Thursday 28th December 2017 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd

UNICEF Laments Large Scale Attacks on Children in Conﬂict Zones in Nigeria, Others Senator Iroegbu in Abuja The United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) has said in a report that children in Nigeria and around the world are becoming more endangered species as they are often exposed to the risk

of death and severe injuries in conflict zones. It said this occurred because parties to conflicts blatantly disregarded international laws designed to protect the most vulnerable. The report said children were being targeted and exposed

to attacks and brutal violence in their homes, schools and playgrounds. In a statement yesterday, UNICEF Director of Emergency Programmes, Mr. Manuel Fontaine, said: “As these attacks continue year after year, we cannot become numb.

Such brutality cannot be the new normal.” It said in conflicts around the world, children had become frontline targets, used as human shields, killed, maimed and recruited to fight. Rape, forced marriage, abduction and enslavement have become

standard tactics in conflicts from Iraq, Syria and Yemen, to Nigeria, South Sudan and Myanmar. According to UNICEF: “In some contexts, children abducted by extremist groups experience abuse yet again upon release when they are

detained by security forces. Millions more children are paying an indirect price for these conflicts, suffering from malnutrition, disease and trauma as basic services – including access to food, Continued on page 6

Buhari's Son, Yusuf, Undergoes Surgery After Power-bike Crash… Page 6 Thursday 28 December, 2017 Vol 22. No 8288. Price: N250

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US Promises to Help Nigeria Exterminate Boko Haram Gives final approval for purchase of Tucano aircraft

Paul Obi in Abuja Nigeria’s fire power against insurgent Boko Haram was enhanced yesterday as the United States (US) government gave its final approval to purchase the A29 Super Tucano Aircraft, promising to assist in defeating the terrorists. US Ambassador to Nigeria,

Mr. Stuart Symington, while presenting the Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) to the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, explained that the approval underscored the new commitment and cooperation between the US and Nigeria. Continued on page 6

Crude Oil Price Hits May 2015 High at $67 per barrel Ejiofor Alike with agency reports Oil price yesterday hit $67 per barrel for the first time since May 2015, before dropping to $66.27 despite the supply disruptions in Libya and the North Sea. The prices of both crude futures fell after hitting a near two-and-a-half year high in the previous session as analysts said the rally was gradually running out

of steam. While Brent crude futures dropped to $66.27 a barrel, after breaking through $67 for the first time since May 2015, the United States West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $59.53 a barrel. WTI broke through $60 a barrel for the first time since June 2015 in the previous session. Continued on page 6

Buhari: I Never Hated Ndigbo… Page 51

THE CELEBRATION CONTINUES…

L-R: Celebrant and Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara; Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki; and Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal; during Dogara’s 50th birthday reception in Abuja… Tuesday

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY DECEMBER 28, 2017

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Buhariâ€™s Son, Yusuf, Undergoes Surgery After Power-bike Crash Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari's son, Yusuf, on Tuesday night went through a surgical procedure after a power-bike crash that left him with a severe head injury and multiple fractures. The development, it was

learnt, left him unconscious before he was rushed to an Abuja hospital where doctors fought hard to stabilise him. THISDAY learnt that the young man was racing on a power-bike in Gwarinpa, Abuja, when he had the crash. An online medium, Daily Nigerian, reported that

while Yusuf was racing with a friend, he attempted to overtake a vehicle but skidded off the road, sustaining injuries that made him unconscious. His mother, Aisha, who was said to have been quickly alerted about the incident, directed his movement to Cedarcrest

Hospital, Abuja for prompt medical attention. Confirming the story in a statement yesterday, Malam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, said Yusuf broke his limb and sustained head injury in the accident. According to him, he had undergone

surgery and was now in stable condition, adding that both the president and his wife were grateful to Nigerians for their goodwill and prayers. Shehu said: "Yusuf Buhari had a motorbike accident last night around Gwarimpa in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

"He broke a limb and had an injury to the head as a result. He has undergone surgery at a clinic in Abuja. He is in a stable condition. "The President and his wife, Aisha are thankful to Nigerians for the good wishes and prayers for their son. May God reward you all."

ensuring that the Super Tucano Aircraft deal became a reality. Abubakar informed Symington that "the wellbeing of Nigeria was closely linked to those of other African countries, and indeed the entire world, as terrorism was a global phenomenon, which had to be confronted by all stakeholders. The Air chief reassured the US ambassador of the commitment of the NAF to the stipulated deadlines in the LOA. Furthermore, the CAS assured the US ambassador

that the NAF would ensure the readiness of proposed home base of the Super Tucano Aircraft in Nigeria before the aircraftâ€™s delivery. He further said that the NAF would nominate and prepare all the pilots and maintenance crew to be trained on the Super Tucano Aircraft, ahead of their training in the US. According to NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya, it is expected that the LOA would have been signed and necessary

payments made before 20 February 2018 to ensure the commencement of production of the NAFâ€™s Super Tucano Aircraft. The LOA represents the official US government offer to sell US defence articles and services to the Nigerian government. "It would be recalled that the US State Department had earlier approved the sale of 12 x A29 Super Tucano Aircraft to the NAF to further aid the nationâ€™s counterinsurgency campaign," Adesanya stated.

agreed to extend oil output cuts until the end of 2018 as part of the global efforts to eliminate excess oil supply in the international market. The current deal, under which OPEC and non-OPEC producers are cutting supply by about 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) in an effort to boost oil prices, expires in March 2018. But the organisation in their last meeting had agreed to extend the cuts by nine months until the end of 2018, as largely anticipated by the market.

The decision to extend the production cuts saw crude oil prices rising, with the global benchmark Brent trading briefly at a two and a half year high at $67 per barrel yesterday. However, a major factor countering efforts by OPEC and Russia efforts to prop up prices is US oil production which has soared more than 16 per cent since mid-2016 and is fast approaching 10 million bpd. Only OPEC king-pin Saudi Arabia and Russia produce more.

With oil prices rising above $60, Russia had expressed concern that an extension of the cuts for the whole of 2018 could prompt a spike in crude production in the United States, which is not participating in the deal. Russia needs much lower oil prices to balance its budget than OPECâ€™s leader Saudi Arabia, which is preparing a stock market listing for national energy giant Aramco next year and would hence benefit from pricier crude.

US PROMISES TO HELP NIGERIA EXTERMINATE BOKO HARAM Symington stressed that the LOA would go a long way in assisting Nigeria to acquire the A29 Super Tucano Aircraft for the operational use of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF). Noting that the peace of Nigeria was strategic to the security of the entire West African Sub-Region and the entire world, Symington expressed the commitment of the US government to help Nigeria completely defeat the Boko Haram terrorists and also eliminate all forms of terrorism from its territory.

He also conveyed the US governmentâ€™s belief that the capacity of the NAF could greatly be enhanced by the acquisition of the Super Tucano Aircraft. According to him: "The US government would, therefore, continue to support the NAF in its capacity building efforts, including the timely supply of needed aircraft spares." The US ambassador also indicated the readiness of relevant US government officials to work with NAF officials to facilitate the early delivery of the

aircraft once payment was made. To that effect, officials of both the US government and the NAF would be meeting in early January 2018 to jointly study the LOA prior to subsequent endorsements by both parties. The CAS, while receiving the LOA, expressed the appreciation of the federal government to the US government for its steady support towards sustaining NAF air operations. He also commended the personal commitment of the US ambassador to

CRUDE OIL PRICE HITS MAY 2015 HIGH AT $67 P/B On Tuesday, Libya lost around 90,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil supplies from a blast on a pipeline feeding Es Sider port. Repair of the pipeline could take about one week but will not have a major impact on exports, the head of Libyan state oil firm NOC told Reuters on Wednesday. The Libyan outage added to supply disruptions of recent weeks, which also included the closure of Britainâ€™s largest Forties pipeline.

On Wednesday, Forties was pumping at half its normal capacity and its operator was pledging to resume full flows in early January. The Forties and Libyan outages, which together amount to around 500,000 bpd, are relatively small in a global context of both production and demand approaching 100 million bpd. Oil markets have tightened significantly over the past year thanks to voluntary supply restraint led by the Middle East-

dominated Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and nonOPEC Russia. Data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that following rampant oversupply in 2015, global oil markets gradually came into balance by 2016 and started to show a slight supply deficit this year. EIA data implies a slight supply shortfall of 180,000 bpd for the first quarter of 2018. OPEC had at their November 30, 2017 meeting

UNICEF LAMENTS LARGE SCALE ATTACKS ON CHILDREN IN CONFLICT ZONES IN NIGERIA, OTHERS water, sanitation and health â€“ are denied, damaged or destroyed in the fighting.â€? Giving a data of assaults on children in the year 2017, the global body said: â€œIn Afghanistan, almost 700 children were killed in the first nine months of the year. In the Central African Republic, after months of renewed fighting, a dramatic increase in violence saw children being killed, raped, abducted and recruited by armed groups. â€œIn the Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, violence has driven 850,000 children from their homes, while more than 200 health centres and 400 schools were attacked. An estimated 350,000 children have suffered from severe acute malnutrition. In North-east Nigeria and Cameroon, Boko Haram has forced at least 135 children to act as suicide bombers, almost five times the number in 2016. â€œIn Iraq and Syria, children have reportedly been used as human shields, trapped under siege, targeted by snipers and lived through intense bombardment and violence. â€œIn Myanmar, Rohingya children suffered

and witnessed shocking and widespread violence as they were attacked and driven from their homes in Rakhine state; while children in remote border areas of Kachin, Shan, and Kayin states continued to suffer the consequences of ongoing tensions between the Myanmar Armed Forces and various ethnic armed groups. â€œIn South Sudan, where conflict and a collapsing economy led to a famine declaration in parts of the country, more than 19,000 children have been recruited into armed forces and armed groups, and over 2,300 children have been killed or injured since the conflict first erupted in December 2013. â€œIn Somalia, 1,740 cases of child recruitment were reported in the first 10 months of 2017. â€œIn Yemen, nearly 1,000 days of fighting left at least 5,000 children dead or injured, according to verified data, with actual numbers expected to be much higher. More than 11 million children need humanitarian assistance. Out of 1.8 million children suffering from malnutrition,

385,000 are severely malnourished and at risk of death if not urgently treated.â€? The global body called on all parties to conflicts to abide by their obligations under international law to immediately end violations against children and the targeting of civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals. UNICEF also called on states with influence over parties to conflict to use that influence to protect children. Meanwhile, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has said it assisted 1.6 million people affected by insurgency in collaboration with Borno Ministry of Women Affairs in 2017. A statement issued by Ms Kori Habib, Media Associate, UNFPA Nigeria, said many health facilities were also supported within the period under review. According to the statement, about 59,000 deliveries were performed in 2017 in the supported health facilities. It said the agency also reached about 337,000 with Gender Based Violence prevention and response programmes. The statement, which

obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), quoted Dr Diene Keita, UNFPA Representative in Nigeria, as disclosing these during her first official visit to Borno for a first hand assessment of UNFPAâ€™s activities on ground. She added that the country representative was accompanied by the Deputy Representative, Dr. Eugene Kongnyuy; the Media Associate, and Humanitarian Officer. It said the representative visited Muna Garage and Farm Centre IDPs camps. â€œSome of the services rendered in those camps are the Safe Space, which provides a platform through which women and girls meet on a daily basis to rebuild their networks and make friends. â€œThe safe space avails the IDPs an opportunity to discuss their concerns, acquire life skills including information on various issues such as gender based violence, HIV and AIDS, reproductive health, hygiene and sanitation,â€™â€™ it said It said the safe space operates between 9a.m and 4.30p.m throughout the weekdays.

It added that UNFPA trained and deployed three PSS (Psychosocial Support) and two community mobiliser volunteers who jointly manage daily activities organised at the safe space. It noted that the state, through UNFPA support, have provided permanent structures as safe spaces in Kaga, Munguno, Bama and Damboa local government areas. The statement quoted the Country Representative as saying that UNFPA has been in Borno long before the insurgency. â€œWe can use our experiences before and after to guide our programme moving forward,â€™â€™ she said. Keita therefore appealed to the UNFPA humanitarian hub staff to appreciate the cultural and social norms of the people in the area. She said Borno was the most affected by the humanitarian crisis in North East Nigeria with 80 per cent of the 1.8 million Internally Displaced (IDPs) being in the state. According to her, UN estimates that 8.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in

2017 in the worst-affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. â€œThose affected in camps are women, girls and young people are severely affected with 54 per cent of the IDPs being female and 56 per cent below the age of 18 years. â€œThe humanitarian situation exposes IDPs, especially women and girls, to protection risks with limited access to reproductive health and gender-based violence prevention and response services,â€? Keita said.

TOP GAINERS NGN NGN % CADBURY 1.42 15.75 9.9 DOUBLE11 8.31 178.31 4.8 FIDELITY 0.11 2.49 4.6 LAWUNION 0.03 0.74 4.2 NEM 0.06 1.56 4.0 TOP LOSERS NGN NGN % OKOMUOIL 3.56 67.69 5.0 OMOLUABI 0.04 0.78 4.8 PRESCO 3.50 68.50 4.8 MCNICHOLS 0.06 1.20 4.7 NIGBREW 5.96 134.04 4.2 HPE Nestle Nig Plc â‚Ś1,475.00 Volume: 425.959 million shares Value: N 2.122 billion Deals: 2,937 As at yesterday 27/12/17 See details on Page 41

T H I S D AY THURSDAY DECEMBER 28, 2017

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STARTERS

APC Chieftain to Sponsor Mass Wedding of 100 couples in Sokoto Mohammed Aminu in Sokoto A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Sokoto State, Alhaji Umaru Kwabbo, yesterday said he would sponsor a mass wedding of 100 couples in the state. Kwabbo made the disclosure at a special prayer session held at his residence in Sokoto. He said the gesture was part of his contribution towards ensuring that single men and women were reduced to the barest minimum in the state. Kwabbo promised to shoulder all the cost of the wedding of the 100 couples. He said: "I am ready to sponsor the wedding of 100 couples in Sokoto state

as part of my support to singles who could not afford to do so. "These include payment of dowries, clothing, furniture, provision of food items, as well as other gifts to the couples after the wedding." According to him, his desire to give back to the society, is in line with Islamic teaching geared towards alleviating the suffering of the poor. He noted that many young men and women were in dire need of carrying out the Islamic obligation but due to economic hardship they could not afford to marry. Kwabbo said: â€œMany of our young men and women are in need of such urgent assistance, but due to the economic

situation in the country and other responsibilities associated with marriage in our society, they stay without marriage. â€œTherefore, I see this as one of the religious obligation as a Muslim and being someone that has been blessed by the Almighty God, I decided to give my own contribution in order to reduce the number of unmarried couples in our society." In his remarks, former Secretary to the Sokoto State Government, Alhaji Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, commended Kwabbo for his support to the less privileged in the state The prayer session was graced by many clerics, senior government officials, politicians and businessmen in the state.

Innoson Raps EFCC, Says Charge is Laughable

Two-Minute BrieďŹ ng NEWS Blame Game Continues as Fuel el Scarcity Persists in Abuja The relief felt in Lagos is yet to extend to Abuja as shortage of fuell persisted in the nationâ€™s federal capital territory yesterday. Page 10

EDITORIAL ANC And Relevance of African

Parties The outcome of ANC party congress and election holds lessons for Nigeria Page 15

POLITICS Okelekwe: 2019 Presidential Election is PDPâ€™s to Lose Chief Kodilichukwu Okelekwe, after taking a critical look at the performance of the APC ledgovernment, concludes that the next presidential election will be his partyâ€™s to lose in 2019. Page 18

FEATURES Garlands for the Gallant

Nigeriaâ€™s military recently elevated some officers attached to the Joint Task Force and soldiers from the 16 Brigade inYenagoa to various ranks. Emmanuel Addeh who was at the event, reports Page 20

BUSINESS Uwaje: NASS Responsible for

Nigeriaâ€™s Late Adoption of IPv6 6 Chris Uwaje has blamed the National Assembly (NASS) members that are responsible for the countryâ€™s laws formulation, for Nigeriaâ€™s late adoption of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). Page 23

EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu The Chairman and Managing Director of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM), Chief Innocent Chukwuma, has dismissed as laughable and a 'no issue' the alleged fraud charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). In a statement by Head of Corporate Communications Innoson Group, Mr. Cornel Osigwe, the entrepreneur said the purported charge was a calculated attempt by the anti-graft body to justify his arrest last week Tuesday. Innoson said the charge was an action taken in bad faith to change the narrative to him in bad light and divert the attention of the public that had continued to condemn his arrest. He said: "We have some reservations with the publication of the details of the suit in question on some online blogs because the charge, which EFCC purports to file against me has a temporary suit number: Temp/3315c/2017. This number is written with red pen at the top most right side of the charge published at EFCC's page. "By this temporary number it means that the charge is not yet before any court in Lagos State. Also, it means that the charge cannot be acted upon by any court in Lagos State and it cannot be served on any party as well. "As it is, the charge has not been filed. So why the media noise by the commission of filling fraud charges against

Innoson? We believe that it is a Volte face. Furthermore we are alarmed at how low EFCC could descend to be used by GTB to destroy the Nigeriaâ€™s foremost entrepreneur. We have it now in good authority that there is a grand conspiracy by an International competitor of Innoson Vehicles who have conspired with a financial institution to pull down Innoson Vehicles at all cost because of the latest increase of patronage of Innoson Vehicles by the Federal Government. "But we are amazed that EFCC, a Federal Government Agency who is supposed at all times to defend indigenous Nigerian companies who are working hard to make Nigeria great will allow itself to be used as a tool to kill and destroy these companies. Particulars of Offence Nigeria needs to ask EFCC if GTB as a bank has any license to import motorcycle spare parts or CKD. "A cursory look at the charges filed by EFCC at court is both laughable and constitutes a National embarrassment. The motorcycles being deemed the property of GTB were ordered by Innoson from its manufacturers and suppliers with a loan from GTB. Under letter of credit transaction, in international trade, bills of ladings are consigned to banks not because the banks â€“ consignees â€“ are the owners of the goods but rather to ensure that the seller is paid and the buyer receives the goods. "Mere consignment or endorsement of a bill of lading does not confer title in the goods covered by the bill of lading

to either the consignee or the endorsee. Where consignment or endorsement of a bill of lading is intended as a security for loan, consignment or endorsement in such circumstance does not transfer title in the goods to the consignee or the endorsee. "All Innosonâ€™s letter of credit transactions, through GTB, were confirmed LCs. In letter of credit transactions (LC), particularly but not exclusively confirmed LC, the term is cash against documents. Shipping documents are not released by the advising/correspondent bank to the Issuing Bank until the Issuing Bank pays for the goods. "At all material times, Innoson paid 25% of every LC value before it was opened. The media hype of EFCC portrayed Innoson and its promoter as having stolen goods belonging to GTB. We note the attempt of EFCC to get the courts to retry a matter Innoson had already secured judgment on." The IVM owner further reiterated his earlier statement that the commission was yet to tell him why he was arrested except to say on pages of newspapers that he was arrested because of his fraud at SEC and forgery of documents to obtain tax waivers. "While we await to be served the court papers, we want to advice the EFCC that if there is any complaint by GTB to EFCC, Innoson should be invited by the commission to clear its name, EFCC will then conducts its investigation before taking matter to court," he said.

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE Events that Shaped the Health h Sector in 2017 As 2017 winds down, Martins Ifijeh chronicles major events that shaped the health sector Page 36

INTERNATIONAL Weahâ€™s Supporters Claim Early Lead as Liberians Await Presidential Election Results Liberian election officials began tallying votes onWednesday from Tuesday Presidential elections. Page 50

SPORTS Injury May Force Onyekuru to

Miss Russia 2018 Nigeriaâ€™s Henry Onyekuru is in danger of missing out on next yearâ€™sWorld Cup after being ruled out for the rest of the season with a serious knee injury. Page 54

T H I S D AY THURSDAY DECEMBER 28, 2017

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017Ëž T H I S D AY

NEWS

Ă?ĂĄĂ? ĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ™Ăœ Davidson Iriekpen Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă– davidson.iriekpen@thisdaylive.com, 08111813081

Blame Game Continues as Fuel Scarcity Persists in Abuja NNPC berates DAPPMA, claims N26.7bn supplies debt PDP asks FG to explain alleged $1.1tn fraud

Chineme Okafor Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Onyebuchi Ezigbo Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă”Ă‹ The relief felt in Lagos is yet to extend to Abuja as shortage of fuel persisted in the nationâ€™s federal capital territory yesterday. Long queues remained the main feature of most part of the capital motorists spent hours waiting to be served the now essential commodity. In the meantime, the blame game on the cause of the acute shortage of the commodity continued yesterday with

the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) describing as â€˜very unfortunateâ€™ claims by the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA) that it (NNPC) was largely responsible for the scarcity of petrol in the country. This occurs just as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) demanded that the federal government should speak out on reports of alleged fraud in the oil regime whereupon 18 unregistered

companies were said to have been used to lift and divert $1.1 trillion worth of crude oil in the last one year. In a statement by its Group General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, in Abuja, the NNPC exonerated itself

from DAPPMAâ€™s accusations that it had not supplied its members petrol, and that its Direct Sale Direct Purchase (DSDP) products supply scheme had broken down, hence, the supply glitches that led to the scarcity. DAPPMA, on Tuesday

alleged that its members had fully paid the NNPC through its subsidiary, the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) in advance for petroleum products in excess of 500,000 metric tonnes, or about 800 million litres, but that their depots and tank

farms were still empty because supplies had not got to them. It equally blamed the unending fuel crisis on the challenges in the DSDP scheme within which it claimed some participants failed in their

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Audit Report: How Nigerian Judges, Court OfďŹ cials Defrauded Govt of N4.8bn About N4.8 billion was either misappropriated or unaccounted for between 2012 and 2015 by federal courts across the country, audit reports of the Auditor General of the Federation Â has revealed. An analysis of the reports covering four years by Premium Times showed how court officials illegally spent the taxpayersâ€™ money in flagrant abuse of the Fiscal Responsibility Act. The 2015 audit report is the last so for from the Office of the Auditor General. Most of the money was reportedly siphoned through ghost contracts, non-remittance of taxes, failure of senior court officials to retire advances collected for assignments and refusal to repay vehicle loans, the audit report revealed. In other instances, court officials overpaid for items bought, many payments made were without receipts and wide discrepancies were discovered in the transcript and analysis book, contrary to extant financial regulation. For instance, in 2012, the audit report showed that N985 million (N984,907,060) was not accounted for. In 2013, officials could not explain what they did with N71 million (N70,959,696) and in 2014, N1.4 billion (N1,446,767,605) was misappropriated through unlawful insurance policies, failure to pay taxes and missing documents to back expenditure. The amount misappropriated in 2015 almost doubled that of the preceding year. That year, the audit report revealed that officials of federal courts could not account for N2.4 billion (N2,389,583,032). A common scheme employed by officials to steal funds was the award of ghost projects, the report showed. Judicial officials serially released funds for projects that were either not executed or partially executed.

For instance, in 2012, the Court of Appeal in Abuja paid N20 million (N20,125,416) to five contractors to supply food supplements to judges and head of units. However, an audit of the payment vouchers and distribution list made in respect of the supplements discovered that out of 2,199 units of food supplement allegedly received, only 479 were distributed. Officials could not account for the balance of 1,720 units of food supplements valued at N15 million (N15,038,950). The missing supplements were not included in the distribution list. They were also not physically available in the store as at the time of the audit. In all, the Court of Appeal Abuja division could not account for N 160 million (N159,906,776), the reports showed. Taxes are the fuel with which economies are run. Taxes helps in the provision of basic amenities and infrastructures which in return translates to a high living standard of citizens. But officials of the Nigerian judiciary saddled with the task of collecting withholding taxes from contractor and companies, in some instances charged contractors only half of what they are required to pay by law or did not impose the required tax at all in other instance. In 2012, officials of the Federal Capital Territory High Court charged contractors only half of the withholding tax for the N446,738,199 contract awarded for consultancy services for the construction of the FCT High Court Headquarters Complex, Wuse, Abuja. â€œAn examination of the relevant payment voucher revealed that instead of the 10 per cent mandatory withholding tax, WHT for companies of N44,673,819 expected to be deducted at source and paid to the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) as directed by extant

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INDUCTING A NEW MEMBER

Lâ€“R; SecondVice President, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), Mr. Mohammed Olatunde Amolegbe; President, CIS, Mr. Oluwaseyi Abe, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar N. Onyema; newly inducted Associate Member of CIS/ First Vice President, CIS, Mr. Dapo Adekoje; and Council Member, NSE, Mr. Oluwole Ololade Adeosun, during the induction ceremony of Onyema, as an associate member of CIS at the Exchange in Lagos...recently

Tiwa Savage, Wizkid Robbed in Private Jet on Lagos Airport Runway The private jet conveying two top Nigerian musical artists, Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun aka Wizkid and Tiwa Savage from Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital was reportedly robbed on Tuesday night at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), while taxiing on the runway. Sources at the airport informed THISDAY that the aircraft, a Bombardier Challenger 605 jet with registration number T7-A00, arrived Lagos at about 8:33p.m and was slowly taxiing to the arrival hangar when the cargo compartment was burgled. Reports said the jet slowed to allow an Ethiopia Airlines cargo plane with registration number ET-ARH to push back for takeoff. â€œThe pilot of the business jet, Captain Cloud Cote, noticed the cargo door had been opened by burglars and promptly notified the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) security but the burglars had disappeared before FAAN officials could make it to where the attack took place,â€? a source said. THISDAY also gathered that Tiwa Savage and Wizkid upon arrival at Quits Aviation Centre, a private jet hangar, the pilot

discovered that two of their bags had been stolen by the airport bandits. It was further gathered that the burglary was similar to the one that happened a fortnight ago when a business jet from Istanbul that arrived the Lagos airport to pick a passenger was also attacked on the same taxiway of the Lagos airport. It was learnt that many aircraft that arrive and take off from the Lagos airport are not escorted as FAAN has only one escort vehicle for arriving and departing aircraft for the entire airport which handles over 200 flights everyday. A former Chief Security Officer of the MMIA told THISDAY that he was disturbed when he first heard of the incident and doubted the possibility of it happening at the Runway 18L where the incident actually happened. â€œI was disturbed when I read the report because I donâ€™t see that happening at Runway 18L where the aircraft taxied from to the EAN facility. If it is Runway 19R one could say that somebody can hide there because that area is bushy. So it will be difficult for anybody to come to that part of the runway

because Caverton Helicopters is building a facility there, so the area is busy and nobody can get there without being seen,â€? he said. There are indications; however, that the movement of the people who work at projects located at the runway area create the security breach that enables suspected criminals to have access to the runway of the airport. The source also expressed worry over the report that there was only one patrol vehicle to escort planes on the runway and described such as unfortunate. He noted that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had directed that every aircraft on takeoff and landing should be escorted, adding that there should be two escort vehicles for the international terminal of the airport, one for General Aviation Terminal (GAT), one for the domestic terminal, MMA2 and one for business aviation, Quits Aviation Terminal. However, FAAN management in a statement signed by its spokesman, Mrs, Henrietta Yakubu, denied the possibility of such theft and

said that it was not possible for anyone to burgle an aircraft in motion. It said because aircraft are highly technical machines, it is practically impossible for anyone who does not have the requisite training and competence to operate or tamper with the baggage compartment. â€œIt would be recalled that two incidents of alleged poaching were recently reported, the latest being that which occurred on a chartered flight from Uyo to Lagos on December 26, 2017. â€œThe authority noted that in both instances, preliminary findings from investigations conducted by an inter-agency committee set up to probe the allegations could not substantiate the claims. The purported victims in the said cases also did not make themselves available for questioning, in the quest to unravel the case,â€? the statement said. FAAN said investigations are still ongoing and it would like to reassure travellers and the public that with the level of safety and security systems on ground at the airports, it was practically impossible for an aircraft to be burgled within â€œour runways and aprons.â€?

T H I S D AY THURSDAY DECEMBER 28, 2017

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COMMENT

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

TOO CHINESE TO BE IRRELEVANT

Mao Zedungâ€™s use of collective labour is an ancient practice across Africa, writes Okello Oculi

â€˜

The worst form of human rights violation is to deny a people information about human affairs and feed them with silence about itâ€™, so said a local wit. An example of this was silence across Africa and the Americas about unconventional initiatives directed by Mao Zedung in the struggle to build development in China. Most of it came to small groups of â€˜â€™radical studentsâ€™â€™ in several American university campuses who were desperately hungry for contradictions to an American power that was waging war against Vietnamese people. Several of such wits can be recalled. Dr John Bryant told the story of Mao defeating a pandemic of schistosomiasis whose hosts were snails which lived in holes on banks of rivers. They released eggs which bore into feet of victims and travelled into human liver causing swelling of bellies and bleeding that came out in urine. Companies that made huge profits from selling medicinal drugs sold known cures at prices which China could not afford without taking loans from countries that manufactured the drugs. Mao Zedungâ€™s solution was to turn his people into the equivalent of the mountains from which they had launched their victorious guerrilla warfare. On the same day the Communist Party of China sent 14 million people into rivers to scoop out offending snails. The death of these hosts also eliminated the disease. When rats became consumers of food items and spread plague and other diseases, members of the Chinese Communist Party were instructed to attend weekly meetings with at least one tail â€˜â€™borrowedâ€™â€™ from a rat. This measure severely tested the generosity of rats, especially those accustomed to visiting peopleâ€™s kitchens and eating root crops on farms. When party leaders reported complaints by farmers against invasions of ripe grains on their farms by sky-darkening swarms of â€˜â€™quilla birdsâ€™â€™, Mao advised 10 million farmers to bang tins and drums all-night long. Since birds cannot survive without a required amount of sleep, they would drop dead in the morning and supplement diets of farmers. The party, thereby, denied businessmen contracts for spraying chemicals across vast cereal farms. Malaria was fought with campaigns for draining out stagnant bodies of water, grasses and bushes around homes, elimination of rain water collected in broken pots and other containers. The denial of bodies of water for mosquito larvae to survive denies malaria that destructive access to human blood as breeding diet. Money guzzling measures like purchases of chemicalised mosquito nets and anti-mosquito sprays were blocked from rolling loans from â€˜â€™donorsâ€™â€™ into China. The other wit was that of training â€˜â€™barefoot doctorsâ€™â€™ â€“ a concept familiar across Africa as primary school children travelling on bare soles of their feet to catch flowers of education. Dr Edward Margai once told stories about deep bitterness among secondary school youths from rural Sierra Leone who

WHILE TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE IN ZARIA CITY, I WITNESSED A COMMUNAL ROAD CONSTRUCTION WORK IN WHICH THE RHYTHM OF DIGGING FOLLOWED DRUMBEATS, SONGS AND SHOUTS TO ANIMATE VIBRANT MUSCLES. IN MOST FARMING COMMUNITIES, GROUPS OF MEN DO WORK FOR DIFFERENT HOUSEHOLDS ON A ROTATIONAL BASIS

were much insulted by children of urban Creole families going about boarding school grounds tracking their bare footprints as those of â€˜â€™hooves of animalsâ€™â€™. Under Maoâ€™s wit â€˜â€™barefoot doctorsâ€™â€™ were medical auxiliaries who lived among local communities and handled simple health problems â€“ including bleeding from minor injuries. In Africa, Professor Olukoye Ransome-Kuti was a much celebrated advocate and supporter of what he broadcast to other African countries as â€˜â€™Primary Health Careâ€™â€™. This matter of policies informed by past practices assumed much importance under Muamar Gaddafi. Italian colonial rulers imported Sicilian peasants to produce agricultural products on soils from which Libyan farmers and cattle rearers had been chased away: with many killed. They also prohibited employment of Libyans in Italian factories and industrial activities. When Gaddafi seized power in 1969, he had to import workers from Egypt to replace the Italians he had â€“ in retaliation - deported from Libya. To grow ALFALFA grass to feed over 100,000 sheep in the desert, he imported experts from Arizona State in America. NATOâ€™s fear that immigrants from China, Philippines, Indonesia and West Africa would create a strong industrial economy in Libyaâ€“ including exploitation of gas discovered on Egyptâ€™s coastline at Alexandria â€“ hastened the expulsion of foreign workers, a military bombardment and the assassinated of Gaddafi. This legacy of labour crossing borders is worth further imaginative consideration. As an example, scores of millionaires in Nnewi (Anambra State) could honour Odumegwu Ojukwuâ€™s sojourn to Ivory Coast by funding a brigade of scientists and entrepreneurs mobilised from across Africa to build factories for manufacturing products out of mineral and agricultural resources in the vast zone from South Sudan to North-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Mao Zedungâ€™s use of collective labour was an ancient practice across Africa. While taking photographs of traditional architecture in Zaria City, I witnessed a communal road construction work in which the rhythm of digging followed drumbeats, songs and shouts to animate vibrant muscles. In most farming communities, groups of men do work for different households on a rotational basis. Accordingly, Otedola and fellow millionaires could mobilise unemployed youths from Gambia to Ethiopia, from Mozambique to Cameroun, to plant and irrigate several rings of trees for â€˜â€™Great Green Wallsâ€™â€™ to stop the Sahara desert from agricultural soils through wind erosion and sand dunes. Other youths would replant forests looted by companies ranging from Malaysia and South Korea to Scandinavian countries; and building their own small and medium scale wood-based industries. Collectivised Peopleâ€™s Power must build Africa.

SECONDUS AND OSUN GUBER ELECTION (2) Osun election is a test case for the national chairman, writes Lawson Makinde

n opinion poll recently conducted by an non-governmental organization in Osun State on the kind of governor the people will cast their votes for in 2018 clearly revealed their preference for a young gubernatorial candidate who combines adequate knowledge of the dynamics of the economy of the state with a measure of international exposure. These qualities, according to the poll, will place the governor at a vantage position to identify areas of profitable investment and attract foreign direct investment that will jumpstart the economy of the state from its present dormant position. According to the poll, the individual that the majority of Osun people are craving for is one Adeolu Durotoye, a Professor of Political Science at Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti who has indicated interest to run for the gubernatorial race in Osun State next year on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party. The opinion poll indicates that people are more at home with this Osogbo-born university don as a result of his international exposure, his pedigree as an astute administrator; his amiable, friendly and unassuming personality which has made him a bridge between the young and the old. It is widely believed that he will bring his rich experience and global connection to bear in running the affairs of the state as governor and, in effecting a positive change in the living standard of the people. His case is further helped by his slogan that ``Governance is 80% Economics and 20% politics``. He seems to understand the nitty-gritty of governance. With the precarious situation Osun state has found itself, a man of

ideas is indeed needed to turn things around. To political analysts, this is the type of people Prince Uche Secondus should pitch his tent with in order to bring about a resurgence in the fortunes of PDP in Osun State. Secondus cannot afford to foist any candidate on PDP in Osun State on the basis of friendship and parochial considerations. This presupposes that Secondus has a lot of work to do in liberalising the nomination process and primaries in the state. It must be stated that the success of Secondus in resolving intra-party disputes in Osun State is predicated on his ability to calm frayed nerves in the South West, which is currently seething with anger over the alleged unfair treatment meted out to the geo-political zone during the national convention that produced Uche Secondus as the new chair of the party. Nothing epitomises the animosity of the South West more than the manner in which some of its leading lights withdrew from the national chairmanship race. And this singular act has very debilitating political implications for PDP in the South West. For example, on the eve of the convention, Chief Olabode George, a former deputy national chairman of the party backed out from the contest over the failure of the party to abide by an earlier arrangement which micro zoned the chairmanship to the South West. George also accused Governor Wike of insulting the South West by saying the zone had not played important role in bringing about progress to PDP to warrant its demand for the national chairmanship position. Another equally big fish is no other person than Professor Tunde Adeniran, former Minister of Education, who also walked out of the venue of the convention

in anger along with his teeming supporters in protest against the outcome of the convention. Adeniran rejected outright the electoral process that declared Secondus victorious and called on the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee to hand over the affairs of the political party to the Board of Trustees for a fresh election. The rejection of the election by Adeniran was vividly captured in no uncertain terms by the Director of Media and Publicity of the Adeniran Campaign Organization, Taiwo Akeju. He said, â€œWe reject the entire electoral process of December 9, 2017. The election was grossly compromised to achieve a predetermined end in line with the illegal â€œUnity Listâ€? prepared by Governors Nyeson Wike and Ayodele Fayose foisted on the entire delegatesâ€?. Akeju, who spoke on behalf of Prof. Adeniran said further, â€œConsequently, we submit that this election is a sham and its result is unacceptable. We reject it in its entirely. We consider this so-called election as a travesty of democracy and due process, which further entrenches the culture of impunity that has done a great damage to the party in the pastâ€?. The displeasure and bitterness of these political juggernauts could engender antipathy among its supporters and rob the party of the much-needed goodwill of people in 2018 Osun gubernatorial election and the 2019 presidential election in general. What then should Secondus do to starve off the negative effects of these profound opposition of some of his co-contestants and shield himself from the cacophony of verbal assaults and political attacks from the aggrieved members of his party

in the South West? First, he should embark on a reconciliation tour of the zone, a move he has already started. Second, he should instil public confidence in the manner in which he pilots the affairs of the party. One way of achieving this is to provide a level playing ground for all political aspirants under the aegis of the PDP. This will go a long way in ensuring that candidates that are more acceptable to the people are nominated for elective positions, thereby brightening the chances of the party in recording landslide electoral victory over other political parties in the state. One sure way of taking all the members of the party along is for the national chairman to organise a congress in Osun State at the ward, local and state levels to elect party executive members. In like manner, Secondus will also boost his public image by quickly following this with the release of guidelines for the governorship primaries in the State of the Living Spring. Osun is, therefore, a litmus test for Uche Secondus. Will he seize the opportunity of his success at the poll to write his name in gold as the PDP national chairman who superintends the rebirth of a party that has been torn by intra-party squabbles over the last three years? Or will he elect to go down in history as the man at the helm of affairs that drives the PDP into political oblivion? Certainly, the choice is for him to make. It should, however, be at the back of his mind that his ability to revitalise Osun PDP will catapult the party to victory in the 2018 governorship election and will also contribute to the success of the party in the 2019 presidential election. Makinde is a Lagos-based public affairs analyst

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EDITORIAL ANC AND RELEVANCE OF AFRICAN PARTIES The outcome of ANC party congress and election holds lessons for Nigeria

t a period when the prevalence of ageing leaders hanging on to power by endlessly manipulating electoral processes is becoming a global embarrassment, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa has put some cheering veneer on Africaâ€™s troubled experience with multi-party democracy. This is the effective backdrop to understanding the signiďŹ cance of the just concluded ANC party congress and elections. Before the contest, President Jacob Zumaâ€™s entrenchment strategy was fed by well-oiled corruption machinery which at the last count has him facing more graft charges than all the other African leaders put together. His government had also begun to wear autocratic gear as he plotted to entrench a virtual self-succession plan led by his ex-wife, Ms. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. More worrisome was the fact that the scale of Zumaâ€™s integrity deďŹ cit had become for South Africa a national security issue. Fortunately, A RULING PARTY NEEDS sanity has prevailed. INTERNAL CREDIBILITY By the ANC constiAND ADHERENCE TO DUE tution, the contest PROCESS TO HOLD POWER for the leadership AND ENSURE DEMOCRATIC of the party is also CONTINUITY a contest for the leadership of the country. The contending tendencies and forces in South African politics therefore crystallised around the two major contestants at the ANC party convention. While Ms. Dlamini -Zuma represented a continuation of the status quo, Mr. Cyril Ramphosa was a clear departure, rooted as he is in the liberation struggle. In the contest for leadership, the ruling ANC was sorely divided between the Zuma led freewheeling ruling collective and the mass of the party membership who saw the historical and ideological foundations of the liberation party being tragically eroded and ruined. The youth and liberation ďŹ ghters who formed the bulk of the party membership along with its urban township

support base were becoming increasingly alienated. Rival parties and political coalitions waxed stronger by the day, chipping away at the ANCâ€™s long standing pre-eminence. Increasingly, the previously invincible ANCâ€™s hold on power was withering away. The party of Nelson Mandela was fast receding into a vulnerable artifact under the weight of Zumaâ€™s rudderless leadership.

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he world has welcomed the outcome of the ANC elections and the prospect of Ramaphosaâ€™s ascendancy to the countryâ€™s presidency. That outcome bodes well both for South Africaâ€™s economy and the people. It also lifts the cloud from the prospect of social implosion which would have rendered the country too weak to continue acting as the guarantor of peace and order in Southern and Central Africa. For us in Nigeria, the success of ANC election ought to hold numerous lessons. First, a ruling party needs internal credibility and adherence to due process to hold power and ensure democratic continuity. Second, truly great parties are made so by their relevance to and connection with the history of the country over which they preside. Such parties become organic entities because they hold certain values to be sacrosanct and therefore judge their leaders and followers by those values. Third, a political party nomination process does not have to be a bazaar where votes are traded or some hollow rituals for the imposition of unpopular candidates. In a truly organic party like the ANC or the two major parties in either the United States or the United Kingdom, the line of power succession is fairly predictable just as the ideological tendencies are known. The leaders of these parties and the countries in which they hold sway is furnished by the history of adherence to party and nation. A situation such as we have in Nigeria where parties come into existence or die off depending on their electoral advantages can hardly contribute to national development. Nor can such seasonal parties that come alive only on the eve of elections become instruments of national stability let alone tolerable governance.

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Letters to the Editor

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.

