Sunday 28TH January 2018

At AU Summit, Buhari Advocates Database of Terrorists Says terrorism can't be defeated without good governance, economic devt Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Addis Ababa called for resolute and coordinated initiatives aimed at developing an African

Union database of persons or groups and entities involved in terrorist acts for use by law enforcement agents.

Making the call in his remarks at the African Union (AU) Peace and Security

meeting at the ongoing AU summit, Buhari said, “Nigeria believes that the timely establishment of this tool at the continental level will be strategic in this fight.”

He noted the UN Resolution

1373 which stipulates that “any person who participates in the financing, planning, preparation or perpetration of terrorist acts should be brought to justice.”

Buhari, according to a statement by his media aide,

Malam Garba Shehu, also said good governance, economic development and job creation were key factors in defeating terrorism.

He said military force and law enforcement alone cannot

defeat terrorism.

“Terrorism cannot be defeated only through military force and law enforcement measures. We need to adopt Continued on page 8

Lawyers Disagree over Abia CJ Suspension … Page 10 Sunday 28 January, 2018 Vol 22. No 8319

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How Warri, Kaduna Refineries, Headquarters, PPMC Bleed NNPC Chineme Okafor in Abuja An analysis of the financials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has revealed that four strategic business units (SBUs) and the corporate headquarters of the corporation collectively recorded a trading shortfall totaling N270.386 billion between January and

November last year, causing NNPC to record a huge loss in its operations in the 11-month period.

The SBUs, namely, Warri and Kaduna Refineries, Pipeline and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), and NNPC Ventures, had together with the corporate headquarters (CHQ) jacked up NNPC’s financial expenditures within the period to overwhelm

its earnings of N194.7 billion from its other subsidiaries, and then left it with a year-to-date (YTD) trading deficit of N75.636 billion.

The figures were contained in the latest monthly financial and operations report of the NNPC for the month of November.

THISDAY also cross-checked the figures with its collation and analysis of the data in NNPC’s

past reports.

According to the November report, the likes of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Port Harcourt Refinery, Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL), NNPC Retail, National Engineering and Technical Company (NETCO) and Nigerian Gas Pipeline Transport Company (NGPTC) made YTD trading surpluses of

N88.4 billion, N25.6 billion, N7.4 billion, N2.5 billion, N5.16 billion, and N65.45 billion respectively.

But NNPC Ventures which is in charge of NNPC Medical Services Limited, Research and Development Division, Renewable Energy Division, NNPC Properties Limited, and NNPC Shipping (NIDAS and NIKORMA) amongst others recorded a YTD trading deficit

of N13.48 billion. It also said that the others on NNPC’s losing points for the period were Warri Refinery - N19.99 billion, Kaduna Refinery - N27.36 billion, PPMC/ Marine Logistics/Nigerian Petroleum Storage Company (NPSC) - N91.46 billion, and CHQ - N118.07 billion.

The reports revealed that Cosntinued on page 8

Under Threat for Hosting Mass Burial, Benue APC Leaders Search for New Political Platform

Bimbo Akosile

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress in Benue State led by Governor Samuel Ortom are in search of a new political platform ahead of the 2019 general election following threats from Abuja that Ortom could be denied the party’s ticket for hosting a mass burial for victims of herdsmen attack, THISDAY has learnt.

A deadly attack launched by herdsmen on New Year’s Day had claimed 73 lives in Guma and Logo local government areas of Benue, plunging the state into grief. The state government later announced its plans to hold mass burial for all the victims in the state capital.

Worried by the security implication of holding such mass burial and the negative publicity it could generate for the Buhari administration, THISDAY gathered that the presidency dispatched top security chiefs and political advisers to the state to persuade the governor to shelve the idea with a warning that conducting such a burial Cosntinued on page 8

AFRICAN BROTHERHOOD...

President Muhammadu Buhari (left) in a handshake with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, while South African President Jacob Zuma and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta watch with interest at the African Union Peace and Security Council meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia ... yesterday

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Change Must Begin with Restructuring, South-south Leaders Tell Buhari Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt National Working Committee that the panel approved resource control and state police, among Political and traditional leaders other significant changes, which in the South-south said yesterday had long been on the front in Port Harcourt that the federal burner. government must address the The ruling APC had issue of restructuring of the campaigned on the platform federation if it is serious about of change in 2015 and boldly its profession of change. The promised in its manifesto to leaders declared this at a summit restructure the country towards organised by the Project Nigeria true federalism and greater Movement. autonomy for the federating The summit came two days units. But since coming to power, after the All Progressives President Muhammadu Buhari Congress Committee on True has consistently discountenanced Federalism made far-reaching the idea of restructuring. Buhari recommendations for the has maintained that the problem devolution of powers to states with Nigeria is in the process of and general restructuring of its governance rather than the the country. Chairman of the country’s structure. So when committee and Kaduna State the ruling party came out with Governor Nasir el-Rufai had its recommendations for radical said on Thursday in Abuja while change, the report was greeted presenting its report to the Chief with mix feelings of relief and John Odigie-Oyegun-led APC

surprise.

But the South-south leaders’ summit said if Buhari’s APC government was serious about its promise of change, it must have to start with the fundamentals – restructuring the country.

Conveners of the summit included former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah; former president of Ijaw National Congress, Professor Kimse Okoko; former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke; Chief Idu Amaidhe; Chief Solomon Asemota (SAN); and OCJ Okocha (SAN).

In his address, chairman of the summit and first military governor of the old Rivers State, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, noted that the problem of Nigeria started when the military modified the country’s constitution of 1960 and replaced

it with the 1979 Constitution, which gave enormous powers to then President Shehu Shagari.

Diete-Spiff said Nigeria needed a constitution that would be written by the people to favour their interests, adding that it is time to overhaul the entire system.

He urged Buhari to listen to calls from different ethnic nationalities of the country for restructuring if he was actually interested in changing the country for good.

According to the Amayanabo (King) of Twon-Brass, Bayelsa State, restructuring is what would demonstrate Buhari’s sincere commitment to change. He said, “I am all ears to hear how the people will convince the powers that be on restructuring. Change begins with restructuring.�

In his own contribution, Attah

said what the South-south was demanding was a return to a Nigeria that works for all. He stated, “Restructuring must not, therefore, be seen as a demand for a previously unknown Nigeria. What we demand is a return to a Nigeria that we have had before, a Nigeria that worked for human progress and development. “I feel pained when I hear people say they will not be intimidated by the demand for restructuring. Restructuring is not meant to intimidate anybody. It is meant to re-establish us as a fair, just and productive nation.�

Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike yesterday called on Nigerians to disregard the report of the APC committee on restructuring, saying the party is not sincere about the recommendations.

Wike said the report was strategically designed to deceive Nigerians ahead of another general election.

The governor, who spoke through the Head of Service, Mr. Godwins Rufus, said, “We should not be confused by the report of Governor El Rufai’s committee on restructuring of the country. This coming close to the election shows it is a trick by the APC. “They are trying to mislead Nigerians that a party that has disappointed Nigerians will turn around to accept restructuring of the nation.�

He stated that restructuring of the country could not be achieved by the APC-led federal government, saying restructuring is what would bring the development that Nigeria craves

UNDER THREAT FOR HOSTING MASS BURIAL, BENUE APC LEADERS SEARCH FOR NEW POLITICAL PLATFORM could lead to reprisal attacks in other parts of the country. A few of his governor colleagues were also mandated to convince him to heed the plea of the presidency.

But Ortom, who had accused the federal government of failing the Benue people by not providing security despite his warnings of an impending attack, with the support of the leaders of the state, proceeded with the burial to national and international acclaim.

Images of the mass burial held at IBB Square in Makurdi showed trucks conveying the remains of the victims to the

venue with the grisly sight of sobbing relatives and mourners trending on the social media for days. This sent signals of the unspoken calamity of the herdsmen attack and brought the reality to scores.

The presidency, THISDAY learnt, was jolted by the refusal of Governor Ortom to heed its appeal to shelve plans to hold the mass burial for the victims of the deadly attacks.

Other remarks credited to the governor on how the attack could have been averted were also said to have unsettled APC leaders in Abuja.

Governor Ortom had

during a visit to the state by a delegation from the National Assembly said that he alerted President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Idris to the plot to launch attacks on the state over the promulgation of an anti-open grazing law.

Vice President Osinbajo was forced by the claim to issue a statement denying being told by the governor about any impending attack on any specific part of the state.

Though a party delegation was led to the mass burial by the APC National Chairman,

Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, THISDAY gathered that hawks within the presidency and the party had resolved to deny the governor the party’s ticket in 2019 governorship election.

Ortom, a first term governor, is expected to seek reelection.

Party primaries are due to hold later this year.

A close friend of the governor, who pleaded not to be named, said Ortom had been under serious threat since the mass burial was held for the victims of the attack.

The source however said that the governor was unperturbed by the threat as leaders of the

party in the state were behind him in every step he took on the deadly incident.

The governor and the leaders of the party in the state are however not leaving things to chance as they are already searching for alternative political platform should Abuja make good its threat to deny the governor ticket.

What the governor also has going for him is that the attacks have now united the Benue people, irrespective of political persuasion. “Ortom has been under threat from Abuja since he hosted the mass burial, but I can tell you

that he has said he would not betray his people for any ticket,� the governor’s friend said. “The governor has sent a message to Abuja that they should realise that nobody has won the presidency in Nigeria without Benue State since the election of Alhaji Shehu Shagari. “He reminded them that where Benue goes, is where Nigeria goes as far as election into the presidency is concerned�, the source said.

President Buhari is also believed to be interested in seeking re-election, although he has not made his intentions known officially.

million litres of diesel through its Direct Sales Direct Purchase (DSDP) programme between January and November 2017. “In November 2017, a total 90 pipeline points were vandalised, 41 pipeline points failed to be welded while 6 pipeline points were either ruptured or clamped.

Thus, 136 pipeline points were destroyed for the month under review. PHC-Aba and Aba- Enugu pipeline segment accounted for almost 67 per cent of the affected pipeline points,� it stated on the losses made from downstream operations.

Recently, analysts at FBN Quest Capital Limited, a subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc, expressed doubts that the latest attempts by the NNPC to undertake a fresh Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) on the refineries would eventually come good and help Nigeria address her challenges with protracted scarcity of petrol.

The analysts stated in a periodic report - Good Morning Nigeria, which THISDAY obtained, that the NNPC should consider allowing its refineries to ‘wither away’ because new refineries like the 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) capacity Dangote refinery and others scheduled to come on stream soon would be the game changers.

They also pointed out that the NNPC refineries were old and past TAMs on them had not been successful to suggest that the latest effort would be.

The analysts had in their submission said: “The fuel shortages highlight Nigeria’s failure to refine domestically the petroleum products it requires for its own consumption. The scarcity has been attributed variously to: flaws in distribution, upward movement in the international price

necessitating subsidy payments under another name (absorbed by the NNPC), hoarding, and the fact that the set retail price of N145/litre for premium motor spirit (PMS, or gasoline/petrol) is far below that in the countries of the sub-region. “The FGN’s response to the periodic shortages is to commit public monies to another programme of turnaround maintenance (TAM) for the corporation’s refineries, costed at US$1.1billion and said to be achievable over 18 months. An earlier investment in TAM in 2013 made little, if any impact.

In September 2017 the refineries achieved a combined capacity utilisation rate of 6.1 per cent compared with 9.5 per cent the previous month.�

They further explained: “We all know that the combined capacity amounts to 445,000b/d crude but very few of us can say when, if ever, the refineries produced at this level. Such low rates tend to result in losses.

According to the NNPC’s financial and operations report for September, the refinery companies have reported operating losses for four of the past 12 months.� “We cannot say for sure that the latest programme of TAM will not be a success. However, the age of the refineries suggests not: Port Harcourt (commissioned in 1965), Warri (1978) and Kaduna (1980). “Our message is “Local refining, the obvious solution�.

By local, we mean private sector. The corporation’s refineries should be allowed to wither away in our view. The game-changer is the Dangote refinery under construction in Lagos State, which over time is scheduled to process 650,000b/d crude,� they posited.

HOW WARRI, KADUNA REFINERIES, HEADQUARTERS, PPMC BLEED NNPC in November, NNPC posted a trading deficit of N6.79 billion; in October, it posted N0.41 billion; in September, it posted N2.81 billion, and in August, N5.74 billion.

In July, NNPC had a deficit of N11.87 billion against its books, and N5.19 billion in June, as well as N3.55 billion in May. Just as it recorded a loss of N5.27 billion in April. Similarly, in March, the corporation had a loss figure of N5.62 billion, N14.12 billion in February, and then N14.26 billion, to bring the corporation’s trading deficits for the period to N75.636 billion.

On one of the bleeding spots – the refineries, THISDAY checks on the reports revealed that on the average, the refineries recorded a 17.36 per cent capacity utilisation, with

Kaduna refinery being the most unprofitable refining entity of the NNPC. According to the reports, in January, the refineries recorded their highest capacity utilisation capacity of 36.73 per cent, after which it began to drop to 29.06 per cent in February, 13.36 per cent in March, and then picked up to 24.59 per cent in April.

They subsequently began to drop again to 23.09 per cent in May, 12.73 per cent in June, 11.94 per cent in July, 9.50 per cent in August, 6.34 per cent in September, and then picked up to 17.63 per cent in October before dropping to 5.92 per cent in November – its lowest within the period.

THISDAY checks also disclosed that between June and November 2017, no crude oil

was processed in the Kaduna refinery.

To buttress this, the November report stated: “For the month of November 2017, the three refineries produced 55,187 metric tonnes (MT) of finished petroleum products and 39,562MT of intermediate products out of 107,748MT of crude processed at a combined capacity utilisation of 5.92 per cent compared to 17.63 per cent combined capacity utilisation achieved in the month of October 2017. The decrease in operational performance recorded was attributed to decline in crude processed by WRPC while PHRC and KRPC remain shut down during the month under review.� “The corporation has been adopting a merchant plant

refineries business model since January 2017. The model takes cognisance of the products’ worth and crude costs. The combined value of output by the three refineries (at import parity price) for the month of November 2017 amounted to N13.08 billion, while the associated crude plus freight costs and operational expenses were N15.21 billion and N9.02 billion respectively. This resulted to an operating deficit of N11.15 billion by the refineries,� it added.

The report further explained that because the three refineries were only able to provide the country 1.351 billion litres of locally refined petrol and 641 million litres of diesel, the corporation had to import 11.826 billion litres of petrol and 63.73

AT AU SUMMIT, BUHARI PROPOSES DATA BASE OF TERRORISTS a multifaceted approach of good governance, economic development and creation of job opportunities for our youth,� the President said.

Speaking on the theme: “Towards a Comprehensive Approach to Combat the Transnational Threat to Terrorism�, the president emphasised the need to curb the flow of terrorism financing. “The need to curb the flow of terrorism financing cannot be over-emphasised.

Concerted efforts must be made to not only dismantle the network between transnational organised crimes and terrorist organisations, but also to block the payment of ransom to terrorist groups,� he said.

According to the statement, Buhari said Nigeria remained

committed to supporting counter terrorism efforts within the African Union and the United Nations.

While expressing Nigeria’s grave concern over the increasing threats posed by transnational terrorism and the attendant humanitarian crisis, he also condemned in the strongest terms the continued activities of terrorist groups in Africa, and around the world.

He called for more concerted action by the African body and the international community to address the global scourge.

The President however noted that the conditions that were conducive to the spread of extremism, radicalisation and terrorism must first be addressed. Similarly, he said collaborative measures must be

taken to disrupt the recruitment of terrorists, their financing networks and the movement of foreign fighters.

Buhari told the gathering that Nigeria had enacted domestic anti-terrorism laws that also deal with related issues such as kidnapping, drug peddling and gunrunning.

Linking terrorist activities to climate change, the President reiterated Nigeria’s “important call for global action to support the recharging of the Lake Chad Basin,� which has shrunk by over 80 per cent and has impacted negatively on the livelihood of millions of people in the countries of the Basin.

According to him, “There is considerable evidence that the environmental state of the Lake

contributed to the radicalisation of jobless youth who joined Boko Haram.�

In their submissions, the Chairperson of the AU Peace and Security Council, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, the African Union Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, and the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, agreed on the real threat of transnational terrorism, and the need for global efforts to curb the negative trend. he Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) has disbursed a total of N152.974 billion to 23 power generation companies (Gencos) within the first seven months of 2017, THISDAY can report.

This disbursemenlants, as well as Egbin, Transcorp

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JANUARY 28, 2018

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SUNDAY COMMENT

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

BEYOND OBASANJO’S STATEMENT Obasanjo’s letter is timely. Now is the time to deal with the flaws in the Buhari administration

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t is tempting to dismiss former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s rebuke of President Muhammadu Buhari for maladministration, clannishness and condoning of corruption as the rant of an over-pampered power monger. While the motive of the writer and timing of the statement may indeed have everything to do with politics, the content nonetheless raises matters of grave public concern. Therefore, this is one important moment we must ignore the character of the messenger and reflect deeply on the message. For us, the issue for determination is whether Obasanjo is correct in his assessment; and we answer that question, without any hesitation, in the affirmative.

However, we must commend both the federal government and Nigerians ought to be the ruling All grateful to Obasanjo.

Progressives His choice of an open Congress (APC) critique of President for the matured Buhari as against manner in which a private memo is they responded to ultimately a national Obasanjo’s stateservice. Prior to the ment. To that extent, intervention, the the unfortunate fear was real that the vituperations by administration had Prof Itse Sagay and othbecome too cocooned ers who chose to deflect in the flattering image what the issues are by presented by its army attacking Obasanjo of sycophants to hear should not frighten the the loud wailings public from insisting across the land on responsible leadership in the country.

Defenders of both the president and his government on sundry vexatious issues should not labour so hard to find excuses for what can only be summed up as a growing incompetence.

According to Obasanjo, whose statement touched on several issues including the conflicts between herdsmen and farmers, the state of the economy, the fight against corruption as well as the creation of a Coalition for Nigeria (CN) Movement to challenge the status quo, Buhari’s “poor understanding of the dynamics of internal politics” in the country has not only impacted negatively on the national security situation, his “nepotic deployment bordering on clannishness and inability to bring discipline to bear on errant members

Letters to the Editor

of his nepotic court,” is also “wittingly or unwittingly making the nation more divided”.

For sure, Obasanjo’s expression of discontent cannot be ignored first on account of his position as someone who shares similar status with Buhari as a retired General, former military Head of State and civilian President. More importantly, the message in his communication happens to tally roughly with the feelings of a broad section of Nigerians. In sum, there is an emerging consensus that the quality of leadership being provided by President Buhari falls far below public expectation.

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S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R EDITOR TOKUNBO ADEDOJA DEPUTY EDITORS VINCENT OBIA, OLAWALE OLALEYE MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN

T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS ERIC OJEH, PATRICK EIMIUHI ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR SAHEED ADEYEMO CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

eedless to say, some of the allegations made

by Obasanjo in his statement are quite weighty. For instance, the former president insinuated that the Supreme Court was deliberately manipulated by some characters within the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to pervert the course of justice in a bid to achieve some political objectives. Although the PDP has disputed the claim as unsubstantiated, that the allegation is coming from a former president underscores the need for the judiciary to put its house in order.

However, it is the Buhari government to whom the statement was particularly directed that needs to exercise more introspection. Whereas Boko Haram insurgency has been helmed in to the fringes of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States, a more deadly security challenge has erupted with some violent and heavily armed herdsmen running riot across the entire landscape. To this must be added the upsurge in the spate of violent kidnappings and cult killings in several parts of the country.

Unfortunately, the president has been largely muted on these severe onslaughts on the right to life and property of Nigerians while his government has not provided any workable solution on how to defend our citizens against non-state actors who have turned our country into a killing field. Meanwhile, his Defence Minister, Mansur Dan-Ali and some other officials are making reckless and irresponsible statements that can only further worsen the crisis without anybody calling them to order.

In a sense, therefore, Nigerians ought to be grateful to Obasanjo. His choice of an open critique of President Buhari as against a private memo is ultimately a national service. Prior to that intervention, the fear was real that the administration had become too cocooned in the flattering image presented by its propagandist communicators and army of sycophants to hear the loud wailings across the land. Obasanjo has shredded that veil of falsehood. The challenge now is for Buhari to confront the inconvenient truth of the shrinking credibility of his administration and, of course, correct accordingly.

TO OUR READERS Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-200 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (950- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.

BUHARI HAS DONE WELL

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ome Nigerians see things through the perspective of geography, tongue, faith and politics. It is normal in a complex society and also in a year billed to witness so much game of politicking. However, a good number of Nigerians see things through the prism of national interest no matter what the situation is. Using the later, one can say no administration in Nigeria from 1999-2015 has neared the achievements of the Muhammadu Buhari government within two and a half years of its first term in office.

Errors and mistakes were made by the Buhari government; this is normal in a large and promising democracy, but the government has done very well in the two fundamental areas upon which it rode to

power - neutralise Boko Haram senseless war and put a stop to official corruption.

The administration of Buhari has also done excellently well in other areas including the economy. The biggest challenge for the government has been that most of its strides have been under reported and not well publicised.

The blame goes to the government public relations and media team. Had the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Buhari Media Organisation’s (BMO) wellsophisticated media and PR team been ‘maintained’, reinvigorated and their manpower fully utilised, the government would have easily sold with ease all its achievements to the public.

Systematic and sys-

temic approaches to propagate the president and his government´s activities are needed. Very few Nigerians know that: Nigeria’s foreign reserves have peaked at $40b, the highest in about four years, and up from $24 billion just a year ago. The nation is saving N24.7 billion monthly with the full implementation of the TSA. The capital inflow in the second quarter of 2017 is about $1.8 billion. The Nigeria’s stock exchange has risen to 40,000 points for the first time since October 2014.

The non-oil sectors exports are up 70% year-on-year and manufactured goods exports are up 22% year-on-year.

Power generation is at an alltime high of 7,000mw from a mere 2,000mw. Some 25 major highways across the six geo-

political zones are being funded with the N100b Sukuk Bond.

While the Lagos-Kano Standard rail gauge is on. Lagos-Ibadan and Kano-Kaduna sectors will be ready in 2019. The entire stretch will be ready in year 2021; negotiations are on for coastal rail covering 15 cities from Lagos to Calabar.

The $41 billion foreign reserve is a big plus for the Buhari government, because most of our previous governments lacked control and ability to save. The Buhari government was able to control wasteful and reckless spending.

The massive road and rail projects are for prosperity, though the benefits would be felt later. Having a president that is corruption-free is a huge image promotion for Nigeria and confidence-builder for investors and relief for the masses, knowing that their president will not steal their monies.

Despite these sterling performances of Buhari within two years plus in power, we cannot hide from this fact- Buhari is human: he has made mistakes as well as committed errors but they are correctable. President Buhari always at every time will admit his errors and corrects his mistakes. We must also know that in a true democracy no successful president ever spends only one term in office. Any political party that denies its incumbent president the opportunity to seek a second term, the party has already adjudged itself and the president a failure. President Buhari and vice-president Yemi Osinbajo have a constitutional right to seek for a second term, while Nigerians have the right to elect whoever they want.

–––Zayyad I. Muhammad, Jimeta, Adamawa State.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ANUARY 28, 2018

SUNDAYNEWS

News Editor Abimbola Akosile E-mail: abimbola.akosile@thisdaylive.com, 08023117639 (sms only)

Lawyers Disagree over Suspension of Uzokwe, Abia Chief Judge Tobi Soniyi andAkinwale AkintundeinLagos,Senator IroegbuinAbujaandEmmanuel UgwuinUmuahia The suspension of Abia State Chief Judge, Justice Theresa Uzokwe, by the state House of Assembly has elicited differing

reactions from senior lawyers, includingthe2ndVicePresident of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Monday Ubani, and human rights activist, Dr. Tunji Abayomi.

AbiastateHouseofAssembly, last Friday suspended Uzokwe over allegations of acts of tyr-

anny, infamy, grossmisconduct and incompetence, following a publicpetitionbroughtbeforethe House against her by a civil society organisation, Global Centre for Peace and Justice.

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of the state has purportedly appointed Justice Obisike Orji

as the acting Chief Judge of the state barely three hours after the assembly suspended Uzokwe.

Orji was sworn in at the Executive Council Chambers of the governor’s office last Friday.

Butsomelawyershaveargued that the legislative arm of government does not have power

under the Nigerian Constitution to make such decisions as to the suspensionorremovalofanyerring judge. Some were however in support of the decision.

Ubani, while speaking with THISDAY, said “I don’t think the legislators have any power to suspend or remove any err-

HONOURING ALHAJA MAKANJUOLA R-L: Wife of the donor, Mrs. Yoyinsola Makanjuola; donor and CEO, Caverton Helicopters, Mr. Remi Makanjuola; Alhaja Harifat Makanjuola; Vice-Chancellor, Summit University,

Prof. Hussein Oloyede; Chairman, Board of Trustees, Summit University, Retired IGP Musiliu Smith, and National President, Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Dr. Femi Okunnu, SAN; at the unveiling of late Alhaja Idiat Abegbe Makanjuola Lecture Theatre donated by the Makanjuola family to the Summit University, Offa, Kwara State...weekend

ing judge without the input of the National Judicial Council (NJC). That is the position in Law. Except the legislators have recourse to the NJC, it is impossible for them to take such decision against a judicial officer.

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has given their decision on this in the case of Hon. Justice Raliat Elelu-Habeeb&Anorv.Attorney General of the Federation & 2 Ors (2012).

“The Kwara State Governor wrote to the Kwara State House ofAssembly,allegingcorruption and acts of misconduct against the Kwara State Chief Judge.

The Legislators thereafter found the Chief Judge guilty of all the allegations and Chief Judge, Justice Raliat Elelu-Habeeb was removed.

“Justice Raliat Elelu-Habeeb then challenged her removal at the Federal High Court. She won both at the High Court and AppellateCourt.Thematterwent to the Supreme Court and the ApexCourtupheldthedecisions of the two lower courts.

“TheSupremeCourtheldthat the NJC is not only instrumental totheremovalofajudicialofficer, but also has to compulsorily be thebodythroughwhomtheproceduretoremoveajudicialofficer must mandatorily commence.”

Ekweremadu: Dictatorial Tendencies, Nepotism Endangering African Democracies t Chides African leaders for disregarding oath of office t Deplores harassment of social media users Abimbola Akosile

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has warned that democracy will be highly imperiled and risked transmuting to civilian dictatorship without respect for key institutions of democracy by African leaders.

He decried the widespread coercionofthepress,civilsociety, thejudiciary,andparliamentsby some African leaders, whom he saidhadnoregardfortheiroaths ofofficeandconstitutionallimits of their powers.

Ekweremaduspokeatalecture entitled ‘African Politics: The Dynamics and Lesson’, which he delivered at the House of Commons, Parliament of the

UnitedKingdom(UK)inLondon recently.

The former Speaker of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Parliament) expressed regret that “outside Nigeria, South Africa, and a few others, most African parliamentsarelargelycagedandoften reduced to rubber stamps and appendages of the executive”.

HecitedthecaseofCameroon where the constitution had been severally amended to keep 84 years old President Paul Biya in power since November 1982 and Uganda where the parliament recently voted to remove the constitutional age limit to elongate the tenure of 73 years

old President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in office for about 30 years.

He,however,commendedthe judiciaryforcriticalinterventions to save democracy in Nigeria’s intra-party dispute as well as the Gambian, Kenyan and Liberian presidential elections.

“The Judiciary is not only the last hope of the common man in Africa, but also the prized hope ofdemocracy,ruleoflaw,human rights, equity, and justice. Take away an independent judiciary and what you have left is crude dictatorship.

“Lately, the Supreme Court of Nigeria saved democracy in the country in its judgment on the Peoples Democratic Party

Police Rescue Kidnapped South Africans Paul Obi in Abuja

The Nigerian Police yesterday rescued two South Africans kidnapped earlier at a mining site in Kaduna State.

PolicePublicRelationsOfficer, CSP Jimoh Moshood, explained in a statement that “Police mounted pressure on the suspected kidnappers using Police Helicopter,IntelligenceResponse Team and Police Special Forces, which resulted to the release of thetwoSouthAfricanNationals kidnapped at a Mining Site in Maidaro Village, Kaduna State.

“The IGP Intelligence Response Team, Police Special

Forces, Police Air-wing and other detachments of the Force stormed the hideout of the suspected kidnappers who kidnapped two South African Nationals, Mr. Thomas Arnold Pearce and Mr. Hendrik Gideon Smith on 23rd January, 2018 at Maidoro Village, Kaduna State; mounted pressure simultaneously from the air and on the ground led to the release of the two South African Nationals unhurt in the early hours of today, 27th January, 2018.”

He added that “the operation which lasted several hours in the forest in Birnin Gwari area of Kaduna State that led to the

release of the two South African nationals was made possible through coordinated efforts led by Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State.

“The IGP Intelligence Response Team, Police Special Forces, Police Air-wing (Police Aerial Surveillance Helicopter) and Police personnel from Kaduna State Command overwhelmed the kidnappers and the two victims were released.”

Moshoodaddedthat“thetwo South African Nationals have been handed over to the South African High Commission in Nigeria in the presence of their company’s representatives.

(PDP) crisis, when it held that the decision of a party in its national convention is final and binding.

“Also,afterthePDPlostelection in Nigeria in 2015, the APC-led government ran riot and began to indict, arrest, investigate, and detain its opponents and individual enemies. The judiciary was its major roadblock.

“In response to its frustration, thehousesofjudgeswereembarrassinglyraidedatmidnightand judicial officers humiliated by securityagenciesworkingforthe Federal Government of Nigeria.

“Such executive lawlessness mustbecondemnedinstrongest terms and must not be allowed to find a sanctuary in African politics”, Ekweremadu added.

He also deplored the harassmentofsocialmediausers,online

bloggers and publishers in parts of Africa, such as Nigeria, noting also that efforts to enact an Act to regulate Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) was unhealthy for democracy.

He said “It is even quite hypocritical that former opposition leaders and parties rise to power, but only to turn round, determined to break and burn the very ladder with which they climbed unto power”.

Ekweremadu identified nepotismandtherefusalofmany presidentstoabidebytheiroaths ofofficetoupholdtheprovisions of the constitution, do justice to all manner of people, and not allow private interest to influence officialdecisionaspresentthreats to democracy in the continent.

“Contrary to the oaths, what

we see is blatant nepotism, cronyism, and tribalism. The ethnic groups of the heads of state are mostlyfavouredinappointments, opportunities, and provision of infrastructure.

“In Nigeria, Section 14 (3) of the 1999 Constitution tries to guaranteeequityandjusticeforall giventhenation’svastness,plurality, and history vide the federal character principle, but no Igbo man or woman is considered fit by the present administration in Nigeriatoheadanyofthesecurity agencies,includingparamilitary agencies even though the Igbo people remain one of the three major tribes in Nigeria.

“This has given rise to the feelingsofalienationandagitationsas championedbyseveralpro-Biafra groups,” he added.

NAF Neutralises Boko Haram Terrorists in Sambisa Forest Paul Obi in Abuja

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has neutralised Boko Haram terrorists in Sambisa forest, destroying the insurgents’ facilities and weapons.

According to NAF Director of PublicRelationsandInformation, Air Vice Marshall Olatokunbo Adesanya, “the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter aircraft successfully neutralised several Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs), who were poised to interfere with ongoing operations in the

Sambisa general area.

“A NAF Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform had sighted several BHTsonvehiclesandguntrucks, which were carefully concealed in a forested area.

“Consequently, three NAF fighter aircraft were detailed to provide Close Air Support to own surface forces, which also engaged the insurgents.”

Adesanya explained that “the fighter aircraft launched a bomb attack on the insurgents’ defen-

sivepositionswhileanotherwave of bomb attacks was launched at the insurgents’ gun trucks and vehicles, causing one them to go up in flames.

“Thereafter, one of the aircraft strafed a fleeing BHTs vehicle withrockets,destroyingthegun truck in the process.

“The NAF aircraft’s mission destroyed not only the vehicles butalsotheworkshoppreviously used by the insurgents to repair and retrofit their vehicles and equipment,” he said.

T H I S D AY ˾ SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2018

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NEWS Aiteo Boss: I’m Not the Sponsor of ‘Third Force’ Abimbola Akosile Founder and Vice-chairman of Aiteo Group, one of Nigeria’s leading energy companies, Mr. Benedict Peters, has denied being the financier of a new political movement being nurtured by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The movement, known as the ‘Third Force’, emerged in a controversial statement issued by the former president,

wherein he urged incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari not to run for re-election in 2019.

In a statement titled ‘CEO, Benedict Peters Issues Terse Warning on Link To “Third Force�’, which he personally signed, Peters denied being a financier of the said organisation or any socio-political partisan association or political party in Nigeria or anywhere else in the world; an allegation,

which emanated from a recent tweet, which has since gone viral.

According to him, “My attention has been drawn to a tweet in which I was mentioned as the major financier to a political movement or organisation, presumably not even in existence, called the “Third Force�. While I have received calls and messages advising me to ignore the tweet and regard its publication as the

handiwork of detractors, the delicate nature of the tweet having taken into consideration my travails in recent times, fuelled largely by the adverse effects of incomprehensible media falsehood - require that I immediately, authorise the release of a rebuttal, given the malicious, damaging effect the unprofessional tweet is capable of creating. “For the record, I wish to state, categorically and un-

PROMOTING NIGERIA L-R: Financial Secretary of the Nigeria Community in Parana, Mr. Abiola Sulaimon Yusuf; Minister of Human Rights of Brazil, Luislinda

Dais de Valois Santos; President of the Nigeria Community in Parana, Mr. Vincent Afolabi Olowofela; and Secretary of the Community, Mr. Gbolahan Ganiyu Anifowoshe, at the Black Thinkers of Brazil event held at the Theater Londrina, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil...recently

equivocally, that I am not a financier of the said organisation or any socio-political partisan association or political party in Nigeria or anywhere else in the world. As an International businessman of repute, I have deliberately stayed away from politics preferring, instead, to focus and give my all to the development of my business interests across the African continent. “Corporate Social Responsibility contributions has seen the Aiteo Group, which I lead, provide investment support in Medicine and Medical Research dedicated to seeking cures for several ailments which affect the African continent as well as investment in Sport and Sport as a panacea for the development of Africa’s teeming youth population. “The latter has been particularly evident in the Sport of football where we have major relationships with the Nigerian Football Federation and Confederation of African Football (CAF). This is even as we continue to regularly provide financial support and investments to encourage building the “Nigerian Dream� through multi-dimensional and multifaceted socio economic interventions�, Peters added.

According to his statement, “Neither I, my immediate family or companies in which I have interests, would embark on the sponsorship of a movement which is unknown to us. This would be crass, ir-

responsible and inconsistent with the commercial prudence that a businessman of my accomplishment would consider. “To, therefore, name me as a financier of such a venture is not only vile and callous, it is insensitive and inconsiderate. It is a sad reminder of the length that some people, manipulating the malleable, depraved and downright dishonest elements of the media, can go (for reasons best known to them) in their despicable and contemptible attempts to continue to pitch me against the government of the day in Nigeria!�

Peters, who admitted to knowing former President Obasanjo well from way back, however said, “Apart from seeking to impugn my integrity as the publication has done, the authors appear to premise the absurdity of their fabrication on my well publicised relationship with former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR. I confirm that I know the former President very well. He is like a father to me. “He was a friend of my father, the late Chief F.B Peters and has a relationship with my family that dates back over 30 years. In the publishers’ indecent haste to malign the former president and I, amongst others, they demonstrated a shameful shallowness that paid no heed to the very personal nature of our relationship.

