Market Capitalisation Hits New High of N16tn as Bulls Sustain Hold Goddy Egene The bulls continued their run on the Nigerian bourse yesterday, lifting market capitalisation on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) to a new high of N16.08 trillion, just as the All-Share Index rose
by 1.89 per cent to close at a new peak of 44,885 points. With the news records reached yesterday, the market has effectively grown by 17.4 per cent in 12 trading days of the year. During yesterday’s trade, the market recorded 44 price
gainers and 19 price losers, while the volume and value of trading advanced by 51.20 per cent and 63.96 per cent, respectively. Commenting on the market’s performance yesterday, analysts at Meristem Securities Limited said: “The
Nigerian bourse continues to record increased investor confidence as the market advanced further by 1.89 per cent. “We note that activities today were skewed towards counters below N5.00, as they were 30 out of the 44
gainers. However, we posit that the market’s impressive performance was as a result of the N13.00 gain on Dangote Cement Plc, as the market would have advanced by just 0.67 per cent ex-Dangote Cement.” Cement Company of
Northern Nigeria Plc led the price gainers with 10.17 per cent, closely followed by Diamond Bank Plc with 10.1 per cent, while Sterling Bank Plc appreciated by 10 per cent. Transcorp Plc chalked up 9.9 Continued on page 10
Again, Niger Delta Avengers Threatens Renewed Attacks on Oil Facilities … Page 12 Thursday 18 January, 2018 Vol 22. No 8309. Price: N250
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Five Killed in Benue in Fresh Herdsmen Attacks Another 12 slain, 65 injured by suicide bombers in Maiduguri Fear of violence grips Plateau villages over stolen cows
George Okoh in Makurdi, Seriki Adinoyi in Jos and James Sowole in Akure More gruesome murders were recorded yesterday when suspected herdsmen again unleashed terror on residents of Guma, Logo and Okpokwu Local Government Areas in Benue State, killing five persons in the process. This is just as four female
suicide bombers in Maiduguri, Borno State, detonated their bombs yesterday, leading to the deaths of 12 persons and 65 others sustained injuries. In the Benue incident, eyewitnesses said that there was an attack on Okpokwu Local Government Area following a disagreement between headsmen and Continued on page 6
Plot to Remove Saraki Remains Strong, Senator Misau Warns
Damilola Oyedele in Abuja
Senator Isa Hamman Misau (Bauchi, APC) has warned that the plot to remove Senate President Bukola Saraki from office has remained strong over fears that he may decamp from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), thus creating problems for the party. Speaking at the Senate plenary yesterday, Misau said the plot gained traction during the Christmas recess of the National Assembly and
was being spearheaded by a minister. The lawmaker made the allegations while contributing to the debate on rising insecurity in the country, when he noted that the security situation had become worse because appointments into critical offices of the federal government were not merit-based but based on the primordial sentiments of a “certain cabal” in the Continued on page 6
Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States of America, Amb. Sylvanus Nsofor; Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; and Interim Harvard University Marshall, Dean Margot Gill, when the vice-president delivered a lecture titled, “Africa Rising”, at Harvard Business School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts… Tuesday novo isioro
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PAGE SIX FIVE KILLED IN BENUE IN FRESH HERDSMEN ATTACKS farmers which led to the death of one person. The state governor, Mr. Samuel Ortom also confirmed the fresh killings in Guma and Logo where two persons, he said, were have been killed in each of the councils. Ortom disclosed this yesterday when he received members of Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum at Government House, Makurdi, the state capital. The group had paid him a condolence visit at government house to commiserate with him over the killing of 73 persons by suspected herdsmen on new year day. Ortom revealed that two women were killed in Guma and two other persons in Logo. He stated that despite the presence of the Inspector General of Police and 663 armed mobile policemen deployed in the state, killings were still being perpetrated without any arrest. The governor reiterated his call on the security agencies to arrest the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore whom he said were still issuing threats to resist the implementation of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law in the state. In addition to the Benue killings, another 12 person were killed yesterday when a suicide bomb exploded around Muna Garage area of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, officials said. The explosion occurred at about 5:05 p.m., Abdulkadir Ibrahim, a spokesperson of
the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said in a statement. “Emergency Response Team (ERT) from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Borno State Emergency Management Agency (BOSEMA) and the Red Cross have responded to a suicide bombing incident which occurred around Muna Garage along Mafa Dikwa road in Maiduguri, Borno State. “The team has responded to 65 injured people who were given first aid and transported to hospitals while 10 others lost their lives. “Preliminary reports indicate that four female suicide bombers were responsible for the blast,� Ibrahim said. The police in Borno, however, said at least 12 persons were killed and 48 others injured in the attack. The police also gave a different narrative on the bombings. The Commissioner of Police, Damian Chukwu, said a male suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at a crowded market killing himself and 10 other persons. “One other suicide bomber out of panic detonated an explosive and blew himself alone into pieces,� he said. Yesterday’s attack was the first suicide bomb attack in Maiduguri this year. Chukwu said the wounded persons were evacuated to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. The police commissioner called on the people to be
vigilant and report suspicious persons in their communities to the security agencies. “People should be vigilant because Boko Haram insurgents have not surrendered,� he warned.
Fear of Violence Grips Plateau Meanwhile, there was palpable fear yesterday that two Plateau communities may be attacked soon following the alarm raised by the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeder Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) over its members’ stolen cows in the communities. A statement by the state chairman of the association, Mr. Mohammad Nuru Abdullah, said their cows were stolen in Bassa and Riyom Local Government Areas of the state on Monday. He said: “We are very sad that the Irigwe youth militias from Bassa LGA and Ganawuri in Riyom LGA, armed with sophisticated fire arms, on Monday 15th January 2018 attacked Fulani cattle rearers around Gidan Ado village in Ganawuri districts of Riyom LGA. “The attackers beat our boy to coma and about 150 cows were rustled belonging to Fulani. “Security reports revealed that some of the cows were found dead on the way around Mai Yanga village. On the same Monday night the Irigwe killers reattacked Fulani residents at Dangwal village in Ganawuri of Riyom and rustled about 200 cows. “So far about 350 cows
and about 60 sheep have been stolen by the militias.� He said the special task force on security in the state revealed that some of the cows had been recovered, but were yet to be handed over to his kinsmen. Considering the recent violence in the state, Abdullah warned that no group should be seen to be provoking the other. He said swift action must be taken to avoid a recurrence of attacks in the state. His statement came on the heels of reports that a man was reportedly killed when armed men attacked DundiMaiyanga village in Kwall, Bassa Local Government Areas of Plateau State on Sunday night. A source from the village said three men were attacked at night by the armed men who used machetes. “The three men attacked are brothers; they were in their house when the attackers descended on them, killing one and injuring another, while the other one escaped unhurt.� Confirming the incident, Terna Tyopev, spokesman of the Plateau Police Command said: “From the report sent to us, unknown armed men attacked three people at Dundi-Maiyanga village in Kwall district on Sunday and killed one Mr. Sunday Lale, using machetes. “Lale’s brother, Ayuba, also suffered massive cuts to his body and is currently at the Catholic Hospital, Kwall,� he said. Tyopev said Sunday’s
corpse had been evacuated by personnel of the special task force, adding that an investigation was in progress. He also urged the affected community to be calm and avoid the temptation to attack people they suspect might have been responsible for the incident.
Coercion for Cattle Colonies In a related development, the Ondo State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) yesterday alleged that state governors were being coerced into accepting the establishment of grazing reserves or colonies in their states, despite popular opinion against the federal government’s proposal. The chairman of CAN in Ondo, Reverend Ayo Oladapo made the allegation in Akure, the state capital, in his speech at a prayer summit organised to round off the 2018 Universal Week of Prayers. Oladapo said it was disturbing that the federal government remained “deaf and dumb� to the crying and wailing of the people on the massacre of not less than 70 in Benue State by herdsmen. He said it was a surprise that the federal government had not deemed it fit to fly the nation’s flag at half mast to mourn the innocent lives that were cut short by herdsmen, while all that was being done were recommendations that are inimical to the well being of the people.
“The federal government seems deaf and dumb to the cries and agony of the people, especially the killings by herdsmen and many religious attacks in the Middle Belt and other states of this nation. “The government is using its machinery to suppress our people from defending themselves, this is injustice and corruption. Seventy-three caskets of our brethren in Benue were carried by trucks for mass burial in one day and the national flag did not fly at half mast. “Most of our state governments are lame and helpless in this situation. They are been coerced to accept grazing colonies in their states,� he said. The CAN chairman advised the Ondo State governor, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, not to accept the proposal. “God forbid, this will not see the light of day; the Lord will fight for us. In Ondo State, we pray this will never happen. “We pray God will give our government the boldness to say no to this and the courage to defend the people of the state from the hands of the oppressors,� he said. Speaking in the same vein, the preacher, Pastor Sunday Popoola of the Word Communication Ministries, Ibadan, said the Church of God condemned the killings and the sinful silence of the authorities. He said the head of the nation was everyone’s father and should defend all citizens.
PLOT TO REMOVE SARAKI REMAINS STRONG, SENATOR MISAU WARNS presidency. The debate on insecurity continued from Tuesday, leading the Senate to resolve to hold a security summit next week. Misau, however, did not mention the name of the minister who he accused of trying to lobby some senators to execute the plot. “When we were on holiday, so many people were going behind (to senators), pleading that we should try and remove the Senate President. “It was a minister that was spearheading this thing. What was the reason? They said that the Senate President would leave APC, that it would create problems from him (Saraki). What kind of country is this? Everything is about religion and about tribe,� he said. The cabal, which he accused of appointing an “unqualified� person as Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mr. Rufai Ahmed Abubakar, has continued to act as if it was above the government, Misau said. He alleged that Abubakar failed the promotion examinations when he was a staff of the NIA before his departure from the agency. President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Abubakar as the substantive head of the NIA last week, but he had once worked for the agency before moving on to other jobs. The Bauchi senator said the appointment of Abubakar who was until last week the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs/
International Relations, was improper. “Today, the DG NIA that was just appointed, is he qualified to be there? He’s not qualified. This is the person that failed two exams, we know. He failed two exams and just because he is close to people taking decisions, he was appointed.� He berated Buhari for surrounding himself with incompetent people who “take decisions anyhow�. “So many incompetent people are holding so many positions. Fifty per cent of the ministers are not performing. Since the president assumed office he has not taken any decision to move this country. Today we are seeing it and everybody is avoiding it, nobody wants to say anything. “So many appointments in this government are not based on merit. Some people have taken over the government as if they are even above the president.� The cabal, Misau further alleged, had discredited the anti-corruption fight of the government through selective prosecution. “They take decisions anyhow. We say we are fighting corruption, but Babachir (Lawal, former SGF), the vice-president’s committee indicted him. Today, they are pursuing other people, why can’t they take Babachir to court; and all of us are here keeping quiet? “People who have not done anything are always in court. This is the man that squandered money meant for IDPs and he is still visiting
the (Presidential) Villa every day,� he said. Also pointing to Minister of Justice and AttorneyGeneral of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, Misau said: “This Attorney-General is becoming a nuisance, going to court to stop the Maina (probe) and we are still here. “The IG (Inspector General of Police) came here with a lawyer saying that he was not going to answer any question from the Senate. After that he went to institute an order restraining the Senate from investigating him.� The senator maintained that the issue of insecurity would not be properly tackled until the executive makes appointments based on merit. He added that without competent people handling the nation’s security apparatus, insecurity will continue to linger. “It is the right time for us, let us know what to do. If it’s about talking here or holding a conference, until we look at how the security system is. Who and who are holding sensitive positions? Are they competent? Were they appointed on merit?� he asked Misau attributed the rising insecurity to the “failure of leadership� and lamented that despite the killings in several parts of the country, some state governors went to the villa to endorse Buhari for a second term. “It is as if the president is not in charge. We have two to three months to correct this thing (before the election campaigns pick up steam), if
there are people misleading the president, let him sack them, because they would not let him perform,� he said. Senator Ben MurrayBruce (Bayelsa, PDP), in his contribution, said the Senate seemed to be more concerned about the state of insecurity than the executive, which is constitutionally saddled with the responsibility of safeguarding the lives and property of its citizens. “The red chamber seems to be doing the job of the executive. If Saraki is the only one interested, let him become president. If the cabinet is incompetent, they should be fired,� he said. Murray-Bruce lamented that Nigeria was becoming a lawless country where there are no consequences for bad behaviour, and called for the resignation of the government officials in charge of security. “You are either in control of security or you are not. If people responsible for security are not doing their jobs, what are we doing about it? Taraba, Enugu, Kaduna: people are being killed, we are becoming a barbaric country,� Bruce said. The debate followed a motion by Senator Lau Shuaibu (Taraba, PDP) who said over 70 persons were recently murdered in separate farmers/herdsmen clashes in Taraba communities. He called for increased security surveillance around the border between Taraba and Adamawa States, saying that the clashes started in Numan, Adamawa State. Also contributing to the debate, Senator Kabiru
Marafa whose state, Zamfara, has also experienced several attacks, said insecurity had become a national emergency. Zamfara for months has been under the control of a militia which moves freely with arms and has become so powerful that they sit to judge disputes among the people without recourse to local authorities, Marafa said. He alleged that the militia was known to the state governor, deputy governor and the state commissioner of police. In his submission, Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha (Taraba, PDP) further warned that the new strategy adopted by fleeing Boko Haram insurgents was to attack communities under the guise of herdsmen. “People are supporting them unknowingly because they whip up primordial sentiments. When you say Fulani herdsmen, the average Fulani man is offended, even in this chamber people would get up to support them because it is about their people,� he said. Bwacha said that except the situation was tackled decisively in a bipartisan manner, it would gradually consume Nigeria as the killer herdsmen were gradually decimating the country. “When insurgents started, they said they wanted to kill Christians, they ended up killing more Muslims,� Bwacha said. At the end of the debate, the Senate resolved to suspend plenary for two days next week to hold
the security summit over the recurring violence and killings across the country, to examine modalities to stop the ugly trend before it becomes a threat to national unity. The summit would hold on Wednesday and Thursday next week and is expected to have in attendance the 36 state governors, security chiefs and other stakeholders. It is expected to proffer immediate, short and longterm solutions to stop the killings across the country and avert their recurrence.
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78 Ex-US Ambassadors Write Trump over Shithole Slur
Two-Minute BrieďŹ ng NEWS Again, Niger Delta Avengers Threatens
Renewed Attacks on Oil Facilities Barely two months after it announced the end of its ceasefire last November, the Niger Delta Avengers yesterday again warned the federal government to brace up for another round of attacks that it would soon unleash on oil and gas facilities in the country. Page 12
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(FPSO) vessel, to Nigeria from which is sailing country, warning that let the facility South Korea, to rest it will not until such stay where ever suffering people Barely two is, warning it by the Niger enemies are defeated months after and poverty�. to more hardship an attack announced the it movement that it is tracking the Delta people earnestly seek on the Trans-Forca who of the vessel. last November,end of its ceasefire “Only to control their The militant group the Niger Delta resources. own Nigerian a few days ago, the pipeline, the first subsea attack dos for most of 2016. Avengers yesterday stated and gas installations on oil Army released Before it declared again warned had resolved that the killingsthat it NDA said that in the country the federal governmen while $1 billion members of the murderous 244 division currently The and a ceasefire, . t to brace Haram sect Boko declare incident had forced Shell to the NDA had carried out playing out in from the Excess Crude Account up for another Nigeria to the Borno a wave force majeure of attacks on has Governme State the Forcados that it would round of attacks make along divergent grounds been earmarked for release on liftings oil facilities in nt while thousands soon this period the to 2016 grade of crude of that disrupted the and gas facilities unleash on oil to restructure perfect time the Boko Haram insurgency fight of innocent Niger oil. Companies 1 million barrels production of in in the North-east, successive Delta youths the country. The militant group the country. per included Shell, hit by the attack from governments continue to suffer in various “While had ignored has also stated promising a the country’s day (mbpd) Seplat Petroleum prisons across that with the the challenges output, which brutal the outpouring of recent killings was then close facing the the country for no just cause,� Development Company Niger Delta our wrath, across shall the country, the group added. to 2.3mbpd. from which Shoreline Resources Plc, shake the coffers which $1 billion the was generated. the restructurin time was ripe for failed It called for the Limited, of the Neconde, immediate g Nigerian of House First Hydrocarb It accused the federal release Nigeria of all Niger adding that anybody the country, demand nation, Summons on Kachikw Delta activists (FHN) and unambiguously our of deriving pleasure government freedom who is against restructuring and u, Baru fighters is for the governmen Some marginal NPDC. in is an enemy t to restructure their unprofessional “sending by the Nigeria still held captive such field producers of this the country and particularly and country. as Armed Pillar weak military Meanwhile Oil, Forces. an enemy Midwestern to invade our of the Niger The militant group , barely 24 communities “On the 3rd of Delta hours had launched and Gas, Platform Petroleum Oil after the Speaker November 2017 and subject our already its presence In a statement Avengers. Energia were of the House we promised and of Representa in the country sick and February also affected on its website posted yesterday red economy’to reactivate ‘operation in reduced tives, Hon. Yakubu 2016, when it and Dogara by its spokesperso some carried but of vowed as usual some “Maj.-Gen.� the affected out companies’ n, overzealou to investigate Murdoch Agbinibo, the oil production s and over-patrio the militant group, to zero tic which wrecked elders intervened and Cont’d on page havoc on oil appealed as they facilities 51 helped to precipitatein 2016 and for us have done twice before Nigeria’s time to avail them some more plunge into a recession, stated to attend to the it had concluded that the Niger demands Delta as championeof carry out deadly arrangements to by the Niger Delta Avengers,� d attacks in a few days time. group said. the The group said The group it would be targeting the oil-rich region noted that the deep has not achieved of the internationa sea operations any meaningful results despite (IOCs) and othersl oil companies the opportunities, littered across the deep waters stressing that the Niger Delta of the Niger Delta region. either irresponsibl elders were e or the Nigerian NDA also cautioned the government was not sincere operators of them, “as is their with the Egina Floating Production It stated that trade in stock�. Storage Offloading restructuring anybody against is an enemy of this
report for silence
APC Shelves Meeting with Governors Onyebuchi
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General Command during the course the meeting. in Abuja .....Tuesday annual lectureEde Ode, flanked by participantant, National Defence College The All Progressive The where Elumelu s in NDC Course (NDC), Rear Admiral (APC) has postponed s Congress were source said text messages delivered a lecture 26 immediately sent Adeniyi titled: Strategic and senior management meeting between a consultative NWC out to all the members of Leadership; My members Working Committeethe National the postponem informing them of Business Experience ent governors elected (NWC) and Only the Osun of the meeting. on the party’s platform. State Deputy Governor, Grace Titi Laoye-Tomo The meeting meant to hold who was seen entering ri, yesterday at supposed the the secretariat in Abuja,party national at about venue of the meeting Vice President Yemi Osinbajo 4: 25p.m. yesterday, has told American was however cancelled due expressed also scholars and of Orascom from Egypt, mining and said was the to what a source meeting disappointment that the professionals that Africa’s inability of most was called off economic transformati impressive among magnate Patrice Motsepe, sustainable without nation-build the governors of without others.â€? and proper ing, on even to attend. technology communication of greater importance driven by ambitious was being He traced the A reliable source to them. businessmen “We , continent’s to fast-track the genesis of Africa’s state building.â€? economic turnaround that the meeting told THISDAY State came all the way from Osun and women. rise. Emerging “Many of the and These entrepreneu to the last ethnic and other technologies decade of thĂŠ be a major one was planned to the meetingwe were not told that have parochial rs were 12th century played that would have stepping beyond has and to create tensions that have tended extraordinary roles in every most of the governors national borders noted that democracy she told to a been postponed,â€? and aspect of the continent’s insecurity and party staff. provided going global, the fulcrum due to the critical in attendance outright successes. conflict time, Osinbajo said most touted Yesterday’s consultative the and time again, at mid 1990s. for change in the for discussion. issues lined up was meeting of inaugural “Africa Rising’’ lecture largely as a expected to fix “Many the Harvard University result of failure are a date The For instance, the deliberately to themselves– including Africans Business change president observed party leadership party’s congresses and for the School last Tuesday undertake nationhad proposed the building – national convention slated was evening. for to be remindedconstantly need efforts,â€? he submitted He spoke to hold this yea “phenomenal accelerated by relating to the discussion issues but at the H that Af i Oth i j B l
African Entre preneurs, Busi nesses are Step Borders, Goin ping Beyond g Global, Says Osinbajo
EDITORIAL When Wild Animals Become Pets
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ast weekend report in a national newspaper that many affluent Nige- rians now keep as pets wild animals that have been declared endangered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and by theWorld conservation bodies should worry the authorities. “ Page 15
POLITICS Kish: El-Rufai Has Failed Kaduna People
THURSDAY JANUARY 18, 2018 Ëž T
Again, Nige r Delta Aven gers Threaten Renewed At s tacks on Oil House summ ons Kachikwu, Facilities Baru over fuel subsidy paym ents Senate rejects
ANIMALS BECO
The authorities
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more to protect ast weekend wild life report in a national newspaper that rians now keep many afuent Nigethat have been as pets wild animals animals on the by the United declared endangered streets is both Nations Environm It is notewort Programme ent hy that Nigeriaillegal and cruel. (UNEP) and Convention is a signatory by the World conserva on to the tion bodies should Species of Wild International Trade in Endange in a bid to stand worry the authorities. “While “CITESâ€?. The Fauna and Flora, also known red some, treaty aims to breeds of dogs out from the crowd, opt exploitation protect wildlife as from a notch higher and cats, many have takenfor special from overdifferent levels international trade. It the trend also provides wild animals by going in favour of dangerou animal species,of protection for a large like crocodile s and list tigers, hyena s, alligators, the wild. It does working to protect their of plant and pythons, and numbers in they may pose even lions. Not minding ting system on this by imposing a specialise the transport resources have for their safety, individua the dangers d permitspecies. and ls continued to with the trade By those extra with care, spending pamper hurdles, CITES of speciďŹ c listed environment decent amounts such exotic pets has created an that each monthâ€?, rampant over-exp has had a signiďŹ cant on their upkeep according to impact on the newspaper. the report in loitation Nigeria has a of the species The PUNCH number of animal it monitors To compoun are listed by d the problem, and plant species . The everyday spectacle in what has that in the 2004 IUCNWorld Conservation Union medicine sellers in our country, itinerantbecome an (IUCN) “Red List of as ‘vulnerable’ traditional to extinction Threatened Animalsâ€? around towns and owners of small circuses . and cities dragging move along fettered egrettably, the NIGERIA WAS animals that able to adequategovernment has not been have SAID TO HAVE ONCE been declared THE MOST stop poachers ly equip forest guards to DIVERSE POPULA , who operate gered and nearendanwithin the nation’s almost TION OF MONKEYS by UNEP and extinct in Yankari, Bauchi protected game freely the IN THE WORLDAND APES World Gumti National State; Okomu, Edo State; reserves conservation , BUT AS ITS FOREST Park in Adamaw Gashakabodies. These Cross River National a and DWINDLED, S HAVE Park; and Omo Taraba states; are most oftenanimals Ogun State. MANY OF Forest It THESE ANIMAL treated by theircruelly as thieves that is from these poachers who Reserve, THI capEDITOR S DAY EITHER BEEN S HAVE DEPUTY EDITORS tors who pets at home those who keep these wild also operate Ëœ get EXTINCTION HUNTED TO them to compel MANAGING trade in wildlife them. Yet this unchecke animals as
DEPUTY MANAGINGDIRECTOR d thriving SERVING AS OR ARE NOW tricks forperform DIRECTOR CHAIRMAN country from in Nigeria led to the suspensi PETS various payEDITORIAL BOARD CITES in March EDITOR NATION’S on of the ing audience in 2003, after CAPITAL
2008. Five s. Most two usually infants of these trafďŹ cked were gorillas that were beingyears earlier illegally in the wild or whose parents either existanimals are local conserva intercepted in Kano, internatio may tionists labelled would then sell have been killed by as families illegal trade poachers Nigeria a hub nal and the children T H I S DAY in endange N E in in the black market., who W Aside the illegality the S PA P E R S L red wildlife. EDITOR-IN-C female western IMITED The two captured GROUP EXECUTIVE HIEF/CHAIRMAN
of these practices those involved DIRECTORS subsequently lowland nine-year-old , what is lost gorillas were
sent back to to ˜ wild animals in this dangerous game ˜ DIVISIONAL ˜ their homelan oon that year is still DIRECTORS to the shame d if they are dulled possess their natural that these DEPUTY DIVISIONAL ˜ of our country. in CamerIncidentally, instincts, even DIRECTOR SNR. ASSOCIATE the main concernfrom living outside their
most diverse Nigeria was once said to ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR habitat. for us is that DIRECTORS population of have the CONTROLLER the act of parading But S ˜ world, but as monkeys and ˜ its DIRECTOR, wild PRINTING PRODUCTION animals have forests have dwindled, apes in the ˜
many of either been hunted TO SEND EMAIL: now serving ďŹ rst name.surnam to extinction these as pets at the e@thisdayliv or are e.com society. homes of the rich of our
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POLITICS
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The Southern Kaduna crisis has been going on for too long, what did T theYakowa administration do to stop it?We engaged with different parties, we tried to gain the confidence of the people. We had meetings, we tried to understand the root causes of the conflicts and we tried to address them. Page 18
Ëž THURSDAY,
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2018
Group Politic s Editor Tobi Soniyi Email tobi.so niyi@thisday live.com 0803314613 9 SMS ONLY
PERS
Kish: El-Rufai O N A L I T Y I N T E R V I E W Has Failed Ka A former Attor ney General duna People and Commission has called on the state gover er for Justic
nor, deliver on his e campaign prom Nasir El-Rufai to start prepain Kaduna State, Jonathan Adam ises. He spoke ring his hand to John Shikl over notes, havin u Kish, am who prese nts the excerpts: g failed to
he Southern been going Kaduna crisis has on for too long, did the Yakowa what administration do to stop it? We engaged with different parties, We had fantastic of the people.we tried to gain the confidence programmes. We had meetings, awarded contracts understand By 2012, we we tried to the root causes had for roads, worth billion across and we tried of the conflicts about going on. We the state. Those projects N30 anybody who to address them. We met with were the contractor had a robust payment to the crisis. we felt could help find plans for We had an Water Works s. We were to complete inter-religious solutions committee, the presided over harmony small setback by the end of 2013. We Zaria the deputy by governor and the governor with took place at because of the kidnappin had a myself We also had the site. g that members from as members. Association Muktar Yero the Christian of had two years,succeeded late Yakowa, Nasril Islam Nigeria (CAN) and the he barely (JNI) as members. Jama’atu but he was finish some as a way of We met roads. I haven’t able to start and looking for started and solutions and monthly taking proactive seen any project completed by we were measures to this administra We had Operation stem the crisis. tion. Do you see was well funded. Yaki (security outfit) any prospect which We tried our PDP to power the crisis was for the return best to see addressed. of Absolutely! This in Kaduna state? the post presidenti Of course we that government had al election its handing which we also should start violence report over writing tried to implemen leave because notes. They should prepare t. the citizens to not happy. of Kaduna I understand We State are some people the governme have never been this report, why were indicted divided, didn’t the Yakowa in that for anybody... nt doesn’t seem to have act on it? administration . respect Yes, the report I do not see get its mandate how this governme was inconclusivindicted some people. The nt could e in terms of extended. really think so we had its recommend report they do plan Sometimes, I don’t a challenge think that the when we were ations, the White Paper. to win election. government doing Kish For instance, I instigate up with accusation probably the report came crisis wants power or like and find a way of remaining to certain communit s against people, maybe a in y will make this federal we have seen with INEC someone was The government, seen fighting. allegation that were Fulanis I lived with of inconclusi they have a under not invited as a young peaceful. We That person ve to man certain gave them land was munity, of generating elections. They have history but the report state his own side of agencies, take they reared a history the story, crisis to listed the persons KASTELEA their cattle, in my com- Traffic and who participate (Kaduna State saw how it went in win their elections. We they brought name as those their “Fura da Nono� Environmental d or created Edo state. We (Cow Agency) for went in didn’t have cannot say Law Enforceme instance, it any problem. milk) to us and we that, that person the crisis, so you nt Bayelsa. Ondo state, they tried the saw how it is basically child when in terms of But now there has been indicted problem. Like I said, same thing in Maybe my brain I was in governme the findings is a if you gain INEC to win they think they can manipulat of both parties, we did was We by the panel. nt. then they will the confidence becausewere discussing the e state levels, elections both at the federal mentioned. to investigate those who What about the problem. issue tell you the but beyond I wrote several truth Yakowa we needed more revenue of road tax this and were that, I do not to investigate government asked and see how those alleged times to the police INEC can remain new laws to me. I told him that we did the late crimes allegation to have committed in power. has released get revenue, not need time time 2019 elections, prosecute them. s and send me the table for the the ones we have. We we should implement But some people report what Up within to saw that there to the time relating to road happy with the APC administr is your assessmen we were still I left is a law the outcome the PDP are not waiting for taxes, which t of laws ation in Kaduna How investigations. the outcome office, What is there of the conventio is and orders, State? to assess? There of those going I know that but the biggestthe road traffic The united is the party in n. the white paper I wrote and Kaduna. PDP is is no security, had was enforceme challenge attached him by the governor’s issues. I chaired nt. We had environme we Kaduna stateactually prepared. The sent reminders and sent it to the police admission say that the party in is one family, ntal inter ministeria level of homicide . I heard on environme and I is high....We arrested and . We also had people we have l committee and good leadership in Kaduna who hear everyday we charged under Hassan a stable problem of ntal sanitation, we also have great were those them to court, were killed. This has enforcement. leaders Hyet, saw the that never happenedof people being President, Namadi in the party, former we was no evidence were released because there Kaduna State. So we suggested in the history So, am I safer there The the creation against them. of the enforceme former national Sambo, former governor Vice than answer is no. of caretaker chairman and My son was I was before? was accepted nt and the proposalan agency for Senator outside the Just recently, Ahmed attacked right I submitted of the PDP, house and we prepared background the party at Makarfi who helped repositione and Jama’a ten people were killed Have I seen some months ago. to that agency. a bill. That is the the national local governme in Sanga an improvem what they arguably one level by organisingd a traditional But I don’t nt areas including infrastructure? I of the best ruler know party cannot really ent in public is what are implementing , seen such conventio will you advise and his pregnant wife. today, has say that we initiated an or whether whether it as one held in Nigeria. So the ns that the to the killings? government to ensure How dusty roads improvement. What I I have totally different big party they happy in have a concerns see are is back an end Last an family. A few First, the governme You look at thing, I didn’t know. year, the Zariaattempt to do the roads. as a result of people had Olam, people nt is making Water Works, the politicking People are during the National but I doubt talk about a lot of efforts, told, was commissio concerned that went we were if they are Conventio ned. brought to commissio that the president it. national officers did a lot of making the the right direction work on th Our administration i efforts i They f lt h n that produced was b n di Th 70 b h
Trump The ripples generated by President Donald Trump’s alleged disparaging shithole comments have continued, with 78 former United States Ambassadors who served in Africa writing the president to remind him about the continent’s great exploits and potential. “Africa is a continent of great human talent and rich diversity, as well as extraordinary beauty and almost unparalleled natural resources,� the former envoys said in a joint statement delivered at the White House Tuesday. “It is also a continent with deep historical ties with the United States.� The statement came days after Trump reportedly derided Africa, Haiti and El Salvador in a meeting about immigration policy in the White House. Trump reportedly singled out Haiti, El Salvador and parts of Africa as “shithole countries� during the January 11 meeting, according to the U.S. media. But the president denied ever describing any race as coming from “shithole countries� in a January 12 tweet. Several African countries, including
Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa, have protested the alleged comments by Trump and summoned the U.S. top diplomats in their countries. The AllAfrica Media published the reaction of the 78 former American top diplomats to the controversy yesterday morning. “As American ambassadors abroad, we have seen Africa’s complex and rich cultures, awe-inspiring resilience, and breathtaking generosity and compassion. “Even as some nations have faced challenges, we have counted among our contacts dynamic entrepreneurs, gifted artists, committed activists, passionate conservationists, and brilliant educators,� the former ambassadors, who served in 48 different countries on the continent, including Nigeria, said. “We learned of novel solutions to complex problems, helped American companies find partners critical to their success, and counted on African military and intelligence officials who often assumed real risks to help achieve outcomes critical to our shared security. “We know that respectful engagement
with these countries is a vital part of protecting our own national interests. The United States of America is safer, healthier, more prosperous, and better equipped to solve problems that confront all of humanity when we work with, listen to, and learn from our African partners. “We also know that the entire world is richer because of the contributions of Africans, including the many Americans of African descent. “It was one of the greatest honors of our lives to represent the United States of America abroad. It was also a privilege to live in and learn from the diverse and spectacular countries of Africa,� they added. The former diplomats urged Trump to reevaluate his perception of Africa and its people going forward. “We hope that you will reassess your views on Africa and its citizens, and recognise the important contributions Africans and African Americans have made and continue to make to our country, our history, and the enduring bonds that will always link Africa and the United States,� they said.
UK Appoints Minister for Loneliness In a first, British Prime Minister Theresa May has appointed Tracey Crouch as the country’s Minister for Loneliness. Crouch is the current junior Minister for Sport and Civil Society. The appointment is one of the recommendations made by a commission set up in honour of Jo Cox, a Labour MP. Cox, who campaigned about loneliness, was murdered by a right wing extremist
in 2016. The government said it would develop a strategy on the issue, gather more evidence and statistics, and provide funding for community groups to start activities which connect people. The prime minister was expected to formally announce the appointment yesterday and said she has accepted many of the recommendations made
by the commission. “For far too many people, loneliness is the sad reality of modern life,� May said. “I want to confront this challenge for our society and for all of us to take action to address the loneliness endured by the elderly, by carers, by those who have lost loved ones – people who have no one to talk to or share their thoughts and experiences with.�
MARKET CAPITALISATION HITS NEW HIGH OF N16TN AS BULLS SUSTAIN HOLD per cent, just as Fidelity Bank Plc and FCMB Group Plc garnered 9.7 per cent apiece. Conversely, NASCON Allied Industries Plc led the price losers, shedding 4.9 per cent, trailed by Cadbury Nigeria Plc with 4.9 per cent, University Press Plc declined by 4.9 per cent, while Newrest ASL Plc closed 4.8 per cent lower. The market, which recovered from a three-year decline to post a growth of 42.3 per cent last year, has remained upbeat since the beginning of the year.
Reviewing the performance of the market in 2017 on Tuesday, chief executive officer of the NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema had attributed the performance to the gradual economic recovery in the country propelled by higher oil prices, rising domestic output, and stronger foreign reserves. These factors, he said, had engendered greater foreign portfolio investor confidence in the economy and the stock market. He added that the improvement in
the ease of doing business as well as stability in foreign exchange (FX) market had also propelled market growth. Looking ahead, the NSE boss said the outlook for the Nigerian capital market was encouraging. “Indeed, to some extent, political activities and currency movements will have an effect on the market, but we expect that such impact will be short lived and the performance of the underlying business activities will ultimately determine market performance,� he said.
FEATURES A Sweet Homecoming
FEATURES
THURSDAY, JANUARY
18, 2018 Ëž T
H I S D AY
Acting Featur es Editor Charle s Ajunwa Email charle s.ajunwa@this daylive.com
A Sweet Home coming
Adibe Eme the Ihama nyonu writes on the N'Ig homecoming after the great un family of the famo of the child us Benin mass acre of 1897 Igun bronze casters ren of two brothers from or the family who were presu of Chief Kelvin Oduagbon, the Ihama N'Igun med dead Benin, their of joy knew no as his relations bounds
For the family of Chief Kelvin Oduagbon, the Ihama N'Igun of Benin, their joy knew no bounds as his relations long forgotten and declared dead came back from Delta State to identify with him and his entire household. Page 20
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long forgotten and declared dead came from Delta State to identify back him and his entire househol with After the massacre d. of 1897 the exit of Oba Ovoramwen which saw Calabar, an N' Ogbaisi to kingbdom epidemic ravaged the of Benin which entire lot of unexplain resulted In order not ed deaths within the to a epidemic, threeto be caught up witharea. this siblings, two girl left the boys and a royal Ihama of Benin and N' Igun Abudu and travelled eastward family towards Agbor Unfortunately, to escape the calamity. one of them pened to be which died not as the only sister among hapa result of the them She was buried ravaging disease. With the two at Agbor, now Delta State. and Okoro were of them remaining, Agidigbi steadfast and journey into continued their who is the the hinterland. While Agidigbi senior settled day Ika South at Abavo he got married LGA of Delta State,present Okoro pitched and started having where children, his tent North East LGA of the at Idumuesaa, Ika sane state. Since their whereabouts,relations could not trace they were either their dead, sold considere into strange might slavery or that somethin d g which accountedhave happened to Although they for their disappea them rance. (Agidigbi and long dead, Okoro) are their as their childrenbones resurrected Ihama N' Igun, January Chief Kelvin to Igun. Okoro, traced their origin Oduagbon and other family in 1973 at the who was the junior, back members, anked by their relations Agidigbi died age of 110, while the died who returned senior, in 1980 at the from Delta Narrating age of 130 years. State one of grandthe sojourn of his forebears children, Felix , staff of THISDAY , disclosed thatAgidigbi, a themselves they found in the present because of the migration day Delta State grand-fathers, Agidigbi andof their great left Benin kingdom Okoro who because of circumstan beyond their ces According control. to Felix, Agidigbi, their only sister Okoro kingdom after were forced to leave and Benin to him, “therethe 1897 massacre. According many people was an epidemic that saw "Not wantingdying mysteriously. to be caught by the strange
ÍŻÍśËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś
BUSINESSW
BUSINESS ‘Nigeria Needs Stable Economy to
R A T E S
MONEY MARKET OBB OVERNIGHT
Attract Foreign Investment’ The Managing Director, Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA), Mr. RomanTrodthandi has emphasised the need for Nigeria to have a stable and reliable economy that will boost investor confidence in the country. Page 23
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Ăž Ă“Ă? ĂšĂ&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ Þ˛ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ? Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă™Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁ Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă? ÑÙÙÎ˚ ĂŒĂ‹ĂŽ ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?âÚĂ?Ă? Ă?Ùà Ă?Ăœ ÚËÑĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ă“Ă‘Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă? Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ ĂŒĂ&#x; Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ Ă?Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ëœ
Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă’Ă‹ Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă‹ Ă&#x;Ă?Ë› Ă?Ă–Ë? ͎͎͜͹͹Ͱ͡ͲͯͳĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹ Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ăž Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ăž Ă“Ă˜ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ăž ÞÓ×Ă?Ă? Ă–Ă? Ă?ĂžĂ?Ë› ÍľËœ ͎͎͜ͳ;ͯʹͯ͹Ͱ Ă?Ă™Ă—Ëœ Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă•Ă‹Ë›Ă‹Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă¤Ă?Ă˜ĂĄ ÍŻË› Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă–Ë? Ă‹Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă¤Ă?Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă• Ëœ Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ‹Ă?Ăž Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă&#x;Ă•ĂĄĂ&#x;̜ÞÒÓĂ?ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁĂ–Ă“Ă Ă? Ë̜ãËÒÙÙ˛ Ë›Ă?Ù× WCF Forum Holds in Switzer Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?âÚĂ? Ă‹Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă‘ ÙÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ?Ëœ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? ĂœĂžĂ?Ëœ ÞÙÚ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜land ĂŽ Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă‹Ă– Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?Ăž Ă–Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă“Ă˜ĘŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă?ĂŁĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? ÚÙåĂ?Ăœ ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ×ÙÎĂ?ĂœĂ˜ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ–ĂŽ Ă™Ă? Ă?Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ăž ÞÒĂ? Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś Ă™ĂœĂ&#x;Ă— Ě™ Ěš Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă Ă‹Ëœ ĂĄ Ă™ĂœĂ–ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă–Ă?ĂŽ ÓÞäĂ?ĂœĂ–Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŒ Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ&#x;Ă— ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă–ĂŁĂ¤ Ă?ÞåĂ?Ă?Ă˜ Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă’ Í°ÍŻĂ?Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ ÞÙ ÞËÕĂ? ÚÖËĂ?Ă? Ă‹Ăž Ă’Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ åÓÞÒ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? ĂŽ Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ ÞÒĂ? ÚÙåĂ?Ăœ ĂŽ Í°Í°Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒÓĂ? ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœË› Postmaster Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ĂžĂ?Ă?Ă’Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹Ă– Ă“Ă—ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚ×Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă? ÞÒËÞ Ă‘Ă™Ă?Ă? Ă’Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ General/CEO Enterprises (BPE), of Nigerian ÞåÙ ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁĂ? ÚÖĂ?Ă˜Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? ÞÙ Ă‹ĂŽĂ Ă™Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂŁ Ă™ Ă“Ă?Þã Ă“Ă˜ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁĂ?Ëœ Postal Service, Mr.Alex A. Okoh, during a courtesy Mr. Adebisi Adegbuyi Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ÙåĂ?Ăœ Ă™Ă? Ă™Ă—Ă—Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? ÚËĂ?Ă•Ă?ĂŽ ĂĄĂ“Ă? Ă’Ă&#x;Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ ĂœĂ“Ă‘Ă’ĂžĂ?Ë› Ă’Ă? visit by the manageme (left) with the Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂŁ ĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ Ă‘Ă? Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒ ÒÙÞ ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă? nt team of NIPOST Director General of Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă–Ă–Ëœ Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹ Ͱ͎Ͳ͡ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă–Ă™ĂŒĂ‹Ă– Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă’Ă“Ăš ÙåĂ?ĂœËœ Bureau of Public to the DG‌ recently Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ Ă˜ĘŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ?Ëœ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ËÖÞÒ ĂœĂ™Ă—Ă™ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ăž ÙÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ?Ë› Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ Ă&#x;ĂžĂ?ĂžĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ù××Ă&#x; Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ăž ĂŒĂ? Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ͳ Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ? Ă™ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Í° ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă‹ĂŒ ÍŽÍŻÍľ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŽĂ&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? Emma Okonji Ͳ Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ? Ă™Ă&#x;Ăž ÍŻÍ° Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ&#x;Ă—Ë› Ă‹Ă?Ăž ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœËœ in Dubai, UAE
Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă‹Ëœ ĂžĂ‹Ă–ĂŁËœ Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ëœ Ă&#x; ĂŽËž Ëœ Ëœ ĂœĂ‹Ă¤Ă“Ă–Ëœ Ă“Ă‘ Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂŽ åÓÞÒ ÞÒĂ? ECONO MY The Managing ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœËœ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ă? ĂĄĂ?ĂžĂœĂ“Ă‹Ëœ Ă•ĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ëœ ĂœĂ—Ă?Ă˜Ă“ Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ëœ ËäËÕÒĂ?ĂžĂ‹Ă˜Ëœ rise to its responsibi Director, Canon Central open to Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ? ĂĄĂ‹Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂŽ Ă? Ă“Ă–Ă– Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ ĂŒĂ? Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂŽ ĂŒĂ‹Ă‹Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁË› Ă’Ă“Ă? lities and said the manageme Africa (CCNA), and North of the them in several sectors address the situation Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜ ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă‘Ă™ åÓÞÒ ÞÒ Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ“ĂžĂ?Ë› Ͳ ĂœĂ?Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? Nigerian economy, adversely affecting that is is interested nt of Canon Mr. Roman Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă– Trodthandi has explained but Ă?ĂœĂ?ËÞÓà Ă? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ? Ă? Ă‹Ă“Ă— Ă™Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™Ă‘Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ business in market because the Nigerian Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă? need for Nigeriaemphasised the skeptical that the investors are growth and developm Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ–ĂŽ ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚ Ă‹ĂšĂšĂœĂ™Ă‹Ă?Ă’ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă›Ă&#x;Ă? Ă ent åÓÞÒ the country,â€? to have a stable of its huge to do and reliable Trodthandi in population and the instability so because of Ă?Ă?ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă’ Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžË› Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă–Ă? ĂĄĂ“ Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? economy that the business said. Citing the issue in the country’s boost investor will currency, of recession, opportunities therein. According Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă—Ă‹Ă‘Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă?Ëœ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă Ă™Ă? Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂŽ åÓÞÒ which he confidence the country. said the federal to him Canon is in fluctuatingwith regard to its Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëž ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă–Ă? Ă™ Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x; ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽËœ Ă“ĂžĂ‹Ă˜ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? government exchange rates. developing the interested in Trodthandi, was able to Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ?Ëœ ĂœĂšĂ™ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ?Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? “Nigeria is African market, nip Nigeria advice during who gave the economy the largest in the bud, he explained Ă?ĂŽ åÓÞÒ ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ÓÞã Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? in particular, Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ăž Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëœ ĂœĂ™ such economic that in Africa and hence it ĂŁ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă&#x; with THISDAY, an interview fastest situation could established Canon Nigeria the Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă˜ĂžĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă?ĂšĂ&#x;ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? ÞÒ Ă™Ă˜Ă™ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëœ local people with 2018 technology at the CABSAT market growing telecoms scare investors, but Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëœ ĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ě‹Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă“Ă? Ă™Ă? Ăž Ă’Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžËœ that insisted Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ë› exhibition, whichconference and of its in the world because that instability of a country’s the local market.understand Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă? large population Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ™Ăœ currency “We have revealed that held in Dubai, tapped and un- devastatin could be more established our service Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă™ĂœĂ–ĂŽ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ Ă“Ăž ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă‹Ă—Ă? Ă™ĂŒĂ Ă“Ă™Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‹ Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ? business opportunit in Nigeria because network investors had most foreign but g to investors Ă&#x;Ă? ÞÒËÞ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?ãÕÙà Ă?Ă•Ă‹ĂŁĂ‹Ëœ Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽË? ËŤ Ă˜ ies, Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă?ĂŽË› no who about Canon is Ă’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă˜Ă™ Ă–Ă™Ă˜ their money loved to invest invest investor will want to desire long business Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂœĂŁ Ă’Ă‹Ă? quality product Ë› Ă?ĂĄ Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă? Ă‘Ă?Ăœ Ă?âÓĂ?ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ plan that in Nigeria because his is unhindere or her in money in an of her large population the d by the fluctua- area of digital unstable economy, Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă™ĂœĂšĂ™ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? ĂœĂ?ËÖÓÞã Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă’Ă‹ĂšĂ?ĂŽ Ă’ Ă‹Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă—Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘ cameras tions of a country’s we want to business opportunit , and the that a situation Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ Ă?Ă?ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă? Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă Ă“ĂœĂžĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă– give Nigeriansand currency calls for exchange rate. ies that are opportunity the ĂžĂ?Ë› for the Nigeriaan urgent need Truecaller Unveils to have Speaking on government Canon’s invest- products from the quality ĂœĂ&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ăœ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ Contacts Backup to ment in various Nigeria, Trodthand Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă˜ĂŽĂœĂ™Ă“ĂŽËœ Ă‹ Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™ i Continued ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ? ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ‹Ă? Ă‹ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ ËÖÖÙåĂ? Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ăœ Ă‹Ă?Ă•Ă&#x;Ăš on page 24 ĂžĂ?Ëœ Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă’Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂŁËœ ĂŒĂ–Ă™Ă?Ă• Ă?ĂœĂ? ÞÙ ĂŒĂ‹Ă?Ă•Ă&#x;Ăš Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÙÙÑÖĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă Ă?Ë› Ă–Ă“Ă?Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă?ĘľĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ă? ÞÙ Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁ Ă’Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ?Ă™Ă? ÞÒ
A WARM WELC OME
‘Nigeria Need s Stable Econ Investment’ omy to Attra ct Foreign
Indigeno Crude Oilus Shipowners May Get FG’s N d
HEALTH Rising Health Hazards in Lagos
NUARY 18, 2018
HEALTH & LIF ESTYLE
"Cleaner Lagos Initiative is borne out of my experience as a Lagosian. I have lived in Lagos for over 50 years. When you are coming into Lagos from Ibadan, the first thing you see on the right side is the dump site. Should I sit and continue to watch, “ the answer is no. All I need is players and team members. Page 36
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Acting Featur es Editor Charle s Ajunwa Email: charle s.ajunwa@this daylive.com
Rising Healt h Hazards in Lagos
Lagos lately has been chara IďŹ jeh write s on how the cterised by piling garba situation is enda ge, putting resid ngering the ents health of Lago in harms way. sians
One of the several
dumpsites in
Martins
Lagos
Cleaner Lagos Initiative is of my experience borne as a Lagosian.out the promise has have lived in been fulfilled I in reverse, When you are Lagos for over 50 years. situation has worsened the live with compared to their Ibadan, the coming into Lagos from state of dirt was in March what the first thing you made the statement. policy makers dirts, after all, governme last year right see nt and the The new idea when he where these do not live in the sit and continueside is the dump site. on the comfortably could now be called dirts are placed. environments Stateroad will require more Should I going I need is playersto watch, the answer It is because than four Lagos Waste Managem by the present ‘Dirty Lagos Initiative’ and team members. is no. All situation. ent Agency trucks for them outbreak, that of this potential source is very dirty. Now, almost of disease every The city and It to be evacuated (LAWMA) raising alarm Lagosians including experts He also queried well-being and is not healthy and so even market street, junction, major our that there might why the state.� are status and our health is defined by our total sites in the state, places have replaced roads, outbreak of diseases government be imminent stopped the monthly dustbin to productivi health littering with piles environmental if nothing noting will be one ty. address the sanitation, of the cleanest Henceforth, Lagos about every nook and and tonnes of dirt growing public drastic is done policies that in addition to cranny of the to live in.� No wonder the environm places in put in place 21 million These were a Lagos resident, health concern. said city of likened ental the exact wordsNigeria a situation that residents in a 21st Lagos State doesn’t seem by the government, which Collins Okobi, the stench emanating Century; Governor, Akinwunm is of to work, gradually he the old of on March 14th, dirts bringing back Lagos. from the heaps environmental sanitation Okobi said stopping i Ambode the reasons in his area in Ejigbo has made people in cleaning From Egbeda, Fast forward 2017. as part why their relax Surulere, 10 months IyanaIpaja, of America, President of the United of the A secondary own environments. after. Not only Victoria IslandEjigbo, Ikotun, Ikeja, Donald Trump school teacher States governmen that Ajah, and up African countries described Haiti to the situation in one of the t schools in Lagos, remains the Ikorodu and shithole withheld) (Nigeria inclusive) The dirts are Mrs. Remi (surname same. countries. as Mushin said since the front of blind, they have not only eye sores even “Once you became a dumping her house in her children for rights of started competing with to the Ejigbo, even are stepping into my ground for refuse, get motorists way, with piles from area major roads, “We are now sick very often. of dirts covering will begin to realisetwo kilometers away, in causing permanently you debris that the quality traffic for Lagosians both human and changed. Every inhaling smell since the past of air has vehicular resident in from seven t no Al in ll F i
INTERNATIONAL Two Koreas Agree to March Together
at Winter Olympics Opening The two Koreas agreedWednesday to march together under a single flag at theWinter Olympics opening ceremony and field a united women’s ice hockey team for the Games in a further sign of easing tensions... Page 43
8, 2018 Ëž T H
I S D AY
INTERNATIO NAL Tw
Programme for Eagles The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) yesterday in Lagos revealed an ambitious pre-World Cup programme expected to boost the country’s determination to surpass previous marks at the Mundial scheduled to hold in Russia next summer. Page 53
email:foreigndesk
@thisdaylive.com
The two Koreas agreed Wednesday to march together under a single the face of tensions over flag at the weapons programm the North’s that Winter ties can open,� opening ceremony Olympics have seen it subjectedes -- which Three officials he added. and field a united women’s to multiple from each side discussed by both Koreas UN Security Council sanctions took part and the with for the Games ice hockey team -- and results will be IOC in Lausanne, Switzerland the “This in Saturday. easing tensions a further sign of markedthe discussions represent , on carefully will then enable the IOC to a evaluate Olympic Games improveme according to on the peninsula, and the Olympic and the potentialthe consequences competitions The two Koreasnt. an AFP report. impact on the ,� an IOC spokesperso North Korea will march also said it would together under a pro-unificat said. n send a 550-membe r delegation flag at the opening ceremony ion to the Winter for Britain Olympics and the February 9-25 Games, will agree to Paralympics according to a press statement take in more in said, as the two the South, Seoul South. issued by the young refugees while providing They will “amend� sides “significant� the 2003 Le Touquet accord athlete numbers met to discuss funds They also in the latest in that effectively efforts to fight climate France’s economic for northern put flurry of cross-borde Britain’s border a women’s agreed to form a unified change development under a new on French soil and a host of economic ice hockey team Macron had r talks. at Calais, Nuclear-arm said in border and the to innovation South said it will and week be struck between agreement presidencya source in the French projects, including that he would Calais this send its skiers agreed last ed Pyongyang Masikryong new sister-city insist on the said Wednesda week case of minors ski resort in the to the Macron and TheresaEmmanuel -- a deal agreements in next month’s to take part for joint y exchanges “because there North Thursday, and more which critics May training with North are Pyeongchang of cultural and more of say has -Games which French sources on made the port works Korean skiers them�, most city a magnet ahead of the AFP. told thousands just 80 kilometresare taking place for by Francesignificantly a loan officials warning there couldwith of migrants dreaming “Inter-Korean Games. 25,000 young be of the 11th-centur Macron, relations have of the Demilitariz (50 miles) south strained Bayeux Tapestry been the UK making his first visit to of Britain. y in France migrants on their own ed Zone (DMZ) for almost 10 as France’s by the end depicting that divides Their years,� the North’s chief the peninsula. meet with Prime president, will bolsteringtalks will also focus on 1066 conquest of Britain. the Of the roughly of this year. delegate Jon Seoul has long 2,000 minors Minister May defence The sought to proclaim said as the meeting startedJong-Su for a summit well as the Brexit cooperation as accord details of the new migrant at the huge “Jungle� camp the event a “peace where are “still being process that has Calais which was near Olympics� in southern side of the borderon the crisis and Britain’s the migrant seen tensions finalised�, cleared 15 months said the source, village of Panmunjom truce European exit from flare who asked ago, London promised to Union are expectedthe and the remainingbetween Britain not to . “We hope take in be named, those who had loom large. 27 members to of the bloc. family members include measures but it will already in Britain. on handling Also on the unaccompa menu will In the end, just be requests nied minors, asylum entry, and in the 893 were allowed and family regrouping past year s. minors have been taken just eight Jailed Ethiopian in. opposition leader announced Merera Gudina has on Monday French police more than a year been freed after would that it training�, drop charges are searching in detention, several sites reported on the governmen Lawsuits have run by dairy Wednesday. BBC than 500 suspects. against more t says. Mr Merera group parents Lactalis as been filed by The leader was arrested Human rights who say Lactalis spokespers in investigati part of an ongoing Federalist Congressof the Oromo long groups have November 2016 at the became unwell their children Nalet on into airport in accused Ethiopia the capital, Addis was released on confirmed that on Michel after drinking scare, according a baby milk the Wednesday morning of refusing Ababa, to allow police had formula. visited the to go back home. and allowed operate opposition groups to flew in from Brussels. after he More than 12 to BBC. Craon Sites raided freely. “As we have factory. He had violated include a of powdered million boxes in Craon, He has been said before, Ethiopia’s The baby milk have north-western factory Lactalis is co-operati December 2016 in prison since holdinggovernment has denied of emergency by having state already been France. justice The factory ng with recalled in contact countries and was facing with “terrorist� any political was closed multiple charges, 83 month prisoners and “anti-peace following a salmonella but says the last provide authorities and will after it groups, state-linked � releases will including everything association with contaminationwas thought the for media reported outbreak. foster necessary terrorist groups. national debate and a smooth conduct The Ethiopian “widen the at the time. of its drying started in one investigat of the That month, government political sphere�. towers. ion,� Mr Merera Those being news agency. he told AFP had freed will first criticised the state of undergo two emergency Pope Denounc in an address days of “rehabilitatio esViolence to the European n parliament inVisit to Restive .
