THURSDAY 26TH APRIL 2018

Again, FAAC Meeting Postponed over Shortfall in NNPC Remittances Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The meeting of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) for the month of April was yesterday postponed, the second time in a row, as controversy again dogged the remittances by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to the Federation Account.

The FAAC meeting for March where the representatives of the three tiers of government had gathered to disburse revenue that had accrued to the account for the month of February, had ended in a stalemate due to a shortfall of about N37.7

billion in NNPC remittances for that month.

It took the intervention of the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who pleaded with the governors before the meeting was reconvened for the sharing of revenue to the various tiers of government.

The Chairman, Finance Commissioners Forum, Mallam Yunusa Mahmoud, who confirmed the postponement of the FAAC meeting for March yesterday, described the situation as unfortunate.

He stated that the development had prompted

the governors’ intervention again, adding that the governors held a “high-level meeting” with top officials of NNPC yesterday in Abuja.

“We have some challenges, the figures we have gotten is far below what we expected to be remitted by NNPC. As

More Trouble for Melaye as INEC Commences His Recall... Page 8

it is now, there is a meeting between the governors and the top management of NNPC at the State House.

“I believe this is a very high-level deliberation and something good will come out of it,” he said.

According to him, the NNPC was duty-bound to Continued on page 8

Thursday 26 April, 2018 Vol 23. No 8407. Price: N250

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You’ve No Power to Reorder Elections, Court Tells N’Assembly Alex Enumah in Abuja A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday told the National Assembly that it lacks the power to dictate to the

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the order in which elections, particularly the 2019 general elections, should be conducted.

A plaintiff, Accord Party,

had approached the court for an order setting aside Clause 25 of the Electoral Amendment Bill, 2018, which seeks to alter the sequence of general elections.

INEC had in January released the dates for the conduct of the 2019 general elections, with the presidential and National Assembly elections coming before

the governorship and state assembly elections.

But the legislature through the Electoral Amendment Bill is proposing to change the sequence.

Following the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the amendment bill, the plaintiff Continued on page 6

Killings: House Passes No Confidence Vote on Service Chiefs, Summons Buhari

Yet another 41 persons killed in Benue, Nasarawa Stop wanton killings now, Secondus, Fayose tell president CAN declares April 29 day of protest, prayers Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Senator Iroegbu, James Emejo in Abuja, Victor Ogunje in AdoEkiti and Emmanuel Ukumba in Lafia In a rare and strong condemnation of the killings being carried out by suspected herders of cattle in the country, particularly in the Middle Belt, the House of Representatives yesterday passed a motion summoning President Muhammadu Buhari to appear before it in plenary and address the House on efforts being taken to arrest

the spate of killings.

It further resolved to suspend plenary for three legislative days as a mark of solidarity with Nigerians over the continuing bloodshed

See more reactions on Benue killing on page 12 in the country.

The lawmakers also passed a vote of no confidence on all the service chiefs and security advisers of the president, calling for their replacement to Continued on page 6

Senator Abe Declares Rivers Governorship Bid ... Page 10

Former Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (second right), with her former colleagues from the World Bank, from left: Mr. Sarwat Hussain, Jean-Louis Sarbib and Winston Dawes, at the signing of her new book, “Fighting Corruption is Dangerous – The Story Behind the Headlines,” held in Washington D.C… Tuesday chakamimages

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PAGE SIX KILLINGS: HOUSE PASSES NO CONFIDENCE VOTE ON SERVICE CHIEFS, SUMMONS BUHARI engender fresh ideas targeted at tackling the lingering state of insecurity.

The lower legislative chamber equally directed that all killers or armed herdsmen must be proscribed and declared terrorists while all cattle rearers must be duly registered.

It came just as some lawmakers in the House, for the second day in a row, reiterated their clamour for impeachment proceeding against the president, but this time over his failure to curtail the rising spate of killings in the country.

The resolutions of the House followed a motion brought under matters of urgent public importance by Hon. Mark Gbillah (APC, Benue) on the attack by alleged army personnel on innocent residents of Naka Gwer-West Local Government Area of Benue State and the inability of the army and other security agencies to quell the incessant murder of indigenes of the state by the armed herdsmen.

The House equally observed a minute silence in honour of the army officer, victims of the alleged army attack and victims of the recent attacks by armed herdsmen.

In the far-reaching resolutions, the House also urged Buhari to, within 24 hours, deploy the requisite number of personnel and equipment to the identified locations of the armed bandits in the state to flush them out and establish permanent military bases in the immediate affected locations within seven days.

The resolutions, however, coincided with reports of fresh attacks by herdsmen in Benue and Nasarawa States, leading to the deaths of 41 persons and several others injured.

Leading the debate, Hon. Gbillah expressed concern over the numerous eyewitness accounts of rampaging Nigerian Army personnel who on April 19 attacked Naka, the headquarters of Gwer-West LGA in Benue State in several Hilux trucks with army colours and number plates.

He said the army torched hundreds of houses in Naka, resulting in the confirmed loss of two lives while hundreds of victims who survived the attack lost all their properties and are now left to fend for themselves with nothing to their names but the clothes on their backs.

He said it was particularly disturbing that the army deployed from the 72 Army Battalion in Makurdi to quell the incessant and inhuman murder of indigenes by unidentified armed herdsmen, had taken the law into their hands in a blatant display of brigandage and criminality and attacked Naka town in retaliation for the alleged murder of one of their colleagues by unknown elements in the bush, 1.5km from Naka on April 18.

Among other things, Gbillah said the state government had severally informed the army, police and other security and intelligence agencies about the alleged location of these bandits near Adaka in Makurdi LGA

and Gbaji in neighbouring communities, adding that it was very worrying that the army and police curiously never employed a pro-active strategy to pre-emptively attack these locations and carry out continuous surveillance of identified flashpoints.

He noted that they only responded to the attacks only after scores of innocent citizens had lost their lives and property.

Gbillah said the killings represented yet another inhuman act meted on the people of the state.

“Benue is under siege, there’s a war going on in Benue. We don't understand why the government should abdicate its responsibility,” he said.

The lawmaker said it was a shame that about 200 policemen had been deployed to Abuja to arrest one man, referring to the embattled Senator Dino Melaye, when security forces have been unable to quell the activities of bandits in Benue.

Also, Hon. Tarkighin Dickson (APC, Benue) said Benue, which is described as the food basket of the country, had become a blood basket.

He noted that the army recently admitted that it lost 27 soldiers to communal clashes and were unable to bring the perpetrators to book.

Dickson wondered how the killing of a soldier by bandits led the army to raze down a whole community in the state.

He said: “When the army lost 27 soldiers, they did nothing but they torched a whole village when a soldier was killed.”

He alleged that the security agencies were conniving and colluding with the herdsmen to destroy Benue, adding that the people had lost faith in the Buhari administration.

Hon. Edward Pwajok (APC, Plateau) said unless the situation was nipped in the bud, the country could be drawing close to a failed state.

He said the president should be summoned in the full glare of the public to account for the killings.

Pwajok noted that the Speaker of the House also has the burden placed on him by law to demand an explanation over the security situation.

He said the House should be briefed on all previous happenings, adding that the current killings appeared to have a religious undertone which could spell disaster for the country if not checked.

Also, contributing to the debate, Hon. Daniel Ofongo (PDP, Bayelsa) said life currently means nothing in the country, stressing that “government is not doing anything to protect the lives of Nigerians. And if the government can’t protect its citizens, the people will protect themselves and anarchy will prevail”.

Hon. Hassan Shekaaru (APC, Kaduna) asserted that Buhari’s government had failed in its responsibility to protect Nigerians, leading to the killings everywhere.

He suggested that the Speaker and the House leadership should meet the president and tell him the truth. “All these motions won’t solve the problem,” he said.

Hon. Emmanuel Oker-jev (APC, Benue) also wondered why the supposed killers who entered the country from Libya had not been a threat to other neighbouring countries except Nigeria.

He further questioned the rationale behind the soldiers’ action in Naka when those who had allegedly killed the soldier were reportedly arrested.

He said: “Irrespective of who kills, the fact remains that we are not safe in this country.”

Hon. Mohammed Sheriff (APC, Borno) also charged the Speaker to lead his colleagues in the House to inform the president that “enough is enough”.

“These people (killer herdsmen) are terrorists and that’s how Boko Haram started,” he noted.

Hon. Magaji Aliyu (APC, Jigawa) said: “I’m APC, but the truth be told, this has gone beyond sentiments. The police chief should go. If not for this Nigeria, we won’t be here. We must be seen to be proactive.”

He said so much had been expended on security but nothing was being done to address the current challenge.

“This is enough. Life is essential and the Constitution says life and property should be protected,” Aliyu added.

On his part, Hon. Nicholas Ossai (PDP, Delta) said the House should use legislative instruments to proscribe the killer herdsmen and declare them terrorists if Buhari refuses to do so.

“If Buhari refuses to proscribe the herdsmen, we can do it legislatively and what are we waiting for?”

He also challenged the Speaker to lead a delegation of the House to Benue, noting that everyday people are slaughtered in the state.

“This is the only country where security chiefs sit when people are being killed. They should resign because they are clueless,” Ossai said.

Deputy minority leader, Hon. Chukwuma Onyema (PDP, Anambra) called for immediate impeachment proceeding against the president.

Also contributing, Hon. Karimi Sunday (PDP, Kogi) said the security of a state is the primary responsibility of government, adding that Buhari's government has failed in that regard.

According to him, “We cannot allow this country to be run the way it is being run today. The president is not the same as the person we knew in 1985. It is time for the president to go.”

Hon. Kehinde Agboola (PDP, Ekiti) said the president was swift committing funds for the purchase of security equipment but cannot address the killings in the country.

“The president should resign or immediately terminate the

appointment of all security chiefs. The president has failed,” Agboola said.

Hon. Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu) also said: “If we cannot enforce the Constitution, then we should look for other jobs.

It is not enough to observe one minute’s silence.

“What is happening to the republic? If it means that we close the House for one week and find out what is happening, let us do so.”

Later, while briefing the press on the far-reaching resolutions of the House, its spokesman, Hon. Abdulrazaq Namdas said the president’s summon was based on the fact that the green chamber had previously invited the service chiefs over the issue, but the scale of killings had continued unabated.

He said lawmakers could not continue to interface with the service chiefs when they have a bigger boss.

He added that there was a growing feeling that Buhari’s orders were not being carried out to the letter by his subordinates.

He said the date for the proposed three-day suspension of plenary in the House to protest the security situation in the country, will be announced by the leadership.

some food from their homes when the attackers emerged from a nearby bush and opened fire on them.

A resident of the area, Mr. Philip Dodo, who narrowly escaped from the attack told THISDAY that three of his relatives were still missing after the incident.

President of the Tiv Youth Organisation in Nasarawa State, Peter Ahemba also confirmed the attack in a phone interview with THISDAY yesterday.

The Tiv youth leader, who spoke in an emotionally laden voice, said it was unfortunate that a particular ethnic nationality was being targeted for extermination without hindrance, adding that he had reported the matter to appropriate authorities for necessary action.

“For us the indigenous Tiv people of Nasarawa State, we have no other place to run to, and that is why we continuously count on our governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura for a solution to this unfortunate development.”

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the state Police Command DSP John Kennedy said he had not been briefed about the attack.

41 Killed in Benue, Secondus, Fayose React Nasarawa Reacting to the unabated But even as the House decried the bloodletting in the Middle Belt and the seeming helplessness displayed by the administration, another 41 persons were killed in Benue and Nasarawa States when suspected herdsmen attacked villages.

In Benue, suspected herdsmen yesterday morning invaded Tse Ali- Agudu Mbanyiar and TseMbakpaase villages in Mbawa and Saghev council wards, Guma Local Government Area of the state, killing over 34 people.

Yesterday’s attack came barely 24 hours after another set of suspected herdsmen attacked the Catholic Church in Gwer East, killing two priests and 17 worshippers during an early morning mass.

The chairman of Guma LGA, Mr. Anthony Shawn confirmed the latest killings in his domain in a phone chat with reporters, saying so far they had recovered 34 dead bodies following the attack on the villages.

In neighbouring Nasarawa, yet another seven villagers were killed by suspected herdsmen when they unleashed hell on Tiv farmers at Ihuman village in Awe Local Government Area of the state.

The gunmen launched the attack at about 5 p.m. on Tuesday, shooting sporadically at the helpless villagers who had sneaked to their deserted village to collect food.

It was gathered that the victims, who had been taking refuge at Kanje town in Awe due to their displacement after the serial attacks on Tiv communities in the southern part of the state, had gone to collect

killings yesterday, the National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Uche Secondus charged Buhari to halt the senseless killings in Benue State immediately, before they degenerate into national crises.

He warned that the country might slide into anarchy if the bloodletting in Benue and other parts of the country was not halted immediately.

Secondus, in a condolence message to the Benue State governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom and the Catholic Church in Nigeria after the Tuesday morning brutal murder of two priests and 17 worshippers of the St. Ignatius’ Quashi Parish, said that the latest killings in Benue, which have escalated since the beginning of the year, were no longer acceptable.

In a statement signed by Ike Abonyi, his media aide, the PDP chairman said the continued bloodletting in Benue and other parts of the country and the apparent inability of the government to stem them raises a lot of concern on the future of this country.

“From whichever angle you look at it, one thing is agreed that this country is sliding dangerously.

“Nigerians and the global community have continued to watch as all the tenets of democracy are being eroded and giving way to dictatorial tendencies.

“In the last one week we have watched as disturbing indices continue to crop up ahead of the forthcoming general elections, with the APC administration either unconcerned or involved in a tactical endorsement of such

YOU’VE NO POWER TO REORDER ELECTIONS, COURT TELLS N’ASSEMBLY approached the court to intervene in the matter, arguing that the legislature, if not prevailed upon, could by a two-thirds majority pass the bill into law.

Accordingly, the plaintiff in the originating summons sought an order setting aside Clause 25 of the Electoral Amendment Bill, among other demands.

Delivering judgment in the suit yesterday, Justice Ahmed Mohammed held that it was the sole responsibility of INEC to conduct, fix dates and determine the sequence

of elections in the country.

Justice Mohammed, while stating that the Constitution is supreme to any other law, held that if the Constitution empowers anybody to act, no other power can reverse it, adding that INEC has been constitutionally empowered to organise and supervise elections and that power cannot be taken away from it.

He further held that the National Assembly, passing the amendment after INEC had fixed dates for the elections, clearly acted in breach of the principle of separation

of powers.

“I hold that Section 25 of the Electoral Amendment Bill, 2018, which is the section that contravenes the provisions of the Constitution is hereby declared a nullity.

“The power of INEC to organise and conduct elections in this country cannot be taken away by the Electoral Act,” he declared.

The judge further stated that if there should be a change in the date of the elections, it should come from INEC since the Constitution has conferred on it to do so and

that power cannot be taken away by anybody.

While stating that the court has the power to set aside the action of the National Assembly in respect of a bill, he agreed with the plaintiff that once the first defendant passed a bill, its job is completed.

He, therefore, granted prayers 1-10 and reliefs 11 and 12 sought by the plaintiff.

“Section 25 of the Electoral Amendment Bill is hereby declared a nullity,” Justice Mohammed ruled.

Earlier, the judge had overruled the objections of the

defendants to the originating summons of the plaintiff and held that the plaintiff had the locus standi to institute the legal action as its affidavit evidence had shown that it is a registered political party in the country.

He also held that the plaintiff’s case was not academic and not an abuse of the court process.

“The plaintiff’s suit seeking for the interpretation of certain provisions of the Constitution cannot be said to be an abuse of the process of the court,” he said.

acts,” he said.

Secondus also alerted the nation and the international community that the choreographed tension in the land was being designed by the APC administration to heat up the polity to enable them to carry out their agenda of abusing the democratic process and the rule of law ahead of 2019.

He admonished security operatives as professionals to bear in mind always the words of the former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt who said: “Patriotism means to stand with the country.

It does not mean to stand with the president.”

According to him: “I find it unexplainable that some group of gunmen have been holding a state to ransom since January, killing and maiming citizens and destroying their houses and the security operatives appear helpless.

“Where are the military operatives that carried out Python and Crocodile Dances in the South-east and South-south region respectively, brandishing their might before less dangerous citizens and yet have been unable to tackle the Benue killings?

“How can anybody expect Benue State, for instance, to contribute its own share of the $1 billion of the security vote when the nation’s security architecture is not designed to protect their people?

“If we are to give in to the president’s assertions lately that these killer herdsmen are foreigners trained by the late Libyan leader, Muammar Gadhafi, where then lies our pride as a nation that a dead Gadhafi could leave behind such a deadly force such that a living president and his army have no answer to?”

Secondus asked the APC administration to accept one huge fact that, under their watch, the country has collapsed irreparably and there was no evidence of the existence of government in the land.

In his condemnation of the alarming rate of killings in Benue State, Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose also condemned the orgy of violence in recent times.

He also called on the international community to intervene and rescue the country from turning into a war zone where mass killings have become the order of the day.

Fayose was also of the view that Buhari's withdrawal of $496 million from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) without the approval of the National Assembly was indicative that under the current administration, the constitution was suspended.

A statement issued yesterday Continued on page 8

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NGN NGN 4.40 47.70 3.30 69.30 74.60 1,493.60 0.03 0.72 0.01 0.27 NGN NGN 1.20 12.20 0.05 0.82 0.45 8.70 TOTAL 11.20 222.60 STANDALLIANCE 0.02 0.42 HPE Nestle Nig Plc ₦1,568.20 Volume: 350.978 million shares Value: N4.604 billion Deals: 5,020 As at yesterday 25/04/18 See details on Page 41

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More Trouble for Melaye as INEC Commences His Recall Senate adjourns plenary, visits him in hospital Saraki unable to reach IG in 48hrs Damilola Oyedele in Abuja and Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja The embattled senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Dino Melaye got more bad news yesterday when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, said it would conduct the signature verification exercise for his recall in seven local government areas in his district on Saturday.

The INEC national commissioner responsible for Kogi, Kwara and Nasarawa States Mohammed Haruna, made this known during a stakeholders' meeting on the process for the recall of Melaye who is currently at the National Hospital, Abuja where he was admitted on Tuesday.

INEC’s announcement on the recall process of the senator coincided with the decision by the Senate yesterday to adjourn plenary as a mark of protest over what senators called the “inhumane and degrading treatment” meted out to Melaye by the Nigeria Police.

After the senators adjourned sitting, they trooped out en masse to the National Hospital, Abuja to visit him.

The Senate also summoned the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to appear at its plenary today to brief it on the handling of Melaye’s case.

Melaye, since Monday, has provided Nigerians with a lot to talk about, starting with his brief detention by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) when he was stopped from travelling to Morocco; followed by a 20-hour siege to his residence in Abuja by the Nigeria Police, his eventual surrender to the police, his alleged escape from their custody when he was being conveyed to Lokoja for arraignment, and his hospitalisation due to the so-called injuries he sustained during his escape.

Speaking on the senator’s recall, the INEC commissioner assured his audience that the electoral body had no interest in the process other than to ensure that it was followed through as spelt out by the law.

He also urged all concerned to adhere strictly to the laid down procedures as spelt out by the law guiding the process.

Also speaking, the Kogi State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. James Apam explained that more than 50 per cent of the constituents of the Kogi West Senatorial District must affirm that their signatures or thumbprints had been verified by INEC in the 560 polling units in the district.

He noted that the process would be undertaken across the 560 wards of Kogi West between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, adding that card readers will be employed for the exercise.

He explained that the constituents who did not append the recall petition in the first instance, cannot partake in the exercise while polling units with malfunctioning card readers will be cancelled and/or redone if the number involved substantially affects the outcome.

“All I want to tell you is that we are ready to commence on April 28, from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. in the seven LGAs of the senatorial district. What we are doing is in compliance with what the law says.

“We have concluded all arrangements in line with our schedule of activities and are set for the exercise. The ad-hoc staff have been trained at the state and local government levels and materials procured and sent to the registration area centers ready for movement to the polling units on the day of verification,” he explained.

Apam added that applications from local observers will be entertained in Lokoja till Friday.

The outcome of the signature verification exercise will be made public on the following day, he said.

INEC’s announcement on the commencement of the recall process of the senator came just as the Senate adjourned plenary yesterday as a mark of protest over what senators called the “inhumane and degrading treatment” meted out to Melaye by the Nigeria Police.

After the senators adjourned sitting, they trooped out en masse to the National Hospital, Abuja, to visit him.

The Senate also summoned the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to appear at plenary today to brief it on the handling of Melaye’s case.

At the session, which will be televised live, Idris will also be

Melaye grilled on the renewed killings in Benue, Taraba and Zamfara States and other parts of the country.

The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, however, revealed that he was unable to reach Idris in the last 48 hours when Melaye’s current travails started.

Melaye, who is currently lying in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the National Hospital, was on Tuesday injured under the bizarre circumstances of his arrest and escape from the police, after which he ended up at the hospital.

The adjournment of plenary followed a debate on Melaye’s travails in the hands of the police.

The police arrested Melaye over allegations of gunrunning and sponsorship of political thugs in his home state.

Senator Samuel Anyanwu (Imo PDP), who raised the motion leading to the debate, lamented that Melaye was being treated like a common criminal.

“When one of us is humiliated, all of us are humiliated. We have lost our glory in this chamber,” he said noting that pictures of Melaye’s cat and mouse game with the police were all over the media.

Senator Chukwuka Utazi (Enugu PDP) lamented that Melaye was being persecuted by the police even though the police had already arraigned him in court.

“If anyone has issues with him, the organisation should go through the normal procedure.

This is condemnable and is condemned,” Utazi said.

Senator Shehu Sani, in his contribution, said Melaye’s experience was an onslaught on democracy and the abuse

of power.

“Nigeria is heading to a totalitarian state, there is an onslaught against democratic institutions. Whatever we do today, because we are in power, we may be at the receiving end tomorrow. Power is temporal.

“I am also a target, but I am not bothered. We should be watchful of how we deploy power. Power should be for the betterment and progress of the country. What we are seeing today is a shame to our country.

“Dino is a victim today, and an attack on one is an attack on all. If you are happy that the parliamentarians are being harassed because you don't like his face, tomorrow there will be a parliament you like, with a president you don't like,” Sani said.

Senator Ubali Shittu (Jigawa APC) said this was not the change Nigerians voted for in 2015.

“A similar incident happened in 1984 and that was what led to the end of that government.

The law is being used against people who are perceived to be enemies of the government. We did not vote for this government (for us) to be maltreated or to abuse court processes,” he said.

Senator Adamu Abdullahi (Nassarawa APC) said while the situation was an emotional one, it was necessary to explore how it could be remedied.

“The outpouring of confrontational language does not help him. I can imagine the trauma he is going through now,” Abdullahi said.

He suggested that an official delegation is sent to meet with the relevant authorities to find a quick resolution.

