THURSDAY 15TH MARCH 2018

CBN Reschedules MPC Meeting as Senate Begins Confirmation of D’Govs, Others Damilola Oyedele in Abuja In order to give the Senate time to conclude the process of screening and confirming President Muhammadu Buhari’s nominees for the post of deputy governors of

the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), the central bank has decided to postpone by a few days the meeting of the MPC originally slated for Monday and Tuesday next week.

The Senate yesterday referred the CBN nominees to its Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions and mandated the committee to begin the process of confirming them. This followed the adoption

of the communication from the president, requesting the Senate to confirm the nomination of the appointees. Moving for the adoption of the request, Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan said the process was in accordance with Section

12(1)(4) of the CBN Act. The President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, gave the committee one week to consider the requests. However, a senior official with the CBN informed THISDAY yesterday that a

decision had been taken to postpone the meeting of the MPC by a few days in order to the give the Senate time to conclude the confirmation process. Continued on page 10

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NA to Tweak Electoral Amendment Bill, Resend to Buhari for Assent House to override president on 10 other bills Court restrains legislature on electoral bill President’s men meet lawmakers, use carrot and stick approach to thwart vote for bill Damilola Oyedele, James Emejo and Alexander Enumah in Abuja As high-wire politics takes centre stage over the decision by President Muhammadu Buhari to decline assent to

the Electoral (Amendment) Bill, the National Assembly has announced its intention to retransmit a tweaked version of bill to the president for his assent. Continued on page 8

Compared to Jonathan, I Responded Promptly, Says Buhari on Dapchi Abduction Ex-president’s aide disagrees Michael Olugbode in Damaturu In his first visit to Yobe State since he assumed office and since the abduction of 110 schoolgirls by Boko Haram terrorists from a secondary school in the state, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday could not resist taking a jab at his predecessor, former President Goodluck Jonathan and his government over its handling of the

abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State, in 2014. Buhari, who chose to use the event of his visit to the state to draw a parallel between his government and the Jonathan administration, said his government acted more responsively when the 110 girls were abducted from their school in Dapchi, Yobe State. Continued on page 10

VISITING SCENE OF THE CRIME…

President Muhammadu Buhari (right) and Yobe State Governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, taking a tour yesterday of Government Girls’ Science and Technical College (GGSTC), Dapchi, Yobe State, where Boko Haram insurgents abducted 110 students last month

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PAGE EIGHT NA TO TWEAK ELECTORAL AMENDMENT BILL, RESEND TO BUHARI FOR ASSENT Two of the amendments, however, would be expunged from the bill, while the section, which changed the sequencing of general elections for the presidential elections to be conducted last, would be retained. The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Media and Publicity, Abdulrasaq Namdas, made this known at a media briefing yesterday, during which he equally disclosed that the lower legislative chamber has commenced the process of overriding the president on 10 bills, which were recently passed and transmitted for assent but were vetoed. The announcement from the National Assembly came on the heels of an order by Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, restraining the National Assembly from taking steps to override the president’s veto on the Electoral Amendment Bill. Notwithstanding the order of the court and decision of the National Assembly to retransmit the Electoral Amendment Bill to Buhari, a serving minister who was once a governor and a governor from one of the North-central geopolitical zone, on Tuesday night met with lawmakers from both chambers in the residence of a senator to lobby them not to override the bill. Providing clarity on the 10 other bills that the House intends to override, Namdas said the Electoral Amendment Bill was not one of them. He, however, listed the Peace Corps Establishment Bill, which the president vetoed for lack of funds, as one of the 10 bills. Namdas said the National Assembly agreed with the president on two reasons given for not assenting to the Electoral Amendment Bill, but rejected the third which bordered on the powers of parliament to legislate on the sequencing of the elections. The lawmakers had changed the sequencing of elections in the county for the National Assembly elections to be held first, before elections into the state Houses of Assembly and governorship on a separate day, while the presidential election would be conducted last, to complete the general election cycle. Section 25 of the Principal Act was specifically amended and substituted with a new Section 25(1) which provides that the elections shall be held in the following order: (a) National Assembly elections (b) State Houses of Assembly and Governorship elections (c) Presidential election. The amendment is expected to whittle down the bandwagon effects of presidential elections on other elections. In vetoing the bill, Buhari had also rejected the amendments to Section 138 of the Electoral Amendment Bill for limiting the rights of candidates in elections to a free and fair electoral review process, and Section 152(3)(5) on the grounds that it may raise constitutional issues over the competence of the National Assembly to legislate over local government elections. Consequently, Namdas explained that the amendments

to Sections 138 and 152(3)(5) would be expunged from the bill, and reintroduced afresh in both the House and Senate for debate and proper legislation, then passed and retransmitted for the president’s assent. “I want to say that as a responsible parliament, we’ve agreed with two of the three reasons given by the president. However, we are in disagreement with the president over the first reason that was advanced, which states that the sequence of elections in Section 25 of the Principal Act may infringe on the constitutionally guaranteed discretion of INEC to organise, undertake and supervise all elections provided in Section 15(8) of the Third Schedule to the Constitution,� he said. Continuing, Namdas added: “And our reasons for disagreeing on this matter is that if you look at Section 4 (of the Constitution), at least the one that deals with legislative powers in Item 22, it states that the National Assembly has powers over elections to the offices of the president and vice-president or governor and deputy governor and any other office to which a person may be elected under the Constitution, excluding election to a local government council or any office in such council. “So, if Section 4 (legislative powers), Item 22, gives us these powers, it means that we have the power to work on the order of elections as stated. Again, if you go to Section 76 of the Constitution, it states that elections to each House of the National Assembly shall be held on a date to be appointed by the Independent National Electoral Commission. “However, there’s a clause that goes further to state: ‘In accordance with the Electoral Act.’ This was added in the first alteration – that INEC has this power to fix dates but even at that, it has to act in accordance with the Electoral Act. “Thirdly, the entire Electoral Act, from page one to the last, talks about organising elections. If we do not have powers to legislation on how it organises the elections, that means we do not even have the powers to pass the Electoral Act itself. “Which means that the Act itself is illegal because it was passed by the National Assembly.� The House spokesman also observed that INEC introduced the card reader through internal regulations, leading to the nullification by the Supreme Court of several election petitions because the decision to deploy the technology was not backed by law. “Hence, this is the reason the electronic transmission of results and electronic voting has been included in the current amendment to the Electoral Act. “So, we just have to give this clarification to say that it is not true that we don’t have the powers to legislate on the Electoral Act,� Namdas added. Namdas further hinted that the legislature had begun the process of overriding Buhari’s veto on 10 bills. These include the Peace Corps of Nigeria Establishment Bill, Chartered Institute

of Treasury Management Establishment Bill, Nigerian Council for Social Work Establishment Bill, Currency Conversion Bill, Prison Orders Bill, Police Procurement Fund Establishment Bill, Environmental Officers Registration Bill, Chartered Institute of Loan and Risk Management Establishment Bill, Chartered Institute of Public Management of Nigeria Establishment Bill, Chartered Institute of Export and Commodity Brokers of Nigeria Establishment Bill, and Federal University, Wukari Establishment Bill. Attempts to reach the spokesman of the Senate, Senator Sabi Abdullahi to speak on the decision to retransmit the Electoral Act Amendment Bill failed, as he did not pick calls to his mobile phone, nor did he respond to a text message sent to him on the matter.

Not Leaving Anything to Chance However, as the National Assembly announced its intention to retransmit the Electoral Amendment Bill to Buhari, in the hope that he would change his mind, high-wire politics, including arm-twisting members of the legislature, was already being deployed by the executive to ensure that the two-thirds vote required in the legislature to override the veto does not scale through. In the days following the adoption of the amendment to Section 25 by the House and harmonisation with the Senate, the presidency had put in motion a plan to defeat any anticipated vote to override the veto. Buhari was expected to decline assent to the amendment in the first instance, and even with the tweaked amendment bill, it is expected that he would still veto it over concerns that the amendment to Section 25 of the legislation is targeted at weakening him in the 2019 polls. Accordingly, not wanting to leave anything to chance, some governors and ministers considered very loyal to the president have initiated measures to defeat any attempt to override the bill. The same set of loyalists were said to have initiated the alleged plot to remove Senate President Bukola Saraki from his position in January, with the support of some senators. A highly placed source told THISDAY that the loyalists met in the home of an anti-Saraki ranking senator late Tuesday night, the same day the president’s letter declining assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill was read in both chambers of the legislature. The meeting had in attendance a governor from the North-central geopolitical zone, a serving minister who was a former governor, some senators and members of the House. At the meeting, the governor was said to have informed the lawmakers of the options before them if they work with the executive to defeat any anticipated vote to override the president’s veto.

“The options are simple, they would be guaranteed tickets to return to the Senate and the House in 2019, and of course good money would be given to them as a reward,� a source disclosed. The source further revealed that they were also armtwisted by president’s men who dangled the prospects of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) coming after them. A source in the House also disclosed that the ethnic card was being bandied in the lower legislative chamber to ensure that members from the North do not vote in favour of overriding the veto. “The Northerners are being reminded that if they override the veto, it would mean that the National Assembly can mobilise to impeach the president. “If this happens, it means a Yoruba man would become president, this is the warning to them,� the House source said. He added that lawmakers were also being threatened, adding: “In Northern parts of the country where Buhari enjoys a cult-like following, it would be easy to incite their people against them.�

Court Restrains Legislature Despite all the machinations in the legislative and executive arms of government, Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court Abuja yesterday gave an order restraining the legislature from taking further steps to pass into law the Electoral Amendment Bill. In granting the preservative order, Justice Mohammed specifically ordered the defendants to maintain status quo ante bellum (meaning the state existing before amendment), pending the next adjourned date fixed for Tuesday, March 20, 2018. Justice Mohammed gave the order while delivering a ruling on an oral application for a preservative order brought by the plaintiff, Accord Party, seeking the court’s intervention in the matter. The judge ruled that there was need to preserve the res of the matter. “In view of the provisions of Section 58, Sub-section 5 of the 1999 Constitution which empowers the National Assembly to veto the president withholding his assent by a two-thirds majority vote, the court is simply to preserve the res in order to safeguard the integrity of the court and the sanctity of the judiciary under Section 6(6) of the 1999 Constitution. “The parties are therefore ordered to maintain status quo ante bellum between now and the next adjourned date. Hearing notice is to be served on the second defendant who is absent in court,� he ruled. In the motion filed pursuant to Order 26, Rules 1, 2 and 3 and Order 18, Rule 1 of the Federal High Court, the plaintiff prayed for an interlocutory injunction restraining the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from assenting to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2018, as passed by the first defendant, pending the final determination

of the substantive originating summons. Secondly, the plaintiff had sought a further order of interlocutory injunction restraining the first defendant (National Assembly) from taking any further action or actions on the bill titled, ‘Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2018,’ particularly to convene to pass the said bill by a two-thirds majority of each of its two chambers, pending the final determination of the substantive originating summons. In the originating summons marked FHC/ ABJ/CS/232/2018, the plaintiff listed eight issues for determination by the court, including: “Having regards to the combined provisions of Sections 79, 116, 118, 132, 153, 160(1) and 178 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the Constitution read together with Paragraph 15(a) of the Third Schedule to the same Constitution, whether the third defendant (Independent National Electoral Commission) is not the only institution or body constitutionally vested with the powers and vires to organise, undertake and supervise elections to the offices of the president, the vice-president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the governor and deputy governor of a state, the membership of the Senate, the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly of each state of the federation, including fixing the sequence and dates of the elections to the said offices?� The plaintiff further asked for a declaration that the third defendant is the only body and or institution constitutionally vested with the powers, vires and duties to organise, undertake and supervise elections to the offices of the president and vice-president, the governor and deputy governor of a state, the membership of the Senate, the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly of each state of the federation, including fixing or assigning dates for the said elections and the sequence of same. The plaintiff is, therefore, asking the court for an order setting aside Clause 25 of the Electoral Amendment Bill. When the case was mentioned, counsel to the plaintiff, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) told the court that the defendants were served with the originating summons on March 12, 2018, and as such were prepared to go ahead with their argument. However, counsel to the first defendant, Ms. Chinelu Ogbazor, argued that the motion was not ripe for hearing, going by the rules of the court that require a time frame of 48 hours after service before it can be heard. The counsel, in addition, said the first defendant was entitled to seven days within which it can respond to any motion, and with the permission of the court would be asking for a short adjournment to prepare their reply to the motion. Taminu Inuwa, counsel to the third defendant, did not oppose to the hearing of the motion. But in his response to the request for adjournment,

Olanipekun said that the plaintiff would not have opposed the request if the counsel to the first defendant gave an undertaking that his client (National Assembly) would not take any action that would affect the res of litigation until the determination of the matter. But Ogbazor declined to give the undertaking, stressing that the time given by law to respond to the motion had not elapsed, adding that the National Assembly was served with the court process less than 48 hours ago. Her refusal prompted the plaintiff to move an oral application for a preservative order. He contended that following the refusal of the president to assent to the bill, the National Assembly with the powers vested in it could go ahead and override the president’s veto and thereby pass the bill into law while the matter was pending. Olanipekun urged the court to order that the status quo at the time the application was filed and at the time arguments were made. Opposing the application, Ogbazo, submitted that the Federal High Court was not a court of summary jurisdiction but a superior court of records. She described as weighty the application of the plaintiff, which should not have come by way of oral application. She submitted that granting the preservative order would be tantamount to granting the motion on notice and it would, therefore, deny the first defendant the right to fair hearing. Ogbazor, in urging the court to dismiss the application, said the plaintiff failed to comply with the proper way of bringing such application. But in his ruling, Justice Mohammed held that ordinarily, the plaintiff's motion would not have been taken, considering the time of service. However, he said due to the fact that the Constitution does not provide a time frame within which the legislature can veto the president withholding his assent and the fears of the plaintiff, there was the need to preserve the res of the matter. “It is while uncertainty still prevails that the court can act to preserve the res of the matter. The court is not granting the reliefs, it is only preserving the res,� Justice Mohammed said. He thereafter adjourned till March 20 for the hearing of the substantive suit.

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PAGE TEN COMPARED TO JONATHAN, I RESPONDED PROMPTLY, SAYS BUHARI ON DAPCHI ABDUCTION But in reaction to the president’s remark, Reno Omokri, a former aide of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan dismissed the assertion, saying Buhari was being dishonest. In a statement issued by the presidency on Buhari’s visit to Yobe, Buhari was quoted to have said: “The federal government’s response to the unfortunate abduction of the schoolgirls is a clear departure from the insensitivity of the past administration which looked the other way while the Chibok girls were taken away in 2014 and held in captivity for over three years.� He made the remark at the Government House, Damaturu, the Yobe capital, where he met with government officials, security and intelligence chiefs, community and religious leaders, and the parents and families of the abducted girls, during a town hall meeting. During the meeting, Buhari was said to have assured the parents and families of the missing girls that their daughters will be rescued or released. He went on to recount the recent successes recorded by his administration in rescuing Boko Haram hostages, citing the release of more than 100 Chibok girls, University of Maiduguri lecturers, some female police personnel, students and an National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member. On this basis, the president declared: “I have no doubt that the Dapchi girls will be rescued or released. I want to reassure parents, Nigerians and the international community that we will do all that is within our power to make sure that the girls are brought back safely to their families.� The president told the gathering that the federal government was partnering with the international community including Nigeria’s immediate neighbours to ensure the safe return of the girls. “Just recently, I reiterated our resolve to negotiate for the unconditional release of the girls. “This is borne out of this administration’s conviction that doing so is safer and devoid of risk, and will not endanger the lives of our young girls who are

in harm’s way. “There will be no rest till the last girl, whether from Chibok and Dapchi, is released. The girls, like all our citizens, must enjoy unhindered freedom and pursue their legitimate aspirations. “The Dapchi and Chibok students are our girls and must enjoy our protection. They must live to achieve their individual ambitions, to be great women of tomorrow. It is our duty to protect them.� Buhari warned that anyone found to be negligent, leading to the abductions would be punished in accordance with the law. “The federal government has set up a 12-member committee to unravel the circumstances surrounding the abduction of the students. “The membership of the committee was drawn from among the security agencies and local residents. It is my hope that any agency, person or group found to have been negligent or culpable in the abduction of the girls will be punished in accordance with the law,� he said. Enumerating several steps so far taken in the search and rescue of the missing girls, the president described the efforts as the best under the circumstances, adding that it was a marked departure from the attitude of the preceding administration when 276 Chibok schoolgirls were abducted. “On 19th February 2018, we woke up to the painful news of the abduction of 110 students of Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi. “Since this ugly incident happened, I have not left any stone unturned in making sure that the girls are rescued. “I have ordered the service chiefs and the Inspector General of Police to take direct charge and brief me on a daily basis on the efforts to bring back the girls. “Within four days of the incident, the Minister of Information visited Dapchi and the next day, the Minister of Interior who was accompanied by the Minister of Information revisited the school for an on-the-spot assessment. “I have ordered the re-strengthening of a joint operational base involving the relevant agencies and services to coordinate the

rescue mission. Consequently, the service commanders have not only established a unified command centre in Maiduguri, the military has raised several rescue teams to comb the forests in the North-east Theatre of Operation. “In addition, the Nigerian Air Force has maintained aerial surveillance of the area. The federal government had earlier sent a delegation of senior officials to visit the governor and the parents of the girls to reassure them of the measures the government is taking, as well as have an on-the-spot assessment of the incident. “The federal government’s response to the unfortunate abduction of the schoolgirls is a clear departure from the insensitivity of the past administration which looked the other way while the Chibok girls were taken away in 2014 and held in captivity for over three years,� he said. The president was said to have pledged that his administration would remain resolute in the fight against terrorism and the Boko Haram insurgents. Buhari also called on the parents and families of the abducted girls to refrain from making statements that may jeopardise the rescue of their daughters. He said his government was aware of the actions of some Nigerians to use the situation to score cheap political points and urged good spirited Nigerians to shun them. According to hem, “We are determined to restore peace to all part of the country – from the West to the East; North to the South. While calling for calm, I implore affected parents and families to refrain from making statements that may jeopardise the success of the rescue mission. “We are aware of orchestrations by some evil elements to take advantage of the development to score cheap political points. I call on law-abiding citizens to shun activities and statements that may cause a breakdown of law and order.� The president also commiserated with the parents, families and the government of Yobe State over the girls’ abduction, promising that the federal

government was putting measures in place to ensure that abductions become a thing of the past. “The government under my watch will continue to maintain normalcy and ensure that incidents of this nature are stopped. Be assured that measures are being put in place to achieve these objectives. “I am here in Yobe State today to express my sincere sympathies with the parents, families, the government and the entire people of Yobe State whose daughters were callously abducted by unrepentant terrorists,� he said. Responding, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State thanked the president for sharing in their grief, stressing that the visit was fatherly and welcome. Gaidam assured him that the people of the state were behind him and would do everything necessary to support the development of the country. He said the president has demonstrated compassion with the people of the state since the sad incident as he had earlier sent four separate delegations to Yobe. He said the president’s the visit boosted the people’s confidence that the girls will be rescued and brought back home. “This has shown that the president is with them and feels their pains as a father and is ready to do everything to rescue the girls,� the governor said. Gaidam also thanked the international community for their concern and the security agencies for their unrelenting efforts in the fight against the insurgency. He informed the president that the military had restored personnel to Dapchi town, while security personnel have been deployed in all schools in the state. However, in reaction to Buhari’s comment that he handled the Dapchi abduction better that Jonathan handled a similar incident in Chibok four years ago, Jonathan’s former aide dismissed the assertion, saying Buhari was lying. In a statement yesterday, Omokri said: “It beats my imagination why a president who is close to 80 years of age will continue to lie like a child. “When the Chibok girls

were kidnapped, the Jonathan administration did not ‘look the other way’ as President Buhari claims and historical records prove this. The Chibok girls were kidnapped on April 14, 2014. Exactly three days later, on April 17, 2014, then President Goodluck Jonathan called an emergency National Security Council meeting at Aso Rock Presidential Villa. Is this the act of an administration or a president that looks away? “Now more than two weeks after the Dapchi Girls were kidnapped, has President Buhari held a National Security Council meeting to address the situation? “No, he has not. As a matter of fact, to prove to Nigerians how inept he is, the president cancelled the Federal Executive Council meeting that was to hold after the Dapchi Girls were kidnapped because of a conference he had to attend. “Between a president who calls an emergency meeting after Chibok and a president who cancelled an important meeting so he could attend an economic conference, who can be described as looking the other way?� Omokri wondered what kind of serious leader cancels the most important meeting in his nation at a time when Kaduna is facing ethnic and religious killings, Zamfara is facing mass killings by bandits, Benue, Plateau, Adamawa and Taraba are facing an onslaught from Fulani herdsmen, and 110 girls were kidnapped in Dapchi. According to him, “When Yusuf Buhari had an accident, President Buhari cancelled all his engagements and headed straight to the hospital. “When the Dapchi girls were kidnapped, the same President Buhari carried on as usual and went to Kano to go and dance and socialise at a society wedding! “After the Jonathan administration held an emergency National Security Council meeting on April 17, 2014, the Nigerian Army and Air Force began searching for the Chibok girls with sorties being flown in search of the girls.� He further alleged that one of the people who undermined the then administration’s anti-terror war was Buhari who on June 3, 2013, said the “military

offensive against Boko Haram is anti-North�. Omokri also observed that the president lied when he said his administration “rescued� 100 Chibok girls, saying they were not rescued but released by Boko Haram in exchange for ransom and captured commanders of the terror sect. “The Chibok girls were not rescued. As a matter of fact, they were released by Boko Haram after the alleged payment of huge ransoms and freedom of captured Boko Haram commanders by the Buhari administration. “Only two weeks ago, Shuaibu Moni, one of the Boko Haram commanders released by the Buhari administration went back to Sambisa Forest and released a video threatening Nigeria. “Who knows whether it was money allegedly paid as ransom to Boko Haram, or individuals freed by the government that were used to facilitate the kidnap of the Dapchi girls and the recent killings of United Nations staff in Rann. “Again, three weeks ago, Chief Mike Okiro, the head of the Police Service Commission, revealed that under President Muhammadu Buhari, 150,000 policemen are guarding ‘big men’ instead of performing core police duties. “President Buhari’s son, Yusuf, alone had more guards guarding him than the guards attached to Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, at the time of the kidnapping, yet the president has the guts to say he handled Dapchi better than Jonathan handled Chibok. “A serious president, knowing how vulnerable the North-east is, would have sent these 150,000 policemen to guard schools in the Northeast rather than send them out to guard APC big shots all over the country. “Finally, can President Buhari, who claims to have defeated Boko Haram, tell the world how many people are killed daily by Boko Haram under his regime as compared to the previous regime? “In the first ten weeks of 2018, Boko Haram killed 519 people in the North-east. Only a patently dishonest leader can claim to have defeated Boko Haram with such numbers,� he said.

CBN RESCHEDULES MPC MEETING AS SENATE BEGINS CONFIRMATION OF D’GOVS, OTHERS He said: “Since the Senate Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions has been given one week to conclude its work, there is no way the Senate can conclude the confirmation process of the nominees before the meeting on Monday and Tuesday. “So the meeting will be shifted by a few days and

announced accordingly by the communications department of the Bank,� he said. The nominees for deputy governorship posts in the central bank are Mrs. Aisha Ahmad and Mr. Edward Adamu, while the nominees to be considered for the MPC are Professor Adeola Festus Adenikinju, Dr. Aliyu

Rafindadi Sanusi, Dr. Robert Chikwendu Asogwa and Dr. Asheikh A. Maidugu. The Senate referral followed Tuesday’s resolution by the chamber to make a concession to consider and confirm the CBN nominees so as to ensure that the MPC forms the required quorum at its next meeting.

The MPC was unable to hold its meeting last January, as it could not form a quorum. This arose from the July 2017 resolution of the Senate to suspend all confirmation processes for presidential nominees whose offices are not specifically listed in the 1999 Constitution.

The resolution was made after Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, by his remark, deepened the rift between the Senate and the Executive over the rejection twice by the Senate of the nomination of Mr. Ibrahim Magu as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Reacting to the rejection,

Osinbajo had said since the EFCC was not specified in the constitution, there was no need to have sent the nomination to the Senate in the first instance. The Senate thereafter resolved to suspend consideration of all such nominees, pending the legal determination of its power of confirmation.

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NEWS

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

Herdsmen Menace: Two Policemen, Several Others Killed in Benue, Plateau Lalong imposes dusk-to-dawn curfew on Bassa LGA Seriki Adinoyi in Jos and George Okoh in Makurdi Two riot policemen attached to the military Special Task Force (STF) on security in Plateau State and scores of civilians were killed in a sporadic gun duel between suspected Fulani herdsmen and security agents yesterday morning at Rafiki, Dong and Maifarin-mota villages in Bassa Local Government Area of the state. Over 20 houses, including a church building belonging to Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) were also burnt in the mayhem, while about eight villagers were declared missing as at the time of filing this report. Students, including those from foreign countries, of International Evangelism Institute located in the area had to immediately be evacuated by the security agents to safety when the battle became heated. There were conflicting reports on the cause of the violence, and the casualty figure. A resident of Maifarin-mota, a neighbourhood of Rafiki, Mr. Moses Bot, alleged that the fresh violence was triggered by the arrest of four Fulani with AK-47 rifles on Tuesday night. He narrated: “Last night the

police arrested four Fulani men with AK-47 and took them to the police headquarters in Jos. The arrest probably angered the other Fulani men who came over to the community this morning (Wednesday) at about 6:30a.m. and began to shoot sporadically causing panic. Residents are currently fleeing away now as I talk with you on the phone.” But the state Chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Mohammad Nuru Abdullah, said the natives mobilised and came to attack Fulani settlement at Rafiki at about 6:30a.m. yesterday, killing five Fulani and destroying their property. He expressed worry that the security agents did not come to their rescue from 6:30a.m. to about 10a.m. when the havoc was wreaked. When contacted, the spokesman of the STF, Major Umar Adam, confirmed that two policemen attached to the STF were killed, and another two critically wounded, and are now receiving treatment at the Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos. He added that eight persons from both the natives and Fulani had been arrested in connection with the violence, and much ammunition recovered.

Kachikwu: Modular Refineries Not Conceived to Guarantee Petrol Supply Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, yesterday in Abuja, said the idea of modular refineries in the Niger Delta was not designed to address the challenges of crude oil refining in the country. The minister made the comment while answering questions from State House correspondents on the challenges posed by non-availability of refineries to refine crude oil at the end of weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) and consequently stop continuous dependence on imported petroleum products. According to him, the idea of modular refineries was conceived to provide jobs in some communities in the Niger Delta where residents engage in illegal bunkering, insisting that modular refineries have no capacity to bridge existing supply gap. “On modular refineries, modular wasn’t supposed to provide a sufficient solution to your product needs, modulars are on the average between 2,000 and 5,000 maybe 10,000 capacity most per refinery. Your consumption is about 630,000 barrels per day. That is not the essence of modular; what modular is supposed to do for us is provide work within some of these communities where people are busy doing illegal refining. “It’s not meant to address the refining product gap we have in the country. We are hoping that those gaps will be covered by a mixture of the three or four refineries that government owns - currently, Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna and

of course the Dangote refinery of 600 barrels,” he said. He also disclosed the challenges hindering the operations of existing refineries, pointing out that when the government came on board, there was no money to fix the refineries as money had to be raised through collaboration with private sector. “As a seasoned professional, I have given all the guardian that is required to fix the refineries. We came into a situation where we don’t have money to fix the refineries. We had to raise the money looking into the (private public partnership) PPP model. It has to go through a process. “The technical committee is headed by Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Obviously, they submitted their report to the board when they completed their work. “So, from a governance and guidance sense, steering point of view, I think that steering is right on track from a management of the technical aspect of the contracting. That is something we would have to allow NNPC to handle. It is not the job of the ministry to superimpose. You got to let them do their work and do it efficiently,” he added. Also answering a question on whether the sack of former United States Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson would not affect the agreement reached with him by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffery Onyeama, said it would not because the agreement was with the US and not with an individual.

Adam added that more troops and a fighter jet had been deployed to the area to keep surveillance. “Leaders of the natives and the Fulani have been summoned to the state Government House, Rayfield for dialogue.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Tyopev Terna, did not pick his phone when calls were put across to him,. He did not also respond to text messages sent to him. However, the state Governor,

Simon Bako Lalong, has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on Bassa Local Government Area, citing wanton destruction of lives and property at Rafiki, Dong, and some other areas of the local government area as reason.

In a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Rufus Bature, Lalong urged the communities to sheathe their swords and allow the law to

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CELEBRATING WAPIC AT 60…

L-R: Managing Director, Wapic Insurance Plc, Yinka Adekoya; President/CE, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; Chairman, Wapic Insurance, Aigboje Aig-Imokhuede; and Executive Director, WAPIC Insurance, Bode Oyeniyi, cutting a cake in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the WAPIC Insurance, in Lagos… yesterday

Nigeria to Bid for Location of Headquarters as Buhari Signs CFTA Agreement Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday in Abuja resolved to bid for the location of headquarters of Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) as President Muhammadu Buhari joins other African heads of state and governments in Kigali, Rwanda to sign agreement for the take-off of the policy on March 21. Briefing journalists at the end of the weekly FEC meeting presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo in the State House, the Minister of Industry, Trade and investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, said Nigeria’s trade capacity which he said had hitherto been between 13 and 15 per cent, would be boosted by the framework. According to him, the decision to establish CFTA was the was taken in 2012 by all Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) at their 18th ordinary session held in Addis Ababa, describing it as the first step in the implementation of AU Agenda 2063 meant to build an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa. The minister who said federal government’s decision to bid for the headquarters of CFTA was predicated on the notable leading roles that the county had played in the negotiation process, pointing out that it was the belief of FEC that it was better to be a leader by being the host nation than being a mere follower.

He further said FEC gave approval for the ministry along with relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to proceed to the next stage of the negotiation. “In terms of what was approved in council today, the council approved for Nigeria to sign that agreement establishing CFTA in Kigali on March 21st which will be signed by our president at an extraordinary session of the AU. It also approved for Nigeria to express an interest in preparing a bid to host the secretariat where the work will be done. “Nigeria has played a leadership role in the negotiations. Our chief negotiator and director-general of the Nigerian office for trade negotiations was the chairperson of the negotiating technical team. “Also the African Ministers for Trade and Group was chaired by myself and so, if they played a leading role in this negotiation, we feel that it is better to lead than to follow. Therefore, we also got an approval to express an interest in the secretariat of CFTA, that the headquarters be located in Nigeria. Obviously, we are expecting it to be a competitive process but Nigeria will be interested. “We also got an approval for the Nigerian office for trade negotiations along MDAs and the private sector to work together and continue with the next stage of the negotiation. The first stage is the overall framework establishing CFTA. The next is the protocol on trade in goods and associated annexes; also a protocol on trade in services and

finally, the protocol on rules and procedures for the settlement of disputes,” he said. Also briefing, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geofrey Onyeama, said in line with the vision of African heads of state and government to promote free movement and trade in Africa, CFTA was conceived to remove trade barriers. He said the development would be resourceful for Nigeria, noting that the country which is made up of 180 million population ought to be the economic engine of the continent that the policy can help it to achieve. According to further information provided by the presidency on the policy, with the advent of CFTA, the continent said to be a market of 1.2 billion Africans with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of $2.5 trillion is expected to witness an increase in intra-African trade by up to 52.3 per cent. Furthermore, the presidency said all AU countries would share in the welfare gains estimated at about 2.64 per cent of continental GDP of $65 billion in 2018 and consequently expand the size of Africa’s economy to $29 trillion by 2050 as estimated by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Specific gains listed to accrue to Nigeria from the policy include: expansion of market access for Nigeria’s exporters of goods and services, growth and job creation; elimination of barriers against Nigeria’s products and provide a dispute settlement mechanism for stopping the

hostile and discriminatory treatment directed against Nigerian natural and corporate business persons in other African countries. The policy, it was added, would stimulate an estimated 8.18 percent increase in Nigeria’s total exports, with a small structural shift in Nigeria’s economy towards manufacturing and services and is expected to lead to a total increase in Nigerian economic welfare by 0.62 per cent - equivalent to around $2.9 billion in 2018 terms. Asked whether enough consultations were carried out with the Nigerian business community before Nigeria resolved to sign CFTA policy, Enelamah said: “The president in his directive in February 2017, constituted a negotiating committee that included organised private sector and business like Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA). They have been working with us. “However, the level of consultation needs to be much wider and FEC also pointed that out. “In fact, tomorrow the Minister of Foreign Affairs is holding a meeting tomorrow with MAN and other stakeholders and this is just a process that will continue. So, we do expect to engage and we have been asked by the presidency to widen those engagements to include more people, go to the geo-political zones which is why it is important to have an interaction with you the media today.”

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NEWS

Nigeria’s External Debt Rises to $18.9bn, Domestic Debt to N15.9tn Inflation dips further to 14.33% in February Ndubuisi Francis and Udora Orizu in Abuja Nigeria’s external debt rose to $18.91 billion (N5.787 trillion) as at the end of December 2017, while domestic debt rose to N15.937 trillion, bringing the total debt stock of the country to N21.725 trillion ($70.92 billion), data released yesterday by the Debt Management Office (DMO), has shown. At N21.725 trillion, the country’s total debt stock rose to a new high, from N17.36 trillion ($56.73 billion) at the end of 2016. Effectively, total debt as a percentage of GDP also rose to 18.2 per cent, based on International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates, which put Nigeria’s nominal GDP at $394.8 billion (N122.4 trillion) in 2017. The DMO Director-General, Ms Patience Oniha, who provided the data on Nigeria’s debt at a press briefing in Abuja on the nation’s Debt Management Strategy (DMS), said a detailed analysis of the debt stock depicted that the federal government’s domestic debt at the end of 2017 stood at N12.589 trillion, while the states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) accounted for N3.348 trillion of domestic debt. The latest debt data came just as the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in its inflation report for February, showed that the inflation rate fell by 0.8 per cent, from 15.13

per cent in January to 14.33 per cent last month. A further analysis provided by Oniha showed that total external debt of both the federal and state governments was N5.787 trillion ($18.91 billion) in 2017. “The figures released showed that domestic debt for the federal government was N12.589 trillion, while the domestic debt of states and FCT was N3.348 trillion. “The external debt of the federal government, states and the FCT was N5.787 trillion ($18.91 billion). The total public debt as at December 31, 2017, was N21.725 trillion,” she said. According to her, total public debt represented 18.20 per cent of Nigeria’s GDP in 2017. This shows that Nigeria’s debt continues to be sustainable and is well within the threshold of 56 per cent for countries in Nigeria’s peer group, she stated. The DMO DG disclosed that the recent borrowings were, largely “for financing capital expenditure and stimulating the economy. “The funds injected through the borrowings strongly supported the implementation of the federal government’s budget which helped the country to exit the recession in 2017,” she said. Oniha explained that the new Debt Management Strategy had culminated in restructuring the portfolio with attendant reduction of debt servicing costs, lowering interests rates in the domestic

market and an improved availability of credit facilities to the private sector. She said the $3 billion Eurobond issue used in refinancing maturing domestic debt has resulted in an annual savings of about N81.66 billion in debt servicing, as the Eurobond was secured at about 7 per cent interest, compared to about 15 or 16 per cent interest on domestic borrowings. “DMO repaid N198 billion Nigerian Treasury Bills in December 2017 with the proceeds of Eurobond issuances, and it has continued further implementation of the strategy in 2018 with the issuance of the $2.5 billion Eurobonds in February 2018. “The proceeds of the $2.5 billion Eurobond are being used to repay maturing domestic debt, starting with N130 billion NTBs repaid on March 1, 2018.” The federal government also

plans to repay N482 billion of treasury bills in the second quarter and will halve the amount it wants to raise between March and May to lower borrowing costs, according to its debt auction calendar seen by Reuters yesterday. A total of N964 billion worth of bills fall due in the second quarter, of which the government plans to roll over N482 billion. News of those plans sent yields down 0.4 per cent on the secondary market yesterday, traders said. Part of the Debt Management Strategy is aimed at reducing the ratio of domestic debt in the portfolio, while the ratio of external debt is increased – with a target of 60 per cent domestic and 40 per cent external. The composition of the debt stock as at the end of 2017 showed that external debt was 26.64 per

cent of the portfolio, up from 20.04% in 2016, while domestic debt was 73.36 per cent, down from 79.96 per cent in 2016. Oniha said the federal government had to borrow because of the decline in revenues but assured that the most important consideration was the fact that the proceeds were being prudently applied to bridge the infrastructure gap. The rate of increase of debt service, she stated, would reduce going forward, given the federal government’s attention to raising revenue through the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS), as well as targeted efforts to increase local production of some of the goods responsible for high foreign exchange demand. According to her, “Rice is a good story and we can replicate the rice story in other sectors.

As we reduce imports and increase exportation of goods, we will readily build our external reserves.”

Inflation Dips to 14.33% Meanwhile, for the 13th consecutive month, the inflation rate continued its downward trajectory, falling from 15.13 per cent in January to 14.33 per cent in February, representing a 0.8 per cent drop. According to the latest figures released by the NBS, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures the rate of inflation, stood at 14.33 per cent in February. However, the continuing slide in inflation rate has not led to a drop in the cost of living in the county. The NBS explained that

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Metuh Begs Court for Permission to Travel Abroad for Treatment Alex Enumah in Abuja The former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, yesterday pleaded with the Federal High Court in Abuja to release his international passport to enable him travel abroad for medical attention. Metuh in his application moved by his counsel, Emeka Etiaba (SAN), prayed the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, to grant him leave to travel abroad on health reasons. Metuh alongside his company, Destra Investment ltd, are standing trial on a seven-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of N400m. However, part of the bail conditions granted the former PDP spokesman include submission of his international passport to the Registrar of the court. Arguing the application for the release of Metuh’s travel document yesterday, his counsel, told the court that the instant application was different from the two previous ones, which the court had heard and ruled on. He drew the attention of the court to Exhibit three attached to the application, which is a letter dated February 14, 2018 addressed to Dr. Raymond Onwuelo by Mr. Andrean T. H. Kessy, a Neurological and Spinal Surgery Consultant in London, stating detailed health status of Metuh. According to Etiaba, the surgery on Metuh will take about ten days and requires five weeks to heal, and added that, “Even when a

defendant, in a trial as this, is due for a routine medical check up, that ordinarily will grant an application such as this, but we have gone beyond that to show why the court should grant the application. “We have asked the prosecution to make available health personnel to evaluate the heath status of the first defendant in this matter to show our sincerity in our application for him to travel abroad on medical grounds,” he told the court. In his submission, counsel to the second defendant, Destra Investments Limited, allegedly owned by Metuh, Tochukwu Onwugbufor (SAN), said the application deals with the exercise of the court’s discretion. He said the granting of the application by the court would speed up the trial as Metuh will have no reason to be absent from court for his trial. The prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, while opposing the application submitted that the defence have failed to place sufficient materials before the court to warrant it exercise it’s discretion on the application. He said all the exhibits the defence attached to support the affidavit are un-convincing and that none qualify as a medical report to warrant a critical look by the court to see the defendant’s complaints of ill-health. Tahir therefore urged the court to dismiss the application for lacking in merit and consider it as an abuse of court’s process.