Constraints Prevent Power Sector from Generating Fresh 3,299MW t Vice president’s office alerts of rising obstacles in gas supply to Gencos Chineme Okafor in Abuja Nigeria’s power sector on Friday could not generate fresh 3,299 megawatts (MW) of electricity for distribution to homes and offices in the country because it was restricted by a couple of operational constraints, records from the office of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, have disclosed.

According to the records provided yesterday in Abuja by

the Advisory Power Team, Office of the Vice President, these constraints included inadequate gas supply to generation companies (Gencos), shortcomings in the transmission network, limitations in the distribution infrastructure of the distribution companies (Discos), and water management related challenges at the hydro power stations.

The records explained that these limitations kept the amount of power generated and

distributed to homes and offices in Nigeria at 3,971MW, in addition to preventing the power sector from earning as much as N1.584 billion in revenue.

It stated: “On January 25, 2018, average power sent out was 3,971MWh/hour (down by 115MWh/h from the previous day). 2302.8MW was not generated due to unavailability of gas. 417MW was not generated due to unavailability of transmission infrastructure, while

290MW was not generated due to high frequency resulting from unavailability of distribution infrastructure.� “290MW was not generated due to unavailability of water.

The power sector lost an estimated N1,584,000,000 on January 25, 2018 due to insufficient gas supply, distribution infrastructure, and transmission infrastructure and water reserves,� it added.

The office equally notified that there were repeated drop in

power generation as a result of rising gas constraints.

Similarly, another data it released before that of Saturday, indicated that: “On January 23 2018, average power sent out was 3,868MWh/hour (up by 156MWh/h from the previous day).�

It added in that record that: “2257MW was not generated due to unavailability of gas. 164MW was not generated due to unavailability of trans-

mission infrastructure, while 291MW was not generated due to high frequency resulting from unavailability of distribution infrastructure.� “290MW was not generated due to unavailability of water.

The power sector lost an estimated N1,441,000,000 on January 23, 2018 due to insufficient gas supply, distribution infrastructure, and transmission infrastructure and water reserves,� the record further explained.

Lawmaker Provides Scholarship to 120 Students in Sokoto

ISGPP to Hold Seminar on National Economy Jan 31

Mohammed Aminu in Sokoto

The Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy (ISGPP) has moved to focus its first 2018 seminar series on the nation’s economy due to the need to interrogate its trajectory and to suggest policy frameworks that will ensure that there is steady growth in the country’s economy.

The seminar, entitled, ‘Transiting from Bust to Boom: Fiscal, Financial, and Infrastructure Options’ would hold on January 31, 2018 at ISGPP’S premises, No 24 Awolowo Road, Bodija, Ibadan, according to a statement from the school.

The event will be hosted by Chairman of the school, Prof.

Akin Mabogunje, and chaired by the Emeritus Professor

Lawmaker representing Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki, Saturday awarded scholarship to 120 students in his constituency.

Speaking during the presentation of financial assistance to the students in Sayinnna district of Tambuwal local government area, Dasuki said the gesture was part of his support to students as a means of encouraging them in their academic pursuit. He said each student was given N10,000 as a stipend to buy handouts and writing materials.

The lawmaker, who spoke through the Chairman of the

Abdussamad Scholarship Programme, Abdullahi Ango Dogondaji, stated that this was in addition to the distribution of 100 laptops and computers to some selected students of Sokoto State University, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto and Shehu Shagari College if Education, Sokoto.

Dasuki posited that the gesture was in consideration of the currents steps taken by the Sokoto State Government in the declaration of state of emergency in the education sector.

According to him, the beneficiaries were indigenes of the two local government areas studying in various tertiary institutions. He said each local government was allocated with specific number of students

that should benefit the scholarship award.

The lawmaker explained that the Committee appointed to conduct the selection of the benefiting students, carried out their assignment without any discrimination. He pointed out that the Committee also adopted a certain criteria in selecting the beneficiaries. “All the selected candidates are indigenes of the two local government areas in tertiary institutions and they presented their original offer of admission letters and identity cards before they were selected. In fact, all those selected were not from well-to-do families but those actually in dire need of assistance for them to carry out their academic pursuit,� he said.

of Economics, University of Ibadan, Prof. Ademola Oyejide. Also Member, Board of Economists and CEO, Economic Associates, Dr. Ayo Teriba would deliver the lead paper, while Economic Adviser to the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Amb. Dr Adeyemi Dipeolu, will lead the panel sessions.

According to ISGPP Research and Programme Manager, Mr. Tobechukwu Nneli, “the panel sessions which will be driven by experts drawn from the academia, government, private sector, and donor community is expected to develop a framework and policy roadmap to ensure that the Nigerian economy transits from bust to boom.�

“The conversations are structured along three major thematic areas of macro economic reforms viz: Revenue Reforms, Financial Sector Reforms and Infrastructure Reforms. Resolving these three overriding macroeconomic crises will ease the burdens on all sectors of the economy, enable us to see what priorities to set for sectoral reforms more clearly and engender a viable national economy�, he added.

Nneli added that this month’s ISGPP seminar therefore, is strategically positioned to contribute effectively to the policy space in Nigeria. Interested members of the public are invited to participate and contribute to the conversations at the scheduled event, he said.

T H I S D AY ˾ SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2018

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Í°ÍśËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś Ëž THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

OPINION Pogrom, Ranching And Colony Jerry Agada has invented a new word –rancolonitis –to describe incessant conflicts between herders and farmers

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ANCOLONITIS is a new word you will understand as you read along. Sometimes some experiences come to pass which we lack words to describe but which we love to give a name in order to record for posterity. The solution to such a problem as suggested by George Orwell in an article on ‘new words’ in his collection of essays – ‘My Country Right or Left’, (Vol. 2, 1940 – 1943) – ‘is to invent new words as deliberately as we would invent new parts for a motor car engine’. (Rage and Tears, Jerry Agada, 2002, p63).

Imagine this experience: Farmers in the food basket state are under siege. Not much of farming activities are taking place anymore because of atrocities of herdsmen who supervise the eating up of crops and destruction of farms by their rampaging cattle. Farmers complained and the herders responded by alleging the killing of their members and of rustling their cows as being the reason for attacking the farmers. In fact as at the last count over 70 farmers including husbands, wives, pregnant women and children were mercilessly massacred and for which the state government mournfully gave a mass burial.

Of course that had been preceded by similar incident of gruesome massacres perpetrated in Agatu Local Government Area though the victims never had the opportunity or comfort of state burial – not that they didn’t deserve it but because that was a pre-anti open grazing law incident which, though very painful and unfortunate, did not carry the angst of a direct challenge or affront to the government’s right to enact laws. So the idea slipped at that moment. To forestall such ugly development any further, the state government through the Benue State House of Assembly earlier enacted the anti- open grazing law. The herders association known as Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore responded by

rejecting the law intoto, insisting that the state either abrogates the law or the herders will continue with their war of genocide. Then natives began to wonder whether it was the same Fulani herdsmen they had co-habited peacefully with before now or invaders/ conquest mongers from other countries.

In the midst of all these, the federal government contrives a solution which proposes the establishment of cattle colonies in each of the states. The federal government has a good explanation for what it sees as the panacea for farmers/herdsmen conflicts. But the food basket state that had already enacted the anti-open grazing law as the best solution feels otherwise and vows to continue with full implementation of the law. Other states are equally kicking against establishment of cattle colonies which they view as neo-colonialism by the Fulanis using herdsmen and cows. And so the argument rages on while the federal government grapples with the possible

Like meningitis, ‘rancolonitis’ is a disease which remedy lies in the ability of the affected state to choose between the concept of ‘colony’ or design and implement necessary laws that can bring about peaceful co-existence between herdsmen and farmers

solution using the over 16 states which it claims have agreed to go by the ‘colony’ option.

Even when the Chief of Army Staff went to show to the Minister of Agriculture the Army’s progress in cattle rearing business, it was cattle ‘ranch’ and not ‘colony’ that was beamed to the whole world as the best practice. In other words it is ‘ranching’ and not ‘colony’ that is in vogue in cattle rearing. The federal government knows that much but it is harping on ‘colony’ just to be seen to be doing something different – if that is the only area its much mouthed change mantra can reflect. With all these confusion therefore, the need arises to find appropriate word to describe the experience that has become prevalent in almost all the states of the federation. It is now a virus which disease has become endemic. Any state that experiences herdsmen/farmers conflict is suffering from that disease.

It is in that connection that it is pertinent to revert to George Orwell’s assertion on inventing new words: ‘That in forming new words, one would have to pay attention to appropriateness of sound as well as exactitude of meaning. And that it would not do to make it out of mere arbitrary collection of letters‌’ (Rage and Tears, p61). That is exactly what I have done here by describing the disease of incessant conflict between herdsmen and farmers as RANCOLONITIS. Like meningitis, ‘rancolonitis’ is a disease which remedy lies in the ability of the affected state to choose between the concept of ‘colony’ or design and implement necessary laws that can bring about peaceful co-existence between herdsmen and farmers. For Benue State the ‘Open Grazing Prohibition and Establishment of Ranching Law’ provides the best option and has come to stay. ––Professor Agada,is a former Minister of State for Education and former President, Association of Nigeria Authors

A Season of Scandals The scandals trailing the present administration pose a long-term threat to the war against corruption, writes Bright Emenena

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est we forget, like many past government, this administration rode to power on the back of the promise to fight corruption. It is safe to say though, that more than any previous administration, the present administration comes top on the perception that a government will actually fight corruption. For many Nigerians, the one reason why this government was voted into power was the belief that corruption which was perceived as the problem of Nigeria shall be brought to a stop. President Muhammadu Buhari then General Buhari was the symbol of this perception. For many who voted for him, he was an embodiment of integrity, a man capable of doing no evil, an incorruptible disciplinarian and in their view, was what Nigeria needed at the time. He was even applauded by many when he claimed he could not afford the presidential nomination form of his party despite having served as a military head of state, a key player in another military government adjudged as most corrupt by both local and international bodies, a former military governor, a petroleum minister and chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), an agency that was also alleged of corruption. This was perceived by his supporters as evidence of his incorruptibility.

Citizens did not care much about the economy or economic credentials of the then candidate Buhari. People did not even analyse how feasible it was for the naira to be equal to a dollar and how it can be achieved and sustained. They just assumed that fighting corruption was enough to get the economy going. In one of the campaign speeches, in his perception, blocking the leakages was equal to growing the economy. The people’s expectations were very high. For once, Nigeria may be rid of corruption. For the sceptics, only time will tell.

On November 12, 2015, about six months after the swearing in of this administration, the news of the first corruption scandal was broken. It was the president’s own party man, Senator Dino Melaye, who raised the alarm that the TSA policy which the new government had insisted on implementing may have been fraught with corruption. He alleged that while the appointment of a collecting agent (REMITA) was unconstitutional, it was also milking our collective purse. As ministries, departments and agencies were ordered to shut down their accounts with the banks and remit to the federation account their revenues, the collecting agency REMITA, already made N25 billion for doing nothing within six months. There was some uproar but the administration quickly came out to debunk the news calling those who unravelled it, scandal mongering individuals. In their defence, they were quick to agree that the idea of implementing a single treasury account was of the previous administration, implying that whatever may be wrong with it, is part of the failings of their predecessor. This was despite celebrating the applause that their implementing the TSA initially generated. The Senate on her part ordered her specific committee to begin a probe. The names behind the REMITA agency remained a matter of speculation. The Senate probe panel findings and report was never brought to light. Today REMITA has come to stay and

whatever commission they earn is still ongoing.

On December 22, 2015, the president went to the floor of the National Assembly to present a budget to a joint session of the National Assembly. And was applauded by many including the Senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki for being the first president in recent times to have come before the National Assembly to present a budget himself. His immediate predecessor had the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy presenting the budget. Also it was the administration’s first budget since coming to power and for the first time in Nigeria’s history, a N6 trillion budget was being presented. There was a lot of enthusiasm on the part of citizens.

But this enthusiasm was soon dampened with the news that the budget presented by the president to the National Assembly was different from what the MDA’s prepared and presented to the budget office. The budget has been padded; “Padding� meaning additions to make fatter. The president was immediately absolved of any blame by his supporters as expected. But for many, it wasn’t just that such could still happen in an administration that pride itself as intolerant of corruption, it was about the response to the discovery of such graft. As it is for most issues, the president would not even comment on the issue for a while. When he eventually commented, it was indeed a tough talk. “Those who are involved in the budget padding shall not go unpunished�.

Nigerians waited earnestly for the punishment that shall follow.

Even the president’s support base was hopeful and boasted of how the “padders� shall be brought to book and appropriately punished. That should help to clean up the embarrassment this caused the administration. Now, let’s be clear. The president may not have been culpable of padding the budget, but being an “anticorruption czar� and at the time when he was going hard on members of opposition party on perceived corrupt practices, the expectation from many was that the president will go hard on the culprits in the same vein. This never happened. After many months of dilly-dallying, all that was heard is that 180 personnel in the budget office had been redeployed.

Redeployed? Was that the punishment promised?

Well, redeployment was the punishment served on the perpetrators of the crime of budget alteration for personal gain.

Thereafter, was the budget padding scandal that rocked the National Assembly. Understandably, the executive had no direct power over the legislature and the polity was laced with the argument of whether or not the legislative arm of government had power to alter the budget they were presented with. The National ssembly did have their day in the court of public opinion and with the executive arm bent on proving that the NASS, as an institution was corrupt, this was well explored.

A few months after the inception of the present administration, precisely in October 2015, the NCC slammed the telecommunications giant, MTN a $5.1b fine for failing to abide by the rules. At a time when the nation was struggling with rock bottom crude

prices coupled with insurgency in the Niger Delta cutting down production, this was expected to provide some relief. After months of negotiations, the fine was largely reduced and terms of payment agreed. Shortly after, the news was that the president’s close senior aide who is also a close relative of his, has been bribed N500 million to help reduce the fine to the new amount.

Eventually, this scandal caused those at the helm of the negotiations on the part of the MTN their job. But for the FG, nothing was said and nothing happened. Just as the dust was settling on the MTN’S scandal, comes another.

In October 2016, the House committee on the North East, uncovers a contract of N270m for grass cutting in an IDP camp in the NE awarded by the administration’s then SGF, Babachir Lawal to a company he allegedly owned.

At a time when the administration was putting people in handcuffs and showing them to the world via all media platforms as thieves of funds meant for fighting Boko Haram, when the last administration’s NSA is permanently locked in jail, despite several court judgment ordering otherwise, the former SGF in the present administration supposedly fighting corruption just had his company cut grass in the IDP camp for N270m, camp for internally displaced persons resulting from same Boko Haram crisis. After so much foot dragging, another probe panel was set up while the alleged remained in his position boasting of how it was impossible to remove him. In one of his outburst, he referred to the news as “balderdash� and in another, he openly questioned the ability of the presidency to deal with him when he threw the question “who is presidency?� to reporters.

Eventually, despite the probe panel’s indictment of him, it took the president almost one year and a public uproar in form of protest rallies before Babachir was removed. Till this very moment, no charges have been brought against him.

Like I once told a friend, the scandals in this dispensation are so many and frequent that it is becoming difficult to keep pace with. While that was ongoing, another bomb shell came. This time, from the president’s immediate family. The wife of the president and his daughter both openly state that despite huge budgetary allocation to the state house clinic, the hospital could not boast of even syringes. The president had just returned from his over 100 days’ overseas trip and there were speculations that the president’s wife had also gone abroad for a brief medical check up. Now to put it in proper perspective, what this allegations meant, let us be reminded of the budgetary provision for the state house clinic for the 2016, 2017 budgets.

In the 2016 budget, it is public knowledge that the State House Clinic had N3.87b in allocation, an amount more than the budgetary allocation to all the Federal teaching hospitals in the country. ––Dr Emenena, a medical practitioner, wrote from Warri, Delta State (See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JANUARY 28, 2018

LETTERS

NBS AND THE NIGERIAN ECONOMY

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he recent officially released statistics by the National Bureau of statistics (NBS) in January 2018 revealed that about 7.5 million Nigerians were doing nothing between January 2016 and December 30, 2017. In fact, it further revealed that out of a total active labour force of 85.08 million people in Nigeria, about 16 million people were unemployed in the third quarter of 2017.

The NBS is an agent of good and bad news especially on the economy and growth. In 2016, it announced that Nigerian economy was in galloping inflation when it confirmed that the economic recession was a full year one and the worst in the country’s history since 1987.

Meanwhile by September 2017, it announced that Nigerian economy was out of recession.

It disclosed that in the second quarter of the year, the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 0.55% (year-on-year) in real terms, indicating the emergence of the economy from recession after five consecutive quarters of contraction since Q1 2016.

The NBS is neither a friend nor a foe to the Nigerian government or the economy. The agency has in fact received its shares of commendations and condemnations from various quarters whenever its facts and figures are released which is either favourable or unfavourable to the system. For instance, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina cited the report of NBS

Statistician-General of the Federation, Dr. Yemi Kale

to recount the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in the out-going year. In his statement titled: ‘Key Achievements of President Buhari’s Administration In 2017,” Adesina said: “In our review of the economy, based on facts and figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), we are pleased to note that the economy has been on the path of steady growth since the second quarter, after contracting for five consecutive quarters.”

Meanwhile the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh was not well pleased with another statistic from NBS on the unem-

ployment rate in the country.

Ogbeh clearly expressed his disagreement at a press briefing on the National Egg Production Scheme (NEGPRO) in Abuja, where he faulted those he called ‘calculators of Nigeria’s economic indices’ for reporting job losses in the formal sector without noting that millions of jobs had been created in the informal sector.

He said, “Let me correct an impression; I’ve been reading in newspapers that Nigeria has lost four million jobs in the last two years and it became a campaign.

But let me make it clear, if we’ve lost four million jobs in the cities and in the factories; we’ve created six million jobs on the

farms”.

However NBS has always provided its reports with concrete and convincing facts and figures that are quite revealing.

For instance in one of its reports last year, it disclosed that Nigeria earned N397 billion from the export of Liquefied Natural Gas, (LNG )and Liquefied Petroleum Gas,( LPG), also known as cooking gas, in the third quarter of 2017.

In its Third Quarter 2017 Foreign Trade Statistics, NBS stated that the country exported LNG valued at N386.028 billion while cooking gas export stood at N11.835 billion.

Similarly, many reports have been released by NBS to the admiration of analysts and global economic players who look towards Nigeria’s economic indices for comparative analyses.

In fact the Chief Executive Officer and the Statistician of the Federation Yemi Kale must be commended for his diligence and stewardship.

The NBS came into being with the merger of the Federal Office of Statistics (FOS) and the National Data Bank (NDB). The creation was part of the implementation of the Statistical Master Plan (SMP), a programme document of the federal government.

The merger was to give the agency a national outlook as the apex statistical agency for all the three tiers of government.

NBS coordinates statistical operations of the National Statistical System in the production of official statistics in all thefederal ministries, departments and

WEAH AND NECESSITIES OF A NEW LIBERIA

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ast Monday, the reins of Liberia’s administration and control were peacefully transferred to George Opong Weah by his predecessor, Ellen Johnson- Sirleaf. The change of baton, Liberia’s first peaceful transfer of power in 74 years reignited hopes and aspirations for a new Liberia.

Weah’s first steps should be directed towards the formation of a government that will lead the country out of economic woods to prosperity and advancement.

It is pleasing that Weah has made his first set of appointments. To repay the confidence reposed in him in his quest to rule Liberia, the well decorated football maestro must engage the best hands in reconstructing Liberia. His primary responsibility should be hinged on ensuring that the best hands and brains in business, politics and governance are engaged and assembled for national duty.

The hurdles before Weah are herculean, yet they are surmountable. Liberians and the international community expect Weah to live up to the demands of his new position of responsibility with his exploration and conquest of the world of

football as worthy inspirations. Infrastructural deficits and sustenance of internal peace should be addressed with purpose and direction as he settles to the job at hand.

Sadly, the country ranks 177 out of 180 countries in the human development index. Perhaps, this is connected to the percentage of Liberia’s population (85% app.) living below the international poverty line of $1.90 a day. Decisive steps –support for enabling environments to provide jobs for skilled and unskilled labour- should be taken by Weah to effectively root poverty out of Liberia.

Liberia experiences a lot of rainfall annually- about 182 days of rainfall. This makes the movement of goods and labour across Liberia quite challenging. To better the lot of Liberians, strategies must be developed for the construction of roads to ease the movement of goods and human resources required to foster the country’s economic growth.

Compact road networks will attract the much needed investments from local and foreign capitalists.

Weah is assuming responsibilities at a time the country is gradually recovering from the scars

of back-to-back civil wars.

Thousands of Liberians lost their lives in the first and second civil wars that occurred between 1989 and 2003. Interventions from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and United Nations (UN) helped to quell the crises and restore peace to the country. Weah should beam the lenses of attention on peaceful coexistence.

As a matter of urgency, Weah should build on the successes recorded by Sirleaf in consolidating the country’s peaceful coexistence.

In the last 12 years, Sirleaf led the country away from civil war and divisions. This legacy should be sustained

by Weah if his stance on “building a Liberia of equality, freedom, dignity, and respect for one another” is anything to go by.

Weah’s administration as President of Liberia should passionately combat corruption in the nation’s public service. The trap of leaning toward corruption and favouritism that had shadows on Sirleaf’s achievements should be avoided. As part of his campaign promises, Liberians expect Weah to adhere to his stance on corruption. In totality, I agree with his plans on ensuring that civil servants are paid

living wages to deter them from engaging in sharp practices. The echoes of his anti-corruption drive must resonate in every part of the country.

To actualise these significant dreams, George Weah must lead the country right and take it to greater heights over the next six years. Weah can only repay Liberians’ support for his quest to become president with good governance. Certainly, the challenges of pushing Liberia to new frontiers are daunting, but with a sense of purpose and will, Weah can work to draw fortunes to Africa’s oldest modern republic.

Notably, Weah’s first set of appointments a day after his inauguration indicated that he is aware of the tasks ahead. In the coming days, Weah should painstakingly form a government that reflects the yearnings of the good people of Liberia who wish to witness rapid socioeconomic advancements.

A new Liberia can be attained through purposedriven leadership and effective management of resources. It is imperative that the frontiers of the country are expanded. President Weah, score more goals!

––Afeez Odunoye, Lagos.

agencies (MDAs), state statistical agencies (SSAs) and local government councils (LGCs), who’s mission and vision is to generate, on a continuous and sustainable basis, socioeconomic statistics on all facets of development in Nigeria and to become one of the foremost and modern knowledge-based national statistical offices in Africa and indeed the world.

The internal organisation of the bureau is built on Statistics Act of 2007 which is the legal instrument established by the acts of parliament. The governing board of the bureau comprises of 15 members, which are six political members from each of the six geo-political zones of the country and nine institutional members.

This group includes a few ministers, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, group managing director of NNPC, Presidents Manufacturer Association of Nigeria and Nigeria Statistical Association and lastly Statistician General and Chief Executive of the NBS as the secretary.

It is undeniable the fact that the Ministry of Finance and that of Ministry of Planning and Budgeting among others would find the reports essential for economic planning. The NBS should therefore be encouraged and supported to be financially and administratively independent in discharging its statutory responsibilities.

–––Rahma Oladosu, Wuye District, Abuja.

BOARD DIVERSITY IN CORPORATE ORGANISATIONS

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edefining board diversity in terms of culture, gender and other indices has been a subject that has garnered a lot of attention in recent times. This is expected as the board of directors is the singular most important decision-making organ of any corporation, crucial to the performance and survival of the company.

Therefore, the composition of boards is the first step towards ensuring that companies (especially public companies) are thrust in the right direction in terms of management, shareholder and stakeholder value.

In the past, it was logical to have reputable, reliable and like-minded people serve on the board as such a constituted board, would have the confidence of the shareholders in their abilities and capacity to manage the company in their best interest.

However, globalisation and the complexity of business relationships have revealed the shortcomings of this board-building strategy and have brought to the fore, the need to broaden the composition of boards.

However diversity for its own sake falls short of both the need and the opportunity. An evolution is under way, and boards are now beginning to realise that it is the breadth of perspective, not the mere inclusion of various diverse traits, that benefits the organisation. Diversity (in terms of age, ethnicity, experience and gender) must now be defined not only in terms of the identity of the directors but more importantly, in the diverse perspectives that each director can bring to add value and impact on company performance.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in its Corporate Governance Code stipulated that the criteria for the selection of directors of public quoted companies in Nigeria should reflect the existing board’s strengths and weaknesses, required skill and experience, its current age range, and gender composition. This need for diversity has also been articulated in the provision for independent directors. Similarly, the UK Corporate Governance Code 2014 affirms that: one of the ways

in which constructive debate can be encouraged is through having sufficient diversity on the board.

This includes, but is not limited to gender and race. Diversity is as much about differences of approach and experience, and it is very important in ensuring effective engagement with key stakeholders and in order to deliver the business strategy.

It has been noted that for companies with more complex operations, board heterogeneity has a positive impact on performance.

This is in terms of age, experience as well as foreign representation particularly for companies with wide international network operations. Some research also shows that ethnic consideration on boards of directors would be beneficial to organisation in terms of gaining critical resources and where corporate governance is concerned, benefits at strategic level are positively related to diverse top management.

Another resonant issue is that of gender diversity in board composition. Whilst this advocacy has been somewhat biased in favour of women (usually because of the general propensity for the selection of men on boards), both genders should be represented on boards to reach a balance vis-à-vis the needs of the company.

Guidelines or a ‘comply or explain’ approach are important to ensure that the appointment of women (who are now playing catch-up to the men) on corporate boards does not amount to tokenism or ‘window dressing’ where women are not selected based on their experience, competence and integrity but merely to counteract gender imbalance.

It is important that all the indices of board diversity, including gender, is recognised and implemented by companies for their performance and value.

Interestingly, the narrative may very well be changing with the appointment of Mrs Ibukun Awosika as the Chairperson of the Board of First Bank of Nigeria Holdings Limited in 2015 as she became the first woman to hold such a position on the board of the country’s second largest lender.

–– Uzoezi Umukoro is a legal practitioner at Kenna Partners.

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T H I S D AY ˾ SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2018

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JANUARY 28, 2018

BUSINESS

Business Editor Vincent Obia Tel: 08054681757 Email: vincent.obia@thisdaylive.com

Crude Oil Projected to Trade within $60-$70/bbl Range in 2018 Brent crude rose to $71.12 per barrel Thursday Global refining throughput hit record 81.5 mb/d in 4Q17

LAST WEEK Oil OilpriceswerefirmonWednesday,receivingsupportfromhealthyeconomicgrowth and supply restrictions led by a group of producers around the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russia.SpotBrentcrudeoilfutures,the internationalbenchmarkforoilprices,were at 70 dollars a barrel at 0102 GMT, up 4 cents from their last close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were at 64.59 dollars a barrel, up 12 cents. In thelatestsignofhealthyglobaleconomic growth,Japanesemanufacturingactivity expanded at the fastest pace in almost fouryearsinJanuary,asurveyshowedon Wednesday.

Total A gigantic oil tanker arrived in Nigeria lastweekaspartofamulti-billiondollar projectthatshouldallowthecountrypump outanadditional200,000barrelsaday of crude (about 10 per cent of Nigeria’s oil production).The floating production storageandoffloadingvesselwasdocked inLagosafterspendingthreemonthsat sea,projectpartnerLADOLFreeZonesaid inastatementThursday.Thevesselispart of a $16 billion oil project developed by Frenchgiant,TotalontheEginafield,about 150kilometresoffshorefromtheoilhub of Port Harcourt.

Barrels of oil

Kunle Aderinokun

A monthly report of the International Energy Agency,

called the Oil Market Report, has said crude oil would trade within the range of $60 to $70 per barrel this year.

In its January edition of the OMR, IEA revealed that, a survey of forecasters conducted by Reuters showed that in the current year, the price of Brent Crude, which is the international benchmark, would range between $60 and $70 per barrel.

According to the agency, “If OPEC countries plus their nonOPEC supporters maintain compliance then the market is likely to balance for the year as a whole with the first half in a modest surplus and the second half in a modest deficit. This scenario, or something similar to it, presumably lies behind the assumption by forecasters surveyed by Reuters that Brent will trade in a $60-$70/ bbl range in 2018. Whether or not the recent price rise has run out of steam and seventy really is plenty remains to be seen.”

Crude oil prices last Thursday hit their highest since December 2014 with Brent futures settling at $71.12/bbl, which is above the three-year high of $70.37 reached on January 15, 2018. US West Texas Interme-

ENERGY

diate (WTI) crude oil futures climbed to $66.22/bbl in early trading, also the highest level since early December 2014.

Offering explanation on the rising oil prices, IEA pointed out that benchmark crude prices climbed to a three-year high in early January, owing to falling stocks, supply issues in the North Sea and Libya, and geopolitical tensions.

Specifically, the agency stated: “The price of Brent crude oil closed earlier this week (last week) above $70/ bbl for the first time since 2 December 2014 (shortly after OPEC’s “market share” ministerial meeting) and money managers have placed record bets on the recent upward momentum continuing.

The factors contributing to this burst of optimism by investors include; the possible unraveling of the Iran nuclear deal and recent demonstrations in the country, disruption to the industry in Libya, and the closure of the Forties pipeline system.”

“Although these factors might have faded somewhat, there are others at work. The general perception that the market has been tightening is clearly the overriding factor and, within this overall picture, there is mounting

concern about Venezuela’s production,” it added.

In fact, the IEA reported in the OMR that, “Global oil supply in December eased by 405 kb/d to 97.7 mb/d due mostly to lower North Sea and Venezuelan output.

Production was steady on a year ago as non-OPEC gains of nearly 1 mb/d offset declines in OPEC. According to the report, there was a plunge in Venezuelan supply cutting OPEC crude output to 32.23 mb/d in December, boosting compliance to 129 per cent.

Offering explanation on the rising oil prices, IEA pointed out that benchmark crude prices climbed to a threeyear high in early January, owing to falling stocks, supply issues in the North Sea and Libya, and geopolitical tensions

“Declines are accelerating in Venezuela, which posted the world’s biggest unplanned output fall in 2017.”

Nevertheless, the agency believed rapid US growth and gains in Canada and Brazil would drive up non-OPEC supply by 1.7 mb/d in 2018, versus last year’s 0.7 mb/d increase. “US crude supply will push past 10 mb/d, overtaking Saudi Arabia and rivalling Russia,” it pointed out.

On the demand side, IEA stated that demand estimates in 2017 and 2018 are roughly unchanged at 97.8 mb/d and 99.1 mb/d respectively. According to the OMR, “A 40 kb/d downward revision to 2016 demand, however, pushed up the 2017 growth to 1.6 mb/d, while our growth estimate for 2018 remains unchanged at 1.3 mb/d.”

The agency explained that, “The slowdown in 2018 demand growth is mainly due to the impact of higher oil prices, changing patterns of oil use in China, recent weakness in OECD demand and the switch to natural gas in several nonOECD countries.”

“Global crude oil markets saw an exceptionally tight 4Q17 as the large draw in OECD crude stocks coincided with a decline in Chinese implied crude balances. The combined draw is estimated at 1 mb/d,” it added However, the IEA’s OMR revealed that, global refining throughput hit a record in 4Q17 at 81.5 mb/d, instead of falling seasonally. “The US returned to pre-hurricane highs in December and China’s refiners ran at their highest ever quarterly level.

Margins suffered further from both product stock builds and the rally in crude oil prices,” it explained.

Unemployment The National Bureau of Statistics said outofatotalactivelabourforceof85.08 millionpeopleinNigeria,about16million were unemployed in the third quarter of 2017.This was contained in a report on Labour Force Statistics in the third quarterof2017publishedonthebureau’s website.Thereportsaidthecategoryof unemployedpersonscomprised8.5millionpeople“whoengagedinaneconomic activityforatleastanhour”and7.5million people ”who did absolutely nothing.”

NNPC Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Maikanti Baru, said agreements on potentialinvestorsfortheWarriRefining andPetrochemicalCompanyLimited,Port HarcourtRefiningCompanyLimited,and theKadunaRefiningandPetrochemical CompanyLimitedwerebeingfine-tuned.

Barustated,“Wearepushingtowardsthe final selection of our financiers and we expect that when that is done, we’ll get theagreementsandpresentthemtoour board meeting this month to secure its endorsement; and once we have the funding, we will start the rehabilitation of the refineries towards a 90 per cent capacityutilisationperstreamdaybefore the end of 2019.”

CBN President Muhammadu Buhari tapped Mr.EdwardLametekAdamuasthenew deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to replace Mr. Suleiman Barau who retired last month. Adamu, who was once the Director in charge of the Strategy Management Department of theCBN,iscurrentlytheDirectorofHuman Resourceswiththebank,apositionhehas heldsince2016.However,hisnomination would be subject to the approval of the Senate.Adamu,whois57yearsold,hails from Kaltungo Local Government Area in Gombe State. He holds a Quantity SurveyingdegreefromtheAhmaduBello University, Zaria, and is a Fellow of the NigerianInstituteofQuantitySurveyors.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JANUARY 28, 2018

BUSINESS/CAPITAL MARKET

Nigerian Bourse Loses over N550 Billion in One Week as Profit Taking Intensifies Bamidele Famoofo reports that the activities of speculative investors in the equities segment of the Nigerian Stock Exchange have led to loss of over half a trillion naira in market capitalisation in the last one week

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arket capitalisation as at the end of trading session on Thursday, January 25 stood at N15.60 trillion.

Market capitalisation dropped from a rally of N16.15 trillion on Friday, January 19, as All Share index (ALSI) came down to 43,529.06 points on Thursday, from 45,092.83 points on Friday the previous week.

As at Thursday, according to a report from Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Limited, year- todate return on investment for investors on the Nigerian bourse remained positive at 14.96 per cent. The Nigerian bourse, which ranked as the third best performing stock market in the world in 2017, offered investors a 42 per cent return in the NSE ASI index.

Excellent Performance Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr. Oscar Onyema, in his review of the sterling performance of the market in 2017, said the market, which witnessed a three-year downturn preceding 2017, recovered from the macroeconomic overhang of the commodity down-cycle to become the third best performing market in 2017, globally, with a 42 per cent return in the NSE ASI index. He attributed this performance, in part, to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s monetary policies that resulted in increased liquidity in the foreign exchange market.

According to Onyema, the equity market activity skyrocketed from 2016 levels, as market turnover increased by 121 per cent to N1.27 trillion from N0.58 trillion. He said,“IPO activity in the year remained mute. However, there were several other positive indicators, including the revival of supplementary listings and the return of new issuances. The value of supplementary listings increased by 27 per cent, bringing the total value of equity issues in 2017 to N408 billion.”

Downturn “As the Nigerian bourse continued its losing streak Thursday, last week, with further profit taking activities, the ASI lost 96 basis points; and is up 14.96 per cent year-to-date,” analysts at Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers noted.

Further explaining the activities responsible for the slide on Thursday, Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Limited added,“We saw profit taking continue today in the market, especially in the banking sector, which was down -3.12 per cent on the day. We saw names, including FCMB, SKYEBANK and FIDELITY, trade on offer with significant volumes on the offer. We saw some volatility in other names, including GTB and ZENITH as well. We are seeing buyers take advantage of the weakness following the recent rally combined with profit taking activities. In the consumer sector, we are still seeing interest in the likes of NB as it spiked up +2.06 per cent. We expect today’s trend to continue tomorrow (Friday, January 26, 2018).”

Analysts Managing Director of Afrinvest Securities Limited, Ayodeji Ebo, said the current trend in the market was expected, as investors were always poised to take profit after any strong rally, as was experienced in the Nigerian bourse in the first two weeks of January 2018.

