THURSDAY 1ST MARCH 2018

Ahead of SSCE, Dapchi Final Year Students to Relocate to Nguru NSA inaugurates probe panel on girls’ abduction, FG directs IG, NSCDC boss to relocate to N’East UN expresses outrage over kidnapping Paul Obi and Ogheneuvede Ohwovoriole in Abuja with agency report Final year students of the Government Girls’ Science and

Technical College (GGSTC), Dapchi, Yobe State, will be temporarily relocated to Government Girls’ Secondary School (GGSC), Nguru, in the same state, to enable them

prepare for the forthcoming Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE), the Yobe State Commissioner for Education, Mr. Mohammed Lamin, has revealed.

Disclosing this yesterday in Damaturu, the state capital, he said the state government was making arrangements to transfer the SS3 students to GGSC, Nguru, to prepare

for their exams coming up between March and April. “We are right now making arrangements for the SS3 students to take them to GGSS Nguru, to prepare them for

their examination which is coming up in March-April. “The practical aspect of their exam will start around Continued on page 6

IMF: With Economic Policies, Nigeria Will ‘Muddle Through’ in Medium Term‌ Page 48 Thursday 1 March, 2018 Vol 23. No 8351. Price: N250

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Ex-CBN Deputy Governor, Moghalu Declares Presidential Bid‌ Page 50

We Were Not Expecting Full Support, Says Oyegun on Opposition to Tenure Elongation PDP: Your party’s confusion exposes failure of Buhari’s presidency Senator Iroegbu in Abuja As the air of uncertainty continues to pervade the declaration of tenure extension

for the elected and appointed officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at all levels, the National Chairman of the ruling party, Chief John Odigie-

Oyegun has said the party was not expecting everyone to tag along with the National Executive Committee (NEC), saying people were entitled

to support any cause they believed in.

During the meeting of the NEC of the APC on Tuesday, its members had, without an

amendment of the party’s constitution, voted in favour of the tenure elongation by 12 months for all the executives of the party at all levels.

Citing Article 13 of the APC constitution, which empowers the NEC to carry out the Continued on page 6

Enwonwu’s Tutu Sets New Record, Sells for £1.205m

Okechukwu Uwaezuoke

Tutu, the long-lost portrait by Ben Enwonwu of the Ife royal princess Adetutu Ademiluyi – described by Booker Prize winning Nigerian novelist, Ben Okri as Africa’s “Mona Lisaâ€? – set a new record for the artist’s work at an auction, selling for ÂŁ1,205,000 (N520.2 million, 1.4 million euros, $1.7 million) at Bonhams Africa Now sale in London yesterday.

Before the auction, Bonhams had set an estimate of ÂŁ200,000-300,000 for the painting.

The auction, which was broadcast live to a Bonhams auction event at The Wheatbaker Hotel in Lagos, in a pioneering move which allowed bidders participate in the auction in real time, kicked off at about 5 pm in London and started broadcasting live to the Lagos participants at

6 pm.

Expectedly, the identity of the winning bidder was not disclosed.

The record-breaking painting, which was one of the three original versions of Tutu painted by Enwonwu, was produced in 1974.

According to Neil Coventry, the Bonhams Lagos coordinator: “It is a well deserved prize for a well renowned artist.�

Enwonwu, who was influenced by the Negritude after his encounter with its key actors at the first Congress of Black Writers and Artists in Paris, held in 1958, was known for his brazen romanticisation of the African womanhood.

The painting depicts a coffee-complexioned damsel with her back half-turned to the viewer. She strikes a regal pose in her traditional Yoruba attire. Aficionados believe

that Enwonwu’s interest in her must have been elicited by her straight narrow nose and thin lips – features which are not normally associated with the Negroid race.

The maiden, who could easily have passed for a Fulani girl, was none other than Adetutu Ademiluyi, a member of the Ile-Ife royal family. She was, as the late Nigeria’s iconic artist would later discover, the granddaughter of the then O’oni of Ife. This encounter, which took place sometime in 1973 when Enwonwu was on a visit to the Yoruba monarch’s palace, paved the way to the production of the paintings.

His bid to get Adetutu to sit for a portrait was at first not enthusiastically considered by her parents. But the latter’s reluctance soon caved in to Continued on page 47

Tutu... Enwonwu's masterpiece was missing for 40 years

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Despite Security Concerns, NNPC to Return to Lake Chad for Oil Exploration John Shiklam in Kaduna Notwithstanding the security concerns in the North-east, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said that it will return to the Lake Chad Basin in Borno State to continue the search for crude oil.

The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru disclosed this yesterday, saying that with the release of staff of the corporation who were abducted while exploring for oil in the area, it will return â&#x20AC;&#x153;with full forceâ&#x20AC;? to continue with exploration activities.

Some lecturers of the University of Maiduguri (Unimaid) who were

contracted by NNPC, were abducted last June by the Boko Haram terrorist group.

They did not regain their freedom till recently, following negotiations with the terrorists.

Speaking at the NNPC Day at the 39th edition of the Kaduna International Trade Fair, Baru said the corporation has also intensified exploration activities in the Benue trough.

According to him, the corporation will explore for oil in Benue, Nasarawa, Niger and Sokoto States, adding that with what the corporation has seen so far, it was sure of success.

He said the NNPC has been working tirelessly on the Lake Chad Basin, adding: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We thank the president

(Muhammadu Buhari) for rescuing some of our lecturers that were involved in exploration in the region. We are going back to the Chad Basin with full force.â&#x20AC;?

He said although the oil and gas industry has been the main stay of the Nigerian economy, providing 95 per cent of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foreign exchange earnings, the major challenge in the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s monoculture economy is that it exposes the nation to the vagaries of oil price volatility, which during a period of glut could spell doom for the country.

While emphasising on the need for diversification of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy, Baru said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The feat achieved decades ago in mining, agriculture

and commerce which even sustained the economy of each region of the country can be replicated if we re-channel the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s productive sector.â&#x20AC;?

Baru pointed out that the NNPC was poised to provide the enabling environment for the nation to optimise its commercial, industrial and agricultural potential to attain a competitive edge in these sectors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a commitment which we shall continue to abide by,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To demonstrate our commitment, the NNPC has set up the Renewable Energy Division that is focused in not only developing solar and other renewable energy sources but also in the development of biofuels

that are heavily dependent on agricultural produce as feedstock. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The multiplier effect in such ventures are enormous: reviving and revitalising our agricultural sector, huge employment generation, significant contributions to power generation, high volume of animal feed, starch and by-products, in addition, biofuels will be blended at our refineries for petroleum products, which will significantly reduce the import of petroleum products into the country,â&#x20AC;? he noted.

He said the country needs to focus on undertaking a holistic policy action towards rebuilding the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s infrastructure, which he

acknowledged was not in a great shape.

He said the NNPC had taken steps to ensure that the hiccups witnessed recently in the distribution of petroleum products are overcome.

Some of the steps taken, according to him, include the full deployment and activation of a 24-hour real time fuel war room for the effective monitoring of fuel supply and distribution dynamics across the country; sustenance of 24 hours loading and sales operations in all depots and mega stations; and collaboration with and sharing information with the oil industry regulators and other agencies in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

WE WERE NOT EXPECTING FULL SUPPORT, SAYS OYEGUN ON OPPOSITION TO TENURE ELONGATION functions of the convention, the party said NEC decided to extend the tenure of the current NWC members and other executive committees at various levels for another 12 months, starting from June 30, 2018.

However, by Tuesday night, in realisation that it may have goofed at the NEC meeting by announcing the tenure extension in contravention of the constitution, APC leaders were scrambling to point out the anomaly in the extension.

The constitution of the party provides for a four-year tenure for its executives.

The current executives were elected in June 2014 for a four-year mandate, which is expected to lapse on June 30, 2018.

Giving fillip to the anomaly, a statement issued by the Chairman of the Nigerian Governorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Forum (NGF) and Zamfara State governor, Abdulaziz Yari said the decision reached at the NEC meeting was a â&#x20AC;&#x153;mere expression of interestâ&#x20AC;?, adding that it is only at the National Convention of the APC that a constitutional amendment can be carried out to extend the tenure of the executives.

According to Yari, â&#x20AC;&#x153;What has been done is a mere expression of interest. The power of the convention to extend tenure is exercised only by way of a constitution amendment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The power of the National Executive Committee of our party cannot go beyond doing so by way of constitution amendment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Article 30 of the APC constitution states that

the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;constitution and the schedules hereto can be amended only by the National Convention of the partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The process of amending the constitution is also expressly provided in Article 30 Sub-section 2. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What was done today (Tuesday) was only an expression of a desire to extend the tenure of the Chief Oyegun-led national executive.â&#x20AC;?

Yariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position was supported by other members of the party who warned that the absence of a constitutional amendment by the National Convention of the APC could lead to litigation and further crisis in the party.

But reacting to the turn of events, Oyegun, during a brief interaction with journalists yesterday in Abuja, dismissed the position of Yari and others on the basis that this was not new in APC, noting that it was natural for people to speak against the one-year tenure elongation granted to him and other executives.

He added that expecting 100 per cent support for the decision was impossible.

He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Well, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to talk on this sensitive political issue. Suffice it to say that whatever is happening, naturally, there will be contrary views. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, it will be so difficult if you come out with total, one hundred per cent unanimity, but I think the reasons for not wanting to hold some of these elective congresses this year are very clear: we have such mighty work to do in this one year and each one

has the potential of causing a crisis. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are going to have the first set of party elections, second set of elections for governorship aspirants, and others for the state Houses of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, and so on. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, we just felt we could defer some of these issues, or the party felt some of these challenges can be deferred for one year for us to concentrate on the serious task before us which is the national election, and people gave the good examples of Ekiti and Osun States, where because of this same issue of elections looming in those two states, the filling of party offices had to be deferred.â&#x20AC;?

A party insider also told THISDAY that the motion for the tenure extension was moved by the Plateau State APC chairman and supported by his Ebonyi State counterpart.

The insider added that when put to the vote, those in support scored 104 votes, while those against â&#x20AC;&#x201C; led by Governor Roachas Okoroacha of Imo State got four votes, saying that Yari voted for the tenure extension at the NEC meeting.

PDP Turns the Screw Also reacting to the opposition to the tenure extension for the executives of the ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday, having reviewed the outcome of the NEC meeting of the APC, surmised that the ruling party has finally collapsed.

The PDP also noted that the confusion, impunity and lawlessness in the APC further exposed the failure of the Buhari-led presidency, adding that this accounts for its rejection by Nigerians ahead of the 2019 polls.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement yesterday, said the APC has ultimately lost its soul and can no longer be reckoned with as a political party, having been hijacked by the cabal in the presidency.

The main opposition party stated that the cabal in the presidency has overthrown the APC constitution, suppressed dissenting voices, and was now imposing a dictatorial regime within its ranks, reminiscent of a military coup.

The PDP said the development in the APC further exposed the desperation by the Buhari presidency to seize the political space, even within its party. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nigerians watched with rude shock as President Muhammadu Buhari, the African Union anticorruption champion, directly superintended over the worst kind of corruption in a political party by overthrowing its constitution and democratic processes, all in the bid to shut out other contenders in the presidential race, a development which further confirms that the president has lost popularity even in his own party,â&#x20AC;? the main opposition party stated. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We invite all to note that whereas the APC constitution provides for a four-year tenure for officials

of its organs and enshrined a re-election or reappointment at the expiration of the said tenure, the Buhari presidency muzzled the APC NEC and imposed an illegal one-year tenure extension for the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led National Working Committee, a fiat that is not provided for in the partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s constitution. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The APC is so dysfunctional that under the grip of the presidential cabal, the party in contravention of its own constitution does not have a Board of Trustees (BOT), which explains the reason it lacks a conscience and has failed completely in delivering good governance to the nation,â&#x20AC;? PDP added.

PDP observed that while the APC constitution provides for quarterly NEC meetings, the party has only held five since its formation in 2014. â&#x20AC;&#x153;From the outcome of Tuesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s APC NEC meeting,â&#x20AC;? PDP added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is clear that the party has finally collapsed, lost all democratic credentials and can no longer provide a level playing field for its members or even other Nigerians to freely aspire to any position of their choice, particularly, the presidency, governorship and National Assembly positions in the 2019 general election.â&#x20AC;?

The party continued: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is now certain that the APC is no longer a credible platform but an appropriated one, where only those anointed by the presidential cabal can have the opportunity to aspire to any position within its ranks. The APC has been seized and is irredeemably damaged ahead of the 2019 general election.

AHEAD OF SSCE, DAPCHI FINAL YEAR STUDENTS TO RELOCATE TO NGURU that time, and we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want them to miss any part of their examinations,â&#x20AC;? he said.

The state had closed the school on February 20, following the abduction of 110 girls by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.

Despite the trauma the families are experiencing, the commissioner believed life has to go on. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nguru is also a boarding school, but we are already taking steps to ensure security,â&#x20AC;? he was quoted by online news site, The Cable, as stating.

According to him, only SS3 girls of the over 900 students will be relocated for now.

The other students will remain with their parents

until the government is able to solve the issues on the ground.

Nguru is further north, about 300 kilometres from Damaturu, while Dapchi is about 100 kilometres, from the state capital.

Meanwhile, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd.) yesterday inaugurated a 12-man committee to investigate the circumstances leading to the kidnap of the schoolgirls from the school in Dapchi by Boko Haram terrorists.

Addressing members of the committee, Mungonu said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The abduction of the schoolgirls by the terrorists was a worrisome incident that

requires deliberate, urgent and relentless efforts on the part of government. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There have been conflicting reports from various quarters on the event that led to the abduction, the number of persons abducted, as well as their identities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This does not portray the country in a good light.

There have also been reports, especially in the social media, which tend to support some level of inactivity by the relevant organisations. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Therefore, there is a need to verify the circumstances surrounding the abduction of these girls from the school.â&#x20AC;?

The NSA went further to provide the terms of reference for the committee, saying it

was expected to determine the circumstances surrounding the abduction of the students from the school on the 19th of February.

Other terms of reference include: to determine the exact number of persons abducted alongside their identities as there are conflicting reports in this regard; to confirm the presence, composition, scale and disposition of security emplaced in Dapchi, as well as the school itself before the incident; to ascertain the existing communications in Dapchi and their functionality; to suggest measures that can lead to the location and immediate rescue of the abducted girls; to recommend measures to

be emplaced in preventing future occurrences; and any other details the committee may deem necessary.

Mungonu noted that considering the importance of the issue and the urgency required to promptly address the terms of reference and associated concerns, the panel was required to commence sitting immediately and submit its report to him in two weeks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I therefore implore members of the committee to be objective in their findings in order to address this ugly development. I must emphasis here also that there is a lot of cynicism outside in the Continued on page 47

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Furthermore, the confusion and lawlessness that were the hallmarks of the outcome of the APC Caucus and NEC meetings signposts the failures inherent in the incompetent, blundering and corrupt Buhari-led administration, which has brought so much hardship and violence to our dear nation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This gives strong insight into why the APC government was not able to adequately aggregate the issues, assemble the right economic team and muster the desired expertise, with appropriate programmes and policies to run the much desired productive government in almost three years.â&#x20AC;?

PDP urged all Nigerians of good faith still in the APC to note that their platform has lost it and â&#x20AC;&#x153;as such should take the bold steps to save our nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s democracyâ&#x20AC;?.

According to the PDP, â&#x20AC;&#x153;On our own part, the repositioned and rebranded PDP remains open as the only credible platform for the much desired new national political engagement where all Nigerians can freely and democratically aspire to any position of their choice, be it the highest in the country without any let or hindrance.â&#x20AC;?

It called on the APC to accept its self-inflicted doom and be ready to accept the inevitable defeat come 2019.

TOP GAINERS CCNN JAPAUL NEM DANGCEM UNITEDCAP TOP LOSERS COURTVILLE AFRINSURE FTNCOCOA

NGN NGN 1.55 19.75 0.04 0.54 0.10 2.10 12.80 269.80 0.19 4.04 NGN NGN 0.02 0.27 0.02 0.38 0.02 0.40 REDSTAR 0.30 6.00 SOVEREIGNTRUST 0.02 0.42 HPE Nestle Nig Plc â&#x201A;Ś1,400 Volume: 571.866 million shares Value: N10.800 billion Deals: 5,142 As at yesterday 28/02/18 See details on Page 41

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14

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍŻË&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

COMMENT

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

ETHIOPIA AND TROUBLES OF ARITHMETIC The arithmetic of ethnic nationalism will remain an inconvenience, writes Okello Oculi

T

he arithmetic of ethnic nationalities continues to dance across Ethiopia. The Oromia are estimated to be a little over 34 per cent of the total but suffered over 90 per cent of â&#x20AC;&#x153;pressuresâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; under feudal greed and brutalities of Amhara barons who often extracted up to 75 per cent of their food harvests.

The Amhara are currently estimated to be 27% of the total population but since the military coup of 1974 which deposed their emperor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Haile Selassie â&#x20AC;&#x201C; lost over 90 per cent of their control of governance. In an infamous Saturday night, a rumour that the Americans were planning a counter-coup, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dergâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; rushed to the detention centre and slaughtered cabinet ministers; district governors; top civil servants and feudal title holders.

The Tigray have only six per cent of the share of the population, but due to the Western education they received from Italian occupation over Eritrea, they constituted over 70 per cent of Haile Selassieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s imperial bureaucracy while their relatives who took up armed struggle to be independent from Ethiopian feudal dictatorship received the full blast of bombs, burning of villages, slaughter of those suspected to be disloyal, and hangings by the neck like legs of pork as intimidation for the population. A confluence of their separate armed struggles gave them over 95 per cent of ownership of â&#x20AC;&#x153;revolutionary armed struggleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and subsequent victory over Mengistuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regime.

The combination of â&#x20AC;&#x153;othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; (at over 26 %) and Somalis (at 6 %), shared with Oromia exclusion from power and its feudal economic harvests. In the landscape that the Tigray-led revolution sought to anchor its power after Mengistu fled, this group and Oromia were potential allies. The old empire was fractured by giving Oromia an unbelievable regional autonomy; and being free from control by Addis Ababa. Their language got the thrilling decoration of becoming â&#x20AC;&#x153;officialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;, and used for street signs. The architecture is designated as â&#x20AC;&#x153;federalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;; yet the revolution is directed by a central command.

This paradox can be fatal.

As a means of winning popular support but cutting legs of the imperial aristocracy, Mengistu Haile Mariame abolished their ownership of land and sent university students to go to districts and convey messages of redemption to victims of fiefdom. To the shock of the revolutionary students, the villagers were reluctant to grab their new freedom, fearful that the whole thing was a hoax and may be reversed â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with the land lords returning with terrible revenge.

The new revolutionaries face a legacy of feudal governance that never believed in developing the people; who measured their glory by the poverty, wretchedness and permanent hunger of their subjects. This history is also a blessing in

IN POST-MENGISTU ETHIOPIA, THE RESOLVE TO BUILD AN ECONOMICALLY DEVELOPED SOCIETY AND PREVENT REVERSALS BY FORMER FEUDALISTS HAD, BY FEBRUARY 2018, SEEN 3,500 OPPOSITION ACTIVISTS BEING RELEASED FROM PRISONS

disguise. It opens a window to winning legitimacy by offering health clinics, vaccinations; small loans to farmers, and letting farmers keep their harvests for feeding their families and selling some for cash. The catch was in agents of the defeated feudal classes continuing to spread fear of reprisals among the beneficiaries of the revolution.

In the operation of cooperatives which farmers were urged to form, agents of former rulers committed fraud; demoralised members; and discredit the new government.

As children of former ruling classes, some members of the ruling coalition do carry inside attitudes and prejudices of contempt for poor peasants and former â&#x20AC;&#x153;slavesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Tendencies to shout of commands; be brash and impatient, and exhibit the conviction that poor farmers suffer from â&#x20AC;&#x153;idiocyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and congenital superstition do show.

All these factors led to practices of putting Tigray officials as supervisors down to the lowest level of administration.

For Oromia hurting from Amhara domination, their new freedom had teeth stained with Tigray coffee. Officials who grabbed land and sold them to Kuwaiti and Saudi millionaires â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in the name of promoting modern agriculture and development â&#x20AC;&#x201C; brewed in them angry ethnic-nationalism.

The more the drive for legitimacy yields concrete products which previous oppressor could not envisage providing, the more frenzy goes into opposition measures. Meles Zenawe built 23 new universities to overtake the single one built by and named after Emperor Haile Selassie. By way of revolutionary example, he never built a palace to replace the simple brick house his mother lived in before he came to power. His government launched the construction of tarmac roads to link Addis Ababa, the capital, to all regions of the country. His government launch of the construction of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Renaissance Damâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; to supply power locally as well as for sale to Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan, was received with such strong public trust that appeals for every citizen to buy a â&#x20AC;&#x153;shareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; towards its funding, was not regarded as a plot to defraud the public.

His sudden death from poison may well have been the price he paid for so much success in developing a society long tortured by feudal greed and brutalities.

Writing about industrial revolutions in his native Germany and host country Britain, Karl Marx described in great detail the horrendous working condition of women and children inside factories. Japanese textile barons used the police to brutalise a worker who protested against exhaustion. In post-Mengistu Ethiopia, the resolve to build an economically developed society and prevent reversals by former feudalists had, by February 2018, seen 3,500 opposition activists being released from prisons. The arithmetic of ethnic nationalism will remain an inconvenience.

UI SECURITY DISCOURSE: WHAT NIGERIA SHOULD LEARN Oludayo Tade writes that the country should invest more in security studies and harvest the existing ones

N

igeria is a country that seems to have refused to benefit from the abundant security educational resources within its space. Rather than using research conducted by scholars in different areas of national development, successive government continues to engage in capital flight by outsourcing security researches and policy briefs to foreigners. Why will a country like Nigeria not care to benefit from the numerous and impactful researches conducted in Nigerian universities?

The countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s insecurity profile has continued to rise because research evidence has not been put to use. That over 200 Chibok girls were abducted four years ago and the 110 girls in Dapchi, Yobe State show a leadership culture that has refused to learn from history. There is a nexus between sound education and (in)security and great countries of the world invest in their educational institutions to conduct researches that will drive development. Unfortunately Nigeria prides itself as importer of Tokunbo knowledge and policies. Our leaders ignore homegrown quality researches, ends up utilising what late renowned Sociologist, Akinsola Akiwowo calls Igbinkungbi (inappropriate knowledge/policies) with little or no results. The desire to end security problems in Nigeria will benefit from researches conducted by scholars in Nigeria in general and University of Ibadan in her 70 years of birthing.

Since its founding in 1948, the premier university has continued to play leadership roles in manpower development, research and community development. With 410 professors, 120 readers, 402 senior lecturers and 335 lecturer I, 196 lecturer II and 61 assistant lecturers, the UI occupies the front seat as the flagship of postgraduate research and training in sub-Saharan

Africa. Producing her first doctoral student in Zoology (Dr Sanya Onabamiro) in 1952, UI now attracts over 16,000 applicants for PG programmes admitting a little above one-third of this; no thanks to infrastructural limitations.

Its internationalisation drive is not in doubt with over 327 foreign students being tutored in globally relevant courses. In particular, UI has engaged security discourses through its many postgraduate programmes and interdisciplinary discourses which bring the town to gown in order to dissect Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s problems. UI has an Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies; offers Masters in Strategic Studies; Forensic studies, Criminology and Development studies in Sociology and Criminal Psychology. In UI, I have read researches that have probed into many troubled waters in which Nigeria swims: terrorism, kidnapping, Fulani herdsmen and farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; clashes, electronic fraud in banks, unemployment, corruption, crimes and criminality and early warning signs of conflicts, among others.

Till date, the Postgraduate School, UI has organised over 60 Interdisciplinary discourses which gained more strength when the current Vice-Chancellor, Prof Idowu Olayinka held sway at the PG school as dean. During the tenure of Professor Adeyinka Aderinto, the immediate past dean of the postgraduate school, and the incumbent Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), current Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau was invited and presented a paper on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Education, Security and National Developmentâ&#x20AC;?.

In his engagement with the title, Dambazau noted the intersection saying â&#x20AC;&#x153;education is a source of security; security is a prerequisite for development and development guarantees securityâ&#x20AC;?. Dambazzau further noted that in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;current knowledge-driven global economy, no

country can achieve sustainable development without adequate investment in education, especially higher educationâ&#x20AC;?.

Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution provides for an educational policy that is directed towards ensuring equal and adequate educational opportunities for all, including free education at all levels. How can we therefore ensure equal opportunities when students attend schools with fear of being kidnapped and taken away in waterways in south-western Nigeria or girls abducted as terrorism pawn in north-eastern Nigeria? Again Dambazau stressed that â&#x20AC;&#x153;the activities of these terrorists are affecting not only the tertiary education sector but whole of Nigerian education sector. What, he asks â&#x20AC;&#x153;is our response to ensuring that our children are not denied access to education under any circumstance, including threat of terrorism? What is the fate and educational future of thousands of our children trapped in IDP camps spread in the northeast?â&#x20AC;?

I add; what do we do to the burgeoning new orphans and the vulnerable arising from Fulani herdsmen aggression? Without secured education, there cannot be secured future for Nigeria.

It is instructive to state that higher education is central to driving the desired social change by a serious government. The vision of UI is to be a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;world class institution for academic excellence geared towards meeting societal needsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Its mission is to â&#x20AC;&#x153;expand the frontiers of knowledge, transforming society through creativity and innovation, producing graduates that are worthy in character and in learning and serve as a vehicle for conveying societal valuesâ&#x20AC;?. For seven decades, the university has set up courses to diagnose security problems and develop solutions that strengthen human and national security systems.

All these studies, which have been published and

available online, do not appeal to our leadership because they hardly read. Instead ineffective committees are set up to examine remote and immediate causes of what has been researched!

Also, many of these programsme are being stunted by insufficient investment in education by government.

Unfortunately, top captains of industry and politicians are products of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first generation universities; UI in particular. Dambazauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lecture is one of the many interventions the premier university makes to security discourses.

At 70, UI PG School needs support from its alumni and patronage from Nigeria government. It is not palatable that UI does not have a post-doctoral fellowship to attract scholars globally. While candidatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; quest for postgraduate university education continues to rise geometrically due to increasing unemployment, education as a catalyst for national development has not been given the deserved attention. Incidentally, President Muhammadu Buhari is a few years older than University of Ibadan and should make the difference. Methinks he should partner with the University in driving his policies and programmes. Now in the saddle, Dambazau as Interior Minister must ensure security of education communities. While Nigeria has a lot to learn from security studies in UI, it cannot stifle funds in (tertiary) education and expect to solve her security problems. It must not only invest in education and security studies at UI, harvesting the pools of existing studies may be a step in the right direction in taking Nigerian away from being lazy importers of Tokunbo misfit policies to one driven by homegrown knowledge transformation policies.

Dr Tade, a Sociologist, sent this piece via dotad2003@yahoo.com

15

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍŻ Ë&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

EDITORIAL CURBING UNDERAGE VOTING There is urgent need for more votersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; education

I

n the wake of the nationwide outrage that greeted what transpired at the recent Kano State Local Government election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), last week, constituted an investigative panel to probe complaints of underage voters in its register. According to INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the eight-man panel would ascertain if the voter register requested by the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KNSIEC) was actually used during the election. It will also investigate widespread report of brazen violations of the electoral law as voters below the statutory age of 18 years allegedly freely participated in the poll.

Nothing less is expected on such a sensitive issue that can impugn the credibility of the electoral process and indeed put our democracy in peril. Video footages that went viral in the aftermath of the Kano council election had captured children participating and thumb printing ballot papers. The All Progressives Congress (APC), which controls the state, garnered about 2.6 million votes to win overwhelmingly in all 44 local councils, a A MORE ENDURING result disputed as SOLUTION LIES IN fraudulent by the VOTERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; EDUCATION main opposition, AND IN SECURING THE the Peoples DemoBUY-IN OF COMMUNITY cratic Party (PDP). But LEADERS AND OPINION INEC also doubted MOULDERS TO DRUM whether the register TO ALL THAT UNDERAGE it provided KNSIEC VOTING UNDERMINES was used during the THE INTEGRITY OF THE election. A statement ELECTORAL PROCESS attributed to the KNSIEC partly clariďŹ es that suspicion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are not a subsidiary of INEC,â&#x20AC;? said Professor Garba Sheka, chairman of KNSIEC. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The relationship between SIEC and INEC is that of partnership, not of leader or follower.â&#x20AC;?

However, whatever may be their relationship, the Kano local election has added a sense of urgency

Letters to the Editor

to tackling the problem of underage voting. It is a nationwide problem, but more prevalent in the north.

It particularly came into prominence during the last general election in 2015. The recent remarks by Professor Lai Olurode, former INEC Commissioner for South west between 2010 and 2015, were poignant. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had to run for my life at one of the election centres in a part of the country because these people said children must vote or there would be no election at all. The Kano State example is a bad signal and a warning that we really have a lot to do and the voter register is key.

The register must be clean,â&#x20AC;? he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;it must not have ghost names or underage voters.â&#x20AC;?

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SCHOOL FEES AND BENUE STATE UNIVERSITY

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r. Terzungwe Tser Vanger, the Principal Assistant Registrar (Information and Public Relations) of the Benue State University (BSU) did his job alright when he responded to my piece, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Akume and Suswam Must Do Restitution,â&#x20AC;? but he was just doing his job. If truth be told, Benue State is the poorest state in Nigeria because poverty is rife, thus it becomes really troubling to concerned folks like us that this terrible state of want is being rubbed down on the young ones by way of inability to pay school fees. Over here in the North and across Nigeria, to admit you are a Benue person is to be told that all the houses of prostitution nearby are occupied by â&#x20AC;&#x153;your sisters.â&#x20AC;? You can only be momentarily disheartened about this because it is the hard, cold fact.

You can do a self-pity analysis and wonder why the home-front is not working; you wonder why salaries are not being paid and you wonder why cash and investment in-flows are near rock-bottom. Your heart breaks because you cannot help the situation and it pains you if you hear that those at the helm of affairs are living the good life of their contemporaries in other states whilst the poor folks at home are being mowed down by foreign cattlemen. Benue State is not cursed, not at all, this state is just poor but we can pull it out of its wretched state. The people of Benue State have

t is thus clear that this is an issue that the authorities cannot afford to treat with levity because of its tendency to compromise the outcome of elections.

Fortunately, the electoral umpire is acutely aware that the credibility if any election is contingent on the credibility of the voter register. Section 12 (1) of the Electoral Act clearly deďŹ nes who is eligible as a voter.

These are citizenship, residence and the attainment of the mandatory age of 18 years. During a workshop on Election Project Plan Implementation in Lagos last week, Yakubu vowed to clean and sanitise the voter register in all 1446 centres across the country and conduct the election which is due in 2019 in accordance with the best global professional standards.

In order to achieve this objective, INEC and other stakeholders should also ensure that forthwith, deliberate actions are taken to protect ofďŹ cials during the registration of voters just as it is done during the voting process. Reports are rife that many minors were registered because of threats to registration ofďŹ cers by many communities. But a more enduring solution lies in votersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; education and in securing the buy-in of community leaders and opinion moulders to drum to all that underage voting undermines the integrity of the electoral process.

There is no better time to clean up the voter register than now!

a great heart and desire for hard and honest work.

We should be bold and ignore jibes from others; if we cannot get increased federal allocation or some cash inflow infusion, why not legalise the prostitution that our â&#x20AC;&#x153;sistersâ&#x20AC;? are known for and have them all re-locate back to Benue State, be housed in government-sanctioned, template-based housings and then have their horny patrons chase them to Benue State? Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s there to be ashamed of? True, these â&#x20AC;&#x153;sistersâ&#x20AC;? that others mock us about are some of the most beautiful ladies that live in Nigeria; they are all over town at beer gardens, too.

Must we be ashamed of our â&#x20AC;&#x153;sistersâ&#x20AC;? and not pause to do an academic thing by inquiring of them what the problem was?

They are not garbage to be shunned and discarded; these are human beings who chose prostitution because starvation is the next option. They should not â&#x20AC;&#x153;wasteâ&#x20AC;? and be derided by no-good jackasses. Anyone who is not from Benue State would not understand the pain and fire in my heart; my case is painfully anecdotal and it hit me real hard just recently. The Benue State Government should bring these â&#x20AC;&#x153;sistersâ&#x20AC;? home and this government should fix the school fees imbroglio at the BSU right away.

Sunday Adole Jonah, Department of Physics, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State

DRUG ABUSE IN NIGER STATE

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rug Abuse has become very popular among young people in Niger State, irrespective of gender. And addiction to drugs poses a serious health challenge to users and also to our collective security and safety. Sadly, and more worrisome is the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities charged with the responsibility of curtailing and controlling the use and trafficking of these illicit drugs. They are not doing much. It seems no one is in charge of the situation in Niger State.

The ease with which the culprits obtain these illegal items should at least concern any right thinking individual and parents alike. I cherish a society that is free from such vices that easily corrupt the young ones and the most gullible. As a matter of urgency, we must collectively do all we could to stop this ugly trend.

Against the backdrop of the escalating abuse of drugs in the state, some youthsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; groups like the Arewa Initiative Against Drugs had sprung up to challenge the menace. I am excited about the modest efforts of these young minds in championing the course of a drug- free society. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re lending voices and support

through advocacy and public enlightenment programmes. This is quite commendable. I salute their efforts, courage and resolve to correct what has become a social problem and menace not only in Niger State but across the North.

It is imperative to call the attention of the Niger State Government, under the able and committed leadership of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, to commence as a matter of utmost importance and, of public good, to launch a cleansing campaign against the use of illicit drugs and raise awareness about the grave dangers and consequences they pose. The Niger State government should also explore interagency/government collaboration and partnership with relevant federal government agencies charged with such function for effective service delivery. The state has done so well in terms of providing logistical support to security agencies in policing the state. So, we should expect the support and cooperation of the National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in assisting to contain the menace of drug abuse in Niger State.

Abdullahi Yusuf Kuta, Department of Mass Communication, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State.

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY MARCH 1, 2018

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

POLITICS

Group Politics Editor Tobi Soniyi Email tobi.soniyi@thisdaylive.com 07054786260 SMS ONLY

PERSONALITY INTERVIEW

Makarfi: PDP Not Bothered by Order of Elections Former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party’s National Caretaker Committee, Ahmed Makarfi says his party is ready to take on the general election regardless of its sequencing. He spoke with politics correspondents in Lagos. Shola Oyeyipo was there and presents the excerpts: What is the state of affairs in your party?

Well, not many people gave us a chance before the national convention. Many thought the party was going to scatter from the Eagle Square but that did not happen. But that does not mean there was no fallout of the convention.

After any convention, there must be issues arising from the conduct. So, it is not different that PDP has some minor issues after the convention but it is gladdening that the party remains solid and united.

Before the convention, we anticipated that some issues may arise, that was why we set up the reconciliation committee which moved to work immediately after the convention. The current leadership also set up other two committees which consist of Seriake Dickson committee and the other one led by former principal officers of the National Assembly, to reach out to the aggrieved and to bring them back on board and to integrate them in a bid to provide a united front. To also provide a strong and virile opposition to the All Progressives Congress (APC), which is in power. We have covered a lot of grounds, but that does not mean to say there are still no issues but I am not in a position to know what those outstanding issues were because I am not the national chairman of the party now.

I have left as chairman but I continue to give advice in areas where l am needed and I am also handling issues I can handle on my own, just to bring unity into the party without necessarily having recourse to the current leadership.

The current leadership has been meeting with relevant organs of the party, the governors, National Assembly members, former governors in order to forge the way forward for the party.

I am sure the party is set and working so hard to be a virile opposition party.

There is an allegation that PDP governors are over-bearing and that this was partly responsible for the loss the party suffered in 2015 general election. It is also believed that this played out at the December convention.

