the engine for national growth is five to six months late each year,� Okereke said.

Looking at the implications of national budget approval delay on ‘Ease of Doing Business’ he said the release of funds for execution of capital projects are also delayed when budget approval is delayed.

According to him, “Businesses attach a great deal of importance to government budget. It give businesses the strategic direction of government. Budget delay gives a

wrong signal to investors and creates an impression that the country is not a serous place to do business. When government budget is delayed, business activities are also delayed. “Most counties ensure that the budget approval and implementation take place on scheduled dates, and we have full time legislators whose key mandate is budget approval, aside law making and other oversight functions.�

He advised that the executive and the legislative arms of government should meet and agree on a fixed date for Continued on page 24

Huawei: Nigeria Needs More Fibre Optic Cable Deployment to Boost Broadband Citing low broadband penetration, which currently stood at 21 per cent and the need for Nigeria to surpass its broadband target of 30 per cent penetration by 2018, the Managing Director, Huawei Nigeria, Mr. Frank Li has called for increased fibre optic cable deployment across the nooks and crannies of the country.

Li who spoke at a media conference organised by Huawei recently in Lagos, which focused on the impact of ICT development on the Nigerian economy, stressed the need for Nigeria to invest more in broadband infrastructure deployment, to enable its citizens fully utilise

ECONOMY the huge deposits of broadband capacities at the shores of the country, from various submarine cable operators like MainOne, Glo1, MTN WACS, and SAT 3.

Aside the need for ubiquitous broadband access, through heavy deployment of fibre optic cables across the country, Li also called for policy consistency on the part of government, which he said, would enable every successful government to build on existing projects that are tilted towards digital technology transformation.

According to him, digital transformation remained the bedrock

of economic development for advanced nations, and Nigeria must take full advantage of the fourth industrial revolution, that is purely knowledge based. “Nigeria needs more fibre optic cable deployment and long term policy implementation for speedy technology development, and Huawei will continue to play a major role in Nigeria’s digital transformation, since Nigeria is a huge market for Hiawei.

Government must do more to fast-track digital transformation across the country. The ripple effect with return on investment is high and it will continue to boost GDP growth of the

county,� Li added.

According to him, Huawei would continue to support technology development in Nigeria, through its various project initiatives.

ICT Consultant, and former Director General of NTA, Vincent Maduka, who spoke at conference on technology growth in Nigeria, said so much development has taken place in the country’s ICT sector, but stressed the need for more investment in modern technologies that would speed up economic development.

Looking at the impact of ICT Continued on page 24

Ă‹Ă“Ă˜ Ă˜Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹ËŞĂ? Ă–Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÙÚĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ™Ăœ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂœĂ?Ă—Ă“Ă?Ăœ Ă“Ă?Ăœ

ËÞË Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœËœ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă“ĂžĂ? ÙʊĂ?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă–Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŒĂŁ Ă“Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă?Ùʰ Ă‹Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă˘ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;ĂžĂ? Ă™Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ă?ÞÓà ÓÞã ĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă–Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?ÙÖÖÙåĂ? Ă‹Ă“Ă˜ Ă˜Ă?ËŞĂ? Ă–Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă’ Ă™Ă? Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă–Ă™Ă&#x;ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ăž ĂšĂœĂ™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă– ĂŽĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă?Ùʰ Ă˘ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ? Ă–Ă‹ĂœĂ‘Ă? Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂšĂœĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ ÞÙ Ă“Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă?Ùʰ˪Ă? äĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă–Ă™Ă&#x;ĂŽË› ÓÞÒ ÞÒÓĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™Ă‘Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă‹Ă“Ă˜ Ă˜Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă? ÞÙ ÙʼĂ?Ăœ ĂšĂœĂ“Ă Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ëœ Ă’Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ě‹Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ÞÙ×Ă?ĂœĂ? ÞÙ Ă“Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă?Ùʰ äĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? ÞÒĂ&#x;Ă? Ă“Ă—ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂšĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? ËÚÚÖÓĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă–Ă™Ă&#x;ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă?ĂžĂœĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë› ĂšĂ?Ă‹Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžËœ Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă? âĂ?Ă?Ă&#x;ÞÓà Ă? ĘŠĂ?Ă?Ăœ Ă™Ă? Ă‹Ă“Ă˜ Ă˜Ă?Ëœ Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă•Ă? ĂšĂ?Ă•Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă‘ĂœĂ™ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă—Ă“Ă‘ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ĂžĂ™ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ? Ă–Ă™Ă&#x;ĂŽ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă‘Ă–Ă™ĂŒĂ‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁËŞĂ? Ă–Ă™Ă&#x;ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă?ÙÖĂ&#x;ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă?Ă? ĂšĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ“Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? ĂšĂœĂ“Ă Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? ĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ͳ͎ ĂŒĂšĂ? ÞÙ ÍŻÍŽ ĂŒĂšĂ? ÞÙ Ă–Ă™Ă&#x;ĂŽ Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë›

Mouka Wins New Award Ă™Ă&#x;Ă•Ă‹ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ëœ Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă–Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă—Ă‹ĘľĂœĂ?Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă’Ă‹Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă˜ Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹ĘľĂœĂ?Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂŁĂ?Ă‹Ăœ Ă‹Ăž ÞÒĂ? Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ Ă?ĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? Ă’Ă? Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂœĂŽĂ“Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ âĂ?Ă?Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽË› Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂĄĂ‹Ă? Ă’Ă?Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă’Ă“Ăš åÓÞÒ Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹ Ă?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚ×Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂžĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ? Ě™ Ěš ÞÙ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™Ă‘Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă? ĂŽĂ“Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă“Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ™Ăœ ÚÖËãĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂœĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ Ă’Ă? Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽËœ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă‘Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™Ă‘Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂŽĂ“Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă“Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ™Ăœ ÚÖËãĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂœĂŁ ĂĄĂ’Ă™ Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁ Ă™Ă&#x;ÞÚĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Ă?ÚÓÞĂ? Ă™Ă? ĂšĂœĂ?Ă Ă‹Ă“Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă™Ă—Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂŁË› Ă’Ă?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂŽĂ—Ă“ĘľĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ËŞĂ? Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ™Ăœ Ă’Ă‹Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă˜ ĂŒĂ?ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă“Ă–Ă?ĂŽ åÓÞÒ Ă‹ Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ăž ÞÓ×Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Ă?ÚÓÞĂ? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ ĂŽĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă Ă?Ăœ Ă’Ă“Ă‘Ă’ Ă›Ă&#x;ËÖÓÞã ĂšĂœĂ™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ?Ë›

Coca-Cola Launches New Schweppes Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŒĂ?Ă Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă‘Ă? Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁËœ Ă™Ă?Ă‹Ě‹ ÙÖË Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ Ă“Ă—Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂŽËœ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă–Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă’ Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă’ĂĄĂ?ÚÚĂ?Ă? Ă™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ‹Ëœ Ă‹ Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ Ă?ĂœĂ&#x;Ă“Ăž ĘŽĂ‹Ă Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽ Ă–Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ăž Ă—Ă‹Ă–Ăž Ă˜Ă™Ă˜Ě‹Ă‹Ă–Ă?ÙÒÙÖÓĂ? ĂŒĂ?Ă Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă‘Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ë› Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂĄĂ‹Ă? Ă—Ă‹ĂŽĂ? Ă‹Ăž ÞÒĂ? ÙʊĂ?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă–Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă’ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ ĂšĂœĂ™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ăž ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁË› Ă?Ă’ĂĄĂ?ÚÚĂ?Ă? Ùà ÓÎË Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă Ă‹Ă“Ă–Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ ĂšĂ“Ă˜Ă?ËÚÚÖĂ? ĘŽĂ‹Ă Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ ͹ͳĂ?Ă– ĂŒĂ™ĘľĂ–Ă?Ë› Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ăœ Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂ‘Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă–Ă‹Ă Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÓÖÖ Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă‘Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ăž ÞÒĂ? Ă™Ă?Ă‹Ě‹ ÙÖË Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ Ă“Ă—Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂŽËœ ĂŒĂ™Ă–Ă‹Ă’Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă“Ëœ Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? Ùà ÓÎË Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜ Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?Ăž Ă“Ă? ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂž Ă™Ă? Ă‹ Ă‘Ă–Ă™ĂŒĂ‹Ă– Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ?Ă‘Ă“Ă? ×Ùà Ă? ÞÙ Ă—Ă?Ă?Ăž ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĚ‹Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă&#x;Ă—Ă?Ăœ ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞËĂ?ĂžĂ? ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë› ËŤ ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ–ĂŽËœ Ă™Ă?Ă‹Ě‹ ÙÖË Ă“Ă? Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂ? ÞÒËÞ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă&#x;Ă—Ă?Ăœ ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞËĂ?ĂžĂ?Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂ‹Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁ Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ ĂĄĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă?ÞÓà Ă? ÞÙ ÞÒÓĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂŽĂ?à ÙÞĂ?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă™Ă&#x;Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ËœËŹ Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă“ Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽË›

“Inlaks will work very closely with the CBN and all partners to reach the underserved population as well as the ďŹ nancially excludedâ€?

MD/CEO, Inlaks, Femi Adeoti

24

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°ÍŻËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

BUDGET DELAY INIMICAL TO ECONOMIC GROWTH, SAYS EXPERT

NCC, CBN to Sign MoU on Online Transactions

budget approval, and that the agreed timetable be made public, while party ensures that budget is delivered to the nation each year, on January 1.

Okereke also called on the federal government to as matter of urgency, craft and implement a public relations programme to market and rebrand Nigeria’s reputation as the investor friendly nation.

The objective, he said, would enhance and project the country’s strength, its development plans and its ‘Ease of Doing Business’ policy, programme and achievement.

He again warned that Nigeria would be marginalised, unless government takes the hard decision of repositioning the country by creating the ease of doing business environment. “Nigeria must use professional public relations service offered by Public Relations Consultants to market its strength and development plan,� Okereke said.

Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja

HUAWEI: NIGERIA NEEDS MORE FIBRE OPTIC CABLE DEPLOYMENT TO BOOST BROADBAND development on the Nigerian economy, the Country Editor of The Business Year, Silvia Lambiase, said: “ICT occupies a central role in the current administration’s agenda, and it is expected to contribute to monitoring and tracking information in real time, allowing better decision-making.�

Director, Communication and Information Sector, UNESCO – Nigeria, Macaulay Olushola, who was represented

by Anthony Ogunniyi from UNESCO-Nigeria, called on Nigerians to use ICTs for Education, Creation of Wealth, Poverty Eradication, Job Creation, and Global Competitiveness.

He said the use of ICT would ensure sustainable economic development and poverty reduction. “At the wake of 2000, the federal government of Nigeria embarked on an aggressive drive on the privatisation and deregulation policies of the ICT sub-sector, which led to the establishment of National Telecommunication Policy in December 2001.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are currently working on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on online payments and transactions in the country, the regional Director of NCC, Ms. Helen Obi has said.

She disclosed this while answering questions from journalists at the eight edition of the Consumer Conversation held in Abuja.

The Consumer Conversation Forum is organised by the NCC to educate, enlighten and empower the consumers on their rights and privileges. “As a result of online payments and transactions, there are lots of regulatory collaborations that have become necessary between CBN and the MOU. Both parties have recognised that fact that the customers in the banking sector and also the consumers in the Telecom sector that both are not shortchanged by the service providers in those sectors’, she said.

She added: “We are discussing on common grounds to come on board with an MOU that will guide the sectors we regulate the banks and the Telecom service providers as soon as we put that in place we will put it in the public domain and make it available�

The director noted that the NCC had done a lot in informing, educating and empowering the consumers with the information about their rights.

She explained: “According to the statistics given by my chief executive some time

ago, before we started this programme it was about 500 subscribers that who we know, knew about how to stop receiving unsolicited messages but as at few months ago, we now have 10 million subscribers as a result of this conversation that we are doing. “Therefore we can say that NCC has really come a long way and we are still making progress. The fact is that the NCC is making sure that the service providers don’t use the wrong billing method; they are suppose have NCC also sets price caps for them which they are not supposed to go

beyond. “We also set a price slot which they are not supposed to go below. NCC keeps monitoring them. We have a department that is dedicated to tariff issues and we keep monitoring them because before any service provider will put out any billing or any charges on any service that it is providing it must get approval from NCC. Any one that flaunts it get penalised.�

Furthermore, she said that the NCC is a consumer centric organisation because the consumers is at the heart of all at the commission.

She also said that they do not engage the services of middlemen when dealing with the consumer in order to make sure that the service providers are up and running. “NCC is a consumer centric organisation because the consumer is at the heart of all that we do and in making sure that the networks are up and running�, she stated. “Apart from this consumer conversation we have other consumer engagements such as The Consumer Parliament, the Consumer Town Hall and the Consumer Outreach. But this one was designed to

have NCC at the grassroots consumers to have direct contact and conversation with the regulator so that they will know that the regulator feels their plight. “And we have not brought any middle men between us and them so that we can give them first hand information and hear from them first hand; what their concerns are, and seek to address them.�

On tariffs, she said that competition in the industry had brought down prices of SMS and data in the industry which has made tariffs more affordable to subscribers.

PROMOTING CONSUMER PARLIAMENT

L-R: Director Consumer Aairs, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Abdullahi Maikano; Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta and Director, Policy and Economic Analysis, Josephine Amuwa, during the 82nd edition of the consumer parliament in Abuja...recently

Customs Nets N16bn in Oyo, Intercepts N64m Contraband Goods Ademola Babalola in Ibadan The Oyo/Osun Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has generated N16billion in the ongoing fiscal year, just as it pledged to do more in meeting the federal government set target for the command.

As part of efforts to curtail smuggling activities, the command also intercepted goods which its Duty Paid Value (DPV) worth the N64million in November and December

alone.

The controller of the command, Comtroller Elisha David Chikan, who disclosed this at a press briefing held at the command headquarters, in Ibadan Tuesday said the Nigeria Customs Service has zero tolerance for smuggling because of its dire consequences on the nation’s economy and security.

According to him, among the goods intercepted in November and December

included; 2,370 bags of rice, 1,000 used tyres, 135 bales of used clothes, and two used Audi and Toyota cars.

He added that his men arrested four suspected smugglers and subsequently granted them bail but however stated that they would soon be charged to court in due course.

He said: “Let me begin by stating very clearly that the Nigeria Customs Service has zero tolerance for smug-

gling because of its dire consequences on the nation’s economy and security. Hence, we will do everything within our capacity to fight it to a standstill. “The command in the month of November and December successfully recorded seizure of good with Duty Paid Value worth (DPV) worth N64,183,004.77k. “In the area of revenue generation, the command has been doing well in the area

of revenue collection which comes purely from excise factories and few imports. The command generated a sum total of N16, 182,206,265.7k.

Chikan further stressed that the Nigeria customs service will not relent in its efforts to ensure that expired and contraband products are not thriving in the country, adding that, it will continue with sensitisation of the public on the negative effects such goods on the people.

Ex-AMCON Chief, Others, Make Case for the Real Estate Sector Raheem Akingbolu

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)

There is bright future and many opportunities through which the nation’s economy can be boosted in the real estate sector, experts have stated.

A former Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Mustafa Chike-Obi, who was one of those who shared the belief, called for adjustment in the tax benefit of Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) to encourage investments in the real estate sector.

Chike-Obi, who spoke at the maiden edition of Fusion of Real Estate, Interior Design and Art (FREIA) conference held in Lagos, stressed that there

is too much emphasis on the tax benefit of REIT coming from company and personal income taxes, which he said is not encouraging more investors.

Earlier in his welcome address, the convener of the FREIA event and the CEO of LVG, Tommy Odama, described the forum as an event which explores the dynamic relationship between real estate, interior design and art and the opportunities that come alive when industry stakeholders collaborate.

According to Odama, the event which will be held annually, will raise the bar for real estate events in Nigeria, adding that he hoped that FREIA would one day become a global brand.

The event was kick-started with an art and design exhibition which was curated by Oliver Enwonwu of Omenka Art Gallery and featured a mix of distinct traditional and contemporary art works as well as one of a kind made in Nigeria design pieces.

While extolling the resilience of operators in the real estate for working in what is acclaimed all over the world as the most difficult circumstances, Chike-Obi had called for more government roles in the sector by guaranteeing certain type of mortgages.

According to him, at present, government is only guaranteeing the lender, which is not doing much and as such should guarantee the mortgage itself.

“Enforcement of mortgage is key to the development of the sector hence government guarantee is key because of the enforcement issues on mortgages. “This is the way to go in most parts of developed countries like the United States because right now banks are not really interested in mortgages. “They are very wary about enforcing their property rights because of the image it will create on them�, he said.

He stressed the need for creation of a system where parties collectively bear the cost of evicting tenants, who refused to pay their rents.

Chike-Obi, who is the chief executive officer of Alpha Africa Advisors, also lamented lack of

mortgage financing in Nigeria, saying the huge collaterals attached to such financing, is making it a difficult journey.

The former AMCON boss urged stakeholders to create a pressure group that will discuss with government and commercial institutions on the right ways to finance mortgage because government does not listen very quickly in Nigeria unless trade groups, who are credible can sufficiently articulate their desire Other speakers included; Director of African Artists Foundation, AzuNwagbogu; CEO, Agatha’s Interior Design, Agatha Eric Udorie; and a Senior Development Manager, Rendeavour West Africa, Odunayo Ojo.

25

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°ÍŻËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

BUSINESSWORLD

E-BUSINESS

Ahmed Approves N100m SME Funds to Market Associations Hammed Shittu in Ilorin The Kwara state governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has approved the release of N100million small and medium enterprises (SME) funding to the market associations in the state.

Besides, the governor said beneficiaries of the SME fund will henceforth be treated on the basis of association while all illegal motor parks in the state will be abolished.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting held with Artisans, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and

Market Association at Banquet Hall, Ilorin recently, Ahmed said that it was in fulfilment of his pledge.

According to him, “the SME funding we promised the market association is ready for collection and also other support required by the different associations in form of buses, secretariat and other minor supports, would be attended to�.

The governor said members of the artisan groups would be patronised under the forthcoming State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) projects in order to enhance the economic status and wellbeing of their members.

He appealed to all associations and groups to work hand-in-hand with the Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) to make tax collection in the state easy and to also ensure that taxes are applied to the benefit of contributors.

The governor gave assurance that the interactive meeting will be held on monthly basis to review activities, stressing that governance requires inclusiveness.

Earlier, the Director-General, Bureau of SME in the State, Mr. Segun Soewu recalled that about N2.2billion had been committed to SME in the state.

Globacom Shows Commitment to Nigeria Immigration Emma Okonji Globacom has thrown its full weight behind the 2017 edition of the Comptroller General of Immigration Annual Conference which was concluded at the weekend in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The Glo-sponsored conference was attended by important dignitaries including the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, his Deputy, Yetunde Onanuga, former president, Olusegun Obasanjo and the Chairman of the House Committee on Interior, Adams Jagaba, among other dignitaries.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammad Babandede commended Globacom for supporting Nigeria Immigration service in its quest to strengthen the country’s internal security.

He stated that the support

of Globacom alongside other corporate sponsors of the conference, has helped to facilitate a summit that will find a lasting solution to challenges confronting the service.

He called on the telecommunications company and other corporate entities in the country to continue to support such initiatives.

Globacom’ s acting Coordinator, Public Sector Sales, Mansur Opakunle, in a presentation at the conference, commended Nigeria Immigration Service for organising the conference, adding that the strategy session will help the service to proffer solutions to emerging challenges. He stated that “Globacom and NIS share the same passion for excellence, which makes our partnership a perfect fit. Our pedigree as one of Africa’s biggest ICT brands stands us in good stead to offer NIS the best support in its efforts to achieve optimum

efficiency and productivity.�

He pledged the company’s commitment to provide constant support to enable NIS realize its objective of ensuring that the country’s internal security is fortified.

Opakunle explained that Globacom’s cutting-edge telecommunications solutions designed to cost-effectively propel the service to the peak of its performance are already being enjoyed by NIS and other top agencies in the country.

The Glo Public Sector Sales Executive added that Globacom, the best data network in the country consolidated its position with the launch of Mobile 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) nationwide in October 2016, adding that the Glo subscribers across 30 states in the country are currently enjoying the most advanced wireless technology, offering ultra-fast Internet speed of up to 100Mbps.

Nigerian Lottery Market Gets New Investor Raheem Akingbolu Nigerians are set to give their dreams a wing to fly and win as TOTI Prima, a new lottery company led by experienced lottery operators, recently unveiled a dynamic lotto brand in Nigeria. The lotto brand was unveiled at a colourful and impressive ceremony that took place recently in Lagos.

The event witnessed the presence of the media, celebrities and Nigerians from all walks of life including the representatives of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) and the Lagos State Lotteries Board who endorsed the transparency and openness of all activities of the new company.

At the occasion, the Chairman, TOTI Prima, Mario Camilleri revealed that the company had engaged in painstaking market research and strategic mapping which took about two years of planning, to come to the conclusion that the global brand play lotto in the Nigerian market. At a time when some companies are faint to invest in the Nigerian economy, Mr. Camilleri showed confidence in Nigeria and the Nigerian people. According to

him, TOTI Prima believes in Nigeria, her economy and her people. The company sees a country where it can contribute its own quota to make the economy more robust. He added that the company feels the energy of the people and the vast opportunity in the land for companies that are ready to bring something refreshing to the people and the economy.

The chairman further revealed that, apart from the approval from both the Lagos State Lotteries Board and the NLRC, they also discovered that the Nigerian market is a mature economy, with truly strong regulators, world class banks, professional lawyers, creative marketers and other support companies who, they believe, could help them get to their final destination. “Today we believe that we are able to change people’s lives, as well as perception of lottery in Nigeria.�

Commenting on the unique name of the company, Camilleri revealed that his father’s name came in quite handy. He explained: “When it came to naming the company, I had one name that stood out for me.

That name was TOTI Prima.