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SPORTS NFF Reveals Ambitious World Cup
43
o Koreas Ag ree to March Olympics Op Together at Wi ening nter
lined up, kits
to be unveiled
National Stadium, where Three President Muhamm The Lions. Nigeria Buhari is The Football in expected to adu Federation (NFF) attendance, be campingteam’s first phase Lagos revealed yesterday in on May 28. will hold in The Abuja pre-World Cup an ambitious with high-profile friendly or Uyo between May the 22 and programme expected England atThree Lions of to boost Wembley will country’s determin the be surpass previous ation to the Eagles fifth game on road on June marks at the Mundial 2 before taking on Czech Republic hold in Russia scheduled to on June 6. In all, the next summer. A yet-to-beSuper Eagles glory-seeking American named are to play team will be South friendlies starting six last friendly Eagles with the heading on June 9 before games against Poland on to March 23rd hostilities in Russia to begin the group named venuein a yet to be where the three-time stage March 27th, and Serbia on champion African 2018 in London. s Speaking to be the firstwill be aiming team from the the federatioshortly after continent n sealed $4million a quarter to go beyond the five-year final stage with Coca-Col deal of the a at the Eko World Cup Hotel and The NFF chief yesterday, Suites in Lagos Nigeria’s hinted kit sponsors that NFF, AmajuPresident of the will unveil the official NIKE because of Pinnick, said that Eagles kit the meeting an the possibility of Cup will use at the World African country finals on February after the group 7 in stage, Eagles London, while a will play a farewell game Partners event willSponsors/ against Congo hold also at the Abuja in the British capital hours after the friendly with the
53
Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ik hazuagbe@th isdaylive.com
Programme for Eagles next month in Lon don
May 30, while phase camping the second Eagles’ official a health resort will hold at Cup World closed in Austria between June at Yessentu camp base is 3 and June ki, Stavropo 11. Territory in Russia’s southernl
region, starting Nigeria will from June 11. Iceland and face Croatia, Group D at Argentina in the mundial.
KEY DATES
7th February: NIKE to launch 23rd March: official kit in Friendly Vs London Poland in Warsaw 27th March: Friendly Vs Serbia in London 22nd May – 30th 28th May: FriendlyMay: First Phase Camping in Abuja/Uyo 2nd June: Friendly Vs DR Congo in Abuja/Uyo Partners event Vs England in London. (Same night, Sponsors/ 3rd – 11th June:in London) 6th June: FriendlySecond Phase camping in 9th June: Friendly Vs Czech Republic in Austria Austria From 11th June: Vs TBC in Austria Close camp at team base camp in Yessentuki
Coca-Cola, NFF Seal $4m Partners hip Deal
Gernot Rohr was a game to spare yesterday rewarded with a fresh two-year contract after securing World Kunle Adewale Cup 2018 ticket for Nigeria with “This sponsorsh The Nigeria Football ip of the Federation Nigeria National Teams (NFF) yesterday is a unveiled food further demonstration drink giants, of CocaCola’s commitme official soft Coca-Cola, as the in Nigeria nt to football drink sponsor the Super Eagles of support at all levels and our The for communit national football and other we ies where FederatioNigeria Football official signing teams at an that operate. Everyone knows a two-yearn (NFF) has signed a good job, he gets Coca-Cola a reward. ceremony of partnership and focused a Global Partner is the Official with Super contract extension We are proud to have agreemen going Mr. taken Eagles’ Technical t at Eko of the Rohr on Hotel & Suits, forward. Throwing Victoria Island, Cup Russia 2018.� FIFA World Adviser Gernot Rohr. are delighted board and we chances light on the equally ambitious Lagos. of winning to be signing Reacting to NFF 1st Vice of his the trophy.� Giving an 2018, the wards at Russia President, this contract extension with Coca-Colathe partnership Seyi Akinwun Asked Franco-G him,� with if , NFF President, yesterday details of insight into the Amaju mi, he he erman to remained noted. explained the sponsorsh allow Eagles was going that Rohr, initially Rohr, who the NFF said ip, federationPinnick said the taken Nigeria willoptimistic that either on board do defender and played as a their wives ofto go with committing four Coca-Cola is associated is delighted to “After beatingwell. girlfriends has coached be deserved the in July 2016 Burki (WAGs) t million d ll with A i th F
Two-year Con tract Extensio Eagles to get n for Rohr Sea day-off for WAG led s in Russia
11
T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY JANUARY 18, 2018
PROPERTIES FOR SALE - ADDENDUM i.
This is to inform the general public of an amendment to The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) advert published on Monday, December 18, 2017 on Properties for Sale. In fulfilment of its objectives and exercise of its statutory duty of efficiently resolving eligible bank assets purchased from various eligible financial institutions in Nigeria,AMCON offeredthe following properties for sale to interested members of the public. The advert published on Monday, December 18, 2017 erroneously stated the land size as 7,259.38 Sqm for the property at Plot 2266 off Udo Udoma Crescent, Asokoro, Abuja listed as No. 1 under Abuja & Plateau Properties. However, the correct size of the property is 4,887.11 Sqm. The general public may please take note. The amended schedule of properties is hereby reproduced for information of the general public. Further details of the properties available for sale, can be found on the following website: www.amcon.com.ng ELIGIBILITY TO PARTICIPATE: To participate in the process, an interested party must meet the following criteria: i. Individual / Corporate entity must not be indebted to AMCON; ii. Directors of interested companies must not be indebted to AMCON; and iii. Individual must notbe an AMCON employee, a relative of an AMCON employee or member of the Board of AMCON. BIDDING PROCESS: i. A competitive bidding process has been adopted for the disposal of the properties. ii. Bid forms are available from the relevant sales agent whose contact details are provided in the schedule of properties being offered for sale. Alternatively, they can be downloaded from AMCON's website www.amcon.com.ngunder Asset Disposal – Assets for Sale or requested by emailing amcon.disposals@amcon.com.ng iii. Bid forms must be submitted alongside 10% of the bid amount in Certified Bank Drafts or e v i d e n c e of the transfer of 10% of the bid sum to a specified bank account, details of which are provided with the bid forms. Where bank drafts are provided, please note that if the deposit sum exceeds N10million multiple certified bank drafts must be provided. iv. The bid submission must be made in a sealed envelope with “Bid for Property” inscribed on the top left corner of the envelope. v. The Certified Bank drafts and transferred funds of unsuccessful bidders will be refunded once the bidding process is concluded. vi. The successful bidder will be required to pay the 90% outstanding balance of the bid price within 15 calendar days of the bid submission deadline, failing which the 10% deposit becomes non refundable and the property can be offered to other buyers. vii. Bids cannot be withdrawn or cancelled once submitted.
ii. iii.
Bids for properties located in Abuja and Plateau must be sealed and submitted in the designated bid box at the following address: Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) 417, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja. The deadline for the submission of bids is 11:00 am Tuesday, 23 January, 2018 All bids submitted will be opened at the AMCON Abuja office where the bids were submitted at 12:00 noon Tuesday, 23 January, 2018.
SUBMISSION OF BIDS - LAGOS: i. Bids for properties located in Lagos and Delta must be sealed and submitted in the designated bid box at the following address : Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) 67, Marina Street, Lagos Island, Lagos ii.
The deadline for the submission of bids is 12:00 noon Thursday, 25 January, 2018 All bids submitted in Lagos will be opened at the AMCON Lagos office where the bids were submitted at 1:00 pm Thursday, 25 January, 2018.
OPENING OF BIDS: i. All bidders and / or their representatives are welcome to be present at the bid opening. The highest bid for each property will emerge the winner subject to the highest bid being equal to or above the reserve price. Results will be announced immediately after the conduct of the exercise. ii. In the event of a tied bid at the bid opening or where none of the bids match or exceed the reserve price, bidders will be required to submit fresh bids at the bid opening. The outcome of the fresh bid submissions will be announced at the bid opening. iii. Conclusion of sale of some properties, due to size, may further be subject to higher authority approval. PROPERTY INSPECTION: All interested bidders are invited to contact the Coordinating Agent stated in the schedule above for guided inspections of the properties and enquiries. The properties will be sold on an “as is” basis. For further information and clarification please visit our website www.amcon.com.ng or email AMCON at amcon.disposals@amcon.com.ng.
SUBMISSION OF BIDS - ABUJA:
ABUJA & PLATEAU PROPERTIES COORDINATOR: KACHI OKPARA & CO - 08035927055, 08069449485 PROPERTY ADDRESS
LAND SIZE
PROPERTY DETAILS
1
Plot 2266 off Udo Udoma Crescent, Asokoro
4,887.11 sqm
The property is a lake view bare land with no structural development. It is located within the low-density residential district of Asokoro and shares a common boundary to the north with the popular Pen Dam.
2
Plot 185, 1 R 32RD Cadastral Zone, Lugbe Estate, FCT.
1,220 sqm
The property is located on 1R 32road, within the Federal Housing Layout Lugbe. The neighborhood is within the medium density residential area with some pockets of commercial activity. The property comprises two blocks of 4nos. 2Bedroom flats each making a total of 8 flats. The premises also contains a security gate house.
3
A close, off 1st Avenue, FHA Estate, Lugbe, Abuja FCT
1,763 sqm
The property is located on an untarred road that takes its source from 1st. Avenue at a point popularly known and referred to as timber shed. The property comprises a gate house and 3-Nos. terraced blocks of one-bedroom flats. There are a total of 14 units of One Bedroom flats in all.
4
Plot No. 875B, M-Close, 1st Avenue, Lugbe Estate, Abuja
1,853 sqm
The property is located at the end of a cul-de-sac known and referred to as M close. The neighborhood is predominantly residential and the property consist of 5 Nos. of 2-Bedroom flats within three blocks. The property also has a one room gate house.
5
No. 8 Tema Street, Wuse Zone 6, FCT.**
536.12 sqm
The property which is a 3 bedroom bungalow with a gate house is located at No. 8 Tema Street. The property is accessed through Herbert Macaulay Way via Rabat Street.
6
Plot 1942 Anglo Jos, Jos South Local Government Area**
2,240 sqm
The property is located in a highbrow industrial neighborhood not far from the Bauchi-Jos expressway. Assets on site include a security block, main office building, a workshop, generator block, main gas storage tank and overhead water tank.
S/N
**The Corporation is in the process of perfecting its title for the property
LAGOS & DELTA PROPERTIES COORDINATOR: KNIGHT FRANK ESTATE AGENCY - 08033030380, 08033008377, 08033241533 PROPERTY ADDRESS
LAND SIZE
1
226, Awolowo Road, SW Ikoyi, Lagos**
1,953.6 sqm
The property comprises of 2 commercial buildings on three (3) floors, domestic staff quarters on two (2) floors, ATM/Gate House, Generator house, pump house and a gatehouse.
2
No 49 Alhaji Yusuf Adebayo Street, Off Wilmer Crescent, Coconut Bus stop, Apapa, Lagos State
526.32 sqm
The property is in a developed residential zone and can be accessed from the Apapa - Oshodi expressway. The property has four (4) No. 3 bedroom flats and 3 No. 3 bedroom terrace house plus a security house.
3
No.11/15, Nkencho Drive, Off Ajose Street, Mende Maryland, Ikeja Local Government, Lagos
2,477.52 sqm
Development on site is a building on four floors with a generator house and security house. Accommodation comprises an open plan factory work space having partitioned office space and toilets.
4
No. 7 Oraka Ukavwe lane, Off Refinery road, Warri, Delta State
3,700 sqm
The property is located in a mixed neighborhood comprising medium and low density residential developments interlaced with commercial activities. The property comprises of a main building (comprising 4 blocks of semi-detached houses on two floors), domestic staff quarters on two floors, semi-detached bungalow comprising 2 Nos. 1 bedroom flat per wing, power house, a gate house and perimeter fence.
S/N
PROPERTY DETAILS
**The Corporation is in the process of perfecting its title for the property
PARCELS WITHIN AN ESTATE IN AJAH, LAGOS COORDINATOR: SOLAR GARDEN PROJECTS LIMITED - 08129120093, 07089997757 S/N 1
PROPERTY ADDRESS
LAND SIZE
PROPERTY DETAILS
246 plots of undeveloped land at various locations within an estate in Ajah, Eti-Osa LGA, Lagos State
487,265.83 sqm
The estate is located on the immediate right hand side of the Lekki Epe expressway by Ajah bus stop as one approaches from Victoria Island. The parcels range in size from 616 Sqm to 79,650 Sqm. Facilities within the estate include good road network, drainage system, street light poles with underground cabling system and fire stations.
SIGNED:
The Secretary, Asset Sale & Negotiation Committee 417, Tigris Crescent Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja. This publication and process neither creates any commitment nor establishes any binding or legal obligation on the seller. All cost incurred by prospective buyers as a result of responding to this advertisement and any subsequent request for information shall be on the prospective buyer's account.
12
THURSDAY JANUARY 18, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY
NEWS
News Editor Davidson Iriekpen Email davidson.iriekpen@thisdaylive.com, 08111813081
Again, Niger Delta Avengers Threatens Renewed Attacks on Oil Facilities House summons Kachikwu, Baru over fuel subsidy payments Ejiofor Alike in Lagos, Damilola Oyedele and James Emejo in Abuja Barely two months after it announced the end of its ceasefire last November, the Niger Delta Avengers yesterday again warned the federal government to brace up for another round of attacks that it would soon unleash on oil and gas facilities in the country. The militant group has also stated that with the recent killings across the country, the time was ripe for the restructuring of the country, adding that anybody who is against restructuring is an enemy of this country and particularly an enemy of the Niger Delta Avengers. In a statement posted yesterday on its website by its spokesperson, “Maj.-Gen.” Murdoch Agbinibo, the militant group, which wrecked havoc on oil facilities in 2016 and helped to precipitate Nigeria’s plunge into a recession, stated that it had concluded arrangements to carry out deadly attacks in a few days time. The group said it would be targeting the deep sea operations of the international oil companies (IOCs) and others littered across the deep waters of the Niger Delta region. NDA also cautioned the operators of the Egina Floating Production Storage Offloading
(FPSO) vessel, which is sailing to Nigeria from South Korea, to let the facility stay where ever it is, warning that it is tracking the movement of the vessel. The militant group stated that it had resolved that the killings and division currently playing out in Nigeria along divergent grounds make this period the perfect time to restructure the country. “While promising a brutal outpouring of our wrath, which shall shake the coffers of the failed Nigerian nation, our demand unambiguously is for the government to restructure the country. “On the 3rd of November 2017 we promised to reactivate ‘operation red economy’ but as usual some overzealous and over-patriotic elders intervened and appealed as they have done twice before for us to avail them some more time to attend to the demands of the Niger Delta as championed by the Niger Delta Avengers,” the group said. The group noted that the oil-rich region has not achieved any meaningful results despite the opportunities, stressing that the Niger Delta elders were either irresponsible or the Nigerian government was not sincere with them, “as is their trade in stock”. It stated that anybody against restructuring is an enemy of this
APC Shelves Meeting with Governors Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The All Progressives Congress (APC) has postponed a consultative meeting between the National Working Committee (NWC) and governors elected on the party’s platform. The meeting meant to hold yesterday at the party national secretariat in Abuja, was however cancelled due to what a source said was the inability of most of the governors to attend. A reliable source told THISDAY that the meeting was planned to be a major one that would have most of the governors in attendance due to the critical issues lined up for discussion. For instance, the party leadership had proposed for discussion issues relating to the congresses and end of term at the national convention. The meeting was to have explored ways of providing funds to execute the task given at the last National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. Another issue that was expected to be discussed at the meeting was the proposal canvassed by some stockholders for a possible extension of the tenure of the current National Working Committee (NWC) led by Chief John Odigie-Oyegun to enable them conduct primaries for the 2019 elections. But as at noon yesterday, the source said the National Chairman, Oyegun, directed that the meeting be cancelled following information received from many of the governors who expressed their inability to be in Abuja for
the meeting. The source said text messages were immediately sent out to all the NWC members informing them of the postponement of the meeting. Only the Osun State Deputy Governor, Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, who was seen entering the supposed venue of the meeting at about 4: 25p.m. yesterday, also expressed disappointment that the meeting was called off without proper communication to them. “We came all the way from Osun State and we were not told that the meeting has been postponed,” she told to a party staff. Yesterday’s consultative meeting was expected to fix a date for the party’s congresses and national convention slated to hold this year but majority of the governors did not show up. When THISDAY asked the party’s spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, the reason for the cancelation of the meeting, he said he was not aware of what might have led to the postponement. Abdulahi had told journalists after the October meeting that NEC had resolved to set up a small committee to put dates to the party activities in 2018. He said: “It was agreed that since we have all these activities lined up, including the mini convention, congresses and elective convention, a small team be set up to put dates to these party activities up to 2018. There was no discussion about election of 2019 or who will be the party standard bearer. The committee will decide when all these activities will take place.”
country, warning that it will not rest until such enemies are defeated by the Niger Delta people who earnestly seek to control their own resources. NDA said that while $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account has been earmarked for release to fight the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east, successive governments had ignored the challenges facing the Niger Delta from which the $1 billion was generated. It accused the federal government of deriving pleasure in “sending their unprofessional and weak military to invade our communities and subject our already sick and
Senate rejects report for silence on payments
suffering people to more hardship and poverty”. “Only a few days ago, the Nigerian Army released 244 members of the murderous Boko Haram sect to the Borno State Government while thousands of innocent Niger Delta youths continue to suffer in various prisons across the country for no just cause,” the group added. It called for the immediate release of all Niger Delta activists and freedom fighters still held captive by the Nigeria Armed Forces. The militant group had launched its presence in the country in February 2016, when it carried out
an attack on the Trans-Forcados pipeline, the first subsea attack on oil and gas installations in the country. The incident had forced Shell to declare force majeure on liftings of the Forcados grade of crude oil. Companies hit by the attack included Shell, Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, Shoreline Resources Limited, Neconde, First Hydrocarbon Nigeria (FHN) and NPDC. Some marginal field producers such as Pillar Oil, Midwestern Oil and Gas, Platform Petroleum and Energia were also affected and reduced some of the affected companies’ oil production to zero
for most of 2016. Before it declared a ceasefire, the NDA had carried out a wave of attacks on oil facilities in 2016 that disrupted the production of 1 million barrels per day (mbpd) from the country’s output, which was then close to 2.3mbpd.
House Summons Kachikwu, Baru Meanwhile, barely 24 hours after the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara vowed to investigate the
Cont’d on page 51
RESOURCE PERSON AND PARTICIPANTS
Chairman of Heirs Holdings and Guest Lecturer, Mr. Tony Elumelu; Commandant, National Defence College (NDC), Rear Admiral Adeniyi Osinowo; Deputy Commandant, Major General Ede Ode, flanked by participants in NDC Course 26 and senior management members of Heirs Holdings, during the course annual lecture where Elumelu delivered a lecture titled: Strategic Leadership; My Business Experience in Abuja .....Tuesday
African Entrepreneurs, Businesses are Stepping Beyond Borders, Going Global, Says Osinbajo Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has told American scholars and professionals that Africa’s impressive economic transformation was being driven by ambitious businessmen and women. These entrepreneurs were stepping beyond national borders and going global, Osinbajo said at the inaugural “Africa Rising’’ lecture of the Harvard University Business School last Tuesday evening. He spoke at the Harvard Business School in Cambridge Massachusetts, where he delivered the keynote at Batten Hall on the course ‘Africa Rising, understanding business, entrepreneurship, and the complexities of a continent.’ “Africa Rising is as much about improving standards of governance as it is about an increasingly confident youths and civil society.a “It is also about businessmen and women who are stepping beyond national borders and going global,” he said. Osinbajo told the gathering of erudite scholars and professionals that “it appears the political panAfricanists of old have given way in terms of prominence to the business pan-Africanists of the likes of Aliko Dangote, Issad Reb Rab (Cevital), Mike Adenuga, Kim Bello-Osagie, the Sawiris owners
of Orascom from Egypt, and mining magnate Patrice Motsepe, among others.” He traced the genesis of Africa’s economic turnaround to the last decade of thé 12th century and noted that democracy provided the fulcrum for change in the mid 1990s. The president observed the change was accelerated by “phenomenal rise in Chinese resource bullishness, the commodities boom including new oil and gas discoveries in many African countries, digital technology, mobile phones and the Internet.” He explained that the creative ingenuity of Africa’s businessmen and women cut across different sectors of the economy such as in agriculture, telecommunications, manufacturing and IT. “We’ve been seeing the slow but steady maturing of institutions; press and civil society that are boldly taking advantage of the empowering nature of the internet; and an increasingly engaged diaspora,” he added. Drawing attention to Africa’s phenomenal growth, Vice President Osinbajo observed that the continent developmental experience had thrown up very important lessons one of which is that “economic growth is not
sustainable without nation-building, and even of greater importance, state building.” “Many of the ethnic and other parochial tensions that have tended to create insecurity and outright conflict time, and time again, are largely as a result of failure to deliberately undertake nationbuilding efforts,” he submitted. Other lessons highlighted by Osinbajo included: “The benefit of discarding the error of African Exceptionalism – belief that African countries were in some way exempted from the rules by which other countries and continents have succeeded; that somehow Africa must not be judged by the standards and expectations that apply to other countries.’’ He emphasised “the need for a healthy distrust of purist ideological prescriptions, in favour of a common sense introduction of markets with a fair balance of state participation or intervention that has shown interesting results.’’ Osinbajo noted that sustainable growth comes from productivity increases in the real sector, which perhaps explains the continued high unemployment in Africa even at six per cent growth rates; the ‘jobless’ growth phenomenon. “Africa cannot afford to underestimate the power of
technology to fast-track the continent’s rise. Emerging technologies have played extraordinary roles in every aspect of the continent’s most touted successes. “Many – including Africans themselves – constantly need to be reminded that Africa is not a country. Policy-makers and development partners must understand that what worked in Rwanda or Zambia might not necessarily work in Ghana.’’ Osinbajo, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), advised African leaders to pursue a people centered economic model which translates economic growth to an improved standard of living of the average citizens on the continent. He stated that social safety nets have become imperative, citing the over N500 billion social Investment programmes of the Buhari Presidency which is committed to targeting the youths, artisans, market women and the vulnérables. Earlier, in her welcome remarks, Prof. Caroline Elkins of the Harvard Business School, noted the contributions of the vice president to legal profession in Africa and his impressive public service career especially during his tenure as Attorney-General of Lagos State.
T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY JANUARY 18, 2018
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COMMENT
Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com
TIME AND DEVELOPMENT
Okello Oculi argues that the population strength should be well channelled
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man of destiny once spoke these words: ‘’The energies of the millions of men in the villages and thousands of women in the towns which are at present wasted in gossip, dancing and drinking, are a great treasure which could contribute more towards the development of our country than anything we could get from rich nations’’. Once when travelling from Zaria to a conference in Port Harcourt, we reached Akwanga Town at 9 a.m. and parked for breakfast in front of a mud-walled and zinc-roofed ‘’International Hotel’’ where white smoke rolled out from under triangles of cooking stones. Stretching our legs, arms, necks and chests we entered expecting being celebrated as the first customers, only to find that veteran devotees had arrive at 5 a.m. ; having left the previous drinking session around 2 a.m. at night. The geography of their faces boasted of puffed reddish eyes and loose skins strained by long companionship with alcohol. In that land it is the women who go out at dawn to till the soil in a race against bites from a rising, often merciless, tropical sun. And yet, ‘’by virtue of their sex (those women) suffered inequalities which had nothing to do with their contribution to the family welfare’’, we learnt. As we debated the matter raised by those revellers, a wood-bodied truck bulging with baskets full of onions and tomatoes travelling from Katsina for Aba Town, showed out the consoling advice: ‘’WHY WORRY WHEN YOU CAN PRAY’’. This advice always finds usefulness each time one confronts the tension at petrol stations in Nigeria of a chemistry of mixes between Time, Arithmetic, Petrol and the Wrath of desperate drivers. It is not clear if professors have supervised dissertations by doctoral candidates of Economics on Wasted Brainpower; Mathematics; Cardiac Medicine; Nutritional Value of Petrol Vapour; Demography; Political costs of depletion in Political Legitimacy and Loyalty of citizens, and the Elasticity of Humour and Tolerance in a people once cynically declared by the BBC to be ‘’the happiest people in the world’’. It is not clear that when budgets are being drafted by officials in ministries of Finance and National Planning this cauldron of chemical ingredients is given due attention and respect. Mathematical calculations of heartbeats roused and depressed spent hourly along petrol queues; economic losses in the depletion of overheated engines, breaks, and tyres in motor vehicles; losses of sleep and brain decay, etc., continue to be neglected by universities and public intellectuals. Listening to interviews on China’s global television network, it is almost certain that some Chinese universities that study African economies have professors of ‘’Time, Petrol Shortage and Delivery’’ in Nigeria.
IN FCT’S AREA 10, THERE IS A SHED HEAVING WITH CREATIVITY. IN PLAZAS; AREA ONE AND AREA TWO, HOWEVER, ABLE-BODIED MALES WASTE AWAY TIME AND PRODUCTIVE WORK WATCHING OVER IMPORTS FROM KOREA, CHINA AND ELSEWHERE
Various scholars of African Culture, Morality and Ethics must have puzzled over the high frequency of petrol scarcity and increases in prices of food and other consumer goods whenever Nigerians are entitled to moments of celebration: including those linked to religious worship. Businessmen and traders who openly order God or Allah to fertilise their businesses with blessings and Divine Grace, easily resort to punishing God’s own children by charging high and extortionist prices as believers rush out to honour their Creator. Some of these business looters probably rush out to America to benefit from reductions of prices of goods during celebrations of nationhood, religious events and changes in climatic seasons in that country. This is a matter of ‘’national orientation’’ – with ethics and moral values as vital elements in it – which should also concern ministries of Health, Commerce and Tourism because of the mental stress, depletion of purchasing power, time and choices by families and individuals to make purchases and visit unknown parts of Nigeria as holidays treats. Max Weber noted that religious beliefs about how time and energy were used in Europe for buying tickets to paradise through building capitalist economic prosperity and progress. In contrast, while visiting Ogun Waterside in a study of governance in several states, I met owners of battered taxis huddled together as they waited for passengers who seemed never to use their services; and rows of women seated on stools watching over little biscuit packs and match boxes. No buyers came while I loitered around them. Time was not holding hands with development here. In Dutse Alhaji on the way to Usman Dam in the FCT, groups of hawkers are mobile shelves for importers. Companies whose goods they shove into faces of potential buyers use them to avoid costs of owning shops and paying Vat tax. In those parts of Abuja where newspapers are hawked by hands as newspaper stands, predominantly young men – women newspaper sellers are rare in Abuja or Nairobi – consume long hours before a random sale is made. Youthful muscle-energy and persuasive talent consume vital time for low yield of development. In FCT’s Area 10, there is a shed heaving with creativity. In PLAZAs; Area one and Area two, however, able-bodied males waste away TIME and productive work watching over imports from Korea, China and elsewhere. They could be usefully replaced with loan-based Creativity Sheds for textile weavers; wood craftsmen; skilled leather artists; creators of IT products; and food vendors. Energies of youths hawking in sun and rain; OKADA riders and NAPEP drivers will fall to urban rail transport. Work by Nigeria’s population numbers must be rigorously designed and engineered to carry development.
HAIL TO THE PEOPLE’S PRINCESS Tony Olutomiwa pays tribute to Adenrele Adeniran Ogunsanya, former Secretary to the Lagos State Government, at age 70
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t was the Scottish writer, Thomas Carlyle, who famously stated that the history of the world is but the biography of great men, reflecting his belief that heroes shape history through both their personal attributes and divine inspiration. But Carlyle had only popularisedThe great man theory, an idea which explains history via the impact of great men or heroes on society. For obvious reasons, the above represents a fitting reflection of the life of Princess Adenrele Oyebola Adeniran Ogunsanya, former Secretary to the Lagos State Government, who turns 70 today. As we rejoice with her on this historic day even as we also pay attention to her enviable life of service and dedication to humanity, we are confronted with the remarkable impact of her father on her journey, which indeed shaped her essence. For coming with her father from Manchester in England to Lagos as a toddler, navigating the landscape from their ancestral home in Ikorodu to Apapa Road where she had her childhood years and later in Surulere, it has been an eventful life. And expectedly, politics has dominated her public persona as many know her mainly as a politician without acknowledging her as an astute technocrat who served for a considerable period with the oil giant, Shell and later flourished in business. But such perception could hardly be different considering the political profile of her great father, the indomitable and outspoken lawyer, Chief Adeniran Ogunsanya of blessed memory, who, like a colossus, dominated Lagos politics in the 80s rising from the Zikist Movement and the NCNC to national acclaim. He was a political ally of the equally great Owelle Onitsha, Chief
Nnamdi Azikiwe. So it is not a mistaken identity when people usually identify the Ikorodu princess with politics because she’s born into it and grew to make a lasting impact of her own. Looking back now, it is therefore easy to postulate that her ascendancy to political might and clout especially in the Lagos political firmament was due to the faith of her father, whose encouragement and values moulded her political grounding, thus affirming the epitaph of rising from a strong political tradition of high standard and public morality. To a large extent, her father’s values, symbolised by such a noble character, a gift of inheritance even from the grand –father, Chief Suberu Ogunsanya, Odofin of Ikorodu, defined her politics and leadership later in life. Although she was privileged, she was not unduly pampered nor cut corners because she was a daughter of a prominent man. She passed through the normal furnace of life, attended both private and public schools (of that era) as well as fighting, figuratively, for her special place in the social status reckoning at different stages. But invariably, that great family name, Ogunsanya, made the difference at some critical times -- either attending the Zikist Movement meetings with her father or the Zikist National Vanguard and those other important caucuses where she met and interacted with very notable names in Lagos politics at a young age and served her political tutelage. Then she came of age politically, maturing not only in political aspiration and running for office but also leading men and women and the story has been quite interesting. For a long period of time, she chose to follow in her father’s path, in the context of appreciating politics as a major tool to change society and wrought positive impact.
One salient thing about Princess Adenrele Adeniran Ogunsanya as I know her is her courage and sense of purpose and devotion. She’s grassroots oriented, always eager to feel the pulse of the people and make herself available to solve their problems. Also whenever she realises that a trodden path may not get the desired result, she recoils in critical thinking and evaluation to seek a more realistic route to the achievement of a cause. We saw this even in her political career, having to abandon what could be seen as a conservative political relationship to the progressives as a necessity to serve the people. She never forgets her associates and friends. Ahead of the strategic political cross-over to the Action Congress over some 10 years ago, she invited me and made it possible, among others, to meet with the essential Jagaban, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the first time at his Bourdillon residence in Ikoyi talking politics. And when she was appointed the SSG she also invited me to serve in her office. These two instances remain indelible in my mind, signposting, in my view, those very bright stripes of her kind of political leadership. Yes, you can’t miss her generosity of spirit, doing good. I think I should, however, point out here that her expedient and rewarding exit from the Peoples Democratic Party at that time was also influenced by the sudden death of Mr. Funsho Williams, leaving the party with an uninspiring leadership riven by internal leadership struggle on account of contradictions in interest aggregation. Then something had to give in and the time was perfect to move on. This woman of style is an amazing person one can trust to do the right things and hold firmly to some sound principles and judgments, in spite of the prevailing circumstances and this speaks to her valuable leadership. Her family
house in Oke Ota-Ona in Ikorodu is Mecca of sorts to many who come to see her for different reasons on a weekly basis, but mostly on political matters and empowerment and she obliges as much as she could cope. Yet every moment here comes with a snap smile, suggesting that she loves relating with the people. Or the unspoken belief and interest that politics is life and indeed that the people are at the centre of it all! This observation actually defines her social duality at intervals: at one time she’s with the downtrodden sharing their concerns so intimately and the other time, she’s with the high and mighty, talking the substantive issues of the day. Without doubt, I think her humanity is real. She is a different kind of feminist who believes in traditional family values, a community organiser and advocate of women empowerment. Princess Adenrele Adeniran Ogunsanya’s meritorious life has earned her numerous awards for outstanding and purposeful leadership, having served in a number of federal boards and agencies. She is the Omowonuade of Owu Kingdom in Abeokuta, a coveted chieftaincy title conferred on her by the Oba of Owu Kingdom, Kabiyesi Olusanya Adegboyega Dosunmu (Amororo 11) for her contribution to national development. Of course, her remarkable success as the Secretary to the Lagos State Government proved conclusively that she’s thorough bred and deserved every accolade that trailed her enviable stewardship as we also celebrate her at this momentous occasion in her joyful life. She’s undoubtedly, the People’s Princess and it’s pleasant to say that at 70 years, she has made her mark as a worthy Lagosian. Olutomiwa is the CEO, Mixot Media Limited, Lagos
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EDITORIAL WHEN WILD ANIMALS BECOME PETS The authorities could do more to protect wild life
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ast weekend report in a national newspaper that many afuent Nigerians now keep as pets wild animals that have been declared endangered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and by the World conservation bodies should worry the authorities. “While some, in a bid to stand out from the crowd, opt for special breeds of dogs and cats, many have taken the trend a notch higher by going in favour of dangerous and wild animals like crocodiles, alligators, pythons, tigers, hyena and even lions. Not minding the dangers they may pose for their safety, individuals with the resources have continued to pamper such exotic pets with care, spending decent amounts on their upkeep each monthâ€?, according to the report in The PUNCH newspaper. To compound the problem, in what has become an everyday spectacle in our country, itinerant traditional medicine sellers and owners of small circuses move around towns and cities dragging along fettered animals that have NIGERIA WAS ONCE been declared endanSAID TO HAVE THE MOST gered and near extinct DIVERSE POPULATION by UNEP and the OF MONKEYS AND APES World conservation IN THE WORLD, BUT bodies. These animals AS ITS FORESTS HAVE are most often cruelly DWINDLED, MANY OF treated by their capTHESE ANIMALS HAVE tors who compel EITHER BEEN HUNTED TO them to perform EXTINCTION OR ARE NOW tricks for various paySERVING AS PETS ing audiences. Most of these animals are usually infants whose parents either exist as families in the wild or may have been killed by poachers, who would then sell the children in the black market. Aside the illegality of these practices, what is lost to those involved in this dangerous game is that these wild animals still possess their natural instincts, even if they are dulled from living outside their habitat. But the main concern for us is that the act of parading wild
Letters to the Editor
animals on the streets is both illegal and cruel. It is noteworthy that Nigeria is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as “CITESâ€?. The treaty aims to protect wildlife from overexploitation from international trade. It also provides different levels of protection for a large list of plant and animal species, working to protect their numbers in the wild. It does this by imposing a specialised permitting system on the transport and trade of speciďŹ c listed species. By those extra hurdles, CITES has created an environment that has had a signiďŹ cant impact on the rampant over-exploitation of the species it monitors. Nigeria has a number of animal and plant species that are listed by The World Conservation Union (IUCN) in the 2004 IUCN “Red List of Threatened Animalsâ€? as ‘vulnerable’ to extinction.