His position was echoed

by Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos APC) who called on her colleagues to stick to the issue at hand, instead of criticising the government.

“Immediately (Senator Ovie) Omo-Agege was led away by the police, you will know that the sanctity of this place has been violated. It set an example because whatever happens here, we should be able to take it as good statesmen and women.

“If we have anything with the executive, we have leadership here, who are supposed to go there and meet with Mr. President. But we should face

the main issue, because this government has been in office for just three years, after 16 years of rot. It has only been in power for three years and has inherited a lot of trouble,” Tinubu said.

Presiding, Saraki said the Senate would find a resolution to the matter in order to restore sanity quickly.

“We are not talking about the menace, there is a procedure and a way to handle these things.

It affects all of us, but this institution and this democracy and these actions are a threat. We are about to start elections, and if these are the kind of excesses of those who are meant to be responsible for providing law and order, this is a great concern in this country, “And those who are directly responsible need to take up that responsibility. These excesses must be contained in the interest of all of us," he said.

Saraki added that the IG must brief the Senate, not just on Melaye but also on the killings in Benue and other states.

"Even me, in the last 48 hours, I have not been able to reach the IG. That is not disrespecting to me as an individual, but to this institution,” he said.

The Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’allah, who was part of an earlier delegation sent to the hospital, briefed the lawmakers.

He disclosed that they were unable to see Melaye but after some talks with the doctors, the team was able to ascertain that Melaye's feeding had become an issue.

Neither the police nor the hospital wanted to take responsibility for his feeding, Na’allah said.

“So we arrived at an agreement that food can be arranged from any source, but whoever brings it, must be willing to taste the food and drink. There is a report that he has asthma, so a chest surgeon was with him when we left,” he said.

Na’Allah also spoke on the insistence by the police to remove Melaye from the hospital.

“The hospital is insisting that someone must sign an undertaking, but no one is willing to do so,” he said.

Following the adjournment, the senators led by Saraki headed to the National Hospital

where they first met with the Chief Medical Director, Dr. J.A Momoh and the Chairman of the Governing Board of the hospital, Hon. Patricia Etteh.

The senators thereafter went to the National Trauma Center building, where the ICU is located. Only 10 of them were however allowed inside to see Melaye.

Briefing newsmen after him, Saraki said the injured lawmaker was not in handcuff, contrary to the pictures that went viral yesterday showing him lying on a stretcher in handcuffs.

Saraki also stated that Melaye was in a stable condition.

“We know he has not eaten in the last 24 hours, we are trying to resolve that. He is on fluids and he’s being seen by cardiologists, by all the specialists.

“As you know, he has other (health) issues, he’s asthmatic.

We are a bit concerned but for now we thank God he’s stable, he is being monitored," Saraki said.

He expressed gratitude to the management and staff of the hospital for their efforts.

Meanwhile, the Okun Development Initiative (ODI) yesterday expressed concern that the police were bent on moving Melaye to Lokoja for a case already in court that is fixed for May 10 at the Federal High Court Abuja.

The general secretary of the group Olalekan Aiyenigba made this known in a statement yesterday, cautioning that the police must not treat with levity the issues raised by Melaye through his lawyers which prompted the acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to transfer the case in question from Lokoja to Abuja.

He said with the crime of gunrunning alleged to have been committed by Melaye on the Airport Road, Abuja, “Everything must be done to ensure the safety of Senator Dino Melaye in the custody of the police.

“It is appalling to every law-abiding citizen the events playing out between Senator Dino Melaye and the police.

“In view of this, Okun Development Initiative hereby asserts that: We agree that no individual is above the law.

Every alleged infraction of the law should be investigated.”

KILLINGS: HOUSE PASSES NO CONFIDENCE VOTE ON SERVICE CHIEFS, SUMMONS BUHARI

by Fayose’s media aide, Lere Olayinka quoted the governor as saying: “If half of the level of aggressiveness being shown by the police in the arrest of Senator Dino Melaye because of concocted allegations is shown in the killings by herdsmen across the North-central states and other parts of the country, the rampaging killer herdsmen that are even killing policemen would have been brought under control.”

Fayose said it was alarming and curious that Father Joseph Gor, one of the Catholic priests that were murdered in Benue State on Tuesday, had raised alarm on January 3 through his Facebook page on the occupation of Mbalom community by herdsmen. “Yet, the priest was killed!”

The governor asked: “Why is the federal government allowing this seeming ethnic cleansing in Benue and other Middle Belt states, such that President Buhari and the entire members of his government do not see the wanton killings as anything to be worried about?

“When did Nigeria degenerate to the level that people can no longer worship peacefully in their churches or go to their farms? When did Nigeria become a state of anomie where people are killed even after raising the alarm that there was a threat to their existence?”

On the illegal withdrawal of $496 million from the ECA, Fayose warned that one day the federal government will even stop releasing statutory allocations to states and local

councils.

“They are behaving as if the Constitution of the country has already been suspended and this should worry lovers of democracy in Nigeria.”

He said it was alarming that despite the fact that the local councils in Ekiti State had gone to court challenging the federal government’s decision to withdraw $1 billion from the ECA and the Attorney General of the Federation had entered appearance in the suit when it came up for hearing before Justice Binta Nyako on Monday, $496 million was taken from the account.

The governor, who described the president’s action on the illegal withdrawal from the ECA as an insult to the National Assembly and the

judiciary, added: “Only the National Assembly and the judiciary can save themselves from being turned to non-existent institutions.”

Day of Protest, Prayers In addition, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), in reaction to the killing of two priests and 17 worshippers in Benue on Tuesday, has declared Sunday, 29 April as a national day of protest against the unending killings in the country.

The Christian body, in a statement released yesterday by the special assistant, (media and communications) to the CAN president Pastor Adebayo also dedicated the day to prayers for the freedom and liberty of Leah Sharibu, the remaining

Chibok schoolgirl and others still in Boko Haram's captivity.

“We are already at a breaking point and a state of anomie is almost here,” CAN warned.

The association also urged Christians in Nigeria to hold peaceful protests on the appointed day at their churches and demand that the federal government and the security agencies stop the unending killings and bloodshed in the country.

According to CAN, Christians should carry placards with the inscriptions meant to address the issues bordering on the sustained killings, attacks and destruction of their property in Nigeria.

It said the inscriptions on the placards could read: “Enough Bloodshed in Nigeria”, “Enough

of Unlawful Killings in the Country,” “FG Release Leah Sharibu from Bondage,” “FG Stop Herdsmen Killings,” “CAN Rejects FG’s Poor Handling of Insecurity,” among others.

Part of the CAN statement read: “Government should be called upon to perform its constitutional duty of protecting citizens now. No excuse should be given for this wicked act again and the perpetrators must be brought to book now.

“CAN seizes this medium to appeal to the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to mount different effective plans aimed towards disarming herdsmen across the northern states and in communities where they have been wreaking havoc across the country in the national interest.”

the end of the day, we made progress. That was during the Easter break.

“But in the spirit of Easter, we held a meeting, because we were looking at the plight of the workers that were supposed to receive their salaries as and

when due, but based on the submission we have now, some states will not pay salaries now.

“What we are doing now is we have to table where we will discuss. That is why the matter is at the highest level and is being discussed now.”

AGAIN, FAAC MEETING POSTPONED OVER SHORTFALL IN NNPC REMITTANCES carry FAAC stakeholders along in its business, adding that anything short of transparency in the rendition would elicit questions.

“There are processes okay.

Before now, you did not hear such news, but because this

government is a government of change, some level of transparency is expected.

“When you pick your figures and you submit your figures, the person that is supposed to look at it and deliberate on it will ask questions if need be,”

he said.

On whether NNPC's action was not tantamount to deliberately shortchanging the Federation Account, Mahmoud said it was too hasty to hold the position.

He said: “I don’t want to

use the word insincerity. What happened could be an error. If one party is wrong, the other party is right; if you add it together at the end of the day you make progress.

“The last FAAC meeting was postponed twice and at

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY APRIL 26, 2018

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THURSDAY APRIL 26, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

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

APC Shifts Dates for Congresses, Convention, to Hold After Ramadan Fast NWC insists on right to form committees Ganduje: Party adopting guarded democracy Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The All Progressives Congress (APC) has shifted the dates for its congresses and national convention scheduled to start next month due to the Ramadan fast.

The party said the national convention earlier fixed for May 14 would now hold at a later date to be determined by the National Working Committee (NWC).

Also, in the aftermath of President Muhammadu Buhari’s endorsement of former Governor

Adams Oshiomhole for the national chairmanship position, the party’s NWC yesterday resisted the move by governors to interfere in the composition of committees to conduct the congresses.

Addressing journalists after the meeting of the NWC and the governors of the party yesterday, the National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdulahi, said the leadership has been mandated to review the timetable to cater for certain issues that have cropped up.

He said with the review, there

Wike Decries Alleged Move by FG to Block Accounts of the Opposition The federal government is set to deploy its security and anti-graft agencies to frustrate the opposition through blocking the accounts of hostile state governments, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State alleged yesterday.

Noting that the plot was aimed to cut off funding for the opposition ahead of the crucial 2019 general election, the governor said if the plot sails through, it is expected to weaken the financial base of these perceived “opposition governors and states” and make them ineffectual in mobilising its supporters for the crucial elections.

The governor said he had it on good authority that the anti-graft agencies; notably, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practice and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) would be

used to freeze the accounts of those state governments after spurious examination of their local government accounts, the accounts of the Ministries of Work, Special Duties and the federal government intervention funds for workers.

“But the real deal is to render the opposition financially incapacitated, so that they can’t mobilise towards the polls,” he said.

“But this is dangerous for democracy. This will further heighten tensions in the country.

We hope they jettison this evil plot. Elections should not be a do-or-die matter.”

The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had earlier raised the alarm on the plot to frame its top chieftains and elected government officials, including Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Wike, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, among others.

Senate C’ttee Grills Defence Minister over $496m Aircraft Purchase Saraki reads Buhari’s letter at plenary Damilola Oyedele in Abuja The Senate Committee on Appropriation has met with the Minister of Defence, Brigadier General Mansur Dan Ali (rtd), over the payment of $496 million to the United States Government for the purchase of 12 Tucano aircraft without appropriation from the National Assembly.

The meeting with Ali yesterday was held behind closed doors and lasted for one and half hours.

The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, was absent.

He was represented by the Deputy Governor, Mr. Edward Adamu.

THISDAY gathered that the committee, chaired by Senator Danjuma Goje, however, declined to take the submissions of Adamu.

But following his explanation that Emefiele was indisposed, the committee said he could make his submission next week alongside the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun.

Earlier at the plenary, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola

Saraki, had read the letter from the president on the purchase of the aircraft.

The letter is at the heart of an expected showdown between the National Assembly and the presidency over the expenditure without approval.

Senator Matthew Uroghide (Edo PDP), citing an order of privilege, said the president’s action has violated the provisions of the constitution.

“With due respect to the office and the status of Mr. President, I want to say that what you read to us is a violation of some of the provision of the constitution: Sections 80 (1-4).”

Citing the provisions of the listed sections, Uroghide said the president, Council of States, Nigeria Governors’ Forum or any other person, is not allowed to make any disbursement or give approval on such expenditure.

“If we just sit down here, tomorrow posterity will judge us,” he said.

Saraki, in his ruling, said the letter as a communication, would be referred to the relevant committee and then scheduled for debate on a legislative day.

was a possibility that the congresses and national convention may be shifted in view of the observations made by some of the governors that the timetable was too tight and made no room for errors.

The APC spokeman also said some of the governors brought the issue of the Muslim fast which will come up soon.

Abdulahi explained that the meeting was called to emphasise to the state governors the need to ensure that congresses were held in a very transparent manner.

“We are aware that some governors have been making statements which we believe are giving the impression that we don’t intend to hold congresses in particular states.

“So the meeting was to emphasise to those governors that we want congresses in a very transparent manner and to ensure that the processes are free and fair,” he said.

The APC spokesman said one of the major concerns of the party at the beginning was that they should do everything possible to avoid rancour that could be generated as a result of the congresses. “It was agreed that one of the major ways of avoiding that rancour is to ensure that the congresses are transparent to the majority of the people,” he said.

On the renewed interest by the governors to influence committee’s list, Abdulahi said the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie

Oyegun, and the NWC rejected it, insisting that it is the constitutional right of the leadership to decide who would come to their states to conduct the congresses “We made it clear to them that this is a constitutional matter and the constitution of the APC imposes the power to constitute the committees on the NWC only and that by Friday this week, the list of the congress committee members will be ready.

“There was also observation on the side of the governors about the timetable for the congresses and convention and the observation was that the timetable was too closely packed and that it does not leave much room for errors.

“The observation was that the

timetable as currently constituted was determined because of the Ramadan. We want to be sensitive to the feelings of Muslims who will be fasting during Ramadan and we wanted to, as much as possible, avoid conducting any political activity during the period of Ramadan.

“There were other observations and so, there is the possibility that the timetable may be reviewed. That is not decided yet, but it was agreed that the NWC will take a second look at the timetable and see the possibility for adjustment because there are other issues,” he said.

When asked if the meeting discussed the endorsement of

Cont’d on page 52

ACCESS BANK’S AGM

L-R: Group Deputy Managing Director Access Bank Plc, Roosevelt Ogbonna; GMD/CEO, Herbert Wigwe; Chairman, Mosun Belo-Olusoga; and Company Secretary, Sunday Ekwochi, during the 29th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the bank in Lagos....yesterday.

Senator Abe Declares Rivers Governorship Bid Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt The senator representing Rivers South-east district in the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Abe, yesterday formally declared his intention to contest for the governorship of Rivers State in 2019 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Abe, who made the declaration while speaking at the inauguration of Freedom House, his campaign office, in Port Harcourt, said his decision to run for the governorship position is for the interest of the future of the state.

He said: “I am glad to say that I have reached a decision which I am going to share with you on a burning issue if Senator Magnus Abe is going to vie for the governorship of this state under the APC or not. I have taken every advice and every opinion I have been offered into consideration.

“I have also consulted my family and most importantly, I have consulted my God. There are several persons who have advised me against seeking for the office of the governor just as there are several who have

advised me to go for it. Looking back now, everybody who had spoken to me did so with the best of intentions.

“Having taken all these into consideration, I, Magnus Ngei Dunebari Abe, have decided to seek the nomination of the APC, Rivers State, in the interest of our state and in the interest of the future of our people.”

He commended his supporters for conducting themselves with decorum, saying their actions were not signs of weakness but strength.

The senator said: “We have conducted ourselves with decorum; we have shown and will continue to show great respect for our leaders. This is not our weakness, it is our strength.

We must not allow conflict entrepreneurs and frustrated politicians whose only hope for relevance and economic sustenance is the continuous balkanisation of our party.

“Some of them are here and some of them are there. But all of us need to ensure that the congresses are free, fair and transparent. Any attempt to hold another hotel-style congress in Rivers State will break faith with the people of the state

that we are a party committed to doing the right thing.

“Without the confidence of the voting public, a political party becomes a mere social club. It will be good for dancing and partying but it will not win any elections.”

In his opening speech, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Prince Chibudom Nwuche, called on the APC to learn from the past mistakes of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the country approaches the 2019 general election.

He added: “Let the APC learn from the mistakes of the PDP. The PDP was imposing candidates and that was why some of us left. Today, it is happening in the APC but thank God, Senator Magnus Abe came up. Let us have a transparent congress and let the popular candidate emerge.”

He described Abe as one of the best sons of Rivers State, adding that the state needs a leader like the senator to treat all indigenes and residents of the state equally.

He said: “Abe is one of the best sons of Rivers State. He has embarked on a journey to free Rivers State. Abe believes on the development of Rivers State and

the empowerment of the people.

“Rivers State needs a leader like Magnus Abe, who will treat all sons and daughters equally. Rivers State needs a leader who will not victimise Rivers people and see sons and daughters of the state who have gotten national recognition as threats.”

Also addressing supporters, the lawmaker representing Ikwerre/ Emohua Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Chidi Wihioka, said the people of Ikwerre ethnic nationality and Rivers East senatorial district in general would support the emergence of an Ogoni as the next governor of the state.

Wihioka said: “Nobody can cause problem between the Ikwerre people and the Ogoni people.

The cooperation between the two ethnic nationalities had been there before we were born and it will not end at our own time.

“Ikwerre people and the Rivers East senatorial district will support the Ogoni governorship ambition because the people of Ogoni supported Ikwerre people. The four local government areas in Ikwerre are in support and our senatorial district is also in support.”

THURSDAY APRIL 26, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWSEXTRA

Atiku: Nigeria Must Be Cured of Dependency on Oil Thamsanqa Zhou in London Former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has called for urgent restructuring of the country’s institutions in order to cure the states and federal government of addiction to oil revenue.

Atiku was addressing an audience of intellectuals, businessmen and Nigerians in the Diaspora at Chatham House in London, United Kingdom.

He said restructuring in Nigeria was no longer a subject for debate but a necessity because history will record that “we were too drunk” to look after the oil revenues from crude oil sales when the prices were high.

Atiku added that the country had nothing to show for the revenues collected over the years because poverty levels remain high throughout the country.

At the government level, the former vice-president called for reforms especially to introduce effective revenue collection and transparency at all government levels.

He said his dream was to see pure devolution of power and federalism in Nigeria.

Atiku also argued that there is no alternative to a policy that promotes the growth of local economies, calling for an urgent diversification programme to be led by the federal government.

“Let’s begin to visualise a Nigeria without oil,” he said.

The former VP said the country could only succeed in an environment where there is a more open and market orientated economy.

Atiku blamed Abuja for the problems in some of the states, arguing that they must be

encouraged to be self-reliant, and stop depending on handouts from the federal government.

He said further that some of them continued to borrow beyond their means for recurrent expenditure rather than learning how to generate the funds locally and internally.

According to him, the administration that he and former President Olusegun Obasanjo led between 1999 and 2007, had liberalised and paid off Nigeria’s debts in full, adding that something had gone wrong in the last 12 years,

and that borrowing has gone up again.

The former vice president said he wants to see a budget heavy on capital expenditure to improve the country’s infrastructure. He said the states must be challenged to take on these projects on a micro level.

The potential People Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate called on the current government to embrace the private sector and other partners to help both restructure and move the country forward.

On the social contract between leaders and the led, Atiku said

it was important to change the politics as well-moving towards true federalism.

He urged Nigerians to get involved in a collective effort to move the country forward because both its citizens and Africa need “a Nigeria that is working.”

The former VP said some of the recent statements by some political leaders about the youths where an indication that they do not understand labour or business.

He said Nigeria must adopt a system where only people who understand business must go into

government.

Atiku therefore called on Nigerian voters to demand concrete plans from those seeking political office on how they would create wealth and generate income. He said slogans cannot build a country, but a shared vision can.

Finally, in an explosive question and answer session, when asked if he considered running as an independent presidential candidate in the event he failed to win the PDP ticket, he said: “We wait until that time.”

Military Panel on Taraba Killings Submits Report Buratai to make report public Paul Obi in Abuja The panel set up by the Nigerian Army to investigate the brutal killings in Taraba State and the alleged connivance by the military, particularly the army, yesterday submitted its report.

Also, the panel on assessment of arms and ammunition in military formationsandunitsubmitteditsreport.

Submitting the report, Chairman of the committee, Major General John Nimmyel, stated that “the panel painstakingly and thoroughly carried it out.”

He observed that the panel was able to reach out to all the stakeholders in order to ensure that the outcome was encompassing.

Receiving the report, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Tukur Buratai, stated that the panel’s report into the Taraba crisis would be released to the public in no time for the public to judge, insisting that nothing would be left unturned.

Reminding that the Nigerian Army under his leadership was highly worried at the allegations levelled against the service in its handling of the Taraba crisis, a development he explained, informed the inauguration of the panel.

Buratai added that after releasing the report of the panel to superior authorities, he would do same to the public through the media.

“I want to say that the report will be thoroughly studied and findings released to the public and the media.

“You will agree with me that the committee has done justice to the assignment. We will do our best to safeguard our arms and other vital weapons.

“Arms verification is not simple as people think it is, however, we will pay special attention to it especially at this period where there’s proliferation of arms and light weapons not just in our country but also across our borders. ‘”This this verification will assist us to identify if there’s any gaps or loopholes so that we can address the issues immediately.

“We will do our best to preserve our arms and other vital weapons so that they don’t get into wrong hands,” he said.

The committee was set up following allegation by a former Minister of Defence and Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd), that the military is conniving with killer herdsmen to perpetuate heinous crimes against Taraba State indigenes.

Danjuma also charged the state indigenes to defend themselves against killer herdsmen or perish.

It was based on the above allegations that the committees were set up on March 19 and April 9 respectively by the army chief.

PERSECUTED DESPITE ON HOSPITAL BED

Senator representing Kogi West senatorial district, Dino Melaye, in handcuffs at the National Hospital in Abuja...yesterday

Homosexuality: LASG Takes Custody of Toddlers as Parents Trade Blame Chiemelie Ezeobi The Child Protection Unit of the Ministry of Youth and Social Development yesterday took custody of two toddlers over suspicion of homosexual behaviour, while their parents traded blame on who influenced the kids.

The three-year-old twin kids were taken from their mother, Patience Isua, after she sent her estranged husband, Emmanuel Ikanta, a video footage of the boys committing acts of homosexuality.

Even the video clip which captured the twins frolicking was brought to the attention of the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State

Police Command, Imohimi Edgal, who visited the twins’ mother’s home in Ajah in the company of officials of the ministry where the children were subsequently withdrawn from their mother.

Explaining why she shot the clip, the mother of the twins said: “I told him his children would come back from where he takes them to and they would sit on the chair and start saying mummy, daddy kiss.

“So, when I saw them that day, I had to video them and send it to him so that he would see the damage he was causing to our kids.

“He now turned the whole thing around and want to blame me. Whereas, I told him to stop

taking my kids where he usually took them.

“I shot the video clip and sent it to him to see the damage he has done to the children. He left me for an old woman. He usually comes to pick the children but whenever they came back, they would be acting strangely and be speaking vulgar words.

“At times, they would complain of pains in their anus. Their teacher even said they were stooling blood.

When I complained to him, he would not listen.

“The first day I saw them doing it was when I videoed them as evidence. My pastor is even aware of the case. They have conducted

deliverance on them.”

On his part, Ekanta described Isua’s claim as false, saying she never brought his notice to the act, except the video clip.

He said: “I was so shocked when I saw the clip because she did not even express any surprise while taking the shot, nor scold them. We separated barely a year because she was extremely violent.”

Edgal, stated that the matter would be taken before the law court to determine the suitability for parenthood.

Addressing the parents before their children were taken away by the Ministry of Youth and

Social Development, Edgal said: “We can not allow these children to be brought up like this. It is obvious a grown up is teaching them.

“We must determine who they are. Having watched the video and discussed with the Gender Unit of the command, we are of the opinion that we can’t entrust these children in your care for now until we establish what happened.