KUDOS, ADAMAWA BOARD OF INTERNAL REVENUE

he Adamawa State Board of Internal Revenue has of recent witnessed a gigantic transformation and turn around. This was made possible because of the reorganisation of the board by the new management under the able leadership of Alhaji Hammanadama Adama Njabari. The Chairman, Alhaji HammanAdama Njabari and his team are putting all it takes to place the board on the pedestal for the collection of all taxes due to government in order to complement what the state is getting from the federation account. The new management has so far taken the bull by the horn in actualising the collection of all taxes. One of the ways introduced was the construction of a pilot park for the Keke Napep in Jimeta Modern Market in order to increase internally generated revenue (IGR). This would go a long way in assisting the government to deliver the dividend of democracy. Plans are under way for similar pilot project in all the 21 local government areas of the state. Alhaji Njabari and his able lieutenants especially the directors have tremendously increased the revenue portfolio where it rose from N250 million to more than N500 million monthly. This was as a result of their commitment and adherence to non-pilfering of what is accruing to the state. The management of the board under Njabari is assiduously working round the clock to not only meeting the set target, but

to even surpass it. New innovations are being put in place. Some taxes hitherto not being collected are now among the taxes that are collected, thereby increasing the revenue of the government. It is worthy of note that the success story fetched an award of Kwame Nkrumah Exemplary leadership to Alhaji Njabari by the West African Students Parliament. The innovations in the board have brought sanity to the collection of revenue. There was an active drive for increased revenue in the past three months since the new management ascended the mantle of leadership. The initiatives underscore the efforts of the board towards ensuring that key tax processes are automated in order to improve transparency, ease and speed of tax administration. The turn-around of the board is as a result of the mandate given to it by the state government through the state executive council. In order to generate revenue, the board embarked on online payment sensitisation to all government ministries and parastatals on its â€œpoint on saleâ€? new device in financial transaction that would enhance the revenue generation profile of the state. The turn-around of the board is geared towards shifting the government dependence on the federation allocation that in most time is insufficient for government to undertake any meaningful development projects for the benefit of the people of the state. Usman Santuraki, Jimeta, Yola

UTAGBA-OGBE LANGUISHES IN AGONY

elta State and the federal government should save our soul in Kwale. Petrol stations are hoarding petrol and prices have skyrocketed and these have kept people stressed up and unhappy during the yuletide. Indeed, Utagba-Ogbe communities in Ndokwa-west local government are languishing in agony. As at the time of writing, a litre of petrol is sold for between N200 and N300. I know the law of economics is that when there is low supply and high demand, price increases. While it is so for general products, that should not be the case for petrol because under Nigeria law, the government, through NNPC is charged with setting price for the product. Hence, the price should be constant regardless of the law of demand and supply. Blessing Egutu, Umusadege, Kwale

T H I S D AY THURSDAY DECEMBER 28, 2017

Vol. 1 Issue 25 Dec. 28, 2017

Nextier Power is a consulting firm that provides policy advisory, investment advisory, and support services to the electricity supply industry. The firm aims to use this weekly publication to educate Nigerians on the intricacies of the Nigeria electricity supply industry on the assumption that a more informed public would advocate for the right policies and programmes which, in turn, would lead to a robust market that delivers the electricity needs of Nigerians. This column will cover everything from the basics of the industry to the more intricate, sometimes, complex policies and programmes.

Transmission Infrastructure Demands will result in a capacity rise from the current 7,000MW.

Introduction The Transmission Company of Nigeria’s (TCN) network consists of high voltage substations with a wheeling capacity of approximately 6,000 megawatts (MW) and over 23,000km of transmission lines, operating at a nominal frequency of 50 Hertz (Hz). This article discusses TCN’s infrastructure demands, directions for proposed capacity improvement and gives an insight to how other populated countries handle transmission infrastructure. History and Growth Following the unbundling of Nigeria’s power sector utilities in 2006, TCN emerged from the defunct NEPA alongside seventeen other firms by the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) of 2005. TCN also obtained its transmission license on July 1, 2006. The company was split into two functions: Transmission Service Provider (TSP) which had the mandate to develop, maintain and expand transmission infrastructures and the System Operator (SO)/ Market Operator (MO) which has the mandate to carry out energy delivery services, monitor the grid and the ensure frequency stability through its National Control Centre (NCC) at Osogbo in Osun state. Kindly visit https://goo.gl/oe4EeW for more on the growth and structure of TCN. In 2012, the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) appointed a Management Contractor, Manitoba Hydro International (MHI) to operate TCN for three years. This was intended to ensure a reformed transmission section that could compete with the generating companies (GenCos) and distribution companies (DisCos) that were eventually privatised in 2013. Although the original MHI contract management ended in June 2015, the present administration under President Muhammadu Buhari extended it by one year. After which an Interim Managing Director (IMD), Mr Usman Gur Mohammed was appointed in January 2017 announced a 6,000MW wheeling capacity, which has been doubted by industry experts. This is presently higher than the 5,500MW DisCos’ network can deliver to customers and below the 7,139MW available from grid power generators (Nigeria Electricity System Operator data). Capacity Requirements for Nigeria Nigeria is estimated to be about 180 million in population size. According to the World Bank, about 95 million Nigerians do not have access to electricity, laying a huge investment task on both government and the private sector. Statistics from the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing puts a national peak demand forecast at 19,100MW which is 13,000MW higher than the present 6,000MW transmission capacity, and 5.500MW distribution network operational

TREP also targets critical regional transmission projects that will boost the grid and make it more sustainable. Part of the programme is the on-going enforcement of the Free Governor Control System across the GenCos by TCN to automatically adjust frequency while warning defaulting GenCos. Presently, TCN management is advancing on procurement processes for the various loans. While the $486 million World Bank loan is at 50 percent procurement stage and may be signed by April 2018, procurement for AFD's $170m is 60 per cent complete.

capability. In order to adequately meet the national peak demand, generating companies who presently have 7,139MW available capacity would have invest further to add 11,961MW. The international standard demands a ratio of 1,000 MW of electricity to 1 million people therefore, the urgency of the need for grid expansion cannot be overemphasized. An expansion would be a catalyst for speedy economic growth and development. While a fellow African country such as South Africa with a population of 55.91 has grown its generation and transmission infrastructure to about 40,000MW peak production and a spinning reserve of 2,000MW for emergency purposes, Nigeria still hovers at barely ten percent of South Africa. Transmission in Other Densely Populated Countries According to industry experts, a key index for an advanced transmission system is the minimal or no occurrence of losses. The World Atlas statistics reveals that Singapore tops the list of most efficient transmission utilities globally, with one per cent loss. Others include Iceland at 2 percent losses of output, South Korea with 3 percent and Germany with 4 per cent losses; however, Nigeria still benchmarks its losses at about 12 percent (Sweet Crude Reports). The success in these countries can be attributed to technological innovations like Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), smart and super grid networks, forward-thinking governmental policies and unbroken transmission investment plans. While Nigeria uses 50 Hertz (Hz) nominal frequency, the United States grid uses 60Hz to balance its grid frequency and load demand. It has a super grid that evacuates electricity at 765 kilovolts (kV), whereas Nigeria’s transmission structure only allows for 330kV despite the distance from the power plants to where electricity is required.

With a large population of 1.32 billion, India has installed generation capacity of 314,642MW, peak demand of 144,120MW and met 143,407MW of it as at September 2017. With a 90,0000km transmission system and a yearly investment plan, India maintains its transmission regions while wheeling electricity from 220kv to 725kv through a super grid. The Continental US also operates a five-regional system approach to decentralise electricity transmission which are still missing in Nigeria. The South African Transmission Development Plan (TDP) reports that Eskom evacuates power from 132kv to 765kv power comparable to the US model with over 28,000km of high voltage transmission lines. The TDP document launched in October 2015 detailed the 2016 - 2025 target of connecting new power stations to the grid and expanding wheeling system in its four regions and 10 provinces for R146bn. Plans for Nigeria TCN has the mandate to double the wheeling capacity to meet up with the generation capacity. The company is set to achieve this as part of the Power Sector Recovery Programme (PSRP) of the federal government by 2020. Its Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme (TREP) will require $1.5bn loan from multilateral donors. About $486 million will come from World Bank and $210 million from Islamic Development Bank (IDB). The Agency for French Development (AFD) has committed to providing $454 million, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will contribute $200m, while $200 million will come from the African Development Bank (AfDB). The funds are intended for rehabilitating and upgrading substations and transmission lines by 3,000MW, installation of SCADA and overall infrastructural improvements that

Recommendations The historical development of the transmission infrastructure in Nigeria has shown that the ability to sustain policies and development plans for a robust power sector has been a huge challenge. The FGN under President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola must show more commitment towards realising the current Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Plan (TREP) if Nigeria is to see a drastic improvement in power supply by 2020. Conclusion Most countries that have properly functioning grid systems operate based on the regional transmission approach with modern technologies including SCADA, hence, Nigeria must begin to adopt and execute projects based on a robust regional plan to achieve a stabilised grid system and reduce transmission loses. The desire of the federal government must also be demonstrated henceforth in the budgetary funding of the sector alongside a commitment to prudently utilise the performance-based loans to be raised from international financiers. A prudent project management culture will also help Nigeria to have operational SCADA system, supergrid and enhance the on-going free governor control regime to curb system collapses and improve transmission efficiency. Author Simon Echewofun Sunday is an energy correspondent in Abuja Editor Chinazo Ifeanyi-Nwaoha is a power sector analyst focused on the interplay of policy-practice and regulation Next Topics Jan. 3

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Captive Generation

www.nextierpower.com empower@nextierpower.com

T H I S D AY THURSDAY DECEMBER 28, 2017

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017

POLITICS

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

PERSONALITY INTERVIEW

Okelekwe: 2019 Presidential Election is PDP’s to Lose A former governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in Anambra, Chief Kodilichukwu Okelekwe, after taking a critical look at the performance of the All Progressives Congress led-government, concludes that the next presidential election will be his party’s to lose in 2019. He spoke to Senator Iroegbu. Excepts: on Monday and that same day, he inaugurated the reconciliation committee ably led by the governor of Bayelsa, Henry Seriake Dickson and they have already commenced work. So far, the response has been so positive in their encounter with the aggrieved people, I have no doubt in my mind that PDP has struck gold in the election of Prince Secondus as the national chairman.

What is your take on the state of Anambra PDP? I really lack the right adjective to describe it. Here is a state that is predominantly PDP and yet, we have not been able to win the governorship election since 2003, because of internal crisis and bickering; that is just the only issue. If we can get over our internal crisis and bickering, no other party can smell the governorship of Anambra state. In fact, the PDP given the right circumstance, annd the right leadership can rule Anambra State in perpetuity, because Anambra is PDP and PDP is Anambra state. Our challenge is how to get over our differences and work together as a family. The Anambra PDP was scheduled to have a congress recently, things did not go right. What actually was the problem? Yes, we scheduled to have a congress. I was supposed to be a participant in that congress. I declared interest to run for the chairmanship of the party in Anambra State. I consulted widely; reached out far and wide to all the critical stakeholders, because my interest is to make sure that we unite the PDP in Anambra state as one happy family, where all our different interests will be aggregated into a common goal, which is to restore PDP back to power in Anambra state. That was what prompted me to contest for the chairmanship of the party in Anambra. Unfortunately, some forces were bent on imposing a particular leadership on the party in Anambra state, and that stalled the congress. That was why the congress didn’t hold; but surprisingly, we heard that a letter was written recognising somebody as state chairman in an election that didn’t take place. I am sure that letter must have been forged, because there was no election. One of the reasons why the state congress did not hold was that the State Congress Electoral Panel that came from Abuja to conduct the election did not come with the authentic delegates list. Because of this, all the critical stakeholders, including the entire members of the National Assembly did not show up at the venue of the congress. Even the members of the electoral panel, led by Prof. Osita Ogbu, were not present at the purported congress. Again, the outgone members of the National Caretaker Committee agreed that there was no election in Anambra state. That was why there were no special delegates from Anambra state in the PDP convention. Only about 21 statutory delegates voted at the convention, because the congress did not hold and because it didn’t hold, there was no special delegate from Anambra state. If there were no special delegates from Anambra state because the congress didn’t hold, how was the chairman elected?, Or was he appointed? That is why I said that the letter must have been forged, because there was no congress in Anambra state, but I am happy that the new leadership has stepped in. Recently, the national vice chairman, South-east zone, Chief Austin Umahi addressed a press conference at the national secretariat in Abuja, where he set the record straight that there was no congress in Anambra state and that the party would take its time to put things right in Anambra state. Anambra State is very strategic, once we get things right in Anambra state, it will be a pointer of greater things to come. You are offering yourself for the chairmanship of Anambra PDP, what are you bringing to the table? I am offering myself for the chairmanship of the party because of the state of affairs of the party in Anambra state. I believe I can do something to turn around the fortunes of the

Okelekwe

party in the state for good. Am not doing it for any personal gain but to turn things around, to show that things can be done differently. So, that we can begin to win again and that was why in my consultation with people all the critical stakeholders endorsed me for three basic reasons: one, integrity; I have integrity. Two, without sounding immodest, I am comfortable and because I am comfortable, nobody can use money to tempt me to do something that is not in the interest of the party. Nobody can use money to push me around; nobody can use money to intimidate me. Thirdly, in the entire factional crisis in PDP in Anambra, I have remained neutral. I am friends with everybody in PDP and so, it was easy for me to get all the critical stakeholders to endorse my candidature for state chairmanship of the party. But like I said before, some forces that were bent on foisting a particular leadership on the party in Anambra weren’t comfortable with that. They were bent on having their way even at the detriment of the development and growth of the party. Back to your earlier question about the motivation for contesting for the chairmanship of the party, in my meetings with stakeholders, I presented a four-point agenda to all the critical stakeholders of the party in Anambra state. Number one on that agenda is to unite the party in Anambra. Without unity, we cannot achieve anything, unifying the different factions of the party, so that we can work as a family. Secondly, to integrate the party into the various communities in Anambra state, and how do we do that? We need to rebrand and strategically reposition the party. I have a clear thought out ideas on how to integrate the party into the various communities in Anambra state; but for strategic reasons I will not discuss them on the pages of newspaper, otherwise other parties will copy it. But that is my joker to make sure PDP wins the state and National Assembly elections in 2019. To ensure that PDP returns to Government House, Agu-Awka in 2022. And of course in making sure that whoever PDP

fields in 2019 as presidential candidate wins convincingly in Anambra State. Lastly, the fourth agenda, which I have mentioned in the course of this discussion, is to work with the national leadership of the party to make sure that PDP democratically returns to Aso Rock in 2019. That is my four-point agenda. I am not contesting because I want to turn PDP in Anambra state into a money making machine. No. I am contesting to restore the lost glory of the party in Anambra, so that we can begin to win again. I am encouraged by the fact that the critical stakeholders also bought into my agenda and that is why they are supporting me and I am grateful to them and ultimately grateful to God for the journey so far. After the last convention, the new national chairman said he has a one point agenda: to return PDP to Aso Rock. Do you think this is achievable? Yes, it is very achievable. If you look at the antecedents of the national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, he was two-time chairman of PDP in Rivers State, former National Organising Secretary, former Deputy National Chairman, former acting national chairman and ultimately national chairman. Nobody is better equipped to return PDP to power than Prince Uche Secondus. He personifies PDP. He is an embodiment of PDP. He breathes PDP. He thinks PDP. So, it is achievable. The election of Uche Secondus as PDP national chairman can simply be described as putting a square peg in a square hole. He will return PDP to Aso Rock in 2019. I have no doubt about that, because he has the experience, exposure. He came into the office prepared. He is not going to waste a day learning on the job, he knows PDP like his palm. For the first time in the history of the PDP we have the right man for the national chairmanship position. He has come to the job fully prepared and so he has hit the ground running from day one. You can see what he did, he took over

...But the APC says Nigerians should not trust the PDP with power again, how do you react to that? The facts speak for themselves. For 16 years we were in power, when we handed over power on the 29th of May 2015, what was the exchange rate of the dollar?, It was about 180 naira per dollar, today what is it? At a point it went to 500 naira per dollar and then came down to about 365 naira to a dollar, which is where it is now. What of petrol? When PDP was in power a litre of petrol was sold for N85, even when a barrel was being sold for about $100 in the international market yet the PDP government was able to keep the price of petrol at N85 per litre. Today, although the price of oil has gone down drastically, fuel is being sold at N145. The price of fuel ought to be a reflection of the international price of petrol, but instead the reverse is the case. While oil is falling in the international market, the pump price of petrol in Nigeria is rising. The APC promised that they will be creating three million jobs per annum and the reverse is the case. We are losing more than that number they promised to be creating per annum. This one is not my word. It is the figure from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Where do you start? Our people have a saying it goes like this” it is good to carry firewood and also carry water so that you can determine which one is heavier”, Nigerians have tested PDP and they are now testing APC. They now know which one is heavier and I can tell you that come 2019 Nigerians will overwhelmingly return PDP to power. My advice to PDP is that we must make sure that we elect the right person as our presidential candidate. The election is ours to lose. Once we pick the right presidential candidate, Nigerians will overwhelmingly return PDP to power. We can see that APC was not ready for governance. They were more interested in taking power but they have no blue print for governance. It is just a marriage of strange bed fellows, who were united by one objective which is their hatred for PDP and the quest to push PDP out of power; having done that they ran out of ideas; because they were never prepared in the first place for governance. Governance is a serious business and PDP we have done it before. We have the experience and we can do it again. That does not mean that there were no mistakes in the past. As is the case with anything human, we are not infallible; infallibility belongs to God. We have learnt from those minor mistakes and we will take them into account when we return to the government in 2019. There are certain things that PDP will no doubt do differently based on past experiences. On the whole, PDP has done much better than APC has done. For instance, under PDP, Nigeria became the biggest economy in Africa. Today, what’s happening? I don’t even know where we are. The use of mobile phones in Nigeria is a PDP achievement. I like to speak with facts, not propaganda. I like to point to empirical evidence. The facts on ground will speak for PDP and my only advice to our leaders is to make sure that the right presidential candidate is picked for 2019. I have no doubt in my mind that once that is done, the rest as they say would be history.

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017

ANALYSIS

Chukwueke: No Regret Supporting Buhari A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Imo State, Chief Jerry Chukwueke , who suddenly withdrew his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party to support President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, says he took the right decision then. He spoke with Amby Uneze who presents the excerpts:

n 2014/2015 you were a strong guber aspirant under the PDP in Imo State. Why did you suddenly withdraw before the primaries? I’ve heard concerns by many Imolites on why I withdrew from the primaries. I was chairman of PDP mobilization committee. I spent thirteen months of my business and private life time including funding to rebuild PDP and the record is there for all to see. For thirteen months, I brought PDP together, strong, united, and ready to win governorship and other elections. If anything, that is the most important track record I have politically. There were two reasons why I left PDP and that has something to do with my withdrawing 12 hours to the primary election in 2014. One was the fact that the party leadership in Abuja strongly urged me to withdraw and to make my delegates available to the then Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha to emerge at the primaries. It is a known fact that the former deputy speaker leveraged on his position in Abuja bearing in mind that Jonathan’s administration needed stability. Being a good party man, I painfully obliged them. Secondly it was also the issue of Owerri Zone to produce a gubernatorial candidate under PDP in 2015 election as my delegates made all the difference. I have worked for the Buhari/ Okadigbo campaign structure under APP as a member of the Finance Committee and that was when I got to know General Muhammadu Buhari at the time bearing in mind that late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo was my brother in-law. I also believed very strongly that Imo State should have a foothold in the government at the centre. Moreso, when it has the only South East governor of APC. So now you can understand why I withdrew from the primaries 12 hours and left the party after Buhari had emerged president elect. I wish PDP well because it is important to have a strong and effective opposition party. I remain a member of the APC. I was disrespected by the PDP leadership in Imo State after all the work and all the effort and value I brought to the party, to bring PDP within striking range of successful elections in 2015. And I have no regrets because, yes other parties are struggling but PDP is not struggling today. It is a testimony to the fact that there were missing links that required leadership and vision to resolve and were resolved then and those have essentially manifested, the different squabbles and mudslinging in the party do not exist today. I do not believe that zoning story because you just can’t zone a governorship position to a zone. I’ll come back to that. So why did you abandon Emeka Ihedioha at last? Well it was very clear that I was highly disrespected by the party in Imo State, and they lost the opportunity for me to have played a major role in the success of the party in the 2015 guber election. I was also influenced by the fact that I had worked for Buhari/Okadigbo. As the late vice presidential candidate under APP, Okadigbo was my brother-in-law. I am married to his younger sister. So there was pressure from that side which said “look, if you are not happy with what PDP has done to you, you shouldn’t stay”. I acted at that time bearing in mind that the presidential election had been held and Buhari had emerged president-elect. And that Imo being the only APC state in the South East, the governor has to win his second term so Imo would retain strategic relationship in the centre. Do you believe in the Owerri zone Agenda? I don’t know what that means. I mean an Owerri zone person becoming the next governor of the state? I don’t necessarily believe in zoning because you cannot zone a position to a zone and produce low quality candidate. That’s not the point. I believe strongly in equity and harmony. Imo is

be calling him all the names in the world and abuse his family. You figure out how to engage him constructively and leverage him to help him deliver more deliverables to the people of Imo State. You choose your pick. I choose constructive engagement.

Chukwueke

a large community and yet not so huge because we are brothers and sisters. But it is unfair that in the current democratic dispensation, it is only Owerri zone that has not produced a governor. Look at all the states around us. Look at Abia; see what is happening in Anambra State. Most Anambrarians voted to return Governor Obiano to continue the movement in harmony and equity. This is the issue. And it is something that has developed into a high level of acrimony in Imo State. So I believe in harmony and equity. You cannot have harmony, which is an enabler for economic development without equity. So the argument is about equity and harmony which is more than zoning and that is all I can say about that. In the interest of Imo economic development and to have a sense of unity and justice we need an Imo governor of Owerri extraction at this time. When Governor Achike Udenwa emerged as governor of Imo State, his support base largely came from Owerri and Okigwe Zone even though he is from Orlu. It was the same case when Governor Ikedi Ohakim of Okigwe Zone. By the way, Engr. Charles Ugwu emerged in the pursuit of equity and harmony. Engr. Charles Ugwu didn’t contest eventually but Ohakim became the beneficiary of what Ugwu started. So talking about equity and harmony as an enabler for economic development, you need to reduce the high level of acrimony to achieve that harmony that is an enabler for economic activity. One of the reasons why you decided to work for the APC is because you want something from the federal. Are you sure the state is taking advantage of that arrangement? What I am talking about is opportunities because it is the political leadership that has to take the opportunities. If Imo State is aligned to the centre, what that means is that Imo has more opportunities than states that are not aligned. But Imo has got to take advantage of those opportunities. So do I regret the fact that aligning with the centre after General Buhari emerged as president-elect, giving Imo and South East the opportunity to achieve more for its people? Absolutely not, I don’t regret it because opportunities were there and are still there! But these opportunities still have to be taken advantage of, it is a different argument. So what is important is that Imo State is connected to the centre and we have to take advantage

of those opportunities at the centre. Your assessment of Governor Okorocha? Governor Okorocha is my friend, and I want to separate the two; friendship and governance. I have a great respect for him and his family. His children are close friends of my children and so I have great respect for our families. I have supported Okorocha in so many ways which are not for public consumption and I encourage him to do more. If you are talking about the score cards, there are things he is doing very well, some he needs to do better and I am happy to have that debate. I’m not holding brief for him but it comes down to this: I believe in constructive engagement. Name calling, abuses and destructive opposition don’t quite get the job done for our people. We have a governor! We must leverage on our relationship with him to get more deliverables to the people of the state. If you focus on all the perceived errors and mistakes you may not have helped the matter. It is to constructively engage till you are able to make the best of the circumstance. This is constructive politics. That’s what I believe in. I give you an example. You can fault the governor for many things, but you can’t fault him for infrastructure. We all remember the issue of demolitions and trying to expand the roads. Well go and look at those roads today, they are expanded, the traffic congestion is less, there is free movement around the city of Owerri. It is clear! What is right is right, what is good is good! Outside of Owerri has improved infrastructure, and that is very vital. On infrastructure you can’t fault him on it. There are many things you may fault him on but I hold the view that one of challenges he has faced is that the communication between him and the people have not been effective, it has not gone down well because you have to be able to have that flow of communication for your followership to be in line and the people who need that communication more than any segment of the state are those in the elite class. Imo is an educated state. We have one of the highest numbers of educated people. So communication with them is critical. You must have buy in by the people and there is clearly a communication deficit. Communication deficit hampered the development of this state. The truth of the matter is, we have a governor, you can not

You talked about renovation of roads. You look at Owerri Municipal, the indigenes have been complaining for years that they do not have any more lands. Is there anything the government can do for these people? Well let me tell you. One of these areas that could have been handled much more successfully is the business of urban revitalization, and how do you do it? We know that one of the greatest challenges outside of road expansion and street lights and access to the city is that Owerri indigenes are living in slum communities and ghettos with no space. Families of eight, nine, ten in three rooms all sitting on top of each other, no space, no parking space, no space to sit out, total congestion, no drainage, disease, poverty-ridden slums of the worst order. What that required in my view was a strategic, affordable housing estates for the indigenes to move to more affordable communities within Owerri with basic amenities and structured in an affordable way and in so doing you have opened up the slums to bring in private investors to clean up the city, invest in it and all of a sudden you have more economic growth and IGRs and you have achieved a more wholesome urbanization. Roads are for the people. Housing is also for the people. Provision of pipe borne water and health care is all about people. So government must be about people and so you have to link these opportunities so you can have a holistic approach to governance. Every governor and government has the right to step in, withdraw C of Os, relocate , demolish, and expand whatever he wants as far as due process and blueprint is followed. On the issue of Eke Ukwu market demolition, it is not whether or not the governor can withdraw C of Os and demolish the market if it was in the overall interest of the state. The issue was communication with the affected communities. In addition to that, equal opportunities should have been given to all other stakeholders to achieve harmony. For example, the abrupt relocation and demolition affected the financial sub-sector of Owerri. Banks lost deposits, financial credit organizations lost customers, loan and credit facilities were made available, all of a sudden they couldn’t find those they lent money to, the shops and the businesses no longer existed over night, one of the unintended consequences of that move was that it hurt the financial sub-sector of Imo and it will take some time to recover. There was significant financial dislocation of the economy of Imo. Eke ukwu was one of the biggest commercial and one of the biggest trading centres in Owerri and Imo State. So it requires more careful planning particularly with regards to alternatives in a measured way, in a way that was fully communicated would have helped. Having said that, government has the right to act in the best interest of the people to clean up that part of Owerri. Everyone will agree that Douglas road and its environment had become a den of miscreants and insecurity and obviously that was an important fact but when you go out to a place like a den of miscreants, that also has to do with poverty issues, we’ll get to that later. The point is that there should have been a more holistic approach communicated properly, the alternative market in place, a transition that would also bear in mind the intended fallout particularly as I just mentioned to you, financial institutions suffered great looses as a consequence and when that happens it adversely affects the economy. The whole game as per governance is the welfare and improved care of the people! That must be the focus! It is also important tofollow due process, particularly law and order must be followed by government. I hope that answers that question? There’s a lot more to it.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

FEATURES

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

Garlands for the Gallant Nigeria’s military recently elevated some officers attached to the Joint Task Force and soldiers from the 16 Brigade in Yenagoa to various ranks. Emmanuel Addeh who was at the event, reports

Rear Admiral Suleiman Apochi (middle), Brig. Gen. Kevin Aligbe (3rd left front roll), with some of the newly decorated oﬃcers at the JTF headquarters in Igbogene

“

That drink you are holding in your hand is our own, the ground on which you are standing is our own. If you misbehave, be sure that we have enough cells here,” he would say rather jocularly intermittently, to direct attention to the next item on the programme. Like a General directing his troops in the battlefield, Rear Admiral Suleiman Apochi, the Commander Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), ensured that every ‘shot’ was right on target. “We are not routine,” he would add, “Mind you, this occasion might take a new dimension at any given time,” the Rear Admiral would bellow at other times. Interestingly, this was not a war situation. It was a meeting of many senior military officers serving in Bayelsa to celebrate the elevation of some of their most hardworking officers who had just been bestowed with various new military ranks by the authorities. Among those present to mark the day with the newly promoted officers were: Flag Officer Commanding, Central Naval Command; Rear Admiral Bello Al-Hassan, the Commander, 16 Brigade, Brig. Gen Kevin Aligbe; Commander, Nigerian Naval Ship, NNS Soroh, Commodore Habib Usman, and several other senior officers. Those who had just been elevated included: Brig. Gen. M. U. Muktar, Commander sector four, OPDS; Commander Thomas Otuji, Senior member of the Joint Media Campaign Centre, JTF headquarters, Yenagoa; Commander Obiora Anyikwa, Head of Legal Department, JTF headquarters and

Commander Roy Nweke. Also promoted was Major Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, Spokesman, 16 Brigade, Yenagoa. Rear Admiral Apochi, who had earlier decorated the officers at the JTF headquarters in Igbogene, just outside Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, urged all those who were present to take some moments to celebrate the deserving officers.

We are here to felicitate with ofﬁcers that have just been promoted and in that case, don’t hold your dance steps to yourself. It is good you join them in their happy mood. This is just to show appreciation and let them know that we are happy with what just happened to them

“We are here to felicitate with officers that have just been promoted and in that case, don’t hold your dance steps to yourself. It is good you join them in their happy mood. “This is just to show appreciation and let them know that we are happy with what just happened to them. The rule is very explicit. If you are not happy when good things happen to your neighbours, I do not think even yourself deserves to celebrate. “So, whether you were happy before you came here or not, feel very glad while you are here,” Apochi advised before the event kicked off. Earlier, during their decoration, he had told the officers that their elevation was a call to more hard work, dedication to fatherland and commitment to the core values the military holds dear. Brig. Gen. Muktar who responded on behalf of his colleagues, expressed the newly promoted officers' appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari, the military authorities and his men, who, working closely with him and have made the job worthwhile. “All glory belongs to Almighty God whose grace made all these possible. I want to commence this vote of thanks by sincerely thanking the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari. “The Service Chiefs, especially the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Army Council and the Navy Board for approving these our promotions to the

ranks with which we have been decorated. “I want to assure everyone that we are conscious of the added responsibility and the expectations of greater efforts signalled by these promotions and we assure you, we will spare no effort in meeting and indeed exceeding the expectations that come with these ranks. “We must specifically single out the Joint Task Force Commander, Rear Admiral A. O. Suleiman, the land component Commander, General A. Aligbe, and the MCC A. Olulowo, without whose guidance and support these promotions would never have seen the light of the day,” Brig. Gen. Muktar noted. The newly elevated General also took time to appreciate their families who continually stood by them. “Let me specially recognise my darling wife, who has always been with me through thick and thin. Your support, prayers, and advice have indeed contributed a large proportion to make this promotion possible,” Muktar said. He added: “Let me also extend this appreciation to the spouses of fellow officers that were decorated, especially Mrs. Chinyere Anyikwa, and the other ladies of the decorated officers who for one reason or the other could not be here this afternoon/evening. That is, Mrs. Nweke and Mrs. Otuji.” The newly decorated General also narrated how he had lost hope when after several applications, he was not admitted to serve in the military. “Our brothers, friends, relatives, uncles, well wishers and colleagues, our apprecia-

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FEATURES

Brig. Gen. Kevin Aligbe with some of the newly decorated oďŹƒcers at 16 Brigade, Yenagoa

Brig. Gen. Aligbe decorating Major Danjuma

tions to you know no bounds. I want to especially mention the presence here of my uncle, Alhaji Suleiman who particularly encouraged me to still try again for the third time. â€œI had failed to get admission into the Nigeria Defence Academy for the second time. I had made up my mind that I was not going to try again. â€œI visited him (my uncle) in Sokoto and that time he mentioned it and said â€˜why don't you want to apply again, it doesn't matter, go'. I heeded his advice and glory to the Almighty God, today here we are witnessing my decoration to the rank of Brigadier General. â€œI want to thank my brother and Alhaji Shehu who have all come from far and wide from Sokoto and Kebbi to witness this promotion. The same thing is recognised of the brethren and friends of my colleagues who have been decorated, that is, Commander Anyikwa, Commander Nweke and Commander Otuji. â€œFamilies and friends that are here, we really appreciate your presence and the effort you have made coming from far and near to witness this occasion. Our prayer is for all those who missed the promotion this time, to get it next time because truly God knows the best. â€œOur prayers are that you will get it at the time it is most pleasing to the Almighty God. On behalf of the decorated officers, I wish everyone that God Almighty grants your heart desires,â€? he said. Brig. Gen. Aligbe had also taken time out to decorate his officers who were also promoted, particularly the amiable Maj.

Commander Anyikwa (left) , Commander Roy Nweke (middle) and Commander Otuji (right)

Cdr Anyikwa, his wife, Cdr Nweke and Cdr Otuji

Danjuma, who heads the media team of 16 Brigade. For the soldiers who counted themselves fortunate to have been rewarded for their hard work and perseverance and their colleagues who would have to wait for another day for their promotion, it was

time to shuffle to the music as the Disc Jockey turned up the volume of the music. For the lucky officers, it was the right time to take a moment to relax from pursuing sea pirates, kidnappers, pipeline vandals and even militants in the creeks of the Niger Delta.

But again, the jollity was going to be short-lived. The job of keeping the waterways calm for business had to be done and who else would do that if not the military, many of whose officers have paid the supreme price to ensure peace in the Delta, which for now remains Nigeriaâ€™s cash cow.

IMAGES

L-R: The Presbyter, Wesley Cathedral, Olowogbowo, Lagos, Very Revd John Olanrewaju Solubi; Legal Luminary, Alhaji Wasiu Banjo, father-in-law to the Nigeriaâ€™s Vice President, Chief Tayo Soyode, the celebrant and seasoned Industrialist, Senator Anthony Adefuye and a retired Ogun State Permanent Secretary, Prof. Olusoga Onafowora at the 2017 Annual Nine Lessons Carols Service by Senator Anthony Adefuye in Lagos...recently

L-R; ,Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala,Senator Teslim Folarin and General Brimo Yussuf chating during Akalaâ€™s Xmas and End of the Year party for Political Associates in Ogbomoso...recently

L-R: Immediate Past President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Engr. Ademola Olorunfemi ; President (NSE), Engr. Otis Anyaeji; Managing Director/CEO, Tricontinental Group, Prof. Toyin Ashiru; and Presidentelect (NSE) Engr. Adekunle Mokuolu, during the conferment of NSEâ€™s distinguished Fellowship award on Ashiru in Abuja .... recently

L-R: Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Aramide Giwanson; Husband of Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji. Saheed Adebule; Top Fuji Music Star, Dr. Adewale Ayuba; Deputy Governor, Dr. Oluranti Adebule; Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akinyemi Ashade and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Fola Adeyemi, during the ďŹ‚ag oďŹ€ ceremony of 2017 one Lagos ďŹ esta, at Agege Stadium, Lagos recently KOLA OLASUPO

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L-R: Special Guest, Chief Ademola Dada; Vice Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof. Toyin Ogundipe; the celebrant Dr. Oladele Amoda; Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Olawale Oluwo; and Senior Pastor, Trinity Church, Ituah Ighodalo during the presentation of the Autobiography of Amoda at the Retirement party organised in his honour by the Management of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) in Lagos... recently.

Wife of the Governor of Lagos State & founder, Hope for Women in Nigeria Initiative (HOFOWEM), Mrs. Bolanle Ambode; supported by CEO, Ms. Oyefunke Adeleke and Managing Director, Massey Street Childrenâ€™s Hospital, Lagos, Dr. Olugbenga Aina, presenting christmas gifts to little Miss Zainab Kotun, during the distribution of various gift items to about 500 children, in Lagosâ€Śrecently KOLA OLASUPO

L-R Head of School, Grace Children, Dr. Nike Akindayo, Grace School Administrator, Mrs Iyiola Olatokunbo Edun and Vice-Principal, Grace High School, Mr. Philip Balogun, during the 50th Anniversary of Grace school press Conference, held in Lagos...recently

L-R:Regional Director, Lagos, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Mr. Oliver Opara; winner of star prize of N2million at the grand ďŹ nale of the FCMB Millionaire Promo Season 4 in the Region, Mrs. Mary Adelagun; Zonal Head, Lekki, Mrs. Violet Odu and Retail Head, Lagos & South-west Region of the Bank, Funmilola Paseda,at the cheque presentation ceremony in Lagos...recently

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Quick Takes Canon Launches Global PR Campaign Ă‹Ă˜Ă™Ă˜ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă–Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă‘Ă–Ă™ĂŒĂ‹Ă– ĂšĂ&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ě™ Ěš Ă?Ă‹Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă“Ă‘Ă˜ ĂžĂ‹Ă‘Ă‘Ă?ĂŽË? ËŠ Ă“Ă Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂŁËŞËœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă“Ă‘Ă˜ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă–Ă‹Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă“Ă˘ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă?Ë› Ă‹Ă˜Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă? ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂ‘Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ę¨Ă Ă? Ę¨Ă–Ă—Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă?Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ’Ă?Ă— ĂžĂ™ ĂŽĂœĂ‹Ę° Ă‹ ÍłÍŽ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂŽ Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă? Ă˜Ă‹ĂœĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ăž ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ?Ă? Ă’Ă™ĂĄ ĂžĂ’Ă?ĂŁ Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă™Ă?Ă? ĂžĂ™ ËŤ Ă“Ă Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂŁËŞË› Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă˘Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă“Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă’Ă™Ă–ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Ă‘ĂŁĂšĂžËœ Ă™ĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă™ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ăœ Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă’ Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂŁ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂšĂœĂ™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ă? Ă‹ Í´ÍŽ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂŽ Ę¨Ă–Ă— Ă‹ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă˜Ă‹ĂœĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă?Ëœ ËŠ Ă“Ă Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂŁË›ËŞ Ă’Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă‹ĂŽĂ–Ă“Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ—Ă“ĘľĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ’Ă? Í´ÍŽ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂŽ Ę¨Ă–Ă— Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă’ Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂŁ Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ ÍąÍŻËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľË› Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă?Ă’Ă™ĂœĂž Ę¨Ă–Ă— Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă’ Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂŁ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? Ă&#x;ĂšĂ–Ă™Ă‹ĂŽĂ?ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜Ă™Ă˜ËŞĂ? Ă™ĘŠĂ?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă‹Ă?Ă?ĂŒĂ™Ă™Ă• ĂšĂ‹Ă‘Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă? ĂžĂ™ Ă Ă™ĂžĂ? Ă™Ă˜ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ę¨Ă–Ă— ĂžĂ’Ă?ĂŁ Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă—Ă™Ă?ĂžË› Ă’Ă? Ę¨Ă–Ă—Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă?ĂœËœ ĂĄĂ’Ă™ Ă‘Ă?ĂžĂ? ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă—Ă™Ă?Ăž ËŠĂ–Ă“Ă•Ă?Ă?ËŞ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ‹ ĂžĂ™ Ă•Ă?Ă?Ăš Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‘Ă™Ă™ĂŽË› Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă™Ă˜ ĂšĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă– ĂžĂ™ Ă”Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? Ę¨Ă–Ă—Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă?ĂœĂ? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă’Ă™Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ?ĂžĂĄĂ?Ă?Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂœĂŁ ÍŻÍ˛ĂžĂ’ Ě‹ÍŻÍ´ĂžĂ’ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍśË› Ă˜ Ă‹ ĂŒĂ“ĂŽ ĂžĂ™ ĂŽĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă˜ Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă—Ă“ĂžĂ—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™ĂžĂ’Ă?Ăœ Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ“Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜Ă™Ă˜ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă Ă?Ă“Ă–Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂšĂœĂ“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ? Ě‹ ĂžĂ’Ă? ÍŻÍ˛ÍŽÍŽËœ Í°Í˛ÍŽÍŽËœ ÍąÍ˛ÍŽÍŽËœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ Í˛Í˛ÍŽÍŽ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜ Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžË› Ă’Ă? ĂšĂœĂ“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂšĂ™Ă“Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ĂžĂ™ Ă?Ă˘ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂŒĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽËŞĂ? Ě‹Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? ĂšĂœĂ“Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ăœ ĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă’Ă?Ă–Ăš Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ™Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă? ĂšĂœĂ“Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă™Ă?Ăž Ă?ĘĽĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă Ă?Ă–ĂŁË›

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L-R: Director, VDT Communications Limited, Mr. Tokunbo Talabi; Managing Director and Chief Executive, Mr. Biodun Omoniyi and Head Human Resource and Admin, Yinka Siyanbola, displaying the three telecoms awards won by the company during the Nigeria Technology Innovation and Telecom Awards (NTITA), which held in Lagos...recently

Uwaje: NASS Responsible for Nigeriaâ€™s Late Adoption of IPv6 Stories by Emma Okonji The Director General, Delta State Innovation Hub (DSIHUB), Chris Uwaje has blamed the National Assembly (NASS) members that are responsible for the countryâ€™s laws formulation, for Nigeriaâ€™s late adoption of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). Uwaje, who spoke to THISDAY about the danger of the current cyberspace war, said the IPv6 has been widely adopted by developed and most developing nations, but expressed his dissatisfaction that Nigeria is yet to fully migrate from IPv4 to IPv6, a

IT development, he said, would slow down technology development in the county, and create loopholes for cyber attacks. IPv6 is the most recent version of Internet Protocol (IP), the communications protocol that provides identification and location system for computers on networks and routes traffic across the internet. An IP address is essentially a postal address for every internet-connected device, without which, websites will not be able to locate and send information at every search to access the website.

â€œVery soon, IPv6 will become the absolute prefix to the internet and Nigeria/African nations must take advantage of this awesome opportunity by advancing IPv6 strategic plans,â€? Uwaje said. Citing the global e-Readiness result that was released in 2016, where Nigeria was ranked 119 out of 139 countries surveyed on the global scale, Uwaje said: â€œPolicy makers are late comers to emergence of new technologies, and their inconsistent policies have deprived Nigeria from early adoption of IPv6, describing the situation as national leadership challenge that must be urgently addressed.