According to Ebo, performance of the Nigerian stock market, which was largely due to renewed interest by foreign and domestic investors following stability in macroeconomic fundamentals, will remain upbeat in 2018. He disclosed that Afrinvest held that the Nigerian bourse would deliver a return of at least 32.7 per cent in 2018, which he described as a Bull case; which Base case was put at 19.8 per cent for 2018 and 7.7 per cent for Bear case.

Nigerian Stock Exchange building, Lagos

“Nigerian market traded at a premium to frontier market peers in the last bull market (2013) but currently trades at a discount,” he added.

However, the 2018 performance projection for 2018 by Afrinvest is largely dependent on three key factors, which are earnings fundamentals of corporate, stability in the FX market and other macro indicators, as well as portfolio flow dynamics .

Head of Research at SCM Capital, formerly Sterling Capital Market Limited, Mr. Sewa Wusu, believes earnings will be sustained given recent events and favourable economic indicators in the biggest economy in Africa. He attributed the recent rally in the equities market in Nigeria to market sentiments. His words,“The present profit taking in the market is expected as the rally in the first few weeks in January was huge and it is normal for investors to offload at a point to take profit.”

Wusu said both the Tier One and Tier TWO Banks are being speculated on by investors as they prepare to announce their financial year ended 2017 earnings.“Investors look forward to getting dividend from these banks towards the end of the first quarter in 2018,” he disclosed.

In a recent market review, Cordros Asset Management Limited said the possibility of continued profit taking remained high, but stressed, “Our theme on the market remains positive, on the back of favourable macro-economic conditions.”

Analysts at Cordros Research added,“Despite profit taking in today’s session, we believe that still-positive market fundamentals and improving macroeconomic conditions suggest legroom for further gains.”

The current trend in the market was expected, as investors were always poised to take profit after any strong rally, as was experienced in the Nigerian bourse in the first two weeks of January 2018

Meanwhile on Thursday, MAYBAKER (+4.95%) topped the gainers chart while FCMB (-9.71%) topped the laggards table. Transcorp led the volume chart with 91.04 million while GTB led the value charts with N1.61 billion. A total of 11 stocks gained points while 44 stocks lost points.

Sector Update The NSE Banking Index lost 312 basis points on Thursday as profit taking continued. FCMB (-9.71%), DIAMOND (-9.60%), FIDELITYBANK (-9.52%), STERLINGBANK (-9.35%) and SKYEBANK (-9.03%) were among the top losers.

The NSE Consumer Goods Index gained 47bps.

NB (+2.06%) and PZ (+1.23%) were gainers,

while CADBURY (-6.13%), Honeywell Flourmills (-4.90%) and CHAMPION (-4.84%) were losers in the sector.

The NSE Oil and Gas Index was down 7 basis points on the review day. The NSE Industrial index gained 48 basis points on the review day as WAPCO (+1.00%) gained points.

Notwithstanding the slide in ALSI at the moment, Onyema, like many stock market analysts and researchers, maintains that the outlook for the Nigerian capital market in 2018 is encouraging, despite election period lurking around the corner.

“Indeed, to some extent, political activities and currency movements will have some effect on the market, but we expect that such impacts will be short lived and the performance of the underlying business activities will ultimately determine market performance,”Onyema stated.

On its part, the NSE is on track to become a more agile and flexible demutualised securities exchange. Onyema said, “We are hopeful that the Demutualisation Bill will be signed into law in 2018, and are working assiduously with our advisers to fine-tune outstanding aspects of the demutualisation project as well as providing clarity and transparency on the process via regular engagement with all our valued stakeholders.

“In 2018, NSE will launch Exchange Traded Derivative instruments and continue to engage with the government on privatisation and listing of state owned enterprises in collaboration with the private sector. We also plan to maintain our role as an advocate for the adoption and implementation of market friendly policies.”

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JANUARY 28, 2018

BUSINESS/AGRICULTURE

Sokoto: Towards Long-term Solution to Farmers-Herdsmen Clash With the debate over the future of cattle rearing on the front burner in Nigeria owing to bloody clashes between nomadic herders and sedentary crop farmers, Sokoto State is implementing a long-term solution to the problem. Vincent Obia reports

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okoto State Government is on the verge of unveiling a cattle breeding programme, which it hopes will not only generate revenue and employment for the state, but also signal a final solution to the farmers-herdsmen crisis that has cost Nigeria many lives and exacerbated tension along the country’s fault lines. The Commissioner for Animal Health and Fisheries Development, Alhaji Tukur Alkali, said the Sokoto State Cattle Breeding Project, the largest of its kind in the West African sub-region, will be inaugurated in May. Speaking recently at the project sites in Sokoto and Rabah local government areas of the state, Alkali said the project would improve the genetics of local cattle breeds and ensure higher quality and quantity of milk and beef production. It would also empower farmers with modern methods of livestock farming.

Alkali stated,“The government has spent N2.8 billion on the project, which was inherited from the immediate past administration of Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko. Of the amount, N1.5 billion was spent on the supply of Argentinean cattle to be used for cross-breeding, construction, training of personnel, security and other logistics, while another N1.3 billion was for the procurement of equipment for the project.

“The project is the most definite long-term strategy to end farmers-herdsmen clashes as is being experienced across the federation, and in some neighbouring West African countries. We hope to not only empower our farmers, but also impart new/modern knowledge of mechanised farming and cattle breeding techniques.

“About 13 cluster farms would be established to be run by private entities. All the cattle breeds will graze in these fields. We will also provide research centre and laboratory, veterinary services among others.”

The cattle breeding project was birthed in 2010, when the Sokoto State government signed a N2 billion contract with an Argentine firm, South American Breeding Technologies for the establishment of a cattle breeding, milk and beef production factory. Based on the agreement, SABT will train and bring revolutionary changes in agriculture, genetic procedure, meat processing, and milking machines.

Transformation Experts have long advocated transformation from nomadic pastoralism to settled forms of animal husbandry. This is given the increasingly chaotic nature of the nomadic lifestyle, which has involved bloody clashes between farming communities and herders, and cattle rustling. In recent times, there have also been countless other criminalities associated with nomadic pastoralism, including kidnapping, murder, armed robbery, and terrorism by bands operating under the cover of cattle rearing.

Many in Nigeria, including the federal government and various state governments, have proposed ranching as a lasting solution to the frequent clashes between herdsmen and farmers. Minister of State for Agriculture, Heineken Lokpobiri, reiterated the suggestion at a one-day public hearing on a motion,“Tackling the perennial conflicts between farmers and cattle herdsmen,” on May 10, 2016. The hearing was organised by the Senate Committees on Agriculture, National Security and Intelligence.

Lokpobiri, who represented the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbe, said nomadic cattle rearing had become obsolete and ranches had become necessary to provide adequate food for the cattle and forestall preventable clashes. He said with ranching, the livestock would be healthier and more productive, while the herdsmen would be able to give their children opportunity for education and a brighter future.

According to the minister,“Global warming, desertification and Boko Haram insurgency are

A laboratory in the cattle breeding and milk production plant

some of the factors that forced the herdsmen out of the North down to the South to find grasses for their cows. The problem happened in America many years ago and they resorted to ranches as a solution.

“The nomadic nature of cattle rearing in Nigeria makes the cattle less productive. In other countries, the cows do not move; they are kept in ranches and so they are very productive.

“So, we have to give a new orientation to herdsmen for improved productivity. They used to argue that nomadic cattle rearing is a tradition, but we have to ask, as a tradition, is it profitable to the rearers; is it sustainable in the modern realities? Traditions do change based on realities on ground.”

Governor Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State emphasised recently that the herdsmen needed help to change their old lifestyle and pastoral practices, which they have practised for centuries. Bagudu lamented that killings and other criminalities associated with the itinerant animal breeding practice had led to the labelling of Fulani herdsmen as criminals and troublemakers.

“Not all Fulani herdsmen are criminals,”Bagudu said on January 16.“These killings have nothing to do with religion. It is just about lifestyle that needs to be change.”

He added,“These pastorals are those people that are moving their animals around. The societal pressure and environmental changes have made this pastoral practice difficult.

“These people are risking their lives. It is high time their lifestyle is changed, whether in Kebbi or in Benue State. I think it is now up to all of us to help them. It is high time we helped them so that they can begin to enhance their lives, send their children to schools and be agents of economic change.”

While presenting the state’s 2018 budget to the House of Assembly on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi, Bagudu said the state government was planning to establish 1,000 pastoralists’ settlements

as part of measures to curtail the recurring clash between farmers and herdsmen. He said the settlements would be equipped with water, animal feed, and other amenities.

Sokoto to the Rescue The Sokoto State Cattle Breeding Project is a milestone in the efforts to facilitate the transition from nomadic pastoralism to settled modern animal breeding. The cattle breeding and milk production project provides opportunity for practising a more limited form of pastoralism and is, therefore, a pathway towards a more settled form of animal husbandry.

According to the spokesman of Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, Malam Imam Imam,“This project is one of the largest we are undertaking. It was conceived by the immediate past administration of Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko but the Tambuwal administration decided to fund it to completion considering its importance, not just to the socio-economic well-being of the state, but because we believe it offers the most definite answer to the farmers-herdsmen clashes bedevilling the entire federation.

“The entire project will work on improving the genetic mix, health and productivity of our local herds. This will ultimately lead to higher milk and beef production while at the same time empowering farmers with modern technique of livestock production.”

Imam said, “This project will encourage sequencing of animal genomes to improve health, adaptability, and production. It will also improve adaptability of animals to climate change and disease; while at the same time improving livestock breeds to allow greater feed efficiency and other desirable traits. And because the project includes a research centre and laboratory, we intend to make maximum use of DNA-based technology to predict genetic merit for traits such as feed efficiency.

“Other components of the project include veterinary services and 13 cluster farms of

about 20,000 hectares where the cattle breeds will graze. In essence, this is a system of animal husbandry accompanied with requisite investment in infrastructure, training, extension, marketing and animal health service delivery in conjunction with the private sector.”

Productivity Projects like the Sokoto State cattle project hold enormous potential for increasing the productivity of livestock farmers. Besides unreliable meat quality, cows raised in Nigeria are said to be among the worst milk producers in the world. Experts say while an average cow in the country produces less than one litre of milk per day, in many countries where modern animal husbandry techniques are employed, a cow can produce up to 100 litres of milk per day. An average cow in Holland, for instance, is said to produce about 50 litres of milk per day, while in the United States and other advanced countries, milk production per cow in a day is said to be more than 100 litres.

The practice of moving cows from place to place is believed to be a major cause of the poor meat and milk production in Nigeria. Useful body nutrients in the animals are unnecessarily wasted in a strenuous physical effort to herd them over vast distances.

Besides, the settled forms of animal husbandry would trigger the development of robust value chains around the livestock farms. Beef, hides and skins, and cheese production, as well as marketing and after-sales services are some of the economic activities that can be activated around the cattle breeding business when it is conducted in one place, rather than going from place to place with the animals.

Sokoto State has started a cattle breeding project with great potential for economic regeneration, peace building, and ecological improvement. But the government needs to enlighten the herders and other relevant stakeholders and wean them to its new settled style of animal husbandry.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JANUARY 28, 2018

INTERVIEW

Elamah: VAIDS Will Uncover Hidden Assets, Incomes In a bid to capture more people in the tax net, increase tax compliance and raise Nigeria’s tax-to-GDP ratio, considered among the lowest globally, the federal government last year launched the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS). In this interview, the Executive Secretary of the Joint Tax Board (JTB), Mr. Oseni Elamah, says the scheme is poised to radically change the nation’s tax system. Ndubuisi Francis provides the excerpts

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he Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) was introduced by the Federal Ministry of Finance last July to address the nation’s tax anomalies. Do you see this being done effectively?

VAIDS was initiated by the Honourable Minister of Finance. It’s a federal government project. As you can see, it was formally launched by the then acting president (Vice President), Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and this is in line with the various provisions in the tax law. What it has only done is to ensure that it is more inclusive, and create ease of compliance with a lot of Nigerians.

It has also helped to sensitise people, to enlighten them so that they know their rights under the law and take full advantage of it. I think it’s something that is very laudable and effective which will help to create a more tax-friendly environment.

What classes of taxes are under VAIDS? All taxes, whether they are corporate taxes or individual taxes; all taxes that are provided for under the law. As you are aware, you can’t raise taxes without the instrumentality of the law. Every tax you see is a creation of provisions of the law, and what differs is who collects what. The Federal Inland Revenue Service collects taxes relating to education tax, technology development levy, etc.

The state collects personal income tax , consumption tax. Local government also collects some form of taxes for birth registration, markets, motor parks.

What are the specific benefits of the scheme to the federal and state governments?

The specific benefit is that it will enable all tiers of government to bring more people into the tax net, and ensure that all incomes that are subject to the tax are brought to their net and taxed and enhance revenue of the various tiers of government. Most importantly, it also creates a kind of social contract between the government and the citizens because if they tax your income, you are demonstrating that you are a responsible citizen and there are certain basic social benefits that you are expecting government to provide such as security, good road, health, generally good governance to ensure that there’s welfare of the citizens and people can pursue their God-given talent and generate much income and give what is due to government.

How can hidden incomes/assets in Nigeria and abroad as well as those belonging to self-employed Nigerians be discovered, given the paucity of taxpayer data and general unreliability of data in Nigeria?

We are in an age of technology and ICT actually is an enabler of tax but it’s very critical that for you to be able to bring people under the tax assessment, you must have a reliable database that you can trust the integrity of information that you get from it. If you do not have a reliable database, you can’t even assimilate the major fraud in other platforms, let alone using those information to bring people to tax. So what is very critical is the responsibility that is saddled under the tax identification number, to ensure that there’s universality of information that is available to all tax authorities. Somebody moves from Lagos to Sokoto, the person is identified through the system and eliminate the incidence of double or multiple taxation. So it’s very critical and we are doing all that is possible for us to have that platform put in place. In that platform, you can exchange information with various other platforms and interrogate information from those platforms to get additional information. We have various tax treaties with other countries and we share information with the aid of technology and using the tax identification number, you can also trace the access on income of Nigerians worldwide.

How has the level of compliance been?

The scheme came into being in July. It’s supposed to end 31st of March. We are still collating information as to who are those that are taking advantage of this scheme. Just yesterday in Lagos when we were leaving the Federal Inland Revenue Service retreat, we had requested the state to give us feedback because we normally collate returns from those states and I believe that by the end of this week, the returns will be in but the feedback we are getting (we want them to be backed by statistics), are also quite encouraging because what that has done is that it has created a window of

Elamah opportunity for people to be able to come forward voluntarily and truly declare their income and save themselves the hassles of penalties and interests, and in most cases, criminal prosecution can come up for tax evasion. So we will be in a position to give you some statistics to back up the level of compliance under this scheme.

Not a few people believe that VAIDS was conceived as a tool of political witch hunt. Is the belief without basis, given the country’s history of deploying state institutions against political opponents?

The taxman is not a political agent. The taxman, by provisions of the law, have access to so many information and it’s a profession, so the professional ethics also brings all levels of discipline on how you manage the information that are at your disposal. I think the perception has been because of the way the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme was initiated and then flagged off because it needed an executive order, to say let us create this window and have in the various authorities that have the power under the law to waive some potion of taxes to key into it. We are looking at previous non-compliance with the law, because once you are afraid not to comply with the law, it amounts that you have evaded tax which is a criminal issue. We want to have an all-inclusive governance and using tax let people take this opportunity, so that we can begin to get citizens to take ownership of the tax administration system. It doesn’t matter which government is in or out. If you check the provisions of the law, the tax man can carry out the tax investigation backward six years without the person who was there at that time. But what this scheme is doing is that previously you have evaded taxes, we carry out the assessment but we will not apply the sanctions that would have been applicable because you evaded tax. We remove the issue of penalties, interest and not press criminal charges against you for tax evasion. So I think people should take advantage of it, it’s

not a new law, it’s riding under the provision of the various tax laws where this kind of windows are available. But again we are doing it in a holistic manner at various levels of government so let us key into this scheme and see how we can use that to bring more people into the tax net.

How much cooperation is coming from members of the Joint Tax Board, of which you are the Executive Secretary, and what are the specifics of this cooperation?

The scheme says any person that comes under this declaration there’s no sanction. These laws are already there, if you don’t declare, the normal tax law provision apply. I think that is just the normal perception, the rich are the most powerful but come to think of it we are about 180 million people in Nigeria, today both corporate and individual that pay taxes that we have in our record is just about 14 million, the bank verification exercise revealed that individual account holders of over 30.5 million have accounts which means that they are economically active and viable to have money to put in account. The National Identity Management Company’s database shows about 22 million Nigerians. So, you find out that those who pay taxes are just few out of the entire working population. Today, about 62 million Nigerians are gainfully employed in one form or another but all you see are only those that are in formal sectors. So I don’t know of any Nigerian that has been above the law and has not been brought to book. If there are, I think the members of the noble profession, the press, should sensitise it. The difficulty we have always had is that we do not have clear way of identifying who should be paying what taxes. What we are only telling the members of the public is that the taxman knows you beyond you know yourself now. We have this information but we just want you to take advantage of this window. After 31st of March, 2018, we begin to serve some love letters. So those hidden assets and income you hid somewhere, we will bring them out.

T H I S D AY ˾ SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2018

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JANUARY 28, 2018

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ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ĂŶĚ &ŝŶĂŶĐŝĂů DĂƌŬĞƚ KƵƚůŽŽŬ ϮϬϭϴ͗ dŚĞ sŝƌƚƵŽƵƐ LJĐůĞ͘​͘​͘ ŐĂŝŶ͊

dŚĞ ŐůŽďĂů ĞĐŽŶŽŵLJ ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞĚ ƚŽ ƌĞĐŽƌĚ ƐLJŶĐŚƌŽŶŝƐĞĚ ĞdžƉĂŶƐŝŽŶ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ƌĞŐŝŽŶƐ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϳ͘ dŚŝƐ ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚĞĚ ďLJ ƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĞĚ ŵŽŵĞŶƚƵŵ ŝŶ ĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ ĐŽŶŽŵŝĞƐ ; ƐͿ͕ ďƌŽƵŐŚƚ ĂďŽƵƚ ďLJ ĨĂǀŽƵƌĂďůĞ ĮŶĂŶĐŝĂů ĐŽŶĚŝƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ĐLJĐůŝĐĂů ƌĞĐŽǀĞƌLJ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƵƌŽ ƌĞĂ͕ ƌĞƐŝůŝĞŶƚ ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ŝŶ ŚŝŶĂ ĂŶĚ ƌĞďŽƵŶĚ ŝŶ ĨƌŽŶƟĞƌ ŵĂƌŬĞƚƐ ƉƌŽƉƉĞĚ ďLJ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞ ŝŶ ĐŽŵŵŽĚŝƚLJ ƉƌŝĐĞƐ͘ dŚĞ ƐƚƌŽŶŐ ĂŶĚ ƐLJŶĐŚƌŽŶŝƐĞĚ ŐůŽďĂů ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ƵƉƐǁŝŶŐ ŝƐ ĞdžƉĞĐƚĞĚ ƚŽ ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞ ŝŶƚŽ ϮϬϭϴ͕ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ /D& ƌĞǀŝƐŝŶŐ ϮϬϭϴ ĨŽƌĞĐĂƐƚ ƵƉǁĂƌĚ ďLJ Ϭ͘ϭй ƚŽ ϯ͘ϳй ŝŶ KĐƚŽďĞƌ ϮϬϭϳ ĂŶĚ Ϭ͘Ϯй ƚŽ ϯ͘ϵй ŝŶ :ĂŶƵĂƌLJ ϮϬϭϴ͘ EĞǀĞƌƚŚĞůĞƐƐ͕ ǁŚŝůĞ ŶĞĂƌ ƚĞƌŵ ŐůŽďĂů ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ƉƌŽƐƉĞĐƚƐ ƌĞŵĂŝŶƐ ďƌŽĂĚůLJ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ͕ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐŝŶŐ ŐĞŽ'ƉŽůŝƟĐĂů ƌŝƐŬ͕ ƚƌĂĚĞ ƉƌŽƚĞĐƟŽŶŝƐŵ ĂŶĚ ƉŽůŝĐLJ ŶŽƌŵĂůŝnjĂƟŽŶ ďLJ ƐLJƐƚĞŵŝĐ ĐĞŶƚƌĂů ďĂŶŬƐ ĂƌĞ ĚŽǁŶƐŝĚĞ ƌŝƐŬƐ ƚŽ ĨŽƌĞĐĂƐƚƐ͘

>ŝŬĞǁŝƐĞ͕ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ŵŽǀĞ ƚŽǁĂƌĚƐ ŶŽƌŵĂůŝnjĂƟŽŶ ƐƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶƐ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϴ͕ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚĞĚ ďLJ ĨĂǀŽƵƌĂďůĞ ůĂďŽƵƌ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐŽŶĚŝƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ŵŽŵĞŶƚƵŵ ŝŶ ŐůŽďĂů ŐƌŽǁƚŚ͕ ƐLJƐƚĞŵŝĐ ĐĞŶƚƌĂů ďĂŶŬƐ ŝŶ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚƐ ǁŽƵůĚ ďĞ ŵŽƌĞ ǁŝůůŝŶŐ ƚŽ ďĞŐŝŶ ŵŽŶĞƚĂƌLJ ƉŽůŝĐLJ ƟŐŚƚĞŶŝŶŐ ĚĞƐƉŝƚĞ ƐƟĐŬLJ ŝŶŇĂƟŽŶ͘ Ɛ ĐĞŶƚƌĂů ďĂŶŬƐ ŐƌĂĚƵĂůůLJ ŶŽƌŵĂůŝnjĞ ŵŽŶĞƚĂƌLJ ƉŽůŝĐLJ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ĞdžƚƌĂŽƌĚŝŶĂƌLJ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞƐ ƚĂŬĞŶ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ƉĞĂŬ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŐůŽďĂů ĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ĂŶĚ ĮŶĂŶĐŝĂů ĐƌŝƐŝƐ͕ ĂƐƐŽĐŝĂƚĞĚ ĚŽǁŶƐŝĚĞ ƌŝƐŬƐ ŽĨ ƟŐŚƚĞŶŝŶŐ ŐůŽďĂů ůŝƋƵŝĚŝƚLJ ĂŶĚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂů ŇŽǁ ƌĞǀĞƌƐĂůƐ ĨƌŽŵ ĞŵĞƌŐŝŶŐ Θ ĨƌŽŶƟĞƌ ŵĂƌŬĞƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĐƵƌƌĞŶĐLJ ǀŽůĂƟůŝƚLJ ǁŝůů ďĞĐŽŵĞ ŵŽƌĞ ƉƌŽŵŝŶĞŶƚ ŚĞĂĚǁŝŶĚƐ ƚŽ ŶĞĂƌ ƚĞƌŵ ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ĂŶĚ ĮŶĂŶĐŝĂů ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƐƚĂďŝůŝƚLJ͘

ŽŵĞƐƟĐ DĂĐƌŽĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ,ŝŐŚůŝŐŚƚƐ dŚĞ LJĞĂƌ ϮϬϭϳ͕ ŝŶ ŵĂŶLJ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƚƐ͕ ǁĂƐ Ă LJĞĂƌ ŽĨ ƌĞĐŽǀĞƌLJ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ EŝŐĞƌŝĂŶ ĞĐŽŶŽŵLJ ĂŶĚ ĮŶĂŶĐŝĂů ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐŽŵƉĂƌĞĚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ƐŚĂƌƉ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ĐLJĐůĞ ĐŽŶƚƌĂĐƟŽŶ ǁŝƚŶĞƐƐĞĚ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϲ ĂůŽŶŐƐŝĚĞ ǁĞĂŬ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƌĞƚƵƌŶƐ͘ ŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƵƉƚƵƌŶ ŝŶ ĐŽŵŵŽĚŝƚLJ ƉƌŝĐĞƐ͕ ĐĞƐƐĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ĂƩĂĐŬƐ ŽŶ Žŝů Θ ŐĂƐ ŝŶĨƌĂƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ EŝŐĞƌ ĞůƚĂ ƌĞŐŝŽŶ ;ǁŚŝĐŚ ŚĂĚ Ă ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ŬŶŽĐŬ'ŽŶ ŝŵƉĂĐƚ ŽŶ ĚŽŵĞƐƟĐ ĐƌƵĚĞ Žŝů ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ǀŽůƵŵĞͿ ĂŶĚ ĂĚŽƉƟŽŶ ŽĨ ƉƌŽ' ŵĂƌŬĞƚ &y ƌĞĨŽƌŵƐ ďLJ ƚŚĞ ĞŶƚƌĂů ĂŶŬ ŽĨ EŝŐĞƌŝĂ ; EͿ͕ ĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ƌĞďŽƵŶĚĞĚ ǁŚŝůĞ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ ĐŽŶĮĚĞŶĐĞ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚƐ ƐƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶĞĚ͘

dŚĞ EŝŐĞƌŝĂŶ ĞĐŽŶŽŵLJ ƌĞƚƵƌŶĞĚ ƚŽ ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ŝŶ YϮ͗ϮϬϭϳ͕ ĞdžŝƟŶŐ Ă ϰ'YƵĂƌƚĞƌ ůŽŶŐ ƌĞĐĞƐƐŝŽŶ ' ŝƚƐ ĮƌƐƚ ŝŶ Ϯϱ LJĞĂƌƐ ʹ ǁŚŝĐŚ ůĂƐƚĞĚ ďĞƚǁĞĞŶ YϮ͗ϮϬϭϲ ĂŶĚ Yϭ͗ϮϬϭϳ͘ WƌŽƉƉĞĚ ďLJ ŚŝŐŚĞƌ Žŝů ĞdžƉŽƌƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĂĚŵŝŶŝƐƚƌĂƟǀĞ ŇĞdžŝďŝůŝƚLJ ŝŶ &y ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ͕ ƌĞŇĞĐƚĞĚ ŝŶ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ E &y /ŶƚĞƌǀĞŶƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ŽƉĞŶŝŶŐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ͛ ĂŶĚ džƉŽƌƚĞƌƐ͛ ;/Θ Ϳ &y tŝŶĚŽǁ ŝŶ Ɖƌŝů ϮϬϭϳ͕ ĞdžƚĞƌŶĂů ƐĞĐƚŽƌ ŝŶĚŝĐĂƚŽƌƐ ĂůƐŽ ƚƵƌŶĞĚ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ƵƌƌĞŶƚ ĐĐŽƵŶƚ ^ƵƌƉůƵƐ ũƵŵƉŝŶŐ ŶĞĂƌůLJ ĨŽƵƌ ƟŵĞƐ ĨƌŽŵ h^ΨϮ͘ϱďŶ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϲ ƚŽ h^Ψϵ͘ϱďŶ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϳ ǁŚŝůĞ ĐƵŵƵůĂƟǀĞ ĂƉŝƚĂů /ŵƉŽƌƚĂƟŽŶ ĂƐ ŽĨ ϵD͗ϮϬϭϳ ƌŽƐĞ ϵϭ͘ϱй z'Ž'z ƚŽ Ă Ϯ'LJĞĂƌ ŚŝŐŚ ŽĨ h^Ψϲ͘ϴďŶ͘ dŚĞ ĨĂǀŽƵƌĂďůĞ ĂůĂŶĐĞ ŽĨ WĂLJŵĞŶƚ ĚLJŶĂŵŝĐƐ ůĞĚ ƚŽ ĂĐĐƵŵƵůĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ džƚĞƌŶĂů ZĞƐĞƌǀĞƐ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĐůŝŵďĞĚ ƚŽ Ă ϯ'LJĞĂƌ ŚŝŐŚ ŽĨ h^Ψϯϴ͘ϳďŶ ;ϮϵͬϭϮͬϮϬϭϳͿ ĂŶĚ ƐƚĂďŝůŝnjĞĚ ƚŚĞ EĂŝƌĂ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ŽĸĐŝĂů ǁŝŶĚŽǁ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ĐŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƟĂů ŝŵƉĂĐƚ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƉĂƌĂůůĞů ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ǁŚŝĐŚ ŐĂŝŶĞĚ ϯϱ͘Ϭй z'Ž'z ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ ƚŚĞ ŐƌĞĞŶďĂĐŬ ƚŽ ĐůŽƐĞ Ăƚ Eϯϲϯ͘ϬϬͬ h^Ψϭ͘ϬϬ ďLJ LJĞĂƌĞŶĚ͘ ^ƵƉƉŽƌƚĞĚ ďLJ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ƉƌŽƐƉĞĐƚƐ ĂŶĚ &y ůŝƋƵŝĚŝƚLJ͕ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ͕ ŐĂƵŐĞĚ ďLJ ƚŚĞ E͛Ɛ DĂŶƵĨĂĐƚƵƌŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ EŽŶ'DĂŶƵĨĂĐƚƵƌŝŶŐ WƵƌĐŚĂƐŝŶŐ DĂŶĂŐĞƌƐ͛ /ŶĚŝĐĞƐ ;WD/Ϳ͕ ŝŶĚŝĐĂƚĞĚ ĞdžƉĂŶƐŝŽŶ ŝŶ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ĨƌŽŵ Ɖƌŝů ϮϬϭϳ Ɵůů ĚĂƚĞ͘ ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ ŽŶĮĚĞŶĐĞ ŚĂƐ ĂůƐŽ ďĞĞŶ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƌŝƐĞ͕ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ EK/ ;EŐŽnjŝ KŬŽŶũŽ /ǁĞĂůĂͿ WŽůůƐ ƐƵƌǀĞLJ ƐŚŽǁŝŶŐ Ă ϰ͘ϴ ƉŽŝŶƚ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞ ŝŶ ŝƚƐ ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ ŽŶĮĚĞŶĐĞ /ŶĚĞdž ĨƌŽŵ ϲϮ͘ϳ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ ŝŶ Yϭ͗ϮϬϭϳ ƚŽ ϲϳ͘ϱ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ ŝŶ Yϯ͗ϮϬϭϳ͘

ůƚŚŽƵŐŚ ƉƌŝĐĞ ůĞǀĞů ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ĚŝƐĂƉƉŽŝŶƚĞĚ ĨŽƌ ŵƵĐŚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ LJĞĂƌ͕ ƉĞƌƐŝƐƚĞŶƚůLJ ĨĂůůŝŶŐ ďĞůŽǁ ŶĂůLJƐƚƐ͛ ĞƐƟŵĂƚĞƐ͕ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƉƌĞƐƐƵƌĞ ŽŶ ĨŽŽĚ

ƉƌŝĐĞƐ͕ z'Ž'z ,ĞĂĚůŝŶĞ /ŶŇĂƟŽŶ ŵŽĚĞƌĂƚĞĚ ϯ͘ϮƉƉƚƐ ƚŽ ϭϱ͘ϰй ŝŶ ĞĐĞŵďĞƌ ϮϬϭϳ ǁŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ ŽƌĞ /ŶŇĂƟŽŶ ĨĞůů ϲ͘ϬƉƉƚƐ ǁŝƚŚŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƐĂŵĞ ƉĞƌŝŽĚ ƚŽ ϭϮ͘ϭй͘ >ĂďŽƵƌ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƐůĂĐŬ ǁĂƐ ƚŚĞ ŽŶůLJ ďůŽƚ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƐƚƌŽŶŐ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞŵĞŶƚ ŝŶ ĐŽƌĞ ŵĂĐƌŽ ǀĂƌŝĂďůĞƐ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ĞĐŽŶŽŵLJ ƐƚƌƵŐŐůĞĚ ƚŽ ĐƌĞĂƚĞ ũŽďƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ĞdžƉĂŶĚŝŶŐ ůĂďŽƵƌ ĨŽƌĐĞ͕ ĨŽƌĐŝŶŐ hŶĞŵƉůŽLJŵĞŶƚ ĂŶĚ hŶĚĞƌĞŵƉůŽLJŵĞŶƚ ƌĂƚĞƐ ƚŽ ƌŝƐĞ ϰ͘ϲƉƉƚƐ ĂŶĚ Ϭ͘ϮƉƉƚƐ ƚŽ ϭϴ͘ϴй ĂŶĚ Ϯϭ͘Ϯй ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ŝŶ Yϯ͗ϮϬϭϳ͘ KŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƐƚƌŽŶŐ Žŝů ƉƌŝĐĞ ƚĂŝůǁŝŶĚ͕ ŽƵƌ ŶĞĂƌ ƚĞƌŵ ƉƌŽŐŶŽƐĞƐ ĨŽƌ ŵĂĐƌŽĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ŝŶĚŝĐĂƚŽƌƐ ĂƌĞ ďƌŽĂĚůLJ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ĂƐ ǁĞ ĞdžƉĞĐƚ ƚŚĞ ĞĐŽŶŽŵLJ ƚŽ ĐŽŶƐŽůŝĚĂƚĞ ŽŶ ƌĞĐĞŶƚ ƌĞĐŽǀĞƌLJ͘

hŶůŝŬĞ ϮϬϭϲ ǁŚĞŶ ƚŚĞ ƐƉŝŬĞ ŝŶ ĨŽŽĚ ƉƌŝĐĞƐ ƉƌĞƐƐƵƌĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ WƌŝĐĞ /ŶĚĞdž ; W/Ϳ͕ ƚŚĞ ŵĂũŽƌ ƌŝƐŬ'ĨĂĐƚŽƌ ĨŽƌ ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ WƌŝĐĞƐ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϴ ǁŝůů ďĞ ĐŽŵŝŶŐ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ŽƌĞ /ŶĚĞdž ǁŚĞƌĞ ĚĞůĂLJĞĚ ƐƵƉƉůLJ'ƐŝĚĞ ƌĞĨŽƌŵƐ ŝŶ ƌĞŐƵůĂƚĞĚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚƐ ĨŽƌ WŽǁĞƌ ĂŶĚ &ƵĞů ĐŽƵůĚ ĚĞƐƚĂďŝůŝnjĞ ƉƌŝĐĞƐ͘ ĞƐƉŝƚĞ ƚŚĞƐĞ ƌŝƐŬ ĨĂĐƚŽƌƐ͕ ŽƵƌ ŶĞĂƌ'ƚĞƌŵ ŝŶŇĂƟŽŶ ŽƵƚůŽŽŬ ƌĞŵĂŝŶƐ ďĞŶŝŐŶ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ĐŽŶƐƚƌĂŝŶĞĚ ƉŽůŝƟĐĂů ǁŝůů ƚŽ ŝŵƉůĞŵĞŶƚ ƐƵƉƉůLJ ƐŝĚĞ ƌĞĨŽƌŵƐ ĂŚĞĂĚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ϮϬϭϵ ĞůĞĐƟŽŶƐ͘ ^ƵƉƉŽƌƟǀĞ Žŝů ĞĂƌŶŝŶŐƐ ƚĂŝůǁŝŶĚ ǁŝůů ĂůƐŽ ďƵLJ ƚŚĞ ĨĞĚĞƌĂů ŐŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚ ŵŽƌĞ ƟŵĞ ƚŽ ĐŽŶƚĞŵƉůĂƚĞ ƚŚĞ ƌĞĨŽƌŵƐ͘ ,ĞŶĐĞ͕ ŽƵƌ ďĂƐĞ'ĐĂƐĞ ƐĐĞŶĂƌŝŽ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚƐ ,ĞĂĚůŝŶĞ /ŶŇĂƟŽŶ ŵŽĚĞƌĂƟŶŐ ĨƵƌƚŚĞƌ ƚŽ ϭϮ͘ϯй ďLJ LJĞĂƌĞŶĚ ϮϬϭϴ͘ dŚĞ ĞĐŽŶŽŵLJ͛Ɛ ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ƚŽ ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ŝŶ YϮ͗ϮϬϭϳ ĂŶĚ ĂĐĐĞůĞƌĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ ŵŽŵĞŶƚƵŵ ŝŶ Yϯ ǁĞƌĞ ůĂƌŐĞůLJ ĚƌŝǀĞŶ ďLJ Kŝů ƐĞĐƚŽƌ ' W ǁŚŝĐŚ ŐƌĞǁ ϯ͘ϱй ĂŶĚ Ϯϱ͘ϵй z'Ž'z ŝŶ YϮ͗ϮϬϭϳ ĂŶĚ Yϯ͗ϮϬϭϳ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ͘ dŚĞ ƐŝnjĞĂďůĞ ĞdžƉĂŶƐŝŽŶ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ Kŝů ƐĞĐƚŽƌ͕ ƉĂƌƟĐƵůĂƌůLJ ŝŶ Yϯ͗ϮϬϭϳ͕ ǁĂƐ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ůŽǁ ďĂƐĞ ĞīĞĐƚ ŽĨ Žŝů ƐĞĐƚŽƌ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ǁŚŝĐŚ ƌĞĂĐŚĞĚ Ă ϲ'YƵĂƌƚĞƌ ŚŝŐŚ ŽĨ Ϯ͘ϬŵďͬĚ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ƉĞƌŝŽĚ͘ dŚĞ EŽŶ'Kŝů ƐĞĐƚŽƌ ŚŽǁĞǀĞƌ ƌĞŵĂŝŶƐ Ă ƉƌĞƐƐƵƌĞ ƉŽŝŶƚ͕ ĂƐ ŝƚ ƌĞůĂƉƐĞĚ ƚŽ ŶĞŐĂƟǀĞ ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ŝŶ Yϯ ĂŌĞƌ ƐŚŽǁŝŶŐ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ƐŝŐŶƐ ŝŶ Yϭ ĂŶĚ YϮ͘

tŚŝůƐƚ ƚŚĞ ƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĂů ŝƐƐƵĞƐ ƌĞŵĂŝŶ ŚĞĂĚǁŝŶĚƐ͕ ǁĞ ŶŽƚĞ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞ ĐLJĐůŝĐĂů ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐĞƐ ƐŚŽƵůĚ ƐƚĂƌƚ ƚŽ ĂďĂƚĞ ĨƌŽŵ ϮϬϭϴ ĂŶĚ ďƵŽLJ EŽŶ'Kŝů ƐĞĐƚŽƌ ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬĚƌŽƉ ŽĨ ϭͿ ĂŶƟĐŝƉĂƚĞĚ ĞdžƉĂŶƐŝŽŶ ŝŶ ĮƐĐĂů ƐƉĞŶĚŝŶŐ ĂƐ ĮƐĐĂů ďĂůĂŶĐĞ ƐƚĂďŝůŝnjĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƉŽůŝƟĐĂů ƉĂƌƟĞƐ ƐƉĞŶĚ ĂŚĞĂĚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĞůĞĐƟŽŶ͕ ϮͿ ĨƵƌƚŚĞƌ ĚĞĐĞůĞƌĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ŝŶŇĂƟŽŶ ƌĂƚĞ ǁŚŝĐŚ ǁŝůů ĚŝƌĞĐƚůLJ ĂīĞĐƚ ' W ƉƌŝĐĞ ĚĞŇĂƚŽƌ ĂŶĚ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ ƌĞĂů ŐƌŽǁƚŚ͕ ĂŶĚ ϯͿ /ŶĐƌĞĂƐĞ ŝŶ ƉƌŝǀĂƚĞ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŵĞŶƚƐ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ĨĂǀŽƵƌĂďůĞ ĂŐŐƌĞŐĂƚĞ ĚĞŵĂŶĚ ŽƵƚůŽŽŬ ĂŶĚ ƐƚĂďůĞ &y ƌĂƚĞ͘ ^ŝŵŝůĂƌ ƚŽ ϮϬϭϳ͕ ǁĞ ĂůƐŽ ĞdžƉĞĐƚ Kŝů ƐĞĐƚŽƌ ůŽǁ'ďĂƐĞ ƉƵƐŚ ƚŽ ƌĞŵĂŝŶ Ă ŬĞLJ ĚƌŝǀĞƌ ŽĨ ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ƵŶƟů YϮ͗ϮϬϭϴ ďĞĨŽƌĞ ƚŚĞ ĞīĞĐƚ ǁĞĂƌƐ Žī ĂƐ ďĂƐĞ ŶŽƌŵĂůŝnjĞƐ͘ dŚĞ ĞdžƉĞĐƚĞĚ ƚĂŬĞ'Žī ŽĨ Žŝů ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ĨƌŽŵ dŽƚĂů͛Ɛ ŽīƐŚŽƌĞ ŐŝŶĂ ĮĞůĚ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ ŝŶ Yϰ͗ϮϬϭϴ ǁŝůů ƉŽƐƐŝďůLJ ĂĚĚ ĂƉƉƌŽdžŝŵĂƚĞůLJ ϮϬϬ͕ϬϬϬ ďĂƌƌĞůƐ ƚŽ ĚĂŝůLJ ĐƌƵĚĞ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ͕ ďƵƚ