I AM BACK

L-R: Former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin; Chief Whip, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa; and Hon. Abdullahi Kontagora, in a joyful mood during Jibrin’s resumption after his suspension from the House at the National Assembly in Abuja... yesterday Julius Atoi

Undetonated Bombs Dropped by NAF Still Threat to Adamawa Communities, Say Residents Daji Sani in Yola Residents of Adamawa communities have raised the alarm over some undetonated bombs found in Shaforon, a community in Numan, saying they pose danger to the entire Numan communities. The alarm is coming barely three months after more than 75 people were allegedly killed in a Nigerian Air Force bombardment of the area. Members of the affected communities are alleging that there are still some undetonated bombs dropped by the air force that are threat to them. In a statement made available to THISDAY yesterday evening by the affected communities and signed by Jonathan Lawrence who is a spokesman of the

communities, said there was still an imminent threat from bombs after they discovered three suspected undetonated bombs in one of the affected communities and that there might be more buried within the communities which could pose lethal threat to the people if not detected and detonated. One of the leaders of the community, Prof. Wonotazakan Tagowa, said: “Our community still lives in fear of the multiple bombs that were dropped here by the Nigeria Air Force. “It is important that steps are taken to conduct aerial survey of these communities and identify where the remnants of the bombs are and safely evacuate and detonate them.

“Our communities are farming communities and people may step on these things and be killed by them. “We have found some before and have reported to the relevant authorities who came and detonated them.” Speaking on the attack, the community’s spokesman, Lawrence said: “The SNEB pods and rockets with high explosive warheads show that NAF used excessive unlawful force against our people. “We are therefore showing Nigerians and the international community that just as Amnesty International reported, there is credible evidence that the NAF raids on our villages had disastrous consequences and those raids were genocidal and constitute crime against

humanity.” Lawrence said: “We reject the narrative that the invasion of our villages was within the realm of herders-farmers.” He explained that the security situation in the area had some clear “manifestations of complicity by government and security agencies.” He said the Numan attack had some notable significance as it was the first in the country where military helicopters, drones and fighter jet were “used to provide aerial cover for Fulani terrorists to kill, maim and destroy property.” The community used the occasion to call on Nigerians to classify the air force attack as “Gross abuse of human rights and acts of genocide crime against humanity.”

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NEWS

Dasukigate: Judge Lambasts EFCC for Misconduct, Withdraws from Suit Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court in Abuja has lambasted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for its display of gross misconduct in the prosecution of an alleged N3.1 billion corruption case by the anti-graft agency. The judge who accused the EFCC of frustrating proceedings in the trial and attempting to take over control of his court withdrew from the case and returned its file to the Chief Judge of the court, Justice Abdul Adamu Kafarati, for re-assignment to another court. The trial involving a serving Colonel in the Nigerian Army, Nicholas Ashinze, and five others ran into storm during the cross examination of an EFCC operative, Mr. Hassan Sheidu. Counsel to the army officer, Mr. Ernest Nwoye, had asked the EFCC operative who conducted investigation into the case to confirm to the court, if the name of Ashinze appeared in any of the transactions relating to the N3.1B water project contract and which he answered negatively. Nwoye also asked the EFCC witness to confirm to the court whether the contract was initiated by the office of the National Security Adviser where the army officer served or the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and which he answered in favour of the latter. Trouble began when another question on whether the NSA office was responsible for payment of the contract and whether the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which effected payment ever declared the water contract illegal or fraudulent and which he answered in the negative. Nwoye then asked the EFCC witness to tell the court why the name of Asinze was put in the charge sheet. Counsel to EFCC, Mr. Ofem

Uket, became uncomfortable with the cross examination and began interjecting into the proceedings persistently. Efforts by the judge and other lawyers that the cross examination be allowed unhindered were rebuffed as the counsel objected to virtually all the questions put to his witness. In the face off that ensued, Justice Kolawole attempted to call EFCC to order but the effort yielded no result while other lawyers expressed bitterness on the issue. The interjection got to the climax when the counsel openly challenged the court records which were severally read out to him by judge to assuage his feelings. However, when all effort to call the counsel to order to stop the interjection were rebuffed, Justice Kolawole, informed the counsel to conduct himself in manners expected of a legal practitioner which still yet yielded no fruitful result. At a point, the judge said he could no longer condone the conduct of EFCC in the trial and announced his withdrawal from the case. Justice Kolawole accused the anti-graft agency of frustrating his court and desperately seeking to take over control of the court from him against the normal practice. He said it was the duty of the court to allow a witness in a criminal trial to be cross examined with questions contemplated by law, adding that the display of apprehension by EFCC was unjust and un-called for. The judge while lambasting the EFCC for taking the court, laws and the best practice for granted, counseled the commission to always put its house in order before rushing to court for trial adding that Justice was not for a particular side. He therefore opted out of the

House Wants Expiry Date on Carbonated Drinks by Jan 2019

Jibrin attends plenary James Emejo in Abuja The House of Representatives yesterday adopted a recommendation that expiration dates must be printed on all carbonated and non-carbonated drinks produced and marketed in the country by January 2019. Among other things, it further directed that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) should compel producers/manufacturers to indicate all chemicals, acids, colorants and preservatives contained in their products on the packs or bottles no matter how negligible they are. These were contained in the report of the Ad-hoc committee to investigate the Production and distribution of drinks manufactured by the Nigeria Bottling Company Limited and other drinks produced or marketed in Nigeria which was chaired by the House Leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos). The report which was considered by the Committee of the Whole chaired by Deputy Speaker, Hon. Yussuf Lasun, further recommended

that warning labels be printed on Fanta and Sprite that the products are harmful when taken with ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). The House also adopted a recommendation that the House Committee on Health Services be mandated to take special attention on the activities of NAFDAC. The report also demanded that a standard review should be carried out biannually by the regulatory agencies, particularly the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) partnering NAFDAC. Meanwhile, the former Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, who was suspended for 180 legislative days over the budget padding controversies which rocked the lower chamber in 2016, resumed plenary sitting at the chamber yesterday. He was pardoned following a letter of apology which he wrote to the House. Sporting a cream-coloured babariga, he was seen exchanging pleasantries with his colleagues. But he left the chamber before the conclusion of the day’s proceedings.

case and returned the file to the Chief Judge for re-assignment to another judge. Justice Kolawole had on March 21, 2017 stopped the trial of the defendants in the case when the EFCC in a statement quoted the court proceedings upside with claims that the defendants were indicted for N36 billion contract fraud and put on trial before the court. The statement which was widely

published in the newspapers drew the anger of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Paul Erokoro, who insisted that the EFCC statement was capable of misleading the public. The senior lawyer drew the attention of the court to the 13 count charge against the defendants involving N3.1 billion and not N36 billion and demanded the court call the EFCC to order in the media trial of the defendants. EFCC counsel, Mr. Uket, had

denied granting press interview but however admitted that the offending press statement emanated from the media unit of EFCC. In his ruling then, Justice Kolawole condemned the EFCC for conducting two trials for the defendants in the media and his court. The judge said it was wrong of the EFCC to have claimed that the defendants were indicted for N36 billion alleged fraud when such a

bogus figure was not contained in the charge, adding that such press statement would prejudice fair trial of the defendants. The trial however, resumed when the offending newspaper publications were retracted by the EFCC and apologies tendered to the court. Other defendants in the case are Sadiq Mohammed, a foreigner, A.C Wolfang and a lawyer Mr. Edidion Edidion.

RUBBING MINDS

L-R: Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama; and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja...yesterday State House.

Group Asks House Member to Apologise over Disparaging Remarks Against Women Ugo Aliogo The Alliance for Africa (AFA) has called on a House of Representatives member, Hon. Mohammed Gudaji, to apologise to women for making disparaging statements against them on the floor on the House. According to a statement issued to THISDAY yesterday by the group, it was noted that Gudaji publicly said women should not be given too much opportunity to participate in political leadership. It also stated that the lawmaker erroneously said women who already have opportunities such as domestic duties should remain under the

control of men, stressing that they would mess up if given the opportunity to participate in political leadership. The group in the statement condemned in strong terms the position taken by the lawmaker, stating that he contradicted the country’s obligation under international human rights instruments adopted by Nigeria including the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) which the country ratified 1985. It explained that the lawmaker’s statement also violated the Beijing Platform of Action adopted by the country, adding that it was an affront to the country’s

obligation under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, the African Charter on People’s Rights, The Protocol to the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) and the affirmative action of 35 per cent representation of women in political and non-elective positions by the 2006 National Gender Policy. The statement added: “It is highly condemnable that a respected political figure in Nigeria would openly oppose the instituted measures by the Nigerian government to increase women’s participation in governance. “AfA hereby condemns the stereotypical position of Gudaji, conveyed by his speech at the

House of Representatives which will only perpetuate the low representation of Nigerian women in political leadership. “We state that Gudaji’s speech is a total disrespect for the instituted measures already adopted by the Nigeria government to foster women’s participation in leadership and decision making. “We thus, demand that Gudaji publicly apologise to Nigerian women for saying that they are incapable of taking up leadership and decision-making roles in Nigeria. Gudaji’s statement appears to question the wisdom of Nigeria’s government in ratifying international instruments that support women’s participation in governance.”

Bi-Courtney Assures Arik of Hitch-free Operations from MMA2 Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operators of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), has assured the management of Arik Air of seamless passenger facilitation, as the airline begins its scheduled flight operations from the terminal to Port Harcourt International Airport on Saturday. A statement by the spokesman of BASL, Steve Omolale, said with its spacious ticketing and departure hall, as well as modern facilities, such as automated check-in counters, smooth escalators/

elevators, waiting ambulance, health facilities, lounges, restaurants and shops, “MMA2 remains a safe, secured and efficient passengerfriendly terminal to provide exceptional services to Arik’s guests to Port Harcourt and the best destination for other flying passengers and shoppers. We want to assure all the passengers who will be flying Arik Air from this Saturday of seamless facilitation as we welcome all of them to our terminal.” The statement quoted the Chief Executive Officer of

BASL, Captain Jari Williams, as expressing delight at the move by Arik, saying MMA2 would continue to offer passengers using the terminal hitch-free facilitation and the ambience that would make their flying experience worth the while.Arik Air had earlier said its flights to and from Port Harcourt International, hitherto operated from the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), will cease from Saturday and resume at 7a.m. at MMA2. Two other flights will follow at 11a.m. and 3p.m. same day.

Omolale said with this move, Arik Air would join Dana, Aero, Med-View, Azman and First Nation airlines, which have been operating scheduled flights from MMA2 over the years. Arik Air currently flies Chevron chartered flights from MMA2 to the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) Base, Port Harcourt. With the scheduled flights from Saturday, all the airline’s flights out of Lagos to and from Port Harcourt would now operate at the terminal.

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COMMENT

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

THE KAGAME REPORT AND TRUMP Okello Oculi argues that the African Union should be financially independent

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ith Kigali’s one thousand hills looking on following Rwanda’s decision NOT to be known for the atavistic genocide of 1994 but for a creative determination to build a new country, a ‘’Retreat by Heads of States and Government, Foreign Ministers and Ministers of Finance’’, held on July 17-18, 2017, reaffirmed ‘’its determination to ensure that the African Union (AU) is financed in a predictable, sustainable, equitable and accountable manner with the full ownership of its Member States’’. This monastic ‘’retreat’’ was decided to ‘’institute and implement a 0.2 per cent levy on all eligible imported goods into the Continent’’. The funds would be collected ‘’automatically’’ and held by the African Union in Central Banks of member states. It is not clear if wigs brought in from Brazil, India and Antarctica - for fashionable men and women - are considered ‘’eligible’’. Former President Robert Mugabe once regretted that it is now difficult to win hearts of women by mixing their hair with herbal portions – since it is either some Indian or Brazilian women who go mad – the African Union will, however, be a steady beneficiary of this transnational transaction. President Mugabe sold his own cows and those of members of ZANU-PF Party and raised one million American dollars for the African Union. His proposal that each call and text message made by cell phone in all African countries should yield 10 cents/kobo/kwacha for the AU seems very promising if multinational service providers are held ‘’accountable’’. The Kagame Report ignored active democratic financial participation by citizens of member states of the African Union. It followed the old tradition of the African Union and its predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) of being a ‘’club of Old-Boy dictators’’ whose operations are hidden from citizens. While a gesture was made towards creating a ‘’Youth Volunteer Corps’’, there is no recognition of creative decision by the political community in Senegal to ensure that 50 per cent of parliamentary candidates fielded by each political party are women. The ‘’Kigali Declaration’’ on which The Kagame Report is rooted, has come at a time when the immediate past President Donald Trump’s Secretary of State is repeating a racist doctrine proclaimed by Hillary Clinton, his predecessor, of getting into fits of rage at China for supporting Africa’s development with massive support for required infrastructure. Even pro-NATO governments like those of Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel arap Moi had not received support for a new railway line from Mombasa to Nairobi. Emperor Haile Selassie’s offer of a military spy post to enable NATO take peeps into the former Soviet Union and Communist China was not rewarded with the new railway line recently completed by China which reduces travel between Addis Ababa and Djibouti from three days to 10 hours.

THE KAGAME REPORT IGNORED ACTIVE DEMOCRATIC FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION BY CITIZENS OF MEMBER STATES OF THE AFRICAN UNION

Trump and President Macron of France are both crying over ‘wicked milk’ that had for decades been served to Africa. While the Cold War against Communist states of China under Mao Zedung and the Soviet Union was fought by massive investment for reconstructing West Germany and other Western European countries; Japan and South Korea, Africa received intensified colonial exploitation, what Kwame Nkrumah called ‘’neo-colonialism’’(or colonialism without political responsibility for exploitation of Africa); brutal wars against liberation movements, and training military leaders to either murder or overthrow patriotic political leaders. Macron rebuked French managers of her cynical looting of Africa – including making it mandatory that so-called ‘’Francophone’’ leaders must give French companies first ‘’right of refusal’’ to any contract for which they are spending their budgets. Laurent Gbagbo was bombed and is locked up at The Hague for fighting back against this policy. An official of Sweden cynically urged China to exploit Africa with advice from, and partnership with, Europe whose leaders have long experiences in managing relations with Africa. During his election campaign candidate Donald Trump made the perceptive and obvious comment that millions of Africans had migrated to the United States as a consequence of bad and corrupt governance in their home countries. He offered to ‘’recolonise Africa’’ under a new ‘’White Man’s Burden’’. What he did not mention were: President Eisenhower ordering the murder of Congo’s new Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba; President Gerald Ford overseeing the assassination of General Murtala Mohammed because Nigeria supported Agustinho Neto’s government in Angola; the assassinations of Amilcar Cabral of Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde, Samora Machel in Mozambique, and both Presidents Obama and Trump supporting a civil war in South Sudan – as reported by President Salva Kiir to leaders of the East African Community, etc. Professor Adebayo Adedeji did describe the Structural Adjustment Policies of the World Bank and the IMF as ‘’social and economic warfare against African peoples’’. The late Sanusi Abubakar noted in a column in DAILY TRUST newspaper that the collapse of Nigeria’s educational system – which is traceable to SAP policies since the Babangida era – has become a ‘’national security problem’’. Both Trump and Macron do not accept responsibility for this degradation of governance. As the European Union, ‘’Brexiters’’ and the United States scramble for markets and to contain China’s new friendship among Africans, there is a deep regret for ‘’the road not taken’’ by NOT feeding Africa with economic love but racist hatred so that she could be a genuine market and investment arena. President Kagame and his team should push on with Africa financially owning the African Union.

OBIANO AND THE INVITATION OF HISTORY Willie Obiano, Anambra State governor, is obsessed with living a lasting legacy, writes Chuks Iloegbunam

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lthough the world hardly knows this, the Obiano administration is currently in more exciting times than during the political barnstorming that culminated in his reelection. All the meetings, all the workshops, all the strategy sessions, all the commissioned studies since initiated are aimed at one word: LEGACY! Governor Willie Obiano currently dreams, talks, walks and exudes Legacy! That is why Anambra State is on a pivotal date with history, the threshold of a new dawn. That dawn begins on St. Patrick’s Day – March 17, 2018 – when Chief Obiano will mount the rostrum at Awka’s Ekwueme Square, to take for the repeated, momentous occasion both the Oath of Office and the Oath of Allegiance, to mark the commencement of his second and final term of governorship. This article is not intended to steal the Anambra State Governor’s thunder. No. He will himself articulate in his Inaugural address the plans, the procedures, the programmes and the purposes that will propel Ndi Anambra as a blessed people set apart for peace, plenty and progress, an entity whose motto of Light of the Nation duly and wholly becomes it. But, because the odd snippets are allowed, it must be recalled that Governor Obiano had given his word, that he aimed to have established by the end of his eighth year in office a new, thriving Anambra State – with or without

statutory appropriations from Abuja. It is apposite also to discuss afresh the Umueri Airport City or Aerotropolis. When the instruments for the construction of the Umueri Airport were initialed last year, the governor promised that it would be open for business in three years, to mark the distinction between those who dreamt and the plethora of others whose dreams were, in essence, no more than wishful thinking. The Umueri Airport will be the first of its kind anywhere south of the Sahara, moving both passengers and cargoes, serving as a centre for the repair and servicing of aircraft, and operating as a refuelling station for local and international airplanes and airliners. The airport city will generate direct jobs by the hundreds and indirect ones by the thousands. That is the notion of the aerotropolis. That is one of the Legacy projects schemed to come to fruition during Governor Obiano’s second term. Without question, a genuine political leader intent on imbuing his area of jurisdiction with self-reliance could do with all possible support. Such a leader must have all hands on deck, and all the constituents pulling in one direction. That was the political engineering Governor Obiano accomplished after the result of the November 18, 2017 gubernatorial election showed that he had defeated his opponents by a landslide, winning overwhelmingly in all the 21 local government areas of the state. Such a comprehensive victory often afflicted the shallow-minded with delusions

of divinity. Yet, Obiano disdained triumphalism. Rather, with a passionate plea on his lips, he reached out to all those that fought the election against him, visiting them in their homes, and granting them audience at the Government Lodge. Come, he said to one and all, let us join hands and build a better Anambra that we all will proudly call home, a new society that posterity will be even prouder to call homeland. If people examined Anambra State today, they would discover that the acerbity that characterised much of the electioneering campaigns has given way to a fresh vista of reason and dialogue. The childish scuffles of partisanship have been replaced by the maturity of statesmanship. It is thanks to Obiano’s perspicacity that, of the mindset of every key Anambra political player today, the experiential benefits of the passage of time in St. Paul’s 1 Corinthians 13:11 can be cited: “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.� The childishness of partisanship has been overtaken by a maturity seeking to generally move Anambra forward. This later day maturity will play out in many departments, one of which deserves a mention. Nationally speaking, Anambra currently enjoys preeminence in educational standards – from primary through secondary to tertiary levels. But, for Governor Obiano, the primacy in this sector represents only a clarion

call for consolidation. Reports on commissioned studies by education experts have reached the governor’s desk. The implementation of their recommendations commences on inauguration morning, to ensure better and adequate staffing of teaching personnel, their constant retraining, and increased incentives for those working in backwaters and others teaching special subjects. This will ensure that Anambra, where Governor Obiano, decreed and executed the demolition of the so-called examination “Miracle Centres� will remain Numero Uno in Education – the fundamental pedestal for development. Outside the strategic field of education, there is a tactical realm crying for speedy attention. The federal government owes Anambra State a whopping N43.8 billion in refunds for federal roads repaired and constructed by the Obiano administration. This gargantuan debt is years old. Seeing no reason for the dramatic, Governor Obiano has never gone out, loudhailer in hand, demanding the refund. He has continued to use the quiet, diplomatic approach, although most other states similarly owed have since smiled to various banks. All voices, especially those of Anambra’s political class of nascent maturity, must now teem as one, to ask Abuja to please pay up. Fate had dealt Obiano the card of directing his people’s affairs; the debt settlement will add resonance to the truism that Willie Is Working! Iloegbunam is the chairman of Governor Obiano’s Media Team.

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EDITORIAL DATA AND THE OIL INDUSTRY The dearth of credible data hinders transparency and accountability

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t is shameful but rather typical that even when Nigeria was able to provide the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Country (OPEC) with some credible data, the country keeps none for its own reference. “I am ashamed we didn’t have data source on Nigeria. I think as we provide data for OPEC, we should address the question of churning credible data to be consumed in-country. It is a pity when students are looking for data we have to go to OPEC to get data about Nigeria,â€? said Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources. Unfortunately, such concerns no longer seem an anomaly as the Nigerian oil and gas sector operates more or less in secrecy and obscurity. The dearth of data has remained a major challenge in accessing and in assessing the operations of the state-owned behemoth, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that is notorious for its institutional opacity. Indeed, for the entire gamut of the industry – from exploration to crude oil production to oil lifting, exports and sales – the data value chain is unreliable and weakened, giving rise AVAILABILITY OF DATA to lack of transparency IS IMPORTANT NOT ONLY and rabid corruption. TO AID PLANNING AND According to a RESEARCH, BUT ALSO recent policy brieďŹ ng FOR TRANSPARENCY AND by the reinvigorated CONTAINING IMPUNITY Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), the NNPC owes the government a backlog of unremitted oil revenue running into billions of naira. Although the state-owned oil company has started making public a detailed overview of its ďŹ nances, the reports are said to be deďŹ cient because they do not delineate “the operational and ďŹ nancial performance of NNPC subsidiaries, including sales-level data.â€? It is also noteworthy that one of the most valuable oil block contracts, OPL 245 – an opaque contract better known as the Malabu Oil – was awarded by the

Letters to the Editor

NNPC. The contract, which is still a subject of headlines and litigations, has cost the nation several billions of dollars. All this merely conďŹ rmed what the London Economics wrote about the country’s oil industry some few years back: “Information about Africa’s biggest oil industry is an opaque myriad of numbers. No one knows which ones are accurate; no one knows how much oil Nigeria actually produces. If there were an authoritative ďŹ gure, the truly horrifying scope of corruption would be exposed.â€?

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hat the lack of accurate data has made many to raise doubts on the accuracy of payments made by oil companies to the government with respect to tax and royalty is an understatement. Nigeria reportedly loses about N2.2 trillion annually to inaccurate measurement system adopted across all sectors of the economy, especially in the oil and gas sector. According to the CEO of Nigerco Nig. Ltd, Mr. Yagbagi Sani, Nigeria’s exact crude oil production is not correctly known based on the fact that calculation is usually done on estimates and comparison of temperature and pressure at the well heads. He added: “No one actually knows what comes out of the well and what happens between the well and tank farms.� For decades, there have been efforts to address the institutional and regulatory framework weighing down the NNPC and indeed, the oil industry. The present administration vowed to redress the wrongs. It was also the need to bring integrity, transparency and accountability to bear on the operations of the problematic oil sector and indeed the entire economy that made the country to recently join the Open Government Partnership. But there cannot be openness in darkness and that is why availability of data is important not only to aid planning and research, but also for transparency and containing impunity. When there are gaps in essential information – as there are today in the oil and gas sector– and the accuracy and validity of the data is widely questioned, it is easy to game such a system.

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

SENATORS AND THE MONTHLY RUNNING-COSTS

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he parliamentary arm of the federal government has seemingly remained a drainpipe that impedes economic growth in the country since the ongoing democratic system commenced in 1999. Comparatively, a Nigerian senator or member of the House of the Representatives earns several times more than their counterparts across the world. Still, corruption sways in the chambers. In fact, during the previous administrations, ‘Ghana-must-go’ bags with megabucks were practically turned into lobbying and legislative tools for screenings, confirmation of appointments and passage of budgets. As a result, reckless, profit-motivated and episodic impeachment motions became the order of the day on any president in power particularly during Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration which all ended in pecuniary deals. Later, it became a routine in the successive governments until the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. In effect, do-or-die politics ruled the polity as belonging to the parliament became the fastest money-making venture. Notwithstanding the gross aberrations, the lawmakers advantageously allocated outrageous allowances to themselves. The recently exposed monthly-running costs of a whopping sum of N13.5million to each senator which if allocated to visible developmental projects across all the constituencies will no doubt, boost development across the nation, remains a nightmare. It is indeed heartless, iniquitous and greed that as much as the amount is self-allocated and collected monthly by each of the senators separately from consolidated salaries on inconsequentialities. Some lawmakers once in a while will fix a quasi-amenity but file up

fictitious receipts without substantiation. Meanwhile, the people in their constituencies remain in misery and poverty. Then, additional N200 million for constituency projects is allotted annually, yet the polity keeps appearing pitiable and abandoned. Perhaps, it should be appropriately renamed paper-projects since they are nonexistent anywhere. Irrefutably, the actions fell below the bar of civility. This believably, accounts for the unbending attempts to intimidate the chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu out of office to pave way for a companionable new helmsman. The fundamental question for the lawmakers is; how could the Public Procurement Act they passed into law specify how projects should be bided and executed but they indiscriminately allocated public funds to themselves albeit the council is yet to be constituted? Or is the country comparable to George Orwell’s Animal Farm where some animals are more equal than others? For example, Section 16(17) of the Public Procurement Act 2014 provides that “a contract shall be awarded to the lowest evaluated responsive bid from the bidders substantially responsive to the bid solicitation�. By the way, how could the legislature prepare and pass its budget and also clothe itself with powers to override the president? Indeed, this is a blinder. The recent episodes are glaringly satirical. Lawmakers fantastically misappropriate public funds that could aid to improve the economy but always shed crocodile tears over unemployment ratio in the society. Sensitively, if the plight of the youths truly move them as portrayed on the controversial Peace Corps bill, the appropriate action should be to expand the budgetary allocation

specifically as employment interventionist policy which will enable the executive expand its workforce including the existing security agencies. Unfortunately, legislature’s budgets alone keep going up and up with outrageous masked allowances. Over the years, politicians often play on the sensibilities of the vulnerable citizens especially the youths during election periods. Interestingly, the red chamber is presently manned by unique identities; commonsense advocate, great anti-corruption crusader, voice of the new generation, defender of the down-trodden, economic empowerment strategist and many other titles who relentlessly criticise the executive every now and then. Yet, they collaboratively overlooked, concealed and promoted for several years the fraudulent running costs and constituency projects sufficient to improve the society in few years if prudently expended. Presently, the 2018 Appropriation bill presented to the National Assembly early enough, precisely on November 7, 2017 by the president to stimulate the economy that was critically hit by recession, sadly still hops up and down at the end of first quarter. Incontestably, the lawmakers work for their personal interests. The constituency projects astutely envisioned has constituted conduits to the treasury. The bicameral legislature itself is the grand drainpipe. As a developing democracy, Nigeria shouldn’t have copied the developed system verbatim but modify progressively. It therefore suggests that the anti-graft agency has a lot of works to do. No amount of propaganda should dampen the spirits from moving into actions towards recovering misappropriated public funds, however unselectively. Carl Umegboro, Abuja

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T H I S D AY ˾ THUSDAY MARCH 15, 2018.

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POLITICS

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

PERSONALITY INTERVIEW

Ojudu: How I Will Defeat Fayose’s PDP in Ekiti The Special Adviser to the President, Political Matters, and a governorship aspirant in Ekti State, Babafemi Ojudu, has boasted of having what it takes to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party in the state. He spoke with journalists in Ado Ekiti. Shola Oyeyipo was there and presents the excerpts: hour. We speak the same language every time in Ekiti. We are one people, we are all related.

How are you preparing for the primary ahead of the July governorship election in Ekiti State? It is quite encouraging, very interesting, stimulating and we are ready to do battle.To do battle in the sense of winning the souls of Ekiti people.

Governor Ayodele Fayose has been saying there will be a repeat of the 16-0. What is your take on that? If there was 16-0 then, there will be another 16-0 in the coming election in favour of APC.

There are so many of you in the race and people are worried that you don’t have enough time. How will the party mend fences after the primary? It would not be right for now to say we have so many of us in the race.The reason being that the party has not even called for nominations. We have not obtained forms. In about a month time the party will call for nomination. Then we will obtain forms, when you now see the number of those who obtain forms, it is then you can now say whether we are many or not. Right now I know those who are out, saying they want to become governor but some of them actually want to become chairmen of local government councils, some want to become commissioners, senators and members of house of assembly. People are calling attention to themselves, they want people to know them, and they want to have something at hand to negotiate with. If I become governor and someone comes to me and say after all I wanted to become governor, so what do you have for me? These are some of the prevailing circumstances so far.

What about the claim that you are planning to use federal might? No, we don’t do that. You all witnessed the election in Anambra, did you see federal might or federal power? You have witnessed elections everywhere, President Buhari, the leader of our party and president of this country does not believe in federal might. He will tell you ‘go and work’. If today, I contest with his wife, Aisha, he will not raise a finger in favour of his wife. He will probably advise her on what to do to win the hearts of the electorates. You sounded as if the incumbent governor won’t be a factor in this election, why are you so optimistic? He is going to be a factor but he is going to be a factor of failure.

Don’t you think other may equally have this explanation and should there not be a coalition between you and others? We are talking. Some elders are calling them. They are talking to people for us to come together. It is not going to be as difficult as you think. We are all Ekiti people. Many of us who are in the race in quote, have been compatriots. Somehow, we will find time to sit down at the table and then address issues. We will come out with strong points that can serve the interest of our party and state. How is the party preparing to nib in the bud post primary crisis? In case it occurs, we have elders and leaders who will bring everybody together. But, one thing that is going to determine, what happens after is the transparency, fairness and justice that people are able to observe in the course of the primary. I was one of the people that conducted the primary in Anambra, many of you must have watched that primary. You would have seen how transparent it was, how fair and everything was in the open. It was difficult for anybody to come out and say no, I won’t accept this. See Andy Uba, who everybody thought would have won, came to embrace the man who won and they went into the election in unity. But the Ondo experience is still fresh in the memory of the people... Someone asked in the course of an interview, if we are prepared for Ondo formula. I said well, I don’t know of Ondo formula. I said what is Ondo formula? He translated it as manipulating delegates list. I said no, that will not happen here. I have been to the party headquarters and they have assured me that weeks before the primary they will give us list of delegates which we all have to study and bring back our observation. They will now invite us to a round table, to resolve issues observed in the delegate lists amicably before going to the primary. I don’t think that was done in the case of Ondo. I expect that this may be different because I am Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, has been a journalist, reporter, editor and media manager. I have been a senator and it will be very difficult for anybody to come and do that in my presence. There is Segun

Ojudu

Oni, who had been governor before, who is now Deputy National Chairman of APC South, it will be difficult for anyone to give him nonsense. Others who may also want to come have pedigree and reputation and I can assure you that I will be as vigilant as I can. I have a team of lawyers; one of them a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. They will examine every process and make sure everything is just and fair. Why should Ekiti people prefer you to other contestants? Why they should vote for me is because I have been involved and I am passionate about this state. I was born and raised here. I struggled for this place I don’t think there is anybody who has been governor here from 1999 till date that I have not been involved with. I have headed so many associations here, either Ekiti Progressives, E 11, human rights organisations, Pan-Yoruba organisations and others. I have done so much here. I have removed governor here. I have installed governor. So I have done quite a lot. On the social level, I belong to at the Ado Progressives Union, I belong to the Parapo Association of Ekiti generally. I have given scholarships here, I have assisted people quite a lot even before I became a politician. I have empowered and employed Ekiti people in so many figures. I think I have done quite well for the people, I have paid my dues. That is why I told everybody who care to listen that this is not an ambition for me, it is a mission. It is a mission to make an example that governance should not be as difficult as some make it to appear. That we can do it, I want to show that we can turn governance

and make it easy. That we can reduce all those things that make governors swollen headed. I told people that I will live in my house when elected. I have a three bedroom bungalow, so I am living there because if I leave governance I will go back there. So, why don’t I just live there, the drive to the office every morning? All these methods of driving with several cars in your convoys, blaring siren and pushing people off the roads are odd. I won’t be part of that. I want to give my profession the dignity it stands for. Journalists make things work. When you leave your house in the morning as journalist, you are supposed to come back with result to your office in the evening. That result is your story and when the story is published the following day, you feel accomplished. That is the kind of thing I want to bring to Ekiti. Is there is a zoning arrangement? There is no zoning here, we have never had zoning here. Ekiti is not like Ondo, where you have Ilaje, where you have Akoko, Owo, Ondo and Akure. Here in Ekiti, the kind of things people are talking about is just geography. When you talk of zoning, you want to satisfy interest of different people, who have different languages, culture and different background. Here there is nothing like that, Ado Ekiti is central, Ikere Ekiti is South and between Ikere Ekiti and Ado Ekiti is less than 10 kilometre. You can get from one side to the other in less than five minutes. Ilawe is south and between Ilawe and Ado Ekiti, it takes 10 minutes to get there. Ilasa is East and between Ilasa and Ikole its just 10 minutes drive. From one end of Ekiti to the other end it is less than one

What about his stomach infrastructure programme which has endeared him to the people of the state? There is no longer stomach infrastructure again. It is a myth. People have not been paid in twelve months. Salaries have not been paid; civil servants and local government officials have not been paid. You are talking of stomach infrastructure, if I am a civil servant and you have not paid me in twelve months, what is the stomach infrastructure in that? If truly, you are doing stomach infrastructure, you must regularly pay the workers so that they can feed themselves. This last Christmas, he didn’t even give them rice as he used to give them. It is a government of deceit. Fayose is just deceiving the people. Go around with him now, nobody hails him anywhere again. Since we got into Ekiti, he ran away since yesterday. We told him ‘we have our billboards in town, come and remove one and let me see you’. I am his husband. The Yoruba people have a saying that the mad man has a master. In 2006, I chased him out of this place. I took all his lawmakers who were members of PDP, I took them to Lagos for two months. I kept them there. When I was ready, I brought them back to impeach him. In 2011, he contested against me for Senate, I defeated him. I had 68,000 votes, he had 21,000 votes. So, forget about all these myths he sells to you out there. I am back again and I know I am the one who can chase him out. If there is anybody he fears, it is me. We will take care of him on July 14. If Fayose can defeat an incumbent, what arsenal do you have to defeat him now that he is in government? Mind you, he is not contesting; but even if he is contesting, I am telling you now that I have defeated him many times over in the past. If somebody is an incumbent and I was not a politician then, I was a journalist like you and I was able to impeach him. Also, I was not an incumbent, I defeated him in a senate election. I am telling you that I am the one who is capable of defeating him and I will defeat him again. I can tell you this too. I am from a constituency that if you don’t have, you don’t win in Ekiti State. If you have my constituency, you will win. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

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PERSPECTIVE

TheProxyWarbetweenKwankwasoandGanduje Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje is fighting his benefactor, Rabiu Kwankwaso to frustrate the latter’s presidential ambition, writes Comfort Woye Yakubu

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head of the 2019 general election, the frosty relationship between the political camps of the former Governor of Kano State now Senator, representing Kano Central Senatorial District in the Senate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the Governor of the State, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje is already giving many peace loving residents of the ancient city a sleepless night. Many fear that sooner than later, the dispute will turn to violence as supporters of both men prepare to do battle on behalf of their leaders. The latest of such happenings was the one that occurred when Kwankwanso apparently at the instruction of Ganduje was prevented from visiting the state by the police on a somewhat flimsy excuse that the governor and other All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains in the state were carrying out political rallies ahead of the state’s local government elections. Addressing newsmen in Kano, the State Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Yusuf, cautioned Kwankwaso that he could face the wrath of the law if violence erupted during his visit and this act further escalated the crisis. It would be recalled that the issue was raised on the floor of the Senate for debate recently through a point of order raised by Senator Hamman Isa Misau (APC Bauchi Central), who urged the Senate to condemn in its entirety, the action of Ganduje-led Kano state government against Kwankwaso. Though the two other senators from Kano state I.e, Kabiru Gaya ( APC Kano Central) and Jibrin Barau (APC Kano North) tried to dissuade the Senate from condemning the action but the mature submission made by Kwankwaso himself that as a leader, he would not want to say anything on the matter, made the Senate to eventually condemn the unfair treatment meted to him and his supporters and even went ahead to order the Inspector General of Police to provide required security for Kwankwaso any other time he wants to visit Kano. The Senate President , Bukola Saraki in his remarks said: “What was done to Senator Kwankwanso few days back either by the Kano state government or the State Police Command from visiting his constituents is

Ganduje

unacceptable and dangerous to our democracy. “The Senate Committee on Police Affairs should as a matter of urgency summon the Inspector General of Police and impress it on him that all political players in the state and by extension, in the polity generally, should be protected against undue harassment from anybody to avoid resort to self-help through full scale thuggery which will not be in the interest of anybody “. It is instructive at this juncture, to trace the genesis of the crisis between Kwankwaso and Ganduje but before that, it is relevant to remind us that the relationship between the duo started as that of a benefactor and

The fight is all about power. While Kwankwaso is aiming for the presidency in the general election, Ganduje is blackmailing him by showing his support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term every minute of the day, a position he believes, will easily earn him a second term in office as governor without Kwankwaso’ s support

a political son with Kwankwaso being the benefactor and Ganduje the political son. Both Men worked together politically for over two decades, precisely when Kwankwaso was governor of Kano state between 1999 and 2003, Ganduje was his deputy. Even when Kwankwaso couldn’t make it straight away for a second term as governor of the state in 2003 general elections and was appointed Minister of Defence by the then president, Olusegun Obasanjo he took Ganduje along as his special adviser political matters and to cap it all, when he got elected as governor of Kano state in 2011, he made Ganduje his deputy again and above all, when leaving office in 2015, he ensured that Ganduje succeeded him as governor. But barely five months after the 2015 general election, things began to fall apart, and their relationship turned sour, making people to start accusing Ganduje of betraying his ‘god father’, and biting the fingers that fed him particularly the kwankwasiyya movement, a pressure group established by kwankwaso. In the words of Alhaji Sharu Garba Gwammaja, chairman of Hannun Karba, a sub-group within the Kwankwasiyya movement, Ganduje has deviated from the ideology of Kwanwasiyya and should stop wearing its red cap symbol. On the other side of the divide, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, speaking to news men, gave reasons for the cold ‘war’ with his predecessor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso alleging that the immediate past governor of the state left N300 billion liabilities before he vacated office in May 2015 a debt the current governor said affected him in the area of carrying out projects. He added that another reason the former governor was at war with him was because “he removed the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Doguwa, for anti-party activity and the national headquarters accepted our position that it has followed due process, but Kwankwaso was adamant, insisting on Doguwa while the chairman recognized by the APC was Abbas.” Though efforts are being made within the APC family in Kano and Nigeria generally to broker peace between the duo so as not to affect the party’s performance in the general election that is just about a year to come

but pundits doubt the success of such effort. According to them, the fight is all about power. While Kwankwaso is aiming for the presidency in the general election, Ganduje is blackmailing him by showing his support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term every minute of the day, a position he believes, will easily earn him a second term in office as governor without Kwankwaso’ s support. Little wonder that the governor was among the seven governors led by Governor Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State who endorsed Buhari for a second term last month in the heat of the Benue Killings. Whatever dimension the cold war assumes as elections approach, what can surely not be taken from Kwankwaso is his grassroots appeal in the state and beyond. He is known to be a political gladiator with so much supporters. It is because of the followership he commanded that the APC was able to get the huge votes it got during the last presidential elections in the state. It is on record that when Senator Rabiu kwankwaso was governor, he left an indelible mark behind in Kano state, because of the massive infrastructural development he embarked on and the manner with which he handled the welfare of the people. This earned him the followership of many, making him a trailblazer as far as Kano politics is concerned. Even the incumbent governor testified to this fact, so much so that during the 50th anniversary of the state last year, Ganduje, despite differences could not but admit that Kwankwaso left an indelible mark in Kano. According to him, Kwankwaso was the second best governor after Abubakar Rimi because in his first coming he introduced various projects and linkage road networks. He described Kwankwaso as being dogged in his beliefs and always stood his ground on issues of strong conviction. He has no doubt, paid his dues in Nigeria politics going by his impressive and impactful participation over the years. In 1992, he was elected member of the House of Representatives representing Madobi Federal Constituency and in 1995, he was one of the delegates from Kano state that attended the constitutional conference.