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AARE ONA KAKANFO OFYORUBALAND
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egrettably, the government has not been able to adequately equip forest guards to stop poachers, who operate almost freely within the nation’s protected game reserves in Yankari, Bauchi State; Okomu, Edo State; GashakaGumti National Park in Adamawa and Taraba states; Cross River National Park; and Omo Forest Reserve, Ogun State. It is from these poachers who also operate as thieves that those who keep these wild animals as pets at home get them. Yet this unchecked thriving trade in wildlife in Nigeria led to the suspension of the country from CITES in March 2008. Five years earlier in 2003, after two gorillas that were being illegally trafďŹ cked were intercepted in Kano, international and local conservationists labelled Nigeria a hub in the illegal trade in endangered wildlife. The two captured female western lowland nine-year-old gorillas were subsequently sent back to their homeland in Cameroon that year to the shame of our country. Incidentally, Nigeria was once said to have the most diverse population of monkeys and apes in the world, but as its forests have dwindled, many of these animals have either been hunted to extinction or are now serving as pets at the homes of the rich of our society.
t an editorial meeting sometimes in 2000, THISDAY Chairman/Editor-in-Chief, Mr Nduka Obaigbena, said he had information that the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) had concluded plans to burn down our Apapa, Lagos premises because our newspaper was deemed ‘anti-Yoruba’. Then he added, “Yet nobody will believe that the two people writing all the anti-OPC columns in this place are actually Waziri (Adio, the current Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI) and Segun who happen to be Yoruba.� That was at a period, early in the life of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, when OPC was posing a serious national security threat by their open recourse to violence. However, within a few years, my path had crossed that of Dr Frederick Fasheun and Chief Ganiyu Adams, the two men leading separate factions of the organisation, such that when, in 2005, I was invited by the former to be the reviewer at the launch of his biography, I had to call the latter to inform him ahead so I would not get caught in the crossfire of what was, at the time, a violent antagonism between the duo. Yet despite my disagreement with the OPC politics that sees ethnic relations in a diverse society like Nigeria’s as a zero-sum game, I have over the years developed with Adams a friendship that is based essentially on mutual respect. What particularly fascinates me about Adams is that for a man who started out with little education (he left secondary school in form three to go into carpentry), the profundity of his thoughts
and his capacity to analyse complex socio-political issues are quite extraordinary; regardless of whether or not you agree with him. Even before he went back to school to earn a first degree, Adams had immersed himself in the history of Yoruba culture and people, and could engage you intellectually on any aspect. And from my encounters with him in recent years, it was also always obvious that he is both an ambitious man and a good student of power; which then explains why he has risen rather rapidly within so short a period despite where he is coming from. However, to better appreciate his trajectory, I implore readers to find a 2005 journal article by Oxford University Professor, Wale Adebanwi, entitled “The Carpenter’s Revolt: Youth, Violence and the Reinvention of Culture in Nigeria�. Published by the Cambridge University Press, Adebanwi concludes partly in the paper that, “What is particularly interesting in the context of the OPC, however, is not only the way in which the concept of culture is entwined with an interplay between tradition and modernity, but the way in which political entrepreneurs such as OPC leaders employ this in the trajectory of their political/ cultural projects.� Even though I promised Adams that I would be in Oyo last Saturday for his installation, I could not make the occasion. But he knows I wish him well. And all factors considered, I believe Adams is a perfect fit for the title of Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland. Oye a m’ori o! Olusegun Adeniyi, Abuja
DON’T RUN ON GOODLUCK RAILWAY
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t is interesting to follow the twitter warfare between Sen. Ben-Bruce Murray and Gov. Nasir el-Rufa’i regarding the truth about the Abuja-Kaduna Railway Shuttle. Apparently, that transport hub would be packaged as an integral part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s second-term marketing “achievements;� I wonder why Gov. El-Rufa’i is wasting so much energy discrediting a fact of achievement due to President Goodluck Jonathan. This governor, who is so “learned� as to be absolutely sure be won’t flunked a Primary Four test and who is regarded as a “genius� by the Buhari camp, should recall that that railway line was almost ready for launching by March 2015 and that Vice-President Namadi Sambo touted it as a major achievement of the Jonathan-Sambo campaign team. It saddens everyone to see that the Buhari team wholeheartedly adopted the inauguration of this railway line as achievement by this camp; two locomotive engines and a couple of coaches added in 2018, just before another round of general elections, and we are being told that “promises� have been delivered. Haba wa, Nasir! Sunday Adole Jonah, Department of Physics, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State
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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY JANUARY 18, 2018
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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2018
POLITICS
Group Politics Editor Tobi Soniyi Email tobi.soniyi@thisdaylive.com 08033146139 SMS ONLY
PERSONALITY INTERVIEW
Kish: El-Rufai Has Failed Kaduna People A former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Kaduna State, Jonathan Adamu Kish, has called on the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai to start preparing his hand over notes, having failed to deliver on his campaign promises. He spoke to John Shiklam who presents the excerpts:
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We had fantastic programmes. By 2012, we had awarded contracts for roads, worth about N30 billion across the state. Those projects were going on. We had a robust payment plans for the contractors. We were to complete the Zaria Water Works by the end of 2013. We had a small setback because of the kidnapping that took place at the site. Muktar Yero succeeded late Yakowa, he barely had two years, but he was able to start and finish some roads. I haven’t seen any project started and completed by this administration.
he Southern Kaduna crisis has been going on for too long, what did the Yakowa administration do to stop it? We engaged with different parties, we tried to gain the confidence of the people. We had meetings, we tried to understand the root causes of the conflicts and we tried to address them. We met with anybody who we felt could help find solutions to the crisis. We had an inter-religious harmony committee, presided over by the governor with the deputy governor and myself as members. We also had members from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) as members. We met monthly as a way of looking for solutions and we were taking proactive measures to stem the crisis. We had Operation Yaki (security outfit) which was well funded. We tried our best to see that the crisis was addressed. Of course we had the post presidential election violence report which we also tried to implement. I understand some people were indicted in that report, why didn’t the Yakowa administration act on it? Yes, the report indicted some people. The report was inconclusive in terms of its recommendations, so we had a challenge when we were doing the White Paper. For instance, the report came up with accusations against people, maybe a certain community will make allegation that someone was seen fighting. That person was not invited to state his own side of the story, but the report listed the persons name as those who participated or created the crisis, so you cannot say that, that person has been indicted in terms of the findings by the panel. What we did was to investigate those who were mentioned. I wrote several times to the police to investigate those alleged to have committed crimes allegations and send me the report to prosecute them. Up to the time I left office, we were still waiting for the outcome of those investigations. I know that I wrote and attached the white paper and sent it to the police and I sent reminders. We also had people who were arrested and we charged them to court, there were those that were released because there was no evidence against them. Just recently, ten people were killed in Sanga and Jama’a local government areas including a traditional ruler and his pregnant wife. How will you advise government to ensure an end to the killings? First, the government is making a lot of efforts, but I doubt if they are making the efforts in the right direction. The government has not been able to gain the confidence of the people in terms of the kind of solution that they are applying to the problem, so it is not succeeding. I think the government needs to reconsider its strategy by reviewing its approaches. For me, the good way to approach the problem is to try to gain the confidence of the various communities. Gain the confidence of the Fulanis and the communities that are being attacked in the southern part of the state. Be fair and even-handed in the way you discuss with the people. The governor, for instance said that he did not recognise an organisation like SOKAPU (Southern Kaduna Peoples Union) which represents over 50 ethnic nationalities. And you say you don’t recognise them and your deputy governor was part of the foundation of that organisation, you have eroded confidence between you and that community and so they would be suspicious of whatever step you take. If a crisis takes place and then you say it is so, so and so, before investigation is carried out, you say it is this kind of problem, that erodes confidence in the people.
Kish
The Fulanis I lived with as a young man were peaceful. We gave them land in my community, they reared their cattle, they brought their “Fura da Nono” (Cow milk) to us and we didn’t have any problem. But now there is a problem. Like I said, if you gain the confidence of both parties, then they will tell you the truth about the problem. INEC has released time time table for the 2019 elections, what is your assessment of the APC administration in Kaduna State? What is there to assess? There is no security, going by the governor’s admission. I heard him say that the level of homicide in Kaduna is high....We hear everyday of people being killed. This has never happened in the history of Kaduna State. So, am I safer than I was before? The answer is no. My son was attacked right outside the house some months ago. Have I seen an improvement in public infrastructure? I cannot really say that I have seen such an improvement. What I see are dusty roads in an attempt to do the roads. Last year, the Zaria Water Works, we were told, was commissioned. Our administration did a lot of work on that project, practically 70 to 90 per cent, then we heard that it was commissioned but the people in Zaria are saying that there is no water. So what was commissioned? You hear about job creation, let’s look at it from two sides. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) told us that 8.2 million jobs had been lost in 2016 and 2017. That is scary! And then you come back to Kaduna state, NLC was on protest today (January 11) over the dismissal of 32,000 workers, they said. If you add that number, we will have fairly large families that are out of jobs. Every worker takes care of not less than five people, that means a huge number of people are out of means of their livelihood. For the teachers, I am worried because, I do not know where we are going to find large number of qualified teachers. By current standard, the only people who should teach are those who have qualifications in teaching, either an NCE or a Bachelors in education. From the same system that produced those that government fired, I don’t know how they will get qualified people. Government is even going ahead to fire people that already have jobs. I read somewhere that government has created
certain agencies, take KASTELEA (Kaduna State Traffic and Environmental Law Enforcement Agency) for instance, it is basically my brain child when I was in government. We were discussing the issue of road tax because we needed more revenue and the late Yakowa asked me. I told him that we did not need new laws to get revenue, we should implement the ones we have. We saw that there is a law relating to road taxes, which is the road traffic laws and orders, but the biggest challenge we had was enforcement. We had environmental issues. I chaired inter ministerial committee on environmental sanitation, we also saw the problem of enforcement. So we suggested the creation of an agency for the enforcement and the proposal I submitted was accepted and we prepared a bill. That is the background to that agency. But I don’t know what they are implementing today, whether it is what we initiated or whether they have a totally different thing, I didn’t know. You look at Olam, people talk about it. People are concerned that the president was brought to commissioned it, but really nothing is happening. I passed there, it is a beautiful structure, but I overheard a few days ago that it is just one of those things that government makes hype about. So you wonder where are the jobs from? When we did the Indomie factory, it is there, it is running, people are working, you could see the value of it. It took very short period to do that and it is on stream. When you talk about job creation and the things that government has done, you really don’t have anything to hold. They are just abstract things. It is very painful for me because, while I supported the candidate of my party and I proved that by delivering my three polling units to my party, but when we lost the election and the current governor won, I was relieved and happy, I felt we have very intelligent people that are going to run Kaduna State and we should see a difference. But I don’t see that happening, so my expectations had been dashed because my hopes were really high that this government would make a difference. This is probably the only government outside Makarfi that might have the privilege of having a full four years. Namadi Sambo had barely two years, Yakowa barely settled down and he had to contest election and then he died.
Do you see any prospect for the return of PDP to power in Kaduna state? Absolutely! This government should start writing its handing over notes. They should prepare to leave because the citizens of Kaduna State are not happy. We have never been this divided, the government doesn’t seem to have respect for anybody.... I do not see how this government could get its mandate extended. Sometimes, I don’t really think they do plan to win election. I think that the government probably wants to instigate crisis and find a way of remaining in power or like we have seen with INEC under this federal government, they have a history of inconclusive elections. They have a history of generating crisis to win their elections. We saw how it went in Edo state. We saw how it went in Ondo state, they tried the same thing in Bayelsa. Maybe they think they can manipulate INEC to win elections both at the federal and state levels, but beyond that, I do not see how this government can remain in power. But some people within the PDP are not happy with the outcome of the convention. How united is the party in Kaduna. The PDP is actually prepared. The party in Kaduna state is one family, we have a stable and good leadership under Hassan Hyet, we have great leaders in the party, former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, former governor and former national caretaker chairman of the PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi who helped repositioned the party at the national level by organising, arguably one of the best conventions that the party has held in Nigeria. So the party is back as one big happy family. A few people had concerns as a result of the politicking that went during the National Convention that produced national officers. They felt that they had lost out, but the Serieki Dickson committee is working hard to reconcile them and they have been co-operating with the new National Chairman and the committee. I think that the way things are going, PDP is set to take over power. Quite a number of big names have returned to the PDP. The former Vice President is back and that is a huge lost to the APC. From what we hear, other people are waiting in the wing to come back to the PDP. The APC itself is not together, the big implosion will happen in the APC and PDP is going to be the natural beneficiary of all of that. There are speculations that you are nursing a governorship ambition. There has been a lot of agitations since 2015 that I should contest the governorship. Wherever I go, people asked; when are you going to run for governor? Running for the position of governor is not a decision you take just like that. It requires extensive consultations. First, you will have to ask yourself whether there is something that you will like to do? I know that I always want to serve, I will always yield to the clamour of the people to serve. What I am doing is consulting widely within and outside the state. I am also asking myself whether I am willing to take my service to that level. So that is where I am now.
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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2018
ANALYSIS
Wesley: How NPBS Will Revolutionise Policing Nigeria’s poor security architecture is set to receive a facelift with the introduction of the Nigeria Police Broadcasting Service. Mr Edirin Jerry Wesley, the brain behind the innovation spoke with journalists in Abuja. Paul Obi was there and presents the excerpts:
T
he Nigerian Police Broadcasting Service (NPBS) is generating so much excitement. How was the NPBS idea conceived? Having lived in Europe for about 25 years, the idea was conceived in 2010, but after doing my feasibility study on the security challenges in the country, I presented it to the Nigeria Police Force management in 2012. The NPBS is currently receiving wide acceptability both in Nigeria and outside the country. For instance, after my interview with Fox News in the United States, we have had partnership with 228 radio stations in the United States and Canada. So, you conceived the idea to achieve maximum security for the country? That is right. NPBS is going to be giving first hand information on security matters across the nation and also to build up confidence of Nigerians home and abroad, including foreign investors. Apart from that, what else did you set out to achieve? My focus is all on security because if the environment is secured, every other thing follows. For instance, if there is security of lives and property, foreign investors would be willing to invest in the country. I thought about the image of the police because you have to rebrand the image of the police. And how do you rebrand the image of the police? It is by bringing the community and the police together. We have to bridge the gap; we have to build the trust. For the police, see something, say something, have a voice. If the public have a voice and the police know their right, and the public know their right, it makes everybody to work together perfectly because you can see something and say oh, call the police. I remember about 17 years ago, I went to Germany and my cousin drove down to see me and we were talking. And just because we were both blacks and we were just laughing, somebody who was at the window, an old woman, saw us and within the next couple of minutes, we saw the German policemen and they were asking us about our documents, they wanted to know why we were there and they wanted to know what we were doing in the country. That is effective policing. They see something and say something. We are all Nigerians, we have to do this great work together in building up our nation both rich and poor, Christians, Muslims and others; North, East, West and South of the country. Specifically, what does the NPBS entail? It is about media: television just like you have television about security matters; online media and as well, radio station where local languages are spoken and emergency command control and communication centre. The usefulness of the television is about people watch the television and see what is going on. For example, you want to travel and you want to see what is happening if you have to travel between Abuja and Kogi state or Abuja and Kano. So, if you watch the television, you should be able to know the security situation between Abuja and Kogi state, whether the road is free or not. And secondly, if there is kidnapping happening on the road, you have to educate people with tips about kidnapping. Also, if there is accident as a result of armed robbery in any of the highways, you can use it as a flash point on the television for those travelling along that route to their destination to be aware of what is happening. That is about the television, educating people about all sectors of security. The radio station is about educating people in local languages. For instance, look at what happened in Yola recently. The problem was that there was no avenue of contacting the police at the beginning of the incident. So, we have been working with the Nigerian Communications Commission and have agreed to issue the 112 emergency command control response number where you
Inspector General of Police, Abubakar Idris
call. Whether you have money on your phone or not, just dial that number and it will ring straight at the headquarters where we set up the emergency command control centre. That takes the call and push it back to the state; the state command dispatches it to the nearest divisional police officer who would in turn send the men of the Nigeria Police to the crime scene. The same goes with the online where information are passed across for easy access and dissemination. In terms of service delivery, are you targeting the entire country or some parts? It is national, across the 36 states and Abuja. We want to make sure we get it right in Nigeria
We are all Nigerians, we have to do this great work together in building up our nation both rich and poor, Christians, Muslims and others; North, East, West and South of the country
before moving to other African countries. You had a presentation with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum. What was their response? It was good. Fantastic! We had people like His Excellency, Governor Rochas Okorocha who said gone were the days police go around with guns, that media is the tool. We also have people like His Excellency, Governor Nasir el-Rufai who also embraced it. The governors were impressed after the presentation between the NPBS, the forum and the Inspector General of Police at the Presidential Villa. The governors were pleased and were concerned about the sustainability of the project. They were pleased because it is a private partnership. We have all the governors who see their vision in line with what we are doing and want to be part of it. We had a presentation with Local Content; we had a presentation with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and a lot of other organizations who want to be part of it. Sceptics would still push the idea that how would the commissioning of NPBS assist our security situation in the country. What response do you have for such persons? Like I said, it is all about educating the society; real time information and as well, an input in bringing investors because it is going to be a platform where every investor is going to look at. Are you saying this would revolutionalise the Nigerian security apparatus? Definitely! It is going to be a checkpoint as well for the police. It is not just for the benefit of the populace. The police have to be checked
as well because when you see something, say something and you call the media. Don’t forget there are smart phones which you can use to video whatever that is going on either on the highway or within your environment and pass it across. It is going to be both ways checkpoints. No hiding place for the police any longer? There is no hiding place for the police, no hiding place for the public. How about allegations of police taking bribes on the highways or within the local community? A journey of a thousand miles starts one day. Once the awareness is created, the police itself as a body or as an organization, would start checking itself because if they know that somebody is going to video something and send it to the NPBS and NPBS is going to establish it by broadcasting it to the nation, I am sure nobody wants to get his name damaged. So, with that, I think the police will be at the point of being alert. If it is a habit that has been happening, it is going to change. How would NPBS impact on elections in the country? It is going to be through policing the nation through effective information communication, saving lives and property and doing the right thing, creating awareness for people to know that someone is watching like a watchdog because you see something and say something. Through the technology being installed, the applications on peoples’ phones and the drones, issues of election mismanagement would be a thing of the past with timely information.
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2018 Ëž T H I S D AY
FEATURES
Acting Features Editor Charles Ajunwa Email charles.ajunwa@thisdaylive.com
A Sweet Homecoming Adibe Emenyonu writes on the homecoming of the children of two brothers from the Ihama N'Igun family of the famous Igun bronze casters who were presumed dead after the great Benin massacre of 1897
F
or the family of Chief Kelvin Oduagbon, the Ihama N'Igun of Benin, their joy knew no bounds as his relations long forgotten and declared dead came back from Delta State to identify with him and his entire household. After the massacre of 1897 which saw the exit of Oba Ovoramwen N' Ogbaisi to Calabar, an epidemic ravaged the entire kingbdom of Benin which resulted to a lot of unexplained deaths within the area. In order not to be caught up with this epidemic, three siblings, two boys and a girl left the royal Ihama N' Igun family of Benin and travelled eastward towards Abudu and Agbor to escape the calamity. Unfortunately, one of them which happened to be the only sister among them died not as a result of the ravaging disease. She was buried at Agbor, now Delta State. With the two of them remaining, Agidigbi and Okoro were steadfast and continued their journey into the hinterland. While Agidigbi who is the senior settled at Abavo present day Ika South LGA of Delta State, where he got married and started having children, Okoro pitched his tent at Idumuesaa, Ika North East LGA of the sane state. Since their relations could not trace their whereabouts, they were either considered dead, sold into slavery or that something strange might have happened to them which accounted for their disappearance. Although they (Agidigbi and Okoro) are long dead, their bones resurrected January as their children traced their origin back to Igun. Okoro, who was the junior, died in 1973 at the age of 110, while the senior, Agidigbi died in 1980 at the age of 130 years. Narrating the sojourn of his forebears, one of grand children, Felix Agidigbi, a staff of THISDAY, disclosed that they found themselves in the present day Delta State because of the migration of their great grand-fathers, Agidigbi and Okoro who left Benin kingdom because of circumstances beyond their control. According to Felix, Agidigbi, Okoro and their only sister were forced to leave Benin kingdom after the 1897 massacre. According to him, “there was an epidemic that saw many people dying mysteriously. "Not wanting to be caught by the strange
Six months ago, I was able to trace this place with my brother, Richard Okoro, who also has the record from his own father. So we came to the Ihama N'Igun to tell him who we are and he acknowledged they have been looking for us. We asked that they forgive us for not coming back early enough as children of the Oba. We feel very happy and great to be back home
Ihama N' Igun, Chief Kelvin Oduagbon and other family members, anked by their relations who returned from Delta State
The Ihama N' Igun dancing in the crowd
disease, Agidigbi and his brother Okoro decided to run for safety and took along with them their only sister and headed eastward and found themselves as Agbor. Unfortunately, they encountered a great challenge when their only sister with them died. Shortly after morning her, they buried her at Agbor but that did not truncate their journey as they went further into
the hinterland where they finally settled. "Agidigbi settled at Ekwuoma Abavo, present day Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State, and Okoro went furthermore to Idumuesaa in Ika North-east." Speaking further, Felix said, "While at Abavo, Agidigbi, a great farmer had only two children, a boy and girl in spite of the many wives he married. He died in 1980
at the age of 130 years. On the other hand, Okoro before he passed on in 1973, had seven children. Before his death, Agidigbi was the Oliha of Abavo for 20 years. "Unfortunately, Agidigbi never disclosed to his own children his place of origin unlike his younger brother, Okoro was said to have told his own lineage where he came from before he died in 1973."
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FEATURES
Israel, one of those who returned being carried shoulder high during the ceremony
Felix said but for the constant interaction he and his brothers and sister have with their cousins at Idumuesaa (Okoro's children) they would have not been able to trace their origin to Igun, Benin City. "Our grandfather, was the Oliha of Abavo for a period of 20 years and died in 1980 at the age of 130 years. All that period he was alive, he never told his children or his grand children he is from Benin. However, his brother Okoro told his own children that they are not from Idumuesaa, but from Benin. So it was from the children of Okoro that we knew we are from Igun because we are always in constant touch with them having identified them as our relations. "We would have long came but for the discouraging words of one of the wives of Okoro who told us that we cannot meet up with the rituals involved to fully reintegrate back to Benin. However, through the efforts of one of his grand sons, Israel Bamidele, fondly called "Zulu Nwamama" who said he was in a dream when his own direct father told him he is the only one who will bring back the whole of Agidigbi and Okoro back to Benin, their root. "So all that we are doing here today is his personal sacrifices to ensure that that dream become a reality which is the final burial rites of those two men who left Benin shortly after 1897 invasion," Felix said. Corroborating Felix narratives, Israel said his father told him that his own direct father (Okoro) confided in him where he came from, adding that when his grandparents died, there was so much poverty in the family to return their corpses back to Benin as well as the palace sacrifices involved being children of the royal Benin palace. "When these men died, their children decided to bury them secretly without allowing the palace to know their sons have passed on. They eventually paid the price as their children were dying one after the other. Even after that, the second generation of children, were also dying in turn. "Six months ago, I was able to trace this place with my brother, Richard Okoro, who also has the record from his own father. So
The Ihama N' Igun with his relations who returned from Delta State
A cross section of some of the Scholarship Committee members during the cheque presentation ceremony
As the sixth Ihama N'Igun, I am happy they came back during my time. They have been away for years
we came to the Ihama N'Igun to tell him who we are and he acknowledged they have been looking for us. We asked that they forgive us for not coming back early enough as children of the Oba. We feel very happy and great to be back home," Israel said, an indication that east or west,
home is the best. Tracing the origin of the returnees, the Ihama N' Igun, Chief Kelvin Oduagbon, said Azuwa is the first Ihama. According to him, Azuwa gave birth to Igbiya who is grandfather to fathers of those who just came back from Delta State.
He said Igbiya was followed by Osemwegie, then to Enabulule, to Osariagbon before the title got to him as it is from father to son. His words: "As the sixth Ihama N'Igun, I am happy they came back during my time. They have been away for years."
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IMAGES
L-R;New president of BACCIMA, Alh. Habu Jajere; Alh. Sanusi Maijama’a and ,Hon. Life Vice President, Pharm.Ibrahim.Jibo at the 2018 Inauguration of the new EXCO of the Bauchi Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BACCIMA) in Bauchi... recently
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L-R; Director Quality Assurance, NECO, Dr. Ikechukwu Anyanwu; Managing Director, Promasidor Nigeria Ltd. Mr. Anders Einasson; and the CompanyĂs Commercial Director, Mr. Festus Tettey, at a press conference to Flag-O the 2018 Cowbellpedia Secondary School Mathematics TV Quiz Show, held in Lagos...recetly SUNDAY ADIGUN
Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and little kids adorned with army uniform, during the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration in Kano...recently
Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, releasing one of the 57 white pigeons, representing the 20 Local Governments and the 37 Local Council Development Areas in the state, as a symbol of peace, during the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration, held at the Arcade Ground, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta... recently
L-R: Bishop Ransome S. Bello, Alh. Ali Baba Fagge, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano and Gov. Muhammad Bindow Umar Jibrilla of Adamawa state, during the award presentation to Gov. Ganduje by the Kano state branch of Christian Association of Nigeria in Kano...recently
Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti (middle), Special Adviser on the Environment, Mr. Babatunde Hunpe (right) and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Abiodun Bamgboye, during a reception in honour of the commissioner in Lagos...recently KOLA OLASUPO
Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal releasing white pigeons which signify peace, special prayers for the fallen heroes at the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration in Sokoto...recently
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WCF Forum Holds in Switzerland
A WARM WELCOME
Postmaster General/CEO of Nigerian Postal Service, Mr. Adebisi Adegbuyi (left) with the Director General of Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr.Alex A. Okoh, during a courtesy visit by the management team of NIPOST to the DG‌ recently
‘Nigeria Needs Stable Economy to Attract Foreign Investment’ Emma Okonji in Dubai, UAE
ECONOMY
The Managing Director, Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA), Mr. Roman Trodthandi has emphasised the need for Nigeria to have a stable and reliable economy that will boost investor confidence in the country. Trodthandi, who gave the advice during an interview with THISDAY, at the CABSAT 2018 technology conference and exhibition, which held in Dubai, revealed that most foreign investors had loved to invest their money in Nigeria because of her large population, and the business opportunities that are
open to them in several sectors of the Nigerian economy, but explained that the investors are skeptical to do so because of the instability in the country’s currency, with regard to its fluctuating exchange rates. “Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa and the fastest growing telecoms market in the world because of its large population and untapped business opportunities, but no investor will want to invest his or her money in an unstable economy, a situation that calls for an urgent need for the Nigeria government to
rise to its responsibilities and address the situation that is adversely affecting business growth and development in the country,� Trodthandi said. Citing the issue of recession, which he said the federal government was able to nip in the bud, he explained that such economic situation could scare investors, but insisted that instability of a country’s currency could be more devastating to investors who desire long business plan that is unhindered by the fluctuations of a country’s currency exchange rate. Speaking on Canon’s investment in Nigeria, Trodthandi
said the management of Canon is interested in the Nigerian market because of its huge population and the business opportunities therein. According to him Canon is interested in developing the African market, Nigeria in particular, hence it established Canon Nigeria with local people that understand the local market. “We have established our service network in Nigeria because Canon is about quality product in the area of digital cameras and we want to give Nigerians the opportunity to have quality products from the various Continued on page 24
Indigenous Shipowners May Get FG’s Nod to Lift Crude Oil Eromosele Abiodun Shipowners and other stakeholders in the maritime sector are on the verge of getting the desired change in trade terms from Free On Board (FOB) to Cost Insurance and Freight (CIF) which would enable them to begin crude oil lifting. This was a fall out from the stakeholders’ engagement on changing Nigeria’s crude oil affreightment trade term from FOB to CIF which was organised by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety (NIMASA) on Tuesday
ECONOMY at the NNPC towers in Abuja. The Minister of State for Petroleum Dr. Ibe Kachikwu who declared the event open welcomed the development, noting that the issue on this trade term is an aged long challenge that had lingered too long and charged participants to come out with resounding resolutions that would be of National benefit. The Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, who presented a paper titled, ‘The Imperatives of Changing Nigeria’s Crude Oil Affreightment Trade Terms From FOB
to CIF’, pointed out that the changing landscape of Nigeria’s maritime sector viz-a-viz its security architecture, capacity and other determinants has necessitated the change now than ever before. Dakuku stated further that the CIF if implemented, “will encourage indigenous fleet expansion, lead to massive job creation for qualified Nigerian Seafarers, create opportunities for mandatory sea time experience for Nigerian cadets and build expertise and competence in international shipping trade.� According to him, “Nigeria is one of the major exporters of oil and gas resource in the
world, and she averages an output of 1.92 million barrels of crude oil per day so this volume generates huge freight for carriers. Regrettably, Indigenous shipping operators have insignificant share of the freight earned from the carriage of Nigeria’s crude compared to foreign counterparts�, the DG lamented. Dakuku also stated that OPEC nations such as Iran, Indonesia, Algeria, Kuwait, Angola, Venezuela, UAE and Libya allow indigenous operators to participate actively Continued on page 24
Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?âÚĂ?ĂœĂžĂ?Ëœ ÞÙÚ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă‹Ă– Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?Ăž Ă–Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă‘ ÙÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ?Ëœ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă?ĂŁĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? ÚÙåĂ?Ăœ Ă™Ă? Ă?Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă“Ă˜ĘŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ×ÙÎĂ?ĂœĂ˜ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ–ĂŽ Ă‹Ăž ÞÒĂ? Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś Ă™ĂœĂ–ĂŽ Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™ĂœĂ&#x;Ă— Ě™ Ěš Ă?Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă–Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ ÞËÕĂ? ÚÖËĂ?Ă? Ă‹Ăž Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă Ă‹Ëœ åÓÞäĂ?ĂœĂ–Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŒĂ?ÞåĂ?Ă?Ă˜ Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă’ Í°ÍŻĂ?Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Í°Í°Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒÓĂ? ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœË› Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ&#x;Ă— ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă–ĂŁĂ¤Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ ÞÒĂ? ÚÙåĂ?Ăœ ÞÒËÞ Ă‘Ă™Ă?Ă? Ă’Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ Ă’Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ åÓÞÒ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚ×Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă?Þã Ă“Ă˜ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁĂ?Ëœ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ĂžĂ?Ă?Ă’Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹Ă– Ă“Ă—ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? ÞÙ Ă‹ĂŽĂ Ă™Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂŁ Ă™Ă? Ă’Ă&#x;Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ ĂœĂ“Ă‘Ă’ĂžĂ?Ë› Ă’Ă? ÞåÙ ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁĂ? ÚÖĂ?Ă˜Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? ÚËĂ?Ă•Ă?ĂŽ åÓÞÒ ÒÙÞ ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ÙåĂ?Ăœ Ă™Ă? Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă’Ă“Ăš ÙåĂ?ĂœËœ Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂŁ ĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ Ă‘Ă?Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹ Ͱ͎Ͳ͡ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă–Ă™ĂŒĂ‹Ă– Ă?ËÖÞÒ ĂœĂ™Ă—Ă™ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ëœ Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă–Ă–Ëœ Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ Ă˜ĘŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ?Ëœ ÞÒĂ? Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ Ă‹Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ăž ÙÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ?Ë› Ă&#x;ĂžĂ?ĂžĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ͳ Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ? ĂŽĂ&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ&#x;Ă—Ë› Ă‹Ă?Ăž ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœËœ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă&#x;Ăž ÍŻÍ° Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂŽ åÓÞÒ ÞÒĂ? Ͳ Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ?ĂŽËž Ëœ Ëœ ĂœĂ‹Ă¤Ă“Ă–Ëœ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ëœ ËäËÕÒĂ?ĂžĂ‹Ă˜Ëœ
Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă‹Ëœ ĂžĂ‹Ă–ĂŁËœ Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ëœ Ă&#x;Ă?ĂžĂœĂ“Ă‹Ëœ Ă•ĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ëœ ĂœĂ—Ă?Ă˜Ă“Ă‹Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁË› Ă’Ă“Ă? ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœËœ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ ĂŒĂ? Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂŽ ĂŒĂ‹Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ“ĂžĂ?Ë› Ͳ Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ? ĂĄĂ‹Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜ ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă‘Ă™ åÓÞÒ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă“Ă— Ă™Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™Ă‘Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂœĂ?Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă? åÓÞÒ Ă?ĂœĂ?ËÞÓà Ă? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă‹ĂšĂšĂœĂ™Ă‹Ă?Ă’ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă›Ă&#x;Ă? Ă Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ–ĂŽ ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚ×Ă?Ă˜ĂžË› Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă–Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂŽ åÓÞÒ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă’ Ă‹Ă?Ëœ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă Ă™Ă? ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽËœ Ă“ĂžĂ‹Ă˜ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă—Ă‹Ă‘Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëž ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă–Ă? Ă™ĂœĂšĂ™ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ?Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂŽ åÓÞÒ ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ?Ëœ ÓÞã Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëœ ĂœĂ™ Ă™Ă˜Ă™ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂŁ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă?ĂšĂ&#x;ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëœ ĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ě‹Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă“Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ë› Ă’Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžËœ Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ™Ăœ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă™ĂœĂ–ĂŽ Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‹ Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ?ãÕÙà Ă?Ă•Ă‹ĂŁĂ‹Ëœ Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽË? ËŤ Ă˜ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ Ă“Ăž ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă‹Ă—Ă? Ă™ĂŒĂ Ă“Ă™Ă&#x;Ă? ÞÒËÞ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂœĂŁ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă?ĂŽË› Ă’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă˜Ă™ Ă–Ă™Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ăœ Ă?âÓĂ?ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă™ĂœĂšĂ™ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ë› Ă?ĂĄ Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă’ Ă‹Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă—Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă Ă“ĂœĂžĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă– ĂœĂ?ËÖÓÞã Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă’Ă‹ĂšĂ?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ Ă?Ă?ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžĂ?Ë›
Truecaller Unveils Contacts Backup ĂœĂ&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ăœ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? ĂœĂ&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ăœ Ă‹Ă?Ă•Ă&#x;Ăš Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă˜ĂŽĂœĂ™Ă“ĂŽËœ Ă‹ Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ Ă?Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ ËÖÖÙåĂ? Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ? ÞÙ ĂŒĂ‹Ă?Ă•Ă&#x;Ăš Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ? ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ëœ Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă’Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂŁËœ ĂŒĂ–Ă™Ă?Ă• Ă–Ă“Ă?Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă?ĘľĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ă? ÞÙ ÙÙÑÖĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă Ă?Ë› Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁ Ă’Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ? Ă™Ă? ÞÒÙĂ&#x;Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ? Ă™Ă? ĂœĂ&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ăœ Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?ĂĄĂ“ĂžĂ?Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ Ă‹ Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ ĂšĂ’Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ëœ Ă‘Ă?ĘľĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂŽËœ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?ĘľĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă™Ăœ Ă“Ă˜ Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă– Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂž ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ ĂœĂ&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ăœ ÔÙĂ&#x;ĂœĂ˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜Ă?ĂĄË› Ă’Ă“Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ù×Ă?ÞÓ×Ă?Ă? Ă–Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ? ÞÙ Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ëœ ĂŒĂ–Ă‹Ă˜Ă• Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă– ÖÙÑĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă—Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÎËÞ˲ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ÞÒĂ? ÚÙåĂ?Ăœ ÞÙ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ÞÙ×ÓĂ?Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă›Ă&#x;Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă™Ă? ĂŒĂ‹Ă?Ă•Ă&#x;Ăš ĂŒĂ?ÞåĂ?Ă?Ă˜ ĂŽĂ‹Ă“Ă–ĂŁËœ ĂĄĂ?Ă?Ă•Ă–ĂŁËœ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă–ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽË› Ă’Ă? Ă&#x;ĂšĂ‘ĂœĂ‹ĂŽĂ? Ă?Ă˜Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă?Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ùà Ă?ĂœĂŁ Ă™Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă–Ă™Ă?Ăž ÎËÞË Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ÙÙÑÖĂ? ĂœĂ“Ă Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ ĂœĂ&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ? ÞÙ Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă–Ă‹Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă‹Ă Ă?ĂŽ Ă?ÞËÞĂ?Ë› ĂœĂ&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ăœ Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ‹Ă?ĂžĂ? Ă˜Ă™ĂĄ Ă–Ă?ĂžĂ? Ă‹ Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜ Ă?Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă’ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ‹Ă?ĂžĂ? ĂĄĂ’Ă™Ă?Ă? ĂŽĂ?ÞËÓÖĂ? ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă?Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă?Ă‹Ă Ă?ĂŽ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ăž Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ĂšĂœĂ?Ă Ă“Ă™Ă&#x;Ă?Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ åÓÞÒ˛
“There is still a huge disconnect between higher institutions of learning/research and the technology industry�
CEO, Co-Creation Hub, Mr. Bosun Tijani
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‘NIGERIA NEEDS STABLE ECONOMY TO ATTRACT FOREIGN INVESTMENT’ range of Canon digital cameras. The instability in Nigeria’s currency as identified by Trodthandi, could be largely responsible for the lack of interest exhibited by some targeted foreign investors who are reluctant to invest in the country’s broadband initiative, despite the efforts of the federal government, through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to woo foreign investors to invest in the country’s broadband sector. The federal government has a history of wooing foreign investors to Nigeria at the yearly International Telecoms Union (ITU) exhibitions, but till date, the number of foreign investors expected to embrace Nigeria’s invitation, is not yet met, even though the NCC is optimistic that the effort of government will soon begin to yield the expected results. INDIGENOUS SHIPOWNERS MAY GET FG’S NOD TO LIFT CRUDE OIL in shipment of the crude oil, stating that with the right policies in place Nigeria can build its own capacity and one of this is the change of terms of trade for Nigeria’s benefit. Also speaking at the event, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC Dr. Maikanti Baru stated that the Corporation does not have any reason not to allow Nigerians lift crude that there were conditions which made NNPC opt for the FOB trade. He however noted that the NNPC also sees benefits in the CIF trade term but processes have to be followed which may include transition period before finally opting for the CIF trade term. Shipowners and major stakeholders who spoke at the engagement lauded the initiative. A former DG of NIMASA, Barr. Temisan Omatseye, who is also a Ship owner pointed out that there is a lot of benefit in the CIF trade term. He stated further that that it would eliminate crude theft, create employment and ultimately compliment the diversification drive of the Federal Government.
Group Business Editor
Ă’Ă“Ă•Ă‹ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă¤Ă?Ě‹ ĂĄĂ‹Ă?Ă’Ă&#x;Ă•Ă&#x; AgriBusiness/Industry Editor
Ă™Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ă˜ äĂ? Comms/e-Business Editor
Ă—Ă—Ă‹ Ă•Ă™Ă˜Ă”Ă“ Capital Market Editor
ÙÎÎã Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă? Senior Correspondent
Ă‹Ă’Ă?Ă?Ă— Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ĂŒĂ™Ă–Ă&#x; (Advertising) Correspondents
Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽĂ&#x; äĂ? (Aviation) Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹ ĂœĂ™Ă•Ă? (Labour) ĂœĂ™Ă—Ă™Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă? ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜ (Maritime) ÔÓÙĂ?Ă™Ăœ Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă? (Energy) Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă?ÔÙ (Nation’s Capital) ĂŒĂ“Ă˜Ă˜Ă‹ Ă’Ă“Ă—Ă‹ (Money Mkt) Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă—Ă? Ă•Ă‹Ă?Ă™Ăœ (Energy) Reporters
Ă&#x;Ă—Ă? Ă•Ă?Ă‘Ă’Ă? (Money Market) Ă™Ă?Ă‹ Ă–Ă?Ă•Ă’Ă&#x;ÙÑÓĂ? (Cap Mkt)
FG Tasked on Harsh Business Environ, Poor ICT Infrastructure Stories by Emma Okonji Information and Communications Technology (ICT) stakeholders in the country have expressed their displeasure over the poor state of ICT infrastructure, which they attributed as the reason for the high cost of delivering broadband services across the Nigeria. Describing the situation as pathetic, the stakeholders said it had brought untold hardship to the operators and subscribers. They therefore called on the federal government to expedite action in addressing the situation, which they said, was already impeding widespread broadband penetration. They insisted that unless government addresses the issue, it is not likely to attain its 30 per cent broadband penetration by 2018, as contained in the country’s National Broadband Plan (2013-2018). The Chief Executive Officer of Spectranet 4GLTE, Mr. Ajay Awasthi, told THISDAY in Lagos that government must address the issue of high cost of delivering broadband services across the country, if it must achieve good broadband penetration. Awasthi, who blamed the high cost of doing business on faulty industry structure, said the situation would continue lower profitability on the part of the ISPs, and at the same time impede broadband penetration. According to him, “Two-third of our cost in this market is fixed, and cost of doing business is on the increase. The cost structure of doing
business keeps increasing and it is already very high. Government has to address this ugly situation urgently in order to encourage more players to grow in order. If this is achieved, it will boost profitability, and also facilitate faster broadband penetration in the country.� On his part, Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, called on the Nigerian Communications Com-
mission (NCC), the industry telecoms regulator, to create an enabling environment that will allow the already licenced Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos) to rollout their services and as well facilitate the processes of licensing other InfraCos, as promised long ago by the NCC. Two InfraCos, MainOne and IHS, had since 2015 been licensed to provide telecoms infrastructure for the telecoms industry, but they are yet to
rollout their services. While MainOne got the InfraCo Licence to deploy full scale metropolitan fibre-optic infrastructure and associated transmission equipment on an open access, non-discriminatory and price-regulated basis to cover Lagos zone, IHS was licensed to cover North-central, with plans to license additional five InfraCOs that will cover the remaining five geopolitical regions of the country, by July 2017.
According to Adebayo, government must act fast to remove the barriers impeding InfraCos rollout, which he said was also affecting telecoms expansion and broadband penetration. Other stakeholders, who spoke to THISDAY, said the poor state of telecoms infrastructure in the country would continue to create harsh business environment, unless the government takes urgent steps to address it.
PROMOTING FILM PRODUCTION IN AFRICA
L-R: Nigerian Industry Inuencer, TY Bello; Egyptian Industry Inuencer, Injy Mokadem, Marketing Manager, Canon Central and North Africa, Mariam Mobarak and Morocco Industry Inuencer, Omar Lofti, during a panel discussion on ďŹ lm production across Africa, organised by Canon in Dubai...recently
NCC Moves to End Controversies in Data Price Floor The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecoms industry regulator, on Tuesday, commenced an industry wide consultation process that will put an end to the protracted data price floor that has generated a lot of controversies in the telecoms industry. Addressing a stakeholders forum on Tuesday in Lagos, on the determination of cost-based pricing for retail broadband and data service, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta said the forum was meant to present the report of NCC’s commissioned study for the review of data prices, which he said has resulted in the imperative for an objective basis for pricing data at the wholesale level with the final aim of pricing at the retail levels. NCC plans to get operators feedback from the forum, with a view to organising operators interviews and distribute data gathering templates and questionnaires, and thereafter, analyse collated data and feed into draft cost model and present preliminary findings in next stakeholders meeting. NCC had in In 2013, conducted a study to assess the level of competition within the industry with a focus on the Wholesale Leased Lines/ Transmission Capacity market. The objectives of the study were to assess the transmission cable market through the analysis of market features such as pricing, regulatory climate and competition, as well as develop a cost model and draw inferences on the cost of providing transmis-
sion services and the transparency and competitiveness of pricing in the markets. Based on the study, NCC removed the data price floor in 2013, and operators were permitted to freely determine prices based on prevailing market conditions. This however, led to increase in mobile data usage, but with a serious plunge in prices, which resulted in a “scissors effect� with usage increasing, but average revenues per user decreasing. NCC however attempted to re-instate price floor on request from stakeholders in 2016, but later proceeded to suspend it, pending a detailed study which would form a more objective basis for regulatory intervention. Thereafter, NCC commissioned a study to review data prices, which has now resulted in the imperative for an objective basis for pricing data at the wholesale level with the final aim of pricing at the retail levels. Addressing operators during the Tuesday stakeholders’ meeting, Danbatta said the essence was to sensitise key industry stakeholders about the study that has commenced already, which will lead to the determination of data price floor. “As industry regulator, we are using the stakeholders forum to target virtually all the stakeholders in the industry, operators and Internet Service Providers as well as the consumers,� Danbatta said. He added that “The stage is geared towards the determination of the data pricing and that data is needed from the
operators and consumers, to serve as input in determining the appropriate price for the broadband service, as well as
data services. We have commenced but we are not there yet. The role of the regulator is to unleash a dynamic
model that could be used in determining the data price in the telecommunication sector of the economy.�
Minister Pledges to Collaborate with Computer Traders on Training The Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu has assured computer traders in Lagos of closer collaboration between the ministry and the traders particularly in the area of training on software development. Adebayo gave the assurance in Lagos recently, when he paid a courtesy visit to the entire body of the computer traders, under the auspices of Computer And Allied Products Dealers Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN). The ministers’ assurance was based on the requests of the traders, through their President, Mr. Ojikutu Adeniyi. The CAPDAN president in his address, listed several demands, among which were collaboration and trading. According to Adeniyi, there was need for the ministry to facilitate the training of technicians among the traders abroad, given their practical skills in computer software and hardware. Adeniyi said the training would make the technicians in the Lagos Computer Village attain international standard for the execution of their works locally. He said the ministry should collaborate with CAPDAN to build incubation centres for more training of the technicians.
According to him, the ministry needs to inculcate into its programme, recognition for the informal sector like the Computer Village. “We need to drive content in the ICT sector, so as to develop more made in Nigeria products. The ministry should help us facilitate free broadband access in Computer Village, to enable traders and visitors to the Computer Village stay connected to the Internet, each time they are within the market premises for any transactions. “We are also requesting for funding that will facilitate research in Information and Communications (ICT) that will geared towards developing the Nigeria based software,’’ Adeniyi said. According to him, the Computer Village is a large gathering of hardworking Nigerians who are driven by passion for trade and technology development. He said the Computer Village had in the past 20 years, contributed immensely to the growth of the Nigerian ICT sector, and the Nigerian economy. The Computer Village market hub has a large number of university graduates that are contributing immensely to job creation, technical skills
acquisition and entrepreneurship development in Nigeria. Computer Village has over N1.5 billion turn over everyday in online and offline sales, with over 3,500 Small and Medium a Enterprises (SMEs), Adeniyi said. “Our hub is referred to as the hardware capital of Africa, based on the qualities of hardware solutions we provide,’’ he said. Responding, Shittu said the ministry is aware of the valuable contributions the hub to the Nigerian economy and would do everything possible to assist the traders, especially in local content development and further skills training. He said the ministry would do all within its power to ensure local production of computer and telecommunications devices, so that Nigeria will not continue to remain a dumping ground of all manners of computer hardware and accessories. Shittu however called for self - regulation of CAPDAN, in order to tame the sharp practices of some traders who rake delight in cutting corners, just to defraud government and buyers who visit the market to buy computer hardware, software and their accessories.
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BUSINESSWORLD
CONSUMER
GAC Motor Secures Exclusive Rights for FORBES TV Show Guangzhou Automobile Company (GAC Motor), one of the top five biggest Chinese automobile manufacturers, has secured the exclusive rights for the flagship FORBES AFRICA television show, My Worst Day with Peace Hyde. The partnership comes after the successful launch of the first season, which profiled some of the leading business moguls including Aliko Dangote, Folorunsho Alakija, Tonye Cole, Herman Mashaba, Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi among many others. “We are very pleased to have this new partnership with GAC Motor. The show has one of the
highest viewerships on the Pan-African business channel, CNBC Africa (www. CNBCafrica.com), and has set the benchmark as the most engaging program featuring some of the most successful moguls of our time. To be able to continue the next season with such a prestigious brand like GAC is amazing,� says Peace Hyde, the show’s host and Head of Digital Media and Partnerships and West Africa Correspondent for FORBES AFRICA. “We are proud to be part of this historic moment with FORBES AFRICA. We believe the two brands share the same vision of excellence and through the
My Worst Day show, we hope to assure Nigerians that, no matter what they go through, good or bad, they can always rely on GAC Motors,� says Chief Diana Chan, Chairman of Choice International, owner of GAC Motor franchise, Nigeria. “The FORBES AFRICA brand is renowned for its quality and prestige and we believe the partnership with GAC sits well with the brand. These are the types of people you do not hear from on a daily basis and for one program to be able to pull them together at the same time is a feat worth celebrating,� said Frederic Van de vyver, Head of CNBC Africa, West Africa.
Noah’s Ark Boss Named Jury President for Pitcher Awards The organisers of the Pitcher Awards and Cannes Lions Official Festival representative in Nigeria, CHINI Productions, have announced Lanre Adisa, Managing Director/ CCO, Noah’s Ark as the Jury President for the Heritage category of the Pitcher Awards. Lanre and his team to be announced soon will judge entries in Film, Audio, Print, Branded Content, Design and Outdoor including installations and activations. According to the Managing Director of CHINI Productions, Nnamdi Ndu, “Lanre has been a partner in championing the growth of creativity in Nigeria. As a 3-time creative jury president of the Young Lions Competition in Nigeria we have experiencedthe energy, passion and expertise that he brings to the jury room and trust that he will bring thesame level of excellence and diligence in judging the Pitcher Awards.� Lanre started his career in 1990 as a Trainee Copywriter at MC&A: Saatchi & Saatchi, Lagos, Nigeria. He has since then worked in different capacities as a creative in some of Nigeria’s top agencies. He was at Insight/Grey, Nigeria’s biggest agency,
where he worked for six years, leaving in 2003 as an Associate Creative Director. From there he moved to TBWA\Concept as a Creative Director. He left TBWA\Concept as an Executive Creative Director in 2008 to found Noah’s Ark. In the ten years of its existence, Noah’s Ark has established itself as a leading new generation agency, emerging as the most awarded agency within and outside the shores of Nigeria. In a career spanning over 25 years, he has created outstanding work for some of the most notable brands in Nigeria such as Indomie Noodles, MTN, Peak Milk, Three Crowns, Virgin Atlantic, Airtel and GOtv among others. Driven by a vision to put Nigeria on the world map of advertising, Lanre is actively involved in the Nigerian creative community with a special passion for inspiring and grooming the next generation. He was part of the pioneer team that started the Lagos Advertising & Ideas Festival (LAIF) over ten years ago. He served for over a decade on the Management Board of LAIF Awards. He was also on the jury of
the African Cristals Festival in 2016. In addition to Noah’s Ark, he has also founded other related marketing communications agencies to offer clients more robust integrated services. They are Integrated Indigo Limited, a public relations agency and Underdog Productions, a content/audio-visual production outfit. The Pitcher Awards celebrate the best of the best ideas in tech and marketing communications from West and Central Africa. Entries are currently open at www.creativityweek. events. Two other juries will judge work under the Channel and Innovation categories. The Channel jury will judge entries for Use of Media, Use of Data, Use of Insights and Strategy, PR and Reputation Management and Integrated Campaigns. While, the Innovation Jury will look at works in Social Media, Websites, Microsites and Web Services, Apps, Games, Messaging as well as Devices and Novel ideas. Special awards will include Agency of the Year, Advertiser of the Year, Young Pitcher Award and Best Original Work in French.