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džĞĐƵƟǀĞ ^ƵŵŵĂƌLJ

'ůŽďĂů DĂĐƌŽĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ,ŝŐŚůŝŐŚƚƐ

ǁŝƚŚ Žŝů ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ĐĂƉƉĞĚ ďLJ KW Ăƚ ϭ͘ϴŵďͬĚ ;Ğdž' ĐŽŶĚĞŶƐĂƚĞƐͿ͕ ǁĞ ĚŽ ŶŽƚ ĨŽƌĞƐĞĞ ĂŐŐƌĞŐĂƚĞ Žŝů ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ;ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ĐŽŶĚĞŶƐĂƚĞͿ ďƌĞĂŬŝŶŐ ŝƚƐ ƉĞĂŬ ŽĨ Ϯ͘ϮŵďͬĚ͘

dŚƵƐ͕ ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬĚƌŽƉ ŽĨ ĞdžƉĞĐƚĞĚ ƌĞďŽƵŶĚ ŝŶ EŽŶ'Kŝů ƐĞĐƚŽƌ ĂŶĚ Kŝů ƐĞĐƚŽƌ ůŽǁ ďĂƐĞ ƉƵƐŚ͕ ǁĞ ĨŽƌĞĐĂƐƚ ' W ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ƚŽ ĂĐĐĞůĞƌĂƚĞ ƚŽ Ϯ͘ϭй ŝŶ ϮϬϭϴ ĨƌŽŵ ŽƵƌ ĨƵůů LJĞĂƌ ĞƐƟŵĂƚĞ ŽĨ Ϭ͘ϳй ĨŽƌ ϮϬϭϳ͘ DĂũŽƌ ĚŽǁŶƐŝĚĞ ƌŝƐŬƐ ƚŽ ŽƵƌ ĨŽƌĞĐĂƐƚ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞ KW ͬEŽŶ'KW ĚĞĐŝƐŝŽŶ ŽŶ EŝŐĞƌŝĂ͛Ɛ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ĐĂƉ͕ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ Žŝů ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĂŶĚ ƐƚĂďŝůŝƚLJ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ EŝŐĞƌ' ĞůƚĂ͘

DŽŶĞƚĂƌLJ WŽůŝĐLJ KƵƚůŽŽŬ͙ ĂƐŝŶŐ LJĐůĞ ƚŽ ŶƚĞƌ &Ƶůů 'ĞĂƌ ĚĞƐƉŝƚĞ ^ƚĂďůĞ ĞŶĐŚŵĂƌŬ ZĂƚĞ Ɛ ǁĞ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚĞĚ ŝŶ ŽƵƌ ϮϬϭϳ KƵƚůŽŽŬ͕ ƚŚĞ E ƐƵĐĐĞƐƐĨƵůůLJ ŐƵŝĚĞĚ ƐŚŽƌƚ ĂŶĚ ůŽŶŐ'ƚĞƌŵ ƌĂƚĞƐ ĚŽǁŶǁĂƌĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĮdžĞĚ ŝŶĐŽŵĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĚĞƐƉŝƚĞ ƌĞƚĂŝŶŝŶŐ ďĞŶĐŚŵĂƌŬ ƉŽůŝĐLJ ƌĂƚĞ Ăƚ ϭϰ͘Ϭй͘ ůƚŚŽƵŐŚ ƉƌŝĐĞ ůĞǀĞů ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ĚŝƐĂƉƉŽŝŶƚĞĚ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϳ͕ ǁŝƚŚ /ŶŇĂƟŽŶ ƌĂƚĞ ƐƟůů ĂďŽǀĞ DWZ͕ ƚŚĞ E ďĞŐĂŶ ĂŶ ĞĂƐŝŶŐ ĐLJĐůĞ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ƵƐĞ ŽĨ ĐůĞĂƌŝŶŐ ƌĂƚĞƐ Ăƚ KDK ĂƵĐƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ĨƌĞƋƵĞŶĐLJ ŽĨ ĂƵĐƟŽŶƐ ĂƐ ƉŽůŝĐLJ ŝŶƐƚƌƵŵĞŶƚƐ ƚŽ ĂĐŚŝĞǀĞ ŝƚƐ ĞĂƐŝŶŐ ŽďũĞĐƟǀĞ͘ dLJƉŝĐĂůůLJ͕ ǁŚĂƚ ƐŚŽƵůĚ ĨŽůůŽǁ ƚŚĞ ŵŽĚĞƌĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƌĂƚĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƐŝŐŶŝĨLJ ƚŚĞ ĨƵůů ƚĂŬĞ'Žī ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĞĂƐŝŶŐ ĐLJĐůĞ ŝƐ Ă ďĞŶĐŚŵĂƌŬ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ƌĂƚĞ ĐƵƚ͘ ,ŽǁĞǀĞƌ͕ ǁĞ ďĞůŝĞǀĞ ƚŚĞ E ǁŽƵůĚ ƐƟĐŬ ƚŽ ƵƟůŝnjŝŶŐ ŝƚƐ ƌĞĐĞŶƚůLJ ĨĂǀŽƵƌĞĚ KDK ƐƚƌĂƚĞŐLJ ʹ ǁŚŝĐŚ ŝƐ ŵŽƌĞ ŇĞdžŝďůĞ ' ƚŽ ĂĐŚŝĞǀĞ ƚŚĞ ƐĂŵĞ ĞĂƐŝŶŐ ŽďũĞĐƟǀĞ ǁŝƚŚŽƵƚ ƚǁĞĂŬŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ DWZ͘

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ĞƐƉŝƚĞ ŽƵƌ ĐŽŶǀŝĐƟŽŶ͕ ǁĞ ĚŽ ŶŽƚ ƌƵůĞ ŽƵƚ ƚŚĞ ƉŽƐƐŝďŝůŝƚLJ ŽĨ Ă ƉŽůŝƟĐĂůůLJ ŝŶĚƵĐĞĚ ďĞŶĐŚŵĂƌŬ ƌĂƚĞ ƌĞĚƵĐƟŽŶ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƐĞĐŽŶĚ ŚĂůĨ ŽĨ ϮϬϭϴ͕ ŝŶ ŽƌĚĞƌ ƚŽ ŵĂŬĞ ĐƌĞĚŝƚ ĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ƌĞĂů ƐĞĐƚŽƌ͘ / ĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ĐŽŶĚŝƟŽŶƐ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞ ĨƵƌƚŚĞƌ͕ ƚŚŝƐ ĐŽƵůĚ ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂůůLJ ďĞ ĚŽŶĞ ŝŶ ŽƌĚĞƌ ƚŽ ƐĐŽƌĞ ƉŽůŝƟĐĂ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ƉŽƉƵůĂĐĞ ĂŚĞĂĚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ϮϬϭϵ ĞůĞĐƟŽŶ͘

&ŝƐĐĂů WŽůŝĐLJ KƵƚůŽŽŬ͙ &ŽĐƵƐ ŽŶ ZĞĚƵĐŝŶŐ Ğďƚ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞ KďůŝŐĂƟŽŶƐ ĂŵŝĚƐƚ ZŝƐŝŶŐ džƉĞŶĚŝƚƵƌĞ WĂƩĞƌŶ Ɛ ǁŝƚŚ ƉƌŝŽƌ LJĞĂƌƐ͕ ƚŚĞ ϮϬϭϴ ƵĚŐĞƚ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚƐ Ă ƌĞŇĂƟŽŶĂƌLJ ƐƉĞŶĚŝŶŐ ŽĨ Eϴ͘ϲƚŶ͕ Ă ϭϲ͘Ϯй ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞ ƌĞůĂƟǀĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ Eϳ͘ϰƚŶ ŽĨ ϮϬϭϳ͕ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ĨŽĐƵƐ ŽŶ ĐŽŶƐŽůŝĚĂƟŶŐ ŽŶ ŐĂŝŶƐ ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƉƌĞǀŝŽƵƐ LJĞĂƌ ǁŚŝůƐƚ ĂůƐŽ ƉƌŝŽƌŝƟnjŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ŶĞĞĚ ƚŽ ďƌŝĚŐĞ ƚŚĞ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŵĞŶƚ ĚĞĮĐŝƚƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ /ŶĨƌĂƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ ŐƌŝĐƵůƚƵƌĞ ĂŶĚ ,ĞĂůƚŚ ƐĞĐƚŽƌƐ ĂŵŽŶŐƐƚ ŽƚŚĞƌƐ tŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ ďƵĚŐĞƚ͛Ɛ ŵĂĐƌŽĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ǀĂƌŝĂďůĞƐ ĂƐƐƵŵƉƟŽŶƐ ĂƌĞ ŶŽƚ ĨĂƌ Žī ĨƌŽŵ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚ ƌĞĂůŝƟĞƐ ƉĞƌŚĂƉƐ ĞǀĞŶ ƉƌƵĚĞŶƚ ǁŝƚŚ ƌĞŐĂƌĚƐ ƚŽ ĐƌƵĚĞ Žŝ ƉƌŝĐĞƐ͕ ǁĞ ĂƌĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ǀŝĞǁ ƚŚĂƚ ĂĐŚŝĞǀŝŶŐ хϳϬ͘Ϭй ŝŵƉůĞŵĞŶƚĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ĐĂƉŝƚĂů ĐŽŵƉŽŶĞŶƚ ǁŝůů ďĞ ĚŝĸĐƵůƚ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ĂŵďŝƟŽƵƐ ŶŽŶ'Žŝů ĂŶĚ ŝŶĚĞƉĞŶĚĞŶƚ ƌĞǀĞŶƵĞ ĂƐƐƵŵƉƟŽŶƐ͘ Ɛ ŽĨ ϵD͗ϮϬϭϳ͕ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ͞ ƵĚŐĞƚ ŽĨ ZĞĐŽǀĞƌLJ ĂŶĚ 'ƌŽǁƚŚ͟ ŚĂĚ ďĞĞŶ ƌĂƚŚĞ ƵŶĚĞƌǁŚĞůŵŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ĮƐĐĂů ĂƵƚŚŽƌŝƟĞƐ ĨĂůůŝŶŐ ƐŚŽƌƚ ŽĨ ƌĞǀĞŶƵĞ ƚĂƌŐĞƚƐ͕ ĞƐƉĞĐŝĂůůLJ EŽŶ'Žŝů ƌĞǀĞŶƵĞ ;EϬ͘ϳƚŶ ĂĐƚƵĂů ǀƐ͘ Eϭ͘ϬƚŶ ƉƌŽ'ƌĂƚĞĚ ƉƌŽũĞĐƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ /ŶĚĞƉĞŶĚĞŶƚ ZĞǀĞŶƵĞ ;Eϭϱϱ͘ϭďŶ ǀƐ EϲϬϱ͘ϵďŶ ƉƌŽ'ƌĂƚĞĚ ƉƌŽũĞĐƟŽŶͿ͘ dŚƵƐ͕ ƚŚĞ EŽŶ ĐŽƌĞ ƌĞǀĞŶƵĞ ůŝŶĞƐ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĐŽŶƚĂŝŶ ŶŽŶ'ƌĞĐƵƌƌŝŶŐ ŝƚĞŵƐ ƐƵĐŚ ĂƐ džĐŚĂŶŐĞ ZĂƚĞ ĚŝīĞƌĞŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ WĂƌŝƐ ůƵď ŽǀĞƌ'ĚĞĚƵĐƟŽŶ ƌĞĨƵŶĚ ǁĞƌĞ ůĞǀĞƌĂŐĞĚ ƚŽ ĮŶĂŶĐĞ ƚŚĞ ďƵĚŐĞƚ͘ tŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ WƌĞƐŝĚĞŶĐLJ ŚŽƉĞƐ ƚŽ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞ ŽŶ ĞdžŝƐƟŶŐ ƚĂdž ƌĞĨŽƌŵƐ ƚŽ Ɛƚ ŝŶĐŽŵĞ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ EŽŶ'Žŝů ƐĞĐƚŽƌ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ĞŶŚĂŶĐĞ ĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ ŝŶ ŽƚŚĞƌ ƐĞĐƚŽƌƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĞĐŽŶŽŵLJ͕ ƚŚĞ ŽĚĚƐ ŽĨ Ă ƐŝŐŶŝĮĐĂŶƚ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞ ŝŶ ƚĂdž ƌĞǀĞŶƵĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƐŚŽƌƚ ƚĞƌŵ ƌĞŵĂŝŶƐ ůŽǁ ĂƐ EŽŶ'Žŝů ƐĞĐƚŽƌ ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ƌĞŵĂŝŶƐ ďĞůŽǁ ŚŝƐƚŽƌŝĐĂů ƚƌĞŶĚ͘

EŝŐĞƌŝĂŶ &ŝŶĂŶĐŝĂů DĂƌŬĞƚƐ dŚĞ EŝŐĞƌŝĂŶ ĞƋƵŝƟĞƐ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƉŽƐƚĞĚ ŝƚƐ ĮƌƐƚ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ĂŶŶƵĂů ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ŝŶ ĨŽƵƌ LJĞĂƌƐ ;нϰϮ͘ϯйͿ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϳ͕ ƌĂŶŬŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ďĞŶĐŚŵĂƌŬ ůů ^ŚĂƌĞ /ŶĚĞdž ; ^/ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ϭϭƚŚ ďĞƐƚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĞƌ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌůĚ ĂŶĚ ϮŶĚ ŝŶ ĨƌŝĐĂ͘ dŚĞ ůĂƵŶĐŚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ͛ ĂŶĚ džƉŽƌƚĞƌƐ͛ &y ǁŝŶĚŽǁ ŝŶ Ɖƌŝů͕ϮϬϭϳ͕ ǁĂƐ Ă ƚƵƌŶŝŶŐ ƉŽŝŶƚ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ LJĞĂƌ ǁŚŝůĞ Ă ƌĞďŽƵŶĚ ŝŶ ĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ͕ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚĞĚ ďLJ ƌŝƐŝŶŐ Žŝů ƉƌŝĐĞƐ ĂďŽǀĞ h^ΨϲϬ͘Ϭͬď ĂŶĚ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞŵĞŶƚƐ ŝŶ ĐŽŵƉĂŶLJ ĞĂƌŶŝŶŐƐ ŬĞƉƚ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ǀĞƐƚĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ Ăůů ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ƚŚĞ LJĞĂƌ͘

tŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ŶŽǁ Ăƚ ĂŶ Ăůů'ƟŵĞ ŚŝŐŚ ŝŶ ƚĞƌŵƐ ŽĨ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝnjĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ E^ ůů ^ŚĂƌĞ /ŶĚĞdž Ăƚ Ă ϵ'LJĞĂƌ ŚŝŐŚ͕ ƚŚĞƌĞ ĂƌĞ ũƵƐƟĮĂďůĞ ĨĞĂƌƐ ŽĨ ŽǀĞƌǀĂůƵĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ǁŚŝĐŚ ƌĂŝƐĞƐ ĐŽŶĐĞƌŶƐ ǁŝƚŚ ƌĞŐĂƌĚƐ ƚŽ Ă ŶĞĂƌ ƚĞƌŵ ĐŽƌƌĞĐƟŽŶ͘ KƵƌ

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JANUARY 28, 2018

ĂƉƉƌŽĂĐŚ ŝƐ ƚŽ ĚŝĂŐŶŽƐĞ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽďĞ ƚŚĞ ĨƵŶĚĂŵĞŶƚĂů ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ƚĞĐŚŶŝĐĂů ŵĞƌŝƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĚĞŵĞƌŝƚƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŽǀĞƌǀĂůƵĂƟŽŶ ŚLJƉŽƚŚĞƐŝƐ͘

&ƌŽŵ ŽƵƌ ĂŶĂůLJƐŝƐ͕ ĂǀĞƌĂŐĞ dƌĂŝůŝŶŐ Wͬ ĂŶĚ Wͬ s ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ EŝŐĞƌŝĂŶ ĞƋƵŝƟĞƐ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ůĂƐƚ ŽŶĞ ŵŽŶƚŚ ĂƐ Ăƚ ϭϳͬϬϴͬϮϬϭϴ ƐƚŽŽĚ Ăƚ ϭϯ͘ϭdž ĂŶĚ ϭ͘ϳdž͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĂƌĞ ůŽǁĞƌ ƚŚĂŶ ϭϱ͘ϭdž ĂŶĚ Ϯ͘Ϭdž ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ D^ / &ƌŽŶƟĞƌ ŵĂƌŬĞƚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž͘ >ŽŽŬŝŶŐ ďĂĐŬ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ůĂƐƚ Ϯ LJĞĂƌ ďƵůů ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƌƵŶ EŝŐĞƌŝĂ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞĚ ďĞƚǁĞĞŶ ϮϬϭϮ ĂŶĚ ϮϬϭϯ͕ ƚŚĞ EŝŐĞƌŝĂŶ ĞƋƵŝƟĞƐ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ǁĂƐ ƉƌŝĐĞĚ Ăƚ Ă ƉƌĞŵŝƵŵ ƚŽ ŝƚƐ ĨƌŽŶƟĞƌ ŵĂƌŬĞƚƐ ƉĞĞƌƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ůĂƚĞ ĐLJĐůĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƌƵŶ͕ ĂƐ ƐŚŽǁŶ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĂǀĞƌĂŐĞ Wͬ ĂŶĚ Wͬ s ŵƵůƟƉůĞƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ D^ / &ƌŽŶƟĞƌ DĂƌŬĞƚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ŽĨ ϭϮ͘ϱdž ĂŶĚ ϭ͘ϲdž ŝŶ ϮϬϭϯ ƌĞůĂƟǀĞ ƚŽ ϭϯ͘ϱdž ĂŶĚ Ϯ͘Ϯdž ŽĨ ƚŚĞ EŝŐĞƌŝĂŶ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƐĂŵĞ ƉĞƌŝŽĚ͘ dŚŝƐ ŝŵƉůŝĞƐ ƚŚĂƚ ĚĞƐƉŝƚĞ ƚŚĞ ƌĂůůLJ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϳ ĂŶĚ ĞĂƌůLJ ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϴ͕ ƚŚĞ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ŵ ŚĂƐ Ă ďŝƚ ŵŽƌĞ ƐƉĂĐĞ ƚŽ ƌƵŶ͘ ,ĞŶĐĞ͕ ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬĚƌŽƉ ŽĨ ŝŵƉƌŽǀŝŶŐ ŵĂĐƌŽĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ĐŽŶĚŝƟŽŶƐ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ŽƵƚůŽŽŬ ĨŽƌ ĐŽƌƉŽƌĂƚĞ ĞĂƌŶŝŶŐƐ͕ ǁĞ ďĞůŝĞǀĞ ƚŚĞƌĞ ŝƐ Ă ĐŽŵƉĞůůŝŶŐ ĐĂƐĞ ĨŽƌ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ƚŽ ƐƵƐƚĂŝŶ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ EŝŐĞƌŝĂŶ ĞƋƵŝƟĞƐ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĂƐ ĂůƌĞĂĚLJ ŶŽƟĐĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ zd ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ŽĨ ϭϳ͘ϰй ;ϭϳͬϬϭͬϮϬϭϴͿ͘ KƵƌ ďĂƐĞ ĐĂƐĞ ƐĐĞŶĂƌŝŽ ĨŽƌĞĐĂƐƚƐ ƚŚĞ ůů ^ŚĂƌĞ /ŶĚĞdž Ăƚ ϰϱ͕ϴϭϭ͘ϳϯ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ ďLJ LJĞĂƌ ĞŶĚ ϮϬϭϴ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ŝƐ Ă ϭϵ͘ϴй ĂƉƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶ ĨƌŽŵ ϯϴ͕Ϯϰϯ͘ϭϵ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϳ͘ KƵƌ ďĞĂƌ ĐĂƐĞ ;нϳ͘ϳй ƚŽ ϰϭ͕ϭϴϵ͘ϵ ƉŽŝŶƚƐͿ ĂŶĚ ďƵůů ĐĂƐĞ ;нϯϮ͘ϳй ƚŽ ϱϬ͕ϳϰϵ͘ϭϬ ƉŽŝŶƚƐͿ ĂůƐŽ ĨŽůůŽǁ ƚŚĞ ƐĂŵĞ ƚƌĞŶĚ ĂŶĚ ĨƵƌƚŚĞƌ ďƵƩƌĞƐƐĞƐ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŶƐĞŶƐƵƐ ǀŝĞǁ ŽĨ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϴ͘

WƌŝŽƌ ƚŽ ϮϬϭϳ͕ ƚŚĞ EŝŐĞƌŝĂŶ zŝĞůĚ ĐƵƌǀĞ ŵĂŝŶƚĂŝŶĞĚ Ă ,ƵŵƉĞĚ Žƌ Ğůů ^ŚĂƉĞĚ ƐůŽƉĞ ƐŝŶĐĞ ĞĐ ϮϬϭϲ ʹ ŝŶĚŝĐĂƟŶŐ ƚŚĞ ďƌŽĂĚůLJ ƌĞĐĞƐƐŝŽŶĂƌLJ ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚ͘ ,ŽǁĞǀĞƌ͕ ďLJ ƚŚĞ ƚƵƌŶ ŽĨ ϮϬϭϳ͕ ǁĞ ŽďƐĞƌǀĞĚ Ă ďƵůů ŇĂƩĞŶŝŶŐ ƉĂƩĞƌŶ ĂƐ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ĂŐŐƌĞƐƐŝǀĞůLJ ƉŽƐŝƟŽŶĞĚ ŝŶ ůŽŶŐĞƌ ĚĂƚĞĚ ďŝůůƐ͘ EŽƚǁŝƚŚƐƚĂŶĚŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĞĚ ŚĂǁŬŝƐŚ ŵŽŶĞƚĂƌLJ ƉŽůŝĐLJ ƐƚĂŶĐĞ͕ ƉƌĞƐƐƵƌĞ ŽŶ ŐĞŶĞƌĂů ƉƌŝĐĞ ůĞǀĞůƐ͕ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ĂƉƉĞƟƚĞ ĨŽƌ ƐĂĨĞƚLJ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ǁĞĂŬ ƐƚĂƌƚ ŽĨ ĚŽŵĞƐƟĐ ĞƋƵŝƟĞƐ

ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĂŵŽŶŐƐƚ ŽƚŚĞƌƐ ƐŚĂƉĞĚ ƚŚĞ ĚŝƌĞĐƟŽŶ ŽĨ LJŝĞůĚƐ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϳ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ŽǀĞƌĂůů ůĞǀĞů ŽĨ ĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĮdžĞĚ ŝŶĐŽŵĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ͘ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ĚŝƐƉůĂLJĞĚ ŽǀĞƌƌŝĚŝŶŐ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ĨŽƌ ƐŚŽƌƚĞƌ ƚĞƌŵ ĮdžĞĚ ŝŶĐŽŵĞ ƐĞĐƵƌŝƟĞƐ ĐŽŵƉĂƌĞĚ ƚŽ ďŽŶĚƐ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ƐƵƉƉůLJ ŽĨ d ďŝůůƐ ĂŶĚ KDK ;KƉĞŶ DĂƌŬĞƚ KƉĞƌĂƟŽŶƐͿ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ E ƉƌŽƉƉĞĚ ƵƉ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ůĞǀĞůƐ͘ tŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ĚŽŵŝŶĂŶĐĞ ŽĨ ŵŽƐƚ ŝŶƐƟƚƵƟŽŶĂů ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ʹ W& Ɛ͕ D Ɛ ĂŶĚ /ŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ ĐŽŵƉĂŶŝĞƐ ƌĞŵĂŝŶĞĚ ƉƌĞǀĂůĞŶƚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ LJĞĂƌ͕ ƚŚĞ ĂƩƌĂĐƟǀĞ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ƌĂƚĞ ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚ ƐƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶĞĚ ďLJ ƚŚĞ E͛Ɛ ƟŐŚƚ ŵŽŶĞƚĂƌLJ ƉŽůŝĐLJ ƐƚĂŶĐĞ ĂůƐŽ ĂƩƌĂĐƚĞĚ ƌĞƚĂŝů ĂŶĚ ,E/ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ͘ ǀĞƌĂŐĞ d ďŝůůƐ LJŝĞůĚƐ ŽŶ ϵϭ ĚĂLJ͕ ϭϴϮ ĚĂLJ ĂŶĚ ϯϲϰ ĚĂLJ ďĞŶĐŚŵĂƌŬƐ ƐĞƩůĞĚ Ăƚ ϭϳ͘ϯй͕ ϭϴ͘ϳй ĂŶĚ ϮϬ͘ϯй ŝŶ ϮϬϭϳ ƌĞůĂƟǀĞ ƚŽ ϭϮ͘ϱй͕ ϭϰ͘ϯй ĂŶĚ ϭϱ͘Ϭй ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϲ͘

KŶ ƚŚĞ ŵĞĚŝƵŵ ƚŽ ůŽŶŐ ƚĞƌŵ ĞŶĚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ͕ ƚŚĞ ĚŽŵŝŶĂŶĐĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ &ĞĚĞƌĂů 'ŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚ ŽĨ EŝŐĞƌŝĂ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ůĂƌŐĞƐƚ ƐƵƉƉůŝĞƌ ŽĨ ĮdžĞĚ ŝŶĐŽŵĞ ďĞĐĂŵĞ ĞŶƚƌĞŶĐŚĞĚ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϳ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ƚŽƚĂů ƐŽǀĞƌĞŝŐŶ ďŽŶĚ ŝƐƐƵĂŶĐĞ ǀĂůƵĞ ŽĨ Eϭ͘ϱƚŶ ĐŽŵƉĂƌĞĚ ƚŽ Eϭ͘ϯƚŶ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϲ͘ /Ŷ ĂĚĚŝƟŽŶ͕ ƚŚĞ &'E ĞdžƉůŽƌĞĚ ĂůƚĞƌŶĂƟǀĞ ůŽŶŐ ƚĞƌŵ ďŽƌƌŽǁŝŶŐ ǁŝŶĚŽǁƐ ǁŝƚŚŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĚŽŵĞƐƟĐ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ůĂƵŶĐŚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ YƵĂƌƚĞƌůLJ ŽƵƉŽŶ WĂLJŝŶŐ ^ĂǀŝŶŐƐ ŽŶĚƐ ;Eϳ͘ϬďŶ͕ ϭϯ͘ϱйͿ͕ EϭϬϬ͘ϬďŶ ^ƵŬƵŬ ďŽŶĚ ŝƐƐƵĞĚ Ăƚ ϭϲ͘ϱй ƌĞŶƚĂů LJŝĞůĚ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ 'ƌĞĞŶ ŽŶĚ ǁŽƌƚŚ EϭϬ͘ϳďŶ ŝƐƐƵĞĚ ŝŶ ĞĐĞŵďĞƌ ϮϬϭϳ Ăƚ ϭϯ͘ϱй LJŝĞůĚ͘ ůƐŽ͕ ƚŚĞ Ğďƚ DĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ KĸĐĞ ; DKͿ ƐƵĐĐĞƐƐĨƵůůLJ ƌĂŝƐĞĚ Ă ƚŽƚĂů ŽĨ h^Ψϰ͘ϱďŶ ;ŝŶ ĨŽƵƌ ƚƌĂŶĐŚĞƐͿ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ƵƌŽďŽŶĚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ Ăƚ ĂŶ ĂǀĞƌĂŐĞ ŵĂƌŐŝŶĂů ĐŽƵƉŽŶ ƌĂƚĞ ŽĨ ϳ͘ϯй ǁŚŝůĞ ĂůƐŽ ƐƵĐĐĞƐƐĨƵůůLJ ĐŽŵƉůĞƟŶŐ Ă h^ΨϯϬϬ͘Ϭŵ ŝĂƐƉŽƌĂ ďŽŶĚ Ăƚ ϱ͘ϲй͘

tĞ ďĞůŝĞǀĞ ƚŚĞ LJŝĞůĚ ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϴ ǁŝůů ďĞ ůĂƌŐĞůLJ ĚĞƚĞƌŵŝŶĞĚ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ ĂƐ ĂůƌĞĂĚLJ ďĞŝŶŐ ŶŽƟĐĞĚ ƐŝŶĐĞ ƚŚĞ ůĂƐƚ ƋƵĂƌƚĞƌ ŽĨ ϮϬϭϳ͘ EĞǀĞƌƚŚĞůĞƐƐ͕ ǁĞ ĚŽ ĚŝƐĐŽƵŶƚĞŶĂŶĐĞ ƚŚĞ ƉŽƐƐŝďŝůŝƚLJ ŽĨ Ă ďĞŶĐŚŵĂƌŬ ƌĂƚĞ ƌĞĚƵĐƟŽŶ ŝŶ ,Ϯ͗ϮϬϭϴ ƚŽ ĂůŝŐŶ ǁŝƚŚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ŵŽǀĞŵĞŶƚ͘ tĞ ĂƌĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ǀŝĞǁ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞ ĚĞŵĂŶĚ ĨŽƌ ƐĂĨĞƌ ƐŽǀĞƌĞŝŐŶ ŝŶƐƚƌƵŵĞŶƚƐ ďLJ /ŶƐƟƚƵƟŽŶĂů &ƵŶĚ DĂŶĂŐĞƌƐ ;ŶŽƚĂďůLJ W& Ɛ͕ /ŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ ŽŵƉĂŶŝĞƐ͕ D Ɛ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ,E/Ɛ ǁŝůů ƉƌŽƉĞů ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ ƚŽǁĂƌĚƐ LJŝĞůĚ ŵŽĚĞƌĂƟŽŶ͘