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THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY

FEATURES

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

Ending Female Genital Mutilation In line with concerted efforts to end the practice of female genital mutilation in Nigeria, Action Health Incorporated has continued to push the boundaries in the fight to end the practice. Ugo Aliogo and Kehinde Lawal report

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Lagos State, Mrs. Adekanye Adebunmi, who was represented by Mrs. Gbeleyi Ajoke (2nd left), presenting awards to students

W

hen Mrs. Adenike Essiet walked unto the podium to deliver the opening address, she was filled with smiles and brimming with confidence. She has a personality that is endearing and commands respect. For more than two decades, she has continued to lend her voice to the issue of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). She has remained on this path unshaken, cutting through the numerous road blocks to ensure that the fight against FGM receives the needed support. As an advocate of social change, Essiet has used Action Health Incorporated (AHI), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) where she doubles as the co-founder and Executive Director to promote young people’s health and development to ensure their successful transition to productive adulthood. The 2017 Teenage Festival of Light (TFL) with theme: ‘End FGM’ meant so much to her because of her desire to impact the lives of these young people. The focus of AHI on TFL is to help the children understand why they should be at the forefront in the fight to eradicate the practice. Through the event, the children are able to go through

a mental shift in their perception of FGM especially one that would spark up change.

Incidentally, it is one of the targets of the goal of SDG to make sure that FGM is abandoned. It cannot be abandoned if the communities don’t make effort. If it is abandoned it will save us from a lot of problem such as our children, the dignity of women because it is a violation of the right of women and girls

The event was held recently at the Main Auditorium of the University of Lagos. She began her presentation, not ready to go through the usual formality, but to hit the nail on the head. She began on a note of admonition to the children gathered in the hall. She advised them to take a stand against the issue of FGM. She argued that FGM is an issue that every young person should be concerned about and make frantic efforts to eradicate. She remarked that the focus is not always on the theme; rather it is an opportunity to go through a process where young people address the theme that has been chosen, using all kinds of art mediums such as songs, drama, and poetry, to lend their voices about an issue that is very important. She also stated that that affects the well-being of both gender. Essiet said: “This year we have had the distinct privilege of going through a process which gives me the opportunity going through the type of script that young people have developed in the TFL process. It is truly amazing. Your voices are important and together we will bring an end to this horrific practice. If your school didn’t get to the final stage, it means they should

work harder for next year. “Some of the scripts that I have seen are absolutely on point in terms of the issues we need to be addressing. It is important to understand that just listening is not enough, but your speaking up against it will bring it to an end. Government has passed a law prohibiting violence against persons in Nigeria. In our communities, we will be the loud voices screaming out to say No. I would like to appreciate the United Nations Population Fund Agency (UNFPA) for their immense contributions to the 2017 TFL. Their contribution was very integral to the success of the TFL.” In his goodwill message, the Makoko Board Head Community Chairman, Sheikh Salahudeen, advised parents to educate their children on the dangers of FGM, while discouraging the use of children for hawking activities. He also stated that hawking activities could expose the children to acts that may destroy their future and dreams, such as sexual exploitation, pregnancy, drug addiction and other vices. In her remarks, the Country Representative United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Diene Keita, said FGM is a tradition

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FEATURES According to a report by AHI, Nigeria has the highest cases of FGM in the world, accounting for about one-quarter of the estimated 115-130 million circumcised women worldwide. The estimated prevalence of FGM among woman aged 15 to19 years is 24.8 per cent and this ďŹ gure has not changed signiďŹ cantly in recent years with the 20 million women and girls who have undergone FGM

Master Augustine Michael, from Grace and Truth College, receiving an award for emerging as winner of the Innovative Challenge

Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Alapere, Ketu, receiving a trophy

A cross section of participants at the 2017 Teenage Festival of Light with theme 'End FGM’ held at the Main Auditorium of the University of Lagos

that needs to be eradicated in the country because of its effects on the reproductive health of women and girls. She stressed that most women who go through this process have difficulties in giving birth, “some cannot control their urine, others die in the process and all

sorts of complications affect the girl-child.� She condemned the practice as being harmful and therefore needs to be reviewed, while noting that there are quite a few states that have domesticated this law, but they are urging every state to put a law in place to prosecute people who continue

to practice the act. Keita who was represented by the Head, Lagos Liaison Office, Dr. Omolaso Omosehin, said the prevalence rate in the South-west is as high 70 per cent, while expressing confidence that they are working with such states in partnership with the

United Nations Children Education Fund (UNCEF) to re-orientate communities to create awareness about the dangers that the practice can cause. She further stated that quite a number of communities have come out to declare abandonment of the practice, but added that they have also worked with a few hospitals, the Nigeria Medical Councils and the medical authorities to ensure that the practice is not taken to the hospital. She added: “Incidentally, it is one of the targets of the goal of SDG to make sure that FGM is abandoned. It cannot be abandoned if the communities don’t make effort. If it is abandoned it will save us from a lot of problem such as our children, the dignity of women because it is a violation of the right of women and girls. UNFPA as an organisation is working with AHI, government and other organisations to make sure we create awareness and support government to put laws in place to prohibit this act. “We are working with government to sensitise the law enforcement agencies to know how to handle such cases when they receive them. We also encourage government to publicise the law. It is important to create awareness about these laws and the punishment that follows. Also, it is important to tell the community members the demerits of continuing with such practices. Those who agree should come out publicly to say they have abandoned it. “This will encourage others who are still doing it to stop as well. Therefore, there are many sides to it. We believe that when we look at the issue this way, when the community is aware of what they have to do and those practicing will encourage them not to go into other professions. We want to encourage government to create other job opportunities for them so that they will have something to fall back on.� According to a report by AHI, Nigeria has the highest cases of FGM in the world, accounting for about one-quarter of the estimated 115-130 million circumcised women worldwide. The estimated prevalence of FGM among woman aged 15 to19 years is 24.8 per cent and this figure has not changed significantly in recent years with the 20 million women and girls who have undergone FGM. It also stated that despite the severe short-term and long-term physical and psychological consequences of mutilation, FGM is often practiced in the belief that is beneficial for the girl. It added: “Some communities consider it ensures and preserves virginity and marital faithfulness and prevents promiscuity/prostitution. Also, in every community which FGM is practiced, it is usually a demonstration of gender inequality that is deeply entrenched in social economic and political structures. FGM is often motivated by beliefs about what is considered appropriate sexual behaviour. “TFL 2017 will also serve as a platform for young people to be informed about issues of FGM in Nigeria with a view to enlisting them as critical stakeholders in the efforts to attain FGM free generation.�

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IMAGES

L-R: Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, Olupo of Ajase-Ipo, Oba Sikiru Atanda Sanni, Chairman, Irepodun LGA. Muyiwa Oladipo, HOD/Instructor, Building Dept. International Vocational Training & Entrepreneurship College (IVTEC), Tajudeen Agboola and Secretary to the State Government, Alhaj i Isiaka Gold during inspection of IVTEC by the Governor in Ajase-Ipo‌recently

R- L; Ogun State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru and Chief Executive OďŹƒcer E-block Cement Industry Limited, Chief Olusegun Jawando during a visit to the Cmmisssioner in Abeokuta...recently

L-R: Chief Information OďŹƒcer, Stanbic IBTC, Mr. Gboyega Dada; Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Dr. Demola Sogunle; Chief Risk OďŹƒcer, Stanbic IBTC, Mfon Akpan; and Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Ltd, Mr. Eric Fajemisin, at the launch of Stanbic IBTC innovation laboratory in Yaba, Lagos... recently ETOP UKUTT

L-R; Founder, LEAP Africa, Ndidi Nwuneli; CEO, ACT Foundation, Osayi Alile; Founder, Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR), Amina Oyagbola and, Deputy President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Toki Mabogunje at the Meet-a-WISCAR event organized to commemorate the International Women’s Day in Lagos...recently

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Photo Editor ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜ ÔËÖË Email Ă‹ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜Ë›Ă‹Ă”Ă‹Ă–Ă‹ĚśĂžĂ’Ă“Ă?ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁĂ–Ă“Ă Ă?Ë›Ă?Ù×

L-R; Retail Solutions, Rashidat Adebisi; Executive Director, Yomi Onifade; Head, Corporate Business Group, Abisola Nwoboshi, and, CEO, Kunle Ahmed all of Axa Mansard Insurance Plc at the launch of SHE (Super Heroes Everyday) Network in commemoration of 2018 International Women Day in Lagos...recently

L-R; Founder, Endometrioses Support Group Nigeria, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi; Head, Corporate Communications, Diamond Bank Plc. Chioma Afe; Clinic Manager, Nordica Fertility Centre, Mrs.Tola Ajayi; Rapper/Singer, Saeon Moruda; and Head, Direct Sales, Diamond Bank Plc. Ogechi Altraide , at the Diamond Bank for the Endo Walk, held in Lagos...recently SUNDAY ADIGUN

L-R: Director, Regional Business, Abuja & North, Heritage Bank, George Oko-Oboh; Winner of One Million Naira and Big Brother Naija Head of House Chair, Kana Nuhu Maigari and, Senior Regional Sales Manager, Northern Nigeria, MultiChoice Nigeria, Rotimi Adeyeye during the presentation ceremony in the ongoing upgrade promo by MultiChoice Nigeria in Abuja...recently

L-R: MD/CEO Knight stone Properties Limited, Mr. Adeniyi Adams, Presenting a plague to the Chairman of the occasion, Balogun of Epe Land , Chief Lanre Razak and Project Director, Trek Africa Entrepreneurship Conference, Mr. Oki Samson, during a one day conference on the spirit of Enterprises held in Lagos..... recently . KOLAWOLE ALLI

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BRAINSTORMING ON ITU PLENIPOTENTIARY 2018

L-R: Executive Vice Chairman/CEO Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) , Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta; Secretary General International Telecommunication Union (ITU) , Mr. Houlin Zhao; Minister of Communications, Barr. Adebayo Shittu; Secretary General African Telecommunication Union (ATU), Abdoulkarim Soumaila; and Board Chairman, NCC, Sen. Olabiyi Durojaiye, during the 2nd African preparatory meeting towards ITU Plenipotentiary 2018 in Abuja ... recently

FG Urged to Provide Core IT Infrastructure for Business Growth Stories by Emma Okonji The federal government (FG) has been urged to do step up efforts to provide core Information Technology (IT) infrastructure across the country, in order to achieve its goal on the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ in the country. Managing Director, Rack Centre, Mr. Tunde Coker, who gave the advice during an interview with THISDAY in Lagos recently, said the need to develop core IT infrastructure across the country became necessary, following the poor state of the country’s IT infrastructure, which he said was affecting fast rollout of latest technology solutions. The dearth

ICT of IT infrastructure, he further added, is compelling owners of technology driven businesses to reinvest their revenue in IT infrastructure for the purposes of business expansion and growth. According to Coker, for Nigeria to achieve its goal on ‘Ease of Doing Business’, the country must address its IT infrastructure challenges and set a standard for IT infrastructure development for businesses to leverage on and provide the right services that will boost the nation’s economy. He explained that poor state of IT infrastructure in the

country is affecting businesses and business interest is being diverted, as business owners are busy developing their own IT infrastructure instead of thinking of business expansion. “We operate in a global ecosystem, but the business environment varies from country to country, depending on government understating and interest in developing IT ecosystem that is attractive to businesses. If for instance it cost my company 10 per cent to make N1 billon and it cost our counterpart company in other regions two per cent to make the same N1 billion, within the same period of time,

the it clearly shows that my company is uncompetitive, even though we operate in the same global ecosystem. It then means that I have to think of doing something extra to be competitive,� Coker said. Giving analogy of the country’s macro investment plan, Coker advised the federal and state governments to focus more on the macro business environment in order to grow the investment needed to stimulate business and grow the confidence of both local and foreign investors. He equally advised the Continued on page 24

FG Urged to Expunge Sections 24 and 38 of Cybercrimes Act Paradigm Initiative, Enough Is Enough and Media Rights Agenda groups have called on the federal government to as a matter of urgency, prevail on the Judiciary to expunge sections 24 and 38 of Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act. The two bodies are also demanding a review of the entire document of the Cybercrimes Act. According to them, Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act is dangerous to democracy, especially sections 24 and 38 that are infringing on the rights of the media, which amounts to a huge threat to free speech and free press. “Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act remains a huge threat to free speech and free press. The law is routinely used to persecute journalists and Nigerian citizens. Journalists are the newest victims of the misapplication

ECONOMY of the law under President Muhammadu Buhari, said the Chief Executive Officer, Paradigm Initiative, Mr. Gbenga Sesan. He further added: “Paradigm Initiative, Enough Is Enough and Media Rights Agenda are on a legal battle to have sections 24 and 38 of the Cybercrimes Act declared unconstitutional. The two sections have been repeatedly used to persecute journalists and critics in the last two years. We are challenging the judiciary over the Cybercrimes Act and we want the Federal Executive arm of government to prevail and ensure that the judiciary handles the issue in favour of the masses.� The Cybercrimes Bill was passed into law in 2015, after

former President Goodluck Jonathan assented to the Bill. The Act provides an effective, unified and comprehensive legal, regulatory and institutional framework for the prohibition, prevention, detection, prosecution and punishment of cybercrimes in Nigeria. The act also ensures the protection of critical national information infrastructure, and promotes cybersecurity and the protection of computer systems and networks, electronic communications, data and computer programs, intellectual property and privacy rights. But since its passage into law, Nigerians from all walks of life have been agitating against it, because of its draconian nature, which they said, is inimical to the growth of democracy. Section 24 deals with Cy-

berstalking, while Section 38 deals with Records retention and protection of data. According to Section 24, any person who knowingly or intentionally sends a message or other matter by means of computer systems or network that is grossly offensive, pornographic or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character or causes any such message or matter to be so sent; or he knows to be false, for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill will or needless anxiety to another or causes such a message to be sent: commits an offence under this Act and shall be liable on conviction to a fine of not more than N7 Continued on page 24

Ă’Ă? Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă? âĂ?Ă?Ă&#x;ÞÓà Ă? ĘŠĂ?Ă?Ăœ Ă™Ă? Ă?ĂŽĂ‹Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă™Ă˜ Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă“Ă—Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂŽËœ ĂœË› Ă•Ă?Ă?Ă’Ă&#x;Ă•ĂĄĂ&#x; Ă˜Ă‹Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ëœ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă?Ăž ÞÙ Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒĂ? ÚÙĂ?Ăž Ă™Ă? Ă“ĂœĂ?Ăž Ă“Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă˜Ă?âÞ Ă?Ă–Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă? Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă’Ă?Ă–ĂŽ Ă Ă‹ĂœĂ“Ă™Ă&#x;Ă? ÚÙĂ?Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂ™Ă‹ĂœĂŽ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– âĂ?Ă?Ă&#x;ÞÓà Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă– Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă–Ă?Ă?Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ Ě™ ̚˛ Ă‹Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă˜ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂž Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂŁ Ă™Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă–Ă‹Ă?Ăž Í°Íł ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă? Ă?âÓĂ?ĂžĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă˜Ă‹Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă“ Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽ Ă’Ă? ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂĄĂ‹Ă˜Ăž ÞÙ ĂŒĂ? à ÙÞĂ?ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă“Ă˜ Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ?Ăœ ÞÙ Ă‹ĂŽĂŽ Ă’Ă“Ă? à ÙÓĂ?Ă? ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă?ĂŽ ĂšĂœĂ™ĂžĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă˜Ă Ă?Ă?Þ×Ă?Ă˜Ăž ÞÒËÞ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă‹Ă–ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂŽĂŁ ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă˜ Ă—Ă‹ĂŽĂ? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂœĂŁË› Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă—Ă‹ĂŽĂ? Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ?Ă‘Ă“Ă? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? ÞÙ Ă‘ĂœĂ™ĂĄ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂžĂ?Ă–Ă?Ă?Ù× Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂœĂŁ ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž Ă“Ăž Ă“Ă? ÞÙÎËã Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž Ă“Ăž ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?âÚĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹ĂœĂŁ ĂšĂ?ÙÚÖĂ? ÞÙ ÞËÕĂ? Ă“Ăž ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Ă˜Ă?âÞ Ă–Ă?Ă Ă?Ă– Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂžĂœĂ™Ă˜Ă‘Ă–ĂŁ ĂŒĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă Ă?

Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă“Ăž ÞËÕĂ?Ă? ÞÙ Ă—Ă“Ă‘ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Ă˜Ă?âÞ Ă’Ă?Ă“Ă‘Ă’ĂžËœ Ă˜Ă‹Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă“ Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽËœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă–Ă? Ă?ÙÖÓĂ?Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? à ÙÞĂ?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă—Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™ĂœĂžĂ’Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă–Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë›

ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ? ÞÒËÞ Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă?ÞËÞĂ?Ă? ÑÙà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ ÞÒĂ? ĂŽĂœĂ“Ă Ă? ÞÙ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂœĂ™Ă‹ĂŽĂŒĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂšĂ?Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă?ÞÓà Ă? Ă?ÞËÞĂ?Ă?Ë› Ă™Ă&#x; ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă‹Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă? åÓÞÒ Ă—Ă? ÞÒËÞ ĂœĂ“Ă‘Ă’Ăž Ă™Ă? ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁ Ă“Ă? Ă‹ ĂŒĂ“Ă‘ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă?ÖÙåĂ?ĂŽ ĂŽĂ™ĂĄĂ˜ ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂœĂ™Ă‹ĂŽĂŒĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ëœ ÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă‹ĘľĂ?×ÚÞ Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ă–Ă–Ă‹ĂŒĂ™ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ åÓÞÒ Ă‹Ă–Ă– ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă?Ă Ă‹Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă? ÞÙ ĂœĂ?×Ùà Ă? Ă“ĂžËœ Ă˜Ă‹Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă“ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽ Ă—Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă? à ÙÞĂ?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ ÚÙåĂ?ĂœË›

Vibeoo Debuts at SMWLagos Ă“ĂŒĂ?Ă™Ă™Ëœ Ă‹ ĂœĂ‹ĂŽĂ“Ă™ Ă™Ă˜ ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÚÖËÞĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ— Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă—Ă‹ĂŽĂ? Ă“ĂžĂ? ĂŽĂ?ĂŒĂ&#x;Ăž Ă‹Ăž ÞÒĂ? Ă”Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ?ĂŽ Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ Ă?Ă?Ă• Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă? åÓÞÒ ÞÒĂ? Ă’Ă‹Ă?ÒÞËÑ Í­ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă™ĂœĂ“Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă? Ă“ĂŒĂ?ÙÙ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ“Ă?ÓÚËÞĂ?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă™Ă˜Ă? ĂĄĂ?Ă?Ă• Ă–Ă™Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă™ Ă?Ă˘Ă’Ă“ĂŒĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜Ă? ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁ ÚÓÞĂ?Ă’ Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă’Ă?Ă–ĂŽ ĂŽĂ&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒÓĂ? ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœËŞĂ? Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ Ă?Ă?Ă• Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ăž Ă?Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ‘Ă?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă? ÍŻĂ?Ăž Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ăœ ĂšËœ åÓÞÒ Ă”Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă‹ Ă?Ă?ĂĄ ĂšĂ™Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ? ĂŒĂ?Ă’Ă“Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă˜Ă?Ăœ Ă‹Ę°Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ù×ÚĂ?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă‘Ă‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ăž ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ Ă˜Ă™Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ–ĂŁĚ‹Ă?ÞËÑĂ? Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ&#x;ĂšĂ?Ë› Ă“ĂŒĂ?Ă™Ă™Ëœ ÞÒĂ? Ă™Ă˜Ě‹ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÚÖËÞĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ— Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă›Ă&#x;ËÖÓÞã Ă‹Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ“Ă™ Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă˜Ăž ĂĄĂ‹Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ʨà Ă? Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ&#x;ĂšĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ÞÙ ĂšĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ăœ ÞÒĂ? Ă–Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹ Ă?Ă˘Ă’Ă“ĂŒĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ÞÒĂ? ͰʹÞÒ Ă™Ă? Ă?ĂŒĂœĂ&#x;Ă‹ĂœĂŁ ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Í°Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă’ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă‹ĂŁ ÍŻ ÞÙ Ă‹ĂŁ Íł Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă“ĂŒĂ?ÙÙ ĂŒĂ™Ă™ĂžĂ’ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹Ă—Ă‹Ă¤Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă Ă“ĂŒĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ăž Ă?ĂœĂ™ĂĄĂŽ Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ?Ëœ ĂŒĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽĚ‹Ă™ĂĄĂ˜Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă&#x;ÎÓÙÚÒÓÖĂ?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ‹Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?âÚĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? ÚÖËÞĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ë› Ă‹ĂŁ Íł ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ ĂĄĂ‹Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă“ĂžĂ?Ă’ Ă‹ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă–Ă‹Ă?Ăž ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜ĂžËœ ÞÒĂ?Ă—Ă?ĂŽ ËŤ ËŹ ĂĄĂ‹Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?âĂ?Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă™ Ă™Ă? Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽĂ&#x; ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă“Ě‹ Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ“Ëœ Ù̋Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂœËš â Ěš Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŒĂ?Ă—Ă“Ă–Ă?Ă•Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ăœ ĂŁĂ“Ă˜Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ëœ ÞÒĂ? Ă“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœËœ Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă˜Ăž ĂœĂ™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă‹Ă? ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ Ă‘Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă‹ Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ Ă—Ă?Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? ÚÓÞĂ?Ă’ ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? ĂŽĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ăž Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă”Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ă Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă?ÞËÑĂ? Ă‹Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă“ĂŒĂ?ÙÙ Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă?Ăž ÞÙ ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă’ Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Í°Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă? ĂšĂœĂ“Ă– ÞÒÓĂ? ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœË›

BJAN, Katunga for Capacity Building ĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ˜Ă‹Ă–Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ?ËŞ Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă‘Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ Ă‹ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă’Ă“Ăš åÓÞÒ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă˜ĂžĂ–Ă“Ă˜Ă? Ă—Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“ĂœĂ— Ă‹ĂžĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă‘Ă‹ Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ ÞÙ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ? Ă‹ Ă?ËÚËĂ?ÓÞã ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă“Ă–ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÚÖËÞĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ— Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă—Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?ĂœĂ?Ë› Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ Ă‹ Ă?ÞËÞĂ?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă”Ă™Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁ Ă?Ă“Ă‘Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ ÞÒĂ? ÞåÙ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ëœ ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă? ĂĄĂ‹Ă? Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂŁ ÞÙ Ă?Ă›Ă&#x;Ă“Ăš Ă—Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă? ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂž Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă? ĂŒĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ă›Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?Ăž Ă–Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ?ÒÓÚ˛ ĂšĂ?Ă‹Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă’Ă“ĂšËœ Ă‹ Ă“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ™Ăœ Ă‹Ăž Ă‹ĂžĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă‘Ă‹ Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹Ëœ ĂœË› Ă™Ă?Ă?ÚÒ ĂŽĂ‘Ă‹ĂœËœ Ă?ÞËÞĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ ÞÒÓĂ? Ă?ËÚËĂ?ÓÞã ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă“Ă–ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?âĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă“Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ÞËÕĂ? ÚÖËĂ?Ă? ĂŒĂ“Ě‹Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒĂ? Ă˜Ă?âÞ ÞåÙ ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ę¨ĂœĂ?Ăž Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜Ă Ă™Ă–Ă Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?âÚÙĂ?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă? Ă‹ĘľĂ?Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă? ÞÙ Ă&#x;Ăš ÞÙ ĂŽĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ă“Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă? Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă? Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ?Ă‘ĂŁËœ ĂŒĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ Ă‹ĂŽĂ Ă?ĂœĂžĂ“Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĘŽĂ“Ă?Ăž Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ Ă’Ă“Ă—Ëœ ˊ˪ÞÒÓĂ? Ă’Ă‹Ă? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă“Ă—ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă? Ă‹Ă? Ă‹ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ăž Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂšĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă—Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂ‹Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă?ÞÓĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă–ĂŁ Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ™Ă–Ă–Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĘĽĂ?Ă?ÞÓà Ă? Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă? ĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ&#x;ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë›ËŞËŞ ĂŽĂ‘Ă‹Ăœ Ă‹ĂŽĂŽĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ Ă‹Ă? ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂž Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ëœ ÞÙÚ ÚÖËãĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ę¨Ă?ĂŽ ʨĂ?Ă–ĂŽĂ? ĂŒĂ™ĂžĂ’ Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă‹Ă– Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ? Ă“Ă˜Ă Ă™Ă–Ă Ă?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Ă•Ă˜Ă™ĂĄĂ–Ă?ĂŽĂ‘Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?âÚĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂžĂ’Ă?Ăœ Ă?âÚÙĂ?Ă? ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ“Ă?Ă“ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂžĂ? ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă™Ă? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– ĂšĂœĂ‹Ă?ÞÓĂ?Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ˜Ă‹Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă—Ë›

The menace of adulterated products is a major threat to the mandate of regulatory agencies because substandard goods endanger lives and erode consumer conďŹ dence.

DG, CPC, Babatunde Irukera

24

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ ÍŻÍłËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

FG URGED TO PROVIDE CORE IT INFRASTRUCTURE FOR BUSINESS GROWTH

Report:CompanyCultureKeytoAddressingGenderInequality

private sector-led businesses to continue to support government in the area of infrastructural development. We at Rack Centre are well positioned as exporter of IT services and facilities to the sub-Saharan region, but we need a conducive macro environment to be successful in our business, Coker added. Speaking on its Tier 111 Data Centre business operations and its contribution to grow the country’s core IT Infrastructure, Coker said Rack Centre had last year, introduced cloud on ground services, which he said would be an investment plan and a continuous journey that would enable customers host their data in the country, in areas that they can have 24/7 access to, hence we invested in cloud on ground, which is the next wave of technology. Cloud on ground goes beyond hosting local data in Nigeria, because it was also designed to attract international players operating in Nigeria to host their data in Nigeria. Cloud on ground has made us the certified Tier 111 Data Centre Operator, providing cloud services in Nigeria. Even small companies like SMEs can host their data on our cloud facilities, Coker said.

Emma Okonji

FG URGED TO EXPUNGE SECTIONS 24 AND 38 OF CYBERCRIMES ACT million or imprisonment for a term of not more than three years or to both such fine and imprisonment. Section 38 stipulates that a law enforcement agency may, through its authorised officer, request for the release of any information in respect of subsection (2) (b) of this section and it shall be the duty of the service provider to comply. Subject to the provisions of this Act, any person who contravenes any of the provisions of this section commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not more than three years or a fine of not more than N7 million or to both fine and imprisonment. The two organisations said although some parts of the Act have good intention, their applications are targeted against human rights.

A research report from Accenture has identified 40 workplace factors that can create a culture of equality, including 14 factors that matter the most. The research, published recently in the company’s “Getting to Equal 2018� report, detailed the mosteffective actions that business leaders can take to accelerate advancement and help close the gender pay gap. The research is based on a survey of more than 22,000 working men and women in 34 countries, to measure their perception of factors that contribute to their workplace cultures. The survey was supplemented with in-depth interviews and a detailed analysis of published data on a range of workforce issues. According to Women Executive Sponsor and Country Finance Controller at Accenture Nigeria, Toyin Osungbesan, “Our research shows that in companies with cultures that include the workplace factors that help women advance, men thrive too, and we all rise together,� said “We see this research as a powerful reminder that building a culture of equality is essential to achieving gender equality because people, not programs, are what make a company inclusive and diverse.� The Accenture’s research found that in companies where the 40 factors are most common, everyone benefits to the extent that 92 per cent of

employees are satisfied with their career progression; 93 per cent of employees aspire to get promoted; 97 per cent aspire to become senior leaders in their organisations and everyone has a better opportunity to advance. It also found out that women are 43 per cent more likely to advance to manager or above and 3.5 times as likely to advance to senior manager/ director or above; Men are 25 per cent more likely to advance to manager or above and nearly twice as likely to

advance to senior manager/ director or above. While both women and men advance in companies in which the 40 factors are common, women have the most to gain. According to the report, if all working environments in Nigeria were like those in which the 40 factors are most common, then it is likely that for every 100 male managers, there could be as many as 87 female managers, up from the current ratio of 100 to 46; Women’s pay could

increase 122 per cent, or up to an additional $17,560 per year; Women could earn $87 for every $100 a man earns, helping to close the pay gap and lifting women’s total earnings by $11.4 billion nationwide. Setting clear diversity targets, the research finding is a crucial step for leaders who want to strengthen their cultures. “Culture is set from the top, so if women are to advance, gender equality must be a strategic priority for the C-suite,� said Osungbesan.

The report, which builds on Accenture’s 2017 research on how digital fluency and technology can close the gender gap in the workplace, grouped the 14 core factors proven to influence advancement into three categories of bold leadership, comprehensive action and an empowering environment. Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations.

COURTESY VISIT L-R: Zonal Head, South-west 1 of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Mr. Alfred Amubioya; Manager, AbdulAzeez Attah Road branch (Ilorin) of the Bank, Mr. Salihu Olorundare; Regional Director, South-west, Mr. Adelaja Adeleye, Managing Director of the Bank, Mr. Adam Nuru; Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji (Dr.) Abdulfatah Ahmed and Executive Director, Business Development of FCMB, Mrs. Bukola Smith, during a courtesy visit by the Management of FCMB to Governor Ahmed in Ilorin, Kwara State ... recently

Google Pulled Down 3.2bn Ads in 2017 for Policy Violations Stories by Emma Okonji In order to sanitise the online advertising ecosystem, and in line with its online advertising policies, Google said it pulled down 3.2 billion ads globally from various websites that operated within the global online ecosystem that is monitored and managed by Google. Although the global exercise is carried out annually by Google, the company said the number of bad ads kept rising each year. Head, Global Product Policy, Google Trust and Safety, in charge of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Jessica Stansfield, who made the revelation through a teleconference

broadcast to all the EMEA regions, said the 3.2 billion bad ads that were pulled down as at 2017, were more than the 1.7 billion ads pulled down in 2016, which was equally more that 700 million bad ads that were pulled down in 2015. According to her, the statistics on bad ads, showed that more than 100 bad ads were pulled down every second, an indication that some advertisers deliberately put up bad ads to disrupt the entire ecosystem for their personal gains, in spite of the policies that are put in place and are renewed yearly, to address the proliferation of bad ads in the entire ecosystem that is made up of Ad Networks from Google, Advertisers,

Publishers, and End users. She said Google would not relent in its efforts to get rid of ads that are inimical to end users, advertisers and publishers, which are capable of diverting funds and genuine attention online. She classified bad ads to include Scraping, Tabloid Cloaking, Malicious Activities, Malware and Trick to Click. Furthermore, she explained that in 2017 alone, Google blocked 12,000 websites, up from the 10,000 websites it blocked in 2016 for Scraping, which has to do with duplicating and copying content from other sites to publish in another site. For Tabloid Cloaking, which

has to do with making false pretense about news stories, Google said it pulled down 7,000 AdWords account, up from 1,400 in 2016. In the case of Malicious Activities violation, which has to do with compelling end users to click on a particular ad before allowing the end user to navigate on the site, Google said it pulled down 130 million of such ads in 2017, for abuse of the network and for circumventing ad review processes. For Malware, Google said it blocked 79 million ads on its network, for automatically sending people to malware-laden sites and equally pulled down 400,000 of the malware sites.

Similarly, Trick to Click, which has to do with deceiving people to click on a particular news site that will automatically route the person to a site that the person did not intend to visit, most often, phonographic sites, Google said it blocked 66 million of such sites and 48 million ads that were attempting to get users to instal unwanted software. Speaking on how Google removed the economic incentives for sites to create and spread deceptive content online, Stansfield said in 2017 alone, Google removed 320,000 bad publishers from its ad network and blocked nearly 90,000 websites and 700,000 mobile apps for policy violations.

CCM Boss Alerts of Moves to Stall Calabar Port Dredging Group Business Editor

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Managing Director of the Calabar Channel Management (CCM) Company Limited, Mr. Bart Van Eenoo has raised the alarm that some detractors are deliberately attempting to smear his company and ultimately stall the dredging of the Calabar Port, which CCM won through competitive bidding in 2004. Reacting to a recent report that CCM was paid about 70per cent of the contract sum without execution of the project, Eenoo explained CCM is not involved in any contract with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) but a Joint Venture (JV) Agreement which the NPA has

60per cent and CCM 40per cent. He told journalists in Abuja that “after a lull in the deliberate falsehood by our detractors to portray our company in bad light and set us up against the government of the day, they (detractors) are at it again spurning lies against us but like in all previous attempts, they will fail�. According to him, contrary to the misleading reports, “our company is not involved in any contract with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) but a Joint Venture (JV) Agreement which the NPA has 60% and CCM 40%. Our company

dredged the water channel by up to the envisaged more than 20 kilometers high spots within Tomshort Island before the NPA ordered stoppage of work�. He clarified: “It is wrong for anybody to accuse CCM of receiving 70 percent upfront when our company did not sign any contract with the NPA but a joint venture which the NPA is a co-owner and we are paid only when the NPA and the Consultants certify that the level of work carried out tallies with our invoice(s). Again, how can anyone accuse our company of not

doing any job when our partners- Boskalis and Westminster Dredging, internationally acclaimed companies participated in all works done with relevant stakeholders, including the NPA’s Station Manager in Calabar then, alluding to the fact that CCM carried out appreciable work on the dredging until the disruption of work by the NPA.� Even some of the stakeholders were always aboard the dredgers during the cause of the dredging to have a feel of the work done. It is absolutely not correct to say that we did not carry out any dredging

at the Calabar Channel�, he added. He insisted that work was carried out on the dredging, adding that CCM on August 20, 2015 for instance, through its bankers-UBA, paid $1,207,440 to Dredging International Services for crewing and provision of logistics at the Calabar channel for nine weeks, $500,000 to Nigerian Westminster Dredging and Marine for dredging services at the Channel and $3,600,000 to Societe de Dragage for dredging services. The Nigerian Navy also confirmed that it provided security services for the dredging.

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BUSINESSWORLD

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InfraCos and Confidence

Waning

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Despite the licensing of four InfraCos for the Lagos zone, North-central, South-east and North-east, Nigerians are yet to feel their impact as broadband penetration remains low, writes Emma Okonji With the global drift from voice to data communication in the telecoms sector, Nigeria saw a need to boost its broadband infrastructure and decided to license Infrastructure Companies (InfaCos), with a mandate to provide broadband infrastructure across every nook and cranny of the country that will further enhance rollout of data services. The plan was to license at least one InfraCo in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country and empower them to provide broadband infrastructure that will enhance broadband penetration in the country. True to its promise, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in 2015, licensed two InfraCos, MainOne for Lagos zone, and IHS for North-central. In December 2017, NCC licensed additional two InfraCos, Zinox Technologies for South-east and Brinks Integrated Solutions for North-east, bringing the total number of licensed InfraCos to four. NCC had assured Nigerians that InfraCos would address the shortfall in telecoms infrastructure in the country, especially with last mile broadband capacity transmission. It was also intended to boost broadband penetration and reduce high cost of broadband bandwidth. But many Nigerians are worried that the challenges affecting broadband rollout have not been addressed and that such challenges were adversely affecting the rollout of InfraCos services, hence they have not felt the impact of InfraCos, two years after the first set was licensed. MainOne and IHS licence in 2015 NCC in 2015 announced the licensing of the winners for the advertised bid for InfraCos, with MainOne Cable winning for the Lagos area and IHS grabbing the licence for the North-central. The choice of MainOne and IHS seems to sit well with industry watchers as it was welcomed with applause from a cross section of the stakeholders because both are major players in the provision of infrastructure in the nation’s telecom industry. According to NCC, the licensing of MainOne and IHS would create ubiquitous broadband for the country, which will lead to fast deployment of broadband and reduction in the cost of broadband and massive improvement in the quality of service for voice, video and data transmission. To give effect to the broadband initiative, the NCC adopted the Open Access model for broadband deployment and rollout. According to NCC, “the model is the leading model in the world; it encompasses sharing of infrastructure and sharing of ownership. It also encompasses competition because it structures the industry into primarily two layers; the wholesalers and retailers. “Apart from that, broadband is a development product is capable of increasing the GDP of Nigeria. It is also capable of taking Nigeria into the knowledge-based economy that the world is pursuing, It is a product that is capable of increasing the efficiency of our younger generation. This is how we see broadband, and we see that it is something that we have to do for Nigeria to enter the 21st century properly, and if we don’t do it then we have failed. We have taken the issue of increasing broadband penetration as a priority,� NCC told Nigerians. But two years down the line, Nigerians are yet to feel the impact of the licensed InfraCos. Zinox and Brinks Solution as additional InfraCos Shortly after Zinox and Brinks Integrated Solutions were licensed in December 2017, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, assured Nigerians that the additional two InfraCos, would in collaboration with the existing two, address

Chairman, Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh the shortfall in telecoms infrastructure in the country, especially the disparity in the cost of broadband services as well as the high cost of broadband in the country. The NCC boss noted that the commission had to develop innovative solutions to fast-track infrastructure deployment with a view to deepening the nation’s broadband penetration. Just like the assurances that NCC gave when it licensed the first two InfraCos, the commission was still optimistic that the combined efforts of the four licensed InfraCos, would further deepen broadband penetration, provide access to more online businesses at high connectivity speed, and above all reduce cost of broadband services in the country. But the story remains the same three months after the second set of InfraCos were licensed. Broadband penetration still low and cost of broadband still high, a situation that is creating a lot of worries for industry stakeholders and subscribers alike. Waning hope of broadband penetration Having believed the NCC for too long without feeling the impact of broadband penetration in the country that was supposed to be driven by licensed InfraCos, stakeholders are beginning to lose hope in the country’s broadband plan that was meant to achieve 30 per cent broadband penetration by the end of this year. They are also not pleased that the InfraCos that were meant to salvage the situation are still unable to do so two years after they were licensed. Some telecoms subscribers who spoke to THISDAY, expressed their worries that Nigeria has ubiquitous broadband at the shores of the country, courtesy of the submarine cable operators like MainOne Cable, Glo 1 cable, MTN WACS, SAT 3, that have brought huge broadband capacities from the berthing of their cables at the shores of the country. According to them, if the federal government was able to build a national backbone infrastructure that will transmit broadband capacities from the shores of the country where the broadband

CEO, MainOne Company, Funke Opeke capacities are currently lying unutilised, to the hinterland, where the capacities are in high demand, the issue of disparity in the cost of broadband bandwidth and the high cost of bandwidth would not have existed. They were of the view that if the InfraCos were truly on ground to carry out their mandate of providing broadband infrastructure, the issue of low broadband penetration and high cost of broadband would have been a thing of the past. “A situation whereby less than 10 per cent of the total volume of broadband capacities in the country is currently been utilised, calls for worry,� the subscribers said. Nigeria had in its five year broadband plan since 2013, targeted 30 per cent broadband penetration by 2018, but few months to the end of the year, the country has been able to achieve only 21 per cent broadband penetration, a situation that most Nigerians felt, had been a sluggish development. And they are in doubt if the country would meet up with the said target, even though the NCC is spirit high that Nigeria will meet the target before the end of the year. Issues with InfraCo rollout Industry stakeholders have identified several factors believed to be inhibiting the rollout of InfraCos services in the country and have warned that unless the barriers are removed, the planned rollout of broadband infrastructure by the licensed InfraCos, would continue to suffer setbacks. The stakeholders, who gave the warning, said they were convinced that the same challenges bedeviling the telecoms operators would continue to slowdown the activities of InfraCos in the country. They listed the challenges to include: willful vandalism of telecoms infrastructure by social miscreants, refusal of right of way (RoW) permit for telecoms infrastructure by state governments, and multiple taxes imposed on telecoms operators by agencies of governments. The stakeholders therefore called on NCC

to address the barriers in order to achieve hitch-free rollout of InfraCos. Chairman of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, told THISDAY that the same barriers impeding telecoms expansion were also hunting the planned expansion of broadband infrastructure by the licensed InfraCos. President of the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Olusola Teniola also told THISDAY that Nigeria suffered slow broadband penetration in the past, despite its five years broadband plan, because the county lacks enough broadband infrastructure to fast-track telecoms development. According to him, the undersea cables that were berthed at the seashores of the country by submarine cable operators came with huge broadband capacities, yet the capacities were underutilised because the country lacks sufficient broadband infrastructure to distribute the capacities to every nook and crannies of the country. He argued that the broadband infrastructure was supposed to be provided by licensed InfraCos, explaining that they lack the capacity to do so because of the challenges confronting them that were yet to be addressed by the NCC. The way forward According to Teniola, NCC must first remove every impeding barrier to broadband deployment in order to allow for full broadband deployment in the county. “We need to experience more broadband connectivity at the last-mile and the InfraCos must be empowered and encouraged by government to roll out wide range of broadband infrastructure for the country,� he said. The Chief Executive Officer of Pinnet Informatics, Mr. Lanre Ajayi advised the NCC and the federal government to begin aggressive investment in broadband deployment in order to boost broadband penetration and to achieve Nigeria’s 30 per cent broadband penetration target by 2018.