It was my father’s name. I

have always believed that my father had the Midas touch and made a success out of everything he did. And this is my dream not only for us as a company, but also for our players. My father was a man of integrity and his name became synonymous with respect, good ethics and values, which will be the basis of our company. Sadly, he passed on 10 days ago, so he was unable to see this dream for the legacy of his name, become reality. Though I am sure he is looking down on us tonight with pride�.

Camilleri also revealed his dream of the brand becoming a household name in Lagos and in Nigeria as a whole.

He said that the company’s strategy is to create a very strong TOTI Prima brand equity based on integrity, sincerity, tenacity of purpose and delivery starting from Lagos, and subsequently across all the states of Nigeria.

This, he said, explains why the brand, apart from serving as supplementary income and improving people’s well-being, is positioning itself as a choice instrument that brings Dreams to Reality besides Changing People’s Stories.

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT OLODU KEONYEDI

HOW TO BE FINANCIALLY SECURED

W

ealth begins in the mind. Financial security is more of a mental process than a physical one.

Wealth can be likened to a ĂžĂœĂ?Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ?Ë? Ëž Ă’Ă? ĂŒĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă˜ËšĂ—Ă“Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ™Ă™Ăž Ëž Ă’Ă? ĂšĂœĂ™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ?ËšĂ?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă?ËšĂ?ĂŁĂ?ĂžĂ?Ă— Ă“Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂžĂ?Ă— Ëž Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ?˚ÚĂ?ÙÚÖĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă’ Ă‹ĂœĂ? ÞÒĂ? branches Ëž Ă’Ă? Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁËšĂšĂœĂ™Ę¨ĂžĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ&#x;Ă“ĂžĂ?Ë› Ă™Ă?Ăž ĂšĂ?ÙÚÖĂ? Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă“Ă?ÞËÕĂ? Ă™Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒËÞ Ă™Ă˜Ă–ĂŁ Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă“Ă? ĂĄĂ?ËÖÞÒ˛ Ă?Þ˪Ă? Ă“Ă—Ă‹Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ëœ Ă“Ă? ĂĄĂ? ÚÖĂ&#x;Ă?Ă• Ă™Ă&#x;Ăž Ă‹Ă–Ă– ÞÒĂ? Ă™ĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ&#x;Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă‹Ă˜ Ă™ĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă? ĂžĂœĂ?Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂĄĂ? Ă?Ă‹ĂŁ ÞÒĂ? ĂžĂœĂ?Ă? Ă“Ă? Ă˜Ă™ Ă–Ă™Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜ Ă™ĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă? ĂžĂœĂ?Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ? ĂœĂ?×Ùà Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă–Ă– ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ&#x;Ă“ĂžĂ?ËŁ Ă’Ă? Ă‹Ă˜Ă?ĂĄĂ?Ăœ Ă“Ă? Ă™Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™ Ă“Ă? ĂĄĂ?ËÖÞÒ ÞÙ Ă‹ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă‹Ă—Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă? Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂŒĂ‹Ă˜Ă• Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă˜Ă™Ăž ÞÒĂ? ĂŽĂ?ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ—Ă“Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ?Ă? Ă“Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂĄĂ?ËÖÞÒã Ă™Ăœ Ă˜Ă™ĂžËœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ăž ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă—Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă? ĂĄĂ?ËÖÞÒ Ă“Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă“Ă˜ĂŽËš brain.

Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă–ĂŁ ĂĄĂ? Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?ĂžĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒÓĂ? ĂšĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă?ÓÚÖĂ? ÞÒĂ?Ă˜ ĂĄĂ? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă?Ă? ÞÒËÞ Ă“Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă“Ă?Ăœ ÞÙ ĂŒĂ? ĂĄĂ?ËÖÞÒã Ă™Ăœ Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ă˜ ĂĄĂ? ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă•Ë› Ă–Ă– ĂĄĂ? Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ ĂŒĂ? ĂĄĂ?ËÖÞÒã Ă™Ăœ Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽ Ă“Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂŒĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă–Ă‹Ă?Ăž ÞÓ×Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă?Ă?Ă•Ă?ĂŽ ĂĄĂ? Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ÓÞ˛

Ăž Ă“Ă? ÚÙĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁĂ™Ă˜Ă? ÞÙ ĂŒĂ? Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽËœ Ă“Ăž Ă”Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ÞËÕĂ? Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă‘Ă’Ăž Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă?ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă‹Ă? ĂĄĂ? ĂŽĂ?ÚÙĂ?Ă“Ăž Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ëœ ĂĄĂ? Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ ĂŽĂ?ÚÙĂ?Ă“Ăž ĂĄĂ?ËÖÞÒ Ă“Ă˜ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ë› PRINCIPLE OF FINANCIAL SECURITY Wealth is created base on principles and funĂŽĂ‹Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ‹Ă–Ă?Ëœ Ă“Ă˜ Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ?Ăœ ÞÙ ĂŒĂ? Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ÞÙ Ă?ÙÖÖÙå ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă?ÓÚÖĂ?Ă?Ë› Ă?Ăž Ă—Ă? Ă‹Ă?Ă• ÞÒÓĂ? Ă›Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëž ÒÙå Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ă’ ĂŽĂ™ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă• ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă‹ĂŁ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽËŁ Ă? Ă“Ăž Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă—Ă“Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă™Ă˜ Ă˜Ă‹Ă“ĂœĂ‹ËŁ ĂĄĂ™ Ă—Ă“Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă™Ă˜ Ă˜Ă‹Ă“ĂœĂ‹ËŁ Ă?Ă˜ Ă—Ă“Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă™Ă˜ Ă˜Ă‹Ă“ĂœĂ‹ËŁ Ă˜Ă? ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă™Ă˜ Ă˜Ă‹Ă“ĂœĂ‹ËŁ

Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŒĂ? Ă?Ă?ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă&#x;Ăž ÒÙå Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ă’ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ ĂŒĂ? Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽËœ ÞÒĂ?Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? Ă?Ă?ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒËÞ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă Ă? ÓÞ˛ Ăž ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂšĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ÞÙ Ă•Ă˜Ă™ĂĄ ÞÒËÞ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ ĂŽĂ™Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹ ÖÙÞ Ă™Ă? Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ ÞÙ ĂŒĂ? Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽË› Financial security is your ability to take care Ă™Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă–ĂŁ Ă?âÚĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜ Ă“Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?ÞÙÚ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ë› Ă’Ă? ĂšĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă?ÓÚÖĂ? Ă™Ă? Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ“ĂžĂŁ Ă?ÞËÞĂ?Ă? ÞÒËÞ˞ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ÖÙÙÕ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁĂ? ÞÙ Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă˘ĂžĂœĂ‹ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ù×Ă? ÞÙ ÞËÕĂ? Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă‹Ă– Ă?âÚĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă–Ă? ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?âÚĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă™ Ă•Ă˜Ă™ĂĄ Ă“Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽ Ă“Ă? ÞÙ Ę¨ĂœĂ?Ăž ĂŽĂ?ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ—Ă“Ă˜Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă–ĂŁ Ă?âÚĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂŽĂ–ĂŁ ĂŽĂ?ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ—Ă“Ă˜Ă? ÒÙå ÞÙ Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă˘ĂžĂœĂ‹ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ù×Ă? ÞÙ ÞËÕĂ? Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?âÚĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă?Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă Ă?ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă‹ĂžËœ ÞÒĂ?Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŒĂ™Ă–ĂŽĂ–ĂŁ Ă?Ă‹ĂŁ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽË› WAYS TO ESTIMATE YOUR MONTHLY EXPENSES: ÙÙÕ Ă‹Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? ÞÙ Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?ĂžĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă’ Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă‘Ă™Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ë› Ă‹Ă•Ă? Ă‹ ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜ ÞÙ ĂŽĂ“ĂœĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒËÞ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă’ ÞÙ Ă?Ă‹Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ËšĂ“Ă˜Ă Ă?Ă?Þ×Ă?Ă˜ĂžË›

Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă˜Ă?Ă Ă?Ăœ ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă?Ă•Ă?ĂŽ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?âÚĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂžĂœĂŁ ÞÒĂ? Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’ Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ëœ ÞÒĂ?Ă˜ Ă?Ă Ă‹Ă–Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂžĂ? ÒÙå ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; can cut out or reduce. Decide if each expense is absolutely necessary then eliminate the unnecessary. Ă™Ă&#x; Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă•Ă?Ă?Ăš ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă?Ă• Ă™Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?âÚĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ëœ Ă’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă? Ă‹ Ă?Ë×ÚÖĂ? ÞÒËÞ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?ÙÖÖÙå ÞÙ

keep track of your expenses. If there are items ÞÒËÞ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂŽĂ™Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă˜ĂŽ Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă™Ă˜ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă–ĂŁËž Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă? Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă˜ĂžËœ Ă?Ă?ÒÙÙÖ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă?ĂžĂ?Ëœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŽĂ“Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ? Ă“Ăž ĂŒĂŁ Í’Í“ ÞÙ Ă‘Ă“Ă Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ÞÒĂ? Ă?âËĂ?Ăž Ă‹Ă—Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹ monthly basis. Ă?Þ˪Ă? Ă?Ă‹ĂŁËœ Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă“Ă? ͔͗͑˜͑͑͑ ĂšĂ?Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă—Ëœ ÞÒĂ?Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă–ĂŁ Ă?âÚĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă˜ ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ăž ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? ͔͑˜͑͑͑˛ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă–ĂŁ Ă?âÚĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă‹ĂŁ ÖÙÙÕ Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă? ÞÒËÞË? Í’Ë› Ă?Ă˜ĂžĚ‹ ͔͑˜͑͑͑ Í“Ë› ÞÓÖÓÞÓĂ?Ă? Ě™Ă?Ă–Ă?Ă?ĂžĂœĂ“Ă?ÓÞã ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă–Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ‹ĂžĂ?Ăœ ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă–Ă? Ă?ĂžĂ?Ěš ĚŽ ͔͑˜͑͑͑ ͔˛ ĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂž ĚŽ ͖͒˜͑͑͑ Í•Ë› ÙÙÎ ĚŽ ͔͑˜͑͑͑ Í–Ë› Ă?ËÖÞÒ ĚŽ ͒͑˜͑͑͑ Í—Ë› Ă?ÒÙÙÖ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? ĚŽ ͓͑˜͑͑͑ ͘˛ ÙÎã Ă‘ĂœĂ™Ă™Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĚŽ ͖˜͑͑͑ ͙˛ ÖÙÞÒ ĚŽ ͒͑˜͑͑͑ ͚˛ ĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ËšĂŒĂ™Ă™Ă•Ă? ĚŽ ͒͑˜͑͑͑ ÙÞËÖ ĚŽ ͖͒͑˜͑͑͑ ĂšĂ?Ăœ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ë› Ă’Ă?Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?âÚĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹ ĂŁĂ?Ă‹Ăœ ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ? ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă–ĂŁ Ă?âÚĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă&#x;ÖÞÓÚÖã ĂŒĂŁ ÞåĂ?Ă–Ă Ă?Ë› ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ë×ÚÖĂ?Ëž ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă‹Ă– Ă?âÚĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? ͒˜͙͑͑˜͑͑͑˛ If your monthly expense is one hundred and ʨʰã ÞÒÙĂ&#x;Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă˜Ă‹Ă“ĂœĂ‹Ëœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă? million eight hundred thousand naira in a year coming from an extra source of income to take care of your needs before you can say you are Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽË› WAYS TO GENERATE EXTRA INCOME: Ă’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă? Ă˜Ă™ Ă–Ă“Ă—Ă“Ăž ÞÙ ÒÙå Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ă’ Ă?Ă˘ĂžĂœĂ‹ Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ˜Ëœ Ă—Ă‹Ă”Ă™ĂœĂ“ĂžĂŁ Ă™Ă? Ă&#x;Ă? Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă˜ Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂŽĂĄĂ“ĂœĂ?ĂŽ ÞÙ ĂŒĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă Ă? ÞÒËÞ ĂĄĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂŽĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• Íš ÞÙ Í– Ă”Ă™ĂŒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă™Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă–Ă“Ă Ă?Ă? Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă– ĂĄĂ? Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? Ă?Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ ÞÙ ĂœĂ?ĂžĂ“ĂœĂ?Ë› Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?Ù×Ă? ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁĂ? to generate extra income outside your salary. Ëž Ă?Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă? Ă“ĂžĂ?Ă—Ă?Ë? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ă?Ăž ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁ ÞÙ Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? extra income is by selling of your used and unĂĄĂ‹Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă“ĂžĂ?Ă—Ă? Ëž Ă‹ĂœĂ˜ Ă’Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ă?Ăœ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă™Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ë? Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă?Ăž ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁĂ? ÞÙ Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ÚËĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă“Ă? ÞÙ Ă?Ă’Ă“Ę° ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă? ÞÙ Ă‹ ĂŒĂ‹Ă˜Ă• ÞÒËÞ ÚËãĂ? Ă‹ Ă’Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ă?Ăœ ĂŁĂ“Ă?Ă–ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ë› Ëž Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ‹Ă– Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë? ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă&#x;Ăž ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă• ĂšĂ?ÙÚÖĂ? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽË› Ëž ĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ? Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ? Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–ĂžĂ‹Ă˜Ă?ĂŁËœ Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ëž Ă&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă‹ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă™ĂĄĂ˜Ă?Ăœ Ëž Ă‹ĂšĂ?Ăœ ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ?ÙÖÓÙË? Ă“Ă˜Ă Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă“Ă˜ Ă?ÞÙĂ?Ă•Ă?Ëœ ĂŒĂ™Ă˜ĂŽËœ Ă—Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă– funds etc. Ëž Ă?Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă?ÞËÞĂ?Ë? ÞÒÓĂ? Ă“Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă—Ă‹Ă”Ă™Ăœ ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁ ÞÙ Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ˜ Ă?âtra income. Ëž Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ù×Ă?Ë? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă– ĂšĂœĂ™ĂšĂ?ĂœĂžĂ“Ă?Ă?Ëž Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ëœ ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ĂžĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă‹ĂœĂžĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă?Ëœ ĂŒĂ™Ă™Ă•Ă?Ëœ ĂšĂ’Ă™ĂžĂ™Ă‘ĂœĂ‹ĂšĂ’Ëœ ÚÙĂ?Ă—Ëœ ĂŽĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă‹Ëœ ÚËÞĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?ĂžĂ?Ë› Ă–Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă˜Ă™ĂžĂ?Ë? ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă–ĂŁ Ă?âÚĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁĂ? of generating extra income are not limited to ÞÒĂ? Ă“ĂžĂ?Ă—Ă? Ă–Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă Ă?Ëž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹ĂŽĂŽ Ă‹Ă? Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ items that corresponds to your expenses and sources of generating income. ĂŁ Ă‹ĂŽĂ Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă&#x;Ă? ÞÙ Ă•Ă?Ă?Ăš Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ? ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ ĂŒĂ™Ă™Ă•Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹ĘľĂ?Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă?Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ëš ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă?ÒÙÚĂ?Ë›

ËŞĂ— Ă‘Ă–Ă‹ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă?Ă‹ĂŁ ÞÒËÞ Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ‹Ă?Ăž Ă&#x;Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă’Ă“Ăš Ă“Ă˜ Ă’Ă?Ă–ĂšĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ă?ÞËʼĂ?Ëš Ă?Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă–Ă? ĂŒĂ? Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽËœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă˜Ă™ĂĄ ÚÖËĂ?Ă? ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹Ă–Ă– ÞÒĂ? recommended books.

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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T H I S D AY Ëž Í°ÍŻËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

Ě“

Enhancing Background Technology

Checks

with

The old ways of carrying out background checks on employees, including domestic staff, have been fully enhanced with the introduction of a technology solution called VerifyMe, writes Emma Okonji Before now, employers of labour, especially domestic labour, carry out unstructured background checks on their domestic staff, where their details are collected through personal interaction with the staff or third parties. In an office environment, the employer relies on the information provided in the curriculum vitae, which have no records of the antecedents of the staff. Most times, this method of background checks leaves the employer at great risk, if such employee has ulterior motives since there are no structured data about them.

But technology is fast changing all with the introduction of ‘VeifyMe,’ an online technology solution platform that allows employers of labour to register their staff on a single portal that will be accessible to all who desire to get background information about those they intend to hire. The solution helps employers to know for certain that the people they are bringing to work and live in their homes are comprehensively verified.

Since its introduction, it has become a widely accepted technology solution that creates on online platform where employers can report on employees workplace behavior and the record is accessible to all who desire it.

About VerifyMe solution The solution, which is available across Nigeria and subsequently Africa, makes it a lot difficult for rogue workers to thrive across the continent while model employees have an expanded market to sell themselves.

According to the Founder/CEO of VerifyMe, Mr. Tunji Oluwole, “the idea is to get employers to register their workers on the VerifyMe Nigeria portal so we have a unified database of workers which in turn eliminates ghost workers and other human capital risks. With their smartphones, tablets or other internetenabled devices, employers and recruiters can immediately verify the backgrounds of candidates when they present themselves for employment and thereby enshrine a culture of transparency and accountability in the workforce right from the point of hire. So it becomes harder for criminals to get employed in the first place.�

Its Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Esigie Aguele, explained that the company’s innovative solution uses international standard biometric equipment to capture, compile and maintain a unique and secure identity of each worker on the database so employers are sure of

Incidents of workplace crime have become a growing and worrying trend in Nigeria. Successive governments at the federal, state and local government levels, have tried to battle the problem of over-bloated payrolls grossly populated by ghost workers with various degrees of success

Identity management solution

the identity of who they employ into their organisations and homes, and also have access to the comprehensive work history of their employees on demand.

According to Aguele, “Every worker on the VerifyMe Nigeria database is given a unique identification number on registration which is tied to an employer. Potential employers can then access the worker’s work history with their unique ID to verify their identity and work history reports by previous employers.

This enables them to make informed hiring decisions best and most secure option rather than depend on the information presented by the candidates themselves. Additionally, our portal leverages on government data points for a unified identity verification across the country.� “Similarly, all workers have accounts to interact with our platform register on the portal and present their unique numbers to potential employers to verify reports of good behaviour or defend themselves against negative ones.

Overall, we are redefining the workforce and changing the status quo in Nigeria to make it a win-win for every stakeholder within the employment ecosystem in Nigeria whether they are employers or employees,� he added.

The history Founded in 2013, VerifyMe Nigeria has evolved to become the leading worker verification and work history reporting company in Nigeria, using technology solution. Services include: identity verification, address verification, guarantor verification, police arrest records query and credentials verification.

The company’s solutions cut across all sectors of the Nigerian economy including white and blue-collar employees in corporate organisations as well as domestic staff. Clientele include government, corporate organisations, 5-Star hotels, residential estates and small businesses.

As a member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS), VerifyMe Nigeria has created a solution that

enables employers run real time background checks on their current and or potential workers.

VerifyMe Nigeria is an employment history reporting and verification solution that has been designed to curb workplace crime, provide additional security in homes, offices, and enable business to employ the right resources.

Bridging credibility gap with technology Explaining how the technology solution can bridge credibility gap, Oluwole said: “Prior to the emergence of VerifyMe, the standard practice was for employers and recruitment agencies to screen workers based on information supplied by the workers themselves.

This creates a credibility gap, as people will naturally proffer information that benefits their interests. As a result, insightful data is lost along the way, which the employer and sometimes even the worker, eventually pays for in unpleasant circumstances.�

Incidents of workplace crime have become a growing and worrying trend in Nigeria.

Successive governments at the federal, state and local government levels, have tried to battle the problem of over-bloated payrolls grossly populated by ghost workers with various degrees of success. Just recently, the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, announced that the federal government saved N120 billion over a 10-year period, money which would have been otherwise lost to ghost workers and other acts of fiscal irresponsibility by civil service personnel. With the advent of online marketplaces, the problem has taken an even more sinister turn.

In April 2015, Nigerians were left apprehensive with the shocking news of one Mary Akinloye, a rogue nanny who abducted the three children of her employers barely 24 hours after employment. Akinloye and her accomplices demanded a N15 million ransom for the children’s release. It was only after the Police rounded off the criminals that the nanny’s true identity was discovered. Her real name was Funmilayo Adeyemi, a career

kidnapper allegedly married to a kidnap kingpin. Their mode of operation was to help her secure employment as a domestic help in affluent households, after which she would kidnap the family’s children for ransom. She had been recruited through a popular eCommerce platform.

Funmilayo/Mary’s employers had demanded for passport photographs, details of residential address, work history and guarantors. These information, coupled with a fear-filled public anxiously passing on her details via their mobile phones and other internet-enabled devices, helped the police recover the children and got the culprits arrested.

Business implication The implication of this for business and even people employing blue collar labour, particularly at the home front, is that in the event that the employee is a criminal, there is a high likelihood of the crime being repeated should the opportunity arises. If the identity of Funmilayo Adeyemi had been verified before employment, it would definitely have saved the families involved, the stress and sometimes irreplaceable loss that comes with hiring a criminal staff. VerifyMe is a deterrent to such abnormality. When employees are aware that they have been identified with captured biometrics on a system that checks against multiple government and private sector data points, and their employers have the ability to report on their unchangeable record in the event of crime, the employee will act more responsibly.

Global study Studies by the United States’ Bureau of Justice Statistics, among other similar research findings, reveal that 77 per cent of individuals arrested for a crime were for a new crime within five years of the previous incident.

This is irrespective of whether the individual attended a rehabilitation programme or not.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY DECEMBER 21 2017

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Firm to Address Language AccentureAlumniNetworkOpensDiscourseonTechRevolution Barrier with Tech Solutions stated that the fourth industrial CSR education programme Education for the Fourth IndusStories by Emma Okonji A technology firm, Laclic Services has developed a local software application that could work with technology devices to teach both foreign and local languages, through programmed sound and video display.