Well, going back to the 2015 elections, the north expected to have the ticket, to some, that matters. But even at that, our language was not so polite in the campaigns. The language some of our members used in campaigning for 2015 was insulting to a certain part of the country. Also, the party structure was not used for campaigning rather an arrangement for using TAN was used for the presidential campaign. TAN was formulated by some people to impress those in power, it was not something structured, PDP is a structured party down toward and village level. To now abandon that asset and use something superficial, naturally there would be problems because it discouraged some people while some others became nonchalant. I can tell you that some governors were not even aware how the campaigns went and no governor sat in the campaign council.

When you blame governors, I can tell you that not even the chairman of the PDP’s Governors Forum was in the presidential campaign council.

These factors contributed to losing elections, not that APC won, but PDP threw away the elections. There could have been difficulties or challenges, but if we had acted differently, there was no way we could have lost the 2015 elections. If we are talking about the states, I can say yes but on the presidential, there was no question of over-bearing influence by any governor especially as I mentioned, no governor was in the presidential campaign council. They were basically expected to be on-lookers until you visit their states to campaign. They made a mistake.

Going forward, the PDP has only 11 governors, so the people are working together with the governors we have and the governors are also showing their support. I have not seen where they are showing overbearing influence

Makarfi

on anybody, if they have ideas, they share ideas and we implement it. Right now, you won’t find that in PDP because the situation is completely different, we know that and we are making use of all the assets that we have, whether governors, former governors or former ministers, we respect the view of all who can add value to our party. We are not ignoring all those that are in the position or that has the capacity to help.

Nigerians remain sceptical of PDP’s readiness to take back power. How prepared is the party for 2019?

No serious party will want to remain as an opposition party. The role of any opposition party is to take over power and that is what we set our eyes on right now. I want to thank APC for actually making our job easier and I continue to pray that APC continues to make our job easier as we move closer to elections. I do not pray Nigerians continue to suffer and that is why I believe Nigerians will make the right choice by voting out the party in power.

As to our preparations, all I can say is that we are doing all that is legally and politically doable to achieve our objectives. It would be

You don’t go by the crowd to win elections. In 2015, which crowd we did not have as a party.

Did PDP not lose the elections? So, don’t be carried away by the crowd that attends a rally

inappropriate for me to give a hint on what we are doing or what we are planning. It will amount to someone going to a battlefront and publish your war plans, you have as well committed suicide before going for the war.

We keep our plans to our chest but be assured we are used to the politicking and we shall leave no stone unturned.

It is believed that your leadership intentionally threw away the entire South-west bloc from achieving their aims of clinching the chairmanship of the PDP? I want to disagree with you in your assertion about states of the South-west. First, there was no intention of throwing away the South-west or any other bloc from any part of the country.

And by the time we went to the convention, there was no political arrangement from the south as to where the chairman of the party should come from. We came in May and a convention was scheduled for August in Port-Harcourt, the PDP met in Port-Harcourt and micro zoned the chairmanship of the party to the South-west before August last year. When we went to Port-Harcourt, because of interference from government, that election could not take place and our tenure was extended for a year. When we are approaching the December convention, the north met and politically discussed among themselves and maintained the micro-zoning.

The south met and they could not agree on the micro-zoning.

Before every convention, you meet, discuss and also take certain decisions. The unity that existed from the South before the August convention disappeared before the December convention. When they met, they could not agree. Then they met again and agree don all other positions except two positions which are the chairmanship and the deputy chairmanship.

And they left that decision among themselves and even the South-east excused themselves from it but the South-south and the South-West could not agree.

And when they could not agree, the South-west and South-south decided that the convention should decide who becomes the chairman and deputy chairman. Failure of a certain part to sit

down and agree should not be seen as the rest of the country heaping something on somebody.

Nobody directed the north to meet and maintain what they have done, I did not ask them, it was not in my position to do that and nobody stops the south from agreeing on certain terms.

Failure to agree was what made the race open and politics is an issue of negotiation. So they came to the convention divided, campaigning against each other and in politics when you are campaigning against each other and you want the rest to give you power, it becomes more difficult. So really, it was a local failure because the other part of the country has its agreement intact. But I think they did not see a reason to unify before they decided that the convention should determine who emerges.

It was at the venue of the convention when the election was about to start, some of them started going round to say they now have a consensus candidate while some others started going round disclaiming such agreement. So, in such confusion, who do you blame? You cannot blame anybody. Be that as it may, no part of this country should be taken for granted.

Except you don’t understand the politics of Nigeria, that is why you won’t expect to win elections on the convention ground. Before you get to the convention ground, all the alliances have been formed and you will know whether you will win or lose before getting to the convention ground.

You may not have the leadership of the party, you may end up having what is even more than the leadership of the party. As chairman of the party, you have limited powers even when your party is in government, can you tell me how powerful the chairman of APC, Oyegun is today? I think where people should look up to is the executive because that is where policy is formulated and executed and that is where the interest of people you represent can be implemented. That is my personal opinion.

Apart from the Dickson committee, I know there is another committee being led by Dr. Nwodo with Dr. Bello Haliru and David Mark.

They are complementing what others are doing just to ensure peace and accommodation in the party. When you mention that the party is absent in the South-west, I disagree with that. For me, you have to go gradually to achieve peace, anything you rush into especially where there is a sharp division, you are bound to fail. So the party is very conscious of these problems and we are doing all we can to harmonize. I can tell you that you will know our strength as a party when the elections come. Nigerians should stop looking at the big picture of ceremonial things, those things don’t win elections. You don’t go by the crowd to win elections. In 2015, which crowd we did not have as a party? Did PDP not lose elections? So, don’t be carried away by the crowd that attends a rally.

What is your take on the re-ordering of elections?

The position of the law is clear on this. It is not what is passed but what is signed that becomes law. If the president signs it, it becomes law. We passed the same law during my time at the Senate and then a court said it was unconstitutional and that it was INEC that has the power to do that. If that is the case, so be it. But for me, I think my take is, PDP should prepare to win no matter how elections are ordered. To think that elections should be ordered this way or that way, it is a lazy way of approaching elections. Whichever way it is ordered, we should campaign and work.

I believe strongly that anyhow the elections come, PDP can win. So we should concentrate on main issues and not through any short-cut.

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

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

POLITICS

Okechukwu: Why S’East Leaders Endorsed Buhari for Second Term The Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu explains the political calculations behind the endorsement of President Muhammadu Buhari for another four years by the leaders of the All Progressives Congress from the South-east. He spoke to Onyebuchi Ezigbo. Excerpts:

Y

ou and other leaders from the South-east geopolitical zone recently visited President Muhammadu Buhari and endorsed him for a second term. Isn’t this hasty from a region that is perceived to be neglected by this administration?

Permit me on one, two or three grounds, to state emphatically the raison d’etre for our endorsement. It is positive because we sat back and we did deep reflection and introspection, about what is the utmost interest of Ndigbo?

Because in democracy like in any other venture you must think of your group and think of the larger nation before you endorse an incumbent for 2nd Term. Therefore, we put the interest of the South-east, Ndigbo and the entire Nigeria in a bigger picture. We scaled it and said firstly, that the critical projects President Buhari started executing in two to three years of his regime are what the PDP didn’t do in 16 years of its reign. What are those projects dear to the heart of the APC members in the South East?

First is the road infrastructure. President Buhari with little or no money went round the world, knocked at every door and borrowed N100 billion, from what is called the Sukuk soft loan and N16.7 billion was assigned to the South East to choose our priority roads and we chose Enugu/Onitsha and Enugu/Port Harcourt dual carriage way. The two projects are going on now. Also on the 2nd Niger bridge, President Buhari without prejudice to the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP), that former President Jonathan contrived without paying a dime. Buhari had paid in N14 billion to the contractor and has N7 billion in 2017 budget.

When I asked the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, His Excellency Babatunde Fashola he told me ‘let’s start work first, whenever the PPP arrangement is ready, they should either refund the federal government of Nigeria or make the current expenditures part of whatever is the percentage contribution of the Federal Government of Nigeria. Don’t forget that the 2nd Niger bridge PPP arrangement is the brainchild and was born out of the intellectual acumen of Obi of Onitsha, Obi Alfred Achebe, who embarrassingly reminded Jonathan in February 2014 of the campaign promise he made in 2011. It was when Jonathan went to Owerri to receive those who decamped to PDP from APC. The then governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi advised Jonathan that they should go to Anambra state and the first place they landed was the palace of the Obi of Onitsha and the Obi being an intellectual and former bureaucrat reminded Jonathan there and then “that four years ago, you came here and promised the people that the first Niger bridge was constructed by 1st Azikiwe and the second Niger bridge will be done by 2nd Azikiwe “. Guess what, Jonathan did not drop a kobo on ground. He ran back to Abuja and quickly arranged a PPP of N117 billion and not a dime was paid to start the process. Ironically, the Buhari that we didn’t vote for started that process. On his table today, there is the issue of revamping the Enugu coal. There is also on his table the issue of network of gas pipeline in Igboland.

The issue of Geometric Electric Company that was stalled in Aba, he is the one that resolved it. So when we checked on Buhari’s collective and massive critical infrastructure plan, across the length and breadth of the country, inclusive of the South-east, we have no option but to endorse him. There is federal character in his projects location.

We also checked the 5,000 kilometres federal road network which he has; the Aba and Abakaliki township roads are on the bouquet of the N29.9 billion loan, so is the Enugu water scheme AFDB loan. We cannot forget the Mabilla Hydro-power plant, which will generate over 3,000 megawatts.

Before even our visit we got Mr President to add the eastern corridor - Port Harcourt/

Ahmed Tinubu. They have all the governors in the South-west, they have all the councillors so why is Ohaneze partying with a group that is peripheral, doing so wittingly or unwittingly may scuttle our chances so we are pleading.

We appeal that we shelve the old hatred and shove stereotype aside. Firstly let’s participate in the critical infrastructure revolution and let us also quicken our way to become for once an elected executive president of the country.

Okechukwu

Maiduguri standard gauge rail line, which will connect all the states, and the commercial capitals along the rail line. Which means that it will link Port Harcourt - Aba - Umuahia - Enugu, - Awka - Owerri - Abakaliki, same features in the North and West.

Compare it with when we had Secretary to Government of the Federation, Chief of Army Staff and all manner of ministers and dilapidated infrastructure. Yes, we agree that we were shut out in security apparatus, that no Igbo man is Chief of Army staff, Chief of Defence Staff, Director General of the SSS, Inspector General of police; etc, we agree on that. We agree that South-east has no member in the NNPC board but we said while we dialogue with Mr. President for an inclusive model, let secure critical infrastructure for the hardworking, talented, entrepreneurial Igbos and other Nigerians in our midst. We reason that in the fullness of time these infrastructures will bring investment back to Igboland.

The second factor of our endorsement is the truism that Buhari’s 2nd term is the fastest route to enthronement of Nigeria president of Igbo extraction. Any other northerner elected will do 8 years, but Mr President going by the constitution has only four years left.

Therefore, we looked at the fact that there is a zoning convention that the northern elite in the enlightened patriotic interest bestowed on the Nigerian 4th republic. We were there when the north persuaded the late Abubakar Rimi not to run under the platform of the PDP in Jos presidential primary in 1999. They also persuaded Dr Olusola Saraki of blessed memory who could have won the APP ticket not to run in Kaduna. That was the beginning of the zoning or rotation convention journey. The first lot fell on the South-west and incidentally we voted for the South-west candidate - former President Olusegun Obasanjo. We voted for him in spite of the fact that the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme our son was shoved aside. In fact we voted for his two tenures; in 1999 and 2003.

This is payback time, because my people even neglected Buhari who had our own brother the late Oyi of Oyi, Rt.Hon. Dr Chuba Okadigbo as his running mate in 2003. In 2007, 2011 and 2015 we didn’t vote for Buhari. In spite of the fact that we didn’t vote for Mr. President he still included us in his broad base

critical infrastructural development of Nigeria.

As I said before, if you look at the politics as well, zoning confirms the fact that Buhari is the only northerner in 2019 who will do only four years. All we are saying is that if we vote for him it enhances our chances of appealing to our brothers in the South-west who have had eight years and South-south five years plus, since we entered the fourth republic. Equity and justice is on our side.

We are not talking from the 1960s because if we recount our only six months span of General Aguiyi Ironsi, our equity and justice canvas resonates. Our primary duty is vote for Buhari and appeal to our South west and South-south brothers, especially because we voted ex-presidents Obasanjo and Jonathan massively. We also voted for them massively in 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015. In real politics out of the three regions of the south; two of them have had a taste of the presidency, so we have a moral force on our side, we have justice on our side, we have equity on our side and if you allow any other northerner to have the presidency in 2019 outside Buhari it then means you are talking of God knows when. We cannot afford unforced error, as tennis players will admonish. So why don’t we fasten the journey more so when we have something handy; the critical infrastructure in our bosom? These are part of the points we are making, that those who want to bite the big apple must also align in the mainstream of the Nigerian politics. The best option is to endorse Buhari and vote for him accordingly.

Thirdly, we endorsed him because we want to send clear message to our brothers and sisters from the South-east that collectively we owe it to ourselves to position ourselves better than others. For we don’t care who Nigerians will choose, but let it be from our kindred for equity and justice to prevail. Our simple appeal is to our brothers and sisters who are not members of APC to join us in this effort to get President Buhari elected. That’s why I get worried when I see our big brother, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, with all his intellectual acumen negotiating with a fringe faction of the Yoruba. The Afenifere flag they fly today is not the same Afenifere of the past. The majority of the Yoruba people are ed by our leader in the APC, Asiwaju Bola

There are complaints that South-east is not in the mainstream of the Buhari administration and you are saying that he has done very well for the zone. Don’t you see a contradiction here?

There is no contradiction. My father and the old English proverb agree that, ‘if the journey you are embarking on is very important, you must set forth at dawn’. Now why do we set forth at dawn? If we had voted for President Buhari when he has chosen our son late Okadigbo in 2003 or had voted for him when he chose our second son late Chief Edwin Emezoke in 2007 it could have been an old romance. If you had rejected a lady sometime ago and you still want to befriend her, the earlier you set off and let her know that you mean business, the better. There is nothing lost by setting forth at dawn. It is very important and for those that are saying there is nothing going on for God’s sake the much that had been done on Onitsha/ Enugu; you see most of these people don’t go home. As far back as six months ago the Buhari Support Organisation Enugu Chapter went and showcased to the world the construction going on. Buhari has received broad swipes from many of our brothers, especially the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who the other day cajoled Mr President, admonishing him to pledge to hand over in the event of losing. He won’t lose, so we better come to that reality.

This is the Deputy Senate President who presided over the dilapidation of federal roads in the South-east, except the one passing through his village. So those are the people who are speaking. If their grandfather didn’t tell them to set forth at dawn my grand father told me. We have to set forth at dawn, we are looking at the presidency of this country that will shape the country. The president we will offer Nigeria will bring our hard work, enterprise and ingenuity to govern public affairs. He will consolidate the solid foundation being laid by President Buhari. We are talented, we are hard working.

An Igbo president will change the face of the country, it will help to transform the face of the country through the foundation that President Buhari is laying more than any other group. I am not trying to be immodest. On the letters written by our ex-presidents, I am not actually moved by the hype, because their letters are not remarkably different from that of Her Excellency, Aisha Buhari’s letter. I don’t want to talk about Dr Olusegun Obasanjo, he is an elder statesman and let’s not open the can of worms. When he awarded the Chinese $8.3 billion for about 1,400 kilometres old gauge rail line under PPP arrangement; the Chinese almost at the same period awarded Golmud/ Lhasa standard gauge rail line of 1,142 kilometres at $4.2 billion. Golmud is between Lhasa and Beijing. Golmud to Lhasa standard gauge rail line is located in higher altitude more than any altitude found in Nigeria rail line, even the Jos plateau. For corruption, he would have awarded the Lagos/Kano and Port Harcourt/ Maiduguri at that 8.3 billion dollars. Today Buhari is borrowing $1.5 billion to standardize Lagos/Kano route which brings it to $9.8 billion.

Accordingly, let’s not talk about it because in our tradition we were told not to talk bad of the elder.

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

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THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY

FEATURES

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

Abuja’s Illegal Occupants Olawale Ajimotokan writes about the intrigues surrounding Galuwyi Shere, one of the settlements for relocated communities in the Federal Capital Territory illegally encroached on by the police

Galuwyi Shere settlement...encroached on by the police

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he Federal Capital Development Administration (FCDA) has condemned the subterranean move of the Nigeria Police to acquire and convert Galuwyi Shere, a sprawling indigenous community settlement into a Mobile Police Barracks.

THISDAY gathered authoritatively that the Public Building Department of FCDA is moving to oust pockets of policemen quartering in the estate.

Sited on a land measuring 900 hectres, Galuwyi Shere, a few kilometres from Mpape in Bwari Area Council, is a cluster of buildings, delineated into several blocks.

It is a landmark and considered a city on its own. There are over 2,000 houses in the settlement. The sheen of the corrugated roofs, often attracts curiosity of air travellers, making the final descent over Lower Usuman Dam into the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

The contract for Galuwyi Shere was originally awarded in 2006 and was projected to be completed in 2016.

However, when THISDAY visited, the estate, which is several kilometres from the city, it was found to be uncompleted and some occupied portions in abject state.

The link up roads are untarred. Also some of the buildings bear cracks while broken doors and windows are common features. Electricity to the settlement is generated through solar panels. Clean water is a scarce commodity.

It is ironic that in spite of being under renovation, it has a few occupants, including men of the Nigeria mobile police units.

Galuwyi Shere is the proposed housing to resettle the Abuja indigenous communities in the northern flank of the federal capital city. The communities include Utako Village, Mabushi, Jabi Samuel, Jabi Yakubu, Kpaduma, Zhilu (Zhidu), Gishiri, Magajipe, Kado 1 and 2 and Maje.

The relocation of the communities by FCDA

will be effected this year. Already, the Emir of Jabi Samuel has begged the authority to relocate his subjects as a long term solution to ease the escalating problems they are battling at the community they are currently living.

THISDAY learnt that the FCDA raised the

It is true that some policemen, including their officials, have occupied some parts of Galuwyi Shere. I am aware also that the FCDA Public Building Department is duly following up the issue to eject the police, who have been put on notice. We are conscious of what befell Jibi and want to ensure that Galuwyi Shere is preserved in the interest of the indigenous communities. Very soon, the policemen squatting in Galuwyi Shere will be ejected because if we don’t do so, the tendency that they may covert it is very high

FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello... should eject the police from Galuwyi Shere settlement

eyebrow against the police occupation to mitigate another shortcoming that made it lose another specially designed indigenous resettlement community at Jibi to the police.

The Jibi resettlement, now christened MD Abubakar Barracks, is built on an area measuring 480 hectares of land. The estate along the Outer Northern Expressway, is made up of several units of prototype one bedroom apartments now occupied by the men of the police mobile units.

Shielded by mounds of rock, the community with several primary schools and a Nigeria Police Hospital that runs comprehensive medical checkup, an eye clinic, medical laboratory and maternity family plan, extends to the Water Lake Farm Estate.

THISDAY learnt that the Police used the inability of FCDA to complete the Jibi Estate on time as an excuse to trespass the estate meant for indigenous communities.

But following a series of engagements, including payment of some amounts of

money, a mutual agreement was reached between the police and FCDA to allow the police authority remain in Jibi.

It was gathered that the concession was brokered when Mohammed Abba Gana was the FCT Minister, following a report tendered by a resettlement Task Force comprising officers from the administrative and finance units in the minister’s office.

The Director Resettlement and Compensation FCDA, Baba Kura Umar, said the department was concerned about the fate of Galuwyi Shere and would not want the police to forcefully occupy the community as they did at Jibi.

“It is true that some policemen, including their officials, have occupied some parts of Galuwyi Shere. I am aware also that the FCDA Public Building Department is duly following up the issue to eject the police, who have been put on notice. We are conscious of what befell Jibi and want to ensure that Galuwyi Shere is preserved in the interest of the indigenous communities. Very soon, the policemen squatting in Galuwyi Shere will be ejected because if we don’t do so, the tendency that they may covert it is very high,” Umar vowed.

Umar heads the department charged on behalf of the FCT Administration and federal government to settle indigenous communities found within the FCT. The Public Building Department identifies the villages and enumerates the settlers through data gathering. The houses will then be taken upon completion.

Umar recalled that the immediate past FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed, petitioned the then FCT Police Commissioner, when the Department of Resettlement and Compensation cried foul, when alerted by the Executive Secretary of FCDA, about the influx of Police to Galuwyi Shere some years back.

FCTA is embarking on the massive construction of many units of resettlement

21

Ëž T H I S D AY THURSDAYË&#x153; ÍŻË&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

FEATURES

A section of Galuwyi Shere

MD Abubakar Barracks ,converted to mobile police barracks at Jibi (Dei-Dei)

Police barracks at Jibi

schemes for the indigenous peoples whose community in the federal capital city are listed for demolition to allow for the modernisation of the city.

Apart from Galuwyi Shere, there are currently three other resettlement schemes under construction by the administration under FCT Minister, Malam Mohammed Musa Bello. The settlements are Wassa and Apo. The fourth mooted by the FCDA is called Anangada Resettlement Scheme.

It is a two pronged project- a satellite town like Gwagwalada and Kubwa to feed the city-Anangada Satellite Town and Anangada resettlement scheme existing side by side with other villages.

FCTA, late last year, flagged off the construction of the Apo-Wassa dual carriageways, to link up the two settlements. The project expected to be completed in a time span

of 12 months, will cost about N8.62 billion.

In Galuwyi Shere, somebody formerly living in a small shack with all his family, will now be given three-bedroom with parlour, water system, everything to better their lives

The road that is part of the Outer Southern Expressway will pull up at Apo-Kashi Road.

The Apo resettlement scheme will take care in phases of dwellers from Garki Village in the next few months and people living in Apo and Akpanjenya Villages along that axis.

The other one is the Wassa resettlement scheme built on 700 hectares of land, to accommodate the original inhabitants along the airport axis. The villages include, Kuchingoro, Chika, Aleita, Piwoyi and Karomanjigi. The villages at Chika and Aleita are to move in the first instance for the Abuja Technology Village along the Airport planned by donor agencies.

A background history to the resettlement of indigenous communities within the federal capital city will suffice.

The settlement communities were conceptualised when the FCT was created in 1976.The

new capital was an area where there were no settlements. The Akinola Aguda Panel and sub-committees that recommended the movement premised its report on the assumption that there were no settlements there.

A team of consultants from the University of Ibadan, led by Prof. Akin Mabogunje, was later tasked to come out with how to resettle the communities found to exist there.

Settlements inhabited by the indigenous communities in Phase One of the federal capital city within FCT were earmarked for relocation. The settlements comprised Jabi, Asokoro, Maitama, Wuse, Garki, all the way to Lugbe.

But government chose to concentrate on some villages within Phase One, like Maitama and Asokoro, and stopped further because of limited finances. Villages in Maitama and Asokoro were moved to Kokoaba and New Maitama along Kaduna Road. New Karu and New Wuse were also created.

Utako and Jabi were not moved because of monetary consideration but government allowed those it could not relocate to remain where they were until it had the means to start development in those areas.

By 1983, Kubwa and Ushafa were developed anew until government realised it could not keep pace with developing these communities.

That led to the idea of integrating the villages within the city centre. Integration means, instead of being moved for development to continue, the villages be allowed to remain where they were.

It started in Garki with the urban part existing closely with the villages without running water and unplanned road.

Eventually it was realised that integration was not an option as the whole thing became an eyesore.

The administration of Nasir el-Rufai, considered the issue of resettlement was becoming a time bomb and the delay from the period when they had not moved out of town, had hindered development as population kept expanding and the villages kept growing, while the amount of money voted to cater for them bludgeoned.

Subsequently, he conjured the idea of resettlement schemes, where they could relocate the communities within the federal capital city given the cost of providing infrastructure was becoming high within the FCT. At the moment, living in GaIuwyi Shere could be a nightmare because the connecting road from Mpape is in bad shape. The situation could be compounded by the approaching rainy season.

But Umar said the contract for the road, soak away and internal reticulation are ongoing. Some of the houses which are dilapidated and destroyed by fire are also being renovated while provisions are in the master plan for amenities that will make life comfortable for the resettled once they start moving those that need to move. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In Galuwyi Shere, there are provisions for farms, workshops and skills acquisition centre. We are trying to install a library, schools, clinics and a police post. We also have a big commercial area which is akin to the big Abuja commercial market, cultural centre, banks, fire station, women development centre, private primary school, day secondary school, district hospitals, central motor parks and open market because by nature, as people in the city, they need some time to adapt from what they were used to from a number of years. I am aware that the health and human secretariat is mulling contract for a clinic. There are some responsibility for the area councils concerning markets,â&#x20AC;?

Umar said.

He insisted the technical people at FCT Administration ensured that the construction of Galuwyi Shere conformed to the UN and World Bank global best practice standard on resettlement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you have seen Jibi, they are completely different from what you have in Galuwyi Shere. That Jibi model is like a barrack styled.

Galuwyi Shere is modern 3-bedroom with all amenities in adherence to UN Article that if it is inevitable they are moved, it must be to a place which is better than where they are coming from. Go to Jabi Yakubu and see where they are staying. In Galuwyi Shere, somebody formerly living in a small shack with all his family, will now be given three-bedroom with parlour, water system, everything to better their lives.â&#x20AC;?

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L-R: Executive Director, Commercial and Consumer Banking, South Fidelity Bank Plc., Aku Odinkemelu; Chairman, Fidelity Bank Plc. Ernest Ebi; President, Council of Nigerian Stock Exchange, Chris Ogunbanjo, at the presentation of Corporate Governance Rating System (CGRS) certiďŹ cation to Directors of Fidelity Bank in Lagosâ&#x20AC;Śrecently

NIMASA Targets $8bn Maritime Component of Oil and Gas Industry To establish marine development bank Eromosele Abiodun As part of the measures to enhance its revenue drive, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) will focus its attention on the $8 billion (N2.88 trillion) maritime component of the Oil and Gas sector in 2018, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside has said.

Dakuku stated this on Tuesday while unveiling the 2018/2019 maritime industry forecast , the first time in the history of the industry a forecast to reposition the sector was

MARITIME being showcased.

He disclosed that five bills amongst others, affecting the maritime industry will enter into force in 2018, one of which is a bill for the establishment of the Nigerian Marine Development Bank.

The other bills currently undergoing legislative processes at the National Assembly are: the Anti-Piracy Bill, Inland Fisheries Act (Amendment) Bill 2017, the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract (Amendment) Bill 2016 and the Carbotage

Act (Amendment) Bill 2017.

He said the Nigerian maritime industry was projected to grow by 2.5 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 5 per cent within the period of 2018-2019, further adding that there will be a projected increase in demand for maritime services in Nigeria during the period.

Peterside stated that Nigerians should expect total fleet size to grow by 4.08 per cent in 2018 and 4.41 per cent in 2019.

He projected that oil tanker fleet size will decrease by 2.23 per cent in 2018 and increase by 1.7 per cent in 2019. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The non-oil tanker fleet size is projected to increase by 8.15

per cent in 2018 and 8.72 per cent in 2019 while the oil rig count is projected to increase by 27.67 per cent in 2018 and 0 per cent in 2019, â&#x20AC;&#x153;he said.

He added that two broad dynamics would drive the outlook on the Nigerian maritime industry in 2018 revealing that the first pertains to international developments as they relate to growth in global output and trade.

The second, he added, is the domestic economic conditions, which speak to economic growth and the Continued on page 24

NCC Set to Licence Amateur Radio Services, 60GHz Band in Nigeria Emma Okonji In line with global best practice, the Nigerian Communcations Commission (NCC), the telecons industry regulator, said on Tuesday it would licence the amateur radio services and the 60GHz band designed to open up spectrum licences that have been relatively scarce.

Addressing stakeholders at a consultative forum in Lagos to announce the opening of the 60GHz spectrum and presentation of the draft guideline for the deployment of amateur radio in Nigeria, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof.

Umar Garba Danbatta, who was represented by the Director, Research and Development at the NCC, Mrs. Abigail Sholanke,

ICT said radio frequency spectrum is the fundamental resource for the provision of wireless communication services and has increasingly become scarce due to the emergence of new technologies and the growing demand for wireless services. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In order to facilitate strategic collaboration and partnership with relevant stakeholders, facilitate broadband penetration, optimise spectrum usage and its benefits, as well as ensure regulatory excellence and operational efficiency among others, the Commission has decided to yet again to provide an avenue for stakeholders and users of telecommunication resources, to converge and make inputs to be

considered in the opening up of the 60GHz spectrum bond and draft regulatory framework for amateur radio.,â&#x20AC;? Danbatta said.

At present, radio spectrum in the 60 GHz band also known as the V-band, is yet to be opened fir deployment of services in Nigeria. The Commission recognises that to boost the eminent advantages that are coming with the 5G abs to also support indoor short range machine to machine communication, there are advantages in the opening of the band for unlicensed applications, Danbatta added.

Explains further, Danbatta said the global unlicensed band exists on 57-64GHz, a wide spectrum of up to 7GHz, and it is largely uncontested

compared to the 2.4GHz and 5GHz public bands currently used for Wi-Fi. Giving detailed presentations of the planned licensing of the amateur radio and 60GHz spectrum band, the Director, Spectrum Administration, Austin Nwaulune said the 60GHZ unlicensed band, allows operators the opportunity to control it the way they want to in offering various services and in carrying out various operations like backhauling, last mile services, fixed and mobile broadband, among others.

He however said the use of the spectrum must come Continued on page 24

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Millions of Nigerian youths nurse big dreams and have the capacity to thrive a futuristic economy that is technology driven, but they need government supportâ&#x20AC;?

Chairman, Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh

24

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍŻË&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

NIMASA TARGETS $8BN MARITIME COMPONENT OF OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY associated growth in trade, availability of and access to foreign exchange, as well as the evolving factors in domestic maritime regulation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a regulator, we are driven by values and commitment, as these are the only way that investors can be attracted to harness the great potentials in our maritime sector. On our part, we will continue to work out incentives and maritime sector specific interventions to attract investments, â&#x20AC;?he said.

Speaking further, he expressed delight at the maritime forecast release which coincided with the release of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gross domestic product (GDP) figures by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) confirming Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exit from recession. He noted that it is a positive indicator that Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy is rebound for growth in 2018 and beyond.

He said the forecast reviewed developments in the industry in 2017; shows expected International and Local Developments in Policy and Regulatory Environment for the Maritime Sector in 2018 and 2019 and also takes a look at Emerging Opportunities and Challenges for the Maritime Industry; all with the sole aim of realising a robust and business friendly maritime domain that will also create avenues for economic prosperity.

NCC SET TO LICENCE AMATEUR RADIO SERVICES, 60GHZ BAND IN NIGERIA under the regulation of NCC. Nwaulune further explained that the 60GHz spectrum would be subject to approval by the National Frequency Management Council.

Speaking on the benefits, Nwaulune said the 60GHz spectrum comes with socioeconomic benefits through the enhancement of broadband service delivery, such as ease the pressure on currently utilised public spectrum bands used for WiFi, Utilisation of Green Field Spectrum band, its utilisation would bring moderate revenue for the government through equipment type approval.

Corporate Governance Code: Non-compliant Operators Risk Sanctions Emma Okonji The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecoms industry regulator has urged industry stakeholders to embrace the corporate governance code and strive towards full compliance. The agency has also assured constant review of the principles in consultation with stakeholders to ensure alignment with global best practices and standards at all times.

The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, who gave the advice in Kano recently, however warned that non-compliance would attract severe sanction.

Since it introduced the compulsory adoption of corporate governance code in the telecoms sector in 2016, the NCC team has embarked on sensitisation campaign across zones, designed to create more awareness on the importance of corporate governance code in the telecoms sector, and the Kano sensitisation campaign tour was one of such campaigns.

Danbatta, who spoke passionately about the importance of the code to telecoms development, said although a regime of sanctions has been put in place to facilitate compliance, a regime of reward and recognition for best practices has equally been developed to recognise full adoption and consistent compliance of the code. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All key issues of concerns or suggestions for improvements agreed to at these zonal sensitisation workshops shall be collated and considered during

subsequent reviews. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are mandating adoption and compliance as no serious corporate entity can claim nonadherence to international best practices or non-adherence to ethical practices. The code only sets a framework to monitor actual compliance. Mindful of compliance cost, the code in its principles has categorised companies within the sector to which the code is applicable,â&#x20AC;?

Danbatta said.

The Code of Corporate Governance for the telecom-

munications industry was developed through an Industry Working Group and presented to stakeholders in June, 2014 and was driven on voluntary compliance basis for two years up to June, 2016. During that period, some compliance levels evaluation was undertaken and the need to migrate compliance to a mandatory level was duly established. At an industry consultation held in Lagos in June, 2016 migration of the applicability and compliance levels reporting

from voluntary to mandatory was formally announced and adopted by stakeholders.

However, consistent with the regulatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s open and transparent approach to discharging its regulatory oversights the Commission further developed a programme for further stakeholdersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sensitisation workshops anchored on zonal basis to further enlighten and gain more robust stakeholdersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; buy-in to ensure attainment of the objectives of the code.

While addressing the

people of Kano, which falls under the North-west zone, Danbatta said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;the campaign is geared towards sensitisation and informed enlightenment of the industry stakeholders and the general public of the existence of the code, and to critically draw their attention to the adopted international best practices and principles enunciated therein.â&#x20AC;?

He said the code principles were now mandatory baselines expected to reflect the international features of the industry.

A NEW WINDOW FOR FREQUENCY LICENCES

L-R: Director Licensing and Authorisation, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Funlola Akiode; Director Spectrum Administration, NCC, Austine Nwaulune; Director Special Duties, NCC, Abigail Sholanke; Secretary, National Frequency Management Council, Federal Ministry of Communications Technology, Adamu Mohammed and Director, Corporate Planning, NCC, Dr. Nmandi Nwokike, during a consultative forum on the process leading to the opening of 60GHz frequency band and presentation of draft guidelines for the deployment of Amateur Radio in Nigeria, held in Lagos...recently

Banks, Fintech Collaborate to Adopt Open Banking Emma Okonji A group of top industry professionals and Fintech companies in Nigeria have established Open Banking Nigeria with the goals to promote, develop and implement a common standard for Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) across the financial and payment space in the country.

Its establishment follows the global innovation trend of granting customer easy access to their data and opening financial system to applications and other services.

Open banking system is operational in Europe as

the Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2). Similar implementations are ongoing in Hong Kong and Australia, and new digital finance ecosystem such as WeChat and Alipay are emerging in China based on data sharing capabilities.

A statement from the organisation, explained that underwriting models were emerging from access to alternative source of data like mobile phone usage in East Africa. In the United States, large banks are striking data sharing deal with individual partners in a departure from aggregator model.

While stressing the mission of the organisation, spokesperson for Open Banking Nigeria, Adedeji Olowe, said the objectives are to encourage banks and Fintechs to adopt open standards for their API implementations while easing the cost of challenges of innovation and improving customer experience.

He said Open Banking Nigeria would rally the industry to develop processes and governance underpinning the technical standards. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will assist banks and Fintechs alike to position themselves for success in a new environment and to anticipate the likely

customer impacts,â&#x20AC;? he added.

He disclosed that the group has commenced membership drive while noting that some distinguished Fintech firms have joined its fold. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are getting encouraging responses from banks and Fintech firms.

We will soon unfold our 2018 plans. Our target is to convince at least 10 banks and 20 Fintech firms to become our members this year,â&#x20AC;? he noted.

On the non-availability of requisite legislation on data privacy in the country, Olowe said his group is ready to work with government agencies to

accelerate the passage of such laws. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For instance, we are encouraging Fintech stakeholders and banks to work with National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the government agency responsible for Information Technology (IT) policy implementation, to fine-tune and review its Data Protection Guidelines 2017 for the benefits of the Open Banking system in Nigeria.