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Ozakpo: BillsnPay Tech Solution Will Enhance Business Growth Business Development and Telecoms Manager, CWG Plc, Mr. Tereigh Ozakpo, spoke with Emma Okonji on the company’s homegrown technology solution designed to aggregate bills for subscription-based businesses in a convenient way that will enhance growth. Excerpts: Is CWG Plc considering taking the BillsnPay solution to governments at all levels, since it has the capacity to curb financial leakages? We have already reached out to several corporations including the government, and we believe that they will like it, because the solution was specifically developed by Nigerians for businesses in Nigeria and beyond.

Can you tell us more about BillsnPay technology solution? As the name implies, BillsnPay entails aggregation of all financial documents. It is a platform that helps billers, also known as business owners, whose businesses are subscription-based, to issue bills on financial transactions to customers in a more easy and organised way, for the purpose of accountability. BillsnPay can therefore be aptly described as a payment solution platform built on technology to help merchants and customers to close business gap in the same ecosystem. It enables billers present their bills and handle client reconciliation process. It also allows bill recipients to view and make payments and consolidate all their records on a single platform. The solution, which provides payment options for the customers, is also designed to notify the merchant when bills are paid.

Looking at the poor infrastructure situation in the country, do think the solution will be widely adopted by the public and private sector organisations? In developing the solution, we considered the state of our infrastructure and the solution was built in such a way that it can run successfully on different infrastructure layout and the cost of integration is zero. Mobile devices are widely used today in the country and they are running on existing infrastructure that works. The solution is also built on mobile device, such that people can access the app from their mobile devices and also use the solution on their mobile devices. It is a cloud-based solution that can run on both mobile and fixed devices. All that the user needs do is to download the BillsnPay app or they could go online and log on to www.billsnpay.com and get registered to use the solution. It’s easy to use. So in terms of infrastructure, we have already bridged that gap and users do not need to buy server or any form of infrastructure in order to access the solution. With a connected mobile device or connected laptop and desktop, the user is ready to connect to BillsnPay solution. It’s that easy.

Can you give further clarification on the subscription-based businesses that the solution addresses? By subscription-based customers, I mean customers that subscribe to a particular business and make payment at the end of the financial transaction, but the solution is not restricted to only subscription-based customers. Other categories of customers that are involved in any form of financial transactions can also benefit from using the solution. So the solution offers a platform where merchants and customers could settle their transactions and bills in a way that customers receive the bill, and make payment when they are financially ready to do so. Beside reconciliation of financial transactions that BillsnPay addresses, what other features are unique about the solution? There are several features and benefits of BillsnPay. Aside reconciliation of financial transactions, it also helps to aggregate bills by putting together several bills and arranging them in sequence in such a way that both the merchants and the customers can see through their bills at a single glance. It saves the stress of running around to get receipts for any financial transactions. When bills are paid, the customer gets instant receipt and the merchant gets prompt that a bill has been paid. For bulk bills, the solution arranges the bills in sequence in a way that the customer can easily see and understand, and the bills can be downloaded in either the excel format, word or PDF. With BillsnPay solution, customers can buy airtime across all networks on the platform and pay for utility bills. It also has features like donation for charity which the donor can conveniently monitor to know how his or her money is been spent. The platform currently supports donations to St. Theresa’s IDP camp in Yola, Adamawa State. How does the BillsnPay solution work? Its working principle is easy. Customers receive text and email alert on the BillsnPay platform. They receive notification on all financial transactions, and customers receive payment reports and merchants receive bills enquiry from customers. Payment proofs are uploaded and both the merchants and the customers get immediate access to new and old bills. It is an integrated payment gateway that gives customers the immediate access to payment of all financial transactions. To get started, users will log on to the website, www.billsnpay.com, or download the app from Google Play Store and Apple Store to get registered. What are the benefits of BillsnPay solution to merchants and their customers? The benefits are huge. It accounts for easy reconciliation and reporting, it boosts tracking and payment records. It leads to customised

Ozakpo bills reminders in the form of SMS and email notifications. Immediate receipt of payments directed to merchants’ account. What may have prompted CWG Plc to come up with this kind of solution? We are a technology company, providing technology solutions to address human challenges and difficulties in transacting business of any sort. So we saw a need to address the challenges associated with billing of customers for goods and services, as well as to address the challenge of paying such bills at the appropriate time without accumulating them for too long. There have been lots of huddles in billing and paying of bills and we decided to develop our homegrown solution called the BillsnPay. For example, there is a trend where people love to live in estate for the purposes of security and comfort. Such people are faced with payment of several bills like electricity, generator, water, security, gardener, LAWMA, among others. Another scenario is the church that has several bills to pay. So BillsnPay helps in aggregating the several bills into a single report for easy assessment and payment. Again, we have noticed that most people are always occupied with busy job schedules and they tend to forget payment of their bills. Such persons rely on others to always remind them of their bills and that is part of what our solution does for such customers by aggregating their bills in a single platform and presented to them on their mobile phones and computer screen in a sequence that they will easily remember. Who are the target audience of the BillsnPay solution? The target audience for the solution are the corporate bodies that are into subscription-based business that sends regular bills to their customers. Small businesses that sends bills can also use it. How can small and medium size entrepreneurs

(SMEs) benefit from BillsnPay solution? SMEs could be seen as small businesses with small employee base but handle several financial transactions with customers. Such SMEs can conveniently use the BillsnPay solution to further grow its business. One of the features of BillsnPay is that it helps to reduce operational cost of a business. It is an intelligent solution that helps reduces operational bills, and so it is highly recommended for SMEs and for big corporations. Has the solution been deployed in other regions of the world, and how successful is it? The solution was developed in Nigeria, and we are just pushing it out to the Nigerian market, from where we will extend it to other regions. We have plans to take the solution to other African countries and beyond. The federal government is keen at blocking loopholes for financial leakages in the public and private sectors led business. How helpful is this solution in blocking such loopholes in the system? BillsnPay is built to ensure accountability in every financial transaction. Multiple users can be registered on the single platform and the solution is designed not only to create an atmosphere of ease of doing business, it also ensures accountability by blocking all financial loopholes in an organisation. The platform is developed in such a way that multiple users could be registered and this allows the multiple users to receive notifications on financial transactions and keep the records. So no individual in the group can manipulate the figures because the information that a particular user has, is the same information that other users have, which makes it difficult for any use to deliberately manipulate figures. The solution allows tracing and tracking of information, which again makes it difficult for anyone to steal or manipulate figures on the platform.

So what is the unique selling point that will attract customers to BillsnPay solution? Aside the numerous benefits of the solution listed above, it has other unique features that customers would want to be attracted to. It helps for easy presentation, aggregation and payment of bills. It provides ease and convenience of use, as well as easy reconciliation of accounts and financial reporting, all geared towards ease of doing business, speedy growth of business, stability and profitability. How is the ease of deployment of the BillsnPay solution? In terms of ease of deployment, it is very easy to deploy, and that is why it was designed as a selfless service. Once a customer downloads the app or decides to log on to the website, the next step is to get registered and provide the necessary information, which is very easy to do. Once that is done, the biller can start sending out the bills to customers at very affordable cost. We have a 24-hour backup support that keeps the platform ready for all transactions at every minute of the day. The BillsnPay solution can be aptly described as a disruptive technology solution, and FinTechs are at the forefront of creating disruptive solutions. What is your take about growth of FinTech in Nigeria? FinTechs are known for their disruptive technology solutions that are changing the ways things were hitherto done in the technology space, and the FunTech in Nigeria are doing very well. What they need is the government support and they will do more. For me I see a steady growth of FinTech in Nigeria, especially in the financial space. What is your advice for business owners who may want to give the solution a trial? My advice is straight forward. They should put their trust in the solution, deploy it and see how it will enhance their business. The benefits are huge and I want them try it. It gives convenience, provides notifications, and it is highly secured.

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Nigeria Contributes 10% to Thailand’s $12bn Gemstone Market Senator Iroegbu in Abuja Due to disorganised nature of the gemstone business in Nigeria, the country contributes about 10per cent of the total $12 billion revenue generated annually by Thailand from gemstone. Nigeria is not only losing revenue from the untapped solid minerals export but also losing to foreign players, who take advantage of her refusal to come together to develop the solid minerals sector. This disclosure was made recently by the President, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Prince Adetokunbo Kayode in his opening remark on the occasion of the first annual general meeting of the Gemstone Miners and Marketers Association of Nigeria (GMMAN) in Abuja. Kayode, who was represented by the 2nd Deputy President of ACCI, Mr. Emeka Obegolu, said that because of the vast deposit of solid mineral in the country, Nigeria should earn the maxim, ‘the

land of gems’. “This journey started sometimes in August 2016, after I visited the Gem and Jewelry fair in Bangkok, Thailand at the invitation of the Thailand Government. At a conference at that fair, it was pointed out that the gemstone industry in Thailand contributed about $12 billion annually to the country’s GDP. Of that amount about 10% of the gemstone was attributed to have come from Nigeria,â€? he said. Quoting the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the ACCI President put the average value of gemstone export from Nigeria at $3 billion dollars annually. He said the global jewelry business will hit ÂŁ150 billion by the year 2020, adding that China, India, United States, Hong Kong and Switzerland are major importers of gemstones. “With this high demand in the gemstone sector, Nigeria has the potential to grow her

economy through the gemstone sector especially now that the country is returning to the path of sustainable development through the non-oil sector. �If available opportunities in the sector are leveraged on, gemstones can be an important source of income for a developing country like ours through job creation and empowerment,’’ he said. He said Nigeria is not making good money from gemstone is that the country has not been able to maximally tap the potentials and impact positively on the lives of those who operate around its value chain. “Instructively, stones like sapphire, ruby,aquamarine, emerald, tourmaline, topaz, garnet, amethyst, zircon and others are available in large quantities in several locations in the country including Plateau, Kaduna and Bauchi states for years and can command premium priced in both local and international markets,� he said.

Abuja-Kaduna Rail Line: NRC Assures Passengers of Safety Kasim Sumaina in Abuja The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), has assured its teeming passengers that travel on the Abuja-Kaduna-Abuja train services of uncompromised safety while onboard the trains and at the rail stations. This was contained in a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Public Relations Mr. Yakub Mahmood, the Deputy Director, Public Relations, NRC obtained by THISDAY in Abuja. He said that “it has become expedient to allay the fears of the teeming passengers as being experienced especially by travellers on the roads and highways in the zone.� Mahmood noted that, “NRC management in order to allay the unfounded fears of our esteemed passengers after

the reported incidence of miscreants along Abuja-kaduna railway corridor engaged in an unwholesome act of stoning our passengers trains, as against the unsubstantiated and purported media report of attack by gun men.� While this does not constitute security threat to the operation of the train service on the Abuja-Kaduna-Abuja route, he hinted that “it is a deliberate attempt on unpatriotic individuals to damage federal government asset and property which is provided to alleviate the transportation problems being faced by Nigerians across the country, besides being a source of employment to the people residing in the environment.� Mahmood stressed that NRC is being proactive by taking measures through

the deployment of additional security equipment and personals to checkmate the unwholesome, uncivilised and unpatriotic tendencies. “To this end, NRC management is appealing to the youths, parents, guardians and especially the traditional rulers along Abuja-Kaduna railway corridor to assist in enlightening their subjects to desist from stoning moving train in their domain, as the train operations and services greatly facilitate the socioeconomic development of their areas and the country at large. “Anybody apprehended disrupting train movement or in anyway, endangering the safety of our passengers will be prosecuted according to the law of the land�, he stressed.

Minister Inaugurates SON Governing Council Jonathan Eze The Minister of Industry, Trade and Industry, Okechukwu Enelamah, has stated that the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) is vital in driving the federal government’s quality infrastructure framework. He noted that finding a lasting solution to the continued influx of substandard products into the country remained an onerous task facing the agency. The minister stated this at an inaugural meeting of the new Governing Council of SON, a day after the inauguration of the standards body Governing Council in Abuja recently. Enelamah, who is also the Chairman of the Standards Council, in his opening address to the members and SON management team, described the period of the Council’s ap-

pointment as a critical point, when the country’s economy is being diversified from mono product to agro-allied; solid minerals development; tourism; information and communication technology (ICT); light manufacturing and services in order to grow and develop it. Represented by the Permanent Secretary, FMITI, Mr. Edet Akpan, the minister stated that Nigeria’s balance of trade accounts is mostly in deficit with her international trading partners, coupled with the major challenge of rejection of Nigeria’s export commodities at the International markets, including Europe and the Americas. While describing SON as a major agency championing the implementation of the National Quality Infrastructure framework of the Government, the minister stated that the organisation’s

collaboration with the Weights and Measures Department of the FMITI and development partners like the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in establishing the National Metrology Institute in Enugu is worthy of commendation. “The SON already has several laboratories which need to be replicated across the states of the federation for more effective implementation and enforcement of Standards as well as quality assurance initiatives,’’ he said. In his welcome address to the Council members, SON Director General, Mr. Osita Aboloma, stated that the management and staff had eagerly looked forward to the appointment and inauguration of the Council to give impetus to the policy direction of SON as provided in its enabling Act No. 14 of 2015.

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT OLODU KEONYEDI

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Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă‹ ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‘Ă?ĘľĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? ÙÚĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?âÚĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă‘Ă?Ăž Ă‹ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă‘Ă™Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ăœ Ă•Ă?Ă?Ăš Ă“Ăž ËʎÙËÞ˛

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Ă?Ă?ĘľĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă&#x;Ăš ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂĄĂ?ĂŒĂ?Ă“ĂžĂ?Ë› Ă™Ă&#x; Ă‘Ă™ ÞÙ Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ëœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂĄĂ™Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă?ÙÖÖÙå Ă&#x;Ăš åÓÞÒ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂ?ÙÚÖĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă—Ă?Ă?Þ˛ Ă™Ă&#x; Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹ Ă‹Ă?Ă?ĂŒĂ™Ă™Ă• ÚËÑĂ?Ëœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂĄĂ™Ă˜ËŞĂž ÚÙĂ?Ăž Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ăž Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ? ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ă˜ Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă‹ ĂĄĂ?Ă?Ă•Ë ĂŁ Ă˜Ă™Ăž ĂŽĂ™Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ĘľĂœĂ‹Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă?Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ăž Ă“Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁË› You Aren’t Charging Enough:

Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ÚÖĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂŁ Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? ÞÙ ʨÖÖ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ÞÓ×Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?ÙÖÖĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂœĂ? ÙåĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?ÞÓÖÖ ĂŽĂ™Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă?Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁËœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă?Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂ‘Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă™Ăœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă˜Ă™Ăž ÚËĂ?Ă•Ă‹Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂšĂœĂ™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ? Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁ ÞÒËÞ ËÖÖÙåĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ÞÙ Ă?Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂ‘Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽË› Diagnosing What You Need to Do to Get More Business: ĂœĂ? ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂ?ÙÚÖĂ? ĂĄĂ’Ă™ Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ÙʼĂ?ĂœËŁ

Ă? ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ ĂšĂ?ÙÚÖĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ăž ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂŽĂ™Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ?ËŞĂ? ÚÖĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂŁ Ă™Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă“ĂžËœ ÞÒÓĂ? Ă—Ă‹ĂŁ ĂŒĂ? Ă‹ Ă?Ă“Ă‘Ă˜ ÞÒËÞ Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă?Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ ĂšĂ?ÙÚÖĂ? Ă•Ă˜Ă™ĂĄ Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă&#x;Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ë› Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ Ă—Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăš Ă&#x;Ăš ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?ĘĽĂ™ĂœĂžĂ?Ë› Ă? ĂšĂ?ÙÚÖĂ? ĂĄĂ’Ă™ Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂšĂœĂ™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă? ĂŽĂ™Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă•Ă˜Ă™ĂĄ ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă‹Ă Ă‹Ă“Ă–Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă?Ëœ ÒÙå Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ ĂŽĂ™ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? åÓÞÒ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;ËŁ

If you discover there’s What to Do When You Don’t Have Enough Money: not enough money Ă“Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÚËãĂ?Ă’Ă?Ă?Ă• ÞÙ ÚËãĂ?Ă’Ă?Ă?Ă• Ă™Ăœ ĂœĂ?Ă–ĂŁĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ coming in, don’t start Ă™Ă˜ Ă’Ă?Ă–Ăš Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă?Ă‹Ă—Ă“Ă–ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă˜ĂŽĂ? Ă“Ă? Ă?ĂžĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?with the option of Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ë› Ă Ă?Ă˜ Ă“Ă? ÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ?ËŞĂ? Ă˜Ă™ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŽĂ™ solving that problem by ÞÒÓĂ? Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ëœ ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă• Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă&#x;Ăž ĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂĄĂ‹Ă˜Ăž borrowing some money ÞÙ ĂŒĂ? Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă‹ Ă?Ă?ĂĄ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă˜Ă™ĂĄË› Ă™Ëœ Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂž ÞÙ Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? Ă‹ ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜ ÞÙ Ă‘Ă?Ăž ÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ?Ë› Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă• Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă&#x;Ăž ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂ“Ă‘ Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ but Start from the ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă’ ĂĄĂ’Ă™ Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă’Ă?Ă–Ăš ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? option that there’s a way Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă?Ëœ ÞÒĂ?Ă—Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‘Ă?Ăž Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ?ĂŽË› for you to get enough Ă’Ă? Ă•Ă?ĂŁ ÞÙ ĂŽĂ?Ă‹Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ åÓÞÒ ÞÙĂ&#x;Ă‘Ă’ ÞÓ×Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă? ÞÙ Ă•Ă?Ă?Ăš Ă‹ ÚÙĂ?ÓÞÓà Ă? Ă—Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă?customers to pay you sufďŹ ciently to support Ă™Ă‘Ă˜Ă“Ă¤Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ Ă“Ăž Ă“Ă? ĂžĂ?Ă—ĂšĂ™ĂœĂ‹ĂœĂŁË› Ă’Ă?Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?ÖÙåĂ? ĂŽĂ™ĂĄĂ˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ? ÞÙ Ă‘Ă?Ăž ĂžĂ“Ă‘Ă’ĂžËœ ÓÞ˪Ă? Ă˜Ă™Ăž ÞÓ×Ă? ÞÙ Ă?Ă&#x;Ăž ĂŒĂ‹Ă?Ă• Ă™Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ yourself Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ÞÙ Ă‘Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ÞÙ×Ă?ĂœĂ? ÞÙ ÚËã ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă&#x;ĘŠĂ?Ă“Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁ ÞÙ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă–Ă?Ë› Ă˜ ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂŽĂ?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă?Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?âÚĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă‹ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă’ Ă?ĂœĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă’Ëœ ĂŽĂ™Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă‹Ă?Ă• ÒÙå ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă‘Ă™Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ Ę¨Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ù×Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă? ÞÙ Ă–Ă™Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁË› Ă?Ă• Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂ?Ă‹ĂŽ ÒÙå ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‘Ă?Ăž Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă? ÞÙ Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă™Ăœ ĂŽĂ™Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ? ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? åÓÞÒ Ă?âÓĂ?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ÞÙ×Ă?ĂœĂ?Ë› REASONS WHY YOU ARE NOT HAVING ENOUGH MONEY: You Don’t Have Enough Business: Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă“Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă™Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă™Ă—Ă—Ă™Ă˜ ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁË› Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ÞÓ×Ă? ĂĄĂ‹Ă? ʨÖÖĂ?ĂŽ åÓÞÒ ĂšĂ‹ĂŁĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ëœ Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă?Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁË› ÓÞ˪Ă? Ă?Ă™ Ă“ĂœĂ™Ă˜Ă“Ă? ÒÙå Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă™Ă? Ă&#x;Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă‘Ă“Ă Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă‹Ăž ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ëœ ĂšĂ&#x;ĘľĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă˜ Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ă˜Ă“Ă‘Ă’ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ùà Ă?ĂœĂžĂ“Ă—Ă? ÞÙ Ă’Ă?Ă–Ăš ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă Ă? ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ ĂŒĂ™ĘľĂ™Ă— Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ë› Ă&#x;Ăž ĂĄĂ’Ă?Ă˜ Ă“Ăž Ă?Ù×Ă?Ă? ÞÙ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă™ĂĄĂ˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? ÞÙ ĂŽĂ™ Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ? ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂ‹ĂœĂ? Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă—Ă&#x;Ă— ÞÙ Ă‘Ă?Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ùʼ ÞÒĂ? Ă‘ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽË› Ă™Ă&#x; ÑÙÞ ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂŽĂ?Ëœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă•Ă?Ă?Ăš ĂšĂ&#x;ĘľĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ùʼ

Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ëœ Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă—Ă™ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă?ĘĽĂ™ĂœĂžĂ?Ëœ ËÖÞÒÙĂ&#x;Ă‘Ă’ ÞÒÓĂ? Ă—Ă‹ĂŁ ĂŒĂ? ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂžĂ?×ÚÞĂ?ĂŽ ÞÙ ÎÙ˛ ÖÙå ÞÓ×Ă?Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă‹ Ă?Ă“Ă‘Ă˜Ă‹Ă– ÞÙ ×Ùà Ă? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ Ă’Ă“Ă‘Ă’ Ă‘Ă?Ă‹ĂœËœ ÞÙ Ă‹ĂšĂšĂœĂ™Ă‹Ă?Ă’ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă“ĂžĂ&#x;Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă? Ă‹ Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă™ĂœĂžĂ’ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă?ĂœĂ?ËÞÓà ÓÞã Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă&#x;ÓÞã˛ Ă™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă•Ă?Ă?Ăš ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă“Ă–ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? åÓÞÒ Ă‹ ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă?Ăž Ă™Ă? äĂ?ĂœĂ™ Ă˜Ă‹Ă“ĂœĂ‹ Ě™ Í‘Ěš Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ?Ă Ă?ĂœË› ÖÞÒÙĂ&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă? Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ?Ă‘Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÙÙÖĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂžËœ Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă™ĂœĂžĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă–ĂŁ ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ Ă™Ă˜Ă–ĂŁ Ă‘Ă?Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă™ Ă?Ă‹ĂœË› Ă Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁËœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂĄĂ‹Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă“Ă˜Ă Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ ĂŽĂ™Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă˜ Ă˜Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ?ĂŒ Ă’Ă™Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜Ëœ Ă–Ă™Ă‘Ă™Ëœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂŽĂ?Ëœ Ă?Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă– Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂ•Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ÞÙ×̋ÎĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă‘Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ ĂĄĂ?ĂŒĂ?Ă“ĂžĂ?Ëœ Ă‹ĂŽĂ Ă?ĂœĂžĂ“Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĚ‹ĂžĂ“Ă—Ă? Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ‹Ă˜ĂžËœ Ă?ĂžĂ?Ë› Ă™Ă˜ËŞĂž Ă‘Ă?Ăž Ùà Ă?ĂœĂĄĂ’Ă?Ă–Ă—Ă?ĂŽ ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ÞÙ Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă˜ ÚÖËĂ?Ă? ĂœĂ“Ă‘Ă’Ăž Ă˜Ă™ĂĄ ĚŽ Ă”Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? Ă‹ ĂšĂœĂ“Ă™ĂœĂ“ĂžĂŁ Ă–Ă“Ă?Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂšĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă’Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ăž Ă–Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ăž Ă™Ă˜Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ăž Ă˜Ă?ĂĄĂ? Ă“Ă? ÞÒËÞ ĂĄĂ’Ă?Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă“Ă˜Ă Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă“Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă“Ăž ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ù×Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă“Ă?Ăœ ÞÙ Ă‹Ă?Ă• ÙÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ? ÞÙ Ă“Ă˜Ă Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă“Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ë› Ă‹ĂŁ Ă?âÚĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ÞÙ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂŒĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă˜ Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ? ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? ĚŽ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?âË×ÚÖĂ? Ă‹ĂŽĂ Ă?ĂœĂžĂ“Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ë› Ă™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ ÞÓ×Ă? Ă˜Ă?Ă Ă?Ăœ Ă–Ă‹Ă?Ăž ĂŒĂ&#x;Ăž ÞÙĂ&#x;Ă‘Ă’ ĂšĂ?ÙÚÖĂ? ÎÙ˛

Olodu keonyedi – is a trained engineer and by passion and personal development a public/motivational speaker, a business coach and human capacity developer, he has a B.Eng degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nigeria Nsukka, he is a member of Nigeria Society of Engineer and a COREN registered Engineer. Email: olodukeonyedi@gmail.com Tel: 08037489704, www.instagram.com/sir_keon. www.facebook.com/olodu keonyedi_mentorship

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T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͳ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY MARCH 15, 2018

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Collegiate Sporting Platform to the Rescue Collegiate Sporting Platform to the Rescue Brand owners and individuals looking for fresh channels to connect with the youth segment of the Nigeria market, may find the newly inaugurated Higher Institutions Football League attractive. RaheemAkingbolu reports Music and Sports are fast becoming the most potent platform for marketing because of the affinity between fans and the teams or music stars, as the case may be. In advanced nations, handlers of top brands always find the two areas tempting because they are the easiest routes to the heart of the teeming youth population. Though the Nigeria’s entertainment industry provides music personalities and other celebrities to connect with, that cannot be said of sports because there are no viable local football leagues. As a result of this, various companies have been restricted to music as the only serious platform to connect consumers. A platform for brand affinity According to the Director, PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Sola Fijabi, whose agency recently inaugurated Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL), there is a connection between brand building and sports that has not been fully explored in Nigeria because of lack of strong sporting platforms. He stated that for discerning brands, HiFL is another platform for connecting with consumers. According to Fijabi, the spread of the tournament and potential opportunities abound. “HiFL has been designed to address the needs of every brand. Here, we are referring to over 60% of the population in Nigeria as prospective customers of any discerning brand. That is huge. Opportunities such as kit endorsement/branding; branding of the display panels around the football pitch; branding of fans bid; products display amongst other sponsorship opportunities are available. The beauty of these profound opportunities is that brands may simply tap in for their corporate social responsibility programmes,� Fijabi said. This is also the position of a Marketing expert, Babatunde Oguntuase, who argued during an interview with THISDAY that there has been serious vacuum in the nation’s marketing space, adding that the recent development will boost sports and brands marketing in Nigeria. ‘’Unlike what we have in the entertainment industry, sports in Nigeria are event driven and that is why it has failed to command necessary followership. Sport is key to marketing, especially when it comes to reaching out to the youth segment of the market but unfortunately there is no strong local football league to serve as positioning vehicle for sponsorship and advertising. that is why we must all rally support for PACE in its new endeavour,’’ Oguntuase said. Yearning for viable sport platform Being a part of the higher institutions in Nigeria has its awes and flaws, however, students always look forward to any extra-curricular activity that will cause an enjoyable distraction or relax the stress nerves even for a moment. Once an activity springs up, the atmosphere is somewhat celebration-filled as students begin to plan how their schedules would fit into the new development. The situation is no different when the National University Games Association (NUGA) announces the commencement of a new edition. Schools begin massive preparation, which includes recruiting, training and retraining of potential candidates that best represents the school. For weeks, the euphoria basks in the air and these students make some sense of their educational journey as not just a routine experience but also a threshold for building their professional career. Intercollegiate sports is not new to the world or Nigeria, however, it has shown a snail-like growth in the country in the past decade. Lack of consistency in the existent collegiate sports has barred any opportunity for sustainable growth in terms of linking potential winners/budding athletes to the professional scene. The focus on the Super Eagles and other top shots in the sports industry has indirectly affected the progression of collegiate sports. It is almost impossible to flip through the sports page of daily newspapers with comprehensive colligate sports reports in Nigeria. In a bid to change the narratives and grow

L-R: CEO, GWG Sports Centre Limited and Technical Consultant, Higher Institutions Sports League (HiSL), Alhaji Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe; Director, PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Mr. Sola Fijabi; Director, Student Support Services, National Universities Commission, Dr. Maryam Sali and President, Nigerian Universities Games Association (NUGA), Prof. Stephen Hamafyelto, at the MoU signing and international press launch of the Higher Institution Football League (HiFL) held in Lagos..recently collegiate sports in Nigeria, PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing recenlty launched the Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL) for teams in higher institutions in Nigeria. HiFL will be the first organised collegiate football league in Nigeria.

“HiFL has been designed to address the needs of every brand. Here, we are referring to over 60% of the population in Nigeria as prospective customers of any discerning brand. That is huge. Opportunities such as kit endorsement/ branding; branding of the display panels around the football pitch; branding of fans bid; products display amongst other sponsorship opportunities are available’’

About HiFL Simply, HiFL is an innovation to revive collegiate sports in Nigeria. More so, it seeks to create a unification amongst higher institutions with a common vision, which supersedes short-term goals. Beyond sports, it seeks a tie-in of an international recognition of athletic success to the improvement of academic objectives, enhancing the overall reputation of higher institutions in Nigeriaon a global scale. This initiative is a calculated solution to the prevalent lack of sustainable policy on school sports as it is handled by private entities whose ultimate goal is to create formidable platform that will guarantee the discovery and pool of budding talents useful to the national team at all levels. Following the signing of MOU between PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing (PSEM) and Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA), the President of NUGA, Prof. Stephen Hamafyelto, expressed optimism that the issue of lack of funding for collegiate sports in Nigeria may now be adequately addressed. According to him, “HiFL is the platform to enable NUGA inspire Nigerian students as the next generation through excellence in sports and academics.HiFL will complement the efforts of NUGA to bring back the good old days of competitive inter-school games with all the excitement therein. Interestingly, we are starting with football, which may be described as the pivot of Nigerian sports in an arrangement that we hope will spread to other sports later� During the media unveil, Director, PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Sola Fijabi,explained that HiFL was designed to propagate youth development in Nigeria through sports. HiFL will also place collegiate sports in Nigeria on the same pedestal as their counterparts in other countries that have recorded successes and build a strong an ecosystem of young, homegrown football talents that may become invaluable for future national engagement.

“HiFLŽ is designed to engage and showcase exciting sporting talents from tertiary institutions in Nigeria. HiFLŽ is a part of a bigger body, which is the HiSL -Higher Institutions Sports League. The quest to establish this platform was borne out of the great desire to engage Nigerian youth. Presently, a significant number of these youth are in the universities spread across the country. These talents must be identified and nurtured for sustainability,� Fijabi said. The maiden HiFLŽ games is set to commence from July 28, 2018 to October 27, 2018. The league will commence with universities, which has been zoned into the Atlantic Conference and the Savannah Conference for reasons of proximity and effective administration.According to Head Strategy, PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Olamide Adeyemo, the competition will be on home and away basis while the final four matches will be broadcast live on terrestrial and cable like African Independent Television and SuperSport. In her remark, representative of the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Dr. Maryam Sali, announced the Commission’s endorsement and promised to provide the necessary support. “The passion that football generates is overwhelming and the youths in Nigeria have found a common ground in the excitement that the sport provides. We aspire to contribute our quota to the development of sports in Nigeria and we are glad that HiFL is providing a viable platform for private-public partnership that key into the agenda of the Federal Government for youth and socio economic development in Nigeria,� Sali said. In his goodwill message, the President of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) Mr. Amaju Pinnick lauded the initiative and stated “HiFL is a noble and maiden project that we are looking forward to it becoming an annual event�. The winner of HiFL will represent Nigeria at the International University Sports Federation games.

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Ericsson Sets Roadmap to Unlock 5G’s Revenue Potential Stories by Emma Okonji A comprehensive guide for operators on how to maximise revenue opportunities in today’s era of Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G advanced technology, has been released by Ericsson. The guide, which is real-time automation, is the largest of the nine use-case clusters identified in Ericsson’s 5G industry digitalisation report followed by enhanced video services. According to the guide, 73 per cent of respondents in the 5G industry impact report said they target first-mover advantages as their most strategic objective The industries’ focus on 5G has shifted from viewing it as a disruptive technology to now embracing it as a central part of their strategy. In the latest 5G-IoT report, Ericsson laid out a roadmap for operators to unlock the revenue potential of 5G-enabled industry digitalisation. In ‘The guide to capturing the 5G industry digitalisation business potential’ – a sequel to the ‘5G Business Potential’ report – Ericsson delved deeper into how operators can potentially grow revenues up to 36 percent by addressing 10 key sectors. The previous 5G Business Potential report found that operators can add a revenue of $204 billion to $619 billion, which is about 12 to 36 per cent

to their forecast service revenues of $1.7 trillion in 2026. They can do this by targeting the digital transformation of other industries, such as automotive and manufacturing, using 5GIoT technology. In the report, Ericsson examined more than 400 industry digitalisation use cases across 10 industries such as energy and utilities; manufacturing; public safety; healthcare; public transport; media and entertainment; automotive; financial services; retail and agriculture. Of the 400 use cases, over 200 are where 5G is expected to play a vital role. These were grouped into clusters to boost revenue opportunities and overcome deployment challenges. Through extensive operator engagements and a carefully chosen analytical framework, Ericsson created a comprehensive guide for operators to address a range of challenges. The report also highlights how use cases can be evolved to reach the full 5G-enabled industry digitalization business potential. The report also looked at various operator initiatives and shared some of the lessons learned so far. According to Ericsson, digitalisation revenues for ICT players between 2016 and 2026 are set to grow by 13.6 per cent annually, while current operator service revenue growth is forecast at 1.5 per cent. As

5G becomes increasingly vital to industries, there is a rise in the opportunity for new 5Genabled revenues for operators. Of the total 5G-enabled value

in 2026, up to 47 per cent is addressable by operators. Through the evolution of use cases and clusters, operators can already begin to maximise

the possibilities of 5G-IoT and industry digitalisation to capture their full business potential. Head of 5G Commercialisation at Ericsson, Thomas Noren,

said: “Our case studies have shown that operators employ strategic and operational activities to address challenges facing the success of their offerings.

Diamond Bank Launches Artificial Cars45, Kia Motors Extend Intelligence-powered Chatbot Business Partnership to Abuja Diamond Bank Plc has launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chatbot, leveraging pioneering technology to reach more customers with an enhanced service in Nigeria. The Chatbot named ‘Ada’ uses AI technology to provide a human-like interaction and personalised experience for Diamond Bank customers. As Ada learns from past interactions, Diamond Bank can offer more relevant and timely solutions that are really simple for customers to use. Ada enables transactions such as airtime purchase, bill payments, stock trading, and money transfers all via a social network platform. Already live on Facebook Messenger, the most popular social chat programme, Ada will also be on other messaging platforms in the coming months. Ada will give Diamond the opportunity to reach millions of people, and facilitate financial inclusion on an extraordinary scale, extending Diamond’s reach into Nigeria’s massive retail opportunity. Diamond Bank’s existing customers can

start chatting to Ada. Ada is also an ideal solution to Nigeria’s evolving lifestyle trends which have moved towards preferences for mobile and digitally delivered services, as well as the use of natural language Ada delivers a consistently great experience every time you talk with her. The move is also aligned with the economy’s culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, and she was built using local talent. Commenting on the launch of Ada, the CEO of Diamond Bank, Mr. Uzoma Dozie, said: “I believe data and technology have the power to transform Nigeria’s economy. So I am excited to announce the launch of Diamond’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered Chatbot named Ada.� “Ada will allow us to further digitalise the mobile banking process and create an increasingly customised mobile banking experience for our millions of customers, Ada also presents another opportunity to deepen financially literacy and build trust and transparency in our ecosystem.