The Deputy Managing Director of Laclic Services, Dupe Sanni, explained that the solution would help Nigerians who do understand foreign languages as well as foreigners who do not understand English language, to learn fast and have smooth business transactions or meetings with foreign partners, without engaging the services of language interpreter.

Speaking at a press launch in Lagos recently, Sani said the solution would enable people learn foreign languages with ease, and at their own time and pace, without employing a language teacher.

According to her, the software application is preloaded with 10 different languages, which include Igbo, Yuruba, Hausa, English, Spanish, Chinese, French among others. “Nigerians that do business in foreign lands where English is not the general language, and foreigners who do not understand English, but run businesses in Nigeria, will find the solution to be of great importance,� Sani said, adding that Laclic has introduced four range of products that would

enhance businesses across board.

Speaking on the various products, the Brand Manager, Laclic Services, Joey Udenna, listed the products to include Olango, Olango Vista, Bantaban and Spirout. According to him, “Olango is a language learning application solution that eases language study, which comes in both mobile and web version.

The app allows users to learn any language of their choice at their own learning pace via chat with virtual tutors and other users. It comes with embedded video modules for each lessons and quiz sections at the end of each lesson to access user performance.�

He described Olango Vista as a language learning device to ease and enable users to book a translator both for personal engagement and or group activities. The device enables seamless translation service provided to anyone who needs it anywhere and at any time. It fosters effective communication system across borders thereby bridging the language barrier.

Bantaban, according to him, is a multi-value e-commerce platform that cuts across premium sales of goods and services. It is to reach out to first timers in Nigeria or frequent visitors with a purpose of providing them with exclusive/premium products and services at their reach.

The Accenture Alumni Network has opened discourse on the fourth industrial revolution that is driven by knowledge-based technology skills.

The network recently brought together educationists, technology entrepreneurs and parents to discuss the future of education as technology continues to redefine student-centred learning, learning outcomes and even the use of ICT in education, the knowledge-based technology skills.

Managing Director of Accenture Nigeria, Mr. Niyi Yusuf, in his opening remarks,

revolution is said to be ushered in by advancements in robotics, virtual reality, cloud technology, big data, artificial intelligence, the internet of things and other technologies.

Commenting on why Accenture is leading conversations and innovations on education in Nigeria, Yusuf, said as a consulting company that works with the government and big companies, Accenture recognises the importance of education and technology to the development of every nation and is committed to helping individuals and small business in Nigeria to grow through their

dubbed ‘Skills to Succeed’. He stated that it become imperative for teachers to continuously learn and relearn to empower themselves with the necessary skills and knowledge that will enable them prepare students for workplace of the future.

He added that Accenture in partnership with United For Education Foundation, encourages employees of the company to participate in volunteer teaching scheme at primary education level to inspire the pupils and motivate the teachers as well.

Speaking during a panel discourse themed, ‘Re-imaging

trial Revolution’, Programme Officer, The Education Partnership Centre, Utibe Henshaw, stated that Nigeria’s out-ofschool population is projected at 10 million while that of India is projected at 1.8 million, even though they have eight times our population.

She said it has become imperative for companies to come together and collaborate with the government and other education non-government organizations to help revamp the education sector in the country by training teachers, and compensating outstanding ones to motivate others.

Three Startups Win $30,000 at GenesysIGNITE Tech Pitch Three technology savvy startups, Tutor Finder, PlayJoor and House of Uwe, have emerged winners of the GenesysIGNITE 2017 technology competition, which held in Enugu recently.

The winners were presented with a cheque of $10, 000 each for their brilliant and outstanding performances during the pitch that was witnessed by over 2,000 attendees, and presided over by panelists with proven technology skills.

The GenesysIGNITE startups pitch was organised by Genesys Tech Hub in collaboration with CFAtech.ng.

Speaking at the technology

gathering with over 2,000 startups drawn from Enugu, Abia, Uyo, Imo, Anambra, Delta, Ebonyi and other neighbouring states in attendance, the former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, explained that the future of Nigeria belongs to the digital economy.

Nnamani, who chaired the event, underscored the need for educational institutions, especially the universities, to train students with technology skills that will enable them fit into the technology industry space after graduation, where skilled manpower is needed.

He commended the organis-

ers for their foresightedness in organising the event, which he said was capable of igniting mind-shift among the youths from election ballot box snatching to technological evolution in the region. “What Genesys is trying to ignite in the South-east and Enugu State in particular is awesome, by opening the eyes of our young people to tech disruptions and opportunities.

It is important, because our people are ingenious and if we can apply the ingenuity in the tech ecosystem, then we can compete with the Silicon Valley,� Nnamani said.

Founder and CEO of Genesys Tech Hub, Kingsley Eze, said the main objective of GenesysIGNITE was to discuss latest technology trends that impact on the region, and to proffer strategies for unearthing benefits in the various sectors of the Nigerian economy at large.

According to him, through the technology competition, those who pitched were promoting innovative business solutions and ideas, currently propagated in the form of startups, within the region, culminating in capacity building and other exigencies to help them thrive.

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Nkwocha: Nigeria Needs Effective Strategic Communications In this interview with Raheem Akingbolu, the Head of Corporate Communications at IndoramaNigeria, Dr. Jossy Nkwocha, shares his experience spanning 30 years in PR and journalism. He also spoke on Nigeria’s brand building challenges. Excerpts: How would you assess the Nigerian Marketing Communication industry, in face of the current global digital boom?

Technology and the internet have changed the state and content of the marketing communications industry, be it marketing, public relations, advertising, sales promotions, among others. Digital communication has changed the traditional methods in any of the sectors I mentioned earlier. Social media have given mainstream media a big fight for attention and dominance. In addition, new technologies have taken over from the analogue systems.

In general, what we have now in the entire gamut of the marketing communications industry is a complete new face and phase.

The economy is currently going through a difficult patch called recession, with marketing budget being the first victim. How best do you think practitioners can make themselves attractive to brand owners at this period?

Practitioners are either in-house or consultants and agencies. Whichever, the recession calls for survival strategies requiring innovative ideas, change management, optimisation of resources, among others. Every organisation is looking for ways of survival, searching for ways to keep their brands above water. At this time, practitioners in the industry must put on their thinking caps and provide superior services to their clients and bosses. That’s the only way to remain afloat.

The current administration is making frantic effort to reposition the Nigeria project, what role do you think Marketing Communications; especially PR can play in the process?

Nkwocha

Government has provided the enabling environment and laws guiding the professions.

Public relations is chattered by Decree 16 of 1990 which is now an Act of the National Assembly.

Advertising in Nigeria is also regulated by an Act; the same with Marketing. The regulatory bodies only need to enforce the laws and drive away quacks.

Having said that, it is important for government to patronise local practitioners and agencies rather than foreign agencies in carrying out branding campaigns

Public relations has a lot to do in the repositioning project. We need peace, unity and progress in the country. The federal government wants to galvanize the entire country to support its policies and projects. The government also wants to project itself positively in the intentional community to attract investors. The government needs public relations experts, reputation management specialists, professional image builders and managers. There is need for effective public communication and strategic communication that promotes national unity, national cohesion, peaceful coexistence and other areas that would help us mend the crack walls. Government speech writers must be people who have the capacity to season the speeches with the salt of national unity.

The governments need experienced reputation management experts who can manage stakeholder groups effectively, make friends for the government, not enemies. My new book on Reputation Management and Branding has a chapter on managing nation brands, and building Nigeria’s reputation internally and externally.

What would you say is Nigeria’s greatest brand building challenge?

Nigeria’s most critical brand challenges are corruption that looks endemic, very decayed infrastructure as in our roads, airports and power supply. Others are; insecurity /violence as in insurgency, kidnapping and armed robbery.

There are also unstable economic policies and unstable polity. These are Nigeria’s reputation challenges or brand eroders. These are the issues that paint the country black and scare investors and tourists.

There are schools of thought that believe that government is not keen about engaging the services of marketing communication professionals to drive public communications but some also hold the view that the practitioners themselves are not doing well enough to engage the public sector. What is your take?

What I can say is that government at the federal and state levels should engage the services of public relations; communications and reputation management specialists who can help handle public communications very well, who have capacity for stakeholders’ engagement, crisis management, media relations, political communication, among others.

There are too many quacks who do “image laundering� for government -- laundering the dirty linens of government officials. What government needs are reputation managers who will help Government to build and sustain good image and reputation. Members of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) are professionals who are trained and licensed as image managers Do you think government is doing enough to create enabling environment for marketing communication industry to grow?

Government has provided the enabling environment and laws guiding the professions. Public relations is chattered by Decree 16 of 1990 which is now an Act of the National Assembly.

Advertising in Nigeria is also regulated by an Act; the same with Marketing. The regulatory bodies only need to enforce the laws and drive away quacks. Having said that, it is important for government to patronise local practitioners and agencies rather than foreign agencies in carrying out branding campaigns.

Looking back at your practicing years, either on the agency side or client side. What are the memorable moments and campaigns undertaken under your watch that shook the marketing landscape?

I moved into Public relations practice from journalism where I spent 18 years and rose to become General Editor of Newswatch magazine of the Ray Ekpu /Dan Agbese era. I went back to school to obtain a Masters degree, and later a doctorate degree in Marketing (public relations) with specialisation in corporate reputation management. I established a PR firm and handled so many challenges jobs

for the government. In the past eleven years, I have been managing the reputation and communication of a multinational Corporation with operations in petrochemicals and fertilizers. That perhaps explained why my new book on reputation management and branding is a best seller.

Going through your new book, ‘Reputation Management and Branding’ I observed that it is more of scholastic material than practice journal? Who and who are your targets?

Even though the book is a synthesis of my PhD dissertation, it was repackaged to contain both scholastic and professional materials.

Such chapters as Building and Managing Brand Nigeria, Key Drivers and Benefits of Corporate Reputation, Major Strategies in Reputation Management, Specialised Branches of Reputation Management, Ethics of Reputation Management in Nigeria, CRM in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry, among others are all both academic and practical.

The icing on the cake, the unique feature of the book is the addition of Nigerian case studies. The foreword was written by Prof Pat Utomi, one of Nigeria’s renowned figures in the marketing communications industry.

We have sold off the first print and now reprinting. The book is a must-read for all students, lecturers and practitioners of marketing, public relations, advertising and mass communication.

Can you shed more light on what your other books are about?

In total, I have written 14 books, four of which are in public relations management. The one titled Media Relations: Issues, Strategies and Dynamics first published in 1999, is used as a text book in universities and polytechnics and the professional examinations of NIPR. It is also a hands-on book for all PR professionals. The other book titled Digital Public Relations published in 2004 was a ground breaker and pacesetter for both scholars and practitioners.

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World Toilet Day: Searching for Improved Sanitation In 2013, the United Nations General Assembly officially designated November 19 annually as the World Toilet Day, which is coordinated by UN-Water in collaboration with governments and partners. Abimbola Akosile looks at a report launched recently by WaterAid on the state of the world’s toilets, and also efforts by the Sahara Group to make Nigeria and the rest of Africa a cleaner and better place

T

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Manbean Senior High Technical School, Tema, Ghana. Sahara Foundation Manager, Oluseyi Ojurongbe said the Foundation’s WASH interventions have recorded over 15,000 direct beneficiaries across Africa. “Our focus in the pursuit of goals 3 and 6 as well as other SDGs remain unwavering. We are confident that our extrapreneurship model which supports much wider impact through shared resources, expertise and networks will enhance the provision of modern sanitation facilities especially for the use of women and children who are the most vulnerable across Africa,� he added.

he World Toilet Day, which is marked annually on November 19, is about inspiring action to tackle the global sanitation crisis. Today, 4.5 billion people live without a household toilet that safely disposes of their waste, according to reports.

The theme for 2017 World Toilet Day is ‘Wastewater’ in line with the Sustainable Development Goal’s aim to reach everyone, everywhere with sanitation, and halve the proportion of untreated wastewater and increase recycling and safe reuse.

The 17 global Sustainable Development Goals, launched in 2015, include a target to ensure everyone has access to a safely-managed household toilet by 2030. This makes sanitation central to eradicating extreme poverty.

Revealing Report WaterAid’s State of the World’s Toilets 2017 report, which was launched just days before the World Toilet Day, has revealed that Nigeria is in the top 3 worst countries in the world for the number of people without toilets. ‘Out of Order,’ WaterAid’s third-annual analysis of the world’s toilets released ahead of World Toilet Day, noted that as a result, nearly 123 million people still suffer the fear and indignity of relieving themselves in the open or in unsafe or unhygienic toilets – a situation that is most dangerous for girls and women.

It also reveals that globally, one in three people still have nowhere decent to go to the toilet, and demonstrates how women and girls bear the brunt of this global crisis. For more than 1.1 billion women and girls, this injustice results in an increased risk of poor health, limited education, harassment and even attack.

Notable Findings Among other findings in the report released

by WaterAid are that: All 10 of the world’s worst countries for access to basic sanitation by percentage are in sub-Saharan Africa, where only 28 per cent of people have a decent toilet, and children are 14 times more likely to die before the age of five than in developed regions.

Ethiopia is top of the list of countries with the greatest percentage of people living without decent toilets. Conversely, Ethiopia has also made the most progress in reducing open defecation, largely by investing in rudimentary community latrines. With more than 355 million women and girls still waiting for access to basic sanitation, India tops the list for the longest queue for the toilet. However, there has been immense progress through the Swachh Bharat Mission, helping put India in the top 10 for reducing open defecation and improving access to basic sanitation.

Djibouti, a major route for refugees from the Yemen war, has the worst figures for open defecation, with a 7.2 per cent increase since 2000.

Between 2000 and 2015, the number of people in the world defecating in the open dropped from 1.2 billion (20 per cent of the global population) to 892 million (12 per cent). Despite this progress, it is still a huge problem, resulting in enough faeces to fill seven bathtubs every second going into the environment untreated.

The world has promised that by 2030 everyone will have a safe toilet but, whilst there has been considerable progress made over the last couple of decades, this target will not be met unless there is a step change in ambition and action.

Local Scenario According to the WaterAid report, Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, comes in at third place for the worst countries for the numbers of people with access to basic sanitation. Despite being sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest economy, it is also sixth worst for addressing open defecation, with the percentage of people defecating in the open increasing from 22.6 per cent in 2000 to 25.5 per cent in 2015.

The proportion of people without basic sanitation

An inadequate toilet facility has also gone up, and two thirds of schools have no decent toilets. This sanitation crisis contributed to the deaths of nearly 60,000 children each year from related diarrhoeal diseases, the report noted.

WaterAid Nigeria’s Communications and Media Manager, Oluseyi Abdulmalik, said: “Seven in ten people in Nigeria have nowhere safe to go to the toilets, equating to an overwhelming 123 million people. This denial of human rights contributes to the deaths of around 165 children under five every single day, and holds women and girls back from fulfilling their potential. “We need urgent action to turn this situation around. Addressing the sanitation crisis with particular focus on the needs of women and girls will help lift entire communities out of poverty. “We often call on Government to prioritise sanitation and investment in the sector and while this is as it should be, sanitation is really everyone’s responsibility. We all have a part to play – as individuals, property/home owners, families, work groups, unions and associations, civil society organisations, the media, the private sector, and yes, Government at all levels.�

Sahara Group Intervention Sahara Group, working through its corporate sustainability vehicle known as Sahara Foundation, has continued to explore ways of promoting

SOURCE: ICIRNIGERIA.ORG “good health and well-being� as well as “clean water and sanitation� to drive the achievement of goals 3 and 6 of the SDGs. Over the years, Sahara Foundation has provided Water Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) facilities in high need communities and schools. From schools to communities where the needs are identified, Sahara Foundation implements According to Bethel Obioma, Head, Corporate Communications, Sahara Group, the Sahara Foundation recently concluded the construction of an ‘8-cubicle’ self-sufficient toilets in Akodo Primary School, Lagos in keeping with the organisation’s commitment to sustainable development. “The design of the toilet allows communities to save energy by utilising natural light. The toilets are built strategically to collect rainwater as the major source of water supply. However, each toilet also comes with a hand pump borehole to serve as an alternative during the dry season,� he explained.

Sahara Foundation has also provided environmentally friendly and health improving toilets in a number of locations across Africa to curb the spread of killer diseases that result from open defecation. Some of them are in Government Secondary School, Onne, Rivers State, and Akodo Primary School, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, both in Nigeria; Salma Kikwete Secondary School,

Clarion Calls As part of activities to mark the World Toilet Day 2017, WaterAid is calling for governments to invest more money and spend it transparently and efficiently, paying particular attention to the needs of women and girls; and to promote the value of sanitation for gender equality and female empowerment, and involve women as leaders to ensure solutions address the challenges women and girls face.

Governments have also been enjoined to improve coordination to create gender-friendly toilets in all schools, healthcare facilities, work environments and public spaces; and to combine plans to improve access to sanitation with efforts to redistribute water and hygiene work, which is predominantly the responsibility of women and girls. According to WaterAid Nigeria: “The theme for 2017 World Toilet Day is ‘Wastewater’ in line with the Sustainable Development Goal’s aim to reach everyone, everywhere with sanitation, and halve the proportion of untreated wastewater and increase recycling and safe reuse. For that to be achieved, we need everyone’s waste to be contained, transported, treated and disposed of in a safe and sustainable way. “This World Toilet Day is an opportunity for us to strengthen and sustain partnerships among stakeholders, especially aimed at raising awareness, mobilising and inspiring community actions to tackle the global sanitation crisis�, the organisation added.

WaterAid also joined the Youth WASH Network, UNICEF, Action Against Hunger, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and other partners under the auspices of the National Task Group on Sanitation to commemorate the Day with a Toilet4All campaign.

NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

RANDOM THOTS Presidential Promise his is dierent and better than a campaign promise. President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that he would deploy the grace of his recovery to serve the country with renewed strength. Ă&#x;Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂ“Ëœ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ Ă‹ Ă?ÞËÞĂ?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžËœ Ă—Ă‹ĂŽĂ? ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ• ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă&#x;ĂœĂ‹Ëœ

Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă“Ă˜Ă‹ ÞËÞĂ?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă–Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ—Ă?ĂœĂ?Ëœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ëœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;ÞÒĂ?Ëœ Ă?Ă–ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÚÙÖÓÞÓĂ?Ă“Ă‹Ă˜Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ÞÒĂ? ÞËÞĂ?Ë› Ă’Ă? ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžËœ ĂĄĂ’Ă™ ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ“ĂŒĂ?ĂŽ his recovery from illness as an act of Ă™ĂŽËœ Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽ Ă’Ă? ĂœĂ?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ˜Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂŁ with renewed hope and strength to pursue policies that would improve the livelihood of Nigerians and also

reposition the country for good. Ă? ÞÙÖÎ Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă Ă“Ă?Ă“ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ?Ë? ËŤ Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă? Ă‹ Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ we have been doing our best to proĂ Ă“ĂŽĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă?ÙÖĂ&#x;ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– keep doing our best.â€? Ă?Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽËœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă? ͺ͸͚Ϳ ĂĄĂ“Ă˜ĂŽĂ? ĂŽĂ™ĂĄĂ˜ with a largely unimplemented budget Ă™Ă? ÒÙÚĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‘ĂœĂ™ĂĄĂžĂ’Ëœ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜Ă? would be interested in the president’s promise and also hold him to such Ă‹ ÚÖĂ?ĂŽĂ‘Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă?Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂĄ Ă?Ă‹Ăœ ͺ͸͚΀ kicks o in a few days.

PMB doesn’t need a crystal ball or a needs assessment to know that millions of citizens still go to bed hungry daily; that many youths still prefer to

face a perilous journey across the Sahara Desert and the icy waves of the Mediterranean Sea than to remain jobless back home; and that evil oil marketers and callous unions still inict untold pain and hardship upon citizens at the end of each year. ËÚÚÓÖã Ă?Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’Ëœ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ÑÙÙÎ Ă’Ă?ËÖÞÒ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ę¨Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă?ʾÖĂ?Ë› Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă–though many Nigerians have lost paÞÓĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă? åÓÞÒ Ă’Ă“Ă? ÚËĂ?Ă? Ă™Ă? ÑÙà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă“Ă? Ă?ÞÓÖÖ Ă‹ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ Ă™Ă? Ă’Ă“Ă? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂŽĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ this will be put to the strictest test in the days and months ahead...simple truth -Abimbola Akosile

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Ëš

A labourer deserves his wages, anywhere in the world

Your Devt Expectations for Yuletide Period?

Although citizens’ preferences vary from region to region or from different locations around the country, many Nigerians are not averse to regular uninterrupted power supply during the coming festive period of Christmas or Yuletide. Some want roads rehabilitated during the current dry season, some want workers salaries to be paid fully, while others want a greater clampdown on corruption and crime. In your own view, which development expectation do you want governments to fulfil in the coming Yuletide period, and why?

THE FEEDBACK

Abimbola Akosile * An improvement in our economic growth and infrastructure would do Nigerians a lot of good. People need to be alive and have sources of sustenance first before they can be led. Nigerians deserve a better quality of life.

- Ms Nkeiruka Abanna, Lagos * I appeal to Minister of Power, Works and Housing to use his good office to direct contractors handling road projects nationwide to speed up works on our roads to make them motorable for commuters travelling for Christmas to avoid accident on the roads. The government should ensure the prices of food items are reduced to make them affordable for the common man in the streets at this season. Security should also be beefed up nationwide to avoid crimes during this Christmas and beyond.

- Mr. Gordon Chika Nnorom, Public Commentator, Umukabia, Abia State

Top expectation: s

Clear workers’ outstanding salarie

Second:

Repair bad road networks, infrastructure

Third:

Tackle fuel shortage, ensure power supply

Radical tip:

Reduce high cost of food prices!

Total no of respondents:

12

Male:

8

Female:

4

Highest location:

Lagos (5)

* Christmas and New Year celebrations without salary are better imagined at a time of harsh economic bites. The effects of arbitrarily high cost of living, insecurity, unemployment, political maneuvers and disunity have prevented full leadership focus and economic development.