NITDA is currently working on new data protection guidelines. Now is the right time to work with NITDA,â&#x20AC;? he added.

Over 100 Foreign, Local Firms Bid for Ibom Deep Seaport Group Business Editor

Okon Bassey in Uyo

Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;äĂ?Ě&#x2039; ĂĄĂ&#x2039;Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x; AgriBusiness/Industry Editor

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Comms/e-Business Editor

Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x201C; Capital Market Editor

Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x17D;ĂŁ Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă?

Senior Correspondent

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Following the increased interest by the federal government, more than 100 local and foreign companies have reportedly indicated interest in the development of the Ibom Deep Seaport in Ibaka, Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Speaking during an interview on Monday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Housing and Special Duties, Mr. Akan Okon stressed that despite the interest so far shown in the project, the bid process was still open till March 16, 2018.

He attributed the level of success recorded in the project to the commitment of the state governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel whom he said brought to bear his experience in private sector in the project execution of that magnitude.

He noted that soon on coming on board, the governor set up a committee made up of experience and seasoned people in the maritime industry to pilot the realisation of the Ibom Deep Seaport. According to him, for the first time since the conception of the project about five years ago the committee has been able to push to a critical

level seen as a major milestone to achieve the project.

Already, Okon said the ministerial steering committee met in Abuja and approved procedures for procurement which led to publication of qualification for interested port builder. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am happy to tell you that as of Tuesday the bid process was still open and the response was encouraging. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have over 100 companies all over the world showing interest and it is expected more are coming. The closure has been extended to March 16, 2018.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;After that, the evaluation committee is going to meet to evaluate and come up with a preferred institution that will build the port,â&#x20AC;? he stated.

The commissioner whose ministry will oversee the project linked the high interest being shown on the project to the location and draft of the port. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Without dredging, the port is about 17-18 metres deep, so it can take any large ship than cannot go near any other port in the country. The width is about 600 metres which is the side of six football fields. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is why you see in some of the ports in the country when

vessels come they cannot berth and rather use other smaller vessels to go and remove goods.

It will not be so at the Ibom Deep Seaport. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The issue of congestion is not there because the length is about 600,000 metres. It is a modern port and a port for the future. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am certain that by the time the evaluation is completed and the preferred developer chosen, the actual construction work will commence. 75 per cent of the paper work prior to commencement of construction has been completed,â&#x20AC;? the commissioner stressed.

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BUSINESSWORLD

E-BUSINESS

HowReadyisNigeriaforDigitisedElections Emma Okonji writes on the need for Nigeria to adopt basic technology solutions that will help the country achieve credible and globally acceptable results in the 2019 general election

President Muhammadu Buhari Technology has disrupted and revolutionised businesses, civil society and the individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daily activities. From small start-ups to large corporations, technology has penetrated the most ordinary tasks like hailing a taxi. It has also created extraordinary possibilities, like patients in rural villages having access to best medical facilities in cities. Likewise, the citizens have come to expect institutions to keep pace with realities of modern technology.

In the Nigerian climate, one key institution that should be concerned about using technology to enhance its activities is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that is currently preparing for the 2019 elections, whose processes are supposed to be driven by modern day technology.

It believed that INEC can conduct hitch-free, fair and successful elections when it adopts technology to automate all its electoral process and Nigerians are looking forward to this achievement.

Elections on digital platform In less than 450 days from now, Nigerians will return to the polls for another round of elections, both at the federal and state levels.

The permutations and realignments within the political folds are already on the front burner.

Political parties are gearing up for the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;battleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ahead, making strategies on how to woo the electorate who are losing interest due to disappointments from the politicians. The goodwill shown by the voters over time has been neglected. Thus, the parties are beginning to appreciate the fact that elections these days canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be won with the barrel of guns. Therefore, every avenue to appeal to the conscience of the electorate will be exploited, particularly by â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;meetingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; the voter who is presently on the digital space.

Addressing electoral ills with technology The electoral umpire is also thinking of ways to prevent malpractices; leveraging technology to stay ahead of manipulators. From the electorateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective, the emphasis is on convenient electoral processes. We already have a convenient banking system powered by Fintech; convenient commerce through e-commerce; e-education, telemedicine, among others. Yet the process of casting a ballot stands in stark contrast, typically involving marking a paper

INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood ballot with a pen or pencil. And counting those paper ballotsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;even in many of the most developed, long-standing democracies- is often a manual process. Halfway through the second decade of the 21st century , the mechanics of the voting process remain largely rooted in the past.

Adopting e-voting system The INEC proved this thinking five months ago by inaugurating a 20-member Inter-Agency

Another capable homegrown solution is BioRegistra, developed by Seamfix Technology, which possesses all the functionalities for easing the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s electoral processes.

Although Nigeria may not seem to be digitally ready for the 2019 elections at the moment, it is however obvious that the country has what it takes to be digitally ready for future elections

Technical Committee to assess a newly-developed e-voting system.

The e-voting machine was developed by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI). The agency, led by the Minister for Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, had in June 2017 paid a visit to the commission for a demonstration of a prototype e-voting machine developed

by NASENI. Well, e-voting should not be seen only from the vote casting perspective, rather it should be all encompassing. We need a digital process that redeems the time for both the umpire and the voter, starting with voter registration.

From the foregoing, it is clear that both the government and the electorates must find how to embrace the digital age and its benefits to redirect the electoral processes as means to maintain integrity and legitimacy, ensuring stronger democracy for the country.

President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, perfectly captured this, saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;In an era where citizens engage in everything from communication to education to leisure through technology, it is time to assess how elections can become reflective of modern realities.â&#x20AC;?

Therefore, implementing digital solutions to strengthen the electoral processes is a sine qua non for credible, free and fair elections in 2019. Nigeria should borrow a leaf from countries like Estonia.

national elections.

In Great Britain, the age group of 25-34 applied online in great number, bolstering the electoral participation of this chronically underrepresented demographic.

Online voter registration has resulted in more complete and accurate voter rolls. An added benefit is the significant labour cost savings compared with hand-written paper forms that are often illegible and marred by data-entry errors.

INEC has it on record that 15 per cent of voters during the 2015 Presidential elections actually determined the fate of the remaining 85 per cent others who didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t participate. Have we asked why people are not registering or participating in electoral processes? One answer that comes to mind is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;cumbersome processesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

INEC has tried to make it possible to check the status of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s permanent voter registration.

Experts rather prefer a situation where people login to INEC website or the portal provided and request that their PVC be posted to them and make little payment as dispatch fee.

Also, check-in at voting locations is beginning to move away from printing and assembling hundreds of pages of voters lists, to presenting poll books on tablets or other electronic devices.

Smartphone applications show voters their polling station location. Uploading unofficial election results to government websites on election night has become common.

INEC needs digital interventions No industry has escaped the impact of the technological revolution, so elections shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remain an exception. Certain areas, such as voter registration ought to have benefitted from a greater willingness to use new technologies than others, such as ballot casting and counting.

As INEC is currently registering new voters, the system should be transparent where a platform for online voter registration is made more frequently available where self-registration is required. In the United States, for instance, online registration is growing exponentially, from two states in 2008 to over 29 states during the last elections that brought Donald Trump to power.

When Great Britain launched the option of online registration in March 2015, over two million Britons registered to vote online during the five weeks prior to the deadline for the

Solving the problems with tech solutions While INEC may not be able to develop solutions that would solve all the problems that have been highlighted, it is not far-fetch to find very capable home-grown identity management organisations that create seamless solutions which meet this vital need.

An example is Remita homegrown solution, developed by SystemSpecs, which has become a money-saving technology solution for the federal government through the Treasury Single Account (TSA). Another capable homegrown solution is BioRegistra, developed by Seamfix Technology, which possesses all the functionalities for easing the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; electoral processes into a digital one.

Although Nigeria may not seem to be digitally ready for the 2019 elections at the moment, it is, however, obvious that the country has what it takes to go digital for future elections.

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Adeseun: With Technology, Nigeria Can Achieve a Perfect Healthcare System Country Manager, IQVIA, West Africa, Remi Adeseun, spoke with Emma Okonji on the recent launch of IQVIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s digital healthcare platform, HCPSpace, and how the company is using technology and data in strengthening the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s healthcare systems. Excerpts: You can be considered as one of the key thought leaders in the area of pharmaceutical sales and marketing in the country, what new challenge drove you to the launch of IQVIA? The highest levels of professional recognition in the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pharmacy industry are the Fellowship of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, which by Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grace was conferred on me in 2012 as well as Fellowship of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy. However, my involvement in the health space is beyond pharmacy and that is what has brought me to IQVIA. I have been in pharmacy all my life essentially. I started as a medical representative with Sandoz, then operating as Swissco Nig Ltd, under the Jagal Group in 1989, with my first tour of duty in pharmacy ending in 2005 as Country Manager for Janssen Cilag, a Johnson&Johnson company after spending 16 years exclusively in pharmacy.

In the last 12 years, I have gone on to do other things in the health space including a medical technology start-up, Robot representing a foremost German dialysis equipment manufacturer, from which I am on a sabbatical.

Another start-up in the not-for-profit sector, which I had been engaged in is Smile Train where I was Regional Director for West Africa. Smile Train is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading charity exclusively devoted to the surgical treatment of children born with cleft lips and palette. I started it in the sub-region and ran it for two years, took another break and then I moved on to an advocacy project, PSN-PACFaH - Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health, a Gates funded programme, where I served as the Programme Director in charge of Strategy for two years.

We were successful in advocating for policy changes in the treatment for childhood killer diseases like diarrhea and pneumonia, with Amoxicillin dispersible tablets and Zinc/ORS respectively, becoming the first-line treatment in the National Standard Treatment Guidelines as well as the National Essential Medicines List As such, I have traversed a broad spectrum of healthcare sector in Nigeria. Interestingly, human data sciences also traverses the entire spectrum of the health sector from the preclinical stage, research and development to clinical trials all the way to phase four â&#x20AC;&#x201C;postmarketing surveillance.

How successful is IQVIA since its launch?

IQVIA has been successful over the last six decades, working with companies in the research and development (R&D) space as well as doctors, pharmacists, nurses and the other healthcare professionals who use the pharmaceutical products. In the commercial space we are able we to help in putting together the data which is the gold standard where countries are able to tell the patterns of usage of the various pharmaceuticals items in the world within various therapeutic classes in what is known as the National Pharmacy Audit. This system allows an executive in a Global Pharmacy company to sit at his desk in Switzerland and have access to information on how well his products are doing across over 100 countries. This is the kind of scale and breadth of practice that IQVIA brings.

A nationalistic passion of mine has been to contribute to remove the stigma of Nigeria being high on the ignominious list of countries that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have reliable data. I have always thus been inclined to work with other like-minded people to get Nigeria into the comity of nations with good and reliable data. IQVIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core strength plays in this space and so I welcomed the challenge when the regional leadership of the company reached out to me to help lead the charge in West Africa.

Adeseun Why was IQVIA launched in the Nigerian market, considering that human data science and information management systems havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really been fully established in the country?

IQVIA is the synergistic product of the merger between Quintiles and IMS Health in 2016.

We decided to come up with a unique name that abstractly reflects the two companies but more importantly to assure the healthcare community that the company existed to help them solve their various needs via human data science.

Human data science is a relatively new

â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are quite a number of networks in Nigeria that are dedicated to promoting the advantage of digital and we at IQVIA are proud to be leading and creating the right environment for both healthcare practitioners as well as providers of digital technology to come together to improve healthcare practice in Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;?

category that we have brought to life and it draws on our strengths in the life sciences plus decades of deep technical and analytical data capabilities.

As a result, IQVIA is today the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading company in the area of human data science.

Currently a gap exists. In the world that we live in today, evidence is what drives informed decisions and evidence isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t something that happens by chance. It is something that has to be planned for â&#x20AC;&#x201C; design data collection strategies, identify the transaction and collection points, and partner with a wide range of people who are data suppliers. The information you get from that is processed and becomes useful as a feedback report to various stakeholders including the suppliers mainly manufacturers, importers and their distributors. IQVIA through the data and analytics information assets that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve developed around the world, which we are currently working to develop in Nigeria, can be a ready source of that informed decision-making process. This would enable government to take evidence-based decisions that would help fast track development and prevent policy flip-flops and medicine-afterdeath approaches to issues.

Are our health professionals ready to make the transition into the digital age?

Transformation, many times, takes us along with it. If you look at the introduction of what brought digital into mobile, digital as we knew it then was fixed and stationary so at best you had some form of equipment that allowed you digital procession; a desktop, computer, etc. Steve Jobs, who is the founder of Apple did not receive request from any one that we want hand-held, but he looked at people, how we work and how things can be done differently and boldly brought the first of its kind smart digital capabilities into our hands using the smartphone. So something that was already revolutionary enough, the mobile phone, he further revolutionarised it by bringing digital home. Digital as we knew it then was fixed and stationary so at best you had some form of equipment that allowed you digital procession; a desktop, computer, etc.

The same is happening in the healthcare

sector. Without asking for it, people are beginning to recognise that having tons of paper files, nobody can find the right file for the patient in two hours and the patient is waiting such a long time before finding their file is not the way to go. Gradually, electronic medical records are creeping in.

The world is such that peers influence one another. As a patient, you see a colleague who has visited a particular clinic and in 30 minutes he is out while you spend three hours in your hospital. You end up asking what the difference with his own is, and he tells you itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got electronic medical records.

The next time you are looking for a hospital, you will look for one that has gone electronic.

There are certain global moves that will make people embrace digital, but more importantly is that companies like ours are helping even the conservatives through the HCPSpace that we are introducing to understand digital value and embrace it. There are quite a number of networks in Nigeria that are dedicated to promoting the advantage of digital and we at IQVIA are proud to be leading that charge and creating the right environment for both healthcare practitioners as well as providers of digital technology to come together to improve healthcare practice in Nigeria.

What gaps do you expect the IQVIA HCPSpace to fill in the health sector?

One of the opportunities we saw was to look at how new media has helped to bring efficiency to how we work. If you look at Facebook, for instance, if it were to be a geographical expression, it will probably be the biggest continent in the world in terms of the number of people that use Facebook.

When you see such a movement that is able to bring people from all over the world to network, you start to see how this can be used for specific purposes. We got the idea that if we are to have a virtual platform that individuals do not have to build by themselves, everyone has its own core areas of competence as well as interests. So if you as a medical doctor or pharmacist start to develop your own digital environment, that is time you could spend delivering better Continued on page 29

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USAID Concludes REEEP Project in Nigeria, Lists Achievements Stories by Emma Okonji The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), an independent agency of the United States (US) federal government that is responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance, in collaboration with Power Africa, a US power initiative and Winrock International, has concluded the four-year Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Project (REEEP) in Nigeria.

The project, which gulped about $2.1 million in financ-

ing from both domestic and international vendors, ran from March 2014 to February 2018, aimed to mitigate climate change, reduce carbon emissions, increase economic opportunities, improve employment and ultimately sustain development in Nigeria.

Addressing the media on the successful completion of the project, Director, Office of Economic Growth and Environment, USAID, Mrs. Roseann Casey, said the project was set up to raise awareness on renewable energy as the fastest, cleaner and cheaper way of providing power for Nigerians.

US Consul General, Mr. John Bray, said the REEEP project was meant to increase the megawatts and electric connections in Nigerian households and commended Nigeria for having the facilities to boost renewable energy technology.

Chief of Party, Winrock International, the company that implemented the project, Mr, Javier Betancourt, said through the project, Winrock was able to provide training and capacity building for Nigerians, and that the company had to work with some Nigerian banks to achieve the objective. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We provided training for banks and

financial institutions on how to create consumer financing products,â&#x20AC;? Betancourt said.

Listing the achievements of the four-year project, Betancourt said the USAID was able to work with donors, NGOs, government agencies, financial institutions to enable over 16,600 connections for 2.5 megawatts of power through off and on-grid sources, and that over 261,938 Nigerians received clean and renewable energy, which resulted in the saving of sufficient energy, due to the use of more efficient technologies, compared to diesel or petrol. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Environmentally,

these connections reduced up to 4.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from polluting the atmosphere,â&#x20AC;? Betancourt said.

The USAID REEEP facilitated the development and financing of renewable energy and energy efficiency markets and strengthened the current policy and regulatory environment for public and private sector investment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These past four years have been a challenging, yet a transformative time. We witnessed a foreign exchange crisis that severely restricted financing of the project. De-

spite this, we saw Nigerian companies making movements on ambitious new projects such as Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest solar irrigated farm. Additionally, in partnership with GIZ NESP, six off-grid mini grids were commissioned. These mini grids will play a pivotal role in electrifying rural areas of Nigeria and demonstrating such projectsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bankability,â&#x20AC;?

Betancourt said. He thanked the partners that worked with USAID in successfully completing the project in record time, adding tags without their inputs, the project would not have been successful.

Uberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology, Safety Ride Tips Excite Customers Customers to Uber Taxi in Nigeria have continued to commend the transport company for the evolving and cutting-edge technology it introduced into metropolitan transport system. They said the technology and safety tips of Uber have helped to improve the overall experience of passengers. Olawale Olatokunbo, who works as a Safety Officer by day and moonlights as a fashion stylist at night, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The nature of my job as a stylist means that I have to move around quite frequently at night, especially if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for example, awards season. I need something that is reliable, affordable and safe - and for me the Uber app contains all of those elements.â&#x20AC;?

Aside Olatokunbo, some other customers who testified to Uberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technology, said the technology has opened up new means of economic and business opportunities for many millennials in Nigeria.

Giving details of some of its safety tips, the transport company in a statement, said it would continue to furnish riders with the best safety tips and guide on how best to make maximum use of its app for improved customer experience. According to Uber,

riders should always take the time to review the safety features available to them in the app. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important for them to remember that Uber rides can only be requested through the Uber app, so users should never accept street hail solicitations from those claiming to be with Uber â&#x20AC;&#x153;When riders are ready to request a ride, it is important for them to avoid spending unnecessary time outside alone with their phone in their hand.

Instead, it best for them to wait indoors until the app shows that their driver has arrived.

It also advised that riders must know their customers for safety reasons. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When a driver accepts a riderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s request, the rider is able to see the drivers first name, photo, license plate number, type of vehicle as well as the vehicle colour. Riders are able to see this from within the app itself â&#x20AC;&#x201C; on the map. The rider should always make sure that those match before they enter the vehicle and ensure they ask for the drivers name when they open the door. In a case where the inside of the car is dark, riders are encouraged to politely ask the driver to switch on the inner light to help confirm identity,â&#x20AC;? Uber said.

Smile Boss Assures Customers of Increased Efficiency The Managing Director of Smile Nigeria, Mr. Godfrey Efeurhobo has assured customers that the company would remain steadfast to the noble ideals that have informed its unending quest for excellence.

According to him, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quest to offer super fast and super reliable broadband services to Nigerians, which had led to its making huge investment in technology, human capital and efficient customer service, is being appreciated by both its direct consumers and diverse customers.

Efeurhobo was speaking as his company was honoured with the Telecom Leadership Excellence Prize 2018. He avowed that the award would help in energize the company to continue to deliver the best in terms of service and products. Efeurhobo dedicated the award to all subscribers on the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s network

for their support and belief in the brand. He also dedicated to it to the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trade partners that include major telecoms companies and others in allied business.

According to the organisers, the award is in recognition of excellence in leadership innovation. Smile was further commended for its giant strides in the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s telecommunications landscape. Smile Nigeria was commended for innovative services that have helped Nigerian Internet consumers to access the best possible broadband solutions.

The company was also hailed for the sustenance of high-speed broadband service, which it avails its consumers in major cities across the country.

The organisers also noted that Smileâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contribution to the development of Nigeria and indeed Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy is very significant and commendable.

COURTESY VISIT

L-R: Regional Sales Manager, Thermal Management, Central Africa, at Vertiv, Luther Ogbaji; Country Sales Manager, Nigeria, Vertiv, Gbenga Adebowale; Director, Infrastructure Business Unit, Inlaks, Tope Dare; Director, Sales, Middle East and Africa, Vertiv, Wojtek Piorko; Director, Value Added Services, Inlaks, Oladimeji Koyejo and Regional Sales Manager, AC Power, Central Africa, Vertiv, Damilare Ogungbesan, when the Vertiv team visited Inlaks in Lagos...recently

Huawei Canvasses Connected, Ericsson Unlocks IoT Ecosystem Intelligent World with Accelerator Marketplace At the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC 2018) in Barcelona, Spain, Huawei has called on all industries to work together and go beyond traditional boundaries in the areas of capabilities, connections, business, experience, and partnerships for a fully-connected, intelligent world.

The 4th Industrial Revolution â&#x20AC;&#x201C; where ICT networks are the foundation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the enabler â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is bringing us to an intelligent world where all things will sense, all things will be connected, and all things will be intelligent, Huawei said, adding that this will create a digital transformation market worth $23 trillion. Huaweiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global industry vision, which was shared at the conference, revealed that by 2025, the number of personal smart devices would reach 40 billion, 90 per cent of smart device users would have an intelligent personal assistant, and many households would have a robot. As devices are able to sense and two-way humanmachine communication and proactive information services are a reality, individual potential will be significantly unlocked, the company said in its vision.

It added that at the business and societal levels, 100 billion connections that will be created around the world by 2025 will be widely used for public utilities, transportation, manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, finance, and other sectors, driving them to go digital. By 2025, 85 per cent of enterprise applications will be deployed in the cloud, and 86 per cent of global companies will adopt AI. In its views, the company said by 2025, 180 ZB of data will be generated around the world every year, a 20-fold increase compared with what is obtainable today. Such new data will become a huge â&#x20AC;&#x153;data oilfieldâ&#x20AC;?, serving as an inexhaustible source of intelligence and value.

Executive Director of the Board and President of Huawei Carrier BG, Mr. Ryan Ding, who shared the views of the company at the global conference, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Huawei focuses on ICT infrastructure and smart devices to provide a plot of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;rich soilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for the development of information, automation, and intelligence technologies. In this â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;soilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, partners can grow their content, applications, and cloud.â&#x20AC;?

Ericsson is launching the Internet of Things (IoT) Accelerator Marketplace to help address the need for collaboration within the digital ecosystem community and benefit developers and service providers alike.

For service providers, it is a catalog to find IoT apps from the global ecosystem to offer enterprise customers and provides shorter time to market for new offerings to their enterprise customers.

For application developers and application partners it is a window to an IoT ecosystem to connect with service providers through one single platform, exposing global cellular connectivity APIs. It also includes monetisation and settlement capabilities to facilitate monetisation and billing across the ecosystem.

Group Vice President, Internet of Things and Mobility at Market Intelligence firm IDC, Carrie MacGillivray, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Communications service providers are racing to scale and differentiate in the fast moving IoT market. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s necessary for these service providers to have a robust developer ecosystem that helps them compete. For developers working across

multiple service provider networks and platforms, the challenges of fragmentation are addressed by utilising APIs that apply globally and are consistent across all mobile networks.â&#x20AC;?

Head of IoT, Ericsson, Jeff Travers, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The launch of IoT Accelerator Marketplace will unlock the potential for different players in the value chain to deliver value. It is another stepping stone to make 5G a reality by enabling massive adoption of massive IoT. This supports service providers as they seek to expose network connectivity IoT APIs and monetise these assets.â&#x20AC;?

Application developers can benefit from a new go-to-market exposing their offering globally through Ericsson. This will enable app developers to scale their business and at the same time develop applications based on cellular connectivity APIs with added value for enterprises, such as fast and automated device and subscription onboarding, higher security, ubiquitous cellular coverage around the world improved for indoor utilization, and superior handling of battery life.

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Rahul De: Telecomsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Brand Building is Hinged on Positive Customer Experience The Chief Marketing Officer of MTN Nigeria, Mr. Rahul De, spoke to Raheem Akingbolu on the telephony and data consumption pattern of the average subscriber, MTNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to customer satisfaction, and how positive experience can enhance the growth of a telco brand. Excerpts: MTN has a special name in the telecoms industry with the highest consumer loyalty, what do you think is the strength of the brand?

We are humbled by the love and affection shown to us by over 180 million Nigerians because directly or indirectly, the MTN brand has been able to touch the lives of Nigerians in tangible ways. Over the years, we have consistently assessed our weaknesses to enable us meet the needs of our teeming customers.

We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pride ourselves to be the best on all fronts however we have continuously strived to improve on our services most especially on our network to enable Nigerians enjoy the basics. From time to time, we keep investing millions of dollars on our network because superior customer service is the future of any serious-minded business Gone are those days when businesses had competitive advantage on products and services alone. The future is about giving excellent consumer experience and value enhancing products and services to drive brand stickiness with customers. Our pro-consumer approach is centred on keeping consumers in mind in all we do before putting any product or service out there in the market.

The focus is to develop products and services that are relevant and easy to understand so we can add value to each customer we interact with across board.

Recently the brand was named the most valuable brand in Nigeria. What is the significance of this to the brand?

First, we need to thank everyone who has made this possible especially our consumers and those who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes. We were very humbled by the award.

Brand conďŹ dence comes from internal and external sources.

We derive our external conďŹ dence from customer insights because we understand their usage patterns, passion points and their expectations from us as a brand.

This informs how we strategize to improve on key performance areas we are perceived to be weak. Internally, our conďŹ dence resides in our commitment to investments in key business priorities that deliver on improved service experience. This builds conďŹ dence amongst customers and the investment community.

vibrant. Where is the confidence coming from?

Why are you not intimidated despite market surge?

Brand confidence comes from internal and external sources. We derive our external confidence from customer insights because we understand their usage patterns, passion points and their expectations from us as a brand. This informs how we strategize to improve on key performance areas we are perceived to be weak. Internally, our confidence resides in our commitment to investments in key business priorities that deliver on improved service experience. This builds confidence amongst customers and the investment community. In MTN, whether we experience growth or not, we still invest whenever it is required because we need to be pro-consumer at all times. Telecoms is all about experience.

Whenever customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; have positive experiences, they talk about it endlessly telling friends and relatives and this fuels our confidence given the positive feedbacks we receive.

Rahul De

I must say our efforts on new innovations paid off substantially. We introduced unique services such as the Yello box- a mobile electricity service powered by Lumos. The service provides electricity through solar energy and the bills are paid electronically via the mobile phone. We also launched an agricultural application to track livestock. All these were geared towards creating differentiated data services that would enhance the lives and businesses of our customers. More so, we have also contributed immensely to the society through our CSR causes especially in the areas of Mother & Child mortality, scholarships for university students including scholarships for the blind. We have also equipped some schools with digital libraries so that students can gain access to latest information in their fields of study. We have been active in rural projects to provide basic amenities to Nigerians.

Our mission is to make lives brighter and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important we play our part in all ramifications to ensure our customers are happy with our services and the contributions we have made to the society. By receiving this award, It shows that Nigerians appreciate what we have done and this is dedicated to our customers and all Nigerians.

The market is growing everyday and Nigerians are becoming more sophisticated. What are the plans for the future to sustain this?

This is also part of our strategy. If you look at the consumption pattern of an average telecoms user, five years ago, it was more on calls and sms. However in the last two years we are seeing a lot more people consuming data than voice. They consume data because of three things: information via the internet; the use of lifestyle applications such as facebook, whatsapp, Instagram, snapchat and lastly, entertainment. Prior to now, going to the cinemas was the only channel available to watch movies. Today, you can access movies on your smartphones. In addition, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve tried to bridge the digital divide between those who use data and those who do not through content, pricing and service delivery. Our focus is to offer data at pocket-friendly rates and also roll out our networks (3G/4G) as fast as possible so that consumers can enjoy a seamless data experience. We are one of the few telcos in Nigeria with 4G. Not every Telco can afford 4G and the advantage is that, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need

a 4G-enabled phone to access 4G speeds. You can enjoy 4G through Wifi. So if you have a 4G enabled modem in a home, everyone can tap into it to enjoy 4G speeds. So people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to upgrade their handsets every six months, but you can upgrade your speed and experience with the same handset. That is only possible where network roll-out is fast. So we are trying to roll-out networks in more remote areas at least with the basic 2G and then 3/4G. The second part is the customer experience.

That deals more with education because a lot of people want to consume data but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what to consume on the internet especially the mass market demographics who are first time users of smartphones. So internet education is crucial at the bottom of the pyramid and we are partnering with the likes of Google and Facebook to drive internet education. Also, we have gone digital because that is the next big thing especially in the areas of content i.e entertainment, gaming, music etc. On music, we are the largest distributor of digital music for both local and international songs through MTN Music+ - an indigenous music app launched in 2014. Our partner- Hauwei just signed a contract with Sony Music for the delivery of over 3m international songs on Music+. This we believe will make Music+ compete with the likes of Deezer, Spotify and Apple comparatively.

In recent times, there are areas where service disappears for days. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s responsible for this?

Like I said, we are constantly upgrading our network, with huge investments on site roll-outs and system upgrades. Usually, upgrades on the network are done between 12-5am and not all areas are upgraded at the same time. More so, we have issues with vandalism and fibre cuts. This invariably, causes service disruptions.

However, we proactively inform our customers through text messages on these outages so they are abreast with the situation. These service disruptions can be very inconveniencing and we do acknowledge that however it is for the better. Our data experience has improved significantly and we believe it will only get better.

We sincerely want to thank all our customers for their understanding and loyalty. This has made us strive continuously to deliver on excellent experience on our network.

MTN is a brand that has consistently remained

In the area of CSR, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foundation is over 10 years now and despite the odds, rather than slowing down, the foundation is getting stronger. Why that commitment to CSR? Our commitment to the Foundation has been consistent because we have kept the board separate. The MTN board is different from the Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s board. The Foundation is a completely independent organisation, although the funding is from whatever profits we make each year. As mentioned earlier, the MTN Foundation champions some unique causes like the reduction of mother and child mortality rate, youth empowerment and arts & culture. The fulfilment we get is derived from wanting to do things for the betterment of the society. It has nothing to do with our core business. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve noticed, MTN foundation activities are specifically tailored towards pressing societal needs and the preservation of our cultural heritage. Most of these projects done in the rural communities are done via nominations from the indigenes of those communities and this brings the brand closer to the people.

MTN tends to recruit celebrities as brand ambassadors. In what way has this impacted on the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s equity?

I would say it has been a very positive experience in several dimensions. Firstly, we are the only brand that has successfully developed budding local talents to become international artistes through talent hunt platforms such as Project Fame. Secondly, 70% of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population are youths and going by that demographics, we have been able to win the hearts and minds of Nigerian youths by associating the brand to artistes the Nigerian youths follow and appreciate. The focus has been geared towards building a youthful brand that will enable young Nigerians to express their passion. That was why we created a proposition called MTN Pulse and using a key icon like â&#x20AC;&#x153;Falz the bad guyâ&#x20AC;? as an ambassador has been very beneficial to the brand. Thirdly, we are the first brand to distribute music digitally and this is a major feat. Previously, artistes could only monetize their songs through physical CDs. We have the largest base of callertunez and as mentioned earlier, Music+ is also another avenue where music is being monetized. So gone are those days when artistes only rely on CDs and stage performances to eke a living. Artistes can now make money through streaming and downloads.

This is a major achievement for us and we are proud of being a major contributor to the Nigerian music industry and its attendant ecosystem. As a result, recording studios are mushrooming all over the place and this is bringing in an influx of talents thereby growing the Nigerian music industry expansively.

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KwesĂŠ, iflix Partner to Strengthen SVOD Service in sub-Saharan Africa Stories by Emma Okonji Global entertainment service for emerging markets, iflix, and Econet Mediaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pan-African media company, KwesĂŠ, have announced the expansion of their partnership deal in subSaharan Africa.

KwesĂŠ has acquired a significant stake in iflix Africa, which will now form part of KwesĂŠâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diverse broadcast offering, as the core vehicle to deliver

seamless mobile experiences to millions of viewers in Africa.

Having set up operations in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa, iflix offers users the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most extensive collection of highly acclaimed local African and international series and movies, including first-tomarket exclusive programming.

This, in partnership with KwesĂŠâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s broadcast operations and footprint, will create an exceptional mobile offering for

consumers on the continent.

Both companies have committed extensive resources with local and international expertise in mobile entertainment to serve Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diverse markets.

Econet Group Founder and Executive Chairman, Strive Masiyiwa said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are thrilled to deepen our operating partnership with iflix to lead the transformation of media in Africa. Our companies share a mutual passion for innovation,

along with a deep understanding of the culture and evolution of digital businesses. Mobility in content consumption has grown exponentially in Africa and by partnering with iflix Africa we are ensuring that we are not only taking part in the evolution, but are leading the movement.â&#x20AC;? The partnership between iflix and KwesĂŠ ensures the delivery of relevant and compelling content on the best possible platforms.

Group co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, iflix, Mark Britt said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The strengthening of our relationship with Econet Group is a huge milestone for iflix. Following the initial phase of building our business in Africa, we have seen tremendous growth across our operating markets, far exceeding our expectations. Econetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deep experience and success in media and telecoms, will be a huge advantage and enable us

to continue to grow rapidly.â&#x20AC;?

The deal cements KwesĂŠâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to deliver premium content through unrivalled TV programming, leading sports, up-to-the-minute news and the latest in entertainment.

This coupled with iflixâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vast collection of international and African SVOD content, will offer users an unparalleled viewing experience, tailored to meet the needs of Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diverse markets.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;More Organisations Rely on Automation, Machine Nokia, Facebook Collaborate on Fixed Wireless Learning, AIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Access The recently released Cisco 2018 annual cyber-security report has revealed that security leaders in various organisations rely more on and invest in automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to move against threats.

Findings from the report show 39 per cent of organisations are reliant on automation, 34 per cent are reliant on machine learning, and 32 per cent are highly reliant on AI. Malware sophistication is increasing as adversaries begin to weaponise cloud services and evade detection through encryption, used as a tool to conceal command-and-control activity. To reduce adversariesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; time to operate, security professionals said they would increasingly leverage and spend

more on tools that use AI and machine learning, reported in the 11th Cisco 2018 Annual Cyber-security Report (ACR).

While encryption is meant to enhance security, the expanded volume of encrypted web traffic, both legitimate and malicious, has created more challenges for defenders trying to identify and monitor potential threats. Cisco threat researchers observed more than a threefold increase in encrypted network communication used by inspected malware samples over a 12-month period.

Senior Vice President and Chief Security and Trust Officer, Cisco, John N. Stewart, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evolution of malware demonstrates that our adversaries continue to learn, so we have to raise the bar

now, there is too much risk, and it is up to us to reduce it.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Some additional highlights from Cisco 2018 annual cyber-security report include: The financial cost of attacks is no longer a hypothetical number; Supply chain attacks are increasing in velocity and complexity; although security is extremely vital, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s getting more complex and the scope of breaches is expanding. Also, from the report, it was revealed that security professionals see value in behavioral analytics tools in locating malicious actors in networks; Use of cloud is growing; attackers taking advantage of the lack of advanced security; Trends in malware volume have an impact on defendersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; time to detection (TTD), among others.

Nokia and Facebook are working to accelerate the adoption of 60 GHz fixed wireless access technologies to deliver gigabit services and connect more people, faster.

The 60 GHz band allows highspeed broadband connectivity in urban or suburban areas, complementing existing fiber.

Nokia will combine its worldwide delivery capabilities and wireless passive optical network (WPON) with Facebookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Terragraph technology to launch global gigabit broadband trials in 2018 with select customers.

Nokiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wireless passive optical network technology provides a wireless gigabit drop to the home for broadband access networks. Facebookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Terragraph technology is a 60 GHz, multi-node wireless

system that delivers a low-cost solution for high-speed wireless access. Combining WPON with Terragraphâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mesh-routing and multi-hop capabilities allows broadband providers to wirelessly deliver gigabit services over wider areas with high reliability and meet growing demands for ultra-broadband access.