Nigeria’s auto auctioning and car buying service, Cars45 has extended the used cars and car trade-in partnership with Kia Motors to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. This means that used-Kia owners can now drive into Kia Motors Nigeria office at Utako Abuja to trade it in for a new Kia, fairly used Kia car or other cars owned by Cars45. This partnership also allows individuals, who do not previously own Kia cars to purchase certified used Kia cars or brand-new Kia cars at the designated Kia and Cars45 centres. This is intended to provide Nigerians with the much-needed credible environment to tradein their cars with ease while ensuring that they get the best value for their money. Speaking on the initiative, The CEO, Cars45, Etop Ikpe said: “Cars45 is beyond providing a platform for easy car sale. We ultimately aim at innovatively meeting our customers’ expectations and even exceed it. “With the upward growth in

the used car market, we have received a lot of requests from Kia owners for an opportunity to swap their old Kia for new ones. This created the need to bridge the gap for these customers. “This step further establishes Cars45´s commitment to Nigerians by ensuring that there are cars for the average Nigerian whenever he or she wants one.� Also speaking, Customer/ Sales Marketing Manager, Cars45, Carol Ofem said: “Based on the data and feedback that we have gotten from our customers and potential customers, we have seen that there is a growing market and demand for brand new Kia cars, as well as used Kia cars. “This partnership is therefore intended to meet that growing demand as it allows existing car owners to trade-in their cars for an upgrade. “This process is easy and convenient for the Nigerian car owner. We are confident this partnership will further increase customer experience and love for both the Cars45 and the Kia brand.�

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BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

Small Scale Farmers’ Challenges, Priorities The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) with the support of TrustAfrica organised a workshop in Abuja recently for farmers’ organisations and networks in Nigeria to rouse Small Scale Farmers (SSFs) to enhance their voices and capacity to influence policies within and outside the agricultural sector. Abimbola Akosile unveils the outcomes of the forum Vital Context Small Scale Farmers (SSFs) in Nigeria make up the greater number of the country’s workforce population and produce over 80 per cent of the food consumed in the country, according to reports. The Nigerian agricultural sector is second largest contributor (about 24 per cent) to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Nonetheless, some analysts believe these farmers appear to be the poorest constituency in Nigeria. The analysts believe the Small Scale Farmers have not been adequately supported over the years by successive administrations in Nigeria; and that their voices are scarcely heard, neither are they adequately represented in policymaking process and in governance. To them, this constituency has also been excluded and disempowered, while their concerns and interests are not taken into account or addressed. Given the above history of neglect, and against the backdrop of renewed global focus on agriculture and SSFs, the National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) with the support of TrustAfrica organised a workshop for farmers organisations and networks in Nigeria to awaken the SSFs to enhance their voice worth and capacity to influence policies in and out of the agricultural sector. The workshop also sought to identify the major challenges, concerns, interests and priorities of farmers well-articulated for effective policy advocacy. Forum Objectives Among the specific objectives of the NANTS workshop were to articulate the needs, challenges and concerns of small holder farmers from across the country, thereby providing them with the right of choice within the context of their livelihoods; and to facilitate the involvement of farmers in determining the priorities and key thematic areas of investment in the agricultural sector. Other objectives included to produce and document the issues and challenges of small scale farmers in Nigeria as a critical instrument for advocacy; propose critical issues for intervention to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and other key policy makers as effective policy influence; and to disseminate vital information to farmers that will help agricultural growth and productivity in Nigeria. Mixed Participation The Abuja consultative workshop brought together over 40 representatives of farmers organisations and networks from across Nigeria. It benefited from presentations on a study that was conducted by NANTS to identify the various thematic areas of government’s commitments

Cultivating rice under the FADAMA project in selected agriculture policies. There was also a verse selection of thematic areas that seek to assist the farmers in determining priority areas, express concerns and identify critical needs (KPPIs) they require resource investments to be directed, according to a communiquÊ and report signed by the Secretariat President, Ken Ukaoha, Esq. Observations & Tips Following the presentations, discussions and constructive debates, participants at the forum highlighted and advanced various observations, conclusions and recommendations. They commended the National Council of State for their vision in approving an additional support of $1 billion to the agriculture sector in recognition of the role that the sector has played and is still playing in the nation’s economy, and specifically, the fact that Nigeria’s economic advancement and recovery from recession is directly linked majorly to the agricultural sector. They also lauded the government for recognising the importance of agriculture in employment creation, as substantiated by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development - Chief Audu Ogbeh that agriculture has created over six million jobs within the current administration, particularly for the youth and women; with its capacity to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development. The forum noted that growth in GDP for the agriculture sector was 13 per cent in 2015; 4.69 per cent in 3rd quarter of 2016, 5.3 per cent in 2017 and today’s overall sector’s GDP contribution is about 24 per cent, making it

SOURCE: WORLD BANK GROUP one of the largest contributors to the economy, and therefore qualifies as a sector that must be given increased and adequate attention. The participants also observed that budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector and farmers have over five years not exceeded 2 per cent even with government’s commitment to the Malabo Declaration, while appropriated budget line items and capital projects have not fully benefited small holder farmers. More so, some investments in agriculture are also sometimes opaque and difficult to monitor. The forum recommended that for approved additional support to agriculture to be effective and impactful, government must consider the involvement of small scale farmers in decisions concerning its overall administration. While appreciating the risks and past failures usually associated with politicisation of the implementation of policy instruments in terms of financing, participants recommended that the disbursement of the funds should be need-based and not on geo-political formula or considerations. Participants therefore advocated that rather than the usual processes that subject such funding to political romance between the federal and state governments, and/or banks (where insider abuse and or huge access hurdles are inherent); the funds should be administered through credible and trusted farmers’ organisations. To them, the capacity of the selected farmers organisations should be strengthened to enable them effectively administer the funds to their members while government maintains constant

monitoring on the process. More so, the receiving banks should be selected through clearly set out criteria which includes track record of agriculture-credit administration, development orientation, alignment and relationship with small scale farmers. They raised serious concerns and invited government to quickly consider the negative implications of the ongoing herdsmen-farmers conflicts which has decimated farming and productivity in the North Central (popularly known as the food basket of Nigeria), as well as the Boko Haram (insurgency) and the shrinking of Lake Chad in the North East which have also displaced farmers from their farming communities. According to them, both factors have grave consequences on food security, employment, livelihoods and overall development in Nigeria, especially given that the two affected zones are the major food producing and supply zones in Nigeria. Participants noted with displeasure that Nigeria’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP 2017 - 2020) highlighted specific agriculture-related goals e.g., that Nigeria would be self-sufficient in tomato paste by 2017; rice by 2018; and wheat by 2020; and that Nigeria would be a net exporter of rice, cashew nuts, groundnuts, cassava and vegetable oil by 2020. They however lamented that 2017 has passed and Nigeria is still a net importer of tomato and that from all indications, the other targets appear unattainable. Investments and enabling environment that should have propelled the realisation of such targets or the mobilisation of the private sector is either poor or completely lacking, the forum noted. The forum challenged government over the continued influx of food imports into the country and the need for coordinated efforts among the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) and the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF) towards ensuring the effective management of policies and control in order to protect, encourage domestic investment and galvanise competition in the agriculture sector. To them, this is without prejudice to various commitments by Nigeria at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) and the Common External Tariff (CET) as well as the upcoming Continental Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), but with the realisation of the respective Trade Defence Measures accompanying these trade agreements. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

RANDOM THOTS Insecurity Vote Some mischievous people call it war chest; other cynics describe it as official loot, and a third group insists that it is a viable but coded source of retirement and pension package for the lucky beneficiaries. Yes, all the identified groups are talking about the same item: the monthly security vote, which is allocated to governors and other topmost government officials; huge funds reportedly running into billions of naira, which are allocat-

ed primarily to help ensure adequate security and reduce insecurity at the local, state, regional and national levels. However, not many Nigerians believe the security vote funds are being deployed for their original use. Some have even gone as far as insinuating that the security vote, which is outside the regular budget and reportedly unaccounted for, is a veritable source of funds for the receivers to build their nest eggs and/or war chests for political relevance.

A friend of this reporter recently put a philosophical bent on the issue. According to him, why would any governor or beneficiary of the security vote want to still go ahead and loot the public treasury again, after access to such huge funds that cannot be tracked by any alert civil society watchdog or inquisitive journalist? After all said and done, the single most important focus here is that the security vote ideally should be deployed for its

original use, which is ensuring security of citizens’ lives and property, and fighting existing insecurity at the same time. One then wonders what happened to the security vote in those states where lives and properties are highly insecure. Any attempt to divert such funds will only hinder development and increase corruption and insecurity. Then it becomes insecurity vote and ought to be withheld from abuse...simple truth -Abimbola Akosile

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Rural dwellers deserve autonomous local governments

Should Local Govts be Granted Autonomy? Although the NationalAssembly recently recommended and approved Local Government autonomy in their amendment process, the move does not sit well with State Governors, who largely control the finances accruing to the local councils. In your own view, should local governments in Nigeria be granted full autonomy to boost development at the grassroots or not? Abimbola Akosile * Local Governments should be granted autonomy in Nigeria. This is the grassroots government through which the people basically get the dividends of democracy. Granting autonomy to local governments is in total accord with the principles of federalism, the system of government Nigeria is presently practicing. It will also allow them harness resources available to them to their full advantage, to develop at their own pace and make development faster. - Mr. Charles Aniebonam, Esq. Abuja * It is a good idea for the Local governments to be autonomous but corruption will hinder their performance, because the present corruption that has engulfed the entire nation started from the local government offices. However, we may give it a trial of one term of four years. - Mr. Igbai Ehimigbai, Ago-Okota, Lagos State * Local governments are created to bring development closer to the people at the grassroots. Also, local government reform is aimed to accelerate development and enable the local population hold those in power accountable for their governance roles. Challenges facing the system include poor funding, lack of human capital, corruption, poor policy and service delivery. Some state governors flagrantly abuse Local council funds. Local governments should be granted full autonomy to boost development. - Mr. Michael Adedotun Oke, Founder Michael Adedotun Oke Foundation, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja * Civil Society and Media Organisations in Nigeria should promote massive awareness of political, constitutional and fundamental human rights to all households across the 774 Local Government Areas of Nigeria. - Mr. Feyi Akeeb Kareem, Coordinator, CDHR, Delta State * Everything is worth trying. State Governors have taken the Local Governments for granted ever since their existence. Their allocations by the Federal Government are withheld and little part given to them by the Governors as if they are beggars. Whatever the people think of them, autonomy is a must. Infact, the federation account should henceforth release the local government allocations directly to their accounts. - Hon. Babale Maiungwa, U/Romi, Kaduna State * Yes, Local Governments should be granted autonomy as they are the closest face of governance at grassroots levels. What is governance if the

THE RESPONSE Yes, they should:

15

No, they shouldn’t:

1

Others:

3

Total no of respondents:

19

Male:

17

Female:

2

Highest location:

Lagos (7)

grassroots is not developed and empowered? - Ms Nkeiruka Abanna, Lagos State * The National Assembly constitutional amendment favours local governments to have their own autonomy. Governance will reach rural people because governors always hijack local councils’ allocation meant for rural development. Autonomy will go a long way for rural development if the council chairmen don’t siphon the money. - Mr. Gordon Chika Nnorom, Public Commentator, Umukabia, Abia State * Yes, Local Governments in Nigeria should be granted autonomy because they are the closest governments to the rural people. Abraham Lincoln defines democracy as “Government of the people, by the people and for the people�. So they should be autonomous to serve and empower the people. Granting the local governments autonomy will liberate them from the political bondage under the emperors called governors. - Mr. Odey Ochicha, Leadership Specialist, Abuja * Local governments deserve substantial autonomy from States to enable them perform their statutory functions. The constitution has recognised LGAs with statutory functions. Let the Constitution be respected so that council can function effectively as drivers of development at that tier. However, accountability and transparency is a must if that autonomy is to be useful. - Mr. Anonymous, Lagos State * This is long overdue. Granting local governments in Nigeria autonomy means development to the grassroots. One should not expect the State Governors to be happy, as their window of siphoning public funds has been blocked. There is no meaningful development in their states and local governments, as the funds released cannot pay salaries. - Mr. Dogo Stephen, Kaduna State

* Maybe not yet. If we consider the extent of irresponsibility at this third tier of government, autonomy can’t serve any useful purpose as yet. The local government should be responsive to some infrastructural needs but unfortunately for now, they cannot be trusted to handle its own affairs in a manner worthy of autonomy. - Mr. Oluwapelumi Oyeniyi, Osogbo, Osun State

* Local Governments are made to look more like state MDAs operating at the behest of the Governors administratively and financially. For local governments to serve their purpose they have to be freed from the stranglehold of the Czars. - Mr. Eze Nwangwu, Chairman, Partners for Electoral Reform & Convener, Say No Campaign Nigeria, Abuja

* Of course, yes. Autonomy is the only panacea for effective services delivery at the local government level. The Joint Account Committee policy has frustrated participatory governance at that level. Autonomy will guarantee effective engagement of the leadership by the citizens because of the resource flow to the LGAs. - Mr. Boniface Kassam, Development Expert, Bauchi State

* Yes, local governments must be granted autonomy. They operate at the grassroots level democratically fulfilling citizens’ aspirations by responding to their plights. They also foster economic partnership and development while impacting on lives of rural dwellers etc. States’ overbearing autocracies and all the illegal deductions are worrisome. - Mr. Apeji Onesi. Lagos State

* Yes, the 774 Local Governments around the country deserve full autonomy. If granted financial autonomy especially, their monthly allocations will most likely be judiciously spent on projects because the citizens will monitor and hold them accountable for good governance or non-performance. - Mr. Olumuyiwa Olorunsomo, Lagos State

* Yes, local government should be granted full autonomy. Many shylock Governors owe workers several months’ salaries thereby sabotaging development at the grassroots level. With full autonomy development projects will easily reach the masses. The apt time is now please. - Miss Apeji Patience Eneyeme, Badagry, Lagos State

* Even though local government is supposed to have the greatest impact on the lives of the people, there’s so much fraud and corruption at that level of government they rarely have an impact on the development of their domains. If autonomy is given there would be increase in conflicts with state governments, thereby hampering the development process. For now, we are not ripe for LGC autonomy. - Mr. Buga Dunj, Jos, Plateau State * Local government autonomy will not sit well with Governors who have made robbing LG funds their favourite pastime. These governors and their rubber-stamp State Assemblies will do all they can to scuttle LG autonomy. Granting fiscal autonomy to the LGs would truly bring governance closer to the people and deepen our democracy. - Mr. Abiodun Franklin Aiyegbusi, Engineer, Lagos State * Autonomy could be granted to Local Government but not with the present structure of the Local Governments. We have to come to the point when we do some things differently. The prayer is just that the corruption will not swallow up the autonomy. - Mr. Adewumi Temitope, Agroshowroom, Osun State

Next Week: Have Your Devt Expectations Been Met? ÖÞÒÙĂ&#x;Ă‘Ă’ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂœĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă‹ĂŽĂ—Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ă‹Ă—Ă? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ ÚÙåĂ?Ăœ Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹ ĂĄĂ‹Ă Ă? Ă™Ă? ÚÙÚĂ&#x;Ă–Ă‹Ăœ ËÚÚĂ?Ă‹Ă– Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă—Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ëœ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă–ĂŁĂ?ĂžĂ? ĂŒĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă Ă? ÞÒËÞ ÞÒĂ? Ă?âÚĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜Ă? Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă–Ă‹ĂœĂ‘Ă?Ă–ĂŁ Ă˜Ă™Ăž ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă˜ Ă—Ă?Ăž Ă“Ă˜ ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ—Ă? Ă™Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚ×Ă?Ă˜ĂžË› ÓÞÒ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă Ă?Ăœ Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ–ĂŁ ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă?Ăž ʨÑĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă’Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? ÞÙ Ă?ËÚÓÞËÖ Ă?âÚĂ?Ă˜ĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă”Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ?Ëœ Ă’Ă‹Ă? ÞÒĂ? ÑÙà Ă?ĂœĂ˜Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ăž Ă?Ă?ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ‹Ă– Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ Ă–Ă?Ă Ă?Ă–Ă? Ă—Ă?Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ę¨Ă?ĂŽ ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚ×Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?âÚĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă?ËŁ Ă’Ă‹Ăž Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ? ĂŽĂ™Ă˜Ă?ËŁ Ă–Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă? ĂŽĂ“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžËœ Ă?Ă’Ă™ĂœĂž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ó×ÚÖĂ?Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ÞËÞĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă– Ă˜Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ëœ ÞÓÞÖĂ?Ëœ Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂŒĂ?ÞåĂ?Ă?Ă˜ ÞÙÎËã Ě™ Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă’ Í’Í– Ęś Ă™Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁËœ Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă’ ͚͒̚ ÞÙ abimbolayi@yahoo. com, greatbimbo@gmail.comËœ Ă‹bimbola.akosile@thisdaylive.com. Ă?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹ Ă?Ă’Ă™ĂœĂž ĂžĂ?âÞ Ă—Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă‘Ă? ÞÙ 08023117639 Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽËšĂ™Ăœ 08188361766 Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽËšĂ™Ăœ ͙͕͕͚͖͔͑͒͒͑͗˛ ÙÖÖËÞĂ?ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? ĂšĂ&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ Ă’Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁËœ Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă’ Í“Í“

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BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

Changing the face of Agege Pen Cinema in Lagos; a sign of positive development

ABIMBOLA AKOSILE

WaterAid Seeks Improved Access to Water, Sanitation in Healthcare Facilities Abimbola Akosile WaterAid Nigeria has called for action to improve access to water and sanitation in health care facilities in the country. The not-for-profit organisation also advocated the inclusion of water, sanitation and hygiene into health plans, policies and programming. Also, Nigeria’s leaders at all tiers were urged to fund, implement and account for progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and particularly Goal 6 – to ensure water, sanitation and hygiene for all. The calls and recommendations were contained in a release issued by WaterAid Nigeria’s Communications & Media Manager, Oluseyi Abdulmalik, on the recent occasion of the

International Women’s Day, which was marked in Nigeria around the world. According to the release, “In Nigeria, almost a third of hospitals and clinics in the country do not have access to clean water; the same percentage do not have safe toilets and one in six do not have anywhere to wash hands with soap. This puts some of the most vulnerable members of society – mothers and their newborns – at unacceptable risk of infection and death. “It has been shown that a baby’s chances of dying in the first month of life are cut by half if a mother and her birth attendant both wash their hands before handling the baby. Tragically for one in five babies who die in their first month in the developing

world, just being washed in clean water and cared for in a clean environment by people who had washed their hands could have prevented their untimely deaths�, it added. According to WaterAid Nigeria, “the ability to keep a hospital or clinic clean is such a fundamental basic requirement of health care that we must question whether a facility without clean running water or basic sanitation can adequately serve its patients. Women and girls, who make up more than half the world’s population, are often more deeply impacted than men and boys by a lack of access to water, sanitation and hygiene. “The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day, #PressforProgress, calls on people to keep motivated in the

Bill Seeking 35% Affirmative Action to be Re-introduced to Senate Damilola Oyedele in Abuja The Senator representing Anambra North Senatorial District, Senator Stella Oduah has said the bill seeking the implementation of the 35 per cent affirmative action for women, would soon be reintroduced to the Senate. She also disclosed that the constitutional amendment to provide for 20 per cent appointive office as ministers and commissioners at state levels would be reintroduced and transmitted to the 36 state houses of assembly. Speaking at a press conference to mark the recent 2018 International Women’s Day, Oduah, a former Minister of Aviation, lamented that the two bills failed to pass during the last voting exercise

on constitutional amendment. Oduah is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Women Affairs. “The President of the Senate has made that promise and all senators are in agreement, they have concurred to that. It is the right thing to do, and it is way overdue. The United Nations has made it very clear that when progress and empowerment is anchored on women, then there would be a more progressive society. “Everybody should press for women to emerge, not just politically but in every way. Therefore all activities that have to do with women, we must make sure that we bring it to the front burner. That should be everybody’s campaign,� Oduah said.

She noted that gender should not be an obstacle for social attainment. “Gender should not be an obstacle, it has not been and it must not been an obstacle. The glass ceiling has been broken many times and we must make sure we smash it. My message to Nigerian women is that they should keep hope alive, they must participate fully and should not allow themselves to be discouraged by anybody,� she added. In another development, Oduah also felicitated with Nigerian women on the 2018 mothers days and called for focus and tolerance from them. Describing Nigerian women as a special breed, she urged them to be anchors of national development.

now strong global momentum of advocacy, activism and support striving for gender equality. We need to push for the consideration and inclusion of women in all spheres of society and development� the organisation added. Country Director of WaterAid Nigeria, Dr. ChiChi AniagoluOkoye, said: “Dirty water, poor sanitation and poor hygiene including lack of handwashing facilities with soap is primarily a women’s issue, impacting the health and well-being of women and girls more than men. It is causing a crisis of massive proportion in health that simply cannot continue and which needs addressing at the highest levels. Clean, plentiful water, good sanitation and good hygiene including handwashing with soap are

absolutely essential to effective health care. “At WaterAid, our work is all about transforming lives by improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene and women and girls bear the brunt of the burden caused by a lack of access to these basic and life-saving services. “The world’s leaders promised to eradicate extreme poverty and leave no one behind in the Global Goals on Sustainable Development. We must keep pressing for progress for women. That means ensuring, amongst other things, that women have access to adequate facilities in health care centres. Ensuring we make progress for women and girls in this area will ultimately lead to healthier women and families, who have a better chance of working their

way out of extreme poverty.� “A lack of access to water, sanitation and hygiene also has implications beyond health. The lack of these essential services creates a massive crisis for developing countries like Nigeria, undermining not just health systems but education, economic development, and progress on gender equality. All sustainable development is made impossible without clean water and access to sanitation and hygiene facilities�, Aniagolu-Okoye added. The organisation used the IWD to urge the Nigerian Government to ensure that healthcare facilities and birthing centres have safe toilets, clean running water and functional handwashing facilities, to reduce maternal, newborn and child deaths

Unilever Advocates Gender Inclusion for Sustainable Working Environment Unilever Ghana Nigeria has encouraged organisations to be more deliberate in their efforts to support women and make working environment for inclusive and gender friendly; in marking this year’s International Women’s Day. Speaking on the importance of setting aside a special day to celebrate women, the Executive Vice President, Unilever, Ghana Nigeria, Yaw Nsarkoh, said, “March 8 represents an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women around the world. This year’s theme; Game Changers for Gender Equality is aimed at celebrating and inspiring women to pursue their goals and ensure that their future is bright, safe and rewarding.� “At Unilever Ghana Nigeria, a lot has been done to build

a more inclusive culture. We have initiatives like Maternity & Paternity Support (MAPS), on site crèche and flexi working especially for nursing mothers. In addition, we have paternity leave and returning mums have one-on-one meetings with the men upon resumption from maternity leave. We also continuously drive an inclusive culture through our Cultural Change initiatives like Giving Voice to Value (GVV) and Diversity and Inclusion (D&I),â€? Yaw added. On her part, the Human Resources Director, Unilever Ghana Nigeria, Eniola Onimole, said, “These initiatives are paying off. Today, we have women in positions that were traditionally occupied by men. This ranges from the factory where we have

female factory managers to women in Supply Chain and Customer Development. These women are our game changers. As ‘Game Changers for Gender Equality’ they have helped to break stereotypes, changed norms, built positive cultures with their actions. With this, they have helped us to #UNSTEREOTYPE the workplace.� Eniola further said within the organisation, Unilever is firmly committed to creating gender balance and a truly inclusive culture. “At the end of 2017, we had 46 per cent female representation in management. While this is good progress, we still have a long way to go in achieving our vision of making our business more sustainable through gender balance and inclusion�, she added.

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BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Weareaveryresponsivegovernment.Weareverysensitivebecause,attheendoftheday,governance isaboutthepeople.Itisaboutwhattheywant.Ourinfrastructuredevelopmentisontheprogressive chartacrossthestate.Butitcomeswithaprice.Butnotwithstanding,inthemiddleofalltheseissues, aresponsivegovernmentwilllistentotheyearningsofherpeople� --LAGOS STATE GOVERNOR, MR. AKINWUNMI AMBODE SPEAKING IN IKEJA RECENTLY

Multiple District 404 Celebrates 40th Lions Day with UN

World NGO Day: Obaseki Salutes Sacrifices of Civil Society Organisations •ŠžÂ?Âœ Â?˜ Â?˜Â&#x;Â? ˜— •ŠœœŠ Â?ÂŽÂ&#x;Ž› Žě˜›Â?Âœ Abimbola Akosile Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has applauded civil society organisations for their roles in sustaining democracy, holding governments accountable and advancing the course of humanity for the greater good of all. Obaseki said this in commemoration of the recent World Non- Governmental Organisation (NGO) Day celebrated every February 27, by the Baltic Sea NGO Forum, the United Nations and other international organisations. The governor said the efforts of civil society organisations to hold governments accountable, insist on good governance and promote other democratic values across the globe have promoted more cohesion among different peoples in the world. He acknowledged “the growing impact of NGOs across the world on climate change and the environment, health, human rights, education, public policy, research, and their efforts in highlighting issues and causes that some governments would rather ignore.â€? “They have been able to enrich humanity through causes often rooted in individual conviction and have deployed their time, expertise, knowledge and other resources to improve livelihoods and humanity “Collectively, they are an alternative voice to the dominant forces of oppression in many countries. In countries where government has failed, it is the NGOs that leads the way. During Nigeria’s military rule, we had National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Pro-National Conference Organisation (PRONACO), Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), and others. They stood up to the draconian military administrations and combined forces with international prodemocracy allies to force the military out of politics,â€? the governor said.

Gov Obaseki He said the work of the NGOs in supporting migrants, victims of wars and others who are caught on the lower rung of life’s ladder, should endear them to all. Noting that the Baltic Sea NGO Forum should be commended for leading the effort to institutionalise the commemoration of the day, Obaseki urged the United Nations to galvanise countries across the world to recognise the role of NGOs in sustaining global harmony. The intention of the commemoration, according to Wikipedia, is to inspire “people to become more actively involved within NGO sector and encourage a greater symbiosis between NGOs, and the public and private sectors. The universal concept of the World NGO Day is Celebrate, Commemorate and Collaborate - the various NGOs around the world, and the people behind them that contribute to society all year around. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) delegation in Edo State drafted to

support the state’s team handling the outbreak of Lassa fever, has commended the Edo State Government for its swift response to the public health emergency, especially with the setting up of the Emergency Operation Centre at the Irrua Specialist Hospital, in the state. The team which also include officials of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), led by Dr. Emmanuel Musa, commended the state-of-the-art equipment deployed by the state government to the Institute to fast-track the management of cases of Lassa fever disease, which have halted deaths from the disease in the state. An accident victim, a girl, was recently saved with the timely intervention of staff members of the hospital, who deployed the ventilator equipment in managing her treatment, officials of the hospital revealed. In the wake of the outbreak, the Edo State Government launched a state-wide, multi-pronged approach that culminated in the purchase of two dialysis machines, an x-ray machine; a ventilator and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the hospital. The state’s response team is led by the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, who has been coordinating efforts to stem the spread of the disease in the state. “The Emergency Operation Centre at the Institute of Lassa Fever Control and Research at Irrua has been commended by the WHO delegation in the state, who are on ground to assess our preparedness to handle the Lassa Fever health emergency,� Shaibu said in a visit to Irrua. The equipment, procured as part of the intervention programme of the Obaseki-led administration, is intended to inflate the lungs and provide victims of Lassa fever or any similar ailment or injury with an opportunity for assisted-respiration.

Lions Clubs International Multiple District 404, with over 6,000 members spread over four Districts throughout Nigeria is set to celebrate its annual day with the United Nations. The event slated for Friday, March 16, is billed to hold at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Kofo Abayomi, Victoria Island, Lagos, and the time is 11am prompt. The theme for this year’s Lions Day is ‘Working together globally to combat diabetes’. According to a release issued recently in Lagos by the multiple district coordinator of this year’s event, Lion Abiodun Adediji, “each year, Lions and the UN celebrate their relationship which began in 1978. They invite together leaders from government, business, and the non-profit sectors to explore solutions to pressing global needs.� The annual event features a keynote address and submissions by recognised world leaders, expert panel discussions and since 1989, the awards ceremony for the Winners of the Lions International Peace Poster Contest encouraging young people to express their perspectives on peace. Since its inception, Adediji said the organisation has stuck to its mission statement of Lions Clubs International to empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage and promote peace and international understanding through Lions Clubs in addition the acronym of ‘LIONS’ is ‘Liberty, Intelligence, Our Nations Safety’ and ‘Loving Individuals, Offering Needed Services.� The first UN Day, he said, was held in September, 2017 in Geneva; another one took place on February, 27, 2018 recently in Nairobi, Kenya, being home of the third largest United Nations offices in the world; while the version scheduled to take place at the UN Headquarters in New York, United States of America will hold later in March, 2018. To celebrate this year’s Day in Nigeria, former Nigerian Representatives at the United Nations, Prof. Ibrahim Agboola Gambari will be the Chairman of the Day; a private Diabetes Practitioner, Dr. Mrs. Lathar Ravikuma will be the guest Speaker, while the Co-founder of the EKO Hospital Group, Dr. Olorogun Sonny Kuku, is the Keynote Speaker. Also, according to the release by Adediji, Minister of Health, Prof. Folorunsho Adewole, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, and other dignitaries in both the public and private sectors are invited Special Guests, while diplomats and expatriates from different embassies are expected to be in attendance. Meanwhile, top members of the association, captains of industry, public officers, teachers and students in secondary schools in Lagos including Pacelli School for the Blind will be entertaining invited guests. The International Association of Lions Clubs with its headquarters in Oakbrook, Illinois, USA, remains the youngest but largest international humanitarian service organisation in the world, with about 1.4 million members in over 46,000 clubs spread over 206 countries and geographical locations.

UN Sec-Gen Antonio Guterres

36

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

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

Restoring Dignity to Women About 200,000 Nigerian women are suffering from obstetric fistula, with 12,000 new cases added every year. Martins Ifijeh chronicles the lives of those who have successfully undergone surgeries, giving them a new lease of life

E

ver wondered going to the hospital to treat a certain ailment only to end up leaving the hospital with an even worse illness? Well, that was the case of Grace Sunday, a 30 years old woman from Obudu, who willingly went to a hospital in her home town to remove a little fibroid; a benign tumor of muscular tissue typically growing in the wall of the uterus, but got more than she bargained for. She left the health facility not only with her internal organs muscled up in the course of removing the fibroid, she got home leaking urine and faeces from her vagina uncontrollably; a condition that kept her isolated from her community members for six years. She almost totally lost the dignity of womanhood as everyone around her began to consider her a scum who must be given arms length because of the stench and mystery associated with the condition. “I couldn’t understand how going to remove a little fibroid that was altering my menstrual flow, could end up giving me a strange sickness. I blamed myself for ever believing I would live in peace if I removed the fibroid. In fact, when this leaking started, I deliberately decided not to seek hospital care because I wasn’t sure what worse sickness I may even end up coming out with. I stayed these whole six years because I lost faith in our healthcare system. I even believed if I sought for surgery, I may die in the process,” she explained. Grace’s condition, according to health experts is described as iatrogenic fistula, which is obstetric fistula caused unintentionally by a healthcare provider often during surgeries like caesarian section, removal of fibroid, among others. But by the sixth year, Grace’s health challenge wasn’t only about the leaking of urine and faeces, the fibroid she had removed by the doctor who caused her fistula, had come back. This time, she could pass for a woman due to deliver. The stomach was big as though she was going to give birth to twins. When the stigma associated with the condition, along with the huge ‘pregnancy’ began to overwhelm Grace, she took all manner of concoctions and herbs, but the more she took them, the more the incontinence intensified and her stomach protruded; leading her to eventually succumb to pressure by her husband and other family members to access orthodox treatment; an approach she was running from because of her past experience. “One of my aunties eventually told me about free surgery at the Fistula Centre here in General Hospital, Ogoja. I didn’t have a choice because I could feel I was slowly dying. First, I felt heavily pregnant, and then the incontinence.” She added that many times people who do not know her often referred to her as a pregnant woman. Some jokingly called her ‘mama twins’. Grace, who spoke to THISDAY during a recent pool effort by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Fistula Care Plus Project implementers, Engender Health, at the Fistula Centre in the General Hospital in Ogoja, said she was eventually scheduled for operation at the centre during the pool effort. The fistula surgeon who led the pool effort, Dr. Idris Sa’ad said when Grace was examined, the team decided to first remove the tissue mass in her body, and then repair her. THISDAY correspondent, who was granted access to witness the surgical procedure on Grace, observed that the fibroid removed from her body weighed 3.79kg, a weight that could pass for a two-month-old child on the average or a big baby at birth. The iatrogenic fistula was also repaired in a procedure that lasted several hours. Speaking with Grace days after the surgery, she told THISDAY that she was no longer

Grace

leaking, and that the feeling of pregnancy had disappeared. Her heavily built stomach could be seen to be flat like a woman who had just given birth. “I know when I now fully leave here tomorrow my loved ones will be very happy for me. They would be happy that a lot of things have changed in me. Right now my confidence and dignity is back. I can now stand or sit among my fellow women, whom I used to run from because of the stigmatisation I experienced from them,” she added. Sa’ad, who was the Commissioner for Health in Zamfara State in the last dispensation said women, like Grace were to avoid certain activities for months, so that they would fully heal. “Sex, hard labour, farming, and the likes should be avoided immediately after surgery because the body needs to heal. Our women who have been operated upon should also help the process by abiding by these conditions,” he added. The case of Irene Isa, a 22-year-old girl from Cross River was not any different, only that her obstetric fistula was caused by a combination of ignorance on her part and a touch of quackery by a traditional birth attendant, who is notorious for performing surgery on his ‘patients’. Irene, all through her pregnancy did not access ante natal care at any point. By the time she was ready to deliver, she was taken to the TBA in Ukwango who, according to her gave her all sorts of concoction so she could have her child at ease. “But everything he gave me never worked. That was how I laboured for three full days in his house without success. I was reeling in pain, but no one told me hospital would be able to help me out. It got to a time I was no longer feeling the movement of my baby. It was obvious he was dead, but delivering the body out still remained a problem,” she narrated. While Nigerians are advised to use health facilities during pregnancies and deliveries, in places where TBAs are encouraged, they are often advised to refer their patients to health facilities if prolonged labour or other complications are observed. But like a man on a mission to totally wipe out a mother and son, the TBA decided to put Irene under his knife. He cut her open and removed the dead baby boy. Unfortunately, he severed some of her organs, while the area of cut began to bleed infection.

Irene

“After he cut me open, my pain intensified. It wasn’t healing, but rather I began to feel a more intense pain than the surgery. The stitch he put on me all fell off, and I could see my bladder, womb, intestine and other organs. I began to fear for my life.” She said by the third day, the TBA hurriedly packed his belongings from the house and ran way. It was at that point Irene knew the real damage he had done to her. She was taken back home by her mother and husband with the hope of a miracle. At that point, leaking urine uncontrollably was the least of her problem. She was deteriorating, while the odour from her stomach was likened to the stench of a dead goat. “Luckily for me, we had about the pool effort being done at the fistula centre in Ogoja General Hospital. That was how we came here, and they told me they would not only work on the fistula, but do other procedures to correct what the quack ‘doctor’ had done during the ‘surgery’ he did on me. The Head of Nursing, General Hospital, Ogoja, Mr. Paul xxxxxx told THISDAY that when a finger or a tool is passed from Irene’s vagina, a mere look at the stomach could reveal the finger or the tool because of the way the stomach was open. But like others before her, Irene was surgically operated on, the wound dressed, while the obstetric fistula was also repaired by the Engender Health team of fistula surgeons. “I was operated on yesterday. Since then the uncontrolled urination has stop while the wound in my stomach had been dressed and stitched. I no longer feel pain as I used to. Now I am very sure I will live again,” Irene added. She said she has realised that if she had gone for ante natal, she wouldn’t have undergone such prolonged labour, because the causal factor would have been treated even before she started labour. Grace and Irene are among the few lucky Nigerian women who had suffered the health condition and have come out of it. Statistics show that there exist over 200,000 Nigerian women currently suffering from obstetric fistula in the country, with about 12,000 new cases added every year, thereby increasing the burden of the disease in the country. But the Project Country Manager, USAID Fistula Care Plus, Chief Iyeme Efem, says his

organisation was currently making concerted efforts geared towards reducing the disease. He said the Federal Ministry of Health has directed all teaching hospitals in Nigeria to embark on fistula repairs free of charge as part of efforts to reduce the backlog of the number of women living with the health condition. According to him, the directive to the tertiary hospitals in the country will help in increasing the number of fistula repairs from 5,000 to 12,920 every year. “Nigeria currently has a backlog of between 150,000 to 200,000 Nigerian women living with obstetric fistula, with 12,000 new cases added every year. This alarming figure is still worrisome even though our organisation repairs not less than 2000 cases yearly, in addition to the 3000 cases repaired by other organisations in the country; totaling 5000 repairs per year. “Assuming we have 44 teaching hospitals, and each of them repairs 15 women every month, this will amount to 660 repairs, and in one year, it would mean this government’s directive has helped in repairing 7,920 women alone across the country,” he said. Analysing the arithmetic, Efem said if the 7,920 repairs were added to the 5,000 repairs done by Fistula Care Plus and other organisations, it would mean a total of 12,920 repairs are being done yearly, a result, he said would be a step in the right direction in clearing backlogs and reducing the burden of new cases. While commending the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole for making such a bold step, he said Fistula Care Plus would continue to champion repairs in the country, adding that they were presently involved in fistula interventions in 12 states, including Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Kano, Bauchi, Oyo, Cross River, Osun, Yobe and Kaduna. On his part, a Consultant Gynaecologist, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Prof. Oladosu Ojengbede said prolonged obstructed labour remains a common cause of obstetric fistula, noting that any labor that goes beyond 12 hours was at risk of not just infection, but obstetric fistula if no alternative means of childbirth is suggested and used. “Obstetric fistula can be prevented if our women go for ante natal, give birth through skilled birth attendants in hospitals, get quality health services and education, among others,” he added.

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NEWS UITH Workers Protest over Poor Working Conditions in Kwara Hammed Shittu in Ilorin Workers of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Kwara State under the aegis of Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU) recently staged a peaceful protest against unpleasant working conditions in the institution and non-payment of salary arrears of workers. The union also accused the outgoing Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, Prof. Abdulwaheed Olatinwo, of insensitivity to workers’ plight. Addressing journalists in Ilorin, UITH chairman of JOHESU, Comrade Olatunde Oluwawumi said that, the union would start a seven-day warning strike as from this week to press home for their demands. According to him, “We wrote the outgoing CMD, Professor Olatinwo about our demand two weeks ago giving him ultimatum and also listed our demands, asked him to attend to lack of drugs, consumables and equipment in the hospital; payment of 2009 and 2011 promotion arrears; payment of skipping arrears.” He said that, “So now we want the federal government to start to audit the accounts of teaching hospitals in the country.

“We want federal government not to choose Minister of Health from any profession in the teaching hospital. During the administration of Prof. Eyitayo Lambo there was no strike at all in the teaching hospital. Because he is not a medical doctor he was fair to all. So long as the government chooses a medical doctor as minister problems in the health sector will continue. If there is no response we will wait for the directive from the headquarters.” On the union’s expectation from the incoming CMD, he said “we pray and hope that God to gives us the one that has the interest of members of staff at heart; that will have mercy upon us and that will not deny us of our rights and emoluments. “There is no water in the hospital, no electricity supply. The hospital has obsolete equipment. What we have discovered is that the outgoing Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Abdulwaheed Olatinwo does not have the interest of the hospital at heart. “Instead of purchasing drugs and equipment, the CMD prefers to be building unwanted houses. We know the reason why they are building houses, it is because of the 10 per cent they will get from contractors.