Swipha Explains Shut-down of Operations Despite the tough economic situation in Nigeria, Biogaran, a subsidiary of Servier that specialises in generics acquired Swiss Pharma Nigeria Limited (swipha) in March 2017, as part of its expansion plans to other African countries. Biogaran trusts in Nigeria and Nigerian people, and wishes to provide through Swipha to all Nigerians access to quality and affordable medicines. The decision to buy Swipha was taken despite the poor situation of the company which was at the period, short in cash and under threat of closure. Upon inception, the new
management decided to lift the company up to its Group compliance and social policies, corporate governance and benefits for the employees. Management decided to restructure the organisation to ensure efficiency by removing superfluous staff and eventually align the firm with global best practices. However, some of these policies appear to be unacceptable to some members of staff who embarked on strike since mid-December 2017. It was gathered that all efforts to make them have a rethink about a promising future proved abortive. To safeguard company properties and prevent any
form of hostility the management decided to officially shut-down operations temporarily. The new management of Swipha strongly believes in Nigeria and is committed to its economic development and is resilient in its quest to engage modern new ways of working, best in class practices and highlevel compliance standards, notwithstanding the financial loses the company may incur during this time. It is committed to doing all it takes to ensure that the company maintains and strengthens its position as a leader in the pharmaceutical sector.
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT OLODU KEONYEDI
Resourcefulness: Key to Demand he ability to ďŹ nd quick and clever ways with any available resource to deal with and overcome diďŹƒculties is what puts resourceful nations and individuals constantly in demand. Ă˜ĂŁ Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă? Ă‹ ĂœĂ?ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă? Ă™Ă? the majority of people within the nation. Every nation will become more resourceful when the individuals within that nation exhibit more resourceful traits within their own lives. Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă? Ă Ă‹Ă–Ă&#x;Ă?ĂŽ ĂŒĂ‹Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă’Ă?Ăœ Ă?ÓÞÓäĂ?Ă˜Ë› Ă’Ă? ĂšĂ&#x;Ăœpose of this article today is to inspire possibility in as many minds as possible to make the decision to take the destiny of this nation and move it further. Ă’Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜ĂŁ Ă™Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ăœ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă™Ă—ĂŁ Ă™Ă? any nation is a reection of the contribution of the citizen of that nation. Until you take intenĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂšĂ? ÞÙ ĂŒĂ? Ă“Ă˜Ă Ă™Ă–Ă Ă?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; probably will never have the opportunity to invoke any wave of change into the system; you cannot change a system you are not involved with. Funny enough most of us think that it is only through politics that one can eect a change; you just need to be resourceful in the various area of your ďŹ eld to create a change in the system. If you do not become relevant to the system to the point where you are on demand or needed to ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂŁĂ?ĂžĂ?Ă—Ëœ ÞÒĂ?Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ ÚÙĂ?ÓÞÓà Ă? change to the system.
How to be resourceful Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ ÙÚĂ?Ă˜ Ă—Ă“Ă˜ĂŽË? Ă™Ă&#x; Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž Ę¨ĂœĂ?Ăž Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂž åÓÞÒ Ă‹Ă˜ ÙÚĂ?Ă˜ Ă—Ă“Ă˜ĂŽËœ ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ?Ę¨Ă˜Ă? ÞÒĂ? ÚÙĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŒĂ–Ă?Ëœ ĂŒĂ?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÙÚĂ?Ă˜ minded about possibilities is critical to putting ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă™Ă&#x; Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ĂŒĂ? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ Ę¨Ă˜ĂŽ Ă Ă‹Ă–Ă&#x;Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ĂšĂ?ÙÚÖĂ?Ëœ Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; come across. When you can think outside the ĂŒĂ™Ă˘Ëœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă&#x;Ăš åÓÞÒ Ă“Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă? Ă?ÙÖĂ&#x;ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? to problems that others can’t. In being open-minded you are willingness to Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂœĂ‹Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹ĂœĂœĂ‹ĂŁ Ă™Ă? ÚÙĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă™ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂŁËœ ÞÒÙĂ&#x;Ă‘Ă’ĂžĂ?Ëœ Ă Ă“Ă?ĂĄĂ?Ëœ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă‘Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?âÚĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? outside of your normal repertoire. Ă™Ă&#x; ĂšĂ&#x;Ă?Ă’ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă–Ă? ÞÙ ĂŽĂ™ ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž ÙÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ? ĂŒĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă Ă? ÞÙ be impossible. Stretch out of your comfort zone Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă˘ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ë› Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?ĂžĂœĂ?ĂžĂ?Ă’ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœself you discover things which greatly improve your business and ideas which help you bypass current obstacles standing your way. ÙÖÎ ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ăž ÞÒËÞ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă?ÙÖĂ&#x;ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?âist for every problem. Visualise yourself being successful every day; when facing diďŹƒculties picture you overcoming them. Be conďŹ dent: Ă™Ă&#x; Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ĂŒĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă Ă? ÞÒËÞ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂœĂ? capable of handling any problem in front of ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ë› Ă™Ă&#x; Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž åÒÙÖĂ?Ă’Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂžĂ?ĂŽĂ–ĂŁ ÒÙÖÎ ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă? that you are competent and adequate enough ÞÙ Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂœĂ?Ë› Ă™Ă&#x; Ă‹Ă–ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂŽĂŁ Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? everything you need to solve any problem that confronts you; it’s your mind. Recognised that you are competent and adĂ?Ă›Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ ÞÙ ĂŽĂ™ Ă?Ù×Ă?ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă&#x;Ăž Ă“ĂžËœ Ă“Ă? ÞÒĂ?
Ę¨ĂœĂ?Ăž Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăš ÞÙ Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă‘Ă?ĘľĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ăž ĂŽĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ë› Ă™Ă&#x; Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž trust yourself that you can solve any problem and ďŹ nd solutions to challenges. Be creative: Resourcefulness is about optimizing what you have to work with. Creativity is not just about creating something new but making old things work better as well. Let your mind wander; don’t stop yourself from thinking someĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă• Ă“Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă“ĂœĂœĂ?Ă–Ă?Ă Ă‹Ă˜ĂžË› Ę°Ă?Ă˜Ëœ your thoughts will move from one idea to anothĂ?ĂœË› Ă™Ă&#x; Ă—Ă‹ĂŁ ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă?Ùà Ă?Ăœ Ă‹ åÙå ×Ù×Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ăœ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ăž Ă“Ă˜ one of these ideas. Don’t box yourself into thinking only in a cerĂžĂ‹Ă“Ă˜ ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁËœ Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹ ĂžĂ?Ă—ĂšĂ™ĂœĂ‹ĂœĂŁ Ă?ÙÖĂ&#x;tion and then look for a permanent solution. Be proactive: Don’t put your dreams on hold because you are waiting for the right resources or people to show up. If you let circumstances ĂŽĂ?ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ—Ă“Ă˜Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă?Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÒÙå ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹Ă?ĂžËœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă‹Ă–ways settle for less. If opportunity presents itĂ?Ă?Ă–Ă?Ëœ ĂŽĂ™ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ăž ÞÙ ÞËÕĂ? ÓÞ˛ Ă™Ă˜ËŞĂž Ùà Ă?Ăœ ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă• ÞÒĂ? Ă™ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂŁ Ă™Ăœ ÞËÖÕ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă–Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;Ăž Ă™Ă? ÓÞ˛ Ă‹Ă•Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă‹tive so you can be part of the solution. Often an eective solution hinges on a speedy ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă‹ ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă? Ă—Ă‹ĂŽĂ?Ëœ ĂŽĂ™Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă–ĂŁĂ¤Ă? ĚŽ Ă”Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă‹Ă?Þ˛ Ă™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă?ÙÖà Ă? a problem without taking some sort of action Ę¨ĂœĂ?Þ˛ Ă‹Ă•Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ę¨ĂœĂ?Ăž Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăš ĂŒĂŁ Ă“Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ needed to ďŹ nish the task Be persistent: Ă™ ĂŒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă– ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă˜Ă?Ă Ă?Ăœ give up. If you stop trying before the problem is Ă?ÙÖà Ă?ĂŽËœ ÞÒĂ?Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă?Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ù×ÚÖÓĂ?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ë›
Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂŽĂ™Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹Ăž Ę¨ĂœĂ?ĂžËœ Ă‘Ă?Ăž Ă&#x;Ăš Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂžĂœĂŁ Ă‹Ă‘Ă‹Ă“Ă˜Ë› ĂœĂŁ Ă‹ ÎÙäĂ?Ă˜ ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă? Ă‹ Ă’Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂœĂ?ĂŽ ĂŽĂ“ĘĽĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ăž ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁĂ?Ëœ Ă“Ă? ÞÒËÞ Ă“Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž Ă“Ăž ÞËÕĂ?Ă?Ëœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ăž ĂŽĂ™Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă‘Ă“Ă Ă? Ă&#x;Ăš ÞÒĂ? ʨÑÒÞ simply because obstacles present themselves Ă™Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ÚËÞÒ˛ ĂœĂ&#x;Ă?Ăž ÞÒËÞ Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ ËŤ Ùˏ ĂšĂ&#x;ĂžĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ÞÒËÞ Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ă’ Ă?Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă?Ăœ ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? ËŤĂŁĂ?Ă?ËŹ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă–Ă™Ă™Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă™ĂœË› Be speciďŹ c: Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă&#x;Ăž ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂ“Ă‘ ÚÓĂ?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‘Ă“Ă Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ?Ă?ÞÓà Ă?Ëœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ăž Ă?Ù×Ă?ÞÓ×Ă?Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ to focus on details or step instead. Decide what you can do in the short term so you can take action and be more productive. Revise speciďŹ c ÞËĂ?Ă•Ă?Ëœ ĂœĂ™Ă–Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă“ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă? ĂžĂ™ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ goals. Teach resourcefulness: Success is not about your resources. It’s about how resourceful you Ă‹ĂœĂ? åÓÞÒ ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ăž ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁ ÞÙ Ă–Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ˜ about resourcefulness is through the stories Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă– ĂšĂ?ÙÚÖĂ?Ëž Ă‹Ă?Ă• Ă›Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’ĂŁ ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ Ă‹Ă?Ăž ÞÒĂ? ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁ ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ ĂŽĂ“ĂŽËŁ Ùå ĂŽĂ“ĂŽ ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ù×ÚÖÓĂ?Ă’ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ ÑÙËÖĂ?ËŁ Ă‹Ă? Ă?Ù×Ă?ĂŒĂ™ĂŽĂŁ Ă?ÙÖà Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹ Ă?Ă“Ă—Ă“Ă–Ă‹Ăœ ĂšĂœĂ™ĂŒĂ–Ă?Ă— ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ?ËŁ Ùå ĂŽĂ™Ă?Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂŁĂ?ĂžĂ?Ă— or situation work that you are trying to deal with? Whom can you contact? Focus on something you ďŹ nd interesting or useful and look for dierent angle in solving the problem. It will take Nigerians to build Nigeria; be resourceful in our dierent areas of ďŹ eld is the major way to put Nigeria in demand. Organization and individuals can always contact us to help develop their resourcefulness and build Nigeria together.
Olodu keonyedi – is a trained engineer and by passion and personal development a public/motivational speaker, a business coach and human capacity developer, he has a B.Eng degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nigeria Nsukka, he is a member of Nigeria Society of Engineer and a COREN registered Engineer. Email: olodukeonyedi@gmail.com Tel: 08037489704, www.instagram.com/sir_keon. www.facebook.com/olodu keonyedi_mentorship
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Repositioning African Markets with Digital Devices Canon, a global leader of digital cameras, through its Central and North Africa operations is seeking to reposition African markets and address their peculiar challenges in the areas of broadcasting, security and film production, writes Emma Okonji
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he Just concluded CABSAT 2018 technology exhibition show in Dubai, United Arab Emirates(UAE), where global technology players showcased their latest digital devices in film production, television broadcast, radio and satellite communications, was an avenue for the Canon Central and North African operations to focus attention on the peculiarities of the African digital markets in the areas of broadcasting, security, and film production, with a view to addressing the common challenges of the various markets and their diverse cultures. Established in 2016 to create a dedicated market in Africa, the Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA) seeks to address the challenges in the African markets, Nigeria inclusive, using its diverse digital camera products. The Director, B2C Sales and Marketing, CCNA, Mr. Somesh Adukia, who spoke with THISDAY in Dubai, said the Canon’s continued participation in CABSAT exhibitions would offer the company the opportunity to attract African investors to its range of products that cut across broadcast, security, cinematography and film production cameras. “We have made three workflow situations that are suitable for different verticals such as filmmakers, news agencies and security companies and we plan to meet the needs of the African markets, through our digital technology cameras,� Adukia said. About CABSAT 2018 CABSAT is the leading platform for the broadcast, production, content delivery, digital media and satellite sectors across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA), and plays a critical role in delivering industryshaping dialogue, uniting over 250 creative visionaries, technological disruptors and industry influencers for active debate and discussion. The MEASA market offers significant opportunities for innovators looking to exploit new growth channels outside of traditional platforms. The content congress engages a unique cross-section of senior industry stakeholders and up-coming influencers to share forward looking insights into how to adapt traditional broadcast models, the benefits of disruptive thinking and the future of broadcasting not only for the region, but worldwide. The CABSAT 2018 was a three-day event which held from January 14-16, with over 13,000 attendees from 130 countries from the broadcast and satellite industries. In its 24th edition, the conferences and exhibition areas are divided into focused technical, strategic and creative sessions for engineers, decision-makers and content creators.
Visitors at the Canon booth during CABSAT 2018 in Dubai
As a result, it can deliver Cinema RAW Light recording at 4K DCI 50P internally to a CFast 2.0TM card. It can also deliver 4K UHD recording at 150Mbps, and 2K or Full HD at 35Mbps to SD cards in MP4 format. ME200S-SH is a compact professional multi-purpose video camera featuring Canon’s renowned Dual Pixel CMOS Autofocus system. Ideal for use across a wide range of applications from broadcast and cinematic productions, to scientific research and wildlife documentaries, the ME200S-SH is capable of capturing professional, high quality Full HD images even in low or difficult lighting conditions. The cameras come with endless imaging possibilities; ultimate control, providing smooth, fast, high-performance continuous autofocus; excellent image capture from daylight to near-darkness, offering an equivalent ISO range of 320 - 204,800, and the ME200S-SH is a versatile tool for difficult or low light shooting scenarios such as in sports arenas or when capturing nocturnal wildlife.
4k shooting software Canon used the platform to showcase its 4K shooting software, which addresses the demand for 4k content across the web and in TV content. With Canon, the ultra HD, 4K television is no longer a thing of the future – it’s here. And Latest Canon digital cameras At CABSAT 2018, Canon was able to delight with streaming giants Amazon and Netflix participants with its Cinema EOS series making content available in 4K, the demand products, which range from C100 to C700, is set to grow. Capturing footage in a higher resolution targeting new areas of imaging expression for Canon, building on the company’s 80-year also offers an element of future-proofing. With history of innovation and expertise in the multimedia and multiplatform viewing, the material needs to be produced at the highest field of optical and imaging technology. Canon’s digital cinema cameras offer not only quality – rather than film it in HD and try and high image quality, but also superior mobility upscale it to 4K, film it in 4K and downscale and expandability to meet the strict needs of it to HD Canon has a full range of cameras that professionals working in the motion-picture are capable of shooting in 4K –from XF405 and commercial production industries. Prominent among the products on display at right through to the flagship EOS C700 to CABSAT 2018 conference, was the Canon EOS better support customers as the industry is C200, which is a professional 4K/UHD/50P progressing. camera, offering flexibility and ease-of-use Canon African aspiring filmmakers for single-user operation. The EOS C200 features Canon’s 4K Super As part of efforts to address African challenges 35mm CMOS sensor with an effective pixel through its digital range of products, Canon count of 8.85MP, along with the newly de- sponsored aspiring filmmakers who participated veloped Dual DIGIC DV6 image processors. in a regional competition.
As part of its role in CABSAT and to serve the overall objective of supporting the filmmaking ecosystem in Africa, Canon created a unique experience to engage aspiring African filmmakers through an interactive challenge. The “Canon African Filmmaking Challenge� started by asking aspiring filmmakers from Egypt, Nigeria and Morocco to submit a short narrative of their idea of a film that encompasses the topic “Live for The Story� in 60 seconds. Canon then chose one winner from each market to represent its filmmaking community and to work on their own version of the film using Canon cameras. This is only possible in a highly dynamic world through the utilisation of technology to capture lively moments with high precision, and at top quality. By catering for that, Canon encourages people to be ready to capture and document stories they are creating every day, whether through film, through photography or through the news. In addition, Canon seeks to further penetrate the African filmmaking scene, identify the main issues that are facing young filmmakers in the region and potentially become part of the solution. Canon focuses mainly on highlightning human experiences through its technology. At CABSAT 2018, Canon played the short videos created by the selected three aspiring filmmakers from Nigeria, Morocco and Egypt. The short videos were played to an audience made up of journalists and filmmakers influencers from each of the markets, who have positively influenced the lives of people through their strong social media presence. The final results were announced after the winners emerged through public voting. The aspiring filmmaker from Morocco was adjudged the overall winner, while the aspiring filmmakers from Nigeria and Egypt, got the second and third positions respectively. The first prize winner from Morocco will receive an all-new Canon 5D Mark iv Camera, while the other two winners from Nigeria and Egypt will receive 6D Mark ii Canon Camera each, to help them launch their professional filmmaking career. African filmmaking discussion panel Another major highlight of the activities of Canon at CABSAT 2018, was the African
filmmaking discussion panel, where industry influencers from Nigeria, Morocco and Egypt, discussed regional issues about filmmaking. The discussants were TY Bello from Nigeria, Omar Lofti from Morocco, and Injy Mokadem from Egypt. The African Filmmaking discussion panel aims to bring Canon closer to the filmmaking community in Africa through tackling the main issues filmmakers face in the region. The overarching objective is to discuss the future of the filmmaking industry in Africa, revealing facts such as industry revenues, number of movies produced and the demand for popular culture movies within the African region. The discussants spoke on the need to grow African passion and similarities in film production and how canon digital camera can help film makers tell more of the African stories. They also talked about homogeneity in the African cinematography, and the need to develop young African talent in film making and cinematography. They stressed the need for stronger collaboration between filmmakers and Canon in such a way that the Canon digital products could help film and video creators to do their jobs better. The need to unite African creators and remove language barriers to enable them work better, was also discussed. While Bello, the Nigerian photographer and song writer, specifically wants stronger regional collaboration among filmmakers, Mokadem, the Egyptian actress and television presenter, said she looked forward to a situation where the film industry in Egypt, which used to be the second largest contributor to Egypt GDP, after cotton, would become vibrant again through informed script writing that will tell the story of the lives and culture of the Egyptian people, beyond Egypt. For Lofti, who is an actor and industry influencer in Morocco, he would like to see more development in the area of cinema theatre in Morocco where the film produced in Morocco, could be easily viewed and appreciated by the people. He said the shortfall in the establishment of cinema theatre in Morocco and Egypt, is impeding the growth of film production and cinematography in those regions.
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Awasthi: Nigeria Needs 4G Devices to Boost 4GLTE Rollout The Chief Executive Officer, Spectranet 4GLTE, Mr. Ajay Awasthi, spoke with technology journalists on the need for government to address the high cost of providing broadband services. Emma Okonji presents the excerpts: revisit the issue of data floor price and set a fixed data floor price for the industry. Until that happens, in becomes extremely difficult for operators to make profit while reducing cost of broadband services. The cost of providing broadband services is high in Nigeria and the cost keeps increasing and it is likely to increase by another 10 per cent in the coming months. So the federal government and the NCC must rise to their responsibilities to address the issue of high cost of providing broadband services in the country. For instance, out of the over 100 licensed Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the country, only few are currently existing and providing broadband services because others have been adversely affected by the high cost of providing broadband services in the country.
What is the role of 4G enabled mobile devices in enhancing broadband connectivity and national development? From our research we discovered that people needed mobile phones for connectivity and that if more of the mobile phones are made available for people, especially the 4G enabled mobile phones, it will increase productivity. We have also realised that mobile phones can enhance mass productivity and also increase GDP of a country, and that is what is currently going on in India, where Reliance offered to provide 4G enabled mobile devices for customers, which brought about huge growth in 4G LTE broadband connectivity in that country. Spectranet is willing to assist Nigeria grow 4G LTE subscribers and achieve the federal government’s 30 per cent broadband penetration target by 2018.
What are your investment plans on data services for 2018? As a data service provider, our plan this year is to invest massively in customer experience and that is why we are rolling out our ‘project rainbow’ in 2018 that is focused largely on customer experience and satisfaction. Data is key and as operator that meant well for the industry, we also want some level of returns on our investment and government has a role to play by helping operators to sustain the business by addressing the issue of data floor price.
Since the rollout of Spectranet services in the country, how many cities has it covered? We got the Spectranet licence in Nigeria in 2009 for 4GLTE, but we rolled out the service in 2011 and currently we are in Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, and Port Harcourt. Our vision is to become Nigeria’s premium internet service provider and we are working hard towards achieving that. How will you compare ICT growth in the country with the global digital economy growth? ICT growth in countries of the world is coming up fast, and one thing that is common among countries that are driving ICT growth, it is the broadband connectivity that is propelling eCommerce and online shopping. In China, $752 billion of trade is being transacted on the online shopping platform and this has greatly changed the market structure, thereby increasing eCommerce growth and providing opportunities for upcoming entrepreneurs to explore the eCommerce business. I see that happening in Nigeria also if the country embraces high speed broadband connectivity. So online shopping is globally transforming the way businesses are done, and this is largely driven by high speed broadband connectivity, which Spectranet offers as a service. With the presence of Jumia, Konga, Yudala and others that are driving eCommerce and online shopping in Nigeria, I see the country making high profits from online shopping business. Nigeria therefore needs high speed broadband connectivity to be successful. High speed broadband will boost productivity because most people will be working from home and from different locations, provided they are connected. Access to education will be enhanced and it will help bridge the digital divide. In Nigeria several people are not connected to the internet and they need high speed broadband connectivity to connect to the world and to do more businesses. Spectranet is willing to assist more Nigerians get connected to the internet, and provide affordable high quality service for Nigerians, using the 4GLTE technology. Nigeria needs affordable broadband connectivity, but what is more critical is the speed of broadband connectivity to enable people have access to video and download heavy and varieties of contents. How will Nigeria benefit from Internet of Things Technology (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology? Nigerians need more of the broadband connectivity to do great stuff with IoTs and AI among others. Nigeria also needs high speed broadband connectivity to enhance FinTech operations and further boost connectivity. What is your priority for customer satisfaction, bearing in mind that the Nigerian business environment is a tough one? Every organisation must put customers at the centre of their business and that is exactly what Spectranet is doing for our loyal customers. We will like to raise the bar on superior customer
Awasthi service, and a lot of work is being done at the background to achieve this. Customers need consistent experience and we are out to offer that service for them. Again, there is need for employees to be happy and this could boost customer experience. What are your plans to boost customer experience in 2018? We have good plans for our customers this 2018 and to achieve our plans, we have rolled out four pronged strategy for 2018, which we tagged ‘Project Rainbow’. They include: Superior customer service; Arms-length distribution; Best-in-class customer experience; and better engagement of employees, Spectranet already has over 200,000 customer base in Nigeria, with plans to double the number in the next one year, in order to give more Nigerians the opportunity to explore the eCommerce and online shopping business that are currently driving global economies. So our ‘Project Rainbow is going to address customers’ needs for 2018, and we are working hard to achieve them. How is Spectranet dealing with internal communications to drive brand visibility? Internal communication is the key to brand visibility and Spectranet holds this to a high esteem to train its employees and make them happy. So there is need for training and re-training of staff, especially those staff that interface with customers. One of the critical thing we have adopted, is coming together as a family every morning to refresh our memories on learning strategies and we do invite facilitators to address the staff on work ethics and professionalism. Issues like marketing communications and what 4GLTE is all about and its benefits are part of the routine morning discussion at Spectranet. In the Indian market where you came from, there are lots of market consolidation among operators, which has helped the Indian economy to a large extent. Do you see such consolidation happening in Nigeria soon? You are right to say that market consolidation is high in Indian market, and this is probably the reason why India has the largest number of mobile broadband customers in the world today. In less than six months, India was able to change the business landscape in the country, and it currently has close to 200 million high speed mobile broadband customers. Nigeria can also achieve this feat, if there is availability of 4GLTE
services as well as 4GLTE mobile devices for all citizens. In India for instance, when Reliance started the rollout of its services, less than 50 per cent of the mobile phone shipments used to be smartphones and about 30 per cent used to be 4GLTE phones, but that has changed currently as over 95 per cent of phone shipments in India is now 4GLTE phones. This shows the extent to which India and other developed countries of the world are fast embracing 4GLTE broadband internet services. That development was triggered by Reliance because it started selling its own customised 4GLTE mobile devices, with the launch of its 4GLTE services. So today, 85 per cent of 4GLTE subscribers in India are on Reliance Network and this could be achieved in Nigeria, provided we have enough 4GLTE technology, which I think the Nigerian government should be promoting now. Unless the 4GLTE handsets are available in Nigeria, the 4GLTE rollout will not be successful. Somebody needs to take the initiative to roll out massive 4GLTE devices that will boost 4GLTE services in the country. Spectranet plays in a market where competition is high. How do you intend to expand your customer base under a stiff market competition? Currently Spectranet has close to 200,000 customers in Nigeria and we hope to double that figure in the next one year. I am happy to share with you that our 4GLTE customers, on a monthly basis, used more than 30 GB of data and our 3G customer, on the average, used about 1.5GB in a month. So what this means is that we have created a world-class infrastructure in the 4GLTE space that can accommodate more customers, and we are able to provide better experience to our customers and that is part of our expansion plan, apart from planning to extend coverage beyond the present locations in Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan and Port Harcourt. Nigerians are clamouring for further reduction in the cost of broadband services offered by operators. What is your take on this? Reduction in the cost of broadband services is good but we must be careful not to overstretch ourselves in order to reduce cost and then compromise on the quality of service. The quality of service, which is high speed broadband connectivity must be maintained in order to achieve better customer satisfaction. But the best way to address the issue of reduction in the cost of broadband services, is for the regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission to
How will you describe the data market in Nigeria, what are the challenges and how was Spectranet able to break even in spite of market challenges? Business has been tough and there have been lots of challenges that tend to slow business growth, but in all of those challenges, we are able to survive doing data business in Nigeria. Like I said earlier, the NCC, in the past, licenced over 100 ISPs, but today we are only three that are active in the country. Others have gone down because of the harsh business environment. In the kind of market that we operate, the regulator controls the market price and we the operators, can only drop prices, if the regulator crashes prices, but the regulator must be mindful in crashing prices, in order to ensure that the operators remain in business. So two-third of our cost is beyond our control. But in spite of the challenges, we plan to double our customer base from 200,000 to 400,000 in the next one year. What has been your experience with tower infrastructure companies? ISPs work with tower companies to have 99.9 per cent reliability in their service, but in most cases we do not have such reliability index from them, and when the tower is shut down, it affects our service efficiency for customers. This in itself is a challenge that the regulator has to look into. Each site must have 99.9 per cent uptime to enable efficient service for customers. How will Spectranet achieve full customer experience, as outlined in your ‘project rainbow’, when broadband capacities are not evenly distributed in the country? Yes it is a challenge that broadband capacities are not evenly distributed in the country, but one thing that is key, is that customer demand for broadband is on the increase and we as ISPs, must find ways of meriting customers satisfaction and experience. This is the more reason we decided that Spectranet must provide full customer experience and satisfaction, against all odds. In the last two years, customers’ data consumption was about 20Gb but today, that has increased by more than 100 per cent and we must find ways to address that increase in demand for broadband. We will continue to invest in broadband to ensure that customer experience is not compromised. We are problems solver and we will continue to meet and surpass the needs and demands of customers.
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PR Momentum Rises The impact of public relations on businesses has been tremendous in recent years with more business owners and other stakeholders attesting to its relevance as a major tool for marketing and communications. Raheem Akingbolu reports The years 2016 and 2017 were turbulent for businesses and brand owners. No thanks to the significant decline in economic activities that spread across the economy and lasted for about two years. As expected, marketing budget dropped while the tough time lasted and this led to unemployment and business decline in Marketing Communications industry. This notwithstanding, brand managers wanted to sell, hence the need for subtle approach and cost effective platforms to connect with consumers. As a result of this, Public Relations and experiential marketing suddenly took the front seat as many marketing directors quickly readjusted their marketing plans and pitch their tent with PR and experiential agencies. For PR practitioners, it has been a blessing in disguise because they have warmed themselves into the hearts of government institutions and some business owners, who were initially conservative in their market approach. By December last year, many agency heads were not only counting their blessings, they attracted awards and recognition for being able to contribute meaningfully to brand building and economic growth. Adherent to corporate practice For being able to maintain standard and adhere strictly to the ethics of the job, XLR8, one of West Africa’s leading public relations and communications consultancies, won the “Best Corporate Public Relations Practitioner of the year� at the 2017 Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Presidential Award, held towards the end of the year. In his citation for XLR8, President of the Institute and Chairman of its Council, Dr. Rotimi Oladele, commended the “finesse and strategic rigour that have come to define the company’s craft�, adding that it is no surprise that XLR8’s interventions typically deliver the desired outcomes for its clients. Chief Executive Officer of XLR8, Calixthus Okoruwa expressed thanks and appreciation to NIPR for the recognition. “We are humbled and overwhelmed by this recognition coming from the apex guardian of professionalism in the public relations and communications management sector,� he stated, adding that it would inspire XLR8 to rededicate itself to excellence in every facet of its operations. XLR8 has, in the course of the 13 years since its founding, expanded very rapidly in the marketing communications consulting space in
For being able to maintain standard and adhere strictly to the ethics of the job, XLR8, one of West Africa’s leading public relations and communications consultancies, won the “Best Corporate Public Relations Practitioner of the year� at the 2017 Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Presidential Award, held towards the end of the year
Adekunle Nigeria by proving itself an invaluable ally and trusted advisor to several leading brands and organisations across different sectors. It currently consults for leading multinationals in the banking and financial services sector, technology and telecommunications, sports and entertainment, food and beverages, fast moving consumer goods and the public sector. As if Lagos State was waiting for the recognition before engaging the PR firm to handle its sensitisation campaign on the Land Use Charge, news filtered in that the agency has been hired by the state government. Around the same time, XLR8 also clinched MTN PR business. Recognition for PR report In a country where stakeholders have consistently clamoured for data and records, the industry was awash when an agency, BHM, damned the consequence and started the publication of a PR report. For the singular act, the agency was 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. Receiving the award on behalf of BHM, General Manager/COO, Moruff Adenekan, described the award as a mark of honour. “It’s an honour to receive this award on behalf of the entire team. At BHM, we’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 we’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.� In 2015, the agency launched a nationwide campaign themed ‘PR is Dead’ which was designed to draw attention of the public and marketing communications practitioners to the
Okoruwa fact that communication has evolved beyond textbook practices and the good old traditional ways. The ‘PR is Dead’ 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. As the year approached the end, the agency won part of MTN businesses. Double Industry Honours TPT International Limited, Nigeria’s foremost PR consultancy, also closed 2017 on a glorious note with two awards within a week by the governing bodies of the public relations industry in the country. At the Presidential Dinner Award of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) in Lagos, TPT International was conferred with the “Corporate Practitioner of Excellence 2017� award. Last Thursday, NIPR Lagos chapter announced TPT International as the “Best Agency to Work� at a gala night in Lagos. The result was the outcome of independent surveys conducted for the award organisers. On the “Corporate Practitioner of Excellence 2017� award, NIPR President, Dr Rotimi Oladele said TPT International beat other competitors to win the highly-coveted honour because of its “innovative, excellent, professional and creative� approach to campaigns and contribution to the growth of PR practice in the past two decades. Former NIPR President, Mazi Mike Okereke, who presented the ‘Best Place to Work’ award to TPT International, described the agency’s approach as innovative and pace-setting. The foremost PR practitioner said TPT International is renowned as a dream agency for practitioners, which is a proof of its leadership position. Lead Strategist of TPT International, Adetokunbo Modupe, who dedicated the awards to his team, described the recognitions as a validation of the company’s focus in managing clients’ perception in line with global standards and result delivery, as well as its determination to emerge as one of the most-sought reputation managing firms in Africa. Leadership Group Managing Director of CMC Connect (Perception Managers), Mr. Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, was also honoured at the LaPRIGA event by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR)
with the ‘Bob Ogbuagu Leadership Award’ for positively impacting the Nigerian PR profession and inspiring younger practitioners. Mr.Badejo-Okusanya while receiving the award which was presented to him by veteran TV broadcaster/Producer, Mr. Bisi Olatilo, applauded the Lagos State NIPR for uplifting the profession through quality initiatives. He said: “I want to thank my beautiful wife for her tremendous support. And I also commend my team at CMC Connect for the commitment, without them this cannot happen. They really do a lot. I am just one of the trees in that forest.� Speaking in an emotional tone, he dedicated the LaPRIGA award to late Simeon Olawale Adelabu, one of the very active members of the Lagos State Chapter of NIPR who died recently. A consummate public relations practitioner with decades of experience in the profession, Mr. Badejo-Okusanya is the current President of the African Public Relations Association (APRA), the umbrella body for the practice of public relations in Africa. Lifetime Achievement A top female practitioner, NKECHI Ali-Balogun, who runs NECCI Limited and NECCI Public Relations Roundtable was also conferred with the “Lifetime Achievement Award, 2018,� by NIPR Lagos. According to the NIPR, the award was given in recognition of her role as a leading public relations practiotioner and strategist, as well as being the first female chairman of the Lagos branch of the Institute “In addition, we also recognise her meritorious contribution to the public relations practice, inspiring younger practitioners, especially the females and the growth of the Institute over the years,� the institute said in a statement. The award presentation took place at the annual Lagos PR Industry Gala and Awards, LaPRIGA night, which held recently in Lagos. A Fellow of the Institute, Nkechi has in the recent past received “The Most Outstanding Public Relations Practitioner of the Year� for two consecutive years. She was a former chairman of the Lagos chapter of the professional body. As 2018 business year begins, there is no gain saying the fact that PR growth is on the rise with more recognition coming its way.
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MedVan as Engagement Platform for Healthcare Needs Beyond offering goods and services, Glaxosmithkline Consumer Nigeria Plc is championing the need for manufacturers of consumer health-related products to speed up campaigns that would further enlighten the public on health issues and provide feedback for manufacturers. Raheem Akingbolu reports Educating consumers on new invention, application and global marketing trends, is fast becoming a tool for public engagement. Because of the sensitivity of the health sector, such a campaign is highly recommended to safeguard human lives. According to BRG Communications, a United States-based public relations firm that engages mostly in consumer education, involving in consumer awareness campaign promotes mutual relationship between brand owners and the target audience. In Nigeria, many organisations have toed the global path to boost their equities as well as impacting on consumers. The recent being the effort of Glaxosmithkline Consumer Nigeria Plc, through an initiative tagged MedVan, which was initiated to reach healthcare practitioners in the suburban and rural areas across Nigeria and provide them with up-to-date medical education about drugs, illnesses and diseases. The company has since begun with some states that serve as pilot states for the exercise. Speaking at the inauguration, GSK Medical Director, Omolaja Odunuga, explained that MedVan is the first mobile continuous medical education provider in Nigeria, adding that the initiative was in line with the company’s vision of improving lives by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. He said: ‘’ At GSK, we remain committed to our vision of improving human lives by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer and this initiative is another way to further demonstrate this belief. MedVan is one great way to connect with Health Care
Odunuga
‘’Through MedVan, we will engage and provide healthcare practitioners(HCPs) with adequate information about the best approaches dealing with illnesses and diseases, information about innovations in the medical field, and this will help them to better discharge their duties. With the dynamic nature of the healthcare space, there is need for constant education and training, MedVan will help HCPs to better their practice and keep abreast of innovation especially those in rural areas
Practitioners, get first-hand information, understand and meet their clinical needs, provide training where necessary and generally impact knowledge that can help improve their practice,’’ On what informed the choice of the selected states, the medical director said the plan was to take the initiative across Nigeria, starting with Kwara, Ekiti and Ebonyi. He further stated that depending on the success of this phase, GSK intend to reach out to other states in Nigeria. Target of the initiative What does GSK seek to achieve with this initiative? This was the question thrown by one of the journalists, who witnessed the flagging off of the project. To this, Odunuga reacted that as an organisation committed to the improvement of the healthcare system in Nigeria, the initiative was regarded as another way to demonstrate its commitment. ‘’Through MedVan, we will engage and provide healthcare practitioners(HCPs) with adequate information about the best approaches dealing with illnesses and diseases, information about innovations in the medical field, and this will help them to better discharge their duties. With the dynamic nature of the healthcare space, there is need for constant education and training, MedVan will help HCPs to better their practice and keep abreast of innovation especially those in rural areas. MedVan is a medical-commercial initiative through which GSK seeks to reach health care practitioners in the suburban and rural areas across Nigeria and provide them with up-to-date medical education about drugs, illnesses and diseases,’’ he stated. The medical director described MedVan as one great way to connect with HCPs, get first-hand information, understand and meet their clinical needs, provide training where necessary and generally impact knowledge that can help improve their practice.
Alege Meanwhile, in earlier press statements that were issued to herald the initiative, GSK had stated that through MedVan, it will engage and provide HCPs with adequate information about the best approaches dealing with illnesses and diseases, information about innovations in the medical field, and this will help them to better discharge their duties. ‘’With the dynamic nature of the healthcare space, there is need for constant education and training, MedVan will help HCPs to better their practice and keep abreast of innovation especially those in rural areas,’’ the company stated. Pilot launch In Ilorin, Kwara State, where state government GSK pharmaceuticals, jointly inaugurated the MedVan, it was used to provide education on drugs, illnesses and disease to healthcare providers in suburb and rural areas across the state. The state Commissioner for Health, Atolagbe Alege, described the initiative as a good project that was brought to the state in promotion of delivering good healthcare services to the populace. According to him, the programme consists of educating on new procedures of treatment, interacting with healthcare providers in remote areas, sharing focus and impact of drugs on patients. Alege noted that Kwara State was the first state the MedVan initiative started in Nigeria. Speaking at the inauguration, Odunuga, explained that MedVan is the first mobile continuous medical education provider in Nigeria and that GSK facilities would train doctors, pharmacists and other healthcare providers in the state. “We will keep in touch with them and continuously provide cutting edge technology that will help in area of health, with this initiative, every four out of five Nigerians would be able to access quality health care,�
said Odunuga. He added that there will be virtual learning centres for on-going capacity building to get the best practices available for healthcare providers. In their separate remarks, Kwara State Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association, Kunle Olawepo, the Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Olusina Olayiwola as well as their counterpart in the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Joseph Adekanye, commended GSK pharmaceutical company for the initiative. In his goodwill message, Olawepo said the association is in partnership in the initiative of promoting good healthcare in the state. Saying, 20 locations would be visited with the med-van, including; Kiama, Baruten, Shaare, Ifelodun Local government areas, and Jebba in Moro LGA, among others. Compared to other sectors, manufacturers in the health sector of Nigerian economy, especially Glaxosmithkline Consumer Nigeria Plc, appear to have realised the growing need for in-depth consumer knowledge in the consumer health sector. In the last few years, GSK and other companies like Unilever, and Procter & Gamble, have leveraged on the world health and oral day to engage consumers. In recent times, management of GSK has deplored, among other means, grassroots and community activation, public service announcement and partnerships and strategic alliances and research to educate consumers on their product, current development in the health sector and what consumers need. The impact of the campaign has sent strong signal to stakeholders that it has now become necessary for organisations that operate in the sector to, not just focus on the visible and more obvious pieces of information about the consumer, but to understand what lies beneath the surface. And this, according to industry experts, can best be achieved through deep consumer research.
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Oluboyede: Promotion of the Nigeria Brand Lies with Her Citizens The chief executive officer of Top 50 Brands Nigeria, Mr. Taiwo Oluboyede, in this interview with Raheem Akingbolu, speaks about the place of innovation and brand visibility in brand building How can you rate Nigerian brands and what contribution have various initiatives by stakeholders done for their growth? You have to look at this from two perspectives, whether you are rating Nigerian brand internally or you are looking at things from a global perspective. The Brand Nigeria itself in many ways influences the ratings that Nigerian brand may have, particularly if you are looking at things from a global perspective. That being said, Nigerian brands or what is called home grown are improving. I think about every of the top brands rated here have a whole department managing their brands and obviously, they are doing good job. While the international brands have benefits of wider experience and often economics of scale, we are also doing well and many of the top Nigerian brands have even gone continental and across the world, from the Nigerian financial service providers to manufacturing brands. let me give you an example, a Nigerian brand came second on the overall top 50 this last year and I think there are more Nigerian home grown brand in the top 10 that are international brands. Since we are talking about brand Nigeria, I hope you have heard of the #IAmBrandNigeria campaign, a clarion call for open endorsement and show of association with the Nigeria brand by the people. We are of the opinion that the responsibility of the promotion of the Nigeria brand lies more on the hand of the citizen, so we are championing this private driven initiative which gives a positive narrative of the Nigeria brand from the point of view the resilience, tenacity and making things happen against all odds. Many Nigerians have been able to achieve success in their endeavours in the midst of the inadequacies we have around us. What is the essence of the top 50 bands Nigeria? The Top 50 Brands Nigeria, which has now become our name, is a market research firm which measures brand performance, healthiness and advice owners on factors that influence them. We make a periodic public presentation of some of our research works, chief of which is the annual 50 top brands. We evaluate how brands are delivering on their promises from the point of view of the consumers. We get their opinion, which we believe is a reflection of their buying decisions. We carry out surveys and subject the high-lighted brand(s) to the Brand Strength Measument; to test their strength and somehow indicate weaknesses and advice on improvement. So, since the top 50 is what we are known for, we have decided to have it as the company name as well. What’s the need for it? Brand in our modern world has become one of the most important and valuable assets of a company. Though an intangible one, in some cases, it is worth one- third the total value of an organization and most times determines profitability of the business. Since the brand is that important, then it should be of utmost importance to know how it is faring in the market place per time. Brands must always ask pertinent questions such as; is the brand attracting the right audience, is it passing the right message and if the message is in alignment with the brand promise, these and much more will give brand leverage amongst its competitors. We have devised a means of measuring the top 50 that have been able to outdo the others in delivering on their promises from the market point of view and these are the brands we celebrate as the 50 TOP BRANDS of the year as it is being done in other world economies. So, this is like a report card that tells if you are actually among those important brands in the market. Not just that, it helps to also know your position among the top 50, what needs to be done to improve on brand performance even when you are among the top and what needs
Oluboyede to be done to remain there. As it’s been said, it is easier to climb up than to remain there. The top is always highly contested for, this is why we annually rate the 50 top brands for the year and show you the factors that influence the selection and rating. What this does is, it serves as a tool that enhances those at the top to improve on their promises and to motivate the aspiring brands to gain sufficient acceptability for a possible placement on the top too. What are some of the vital factors that brands need to put in place to ensure they are among the top? For the annual 50 top brands in Nigeria, we use the Brand Strength Measurement, BSM Index; it is a specially designed model that uses basic qualitative factors to determine brand ratings. Some of the entries in the model are popularity of a brand, consumer’s ability to recall a brand. For this we use the top on the mind survey, where people tell us brands they can easily recall. We found out that patronage, satisfaction and visibility are some of the factors that influence respondents’ choice in the survey. Other factors are innovation, that is in the product/service delivery, customer services etc. Quality element- these are factors that reassure customers that a brand has quality. Category leadership, this checks a brand market share in its industry We look at National Spread that is how widely spread across the country a brand it. The model also highlights on the brands Online Engagement- you will agree with me that the online platform has become the alternative platform and often the first point of call when consumers want to engage a brand. They often check you out online and possibly engage. This affects decision making. Various surveys point to the fact that a growing number of consumers now check the online platform and mostly compare vital factors before making buying decisions. The model also looked at the Corporate Social Responsibility. CSR is one of the salient factors that determine brand’s acceptability and many brands have recognised that CSR asa key factor that enhances their relevance. Many brands now consciously set aside a certain percentage of their profit for this purpose. It is really important. All these put together is what goes into the BSM index and the aggregate determines the 50 top brands. For you to be on top, you have to build on these factors.