“We would entrust the children to the ministry. That is why they are here. They have shelters that are approved by the government and these shelters are purposely built for a purpose such as this to ensure

that children are protected by the state when the need arises.

“There is going to be a joint investigation between the police gender unit and the ministry. We want to be sure that nobody is abusing these children.

“We want to know where they picked up this kind of elaborate homosexual act. Anyone who sees this would be worried especially because of the tenderness of the children.

“They are too young. We cannot entrust them to any of you. We intend to take this matter to a law court to determine the suitability of both of you for parenthood.”

THURSDAY APRIL 26, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY

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REACTIONS TO BENUE KILLINGS.....

Mark, Akume, Suswam Condemn Benue Killings Our Correspondents Following the continuous attacks and killings of residents of some communities in Benue State and the lack of protection from security agencies, prominent indigenes of the state have voiced out their condemnation of the killing spree.

In a statement yesterday by the former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, he condemned the massacre of two catholic priests and worshipers at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Ukpor-Mbalom, Gwer East Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday and urged the security operatives to rise up to the task of protecting lives and property.

He said the unabated killings of citizens without limit has called to question the manner of security operations in the state.

He described the killings of defenceless and innocent worshipers as callous, wicked and evil.

Mark reiterated that it has become more expedient for security operatives to protect the citizens so that they will not resort to self-help.

Also, the former governor of the state, Senator George Akume said the news of the killing was tragic to him.

He said the treacherous and inhuman action are unprecedented, unprovoked and highly condemnable in any civilised society.

However, he said the people would seek solace in the fact that they died in the Lord and shall live with the Lord.

He called on the federal government to urgently help bring a decisive end to the cycle of violence, destruction and killings in the state by ensuring that the perpetrators are apprehended and brought to justice.

Another past governor of the state Gabriel Suswam also condemned the attack even as he said it was a devastating blow of mayhem and death to the people of the state.

He said: “The herdsmen came and without provocation, descended on their helpless victims in their usual maximally brutal and barbaric style and at the end of their bloody operation two priests, two catechists and no fewer than 14 lay worshippers reportedly lay dead, butchered in the most hideous manner imaginable.”

Suswam said it was obvious to see that the state have arrived at the brink of a dangerous abyss wherein lie only anarchy, bloodshed and disaster.

He warned that no society can survive where human life is so undervalued and where some arrogate to themselves the right to take it from others at will.

Adding his voice to the condemnations, the National President of the Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests, Rev. Father Sylvester Onmoke, condemned in no unmistakable terms, the uprising in the Benue valley and wanton destruction of lives and property by alleged foreign mercenaries masquerading as Fulani herdsmen.

In a statement on behalf of all Catholic Priests of Nigeria and Bishops (who are in Rome for a meeting with the Pope), Fr. Onmoke bemoaned the killings of Reverend Fathers Joseph Gor and Felix Tyolaha and their parishioners during a morning mass on Tuesday.

He called on the church’s members across Nigeria to embark on a nine day Novena prayer starting from today for peace and justice in the country.

Ohanaeze, Others, Urge Nigerians to Defend Themselves against Killer Herdsmen

The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum has called on Nigerians to defend themselves against rampaging killer herdsmen who have continued to wreak havoc in several parts of the country.

The forum also demanded that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should publicly release the full report of its investigations into the underage voting scandal in Kano State.

Addressing journalists in Abuja yesterday on behalf of the forum, the President General of Ohanaeze, Chief John Nwodo, said the continuous killings of innocent Nigerians especially in the Middle Belt region is unacceptable.

Other members of the forum are the Leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, Afenifere Leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo and President of Middle Belt Forum, Dr Bala Takaya.

Nwodo said it was more disturbing that there is increasing evidence that the military and police have compromised in the manner they have conducted themselves by aiding and abetting the herdsmen.

“In the circumstance, we are left with no alternative than to call on Nigerians to employ self-defence as permissible in law when any citizen is faced with the risk of imminent death in the circumstances we find ourselves now,” he said.

Nwodo lamented that the former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Y. Danjuma (rtd) has come under subtle harassments to his person and community over his call for Nigerians to defend themselves in the face of failure and unwillingness of the state to protect them.

“We as a group, endorse the call made by Danjuma as the right call in the face of the mass killings going on in the country,” Nwodo reiterate, adding that the right to legitimate self-defence is a fundamental human right.

“It is a well-established norm in municipal and international law, that any group of people that faces an existential threat to its very survival has right to legitimate self-defence. Section 33 of our 1999 Constitution accords the right to legitimate self-defence as a

BUHARI’S MINISTERS

L-R: Minister of Transportation , Mr. Rotimi Amaechi; Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapher; and Minister of Waters Resources, Suleiman Adamu, at this weeks Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja ...yesterday Godwin Omoigui.

Constitutional right of all citizens,” he said.

Speaking on the voting scandal, Nwodo said it was urgent for INEC to retrieve the illegal Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) which fell into the hands of the under-aged.

“INEC under Attahiru Jega distributed PVCs to district heads and traditional rulers in some sections of the country while asking individuals to collect in other areas. In this regard, we demand the Report of INEC Investigation into the Kano underage voting scandal,” he said.

The forum accused the INEC of a plot to resurrect 30,000 polling units, which it alleged was going to be foisted on Nigeria during the tenure of Jega.

Nwodo recalled that shortly before 2015 general election, INEC had planned additional 30,000 polling units that would have created 5,291 new polling units in the North-east.

PDP Decries Killing of Benue Catholic Priests, Worshippers

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as sacrilegious and callous, the gruesome murder of two Catholic priests and worshippers at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Ukpor, Mbalom, in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State.

In statement issued yesterday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said the attack on innocent and defenseless Nigerians while they were worshipping is extremely wicked and cannot be justified under any guise whatsoever.

“The PDP is deeply worried over the unabated killings in Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa, Kogi, Zamfara, Plateau, Bornu, Adamawa and other parts of the country where bloodletting has become daily occurrence.

“More worrisome is that the federal government has continued to allow these killings without any decisive steps to stem the ugly trend.

“President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) federal government must live up to its basic responsibility of protection of lives and our national territorial integrity. Indeed, our citizens cannot continue to daily fall victims of attacks by marauders while the government fails to exert itself to guarantee their safety.

“We therefore urge our security agencies to take immediate steps towards apprehending the perpetrators and masterminds of this dastardly act and to ensure the safety of Nigerians, particularly in the troubled states.

“Finally, the PDP commiserates with the Catholic Church, the government and people of Benue State as well as the families of the victims of these horrendous killings,” it said.

ACF Condemns Killings

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has condemned the killing on Tuesday of two Catholic priests and some worshipers in a church in Ayar-Mbalom community in Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State by suspected herdsmen.

The forum also urged the federal government to fish out perpetrators of all the heineous crimes across the country and bring them to justice.

In a statement by its spokesman, Muhammad Ibrahim, yesterday in Kaduna, the ACF lamented the incessant killings that have continued

to bedeviled the North, saying that government must identify the criminals and bring them to book to serve as deterrence to others.

The forum while expressing shocked over the gruesome murder of the catholic priests and the worshippers, said: “The spate of attacks on innocent people including clergy men and worshippers in their places of worship is most callous and unfortunate.

“ACF, therefore, calls on the security agencies to be more proactive and re-strategise their security operations in order to nip these avoidable blood letting in the bud”.

Bishop Weeps over Killing of Catholic Priests, Worshippers The Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, yesterday wept visibly over the killing of two Catholic priest; Rev. Fathers Joseph Gor and Felix Tyolaha, one catechist and 14 worshippers in Benue State.

Ezeokafor called for the immediate arrest of the perpetrators of the dastardly act, even as he wondered why such heinous crimes should be allowed to take place in the first instance.

“I am seriously pained. What manner of country is this? A country where some people are untouchables, a country where some people will be killing innocent citizens. Let me tell you, what we are witnessing today in this country is simply coordinated attacks against certain individuals and groups.

“This senseless killings of the innocent Nigerians are becoming a daily occurrence. Why can’t our government put a stop to these killings here and there? Is it not obvious that some people somewhere are carrying a particular agenda? There is more to this than meets the eyes,” Bishop Ezeokafor said.

News Pharmaceutical Company Advocates Use of Artemisinin Combination Therapy to Treat Malaria As part of efforts to find a lasting cure to the treatment of Malaria, Greenlife Pharmaceuticals Limited has advocated the use of Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACTs) to fight the disease.

According to a statement issued to THISDAY by a representative from the pharmaceutical company, Derrick Osondu, it was noted that a recent article published in a health journal in early 2017, posited that with concerted global effort, malaria incidence and death toll fell between 2001 and 2015.

He added that it was estimated that of the 6.2 million lives saved over that period, 5.9 million (95 per cent) were that of children under the ages of five.

Osondu in the statement said due to the report, the federal government has pledged to double its efforts to help fight the ailment, “to this end government would be securing a $300 million loan from different partner agencies to finance the country’s National Malaria Strategy.”

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY APRIL 26, 2018

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COMMENT

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

HEARING AFRICA’S DIPLOMATIC SILENCE Okello Oculi writes that issues involving the continent are still being treated with disdain

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he April 13, 2018 attack on Syrian by a ‘’Trinity of Violence’’ consisting of Britain, France and the United States of America, was justified with a media propaganda storm showing horrible pictures of children allegedly suffocating from lethal chemical gases said to be thrown by the Syrian military at families of an opposition faction in a besieged town near Damascus. The attack and moral outrage backing it recalled the notorious lie about Saddam Hussein’s regime threatening to deploy a stockpile of ‘’weapons of mass destruction.”

The subsequent destruction of Iraq also provoked a virulent and deadly militarised Islam. The public outrage that followed ‘airpower diplomacy’ wrecked the political fortunes of Britain’s Tony Blair and the electoral fortunes of America’s Republican Party.

Africa remained loudly silent. African opinion has remained choked by a recall of diplomatic activities by Britain and the United States in the United Nations’ Security Council as barbaric gales of mass killing all across Rwanda grew into a season of genocide. The African Secretary General, Professor Boutros-Boutros Ghali, had sought to push NATO members of the Security Council into supporting sending more UN peacekeeping troops to stop the hysteria of hate by killers of Tutsi civilians and “moderate Hutus’’ opposed to violence. African ambassadors at the UN supported immediate despatch of more UN troops to Rwanda.

Ambassador Ibrahim Gambari, Nigeria’s representative, was reported by the Western media to have led this diplomatic drama.

In the face of reports of escalating widespread slaughter of Tutsis and others, Nigeria’s delegation proposed that the United Nations must save the civilian population; create a temporary alternative government in Rwanda to ensure the rule of law, and effectively counter those officials using radio broadcasts, supplying arms to militias, notably the ‘’Interhamwe’’, while using the ‘’Presidential Guard’’ military unit to hunt down victims. This resolution was never allowed to be put on the agenda of the Security Council due to opposition by Britain and the American delegation.

Britain’s ambassador, David Hannay, and the United States ambassador, Karl Inderfurth, led vigorous opposition to the African draft resolution with the argument that the most effective way to get the invading Rwanda Patriotic Front and Rwanda’s interim government to talk and achieve peace was to withdraw even the limited UN contingent in Rwanda and leave only a ‘’skeletal force’’ even as reports of increased thousands of Tutsis being hacked to death, blown up and with grenades thrown into crowds hiding in churches and a mosque. As hundreds of roadblocks victims were being pulled out of UN and Red Cross rescue vehicles and killed on the spot, the information made no impact on their resolve. Ibrahim Gambari was

AFRICA NOTES THAT IN SYRIA THESE MEMBERS OF THE ‘TRINITY OF VIOLENCE’ HAVE THROWN BOMBS AT A LIMITED INCIDENT OF OUTRAGE

driven to an enraged sarcastic offensive: wanting ‘’to know if Africa had fallen off the map of moral concern’’ of the Security Council: notably countries with veto power. Africa notes that in Syria these members of the ‘Trinity of Violence’ have thrown bombs at a limited incident of outrage.

As a key member of bomber countries President Donald Trump has served nasty language to Africa. His election campaign rhetoric was in step with scores of police killings of young African-American men. It was as if Barack Obama’s shadow in the American presidency had to be washed away with the blood of blacks gunned down with impunity; while reassuring racist voters that the legacy of lynching blacks during slavery was bouncing back.

A multi-racial protest movement exploded across urban America under the slogan of ‘’Black Lives Matter’’. Candidate Trump also promised building a wall on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean to stop African migration surging into his reclaimed America.

The new Chairperson of the African Union Commission condemned Trump’s dressing Africa with sewage-nurtured flowers – calling the continent a ‘’shit hole’’. There were no student protests or public rallies against the clouds of global racism that he was gleefully seeding. In 1989 a meeting at Atlanta, Georgia, of America’s top business leaders openly discussed a Japanese public statement that the African-American population contributed significantly to the country’s lag in intellectual innovation. Although a racist slant was noted, more emphasis was put on the wastage of African-American brain power in wretched schools for black children; urban poverty, alcoholism, cocaine and crack and heroin addiction; teenage pregnancies; violence by gangs and rampant addiction to sports. A popular self-destructive saying had it that a black boy or girl who liked reading books ‘’was acting White’’.

An African-American executive heading the IBM in Japan noted racist attitudes towards black people by Japanese people. It was attributed to feudal cultures in Japan and China which associated white skin with being an aristocrat whose skin was not burnt by the sun like rural farmers and construction workers. That explained why fashion houses in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai preferred Caucasian women and white men as models, with local Chinese and Japanese coming second. Black models – whether from Africa, the Americas or Europe - are not hired. A 2018 Hollywood film ‘’BLACK PANTHER’’ drew massive crowds in the United States and Britain but failed to draw audiences In China. The actors and actresses in the film are Africans and African-Americans. President Trump’s racist slurs play to vast audiences on television screens inside billions of minds in Asia.

Fela Anikulapo Kuti mocked the diplomatic game of ‘’Suffering and Smiling’’ at abuses by Africa’s exploiters. It must surely stop.

MEDICINES’SECURITY AND BEATING MALARIA Efforts must be made at prioritising local pharmaceutical manufacturing, argues Obi Adigwe

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his year marks the third consecutive year that I chair the National World Malaria Day Committee on behalf of Dr Okechukwu Akpa, Chairman, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMGMAN). Although some progress has been made, the situation remains dire.

Malaria continues to be a serious disease in our region and we still carry an inordinate share of the global disease burden. Findings from a recent study indicated that nine out of 10 malaria cases occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. Similarly, nine out of 10 people who died of the disease were from this part of the world.

In the three years that I have chaired the committee, what I have found most interesting is the astonishingly wide range of stakeholders involved in this area. It is based on this experience that an important realisation dawned on me during the second planning committee meeting on March 22, this year, at the Abia House in Abuja. During that Eureka moment, I found that although the various relevant stakeholders had extremely incongruent motivations for their activities in the sector, only an ontology that incorporated these disparate perspectives would enable a timely achievement of the goal.

Perhaps therefore, this is why this year’s theme is so apt “Ready to beat Malaria: together we can”. The emphasis on the ‘together’ bit stresses the importance of collaborative working, as well as individual responsibilities from various stakeholders.

As such, given how deadly malaria is, one of the most important tasks a stakeholder can carry out this year, is an introspective reflection of how they can contribute to beating this scourge. For the purposes of this discourse ‘stakeholder’, does not only refer to healthcare professionals and policy actors, but realistically, everyone who is at

risk of the disease. The term also encompasses the millions of individuals, who although are not at risk, work in malaria, or are passionate about beating the disease.

As the Executive Secretary of the PMGMAN, it was therefore natural that my reflection would throw up some of our initiatives (from the pharma manufacturers’ perspective) that could help beat malaria. At PMGMAN we conceptualised and have consistently advocated the concept of medicines’ security. Simply put, the medicines’ security concept argues that unless a people exert sufficient control over how their medicines and healthcare commodities are produced, sustainable access to relevant, affordable, high quality products cannot be guaranteed in that setting.

When this concept is viewed against the incidence and prevalence of malaria, which remains one of the biggest killers in our context, the implications of its potential become clear.

In the main, building local capacity in pharma manufacturing would guarantee sustainable and predictable supply of safe, affordable and efficacious antimalarials for Nigerians. Adopting this approach would also ensure that the relevant local capacity is developed to match our contextual needs. As a nation, this will make us better ready to beat malaria.

We have also worked with government to develop policies to which can further the malaria fight. In the 2016 fiscal policy, government instituted an import adjustment tax for antimalarials together with three other categories of medicines, for which incontrovertible evidence indicated that local production outstripped national consumption. This landmark policy is one of the most important measures undertaken by government to support local production of medicines. However, when compared to other countries in our setting, Nigerian medicines’ manufacturing has so much more potential,

both in terms of ensuring sustainable access to medicines, as well as contributing to national socioeconomic development.

Currently, Nigerian manufacturers represent more than a third of all pharma production plants on the continent, and also constitute the biggest cluster of internationally certified manufacturers in the whole of Africa. Against this backdrop, it is clear that there is a significant and urgent need to prioritise local pharma manufacturing in Nigeria, so as to harness the current untapped potential. This is what will enable a contextual and comprehensive support framework for Nigerian companies that manufacture antimalarials and other lifesaving medicines.

One other policy with the potential to impact our goal to beat malaria is the Executive Order – 003 (EO - 003) which came into force on May 18, 2017. In many developing country settings, one of the most effective means of supporting local production of specific commodities such as antimalarials, is by the development of policies that encourage patronage of such products.

However, despite mandating all MDAs to ensure that at least 40 per cent of their procurement spending is on locally made medicines, evidence suggests that the EO - 003 is not being faithfully implemented. In addition to government spending, activities by donor agencies and development partners in relation to malaria programmes need to better fit into the current administration’s ethos of buying local.

It is also necessary for government to formulate a robust and comprehensive incentive package for the development of the pharmaceutical sector. Strategies that government can use to stimulate FDI in this area include the granting of tax holidays for pharma manufacturers that have made capital investments towards establishing new plants and upgrading existing ones. Tax waivers will also facilitate investment in pharma

research and development.

Government must also improve the ease of doing business in the sector by working with manufacturers to remove tedious and cumbersome regulatory and bureaucratic bottlenecks.

Efforts must be made by all stakeholders to ensure a deliberate prioritisation of local pharma manufacturing, as a means of achieving medicines’ security. With respect to malaria, this remains the most efficient and effective strategy for ensuring the highest quality health care for Nigerians. At the same time, adopting this approach will boost other relevant aspects of socioeconomic development, including job creation, capacity building and backward integration of the many sectors that produce pharma sector inputs.

PMGMAN on whose representation I chair this committee has done its own bit, but is far from resting on its oars. Currently, a significant proportion of local manufacturers produce affordable, high quality antimalarials, including ACTs. Members of the Group are however continuously investing in improving various relevant indices.

Currently, local manufacturers have more than enough capacity to satisfy national consumption, in fact, quite a few have even started exporting to the continent.

The theme selected this year to underpin the World Malaria Day is “Ready to beat Malaria: together we can. This all-encompassing approach represents the most comprehensive and robust approach so far. Going forward, this approach can therefore ensure a widespread and robust engagement of all citizens and relevant stakeholders. This will in turn ensure that malaria receives a sound beating, and gets kicked out from Nigeria for good.

Dr Adigwe holds a Doctorate Degree in Policy and Strategy and is the Chairman of the National World Malaria Day Committee

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EDITORIAL THE WASTING FEDERAL ASSETS‌1 Many wasting national assets could be put to better use

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t is unfortunate that several facilities belonging to the federal government continue to lie in waste even when they could be converted to proďŹ table economic assets capable of generating revenues for the nation. What is particularly bafing is that it would appear people in authorities seem not to consider many of these ediďŹ ces, built over several decades but which currently lay in disuse across the country, as part of what should make up our national wealth.

Apart from the potential positive social impacts being lost, we also believe that these facilities, if put to productive use, can help provide jobs for a considerable number of our young people. Unfortunately, considering the manner these assets are left to rot away by successive governments, we are compelled to believe that their existence do not matter to the country’s WHY IS IT A HUGE policymakers and CHALLENGE TO THE managers.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO It is therefore CONSIDER AND ENACT A very sad that POLICY THAT WOULD GUIDE these prime assets THE USE AND MANAGEMENT which are usually premium-valued OF NIGERIA’S NATIONAL and parts of what ASSETS? add up to what a country aunts as its economic strengths are left to waste in Nigeria simply because the federal government has failed to turn them into the economic goods which they actually should be. Today, the story of several of these vital assets owned by the federal government, especially outside Abuja, is that of abandonment. At best, some of them are often put out for no better use than social activities all of which often come at heavy costs to them and the country.

We have seen governments come and go with none of them making it a priority to recover the real values of these assets that are depreciating by the day. Although they are in hundreds, we can easily

Letters to the Editor

list a few national assets that today do not add value to the Nigerian economy simply because they are in deep state of disuse. From the National Theatre at Iganmu; to the two National Stadia in Surulere, Lagos and Abuja; the International Trade Fair Complex; Ajaokuta Steel Complex which completion is enmeshed in controversy; Katsina and Jos Steel Rolling Mills; Federal Secretariat in Ikoyi; NECOM House, Marina; and the Tafawa Balewa Square, amongst others, the conditions of these assets are totally appalling.

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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.

CHIMAMANDA WILL LEAD WOMEN TO‘HELL’

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ho made Chimamanda Adichie the supremo of feminism? Who made her the feminist papal? How did she become the feminist potentate?

By asking Hillary Clinton, former US presidential candidate, why her Twitter bio starts with “wife’, Chimamanda has not only intruded into the personal business of Clinton, but also scorned a key principle of feminism – “choice�.

Besides other leanings, feminism entails freedom of choice. A woman is at liberty to be anything she wants to be – doctor, lawyer, housewife or mother. The right to choose is principal, and this should not be prejudiced.

Setting straightjacket standards and rules, which Chimamanda’s brand of feminism promotes, will result in a second captivity – by matriarchal she-lords.

Notable feminists of the first and second waves such as Betty Friedan, author of ‘The Feminine Mystique’, emphasised the essence of “choice� in their works; that a woman can be a housewife or a career person if she chooses to. The key word here is “chooses�.

The imposition of personal foibles on the feminist

f we may ask, why is it a huge challenge to the federal government to consider and enact a policy that would guide the use and management of Nigeria’s national assets? What would it take from the government to consider and implement management models for these assets?

And if the federal government cannot manage these ediďŹ ces, why not hand them over to the government of the states where they are domiciled or sell them to private investors so they could be put to some productive use?

We are bothered by the proclivity to the waste of scarce resources in the country, especially at a time the population is growing at an alarming rate and the economy is slowing down. We feel that such national assets should either be turned around for economic beneďŹ ts to the country, or at best be handed over to entities that can make the most of them so they could create jobs for our people.