Foundation Educates Women on Dangers of Cervical Cancer Kasim Sumaina in Abuja In an attempt to prevent Cervical Cancer amongst women, the Isabella Ayuk Foundation (IAF), recently carried out free medical service to detect early signs, thereby reducing disease related death in the country. The Founder of IAF and former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, Miss Isabella Ayuk, made this known during a commemoration of International Day for Women and to also screen and vaccinate women against Cervical Cancer. The event which took place at the Primary Health Care, Ushafa Community in Bwari, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, saw about 100 women given free examination screening to detect the disease.. According to her, “Regular screening will help reduce cancer-related burdens and its consequent death rate in our society, and that is what we have decided to do for the women in this community. “If identification of an ailment is done early enough, treatment could commence, leaving one with better chances of survival.” She hinted that, if those who were diagnosed of cancer at a later stage had prior knowledge of the availability of cancer detection screening, they would have been able to access early treatment. She added that, “Our belief supports the knowledge that early detection is a great tool to fighting and surviving

cancer and this forum also aimed to sensitise women of reproductive age on the need to go for periodic cervical cancer checks, whether they felt sick or not.” Ayuk further said, “Normally, my foundation, what we do, we go into rural areas to educate women on the impact and dangers of cervical cancer and how it can be prevented. “On my own, I have been doing this for a year but, this is the very first time that I’m going all out. Just like I said initially, as MBGN, I didn’t know anything about cervical cancer, “I didn’t Know what HPV, Human Papilloma Virus is, I took ill at sometime and I have to be directed to the National Hospital where I met Dr. Chima, who happens to be my foundation doctor and I was asked to go meet Dr. Chima for Papilloma Virus screening and because I didn’t know about it, I went and I have to start asking questions. I was like, doctor, why was I asked to meet you for Papi screening, as far, as I’m concerned, there is nothing about me that has to do with Papi, you are supposed to be treating me on malaria, typhoid which are one of the common sickness. Doctor started talking to me about Cervical Cancer and HPV. So, when I left there, I said okay, I could use my platform to educate the women on how it can be prevented.”

Dirty Environment Responsible for Lassa Fever Spread, Says Adewole Gov Ganduje allocates 30% of Kano budget to rehabilitation of health facilities Senator Iroegbu in Abuja The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has blamed unhygienic attitude and dirty environment for the re- emergence of the deadly Lassa fever disease which has killed over 100 people within two months of 2018 in some parts of the country. Adewole stated this in Abuja at DAI’s Governance Roundtable on the role of Nigeria in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with special focus on Education and Health.

The Development Alternatives, DAI, a Non-Governmental Organisation committed to supporting a more prosperous, healthier and well governed Nigeria. But the Minister, who decried the high level of un-cleanliness practised by Nigerians however, noted that Lassa fever can be treated if dictated on time through prompt medical checkup. “Lassa fever is a disease of the environment. When you live in a dirty environment, rodents will come in. It is entirely a disease that should stay within the animals. It is

worrisome that in the last two years, we have recorded the outbreak of Lassa fever all the year round,” he said. Adewole lamented that more doctors are employed in federal hospitals than the state owned hospitals and called for the rehabilitation of primary healthcare to take care of minor disease. He said that medical centres are meant to handle complex cases and further appealed for synergy between the federal and state governments to enable the skilled manpower in FG facilities render services in state

health facilities. “Medical Centres are meant to handle complex diseases like cancer, kidneys and other serious problems. There is need to go back to the drawing board, train people for the community,” he stressed. Also speaking, his Kano State counterpart Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, disclosed that 30% of his state budget has been devoted to the rehabilitation of health facilities in the state. Ganduje added that the state has so far provided and equipped about 150 health facilities in the state.

L-R: Senior Manager, Global Government Relations and Public Policy, Procter and Gamble, Ikechukwu Ofuani; Managing Director, Procter and Gamble, George Nassar; Director General, National Agency for Food & Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Moji Christianah Adeyeye; CEO/Executive Secretary, American Business Council, Margaret Olele; Associate Director, Global Government Relations Africa, Procter and Gamble, iluyemi Temitope; and Group Regulatory Affairs Officer, Sub Saharan Africa, Charles Azuka; during the America Business Council Breakfast meeting with the DG NAFDAC in Lagos recently

NHEA Announces Call for Experts Urge Govt to Take Nominations for Healthcare up Treatments, Dialysis of Patients Excellence Award Martins Ifijeh The Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA) has announced call for nominations for the 5th edition of the Oscar of Nigeria healthcare award. Speaking on this announcement, the Project Director, Dr. Wale Alabi, said, “NHEA 2018 being the 5th edition will be bigger and very exciting considering the increased activities in the Nigeria healthcare sector in the last one year as well as increased popularity and acceptance of the award by stakeholders within and outside Nigeria.” To nominate for corporate or individual categories, the public can visit www.nigeriahealthawards.com.ng to either nominate online or download the nomination form. According to him, “about 23 awards and recognitions will be presented at the ceremony, and the Awards is made up of four main categories; Special Awards, Healthcare Delivery Services, Biomedical Technology and Pharmaceuticals. “Some of the awards up for grabs include; The Lifetime Achievements Award, Outstanding State Government Healthcare Programme of the Year, Outstanding CSR Health

Project of the Year, Healthcare Media Excellence (print and electronic), Private Healthcare Provider of the Year, Public Healthcare Provider of the Year, Laboratory Service Provider of the Year, and Radiology Service Provider of the Year, among others. NHEA Director of Strategy, Marketing and Communication, Moses Braimah, says “NHEA will continue to provide a virile platform for proper recognition, reward and celebration of successes, innovations, growth and excellence in Nigeria’s Health Sector. Moreover, we have observed that the award has been able to stimulate quality improvement and innovation in the Nigerian health sector leading to improved service delivery and management of key health issues and the capacity of individuals to influence and set new performance standards in Nigeria and beyond.” “Winners of the various categories will be honoured on Friday, June 22, 2018 at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos. Nominations will close on May 25, 2018 before the commencement of online voting to enable the award jury select winners in the various categories,” he said.

Rebecca Ejifoma Medical experts and nephrologists have urged the federal government to come up with a policy to help patients with kidney issues by taking up treatments such as dialysis and transplants as other African countries do in order to keep Nigerians from dying. The experts made this call at the World Kidney Day recently, organised by Healing Stripe Hospital, Lagos, on free screening, dialysis and health awareness talk for women and girls. According to a Consultant Nephrologists, Dr. Adewunmi Adebowale, “It is time government came up with a policy or whatever they could do to help patients who require dialysis.” Adding, he said other countries already practice free or subsidised dialysis. “Some African countries subsidised dialysis. In Ghana, the first five dialysis is free. That’s how much they can afford. In Côte d’Ivoire, all dialysss are free. Government pays for or subsidises it including Tanzania and Pakistan.” He advised the Nigerian Government to either include it in the National Health Insurance Scheme or find a way to help patients with chronic

kidney diseases so that there will be more of such people surviving. While dialysis costs between 30,000 and 35,000 naira, the expert said an average Nigerian cannot afford dialysis for a week going by the minimum wage. “By the time kidney disease happens, it results in enormous medication. It can result in dialysis and in transplant.” Adebowale continued: “It’s just dialysis not to talk of buying drugs and injections. How many Nigerians can afford that? What is the minimum wage of an average Nigerian? Till now, some states have not started paying 18,000. So, you can see that an average Nigerian may not be able to afford one dialysis. This means the person will die. And many have died.“ Sadly, statistics show that 17,000 new cases of kidney failure are diagnosed annually in Nigeria while an estimated incidence of kidney disease is 100 per 1,000,000 population. Therefore, the Nephrologist said this was a good time to call on the government. “I’m not asking them to increase salary. But they should take up treatments such as dialysis and transplants as done in some many countries.”

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018

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NEWS Measles: Lagos Takes Step Towards Elimination Martins Ifijeh. Children are dying needlessly from vaccine preventable diseases namely measles, tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, poliomyelitis and yellow fever because parents and caregiver are uninformed about the importance of this very simple act of immunisation to the health status of their children. It is sad to note that half of these deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria accounts for a significant proportion of these preventable childhood deaths Measles is one of the six childhood killer diseases that can be prevented through complete and effective vaccination. The symptoms and signs of measles infection include fever, running nose, sneezing, skin rashes that start from the head and spreads to other parts of the body, ulcers in the mouth, etc. Complications of Measles infection include swelling of the brain tissue (encephalitis), ear infection, chest infections, blindness and even death. Remarkable progress has been made in the prevention of measles infection and its attendant complications through measles vaccination. The success story on the reduction of childhood deaths recorded worldwide from the late 1990s and year 2008 has been largely due to improved supplemental immunisation activities. World over, the emphasis have been on making sure every children completes routine immunisation schedule before the age of one year; and equally take advantage of supplemental immunisation doses like measles vaccines. Measles is a highly contagious viral illness transmitted through air droplets and with higher fatality rate amongst children who are under the age of five years in view of their vulnerability. Measles infection is deadly and all care givers must ensure that their children from nine to 59 months of age take the vaccination against measles during this campaign. It is in making sure children in Lagos are measles free that the government is holding the 2018 Measles Immunisation Campaign to provide both initial and follow up opportunities will be in two streams. According to the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Primary Health Care, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga, the first stream starts March 15th - 22nd in Alimosho, Agege, Ajeromi, Amuwo, Epe, Ikorodu, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Mushin, Ojo. Adding that the second Stream- holding between 22nd - 29th March, 2018 will take place in Apapa, Badagry, Ikeja, Kosofe, Somolu, Ifako Ijaiye, Oshodi-Isolo, Surulere, Ibeju-Lekki and Etiosa. “The overall goal of Measles Vaccination Campaign in Lagos State is to reduce childhood mortality and morbidity from Measles infection among children aged nine months to five years. And the commitment of the Ambode-led administration to this preventive healthcare endeavour is total, given its mandate of preserving, protecting and restoring the health of Lagosians,” Onanuga said.

“The main objective of the campaign is to immunise at least 95 per cent eligible children with Measles antigens in all the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs, irrespective of their previous immunization status. “It is important that all children aged nine months and five years receive an extra dose during this campaign, irrespective of their previous Measles immunisation status. It is therefore crucial for all of us to prevent children dying from this deadly disease by ensuring they receive a dose of measles immunisation during this campaign period. Measles vaccine is safe for all children even if the child has common illness, such as diarrhea, malaria or if the child is malnourished,” he added. He said two types of vaccination post will be used for the Measles vaccination campaign Fixed Post and Temporary Fixed Post, adding that the Fixed Vaccination Posts were located at permanent health facilities where immunisation will be provided throughout the day for all the days of the campaign. “The posts will also serve as depots for storage and distribution of vaccine and other supplies to other fixed sites and mobile teams. “The Temporary Fixed Vaccination Posts will be located at selected points at the communities such as public/ private schools, mosques/ churches, town halls, houses of traditional leaders, bus stops or terminals/motor parks, streets and markets, and hard-to-reach areas and border communities (local and international). Immunisation will be provided at these sites for either the duration of the campaign or partially, depending on the population density,” he said. According to him, the mobilisers will encourage the eligible children in houses to visit the immunisation posts for Measles vaccine and the other antigens. The operations will be between the hours of 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily at all designated posts. He said to ensure the success of this year’s Measles vaccination campaign, many refresher trainings have been conducted to prepare healthcare providers at all levels of care, adding that series of social mobilisation activities such as radio jingles and media appearances have been implemented. “Intergovernmental collaborations are being strengthened. The Local Government Areas social mobilisers have also been moving within the communities to sensitise and mobilise the citizenry effectively. Specifically, town announcements; community dialogues; mosque/church announcements; sensitisations with schools; and advocacy meetings with LGA Chairmen, Ward Councillors, Supervisory Councillors for Health, and key traditional and religious leaders have been and are being carried out. International partners such as UNICEF, Japanese International Cooperation (JICA) amongst others have also augmented the creation of the needed awareness at the community level. The role of the Federal Ministry of Health and NPHCDA in

NCDC, WAHO Target 25m Nigerians for Yellow Fever Vaccination Senator Iroegbu in Abuja A total of 25 million people are scheduled to be vaccinated in a Yellow Fever Simulation Exercise campaign which has already begun in three states of Zamfara in the North-east, Kogi in the central and Kwara in the West. This is a joint programme of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and West African Health Organisation (WAHO) to strengthen its routine immunization coverage across the country. The Head of Communications, WAHO, Mr. Harvey de Hardt-Kaffils, in a statement said the health workers have already been mobilised across the country. Hardt-Kaffils said the focus on Yellow Fever has arisen because of the re-emergence of Yellow Fever in Nigeria after many years.

He stated: “Since September 2017, Nigeria has been facing Yellow Fever outbreaks that increasingly threaten urban areas. At least 358 suspected cases have been recorded in 16 states where the disease has already led to 45 deaths. “This exercise will focus on an actual and large-scale simulation of an epidemic of Yellow Fever. In addition to checking the viability and compatibility of existing mechanisms in their implementation, this SIMEX will not only enhance awareness among epidemic control managers but also enhance their ability to effectively and timely respond to any Yellow Fever epidemics.” The statement noted that WAHO, in its efforts to contribute to the capacity building of ECOWAS Member States in the area of preparedness and response to epidemics, is

supporting the establishment of national emergency management mechanisms for public health emergencies. To test these mechanisms and procedures in place for the management of major public health events in the ECOWAS region, WAHO is organising a Yellow Fever Simulation Exercise (SIMEX) in Lagos in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The purpose of the SIMEX according to the statement made available by NCDC “is to provide various partner institutions with a national and regional coordination framework for a multi-sectoral response to a public health emergency.” WAHO as per its mandate remains committed in supporting Nigeria and the SIMEX being jointly organised with the Nigeria CDC with the

financial support from the World Bank-REDISSE project, is one of such projects to support Member states Expected outcomes from the SIMEX include: Improved knowledge of actors and stakeholders on risk factors for a possible outbreak of Yellow Fever cases in Nigeria and the ECOWAS region; Strengthened preparedness and response measures of Lagos State (Nigeria) for a possible outbreak of Yellow Fever cases are tested; Team spirit and multi-sectoral cooperation within the ECOWAS Regional Rapid Response Team (ERRRT) members and epidemics control managers are strengthened. The main findings and lessons learnt during the SIMEX will be documented, shared and disseminated across Nigeria, ECOWAS region and to relevant stakeholders.

SOLUTION IN SIGHT FOR LASSA FEVER?

Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu (l); and Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, during an emergency session on the Lassa fever outbreak, held in Abuja recently

Endometriosis: Nordica Walks to Raise Awareness Martins Ifijeh As part of efforts to raise more informed interest on Endometriosis, Nordica Fertility Centre, over the weekend, organised a five Kilometer walk tagged: “#PressforProgress in the awareness and treatment of Endometriosis”. The walk which started from City Mall, Lagos to Muri Okunola Park, Victoria Island, had thousands of participants including organisations like Diamond Bank Plc. According to experts, lack of awareness on the condition has affected the management, diagnosis and treatment of Endometriosis, hence the need for more Nigerians, including medical personnel to be abreast

with the public health issue and how to manage it. Speaking, the Founder, Endometriosis Support Group Nigeria (ESGN), Dr. Abayomi Ajayi identified lack of knowledge as one of the major challenges facing management of endometriosis In the country.. He said: “People say government support hospitals, but I don’t know if that is the way out. If you say they should set up centres for Endometriosis, which should be on the long run, how long will that take, what about those that already has it, what is the support we have for them? “For anybody to be trained to do Laparoscopic Surgery, you need about two years learning course and where are you going

to get that from on less you go abroad and that is expensive.” He said that was why this year they brought people from Germany . “One of them is in-charge of the training school in Tubingen University. We did this so that Nigerian Doctors could get a training here, as the same as they will get in Germany. But definitely we are making progress. We need more people to partner with us on this,” he noted. He said individuals cannot prevent endometriosis because people are born that way. “For the symptoms, the first thing is pain. It could occur during menstrual periods, during sexual intercourse, or during passage of urine or faeces. What happens is that you have

pieces of Endometrial tissue in places they are not meant to be and it depends on where it is that is what will course the symptoms.” On her part, the Head, Corporate Communications, Diamond Bank, Mrs Chioma Afe, said the walk became necessary in order to raise awareness for the condition. “Endometriosis is a widespread uncomfortable disease affecting tens of thousands of girls and women in Nigeria and a sweeping lack of awareness by both sufferers and health care providers delay diagnosis. This lack of awareness is often due to a normalization of symptoms and it was to this end that Diamond Bank took to the streets.”

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HEALTH NEWS

Malnutrition: UNICEF Recommends Adequate Nutrition, Exclusive Breastfeeding in S’West Rebecca Ejifoma Following the sordid rate of 1.5 million children suffering from stunting in South-west Nigeria, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for genuine exclusive breastfeeding for babies from age zero to six months to knock off malnutrition. This was disclosed at a twoday Media Dialogue on Child Nutrition, themed: ‘Overcoming Stunting in South-west Nigeria’ organised by the Ogun Ministry of Information and Strategy in collaboration with UNICEF in Ibadan recently. According to a Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF, Ada Ezeogu, to reduce the 1.5m children suffering from malnutrition in South-west, there should be extension of maternity leave for mothers to be able to do exclusive breastfeeding for their babies in the first six months of life. “Of all the states in Southwest, only Lagos has achieved the six months maternity leave. Others should do same.” Urging all South-western states to take exclusive breastfeeding strictly, she described

breast milk as a baby’s meal that contains over 80 per cent of water. “Hence, avoid giving the child water in the first six months of its life.” To proffering solutions on best nutrition practice against malnutrition in children, the nutrition specialist advised mothers to adhere to providing adequate nutrition for children of under-five. “Starting from six months, babies need other foods in addition to breast milk. It is recommended to continue breastfeeding with complementary foods for up to two years and beyond. Breast milk continues to be the most important part of the baby’s diet. “Poor health and household poverty are some of the causes of malnutrition. Children from such homes are at risk of poor educational outcomes and lower IQ. Malnutrition, also, causes stunting which causes wasting.” Reacting to this, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy Ogun State, Mr. Adebayo Adeneye, said that proper nutrition was apt for growth. “Unintentionally, this determines the outcome

Groups Ask INEC to Ensure Persons with Special Needs Vote in 2019 General Elections Ugo Aliogo The Children Developmental Centre (CDC) and Association of Intellectual Development Disability of Nigeria (AIDDN) have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure persons with special needs are given right to vote during the 2019 general elections. Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos recently, the Founder, CDC, Dr. Yinka Akindayomi, said despite their physical challenges, they should be allowed to exercise their voting rights like other citizens and they should not be stigmatised. She advised parents to take their grown up adults to get their Personal Voting Cards (PVCs) in order to vote in the 2019, adding that persons with special needs should be catered for “Over the last 20 years, CDC has been both a service provider and at the forefront of advocating for children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families. We have realised that the inclusion of children and adults with any form of disability can come through a joint effort, therefore they created the theme: ‘Together, we have no limits’. Akindayomi explained that one of the greatest benefits of working together is the inspiration and ideas which can result from unity, adding that people from different backgrounds and levels of experience can help in creating solutions to problems in the society, especially where

stigma is concerned. “Personal boundaries are the limits we set for ourselves as individuals, but when we work together there is the motivation to push beyond those boundaries which yield results. In 2019, a new government will be elected into office; it is our right to advocate for an inclusive society, where we create an environment for all to thrive. “Nigeria will be better if we work, because unity maximises strengths and brings out the best in its citizens. This value of unity is regularly seen in sports, culture and entertainment and we should endeavour to include it in our everyday life, workplace, homes and community. No other solution will work until people rise up in unison. “As an integral member of our community, a strong supporter of the centre and people with disability, we invite you to partner with us in our effort to promote togetherness within the society. In view of this, there was a ribbon launch to aid in the campaign for the Developmental Disability Awareness Month (March). We believe stigma will be minimised by us paying attention and being aware.” At the event, stakeholders urged parents and the public to support persons with special needs and give them the necessary educational training to survive, while calling on the society to stop stigmatising them because they have potentials and can contribute to societal good.

of our life expectancy and the development of the society.” Describing nutrition as a complex issue that requires the participation and involvement of stakeholders at all levels

especially now that Nigeria is a critical stage of malnutrition, he decried that it was quite alarming to note that a large percentage of the children in Nigeria are micro-nutrient

deficient while some even suffer from over-nourishment otherwise call obesity. He added further that Nigerians’ nutrition was yet to increase for the past 10 years

and those affected most were vulnerable in the society which are under-five. “All hands must be on deck to combat stunting and malnutrition in children under-five.”

Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu (6th left); Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Dr. Jide Idris (m), flanked by other participants during the Yellow Fever Simulation Exercise in Lagos recently

St Nicholas Hospital Tasks Govt on Policies to Reduce Kidney Disease Martins Ifijeh As part of efforts to reduce the burden of kidney disease in Nigeria, St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos has called on the Federal Government to provide policy friendly interventions to stem the public health issue in the country. Stating this during a screening exercise organised by the hospital, it says the health facility sees at least 120 new cases annually. The Consultant Nephrologist of the hospital, Dr Ebun Bamgboye, said that early detection remains the way out, adding that increase in chronic kidney failure was as a result of high cost of treatment, hence, the need for removal of all duties on drugs for hypertension and other consumables required for treatment. “Over 30 percent of Nigerians have hypertension (1 in every 3). You can imagine the number of people who will end up with kidney failure as a consequence. “When they end up, we should provide the necessities for proper management. There should be dialysis units all around the country. Consumables should be made available at subsidised rates. There is no reason why 30 percent duty should be charged, when this duty charge is removed, it plummets cost by 30 -50 percent. And then in transplanting, you make sure you empower units that do transplantation.” Bambgoye urged govern-

ment to make provision for cost of care for post-transplant patients as some drugs used to protect the kidneys after transplantation cost N600, 000. He regretted that people solicit money for transplant only to suffer again because they are not able to sustain it as a patient is expected to be on drugs indefinitely as long as the kidney continues to work. Bamgboye said: “We should keep kidney failure from developing in the first place. We need to detect those things that we know commonly cause kidney failure and treat them properly. “There is no reason why government should be charging duty on anti-hypertensive, on drugs for diabetes, drugs for treating malaria. All those things should be imported or given free of charge.” He further lamented that the cost of treating hypertension is a fraction of the cost of treating someone with kidney failure, adding that the amount of money you would use in treating somebody with kidney failure would equally treat more than 100 people with hypertension. He blamed cases of rejections in kidney transplant patients on poor complaints, and inappropriate use of drugs. “To prevent kidney diseases, the first thing is to make sure we screen when we have opportunity because screening will identify those conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and various forms of chronic

infections that commonly lead on to kidney failure, if you detect those things early and manage them appropriately, then the likelihood that your kidney will fail will be small. We have many people with

hypertension and diabetes that don’t know. These conditions are responsible for over 80 percent of people that end up with kidney failure. If we can detect them early it will crash the numbers we are seeing.”

Saraki Named as ‘Health-forAll Champion’ by Devex Senator Iroegbu in Abuja The Founder and President, Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), Mrs. Toyin Saraki, has been named as ‘Healthfor-All Champion’ and one of four women making waves in global health by Devex, an international development media platform and social enterprise. Mrs. Saraki in a statement recently by her Media Aide, Ms. Veronica Abang, expressed gratitude for the recognition. Upon receiving the award, the wife of the Senate President said: “It is time that we open our eyes to the critical role that universal health coverage can play in drastically improving health outcomes as well as reducing poverty, driving economic growth and promoting gender equality. “Every year, roughly 100 million people around the world are pushed into poverty due to colossal health costs, while only 1 in 5 have social security protection that will cover lost wages in the event of an illness. “We must act to ensure that

every person – rich or poor, old or young, living in urban or rural areas – has access to effective, timely and quality healthcare. “I advocate for legislation and investment to make UHC a reality, and I am delighted that some recent progress has been made - the Nigerian Senate’s adoption of the one per cent Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), is a groundbreaking example. “We do, however, need to consolidate and build upon these achievements as a matter of urgency. As a Health-for-All Champion, I will advocate for the benefits of UHC all over the world – but always challenge innovators, partners, experts and legislators to prioritise Nigeria, with its burgeoning population and health challenges.” Mrs. Saraki is a special advisor to the Independent Advisory Group (IAG) of WHO AFRO, the World Health Organisation’s presence in Africa, and the wife of the Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

40

T H I S D AY ˞ ˜ MARCH 15, 2018

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

CBN Unveils Revised Regulation for Direct Debit Scheme Obinna Chima The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued the regulation for direct debit schemes in the country.The regulation recognises the existing and emerging multichannel options (online platforms, instant payments,etc.) applied for direct debit instructions in Nigeria. In the guidelines posted on its website yesterday, the CBN explained that the provisions of the regulation were harmonised with developments in the payments system since the release of the previous version. Direct debit is a cash-less form of financial settlement which facilitates recurring payments. It permits the originator of the instruction, known as‘biller’ to collect amounts due from a payer through the Payer’s bank by

leveraging an instruction or mandate provided by the payer. It explained that an entity wishing to participate as a biller in the direct debit scheme would typically contact its bank or payment service provider. The service may be deployed on channels provided by the biller through its bank or payment serviceprovider. The process typically involves five parties –biller, biller’s bank, payer, payer’s bank and payment serviceprovider. “A biller shall be an entity incorporated or registered by an appropriate authority to carry on business and shall be on-boarded to the direct debit scheme by a bank or payment service rovider after satisfactory due diligence. “A biller shall obtain the mandate of the Payer through a platform provided by the Biller

or its appointed agent/partner either in paper or electronic form, duly verified by the payer’s bank. “A biller shall provide clear terms and conditions which shall be applicable to a Direct Debit payment arrangement between it and the payer,� it added. It further stated that biller’s bank shall be a member of the clearing system or integrated with payment service providers that accept direct debit for processing. “The payer shall execute a direct debit mandate in order to participate in the direct debit scheme. “A payer may cancel a direct debit mandate at any time upon such notice to the biller as specified in the direct debit mandate provided that such cancellation shall not be effective until the end of the current billing cycle,� it added.

Fowler: FIRS Has Resources to Prosecute Tax Debtors after VAIDS The Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Babatunde Fowler, has warned individuals and corporate entities, who refuse to take advantage of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) that the agency had voted a bigger sum of money for legal fees in its 2018 budget. Fowler made the disclosure in a recent interview. The FIRS boss explained that those under the impression that the government will be fazed by an avalanche of litigations that may arise at the closure of the

VAIDS window on 31 March are mistaken. He also warned that the deadline would not be extended, as many were hoping. He stated that apart from the naming and shaming of tax debtors as well asthe closure of business premises in the case of companies, those who fail to declare will face prosecution if necessary. “If it takes that (prosecution), we increased our legal fees in our 2018 budget. Every tax defaulter will be prosecuted. “People say we should use the 80-20 principle, meaning that

we focus on those that give us 80 per cent of their taxes,� said the FIRS Chairman. He warned that the law demands full compliance and nothing less. “You can say that you are a big taxpayer and you have paid N1billion and because you have paid N1billion, we should leave N500million you are owing. “Meanwhile somebody who paid N100,000 paid 100 per cent of his tax liabilities, meaning he is a hundred per cent compliant. “The organisation that paid N1 billion and still has N500 million left is only 50 per cent compliant,�Fowler added.

CBN building

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS 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)

Access Bank Launches Credit Card for Students Access Bank Plc yesterday unveiled its Student Credit Card, which was specifically developed for students in tertiary institutions across the country. Speaking during the unveiling of the product at the University of Lagos, Akoka, the Executive Director, Personal Banking Division, Access Bank, Mr. Victor Etuokwu, said the credit card would help address the students’ urgent need with immediate access to cash which they can pay back later. Etuokwu explained that Access Bank introduced the credit card because of the trust it has for the students. He added: “We want to begin to teach young people about how to be responsible borrowers. How would that happen? Because of the amount of money,

you have access to in that card, you will be more responsible in what you do and spend. “It also gives you the ability to plan your spending. As you know, in the country today, if you are a responsible borrower, you begin to create a credit history. “When you leave school and you want to be an entrepreneur and you go to a bank, you show them your record and they will see that you have been a responsible borrower. “Then, that bank can give you enough money to start your business. So, this is to enable people begin to show responsibility early in life. Your banking record is very key and your credit record is very important. “Banks have what is called

a credit bureau and if your name enters the bureau as a bad borrower, you will be blacklisted. So, you need to be a good borrower.� Also, the Product Manager, Mr. Jite Omo-Udoyo, explained the card was developed such that the cardholder can get up to N20,000 to spend any time and pay back later. “With this, we have provided a card and you can spend up to N20,000. Anytime you are broke, use your card, there would be money waiting for you there. As you payback whatever you have spent, you have your N20,000 available for you to spend. “To get this card is very simple, just open an account with Access Bank, pay your school fees and just bring your identity card,� Omo-Udoyo added.

26,821,446.81

---- Credit to Government (Net)

4,824,226.22

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

7,834,536.74

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

--3,010,310.52

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

21,997,220.59

--Other Assets Net

--14,702,983.39

Reserve Money (Base Money)

5,486,804.65

--Currency in Circulation

1,868,735.07

--Banks Reserves

3,268,266.17 Ëž Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă? Ě‹

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

August 2017

Inter-Bank Call Rate

22.63

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

13.35

Savings Deposit Rate

4.08

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.86

3 Months Deposit Rate

10.14

Police to Reposition Savings Culture of Personnel through Cooperatives

6 Months Deposit Rate

11.51

12 Months Deposit Rate

11.40

Prime Lending rate

17.69

Chiemelie Ezeobi

Maximum Lending Rate

31.20

In a bid to boost the savings culture of its personnel, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), has set plans in motion to reposition its cooperative society. The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, made this disclosure at the 26th annual general meeting (AGM) of the Nigeria Police Cooperative Multi-Purpose Society Limited held in Lagos. According to the Assistant Force Public Relations

Officer, Annex, DSP Aliyu Giwa, the AGM, which was attended by personnel across the country, saw plans put in motion to encourage thrift and savings, in effect, boost the socio-economic well-being and welfare of policemen. The meeting, which had all the members of the Board of Directors in attendance, was chaired by Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Abdullahi Fagge. Idris, who doubles as the president of the cooperative society, was represented by Deputy

Inspector General of Police (DIG), Valentine Ntomchukwu. While speaking, he restated his commitment to reposition the cooperative society to perform its core mandates of promoting the social-economic well-being of its teeming members. This, he said he hopes to achieve through encouragement of thrift and savings, providing platform for seamless accessibility to revolving loans, sales of goods at affordable prices, cars and motor cycles loans and provision of affordable housing among others.

(MILLION NAIRA)

AUGUST 2017

Ëž Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂŁ ÙÖÓĂ?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ě‹ ͯ͹Ϲ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT TUESDAY MARCH 13, 2018

The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $62.15 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $62.53 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

41

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ ÍŻÍłËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

MARKET NEWS

GTBank Posts N170bn ProďŹ t After Tax, to Pay N2.40 Final Dividend Goddy Egene Guaranty Trust Bank Plc yesterday reported growths in key performance indicators in its audited financial results for the year ended December 31, 2017. The results showed that GTBank posted gross earnings of N419.2 billion, up marginally from N414.6 billion in 2016. Net interest income rose from N195.4 billion to N246.66

billion, while impairment charges reduced from N65.290 billion to N12.169 billion in 2017. Profit before tax stood at N200.2 billion, representing a growth of 21.3 per cent over N165.1billion recorded in 2016, while profit after tax grew faster by 29 per cent from N132.281 billion to N170.469 billion in 2017. A further analysis of the results showed that the bank’s

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

loan book dipped by 8.9 per cent from N1.590 trillion to N1.449 trillion while customers’ deposits increased by 3.8 per cent to N2.062trillion from N1.986trillion in December 2016. The bank’s balance sheet recorded a 3.9 per cent growth in total assets and contingents to N3.845 trillion and shareholders’ funds of N625.2 billion. In terms of

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

assets quality, non-performing loan (NPL) ratio increased to 7.7 per cent compared with 3.7 per cent in 2016 largely as a result of classification of a single exposure 9Mobile. The bank is proposing a final dividend of 240 kobo per share. This will bring the total dividend per share for the year to 270 kobo having paid an interim dividend of 30 kobo last year.

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

Commenting on the financial results, the Managing Director/ CEO of GTBank Plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje, said: “2017 was a pivotal year for the bank. We delivered a strong result in a challenging environment, achieving record growth in earnings, carefully managing cost margins and leveraging our digital-first customer-centric strategy to deliver world-class services that are simple, cheap and

O F

easily accessible.� According to him, the performance demonstrates the fundamental strength of the bank’s franchise as well as the progress they are making in transforming the organisation into a platform on which their customers could build their businesses, connect with their consumers and access all the resources that they need to make their lives better.�

1 2 / 0 3 / 2 0 1 8 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

˜ ͹ͽ˜ ͺ͸͹Ͷ ˾ T H I S D AY

42

Nigeria Daily Stock Market Report: dŚŝƐ ĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ /ŶĚĞdž ƐŚĞĚƐ ϴϮďƉƐ

Thursday, March 15, 2018

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

dŚĞ dŚŝƐ ĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ŝŶĚĞdž ĞdžƚĞŶĚĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŶĞŐĂƟǀĞ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ƉƌĞǀŝŽƵƐ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ͕ ƐŚĞĚĚŝŶŐ ϴϮďƉƐ ƚŽ ĐůŽƐĞ Ăƚ ϭ͕ϳϰϰ͘ϭϴ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ ǁŚŝůĞ zd ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ĨƵƌƚŚĞƌ ŵŽĚĞƌĂƚĞĚ ƚŽ ϭϯ͘ϭй͘ zĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ͛Ɛ ŶĞŐĂƟǀĞ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ǁĂƐ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ůŽƐƐĞƐ ŝŶ E/d, ;Ͳϭ͘ϴйͿ E ^d> ;Ͳϭ͘ϰйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ & E, ;ͲϬ͘ϰйͿ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĐƵŵƵůĂƟǀĞůLJ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ Ϯϲ͘Ϭй ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚĞdž͘

Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

Ticker

Current Price

Previous Current Price Weighting Change

Price Change YTD

Price Change Index to Date

ROE

ROA

P/E

P/BV

13.1%

74.4%

26.1%

8.5%

8.0x

1.1x

Divinden Earnings d Yield Yield

ƋƵŝƟĞƐ DĂƌŬĞƚ WĂƌĞƐ DĂƌŐŝŶĂů 'ĂŝŶ͙͘ E^ ^/ ĚŽǁŶ ϱϰďƉƐ dŚĞ ŽŵĞƐƟĐ ƋƵŝƟĞƐ DĂƌŬĞƚ ƉĂƌĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŵĂƌŐŝŶĂů ŐĂŝŶ ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ LJĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ ƚŽ ĐůŽƐĞ Ăƚ ϰϮ͕ϴϯϵ͘ϰϵ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ͕ ĚŽǁŶ ϱϰďƉƐ ǁŚŝůĞ zd ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ƐƚŽŽĚ Ăƚ ϭϮ͘ϭй͘ ĐĐŽƌĚŝŶŐůLJ͕ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝnjĂƟŽŶ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ Eϴϯ͘ϳďŶ ƚŽ ĐůŽƐĞ Ăƚ Eϭϱ͘ϯƚŶ͘ dŽĚĂLJ͛Ɛ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ǁĂƐ ůĂƌŐĞůLJ ĚƌŝǀĞŶ ďLJ ƉƌŝĐĞ ĚĞƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ E/d, ;Ͳϭ͘ϴйͿ͕ E ^d> ;Ͳϭ͘ϰйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ E'^h' Z ;Ͳϰ͘ϵйͿ͘ ĐƟǀŝƚLJ ůĞǀĞů ǁĂƐ ŵŝdžĞĚ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ĨĞůů ϴ͘ϲй ƚŽ ϯϳϮ͘ϳŵ ƵŶŝƚƐ ǁŚŝůĞ ǀĂůƵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƚƌĞŶĚĞĚ ϭϭ͘ϵй ŶŽƌƚŚǁĂƌĚƐ ƚŽ Eϲ͘ϴďŶ͘ dŚĞ ƚŽƉ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ďLJ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ǁĞƌĞ &/ >/dz ;ϰϱ͘ϴŵͿ͕ E/d, ;ϯϲ͘ϯŵͿ͕ ĂŶĚ & E, ;ϯϰ͘ϭŵͿ ǁŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ ƚŽƉ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ďLJ ǀĂůƵĞ ǁĞƌĞ E/' Z/ E Z t Z/ ^ ;EϮ͘ϰďŶͿ͕ 'h Z Edz ;Eϭ͘ϭďŶͿ͕ ĂŶĚ E/d, ;Eϭ͘ϭďŶͿ͘ DŝdžĞĚ ^ĞĐƚŽƌ WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ͘​͘​͘ ĂŶŬŝŶŐ /ŶĚĞdž >ĞĂĚƐ >ĂŐŐĂƌĚƐ ^ĞĐƚŽƌ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ǁĂƐ ŵŝdžĞĚ ϯ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ϱ ŵĂũŽƌ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ƐŽƵƚŚǁĂƌĚƐ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ďĂŶŬŝŶŐ ŝŶĚĞdž ůĞĂĚŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ůĂŐŐĂƌĚƐ͕ ĚŽǁŶ ϭ͘ϱй ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ůŽƐƐĞƐ ŝŶ E/d, ;Ͳϭ͘ϴйͿ ĂŶĚ ^^ ;Ͳϯ͘ϱйͿ͘ ZĞůĂƚĞĚůLJ͕ 'h Z Edz ƌĞůĞĂƐĞĚ ŝƚƐ &z͗ϮϬϭϳ ĞĂƌŶŝŶŐƐ ƌĞƐƵůƚ ƚŽĚĂLJ͘ 'ƌŽƐƐ ĞĂƌŶŝŶŐƐ ŝŶĐŚĞĚ ϭ͘ϭй ŚŝŐŚĞƌ Eϰϭϵ͘ϮďŶ ;ĨƌŽŵ Eϰϭϰ͘ϲďŶ ŝŶ &z͗ϮϬϭϲͿ͕ ǁŚŝůĞ W d ƌŽƐĞ Ϯϴ͘ϵй ƚŽ EϭϳϬ͘ϱďŶ͘ ůƐŽ͕ Ă ĚŝǀŝĚĞŶĚ ŽĨ EϮ͘ϰϬ ;ĚŝǀŝĚĞŶĚ LJŝĞůĚ ŽĨ ϱ͘ϭйͿ ǁĂƐ ĚĞĐůĂƌĞĚ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ƉĞƌŝŽĚ͘ dŚĞ ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ƚƌĂŝůĞĚ͕ ůŽƐŝŶŐ Ϭ͘ϴй ŽŶ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ŽĨ ƉƌŝĐĞ ĚĞƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ E ^d> ;Ͳϭ͘ϰйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ E'^h' Z ;Ͳϰ͘ϵйͿ ǁŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ĐůŽƐĞĚ ĚŽǁŶ Ϭ͘ϯй ĂƐ ůŽƐƐĞƐ ŝŶ dKd > ;Ͳϭ͘ϮйͿ ĚƌĂŐŐĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚĞdž ůŽǁĞƌ͘ dŚĞ /ŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ǁĞƌĞ ƚŚĞ ŽŶůLJ ŐĂŝŶĞƌƐ͕ ƵƉ ϭϬďƉƐ ĂƉŝĞĐĞ ŽŶ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ŽĨ ŐĂŝŶƐ ŝŶ E D ;нϰ͘ϵйͿ͕ D E^ Z ;нϭ͘ϭйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ E' D ;нϬ͘ϮйͿ͘ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ĂŵƉĞŶƐ͙ ŽǁŶ ƚŽ Ϭ͘ϰdž /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ ;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ ĚĂŵƉĞŶĞĚ ĨƵƌƚŚĞƌ ƚŽ Ϭ͘ϰdž ĨƌŽŵ Ϭ͘ϳdž ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ LJĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ ĐŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚ ŽŶ ϭϱ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĂĚǀĂŶĐŝŶŐ ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ ϰϬ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞƌƐ͘ dŚĞ ƚŽƉ ŐĂŝŶĞƌƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ĚĂLJ ǁĞƌĞ Θ/ > ^/E' ;нϳ͘ϴйͿ͕ h E WZKW ;нϱ͘ϬйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ >/s ^dK < ;нϱ͘ϬйͿ ǁŚŝůĞ > ^ K ;Ͳ ϵ͘ϱйͿ͕ : W h> K/> ;Ͳϵ͘ϭйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ / DKE ;Ͳϳ͘ϯйͿ ůĞĚ ƚŚĞ ůĂŐŐĂƌĚƐ͘ 'ŽŝŶŐ ĨŽƌǁĂƌĚ͕ ǁĞ ĂŶƟĐŝƉĂƚĞ Ă ƌĞďŽƵŶĚ ŝŶ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ŝŶ ƐƵďƐĞƋƵĞŶƚ ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶƐ ĂƐ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞ ƚŽ ůŽŽŬ ĨŽƌ ďĂƌŐĂŝŶ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƟĞƐ ŝŶ ƉƌĞǀŝŽƵƐ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞƌƐ͘