Looking at the challenges, he said lack of inclusiveness strategy on the part of the lawmakers, has created huge gap and disconnect between the government, the industry and the academia. This situation he said, has resulted in the limited capacities and capabilities of service providers to timely engage the challenges. He called for increased public awareness to bridge the gap by creating an uninformed user community and stakeholders group that will meet regularly on ICT research, development, Continued on page 24

ICT Expert Warns FG against Unemployment, Youth Restiveness in 2018 Citing global technology trends around Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and e-Commerce that are largely driven by broadband, information and communications technology (ICT) expert has called on the federal government to expedite action in providing a robust broadband access for all Nigerians in 2018, or risk increased unemployment and youth restiveness. President of the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Olusola Teniola who gave the warning during an interview with THISDAY, said new technology trends like AI, IOT and eCommerce, which

ICT ride on broadband, would drive global economies in 2018 and beyond, but expressed his worries that Nigeria still lag behind in broadband access that could have enabled her to key into global development. According to him, issues that impede broadband penetration since 2012, are still with us in 2017, and unless the issues are addressed in 2018, Nigeria will continue to miss out in global developments that are driven by broadband and Internet access. In resolving the issues around broadband deployment, Teniola said the federal

government must be willing to understand the importance of ICT development, its growth trajectory and trend, and be willing to create the enabling environment that would allow foreign investors to invest in the countryâ€™s broadband plan. He said government could achieve this by removing every obstacle on Right of Way (RoW) approval, that would allow private investors to build a national backbone infrastructure firm the country. He explained that the backbone infrastructure would be able to transmit the huge broadband capacities from the sea shores of the country to the hinterlands,

since the federal government lacks the willpower to provide such critical infrastructure. He expressed the concern that broadband capacities from the five undersea cable operators like MainOne, Glo 1, MTN WACS, Ace, and SAT 3, are currently being under utilised because of the absence of a national backbone infrastructure to transmit the broadband capacities to the hinterlands where demand for broadband internet access is high. Teniola warned that except these issues are addressed, by creating enough broadband Continued on page 24

Ă˜ Ă&#x;ĂšĂ?Ă™Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă? ĂšĂ&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă?Ëœ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă”Ă™Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă–Ă“Ă?Ăž Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă?ĂœĂžĂ“Ę¨Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™Ă‘Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–ĂžĂ‹Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ Ě™ Ěš ĂŽĂ&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ&#x;Ă— Ă’Ă?Ă–ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁËœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁ Ă—Ă‹ĂŽĂ? Ă’Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ–Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă–Ă–Ă™ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ ĂĄĂ“Ă˜ Ă‹Ăž ĂžĂ’Ă? Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹ ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ ĂžĂ’Ă? ËŠ Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂšĂœĂ“Ă?Ă?ËŞ Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă‘Ă™ĂœĂŁËœ ĂĄĂ‹Ă? ĂœĂ?ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă˘Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ“Ă Ă? ĘŠĂ?Ă?Ăœ Ě™ Ěš Ă“Ă—Ă“Ă–Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă˜ Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă™ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă Ă?ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă?ĂœĂžĂ“Ę¨Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ă™Ă˜ ĂŒĂ?Ă’Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžËœ ĂœË› Ă™Ă’Ă˜ Ă’Ă“Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ ĂĄĂ‹Ă? Ă–Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍ´ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă?ĂžĂ?Ă‹ĂŽĂ“Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă–Ă“Ă—ĂŒĂ?ĂŽ Ă&#x;Ăš ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă–Ă‹ĂŽĂŽĂ?Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ăž Ă“Ă? ĂĄĂ“ĂŽĂ?Ă–ĂŁ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™Ă‘Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă? Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ Ă?Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă™Ă– ĚŽ Ă—Ă™Ă?ĂžĂ–ĂŁ Ă™ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ™ ĂžĂ’Ă?Ă“Ăœ Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă? Ă‹ĂšĂšĂœĂ™Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă˘Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă”Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ? ĂžĂ’Ă?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă?Ă“Ăœ Ă?ĘĽĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă Ă? Ă?Ă˘Ă?ĂœĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ Ă—Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ Ă Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă–Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă‹ĂœĂ–Ă“Ă?Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă? ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœËœ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă”Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’ ĂĄĂ?ĂŒ Ă’Ă™Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă’Ă™ Ă™ Ă™Ă?Ăž Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹ Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ&#x;Ă— ĂžĂ‹Ă‘Ă‘Ă?ĂŽË? ËŠ Ă&#x;Ă“Ă–ĂŽ Ă‹ Ă&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă—ĂšĂ“ĂœĂ?ËŞĂ‹Ă? ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂž Ă™Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă?Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă™Ă&#x;Ă? Ă?ĘĽĂ™ĂœĂžĂ?Ë› Ăž ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ&#x;Ă—Ëœ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ę¨ĂœĂ— Ă?Ă˜Ă–Ă“Ă‘Ă’ĂžĂ?Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹ĘľĂ?Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă? Ă™ĂĄĂ˜Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă™Ă˜ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă&#x;Ă?Ă‹Ă‘Ă? Ă™Ă? ĂŽĂ“Ă‘Ă“ĂžĂ‹Ă– Ă—Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă– ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁĂ? Ă“Ăž Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŒĂ? Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂ˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ĂžĂ™ Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă™ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă?Ë›

iSON Group Wins Multiple Awards Ă“ ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;ĂšËœ Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹ËŞĂ? Ă–Ă‹ĂœĂ‘Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ĂžĂ?Ă?Ă’Ă˜Ă™Ă–Ă™Ă‘ĂŁ Ě™ Ěš Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’ ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă&#x;Ăž Í°Íł Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ëœ Ă’Ă‹Ă? ĂŒĂ‹Ă‘Ă‘Ă?ĂŽ ĂžĂĄĂ™ Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ? Ă‹Ăž ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă?Ă’Ă˜Ă™Ă–Ă™Ă‘ĂŁ ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ?Ëœ Ě™ ĚšË› Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă“Ă? Ă‹ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ“Ă Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă“ Ă‹Ăž Ë› Ă“ Ă?Ă?Ă’Ă˜Ă™Ă–Ă™Ă‘Ă“Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă‹ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ?Ă“ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Ă™Ă? Ă“ ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ăš Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?ĂŽ Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă&#x;ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂž Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă™Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ăœ Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă–Ă? Ă“ Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă“Ă—Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂŽËœ ĂžĂ™Ă™Ă• Ă’Ă™Ă—Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ăœ Ă™Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ăœ Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽË› Ă’Ă? Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ? ĂĄĂ?ĂœĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă Ă?ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁËŞĂ? Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĘĽ Ă™Ă˜ ĂŒĂ?Ă’Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă’Ă‹Ă“ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă˜Ëœ ĂœË› Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ă?Ă’ ĂĄĂžĂ‹Ă˜Ă?ĂŁË› Ă’Ă? Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ? ĂĄĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă˜ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™Ă‘Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? Ă“ ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;ĂšËŞĂ? Ă?Ă˘Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ“ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? ĂžĂ™ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ? ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă“Ă–ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă™Ă—ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ËŞĂ? ĂžĂ?Ă?Ă’Ă˜Ă™Ă–Ă™Ă‘ĂŁ Ă?ĂšĂ‹Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ? Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă‹Ă“Ă—Ă?ĂŽ ĂžĂ™ Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ‹Ă‘Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁ ĂžĂ™ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂžĂ’Ă?Ăœ ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?Ă–Ă™Ăš Ă“Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă? ĂžĂ?Ă?Ă’Ă˜Ă™Ă–Ă™Ă‘ĂŁ Ă?Ă™Ă–Ă&#x;ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă&#x;ĂšĂ–Ă“Ę° ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă“Ă—Ă‹Ă‘Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ ĂŒĂ™ĂžĂ’ Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁË› Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂŁ Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ĂžĂ™ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™Ă‘Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă?ĂŒĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ?ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽ ĂžĂ?Ă?Ă’Ă˜Ă™Ă–Ă™Ă‘ĂŁ Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ?ĂšĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă“Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă Ă‹ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ëœ Ă“Ă˜Ă Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂšĂ™Ă–Ă“Ă?ĂŁ Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă™Ă˜Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă? Ă Ă™ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ? Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă“Ă—Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹Ăž ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă“Ă–ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ Ă–Ă‹ĂœĂ‘Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™Ă‘Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ĂžĂ?Ă?Ă’Ă˜Ă™Ă–Ă™Ă‘ĂŁ Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ? Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ë›

â€œThe gesture to give away Ford car for the Black Friday promo sales, was based on the partnership between Coscharis and Jumia, in line with the ďŹ rst time partnership deal on Black Fridayâ€? General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Coscharis Group, Mr. Abiona Babarinde

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°ÍśËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

UWAJE: NASS RESPONSIBLE FOR NIGERIAâ€™S LATE ADOPTION OF IPV6

Report: Nigeria Loses 72% Internet Revenue to US

and funding that will boost local content capabilities. In addressing the latest issue on weaponisation of the cyberspace, which is prominently noticed in some of the largest Uwaje said: â€œAvailable reports and metric on IPv6 adoption in many countries outside Africa informs that there is a conscious steady migration from IPv4 to IPv6 growth, based on strategic plan focusing on its enormous economic opportunities, benefits and potential risks. The US, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, and Greece are all above 20 per cent, and a number of others such as Malaysia, Ecuador, Portugal, and Peru close behind.â€? Uwaje, a former President of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), advised the National Assembly members to retool the countryâ€™s vision for ICT development, in line with global technology trends.

Emma Okonji

ICT EXPERT WARNS FG AGAINST UNEMPLOYMENT, YOUTH RESTIVENESS IN 2018 access at affordable rate, Nigeria would likely experience increased youth unemployment and restiveness in 2018. He equally expressed his concerns over what he described as weak implementation of the countryâ€™s National Broadband Plan, which seeks to achieve 30 per cent broadband penetration in 2018, from its current 21 per cent penetration level. â€œAchieving 30 per cent broadband penetration in 2018 is even a low target, compared to the many uses of broadband across all sectors of the Nigerian economy. But even at that, the weak implementation strategies robbed Nigeria of achieving the target because 2018 is around the corner,â€? Teniola said. â€œWe need a robust broadband penetration to catch up with the global trend on AI, IoT and eCommerce in 2018 and government must live up to this expectation by creating the enabling environment that will speed up broadband penetration,â€? he added.

Group Business Editor

Ă’Ă“Ă•Ă‹ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă¤Ă?Ě‹ ĂĄĂ‹Ă?Ă’Ă&#x;Ă•Ă&#x;

A research report conducted on the registration and use of the .ng domain name this December by a web-hosting company, HUB8, shows huge loss of revenue stream from Nigeria to the United States, as a result of the number of business operating websites in Nigeria that are being hosted and managed in the United States(US). According to the report, Nigeria is losing up to 72 per cent of the revenue it should be generating from the hosting of such local websites that are currently being hosted in the US. The .ng domain name is Nigeriaâ€™s country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD), which is the countryâ€™s identity in the cyberspace, but most businesses still prefer to register their companies with foreign domain names, while those who decided to register with the local .ng domain name, chose to host the website abroad, for security reasons which bothers on fear of losing their data to hackers. According to the report, out of the 34,000 sites, less than 1,000 are located in Nigeria, which is only 2.3 per cent of the total. â€œThe dominant countries where site hosting often occurs were determined for the .ng and .com.ng domains. The overwhelming number of sites are located in the US (72 per cent),â€? translating into loss of 72 per cent hosting revenue for Nigeria, according to the report. This is coming just as the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), managers of the countryâ€™s domain names system (DNS) ecosystem, declared it has so far registered 100,973 domains in .ng domain zone as at November 30, 2017.

Meanwhile, HUB8 report was based on 89,165 domain names in the .ng domain zone with particular focus on the details of the usage of .ng domains as it relates to website hosting.The report, however, does not include data on premium domains (about 2,000) and some special domains that are technically registered though not used by end users. On the distribution of the domain zones, the report revealed that most popular domain zone is .com.ng, having almost 70 per cent of all national domains registered. The .ng domain zone, according to the report, comes next although within the zone a domain name is shorter â€œbut domain registration here costs

several times more than in .com.ng while .org.ng, which is usually used by non-profit organisations, ranks third with an age backlog. â€œThe number of zones identified by the study include .com.ng; .ng; .org.ng; .gov.ng and .edu.ng with number of domains being 61,609 (69.1 per cent); 15,353 (17.2 per cent); 6,077 (6.8 per cent); 1,738 (1.9 per cent and 996 (1.1 per cent) respectively,â€? the report said. Others such domain zones include .net.ng; .name.ng; .sch. ng; .i.ng; .mobi.ng and .mil. ng, all which have less than one per cent market share. In terms of active websites, the HUB8 report noted that there are currently 38,864

websites in the .ng domain, not including the sites that fail to open to the connection timeout, redirects and the ones throwing an error (page is not found). â€œThe existing sites are hosted only in half of the .com.ng and one-third of the .ng domains,â€? the report said. Commenting further on the findings of the report, Director for Emerging Markets at HUB8, Mr. Dmitry Deniskin, said often used Content Management System (CMS) was detected in the existing websites, stating that the most popular CMS is expected to be WordPress, being installed on every one in three sites in the .ng and .com.ng domains. â€œWordPress has a 78 per cent share of all used CMS.

Blogging is currently very popular in Nigeria: almost 1, 500 domains are affiliated with Blogger.com. â€œSpecialised CMS utilised for e-commerce; such as Magento, Prestashop, Shopify, WooCommerce, nopCommerce, oSCommerce and X-Cart use about 500 sites in the .com.ng and .ng zones,â€? Deniskin said. To reverse the trend, Deniskin said HUB8, which is a global web hosting company, would help brands and individuals to easily set-up a website and host same in Nigeria. â€œOur ultimate goal is to become a growth partner for individuals and small enterprises in emerging markets in Africa, Asia and Latin America,â€? he said.

ENHANCING TECH INNOVATION

L-R: Founder, CFAtech.ng, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr.; Founder of Startup Arewa, Mohammed Ibrahim Jega; Founder, Genesys Tech Hub, Kingsley Eze, and tech enthusiast, Saidu Abdulahi, at GenesysIGNITE technology pitch event in Enugu State...recently

ITFC, Afreximbank to Support African Trade with $100m, â‚Ź50m Agreements Emma Okonji The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), a multilateral financial institution established by African governments and institutional investors, have signed a $100 million agreement and a EUR 50 million agreement with the aim of facilitating and financing exports among African countries and the rest of the world. The agreements were signed

by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ITFC, Hani Salem Sonbol, and the Executive Vice President, Business Development and Corporate Banking of Afreximbank, Mr. Amr Kamel, in a ceremony held during the Afro-Arab Trade Finance Forum, which was organised by the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), in Dubai under the Arab Africa Trade Bridges Programme. The facilities are intended to be used to support procurement from suppliers from the member and non-member countries,

including local purchase, to promote trade across Africa. According to Sonbol, â€œThis partnership comes as part of ITFCâ€™s commitment to support the development of the African member countriesâ€™ exports as an important lever toward the sustainable growth, job creation and poverty reduction.â€? He pointed out that the partnership would be utilised to finance African OIC member countries under the â€œArab-Africa Trade Bridgesâ€? Programme, a regional trade promotion programme that aims at addressing some of the challenges faced in

promoting trade between the two regions and supporting South-South cooperation. Sonbol delivered a keynote speech at the opening session of the forum that focused on identifying the prospects and opportunities between the Arab countries and Africa, and the best ways to tackle the challenges that hinder the development of the trade flows in these countries. Kamel, in his speech at the ceremony, stated that Afreximbank saw the partnership agreement as a stepping stone towards greater collaboration

in pursuit of the bankâ€™s shared vision with ITFC. He said: â€œITFC has demonstrated that it stands shoulder to shoulder with the African Export-Import Bank as they collaborate to develop the African Continent and promote inter-African trade. I see great prospect for the unfolding Afreximbank-ITFC partnership,â€? Mr. Kamel added, â€œbut I am mindful that realizing the tremendous opportunities will require determination and hard work. We are committed to invest our resources in that direction.â€?

SEC, IST Partner to Curb Capital Market Infractions

AgriBusiness/Industry Editor

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

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

Ă™ĂŽĂŽĂŁ 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; Ă¤Ă? (Aviation) Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹ ĂœĂ™Ă•Ă? (Labour) ĂœĂ™Ă—Ă™Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă? ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜ (Maritime) Ă”Ă“Ă™Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă? (Energy) Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă?Ă”Ă™ (Nationâ€™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;Ă™Ă‘Ă“Ă? (Cap Mkt)

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has expressed readiness to partner relevant bodies and stakeholders in its quest to ensure zero tolerance on infractions in Nigeriaâ€™s capital market and to ensure that perpetrators of fraudulent acts are brought to book. Acting Director General of SEC, Dr. Abdul Zubair stated this when the chairman and members of Investments and Securities Tribunal (IST),

visited him in his office in Abuja recently. Zubair said the present management of SEC has zero tolerance on infractions, adding that anyone that flouts the rules will be made to face the consequences of such actions. He told the IST team that the SEC has been embarking on a number of initiatives to protect the investors in the market and ensure that they reap the benefits of their investments.

SEC has rolled out a number of initiatives and campaigns which have been yielding results. These initiatives are to ensure that investors are aware of what to do to protect their investments. The e-dividend is one of such campaigns and we enjoin investors to keyin so that they can reap the benefits of their investments,â€? he added. Speaking earlier, the Chairman of IST, Isaiah Idoko-Akor congratulated the Zubair on

his assumption of office and expressed the confidence of the Tribunal in his ability to move the market forward. He commended the SEC for all it has been doing to support the Tribunal in the discharge of its duties and craved for more support to avoid hitches in the Tribunal carrying out its assignments. â€œIST is serving the market, it is very important to the market and that is why we commend SEC for its support

to the IST. However, IST needs to be strengthened to be able to carry out its functions effectively. As the market is expanding, we also need funds to expand our operations to be able to serve bette,â€? he said. While commending the SEC on the various initiatives it has rolled out, Idoko-Akor also called for increased enlightenment and sensitisation of the investing public especially as it relates to seeking redress on issues on the capital market.

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°ÍśËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

BUSINESSWORLD

E-BUSINESS

Youth Corps Member Wins Ford Car in Jumia Promo Emma Okonji A 22-year old youth corps member from Imo State, has passed out from the recent batch of the National Youth Service Corps with a brand new Ford Figo car, courtesy of the Jumia Black Friday promo sales, which ran from November 13 to December 13, 2017. Jumia, an online market place, had partnered Coscharis Motors, makers of Ford brand of cars, for a discounted sales on all its brand of cars during the Jumia Black Friday sales. The climax of the sale, is the promo sales, where Coscharis gave out one of its Ford Figo cars, which sells for N5 million, as prize for the promo sales. FCMB Group also partnered Jumia to provide 10 per cent discount on every purchase made on Jumia website during the promo period, while using the FCMB debit card as means of payment. The winner, Clinton Nna-

jiaku, who served with Eko Electricity in Lagos, won the car promo prize by shopping online on Jumia website, during the Jumia Black Friday sales. Expressing his joy, during the car presentation in Lagos, Nnajiaku said he was delighted to have won a brand new Ford Figo car. According to him, â€œI was saving N30, 000 to purchase a 18 Play Station gaming device, but while browsing online during the Jumia Black Friday sales, I saw it at N15, 000 and I confirmed it to be of high quality and I quickly paid with my FCMB debit card and got a 10 per cent discount from the bank. I ended up buying it for N13,500 and I was happy it was a good buy, the delivery was fast and safe. â€œFew weeks later, I got a call from Jumia that I have won a brand new Ford Figo car and I was so glad, because what that means is that I am passing out from

the National Youth Service Corps with a brand new car. I thank Coscharis for giving away the car through promo. I am one person that believes in hard work and so my philosophy has always been that people must work hard to earn anything, but I have won the promo car without hard work and I thank God Almighty for that.â€? Presenting the car to the winner, the General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communications at Coscharis Group, Mr. Abiona Babarinde, said the gesture to give away the car, was based on the partnership between Coscharis and Jumia for the first time on Black Friday sales. He explained that Cosharis cars were sold during the Black Friday sales for a discount of between 20 per cent to 60 per cent, depending on the brand of car. â€œThe partnership between Jumia and Coscharis is key to our business and designed to further showcase our brand,â€? Babarinde said.

NIPR Names BHM Best Agency of the Year Raheem Akingbolu Nigerian media and public relations consultancy, BHM has been named Agency of the Year and the Best Agency to Work in 2017 by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Lagos Chapter. The award presentation took place at the annual Lagos PR Industry Gala and Awards (LaPRIGA) night, which held recently in Lagos. According to the Chairman, NIPR Lagos State Chapter, Olusegun McMedal, the selection was based on the result of a survey of agency employees which scored BHM high on a wide range of parameters, ranging from integrity of senior management, quality of professional development, creativity, empowerment and risk-taking, staff welfare, mobility, retention and emolument. In his words, McDMedals saidâ€œâ€Śagencies that win this honour are considered the ultimate benchmark of PR firms, culture and workplace performance in an industry whose primary asset remains its people.â€? Known for innovative Public Relations and creative communication campaigns, BHM has since inception consistently raised the bar, challenging the status quo in a bid to do things better

and differently. Receiving the award on behalf of BHM, General Manager/ COO, Moruff Adenekan said, â€œItâ€™s an honour to receive this award on behalf of the entire team. At BHM, weâ€™re all about keeping our people happy and doing great work. For us, creating better models for the Nigerian PR industry to reach greater heights, reach its fullest potential and attain global recognition is a task weâ€™re committed to. This award is dedicated to our people and clients, both of whom are the reason for what we have achieved so far.â€? In 2015, the agency launched a nationwide campaign themed â€˜PR is Deadâ€™ which was designed to draw attention of the public and marketing communications practitioners to the fact that communication has evolved beyond textbook practices and the good old traditional ways. The â€˜PR is Deadâ€™ campaign was designed to stir up in the minds of communicators, the urgent need to evolve with the times, learn new skills and embrace new ideas in order to remain relevant. The agency has championed several other ecosystem shaping ideas like the launch ofNigeria PR Report: the first and only annual report chronicling

development, collating data, monitoring trends, perceptions, challenges and prospects in Public Relations industry in Africaâ€™s biggest market. Also, in November 2017, BHM in partnership with ID Africa and Plaqad, trained over 70 journalists and bloggers at Social4Media Masterclass, a free training event facilitated by content and marketing experts such as Ali Baba, M.I Abaga, Frank Donga, Tosin Ajibade of Olorisupergal, Osagie Alonge of Pulse, Yemi Adamolekun of EIE Nigeria, Tomiwa Aladekomo of Ventra Media, Femi Falodun of ID Africa, Ized Uanikhehi of CNN Africa, and John Adewusi of Funny Africa. In 11 years of existence, the company has gone from being a one-man shop to one of Africaâ€™s leading PR consultancies. It has created a culture of placing people before profit, integrity before image and unlimited possibilities before general platitudes. The firm has also created an environment that allows staff think and work outside the conventional four walls of an office with introduction of a dedicated Lounge, nap rooms, provision of free lunch, games centre among other facilities all in the same building.

Airtel Opens Nomination for Season 4 Emma Okonji Airtel Nigeria is calling for nomination for its groundbreaking CSR initiative, Airtel Touching Lives Season 4. According to the telco, people could nominate individuals, communities and groups by dialling 367 or sending an SMS to the short code â€“ 367 before the nomination window closes on 5th of January, 2018. Airtel Nigeria recently launched the fourth edition

of its flagship CSR initiative, Touching Lives, designed to uplift the downtrodden and offer practical support to indigent Nigerians across the country. Speaking at the press launch of the initiative, in Lagos recently, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, said the company is committed to helping the less privileged in the society. â€œWhile the Government and Non-Governmental Organisa-

tions (NGOs) cannot do it all, we have a responsibility to contribute our quota in making Nigeria a better place. â€œAs we commence the fourth edition, we are calling on well-meaning Nigerians to nominate causes and persons who require help. The process is simple; once you nominate an individual or cause, our team will review and assess the situation and determine if a follow-up visit will be requiredâ€?, Ogunsanya said.

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT OLODU KEONYEDI

RECIPES FOR 2018 ost of us wish and pray that this coming year will be great and will bring a lot of goodness to our lives but we do almost to nothing about bringing our wishes to pass. Wishing for next year to be great and doĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă˜Ă™ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă&#x;Ăž Ă“ĂžËœ Ă“Ă? Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă?Ă‹Ă– comes out great and tasteful without adding any ingredient into it. If we want next year to be great then we have a major role to play in it. Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă™Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂšĂ? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Í“Í‘Í’Í™ Ă?Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă“Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂŽĂ? ĂžĂ™ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; and not against you: Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă“Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă—Ă‹Ă”Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă™Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂšĂ? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Í“Í‘Í’Í™Ëœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă“Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂŽĂ? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŽĂ?ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ—Ă“Ă˜Ă? Ă’Ă™ĂĄ Ă?Ă‹Ăœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă‘Ă™ Ă˜Ă?Ă˘Ăž ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœË› Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă™Ă? us wish that the coming year will be great but our words contradicts what we wish for. I have heard too many people say to themselves or to others that â€œnext year will be diďŹƒcult because of one reason or the otherâ€? or you hear them Ă?Ă‹ĂŁ ËŤ Ă•Ă˜Ă™ĂĄ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ăž Ă–Ă?Ăž Ă—Ă? Ă”Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ĂžĂœĂŁË›ËŹ Our minds and words are very powerful tool to use in our favour rather than against Ă&#x;Ă?Ë› Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă• Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă™Ă˜ËŞĂž ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă• Ă?Ă‹Ă“Ă–Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ăž ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• Ă™Ăœ Ă‹Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă?Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? ĂŽĂ“ĘŠĂ?Ă&#x;Ă–Ăž Ă?Ă“ĂžĂ&#x;Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă•Ëœ ËŤ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂĄĂ“Ă˜ËœËŹ Ă˜Ă™Ăž ËŤ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– probably lose.â€? When you compete with someĂ™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă–Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă•Ëœ ËŤ ËŞĂ— Ă?Ă›Ă&#x;Ă‹Ă– ĂžĂ™ ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ă?ĂžËœËŹ Ă˜Ă™Ăž ËŤ ËŞĂ— Ă™Ă&#x;ĂžĂ?Ă–Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂŽË›ËŹ Ă’Ă?Ă˜ Ă™ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂŁ Ă‹ĂšĂšĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ëœ ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă• ËŤ Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŽĂ™ Ă“ĂžËœËŹ Ă˜Ă?Ă Ă?Ăœ ËŤ Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ËŞĂžË›ËŹ Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă˜ditions your mind to create plans that produce Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă‹Ă“Ă–Ă&#x;ĂœĂ? ĂŽĂ™Ă?Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă˘Ă‹Ă?Ăž Ă™ĂšĂšĂ™Ă?Ă“ĂžĂ?Ë› Ă‹Ă“Ă–Ă&#x;ĂœĂ? ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă—Ă“Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂ™ ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă• Ă™ĂžĂ’Ă?Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ĂžĂ? ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ăž ĂšĂœĂ™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă“Ă–Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ë› We should never underestimate the power Ă™Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂŽĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă˜Ă?Ă Ă?Ăœ Ă™Ă Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă—Ă‹ĂžĂ? ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă‹ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă“ĂžĂŁ Ă™Ă? Ă™ĂžĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ?Ë› Ă™Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă– ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă–Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă™ĂœĂžË› Ă?Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă? ĂĄĂ’ĂŁ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŽĂ™ Ă“ĂžËœ Ă˜Ă™Ăž ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă™Ă˜ ĂĄĂ’ĂŁ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ËŞĂžË› Ă&#x;Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ words to creative use. Use it to ďŹ nd ways to ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ëœ Ă˜Ă™Ăž ĂžĂ™ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă?Ăž ĂĄĂœĂ“ĘľĂ?Ă˜ ĂŽĂ™ĂĄĂ˜ Ă‘Ă™Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ë? ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă? is another major component of the success ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂšĂ? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă˜Ă?Ă˘Ăž ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœËœ Ă“Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹ ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ? you build your house; then you will deďŹ nitely Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹ ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜ Ă™Ăœ Ă‘Ă™Ă‹Ă– ĂžĂ™ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă“Ă–ĂŽ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă‘Ă™Ă‹Ă– Ă˜Ă™Ăž ĂĄĂœĂ“ĘľĂ?Ă˜ ĂŽĂ™ĂĄĂ˜ Ă“Ă? Ă”Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă‹ ĂĄĂ“Ă?Ă’Ëœ Starting the year without a plan or a goal Ă“Ă? Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă? Ă‹ ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă Ă?Ă–Ă?Ăœ ĂĄĂ’Ă™ Ă‘Ă™Ă?Ă? ĂžĂ™ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă—Ă™ĂžĂ™Ăœ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ•Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ’Ă?Ă˜ Ă’Ă? ĂĄĂ‹Ă? Ă‹Ă?Ă•Ă?ĂŽ ĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă’Ă? Ă“Ă? ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă Ă?Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ™Ëœ Ă’Ă“Ă? ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ–ĂŁ ĂĄĂ‹Ă? ËŤ Ă”Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ĂĄĂ‹Ă˜Ăž ĂžĂ™ ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă Ă?Ă– ĂŒĂ&#x;Ăž

ĂŽĂ™Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă•Ă˜Ă™ĂĄ ĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? ËŞĂ— ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă Ă?Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ™ËœËŹ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă? year to be great you must have a goal that is Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?Ă“Ę¨Ă?Ëœ Ă—Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ‹ĂŒĂ–Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă–Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă? and time bound. Ă‹Ă Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă‘Ă™Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă–Ă?ËŁ Ă’Ă‹Ăž Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă‘Ă™Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă˜Ă?Ă˘Ăž Í’ ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœËŁ Ă™ĂĄ Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă&#x;Ăž Í” ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă˜Ă™ĂĄËŁ Í– ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ?ËŁ Í’Í‘ ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ?ËŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ ĂšĂ?Ă™ĂšĂ–Ă? ĂžĂ™ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁ Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă–Ă?Ă?ĂšĂĄĂ‹Ă–Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă Ă?Ă˜ ĂžĂ’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ ĂžĂ’Ă?ĂŁ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂŽËœ ĂžĂ’Ă?ĂŁ ĂŽĂ™Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă– Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă‘Ă?ĘľĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž ĂžĂ’Ă?ĂŁ ĂĄĂ‹Ă˜ĂžË› Ă’Ă‹ĂžËŞĂ? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă?ĂŁ ĂŽĂ™Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă‹ ĂŽĂ“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? ĂžĂ’Ă?ĂŁ ĂĄĂ‹Ă˜Ăž ĂžĂ™ Ă‘Ă™Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž ĂžĂ’Ă?ĂŁ ĂĄĂ‹Ă˜Ăž ĂžĂ™ achieve. Students graduate and they are not sure what they to do with their life; adults

ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă?Ă•Ă?ĂŽ ĂĄĂ’Ă?Ă˜ ĂžĂ’Ă?ĂŁ ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă’ ĂžĂ’Ă?Ă“Ăœ ĂœĂ?ĂžĂ“ĂœĂ?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă?ĂŁ ĂŽĂ™Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă•Ă˜Ă™ĂĄ what to do next. Ă’Ă?Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂŽĂ™Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă‘Ă™Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ëœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂĄĂ’Ă™Ă–Ă? Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă&#x;Ăš Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŽĂ™ĂĄĂ˜Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă˜Ă™Ăž achieving anything. Whereas in reality you Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă”Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ę¨Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă˜Ă™ĂžĂ’Ă?Ăœ ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă™Ă˜ËŞĂ? Ă‘Ă™Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ëœ Ă˜Ă™Ăž yours. Invest in personal development: personal development is all about investing in yourself so that you can manage yourself eďŹ€ectively regardless of what life might bring your way. Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?Ă–Ă™ĂšĂ—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă™ĂĄĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂžĂ™ ĂŒĂ? proactive rather than wait for good things ĂžĂ™ Ă’Ă‹ĂšĂšĂ?Ă˜Ëœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‘Ă?Ăž Ă™Ă&#x;Ăž ĂžĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă?Ă— Ă’Ă‹ĂšĂšĂ?Ă˜Ë› Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?Ă–Ă™ĂšĂ—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ Ă™Ă? ĂŽĂ“ĘĽĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă?Ëœ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ëž ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ Ă‹ĘľĂ?Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă?Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‹ĂœĂ?ËšĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă?Ă’Ă™ĂšËœ ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂŽ ĂŒĂ™Ă™Ă•Ă?Ëœ etc. Get a mentor: mentors or business coaches are one of the most valuable resources anyĂ™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂžĂ‹Ăš Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă‹ Ă™Ă? Ă–Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“ness or starting anything new should no longer be a scary or daunting experience riddled ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’ Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă•Ă˜Ă™ĂĄĂ˜Ë› Ăž Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ? Ă‹ Ă?Ă™Ă–Ă–Ă‹ĂŒĂ™ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ experience accumulating the learning of the hundreds of local entrepreneurs who have already built successful businesses in the area you intend to go into and can help you faster Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă Ă™Ă“ĂŽ Ă•Ă˜Ă™ĂĄĂ˜ ĂšĂ“ĂžĂ?Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă? ĂŒĂ‹Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ ĂžĂ’Ă?Ă“Ăœ ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ? of experience. Whatever you intend to do; there is already Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă™ Ă’Ă‹Ă? ĂŽĂ™Ă˜Ă? Ă“ĂžË› Ă™ Ă–Ă™Ă™Ă• Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ăž person and learn under them. Nothing great ĂĄĂ‹Ă? Ă?Ă Ă?Ăœ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ–Ă“Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă–Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ Ă‘Ă™Ă‹Ă– Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă Ă?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Ă™Ă˜Ă?ËŞĂ? Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă“Ăž Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŒĂ? ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă?Ă? ĂŒĂ‹Ă?Ă• ĂžĂ™ Ă‹ mentor or individual who helped you achieve it. Whatever it is that you want to accomplish Ă“Ă˜ Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă‹ Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ™Ăœ Ă“Ă? Ă‘Ă™Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ™ Ă•Ă“Ă?Ă• Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă™Ă˜ the path to achieve it. Dare to start: there are a lot of us that wish ĂžĂ™ Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂž Ă‹ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂœĂ&#x;Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜ Ă™ĘŠĂ?Ă?Ëœ ĂŒĂ?Ă‘Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ programme for some years now and has not been able to start because of the fear of failĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ë› ĂŁ Ă‹ĂŽĂ Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă“Ă? ĂžĂ™ ĂŽĂ‹ĂœĂ? ĂžĂ™ Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂž Ă˜Ă™Ăž minding if you fail or not. Getting started is more important than Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ë› Ă‹Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ‹Ă‘Ă? ĂžĂ™ Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂž Ă“Ă? more important than succeeding because the people who consistently get started are the only ones who can end up ďŹ nishing anything. Ă‹Ă•Ă? ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă•Ëœ Ă‘Ă?Ăž Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ“ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă?ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ™ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂžĂ?Ă‹Ă—Ëœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă—Ă“Ă–ĂŁËœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă”Ă™ĂŒËœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ to your community. Whether or not you end up being number one in the world is irrelevant. Ă™Ă?Ăž Ă™Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂžĂ“Ă—Ă?Ëœ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă Ă‹Ă–Ă&#x;Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ? Ă“Ă?Ă˜ËŞĂž nearly as important as pushing yourself to provide it.

Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă”Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ĂžĂ‹Ă•Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă? ĂžĂ“Ă—Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;Ăž ĂžĂ™ Ă?Ă™Ă–Ă–Ă™ĂĄ ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’ Ă‹Ă–Ă– ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂšĂ?Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Í“Í‘Í’Í™Ëœ Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă‹Ăœanty you that you will deďŹ nitely experience more growth and more progress in your life a year from now than you can even imagine.

ËŞĂ— Ă‘Ă–Ă‹ĂŽ ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’ Ă‹Ă–Ă– ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă’Ă“Ăš formed with the diďŹ€erent organization this ĂšĂ‹Ă?Ăž ĂĄĂ?Ă?Ă•Ëž ĂĄĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă‹Ă Ă‹Ă“Ă–Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ? partnership this coming year.

Olodu keonyedi â€“ 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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Year of Flat Growth for Telecommunications The inability of telecoms operators to access foreign exchange, coupled with the refusal by government to grant operators right of way, among other critical issues, stunted growth of the ICT sector in 2017, writes Emma Okonji The inability of telecoms operators to access foreign exchange, coupled with the refusal by government to grant operators right of way, among other critical issues, stunted growth of the ICT sector in 2017, writes Emma Okonji The year 2017 can be best described as a difficult business year for telecommunication operators and other stakeholders in the technology industry. Businesses were dull, operating environment was harsh and revenue generation shrank as operators struggled to grow the sector. The contribution of the sector to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) dropped to 7.4 per cent in 2017, compared to 9.3 per cent contribution in 2016, according to the third quarter report of the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Stakeholders in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector have attributed the challenges faced in the industry to the inability of operators to access forex, refusal by government to approve Right of Way(ROW) for telecoms expansion, multiple taxes, indiscriminate closure of telecoms base stations, theft and willful destruction of telecoms infrastructure, among others. Major challenges Listing some of the challenges that stalled telecoms growth in 2017, to include the inability to access forex, refusal to ROW, insufficient investment in broadband infrastructure, among others, the President of the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Olusola Teniola, said these challenges impacted negatively on telecoms growth. According to him, operators witnessed difficult business environment in 2017 because of the scarcity of dollars, itâ€™s high exchange rate and the inability of operators to access forex for the purchase of telecoms equipment for network expansion. Teniola, who also blamed the situation on lack of investment in broadband infrastructure, said the combined broadband capacities of the five sub-marine cables that are lying fallow at the sea shores of the country, were under utilised in 2017. The under utilization, he said resulted from the inability of government to invest in broadband infrastructure, especially the national backbone infrastructure that should transmit broadband capacities from the sea shores to the hinterlands, where broadband internet services are in high demand. Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, said growth in telecoms was slowed down in 2017 due to indiscriminate levies imposed on telecoms operators and the incessant closure of telecoms base stations by federal and state government officials. He said such closure in some states of the federation due to the refusal of the telecoms operators to pay the huge levies, adversely affected telecoms growth and expansion. Adebayo equally attributed the sluggish growth to the refusal of some state governments to grant telecoms operators ROW to lay fibre optic cables for high speed data and voice connectivity, a situation, he said, still persists. Another major challenge faced by telecoms subscribers in 2017 is the fast depletion of their data bundles as a result of their inability to control background apps that run on their mobile devices. In addressing this issue, Google, last month, introduced an app called Datally, designed for emerging markets, Nigeria inclusive, to help data users monitor and control their data usage. Announcing the launch of Datally in Lagos Google Nigeria Country Director, Juliet EhimuanChiazor, said the new app would help Android users understand and control their mobile data to get the most out of their data plans. â€œFor the last few years, our Next Billion Users team has been doing a lot of research on the ground in fast growing internet countries like Nigeria. We have found that data is a major constraint for the next billion users. Introducing Datally into the Nigerian smartphone market will help users understand how to control their mobile data better. Google tested Datally in the Philippines for most of 2017, and the user research showed that people testing the app saved up to

Adebayo

Ehimuan-Chiazor

30 per cent of their mobile data, depending on the way they used Datally,â€? she said. Datally works on all smartphones running Android 5.0 and higher, and is available for download on the Google Play Store globally.

four local operators that are currently bidding to acquire 9mobile, to form an alliance that will help them create a formidable single platform to win the race. The stakeholders are clamouring for individual firm bidding process that will allow the foreign investor among them, have the opportunity of injecting fresh funds into the Nigerian telecoms sector. 9mobile had, in 2013, obtained a $1.2 billion loan from a consortium of 13 banks, but struggled to repay the loan, citing economic downturn of 2015-2016 and naira devaluation, which negatively impacted on the dollar-denominated component of the loan. Its inability to repay the loan forced it to change its brand identity from Etisalat Nigeria to 9mobile, a move that gave it the opportunity to shop for new investors that will inject fresh funds into the telecoms business, following the withdrawal of Emirates Telecoms Group, and the resignation of every member of the former Etisalat Board, including its former chairman, Hakeem Bello-Osagie and its former management staff. Barclays Africa, the financial advisers for the acquisition of 9mobile, is currently handling the bid process, with a mandate to complete the exercise and hand over 9mobile to its new investor or group of investors before December 31, 2017.

Service quality Addressing the issue of service quality, Adebayo said although there was a remarkable improvement in service quality, he said unless government removes the hiccups like RoW, multiple taxes, incessant closure of base stations, and willful destruction of telecoms facilities, operators will not be able to provide the best of telecoms services that are hitch-free. Subscribers have been faced with poor service quality, ranging from poor voice clarity to drop calls, inability to recharge, delay in delivery of text messages and indiscriminate billing. The situation, however, worsened this Yuletide season as in the case with other Yuletide seasons, that come with increased call and data usage. OTT incursion Worried about the operations of Over the Top Technology (OTT), which eroded the traditional services of telecoms operators and their revenue generation in 2017, Adebayo said telecoms operators must devise new ways of providing quality and affordable services to subscribers and still remain in business. The OTT players used the greater part of 2017 in providing free of charge telecoms services to subscribers through Skype, Imo, WhatsApp, among others, while riding on the network of the traditional telecoms operators to deliver Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service. The disruption caused a shift from the usual purchase of airtime for voice and data as most subscribers now prefer to make free calls and send free text messages on the OTT platform, thus eroding the revenue generation of traditional telecoms operators. The 9mobile saga Commenting on the financial health situation of the telecoms sector in 2017, Adebayo said the sector suffered liquidity squeeze, which adversely affected its operations. Citing the case of 9mobile that was compelled to change its brand identity from Etisalat Nigeria to 9mobile in 2017, following the near collapse of the telecoms company, occasioned by its weak financial status that forced it to go borrowing in 2013, Adebayo said such unhealthy financial situation, cuts across telecoms operators, who are still struggling to survive the harsh telecoms business environment in the country. He called on the federal government to consider bailout option for most telecoms operators or device a means that will attract fresh injection of funds from foreign direct investors. It is on the basis of the weak financial situation in the telecoms sector that industry stakeholders are kicking against the planned idea muted by

Policy implementation Adebayo called on government to speed up policy implementation as it affects the national broadband policy that targets 30 per cent broadband penetration in 2018, up from its current 21 per cent penetration. On his part, Teniola stressed the need for government to either invest in broadband, or create the enabling business environment that will allow foreign investors to invest in the countryâ€™s broadband plan. According to him, if foreign investors are assured of repatriating their money outside the country, they will be glad to invest in the countryâ€™s broadband policy plan. Regulatory intervention Although telecoms operators had a lot to contend with in 2017, Adebayo said the regulatory intervention of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecoms industry regulator, helped in shaping the telecoms industry during the year under review. For the first time, NCC declared 2017 as telecoms consumer year, which seeks to empower the consumer and to protect their rights and privileges. However, one major area that defied telecoms subscribersâ€™ rights, is the unsolicited short message service (SMS) also known as unsolicited text messages, that were constantly being pushed out to subscribersâ€™ mobile devices by Value Added Service (VAS) operators, for the purpose of telemarketing. It is against this backdrop that NCC introduced the Do Not Disturb (DND) Code 2442, which consumers can use to stop unsolicited text messages and the NCCâ€™s toll free line - 622 - through which consumers can

Teniola

reach the commission in cases where service providers fail to resolve their complaints. Appraising NCCâ€™s intervention, Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said several subscribers were able to subscribe to the DND platform and were able to control the type of text messages they received on their mobile devices. FinTech, IoT and AI Describing the disruptions in the technology space created by FinTech, Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in 2017, Accenture Nigeria, a leading global professional services company with focus on digital technology, said the new technology capabilities would help Nigeria leverage the fourth industrial revolution, which is about knowledge economy. The company, this month in Lagos, showcased its latest technology capabilities that will enable businesses across different sectors in the country, boost their productivity and efficiency through its recent innovations and investments in AI, Virtual Reality (VR), robotics and blockchain. The Managing Director, Accenture Nigeria Mr. Niyi Tayo, said: â€œWe want businesses in Nigeria, from banking to manufacturing, health, construction, education, retail, security, and other sectors to take advantage of the innovations we have created to improve their businesses. We believe as one of the biggest economy in Africa, the time to seize the future is now.â€? 2018 projection Citing the rise in technology activities around FinTech and AI in 2017, technology experts have predicted that FinTech and AI would drive activities across all sectors of the global economy including Nigeria in 2018. While FinTech has brought a whole lot of disruption to the financial services sector, using latest technology solutions to change the face of financial services delivery in the banking sector, the technology savvy experts are using AI to create robots that will deliver multi-tasking jobs in the future. The Accenture Nigeria boss said AI and robotics would rule the world in 2018. He strongly advised organisations to act fast in developing their AI Journey for 2018. Managing Director, Huawei Nigeria, Mr. Kevin Li, however, advised the federal government to begin aggressive investment in broadband in order to boost broadband penetration across the nooks and crannies of the country, since FinTech and AI largely depend on broadband accessibility. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), one of the biggest professional services companies in the world, predicted that Nigerian businesses would soon begin to incorporate robotic automation into their operations, which is driven by AI and IoTs. The prediction is based on a recent research findings conducted by PwC on Shared Service Centres (SSCs) and Centralised Processing Centres (CPCs) across industries in Nigeria.