On that note, we feel that the ongoing efforts to resolve the long-standing dispute between the federal government and the Lagos State government on federal assets located within the state should be taken more seriously. But beyond that, the efforts should be extended to other states of the federation where there are prime federal assets that are also wasting away. The idea is to give out these public entities to those that are willing to put them into better use.

To be concluded tomorrow

struggle gives it a blemished complexion. The result of this is the ridiculing of women who choose to be mothers or housewives by their so-called “woke� peers.

As a matter of fact, Chimamanda’s brand of feminism makes a caricature of the movement’s goal – equality of gender. How? Chimamanda’s virulent feminism, by default, teaches all women are not equal – the housewife is less of a woman and in shackles, while the stiletto-wearing career woman is the archetypal vanquisher of the demonic patriarchal order.

In all, it is still “woke� if a woman chooses “wife� as her title. It is all a matter of choice. Personally, I believe “father� is an esteemed title. Nursing my six-year-old son from infancy has been the most rewarding duty for me. Yes, I am a father first.

In conclusion, Chimamanda’s feminism is already leading some women to the hell of confusion, bitterness and misandry. Feminism should be defined by all women in different stations, according to their realities and choice, not by some self-installed matriarchal potentates.

Fredrick Nwabufo, fredricknwabufo@yahoo.com

DANGERS OF VANDALISING PETROLEUM PIPELINES

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andalism of petroleum pipelines in Nigeria has become a common phenomenon. It occurs almost on daily basis as some callous Nigerians vandalise pipelines in order to scoop petrol which they always sell to make quick money. In most cases, people claim that poverty is the main reason why they indulge in the illegal act. Those involved in that act don’t seem to realise the danger and also the effects of vandalising pipelines.

Vandalising of pipelines could lead to the deaths of several people, including the innocent ones. This is because petrol is highly inflammable and can cause fire outbreaks. This has always been one of the fatal consequences of pipeline vandalism. Thousands of people have died as a result of fire outbreaks from vandalised pipes.

Second, vandalising of pipelines has also led to loss of property running into billions of naira. Furthermore, pipeline vandalism increases the health hazards among the people through environmental pollution.

Vandalism of petroleum pipelines is an economic sabotage and anybody caught engaging in the act should be treated as economic saboteur. At this juncture, I will like to call on those who indulge in that activity to quickly put a halt to it.

Musa Abdullahi, IBBUL, Niger State

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY APRIL 26, 2018

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POLITICS

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

PERSONALITY INTERVIEW

Fayemi: Fayose Can’t Stop Me Minister for Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi says Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose has no power to stop him from returning as a governor. He spoke with journalists after his declaration. Shola Oyeyipo was there and presents the excerpts: You have been governor in Ekiti State before, why do you want to return as governor?

Yes, you are right. I have been governor here in Ekiti State before now, but I feel a profound sense of unfinished business. Unfinished business in the sense that all what I did in office had gone pear-shaped in this state. May be some infrastructures have been sustained. At least you can still see the street lights, you can still see the Government House on top of the hill, you can still see some of the physical things; particularly, our efforts in the area of human capital development, area of entrepreneurship, tourism development, healthcare, have actually been severely damaged.

I give you a couple of examples to demonstrate what I mean by that. Over 40, 000 people benefiting from our various social investment schemes have been put out to hang and dry.

25,000 that I was paying 5000 to, in our social security scheme, the 10,000 benefitting from youth volunteer scheme - our youth empowerment system being paid 10,000 monthly and being engaged in variety of our initiatives; environmental sanitation, teaching in schools, working in the health sector and all of that, they were disbanded.

The youth in agriculture scheme, which was at the time used by Minister Akin Adesina, no longer exists in this state, though some of the beneficiaries have now gone on to better things in the agricultural sector..

The peace ccorps that I established and which had about 1000 people across the state, has also been disbanded and all those people out on the streets. So, when you go around Ekiti and you talk to the elderly, the young, pregnant women and people who benefited from the variety of things we did; pupils in schools, university students who benefited from our bursary and and scholarships - that no longer exist in this state, nobody gives scholarship again, then you can understand the pain that I feel about missed opportunities for our people. If it was about me, I really do not need to be governor in order to live a decent life.

Frankly, and I am sure you will agree with me, Abuja is an easier setting to operate. As a minister, if I were to see politics as business, it is also the better place to do other things, network and gain opportunities but I would not be fulfilled, if I were to ignore all the damages that had been done in the state.

And its also much that a lot of what I did had been eroded. Just go to Ikogosi. You knew what I made out of Ikogosi. You only need to visit Ikogosi now and see what had become of Ikogosi - and the damage does not just focus on human capital development, infrastructural development, you would imagine that somebody who has taken out 40,000 jobs or support schemes, out of the budget of the state, will be in a position and much stronger footing to pay salary regularly in a known civil service state but civil servants are being owed six months at the minimum, teachers are being owed 10 months, local government workers are owed 10 months, traditional rulers, who used to take 5 percent of local government funds that come to the state when I was governor - not only has it been reduced to 2.5 percent, they don’t even get it. Five - six months they have never earned any pay.

So, if you ask me, yes, I have been governor; I am not coming out of a sense of ambition, I am coming out of a sense of duty, out of a profound sense of unfinished business, which I believe only a progressive and ideologically driven government can deliver as far as Ekiti State is concerned.

About 25 aspirants are jostling for the All Progressives Congress’ ticket. Isn’t better to agree on a consensus candidate? Some aspirants think you should also not be in the race.

ACN family. So we are not all sleeping facing the same direction. But the most important thing for me is that people have a record to sell. If I am running, it is a market place, you need to look at your unique selling point and place that before the delegates. So anyone who says oh you have the president backing, and oh too, he has the structure of the party in the pocket, I believe they are mistaken on both stands.

Fayemi

First, I am an interested party, even if I were to take that option, it may not be wholly acceptable.

But I still do not think that is completely written off. I believe that opportunity will abound in which those who are contesting will have the chance to have a stakeholders’ engagement with leaders of the party with the view to, may be, reducing the number of those running or at least ensuring that this is a clean race.

Frankly, we have to come to term with the fact that its a plus that the APC ticket is much sought after. It is a positive for our party. However, it has to be managed carefully.

Once the primary takes place and a clear winner emerges, I don’t think the problem we are envisaging will happen actually. Where you may run into a problem is when its a close race and people imagine that some hanky-panky has given one person or the other an edge in the race.

Frankly, I do not think it is going to be a close race but that is a separate matter. Everyone has the right to run and aspire in a political competition and I don’t think we should stop

I cannot imagine where Ekiti would have been today if President Buhari is not as generous as he has been to provide the kind of support he has provided and to provide it to a man, who daily insults him

them from running .

Are you in the race because you have the support of President Muhammadu Buhari?

Answer: I can also not detach myself from the government in which I serve, that is also going to play up and I am not going to say to you that I have not secured the approval of my boss to enter the race. I work for a principal, so it is not possible that I would be out running around the way I have been doing without having gone to my principal and say sir, I am thinking about going back to Ekiti and that I need your help for me to pursue my ambition, but if you don’t have any objection, I believe I would crave your indulgence to go home and repair the damage that has been done in my state.

That is not necessarily an endorsement and anyone who knows President Buhari the way he functions would know that he is not the type that would insert himself in a race that is clearly based on clear guidelines and principles and you’ve seen him demonstrating it consistently, including most recently with the issue of elongation in our party. He is not the type we’ve seen with the PDP government where the president says yes, this is my man, and no one dares him; President Buhari won’t say that.

Some said that the party’s leadership in the state was installed by you and therefore, would deliver to you the party ticket at the primaries.

There is no doubt that the leadership of the party emerged at the time I was governor in the state and they don’t have the brouhaha going in our party. This leadership emerged in 2014 and four ears after, according to the constitution of our party, the leadership must change in 2018.

But again, when you look at the background of this leadership you talked about, you have in the executive of our party, people who came from the PDP or new PDP. Also in the state executive, you have traditional ACN people from my own side of the party in that same executive, you have people who also came from other tendencies, people within the broader

Don’t you have unfinished business in the Ministry of Mines and Steel where your activities have brought appreciable progress?

As a matter of fact, what is uppermost in the minds of stakeholders in the mining sector is if I can use the word foundational. The work I have done over the last two and a half years as minister is largely foundational, retrieving critical data for the sector, supporting private and small scale miners with low interest rate funds, ensuring that the regulatory framework is much more predictable and certain so that when you get a licence, you are not going to run the risk of another person coming to say it is not yours, it is mine. It is also about strengthening the relationship between states and the federal government as well as well as the surveillance of the illegal mining activities.

But the truth of the matter is that as much as I love what I am doing, the mandate that the president has saddled me with, I also know that mining is a long term sector, the foundation for massive transformation has been laid since I got there.

On the critical projects that we have, mining does not subject itself to an electoral circle.

Unfortunately, it is not a 4-year sector, it’s a 2025 year sector to plan and I don’t believe that staying out would give me a sense of fulfilment of what is required in the sector. Besides, I have a colleague who I have carried along very closely as minister in the sector so nothing is likely to change. He would deepen the activities that we’ve put in place and I don’t see why he would not do well in continuing with the work I have done and we’ve both jointly presided over the sector, even on more larger platform, you are right. You know there are so many competent Nigerians that can fix things at the federal level and also at the state level, you only need knowledgeable people, you need people with experience. And in governance and politics, there is always a sense in which it is safer to hear from the side of people who you had served.

I outlined a lot of things this afternoon when I was speaking and the truth of the matter is that these are precisely what have been missing in this state for over the last three years and the sharp penury, hopelessness, the heartlessness that the Ekiti people have been experiencing is beyond belief. For a state that has climbed thus so high in all indices of human development to now in the last four years end it up in a situation where the rate of children-out-of-school is now the highest in the country is a tragedy.

This is a state that had the lowest percentage of out-of-school children in the federation not just south-west, now it has the highest because the parents were not paid salaries, you cannot have been charging their children school fees.

That was exactly not the situation in this state, before it was a state where pupils used to go to school free. So if I am coming back, it is actually out of pain that this should not be allowed to happen in a decent society.

What about the 10-year ban the Ekiti State slammed on you though the white paper?

Which government white paper? You mean the toilet paper or what? You are far too knowledgeable about this thing and you also have a good CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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POLITICS

Ayi: It’s Unfair to Abandon Bakassi While Rebuilding the N’East A member of the House of Representatives, Mr Essien Ayi contends that it is injustice to abandon the people of Bakassi while the North-east continues to get all the attention. He spoke with Bassey Inyang The people of Bakassi have been left without a homeland since the handing over of their land to Cameroon in 2008. What do you think should be done to address their plight?

The only option left after doing a lot of research, is for the creation of the Bakassi Development Commission. That commission should have a life span of about 10 years, and I believe that within 10 years, we should be able to rebuild Bakassi, and resettle the people properly.

What is happening in Bakassi today is not as a result of the making of the people of Bakassi, but it is as a result of the poor handling by the government and their team of lawyers at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). I sincerely believe that the issue was not handled properly.

People were more interested in how much they can make. Over $600 million was spent on pursing the Bakassi issue in the time of president Obasanjo which we lost.

What annoys me most is that the country is very busy trying to rebuild the North-east.

The devastation of the North-east has been the product of the so called Boko Haram who are Nigerians, and after Nigerians had destroyed Nigeria, the government is bent on rebuilding that area to the extent of setting up a North-east Development Commission. But, the Bakassi that was ceded, not because of the making of the people of Bakassi, government is not doing anything about it.

I feel so bad. And sometimes I wonder whether we are all Nigerians, because if we are Nigerians, we should be treated equally.

But when you give preferential treatment to certain areas, probably because the president happens to come from that area or because they are of the same religion, I feel that the issue of restructuring should not be treated kindly.

We must pursue restructuring in all ramifications because all the wealth has been taken from us, and we are not seeing anything. Look at the roads, very soon the rainy season will set in, and you will not be able to pass the Calabar-Itu road.

All the wealth are taken from here, yet all the concentration is on the north, and then they say we are one Nigeria, we are not, we must restructure.

I have put it as four motions before now, and that is the motion for the stopping of ceding of Bakassi, the motion for the proper resettlement of Bakassi people, motion for the review of

All the wealth are taken from here, yet all the concentration is on the north, and then they say we are one Nigeria, we are not, we must restructure

Ayi

the ICJ judgment. They were moved by me, and at the end when everything had failed, I moved a motion for a referendum for the people of Bakassi to decide where they want to belong; and if they say they want to belong to Cameroon, so be it or if they say they want to be in Nigeria, so be it. All those motions passed through, but none was implemented by the government and now we are saying it is the Bakassi Development Commission. It is either they give us the commission or we decide whether we will belong to Nigeria or not. I am moving this as a bill, and it is going through the first reading.

How would you react to comments from many quarters that the regimes of President Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan failed the Bakassi people?

Obasanjo deceived us that Biya said he had election in 2005, and if Bakassi was ceded to

Nigeria it would affect his election. And after his election, when he won, he went to the UN (United Nations), and demanded the ceding and they ceded Bakassi.

Jonathan invited us after my motion on a review of the judgment was passed by the house because the ICJ judgment said that after 10 years you can ask for a review. They invited us to the villa and David Mark, Senator NdomaEgba and others were there, and it was agreed that we should go for the review. I remember (Mohammed) Adoke (then Attorney General of the Federation) saying that he did not have enough facts. But, Liyel Imoke said the state has the facts. But, to my greatest surprise, a day after, Adoke said the time was too short for him to compile the review and that was where they killed the matter. And I know he said so because he had interest.

Are you saying the establishment of North-

east Development Commission is a further demonstration of injustice against the Bakassi people?

Now the people of Bakassi are there suffering, but the concentration is on the development of North-east. Every day you wake up, you will hear herdsmen have killed and destroyed, Boko Haram have killed and abducted. But they are putting up resources to build what the same Nigerians from the northern part of Nigeria have destroyed to the detriment of the people of Bakassi who never had a hand in their predicament and they say we are one Nigeria. How can we be one Nigeria? It is either we restructure or we take decision and we will split.

What words do you have for the Ndoma-Egbas over interment of the late matriarch of their family?

I was sent by the speaker (Yakubu Dogara) to represent him. It is good for them to celebrate the death of their mother because it is always a good thing for a child to bury the parents rather than the reverse. He is very proud of them that they have been able to give their mother a befitting burial.

He is proud and happy with them. He sympathizes with them, and they should be consoled that their mother lived a fulfilled life.

FAYEMI: FAYOSE CAN’T STOP ME sense of the history of where this is coming from.

Yes it used to be the case in this country that you can use an administrative panel report or a judicial commission report to orchestrate the ban of a political office holder but that period has since gone because it became very clear that this was a witch-hunting tool either in the hands of the federal officers who have used this or at the state level. And there is a settled matter by the Supreme Court of Nigeria on this point and that is Atiku Abubakar vs Federal Government of Nigeria that you cannot use the report of a commission of enquiry or an administrative panel of enquiry to ban anyone from public office.

Only a court of record and what is defined as a court of record in law? A high court either at the state level or at the federal level. So for anyone to tell you, to the best of my knowledge I have not even been asked to show up in any court over any allegation. And don’t forget I did not even appear before any panel... …you were invited I was invited but you should also remind yourself that I challenged that invitation in court and that case was in court as the panel was sitting.

So I cannot approbate and reprobate. I cannot challenge a matter in court and then go to the same panel to show up thus legitimizing the activities of the panel. I am not INEC, however, there is a judicial precedence. I have a friend called Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso who went through same experience. He was governor.

He went to become minister and when he was

about coming back as governor, the governor of that state brought out a commission of enquiry report. Of course it was rubbished and the man became governor.

So you have to ask yourself, what is the point of those saying that? It may well be traceable to ignorance of the law and of the state of play because it is not just settled in the Supreme Court case that I mentioned, it has also let to the alteration of that section of the constitution. So if you read that constitution today, it does not say what it says in 1999 to 2003. This is why I describe the white paper as a tissue paper.

Can you shed more light on the N25bn loan taken by your government and the specific projects you embarked upon with the money?

Absolutely because what we did is clear to everybody. We took N25bn for infrastructure development, not for salaries, not for frivolity and those projects traverse the length and breadth of the state. The bulk of that money was spent on roads. When I was governor the entire road network in this state changed and there were about 14 roads that went into that. We spent about N14bn out of that N25bn on roads alone.

Besides we brought back Ikogosi, we built the new Government House out of this money, we built a 12000-seater pavilion out of this money, we built the civic centre out of this money. In fact if you calculate what we spent the N25bn on, we spent more than N25bn. But you had a governor who really cannot be accused of showing fidelity to the truth.

Part of what you said I committed as offence,

the people you were citing came to your own panel of enquiry. Access Bank came to your panel of enquiry and told you categorically that there was no missing N835m from the funds of UBEC, that we took our money back because the state did not meet the obligation attached to the grant. So if a bank lends you money and that same bank takes the money back and you could go to the entire public and say Fayemi stole N825m. You then set up an independent panel yourself chaired by a former Chief Judge in the state who is now a king, and that panel came out that no money was missing, how can you pay serious attention to the report of such a panel and these were the things you hinged your allegations of fraud and mismanagement on. So what we did in the state, the record is there for all to see and we can defend our record any day.

You are running for governorship on the platform of the APC at a time there is disenchantment against the party. Don’t you see that affecting your chances?

Frankly, I believe that we have a lot to sell as a party and I am not just running on my performance when I was governor, but also on the performance of the Muhammadu Buhariadministration, which I am part of because it is a collective responsibility. So, I am not going to shy away from the perceived inadequacies. I am going to explain what the APC government has done in all spheres. It is going to be a strength rather than weakness because it is about framing the narrative properly. I have just placed side by

side what we left, when I left office in October 2014 vis a viz what is happening in the state today and I provided independently verifiable evidence either on the debt status of the state or on the programmes that we implemented and the ones that are being implemented today in the state. If I were to do that between what we have done in the two and half years of the Buhari administration and what the Jonathan administration did for five years, there would be no basis for comparison.

We have enough to sell to Nigerians because we have retrieved the country from the precipice.

People may not pay enough attention to that because it is not as tangible as money in your pocket, but it is people, who have a safe and secure environment that will talk about money in their pockets.. I hate to sound like a broken record, but my boss, the Vice President (Prof.

Yemi Osinbajo) did a more brilliant job on this, when he spoke at the Bola Tinubu Colloquium in Lagos. I can’t even do better than he did because you just have to look at the records; what we have done in infrastructural development, petroleum sector, health sector and compare with what happened when oil was selling at over $100 per barrel. And don’t forget that when we came in, oil production went down to about 700,000 barrels from 2.2 million. The price was $30, thank God it is now $70, and if I should add, the federal government became the babysitter of virtually all the states because 30 of them were not paying salaries. If not for President Buhari’s generosity, I don’t know where many of the states would be now.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY

FEATURES

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

Onaiyekan’s Homily to the Czechs The Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan was a guest recently of the government and people of the Czech Republic for the Mene Tekel Ecumenical Memorial Service held in memory of the victims of totalitarianism and conflict where he spoke about replacing competition with cooperation. Chineme Okafor who observed his visit at the Czech Embassy in Nigeria, reports

Cardinal Onaiyekan speeks at the Mene Tekel Festival

R

eflective of the demands of his vocation, the Archbishop of Abuja, His Eminence John Cardinal Onaiyekan, could not turn down an invitation extended to him by the Archbishop of Prague and Primate of the Czech Lands, His Eminence Dominik Cardinal Duka, to participate in the 2018 edition of the Mene Tekel Ecumenical Memorial Service, a weeklong celebration in memory of the victims of totalitarian regimes and wars in Czech Republic.

As a teacher, leader and disciplinarian, Onaiyekan, had always made the most of opportunities as they come by him, to push for an inclusive and upright society.

He had challenged governments; leaders; and people of all shades in defence of his thoughts and values for communal unity and societies governed by the rule of law.

For instance, in 2005, with former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, then a serving head of state in attendance in a Mass he celebrated in his Cathedral in Abuja, Onaiyekan, reportedly told Obasanjo frankly to resist the temptation of seeking a third-term in office which he noted was against Nigeria’s constitution.

He asked that Obasanjo be sincere and considerate enough of the country’s laws to allow for a democratic change of government which eventually happened.

Again, along with other religious leaders like the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad

Abubakar, Onaiyekan, had frequently led peace and reconciliatory missions against religious intolerance in Nigeria, as well as missions to demand for responsible politicking in the country during elections to ensure they end well.

Like it had always been for Onaiyekan, he was presented yet another platform by his host to talk about Nigeria’s challenges with intolerance for dissenting beliefs, as well as how the people of Czech can benefit from it to continue to nurture accommodating lifestyles.

And, the Mene Tekel was the platform

Therefore, accepting the invitation to Czech as he did couldn’t have come to him with a lot of difficulties, especially with regards to the fact that it presented him another opportunity to share his experience on how religious intolerance and disregard for rule of law could alienate societies and humanity and make peaceful co-existence and mutual development a lot impossible to achieve.

Mene Tekel, a stage presented to Onaiyekan Like it had always been for Onaiyekan, he was presented yet another platform by his host to talk about Nigeria’s challenges with intolerance for dissenting beliefs, as well as how the people of Czech can benefit from it to continue to nurture accommodating lifestyles. And, the Mene Tekel was the platform.

An annual international festival of events against totality, evil and violence, the Mene Tekel usually held under the patronage of the Confederation of Political Prisoners, Senate of the Czech Republic, Mayor of Prague, Archbishop of Prague and Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic.

It was on its occasion that Onaiyekan who travelled with the Executive Director of the Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for Peace, Agatha Chikelue, a reverend sister of the Catholic Church, highlighted the rivalries for dominance which was denying Nigeria the opportunity to make the most of her resources for development.

“Inter religious relationship is a constant challenge. We have to move from competition to cooperation seeking common grounds while remaining firmly convinced of our religious values. We are aware of the natural rivalries for dominance. And fanatics on both sides are sowing seeds of discord,” said Onaiyekan, in his lecture which also touched on issues of corruption; migration; and climate change in Africa.

He further said on the interreligious relationship between the Muslims and Christians of Nigeria: “We have a hundred and ninety millions of citizens in Nigeria and ninety millions of them are Muslims. I dare say that we know the Muslims better than you, and so we know that the mutual coexistence can be trouble-free.

“In our country, it is common that even in one family there are people of different faiths, so Muslim is not a foreigner to us but an uncle, cousin or nephew. We can therefore distinguish between Muslims and Islamic terrorists, and we are not afraid that our neighbours, friends or collaborators confessing Islam will shoot and throw us into the air.”

A visit expands horizons Beyond his preaching and call for collaborative living at the Mene Tekel, Onaiyekan also reportedly visited two dioceses of the Czech Republic – the Praha Archdiocese where he was hosted by Duka and Plze Diocese where he was received by the

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˾ T H I S D AY THURSDAY˜ Ͱʹ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

FEATURES

Cardinal Onaiyekan (2nd right) at the Nostic Library

His energy is endless and admirable, his perception and memory are phenomenal. He got the heart of those who met him in the Czech Republic.