How does it affect brands in Nigeria? One of our objectives is to create a healthy competition among corporate brand in doing more to satisfy their customers and delivering on their promises. In today’s business world, and Nigeria not an exception, major brands budget heavily to enhance their brand, even though the best boast to your brand image is delivering on your promise. This makes brands in Nigeria to become more sensitive to in building their brands by using customer’s satisfaction and other important factors as a differentiators, seeing themselves as being watched and performance are being rated as obtainable in developed economy. So, they begin to strategically work towards better value propositions and delivering on them. This in many ways also serves as advisory to brand owners to have a better knowledge and first-hand information about the consumer’s needs, and working towards satisfying them and we are beginning to see improvement and better engagement. What informed your decision for this award? Firstly, I need to make some clarification, this isn’t an award, rather, an assessment platform where organizations can reassess their brands performance thereby help them to appreciate the important value their intangible asset is adding and advice on vital factors that improve brand perception and market shares. However, we will be having an award for certain categories, starting from this year. We will be recognising some Nigerian (home grown) brands especially. The concept of brand ratings and valuation gained more popularity when business acquisitions in the developed economies were becoming popular in the 80s. And it was observed that the asking price in all the cases is more than the real assets. So, the difference is the premium that the brand has been able to add over time. For example, if you owned a company now and for any reason, you are selling it or it’s being acquired by others, your selling price is the value of your assets plus a premium. The premium is a function of the perception of the market. We have had many acquisitions in Nigeria in recent years and the brand value has played important role in the value of the businesses. Since brand has become a very important asset in any organisation, it has also become important to evaluate and rate them. As businesses and brands are springing up and we are seeing megabrand
as well, it became necessary to have such here as well. It also enhances the global appeal of our brands. Since year 2000 when the Nigerian economy seems to have opened up a bit more and with increasing influx of foreigners and foreign direct investments, there has always been a need to have independent opinion platform about major brands in Nigeria. We have had to advice a number of people on certain things on brand performance in Nigeria. One of our desires is to see Nigerian brands taking the lead in the annual top50 brands rating. And we are seeing an improvement. In the midst of the recession, Nigeria brands are doing well. For example, from the assessment this year, we have 25 of the 50 being home grown, that is a whopping 50%. It’s the first time we will be having this since our first edition in 2013. This is really very exciting for us. Now we also have another category, called Brands to Watch, these are brands that have not made the top 50, but with potentials. Now, 8 of the 10 this year are home grown. Now, that is very exciting for me. Some of the mid-year report from some of brands also, particularly the banks show profitability. It is our belief that the Nigerian brands listed and even those that are not will take good look at these factors and seriously work on their value proposition and live up to their promise. It’s also important for them to adequately communicate these promises to the consumers, you know. People make buying decision based on information and experience. I need to know first before buying and before I can experience. What makes top 50 brands Nigeria different among others? Like I have explained above, this is about performance, this is like a report card, and this is like an advisory system that says, based on these and those factors you are this. In many developed economy, you have things like fortune 500 and many others. This has become like a yardstick for measuring class and positioning and it has greatly help in improving image, at least from the feedback we are getting from the brands. How can you rate the acceptability and what are the feedbacks you are getting? Let me give an example, based on our last edition, where brands like MTN Nigeria, Dangote Group, First Bank of Nigeria, Julius Berger, Guinness and Nestle Nigeria were listed among the top 50 brands in the 2017 edition. The listed firms are among the most resilient in Nigeria and achieved growth during the 2016 economic recession. Reports from some of these companies have shown that the award has given them substantial boost in the market place. They were those who defied the odds, with many of them declaring good profits. Cutting across various sectors, they are the engine that power and drive our economy; they are the employers of labour; they create wealth and provide vital goods and services for the people. The brands honoured at this year’s edition of the Top 50 Brand Nigeria Awards have transcended their product/service categories and mean much more to the consumers. Another example was where the international office of one of the top brands had to contact us. Am told of another one that they received commendation letter from their group headquarter for being among the top. We had the announcement of the 50 brands few days ago and we have received calls and emails from many places already. Now this isn’t really a yardstick for us. What is important to us is that brands owners are getting to see what they are probably doing right and some of those things they need to improve on. I think this is a better yardstick. And we are getting vital feedback from many of the brands.
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Firm Invests N10bn to Boost Power Generation Capacity Raheem Akingbolu Viathan Group, a provider of captive and embedded power solutions,has issued Nigeria’s first corporate infrastructure bonds to refinance existing bank loans and fund its expansion plan. Following the signing meeting, which took place on 14th December 2017, the power firm successfully issued NGN10 billion Series 1 Bonds, the first issuance under its NGN50 billion Bond Issuance Programme registered to support the company’s plan to increase its power generation capacity from the current 50MW to 200MW, over a 5-year period. With InfraCredit’s guarantee, Viathan Group, through Viathan Funding Plc - a special purpose vehicle established to raise debt capital, successfully accessed the debt capital markets for the first time by issuing a NGN 10.0bn 16.0% Series 1 Senior Guaranteed Fixed Rate Bond Due 2027 (the “Viathan Bonds�) backed by the irrevocable and unconditional guarantee of InfraCredit and accorded a ‘AAA’ long term national scale rating by GCR and Agusto & Co with approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). InfraCredit is a ‘AAA’ rated infrastructure credit enhancement facility established as
a commercial entity by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority and GuarantCo to provide guarantees to enhance the credit quality of local currency debt instruments issued to finance eligible infrastructure assets in Nigeria. InfraCredit acted as a catalyst to attract the investment interest from pension funds, insurance firms and other long-term investors, thereby deepening the Nigerian debt capital markets. InfraCredit operates on a commercial basis and benefits from private sector governance. GuarantCo is partof the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), the PIDG also supported the establishment of InfraCredit through its Technical Assistance Fund. The Viathan Bonds was subscribed by sixteen (16) institutional investors comprising pension funds organizations and insurance companies. The NGN10 billion bonds recorded a 105% subscription and was priced at an 82bps premium to the 10-year sovereign benchmark bond (NIGB 16.288 03/17/2027 Govt) using the 60-day yield average adapted for the bookbuild exercise. Necessary process to list the bonds on FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange is being finalised. Viathan Engineering Limited
Cars45, Kia Motors Partner to Boost Access to Cars Emma Okonji Cars45, a car buying and auctioning platform for Nigerian used cars, has entered a car trade-in deal with Kia motors, designed to improve access to both new and used Kia cars. This partnership, it was gathered, was borne out of a necessity to ensure that any pre-owned car can be tradedin at Kia’s Akin Adesola office in Victoria Island Lagos to Cars45 for a new Kia, a fairly used Kia or other cars owned by Cars45. The relationship is intended to provide Nigerians with a much more credible environment to trade-in their cars with ease while ensuring that they get the best value for their money. Speaking on the initiative, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Cars45, Etop Ikpe said: “Our business is beyond providing a platform for Nigerians to sell their cars. The desire to meet the customers’ expectations is what is paramount for us at cars45. The used car market is growing and we have seen a lot of requests from Kia owners for an opportunity to swap their old Kia for new ones. This plan we believe further establishes Cars45´s commitment to Nigerians by ensuring that there are cars for the average Nigerian whenever he or she wants one. Cars45 recently flagged off a new centre in Kia’s Akin Adesola office where any preowned car can be driven to
the centre and traded-in for a brand new or previously owned KIA car.� According to him, “We have witnessed strong demand for our used Kia cars and customers have over the years asked for a trade-in option for a new model. The market size of pre-owned cars has grown significantly and our partnership with Cars45 is aimed at offering a well organised used car trade-in programme with complete peace-of-mind and hassle-free ownership experience to our customers. The country’s used car market has a huge growth potential and we expect ‘Kia Certified Used Car’ business to grow in the foreseeable future and contribute to the brand’s growth in Nigeria. Head of Marketing, Cars45, Abiodun Onifade, said: “From our data and feedback from our customers, we have seen that there is an increased desire and demand for brand new Kia cars. Hence, the rationale for this laudable Initiative. We are confident this partnership will further increase customer experience and love for both the Cars45 and the Kia brand.� Also speaking on the development, Vice President, Kia Motors Nigeria, Olu Tikolo said:�Our partnership with a leading online used car sales portal, will not only roll out a used certified car program but also offer customers more choices, enabling them to create a bespoke buying process that suits their needs.�
is a leading indigenous provider of integrated captive and embedded power solutions to government and commercial clients with proven track record in the Nigerian (off-grid) power solutions sector using natural gas as fuel. Speaking on the development, the CEO of Viathan Engineering Limited, Mr.
Ladi Sanni said, “the success of the bond issuance has significant implication for Viathan’s capacity expansion strategy; with 10-year funding at relatively lower borrowing cost, Viathan Group is better positioned to efficiently execute its capacity expansion plan in captive power generation and increase its diversification into
gas processing, while significantly achieving its mid-term to long-term target with better returns to shareholders�. The strategic alliances with InfraCredit, that birthed the successful bond issuance, and other initiatives such as the recent execution of an equipment supply agreement with UNATRAC UK, (Caterpillar’s
main distributor for Europe/ Africa), will reinforce Viathan’s commitment to execute its expansion plan and achieve medium to long term targets that would consolidate the company’s position as a preferred indigenous provider of integrated captive and embedded power solutions in Nigeria.
STOCK TAKING
L-R: Representative of Equity Services Limited, Company Secretaries to SBC, Samuel Uboh; Chairman, SBC Mr. Faysal El-Khalil and Director, SBC, Otunba Adekunle Ojora at SBC’s annual general meeting in Lagos ‌ recently
Stormzy Partners Nokia to Boost New Music Video Nokia 8 has been announced as the official technology partner for Stormzy’s new music video, capturing real moments throughout the day as part of its Unite For initiative idea. Announcing the partnership deal, HMD Global said the Nokia 8 smartphone is the official technology partner of Stormzy’s highly anticipated music video, Blinded By Your Grace Pt. 2 (BBYG). Stormzy is an award winning English grime and hip hop artist. Though this year has seen multiple tragedies rock the world, but in BBYG, Stormzy wanted to show people standing tall, proud, and most importantly, together. He reached out to his fans from all walks of life, religions and communities to join him and show a united front. All of them coming together to unite in a positive way, against a backdrop of more adverse times. To emphasise the stories of the real people included in the video and show two sides to the story – Stormzy and the communities - moments of the music video were captured using the Nokia 8. Via the product’s unique bothie mode, which allows user to simultaneously use the front and back camera to take a picture or video, fans there on the day
captured exclusive behind the scenes footage from the shoot, making up parts of the video. This gave an honest account of the day, drawing people together from different walks of life and connecting their stories through the movie shoot. This year has been a triumph for Stormzy, from launching his debut album GSAP, to his domination at this year’s MOBO awards resulting in a triple win, including Best Male Act and Best Album. His music video for Blinded By Your Grace Part2 – that launched on December 15, - is set to be no exception, continuing this year’s ongoing success. Stormzy said: “The lyrics and what the song represents mean a lot to me and I wanted to show a different side to my music. Having the platform to be able to bring people together to celebrate and share a moment through one of the biggest methods of uniting people – music, inspired me to share the stage with real people that continue to amaze me every day. I wanted to share both sides of the story, mine and theirs, through a song that is close to my heart and seeing people from every walk of life coming together to sing in the video, all in one place, has been an amazing experience.�
Queen Elizabeth Honours Interswitch Boss Following the announcement in November 2017 of the appointment of Kenneth Olisa as Interswitch’s new chairman, the businessman and philanthropist has been recognised, among other notable individuals, in Queen Elizabeth (II)’s New Year Honours. Sir Kenneth Olisa is a British businessman with a career in technology that commenced at IBM and spans well over 40 years. He founded and led the technology merchant bank Interregnum and is also the founder and chairman of Restoration Partners, an independent boutique technology merchant bank, reputed as architects of the Virtual Technology Cluster model. He is currently a Director of Thomson Reuters. In 2015, he became the first black Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London having been appointed by Her Majesty the Queen. By this development, Olisa, the first British-born black man to serve as a Director of a FTSE-100 business is now officially honoured with a Knighthood for services to Business and Philanthropy in the United Kingdom. An advocate of social inclusion, he is Chair of the Shaw Trust,
supporting the disabled and chronically unemployed to find work; founding Chair of the Powerlist Foundation, supporting future leaders from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and disadvantaged backgrounds; a former Governor of the Peabody Trust; and a former Non-Executive Director of the West Lambeth NHS Trust. Commenting on the development, Founder and Group CEO of Interswitch, Mitchell Elegbe remarked that “Sir Ken has distinguished himself in professional and social spheres with a remarkable pedigree of service in the public domain. A leading light and embodiment of his maxim, “Do well, and do good�, He has not only charted an impressive and ethical course across the business terrain, but has also done notable social good; actively championing, and investing in many charities and non-profit organisations, which work to mitigate the disadvantages faced by so many in his society. We are extremely proud of this most recent recognition and knighthood by the Queen for his services, and it is a great way to start the new year, both for Sir Ken and for Interswitch.
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BUSINESSWORLD
DEVELOPMENT
Catfish Farming: A Worthwhile Venture? With the Federal Government’s priority focus on the agricultural sector as a huge source of employment for youths and a viable alternative revenue source to crude oil proceeds, Chiamaka Ozulumba and Chikodilli Ozulumba look at the pains and gains of catfish farming in Ikorodu area of Lagos State
C
and results in fatalities. He told THISDAY that a minimum of N4 million is required to set up a standard fish farm and advised that the possibility for loss is high as not all the fishes would survive. According to Oluwaseun “if a farmer starts with 500 fingerlings, about 350 would reach the maturity stage due to diseases, cannibalism�, and added that “the application of industrial salt in small quantities help kill germs and reduce outbreak of diseases and also reduce the stress levels of the fishes.� Feeds rich in protein are highly nutritious to little fishes like fingerlings and juveniles but too much protein is harmful to mature ones, it was also noted.
atfish farming is steadily receiving a huge boost as more people are seeing its lucrative aspect. The catfish is one of the most available species of fish in Nigeria, and the business potential in its breeding is huge, hence more people are now getting involved in it. There are reportedly hundreds of catfish farms around the country, with some of them providing ready sources of ‘point and kill products, whereby any selected fish will either be made into pepper-soup or barbecue for teeming consumers. That is aside the numerous market outlets for catfish found in supermarkets, hotel and restaurant chains, fast food joints, and in the pots of caterers, who are now increasing by the day in response to demands of social functions and home cooking and delivery. Setting Up In starting a fish farm there are so many technicalities involved, from acquiring land to the kind of pond to getting the fingerlings to be used. A catfish pond could be earthen, plastic and concrete; it depends on the owner’s choice. Setting up a fish farm, according to THISDAY findings, is capital intensive and it involves meticulous planning to avoid disasters, as losses resulting from mistakes and bad management is often fatal. Most people choose catfish farming over other varieties of fish because of its fast growth, reproduction rate, and there is a higher demand for catfishes in the market due to the fish being high in OmegaH3 oil, which is essential to growth and development of the human mind. But checks have also revealed that the number one money-consuming factor most catfish farmers experience is the fish feeds, as this is essential to the health and growth of the fishes. Feeds like Raanan, Livetorit, Aquafeed, are the main fish feeds in the market, discovered during a recent THISDAY survey. Random Surveys THISDAY reporters (IT) recently paid visits to the Fish farm Estate, Ikorodu to interact with catfish farmers. One of such farmers, Mr. Azeez, who owns ten fish ponds, makes use of the concrete pond due to its versatility. He buys around 500 fingerlings at a go at the market rate of N12 for one and starts to feed them, and one bag of 1.5mm of fish feeds goes for N8,000. He has to continually monitor the fingerlings which are about one to three weeks old as they grow to the juvenile stage, which is four to six weeks old, before the post- juvenile stage, and later the brood stage which are the mature ones. Azeez disclosed to THISDAY that he has to,
Azeez (left) and Chiamaka at one of the fish farms in Ikorodu CHIKODILLI OZULUMBA at regular intervals, change the pond water after about 2-3 days due to waste residuals that could start reducing the fishes’ air supply and also give rise to the growth of harmful bacteria in the water. THISDAY also learnt that the fishes are separated according to ages and size to reduce competition and cannibalism as bigger fishes tend to eat smaller ones, and separating them drastically curbs competition and enables them to grow at the same rate. After close scrutiny it was observed that Azeez does spot feeding as against broadcast feeding, as it ensures that all the fishes converge at the same place the feed is poured in; as against throwing it in different directions, which would possibly result in majority of the feed not eaten. Due to high demand for catfishes, farmers tend to feed them with a lot of feeds to ensure the steady growth, and some of such feeds
contain toxins harmful to human health if consumed in large quantities. Azeez also noted this and was quoted as saying “Nobody would want to buy a fish that is not healthy looking, hence the feeding with such feeds.� Mortality rate in catfishes is quite low with rare cases of diseases, but at times they could suffer from overfeeding, contaminated floating feed and high levels of Aflatoxin in certain feed ingredients in feed formulation and could lead to feed poisoning. Also, issues like dirty water hinder their growth so farmers must change the water used regularly to always ensure the fishes have oxygen, and the ponds regularly washed to prevent the outbreak of harmful bacteria. Downside Aspects A HND student of Agric Extension and Management, Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Mr. Olasupo Oluwaseun, advised that usage of poultry feeds to feed the fish is hazardous
Cost Implications According to THISDAY findings, a bag of Alleraqua feed sells for around N8,000 and a minimum of 4,000 fishes eat around one and a half bags in a day, so the catfish farming venture is capital intensive. But the overall gains are worth the stress, as the profits realised would send most of the farmers concerned smiling to the banks. A kilo of catfish goes for N600 against N800 as was the case before, which is due to an increase in the number of catfish farmers who see the business as a huge money spinner, in light of the present economic downturn in the country. Oluwaseun also said for massive reproduction of catfish for consumption, artificial insemination is advised and practical to reduce the casualties. On the downside, these farmers spend a lot in breeding these fishes especially in the area of feeds, while water quality is a huge component in the process; as the water in the pond has to be religiously changed. There is also the power supply aspect, since electricity is needed to pump the water. Most of the fish farms visited by THISDAY rely on generators to do the pumping and thus the farm owners spend more. Profit Takers In as much as the fish farmers gain quite a lot, it is the fish retailers who buy from them who smile immensely to the banks, as the latter group in turn sell these catfishes at exorbitant rates. Just one fish could sell as high as N800 to N1,000 depending on its size, while in the case of the ‘point and kill’ delicacy, such a catfish could sell for as high as N1,500 to N5,000 due to the preparation it would undergo before it ends on the customer’s plate for consumption. Catfish farming is still lucrative as the benefits outshine the bad side of the business, hence continuous increase of its patronage by farmers as well as the teeming consumers. To most of those involved, it is worth the venture.
RANDOM THOTS Anti-Corruption Jihad This is no joking matter! Of course, fighting corruption in Nigeria has never been a joking matter. But the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, took the struggle a notch higher when he recently said the war against corruption must be fought like a jihad. The EFCC boss, in a lecture he delivered at the 10th anniversary of the Fountain University, Osogbo in Osun State, noted that just 55 persons stole N1.3 trillion of the country’s commonwealth between 2006 and 2013, and said corrupt persons in Nigeria were claiming that they were being prosecuted
because of their ethnic identity or the region they came from. The anti-graft fighter, who has a running battle against members of the senior hallowed chamber in Abuja over corruption allegations levelled against the top legislators, has been variously described as a tough-talking crusader who does not suffer corrupt persons lightly, no matter how highly-placed, right from the heydays when the Commission first came into existence in 2003. According to him, “It is a jihad for all of us to wage the war against corruption. It is unpatriotic as citizens to fold our arms and leave the fight against
corruption to President Buhari, Vice President Osinbajo, the EFCC and few others. We are all stakeholders in the fight against economic and financial crimes; together we can defeat this evil.� However the truth is that if the agency can successfully prosecute a sacred cow for corruption allegations ending in assets forfeiture and a very long jail term, many cynical citizens will be more inclined to join the current war to rid this country of her greatest development obstacle. Like in a jihad, big examples must be set for progress to occur...simple truth -Abimbola Akosile
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Local rice production in Nigeria
SOURCE: AgroNigeria
Can Nigeria Cease Rice Importation in 2018? President Muhammadu Buhari, in his New Year address to the nation on January 1, also stated that there would be zero rice importation this year. Rice is a staple food product in millions of Nigerian homes and many analysts believe that its local production is yet to meet the growing demand of consumers. In your own view, how can zero importation of rice be ensured in the country this year? Abimbola Akosile
THE FEEDBACK
* With the number of citizens who depend so much on rice and the fact that the country has just started improving its rice production, we need at least three years before we can cease importing rice into the country. By now the local production must have reached across the country with citizens’ awareness to patronise the local rice products. So the government shouldn’t rush into banning rice importation because when the time comes, those concerned needn’t be told to stop importation. I congratulate the Minister of Agriculture for a job well done. - Hon. Babale Maiungwa, U/Romi, Kaduna
Yes, it can cease:
2
No, it cannot cease:
8
Others:
4
Radical tip:
Jail rice smugglers!
Total no of respondents:
14
Male:
10
Female:
4
* Government should create an enabling environment for increased quality production to meet and exceed local needs. This would make it affordable and lead to exports as well. - Ms Nkeiruka Abanna, Lagos State
Highest location:
Lagos (5)
* Yes, we can, but Federal and State governments must encourage rice farmers with necessary incentives to boost the cultivation in large quantities as well as seeing to it that there is market for their products by tarring roads for easing transportation. Lastly, federal government and the Customs must guard against rice smugglers, and they should also work with the AfDB to encourage massive investments in agriculture. - Mr. Feyisetan Akeeb Kareem, Ogwashi-Ukwu, Delta State * Rice is loved by all Nigerians. Its demand is high and ever increasing especially during social functions. Supervised small scale local rice farms all over the 774 local government areas are the panacea. Banks must give soft loans while government buys, processes, and store excess harvests to avoid glut, waste, etc. Regular border policing against smuggling, swing pricing and inputs like quality seeds, fertilisers, storage tools e.t.c are also key. Rice must be cheap, available and secured. - Mr. Apeji Onesi. Lagos State * I believe the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has invested much in rice production under the government of PMB and it is time to reap where we sow in rice production. Rice importation ban is welcome, after all the countries we import their rice started from somewhere before they became exporters. Our government
should invest more in agricultural production to make Nigeria a food-sufficient nation in a few years to come. - Mr. Gordon Chika Nnorom, Public Commentator, Umukabia, Abia State * Food security is what we have been grappling with in this country for decades since after independence even when we did not have such population explosion. Our estimated population is now 190 million. Yes, the Federal Government has tried with the Anchor Borrowers Scheme to encourage rice production; a good scheme that should be taken to the nooks and crannies of the country. However, our population size means we have to work extra hard to stop the importation of rice in the next five years in order to cater for hungry Nigerians. Banning rice from this year will make the product be out of reach as the cost of a bag of rice will keep escalating. Importation must not be stopped. - Prof. Kate Nwufo, mni, Abuja * Government doesn’t need to close the border for rice importation. If you want your products to compete in the international market you need to meet some standards including availability, friendly prices, and product quality. Then that means that you can compete with the rice producers around the world, which will translate into a flourishing economy. - Mr. Amwe Habu Anche, Kaduna State * No, local production of this highly demanded product (rice) has not met the huge growing appetite of Nigerian consumers. But
the challenge is smuggling, funding, pricing, delivery, ever-porous border policing e.t.c issues. Government must ensure soft loans, proactive private participation, and non-interference etc. Checking these problems will deliver the needed successes here. Otherwise burning the bridges may cause our losing this battle. - Miss Apeji Patience Eneyeme, Badagry, Lagos State * By increasing our production capacity and making agriculture lucrative so that the youth can participate. - Mrs. Folasade Akinwale, London, UK * Without subsidising rice after production, it would be absolutely impossible to achieve. A bag of 50kg Nigerian rice is only N1000 less than the imported one. In reality the Nigerian one is even more expensive, by the time you remove all the other costs involved in bringing in the imported rice. The Federal government can subsidise the finished product to ensure that it is a lot cheaper than the imported one. If Nigerian rice is sold for N10,000 for a 50kg bag, the imported one will no longer be viable to import so will die a natural death. - Mr. Buga Dunj, Jos, Plateau State * It cannot cease as there is no part of the country herdsmen have not attacked and allowed cows to graze on crops with no government assistance to farmers, and they are afraid to go back for fear of further attack, and security men do not chase the herders into the bush. When will Nigeria adopt international grazing methods? - Mr. Dogo Stephen, Kaduna State * It is a shame that we even talk about importation of rice. - Mr. Blessed Sobomabo Braide, Lagos State * It cannot be possible due to issues of poor rice farming practices of the peasant farmers, low technology, poor grading, sorting, packaging, inadequate rice milling factories across all the states, and inadequate funding. Most rice farmers are currently experiencing low yields and poor varieties that cannot compete with international rice producing countries. The best way is to set up rice processing units, effective use of technology for preservation, cultivation, planting, harvesting and packaging. There should be general extension services
that will increase production. Also, direct intervention of funding mechanisms will speed up production and help in developing the rice market. - Mr. Michael Adedotun Oke, Founder, Michael Adedotun Oke Foundation, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja * Although local rice varieties are tastier and healthier, the ease of access to sometimes cheaper imported products, and the volume of demand for rice across Nigeria makes it near impossible to cease rice importation this year. Government must be ready to subsidise local rice farmers and producers and also jail all rice smugglers to ensure improved local supply, which will lead to reduced imports. - Mr. Olumuyiwa Olorunsomo, Lagos State
Next Week: Does Nigeria Really Need the Eco? Ă’Ă? Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă™Ă—Ă“Ă? Ù××ÓĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹ Ě™ Ěš ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁ Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ËŞĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă™Ă—Ă“Ă? ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– ÞÙ Ă‹ĂŽĂ™ĂšĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ ĂšĂœĂ™ĂšĂ™Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă–Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă—Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ě™ Ă?Ù̚ Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ëœ ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ ĂœĂ?ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ? ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ă˜ ͖͘ ĂšĂ?Ăœ Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă‘Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă™ Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă–ĂŁĂ?ĂžĂ?Ëœ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™ Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă˘ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ËŞĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă™Ă—Ă“Ă? Ă’Ă™ĂœĂ“Ă¤Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă?Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă‘Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜ ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă™ĂšĂ’Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ë› ÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ? ĂŒĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă Ă? Ă“Ăž ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ™Ă™Ă?Ăž ĂœĂ?Ă‘Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă™ĂœĂœĂ&#x;ĂšĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă˜Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ě‹ĂŒĂ™ĂœĂŽĂ?Ăœ Ă–Ă™Ă™ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ËÚÓÞËÖ ʎÓÑÒÞ˛ Ă™ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ëœ ĂŽĂ™Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă’Ă?Ăœ ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚ×Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă™Ăœ Ă˜Ă™ĂžËŁ Ă–Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă? ĂŽĂ“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžËœ Ă?Ă’Ă™ĂœĂž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ó×ÚÖĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ÞËÞĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă– Ă˜Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ëœ ÞÓÞÖĂ?Ëœ Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂŒĂ?ÞåĂ?Ă?Ă˜ ÞÙÎËã Ě™ Ă‹Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Í’Í™ Ęś Ă™Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁËœ Ă‹Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Í“Í“Ěš ÞÙ abimbolayi@ yahoo.com, greatbimbo@gmail.comËœ abimbola.akosile@thisdayliveË› com. Ă?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹ Ă?Ă’Ă™ĂœĂž ĂžĂ?âÞ Ă—Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă‘Ă? ÞÙ 08023117639 Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽËšĂ™Ăœ 08188361766 Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽËšĂ™Ăœ 08114495306Ë› ÙÖÖËÞĂ?ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? ĂšĂ&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ Ă’Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁËœ Ă‹Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Í“Í–
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DEVELOPMENT
Repair work begins on the long-abandoned tractors in Apapa, Lagos; courtesy of the NIRSAL, NASENI and MECA partnership?
ABIMBOLA AKOSILE
W’Bank Sustainable Devt Bond Raises Awareness for Women, Girls’ Empowerment Abimbola Akosile The World Bank has issued a Sustainable Development Bond to raise awareness for how empowering women and girls is one of the most effective ways to accelerate economic development, reduce poverty and build sustainable societies around the world. The bond raised CAD1 billion from institutional investors in the Canadian dollar market. Achieving gender equality is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and one of five key themes under Canada’s 2018 presidency of the Group of Seven (G7). It is central to the World Bank’s goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity in a sustainable manner.
Marking the World Bank’s first return to the Canadian dollar-denominated market in two years, the bond attracted remarkably strong participation from Canadian investors, according to a press release from the Bank issued in Washington, USA. In addition to offering the year’s first high quality opportunity in this market, the bond’s sustainable development and gender equality focus offered investors an attractive opportunity to align financial and social objectives. The bond was comfortably oversubscribed, with more than 40 investors placing orders for more than CAD1.2 billion. World Bank Chief Executive Officer, Kristalina Georgieva, said: “We need US$7 trillion
to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals - and we will not achieve them if we leave half our population behind. This is why the World Bank and Canada are committed to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women. It’s not just the right thing to do - it’s the smart thing to do to ensure a better future for all.� World Bank Vice President and Treasurer, Ms Arunma Oteh, said: “Capital markets can transform society. Through World Bank bonds, we create the channels that raise funding for global priorities such as gender and climate change, and connect investors to positive development outcomes. “I am particularly delighted that we have been able to build on Canada’s commitment to
empowering women and girls, to launch the World Bank’s first sustainable development benchmark bond highlighting gender equality,� Oteh added. President and CEO of Addenda Capital, Roger Beauchemin, said: “Addenda Capital has determined that the World Bank’s Sustainable Development Bonds are an excellent fit for our clients including our new Addenda Impact Fixed Income Fund. This bond reinforces our view that investors must look beyond green bond labels to identify opportunities for clients to have a positive social and environmental impacts while still generating competitive investment returns. “With the World Bank’s sustainable development mandate,
this bond will help support projects and programmes that cover the key themes Canada has identified as priorities for its 2018 G7 Presidency, including advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment,� he added. BMO Capital Markets and Bank of America Merrill Lynch were joint lead managers for the bond. Canada is a founding member of the World Bank. Since 1945, Canada and the World Bank have worked together, with other member governments, to finance projects, design policies, and deliver programmes to end poverty and create a world based on the principles of sustainable development. Building on the Millennium Development Goals, the Sustain-
able Development Goals (SDGs), agreed by 193 world leaders in 2015, are a 17-point plan to end poverty, combat climate change and fight injustice and inequality. Goal 5 deals with: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. The SDGs are a to-do-list for the planet that can be achieved if everyone plays their part. This is clear from the statistics - in low-income countries, one out of every 10 children dies before the age of five, whereas in wealthier nations, this number is only one out of 143. And the lifetime risk of dying in pregnancy and childbirth is one in 22 in Africa, one in 120 in Asia, and one in 3,800 for a fifteen-year-old girl in developed countries.
2016 to 3.0 metric tonnes per annum in 2017, while maize yield declined marginally from 2.5 tonnes per annum to 2.2 tonnes per annum due to impact of army worm attack which devastated farms,� he said. He also added that there was a 30 per cent increase in youth and women participation in the entire cycle of agricultural value chains, in addition to about 30 per cent of vegetable farmers in Ibwa community, who have
changed their attitude of farming from subsistence to farming as business. He also said with the support of FAO, about 450 women farmers in Agyana community were trained by ADP on post-harvest management on cassava. In addition, Agric extension workers also aided rural workers on proper methods of applying pesticides on plants and stored farm produce as well as using chemicals to destroy the pests.
FAO, USAID Boost FCT Field Extension Programmes Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) have been lauded for their roles in the provision of credible extension delivery to all agricultural value chains in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Secretary, Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat
of FCT Administration, Hon Stanley Ifeanyichukwu gave the commendation while reviewing some of the activities by the department in the past year to reposition the Agricultural Development Project and Field Extension Programmes (ADP). Ifeanyichukwu said projects routinely promoted by the agencies promoted the dissemination and adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and ensured that smallholder farmers increased their yield and income through improved
production. He said 175,000 farming families and 100 project staff members were supported through the various interventions initiated by the agencies. For instance, he said JICA facilitated international capacity building for four projects staff in Japan, supported 40 women groups and 30 extension agents on Rice paddy parboiling, using false bottom technology and mobilised farmer groups in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Kwali and
Gwagwalada area councils on Small Horticultural Empowerment Programme (SHEP). Ifeanyichukwu said the interventions among others led to outcomes, including 25 per cent reduction in post-harvest loss on agricultural produce through International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC) empowerment of communitybased agric dealers across six councils. “It also led to increase in rice yield per hectare from 2.0 metric tonnes per annum in
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BUSINESSWORLD
DEVELOPMENT QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“The2018programmeoftheBankisfocusingmostlyonpowersector;wehaveseveralsolar projectsthatwearehandlingtogetherwiththeWorldBankandotherpartners.Weare workingtogetherinsomeoftheseprojectsinJigawa,BauchiandSokotostatesamong others.Wealsoanticipatesupportingtheprivatesectorindevelopingtwolargefertiliser plantsforbothinternalandexternaluse� - COUNTRY DIRECTOR, AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (AFDB), MR. EBRIMA FAAL, SPEAKING IN ABUJA RECENTLY
‘Empowering Indigenous Women’ll Help Fight against Hunger, Poverty’ Nigeria hailed on cancer eradication efforts
UN Commits to ‘Leave no One Behind’, Unveils SDGs in Braille Abimbola Akosile In continuation of its commitment to leaving no one behind in the promotion of Agenda 2030 for sustainable development, the United Nations has unveiled the Braille Version of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Initiated and produced by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Nigeria, the SDGs in Braille was unveiled at the recent closing ceremony of the One-Week Braille Celebration in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Presenting the SDGs Braille to the Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Modupe Mujota, the UNIC National Information Officer, Dr. Oluseyi Soremekun, noted that in deepening inclusive access to information, UNIC took steps to ensuring that no one is left behind in understanding the global development framework, ‘Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to which both the Federal and State Governments have aligned their development priorities.� The National Information Officer, who represented the Director of UNIC Nigeria, Mr. Ronald Kayanja, enjoined the Commissioner to share the SDGs Braille in all the Schools for the Blind in the State. The SDGs Braille, according to him, was aimed at fostering access to information by all and enhancing a sense of inclusiveness amongst the blind. “The blind are human beings and their rights to education and other rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) must not be denied them. In line with the Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action On Special Needs Education, I call on governments to give the highest policy and budgetary priority to Special Needs Education,� he added. Soremekun later presented to Mujota, copies of the Braille Version of the UDHR, which was the world’s first complete UDHR in Braille, initiated and produced by UNIC Lagos Nigeria.
Soremekun presenting a copy of the Braille Version of the 17 SDGs to Commissioner Mujota in Abeokuta, Ogun State‌recently Speaking, the Commissioner acknowledged that the World Braille Day provided the opportunity to raise awareness about issues militating against the education and communication needs of blind persons. “The challenges blind people face in normalisation and inclusion into the mainstream of our society are many. The dearth of reading materials, specialised aids, games and equipment to mention but just a few,â€? she explained. Mujota therefore, called on individuals, corporate bodies and other stakeholders to complement the State Government’s efforts by contributing to the growth of Special Needs
Education Institutions. Welcoming the audience to the occasion, the Director of Special Needs Education, Ogun State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Mr. Elijah Akinyemi, commended the Ogun State House of Assembly for the passage of the Ogun Disability Bill on 16 November 2017 and called on Governor Ibikunle Amosun to assent to the bill to realise an inclusive society which provides every citizen of Ogun State the attainment of their inalienable rights. The high point of the Braille Celebration was the brilliant reading of the SDGs Braille by Ms Ronke Gisanri of the State Ministry of Information, Abeokuta.
Empowering indigenous women who have higher malnutrition rates than any other social group and typically earn far less than men is key to successfully fighting hunger and extreme poverty, the United Nations agriculture chief has said. Speaking at the recent Forum on Indigenous Women in Mexico City, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, Jose Graziano da Silva, said “Indigenous women face a triple discrimination – poverty, gender and ethnicity, both within and outside their communities – making them highly vulnerable.� They confront far higher rates of poverty, chronic malnutrition and illiteracy while having the least access to health care and political life, he said to the participants from a dozen countries, according to a UN release. About five per cent of the global population and 15 per cent of the world’s poorest, or some 370 million people, self-identify as indigenous. The situation is even worse for women in the more than 5,000 indigenous groups, spread across over 90 countries around the world. “Their social and economic empowerment is not only an excellent way to support them, but a necessary condition to eradicate hunger and malnutrition in their communities,� underscored Mr. da Silva. He noted that the UN’s decision to begin a Family Farming Decade in 2019 offers a platform to focus on rural livelihoods – where most indigenous peoples work. The FAO-organised three-day forum aims to develop public policy recommendations to empower indigenous women, strengthen their decision-making and recognise their rights. Although indigenous women are key actors in protecting biodiversity, adapting to climate change and varying nutritious diets, they are often forgotten in development plans. “They have fundamental roles in the spiritual, social and family arenas and are seed guardians – critical carriers of specialised knowledge,� underscored Mr. da Silva. “With political will, we can put an end to discrimination against indigenous women,� he affirmed. Meanwhile, efforts of the Federal Government in the treatment and eradication of cancer in Nigeria have been commended. The commendation and progress on the fight against cancer was made by the pioneer Chief Medical Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Hospital, Abuja, Prof. Francis Abayomi Durosinmi-Etti. Durosinmi-Etti, a full Professor of Radiation therapy and Oncology, stated this at the second annual sponsorship and end-of-year party for cancer patients and their caregivers organised by a non-governmental organisation, Atinuke Cancer Foundation, held at Ogudu, GRA Recreation Centre, Lagos, recently. The three-day event, with a theme ‘Let’s kill it’ commenced with a medical check-up of blood pressure, blood sugar, haemoglobin and body mass of participants, followed by low tempo aerobics in preparation for a 5-km fitness walk challenge, which was undertaken to sensitise Nigerians about the scourge called cancer. The second day lecture titled ‘Hope for Cancer Patients’ was delivered by Prof. Adekigbe of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), during which he laid emphasis on orthodox medical hope for the cancer patients, and also added that early detection is key in cancer treatment.
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T H I S D AY THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2018
HEALTH & LIFESTYLE
Acting Features Editor Charles Ajunwa Email: charles.ajunwa@thisdaylive.com
Rising Health Hazards in Lagos Lagos lately has been characterised by piling garbage, putting residents in harms way. Martins Ifijeh writes on how the situation is endangering the health of Lagosians
One of the several dumpsites in Lagos
“
Cleaner Lagos Initiative is borne out of my experience as a Lagosian. I have lived in Lagos for over 50 years. When you are coming into Lagos from Ibadan, the first thing you see on the right side is the dump site. Should I sit and continue to watch, the answer is no. All I need is players and team members. The city is very dirty. It is not healthy and so our total well-being and health is defined by our health status and our productivity. Henceforth, Lagos will be one of the cleanest places in Nigeria to live in.” These were the exact words of the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode on March 14th, 2017. Fast forward 10 months after. Not only that
The dirts are not only eye sores even to the blind, they have started competing with motorists for rights of way, with piles of dirts covering major roads, causing both human and vehicular traffic for Lagosians
the promise has been fulfilled in reverse, the situation has worsened compared to what the state of dirt was in March last year when he made the statement. The new idea could now comfortably be called ‘Dirty Lagos Initiative’ going by the present situation. Now, almost every street, junction, major roads, and even market places have replaced dustbin sites in the state, with piles and tonnes of dirt littering every nook and cranny of the city of about 21 million residents in a 21st Century; a situation that is gradually bringing back the old Lagos. From Egbeda, Surulere, Ejigbo, Ikotun, Ikeja, IyanaIpaja, Victoria Island up to Ikorodu and Ajah, the situation remains the same. The dirts are not only eye sores even to the blind, they have started competing with motorists for rights of way, with piles of dirts covering major roads, causing both human and vehicular traffic for Lagosians. For instance, if diagnosis was to be done on the cause of traffic in some parts of Lagos, like between Lawanson in Surulere to Oto-Oba, ‘piles of dirts along the road’ will shamefully be diagnosed as the reason for the huge vehicular traffic. It is the same situation motorists plying Mushin-Oshodi Road, Ikotun-Egbeda Road, and other areas face. Dirts have now been added to the cause of traffic in Lagos State. Just like adding salt to injury. But that is just a pinch of concern compared to what these debris are doing to the health of millions of people living in Lagos. Lagosians have now been forced to, on a daily basis, inhale the stench from the piles of debris in market places, junctions and streets. They are now living at the mercy of policies put in place by the government whether good or bad. The people are handicapped, and are forced to
live with their dirts, after all, government and policy makers do not live in the environments where these dirts are placed. It is because of this potential source of disease outbreak, that Lagosians including experts are raising alarm that there might be imminent outbreak of diseases if nothing drastic is done to address the growing public health concern. No wonder a Lagos resident, Collins Okobi, likened the stench emanating from the heaps of dirts in his area in Ejigbo as part of the reasons why President of the United States of America, Donald Trump described Haiti and African countries (Nigeria inclusive) as shithole countries. “Once you are stepping into my area in Ejigbo, even from two kilometers away, you will begin to realise that the quality of air has changed. Every resident in my area is breathing in polluted air because of the barrage of debris littered all over the place. Some of those refuse contains faeces and rotten animals, so you can imagine what is going into our body system. “Yet you will still see Lagosians castigating Trump for calling us shithole countries. If we are not a shithole country, why are we meant to live with such huge debris. Why are we meant to inhale the poison coming out of them. Why has Lagos suddenly become dirty?” He queried. He said years ago there used to be people sweeping major streets in his area, but that he believed they may have stopped because the streets have now become refuse dump sites, hence there was no point for the sweepers to do their work. “What will they sweep when the streets are filled with bags and piles of dirt. This could be likened to fetching bucket of water from the well and pouring it into an ocean. There won’t be need for sweeping since the refuse along
the road will require more than four Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) trucks for them to be evacuated.” He also queried why the state government stopped the monthly environmental sanitation, noting that in addition to the environmental policies put in place by the government, which he said doesn’t seem to work, Okobi said stopping environmental sanitation has made people relax in cleaning their own environments. A secondary school teacher in one of the government schools in Lagos, Mrs. Remi (surname withheld) said since the front of her house in Mushin became a dumping ground for refuse, her children get sick very often. “We are now permanently inhaling smell from debris since the past seven to eight months now. Almost everyone in the street brings their debris here to keep. So once the LAWMA truck comes they then evacuate them into their trucks, but there are times for a whole three weeks we won’t see the trucks. At that point, you will see heaps of debris every where, just directly in front of my house. “I just recently treated my children for diarrhea and cholera. And the health condition has been occurring every now and then. If its not diarrhea, it will be flu. Our health is no longer guaranteed because of the debris,” she said. Remi says this has also caused increase of rodents in her house, adding that even if the rodents were killed through rat poisoning, the ‘peace’ does not last more than two days. “After two days, you will start seeing them all over again. And I know Lassa fever infects humans through rats. We are no more safe since the dumping of refuse here,” she added. Medical experts have warned that the situation currently experienced in Lagos State could degenerate into an outbreak of disease, leading
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T H I S D AY THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2018
NEWS RISING HEALTH HAZARDS IN LAGOS
Ambode
Dirts now compete for right of way in Lagos
ultimately to the loss of lives of its residents. A public health expert, Dr. Wilfred Ogedengbe said the several dump sites on Lagos streets, junctions, homes and market places could cause both direct and indirect harm to the residents, hence the need for the government, the citizens and relevant stakeholders to come together and fashion out a lasting solution against the public health situation. According to him, these dumpsites among people could cause rapid breeding of rodents, mosquitoes, flies, among others. Adding that for rats, they could be source of transmission of diseases such as Lassa fever, other fevers, salmonellosis, leptospirosis, among others. “As we speak, Lassa fever is presently still killing Nigerians even in Lagos State, but they are not being reported as they were months ago. And I can tell you if you trace most of those infected, you will discover they live in and around places that have been converted to dumpsites in the city which unfortunately are
within the environments where people live.” He said these dumpsites were breeding grounds for mosquitoes, hence potentially becoming sources of malaria infection among the people. “These mosquitoes, would perhaps bite people who in turn will then come down with malaria. “Flies consider these dumpsites as breeding ground, and we know they are implicated in the transmission of diarrheal and cholera,” he added. He said the indirect impact of these dumpsites in Lagos could cause harm not only to the sewage systems, but contaminate Lagos State water, thereby leading to a more bigger problem of disease outbreaks in a larger scale. He said the situation could lead to contamination of ground water, surface water and the soil, and could potentially lead to death of millions of Lagosians. While many Lagosians have complained of the stench emanating from these debris, Ogedengbe believes such stench could lead to air poison,
thereby leading to respiratory problems. “It not only has the potential to damage the lungs, it could as well lead to death. “These dirts often on their own, generate methane gas which is highly inflammable and could lead to fire outbreak. So there are so many harm associated with the manner in which Lagos State government, is presently managing wastes in the city.” He called on the Ministry of Environment and other relevant agencies to as a matter of urgency come up with a lasting solution so that Lagosians will have a sense of safety, especially with regards to their health. But how did the state come to this, considering that Lagos was relatively cleaner years ago. Did the Lagos State Government make a policy change that is presently playing out in the form of environmental summersault? A senior staff of the Ministry of Environment provides a guide. He does not want his name in print because he was not authorised to speak.
He said the current dirts seen in Lagos, was because of sabotage from privately outsourced companies formerly involved in evacuation of debris across the state. He said when the state government introduced the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI), managed by Visions Cape, the aim has been for the firm to take over waste management in the state under a Public/Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, an approach he said would truly make Lagos cleaner. “But the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria, also known as Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators felt threatened. They made several efforts to stop the initiative. They even went to court. So what you have been seeing is a case of sabotage. “But as I speak to you now, everything has been resolved. Cleaner Lagos Initiative has kicked off. In few weeks time no Lagosian will complain of debris anymore on the roads, their houses and market places,” he added.
NARD Laments as JUTH CMD Shuns NAFDAC to Commence Nationwide Campaign Against Fake, Substandard Drugs its National Delegates Seriki Adinoyi in Jos The President of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr. Chinaka Ugochukwu has expressed total disappointment in the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Prof. Edmund Banwat, for shunning the association. According to Ugochukwu, the CMD was informed ahead of the meeting that the leadership of NARD was coming to JUTH to find solutions to the lingering crisis raging between CMD and the Association Resident Doctors (ARD) JUTH Chapter. But he said that knowing that they were coming all the way from Abuja, the CMD left for an undisclosed mission in Abuja so that he would not receive the delegation. “He led the delegation yesterday without any JUTH official, officially mandated to receive them but only for the CMD to send a text message that he had travelled to Abuja.” He further said, “It is very unfortunate and disappointing. We came here for peace. He (CMD) was in the know of our coming. But on arriving here, nobody received us. We were told that the CMD had
travelled to Abuja. “I want to tell you all that the national leadership of NARD has registered its dismay and inhuman treatment meted out to us. “We were not satisfied with the situations we saw on ground when we were taken round the JUTH premises. There are massive and gigantic buildings, but unfortunately there are no satisfactory medical services going on in all these edifices. But we believe that these should be improved upon for the people (doctors) who have devoted themselves to the services of humanity,” he lamented. According to the NARD President, there were reported cases of ugly trends at JUTH and its management which prompted them to come to the hospital to see things for themselves, adding that he had earlier assured the CMD that the national body of the association was going to address the issue and wade in. “But today, the national body of the association is not happy with the CMD in particular and the management of JUTH. I will not reply to his text. We travelled all the way from Abuja to JUTH. He was in the know of our coming. I will not say much but you will see actions. “Again, we are not happy
with the sacking of the resident doctors of recent. The JUTH management should withdraw those sack letters. It is not encouraging at all,” he explained. He assured the JUTH resident doctors that they should continue to fight for their rights, promising them of the support of the national body, adding that the battle will be won in their favour. He said as soon as they finish what they are planning to do, the local branch will inform them. Ugochukwu was disappointed and worried that there was still the sacking of doctors at JUTH in spite of court injunction to that effect, stressing that it was that court injunction that will form the basis of their action. He told the doctors to support the leadership of their association at JUTH under their president, Dr. Paul Agbo because it is not easy to lead. “Things are not easy. If they are going wrong, tell them. There are many things the government is depriving you of. We must fight it and win. We are yet to harmonise the number of doctors sacked by the CMD, but there are documents on ground pointing to that. This week, we heard that there are sack letters again.”