KƵƌ ŽƉƟŵŝƐŵ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ EŝŐĞƌŝĂŶ ŵĂƌŬĞƚƐ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϴ ŚŝŶŐĞƐ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƐůŽǁ ďƵƚ ƐƚĞĂĚLJ ƌĞĐŽǀĞƌLJ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŐĞŶĞƌĂů ŵĂĐƌŽĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ĐŽŶĚŝƟŽŶƐ ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ƵƉƚƵƌŶ ŝŶ ŐůŽďĂů Žŝů ƉƌŝĐĞƐ͘ ^ƚĂďůĞ Žŝů ƉƌŝĐĞ ŽƵƚůŽŽŬ ƉƵƚƐ ůĞƐƐ ƐƚƌĂŝŶ ŽŶ ŵŽŶĞƚĂƌLJ ĂŶĚ ĮƐĐĂů ƉŽůŝĐŝĞƐ ŐŝǀĞŶ ƚŚĞ ƐŝŐŶŝĮĐĂŶƚ ĚĞƉĞŶĚĞŶĐĞ ŽĨ ŐŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚ ƌĞǀĞŶƵĞ ŽŶ Žŝů ĞdžƉŽƌƚƐ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ƵŵďŝůŝĐĂů ƌĞůŝĂŶĐĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ E ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƐĞĐƚŽƌ͛Ɛ ĨŽƌĞŝŐŶ ĞdžĐŚĂŶŐĞ ĞĂƌŶŝŶŐƐ ŝŶ ŽƉƟŵŝnjŝŶŐ &y ĂůůŽĐĂƟŽŶ͘ Ɛ ƚŚĞ ĞĐŽŶŽŵLJ ŐƌĂĚƵĂůůLJ ƌĞŐĂŝŶƐ ŝƚƐ ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ŵŽŵĞŶƚƵŵ͕ ǁĞ ĂƌĞ ĐŽŶĮĚĞŶƚ ƚŚĂƚ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ĨƵŶĚĂŵĞŶƚĂůƐ͕ ĐŽƵƉůĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ĞŶŚĂŶĐĞĚ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ʹ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚůLJ Ăƚ Ăůů ƟŵĞ ŚŝŐŚƐ͕ ǁŝůů ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞ ƚŽ ĚƌŝǀĞ ĞƋƵŝƚLJ ĂƐƐĞƚ ƉƌŝĐĞƐ͘ ŽƌƌĞƐƉŽŶĚŝŶŐůLJ͕ ŽƵƌ ƉƌŽŐŶŽƐŝƐ ŽŶ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ƌĂƚĞ ƉƌŽƉŽƐĞƐ Ă ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĚƌŝǀĞŶ ŵŽĚĞƌĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϴ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ŐŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚ ƐŚŝŌƐ ŝƚƐ ĨŽĐƵƐ ĨƌŽŵ ƐŚŽƌƚ ƚĞƌŵ ĚŽŵĞƐƟĐ ďŽƌƌŽǁŝŶŐ ƚŽ ůŽŶŐ ƚĞƌŵ ĨŽƌĞŝŐŶ ĚĞďƚ ǁŚŝůĞ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ĞdžƉůŽƌĞ ĂůƚĞƌŶĂƟǀĞ ŚŝŐŚ LJŝĞůĚŝŶŐ ĚŽŵĞƐƟĐ ƐŚŽƌƚͬůŽŶŐ ƚĞƌŵ ƐĞĐƵƌŝƟĞƐ͘

dŚĞ sŝƌƚƵŽƵƐ LJĐůĞ͙ ŐĂŝŶ͊ dŽ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ĨĂŵŝůŝĂƌ ǁŝƚŚ ĨƌŽŶƟĞƌ ŵĂƌŬĞƚƐ͕ ƚŚĞ ĂůŵŽƐƚ ϯϲϬ ĚĞŐƌĞĞ ƚƵƌŶĂƌŽƵŶĚ ŝŶ EŝŐĞƌŝĂ͛Ɛ ĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ĨƵŶĚĂŵĞŶƚĂůƐ ĂŶĚ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ŝƐ ŶŽƚ ƐƵƌƉƌŝƐŝŶŐ͕ ŐŝǀĞŶ ƚŚĞ ƐƚƌŽŶŐ ĐŽƌƌĞůĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ĐLJĐůĞ ĂŶĚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂů ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ǁŝƚŚ ĨŽƌĞŝŐŶ ĐƵƌƌĞŶĐLJ ĞĂƌŶŝŶŐƐ ĨŽƌ ĐŽŵŵŽĚŝƚLJ ĞdžƉŽƌƟŶŐ ĐŽƵŶƚƌŝĞƐ͘ WŽůŝĐLJŵĂŬĞƌƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ >ĂƐƚ ϭϮ ŵŽŶƚŚƐ ŚĂǀĞ ďĞĞŶ ĂďůĞ ƚŽ ĂĐŚŝĞǀĞ ƚŚĞ ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ͗ /ŶĐƌĞĂƐĞ ŝŶ ĚŽŵĞƐƟĐ ĐƌƵĚĞ Žŝů ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ĨƌŽŵ Ă ůŽǁ ŽĨ ϭ͘ϲŵďͬĚ ŝŶ Yϯ͗ϮϬϭϲ ƚŽ Ϯ͘ϬŵďͬĚ ŝŶ Yϯ͗ϮϬϭϳ͘ ZĞƐƚŽƌĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ &y ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƐƚĂďŝůŝƚLJ ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ŽĨ &y ŝŶƚĞƌǀĞŶƟŽŶƐ͕ ƉĂƌƟĐƵůĂƌůLJ ƚŽ Ɛ͕ ĂŶĚ ĞǀĞŶƚƵĂů ŽƉĞŶŝŶŐ ŽĨ Ă ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ŽƌŝĞŶƚĞĚ &y ƐĞŐŵĞŶƚ ;ƚŚĞ /Θ &y ǁŝŶĚŽǁͿ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĂůůŽǁĞĚ ĨŽƌ ŇĞdžŝďŝůŝƚLJ ŝŶ ƉƌŝĐŝŶŐ ŽĨ &y ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ĞĸĐŝĞŶĐLJ ĂŶĚ ƚƌĂŶƐƉĂƌĞŶĐLJ ŝŶ ĂůůŽĐĂƟŽŶ͘ dŚĞ E ƐƉĞŶƚ h^Ψϭϱ͘ϰďŶ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ ŶŝŶĞ ŵŽŶƚŚƐ ŽĨ ϮϬϭϳ ŝŶƚĞƌǀĞŶŝŶŐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ &y ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ǀŝĂ ^ƉŽƚ ĂŶĚ &ŽƌǁĂƌĚ /ŶƚĞƌďĂŶŬ &y ĂƵĐƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ƐƉŽƚ ƐĂůĞƐ ƚŽ Ɛ͕ ƌĞůĂƟǀĞ ƚŽ h^Ψϵ͘ϲďŶ ƐƉĞŶƚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƐĂŵĞ ƉĞƌŝŽĚ ŽĨ ϮϬϭϲ͕ ǁŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ /Θ ǁŝŶĚŽǁ ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ h^ΨϮϳ͘ϴďŶ

ŝŶ ƚƵƌŶŽǀĞƌ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϳ͘

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MARKET NEWS

Brighter Prospects for May & Baker on Biovaccines Firm Goddy Egene Market analysts have said the prospects of May & Baker Nigeria Plc making more earnings  brightened last week following the  inauguration of the  board of Biovaccines Nigeria Limited (BNL) by Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole in Abuja.   BNL is Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s indigenous vaccineproducing company and May & Baker Nigeria is the majority shareholder in the company.

Members of the board

included: Prof Oyewole Tomori, a renowned virologist and former vice chancellor of the Redeemers University as Chairman; Dr. Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, National Primary Health Care Development Agency;   M. Lawal who is director,  Food & Drugs, Federal Ministry of Health;  Nnamdi Okafor of   May & Baker Nigeria Plc; Dr. Edugie Abebe, a former Permanent Secretary  and Mr. Ayodeji Aboderin, Director of

A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager.

Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;sharesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on the

Finance , May & Baker Nigeria.

The Managing Director of BNL, who will be announced soon, is also expected to join the board.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, MD, May & Baker Nigeria Plc, Okafor said  the board of BNL  would immediately begin business to prepare the ground for the eventual production of vaccines in Nigeria. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The business plan of Biovaccines is ready. One of the first tasks of the board just

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 25-Jan-2018, unless otherwise stated.

inaugurated will be to approve the plan for immediate kick off of operations,â&#x20AC;? Okafor said.

May & Baker Nigeria had in 2005 entered into a joint venture with the Federal government to take over the facilities of the Federal Vaccine Production Laboratory (FVPL) in Yaba for the purpose of resuming vaccine production which had stopped due to the inability of the FVPL to cope with operational challenges.

The project was however delayed due to the non

ratification of the agreement by successive governments.

May & Baker Nigeria holds the majority equity stake of 51 per cent while the government holds 49 per cent equity stake in BNL. According to Okafor, between May 31, 2017 when the Federal Executive Council ratified the JVA and now so much has happened, albeit below the lines. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have successfully engaged all stakeholder groups to align their plans

and activities to the task of providing Nigeria a sustainable programme of immunization through local production of vaccines. I can say that Nigerians are now clearly joining forces on this healthcare initiative and the way to the future is very clear and bright. We have equally engaged international organisations such as GAVI, MSF, PATH, Melinda and Bill Gate Foundation among others for collaboration,â&#x20AC;?

Okafor 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 198.21 198.41 11.35% Nigeria International Debt Fund 242.66 242.87 4.76% 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 -4.36% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 16.40% 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 20.42 21.03 11.74% ARM Discovery Fund 424.09 436.88 9.00% ARM Ethical Fund 28.56 29.42 4.53% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 16.54% 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 168.50 169.32 10.96% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 15.67% 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 15.10% Paramount Equity Fund 13.11 13.45 6.07% Women's Investment Fund 101.60 104.31 1.02% 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 16.31% CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 18.40% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.09 1.11 9.65% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.03 1.06 4.32% FBN QUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,171.01 1,172.17 2.02% FBN Heritage Fund 150.57 152.05 8.53% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 15.80% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 114.28 114.83 1.13% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 114.20 114.75 1.15% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 190.30 193.05 11.31% 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 1.44 1.47 10.14% Legacy Debt Fund 2.91 2.91 1.01% 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 3,160.39 3,208.04 6.11% Coral Income Fund 2,492.88 2,492.88 1.91% 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 16.10% 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 115.53 115.82 15.50% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.24 2.27 6.26%

Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 17.95% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 1.00 1.00 #REF! LOTUS CAPITAL LTD ďŹ ncon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.17 1.19 1.80% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,038.37 1,038.37 0.75% 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 16.67 16.82 18.26% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 16.53% 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 1.28 1.30 7.75% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.17 11.25 1.29% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 13.99% 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 151.97 154.65 18.00% 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 1.50 1.50 0.86% 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 2,368.54 2,386.90 5.57% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 180.37 180.37 2.22% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.09 1.11 8.91% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 223.91 224.03 1.69% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 187.74 189.92 4.85% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 15.48% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 10,539.38 10,680.58 8.98% 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 1.44 1.46 18.25% United Capital Bond Fund 1.58 1.58 21.09% United Capital Equity Fund 1.02 1.04 11.61% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 14.82% United Capital Eurobond Fund 103.30 103.30 25.55% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.12 1.12 7.29% 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 13.75 13.96 10.02% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.84 14.00 4.84% Zenith Income Fund 19.27 19.27 1.86%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

10.00 132.92

-11.35% 0.35%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

12.67 164.93 124.62

12.77 168.56 126.98

4.52% 15.51% 14.08%

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 GrifďŹ n 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

5.75 10.43 20.07 22.77 153.71

5.79 10.51 20.17 22.97 155.71

21.14% 8.98% 12.96% 15.69% 3.44%

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 managerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website and FMANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

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A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

HUGH MASEKELA HIS TRUMPET GOES SILENT

28.01.2018

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HUGH MASEKELA

HIS TRUMPET GOES SILENT The iconic South African trumpeter, Hugh Masekela, who passed last week had a blossoming relationship with Nigeria and the Nigerian music industry. Nseobong Okon-Ekong and Vanessa Obioha chronicle the life and times of the world famous jazz musician

I

t was the last day of an exciting weekend hosted by the DStv Delicious International Food and Music Festival that featured international artistes like Common, Omar and Femi Kuti, and local acts Black Coffee, Thandiswa Mazwai and TKZee in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The World famous South African trumpeter and jazz musician, Hugh Masekela, was a prominent headliner. A few weeks to the event he had become ill and was hospitalised. However, his name was left on the bill because the organisers were hopeful he might recover and make it to the event.

Alas, the day came and Hughâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s place was empty with no one there to blow his horn. That weekend in October last year, it was all over the news. Masekela was down with prostate cancer.

Having made many memorable trips to Nigeria, Masekela was well known to Nigerians, particularly in the music circle. Many Nigerians mourned his recent demise like they would one of their own.

Ayoola Sadare, a jazz promoter and convener of the Lagos International Jazz Festival, recalled his encounter with Masekela.

One fateful day in 2008, Sadare, met with his friend Kunle Ayo the award-winning South Africanbased Nigerian guitarist.

Ayo had just flown in from

South Africa. At their meeting, the guitarist told the bright-eyed Sasare that Hugh Masekela was interested in the just concluded maiden edition of his jazz festival. For a young chap who just forayed into the business, it was hard to believe that someone with a larger-than-life status would pay attention to him. A doubting Thomas, it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until his friend Ayo placed a call to the South African legend and handed the phone to him did he believe his ears. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hello?â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;You are the man who does the Lagos Jazz festival?â&#x20AC;? said the voice from the other end of the line. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yes.â&#x20AC;? Ayoola replied, still trying to figure out if this was really happening. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have Hugh Masekela on it?â&#x20AC;?

At that moment, Ayoola was star-struck. It dawned on him that his friend was not playing on his emotions. Hugh Masekela was on the phone. He was actually speaking to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Bra Hughâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on the phone. If anyone had brought a needle near his head at that exact moment, it would have exploded.

For a moment he was speechless.

What should he say?

Stuttering for the right words, he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Of course, sir, I will love to have you on my platform.â&#x20AC;?

Subsequent interactions at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival had Masekela backslapping and clinking glasses with Sadare who seized each of those moments to take countless pictures with his hero. At one time, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Bra Hughâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; jokingly asked him if he was not tired of taking pictures with him.

That encounter was a major

HE WAS ONE OF THE MUSICIANS THAT BROUGHT SOUTH AFRICAN JAZZ TO THE FOREFRONT. HE WAS A GREAT PERFORMER. ONCE HE STARTS PERFORMING, NO MATTER THE GENRE, WHETHER YOU ARE YOUNG OR OLD, YOU WILL BE IN AWE. HE COMMANDS A GREAT STAGE PRESENCE. HE WAS NOT JUST A MUSICIAN OR AN INSTRUMENTALIST, HE WAS THE FULL PACKAGE WITH THE WAY HE ENGAGED THE AUDIENCE BY EXPERTLY PLAYING THE TRUMPET

turning point for Sadare. He began to think bigger. Instead of featuring Masekela on his subsequent shows, he decided to have a Hugh Masekela themed concert. That dream unfortunately did not come true as the greatest African Jazz singer of all time lost the battle to prostate cancer on Tuesday, January 23. The news elicited emotional tributes from his fans all over the world on different social media platforms as well as world leaders.

A Nigerian university teacher, critic and poet dedicated a poem â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Waiting for the Rainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (for Hugh Masekela) in his 2002 book, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Book of the Sunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The first verse is a fitting tribute to the late musician. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Your trumpet pumps the wind into a bold, metallic roar; the universe throbs in awe a worsted thunder whines in a blue corner of the sky.

Waiting, waiting for the Rain.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; One of the Nigerian musicians privileged to have shared performance space with Masekela is Afrobeat King, Femi Kuti.

He paid a glowing compliment to the late trumpeter on his Instagram page. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was a father to me, humble, kind, funny, great musician, fighter against injustice, a giant of Africa (brother and friend to my father). Condolences to Mr. Hughâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family, we pray for abundant strength for you all. RIP Mr. Hugh. From the founder of the Africa Movie Academy Awards, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe came a very emotional statement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bra Hugh I sure am gonna miss the humour but also the shear intelligence about Africa. Renowned muisician and Fela Anikulapo-Kutiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s protĂŠgĂŠ, Dede Mabiaku described Masekela as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hero, friend, father and mentorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

Mike Dada, convener of the All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, hinted on a post-humous honour for Masekela from the organisation â&#x20AC;&#x153;at its fifth edition scheduled to hold in November 2018.

AFRIMA will celebrate the life of an African music icon Sadare also plans to dedicate

the 2018 Lagos International Jazz Festival to Masekela.and activist.

Masekela was nominated for three nominations at the 2017 AFRIMA Awards in the categories of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Best Male Artiste in Southern Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for his recent single â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Shangoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Album of the Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for his recent album â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;No Bordersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and for the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Best Artiste in African Jazzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The President and Executive Producer, AFRIMA, Mike Dada, stated â&#x20AC;&#x153;it is a huge loss for the continent and African music. Masekelaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music had the depth, the lyricism and the instrumentation that place the legend in the class of world music classics with a definitive signature of its African sound.â&#x20AC;?

The late Jazz superstar had several encounters with some of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music heavyweights during his lifetime. The first was Afrobeat legend, Fela AnikulapoKuti whom he visited during his exile. By this time, Masekela was overwhelmed with the need to connect with fellow artistes from other parts of Africa. The year was 1973. It was Fela who introduced him to the young band from Ghana, Hedzoleh Soundz. Together, they produced one of the exuberant, percussive tracks â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Patienceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

By 2010, Masekela shared the stage with Felaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s son Femi Kuti at the opening ceremony of the football World Cup, which was being held in South Africa.

He was also a regular face at some of the concerts held in Nigeria including the Bayelsa International Jazz Festival which Sadareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s company was contracted to organise its first edition. Sadare recalled being rebuked by the legend when the organisers failed to kick off on time.

For that particular festival in 2013, Masekela and his band were dressed in the south-south costume.

Expectedly, he gave a very breathtaking performance that left the audience in awe.

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Masekela on stage Perhaps, it is Kunle Ayo who has benefitted most from the artiste.

During an interview to promote his album ‘Atunse: The Revolution’, the award-winning guitarist described the late iconic musician as a dignified mentor.

“Bra Hugh is like a father to me and he’s been trying to get me to understand a few things which came to be on this album. I’m producing his new project as a result of this relationship as well. People will love what we did here, and how it translated to his own album as well.” It was also through the jazz legend that Ayo learnt to encourage younger and upcoming artistes.

Interestingly, it was the same year that Sadare first heard from Masekela that the singer learnt of his prostate cancer. He never let it out until last year.

Though he carried on for almost a decade, he later gave up the ghost after being bedridden for days.

The morning after his death, Ayoola was still plaintive. He was in his home listening to some of the late icon’s songs on his laptop.

“An African Iroko tree has fallen. Masekela was not just a musician, he was an icon. I’m particularly pained by his death because I wanted to honor him with a gig.”

A statement by his family, said the father of South African Jazz died peacefully in Johannesburg. His music was regarded as an activist contribution which is contained in the minds and memory of millions across the six continents.

“We are blessed and grateful to be part of a life and everexpanding legacy of love, sharing and vanguard creativity that spans the time and space of six decades.”

South African President Jacob Zuma expressed his condolences, saying Masekela, “kept the torch of freedom alive globally, fighting apartheid through his music and mobilising international support for the struggle for liberation and raising awareness of the evils of apartheid ... His contribution to the struggle for liberation will never be forgotten.”

The Minister for Arts and Culture, South Africa Nathi Mthethwa, described him as a musician who “uplifted the soul of our nation through his timeless music…the nation has lost a one-of-a-kind musician.”

… with Femi Kuti His son, Selema, a film and TV producer, journalist and musician, chose to remember his father as a man who was both ageless and immortal.

“Of the countless shows I had the honour to watch my dad perform, each felt like the first time, each felt brand new.”

Born Ramopolo Hugh Masekela on April 4, 1939, in Witbank, South Africa, a coal-mining town near Johannesburg, the trumpeter, cornetist, singer, composer and flugelhornist didn’t inhe rit any musical gift from his parents.

His father Thomas was a sculptor while his mother Pauline was a social worker. His grandmother who raised him ran an illegal bar for miners. His interaction with music however was influenced by his uncle whom he said had the greatest voice and sang along with all the records from Count Basie to Louis Armstrong.

Masekela would later fall in love with the wind instrument, the trumpet after watching Kirk Douglas play a character modeled on American jazz cornetist Bix Beiderbecke in the 1950 film ‘Young Man with a Horn’. He saw the film as a schoolboy at the Harlem Bioscope in Johannesburg’s Sophiatown. Although he was just 14 years old, Masekela was so fascinated by the instrument that he made a spur-of-the-moment decision to be a trumpeter.

Another horn hero of the late icon was the American trumpeter Miles Davis. From him, Masekela learnt to constantly reinvent his style of music. He began to show genuine interest in trumpet playing even if he had no instrument of his own to practice with. His feisty penchant for the trumpet drew the attention of the anti- apartheid chaplain at St. Peter’s Secondary

School now known as St. Martin’s School, Trevor Huddleston.

Huddleston played various roles in Masekela’s life. Having noticed the young teen’s interest in music, he asked the leader of the then Johannesburg “Native” Municipal Brass Band, Uncle Sauda, to teach Masekela the rudiments of trumpet playing. Masekela quickly mastered the instrument and with some of his schoolmates who also became interested in playing instruments, they formed South Africa’s first youth orchestra: the Huddleston Jazz Band. If Masekela thought his dream had come true, he was in for a bigger surprise when the burnished Huddleston handed him his first trumpet in the 1950s from acclaimed jazz singer Louis Armstrong.

“Father Huddleston... met my idol Louis Armstrong and told him about our band. Louis’s response was: ‘Well‚ I got to send them one of my horns‚‘ and he did. What this did for the band was get us on the front page of every major newspaper and magazine in SA - a first for a black group,” he told TimesLive.

But with the fame came the pain and agony to walk the streets of South Africa as a proud black man. The racial segregation was so widespread that there were certain areas the blacks were restricted to. This struggle was vividly depicted in Masekela’s songs. The agony, conflict, and exploitation his country faced during the 1950s and 1960s inspired and influenced him to make music and also spread political change. He was an artist who used his music to portray the struggles and sorrows, as well as the joys and passions of his country. His music protested about apartheid, slavery, government; the hardships individuals were

living. Masekela reached a large population that also felt oppressed due to the country’s situation.

Another opportunity to reach international stardom came knocking on his door in 1958 during the Manhattan Brothers tour of South Africa. Masekela wound up in the orchestra of the musical ‘King Kong’, written by Todd Matshikiza. The musical became South Africa’s first blockbuster theatrical success.

It was during this tour that Masekela met the late Miriam Makeba who was in the lead.

He married her in 1964 but their marriage hit the rocks in 1966.

Notwithstanding, the duo had a good working relationship after their divorce. He had subsequent marriages to Chris Calloway, Jabu Mbatha and Elinam Cofie.

The Jazz Epistles which Masekela formed with Abdullah Ibrahim, Kippie Moeketsi, Makhaya Ntshoko and Johnny Gertze at the end of 1959 also fetched fame for Masekela. They were the first African jazz group to record an LP and performed to record-breaking audiences in Johannesburg and Cape Town through late 1959 to early 1960.

1960 marked a new chapter for the trumpeter. The Sharpeville massacre made Masekela to reach out to Huddleston to help him leave the country. Along with some other friends, they got the three-time Grammy Award nominee admitted into London’sGuildhall School of Music. During that period, Masekela visited the United States, where he was befriended

by Harry Belafonte. The latter and Makeba encouraged him to attend Manhattan School of Music in New York, where he studied classical trumpet from 1960 to 1964. It was during this period that he met his idol Armstrong. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, he revealed that Armstrong pushed him to learn how to sing. That encounter also influenced his style of music.

Bra Hugh as he is fondly called was not immune to some of the inner battles most musicians fight. He succumbed to the gripping hands of alcohol and cocaine addiction during his stay in the US. The effects were so bad that nobody wanted to hire him.

Not until 1997 did he decide to seek medical help. That too came with a costly price. He also set up a rehabilitation programme with other artists in 2001.

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INVERTED PYRAMID PAGE 61

28.01.2018

A MOSAIC OF PERCEPTIONS Thiery Oussou, Energie, 2017, Mixed media on paper

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

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JANU Ͱͯ˜ ͰͮͯͶ ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

ARTS & REVIEW\\EXHIBITION

A MOSAIC OF PERCEPT

Seven artists’ perceptions of Lagos unfurls on a group exhibition in Lagos, titled At Work, wh Arthouse Foundation’s Residency Programme enters its second edition this year. Okechukwu U

A

t Work heaves with inspired visions this year. This group exhibition, which is on its second edition, consolidates on the thematic gropings of the previous one, held between March 18 and April 7, last year at this same venue: The Kia Showroom in Victoria Island, Lagos. A fallout of the final projects of the beneficiaries of the Arthouse Foundation Artist Residency Programme, it bases its narrative arc on the Lagos scene – “a conceptual mapping of the city”, as the organisers ingeniously dubbed it.

Perhaps, there is really something about this recurring allusion to Lagos as an invaluable selling point, which gave its opening, yesterday (Saturday, January 27), its allure.

On until Saturday, February 10, the exhibition – supported by Kia Motors – features projects

by François Beaurain, Nengi Omuku, Thiérry Oussou, Kadara Enyeasi, Jimmy Nwanne, Gloria Oyarzabal Lodge and Christian Newby, which they produced during their three-month residency programme with the Arthouse Foundation last year. The septet’s exploration of this theme traipses through painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, collages, mixed-media and textiles, rummaging through the archives and experimenting with tactile materials.

Expectedly, this mosaic of narratives re-echoes the artists’ diverse backgrounds, which inevitably leaches into their divergent takes on the mega-city. Take the 39-year-old Christian Newby, the American-born artist who lives and works in London, UK, for instance. Isn’t there something Freudian about his offerings?

His motif-laden tufted wools already hint at his provenance. This explains why his obvious deft use of the carpet-tufting gun leaves a culturally conflicting trail on his offerings. Yet, the aftertaste on the viewer’s palate is pleasant, as he begins to see textile materials and their aesthetic potentials in an entirely new light.

Newby’s exploration of the tufted surface as a site of technical and aesthetic mutability beams the spotlight on the various uses and roles an object can assume.

Similarly, the 30-year-old Beninese-born artist Thiérry Oussou, who lives and works in Benin and Amsterdam, offers a compact – albeit inscrutable – visual impression of Lagos. In his mixed-media on paper offerings, there is an apparent indecision between abstraction and representation. The outcome is a space cluttered with childlike images, which sometimes evoke ghoulish forms. This, perhaps, best captures the ethereal environment of Nigeria’s commercial capital. And this is one good reason why Oussou’s vision of Lagos as an outsider deserves to be taken seriously. It takes his otherness to thus interpret the city’s legendary energy through the imageries of the tricycle riders, the water and fruit vendors. This is evident in his mixed-media on paper works “Life in Ikoyi”, “The Orange Seller” and “Energie”.

Oussou’s unintended otherworldly forms find their alter-egos in Nengi Omuku’s haunting images of, sometimes, fragmented bodies and ominously brooding skies. There is indeed something mythical, if not arcane, about her landscapes in which her forms float like spectres. Thus, the fact that the 31-year-old Port Harcourt-based painter seeks the point of convergence between abstraction and formal representation becomes more and more selfevident, especially in her oil on canvas paintings “Sweet, Sweet Home”, “How To Be”, “On Low Cut” and “Akimbo”. Omuku’s intentional fuzzy representations seem to italicise the transience of matter with a breathtaking nimbleness. Her images seem to call out to the viewer: “Here today, gone tomorrow.”

One of the most engaging artists among the septet is Kaiserslautern, Germany-based Jimmy Nwanne. The 29-year-old is a dab hand at conjoining fabrics, local newspapers,

Christian Newby, Some Pig Harlequin Blanket, 2017, Tufted wool, Dimensions variable

Jimmy Nwanne, Beyond 2017, Mixed media on canvas (details)

Francois Beaurain, Fear of a Woman

magazines, cardboard and charcoal to achieve his ultimate goal of exploring the themes of boundaries and transcendence. Thus, he parses the issue of identity, tribe, gender and social hierarchies. The inter-connectedness between these diverse cultures and social standings are highlighted with his cut and paste technique, which the viewer easily discerns in the mixed-media works, “Identity”, “Connection”, “Demand” (Prosperity), “Beyond” and “Situation Room”. To produce these works, Nwanne, the story goes, was inspired by separate conversations he had

works between Paris and Rabat, Morocco, these posters are appropriated as raw materials for his collages. In these collages, he focuses on the isolation and repetition of a single figure while adopting a “cloning” process that evokes the way that these posters are displayed in streets and markets throughout the continent. The titles of the collages “Rest in Peace”, “Princess of the Moon”, “Fear of a Woman” and “Return of Book of Evil” parody the typical Nollywood titles.

As for the 24-year-old Nigerian-born Kadara

the same day with his friend’s neighbour and a taxi driver. Thus, the co-existence of diverse cultural groups within the same geopolitical space began to interest him. There is a quality in these works that proclaims his message of unity before a babel of voices clamouring for sectional interests.

Meanwhile, Frenchman François Beaurain discerns this unity in Nollywood movie posters, which he had been collecting for years. For the 42-year-old, who lives and

61

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž U Í°ÍśË&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

ʜ ˺˺

TIONS

Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2019; Ă&#x2039;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?

Uwaezuoke Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17E;Ă?

Enyeasi, the human body is a medium to express emotions and, perhaps, tension. The Lagos-based artist deftly combines elements of photography with those of drawing and sculpture as an approach to a psychological study of the nude human figure. Indeed, there is nothing voyeuristic about the seated nude male model, who turns his back on the viewer in a contortionist pose. Enyeasi might never have seen Lucien Freudâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s misanthropic nude female studies but there are obvious parallels between his work and the latter. But among his acknowledged influences are Rotimi Fani Kayode, Jean Hans Arp, Henri Matise and Rei Kawakubo, whose efforts he reinterpreted in addition to imagining their intersections.

Finally, the 46-year-old British-born Gloria Oyarzabal Lodge scours through the archives of the National Museum, Lagos among other sources in her bid to explore the vernacular representation of African women. Lodge expands the discourses of feminism, drawing her audienceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention to alternative models beyond the familiar Western concept of the nuclear family. The Madrid, Spain-based artist appropriates archival photographs in their historical context and interrogates those overlooked factors that constitute the generally accepted notions of of gender and identity.

The exhibitionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s real selling point lurks behind the fact that it provides a platform for artists to expand their practice and experiment with new art forms and ideas. This is a nod to the raison dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ĂŞtre of the Arthouse Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s residency programme, which has since inception been clear about establishing a network that supports cross-cultural exchange between Nigerian and international artists. The nonprofit organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stated aim to encourage the creative development of contemporary art in Nigeria also embraces the medium as an educational model to engage communities, promote social dialogue and advance the critical discourse of artistic practices.

The Inverted Pyramid; Adapted from a novel by Emeka Dike

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CICERO

Editor Olawale Olaleye Email wale.olaleye@thisdaylive.com, SMS: 08116759819

IN THE ARENA

Buhari (middle) with security chiefs at a meeting

It’s Time for a Review of Security Strategy The time is now for the federal government to review the nation’s deteriorating security architecture, writes Olawale Olaleye

T

he times are quite not promising and practically on every front. But in the midst of the prevailing situation is an even more disturbing development, which is daily exposing the inadequacies of the nation’s security strategies.And today, across the different regions, security is the issue.

First, follow this sequence. Last weekend, six people were reportedly killed when herders and farmers clashed in the Numan district of Adamawa State, the same place a group of people from the Bachama farming community allegedly killed some Fulani herdsmen in November of last year.The tension generated by this is still palpable.

In Zing town ofTaraba State, some irate youths reportedly attacked policemen attached to the area command over the killing of a commercial tricycle rider.The youths, most of who are from Bitako village, attacked the officers over the alleged abduction and killing of the rider, who was reportedly killed on Sunday evening after he was taken by yet-to-be identified men to a nearby village, Dogwe in Monkin ward B. Particularly niggling is a recent report that security agencies allegedly uncovered Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) fighters in Benue, Kogi and Edo States at the weekend.A presidency source has been quoted as saying the group had been operating within some North Central and South-south states, using foreign terrorists.They are also believed to be recruiting young men into their fold and killing innocent people.This development has no doubt created tension along some of the many fault lines that define Nigeria –

ethnic, religious and regional.

Again, this is equally not pleasant. One of the horrendous pieces of news last week was that some suspected herdsmen set ablaze a farm belonging to Chief Olu Falae, an erstwhile Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), and destroyed crops worth millions of naira.The rampaging herdsmen, it was reported, razed the palm tree plantation and yam farm located on 40 hectares at Ilado in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The National Assembly has waded into the security situation in the country with members recounting their personal ordeals. In talking tough, they raised the alarm over alleged occupation of certain parts of Nigeria by foreign militia believed to be perpetrating the ills in the country.

In the Senate session for instance, where a senator advised President Muhammadu Buhari to resign if he was overwhelmed by the challenge of securing the lives and property of Nigerians, a 14-day ultimatum was given to the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to fish out the perpetrators of the NewYear’s Day massacre in Benue State, amongst others. Bayelsa East lawmaker, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, said it was disgusting that everyday someone either gets killed, kidnapped, or raped without those charged with the protection of life and property doing anything.

Senator Kabiru Marafa from Zamfara Central told his colleagues that Zamfara State was being occupied by a militia and that the governor,AbdulazizYari, as well as other critical institutions and stakeholders in the state were in the know.

To compound this, militants in the Niger Delta, after months of ceasefire, had threatened to attack some offshore

oil and gas facilities in the oil-rich region. Behind this threat is the Niger Delta Avengers.You may recall that in 2016, the nation saw a resurgence of militant attacks on oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta.This evidently caused significant oil production fall.

These are outside such other security threats like kidnapping, armed robbery, ritual killings, and cult activities, lurking around to tear down the fabric of the nation, and of course, exclusive of the insurgency and terror attacks in the north-east.With these, should anyone be told in any clearer terms that there is serious threat to the security architecture of the country?

The state of the country is very tender at this point and tension-soaked and therefore, the various heads of the respective security agencies must urgently meet to address some of these challenges.The evidence that they have not been up to task is etched in the results of the many crises that abound and which the nation is still experiencing as it were.

There is an urgent need for a serious and total review, if not overhaul of the current security design of the country.

What presently obtains has become insipid – unable to address or contain the weight of the subsisting challenges in many parts of the country.

The possibility that each day Nigerians wake up, it is to one or two stories on security challenges and this dictates that something urgent must be done. Ultimately, at the end of the day, the nation must have to embrace multi-level policing, not just in the spirit of true federalism as being marketed lately but as part of a comprehensive and genuine desire to sufficiently tame insecurity.

P O L I T I CA L N OT E S

The Distraction Called Endorsements!

T President Muhammadu Buhari

he last few weeks have witnessed different types of endorsements for President Muhammadu Buhari to return to office in 2019. Some took their goodwill messages to him on a day a certain part of the country was mourning the unfortunate death of 73 people. Others had set up structures to push the idea of his re-election, while there are those already working on his re-election.

But the presidency, while responding to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s recent letter to Buhari, said debates on whether or not Buhari would seek re-election “is a distraction

for the President at this time. This is because Mr. President spends every waking hour tackling the enormous challenges facing the nation, most of which were bequeathed to his Administration by successive past Administrations. He is committed to fulfilling the mandate given to him by Nigerians in 2015. And that’s where we are right now!”

That is clear enough. People should stop exacerbating tension in the land on the altar of their personal aggrandizement, disguised as patriotism. 2019 is still a long time away. Let tomorrow take care of self, whilst the president battles the challenges of today.

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BRIEFINGNOTES From the Court, a Message for Ajimobi Attempts by Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State to review an age-long chieftaincy tradition of the Ibadan people suffered a huge setback recently as the lower court sacked all the 21 kings he newly installed, writes Ademola Babalola

T

he battle to protect the 21 new kings installed by Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State but sacked by a State High Court judge, Justice Olajumoke Aiki, is now the preoccupation of the governor as he takes his several reforms on the change agenda to the road hardly travelled by his predecessors.

Expectedly, the battle has been both fierce and intriguing as interested parties now look unto the judiciary for succour. And with the recent judgment of the court, the Olubadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, and the Osi Olubadan, High Chief Rashidi Ladoja, won the first battle. They have never hidden their preference for status quo, which to them is the generally acknowledged practice and tradition and are therefore against the new reform by the ruling All Progressives Congress-led government in the state.

But like a cat with nine lives, Ajimobi is not taking the matter with a pinch of salt as he knows that his political future and reputation are at stake, hence his immediate resort to appeal the judgment he described as “complete miscarriage of justice, undeserving and futile exercise that will certainly fly in the face of rigorous judicial interrogation”.