He is the great son of his nation

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Martin Stropnick (left) and Cardinal Onaiyekan

Bishop of Plze , Tomáš Holub.

According to an official note the embassy of Czech in Nigeria exchanged with THISDAY on this, Onaiyekan was also received by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Mr. Martin Stropnický; Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic, Mr. Ilja Šmíd as well as the Director of Foreign Relations

Department of the Office of the President of the Czech Republic, Ambassador Rudolf Jindrák, on behalf the President of the Czech Republic, Miloš Zeman.

The Cardinal equally visited a host of Czech’s most important historical monuments at Prague, and they included the Prague Castle and St. Peter and Paul Basilica and Royal Collegial Chapter at Vyšehrad.

It explained that the Royal Collegial Chapter was founded by the first Czech king, Vratislav II in 1083, while St. Peter and Paul Church was elevated to the level of Basilica Minor in 2000 by Nigeria’s cardinal priest, His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze.

Similarly, Onaiyekan reportedly celebrated several Masses, including at the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Vitus, Wenceslaus and

Adalbertus in Prague where he was said to have given his Mene Tekel Ecumenical Memorial Service speech in memory of the victims of totalitarian regimes and wars.

Beyond the message for tolerance, the embassy’s official note also noted that one of the important outcomes of the visit was an agreement with the Bishop Holub of Plze , to have two Nigerian priests start studies of Slavonic languages and martyrology of Central Europe in Czech.

The embassy further explained that Onaiyekan’s visit had become an important chapter in the history of Czech’s bilateral relationship with Nigeria.

Accordingly, the visit equally gave the people of Czech an opportunity to get to hear from a senior Nigerian leader, the challenges and interests of Nigeria.

The note quoted Dr. Petr Markvart, who planned the visit and programme to have said that: “Cardinal Onaiyekan radiates the natural authority and the genuine warm-heartedness at first glance.”

“His energy is endless and admirable, his perception and memory are phenomenal. He got the heart of those who met him in the Czech Republic. He is the great son of his nation,” added Markvart who hinted that the efforts put in by Czech’s ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Pavel Mikeš, to ensure the cardinal visited his country was immense.

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L-R: Chairman, Audiit Committee,Wema Bank Plc, Prince Adekunle Olodun; Partner, Assurance, Financial Services,Enerst &Young (EY), Mr. Sayo Elumaro; Regional Managing Partner, EY, West Africa, Henry Egbiki; and Member, Sterling Bank Audit Committee, Mrs. Christie Vincent- Uwalaka, at the EY audit committee forum in Lagos...recently.

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Quick Takes Paradigm Initiative Hosts Forum ĂœĂ™Ă— ĂšĂœĂ“Ă– ͰͲ Ě‹ Í°Í´Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍśËœ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ÓÞã Ă™Ă? ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ÚÖËã Ă’Ă™Ă?Ăž ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă‹Ă– Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ˜Ă?Ăž ĂœĂ?Ă?ÎÙ× Ă™ĂœĂ&#x;Ă— Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ Ă‹ĂœĂ‹ĂŽĂ“Ă‘Ă—

Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ&#x;Ă— Ă?Ù×Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ Ă“Ă—ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă˜Ăž ÞÓ×Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă?Ă˜ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă?ÎÙ× Ă™Ă˜Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ë› Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ Ă‹ĂœĂ‹ĂŽĂ“Ă‘Ă— Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă?Ëœ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă?Ě‹ĂŒĂ‹Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă™ĂœĂ&#x;Ă—Ëœ ˍÞÒĂ? Ă™ĂœĂ&#x;Ă— Ă’Ă?Ă–ĂšĂ? ĂŒĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ĘľĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ÞÙ Ă“Ă—ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă˜Ăž Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÎÓÑÓÞËÖ ĂœĂ“Ă‘Ă’ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă’ Ă‹Ă? ÎËÞË ĂšĂœĂ“Ă Ă‹Ă?ĂŁËœ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ˜Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă’Ă&#x;ĂžĂŽĂ™ĂĄĂ˜Ëœ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ˜Ă?ĂžËœ Ă‹Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă‘ ÙÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ?ËŹ Ă’Ă? Ă™ĂœĂ&#x;Ă—Ëœ Ùà Ă?Ăœ ÞÒĂ? ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă‘Ă‹Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ&#x;ĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă? ÞÒĂ? ÚÖËÞĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ— ĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă?âÚĂ?ĂœĂžĂ? ĂŽĂ?Ă–Ă“ĂŒĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ ÎÓÑÓÞËÖ ĂœĂ“Ă‘Ă’ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ùå Ă“Ă˜ Ă“ĂžĂ? ÞÒĂ? Ă?ÓâÞÒ Ă?ĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ ÞÒĂ? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂĄĂ?Ă–Ă?Ù×Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă–Ă?Ă‘Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă?Ù×Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă“ĂœĂžĂŁ Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ“Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‘Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹Ëœ Ă?Ă˜ĂŁĂ‹Ëœ Ă‹Ă—Ă“ĂŒĂ“Ă‹Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜Ă¤Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă‹Ëœ Ă™Ă&#x;ÞÒ Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ëœ Ă‹Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă™Ă‘Ă™Ëœ Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ĂŽĂ™Ă— Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ÞËÞĂ?Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă™ĂœĂ&#x;Ă— ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ ĂŒĂ? Ă–Ă“Ă Ă?Ě‹Ă?ĂžĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă—Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? åÒÙÖĂ? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ–ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ‹Ă‘Ă? Ă Ă“ĂœĂžĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă– ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ“Ă?Ă“ĂšĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ™Ăœ Ă™Ă? ĂœĂ™Ă‘ĂœĂ‹Ă—Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ‹ĂŽĂ“Ă‘Ă— Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă?Ëœ ÙÚĂ? Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ“ĂšĂ?Ëœ Ă?Ă‹Ă“ĂŽË? ËŤ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă“Ă—ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă˜Ăž ÚÖËÞĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ— ÞÙ ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? ÞÒËÞ ĂŒĂ™ĂžĂ’Ă?Ăœ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ě‹Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ăž

Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś Ă?Ùà Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă™Ă?Ăž ĂšĂ?ĂœĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă?Ă˜Ăž ÞÒĂ?Ă—Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ ÎÓÑÓÞËÖ ĂœĂ“Ă‘Ă’ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ë›

NB Plans HiLife Fest

BOOSTING TELECOMS SERVICES

L-R: Chairman, House Committee on Telecommunications, Hon. Saheed Fijabi; CEO Pinnacle Communications Ltd, Mr. Lucky Omoluwa; Director General, National Broadcasting Commission, Mr. Is’haq Modibbo Kawu; Hon. Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma; and CEO, CloudCover Distribution, Mr. Nick Dixon, at the launch of CloudCover MiďŹ Device in Abuja...recently

ATCON to FG: Implement Cybercrime Law to Check Destruction of Telecoms Facilities Stories by Emma Okonji Worried about the wanton destruction of telecoms facilities, particularly masts and towers by hoodlums and the incessant closure of telecoms sites by some state governments, the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), has called on the federal government to expedite action in the implementation of the country’s cybercrime law, which seeks to protect telecoms infrastructure.

The National Executive Council (NEC) of ATCON, led by its President, Mr. Olusola Teniola, made the appeal when members of the organisation

ECONOMY paid a courtesy visit to the Secretary to State Government (SSG) of Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, recently.

Teniola said that available record has shown that base stations are shut down by either local governments or state governments without any prior notice to service providers and this usually accounts for poor quality of telecoms services in Nigeria.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in collaboration with other stakeholders, has been working assiduously to put an end to this challenge.

Teniola said: “This is another challenge that has impeded the growth of the sector in the sense that some miscreants have turned it to their businesses to destroy telecoms masts and towers. The cybercrime law treats telecoms infrastructure as a critical national infrastructure in Nigeria but it is yet to be implemented.�

The ATCON NEC members also drew the attention of the Secretary to the State Government of Akwa Ibom State to broadband policy of the state, which they said, was necessary for the acceleration of telecoms infrastructure development of the state.

Commending Governor Em-

manuel Udom for appointing Ekuwem as the new SSG of Akwa Ibom State, Teniola said it was a good choice, given the pedigree of Ekuwem, who served as President of ATCON some years ago. “ATCON is fully aware that his appointment is based on his extraordinary pedigree as a thorough bred technocrat, professional and a promoter of human relations with sterling leadership quality. We are confident that he is more than equal to the task ahead of him,�

ATCON NEC members told the members of Akwa Ibom State Cabinet present during Continued on page 24

Ezekwesili Faults FG on Human Rights Violation, Backs Mobile App Launch A former Vice President of the World Bank and human rights activist, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili has condemned federal government’s bid to stop the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) advocacy campaign, describing it as gross violation of human rights.

This is just as she gave her full support for the launch of human rights mobile app tagged, ‘Know Your Right Nigeria’, which was fully funded by the US Consulate in Nigeria.

Speaking at the relaunch of the digital mobile app at the US Consulate in Lagos

ECONOMY on Tuesday, Ezekwesili said the use of the Police by the federal government to clamp down on BBOG Movement is a gross violation of human rights and negates the true democracy.

She insisted that the action of the federal government must be vehemently resisted by all Nigerians.

According to her, many citizens do not know their rights and often fall victims of police brutality. She therefore said the new mobile app would help Nigerians know their rights and always stand to defend

their rights.

Developer of the app, Mr. Adeola Austin Oyinlade said the mobile app became necessary to help Nigerians, especially the less privilege, to know their rights. According to him, the app was first launched in 2016 in English version only, but has now been expanded and translated into four other languages, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and Pidgin.

The mobile app, which comes free of charge, can be downloaded from Google Play Store, Apple Store, or through the web application. The beauty of the app is that it could be

used offline without data, after it must have been downloaded into. mobile phone with Android Operating System or the iOS, Oyelade said.

The app is easy to navigate and has over 50 lawyers that have signed on to the app to provide free legal services to Nigerians and non-Nigerians residing in Nigerian, on human rights matters only.

A former Dean of Law, University of Lagos, Professor Oyelowo Oyewo, who spoke at the launch of the new app, also commended the app developer Continued on page 24

Ă’Ă? Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜ ĂœĂ?ĂĄĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă?Ăž ÞÙ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂžĂ’Ă?Ăœ ĂŽĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ?ĂœĂžĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂœĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă™Ă&#x;ÞÒ Ă‹Ă?Ăž åÓÞÒ Ă‹ Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ Ă’Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă? Ă?Ù×ÚĂ?ĂžĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒËÞ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™ĂĄ Ă&#x;Ăš Ă˜Ă?ĂĄ ÞËÖĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ë› Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ Ă‹ Ă?ÞËÞĂ?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁËœ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ù××Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă’Ă&#x;ĂŒ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă™Ă&#x;ÞÒ Ă‹Ă?ĂžËœ Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ?Ă’Ă‹ ÑÙÞ Ă‹ ÞËĂ?ĂžĂ? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă“ Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă?ĂžËœ ÞÒĂ?Ă—Ă?ĂŽËœ ËŠ Ă’Ă? Ù×ÚÖĂ?ĂžĂ? âÚĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?ËŞËœ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁËœ ĂĄĂ’Ă?Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ù×ÚĂ?ĂžĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ĂœĂ?Ă“Ă‘Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ‹Ă– ĂœĂ“ĂžĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă Ă‹Ă–Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă‘ĂŒĂ™Ă? ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂžËœ Ă‹Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ‹Ă– Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă?ĂœËœ Ă?Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽ Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă? ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă“Ă‘ĂŒĂ™ ĂœĂ™ĂžĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă“ĂšĂ?ĂŁ Ă?Ă–Ă Ă‹Ă˜Ă™Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ Ă“Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă’Ă“ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă–Ă‹Ă Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ ÞÒĂ? Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ™ Ă’Ă“Ăš ÚÙÚ Ă’Ă“Ă—Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ÞÒÓĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă‘Ă“Ă™Ă˜ ĂĄĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁĂ“ ĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă• Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜ĂŁ Ă˜Ă™Ă?Ă’Ă&#x;Ă•ĂĄĂ&#x; ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă–Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă™ĂŒĂ“ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ‹Ă– Ă‘ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ăš Ă?Ă‹Ă—Ă? ÞÙÚĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă›Ă&#x;ËÖÓʨĂ?ĂŽ ÞÙ ĂŒĂ? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă›Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂœĂžĂ?ĂœĘ¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ‹Ă– ĂŽĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă‘Ă™ĂœĂŁË› Ă’Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ ĂĄĂ‹Ă? Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă‹Ă?ĂŁ Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ‹Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă“Ă—ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă– Ă™Ă? Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă Ă“ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ? Ă‘Ă&#x;ÓäĂ?Ëœ Ăœ Ă“Ă?ÒÙÖËĂ? Ă•Ă‹Ă?Ëœ Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă”Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă? Ě‹ Ă“Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă?Ă– ĂŽĂ&#x;ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă“Ă?Ă“ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ëœ ĂœĂ“Ă‘Ă’Ăž Ă’Ă“Ă—Ă?äÓĂ?Ë› Ă’Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ?Ă’Ă‹ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă˜Ă™ĂĄ Ă”Ă™Ă“Ă˜ Ă’Ă&#x;Ă•ĂĄĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ“ Ă‘ĂŒĂ™Ă—Ëœ Ă—Ă—Ă‹ Ă‘ĂŒĂ™Ă— Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ‹ĂŒĂ&#x;äÙ ĂŽĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă‘ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;ĂšËœ ĂĄĂ’Ă™ Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă?Ă‹ĂŒĂ‹Ëœ ËÖËÚÓ Ă”Ă&#x;Ă•Ă‹Ëœ Ă?Ă–Ă Ă“Ă˜ Ă—Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă?Ă– Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹ĂŁĂ™ ĂŽĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă‘ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;ĂšËœ ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— Ă™ĂœĂžĚ‹Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂž Ă‹Ă–Ă™Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ? ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂœĂ‹ Ă•Ă?Ă?Ă’Ă&#x;Ă•ĂĄĂ&#x;Ëœ Ă˜Ă&#x;ÙÒË Ă’Ă“Ă–Ă“Ăš Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂ? ĂĄĂ’Ă™ Ă?Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ‘Ă?ĂŽ ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă‘Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ‹Ëœ Ă‹Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ě‹ Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă?Ăž ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă˜ ×Ùà Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă˜ ÞÙ ĂĄĂ?ĂœĂœĂ“Ëœ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă•Ă•Ă‹ Ęś ĂŒĂ‹Ă•Ă‹Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă“Ë›

Funplex Event Centre for Inauguration Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă?ĂŽ Ă’ĂœĂ&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŁĂ?ĂžĂ?Ă—Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ Ă“Ă—Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă›Ă&#x;Ă? ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁ Ă™Ă? ĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂ‹Ăœ Ă“Ă? ÚÙÓĂ?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ù××ÓĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ Ă“ĂžĂ? Ă?ÞËÞĂ? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂž Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ? Ě‹ ËŠ Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂšĂ–Ă?â Ă Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ?ËŞ åÓÞÒ Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă’Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă? Ă‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? ÞÙ Ă?Ă“Ăž Í°ÍŽÍŽÍŽ Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ?Ë› Ă’Ă? Ă?Ù×ÚÖĂ?â ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă?Ă’ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă Ă?Ă“Ă–Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒÓĂ? ĂĄĂ?Ă?Ă• Ă“Ă? Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă–Ă™Ă˜Ă‘ ĂœĂ™Ă‹ĂŽËœ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™ĂŽĂ™Ëœ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă?Ë› Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă˜Ă‹Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ™Ăœ Ă™Ă? Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă?ĂŽ Ă’ĂœĂ&#x;Ă?Ăž Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŁĂ?ĂžĂ?Ă—Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ Ă“Ă—Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂŽËœ ĂœË› Ă—Ă?Ă•Ă‹ ĂĄĂ‹Ă?Ă“Ă•Ă?Ëœ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă?ÓÖÓÞã ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂ“Ă‘Ă‘Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă—Ă™Ă?Ăž Ă?ÚËĂ?Ă“Ă™Ă&#x;Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă? Ă?ÞËÞĂ?Ë› Ă? Ă‹ĂŽĂŽĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ? Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă‹ ĂŒĂ“Ă‘Ě‹Ă?Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?ÚËĂ?Ă? åÓÞÒ ×ÙÎĂ?ĂœĂ˜ Ă?Ă›Ă&#x;ÓÚ×Ă?Ă˜Ăž ÞÒËÞ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă’Ă™Ă?Ăž ĂŽĂ“ĘĽĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă•Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ? Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™ĂœĂšĂ™ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ë› ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂž Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ÞÒĂ? Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă˜ Ă’Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ëœ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?Ù×ÚÖĂ?â Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ ĂŒĂ™Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ? Ă™Ă? ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ Ă—Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂœĂ™Ă™Ă—Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă—Ă‹ Ă’Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‘ĂŁĂ—Ë›

“The federal government is currently working on an initiative to take Information Technology (IT) challenges to tertiary institutions, designed to groom the best tech innovators among students�

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

24

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°Í´Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

ATCON TO FG: IMPLEMENT CYBERCRIME LAW TO CHECK DESTRUCTION OF TELECOMS FACILITIES the visit.

In his response, Ekuwem said he was very pleased to receive members of the ATCON NEC led by Teniola.

He however said as a technocrat, he understood the importance of telecommunications in the country, hence on assumption of duty as the new SSG to the Government of Akwa Ibom, he invited all the telecoms companies to find out their challenges. He explained that to his greatest surprise, the telecoms companies in the state said the state has been very cooperative and there had been no incidence of multiple taxation and no harassment from the state.

He further stated that the government of Akwa Ibom State knew the importance of broadband, as 10 per cent broadband penetration is equivalent to 1.3 per cent increase in GDP. The state plans to connect all the local governments in the state through broadband and IPTVs are being installed in all government offices to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the state, Ekuwem said.

EZEKWESILI FAULTS FG ON HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION, BACKS MOBILE APP LAUNCH and the convener of the app launch event, while explaining the need for Nigerians to understand the Nigerian Constitution, which he said, has sections that promote human rights and human dignity.

Keynote Speaker at the launch, and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Dapo Olanipekun, highlighted the need for Nigerians to understand their rights as citizens and do everything possible not to violate the rights and privileges of a citizen, as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.

In his remarks, the US Consul General, Mr. John Bray, commended Oyinlade and the work he has done to strengthen respect and support for the protection of human rights in Nigeria.

Oracle Lists Technology Myths for 2018 Innovation in Nigeria Emma Okonji Oracle, a global technology solution company has come up with three technology myths Nigerian firms should bust to drive innovation in 2018 and beyond.

Managing Director, Oracle Nigeria, Mr. Adebayo Sanni, who dropped the hint recently, listed the three technology myths to include Short Term Thinking, Competitive Landscape and Innovation.

According to him, companies should deliver innovation to remain competitive, which is easier said than done. Citing Oracle’s recent research, which found out that 72 per cent of businesses agree that migrating infrastructure to the cloud makes it easier to innovate, with only 36 per cent actively doing so, Sanni said Nigerian businesses must begin to work out ways that will make them competitive in 2018 and beyond.

Nigeria has only recently emerged from its first economic recession in more than two decades, which has seen many organisations re-look their Information Technology (IT) spend and question what technology is right for their business, while reducing cost.

This has allowed for improved cloud uptake and plenty of room for growth, with Nigeria now expected to surpass South Africa and Kenya in terms of cloud adoption this year, Sanni said. “Today, the Nigerian economy is bolstered by a thriving small to medium

enterprise (SME) community that makes up over 90 per cent of the market, with many engaging in business that can only be made possible through cloud technology. Good news for entrepreneurs and poststartup companies is that Endeavor, the global startup organisation, has launched an office in Nigeria in February. It selects, mentors and accelerates high-impact entrepreneurs that are poised to scale their businesses,� Sanni said.

According to him, one of the main drivers of cloud adoption, besides benefits

such as cost and speed to market, is the government’s vision to become one of the largest economies in the world by 2020. A bold goal, but one that’s being driven by a clear focus on digital adoption and the use of innovative, accessible and modern tools.

Emphasising on the three key myths that stand in the way of transformative innovation, which businesses must dispel to become truly innovative, Sanni said the first myth, which is Short-term thinking is the enemy of innovation.

Business decision mak-

ers are often told to avoid narrow-minded thinking.

While short-term thinking can slow progress, quick goals are the friend of innovation.

Indeed, many of the world’s most successful innovators use the short sprint cycles of agile methodology to develop new applications and roll updates out at lightning speed, Sanni said.

Expatiating on the second myth, Sani said while business decision makers work to keep close tabs on the market, today’s competitive landscape is constantly shifting. In this

constantly evolving competitive landscape, businesses must expect the unexpected and maintain a keen focus on advancing their agility from every angle, he advised.

About innovation, which is the third myth, Sanni said: “There’s no shortcut to innovation, and companies must invest in their most important resource – human capital. Investing in the team’s knowledge and expertise to build up their own methods of cloud solution development is the most sustainable way of working,� he said.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE

President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Olusola Teniola (left) and Secretary to State Government (SSG) of Akwa Ibom, Dr. Emmanuel EďŹƒong Ekuwem, during a courtesy visit to the SSG by ATCON NEC members in Uyo...recently

APCON Gives Unlicensed Advertising Agencies Ultimatum to Comply Raheem Akingbolu Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) has resolved to take on advertising agencies that are operating in Nigeria but are not licensed.

The council has therefore issued a warning that agencies that are not re-licensed by Tuesday, next week will face the music.

APCON which is yet to have a board after three years due to the delay by the Presidency, also warned that advertisers who patronise and engage unlicensed agencies for business are working against the law and will be prosecuted. To avoid confusion on licensed or un-licensed firms, the Council

through its Ag Registrar/CEO Ijedi Iyoha promised to make the list public. She also assured that the council will inform Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, ADVAN and other relevant stakeholders on its resolve to prosecute un-licensed agencies after May 1, 2018. “The question is for how long we will keep condoning those that are not willing to be licensed. We met as a committee and we agreed that come May 1, 2018, we will come up with publication of those that have been licensed and those that are yet to be licensed. “We are saying that it is now illegal for advertisers to engage agencies that are not

registered with APCON for any advertising business. We expect them to make use of those that are duly and legally registered with APCON. The advertisers will be sanctioned if we find them wanting because it will be illegal business�, Iyoha said.

Iyoha stepped in as Ag Registrar early this year following the retirement of former Registrar/ CEO, Bello Kankaroffi.

She encouraged all the agencies to come to APCON and check their corporate status for membership. According to her, the aim of re-licensing is to sanitise the industry going forward. On his part, the Chairman of Corporate Licensing Committee, Lekan Fadalapo,

who is also the Executive Director/CEO, Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) said the committee has inspected about 200 agencies which is about 80 percent of all the agencies in the creative, media specialists and out of home business since April last year towards sensitising them on the need for re-licencing.