The solution is to reverse the trend through patriotic leadership. We must also connect our population, demand, supply, price etc forces to discourage smuggling but instead convert their advantages to our collective benefit. This economy in the current dispensation is biting the citizens quite harshly and needs urgent attentions now.

- Miss Apeji Patience Eneyeme, Badagry, Lagos State

that rain would otherwise disrupt. I see no reason why pertinent road projects around the country shouldn’t be completed, or at least updated, this Harmattan cum Yuletide. Also, I’d like to know why a country like Nigeria is yet to perfect and upscale dry-season farming.

Finally, the National Assembly should endeavour to give us all the gift of a ‘passed appropriation bill’ a.k.a. budget this Yuletide.

- Mr. E. Iheanyi Chukwudi, B.A.R., Apo, Abuja

* My development expectation for the Yuletide period cannot necessarily by uninterrupted power supply or roads rehabilitation because we are already used to all these. But let there be sufficient fuel to carry people round and subsidised food items to include chicken, beef, fish e.t.c. The Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) can never give you an assurance of 24 hours uninterrupted power supply. We need sufficient food as even in the darkness we are used to, we can still celebrate.

- Hon. Babale Maiungwa, U/Romi, Kaduna

* Nigerian pensioners are dying, despite Mr. President’s directives to pay them their full benefits before proceeding on sick leave abroad, and subsequent budgeting in 2017 and release of bailout fund. Food, medical, school fees, housing, power supply etc are burdened with no relief; instead, termination, dismissal, retirement, unemployment e.t.c. are the norm of the day.

Corruption, armed robbery, Fulani herdsmen etc compounded. Roads rehabilitation should be done if need be before the rains.

- Mr. Dogo Stephen, Kaduna

* My development expectations this Yuletide have to do primarily with those economic activities

* Regular uninterrupted power supply and fully paid salaries during this coming Yuletide are

* Government should make this Yuletide period free by providing security nationwide and make our roads motorable for travellers at Yuletide to avoid accidents.

- Mrs. Ijeoma Nnorom, Lagos State

my developmental expectations. Nigerians are business, travelling, partying, frivolous spenders etc this festive time. Employers, unrepentantly callous oil marketers, and even government have no moral justification to subject the masses to unnecessary future, modern social, mental, economic etc slavery in the midst of our huge natural resources. What is any moral justification for fuel scarcity and hike as always in December and non-payment of legitimate workers’ salaries? It’s unfortunate.

- Mr. Apeji Onesi, Lagos State * A return to normalcy concerning fuel shortages.

A secure nation and most expeditiously a speedy return of all our nationals stranded in Libya.

- Mr. Buga Dunj, Jos, Plateau State * What I can see is the main problem of Nigeria is ignorance! Our people are so naive to their plight. Every corner we see poverty instead of ignorance. Our people need a wake-up call to have access to information which is the bedrock of empowerment. They are too gullible to a system which has failed them in all ramifications. Knowledge empowers people.

Average civil servant does not know what is in our governance. That is Nigerian constitution.

Pupils don’t know their rights; patients don’t have a right of how they are treated or where to go for treatment. There is no respect for life, privacy and right to adequate information. The whole country is sick.

- Alhaja Adeyinka Lawal, London, UK * The state governments should ensure total clearance of outstanding salaries of their workers, now that they have received their share of the Paris Club refund balance. The federal government should also ensure nationwide peace and security in this Yuletide period, which is a favourite bombing time for the insurgents. Anti-corruption agencies should also bury any hatchet between them at this time, in the interest of collective success against corrupt officials and looters.

- Mr. Olumuyiwa Olorunsomo, Lagos State * At states and federal level all accumulated salaries being owed by the employer in some of the civil services should be paid before Christmas and the New Year. The government should also made announcement for multi-purpose social welfare packages that will cover the transportation sectors, such as giving out free

loans for cars, buses to commercial drivers, subsidise the high cost of transportation and living conditions. Government should bring out a policy that will address social needs like security, make an announcement on new Minimum wage that will start from January 2018. Commitments to development of human needs that will translate into employment creation and an enabling environment for the private sectors and giving the farmers hope on supply of farming inputs, addressing agricultural farming problems, with broadcast on the new social welfare schemes for unemployed citizens that will spur entrepreneurship development and skill acquisition and wealth transfers to the poor populace in our societies. We should also have a new economic policy that will address poverty in Nigeria.

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

Next Week: Top Tips to Ensure an Improved 2018?

Ă˜ ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ—Ă? Ă™Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚ×Ă?Ă˜ĂžËœ ÞÒĂ? Ă™Ă&#x;ĂžĂ‘Ă™Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŁĂ?Ă‹Ăœ ͓͑͒͘ Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ăž ĂŒĂ? ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ“ĂŒĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă? Ă‹ ×ÓâÞĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ÚÙĂ?ÓÞÓà Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă˜Ă?ÑËÞÓà Ă?Ëœ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ ĂŒĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă Ă?Ë› Ă?Ă?ÚÓÞĂ? ÞÒĂ? Ă’Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă? ͘˛͕ ĂžĂœĂ“Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă™Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă?Ăž Ă™Ă? ËŠĂ‘ĂœĂ™ĂĄĂžĂ’ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÒÙÚĂ?ËŞ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă“Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă’Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă™ Ă?Ă‹Ăœ Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ËŞĂ? Ă’Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂŁËœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŽĂ?Ă?ÚÓÞĂ? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă?ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ‹Ă– ÑÙà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžËŞĂ? Ă Ă‹ĂœĂ“Ă™Ă&#x;Ă? Ă?ĘĽĂ™ĂœĂžĂ?Ëœ ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚ×Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă˜Ă™Ăž ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?ÙÖËÞĂ?ĂŽ ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Ă‘ĂœĂ‹Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă™ĂžĂ? Ă–Ă?Ă Ă?Ă– Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă–ĂŁËœ åÓÞÒ Ă’Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă‘Ă?ĂœËœ ÚÙà Ă?ĂœĂžĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?×ÚÖÙã×Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?ÞÓÖÖ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă™ĂĄĂ˜ Ă Ă“Ă?ĂĄËœ ÒÙå Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚ×Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ăž ĂŒĂ? Ă“Ă—ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ ͓͙͑͒ˣ Ă–Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă? ĂŽĂ“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžËœ Ă?Ă’Ă™ĂœĂž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ó×ÚÖĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ÞËÞĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă– Ă˜Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ëœ ÞÓÞÖĂ?Ëœ Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂŒĂ?ÞåĂ?Ă?Ă˜ ÞÙÎËã Ě™ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ Í“Í’ Ęś Ă™Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁËœ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ Í“Í–Ěš ÞÙ abimbolayi@yahoo.comËœ greatbimbo@gmail. comËœ Ă‹bimbola.akosile@thisdaylive.comË› Ă?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹ Ă?Ă’Ă™ĂœĂž ĂžĂ?âÞ Ă—Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă‘Ă? ÞÙ 08023117639 Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽËš Ă™Ăœ 08188361766 Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽËšĂ™Ăœ 08114495306Ë› ÙÖÖËÞĂ?ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? ĂšĂ&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ Ă’Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁËœ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ Í“Í™

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BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

Frantic preparations for Yuletide sales, trading in Lagos

ABIMBOLA AKOSILE

Pass Proceeds of Crime Act Quickly, ANEEJ Urges Buhari, N’Assembly Abimbola Akosile The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly to quickly pass the Proceeds of Crime Act. In a statement presented on behalf of civil society organisations at the first-ever Global Forum on Asset Recovery (GFAR) held recently in Washington DC, USA, the Executive Director of ANEEJ, Rev David Ugolor urged the federal government of Nigeria to pursue, without further delay, the quick passage of the Proceeds of Crime Act besides providing effective resources for the government’s new Asset Recovery and Management Unit.

The global anti-corruption campaigner also advised the federal government to create a single national body that would be responsible for delivering its National Anti-Corruption Strat-

egy in addition to strengthening the autonomy of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).

Ugolor flayed the absence of reliable national data on asset recovery as a failure of accountability and urged countries at the GFAR summit to commit to providing transparent, comprehensive and public asset recovery data, including number of cases being pursued, number of assets frozen, sanctions taken against financial facilitators and length of time taken to respond to requests for assistance.

On the issue of Beneficial Ownership, he particularly called on the Governments of the USA and the United Kingdom to immediately legislate for a transparent and open register, which information should be readily available to overseas offices, territories and dependants. “On behalf of civil society organisations present at this first

ever Global Forum on Asset Recovery, we are presenting this civil society statement. We thank the co-hosts the US and UK, and the organisers, the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative for inviting us to this forum. We welcome the participation of our governments from Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Nigeria and Ukraine. “We, civil society organisations from these focal countries, and international CSOs urge all governments to take concrete measures to address the underlying causes of asset theft. The ease with which stolen money can be spirited away into the international financial system must be addressed. We urge all countries that are attractive destinations for corrupt wealth to take immediate steps to close down the secrecy loopholes in their jurisdictions and ensure that facilitators of corrupt wealth are prosecuted and sanctioned. “In particular, we call on the US to adopt public and robustly

verified Beneficial Ownership registers for companies, trusts and property and to introduce and proactively enforce legal requirements to conduct proper customer due diligence. We urge the UK to ensure that Beneficial Ownership information is readily available from its overseas territories and crown dependencies; that the Beneficial Ownership property register is swiftly legislated for and that professional enablers who facilitate the laundering of corrupt wealth are prosecuted and sanctioned,� Ugolor urged.

Approximately 30 CSOs’ representatives participated in the Global Forum on Asset Recovery with most coming from four focal countries of Nigeria, Tunisia, Sri Lanka and Ukraine as well as a few representatives of international civil society groups.

Participants at the forum lauded GFAR and applauded

Switzerland’s return of assets to Nigeria with a landmark proposal for civil society involvement in monitoring the funds returned. “We believe that the GFAR has been an important means of generating political will to push the asset recovery agenda forward. The signing of the MoU between Switzerland and Nigeria to return $321 million stolen by former dictator, Sani Abacha, is a good example of this. We believe that States must take the opportunity of GFAR to make tangible and measurable commitments on improving asset recovery and report within a year on how they have met those commitments,� Ugolor stated. “They must be open about the obstacles they encountered during GFAR on specific cases.

And lessons must be learned for future forums.� “Civil society organisations have a key role to play in

exposing corruption and identifying evidence that can lead to the tracing and recovery of stolen assets. States cannot be successful in tracking down stolen assets on their own. Collective action and genuine partnership with non-state actors is needed. “We urge those countries present at GFAR to commit to protecting the legislative and political space for CSOs working in this area; to engage CSOs in a regular and meaningful way on asset recovery issues; and to look at ways to ensure that CSOs can bring public interest claims to help recover the proceeds of corruption,�

Ugolor added.

In eight country studies, CSOs found that relevant information on asset recovery and proceeds of crime was unavailable. In Ukraine, for example, court decisions classify confiscation of proceeds of corruption as state secrets.

Osun Adopts Modulated Salary Structure to Clear Arrears, Says Commissioner Solomon Elusoji Osun State government has said it adopted a modulated salary structure to systematically clear the backlog of unpaid salaries and ensure that the government continues to pay salaries as and when due.

Commissioner for Finance, Osun State, Bola Oyebamiji, who disclosed this, explained

that with the modulated salary structure, workers on levels one to seven, who constitute 67 per cent of workforce, were paid full salaries, while those on grade levels eight to 12, 25 per cent of workforce, received 75 per cent of their salaries. Oyebamiji added that workers on grade levels 13 to 17, a mere 8 per cent of the workforce, as well as all political appointees,

received 50 per cent of their salaries.

Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, though unhappy to pay the modulated salary to the workers, said the state was compelled by its financial reality to adopt it to tackle the menace of irregular payment of salaries.

He said the modulated salary was also necessitated by the desire of his administration to

provide massive infrastructure, develop the state economically and transform Osogbo into a modern state capital.

Like many other states in the country, the wage bill of Osun State rose from N1.1 billion in 2010 to N2.2 billion in 2012 when the federal government negotiated a unilateral and blanket minimum wage on behalf of all the states.

According to Oyebamiji, “by October 2014 when the price of crude oil crashed, Osun State, like many others, started having a backlog of unpaid salaries�. He said many states became fiscally unstable due to shortfall in federally collected revenues, hence Osun State’s revenue projections suffered a setback, affecting its capacity to repay its debts.

The government was confronted with two options – to continue to pay salaries of civil servants using over 70 per cent of the state’s revenue (civilservants represent less than 1 per cent of the 4.2 million population of the state) or provide the platform for massive investments and position the state on a path of sustainable economic development.

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BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“AccordingtotheWorldHealthOrganisation,140womenand2,000children,whoarelessthanfive yearsold,diedailyinNigeria.Thisisnotonlyalarmingbutalsototallyunacceptable.Itwasasaresult ofthisdevelopmentthatItooktheinitiativetoputthisfacilityinplacetocontributemyquotain checkingthisuglytrend�

- FORMER MINISTER OF DEFENCE, GENERAL THEOPHILUS YAKUBU DANJUMA (RTD), SPEAKING WHILE INAUGURATING THE ULTRA-MODERN RUFKATU DANJUMA MATERNITY HOSPITAL IN TAKUM, TARABA STATE, CONSTRUCTED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF T.Y. DANJUMA FOUNDATION

Female Executives Launch Advocacy Group for Women in Manufacturing Blessing Abah

Did the Nigerian Senate Make Us Proud This Year?

Carl Ndukwe As the year, 2017 winds down, it is imperative to assess the contributions of the eighth Nigerian Senate against the backdrop of this aphorism by poet, Mary Oliver; “To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.� We have a very “good� habit in these parts by focusing on the negatives in a way that blinds us to some of the good work that may have been done.

To many times, we often remember the Senate for the frequent face-offs that they have with members of the Executive arm, invitations to public office holders, motions of National importance and resolutions, however, there are also many times when they do make the people proud. This piece seeks to interrogate some of those memorable bills through which our senators have demonstrated that their service and fealty do indeed rest on the interests and wishes of the people.

In the passage of the #NotTooYoungToRun Bill, the Senate demonstrated that not only does it listen but also has it fingers on the pulse of the people. The Senate has via this bill, which reduces the required ages for seeking political offices, ignited greater participation of the youth, not just in politics but also in political leadership.

For a country with over 70 per cent of its population under 35, this is a wonderful development that holds a lot of promise especially for young people going into 2018 when political realignments will gain momentum ahead of the general elections.

The #OpenNASS was another pivotal movement that made the transition from online advocacy to fruitful offline engagement like #theNotTooYoungToRun campaign. The decision to open the Budget of the National Assembly to the general public showcased an exemplary commitment to transparency and accountability which the institution hasn’t always been known for.

For the first time, since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule 17 years ago, anyone could Google up and see, in fine print every dime that the Senate did intend to spend and

Senate in session how it planned to spend it. Such move has raised the level of confidence and trust that ordinary Nigerians have in the Nigerian Senate and the important work that they do there. No single issue has, over the past decade, caused so much economic and social destruction to our country as the extremist insurgency in the North East of the country.

It has been a thing of great pride to see how citizens all over the country contributed their best to this painful road of recovery.

Here again, the Senate chimed in with commitment and focus, passing the North East Development Commission Bill (signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari), which among other things establishes a commission tasked with the responsibility of rebuilding and rehabilitating the North East whilst ensuring the resettlement of the internally displaced persons into their homes.

Surely rebuilding the North east is the most definitive way to defeat the insurgents, and it’s great to see the Senate playing its part in the fight. In November, the World Bank released its Ease of Doing Business Report for 2018 with the joyful news that Nigeria had moved up 24 places to be ranked in the 145th position out of 190 countries against

the backdrop of a decade of decline in the global rankings. While the Executive arm received tonnes of plaudits for this great feat, many commentators forget that the Senate had helped to lay the groundwork with the Ease of Doing Business Bills - the Credit Bureau Services Bill and the Secured Transactions in Moveable Assets.

The Credit Bureau Services Bill passed in May 2017 helps reduce the risk of lending or engaging in business with individuals or companies with a financial history of not paying back while the Secured Transactions in Moveable Assets, enables ordinary Nigerians use invoices and receipts to access loans and working capital. Together, both laws smoothen the rough edges of doing business in Nigeria by securing lenders from working with people who have questionable financial history and also enabling more Nigerians to borrow towards growing their businesses. This, no doubt, would translate in unlocking more growth potential for our economy.

NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

An independent non-partisan organisation, the Women in Manufacturing in Africa (WIM Africa) has been unveiled in Lagos. Ogun state Commissioner for Agriculture Mrs. Adepeju Adebajo, who pioneered the idea while she was Managing Director at Lafarge Africa Plc, said, WIM Africa will motivate women to grow, learn, share and inspire each other for the growth of the manufacturing sector.

Another founding member of WIM Africa, the Director of Communications Public Affairs and Sustainable Development, Lafarge Africa, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem said WIM Africa will ultimately encourage girls to take keener interest in Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) subjects in primary and secondary schools as a way of growing the pipeline of women that take up careers in the manufacturing sector.

At the well-attended event which held recently in Lagos, the Executive Vice President Unilever Nigeria and Ghana, Yaw Nsarkoh said, “Africa stands to benefit tremendously if more women are empowered to hold leadership positions in manufacturing and other sectors. The manufacturing sector offers opportunities for women to make their contributions to its development and the continent as a whole.�

His views were echoed by Unilever’s Finance Director, Sotade Peters-Adesola who said the manufacturing sector offers opportunities for women to make their contributions to its development and the nation as a whole.

Giving a welcome address, one of the new organisation’s founding members, the Deputy Manager, Access Bank, Mrs. Opeyemi Wemi-Jones said “while cultural biases and misconceptions have been driven by both men and women, the onus is on women to challenge the status quo through consistent excellence in their chosen fields�.

The Managing Director of Access Bank, Mr. Herbert Wigwe commended the WIM Africa initiative. He said “Access Bank has always supported gender equality over the years and would support the WIM Africa initiative�.

He further said Access Bank’s W initiative, which was exclusively designed for the socio economic empowerment of women was proof of the Bank’s avowed support for women empowerment.

More so, the Country CEO of Lafarge Africa Plc, Mr. Michel Puchercos said, “women, if thoroughly empowered, could potentially become the engine room of production for any society.�

He said Africa should take advantage of its huge young female population to advance the cause of manufacturing on the continent.

The organisation believes that while cultural biases and misconceptions have been driven by both men and women, the onus is on women to challenge the status quo through consistent excellence in their chosen fields.

WIM Africa hopes to inspire and attract more women to the manufacturing sector through advocacy, mentorship and direct support for worthy causes and initiatives.

Manufacturing concerns in Nigeria and around Africa have largely been dominated by men over the years, but the field is slowly expanding with the emergence of notable women in business around the continent, who have achieved giant strides and are commanding respect in their various fields and specific professions.

36

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

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

Improving Nigeria’s Health Insurance Coverage As Nigeria joined the rest of the world to mark the 2017 Day for Universal Health Coverage, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Lanre Tejuoso and other stakeholders were of the view that making the health insurance scheme mandatory will help to improve Nigeria’s health indices, writes Martins Ifijeh

W

hile other nations of the world on 12th December 2017 celebrated Universal Health Coverage Day to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the World Health Organisation’s day for health insurance across the world, Nigeria showed no sign of celebration as no significant growth has been made so far in increasing the number of Nigerians accessing healthcare irrespective of their financial strength.

This was somewhat expected as only about one per cent of Nigerians are covered in the country’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) which started 12 years ago; showing that there was indeed no reason for the country to path itself in the back for a job well done to mark the day.

But same cannot be said of Ghana who started its health insurance scheme same year with Nigeria in 2005 but has grown their scheme to more than 50 per cent. They not only used the day to celebrate the successes made so far, they also used the opportunity to push for coverage of 100 per cent of its entire population by 2030. Nigeria is still trying to stand its feet, and perhaps grow the scheme beyond one per cent. Health experts say Nigeria’s stunted growth of the scheme has made major chunk of the citizens, especially the poor, to pay for healthcare from their pockets; an approach that has not only made them poorer but has increased mortality rate.

No wonder statistics have shown that the level of out of pocket expenditure as a share of total health expenditure in Nigeria is still placed at 72 per cent, the highest on the continent and one of the highest in the world. Even poorer countries in sub-Saharan Africa like Kenya (26 per cent), Gabon (22 per cent), among others are doing better.

Information also show that countries afflicted with conflict and post-conflict like South Sudan (54 per cent) and Sierra Leone (61 per cent) are still better than Nigeria, leaving stakeholders in the healthcare industry to ponder on the model used by the government to run the scheme.

But few years ago, the tireless work of healthcare activists and various stakeholders prompted approval by the National Council on Health empowering states to sign their own health insurance bills. A move which made various states, including Lagos, Oyo, Ekiti, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Kwara, Abia, Adamawa, Kano, Anambra, Sokoto, and Enugu pass health insurance bills into laws in their various states.

To further smoothen the pace for a universal coverage for Nigerians and increase the percentage of Nigerians in the scheme, stakeholders, including the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Lanre Tejuoso are pushing for policy change to make the scheme mandatory for Nigerians, just as it applies in most countries where it has worked.

Universal Health Coverage refers to a system that provides healthcare and financial protection to all citizens of a particular country. It is organised around providing a specified package of benefits to all members of a society with the end goal of providing financial risk protection, improved access to health services, and improved health outcomes.

Universal Health Coverage Day is celebrated annually on December 12 and is promoted by the World Health Organisation. The day was first celebrated in December 12, 2012 when the United Nations unanimously endorsed a historic resolution urging all countries to accelerate progress toward universal health coverage as an essential priority for international development.

With the global agenda to create a movement

Tejuoso

for accelerating equitable and sustainable progress towards universal health coverage (UHC), the United Nations and it allies have continued to push for all countries to be able to provide total healthcare access to their citizens irrespective of whether they can afford it or not by the year 2030.