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Rogers: Investment in Tech Solutions Will Cushion Effects of Ransomware Threats Regional Director, Africa, Check Point, Mr. Rick Rogers, who was in Nigeria recently for the Cybersecurity Forum 2017, spoke with Emma Okonji on the latest ransomware threats and how organisations could survive the global plague. Excerpts: With 25 years of experience in information technology (IT), covering African markets, what is your view about IT development in Africa? Yes I have been in the business of information and communications technology (ICT) management in the last 25 years and my first job was with Dimension Data in South Africa. I have been into software development as well. 25 years ago, the awareness on IT security was not as high as what it is today because there was less risk to IT business then, and the internet was not even an enterprise business at that time. But in the last 25 years, there has been exponential growth across all ICT segments globally. Across the African content, IT growth has been tremendous and many African countries are fast catching up with IT development. Today, I can say that Africa is at the same level with the rest of the world in terms of technology usage to enhance productivity and boost economic development. How has technology growth in Africa added value to African businesses? All over the world, growth in technology is adding tremendous values to global businesses and Africa is not an exception. To be competitive and remain a global player from any part of the world, organisations must adopt global technology and global best practices. Broadband is fast driving technology growth globally, what role should African governments play in enhancing broadband growth? Broadband penetration across Africa is on the increase, especially the mobile broadband. In the Rogers area of fixed broadband growth, I think African government should create the right policies is internal and then segment them. This will that will enable organisations to leapfrog the help the organisation to have its priorities fixed broadband services through fibre optic. right and invest in areas of high security value, and this will help to save huge cost, What will you say is the biggest threat to when compared with providing equal security IT security? measures to all sectors of an organisation, Unknown malware and ransomware are the especially with large organisations. biggest threat to IT security and organisations must do well to deploy software solutions that So what is the latest security solution address security challenges. At Check Point, that Check Point is deploying to address we develop software for data security and we IT security breaches? provide multi-layer protection of organisationâ€™s We have SandBlast software solution with data. It is true that we cannot stop attacks on multiple system that addresses multiple chaldata but one thing we can do as IT security lenges. Hackers are increasingly targeting company, is to stop the colossal damage such enterprise networks using sophisticated tools attacks could have on organisationâ€™s data and such as new zero-day threats. A more proacinfrastructure. Now at Check Point, we look at tive security approach is required to identify prevention as the best form of data protection. and stop such attacks. SandBlast Zero-Day We have global scenario where organisations Protection elevates network security to the do not take IT security issues very seriously. next level with evasion-resistant malware What we do as IT security company is to detection, and complete protection from even prevent malicious attacks through our software the most dangerous attacks, ensuring quick solutions and our solutions help in preventing delivery of safe content to users. It supports unknown malware and ransomware into the multiple options and provides cost effective entire system of an organisation. solution to enterprise and small businesses. We look at SandBlast in both physical and What should organisations do to protect their virtual network environment, and we have data from malicious attacks? SandBlast for mobile devices. It is important that organisations are IT security conscious and ensure data protec- Most times, software application fails. What tion at all times. Organisations must deploy could be responsible for this? latest software solutions that protect data from Security solutions are technology focused and malicious attacks. if for any reason the solutions fail during deployment, then it could be as a result of How can organisations with large number various reasons, ranging from the method of of staff control access to its infrastructure deployment, to lack of technical knowhow. by way of protecting the organisationâ€™s People need to be educated and trained on infrastructure? the deployment of latest security solutions. The best thing to do in order to achieve this is to look at the organisationâ€™s architecture and Do you have solutions for small businesses? then we determine the critical issues within Yes, we have solutions for small businesses. the IT environment. Most times people feel our solutions are The truth is that not all data are of equal targeted at enterprise markets only, but this importance to an organisation. For example, is not true, because we have full swift of the financial records of an organisation may solutions that address the challenges of both have higher level of importance than some small businesses and enterprise businesses. other records and data. So for a large organisation to maintain High cost of security solution has been maximum security, it should be able to look identified as one of the reasons why most at its data profile, available information that organisations do not invest heavily in security

solutions. What is your take on this? My advice for any organisation is to continue to invest in security solutions, because the consequence of not investing is huge and far outweighs the cost of investment. So what we do with existing and potential customers is to do security check-ups of an organisation and from there we can analyse what is going on inside the network. Our solution checks the behaviour pattern of people working in an organisation and this helps organisations to take informed decision on IT security matters. So we present the information we gather from the security check-up and present it to the organisation, to guide their spending culture, which of course, helps to reduce cost. Most organisations have the challenge of synchronising their data into a single platform for better management. Does Check Point have a solution that addresses several organisational challenges? We see this as a global trend where organisations want to address their challenges from a single platform of solutions and what we have done is to provide such solution. Most organisations have different solutions from different vendors that address different challenges. So it makes more sense to have end-to-end infrastructure solution. Another area is about manageability because organisations have to effectively manage their data. When there is a breach, it becomes necessary for organisations to adopt check-up approach to find out the extent of damage and get advice from IT security experts on the best solution to deploy. So what value does your IT solutions bring to organisations? Our data protection solution brings a lot of value to the customer and one of them is peace of mind when managing the business because our solutions address downtime issues in an organisation. The value is also seen on the return on investments. We have seen many ransomware attacks and this year, the number of various attacks increased. So the deployment of the right solution will address all of these and

bring peace of mind and business continuity in the face of competition. What will organisations lose when they fail to deploy security solutions in terms of data protection? Any organisation that refuses to invest in technology solution and to deploy latest IT security solutions will be losing not only vital data, but also incurring heavy financial losses. But again, the level of reporting in relation to data attacks, is still low in most organisations who think they are safe and their customers also safe, when they do not report malicious attacks on their data. Again, most organisations report fraud as breach and some report breach as fraud, but which ever, it is better to report IT security breaches. What level of training do you have with your partners to enable customers understand your solutions better? We do a lot of training for our customers through our partners. We also create a general awareness on want the IT security threats are and the level of vulnerability, which I think is important for business growth. We run two courses every quarter free of charge to educate clients on the latest malware and ransomware and how to prevent them. As IT security organisation, what stands Check Point out from other IT security companies? There is competition in providing IT security solutions, but what this means to us is that it keeps us on our toes to do more for our customers. We have been investing in Nigeria for several years and we have a lot of partners that are working with us in the area of training. What stands us out is our commitment to customers and we have local office in Lagos to enable us move closer to our customers and this is one area that stands us out, because we are readily available to address customersâ€™ needs. Again we have local partners in Nigeria that support the local businesses in Nigeria. So we are closer to our customers.

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Policy Volatility, Consumer Behaviour as Major Influencers in 2017 Raheem Akingbolu writes on the activities in the marketing communications industry in 2017, positing that policy volatility and the recession affected the marketing spend of most companies and dictated consumption patterns among consumers If there is any sector of the economy that has been negatively affected by the economic recession that recently bedeviled the country, it is the marketing communications industry. The reason is simple; when economy nosedives, marketing budget drops and practitioners bear the brunt. Though both marketing practitioners and consumers of goods and services enter the year with hopes, the first six months was nothing to write home about due to consistent drop in the budget and disposable income. To this end, consumption drastically dropped, manufacturers struggled to survive while the businesses of marketing agencies also suffered. However, things picked up a little in the third quarter but the overall performances remains low compared to the years before the recession. Aside businesses that have nosedived, some agencies have closed shops while hundreds of their employees have been sent back to the labour market. This has also greatly affected consumption as consumers have been forced to readjust their scale of preferences to contend with the existing market reality. Mixed feelings among Advertising practitioners Looking at the activities in the industry in 2017, the President of the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), Mrs. Folake Ani-Mumuney, stated that as the economy picked up in 2017, her members saw a corresponding rise in marketing communications activity, being a barometer of confidence. â€˜â€™With increased economic activity, we saw laudable creativity also as marcomms practitioners raised the bar and held themselves accountable for improved return on investment (ROI). Doing more with less became the order of the day and at the end of the year we celebrated the brands who demonstrated a mastery of this at the 2017 ADVAN Marketing Awards, the defining event for the industry. â€˜â€™Of notable mention is what we are beginning to see with the Buhari-led administration who appear to be embracing the value in engaging marcomms professionals to get their strategic communications out. A clear example is the ongoing VAIDS campaign using an effective messaging and media mix, speaking to all demographics and successfully conveying a challenging complex proposition to an audience with different levels of understanding,â€? she said. Going forward in the years ahead, she encouraged the government to continue to tap into the expertise and embrace the advisory services of marketing communication practitioners who excel in positioning brands under their care. According to her, the role of marcomms must be properly understood and never underestimated in building and sustaining confidence in any venture. Looking ahead into 2018, Ani-Mumuney said practitioners are optimistic that the green shoots of recovery will take firmer root and players in the marketing communication industry will see more vibrant economic activity with the necessary trickle down that will lift more Nigerians out of poverty. â€˜â€™ However to fully maximize the opportunities that recovery offers, we must address the various issues affecting the sector; multiple taxation from the various regulatory bodies, arbitrary demands and lack of transparency on rates and fees from some and other practices aimed at driving their revenue up is certainly not helpful for the sector at large,â€™â€™ she said. On a final note, the advertisersâ€™ chief urged the authorities to conclude on the necessary appointments in APCON and the other boards to strengthen the industry. In an interview with THISDAY, the Publicity Secretary of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, (AAAN), Mr. Steve Babaeko, was quick to admit that the year 2017 has been a painful journey for creatives agencies in the country. According to him, â€˜â€?The advertising industry is not immune to the economic reversal going on in the country. Thankfully, the oil price is going up now. The dwindling oil revenue

Ani-Mumuney occasioned by the price slash and producing below capacity starting from 2016 still affects the economy and affects creative agencies in the country.â€? But he is confident that if the country gets the budget passed on time in 2018 by the National Assembly, practitioners would begin to see some positive changes in the economy. Babaeko, however, advised the lawmakers to give issues related to the budget a great priority, adding that for now, between the lawmakers and executive arm, there is buck passing and foot-dragging over the budget. He also believes that things will improve in the year ahead, given the electioneering campaign and the World Cup that are around the corner. He said: â€˜â€™Definitely, electioneering campaign and world cup are going to help because the World Cup is a very major event. Some of our clients will participate, which is good for the industry as spending is expected to pick up. Same with politics, the race for 2019 basically starts now. You will see more smart politicians engage the services of professional agencies. They wonâ€™t give their political communication or advertising campaigns to their brothers and sisters in-law to do. If they really want to get good outcome, they need to invest in quality campaign. In that wise, we should expect a boost in the industry.â€™â€™ Performance of the PR industry 2017 According to the Holmes Report, while global PR industry rebounded to seven per cent in 2016, up from five per cent growth in 2015, hitting the $15 billion in total spend, with the likes of BlueFocus, Webber Shanwick, Golin and Ketchum out performing industry average, same could not be said of Nigeria PR firms in 2016. The state of affairs was driven largely by currency volatility, macro-economic shocks and policy issues with big spenders like MTN and Etisalat (now 9Mobile) in the Telecom sector, the Unilevers and the P&Gâ€™s in the FMCG sector crawling back with consequent squeeze on the local PR industry in 2016. The year 2017 opened with a host of foreign multi-nationals downgrading Nigeria and centralising their PR businesses in South Africa and Kenya. According to the Managing Director, Precise, a reputation design and generation company, Mr. Bolaji Okusaga, this was due largely to prevalence of foreign currency volatility which saw a great gap between official and black market rates and created a tough operating environment for businesses as they were not able to access dollars at the official rate. He said: â€˜â€™Under this context, 2017 opened on a bleak note for most PR practices given the impact of macro-economic shock on marketing spend and by implication, the PR share of that spend. However, following Nigeriaâ€™s exit from five consecutive quarters of negative growth in

Irukera the second quarter of 2017 with the economy recording a positive but fragile growth of 0.72 per cent , we saw a restoration of confidence in the market. This confidence saw a limited rebound in PR activities as foreign and local businesses hoping to cash in on the prospects of a full recovery began to raise their spend, albeit cautiously. So in terms of the knock-on effect of the recovery on the PR industry, it is still largely marginal given the fact that the non-oil GDP elements are not growing as fast as required for a big effect on marketing spend, at least not yet.â€? â€˜â€™The reason why the effect of this recovery are not yet visible are not therefore contestable. I did say earlier that while Oil GDP expanded considerably in the second quarter of 2017, non-oil GDP only grew at 0.45 per cent, down from 0.72 per cent in the preceding quarter and -0.38 in the corresponding period in 2016. In quarter 3 of 2017 GDP grew by 1.4 per cent, showing sustained momentum. However, quarter three GDP results also showed that the nationâ€™s economy is still exposed to the risks especially on the real sector side, as only two out of 10 sectors grew during the quarter. While the oil and gas sector grew by 25.89 percent, the non- oil sector from which a larger pool of marketing spend is obtained contracted by 0.76 percent. Under this context, it does not take rocket science to see that the PR industry did not grow last year,â€™â€™ While the year 2018 promises to be brighter and better, given the obvious recovery of the economy and a projected increase in government and political spending being a year before the general elections, Okusaga said there is a big need for caution because while government spending goes up in the year preceding an election as the government will be in a haste to deliver on its electoral promises, the nature of the spending and the fiscal discipline around the spending may make or mar opportunities in the real sector. According to him, this is so because an uncontrolled spending regime may increase inflation and lower consumer spending power with attendant impact on goods and services from which marketing spend is derived. Okusaga is also of the opinion that new technologies like Facebook live, Youtube, Instagram, online TVâ€™s, online radios and other digital platforms, also affected the industry in the year under review. CPC perspective For the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), 2017 experienced key developments. According to the Director General of the agency, Tunde Irukera, among other achievements, the council used the year to meet extensively with industry and encouraged them to make consumer protection a core and not ancillary of their business, adding that as such, he expects industry to take a

more robust role in resolving complaints and consumer education. â€˜â€™The current model translates to government subsidising industry as CPC receives even the most monite dissatisfaction which industry should resolve without intervention. Further, as they have mastered advertising and have multiple channels for reaching consumers, we have mutual responsibilities to educate consumers and I expect them to leverage their messaging and channels for this. A generally more responsive attitude and prioritising of consumer issues is inviolate and non negotiable,â€™â€™ he said. As consumers prepare to enter 2018, the CPC boss stated that what government needs to do to grow industry is just a clearer, more consistent and more certain regulatory framework and approach, letting industry know regulatory priorities and working with industry where necessary to secure compliance and raise standards. He said: â€˜â€™Economic performance is tied to consumer spending and consumer spending is as much a function of satisfaction as it is of disposable income so prioritising consumer protection, working with industry while firmly holding them accountable will be key to industry growth and economic expansion. I also advise consumers to be more discriminatory. They should become more aware of rights, demand and insist on those rights, and where dissatisfied seek enforcement,â€™â€™ he stated. Experiential marketing grows While other sectors recorded decline in 2017, the same cannot be said of experiential marketing agencies as more organisation turned to them for solutions that would be impactful and yet cost effective. Since few years ago when experiential marketing practitioners saw the need to form a professional body -the Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN), and reposition the sub-sector, more attention is being given to members and the service they offer. Two major things have continued to give them an edge â€“cost effectiveness and ability to measure the impact of their activation exercise. President of EXMAN, Kehinde Salami, said experiential marketing activities this year, has witnessed a definite improvement from 2016 as a direct result of many factors. He gave his reasons to include: stable exchange rate (essential for multinational companiesâ€™ importation of raw materials and effective planning), improved confidence especially in quarter three and four and improvement in security which, he claimed has helped multinationals to supply some no go areas of the past. â€˜â€™For experiential agencies the ripple effect has certainly been felt with many agencies in EXMAN witnessing an improvement from last yearâ€™s position. Having said this, tighter controls coupled with inability of members to access working capital to finance projects has had a negative effect on profitability scores, capacity building and investments in key goal areas,â€™â€™ he said. Salami, however, urged government to partner EXMAN by creating accessible funds at single digits for their members. â€˜â€™In the coming year, we intend to begin the engagement process with relevant stakeholders. As an industry that engages no fewer than 100,000 personnel annually and 500,000 indirectly, the need to further support this SME sub sector in 2018 cannot be understated,â€? he said. Outdoor industry misfortune To say the last 10 years have been difficult for outdoor practitioners is like stating the obvious. Aside facing challenges of multiple taxation and unfriendly rates, the fear of likely takeover of their businesses by foreign firms has remained a recurring decimal. In Lagos, where they have the largest chunk of their businesses, the challenges have been tougher than other places, especially since 2006 when the state government decided to create a parallel regulatory agency

T H I S D AY THURSDAY DECEMBER 28, 2017

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Apampa: The Sunu/Equity Rebranding Plan Will Strengthen Our Companyâ€™s Growth As the management of Equity Assurance Plc and other stakeholders in the company prepare to adopt a new name, following the current status of the company as member of the SUNU Group, its chief executive, Moruf Apampa, spoke to Raheem Akingbolu on how the company is leveraging on the process to boost its strategies and products. Excerpts: we have seen tremendous improvement; last year we made a lost but this year we have returned the business to profitability. We are here to make a difference. Our focus is on service and we have been able to differentiate ourselves in terms of service excellence. We are more like a broker now and to a large extent we have repositioned the business. On the rebranding process, we have gotten approval from the board to change our name by the end of the year for full transition into the SUNU brand.

The news that Equity Assurance Plc, will soon drop its toga and adopts a new name has been on for awhile. When exactly will the process be concluded? Issues like this are not one-off thing. Rebranding doesnâ€™t start and end with slogans, logos and jamborees. It involves internal and external processes but members of the public get to know the day the drum is rolled out. As I talk, we are on with the process and it will be on for months. Donâ€™t forget that all stakeholders- those within and outside must be carried along in the exercise, which is what we are currently doing.

The low level of market penetration is usually attributed to level of education, and the negative mindset towards insurance. How can we change that mindset in Nigeria? It is all about processes. When we came on board, what we did was to establish a survey department, as one of the few challenges faced in insurance is prompt settlement of claims, that was one of the reasons we felt we have to proffer solutions for the market with the USSD mobile solution, and we will continue to come up with more solutions that are market driven. The reason for launching the USSD mobile solution is to see how we can penetrate the market to improve financial inclusion in support of the Federal Government initiative. I give you a case study for instance, the Insurance company with the largest agent has less than 3000 active agents, the population of Nigeria is about 170 million, how many people do you think 3000 people can address: the number of mobile phone users in the country today is about 120 million people, so we felt to address that problem we have to come up with mobile solutions. The task on our part is to see how we can unlock the potentials in the market, and we are poised to do that, because the parent company has done that across Africa in the last 20 years, so we will just leverage on that success to grow the brand in Nigeria.

Can you give your view on the acceptance level of the new SUNU brand by the domestic market? First, as a Nigerian brand, we know the domestic market, we understand the business, and we understand our peculiarities. So we will be wrapping up the basic into the communication plan, we have a holistic plan that will run for at least a year, beginning from January through to December of 2018. Very soon we will be unveiling a very thoughtful well-tailored plan that is going

In the last one year we have been on the rebuilding process, putting up the necessary structures in place with the SUNU Group. The SUNU Group actually sees potentials in Nigeria. I think itâ€™s been a very wonderful experience, taking our parent company strategy-we think globally but also act locally; we are mindful of the environment where we do our business. The SUNU Group was set up in 1998. However, the beauty of it is that the company now is in 17 countries. Our vision is to be a pan-African insurance company which is in tandem with the SUNU model

Apampa

to capture the essence of the brands, so that people can understand what the SUNU/Equity brand represents going forward. For us itâ€™s about a widen value that put the customer at the center of our strategy; everything we do, the decision, process, the employees we hire are hired with the customers in mind, the facilities we acquire, the technology we invest in, everything we do is only for the customers, ultimately only the customer that will be able to verify and affirm the values of the brand. We understand that it is not going to happen overnight, it is not a magic wand but with our concerted effort, with discipline execution on the part of the organization and with focus on meeting customer aspirations and needs, we understand it is only a matter of time that the SUNU brand takes full root and continues to grow in the mind of our people. I agree with you that rebranding is not a one-off thing but specifically, can you please share with members of the public how far the company has gone with the rebuilding process under the SUNU Group brand name? In the last one year we have been on the rebuilding process, putting up the necessary structures in place with the SUNU Group. The SUNU Group actually sees potentials in Nigeria. I think itâ€™s been a very wonderful experience, taking our parent company

strategy-we think globally but also act locally; we are mindful of the environment where we do our business. The SUNU Group was set up in 1998. However, the beauty of it is that the company now is in 17 countries. Our vision is to be a pan-African insurance company which is in tandem with the SUNU model. In Nigeria for instance, when we resumed we realized that we need to build capacity, which is what we have done in the last one year. We have done tremendous training for our people both locally and abroad because they are our asset. Beyond the name change, what will the SUNU Group confer on the Equity brand? With the SUNU Group partnership we have worked on our processes to a large extent to rebuild almost everything: the way we work. For us as an institution, adopting the SUNU model, the structure, leveraging technology led to the launch of the first USSD mobile service in the insurance sector. Iâ€™m referring to the Equity USSD Mobile Insurance *931*11#. The mobile platform allows customers purchase 3rd party insurance on their phone in less than 5 minutes, provides cover against bodily injury, death, and 3rd party property damage. We are the first in the insurance sector to help simplify insurance and bring insurance services to the doorstep of everybody. In the banking sector, I think it was GTB. In the last one year

How then do we maximise the potentials in the insurance industry? It is very easy, if you go to Marina/Broad street, the first set of high rising building you see were owned by insurance companies, Nicon insurance, Reinsurance, and the likes, guess what happen, I think along the line there was a missing link, there was a gap in the 80s. I will give you a case study, insurance business is like any other business. It is no longer block business; it is now largely driven by technology. In year 2,000, there was a company called Blockbuster, it is a film house. As at that time Blockbuster was doing very well, it has cinemas everywhere in the U.S. Another company was formed that same year in 2,000 called Netflix. Fast-forward to 2010, Blockbuster declared a loss of $1.1 billion, Netflix income rose to $70 billion, what was the difference; Blockbuster was building cinema houses everywhere while Netflix adopted a technology solution: that you can rent and buy your film from the comfort of your room. Netflix was able to address a very large population. The biggest company in this market, like I mentioned has access to 3000 agents, how many people do you think 3,000 agents can reach. The USSD solution we started has access to 120 million mobile phone users, so itâ€™s left for you to now decide. The solution is not just insurance business; there is a scope of evolution for new business solution evolving globally not just in insurance even in the banking sector. Now we are bringing solution to the market, we want to remain a reference point for the insurance industry in this market.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY DECEMBER 28, 2017

UTILIZATION OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE AS AT 22ND OF DECEMBER 2017 S/N

CUSTOMERS

1 2

SOBOLA ADEBIMPE TEMILOLA OKOROAFOR FRANCIS NDUBUEZE

AMOUNT (US$) PURPOSE 4,000.00 PTA 5,000.00 BTA

360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17

RATE DATE

3 4 5

SONUYI BOSUN OKUNADE MARY FUNMILADE OKEI EJIRO LOVETH

3,800.00 PTA 3,000.00 PTA 1,200.00 PTA

360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17

6 7 8

PHILLIP COLLINS EDEMA-EYEN OMAYELI ALEX-JIMOH OLAJUMOKE O

1,500.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA 2,500.00 PTA

360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17

9 10

AZUBUKO AUGUSTINA UGO ONOWODE EJUMEDIA FELIX

200.00 PTA 3,000.00 PTA

360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17

11 12 13

KAREEM RAUFU AYANDA ADEDOTUN OLUWAFEMI JOSEPH CHUKWUMA JOSEPH UCHENDU

4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17

14 15 16

IMEH PATIENCE OKON OLALEYE OLANREWAJU YUSUF UCHEFUNA FELIX CHUKWUMA

4,000.00 PTA 3,500.00 PTA 1,000.00 PTA

360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17

17 18

ONWUAMAEGBU IJEABALU MICHAEL FUNMILAYO SARAH

4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17

19 20 21

MORSI HELEN GOON MOM SANYA O MARTHA

4,000.00 PTA 3,000.00 PTA 2,500.00 PTA

360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17

22 23

FAYOKUN IFEOLUWA BOLANLE BAMIDELE OLATUNJI ADEWALE

360.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17

24 25 26

BOYO ISAIAH BAWO ABIOSE FATAI ABOLADE ADEBAYO ADEOLU OLADIPO

2,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17

27 28 29

OLADOYIN OLANREWAJU FEMI SHITTU OLABODE ATANDA AJAYI ABAYOMI O LAWRENCE

4,000.00 PTA 3,400.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17

30 31

UBAKA LUCYNA AJAYI OLUFUNMILAYO YINKA

4,000.00 PTA 1,500.00 PTA

360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17

32 33 34

AGU NOBERT UGOCHUKWU NWOJI CHUKWUDUBEM O. TAKAYA BALA JOHNES

4,000.00 PTA 300.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17

35 36 37

ALANEME FELIXNDUBUISI IKHELOA ZAINAB DADA OKOYE JUSTICE OBIAJULU

2,000.00 PTA 3,400.00 PTA 3,973.58 PTA

360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17

38 39

NEHIZENA I AFOLABI OLANIYAN VICTORIA

1,351.39 PTA 5,215.38 SCHOOL FEES

360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17

40 41 42

NWIMO, GOODNEWS O MOKWE NKEIRUKA JACINTA RAYMOND K AHUMIBE

8,172.11 SCHOOL FEES 700.00 SCHOOL FEES 11,202.68 SCHOOL FEES

360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17

43 44 45

LAFENAX NIG. LIMITED ABDULLAHI S MUKHTAR EDWIN U NWAERI

12,898.56 SCHOOL FEES 14,967.48 SCHOOL FEES 15,000.00 SCHOOL FEES

360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17

46 47

EDWIN U NWAERI STELLA ANUKAM

15,000.00 SCHOOL FEES 14,561.36 SCHOOL FEES

360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17

48 49 50

MWET G OMAGHOMI MOKWE NKEIRUKA JACINTA MARTINS AKHIGBEMIDU O

5,500.00 SCHOOL FEES 4,268.88 SCHOOL FEES 3,570.44 SCHOOL FEES

360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17

51 52 53

FAKUMA J ILAGHA OLUFUNMILAYO A AMBO FRIESLANDCAMPINA WAMCO

2,702.80 SCHOOL FEES 5,405.60 SCHOOL FEES 332,706.88 DOUBLE/COLD REDUCED TINPLATE

360.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 18-Dec-17 361.00 18-Dec-17

54 55

FRIESLANDCAMPINA WAMCO FRIESLANDCAMPINA WAMCO

282,706.88 DOUBLE/COLD REDUCED TINPLATE 922,320.00 DOUBLE/COLD REDUCED TINPLATE

361.00 18-Dec-17 361.00 18-Dec-17

56 57 58

FRIESLANDCAMPINA WAMCO FRIESLANDCAMPINA WAMCO IBTC CHARTERED

73,600.80 DOUBLE/COLD REDUCED TINPLATE 456,307.68 DOUBLE/COLD REDUCED TINPLATE 1,179,416.02 INTERBANK

361.00 18-Dec-17 361.00 18-Dec-17 360.50 18-Dec-17

59 60

STANDARD CHARTERED CORONATION MERCHANT BANK

259,949.81 INTERBANK 1,148,000.00 INTERBANK

360.50 18-Dec-17 361.00 18-Dec-17

61 62 63

CITIBANK CWAY FOOD & BEVERAGES CWAY FOOD & BEVERAGES

64 65 66

HAUWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO.LTD CBN CBN

67 68

KINDEL REMEDIES LTD FALAYE BAKOLE OJO

69 70

AKINDELE IYABODE O OMO AMADASUN FRANK

2,000.00 PTA 5,000.00 PTA

360.00 19-Dec-17 360.00 19-Dec-17

71 72 73

IGBOKO ELIJAH ELEANYA AJAYI BEATRICE TOMISIN AJAYI BABATUNDE DEINDE

5,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA 5,000.00 PTA

360.00 19-Dec-17 360.00 19-Dec-17 360.00 19-Dec-17

74 75 76

AIGBEDO SAMSON E OLANIYI MURITALA DOLAPO BOYO ISAIAH BAWO

2,000.00 PTA 500.00 PTA 1,200.00 PTA

360.00 19-Dec-17 360.00 19-Dec-17 360.00 19-Dec-17

77 78

ONIMOWO IDRIS JULIANA FOLORUNSHO RACHEAL FUNMI

4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 19-Dec-17 360.00 19-Dec-17

79 80 81

FOLORUNSHO ALEXANDER DAYO FOLORUNSHO MIRACLE TOBI FOLORUNSHO TOSIN DAMI

4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 19-Dec-17 360.00 19-Dec-17 360.00 19-Dec-17

82 83 84

ALI MOUNDHEY GADZAMA MORAH OBINNA VICTOR ADAMA MERIAM KADIRI

4,000.00 PTA 1,500.00 PTA 600.00 PTA

360.00 19-Dec-17 360.00 19-Dec-17 360.00 19-Dec-17

85 86

UMAR HASSANA AMINU ANOLU GABRIEL EHIS

4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 19-Dec-17 360.00 19-Dec-17

87 88 89

AZIAGBA LETICIA NNEKA TUNDE-ANJOUS GEORGINA N PATRICK AIWONEGBE IKHENA

5,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA 5,000.00 PTA

360.00 19-Dec-17 360.00 19-Dec-17 360.00 19-Dec-17

863,917.39 INTERBANK 44,890.00 LABEL FOR BOTTLE 45,834.00 LABEL FOR BOTTLE

360.50 18-Dec-17 361.00 18-Dec-17 361.00 18-Dec-17

1,000,000.00 SOFTWARE LICENSE FEES 2016 312,176.32 UNUTILIZED IMTO SOLD TO CBN 304,454.78 UNUTILIZED IMTO SOLD TO CBN

361.00 18-Dec-17 357.00 18-Dec-17 357.00 18-Dec-17 361.00 18-Dec-17 360.00 19-Dec-17

30,000.00 POLYMER OF VINYL CHLORIDE 4,000.00 PTA

S/N

CUSTOMERS

CHARLES OGEDI

2,371.60 PTA

360.00 19-Dec-17

91 92 93

OLOGUN FLORENCE ADEROMOSE KINGS O AIBANGBEE NKECHI J ARIZOR

AMOUNT (US$) PURPOSE 2,702.78 PTA 4,956.93 SCHOOL FEES 3,822.47 SCHOOL FEES

360.00 19-Dec-17 360.00 19-Dec-17 360.00 19-Dec-17

RATE DATE

94 95

NKECHI J ARIZOR DANIEL T EGBE

4,688.09 SCHOOL FEES 1,476.42 SCHOOL FEES

360.00 19-Dec-17 360.00 19-Dec-17

96 97 98

OLUBUNMI A AKINREMI AMADI OSITA DARLINGTON OKOROAFOR CHIDI AGODI

14,764.20 SCHOOL FEES 10,657.09 SCHOOL FEES 10,000.00 SCHOOL FEES

360.00 19-Dec-17 360.00 19-Dec-17 360.00 19-Dec-17

99 100 101

CONSERVERIA AFRICANA LTD CONSERVERIA AFRICANA LTD CWAY FOOD & BEVERAGES

102 103

CWAY FOOD & BEVERAGES CONSERVERIA AFRICANA LTD

104 105 106

CONSERVERIA AFRICANA LTD GEETA PLASTIC PRODUCTS CBN

228,960.41 PEPPE ONION OLEORESIN 52,500.00 SCREW JAR MOULD 359,296.25 UNUTILIZED IMTO SOLD TO CBN

361.00 19-Dec-17 361.00 19-Dec-17 357.00 19-Dec-17

107 108 109

CBN AKINSANYA OLANREWAJU K BAMGBOYE OMOLARA AGBEKE

292,288.60 UNUTILIZED IMTO SOLD TO CBN 3,000.00 PTA 500.00 PTA

357.00 19-Dec-17 360.00 20-Dec-17 360.00 20-Dec-17

110 111

OLUDAYO OLUMUYIWA AKIN FISHER MARY ANIKE

2,700.00 PTA 2,000.00 BTA

360.00 20-Dec-17 360.00 20-Dec-17

112 113 114

FISHER ADEKUNBOH O AJEH ALICE EBISIKE CHINEDU

2,000.00 BTA 4,000.00 PTA 2,700.00 PTA

360.00 20-Dec-17 360.00 20-Dec-17 360.00 20-Dec-17

115 116

DOTIE OKIEMUTE IZUCHUKWU IFEANYI STEPHEN

5,000.00 BTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 20-Dec-17 360.00 20-Dec-17

117 118 119

UMAH MIRIAM UJU ATUWO YOYINSOLA TITILOPE YAR'ADUA MUHAMMAD A

4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA 1,920.00 PTA

360.00 20-Dec-17 360.00 20-Dec-17 360.00 20-Dec-17

120 121 122

ADEOYE JUBRIL ADEKUNLE OSUYA ROSEMARY ISIOMA ORUMADE ANN

4,000.00 PTA 3,800.00 PTA 2,000.00 PTA

360.00 20-Dec-17 360.00 20-Dec-17 360.00 20-Dec-17

123 124

NNAKENYI LINUS OKECHUKWU MOMAH JANE UCHE

4,000.00 PTA 1,800.00 PTA

360.00 20-Dec-17 360.00 20-Dec-17

125 126 127

LESHI MUSILIMAT OLUWAKEMI ILOANI CHUKWUNWEIKE AKERE FUNSO

3,500.00 PTA 4,000.00 BTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 20-Dec-17 360.00 20-Dec-17 360.00 20-Dec-17

128 129 130

OKPARA CHARLES ONYEMA ADAMU EMMANUEL PETER CARIM AKINTUNDE ABIDOYE

5,000.00 BTA 4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 20-Dec-17 360.00 20-Dec-17 360.00 20-Dec-17

131 132

ESSIEN ENO GLORIA OGUNLEYE ADEOLA AYOKUNMI

4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 20-Dec-17 360.00 20-Dec-17

133 134 135

EMORUWA ADERONKE ADENIKE ATOGUN VICTORIA EKPOAWAN ATOGUN ODAFE

4,000.00 PTA 3,910.13 PTA 3,910.13 PTA

360.00 20-Dec-17 360.00 20-Dec-17 360.00 20-Dec-17

136 137 138

ONUNWOR NYEMA PEDRO ABAYOMI MICHAEL OSHADIYA OLANIPEKUN ROTIMI

3,913.14 PTA 1,347.00 PTA 1,342.19 PTA

360.00 20-Dec-17 360.00 20-Dec-17 360.00 20-Dec-17

139 140

OGUNBUSOLA SOLOMON AKIN S ADEJOH LADIDI ESTHER

4,865.00 BTA 3,999.74 PTA

360.00 20-Dec-17 360.00 20-Dec-17

141 142 143

ETUKUDOH NKEREUWEM MARIA CBN CBN

144 145 146

IBUNOH ADIMABUA RENWICK BIOBELE GEORGEWELL E AYOOLA BIOBELE GEORGEWELL LOLIA F

147 148 149 150 151

108,226.78 FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP 8,717.55 FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP 45,775.00 LABEL FOR BOTTLE

361.00 19-Dec-17 361.00 19-Dec-17 361.00 19-Dec-17

45,480.00 LABEL FOR BOTTLE 24,657.60 MALTOSE SYRUP

361.00 19-Dec-17 361.00 19-Dec-17

4,865.00 BTA 529,444.68 UNUTILIZED IMTO SOLD TO CBN 462,729.33 UNUTILIZED IMTO SOLD TO CBN

360.00 20-Dec-17 357.00 20-Dec-17 357.00 20-Dec-17

1,787.54 PTA 3,997.29 PTA 3,997.29 PTA

360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17

BIOBELE-GEORGEWELL STELLA F IZU AVWEROSUO

4,999.98 BTA 969.05 PTA

360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17

GEORGEWILL UDEME OWUNARI INNOCENT ASEGIEMHE MOMOH MBA ELIJAH JOHN

1,347.19 PTA 3,260.21 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17

152 153

LADELE OMOLOLA AINA KAREEM EJEMEN MERCY

4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17

154 155

ADEOYE AYODELE OLADIPUPO ADENIYI ADEOLA OLUWATOYIN

2,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17

156 157

NWOSU KEVIN OKEY ADU OLUROPO JAMES

4,000.00 BTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17

158 159 160

OKORIE KELECHI BOMA ADIPE AYOTOKUNBO OLUYIMDE IKEME OGBULI PATIENCE O

3,500.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA 5,000.00 BTA

360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17

161 162 163

OLAOMI IBUKUNOLUWA OMO AJISAFE OLATEJU MURITALA BABAITA IDIAT IBIRONKE

4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 BTA 2,000.00 PTA

360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17

164 165

ADULOJU ESTHER TIWA ZAINAB ABUBAKAR SAMBO

2,000.00 PTA 2,000.00 PTA

360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17

166 167 168

ADESOKAN SAMUEL DIMEJI AREMU BOLAJI IFEOLUWA ADEBIMPE JAMES OYIN

1,000.00 PTA 1,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17

169 170 171

MPI MEKABE NYEMA MPI PRISCILLIA OTORI OMUYA SHUAIBU

4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17

172 173

GABRIEL YAKUBU ADUKU ADEKOYA OLUWASEYI DEJI

4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17

174 175 176

IMOLEFUNKE MODUPE YEMI EZEBUILO BANKOLE ANTHONY EZEBUILO UZOAMAKA AUGUSTA

1,500.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17

177

ALUYOR PHILOMENA OMO

650.00 PTA

360.00 21-Dec-17

S/N

CUSTOMERS

178 179

YUSUF BAYO RUFAI AHAMEFULA STEPHEN UDEH

AMOUNT (US$) PURPOSE

RATE DATE

180 181 182

OYEBOWALE MABAYOMIJE NIYI OJEKWE-ONYEJELI AMAKA S ADEBAYO S YUSUF

183 184 185

BASIL C EZEANIEKWE BANIGO, IPALIBO GOGO JOSEPH C NWOKOCHA

186 187

THANKGOD I OSAZEE OLADAYO O FOLA

188 189 190

AGOMMUOH ANSELM ENGR & MRS DENNIS AJULU RAYMOND K AHUMIBE

191 192 193

RISIKAT I SULE IBEH KINGSLEY EZENWA SATURDAY J ETUK

194 195

OMANG KINGSLEY BISONG COUSINS NIGERIA LTD

196 197 198

COUSINS NIGERIA LTD IATA APM TERMINAL

199 200

LINDA MANUFACTURING MURTALA ADAMU

201 202 203

OLATUNJI SAMUEL FEMI MBONU NJIDEKA CHINELO ADEAGA OLALEKAN MAYOWA

1,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17

204 205 206

BOLARINWA ISHAQ AYOBAMI IGHARUOSA GORDON W EIGBE PATRICK AKHERE

4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA 2,000.00 PTA

360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17

207 208

WILLIAMS OLAKUNLE OLUTOYIN ILORI OLAYEMI OLUSOLA

2,000.00 PTA 2,800.00 PTA

360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17

209 210 211

MORAH OBIAJULU GIDEON AKINLADE OLUWATOYIN EZEMADUKA EBERECHUKWU J

5,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA 3,600.00 PTA

360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17

212 213 214

OGUNLAMI RAPHAEL AYODEJI IWUABA GABRIEL CHINEDU EZENWIGBO ALOYSIUS C

1,200.00 PTA 1,400.00 PTA 5,000.00 PTA

360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17

215 216

CHUKWUMA HAPPINESS C ASIEMO PRECIOUS NETIFAT

4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17

217 218 219

YUSUF ALIYU DAU MUSA-BELLO SAADATU APANPA SERIFAT OLORUNTOYIN

5,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17

220 221 222

BANJO EBENEZER ADESEGUN BAKO UMAR ZUBAIRU BAKO LAWAN MUNZALI

4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17

223 224

OTEGBEYE ADEBAYO SAMUEL ANIERE JOY

1,500.00 PTA 600.00 PTA

360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17

225 226 227

CHIBUEZE SUNDAY CHIBUEZE KAFILAT ALABI ALAKE ENELAMAH C UZODINMA

5,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA 3,967.18 PTA

360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17

228 229 230

ENELAMAH G ATINUKE LOWE HELEN AWOSIKA OLABEYE FOLAJOKE

3,967.18 PTA 3,630.98 PTA 808.32 PTA

360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17

231 232

SULE JAMES OKAFOR MICHEAL TOCHUKWU

3,987.70 PTA 1,037.36 PTA

360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17

233 234 235

JOHNSON O SHONEYE ALAKA MARYAM ADENIKE DR O DEJI

6,000.00 SCHOOL FEES 1,000.00 SCHOOL FEES 4,896.25 SCHOOL FEES

360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17

236 237

SAMSON K OJO IKE - ONYENOKWE

5,400.00 SCHOOL FEES 12,936.00 SCHOOL FEES

360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17

238 239 240

CHIKA OLISA ADEFEMI O JACOBS ADESHINA EMMANUEL TOSIN

4,000.00 SCHOOL FEES 13,680.99 SCHOOL FEES 795.00 ENROLLMENT FEES

360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17

241 242 243

JOHNES T BALA CROWN FLOUR FAREAST MERCANTILE CO LTD

4,800.00 MEDICAL BILLS 962,240.00 FEEDS STORAGE MACHINERY 126,253.49 GREENFLAG FILLED MILK

244 245

FAREAST MERCANTILE CO LTD FAREAST MERCANTILE CO LTD

167,137.83 GREENFLAG MILK POWDER 395,890.40 TIGER RAZOR BLADES

246 247

FAREAST MERCANTILE CO LTD FAREAST MERCANTILE CO LTD

441,252.00 GREENFLAG FILLED MILK 580,444.72 QUICK QUAKER OATS

248 249 250

FAREAST MERCANTILE CO LTD ABUJA STEEL MILLS LIMITED ABUJA STEEL MILLS LIMITED

223,118.94 DISTELL BRAND 1,050,000.00 LOAN REPAYMENT 495,621.00 LOAN REPAYMENT

360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17

251 252 253

OLAM APM TERMINAL CROWN FLOUR

16,800.00 MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE 3,082,346.81 DIVIDEND PAYMENT 2,800,000.00 MACHINERY FOR ANIMAL FEED