If the urgency with which the appeal was filed is anything to go by, the governor appears battle ready to confront it head-on and safeguard the kings from further public ridicule, because not a few has tongue-lashed the new kings through uncensored public remarks.

In her judgment, Justice Olajumoke Aiki described the review of the 1957 Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration and other Related Chieftaincies in Ibadan land carried out by the state government in August last year as “unconstitutional, illegal, null, void and of no effect.”

Though Olubadan and Ladoja are relishing the joy of the moment, the governor has a word for them: don’t rejoice yet! And he has therefore filed 11 grounds of appeal before the Appeal Court to quash the decision of the lower court.

But Ladoja had in his reaction to the judgment said it was not a personal victory for him, because what triggered the suit was the need to preserve the cherished custom and tradition of Olubadan succession system, which he described as smooth and rancour-free.

“The judgment has vindicated us as purists, who abhor any contamination of a rancor-free succession process that has become the envy of many cities all over the world. I do not in any way see it as a personal victory. The Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration was made in 1957 and registered with the then Western Region government. It was made by a chieftaincy committee headed by the then Olubadan, Oba I.B Akinyele.

“If in compliance with the extant laws at that time, the Western Region government saddled the then Olubadan-headed committee with making the Declaration, why would the state government in 2017 raise a Judicial Commission of Enquiry to do same?

“We agree totally with the court that the commission lacked the power to review the declaration. I commend the Olubadan for standing to be counted on the side of truth and justice.

History has obviously booked an enviable chapter for him,” Ladoja added.

But the governor insisted that there was no provision in the Oyo State Chiefs law that takes away his rights from instituting a commission of inquiry to look into issues affecting traditional institutions. He therefore faulted the trial judge for saying that he has no power to set up a commission of inquiry on the issue of beaded crown wearing and coronet crown wearing Obas in line with the provisions of the Chiefs law of Oyo State, which vests such powers and authority in him.

Thus, in a seven-page suit No: M/317/2017 filed on his behalf, before the Court of Appeal

Governor Ajimobi at the installation of Olubadan sitting in Ibadan by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Yusuf Ali, the governor claimed that Ladoja, who is the first respondent lacked locus standi to prosecute the case, adding that the suit discloses no reasonable or any cause of action at all, hence “the judge erred by refusing to follow decided authorities of the Appellate Court cited before him and thereby embarked on clustered justice against the appellant”.

The suit further stated that “the judge erred in law and gravely misdirected himself in holding that the case of the 1st respondent as constituted is not academic, hypothetical, and will serve no useful purpose”.

The governor held that Ibadan chieftaincy is a matter that affects all Ibadan indigenes both within and in the diaspora and since the 1st respondent did not allege any infringement of his right or denial of any entitlement by the act of the appellant, the case should be dismissed, stressing that, “ if at all the 1st respondent has any right, which is denied, he has it in common with millions of Ibadan indigenes and was unable to show special interest to elevate his right to donate locus standi” Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Oluwaseun Abimbola, told THISDAY what the governor did was a way of balancing history and keeping the trend, peace and hierarchy in chieftaincy institution. He claimed it has no issue but purely calculated to clean up the historical problems that different generations keep passing on, because nobody could boldly take a decision this administration has taken.

“When change begins, there is always some measure of resistance. Let’s look at it this way, historically, some towns in the boundary areas of Ibadan are entitled to the crowns and the Baales of these outskirts of Ibadan said they were entitled to become crown-wearing Obas.

Indeed, in several part of the state like Ibarapa and Ogbomoso, there were similar situations, which government had elevated some traditional rulers to crown-wearing Obas. By Ibadan

traditional chieftaincy set up, the Olubadanin-council members (High Chiefs) are the traditional heads of 11 local governments in Ibadan. Now imagine a scenario when a Baale who is a crown-wearing Oba sits as a member of a traditional council headed by one of the High Chiefs who is not an Oba? “Can you see the aberration that will be created? That means someone who is an Oba has been put under a high chief. Now that they are proposing a National Council of Traditional Institution, do you think a Baale will be part of the Council? The qualification to be in the council will be something that shows your superiority in the hierarchy of traditional institutions. So, if we remain in that premise, we are not doing ourselves any good. Don’t forget, there was a time we had only one local government in Ibadan land. I mean Ibadan Municipal Council.

When there were moves to have more council areas, there was this kind of resistance then.

Did anybody know that there is still going to be 1999 constitution, which will tie distribution of consolidated revenue of Federal Republic of Nigeria to the number of local governments we have?”

“Assuming Ibadan remains only one local government rather than eleven, now we have 774 local governments in the constitution that the revenue mobilisation and fiscal commission divides allocation to every month based on parameter set out. Ibadan can only make one claim because we are one local government. Now that we are eleven local governments, which added up more resources and development of Ibadan land, are we not better for it?

“That is what I am saying that naturally people resist change, because they cannot see far but you that you know that it is ultimately for your good and you are trying to propound and propose for betterment of your people, they will resist you. Thank God Ajimobi is not in line to become Olubadan. The amendment made didn’t alter the hierarchy in terms of those who are already there, aspiring to become Olubadan.

It didn’t change anything,” he averred.

On his part, one of the sacked Kings, Oba Lekan Balogun, the Otun Olubadan of Ibadan land, explained that Governor Ajimobi, who initiated the move was only demonstrating his eagerness to promote Ibadan city and elevate its chieftaincy system without changing the structure.

“The verdict is for the governor but we are subject of the matter. Naturally, I am disappointed at the ruling because initially, there was nothing to contest. There form (that was done by Justice Akintunde Boade commission) did not touch anything in the old system,” said Balogun.

“The structure remains the way it has been since 1957. It is the duty of the government to govern, so, I don’t know what they were contesting. The judgment by Justice Aiki is not a credit to the court. Nobody is challenging the 1957 declaration or changing its structure, only the nomenclature changed from high chief and baale to king status,” he added.

Balogun also challenged Justice Aiki’s rationale, saying he could not understand why a judge would stop an attempt to modify a system to make it conform to modern era.

“If we have Ibadan State, are we going to have only one king in the state? I don’t know what the judge has against Ibadan interest. I don’t know where she is from. The governor is from Ibadan and all he was doing was to promote Ibadan interest. We have 53 kings in Lagos so what is wrong in having more than one king in Ibadan?

Is it a crime to promote Ibadan interest? I remain a high chief of Ibadan land so the structure has not changed. They are only politicising the issue,” he noted.

From the foregoing, Ibadan will continue to be divided along the canvassed lines of desirability or otherwise of the reform, and with 2019 elections knocking, the state government will need to convince the greater percentage that are against the move, if the APC would not pay dearly for it. The issue at hand for now is not a tea party for the government.

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CICERO/ REPORT

President Buhari receiving former President Obasanjo in his office during one of his visits to the State House

As Obasanjo Flashes the Yellow Card...

With his letter now in the court of public opinion, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, last week, triggered a curious debate ahead of the 2019 elections. Tokunbo Adedoja and Olawale Olaleye report

T

he journey to 2019 is beginning to look somewhat familiar, bit by bit. The plots and the settings are starting to take the shapes of some of the events of 2015. What with the actors? They haven’t changed quite significantly except for the change of roles. And just as it was in 2015, surprises appear to be lurking at every bend on the undulating road to 2019.

The lead up the 2015 elections witnessed different developments, two of which were part of the gamechanger. The first was the letter written by then governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), now Emir of Kano, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, and the other, a very scathing letter by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, where he catalogued the state of the nation and advised that former President Goodluck Jonathan should not nurse the idea of contesting the presidential election.

Without any scintilla of doubts, the convictions that Jonathan had failed the nation and that the situation would be worse if re-elected propelled Obasanjo’s endorsement of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, as the preferred of the “two evils” standing the 2015 presidential elections.

Although not a very significant victory, when the votes are properly analysed, Buhari however won as the tide had moved heavily against Jonathan.

Gradually, events are tilting in similar angle as the journey to 2019 takes off. Obasanjo, last week, wrote a similar letter to Buhari, articulating the state of the nation and in the end, like he did to Jonathan, advised Buhari not to seek re-election but dismount the horse honourably and retire home. His letter came some months after a key member of the Buhari political family and Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-rufai, had written his, suggesting that the government had failed the people and unable to deliver both the change it promised and the leadership that was to come naturally. El-rufai is now the chief advocate of Buhari reelection!

Since released last week, the Obasanjo letter remains the issue in both local and national debates as people disagreed on what to focus on between the message and the messenger. While a majority agrees that the message was spot-on and a true reflection of the state of the nation, supporters of the government, who think otherwise, hold strongly the view that such an advice should not have even come from a man like Obasanjo,

who after serving two constitutional terms, sought to do a third term that was roundly rejected by the nation.

But atypical of the government information machinery in the past two years, it gave what many reckoned as the most mature and tempered response at a time tension is high. In its conclusion, government, after countering Obasanjo with its own facts of the achievements, thanked the former president for finding time out of his busy schedule to pen such a long letter, adding that it was sure his intervention was genuine and patriotic.

This notwithstanding, the journey to 2019 has begun, albeit still fluid in all the key boxes of causes and effects.

While no particular extrapolation is authoritative in view of the prevailing circumstances, the options at this time are quite a few for the gladiators and not without consequences. But first, what are the issues and how do they affect the already unstable equation?

Salient Points Raised

The Special Statement issued by Obasanjo on Tuesday was the ex-president’s overview of the Buhari presidency. Though it had two major conclusions – that Buhari should take a dignified exit from office rather than seek for another term, and the call for Coalition of Nigeria Movement consisting of well-meaning Nigerians to drive the nation up and forward – there were other salient points contained in the statement.

One of such salient points was his admission that he knew, before Buhari became president, that he was weak in the knowledge and understanding of the economy and in playing in the foreign affairs sector.

He said even though he knew, “that you cannot give what you don’t have and that economy does not obey military order”, he thought that Buhari could make use of good Nigerians with knowledge and experience in those areas that could help.

In the special statement, he also said there were “serious allegations of round-tripping against some inner caucus of the Presidency which would seem to have been condoned,” wondering “if such actions do not amount to corruption and financial crime.”

While giving some credit to Buhari in the fight against insurgency and corruption, he noted it was “not yet uhuru.”

Another salient point he raised in the special statement was the herdsmen/crop farmers issue, which he said, “is being wittingly or unwittingly allowed to turn sour and messy.” As a way out, he said the Federal

Government must take the lead in bringing about solution that protects life and properties of herdsmen and crop farmers, and that “herdsmen/crop farmers dichotomy should not be left on the political platform of blame game.”

He also accused Buhari of engaging in “nepotic deployment bordering on clannishness and inability to bring discipline to bear on errant members of his nepotic court,” which he said had “grave consequences on performance of his government to the detriment of the nation.” Citing Maina issue as one example, Obasanjo said it would appear that national interest was being sacrificed on the altar of nepotic interest.

He accused Buhari of poor understanding of the dynamics of internal politics, which he said had led to wittingly or unwittingly making the nation more divided with inequality widened and more pronounced.

This he said had consequential effect on general national security.

Another issue raised in his statement was the accusation of passing the buck and not accepting one’s own responsibility. He specifically cited the blaming of the governor of the Central Bank and past governments for devaluation of the naira by 70 per cent. “If things were good, President Buhari would not need to come in. He was voted to fix things that were bad and not engage in the blame game”, he said.

He noted Buhari’s health challenges that took him away from the country for over 100 days and his progressing recovery since his return but warned him “not to over-push his luck nor over-tax the patience and tolerance of Nigerians for him,” because “Without impaired health and strain of age, running the affairs of Nigeria is a 25/7 affair, not 24/7.”

He advised that Buhari needed “a dignified and honourable dismount from the horse,” to “join the stock of Nigerian leaders whose experience, influence, wisdom and outreach can be deployed on the side line for the good of the country.” He said the Buhari administration and the ruling party had done what they could do to the limit of their ability, aptitude and understanding, and that what they had done and what they are capable of doing was not good enough for the nation, and that asking them “to give more will be unrealistic and will only sentence Nigeria to a prison term of four years if not destroy it beyond the possibility of an early recovery and substantial growth.”

Continued on Pg. 66

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Obasanjo and Buhari holding hands during the former Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visit to the State House

Obasanjo noted that APC and PDP were wobbling and that â&#x20AC;&#x153;neither APC nor PDP is a worthy horse to ride to lead Nigeria at this crucial and critical time.â&#x20AC;?

He said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our democracy, development and progress at this juncture require ordinary citizens of Nigeria to do the extra-ordinary things of changing the course and direction of our lackluster performance and development.â&#x20AC;?

He therefore called for a Coalition for Nigeria (CN) - which all well-meaning Nigerians must belong - for democracy, good governance, social and economic well-being and progress, â&#x20AC;&#x153;to salvage and redeem our country.â&#x20AC;?

The Hidden Jabs

Obasanjoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s letter to Buhari was laced with a lot of strategic attacks on certain persons in the form of subliminal messages. He possibly threw some of the jabs to put paid to certain issues that had begun to brew. For instance, the message to Jonathan was distinct enough: Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t contemplate a return to power!

Hear him: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Even the horse rider then, with whom I maintain very cordial, happy and social relationship today has come to realise his mistakes and regretted it publicly and I admire his courage and forthrightness in this regard. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He has a role to play on the sideline for the good of Nigeria, Africa and humanity and I will see him as a partner in playing such a role nationally and internationally, but not as a horse rider in Nigeria again.â&#x20AC;?

He however went on to maintain that â&#x20AC;&#x153;my letter to President Jonathan titled: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Before It Is Too Lateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; was meant for him to act before it was too late. He ignored it and it was too late for him and those who goaded him into ignoring the voice of cautionnâ&#x20AC;?, meaning he envisaged similar approach to the one directed to Buhari.

There was yet another subtle snide remark but this time to the PDP and apparently Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike. After recalling the circumstances that led to his quitting the party that gave him the platform to be president, Obasanjo maintained: â&#x20AC;&#x153;All these (the failure of the Jonathan-led government) led me to take

the unusual step of going against my own political Party, PDP, in the last general election to support the opposite side. I saw that action as the best option for Nigeria. As it has been revealed in the last three years or so, that decision and the subsequent collective decision of Nigerians to vote for a change was the right decision for the nation. For me, there was nothing personal, it was all in the best interest of Nigeria and, indeed, in the best interest of Africa and humanity at large.â&#x20AC;?

But the idea that PDP could stage a comeback was a mere wish as far as Obasanjo was concerned. Ponder his take here: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The recent show of PDP must give grave and great concern to lovers of Nigeria. To claim, as has been credited to the chief kingmaker of PDP, that for procuring the Supreme Court judgment for his faction of the Party, he must dictate the tune all the way and this is indeed fraught with danger.â&#x20AC;?

His Previous Interventions

Since he left office as military head of state in 1979, Obasanjo had always intervened at critical junctions of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history through letters to his successors, lectures on the state of the nation or interviews strategically timed for utmost impact. Over the years, he has carved a niche for himself as the conscience of the nation and the political barometer at critical junctions.

Though his interventions always receive mixed reactions from successive administrations - both military and civilian - political elites and the masses, such usually serve as clear warnings to a nation tottering on the precipice, wake-up calls to occupants of the topmost political office in the land and a precursor to new political dispensation. The first of such interventions came in the Second Republic when he wrote a letter to his successor, former President Shehu Shagari, alerting him to the dangerous drift of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ship. In the letter which appraised the state of the economy, he warned Shagari to quickly halt the drift before it was too late. Months later, the administration came to an abrupt end through a military coup, which incidentally had General Muhammadu Buhari as head of the junta.

Buhariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s military regime, which prided its interven-

tion as a corrective exercise to save the nation from corrupt politicians, also tried to dub itself as an offshoot of the Murtala/Obasanjo regime â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a regime reputed for pioneering the onslaught against corruption in the country. But Buhari military regime tackled corruption with iron hand and a reckless disregard for human rights. It was not long before Obasanjo delinked the Murtala/Obasanjo regime from the Buhari military regime. Specifically at a lecture in Ibadan, the former President upbraided the regimeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s governance style.

Next to receive Obasanjoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rebuke was former military President Ibrahim Babangida. When the debate on the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) raged, Obasanjo called on the government to allow SAP have a human face and when the regime embarked on an endless political transition programme, he upbraided it.

He said the regime was deficient in truth.

It is believed that his occasional scathing remarks during the regime of General Sani Abacha was responsible for being roped into the Gwadabe coup plot by the regime. Even during his return as civilian president, he wrote a letter to his deputy, Atiku Abubakar, lambasting him for working at cross purposes with his government for his personal ambition The prolonged illness suffered by late President Umaru Yarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Adua also received the intervention of Obasanjo, who at a lecture in Abuja, urged him to take the path of honour and morality since his illness had impaired his ability to continue to serve the nation as president. That gave impetus to the emergence of Goodluck Jonathan presidency. In 2013, he wrote an 18-page letter to former President Goodluck Jonathan accusing him of dragging the nation to the precipice and asked him not to run in the 2015 elections. The national discourse that followed his letter actuated opposition against Jonathanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reelection. His latest intervention came through a special statement last week. Titled: The Way Out: A Clarion Call For Coalition For Nigeria Movement, the statement appraised the state of the nation and called on President Buhari to take a honourable and dignified dismount from the horse by not seeking re-election.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž JANUARY 28, 2018

CICERO/ REPORT t A"4 0#"4"/+0 '-"4)&4 5)& :&--08 $"3% t Continued on Pg. 66 Moral Burden of a Messenger

Unfortunately, for the Obasanjo letter, it landed in a big moral debate. A majority of the Nigerian populace actually thought his message was the hard core truth, representing the reality of Buhariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nigeria. They are not particular about the messenger but the fact that an individual had the guts to speak truth to power, more so that what Obasanjo had said is the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hit songâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in most parts of the country. This set of Nigerians would rather Buhari properly ruminated over the content of the letter in context and digested it well enough for his own good. For these people, the letter was timely and perhaps, the catalyst for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the other changeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s election.

Yet, another set of people, who appear to side with the government of the day disagrees with the letter, whether in terms of its timing, content or intention.

These people hold the view that Obasanjo carries with him a huge moral burden and cannot in good conscience offer such advice to a man with supposedly â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;better moral standingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. They cited amongst other things, Obasanjoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s alleged bid for a third term, a move that would have necessitated the country tampering with her constitution for the sake of one man.

And just as vaguely referenced in the official response to the Obasanjo letter that the former president was too busy with personal engagements to notice that Buhari had been addressing some of the mess Obasanjo and the past governments left behind, other supporters of the president share this sentiment and would rather it was established that Obasanjo remains one of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s many problems.

Regardless of this debate, the prevailing view is that Obasanjoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s letter has only hit the truth on its head.

Thus, whether or not the messenger carries with him any moral baggage, the message has already been made lucid by the letter, a statement of facts that is being bandied around now.

A Clarion Call or Seeking to be Rallying Point

As the debate continues on the issues raised in the special statement by Obasanjo, there is also an ongoing discourse about his motive. While several issues raised in the statement cannot be faulted because they are issues agitating the minds of Nigerian masses which had been discussed loudly at personal levels and on social media, and in hushed tones among the political elite, there are concerns that it may not be an entirely altruistic intervention by the former president. He was obviously not oblivious of the fact that such concerns may be raised in several quarters. He even posed a question around such possibility and gave a concise answer in his special statement: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some may ask, what does Obasanjo want again? Obasanjo has wanted nothing other than the best for Nigeria and Nigerians and he will continue to want nothing less.â&#x20AC;?

Apart from playing a key role in deciding who succeeded him as military head of state in 1979, Obasanjo had always being on the decision table of who rules Nigeria since he left office in 2007 as civilian president.

His call for a coalition for Nigeria Movement is thus seen as a strategic move to place him as the pivot as the machinery for 2019 election is set in motion. This assumption becomes a truism if looked at from the answer to this poser: Can Obasanjo be in a Nigerian group and will not be the rallying point?

Obasanjo and Buhari sharing a joke

Will His Epistle Alter 2019 Permutations?

The possibility of the Obasanjo letter changing the course of the 2019 equation remains in the realm of conjecture. It is a possibility that could swing either way.

It would be delusional, however, to pretend that the letter has not unsettled things for the ruling party and government. Knowing that Obasanjo is not one to take uncalculated risk, the letter has a lot of implications for those to whom it was addressed. The educated voting population is also sure to go over it time and time again as the elections approach.

And despite the volte face being put up by the government and party, words on the street indicate that the presidency might be considering the letter as a factor to drive the choices presented in the lead up to 2019.

If this is not true, nothing else can explain the recent arrest of the sacked Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, who was presumed to have walked away free despite his sack, except for some impossible coincidence. But his arrest is deemed a proof of the fact that some of the points raised by Obasanjo in his jaw-dropping letter, especially those that touched on corruption, clannish disposition and general administrative ineptitude are being given serious thoughts.

As it is, events that will unfold in the next few days would further lend credence as to whether or not the authority has been stoked into action by the letter. In the midst of these, however, the Obasanjo letter has actually taken the average Nigerian straight to the issues that presently confront him or her as a country and people.

But the extent of change this is capable of causing is what remains at the discretion of time, which ironically, ticks every second.

Buhari and Obasanjo when the former president visited him at the Abuja House, London during his medical vacation last year

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CICERO/ONTHEWATCH

Between Emmanuel and His Godfather Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State and his benefactor, the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, had for over two years enjoyed a healthy relationship. But with recent developments, it appears the party is over, reports Okon Bassey

T

hat smooth relationship was largely linked to the fact that Senator Akpabio stepped on toes to ensure Governor Udom Emmanuel emerged his successor in the 2015 governorship election in Akwa Ibom State. The godfather and godson relationship, for many, was not too good for the state. As a good banker, the governor was seen as covering perceived wrongs of his predecessor from the public. Things like the debt profile of the state inherited from his predecessor being speculated to be within the range of N500 billion are still not revealed. The governor was also seen as being teleguided by his predecessor in running the affairs of the state. But recent events have left tongues wagging on whether such relationship between the two leaders of the state is still there.

Early this month, Akpabio at a get-together arranged by the Deputy Governor of the State, Mr. Moses Ekpo, for the people of the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District reportedly took on Governor Emmanuel administration, saying the people of his senatorial district were marginalised and gave conditions for him to support the governor’s second term bid. For Akpabio, therefore, unless Emmanuel addresses the perceived marginalisation of his district, he should forget nursing second term ambition.

Akpabio, at the meeting, expressed worry that some of the projects initiated like the multi-million naira Four Points by Sheraton Hotel at Ikot Ekpene and the dualised Uyo-Ikot Ekpene road, have not been completed.

“2018 is less than one year to election, all is not well. Don’t allow anybody to deceive you that all is well. If the hotel in Ikot Ekpene rots after so much money had been expended on the project, would that be a good thing? That road from Uyo to Ikot Ekpene is still the way it was.

“In the 2018 budget, what is the percentage for Ikot Ekpene senatorial district? My job is to say the truth, because if at this level I cannot say the truth, then I am not doing well. So, please I want us to start the hotel. Please let us check the budget to know what has been earmarked for that place. I am not interested in what I did and what I did not do. I am only interested in what I am going to do.

“The truth is that Godswill Akpabio expects us to set our path straight so that we can take one route. Even when you are going for communion, you must be in a state of grace, so let us have something from the senatorial district to use in talking about election; to use in convincing the people to stand by us. We are in opposition, we don’t have government, we don’t have police, we don’t have INEC,” he said.

But this position seemed to be confusing as he sometime last year threw his weight behind the second term bid of the governor. At any given opportunity and forum, Akpabio did not hesitate to call for support for his successor’s second term. He said so at Asan Ibibio, where the Ibibio nation endorsed Emmanuel for second term, stressing that the people of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial district have no room to oppose the governor for second term.

Also, at a function organised by a foremost socio-cultural group in the state, the Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio, Akpabio reaffirmed his position for the governor’s second term bid. In October last year, when the state House of Assembly celebrated its 25th anniversary, Akpabio, who chaired the anniversary, endorsed Emmanuel for second term.

“What happen in Abuja that makes people to fight people in their states will not happen between Udom and I. We will remain together and united…In 2015, they said Udom’s right.

Udom is right for 2019.”

Speaking at the anniversary, Emmanuel also insisted that nothing would separate him from the love of his leader (Akpabio).

“The banana peel in Nigeria that makes governors and their leaders fight, Akpabio and I will not match it. We have where we are going

Akpabio in a chat with his successor, Emmanuel in Akwa Ibom and we will go together. That is why anything you write about us in the papers that will divide us we have ignored.”

But Akapbio’s outburst in Abak appeared to have triggered political interpretation as he was said to have planned to replace Emmanuel with a yet-to-be disclosed somebody from the Oron nation still from the Eket Senatorial District for the 2019 governorship race. However, to draw the goodwill of the people of Oron Nation to himself, Emmanuel sacked his Secretary to the State Government, Sir Etekamba Umoren, who was said to have been put by Akpabio, and replaced him with Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem from the Oron Nation.

Prior to the removal of Umoren, former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affair, Mr. Udo Ekpenyong from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District was sacked, allegedly due to an unpleasant encounter with Akpabio. Stakeholders from Akwa Ibom North-East (Uyo) senatorial district described the comment by Akpabio as sheer blackmail.

In a communique dated January 7, 2018, and issued about three days after Akpabio gave Emmanuel the condition to support or withdraw from the second term race, the political leaders said Akpabio’s claim on his senatorial district being marginalised was a “calculated statement of calumny, blackmail, and arm-twisting”.

The communiqué, signed by a former military governor of the state, Idongesit Nkanga, two former senators, Anietie Okon and Effiong Bob, and 21 other leaders – all close associates of Senator Akpabio – accused Akpabio of trying to cause ethnic rift in the state. The leaders in the Uyo senatorial district reminded the senator of several projects he abandoned in other senatorial districts, “despite the favourable resources he received during the eight years he served as the governor of the state”.

Some of the projects Senator Akpabio reportedly abandoned during his eight years reign in the state were listed to include the terminal building at Ibom International Airport, Ibom Tropicana Hotel, Ibom Specialist Hospital, Eket-Etinan Road and Itak Okoita-Use Ikot Amama Road etc.

But Nwoko has dismissed the assertion that there is a crack between Akpabio and

Emmanuel ahead of the 2019 general election.

Instead, he said Emmanuel and Akpabio’s relationship was as cordial as ever and that what Akpabio meant that all was not well in the politics of Akwa Ibom state was basically for political office holders from Ikot Ekpene senatorial district to sit up and work to satisfy the people to make them favourably disposed to the administration and the PDP. Nwoko, who also served in the Akpabio administration in same capacity, noted that although the Uyo-Ikot Ekpene road, being a major gateway into the state truly worries the immediate past governor, the present administration has however done so much to ensure the completion of the project.

“Every good coach who wants to win the next match must tell his team not to underrate the opponent. That was why the former Deputy Governor, Engr Chris Ekpenyong after listening to the governor’s explanation declared that the people were satisfied with the governor’s explanation,” he said.

However, in what seem to have been a response to the comment by Akpabio, Emmanuel warned that as the nation enters another year of political activities, political elders in the state should stop making provocative utterances capable of igniting the state and cautioning that he would not compromise with anybody irrespective of the status.

According to the governor, with 2019 general elections around the corner people are most likely bent on changing the narrative to score cheap political points and warned that his administration would not treat statements that are bound to cause public disaffection lightly.

“This year is going to be a little bit busier in terms of politics and once you enter into a political terrain of this nature so many things come up... but let me also use this platform to warn any Akwa Ibom person that with the sacrifice we’ve made to maintain peace in the state, we won’t tolerate anybody, anybody underlined, to breach that peace. You can see that people have made a lot of sacrifices in the last three years to maintain peace in the state”.

Emmanuel posited that the country was in a phase of changing the political narrative for a new political culture and advised that people

should be guided by their core values while making public pronouncements. He expressed shock at what he termed an emerging political theory, whereby excellence is sacrificed on the altar of mediocrity, saying there was need for a review of the benchmark for assessment.

“Let me also say here that it’s just a new political theory where a post-graduate student would score 100 per cent and you say it’s a mock examination and is a failure. So, if you score 100 per cent and under the new dispensation of a political theory, it is a failure, it means we have to go back to the drawing board and know what the pass mark is. If 100 per cent under the new political theory is a failure, then it holds much to be desired,” Emmanuel declared.

Emphasising that he would not compromise the peace of the state with any individual or group, the governor particularly warned opinion leaders and others to respect themselves for peace to reign in the state, adding: “I want to believe that every single individual would respect himself or herself so that peace can reign in Akwa Ibom State and that is the last warning I can give”.

Meanwhile, the leaders of Eket Senatorial District have urged elders and stakeholders from Uyo and Ikot Ekpene senatorial districts to desist from inciting comments and actions capable of generating heat in the state polity.

They have also maintained that the current progress and development in the state can only be sustained if the three geo-political zones maintain their support for and cooperation with the administration.

In a resolution reached at the end of an emergency meeting in Eket titled: “Toeing the path of peace and harmony in Akwa Ibom”, the leaders decried the ongoing war of words in the media, which were “at variance with our communal disposition as a people of the same family.”

They maintained that there was no misunderstanding between Emmanuel and Akpabio, asserting that “Having noted the concerns raised in different quarters, we have a firm belief that except caution is applied, and calm restored, we may end up collapsing all the gains we had united to build as a state in the last couple of years.”

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JANUARY 28, 2018

SUNDAYINTERVIEW Kayode Fayemi

Ikpeazu...my performance will speak for me

We Have Not Communicated Buhari’s Successes Well Enough The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, is one of the intellectuals in the government President Muhammadu Buhari. A former governor of Ekiti State, Fayemi holds a portfolio that is key to the diversification of the nation’s economy. Hhe has been pursuing that national target with vigour. A little over a week ago, Fayemi’s successor in office as Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, affirmed the recommendations of a panel he set up to probe his administration, which prescribed a 10-year ban for him, through a white paper. But Fayemi would not budge, because he already saw it coming. In this interview with Olawale Olaleye, Fayemi faults the report and also speaks on some key national issues that are currently defining the journey to 2019 elections. Excerpts:

Y

our successor just announced that you have been banned from holding public office for ten years. Are you supposed to be worried?

What is there to be worried about? Frankly speaking, I recall giving an interview to journalists, when I was in Ekiti over the Christmas holidays. I predicted precisely what had just happened. I knew this was the agenda and I told them why this was going to be the line of action, because if there is one person in Ekiti State that my successor is mortally afraid of, it is Kayode Fayemi. But if we were to even take his panel’s report on its own merit – look at the wishy-washy conclusions arrived at.

You are banning me for 10 years? And you could not even check if your panel has the powers to do this? Does the government of Ekiti have the power to ban anybody? Even if it’s your prerogative to probe, in order for you to know the premeditated nature of what he did, he then gathered people who are mostly current officials of state, not independent people. You got them to produce a report that clearly will not stand up to scrutiny in any court.

Let’s even now assume you even have a case, that there were indeed contracts that were awarded and were not implemented, either for reasons of incompetence on the part of the contractor or deliberate act of fraud; what action did you take against that contractor? Governors don’t sign cheques, governors don’t award contracts, governments do, and there are legal processes for holding people, who have been awarded contracts accountable. Either the contracts are revoked after a period in which clear underperformance had been established and the persons are appropriately dealt with in accordance with the law or you insist that the person fulfills the conditions that are attached to the contract. These are contracts that are milestone-determined.

So, if the person had not met a particular milestone, it is not likely that they will be paid for the next tranche of the contract.

So, even the logic of it is clearly not something that can be substantiated by him. But then why worry about logic when it’s premeditated, when you have an agenda? And as most lawyers, who have commented on this over the last few days have said, I think he has forgotten or maybe he doesn’t have a competent AttorneyGeneral who is well versed in the law. He

has forgotten that because of the abuse of this particular clause in the Nigerian constitution by previous administrations, the Nigerian legislature had deliberately removed this aspect of Sections 137 and 182 of the 1999 constitution as amended. That was what triggered the various cases that transpired in that period - Atiku vs FG, Kwankwaso vs Shekarau and El-Rufai vs HoRs. So, if the agenda on his part is to stop me from holding public office or from running for governor, then it’s dead on arrival. A judicial precedent is firmly established in Atiku Abubakar versus Federal Government of Nigeria, in Amaechi’s case, in El-Rufai versus House of Representatives, even in Shekarau vs Kwankwanso; that except the court establishes a ground for withholding participation in public office, no panel, administrative, judicial, whatever, as long as it is not a court of record, can ban anybody from public office.

So, for its entertainment value, it’s a good entertainment for him; for its de-marketing potential, he might have a temporary value but will ultimately collapse; but for substantively stopping me, in the event that I even have such an ambition, it’s obviously a non-starter, because I don’t see how INEC

would treat that paper whether its white or red or yellow as worth anything that its written on. But then, again, we are talking about Ayo Fayose. It is unfortunate that Ekiti has been afflicted with this pestilence but that is also why we all owe it a duty – all freeborn in Ekiti owe it a duty to make sure that he gets his comeuppance soon.

Quite interestingly, you claimed to have seen this coming. That notwithstanding, what are your options?

Well, my lawyers are at work, as far as I am concerned, so let’s leave it at that.

A lot of people have interpreted this in different ways but what appears to be more popular is the assumption that this is vendetta. What did you do to Fayose to have wanted to settle accounts with you?

Very simple: I have refused to give him attention. One thing that Ayo Fayose cannot really stand is for him to be ignored. He takes it personally. He has tried everything, he approached people that he believes he can use to engage me but I have simply just left him to his devices and he is trying

Continued on Pg. 70

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everything: stopped my pension and entitlements and recently he said he was distributing vehicles to former governors, of course, he deliberately left Fayemi out of it.

Not that I need any vehicle from Ayo Fayose to give him legitimacy that he is the one who gave me a vehicle. God has blessed me enough that I have a car to ride but that is not the issue, the issue is public office – it’s something you hold in trust. You may not agree with me, you may not even like me, but the important thing – it’s like President Buhari stopping former president Goodluck Jonathan from enjoying the constitutional benefits of being a former president for whatever reason, simply because Jonathan is still a foe of our party.

The irony, and I say this repeatedly to people, Ayo Fayose enjoys more under this administration than any other opposition governor ever enjoyed under President Jonathan.

He is deprived of no benefit accruable to other governors; he gets more funds from this government. The other day the N-power beneficiaries – about eight thousand of them, the new ones that the federal government is paying for – he went and held an event claiming credit for N-power in Ekiti. That is what he shamelessly does.

For me, the simple problem I have with him is that he takes Ekiti people for a ride and he knows that I have seen through him and that I will be totally uncompromising in ensuring that he pays the maximum price for every wrong he has committed against the state. So, that is the bottom line. He knows, he is not in any way in doubt that if there is one person in the state that is going to hold him accountable, it’s Kayode Fayemi. I don’t think he has any doubt. Ayo Fayose is not stupid, he behaves like a mad man but there is method in his madness. I don’t consider him a stupid man at all and he knows who can make him account for everything he has done. That is why Kayode Fayemi is his target, even if I don’t talk and he knows I don’t talk about him, it’s only lately that I decided that enough is enough, I am not going to keep quiet while this guy continues to ride roughshod over people of this state.

You go around abusing the president of Nigeria. Even if you don’t like the president, the office must always be respected. After praying and hoping the President dies in office and even claiming to be in possession of photographs of President Buhari in coma, you are still not remorseful when the man came back hale and hearty. He is lucky that President Buhari is the one in charge in this country and he is a president, who has a large heart, if it were to be other presidents, Ayo Fayose will not even be where he is now. So really, I think the answer to your question is that he knows that although he managed to escape the last time and managed to manipulate the system, this

time around, I don’t see how he is going to escape the full weight of the law being brought against him.