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 1,744.18

-0.82% 0.0%

22.0%

16.1%

16.6%

26.0%

4.3%

9.8x

2.4x

5.7%

10.2%

-1.8%

13.4%

16.6%

15.3%

23.3%

3.4%

5.3x

1.1x

9.9%

19.0%

130.90

0.7%

7.7%

-3.0%

-3.1%

19.2%

8.8%

31.5x

5.9x

3.2%

3.2%

1,380.00

-1.4%

6.3%

-11.3%

-11.3%

89.0%

21.3%

32.4x

24.4x

3.1%

3.1%

1

Guaranty Trust Bank PLC

47.30

2

Zenith Bank PLC

29.90

3

Nigerian Brew eries PLC

4

Nestle Nigeria PLC

11.2%

268.80

0.1%

6.4%

16.9%

16.9%

30.4%

15.7%

18.6x

5.3x

3.2%

5.4%

11.30

-0.4%

6.3%

28.4%

28.6%

2.6%

0.3%

18.4x

0.6x

1.8%

5.4%

5

Dangote Cement PLC

6

FBN Holdings Plc

7

Access Bank PLC

12.35

-3.5%

4.7%

18.2%

16.5%

15.1%

2.0%

5.0x

0.7x

5.3%

20.0%

8

United Bank for Africa PLC

11.90

-2.1%

4.5%

15.5%

14.3%

17.2%

2.2%

5.2x

0.9x

6.3%

19.2%

9

Ecobank Transnational Inc

0.7x

3.1%

-17.5%

19.80

0.0%

3.4%

16.5%

21.7%

-14.6%

-1.3%

785.00

0.0%

3.4%

25.4%

25.4%

19.4%

11.1%

4.5x

0.8x

10

SEPLAT Petroleum Development C

11

Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC

49.15

1.1%

3.0%

18.4%

20.2%

28.7%

3.4%

11.3x

3.0x

1.0%

8.8%

12

Guinness Nigeria PLC

99.80

0.0%

2.2%

6.2%

6.2%

14.6%

5.6%

18.7x

2.6x

0.6%

5.3%

53.00

0.0%

22.0%

13

Lafarge Africa PLC

1.7%

18.1%

18.1%

47.1%

9.8%

4.7x

8.0x

1.9%

21.1%

14

Fidelity Bank PLC

2.81

-4.7%

1.3%

14.2%

8.9%

8.0%

1.1%

2.5x

0.4x

5.0%

40.8%

15

Oando PLC

5.99

0.0%

1.2%

0.0%

0.0%

40.7%

4.2%

2.7x

0.6x

16

Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC

21.20

-4.9%

1.1%

6.0%

4.1%

43.2%

19.8%

8.3x

3.2x

2.4%

12.1%

37.0%

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

57.80

0.0%

1.4%

41.0%

43.7%

50.3%

8.4%

35.6x

13.6x

0.2%

2.8%

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

37.35

-1.7%

0.7%

28.8%

28.8%

13.1%

3.0%

7.8x

0.9x

2.5%

12.8%

21

Transnational Corp of Nigeria

1.83

-3.7%

0.6%

25.3%

23.6%

19.6%

4.1%

7.3x

1.3x

0.3%

0.5%

6.2%

6.2%

6.3%

2.2%

11.5x

0.8x

1.7%

13.7%

22

UAC of Nigeria PLC

17.95

23

Diamond Bank PLC

2.02

-7.3%

0.6%

34.7%

28.7%

2.5%

0.3%

8.1x

0.2x

24

Total Nigeria PLC

246.00

-1.2%

0.5%

7.0%

7.0%

31.0%

6.5%

10.4x

3.0x

6.9%

9.6%

2.51

-5.3%

0.7%

58.9%

3.8%

0.6%

7.3x

0.3x

4.0%

13.7%

183.70

0.0%

0.4%

-5.6%

-5.6%

32.6%

12.0%

9.8x

2.7x

4.4%

10.3%

2.2%

4.6%

5.5%

8.7% 12.3%

25

FCMB Group Plc

26

11 PLC

27

Forte Oil PLC

44.00

0.0%

0.4%

1.2%

4.8%

44.3%

3.7%

11.1x

4.9x

28

PZ Cussons Nigeria PLC

23.00

0.0%

0.4%

11.7%

8.7%

10.7%

5.0%

21.8x

2.2x

29

Cadbury Nigeria PLC

17.10

-4.7%

0.4%

9.1%

9.6%

4.5%

1.6%

48.8x

2.9x

30

Presco PLC

74.35

0.0%

0.4%

8.5%

8.5%

42.9%

25.9%

3.7x

1.3x

2.0%

27.3%

31

NASCON Allied Industries PLC

21.30

-3.2%

0.3%

15.1%

10.8%

54.6%

19.5%

10.6x

4.9x

7.0%

9.5%

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

6.60

-4.3%

0.3%

-15.4%

-12.1%

5.6%

1.2%

34

Julius Berger Nigeria PLC

24.80

0.0%

0.2%

-11.4%

-11.4%

-12.2%

-1.2%

35

Sterling Bank PLC

1.80

0.0%

0.4%

66.7%

59.3%

6.1%

0.6%

8.4x

9.0%

2.1%

0.4x

11.9%

1.3x

-9.2%

9.5x

0.5x

10.6%

36

Dangote Flour Mills Plc

16.40

-0.6%

0.3%

35.0%

35.0%

61.6%

15.8%

5.3x

2.3x

ŽŵƉĂŶLJ ŝŶ &ŽĐƵƐ͗ W ƵƐƐŽŶƐ EŝŐĞƌŝĂ WůĐ ;͞W ͟Ϳ

37

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Niger

21.00

0.5%

0.2%

-2.8%

-2.8%

61.2%

23.6%

4.4x

1.6x

0.0%

W ƵƐƐŽŶƐ EŝŐĞƌŝĂ WůĐ ;͞W ͟Ϳ ŵĂŬĞƌƐ ŽĨ ƉŽƉƵůĂƌ ŚŽƵƐĞŚŽůĚ ďƌĂŶĚƐ ƐƵĐŚ ĂƐ /ŵƉĞƌŝĂů >ĞĂƚŚĞƌ ĂŶĚ ƵƐƐŽŶƐ ĂďLJ ŝƐ Ă ůĞĂĚŝŶŐ &D ' ĐŽŵƉĂŶLJ ŝŶ EŝŐĞƌŝĂ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŶŐ ŝŶ ƉĞƌƐŽŶĂů ĐĂƌĞ͕ ŚŽŵĞ ĐĂƌĞ͕ ĞůĞĐƚƌŝĐĂůƐ ĂŶĚ ĨŽŽĚ Θ ŶƵƚƌŝƟŽŶ͘ dŚĞ ĐŽŵƉĂŶLJ͛Ɛ ŚŝƐƚŽƌLJ ĚĂƚĞƐ ƚŽ ϭϴϵϵ ĂŶĚ ŚĂƐ ƐŝŶĐĞ ŐƌŽǁŶ ƚŽ ďĞ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ďŝŐŐĞƐƚ ƉůĂLJĞƌƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ ŐŽŽĚƐ ƐĞĐƚŽƌ͘ W ŚĂƐ Ă ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĂƉŝƚĂůŝnjĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ Eϴϵ͘ϯďŶ͘ dŚĞ ĐŽŵƉĂŶLJ ƌĞůĞĂƐĞĚ ĮƌƐƚ ƋƵĂƌƚĞƌ ƌĞƐƵůƚ ĨŽƌ ŝƚƐ ϮϬϭϴ ĮŶĂŶĐŝĂů LJĞĂƌ͘ WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ƌĞŵĂŝŶĞĚ ůĂƌŐĞůLJ ƵŶĚĞƌǁŚĞůŵŝŶŐ͕ ĂůďĞŝƚ ǁŝƚŚ ĂŶ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞŵĞŶƚ zͲŽͲz͘ 'ƌŽƐƐ ƌĞǀĞŶƵĞ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ϭϮ͘ϴй zͲŽͲz ƚŽ Eϭϴ͘ϵďŶ ŝŶ Yϭ͗ϮϬϭϴ ĨƌŽŵ Eϭϲ͘ϴďŶ Yϭ͗ϮϬϭϳ ůĂƌŐĞůLJ ŽŶ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ŽĨ ŚŝŐŚĞƌ ƐĂůĞ ƉƌŝĐĞƐ͘

3.7%

18.9% 1.4%

23.0%

38

Chemical and Allied Products P

38.75

0.2%

14.0%

8.5%

84.3%

38.5%

16.9x

11.9x

5.7%

5.9%

39

Beta Glass PLC

75.70

0.0%

0.1%

47.5%

47.5%

18.4%

11.9%

10.7x

1.8x

1.3%

9.4%

40

Transcorp Hotels Plc

7.45

0.0%

0.1%

3.3%

3.3%

4.7%

2.8%

21.2x

1.0x

1.8%

4.7%

T o p 10 G a ine r s P ric e

P ric e C hg %

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

C ILEA SIN G

1.94

7.8%

F ID ELIT YB K

45.8

-4.7%

LIVEST OC K

1.05

5.0%

Z EN IT H B A N K

36.3

-1.8%

UA C -P R OP

3.15

5.0%

FB NH

34.1

-0.4%

N EM

2.75

5.0%

M A N SA R D

25.3

1.1%

F ID SON

5.14

4.9%

FCM B

25.0

-5.3%

>ŝŬĞǁŝƐĞ͕ ĐŽƐƚ ŽĨ ƐĂůĞƐ ĐůŝŵďĞĚ ϭϳ͘ϲй zͲŽͲz Ͳ ĂůƚŚŽƵŐŚ Ăƚ Ă ĨĂƐƚĞƌ ƉĂĐĞ ;ƚŽ EϭϮ͘ϵďŶ ŝŶ Yϭ͗ϮϬϭϴ ĨƌŽŵ EϭϬ͘ϵďŶ ŝŶ Yϭ͗ϮϬϭϳͿ͘ Ɛ Ă ƌĞƐƵůƚ͕ ŐƌŽƐƐ ƉƌŽĮƚ ŵĂƌŐŝŶ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ƉĞƌŝŽĚ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ϯƉƉƚƐ ƚŽ ϯϮ͘Ϭй͘ &ŽƌĞŝŐŶ ĞdžĐŚĂŶŐĞ ůŽƐƐĞƐ ǁŚŝĐŚ ŚĂĚ ĚƌĂŐŐĞĚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ŝŶ ĞĂƌůŝĞƌ ƌĞƉŽƌƚƐ ĐĂŵĞ ŝŶ ůŽǁĞƌ Ăƚ Eϭ͘ϳďŶ ĨƌŽŵ Eϰ͘ϳďŶ ŝŶ Yϭ͗ϮϬϭϳ͕ ŝŵƉůLJŝŶŐ Ă ϲϭ͘ϴй ĚĞĐůŝŶĞ zͲŽͲz͘ ŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚůLJ͕ W ƌĞƉŽƌƚĞĚ Ă >ŽƐƐ ĂŌĞƌ dĂdž ŽĨ EϭϮϯ͘ϭŵ͕ ƵƉ ϵϮ͘Ϯй zͲŽͲz ĨƌŽŵ Eϭ͘ϲďŶ ŝŶ Yϭ͗ϮϬϭϳ͘

A B CTRA NS

0.48

4.3%

GUA R A N T Y

24.6

0.0%

F IR ST A LUM

0.53

3.9%

NB

18.8

0.7%

C UT IX

2.70

3.8%

D IA M ON D B N K

16.2

-7.3%

0.91

2.2%

SKYEB A N K

15.6

2.2%

49.15

1.1%

A C C ESS

13.6

-3.5%

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

^ŝŵŝůĂƌůLJ͕ ŽŶ Ă ƐƚĂŶĚĂůŽŶĞ ďĂƐŝƐ͕ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵƉĂŶLJ͛Ɛ Yϭ͗ϮϬϭϴ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ƌĞŵĂŝŶĞĚ ƵŶŝŵƉƌĞƐƐŝǀĞ ĂƐ 'ƌŽƐƐ ƌĞǀĞŶƵĞ ĚŝƉƉĞĚ ϭϱ͘ϱй YͲŽͲY ƚŽ Eϭϴ͘ϴďŶ ŝŶ Yϭ͗ϮϬϭϴ ;ĚŽǁŶ ĨƌŽŵ EϮϮ͘ϱďŶ ŝŶ Yϰ͗ϮϬϭϳͿ͘ /Ŷ ƚƵƌŶ͕ ŽƐƚ ŽĨ ƐĂůĞƐ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ϲ͘Ϯй YͲŽͲY ƚŽ EϭϮ͘ϵďŶ ǁŚŝůƐƚ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŶŐ ĞdžƉĞŶƐĞƐ ƌŽƐĞ ϭϮ͘ϴй YͲŽͲY ƚŽ Eϰ͘ϭďŶ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ͘ ĐĐŽƌĚŝŶŐůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ ŽŵƉĂŶLJ ƌĞƉŽƌƚĞĚ Ă >ŽƐƐ ĂŌĞƌ dĂdž ŽĨ EϭϮϯ͘ϭŵ ĨƌŽŵ WƌŽĮƚ ĂŌĞƌ dĂdž ŽĨ EϮ͘ϭďŶ ŝŶ Yϰ͗ϮϬϭϳ͘ KŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬ ŽĨ ƌŝƐŝŶŐ ĐŽƐƚ ƉƌĞƐƐƵƌĞƐ ĂŶĚ ĞdžƉĞĐƚĂƟŽŶƐ ĨŽƌ W ƚŽ ĚƌŝǀĞ ƌĞǀĞŶƵĞ ƐĂůĞƐ ƚŽ ĐŽǀĞƌ ĂŶLJ ƐŚŽƌƞĂůů͕ ŽƵƌ ŽƵƚůŽŽŬ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƐƚŽĐŬ ƌĞŵĂŝŶƐ ŶĞƵƚƌĂů͘

LA SA C O

0.38

-9.5%

NB

J A P A ULOIL

0.80

-9.1%

GUA R A N T Y

D IA M ON D B N K

2.02

-7.3%

Z EN IT H B A N K

1108.4

-1.8%

M ULT IVER SE

0.27

-6.9%

N EST LE

404.9

-1.4%

C OUR T VILLE

0.28

-6.7%

FB NH

388.9

-0.4%

R EGA LIN S

0.30

-6.2%

F LOUR M ILL

208.0

-1.7%

FCM B

2.51

-5.3%

A C C ESS

168.7

-3.5%

Afrinvest Securities Limited (RC 603 315) (A Dealing Member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange)

T ic k er

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

SKYEB A N K ST A N B IC

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

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

T ic k er

T ic k er

Value

P ric e C hg %

2436.2

0.7%

1119.1

0.0%

C A VER T ON

2.50

-4.9%

UB A

135.8

-2.1%

D A N GSUGA R

21.20

-4.9%

F ID ELIT YB K

131.5

-4.7%

UC A P

3.34

-4.8%

D A N GSUGA R

109.0

-4.9%

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 15, 2018

MARKET NEWS

Stanbic IBTC Records 70% Profit Growth, Proposes 50 kobo Dividend Goddy Egene Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc has recorded a jump of 70 per cent in profit after tax (PAT) for the year ended December 31, 2017. According to the audited results released at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), yesterday, Stanbic IBTC posted PAT of N48.381 billion, up from N28.520 billion in 2016. In all, Stanbic IBTC recorded gross earnings of N212.4 billion in 2017, up from N156.4 billion in 2016. Total assets

increased to N1.386 trillion in 2017, showing a growth of 32 percent over the N1.053 trillion recorded in 2016. The growth in the balance sheet size was driven mainly by customers’ deposits, which recorded a growth of 34 percent to N753.6 billion in 2017 from N561.0 billion in 2016. Gross loans and advances grew by eight percent to N403.9 billion, compared to N375.3 billion recorded in December 2016. Shareholders of the bank are to receive dividend of 50 kobo per share.

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

According to the Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Yinka Sanni, the strong performance was evidence of the positive outcome of the group’s strategy of growing the client base across target and key market segments while maintaining a principled credit process. “The Group reported its best profitability results since inception. We achieved a 70 per cent growth in profit after tax amid healthy capital and liquidity levels. Our balance sheet grew by 32 per cent to

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 13-Mar-2018, unless otherwise stated.

N1.39 trillion and this was funded mainly by customer deposit growth of 34 per cent,” Sanni stated. He noted that the various business divisions achieved strong operating results as well as retained market leadership across the various businesses such as global markets, investment banking, pension, stockbroking, asset management, and custodial services, with several accolades received during the year. Looking ahead, Sanni said the Group remains optimistic

that it will sustain the improved financial performance in 2018 and beyond. “While we are encouraged by the impressive results, we remain focused on improving risk asset quality, managing our cost base, maintaining our capital strength and increasing our returns to shareholders. We are positive that the Group will benefit from a more stable macroeconomic environment to drive growth in lending and other business activities,” he said. However, analysts at FBN

Quest said the 50 kobo dividend is below market expectation. “Consensus and FBN Quest Capital expected at least 100 kobo. The market does not have a good handle on dividend expectations because the payout ratio over the last few years has seen significant fluctuations. Even if the proposed dividend had matched expectations, the low single digit yield would have had no impact on the stock in our view,” they said.

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

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 1 270 1680 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 194.35 194.96 9.33% Nigeria International Debt Fund 245.56 246.18 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 0.88 5.19% ACAP Income Funds 0.63 0.63 4.46% 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 15.75% 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 166.18 167.34 9.55% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 15.68% 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 14.95% Paramount Equity Fund 12.82 13.15 3.71% Women's Investment Fund 103.54 106.20 2.89% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 15.42% CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 15.04% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.11 1.13 5.81% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.09 1.13 5.65% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,190.61 1,191.77 3.72% FBN Heritage Fund 150.35 151.75 7.88% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 15.10% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional $114.89 $115.41 1.74% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail $114.83 $115.35 1.79% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 150.35 151.75 -5.81% 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 2.96 2.96 2.70% 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 3,191.90 3,232.15 7.03% Coral Income Fund 2,540.99 2,540.99 3.86% 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 14.41% 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 14.95% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.19 2.22 3.99% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 17.95% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 117.96 118.32 2.56%

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 1.79% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,057.89 1,057.89 2.59% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 16.78 16.95 19.10% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 14.19% 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 1.30 1.33 9.45% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.40 11.50 3.44% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 12.99% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 143.33 145.57 11.18% 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 1.53 1.53 3.05% 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 2,421.44 2,424.48 7.57% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 180.09 179.25 1.82% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.13 1.13 11.88% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 228.76 228.70 3.85% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 198.92 199.40 10.58% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 14.94% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 10,767.53 10,758.96 10.56% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.08 1.08 1.89% 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 1.34 1.36 0.73% United Capital Bond Fund 1.61 1.61 2.64% United Capital Equity Fund 1.02 1.05 11.98% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 13.63% United Capital Eurobond Fund 104.78 104.78 1.83% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.13 1.14 3.83% 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 13.47 13.68 7.33% Zenith Ethical Fund 14.18 14.35 7.60% Zenith Income Fund 19.61 19.61 3.63% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 13.40%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

10.00 134.07

-11.35% 1.22%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

12.83 168.34 124.95

12.92 169.81 125.22

5.79% 17.13% 13.44%

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

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

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.

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email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

Britain Expels 23 Russian Diplomats over Chemical Attack on ex-Spy Britain will expel 23 Russian diplomats in response to a nerve toxin attack on a Russian ex-spy in southern England, Reuters reported Prime Minister Theresa May as saying on Wednesday, describing the attack as an unlawful use of force by Russia against the United Kingdom. May said Britain would also introduce new measures to strengthen defences against hostile state activities, freeze Russian state assets wherever there was evidence of a threat and downgrade its attendance at the soccer World Cup in Russia this summer. Russia, which denies any involvement in the attack, called the measures announced by May “unacceptable, unjustified and shortsighted” and warned Britain to expect retaliation. Unlike when the United States and European Union imposed

sanctions on Russia in response to its annexation of Crimea and other actions in Ukraine, May did not name Russian individuals or companies that would be specifically targeted by sanctions. Former double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found unconscious on a bench in the genteel city of Salisbury on March 4 and remain in hospital in a critical condition. A police officer was also harmed and remains in a serious condition. Skripal betrayed dozens of Russian agents to Britain before being arrested in Moscow and later jailed in 2006. He was freed under a spy swap deal in 2010 and took refuge in Britain. May has said the Skripals were attacked with Novichok, a Soviet-era military-grade nerve agent. She had asked Moscow to explain whether it was responsible for the attack

or had lost control of stocks of the highly dangerous substance. May said the expulsion of the 23 diplomats, identified as undeclared intelligence officers, was the biggest single expulsion for over 30 years and would degrade Russian intelligence capabilities in Britain for years to come. The expelled Russian diplomats have one week to leave Britain, May said, before listing other measures. “We will freeze Russian state assets wherever we have the evidence that they may be used to threaten the life or property of UK nationals or residents,” she said. She also said new legislative proposals would be urgently developed to counter any threat from a hostile state. “This will include the addition of a targeted power to detain those suspected of hostile state activity at the UK border,” May said.

Stephen Hawking: Tributes Pour in for ‘Inspirational’ Physicist Scientists, politicians and actors have paid tribute to world renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, who has been called an “inspiration to millions”, according to BBC. The British scientist, famed for his work on black holes, died peacefully at his home in Cambridge aged 76. Astronomer Royal Lord Rees, one of the world’s most eminent scientists, described his life as a “triumph”. Others described him as a “unique individual” whose death “has left an intellectual vacuum in his wake”. Prof Hawking was diagnosed

with a rare form of motor neurone disease at the age of 22 and was told he had only a few years to live. He was known for his theories on black holes and relativity and went on to publish several popular science books including A Brief History of Time. The University of Cambridge, where Prof Hawking completed his PhD and went on to become Lucasian Professor of Mathematics - a role once held by Sir Isaac Newton - described him as “an inspiration to millions”. Queues have formed at

Gonville and Caius College - where Prof Hawking was a fellow for more than 50 years - to sign a book of condolence. Buckingham Palace said the Queen will be sending a message of condolence to Prof Hawking’s family. Prof Hawking’s children, Lucy, Robert and Tim, said in a statement: “His courage and persistence with his brilliance and humour inspired people across the world. “He once said, ‘It would not be much of a universe if it wasn’t home to the people you love’. We will miss him forever.”

Australia ConsidersVisas for White South African Farmers South Africa has dismissed claims its white farmers are “persecuted” after an Australian minister said they needed help from a “civilised” country, BBC reported. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said he was exploring giving South Africa’s white farmers access to fast-track visas on humanitarian grounds. The suggestion was made

amid calls to transfer land ownership from black to white farmers in South Africa, and fears over the number of farm killings. But South Africa says it is ridiculous. “That threat does not exist,” South Africa’s foreign ministry said. “There is no reason for any government in the world to suspect

that a section of South Africans is under danger from their own democratically elected government.” Mr Dutton had earlier told reporters in Australia that South Africa’s white farmers “need help from a civilised country like ours”. “If you look at the footage and read the stories, you hear the accounts, it’s a horrific circumstance they face,” he said.

School Children Storm US Congress, Call for Gun Contro Chiemelie Ezeobi in Washington D.C In a bid to protest the recent school shooting that occurred in Parkland, Florida, which claimed lives of school children, Washingtonians yesterday thronged the Capital Hill, abode of the Congress. The protesters, mainly children and teenagers, in their thousands, who braved the cold weather were very vocal in the call for gun control. The Policemen from the Capitol, who did not disturb the protesters, however did put some boundaries in place. They put the figure of protesters at 4,000. Prior to the protest proper, the protesters had set up a shoe infront of Capital Hill, symbolising all school kids who died in different

school shootings. The shoes have since been removed. Bearing placards, the protesters called on the congress, comprising the senate and House of Representatives, to not just disarm gun owners but to put out a proper gun control that will checkmate illegitimate gun ownership. Someoftheplacardsread,‘Gunsdon’t kill, people kill people’, ‘Guns don’t kill until it’s your child’, ‘Their rights to live trumpsyourrighttoanassaultweapon’, ‘Booksandnotguns’,‘Protectfromguns and its violence since the National Riffle Association will not’. One of the protesters who spoke to THISDAY,MelissaRusagara,saiditwas high time the government actually lives up to its responsibility in ensuring the safety of lives for school children.

The 18-year-old said, “The congress isn’t helping matters. If they don’t do something, come next year most of us will clock 18 and we will vote them out. “We are tired of being afraid. We need education but we can’t do that if are schools are not safe. “The problem is that we have no gun regulation. People who have mental issues can easily access guns without checks. “Another unchecked source are students whose parents have guns and they access it. They end up going to school with it.” On the recent suggestion to arm teachers she said, “That’s a lazy solution from the congress. Arming teachers is not the solution. Schools are not war zones. The solution is proper gun control.”

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Senate Seeks Disbandment of Kogi Vigilante Group Damilola Oyedele Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x;Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x2039; The Senate yesterday set machinery in motion which could lead to the disbandment of the Kogi State Vigilante Service Group on the grounds that the outfit replicates the duties of the police, including bearing arms It therefore directed its Committees on National Intelligence and Security and Judiciary to meet with the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Mohammed Monguno (rtd), and the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, with a view to disbanding what it described as an unconstitutional body. The resolution followed a point of order raised by Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi APC) who accused the Governor of Kogi, Mr. Yayaha Bello, of attempting to introduce state police through the back door. He noted that the group was empowered by the state government to carry Dane guns,

hunter guns and other light weapons. The group, Melaye said, was established by a law of the state government and listed the responsibilities of the outfit. These include detection and prevention of crime, apprehension of criminals, protection of lives and property, to assist security agencies in the discharge of their duties, protection of government installations, among others. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is how Boko Haram started,â&#x20AC;? Melaye warned, adding that the governor was equipping militia groups to wreak havoc on the people of the state. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This law is in conflict with Section 214 ofâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; the constitution of Nigeria. It is a fact that state can make laws through the state House of Assembly. But the law they make must not be in conflict with the constitution,â&#x20AC;? he said. Melaye said the development juxtaposes the recent discovery of arms allegedly linked to the Kogi

State Governor. The Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio lamented that Kogi state is in the news again, adding that the activities of the governor call into question the readiness of youths to run the affairs of Nigeria. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having been a governor before, we knew the effect of arming militia or arming youths because even after leaving office, it will be difficult to retrieve those weapons,â&#x20AC;? Akpabio said. Senator Emmanuel Bwacha (Taraba PDP) warned that if the practices which encourage arms

proliferation are not quickly checked, Nigeria would have a fresh crises of insecurity. He urged that all attention should be geared towards addressing insecurity which continues to spread across the country. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People are discouraged, people appear not to have confidence in our security operatives. Why? Because there are certain issues on ground that need to be addressed. This is no longer business as usual, as representatives, we must be seen to showing concern. The matter is beyond boundary of religion and ethnicity,â&#x20AC;? Bwacha said.

In his contribution, Senator Magnus Abe (Rivers APC) said the situation is not in Kogi alone, as a similar law was recently passed in Rivers State, establishing Neighborhood Watch, with a right to bear arms. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let us engage these states, and ask what they want to achieve in the context of the constitution, which has not provided for state police,â&#x20AC;? Abe said. Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, however said the matter of Rivers and other states with vigilante cannot be considered alongsides Kogi, as details of their

establishing laws are not before the Senate. He further stated that the establishment of different vigilante groups across states was a reaction to actual situation where there are inadequate policemen to secure the people. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is why we have brought soldiers to assist, and they are now overstretched. We keep saying that the current structure on ground cannot protect the people,â&#x20AC;? Ekweremadu explained and reiterated his call for state police. He therefore urged that the vigilante groups must be regulated.

Varsity Non-Academic Staff Suspend Three-month-old Strike Senator Iroegbu Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x;Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x2039; The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of non-academic staff of Nigerian universities have suspended their strike. JAC comprises of Non Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (NASU), Senior Staff Academic of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) National Association of Academic Technologists, (NAAT)

Announcing the suspension of the strike at a briefing in Abuja yesterday, Chairman of JAC, Samson Ugwoke, said members of the three unions have been directed to resume today. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We shall not hesitate to resume the strike if government reneges on the agreements reached or delays in any aspects,â&#x20AC;? he said. The strike has lasted over three months, having started in December.

Muslim Group Protests as House Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ttee Halts Hearing on Hijab Controversy James Emejo Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x;Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x2039; A rights group, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), yesterday protested a decision by the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Justice and Judiciary, chaired by Hon. Razak Atunwa (APC, Kwara) not to proceed with a public hearing on the need to wade into the hijab controversy between the Nigerian Law School and a law graduate, Amasa Firdusa because of an interlocutory injunction secured from a Federal High Court by the Body of Benchers which is against the intervention by the parliament. The Nigerian Law School had also written to notify the committee that a panel had been constituted by the body to review the case within two months. But Atunwa, who expressed worry that Justice A. Chikere had granted the interim injunction to stay action on the hearing organised at the instance of a House resolution, nonetheless, stressed the need to respect the court ruling as a responsible legislature. Also, a member of the committee, Hon. Bode Ayorinde, a lawyer himself, quoting relevant laws, said a court doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have powers to interfere with debates in parliament, adding that discussions and debates in parliament canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be questioned. Atunwa, however, appealed to the Muslim group which had

mobilised resources towards the hearing to exercise patience as a new date would be communicated after the judge must have vacated the injunction. But as the chairman was announcing the adjournment, the President of MURIC, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, angrily stood up and insisted the hearing must continue in spite of the court order. He said an earlier invitation had been extended to the group for the hearing which was slated for February 6 but which was also cancelled. He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Then, yesterday we got another invite for today and we massively mobilised and came today and they said postponed.â&#x20AC;? He described the development frustrating, nauseating and a travesty of justice, rape and subversion of justice. He said the ban on the use of hijab by the law school was unlawful, especially where the constitution grants religious freedom. He said the ensuing development was an â&#x20AC;&#x153;invitation to religious warâ&#x20AC;? adding that â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you ban one Muslim, you ban all Nigerian Muslims.â&#x20AC;? TherenownedMuslimclericsaidthe next move for the group is to jettison further invitation for public hearing on the matter. He said the committee should review the memoranda already submitted to it by stakeholders and take a position without any further hearing. He insisted Firdusa must be called to bar at all cost.

THANKS FOR COMING

L-R: Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG), Ed Ubong; Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun; and Operations Manager, SNG, Niyi Salami, during a courtesy visit to the governor in Abeokuta....yesterday

APC to Boycott Rivers Council Polls Ernest Chinwo in Port Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17E; The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has said it will boycott the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s local government council elections fixed for June 16. The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) had on Tuesday announced Saturday, June 16 as date for local government elections. The Chairman/Chief Electoral Commissioner of the Commission, Justice Chukwuneye Uriri (rtd), said the release of the election timetable was in line with the power conferred on him as enshrined in the Rivers State Independent Electoral Law No. 2 of 2018. But addressing a press conference yesterday, the state Chairman of the APC, Dr. Davis Ikanya, said there was no vacuum in the councils as the council officers elected in the 2015 council polls were still subsisting since there matter was still in court. He described as contempt and sacrilegious the move by RSIEC to conduct elections with the matters still pending in court.

Ikanya said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is very shocking for the Chairman and Chief Electoral Commissioner of RSIEC, Justice Uriri, to express worries that for some time now, there has not been a local government election in the state, adding that the law abhors vacuum. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For the records there is no vacuum in the leadership of our local government areas since the term of office of the elected LGA chairman and councillors has not expired and the matter is a subject of litigation before the courts in Nigeria. Justice Uriri, who served as a judge of the High Court of Rivers State should have known better that there is no vacuum and accordingly advise the state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike.â&#x20AC;? He said the issue about the leadership of the councils is a matter before the courts of the land and for a retired judge to claim that there is vacuum is not only unprofessional but smacks of bias and â&#x20AC;&#x153;this calls to question his independence to head such a hallowed institution as RISIEC. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For the records, Justice Uriri and RSIEC should note the case of the leadership of the LGAs is a subject of litigation before the Federal High Court (FHC), Court of Appeal (CA) and the Supreme Court (SC) in Suit No: PHC/PH/

CS/84/2015, Appeal No: CA/ PH/338/2016 and Appeal No: SC/536/2016 respectively and that until the cases are decided by the courts any action by RSIEC and the Rivers State Government on the subject matter is an affront to the rule of law and that the APC will not partake in this illegality,â&#x20AC;? he declared. kanya gave a rundown of the issues before the courts and wondered why the RSIEC chairman, who is a retired judge, would proceed to fix a date for elections knowing that there were issues pending in court. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is very shocking to see that RSIEC headed by a retired judge of the High Court will join Governor Wike to perpetrate illegality by attempting to destroy the res which is the subject matter of Appeal No: CA/PH/131/2015 before the CA. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The conduct of Governor Wike, PDP and RSIEC is not only wrong but also aimed at bringing disrespect or scorn to the authority of the CA and also intended to interfere with and/or prejudice the case of the APC and the 23 LGA chairmen as it is before the court as

well as to ambush and render any likely decision in favour of the 23 LGA chairmen ineffective and nugatory.â&#x20AC;? Finally, the constitutionality of the RSIEC Law 2018 is a subject of litigation before the Federal High Court between APC v. INEC & Ors. in Suit No: FHC/PH/CS/13/2018 and it is just but laughable that RSIEC as currently empanelled is engaging in a wild goose chase of conducting an election which RSIEC as a party is aware that the matter is sub judice, that is, the case is actively before the courts and, the belief is that, any words or acts that are likely to influence the case could invite prosecution for contempt of court,â&#x20AC;? he posited. He declared: â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a law abiding party, the APC and the 23 LGA Chairmen will approach the Court of Appeal with these facts and ensure that the Wike and the PDP are not allowed to benefit for their brazen impunity and lawlessness.â&#x20AC;? When contacted for his reaction, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Hon. Emmanuel Aguma (SAN), said he was attending the State Executive Council meeting and would send his reaction after the meeting.

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NBA Affirms Letter Clearing Ogunba Davidson Iriekpen The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has confirmed that it duly sent a copy of the letter clearing Mr. Kunle Ogunba, whose Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) rank was withdrawn by the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC), to Honeywell Group. It said the letter was sent to Honeywell twice, adding that the first was through an e-mail, and again via courier service. Honeywell had issued a statement raising doubts about the authenticity of the letter, saying it did not receive a copy. NBA, in the February 20 letter signed by its General Secretary, Isiaka Abiola Olagunju, cleared Ogunba of any wrongdoing for the second time. Â The association dismissed Honeywell Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s petition, holding that it did not disclose any prima facie case of professional misconduct against Ogunba as alleged by Honeywell. The LPPC, based on a petition by Honeywell Group, had announced the withdrawal of Ogunbaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rank and privileges. Olagunju said contrary to Honeywellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s claims in media reports, the letter was actually sent to the group twice. The NBA General Secretary said in a statement: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The NBA Disciplinary Committee Panel B issued a report on Honeywell Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s petition to the effect that there was no prima facie case against Mr Kunle Ogunba. The NBA leadership does not intervene in the activities of

the panel. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Immediately the panel issued its report, it was sent to Honeywell Group through e-mail on February 27, 2018. It was sent to the e-mail address provided on Honeywellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s letter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When Honeywell Group claimed they did not get the report, again last week, the NBA sent a hard copy of the letter via courier service to Honeywell Group. It is not clear why Honeywell keeps saying it has not received the letter clearing Ogunba. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If they did not receive the letter, they could have contacted the General Secretary asking him to confirm the position. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the position.â&#x20AC;? NBA, in the statement issued and made available to newsmen by its Publicity Secretary Mr. John Unachukwu, said the clarification was necessary in view of media reports that Honeywell did not receive the letter clearing Ogunba. LPPC had acted on Honeywellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s petition in withdrawing Ogunbaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rank. But the NBA under its former President Augustine Alegeh (SAN) first cleared Ogunba of the allegations. In an August 5, 2016 letter signed by its then General Secretary, Afam Osigwe, in response to Honeywell Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s petition against Ogunba, the NBA said it would not refer him to its Disciplinary Committee. Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;We regret to inform you that a careful reading of the petition failed to disclose any alleged infraction of the Rules of Professional Conduct 2007

MIT, Mastercard Foundation Launch Prize for Financial Inclusion in Africa Vincent Obia The Legatum Centre for Development and Entrepreneurship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in association with the Mastercard Foundation, yesterday announced the launch of the 2018 edition of the pan-African Zambezi Prize for Innovation in Financial Inclusion. A statement by the centre said the competition, which awards a total of $200,000 in prizes, was established to discover Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most promising and innovative early-stage start-ups that support and advance financial inclusion on the continent. It said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Zambezi application is now open for early-stage African tech start-ups who are furthering financial inclusion in Africa. Applicants will be judged on their ability to solve one of the financial inclusion challenges put forth by the Prize; their current and potential impact on the local ecosystem; the scale of their innovation; and the feasibility of the solution.â&#x20AC;? The competition involves many awards and opportunities for finalists, with the grand prize winner being awarded $100,000 and the two runnersup ach receiving up to $30,000. Each of the top 10 finalists are guaranteed to receive

up to $5,000 in cash prizes as well as VIP tickets to the Zambezi Award ceremony, cohort-building activities, international media exposure, and personalised introductions to the MIT Legatum network of investors and mentors. Past Zambezi finalists have led projects ranging from agricultural finance for the small dairy farmer to an employee-centric boda boda (bicycle and motorcycle) taxi business model. The statement added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The top three winners will also be invited to attend the Zambezi boot camp during the MIT Inclusive Innovation Challenge (IIC) gala on the MIT campus in Boston and fast-tracked to the global grand prize with up to $1 million available. The IIC event is part of the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy and, along with the MIT Legatum Centreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initiatives, examples of MITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global commitment to the future of work.â&#x20AC;? The statement noted that this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s competition would be supported by the MIT Legatum Centreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual Open Mic Africa tour, a cross-continent tour in search of Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most innovative entrepreneurs that will debut in Spring 2018. The Legatum Centre, with support from Techpreneur Africa and the late Bolaji Finnih, hosted the premiere event of the 2017 Open Mic Africa tour in Lagos.

in respect of which Mr. Kunle Ogunba could be called upon to offer an explanation,â&#x20AC;? it said. NBA again in the February 20, 2018 letter to Honeywell

Group said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We write to inform you that the NBA Disciplinary Committee, Abuja, Panel B has concluded the hearing of your petition.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is the decision of the panel that your petition does not disclose a prima facie case of professional misconduct against the respondent.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the light of the decision of the panel, your petition against the respondent is hereby dismissed. We thank you for your cooperation.â&#x20AC;?