359.00 22-Dec-17 361.00 22-Dec-17 361.50 22-Dec-17

254

CROWN FLOUR

996,379.00 MACHINERY FOR ANIMAL FEED

361.50 22-Dec-17

3,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17

4,000.00 PTA 4,000.00 PTA 18,200.00 SCHHOL FEES

360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17

2,191.70 SCHOOL FEES 1,422.41 SCHOOL FEES 9,388.80 SCHOOL FEES

360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17

3,966.77 SCHOOL FEES 1,258.88 SCHOOL FEES

360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17

14,064.60 SCHOOL FEES 9,702.00 SCHOOL FEES 9,000.00 SCHOOL FEES

360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17

2,000.00 SCHOOL FEES 5,097.00 SCHOOL FEES 7,500.00 LIVING EXPENSES

360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17

3,056.00 SCHOOL FEES 61,785.00 TOVASTE BRAND DRUM SET

360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 21-Dec-17

61,784.00 TOVASTE BRAND DRUM SET 11,119,589.09 TICKET PROCEEDS REMITTANCE 2,460,000.00 DIVIDEND PAYMENT

360.00 21-Dec-17 361.20 21-Dec-17 360.68 21-Dec-17

59,636.00 ARTIFICIAL FILAMENT TOW 4,000.00 PTA

360.00 21-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17

360.00 22-Dec-17 361.50 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17 360.00 22-Dec-17

SOURCES OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE AS AT 22ND OF DECEMBER 2017 S/N 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67

SOURCE AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS IMTO IMTO AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS IMTO IMTO IMTO CBN CBN AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS IMTO IMTO IMTO AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS

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AMOUNT (US$) 25,039.02 7,800.00 33,000.00 1,173,000.00 1,588,000.00 2,030,000.00 350.00 95.00 300,000.00 11.70 5,479.26 104.28 150.00 7,922.65 4,960.00 1,550.00 72.55 190.00 539.00 300.00 3,735.02 3,279.45 2,293.47 290.00 300,000.00 115.00 815,286.62 3,478.63 5,441.48 288,809.97 3,000,000.00 2,000,000.00 89,975.00 101,000.00 116,325.00 479,000.00 2,222.23 16.28 126.32 250.00 2,950.00 117.09 116.51 190.00 100,000.00 12,500.00 174.63 770.00 12,127.14 5,000.00 678.62 69.85 5,500.00 104.78 77.29 5,583.15 523,861.53 355,561.23 240.00 516.58 1,733.67 232.84 349.26 129.56 116.51 300.00 458,598.73

RATE 314.00 359.00 359.00 360.00 360.00 360.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 354.64 354.65 314.00 314.00 340.00 314.00 314.00 355.00 355.00 355.00 357.00 357.00 360.00 360.00 360.00 360.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 354.57 355.00 355.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00

DATE 14-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 18-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17

S/N 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134

SOURCE AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS INTERBANK AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS IMTO AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS IMTO AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS INTERBANK INTERBANK AUTONOMOUS IMTO IMTO AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS

AMOUNT (US$) 617.32 344.70 934.94 22,328.55 628.40 39.00 457,287.85 437,000.00 613.00 518.78 7.81 982.58 650.00 805.55 412.75 11,657.96 465.52 490.00 1,149.64 512.95 200.00 240.00 980.00 19.91 301,175.33 190.00 129.94 500.00 453.70 80.00 1,467.92 262.31 58.21 53.08 750.00 277.24 277.82 104.89 1,600,000.00 140.09 100,000.00 170,000.00 1,216.82 3,636.20 308,540.12 1,303.00 51,000.00 499,965.00 1,999,990.00 2,000,000.00 605.00 3,481.64 138.75 221.00 220.39 233.16 80.00 1,480.00 400.00 231.00 285.00 83.80 995.00 531.36 300.00 1,985.53 546.68

RATE 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.50 314.00 314.00 355.00 359.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 355.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 340.00 314.00 306.40 306.40 314.00 355.00 355.00 359.00 359.00 360.00 359.50 360.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00

DATE 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 19-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 20-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17

S/N 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174

SOURCE AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS INTERBANK AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS INTERBANK AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS INTERBANK AUTONOMOUS AUTONOMOUS

AMOUNT (US$) 815,286.62 458,598.73 276.67 11,200,000.00 600.00 400.45 5,000.00 2,097.23 20,000.00 35,300.00 100.00 390.00 221.34 3,772.66 117.42 49.70 26.74 8,000.00 117.42 2,150.00 160.00 1,024.54 4,758,619.00 570.66 1,500.00 197.27 76.32 192.47 1,630.00 707.00 147.95 225.00 348.15 340.52 2,099.00 1,500,000.00 3,493.25 3,000,000.00 1,000.00 17,372.00

RATE 314.00 314.00 314.00 360.50 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 358.00 360.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 361.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 314.00 340.00 314.00 360.00 314.00 314.00

DATE 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 21-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17 22-Dec-17

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Paris Climate Change Agreement: How Has Nigeria Fared? The focus on climate change issues appears to be divided among nations, despite the historic agreement signed by more than 140 countries - including Nigeria - in Paris, France in December 2015. While frantic efforts are being made by some countries to tackle the issue through tree planting, the emission of greenhouse gases is on the rise in many other nations. Ugo Aliogo examines the issue

T has been estimated that average temperature will increase by more than 20 degrees Centigrade by the end of the 21st century, and could increase by as much as 30 degrees C by 2050 and even by 60 degrees C by 2100. The negative effects of this warning on the ocean surrounding the continent are already being felt. The warning is coming on the heels of the devastating effects of climate change around the world. Presently, many regions are experiencing rising sea levels, warmer waters, increasing ocean acidification, flooding, earthquakes, and pollution. An expert in natural resources, Mr. Yuvan Beejadhur, said sea temperatures in coastal boundary systems may continue to increase over the next decades and centuries. His fear is that if the current trend continues, sea temperatures will increase from 0.620 degrees C to 0.850 degrees C over the next few years and from 2.440 degrees C to 3.320 degrees C over the long term. Historic Agreement Despite the threats of climate change to the environment, many countries are not making enough efforts in implementing the agreement. However, there are some countries still making spirited efforts to implement the Paris Agreement as part of measures to address the challenge. The Paris Agreement was signed in December 2015 and it entered into force on October 5, 2016. A month later, at the (COP22) Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Marrakech, Morocco, world leaders formally adopted the Marrakech Action Proclamation which recommitted parties to full implementation of the Paris agreement. As at April 2017, of the 143 countries that have so far ratified the agreement, 33 are in Africa, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, Tunisia, Uganda and Zambia. Since the signing of the agreement, several countries have been implementing climate resilience activities that will allow them to adapt to the harsh changes. Beyond ratification, many countries have also fulfilled a key requirement in the agreement by formulating their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The NDCs are the countriesâ€™ individual efforts to achieve climate change goals. In the NDC plan, majority of African countries have stated measures to prioritise climate proofing development activities especially in the economic sectors such as agriculture and energy. Nigeriaâ€™s Efforts Tackling of climate change in Nigeria is not receiving the required attention needed, many would say. The Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibril, at the 72nd United Nation General Assembly, (UNGA) said addressing the issue within the overall development challenges of a developing nation such as Nigeria is no simple task, stressing that the main challenge is translating commitment to pragmatic actions and generating the required financing. He said the adverse impacts of climate change such as temperature rise, erratic rainfall, sand storms, desertification, low agricultural yields, drying up of water bodies, gully erosions and flooding are real issues in the country. With the Paris Agreement on climate change and the agenda 2030, which provided the global framework for action, the Minister explained that the country is committed to their implementation through an economic transformation, which places inclusive green growth at its heart. Jibril stated that financing climate action by developing countries would require financial support from developing countries which is hinged on the $100 billion by 2020 commitment at COP21. He added that the country is working at how best to mobilise finance and investment, including committing part of the 2018 capital

Deforestation leads to negative climate change effects budget to it, adding that they are also working to attract private sector partnerships in addition to support from development partners. The minister further explained that they are greening the budget to reflect Nigeriaâ€™s efforts to realising her NDC and they are set to â€œlaunch our first ever Green Bond soon to fund a pipeline of projects all targeted at reducing emissions towards a greener economy.â€? According to him, â€œThe NDC ambition under Climate Change Accord would cost an estimated $142 billion to meet the 2030 target. The NDC is a binding agreement which spelt out the actions a country intends to take to address climate change both in terms of adaptation and mitigation when it ratifies the Paris Agreement. â€œIt is estimated that Nigeria will require around $142 billion, translating to about $10 billion per annum to meet her NDC target by 2030. In the midst of this vulnerability, an opportunity resides for the Nigerian economy to grow in a manner that is climate resilient and empower people while meeting its energy deficiency. One of the innovative means of exploring this opportunity is through the issuance of green bonds, which has gained recognition as means of raising finance for climate friendly purposes. â€œAccordingly, the Federal Government has plans to issue a programme of N150 billion in green bonds over the next few months. This is with a

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pilot issue of N12.384 billion in the third quarter of 2017 and the balance over the course of the budget year. Collaboration between Ministry of Environment and Finance continues to pull together the institutional partners necessary to achieve what would be Nigeria and Africaâ€™s first sovereign green bond and the worldâ€™s third,â€? he added. Legal Framework In a bid to ensure the climate change issue receives a major boost with the passage of a bill for the National Council of Climate Change (NCCC), the House of Representatives recently passed a bill to provide a legal framework for mainstreaming of climate change responses and actions into government policy formulation and implementation. The bill also proposed the establishment of a council to coordinate climate change governance and support the adaptation and mitigation of the adverse effects of climate change in the country. The sponsor of the bill, Hon. Sam Onuigbo, (Abia-PDP), said the need for a strong national institution to address the effects of climate change compelled him to come up with the bill. He also stated that the absence of a law on issues of climate change has scared investors from investing in the country.

He added: â€œToday, there is no law on climate change, all we have are policies and that has been a serious setback for the country as far as climate actions are concerned. Climate change is a global issue that cuts across the world and that is what informed the move of the United Nationsâ€™ convention on climate change. But back home, there is no law both at the national and sub-national levels and that has necessitated this bill. The early coming into force of the 2015 Paris Climate agreement reinforced the necessity of climate change legislation. â€œIt will facilitate the domestication of the agreement and enable Nigeria to effectively implement its commitments, particularly the emission reductions target. But the bill will provide a framework for a federal budget appropriation process that institutionalises transparency and accountability of climate related sources, including international climate finance. Every leader determines what happens to his subjects, and the President has given climate change a go by the signing the UN treaty on Climate Change and in his subsequent speeches back home,â€? he said. Onuigbo further explained that absence of a NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

RANDOM THOTS Hardship Providers Ă’Ă?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă™Ă Ă?Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂŁËž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă?Ă“Ăœ Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă–ĂžĂŁ Ă“Ă? Ă“Ă˜ĘŽĂ“Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂšĂ‹Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă&#x;ĘĽĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă–Ă™ĂĄ Ă?Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă¤Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă?Ă?Ă? ĂšĂ?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă“Ă‹Ăœ Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă–Ă—Ă™Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ™Ăœ Ă™Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă™Ă—ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă?ĂžĂŁËœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă™Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ăž ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂŒĂ™ĂžĂžĂ™Ă— ĂœĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă–Ă‹ĂŽĂŽĂ?Ăœ Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ?Ăž Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–ĂšĂœĂ“ĂžĂ?Ë› ĂœĂ‹ĂŁ ĂžĂ?Ă–Ă– ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă? ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ?Ăœ ĂĄĂ’ĂŁ Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă–ĂŁ ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ“Ă Ă? Ă™Ă˜ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă—Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂžĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă™ĂžĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ’ĂŁ Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ ĂžĂ?Ă—ĂšĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă“Ă˜ ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂžĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă&#x;Ăš Ă™Ă? Ă‘Ă™Ă Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă? Ă‹ Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă?Ă— ĂžĂ™ Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? Ă?Ă˘ĂžĂœĂ‹ Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă™ĘĽ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?ĂĄĂ?Ă‹Ăž Ă™Ă? Ă™ĂžĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ?Ë› Ă’Ă™Ă?Ă? Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂŽĂ?Ă’Ă“Ăš ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ Ă›Ă&#x;Ă“Ă?Ă• ĂžĂ™ ĂŒĂ–Ă‹Ă—Ă? Ă‘Ă™Ă Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă– Ă™Ăœ Ă“Ă—Ă‹Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ Ă‘Ă™Ă Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă?

ĂĄĂ™Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ăž ĂžĂ’Ă?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă›Ă&#x;Ă“Ă?Ă•Ă?Ăœ ĂžĂ™ Ă“Ă˜ĘŽĂ“Ă?Ăž ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă—Ă? ĂĄĂ™Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă˜ Ă™ĂžĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă?Ă—Ë› Ă’Ă‹Ăž Ă“Ă? ĂĄĂ’ĂŁ Ă‹ ĂšĂ?ĂžĂœĂ™Ă– Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ Ă–Ă“Ę° Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă– Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă‹ ĂŽĂ?ĂšĂ™Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă’Ă?Ă‹ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă˜Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă–Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŒĂ™ĂœĂŽĂ?Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă›Ă&#x;Ă“Ă?Ă• ĂšĂœĂ™Ę¨Ăž Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ’Ă?Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ă˜ Ă’Ă?Ă–Ăš Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ă–Ă“Ă™ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ă‹ Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă“ĂžĂŁ Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă“Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă‹Ăž Ă“Ă? ĂĄĂ’ĂŁ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă‹Ă Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă‘Ă? ĂšĂ?ĂžĂœĂ™Ă– Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹ĘľĂ?Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹Ă˜Ăž ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ Ă‘Ă–Ă‹ĂŽĂ–ĂŁ Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă? ĂžĂ™ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• Ă‹Ăž ÍźĂ‹Ă— ĂŽĂ&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă“ĂžĂŁ ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă™ĂŽ Ă?Ă™ Ă’Ă? Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ę¨Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă? ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă•Ă?Ă‘Ă? ĂžĂ™ Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă– Ă™ĘĽ Ă‹Ăž ĂœĂ“ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă™Ă&#x;Ă? ĂšĂœĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă? ĂžĂ™ ĂŽĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă&#x;Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ?Ëœ ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ–Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă?Ë›

Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă—Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă™Ă˜ ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ăž Ă?Ă™Ě‹Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă‹ ĂŒĂ™ĂŁĂ? Ă™Ăœ Ă‘ĂŒĂ?ĂœĂ™Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?ĂšĂ?Ăœ ĂšĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? Ă’Ă“Ă•Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă˜Ă“Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă? ĂŽĂœĂ“Ă -

Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă”Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ĂžĂ™ Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă?Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂšĂœĂ™Ę¨Ăž Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ‘Ă“Ă˜ Ă™Ă˜ Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă—Ă&#x;ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ? ĂĄĂ’Ă™ Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă‘Ă?Ăž ĂžĂ™ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• ĂŒĂŁ Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă—Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă? ĂšĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă“ĂŒĂ–Ă?Ë› Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă? Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ?Ă“Ă‘Ă˜ ĂžĂ?Ă–Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă? Ę¨ĂœĂ—Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ ĂšĂœĂ?Ă Ă“Ă™Ă&#x;Ă?Ă–ĂŁ ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽĂ–ĂŁ Ă?Ă˘ĂšĂ–Ă™Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜Ă? ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ’ ĂžĂ’Ă?Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĚ‹ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™Ă‹Ăž Ă?Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂ‘Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă–Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă–Ă‹ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă’Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ă™Ă—Ă? ĂšĂœĂ™Ę¨ĂžĂ?Ëœ ĂžĂ’Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂŽĂ?Ă’Ă“Ăš ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă˜Ă–ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ ĂžĂĄĂ™ ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ëž ĂŒĂ–Ă‹Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă‘Ă™Ă Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă˘Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă?Ă˜ ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂ™ Ă?Ă˘ĂšĂ–Ă™Ă“Ăž ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă—Ă? Ă?Ă“ĂžĂ&#x;Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ĂžĂ™ ĂžĂ’Ă?Ă“Ăœ ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă‹ĂŽĂ Ă‹Ă˜ĂžĂ‹Ă‘Ă?Ë› Ăž ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă™Ă–Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂŽĂŁ ĂžĂ™ Ă‹Ă?Ă• Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă’ ĂšĂ?Ă™ĂšĂ–Ă? ĂžĂ™ Ă’Ă?Ă–Ăš Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ ĂŒĂ?ĘľĂ?Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă¤Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ë›Ë›Ë›Ë›ĂĄĂ“Ă?Ă’Ă?Ă&#x;Ă– ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ -Abimbola Akosile

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°ÍśËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

Ëš

Unemployment in Nigeria; still a recurring issue

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Top Tips to Ensure an Improved 2018? In terms of development, the outgoing year 2017 can best be described as a mixture of the positive and negative, many believe. Despite the huge N7.4 trillion budget of â€˜growth and hopeâ€™ which is the highest so far in the nationâ€™s history, and despite the federal governmentâ€™s various efforts, development has not percolated to the grassroots level fully, with hunger, poverty and unemployment still rife. In your own view, how can development best be improved in 2018? Abimbola Akosile Our rather overwhelming challenges in 2017 were memorably full of turbulence here and there economically, socially and otherwise. In 2018 we must learn from our past mistakes and misfortunes. This government hasnâ€™t done too badly considering the enormous and complex challenges on ground. In 2018 we must focus on electricity improvement, poverty reduction, food security, research, insecurity, infrastructure etc. - Miss Apeji Patience Eneyeme, Badagry, Lagos State * The tips for development in 2018 are as numerous as Nigerians are numerous. However, the top tips include early passage of the 2018 Appropriation bill. This will help â€˜fast-trackâ€™ budget implementation and ensure the country exceeds the 20 per cent 2017 performance. And, say, who is afraid of counting Nigerians? The Federal Government should ensure we have a census next year. Letâ€™s know how many Nigerians there are. Thereâ€™s leftover in the Excess Crude Account even after the controversial $1billion withdrawal. It should be used for census. God bless Nigeria! - Mr. E. Iheanyi Chukwudi, B.A.R., Apo, Abuja * Let the government be serious about governance in 2018 in order to please Nigerians, because our expectation is high to get good result from them. - Mrs. Ijeoma Nnorom, Lagos State * Development can best be improved in 2018, if Nigerians unite, otherwise our suffering would be in vain. The disunity is causing havoc from the ruling party to the opposition party the PDP. Imagine the opposition party that said they have realised their mistake and have united to take power come 2019. What is happening right away? We shouldnâ€™t deceive ourselves. There must be unity before peace then finally love for our country before any development success. The way our leaders are tearing each other apart shows we have a long way to go. - Hon. Babale Maiungwa, U/Romi, Kaduna State * Reconstruction in all of us, Nigerians; physically, mentally, socially, in all areas of our lives. - Miss Sylvia Arinze, Enugu, Enugu State * Development can be improved on in 2018

THE FEEDBACK Top tip:

Tackle unemployment and poverty

Second:

Implement vital capital projects

Third:

Improve power supply, security

Radical tip:

Jail more sacred cows!

Total no of respondents:

Male:

Female:

Highest location:

Lagos (6)

if the federal government follows the Lagos example. Governance is not rocket science; the president should release funds to the various ministries as at when due and stop telling us that or giving us the impression that the country is broke. - Mr. Babatunde Aremu, Lagos State * The government should focus on jobs creation to end insecurity and other vices in the country come 20l8 and also on infrastructural development nationwide. Agriculture should be given priority in 20l8 by giving farmers soft loans to cultivate food for the general populace instead of importing some substandard food items into the country. I believe 20l8 is going to be a better year in Nigeria because the government is correcting their past mistakes so we can move forward. - Mr. Gordon Chika Nnorom, Public Commentator, Umukabia, Abia State * Government policies must drive economic growth through entrepreneurship and selfemployment particularly at the grassroots. Nigerians are hardworking people and need the right environment and opportunities to thrive first. This should also include infrastructural development. - Ms Nkeiruka Abanna, Lagos State * With the 2017 budget largely unimplemented, Nigerians are holding to the Presidentâ€™s promise

to implement all his pledges as the year remains few days to go. Marketing Boards should be introduced to check that the prices of food items are reduced to affordable levels for the common man in the next fiscal year. Security should be beefed up nationwide to avoid crime. The economy is biting citizens harshly in the current administration and this needs swift attention. Power supply, roads, employment should also be tackled. Development will only be possible if leaders lead by example. - Mr. Dogo Stephen, Kaduna State * With a visionless leadership at the centre there can hardly be any positive development come 2018. At the individual level hard work should be the watchword. - Barrister DYN Maigari, Abuja * In 2018, governments across all tiers should implement more capital projects to ensure increased employment generation, and also inject even more funds in the agricultural sector, which is the largest employment-generating sector and capable of generating more revenue. Also, the federal government must jail more sacred cows within and outside government in 2018, in order to set the right example in the fight against corruption and deter potential looters. - Mr. Olumuyiwa Olorunsomo, Lagos State * In the year 2017 most Nigerian citizens lived miserable lives where food was inadequate, victims of security and diseases were challenges and there were unpaid salaries for the civil servants, all of which affect the populace. With the coming year of 2018, we hope that Nigeriansâ€™ suffering will stop; a more prosperous year ahead with the prompt release and the implementation of 2018 budgets. There should be introduction of various policies that will ease doing of business, economic growth, more employment generation, partnership with international countries, business opportunities, improved economic, political, and social wellbeing, policy intervention on growth, increase in productivity, market oriented development, which will help rise in Gross Domestic Product. There should also be increase in production, application of modern scientific and technical knowledge, timely redistribution of resources that will power industrial revolution, improve social services such as healthcare, safe drinking

water, electricity distribution, good roads, equal distribution of income, increase in social services across communities in Nigeria, reduction of poverty, educational development, price stability, improvement in fiscal and trade policies, regulation of financial institutions, programmes and services, affordable housing, crime preventions, marketing, small business development, real estate and technology transfer. - Mr. Michael Adedotun Oke, Founder, Adedotun Oke Foundation, Abuja * Although a whopping N7.4 trillion was budgeted for 2017 and a lot was also accomplished in various sectors of the economy, perennial petrol scarcity, unemployment, poverty, insurgency, inflation, and food insecurity e.t.c. are real challenges that are begging for urgent attention. So far governmentâ€™s body language shows that 2018 is our year of hope. All we need is unity, patriotism, love e.t.c. God bless Nigeria. - Mr. Apeji Onesi, Lagos State

Next Week: Is Full Deregulation the Best Option? Ă–ĂžĂ’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ‹Ă– Ă™Ă Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂœĂ‹Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă? ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ“Ă‹Ă– ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă™Ă“Ă– Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂœĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂšĂ™ĂĄĂ?Ăœ Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœËœ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă?Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă¤Ă?Ă˜Ă? Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă– ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? ĂŒĂ™ĂžĂ’ Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ ĂŒĂ“ĂŽ ĂžĂ™ ĂŒĂ™Ă™Ă?Ăž ĂšĂ™ĂĄĂ?Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂšĂšĂ–ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă‹ Ă–Ă?Ă Ă?Ă– Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ? Ă?ĘĽĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă Ă? ĂšĂ–Ă‹ĂŁĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ę¨Ă–Ă?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă™Ă“Ă– Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ™Ăœ ĂžĂ™ Ă?Ă–Ă“Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ? ĂžĂ’Ă? ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ–ĂŁ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă– Ă?Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă“ĂžĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ™Ă–ĂŽ Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂŽĂ?Ă’Ă“Ăš Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ë› ĂœĂ™Ă— ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă Ă“Ă?ĂĄĂšĂ™Ă“Ă˜ĂžËœ Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă– ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ă–Ă Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ËŞĂ? ĂšĂ™ĂĄĂ?Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă“Ă– Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂœĂŁ Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Í“Í‘Í’Í™ËŁ Ă–Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă? ĂŽĂ“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžËœ Ă?Ă’Ă™ĂœĂž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă“Ă—ĂšĂ–Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă– Ă˜Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ëœ ĂžĂ“ĂžĂ–Ă?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?ĂžĂĄĂ?Ă?Ă˜ ĂžĂ™ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁ Ě™ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ Í“Í™ Ęś Ă™Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁËœ Ă‹Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Í’Ěš ĂžĂ™ abimbolayi@yahoo.comËœ Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂŒĂ“Ă—ĂŒĂ™Ěś Ă‘Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă–Ë›Ă?Ă™Ă—Ëœ abimbolaË›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?Ă˘Ăž Ă—Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă‘Ă? ĂžĂ™ 08023117639 Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽËš Ă™Ăœ 08188361766 Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽËšĂ™Ăœ 08114495306Ë› Ă™Ă–Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ?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&#x;Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Í•Ëœ Í“Í‘Í’Í™

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DEVELOPMENT

Crucial road rehabilitation continues in Apapa, Lagos State

ABIMBOLA AKOSILE

CSOs Accuse Nâ€™Assembly of Frustrating FGâ€™s Anti-corruption Drive Abimbola Akosile Civil right groups in the country have accused the National Assembly of allegedly making conscious efforts to frustrate the anti-corruption drive. They have also accused the lawmakers of being over-protective of criminal suspects identified as key suspects in notable cases of graft and outright stealing. In a joint statement issued recently in Abuja, the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre); Journalists for Democratic Rights, (JODER); Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) cautioned the members of parliament not to use their privileged positions

to undermine the anti-corruption drive. According to the statement, â€œThe current National Assembly, especially the Senate, may be the worst in recent history of Nigeria. In terms of the battle against corruption, the National Assembly have not only taken the back seat, they have become a potential willing tool in the hands of those who want to keep Nigeria on the dark spot of maladministration.â€? The rights groups stated that â€œa tiny but powerful section of the National Assembly has constituted itself into a rogue cell with the main agenda of stifling the anti-corruption campaign of the relevant institutions. â€œThe National Assembly of any truly transparent democratic nation should partner

in frustrating corruption and ineptitude. But in Nigeria, there is a consistent pattern on the part of the National Assembly to create hurdles and deliberately prevent a paradigm shift from the culture of impunity and stealing of public funds to a regime of transparency in the conduct of public affairsâ€?, the civil right groups stated. They accused the lawmakers of creating unnecessary drama and diversions under the guise of promoting the rule of law, â€œwhereas the main agenda is to stunt the transformation of Nigeria from a hopelessly corrupt country to a new nation where guzzling of public funds will be a thing of the past.â€? The groups listed various instances in which the leadership and members of the upper

house have risen in defense of corrupt public officials and a consistent pattern of taking arbitrary actions like constituting the parliament into an authority with the right to indirectly determine the legal status of high profile cases of corruption. â€œThe House on a number of occasions have been providing safe haven for corrupt officials, giving orders to unfreeze the accounts of suspects and even issuing orders to undermine investigations of anti-corruption agencies. All these suggest that the National Assembly is hands in gloves with many corrupt individuals and institutionsâ€?, the groups alleged. To buttress their points, the groups also listed the following: The sponsorship of the NGOs Regulation bill; the proposal

by some lawmakers of the immunity clause for members of the National Assembly; the orchestrated plot to scuttle the trial of the Senate President by the Code of Conduct Bureau, and the refusal to confirm the Chairmanship of the EFCC They also listed the suspension of a Senator who called attention to public perception of members of the Senate; an attempt by the Senate to summon the Code of Conduct Tribunal over the Trial of Senate President, Bukola Saraki; the summon and attempt at embarrassing the Controller General of Customs who impounded unauthorised armoured bullet-proof vehicles allegedly imported by the Senate President. Other issues listed by the groups included â€œdirecting the

EFCC to unfreeze an account belonging to a suspect, Patience Jonathan, in a matter that is before a competent Court of Jurisdiction; and conspiring with a fugitive, Abdur-rasheed Maina, to falsely accuse the EFCC of mismanaging phantom 222 recovered properties.â€? The groups frowned on the surreptitious attempt by the same Parliament to constitute itself into a shield and safe haven for suspects in the name of legislative interventions. They also challenged the legislators to provide similar urgency to the plights of ordinary Nigerians who are faced with daily intractable numbers of violations and who end up as ultimate victims of the same suspects the parliament strive to protect.

sies are finding it difficult to get into those secret centres in order to free Nigerians held captive in Libya.â€? She explained that with the presidential directive for Nigerians to be evacuated from Libya and other locations, the commission has intensified efforts to ensure that most Nigerians return home. Senior Special Adviser to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa tasked Nigerians to desist from embarking on

irregular migration and feeding the greed of traffickers. She urged those citizens who have returned to embrace some of the interventionist programmes of the federal government in order to start a new life. Officials from the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), European Union (EU), the Swizz Government and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) also made presentations at the event in Abuja.

FG Lists Factors Fuelling Irregular Migration from Nigeria Paul Obi in Abuja The federal government has listed various factors fuelling irregular migration from Nigeria to Europe and other destinations. Speaking at the 2017 National Migration Dialogue in Abuja recently, President Muhammadu Buhari stated that the pains and suffering most Nigerians go through with the hope of reaching Europe were tortuous and unwarranted. He accused border security

agencies of greed and the root cause of the increasing cases of irregular migration by Nigerians to Europe. Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, expressed regret that despite the dehumanising conditions Nigerian victims faced, the quest to embark on such illfated journey has continued unabated. He said: â€œThe journey has become more perilous than ever and in most cases fatal. The

journey has become a graveyard for many who seek safe haven in places where the pastures are greener. â€œThe vulnerability of these prospective migrants is increased by the greed and heartlessness of traffickers and corrupt border security officers who exploit them. Nigeria is considered one of the main origins of irregular migration, with each migrant attempting to reach Europe and other continents,â€? Buhari stated. The President maintained

that Nigeria will continue to do more through relevant agencies to mitigate the migration crisis, particularly in Libya and Mediterranean Sea. Speaking, the Federal Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Commission for Refugees, Sadiya Umar Farouq, explained the challenge of tracing some Nigerians still held up in Libya was enormous, given the precarious nature of their trafficking. Farouq said: â€œEven the embas-

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BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT QUOTE OF THE WEEK

â€œWeareholdingameetingwiththemajormarketers.Everyoneisatworktoday(Monday),tryingto ensurethatthepetrolqueuesarequicklyeliminated.Wearetryingtolookatsomeoftheissuesand whatneedstobedonetoensurethatthingsmovequickly.Letmetellyou;wearenotexpectingto increasefuelpricesatall.Thegovernmenthasabsolutelynointentiontoincreasefuelprice.Thatis,it hasnointentionwhatsoeverâ€? -VICE-PRESIDENT, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, SPEAKING IN LAGOS ON THE NATIONWIDE FUEL SCARCITY SITUATION

N25bn Employment Fund: Ambode Promises Corps Members Start-up Capital Gboyega Akinsanmi

Edo First Lady Fetes Children of Orphanage Homes, Physically-challenged Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City To demonstrate the spirit of the Yuletide, Edo State First Lady, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, has thrown a party for children of orphanage homes in the state, as well as the physically-challenged. Mrs. Obaseki, who was accompanied by wife of the deputy governor, Mrs. Maryann Shaibu; wife of the assembly speaker, Mrs. Beauty Adjoto; and wife of the SSG, Mrs. Ejiro Osarodion Ogie, said the whole essence of Christmas is to demonstrate Godâ€™s love for mankind, adding that one of the ways to exhibit that is to look out for those who do not have. According to her, the children numbering about 350 and 60 adults were drawn from orphanage homes and special schools for the physically-challenged. â€œIt is a thing of joy. I am extremely happy and joyful. It is a huge pleasure for me to have the children around me. They are all happy having a good time and enjoying themselves and I am enjoying myself thoroughly. I have here children from orphanage homes and also from the school of disabled children. â€œMy own philosophy is that the whole essence of Christmas is to demonstrate Godâ€™s love for mankind and we are enjoined as children of God to look out for those I believe in my opinion when we show love or want to exhibit Godâ€™s love we should look out first for those who most need that love and I believe children in our midst we consider less privileged are the ones we have here; children without parents are the first to look out for. â€œI decided that this is going to be my policy as long as I am here as governorâ€™s wife in Edo state. My Christmas party for children every year will be focused solely on children from orphanage homes and children from the disabled schools. They, in my opinion, are the ones that need our help and our love most as children. â€œAnd then I always have children from the government house to join us but the main focus

Edo First Lady, Mrs. Obaseki (3rd left) ďŹ‚anked by Mrs. Shaibu; Mrs. Adjoto; Mrs. Ogie; wife of EDHA majority leader, Mrs. Jenny Osaro; wife of former Speaker, Mrs. Betty Okonobo; and Commissioner for Women AďŹ€airs and Social Development, Mrs. Magdalene Ohenhen, cutting the cake during a Christmas party organised by Obaseki for children of orphanage homes and the physically-challenged in the Government House, Benin City...recently will be the less-privileged children because they are the ones that in anything we do in government I believe we should target first the most needy and start from bottom up to help those who are at the very bottom of the pyramid and try to bring them up to come to par with those who are privileged or comfortable in life and in society, she added. Besides, Mrs. Obaseki said one other thing that motivated her to organise the party by involving children of government functionaries to join her to celebrate the Christmas with children of the less-privileged was to expose the former to appreciate their privileged positions so as to know that life is not a bed of roses, adding that there are millions of children out there

who do not have the same privileged position they have. â€œI asked some of the children from some of the privileged homes, top government functionaries to join me here to celebrate yuletide season with children from the less-privileged homes. â€œIt is also for me a way to expose our children who are more privileged so that they appreciate their privileged positions, so that they know that life isnâ€™t a bed of roses and that there are millions of children around the world who donâ€™t enjoy what they enjoy in their privileged homes. That way we have our children to appreciate life more and grow to be more responsible and learn to live and show love for our fellow men. So that is what it is all aboutâ€?, she stressed.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has promised that all members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), who distinguished themselves in their place of primary assignment in the state, will receive start-up capital. Ambode has, equally, charged the corps members to participate in activities, which according to him, will affect the lives of the people at the grassroots positively and contribute to the socioeconomic advancement of host communities. He gave the promise while addressing the corps members at the NYSC Orientation Camp, Iyana Ipaja recently during a parade to mark the formal closure of the 2017 Batch â€˜Bâ€™ Orientation Course for all corps members deployed to Lagos State. As indicated in an address he delivered at the parade, the State Coordinator of NYSC, Prince Mohammed Momoh disclosed that a total number of 2,549 corps members were registered to participate in the orientation exercise. Specifically, Momoh commended the Wife of the Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode for donating food items to the NYSC in the state during the orientation exercise and for personally coming the orientation camp to encourage and motivate all the corps members At the parade, however, Ambode charged all the corps members to be involved in community service and learn with keen interest a specific vocation, noting that any corps member that acquired required vocational skill would receive start-up capital from the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF). Ambode, who was represented by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-governmental Relations, Mr. Oluseye Oladejo, urged the corps members to take seriously all trainings at the orientation camp and acquire at least a vocational skill of interest. He said: â€œThis will qualify you for a start-up capital from the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund. The Fund was established to provide financial support for qualified residents and members of the National Youth Service Corps serving in Lagos State. The objective of this initiative is to support young people to become job and wealth creators. â€œThat is exactly what our administration stands for. And our mission in government is to create a new army of employers. This explains why this administration established a N25 billion Employment Trust Fund. Already, we have been getting results. I, therefore, urge you to take advantage of this opportunity.â€? On this note, the governor explained the significance of the induction course for the corps members, describing it as a foundation for national service, which he said, would equip them with high sense of commitment, dedication and discipline throughout the orientation course. He urged the corps members â€œto be diligent, dedicated and law abiding in the discharge of their duties. All corps members should exhibit qualities i.e. tolerance, patriotism, diligence and perseverance learnt during the orientation course in places of their primary assignment. â€œI have no doubt that the orientation course has adequately prepared you for the next phase of your service year in which you are expected to exhibit good qualities like tolerance, patriotism, diligence and perseverance in your various place of primary assignment.â€?

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

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

Events that Shaped the Health Sector in 2017 As 2017 winds down, Martins Iﬁjeh chronicles major events that shaped the health sector

very year comes with its defining moments and that make it memorable. And 2017, is not any different. It is the year of the unpredictable. For many Nigerians, it is a mixture of the good, the bad, and the ugly; leaving tales of sweet or sour memories behind. It represents a year of striking happenings; from accusations and counter accusations on which cabal was ruling the country following President Muhammadu Buhari’s long absence from the country, the Senate’s disagreement with the executive on issues of appointments, the return of fuel scarcity and long queues, the changes in different sectors, including Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and most importantly the changes these made in the plates and pockets of Nigerians. The health sector is one area where there were major happenings which impacted the lives of the citizens either positively or negatively. It started with a high hope following the launch of the economic recovery and growth plan which had sections bordering on health. But the thousands of deaths from preventable disease outbreaks remains a downside for many. Buhari’s long medical trip abroad If there is any event that consistently made news for more than three consecutive months in 2017, it is the medical tourism embarked upon by President Muhammadu Buhari, who stayed in London for 103 days treating an undisclosed ailment between May 7th to August 19th 2017, that is after undergoing the same trip earlier in the year where he stayed for 50 days on same medical vacation. First, Nigerians didn’t know what to make of his vacation as mixed reactions continued to trail the decision to access healthcare abroad despite allocating billions of naira for the running of the presidential clinic in Aso Rock, where ordinarily he should get quality healthcare if the funds allocated to the clinic were released and utilised accordingly or in any other health facility in the country if priority was before now given to the health sector. Then the anxiety began to grow stronger every week until it clocked 90 days of his absence, leaving many Nigerians to clamour for his forced return to the country or for outright resignation for a more healthy person, to stair the ship of the country. The agitation grew until #ResumeorResign, protest began, not only to trend on twitter, but became an emblem for a daily protest in different cities, including Lagos, Abuja and London for the president to either come to Nigeria and resume or outrightly resign. He surprisingly came back to Nigeria after 103 days hail and hearty. Stakeholders believed the clamour to end medical tourism in the country, was given a big blow by Mr. Buhari’s decision to access healthcare abroad. One of those who cried out is the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Health Writers Association of Nigeria (HEWAN), Dr. Emmanuel Enabulele who described the president’s medical vacation abroad as another opportunity missed in the eyes of the world to rate the country’s healthcare high. Suspension of NHIS boss and the drama that followed Nigerians woke up July 6th to the suspension of the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Usman Yusuf by the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, over what he termed fraudulent activities. He was first asked to embark on a three months suspension pending when a panel set up by the Ministry of Health determines allegation of fraud and nepotism against him, including the procurement of a N58 million SUV without due process; an approach that led to a barrage of accusations and counter accusations by Yusuf, Adewole and their respective supporters. Yusuf, July 12th fired back in a daring tone, never seen in the history of the public service, that he could not be suspended by the minister, nothing that only President Buhari, who was on sick leave in London at the time, could

Buhari

terminate his appointment. He had said that although the NHIS Act empowers the minister to give directive of a general nature to the Governing Council of the Scheme, and could exercise presidential mandate in the absence of the council, such powers did not include “discipline, suspension or removal of the Executive Secretary of the Scheme from office.” Despite the kickback by Yusuf, Prof. Adewole, after the three months suspension, further approved the indefinite suspension of the NHIS boss. According to him, the committee has completed its investigation against Yusuf, and has found him culpable in many areas. The letter said the committee’s report has been submitted to the president, and while awaiting the president’s decision, the NHIS boss is expected to go on an indefinite leave. This led to wits of strength displayed on the pages of newspapers for and against the suspension, as though these stakeholders suddenly realised the importance of NHIS, a scheme that has refused to grow in coverage beyond one per cent since 2005 when it was established. Subtly put, it would be fair to describe Nigeria’s NHIS as the worst performing health insurance coverage in the world, as it has continued to enmesh itself in controversies year-in-year-out among the major players, leading to Nigerians refusing to buy into what they offer because trust had been lost or not properly packaged. In fact, Nigeria’s health insurance scheme started same year Ghana started theirs. But as at December 12 this year, Ghana’s universal health coverage has grown up to 50 per cent, while that of Nigeria, which prides itself as the ‘Giant of Africa’ is still stagnated at one per cent. Outbreak of Lassa fever, Monkey pox and Cerebrospinal Meningitis Nigeria in 2017, experienced the worst burden

of Lassa fever since the discovery of the disease in 1969 in the country with 718 cases recorded, 227 laboratory records confirmed and 68 cases of deaths as at August 21st this year. The outbreak surpassed the previously known outbreak prevalence since its discovery, making the burden to increase progressively with attendant impact on the health of Nigerians. This has added to the draw-backs in ensuring the delisting of Nigeria from countries with Lassa fever. Monkey pox is one of the disease outbreak that gripped Nigerians few months ago, with weird signs and symptoms, leaving victims to have rough skin with noticeable bumps. As at the last count, over 100 persons have been suspected to be affected, with nine confirmed case in 11 states, including Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Rivers and the Federal Capital Territory. Meningitis serotype C, a strain of meningitis new to Nigeria Killed over 1,166 people earlier in 2017 with more than 14,518 reported cases in 181 local councils in 22 of the country’s 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory. While it is unfortunate that over a thousand people died from a disease the World Health Organisation has said was highly preventable, it took the federal government the death of almost 200 people before it announced that the country was experiencing the dreaded, but preventable epidemic. Lassa fever, monkey pox, meningitis C and other disease outbreaks that occurred in 2017 can be prevented if proper measures are put in place by stakeholders and the citizens. Launching of the Economic and Recovery Growth Plan (the health sector perspective) On March 7, 2017, the Nigerian Government, in its bid to strengthen the economy and end recession that had spilled into the year, launched the long-awaited plan to restore macroeconomic

stability in the short term, and the structural reforms and investments in the social sector in the medium and long term, which it termed the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP); a plan for 2017-2020, broadly targeting restoration of growth, human development and globally competitive economy. The plan, which the government said was an ambitious move to achieve a seven per cent economic growth for the country by the year 2020, represented a policy and reform framework to boost productivity in all sectors and achieve sustained diversification and inclusiveness. According to the document, which was midwifed by the Presidency and the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, 60 critical initiatives have been outlined to form the strategy the government said represents the blueprint for the type of foundation it wants the country to follow. A critical look at the 60 listed strategies showed that at least five of such strategies give a clear design to what Mr. Buhari’s administration has in stock for the healthcare sector. The federal government, in the document said it would invest in health and education to fill the skills gap in the economy, and meet the international targets set under the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Adding that it will improve the accessibility, affordability and quality of healthcare, and expand coverage of National Health Insurance Scheme across the country. Among plans listed in the ERGP for healthcare is that the federal government will give a new lease of life to primary healthcare system through revitalising 10,000 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHC) and establish at least one functional PHC in each ward to improve access to healthcare; fully implement the PHC refinancing programme to mobilise domestic resources; drive progress to meet UN SDG’s health targets; and reduce infant and maternal mortality rates. The ERGP says the federal government will roll out universal health coverage through expanding the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS); enforce the Tertiary Institutions Social Health Insurance Programme for students in tertiary institutions; pilot the Public Primary Pupils Social Health Insurance Programme to provide quality health services to pupils in middle-and lower-income socioeconomic levels who are less likely to have insurance; and scale up the Mobile Health Insurance Programme to provide coverage for the poor. The government’s economic document also shows that the federal government will strengthen delivery beyond the PHC system through provision of anti-retroviral medication to people living with HIV/AIDS; ramp up projects to eradicate polio, measles and yellow fever; make strategic investment in tertiary healthcare institutions in collaboration with the National Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and other relevant stakeholders; and develop and adopt an e-health scheme to connect specialised hospitals to rural communities via mobile tele-medicine; among other things the Plan seeks to achieve. But as the year winds down, not much is heard about the economic and recovery growth plan as it relates to the health sector. Is the plan just on paper or yet to kick off? When will Nigerians start benefiting from the otherwise laudable idea? While lessons can be learnt from the major events that shaped the year, what are the fantastic breakthroughs made in the course of the year? How many breakthroughs were recorded in the sector, where are the researches, where are the vaccines to stop malaria, Lassa fever and other indigenous diseases, where are the 10,000 revitalised PHCs the Minister of Health talked about, where are the radiotherapy machines? Has our indices on maternal and child mortality reduced? Has mortality rate for cancer, sickle cell, tuberculosis, pneumonia, diarrhea, cholera reduced? Did doctors and health workers refused to go on strike this year? These are events that could have shaped the health sector for good in 2017. Can we really say progress has been made? Be the judge!