Nokia and Facebook will also work together to accelerate IEEEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 802.11ay industry standard, leveraging Nokiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wireless PON innovation and Terragraphâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efficient TDMA scheduling capabilities. The goal is to create a strong platform and ecosystem for introducing 60GHz Terragraph-certified solutions to the marketplace, and deliver gigabit services to more people, sooner.

Principal Analyst, Ovumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Next-gen Infrastructure Practice, Julie Kunstler, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nokia and Facebookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collaboration is a perfect example of combining two strong solutions to bring gigabit broadband to more people faster. While fiber is being pushed deeper and deeper, the physical connection to the home or apartment requires additional resources. Combining Nokiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s WPON solution with Facebookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Terragraph 60 GHz technology, ensures the future-proofing of bandwidth while meeting competitive time-to-market and cost points.â&#x20AC;?

Vice President of Connectivity, Facebook, Yael Maguire, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Terragraph is designed to help providers deploy fast and reliable connectivity for people in urban areas.

ADESEUN: WITH TECHNOLOGY, NIGERIA CAN ACHIEVE A PERFECT HEALTHCARE SYSTEM pharmaceutical care or medical care. We at IQVIA, for whom that is our core existence, technology, are taking that challenge on and providing a platform that is available for networking among healthcare practitioners of the same group for instance, so pharmacists can reach out to pharmacists, what is going on in our area, what are the cutting edge new development and beyond that, build on the work that is being done on getting greater collaboration among healthcare practitioners.

So you see pharmacists, doctors working together to solve patients problems.

We also thought that we could develop the HCP Space in a way that we work with the regulators to identify genuine or validate genuine healthcare professionals, and have them in this secure environment where they can interact, form groups, have access to learning and development, continuing professional development either for the medics or pharmacists, nurses and laboratory scientists.

This is building on the work that the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy did last year and which I was a part of. That is the inter-professional collaboration thing, and taking it from ending up as having been a talk-shop and providing a tool that allows those professionals who have indicated willingness to collaborate to now have a tool that enables them to do so on an ongoing basis, without having to bother about how to maintain the infrastructure for that.

That is the service we have come to provide and we know that ultimately this would allow people access beyond even the practice in Nigeria, because the HCPSpace is for the whole of Africa and the Middle East. For the first time, a multinational is kicking off its new product development in Nigeria.

Typically, things get developed in other parts of the world and brought here, but because of the confidence the IQVIA leadership team has in Nigeria market place in terms of the eco-system we have seen in health and tech, we are very confident that we can do this and take the HCP Space to other parts of the world. So even before other African countries, India, South Asia, and Middle East, Nigeria will be launching this IQVIA HCPSpace first in Lagos.

Research shows that there are similar products

desktop things that you can only access on the on a desktop or laptop, without anapp form. HCP Space is available as an app and as well has the web interface. It is not one that squeezes itself from the desktop version to try and fit on your phone. It is designed specifically for the phone and it is available on the IOS for Apple users and the Android for all the other smart phone users.

A lot of thought went into it and it is also been managed technically with great collaboration.

We have an advisory board that has brilliant, very well respected key opinion leaders, from medical practitioners, pharmacists to other health professionals including Nursing and Laboratory Science. The chair of the board is a mental health specialist, Dr. Femi Olugbile, a former Permanent Secretary Lagos State Ministry of Health and Founding Chief Medical Director of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.

Adeseun out there in the market place. Why should a health practitioner be interested in HCPSpace?

The great thing about IQVIA HCPSpace is that unlike other platforms that exist for networking, this is the first that is dedicated absolutely to healthcare professionals. So it is not a jack of all trade approach. It is a dedicated resource so that conversations can be open, intense, relevant and secure.

You have it in a way that networking, news around the healthcare space both local and national is curated especially for the healthcare professionals.

Job opportunities that are local in nature to the various countries where we exist are curated again as well as international opportunities.

You have learning and development platforms, key opinion leaders who are from these areas, who know the exact trends and best practices, holding webinars on this platform and generally providing access in this first phase that will be limited to just the healthcare professionals themselves. I think the key value proposition is that you have a platform where an organisation has put its technical resources behind it to maintain

it so that the healthcare professionals can operate in an environment that is exclusively dedicated to them. Ultimately, it will reach out to also allow the healthcare professionals transact all the things they do, whether it is referrals, prescriptions, purchases and all the other phases of transactions they may have.

The next phase will be to integrate all of that into the system while the final phase will be access to also the patient platforms so that patients can engage healthcare practitioners, book appointments, among other things. We however will start off HCP Space focusing on inter- and intra-professional collaborations among the HCPs themselves.

From a tech standpoint, how do you intend to break the barriers of use, such as poor internet/network connection that might prevent a widespread adoption?

One of the biggest barriers of use is portability.

Research tells us that many people engage online through their hand-held devices. So HCPSpace has been optimised and designed specifically for mobile. There are quite number of other platforms that are for healthcare professionals which are just web-based,

Why should healthcare companies and providers care about leveraging digital tools such as big data, transformative technology and analytics?

The biggest film and camera company back in the day was Kodak;they had all the resources in the world. When digital came into its space, they did not seem to care and carried on business as usual.

We all know that they eventually became obsolete and extinct. Change is constant and it is important for everyone because digital is a transformative change that if you do not join, you will be left behind. We are trying to pass that message across as others are doing and using those positive examples of those who have embraced change in the technology space for health, making health outcomes better.

It is a continuous thing. Government itself has to be involved in it as well as advocacy groups because when it catches on well, there are efficiency gains, effectiveness gain and an overall development plus economic value created. Jobs will be created as a result of digital, transferable skills that can be deployed in other areas and just a general uplifting of the wellbeing in both the health and the economy of the population.

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DEVELOPMENT

REA: Supporting SMEs, Reducing Generating Sets in Nigeria The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) is pushing to have four major markets in Nigeria go off the national grid, end use of fuel generators, and take their electricity supplies from either embedded clean solar or gas power sources; in a move to improve their efficiency levels and avoid using unstable and expensive power sources. Chineme Okafor was at the launch of the first phase of this initiative in Sabon Gari Market, Kano, and reports EEP Aims Worried by the electricity challenges of small scale traders in Nigerian markets, most of who spend good chunks of their turnovers to electrify their operations and trade, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has opted to initiate the Energising Economies Programme (EEP) to at least cut down the power expenditures of these traders.

It however chose four big markets in the country: Sabon Gari in Kano; Ariaria in Aba; Somolu Printing Community and Sura Shopping Complex, both in Lagos, to boost undertake the EPP. This, it hopes, would help improve the productivity of traders in the market and in turn energise Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s informal economy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We saw there is a great need and urgency to power SMEs in our markets and to give them adequate power supply. We decided to use Sabon Gari market so we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t start small but start with the most challenging markets and grow from it,â&#x20AC;? REAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Managing Director, Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi, explained to THISDAY shortly after unveiling the first tranche of the project in Sabon Gari, Kano State.

Ogunbiyi noted that through the REA, the federal government launched the EEP which would be wholly driven by the private sector.

The government, she added would not spend a dime of its money in the project but would facilitate private sector implementation of the project to make it sustainable in the markets.

She explained that the REA would be doing the energy audit, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), government and community relations in the process. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hand-holding the private sector to deliver these projects is our role in the entire process.

We are not putting any money because we wanted it to be all private sector-led, and we chose to start with Sabon Gari Market because of its significance in Nigeria; Kano is the second largest city in Nigeria,â&#x20AC;? she added.

According to her, the first phase of the initiative in Sabon Gari will provide efficient, clean and sustainable power to traders and shop owners.

Joined by the Governor of Kano State, Mr. Abdullahi Ganduje, at the unveiling, Ogunbiyi, further said the market which had been disconnected from the national grid and only gets its power from multiple diesel power generation sources, would now gradually shift to using solar power provided by Rensource Energy Limited - the parent company of Sabon Gari Energy Solutions Ltd, to undertake its activities.

Energy Audit She also explained that REA conducted an

power and every time we have power from the public supply. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now, we are able to get from solar which is the safest source of power in a way that will benefit us not only against power outage but also the safety of the market. We have seen the facility they have here, what we are expecting is an improved business environment.

We expect lesser hazard because there is no pollution from solar power unlike before. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The company is here not just to supply power and go away, but also to maintain, that is why they have a customer care facility here in the market,â&#x20AC;? the governor added.

Bagadaza, shoe and leather works seller in Sabon Gari market, Kano energy audit to discover that the market, which has 12,369 shops, has a load demand of 916 kilowatt (kW), and that 500 shops have been connected in the first phase, with 6,000 expected to be connected in the second phase, while the balance would be done in the third phase by Rensource Energy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The REA in partnership with Sabon Gari Energy Solutions Ltd, a private sector power company, has successfully connected 500 shops in the market as part of the first phase of deployment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These shops will now benefit from stable, affordable and reliable power during market opening hours. The state of the art, decentralised solar system is equipped with remote monitoring capabilities, smart meters as well as durable lithium ion batteries to support night time load. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Convenient payment collection is also being facilitated by partnership with Paga, which will provide presence within the market through its agents as well as its digital platform to enable mobile payments. As a result, 20 skilled jobs have been created and it is expected that this will increase to 200 as deployment continues throughout the entire market,â&#x20AC;? she added.

Curtailing Fire Outbreaks Considering that Sabon Gari has had incidents

of devastating fire outbreaks which have set back the traders, Ogunbiyi, stated that the new power supply measures would end incidences of fire outbreaks often associated with petrol and diesel generators used in the market.

She explained that the Kano State government and Sabon Gari Market Association have provided the REA strong supports to go on with the project because they understood that it was a cheaper and safer option to keep the market electrified. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Based on what the federal government has promised the traders in the Sabon Gari Market, we are expecting that they will go on to start using clean and stable electricity from the solar facilities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the reasons why the federal government decided on this market was because of the horrendous fire they suffered in 2016. The goal is to make this market generator-free, to be using clean energy so we wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have those unfortunate fire incidents again that cost so much money and goods,â&#x20AC;? Ogunbiyi explained.

Ganduje, who was represented by his Commissioner of Commerce, Industry and Cooperative, Mr. Ahmad Rabiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;u Bako, also affirmed this.

He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We thank President Muhammadu Buhari, for recognising that we have had so many fire incidents in our market, that were caused by using unconventional means of supplying

Constant Supply Equally speaking to THISDAY, the Managing Director of Rensource Energy, Mr. Demola Adesina, said the solar power system was built to power the marketâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operations for 24 hours.

He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The first phase is completed today and powering 500 shops; by the end of March, we will be powering 6000 shops, and sometime in August, we will have enough system to power the entire market. In terms of energy capacity, the system when completed will have about 1.6 megawatts of solar PV and about 1.6 megawatts hours of lithium battery capacity which is enough energy to power the entire market including the heavy electricity users. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The traders will pay according to their usage and each of the shops will have a meter to monitor their consumption. The market will have a customer service centre to address whatever challenges they have with the system because it is built to support 24 hours operation in the market,â&#x20AC;? he added.

Happy Beneficiaries â&#x20AC;&#x153;We use generators, and spend money on oil and gas (diesel), but since we got this light from solar, we have stopped to use generators. We will be paying N180 per day to have power, but it is better if we can be paying N100,â&#x20AC;? said Usman Ali Bagadaza, a shoe and allied leather works trader whose shop, PP39 in Sabon Gari Market was among the first 500 to be taken off the national grid and electrified with solar power under the REA initiative.

Bagadaza spoke to THISDAY in his shop in Sabon Gari shortly after the REA launched the execution of its Energising Economies Programme (EEP). He looked satisfied with the development, backed by a smile of approval.

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

RANDOM THOTS Perceived Corruption Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest corruption perception ranking has sent shock waves around the country, especially in the hallowed corridors of power and government; despite the official efforts to bring a national scourge to heel.

It appears inconceivable that a country, whose present leaders made the war against corruption one of its main cornerstones for good governance, can actually slide down 12 places in ranking in the 2017 Global Corruption Perception Index released recently by the

global anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International.

Pray tell this reporter, where are all those famed 140 convictions by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission? Where is the global acknowledgement of the billions of naira and millions of dollars recovered in Kaduna and Lagos by eagle-eyed anti-graft operatives? Even a former governor bagged five years in jail last year for corrupt enrichment, while a topmost government official was removed from

office over a grass-cutting contract! The CPI seemed to ignore these â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;monumentalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; anti-corruption achievements.

But, truth be told, even the man on the street knows that corruption is real and active in almost all the facets of the society. There are several high-profile cases of grafts which are pending with their files gathering dust in the corridors of power. To the layman, it appears there are still sacred cows and untouchables in this war against corruption.

Convictions based on these pending

graft cases will definitely boost governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s anti-corruption struggle, and would have sent the right signals to both potential corrupt officials to desist from their actions and to global monitoring organisations like the TI. Until this is done, the line between corruption perception and actual reality may remain blurred and corruption may continue to prevail in Nigeria, despite the federal governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s outrage at TI over a mere ranking...reality check.

-Abimbola Akosile

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Scene of destruction and insecurity caused by Boko Haram terrorists in Yobe

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Current Biggest Threat to Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Devt?

Although Nigeria is facing different challenges to her development process, some challenges pose greater threats to her unity and security than others, including herdsmen killings, Boko Haram insurgency, corruption, mounting poverty, inequality, unemployment, rising cost of living, and ethnic/religious conflicts. To you, which of these factors pose the greatest challenge to Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development process and how can it be tackled successfully?

Abimbola Akosile * The surge in herdsmen mayhem across states in Nigeria, Boko Haram insurgency and the continuous kidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gloves handling by our leadership, is highly alarming. We need to be alive first before we can think of how to tackle poverty, corruption etc. How did Nigeria become a cheap prey?

- Ms. Nkeiruka Abanna, Lagos State * Though the Nigerian State is bedeviled with complex developmental challenges, the most fundamental threat to the sustainable progress of Nigeria is the bane of quality leadership and corruption. Quality, innovative and inclusive leadership devoid of corrupt tendencies will resolve all other challenges of insecurity, poverty, unemployment, ethnicity and religious conflicts, unemployment among other issues.

Leadership is the fulcrum pillar upon which Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development will be anchored. God bless Nigeria.

- Mr. Ekpa, Stanley Ekpa, author, Abuja * Insurgency is our real threat today. The past governments trivialised Boko Haram and today Nigeria is in gory security crises, living in permanent fears daily especially in the North-east.

Rampant killer herdsmen must also be sincerely checked before it is too late. Benefactors of this tragedy are not spirits. Think of all the precious lives, money, time, energy etc expended so far to no avail. Now that elections are due, a stitch in time will definitely save nine.

- Miss Apeji Patience Eneyeme, Badagry, Lagos State * The biggest threat to our development at this stage is the lack of social virtue called trust.

In a democracy like ours, we the voters must be able to trust the elected leaders that they are working in our best interest but this is not presently the case. If the masses cannot trust leaders to make the best decision, the leaders are handicapped because their legitimacy is already challenged. We need trust in our society so that we can stop shouting down ourselves in needless battles of rivalry and engage in healthy debates to help us formulate the best policies for national development.

- Mr. Oluwapelumi Oyeniyi, Osogbo, Osun State * Well, we are architects of our problems because we failed to elect credible people in governance

THE FEEDBACK Top threat:

Insecurity

Second:

Corruption

Third:

Poverty

Radical tip:

Overhaul Legislators!

Total no of respondents:

14

Male:

12

Female:

2

Highest location:

Lagos (5)

to move Nigeria forward. Until we stop tribal or religious sentiment in leadership, we cannot have any impact in development of Nigeria.

Let us correct our mistake come 2019.

- Mr. Gordon Chika Nnorom, Public Commentator, Umukabia, Abia State * The four current biggest threats to Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development include: Fulani herdsmen killings; Boko Haram insurgency; increasing corruption where leaders are most culpable; and lack of truth from PMB and his close associates. We have come to believe that he has a different agenda and all those backing him have skeletons in their cupboards, and are afraid of exposure.

- Hon. Babale Maiungwa, U/Romi, Kaduna * Herdsmen killings and the Boko Haram insurgency are menaces that affect businesses, agricultural development, movement and livelihoods of innocent citizens.

We need educational development of the herdsmen in terms of new breeds of cattle and ranching, provision of cattle routes, education on the needs to live peacefully. To tackle the Boko Haram insurgency effectively there should be reorientation and training of the Military, Police forces and the State Security. The masses should be more alert, with a household census to identify those causing the various problems and bring them to book.

- Mr. Michael Adedotun Oke, Founder Michael Adedotun Oke Foundation, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja

* I think corruption is the greatest threat to our development. Looters should be indicted with death sentence and for anybody else who is indicted with them. Let Nigeria focus on zero tolerance to corruption.

- Mr. Oye Ade, Lagos State * A past we have never learned from always seems to keep our development arrested in Nigeria. We always say, forget the past and come up with solutions. Then we go and make the exact same mistakes we made in the past.

Every great country today analysed their past mistakes, learned from the errors and applied it to their present and consequently secured a good future. The solutions to our unique problems lie in our unique past. Until we go back, even as far as colonial rule, we may continue to repeat the same old errors.

- Mr. Buga Dunj, Jos, Plateau State * Insecurity is the biggest threat to Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development today. Kidnapping, killer herdsmen, political robberies, treasury lootings in virtually every sector of the government, House, economy, polity, etc point to disunity, insincerity e.t.c yet they waste tax payersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; funds, time and energy.

Those manipulating our security system must be identified and hunted down urgently for good.

- Mr. Apeji Onesi, Lagos State * Of all centrifugal forces threatening to tear Nigeria apart, two of them are particularly hydra-headed: poverty and insecurity. All other malaise plaguing the nation such as unemployment, inequality, terrorism, and killer herdsmen e.t.c are products of poverty and insecurity. To tackle these ills successfully, government must ameliorate the living condition of its citizens and be ready to deal decisively with any act of criminality, irrespective of whose ox is gored.

- Mr. Paul A. Jideofor, Dept. of Languages, FCT COE, Zuba, Abuja * Which development, when there is no security; heartless Fulani herdsmen, continued Boko Haram killings, illegal arms are still in circulation; corruption, dehumanising poverty, and where both states and the federal government still owe pensioners and staff members? Government should as a matter of urgency step in to disarm all those who own such arms. Without doing such, no meaningful development will be achieved.

- Mr. Dogo Stephen, Kaduna

* The herders/farmers debacle should be thoroughly thrashed out with all sides willing and ready to compromise. Let us have model ranches first. The wealthy class should get together and set up a couple of these ranches and practicalise to the herders what they stand to gain financially e.t.c from buying into the new idea. Government should get serious about mopping up illicit firearms nationwide.

- Mr. E. Iheanyi Chukwudi, B.A.R. Abuja * The legislators at the National Assembly constitute the biggest threat to our development, in my own view. They seem to live in a world of their own, far away from the people they represent. They only care about their own personal comfort and their antics also inadvertently led to this countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent negative ranking on corruption by TI. The Legislature needs complete overhaul!

- Mr. Olumuyiwa Olorunsomo, Lagos State

Next Week: Has Corruption Really Declined in Nigeria? Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ě&#x2039;Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; ĂĄĂ&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2018;Ë&#x153; Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ě&#x2039; Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă?ĂŁ Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2013;ĂŁ Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D;Ă?â Í&#x201C;Í&#x2018;Í&#x2019;Í&#x2DC;Ë&#x153; ĂĄĂ&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2039; Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17D; Í&#x2019;Í&#x201C; Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă?Ă? 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ĂŁĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153; Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ë&#x153; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ë&#x203A; Ă?Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x152;Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x152;Ă?Ă&#x17E;ĂĄĂ?Ă?Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2039;ĂŁ Ě&#x2122; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2019; Í&#x2019; Ęś Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2039;ĂŁË&#x153; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2019; Í&#x2013;Ě&#x161; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; abimbolayi@yahoo. com, greatbimbo@gmail.comË&#x153; abimbola.akosile@thisdaylive.com. Ă?Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ě&#x2039; Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă? 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BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

Flooding after the rain on Apapa-Oshodi Expressway in Lagos...recently

ETOP UKUTT

CISLAC, TI National Contact Frets over Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fight against Corruption Urges govt to make 2017 anti-corruption strategy public

Abimbola Akosile The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), the National Contact of Transparency International (TI) has expressed worry over the new, unfavourable trend in the fight against corruption in the country.

This stance was buttressed in the newly published Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2017 which shows that Nigeria is slipping further down in the international ranking on the fight against corruption, according to a release issued recently by the non-governmental organisation.

To repair the situation, the Federal Government was urged to make the 2017 anti-corruption strategy public, assign responsibilities for its implementation, and prepare a detailed action plan monitored by civil society organisations.

Government was also enjoined to prioritise anti-corruption courts and nominate judges with proven record of high integrity and no controversies.

In the update of the CPI, Nigeria was ranked

148 out of 180 countries assessed in 2017 on the perception of the state of the corruption in the country. Out of 100 points signaling maximum transparency and no corruption, Nigeria scored 27 points. These results show a slight deterioration in the scoring of the perception about corruption in public administration compared to 2016.

In 2016, Nigeria scored 28 points and ranked 136th in the ranking of countries. Despite the one-point reduction in the score, Nigeria has slipped in the country-ranking by 12 points in 2017. This shows that, as the rest of the world has improved in the perception on corruption, Nigeria slips further down as the fight against corruption stagnates.

On the African continent, Nigeria ranks 32nd in Africa out of 52 assessed countries in 2017, and Botswana leads the continent with the record of competent and largely corruption-free public administration. In West Africa, Nigeria ranks 16th out of 17 countries, leaving only Guinea Bissau behind.

The CPI is one of the most respected inter-

national measurements of corruption trends. It was established in 1995 as a composite indicator used to measure perceptions of corruption in the public sector in different countries around the world.

It draws upon a number of available sources which capture perceptions of corruption. CPI is computed by the Transparency International Secretariat in Germany and is published in Nigeria exclusively by CISLAC, a Transparency International chapter in Nigeria, which is headed

by Mr. Auwal Musa Ibrahim (Rafsanjani).

According to CISLAC â&#x20AC;&#x153;this fresh setback in the fight against corruption confirms that grand corruption, political corruption, nepotism, favouritism and bribery persist in Nigeria at all levels. It is CISLACâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s view that the negative perception is mainly a consequence of the inability to combat grand corruption and astronomical plundering of public coffers costing the Nigerian tax payers around 25 per cent of annual GDP. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Since the current administration has come to power on the anti-corruption ticket, no

significant politically exposed person has been duly sentenced on anti-corruption charges. â&#x20AC;&#x153;CISLAC notes that anti-corruption agencies have accelerated the rate of convictions on anti-corruption charges. Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) for example has in 2016/17 brought 286 cases to conviction.

However, the majority are rather insufficient cases with little impact of returned assets into the state budget and no effect on unfavorable public opinion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a reason to suspect that judiciary is either not able or willing to prosecute the VIP cases of senior public servants and elected politicians who have either directly plundered lucrative Nigerian state resources or are at least responsible for the catastrophic lack of oversight over public funds as mandated by the Constitution.

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

Integrity Organisation Gets New Board Appointments With over a decade of committed service as a Director of the Governing Board of the Integrity Organisation Limited, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika has been unanimously appointed as the Chairman of the Governing Board of the organisation.

Mrs. Awosika, who is on the Board of numerous organisations, is the Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria Plc. She is to be ably assisted by Mr. Osaro Eghobamien, SAN as the ViceChairman. The appointment took effect from Monday, February 26, according to a release issued by Yinka Johnson of the Convention on Business Integrity in Lagos.

Awosika is a fellow of the African Leadership Initiative, Aspen Global Leadership Network and a member of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group.

Eghobamien joined the Governing Board in December 2016 and has made valuable contributions to the growth of the organisation. He is the founding partner and the Managing Partner of Perchstone & Graeys and sits on a number of reform committees including the Lagos State trust law reform committee mortgage implementation committee of the Financial System Strategy (FSS 2020).

With the combined wealth of experience of the Chairman, Vice- Chairman and the other Directors, the organisation is set to take a giant leap on the issues of Corporate Governance and Business Integrity locally and internationally, the release noted.

The appointment coincides with recent accomplishments of the organisation in its mission to create strategic partnerships with like-minded organisations. On February 22, 2018, the Convention on Business Integrity in partnership with the Nigerian Stock Exchange held a certification ceremony for the 35 companies and the

437 Directors that were successful during the Corporate Governance Rating System (CGRS) process.

The companies were awarded the CGRS certification and would be part of a tradable basket for the Corporate Governance Index while the directors were awarded certificates for success in the Fiduciary Awareness Certification Test (FACT), which is a key component of the CGRS. Integrity Organisation Limited GTE is an anti-corruption, research and advocacy organisation concerned with the issues of accountability and transparency in public and business

life. It was founded in 1995 during the Abacha regime as a direct reaction to the corruption and poor governance of Nigeria represented by that era.

Integrity has had a history of credible involvement in high profile issues and has built a reputation for high profile, high impact handling of engagement with supply side actors on various issues. As a result of the need to have a specific arm that would deal with issues arising in the private sector while still focusing on the Public domain, it gave birth to the establishment of the Convention on Business Integrity.

The Convention on Business (CBI), a company limited by guarantee, was established in 1997 with the aim of promoting ethical business practices, transparency and fair competition in the private and public sectors.

Its mission is to empower people, their transactions, systems and institutions against corruption by intervening to minimise risk of deviance from acceptable benchmarks, through the wide publication of ratings and rankings performed on such entities, enabling more transparent, consistent and predictable transactions that people can observe, affect and benefit from.

35

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DEVELOPMENT QUOTE OF THE WEEK

â&#x20AC;&#x153;TheElectoralAct2010isstillinforce;ithasnotbeenchangedandthereforethereisnovacuum; thereisnolacunainourlaw.Wehavereleasedthetimetableafterdueconsultationswith stakeholdersinthenationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sElectionManagementBoardandwestandbythattimetablefornow.

Nothinghaschangedandsoweareanchoringourplanningontheconductofthe2019electionson thecarefullyplannedelectionsequencingâ&#x20AC;?

-- CHAIRMAN OF THE INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC), PROF. MAHMOOD YAKUBU, SPEAKING DURING A QUARTERLY CONSULTATIVE MEETING WITH THE MEDIA ATTHE INEC HEADQUARTERS IN ABUJA RECENTLY

Tackling Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Infrastructural Deficit

By Adedayo Ojo

Ojo

British High Commission, LUFASI Charge Nigerians on Tackling Climate Change Abimbola Akosile Nigerians need to embrace and promote practices that can protect the environment as a major way to improve the quality of life and avert the danger that climate change poses to the future of children.

This was the submission of participants in a dialogue on climate change issues held in Lagos recently, under the aegis of Lekki Urban Forest and Animal Sanctuary Initiative (LUFASI). The British Deputy High Commissioner in Nigeria, Laure Beaufils, who hosted the event at her official residence, noted that the rising sea level, one of the effects of climate change, comes with the dangers of flooding, leading to loss of cities and lack of access to social services, which could be prevented if members of the public and government do the right thing.

She lamented that the society does not talk about the environment the way they ought to despite the fact that their survival depends on a safe environment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The issue of climate change is one on which we ought to take not just the government, but businesses and ourselves to task,â&#x20AC;? said Beaufils. She enjoined members of the society to be part of the required solution, noting that most human activities contribute to the emissions that in turn lead to climate change.

Businesses that run on renewable energy and recycling are parts of the major solutions, the Deputy High Commissioner added.

Documentaries shown at the event detailed the devastating effects of oil spills on the environment as well as consequences of erosion and desertification occasioned by climate change, which could be prevented if people adopt safe environmental practices.

In his contribution, the Executive Director, LUFASI, Desmond Majekodunmi, said environmental issues should become a feature of local politics as political leaders have the obligations to protect the environment because it is humanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;life support system.â&#x20AC;? A degraded

R-L: Majekodunmi; Evans; BeauďŹ ls; Founder SustyVibes, Jenifer Uchendu; GM, Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency, Mrs. Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola, and the Managing Director, Environmental Accord Nigeria, Ibrahim Salau, during the Dialogue on Climate Change at BeauďŹ lsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; residence in Lagosâ&#x20AC;Śrecently environment, he said, leads to â&#x20AC;&#x153;a degraded quality of life.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Environmental issues should be brought into politics because that is what brought the present German government into power. They came on the back of green politics and other countries are now adopting it, so Nigeria, the giant of Africa, should adopt that too,â&#x20AC;? the renowned environmentalist said.

Majekodunmi noted that desertification has led to food shortages, driven pastoralists into search for greener pasture and made young men fall from enjoying â&#x20AC;&#x153;pretty good livelihood to becoming easy preys of terrorists.â&#x20AC;? He, however, urged Nigerians to be part of the solution and not the problem. According to him, the problems will impact negatively on the future generation, and parents who love their children â&#x20AC;&#x153;will be part of the solution.â&#x20AC;?

Participants at the event, comprising of

government officials, expatriates, captains of industry and environmental activists, also spoke of measures their organisations have put in place for business operations and public advocacy to address the climate change issue.

One of the speakers, the Chief Commercial Officer, Boulus Enterprises Limited, Stanley Evans, said recycled products form the bulk of his companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s raw materials for environmental friendly operations.

He added that he has practised vegetarianism for 30 years in his bid not to engage in any act that can impact negatively on the balance of ecosystem. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My company converts used papers that could clog the public drainages into tissue paper and we also import completely knocked down (CKD) components for our automobile business,â&#x20AC;? he said.

If Nigeria does not start walking the talk regarding her infrastructure development, the country may run into a serious crisis in the near future. With a population expected to hit 397 million by 2050, Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s infrastructure will come under huge pressure, hinder economic development and deny citizens of the much-desired national prosperity except something drastic is done.

For decades, Nigeria failed to develop its infrastructure. It got so bad that in 2015 the country needed N10.63 trillion ($67 billion) to build hospitals and schools, fix the energy sector, and repair bridges and roads. Though the Federal government budgets an average of $5.9 billion to fund infrastructure annually, endemic corruption, nepotism and poor implementation have ensured little progress.

No surprises why the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently pegs the value of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s infrastructure stock at 20-25 per cent of GDP. Compared with the 70 per cent average for developed economies, the reason for Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poor global competitiveness despite its stature as Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest economy becomes more glaring.

The Federal Government must increase capital expenditure in the national budget.

Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aggregate expenditure in the national budget has grown annually but capital expenditure has averaged about 25 per cent. In 2008, allocation for capital expenditure was 1.2 trillion, representing 37 per cent of the total budget of 3.3 trillion.

By 2015, allocation for capital expenditure dropped to a mere 9 per cent (N387 billion) of the proposed aggregate expenditure of N3.6 trillion. One of the present administrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s promises to Nigerians is to incrementally allocate more funds to capital expenditure. This is a good step in the right direction. In 2016, capital expenditure moved to 25 per cent ( 1.6 trillion) of the total budget of 6.1 trillion.

In 2017, capital-expenditure increased to 30 per cent (N2.24 trillion) out of the proposed aggregate expenditure of N7.298 trillion.

And in 2018, capital expenditure dropped to 28 per cent (N2.428 trillion) out of the proposed aggregate expenditure of N8.612 trillion. If Nigeria must bridge the gap in infrastructure, government must prioritize capital expenditure at least for the next decade.

Ojo, the CEO of Caritas Communications, with offices in Nigeria and Ghana, writes from Lagos NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

36

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

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

Championing Early Childhood Development About 60 per cent of Nigerian children under the age of five are at risk of not reaching their full potential because of poor early childhood learning and malnutrition. But UNICEF says if the country must meet the SDGs, priority should be given to early childhood development.

Martins Ifijeh writes

A

popular meme on social media sometime ago showed a young poor, deprived, lonely and malnourish-looking boy selling roses to another young but healthy-looking child whose parents held on to on both hands in a show of love and care.

The child who bought roses was all smiles as he walked away with it in his hands, but the one who sold out the roses had pain written all over his face. He wished he was the one on the other side.

While this poor looking boy sells roses, which obviously brings happiness to children of parents who could afford them, he himself could not own one despite selling them. He was distributing happiness he couldn’t have for himself.

This was the case of Salima Isa, a 12 years old girl who sells happiness to pupils of Kofar Nassarawa Model Primary School in Kano, yet she does not have that happiness for herself.

While the children were at school on a Wednesday morning learning, Salima was sitting at the school gate waiting to get permission by break time to enter the compound so she could sell groundnut to other children.

By 9:15a.m., Salima, who came from a village 45 kilometres away from the school, struggled her way into the compound as it was time for short break.

Soon, over 30 children surrounded her with their faces beaming with happiness and laughter as they brought out different denominations of money, including five naira and 10 naira, to buy groundnut.The way Salima was surrounded, one would think if the pupils do not buy her groundnut they may not be able to concentrate in class after break. Those who were successful at buying were all smiles as they went to different corners of the expanded school compound to enjoy the special peanut, while others continued to struggle to have theirs.

While it was obvious Salima was putting smiles on the faces of the children, she wished she could have such happiness as well. She wished she would one day come out during break time to buy groundnut for herself rather than being the one selling the delicacy at her own detriment.

But a lot of factors have stopped her from actualising those wishes. She is deprived and lonely. All she has in her is spread the kind of happiness she could not taste from.

Salima, who eventually spoke to THISDAY said since five years of age, she has been going to different schools, not for studies, but to sell groundnut, kunu or donkwa as her parents do not believe in girl-child education. They believed it would be a waste of money to train a girl-child who would end up leaving the house to marry from another family, and eventually drop the name of her father.

A missed early childhood development window of opportunity Salima, who could pass for a six-year-old despite being 12, is not only deprived from being exposed to a structured learning environment, she has somewhat missed a vital part of her life, Early Childhood Development (ECD), as she looked stunted, too small for her age, and obviously disadvantaged in terms of early childhood learning, a vital pre-requisite for proper childhood development.

“I have never been enrolled in school before. I do not know what they do in those buildings,” pointing to one of the classes. “The only school I know is the school of Quran in front of my house,” said Salima, as she spoke in Hausa language to our correspondent with her face bent to the ground.

A teacher in the school assisted in translating in English language to her, while he translates her language to our correspondent in English.

“Even if she is assisted by anyone now to

While Salima and her friends are waiting to sell delicacies to pupils of Kofar Nasarawa Model School, their counterparts are going through structured childhood development

get enrollment in our school here or any other school around, there is a high possibility she may not be able to cope or learn as fast as she would if she had been exposed to learning from the very beginning,” said the teacher, Mr. Bala Nasiru.

Pointing to the pre-primary school classes where children below five years were learning, Nasiru said, “you see those little children over there, they are learning very fast every day.

By the time they get to primary school, it will be easier for them to grasp what ever they learn,” he said.

Salima, who has never undergone early childhood learning whether before her fifth birthday or at her present age, is not alone. About 2.5 million children in Nigeria are malnourished and would not even have the mental capacity needed for developmental potential required to successfully go through life in future.

No wonder a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) specialist, Swadchet Sanky in a media parley organised by the UN body in Kano recently, said over 60 per cent of under five Nigerian children stand the risk of not developing appropriately due to poor early childhood development, including early learning, environmental interaction, nutrition, exclusive breastfeeding, among others, adding that not less than 250 million under five children globally are unlikely to reach their full potential because their development have been hampered.

She said that Nigeria is among the top 10 countries contributing to these huge numbers of children, adding that the country may not be able to meet the Sustainable Development Goal four if under five children were deprived of the necessary tools needed for early childhood development. Sankey, described the period as critical and single window opportunity to shape the development of a child’s brain, adding that at every stage, the child is expected to acquire certain developmental skills.

“With 90 per cent of a child’s brain development occurring before the age of five, early childhood experiences can have a profound impact on development and ultimately on a country’s growth “The brain is formed at an unrepeated speed, giving shape and depth to children’s cognitive, emotional and social development which influences their capacity to learn, solve problems and

to relate with others. This contributes to adult life and ability to earn a living and contribute to the society.”