So each year on 12.12, masses of people in various countries gather to raise their voices to share the stories of the millions of people still waiting for health, to call on leaders to make bigger and smarter investments in health, and to remind the world that health for all is imperative for the world we want.

According to Senator Tejuoso, processes have begun towards the amendment of the health insurance scheme, such that it will be mandatory and more encouraging for Nigerians to key into.

“We have started putting measures in place to achieving a more robust universal health coverage in Nigeria.

“We are proposing that if every Nigerian, whether an okada rider, barber, tomato seller, or recharge card seller contribute N200 monthly towards their health insurance, the pool will significantly change healthcare for good in his country.

“For instance, assuming 100 million Nigerians pay N200 monthly, that will amount to N20 billion, and with this, poor Nigerians needing healthcare access will get it without them paying money from their pocket for it. Once you are a contributor to this pool, you will have access to any of our health facilities. This will significantly settle some basic healthcare issues in the country,” he said.

The medical doctor, who is also a prince from Ogun State, said the public hearing done on the initiative few months ago was successful, adding that before the end of first quarter of next year, the process would have been completed, paving way for a better healthcare for all Nigerians.

He said the law met on ground by the present government did not give room for mandatory health insurance, hence the new approach, adding that the initiative was even more necessary now

considering the fact that health allocation in the national budget was declining every year.

He lamented that the allocations does not reflect the Abuja Declaration where all African countries met, and agreed in Abuja to give at least 15 per cent of their entire national budget to health.

“Every year our health budget continues to decline. How can we tackle all the various health challenges in the country if no adequate funding provision is made for the sector? All the countries that have honoured that decree are now healthcare destinations, which means the provision of 15 per cent allocation for health worked. Here in Nigeria, we are not up to five per cent. We shouldn’t expect harvest when we have not sowed. In Sokoto for example, only three per cent of the children are immunised and we are not doing what we are supposed to do because of poor funding,” he added.

Tejuoso also explained that he has also proposed to the government instead of using money to buy cancer machines, such money should rather be used to pay for treatment of cancer patients.

“If investors know that the Nigerian Government has allocated certain money to pay for the treatment of 10,000 cancer patients, they may on their own decide to get the machine for the service. That is the public private partnership we have been talking about. We have tried our best but the government cannot do it all. Every year we keep budgeting for cancer machines for more than 190 million. But as at today, we have one or two cancer machines working in the entire country. The machine we have in Nigeria cannot take care of our population.

That is the reason Nigerians travel abroad to seek cancer treatment. To set up a radiotherapy centre will take a minimum of about three years.

That’s why I am saying we should fund services rather than buying equipments.”

The Senate Committee Chairman on Health also noted that with the several problems of malaria, diabetes, malnutrition, among others affecting Nigerians, it was important the little funds allocated to healthcare be used to cater

for them.

He called on the federal government to give 10 per cent of the one billion budgeted to tackle Boko Haram to health. “$1billion dollars is N360 billion naira, and 10 per cent of that money is N36 billion. Just imagine what N36 billion will do for our health sector. That is the issue, if we give health priority.

In the same vein, the Medical Director, Graceville Clinic, Lagos, Dr. Irawo Dayo, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to prioritise funding for the health sector, adding that the poor funding for the sector was part of reasons the country’s healthcare indices are not improving.

“The government should also make health insurance mandatory. The informal sector should be inculcated into the scheme, otherwise growing the scheme will continue to be a herculean task,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, during a function to mark UHC Day in Abuja recently, he said that Nigeria has over the years demonstrated common interests, partnership in health and collective action to lend her voices in unison to the tenets of UHC for the benefit of the Nigerian people.

He said: “Universal Health Coverage as we are all aware is enshrined in the National Constitution- the right to health. It is the statutory role of government to ensure that all citizens, irrespective of the geographical divide have access to affordable and needed health services in an equitable manner without falling into financial catastrophe.”

In operationalising the provisions of the National Health Act, the minister said that implementing initiatives and strategies towards accelerating UHC would require huge capital commitment.

“The Act provides a window of opportunity to facilitate mobilisation of resources needed for funding UHC through the provision of a basic minimum package of health services for every Nigerian. This will be achieved through contributions from at least one per cent consolidated revenue fund, donor contributions and through other sources,” he added

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

NEWS

Nigeria Records 111 Maternal Deaths Daily, Says Pathfinder Ayodeji Ake With a maternal mortality rate of 576 to 100,000 in Nigeria, the country records a daily occurrence of at least 111 maternal deaths related to pregnancy or childbearing, Pathfinder International Nigeria (PIN) had said.

Addressing journalists at a media stakeholders meeting recently in Lagos, Associate Director Reproductive Health

and Family Planning, PIN, Dr. Habeed Salami, highlighted that the major causes of maternal mortality are; hemorrhage, hypertension, infections/sepsis, obstructed labour and abortion complication. Salami noted that the only way to reduce the high mortality rate was by family planning which according to him can reduce it by 30 per cent.

“A lot of women that get pregnant, deliver, and few

months after, you find out they are pregnant again. We have realised that when we invest in family planning, the maternal mortality rate can be drastically reduced.

We are not saying couples shouldn’t have the number of desired children they want, but what we are advocating is that no woman should die from the process.

“Why we are here is to see to the reduction of maternal

deaths. There are a lot of women dying on a daily basis but a lot of people are unaware.

If maternal mortality can be reduced to one every month, then we can say we are making progress,” he added.

Speaking on Family Planning, the Financial Secretary, Public Health Sustainable Initiative (PHSAI), Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, said family planning will help mothers prepare adequately for their next pregnancy, as this

will help in reducing maternal deaths.

He explained that the initiative has been ensuring the availability of free consumables from the government, adding that family planning be incorporated into budget line for Lagos State.

“Our mission is basically to improve the outcome of consumable.

We discovered that even when these commodities are free, they are not properly managed.

People are asked to pay for consumables which stand as a barrier.

We are advocating that the consumables become free.

“We realised that family planning was not in Lagos State budget. Our continuous visitation and advocacy has enabled the creation of it in the budget.

We as an organisation look forward to ensuring consumables are free,” he said.

Abia Intensifies Efforts to Deworm School Children Emmanuel Ugwu, Umuahia Abia state has made good its resolve to protect all pupils in public schools from illnesses caused by worms as it has covered most of the schools in its deworming exercise across the state.

The deworming programme, which is a component of the Homegrown School Feeding Programme funded by the federal government under its social investment programme, targets over 200,000 pupils ranging from five to 14 years.

Wife of Abia governor, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu while flagging off the programme at Abayi Umuocham Primary School in Osisioma local government, said the deworming programme was a welcome development in the efforts to make children healthier.

“This deworming programme will go round to all the schools where our free school meals are being served,” she said, adding that it would “complement our efforts to make our children healthier and more capable of pursuing their educational career”.

Mrs. Ikpeazu noted that

her Vicar hope Foundation was already carrying out deworming of children as part of its health programmes, adding that with the addition of deworming as part of free school meal programme “our state has become better with the two projects”.

Chairman of Osisioma local government, Hon Iheyinna Mgbahuru described deworming as “a very important” health programme and commended the wife of the governor for her love for women and children.

He recalled that in the past children were dying of worm-related illnesses because of ignorance as parents were patronizing herbalists who lacked the skills for proper diagnosis and treatment.

The LG boss said that the council has already trained health care givers for the deworming exercise, adding, “we’re ready for the programme”.

Programme manager of the free school meal, Emeka Ahuruonye said that the deworming exercise has recorded over 90 percent coverage as 860 out of the 869 public primary schools in Abia have been covered.

Herbal Practitioners to Gani Adams: Facilitate Inclusion of Trado Clinic in Govt Hospitals Jonathan Eze Herbal practitioners in the country have urged the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land, Mr. Gani Adams, to facilitate the establishment of the department of traditional medicine and healing in government hospitals and schools.

This was disclosed when they visited him in his Lagos home recently under the aegis of Phytotherapists Association of Nigeria, with Alhaji Fatai Yusuf Oko Oloyun as the President, and Alhaji Kolaq, national leader.

Oko Oloyun implored Adams to use his office as a foremost promoter of the Yoruba tradition to ensure that department of Yoruba traditional medicine and herbal healing are created in government hospitals and institutions of higher learning.

Making a case for his plea, the herbal practitioners’ president said Botany and pharmaceutical students are usually sent to his clinic for Industrial Attachment and believes the partnership arrangement should be taken a step further with the establishment of a department for

herbal and traditional cure in government hospitals.

They added that there are instances where difficulties in childbirth for instance would be addressed with mere incantation which can only be useful if there is no problem of proximity.

They claimed that there have been life threatening medical situations that defied western medicine treatment but got cured through traditional cure.

Responding, Adams who was also made their patron, thanked them for their support.

He urged the group to maintain a high standard of dispensing their medication, adding that because there have been results, giving their trade, the kind of government recognition it deserves should not be a problem.

He said in Cuba and Brazil, both traditional and western medical practice are accorded equal recognition.

He lamented the rate at which people distance themselves from tradition and herbs whereas they use oil and wear cloth among others things made from plant.

L-R: Nutrition Manager, Freisland Campina, Adedotun Owolabi; Marketing Manager, Three Crowns Milk, Omolara Banjoko; Company Secretary/ Legal Adviser, Freisland Campina, Bukunola Olateru; Executive Director, Nigerian Heart Foundation, Dr Kingsley Akinroye; Chairman, Nutrition Committee, NHF, Prof. Tola Atinmo; Legal Adviser, NHF, Chief Ademola Sadipe; and Chairman, Communications Committee, NHF, Mr Dele Adetiba, at the Heart Mark Food Labelling agreement signing in Lagos recently

Taraba, Roche Commence N1.3bn Hepatitis Project Martins Ifijeh Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Swiss multinational Roche last year, the Taraba State Government has commenced a Hepatitis project valued at N1.3 billion to screen, vaccinate and treat people in the state in order to curb the spread of the disease.

Expert opinions within the state have estimated the prevalence of Hepatitis B to much higher than the national average. If left untreated, Hepatitis B can lead to liver cancer and many other complications. With guidance from the National Hepatitis Policy launched in 2014 by the Federal Ministry of Health, the Taraba State Government is addressing the rising prevalence of the disease.

Speaking at the kick off ceremony in Jalingo, the Governor of Taraba State, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku explained the reason for the project, “our Government is serious about ensuring good health for the people of Taraba and this is why we are taking a bold stand against Hepatitis.

This project will provide free screening and vaccination for our people and we will also treat those who are positive.”

According to Markus Gemuend, Head, Sub-Sahara Africa for Roche, the decision to partner was easy, “we believe that improving healthcare is a shared responsibility and we are committed to playing our part.

The Taraba State Government is equally committed and this partnership will ensure that our innovative medicines will

reach the people who need them most.”

The project is expected to provide disease awareness and education through screening programmes across the state to aid prevention.

As part of the partnership, Roche Diagnostics has provided advanced testing equipment to improve the quality of diagnosis. Healthcare workers in the state will also undergo extensive training to facilitate proper testing, diagnosis and treatment of Hepatitis. With this approach, Hepatitis related cancers and deaths are expected to reduce in the State over time.

Elaborating on the impact of the project, Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Innocent Vakkai, said, over the next five years, more than 50,000 people in the State will benefit from the free screening and vaccination, and about 2,000 people were expected to be treated.

“Our healthcare workers – doctors, nurses, lab scientists, pharmacists and many others will also be trained extensively and with our state of the art diagnostic equipment, we expect Taraba to become the hub for advanced diagnostics and treatment excellence in the Northeast region. The people will benefit and our economy will benefit too.”

Roche is optimistic that other State Governments will follow Taraba’s lead. According to Gemuend, ‘’Taraba’s story is a great one and we are open to collaborating with other State Governments to do the best for their people.”

Governor Ishaku also believes

that the project is worth emulating and is encouraging other State Governments to follow Taraba’s lead, ‘the health of the people must be a priority for any Government and Taraba State has set a good example.

By selecting the right partners and putting the right processes in place, we are showing that it is possible to provide quality healthcare for our people, in spite of the harsh economic situation in the country today.’

US Unveils Digital Hub for Persons with Disabilities Martins Ifijeh The Acting United States Consul General, Darcy Zotter recently unveiled a DisabilityFriendly Digital Hub hosted at the Lagos office of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD).

A Nigerian civic organization, Project Enable, set up the digital hub with the support of the U.S. Government Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund of $25, 000. The United States Consulate General in Lagos also provided additional funding of $4,401 to keep this digital hub running.

Speaking at the formal opening of the digital hub, Acting Consul General Zotter explained that promoting disability rights is an integral part of promotion of human rights.

She added that discrimination against people with disabilities is not only unjust but hinders economic development and limits democracy and social cohesion.

“We are happy to identify with this initiative which seeks to promote the empowerment and social inclusion of persons living with disabilities in Nigeria. Through this technology

and entrepreneurship hub, over 250 people with disabilities will have free access to inclusive technology.

“An additional 20 young persons with disabilities will be trained and mentored in various technology-based skills at the hub,” Acting Consul General Darcy Zotter said at the event attended by civil society leaders and senior government officials working on disability issues.

The technology and entrepreneurship hub seeks to promote the empowerment and social inclusion of persons with disabilities. It will provide volunteer opportunities to young people with disabilities while serving as a center for their continuous development in entrepreneurship.

Project Enable is led by Mr. Olusola Owonikoko, a 2016 Mandela Washington Fellow and 2014 Fellow of the Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative (CYFI).

Through the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund, 68 grants of up to $25,000 each were awarded in 2017 to U.S exchange alumni teams worldwide to support their public service projects.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

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HEALTH ExpertsWarn against Spicy Foods, Encourage Whole Grain Meals Rebecca Ejifoma Following the alarming statistics of Nigerians dying early from hypertension, a group of medical experts have advised Nigerians to reduce their intake of spicy foods and salt.

This is in line with their commitment to rid the society of preventable deaths to the killer disease beginning with Lagos state, this formidable team tagged the programme ‘War against Chronic Disease’.

They gave talk on health alongside free medical check up to residents of Isoko, Lagos.

According to one of the team doctors, Sofekan Babajide Ayodeji, from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), lifestyle has changed over the years.

“There is something our mothers used call Iru and ogiri, it was substitute for Maggi.

All those things are harmful to the health when they are used in high amount.”

Other foods listed that need drastic reduction included: vegetable oil, spice of all kinds and salt for taste.

To succeed in its fight against hypertension among adult Nigerians, Ayodeji further urged Nigerians to try eating all classes of food, which according to him, is affordable.

“It is not until we go to buy

expensive things.

“Hypertension is a thing that is common among black people.

If you are a black man you have the tendency of having hypertension.

Taking things that predisposes one to it will further increase the risk,” he said. “We are copying the lifestyles of the whites. And we know that the white men have better health services,” he added.

The convener of ‘War against Chronic Disease’, Ijigbamigbegbemisola, said: “We want to help our people live and eat right. The idea is to create awareness on preventions.

“So, experts like mind coach, nutritionists, dieticians and medical doctors have all joined their wealth of knowledge to achieve this one goal,” she said.

A nutritionist with Fortune Career Limited, Femi Olaniyi, described hypertension as a chronic disease, blaming choice of diet as the major cause. “Take more of whole-grain foods, fruits and vegetables which are good. We should limit our intake of carbohydrate.”

Whole-grain foods are: sorghum, millet, wheat, oat, corn, local rice or brown rice (ofada rice) among others. For hypertensives, the nutritionist charged them to reduce their intake of animal protein which triggers high blood pressure.

Nigeria Accounts for 25% of 1 Billion People with Neglected Tropical Diseases Globally Kuni Tyessi in Abuja The country director of Sightsavers, a non-governmental organisation, Dr. Sunday Isiyaku, has revealed that over one billion people are affected by Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) globally and Nigeria accounts for 25 per cent of those that are affected within Africa.

He said the diseases are preventable but because they have been neglected in terms of priority and budget allocation, as well as individual and community negligence and lack of knowledge, the diseases have continued to exist, thereby holding many to ransom. Sadly, he said it will be difficult to peg an amount

that will be required in the eradication of the diseases.

Isiyaku made the disclosure in Abuja when the organisation marked its treatment for measuring up to a billion treatment for the diseases, which he said women and children are the most hit in several communities and as such, has called for general good hygiene.

He said: “Over one billion people are affected by Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) globally and Nigeria accounts for 25 per cent of those that are affected within Africa. So it has one of the highest burden. For every of those diseases, when you count the first, second and third, you will always find a

Nigerian most endemic under the list.

“We are partners with the federal government of Nigeria at the federal and state levels.

So what we do is to provide logistic support and other technical support, working with the states and federal government to ensure that people who need the treatment get the treatment. Most of the treatments happen once a year but it’s a lot of logistics involved in.

“It will be difficult to give an estimate because the disease differ from state to state and there’s no one partner that can actually do this. It’s difficult to put a number to it. But I will acknowledge the fact that government is actually

doing enough.

“NTDs are preventable. We are talking about them and because they are diseases that would have been eliminated many years ago but have been neglected.

“In a lot of communities, when we talk of trachoma, availability of water and ensuring that people wash their faces is a very good start towards ensuring there’s good hygiene and this disease is eliminated.

Most vulnerable group of trachoma is mostly women and children and in the Northern part of the country where the ecological risk factors prevail and where the disease is dominant,” he added.

L-R: Head of Service, Disability Desk Office, Mrs OmotudeEllen Thompson; Managing Director/CEO, Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA), Alhaji Arabi Muhammed Tukur; and Director,Programme Coordination, National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Dr. Akudo Ikpazu, at the Graduation Ceremony of Economic Empowerment of HIV Vulnerable Women and Girls in Nigeria, in Commemoration of 2017 16 Days Activism on Elimination of Violence Against Women held in Abuja recently

Whole wheat bread

Committing to Contributory Healthcare in Delta Ben Nkechika Universal Health Coverage is a healthcare system that provides healthcare and financial protection for all citizens enabling financial risk protection and improved access to quality health services when needed, leading to better health outcomes. It functions within the dynamics of who is covered, what services are covered and at what cost. There is a growing evidence that the most equitable and sustainable way of achieving better health outcomes, is through the Universal Health Coverage.

It progressively save lives, increase economic growth and bring prosperity to all citizens.

Evidence has shown that out of pocket expenses at the time of seeking healthcare service, impoverishes families and put them in sustained debts.

The Delta State Government has made achieving Universal Health Coverage a priority objective and one of the pathways to end poverty, boost shared prosperity and ensure access to quality and affordable healthcare service for all residents of Delta State.

The Government of Delta State under the administration of His Excellency, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has established

the Delta State Contributory Health Scheme as the mechanisms for achieving Universal Health Coverage in the State with the objective to ensure that every resident of Delta State has good access to healthcare services and to ensure that all residents of Delta State have financial protection, physical access to quality and affordable health care services Other objectives include to protect families from financial hardship of huge medical bills; limit the rise in the cost of healthcare services; ensure equitable distribution of health care costs across different income groups; maintain high standard of healthcare delivery services within the health scheme; ensure efficiency in healthcare service delivery; improve and harness private sector participation in the provision of healthcare services; and ensure adequate distribution of health facilities within the state.

Others include to ensure appropriate patronage at all levels of the healthcare delivery system; ensure the availability of alternative sources of funding to the health sector for improved services; and in cases where residents do not have available medical and other health services, to take such measures as are necessary to plan, organise

Okowa

and develop medical and other health services commensurate with the needs of the residents.

The Delta State Contributory Health Scheme (DSCHS) commenced operations on the 1st of January, 2017 with the transition of the free maternal and free under five programme of the Delta State Ministry of Health to the Delta State Contributory Health Scheme (DSCHS), representing part of the Equity Health Plan of the Health Scheme.

From January 2017 to October 2017, 46,172 pregnant women and 77,442 children under five years (Total 118,614) have been registered with the scheme, and are receiving care in accredited healthcare facilities across the state. Registration and validation of Biometric data for the 47,321 Civil and Public Servants in Delta State has also

commenced along with their contribution and counterpart contribution on their behalf by the state government as well as provision of healthcare service at accredited healthcare facilities under the scheme. Registration and payment of Premium by the Informal Sector Groups commenced on the 1st December 2017 across the state along with an elaborate advocacy and sensitisation program for stakeholder support and buy-in.

The Commission has conducted Town-hall meetings with the various trade unions, President Generals and Secretaries of all Towns and villages in Delta State, Media broadcast in both print and electronic media and other information dissemination programs.

The Bill establishing the Delta State Contributory Health Commission (DSCHC) and a Mandatory Delta State Contributory health Scheme (DSCHS), was passed into Law on the 9th of December 2015 by the Delta State House of assembly after going through the appropriate parliamentary procedures and signed into law by the Governor of Delta State Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa on the 4th of February 2016.

The state through the DSCHC had earlier conducted a Baseline Assessment survey that

determined key household demography and health seeking behavior of Deltans to guide planning for expanded health insurance coverage; determined the current household spending on health, health insurance coverage needs and willingness to pay for health insurance in Delta State; estimated the proportion of Delta State residents in the lowest socio-economic quintiles, to guide decisions on subsidy and or exemptions from payment; assessed the availability and capacity of health delivery facilities in Delta State to deliver proposed health insurance services and assessed the readiness of health facilities to deliver proposed services across all 25 LGAs. The Baseline Assessment Survey report is available at the Commission website www. dschc.org.ng along with the Law establishing the Commission.

To ensure a diversified registration and premium payment option, the Commission has deployed an ICT platform in partnership with Interswitch and eCLAT Health, utilising customised solar powered desktop computers and Android devices with embedded Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and Treatment Protocol software that will assist healthcare personnel

at the PHCs in their service delivery capacity and provide several premium payment options that include Quickteller, POS, ATM, Cash at bank, and Webpay for an effective and efficient management of the Scheme processes.