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017

NEWS

Don’t Disrepute MDCN, Group Cautions Young Doctors Martins Iﬁjeh The Transparency Advocacy Initiative for Development (TAID), a civil society organisation, has cautioned against bringing the name of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to disrepute. TAID’s National Coordinator, Yomi David, in a statement in Abuja recently, said that the group was concerned about recent media reports that questioned the integrity of MDCN, a body established by law to test, and license competent practitioners into the medical profession. According to him, the position of a regulator in any system that serves the public is sacrosanct and it is unbecoming when supposed beneficiaries begin to cast aspersions on the impartiality of the regulator. He said that TAID still had unwavering confidence in the credibility of the council. “For the records section three of the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act Cap M8 (2004) states that:

the council may institute an assessment examination for holders of foreign medical or dental qualifications recognised by the government of the countries where such qualifications were obtained. “It is also on record that the MDCN did not directly administer the examination in question, as it was done by the University of Ilorin under close supervision by external examiner, while the duly signed results presented to the MDCN were published. “Following three months training at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, a total of 680 doctors sat for the exams. “Only 240 or about 35 per cent passed while 440 of them or 65 per cent failed this examination, which tested their understanding of the basics of medical practice cannot be the fault of the MDCN which neither trained nor directly tested these candidates.’’ David said that it was unacceptable that candidates who could not pass a routine examination would resort to casting aspersions on the examiner, rather than trying

again with better preparations when the next examination cycle comes around. The coordinator said that group independently examined the facts and was convinced that the MDCN acted in the best interest of the Nigerian people and within the ambits of the laws of the land. “We salute the leadership of the council for refusing to bow to pressures mounted on it to reduce the premium it places on Nigerian lives. “It is an indisputable fact

that countless Nigerian trained medical professionals leave the shores of this country annually and they excel abroad. “So, for anyone to suggest that foreign trained doctors are somehow qualified by virtue of their being trained outside Nigeria is being disingenuous and must be resisted by all well-meaning Nigerians. “We urge the Minister of Health to continue to stand firmly behind the council, in furtherance of the anticorruption agenda and posturing

of President Muhammadu Buhari. “We implore those characters peddling rumours that have no basis in law or morality against the MDCN to desist from further cheapening the value of Nigerian life.” He said that politics had no place whatsoever in assessing professional competence and the regulator so saddled with the powers must be allowed to exercise such powers in a rancor free environment. David said that the leader-

ship of TAID passed a vote of confidence on the outstanding leadership of MDCN in person of Dr. Tajudeen Sanusi for his courage in reposition MDCN. “While we need to address the access side of this problem, by reducing the doctor/patient ratio which currently stands at about 1:6000 about 10 times the WHO recommended ratio of 1:600, we must not compromise on quality of personnel we recruit into the profession, hence the need for a very strong regulator,’’ he said.

National Assembly Pledges to Address Poor Funding of NAFDAC Activities Martins Iﬁjeh The National Assembly has promised to take up the issue of poor funding of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), promising to ensure improved budgetary allocations for the agency’s activities in the nearest future. This is as the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki pledged that the legislative arm of the government will also look into the issue of overlapping functions as a way of creating a platform for effective performance of NAFDAC. The House of Representatives on its own part has also acknowledged that NAFDAC could only perform optimally on its mandate to fight against counterfeit drugs and other substandard regulated products with improved funding for its regulatory activities. The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who was responding to concerns raised by the newly appointed Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye when she paid him a courtesy visit in his office last week, particularly disclosed that the senate will consider the challenge of poor funding of the Agency’s activities through improved budgetary appropriation to address the gap and other legislative instruments necessary to tackle the issue of overlapping functions with other regulatory agencies to give NAFDAC the needed bite in the fight against counterfeits. Saraki described the DG as an accomplished professional with a distinguished career, honest and passionate to serve and called on her to bring her wealth of experience to bear on her new assignment in repositioning NAFDAC. Speaking further, he urged the management of NAFDAC

to support the new NAFDAC boss to succeed since she cannot do it alone but provide the direction needed for the Agency to move to higher heights. Earlier, the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye appealed for increased budgetary allocation to the Agency to position it in fighting the menace of counterfeiting more effectively. Prof. Adeyeye said NAFDAC is burdened by a myriad of challenges which currently limit its effective performance and discharge of its statutory function of safeguarding public health. According to her, the Agency is in dire need to retool her laboratories which she said are at the core of her regulatory activities improve ICT infrastructure, disciplined and motivated workforce, improve electricity supply, stakeholders communication coupled with other liabilities that require proper funding to address. While promising to rejuvenate the war against counterfeit regulated products in spite of dwindling finances, she called on the National Assembly to urgently address the issue of overlapping functions and mandates of other sister regulatory agencies to avoid friction. Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services were at the Headquarters of NAFDAC on oversight function during which they responded to the DG’s call for improved funding with a pledge to look at how they could wade in to ensure that NAFDAC ‘s activities are not hindered by funding draw-backs. This they said is in view of the important role the agency plays in the life and economy of Nigeria and the country at large.

President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki with the Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Moji Adeyeye, during a courtesy visit on the Senate President in Abuja recently

PharmAccess, EDC Collaborate to Build Capacity of Healthcare Providers

90,000 Persons Beneﬁt from Malaria Services in Akwa Ibom

Martins Iﬁjeh

Okon Bassey in Uyo

As part of efforts to strengthen capacity of healthcare providers in areas of quality assurance, finance, business and inventory management, PharmAccess Foundation, in collaboration with the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of the Pan Atlantic University have introduced Healthcare Management Programme (HMP), a certificate course. The programme, according to them is structured to support professional development of medical doctors, pharmacists, laboratories scientists/technicians, dentists, health industry regulators to deepen capacity along the healthcare value chain in Nigeria. The Country Director, PharmAccess Foundation Nigeria, Njide Ndili, in a statement said people running healthcare organisations need to understand how to manage their organisations as businesses. “PharmAccess is hopeful that the skills acquired during the five-month course will help participants build more profitable businesses and facilitate more access to quality healthcare for Nigerians. “Over the years we have ran several programmes in the healthcare space. However, we have come to realise working with hospitals and healthcare providers, that there is a knowledge gap in the

industry and the HMP was developed to bridge that gap,” Ndili stated. The Deputy Director, Enterprise Development Centre (EDC), Pan Atlantic University Nneka Okekearu, said the collaboration would deepen practitioners in the healthcare delivery system. According to her, HMP is designed to make healthcare providers understand that quality healthcare is much broader than providing care to patients. “Today’s most successful healthcare professionals are also knowledgeable in essential business and management principles,” Okekearu stated. Okekearu stated that professionals along the healthcare value chain must be able to effectively lead people, understand the financial landscape, create budgets and navigate the regulatory environment either they manage health facilities or work as private practitioners. The HMP course modules focuses on overview of the healthcare landscape in Nigeria, regulatory, legal and tax issues in Nigeria, Operations management in business, Principles of contracting and procurement in healthcare business, Financial management, Developing a business plan for healthcare business, Infrastructure development and equipment management, Business ethics and corporate governance, and Quality assurance in healthcare delivery.

Over 90,000 residents of Akwa Ibom State have over the past six years benefitted from malaria prevention service. Africare, an international non-governmental organization, has said. The Africare Director, Malaria Programme, Dr. Patrick Adah who disclosed this recently in Ibeno Local Government Area of the state during a malaria sensitisation outreach tagged ‘Christmas in Good Health’, said the organisation has introduced a device for testing malaria infection called Deki Reader in 30 health facilities in Eket and Ibeno local government areas of the state. According to him, the services rendered in two local government areas include regular sensitisation campaigns on malaria, testing, provision of malaria drugs and other commodities. “The Deki Reader is more effective and reliable than the rapid diagnostic test (RDT) currently in use in Nigeria. The device has the advantage of eliminating human error in the reading of test results,” he further explained. The director maintained that the test results captured by Deki Reader could be accessed by authorised personnel of the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders in the elimination of malaria in Nigeria. He noted that with the Deki Reader accurate record of malaria prevention programme

and the current prevalence rate could be determined easily in Nigeria. Adah stressed that the malaria project in the two local government areas was sponsored by ExxonMobil under the programme ‘Malaria Prevention in Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN)-supplier communities (MAPS-C)’. “We are here to create awareness that malaria is treatable and preventable. We want to encourage the people to utilise malaria commodities. We are choosing this festive mood of Christmas to do this sensitisation so that we can enjoy the yuletide in good health. “We thank ExxonMobil for providing the funding for the project, we advise the people to use long lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) while sleeping in the night,” Adah said. Also speaking at the sensitisation outreach, the Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, National Malaria Elimination Programme, Dr. Perpetual Uhomoibhi, lauded Africare and ExxonMobil for their partnership in malaria prevention. Uhomoibhi noted that funding from development partners for malaria control had decreased over the years and called on private sector in Nigeria to invest in malaria control. “We encourage the private sector to step up funding for malaria prevention programme to maintain healthy workforce in the country,” Uhomoibhi said.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017

HEALTH

Lawani: Obesity is the Foundation of Most Non Communicable Diseases The Consultant Physician, Olive Multi-Specialist Hospitals, Dr. Olu Lawani, in this interview with Obinna Chima, spoke on ways to improve the country’s healthcare system as well as how individuals can overcome certain diseases Every year government come out with its annual budget, but the allocation to the health sector is always minimal. What do you think is the implication of this? This is a very important issue. As you know, there is a common adage which says health is wealth. Health would lead to increased productivity. So, everywhere in the world, health is given the right priority. I know that we are facing a lot of challenges with our economy, however, the place of health cannot be far more emphasised that is what we are saying. The budget for the health sector now is abysmal and we need to improve on that. Productivity in an ailing economy would depend on a very high level of healthcare. So, healthcare now has gone technical. So, the involvement of equipment and the wherewithal to maintain the equipment makes it mandatory that budgetary allocation for health should be more than what it is at the moment. Lawani

Non communicable diseases are fast becoming Nigeria’s number one health burden. How can this be tackled? Non communicable diseases (NCDs) are increasing because the level of income and age are gradually also improving in Nigeria. There was a time when the age when many people would succumb to death was lower. Now, we are beginning to have the aged in our communities and in that group, far more non-communicable diseases are emerging. So, it is time for government and every individual to use the preventive approach. And the preventive approach would include what we do to ourselves with health, in terms of screening, cleanliness, in terms of simple hygiene, in terms of medical check-ups at intervals, so that many of these cardiovascular diseases can be nipped at the bud. Don’t also forget that there is a rising level of malignancy or what is called cancer. If detected early, these are things that we can curb or at least not allowed to get to a very high rate that seems to be the emerging trend. That brings us to the issue of cancer. There appears to be an increase in cancer cases in the country. What is the cause and way out? At the moment, in the world, there seems to be cancer epidemic, more in Africa and some of its surrounding communities. One of the

things has to be cultural we believe is good health, seems to be the real framework why many are having cancer. We in this part of the world believe that when we are big or obese, that we are doing well. It is a wrong judgement. Obesity now seems to be the foundation of most of the cancers. Far more than before, cancer is becoming to be associated with obesity. And so, this are part of the non-communicable diseases that we are now suffering from. If we can watch our weight, watch what we eat, and exercise more, we would be on a perfect health and the incidence of cancer would be reduced. Also, what is your advice on the issue of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases? Well, again, obesity is a monster. Most people who are obese would develop sugar, which is called diabetes. Most people who have sugar trouble are those who would eventually have heart problems. Apart from the fact that high blood pressure can happen to anybody, most of the time we don’t know why people develop hypertension. But it is something related genetically that runs in the family. And the two are hydra-headed – diabetes and hypertension. The two coming together would lead to problem of the vessels which is call cardiovascular systems. And this results to increased chance of stroke,

heart failure as well as kidney failure. So, it is better we nip it at the bud. Most of these things are preventable. I mentioned obesity, living healthy, making sure you eat only what is important, and making sure you cut down your weight, would lead to very good reduction level of obesity and consequently diabetes would also be nipped at the blood. In terms of high blood pressure, knowing what to eat and not adding too much salt to our food, trying to do health screening and finding out what is wrong with your health. When you seemingly look well, you might not be that well. All these would make us have a chance of what our health look like and be able to do what is right to fix it before it gets to an advanced stage. On a general note, every year, wherever we are, gender wise, age wise, you must at least go and see the doctor and see our score card. But as the age increases, maybe for those who are above 70 years, twice a year is okay to see a doctor, even if you have no health condition or you believe you are on the top of your health. You still need to see a doctor for general check up, twice a year, once we are advancing in our age. Otherwise, once a year seems good enough. The incessant strike by health practitioners is a concern to a lot of people. What do you think can be done address this? I think most discordant attitudes can be resolved on communication. The Ministry of Health is the most volatile ministry because health is taken care of by many team. If government can allow the team players to have a forum where things can be trashed out, where transparency can be looked into and where people can partner together and focus on the issue of helping others to sustain a good health, then many of these strikes would not happen. I am aware that sometimes it is based on money, but even issues that revolve round funding can be resolved through constructive dialogue. What can you tell us about Olive Multi-Specialist Hospitals? Olive Multi-Specialist Hospital is an emerging institution. It is a new institution that was set up to cater for the healthcare of all. It is premised on the basis of giving healthcare priority, making sure that we can face most of our problems if we solve them early, getting the right equipment

to match with the right attitude and addressing most illnesses before they become advanced. It is also looking at variety of specialities and things that would happen to us that would take us outside. In the long-run, the focus is to improve the health sector quality-wise and to be able to deliver services that hitherto, we were looking for abroad and bring training as a common factor to improve the quality of the healthcare system. That is what Olive MultiSpecialist Hospitals is all about at it caters for people with stroke, heart failures, diabetes and metabolic diseases, weight reduction and looking at health from all angles, including some of the rebuilding surgeries, changing of structures in the body such as the replacement of limbs and looking holistically at health with people who are involved in drug abuse and many other ailments that are emerging. These are the various outlets that we are now looking at health from at Olive Multi-Specialists Hospital. The level of manpower here is commensurate with the level of equipment we have. Every division of health is manned by the right people. There is also continuous training here. Are you not concerned about the issue of medical tourism? The issue of medical tourism has now taken a new dimension. In terms of the economy it is negative for the economy and there is loss of manpower. There is also the effect of transfer of economy. We need this volume to grow our own economy. Many times, it is because people feel that what they are getting there is better than what they are getting here at Olive Multi-Specialist Hospital. Part of what we are set out to do is to see how we can stem out the tide of medical tourism. What is the target for the next five years? In five years, we are going to change the surface of health, by making sure that gadgets that can improve our healthcare are available and by making sure that the manpower are available and we are going to do training by partnering people in the diaspora. We must develop our healthcare system and even turn Nigeria into a place for medical tourism. It used to be that when we had the University Teaching Hospitals serving many areas and we can only do that by improving the health sector.

Coca-Cola Trains Internally Displaced Women, Ooni, Ozolua Partner to Tackle Malnutrition in Empowers them for Micro Business Africa Ayodeji Ake As part of its 5by20 Women Economic Empowerment Initiative, Coca-Cola Nigeria has empowered over 50 internally displaced women through the provision of quality personal development and small business appreciation training. The two-day programme tagged ‘IDP Women Value Chain Integration Programme’ held at Sesor Empowerment Foundation training complex in Igbo-Efon, Lekki, Lagos, on the 18th and 19th December 2017, also saw the women gifted with assets that will enable them to start their respective small-scale businesses. While commenting on the programme, Amaka Onyemelukwe, Public Affairs and Communications Manager, Coca-Cola Nigeria said “We believe there is no better investment than women to spur economic growth and foster sustainable development. Women are pillars of the

communities we serve and pillars of our business. They will play a transformative role in shaping our global economy over the next decade.” In 2007, the Coca-Cola company started a Global Women’s Initiative known as 5by20 as part of our 2020 Vision to support women in global leadership positions, grow our pipeline of female talent and empower women of all cadres to be financially empowered thereby creating a sustainable society. Ier Jonathan-Ichaver, Executive Director of Sesor Empowerment Foundation, Coca-Cola’s project partner for the IDP Women Value Chain Integration Programme, while addressing the beneficiaries said Sesor was delighted and thankful to have partnered with Coca-Cola on this initiative as this shows the extent to which they support women empowerment and value humanity in general.” During the programme,

the women were taught the different methods and skills needed to successfully run a micro-business, business sustenance and money-saving techniques, customer relationship management, as well as the knowledge of the right attitude to run a successful business, amongst others. The session ended with a simulation exercise to enable them to put into practice what they learnt during the programme. Veronica Daniel, a beneficiary in the programme expressed gratitude to Coca-Cola Nigeria for their tremendous support and donations towards the programme. “We have learnt a lot during this two-day programme that would be transferred to the running of our business. We are very grateful for the donated trade assets as this would go a long way in helping us start a business, we appreciate their gesture and pray that God will bless them.”

Martins Iﬁjeh The Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja, has partnered with a non-governmental organisation, Empower 54, to create awareness and promote solutions to end malnutrition in Africa which currently kills 2.3 million children annually in Nigeria Empower 54 Project Inc (Empower 54) is a U.S. nonprofit organisation providing humanitarian assistance since 2003 through health, education, empowerment, and IDP/refugee programmes to underprivileged Africans. Founder and President of the organisation, Princess Modupe Ozolua, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja. Ozolua said reports that one-third, (33 per cent) of Nigerian children under five years old suffer from chronic malnutrition was very disturbing statistics. According to her, many innocent lives are lost due to lack of sensitisation on early management of malnutrition and accessibility to free

treatment. She said: “After Empower 54 evacuated the severely malnourished IDP children from Bama to Maiduguri on June 13th and 15th 2016, we realised more has to be done to save children suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) beyond evacuating them from high risk zones for treatment. There are countless non-IDP children suffering from SAM all over Nigeria and other parts of Africa that also need help. “Empower 54 currently work in; Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.”She commended the Ooni for lending his voice to the campaign to eradicate malnutrition in Africa. “His Imperial Majesty supports Empower 54’s forward thinking and lives changing initiative by stating: “The menace of malnutrition is creeping deeper into the fabric of our society and we must be tenacious in our fight against this colossal beast by

creating a better mechanism; adopt policies and strategies that are capable of combating its rapid expansion. Africa is the wealth of the world with huge human and natural resources and we must form a consensus that would scale up nutrition projects for the greater developments of future leaders that are being crippled daily by our collective negligence. “As the Co-Chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), we require holistic and systematic global blended approach in addressing the shade of malnutrition in Africa. I recognise and applaud months of intervention of Empower 54 in subjugating the spread of malnutrition in Nigeria and across Africa. Therefore, in an effort to forge greater participation, it is my sheer commitment and other global partners to advocate alongside the long-term collective aspirations of Empower 54 in championing malnutrition extinction roadmap in Africa.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017

HEALTH NEWS

Choosing Between Wholesome Meals or Processed Food Adaku Efuribe The World Health Organisation (WHO) does not consider industrial trans fats found in processed food, fast food, snack food, fried food, frozen pizza, pies, cookies, margarines and spreads) as healthy diet. Over the years the eating habits of many Nigerians have evolved. Modernisation has led to most people embracing processed foods over wholesome homemade meals. I find it very easy to use my own experiences in life growing up in Nigeria to help buttress my points. It is understandable that some people may not agree with me. I have been labeled old fashioned often times when I try to uphold my cultural and traditional standards in terms of my eating habits. For me I prefer wholesome homemade meals just like my Mum taught me. I started cooking at a very young age and I love home cooking. Once in a while I do give myself a treat and eat out but whilst doing so, I try as much as possible to choose healthier menu options. It will interest you to know I take home cooked food to work on a daily basis. It is hard work I must say but healthy eating is not something I wish to compromise. With processed foods being advertised and sold in big grocery shops springing up everywhere in Nigeria, It seems a lot of people are embracing processed foods more these days. I understand the ‘big groceries’ opening up provide employment for the local community but the government and public health professionals need to be on the lookout for unhealthy over processed foods being sold in such places as unhealthy eating pose a risk for obesity, diabetes and other disease conditions. Although we cannot police the citizens of a country in terms of eating habits, we can at least put measures in place that will ensure adequate policies, education and awareness is created around healthy eating habits. We can also ensure the

foods sold in our shops are not prepared with harmful artificial enhancers or banned substances. So what does healthy eating look like? According to the WHO, healthy diet contains: Fruits, vegetables, legumes (e.g. beans), nuts and whole grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, brown rice). At least 400 g (five portions) of fruits and vegetables a day. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava and other starchy roots are not classified as fruits or vegetables. Healthy diets for infants and young children In the first two years of a child’s life, optimal nutrition fosters healthy growth and improves cognitive development. It also reduces the risk of becoming overweight or obese and developing NCDs later in life. Advice on a healthy diet for infants and children is similar to that for adults, but the following elements are also important; Infants should be breastfed exclusively during the first six months of life; Infants should be breastfed continuously until two years of age and beyond; From six months of age, breast milk should be complemented with a variety of adequate, safe and nutrient dense complementary foods. Salt and sugars should not be added to complementary foods. What government should do Governments have a central role in creating a healthy food environment that enables people to adopt and maintain healthy dietary practices. Government should create a coherence in national policies and investment plans, including trade, food and agricultural policies, to promote a healthy diet and protect public health; increase incentives for producers and retailers to grow, use and sell fresh fruits and vegetables;reduce incentives for the food industry to continue or increase production of processed foods with saturated fats and free sugars. Other things government need to do is encourage reformulation of food products to reduce the contents of salt,

NPHCDA Counts Gains, Pledges to Do More Kuni Tyessi in Abuja The Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, has said the agency had in the past one year conducted polio campaign in high risk polio states in the country, with the aim of preventing its re-occurrence in the country. Also, he stated the agency’s commitment at combating cholera in Borno State, pledging that all hands are on deck and no stone will be left unturned. He made the disclosure at the end of the year programme review meeting and award ceremony of the staff. Shuaib commended the staff of the agency, who have been at the forefront of re-branding the Primary Healthcare Centres across the country, and the

dedicated staff who lost their lives in the course of duty . He said “We have gone through a whole lot of transformation, with new innovations, and we hope to keep the flag flying.” The Director of Advocacy and Communications, Dr. Eugene Ivase, said 35 additional Primary Healthcare Centres have been created across the country. Speaking further, he said the agency now has community healthcare influencers across the country, which will ensure proper healthcare coverage . He also stressed the leap in the data base management in the various Primary Healthcare Centres across the country, which has been made possible through the robust participation of the staff.

fats (i.e. saturated fats and trans fats) and free sugars; implement WHO recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children; establish standards to foster healthy dietary

practices through ensuring the availability of healthy, safe and affordable food in pre-schools, schools, other public institutions, and in the workplace; and explore regulatory and voluntary instruments, such as

marketing and food labeling policies, economic incentives or disincentives (i.e. taxation, subsidies), to promote a healthy diet. Everyone has a role to play and the Government has a

greater role to play in terms of policies and advocacy.A stitch in time saves nine .Efuribe is a Clinical Pharmacist/United Nations SDG Advocate

L-R: Country Director, PharmAccess Foundation, Ms Njide Ndili; Business Development Director, Medical Credit Fund, Mr Fisayo Okunsanya; and Deputy Director, Enterprise Development Centre, PAN Atlantic University Lagos, Mrs Nneka Okekearu, during the Healthcare Management Program Course, held in Lagos recently

GroupDonatesChemotherapy Clamping Down on Fake Medication Worth N1m to Producers at Yuletide in Lagos Women at LUTH Akinwale Akintunde Chemotherapy drugs worth N1 million were recently donated to indigent women at the Breast Clinic of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) by CancerAware Nigeria, a cancer intervention non-profit organisation. According to the Executive Director, CancerAware Nigeria, Tolulope Falowo, breast cancer remains the most common cancer in Nigeria accounting for almost 38 per cent of all cancer fatalities in the country. “Our women often present late, hence our mission to reduce this trend through early detection and patient support.During the Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, we ran a fundraising campaign to support low income women battling breast cancer,” she noted. Falowo urged the federal government to establish world class treatment centres for cancer across the country, adding that this will help reduce the rising cancer incidence in the country. A Consultant, Radiation and Clinical Oncologist and Coordinator, The Breast Clinic LUTH, Dr. Wumi Alabi, said the gesture was a memorable one for the clinic, which started about a year ago, being the first of its kind. Alabi said the clinic was aiming to make more diagnosis, treat patients early and making

Rebecca Ejifoma

sure that they make available support for the care of the patients. CancerAware Nigeria with the donation has really helped to make the clinic meets some of its aims. Alabi said the clinic was making so much effort in ensuring that the federal government incorporate cancer care into National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and that the efforts are beginning to yield results. Also speaking at the event, the Deputy CMAC, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Prof. Wasiu Lanre Adeyemo said LUTH management was happy that CancerAware care for indigent patients who cannot afford the treatment. Adeyemo, who represented the CMD, LUTH said cancer treatment in Nigeria was very expensive and that for a group like CancerAware to come down to donate drugs worth a million Naira, is commendable. He also called on other NGOs to emulate CancerAware in this kind of gesture, adding that government is trying its best on health related issues generally but cannot do it alone. Prof. Abayomi Durosinmi-Etti, foremost Radiation Oncologist, while commending CancerAware, also called on the federal government to cut down the cost of treating cancer, especially breast cancer in the country so that it would be affordable.

After over 10 years of successfully dribbling the arms of the law for adulterating Kiwi liquid dye, officials of Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) alongside armed policemen combed Idumota and seized about 26 cartons of fake products alongside some unstacked ones. Their secret stores were uncovered following its raid from Dosumu Street. “We were able to track down the suspects after voluntary information from some patriotic Nigerians. Complaints from the real producer also served as useful tips,” the Coordinator of SON, Lagos Office One, Mr. Ugbaja Joseph. This raiding, according to SON, was made possible after years of tracing the fake producer in Dosumu Street in Lagos market (Balogun) amid a stampede of buyers and sellers to the Family Support Programme, Model Market (Oja Oba), Adeniyi, Lagos – an almost deserted place - where the mini company producing fake product is located. Two stores were dedicated for the production of the kiwi dye. There were empty small size bottles and lid heaped in sack bags to be recycled and filled. Big basins and product labels were splattered on the floor. While the cartons used for packaging the products

had kilometre 22, Badagry Expressway, Lagos, as the company’s address, the real address is an isolated building sited on Model Market (Oja Oba), Adeniyi. This was accomplished after the organisation apprehended two suspects involved in the sale of the products. The coordinator added: “SON won’t look back in ensuring that the market is free of unwholesome products.” With its core mandate to set standards to meet the quality requirements of their standard, SON assured Nigerians that the war against adulterated products is a gradual process. According to him, with Nigeria’s current dwindling economy, people want to cut corners. “That is one of the reasons they engage in such acts. Sometimes, too, they want to maximise profit at the detriment of people’s health. “Hence, it is our duty to ensure that such is not allowed in order to protect genuine manufacturers from counterfeiters so that they will continue to be in business.” Ugbaja, however, decried that there were numerous challenges in clapping down perpetrators. He said Nigerians are not good at complaining to the appropriate authorities. “They take whatever they see. But if you buy a product and you are shortchanged – you are supposed to complain to SON.”

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ DECEMBER 28, 2017

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

CBN Extends Settlement Banking Arrangement Obinna Chima The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has postponed until further notice it earlier directive for banks to adhere to settlement banking arrangement for all clearing sessions. The central bank stated this in a circular that was signed by its Director, Banking and Payments System Department, Mr. Dipo Fatokun, a copy of which was posted on its website. It explained: â€œYou will recall that a directive was issued on the extension of settlement bank-

ing arrangement that is being practiced for cheque clearing sessions one and two to other net settlement sessions (0 and 3) vide our circular referenced BPS/DIR/CIR/GEN/02/039, dated November 10, 2017. â€œThe aforementioned circular directed the settlement banks to update the agency agreements with their respective nonsettlement banks, while merchants banks that do not have settlement banks should appoint settlement banks and inform the Director,

Banking and Payment System Department, CBN Abuja, on or before 15th December, 2017. â€œPlease note that the new extension of settlement banking to all clearing sessions with effect from January 2, 2018, as contained in the referenced circular, is hereby suspended until further notice. â€œFor the avoidance of doubt, the existing policy that was introduced in April 2004, on settlement banking relationship for session one and two (cheque and NEFT clearing instruments) only shall remain in force.â€?

JPMorgan Fined $2.8m over Improper Safeguards for Customers JPMorgan Chase & Co will pay $2.8 million to settle charges that a broker-dealer unit lacked sufficient controls to safeguard customer securities from several countries over more than eight years, a U.S. regulator said on Wednesday. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) said JPMorgan Clearing Corporation created hundreds of millions of dollars of deficits by violating United States(US) rules designed to thwart the improper commingling of assets. According to Reuters, such rules were intended to avoid delays in returning customer

securities, or the inability to make customers whole, when broker-dealers fail. FINRA said the violations occurred from March 2008 to June 2016, and stemmed in part from defective electronic systems that JPMorgan inherited from Bear Stearns Cos, the investment bank it bought in May 2008 in a government-arranged fire sale. JPMorgan did not admit or deny wrongdoing in agreeing to settle. Brian Marchiony, a spokesman for the New York-based bank, in an e-mail said there were no findings that any client accounts were harmed. According to settlement

papers, JPMorgan failed to properly segregate customer securities from its own assets because of systematic coding and design flaws and a lack of supervision. FINRA cited as examples how the improper safeguarding of Italian securities for nearly two years and Nigerian securities for four years created respective deficits of $146 million and $120 million. The fine reflected JPMorganâ€™s â€œextraordinaryâ€? cooperation in addressing the violations, and its practice of setting aside excess deposits to protect customers from losses,â€? FINRA said.

Ecobank, Partners LASEPA, LAWMA on Cleaner Lagos Initiative The Lagos state environment regulators have lauded Ecobank Nigeriaâ€™s various initiatives towards sustainable and safer environment in the state. The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) stated that Ecobankâ€™s deliberate policy to rid the state of non-biodegradable materials like plastic bottles and used beverage cans would go a long way in protecting the environment and promote a cleaner Lagos. The two agencies pledged their support to the bank for the initiative. Speaking during the launch of Ecobank â€˜Operation 150,000 bottles and cansâ€™ in Lagos recently, a statement quoted the General Manager, LASEPA, Adebola Shabi, to have said the action of Ecobank to ensure a

safer environment had further portrayed it as a socially responsible organisation. Shabi, who was represented by the Chief Scientific Officer, Mrs Sedoten Agosa-Anikwe, said: â€œThis pick and payâ€™ policy of Ecobank which involves paying people to pick used plastic bottles and cans from Lagos streets would not only empower the unemployed youths but also check the recurring flooding in the state.â€? Furthermore, she said, â€œthis is an organisation that is thinking out of the box. A bank that is effectively contributing to the society where it operates. A responsible and caring corporate citizen. We salute Ecobank.â€? In the same vein, Assistant General Manager, Special Services Department, LAWMA, Jide Onayiga, called on all corporate stakeholders in Lagos to take emulate Ecobank by

partnering the state government to ensure a cleaner Lagos. He reiterated the determination of the Ambodeâ€™s administration to a sustainable environment through the recent signing the Environmental Management and Protection Bill into law. Earlier in welcome address, Executive Director, Corporate Banking, Ecobank, Mr. Akin Dada, explained that the bank had set aside a sustainability campaign week as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) to give back and ensure a safer community where it operates. According to Dada, â€˜â€˜Ecobank is a brand that is committed to sustaining the environment for all. This is part of the universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.â€™

Group Launches Wealth Creation Platform Taking advantage of the immense opportunities that reside in both the service and technology sectors of the economy, two professionals have set up a platform to create job opportunities for Nigerians. JobTaska, which is the brain child of Jasper Ogbonna and Samson Adewole seeks to provide a veritable platform for the provision of professional and allied services to a wide spectrum of the market. According to a statement, it removes the complication that comes with the provisions of these services replacing it with a seamless search and

engagement process. It further compliments this with an effective fee payment structure which escrows funds until a satisfactory feedback report is received from the client. A statement quoted Adewole to have said the portal immediately removes the difficulties faced in the identification of credible and professional service providers across all spectrum while taking advantage of the increasingly deep penetration potentials of the Internet. According to him, the portal would create wealth by funnelling â€˜jobsâ€™ in a transparent and orderly manner towards very serious minded competent professionals

and artisans who would be better served by the coalescing of the market. Furthermore, the whole process has been covered with an indemnity Insurance provided by a leading underwriting firm. This protects both sides from workplace risks that usually pervades these job types. In just one month of its launching, over 1,000 professionals have registered on the portal with about N6m in transaction volume undertaken by various individuals. On his part, Ogbonna, who is the CEO, stressed that the immense potential of the portal especially in the areas of wealth creation and its redistribution.

CBN building

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

AUGUST 2017 Broad Money (M2)

21,851,454.31

-- Narrow Money (M1)

9,890,813.10

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,523,239.91

---- Demand Deposits

8,367,573.19

-- Quasi Money

11,960,641.22

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

9,732,990.89

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

12,118,463.42

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

26,821,446.81

---- Credit to Government (Net)

4,824,226.22

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

7,834,536.74

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

--3,010,310.52

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

21,997,220.59

--Other Assets Net

--14,702,983.39

Reserve Money (Base Money)

5,486,804.65

--Currency in Circulation

1,868,735.07

--Banks Reserves

3,268,266.17 Ëž Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă? Ě‹

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

August 2017

Inter-Bank Call Rate

22.63

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

13.35

Savings Deposit Rate

4.08

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.86

3 Months Deposit Rate

10.14

6 Months Deposit Rate

11.51

12 Months Deposit Rate

11.40

Prime Lending rate

17.69

Maximum Lending Rate

31.20 Ëž Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂŁ Ă™Ă–Ă“Ă?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ě‹ ÍŻÍąĎą

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT WEDNESDAY DECEBER 20, 2017

The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $62.16 a barrel on Wednesday, compared with $61.72 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), ZaďŹ ro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela). SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°ÍśËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

MARKET NEWS

Equities Market Opens Week Bearish on Continuing Sell Pressure Goddy Egene The Nigerian equities market commenced the week on negative note yesterday as investors continued to sell to meet cash needs in this festive period. Although there has been sell pressure, following profit taking by investors, the market closed higher last week on bargain hunting. However, when trading resumed yesterday after the Christmas and

Boxing Day holiday on Monday and Tuesday respectively, it ended on a negative note. The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index (ASI) fell by 1.64 per cent to close at 37,889.57, while market capitalisation shed N225.1 billion to close lower at N13.48 trillion. A total of 22 stocks depreciated compared with 14 stocks that appreciated. Analysts at Meristem Securities Limited attributed the

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R

DEALS

bearish trading to decline in the share price of Dangote Cement Plc among other highly capitalised stocks. â€œThe market closed down following the N9.50 price loss on Dangote Cement Plc, which dragged the market. We, however, note the strong selling pressures on other heavyweight counters as even the NSE 30 which tracks the most capitalised stocks and accounted for 87.90 per cent of

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

todayâ€™s market value, closed down by 1.31 per cent with a breadth of 0.21x. We expect this downbeat mood to be upturned by the end of the week,â€? they said. But the highest price losers in percentage terms was Okomu Oil Palm Plc with 5.0 per cent, trailed by Omoluabi Microfinance Bank Plc and Presco Plc with 4.8 per cent apiece. McNichols appreciated by 4.7 per cent, while

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

Nigerian Breweries Plc shed 4.2 per cent. Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc, Dangote Cement Plc and PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc went down by 4.1 per cent, 3.9 per cent and 3.5 per cent in that order. Ecobank Transnational Incorporated(ETI) was also among the price losers, shedding 2.8 per cent. The Togo-based holding company of the pan-African

O F

Ecobank Group, last week announced the closing of a $ 200 million 5- 7 year syndicated debt facility with FMO, the Dutch development bank. Commenting on the loan facility, Ecobank Group Chief Executive Officer, Ade Ayeyemi, said: â€œ â€œETI is pleased to conclude this financing arrangement with FMO, who have been able to bring a significant number of players to the financing table.