She described early childhood as a critical opportunity to shape a child’s development, emphasising that “nurturing children, effective stimulation among others would help them learn, laugh, feel joy and become more creative and imaginative.

“These relatively simple actions have a ripple impact on the child’s long-term development, education and future successes. Any environment that is not sensitive to nutrition, health and security of children is not a complete environment for ECD. “Nigeria does not have the fundamentals in place for a comprehensive approach to ECD, with an integrated multi-sectoral ECD policy, the key indicators of child development outcomes in the country remain low. “The current policy is out-dated, and needs to be reviewed to contain current thinking and an improved approach to delivering ECD across various platforms,” she explained.

Nutrition is linked to children’s academic performance in future Studies have shown that a child’s early years begin before birth when it comes to nutrition, as under-nutrition during pregnancy stunts foetal growth and can lead to poor brain development that results in irreversible chronic illnesses.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), UNICEF and other key partners, recently officially released the results of the 5th Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (MICS5), conducted between September 2016 and January 2017, from 33,901 households in 2,239 enumeration areas across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The results indicated that malnutrition among children under age five has worsened nationwide, with the highest concerns in Northern Nigeria.

Child wasting, that is children who are too thin for their age, increased from 24.2 per cent to 31.5 per cent, while child stunting; that is children who are too short for their age, increased from 34.8 per cent to 43.6 per cent.

According to a Nutrition Specialist with UNICEF, Dr. Bamidele Omotola, the relationship between nutrition, health and learning is undeniably strong, as nutrition is one of the three major

factors that impact a child’s development.

“In gestation and infancy, the brain is an ‘energy hog’, consuming between 50 and 75 per cent of all the energy absorbed by the body from food, including fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Inadequate nutrition during that period affects the structure and functions of the brain in ways that are difficult to offset later “Supporting exclusive breastfeeding, having good Early Childhood Development policies in place will help to improve the overall health and nutrition of a child, enable parents and care-givers be more responsive to children’s needs and provide greater safety and security.

It will also provide improved early learning.”

Meeting SDG through ECD ECD, according to UNICEF is key to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, believes a child’s physical and cognitive support, has a strategic place in the achievement of SDG. “Investing in ECD, including services to support caregivers, quality pre-primary education and good nutrition will help to secure healthy and productive future generations in Nigeria,” he said.

Sankey said, “SDGs present an opportunity to connect ECD with efforts to create equity, productivity, prosperity and sustainable growth for a more peaceful future.

“Embedded in the SDGs is hunger, health, education and justice targeting malnutrition, child mortality, early learning and violence.”

The specialist, who identified SDGs 3 and 4 which deals with good health and education as targeting ECD, said through quality ECD, all children, irrespective of background, would have access to quality care, education, nutrition, protection among others.

Sankey further noted that ECD would aid in driving transformation agenda, describing it as a cost-effective strategy for poverty eradication.

“If we do not increase investment on ECD in early years, we will have issues in achieving SDGs, because all the 17 goals are tied to it, because the child is at the centre of it all.

“You want to eradicate poverty, gender inequality, you need to invest in the children; you want to improve the economy among others; you need to invest in children,” she advised.

37

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

NEWS

1 in 10 Nigerian Women Suffer from Endometriosis, Says Ajayi Martins Ifijeh The Founder, Endometriosis Support Group of Nigeria (ESGN), Dr. Abayomi Ajayi has stated that one in every 10 Nigerian women is suffering from endometriosis, a condition in which tissues that normally lines the uterus grows outside it He said the condition is however characterised by late diagnosis as most physicians tend to miss it.

Stating this in a press conference in Lagos recently to announce this year’s annual programme to mark endometriosis in Nigeria, he said it was important awareness level is increased so that Nigerians, especially women, and health practitioners are knowledgeable on how to manage the condition. “ESGN is working on partnering with the private and public sector to help reduce the ignorance around the invisible condition as it severely affects the quality of life of sufferers including all forms of meaningful relationships. It is a common cause of infertility.

“In the past 12 years, we have championed this cause in Nigeria, and we have raised the consciousness about the condition among sufferers, medical practitioners, media and the general public.We believe this is a critical issue that needs to be addressed,” he stated. According to him, the programme, billed to hold March 10, 2018 with the annual Endo March, will bring a message of hope to sufferers, as new technologies and treatments are becoming available to manage the condition.

“On March 10, we will have a walk to drive awareness about the condition in the city of Lagos. We will commence at 7a.m. from City Mall, Onikan through Awolowo Road to Muri Okunola Park.

“Every year, we try to ensure that our Lagos Endo March is celebrated in commemoration of the International Women’s Day. This year ESGN is partnering the German Endometriosis Scientific Research foundation to help increase awareness among medical

practitioners about advancements in the management of endometriosis.”

He explained that a special edition of the Physicians Round Table PRT will hold

on Thursday 12th of April 2018 at the Civic Centre, Lagos.

The PRT is Nordica’s annual medical conference usually in the month of March and dedicated to Endometriosis.

He said other activities lined up for the endometriosis awareness include secondary schools essay competition. “We have invited twice the number of schools that participated in

the competition last year. Winners of the essay competition will be awarded a cash prize and plaque at our Endo Gala slated for April 14, 2018 at the Civic Centre, Lagos

L-R: Brand Ambassador, Dexa Medica, Musa Ahmed; Resident of Fegge Community, Aisha M; Consultant, Dexa Medica, Dr. Tony Ofulu, Resident, Fegge Community, Biliki; and Brand Ambassador, Dexa Medica, Blessing Rangkim, during Dexa Medica Pain Free Day in Fegge Community, Kano recently

Experts Raise Alarm on Increased Rate of Diabetes Foot Pain Free Day: Boska Provides Drugs, Health Tips to Fegge Amputations Communities Martins Ifijeh

Stakeholders in the management of diabetes have expressed worry over the increasing rate of amputations due to diabetes foot ulcer, a major complication of diabetes mellitus and called on the federal government to accelerate efforts towards the adoption of a policy guideline to assist caregivers and people living with diabetes in preventing the problem.

Rising from a recent stakeholders meeting on Diabetes Foot care convened by the Diabetes Podiatry Initiative Nigeria Project (DPIN), the participants in a communique signed by the Medical Director of Rainbow Specialist Medical Centre, Lagos, Dr. AfokeIsiavwe, noted that Nigeria is currently recording unacceptable number of lower limb amputations and death resulting from diabetes foot ulcer in all parts of the country.

According to the communique, diabetes foot is now the most common cause of amputation of the lower limbs and is responsible for more hospitalisation in patients with diabetes than other complications put together.

“There is a general lack of awareness both among the populace and healthcare practitioners in Nigeria about foot care for people living with diabetes. The practice of examining the feet of diabetes patients during visits to the clinic is yet to be embraced by a large number of doctors and other caregivers in the country while patients lack basic knowledge to prevent foot ulcer. The practice of treating wounds and ulcers at home remains rampant.

“The cost of managing foot ulcer or performing amputation is enormous and always well beyond the reach of the average patients.

“Although diabetes care is obtained at the primary,

secondary and tertiary levels of healthcare in the country, a large number of patients with foot problems present too late to the tertiary facilities mostly at a stage where amputation remains the only option to save their lives,” the participants said.

The communique further noted that the country has no guideline for the management of Diabetes foot ulcer.

Also, the participants noted, there’s a dearth of podiatrists to manage the increasing cases of diabetes foot ulcer in all parts of the country as no Nigerian medical school offers podiatry training.

The communique therefore called on governments at all levels to embark on urgent public enlightenment and intensive foot care education to save more Nigerians from needless limb loss and death.

“This is crucial as research has shown that diabetes foot care education impacts greatly on the prevention of DM foot and also reduces the risk of lower extremities amputation and mortality. When offered early, foot care education remains the easiest, least expensive and most cost effective way to prevent foot ulcers and death.”

The participants which included representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health Abuja, Lagos State Ministry of Health, representatives of the Diabetes Association of Nigeria (DAN), Endocrine and Metabolism Society of Nigeria (EMSON). Endocrinologists/ Diabetes Care Physicians from the different geopolitical zones, limb revascularisation and intervention cardiologist and the media urged doctors to emphasise the importance of foot care to patients right from the time diabetes is first diagnosed, adding that this should be reinforced at regular intervals.

Major Pain killer Company, DexaMedica, makers of Boska, last week, conducted its Pain Free Day initiative in Fegge communities in Kano to help consumers stay healthy during this period of hot weather as communicated by Nigerian Metrological Agency (NIMET).

The Pain Free Day event was attended by over a thousand people who were equipped with health tips to stay strong

during this season.

According to Brand Executive, DexaMedica, Joseph Christopher, he said qualitative findings suggests that exposure to high temperatures can make existing illnesses seriously worse (for example trigger a heart attack), cause serious permanent injuries (damage to the brain or other vital organs) as a result of untreated heat stroke, and in extreme cases

result in death.

“We have, in commemoration of the day, provided the opportunity for consumers to see health experts who have provided full range of health services for free. They provided free eye glasses for those in need as well as prescribed drugs to treat eye, ear and nose defects.

“Besides rendering free health services, we have also used the

opportunity to educate consumers on how to live stress-free while at their various duties.

“This Pain Free Day edition is specially designed to keep consumers healthy during this hot weather. Given the hot weather, I am confident that DexaMedica will continue to improve the delivery of quality healt care for consumers in the months ahead,” said Christopher.

Ikpeazu Reactivates Aba NigeriaPartnersIndiainRenewed General HospitaltoStrengthen Effort toTackle Air Pollution Secondary Healthcare Emmanuel Ugwu, Umuahia After several years of inactivity, the Aba General Hospital has been revived to start offering medical services to residents as part of efforts by Abia State, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to strengthen the secondary healthcare system of the state.

The once popular general hospital in the commercial heartbeat of Abia went moribund in 2010 but has now been reopened following its rehabilitation by the Ikpeazu administration.

At the reopening ceremony, the governor was nostalgic in recalling the importance of the general hospital in the healthcare of residents of Enyimba city before the burble burst. ‘’The hospital was firm, secure and renowned for medical practice but a few years ago the story changed.

Today is yet another milestone. This is good news for Aba people that your general hospital has bounced back,’ he said.

He noted that the hospital was always there for Aba residents and attended to all

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

kinds of ailments in its heyday, adding that the glory days of the famous hospital have returned. ‘’I see a tomorrow for this place better than what we have seen before.

Soon the best equipment in the world will be in this hospital,” he assured. To put the hospital on the right path of surpassing its past glory, Ikpeazu announced that his government would provide a 250 KVA generating set within a month while rehabilitation of dilapidated structures would continue.

He said the state was expecting four containers of assorted hospital equipment part of which would be installed at the general hospital.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr John Ahukanna lauded Governor Ikpeazu for his passion in ensuring that the secondary healthcare system of the state was strengthened.

He noted that the Aba general hospital has become the first to be completed in the rehabilitation programme for moribund secondary health institutions while others would follow in due course.

Worried by the level of deterioration in air quality, particularly in the urban centres, the federal government said it is partnering with Centre for Science and Environment, India, in its renewed vigour to tackle air pollution and ensure that Nigerians live in conducive environment.

It said emissions from vehicles, industries, generators, burning tyres, open burning of refuse and other anthropogenic activities contribute in no small measures to the alarming deterioration in air quality particularly in urban cities and impact negatively on environment, human health and the economy.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Dr. Sheu Ahmed disclosed this recently at a workshop on Clean Air Action Planning Strategy and Implementation in Nigeria, where he noted that the ministry was strategically addressing the issue to meet the long term objective of ensuring sustainable development.

According to him, “the issue of air quality and the

actions that must be taken to attain acceptable clean air in Nigeria no doubt have become a source of worry to the federal government.” He added that, “the purpose of this meeting is to critically examine the issue of clean air action planning and strategic implementation in our cities that are gradually becoming polluted with particulate matters with its attendant heath effects which reduces human productivity, increases health budget and in some cases list of lives.”

Ahmed stressed that the meeting would also deliberate on clean vehicle technology, fuel quality programme, general policy on vehicles, the integration of conventional and non-conventional public transport modes and come up with actionable plans and strategies for effective implementation in the country.

The Permanent Secretary however revealed that the ministry through the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has gotten to the advanced stage of implementing the National Vehicular Emission Programme.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

38

HEALTH

‘Nigeria Has No Herbal Industry’ The use of herbs for treatment of diseases and illnesses is as old as history, and its efficacy has never been put in doubt. However, the seriousness it deserves to have attracted an industry, has not been fully utilised. On this, the Acting Director General, National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Prof Olobayo Kunle in this interview with Kuni Tyessi, says there is a vacuum in the industry because big manufacturers have not gone into it, among other issues statutory. This creates the permanent link. What we have done over the years is to relate with their various associations, attend their meetings.

We are also open to receiving individuals who have things to offer.

Your organisation seems to be obscure to most Nigerians. What is NIPRD and what does it stand for?

National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) took off in1989 and it is the only research institute in Nigeria and possibly in Africa which is strictly dedicated to the manufacture of drugs. Over the years, the institute has carved a niche for itself in the area of plant medicine development, which is herbal medicine development. NIPRD does more than development of herbal medicine, it is into synthetic medicine, pharmaceutical raw material like starch, etc.

NIPRD has been able to produce seven drugs apart from Niprisan. Are the drugs ready?

And what has been some of the challenges?

The products are good to go. We have done all the lab work for products like malaria. For some, we have even done the clinical work.

For Ebola, which of course is the most exciting amongst the products we mentioned, is the difficulty in carrying out clinical trials. So we have not tested the product clinically. There is a practical problem with testing Ebola. It is one of the few drugs that are tested in an epidemic situation. Ordinarily, it will be unethical to try a drug when people are dying of it. Secondly, there is the challenge of completing the lab work. We don’t want to handle something as dangerous as the Ebola Virus in an environment that is not qualified for it. So to deal with a very dangerous material like that, the level of laboratory needed is not available in Africa.

Niprisan, the drug for sickle cell is synonymous to NIPRD . Could you share light on this?

It was commercialised and the first in the country which started from scratch in Nigeria. Niprisan can be obtained by patients from NIPRD. It isn’t available anywhere, unfortunately. I can assure you that in the next few months, it will be back into the market.

What are the setbacks mitigating against Niprisan being on market shelves?

We want to avoid the pitfalls of government agencies getting involved in businesses. If we had funding, we would have produced more.

However, we believe that Niprisan and any of our Research and Development interest will be best served if the private sector leads the charge. So funding, yes, but also ensuring that the necessary steps that the drug and any other product we have, gets to a wider audience and which a government agency like ours can afford. One of the challenges is that of perception.

A research and development institution by mandate, lacks the ability and funding to be able to get its own product into the market for everybody’s use. What’s the total budget of NIPRD and what’s the manpower to be able to distribute Niprisan all over Africa which was the goal. They are to develop products up to the point where an investor takes a look at the products and invrst in it.

NIPRD was established strictly for research and development but has been seen delving into herbal medicine. What are the advantages this portends for Nigerians?

Kunle

Fantastic business. You wouldn’t believe that some capsules Nigerians take are called herbal medicine from South Africa, China or India. And they actually contain things as basic as onions and garlic. They just deodorise and package and people take them. These are plants we grow in this country, and Nigerians are buying them at imported prices. Most Nigerian elites today take one form of traditional medicine or the other, mostly imported. The man in the rural area is taking herbal medicine in his own form.

Why is this so despite the huge patronage?

This is because the training of people who eventually go into the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry are engineers, pharmacists, etc and the totality of that group have not been trained to produce herbal medicines. Our schools are not training people on the technique for producing herbal medicines. People like us learnt on the job and today we understand it and are experts in it but that is not how we came out.

What does it take to start the production of

herbal medicines?

To produce herbal medicines, especially for our pharmaceutical manufacturing industries, some serious re-tooling is required and there are equipments not in use now that have to be introduced. So they need to bring in new facilities; they need to purchase new equipments and they need manpower. Most importantly, it is also intimidating to think of sourcing raw materials.

Unfortunately, because the big and established manufacturers have not gone in to it, over the years, there has been a vacuum. Attempt by small producers to fill the gap has been challenging.

That again discourages serious persons from coming in. Until that space is sanitised, they will be reluctant to invest their funds. It is a gap that NIPRD must do something to take care of.

If this be the case, why don’t you liaise with practitioners of herbal medicine. Are they not in the know of what you do?

The Board of NIPRD has a herbal traditional medicine practitioner as member and this is

How do you hope to source for funding, bearing in mind that this happens to be the greatest challenge faced by NIPRD? When we talk about funding, I look at it in three perspectives. There is a straight line whereby you think of budget and monthly allocation and that has not been very good for us. If we are to depend on that, we would continue to complain. An alternative to that for us is to find ways of generating funds. By design and mandate, we are not fund-generating. Research by its nature is just consumption. Of course, once in a while, you’ll hit one successful path like NIPRD did with Niprisan.

We intend to also focus on herbals medicine in our clinic. We will channel some of the resources that comes our way to strengthen that clinic to truly become a destination for the people there so that we can serve their needs. From there we can get funds to be able to meet our basic necessities for things like power.

The third avenue is to collaborate with international partners to apply for research grants for equipment we require to do science. That’s another way we intend to supplement our efforts.

UNICEF: 17.2m Under Five Nigerian Children AXA Mansard, AWEP, Alliance Hospital Stunted Champion Breast Cancer Campaign James Sowole in Akure The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has raised the alarm over the disturbing rate of stunted children in the country disclosing that no less than 17.2 million children below age 5 were affected.

The UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, Akure Office, Mrs Ada Ezeogu, who disclosed the figure at the opening of a 2-day Media Dialogue On Child Nutrition in South West Nigeria, Stunting is a health situation in child growth in which a child’s height is shorter than his or her age According to her, statistics showed that 37 per cent of children representing over six million are malnourished She disclosed that the 17.2 million figure represents 43.6

per cent of estimated 40 million Nigerian children under age of five years.

Ezeogwu duscloses that 19.4 per cent children in the South West are stunted resulting from malnourishment.

“This is worse than the South East and South South but better than the North. And we must do more as agenda setters to keep this issue on national discourse and help reverse the ugly trend,” she said.

She decried the downward slide in the bid to reduce its prevalence some decades ago which was pegged at 50.3 per cent in 1990, drastically reduced overtime, but now increased significantly to 43.6 per cent according to a 2017 statistics report.

The Ogun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dayo Adeneye, who

declared the event open, also lamented that the overview of National Nutritional Level shows that 80 per cent of the world’s stunted children, live in 14 countries and Nigeria is the second largest contributor after India.

“It is equally lamentable to discover that Nigeria’s nutrition status has not improved for the past ten years. We cannot continue to fold our hands and stand aloof with such issues staring us in the face, most especially, when those affected are the vulnerable in society.

“These are the under-fives, who have no voice and are definitely looking up to us to proffer solutions to their plights,” he said, listing several interventions like Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) and other community based schemes to reduce the menace.

AXA Mansard Health Limited, African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) and Alliance Hospital, Abuja have over the weekend showed commitment to tackling breast cancer by sponsoring a breast cancer seminar titled ‘Current Trends in the Management of Breast Cancer.’

The seminar featured a rich education on breast cancer and its management for everyone there present.

The guest Oncologist- Dr. Bisi Ademuyiwa shared strategies to prevent cancer, how to handle triple negative breast cancers, global best practices and emerging new trends in breast cancer treatment.

She also dispelled various myths and old wives tales about the nature, causes, spread and treatment of

breast cancer.

In preparation for seminar, there was an exclusive private dinner on February 22, 2018 which hosted Dr. Bisi Ademuyiwa, and the medical society of Nigeria. The series of events culminated in Ademuyiwa consulting with 40 breast cancer patients at the Alliance Hospital, Garki, Abuja.

Commenting on the initiative, the Chief Executive Officer, AXA Mansard Health Limited, Mr. Tope Adeniyi, said the move is in line with AXA Mansard’s focus on the needs of the Nigerian women, and its SHE (Super Heroes Everyday) Initiative, through which it demonstrates its understanding of the Nigerian woman, her nature, her needs, her goals and her achievements.

“The SHE initiative identifies how important the Nigerian woman is and proffers practical solutions to addressing her challenges.Breast cancer is beyond just a health issue; it has social and economic implications on its victims, their families and their societies. We will therefore continue to be an active participant in the fight against the deadly scourge,” he said.

Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer in women. About half a million death every year are a result of the disease and this is due to insufficient medical care and awareness about the disease.

This is an alarmingly high number and definitely calls for efforts by both the public and private sector to lend a hand in the battle against cancer.

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

HEALTH NEWS

Benefits of Medicine Optimisation and Patient Care in Disease Management Adaku Efuribe Healthcare delivery is evolving and multidisciplinary team approach has become an indispensable tool for universal healthcare delivery.

According to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society “medicines optimisation represents that step change. It is a patient-focused approach to getting the best from investment in and use of medicines that requires a holistic approach, an enhanced level of patient centered professionalism, and partnership between clinical professionals and a patient.”

I believe medicines optimisation is about ensuring that patients receive the right kind of medication at the right time and medicines use review is a step in the right direction towards achieving this.

Evidence has shown that a good number of medicines prescribed end up not being taken due to lack of concordance and compliance. My experience in community pharmacy with patient returned medication has shown that patients who do not understand the rationale for prescribed medication are more likely not to use the medication.

Also medicines which are prescribed for preventative measures tend not to be taken as patients do not see the immediate benefits most times. A lot of work needs to be done in the area of patient education and information provided through medicines use reviews.

The gains of patient entered care cannot be overemphasised, all medical needs have to be tailored to the individual patient, considering their personal circumstances, other co-morbidities, and sometimes frailty comes into play for elderly patients as well.

There has been a drive for more social prescribing, motivational counseling and interventions for patients who have suffered medical emergencies or patients with

long term conditions as these has shown to be beneficial in improving the well-being of patients. Loneliness especially in the elderly contributes to depression and could make dementia related symptoms worse. As medicines optimisation put patients in the centre of care, clinicians need to work together to ensure adequate measures are put in place and everyone contributes their own quota.

Multidisciplinary team approach is needed where every member of the healthcare team contributes their expertise to patient centred care.

The role of the pharmacist towards patient centred care cannot be overemphasised and integrated healthcare approach enhances delivery of outcomes.

For instance, a patient with swallowing difficulties would benefit from having solid medication forms converted to liquid preparations or orodispersible forms. Another good example is topical medication used for treating eczema, patients with arthritis may not be able to bend over or apply medication on some areas of the skin that is not easily reachable.

It is during the medication review process that such issues are discussed and problems of non-compliance solved.

In the cause of completing a medication review with one of my patients, it came to light why the patient’s COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) was not well managed as the patient thought tiotropium capsules that were dispensed was meant to be swallowed whole with a glass of water. This patient happened to be visually impaired and was unable to read the small printed instructions on the dispensing packaging and thus just believed tiotropium capsules needed to be swallowed and not used with the inhalation device.

After I offered education, guidance and support to this patient, the patient was able

Foundation to Provide Free Fertility Treatment to 20 Couples Martins Ifijeh The Fertility Treatment Support Foundation (FTSF),has announced its readiness to provide free fertility treatment to 20 Nigerian coupleswho have compelling infertility stories but are unable to pay for treatment.

The Foundation says the high cost of treatment all over the world has remained a challenge for couples, as this has denied them the opportunity to access fertility treatment and the joy of completing their families.

In a press conference to announce the offer in Lagos recently, a Trustee of the Foundation Dr. Abayomi Ajayi and an Executive Member of the Foundation, Mr. Onuora Molokwu, said FTSF was encouraged by the results from its previous interventions in the area of free fertility screening and treatment.

Ajayi said FTSF commenced operations as a non-profit organisation in 2008 with a mandate to provide free fertil-

ity screening and treatment to couples with a compelling infertility story, but are financially challenged.

“Last year we embarked on its annual call for entries and got five couples to receive free treatment.From this number, two have confirmed pregnancies while one is scheduled to have a pregnancy test next week. This year, we are planning to do 80 free screenings, from where we will select five couples every quarter, making a total of twenty for the year that will qualify for free treatment,” he added.

Molokwu said he enjoins interested couples to visit the foundation’s website or its social media handles to receive information on how to qualify for the free treatment programme.

“We also call on well-meaning individuals and corporations to join hands with FTSF to support this initiative which we believe has the potential of allowing many more couples enjoy the joy of parenthood.”

to use the capsules with her inhaler device properly and her COPD symptoms were well controlled eventually thus a possible COPD exacerbation or even hospital admission was avoided.

Medication reviews are needed to highlight issues of blood

monitoring, therapeutic drug monitoring for medicines that require special monitoring like methotrexate,NOAC’s, digoxin and diuretics to mention but a few. As part of the medication review process, blood tests are routinely checked, because if dosage regimens are not

adjusted or vital blood checks are not made, this may lead to increased harm to the patient or even death.

I’m calling on all healthcare professionals to embrace patient centred care and also provide the enabling environment for multidisciplinary team approach

in the management of diseases.

Pharmacists have a major role to play towards achieving this by providing efficient medicines optimisation services.

Efuribe is Medicines Management consultant and United Nations SDG Advocate

L-R: Representative of the Managing Director, AXA Mansard Health, Mr. Kola Oni; Guest Speaker, Breast Cancer Seminar, Dr. Olabisi Ademuyiwa; Chief Medical Director, Alliance Hospital, Dr. Utabor Christopher; and National President, African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP), Mrs. Ajala Angela, during Breast Cancer Awareness Seminar held in Abuja recently

Foundation Offers Free Medicare to IDPs in Abuja Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja As part of its medical outreach to those displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency in North-east Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation (NGO),Dunes Foundation, has offered free medical care to the pupils of IDPs Learning Centre, Durumi, Abuja.

The Project Officer, Godwin Shuki, while speaking during

the free medical outreach said the project was part of the foundation’s vision to reach out to members of the public who are denied access to basic necessities of life due to circumstances.

He added that the Foundation cares for people at the IDPs camps and Nigerians as a whole especially those in the villages, stressing that the Foundation also donated

food items to IDPs camps in Kuchingoro, Durumi and others to alleviate the suffering of the inhabitants.

Shuki noted: “Dunes Foundation is known for medical outreaches, women empowerment, sports and other things having to do with improving peoples’ lives. In this case and being a day to show love to the people, we decided to partner with NTA Arena to offer free

medical care to these pupils and present food items to them.

“To achieve this, we have hired a group of medical doctors to come out on a medical mission to treat the kids as well as giving the kids food to eat so that they can be happy on this particular day. Today is a day to show love to one another especially the less-privileged and we thought it wise to lend this support,” he said.

Lawmaker Provides Free Flying Doctors Bags Silverbird Treatment to 449 Ebonyi Man Award indigenes Ayodeji Ake

As the initiator of the first air ambulance, Dr. Ola Orekunrin-Brown, founder of the revolutionary health company, Flying Doctors Nigeria has been honoured with the Business Achievement Award at the 2018 Silverbird Man Award. Ola Orekunrin noted her decision to start the company was motivated by the tragic death of her younger sister a couple of years ago.

The young doctor who also trained as a pilot decided to leave behind a high-flying job in the UK to take to the Nigerian skies and address the vital issue of urgent healthcare in Africa.

She recalled a recent incident that validated her business adventure: “A few months ago a young gentleman became critically unwell and the only centre with the capability to perform the operation he required was here in Lagos almost 20 hours by road from the state he was.

To make matters worse he was on oxygen consuming about a cylinder of oxygen per hour.

“How do critically unwell patients get across Nigeria with air ambulance services

because in the same way that Dangote doesn’t place a factory in every day just because every state needs cement, we can’t build specialist high tech medical centres in every state just because people require specialist healthcare. So over the past decade we have built one of the biggest indigenous air medical transportation services in West and Central Africa. Serving patients in urgent need of care from Liberia to Ghana to Mali to Burkina Faso to Congo and of course our home Nigeria,” she said.

According to her, African air ambulance service provider, Flying Doctors Nigeria has been operating across Africa for nearly 10 years. It is the first indigenous in West Africa, transporting victims of medical emergencies, having a pool of qualified doctors and a network of hospitals.

She accepted the award by thanking her “amazing team for working through the many nights making this happen.”

She also thanked the Silverbird organisation for recognising the lifesaving work her organisation has been doing for almost a decade.

Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki No fewer than 60 pregnant women and 389 others received medical treatments in the ongoing free medical outreach programme of the member representing Ohaozara/ Onicha/ Ivo Federal constituency, Hon. Linus Okorie in Ebonyi State.

Among the beneficiaries of the medical treatment was little 2-month old baby whose case was most critical and has been scheduled for urgent surgery at the Federal Medical Centre in Abakaliki.

The free medical outreach and welfare programme which was organised in conjunction with AMURT Foundation and coalitions of professions takes place across the ten clans of the constituency and is also expected to end by November, 2018. The sponsor of the programme said his Caring Heart Foundation had made a deposit of five hundred thousand naira at the FMC for the treatment of referral cases, that couldn’t be handled by the outreach health providers.

Flagging off the programme

at Ugwuagba Akaeze in Ivo Local Government Area, the state governor, David Umahi commended the lawmaker for the initiative, stressing that it was to complement the efforts of the state government in tackling the health challenges in the state.

The governor represented by his deputy, Barrister Kelechi Igwe noted that despite the existence of poor health challenges inherited by the present administration in the state, the governor has comprehensively repositioned the sector.

Umahi further charged the the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dan Umezuruike, to always acquaint the public with the efforts and achievements of the state government in the health sector and as well sensitise them against the lassa fever scourge.

He expressed optimism that the gesture of the lawmaker to provide medical outreach to his constituency would spur other National Assembly members from the state to emulate, as Okorie was the only federal lawmaker that has brought leadership and politics to his people.

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BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

CBN Urges Risk Managers to Support Economic Growth Nume Ekeghe The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele has advised risk managers in the country to ensure that their activities in their respective institutions support governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts towards achieving sustainable growth.

Also, yesterday, the Charted Institute of Bankers in Nigeria (CIBN) in collaboration the Risk Managers Association of Nigeria (RIMAN) inducted the first set of Certified Risk Mangers (CRM).

Emefiele gave the advice at the CIBN/RIMAN CRM induction ceremony held in Lagos.

Represented by the Director Risk Management CBN who also doubles as the Chairman Board of Trustees RIMAN, Ms. Falakemi Fatogbe, Emefiele applauded the inductees, saying the initiative

was a step in the right direction in ensuring best practice in risk management.

He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;As many of you would have noticed, the report of the National Bureau of Statistics the economy actually grew at 0.83 per cent last year. As Nigerians, we are happy with that result, but there are so many issues which as risk managers we have to contend with. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you have an economy that has grown at 0.82 percent and you have population growth of 2.6 percent, it shows you that we have much more to do.

Furthermore, he added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;For you as risk managers it means that our dependent on oil must be on an account to diversify away from oil. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As risk managers, we need to actively seek other opportunities that we can mitigate the risk in and allow

banks to lend too. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have achieved economic growth, but it not at the level that we need it to be and we need the growth that we achieve to be inclusive growth and sustainable growth. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There would come a time when to be a chief risk officer in a bank you would need to have a CRM certification,â&#x20AC;? he added. On his part, President of RIMAN, Mr. Jude Monye, said the exam was the first of its kind inNigeria and the second in sub-Saharan Africa.

He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is something that excites me as a person.

Certified risk managers certificate cannot be equated to any existing certificate. Some of us have financial risk managers certified (FRM) because it has no local content. CRM has everything FRM has and at the same time has the local content for Nigeria.â&#x20AC;?

Agbaje: Banks Must Change their Business Model to Survive Obinna Chima

The Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (GTBank), Mr. Segun Agbaje has stressed the need for banks to embrace digital transformation to create an entirely new banking experience that meet the demands and expectations of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s millennials.

Agbaje said this while speaking on the topic: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Making Sense of a World in Motion,â&#x20AC;? at the ongoing Social Media Week in Lagos.

He urged banks to be innovative so as not to lose their market share to competitors in the digital banking space. Responding to a question on the relationship

between banks and financial technology companies (fintechs) Agbaje said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today it is collaboration. I think eventually it would become competition. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is because once the fintechs become big enough and have enough of your customer base, you will become competitors. I think it is collaboration, but it would migrate to competition.â&#x20AC;?

Therefore, he urged commercial banks to build business models and create platforms to meet the needs of their customers always. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, if as a customer, you come into our ecosystem, you can just buy anything, you can do your banking business, you can buy your tickets, you can

buy insurance, you can travel, if you want to get a 10-day loan, you can come in and do it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, really, we want you to come into our ecosystem, maybe five times a day to do something more than banking,â&#x20AC;? he added.

While urging more customers to embrace alternative banking channels, he allayed fears electronic banking fraud. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let me be honest to you, the percentage of transactions that are susceptible to fraud is immaterial to the larger level. So, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think people should be scared.

We are beginning to build more security around it and I think there are more transactions that are carried out without fraud,â&#x20AC;? he added.

Expert Suggests Path for Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Devt Peter Uzoho The President and Chairman of Alpine Services Limited, Malam MuhammedHayatudeen, has called for the formulation and implementation of Vision 2050, a three cycles economic development plan to enable the country to become one of the top 10 big economies in the world.

He said Nigeria needs a national vision that places the prosperity and welfare of the citizens and the country at the centre, stressing that such vision would direct where the country wants to be.

Hayatudeen made the call Wednesday in Kaduna during his presentation at the ongoing Kaduna International Trade Fair.

He said for Nigeria to be competitive in the global market

place, an economic construction plan also has to be developed to be a vehicle for the implementation of the national vision. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A vision is a mental state of being that directs where you want to be in 20 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; time.

And therefore given the very low base from which we are starting, I recommend that we set our sight on vision 2050, a 30 year period from now, by which time we should have become one of the top 10 economies in the worldâ&#x20AC;?, Hayatudeen said.

He added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Such an endeavour requires mass mobilisation of the people and this is best achieved if both segment of the people are represented in the vision development committee. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The committee will in turn establish a variety of outreach programme and delivery channels for getting inputs

and buying from the public,â&#x20AC;? he noted.

According to him, the first development plan should focus on building a true nation that will eradicate poverty and ensure a balanced development of all parts of the country and economic sectors, and should be between 2019 and 2030, a 12 year cycle.

He said the second development plan would be from 2030 to 2040 and should seek to make Nigeria a highly industrialised and export-driven economy by the end of that period. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The third plan beginning in 2040 should focus on positioning the country to become a highly innovative economy that is resilient and globally competitive with the services sector accounting for a larger share of the GDP.â&#x20AC;?

VFD Group Records 175% Subscription on Debt Offer Nosa Alekhuogie The VFD Group, an alternate financial service holding company has recorded a 175 per cent subscription on its debt notes offer.

The group, in a statement, revealed that it raised N525 million in one week, exceeding the target of the offer.

The offer, designed to raise N300million in one week, closed on February 16.

According to company, they also issued a fixed rate unsubordinated secured debt

notes of N1 million only per note to sophisticated individual and corporate investors.

The Head of Sales, VFD Group, Adenrele Omolara said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We thoroughly researched the investment market and discovered the need for a retailfocused, high yield and tradeable financial instrument promoted and issued by a company with an impeccable reputation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The excitement exhibited by investors towards the offer was an indication of the Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s understanding of the marketâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs.â&#x20AC;?

The debt notes were set at an interest rate of 19 per cent per annum with a one-year tenure.

They are backed by the issuerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s equity portfolio held by United Capital Trustees, thus giving the instrument a 1:2 cover ratio.â&#x20AC;?

The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Group Managing Director,Mr. Nonso Okpala, also noted that: â&#x20AC;&#x153;VFD Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Debt Note affords retail investors an opportunity to earn a minimum interest of 19 per cent with prospect of an enhanced yield because of the tradability of this financial instrument.