To save N200m annually from traveling and meeting grants Martins Ifijeh The National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC says it will in March this year commence a nationwide campaign against falsified and substandard drugs in Nigeria. Stating this in a meeting with staff in Lagos recently, the Director General of the Agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye said the campaign will start from six states of the federation, and would be aimed at sensitizing school children and people at the grassroots on the consequences of drug abuse and substandard products and medicines. She said the Agency will no longer entertain third party purchase of equipment, even as she has moved to save not less than 200 million spent annually on travels and meetings by staff of the agency. In what appears like a riot act in her nine priority lists, Adeyeye said all was set to align NAFDAC with international standards in medical product regulation to enhance quality testing of medicines and food. “After a tour of the Oshodi and Yaba including the Biologics laboratory in December, I realized that
majority of the lab equipment pieces and instruments need repair or replacement. “Almost all the equipment pieces and instruments including the partially installed ones were purchased from one vendor. No more third party purchase of lab equipment and supplies,” she added. Adeyeye expressed displeasure that a 810KV generator that was bought in 2014 did not work for even a day while another 1000 KV generator purchased same year never worked for three months with 2X 509 KVA generators. Pledging that her administration would replace these equipment, she said already, laboratory services’ oversight had been relocated to the DG’s office for proper monitoring. “We have contacted the vendor that supplied them. We are investigating what went wrong.” Continuing, Adeyeye said as part of the priority to build a functioning information communication technology, the agency is set to cut down traveling and meeting expenses of staff and channel the resources to repair infrastructure and purchase of equipment Adeyeye explained that the agency would save at least 200
million annually from travelling and meeting expenses between Lagos and Abuja, if video conferencing is put in place. “Video conferencing equipment should be installed by February 5, 2018. Already, three vendors bid have been evaluated and equipment will be ordered by January 18. Regretting that effective communication was virtually non existence in NAFDAC, she directed that all staff of the agency must use NAFDAC. gov.ng for best practices with stakeholders especially overseas partners. Adeyeye who further announced plans to launch a nationwide campaign against drug abuse and narcotics, substandard and falsified drugs among others. Explaining that NAFDAC plans to fund Young Pharmacists Group, YPG, of the PSN,she explained that the aim behind the campaign was to sensitize school children and people at the grassroots on drug abuse and substandard medical products. The Director General further disclosed that the campaign which is expected to commence in March this year, would come up in six different states of the federation.
T H I S D AY THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2018
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NEWS
Salami: Family Planning will Save 111 Women from Dying Daily Martins Ifijeh The Assistant Director, Reproductive Health and Family Planning, Pathfinder International, Dr. Habeeb Salami, has stated that family planning will save the lives of 111 women who die daily following pregnancy and child birth related issues. He said investment in family planning (FP), would reduce the rate of women’s death by 30 per cent in Nigeria. Addressing journalists during a media stakeholders meeting in Lagos recently, Salami said that 576 Nigerian women die out of 100,000 due to pregnancy and child birth related issues. . Salami who regretted that pregnancy and child birth are natural process that should not take any life said: “That is why family planning is important. It gives the woman time to rest properly from child birth before the next pregnancy,” he stressed. The family planning advocates said that the alarming figure of 111 women dying daily from pregnancy related issues can be blamed on five major causes of maternal mortality - hemorrhage, hypertension, infection, abortion complications and obstructed labour. The reproductive health expert further urged women to embrace family planning so as to stay alive. Expressing fears over Nigeria’s readiness to meet to meet the target of 27 per cent of Modern Contraceptive Prevalent Rate, (MCPR) by 2020, he said that the federal government would have to work with the state and local governments to secure complimentary budgets for family planning and reproductive health service delivery as well as meet the MCPR by 2020. “In order for Nigeria to meet the target of 27 per cent of Modern Contraceptive Prevalent Rate, (MCPR) by 2020, the federal government will have to work with the state
and local governments to secure complimentary budgets for family planning and reproductive health service delivery. “The partnership which the federal government can adopt to improve the lives of women of reproductive age would involve private sector, civil society, traditional and religious institutions as well as development partners. He further described the current CPR in the country as very low, bemoaning that this has been increasing unintended pregnancies, often resulting in unsafe abortions. “The federal government has intensified the campaign to increase uptake of FP with the formulation of the new policy to increase the CPR to 36 per cent by 2030. The goal is to improve the CPR uptake with a view to tackling unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions.” The Obstetrics and Gynaecology specialist blamed many state governments for stock out of contraceptive commodities, adding that their lack of commitments to making FP commodities available all year round was at the centre of the problem. According to him, although, the federal government has paid for FP commodities, imported them and stored same at the Central Stores in Oshodi, Lagos, the failure of some state governments to transport the products to their states and point of delivery ultimately creates scarcity of same products that sometimes waste away at the Central Stores. “Federal government procurers all FP commodities and sends them to the Central Stores; the state governments don’t pay. “It’s so bad that when the federal government procures and sends them to the Central Stores in Lagos, a lot of states have difficulties in picking them
FG Approves Tertiary Military Hospital for Sokoto Imam Imam Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has commended the Nigerian Army for the establishment of a tertiary military hospital in Sokoto that will serve as centre of excellence for diseases of military importance. A statement issued Tuesday in Sokoto by Tambuwal’s spokesman, Malam Imam Imam, said the hospital, the first of its kind in the country, will also serve as a research institution with a United Nations’-grade international public health laboratory. It said already, the government has provided space at the Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital for temporary use by the hospital pending when work on its permanent site is executed. The statement quoted Tambuwal as saying that some states have applied to be given the right to host the facility, but Sokoto emerged the preferred destination.
He added: “First of all, I want to inform the people of Sokoto state that our efforts in attracting important projects from within and outside the country has continued to yield positive results. “This hospital is of great importance not just to the military but to our people as a whole. Diseases of military importance are areas of concern globally because of the large population of people that can be infected after outbreaks. “Such diseases are subject of importance in efforts to counter bioterrorism and bio-weapons by aggressor nations. These infectious diseases include among others dengue fever, ebola, lassa fever, anthrax among others. “Having a centre in Sokoto dedicated to countering these likely outbreaks is a welcome development. We will support the hospital with facilities and logistics to properly take off until it is fully on its feet,” he added.
up from Lagos. “The federal government goes the extra mile to send these products to state warehouses; yet, there are still challenges from the states to get these commodities from the state warehouses to the health facilities where they are needed. The federal government and its partners are still working on getting those commodities to facilities where they will be used
“The federal government has done so much that the states need to complement those efforts. “Based on the federal government procurement, FP commodities in all states should be free. What a client that needs them is expected to do is simply walk into a FP clinic, discuss with the provider, agree on a method, they give it to the fellow and the person walks away.”
“However, the set back is that the states are not able to buy consumables including, cotton wools, gloves, all of which the providers need to deliver the services. “These are the things that should be available which the states need to fund so as to ensure that FP services are provided free,” he said. Speaking, representative of the Public Health Sustainable Advocacy Initiative, ( PHSAI),
Mr. Chibuike Amaechi of said that the organisation’s aim is to increase access to family planning services and commodities in public as well as private hospitals in the state. Amaechi urged the state government to provide family planning consumables which includes; syringe, plasta, cotton wool, methylated spirits to health centres as these are the barriers behind the uptake of family planning commodities.
General Officer Commanding, Nigerian Army’s 8 Division, Sokoto, Brig-Gen SO Olabanji presenting a plaque to Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal to commemorate the take off of the new division, during a visit to Sokoto Government House ...recently
Strive to Create a Harmonious NAFDAC, NDLEA Unite to working Relationship, Fight Drug Abuse Adewole Charges Newly The leaderships of the National the two agencies. According to Abdallah, drug Agency for Food and Drug Appointed CMDs, MDs Martins Ifijeh The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has advised the newly appointed Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) and Medical Directors (MDs) to strive to create a harmonious working relationship among the management and staff of their various institutions with a view of achieving maximum performance in the hospitals. The minister gave the advice in Abuja, earlier in the week while presenting Appointment letters to the newly appointed CMDs and MDs whose appointments were recently approved by President Muhammadu Buhari. Adewole urged the new appointees to seek support and necessary information from the outgoing CMDs and MDs to enable them start off on a good note. He encouraged them to report challenges that required urgent attention to the Health Minister or the Permanent Secretary, in the Ministry. “Imbibe the culture of clinical audit. It is very important because it would allow you to know the number of patients you have treated over a period of time and it would also give you opportunity to know who did what among the staff in the hospital.”
Adewole called on the Chief Executives to provide leadership at all levels of activities in the hospitals and manage all internal challenges that might occur in the course of their duties. He also commended the outgoing CMDs and MDs for providing selfless service in their various hospitals before the new appointments. In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. Osarenoma Clement Uwaifo, called on the new Chief Executives to ensure peaceful co-existence within their various domains and their immediate environs. He said: “It is only when there is peace that the hospitals can function. If a peaceful working atmosphere is established at various hospitals, it would be a booster for the Federal Ministry of Health to also perform its functions. Uwaifo urged them to work with all Health Unions and Associations to avoid rancour and disharmony in the system. He also advised them to be just and fair to all staff adding that injustice could create problems redulting in unpleasant situation in hospitals.“There must be discipline but you must be fair and just in all your activities. Avoid tribal or religious sentiment,” the Permanent Secretary cautioned.
Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have resolved to join forces to combat the rising incidence of drug abuse across the country. The two agencies whose primary mandates revolve on control of abuse, adulteration and mismanagement of regulated pharmaceutical products and other consumables have decided not to leave anything to chance, hence have resolved to take urgent measures to curtail the rising incidence of drug abuse among Nigerians. Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Christiana Adeyeye, while speaking during a working visit to the NDLEA Chairman in Abuja, stressed the need for the two agencies to close ranks for better efficiency. Adeyeye said: “Our visit to NDLEA is coming after the stakeholders’ roundtable held in Kano. It is intended to foster familiarity among the leadership of the twin agencies so that we can work with better results to the benefit of Nigerians. “It will also afford us the opportunity to work in synergy without issues with regards to the specific and general mandates of the two agencies.” Responding, Chairman, NDLEA, Colonel (rtd) Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah, reemphasised the need for closer relationship between
abuse has attained an all time high level in Nigeria, hence should be regarded as an emergency at red alert level. “Drug in Nigeria should be declared as emergency in Nigeria, even ahead of terrorism. This is because terrorism is hugely fueled by drug abuse. A typical evidence of this is that huge amount of drugs like tramadol and the likes are usually found in all the Boko Haram camps that have been dislodged so far, which is an indication that most of them perpetrate the act of terrorism under influence of drugs.” Meanwhile, in a move to advance their resolution, the two agencies have agreed that there is an urgent need to form a joint task on drug abuse. They have also agreed to make joint recommendations to the top leadership of the government on the need to empower the two agencies to perform optimally on this in view of the threat that drug abuse overly poses to the country’s overall security. The latest move by the two agencies is coming on the heels of a recent visit by NAFDAC to the leadership of the Nigerian Senate, and a follow up visit of the House of Representatives during which the Senate President and members of the House stressed the need for improved funding for NAFDAC.
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HEALTH NEWS
Pharmacists, Nurses Fault Ondo Health Insurance Bill James Sowole in Akure The coalition of health professionals comprising Pharmacists, Medical Laboratory Scientists and Nurses in Ondo State have rejected some aspects of the State Contributory Health Scheme Bill that had passed through the public hearing at the State House of Assembly, Specifically, the concerned health practitioners rejected the provision of the proposed law, which made the headship of the scheme an exclusive right of medical doctors. The practitioners expressed their opposition at a news conference addressed by representatives of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) and the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) in Akure, Ondo State capital. Speaking on behalf of the health practitioners, the National Vice Chairman of of Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, Mr. Samuel Adekola, described the exclusion of other health practitioners from the headship of the proposed agency as oppressive, highly discriminatory and misleading. He said membership and chairmanship of the proposed
Board of the Health Insurance Scheme should be opened to all health professionals rather than only medical doctors as proposed in the bill. “We strongly advocate for the deletion of the misleading definition of Medical Practitioner as captured in the draft bill. Since, the decree 10 of 1985 which stipulates that only medical practitioners are medically qualified to be heads of medical institutions in Nigeria is well known to be highly discriminatory, sectional, oppressive and limiting the right of individual health professional in attaining administrative positions, and in any case the obstinate decree is currently being challenged in court,” Adekola said. He added: “We equally recommend that the board as stipulated in the draft bill be changed to Agency and be headed by chairman who must be a person of proven integrity and a professional in any field of Health.” He also advocated that the composition of the board must reflect representatives of the four major health services professional bodies namely NANMN, AMSLN, NMA and PSN Adekola said health professionals’ bodies equally demanded prohibition of
capitation as a means of payment in the implementation of the scheme. Capitation according to Adekola, means a system whereby health providers were paid for drugs for all enrollees and other things in bulk irrespective of how many enrollees assessed healthcare
services. Describing the system as fraudulent, Adekola said other health practitioners should be allowed to practice their trade for the scheme to be beneficial. “We strongly recommend prohibition of global capitation as a means of payment at any
given time under any disguise in the implementation of the scheme. Hence, the operational guidelines must strictly adhere to this prohibition.” However, Adekola described the scheme as a right step taken by the government to make healthcare accessible to residents of Ondo State.
Adekola who said they had made their position known to the state House of Assembly and the Speaker, Hon. Bamidele Oloyelogun through a paper presentation at a public hearing on the bill, called on the lawmakers to make necessary correction to the bill before passage.
L-R: Director, Hospital Services, Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), Dr. Joseph Amedu; Chief Medical Director, University of Port-Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Prof. Henry Ugboma; Chief Medical Director, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital,Dr. Ajayi Adekunle; Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole; Permanent Secretary, FMOH, Mr, Clement Uwaifo; Medical Director, Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Dr. T.O Adebowale; and Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre Owerri, Dr. Achigbu Kingsley, during the presentation of appointment letters to the new Chief Executives in Abuja recently
Investing in Medical Practitioners May and Baker Launches 4,000 Persons Receive will Tackle Health Tourism, Says Herbal Products Free Medical Services in medicines. Ambode Nassarawa Jonathan Eze Martins Ifijeh Any investment made in the procurement of sophisticated health equipment will amount to monumental waste if not complemented by a trained pool of medical workforce, the Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, has said. He said constant training and retraining of medical practitioners is a strategy that would effectively curb medical tourism in Lagos State and in Nigeria at large. Stating this at the Healthcare Leadership Academy graduation ceremony/launch of the association alumni in Lagos recently, Ambode, who was represented by his Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, said: “It is on record that the nation loses an estimated one billion dollars annually to medical tourism mostly as a result of inadequate investment in the nation’s healthcare system. “The failure of the health system is often attributed to the penchant for medical tourism embarked by prominent Nigerians, a major contributor to the current spate of brain drain, loss of confidence in the sector along with patient drain and capital flight abroad. No less than 37, 000 Nigerian doctors are in the diaspora, with about 30, 000 in the United Kingdom.” Noting that training underscores the importance of the vision of the state government for the health sector, Ambode highlighted need for a sustained training programme to regularly
update medical personnel on global trends in the medical world. “The partnership we maintain with the Academy is a reflection of the commitment of the state government to human capacity development in the health sector is to strengthen the capacity of our health institutions from the primary healthcare to the tertiary level with the state of the art medical facilities complemented by well-trained and motivated healthcare personnel across board.” Fifteen medical directors of the Lagos State General Hospitals among other fellows graduated from the Healthcare Executives Leadership Programme (HELP) while other personnel graduated from Patient-Centred Care (PCC). The Governor remarked that the graduands who have undergone a process of knowledge rejuvenation, should diligently apply the knowledge acquired to take healthcare service delivery to the next level. Founder of HLA/Chief Executive Officer, Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation (HSDF), Dr. Kelechi Ohiri tasked the graduands to live up to their role in achieving transformation and change in the healthcare system in Nigeria. “You are the ones raising the bar for healthcare. Disruptive thinking is what you have learnt. Disruptive innovation is what you require,” noted President of the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria, HFN, Mrs .Clare Omatseye.
While it is certainly true that modern medicine has made enormous strides in treating diseases and preventing illnesses, there is still much to be gained from herbal remedies, because they often offer several advantages over prescription drugs. This is the submission of the Managing Director of May and Baker Nigeria Plc, Mr. Nnamdi Okafor. In recognition of this reality and with a desire to provide medical options to its customers, the company recently launched a new set of herbal products. Among the different range of products launched include products for cough, congestion and sore throat; for relaxation and natural quality sleep, among others. These new products were made possible in partnership with Siddhayu Ayurvedic Research Foundation Pvt. Ltd of India, with an assurance that it would help improve the quality of life of every Nigerian citizens. Speaking at the product launch in Lagos, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Okafor said the company decided to delve into herbal medicine to cater for the needs of Nigerians who are still not comfortable with the use of orthodox medicines. According to him, “Over the years we have built some good reputations with orthodox medicines but we are also aware that there are a good number of Nigerians who are concerned about the side effect of some of orthodox medicines and they will rather use some herbal
“Because, as a company, our mission is to improve the quality of life of every Nigerian throughout their life, we see it as a responsibility to ensure that those Nigerians who are for some reasons scared of taking the orthodox medicines are covered. “So we feel that in order to ensure that these people get the right quality medicine that they desire, we as a company, should go into this space,” he said. Speaking further, he explained: “As the pharmaceutical company that has the pedigree of being the first in many things, we are also a listening company that feels the pulse of Nigerians. We consistently look out for new, effective and lasting ways of fulfilling this mission. In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer, Siddhayu Ayurvedic Research Foundation Pvt. Ltd, Pranav Sharma, who was delighted over the launch, gave assurance on the products’ quality. He noted that his company which was established by his grandfather for the last 100 years have reputation for quality, research, publications and information dissemination on herbal medicines. “It’s absolutely the honour and privilege to actually have May and Baker as our partner. Just as quality has been the founding pillars of M&B, Siddhayu Ayurvedic has been a brand in India in the last 100 years purely on the basis of quality and quality assurance and the goodwill that we’ve been able to create as well.
Emmanuel Ukumba in Lafia About 4,000 persons have received free medical services from medical experts under the aegis of Doctor on the move Africa, a Non Governmental Organisation. The NGO organizes a threedays free medical outreach in Lafia, the Nassarawa State Capita, targeting at over 4,000 residents. Leader of the medical team, Dr. Joseph Kigbu, told journalists during the inauguration of the outreach at the Primary Health Care centre located at Emir’s of Lafia Palace that the initiative was sponsored by the Federal Government to address the health challenges facing people in the area. He explained that the medical outreach would include free screening and treatment of a wide range of illnesses such as diabetes, hernia, cataract, fibroid, hepatitis amongst others. Kigbu continued that the patients would be given free drugs and reading glasses during the exercise. “ We have 30 specialist Doctors in various fields of medicine that would cater for the need of these patients free of charge. For instance, we have general surgeons, ophthalmologists, pharmacists and nurses participating in the exercise,” he said. According to him, a similar outreach is on at Panda village in Karu Local Government Area of the state.” Kigbu, who is a former
member of the House of Representative representing Lafia/ Obi constituency, said the initiative was not politically motivated but a deliberate intervention aimed at improving the health of the people. The Emir of Lafia, Isa Mustapha-Agwai I, lauded the federal government and the NGO for the intervention aimed at ameliorating the health plight of the less privileged in his domain. ‘Swipha Poised to Become a Major Player in the Pharmaceutical sector’ The new management of Swiss Pharma Nigeria Limited (Swipha) has said it was committed to revitalizing and turning the company into a leading player in the pharmaceutical sector in terms of quality, code of conduct (or ethics) and partnership with HCP’s. In March 2017, Biogaran, a subsidiary of Servier (the Number two French Pharmaceutical Group) that specializes in generics acquired Swipha as part of its expansion plans to other African countries and to increase local production and distribution of drugs in the country. Towards achieving these goals, the company has set in motion a restructuring process focusing on innovation, staff training, new and compliant processes and business practices in order to offer a large range of efficient products of quality to patients in the country and the West African sub-region.
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BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE
Mobilise Resources to Assist African Nations, Adeosun Ndubuisi Francis Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has called on the African Development Bank (AfDB) to moblise resources with a view to supporting African nations. She canvassed the need for a strong and well capitalised AfDB that is capable of fulfilling its commitments to member-countries. Adeosun made the call at the Regional Consultative Meeting between the AfDB President, Mr. Akinwumi Adesina and the Bank’s Governors and Ministers of Finance from West Africa and Central Africa held recently in Abidjan, CĂ´te d’Ivoire. The meeting was the first
consultations of its kind since the creation of the Bank in 1963. Adeosun stated that a solid AfDB was required to assist the African countries to mobilise their internal resources. She stated: “At the height of the crisis that shook our economy due to the fall in oil prices, the AfDB provided us with substantial budget support, while other partners were very reluctant.� Adesina told the Bank Governors that the annual meetings had hitherto been the only setting for group dialogue between the Governors and the Management of the Bank. “We intend for this type of consultation to be an annual
event that provides another opportunity to listen to you, to seek your advice and discuss important developments and matters important to the work of the Bank and Africa’s development.� A statement by the Special Adviser, Media & Communications to the minister, Mr. Oluyinka Akintunde stated that at the meeting, the governors and the AfDB senior management agreed to accelerate the implementation of the Bank’s five strategic priorities which include: light up and power Africa, feed Africa, industrialise Africa, integrate Africa, and improve the quality of life for the people of Africa
VAIDS: Experts Warn against Non-Declaration Tax experts have warned against non-compliance with the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS), a tax amnesty programme of the Federal Ministry of Finance. Speaking at a one-day VAIDS workshop for professionals in tax advisory services in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, the experts warned that those who fail to fully declare their assets and incomes at the expiration of the window offered by the scheme on 31 March risk prosecution among other penalties. Among the speakers was the President, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), Chief Cyril Ede, who warned that there will be no hiding
place for tax avoiders. Ede, according to a statement, advised eligible taxpayers to take advantage of the time-limited opportunity provided by VAIDS, explaining that measures have been instituted to fish out avoiders easily. “No more hiding place for tax evaders. The time is up for everybody to key in. The taxman now knows more about your (tax) status without coming to interrogate you. Tax evaders would be found out and may face prosecution. “As you go about shopping, selling or doing bank transfers, the information is showing to the authorities. People should realise this and comply, particularly through this window of VAIDS.
“Government has no choice, but to pursue compliance with new vigour. Oil is losing relevance and we need more revenue to grow as a nation,� he said. Another speaker at the workshop, Mr. Yomi Adegbenro, explained that while individuals and organisations that comply with VAIDS will be rewarded by non-imposition of interests on previously unpaid taxes, those who fail to comply will face tax audits and be made to pay interests on unpaid taxes as well as be liable to prosecution. In his remark, the Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Babatunde Fowler, said VAIDS would equip tax advisors to adequately serve their various clients.
Access Bank Approves Paternity Leave for Male Employees Starting January 2018, male employees of Access Bank Plc can take advantage of an enhanced parental leave policy that extends paid benefits to all mothers and fathers. Fostering an inclusive workplace, the bank explained that the policy offers paid leave to all new parents including mothers and fathers, as well as adoptive and surrogate parents. According to a statement, the new policy “which is the first by a Nigerian bank, offers one week fully paid paternity leave to male employees and allows them to care for their offspring and spend some quality time with the new addition to their family while supporting the new mother who needs the break.� Also included in the new
policy is a surrogacy or adoptive leave with full pay for three calendar monthsfor female employees of the bank. These benefits supplement the 12 weeks of paid leave Access Bank currently provides to birth mothers. The policy also complements the bank’s existing health and flexible workplace benefits, which support work-life balance. Head, Group Human Resources, Access Bank, Bolaji Agbede said paid parental leave allows parents to truly bond with their new child, balance their work schedule and help reduce conflict with parental obligations. “Studies have shown that fathers who take paternity leave are more likely to take an active role in child care tasks
and will continue to play this role long after the period of leave has ended. “It is important for the new father to take time off as it helps all parents, regardless of family structure. This new policy is an evidence of the Bank’s support to employees during this wonderful but challenging time in their lives,� she added. Furthermore, a pregnant employee who has been in the bank’s employment for 12 consecutive months also has the option of six calendar months maternity leave with two-thirds of full month pay, while the surrogacy or adoptive leave period is three calendar months with full pay or six calendar months leave with two-thirds of full month pay.
Women in Finance Partners United Capital Women in Finance (WIFng), an advocacy, development and networking platform for women in the Nigerian financial sector and in finance roles has announced its forthcoming 2018 Quarterly Dinner. The event to be sponsored by United Capital Plc, is scheduled to hold this Friday in Abuja. A statement from the group explained that the DirectorGeneral of the Debt Management Office, Ms. Patience Oniha is expected to be the Special Guest of Honour at the event. Oniha would be specially recognised for her contributions to the Nigerian financial sector.
Under her leadership, the DMO listed the $300 million Diaspora Bond and the $3 billion Eurobond on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the FMDQ platforms in December 2017. Women in Finance ng functions as an agent for positive economic policy advocacy and also provides a platform for women in financial roles to discuss and tackle workplace and societal challenges common to women. WIFng leaders include the Group CEO of United Capital, Toyin Sanni;Head, International Corporates, Global Banking at Standard Chartered Bank,Yemisi Tayo-Aboaba;
Managing Director, STL Trustees Limited,Funmilayo Ekundayo; immediate past CEO, Accion MFB Limited, Bunmi Lawson; Managing Director, Coronation MB Trustees Limited,Oghogho Osula; Managing Director, United Capital Trustees Limited,Tokunbo Ajayi; as well as thr Chairman of Africa Prudential Plc, Chief Mrs. Eniola Fadayomi, who is on the Advisory Board. Many other prominent women in the finance sector are slated to attend the event which will be an avenue for women in finance to meet other key players in the sector.
Adeosun
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 ÙÖÓĂ?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ě‹ ͯ͹Ϲ
OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT TUESDAY, 16 JANUARY 2018
The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $67.54 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $67.78 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 SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna
T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ ÍŻÍśËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś
41
MARKET NEWS
AfDB Foresees Stronger Naira in 2018 Nume Ekeghe The African Development Bank Group, (AfDB) has stated that it expects a stronger naira in 2018, just as it applauded the measures taken by the Central Bank of Nigeria to ensure price stability. The multilateral institution stated this in its African Economic Outlook released yesterday. On the country’s
macroeconomic position, it stated: “Fiscal policy remained expansionary in 2017 as in 2016. Although total spending as a percentage of GDP declined from 13% in 2014 to 10.3% in 2017, revenues declined more sharply, from 11.4% to 5.6%. “The budget deficit was estimated at 4.8% in 2017, up from 4.7% in 2016, and
P R I C E S MAIN BOARD
F O R
DEALS
is projected to improve to 4.3% in 2018 and 4.1% in 2019, as revenue performance improves. At 14%, unemployment remained high in 2017, the same as in 2016, and is expected to decline only slightly in 2018, to 13.5%, as recovery eases production constraints in manufacturing and agriculture.� Also, it expects monetary
S E C U R I T I E S
MARKET PRICE
QUANTITY TRADED
VALUE TRADED ( N )
policy in Nigeria to remain contractionary in 2018. It added: “ The policy rate has been kept at 14% since July 2016 to support the naira and control inflation. Inflation has remained stubbornly high and in the double digits—an estimated 16.2% in 2017, up from 15.6% in 2016—but is projected to ease to 13.7% in 2018 and 12% in 2019.
T R A D E D MAIN BOARD
A S
“Foreign currency liquidity has improved following the introduction of administrative measures by the Central Bank since early 2017. “The measures include a trading window for portfolio investors at market determined rates and the introduction of the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Rate Fixing, which allowed commercial
O F
banks to quote forex rates that are close to parallel market rates. The naira remained stable for most of 2017 and is expected to strengthen slightly as the economy continues to recover.� Also on economic performance and prospects for Nigeria in 2018, it noted that the economy would continue to show signs of recovery from the 2016 recession.
1 7 / 0 1 / 2 0 1 8 DEALS
MARKET PRICE
QUANTITY TRADED
VALUE TRADED ( N)
42
˾ THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2018
MARKET NEWS
Fund Managers, NSE Move to Improve Collective Investment Schemes Goddy Egene The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) is working with the Fund Managers Association of Nigeria (FMAN), stockbroking community and other stakeholders to make collective investment schemes (CIS) accessible to more retail investors. The Chief Executive Officer of NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema, who disclosed this in Lagos on Tuesday, noted that there has been significant improvement in the regulation of CIS, which
are also known as unit trust schemes. According to him, in order to ensure more retail investors patronise CIS and enjoy the numerous benefits, he said NSE, FMAN are discussing the modalities on how the stockbroking community can be used to market and distribute the products. He added that they are also looking at how more disclosures would be made to investors to enable them increase their patronage. Meanwhile, Onyema has
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
disclosed that the NSE’s Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) market witnessed increased activity across key metrics in 2017, recording a 272 per cent growth in trade volumes, 33 per cent growth in turnover and a 39.5 per cent increase in market capitalisation to close the year at N6.69 billion. “This is attributable to growing adoption of the asset class by investors and asset managers, as well as the new issuance of 2017 - the Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited (SIAML) Pension ETF
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 16Jan-2018, unless otherwise stated.
40 - which is the NSE’s first pension based ETF,” he said. The NSE boss added that regarding the market performance, the Vetiva Banking ETF posted the highest return of 70 per cent in the ETF market segment, closely mirroring the gains recorded by the banking sector and its benchmark(The NSE Banking Index), whilst the NewGold ETF – which tracks the spot price of gold, posted the second highest returns (47.87 per cent). He disclosed that the sector
based ETFs, tracking the NSE Banking, Consumer Goods and Industrial sectors, were the most actively traded ETFs. Onyema said the exchange will this year increase its focus on growing retail participation as a key component of a well-functioning and resilient market. “To this end, we will be partnering with market stakeholders to deliver a number of financial literacy and investor outreach initiatives which align with existing plans (such as the
Capital Market Master Plan and the National Financial Literacy Plan); as well as undertake new initiatives that can help drive a more radical change. At the crux of our efforts, is the establishment of a Retail Coverage Department, which will be dedicated to the development and publicity of simple, affordable and efficient investment products and services that can effectively support the Nigerian populace – at various stages of financial mobility – to create durable wealth,” he said.
Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors. Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return. NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.
DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 1 270 1680 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 198.96 199.10 10.33% Nigeria International Debt Fund 238.56 238.69 3.19% 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 0.85 0.86 3.72% ACAP Income Funds 0.62 0.62 -4.16% 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 16.50% 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 20.28 20.89 10.98% ARM Discovery Fund 421.28 433.98 8.28% ARM Ethical Fund 28.67 29.53 4.92% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 16.63% 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 166.38 167.55 9.68% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 15.94% 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 18.25% Paramount Equity Fund 13.08 13.28 5.27% Women's Investment Fund 101.66 104.07 0.93% 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 17.05% 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 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 1,168.01 1,169.18 9.14% FBN Heritage Fund 152.35 153.92 9.37% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 15.80% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional $114.27 $114.39 1.76% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail $113.73 $113.85 1.86% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 191.76 194.59 12.28% 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 1.45 1.48 10.84% Legacy Debt Fund 2.90 2.90 0.65% 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 3,198.10 3,247.65 7.39% Coral Income Fund 2,484.25 2,484.25 1.56% 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 16.22% 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 15.51% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.23 2.26 5.91%
Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 17.86% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 115.87 115.87 0.59% 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 1.18 1.17 1.15% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,065.24 1,065.24 0.45% 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 17.32 17.48 22.90% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 15.55% 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 1.27 1.30 7.21% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.14 11.21 0.97% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 13.93% 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 141.77 144.99 10.36% 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 1.49 1.49 0.54% 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 2,382.40 2,401.17 6.19% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 179.51 179.51 1.73% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.10 1.12 9.90% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 223.02 223.17 1.29% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 187.55 190.01 4.82% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 15.99% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 10,617.11 10,761.63 9.80% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.07 1.07 0.94% 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 1.41 1.43 17.15% United Capital Bond Fund 1.58 1.58 24.35% United Capital Equity Fund 1.01 1.03 10.31% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 14.66% United Capital Eurobond Fund 103.15 103.15 7.83% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.12 1.12 24.15% 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 13.85 14.06 9.15% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.86 14.02 5.00% Zenith Income Fund 19.21 19.21 1.53%
REITS NAV Per Share
Yield / T-Rtn
11.41 132.85
1.01% 0.29%
Bid Price
Offer Price
Yield / T-Rtn
12.70 169.26 126.79
12.80 172.98 129.19
4.77% 18.55% 16.07%
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
5.97 10.45 20.43 22.55 152.90
6.01 10.53 20.53 22.75 154.90
25.84% 9.16% 14.99% 14.57% 2.89%
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.
43
THURSDAY JANUARY 18, 2018 Ëž T H I S D AY
INTERNATIONAL
email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com
Two Koreas Agree to March Together at Winter Olympics Opening The two Koreas agreed Wednesday to march together under a single flag at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony and field a united women’s ice hockey team for the Games in a further sign of easing tensions on the peninsula, according to an AFP report. North Korea also said it would send a 550-member delegation to the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in the South, Seoul said, as the two sides met to discuss athlete numbers in the latest in a flurry of cross-border talks. Nuclear-armed Pyongyang agreed last week to take part in next month’s Pyeongchang Games which are taking place just 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that divides the peninsula. Seoul has long sought to proclaim the event a “peace Olympics� in
the face of tensions over the North’s weapons programmes -- which have seen it subjected to multiple UN Security Council sanctions -- and the discussions represent a marked improvement. The two Koreas will march together under a pro-unification flag at the opening ceremony for the February 9-25 Games, according to a press statement issued by the South. They also agreed to form a unified women’s ice hockey team and the South said it will send its skiers to the Masikryong ski resort in the North for joint training with North Korean skiers ahead of the Games. “Inter-Korean relations have been strained for almost 10 years,� the North’s chief delegate Jon Jong-Su said as the meeting started on the southern side of the border truce village of Panmunjom. “We hope
that ties can open,� he added. Three officials from each side took part and the results will be
Pope DenouncesViolence inVisit to Restive Region of Chile Pope Francis denounced the use of violence in the struggle for indigenous rights Wednesday, celebrating mass in a restive region of Chile hours after assailants firebombed churches and other targets, AFP reports. The Argentine-born pontiff was shining the spotlight on the simmering conflict between the state and the Mapuche people, who centuries ago controlled vast areas of Chile but have since been marginalised. “You cannot assert yourself by destroying others, because this only leads to more violence and division,� the pope said, speaking before thousands of faithful at an airfield in Temuco, the capital of the southern Araucania region. “Violence begets violence, destruction increases fragmentation and separation. Violence eventually makes a most just cause into a lie,� the pope warned. “That is why we say ‘no to destructive violence’ in either of its two forms.� Unidentified assailants hurled incendiary devices at three Catholic churches and an evangelical Christian church in pre-dawn attacks Wednesday in the Araucania region. Five other churches had previously been hit by arsonists in Chile’s capital Santiago. A forestry company helicopter also was torched during the night, and a policeman was shot and wounded by a group of hooded assailants, authorities said.
announced on Monday that it would drop charges against more than 500 suspects. Human rights groups have long accused Ethiopia of refusing to allow opposition groups to operate freely. The government has denied holding any political prisoners but says the releases will foster national debate and “widen the political sphere�. Those being freed will first undergo two days of “rehabilitation
“This will then enable the IOC to carefully evaluate the consequences and the potential impact on the
Olympic Games and the Olympic competitions,� an IOC spokesperson said.
Britain, France to Strike New Border Deal on Migrants Britain will agree to take in more young refugees while providing “significant� funds for northern France’s economic development under a new border agreement to be struck between Emmanuel Macron and Theresa May on Thursday, French sources told AFP. Macron, making his first visit to the UK as France’s president, will meet with Prime Minister May for a summit where the migrant crisis and Britain’s exit from the European Union are expected to loom large.
Merera Gudina, Ethiopia Opposition Leader, Freed Jailed Ethiopian opposition leader Merera Gudina has been freed after more than a year in detention, BBC reported on Wednesday. The leader of the Oromo Federalist Congress was released on Wednesday morning and allowed to go back home. He has been in prison since December 2016 and was facing multiple charges, including association with terrorist groups. The Ethiopian government
discussed by both Koreas with the IOC in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Saturday.
training�, the government says. Mr Merera was arrested in November 2016 at the airport in the capital, Addis Ababa, after he flew in from Brussels. He had violated Ethiopia’s state of emergency by having contact with “terrorist� and “anti-peace� groups, state-linked media reported at the time. That month, Mr Merera had criticised the state of emergency in an address to the European parliament.
They will “amend� the 2003 Le Touquet accord that effectively put Britain’s border on French soil at Calais, a source in the French presidency said Wednesday -- a deal which critics say has made the port city a magnet for thousands of migrants dreaming of Britain. Their talks will also focus on bolstering defence cooperation as well as the Brexit process that has seen tensions flare between Britain and the remaining 27 members of the bloc. Also on the menu will be
efforts to fight climate change and a host of economic and innovation projects, including new sister-city agreements and exchanges of cultural works -- most significantly a loan by France of the 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry depicting the 1066 conquest of Britain. The details of the new migrant accord are “still being finalised�, said the source, who asked not to be named, but it will include measures on handling unaccompanied minors, asylum requests and family regroupings.
Macron had said in Calais this week that he would insist on the case of minors “because there are more and more of them�, with officials warning there could be 25,000 young migrants on their own in France by the end of this year. Of the roughly 2,000 minors at the huge “Jungle� camp near Calais which was cleared 15 months ago, London promised to take in those who had family members already in Britain. In the end, just 893 were allowed entry, and in the past year just eight minors have been taken in.
France’s Baby Milk Scare: Police Search Lactalis Sites French police are searching several sites run by dairy group Lactalis as part of an ongoing investigation into a baby milk scare, according to BBC. More than 12 million boxes of powdered baby milk have already been recalled in 83 countries following a salmonella outbreak.
Lawsuits have been filed by parents who say their children became unwell after drinking the formula. Sites raided include a factory in Craon, north-western France. The factory was closed last month after it was thought the contamination started in one of its drying towers.
Lactalis spokesperson Michel Nalet confirmed that police had visited the Craon factory. “As we have said before, Lactalis is co-operating with justice authorities and will provide everything necessary for a smooth conduct of the investigation,� he told AFP news agency.
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THURSDAY JANUARY 18, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY
NEWSEXTRA
FG Approves Framework for Addition of 2,000MW to National Grid Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The federal government yesterday in Abuja approved a policy framework that will foster the movement of hitherto floating 2,000 megawatts of electricity to the national grid for onward transmission to consumers. When the policy framework is implemented, Nigeria will for the first time enjoy the distribution of 7,000 megawatts of electricity from the current 5,000 megawatts being transmitted. Briefing journalists at the end
of yesterday’s weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in the State House, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, who said the framework would be on 33KV and 11 KV lines of distribution, added that the 2000 megawatts of electricity have been unable to get to the national grid because there are no adequate networks to support the connection of more than 5,000 megawatts to the grid. According to Fashola, the framework will involve an
FG Denies Suspicious Items in 2018 Budget Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The Ministry of Budget and National Planning has denied the inclusion of any suspicious items in the 2018 Budget as contrary to what it described as speculation “ by a few commentators.” The ministry, in a statement issued by Mr. Akpandem James, the Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, said: “The commentators have made observations and allegations that tend to suggest that some line items and projects in the budget are suspicious.” It explained that the items in the budget were well conceived and provided for by the respective ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). The ministry pointed to some of the items such as N10 billion for settlement of liabilities to contractors; N22.6 billion for research and development; N308.42 million for procurement of riot control equipment for police formations, and N2.21 billion for social media mining suite by the Department of State Security Services. Others, it stressed, were N338 million for computer software acquisition in the Federal Ministry of Finance, “which were termed as suspicious by BudgIT, a civil society organisation (CSO) active in the budget space,” adding that they are genuine provisions which have been explained by the relevant ministries, department and agencies (MDAs). “For instance, it is common knowledge that the federal government owes many contractors for certified works dating back as far as 10 years. Thus, provisions are made in the annual budgets to offset some of these contractor
liabilities. “A good portion of these debts is domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, and so the ministry made a provision of N10 billion in the 2018 budget proposal for settlement of liabilities. “In the Government Integrated Finance and Management Information System (GIFMIS), Research and Development is a programme description that encapsulates various projects. “In this case, a check of the budget of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment will show that this includes the N19.3 billion for the Export Expansion Grant (EEG). For several years, the EEG scheme was suspended on account of its dubious outcomes. “However, in its bid to incentivise non-oil exports, the federal government reformed and reinstated the scheme with effect from 2017. The budgetary provision for this scheme will therefore be recurrent year after year. Indeed, as the non-oil sector picks up, the amount of provision is expected to increase. “On the issue of N308 million for procurement of riot control equipment for police formations and the Force headquarters, there are 37 state Police Commands (FCT inclusive) and the Force headquarters. “ This amount is less than N10 million per state police headquaters. Nigeria is yet to attain the United Nations ratio requirement of one police officer to 400 citizens of a country, thus this sort of provision is to help the already stretched force to keep up with the expectation of keeping law and order during protests or matches which are the basic tenets of the freedoms allowed in a democracy,” the ministry explained.
Gunmen Kill Two Policemen, Abduct Two Foreign Nationals in Kaduna John Shiklam in Kaduna Two policemen were killed while a Canadian and an American were abducted by unknown gunmen in Kaduna last Tuesday night. The incident took place along Kafanchan- Kargarko road. The policemen were said to have been attached to the two foreign nationals to provide them protection. They were said to have visited Kafanchan to inspect a project being handled by their company. A staff of the company who did not want to be named, said they were ambushed along Kafanchan, through Kwoi-Jere road on their
way to Abuja. “They came to Kafanchan to see a project, but on their way back, they were ambushed by gunmen who opened fire on them. The two policemen were killed while exchanging gunshots with the hoodlums while the Canadians were abducted,” the source said in a telephone interview. In its reaction, the state police command confirmed the killing and the abduction. The spokesman of the command, Aliyu Mukhtar, in a telephone interview, said the police have launched a manhunt for the criminals and to rescue the expatriates.
investment of 40 per cent by the federal government while the distribution companies (Discos) will contribute the balance of 60 per cent. The minister who also said the investment would be valued under international procurement standard, added that the evolvement of the framework had also become compelling because more megawatts of power to the tune of 1,600 are expected to be generated this year, pointing out that the move would put paid to the attitude of generating power that is not put to use. “The memorandum from the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing which council approved today was to agree to a framework of investment at the 33KV and 11 KV lines of the distribution network so that the 2,000 megawatts of power which we currently have and is not getting to the grid can get to the grid and get to Nigerians as consumers. The reason it is not getting to the grid is because those networks are not sufficient to support more than 5,000 megawatts at the moment. “So, what the federal government approved through the council today is an investment where federal government as
40 per cent shareholder and the Discos as 60 per cent shareholders will be compelled to make an additional investment which they are supposed to have made. “The process which will involve international trending just for the procurement of the equipment, the lines and all of the accessories that are necessary to build up those networks and they will be valued and when valued under international procurement standard, federal government will put its 40 per cent and ask the Discos to put their 60 per cent and other parties that may be interested will have the opportunity to either come in and improve investment. “That is the essential framework. It is just to accelerate action to ensure that the 2,000 megawatts that are available now get to the grid and get to the people because more power is coming. We are expecting many more power to complete this year which will add almost 1,600 more megawatts to the production this year. So, we can’t continue to accumulate power that is produced and doesn’t get to the people. This framework now gives us the authority to start the process of distribution expansion and investment,” Fashola said.
Also briefing, the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said the council also approved a memorandum for the upgrade of Nigeria’s flight safety laboratory which he said would aid accident investigation. According to him, the project which would cost N606 million would enhance the capacity of flight decoders to withstand high temperature, disclosing that the earlier tape-based decoder was damaged as a result of high temperature during the Dana Airline crash of June 3, 2012. “Today, in council, a memo from Ministry of Transportation (Aviation) was taken, considered and approved to upgrade our flight safety laboratory which is what is used in accident investigation or for other essential purposes. “The laboratory was first established in 2012 but it became obsolete for the reasons being that the laboratory used tape-based flight decoder. In Nigeria, like other places with high temperature that had experienced air crash, like the case of Dana, extreme temperatures got the decoders damaged. “So, we are upgrading it to something that is permanent and
can withstand high temperature based on international requirements. So, council considered and graciously approved and upgraded. The cost is N606 million,” he stated. In his briefing, the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, said the council also approved a memorandum seeking to replicate and upgrade the water supply scheme in Kazaure, Jigawa State at the cost of N3.78 billion. According to him, the project which was started in 1997, was the fallout of Gari irrigation project which he said had been abandoned since the Year 2000 and consequently halted water supply to the town. However, he said with the effort to boost irrigation by the federal government, had made revival of the project compelling. “Council today approved a memo from my ministry for the replication and upgrading of the water supply scheme in Kazaure, Jigawa State at the cost of N3.78 billion. This project was awarded to CGC Nigeria Limited. The project came about because of the Gari irrigation project which was started in 1997 irrig but was abandoned in 2000. That disrupted the treatment facility that was supplying the town water for 20 years,” Adamu said.
PRAYING FOR THE NATION
L –R: Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice , Abubakar Malami; Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development; Audu Ogbeh; Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri; and Minister of Budget and National Planning , Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, at the Federal Executive Council (DEC) meeting at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja … yesterday Godwin Omoigui
OPCVows to Resist Cattle Colonies inYorubaland, Lauds Fayose’s Effrontery Ademola Babalola in Ibadan A faction of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) under the banner of New Era yesterday vowed to resist the proposed cattle colony in any part of the six states in South-west geopolitical zone of the country. Its National President, Razak Arogundade, therefore warned the federal government not to tinker with the idea as they would frustrate such plan in any part of Yorubaland. The group described the proposed cattle colony as alien to the Yoruba land, just as it described it as a system designed to rob the South-west of its land in favour
of the Fulani herdsmen. Arogundade who decried in strong terms Benue State killings by herdsmen and in other parts of the country, lambasted the government for its inability to curtail the excesses of the herdsmen whose atrocities and killing of innocent people have continued unabated. The statement read in part: “In as much as we believe in one Nigeria; we will not accept any plan by the federal government of Nigeria, to establish cattle colonies in any Yoruba speaking state. The way and manner the Fulani herdsmen are killing innocent people is appalling and very sad. That is why we can never allow such barbarians to have their way through cattle colonies in
the South-west. “The inability of the government through the various security agencies to bring to book Fulani herdsmen who were responsible for the killing of innocent members of the public in Benue State and other parts of the country leaves less to be desired on the part of a government that promised Nigerians justice and equity. “The utterances and body language of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, on the massacre by Fulani herdsmen in Benue and other states are condemnable. While we know the Emir as a renowned racist, has President Buhari forgotten the oath of office he took while being sworn in?
“Has he forgotten what he told us about himself belonging to everybody and belonging to nobody? From all indications, Buhari has betrayed the trust of majority of Nigerians who voted him into power in 2015.” Arogundade also commended the efforts of Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose for preventing the invasion of the state by the Fulani herdsmen. “In as much as it is not in our nature at OPC New Era to commend politicians, Fayose has lived up to the principle of real son of Oduduwa for preventing Fulani herdsmen in Ekiti State. We urge other governors to follow in his footstep,” he added.