There is a swelling rumour that you might be seeking election again as governor later this year but your silence had kept a lot of people very busy.

Perhaps, for this one time, you may want to tell us: are you contesting?

Wale, I have always said to you, you will be among the first set of people to know, if I have come to a decision to run for governor again in Ekiti and it’s not really conceit or arrogance that is preventing me from giving a definitive answer.

However, let us wait and see how things pan out.

Hypothetically speaking, let’s assume you are going to run, do you think people who voted you out in 2014 will elect you again in 2018, or what would have changed between then and now?

You are talking hypothetically. I am not in the business of hypotheticals. I will deal with that reality when it comes. However, I think it is a fair question you have asked and I will answer the question in two ways. First is your mistaken assumption that the people voted me out, I don’t think the facts bear witness to that and I don’t want to go into what is well known about the shenanigans that presaged and actually transpired during the Ekiti elections. What record has shown, with regards to what the Jonathan administration did and the role played by a variety of individuals in that election, both on the military and civilian sides, and even on Ayo Fayose’s side, show precisely what they did. That is one. So, the jury is still out on that.

Two, lets even ignore the obvious fact that he got there fraudulently, he has now been in office for over three years, going into three and a half years, this is January 2018, he has only 9 months to go. By October 2018, he is out of the office, so basically, he has nine months left in office. The record speaks for itself. I was in office for four years, what I did in Ekiti for four years, either in terms of infrastructure development, in terms of education, healthcare, social security and youth development, the records are there for discerning, dispassionate independent observers to analyse.

First, for the record, most government workers in Ekiti are owed at least six months salaries as I speak. There has been no wage increase in Ekiti in the last three years. I was in the office for four years, I did not owe anybody for the four years I was in the office, even the last month that was owed (federal allocation) which was supposed to have

For its entertainment value, it’s a good entertainment for him; for its demarketing potential, he might have a temporary value but will ultimately collapse; but for substantively stopping me, in the event that I even have such an ambition, it’s obviously a non-starter, because I don’t see how INEC would treat that paper whether its white or red or yellow as worth anything that its written on. But then, again, we are talking about Ayo Fayose. It is unfortunate that Ekiti has been afflicted with this pestilence but that is also why we all owe it a duty – all freeborn in Ekiti owe it a duty to make sure that he gets his comeuppance soon

been paid the week I left office, I left office on October 15, our federal allocation came on October 18, and salaries are paid in arrears, so, that September salary had allocation that came in, that ought to have settled in which it was not settled. You cannot even say that was owed, but the record clearly shows that I didn’t owe a single worker in the state and there were three pay rises for workers in the course of my time in office. When I became governor, workers in Ekiti State were earning N7,500 which went to N13,000 naira in my second year in office and rose to N19,300 by my third year in office and that was above the minimum wage of N18, 000.

I was the first governor in the whole of the South-west to pay medical workers new salaries. I was paying teachers, rural teachers allowances, I was paying them core subject allowances, I had 10,000 young people on a scheme that is similar to what is now called N-power, the youth volunteer scheme in this state. I had 20,000 elderly people on N5, 000 social security stipends every month. That is in addition to our specific policy free medical care for children, for the elderly, for pregnant women, for people with disability and free education programme up to senior secondary school level, payment of WAEC, laptop computers for senior secondary school pupils, payment of JAMB – all of that is gone in Ekiti now, not to mention the youth in commercial agriculture scheme that we had. I can go on and on.

So, clearly people know the difference between deliberate, planned governance and accidental governance. It is very clear! Somehow, some who were genuinely conned by his theatrics may not want to admit for a variety of reasons the tough times being experienced now, to say that they regret is an understatement. So, if you say what has changed? A lot has changed in the state, and accountable governance has disappeared completely. People cannot even say this is how much we are getting from the internally generated revenue in the state. Nobody knows until I gave an interview and listed the number of benefits coming to the state from the federal government: budget support, bailout fund, Paris Club, ecological fund, small and medium enterprises fund, you name it. The swan song when he got into office was that Fayemi had piled up debt for 36 years.

Sure, I took a bond of N25billion for infrastructure projects in the state. I did not take a bond to pay salary, I never paid a single naira of salary from bond. The projects were specific. The bond was taken for seven years tenure.

By the time I was leaving office, because we took the bond December 2011, three years down the line, by the time I was leaving office, we had paid N14.5billion out of that. When our friend came to office, he rescheduled all the loans for a-30-year tenure and wanted to blame that on Fayemi.

On top of it, he borrowed N56billion in the space of three years. He was denying it until the Debt Management Office records were presented to the ordinary people. You ask yourself, what did he do with N56billion, because I can show Ekiti what we did with N25billion? People can see the road network. It is the same roads that he has now divided and claims that he had dual carriage ways in Ekiti.

He did not even extend any of the roads, the same roads that I constructed as governor, he would put a divider on the road and say now he is going to commission the dual carriage way. Of course, people are not stupid, they can see through all these propaganda.

So, even going to Ekiti now for anyone who wants to go is a labour of love, because we are going to find as a party, a state that has been dumped almost in a bottomless pit but that is the challenge of leadership for anyone who wants to do that. You cannot afford to do it in your diapers, you need experience, you need clarity of thought and you need vision that will enable you to navigate that kind of labyrinthian maze that the state has been plunged into by our friend, the Alawada-in-Chief in Government House.

A lot of people believe that you were handed a ministry often described as ‘wilderness’. So far, what would you say your performance sheet looks like?

You know it would amount to a bit of arrogance or conceit for me to be the one to describe my performance sheet. But I must first say this business of ‘non-juicy’ ministry, is really sad and unfortunate. You are not the first to say it. I must say it is part of the unfortunate way in which we see governance in Nigeria. I was involved with candidate Buhari from get go in APC. I was Director of Policy and Strategy. I was involved in the development of the manifesto of the party and I was involved in synthesizing the transition committee report, so I could have been assigned any task and posted anywhere, frankly. I think I was prepared to be anywhere and if you really recognise the president’s appreciation for diversification and the place that mining sits in that diversification agenda, this is actually the juiciest ministry. Maybe Agriculture and Trade are the only two other ministries that will compete with it. Even though I hate the term juicy or non-juicy, my Ministry is actually the juiciest ministry that you have if you go by the passion and the commitment of the president to promoting non-oil economic development and that is basically what has informed all of what we have done in the sector to ensure that the foundation is rebuilt and that mining becomes a driver of the economy. And when you see that it is a government that has put a lot of emphasis on infrastructure development, you cannot do infrastructure

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JANUARY 28, 2018

SUNDAY INTERVIEW t A8& 7& /05 $0..6/*$"5&% #6)"3* 4 46$$&44&4 8&-- &/06() t Continued on Pg. 70 criminality you must also find ways of addressing other issues around modern approaches to managing livestock and animal husbandry. You cannot simply reduce it to protection of grazing routes, yes, grazing routes have been there but what has happened to many of these places that used to be grazing routes in the past? They have been overtaken by urbanisation.

The whole of Abuja was a grazing route, now it has become Federal Capital Territory. We have built all these houses here, in front of my house here, you see the cattle roaming, there has to be a way to manage this, because we are in the modern society. It is striking the right balance that has been a challenge and we must not allow those who do not love Nigeria to use this as an opportunity to cause disaffection because I see a lot of opportunism around.

We just need to review the security architecture whilst strengthening relationship among the agencies to reduce inter-service rivalries and jealousies.

without mining.

Almost everything that my brother, ‘Tunde Fashola uses in his ministry comes from mining and metals. The steel you use for the bridges and the iron rod that you use for the houses, the cement that he uses for the housing projects, the limestone, the gravels, the aggregates on the road, the quarries, it is mining. People don’t often draw the linkages but that is actually the bedrock of everything that is happening in power, works and housing and that is why this false dichotomy that we make between juicy and non-juicy ministries really has to stop. If our interest is development, you cannot ignore manufacturing and industrialisation and you cannot do industrialisation and manufacturing without mining and metals, and basically, the sector is experiencing the best times in a long time.

There is a lot that is happening in organising even the small scale players in the sector now, not to mention the streamlining and better predictability of the licensing arrangement, the accessibility of the information on the sector through our new portal, the awareness raising, the partnership with the states, because you also cannot succeed in mining without the active input of the states and the host communities. Those are the foundational issues but they are the things that will really make for a much more productive sector and that is essentially what we have succeeded in doing.

There is a strong feeling that the president might seek re-election next year but you want to ask like majority of Nigerians would: what would you say the president has done to deserve re-election?

Well, that is a legitimate question but it will be a question that will require a whole essay to respond to. I just said something to you, what a governor that is in opposition who daily abuses the president about non-performance, about being the leading terrorist and promoter of Herdsmen killers, is benefitting. But please, cast your mind back, people forget because it’s easy to. When President Buhari became the leader of this country in May 2015, 30 out of 36 states in this federation owed salaries and the crisis that would have resulted from poverty-stricken population struggling to feed, if the president had not offered the reprieve that he offered with the first bailout would have been unimaginable.

People only talk about conflict when it breaks out; they don’t talk about conflict prevention mechanism because more often than not, you did not even know what has been prevented because it never happened.

Now, I was one of the governors that struggled to get Paris Club Fund when my brother was our Chairman, Rotimi Amaechi. It even predated our own tenure, when Bukola Saraki was chairman of Governors’ Forum. They started that struggle, but who paid Paris Club? Buhari! We were in court already before I left the Governors’ Forum, chasing Paris Club refund. You may argue that some governors had done this or that with it but Paris Club refund has contributed to alleviating potential crisis in many of our states.

Also recall, when we came into office, a hundred dollar a barrel economy dropped to $38 a barrel economy, so we had lost 62 per cent of the revenue base. Recession had set in and you cannot divorce this quite across from the cyclical fortunes of the oil economy. You can’t divorce it from the criminality and looting – unconscionable looting that took place under the Jonathan administration. Now, you could argue, as that resulted in money in our pocket? Some will say no, we are not seeing the money and they may

be right. They may not be seeing the money directly but what they are seeing is a much more stable and predictable futures and that is precisely why frankly, President Buhari offers the best opportunity for us to deepen inclusive growth in the economy.

You can have growth that is not inclusive like they used to have in the Jonathan administration – 7 per cent, 8 per cent, and nothing was happening. President Buhari has not told me that he is running. Let me say that to you. I am not aware that he is running but I would really love for stability, I would love him to run, apart from everything else, he is only completing an additional four year term. I would rather have President Buhari completing the eight year term he is entitled to if his health allows him rather than have another person take over, and undo the key positive developments achieved by government now that we are out of recession. We really must build on the gains that we have achieved whilst addressing the gaps that are still there. I’d be the first to admit it’s not yet uhuru.

But whether he runs or not is not even my greatest concern. We still have 18 months to prove to Nigerians what we can achieve. Right now, there is better and more accountable governance in Nigeria. I think there are things we can improve without a doubt. I am the first to admit that there are things that we also put out there that people expect that we will do, but people should judge President Buhari on his three cardinal points. As I said, I was director of policy and I went on most of the campaigns with him. President Buhari was always restraining us, even during campaigns, to three cardinal programmes.

So, whoever wants to judge him fairly must judge him on the three cardinal programmess of security, economy and then governance, particularly anti-corruption. You may argue and some have done that, there is insecurity still.

Insecurity will never disappear. People talk more about the law and order side of insecurity, they don’t talk about the development side of it and I can tell you that a lot of crisis is being addressed via the developmental side of security.

Most Nigerians don’t talk about the North East Development Commission, for example and for me that is the most sustainable way of arresting insurgency and terrorism than military action.

Military action, in the short term will do the work but over the long term, the army of unemployed, uneducated that can still become canon fodders for further terrorist actions would only be abridged and stopped when you provide alternative livelihoods for them and that is an area that the President is paying a lot of attention to. You have seen the way he handled the militancy issue in the Southsouth? There has since been an increase in the production of oil. We can also use a law and order approach but no, the vice president went round with the Minister of State and some of our other ministers and that has been largely addressed but it must be sustained.

Yes, we know the concerns currently being expressed about the issue of herders and farmers. This crisis is not unique to Nigeria. This week (last week) it created a problem in Ghana, in Cote D’voire just as it has here, but when you have a mix of urbanisation, climate change, desertification, reduced opportunities for grazing, you are bound to find the kind of situation we have found ourselves in, but for me, it is the criminal aspect of it that we must address.

Killing anybody is not a farmers-herders issue, it is a crime in the statute of Nigeria and if you do that, you must be apprehended and the maximum weight of the law must be brought down on your head regardless of where you come from. Criminality must be addressed but in addressing

Can you sincerely say that the APC stands on the same footings as it did in 2015, because as it is now your government has spent literally the whole four years blaming the Jonathan administration, we can as well conclude at this point that it is going to spend the next four years rationalising its own failure?

Well, I think you are being unfair to us. I think we are not rationalising any failure, we are dealing with the reality we have found, but we have moved on, we are doing things, I mean, under the Jonathan administration, people used to go to Ministry of Finance just to seek waiver to import rice.

That was what they were doing! Nobody gets a waiver to import rice anymore in this country. You have lake rice, Ebonyi rice, Mitros rice and Ofada rice and by the end of this year, we will be nearing self-sufficiency in rice production. That is a tangible, solid achievement, but I blame us.

We did not even talk enough about those strides that we were making and when we do, we talk at cross-purposes.

So, it is easy to bury our success story in rubble of minutiae and social media distractions and we must fight back by just setting the record straight.

What did we meet? I don’t think that is an excuse, it’s not an excuse at all, what did we find when we came in?

Yes, people may say we don’t need you to tell us what you found that is why we threw out Jonathan, fine, but we are not going to change the situation in a day or a year. Government is a continuum and I will give you an example. The Minister of Works, the other day, was telling us that the bulk of the work he has done in the last eighteen months revolved around completing the old contracts awarded by the previous administration. We could do what other governments used to do but we did not do that, because we thought it was irresponsible to abandon projects started by previous administration simply because we are not the ones who awarded the contracts and start our own projects.

It is the same resource, belonging to the Nigerian state that was used to commence the projects, why would we then leave those projects and start afresh new ones? We didn’t do that. I don’t think we are stupid for completing road projects awarded by the Jonathan administration, some of them ridiculously inflated. In some cases we renegotiated and in some other cases, we kept them at the figures we found them.

It was not until this year, that new projects found their ways into the budget and the system. So, it is not an excuse for failure as you say, it is just that we must admit that government is a continuum but we also must reckon with the fact that the correction that is required will not come overnight and if you read the economy recovery and growth plan, which is the roadmap of our agenda, we are very precise in what we say we will do and not what they thought we should do and we are seeing the result. It may be gradual. Investment is coming back into the country.

Local investment is rising, infrastructure development is on the increase and jobs are being created. If you checked the National Bureau of Statistics report, we are expecting 2.5 per cent growth in 2018 from eight consecutive quarters of negative growth.

Compare what has been achieved in these two and a half years with the lack of progress in the preceding five years in which Nigeria made a humongous amount of revenue from oil and you cannot say this was what was done with the revenue that accrued. So, really, it is not going to be eight years of excuses as you put it. No, we are making progress but we need to talk more about the progress. We need to let Nigerians see how this is affecting their lives; the savings we are making by reducing frivolity and criminality in government, we need to tie it directly to the fortunes of the citizens. I don’t believe we have done enough of that, we must do it. We also not need to cast the minds of our people to what we actually promised, not what they assumed that we promised, that is the truth. And then judge us on the basis of those promises.

What are your projections for 2019?

That we are on the path to optimism, stability, better governance, more transparency and accountability in the system and improved well-being for our people, because ultimately, that is what governance is all about. It is about the security and welfare of the citizen and if you cannot deliver on that, then, we would have been seen to have not succeeded in improving the lives of our people.

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PERSPECTIVE

Babalakinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Message on Makanjuola Day Olusegun Adeniyi Ă&#x153;Ă?ĘŽĂ?Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17D;Ă? Ă&#x152;ĂŁ Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă&#x2039;ĂĄĂŁĂ?Ă&#x153; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ë&#x153; Ă&#x153; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ë&#x153; Ë&#x153; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x161;Ă&#x;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; ĘĽĂ&#x2039;Ë&#x153; ĂĄĂ&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2039;ĂŁ

F

riday witnessed a gathering of eminent personalities from across the country in Offa, Kwara State, at the Summit University, a recently established academic institution of the AnsarUd-Deen Society of Nigeria (ADSN).

The occasion was held to commission a 500-seater Lecture Theatre built in memory of his late mother by Caverton Helicopter Chairman, Mr. Remi Makanjuola. Led by the ADSN National President, Alhaji Femi Okunnu, SAN, other prominent members of the Islamic group who were present included Dr. Wale Babalakin, SAN, former Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Musiliu Smith, as well as Mr. Akin Kekere Ekun. The representative of the Oba of Lagos and several other important dignitaries like Mr. Oba Otudeko, Dr. Tunji Olagunju, Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (rtd), Mr. Muyiwa Bakare were also in Babalakin attendance at the ceremony.

Going down memory lane, Makanmillion Naira. When, another decade juola said the whole idea started in later, and years after his motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s March 2005 when his mother, Alhaja passage, the university had moved from Adiat Abegbe Makanjuola, (now of conception to reality with its registration blessed memory), was conferred a by the National University Commission, merit award by the ADSN which she according to Makanjuola (who came to joined in 1980 and had by then served the occasion with his wife, Yoyinsola, meritoriously for a quarter of a century. and their children), he decided to At that ceremony in Lagos, the idea build the lecture hall in her (motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s) of a university by the Ansar-Ud-Deen memory.

Society of Nigeria was mooted and In his welcome speech at the octhe late Alhaja Makanjuola donated a

casion, Prof Hussein Oyelola Oloyede, the Vice Chancellor of the University, thanked Makanjuola for his generosity before dwelling on the virtues of mothers and why children should always leave befitting legacies in their honour and memories. Quoting extensively from the Quran, Oloyede, who laced his presentation with Yoruba songs and poems, said the â&#x20AC;&#x153;unique contributions of mothers to their children inform the respect they earn both in their lifetimes and after their passage.â&#x20AC;?

While the place of mothers became the recurring theme for subsequent speakers, it was the brief intervention by Babalakin, Chairman of the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Governing Council, that was more memorable; first with a Yoruba idiom before ending with a lesson in leadership. Aside tracing how the University was conceived as well as his own initial reluctance and cynicism before he was eventually railroaded into the chairmanship of the Governing Council by Okunnu (whom Babalakin accused, in a lighter mood, of using his late motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to the society as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;blackmailâ&#x20AC;? to get him), he also recalled the initial challenge with a Yoruba adage: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Awo o kâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;aju ilu, won ni ki won lo pe ayandeyi wa. Bi won pe ayandoyinbo gan, kinni olu?â&#x20AC;?

The import of that adage, which speaks to near-impossible situations, was used

by Babalakin to illustrate the state of affairs on the University campus when the first academic session commenced in March last year. Yet, within a period

of less than one year, things had changed so dramatically on the campus not only because of the commitment and sacrifices of members and associate members who make significant contributions on account of membership by their deceased parents, like Makanjuola had done, but also, according to Babalakin, because of the leadership provided by the University authority.

To Babalakin, what was demonstrated on the campus by the University management, led by the Vice Chancellor, were prudence, accountability and uncommon commitment to high ideals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For me, the take-away from this project is that what the world is looking for are not those who can lead when everything is okay but rather those who can take the helm and change the tide of history when circumstances are not only tough but everything seemed to be stacked against them,â&#x20AC;? said Babalakin.

What I learnt from Babalakin in those few minutes was that the leaders we remember are usually not those who can coast along in normal times but rather those who, faced with difficult situations, would react boldly, throw conventional wisdom out of the window and develop their own playbooks for success. While Babalakin may have been speaking to a small University community, it is a message that will serve those who wield authority, at all levels, in Nigeria.

ËŞĂ? Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x;Ă?Ă&#x2019; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; ͺ͸͚Î&#x20AC; Akin Owolabi

T

he JointAdmissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, called an all-inclusive meeting of stakeholders atAbuja penultimate Tuesday to fine tune, that is, dot the Is and cross the Ts in its final road map to conducting a distinctive Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, it has scheduled for the third month of 2018. The matriculation examination for this year would run from March 9 to 17, 2018 while the warm-up exercise - mock examination - would be conducted in the first week of February.

Themed: Strategic Planning on Supervision and Evaluation of the Conduct of the 2018 UTME, the high-powered stakeholdersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; meeting was held at the National Judicial Institute, Abuja on January 9 and was the arrowhead of the series of stakeholdersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; meetings which kicked off on November 6 last year. JAMB had on November 6 held consultative meetings with mobile money operators; the banks and mobile service operators and technical advisors the following day and the November 8 meeting was held with computer based test centre owners and technical advisors.

The build-up to the March UTME also included a stakeholdersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; meeting with state commissioners for education, National Assembly members, the Boardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chief external examiners and other stakeholders last November 15. The sale of application and registration document scheduled to run from December 6, 2017 to February 6 this year is currently running.

The Board had to shift its mock examination designed to tone up fresh candidates from January 22 to 24 to February in view of an ongoing Non-Academic Staff Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, NASU, industrial action in some tertiary institutions, an action that stalled the accreditation of â&#x20AC;&#x153;the Computer Based Tests Centresâ&#x20AC;? in affected institutions.

JAMB ultimate push towards the March examination involved the honing of the expanded monitoring groups at the Abuja strategic meeting, which reviewed last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exercise and sensitized participants to the dangers to avoid and the Boardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preparations for an integrity-ladden exercise. .

JAMBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Registrar, Professor Is-haq Olanrewaju

Prof. Oloyede Oloyede, outlined the improvements on the existing infrastructure and the strategic plan for the national task ahead saying: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most of the features of 2017 UTME are retained and in most cases enhanced.

But, in addition, some new elements are introduced to address current realities.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;To achieve effective communication from the Board to the candidates, eliminate extortion of candidates by CBT centres and cyber cafĂŠs with respect to (email) profile creation and ease the process for candidatesâ&#x20AC;?, JAMB now â&#x20AC;&#x153;employs Short Service Code on the four mobile operatorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; networks with candidate sending his or her name to 55019 on his/her unique cellphone number and receiving a profile code (attached to the phone number). The profile code will be maintained and used in all subsequent activities, including procurement of ePIN to purchase of application documentâ&#x20AC;?, Prof. Oloyede explained.

JAMB has created more payment platforms and outlets this year with â&#x20AC;&#x153;thousands of outlets

across the country to procure ePIN.â&#x20AC;? Giving some of the outlets as mobile money operators, automated teller machines (ATMs), NIBSS supported USSD payment platforms he explained that the new ones complemented the 2017 partners such as banks, NIPOST, Remita and Interswitch. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the course of monitoring the registration exercise, we have discovered that a particular mobile service operator was engaging in multiple charging candidates for failed service. We have issued stern warning to Telcos to desist and ordered the particular service provider to refund the excess charges to the affected candidates. In the same vein, some banks were manually writing the ePIN for candidates as against automatic delivery to the candidatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; unique numbers thus creating the potentials for introducing unnecessary errors,â&#x20AC;? said the Registrar, adding that the organisations involved risked being blacklisted and disengaged if they failed to refrain.

The Boardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Registrar enthused that it had strengthened the CBT centres with a view to eliminating â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;VIPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; rooms where high bidders could cheat with ease, provision of toilet facilities and automation of some elements and other facilities to remove human errors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A meeting has been scheduled ahead of the mock examination to share accreditation results with the CBT centres.â&#x20AC;?

Other innovation driven features for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s matriculation examination include a â&#x20AC;&#x153;more robust and fortified Custom Browser developed and deployed for accreditation exercise thus phasing out the use of optionally used other generic browsers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The 2018 UTME delivery software employs biometric authentication of the technical officers to receive examination on the delivery servers and activate it for the candidates. And the examination cannot be activated ahead of the scheduled time.â&#x20AC;?

The policy on â&#x20AC;&#x153;no biometric authentication for candidates, no participation in the examination stays, Oloyede said with emphasis. The mouse driven computer system has been phased out and replaced with 8-key system thus eliminating the fears of mouse phobic candidates.

JAMB announced the prohibition of three more items - biros, wrist watches and calculators - in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s UTME. This is in addition to the prohibition of other devices that could store, transmit or receive signals. The unique feature of the prohibitions is that

they extend to all the officials who would be on duty at CBT centres nationwide as well.

The Board is also prepared to frontally tackle smart cheating this time around. It convened a retreat late last year on the identification of the various technology devices that aid cheating and how to proactively contain them.

The sum total of the thorough preparations, said the Registrar, was to â&#x20AC;&#x153;build a repository and archives of technology devices and methods in use for examination practices to serve as reference and build awareness, identify and profile all possible threats of technology supported examination malpractice, develop effective counter measures to detect, deter and prevent all methods of cheating in the Boardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s examinations.â&#x20AC;?

Prof. Oloyede revisited the extremes to which candidates and some parents went to up their marks. He mentioned the incidence of an examiner caught fondling with a female candidate and was appropriately sanctioned. To the amazement of all, the mother of the candidate sought the conversion of the abuse to bonus marks for her girl. Another offered to spend a night with a bewildered vice chancellor just to railroad her daughter through the admission process.

The January 9 meeting broke into syndicate session at which nine groups, chaired by a former JAMB Registrar, seven professors and a retired Lt-General, brainstormed on the modalities for effective monitoring of the March 9 - 17 UTME. The monitoring groups comprise the civil society, general monitors, high-powered/opinion leaders, NYSC directors and equal opportunity. Others are youths of virtues, peace monitors, Bwari (JAMB Headquarters) centre and chief external examiners.

For Prof. Oloyede and his changed JAMB, the 2018 UTME is an examination worth conducting.

Consequently, and as the saying goes, it is a job worth doing well, very well.

JAMB has done its home work thoroughly and, other things being equal, the conduct of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s UTME will outshine the previous yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and the credit would be due to the assiduity of the Boardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team under the leadership of Prof. Oloyede, with a profound ability to assemble the best brains in the country to achieve set goals for the Board. â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Awolabi is a Lagos-based journalist

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PERSPECTIVE

Obasanjoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Delusional Messianic Complex Austin Braimoh

G

neral Olusegun Obasanjo, erstwhile military dictator and civilian despot, is so predictable, one could almost set a watch by it! The country goes through crises phenomena; people and governments are looking for the most suitable solutions, the man smells an opportunity, and he strikes! Obasanjo has done the same thing over and over, that his predictability is one that all of us have become familiar with. He went for the Shagari administration, when Nigerians began to complain about the economic situation; took the Babangida military regime to the cleaners in the days of the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP); he did same to the Abacha regime, but ended up in jail, for the crime of accessory to treason; he hand-picked the late President Umaru Yarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;adua, but was shocked to find that the man was not going to be a Quisling; and the last time he expressed his messianic delusion, was against his â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;boyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, President Goodluck Jonathan, in the lead to the 2015 elections.

There are basic threads running through the actions of the old despot. Obasanjo has messianic delusions! In his troubled soul, there cannot be any leader of the Nigerian state greater than himself. He is the beginning and the end of all that is good about leadership here; the ultimate point of embarkation and the terminus! This complex is related to several factors that animate the soul of the man. Obasanjo lives with a very troubled soul. His years in power were filled with controversies. These range from the privatisation policy that saw the sale of national assets to him and his cronies; the massive issues of corruption exemplified by the wastage of $16bn in power projects that yielded wattages of talk but no electricity, and then the billions of Naira that went down the drain of the fruitless pursuit of a Third Term Agenda! It was this deluded despot that used state power to enter â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Nolle Prosequiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, in the corruption charges against his cousin, Permanent Secretary Makanjuola, in the Ministry of Defence, who was exposed by General TY Danjuma!

Obasanjoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest fear is to be exposed for his duplicity in corruption cases. So the first thing he does is to ensure that he burrows permanently inside the entrails of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s power complex; he must be the main manipulator of the process, and thus securing the vintage place to shield himself from scrutiny. That explains why in every government, he makes a deliberate show of his entrances and exits in the seat of power; he adroitly exploits the photo-ops and drops hints about his strategic value to the governance structures in place in the country. Obasanjo

Obasanjo exploits that proximity at two levels. First, he offers the impression of care about the state of the administration and the country; and he then buys extra time to deepen forgetfulness in the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s political and social spaces. And arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we a very forgetful lot? We easily forget the crimes that individuals like Obasanjo perpetrated, even when he had all the opportunities to put in place the building block of national development, that would have worked for the Nigerian people. He returned from prison, near-bankrupt; but in eight years, built up a mind-boggling enrichment that catapulted him into the ranks of some of the richest individuals in contemporary Nigeria! This is the same man that is so presumptuously deluded to the point of thinking that he has earned the right to teach Nigeria lessons about governance.

Obasanjoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most recent outing this week surprises no right-thinking citizen. It was a perfidious, but not surprising effort to exploit another moment of national crisis. There are controversies around killings in clashes between nomads and sedentary farming communities; there is an increasing polarisation of the country, as we descend into the season of politics; and there are determined efforts by the political forces that lost out in 2015. They have been out of the loop of power for a few years; have resided in political wilderness since, but are determined to find newer routes to access public money-access to which has been blocked by TSA. They are fighting back furiously and these forces have

substantial interest in media and in social media.

2018 offers the most serious preparatory point for an onslaught on the Buhari administration.

But these forces suffer a credibility issue with the Nigerian people, who have not forgotten what they made of power in the previous 16 years, before they lost it in 2015! Now who was the head of that monstrous era but the old, disgraced despot, Olusegun Obasanjo? Obasanjo is fighting for his corner, and that is not a pretty place to be in, because even he knows that he does not occupy a moral high ground in Nigerian politics and administration. He has no lesson to teach contemporary Nigeria!

So when Obasanjo spoke glibly from both sides of his mouth, that â&#x20AC;&#x153;I will consider no sacrifice too great for the good of Nigeria at any timeâ&#x20AC;?.

The discerning Nigerian would be obliged to ask where the evidence was of that pledge of sacrifice, considering what mess he made of the eight years that he administered a civilian regime, that he distorted with his dictatorial proclivities; and a laissez faire gluttony, which made him turn privatisation policies into an avenue of personal enrichment and of instituting the worst excesses of crony capitalism. It is the consequences of his actions and inactions, that have collectively haunted every administration since his Third Term Agenda was defeated in parliament, and with tail between his legs, he made a hurried departure from power in 2007. Lest we forget, the same man then presided over the worst elections in Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent history in 2007, as part of his vengeful wrath against the same Nigeria, he now sheds crocodile tears for!

The old despot is behaving true to type. He is desperately exploiting a moment of national pains to claim a bona fide of patriotism. And as is his wont, he also wants to damage the credibility of the government of the day, to further his own personal agenda. He ranged over several issues but in the long run, the agenda was very personal even when clothed in the garment of patriotism; that old refuge of the typical governance scoundrel.

And the despised despot occupies a disreputable place in Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pantheon of anti-heroes! Ever scheming; irrationally besotted with his own place in the scheme of things and a messianic delusion that grew as political charlatans of all hues fawned to him, General Obasanjo fancies himself as the best thing that happened to Nigeria. We can walk the shores of hindsight, to the days when sidekicks like Chief Olabode George described the old despot as the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;architect of modern Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;! In that state of delusion, he assumes, dangerously, that he earned the right to teach lessons, even when they are unwarranted! And knowing that he might be crossing a leader who genuinely connects with the mass of the Nigerian people, in a way that he never did, in the years that he occupied power,

he even forewarned, that â&#x20AC;&#x153;praise-singers and hired attackers may be raised up against (him) for verbal or even physical attackâ&#x20AC;?. But to even think out such irresponsible scenario only exposes the depth of trouble in the soul of the despot that fancies himself as a reference point and final stop on the route of building our country. The verbiage might be plentiful and the times might seem opportune for him to be perfidious as usual, but the sense we have is that President Muhammadu Buhari will not be distracted!

There is too much work to do to fix the Nigeria, that Olusegun Obasanjo and his denizens in the PDP of his time, destroyed! It was the Obasanjo eraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PDP, which the unforgettable Chief Sunday Awoniyi described so brilliantly as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a basket of scorpions stinging themselves to deathâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;!

Obasanjo presided over an era of rogue politics; where assassinations became a weapon of political domination; he used money to buy support in the party and parliament and his foot soldiers ferried boxes of mint currencies around the residences of members of the National Assembly, in a desperate search for ignoble votes, to ensure the Third Term Agenda that we collectively defeated to his eternal shame! And as he played his rogue politics, he entrenched the worst species of prebendalist, crony capitalism, that ensured the farming out of the national patrimony to the man and his hangers-on.

In politics and economy, Olusegun Obasanjo, was the reference point of all that was despicable on our national scene. Olusegun Obasanjo cannot accept that Nigeria moved on, and far away from his delusions.

He neither possesses a sense of gratitude or of loyalty to causes that he would not profit from. And his eternal assumption of possession of some ethereal powers of administration that the nation must always learn from, makes him play to the foolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gallery most of the time. And that is why he constantly positions to take advantage of moments of vulnerability of the national process, to strike like the serpent that he actually is!

By striking at this moment in our national history, he merely shows the depth of his depravity. He hopes to take advantage of adversity to pursue a new political project. The platform that he eloquently describes today which unfortunately, he refused to provide a basis for its emergence when he ruled the roost for eight years. And typically of Obasanjo, he has stoutly refused to take any responsibility for the rot that he claims afflicts Nigeria. Yet for eight years, he had all the opportunity to do better than the personal enrichment and rogue politics that defined his era. It is the consequences of Obasanjoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s failures that government and Nigeria have continued to deal with in the present. There can be no affliction worse than a despotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s messianic delusion; that is Obasanjoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incurable condition!

- Braimoh is the coordinator, Buhari Media Support Group

Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;ËŞĂ? Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2014; Nkiru Balonwu

T

here are not enough women occupying Board or Exec level positions in African business, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as simple as that. This is a travesty, because it removes African womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s voices from mainstream conversations, and robs girls across the continent of strong female role models and the inspiration that they can bring. A lack of strong female voices also weakens business and politics more generally, because it removes the capacity for wide-reaching, representative debate, and the benefits that this can bring.

It is fair to say that a lack of mainstream female voices remains a global, rather than specifically an African problem. When Mark Zuckerberg came to Lagos, I asked him if Sheryl Sandberg â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one of the few genuinely recognisable exec-level females faces in business across the world â&#x20AC;&#x201C; would soon be making the same trip?

But based on my own experiences, I think it is fair to say that progress has been particularly slow in Nigeria and throughout the rest of Africa. As the former CEO of Spinlet, and now Founder and Managing Partner of organisational strategy and stakeholder engagement consultancy, RDF, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m invited to speak at many conferences. Often the lone female, I see the other speakers glaze over, when I bring up gender issues. Women still make up an extremely low proportion of Board and Exec level positions across the continent, and the famous female faces that we are beginning to see in politics and entertainment, have so far not translated into the Mark Zuckerbergsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and Bill Gatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of this world.

And the real problem cuts much deeper than job titles... The very perception of women, and what it means to be a woman, needs to change â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both in and around traditional business settings.

Having held strong positions in business and worked alongside

male peers, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve looked on as older men have treated my male counterparts differently, often with more acclaim. One once markedly told me that the thing he admired most about my skillset was that I listened when he spoke â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the true mark of a modest female.

More seriously, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve experienced instances of both external and intrinsic harassment â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a by-product of a culture that promotes extreme masculinity and views the feminine body as something to be objectified and chased. Women are often discouraged from sharing strong opinions in the workplace, as opposed to their male counterparts, for whom it is encouraged. Looking back on the first part of my career I now realise that there were times when I deliberately forewent lipstick, wore trousers, and subconsciously tried to suppress my femininity as much as possible, believing that the way to get ahead as a woman in business was, counterintuitively, to be as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;unwomanlyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; as possible.