EmeďŹ ele

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

AUGUST 2017 Broad Money (M2)

21,851,454.31

-- Narrow Money (M1)

9,890,813.10

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,523,239.91

---- Demand Deposits

8,367,573.19

-- Quasi Money

11,960,641.22

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

9,732,990.89

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

12,118,463.42

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

26,821,446.81

---- Credit to Government (Net)

4,824,226.22

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

7,834,536.74

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

--3,010,310.52

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

21,997,220.59

--Other Assets Net

--14,702,983.39

Reserve Money (Base Money)

5,486,804.65

--Currency in Circulation

1,868,735.07

--Banks Reserves

3,268,266.17 Ëž Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă? Ě&#x2039;

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

August 2017

Inter-Bank Call Rate

22.63

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

13.35

Savings Deposit Rate

4.08

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.86

3 Months Deposit Rate

10.14

6 Months Deposit Rate

11.51

12 Months Deposit Rate

11.40

Prime Lending rate

17.69

Maximum Lending Rate

31.20

Ëž Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;ĂŁ Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă?ĂŁ Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ě&#x2039; ͯ͹Ϲ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS ATTUESDAY FEBRUAR 27, 2018

The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $64.99 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $65.18 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), ZaďŹ ro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

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T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍŻË&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

MARKET NEWS

Seplat Recovers from Loss, Posts N81bn ProďŹ t After Tax Goddy Egene and Nosa Alekhuogie Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc yesterday announced its audited results for the year ended December 31, 2017, showing a recovery from the loss posted in 2016. Due to several economic headwinds and the shut-in of the Forcados terminal that resulted in lower production, lower oil price realisations and higher costs, Seplatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s revenue

fell and eventually led to a loss of N45.4 billion.

However, the company has recovered in 2017, posting a revenue of N138.28 billion in 2017, up from N63.38 billion in 2016. Cost of sale rose from N47.08 billion to N73.41 billion, making the firm to end with gross profit of N64.87 billion, up from N16.31 billion in 2016.

Finance charges went up to N22.25 billion compared with N18.27 billion in 2016. Profit

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

before tax stood at N13.45 billion, as against a loss before tax of N47.4 billion, while profit after tax is N81.11 billion, a major recovery from a loss of N45.4 billion in 2016. According to the company, going forward, it is looking to deliver on its gas ambitions while final investment decision on the ANOH gas and condensate development within OML 53 is expected to be made in the coming months. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The ANOH project underpins

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

the next phase of growth for the gas business. When completed, Seplat will add around 300MMscfd of gas processing capacity. Additionally, exports via the Amukpe-Escravos export route is likely to resume in third quarter of 2018, significantly de-risking production going forward,â&#x20AC;? the company said.

It also stated an intention to reinstate the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drilling programme and pursue inorganic growth ambitions via possible

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

acquisitions. The Chairman of Seplat, Dr. ABC Orjiako had last year assured shareholders that company had put in place strategies that would improve its financial performance and deliver better value going forward.

According to him, the company is actively pursuing alternative crude oil evacuation options for production at OMLs 4, 38 and 41 and potential strategies to further grow and diversify production in order to reduce over-reliance

O F

on one particular third party operated export system in the future. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In line with this objective, Seplat successfully implemented, in 2016, an alternative export solution during the second quarter whereby crude oil production from OMLs 4, 38 and 41 is sent via the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own 100,000 barrel of oil per day (bopd) capacity pipeline to available storage tanks at the Warri refinery,â&#x20AC;? he said.

2 8 / 0 2 / 2 0 1 8 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

˾ THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

42

Nigeria Daily Stock Market Report: dŚŝƐ ĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ /ŶĚĞdž 'ĂŝŶƐ ϭ͘ϰϳй

Thursday, March 1, 2018

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

dŚĞ dŚŝƐ ĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ŝŶĚĞdž ŐĂŝŶĞĚ ϭ͘ϰϳй LJĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ ƚŽ ĐůŽƐĞ Ăƚ ϭ͕ϳϴϲ͘ϳϴƉŽŝŶƚƐ͘ zĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ͛Ɛ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ǁĂƐ ůĂƌŐĞůLJ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƌĞďŽƵŶĚƐ ŝŶ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďĞůůǁĞƚŚĞƌƐ Ͳ E/d, ;нϭ͘ϴйͿ E/' Z/ E Z t Z/ ^ ;нϰ͘ϱйͿ ĂŶĚ E ^d> ;нϯ͘ϬйͿ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĐƵŵƵůĂƟǀĞůLJ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ Ϯϴ͘ϯй ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚĞdž͘ dŚĞ dŚŝƐ ĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ŚĂƐ ŐĂŝŶĞĚ ϭϱ͘ϴй zd ͘

Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

Ticker

Current Price

ĞůůǁĞƚŚĞƌƐ ƌŝǀĞ DĂƌŬĞƚ ZĞďŽƵŶĚ͙ E^ ^/ ƵƉ Ϯ͘ϰй dŚĞ ŽŵĞƐƟĐ ďŽƵƌƐĞ ĂƉƉƌĞĐŝĂƚĞĚ ƚŽĚĂLJ ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ ƌĞŶĞǁĞĚ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďĞůůǁĞƚŚĞƌƐ͕ ŚĞŶĐĞ ƚŚĞ ůů ^ŚĂƌĞ /ŶĚĞdž ƌŽƐĞ Ϯ͘ϰй ƚŽ ƐĞƩůĞ Ăƚ ϰϯ͕ϯϯϬ͘ϱϰ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ ǁŚŝůĞ zd ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ƚŽ ϭϯ͘ϯй͘ ƵLJŝŶŐ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ E' D ;нϱ͘ϬйͿ͕ E/' Z/ E Z t Z/ ^ ;нϰ͘ϱйͿ ĂŶĚ E ^d> ;нϯ͘ϬйͿ ďƵŽLJĞĚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ͘ Ɛ Ă ƌĞƐƵůƚ͕ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ͛ ǁĞĂůƚŚ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ďLJ EϯϳϬ͘ϬďŶ ĂƐ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝnjĂƟŽŶ ũƵŵƉĞĚ ƚŽ Eϭϱ͘ϱƚŶ͘ /Ŷ ƚŚĞ ƐĂŵĞ ǀĞŝŶ͕ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ůĞǀĞů ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ĂŶĚ ǀĂůƵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ŝŶĐŚĞĚ ϯϬ͘ϯй ĂŶĚ ϮϮ͘ϳй ŚŝŐŚĞƌ ƚŽ ϰϯϴ͘ϲŵ ƵŶŝƚƐ ĂŶĚ EϭϬ͘ϴďŶ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ͘ & D ;ϭϵϮ͘ϵŵͿ͕ ^^ ;ϰϵ͘ϲŵͿ ĂŶĚ & E, ;ϰϴ͘ϭŵͿ ǁĞƌĞ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ďLJ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ǁŚŝůĞ E ^d> ;EϮ͘ϯďŶͿ͕ E' D ;EϮ͘ϬďŶͿ͕ 'h Z Edz ;Eϭ͘ϮďŶͿ ůĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ďLJ ǀĂůƵĞ͘

/ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů 'ŽŽĚƐ /ŶĚĞdž >ĞĂĚƐ ƵůůŝƐŚ ^ĞĐƚŽƌ WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ dŚĞ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ůĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŐĂŝŶĞƌƐ ĐŚĂƌƚ͕ ƵƉ ϰ͘ϭй ƉƌŝŵĂƌŝůLJ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬ ŽĨ Ă ƌĂůůLJ ŝŶ E' D ;нϱ͘ϬйͿ ĂŶĚ t W K ;нϯ͘ϴйͿ͘ dŚĞ ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ƚƌĂŝůĞĚ͕ ƌŝƐŝŶŐ Ϯ͘ϰй ĂƐ E/' Z/ E Z t Z/ ^ ;нϰ͘ϱйͿ ĂŶĚ E ^d> ;нϯ͘ϬйͿ ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ ŐĂŝŶƐ͘ dŚĞ ĂŶŬŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ĂůƐŽ ƚƌĞŶĚĞĚ ŶŽƌƚŚǁĂƌĚƐ͕ ƵƉ Ϭ͘ϴй ĂŶĚ Ϭ͘Ϯй ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ͕ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƉƌŝĐĞ ĂƉƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ E/d, ;нϭ͘ϴйͿ͕ h ;нϭ͘ϲйͿ͕ ^ W> d ;нϬ͘ϰйͿ ĂŶĚ &KZd ;нϬ͘ϮйͿ͘ /Ŷ ƌĞůĂƚĞĚ ŶĞǁƐ͕ ^ W> d ƌĞůĞĂƐĞĚ ŝƚƐ &z͗ϮϬϭϳ ƌĞƐƵůƚ ƚŽĚĂLJ ǁŚŝĐŚ ǁĂƐ ůĂƌŐĞůLJ ŝŵƉƌĞƐƐŝǀĞ͘ 'ƌŽƐƐ ƌĞǀĞŶƵĞ ƐƉŝŬĞĚ ϭϭϴ͘Ϯй ƚŽ Eϭϯϴ͘ϯďŶ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ǁĂƐ ƵŶƐƵƌƉƌŝƐŝŶŐ ŐŝǀĞŶ ƚŚĞ ƌĞůĂƟǀĞ ƉĞĂĐĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ EŝŐĞƌ ĞůƚĂ ƌĞŐŝŽŶ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϳ ǁŚŝĐŚ ƚƌĂŶƐůĂƚĞĚ ƚŽ ŚŝŐŚĞƌ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ǀŽůƵŵĞƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ŽŵƉĂŶLJ͘ ĐĐŽƌĚŝŶŐůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵƉĂŶLJ ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ Eϴϭ͘ϭďŶ ŝŶ WƌŽĮƚ ŌĞƌ dĂdž ;W dͿ ĨƌŽŵ Ă ůŽƐƐ ŽĨ Eϰϱ͘ϰďŶ ŝŶ &z͗ϮϬϭϲ͘ >ĂƐƚůLJ͕ ďĂƌŐĂŝŶ ŚƵŶƟŶŐ ŝŶ E D ;нϱ͘ϬйͿ ĂŶĚ KEd/E^hZ ;нϭ͘ϵйͿ ƵƉůŝŌĞĚ ƚŚĞ /ŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ ŝŶĚĞdž ;нϬ͘ϭйͿ͘

DĂƌŬĞƚ ƌĞĂĚƚŚ dƵƌŶƐ WŽƐŝƟǀĞ DĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ ;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ ǁŚŝĐŚ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞƐ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ƐƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶĞĚ ƚŽĚĂLJ͕ ŝŵƉƌŽǀŝŶŐ ƚŽ ϭ͘ϰdž ĨƌŽŵ Ϭ͘ϱdž ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ ƚŚĞ ƉƌĞǀŝŽƵƐ ĚĂLJ ĂƐ ϯϭ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ ǁŚŝůĞ Ϯϯ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ͘ dŚĞ ďĞƐƚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵŝŶŐ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ƚŽĚĂLJ ǁĞƌĞ EE ;нϴ͘ϱйͿ͕ : W h> K/> ;нϴ͘ϬйͿ ĂŶĚ E D ;нϱ͘ϬйͿ ǁŚŝůĞ KhZds/>> ;Ͳϲ͘ϵйͿ͕ &Z/E^hZ ;Ͳ ϱ͘ϬйͿ ĂŶĚ Z ^d Z y ;Ͳϰ͘ϴйͿ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ͘ ƵƌƌĞŶƚ ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ƉĂƩĞƌŶ ŝƐ ƌĞŇĞĐƟǀĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĨĂĐƚ ƚŚĂƚ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ĂƌĞ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐŝŶŐůLJ ƚĂŬŝŶŐ ƉŽƐŝƟŽŶ ŝŶ ĨƵŶĚĂŵĞŶƚĂůůLJ ƐŽƵŶĚ ĚŝǀŝĚĞŶĚ ƉĂLJŝŶŐ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĂƐ ĞĂƌŶŝŶŐƐ ďĞŐŝŶ ƚŽ ƚƌŝĐŬůĞ ŝŶ͕ ŚĞŶĐĞ ǁĞ ĞdžƉĞĐƚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ƚŽ ƌĞŵĂŝŶ ůĂƌŐĞůLJ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƐŚŽƌƚ ƚĞƌŵ

Previous Current Price Weighting Change

Price Change YTD

Price Change Index to Date

ROE

ROA

P/E

P/BV

Divinden Earnings d Yield Yield

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 1,786.78

1.47%

15.8%

78.7%

25.1%

7.9%

8.0x

1.1x

3.3%

1

Guaranty Trust Bank PLC

49.00

0.0%

22.2%

20.2%

20.8%

26.0%

4.3%

10.2x

2.5x

4.2%

11.2% 9.8%

2

Zenith Bank PLC

31.90

1.8%

14.0%

24.4%

23.0%

21.7%

3.2%

6.3x

1.3x

6.3%

15.9%

3

Nigerian Brew eries PLC

135.90

4.5%

7.8%

0.7%

0.6%

18.9%

8.6%

33.5x

6.1x

3.0%

3.0%

4

Nestle Nigeria PLC

1,442.00

3.0%

6.4%

-7.3%

-7.3%

78.4%

19.0%

37.6x

24.8x

1.7%

2.7%

5

Dangote Cement PLC

269.80

5.0%

6.3%

17.3%

17.3%

30.4%

15.7%

18.6x

5.3x

3.2%

5.4%

0.0%

6

FBN Holdings Plc

11.55

6.3%

31.3%

31.4%

2.6%

0.3%

18.8x

0.7x

1.7%

5.3%

7

Access Bank PLC

13.00

0.0%

4.8%

24.4%

22.6%

15.1%

2.0%

5.3x

0.7x

5.0%

19.0%

8

United Bank for Africa PLC

12.70

1.6%

4.7%

23.3%

22.0%

17.2%

2.2%

5.6x

0.9x

5.9%

18.0%

Ecobank Transnational Inc

20.35

3.3%

3.4%

19.7%

25.1%

-14.6%

-1.3%

0.8x

3.0%

-17.0%

660.50

0.4%

2.8%

5.5%

5.5%

-12.4%

-6.7%

3.9x

0.8x

47.50

3.3%

2.9%

14.5%

16.1%

28.7%

3.4%

10.9x

2.9x

1.3%

104.90

0.0%

2.2%

11.6%

11.6%

14.6%

5.6%

19.7x

2.8x

0.6%

5.1%

51.90

3.8%

1.6%

15.6%

15.6%

47.1%

9.8%

4.6x

7.8x

1.9%

21.5%

4.7%

38.3%

9 10

SEPLAT Petroleum Development C

11

Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC

25.6% 9.1%

12

Guinness Nigeria PLC

13

Lafarge Africa PLC

14

Fidelity Bank PLC

2.99

0.7%

1.3%

21.5%

15.9%

8.0%

1.1%

2.6x

0.4x

15

Oando PLC

5.99

0.0%

1.1%

0.0%

0.0%

40.7%

4.2%

2.7x

0.6x

16

Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC

21.55

0.0%

1.1%

7.8%

5.8%

43.2%

19.8%

8.4x

3.2x

2.3%

11.9%

17

Okomu Oil Palm PLC

72.00

0.0%

1.0%

6.4%

6.4%

37.4%

25.9%

9.6x

3.1x

2.1%

10.4%

18

Unilever Nigeria PLC

51.20

4.9%

1.2%

24.9%

27.3%

50.3%

8.4%

31.5x

12.0x

0.2%

3.2%

19

International Brew eries PLC

57.00

0.0%

0.7%

4.6%

3.7%

24.6%

7.4%

59.7x

13.6x

20

Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC

33.00

0.0%

0.6%

13.8%

13.8%

13.1%

3.0%

6.9x

0.8x

2.8%

14.5%

21

Transnational Corp of Nigeria

1.97

-3.0%

0.7%

34.9%

33.1%

19.6%

4.1%

7.9x

1.4x

22

UAC of Nigeria PLC

17.00

0.0%

0.5%

0.6%

0.6%

6.3%

2.2%

10.9x

0.7x

23

Diamond Bank PLC

2.35

-0.8%

0.7%

56.7%

49.7%

2.5%

0.3%

9.5x

0.2x

24

Total Nigeria PLC

0.9%

0.9%

37.3%

7.4%

8.6x

3.0x

7.3%

11.6%

60.1%

3.8%

0.6%

7.3x

0.3x

4.0%

13.6%

4.4%

10.2%

25

FCMB Group Plc

26

11 PLC

232.00

0.0%

0.5%

2.53

-0.8%

0.7%

183.90

0.0%

0.4%

-5.5%

-5.5%

32.6%

12.0%

9.8x

2.7x

0.2%

0.4%

3.3%

6.9%

44.3%

3.7%

11.3x

5.0x

27

Forte Oil PLC

44.90

28

PZ Cussons Nigeria PLC

24.15

0.0%

0.4%

17.2%

14.2%

10.7%

5.0%

22.9x

2.3x

29

Cadbury Nigeria PLC

15.85

0.0%

0.3%

1.1%

1.6%

4.5%

1.6%

45.2x

2.7x

0.1%

37.0%

1.7%

12.7% 5.8%

9.2% 10.5%

8.8% 2.1%

4.4% 2.2%

30

Presco PLC

70.00

0.3%

2.2%

2.2%

42.9%

25.9%

3.4x

1.2x

2.1%

29.0%

31

NASCON Allied Industries PLC

22.00

0.0%

0.3%

18.9%

14.5%

53.4%

18.1%

12.4x

5.7x

3.2%

8.1%

32

UPDC Real Estate Investment Tr

10.00

0.0%

0.3%

0.0%

0.0%

0.8x

7.2%

33

Union Bank of Nigeria PLC

6.50

-2.3%

0.2%

-16.7%

-13.4%

5.6%

1.2%

34

Julius Berger Nigeria PLC

24.85

0.0%

0.2%

-11.3%

-11.3%

-12.2%

-1.2%

35

Sterling Bank PLC

1.81

0.6%

0.4%

67.6%

60.2%

6.1%

0.6%

ŽŵƉĂŶLJ ŝŶ &ŽĐƵƐ͗ ŽŵƉĂŶLJ ŝŶ &ŽĐƵƐ͗ E ^ KE ůůŝĞĚ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĞƐ WůĐ ;͞E ^ KE͟Ϳ

36

Dangote Flour Mills Plc

16.45

-0.3%

0.3%

35.4%

35.4%

61.6%

37

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Niger

21.00

4.2%

0.2%

-2.8%

-2.8%

61.2%

38

Chemical and Allied Products P

38.00

0.0%

0.2%

11.8%

6.4%

39

Beta Glass PLC

72.10

0.0%

0.1%

40.5%

40.5%

40

Transcorp Hotels Plc

7.55

0.0%

0.1%

4.7%

4.7%

4.7%

E ^ KE ůůŝĞĚ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĞƐ W> ;ĨŽƌŵĞƌůLJ ŬŶŽǁŶ ĂƐ EĂƟŽŶĂů ^Ăůƚ ŽŵƉĂŶLJ ŽĨ EŝŐĞƌŝĂ W> Ϳ ŝƐ Ă ŵĞŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĂŶŐŽƚĞ 'ƌŽƵƉ ŽĨ ĐŽŵƉĂŶŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ŝƐ ƚŚĞ ůĞĂĚŝŶŐ ƐĂůƚ ŵĂŶƵĨĂĐƚƵƌĞƌ ŝŶ EŝŐĞƌŝĂ ĐŽŶƚƌŽůůŝŶŐ ϲϬ͘Ϭй ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ͘ /ŶĐŽƌƉŽƌĂƚĞĚ ŝŶ ϭϵϳϯ͕ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵƉĂŶLJ ŚĂƐ ƐŝŶĐĞ ĞǀŽůǀĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ĂĚĚŝƟŽŶĂů ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ůŝŶĞƐ ƚŽ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞ sĞŐĞƚĂďůĞ Kŝů͕ dŽŵĂƚŽ WĂƐƚĞ ĂŶĚ ^ĞĂƐŽŶŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ĨĂĐŝůŝƟĞƐ ŝŶ >ĂŐŽƐ ^ƚĂƚĞ ; ƉĂƉĂ ĂŶĚ KƌĞŐƵŶͿ͕ KŐƵŶ ^ƚĂƚĞ ;KƚĂͿ͕ ZŝǀĞƌƐ ^ƚĂƚĞ ;WŽƌƚ ,ĂƌĐŽƵƌƚͿ͘ E ^ KE ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚůLJ ŚĂƐ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ĐĂƉĂĐŝƚLJ ŽĨ ĂďŽƵƚ ϲϬϬ͕ϬϬϬŵĞƚƌŝĐ ƚŽŶƐͬĂŶŶƵŵ͘ /Ŷ ŝƚƐ ϵD͗ϮϬϭϳ ƌĞƐƵůƚ͕ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ǁĂƐ ůĂƌŐĞůLJ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ĂƐ ŐƌŽƐƐ ƌĞǀĞŶƵĞ ;ƐĂůĞƐ ĂŶĚ ĨƌĞŝŐŚƚ ŝŶĐŽŵĞͿ ŐƌĞǁ ϲϭ͘ϵй zͲŽͲz ƚŽ EϮϬ͘ϳďŶ ŝŶ ϵD͗ϮϬϭϳ ;ƵƉ ĨƌŽŵ EϭϮ͘ϴďŶ ŝŶ ϵD͗ϮϬϭϲͿ͘ ŽƐƚ ŽĨ ƐĂůĞƐ ŝŶ ƚƵƌŶ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ϱϰ͘ϭй zͲŽͲz ;ĨƌŽŵ Eϴ͘ϱďŶ ƚŽ Eϭϯ͘ϭďŶͿ ǁŚŝůĞ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŶŐ ĞdžƉĞŶƐĞƐ ĞdžƉĂŶĚĞĚ ϭϯ͘ϯй zͲŽͲz ;ĨƌŽŵ Eϭ͘ϱďŶ ƚŽ Eϭ͘ϳďŶͿ͘ KŶ Ă ƐŝŵŝůĂƌ ŶŽƚĞ͕ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŵĞŶƚ ŝŶĐŽŵĞ ŝŶĐůƵƐŝǀĞ ŽĨ ďĂŶŬ ĂŶĚ ĮdžĞĚ ĚĞƉŽƐŝƚƐ ƐƵƌŐĞĚ ϱϰϲ͘ϳй zͲŽͲz ;ĨƌŽŵ EϮϭ͘ϴŵ ƚŽ Eϭϰϭ͘ϬŵͿ ǁŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵƉĂŶLJ ǁĂƐ ĂďůĞ ƚŽ ƌĞĐŽƌĚ Ă ϲϭ͘Ϯй ĚƌŽƉ ŝŶ ĮŶĂŶĐĞ ĐŽƐƚƐ ;ĨƌŽŵ Eϭϴϱ͘ϳŵ ƚŽ EϳϮ͘ϭŵͿ͘ ŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚůLJ͕ W d ĂŶĚ W d ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ƉĞƌŝŽĚ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ƐŝŐŶŝĮĐĂŶƚůLJ ďLJ ϭϮϵ͘ϵй ĂƉŝĞĐĞ ƚŽ ĐůŽƐĞ Ăƚ Eϲ͘ϬďŶ ĂŶĚ Eϰ͘ϭďŶ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ͘ Yϯ ƐƚĂŶĚĂůŽŶĞ ŝŶĚŝĐĂƚĞĚ Ă ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ǁŝƚŚ ŐƌŽƐƐ ƌĞǀĞŶƵĞ ŐƌŽǁŝŶŐ Ϯϳ͘ϲй YͲŽͲY ;ĨƌŽŵ Eϲ͘ϯďŶ ŝŶ YϮ͗ϮϬϭϳ ƚŽ Eϳ͘ϵďŶͲͿ͘ >ŝŬĞǁŝƐĞ͕ ĐŽƐƚ ŽĨ ƐĂůĞƐ ĂŶĚ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŶŐ ĞdžƉĞŶƐĞƐ ƌŽƐĞ ϴ͘ϱй ĂŶĚ ϰ͘ϵй YͲŽͲY ƚŽ ƐƚĂŶĚ Ăƚ Eϰ͘ϰďŶ ĂŶĚ EϬ͘ϲŵ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ǁŚŝůĞ KƉĞƌĂƟŶŐ ŝŶĐŽŵĞ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ƉĞƌŝŽĚ ĞdžƉĂŶĚĞĚ ϴϭ͘Ϯй ƚŽ Eϯ͘ϬďŶ͘ Ɛ Ă ƌĞƐƵůƚ͕ W d ĂŶĚ W d ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ϴϬ͘ϲй ĂƉŝĞĐĞ ƚŽ Eϯ͘ϭďŶ ĂŶĚ EϮ͘ϭďŶ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ͘ 'ŝǀĞŶ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵƉĂŶLJ͛Ɛ ĚƌŝǀĞ ŝŶ ŵĂŬŝŶŐ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŵĞŶƚƐ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ŵĂũŽƌ ůŝŶĞƐ ŽĨ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ďƌĂŶĚ ďƵŝůĚŝŶŐ ƚŽ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞ ŽǀĞƌĂůů ĞĸĐŝĞŶĐLJ ĂŶĚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƐŚĂƌĞ͕ ŽƵƌ ŽƵƚůŽŽŬ ĨŽƌ E ^ KE ƌĞŵĂŝŶƐ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ͘

Afrinvest Securities Limited (RC 603 315) (A Dealing Member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange)

T o p 10 G a in e r s

8.3x

0.4x

12.0%

1.3x

-9.2%

9.5x

0.5x

10.5%

15.8%

5.3x

2.3x

23.6%

4.4x

1.6x

1.4%

23.0%

84.3%

38.5%

16.6x

11.6x

5.8%

6.0%

18.4%

11.9%

10.2x

1.7x

1.4%

9.8%

2.8%

21.5x

1.1x

1.6%

4.7%

18.8%

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

T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

CCNN

19.75

8.5%

FCM B

192.9

-0.8%

J A P A ULOIL

0.54

8.0%

A C C ESS

49.6

0.0%

N EM

2.10

5.0%

FB NH

48.1

0.0%

269.80

5.0%

T R A N SC OR P

34.6

-3.0%

D A N GC EM UC A P

4.04

4.9%

Z EN IT H B A N K

25.6

1.8%

UN ILEVER

51.20

4.9%

GUA R A N T Y

25.2

0.0% 4.9%

C UT IX

2.35

4.9%

UC A P

17.9

135.90

4.5%

UB A

15.3

1.6%

GLA XOSM IT H

21.00

4.2%

CCNN

15.1

8.5%

LA WUN ION

0.75

4.2%

A F R IP R UD

15.0

0.9%

NB

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

T o p 10 L o s e r s P ric e

P ric e C hg %

Value

P ric e C hg %

C OUR T VILLE

0.27

-6.9%

N EST LE

2265.4

3.0%

A F R IN SUR E

0.38

-5.0%

D A N GC EM

2003.6

5.0%

F T N C OC OA

0.40

-4.8%

GUA R A N T Y

1236.9

0.0%

R ED ST A R EX

6.00

-4.8%

Z EN IT H B A N K

816.5

1.8%

SOVR EN IN S

0.42

-4.5%

A C C ESS

652.9

0.0%

LIN KA SSUR E

0.86

-4.4%

SEP LA T

635.4

0.4%

WA P IC

0.65

-4.4%

FB NH

551.7

0.0%

ST D IN SUR E

0.46

-4.2%

FCM B

483.2

-0.8%

T ic k er

T ic k er

C A P OIL

0.48

-4.0%

UN ILEVER

416.0

4.9%

UN IC

0.24

-4.0%

NB

328.2

4.5%

Investment Research

Brokerage Ayodeji Ebo | aebo@afrinvest.com

Robert Omotunde | romotunde@afrinvest.com

Bolaji Fajenyo | bfajenyo@afrinvest.com

Omotola Abimbola | oabimbola@afrinvest.com

43

˾ THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

MARKET NEWS

Gilead Targets $150m in London Stock Exchange Listing Gilead Global, the Africa-focused real estate development company is finalising plans for its listing on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange (LSE) later this year in a bid to raise up to $150 million.

A statement quoted the Chief Executive of Gilead Global, Tomiwa Idowu as disclosing this recently. Gilead, which is known across sub-Saharan Africa for its commercial and residential developments

will use the proceeds of the new listing mainly to fund its Aderogba HealthCare City project situated in the South-Western parts of Nigeria.

“The Alternative Investment Market or AIM is a part of the London Stock Exchange and affords smaller companies like ourselves the opportunity to raise the capital we need within a well-structured environment,” Idowu told reporters in Johannesburg adding that London was the preferred but not the only

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

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

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

option on the table.

The Aderogba HealthCare City is a health and wellness destination located across three states in South-western Nigeria and is committed to creating a world-class medical centre of excellence, recognised regionally and globally for its quality healthcare, wellness services, clinical research and education. The project is set to gulp a whopping $250million in its first phase, which is focused on HealthCare, Clinical Research and Education.

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 27Feb-2018, unless otherwise stated.

According to reports by the World Health Organisation, Nigeria’s health indicators are amongst the worst in the world. One of the major challenges in optimizing the sector is ensuring the availability of an adequate pool of skilled human resources.

The company explained that the Aderogba project will enlist over 200 clinical partners including hospitals, outpatient medical centres and diagnostic laboratories across 100 specialties with

licensed foreign and Nigerian professionals currently operating in over 60 countries across the globe including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and the USA. In addition, there will be a strong support system of non-clinical services such as banks, schools, hotels and retail serving the city. The Aderogba project will spearhead the influx of medical tourists from all over Africa into the country while also reversing brain drain. The development

will also be an added boost to the diversification drive of the federal government.

According to the company, the listing is scheduled to take place towards the end of the fourth quarter of the year while construction on the project will commence nine to 12 months thereafter.

The LSE listed Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc in 2014 after $500 million issue and it is eying more listings from Nigeria.

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 194.44 194.96 9.33% Nigeria International Debt Fund 245.35 245.89 5.97% 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 0.86 0.87 4.79% ACAP Income Funds 0.63 0.63 4.20% 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 15.95% 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 N/A N/A N/A ARM Discovery Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Ethical Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 164.31 165.46 8.32% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 16.07% 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 14.00% Paramount Equity Fund 12.65 13.00 2.44% Women's Investment Fund 102.69 105.32 2.05% 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 N/A N/A N/A 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 N/A N/A N/A Coronation Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 1,181.47 1,182.63 2.93% FBN Heritage Fund 150.65 152.06 8.10% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 14.90% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional $114.39 $115.00 1.34% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail $114.38 $114.99 1.43% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 191.67 194.62 12.26% FIRST CITY ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD fcamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcamltd.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Equity Fund 1.41 1.44 8.04% Legacy Debt Fund 2.94 2.94 2.16% 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 3,151.71 3,192.78 5.71% Coral Income Fund 2,527.11 2,527.11 3.30% 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 14.57% INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 15.06% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.21 2.24 4.90% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 17.87% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 117.02 117.36 1.74%

LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.17 1.19 1.61% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,050.26 1,050.26 1.88% 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 N/A N/A N/A Meristem Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 1.29 1.31 8.44% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.32 11.41 2.68% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 17.01% 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 142.07 144.31 10.21% 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 1.52 1.52 2.42% 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 2,358.50 2,377.52 5.14% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 178.26 178.26 1.03% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.09 1.10 8.42% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 227.21 227.31 3.18% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 187.42 189.55 4.66% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 14.95% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 10,308.96 10,450.66 6.62% 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 1.35 1.36 5.85% United Capital Bond Fund 1.60 1.60 2.08% United Capital Equity Fund 1.01 1.04 10.82% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 13.87% United Capital Eurobond Fund 104.01 104.01 1.08% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.13 1.13 20.67% 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 13.42 13.63 7.51% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.87 14.03 5.24% Zenith Income Fund 19.50 19.50 3.08%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

10.00 133.65

-11.35% 0.90%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

12.36 161.35 120.67

12.46 164.83 122.94

1.97% 12.98% 10.46%

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

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

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

5.69 9.76 19.42 22.48 153.50

5.73 9.84 19.52 22.68 155.50

19.98% 1.95% 9.30% 14.20% 3.30%

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

44

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯË&#x153; ͰͮͯͶ

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY MARCH 1, 2018

45

THURSDAY MARCH 1, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY

46

INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

UN Report Links North Korea to Syrian Chemical Weapons North Korea shipped 50 tons of supplies to Syria for use in building what is suspected to be an industrial-scale chemical weapons factory, according to intelligence information cited in a confidential United Nations report, cited in The Wall Street Journal.

A Chinese trading firm working on behalf of Pyongyang made five shipments in late 2016 and early 2017 of high-heat, acid-resistant tiles, stainless-steel pipes and valves to Damascus, the report said, citing them as evidence that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is paying North Korea to help his country produce chemical arms.

The shipments are part of a steady stream of weapons-related sales by Pyongyang to Syria and to Mr. Assad’s patron, Iran, estimated by some experts to be worth several billion dollars a year.

U.S. officials recently warned Syria of a possible military response to the regime’s increased use of chemical weapons against civilians. The Syrian American Medical Society, a relief organization, says the regime has launched at least three such attacks so far this year. Damascus denies using chemical weapons.

Even as an international-sanctions noose tightens around North Korea, Syria’s conflict has been a windfall for its leader, Kim Jong Un. Such illicit revenues undercut Washington’s “maximum pressure”

sanctions campaign against North Korea with the aim of thwarting its nuclear-weapons program.

Trump administration officials say if sanctions don’t get Mr. Kim to denuclearize, the U.S. may resort to military action.

The U.N. report, which hasn’t been publicly released, detailed evidence and intelligence from several member states. Syria’s Scientific Studies and Research Center, or SSRC, the Assadbacked group responsible for developing chemical and other weapons of mass destruction, paid Pyongyang’s primary arms dealer, Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation, for the materials through a series of front companies, according to the confidential report, which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

One of those firms works for an SSRC-controlled entity that the U.S. Treasury says has been used in the past to buy missile and rocket propellants and parts for Syria’s SCUD missile program.

China told the U.N. investigators it had no evidence that one of its companies was doing business with North Korea’s primary arms dealer.

It didn’t deny the sales to Syria in the U.N. report, however, and said it was open to investigating those alleged connections to North Korea if investigators provided more evidence.

Pyongyang, which has resorted to a range of sanctions-evasion strategies, likely makes the largest chunk of its illicit money from proliferation, according to Bruce Bechtol, a former senior Defense Intelligence Agency officer specializing in northeast Asia. Sales have long been concentrated in the Middle East, especially Iran and Syria, and Africa, he said.

While Washington has secured more stringent policing of North Korea’s sanctions evasion in many areas of the world, including China, it has struggled to shut down North Korea’s proliferation of weapons.

Larry Niksch, a former U.S. Congressional Research Service expert on Asia, estimates North Korea’s revenue from cooperation with Tehran on nuclear and missile technology, arms sales and provisions to Iran-backed terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah totaled $2 billion to $3 billion a year in the last decade.

The Syrian war has been a particular boon for North Korea, said Mr. Bechtol and others. Some analysts question, however, whether it is possible to put a dollar figure on North Korean arms sales, saying so little is known about production costs and the terms of illicit contracts.

Iran isn’t only a primary buyer of North Korean arms and weapons technology, analysts say, but is also bankrolling Syria’s purchases.

Europe Freezes as ‘Beast from the East’ Arrives Much of Europe has been blanketed in snow as cold weather spreads as far south as the Mediterranean coast, according to BBC. The cold spell, nicknamed “the Beast from the East” in the UK, is carrying freezing winds across the continent, and temperatures as low as -30C (-22F).

At least 10 people have died

since Monday, including many who were sleeping rough in cities.

Aid groups have opened shelters and are providing hot food and blankets for thousands of people.