1 5 / 1 2 / 2 0 1 7 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

˜ ͺ΀˜ ͺ͸͹͵ ˾ T H I S D AY

Nigeria Daily Stock Market Report: dŚŝƐ ĂǇ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ /ŶĚĞǆ ĚĞƉƌĞĐŝĂƚĞƐ ďǇ ϴϯďƉƐ

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

dŚĞ dŚŝƐ ĂǇ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ŝŶĚĞǆ ĚĞƉƌĞĐŝĂƚĞĚ ϴϯďƉƐ ǇĞƐƚĞƌĚĂǇ ƚŽ ĐůŽƐĞ Ăƚ ϭ͕ϱϮϴ͘ϭϱ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ͘ zĞƐƚĞƌĚĂǇ͛Ɛ ŶĞŐĂƟǀĞ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ĐĂŶ ďĞ ƉƌŝŵĂƌŝůǇ ĂƩƌŝďƵƚĂďůĞ ƚŽ ůŽƐƐĞƐ ŝŶ E/' Z/ E Z t Z/ ^ ;Ͳϰ͘ϯйͿ ͕ E' D ;Ͳ ϰ͘ϬйͿ ĂŶĚ ^^ ;ͲϬ͘ϯйͿ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĐƵŵƵůĂƟǀĞůǇ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ ϮϬ͘ϲй ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚĞǆ͘ dŚĞ dŚŝƐ ĂǇ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ŝŶĚĞǆ ŚĂƐ ƌĞƚƵƌŶĞĚ ϱϮ͘ϴй zd ͘

Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

Ticker

E' D ĚƌĂŐƐ ĞŶĐŚŵĂƌŬ /ŶĚĞǆ ĂŵŝĚƐƚ ƌŽĂĚ ^ĞůůŽī ŝŶ ƋƵŝƚĞƐ͙ E^ ^/ ĚŽǁŶ ϭ͘ϲй Ɛ ƚŚĞ ĨĞƐƟǀĞ ƐĞĂƐŽŶ ĚƌĂǁƐ ƚŽ Ă ĐůŽƐĞ͕ ƚŚĞ ĞƋƵŝƟĞƐ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ Ă ϭ͘ϲй ĚĞĐůŝŶĞ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ĞŶĚ ŽĨ ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ƚŽĚĂǇ ƚŽ ďƵĐŬ Ă ϯͲĚĂǇ ŐĂŝŶŝŶŐ ƐƚƌĞĂŬ͖ ƚŚƵƐ͕ ƉĂƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ďĞŶĐŚŵĂƌŬ ŝŶĚĞǆ zd ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ƚŽ ϰϭ͘Ϭй͘ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ŝŶ ƚƵƌŶ ůŽƐƚ EϮϮϱ͘ϭďŶ ŝŶ ǀĂůƵĞ ĂƐ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝǌĂƟŽŶ ƐĞƩůĞĚ Ăƚ Eϭϯ͘ϱƚŶ͘ E' D ;Ͳϯ͘ϵйͿ ǁĂƐ ƚŚĞ ŵĂũŽƌ ĚƌĂŐ ƚŽ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ƚŽĚĂǇ͕ ĂůƚŚŽƵŐŚ ƐĞůůŝŶŐ ƉƌĞƐƐƵƌĞƐ ǁĞƌĞ ĂůƐŽ ŽďƐĞƌǀĞĚ ŝŶ ůĂƌŐĞͲĐĂƉ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ǁŝƚŚŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ 'ŽŽĚƐ͕ ĂŶŬŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ŐƌŝĐƵůƚƵƌĞ ƐĞĐƚŽƌƐ͘ ,ŽǁĞǀĞƌ͕ ĂĐƟǀŝƚǇ ůĞǀĞů ǁĂǆĞĚ ƐƚƌŽŶŐĞƌ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ĂŶĚ ǀĂůƵĞ ƌŽƐĞ ϭϬϯ͘ϵй ĂŶĚ ϯϳ͘ϵй ƚŽ Eϰϭϲ͘ϵďŶ ĂŶĚ EϮ͘ϭďŶ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůǇ͘

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40

^ĞĐƚŽƌ WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ǁĂƐ ŵŝǆĞĚ ĂƐ ϯ ŽĨ ϱ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƌĞĚ͘ dŚĞ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞǆ ůĞĚ ƚŚĞ ůŽƐĞƌƐ ĐŚĂƌƚ͕ ƉůƵŶŐŝŶŐ Ϯ͘ϲй ŽŶ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ŽĨ ƐĞůůͲŽīƐ ŝŶ E' D ;Ͳϯ͘ϵйͿ ǁŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞǆ ƚƌĂŝůĞĚ͕ ĐůŽƐŝŶŐ ϭ͘Ϯй ůŽǁĞƌ͕ ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ ƉƌŝĐĞ ĚĞƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ E/' Z/ E Z t Z/ ^ ;Ͳϰ͘ϯйͿ͘ ^ŝŵŝůĂƌůǇ͕ ƚŚĞ ĂŶŬŝŶŐ ŝŶĚĞǆ ůŽƐƚ Ϭ͘ϯй Ͳ ƉƌĞƐƐƵƌĞĚ ďǇ d/ ;ͲϮ͘ϴйͿ ĂŶĚ h ;ͲϬ͘ϴйͿ͘ KŶ ƚŚĞ ŇŝƉƐŝĚĞ͕ ƚŚĞ /ŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ ŝŶĚĞǆ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ϭ͘Ϭй ŚŝŐŚĞƌ ĂƐ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ƉŽƐŝƟŽŶĞĚ ŝŶ E D ;нϰ͘ϬйͿ ĂŶĚ D E^ Z ;нϬ͘ϱйͿ ǁŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ ŝŶĚĞǆ ŐĂŝŶĞĚ Ϭ͘ϱй͕ ƐŽůĞůǇ ŽŶ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ŽĨ DK /> ;нϰ͘ϵйͿ͘ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ tĞĂŬĞŶƐ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ǁĞĂŬĞŶĞĚ ƚŽĚĂǇ ĂƐ ŝŶĚŝĐĂƚĞĚ ďǇ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ ǁŚŝĐŚ ƌĞƚƌĞĂƚĞĚ ƚŽ Ϭ͘ϲǆ ;ĨƌŽŵ ϰ͘Ϭǆ ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ ƚŚĞ ƉƌĞǀŝŽƵƐ &ƌŝĚĂǇͿ ĂƐ ϭϰ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ŐĂŝŶĞĚ ǁŚŝůĞ Ϯϯ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ͘ hZz ;нϵ͘ϵйͿ͕ DK /> ;нϰ͘ϵйͿ ĂŶĚ &/ >/dz ;нϰ͘ϲйͿ ƚŽƉƉĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŐĂŝŶĞƌƐ ĐŚĂƌƚ ǁŚŝůĞ K<KDh ;Ͳϱ͘ϬйͿ͕ WZ ^ K ;Ͳϰ͘ϵйͿ ĂŶĚ E/' Z/ E Z t Z/ ^ ;Ͳϰ͘ϯͿ ůĞĚ ůŽƐĞƌƐ͘ 'ŝǀĞŶ ƚŚĞ ƐŝŐŶŝĮĐĂŶƚ ƌŝƐĞ ŝŶ Žŝů ƉƌŝĐĞƐ ŝŶ ƌĞĐĞŶƚ ƟŵĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ďƌŽĂĚůǇ ďƵůůŝƐŚ ŽƵƚůŽŽŬ ĨŽƌ ĐŽŵŵŽĚŝƚǇ ƉƌŝĐĞƐ ĨŽƌ ϮϬϭϴ͕ ǁĞ ŵĂŝŶƚĂŝŶ ŽƵƌ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ƐŚŽƌƚͲ ƚŽ ŵĞĚŝƵŵͲƚĞƌŵ ƉĞƌƐƉĞĐƟǀĞ ĨŽƌ ĞƋƵŝƟĞƐ͘

Current Price

Previous Current Price Weighting Change

Price Change YTD

Price Change Index to Date

ROE

ROA

P/E

P/BV

Divinden Earnings d Yield Yield

1,528.15

-0.83%

52.8%

20.1%

6.3%

7.1x

0.8x

3.9%

11.0%

Guaranty Trust Bank PLC

40.50

0.0%

21.5%

64.0%

26.0%

4.3%

8.4x

2.1x

5.1%

11.9%

Nigerian Brew eries PLC

134.04

-4.3%

9.3%

-9.4%

18.9%

8.6%

33.0x

6.0x

2.7%

3.0%

Zenith Bank PLC

25.50

0.0%

13.1%

72.9%

21.7%

3.2%

5.0x

1.0x

7.9%

19.8%

Dangote Cement PLC

230.50

-4.0%

6.3%

32.5%

30.4%

15.7%

15.9x

4.5x

3.7%

6.3%

Nestle Nigeria PLC

1,475.00

0.0%

7.7%

82.1%

78.4%

19.0%

38.4x

25.4x

1.7%

2.6%

-0.3%

4.5%

78.4%

15.1%

2.0%

4.2x

0.6x

6.2%

23.6%

-0.8%

5.6%

127.1%

17.2%

2.2%

4.5x

0.8x

7.3%

22.3%

14.6x

Access Bank PLC

10.47

United Bank for Africa PLC

10.22

FBN Holdings Plc

^ĞĐƚŽƌ WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ DŝǆĞĚ

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Ecobank Transnational Inc

8.96

-0.4%

5.7%

167.5%

2.6%

0.3%

17.00

-2.8%

2.9%

65.4%

-14.6%

-1.3%

0.5x

2.2%

6.9%

0.6x

3.6%

-20.5%

6.5x

2.3%

43.00

-1.1%

1.6%

10.9%

47.1%

9.8%

596.40

0.0%

2.1%

57.0%

-12.4%

-6.7%

Unilever Nigeria PLC

40.22

-1.1%

1.5%

26.4%

50.3%

8.4%

24.8x

9.4x

0.2%

4.0%

Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC

41.50

0.0%

2.9%

176.7%

28.7%

3.4%

9.6x

2.5x

1.4%

10.5%

Guinness Nigeria PLC

96.00

0.0%

1.3%

22.1%

4.5%

1.4%

67.5x

3.4x

0.7%

5.99

0.0%

1.3%

27.4%

40.7%

4.2%

2.7x

0.6x

Lafarge Africa PLC

SEPLAT Petroleum Development C

3.8x

0.8x

26.0% -17.6%

1.5%

Oando PLC

37.0%

Forte Oil PLC

43.48

0.0%

0.5%

-48.5%

44.3%

3.7%

11.0x

4.9x

11 PLC

178.31

4.9%

0.5%

-36.1%

32.6%

12.0%

9.5x

2.6x

Total Nigeria PLC

219.00

0.0%

0.5%

-26.8%

37.3%

7.4%

8.1x

2.8x

2.7%

12.3%

67.69

-5.0%

1.1%

68.5%

37.4%

25.9%

9.0x

2.9x

2.2%

11.1%

9.1% 4.5%

10.6%

Okomu Oil Palm PLC

UAC of Nigeria PLC

16.31

-2.5%

0.6%

-1.1%

-1.2%

6.3%

2.2%

10.5x

0.7x

6.0%

9.6%

Conoil PLC

28.00

0.0%

0.4%

-25.3%

12.8%

3.5%

8.1x

1.1x

11.1%

12.3%

21 22

Fidelity Bank PLC

2.49

4.6%

1.3%

196.4%

8.0%

1.1%

2.2x

0.4x

5.6%

46.0%

Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC

20.15

2.6%

1.4%

229.8%

23.8%

10.3%

7.9x

3.4x

2.5%

12.7%

Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC

28.36

0.0%

0.7%

67.1%

10.4%

2.6%

7.8x

0.8x

3.2%

12.8%

3.93

0.0%

0.4%

1.0%

18.9%

7.6%

101.97

0.0%

0.3%

-21.0%

-56.7%

-13.9%

4.9x

28.00

0.0%

0.3%

-27.4%

-12.2%

-1.2%

1.5x

1.36

0.7%

0.4%

23.6%

3.8%

0.6%

Custodian and Allied Insurance

7 UP Bottling Co PLC

Julius Berger Nigeria PLC

FCMB Group Plc

3.9x

0.1x

-16.5% -8.1% 7.4%

25.3%

Transnational Corp of Nigeria

1.45

-1.4%

0.6%

66.7%

19.6%

4.1%

5.8x

1.0x

17.3%

ŽŵƉĂŶǇ ŝŶ &ŽĐƵƐ͗ / DKE E< W> ;͞ / DKE ͟Ϳ

Diamond Bank PLC

1.49

-0.7%

0.6%

69.3%

2.5%

0.3%

6.0x

0.1x

16.6%

Presco PLC

68.50

-4.9%

0.5%

70.8%

42.9%

25.9%

3.4x

1.2x

2.2%

29.6%

PZ Cussons Nigeria PLC

20.62

-3.6%

0.4%

42.2%

10.7%

5.0%

19.5x

2.0x

2.4%

5.1%

International Brew eries PLC

54.00

0.0%

0.8%

191.9%

24.6%

7.4%

56.5x

12.9x

Cadbury Nigeria PLC

15.75

9.9%

0.4%

53.1%

4.5%

1.6%

44.9x

2.6x

2.2%

Union Bank of Nigeria PLC

7.49

-0.1%

0.4%

56.9%

57.0%

5.6%

1.2%

9.6x

0.5x

10.4%

Chemical and Allied Products P

34.00

0.0%

0.2%

6.3%

84.3%

38.5%

14.8x

10.4x

0.99

-1.0%

0.2%

30.3%

6.1%

0.6%

5.2x

0.3x

21.61

0.0%

0.3%

37.2%

61.2%

23.6%

4.5x

ŝĂŵŽŶĚ ĂŶŬ WůĐ ;͞ ŝĂŵŽŶĚ͟ Žƌ ͞ƚŚĞ ĂŶŬ͟Ϳ͕ ŝƐ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ EŝŐĞƌŝĂΖƐ ĨĂƐƚĞƐƚ ŐƌŽǁŝŶŐ ƌĞƚĂŝů ďĂŶŬƐ ŝŶ ŽƵƌ dŝĞƌͲϮ ĐŽǀĞƌĂŐĞ ǁŝƚŚ ĂŶ ĂƐƐĞƚ ƐŝǌĞ ŽĨ Eϭ͘ϵƚŶ ĂƐ Ăƚ ϵD͗ϮϬϭϳ͘ /Ŷ Ă ƌĞĐĞŶƚ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ͕ ŝĂŵŽŶĚ ĂŶŬ WůĐ ĂŶŶŽƵŶĐĞĚ ŝƚ ŝƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĮŶĂů ƐƚĂŐĞƐ ŽĨ ĚŝǀĞƐƟŶŐ ŝƚƐ ϵϳ͘ϭй ĞƋƵŝƚǇ ƐƚĂŬĞ ŝŶ ŝĂŵŽŶĚ ĂŶŬ ^͘ Ͳ ƚŚĞ ƉĂƌĞŶƚ ĐŽŵƉĂŶǇ ŽĨ ŝƚƐ ĨƌĂŶĐŽƉŚŽŶĞ tĞƐƚ ĨƌŝĐĂŶ ƵƐŝŶĞƐƐĞƐ Ͳ ĨŽƌ Ă ĐŽŶƐŝĚĞƌĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ Φ ϲϭ͘Ϭŵ͘ dŚĞ ĚĞĐŝƐŝŽŶ ǁĂƐ ŶŽƚ ƐƵƌƉƌŝƐŝŶŐ ŐŝǀĞŶ ƚŚĞ ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐĞƐ ƚŚĞ ĂŶŬ ŝƐ ĨĂĐŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ƌĞŐĂƌĚƐ ƚŽ ĐĂƉŝƚĂů ĂĚĞƋƵĂĐǇ͘ Ɛ Ăƚ ,ϭ͗ϮϬϭϳ͕ ŝĂŵŽŶĚ͛Ɛ Z ƐƚŽŽĚ Ăƚ ϭϱ͘ϰй Ͳ ŶĞĂƌ ƚŚĞ ƌĞŐƵůĂƚŽƌǇ ŵŝŶŝŵƵŵ ŽĨ ϭϱ͘Ϭй͘ dŚĞ ŶĞĞĚ ƚŽ ƌĂŝƐĞ ĐĂƉŝƚĂů ƚŽ ĐŽŵƉůǇ ǁŝƚŚ ƉƌƵĚĞŶƟĂů ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞŵĞŶƚ͕ ǀŝƐͲăͲǀŝƐ ƚŚĞ ĂŶŬ͛Ɛ ƐƚƌĂƚĞŐŝĐ ŽďũĞĐƟǀĞ ƚŽ ďĞ ƚŚĞ ĨĂƐƚĞƐƚ ŐƌŽǁŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ŵŽƐƚ ƉƌŽĮƚĂďůĞ ƌĞƚĂŝů ďĂŶŬ ŝŶ EŝŐĞƌŝĂ͕ ƚŚƵƐ ŶĞĐĞƐƐŝƚĂƚĞĚ ĚŝǀĞƐƟŶŐ ĨƌŽŵ ŝƚƐ ŶŽŶͲĐŽƌĞ ĂƐƐĞƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĨŽĐƵƐŝŶŐ ƉƌŝŵĂƌŝůǇ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ EŝŐĞƌŝĂŶ ƌĞƚĂŝů ďĂŶŬŝŶŐ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĂĐĐŽƌĚŝŶŐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ĂŶŬ ŚĂƐ ǀĂƐƚ ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƐƚƌŽŶŐ ĨƵŶĚĂŵĞŶƚĂůƐ ĂŶĚ ŵŝůůŝŽŶƐ ŽĨ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ǁŚŽ ĂƌĞ ĞŝƚŚĞƌ ƵŶĚĞƌďĂŶŬĞĚ Žƌ ƵŶďĂŶŬĞĚ͘

&Žƌ Yϯ͗ϮϬϭϳ ƐƚĂŶĚĂůŽŶĞ͕ ŝĂŵŽŶĚ͛Ɛ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ǁĂƐ ůĂƌŐĞůǇ ƵŶŝŵƉƌĞƐƐŝǀĞ ĂƐ ŐƌŽƐƐ ĞĂƌŶŝŶŐƐ ĨĞůů ϳ͘ϱй YͲŽͲY ƚŽ Eϯϵ͘ϲďŶ ĨƌŽŵ EϰϮ͘ϴďŶ ŝŶ YϮ͗ϮϬϭϳ͘ EĞƚ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶĐŽŵĞ ĂůƐŽ ŵŽĚĞƌĂƚĞĚ ϴ͘Ϭй YͲŽͲY ƚŽ EϮϳ͘ϴďŶ ĨƌŽŵ EϯϬ͘ϮďŶ ŝŶ YϮ͗ϮϬϭϳ ǁŚŝůĞ Ă ƉƌĞͲƚĂǆ ůŽƐƐ ŽĨ Eϰ͘ϭďŶ ǁĂƐ ĚĞĐůĂƌĞĚ ĨƌŽŵ Ă ƉƌŽĮƚ ŽĨ Eϱ͘ϮďŶ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƉƌĞǀŝŽƵƐ ƋƵĂƌƚĞƌ͘ KƵƌ ŶĞĂƌ ƚĞƌŵ ŽƵƚůŽŽŬ ĨŽƌ ŝĂŵŽŶĚ ĂŶŬ ŝƐ ŵŝǆĞĚ ĂƐ ǁĞ ĞǆƉĞĐƚ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ƚŽ ďĞ ďŽůƐƚĞƌĞĚ ďǇ ƌĞĐĞŶƚ ĞīŽƌƚ ƚŽ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝǌĞ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶ͘ ,ŽǁĞǀĞƌ͕ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ǁĞĂŬ ĂƐƐĞƚ ƋƵĂůŝƚǇ ĂŶĚ ĚĞĐůŝŶŝŶŐ ǇŝĞůĚƐ ŽŶ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŵĞŶƚ ƐĞĐƵƌŝƟĞƐ͕ ǁĞ ŚĂǀĞ Ă ͞,K> ͟ ƌĂƟŶŐ ŽŶ ĚŝĂŵŽŶĚ ďĂŶŬ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ϭϮͲŵŽŶƚŚ ƚĂƌŐĞƚ ƉƌŝĐĞ ŽĨ Eϭ͘Ϯϰ ŝŵƉůǇŝŶŐ͕ Ă ϲ͘ϵй ƵƉƐŝĚĞ ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů ƌĞůĂƟǀĞ ƚŽ Ă ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƉƌŝĐĞ ŽĨ Eϭ͘ϭϲ͘

Afrinvest Securities Limited

(RC 603 315)

(A Dealing Member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange)

6.7%

1.6x

1.4%

22.3%

2.5%

Sterling Bank PLC GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Niger

AXA Mansard Insurance PLC

2.02

0.5%

0.1%

21.0%

11.9%

3.9%

10.1x

1.2x

Continental Reinsurance PLC

1.40

3.7%

0.1%

41.4%

9.6%

4.4%

8.2x

0.8x

T o p 10 G a i n e r s T ic k er

19.2%

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

P ric e C hg %

15.75

9.9%

T R A N SC OR P

107.1

178.31

4.9%

F ID ELIT YB K

94.0

4.6%

F ID ELIT YB K

2.49

4.6%

SKYEB A N K

51.6

0.0%

LA WUN ION

0.74

4.2%

A IIC O

40.1

0.0%

N EM

1.56

4.0%

FB NH

37.9

-0.4%

C ON T IN SUR E

1.40

3.7%

C H A M P ION

13.4

-0.5%

ET ER N A

4.35

2.8%

Z EN IT H B A N K

10.2

0.0%

D A N GSUGA R

20.15

2.6%

GUA R A N T Y

9.8

0.0%

H ON YF LOUR

2.19

1.9%

M C N IC H OLS

8.9

-4.8%

A F R IP R UD

4.18

1.0%

D A N GF LOUR

8.4

-1.3%

M OB IL

T ic k er

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg % -1.4%

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

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

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

Value

OKOM UOIL

67.69

-5.0%

GUA R A N T Y

396.0

0.0%

P R ESC O

68.50

-4.9%

FB NH

340.9

-0.4%

M C N IC H OLS NB NA HCO D A N GC EM

9.9% 12.2%

P ric e

C A D B UR Y

/Ŷ ŝƚƐ ƌĞĐĞŶƚůǇ ƌĞůĞĂƐĞĚ ϵD͗ϮϬϭϳ ƌĞƐƵůƚƐ͕ ƚŚĞ ĂŶŬ ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ Ă ϭϮ͘ϬйzͲŽͲ z ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ŝŶ ŐƌŽƐƐ ĞĂƌŶŝŶŐƐ ƚŽ EϭϲϮ͘ϰďŶ ƵƉ ĨƌŽŵ Eϭϰϱ͘ϬďŶ ŝŶ ϵD͗ϮϬϭϲ͘ dŚŝƐ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞ ŝƐ ůĂƌŐĞůǇ ĂƩƌŝďƵƚĂďůĞ ƚŽ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶĐŽŵĞ ĨƌŽŵ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŵĞŶƚ ƐĞĐƵƌŝƟĞƐ ǁŚŝĐŚ ƌŽƐĞ ϯϵ͘ϱй ŽǀĞƌ ƚŚĞ ƉĞƌŝŽĚ͘ /ŵƉĂŝƌŵĞŶƚ ĐŚĂƌŐĞƐ ƐŚƌĂŶŬ ďǇ ϭϮ͘ϯй zͲŽͲz ƚŽ Eϯϱ͘ϯďŶ͕ ƌĞŇĞĐƟŶŐ ƚŚĞ ŚŝŐŚ ďĂƐĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƉƌĞǀŝŽƵƐ ǇĞĂƌ͘ ĞƐƉŝƚĞ Ă ϱ͘Ϭй zͲŽͲz ŵŽĚĞƌĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ ƉĞƌƐŽŶŶĞů ĞǆƉĞŶƐĞƐ Ͳ ƉŽƐƐŝďůǇ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ďĂŶŬƐ ŵŝŐƌĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ŵŽƌĞ ƚƌĂŶƐĂĐƟŽŶƐ ƚŽ ŝƚƐ ŽŶůŝŶĞ ĂŶĚ ŵŽďŝůĞ ďĂŶŬŝŶŐ ƉůĂƞŽƌŵƐ ʹ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŶŐ ĞǆƉĞŶƐĞƐ ũƵŵƉĞĚ ϴ͘ϵй zͲŽͲz ƚŽ Eϳϴ͘ϯďŶ͘ ^ŝŵŝůĂƌůǇ͕ W d ƌŽƐĞ ϳϭ͘ϰйzͲŽͲz ƚŽ Eϲ͘ϳďŶ ƌĞůĂƟǀĞ ƚŽ Eϯ͘ϵďŶ ŝŶ ϵD͗ϮϬϭϲ ǁŚŝůĞ W d ŐƌĞǁ ϲϴ͘ϯйƚŽ Eϱ͘ϵďŶ ĨƌŽŵ Eϯ͘ϱďŶ ŝŶ ϵD͗ϮϬϭϲ͘ EĞƚ ŵĂƌŐŝŶ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ƉĞƌŝŽĚ ĂůƐŽ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ƚŽ ϯ͘ϲй ƵƉ ĨƌŽŵ Ϯ͘ϰй ŝŶ ϵD͗ϮϬϭϳ͘

6.5%

1.8%

P ric e C hg %

1.20

-4.8%

Z EN IT H B A N K

259.4

0.0%

134.04

-4.3%

F ID ELIT YB K

220.8

4.6%

3.90

-4.2%

T R A N SC OR P

154.8

-1.4%

230.50

-4.0%

D A N GF LOUR

96.4

-1.3%

20.62

-3.6%

D A N GC EM

86.4

-4.0%

ET I

17.00

-2.8%

70.5

-4.3%

UA C N

16.31

-2.5%

N EST LE

53.3

0.0%

LIVEST OC K

0.87

-2.2%

UB A

48.4

-0.8%

Investment Research

Brokerage Ayodeji Ebo | aebo@afrinvest.com

Robert Omotunde | romotunde@afrinvest.com

Bolaji Fajenyo | bfajenyo@afrinvest.com

Omotola Abimbola | oabimbola@afrinvest.com

˾ THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017

MARKET NEWS

DMO Boss Lists Benefits of Accessing International Capital Markets Goddy Egene The Director General of Debt Management Office (DMO), Ms. Patience Oniha has said that the decision of the federal government to borrow offshore will reduce the debt cost and allow companies to borrow in the local market for productive purposes and economic development. The federal government has accessed the international capital market about three times this year to raise funds needed to finance budget deficits in 2016 and 2017. However, there have

been apprehension that repaying those debts in foreign currency would have negative impact. However, Oniha said the funds being raised from ICM have lower rate compared to the domestic market. She added that since the federal government has been accused of crowing out corporate borrowers from the domestic market, going to the international market will give opportunity to local borrowers to access funds in the domestic market. “Specifically, the decision to borrow from the ICM is in line with

A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return. An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

the government’s determination to implement a very prudent fiscal and debt management strategy to reduce the cost of debt,” she said. Oniha, who spoke in Lagos during the listing the FGN 30 year $1.5 billion Euro Bond, FGN 10 year $1.5 billion Euro Bond, FGN 5 Year $300 million Diaspora Bond on Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), said the listing would increase the number and range of securities available in the domestic capital market thereby, deepening the market and promoting financial inclusion. She added that it would give

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg. Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 22-Dec-2017, unless otherwise stated.

more visibility to the domestic debt capital market which will be beneficial for attracting capital from local and foreign investors. “In the specific case of the Eurobonds, because it is a sovereign security, the information it will provide such as Coupon, Yield and Tenor will serve as benchmarks for corporate who may issue Eurobonds in the ICM,” she said. According to her, the government priced the five-year $300 million Diaspora bond at 5.625 per cent, saying the security was registered by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

“The Diaspora Bond provided an opportunity for Nigerian in the Diaspora to contribute to the development of the nation. While the bond had its primary listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), its listing on domestic markets is an opportunity to create liquidity and deepen the markets,” she said. Oniha noted that the huge patronage enjoyed by the bond showed the significant level of confidence investors have on the Nigerian economy. On the $3 billion bonds, the DMO DG said they were in two tranches of 10 years and

30 years respectively. According to her, while the $1.5 billion Bond maturing November 28, 2027 has a coupon rate of 6.5 per cent, the $1.5 billion Bond maturing November 28, 2047 has a coupon rate of 7.625 per cent. “The offering represents the largest ever single offering from a sub-Saharan issuer, the largest ever order book for a sub-Saharan issuer and the longest tenor bond for a sub-Sahara issuer apart from South Africa. This, again, showed that investors have confidence in the government and future of the country’s economy,” she said.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors. Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return. NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 1 270 1680 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 180.91 182.36 42.74% Nigeria International Debt Fund 235.18 236.77 11.37% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.82 0.83 17.46% ACAP Income Funds 0.64 0.64 83.27% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 19.65% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 18.74 19.31 51.80% ARM Discovery Fund 390.02 401.78 35.81% ARM Ethical Fund 27.50 28.33 23.10% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 17.65% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 151.19 152.25 43.74% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 17.33% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 18.68% Paramount Equity Fund 12.07 12.38 28.96% Women's Investment Fund 98.08 100.60 15.94% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 18.01% CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 18.40% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.09 1.11 9.65% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.03 1.06 4.32% FBN QUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,144.72 1,145.89 12.79% FBN Heritage Fund 138.65 140.01 24.16% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 17.70% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional $113.14 $113.23 9.31% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail $112.49 $112.58 9.97% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 169.71 172.22 50.36% FIRST CITY ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD fcamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcamltd.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Equity Fund 1.41 1.44 51.60% Legacy Short Maturity (NGN) Fund 2.98 2.98 16.06% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 2,972.54 3,010.33 35.10% Coral Income Fund 2,460.86 2,460.86 18.06% GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 17.11% INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 17.55% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.10 2.13 25.24%

Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 18.42% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 114.73 114.73 18.24% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD ﬁncon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.20 1.22 21.18% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,052.35 1,052.35 11.61% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 13.96 14.08 44.44% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 18.73% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.25 1.27 25.17% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.00 11.07 5.87% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 12.57% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 124.73 126.80 23.02% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.43 1.43 14.72% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 2,251.96 2,266.08 23.02% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 175.91 175.91 14.26% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.01 1.02 31.82% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 219.58 219.58 17.49% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 179.83 182.17 38.52% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 16.96% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 9,747.64 9,865.23 28.57% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.06 1.06 6.00% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.33 1.35 18.99% United Capital Bond Fund 1.55 1.55 26.87% United Capital Equity Fund 0.92 0.94 36.77% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 17.07% ZENITH ASSETS MANAGEMENT LTD info@zenith-funds.com Web: www.zenith-funds.com; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 12.74 12.92 18.21% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.45 13.60 7.88% Zenith Income Fund 19.00 19.00 14.87%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

11.41 132.46

1.01% 6.85%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

12.00 143.75 110.58

12.10 146.89 112.70

38.73% 45.32% 45.95%

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

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund

VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Grifﬁn 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

4.69 9.66 17.83 19.82 148.50

4.73 9.74 17.93 20.02 150.50

69.29% 37.20% 50.45% 24.11% 16.90%

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

T H I S D AY THURSDAY DECEMBER 28, 2017

THE INTEGRITY GROUP 21 Igboukwu Street D/Line Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

OPEN LETTER OF DEMANDS TO THE RIVERS STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY The Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Moscow road, Port Harcourt. Sir,

GOVERNOR WIKE, WHERE IS OUR RIVERS STATE BUDGET? RIVERS STATE OF SECRET BUDGETS, 2015, 2016, 2017 AND NOW AGAIN 2018! HOW FAR CAN FRAUD GO? WHY HAS THE STATE ASSEMBLY AIDED AND ABETTED?

rom May 29 2015 till date, the budgets of Rivers State have remained a secret document unavailable to the public. When the Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike’s administration came on board on May 29, 2015, the Rivers State Government budget had enjoyed the opportunity of being available to the public particularly on the state government’s official website. This was a practice that was consistent with the former Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi’s government during his eight years of governing the state from 2007 to 2015. It is thus without denial that immediately the Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike’s administration came on board on May 29, 2015, the governor personally ordered the complete deletion of the state budget of that year from the state government official website arbitrarily. From same 2015 till today and possibly beyond, the Rivers State Government budgets/appropriation laws have remained unaccessible and a secret document available exclusively to only His Excellency the executive Governor without denial. It is important to state that the Rivers State House of Assembly as of right in law, has passed every budget proposed by Governor Nyesom Wike without any difficulty. It is also expedient to state further that the state budget is a law called the Appropriation Law that is required for the implementation of all annual procurement plans (please refer to section 14(1)(b) of Rivers state Prucurement Law. Under the budgets therefore, both recurrent and capital expenditure are proposed for implementing in a given budgetary year. Moreso, by the operations of the budgets, projects and programs of government are expected to be executed in full compliance with the Public Procurement Law in force and other standard procedures/practices and any other relevant laws. Whereas the Rivers State House of Assembly is statutorily empowered to not only make laws or pass the budgets/Appropriation Law, it is also legally empowered to carry out oversight function on the projects and programs of government, chief of which is to supervise and monitor the budget of each year to ensure full compliance accordingly. Thus the budget is a law and not a committee report or house resolution to be handled with mere discretion. It is also trite that every law validly passed by a State or National Assembly is a public document and so it can be sold at government designated outlets like the State government printing press, ministry of budget and economic planning or ministry of information, etc. This will avail members of the public the opportunity to easily have access to the budget/appropriation Law like any other Law and assess the government to know how transparent, accountable, prudent, and if they are actually having value for the amount of money that were budgeted for each year. Sadly, this is not the case in the Governor Wike’s regime in our present Rivers State and this speaks volumes. THE QUESTIONS NOW ARISE: 1.

Why is Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike of Rivers State continually hiding the budgets of Rivers State from 2015 to 2017 including a plan to do same to the yet to be proposed 2018 budget while the state House of Assembly watches with great delight and joy of benefit as in the case of proceeds of crime?

Can Governor Nyesom Wike in good conscience and in truth extricate himself and his administration of crime, flagrant abuse of fiscal powers and brazing corruption while he runs a government and expends the monies belonging to Rivers state without any accessible budgets that is supposed to give the governed the opportunity/basis to truly assess his actual performance?

Can His Excellency the Governor, Nyesom Wike still reserve the right to speak against corruption in any form while he keeps the budgets and Procurement Plan of Rivers State secret and continues to do so, awarding “Projects” and “contracts” at impulse without complying with the public procurement law of the state and without making available the budgets of Rivers State to the public for transparency and scrutiny? Are these types of practices under our Governor “Mr Project” the new way of what due process in governance is about? What is our governor afraid of and can he voluntarily submit himself and his administration to public scrutiny as

per the state budgets and procurement processes under his administration? At least we know him to be a self-styled-advocate against corruption having challenged the federal government in various fora as well as giving Rivers people and the unsuspecting public same impression. 5.

How can the Rivers State Government justify all the suspectedly procured top-ratings in governance by various self-styled transparency groups on fiscal matters when it runs a government with no accessible budgets or procurement plan?

What has happened to the Rivers state share of the Paris club refunds from the federal government running into tens of billions of Naira including several loans in like sums approved lavishly at all times for the governor by the Rivers State House of Assembly? What has become of the “projects” tied to these loans and is there evidence of the utilization of these loans in line with the said “Projects” as per the bi-ànnual procurement audit as required by section 3(o) of the state procurement law?

Can Governor Nyesom Wike show the people’s of Nigeria and Rivers State in particular where all his “projects” and various lavish activities of government are captured in the state budgets which budgets are available to him alone?

Can the Rivers State House of Assembly and the State Judiciary publish evidence of their budgets from 2015 to 2017 as well as proof of statutory allocations to the public as a way to show transparency giving that our organization holds that no such evidence exists.

Can Governor Nyesom Wike and the Bureau for Public Procurement including the Rivers State House of Assembly show and publish evidence of procurement records or proceedings on these said “projects” under the watch of “Mr Project” in full compliance with the Public Procurement Law of the state?

10. Is there a better definition of Corruption and a corrupt government if Governor Nyesom Wike fails to give verifiable and credible answers to these questions? Can Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State prove that he is not running a corrupt and criminal as well as a fraudulent government if he fails to credibly provide answers to the aforementioned questions? 11. Now that the 2018 budget is in view, will the state House of Assembly partner to hide it again from the public, wash its hands in brazing corruption again by aiding and abetting this heinous crime against the public funds of Rivers state as it is now known for? OUR PRAYERS a.

That the Rivers State House of Assembly should NOT pass into Law any 2018 proposed budget by Governor Nyesom Wike should he present same before the House as long as the Governor fails to explain why he is HIDING the state budgets and continues to make it a secret, thus incapacitating the citizenry from monitoring government in terms of how Rivers monies are handled by this administration.

If the Rivers State House of Assembly fails to take these quick actions as raised herein, it will be viewed that the current House of Assembly is criminally complicit with Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike who runs the state with inaccessible and secret budgets since 2015 and continues to do so damning its attendant consequences Signed

Livingstone Wechie Executive Director, The Integrity Group

T H I S D AY THURSDAY DECEMBER 28, 2017

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017 Ëž T H I S D AY

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INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

Weahâ€™s Supporters Claim Early Lead as Liberians Await Presidential Election Results Liberian election ofďŹ cials began tallying votes on Wednesday from Tuesdayâ€™s presidential election, as Liberians awaited results that should usher in the countryâ€™s ďŹ rst democratic transfer of power in over seven decades, Reuters reported. Election magistrates, in a soccer stadium outside the capital Monrovia, began compiling vote totals from the countryâ€™s 15 counties after Tuesdayâ€™s run-off between former soccer star George Weah and Vice President Joseph Boakai. Weahâ€™s camp said its own tallies based on results from individual polling stations showed him winning with about 70 percent of the vote. UnofďŹ cial partial results announced on local radio stations also showed Weah in the lead. This has fuelled the widespread speculations about his victory. The UK newspaper, Mirror said the former AC Milan, Manchester City and Chelsea striker the won comprehensively, clinching 12 of the West African countryâ€™s 15 counties. Weah himself took to Twitter to conďŹ rm his victory.â€œIt is with deep emotion that I want to thank you,

the Liberian people, for honoring me with your vote today. It is a great hope.Â #LiberiaÂ #Liberia2017.â€? The election commission, however, had urged Liberians to wait for official counts. A news conference which had been expected to announce early results on Wednesday morning was postponed until the afternoon, with final results due on Thursday. Turnout for Tuesdayâ€™s poll seemed low but people in Monrovia expressed relief that the vote had gone smoothly, after a first round in October that several candidates said was marred by fraud. The Supreme Court ultimately dismissed a legal challenge brought by the third-place ďŹ nisher and backed by Boakai but the proceedings delayed the second round by over a month. The election was free, fair and transparent,â€?said Kelly Johnson, a 29-year-old trader.â€œNo one was forced to do anything. We went there freely and we voted freely.â€? Weah and Boakai are vying to succeed outgoing President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, whose 12-year rule cemented peace in the West African country after civil war ended in 2003.

Many Liberians have criticized Johnson Sirleaf for not doing enough to root out endemic poverty and corruption and are eager for fresh leadership. Weah, who in 1995 became the ďŹ rst non-European to win European soccerâ€™s player of the year award, is widely considered the favourite, having taken 38.4 percent of the vote to Boakaiâ€™s 28.8 percent in the ďŹ rst round. â€œIt is clear. We are only waiting for the (election commission) to announce the results and declare him president,â€? Morluba Morlu, Weahâ€™s deputy campaign manager for operations, told Reuters. â€œWe are calling on... Boakai to concede defeat and congratulate George Weah,â€?he said. Officials from Boakaiâ€™s ruling Unity Party were not immediately available for comment but at the party headquarters, supporters were more circumspect. â€œWe are listening to the result that the radio is giving. At least we are satisfied with Lofa County results,â€? said Jerry Mulbah, referring to Boakaiâ€™s home county in northern Liberia, where unofficial results showed him in the lead.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

Buhari: I Never Hated Ndigbo Benjamin Nworie ÓØ ÌËÕËÖÓÕÓ President Muhammau Buhari has stated categorically that he never hated Ndigbo,

noting that accusations and insinuations against him and his administration are all lies calculated to create a bad feeling between

NUT Accuses El-Rufai of Violating Court Order John Shiklam ÓØ ËÎßØË The Kaduna State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) yesterday accused the state Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, of alleged violation of court injunction retraining him from sacking teachers. The NUT had filed a suit at the Industrial Court against the competency test by the state government and the subsequent decision by the government to sack 21,780 teachers who allegedly failed the test. The union also accused the governor for intimidating local government secretaries to collect the sack letters of the affected teachers for onward distribution. Addressing a news conference, the state Chairman of the NUT, Audu Amba, accused the governor of attempting to frustrate the suit . Amba said in spite of the court injunction stopping the sacking of the teachers pending the determination of the substantive suit, the governor had directed education secretaries in the 23 local government areas to come over to the State Universal Education Board (SUBEB) to collect backed-dated sack letters of disengagement for onward distribution to the affected teachers. El-Rufai had in an interview with the state-owned radio station last Tuesday in Kaduna disclosed that the teachers had been sacked a long time ago, adding that he personally signed the sack letters and the process of recruiting new teachers had since commenced. Amba said the NUT was

shocked by the governor’s comments on the issue which, according to him, is before the court. The NUT chairman said: “Our attention has also been drawn to the fact that the state government, despite the service of the order interlocutory injunction, is now making frantic and desperate efforts to frustrate the outcome of the suit in court by directing the education secretaries in all local government areas to come over to SUBEB and collect backed-dated letters of disengagement from service for onward distribution to the teachers in their respective local governments. “We are appalled by the pronouncement of the governor. Our belief is that the accepted norm in all civilised societies is for the state government to appeal against the decision of the National Industrial Court instead of resorting to an unfounded criticism of same. “We believe that the rule of law is the bedrock of democracy and any government or institution that refuses to bow to the dictates of the rule of law automatically loses its legitimacy to superintend the affairs of its citizenry. “We therefore implore and appeal to the conscience of the state governor and all its institutions to subordinate themselves to the judicial powers of our law courts as enshrined under section 6a of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which is our organic law from which government at all levels exist and draw their legitimacy.”

AUDIT REPORT: HOW NIGERIAN JUDGES, COURT OFFICIALS DEFRAUDED GOVT OF N4.8BN Financial circular, only 5 per cent withholding tax meant for individuals was deducted. Even the 5 per cent WHT was not fully deducted. Instead of N33,336,909.00 only N21,273,247.00 was deducted leaving a shortfall of N12,063,662.00 On the whole, the sum of N23,400,572.00 was under-deducted, thereby causing a loss of revenue to the government in violation of Regulation 234.” The auditors did not reveal why the court officials decided to cheat the government of desired taxes. The reports show how contracts worth millions of naira were awarded in the judicial sector without Value Added Tax (VAT) and Withholding Taxes deducted as statutorily required. About N47 million (N47,473,270) due taxes in this respect was not paid within the period under review.

Senior officials of the federal courts are in the habit of not retiring advances paid to them, the audit reports showed. Judicial officers did not retire N265 million (N265,127,309) granted as personal advances to carry out repairs or render services. Some officials got as many as 21 advances despite failing to retire previous advances contrary to the provision of Financial Regulation 1405 which stipulates that “Accounting officers are responsible for ensuring the prompt repayment of all advances by instalment or otherwise.” Also, Financial Regulation 1420 stipulates that “It is the responsibility of all accounting officers to ensure that all advances granted to officers are fully recovered.” Rather than the exception, the failure to retire advances was so widespread that it has become the norm in the judiciary, the reports claimed.

him and the Igbo people. He stressed that he still loves the people of the South-east and would remain the friend of Ndigbo to the end. Speaking at Ikwo in Ebonyi State during the empowerment programme of Chiboy Foundation and National Coordinator of Initiatives For Demonstrating Change in Nigeria, Chinedu Ogah, Buhari said he would not sleep until Nigeria was brought back to shape. The president commended Ogah’s foundation for his foresight in empowering bringing succour to widows and less privileged ones in the society, and further urged other spirited individuals to emulate the gestures of the foundation. Represented by Executive Director of Administration and Training, Nigeria Television

Authority (NTA), Dr. Steve Egbo, the president explained that he is a detribalised Nigerian who loves all sections of the country. He said the country under his watch has started working but must be properly shaped to right the wrongs that has been in existence in the past years. Buhari noted that all the accusations, insinuations and blackmail against him that he is a religious fundamentalist and hater of the South-east were all lies calculated to sow seed of discord in the country. He said: “President Buhari asked me to tell you that Nigeria is working, Nigeria has started working. He asked me to tell you that he will not relent, he will not sleep until Nigeria is brought back to shape. He told us (the Southeast leaders) a lot of things that have gone wrong in this

country in the last few years. “Some of the things he said we never heard before, some of them we never read in the media As a Commanderin-Chief, he knows a lot of things we do not know. He asked me to tell you that he loves the South-east and that he is a friend of the region. He asked me to tell you that all these accusations and insinuations against him and his administration are all lies calculated to create a bad feeling between him and the Igbo people. He asked me to assure you that from the beginning, he has been a friend of the South-east and he will remain a friend of the South-east to the end.” He noted that in 2003, he picked an Igbo man, late Chuba Okadigbo, as his running mate and the South-east refused to vote for him.