To drive efficiency, spur creative and disruptive innovations that will ensure visible health impact and outcomes in Delta State, the Commission adopted “HeFAD” (Health for all Deltans) as a result based Policy/Programme statement to guide its policies and strategies for the implementation of its mandate of ensuring access to quality and affordable healthcare services for all resident of Delta State irrespective of their socioeconomic status in the society.

“HeFAD” will be the convergence of health policies in Delta State designed to deliver a cost effective and efficient healthcare service that will invariably promote the Universal Health Coverage in Delta State within the context of the National Health Insurance Scheme and National Health Act 2014.

Dr. Nkechika is the Director General/ Chief Executive Officer, Delta State Contributory Health Commission

T H I S D AY THURSDAY DECEMBER 21 2017

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017 Ëž T H I S D AY

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

DMO Lists $300m Diaspora Bank, $3bn Eurobond on NSE, FMDQ OTC Obinna Chima The Debt Management Office (DMO) yesterday announced that it will list the $300 million Diaspora Bond and $3 billion Eurobonds on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and Financial Market Dealers Quotation Over-theCounter (FMDQ OTC) Securities Exchange respectively today.

The Diaspora Bond was issued in June while the $3 billion Eurobonds were issued in November at the International Capital Market (ICM).

Both offers were issued with significant features with the $300 million Diaspora Bond was unveiled with five- year tenor and 5.625 per cent coupon.

On the other hand, the Eurobonds issuances came in

two tranches of $1.5 billion 10-year offer with 6.50 per cent coupon and another $1.5 billion 30-year offer priced at 7.625 per cent coupon.

According to a statement from the DMO, listing the $300 million Diaspora Bond and $3 billion Eurobonds on the NSE and FMDQ OTC would help increase the number and range of securities available in the domestic capital market.

Such exercise, it added, would deepen the market and promote financial inclusion.

Furthermore, it stated that the exercise wouldgive more visibility to the domestic debt capital market which will be beneficial for attracting capital from local and foreign investors. “Also, for the Eurobonds,

which remains a sovereign security, the information it would provide such as coupon, yield and tenor will serve as benchmarks for corporates who may issue Eurobonds in the ICM,� the debt office added.

The DMO expressed its commitment towards meeting the needs of its diverse group of investors as well as supporting the development of the domestic capital market.

It said the listing of the Diaspora Bond and the Eurobonds were examples of the various ways in which it exercises its borrowing powers on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria to support the development of the domestic capital market in particular.

NDIC Achieves ISO Certification The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) yesterday disclosed that it has successfully obtained three certifications from the British Standards Institution (BSI).

They include the certification for Information Security Management System ISO/ IEC 27001:2013; IT Service Management System ISO/ IEC 20000-1:2011 and Business Continuity Management System, ISO 22301:2012.

The corporation explained in a statement that the feat was achieved after a rigorous process of satisfying the conditions precedent to accreditation. The British Standards Institute UK thoroughly engaged and audited

the Corporation operational processes between April and July 2017 to determine the conformity of the Corporation to the standards.

The formal presentation of these certificates was however postponed till first quarter of 2018. “It is worthy to note, that the NDIC is the first public organisation in Nigeria to be so certified with three standards simultaneously. “By these achievements, the Corporation is poised to enhance the level of operational readiness to deliver on its core mandate while continuously improving on the service delivery to meet the expectations of its stakehold-

ers through sound information security, efficient IT management system and a robust business continuity system. “It is pertinent to note that what the Corporation stands to benefits from those ISO certification standards are of strategic importance in peer review,� it stated.

Amongst others, the NDIC also stated that there would be improved information deliverables, availability and efficient services, effective communication as well as sound internal processes that would further engender public confidence in the banking system which would deepen financial system stability.

Sigma Pensions Donates Medical Equipment to Kaduna Eye Centre

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS Broad Money (M2)

23,840,392.42

-- Narrow Money (M1)

11,520,166.67

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,820,415.90

---- Demand Deposits

9,699,750.76

-- Quasi Money

12,320,225.75

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

9,353,504.03

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

14,486,888.39

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

26,970,297.97

---- Credit to Government (Net)

4,595,579.89

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

7,436,917.79

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

John Shiklam in Kaduna Sigma Pensions Limited has donated drugs and medical equipment to the National Eye Centre, Kaduna.

The company also renovated the emergency unit of the hospital and provided it with visitors’ chairs.

Making the donations on Wednesday at the centre, Chief Compliance Officer of Sigma Pensions, Mrs. Nafisa Mohammed, said the donations were part of the corporate social responsibility of the company.

She said as a pension administrator, Sigma was determined to contribute its quota to better the lives of the people.

She said the drugs and the

equipment were to help the centre in rendering services to the people. “We tried to do our own beat as it were, towards helping the centre. It is a partnership and we felt we need to give back at our own level. “We refurbished the emergency wing of the eye centre.

We provided visitors chairs.

We provided some equipment and drugs for the emergency unit,� she said.

According to her, the items donated were among some of the necessities of the centre.

She said the centre provided a list of the essential things that are required to provide efficient services, adding the medical equipment and drugs were part of the list.

She said as a national organisation, Sigma Pensions is involved with every state in the country with a view to assist various communities. “The aim is to work within various communities to try and see how we can give back.

This is just one of them.

We have done our little bid and we hope that God will give us the grace and the ability to do more in future� she said in an interview with journalists shortly after presenting the donations.

According to her, “the Eye Centre employs individuals, the pension administrator provides services that look after individuals, we invest the funds of employees so that when they retired, they can access funds.

Resort Savings Secures N8bn Investment Resort Savings & Loans Plc has expressed its preparedness to play a dominant role in the country’s mortgage banking sector as a new investor is set to pump N8 billion into the organisation.

A statement yesterday explained that the bank, having overcome the board and management crisis which it faced for over two years, also recently appointed a new management team to steer the organisation.

It revealed that while Senator Sunday O. Fajinmi was appointed the Board Chairman; Mr. Olayemi Rabiu as the Managing

Director/CEO, as well as the confirmation of two executive directors in the persons of Mr. Kolawole Adesina and Mr. Aliu Oshoke. “The board equally accepted the interest of an investor in investing in the bank. Thebank is awaiting the approval of regulatory authorities in this respect before making it public. “The investor is investing N8billion in the bank with immediate material cash investment after obtaining approvals from appropriate regulatory agencies. “The bank is already

normalising her relationship with various developers with a view to leveraging on them in creating good mortgages for her teeming customers in excess of 80,000. “Issues are equally being resolved with appropriate agencies with a view to bringing the bank back to profitable operations within the shortest time possible,� the statement from the company read.

It described Fajinmi as a versatile business man, a politician and fair minded personality, had since taken the bull by horn in turning the Bank to profitability.

(MILLION NAIRA)

DECEMBER 2016

-2,841,337.90

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

22,374,718.08

--Other Assets Net

-12,483,409.58

Reserve Money (Base Money)

5,837,322.41

--Currency in Circulation

2,179,174.28

--Banks Reserves

3,318,344.71 Ëž Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă? Ě‹

MANAGED FUNDS Month

December 2016

Inter-Bank Call Rate

10.39

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

13.96

Savings Deposit Rate

4.18

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.53

3 Months Deposit Rate

8.80

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.23

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.76

Prime Lending rate

17.09

Maximum Lending Rate

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

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT 19 DECEMBER 2017 The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $61.72 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $61.64 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The new OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Rabi Light (Gabon), Minas (Indonesia), 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°ÍŻËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

MARKET NEWS

Nigerian Equities Market Rebounds on Bargain Hunting Goddy Egene Nigerian equities market witnessed a rebound yesterday after two days of bearish as the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index appreciated by 0.40 per cent to close at 37,933.86. The market had been bearish Monday on profit taking.

However, the trend changed yesterday as investors commence bargain hunting. Consequently,

the index rose by 0.40 per cent, while the market capitalisation added N53.4 billion to settle at N13.5 trillion.

The positive performance was boosted by gains recorded in the share prices Zenith Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc, Nestle, GTBank and Seplat. In all, 23 stocks appreciated while 22 depreciated. Champion Breweries Plc, Linkage Assurance Plc and Seplat led the price gainers with

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

5.0 per cent apiece. NAHCO Plc trailed with 4.8 per cent, just as Learn Africa Plc, Unilever Nigeria Plc and Honeywell Flour Mills Plc added 4.7 per cent, 4.5 per cent and 2.3 per cent respectively.

Conversely, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc led and PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc led the price 4.9 per cent apiece.

The price loss by FMN is coming despite the company’s plan to raise fresh capital.

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

Flour Mills of Nigeria recently applied to the NSE to raise about N39.856 billion from the existing shareholders. The funds would be raised through the issuance of 1,476,142,418 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N27 per share Rights Issue to existing shareholders on the basis of nine new shares for every 16 shares already held.

The company had been contemplating raising fresh capital to ease the debt burden and

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

reduce high interests. However, the company’s stockbrokers, Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Limited, formally applied to the NSE for the Rights Issue.

On the other hand, PZ Cussons suffered a price decline despite recording a profit for the half year ended November 30, 2017, compared with a loss in the corresponding of 2016.

The company recorded a turnover of N41.123 billion,

O F

up by 23 per cent compared with N33.302 billion in the corresponding period ended November 30, 2016.

PZ Cussons reaped the benefits of the stable foreign exchange as its forex loss declined by 47.9 per cent to N2.572 billion from N4.938 billion in 2016. However, interest paid on borrowings remain high with net cost of finance jumping by 957 per cent to N58.458 million to N501.183 million in 2016.

2 0 / 1 2 / 2 0 1 7 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

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INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

UN JerusalemVote: US ‘Will Be Taking Names’ The US says it “will be taking names” during a UN General Assembly vote on a resolution criticising its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, BBC reports.

Permanent representative Nikki Haley warned member states that President Donald Trump had asked her to report on “who voted against us” on Thursday. The draft resolution does not mention the US, but says any decisions on Jerusalem should be cancelled.

On Monday, the US vetoed a similar motion at the UN Security Council. The status of Jerusalem goes to the heart of Israel’s conflict

with the Palestinians.

Israel occupied the east of the city, previously occupied by Jordan, in the 1967 Middle East war and regards the entire city as its indivisible capital.

The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state and its final status is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks.

Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and all countries currently maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv. However, President Trump has told the US state department to start work on

moving the US embassy.

The 193-member UN General Assembly will hold a rare emergency special session on Thursday at the request of Arab and Muslim states, who condemned Mr Trump’s decision to reverse decades of US policy earlier this month.

The Palestinians called for the meeting after the US vetoed the Security Council resolution, which affirmed that any decisions on the status of Jerusalem were “null and void and must be rescinded”, and urged all states to “refrain from the establishment of diplomatic missions in the holy city”.

EU Says Brexit Transition to End by 31 December 2020 A “transition period” after the UK leaves the EU should not continue beyond 31 December 2020, BBC reported Brussels as saying.

The UK has said the temporary arrangement should last for about two years after Brexit in March 2019.

Terms of the transition period, which the UK calls an implementation phase, have yet to be negotiated between the two sides.

The EU says the UK will have to continue to follow its rules and cannot adopt an “a la carte” approach.

It has just published its guidelines for the next phase of Brexit negotiations.

These talks will initially focus on agreeing the precise terms of the transition phase, before moving on to the UK and EU’s long-term future relationship. Meanwhile, the European Commission launched unprecedented disciplinary proceedings against Poland on Wednesday over its highly controversial judicial reforms, which according to AFP Brussels says threaten the rule of law .

In a major escalation against one of the EU’s biggest states, Brussels triggered article seven of the EU treaty over what it sees as “systemic threats” to the independence of the

Polish judiciary from the nation’s right-wing government.

Never before used against an EU member state, the proceedings can eventually lead to the “nuclear option” of the suspension of a country’s voting rights within the bloc.

The row underlines growing east-west tensions within the European Union, with former Soviet bloc states like Poland and Hungary refusing to toe the Brussels line on several thorny issues including judicial and media independence as well as immigration.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 21, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWSEXTRA

House to Probe CBN over Alleged $5bn Under-remittance to Federation Account DPR: NPDC owes $17bn in royalties James Emejo in Abuja The House of Representatives yesterday passed a motion seeking to set up a high-powered ad-hoc committee to investigate the underremittances of revenue by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and report back to the House in eight weeks.

The resolution followed a motion moved under matters of urgent public importance by Hon. Ayo Omidiran (APC, Osun) on the need to investigate the under-remittances of over $5 billion to the federation account by the apex bank.

In her submission, Omidiran noted that funds from the federation account are distributed to the three tiers of government in line with the revenue sharing formula of the revenue mobilisation committee enacted into law by the National Assembly.

She said the CBN being the banker of government, receives financial in-flows on behalf of the federation and should make same available on demand via federation account on monthly basis.

According to her, the CBN prepares the federation account instead of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF).

The lawmaker expressed worry that the apex bank had taken advantage of the all-important function of warehousing funds for the tiers of government to manipulate the system by opening various accounts not known to the tiers of government where funds are remitted, hidden, diverted and spent without authorisation.

She said the CBN, in 2006, opened various accounts with

JP Morgan Chase Bank in New York, USA, in which International Oil Companies (IOCs) remit all revenue for the federation.

“The CBN still operates an account with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, USA, alongside that of JP Morgan Chase Bank from 2006 till date,” she added.

Omidiran said the CBN’s responsibility of receiving revenue in foreign currencies and concreting same to naira for the benefit of the tiers of government had led to substantial loss in amounts remitted to the federation account.

Furthermore, she expressed worry about the substantial difference between official exchange rate of the dollar to the naira and that at which the bureau de change (BDC) sell in the parallel market, whereas, it is the CBN that sells dollar to the BDC operators on a weekly basis as well as regulate the financial market.

She argued that in the recent past, the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meetings have had to be postponed due to irregularities spotted in the federation account by the states.

She said the apex bank had violated Section 80 (2) of the 1999 constitution (as amended) by spending funds not appropriated by the National Assembly.

She expressed worry that the AGF had not reported these infractions of under-remittance of million of dollars and trillions of naira into the federation account by the CBN.

BUA Welcomes Dangote’s Decision to Await Judicial Outcome on Mining Dispute Jonathan Eze BUA International Limited, owners of BUA Cement, has said it welcomes the resolve by Dangote Cement to await the decisions of the courts on their corporate disclosure published on the Nigerian Stock Exchange website yesterday.

In a statement signed by its Group Head, Corporate Communications, O’tega Ogra, the company said it appreciated the decision to wait for a judicial outcome rather than resorting to self-help and/or using influence and certain agencies of government in disrupting operations at some of BUA’s mining areas covered by ML18912 and ML18913 in Obu, Okpella, Edo State.

The statement sent to THISDAY read in part: “With respect to the statement by the Ministry of Mines published in Punch Newspapers of December 8, 2017 and alluded to by Dangote Cement Plc in its statement, BUA wishes to state that we have responded to the ministry through our lawyers and via other media.

“BUA remains resolute and unequivocal about its stand that ‘status quo be preserved’ as instructed by the Federal High Court sitting in Benin in Suit No. FHC/B/CS/7/2016 BUA International Limited & BUA

Cement vs. Minister of Mines and Steel Development and Dangote Cement Plc. “For the purpose of clarity, this means that BUA remains in possession of the Mining Areas covered by Mining Leases 18912 and 18913 in Obu, Okpella, Edo State and will continue to exercise its rights to operate those mines in line with the dictates of the courts.

If anyone or any stakeholder (especially the ministry) remains in doubt as to what ‘status quo’ means in this case, they are free to write to the courts for an interpretation.

“BUA also affirms that it fully intends to abide by the outcomes of the judicial process as provided by the laws and Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“BUA also hopes that with the statement by Dangote Cement Plc, this will put an end to the continued cycle of harassment or clandestine moves by certain stakeholders to usurp the powers of the courts and disrupt operations at our site in a clear disregard of existing court directives.

“BUA therefore enjoins and urges all stakeholders involved - not limited to the Edo State Government, the Ministry of Mines and Steel and other parties - to also await the outcome of the judicial process in the interest of a competitive business climate governed by the rule of law in Nigeria.”

Arguing that the motion should be of great concern to the House, in view of the current revenue constraints for government, she said the issue should be investigated and possibly retrieve the monies.

She said the CBN takes 0.25 per cent of all foreign-dominated revenue as exchange commission for converting dollar to naira, noting that even after deducting the commission, the balance credited to the federation account at various times had been in negative difference, against expectations, and running into billions of naira per year.

Supporting the motion, Hon. Rotimi Agunsoye (APC, Lagos) said the matter must be looked into with all seriousness, particularly

where the apex bank appeared to have usurped the role of the AGF. “If they are not doing the right thing, we can’t go forward,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) yesterday said the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited (NPDC) is owing the federation account the sum of $17 billion being part of its outstanding royalties.

DPR Deputy Director, Planning, Mrs. Folashade Odunuga, disclosed this at a one-day public hearing on alleged infractions in the operations and activities of NPDC; the persistent lack of capacity and attendant revenue losses to Nigeria.

The hearing was organised by Chairman, House of Representatives

Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream).

However, Managing Director, NPDC, Mr. Yusufu Matashi, who agreed that it owed the exact amount to the federal government, however noted that a payment agreement had been struck with DPR to offset the liabilities.

According to him, a payment plan whereby it will pay $10 million on monthly basis to DPR had already commenced, although the DPR deputy director said it was yet to receive notification on any payments yet.

Matashi said the company will welcome efforts by the House to salvage it having had a troubled past.

He said notwithstanding, the

NPDC has develop expertise to participate in upstream sector.

He said Nigerians should be proud of NPDC despite its chequered history.

He said: “We have had our challenges but the company has seen meteoric growth in assets.”

Nevertheless, the hearing couldn’t really progress as the committee was unsatisfied with the manner with which the NPDC management submitted relevant documents demanded by the former.

The committee, therefore resolved that the NPDC should be made to return on a yet to be disclosed date with a comprehensive document which is neatly paginated for proper perusal.

LUCKY WINNER

L-R: Executive Director, Shared Services & Products (EDSS&P), Fidelity Bank Plc, Chijioke Ugochukwu; Star Prize Winner of N3 million at the second bi-monthly draw, Abdullateef Olanrewaju Gaffar; and Regional Bank Head (RBH), Victoria Island, Chinwe Iloghalu, at prize presentation ceremony of the Get Alert In Millions (GAIM) Promo Reloaded held at the Palms Shopping Mall, Lekki, Lagos .....Tuesday.

26 Customs Officers Killed in Boko Haram Attacks 20 sect members killed, 17 captured, says Army Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri with agency report The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) yesterday disclosed that 26 officers had been lost to Boko Haram insurgency.

Addressing journalists in Maiduguri, the Comptroller of the service in Borno/Yobe States, Mr. Joshua Angbalaga, said the insurgency in the North-east has seriously affected the activities of the NCS in discharging its duty effectively.

He said this has also adversely affected the revenue of the command as only one of the 13 economic borders is functioning optimally with one running skeletal service.

According to him, the border at Gaidam in Yobe State is functional while the other in Gamboru, Borno State, is functioning skeletally.

Angbalaga said unless the Boko Haram insurgency is totally crushed by the military to free Borno State particularly, the 13 economic borders across Borno and Yobe States would remain closed.

He also lamented that

compensation was yet to be paid for customs officers killed at the peak of the insurgency, noting that the NCS ensures that its officers and men are insured, they have been ignored when it comes to special compensation as it affects other agencies.

Speaking also on the need for training and retraining of its officers and men, the comptroller said the National Open University of Nigeria has opened more opportunities for working class to get educated and he has been encouraging his men to take that opportunity.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army yesterday said its troops had killed 20 Boko Haram insurgents in a clearance operation in the Lake Chad Basin.

The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division, Timothy Antigha, made the disclosure in a statement in Maiduguri.

Antigha said the troops captured 17 insurgents, rescued 100 people, recovered vehicles and ammunition.

He said the six soldiers that sustained injuries in the

operation were referred to military medical facility for treatment.

He said the operations were conducted in the past two weeks in Islands in Lake Chad region to crush Boko Haram insurgents inhabiting the islands.

“In continuation of Operation Deep Punch 2, designed to smoke out Boko Haram terrorists inhabiting remote Islands in Lake Chad basin lying within Nigerian territory, troops of 8 Division, Nigerian Army, on Operation Lafiya Dole, supported by soldiers of the Armed Forces Strike Group have inflicted heavy casualties on Boko Haram terrorists.

“The operation which commenced about two weeks ago preceded by coordinated air and artillery bombardments of islands and localities occupied by terrorists.

“The insurgents sneak into Magumeri, Kauram and other locations to loot property, attack security personnel and villagers.

“Islands and villages cleared so far include: Arena Chiki, Chikun Gudu, Arena Waje, Sa’ada and Juwe.”

Antigha, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), further disclosed that the rescued civilians included 100 elderly men, women and children.

He added that preliminary investigation revealed that most of the rescued persons were held hostage and forced to work in the farms.

The army spokesman listed the ammunition recovered to include one Mercedes Benz truck; two gun trucks, two pick up vans, one anti-aircraft machine gun, five AK-47 riffles, three Fabrique Nationals (FN) riffles, two G3 riffles and one pump action riffle.

Others are: one Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) tube, two bombs, two Very High Frequency (VHF) Radios and one Night Vision Goggle.

The troops also recovered 55 rounds of 5.56 X 45 mm ammunition, 5 Bangalore Torpedo, Two 120mm Mortar Bombs, and 1000 rounds of 7.62 mm Ball Metal Link ammunition.

Other ammunition included 55 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, 108 rounds of 12.7mm ammunition, two memory cards, two hydraulic jacks and a 1.5 amp battery.