The cold weather - called the “Siberian bear” by the Dutch and “snow cannon” by

Swedes - brought rare snowfalls to parts of Spain and Italy and to the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Capri.

Dozens of roads were closed and trains and flights cancelled across the continent. Hundreds of schools suspended classes and some businesses advised workers to stay at home.

Students in Emotional Return to Florida Massacre High School Students made an emotional return Wednesday to Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where they were greeted by heavy security and well-wishers bearing flowers, two weeks on from a shooting which killed 17 people, AFP reported on Wednesday.

“I’m not scared,” said 16-year-old Sean Cummings as he prepared to resume classes with his fellow students.

“It’s just weird to come back after everything that has happened.”

Neighbors along with pupils from other schools and Marjory Stoneman Douglas alumni waved at the teenagers and gave them encouragement as they entered the campus.

Two women offered free water and breakfast fruit. Retired police officers handed out flowers.

“I feel like it’s more protected than any other school at this point, but it’s still weird to see everybody here and all these police officers,” Cummings told

AFP. “It’s going to be nice to see all my teachers again. It will be nice to go back.”

On Valentine’s Day, former student Nikolas Cruz entered the school and opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle, killing 14 students and three staff members.

Since the shooting, Stoneman students have been lobbiying politicians for stricter gun controls both in their home state of Florida and in Washington.

Taliban Offer: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Seeks Talks Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has offered peace talks “without preconditions” to the Taliban after 16 years of war, according to BBC. Speaking at a peace conference in Kabul, he proposed measures including a ceasefire and prisoner swaps. In return the Taliban would need to recognise the

Afghan government and respect the rule of law.

Previous peace talks offers have not stopped attacks by the Taliban, who have yet to respond to the offer.

A Taliban spokesman told the BBC Afghan service they were waiting for reaction from their leadership.

On Monday the militants

said they were prepared to enter direct talks with the US to find a “peaceful solution” to the conflict, but made no mention of negotiating with the government in Kabul.

In the past the Taliban have refused to talk to the Afghan government, a longstanding demand of the US.

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NEWS

Court Orders Permanent Forfeiture of Two Penthouses Linked to Alison-Madueke

Davidson Iriekpen

A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday ordered a final forfeiture of two penthouses linked to a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, to the federal government.

The court, presided over by Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, had on December 5, 2017, ordered an interim forfeiture of the properties after an ex-parte application was filed and argued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC application, marked FHC/L/ CS/1793c/17, had AlisonMadueke, Donald Amagbo, Schillenburg LLC and Sequoyah Properties Limited as respondents.

The said properties affected by the interim forfeiture are: Penthouse 21, Building 5,

Block C, 11th floor, Bella Vista, Banana Island, Ikoyi and Penthouse 22, Block B (Admiralty Estate), also in Ikoyi, to be forfeited to the federal government, pending the conclusion of investigation.

When the case was called up yesterday, Mr. ABC Ozioko announced his appearance for the EFCC, while Mr. Emmanuel Bassey appeared for the second, third, and fourth respondents.

Addressing the court, Ozioko said he had a motion on notice brought pursuant to the provisions of the EFCC Act, the 1999 Constitution, as well as under the inherent jurisdiction of the court.

He urged the court to grant a final forfeiture of the property listed in the schedule.

Relying on the depositions in the affidavit deposed to by one Abdulrasheed Bawa,

Alison-Madueke Ozioko argued that it was now pertinent for a final forfeiture order to be made, following the interim order made on December 5, 2017.

He informed the court that in compliance with the earlier order of the court, the interim forfeiture order was advertised in the Nation

Newspaper of December 20, 2017.

He urged the court to cause the said property to be permanently forfeited to the federal government and an order, prohibiting any disposal mortgage or sale of the said property mentioned in the application.

Besides, Ozioko also urged the court to authorise the EFCC to appoint a competent person or firm to manage the property.

In its affidavit, the commission stated that during investigation into the ownerships of YF Construction Development and Real Estate Ltd., one Fadi Basbous, volunteered an extra-judicial statement.

He said Basbous stated that the two properties which were sold at $3.6 million and $1.2 million respectively, were owned

by Sequoyah Properties

Ltd. and Schillenburg LLC. The deponent also stated that payment for the penthouses were made by one Angela Jide-Jones and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Ltd., respectively.

The deponent further stated that Angela JideJones is the wife of Jide Omokore, while Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Ltd., was registered in the name of Jide Omokore.

The deponent also stated that Jide Omokore paid for the property through his wife and one of his companies and directed its developers to sign the agreements with Schillenburg LLC and Sequoyah Properties Limited, which were linked to Alison-Madueke.

He said Schillenburg LLC was registered in Hong Kong and transferred to Donald Chidi Amamgbo as sole owner.

According to the deponent, Sequoyah Properties Limited was registered in Nigeria on October 11, 2011 with fictitious names as shareholders and directors.

In response, counsel to the respondents, Bassey, informed the court that he had filed a counter-affidavit before the court and was not opposed to the application for final forfeiture.

In a short ruling, Justice Olatoregun granted the orders as prayed and ordered a final forfeiture of the said property. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have observed the facts and exhibits attached and I am also mindful that the second, third and fourth respondents have no objections to the application. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I therefore have no hesitation in ordering a final forfeiture of the property to the federal government,â&#x20AC;? she ruled.

transforming moment in the world of art.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The portrait of Tutu is a national icon in Nigeria, and of huge cultural significance,â&#x20AC;?

Bonhams Director of Modern African Art, Giles Peppiatt had corroborated. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is very exciting to have discovered the only painting of the series that we now know still exists. Its appearance on the market is a momentous event and we expect it to generate enormous interest.â&#x20AC;?

That the painting, which was obviously of great

personal significance to Enwonwu, would later be seen as a symbol of national reconciliation for a post-conflict Nigeria was not surprising.

After the bitterly-fought 30-month Nigeria civil war of the late 1960s, such wound-healing symbolic gestures like an ethnic Igbo artist romanticising a Yoruba princess in a painting were welcome.

There were the obvious traces of Enwonwuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s romance with the Negritude movement on his depiction of the Ile-Ife

princess. In a nod to the artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s adherence to the cultural movement launched in Paris in the 1930s by Francophone African and Caribbean intellectuals, Tutuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aristocratic mien proclaimed the dignity of African womanhood.

In her traditional attire, the dark-skinned beauty celebrates the African ideal, which references with pride.

Enwonwuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s other work Negritude, also painted in the 1970s, sold for ÂŁ100,000 (113,000 euros $138,000) in the same auction.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Furthermore, both the NSA and the CAS visited Damaturu, where they paid a courtesy call on Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State, during which they held useful discussions regarding the missing girls. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Later in the day, the NSA, accompanied by the CAS and other top military officers, travelled to Monguno to commission new projects at 171 NAF Detachment Monguno.â&#x20AC;?

Adesanya quoted the CAS as stating that the projects were undertaken in pursuit of NAFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to ensuring security in the North-east. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He added that the NAF would continue to deploy air assets in all parts of the country towards ensuring that Nigerians are able to prosecute their businesses in a safe and secure environment,â&#x20AC;? the statement said.

On the missing Dapchi girls, the air force chief was said to have declared that no efforts would be spared

by NAF in locating the girls, in conjunction with other security forces.

He disclosed that NAF pilots on different platforms were operating day and night to locate the girls, adding that he had decided to temporarily relocate to Maiduguri, given the importance of the unfortunate incident.

Adesanya, in the statement, also debunked reports that NAF has deployed about 100 fighter jets for search of the

Dapchi schoolgirls, saying that what the air force had conducted were 100 sorties.

ENWONWUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TUTU SETS NEW RECORD, SELLS FOR ÂŁ1.205M Enwonwuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s persistence.

Hence, between that year and the following year, three versions of this portrait painting â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which became so to speak Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s equivalent of Mona Lisa â&#x20AC;&#x201C; were produced.

There were other reasons why Tutu generated so much interest among the bidders.

Enwonwu, as the story goes, never sold the original Tutu.

Indeed, this painting reportedly never left his private collection until his passage in 1994. Even so, signed copies of this 1973 oil on canvas

painting have found their way into many private collections in Nigeria.

Consequently, the whereabouts of all the three original paintings remained hitherto officially unknown.

This would explain the legendary long search for Tutu, especially for the original of this oil on canvas painting done in 1973.

Also a mystery is the whereabouts of the third Tutu.

So, that leaves the version up for sale at Bonhams as the only known original example of the

image.

It is, therefore, not hard to figure out why the discovery of this record-breaking painting would stir up such a maelstrom of interest among aficionados. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It amounts to the most significant discovery in contemporary African art in over fifty years,â&#x20AC;? Okri was quoted to have said in the spring edition of Bonhams magazine. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is the only authentic Tutu, the equivalent of some rare archaeological find. It is a cause for celebration, a potentially

AHEAD OF SSCE, DAPCHI FINAL YEAR STUDENTS TO RELOCATE TO NGURU wider society. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is not the first time such incident has taken place.

On the 14th of April 2014, a lot of girls were abducted from a secondary school in Chibok. A committee was set up by the previous administration to look into the circumstances that led to the abduction of those girls. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What I want to emphasise to you is that this investigation has to be done with all the seriousness it deserves. This is not going to be another exercise in futility. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are using the money of tax payers to carry out this assignment and they are entitled to getting results for whatever this committee does. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Again, the inclination to push things under the carpet, to be sympathetic to groups or organisations will not be tolerated. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You must unravel everything. Where people are culpable, it should come out in your report,â&#x20AC;? he added.

He informed the committee that its report also will be followed by a white paper, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari was extremely concerned about the abduction, â&#x20AC;&#x153;which I have already told you, is beginning to cast a dark shadow on not just the administration but the countryâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The truth of the matter is that security is all embracing.

It is not just for agencies of government. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is always an interface between the wider

society and security agencies, especially in the context of 21st century issues of insecurity.

This time around, your work is going to permeate into the population not just in Yobe State, but probably in Borno, Adamawa, Bauchi and Gombe States and so on and so forth. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The basic motivation in this very exercise is to get results. I want results; this is not just going to be some theoretical paper or suggestions that will end up on someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s desk without anything happening. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We must let the people of Nigeria know that we have taken this incident with all the seriousness it requires and we are going to solve this problem. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want a situation whereby you are going to be suppressed by any individual, any group or organisation or agency because we are not going to allow anybody to cover up anything in this matter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These are peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s children, our children and we must be seen to be doing the right thing,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Speaking, the chairman of the committee, Real Admiral Victor Adedipe assured the NSA of the commitment of the members to ensure that the findings are authentic and unbiased.

Adedipe said that given the current plight of the families, the committee would do its best to unravel the circumstances that led to the kidnapping of the schoolgirls.

Police, NSCDC Bosses Head to Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;East Also, in furtherance of the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s objective to secure the release of the girls as quickly as possible, the Minister of Interior, Lt.Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (rtd.) yesterday directed the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris and the Commandant General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Abdullahi Muhammadu Gana to relocate to the Northeast.

They would also be required to liaise with the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole and the governors of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa States to ensure the deployment of their personnel in all schools in the liberated areas in the three states.

The minister, in a statement by his press secretary, Ehisienmen Osaigbovo, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is sequel to the recent visit of the federal government delegation led by the Ministers of Interior and Information and Culture to Dapchi in Yobe State, where the interior minister, Lt-Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (rtd.) directed the Inspector General of Police and the Commandant of the NSCDC to relocate to Yobe State to ensure security presence in all schools in the liberated communities.â&#x20AC;?

The minister said the directive was necessary to

forestall a recurrence of attacks on innocent school children, stressing that the federal government was making efforts to rescue the Dapchi schoolgirls and other Boko Haram captives, as evidenced by the commencement of 24-hour air surveillance by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

Dambazau, said the statement, also condemned the recent clashes that resulted in the loss of lives and property in Kajuru LGA of Kaduna State and urged security operatives to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

The IG and NSCDC commander will be joining the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar who has already relocated to the NAF Base in Maiduguri, Borno State, where the air search operation for the missing Dapchi girls is being coordinated.

The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya, in a statement yesterday, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The relocation of the air force chief was aimed at getting first hand information on the progress of the air search efforts and to also give additional directives as might be necessary. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mohammed Monguno was equally at the NAF Base, Maiduguri, where he spoke to and encouraged the NAF personnel involved in the day and night air search operations.

UN Outrage Even as the government and the security agencies ramped up efforts to rescue the girls, global reactions continued to pour in over their abduction, with the United Nations expressing outrage over the incident.

UN Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, said in a statement by his spokesperson, Mr. Stephane Dujarric, that he â&#x20AC;&#x153;strongly condemns the abduction and attackâ&#x20AC;?.

Guterres said he was gravely concerned over the situation of the schoolgirlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; abducted during an attack on their educational institution in Dapchi.

The Secretary-General called for the immediate and unconditional release of all missing girls and for their safe return to their families.

The UN chief urged the Nigerian authorities to swiftly bring those responsible for this dastardly act to justice.

Guterres reiterated the solidarity and support of the UN to the Nigerian government and other affected countries in the region in their fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

The UN had earlier described the abduction as â&#x20AC;&#x153;another horrific incident where young women and girls are targeted by terror groupsâ&#x20AC;?.

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NEWS

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

IMF: With Economic Policies, Nigeria Will ‘Muddle Through’ in Medium Term Nigeria’s manufacturing index sustains expansion for 11 months

Obinna Chima with agency report The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected that Nigeria will “muddle through” with its economic policies in the medium term, warning, however that “comprehensive and coherent” economic policies remain urgent and must not be delayed by the approaching elections and recovering oil prices.

According to Reuters, the multilateral donor institution made the observation in a report, noting that while the broader economy was slowly exiting the recession, real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was falling.

Buoyed by the non-oil sector, the Nigerian economy grew in real terms by 1.92 per cent in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2017 (year-on-year), maintaining its positive growth trajectory since the emergence of the economy from recession in the second quarter (Q2) of 2017.

The economic growth last year corresponded with the forecast of the Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Maurice Obstfeld, who had predicted last October that Nigeria’s economy would grow by 0.8 per cent in 2017.

“Nigeria is expected to emerge from the 2016 recession caused by low oil prices and the disruption of oil production.

Growth in 2017 is projected at 0.8 per cent owing to recovering oil production and ongoing strength in the agriculture sector,” Obstfeld

had said.

The latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) had also indicated that the economy recorded a real annual Gross Domestic Production (GDP) growth rate of 0.83 per cent in 2017, an improvement over the -1.58 per cent recorded in 2016.

Meanwhile, the Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for February stood at 56.3 index points, indicating an expansion in the manufacturing sector for the 11th consecutive month.

According to the report posted on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) website yesterday, showed that the index however grew at a slower rate, when compared to that in the previous month.

The report revealed that of the 15 sub-sectors surveyed, 10 reported growth in the review month in the following order: Plastics and rubber products; textile, apparel, leather and footwear; appliances and components; paper products; primary metal; petroleum and coal products; chemical and pharmaceutical products; food, beverage and tobacco products; electrical equipment and furniture and related products.

On the other hand, the remaining five sub-sectors contracted in the following order: printing and related support activities; cement; nonmetallic mineral products; fabricated metal products; and transportation equipment.

Also, at 57.8 points, the production level index for the manufacturing sector grew for the 12th consecutive month in February 2018. The index indicated

a slower growth in the current month, when compared to its level in the preceding month. Six of the 15 manufacturing sub-sectors recorded increase in production level, six remained unchanged, while the remaining three recorded declines in production level during the review month.

In the same vein, at 55.6 points, the new orders index grew for the 11th consecutive month, indicating increase in new orders in February 2018. However, eight sub-sectors reported growth, four remained unchanged while three contracted in the review month.

“The manufacturing supplier delivery time index stood at 57 points in February 2018, indicating faster supplier delivery time for the ninth consecutive month.

“Six sub-sectors recorded improved suppliers’ delivery time, seven remained unchanged while

two sub-sectors recorded delayed delivery time.

“The employment level index in February 2018 stood at 53.9 points, indicating growth in employment level for the tenth consecutive month.

Of the 15 sub-sectors, six sub-sectors increased their employment level, two remained unchanged while seven reduced their employment level in the review month,” the report stated.

In addition, the manufacturing sector inventories index grew for the eleventh consecutive month in February 2018. At 58.1 points, the index grew at a faster rate when compared to its level in the previous month. Nine of the 15 subsectors recorded growth, five remained unchanged while one recorded decline in raw material inventories.

The IMF said in its annual Article IV review of Nigeria’s economy that the outlook for growth has improved but remains challenging. It said,

“Comprehensive and coherent” economic policies “remain urgent and must not be delayed by approaching elections and recovering oil prices”.

While the broader economy is slowly exiting recession, people are getting poorer as real gross domestic product per capita is falling, the Fund added.

“Higher oil prices would support a recovery in 2018 but a ‘muddlethrough’ outlook is projected for the medium term under current policies, with fiscal dominance and structural constraints leading to continuing falls in real GDP per capita,” the IMF said.

Last year, the lender’s less-thanrosy take on Nigeria’s economy influenced a decision by the World Bank and African Development Bank to halt discussions for budget support loans of at least $1.4 billion.

In the report, it identified risks to growth including additional

delays to implementing policies and reforms ahead of 2019 elections, security tensions, and oil prices, a fall in which could see capital flows reversed.

The lender repeated its call, which it has made for more than a year, for Nigeria to simplify its complex foreign exchange system, which has left large gaps between official rates and various windows that certain groups can use to get other rates.

“Moving towards a unified exchange rate should be pursued as soon as possible,” the IMF said.

An IMF spokeswoman declined to comment on the report, but said a statement would be issued after the lender’s board met to discuss the assessment next Friday.

A Nigerian finance ministry spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a phone call and email requesting comment.

Buhari Re-appoints Segun Awolowo NEPC CEO Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has re-appointed Mr. Olusegun Awolowo as the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).

A statement, issued by the Special Adviser to the President

on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said Awolowo’s letter was signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha.

Disclosing that the appointment would subsist for another four years, Adesina said: “Awolowo, a lawyer and scion of the Obafemi Awolowo family, was first appointed to the NEPC position in 2013.”

Again, CBN Warns againstVirtual Currencies Obinna Chima The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has again cautioned Nigerians to be wary of investments in cryptocurrency, stressing that virtual currencies are not legal tender in Nigeria.

The bank in a statement last night reiterated that cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ripples, Monero, Litecoin, Dogecoin, Onecoin, among others and exchanges such as NairaEx are not licensed or regulated by the CBN. The statement signed by the bank’s acting Director in charge of Corporate Communications, Isaac Okorafor, emphasised that dealers and investors in any kind of crypto currency in Nigeria were not protected by law, thus may be unable to seek legal redress in event of failure of the exchangers

or collapse of the business.

The CBN therefore warned Nigerians against investing in cryptocurrency as doing so would be at their own risk.

It will be recalled that the CBN had on January 12, 2017, issued a circular to banks and other financial institutions on virtual currency operations in Nigeria.

In the 2017 circular signed by the Director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department, Kevin Amugo, the CBN had among other issues noted that virtual currencies were traded in exchange platforms that are unregulated all over the world. It further noted that transactions in virtual transactions in virtual currencies were largely untraceable and anonymous thereby making them susceptible to abuse by criminals in money laundering and financing of terrorism.

ECONOMIC SUMMIT

L-R: Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and Kebbi State Governor Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, at the Lagos-Kano Economic and Investment Summit at the Jubilee Chalet, Epe, Lagos.... yesterday State House

Lassa Fever Cases Rise to 317, Surpass 2017 Total Edo, Ondo and Ebonyi account for 85% of cases Senator Iroegbu in Abuja The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed that the cases of Lassa fever from January 1 this year have risen to 317 as of February 25, exceeding the total number of confirmed cases recorded in 2017.

The Chief Executive Officer of NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, in a statement yesterday, said three states - Edo, Ondo and Ebonyi - account for 85 per cent of the Lassa fever cases presently.

Ihekweazu said given the unprecedented outbreak, the NCDC has raised the activation of its Emergency Operations Centre to its highest possible level.

He said with the escalation, all the resources available to the agency would be focused primarily on controlling this outbreak.

He also stated that the World Health Organisation (WHO) and

other partners are also mobilising resources to support activities of the centre and the states most affected.

The NCDC boss recalled that the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, had in the recently held Emergency Council of Health meeting in Abuja, called on all states in the country to escalate their response activities.

He said: “Given the present circumstances, he requested that each state urgently invest resources in protecting the health of residents of their states by carrying out risk communication activities to inform residents on simple measures to prevent infection, and what to do when they become ill. Healthcare workers across the country have also been re-educated on Lassa fever, especially in recognising early symptoms to ensure rapid referral for appropriate care and on the use of universal precautions to protect themselves and their patients.

“With the activation of the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja, the testing capacity in Nigeria has increased from two to three laboratories. This is in addition to the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, which were the only two laboratories with the capacity to diagnose Lassa fever. Efforts are currently being made to ensure that there is a functional molecular laboratory with the capacity to test for Lassa fever in each of the six geopolitical zones in the country. “ Ihekweazu said despite the challenges, the federal government, through the centre and its partners, have ensured that every patient diagnosed with Lassa fever has gotten appropriate treatment.

Also, he said healthcare workers in the major treatment centres at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital,

Federal Medical Centre Owo and the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki have received adequate supplies of personal protective equipment to manage their patients from government and partners.

He also called on all Nigerians, especially those living in Edo, Ondo and Ebonyi States to continue to focus on prevention by ensuring they prevent access to their foodstuff by rodents.

“For those that fall ill with fever, it is important to go to a health care facility in order to get a test that will determine the cause of the fever, before treating it.”

Ihekweazu said NCDC, with the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Health, remains committed to working with sister agencies and partners to ensure that this outbreak is brought under control and Nigeria is better prepared to prevent, detect and respond to future outbreaks.

THURSDAY MARCH 1, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWSEXTRA

Dangote: Nigeria to Earn N8tn from Lekki Investments Annually Ambode, Ganduje seek strong economic partnership FG: $2bn needed for Lagos-Kano rail line Gboyega Akinsanmi The President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, yesterday disclosed that his investments in the Lekki Free Trade Zone alone would earn Nigeria a whopping sum of N8 trillion per annum by the time the projects are completed.

Dangote however, lamented the country’s socio-economic challenges, which he argued, could have been addressed if different states of the federation had not cultivated partnership along their areas of comparative advantages.

He expressed concern over the relationship among states of the federation at the Lagos-Kano Economic and Investment Summit held at Epe yesterday, challenging sub-national governments to develop strategic partnership beyond regional integration and political affiliation.

The summit, which is the first of its kind in the history of Nigeria, was convened by of Lagos and Kano States governments, to create awareness on their investment climate and policy thrust and a platform for dialogue for potential investors in both states.

The summit, which would end today with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two states, was attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, his Kano counterpart, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II and Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Akiolu, among others.

Specifically, at the summit, Dangote commended the partnership between the Lagos and Kano State governments, noting that Lagos “has clearly

demonstrated its readiness for serious investments. Lagos State is more than ready for business.”

He disclosed that the investments of Dangote Group in the Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ) alone would generate N8trillion per annum for the country when fully on stream.

He pointed out that the figure was not part of what the country would earn from other companies and conglomerates that chose to operate from the zone.

He therefore, challenged the Lagos and Kano State governments to build a relationship that would endure irrespective of political affiliation, noting that distance “is not a barrier to inter-state relations in Nigeria.”

Before he declared the summit open, the vice president noted that at least $2billion would be required to revive the LagosKano Rail Line as part of efforts to boost local and international trade along the northern and southern zones.

Osinbajo said the federal government had partnered a United States multinational, General Electric (GE) with a plan “to invest in the project to enhance the movement of cargo from Apapa ports to Kano via the rail line.”

He commended Ambode and Ganduje for creating a platform to collaborate for economic growth, noting that such initiatives would open up the investment opportunities that abound in both states to would-be investors both locally and internationally.

“I believe that Lagos and Kano States have by this collaboration underscored the cornerstone of the federal government’s economic recovery and growth plan, namely the leveraging of

synergies among States and between government and the private sector,” he noted.

He therefore, explained the strategic role of the federal government, which according to him, would be tailored “to create an enabling environment for commerce beginning with the provision of infrastructure.

“For us, what this meant especially in the context of Lagos and Kano collaboration is the refurbishing of the narrow gauge Lagos to Kano Rail with a concession to General Electric who are proposing to invest almost $2billion to ensure that the rail route is effective for movement of cargo from Apapa port to Kano.

“Similarly, we are investing in the Lagos to Kano standard gauge line, the Lagos Ibadan portion of that is expected to

be ready by the end of this year. Also, we have budgeted N80billion for the development of special economic zones in the six geo-political zones of the country.”

Also speaking, Ambode explained the decision of the state government to join the Oodua Investment Group, which he said, triggered what had evolved over the last two years to become a signpost for effective partnership between Lagos and other states.

He said with the current economic challenges facing the country, there was no better time for states to begin to look beyond an oil driven economy and take advantage of their comparative advantages to engender economic growth.

“We urge other States and Regions to begin to leverage

on their respective areas of comparative advantage by establishing partnerships towards establishing an inter-state or inter-regional commodity value chain.

“The idea of an intra and inter-regional trade and cooperation is not new to Lagos State. Over the past years, our State has collaborated with Kebbi and other states from within the western region to drive economic growth and development,” the governor explained.

He said the immediate aim of the strategic partnership with Kano is to produce about 80 per cent of Nigeria’s agro-allied inputs such as wheat, groundnut, onions, maize, millet, sorghum, sugar cane and beef.

Ambode added that a memorandum of understanding would be signed by both states

at the end of the summit to demonstrate commitment to the sustainability of the partnership.

Also speaking, Ganduje said his administration entered into the partnership with Lagos with a strong belief that it would create a veritable platform to drive home grown investments in the face of volatile global oil prices.

According to him, “we need to redefine our investment climate and find alternative sources of financing critical sectors and projects as well as improve public service delivery.”

He said Kano was looking towards an effective partnership in infrastructure, agricultural value chain, solid minerals, ICT, commence and industry, medium and small scale enterprises, tourism, governance and institutions.

VC: How Nigeria Can Benefit from Petroleum Varsity Uchechukwu Nnaike The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE), in Delta State, Professor Akaehomen Akii Ibhadode, has stated that the institution is at a vantage position as a specialised university to transform Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

Ibhadode made this known yesterday when he led some principal officers of the institution on a courtesy visit to THISDAY Corporate Office in Lagos.

According to him, with a mission to create quality human resource to enhance the local content in the oil and gas and energy industry of the country, the university is capable of creating new technologies like modular refineries to make a difference in the sector.

He, however, said the institution was not being challenged or propelled by the government and oil companies in the country.

While highlighting some of the innovations of the 11-year-old institution, which he said was the first petroleum university in Africa and the sixth in the world, the vice-

chancellor said with the support of Shell, the students were challenged to design fuel- efficient racer vehicles for the Shell Eco-marathon, which won an award in South Africa.

Ibhadode, a Shell Professor of Lightweight Automobile Engine Development, is currently leading a research team working on the development of lightweight prime movers of internal combustion engines and electric motors for vehicle drives for green transport technology compliance.

He is also leading the design and fabrication of a lightweight utility vehicle for transportation of farm produce by rural farmers.

The university is also developing an industrial games application; design and fabrication of a mini crude oil refinery; design and fabrication of an air-powered generator for domestic use; recycling of waste motor oil to diesel-like fuel, among others.

He stressed the need for the students to ensure that their products are patented so as to make the desired impact in the society.

PRESIDENTIAL BANTER

L–R: President Idriss Deby of Chad; President Muhammadu Buhari; and President Mahamadou Isoufou of Republic of Niger Republic. at the high level meeting of the International Conference on Lake Chad Basin in Abuja ...yesterday Godwin Omoigui

Senate Gives MDAs One-week Ultimatum to Appear for Budget Defence Damilola Oyedele in Abuja The Senate yesterday issued a one week ultimatum to ministers, and the heads of departments and agencies of government, to appear before its relevant committees to defend their 2018 budget estimates.

The upper legislative chamber said the attitude of the heads of MDAs, in shunning appearances for budget defence, is responsible for the delay in the passage of the N8.612 trillion national budget bill into law.

The Senate warned that the failure to adhere to its ultimatum would cause it to adopt the proposal submitted for such MDAs by the executive arm of government.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who laid the budget on November 7, 2017, had urged the National Assembly to pass the budget bill

by January 2018.

This is in a bid to restore the budget cycle to January to December of every year.

The Senate, on at least two occasions, had raised the alarm that the ministers and heads of agencies do not honour invitations of its committee on the grounds that they are outside the country.

The matter was again discussed at plenary yesterday when Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, sought an update on the status of the bill, from the Appropriation Committee.

The Vice Chairman of the Committee, Senator Sunny Ogbuoji (Imo APC), said most subcommittees have been complaining about the attitudes of the MDAs, who have failed to properly defend their budget estimates.

“Since January, the Appropriations Committee’s doors

have been opened to receiving reports from the sub-committees, but most of the sub-committees have a huge challenge with the MDAs because majority of the MDAs are not coming forward to interface with them,” “Some of the ministers will tell you that they are going outside the country and because of that, the MDAs are not fully ready. So, we don’t have the reports yet,” Ogbuoji told the Senate.

“We believe that it is when the MDAs come forward, that our colleagues will be able to finish with their work. Some of the committees are unable to do their work. When the committees screen what the MDAs have brought, they will ask them to go back and work on them budgets and come back.

But they don’t come back, and that is delaying the work on majority

of the MDAs,” the senator added.

Saraki, in his remarks, said the impression being created in the public space is that the passage of the budget bill is being delayed by the N’Assembly.

He however noted that officials who have refused to appear to defend their budgets cannot hold the country to ransom.

“We are giving them till the end of next week. I appeal to all these ministers and heads that keep on travelling. This is the time for them to sit on the ground and ensure that we can finish with these reports, so that these reports can be completed and submitted,” he said.

The senate president added that the upper legislative house intends to pass the national budget bill alongside the budgets of the 64 revenue generating agencies.

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Ex-CBN Deputy Governor, Moghalu Declares Presidential Bid Says it is time to stop recycling failed politicians Iyobosa Uwugiaren in Abuja A former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Professor Kingsley Moghalu, yesterday in Abuja declared his intention to contest the 2019 presidential election.

He said it was time to stop recycling failed politicians and regenerate the leadership ranks with competent and experienced young men and women.

The presidential hopeful who refused to name the political party he intends to use for the election, challenged the youths to prepare themselves with the relevant qualifications and take over the mantle of leadership, adding that the struggle is about the future of Nigeria, not its past.

According to him, “The battle to reshape Nigeria into a strong and capable country requires competence, capacity and character, and as a citizen who aspires to be a president, I possess all three.

“If it is about competence, my

work as a deputy governor of the CBN who played a leadership role in rescuing and stabilising the Nigerian banking system after the global financial crisis speaks for itself.

“If it is about capacity, my work in the United Nations reconstructing countries torn by civil war or reforming the internal workings of the world body is there for everyone to see.

“If it is about character, well, talk to my colleagues, mentors, friends, and of course my family, and listen to what they have to say.

Strong, knowledgeable guidance is needed as Nigeria navigates these difficult waters, and I offer myself for service with a solid track record of leadership.’’

Moghalu said his decision was predicated on the fact that Nigeria today is divided by ethnic and religious conflicts, made worse by corruption while the government has failed in its very first duty of securing lives, and as citizens. We have lost their place in the world.”

He added: “The time has come for us to fix this. We are collectively exhausted by these politicians who continually fall in and out of alliances with one another and don’t care for the ordinary Nigerian.

“They aggravate our fears in the hope that we will continue to keep them in power even though they offer nothing new.

“It is time for a radical change in the political leadership of Nigeria.

It is time for a visionary, competent and inclusive leadership that truly cares about our country; it is time for a leadership equipped with the skills, intellect and competence to wage a decisive war against poverty and unemployment.

“It is time for a Nigeria in which our youths can fulfill their full potential and our daughters can aspire to any opportunity they desire. It is time for a 21st century leader to lead us into a new and different future.’’

He added that what the country needs now is a real movement of the people, by the people and most importantly, for the people of Nigeria to move the country forward and break with the troubled past, offering himself as part of that movement.

Talking about the potential of Nigeria, the former CBN deputy governor said: “We are a country of great people as seen by the way Nigerians abroad are thriving. We hear the stories of those who leave home with little more than a hope and a prayer, but change the world abroad.’’

Moghalu said Nigerians have smart, ingenious, drive, relentlessness, vision and sheer force of will, and must be able to harness their strengths and make them work for them here at home.

Quoting the immortal words of former United States President, John F. Kennedy, Moghalu said:

“Politics is too important to be left to the politicians,” adding: “We must ask our government hard questions about the promises they made about our security, power, civil aviation, healthcare, and women’s rights.’’

He continued: “The world is changing. Time and tide have in several countries swept away old orders and brought in new, more dynamic ones. Nigeria must not remain stuck in its past. We, you and I can do it for our country too.

“We need to modernise, and make it quickly. For instance, we know that women in leadership and in government can accelerate growth for any economy, yet only six percent of our legislators are women. There are many competent, smart women who are more than ready to dig in and work together to rescue this country. We must draw them out and ensure that their voices are

heard.

“I’m not here to tell you that there are quick, easy solutions to our country’s problems. Far from it, decades of economic and leadership mismanagement cannot be undone in a few weeks or months. Things will be difficult and painful choices will have to be collectively made.’’

Explaining his policy agenda, he said his vision for the country is set out in his new book, ‘BIG’ (Build, Innovate, Grow), which was released two days ago.

Summarising the agenda, Moghalu promised to compose a world-class ‘first eleven’ team based on merit and inclusive governance to drive government policy; establish and propagate through the educational system a foundational philosophical worldview for the Nigerian state, around which all Nigerians will unite in a common purpose.”

Fayose Accuses Buhari’s Cronies of Turning Anti-insurgency Fight into Business Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has alleged that Boko Haram has become a source of indirect treasury looting, saying: “Those benefiting from Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) scams, payment of ransom (in dollars) to free those abducted by the Boko Haram insurgents among others, will never wish to see the end of the insurgency.”

The governor described the alleged withdrawal of military check-points from Dapchi and other communities, few days before 110 students of Government Girls Science Technical College (GGSTC) were abducted by Boko Haram as major pointer to possible conspiracy in the abduction of the schoolgirls and other dastardly acts of the insurgents, asking why no one had been questioned up till now despite conflicting claims by the army and police.

In a statement issued yesterday, by his Special Assistant on Public Communications, Lere Olayinka, Fayose insisted that withdrawal of $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account by the federal government was a continuation of the use of fight against the insurgents to fleece the country.

He lamented that Nigerians were now getting to a state of helplessness on the insurgency, adding that “painfully, it appears we will have to live with Boko Haram for a very long time because waiting for this President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government to save Nigerians is a waste of time. They boasted that Boko Haram will be defeated within three months; it is now more than 30 months. All that they have told Nigerians is grammar.

Boko Haram technically defeated, Boko Haram completely defeated and now Boko Haram completely degraded.”

The governor said: “We have heard stories of alleged diversion

of foods and relief materials meant for IDPs in the North-east to Chad and Niger Republic, about 200 tons of dates donated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for distribution to the IDPs sold in the open market in Abuja and most importantly, use of the IDPs camps by top government officials to perpetrate monumental fraud.

As long as the fight against Boko Haram remains a business venture, providing cheap money for top officials of this government, the insurgency will continue.

“The anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International said last year that corruption in the military was weakening Nigeria’s efforts to battle Boko Haram.

“In Transparency International’s words: ‘corrupt military officials have been able to benefit from the conflict through the creation of fake defence contracts, the proceeds of which are often laundered abroad-to the United Kingdom, United States and elsewhere.’

“In its own report, the US Department of State’s Bureau for Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism said the inability of security agencies in Nigeria to share intelligence report because of animosity is affecting the success in the fight against Boko Haram.