President Buhari further explained that in 2007, he picked another Igbo man in the person of Chief Edwin Umezuoke and the people of the South-east still refused to vote for him and that he came back in 2011 to pick another Igbo man as his running mate and was told by the Southeast that former President Goodluck Jonathan was their presidential candidate. Buhari commended the Initiative for Demonstrating Change in Nigeria for empowering over 10,000 women and youths of Ebonyi State. Earlier, National President of the NGO, Ogah, said empowerment was to complement the effort of President Buhari in reducing poverty in the country. He called for total support of the president.

AKWA IBOM’S THREE WISE MEN

L-R: Incumbent Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel; former Governors, Chief Victor Attah; and Senator Godswill Akpabio in Uyo .... recently

Bad Weather Causes Flight Delays, Cancellations at Abuja Airport Some domestic and international airlines yesterday delayed or cancelled their flights at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, due to adverse weather conditions. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the affected flights involved are Air Peace, Dana Air, Arik Air, Azman and Air France. The affected cities are Port Harcourt, Owerri, and Enugu where both out-bound and in-bound passengers are currently stranded nationwide. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had on Tuesday predicted that dust haze weather conditions in horizontal visibility range of one to three kilometres would prevail over most parts of the county yesterday. NiMet also predicted a reduced localised visibility

of less than 1,000 metres over many cities throughout the forecast period. At the airport yesterday, there were series of flight announcements on either cancellation or delay of different flights. At about 10a.m, it was announced that Dana flight to Port Harcourt had been cancelled due to prevailing bad weather conditions across the country. It was also announced that Air Peace flight number 4325 to Owerri was being delayed for two hours, while Overland Air flight to Ilorin was cancelled. Azman Air flight number 2322 to Sokoto was also deferred for two hours while Arik Air flights to Ilorin and Ibadan were cancelled due to adverse weather conditions. In the case of Air France, the Northern Regional Manager, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN),

Mahmud Sani, said the aircraft that landed in Abuja last Tuesday could not proceed to Port Harcourt. Sani said the airline was supposed to proceed to Port Harcourt to discharge the passengers before boarding its France bound passengers to Abuja. He explained that the weather had forced the airline to lodge its Port Harcourt passenger in hotels while those in Port Harcourt were currently stranded. According to him, the weather situation is affecting many flights, especially to Port Harcourt, Enugu, Owerri and some cities in the North. “It is a natural occurrence that no one can control but we are hoping that it will get better soon. “People are travelling but the weather is seriously affecting operation,” he said. Sani said operations at the

airport had been generally peaceful throughout the yuletide, adding that both staff and passengers had been comporting themselves. He said the authority had also trained its personnel to be courteous and firm in their activities. “I can tell you that we have not recorded any incident since the beginning of yuletide season till now,” he said. An Ibadan-bound passenger on Arik Air, Oladele Banjo, said it was regrettable that his flight was cancelled because of bad weather, lamenting that he would miss his engagement in Ibadan. Banjo said he could have travelled by road if he had known that the weather would prevent his flight yesterday. According to him, it is nature and there is nothing he can do about it.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

Address Trade, Economic Issues Now, FG Tells WTO Says food security critical to member-states

Ndubuisi Francis ÓØ ÌßÔË

current estimates for global growth are positive, the benefits of recovery The federal government has are yet to be more widely felt, challenged the World Trade adding that this has increased Organisation (WTO) to urgently the drive for protectionism, address all economic and trade- put international cooperation related issues of commercial under pressure and is testing significance for its members-states, multilateralism. if it is not to lose relevance, and “There are multitude of allow other organisations to take challenges, from rapid population over its functions. growth in the Africa region and The government suggested associated migratory pressures, that one approach was to commit to increased demands for faster to continuing engagement to job creation; from discontent create win-win outcomes while with globalisation to demands implementing individual member’s for reduction of inequalities and economic and structural reforms. for development models that are The Minister of Industry more sustainable and inclusive. Trade and Investment, Dr. “The WTO, like other multilateral Okechukwu Enelamah, who institutions, must be responsive to handed down Nigeria’s position these pressures and demands in the at the just-concluded WTO’s 11th context of a rules-based system,” Ministerial Conference in Buenos he said, noting that the report from Aires, Argentina, noted that “ the preparatory process in Geneva to Nigeria considers that for the the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference relevance and credibility of the was one that generated cause for WTO, the organisation should deal concern. simultaneously with longstanding “Deadlock and paralysis have been issues on the negotiating agenda reported. Nigeria has chosen not to of the WTO, together with issues despair and would rather work with of commercial significance, that others to turn this apparent crisis for modernise, foster inclusive growth, the WTO into opportunity. As the create jobs and widen the circle of saying goes, a crisis is too good an prosperity.” opportunity to waste! Continuing, he said: “The situation “One approach that suits the is not one of either this or that. If the current state of play is to commit to WTO does not deal with all economic continuing engagement to create winand trade-related issues of commercial win outcomes while implementing significance for its members, or if individual member’s economic and it is prevented from doing so, the structural reforms. organisation shall lose relevance.” “In part, to stabilise the system, The minister noted that the fallout compromise solutions are necessary would be other organisations taking for the items on agriculture, cotton, over its functions. and non-agricultural market access. A He listed some of the solution is within reach on the contemporary issues with commercial elimination of fisheries subsidies for significance as investment facilitation illegal, unreported and unregulated for development; e-commerce and fishing,” he noted. the digital economy; micro-small According to him, thiis would be and medium enterprises, women’s in keeping with the implementation economic empowerment and of Agenda Item 14 of the UN associated policies to mainstream Sustainable Development Goals the informal into the formal economy. (SDGS), stressing that a permanent “These issues are indeed consistent solution must be found for the with the robust domestic reforms we issues of Public Stock Holding are pursuing in Nigeria to grow the (PSH) for food security purposes. economy under the leadership of “Food security is critical to all WTO Muhammadu Buhari,” the minister members. There are divergent stated. positions on the legal status of In his address titled: ‘Modernisation, the Doha Development Agenda Job Creation, Enhancing Welfare and (DDA). Regardless of the positions, Widening the Prosperity Circle,’ what is at issue is that the rulesEnelamah admitted that these were based Multilateral Trading System truly challenging and defining times requires a serious and sustained for the multilateral trading system. development dimension. He noted that although the “The ultimate objective of any

Buhari Greets Kolade at 85 Omololu Ogunmade ÓØ ÌßÔË President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his warm felicitation to veteran broadcaster, administrator and Nigeria’s former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Christopher Kolade, on today’s occasion of his 85th birthday. Buhari, according to a statement by his media adviser, Mr. Femi Adesina, said he joined all Kolade’s professional colleagues, friends and family to celebrate “the graceful life of the versatile scholar and board room guru, whose achievements in various undertakings, both in the private and public sector, clearly underscore the power of discipline, focus and integrity.” He added: “As he turns

85 years, the president commends Kolade’s many years of contributions to national development as an academic, administrator and a diplomat, especially in continually counselling leaders and mentoring the younger generation. “President Buhari believes the eminent octogenarian has earned the respect and honour of both the young and old by walking in the fear of God, and leading a life of integrity, which are invaluable attributes that he recommends to all Nigerians, especially aspiring leaders. “The president prays that God will grant Kolade wisdom, longer life and good health to continually serve the country and humanity.”

area of public policy, including trade policy, is welfare, prosperity and development,” he argued. The minister recalled that Nigeria organised a high-level policy and private sector forum on trade and investment facilitation for development, in Abuja, in November, to support the consensus-building efforts of the WTO on Investment Facilitation (IF). A major outcome and contribution, he stated, was the “Abuja Statement: Deepening Africa’s Integration in the Global Economy through Trade and Investment Facilitation for Development”, which, he said, was adopted unanimously. “The major position in the Statement was the reaffirmation that trade and investment are inseparable; they are the ‘twin

engines’ for economic growth, modernization, and development. The “Abuja Statement” acknowledged that only by scaling up investments in ‘connectivity’ infrastructure – ports, transport corridors, telecommunications networks – could African countries participate in, and benefit from, today’s integrated and digital global economy,” he added. He alluded to some key highlights of Nigeria’s economic reforms, noting that the country believes that it must accept responsibility for its domestic policy reforms. “Therefore, we are committed to making wide-ranging domestic policy reforms. Further, it is our considered view that as members adopt this approach, this would in fact contribute to resolving a

number of the areas where the multilateral trade negotiating agenda is deadlocked,” Enelamah stressed. He told the WTO ministerial conference that earlier this year, Nigeria launched an allencompassing Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) to implement and sustain domestic reforms. “It is in this context that one of the main priorities of H.E. President Muhammadu Buhari’s government is on creating a sound attractive Enabling Environment that makes Doing Business easier in Nigeria. Although there is more work to be done, in the most recent publication of the World Bank 2017 Report on the Ease of Doing Business, Nigeria improved its ranking by 24 places. “Nigeria was identified as one of the Top

10 Reforming Economies in the world. This is evidence that sound policies, well implemented, produce positive results. Regional Trading Arrangements are building blocks for trade integration and can complement the multilateral trading system. Regionally, with other Members of the African Union (AU), Nigeria accords top priority to the negotiations underway to establish the African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA). As Chairperson of the CFTA process, Nigeria is working hard with other AU Members to launch the CFTA in 2018,” he stated. According to him, this was a paramount priority for the African Union and Nigeria appealing to all WTO members to support the efforts of the AU in this regard.

PROJECT INSPECTION

L-R: Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Finance & Audit Control, Mr. Adeniyi Popoola; Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Mr. Adebowale Akinsanya; Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde; Chairman, Lekki Local Council Development Area, Mr. Mukandasi Ogidan, during the governor’s inspection of ongoing projects in Epe....yesterday

LASG: N1.046tn Budget Signals Robust Economic Outlook in 2018 Gboyega Akinsanmi Amid diverse uncertainties that still becloud the national economy, the Lagos State Government has promised that its 2018 budget valued N1.046 trillion will lead to socio-economic activities that will generate jobs and create wealth for its residents in the fiscal year. This is contained in the text of the 2018 appropriation bill analysis, which was authored by the state Commissioner for Economic Planning & Budget, Mr. Akinyemi Ashade, detailing what the state would spend in the fiscal year project by project and programme by programme. Under the 2018 fiscal year, the state government proposed to spend N699.082 million on strategic capital projects, which the budget analysis shows, accounted for 67 percent of the total appropriation plan. Citing the 2017 budget that had already recorded over 80 percent performance, the state government proposed to generate a total revenue

estimate of N897.423 billion with a comprehensive plan to generate the balance of N148.699 billion through a N85 billion Bond Issuance Programme and the balance from the combination of internal and external loans. Quite ambitiously, the state put its total internally generated Revenue (TIGR) at N720.123 billion, representing 80 per cent of the total revenue, proposing that the balance of N177.300 billion, representing 20 percent, would come from federal transfers including its share of 13 percent derivation account from its current status as oil producing state. At the budget presentation, however, the state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, had allayed fear that the state’s debt stock of N N874.38 billion might slow down its economic growth and project execution. Ambode, then, noted that the debt stock “only represents about 3 percent of the state GDP, while the debt service charge to revenue ratio stood at 17.61 percent compared to 13.32 percent in 2016 and 12.45

per cent in 2015.” In the text of the budget analysis, therefore, Ashade said the state government would spend N135.815 billion on developing strategic road infrastructure and inner-city road projects tagged special road intervention in all local government areas (LGAs) and local council development areas (LCDAs). As indicated in the budget analysis, he listed the road projects to include Pen Cinema flyover in Agege; Opebi-Mende Link Bridge; Oshodi-Murtala Mohammed International Airport road; Lekki-Epe expressway from Eleko junction and Agric-Isawo-Owutu-Arepo road in Ikorodu among others. Also, Ashade noted that the state government “will continue the expansion of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors to other areas, signages and road signalisations; lane-marking and community traffic initiatives; reclamation of Lekki Foreshore; advancement of ‘Light-up’ Lagos project to inner-city roads through provision, rehabilitation

and maintenance of streetlight facilities including solar power.” He indicated the plan of the state government to utilise the public-private partnership (PPP) to develop 3,000 megawatts embedded power programme; Ikorodu-Agbowa-Itoikin-Ijebu Ode road project as well as the Okokomaiko-Seme section of Lagos-Badagry expressway. Like road infrastructure, the commissioner disclosed that a sum N101.358 billion was earmarked for light rail (blue line) project, 10-lane LagosBadagry road, construction of jetties and terminals at Marina in Epe and Badagry with shoreline protection as well as procurement of ferries to improve water transportation and encourage tourism. Likewise, he said the state government “will continue the expansion of BRT lanes in Lagos. We are committed to the completion of Oshodi-Abule Egba BRT corridor. We shall continue to implement the fundamental reforms on all our modes of transportation – roads, water, rail, and the walkways.”

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017Ëž T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

Osun Govt, Labour Leaders Hold Talks as Workers Embark on Strike

Yinka Kolawole Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ă‘ĂŒĂ™

Top officials of the Osun State government and leaders of Organised Labour yesterday met for several hours, as all categories of workers in the state began industrial action in protest of modulated salaries. Stage was set for the present industrial action in September when the Nigerian labour Congress (NLC) leaders wrote to government, demanding payment of full salary to all categories of workers in the state, beginning from November. Responding to the request however, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, pleaded with the workers to endure the modulated salary structure till March next year, saying his administration was still struggling to come of a tight financial situation. But the NLC Chairman in the state, Mr. Jacob Adekomi, as well as the Trade Union Congress (TUC) leader, â€˜Bowale Adekola, last week Friday, directed workers to down tools, starting from December 27, to force government to stop modulated salaries payment to them, among other demands. Monitoring compliance to the directive to shun work, NLC chairman and other

labour leaders, as early as 6:am stormed the entrance of the Abere State Secretariat and prevented workers that flouted the directive from resuming for duties. When approached for comments, Adekomi said apart from the issue of modulated salaries, there were other demands by them that the government has seemingly decided not accede to. â€œWorkers on Levels 1-7 had not being promoted since 2012. Those promoted temporarily had not been confirmed and the Civil Service rules says after two years of appointment, you have to be confirmed. â€œConversion of appointment, promotion and advancement had not been done for our members in years, and these among others constitute our demands,â€? Adekomi explained. Meanwhile, leaders of Organised Labour and officials of the state government met for several hours to resolve some of the issues that led to the industrial action on Wednesday. The meeting held at Oke Fia, Osun Government House had in attendance, Secretary to Osun state government, Alhaji Adeoti, Chief of Staff to the governor,

Oddiri Â Slams N500m Libel Suit against Etiaba, Others Tobi Soniyi Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă? A Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Moses Oddiri, has asked a Lagos High Court to compelÂ a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Emeka Etiaba, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, Pastor Ben Akabueze, Â Redeemers International Secondary School and its Principal, Feyisara Osinupebi and Samuel Johnson a counsel in the chambers of Emeka Etiaba to pay him N500million as damages for alleged defamation. Oddiri had dragged the defendants before a Lagos High Court in a different suit with Â number: ID/5504MFHR/2017, where Etiaba and Samuel Johnson appeared as solicitors for the Â defendants. While handling the case as lawyers to Redeemers International School and other defendants, Â Etiaba allegedly made a statement which Oddiri considered defamatory. He (Oddiri) consequently filed a case against the lawyer and his clients. In the claims, he contended that relying on a disputed and uncertified letter from the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Etiaba on behalf of his clients told the trial judge, Justice Oke Lawal, Â that he (Oddiri) was no longer a legal practitioner having been disbarred by a directive of the Legal Practitionersâ€™ Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) dated April 21, 2008 to the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court to have his names struck off the roll of legal practitioners and Â the Chief Registrar purportedly carried it out on November 18, 2008. However, Oddiri claims that his names were never forwarded to the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court to strike off the roll of legal practitioners, in the directives of

April 21, 2008 by the LPDC Â or any other disciplinary committee. Â He stated further that the names contained in the directives ofÂ April 21, 2008, Â went on appeal to the Appeals Committee of the Body of Benchers and that Section 11:8 of the Legal Practitioner Act, prohibited the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court from carrying out the directives of the LPDC once an appeal was pending and even if carried out would be of no effect.Â He stated further that those whose names were contained in the illegal directive of the LPDC, challenged the legality of the directives at the Court of Appeal in Lagos. According to him, Â in a unanimous judgment on June 5, 2015, the Court of Appeal quashed and nullified the directives of the LPDC ofÂ April 21, 2008, which the said Etiaba admitted he was aware of Â before making the said defamatory remarks about Oddiriâ€™s standing as a legal practitioner in open court. Oddiri is asking the court for a declaration that the malicious, irresponsible and defamatory remarks in open court by the 1st defendant regarding the claimant standing as a legal practitioner, is highly defamatory, unsustainable in law and from the facts. He asked for general and punitive damages against the defendants for the sum of N500million Â for the said defamatory remarks and libelous publication, aimed at damaging the reputation and standing of the Oddiri as a legal practitioner.Â No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola and Head of Service, Dr. Oyebade Olowogboyega. Also in attendance were the

stateâ€™s Accountant General and Commissioner for finance. As at the time of filing this report around 4:15pm, the meeting was

still in progress. Sources at the meeting that spoke to our correspondent said the parties were yet to

resolve most of the issues that caused the industrial dispute, but expressed optimism that â€œthe strike may not last long.â€?

COMPACT FAMILY

L-R: Bimbo Ashiru Jnr; Rolake; Mr. Bimbo Ashiru; and his wife, Kemi during the celebration of Bimboâ€™s birthday and the 26th wedding anniversary of the couple at their Magodo ressidence in Lagos....Tuesday.

BLAME GAME CONTINUES AS FUEL SCARCITY PERSISTS IN ABUJA deliveries, rising price of petrol in the international market and the high interest rates charged by banks in Nigeria. However, the corporation said in its reply to DAPPMA, that while it made efforts to meet their products demands, they still owed it N26.7 billion as at December 21, 2017. NNPC explained that based on this, DAPPMAâ€™s claims were unjustifiable and unfounded. The corporation said: â€œNNPC wishes to affirm that it has supplied appreciable volume to DAPPMA, Major Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to rid the challenges currently being experienced in the supply and distribution of petroleum products in the country. â€œNNPC regrets that DAPPMA which members had taken receipts of products from Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of NNPC and owe the company to the tune of N26.7 billion as at December 21, 2017, has the audacity to indict NNPC unjustifiably.â€? It added that: â€œThe statement by DAPPMA that the current hiccups in the supply of products was due to the inability of the Direct Sale Direct Purchase (DSDP) partners of NNPC to deliver on their business obligations is unfounded and self-indicting as many of DAPPMA members patronised the same DSDP international counterparts as the corporation.â€? It explained that: â€œDespite

the concession by the government giving access to DAPPMA to obtain Forex at an official rate of N305 per dollar for PMS import, their members have not been able to do so, leaving NNPC as the sole supplier of PMS to the Nigerian market.â€? The corporation also said it has programmed to supply 1.2 billion litres of petrol in January 2018 to contain the scarcity, adding that this would translate to about 40 million litres of PMS supply per day. â€œOrdinarily, Nigeria consumes about 700 trucks (about 27 million â€“ 30million) litres per day. Despite the current challenges, Nigerians are reassured that there is no plan to increase PMS pump price above N145/litre and that NNPC will continue to maintain exâ€“depot price of N133.28/litre which guarantees the pump price not exceeding the N145 per litre capped by the government,â€? it added, while calling on stakeholders to support its efforts at clearing out the scarcity quickly. Meanwhile, the PDP has accused the federal government of providing cover for huge sleazes directly involving the All Progressives Congress interests in the oil sector. The party demanded that the APC-led federal Government should tell Nigerians what it knew about reports of fraud in the oil regime whereupon 18 unregistered companies were said to have been used to lift and divert $1.1 trillion worth of crude oil in the last one year.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said it was completely reprehensible that the APC and the federal government had continued to stick to lies, particularly on the real reasons behind the biting fuel scarcity as well as the National Economic Council approval for the withdrawal of $1bn from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) to fund the fight against Boko Haram. It said the ruling party and its administration owed Nigerians a duty to explain what it knew about the allegation that 18 unregistered companies were used to lift and divert $1.1 trillion worth of crude oil in the last one year. â€œThis APC Government is not only grossly incompetent and corrupt, but also a champion in the use of lies and manipulations against innocent and unsuspecting citizens,â€? it said. On the ongoing fuel scarcity in the country, the PDP lambasted the federal government for its inability to revamp the nationâ€™s refineries and to stop further fuel import as it promised during the 2015 general elections campaign. It said: â€œWe all know that it was convenient for the APC presidency to promise Nigerians that it will no longer import fuel only because the PDP government had already laid the foundation, including revamping the refineries and ensuring a domestic production of 5 million litres out of the 25 million litres daily domestic consumption. â€œSadly this incompetent APC government, in its almost

three years, has not added one litre to the 5 million litres, which the PDP administration was producing. â€œInstead of improvements, the APC has wrecked the system and now pushing the nation to depend solely on importation, while engaging in heavy sleazes in hidden subsidy regimes. â€œIs it not also ridiculous for the Federal Government, in its bid to cover for its ineptitude and oil subsidy corruption, to announce that it is the NNPC and not Nigeria that is paying for the so called fuel subsidy? â€œThe question is; who owns the NNPC? Is it not Nigeria? Can NNPC spend a kobo without the authorization of the Presidency? Has President Muhammadu Buhari ceased to be the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Minister of Petroleum Resources? â€œMoreover, if the NNPC, which is under his purview, has been paying fuel subsidy, who authorized the payment and who are the beneficiaries? Nigerians need to know the truth on this subsidy regime. â€œWe therefore challenge the APC- Federal Government to come clean on these issues and stop telling lies to Nigerians who have suffered enough under its deceptive, inept, uncoordinated and wicked regime.â€? The opposition party however â€œurged Nigerians not to be forlorn adding that it has repositioned to stand with the people in the inevitable mission to rescue and restore the nation to the path of prosperity once more come 2019â€?.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

Man in Possession of Eight Minors Arrested in Benin

Adibe Emenyonu ÓØ ÏØÓØ ÓÞã

The questionable circumstances surrounding the possession of eight minors including an eightmonth-old baby by middle aged

man is now being investigated by the police in Benin City, the Edo State capital. The incident was said to have occurred at noon yesterday long the New Lagos road end of the

JTF Kills Three Suspected Criminals in Rivers Joint Military Taskforce (JTF) deployed in Rumuji Community, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State yesterday gunned down three suspected criminals. It was gathered that the suspects had entered a military base at Rumuji and had allegedly attempted to steal military uniforms before they were caught. This happened just a day after criminals in military camouflage invaded two communities in Emohua area, attacked residents and stole many valuables. A Senior Police Officer in Rumuji Police Station, who confirmed the incident to our reporter in condition of anonymity narrated that the JTF operatives had gone out for patrol around the community square where traditional masquerade was

on before the suspects entered. The source stated that some of the personnel that watching over the camp noticed strange moves and opened fire when the saw the hoodlums already trying to escape with some valuables including army uniforms. It was further gathered that the development ignited tension as the military men laid siege to Rumuji-Ibaa Junction in search of alleged accompliance of the criminals. It was gathered that when the JTF operatives arrived the junction where motorcyclists operate that some persons had fled abandoning their bikes (Okada). A source, who confided in our correspondent, mentioned that the military men destroyed some property and set some motorcycles ablaze.

New Benin Market. Findings by THISDAY has it that the man whose identity was not disclosed for security reasons as at the time of this report yesterday, was said to be ferrying the little children in his car to an unknown destination when some traders intercepted him and raised the alarm in the process. He was reported to have stopped, perhaps to put a call to his contact believed to be resident in Benin City when some traders sighted the children

made up of little boys and girls and had asked one of the girls if the man was their father and she answered in the negative. The curiosity of the concerned traders was said to have heightened when one the girls declared that she does not know where the man was taking them to. The agitated traders were said to have quickly alerted the policemen who rushed to the scene and arrested the man. Hundreds of traders, bystanders, traders and residents

of the area gathered to witness the ugly drama as the police whisked the man away in their van. It was not immediately known where the man was coming from before he was apprehended by the police. The Edo State government, the Benin monarch and the police have recently expressed deep concern over growing cases of kidnappings, illegal migration of citizens of the state and other social vices and are not resting on their oars towards

clamping down on such ugly development, especially among youths, in addition to the fight against armed robbery, rape and cultism in parts of the state. When contacted, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Johnson Kokumo, referred all inquiries concerning the incident to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Chidi Chibozor, who could not also confirm the incident from the New Benin Divisional Police Station in the state.

Monarch, Five Others Arraigned, Remanded for Alleged Murder Victor Ogunje ÓØ ÎÙ ÕÓÞÓ The Olukere of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Ganiyu Obasoyin and five others were yesterday remanded by an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court for alleged murder. They were arraigned in connection with violence which erupted shortly after Obasoyin inaugurated his hotel located in Gbemisola area of the town last Friday. Suspected thugs vandalised the hotel over a statement

made by Obasoyin which they believed was against the interest of a governorship aspirant who hails from the town. Obasoyin’s loyalists allegedly launched a reprisal attack on those identified as the perpetrators last Monday which claimed the life of one Kolade Adefemi. Others charged with the Olukere in the order to remand filed by the Commissioner of Police were Ajewole Sunday, Adetowoju Bode, Kayode

Michael, Olowolafe Tola and Aluko Taiwo. According to the remand order form marked MAD/181fk/17, the accused persons were charged with conspiracy, attempted murder of Ayodele Osanyinbola and murder of Kolade Adefemi. The offences are punishable under Section (1) and 319 (1) of Criminal Code Cap C16, Laws of Ekiti State 2012 within AdoEkiti magisterial district on or about the 25th December, 2017. Defence counsel, Mr.

Ademola Adeyemi, urged the court to grant bail to the accused persons. Police prosecutor, Johnson Okunade, opposed the bail application and pleaded with the court to grant the remand order request. Chief Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye refused the bail application and ordered the accused persons to be remanded in prison pending the issuance of legal advice on the case. Adegboye adjourned the case till January 8, 2018.

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017

THURSDAYSPORTS Injury May Force Onyekuru to Miss Russia 2018

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

Nigeria’s Henry Onyekuru is in danger of missing out on next year’s World Cup after being ruled out for the rest of the season with a serious knee injury. The striker, who is on loan at Belgian side Anderlecht from English club Everton, suffered the injury against former club Eupen on December 22. Recent scans show the injury to be more serious than initially suspected. “He could be out for as long as six months,” Anderlecht coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck told reporters yesterday. It is a cruel blow for the 20-year-old, who had played in 19 league games and appeared in four Champions League matches for the Brussels outfit. He was given a run out in Nigeria’s last World Cup qualifier in Algeria in

November when he came on in the second half of the 1-1 draw and was hoping to make Gernot Rohr’s final 23-man squad for Russia in June. Meanwhile, Super Eagles Media Officer, Toyin Ibitoye, has confirmed that Rohr, is gutted by the news of Onyekuru’s injury. “Rohr was not happy, but we are hoping that he returns before the World Cup. He is a young player and the tendency for him to recover quick is there, so we are praying and hoping he returns in time,” Ibitoye told reporters yesterday on telephone. According to Ibitoye, both the coach and some top NFF officials have contacted Onyekuru to wish him well. “Already, we have called to wish him well,” concludes the team’s spokesman.

Former President, Nigerian Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), Mr. Enitan Oshodi; Son of Chairman, MultiChoice Nigeria, Mr. Edo Community Begins L-R: Fuad Ogunsanya; Winner of the Mojisola Ogunsanya Memorial Trophy for the Best Boxer of the night, Rilwan Oladosu, Miss Yemi and Chairman Lagos State Sports Commission, Dr. Kweku Tandoh, at the GOtv Boxing Night 13 in Lagos… Tuesday night Marathon Race to Groom Talents CAF Congratulates Liberia’s ‘President-elect’ Weah after this marathon, we should Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City To groom local talents, the Sabongida-Ora community in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State, will on January 2, 2018, play host to the maiden edition of the 7km Owan Marathon. The marathon which is specifically organised to fish out home groom talents from the council area and the sate in general, has seen no fewer than 500 athletes registered for the event. Organiser and sponsor of the race, Christopher Ojo, who spoke with sports writers yesterday in Benin City said beside using the race to get the youths off the street, it will also opens up local economy of the area. He stressed that the Owan Marathon is meant to scout local talents According to him, “Our people are sport inclined but never supported to bring the talents to global level. In essence,

identify those to promote to global stage. “Our plan is to sponsor the talents to be discovered to participate in global marathon events. This is basically a novelty competition that will scout for raw talents.” Speaking further, Ojo who is a United States of America-based software engineer, said sports and technology is the easiest way to empower the youths. “It is for this reason that we want competitors not to look for prize money as the driving force behind their participation, but see the ultimate goal of promoting people that will be successful in marathon races time to come. He said to ensure the success of the race, relevant bodies, including the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has been contacted. He also said that subsequent edition of the race would have corporate organisations, within and outside the state, as active participants.

Liverpool to Sign Southampton Defender for World Record £75m Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk will join Liverpool when the transfer window re-opens on January 1, 2018 in a world record £75m deal. The Netherlands international had been expected to join the Reds last summer after he handed in a transfer request. But a move fell through when Liverpool apologised for making an alleged illegal approach for the 26-year-old. The fee is the most ever paid for a defender - Manchester City paid £52m to Monaco for Benjamin Mendy in July.

Van Dijk said in a statement he was “delighted and honoured” to sign for the Merseyside club and accepted he had had a “difficult last few months” at St Mary’s. He was left out of Southampton’s squad for their 5-2 Premier League defeat by Tottenham on Tuesday, prompting speculation he was set to leave the club. “Southampton have agreed a fee that will set a new world record for a defender,” the south coast club confirmed on Wednesday.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has sent a congratulatory message to George Weah for emerging president of Liberia. Following a series of messages on Twitter on Wednesday congratulating Weah on his victory, CAF wrote on its verified handle: “Congratulations George Weah! Former Ballon D’or winner & Current President of Liberia.”

Weah’s first shot at the presidency was in 2005 where he lost to Sirleaf in the run-off. He captained the Liberian side that lost the 2002 World Cup ticket to the Super Eagles of Nigeria. Also, he was part of the Liberian side that lost 1-0 to the Super Eagles in the group stage of the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations in Mali. Weah who was the senator

of Montserrado County was once named FIFA World Player and winner of the much-coveted Ballon d’Or. He was unofficially reported to have defeated his 73-year-old opponent Vice President Joseph Boakai in a landslide victory in Liberia on Wednesday morning. “I am deeply grateful to my family, my friends, and my loyal supporters who contributed to our campaign

during this extremely long election season,” Weah announced on Twitter before the results were announced. Weah is set to replace Africa’s first female head of state, economist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and see the West African nation, founded by freed American slaves, hand over power from one democratically elected government to another.

Oladosu Emerges Best at GOtv Boxing Night 13, Pockets N2.5m Rilwan “Real One” Oladosu, the rising lightweight boxing star, yesterday, won the N2.5 million cash prize attached to the Mojisola Ogunsanya Memorial Trophy for the best boxer at GOtv Boxing Night 13. Oladosu defeated Kehinde “Ijoba” Badmus at the event, which took place at Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island. His speed of mind and fists

ultimately overwhelmed Badmus, who put up a spirited showing. Rilwan “Baby Face” Babatunde, who won the national light welterweight title by defeating Chijioke “Painless” Ngige, emerged runner-up to Oladosu and went home with N1million. Debutant, Rilwan “Scorpion” Oyekola, was second runner-up and won N500, 000. He knocked

out Jimoh “ Hogan Jimoh Jr” Lukman in the first round of the lightweight challenge bout Two African Boxing Union (ABU) title bouts held at the event, with Nigeria’s Oto “Joe Boy” Joseph and Olaide “Fijaborn” Fijabi winning both by knockout. Joseph knocked out Abdulrahim Ahmed of Egypt to win the ABU lightweight title, while Fijabi knocked

out Shadrack Ignas Kobero of Tanzania to claim the light welterweight title. Nigeria’s Abolaji “ Afonja Warrior” Rasheed successfully defended his West African Boxing Union title against Arye Ayitteh of Ghana, winning by unanimous decision. In the middleweight category, Matthew “Wizeman” Obinna knocked out David “Cosmas” Awosika.

Pepsi Academy to Build on Defeat of Arsenal at COPA Lagos Still basking in the euphoria of the historic defeat of Arsenal Beach Soccer team at the COPA Lagos Beach Soccer tournament early December, the management of Pepsi Football Academy has pledged to build on this win to establish a strong beach soccer culture in the academy. Recall that the Pepsi lads defeated Arsenal Beach Soccer team, the current European champions, 3-2 in one of the matches of the tournament, the only team to defeat Arsenal in the competition.

At a gala night for the players and officials of Pepsi Academy in Lagos at the weekend, Director of the Academy Chief Kashimawo Laloko commended the players and officials for their commitment and dedication noting that Pepsi Academy will continue to provide conducive environment for excellence in grassroots football development. He singled out the players that participated in Copa Lagos for special praise for their tenacity and courage in beating a worldclass team like Arsenal. Also speaking during the gala night, Head of Marketing,

Seven Up Bottling Company Plc, Mr. Norden Thurston commended the excellent football artistry of the players especially the boys from Kano who played earlier in the day at the Festival of Youth football competition at the Legacy Pitch of the National Stadium , Lagos. Mr. Thurston said apart from football skills, the players showed team work and discipline which are some of the values the Pepsi Academy is inculcating in the players. According to him, the challenge is to benchmark the

academy against the best in Europe and South America in terms of facilities, quality of coaching, among others, noting that this is why the academy has been organizing regular training and seminars for the coaches. Highlight of the gala night was the award of trophies and medals to Most Valuable Players of the Pepsi Festival of Youth tournament. Ibrahim Aminu from Pepsi Academy Kano won the highest goals scorer with six goals and MVP of the tournament.

Thursday, December 28, 2017

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MISSILE Richard Joseph to African Leaders “A gap is growing between labour needs and the acquisition of income to meet fundamental needs. Even in my own country, many working families cannot satisfy such needs and spiral into unsustainable debt. Population growth in many African countries continues to exceed income flows. Out-migration in such circumstances becomes an option despite the appalling risks” – Prof. Richard Joseph, John Evans Professor of International History and Politics, Northwestern University, Illinois, USA.

OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

Still Borrowing from Tomorrow… …I want to preface my intervention with a story I told sometimes in 1999 or thereabout which is still very relevant today. And like I did back then, I seek the indulgence of readers because the story is about a supposedly loving couple having problems which bordered on sex. The husband happened to be a man with healthy appetite hence he would not allow his wife any breathing space. After putting up with his antics for some years, she took the matter to her in-law as the ‘court of first instance’. After narrating her story, her mother-in-law asked whether her son was maltreating the wife in other ways; she said no. Was he providing for her as he should? She answered in the affirmative. The parents of the husband declared that the wife had no case because their son was only claiming his rightful entitlements. Case dismissed! Defeated, the poor woman accepted her fate for a while before reporting to her own parents. Let us call this the ‘court of appeal’. Here, they equally asked the same set of questions her in-laws asked. Her mother however added: “Is your husband dating another woman?” She said no. In the ruling that followed, they scolded their daughter for attempting to shirk her marital responsibility. The appeal therefore failed and the man continued to claim his entitlements. Ultimately, the wife took the matter to their local pastor as the final arbiter, if you like, the ‘Supreme Court’. Having listened to the ‘petitioner’, the pastor sent for the husband so he could hear both sides. When the husband came, the pastor asked the wife to retell her tale which she did. “Is it true?” He replied: “It is true Sir but the problem is that I don’t want to have any affairs outside.” This to the pastor was a serious problem but after a discussion that involved bargaining and trade-offs, it was agreed that a maximum of three times a day was enough for any couple. Thus a ceiling was effectively placed on how many times the man could ‘harass’ his poor wife a day. It was a Friday evening and back home, the man, quite naturally, claimed his ‘quota’ for that day. Then came Saturday: To cut the story short, by mid-day, the husband had performed his matrimonial obligation three times and the wife thought she would be left alone. When he therefore started behaving funny again, she exploded: “What is the problem? Have I not met my responsibility for today?” Looking crestfallen, the husband replied: “Yes, I know, but please lend me one from tomorrow’s…” The friend who told me this story said it was a real life situation. He may be right or it may just be another ‘fabu’ but what is not in doubt is that what we are dealing with here is a metaphor for the Nigerian condition and our proclivity to borrow from the future. Like the irresponsible husband in the story, whose marriage was definitely bound to crash at some point, we have been borrowing so much from the future that it is only a matter of time before we reach rock bottom. Like most commentators, I can make a thousand arguments on why it is callous to overburden the poor of our people by removing the current subsidy on fuel. I can canvass

NNPC GMD Maikanti Baru brilliant ideas to justify why, if it is only cheap petrol that the people enjoy, so let it be. I can present moving stories of the social consequences of the removal of subsidy: The pain, the anguish and the tears to come. Yet given the situation on ground, there is no way we can continue with the corrupt, inefficient and unsustainable subsidy regime. To do so will amount to entrenching a culture of continually borrowing from tomorrow…

wrote the foregoing on this page on 13th October 2011 and it becomes instructive against the background of the pain and disruption we have all had to endure in the past three weeks. I am currently in Kwara State with my family and I can attest to how life has been difficult for majority of our people as a result of the fuel scarcity that has also led to the blockade of several roads. But for the benefit of those making allusions about the scarcity being contrived to punish people who practice a certain faith, we may need to remind them that this is a familiar problem that, in many respects, puts in dire perspective, the tragedy of Nigeria. Thanks to Whatsapp, in circulation is the bromide of the front page of the 26th December 1978 edition of the iconic newspaper of the past, ‘Daily Times’ (that is 39 years ago!) with a banner headline: “Xmas Trip in Tears…As motorists crawl for fuel”. With the photograph of vehicles on a queue that stretches kilometres, the first paragraph of the story reads: “Scores of families from Lagos going home for Christmas got there in tears—victims of artificial fuel scarcity.” Incidentally, a year and a half before that bleak Christmas for travellers, on 7th June 1977 to be specific, the same ‘Daily Times’ had also carried a news report titled “Fuel crisis may be over next year”. The story was accompanied by the photograph of a certain Major General Muhammadu Buhari, in his capacity as the then Federal Commissioner for

Petroleum, even though it was one J.J. Akpeyi, described as a senior official of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), who made the commitment on behalf of the federal government of Nigeria. More than 40 years later, nothing has changed! It is within that context that we should situate the agony of the past three weeks even when the challenge of the moment is that in practically all sectors of our national life, we don’t seem to learn useful lessons from our past as we continue to make the same choices that have led us to where we are today. Yet, as conventional wisdom teaches, you don’t continue to do the same thing while expecting different results. Nothing indeed demonstrates that reality than the management of the downstream sector of our petroleum industry on which we have wasted trillions of Naira even when the fuel is never available when Nigerians need it the most. What is even more unfortunate is that no administration has had more opportunities to change the trajectory of our nation as much as this administration yet it continues to bungle them one after the other. When in April 2016, there was a crisis of this nature which led to a 66 percent increase in pump price, the expectation was that we were not only rid of fuel subsidy with all the attendant corruption but that the government would inaugurate a full deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry. Despite the anger that greeted the astronomical increase, many of us supported the decision by the government because we felt it was the correct thing to do in the long-term interest of the country. Not a few stakeholders also lent their voices to the decision as a necessary one that is in tandem with President Buhari’s avowed commitment to fight corruption. In a statement titled “Ending price fixing, the making of economic sense” released on 20th May 2016, the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, said the country had for decades entertained distortions in the downstream oil sector by operating an opaque system susceptible to manipulations and structured in a way that allowed only a few people to be feeding fat on the misery and frustration of millions of Nigerians. “President Buhari, after carefully weighing the options, decided to do what is right. In an act of courage, he removed the oil subsidy, thereby freeing the downstream component of this strategic sector of the economy from the distortions of price fixing.” Apparently for the benefit of those who may not understand what the subsidy regime is all about, Tinubu told Nigerians: “The bogus supplier was paid for supplying nothing, while you sweated in long queues for fuel that was never there. The smuggler secreted fuel

across the border, while our economy crossed the border into fuel scarcity… While the price of fuel was cheap on paper, these were the hidden costs that made the subsidy regime an expensive and heavy yoke that the nation could not continue…” However, as it turned out, beyond just increasing the pump price, the Buhari administration has done nothing different and may, in fact, have compounded the problems in the sector with some of its choices. It is the consequences that we are now suffering. Despite all the misleading statements by government operatives in 2016, there was no removal of subsidy. What the federal government simply did was to look the other way by allowing the NNPC to continue running the show. That is why the statement by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is rather unfortunate because it is not true. According to Osinbajo, “NNPC is trading in fuel; the Federal Government is not, at the moment, paying for any subsidy. NNPC is trading. If you are buying and selling fuel, you would have to be able to pay for it. So, it’s not a question of government provision for subsidy, the Federal Government, at the moment, isn’t paying any subsidy. And don’t forget that the way that the NNPC trades is that, in many cases, NNPC is actually giving fuel; there is 445, 000 barrels of fuel. So really what you are seeing, in many cases, is more or less an exchange for PMS. So at the moment NNPC is paying the cost”. Aside the fact that this has always been the situation, even in years when nominal figures were put in the budget for subsidy, giving free reign to NNPC is more counter-productive than actually budgeting for subsidy if the government is not ready for a full deregulation of the downstream sector. We give 445,000 barrels per day to NNPC for domestic consumption. The corporation deducts subsidy and other spurious charges upfront and remits balance to the Federation. And this allows the NNPC to continue playing its usual games with the federation account. On full deregulation, there have been two missed opportunities: during the honeymoon period in 2015 and in 2016 when the foreign exchange situation forced the hands of the Buhari administration. While I am well aware it is a bit more complicated now, especially with growing anger and coming elections, the present arrangement will not rid us of queues in 2018, except government finds a way of absorbing the subsidy or devalues the Naira. Therefore, full deregulation, despite its cost, remains the way out. And the longer we delay the decision, the more we keep borrowing from tomorrow. While this conversation will continue, I wish all my readers a happy and prosperous year 2018.

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