OVERSIGHT VISIT

R-L: Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education & Administration, Hon. Mohammed Umaru Bago; Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside; Deputy Chairman of the committee, Hon. Solomon Adeelu Ezinwa; and a member of the committee, Hon. Jones Chukwudi Onyereri, during the oversight visit of the committee to NIMASA in Lagos....yesterday

Six Killed in Ebonyi in Renewed Communal Land Dispute Benjamin Nworie Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x201C; Six persons were reportedly killed and properties worth millions of naira destroyed in a renewed land dispute between the people of Enyigba, Abakaliki Local Government Area and their Enyibichiri Alike-Ikwo, Ikwo Local Government in the state. THISDAY gathered that the two communities have been at war since 30 years, following

which the state government said it has taken over the disputed land. Governor David Umahi in a bid to quell the crisis set up a committee. The committee had concluded its reports when militia started shooting and burning houses in the area. Angered by this, Umahi declared that the state government has taken over the disputed land and ordered security agents to

shoot-at-sight anybody found encroaching on the land. The governor made the declaration at the government house Abakaliki during a security meeting with stakeholders of the two local governments with all the security chiefs in attendance. Umahi said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;If this crisis continues, there will be no more salaries in the two local government areas. I will slush the salaries of the appointees in the two communities into

security problems â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ebonyi State Government has taken over that parcel of land and anybody that enters there; it is shoot at-sight. I am directing the security agencies to arrest within the next seven days all the people that are doing the burnings and the shootings. They have to rebuild the houses they have burnt; anybody that crosses that land is guilty of 10 years imprisonment.

Simba Group Celebrates Women Tricycle Riders in Lagos Mary Ekah As part of activities marking the International Women Day, Wandel International, the flagship company of the Simba Group, sole distributors of the TVS Motors India Limited for motorcycles and tricycles, held a one-day free check-up camp for women tricycle riders in Lagos. Being the leading player in the tricycles industry in Nigeria, Simba is through this avenue trying to empower women by encouraging them to be

gainfully engaged by riding the TVS tricycles (Keke Marwa) as a source of income. Consequently, over 50 women had their TVS tricycles diagnosed and repaired for free of charge at the company premises in Ogba, Lagos where the exercise was carried out. In addition to that, the women were also given free oil filters, engine oil and free pink tarpaulin, as well as a short training on safe driving and tips on how to keep their tricycles save and sound. While assuring the business

community in Nigeria that the company would continue to encourage women to embrace tricycle riding as a means of curtailing the increasing rate of unemployment among the women folk and boost wealth creation, Mr. Manish Rohtagi of Simba Group stressed that exercise was a milestone on what the company does for the community as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). To ensure the tremendous success of the TVS Tricycle

business in Nigeria, Rohtagi noted that over the years, the company has launched many empowerment programmes both for men and women, adding, â&#x20AC;&#x153;To date, we have trained more than 5,000 mechanics Pan Nigeria, distributed 3,000 special tool-sets, which resulted in thousands of job creation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the heart of our value proposition is a commitment to quality and service. The tremendous success of the vehicles in Nigeria is indeed a testament to that,â&#x20AC;? he added.

NIGERIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S EXTERNAL DEBT RISES TO $18.9BN, DOMESTIC DEBT TO N15.9TN increases were recorded in the Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose (COICOP) divisions that yield the headline index. On a month-on-month basis, the headline index stood at 0.79 per cent in February but was down by 0.01 per cent from the rate in January. The percentage change in the average composite CPI for the 12-month period ended February 2018 over the average of the CPI for the previous 12-month period was 15.93 per cent. The figures were 0.29 per

cent lower than the 16.22 per cent recorded in January, the NBS said. The NBS said the Food Index (year-on-year) also declined by 1.33 per cent from 18.92 per cent in January to 17.59 per cent in February. But all major food sub-indices increased during the month under review. Price movements recorded by all items less farm produce or the core sub-index increased to 11.7 per cent (year-on-year) in February, while core inflation stood at 15.13 per cent last month.

According to the NBS, the figure was down by 0.4 per cent from the rate recorded in January at 12.10 per cent. The highest increases were seen in prices of fuel and lubricants for personal transport equipment, maintenance and repair of personal transport equipment and narcotics during the month. Increases were also recorded in the price of vehicle spare parts, passenger transport by air, clearing, repair and hire of clothing, hospital services, domestic services and household

services and glassware, tableware and household utensils. The Statistician-General, Dr. Yemi Kale, in January, had stated that he expected inflation to fall faster this year compared with 2017 but warned that spending ahead of 2019 presidential elections could trigger spiralling prices. Kale noted that the country was in a harvest period with output increasing, which would help lower food prices, but stressed that household consumption remained fragile after the 2016 recession.

53

THURSDAY MARCH 15, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY

CRIME&PUNISHMENT Court Dismisses N272.5m Fraud Charge against Oil Marketer After five years of trial, a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has dismissed a two-count charge of stealing and fraud, instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), against an independent oil marketer, Mr. Anthony Adejugbe, and his company, Tonique Oil Services Limited The court acquitted and discharged the oil marketer and his company of the two-count charge levelled against them by the EFCC. In dismissing the charge, the trial judge, Justice Lateefat Okunnu, held that the prosecution did not bring up substantial evidence to prove its case against the defendants. The EFCC had on November 13, 2012, arraigned Adejugbe and his company before Justice Okunnu in charge marked ID/198C/2012. The commission had in the charge alleged that the defendans, fraudulently obtained the sum of N272,500 million, from a company, Watergate Petroleum and Gas Limited, under false pretence of supplying the company five million litres of petroleum. However, during the pendency of the matter, EFCC called five witnesses and tendered some documents as exhibits, while Adejugbe and Tonique Oil Services Limited equally called

five witnesses and also tendered several documents. In particular, Adejugbe and his company denied the charges levelled against them by the EFCC. Justice Okunnu in dismissing the charge against Adejugbe and his company, said: “There is therefore, reasonable doubt regarding the case of the prosecution that the payment in question was intended by the defendants for use in paying off part of the second defendant’s loan. ‘’In the event, and by reason of all the foregoing, it is my findings that this is neither a case of stealing, nor one of obtaining by false pretence.’’ Reviewing the facts of the case as presented by both parties before the court, Justice Okunnu said the prosecution failed to bring strong evidence enough to show that there was such known fact or even, a whiff of rumour to back their case of alleged fraud against the defendants, she declared. “I had earlier explained that the missing link necessary for the prosecution to slot in as to prove that charge was for them to establish the requisite ‘men’s rea’ on the part of the defendants. ‘’Given the inability of the prosecution to prove the requisite standard, its assertion that the money the defendants paid to Sterling Bank Plc was for the

Police Parade Nine Suspects for Alleged Robbery, Stealing James Sowole in Akure The Ondo State Police Command yesterday paraded nine suspects for allegedly engaging in robbery, stealing and cultism. The suspects whose age ranges between 19 and 30 years, were paraded at the Command Headquarters, Igbatoro Road, Akure by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Gbenga Adeyanju, Adeyanju, who read the offences allegedly committed by each of the paraded suspects, said they had confessed to the crime for which they were arrested. Giving the breakdown of the suspects and their offences, Adeyanju said five of the suspects Tijani Idowu, Imoleayo Michael, Idowu Sunday, Folorunso Ojo and Olaiya Olabode were held for

alleged robbery. Also, Afolabi Ojo and Gbenga Fabode were arrested for alleged stealing while a 20-year-old Olu Olanrewaju was arrested for cultism. The commissioner said the police had recovered some items stolen from victims of various offences while the suspects confessed to the crime. A particular case of stealing was that of Gbega Fabode from Ogun State, who allegedly stole six vehicles. The six vehicles were recovered from Fabode, who had changed the colour of some of them to Ogun and Oyo State taxi colours. He had also sold the stolen vehicles before they were recovered. The police commissioner said the suspects would be charged to court after investigations.

In Brief IESEC Alumni Africa to Organise Congress AISEC Alumni Africa and Middle East will hold its first joint regional congress from March 15 to 18 at the Radisson Blu Ikeja GRA, Lagos with the theme: ‘Positioning for Global Impact - Leadership and Economic Synergy in a Transforming World.’ A statement issued by the organisers yesterday to THISDAY, said the event is being organised with a focus to look outwards and become significantly involved in global citizenship and leadership, thereby creating transformation within different localities as well

as globally. It also stated that the 70th anniversary celebration of AIESEC globally would be marked during the gala night dinner of the conference, on March 16, which would be preceded by the business connect event. It added: “The keynote speech will be delivered at this event by the Group Chief Executive Officer, Deefort Group, Engr. Ajibola Olajide. He will be speaking on transforming Nigeria’s economy by leveraging on technology, innovation and global entrepreneurship.”

purpose of settling the second defendant’s liability to the bank cannot be firmly established. Justice Okunnu further held that she did not see or find anything that suggests, talk less of prove, that the defendants intended to use the money as a pledge or some

other form of security. ‘’That is not the case before the court. The case, rather, is that they intended to use it to pay off a debt.’’ “In the event, and by the reasons of the foregoing, it is my finding that it is neither a case of stealing nor one of obtaining by

false pretence. “The evidence adduced by the prosecution in legal proof of the ‘mens rea’ for the offences charged (the intention behind the actions of the defendants) was not sufficient, so the little that exists from the prosecution came to be eroded by

what the defendants have said, the prosecution, as a result, was unable to sustain its case. And so, without further ado, I hereby dismiss the case against both defendants. “Each of them, therefore, stand acquitted and discharged on each of the two-count charge.”

IN SAD MOOD

Parents and students of Government Girls Science and Technical College Dapchi during President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to the school as part of his sympathy visit to Yobe State....yesterday State House

Assailant of Two Slain Primary School Pupils in Ogun Nabbed Femi Ogbonnikan in Abeokuta Nemesis has caught up with the man who hacked two primary school pupils to death in Ogun last Monday following his arrest by the police. The two slain pupils of St John Anglican Primary School, Agodo, in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of Ogun State were among scores of their other colleagues playing on a football pitch on Monday before the assailant struck and snuffed lives out of them. While confirming the arrest of the suspect, Lekan Adebisi, who was alleged to be mentally insane,

Mr Abimbola Oyeyemi, Ogun State Police Command Public Relations Officer, in a statement yesterday, disclosed that the assailant was arrested in the early hours of yesterday by the combine efforts of both the policemen attached to Ogbere area command led by Makinde Kayode and local hunters in the affected community. According to Oyeyemi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), “the suspect who was identified has Lekan Adebisi broke into the compound of St. John Anglican School Agodo with a cutlass and hacked two pupils of the school

to death after which he took to his heels. “The state Commissioner of Police (CP), Ahmed Iliyasu, who was visibly shaken by the dastardly action, swiftly gave a matching order to the Area commander, in-charge of Ogbere Command and DPO Abigi Division to fish out the murderer within a shortest possible time. “And in compliance with the CP’s directive, the Area Commander mobilized his officers and men, and local hunters for the manhunt of the suspect. Their efforts later paid off in the early hours of today when the suspect was sighted in

a bush around the community. While they wanted to effect his arrest, the suspect who was brandishing a sharp cutlass attacked the armed police team, consequent upon which he was shot and injured on the leg. He has been taken to hospital for medical treatment”, said the police spokesman. He, however, added that the police boss has directed the immediate transfer of the matter to detectives attached to the Homicide Section of State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Eleweran, Abeokuta for a discreet probe.

Libya Returnee Gets Bail After Alleged Destruction of Public Property Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City A Libya returnee, Jude Ikuenobe, was yesterday granted bail by an Oredo Magistrate’s Court 6 on alleged destruction of public properties. Some angry Libyan returnees led by Ikuenobe, during an empowerment programme organised by the state task force against Human Trafficking and Illegal Migration on Monday

disrupted the event, accusing the agency of being selective in its rehabilitation programme. They also held government officials and some members of the task force hostage when they stormed the National Arts for Museum and Monuments, venue of the programme , destroying some of the tents, chairs standing fans and deflated the tyres of some government vehicles. It however, took the intervention of the Nigeria

Police Force, who were quickly drafted from the Oba market station to bring the situation under control. Ikuenobe who was arraigned before Magistrate V. E. Oyekpen court, pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge. According to the charge, Ikuenobe was alleged to have committed the offence at Museum ground, Ring Road Area of Benin, on March 12, 2018. Besides, he was said to have

conspired with others still at large, to cause malicious damage, while the third count alleged the accused of breach of public peace. The offence are punishable under section 249 and section 516 of C/C cap 48 Vol. II of Bendel State laws of 1976 now applicable in Edo State. The magistrate however granted the accused bail of the sum of N80,000 with a surety of like sum. The magistrate subsequently adjourned the case to April 17, 2018.

Ë&#x153; ͚ͽË&#x153; ͺ͸͚Î&#x20AC; Ëž T H I S D AY

54

THURSDAYSPORTS

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

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Chelsea Knocked out as Messiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brace Inspires Barca to Last Eight Chelsea went out of the UEFA Champions League last night at the last-16 stage with an error-ridden display against Barcelona. Following a 1-1 draw in the first leg, the visitors fell behind after just 128 seconds in the Nou Camp as Lionel Messi shot through the legs of Thibaut Courtois from a tight angle. Messi then set up Ousmane Dembele to hammer home the second after Cesc Fabregas lost possession. Marcos Alonso hit the post for Chelsea with a free-kick before Messiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100th Champions League goal - after a mistake by Cesar Azpilicueta - took the hosts out of sight. Alonso was then denied a penalty after a challenge by Gerard Pique as Barcelona joined La Liga rivals Real

Madrid and Sevilla in Fridayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quarter-final draw. Chelsea, meanwhile, join fellow Premier League clubs Manchester United and Tottenham in exiting in the first knockout round. Chelseaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elimination by the five-time winners is bound to add to the speculation about manager Antonio Conteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future. The Bluesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hopes of retaining the Premier League title ended weeks ago, and they may not even secure the top-four finish they need to return to the Champions League. Conteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side is fifth in the table, four points behind Liverpool, with their next league game at home to third-placed Tottenham on  April 1. The Blues head to Leicester on Sunday for an FA Cup quarterfinal knowing defeat will leave them without a trophy for the second time in three seasons.

Conte,, who hass n been in charge since thee summer of 2016, has a ntil the summer of 2019 contract until y reports p but has had to deny of h the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s owners. a rift with ng g last month, the Speaking old Italian said it is his 48-year-old n, will and desireâ&#x20AC;? to â&#x20AC;&#x153;intention, tamford Bridge. g stay at Stamford ver, the Blues have However, p lost fourr of their past six g g league games, including back back-to-back defeats nemouth and Watford. by Bournemouth and Watford. y Chelseaa visits Leicester City A Cup quarter-final on in the FA Sunday. ona returns to the Nou Barcelona n Sunday y as it looks to Camp on ther big g step towards take another winning La Liga.

Unstoppable Messi scored his 100th Champions League goalâ&#x20AC;Ś yesterday

WORLD CUP 2018

Nigeria vs Argentina Group D Match Tickets Sold out

Duro Ikhazuagbe

Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World Cup 2018 last Group D match against Argentina on June 26 in Saint Petersburg, Russia has been sold out. However, Super Eagles other two games against Croatia and Iceland did not receive such attention from fans going to be physically present in the Russian cities of Kaliningrad and Volgograd respectively. The most expensive ticket for these group games goes for over N70,000. According to FIFA, 356,700 tickets have been allocated (subject to payment) to fans around the world via FIFA.com/tickets in the first 24 hours of the first come, first served sales window, which

began on Tuesday, March 13 at 12:00 Moscow time. All three group games of Egypt have been sold out â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Egypt vs Uruguay, Russia vs Egypt and Saudi Arabia vs Egypt. Several other matches involving other African teams at Russia 2018 have also been sold out â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Japan vs Senegal, Belgium vs Tunisia and Portugal vs Morocco. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most of the tickets have been allocated to Russian fans (197,036), followed by fans from USA (14,845), Argentina (14,564), Colombia (13,994), Mexico (13,505), Brazil (9,691), Peru (9,493), Australia (5,500), Germany (5,476), China (5,459)

and India (4,166) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the top ten countries from abroad,â&#x20AC;? observed a statement released by FIFA yesterday. Despite the huge demand and the potential waiting time to access the website, FIFA encourages all fans to visit FIFA. com/tickets and check the traffic

light system, which gives an indication about ticket availability. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Given the remarkable interest from all over the world, FIFA would like to remind all football fans that FIFA.com/tickets is the only official and legitimate website on which to buy 2018 FIFA World Cup tickets.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tickets obtained from any other source will be automatically cancelled once identified and will not entitle the ticket holder to access the stadium or to any refund or other compensation, FIFA warned. Meanwhile, Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot

UK Ministers, Royal Family Will Not Go to World Cup in Russia UK government ministers and members of the Royal Family will not attend the World Cup in Russia after a Russian-made nerve agent was used on an ex-spy. Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, are in a critical condition after the incident in Salisbury on March 4. Prime Minister Theresa May announced yesterday that the relationship between the two countries â&#x20AC;&#x153;cannot be the sameâ&#x20AC;?. Buckingham Palace said â&#x20AC;&#x153;no plans had been madeâ&#x20AC;? for any of the Royal Family to travel for the World Cup in Russia. Prince William is the president of the Football Association (FA). When asked whether senior FA officials should also not go to the World Cup - which runs from June 14 to July 15 - Mrs May said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure they will want to be considering their position. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Attendance at sporting events is a matter for the sporting authorities - itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a matter for them.â&#x20AC;? In a statement, the FA said it will â&#x20AC;&#x153;continue to work closely

with the UK government and relevant authoritiesâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our priority for all England matches is to ensure the safety and security of the fans, players and staff. As is standard practice, we will take all travel guidance from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office,â&#x20AC;? it added. On Wednesday, the Foreign Office updated its advice for those visiting Russia. It said UK nationals in the country should be â&#x20AC;&#x153;aware of the possibility of antiBritish sentiment or harassmentâ&#x20AC;? due to â&#x20AC;&#x153;heightened political tensions between the UK and Russiaâ&#x20AC;?. It said the British Embassy in Moscow was â&#x20AC;&#x153;not aware of any increased difficulties for British people travelling in Russia at this timeâ&#x20AC;? but recommended UK nationals â&#x20AC;&#x153;remain vigilant, avoid any protests or demonstrations and avoid commenting publically on political developmentsâ&#x20AC;?. Mrs May, speaking at Prime Ministerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Questions, said the government would â&#x20AC;&#x153;look at security and protection of any UK football fans travelling to the World Cupâ&#x20AC;?.

Alex Iwobi (left) battling out Argentinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Javier Mascherano during the friendly in Russiaâ&#x20AC;Ś late last year

Rohr, has played down the significance of last Novemberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 4-2 international friendly win over Argentina, claiming the result of that game will not matter when both countries lock horns in Group Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s last match in St. Petersburg In an interview with South Africa-based Soccer Laduma, the Franco-German tactician reckons the game does not confer any advantage to Eagles going into the World Cup proper.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Remember, (Lionel) Messi didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t play that game. So we are very cautious and have to analyse this great result in that context. Argentina had played another friendly against Russia in Russia before facing us. Perhaps, they were a bit tired â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they also left Russia soon after our game. I think no one should overrate the result. I definitely wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t overrate it. It was definitely not to our advantage because Argentina will take us more seriously now,â&#x20AC;? stressed Rohr. Rohr however assured Nigerian football fans that the Eagles would get the best possible preparation for Argentina and the other group opponents even though the three-time African champion is the least-ranked team in the pairing.

C A F C O N F E D E R AT I O N C U P

Al Ittihad to Storm Uyo Today by Chartered Flight Experienced CAF Confederation Cup contenders, Al Ittihad of Libya, will fly directly from Tripoli to Uyo today courtesy of a private jet that has been put at the disposal of the club by its shareholders from the oil rich country. An advance party led by Mr. Abushawashi Snoussi that arrived Lagos last Tuesday aboard Royal Air Maroc and departed for Uyo same day via Dana Air, confirmed yesterday that the team was going to fly into Uyo with

a chartered flight. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The initial problem is that we had applied to land in Uyo, but we were told that with Uyo yet to be granted international status, we will be permitted to land in Port Harcourt and drive down.  But plans are afoot to make us land in Uyo, since teams like Algeria and South Africa have had to land there before from Algiers and Joâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Burg respectively,â&#x20AC;? Mr. Snoussi said. The Libyan was also spotted in the five-star Le Meridien Hotel

and Golf Resort where he had made reservations for his team, after deciding that â&#x20AC;&#x153;all the other hotels in town were not good enough.â&#x20AC;? for his team. An impressed staff of Le Meridien Hotel said â&#x20AC;&#x153;this is how it should be.  In Nigeria we have not yet started. See? A common club-side and they want us to compete favourably?â&#x20AC;? The staff who refused to disclose his identity was however quick to add that he was convinced despite the show

of wealth and good organisation, Akwa United was going to beat them and qualify for the next round of the CAF Confederation Cup. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anyway, we will beat them with their show of wealth,â&#x20AC;? he concluded. Akwa United needs two un-replied goals on Sunday to progress to the next round after losing to an 83rd minute strike in the first leg match played in Sfax Tunisia on Wednesday, March 7, 2018.

55

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018

THURSDAYSPORTS

Bayern Thumps Besiktas to Reach Champions League Quarter final Bayern Munich reached the UEFA Champions League quarter final last night for the seventh successive year with a 3-1 thumping victory over Besiktas. The German champions led 5-0 on aggregate after the first leg, and Thiago’s early goal in Istanbul extended their advantage. A Gokhan Gonul own goal immediately after

half-time doubled Bayern’s lead, before Vagner Love pulled one back. Sandro Wagner wrapped up a comfortable aggregate 8-1 win for Bayern with a tap-in. Besiktas - the first Turkish side to win a Champions League group - fielded six players aged 30 or older. They started stronger than Bayern but it was the

visitors who had the first chance when David Alaba’s free-kick was palmed low into the path of Thomas Muller, but he sliced over. Thiago broke the deadlock with a simple tap-in from Muller’s perfectly weighted cross, quelling Besiktas’ early energy with his second Champions League goal of the season. But he lasted just 35

minutes before being substituted. Bayern extended their lead moments after the start of the second half when Turkey international Gonul flicked the ball into his own net from a Rafinha cross. Besiktas improved and were rewarded when they pulled a goal back following a mistake in the Bayern defence, Love slotting into the bottom

corner past Sven Ulreich for his first Champions League goal since 2011. They could have had a second just minutes later when Mustafa Pektemek’s shot from close range was deflected behind by Alaba. But Bayern scored their third of the night with six minutes remaining when substitute Wagner chested a deflected cross into an empty net.

EUROPA FIXTURES (TODAY) Arsenal v Milan Lyon v CSKA Moscow Salzburg v Dortmund Plzen Sporting CP Zenit v RB Leipzig D’Kiev v Lazio Lokomotiv v Atletico Athletic Club v Marseille

Reverse Kwara Utd FC Slide, Gov Ahmed Charges New Coach Hammed Shittu inIlorin Newly appointed Technical Adviser of Kwara United Football Club of Ilorin, Bala Mohammed, has been told in clear terms to use his deep knowledge of the game to move the team away from the bottom of the Nigerian topflight. Mohammed who will take care of the club till the end of the season, resigned as assistant coach of the Nigeria U-20 male national team to join the Kwara club. Speaking at his unveiling, Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, said the management of the club resolved two weeks ago to sack the former coach seeing the dwindling

performance of the club. He said that the development was due to the commitment of the state government to see the darling team of Ilorin return to decent position on the NPFL log. Ahmed who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Sports and Youths Development, Mr. Ayobola Samuel added that the people and government of Kwara State would not take excuses in the performance of the new technical crew. He stressed that the new technical adviser and coach was brought in to record positive change in the club. He also assured the coach and his technical crew of government maximum support and cooperation.

NPFL: Okon Otop Desires More for Self and Go Round FC His name may strike a good note in a rhyme exercise but Okon Otop is not an easily recognisable name in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) in which he now rubs shoulders with the big boys for Go Round FC of Omoku, Rivers State. Like Otop, his club is not a traditional top league side having just celebrated their promotion to the top flight, after finishing behind Heartland FC of Owerri, at the expense of Bayelsa United FC on the final day of the 2017 Nigeria National League (NNL) season. Despite scoring the highest number of goals (40) in the NNL Southern Conference in the last campaign, the Omoku-based side has managed just seven goals in 11 games in what has been a difficult start to the campaign. The striker, who began his career with Canaan Youth Soccer Academy, Calabar in 2013, joined Abia Warriors FC in 2017, but did not play any competitive game, as the club loaned him out to Warri Wolves to sharpen his skills and garner some experience.

Okon has scored three times for Go Round FC (against Abia Warriors, El-Kanemi and Sunshine Stars), but in a chat with www. npfl.ng, the forward admitted the difficulties he has personally faced in the top flight, as well as his ambitions with the club. “Life has been difficult so far in the professional league because things are done here differently, as compared to the NNL. The competition is amazing and you have to be at your best to even feature for the team”. “We (Go Round) knew it will be difficult, but we are doing our best and we are coping with the challenges. I have scored three goals this season and it is a good start, though that is not what i initially planned, because I am here to score goals and help the team”. “I have big dreams with Go Round, and despite being new at the big stage, I wish to help the club to get to the continent and end the season as the club’s highest goal scorer”, he told npfl.ng

The governor also said that, the state government has made special financial arrangement that would assist the club to meet its needs in order to enhance its growth. Also speaking, the Chairman, Kwara United Football Club, Ilorin, Mr. Oladimeji Thompson,

NASCO Group Nigeria has said it will partner Plateau State Amateur Cycling Association (PACA) to host the first-ever cycling awareness campaign in the state on Saturday. According to Group Marketing Communications Advisor to NASCO, Mallam Haroun Harry Audu, the event will feature all cycling enthusiasts within Jos and its environs. Audu pointed out that the NASCO cycling awareness campaign is aimed at reviving and strengthening public interest and participations in cycling as an

award winning sport for health and recreational purposes and for the promotion of peace and tourism. He also noted that this effort by NASCO Group therefore signals a deliberate intervention by the group to support committed amateur cyclists in the state adding that it is also expected to advance and promote the benefit of cycling as a sporting and healthy enterprise. According to him, the event will provide the good life to the good people of Plateau State via entertaining cycling displays by athletes and other cycling members of the public.

He however called for the support of stakeholders of the club to enable him succeed in the new assignment. “My success at Niger Tornadoes, Minna, came from the chairman of the club and the supporters club and with this development I belief I

will be able to achieve such in Kwara United Football Club of Ilorin during my stay in Ilorin,” he noted. Mohammed thanked the state government and the chairman of the club for the warm reception extended to him since his arrival in Ilorin.

NBC Relishes Gains of FIFA World Cup Tour of Nigeria The successful FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour of Nigeria which ended last weekend with public view in Lagos is a thing of pride to Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC), Coca-Cola’s Bottling partner in the country has announced. According to the Managing Director of the company, George Polymenakos, “we felicitate with the entire Nigerian football family, which we believe is already bussing

with happiness. It is our delight to have this unique opportunity to connect with our consumers through their passion point and make them happy with the World Cup Trophy Tour experience. “We are very pleased to have brought the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour to the country for the third time and indeed very special to us, particularly given CocaCola’s long history of association with FIFA, which underlines our pride to be linked with a sport that

unites and spreads happiness to lots of people around the world. “For us at the NBC, we join the teeming supporters of the Super Eagles in wishing them the best at the forthcoming FIFA World Cup, Russia 2018. Don’t forget to be on the watch out of our consumer promotion where we will be offering an all-expense paid trip to Russia,” he stated. He pointed out that the company was particularly glad to be associated with a project that would see the trophy touch 91

cities and 51 countries, spreading happiness and psyching up the people to get ready for what is arguably the greatest sporting fiesta coming up this year in Russia. In his response, the President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, commended NBC for the support it has given to Nigerian football and particularly the recent partnership with the Glass House in preparation to the World Cup finals in Russia.

Kane out until April with Ligament Damage

NASCO Group Partners PACA to Host Cycling Awareness in Jos Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

charged the newly appointed technical adviser of the club to use all his exposures and talents to return the club to the top position so as to enhance the growth of the team. Responding, Mohammed promised to help the club return to the top position.

Kane (right) out till April

Tottenham and England striker, Totte Harry Harr Kane, will be out until next month after damaging ankle ligaments in Sunday’s Premier ligam League Leag win over Bournemouth. Spurs said in a statement that Sp “preliminary assessments” “pre confirmed the injury after a confi scan on Monday. Kane, Ka who has scored 35 goals for Spurs this season, injured his S right ankle in a collision with Bournemouth goalkeeper Asmir Bour Begovic. Bego The Th 24-year-old should be fit for fo England’s World Cup campaign. camp But Bu he will miss Spurs’ FA Cup quarter-final at Swansea on Saturday, as well as two England Satur friendlies the following week. frien Gareth Southgate’s men travel Ga to the th Netherlands on 23 March before befo hosting Italy on 27 March. England’s first World Cup E match is on June 18 against m Tunisia. T Kane missed 10 games last season with a similar injury to the same ankle in a game at Sunderland in September 2016. He injured the same ankle again in Tottenham’s FA Cup quarter-final victory over Millwall in March 2017. On that occasion he was out o for four weeks. “Disappointing to be out until u next month but injuries are part of the game,” he wrote on Twitter. “Will do everything I T can to t get back out there ASAP.”

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Thursday, March 15, 2018

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MISSILE Adamu to Senate Colleagues “While we are consumed with sabotaging the administration and stabbing one another in the back, we forget that in less than a year from now, we shall be required to seek the people’s revalidation of our mandate to sit in these hallowed chambers. What shall we tell them?” — Senator Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West) accusing the Senate leadership of a gang-up against President Muhammadu Buhari.

OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

The Amber Light is On… 1 E

lections in our country, according to the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in a remark made on 30th June 2014, have become a perverse form of modern coronation. “Instead of choosing public servants, elections in Nigeria have been basically to select a new aristocracy, an elected royalty,” he said in an apt summation that the desperation for power, at practically all levels in our country, is too often not to advance public good but rather in pursuit of private interest. That perhaps best explains the decision by President Muhammadu Buhari to withhold assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill 2018 recently passed by the National Assembly and the muscle-flexing it is already generating. With the Senate—now largely dominated by former governors most of who are adept at gaming elections—in a milieu in which the ruling APC is just a party in name rather than in shared ideals, it is no surprise that what used to be an administrative function of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is the issue that now preoccupies the leadership of both the executive and the legislature at a period many Nigerians are facing huge challenges on practically all fronts. Although reasons were canvassed by the president for his decision to decline assent to the Bill, most Nigerians are aware that the major contention is the order of elections. Both the presidency and the National Assembly are in a battle over which of the polls should come first and stripped of all pretension, it is not about the imperative of popular participation but rather about securing electoral advantage. While the essence of this intervention is to interrogate why there is such a fierce contestation over the order of 2019 elections, and the implications for the survival of our democracy, it is important for readers to also understand that it is not an isolated issue. Even when democracy is ordinarily a never-ending process of inquiry which requires the validation of voters, in Nigeria, such phrases as “the will of the people” and “the people have spoken” have, over the years, become no more than false constructs. Nothing better depicts this sorry state of affairs than the so-called local government elections that may be useful as a starting point for this series, especially in the light of the yet-to-be resolved issue of underage voting in Kano. From May 2015 to date, 23 states have conducted local government elections. Fourteen of those states are controlled by the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party of ‘Change’ at the centre; eight by the displaced Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and one by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Let us start with the states controlled by the APC. In January this year in Osun State, the APC swept all the chairmanship positions and 389 councillorship seats. In February this year in Kano State, the ruling APC won all the 44 chairmanship positions and 484 councillorship seats. And in March this year, APC won all the 18 chairmanship positions in Edo State. In March 2016, the APC won all 22 chairmanship and 234 councillorship seats in Sokoto State. In July 2017, the APC swept the chairmanship seats in all the

Senate President Bukola Saraki 21 local government areas in Kebbi State. In October 2016, the APC won the chairmanship positions in all the 20 local governments and 37 Development Authorities IN Ogun State. In January 2016, the APC won the chairmanship seats in all the 14 local governments and 147 councillorship seats in Zamfara State. A month earlier, the same party won all the 23 chairmanship seats and the councillorship positions in the 276 wards in Benue state. In August 2016, the APC won chairmanship seats in all the 18 local governments in Adamawa

State. In January 2016 in Niger State, the APC won all the 24 Chairmanship positions. In July 2017, the APC won the chairmanship positions in all the 27 Local Government Areas of Jigawa State. Same month in Lagos State, APC won all the 57 chairmanship seats. In November 2017 in my state, Kwara State, the ruling APC cleared all the 16 local governments while in February 2017, the APC also won all the chairmanship and councillorship positions in Yobe State. What the foregoing suggests is that the APC is so popular in all these 14 states that the party secured a hundred percent victory at the local government polls. But now let us also look at what transpired in the eight states controlled by the PDP. In December 2016, the PDP won the chairmanship seats in all the 17 councils in Abia State. The party also won 346 councillorship seats out of the 349 wards in the state so it was ‘magnanimous’ enough to concede three councillorship positions to candidates of some fringe political parties! In February 2017, PDP won all the local governments in Taraba State and in December of same year, the party also won all the 16 chairmanship and 177 councillorship positions contested in Ekiti state. In February 2017, PDP won all the chairman and councillorship seats contested in Gombe State. In April 2017, PDP won the chairmanship seats of all the 13 local governments and 171 wards in Ebonyi state. In December 2017, PDP won in all the 31 local government areas and all 325 councillorship seats in Akwa Ibom State while in January this year, PDP won the chairmanship in

all the 25 councils in Delta State. In November 2017, PDP won in all the 17 local governments and the 260 councillorship seats in Enugu State. From the foregoing, the PDP also secured a hundred percent victory in all the nine states it controls where local government elections were held. The only other party controlling a state is APGA and in the council poll conducted in November last year in Anambra, the party also did not disappoint: It swept the entire 21 Local governments! Now to properly situate this perversion, let me cite examples from each of the two leading parties. In a controversial local government election conducted on 25th May 2015, four days to his hand-over by then Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (in a state where the PDP candidate had only two months earlier secured victory at the governorship election conducted by INEC), the APC won 22 out of the 23 chairmanship seats where elections were held as well as 297 councillorship seats in the 302 wards. Meanwhile, in Ondo State where the local government elections were held on 24th April 2016, the PDP won all the 18 chairmanship seats and 202 of the 203 councillorship seats. Instructively, when the gubernatorial election held in November of same year, candidate of the APC, (a party that could not win a single ward in the so-called local government election held seven months earlier), defeated the ruling PDP in the state! NOTE: To be concluded next week

Before Booking a Visa to Wakanda!

A

side the release in 1997 of ‘Titanic’ and the 2003 concluding part of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy titled ‘Return of the King’, I doubt if any other movie has captured as much global attention and imagination as ‘The Black Panther’. In Nigeria particularly, both the ‘Twitter generation’ and the middle class have done a lot to hype the movie and the feel-good factor it has engendered. Today, it is almost a taboo for anyone to admit that he has not watched what has been given sundry interpretations, including the half-digested tales of it being about the ancient glory of some country called Africa! As make-belief—which even the best of movies are—goes, ‘Black Panther’ is very entertaining. But if we must draw lessons, the most instructive scene in the movie, for me, was in the confrontation between W’Kabi and the ‘Black Panther’, following the first military expedition that ended in catastrophic failure. As head of security for Wakanda’s Border Tribe, W’Kabi had been happy when T’Challa, his childhood friend ascended the throne, believing he would help to avenge the death of his parents who were killed by Ulysses Klaue, a foreign mercenary who had been stealing from Wakanda their much-treasured Vibranium. So, when the new ‘Black Panther’ also failed to capture the notorious arms dealer in his first raid, W’Kabi

parted ways with his friend but not before rubbing it in: “For 30 years your father was in power and did nothing. With you I thought it would be different. But it is more of the same.” While the reaction of W’Kabi depicts that of citizens of most African countries whose hopes had been raised and dashed by a succession of leaders, it is in the response of the ‘Black Panther’ that I want to make my point. In Africa, when politicians ascend power, their old friends dare not challenge them as W’Kabi did. But the ‘Black Panther’ did not take the insult personal. He considered it a public duty to capture the notorious armed robber and was ready to pay the supreme price in the process. Therefore, the message from Wakanda cannot be in some ‘borrowed technology’ but in the commitment to a leadership ethos anchored on the welfare of the people. To come back home, the lesson is simple: We can recreate the good society if those we put in charge of our affairs care and it would not take too much. Right now, we can see a glimpse of such commitment in Edo State. Rather than live in denial about the global prostitution stigma, both the Edo political and traditional leaderships have decided to confront the menace. Even before the Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II publicly placed a curse on the traffickers

and their collaborators, including native doctors and priests who administer oath of secrecy on victims, Governor Godwin Obaseki had already instituted the Edo Taskforce Against Human Trafficking (EHTAT). Chaired by Prof. Yinka Omorogie, the committee has not only been meticulous in handling the assignment, its findings are quite chilling. According to the taskforce report, “each migrant that has returned experienced an average of 151 deaths mostly caused by hunger, dehydration, sickness, childbirth, beating, gunshot wounds and drowning” in a journey that takes between 20 to 40 days and costs an average N250,000 across both the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea. That is very telling of the growing desperation to leave the country by many of our young people because of the dwindling opportunities arising from the mismanagement of our affairs. If each migrant witnessed an average of 151 deaths in the course of their desperate journey, we can only imagine the number of lives that are being lost to the perilous adventure. What that suggests is that in as much as we can feel good about the product of the imagination of some American script writers, we must also be honest with ourselves: the reality of our existence as a nation is far from what obtains in the fictional Republic of Wakanda.

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