So far, some have complied, he said. He explained that the licensing is in two categories.

There is Window A for agencies who are members of recognised sectoral group and Window B for those who are not members of any sectoral group.

Lekan, who expressed regret that the business of advertising

has suffered unethical practices, said there is need for sanity in the industry, pointing out that the council has shifted the goal post for the implementation of this reform up to three times. “It was initially scheduled for October last year, but stakeholders appealed to APCON to give them three months. In December, we had another meeting and they requested for another three months to regularise their registration�, he said.

He said if the reform of 2013, including the re-licensing is properly implemented, it has the potential to create over 200,000 jobs for Nigeria in the next one year.

mSurvey Secures $3.5m ‘Series A’ Investment Emma Okonji Group Business Editor

Ă’Ă“Ă•Ă‹ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă¤Ă?Ě‹ ĂĄĂ‹Ă?Ă’Ă&#x;Ă•Ă&#x; AgriBusiness/Industry Editor

Ă™Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ’Ă‹Ă˜ äĂ?

Comms/e-Business Editor

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

ÙÎÎã Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?

Senior Correspondent

Ă‹Ă’Ă?Ă?Ă— Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ĂŒĂ™Ă–Ă&#x; (Advertising) Correspondents

Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽĂ&#x; äĂ? (Aviation) Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹ ĂœĂ™Ă•Ă? (Labour) ĂœĂ™Ă—Ă™Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă? ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜ (Maritime) ÔÓÙĂ?Ă™Ăœ Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă? (Energy) Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă?ÔÙ (Nation’s Capital) ĂŒĂ“Ă˜Ă˜Ă‹ Ă’Ă“Ă—Ă‹ (Money Mkt) Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă—Ă? Ă•Ă‹Ă?Ă™Ăœ (Energy) Reporters

Ă&#x;Ă—Ă? Ă•Ă?Ă‘Ă’Ă? (Money Market) Ă™Ă?Ă‹ Ă–Ă?Ă•Ă’Ă&#x;ÙÑÓĂ? (Cap Mkt)

mSurvey, the mobile-first consumer feedback platform for businesses and consumers in Africa, has said that it has secured a ‘Series A’ round of $3.5 million, led by Africa focused venture firm TLcom Capital with investment from Social Capital, Kapor Capital, Golden Palm, and Richard Owen; founding team of Net Promoter Score (NPS).

This follows Seed Investment rounds from Cross Culture Ventures, Alpha Angels and Safaricom’s Spark Venture Fund. The investment will enable the company to continue building out its infrastructure and partnerships, in order to

scale and expand into more African countries.

Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, and with a recently launched office in Lagos, Nigeria, mSurvey leads the way in developing in-depth understanding into the African consumer, gathering real-time insights via mobile SMS conversations with its Voice of the Customer and Consumer Wallet products, as well as through its successful launch of Net Promoter Score in Africa.

Last year alone, the company conducted over 12 million conversations with consumers on the continent and works with businesses such as Commercial Bank of Africa, Kenya Commercial Bank, Safaricom, Airtel,

Java House, Liberty Insurance, and Britam as well as US-based companies and institutions including Harvard, Emory and CNN. mSurvey is the first to bring increased visibility and understanding of the African consumer, coupled with twoway conversations between businesses and their customers.

Over 66 per cent of Africa’s economic activity takes place in the informal sector, making it challenging for any business to understand who their customer really is, and hindering the analysis of feedback. Through partnerships with leading mobile network operators, mSurvey is able to comprehensively map a customer’s journey through

every single touchpoint, allowing businesses to identify any weak spots that exist within their product or service delivery, directly from the source; the customer.

The co-Founder and CEO of mSurvey, Dr. Kenfield Griffith, said: “Completing our Series A round allows us to tackle this difficult, yet enormous opportunity that exists in connecting African consumers with businesses to develop trust, and ensuring that millions more two-way conversations can take place each year. African consumers will be spending $2.1 trillion a year on consumer goods by 2025, a growth rate of 4.5 per cent. We see mSurvey as

a strategic partner for thousands of companies who are part of this growth trajectory.� “mSurvey is enabling the supply side of the vast underserved consumer markets in Africa to have a much better understanding of their customers. Large corporates and SMEs desperately need more data on the African consumer to serve a growing demand that is only reachable via the mobile platform. This is a unique business proposition with the potential of scaling quickly and transforming the way African consumers are finally understood and properly served.� said Andreata Muforo, Partner at TLcom Capital, who is joining the board of mSurvey.

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T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°Í´Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

NIN Now Requirement for Land Allocation in FCT Emma Okonji The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has made the National Identification Number (NIN) mandatory for land allocation within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

This was made known by the FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello during a recent courtesy visit to the minister by the Director General, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Aliyu Aziz.

The minister stated the need for every land allocated to be matched to an individual through the NIN, in order to track and prevent multiple al-

locations of land and ensure fairness and equity in the allocation process. He commended the NIMC boss for the astronomical increase in enrollment figures and measures he has put in place to ensure safety of data of Nigerians and legal residents in the National Identity database (NIDB) while ensuring credibility and integrity of data collected by NIMC. Aziz also commended the ongoing harmonisation efforts, noting that it is a step in the right direction to check duplication of functions among data collecting agencies. In his response, Aziz, thanked

the minister for the steps he has taken so far to ensure the success of the National Identity Management System, and assured the minister of a continued collaboration for the success of both organisations.

He also made it known that the NIMC Act makes the NIN mandatory for every citizen and legal resident and is already being implemented by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), National Insurance Scheme (NIS), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other government agencies as a basic requirement for offering government services.

Market Research Academy Berths in Lagos Stories by Raheem Akingbolu Market Research Academy, a new initiative by industry experts led by an Economist, Doyin Salami, who is chairman of the Advisory Board, has been established in Lagos to bridge the knowledge gap in Nigeria’s consultancy business.

The Academy, established last year and based in Ikeja is also designed to technically equip and assist fresh graduates who find it difficult to fit into work places. The academy seen as an interventionist move to close the widening knowledge gap in Nigeria’s consultancy business will also upscale the skills of practitioners especially as the market becomes more dynamic.

“Market Research Academy Lagos is a professionally run academy by industry marketing practitioners for marketing researchers. From our state of the art purposely fitted training facilities within a serene environment; we run ‘outcome’ oriented programs.

Our model is simple: we invite facilitators with hands on proven knowledge of different target topics to teach and we then leverage a central advisory board to censor and push the envelope via inclusion of new approaches and methodologies�, Seyi Adeoye, the programme director said.

Some of the programmes include Graduate Launch, which is graduate level training programme.

According to Adeoye, this exciting program is for graduates looking to develop a career in marketing research,

persons responsible for marketing research at different organisations, marketing managers with recently expanded portfolios which include marketing research and any person looking for solid foundation in marketing research.

He also stated that attendees will have ample opportunity to exchange views and experiences with each other and faculty members in the state of the art classroom provided by the centre.

On what to expect at the training, Adeoye pointed out that leading experts from industry and academy will share their knowledge and experience in designing, implementing, interpreting, and reporting quality marketing research that drives strategy and business growth.

eBusiness Life Celebrates Girls in ICT Systemspecs, Vodacom Business Nigeria, New Horizons and VDT Communications have signed on to be part of the forthcoming 7th Edition of the International Girls in ICT Day Celebration being organised by eBusiness Life Communication Limited, publishers of eBusiness Life Magazine.

The event which is scheduled to hold in Lagos on May 3,

2018, is part of a global campaign to encourage young girls to delve into Information and Communications Technology (ICT) as a profession and contribute their quota to the growth of the industry in Nigeria while also actualising self-development.

International Girls’ in ICT Day is an initiative launched through ITU Resolution 70 with the idea of creating a global

environment that will empower and encourage girls and young women to consider careers in the field of information and communication technologies.

In the past six years, eBusiness Life had organised the event annually in Nigeria, gathering young girls from different schools, to educate and sensitise them on the opportunities inherent in a profession in ICT.

APRA Advocates Participatory Survey on Reputation To deepen reputational management and understanding, the African Public Relations Association and Reputation Matters have aligned to conduct a survey of ethics and reputation, across the entire African continent.

APRA said that all chief executive officers, managing directors, managers as well as public relations managers and officers working in Africa could participate in the online survey The organisation stated that the survey would yield results regarding how ethics and reputation impact decision making and behaviour at three different levels of the individual, organisation and country.

The Managing Director,

Reputation Matters, Regine le Roux, said, “Measuring Africa’s reputation and ethics is an enormous task, which requires input from as many leaders as possible across Africa. The more respondents who complete the survey, the more valuable our research results will be. “We encourage every African leader, from any sphere of work, be it politics, business, non-profit or otherwise, to complete the survey online before the deadline of Friday, April 13, 2018.� According to the APRA President, Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, the theme for the annual conference is ‘Re-Presenting Africa’.

He stated that the association felt strongly that Africans

needed to take control of creating the narrative about their continent rather than letting others tell their story for them.

Badejo-Okusanya said: “To do this, we need a strong base of evidence of which to work and we are confident that this survey will provide important insights into this starting point. “Ethics and reputation are issues that affect each one of us as individuals, every organisation and every government every day, and this survey is structured to give us results across these three dimensions. We look forward to sharing them at the APRA Botswana 2018 and beyond.

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT OLODU KEONYEDI

The Habit of Household Budgeting One of the biggest ways to be successful with your money is knowing where your money goes each month.

Every nation including Nigeria begins their ďŹ nancial year with a budget; major organĂ“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ËšĂ?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă–Ă?Ę° Ă™Ă&#x;ĂžËœ ÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă? always a budget for everything they do. But ĂĄĂ’Ă?Ă˜ Ă“Ăž Ă?Ù×Ă?Ă? ÞÙ Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă– Ă–Ă“Ă Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ? ĂžĂ?Ă˜ĂŽ to run our family expenses without any budget.

One of the most diďŹƒcult things to do when setting up a family budget for the ďŹ rst time is to ďŹ gure out how much you should spend in Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă’ Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă‘Ă™ĂœĂŁË› Ă’Ă? åÒÙÖĂ? ĂšĂ&#x;ĂœĂšĂ™Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă‹ ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă?Ăž is to set your spending habits straight and to bring you back into line whenever you miss your way.

Percentages of Household Spending Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă“Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă–ĂŁ Ă‹ Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă“ĂŽĂ? ÞÒËÞ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă’Ă?Ă–Ăš ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ÞÙ Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? your own budget; your percentages may vary from our guide due to the size of your famĂ“Ă–ĂŁËœ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă‹ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă–Ă“Ă Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ę¨Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– goals are.

CATEGORY: Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ‹Ă‘Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă–Ă– ĂšĂ?Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ě™Ă—Ă™ĂœĂžĂ‘Ă‹Ă‘Ă?ËšĂœĂ?Ă˜ĂžĚš ͓͖͔͖̋ϯ ÞÓÖÓÞÓĂ?Ă? ̙åËÞĂ?ĂœËœ ÚÙåĂ?ĂœËœ Ęś Ă‘Ă‹Ă?Ěš Í–Ě‹Í’Í‘ĎŻ ĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ě™Ă?Ă‹Ăœ ÚËã×Ă?Ă˜ĂžËœ Ă‹Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă?Ěš

Í’Í‘Ě‹Í’Í–ĎŻ Ă?ËÖÞÒĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ?

Í–Ě‹Í’Í‘ĎŻ Food

Í’Í‘Ě‹Í’Í–ĎŻ Clothing

Í–Ě‹Í’Í‘ĎŻ Saving

Í’Í‘Ě‹Í’Í–ĎŻ Investment

Í’Í‘Ě‹Í“Í‘ĎŻ Education/training/seminars

Í–Ě‹Í’Í‘ĎŻ Ă“Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘

Í’Í‘Ě‹Í’Í–ĎŻ Miscellaneous

Í–Ě‹Í’Í‘ĎŻ We will be discussing about some of the different categories of the household budget.

FOODË? Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă‘Ă™ĂœĂŁ Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŒĂ? ĂœĂ?ÖËÞÓà Ă?Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă—Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă™Ăœ Ă Ă?ĂœĂŁ Ă–Ă‹ĂœĂ‘Ă? ĂŽĂ?ĂšĂ?Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ÓäĂ? Ă™Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă—Ă“Ă–ĂŁËœ your location and income level. If this is your ďŹ rst time of budgeting then we recommend ÞÒËÞ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂž ĂŒĂŁ Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Í’Í‘Ě‹Í’Í–ĎŻ Ă™Ă? your monthly income on food.

Studies have shown that lower income families spend a lot more money on food as a percentage of their overall budget than that of a higher income family.

If you notice that you are spending more than ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹Ă—Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă–ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ù×Ă?Ëœ Ă–Ă?Þ˪Ă? Ă?Ă‹ĂŁ ͔͑ϯ Ă™Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă–ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ù×Ă?Ëž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ either cut your spending or get another source of income to supplement your salary.

HOUSING: Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă‘Ă™ĂœĂŁ Ă“Ă? ÞãÚÓĂ?Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ ÞÒĂ? Ă–Ă‹ĂœĂ‘est monthly expense; it is advisable to spend a ďŹ xed percentage of your income on housing.

It is generally recommended to spend about of Í“Í–ĎŻ Ă™Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă–ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă™Ă˜ ĂœĂ?Ă˜ĂžË› Ă?Þ˪Ă? Ă?Ă‹ĂŁ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Ă“Ă? ͒͑͑˜͑͑͑ ĂšĂ?Ăœ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ëœ ÞÒĂ?Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ăž ĂšĂ?Ăœ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’ Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ? ͓͖˜͑͑͑˜ Ă?Ă™ Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ ĂŁĂ?Ă‹Ăœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ? ĂšĂ‹ĂŁĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ͔͑͑˜͑͑͑ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ—Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă–Ă“Ă Ă? Ă“Ă˜Ë›

But if you are living in an apartment that cost ͗͑͑˜͑͑͑ ĂšĂ?Ăœ ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœËž ÞÒÓĂ? Ă—Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă? ÞÒËÞ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?ĂšĂ?Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Í–Í‘ĎŻ Ă™Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă–ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă™Ă˜ Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ë› Ă™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?ÙÖà Ă? ÞÒÓĂ? Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ÞåÙ means; either you look for another source of income to make up for the balance or you look for a place that would not cost you more than Í“Í–ĎŻ Ă™Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă‹ĂœĂŁË› TRANSPORTATION: Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă‘Ă™ĂœĂŁ ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă Ă‹ĂœĂŁ ĂŽĂ?ĂšĂ?Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă˜ ĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă–Ă“Ă Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă?ÞÒĂ?Ăœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă‹ Ă–Ă™Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ù××Ă&#x;ĂžĂ? ÞÙ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂœĂ™ ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ëœ Ă™Ăœ Ă“Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; have your own car or not. Ă’Ă“Ă? ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ÞËÕĂ? Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă™Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ăœ ÚËã×Ă?Ă˜ĂžËœ Ă‘Ă‹Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ă‹Ăœ ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ‹Ă“Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëž Ă“Ăž Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ also include your transport fare if you will be using public transport.

Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ù××Ă?Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ? Í’Í‘Ě‹ Í’Í–ĎŻ Ă™Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă–ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă™Ă˜ ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ and you can adjust as the need arise.

HEALTH: this is one category most Nigerians ÚËãĂ? Ă–Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă‹ĘľĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă˜ Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă– ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă•Ëœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; may never know when you may need to go to ÞÒĂ? ĂŽĂ™Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœË› Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ù××Ă?Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Í–Ě‹Í’Í‘ĎŻ of your budget to health.

I would advise that everyone should visit the Ă˜Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– Ă?ËÖÞÒ Ă˜Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă?Ă—Ă? Ě™ Ěš ÙʊĂ?Ă?Ëž ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă‹ĘĽĂ™ĂœĂŽĂ‹ĂŒĂ–Ă? health insurance packages. One of such packĂ‹Ă‘Ă? Ă“Ă? ÞÒĂ? à ÙÖĂ&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂŁ Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ“ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ÚËĂ?Ă•Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ëœ åÓÞÒ Ă”Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ͖͒˜͑͑͑ Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŒĂ? Ă?Ùà Ă?ĂœĂ?ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹ åÒÙÖĂ? ĂŁĂ?Ă‹ĂœË› Ă&#x;Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?ÞÓÖÖ Ă Ă“Ă?Ă“Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă™Ă?ďŹ ce for the current price and further enquiries.

SAVING: Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă“Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă—Ă‹Ă”Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă‘Ă™ĂœĂŁ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? household budgeting; we recommend allocatĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Í’Í‘Ě‹Í’Í–ĎŻ Ă™Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă–ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ù×Ă? Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ă‹Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ë› Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ?Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ë? Ă?Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂŒĂ“Ă‘ ĂšĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă’Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ?ËÖÞÒ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă“Ă–ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ Ă?Ă™ ĂĄĂ’Ă?Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ëœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă™Ă˜ while you are saving.

I always recommend you to save your money in an interest bearing account and my preferred interest bearing account is the money market account.

GIVING: Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă“Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă‹ ĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă—Ă™Ă?Ăž Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“ans hardly budget for. Due to the fact that you are working and receiving salary; most of your friends and family members would want to have a piece of that salary.

Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂŽĂ™Ă˜ËŞĂž ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă?Ăž ĂĄĂ?Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă“ĂžËœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă?âÒËĂ&#x;Ă?Ăž your salary on trying to help every family member in need. Ă™ ĂĄĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ù××Ă?Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Í’Í‘ĎŻ Ă™Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă‹ĂœĂŁ Ă™Ă˜ Ă‘Ă“Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ëž Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă? ÞÒĂ? Í’Í‘ĎŻ Ă“Ă? Ă?âÒËĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒËÞ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă?Ă‹Ă—Ă“Ă–ĂŁ Ă—Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ coming for help should be moved to the next month.

Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ Ă‹ ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă?Ăž Ă‘Ă“Ă Ă?Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ™Ă– Ùà Ă?Ăœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă—Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂŁËœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂĄĂ’Ă?Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ă‹ ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă’ Ă—Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂ’Ëœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‘Ă?Ăž ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂœĂ“Ă Ă“Ă–Ă?Ă‘Ă? Ă™Ă? ĂžĂ?Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ your paycheck where to go instead of wondering where it went.

Before starting your household budgeting you must have the habit of ďŹ rst setting a ďŹ Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– ÑÙËÖ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ë› Ă™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă”Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă•Ă? Ă™Ă? ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ‘Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă˜Ă–ĂŁËœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ goal for budgeting could be to have enough Ă?Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă‹Ă Ă?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžËœ Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă˘ĂžĂœĂ‹ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă’ ÞÙ Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂž Ă‹ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă Ă?Ăœ Ă“Ăž Ă“Ă?Ëœ you must determine your ďŹ nancial goal.

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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Umunakwe: Innovation in Mobile Phones Will Revolutionise Businesses, Lifestyle General Manager, HMD Global, West, East and Central Africa, Mr. Joseph Umunakwe, spoke to Emma Okonji on the new digital revolution driving Nokia mobile phones.

Excerpts: consumers get the latest updates in terms of security and innovation, all designed to delight our consumers.

Nigerians have enjoyed 3G mobile phone devices, 4G mobile phone devices and they are looking forward to enjoying 5G mobile phone devices. To what extent are you in line with consumers’ taste and choice of lifestyle?

We have launched our mobile devices on 3G and 4G technologies. The recent launch on the latest Android Operating System are all driven by 4G technology and as consumers’ taste increase for new technology, Nokia will always innovate in line with consumers taste and lifestyle. We will always ensure that consumers have access to the best and latest technology because this is crucial for us as a brand.

What is the relationship between HMD Global and Nokia mobile phones?

HMD Global is headquartered in Espoo, Finland, and it is the home of Nokia phones. HMD designs and markets a range of smartphones and feature phones targeted at a range of consumers and price points. With a commitment to innovation and quality, HMD is the proud exclusive licensee of the Nokia brand for phones and tablets globally.

Nokia unveiled new sets of mobile phones at the recently concluded Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. What informed the release and who are the target audience?

Our zeal for innovation is driving us in the release of our latest mobile phone devices. What informed the launch could be captured in two ways. Firstly, we are expanding our portfolio in Nigeria through the release of three new devices into the Nigerian market. The devices are Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 6 and Nokia 1 smartphones. The Nokia 7 Plus smartphone brand is a flagship phone with great and exciting performance.

Secondly, we are making a new statement on our partnership with Google to bring secured and up to date android on our mobile phones.

We are also bringing back the old Nokia 8110, which is a feature phone and a 4G device.

Three new sets of Nokia smartphones were announced at the Mobile World Congress, but only two of them, the Nokia 7 Plus and the Nokia 1 were recently made available in Nigeria. What could have informed this decision?

We have Nokia fans all over the world, including Nigeria and we promise to give our fans good experience with our mobile phones that are loaded with modern technologies that will revolutionise businesses and lifestyles of our customers. We just launched the Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 6, and Nokia 1 smartphones and we are also coming up with our feature phone, which is the Nokia 8110. Just recently we released the Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 1 smartphones into the Nigeria market, and these smartphone come with modern technology that is built around quality, durability and ease of use. They all run on the latest secured and up to date Android Operating System.

What are the unique features of the Nokia phones, considering the fact that your competitors are also innovating to woo more customers?

Nokia is a brand known for outstanding innovation and we will continue to build on our innovation. We are passionate about solving consumers’ challenges and at the same time delighting them through our cutting-edge mobile phone technology. So, one of the unique features about these new phones is that we are bringing a new level of imaging technology to bear on our smart devices. We are extending our partnership to enable us deliver direct image capabilities on the mobile phones. For example, the Nokia 7 Plus is coming with Pro-Camera mode that allows customers to use the camera in a more professional way. We are also bringing two camera lenses together at the same time to enable customers produce images in the form of photos that are true to life. With the inbuilt technology in Nokia 7 Plus, customers can tell their own story with true life photos that will be produced from the camera phone. We are also committed to the Android Operating System that allows customers to have great feel about our latest Nokia mobile phones. The unique differentiator is that the Android Operating System we have deployed is upgradeable and allows customers to get the highest and latest version of Android Operating System.

What value will the new Nokia mobile phones add to customer experience in the area of aesthetics?

Looking at HMD Global from the global perspective, what kind of partnership do you have, to successfully push the Nokia brand into the hands of consumers?

HMD Global, as a global brand, has a unique partnership module. Zeiss Optics is one of our partners in the area of imaging technology at the global level and we also have local partners in different countries where we operate. In Nigeria, we have strong local partners who take our products to the market.

Aside partners, we also have distributors and a chain of retailers who always ensure availability of our products for consumers.

Umunakwe What customers can always enjoy about the Nokia mobile phones is the aesthetic design that gives customers a great feel of belonging to Nokia brand of mobile phones. We do not compromise in quality of material when it comes to aesthetics. The Nokia 7 Plus comes in two distinct and attractive colours, the black copper and white copper. The Nokia 6 also comes in different colours, black copper, white iron and blue gold. The Nokia 1 comes in red, yellow and blue colours.