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THURSDAY DECEMBER 21, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

NNPC Plans Power Plants in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) plans to build power plants with combined capacity of 4,600 megawatts in

Abuja, Kaduna and Kano States.

The NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, who disclosed this during a courtesy

call on him by the Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, on Tuesday in Abuja.

The planned plants would be a

FG Launches DSO in Ilorin, Set for Next Roll out in Kaduna Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The federal government yesterday rolled out the Digital Switch Over (DSO) in Ilorin, Kwara State, to enable Nigerians reap the benefits of transition from analogue to digital in broadcasting.

The DSO inauguration of Ilorin would now the pave the way for the roll out of DSO in Kaduna State tomorrow, rapidly extending digital television experience to all the six geopolitical zones.

The DSO signal for Kwara State would be distributed by Integrated Television Services (ITS).

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed,

Buhari Seeks Confirmation of Nine More INEC RECs Senate considers CCB chairman, other members’ nominations Damilola Oyedele in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has written to the Senate, seeking the confirmation of nine nominees as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The letter dated December 18, 2017, was read at the plenary by the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

It read in part: “In accordance of the provisions of Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I write to forward herewith the names of nine of the Resident Electoral Commissioners appointed for the INEC for the consideration of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The nominees are: Monday Udo Tom (Akwa-Ibom), Baba Abba Yusuf (Borno), Eric Olawale (Osun), Dr. Uthman Abdulrahman Ajidagba (Kwara), Mr. Segun Agbaje (Ekiti) and Dr. Cyril Omoruyi (Edo).

Others are: Yahaya Bello (Nassarawa), Dr. Emmanuel Alex Hart (Rivers) and Mohammed Magaji Ibrahim (Gombe).

The Senate also referred the president’s request for the confirmation of the nominees for the position of Chairman and members of the Code of Conduct Bureau to its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition The committee was directed to report back in two weeks.

The CCB board nominees are: Muhammed Isa (Chairman, Jigawa State, North-west), Murtala Kankia (Katsina State, North-west), Emmanuel Attah (Cross River State, South-south), Danjuma Sado (Edo State, South-south), Obolo Opanachi (Kogi State, North-central), Ken M adaki Alkali (Nasarawa State, Northcentral), S.F. Ogundare (Oyo State, South-west), Ganiyu Hamzat (Ogun State, South-west), Sahad Abubakar (Gombe State, North-east) and Vincent Nwanne (Ebonyi State, South-east).

pledged the continuous and rapid rollout of digital television across the country, saying the benefits to the Nigerian people is huge.

He said government would not backtrack in the journey from analogue to digital television, even though the process has not been without hiccups.

The minister noted that the transition from analogue to digital would transform the entire television watching experience for the Nigerian people through economic empowerment and access to information, which is a key ingredient of democracy.

He said the key benefits of the DSO programme, which will help to achieve a credible and effective development of the digital economy, include

the availability of over 30 digital channels to Nigerians without monthly subscription; the creation of tens of thousands of jobs through technical and manufacturing opportunities, especially the local productionofSet-Top-Boxesordecoders.

MohammedalsosaidtheDSOwould catalysethegrowthofthetelevisionadvertising marketby$400millionperannumthrough audiencemeasurement,andalsocreateaN100 billionperannumfreetelevisiondistribution networkforNollywood,amongothers.

Dignitaries at the occasion included the KwaraStateCommissionerforInformation, AlhajiMahmud Babatunde Ajeigbe, who stood in for the state governor; the Directors-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mallam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu; Mallam Yakubu Ibn Mohammed for NTA and the Chairman of Digiteam, Mr. Edward Amana.

fallout from the recently approved contract for the construction of Ajaokuta-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline project, dubbed AKK Pipeline.

Baru said the corporation in partnership with private investors would build the power generating plants to support the federal government’s effort to provide stable electricity in the country.

“As part of the drive to establish power plants to augment the power supply to the nation, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has recently approved the AKK Gas Pipeline project to be financed through Public Private Partnership (PPP). The project comes with other auxiliary ones which include, 1350megawatts, 900megawatts and 2350megawatts of power generation plants in Abuja, Kaduna and Kano respectively,” Baru stated.

The NNPC in partnership with private investors would also build fertilizer plants in some parts of the country, one of which would be located at Izzon, Niger State, Baru said.

Baru, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), informed the visitors that in line with the

presidential mandate on oil exploration in all the frontier basins, the NNPC was well-focused on the exploration in the Bida Basin and would carry out the job professionally.

“We have contracted the geological mapping of the Bida Basin to Ibrahim Babangida University, Lapai and the job would be completed in three months,” Baru Stated.

He explained that once the geological mapping is completed, the NNPC’s Integrated Data Services Limited would be engaged to carry out the other aspects of the seismic activities, which would be completed by July 2018.

The GMD stated the corporation would go into more detailed 2D seismic data acquisition in the Bida Basin by August 2018, to be followed by an Environmental Impact Assessment exercise in order to establish what the baseline is, which would signify the need or otherwise for the deployment of 3D acquisition facilities.

As part of efforts to decongest our highways, the GMD said the NNPC would encourage private investors to build tanker parking

facilities around Minna Depot, Suleja Depot, Tegina, Mokwa, amongst others and charge the users of the facility appropriately.

Baru explained that talk was ongoing with the Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing to re-introduce weight bridges on the highways to checkmate the issue of excessive loading by tankers above the recommended 46,000 tonne gross weight.

He said the NNPC on its part, had already directed all its Depots nationwide to stop loading tankers with loading capacity above 40,000 litres.

Governor Bello said the NNPC, under the stewardship of Baru, was doing well, adding that what was being witnessed is a new NNPC that is transparent in all its dealings.

He stated that the essence of their visit was to get first-hand information on NNPC’s plans on oil exploration in the Bida Basin and to also solicit NNPC’s support on finding alternative parking space for tankers parking along the highways and communities in the state.

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CNPP Asks INEC Not to Cancel Anambra Central Re-run Poll Commission receives CTC of judgment Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to go ahead with its plans to conduct the court ordered Anambra Central senatorial district election re-run scheduled for January 13, 2018.

The Court of Appeal had in its judgment on November 17, 2017,

ordered INEC to conduct a re-run election for the Anambra Central senatorial district, within 90 days, after another nullified the election of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Ekwunife, leading to the fixing of the election for January 13, 2018 by the commission.

But in another ruling on December 13, a Federal High Court in Abuja declared Dr. Obiora

OGFZA, PwC Partner to Drive FDI The Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA) has signed a partnership agreement with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the global brand in management sciences, to pool resources in a strategic relationship that will see the two organisations working together to drive investments into Nigeria’s oil and gas free zones.

The partnership agreement commits PwC to long-term collaboration with OGFZA’s investment subsidiary, the Free Zone Global Investments Limited, in the areas of strategic advisory services, optimisation of processes and investment promotion.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in OGFZA’s office in Abuja, Managing Director of the authority, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, described the new relationship with PwC as important. Umana said the mandate of OGFZA to manage the nation’s oil and gas

free zones and grow foreign direct investment inflow into them required professionalism that can only be enhanced through partnership with the right brand like PwC. “Given what you represent as a global brand, working together we can win for OGFZA and for Nigeria,” Umana told the team from PwC, and thanked them for accepting to partner with OGFZA to “fully realise the promise of the free zones as vehicles for growth and development.”

Mr. Cyril Azobu, partner at PwC and leader of the team, said his organisation was excited to be part of the OGFZA initiative, adding, “I strongly believe you have the right niche for investments.”

Azobu said it was for him a great moment to be “a participant in the process for the development of my country.”

Okonkwo as the rightful candidate of the PDP in the election, following pre-election matter that was brought before the court by Okonkwo, after the PDP primary in 2014.

INEC had said it would apply for the Certified True Copy of the High Court judgment and that it would study it before coming out with a position on the election.

However, CNPP said despite judgment of the Federal High Court, the commission should obey the ruling of the Appeal Court which is considered superior under the circumstance.

Addressing a press conference yesterday, CNPP’s Secretary General, Willy Ezeugwu, insisted that INEC must go ahead with the planned January 13, 2018 election re-run as ordered by the Appeal Court.

He said about 13 political parties have declared their readiness to take part in the January 13 rerun election.

“In the light of the decision, the CNPP sees the recent judgment of

a High Court in Abuja, obtained

by Dr. Obiorah Okonkwo as an attempt to flex muscles with the Court of Appeal. This is an unconstitutional anomaly, capable of truncating our democracy, if not nipped in the bud. The hierarchy of courts in Nigeria, established under Section 6 (6) of the 1999 constitution (as amended) is clear and unambiguous,” he said.

The CNPP scribe said INEC should bear in mind that there are about 13 political parties preparing to participate in the court Ordered fresh elections and as such must not allow anything to scuttle it.

“We therefore urge INEC to in strong terms ensure that enemies of our democracy do not prevail in their nefarious plots to abort the conduct of the election and permanently deny the Anambra Central senatorial district a representation in the 8th Senate,” Ezeugwu stated.

Meanwhile, Okonkwo has formally furnished INEC with the

certified true copy of the December 13 Federal High Court judgment and requested the issuance of the certificate of return.

In a letter forwarded in his behalf by his counsel, Okonkwo said: “We do hope you will allow reason to prevail and then duly comply.”

The letter titled: “Re-request to issue certificate of return to Dr. Okonkwo Obiora in compliance with judgment of the Federal High Court in suit No. FHC/ABJ/ CS/1092/2014”, and signed by Chief Sebastine Hon (SAN), read: “We are counsel to Dr. Obiora Okonkwo and our first letter on the above, dated December 14, 2017 refers.

“As undertaken in that said first letter, we hereto attach a certified copy of the full judgment to enable you comply/cause to comply therewith forthwith. We do hope you will allow reason to prevail and then duly comply.

Kindly accept assurances of our highest esteem,” the letter read.

The court had in its ruling also

ordered the Senate President to swear-in Okonkwo to occupy the vacant seat of Anambra Central in the Senate.

In his first letter to INEC dated December 14, 2017, Okonkwo said: “We respectfully, but firmly, request sir, that you issue/cause to be issued, our client the said Certificate of Return as ordered by the Federal High court, forthwith, to enable our client present himself to the leadership of the senate for inauguration.”

The letter received at the office of the INEC chairman, further read: “We are counsel to Obiora Okonkwo, the PDP candidate that won the party’s nomination to contest the March 2015 election for Anambra Central senatorial district but was unlawfully and wrongfully denied the ticket, which ticket was handed to Mrs. Uche Ekwunife.

He is hereinafter referred to as ‘our client’; and we hereby wrote on his instructions.”

IPAC Calls on Ayade to Resign over N1.3tn Budget, LG Poll The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Cross River State chapter, has called on Governor Ben Ayade to resign over the state’s N1.3 trillion budget for 2018 as well as for not conducting local government elections for almost two years now.

IPAC, at a press conference in Abuja yesterday attended by over 20 state chairmen and secretaries, described the budget as a ‘Budget of Kinetic Caricature’ which should be withdrawn for a new realistic and achievable estimates for 2018.

“We hereby advice the Cross River State Governor, Ayade, to withdraw his unrealistic, childish and fraudulent ‘Kinetic Crystallisation Budget of N1.3 trillion,’” a statement by the chairman of the IPAC Cross River State, Pastor Sunday Michael, read.

The council also advised the governor to resign over what they termed his “gross ineptitude,” or he should “perish any thought of re-contesting for governorship in 2019.”

Other allegations levelled against Ayade include “the refusal of the state government to have its accounts audited by the Auditor General of the state,” which the body said “only goes to confirm the colossal fraud that has characterised the his-led style of governance.”

According to the IPAC chairman, they were “embarrassed that despite the absence of audited accounts for the state in the past two years, the Cross River State House of Assembly has proceeded

to consider and pass the state’s budget year after year. We are therefore at a loss as to how and what figures the budget is based upon.

“As if the foregoing was not enough, Ayade has now presented a ludicrous budget of N1.3trillion, appropriately naming it ‘Budget of Kinetic Crystallisation.’

“In view of the total failure of the N300 billion 2017 budget, Ayade did not bother to avail the House of Assembly with a budget performance of review. Being the puppets they have shown themselves to be, we will not be surprised if the Cross Rover State House of Assembly proceeds to pass this 2018 budget without an audited account or a performance review of the past budget.”

The IPAC urged the assembly to live up to their responsibilities to the state by rejecting the attempt to use them as rubber stamps.

They further called on the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission “to as a matter of urgency, conduct local government elections on or before January 31, 2018,” while appealing to the federal government to stop disbursement of local government allocation to the state.

Other demands include the blacklisting of the governor by all opposition parties in the state as well as a stakeholders’ conference upon his resignation by the acting governor to develop a workable blueprint for the state.

MARITAL BLISS

L-R: Pastor Abraham Sam Ayedogbon, Mr. & Mrs. Dotun John; and Rev. Grace Ayedogbon, when the newly weds were joined in Holy Matrimony at the Realm of Glory International Church, Okota, Lagos...recently.

DPR Seals Oando Filling Station over Hoarding, Molestation of Staff Ejiofor Alike The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) yesterday sealed Oando filling station in Lekki, Lagos, over alleged hoarding of petrol and molestation of DPR personnel.

DPR’s Deputy Director and Head of Downstream Division, Mr. Usman Ndanusa, who led the team said the operator of the station, Mr. Basiru Fakorede, molested DPR staff on inspection to his station on December 7.

Ndanusa said the agency sanctioned the station to show the world that it had zero tolerance for manhandling of its staff.

“When the monitoring team of DPR visited the station on December 7, they were not selling the product to motorists.

“They challenged the station manager and attendants on the reason why they were not selling the product when there were 32,000 litres underground tanks.

“At this juncture, the staff started molesting the DPR staff.

“We cannot stand for that because if we allow it to go unchecked, our staff will not be free from performing their duty.

“If DPR staffs are being molested by all filling stations in this country, then we won’t be doing any inspection.

“To forestall a future reoccurrence, we now decided to do a monitor sales and seal the station after exhausting the product,” he said.

The Deputy Director said his staff would be on ground to make sure that all 58,650 litres of petroleum

in the underground tanks were sold to motorists before sealing the station.

“If there is no scarcity of fuel, we will have sealed the station outright but because of scarcity we want to monitor the sales and ensure that all the petroleum are sold to motorists.

“So, the dealer will be invited to our office to defend his action, if he is able to justify his actions, we will unseal his station.

“But if not, the department may revoke his licence.

“The department has written Oando management to stop supply to the station until he is able to justify his action,” he said.

However, Fakorede, in his defence, appealed to DPR to temper justice with mercy over his action.

Fakorede denied molesting any of DPR staff, adding that they were selling product when his station was visited on December 7.

He said he never denied any of their staff access to his station knowing fully that they have right to inspect filling stations nationwide.

“I expected the management of DPR to invite me to their office after the incidence but I was surprised to see them coming to seal my station.

“I have been selling the product to motorists since yesterday because of long queue of vehicles.

“This is not the right time to seal my filling station because motorists will feel the impact, this is the only station that sell products 24/7 and I’m sure it will really affect the motorists here,” he said.

54

THURSDAY DECEMBER 21, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Dickson Seeks Governors’ Monitoring Panel for $1bn Security Fund Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa As Nigerians continue to raise posers over the proposed withdrawal of $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) to fight insecurity in the North-east, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, yesterday demanded the setting up of a governors’ panel to monitor how the funds are disbursed.

Dickson, who called for a bipartisan approach to security issues bedevilling the country, noted that all military and other security procurements made with the funds should be done in the

open.

The governor who spoke in Yenagoa yesterday after arriving the state from his party’s peace and reconciliation shuttle to Abuja, Lagos and Ibadan, maintained that to avoid the trouble associated with such funds in the past, all stakeholders must be carried along in the spending of the about N365 billion.

“First of all, our position is out there in the public domain. I want to restate that this is not the first time this is happening. As leaders, the first issue of concern is that of security.

“I have always said that leaders,

Gospel Singers Storm Uyo Tomorrow for A’Ibom Christmas Carol Festival Okon Bassy in Uyo Top international artistes including Bob Fitts, Elsie Otoo, Ron Kenoly, among others are expected to performed at this year’s Akwa Ibom State-organised Christmas Carol Festival which holds tomorrow, December 22, 2017.

Thisyear’seditionoftheprogramme with the theme: ‘Emmanuel: God is with us’, will have Pastor Agu Iroko of the Jesus House branch of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, London as the guest minister.

Over 10 million people from more than 45 countries around the world are expected to follow annual Christmas Carol event which would take place at the Uyo township stadium already decorated for the festival.

The Akwa Ibom State annual Christmas forum which started in

2008 made the Guinness Book of Records in 2014 having presented 30,000 participants, the largest choir ever assembled for a Christmas Carol across the globe.

According to the State Information Commissioner, Mr Charles Udoh, to journalists yesterday that the 2016 edition of the Christmas carol had more than 9,000,000 from 38 countries logged on to the programme official website and twitter handle within four hours of it commencement.

Udoh said more people are expected to follow the event this year following the interest it has continued to generate around the world.

He said gospel artistes to feature in the event include Bob Fitts and Ron Kenoly and 10 other popular gospel artists from within and outside Africa.

irrespective of partisan differences must unite when it comes to two critical issues: the issues of the national economy and that of national security.

“On these two issues, there should be no partisan divide or differences. That’s our basic standpoint. Our duty is to support the work that our security agencies are doing across the country. It’s not limited to the insurgency fight , the Boko Haram challenge in the North, that’s a major national challenge no doubt, but there are also other equally compelling national security challenges which are required to be solved to secure the lives and properties of Nigerians, Bayelsa inclusive.

“We are interested in how much of these funds when

eventually disbursed will actually help the work that the security agencies are doing in the Niger Delta, and in Bayelsa, just as we are concerned about the challenges in the north east.

“Ensure that the details of these procurements are public and we are briefed because it is our money and we have a right to be briefed about what these equipment are, what they are meant for and the modalities for the procurement so that we take or address the concerns that these kinds of issues have raised in the past which are out there in the public domain,” he said.

According to Dickson, who was flanked by the Bayelsa Speaker, Mr. Kombowei Benson and the Secretary to the State Government, Kemela Okara, the committee of governors to be established would

be briefed on the modalities for the procurements to allay concerns already expressed by a cross segment of the populace.

He noted that while the state had no objection to the security spending, it was important to follow up on how the money would be spent, especially how the state will benefit from the security equipment.

“We have no objection, but we have taken it up and have shared it with his excellency, the Vice President, Chairman of the National Economic Council and I have also shared the concerns with the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum and we expect some follow up positions to be taken,” he noted.

He also reiterated his earlier position that it was unfair to deduct oil producing states twice

, requesting that the derivation element of the fund should be returned to the affected states.

“The other one is that we think that it is unfair to this state and the other Niger Delta oil producing states if the derivation component of the $1billion is not deducted or remitted to the oil producing states because every other states would have contributed it’s statutory allocation, but in our own case it is going to be both statutory allocation like in every other state and the 13 per cent derivation,” he argued.

According to him, “We realise that for those states like Bayelsa producing oil, the 13 per cent component will have to be worked out otherwise the Niger Delta states, including Bayelsa would have contributed twice.”.

Edo Libyan Returnees to Undergo Compulsory HIV/AIDS Screening Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City Worried by the number of indigenes deported from Libya, the Edo State government yesterday declared that for them to be fully integrated into the society, it is making efforts to recall all those deported to undergo compulsory HIV/AIDS test.

Executive Officer, Edo State Agency for the Control of AIDS, Mrs. Flora Oyakhilome, disclosed this while carrying out HIV/AIDS screening exercise on some of the deportees in Benin City.

According to her, “We are

making arrangement to recall all those who have been deported to have them tested for HIV/ AIDS. We have discussed with the Commissioner for Women Affairs.

“She said she is compiling the list so that they will have the exact data to know how to get these persons tested and integrated into the society.”

Oyakhilome said the health of the returnees is very important to the state government who saw the need to get them screened for HIV/ AIDS, adding that in case there is anyone with the virus, such would be given the needed care on time.

“We are here to look at those

returnees from Libya to have them counselled and tested for HIV/AIDS virus. We feel that their health is important, their lives are important. So on that note, the state government has said they should be brought here for screening so that they will have a healthy lifestyle.

“And in achieving healthy lifestyle, they must be whole. So on that note, we decided to come in so as to collaborate with the committee to have them tested. Peradventure we find any that is reactive of HIV, we will refer them to the General Hospital so that they can access their drugs.

“It is okay at least, health is wealth, problem identified is half solved. So it doesn’t really matter.

These are private talks and it does not matter but we are getting good turnout.

“They are all co-operating with us.

We thank the state government for this platform that they have given to us. And for bringing the people so that they can felicitate with their families and have a healthy lifestyle,” he said.

The SACA boss, who refused to disclose the number of those that tested positive to the virus, said the screening exercise was still ongoing.

longitudinal cracking, frost heaving, numerous potholes and slippage among others.”

Consequently, the users of the road are frustrated by, not only the those bumps and potholes but holdups and the criminal activities of robbers and kidnappers.

Yet, this is a road that is considered as one of the most important and busiest roads in the country. It links 14 states in Northern Nigeria to the Federal Capital, Abuja. Economically, this is the road that conveys all the grains, tomatoes, sorghum and goats and cows that feed the other parts of the country. This should translate into better and improved movement of agricultural products and facilitate commercial activities within and between the states of Niger, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe States and the FCT. Politically, this road leads to seven million, one hundred votes, roughly about 50 percent of the votes that helped to put the Buhari administration in office.

The benefits of doing this road include a reduction of road accidents and loss of life.

It should improve socioeconomic life of the people around the road corridors and help to curtail increasing incidents of armed robbery, kidnapping, and other forms of criminal activities common to the road.

Kidnapping has become a bane of the Abuja-Kaduna axis, as result of the decrepit condition of the road

while Kaduna-Kano has a national record of accidents and deaths on a daily basis.