THURSDAY JANUARY 18, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY
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NEWSEXTRA
Supreme Court Asks Statoil to Maintain Status quo Davidson Iriekpen The Supreme Court has asked the Norwegian oil firm, Statoil Nigeria Limited, to maintain status quo following the orders and judgments of the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal pending the determination of its substantive appeal. The court made the order in a short ruling when parties in the case appeared before it on Tuesday to argue the interlocutory appeal filed by the foreign oil firm against the judgments of Federal High Court and Court of Appeal in favour of an indigenous company Inducon, Nigeria Limited and its owner, Dr. John Abebe. While Statoil was represented by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Abebe was represented by Mr. Uche Nwokedi (SAN). After listening to the sub missions of the counsel, Justice Tanko Mohammed who led four other justices of the court, ordered parties in the suit to put all the applications they had filed in abeyance pending the appeal. He said the best option is to hear the substantive appeal which would resolve the case. Justice Mohammed therefore fixed October 22 to hear the substantive appeal. He consequently maintained that the best option for the parties is to try and maintain the status quo anti-bella till when the judgment is delivered on the substantive appeal. “The appeal will be held on
October 22, 2018. Meanwhile, all applications from both sides are put in abeyance until appeal. “Parties should try and maintain the status quo antibella. This is the best option for now,” he said. In the substantive suit, Inducon and its promoter, Abebe filed an action against Statoil at the Federal High Court in Lagos, contending that in April 1990, he was informed by British Petroleum (BP) that it was interested in pursuing opportunities in the Nigerian oil industry together with its partner, Statoil of Stavanger, Norway with whom it had entered into an alliance agreement. According to him, the alliance, as it was represented to him, would present the first ever opportunity for Statoil, then an indigenous Norwegian company, to operate outside its home base, Norway and to venture into West Africa, among others. In his statement of claim, Inducon stated that at all material times, it was the representation of the alliance to him that BP and Statoil would be equal partners on a 50:50 basis in the alliance and that although the alliance would not be set up as a separate legal personality, the two companies would operate as one. Abebe, the promoter of Inducon, added that he was also instrumental to ensuring that the production sharing contracts for the blocks were signed with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), adding that all these were achieved
due to his extensive contacts in government and the oil and gas sector. He argued that Statoil was granted those blocks because of the policy of indigenous participation and transfer of technology in the oil industry and that since Statoil entered Nigeria as a result of that policy, it denied that the policy exists and has failed to live up to its undertaking to encourage the promotion of indigenous participation in the Nigerian oil industry. Even the witnesses from the Department of Petroleum Resources and others, corroborated Abebe’s statement of claim. But in its defence, Statoil described Abebe’s claims as unfounded, adding he and his company were retained by Statoil in Nigeria throughout most of 1990s
and that the contract had long been terminated. It stated that the role of Abebe was to offer advice and assistance in connection with its business in Nigeria and that for a period, he had a seat on the board of Statoil’s Nigerian subsidiary until the alliance it had BP was dissolved in 1999. Statoil wondered if there was actually an oral agreement as claimed by Abebe, why did he not use his position as the vice-chairman of the oil firm from 1991 to 1997 to regularise it, stating that from the plaintiffs’ own evidence, there was no conceivable evidence to show that there was an agreement between them. In the judgment of the Federal High Court, it affirmed Abebe’s submissions and ordered the oil firm to pay Abebe and his
company, 1.5per cent net profit interest accruable to it from the three oil blocks allocated to them for bringing the firm to Nigeria to explore oil resources. The court also held that there was indeed an agreement between him, BP and Statoil contrary to the claim of the oil firm, which must be honoured. Dissatisfied with the judgment, Statoil headed to the Court of Appeal which later dismissed its appeal and upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court. However, while the appeal was pending, a new twist was added to the case when Abebe and his company, hinging their applications on an interlocutory orders of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal which restrained Statoil from repatriating to any foreign
account, its monies, revenues and earnings derived from the sale of crude oil, accused the Norwegian company of transferring over $4billion of its income from Nigeria against the orders of the courts. In an affidavit and application filed at the Supreme Court through Nwokedi, the businessman asked that the orders of the two lower courts be enforced and that Statoil be made to return the $4billion to Nigeria. They also urged the court to restrain the Norwegian oil firm from further repatriating all revenues accruing to it from the Agbami oil field and all other interests in Nigeria to any foreign account through any commercial bank in the country pending the hearing and determination of the substantive appeal.
Taraba Has No Land For Cattle Colony, Says AG Wole Ayodele in Jalingo The Taraba State Government has said the state has no land to be allocated for cattle colony in the state. Rejecting the establishment of cattle colonies being proposed by the federal government across the 36 states of the federation, the state government stated that it has already enacted a law on the prohibition of open grazing and ranches development. The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Yusufu Akirikwen, who stated this in
an interview with journalists in Jalingo yesterday, urged the federal government to support the state to implement the law which would take effect from January 24. He said the idea of cattle colony is not clear to majority of Nigerians and wondered where the federal government would get the land to establish the colonies. “The truth of the matter is that the idea of cattle colony is still not very clear to most Nigerians. What is cattle colony? We have been colonised by the colonial masters and now we
will be colonise by cows? “Where would the federal government get land for cattle colonies? Would they sit there in Abuja and acquire land across the states of federation for cattle colonies? And whose land would they acquire? “We have enacted a law for ranching here in Taraba, but we are not acquiring land for people. People are going to buy land to ranch their animals. Just like farmers buy land to do their farming business, people are going to buy land and do their ranching business,” he said
According to him, the state government has put in place implementation mechanism at various levels, but called on the federal government to support the state with enough security for the smooth implementation of the law. Akirikwen noted that the federal government has a lot of responsibilities to cater for at the federal level and should therefore support state governors to implement the ranching system which according to him is the world’s best way of rearing cattle.
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THURSDAY JANUARY 18, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY
NEWSEXTRA
WEF Warns Nigeria, Others against Intensifying Global Risks Obinna Chima The prospect of strong economic growth in the global economy in 2018 presents policy makers with the opportunity to address signs of severe weakness in many of the complex systems that underpin
the world, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has stated. WEF stated this in its Global Risks Report 2018, that was released yesterday. The annual Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS) suggested that experts were preparing for
EFCC Arraigns Federal High Court Judge,Yinusa, Another Akinwale Akintunde The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned a Federal High Court judge, Mohammed Nasir Yinusa before the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja. Justice Yinusa was arraigned on a four-count charge before Justice Sherifat Solebo alongside Esther Agbor, a staff of Rickey Tarfa (SAN) law firm, who was arraigned on a one-count charge. The charges against the defendants border on offering of gratification and perversion of course of justice. The EFCC alleged that Justice Yinusa attempted to pervert the course of justice by engaging in constant private and confidential telephone communications with Mr. Rickey Tarfa when he presided over two of the senior advocate’s cases. The commission also alleged that Justice Yinusa received the sum of N1.5 million from his co-defendant, Esther Agbor, in order to give decisions in favour Tarfa’s law firm in a suit they are handling. The Federal High Court Judge is also charged with agreeing to receive financial benefit from Joseph Nwobike (SAN) in order to give favourable decisions in the cases of the said lawyer
before him. According to EFCC, Justice Yinusa allegedly received the sum of N750, 000 from the lawyer. The duo pleaded not guilty to the charges In view of their plea, counsel to EFCC, Mr. Anslem Ozioko, asked the court to remand the defendants in prison custody, and fixed a trial date. Justice Yinusa’s counsel, Mr. I. Mohammed, however opposed the application by EFCC counsel, and urged the court to grant his client bail on self recognisance. Similarly, counsel to the 2nd defendant, Mr. John Odubela (SAN), also prayed the court to grant his client bail on the grounds that she is a nursing mother who just put to bed through cesarean, adding that she would not jump bail if granted. Ruling on the bail applications, Justice Solebo granted bail to the judge on self-recognisance in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like sum. She also ordered that the defendant must not travel out of the court jurisdiction while the 2nd defendant was also granted bail in the sum of N1 million with sureties in like sum. The judge thereafter adjourned the matter till February 20, 2018, for commencement of trial.
another year of heightened risk. According to the survey, out of about 1,000 respondents interviewed for their views about the trajectory of risks in 2018, 59 per cent of their answers pointed to an intensification of risks, compared with seven per cent pointing to declining risks. A deteriorating geo-political landscape was partly blamed for the pessimistic outlook in 2018, with 93 per cent of respondents saying they expected political or economic confrontations between major powers to worsen and nearly 80 per cent expecting an increase in risks associated with war involving major powers. According to the GRPS, cyber threats are growing in prominence, with large-scale cyberattacks now ranked third in terms of likelihood, while rising cyber-dependency was ranked as the second most significant driver shaping the global risks landscape over the next 10 years. The report – which every
January shares the perspectives of global experts and decision-makers on the most significant risks that face the world – cautioned that “we are struggling to keep up with the accelerating pace of change.” It highlighted “numerous areas where we are pushing systems to the brink, from extinction-level rates of biodiversity loss to mounting concerns about the possibility of new wars.” The report pointed out that in 2017, the environment was by far the greatest concern raised by experts. “Among the 30 global risks the experts were asked to prioritise in terms of likelihood and impact, all five environmental risks – extreme weather; biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse; major natural disasters; man-made environmental disasters; and failure of climate-change mitigation and adaptation –
were ranked highly on both dimensions,” it added. According to the report, extreme weather events were seen as the single most prominent risk. Economic risks, on the other hand, featured less prominently this year, leading some experts to worry that the improvement in global Gross Domestic Product growth rates may lead to complacency about persistent structural risks in the global economic and financial systems. Even so, inequality was ranked third among the underlying risk drivers, and the most frequently cited interconnection of risks was between adverse consequences of technological advances and high structural unemployment or under-employment. “A widening economic recovery presents us with an opportunity that we cannot afford to squander, to tackle the fractures that we have allowed to weaken the
world’s institutions, societies and environment. “We must take seriously the risk of a global systems breakdown. Together we have the resources and the new scientific and technological knowledge to prevent this. “Above all, the challenge is to find the will and momentum to work together for a shared future,” Founder and Executive Chairman, WEF, Professor Klaus Schwab said. Also, the President of Global Risk and Digital, Marsh, John Drzik said: “Geopolitical friction is contributing to a surge in the scale and sophistication of cyberattacks. At the same time cyber exposure is growing as firms becoming more dependent on technology. “While cyber risk management is improving, business and government need to invest far more in resilience efforts if we are to prevent the same bulging ‘protection’ gap between economic and insured losses that we see for natural catastrophes.”
Dasuki’s Absence in Court Stalls Trial Alex Enumah in Abuja The trial of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd). at the Federal High Court, Abuja was yesterday stalled over Dasuki’s absence in court. Dasuki is standing trial on allegations of money laundering and illegal possession of firearms. Also not present in court was Dasuki’s lead counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN). When the matter came up yesterday for trial, Adeola Adedipe, who held brief for Daudu, informed the court that the lead defence counsel had already written the court asking for adjournment. He, however, did not give reason for Dasuki’s absence. Prosecution counsel, Oladipo Okpeseyi (SAN), responding, queried the absence of Dasuki, stressing that the defendant ought to be in court so that the trial can go on. While expressing concern that the defence counsel did not give any reason for Dasuki’s, absence in court, Okpeseyi said two of the prosecution witnesses invited from Maiduguri were present in court.
He further reminded the court that the trial which started in 2015 has not progressed beyond the arraignment. Adedipe, responding, said it was not to his knowledge that the defendant will not be in court. “The defendant absence in court is the failure of prosecutor or the complainant to produce the defendant who is in its custody in court”, he said. Consequently, trial judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, adjourned the matter to February 8, for trial. The federal government, had in March last year, arraigned Dasuki before Justice Mohammed over alleged laundering of $190,000 and N42million, including illegal possession of firearms. Dasuki was first arraigned on a five count charge on September 1, 2015 before Justice Adeniyi Ademola who has retired last year, but the charges were later amended to seven. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was admitted to bail but has remained in custody of the Department of State Service (DSS) since 2015.
BOOSTING HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
L-R: Representative of Lagos State Governor and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Lekan Akodu; Oba of Lagos,Oba Rilwan Akiolu; Chairman Avalon Intercontinental, Tajudeen Owoyemi; and Carlson Rezidor Group Senior Vice President Africa and Indian Ocean, Andrew Mclachlan, during the official opening of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Lagos....Ikeja.....yesterday
Don’t Turn Ekiti to War Zone, Fayose Warns After Death of Herdsman Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti Following the killing of Fulani herder identified as Babuga Dengi, in Ekiti State last Monday, Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has warned against reprisal attacks, saying “there is no room for the killing of Fulani herders or farmers or anybody in the state.” Dengi was on Monday killed in a bush path between Irele and Oke Ako in Ikole Local Government by people suspected to be from Benue State. Last Thursday in Benue, there was mass burial of 73 victims allegedly killed by the Fulani herdsmen. Fayose said the warning became imperative to prevent violence between farmers and herders and not to give anybody licence to unlawfully take human life. Speaking in Ado Ekiti yesterday
during a meeting with Fulani herdsmen under the aegis of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, farmers, local hunters, security agencies and representatives of the Tiv community, Fayose warned that nothing must be done to affect the peace being enjoyed in the state. Tension had been rising in Ekiti owing to rejection of Benue’s AntiOpen Grazing Law, which Ekiti had earlier enacted due to intractable feud between the herdsmen and farmers. Fayose, who warned Fulani herdsmen and Tiv farmers against turning Ekiti to a war zone, ordered security agents to also quickly fish out the killer of the cattle rearer. He said: “I can’t accept anybody to be killed. If anybody kills anyone, I will make sure you are killed by ensuring justice. I’m sad about the killing in Benue but we
don’t want brutality in Ekiti. “I won’t accept any killing here, the only thing acceptable here is peace. I therefore plead with everybody to cooperate with us. “I want peace in my state and everybody living here is from Ekiti whether you are Fulani, Tiv, Yoruba or anybody. Cow matter can’t cause problem between us. Oke Ako-Irele issue should not be allowed to fester. Cooperate with us and whoever kills would be fished out. “When you are entering Ekiti, drop wherever you are coming from at the boundary. You can’t kill Yoruba, Fulani, Igbo or Tiv here. From information so far, the deceased died as a result of clash between Fulani herders and some Tiv people, but even at that, we can’t condone lawlessness. We don’t want that type of Benue issue here.” A communique read by
Fayose at the end of the meeting summoned leaders of the herdsmen, farmers, hunters, council chairmen and traditional rulers from Oke Ako and Irele to an expanded meeting. The meeting while noting that the problem in Oke Ako was between Tivs and Fulani, resolved that the people must live in peace. The meeting also ordered security agencies to fish out the killers of the herdsman in the area. It also agreed that the committee on herdsmen should be expanded to include Fulani herders while urging the committee to be more proactive and report immediately to security committee when they see strangers in their communities. “We ask security agencies to do more in intelligence gathering, information and prevention, while we thank them for what they have done so far,” the communique added.
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We’re Fast Winding Down Amnesty Programme, Says FG Says 92% of offshore students have completed courses Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The federal government stated yesterday that the Presidential
Amnesty Programme (PAP) for Niger Delta was fast winding down, but would not give a timeline on when the
OhanaezeYouths Ban Killer Herdsmen in S’East Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu Irked by the gruesome murder of about 73 persons in Benue State by suspected herdsmen recently, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council, Worldwide yesterday banned the activities of killer herdsmen in the 95 local government areas of the South-east geopolitical zone of the country. The organisation therefore asked the federal government to without further delay declare herdsmen as terrorists and accordingly proscribe their activities. In a statement signed by Okechukwu Isiguzoro, President General; Mazi Okwu Nnabuike Secretary General, and Obinna Adibe, National Publicity Secretary, after their meeting in Enugu, the group described as unfortunate the activities of Fulani herdsmen and the Benue massacre. The Youth Council Worldwide warned that the activities of the herdsmen if unchecked can cause another avoidable tension in the country especially now that the elections of 2019 is around the corner.
“We condemn vehemently the terrorist attack of the Fulani herdsmen and call for self -defence as a measure to halt it. “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council worldwide have banned and proscribed the outlawed killer herdsmen in Igboland especially in the 95 local government area of South-east and call on the youths not to take laws into their hands but want the federal government to declare them a terrorist group. “We hail the Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, and the Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, for rejecting the cattle colonies in Abia and Anambra States; We know other Igbo governors will follow the footsteps of their colleag u e s a n d reject these anti people’s p o l i c y. “We are calling on the federal government to establish piggeries colonies in Northern Nigeria to help feed our people over there. We are calling on our people to be vigilant and report to security agents on the activities of any suspected herdsmen to appropriate channels.”
disarmament, demobilisation and rehabilitation (DDR) programme comes to an end. The late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua declared amnesty for ex-militants in October 2009, culminating in the enrollment of 30,000 former agitators in the PAP. The Special Adviser to the President and Coordinator of PAP, Brig-Gen. Paul Boroh, who provided an update on the activities of the programme at a media parley in Abuja, stated that it was fast winding down. To buttress his position, Boroh disclosed that 92 per cent of PAP beneficiaries schooling abroad
had completed their courses and returned home, adding that a similar situation also obtains for those schooling at home. Boroh however noted that while the federal government was desirous of winding down the programme, it would do so with utmost circumspection in view of the security and other implications of making a mistake in the process. The presidential aide likened the PAP to someone holding a raw egg, adding that a fall would lead to the breaking of such an egg. ‘We are desirous of winding down the programme as fast
as possible, but we are being careful so that we don’t make mistakes, “ Boroh said. According to him, the Amnesty Office had intensified its empowerment drive to ensure that those who enrolled in the programme are gainfully employed, particularly in agriculture. Giving further insight, he stated that the beneficiaries of the programme in the nine states of the Niger Delta region were being empowered in aqua culture (fish farming), poultry, rice farming and sundry selfemploying trades.
He noted that in collaboration with strategic stakeholders, the Amnesty Office had been able to achieve peace in the region, and would stop at nothing to ensure sustenance. Boroh noted that beneficiaries of the amnesty programme had remained law-abiding, stressing that some elements in the region with the penchant to stoke violence were being taken care of by relevant law enforcement agencies. The Presidential aide stated that his ultimate goal was to see the programme to a successful end soonest, with the last beneficiary empowered.
EFCC Accuses Innoson Chairman of Evading Service of Court Processes Akinwale Akintunde The Economic and Fiancial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused the Chairman of Innoson Motors Nigeria Limited, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, of evading being served court processes in stealing and fraud charges it brought against him before an Ikeja High Court. Chukwuma was to be arraigned alongside his company, Innoson Motors Limited and Charles Chukwuma yesterday before Justice Mojisola Dada of an Ikeja High Court but was absent in court. They were to be arraigned on a four-count charge of conspiracy to obtain property by false pretenses, stealing and forgery. According to the charge sheet, the defendants committed the offences between 2009 and July 2011 in Lagos. The EFCC alleged that defendants with intent to defraud, conspired to obtain by false pretenses containers of motorcycle, spare parts and raw materials property of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) from Mitsui OSK Lines Limited, Apapa, Lagos. The defendants are alleged to have fraudulently induced staff of Mitsui OSK and Maersk Line to deliver to them via their clearing agents the goods which were imported from China in the name of GTBank by falsely pretending that they were authorised by the bank to clear the goods.
The offences according to the EFCC, are in contravention of Sections 1(1)(b), 1(3), and 8(a) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2016 and Sections 309(9), 388, 465 and 467(1)(j) of the Criminal Code of Lagos State 2003. When the matter was called yesterday, EFCC counsel, Miss Zainab Ettu, told the court that Chukwuma and his co-defendants were evading service. “The most important thing is for us to proceed to trial, the defendants are on administrative bail. “My lord we will be asking for the shortest possible date since they are evading service so that we can serve them in the courtroom,” the EFCC counsel said. Counsel to the defendants, Mr. U. Onwukwe, however told the court that he only learnt of the proposed arraignment after seeing it on social media. Onwukwe also informed the court that he had filed an application challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case. “We have an application objecting to the jurisdiction of this court and it was filed on January 15. “My client has not been served, when this matter was filed the EFCC went to social media and it was through social media that we became aware and we have not been served.
INTIMIDATING CROWD
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, addressing thousands of non-indigenes after they endorsed him for a second term at the foreground of Government House Port Harcourt.... yesterday
Seek Justice, Reparation forVictims of Herdsmen Attacks, SERAP Tells Buhari A civil society organisation, SocioEconomic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has urged President Muhammadu Buhari, to ensure that any effort by his government to prevent and combat attacks by herdsmen across the country is grounded in the rights of victims of unlawful killings and their families. It added that it was to ensure that any policy to tackle the problem is not used as a ploy to undercut the possibilities of meaningful justice and reparation for victims and their families. The National Assembly yesterday condemned the killings in Benue and other parts of the country, and called on the federal government to take decisive action against those behind the killings. In a statement yesterday signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Timothy Adewale, the organisation said: “So far attempts by the government to address the persistent attacks by herdsmen in Benue, Taraba, Adamawa States and other parts of the country has
overlooked the plight of the victims and their families. But it has to be made clear that victims of attacks apparently by herdsmen are entitled to effective remedies regardless of whether they bring their claims against the government in an individual or collective capacity.” The organisation said: “It is an imperative demand of justice that the responsibility of the perpetrators of the unlawful killings and destruction of property be clearly established and the rights of the victims and their families sustained to the fullest possible extent. Establishing a trust fund for victims of attacks by herdsmen will be an important first step towards justice for victims and their families.” According to the organisation, “Victims’ right to an effective remedy and reparation is a legally enforceable human right and not a matter of charity. It is no coincidence that the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended) and human rights instruments such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Nigeria is a state party refer to victims’ right to effective remedies, including access to justice, reparation and guarantee of non-repetition. “As the President of the Republic and Commanderin-Chief of the Armed Forces, SERAP believes that Buhari is in a powerful position to end the unlawful killings and destruction of property apparently by herdsmen across the country if he really wants to do so. Buhari needs to speak directly to Nigerians and particularly to the countless victims and their families. “Continuing refusal of Buhari to speak directly to Nigerians on the matter and visit the states such as Benue, Taraba and Adamawa, that have been most affected by these attacks by herdsmen is feeding into the propaganda that this government may be shielding suspected perpetrators from justice and, more importantly,
undermines the rule of law and facilitates continuing attacks.” “Under international law, a victim is defined as anyone who suffers individual or collective harm (or pain) such as physical or mental injury, emotional suffering, economic loss, or generally any impairment of human rights as a result of acts or omissions that constitute gross violations of human rights, or serious violations of humanitarian law norms. “A victim does not necessarily have to be the person that has suffered the harm, as a dependent or a member of the immediate family or household of the person that has directly suffered harm can indirectly be characterised as a victim. “Indeed, the Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power provides some guarantees for victims (including family members of direct victims), such as those that suffer ‘substantial impairment of their fundamental rights’ through acts or omissions of governments.”
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House Orders NAPIMS to Re-award $260m Contract to Nigerian Company James Emejo in Abuja The House of Representatives yesterday directed the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) to re- award a $260 million contract to a Nigerian Company, Tilone Subsea Limited. The House also ordered the Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited (an ExxonMobil subsidiary) to mobilise Tilone Subsea Limited to provide OIMR Vessel and WROV Services to meet its requirement for Usan operations in Oil Mining Lease, OML 138. The resolution of the lower chamber followed the outcome of an investigation which resulted from a motion referred
to the House Committees on Petroleum (Upstream) and Public Procurement in February 2016. The House has alleged that the $260 million contract awarded by NAPIMS, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was in violation of due process and without approval from both the NNPC’s board and the Corporation’s Group Executive Committee (GEC). NAPIMS allegedly fraudulently granted approval for ESSO Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, to award four single source contracts for projects in Exxonmobil’s Usan Deepwater Project, at a total value of $260 million without any form of
tendering process. Also, NAPIMS allegedly through three memos, dated October 13, 2014; February 10, 2015 and April 16, 2015, single handedly nominated four companies to execute the contracts. However, at the conclusion of its probe, Committees on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), and Public Procurement chaired by Hon. Victor Nwokolo on December 20, 2017 laid its report on the House floor. The report was subsequently considered and adopted by the green chamber yesterday. It recommended among other things that “...NNPC and its
Joint Venture Partners to always adhere to due process in their transactions to eliminate prolong disputes that may negatively impact on investments. “Given that since the contract for the provision of the DP2-DP3 Construction Platform Support Vessel single sourced to GMT Energy Limited is already ongoing, the Contractor should be given enough termination notice by demobilising it at a ate not later than the first year anniversary of the commencement date of the contract. “That given both the Nigerian content human capital development and financial
investment already made by Tilone Subsea Limited,mother committee recommends that the NNPC Board do approve the NAPIMS memorandum of 30 December,2013 which cleared NAPIMS Contract Review Committee on 10 July, 2014 referenced A10-190614 for the provision of OIMR Vessel and WROV for Usan operations in OML 138; “That EEPNL should mobilize Tilone Subsea Limited to provide OIMR Vessel and WROV Sercices to meet its requirement after the demobilisation of GMT Energy Limited. Other preliminary investigation had exposed fragrant violation
of due process by the NNPC’s board. Trouble started when the contract for the Provision of four remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles (WROVs) on the AKPO field in OML 140 was initiated in the year 2006 when the drilling campaign on the AKPO field was ongoing and the competitive contract was won by Tilone. But, TUPNI (Contractor on OML 140) disregarded NNPC’s directive given in a letter NAP/ GGM/A-6711/02.08 dated April 25, 2007 to award the contract for Provision of the ROVs on AKPO field to Messrs. Tilone, but instead awarded the contract to Oceaneering Nigeria Limited.
Court to Rule Feb 9 on Aiteo’s Application Seeking to Stop Forfeiture Order Alex Enumah in Abuja The Abuja division of the Federal High Court yesterday said it would deliver ruling on February 9, 2018, on an application seeking to stop the federal government from enforcing a ruling of a United Kingdom’s court which ordered the forfeiture of AITEO properties in the UK. Justice Gabriel Kolawole announced ruling on the said date after taken submissions from counsel who had argued for and against the motion. Chief Wole Olanipeku (SAN) in moving the applicant’s motion, urged the court to restrain the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and EFCC from enforcing the Crown Court order, arguing that if enforced, it would breach the fundamental human rights of their clients. He held that the counter affidavit by the second defendant deviated from the issues been contested, thereby amounting to an abuse of court process and as such be discountenanced by the court. “What he did was to set out different cases and decided to address your Lordship on it”, Olanipekun told the court. He further argued that since the first defendant did not file any counter affidavit, “It could be said that the second defendant cannot cry more than the bereaved. We pray the court to discountenance second defendant’s counter affidavit. “We ask the court to grant our application,” he submitted.” Responding, counsel to the first defendant, Oyin Koleesho, told the court that although the AGF did not file counter affidavit, they will however be aligning with the submissions of the second defendant. In adopting his brief, counsel to the EFCC, G. K . Latona, urged the court to dismiss the applicant’s application for been irrelevant and preposterous. “We are saying that the entire plaintiff application is grounded in speculation. The reliefs the plaintiffs are seeking are speculative,” he said.
Latona arguing further said the second defendant in his further affidavit failed to make out a case warranting an injunction. He stated that the application was an abuse of court process as the reliefs been sought by the applicant is already before the court in another suit. “It is on record that the same plaintiff (Benedict Peters) is the alter ego of AITEO, in other company before your Lordship, the reliefs of that motion are the same,” he submitted. After listening to their submissions, Justice Gabriel Kolawole adjourned ruling to February 9. Benedict Peters and AITEO Eastern E&P, an oil and gas liability company, Wednesday, approached a Federal High, Abuja, to seek an interlocutory injunction to stop the AGF and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from enforcing Crown London ex parte order, which made an interim forfeiture order of their properties in the United Kingdom. AITEO is a Limited Liability Company, a major player in the upstream sector of the Nigerian oil industry, as well as the joint/ operator of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 29, an asset which is jointly owned by it and the federal government, through the NNPC, which subscribes to 55 per cent of the said asset. It is also a joint operator of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 29, an asset which is jointly owned by the firm and the federal government through the NNPC, which subscribes 55 per cent of the said asset. The Crown Court, sitting at Southwark, United Kingdom, Coram, His Honour Judge Beddoe, had on October 19, 2017, ordered an interim forfeiture of properties belonging to the plaintiffs. The ex-parte application made by Peters, who is the alter ego of AITEO, is seeking an interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants from effecting that interim forfeiture order.
FARE THE WELL MOTHER
L-R: Children of the deceased,Nnaemeka Okwodu; Mrs. Kate lkechi lsa, her husband, Abdulrazaq lsa; Mrs. Ngozi Nzegwu and her husband, Nwachukwu, during the commendation service for the late Lady Mary lhuezi Okwodu at the Church of Nativity,Parkview, lkoyi ....Tuesday, Abiodun Ajala
Presidency Describes Herdsmen Attacks on Farmers as Tragic Chinedu Eze The Special Adviser to the Present on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, has described the persistent attacks on various communities in the country by herdsmen as tragic, saying that government is seeking for permanent solution to the problem. Speaking with journalists yesterday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on his arrival from the United States, Ojudu said no one who means well for the country should be happy about the ongoing herdsmen/ farmers crisis. Ojudu, who said he travelled overseas to sensitise the people of Ekiti State in Diaspora about political development in Nigeria, remarked that the country does does have one -third of cattle in South Africa and even Brazil’ yet, these countries are not embroiled in crisis as witnessed in Nigeria. He added that for the for the killings to stop, there must be permanent solution to the problem. He also canvassed for adequate planning and adoption of modern way of rearing cattle for the
seemingly intractable problem to be solved. “For me, it’s very tragic, unfortunate and very sad for our country. As you are aware, I have been out of the country for almost 14 days now, and I am not well-briefed about this yet. I am leaving here first thing tomorrow morning to Abuja and by then, I would have been well-briefed. It’s after then I can offer my candid opinion on the issue. “But for me, it’s very tragic and nobody including the President can be happy about what is happening. I know he would be troubled now that all these crises are happening in a country that he so much loves. President Muhammadu Buhari, is a patriot par excellence, a man who is very passionate about Nigeria and believes that Nigeria must remain one and will continue to remain one. “The way out can’t be a short term thing. In Nigeria, we think too much about short term solution to the problem at hand. Nigeria does not have a third of the cattle South Africans have, neither do we have a third of the cattle Brazil has. I think we need to plan and we have
to make sure we adopt modern and sophisticated way of rearing cattle.” On his assessment of Governor Ayodele Fayose, Ojudu insisted that the incumbent governor had disappointed the Ekiti indigenes with his performance and utterances in office. He lamented that despite the resources at the disposal of the state government; bailout funds and Paris Club refunds, workers in the state are still owed about a year salaries while pensioners who he said are dying in droves are not paid their entitlements. He added that rather than being judicious with the resources at hand, the governor constructed a one kilometre bridge at N15bn without any futuristic value. Ojudu insisted that Fayose’s performance as governor was very poor and because of his inefficiency, the state has lost focus. “Ekiti people thought Fayose was a messiah, then and they elected him, but in a state where salaries are not being paid for eight month to one year and we get allocations every month; bailout funds, Paris Club refund and others, yet, you cannot see
anything on ground that he has done except a bridge that leads to nowhere. That bridge is uncalled for, unnecessary and Nigerian engineers have said it is unnecessary and a waste of limited resources. It’s not going over water or anywhere. “The bridge where it is sited is going to create more problems for us in the future. A one kilometre bridge over nothing is not a flyover to anywhere. He initially said he was going to construct the bridge for N4.5billion, now we have taken N15 billion out of the resources of Ekiti State. “Fayose has brought us shame, he has brought us opprobrium in Ekiti State. An average Ekiti man cannot be proud of what is happening in the state now. We are a very proud people; people who are well-educated, intelligent and honest. Our children are not happy to be referred to as Ekiti sons and daughters and that is because of the way he carries himself. Certainly, we are going to do something about that,” Ojudu declined comment on the recent ban of the former state governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, from holding office by the state government..
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Again, Southern, Middle Belt Leaders Call for Restructuring George Okoh In Makurdi Foremost elder statesman and chieftain of the pan-Yoruba sociocultural organisation, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has warned Nigerians against divisive actions of President Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as ‘dictator, tyrant and autocrat who had seen the weakness in the country’s constitution to now practice unitary system . He warned Nigerians not to participate in any election until the country is restructured. He spoke yesterday in Makurdi when leaders of South and Middle Belt Forum paid a condolence visit to the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, and demanded the restructuring of Nigeria. The Afenifere leader who went down memory lane, said the best constitution that could have suited the country was the 1954 constitution but regretted that it was jettisoned. He lamented that the 1979 constitution imposed on the country by military government was unitary in system and gave too much power to the president. “The true constitution that could have helped the country was the 1954 constitution which gave true federalism but it was rejected. What we have is the constitution imposed on us by the military.” “The present constitution has given too much power to the
president which makes him the most powerful leader in the world, let me tell you, we should not go to election without restructuring so that we have true democracy where justice reigns.” Adebanjo who lamented the killings in the state, slammed President Buhari and the APC government for not doing enough for the state. “If Buhari and APC are interested in keeping this country amicably, they must go and resolve herdsmen issue.” He said Benue people are too educated, too civilised and matured to be dominated by herdsmen. “How can Buhari say that you must go and accommodate your fellow even when your fellow is killing you?” TheAfenifere leader who promised hands of fellowship with the people of Benue State said: “We must join hand to fight the freedom of Southsouth and the middle belt, we must change this constitution that makes others prey and if Buhari and APC believe in chariots and horses we in the South and Middle Belt believe in the Lord of host. Also in his condolence message, leader of Ohanaeze, Ndigbo, Chief John Nwodo, regretted that Benue is been tested as a case of new aggression. He also stated that the best way to get out of the injustice been meted out on other parts of the country is to restructure Nigeria. According to Nwodo, “What is happening is that Benue is being used as a test of new aggression.”
Jakande Estate Residents Tackle Ikeja Electric over Epileptic Power Supply, Crazy Bills Solomon Elusoji Members of the Estate Youth Forum (EYF) in the Jakande Estate in the Oke-Afa area of Isolo, Lagos, are not happy with the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company over the epileptic supply of power to the area and unjustifiable billing and decadent infrastructure. The group in letter addressed to the Managing Director of Ikeja Electric, narrated the terrible ordeal of residents within its jurisdiction despite the fact they “happen to be the community that pays the most in Oke-Afa/Ejigbo axis.” They frowned at the constant supply of power to other areas of Oke-Afa and its environs, leaving out the estate, wondering why they should be discriminated against when they use the same sub-station. In the two letters addressed to the company titled: ‘The Epileptic Supply of Power to our Estate’ and ‘Why do we have to pay more for so much darkness’, the estate residents claimed that Ikeja Electric poor service to the community was mostly as a result of “deliberate technical oversight by the station manager assigned to them and their inconsiderate assumptions and relevant authorities. For several years, the group explained in the letter, several station managers have approached the estate residents to adopt a light sharing formula, an idea which was rebutted. “We believe because of that we’ve been denied regular and consistent power supply as we use to have,” the youth alleged. Currently, the estate, according
to the EYF, is supplied power for only four hours a day-two hours at dawn (4a.m. to 6a.m.) and another two hours after dawn (8a.m. to 10a.m.). The group also took issue with Ikeja Electric inability to supply the community with prepaid meters, when others around it have been attended to. “We want to know the reasons your officials want to put us through unnecessary stress just to get prepaid meters,” the group said. Lack of prepaid meters, the group argued, has given impetus to the advent of estimated and ‘crazy bills’. “Some of the areas that share power supply with the estate do not have meters and as such, pay almost nothing for electrical bills and we, the estate community, pay so much for power supply,” the group lamented. They also complained about the sub-standard power infrastructure in the estate. “We want to know the reason why the estate will have to continually use sub-standard 70mm high tension aluminum wires when we can and should get 150mm aluminum wires,” the group said. Apparently, as part of responses to the group’s demands, Ikeja Electric informed the community of plans to upgrade its power facilities from 30KVA to 100KVA, a project that was scheduled to be completed in November 2017. But, as at press time, the project is yet to be completed. “How long will the inauguration take?” the group queried.
“The problem is that since military took over and handed over constitution on us, Nigeria remains divided, whereas there was ex positional growth under regional government but the type of our democracy does not respect peoples voice. “ “To say the truth, we are fed up with this constitution, restructuring is a national imperative. If we continue like this, Nigeria will die in the next seven years.” The South-south leader, Air Commodore, Tony Enan Indongiset, who said the visit was to condole with the state, also lent his voice
on the restructuring of the country. According to him, “If governors has the full control of the security, he would have been able to deploy such when he got the intelligent report and this would have averted the crisis. “There must be a Nigeria but Nigeria with justice and fair play.” Bala Takaya, who led the Middle Belt Forum, charged people of Benue State not to allow foreigners take over their land. “This land is not their land but the land belongs to the Benue people, our forefathers fought to get the land for us and we must not
allow anyone to take over the land, we must secure the land for our children and generation unborn.” On his part, former governor of the old Anambra State, Chief Emeka Ezeife, applauded the anti- open grazing law and charged other governors to adopt the law, adding, “no murderer or relation of the murderer should come to the land of victims, Ezeife said.” The delegation which comprised leaders from the South-west, Southeast, South-south and Middle Belt, was led by Chief Ayo Adebanjo. Among the delegation were: Chief John Nwodo, Enan Edongesit,
Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Dr. Bala Takaya. Others were Chief Emeka Ezeife, Senator Sam Egwu, Chief Olusegun Mimiko, Senator Chris Anyawu, Banji Akintoye and Yinka Odumakin among others. Responding, Governor Ortom who said he had earlier in the debate for restructuring threw it to the National Assembly, said he has now thrown his weight behind restructuring. He said the visit by the group has given hope that other Nigerians are behind the state anti-open grazing law.
CONGRATULATIONS
Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson (right), congratulating elder statesman, Chief T.K.O Okorotie, as Chairman, Governing Council of the Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education, Sagbama, shortly after the formal inauguration of the Governing Council, at the Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Yenagoa....yesterday Michael Owi.
Appeal Court Orders Terminal Operators to Refund N1tn Eromosele Abiodun The Court of Appeal in Lagos yesterday ordered terminal operators to refund N1trillion to the federal government. The court also upheld the power of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to intervene in shipping agency charges and fees collectable by suppliers of shipping and terminal services in Nigerian ports. The appellate court, whose judgment was read by Justice Chidi Nwaoma Nwagbara upheld an earlier judgement of the Federal High Court in the case between the NSC, Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) and Association of Shipping Line Agencies (ASLA). The ASLAand SOAN have been having a running battle with the NSC over the reduction of shipping line agency charges (SLAC) and refund of container deposits collected by ASLA members and reduction in progressive storage charges and increase in free storage days by STOAN members. The two groups had in 2015 secured an order for stay of execution of the ruling of a Federal High Court in Lagos which earlier dismissed their suits against the NSC.
However, in her judgment yesterday, Justice Nwagbara dismissed the appeal, even as she upheld the counter claim of the second respondent which is the Shippers Association Lagos State (SALS). The lower court had reestablished the powers of NSC to regulate and negotiate tariff in the port industry, explaining that no tariff must be fixed or collected arbitrarily in the industry without the approval of the council. According to the court, “The unilateral introduction and imposition of the SLACs, by the appellant and collection of same from shippers or users shipping/ port services from 2006 to date is illegal, ultra vires and, therefore, null and void.” Consequently, the shipping firms were ordered to refund money already collected, with interest pegged at 21 per cent. It is this judgment that the duo of STOAN and ASLA appealed. Speaking yesterday after the judgment, counsel to SALS, Emmanuel Nwagbara said the court simply upheld the judgment of the lower court. He said: “The Court of Appeal upheld the judgment of the lower court and this appeal was dismissed and the counter claim
of the second respondent which is the SALS is upheld.” Speaking further, he said the preliminary objection having succeeded means there was no valid appeal. According to him, there were many grounds of the appeal by the appellant. “What I have given is the summery of the judgment, there were many grounds of the appeal. In fact I think they had up to 17 to 18 grounds of the appeal and normally issues are a summary of the content of the grounds which should be reduced to a manageable level. One may file 18 grounds of appeal and the issues formulated may be reduced to five to six grounds. I can’t recall exactly how many issues that formulated those grounds. And on our own side we compressed the entire issues for determination by the court into two. “Our two issues were one whether the lower court was right in joining SALS to the originating sermons. Secondly whether the court in upholding our claim and these we believe answered all the issues that are before this court as far as SALS is concerned. Shippers Council
also had issues which they have formulated which touched on their status as the economic regulator,” he concluded. In his reaction, the President of SALS, Jonathan Nicole said that the implication of the judgment is that terminal operators should go and compute how much they have been collecting outside the agreed and stipulated fees. According to him, there is an agreement they entered into with the Shippers Council but they started charging well and above the fees in the concession agreement. They should now compute all these money and pay it to the Cargo Defence Fund. “On the shipping lines case, we got judgment last year and we just got that of the terminal operators today. All the prayers granted by the lower court was upheld and the appeal by the terminal operators was dismissed, the lower court gave judgment in favor of SALA and Shippers Council in the first judgment. “Also, the SALS was proper granted entry into the case because we are the major association covering other shippers, we are not working for our own interest alone but for everybody,” he said.
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FG: $1.5bn Lagos-Ibadan Railway Project behind Schedule Set to demolish 1,400 houses in Abeokuta Sunday Okobi The federal government has revealed that due to too many encumbrances on the projects right of way, the $15billion Lagos-Ibadan rail project earlier scheduled for completion by December 2018 may no longer be feasible, adding however that it is satisfied with the work done so far. This is even as 1004 houses inside Harmony Estate, not far from Oke-Mosan, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, have already been marked for demolition to give way for the standard gauge. While addressing journalists after an on-the-spot assessment of the project in Abeokuta, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, explained that negotiations are ongoing with some villages along the projects right of way in Ijoko and Ewekoro area of the state which he said it is partly settled.
The minister said: “We are driving now to Abeokuta because we have some challenges over there. The contractor has identified over 1,400 buildings to be demolished in communities along the projects right of way right inside Abeokuta in Ogun State. “I will have to meet with the Ogun State Governor to discuss with him. “In Lagos, we still have issues with some gas and water pipelines. The army has given us the barracks at Yaba area, so work can commence. “We are rushing to make sure that we complete all the civil works on the project before the rainy season, because if we don’t, then the civil works will have to wait until after the rainy season. “The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Water Corporation and army were all with us. It is just a challenge to build a project like this through a
cosmopolitan area. “As regards compensation, there is huge cost overrun. With what we have in store for compensation and what we are meeting on the projects right of way, the cost overrun is huge, but we’ll compensate the villagers whose houses are on the right of ways. Some attorneys are trying to collect 10 per cent from
them, consequently, we will pay directly to the claimants, let them go and collect it from them. “On the job done so far, I am satisfied, even though the contractor is now behind schedule. Before, they were meeting up with the time schedule, but now, they are not; and the excuse they are giving me is that if we remove all the
blockade on the right of way, they wouldn’t be behind schedule. “Because sometimes, we have to wait for days and weeks to get some of these issues sorted out, we are now running behind the time of the project completion.” According to Amaechi, “However, I won’t be able to address the issue of lateness or
not until December 2018, which is actually our target. Don’t forget that this is a three-year project that we are trying to force into a one year project. “The civil works is what they are currently battling with, and they cannot finish the civil works if the issues on the right of way are not sorted.”
SON, ISO Prepare Draft New Standards for Cocoa Beans Jonathan Eze Determined to bring back the glorious days of cocoa which used to be one of the major foreign exchange earner for Nigeria, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), International Standards Organisation (ISO) and relevant stakeholders in the cocoa industry have drafted series of standards in sustainable and traceable cocoa beans. The agency stated that the move was coming on the heels of its renewed focus to drive agricultural development in Nigeria. The Director General, SON, Osita Aboloma, during an ISO Technical Committee meeting held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on ‘Sustainable and Traceable Cocoa’ commended ISO for being instrumental in the development in the current draft ISO 34101 series of standards of cocoa beans. The DG, represented by the Director, Business Support Services, SON, Mrs. Margaret Eshiett, stated that the draft ISO 34101 series of standards was aimed at specifying requirements for a management system for the farming of cocoa beans, making production more sustainable. She added that the draft standard features a dynamic farm development plan, using a stepwise approach to improve the economic, social and environmental impact in the coca value chain. The series, according to her, would help support the professionalism of cocoa farming around the world and support cocoa farmers to produce sustainably. She further stated that when work is completed on the standards, the use of the ISO 13401 series of standards would have valuable impact on the livelihoods of cocoa farmers and their families, adding that it would help them transform their farms into economically viable businesses Also speaking during the event, a representative of the Nigerian American University,
Omorogbe Omorogiuwa, said one component in determining how to use agriculture to improve economics in Nigeria was to evaluate the historical efforts in terms of agriculture that Nigeria has engaged in since its independence. Omorogiuwa added that Nigeria was fortunate to have an abundance of fertile soil along with a climate suitable for agriculture, adding that a recent group study examined the effect of other channels of growth on the decrease in poverty and the overall growth rate in six low-income countries of Africa, noting that the findings of that research could be applicable to Nigeria as well. The president of the Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN), Sayina Riman, expects output for the new season to hit between 300,000 tonnes and 320,000 tonnes, sharply from the season just ended which was blighted by poor weather. He disclosed that the cocoa season in Nigeria, the world’s fourth biggest producer, runs from October to September, with an October-to-February main crop and a smaller light or mid-crop that begins in April or May and runs through September. The International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO), however, gave much lower estimates of Nigerian cocoa output. It forecasted last season’s production at 220,000 tonnes. World cocoa prices have declined by a third in the last year amid a global supply glut after record production from top growers. Ivory Coast and Ghana. ICCO predicts a global surplus of 371,000 tonnes for 2016/17. Cocoa trees need a delicate balance of rainy and dry weather. Too little rain and they whither; too much and they become susceptible to insects or fungal black pod disease. Beans can also go mouldy if small farmers are unable to dry them outside.