There is a noticeable shift from features phone to smartphones among mobile phone manufacturers. What could be the reason for this. Is it that the value for feature phones is diminishing?

I cannot speak for other mobile phone manufacturers, but for us as HMD Global, we still have the feature phones as integral part of our strategy to reach out to customers, notwithstanding the fact that we produce a great deal of smartphones. Currently, about 1.3 billion people globally are still using feature phones and we will continue to meet their needs and taste. For example, our Nokia 3310 is a feature phone and it is still selling in the Nigerian market. Nokia 150, Nokia 130 and Nokia 105 are all feature phones that are redesigned for today’s generation of people and these are varieties of feature phones from which our customers can make their choices.

So we will continue to innovate in this space because we know that our consumers have choice.

Nokia used to be the leader in mobile phone manufacturing before it stepped aside. What could have informed the decision to relaunch the Nokia mobile phone brand into the market?

HMD Global is proud to be the home of Nokia phones and we have been encouraged by what we have seen and the feedback we get from our fans all over the world. Since we began to write a new chapter in the mobile phone space, the enthusiasm from our fans has been very high and we are motivated by this, to relaunch the Nokia mobile phones into different markets, including the Nigerian market. Since we relaunched last year, we have introduce different set of smartphones and feature phones, driven by the latest mobile phone technologies. We are grateful and thankful to our fans globally for believing in our brand of mobile phones and in the technology driving the phones. In Nigeria, we have large number of fans that strongly believe in our brand and we are grateful to them for the support they have given to our brand.

What are your strategies to regain your leadership position, having left the mobile phone space for some time now?

The consumer is at the heart of our strategies and our entire innovation philosophy is built around improving consumers’ experience and solving their challenges.

For example, our Nokia 7 Plus has two active days battery life, designed to address the challenges that come with poor power situation in Nigeria. What we have done is to take away consumers’ pains and challenges in the area of poor electricity supply, which is a challenge for Nigerians. So the Nokia 7 Plus, once it is fully charged, can last for two days and more depending on the usage. So we are innovating and focusing more on the consumer to regain our earlier leadership position. We will always launch our devices on the latest Android Operating System to ensure that our

In terms of after-sales service, what is the strength of your customer care centres in Nigeria?

From inception, we have promised our consumers of secure and durable mobile devices and we have kept that promise over the years.

In addition to that, all our mobile devices sold in Nigeria comes with one year warranty.

But even at that, we have service centres spread across cities in Nigeria, where customers can fix their phones, should the phone develop a fault. We have 53 collection points, where customers who are far from the service centres, could drop their phones, from where they will be taken to the nearest service centre for prompt repairs. So we take after-sales service very seriously because we believe strongly in the consumer.

What is the impact of Nokia smartphone brand on the Nigerian economy?

In every geographical location where we operate, we ensure that our operations are in line with the laws of the country. Nokia Smartphone brand is a technology company, using technology solutions to empower both the government and the citizenry to do more and we will continue to do just that. We provide access to technology and when technology is made available to the people, it opens a new world of growth for them, including the government. Mobile technology has enabled businesses in Nigeria, especially in the eCommerce business, using their phones to access the internet.

Accessibility of products is key in any business. How accessible and affordable are the newly released Nokia mobile phones?

We do everything possible to make our mobile phones accessible and affordable.

For instance, the Nokia 1 is most accessible and affordable, just like other models that were released.

The Nokia 7 is a flagship device with flagship performance, yet the pricing is low in order to maintain affordability. The Nokia 6 is an award winning device and it comes cheap and affordable. For us, premium devices must not be priced so high because they are meant to be used by the majority of the people.

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Konga, Yudala Merger Set to Deepen the e-Commerce Space Last week’s merger of two e-commerce giants will further deepen retail online shopping, writes Emma Okonji

The new face of Konga/Yudala merger Last week’s announcement of the merger between Konga, Nigeria’s largest online mall and Yudala, Africa’s pioneer composite e-commerce company, has continued to elicit excitement among industry stakeholders who are of the view that the merger of both firms into a single platform with one brand identity, will boost consolidation and enhance speedy growth of the country’s e-commerce sector. The merger, which takes effect in five days’ time, precisely on May 1, 2018, was announced by Zinox Group, owner of Konga and Yudala.

Zinox Group had in February this year, acquired Konga, but kept the business plan of possible merger to its heart, while strategising on how best to manage the two e-commerce companies.

The silent strategy, however, left stakeholders with their worries and speculations about what could possibly come out of the acquisition.

But their worries were put to rest last week when Zinox Group announced the merger, a move that has elicited lots of excitement among industry stakeholders, who saw the merger as the best business decision that makes economic sense.

The merger Barely two months after Zinox Group acquired Konga, Nigeria’s largest online mall, the group decided to merge the operations of the acquired Konga, with its home grown e-commerce company, called Yudala.

The merger plan will see Yudala operate under the same platform with Konga, but with a new brand identity known as Konga, with effect from May 1, 2018.

Zinox Group had in February this year, acquired Konga, an e-commerce company, but did not disclose the merger plan with Yudala until last week.

The merger plan, according to Zinox Group, would see both e-commerce company effectively become the biggest organised retail and ecommerce/marketplace outfit on the African continent. The strategic decision will see both companies leverage the combined strengths of both platforms and is expected to further broaden the scope of organised retail and e-commerce in Nigeria and deliver more value to customers and merchants.

Speaking during the announcement of the merger, Konga Chairman, Olusiji Ijogun, said: “Combining forces to power the new Konga

will enable us effectively achieve our goals of platform expansion and accelerated growth, as we embark on an ambitious journey to redefine the retail ecosystem with the industry’s most advanced technology. “Effective from May 1, Yudala will now operate under the name Konga, with dual CEOs in the persons of Nick Imudia who will be in charge of online among others and Prince Nnamdi Ekeh who will be responsible for offline. This merger will further strengthen our position in the Nigerian retail market as we creatively position Konga as the first profitable e-commerce company in Africa.�

According to Ekeh, “We are very excited about the operational merger between Yudala and Konga into the new Konga. A merger of this magnitude has never been experienced in Africa. We will be leveraging on Konga’s strong technology backbone and online experience as well as Yudala’s offline experience, network of retail stores and operational efficiency. In the near future, we plan to have a Konga store in every local government area in Nigeria. While this is ambitious, we believe that every Nigerian deserves the right to have access to the full range of genuine products offered by Konga.�

On his part, Imudia said: “We believe this operational merger between Konga and Yudala will bring immense opportunities for consumers

“The merger plan, according to Zinox Group, would see both e-commerce company effectively become the biggest organised retail and e-commerce/ marketplace outďŹ t on the African continentâ€?

in the e-commerce space. We urge all shoppers, consumers, merchants and clients to stay tuned as we unveil the massive ambitious contents we have to offer.�

Benefits One of the exciting benefits of the merger according to Zinox Group, is the possibility it offers prospective shoppers to order online, pay and pick-up the product(s) at the nearest Konga offline store. There are also increasing business opportunities for merchants nationwide.

Stakeholders who hailed the merger, said it would open up the e-commerce sector in Nigeria, given the capacity of Yudala and the robust technology of Konga.

Industry perception of the merger Reacting to the merger announcement, industry stakeholders said they were excited about it because of the consolidation it would bring in the e-commerce sector.

Chief Executive Officer, Pinnet Technology, pioneer Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Nigeria, Mr. Lanre Ajayi, said the merger was a welcome development that would enhance consolidation in the e-commerce sector. According to him, having acquired Konga, it makes business and economic sense to merge both operations together for the purpose of faster expansion and profitability. “Most businesses in emerging markets like ours do not survive harsh business environment because they either operate in silos or with small capital that will not withstand most business challenges. Some of the GSM companies in the telecoms sector are doing well today because of the injection of huge capital into the business from various financiers. We need such collaboration that will enable injection of fresh funds into the e-commerce business in Nigeria and that is exactly what the merger between Konga and Yudala will bring to the table,� Ajayi said.

Consolidation is the best way to go and we need more of consolidation in the e-commerce sector to further drive businesses to sustainability and profitability,� Ajayi said.

President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Olusola Teniola, said the acquisition and subsequent merger was one good thing that had happened to the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry

this year, because it would help the e-commerce industry to become more vibrant, competitive and it will enhance service quality. “It will bring about more deployment of broadband infrastructure by InfraCos for last-mile service delivery, since e-commerce business, which used to be an emerging market, is beginning to witness rapid growth and development,� he said.

Other industry stakeholders who commended the Zinox Group, led by its Chairman, Leo Stan Ekeh for the acquisition of Konga, said Zinox took the best business decision to merge the two giants together into a bigger e-commerce company that will drive innovation in the ecommerce sector.

Widely applauded by industry watchers as a masterstroke, they said the merger would broaden the range of products and solutions on offer within the Konga/Yudala stable, while giving the customers and merchants more options and access to an expanded variety of guaranteed quality offerings and payment methods.

The new structure The Konga Business platform will now include two distinct but fully integrated aspects including Konga Online, the e-commerce/marketplace platform and Konga Retail, the offline arm of the business. Both will be supported by Konga Pay, a CBN-licensed mobile money platform and Konga Express, a world-class logistics company with advanced delivery capabilities for internal and external customers.

Head of Corporate Communications, Zinox Group, Mr. Gideon Ayogu said the merger would further expand the operations of e-commerce in Nigeria, an industry that Zinox pioneered in Nigeria with the launch of BuyRight Africa. com which was challenged by the absence of credit card and e-payment infrastructure when it was launched over 12 years ago.

About Zinox Group The Zinox Group is arguably Africa’s most integrated technology group, with strong interest in Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM).

Under the group, it operates as Zinox Technology, the first Nigerian OEM that assembles local computer, known as the Zinox Computer with naira sign. It equally operates as Technology Distribution (TD), the number one IT distribution company of all kind of computers and their accessories in Africa.

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Brand Ambassador as a Positioning Tool As more business owners continue to identify with celebrities to position their brands, Raheem Akingbolu writes on the impact of the strategy on sales and market acceptability, citing the example of the recent appointment of a nollywood star, Mercy Johnson as Mr. Chef Ambassador Celebrity endorsement and brand ambassador are not new phenomena in the marketing mix but they have, in recent time, become strong tools in Nigeria. In the last few years, hardly there is any brand that worth its name that has not, at one time or the other, associated with a celebrity for a particular period. European coca wine maker, Vin Mariani set the standard back in the 19th century with print endorsements from Pope Leo XIII and French actor Bethelier. Over the next 150 years, celebrities and companies have continued to join forces when selling products, with mixed results. From Pepsi, to Nike, Diageo to Coca-Cola, all have ride on endorsement to extend their frontiers in the market.

In recent time, top Nigeria artistes have been engaged by various brands for positioning.

Perhaps the Globacom brand is more popular for this, considering the facts of nollywood actors, actresses and music icons it has engaged in the 10 years. The story is the same in the Fastmoving consumer goods (FMCG) sector of the economy. For instance, as part of its strategies to tackle competition in the seasoning market, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, had years back, engaged Kate Henshaw, who was later joined by popular Nigerian singer, Flavour Nabania, to connect the market.

Between Royal Salts and Mercy Johnson In what looked like a strategic partnership to further extend the frontier of the Mr. Chef brand, an iodized salt from the stable of Royal Salts Limited, the promoters of the brand, recently appointed signed Mercy Johnson – Okojie, a leading Nigerian actress to be the face of the flagship brand. Unlike many of such appointments, the company was said to have settled for the actress because of the connection between the message the brand is currently pushing out and the recent experience of Johnson – Okojie, which all bothered on the importance of iodized salt. “Perhaps, I will still be one of those who don’t know the importance of consuming iodized salt if I didn’t firsthand experience. I will share the story some other day but the truth is that I was advised when I went for surgery abroad sometimes ago to be consuming iodized salt,� the actress had stated while giving her acceptance speech.

Speaking on how the company arrived at the choice of its new ambassador, one of the directors of Royal Salt, Mr. Reggie Uduhiri, said Mercy Johnson is the ideal personality that encapsulates what the Mr. Chef brand stands for today. “She represents what our brand stands for in today’s market. She is a homemaker, a good mother and wife and a prolific actress that appeals to almost everyone, giving us joy and entertainment. She is better suited to help us spread the message to Nigerians on the joy Mr. Chef brings to homes beyond adding taste to life,� he stated.

Another director of the company, Mr. Lawal Idirisu, said: “We are pleased to be joined by the exceptional Mercy Johnson. She is the person we have been looking forward to partner with for some time due to her story, her values, and appealing personality. We are glad to have reached an agreement with her.

For us at Mr. Chef, we believe our customers always come before everything else. Therefore, we have decided to make it a priority to share the essential nature of our product with our patrons and the public. We hope the amazing Mercy Johnson will be able to greatly assist us with using her platform to tell the Mr. Chef story.

The actress was excited about her unveiling and revealed that she can’t wait to start sharing the joy Mr. Chef salt gives to mothers and the many interest and values she shares with the brand that made her jump at the opportunity of a relationship. She said that the brand has become a stable in many Nigerian kitchens. She hopes to help enlighten Nigerians on iodine

L-R: Non Executive Director Royal Salt Limited, Alhaji Lawal Idirisu; Mr Chef Salt Brand Ambassador, Mercy Johnson Okojie; Chairman Royal Salt Limited Nigeria, Chief Reggie Uduhiri, at the unveiling of the company’s ambassador in Lagos...recently and the impact of iodine deficiency to normal human development.

The brand according to its promoters Speaking on the relevance of Royal Salts Limited in the Nigerian market, Uduhiri, stated that it has

Celebrity endorsement and brand ambassador are not new phenomena in the marketing mix but they have, in recent time, become strong tools in Nigeria. In the last few years, hardly there is any brand that worth its name that has not, at one time or the other, associated with a celebrity for a particular period

delivered quality Salts to Nigerians nationwide for over decades, adding that it has effectively secured a spot in the homes and hearts of the Nation, not just by happenstance, but by a track record of delivering on high quality products that are not only affordable but are accessible to the everyday consumer. “Mr Chef salts has been a prominent brand in the Nigerian salt market for decades, providing high quality iodized salt to Nigerians for years past, and for many more years to come. The Mr Chef Brand is highly treasured in the Nigerian Market, and the company strives tirelessly to maintain the positive light in which the brand is regarded; as a result, Mr Chef salts has been in the Nigerian market for years without any crisis both to the company, and the customer. �Mr Chef iodized salts hasalways focused on its health benefits to consumers, underlining the essential nature of iodine in the diet, and the crucial nature of iodized salts towards contributing to a well-rounded diet. They have since never relented in providing that healthy supplement in the form of their iodized salts, while also ensuring to include a plethora of essential vitamins and minerals within the makeup of the salts in question; this is why their communication towards their customers has always been ‘your iodized salt’ – succinctly addressing the fact that the benefits of the salt are made only with the consumer in mind,�

Corroborating this position, Mr. Idirisu disclosed that with new competition in the Salt market, Mr Chef is currently opening even more avenues to channel efficient consumer engagement, with an ideology to bring to the forefront the ever present nature of Mr chef in every household. He pointed out the essential benefits the brand brings to the table in terms of a reliable supplementary outlet, capable of supplying the essential dietary needs required of salt, along with providing the quality salty alternative that has become a staple in Nigerian households for so long. “The consumer has always been the focus of Mr Chef iodized salts, and the brand has always wanted to open a direct channel to its consumers that would be as organic, and open as ever;

communicating not only the intended brand identity, but the very essence of the Mr Chef brand to all consumers across the country. This is ultimately geared towards building as close to a cordial a relationship as possible between the Brand, and the customer; because as far as the brand is concerned it is your iodised salt, so consumers have much at stake in the brand than ever before,� he said.

Outside the salt market, the director emphasised that Royal Salts has also been active in circles within culinary circles, but just outside the jurisdiction of salt, with the renowned brand of seasoning ‘Mr Chef Seasoning’. He further stated that it has been performing as reliably as Mr Chef Salts within the Nigerian Market, Proving the essential fact that Mr Chef is a staple in Households not only as a product, but as a brand on its own merit. “Royal Salts has worked tirelessly to ensure the Mr Chef brand has maintained a certain standard that has remained unwavering over years, this is reflected by an outstanding 65% market share in the Nigerian salt market, a track record they hope to build upon; with priority being placed on ensuring that the desires, aspirations and needs of every consumer is sufficiently addressed as long as it deals with salt – all this and more which they hope to achieve with the new and exciting signing of Mercy Johnson – Okojie as their new brand ambassador, along with a new campaign that is being tagged “A Better taste of life�, Idrisu stated.

Relevance to brand growth As a wife and a mother, who cooks and consumes, the promoters of the brand, can be said to have made a good choice by appointing the actress. Beyond this, her popularity may also be a plus for the brand as many consumers, may decide to pitch their tent with Mr. Chef because of Mercy Johnson.

However, this will depend largely on the roles the brand ambassador perform to boost the image of the brand in the years ahead.

But as things are, the marriage looks fine for both partners.

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Salami: Africa Has Less than 1% of Global Patents President, Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Kehinde Salami, spoke with Raheem Akingbolu on the decline in innovation and creativity among African business owners our decision to unveil the book alongside the academy was strategic. The launch of the academy was fuelled by an endless desire to break the status quo with the minute solutions.

We are in collaboration with subject matter experts, businesses and passionate individuals to create sustainable frameworks, processes and products driven by learning for the future frameworks. iD8 is more of training and capacity building organisation which is specifically designed to identify creative talents, nurture them and deployed them not only for our business but for the entire marketing communications industry.

It is an academy and marketing innovation hubs where we help promotes, support and lead learning and teaching transformation in this space. We are committed to birthing ideas, connecting people and designing opportunities as well as facilitating opportunities.

Experiential wasn’t as popular as this in the years past, what do you think responsible for its patronage in the recent time?

Many people do think experiential is new in our market and is not so. It is just that it has started being reshaped in the last 10 years or thereabout. Over the years, people call it different names and that still continues.

I have always said the way we define whatever we do is important and the way people understand what we offer is also germane.

Experiential marketing is a field in marketing communication that business owners use to communicate with a market in a more active and direct manner. Each time I discuss this, I like to use to draw analogy between it and medicine, where we have ophthalmologists, gynecologist or psychiatrist. All of them practice medicine but in different field. That is exactly what happens in our industry too, where each of the sectoral bodies play different roles in marketing mix. In my view, it is in stages; identity creation, relationship marketing, digital and then reputation building. At the level of identity creation, advertising readily comes to mind, experiential handles relationship marketing before the digital people come in to create interactive forum around the brand.

The last is Public Relations practitioners that are hugely involved in reputation building.

With over two decades put into practice, you are in a good position to say whether the industry is appreciated in Nigeria or not.

Let me first emphasise that part of my practice years experience was in the UK but like you said, I have spent enough time in this market to be able to state my view about the level of patronage and appreciation. If we consider the activities in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), I think the sector has consistently engaged experiential agencies to help create good bond between brands and consumers over the years. When you come to the financial sector, the reverse is the case, experiential marketing is not appreciated the way it should be. In the financial sector and to some extent in public service, marketing is still not regarded as investment but cost.

To improve on bottom lines and get policies across to relevant targets, marketing should be seen as investment not as cost.

Things are fast changing anyway as the market is daily being redefined. In experiential industry, professionals have become more understanding and more professionals. They are ready to handle things differently to add value to what their clients bring into the table.

Consumers have become more sophisticated and segmented, which tend to make business owners appreciate the need to approach the market through various approaches, depending on which class of the market one is targeting.

Experiential marketing thrives on brand experience. A lot of brands that use experiential marketing to sell their brands give the consumers the opportunity to understand the brand more. Brand owners can interact with consumers on experiential platform and get feedback. Experiential marketing is basically marketing a brand by driving understanding of the product through human senses.

You recently published a book; ‘To Every Man A Brain: How To Discover and Unleash The Power of Your Creative Mind’, what informed this?

One, the urge to share my experience and the need to trigger the consciousness of Nigerians and Africans towards opportunities that are abound in our land. I want to tell young professionals, students, unemployed graduates and head of businesses the fact that Nigeria is a country with tremendous potential that gives everyone a blank sheet of paper to write their personal dreams and vision but very few take good advantage of that.

It’s worrying that despite the opportunities that abound, many of us still find ourselves in

Can you please share with us the shape the academy will take at the taking off point?

Now we have training camps, boot camps, more like reality television and others. We have a number of training programmes that have been customised and ready for us to kick off. The book we have just launched has its own training module which people-students, individuals in the corporate world, business-can learn to transform their businesses. To Every Man a brain is going to be submerged under iD8 as one of the training tools and techniques.

Salami limbo with no clear direction. We patronise the goods, services and technology breakthrough of the West shamelessly wearing the badge of the astute consumption economy with pride.

It’s worrying that despite the opportunities that abound, many of us still find ourselves in limbo with no clear direction.

We patronise the goods, services and technology breakthrough of the West shamelessly wearing the badge of the astute consumption economy with pride. Besides entertainment and a few other flashes here and there, our nation can best be termed as a doers’ economy

Besides entertainment and a few other flashes here and there, our nation can best be termed as a doers’ economy. This scenario for any serious government should raise an imminent red flag as doing will always be inferior to thinking. If we all agree on this simple logical fact, then we need to change our perspective.

Has anyone stopped to think why the continent of Africa which boasts 17% of the worlds’ population (1.3bn inhabitants), is responsible for less than 1% of global patents?

Has anyone considered the possibility of Oyo State, Lagos State or any other state for that matter deliberately championing Ideation via the selling of knowledge as a main export crop?

In the area of case study and content, what are those things that will make the book a must read to the targeted audience?

This book takes an insightful look into the issues and offers a quick fix solution with respect to vital methodologies that could help change mind-set while rebooting the brain to work more efficiently. Having studied individuals coupled with the benefit of interacting with people from different countries and culture over the years, I have a pretty good idea of where the challenges lie.

To everyman a brain is a book with meaning and I sincerely hope it will find its rightful place and positioning in the entire marketing communications space.

On the day of the book launch, you also announced the establishment of iD8, a marketing communications academy, was that deliberate and why now?

Why not now? On a serious note, let me quickly point out that the timing is deliberate and

What are the challenges confronting the industry?

Like other creative endeavours, there is always a challenge of convincing clients on the best thing to do. Experience has shown that not every marketing team would like to be told that something is deficient in their strategy or that their agency has a better way of getting better marketing results for them.

This is a challenge we are contending with but let me quickly add that there are some discerning clients who are always willing and open to other creative ideas.

Beyond this, I’m happy that at Idea House, we are contributing our beat to the development of the industry. Our creative ideas are impacting the bottom line of our clients. But much more, we are delighted that we are providing employment for the youths of this country. Apart from the staff at our office here, we usually have between 200 and 250 contract staff on the field almost all time. To us, that’s the way to measure impact and we are happy that we are doing that.