Travel time which used be about four hours or less is now six hours.

This has increased, not only travel time but also costs for transporters and commuters.

Funding for the road project which was awarded to the famously efficient Julius Berger will be funded from 2017 and 2018 appropriations with additional provisions being made in the subsequent years appropriations covering the the lifespan of the project.

This notwithstanding, the FEC directed that the Ministers of Finance and that of Power, Works and Housing meet to find the money for its completion within the stated three years to avoid the horrible fate that befell the East-West expressway.

A robust roads infrastructure which just entered a higher trajectory is, in the vision of the Buhari administration, the key to increased efficiency of the movement of goods, persons and services across the country. It will boost investments and create jobs.

These are things that we need to do to kickstart the economy.

The first two years of the government have witnessed a drastic reduction of the number of stalled road projects and the commencement of new ones all over the country. At the rate it is boosting infrastructure investments, roads, rail and power, the Buhari administration has undoubtedly found the road to glory.

Buhari Plods Road to Glory Garba Shehu THE Federal Executive Council, yesterday approved the award of a N155.7 billion contract for the construction of a hybrid two-lanesix-lane road network that starts from Abuja that cuts through the heart of Northern Nigeria: AbujaKaduna-Zaria to Kano.

This road project comes at a time when the administration has increased the pace of the completion of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway and is considering increasing the scope of work on it by, possibly up to N300 billion; the East-West expressway, Port Harcourt to Lagos and is pumping money into the realization of the Second Niger bridge.

At the same meeting, the FEC approved the award for the rehabilitation of the Efire-AraromiAiyede-Aiyela road in Ogun State at the cost of about N14 billion, as well the contract for the augmentation of the contact for the rehabilitation of outstanding sections of Onitsha-Enugu expressway: Amansea Enugu State border in Enugu State and the full rehabilitation of Umunya section in Anambra. This contract was first awarded for N24 billion in 2014 but the scale of work done is, to say the least, appalling.

This road, it will be recalled, is one of those that the leaders of the South-east brought to the attention of the president when they recently met him. The revised contract amount approved to do this work is now

N62 billion.

Infrastructure experts are already claiming that the road infrastructure sector is today enjoying its best moment for a long time. The first two years of the Buhari administration have seen a quantum leap in the funding roads infrastructure. In 2015, N19 billion was set aside the former administration of Dr Goodluck Jonathan for all federal roads. The government under President Muhammadu Buhari has set aside N300 billion for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of strategic roads across the country in 2018. In 2016, N73 billion was spent while in this financial year, 2017 alone, about N270 billion has so far been released.

For this year, 2017, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola revealed that 63 roads were identified in 34 states of the Federation construction, repair and rehabilitation.

“Noting that the road projects are spread out in such a way that no zone has been left out, Fashola listed the proposed priority highway projects in the 2017 Budget to include Kano-Katsina Road (Phase 1: Kano Town at Dawanau Roundabout to Katsina State Border), Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Yauri Road, Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa-Bokani Road, Ilorin-Kabba-Obajana Road (Sections 1&11), Ibadan-Ilorin Road, Section11 (Oyo-Ogbomosho), Lagos-ShagamuIbadan Dual Carriageway, Sections 1&11 and Lagos-Otta Road.

Buhari “Also included are Apapa/Tincan Port, NNPC Depot (Atlas Cove) to Mile 2 Accessd Road, Apapa-Oshodi Road, Third Mainland Bridge, Apapa/Tincan Island Port-NNPC Depot Access Road, Benin-Ofosu-Ore Ajebandele-Shagamu Road, Obajana Junction-Benin Road Phase 2: (Sections i-iv), Sapele-Ewu Road Sections 1&11, Second Niger Bridge, Onitsha-Enugu Expressway (Amansea-Enugu State Border), Yenegoa Road JunctionKolo-Otueke-Bayelsa Palm and Bodo-Bonny Road with Bridge.

“Others are Odukpani-Itu-(Spur Ididep-Itam)-Ikot Ekpene Federal Highway Sections 1&11, Ikom Bridge, Enugu-Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway Sections i-iv, Calabar-Ugep-Katsina Ala Road, Vandeikya-Obudu-Obudu Cattle Ranch Road, Oshegbudu-Oweto Road, Oju/Loko-Oweto Bridge

with approach roads, NassarawaLoko Road, Abuja-Lokoja Road Sections i&iv, Suleja-Minna Road Section 11. Kaduna Eastern Bypass, Kano-Maiduguri Road Section 1-1V, Hadejia-Nguru-Gashua-Bayamari Road and Kano Western Bypass.

“Those listed as critical economic routes include Zaria-Kano Road, Abuja-Lokoja Road (Sections i-iv), Ilorin-Jebba-Bokani Road, Ibadan-Ilorin Road (Sections `1&11), Lagos-ShagamuIbadan Road (Sections1&11), BeninOfosu-Ore-Ajebandele-Shagamu Road and Obajana-Benin Road (Sections i-iv).

“Also in the list are Onitsha-Enugu Road (Sections 1&11), Enugu-Port Harcourt Road (Sections i-iv), Calabar-Odukpani-Itu Road (Section1), Calabar-Ugep-Katsina Ala Road (Sections 1&11), Alesi-Ugup (Iyamoyung-Ugup) Road, Ogoja(Mbok Junction) Abuochichie Road, Otukpo Township Road, Kano-Maiduguri Road(Sections i-v), Kaduna-Zaria Road and Kaduna-Katsina Road.”

(Vanguard).

The state of theAbuja-Kaduna-ZariaKano is in a serious distress and is in urgent in need of reconstruction.

After 25-30 years of usage, the lifespan of road has expired. The pavement structure is unable to cope with the prevailing traffic.

As stated by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola who made the presentation at the cabinet “this road is currently characterized by extensive pavement failures, alligator cracks, corrugation, underground pumping, rutting,

55

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

THURSDAYSPORTS

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

Waldrum Dumps Falcons for American University Job Duro Ikhazuagbe Former Head Coach of the United States of America’s Under-23 national team, Randy Waldrum, who was contracted to lead the Super Falcons as Technical Adviser has dumped the Nigerian job.

Waldrum, 61, was on Tuesday appointed the head coach of America’s University of Pittsburgh women’s soccer team.

The former Trinidad and Tobago women national team coach was contracted by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) last October but bureaucracy in finalising the contract terms delayed his assumption of work at the Glass House in Abuja.

Super Falcons have been without a coach since 2016 after they won African Women’s championship in Cameroon.

Former Captain of the team, Florence Omagbemi, led the country’s senior women team to clinch 8th African Women Championship title before the NFF refused to renew her contract.

Waldrum was one of the coaches whose wages was to be picked by the Technical Partners of the NFF along with that of Super Eagles

Franco-German Technical adviser, Gernot Rohr.

Waldrum is the second high profile coach to dump Nigerian job. Frenchman, Paul le Guen in June 2016 rejected the NFF offer after he was announced by Technical and Development Committee of the federation. He was to lead Eagles 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.

It was after he rejected the job NFF turned to Rohr who eventually did a good job of qualifying Nigeria for the World Cup with a game to spare in a group that boast of AFCON reigning champions Cameroon, Algeria and Zambia.

University of Pittsburgh’s Director of Athletics, Heather Lyke, on Tuesday afternoon announced the hiring of Waldrum to lead the school’s women’s soccer team.

“We are thrilled to announce Randy Waldrum as our head women’s soccer coach at the University of Pittsburgh,” said Lyke.

“Coach Waldrum’s proven experience of developing elite players and building and sustaining highly successful programmes is most impressive.

“It is evident his passion for positively impacting young people is what

drives his success. His championship pedigree and passion fits perfectly with the soccer culture we are creating at Pitt and we are eager to watch our

programme emerge under his leadership.

“This is an exciting time for our women’s soccer programme and for the Pittsburgh soccer

community,” read the university’s statement on the hiring of Waldrum.

Waldrum coached seven national team players who played for their respective

countries at the Rio Summer Olympic Games in Brazil last year, including Team USA members Carli Lloyd, Morgan Brian and Pittsburgh native Meghan Klingenberg.

PEPSI ACADEMY’S FESTIVAL OF YOUTH...

Team Kaduna (left) and Team Abuja having traditional handshake before the kick off of their match in the Pepsi Academy’s Festival of Youth at the Legacy Pitch of the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos… yesterday

Pepsi Academy Festival Ikpeba, Adepoju, Okocha, Listed in New NFF Committees of Youth Holds in Lagos Pepsi Football Academy youngsters from all the training centres in Nigeria have converged on Lagos for this year’s Pepsi Festival of Youth, an Under-15 football tournament to end the year.

The two-day event which started yesterday at Legacy Pitch of the National Stadium Surulere, Lagos ends today.

According to the Director of Pepsi Football Academy, Chief Kasimawo Laloko, the essence of the programme is to ascertain the level of development of the players across the centres.

“This tournament helps us to assess the level of hard work and commitment by

the players and coaches and also know the level of skills development among the youngsters,” said Laloko.

He said the Pepsi Academy Festival of youth in Lagos follows similar competition in different centres in which the players competed with invited clubs in the cities.

These include Ibadan, Ilorin, Abuja, Jos amongst others.

Commenting on the 25th anniversary of the Pepsi Academy, Laloko said the foremost academy in Nigeria has contributed immensely in developing the skills of young players who are today playing in different clubs in Nigeria and oversees.

NCC Tennis Championship Climaxes in Style The 2017 NCC Team Tennis Championship came to a close on Saturday at the tennis section of the Ikoyi Club 1938 amidst fun and pageantry.

The three-day championship, which was the fourth edition had eight teams named after the various telecommunication companies jostled for honour.

In the finals played on Saturday evening Team NTEL got the better of IPNX Nigeria by 21-15 points. The highlight of the game however was in the

men’s singles in which Ekene Nwaokolo defeated Chinedu Idike 9-0.

Speaking at the end of the competition, Head of Public Relations, NCC, Rueben Mouka hailed the high level of performance of tennis displayed by the participants.

“NCC love for tennis is unprecedented and part of our objective at NCC is to interact and feel the pulse of people as to what we are offering through tennis,” Mouka said.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) yesterday announced the members of the body’s standing committees with some interesting personalities included.

The federation’s standing committees were dissolved

on October 30, while new chairmen and vice chairmen were named a few days after.

Former national players like Victor Ikpeba, Mutiu Adepoju and Garba Lawal were listed in the Technical Committee, while top comedian Akpobome Atuyota (aka Ali

Baba) is in the Marketing, Sponsorship and TV Rights Committee headed by League Management Committee Chairman Shehu Dikko.

Several sports journalists were also included in the Media and Publicity Committee, while Ayo

Omidiran heads the Women’s Football Committee.

Former Super Eagles stars Austin Jay Jay Okocha and Victor Agali were included in the Technical Study Group.

In all, 20 committees were named, some having as many as 16 members.

Stakeholders Hail Monimichelle over Bayelsa Sports Summit Veteran sports journalist and football administrator, Chief Emeka Inyama, who graced the first ever Bayelsa Sports Summit in Yenagoa last week has praised the sponsor of the event, Ebi Egbe, for convening the programme as a roadmap for sports growth in the state.

The summit which was a huge success attracted top government officials, royal fathers, ex internationals, sports administrators, coaches, fans and the media.

“It was a good initiative on the part of Egbe, a vibrant and

upward looking young man.

He (Egbe) is adding solid value to Bayelsa and Nigerian sports.

The summit in Yenagoa was a good one,” stressed Inyama.

Ex international, Waidi Akanni, on his part said the face of Nigerian sports would change if other stakeholders embrace the approach of the Chief Executive Officer of Monimichelle in sports development.

“One thing I like about Egbe is that he is one person that believes in going for the best.

He wants the best for Bayelsa

sports hence he sponsored the Bayelsa sports summit.

His company Monimichelle is out to change the face of Nigerian football pitches. I am simply impressed with what he is doing.”

A media aide of Bayelsa State governor, Daniel Alabra also commended Egbe declaring that he is a man that is eager to see the state development.

“The Bayelsa Sports Summit was a good one and the governor is happy that the likes of Egbe is throwing their weight behind government efforts to

turn around Bayelsa sports.”

Meanwhile, Egbe has assured stakeholders that issues raised during the summit would be packaged and sent to government for possible implementation.

“I am happy the summit turned out to be a huge success. The theme of the summit was Way Forward for Bayelsa Sports. In line with the theme, we are going to ensure that the thoughts shared by stakeholders during the summit are made available to government.”

Mbagwu States Gains of RFN Board President of Nigeria Rugby Federation (NRF), Kelechukwu Mbagwu, has called on stakeholders of the sport not to be distracted by the current impasse within the family as he strives to take the sport to greater heights.

Recently, Rugby Afrique, the continental governing

body suspended the NRF board shortly after the elective congress of all the sports federations in Abuja few months ago.

“Since after the elections, we have settled into the onerous task of coordinating rugby in Nigeria and building a lasting foundation with remarkably

little fuss.

“Despite the set-back of the suspension imposed by Rugby Afrique, we have embarked on an ambitious plan to build the momentum of the progress of the game right from the onset.

“Taking into consideration our cardinal points of

reference, the board has tackled a plethora of early challenges to put us on the path of progress,” the RFN boss stated last weekend.

Since the new regime came on board, there have been three Sevens tournaments used as pre-qualifiers for the annual Independence sevens.

Thursday, December 21, 2017

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MISSILE Fayose to Presidency/NGF “Every state has its own peculiarities in terms of security. Ekiti State has ‘hunger haram’ where hunger is afflicting people everywhere. Whatever is in that money, as far as I am concerned, we should share it. Let everybody go and solve their own problem” – Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, distancing himself from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) decision to withdraw $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) and give federal government to fight Boko Haram insurgency.

OLUSEGUNADENIYI Buhari’s Birthday and the 400 Prophets THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

When my authority inspires sycophancy, I have no followers, only resentful manipulators of my power for their own selfish gain — George Kunz

W

hen in June 2015, I started gathering materials for my book, ‘Against The Run of Play’, I also decided I would go through the newspaper reports from the first day President Goodluck Jonathan assumed power on 6th May 2010 to his last day in office on 28th May 2015. Even though I knew it would be a big task, and I wasn’t even sure I could pull it off at the time, I believe it would make selecting the salient issues that dominated the period easier to do. And since THISDAY library is in Lagos, my options on how to achieve the goal were limited.

With my friend, Mannir Dan Ali, the Chief Executive Officer/Editor-in-Chief of Daily Trust, assigning their chief librarian to help me with whatever I needed from their archives, my plan was to spend two hours every day at the library for as long as it would take me to complete the task. But on my second day at Daily Trust, the chief librarian, a rather pleasant fellow, asked: “Sir, what exactly are you looking for?”

After explaining to him what I was doing, he then told me Daily Trust has all their publications in microfilms and that if I could pay, he would burn everything printed within the period into a collection of CD for me. I paid the agreed sum to their accounts department and within two weeks, I collected 61 CD, each containing monthly Daily Trust publications from May 2010 to April 2015. And while it may have taken me about five months to go through all the publications, the efforts helped me in the process of selecting the issues that I believed affected the outcome of the election.

Interestingly, those CDs have become useful in recent days as I pore through the December publications in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 to see how the birthday of President Muhammadu Buhari was celebrated in those years. And I learnt a lot going through those editions of Daily Trust. Even when we may forgive the fact that Buhari’s new friends forgot him in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014, of particular interest to me was December 2012 when he marked a landmark birthday: The 70th!

With the international Conference Centre, Abuja already booked for the birthday anniversary to be chaired by Lt General T.Y. Danjuma and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah slated as Guest Speaker, all was set for the occasion until the last minute cancellation in deference to the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of the then Kaduna State Governor, Mr Patrick Yakowa and former National Security Adviser, General Andrew Azazi.

However, despite the publicity that preceded the day, these were the only people who placed congratulatory advertisements for Buhari: The defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) signed by Senator Lawal Shuiabu and Alhaji Lai Mohamnmed; CPC Senator representing Niger North, Ibrahim Musa; former Head of

Buhari State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Senator Hadi Sirika; then CPC National Chairman, Prince Tony Momoh; CPC members representing Katsina State in the House of Representatives and the then Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal.

I have gone through the foregoing lengthy background so that readers can compare what happened at that period when Buhari clocked age 70 and now that he is 75. Quite naturally, this year’s birthday has attracted hundreds of pages of congratulatory advertisements, including a scandalous and very expensive glossy four-page wrap-around by a state governor and no fewer than four special cakes. Yet, what makes all the difference between Buhari at 70 and Buhari at 75 is the favour and privileges he can now dispense or withhold as president of Nigeria.

Unfortunately, while flatterers and those who genuflect before power are antithetical to good governance and are of no help to serious leaders, in both the public and private sectors in our country today, it is the sycophants who get along very well. Even within the religious institutions, they are the ones who secure rapid promotions simply by worshipping the Papas and Mamas, sometimes more than the God from whom those individuals claim to have secured their spiritual mandates.

That then explains why the birthday ceremonies of political office holders and that of their spouses as well as the burial ceremonies of their parents have become state functions. Yet, when you create an environment in which leaders are hero-worshipped, as it is the case in Nigeria today, there is no way you can instil transparency and accountability in such a system and the people are the loser.

Meanwhile, I must point out quickly that this piece is really not about President Buhari, or his birthday. I am just using him to illustrate the point about the level of sycophancy in the society. However, it is nonetheless sad that a man who came to power as an austere leader could not foresee the deluge of sycophancy that attended his birthday and advised in advance that all gifts and congratulatory adverts be

converted to social welfare contributions. A birthday observance that has become an open contest for the familiar Nigerian sycophants is hardly a tribute to a president who insists on an anti-corruption identity.

All said, since there are people in the presidency who enjoy illustrating every point with Biblical stories, let me also conclude this piece with one in the spirit of the season.

In the days when King Ahab reigned over Israel, he asked Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, to join forces with him to reclaim Ramoth Gilead from Aram. While Jehoshaphat agreed to the request, he advised King Ahab to first seek the counsel of the Lord.

That was no problem for the king of Israel who quickly assembled his close advisers comprising 400 prophets and sought their opinion. “Go, for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand”, the prophets roared. But being more circumspect, King Jehoshaphat asked: “Is there not a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?”

That statement was a serious indictment on the 400 prophets, the leading advisers of King Ahab. Jehoshaphat must have seen through them and must have concluded that there was no point relying on the prophecy of sycophants. What the King of Judah demonstrated is that it is only the intellectually curious leader that consciously seeks the wisdom of alternative viewpoints.

His question provoked a disturbing response that is common with leaders who enjoy the adulation of sycophants, as recorded in second Chronicles Chapter 18, Verse 7: “The King of

Israel answered Jehoshaphat, ‘There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah the son of Imlah.”

It is evident from that confession that the King of Israel was not seeking the truth, he wanted validation for a decision he had already taken, even if it was wrong; and those 400 prophets were ‘his men’, those who would tell him what he wanted to hear. We have several of such well-placed individuals at practically all levels of governance in Nigeria today, the ‘400 prophets’ who celebrate and buy giant cakes only for those in power. They are not loyal to anybody or sacred principles.

They are, as George Kunz described them, resentful manipulators of power for their own selfish gain. And while President Buhari may enjoy cutting different birthday cakes with them, he should also be wary of them.

In his exposition on that Biblical story, using his country as an illustration, this is what Kenyan writer, David Oginde, has to say and it is my parting shot: “Sad to say, but this is what seems to play out over and over again in our national life. Our kings whether at home, in church, mosques, corporates, governments, or political parties—would so much rather gather around them 400 false prophets than listen to the one lone voice of reason. Of course Micaiahs can often be a thorn in the flesh, but they do help us see our blind spots and in the long run sharpen our vision and warn us of potential dangers.”

I wish President Buhari happy 75th birthday!

Bisi Fayemi, Loud and Clear!

The favourite saying of my late mother was, ‘Ai le soro, ni bere ori buruku’ which translates into, ‘a closed mouth precedes closed destiny’. That much can be glimpsed from the philosophical underpinning of the writings of Mrs Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi which, according to her, derives from a conversation she once had with a grieving friend. And on Tuesday night in Abuja, she dazzled her audience comprising top government officials, members of the diplomatic community, activists, seasoned writers and politicians with the manner she explained what informs her interventions in the public space.

As the lead discussant at the reading of her latest collection of essays, I can attest to the fact that ‘Loud Whispers’, which represents the thoughts of a wife, a mother, a professional, a rights activist and certainly a leading feminist is a compelling read. The 65 essays gleaned from her blog posts over a period of 20 months are both refreshing and engaging. The fact that she does not tiptoe around issues makes the work appealing and with her frank temperament, she adds humour to enhance her argument without being offensive.

Divided into eight sections, every essay in ‘Loud Whispers’ speaks to the society which the author is keenly interested in while the

language is friendly and the bold print makes it a delight for avid readers. Apparently bothered by the misunderstanding that enshrouds the concept of feminism, the author takes her time to educate anyone with bias against feminism.

In her words, “Women do not want to replace patriarchy with matriarchy. We want to live in a world in which there is mutual respect, rights for all, and opportunities that are not mediated by the sex we are born with.”

On Tuesday, we had an engaging conversation, especially as the audience pushed Mrs Fayemi to define the boundaries of feminism. ‘How do we explain a situation in which the kitchen knife has suddenly become a weapon of man destruction with some aggrieved wives literally and metaphorically now taking the law into their own hands?’, I sought to provoke but she was in her comfort zone.

No doubt, the collection of essays comes highly recommended not only because of the way and manner Mrs Fayemi tackles different issues, but also because her robust wit and clear expression makes the work ideal for both the young and old. It is a fascinating book that is full of wisdom but more importantly nobody needs to strain their ears to hear Mrs Fayemi. Her call in the book is indeed louder than whispers.

I wish all my readers merry Christmas!

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