This approach not only detracts from female advancement, but from business success and political debate at large in an increasingly integrated, egalitarian, tech-focused world.

Take the example of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in the UK. The institution recently took the decision to produce an all-female directed 2018 season, the first time in the Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history that this had happened.

Interestingly Erica Whyman, Deputy Artistic Director for the RSC, says that her version of Romeo and Juliet will be â&#x20AC;&#x153;about a group of grownups who have let their young people downâ&#x20AC;?. In a world of growing social, political, and cultural discord between the older and younger generations, the introduction of female blood into an historically male dominated realm is actually helping to move the conversation on, bring people back together, and facilitate forward debate.

FELA and the Kalakuta Queens, which recently opened at the

Terra Kulture in Lagos, offers a more local example. Uniquely, the story focuses on Felaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s many women (he married 27 wives) and the fundamental role they play in the making of Fela, rather than the musician himself. Female Producer, Bolanle Austen Peters - along with the showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sponsors - have taken a brave decision to tell the story from a new and bold perspective, providing us with an original narrative that moves the story on from the same tired telling from Felaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective.

New ideas, new opinions, and new approaches can only be effectively leveraged if they are first given the platform to make themselves known.

It is this lesson that the business world needs to learn from some of the more headline sectors we find around us. Making African Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s voices mainstream is not just about equality for equalityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sake â&#x20AC;&#x201C; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about the advancements, progress, and success that diversity and new perspectives can bring. Businesses in Africa need more strong female voices if they are to succeed on the playing-fields and in the forums of tomorrow, just as much as more traditionally marginalised groups need to be welcomed into the business core.

At RDF, we believe in the power of strategic communication, organisational strategy, and stakeholder and community engagement, to propel businesses into the next level of success.

Perspective is key, and unless mainstream businesses begin to reflect the full diversity of modern life, they are in danger of being left behind in an increasingly connected, tech-driven world. â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Dr. Balonwu is Chair of African Women on Board (AWB), and Managing Partner at RDF Strategies, a Strategic Communication and Stakeholder Engagement Consultancy that provides strategic counsel to Brands, Public Institutions and C-suite Executives.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JANUARY 28, 2018

EVENTS

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he funeral service for Lady Mary lhuezi Okwodu, who died at 91, took place at St. Peter’s Anglican Church Umunjam, Mbieri, lmo State on Friday January 19, 2018. There had been a commendation service at the Church of the Nativity, Parkview Estate, lkoyi Lagos on Tuesday January 16, 2018. There was a service of Songs at Raphael’s Lodge, Umunjam on Thursday January 18 before her internment and entertainment of guests at Umunjam on Friday. Here are the faces of some of the personalities that graced the occasion.

Photos: Abiodun Ajala.

R-L: Eldest son, Mr. Nnaemeka Chinenye Okwodu, his wife, Uchenna and son, Obinna

L-R: Second daughter,Mrs Kate lkechi lsa and her husband, Abdulrazaq

First daughter, Mrs Ngozi Adaugo Nzegwu her husband, Nwachukwu

L-R: Mr. Kayode Odukoya and Senator Florence lta-Giwa

Arc and Mrs Yomi Awoniyi

L-R: Mr. Danjuma Saleh and Mr. Michael Ojeme

L-R: Mr. Gbenga Ademulegun and Yomi Sonuga

L-R: Alhaji Dele Belgore SAN and Mr. Pascal Madu

L-R: Chief Collins Chikeluba and Anslem Tabansi

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JANUARY 28, 2018

75

EVENTS

L-R: Mr. Tayo Ayeni, Alhaji Abdulrazaq lsa and Mr. Ade Ogunlesi

Mr. Osten Olorunsola and his wife, Vicky

L-R: Mrs. Loretta Jibowu and Mrs. Rita Emerhor

L-R: Mrs Obioma lmoke, Hon Emeka lhedioha and Pastor Oby Pax-Harry

L-R: Mr. Dapo Egbeyemi and Mr. Kunle Ogunmefun

L-R: Otunba Lai Oriowo and Mrs. Orungbe

L-R: MSweet Adukeh and Ms Yolanda

US Consul General, Mr John Bray and his wife, Mrs Bray

L-R: Mr. Osagie Okunbo and Mr. Ubaka Emelimadu

L-R: Mrs Evelyn Oputu and Mrs Ogunsanya

L-R: Senator Dino Melaye and Most Revd Emmanuel Sokowamju, Bishop of Lokoja

L-R: Michael Chukwuma Okwodu and Bishop of Owerri, The Rt Revd Cyril Chukwunonyerem Okorocha

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JANUARY 28, 2018

SUNDAYSPORTS

Edited by Demola Ojo Email demola.ojo@thisdaylive.com

U-20 World Cup: Falconets Secure Ticket to France with Victory over S/Africa Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

Nigeria’s Falconets have secured a place at the U-20 Female world cup slated for France in August this year.

The Falconets secured the victory yesterday at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, Benin City where they beat their counterpart, the Besetsana of South African 6:0.

The Falconets who won the first leg by two goals to nil a forthnight ago in South Africa, qualified on an eight goal aggregate.

The return match saw the Nigeria team scoring five goals in the first 45 minutes of the game.

In the encounter, the Besetsana were hardly a match for their Nigerian opponent who clearly dominated the game right from the match kick-off.

The obviously one-sided game only saw the Nigeria goal keeper on holiday as she only had a feel of the ball just twice all through the first half of the match.

A brace each by Ajibade Rasheedat and Monday Gift and Imo Anam, ensured the Falconets resumed the second half on a courtesy comfortable lead.

Rasheedat goals came at the 21st and 32 minutes of that match while Monday Gift came at the 5th and 39 minutes with

Falconets jubilating

Imo Anam scoring at the 26th and 73 minutes.

On resumption of the second half, the South Africans became more aggressive and even came close to scoring in the early

minutes but were however denied by the Nigerians keeper, Anadozie Chiamaka.

In the second half which appeared more balanced, also saw Monday Gift red carded

and also sustained injury at the same time, following a goalmouth squabble in the South African vital area.

The Falconets had defeated the Tanzanian and Moroccan

teams enroute to qualifying for the World Cup. The 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup will be the 9th edition of the FIFA U20 and would hold between 5 and 24 of August.

Aussie Open: Federer Targets 20th Grand Slam TItle against Cilic

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oger Federer must overcome the powerful game of an in-form Marin Cilic if he is to win a 20th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open today. Federer, 36, is through to a record seventh Australian Open final and trying to win it for the sixth time.

Cilic, 29, is bidding to win his second major title and become the first Croatian to win the Australian Open.

“It’s a big motivation for me to play the final and obviously to win,” said Cilic, who beat top seed Rafael Nadal in the quarter-final and Britain’s Kyle Edmund in the semi-final.

“I’m feeling really good with my game, so hopefully I can have a great match and also great energy on the court.”

Federer is the oldest man to reach a Grand Slam final since the 39-year-old Ken Rosewall at the 1974 US Open.

Another victory would see him join Margaret Court, Serena Williams and Steffi Graf as the only players to have 20 or more major singles titles.

“It would be amazing,” said the Swiss.

“It ain’t just an easy trip to the finals.

There’s always a lot of work that goes into it during the tournament, focus, and also preparation beforehand.”

The final will be played in the Melbourne evening session, but conditions are still expected to be testing on a day when the temperature is forecast to peak at 39C. On the face of it, Federer is an overwhelming favourite against a man he has beaten eight of nine times. Their last Grand Slam meeting was in the Wimbledon final six months ago, a match which saw blisters effectively end Cilic’s hopes of making it a contest.

However, the past two weeks have suggested that the Croat is the man

most likely to man to test the five-time champion, and he heads into the final on the back of two days’ rest.

“I’m feeling really, really good physically,” said Cilic. “I’m not looking at it as a revenge. I mean, it was on me that I couldn’t give my best in Wimbledon.

And that happens.”

The 6ft 6in world number six has shown the same kind of powerful tennis in Melbourne that swept him past Federer and onto US Open title in New York four years ago.

Nadal retired in the fifth set of their quarter-final in Melbourne, but Cilic had done enough to suggest he could have come through anyway. Asked afterwards to describe Cilic’s performance, the Spaniard said: “Serving well, hitting very strong from the baseline, returning so well. He was playing very aggressive.”

Cilic arrives in the final second in the aces standings on 107, second for forehand winners with 125 and second for backhand winners on 42.

“I’m playing much, much more aggressive,” he said. “I’m feeling that I am, for most of the shots, hitting them really, really good. From the return, moving, forehand, backhand, serving, I think everything is in good, solid spot. I’m feeling really excited about the final.”

When asked to imagine how he would have reacted a year ago if told he would be on the verge of a third Grand Slam title within 12 months, Federer replied: “Nice joke.”

It has been a remarkable return to the top of the game for the Swiss, who went nearly five years without adding to his then record haul of 17 major titles.

A record seventh Australian Open final, a record 30th Grand Slam final and within sight of matching Djokovic

and Roy Emerson on a men’s record six Melbourne titles, the Federer honour roll continues to astonish.

“You go through different stages throughout your career,” said Federer. “I’m happy I’m still around, still healthy, still playing good, give myself chances, playing the best.”

As Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka all struggle with injuries, Federer once again appears to be well clear of the rest of the field, at the age of 36.

His progress through the draw at his 20th Australian Open has been smooth, without a single set dropped and moving as athletically as ever.

Federer has spent just 10 hours and 50 minutes on court in getting through six matches - more than six hours quicker than Cilic.

Federer “I think I’ve done everything pretty well,” said Federer. “I just hope I’m can start serving well from the get-go, going to have a good start to the match. not get into too much trouble early.

I hope I can mix up my game. I hope I “I hope I can read his serve and all

these things. I’m just pleased that actually my game has been good from the very beginning of the tournament.

Wozniacki Beats Halep to Win First Grand Slam Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki beat Romanian Simona Halep to win her first Grand Slam title and regain the number one ranking at the Australian Open.

The second seed won 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 6-4 in punishing conditions to finally land a major title at the 43rd attempt.

Nine years after her first Grand Slam final defeat, and 17 months after she was ranked 74th, the Dane was overcome.

“I dreamt of this moment for so many years, and to be here today is a dream come true,” said Wozniacki.

The victory means the 27-year-old will replace Halep as number one in the world rankings tomorrow.

Twice a runner-up at the US Open, Wozniacki becomes the first Dane to win a Grand Slam singles title. Halep, too, had been hoping to end the wait for a first major title to add to her number one ranking, but she has now lost in the Australian Open final as well as two French Opens.

“Of course I am sad but Caroline was better than me,” she said. “I fight and have many years to go, so hopefully will face another challenge like today.”

‘I’mgoingtoreallyenjoythismoment’WozniackihappytoendGrandSlamwait The final might have been begun at 19:30 local time but conditions were

brutal, with the temperature above 30C until well into the night and the humidity oppressive.

Both women had endured testing paths to the final, saving match points along the way, and at times looked on the point of exhaustion in a gripping final set.

Wozniacki deservedly took the opener in a tie-break, having let a 4-1 lead slip, and Halep appeared in trouble when she required treatment from the doctor midway through the second set.

However, after having her blood pressuretaken,theRomanianreturnedtotake three of the four next games, levelling at one set all with a forehand winner.

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High Life

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͎͎͜;ʹ͜͜ͳ;ͳͰ

...Amazing lifestyles of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rich and famous

As Yemi Adeola Prepares to Bid Goodbye to Sterling Bank...

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s innocuous and simple as it sounds, saying â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;goodbyeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, especially to a place and people that one had grown emotionally and professionally attached to, forging lifelong relationships in the process, is always hard. But fate has ordained that even the dearest of friends would part at some point, a sheer reminder of the Yoruba axiom that 20 kids cannot ďŹ&#x201A;ock together for 20 years. This is the truism that stares Yemi Adeola, the group chief executive oďŹ&#x192;cer of Sterling Bank Plc, smack in the face. Come April, the astute Ogun State born banker would bid farewell to Sterling Bank in adherence to the 10-year reign for bank MDs stipulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Should he have his way, Adeola would inďŹ&#x201A;uence the system to prolong his stay at the helm of the ďŹ nancial institution that prides itself as the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;one-customer bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

But he is not cut in that hue.

The date is set. And when due, Adeola would say his farewell to the bank that he has made his oyster, and grown into one of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading banks. This is not a hard decision to make because the rules are clear about it but as always with making a hard decision, there is a real reluctance to leave. This is understandable because he practically nurtured the bank from infancy to maturity and to this period when Sterling Bank has evolved from being a marginal player to a bank worthy

of reckoning in the industry.

Appointed MD/CEO in December 2007, Yemi, younger brother of Fola Adeola, founder and former CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank, is a 1982 law graduate of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University).

Sterling Bank was formed in 2005 by ďŹ ve banks. Thus, when Adeola assumed oďŹ&#x192;ce as MD, he was driven by a vivid, relentless vision to be a major player on the Nigerian banking landscape. A pragmatist, rather than an ideological crusader, he knew the competition was cut-throat. But he is not one to give up on a cause he believes in. He narrowed his task to three key market segments: small and medium scale businesses (lending and deposit products and ďŹ nancial advisory services), public sector (collections and ancillary services and mid-cap infrastructure ďŹ nance), and consumer banking (asset-based and personal ďŹ nance). From the outset, the well-articulated vision of attaining the top ďŹ ve positions in terms of deposit size, asset size, proďŹ tability and revenue base in the Nigerian ďŹ nancial services industry was clear. Regarded as being instrumental to the development of the valucard project in Nigeria, Sterling Bank under Adeola embarked on the automation of its processes and his ingenuity soon set the bank aside as a customer-centric bank where the customer is king and there were enviable returns on equity.

Yemi Adeola

WILL THE WEDDING BELLS TOLL FOR JOHN OBAYUWANA AND ENEMAYA LAWANI THIS YEAR?

Enemaya Lawani and John Obayuwana

Their love leaps like a wolf - it is prideful, strong and courageous, thus eliciting envy and extreme jealousy by the brilliance of its flare.

Like a silver light, the love espoused by John Obayuwana and Enemaya Lawani dazzles on their faces and seeps from their being in to the air, with resonant peal. It sheathes them, warms them, and becomes every inch of them. Until they fell in love, everybody deemed them an unlikely couple.

But despite their differences, the bond between the two has strengthened over the years.

In the last few years, luxury goods merchant, John, and his sweetheart, Ene, have been an item - though neither of them has come forward to admit to their hot but muted romance.

The age difference that exists between the pair may be as expansive as the distance of one end of the Safari Desert to the

other, but this does not impede the flow of their romance in any way. At a recent high society wedding, John and Ene were sighted together. They were all over each other at the wedding, like two love birds lost in their private world of ecstasy. The intimate gazes exchanged by the duo echoed their deep-seated love for each other. Ene, who has been linked with quite a number of dudes in the past, is unabashedly in love with John, but only time will spell out the longevity of the affair.

CLASS ACT! GEORGE WEAH SENDS JULIUS RONE AND WIFE, UTIBE, PERSONAL INVITE TO INAUGURATION

Ëž

ËŞ Ě&#x201C;

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no such thing as honour in nature or the affairs of men, many a cynic would argue. To the latter, honour is a mere term invented to awe fools. Such notions of dignity and renown are however, considered jaded and puerile

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HIGHLIFE

Close Shave! Nestoil Boss, Ernest Azudialuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Private Jet Skids oďŹ&#x20AC; Runway in Abuja

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ut for patronizing fate, Ernest Azudialu, the founder of Nestoil, a Nigerian company that provides Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) services, would have suďŹ&#x20AC;ered that short, transitory spasm which consequence manifests as death. Last Thursday, Ernest evaded the long, cold clasp of death. His private jet skidded oďŹ&#x20AC; the Abuja airport runway. The aircraft lost itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s landing gear in the process. However, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria in its reaction to the incident said the runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, was closed for 30 minutes. Aside his blistering passion for business and making tons of money, Ernest, knows how to live the good life. We gathered reliably that in his garage are eye-watering, top-of-the-shelf cars like the Lamborghini Aventador, the BMW High Security 760, called BMW Individual, and diďŹ&#x20AC;erent brands of customized Rolls Royce. But as a globetrotting businessman who spends more time in the air than on the ground, Azudialu has found in the Gulfstream brand of private jet a companion and a means of navigating the world of international business. And he adduced reasons for this in a recent media interview. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My very tight business schedule takes me around a lot and I in the estimation of men accustomed to the proceeds of honour and a life well spent.

Julius Rone for instance, understands that honour propels a man and elevates him beyond the barricades of privilege and status divides.

For being a man of honour, the billionaire magnate and UTM head honcho recently received a personal invitation from Liberiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new President-elect, George Weah, to attend his inauguration. Weah personally invited Julius and his wife Utibe for the event thus attesting to the Ronesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; enviable social and political capital at home and abroad. There is no gainsaying Julius is one of few Nigerians who is well respected abroad and the reason is not farfetched.

Julius, a businessman with interests in the maritime industry as well as oil gas, is a brilliant administrator and focused performer who has steered the affairs of UTM Group of Companies with his cutting edge and practicable management style which has been hailed and commended by stakeholders in the industry.

The alumnus of the Obafemi Awolowo University, IleIfe and the University of Calabar where he earned his Advanced Diploma and Post Graduate Diploma in Business

Ernest Azudialu

spend more and more time in the air, and now have a ďŹ&#x201A;eet of four aircraft of which the Gulfstream is my favourite,â&#x20AC;? he said. His bourgeoning ďŹ nancial war-chest is further depicted by his being the sole ďŹ nancier and chairman of Smile Nigeria, an Internet Service Provider.

Ernestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence transcends the

corporate sector as his inďŹ&#x201A;uence in Akwa-Ibom government house during Godswill Akpabio era is well known. From those days of small beginning as CEO of Obijackson Limited, a small startup company in Onitsha, Azidialu has birthed few other multibillion companies with global presence in three continents.

The billionaire is a car freak with voracious hunger and acquisition for any latest automobiles wherever they are paraded on the earth. He has been proďŹ led as a man whose passion for hard work is only matched by his guilty pleasures for the good things of life. He allegedly owns over 42 cars.

Administration respectively is a seasoned technocrat with vast experience spanning over a decade in the public sector.

He is a big player in the oil and gas industry, both in Nigeria and outside the shores of the country. His entry into the Ghanaian economy through his participation in the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jubilee Oil Field, which contains recoverable reserves

of at least 1.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent, enjoyed rave reviews in the media in 2010.

His membership of professional bodies and philanthropic organisations cuts across a wide range of human entities.

As group managing director and chief executive officer of UTM (his brainchild), he envisioned, with the founding of the group, a Nigerian

marine service conglomerate providing first class service to its clients while making a meaningful contribution to society. In light of his dazzling exploits at home and abroad, Liberiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new President-elect, Weah, has implored him and fellow magnates to make big investments in the country and Julius has promised to do so.

Julius Rone and President George Weah

LAWSON OMOKHODION CLEANS OUT IN OIL SECTOR Those who have been on the look out for Lawson Omokhodion can now heave a sigh of relief. In the last couple of months, the fun-loving man had been conspicuously absent from the social radar. Now that he is back on the radar, he flaunts a rebranded personality worthy of that of owner of a thriving business enterprise. He came to the banking sector with a lot of energy, zeal and ideas.

That Lawson Omokhodion, the erstwhile MD of All States Trust Bank and later Liberty Bank, had a clear-cut idea of how to turn around the fortunes of the bank cannot be expressed in equivocal terms.

He tried his best before he left the banking world. Today, Lawson is cleaning out big time in the oil and gas sector.

Contrary to what some may say, Lawson who owns Oil and

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R Ëž Í°ÍśË&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

79

HIGHLIFE

How Wale Tinubuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brother, Deji, Slumped and Died

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ven the wealth of the wealthy ones offers them no shield against death. As it claims the commoner, so does it claim the affluent. Death has bared its vicious fangs again. This time, it crept into the home of the Tinubus, and snatched one of the beloved sons, Deji Tinubu.

If Wale Tinubu, the Oando boss, had his way as he is wont to in business, he would have bullishly negotiated with death to name its cost and spare the life of his brother.

Wale is devastated and inconsolable even as you read. Sources say Deji, who was the former Chairman of Lagos State Sports Commission, died late on Thursday during a novelty match in the Epe area of Lagos State.

Lagos State Executive members and other top government functionaries were in Epe for a retreat. It was gathered that Tinubu slumped in the field and was confirmed dead at a hospital in Epe. Deji was the son of the

Lawson Omokhodion

Gas Company is no overnight sensation. In fact, he achieved success the old-fashioned way: he earned it. He worked hard and stayed humble. He lives the right way; he plays the right way. In every respect, he may be adjudged a successful man. He has the ability to sense change and quickly adapt to it, thus his ability to survive and thrive where others perpetually fade out. Many social butterflies and favour hunters have now begun to mill around him and loiter about his shadow in a desperate bid to enjoy his good graces.

late Chief Kafaru Oluwole Tinubu and the younger brother of Wale Tinubu, Oando CEO. He was also the nephew of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Tinubu was formerly Chairman of the Lagos State Sports Commission and Special Adviser on Sports.

He was recently removed and appointed SA in the Office of the Governor.

He is survived by his wife, Yemisi (nĂŠe Majekodunmi), children, his mother, Chief Bintu Fatima Tinubu, the Iyalode of Lagos and many siblings.

Were an outpouring of attributes, eulogies and tears potent enough to rouse a dead man, Deji would have reconsidered spending a few more days before plunging into his eternal sleep. Many were shocked by the news of his death. Family and friends continue to pay tributes and condolence visits, affirming, albeit sadly, the young and fun-loving dude who straddled the Lagos social milieu for a long time would never resurrect for a brief parting repartee. Sad! part of Victoria Island, the 12-storey edifice which promises to be the finest and most equipped office in Lagos and beyond is being constructed by Cappa and Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Alberto, the giant construction firm that had been operating in Nigeria since 1932.

The Forbes-rated billionaire who is reputed for his fine taste in all things of life that money can buy is not sparing expense in constructing an office complex that would be talked about for eons to come.

All the furnishings and fittings and equipment were imported from various shopping cities of the world like Paris, New York, London and Italy. Sources say the entirety of BUA Group would move in, in a few months time. Samadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s BUA group is one of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest conglomerates. Over the years, the company has diversified into a wide range of sectors

ABDULSAMAD RABIU COMPLETES MULTI-BILLION NAIRA OFFICE COMPLEX Abdulsamad Rabiu, billionaire owner of the BUA Group, completed his multibillion naira office complex.

Located beside Churchgate Building in the less boisterous

Abdulsamad Rabiu

Deji Tinubu

including oil and gas and shipping.

FRANCIS OGBORO STRIKES GOLD Francis Ogboro is the sort of man that lives for others.

His exertions in the interest of underlings and peer, resonate like a nourishment passing from earth to breathless natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blooming meadows. Beyond his passion for industry, Ogboro nurtures a fluorishing love for Polo, widely known as the exclusive sport of aristocrats.

Polo has traditionally been an elite sport of maharajahs, marquises and millionaires and the gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s star players tend to be the rich. However, its advent and rapid growth in the country cannot be appreciated without acknowledging the contributions of Ogboro, the incumbent President of Nigeria Polo Federation (NPF). Ogboroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contributions have improved the sport and attracted the patronage of corporate sponsors. However, Ogboroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Midas touch exceeds Poloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s green turf. The NPF President has recorded remarkable success across the local and international business sectors thus making him one of the shining stars of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high society. Nobody forgets the first time they meet Francis Ogboro.

In fact, every encounter with him leaves the acquaintance a better person. Self-assured and stirring, there are so many reasons why the former Captain of the Lagos Polo Club has remained an integral member in the comity of quintessential role models. He is good looking, stylish, genial and connected in the right places. Blessed with a razor-sharp intellect, a

startling candor, and homespun wit, Ogboro is the brain behind major giant enterprises. For instance, he is the Chairman of Rockshell International, a consultancy outfit; he is also the Managing Director (MD) of Options International, which has stakes in telecoms and has built exchanges for NITEL in the past.

Ogboro is also the chairman of a trading outfit that imports generators and air-conditioners.

One of the companies is called HBM and the other is RS. Ogboro is also the Chairman of Bimbo Detergent, and the owner of intimidating stakes in the oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, leisure, and FMCG sector. A well-established and successful businessman, Ogboro has always been close to many Nigerian presidents notably, General Ibrahim Babangida (retired).

Francis Ogboro

Sunday January 28, 2018

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Price: N400

MISSILE Ikpeazu to FG â&#x20AC;&#x153;I really fear for Nigeria. Nigerians are now very apprehensive of everything; we are suspicious and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t trust the present governmentâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu lamenting the state of the nation

SIMONKOLAWOLE SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE!

simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961

The Spirit of Lagos That Nigeria Needs

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ou know elections are close when politicians begin to confess their love for Nigeria. Suddenly strange bedfellows are walking side-by-side, arms locked, lovey-dovey. Arch rivals and sworn enemies are dining and planning and plotting and plotting and planning. Politicians who have contributed immensely to the underdevelopment of Nigeria begin to tell us exactly what we want to hear: that the country is drifting and they have arrived to rescue us. They become our new messiahs, the patriots who love Nigeria like Jesus loves his church. I bear witness that Nigerian politicians are very good at winning power. Pity, they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know how to use it for Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s progress.

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really care what the politicians do or say. They are politicians and must politick.

A footballer must play football. You cannot begrudge a fish for swimming or a dog for barking. The headache, for me, is our gullibility.

It is so easy to sway Nigerians. We are too cheap. Our memories are so tiny and so short.

Yesterday means nothing to us. You will see politicians that ruined us â&#x20AC;&#x201D; politicians that we cursed and stoned just moments ago â&#x20AC;&#x201D; come back to seduce us and, pronto, we are back in bed with them. We hail them as the new heroes, the saviours of our democracy. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t they just love our gullibility! We fall too easily for their gimmicks. It happens all the time. It works all the time.

In the first part of this â&#x20AC;&#x153;new mindsetâ&#x20AC;? series, I wrote on â&#x20AC;&#x153;The President Nigeria Badly Needsâ&#x20AC;? (January 7, 2018). I officially announced my resignation from the committee of those celebrating false dawns and getting excited over new rhetoric and new rhyme anytime a new election is approaching. I have seen it all.

I am done. As I said in my resignation letter, I am no longer excited by the permutations we do every four years. My personal resolve, after experiencing so many heartbreaks, is that I will, in my little corner, continue to constructively engage with whoever holds power â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and insist they use it for Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s progress.

A senior colleague asked me: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Simon, I hope you are not saying you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t vote again?â&#x20AC;? No, sir; that is not my point. But, then, I think we even overrate the voter. People can vote for the best of candidates who will turn out to be disasters in office. We seem to assume that if we vote on the basis of merit, howsoever defined, then our problem is about to be solved. I used to say that nonsense. But I have since realised that it is one thing to vote for candidates according to your conscience or best judgment, but it is another thing for the candidates to do the right thing in office. It is beyond us. You can choose to vote them out, vote in new ones and still get similar results.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been deceived too many times. People campaign passionately about change or transformation or whatever and hoodwink us to buy into their rhetoric. They win big mandates and begin to misrule once they get the job. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stop fooling around: the voter has no way of knowing who is going to perform or fail in office. I have seen underrated candidates do well when elected â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and highly rated ones fumble.

I have seen illiterates, semi-literates, professors, medical doctors, engineers, journalists, accountants, Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, minority, Muslims and Christians hold public office, and I can hardly say the conduct of one is much better than that of the other.

So what? Shall we then fold our arms and do nothing? Shall we say we will no longer vote because we have been deceived and jilted by even the best? God forbid. But I am trying to make a point: if we have been doing something

Ambode the same way for decades and the results are pretty much the same, shall we continue in it and expect progress to abound? Every four years, we get excited when we hear promises. In the end, we still import fuel, power remains on and off, the rich are still sending their children to private schools or abroad, the roads are still without form and void, kidnappers are still having a ball, insecurity lingers and cholera persists. Something is wrong. We need a rethink.

This is where the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Spirit of Lagosâ&#x20AC;? comes to mind. Some years ago, the campaign was launched to promote some core values among Lagosians in the direction of attitudinal change, to engineer what was called a â&#x20AC;&#x153;new thinking in Lagosâ&#x20AC;?. The campaign sought to promote four cardinal values: social justice, civic responsibility, citizenship and neighbourliness. There were conversations on radio and social media around these values. There was a series of â&#x20AC;&#x153;good citizenshipâ&#x20AC;? campaign, community engagement, â&#x20AC;&#x153;catch them youngâ&#x20AC;? contests, â&#x20AC;&#x153;do the right thingâ&#x20AC;? re-orientation and the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; challenge that encouraged conception of competitive projects and ideas.

The last I heard about this laudable project was the Citizensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Day award that was held in May 2015 to celebrate citizens who had positively impacted on their communities. We were told it would continue, but I doubt it did. Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, who has performed quite impressively in office, has to revisit this campaign. It is a wonderful idea that must not die. I understand it was the original idea of the TBWA Consortium, executed in partnership with the state government under Governor Babatunde Fashola. The whole idea is â&#x20AC;&#x153;change your thinkingâ&#x20AC;?. As a man thinks in his heart, so he is. If you cannot change the way you think, you cannot change the way you act.

Although it was targeted at the general citizenry, in truth our leaders emerge from among the citizens. A leader with a backward mindset is a danger to the society. We must â&#x20AC;&#x153;recruitâ&#x20AC;? everyone. In my first article, I argued that the leaders Nigeria needs are those who have a good mental picture of what the society should look like. It is called visioning, which I described as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;starting pointâ&#x20AC;?. No matter

how good citizens are, no matter how sincere voters are, no matter the good intentions of leaders, we are headed in no direction if there is no vision of society. It is vision that drives action and passion. Leading without a vision is like driving without a destination.

Taking it further today, I will argue that Nigerians must also develop a new mindset if Nigeria is ever going to progress. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Spirit of Lagosâ&#x20AC;? focused on the shared history of Lagosians: what makes it home to everybody in spite of our differences. It harped on civic responsibility and good neighbourliness: how to look out for one another, solve problems together and think as an intimate community. It aimed to promote â&#x20AC;&#x153;new thinkingâ&#x20AC;?. It was NOT political.

I am, therefore, suggesting a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Spirit of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;? movement that will promote a new thinking in Nigeria. It will NOT be political. It will NOT be about ethnic and religious affiliations. It will be purely about a shared vision of Nigeria.

Some movements are springing up ahead of the 2019 elections. Things like this do not last because, from experience, they are motivated by the fleeting quest for political power and appointments. They sell their rhetoric to us, we buy it, renew our hope and vote for them.

The moment they get what they want, they disappear into the system and normal service resumes. So Nigeria remains the same. I have seen it all. It is the same old mindset at work. To get a different outcome, we must start thinking differently. The idea of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Spirit of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;? is to construct a new Nigeria, but we cannot build a new Nigeria with old mindsets shaped by hate, prejudice, greed and ambition.

It is catastrophic that many leaders and citizens see themselves first and foremost as defenders of their faith and champions of their ethnic identities. These old mindsets have to give way to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Spirit of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;?. Nigeria is so sharply divided today along ethnic and religious lines largely because we have leaders who cannot see beyond their nose, leaders who cannot be bothered about the consequences of their action and inaction â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and citizens who are not any different. The saddest thing is that even the young generation has been conscripted into the destructive frame of mind filled with bile and bitterness on the basis of religion and ethnicity.

We badly need a new crop of Nigerians â&#x20AC;&#x201D; leaders and citizens â&#x20AC;&#x201D; who will begin to consciously make Nigeria their primary constituency. It is a mindset issue. We need leaders and citizens with a mindset that treats nationhood problems, such as the farmers/ herders clashes, as challenges that have to be confronted and resolved constructively. Those working very hard behind the scenes to set Nigeria on fire â&#x20AC;&#x201D; by playing up one part against the other, by stoking hate through the circulation of fake news on social media to poison our minds against one another â&#x20AC;&#x201D; have to be resisted with the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Spirit of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;? henceforth. â&#x20AC;&#x153;New Nigeriansâ&#x20AC;? must stop getting excited by these raw primordial emotions.

By the way, I am not proposing a new association (before somebody registers â&#x20AC;&#x153;Spirit of Nigeria Movementâ&#x20AC;? and starts giving â&#x20AC;&#x153;best governorâ&#x20AC;? awards in exchange for a mess of pottage). I am just challenging our mindsets as individuals in a multi-cultural society. We need to â&#x20AC;&#x153;change our thinkingâ&#x20AC;?. That is what should ultimately influence the political choices of citizens and the performance of leaders. We need to stop getting carried away by the seasonal â&#x20AC;&#x153;messiahâ&#x20AC;? politicking. Change will not come in one day, but if we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t change our thinking, we will never change Nigeria. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m convinced there is a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Spirit of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;? in us waiting to be tapped.

And Four Other Thingsâ&#x20AC;Ś BLAST FROM THE PAST I must confess I was shocked that an article I wrote three years ago, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Obasanjo as Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Moral Compassâ&#x20AC;? (January 18, 2015), has resurfaced and gone viral following the former presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blistering â&#x20AC;&#x153;special press statementâ&#x20AC;?. I was more shocked that those who loved the article then now hate it, and those who hated it then now love it. The Buhari camp told me in 2015 I should forget the messenger and focus on the message; Jonathanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supporters are now telling me in 2018 to forget the messenger and focus on the message. But truth is constant, no matter whose ox is gored. I am amused watching proceedings from my balcony, cuddling my pack of popcorn. Action!

THE CAMPAIGNERS There was a time in Nigeria when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would call politicians to order for jumping the gun in electioneering.

Not any longer. For instance, supporters of President Buhari have embarked on an open campaign very much ahead of time. Alhaji Adebayo Shittu, minister of communication who wants to be governor of Oyo state, has even opened a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Buhariâ&#x20AC;? oďŹ&#x192;ce in Ibadan and was about to start sharing â&#x20AC;&#x153;Buhari 2019â&#x20AC;? fez caps at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday when he was stopped. This opportunistic political behaviour was popularised under Gen. Sani Abacha, I think, and it has now become a national culture. Sycophancy.

FARMER VS HERDSMAN Amid the heat in the country caused by the herders/farmers crisis, and the stoking of ethno-religious tension by those playing snooker with the delicate state of the Nigerian union, it is gratifying that some Nigerians still ďŹ nd the time and space to oďŹ&#x20AC;er us wit and wisdom to calm the tempers.

When Ms Ayo Obe said Cain was a farmer and Abel was a herdsman to illustrate the age-old conďŹ&#x201A;ict between the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest professions, I had a good laugh as well as a great insight into this eternal rivalry. But someone completely killed it when he wrote: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Obasanjo is a farmer, Buhari is a herdsman, so the battle line has been drawn.â&#x20AC;? Smart!

SUDDEN DEATHS Tragedy visited the house of football and Lagos state government on Thursday when Mr. Deji Tinubu, special adviser to the governor, died during a recreational ďŹ vea-aside match. He reportedly screamed, grabbed his chest and collapsed. When I was growing up in the village, I would have called it â&#x20AC;&#x153;apepaâ&#x20AC;? (killed by â&#x20AC;&#x153;remote controlâ&#x20AC;?) out of ignorance but today, with the beneďŹ t of education, I would say it was apparently a heart attack. One major cause, doctors say, is a blood clot that suddenly blocks an artery. Doctors often recommend an aspirin a day for those above 40 or those managing high blood pressure. DTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sudden death is so, so painful. What a loss. Devastating.

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