“The public disagreement between the army and police over the security arrangements that were in place in Dapchi and other communities in Yobe State a few days before the Boko Haram attack that led to the abduction of the 110 girls, has further lend credence to the position of the US Department of State’s Bureau for Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism.

“President Buhari must therefore have to look inward and purge his government of those benefitting from the insurgency if indeed he desires that it should end.”

COURTESY VISIT

L-R: Director, THISDAY/ARISE TV, Mr. Emmanuel Efeni; Registrar, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Delta State, Mr. Ejikewe Ichendu; and Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Akachomen Akll Ibhadoode, when the university’s management paid a courtesy visit to THISDAY Head Office in Lagos.... yesterday .Dan Ukana

INEC Releases Dates for General Elections for Next 36 Years Senator Iroegbu in Abuja The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced dates for general elections in the country for the next 36 years starting from 2019 to 2055.

The Chairman of the INEC, Prof. Mamood Yakubu, made the announcement yesterday at a consultative meeting with leaders of political parties in Abuja.

According to him, “In 2019, the dates are February 16 and March 2; in 2023, the dates are February 18 and March 4. In 2027, the dates are February 20 and March 6; in 2031, it is February 15 and March 1. In 2035, it is February 17 and March 3; in 2039, it is February 19 and March 5 and in 2043, it will hold on February 21 and March 7. In 2047, it would hold on February 15 and March 2; in 2051, election would hold February 18 and March 1; while in 2055, INEC would hold elections on February 20 and March 6.”

He pointed out that in other democracies of the world, periods of elections are generally known and are not topics for speculation, explaining that the aim was to engender certainty in the election calendar and allow for long-term planning by the commission and all stakeholders.

Saying that certainty in election calendar was necessary to match Nigeria’s democratic system with global best practices, the INEC chairman said in the last one week, the commission received 108 applications from associations seeking to be registered as political parties.

He said 66 of the applications did not meet the initial requirements while 33 passed and had proceeded to the next stage, adding that nine others were at the final stage of registration.

The INEC boss commended political parties for the roles they played in the governorship and National Assembly by-elections

in Anambra State which he said ensured that the exercises were crisis-free, urging all existing political parties yet to comply with all relevant sections of the constitutional requirements necessary for their existence to do so.

He advised the parties to ensure rancour-free conventions and congresses ahead of 2019 and the Ekiti and Osun State governorship elections later in the year.

Yakubu continued: “Internal party democracy is critical to the overall success of the elections and it helps to eliminate some protracted litigations. Less than a year to the 2019 general election, there are still cases in courts, challenging the nomination of candidates in the 2015 elections.’’

He urged the parties to support the commission in its quest to sanitise the voter’s register by drawing the attention of the umpire to any irregularity.

In his remarks, the Chairman, Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Alhaji Mohammed Nalado,

commended INEC for recognising political parties as partners.

He said with little or no financial support, political parties were at the forefront of voter sensitisation to the need to conduct themselves responsibly at polling units.

Nalado commended the commission for creating an enabling environment for free and fair elections by rolling out election calendar in good time.

He added that the political parties were happy with the position of INEC on the sequence of elections, saying that the commission acted on the existing law.

The IPAC boss welcomed the newly-registered political parties to the council and urged INEC to support the council’s plan to amend its code of conduct.

According to Nalado, the amendment will address issues of internal democracy, conflict resolution system among other issues affecting political parties in the country.

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Senate Warns Buhari’s Nominees against Assuming Office without Confirmation Damilola Oyedele in Abuja The Senate yesterday cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari’s nominees for head of agencies

against assumption of office without its confirz following reports that the nominee for the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Mr.

We Are Journalists Not Terrorists, Online Publishers Association Tells Police The Online Publishers Association of Nigeria (OPAN) has expressed concern over the claims by the Nigeria Police Force that two of its members conspired to commit terrorism offences and cyber crime because they approved an opinion article on their website which the police see as uncomplimentaryand offensive.

TheNigerianPolicewilltodayarraign Messrs.’ Timothy Elombah and Daniel Elombah over allegations of terrorism and cybercrime.

The Publishers of Elombah News were charged by the Nigerian Police for cybercrime,cyberstalking,cyberbullying and for “championing Biafra terrorism.”

OPAN called on the police to withdraw the spurious charges without delay and stop harassing journalists for doing their constitutionally backed assignments.

Afour-countchargefiledattheFederal High Court 5 inAbuja, revealed that the police is charging the Elombah brothers for cyber bullying and cyber stalking the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Kpotum Idris.

OPAN is worried by the police claim that these journalists carrying out their social responsibility, which is enshrined in the constitution, intend to “create native war and lead to breakdown of law in the country.”

It stated that the claim is not only

ridiculous, but also disgraceful of the police force under Idris.

“It is laughable that the police force under whose watch 110 female teenage students were kidnapped from their dormitory at the Government Girls Technical Science College, Dapchi, Yobe State, can shamelessly descend so low to the extent of filing fabricated charges against the two journalists who are contributing their own quota to national development,” OPAN said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The reputable media organisation has stated that they have nothing to do with the publication in question, because it was neither written by the editor or publisher or any staffer and there is nothing in Elombah.com that promotes terrorism in Nigeria.

“It is to be noted that the online medium has published series of articles against the activities of Boko Haram in the country and other acts of terrorism, so linking it with the activities of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is a joke taken too far.

“For clarity, OPAN restates that Elombah.com is a responsible media organisation.

It is not a terrorist organisation and neither is it championing Biafra terrorism.”

Tony Ojukwu, has already resumed in acting capacity.

THISDAY had exclusively reported on Tuesday that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Abubakar Malami, had facilitated a letter directing the most senior officer, Mrs. Otti Ovravah, who has been acting, to hand over to Ojukwu.

The directive is in contravention of Section 8 of the NHRC Act 2010, which requires the Senate to confirm the appointment of the Executive Secretary of the commission.

But the Senate at the plenary yesterday reminded the nominees that it would not condone any act of illegality.

Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi APC) raised the matter before the lawmakers, describing the action of Malami as an affront

to the Senate.

“There have been rumours going round in the last two weeks that the Attorney General of the Federation has affronted and confronted the powers of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I was doing my private investigation on this matter and found out that it is true. My position was further reinforced by the publication of THISDAY Newspaper of February 27, 2018,” Melaye said.

“If the AGF, who is supposed to be the custodian of our laws and the chief law enforcer, will flagrantly ask an individual, who has been nominated by Mr. President, but has not been confirmed by the Senate, to go and resume and the person has since resumed and started

working, then we are not practising democracy; then we have no regard for the constitution and the rule of law,” Melaye added.

Presiding, Senate President Bukola Saraki reiterated that the nominees must not resume, until they are confirmed by the Senate.

“I thought this matter had been laid to rest because we were very clear on this issue.

Once nominees have not been confirmed, they cannot go ahead and resume,” he said.

He further directed the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, to investigate the reports and report back to the plenary.

The Senate and the executive are currently in a cold war over the confirmation

of nominees whose agencies are not specifically listed in the 1999 Constitution.

The impasse was as a result of President Muhammadu Buhari’s inaction on the Senate’s non-confirmation of the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, who was twice rejected by the upper legislative chamber.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had said the EFCC was not listed in the constitution, and that the nomination should not have been sent to the Senate in the first instance.

The Senate therefore resolved to suspend confirmation process of the affected nominees pending the legal clarification of Osinbajo’s comment.

Court Restrains House from Conducting Public Hearing on Law School Hijab Controversy Alex Enumah in Abuja Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday ordered the House of Representatives to refrain from conducting the planned public hearing on the controversy generated by a Nigerian Law School graduate, Firdrusa Abdulsalam, during the last call to Bar ceremony in Abuja last year.

Justice Chikere gave the order yesterday while delivering ruling on an application filed by a coalition of law students seeking to stop the public hearing.

She ordered that the lawmakers halt the public hearing pending the determination of the substantive suit.

The court held that the plaintiffs, who are legal practitioners, had a right to bring the action since the decision of the House of Representatives would affect them.

Justice Chikere subsequently adjourned the matter till April 24, for hearing of the substantive suit.

Abdulsalam, a law graduate, was on December 13, 2017 not called to the Nigerian Bar on the grounds that she wore a hijab to the call to bar ceremony.

The matter was taken to the House of Representatives and a public hearing was fixed in respect of the matter on February 6.

The lawyers, under the aegis, Coalition of Lawyers for the Preservation of Legal Practitioners’

Ethics then filed a suit asking the court to stop the House of Representatives from conducting the public hearing.

Their counsel, Mr Sunday Akanni, told the court that the lawyers had even undertaken that they would pay damages to the lawmakers in the event that their application was found to be frivolous.

He said they were seeking the interpretation of the court on Sections 33 to 45 of the 1999 Constitution as well as Section 88.

“We brought the House of Representatives to court because of the public hearing they scheduled to hold February 6.

“Our contention is very simple, the public hearing notice they sent is in respect of a lady called Abdulsalam Firdrusa who was not called to the bar on December 13, 2017 because she was wearing hijab.

“They say the public hearing is pursuant to Section 45 of the Constitution but we are saying it has to do with violation of rights and it is the court that can look into such matters.

“It is not for the House of Representatives to conduct a public hearing. Section 88 and 89 gives power to the house of representatives to conduct public hearing but Section 33 to 45 is what we call fundamental rights.

“If that right is breached where are you supposed to go, public hearing or court?,” he asked.

HONOURING DANJUMA AT 80

L-R: Celebrant, General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (rtd); Founder/CEO, Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL), Professor Pat Utomi; and Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Ms. Nonny Ugboma, at the 42nd CVL/ Leader Without Title (LWT), Leadership Tribute Colloquium in honour of Danjuma at 80 in Lagos....yesterday

House C’ttee Summons Udoma, Adeosun, Emefiele over N10bn Withdrawals from NHIS Account James Emejo in Abuja The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Heath Services, Hon. Chike Okafor, yesterday summoned the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma, Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, to among other things, clarify the rationale behind their decision to classify the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) as a revenue generating institution which should pay operating surplus to the federation account.

Also summoned are the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole and the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Ahmed Idris.

They are to appear at a yet to be determined date.

The committee’s resolution followed the submission of the newly reinstated Executive Secretary

of NHIS, Prof. Usman Yusuf, who appeared before it to give an update on the status of the re-accreditation exercise for Health Management Organisations (HMOs) which had been suspended at the instance of the committee to allow for proper audit of their activities which had been below expectations.

The committee had further demanded clarification on a recent online report that the executive secreatry had been indicted in a fresh N10 billion fraud at the agency.

However, Yusuf had dismissed the online publication as malicious and untrue.

He said funds under the NHIS is a trust which must be taken seriously, adding that he would never allow such fraud to happen under his watch.

According to him, the N10 billion in question was deducted from its TSA account with the CBN by the Ministry of Finance, which had informed him via

a letter that the NHIS ought to be a revenue generating agency and by implication, ought to pay its operating surplus to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).

Yusuf said he had since protested the inclusion of the scheme among revenue earners as this is not encapsulated in the Act establishing the scheme.

He noted that there had since been tripatite meetings involving it, the AGF and finance ministry in order to resolve the matter and get its monies returned.

“Fellow Nigerians, it’s not missing,” he said.

Nevertheless, a member of the committee, Hon. Busayo Oluwole Oke (PDP, Osun), moved a motion to summon the ministers and other stakeholders to explain the reason for grouping the NHIS as a revenue generator required to pay premium.

Okafor, however, decried a

situation where the NHIS funds had been allowed to lay idle at the CBN without concrete efforts to grow them.

He said unless urgent step are taken, inflation and other variables could make the funds lose value in the near future- and hamper the scheme’s mandate.

On the re-accreditation of the 57 HMOs whose licences had expired since last December, Yusuf said preliminary report on their evaluation had been submitted and is being considered.

He said one of the conditions they must meet is the provision of a certificate of non-indebted from the hospitals they servedadding that he had almost become a debt collector as a result of the failings of the HMOs. He warned the HMOs to either sit up or “be guest of Ibrahim Magu if they don’t sit up. I am tired of being a debt collector.”

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PDP Loses Publicity Secretary to Herdsmen Attack in Adamawa Daji Sani in Yola The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has confirmed the death of its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Sam Zadok,

who was among the 20 people killed in the attack by herdsmen last Tuesday in Gwamba village of Demsa Local Government Area of the state.

Establish Grazing Reserves Before Enacting Anti-Grazing Laws, IG Counsels Governors John Shiklam in Kaduna The Inspector General of Police (IG), Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, has asked state governments to establish grazing reserves for herdsmen before enacting anti-grazing laws.

The IG spoke yesterday in Kaduna during the northern states stakeholders’ security summit.

Idris noted that if grazing reserves were created by the Benue State government before the enactment of its anti-grazing law, the situation in the state would have been mitigated.

He said clashes between herders and farmers did not start today, maintaining that the current administration has taken more measures to end the crisis more than any previous regime.

He also accused some state governments for arming their security outfits with pump action and AK47 rifles, saying such illegality would not be allowed to continue.

He disclosed that over 50 AK 47 rifles, 20 English made pistols, two 5MG rifles, over 1000 rounds of AK 47 rifles and other assorted pistols ammunition were recovered from criminals.

Idris said the recoveries raises serious alarm on the number of illegal arms and ammunition at the disposal of criminals and bandits.

“To stop this trend, I have directed all commissioners of police in the state commands and their supervisory Assistant Inspectors General of police (AIGs) to ensure the mop up of illegally acquired arms and ammunition in the country.

“Twenty one-day ultimatum has been given to persons in possession of illegally acquired firearms. The Police do not have power to issue licence for the possession of Pump action guns and other lethal weapons under the firearms Act. “Anybody that is holding pump

action on the belief that he has a licence from the police is therefore committing a crime under the firearm Act,” the IG said According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari has mandated him to adopt effective strategies to end the reoccurring clashes between herdsmen and farmers.

“However, it is my humble suggestion that to reduce the incidence of clashes between farmers and herders in Nigeria, state governments should endeavour to establish grazing ranches in their various states before enacting laws to prohibit open rearing and grazing.

“It is when grazing ranches are established that herders can be arrested and punished for rearing and grazing on the open places.

“Doing so, I am of the opinion that it will make the law acceptable by all the parties concerned and other critical stakeholders in that all important sector.

“It will do us good if we avoid the hasty formulation and implementation of such laws across the country in the interest of peace and unity.

“For instance I have visited Benue and Nasarawa States and observed that the crisis trailing the Benue State prohibition of open rearing and grazing of livestock would have been mitigated, if the state had first established grazing ranches before prohibition of open grazing as provided in the state law established by the state assembly,” Idris said.

Also speaking on the killings in Zamfara State, the IG described the situation as a serious security issue which requires urgent steps to avoid further killings.

According to him, adequate steps were being taken to end the mass killings in the state, adding that an investigative panel headed by an AIG in-charge police intelligence had been set up to bring the killers to justice.

Survey Ranks Niger Leading Rice Producing State in 2017 Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The Agricultural Performance Survey (APS) for 2017 has rated Niger State as the leading producer of paddy rice in the country.

The report was produced by National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in conjunction with Agricultural Development Projects (ADPs) and the Federal Department of Agricultural Extension.

It was presented yesterday by Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.

Providing highlights to the 2017 APS, Prof. Muhammed K. Othman, the

Executive Director, NAERLS, noted some constraints to agricultural production in the year included, severe flooding, poor farm input provision, and poor extension support amongst others.

Rice is the commonest food staple consumed in almost all households in the country. Niger produced 545,700 metric tonnes (MT) of rice to top the national production output for the 2017 wet season.

The total land area cultivated by the state for the period was 229,080 hectares. All the 36 states of the federation, including FCT, were assessed in the survey certified

by National Technical Committee on Agricultural Statistics.

Kogi State followed with an output of 512,610 MT cultivated on 235,521 hectares.

Confirming his death, the state Secretary of PDP, Hon. Abdullahi Parambe, said the party would continue to regret the absence of Zadok “who has been instrumental to the party’s development especially in the southern senatorial district of the state.”

While addressing journalists in Yola, the state capital, he said the deceased was also former state Commissioner of Ministry of Youth and Sports in the administration of former state Governor, Murtala Nyako, who has never attempted to defect to any other political party.

PDP also condemned in strong term the wanton killings, but called on the incumbent state government to as a matter of urgency stop the spate of killings.

However, Zadok was said to have been ambushed by the assailants suspected to be Fulani

herdsmen on his way to the troubled area to broker peace.

Reports had it that the late former commissioner and his entourage was a stone through to the troubled area when they were attacked and killed instantly.

Until his demise last Tuesday, Zadok was the state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, and was an ally to Senator Grace Bent.

Zadok participated during the just concluded peace initiative between the Fulani herdsmen and farmers headed by the Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, where he called for the immediate redeployment of the Brigade Commander of the 232 Battalion in Yola for taking side with the herdsmen.

Also speaking, a native of Gwamba community, Mr. Omayan Tambaya, confirmed that 20 people

from his village were massacred while 30 were injured and many houses razed down as residents fled to a nearby village for safety.

Tambaya explained that the assailants numbering about 50 stormed the village in four Toyota Hilux vans and motorcycles shooting sporadically at the people.

Meanwhile, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP has expressed shock over the gruesome murder of Zadock.

According to the party, ‘’This killing of our spokesperson, who is known for his patriotism, dedication to national development and pursuit of the revitalisation of our repositioned party in that state, must be subjected to full scale investigation, particularly in the face of rising speculations over the circumstances surrounding his murder.

‘’While we appreciate the efforts of the military in its response leading to the arrest of some persons, we reject any attempt to wave off this killing without an exhaustive investigation by relevant security agencies and the report must be made public. ‘’The PDP is particularly appalled by the fact that our nation is failing by the day following the inability of the incompetent APC-led federal government to ensure a peaceful Nigeria and to provide adequate security for our citizens.’’

On daily basis, PDP added that the nation is inundated with news of gruesome killings and unabating violence across the country, with Nigerians being hacked down or abducted by marauders and insurgents under the inept APC government which has failed to take decisive steps to stem the ugly tide.

PARTNERSHIP DEAL SEALED

L-R: Accountable Manager, Dana Air Obi Mbanuzuo; Director of Finance, Asky Airline, Yemane Fitwi; AGM Commercial, Dana Air, Sandip Chowdhury; and CEO of Asky Airline, Ahadu Simachew. during the signing of a strategic airline partmeship and interline between Dana Air and Asky in Lagos....recently

FG Concedes 9 Out of 13 Charges Irrelevant in Justice Ngwuta’s Trial Court fixes March 23 for ruling on motion to strike out suit Alex Enumah in Abuja Prosecution counsel, Olufemi Fatunde, in the trial of Supreme Court judge, Sylvester Ngwuta, yesterday conceded that nine out of the 13 count charge 9 preferred against the defendant were no longer relevant in view of the Court of Appeal decision in Justice Nganjiwa case.

The federal government had arraigned Justice Ngwuta before the Abuja division of the Federal High Court on a 16-count charge bordering on corruption, money laundering and other financial crimes but later amended the charges to 13.

Fatunde who made the concession yesterday, at the resumed trial while responding to the defendant’s application seeking to quash the entire charge, however urged the court to continue with the trial on the merit of the remaining four charges.

The prosecution counsel told the court that she would not pretend that the trial court is not bound by the decision of the superior court, nor will she urge the court to act in conflict with the law.

She said: “But with greatest respect I will point out two major aspect of the court of appeal decision in Ngajiwa case that goes to the root of the charge.”

Fatunde argued that offences committed by judicial officer, raise question whether they were committed during the course of performance of his official duties.

“If the court finds that they were committed outside the performance of his official duty, then it was right to have arrested and prosecuted him without recourse to National Judicial Council (NJC)”, she said Fatunde submitted that counts 3, 10,11and 13 could be prosecuted against the defendant without recourse to NJC, assuming without conceding that the other offences

charged were committed in the discharge of his official duty.

She urged the trial court to note that Court of Appeal recognised the fact in Justice Nganjiwa case that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) did not make expressed provision as to whether judicial officer should be discipline first by NJC before prosecution.

She therefore urged the court to discountenanced the defendant’s objection and continue with the hearing of the matter till conclusion if not all the counts, at least, of counts 3,10,11,13.

Responding, defence counsel, led by Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), thanked the prosecution counsel for her courage in conceding nine counts out of 13 counts.

Kanu argued that it was only the NJC that determine, “whether an offence is committed by judicial officer during the performance

of official duty or outside their official duty.”

The senior advocate stated that in the instant case, the NJC was not given the chance first to make that decision.

Arguing further, Kanu said the dignity of the office of a judge is violated if he is arraigned while he holds that title.

“That is the essence of the judgment. Remove the title before submitting him to trial,” he said.

He stated that if the prosecution has already conceded to nine of the counts, then the remaining should be struck out, stressing that the justice in Nganjiwa’s case should not be lost.

Kanu noted that the prosecution’s submission also upheld the court to strike out the entire counts.

Justice Tsoho after taking the submissions of the counsel, adjourned till March 23 for ruling on the application seeking to strike out the charge.

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THURSDAYSPORTS

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

AHEAD OF WORLD CUP

Eagles Tipped as One of the Seven Teams to Cause Upset in Russia Femi Solaja with agency report While attention has been focused on traditional heavyweights among whom will be the likely winner of the next installment of the World Cup this summer in Russia, world famous football blog, 90min.com, has tipped Nigeria’s Super Eagles as one of the seven countries that will prove bookmakers wrong when the tournament gets underway in June.

Super Eagles will play traditional foe and potential winner, Argentina, Croatia and dark horse, Iceland in Group D which by all standards is a tough pairing for the three-time African champions to survive.

However, what is giving the respected blog the hope of Nigeria doing well in Russia is the achievement recorded by Eagles since Franco-German gaffer, Gernot Rohr, took charge for the African qualifying series and friendlies.

90min.com tipped Nigeria alongside six other countries namely; Denmark, Poland, Senegal, Sweden, Egypt and England as likely teams capable of going all the

away to the final for the converted trophy in July.

“Another exciting African team is Nigeria, who haven’t played at a major tournament since the 2014 World Cup after failing to qualify for either of the last two Africa Cup of Nations.

“People might be expecting Iceland, who reached the quarter-finals at Euro 2016 and qualified well for this tournament, and Croatia to be battling it out for second place behind Argentina in Group D, but the Super Eagles have more than enough talent to make a case of their own.

“What’s more, finishing second would likely pair them with a French team not known for their spine or resilient tactics in the first knockout round,” the popular blog remarked further.

In the build up to the World Cup, Super Eagles will play against Poland in Wroclaw on Friday, 23rd March while the game with Serbia is for The Hive, London on Tuesday, 27th March 2018.

Eagles are to cap their build up with the high-profile friendly against England at

2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES

Team Nigeria Set for Gold Hunt in Gold Coast, Says Dalung The Ministry of Youth and Sports has finalised preparations for the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast in a meeting held yesterday with the 10 federations’ presidents whose athletes will be taking part in the Games.

The federations are athletics, basketball, wrestling, weightlifting, boxing, table tennis, gymnastics, para table tennis, para athletics and para powerlifting.

At the meeting yesterday, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, said the meeting with the 10

federations was to scrutinise and defend the athletes participation at the Games, evaluate their prospects and finalise arrangements for the last phase of training before the games.

“This is a down to earth meeting on our level of preparation. It is to convince be on how we will win medals based on the preparations we have made so far. The meeting is intended for the federations to defend the athletes they are presenting to us that we will be taking to this competition.”

Otokutu Wins Bronze of Zenith/Delta Principal’s Cup Otokutu Grammar School yesterday won the Third Place match of this year’s Zenith/ Delta Principal’s Cup football competition.

In a tension-soaked match decided at the Oleh Stadium, Otukutu defeated Boys Secondary School, Obiaruku 7-6 after penalty shoot-out.

Full time score stood at 2-2.

A player from each side registered the two goals scored respectively by the two teams. Onojovwo Philip of

Otokutu scored in 13th and 47th minutes while Okpor Jackson of Obiaruku scored in the 30th and 65th minutes for Boys School.

The interesting encounter was a preamble to the final of the competition billed to take place on Friday at the Ozoro Polytechnic Stadium.

Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, and other top dignitaries are expected to grace the final of the youth developmental competition.

the Wembley Stadium in London few days to the kick off of the tournament in Russia.

Last year, Super Eagles

surprised bookmakers with an emphatic 4-2 defeat of Argentina in an invitational friendly in Russia.

Since then, the team has

hug global attention and may not be a surprise if the team becomes the first African side to go beyond the quarterfinal stage after

Cameroon, Senegal and Ghana attained that feat at previous tournaments in 1990, 2002 and 2010 events respectively.

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki (left), and his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu; at the unveiling of the rebranded jersey of Bendel Insurance FC in Benin City…on Tuesday night

Obaseki Unveils Rebranded Bendel Insurance FC Says reforms aimed at job creation and youth devt Duro Ikhazuagbe One of Nigeria’s foremost football clubs, Bendel Insurance FC, was rebranded on Tuesday night at the Government House in Benin with most of the players and coaches that made the team household name in the country’s football present.

Legends like 86-year-old Alabi Aisien who won the 1978 Challenge Cup final as head coach of the Benin Arsenal and the first coach to win the FIFA Under-16 World Cup in China in 1985, Sebastine Brodericks-Imasuen, were present at the event along with several ex-players of the team.

Speaking at the event, Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, said his administration’s vision to reform sports is aimed at

creating jobs and curbing restiveness among youths.

The governor unveiled the new logo of the club which has the legendary Queen Idia mask as the main attraction.

Also, Obaseki unveiled sets of brand new jerseys, team bus, technical team as well as manual for the rebranded Bendel Insurance Football Club.

The new technical crew of the team is headed by Monday Odigie as Manager, while Baldwin Bazuaye, is the Head Coach with Greg Ikhenoba as his Assistant.

According to Obaseki, “We have a keen interest to reform the sports sector in the state, and this is aimed at providing solutions to youth restiveness and unemployment. For us, sports have the potential to uplift the lives of our people and offer hope to youths who seek a better country.

“Edo people are sportsloving. We will leverage this as we continue our reforms and give hope to our teeming youths. The steps made in reforming the Bendel Insurance FC will serve as reference point to drive more reforms in the sector.

“The Benin Arsenal I know will soon bounce back big and with what I have seen today, its obvious that a silent revolution on how club-sides should be properly managed outside government’s funding is happening,” he stressed further.

The governor added that the reforms will focus on grassroots sports development, noting, “Design and contracts for the construction of mini stadium in each local government area across the state have been completed. Local government chairmen will be mandated

to ensure that the project is completed to encourage young men and women at the grassroots to tap into sports.”

Obaseki called on investors in the state to support the present administration’s efforts to restore the state to its pride of place in sports in the country.

Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, hailed “the achievements of the club, which has a reputation of producing top stars for the national team. These include, George Omokaro, Peter Egharevba, Henry Ogboe, Agwo Naji, Austin Eguavoen, Wilson Oruma, Osaze Odemwingie, Julius Aghahowa, Elderson Echiejile, Baldwin Bazuaye, Pius Ikedia and several other ex-internationals.These great players have represented the state at national and international assignments.”

Draw Ceremony for AKS Youth Festival Holds Today in Uyo The Draw Ceremony of the 2nd Akwa Ibom State Youth Sports Festival is scheduled to hold today at the Civil Service Auditorium in Uyo, with Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, listed to be at the event.

Draw in team events, especially football, Mascot and Theme Songs are the major highlight of the ceremony today.

Meanwhile, the Opening

Ceremony for the youth sports festival earlier scheduled for March 5 has been moved by 24 hours to Tuesday, March 6, organisers announced yesterday.

According to the Organising Committee of the event, Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung, has already confirmed his attendance at the Youth Festival.

Athletes are expected to begin to arrive at their camps

starting from Saturday March 3.

Students in primary and secondary schools from 31 Local Government Areas of the state are to participate in the festival The festival torch, which has been on the rounds of all the 31 participating local councils in the state, was received in Onna during the week by Council Chairman, Imo Atat.

The state’s Commissioner

for Youth and Sports, Monday Ebong Uko told the media in Uyo that this year’s festival will definitely be an improvement “on the fantastic event we had last year. This year, His Excellency has approved cash awards to the leading Local Governments who stand to cart home N10m, N5m and N2m respectively to help develop sports infrastructure in their local government councils.”

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MISSILE Buhari to APC Executives “As we go into these elections, let us summon our individual and collective sense of duty to causes bigger than ourselves, and pledge to rise above our personal ambitions to support the general good” – President Muhammadu Buhari admonishing the All Progressives Congress executives to rise above their selfish inclinations and work for the general good.

OKEYIKECHUKWU GUEST COLUMNIST

The Dapchi Girls’ Dilemma T

he recent kidnap of over a hundred girls from a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State reemphasizes the upscale in the activities of the Boko Haram terrorist group. The dilemma here is how to juxtapose the increasing number of casualties, and the growing efficiency of the group, with the official claim that it has been technically defeated (after being degraded).

Regarding the Dapchi incident, the questions for us here are: (1) What has become of preemptive intelligence in Nigeria? (2) When can a city, town or village be said to be appropriately policed in Nigeria and how? (3) Does the Federal Government believe that it is seen to be doing enough about National Security today? If the answer to the last question is “Yes”, then we are in far more trouble than we can ever imagine.

If, on the other hand, the answer is “No”, then the government is not doing enough to show this awareness.

Those who say that the primary purpose of government is the welfare of the people and the security of lives and property have long since scored the President Muhammadu Buhari Federal Government low on all counts.

Hunger and inequity walk the land (negative citizen welfare); lives are being routinely lost in communal classes and herdsmen/farmer conflicts (negative personal security) and loss of farmlands and cattle to herders and cattle rustlers, respectively (negative protection of property). It therefore seems fair to assume that the Nigerian State as it exists today is a colossal failure.

The good news regarding the Dapchi girls is that the government has set up a 12-man committee to probe the circumstances leading to the kidnap. The bad news is three-pronged: (1) The committee is to find out the circumstances leading to the kidnap, whereas such a findings should already have been made available to the government by the security agencies. (2) The armed services and security agencies have been trading blames and thereby telling Nigerians that they were not at their duty posts at the material time. (3) There are extant reports of how and why security forces collapsed before the insurgents in the past, bearing the case of Mubi, Chibok and several others in mind; which relevant reports seem not be within the radar at the moment.

While the army and police traded blames, they forgot that Nigerians know there are no off-duty provisions in the Service Rules that would leave a town made totally vulnerable for marauders to come in; spend hours locating their targets and spend even more hours hauling away over a hundred human beings. Think of the number of vehicles used and the time spent during the operation. Yet they were unchallenged!

One major but unfortunate issue that the armed forces and security agencies must admit, and which is not new, is that there has never been genuine and sustainable inter-agency collaboration in national security. Meanwhile, it is only with such cooperation that we can curb the purposeless and self-replicating malignity of Boko Haram. Will a government committee made up of security and government representatives, some of which have been trading blames, not be distracted by the efforts of some agencies to ensure that whatever report is turned in does not indict them? Besides, for a government

Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris

Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai

notorious for abandoning its reports, is this not just another futile exercise just to be seen to be doing something while doing nothing?

Let us, for the record, take some time off and look at the activities of Boko Haram, the havoc it has wreaked and its reversal of all values, Islamic and Western. We shall, in the process, also note a few points about the growth of this insurgency and how it could have been contained long before now.

Local economies have collapsed in various parts of the North, traditional rulers have been

killed, ‘replaced’ or driven out of their domains, bombings and the sacking of otherwise peaceful villages and neighbourhoods have led to the decimation and abandonment of farmlands, cash crops and fishing communities. The sugarcane trade, the mainstay of some of the local economies, has disappeared in many areas.

Re-desertification has occurred in some places, after years of non-cultivation and irrigation. The traumatised lands show the absence of any meaningful productivity or economic activities.

The farmlands are desolate. The people have either fled to other parts of the country, or have been killed. Factories are shut down, many of them for over six years now. Most cottage industries are no more. Several of the schools are not in session; shut down by Boko Haram. Organised services, wherein labour is recognised and paid, are very limited. The absence of factories, farmlands and cottage industries automatically translates into lower productivity and lower input into overall GDP. Retrogression, or knowledge retardation, is only one of the consequences, with national development as the ultimate casualty in all of this.

Boko Haram started very quietly. Then it grew gradually for decades. While we can say that the negative social, economic, security and political activities that blew the lid, it was largely the inattention of the authorities to the progressive radicalisation of large sections of uneducated and economically vulnerable swaths of the population that got us where we are today.

With its claim to be focused on promoting purer and more spiritual values for a better humanity, the name, ‘Boko Haram` boils down to this: Western Education (boko) is sin (haram).

It rejects every form of `modernity`, especially Western education, Western culture and science.

The claim is that they pollute us, as human beings. But what does Boko Haram offer for its presumably superior moral and other values?

Look around you. What you see everywhere is the group`s failings as a vehicle for genuine human development.

While it may not be true that the origins of Boko Haram can be traced to Mohammed Marwa, founder of an older militant Maitatsine religious group, it makes sense to argue that the circumstances that created this earlier group may have contributed to the emergence of the

Will a government committee made up of security and government representatives, some of which have been trading blames, not be distracted by the efforts of some agencies to ensure that whatever report is turned in does not indict them?...is this not just another futile exercise just to be seen to be doing something while doing nothing?

latter. The group`s goals includes the creation of an Islamic state in Nigeria and the achievement of an anti-Western education target by stopping all regular schools. Yusuf used a school in his mosque for the recruitment of jihadis, or warriors for Islam; wherein the far more ambitious goal of creating a team that would later fight for the creation of an Islamic state was a quietly pursued aim.

Denouncing official corruption, while promising better material welfare to the people, helped the Yusuf group to draw followers, while remaining largely peaceful within the first seven years.

The group grew over the years, especially as it was providing stipends and jobs for the unemployed youths in its area of influence; where over 75 per cent of the people were said to live below the poverty line.

The Federal Government Committee on Security in the North-east reported that the critical propelling factors for the Boko Haram insurgency included high levels of poverty, illiteracy, massive unemployment of skilled and unskilled youths, the existence of private militias, failure of effective intelligence work which were set up, used and dumped by politicians. The ready availability of these abandoned militias of almajiris, in addition to the influx of illegal aliens through our porous borders, provides the needed cannon fodder for mischief. This is in addition to the provocative and inciting preaching of some religious leaders.

The dangers we now face in civil political stability because of Boko Haram are legion.

The Dapchi Girls kidnap is symptomatic of a thriving trend that is becoming too frequent to count. For a nation in recession and desperately in need of resources, too much of our earnings are being deployed in the fight against Boko Haram. This leaves us with a lower GDP, lower expenditure on social infrastructure per capita and an unavoidable disregard for those essential economic activities and incentives that drive growth and productivity and national development. This cannot be right.

Regarding the Dapchi girls, we now have the first near-equivalent of the Chibok Girls saga by a “defeated” terrorist group. Coming in the midst of doublespeak and mutual recriminations among the security agencies, this is further proof that the Federal Government appears to be totally out of its depths on all fronts. These girls are not statistics and numbers, but fellow human beings: people`s children, who have friends, cousins and all. Added to the Chibok saga, this is one kidnap too many.

Today the issues go far beyond the Dapchi girls. The Nigerian State is under a grievous siege it appears unwilling to admit. Worse still, the government has a lousy and really pathetic information management machinery that does it no credit. Asymmetric warfare, wherein the enemy is not only mobile but part of the landscape, is not an easy engagement by any stretch of the imagination. But asymmetrical government reflexes, asymmetrical government communication and inter-agency interface, when put together boil down to one thing, namely, incompetent leadership. Wanted: some indication of focus, coherence and a problem-solving trajectory around here NOTE: Olusegun Adeniyi’s Verdict will be back next week

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