WELCOME TO EDO STATE
L-R: Group Managing Director, VIKO Nigeria, Mr. Chidi Lucky Kanu; Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Special Duties, Hon. Yakubu Gowon; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Taiwo Akerele and the Commissioner for Arts, Culture, Tourism and Diaspora Affairs, Hon. Osazee Osemwegie-Ero, after the unveiling of the Tourism Information Desks, at the Benin Airport,....yesterday
Defence Minister: We’ve Started Review of Army Act Experts, CSO want stronger oversight function on military Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja The Minister of Defence, Brig-Gen. Mansur Dan Ali (rtd), has stated that the Nigerian armed forces Act is currently under review to conform to the international best practices. The minister stated this yesterday in Abuja when he addressed participants at the CLEEN Foundation stakeholders’ forum for legislative oversight of the armed forces. According to him: “The armed forces (military) have its role spelt out in the constitution; these duties are constitutional and traditional. Members of the military are also regulated by other laws; we have the international humanitarian law, which are the laws of arm conflicts, rules of engagement and many other laws. ‘’The military participation in politics has tremendously affected their way of doing things. I believe that with this kind of programmes the military has improved tremendously as a result of this training. Let me remind you that in all the armed forces; airforce, navy and the army all have a department known as civil/military relationship. The Ministry of Defence is currently reviewing the armed forces Act to bring it into conformity with best international practices with human rights stance taken into cognition. I think event will help to improve the relationship between
the military and the civilians.’’ The minister added that the Armed Forces Act through which the military is regulated had provision for the participation of the military in aid to civil authority, saying the military ought not to meddle in civil matters, as envisaged by the drafters of the Armed Forces Act; because of crisis everywhere the military has to aid civil authority. The defence minister who was represented by Mr. Benny Chobki, Director Legal Services, Ministry of Defence Headquarters Abuja, said serving the country does not mean that military personnel have lost their fundamental human rights or have waved them. Executive Director, African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development, Dr. Utive Igbuzor, who chaired the forum was full of praise for CLEEN Foundation but said he was not happy with the National Assembly, saying that the National Assembly ought to have effective oversight function over the military. “If you look at it you will know that from 1960-1999, Nigeria existed for 39 years as an independent country and the military ruled for about 30 years. But since 1999 till date is 19 years that civilians have been in authority; to that extent, we can say there is some form or improvement in civil/military relations because the military is no longer in position of political
power,’’ Igbuzor stated. ‘’There should be effective legislative oversight over the Armed forces; secondly, that the military should subordinate themselves to civilian authority and thirdly, there should be a good relationship between members of the Armed forces and ordinary citizens that is mediated by laws in the land. ‘’We have made little progress; a lot needs to be done for effective legislative oversight. There is need to subject the operations of the military to operational orders to respects the rights of citizens. The National Assembly is supposed to approve the budget of the military and ensure that the expenditure of the military is in line with the budget. ‘’We all know that this oversight function has not been effective, not only in the military but other aspects of life. That is why we are engaging in this discussion for the need to build capacity for legislators and their aids because there is need to have a framework for proper legislative oversight.” On farmers/herders clashes, he said it is a complex issue, which is beyond the military, adding that it requires a political decision by the political authorities. According to him, “Farmers/ Herdsmen clash is a complex issue as it goes beyond the military. It requires political authorities to take the right decisions and for
the bureaucracy to implement the right decisions. ‘’In my view, the best decision in this 21st century is not to allow cattle to roam about in the streets. It is to ensure ranching so that farmers land will not be destroyed.” The Executive Director of CLEEN Foundation, Benson Olugbuo, while welcoming participants to the forum stated that the aim of the project is to foster and sustain dialogue between the civilians and the military and to also create improved accountability with national cohesion to provide security and human rights throughout the country. As part of recommendations for strengthening parliamentary oversight responsibilities of the Armed forces, the International Crisis Group recommended the need to: improve the expertise of members and committee staff members on security matters, through better training and exchanges with similar committees in parliaments of more developed democracies; scrutinise military leadership nominees more thoroughly to ensure that only competent officers are appointed to head the defence Ministry and the services. And organise public and expert hearings on formulation of a comprehensive military reform program, including a new, more relevant national defence policy.
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Use Your PVC to Sack the APC Govt, Wike Charges Nigerians Non-indigenes resident in Rivers endorse Wike for Second tenure Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has charged Nigerians, irrespective of political affiliations, to use their permanent voter’s cards to sack the “non-performing All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government” in the next election. This came as more than 15,000 thousand non-indigenes living and doing business in Rivers State endorsed Wike for a second term. Wike made the declaration yesterday when non-indigenes under the platform of Nonindigenes without Borders trooped to Government House
Port Harcourt yesterday where they declared their unalloyed support come 2019. The visit was like a carnival as different ethnic groups displayed their cultural dances and attires. The non-indigenes stated that their support for Wike stems from his outstanding developmental strides which have improved their standard of living. Spokesman of the Igbo Community in Rivers State, Chief Emeka Vitalis, said the Igbos would vote en masse for Wike because his development projects have helped their businesses to grow. In his remarks, Alhaji Omotayo of the Yoruba Community and Henry Iyoha of the Edo/Delta
Community in Rivers State said their endorsements of the Rivers State Governor stems from commitment to the welfare of all residents of the state. The Bayelsa community in Rivers, represented by Agbai Tom, the Akwa Ibom/Cross River State community in Rivers State, led by Obong Godwin Inyang, and the Muslim community in the state, led by Hajia Mariam, also announced their respective endorsements for the re-election of Wike. Spokesman of the Hausa Community, Alhaji Maisundu said the Hausa Community would mobilise votes for Wike in 2019 because he is a de-tribalised
leader. The state Commissioner for Special Duties, Emeka Onowu, who is a non-indigene noted that Rivers State Governor has been a father to the non-indigenes, carrying them along as he develops the state. Responding, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, assured the non-indigenes that he would continue to deliver quality projects and programmes that would improve the lives of residents of the state. He declared that all residents of Rivers State should remain resolute in their commitment to PDP, saying that they should not fear the evil machinations of the APC.
Wike said because the people have discovered that the APC is full of lies and deceit, the party would resort to rigging in 2019. He said they would fail in Rivers State. He said: “Nobody should be afraid of anyone. Anyhow they want it, we are ready. There is nothing like do or die in this election, only God gives power. We believe in God, that is why we always defeat them. “Whether they go to the United States of America or North Korea to bring anything, we shall withstand them. The only weapon you have is your voters’ card. Mobilise and use your voters card, that is the weapon that will remove them from office.” He regretted that after two and
half years, the APC-ledfederal government has no single project in Rivers State. He said the state would be a no-go area for them in 2019. He said contrary to the allegations of the APC ahead of the 2015 general election, he has proved that Rivers State is a home for all by carrying the non-indigenes along through appointments and projects. “I will always fulfill my promises. I will never give excuses. I am not like the APC that thrives in excuses. My commitment remains to deliver on projects,” Wike said. The governor said that he would respond to the request to seek re-election at the appropriate time.
AGAIN, NIGER DELTA AVENGERS THREATENS RENEWED ATTACKS ON OIL FACILITIES resurgence of fuel subsidy payments by the federal government, the lower legislative chamber yesterday passed a motion mandating the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru to appear before the House Committees on Finance and Petroleum (Downstream) to explain the current subsidy payments by the corporation. It further resolved that Kachiku and Baru as well as the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) must appear before the committee to account for the monies spent on subsidy payments since January 2017 to date and the current petrol pricing regime. The House further urged the executive to make provisions for subsidy payments in the 2018 Appropriation Bill, if it found it necessary to continue subsidies under any guise whatsoever. The resolution of the House was consequent to a motion sponsored by Hon. Sunday Karimi (PDP, Kogi) on the urgent need to investigate the fuel subsidy payments by NNPC to itself and oil marketers through deductions from oil revenues. He said such payments constituted a constitutional breach and an impeachable offence, stressing that the executive cannot choose which aspect of the Constitution to obey. He recalled that in 2017, VicePresident Yemi Osinbajo and Kachikwu had both admitted that the current landing cost of petrol was N171 per litre, despite the fact that the federal government had pegged the price of petrol at N145 per litre. He said at the moment, it is the NNPC paying for the cost or differential of N26 per litre, despite the executive’s stance that it had removed petrol subsidies, adding that there was no parliamentary appropriation for subsidy payments in the 2017 budget. In his lead debate, Karimi further said that the NNPC had earlier last year conceded that fuel subsidies had returned because between January and March 2017 alone, the corporation recorded an “under recovery” of N46.86 billion. The trend continued at an increasing rate all through 2017,
the lawmaker posited. He said as of December 2017, over N300 billion had been expended on petrol subsidy and the recoveries continue to date. Karimi said the under recovery in the downstream marketing of petrol implied that the expected open market price of petrol which includes the cost of importation and distribution such as marketers margins, landing costs and freight cost, was above the approved retail price, and the NNPC had been absorbing the extra cost and paying subsidies to itself. According to him, the under recovery was caused by the increase in the price of crude oil in the international market from about $28 per barrel in 2016 to $50 per barrel in 2017 and $70 per barrel currently. He noted that the increase in the price of crude oil, depreciated naira and the associated difficulty in accessing foreign exchange had caused marketers to discontinue petrol importation. Also citing the relevant sections of the Constitution, he argued that payment of subsidy by the NNPC without appropriation or consent of the National Assembly was illegal and unconstitutional. He noted that the 2018 Appropriation Bill does not include any provision for subsidy payments. The lawmakers were unanimous that non-appropriated spending on subsidy, no matter how well intended, was illegal and susceptible to corruption, embezzlement and mismanagement if not subjected to approval and scrutiny by parliament. They further expressed concern over claims by the executive that it had ended the subsidy regime and that it was the NNPC which was paying the subsidy through its routine trading activities and as such does not require budgetary approval or recourse to parliament. Contributing to the debate, Hon. Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno), referring to the relevant sections of the Constitution said the disbursement of funds such as petrol subsidy payments without recourse to the National Assembly was a clear breach of the Constitution. Also, House Minority Whip, Hon. Barde Yakubu (PDP, Kaduna) said the subsidy regime had been found to favour only the rich at the expense of the masses. He said it was wrong for the
federal government to bring back subsidy payments, which had reportedly been discontinued since 2016, especially without the approval of the National Assembly. He further expressed concern that persons indicted in the 2012 subsidy scandal probe were still going about their businesses with impunity. At that point, Dogara sought clarification from the mover of the motion who had said subsidy payments were being made to marketers who had suspended importation because of the impact of rising crude prices and the problems associated with the foreign exchange shortages. However, Deputy Chief Whip, Hon. Pally Iriase (APC, Edo) cautioned against whipping up sentiments on the issue. He said until the matter was investigated, it would be wrong to conclude that the NNPC pays subsidy to itself. But Hon. Aminu Shehu Shagari (APC, Sokoto) said he had obtained a confession from an impeccable source in the oil industry that subsidy payments were being made. Also contributing, Hon. Ahmed Pategi (APC, Kwara) said the corporation could have been paying itself subsidy, given that it is currently the only entity importing petroleum products into the country. He said: “This is why this investigation must take place. Let’s set up an ad hoc committee. Let’s carry out our oversight functions. NNPC is one agency which spends without parliamentary approvals. We must insist that the NNPC budget must be brought before parliament for the first time.” At this point, Hon. Akinlaja Joseph (PDP, Ondo) sought to clarify that the alleged N300 billion subsidy disbursement to marketers was actually the arrears owed them by the previous administration. At this point, Dogara asked Akinlaja, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), if the said arrears were provided for in the budget and how it had been paid. Akinlaja responded that it was not budgeted for in the 2017 budget. However, Hon. Hassan Abubakar (APC, Jigawa) clarified that none other than NNPC was importing petrol but attention should be focused on the landing cost of the product, adding that the PPPRA’s
computation of the landing cost remained unclear.
Senate Rejects Report But as the House debated the existence or lack thereof of a subsidy regime for petrol consumption in the country, the Senate yesterday rejected the report of its Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) on the investigation into the recent fuel scarcity for being silent on the payment of subsidies arising from differential between the landing cost of the product and the approved pump price. The upper legislative chamber reassigned the subsidy probe to its Public Accounts Committee (PAC). It, however, mandated the petroleum (downstream) committee chaired by Senator Kabiru Marafa to investigate allegations that a surplus of 5.9 billion litres of petrol could not be accounted for. The rejection of the report was as a result of observations by senators that the committee’s findings and recommendations were completely silent on subsidy payments allegedly paid by the NNPC to itself and oil marketers. At the January 4 public hearing on the fuel scarcity, the committee had shied away from dealing with subsidy payments, after Marafa at a pre-event briefing had said the issue of subsidy would not be discussed. Some senators on the committee including Senators Donald Alasoadura (Chairman, Petroleum Upstream) and Bassey Akpan (Chairman, Gas) had asked specific questions on the subsidy payments, but Marafa had instructed NNPC officials not to respond to the questions. Senators yesterday therefore took turns to fault the report, leading to the non-adoption of any of the12 recommendations contained therein. Senator Ali Aidoko (Kogi, APC) observed that the fundamental issue, according to the oil marketers, was that of subsidy. “But the committee is telling us they did not discuss subsidy. There are differentials and the committee was silent on them. This looks like a report of the NNPC,” he said. Senator Nafada Bayero (Kano, APC) also faulted all the recommendations of the committee except one calling for full deregulation of the downstream sector.
He cautioned that approving a special foreign exchange regime for marketers lower than the Central Bank of Nigeria rate of N305 to the USD$1, would amount to another form of subsidy. Nafada added that granting waivers to marketers on payment of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other charges listed in the petroleum pricing template, as contained in the committee’s recommendation, would be unconstitutional. “It looks like a report that was imported to the Senate. The committee should go back and bring its own report, not the one written for it,” Nafada said. Similarly, Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi, APC), in his contribution, said the report, if adopted, would serve to continue to further entrench and “energise” the corruption in the oil industry. “It is unlawful for any government to spend government money without appropriation. As we speak, monies are being released without appropriation. Go back, sit down and do a holy exercise,” he said. Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom, PDP), Senator Adeola Olamilekan (Lagos, APC) and Senator Stella Oduah (Anambra, PDP) all cautioned that adopting the report would impugn the integrity of the Senate. But in defending the report, which was signed by 13 out of the committee’s 23 members, Marafa said it was an interim report and did not have the probe into subsidy payments as one of its mandates. He also maintained that probing the missing petrol was a necessary pre-condition to ascertaining the quantity for which subsidies may have been paid. He revealed that NNPC imports 1,206,900,000 litres of petrol monthly at an average consumption of 35 million litres daily. “NNPC said the country consumed between 27-30 million litres/day from January to September and 30-40 million litres/ day from September to December. “The marketers, on the other hand, received from the government about N1,669,180,182 at the CBN rate of N305 to a dollar to import petrol from January to August 2017. “This means that the marketers
were supposed to bring into the country about 3.8 billion litres of petrol at a landing cost of N133 a litre. In other words, marketers’ imports were supposed to serve the country for about 109 days at 35 million litres a day in 2017. “The implication is that NNPC has five days surplus every month, 60 days surplus in a year, which if added to the marketers’ 109 days supply, gives a total of 169 days surplus at 35 million litres/day or 5.9 billion litres. “The question is who consumed this surplus before we ask of subsidy payments,” Marafa explained. It was therefore necessary, he said, to determine the status of the surplus 5.9 billion litres, when considering that the country experienced acute scarcity during the festive season. Presiding, Senate President Bukola Saraki recommended that the issue of subsidy payments should be separated from the unaccounted 5.9 billion litres of petrol and shortages still afflicting some parts of the country. He observed that the committee had focused on a bigger fraud, as the volume of petrol allegedly consumed daily may be untrue. “And the country is paying for it,” Saraki said. He therefore directed the Marafa committee to review its report and investigate the unaccounted petrol and the lingering scarcity. However, during a press briefing after plenary, Marafa attributed the insistence by his colleagues on probing the subsidy payments to political sentiments. “I respect their opinion, but the chamber is home to different shades and manner of persons, but I stand by my report. “Today the APC (All Progressives Congress) is in power and some people are not happy about it. You cannot be talking about N26 subsidy when you do not even know what you consume. “I thank them for their contributions and condemnations, but it’s all politics. Today because APC is in power, everybody wants to talk about it (subsidy), but I will not do it. I will establish the unaccounted 5.9 billion litres first,” Marafa stated. Except for Akpabio and Oduah, all the senators who thrashed the report, were of APC extraction, same as Marafa himself.
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CRIME&PUNISHMENT One Killed, Several Injured as Alleged Smugglers Engage Customs Officers in Shootout Eromosele Abiodun and Chiemelie Ezeobi Operatives of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) yesterday allegedly engaged in a clash with some smugglers and hoodlums, resulting in the death of one person. The incident which happened at the Abule Egba area of Lagos State, also left several others with varying degree of injuries. At the scene to restore peace were operatives of the Rapid Response Team (RRS), Lagos State Task Force, Lagos State Neighbourhood and Safety Corps (LSNSC) and the divisional police officer of Oke Odo Police Station. As at press time, Abule Egba and its environs were calm and free flow of traffic restored. The police authorities in Lagos
identified the deceased as one Mojeed Olayiwola of no fixed address, adding that he was shot while inside a moving commercial bus by a yet-to-be identified Customs officer. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Chike Oti, who confirmed the incident, said the deceased was inside a bus when he was allegedly shot at by a yet-to-be identified Customs officer. He said according to preliminary investigation, the deceased was not one of the hoodlums who attacked the custom men. Meanwhile, the Customs authorities have come out to debunk the allegations, adding that although they gave a chase to a smuggler, nobody died, rather, their men were attacked by hoodlums. In a statement by the FOU
Zone A Public Relationa Officer, Jerry Attah, the service said the allegation was the figment of people’s imagination, adding that it was capable of misleading the public hence the need to state the facts. He said: “On the January 17, 2018, at about 0530hrs, operatives of the Federal Operations Unit acting on a tip-off traced one LT Bus loaded with unspecified bags of smuggled foreign parboiled rice from Sango area.
“They eventually stopped it at Abule Egba but before he was finally halted at Abule Egba, the driver started shouting and making inciting statement that attracted mob action against the officers with different dangerous weapons such as broken bottles, stones and cutlasses. “Obviously, he had driven to where he could get his associates to help attack the Customs officers. “Given support of the mob, he resisted lawful arrest and the other
armed operatives fired shots in the air to disperse the raging mob but to no avail. “As a responsible organisation, the officers retraced back to avoid any casualty. We appreciate and thank God that no life was lost as at the time of the confrontation even though two of our officers sustained injuries. “For the avoidance of doubt, the fact that a smuggler has evaded scrutiny
either by following unapproved route or compromising any officer does not guarantee that the smuggled item will not be seized anywhere it is found by patrol officers, whose duty is to ensure compliance. “The Comptroller, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, Mohammed Uba, while lamenting the misleading report, urges media professional to verify their facts before rushing to the press.”
Niger Police to ImpoundVehicles with Concealed Number Plates Laleye Dipo in Minna The police in Niger State have said they will soon start impounding vehicles with concealed plate numbers, adding that the drivers of such vehicles will be arrested and prosecuted. The police in a statement said the illegal concealment of vehicle number plate had been traced to increasing cases of kidnapping and other criminal acts in the state. The statement signed by the state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mohammad Abubakar, added that “the police command will not hesitate to arrest any person or group of persons seen to be driving vehicles with concealed number plate and whoever is arrested will be charged to court in accordance with the provisions of the Road Traffic Act.” He expressed dismay that
members of the public, including top government officials, drove their vehicles with covered number plate in the state. Abubakar said the command had directed all Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) to enforce the provisions of the Act. In a related development, the state police command has warned those it described as “undesirable element causing confusion at the Obasanjo shopping complex to desist from the act or would be arrested and prosecuted. Abubakar said the activities of some of these youths along the major road had contributed to the gridlock on the road. He said several motorists had complained that their vehicles were either burgled or their cell phones snatched by these people parading themselves as cell phone repairers.
Bayelsa Govt WarnsYouths Against Cult Activities Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa The Bayelsa State Government yesterday warned youths against engaging in kidnapping, armed robberies and other social vices in the state. The government appealed to executive committees of youth organisations to discourage their members from acts capable of affecting their future negatively, noting that it was in their interest to do so. The State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, spoke yesterday when he addressed the new executive members of the Bayelsa Youth Federation (BYF) in his office. He said most state government programmes and policies were designed for a better life for youths following their critical roles in the state. Iworiso-Markson said the present administration recognised the importance of youths and was working very hard to secure
their future. He enjoined them to reciprocate the gesture by supporting the various developmental programmes of government. The Iworiso-Markson frowned on some youths who still engaged in social vices, and charged the new executives to join the government to preach against kidnapping, armed robbery and other negative acts. “So take the message out, kidnapping does not pay, armed robbery is not the way. There is an opportunity for every youth in the state to excel but we want your support so that we can do more for them” he said. Earlier, the President of the Bayelsa Youth Federation, Akumolate Billy-Ikeke, thanked the commissioner for accepting to interface with them and applauded him for the good job he is doing. He said the visit was aimed at opening a window of opportunity to partner and collaborate with the government to give youths in the state the needed sense of direction.
PARADING SUSPECTS
Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, parading suspected kidnappers, armed robbers and cars snatchers with recovered vehicles at Gawu Babangida Police Station in Niger State....yesterday Gbemiga Olamikan.
Police Parade Suspected Masterminds of Edo Bomb Explosion Adibe Emenyonu in Benincity Three suspects of yesterday bomb explosion that rocked Iddo community, Okpella in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State were paraded by the state Police Command for engaging in the assemblage of components of Improvised Explosive Device (IED). Those paraded were identified as Idris Ibrahim, 22; Zainab Ibrahim and Oyeza Abdul all indigenes of Kogi State. Idris Ibrahim is a brother to Hassa Abdulmalik, the main suspect, said to be on the run while Oyesa is his wife. Abdulmalik escaped through a bush path after vigilant group blocked him from escaping with his car, a Toyota Corolla saloon car marked ABC 371 HK. Their activity was exposed when one of the already manufactured bombs exploded and killed one Sanusi instantly. The deafening sound of the bomb caused panic in the community which led to the searching of the location and recovery of other explosives. Parading the suspects yesterday at the police headquarters in Benin City, the Commissioner of Police,
Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, who briefed journalists, said the police anti-bomb squad was called in to destroy some of the explosives while others were taken away. Kokumo said the police have identified the police formation from where the suspects apparently snatched the riot guns and smoke pistols found in their possession. He listed items recovered from the suspects to include one rocket propelled grenade (RPG), one Beretta pistol marked 53101466 with seven rounds of 9mm live ammunition, two riot gunners, four smoke pistols, 23 empty fire extinguisher cylinders, 18 plastic bottles of prepared borne IEDs, 21 expended smoke cartridges, 17 pieces of pipes-part, two timer clocks, four remote control panel and four remote control switches, eight nine-volt batteries, eight live teargas cartridges and two smoke grenades. Others are two fire extinguisherborne IEDs, two electric junction boxes, two gallons of gun powder, one roll of cotton wool, five empty cans of insecticide, one pair of scissors, 20 small cans of assorted chemicals, three hydrometers used in measuring potency of the IEDs, eight pipettes tubes, two 50ml bottles of highly inflammable
chemicals, three small bottles of highly inflammable chemicals, half bag of potassium nitrate, 65 litres of potassium nitrate, 200 grams of carbide and 30 pieces of syringes and needles. Ibrahim, brother to the main suspect, who spoke to journalists, denied being a member of the gang. He said he wanted to run away when he discovered that his brother was making explosives. Ibrahim stated that he saw his brother taking away some explosives to a place he didn’t know. He said he came to Edo State because his brother promised to open a shop for him. According to him, “I am from Okenne in Kogi State. I was born and schooled in Lagos State. I learnt welding. My brother told me that after I finished my work, he would open shop for me. That was why I came to Edo State. “I was not the one with explosives. It was my brother. I was never at home. I used to go to Auchi to look for shops. I was at home when he asked me to burn gas in his farm because he wanted to harvest cassava. I told him I could not do it so he asked Sanusi to go and help me. “I only heard explosion at my
back which resulted to Sanusi’s death. I only know about Sanusi and another man that used to visit my brother. Sanusi resides at Okpella. They never sent me anywhere. My brother told me he is a driver. I just discovered that the car belongs to him. I visited markets not to look for targets to bomb but to search for any empty shop I can rent “When I became aware that my brother was manufacturing explosives, I started looking for ways to leave the house. I ask him about it and he told me to shut up. He does not do it at home. I learnt about it four weeks ago. I saw them taking explosives out one day. I do not know where they took them. He has a secret room which he locked up. Nobody entered the place.” Wife of the suspect said she wanted to cry out when she learnt about the explosives. “My husband is a driver that takes passengers to and from Abuja. I don’t enter the private room in the house. When I learnt about the explosives and asked him about it, he said he was not the owner or the manufacturer. I wanted to shout out. I was sleeping when the one that killed Sanusi exploded.”
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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2018
THURSDAYSPORTS
Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com
NFF Reveals Ambitious World Cup Programme for Eagles Six friendlies lined up, kits to be unveiled next month in London Duro Ikhazuagbe and Femi Solaja The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) yesterday in Lagos revealed an ambitious pre-World Cup programme expected to boost the country’s determination to surpass previous marks at the Mundial scheduled to hold in Russia next summer. In all, the glory-seeking Super Eagles are to play six friendlies starting with the games against Poland on March 23rd in a yet to be named venue and Serbia on March 27th, 2018 in London. Speaking shortly after the federation sealed a $4million five-year deal with Coca-Cola at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos yesterday, President of the NFF, Amaju Pinnick, said that because of the possibility of meeting an African country after the group stage, Eagles will play a farewell game against Congo at the Abuja
National Stadium, where President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to be in attendance, on May 28. The high-profile friendly with the Three Lions of England at Wembley will be Eagles fifth game on the road on June 2 before taking on Czech Republic on June 6. A yet-to-be-named South American team will be Eagles last friendly on June 9 before heading to Russia to begin hostilities in the group stage where the three-time African champions will be aiming to be the first team from the continent to go beyond the quarter final stage of the World Cup The NFF chief hinted that Nigeria’s kit sponsors NIKE will unveil the official kit the Eagles will use at the World Cup finals on February 7 in London, while a Sponsors/ Partners event will hold also in the British capital hours after the friendly with the
Three Lions. The team’s first phase camping will hold in Abuja or Uyo between May 22 and
May 30, while the second phase camping will hold at a health resort in Austria between June 3 and June 11.
Eagles’ official World Cup closed camp base is at Yessentuki, Stavropol Territory in Russia’s southern
region, starting from June 11. Nigeria will face Croatia, Iceland and Argentina in Group D at the mundial.
KEY DATES 7th February: NIKE to launch official kit in London 23rd March: Friendly Vs Poland in Warsaw 27th March: Friendly Vs Serbia in London 22nd May – 30th May: First Phase Camping in Abuja/Uyo 28th May: Friendly Vs DR Congo in Abuja/Uyo 2nd June: Friendly Vs England in London. (Same night, Sponsors/ Partners event in London) 3rd – 11th June: Second Phase camping in Austria 6th June: Friendly Vs Czech Republic in Austria 9th June: Friendly Vs TBC in Austria From 11th June: Close camp at team base camp in Yessentuki Gernot Rohr was yesterday rewarded with a fresh two-year contract after securing World Cup 2018 ticket for Nigeria with a game to spare
Coca-Cola, NFF Seal $4m Partnership Deal Two-year Contract Extension for Rohr Sealed Kunle Adewale
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) yesterday unveiled food drink giants, Coca-Cola, as the official soft drink sponsor of the Super Eagles and other national football teams at an official signing ceremony of a partnership agreement at Eko Hotel & Suits, Victoria Island, Lagos. Giving an insight into the details of the sponsorship, the NFF said Coca-Cola is committing four million dollars in a four-year deal with an option of renewal. As part of the deal the bottling company would also support youth development in the country. Speaking at the occasion, Managing Director of Nigeria Bottling Company, Georgios Polymenakos expressed his delight at the partnership, while also hailed the Super Eagles Manager, Gernot Rorh on his new contract extension. “It is with great delight to announce Coca-Cola as the official sponsor of the Super Eagles and other national teams. We wish the team and its coach, Gernot Rorh well in all the international friendlies and the World Cup,” Polymenakos said. In his address, Head of Strategic Marketing (Sparkling) at Coca-Cola’s West Africa Business Unit, Cletus Onyebuoha, said Coca-Cola is proud to partner NFF as a sponsor of Nigeria national teams.
“This sponsorship of the Nigeria National Teams is a further demonstration of CocaCola’s commitment to football in Nigeria at all levels and our support for communities where we operate. Everyone knows that Coca-Cola is the Official Global Partner of the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018.” Reacting to the partnership with Coca-Cola, NFF President, Amaju Pinnick said the federation is delighted to be associated with a super brand like Coca-Cola. “A lot of good is happening to Nigerian football all round and I want to commend members of the NFF Executive Committee and Management for the giant strides. “It is heart-warming that Coca-Cola has chosen to come into sponsorship of the Nigeria national teams at a time that we are all committed to the mission of achieving the best ever outing by an African country at the FIFA World Cup finals, and to take the other teams to the next level while building a sustainable football culture for the country.” Representative of the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Olusade Adesola, commended Coca-Cola for the move and appealed to other corporate bodies in the country to emulate the soft drink giants.
Eagles to get day-off for WAGs in Russia The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has signed a two-year contract extension with Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr. NFF 1st Vice President, Seyi Akinwunmi, explained yesterday that Rohr, initially taken on board in July 2016, deserved the extension after qualifying the Super Eagles for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals, even with a match to spare. “He has done a very good job and when someone does
a good job, he gets a reward. We are proud to have taken Mr. Rohr on board and we are delighted to be signing this contract extension with him,” he noted. Rohr, who played as a defender and has coached Burkina Faso, Niger Republic and Gabon national teams before landing in Nigeria, expressed joy at the extension of the relationship, while insisting that the Super Eagles players and officials must remain level-headed
and focused going forward. Throwing light on the chances of his wards at Russia 2018, the Franco-German remained optimistic that Nigeria will do well. “After beating Argentina in that friendly in Russia, I believe nobody is going to take Nigeria for granted now,” observed the coach. He however warned Nigeria to be humble in expectations. “We need to be humble and not be overtly optimistic because other teams are
equally ambitious of winning the trophy.” Asked if he was going to allow Eagles to go with either their wives of girlfriends (WAGs) to the World Cup, Rohr said strict camp rules will be maintained. “ Players are going to be given day off after each match to be with either their wives or girlfriends. We want our players to have the best frame of mind while at the World Cup without distractions,” concludes the coach.
Quadri, Meshref to Defend ITTF Africa Top 16 Cup Titles in Kenya Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri and Dina Meshref of Egypt are to defend their titles at this year’s ITTF Africa Top 16 Cup holding in Nairobi, Kenya. To win the tournament in 2016 in Khartoum, Sudan, Quadri defeated Omar Assar of Egypt 4-2 while Meshref also beat Edem Offiong of Nigeria and this year they will be aiming to retain their laurels when the championship serves off on March 1 in Kasarani indoor Gymnasium of Moi International Sports Stadium in Nairobi. The top 16 players in men and women singles will compete in the qualification
for the 2018 ITTF World Cups. As the defending champion, Quadri and Segun Toriola qualified automatically as Nigeria’s representatives in the men’s singles, while Olufunke Oshonaike and Edem Offiong will compete in the women’s singles. According to ITTF Africa, Toriola, Oshonaike and Offiong qualifications was based on their continental rating. For Egypt, Dina Meshref and Yousry Helmy will represent the North African nation in the women’s singles while Omar Assar and Ahmed Saleh will compete in the men’s singles. Each participating nation is
expected to have a maximum of two players in the men and women events. For the host nation – Kenya, a lot of fans are looking forward to the tournament particularly to watch the rivalry between Quadri and Assar. According to the President of Kenya table Tennis Association (KTTA), Andrew Mudibo, Kenyans are looking forward to watch the best of the continent. “Many Kenyans who you talk to are looking forward to watching the best players in Africa. This is good for us as most of the times it is the
strong sports like football, rugby and athletics that draw large crowds but this time round we hope the Kenyan fans will be able to come and be part of the legacy that this tournament will leave behind and Kenya Table Tennis Association will go all out to publicize the event to the Kenyan public for them to come and enjoy the games. “We shall also be giving access to schools to bring their students to watch and maybe one of them will pick up the sport and be the next Segun Toriola, Quadri Aruna, Omar Assar or even Olufunke Oshonaike,” Mudibo said.
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THURS Ëœ ÍŻÍśËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś Ëž T H I S D AY
THURSDAYSPORTS NPFL‌ NPFL‌ NPFL‌
Niger Tornadoes Go Top as Rangers Stumble in Enugu Niger Tornadoes are top of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) after they recorded their second straight win of the new season at home yesterday against FC Ifeanyiubah just as Lobi Stars won 2-1 at Enugu Rangers. Champions Plateau United also won for the second match running when they beat visiting Rivers United 2-0 in Jos. The win lifts Plateau United to second on the log with maximum points from their opening two matches There were also wins for new NPFL boys Go Round FC and Yobe Desert Stars. Go Round pipped Akwa United 1-0 and Yobe Desert Stars defeated regional rivals Wikki Tourists 2-0. Junior Lokosa, Alhassan Ibrahim and Godwin Obaje scored for their respective clubs just as they did at the weekend. Lokosa opened scoring for home team Kano Pillars against Nasarawa United, like he did at Katsina United on Saturday. And teammate Alhassan Ibrahim got Pillars second goal in Kano, just as he did in Katsina at the weekend. NPFL hotshot two seasons ago, Obaje drew FC Ifeanyiubah level with Niger Tornadoes, before the host team rallied back to win 2-1 in Lokoja. Elisha Golbe’s exquisite free kick on 33 minutes set the
tone for a richly-deserved 2-0 victory for champions, Plateau United over Rivers United. Burly striker, Emeka Umeh added the second, tapping in Tosin Omoyele’s defence splitting pass from close range as the Jos Lords won the match day two NPFL clash at a canter. The champions started on the front foot but stern defending and shocking displays of profligacy by the hosts’ forwards meant there was no scoring following a frenetic opening to the game decided at the New Jos Stadium. Elum Sochima almost gave Rivers United a shock lead against the run of play in the 26th minute but watched in frustration as his rasping drive flew just wide off Okiemute Odah’s right hand post. The hosts continued to carve out the better openings and boss possession but it was a premonition the guests from Port Harcourt failed to heed. They conceded a free
MATCH-DAY 2 Tornadoes 2-1 FCIU Yobe Stars 2-0 Wikki Go-round 1-0 Akwa Utd Rangers 1-2 Lobi Enyimba 0-0 Heartland Sunshine 2-1 Katsina Utd Kano Pillars 2-0 Nasarawa Plateau Utd 2-0 Rivers Utd El Kanemi 1-0 Abia Warriors MFM FC 1-0 Kwara Utd
Ifeanyi George goes for goal for Rangers
kick just after the half hour mark, 20 odd yards from goal and Golbe licked his lips in anticipation stepping forward and planting a deft effort into the corner with a shell-shocked Robert Cole barely moving a muscle. Rivers United improved
marginally after the break following the introduction of Ivoirian marksman, Guy Kuemian shortly after the restart but it was the home side that scored again with Umeh tapping home from close range following good work by the impressive
ScoreNigeria.com.ng
Omoyele. The visitors attempted to hurl themselves back into the contest but Sochima, Kuemian and Ochowechi ‘Oche’ Salefu all failed to score from promising positions. Plateau United almost added a late third but Cole
impressively turned away Kabiru Umar’s fierce drive from point blank range with the striker already wheeling away in celebration. Rivers United slipped to 13th on the log after amassing three points from their opening two fixtures.
Lagos State Sports Commission Rolls out Drums to Celebrate Adenuga at 76
S TA N D I N G S
Femi Solaja Veteran Sports journalist, Olusegun Adenuga, was handsomely rewarded for his glorious career in his profession following a surprise birthday party put together by the Lagos Sports Commission yesterday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. Adenuga, fondly referred called ‘Anene’ clocked 76 yesterday and Lagos State Sports Commission choose to reward the foremost football chronicler with a befitting birthday bash that attracted notable former footballers and colleagues in the sports writing profession. The Chairman of the Commission, Dr Kweku Tandoh, in his remarks urged the society to cultivate the culture of honouring veterans when they are alive and useful to the society and not eulogies them after they must have
passed on. “I recalled that Pa Segun Adenuga was very close to my dad in my infant age and I stand to be corrected for the unbroken passion this man has shown to us in sports. The man deserves all the accolades and honour shown to him today by sports administrators, former footballers that are here today,� he remarked. The party came as a huge surprise to the veteran journalist as he made his way into the arena with his wife Mrs. Dupe Adenuga without prior knowledge of the package puts together for him at the Media Centre of the sports complex. Adenuga recalled that in his 47 years in the sports writing profession, the event of yesterday was the happiest moment for him. He was amazed by how members of his immediate family kept him out of the knowing what was at stake for him yesterday.
“This special day was supposed to be another day God has really kept me alive but the turn of events suddenly changed when I stumbled on my wife elegantly dressed for this unique occasion without my knowledge,� emotionally Adenuga remarked during the programme. Among the former footballers at the event yesterday includes; Joseph Erico and Peter Rufai. Rufai recalled how the veteran journalist used to help him with pre-match information about top players whenever his former club Stationery Stores was involved in continental club competitions in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Top officials of the sports commission led by the Director General, Mr Tunde Bank-Anthony, sports journalists including the President of AIPS Africa, Mitchell Obi, Gboyega Okegbenro,
Mayor Akinpelu, Effiong Nyom, SWAN Chairman Debo Oshundun and Bode Oguntuyi were among others that graced the celebration of the veteran journalist.
Adenuga... honoured
WINTER TRANSFER...
Walcott Switches to Everton for £20m Mourinho Close to Man Utd New Contract Zidane Rejects Ronaldo’s Exit Rumour Everton has completed the signing of Theo Walcott from Arsenal in a deal worth more than £20m on a three-and-ahalf year contract. Walcott, 28, becomes Sam Allardyce’s second signing of the January transfer window following the £27m paid for striker Cenk Tosun from Besiktas. The move brings to an end Walcott’s 12-year stay
at Arsenal, where he scored 108 goals in 397 appearances. “There’s something about this move I’ve just felt good about,� he said. Walcott’s former club Southampton were also interested in a deal. But Walcott, who has not started a league game for Arsenal this season, believes Allardyce can reignite his career.
Manchester United are close to reaching an agreement with manager Jose Mourinho over a contract extension that would keep him at the club until 2021, British media said yesterday. The reports said there had been good progress in talks and the Portuguese was likely to stay at Old Trafford for longer than the three-year deal he signed through to
June 2019. Mourinho, 54, has described his commitment to United as “total� and said he wanted to “bring the club to where the club belongs�. He has described reports he could leave as “garbage�. Mourinho won the League Cup and Europa League in his first season in charge, though United finished sixth in the league.
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has said he cannot foresee Cristiano Ronaldo leaving the club, despite various reports in the Spanish media saying he is in the middle of a stand-off with president Florentino Perez over a pay dispute. Ronaldo, 32, signed his last deal with Real in November 2016 until June 2021, but is reported
to be demanding another new contract to bring his salary in line with Lionel Messi and Neymar, the top two earners in world soccer. “I can’t imagine Real Madrid without Cristiano, this is his club and the one where he needs to be,� Zidane told a news conference ahead of Real’s King’s Cup quarterfinal first leg against Leganes.
T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY JANUARY 18, 2018
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MISSILE Taraba Govt to Emir Sanusi “I challenge Sanusi to tell Nigerians where he got his ďŹ gure from. Did he come down to Mambilla to conduct the headcount of the dead people? Where did he get his ďŹ gure of 800 from and the names and pictures of only Fulani people killed in the crisis?â€? – Taraba State Government, reacting to the claim by the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, that over 800 Fulani people were killed in the state last year.
OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT
olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com
When a Nation Becomes Funeral Home O n a sunny day in January 2010, in a small town in Kuru Karama, Plateau State, a Muslim mother watched helplessly as Christian men bludgeoned and hacked to death her two young children. About the same time, in a nearby village in Fan district, a Fulani pastoralist witnessed farmers from the Berom ethnic group—his neighbours—burn his house and kill his uncle. A year later, Berom residents in Fan district witnessed former Fulani neighbours kill Berom women and children in a murderous night raid. In April 2011, a Christian man in the Northern part of neighbouring Kaduna State saw Muslims from nearby villages surround his village and kill two of his Christian neighbours and set fire to their church and homes. That same month, some 200 kilometres to the south, in the town of Zonkwa, a Muslim secondary school student, from the Hausa ethnic group, witnessed her history teacher, a Christian, murder her father. In each of these cases, the witnesses knew the perpetrators of these crimes, but none of the perpetrators has been brought to justice‌ ================================ The foregoing are the opening paragraphs in the executive summary of a chilling 146page report released on 12th December 2013 by the United States-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) on the orgy of bloodshed in Kaduna and Plateau States which, by the publication’s account, had claimed about 3,000 lives within a period of three years. Titled “Leave Everything to God: Accountability for Inter-Communal Violence in Plateau and Kaduna States, Nigeriaâ€?, the authorities, at all levels, were indicted for “taking no meaningful steps to address underlying grievancesâ€? or bring to justice those responsible for what the report described as “tit-for-tat killingsâ€? with victims targeted for extermination, “often in horrific circumstancesâ€?. That report—which also contains useful recommendations—is instructive against the background of the mass burial last week in Makurdi, Benue State capital, of 73 persons who were gruesomely murdered by suspected herdsmen on New Year day. “For several years, these attackers have turned our beautiful and endowed land into their killing fields and the main reason has been the clashes between herdsmen and farmers, but these attacks have intensified with alarming devastation since 2011â€?, said Governor Samuel Ortom who vowed not to repeal the anti-grazing law that is believed to have precipitated the violence. Unfortunately, at a time we ought to be looking for ways to restore law and order to that troubled section of our country, so many people are stoking the fire while the call for restructuring, especially at a period like this, completely misses the point. For sure, the system is creaking beneath all of us and we need to fix it but even at that, restructuring will not resolve the conflicts that are making neighbours turn daggers against one another. And to the extent that various peoples, regardless of their ethnicity or religion, will still have to live together, even in a proper federation, we must begin to look for the positives in our diversity. I am quite aware that there are times when we may have to take sides in conflict situations since, as the late Nobel Laureate and Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel warned, neutrality only helps the oppressor. But there are also times
The Benue mass burial that call for nothing but statesmanship. When the lives of innocent citizens are involved, it pays for those who call themselves leaders, at all levels, to be circumspect. It is all the more important given that there is a class dimension to the perennial violence between herdsmen and farmers in the Middle Belt that we conveniently choose to ignore and may account for why the problem festers. Has anybody ever wondered why in most of the killings over the years, what we are usually regaled with are numbers rather than names? That is because it is the poor of our society, those whose names command no attention and have no Facebook or Twitter accounts—expendables fit only for mass burials—that are mostly the victims of this violence while those supplying the AK-47 and other deadly weapons are secured in the knowledge that they, and members of their immediate families, are far away from the theatres of war. And that nobody would ever try to fish them out for punishment. Therefore, spreading hate and incitements on social media can only worsen an already bad situation, especially when what started as an economy/ecology problem has now assumed ethnic and religious dimensions with old grievances and ancient prejudices being exhumed. Yet, what saddens the most is that at times like this when you need good people to stand up as voices of reason, nobody— save for people like Abubakar Dangiwa Umar—wants to be identified as either a ‘coward’ or a ‘traitor’ by the various publics we have created out of the mismanagement of our diversity. But the greater challenge is that the Nigerian state is gradually losing the capacity for its primary responsibility: security of lives and property. In the 2013 tragedy in Kaduna and Plateau States as recorded by HRW, for instance, many of the victims of the violence were reportedly shot, burned alive or macheted based on ethnic or religious identity. Witnesses came forward to “tell their stories, compiled list of the dead and identified the attackers,
but in most cases, nothing was done� said Daniel Bekele, the then African Director for HRW who added rather poignantly: “the authorities may have forgotten these killings, but communities haven’t. In the absence of justice, residents have resorted to violence to avenge their losses.� What is glaring from that is a failure of leadership, especially at the national level. “Nigerian authorities can and should take urgent steps to ensure that the perpetrators of communal violence, including mass murder, are investigated and prosecuted, and that victims are provided restitution or compensation for their enormous losses,� HRW wrote in 2013. Of course, no such thing happened and I will be surprised if the victims of the current Benue massacre get any justice. Besides, in a milieu where the security agencies are often accused of either taking sides or not responding to distress calls at the appropriate time, it is difficult to end what has become a spiral of revenge killings. That perhaps explains why today, grieving families have lost faith not only in the capacity of the system to give them justice but also in the ability f the authorities to address the crisis in a holistic manner. Aloof and distant, it came as no surprise that President Muhammadu Buhari could not foresee any trouble the moment the anti-grazing law was being enacted in Benue State. Had he intervened at that point by calling a meeting of all the critical stakeholders in the state, including the governor, so that a compromise could be reached by way of short, medium and long term solutions, perhaps we will not be where we are today. But he waited until everything exploded in his face before belatedly agreeing to a meeting where he was begging for peace “in the name of God�. Notwithstanding, I consider the accusation of partisanship against the president unfair. While he may be suffering the consequences of his past indiscretion—when, as a former military leader, he led a sectional team to Oyo State on behalf of his Fulani kinsmen—there
is nothing to suggest he is complicit in the current ethno-religious violence in Benue State. What he has not done, which unfortunately is quite in character with his style, is to provide the much-needed leadership that will help resolve the crisis not only in Benue but in other theatres, including Zamfara State where both the protagonists and antagonists are Hausa, Fulani and animists and where several deaths have been recorded in recent months. And we should never forget the 347 Shiite members, including women and children, who were killed and buried in shallow graves following the 12th December 2015 clash with the military authorities in Zaria, Kaduna State, even when those unfortunate victims would most likely be Hausa and Fulani, and definitely Muslims. In that tragedy too, the president stands indicted! On Tuesday, the Senate gave the Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, a 14-day ultimatum to apprehend the perpetrators of the Benue pogrom and bring them to justice. But it is futile expecting anything from Idris whose first response on 6th January was that “it is a communal crisis� before admonishing that “we should be praying for Nigerians to learn to live in peace with one another�. Meanwhile, men of the Department of State Service (DSS) that you expect to be professional are more concerned with monitoring and chasing about some political pastors preaching against President Buhari’s second term aspiration with regime protection, rather than national security, as their main preoccupation. Here, let me offer a quick word: The primary responsibility of the security forces is to protect the citizenry and defend their basic freedoms. Harassment of clerics of any known faith is a direct invitation to sectarian conflict. The question now is: What is the way forward in the still-fresh Benue tragedy? While the proposed ‘Cattle Colonies’ will not address the challenge, given the mutual ethnic and religious suspicions that have been thrown up, I also believe that Ranching, which remains the only enduring solution, will require enormous resources, attitudinal change and take a while to institute. But the most important thing now is to bring down the temperature/heat in Benue and other states in the Middle Belt and that will not happen until the authorities rein in the Miyetti Allah men who are rationalising anarchy and vowing to take the law into their own hands. Indeed, that the Miyetti Allah threats are being condoned calls to question the neutrality of the security agencies that are headed, as it were, only by people from a section of the country. As an aside, such insensitivity in critical appointments serves only to fuel animosity and makes it difficult for any leader to build trust and inclusiveness in a plural society. That, sadly, is the way of the current administration. Since the primary responsibility of a functioning state is to protect the lives and livelihoods of all citizens, it should worry President Buhari that Nigeria is fast becoming a funeral home under his watch.. NOTE: Please see my tribute to Chief Ganiyu Adams, the 15th Aare Ona kakanfo of Yorubaland, on page 15.
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