There is general challenge, which all the players in the marketing communication industry are daily contending with. There is infrastructure problem and shrinking in marketing budgets of many companies, which has reduced billings on the general outlook.

In our own industry, the major one at the moment is the insecurity in the north, which has made experiential marketing difficult to explore in that region. There is constant fear of the possibility of attack of both the field workers and ad-hoc staff on parade. As a result of this, we are suffering in silence and daily losing millions of naira.

Coming to your agency –Idea House, what is its strength?

Idea House is a revenue growing firm; it is not just a supplier of services in the mould of other marketing agencies. We partner with clients to deliver on marketing targets in a creative manner. We truly partner with them and that’s why our thinking, processes and orientation are very different. We don’t wait or expect change, we initiate it. We are not a brief-dependent agency. By this, I mean we don’t sit down and wait for clients to call us and brief us on what they expect us to do. As an agency, we pride ourselves as an ideas factory. We incubate ideas and execute for the benefit of our clients.

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Orjiako: For Us, Corporate Governance is a Given Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc is among the four companies that was recently migrated to the premium board of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Its chairman, ABC Orjiako spoke to journalists on this laudable feat. Nosa Alekhuogie presents the excerpts: company we believe in. If you make the best practice of corporate governance as a culture you will ultimately see the result; that is what you are seeing. We are only four years old on the Exchange and we are already in the Premium Board. In fact, we are seven and half years as a company in operations and eight years as a registered company.

We started as the company August 1, 2010.

We are less than eight years old and we have come this far; this is not by chance, it has been a deliberate effort by the Board and Management team and how to create this governance culture. So what you saw today (during listing) is an attestation of the result of what we have been doing in the past seven and half years.

What does the Premium Board listing mean to Seplat and its investors?

It is a very important milestone in taking a very long term view in our strategic vision.

From the get go we knew that Seplat was going to aim very high and we are very clear in our mind that corporate governance is the base. So we continuously make sure that best practices are core in our business. We are very happy that having gone through that scrutiny when we did our listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and NSE, we were sure that corporate governance, very high level best practices scrutiny was important and that is what the elevation has indeed eloquently testified.

I think the message obviously for all the investors is that it is a clear message that they are with the right company. The next point is that it is going to create the ability for many of our investors to see more liquidity happening in their securities. It is also going to mean that the securities they hold have value at the highest echelon or segment of the capital market. That is something to be very proud of.

Corporate Governance is very important in this level of Premium Board listing, how are you prepared as a company to ensure this is sustained going forward?

Like I said before corporate governance for us is a given. We go beyond corporate governance and compliance. What I said on the floor of the NSE is that for us, corporate governance is a given. We take best practices as the core of our business. But going forward , having migrated to the Premium Board index , it means that a lot more is required of us to make sure we maintain that leadership position with respect to making sure that corporate governance paradigms are well maintained in our organisation.

You succeeded in doubling the value of this company within four years as a listed company from N200billion to over N400billion market capitalisation. Going forward, what do we expect in that direction?

As a matter of fact when we listed on the Exchange, our market capitalisation was relatively high. Obviously because of the Foreign Exchange (forex) adjustment, we would have more than that. But going forward, what we would like to do is to create very robust fundamentals for our securities so that regardless of what happens in the environment, we stand out. We would make sure that our company is well governed; making sure that the effectiveness of a strong management team is maintained. We will also make sure that every message we will give to the market and investors that we do, we will not only perform but exceed their expectation. We promised the market when we came that we would be adding value growth in terms of capital growth and that we have delivered and that is what the elevation to Premium Board has shown. We promised them we would be a profitable company and we have maintained that over the years. We also promised that we are going to be a company that is well run; that we have delivered. We said we are going to grow the company organically, we promised we are going to be a profitable and dividend paying company; that we have delivered. We will acquire asset, we would grow our production, and all these we have done phenomenally. We said we would commercialise and monetised gas and we are doing that.

Obviously, if you are following the trend of our performance you will see that the gas revenue is growing Year on Year (YoY).

How do you feel heading the Board of a successful company?

Orjiako Obviously, we are happy to be at the helm of affairs. But beyond that is the fact that, to whom much is given, much is expected as well. One of the things we pride ourselves about the company is the level of experience we have in the Board; the diversity we have and obviously the strong experience we have

Our intention is to sustain and even surpass our present performance. It takes a lot of discipline and effort to be where we are to be in the Premium Board. People talk about reporting, transparency, and discipline; it looks that simple, you have to do the right things to be proud to discharge what you are doing. If you are cutting corners even before disclosure you won’t get there

in the management team. We even make sure that even through our succession programme, every of those elements count.

Three factors qualified Seplat to be listed on the Premium Board. These are liquidity around the stock, market capitalisation and corporate governance. How will your company sustain these factors?

Starting with liquidity, you have to have free float of shares of over 20percent, but for us as a company our free float is closer to 50percent than 20percent already and with a company like this free float of shares can only increase, so you either tap from the market or whatever you can do in the future to dilute the shareholding of the existing shareholders and increase the free float. So, we are consciously working on that to increase the liquidity on the stock.

For market capitalisation other than liquidity two critical elements are size and governance and size is about market capitalisation. So if we continue to do the right things and for us internally, we believe that if you consciously and as a matter of culture continue to do the right things, even without prompting ultimately you will see the benefit and the benefit will come in value creation and this will translate to increase in the value of the company. So all things being equal, except for things outside our control, we expect our market capitalisation to also continuously increase and not lower than where we are now.

When we applied for listing on the Premium Board, our market capitalisation was just over N200billion, so you just saw during the introduction of our company on the floor of the Exchange that our market capitalisation was N396billion, and as at the end of trading on that day of our listing it went up to N404billion and so it doubles the minimum requirement for qualifying to be listed on the Premium Board.

For us, the most critical is governance, we have spent seven and half years building a

How did Seplat grow in its performance indicators given the short period of its existence?

You know our history; we started originally as a growth company. We took over asset and we consciously worked the asset and more than tripled production in about four years, from 18,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 60,000 bpd. Prices were good then until between mid-2015 and 2017. Two things happened to us simultaneously; prices dropped and production crashed because of crisis outside our control and Trans-Escravos that led to dip in our production performance, revenue generation, productivity and profitability.

In fact, in 2016 full year, we had a loss of about N166 billion. We only worked out through 2017 to turnaround the position to profitability. Let us return to corporate governance again, it is through this same corporate governance practice upon which we operate that we were able to navigate the company from this two years of treacherous condition outside our control. I hope you are aware that we raised $350million bond just last month and $300million revolver credit.

So, our overall average cost of debt has gone down to by 300percent from our creditors.

Our balance sheet is completely restructured.

Every time I talk about governance as a matter of a culture being imperative for us to deliver long-term and sustainable good performance. We really do believe in it. It is not about priding ourselves as been in Premium Board, so when we say we are proud of ourselves because of what we really believe in which is to deliver the long-term benefit to our stakeholders.

How do you hope to sustain and even surpass this performance to be able to attract more investors?

Our intention is to sustain and even surpass our present performance. It takes a lot of discipline and effort to be where we are to be in the Premium Board. People talk about reporting, transparency, and discipline; it looks that simple, you have to do the right things to be proud to discharge what you are doing. If you are cutting corners even before disclosure you won’t get there.

When we say we are proud of what has happened; this is an attestation of what we really believe in, that we needed to belong to this class of companies. For us, doing the right things as consistently as we can has taken us thus far. We have put the building blocks in place to be able to deliver sustainable performance or result in the future.

What is the company’s financial projection for 2018?

As an oil and gas production company we guide for production and we don’t guide for profit, unlike banks and so on. By the time we publish our first quarter (Q1), we Continued on page 31

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NCS Tasks Inlaks on Human Capital Devt Stories by Emma Okonji Impressed with the recent ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 20000:2011 certifications attained by Inlaks, a technology solution company, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), the umbrella body for all information technology (IT) professionals in the country, has further tasked the company on continuous human capital development.

Vice President (VP) of NCS, Mr. Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu, gave the challenge during the public presentation of the ISO Certificates in Lagos last week.

The VP, who represented NCS President, Prof. Adesola Aderounmu, said the task became necessary in order

to beef up human capital development in the country, which he said many companies shy away from.

According to him, if more companies invested in the training and retraining of staff with the latest technology skills, more Nigerians would be empowered to do great innovations that will make them globally competitive.

Commending Inlaks for expanding its operations outside Nigeria to Ghana and Kenya, Mba-Uzoukwu said the three countries where Inlaks currently operates, are among the five key subSaharan African countries that are driving technology development across the Af-

rican continent. He therefore encouraged Inlaks to strive more in attaining more of the ISO Certifications to further build customers’ confidence across its regional operations.

In his welcome address, the Director, Infrastructure Business at Inlaks, Mr. Tope Dare, said the company remained delighted to have achieved the ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 20000:2011 certifications for Quality Management System and Information Technology Services Management System.

According to him, quality is much more than a certificate.

Quality is about doing the right things in a consistent, repeatable and efficient manner. Quality takes hours, days,

months and in some cases years of defining and redefining requirements, mapping value chains, implementing processes, assessing outcomes.

Responding to NCS challenge on human capital development, Dare said: “Without a doubt, our employees are at the bedrock of our Quality Management System and they have been empowered, inspired and motivated to live by our value of excellence, which allows them to continually improve our systems and processes to serve our customers better.� “We are not only providers of world class technology solutions to our numerous clients, but we are huge

technology consumers ourselves and we know that technology when properly used will enable us achieve reliable, effective, consistent and continuous improvement on our IT services delivery to our customers. We know that to be consistent in our delivery of top notch IT services we need to operate like the “best in class� and that is why we have adopted the tools, processes and procedures that will make us win. “Our customers are increasingly more discerning of their wants and needs and as such more demanding of their service providers to meet those requirements.

Central to these requirements

is quality of service and IT services management.

The voice of the customer takes centre stage in our value system and culture. Therefore our approach to quality and information management system is both deliberate and founded on globally accepted standards and best practice, Dare said. “We take great pride in the products and services we consistently deliver to our customers hence, we are very pleased to achieve these internationally recognised standard in recognition of our quality management system and Information Technology Services Management processes,� Dare added.

them readily available to all its citizen at affordable rates.

On Ijeh’s candidature, Danbatta explained that his experience of working at the ITU for over 21 years in various strategic positions, including the BDT, the General Secretariat, and the Radio-communication Bureau, could not be ignored.

He said the candidate had been instrumental to many decisions and developmental

activities within the ITU. “Prior to joining the ITU, Ijeh worked for other intergovernmental organisations where he was primarily responsible for project development and management with emphasis on developing countries.

He will apply his diplomatic skills in negotiations and be in a position to interact with government officials at the highest level,� he added.

Danbatta Presents Nigeria’s Twin-candidature to ITU The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof.

Umar Garba Danbatta, has formally presented Nigeria’s candidature for a re-election into the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Administrative Council and Mr. William Ijeh’s bid for the position of Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau of the ITU. Danbatta made the

formal presentation at a dinner organised for the ITU Secretary-General, Mr. Houlin Zhao, other elected officials of the global telecom regulatory body, ministers and chief regulators of member states from across the globe, among other dignitaries in Geneva, Switzerland. “Ladies and gentlemen, I now formally present to you Nigeria’s twin candidature for re-election into the ITU Ad-

ministrative Council and Mr. William Ijeh for the position of Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau of the ITU, for your support,� said the NCC boss.

Speaking further, Danbatta noted that Nigeria has a long standing relationship with the ITU and had been contributing in no small way to the activities of the union. “Nigeria is one of the highest financial contributors to

ITU in the African region and also a major player in ITU Telecom World activities for many years.

I can assure you that Nigeria will continue to reinforce its cooperation with the ITU,� he stressed.

He expressed the country’s further commitment towards the development of telecommunication and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) as well making

ORJIAKO: FOR US, CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IS A GIVEN your future performance which other people are not seeing?

I think they are seeing what you are seeing in our company. They have seen how past performance and how we have navigated the most difficult situation in Niger Delta crisis.

Many of our competitors of our size are not listed. The reason why you cannot measure how well we did in navigating ourselves from that terrible situation is because our competitors of the same size are not listed to be able to compare us.

If they were listed you can be able to compare apple for apple since it is not easy to turn around within 12 months with the kind of situation we were. I think when they see our past performance like that and project that there might be no back breaking situation like we had in 2016; in future they will expect consistent growth and if you plot on any growth trajectory from where we are both in production and even if you held the price constant at $60 per barrel you will see substantial cash flow and profitability. But for us we focus on delivery on objectivity and let the market determine what our value is.

will guide for the rest of 2018 in terms of production and so on.

How has the nation’s macroeconomic challenges impacted your business and how have you been able to hedge against it to add to shareholders’ value?

The biggest challenge to our operations is whatever impact the Niger Delta crisis could have on our production and evacuation of our products.

You saw within 16 months of minimal production when the Trans-Forcados was down and how it impacted on us. That is our highest risk. We are hedging against that by having multiple avenues or routes for evacuation of our products. We are working with neighbours and other stakeholders to put the Escravos pipeline in place, to complete and commission it and we still have option in Warri refinery if we are pushed to the wall.

Here we consciously established three options of evacuating our production. In the East of the country we are trying to develop our OM 53 from the scratch. We would develop this along with two other options of evacuation.

The stockbrokers said that they look unto the seven companies that are listed on the Premium Board to lift up the market. What that means is that if these companies cough, it will affect the market. So can you let the market know the existing long term strategy you are adopting that can impact on the market as well as shareholders?

Our strategy emphasises on sustainable growth and delivery on our promises on sustainable basis. When we release our Q1 result and Year-on-Year (YoY) we would like to meet the promises we made to our investors and deliver value in a sustainable manner. We have a strong strategic department and when you do all these; that will reflect on your share price and market capitalisation. We have seen the growth of our market capitalisation in boosting the market.

You have just raised some money from bond, what are you using the proceeds for and what is your production level and the target you have put in place?

We would give you the guide for our production in 2018 soon when our Q1 is released.

In terms of the bond, we have two tranches

Orjiako of debts; $700 million from Nigerian banks and $300 million from foreign banks and both debts worth $1 billion. At the end of 2017, we have paid off about $400 million in capital repayment and not just interest. So both debts combined are down to $650 million, but we also have cash in hand. Our gross debt consists of $350 million of bond and $200 million that we withdrew out of the $300 million revolver.

We also have cash in hand of about $350 million. So really our net debt is down to under $200 /$250 million. All of that translate to the fact that our balance sheet has been restructured from a very difficult situation.

So two things will happen or two things can be enabled. We can invest more money in the business since in two years. Between 2015 and 2017 we have not drill anywhere.

So we are going back to drilling and invest more on our gas business. We have cash to invest and that is one key result of this exercise of borrowing. Secondly, we will be

in a good position if we see opportunity for any acquisition; we will be in a good position to participate. Where we are today is a far cry from where we were two years ago. We were first struggling to survive following the crisis in Niger Delta. Now we have a strong balance sheet.

What should investors expect now that you have bounced back to profitability?

What we said to investors when we were doing our road show for the bond is to reinstate dividend. Our intention is to reinstate dividend as a matter of policy. We suspended dividend in 2016 because of crises beyond our control.

But in a normal course of business we will normally be able to pay a certain level of dividend.

Analysts have set price target of circa 40percent increase in your share price. Are there things that you are doing regarding

Currently where do you sell your crude?

In Nigeria once your crude gets to the terminal it is sold already. We already have five years long term marketing agreement with international traders, selling the crude has never been an issue. No producer that will tell you he has not sold his crude. The marketers can play all the games and keep the ship somewhere hoping to get extra 20 cents or so. These are the marketers game, every producer sell its crude right there at the terminal from the day of bill of lading to when it is sold.

While other of your colleagues in the Premium Board said they will be turning in their sustainability report from time to time, but you said you have already been doing it.

So how often will you let the public see this report?

As a matter of fact, now that the Exchange requires the sustainability report on annual basis we will regularly make it available to the market. So as we submit our annual report regularly we would also submit the sustainability report along with our annual report.

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BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

Edo: Overhauling Education for Devt Abimbola Akosile examines the various efforts by government to reposition education as a catalyst for development in Nigeria, with Edo State as a case study on progressive application of the vital Sustainable Development Goal

N

igeria’s development trajectory is sometimes showcased in the quality of its education sector, which parades over-populated classrooms, outdated school curricula, incessant labour strikes over poor wages and inadequate incentives; as well as policy inconsistency.

The resulting migration of Nigerian students to Europe, North and South America and other African countries, where education receives premium attention, explains the failing faith in Nigeria’s education, amplified by the poor global rating of the nation’s tertiary institutions.

Over the years, while several efforts have been made to discuss the crisis in Nigeria’s education sector, successive governments at the federal, state and local levels have demonstrated feeble disposition to overhauling the sector. However, the trend appears different in Edo State Basic Education Setting the tone for what was to come, Governor Godwin Obaseki, shortly after assuming office, dispelled the gloom that characterised the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), which civil servants saw as one of the cash cows of the state.

The restructuring of the dysfunctional agency repositioned it to execute its core mandate of transforming learning and teaching outcomes in the state, with the employment of technologysavvy and result-oriented staff, who are the vanguard of the ongoing change in the basic education sector.

For the first time in the state’s recent history, training and retraining of teachers, promotion as well as the institutionalisation of teacher supervision and monitoring are receiving their deserved attention.

Known for educational excellence in the days of former governors; Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia and Ambrose Alli, Edo State, under Governor Godwin Obaseki, is on its way to re-enacting the great strides that earned her accolades in the 1980s. The building blocks for the renaissance or return to educational excellence are being laid.

Novel Reforms The latest in the series of basic education sector reforms is Edo Supporting Teachers to Achieve Results (EDOSTAR), a component of Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EDOBEST).

EDOSTAR is a Teacher Professional Development Training that is building the capacity of teachers in the use of digital technologies in classrooms as well as new classroom management techniques.

According to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Basic Education and Acting Chairman, Edo SUBEB, Dr. Joan Osa Oviawe, the teacher training programme will equip teachers with knowledge and skills in deploying new technologies in the classroom, noting that over 2,000 teachers and Headmasters/Headmistresses participating in the exercise will receive computer

Some teachers honing their ICT skills under the Edo BEST initiative tablets and smart phones.

“Edo BEST is about imagining the education of tomorrow and starting it today. Governor Obaseki is committed to a holistic change in our basic education sub-sector. On the first day of training, we realised that the training was oversubscribed. Over 3,000 teachers showed up. It was a herculean task to send some away because we have a set limit we can accommodate for this training. We will have more trainings as we expand Edo BEST to other schools,” she said.

Recently, caches of textbooks were received by the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board, for distribution to public schools.

Earlier, mathematical sets were distributed to public schools in the state.

Parties Ban When the Edo State Government announced a ban on the use of public school compounds for funeral ceremonies, marriages and other social activities in August last year, many people hailed the policy.

Until the ban, the newly renovated public primary and secondary schools across the state regularly hosted various social activities, which attracted miscreants to public school space.

Vandals had a field day breaking and stealing glass panes, furnishings, books and Information and Communication Technology

(ICT) equipment.

Reports of miscreants defecating in the classrooms after parties in the school compounds were rife, while in some instances, criminals converted schools in their neighbourhood to hide-out for their nocturnal activities. The Red Roof buildings lost their colour and dignity.

Explaining the rationale for the policy, Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Hon, Paul Ohonbamu, said: “By our ancestry as Edo people, we have always shown the example of public order and decency which others have emulated over the years. This administration is determined to make Edo a model magnificence and beauty once again.”

According to the Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Basic Education and Acting Chairman of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Joan Osa Oviawe, the ban by the Edo State Government on the use of premises of public schools for social activities would check vandalism of government infrastructure, create an effective line of communication and strengthen the harmonious relationship between schools and communities where they are located.

“With such a measure in place, communities will take over ownership of the infrastructure as critical stakeholders and put the problem of vandalism behind them,” she said.

School Census

To ascertain the number of schools, population of teachers, students, available infrastructure and the location of schools across the state, a census has been carried out by the Obaseki administration.

As the figures of the census are being processed, the state government has said the data gathered from the census would guide critical policy undertakings in the sector such as the construction of new schools, deployment of teachers, chairs and tables, laboratories, libraries and other resources.

Technical Education After years of neglect, Governor Obaseki has put technical education on the front burner and has commenced the reconstruction of the old Benin Technical College to serve as hub for skills acquisition. The governor plans to use the college to re-skill Edo youths for the emerging industrial sector in the state. On completion, the new Benin Science and Technical College will serve as a skills hub for vocational and technical training.

Earlier this month, the Edo State governor assured a delegation of the European parliament who paid him a courtesy visit that the Benin Science and Technical College will be near completion before the end of the year.

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

RANDOM THOTS Indolent Youths Back in 1992 when this reporter was doing his youth service in an Igala community in Kogi State, an incident rocked him on his young heels. On market days, young and old men gathered at long tables placed in the centre of the market and swilled the local beer between chats, while the women folk dutifully conducted the actual trade activities all day long.

Also during a visit to Sierra Leone in 2008, the first thing this reporter noticed on the streets of Freetown were

scores of youths idling on street corners wearing sullen looks. A local contact person later explained that the youths were jobless, uneducated and angry at their condition. That memory also stuck.

Recently, the President came under the cosh for disparaging Nigerian youths at a recent international forum outside the country.

However, when his comment is placed alongside a UNESCO 2017 report that stated that 63 million youths are illiter-

ates in Nigeria, and an ex-minister who said many Nigerian graduates were unemployable, PMB’s comment on some lazy youths may not be too far-fetched, although millions of young Nigerians are more hardworking than their elders.

The common factor in the three instances above is the youth in different settings, at different times, with different challenges. Nigeria is blessed with abundant youth labour, both skilled and unskilled, and their effective utilisation can only attract favourable demo-

cratic dividends for this country.

Everyone has a skill or the other, even those who drink all day long; the trick is for each youth to find what he or she likes and turn such skill into a service to willing consumers. Since white collar jobs are scarce and blue collar positions are shrinking, the services sectors can help create employment for those youths variously described as lazy...simple logic.

-Abimbola Akosile

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Ëš

Nigeria, a nation bound in freedom

Can Restructuring Benefit All Nigerians?

The issue of restructuring is still on the front-burner of national discourse and there are various recommendations from different ethnic groups and regions based on personal demands e.g. State police, ownership of resources, weaker centre, true fiscal federalism e.t.c. To you, can restructuring, possibly benefit all Nigerians, irrespective of location, religion or ethnic colouration? Is there a common positive restructuring tip for all citizens?

Abimbola Akosile

THE FEEDBACK

* The issue of regional restructuring would curb over-concentration of power in the centre, corruption, and waiting for monthly federal allocation. Let us have a sovereign national conference “outcome of which shall be people’s constitution, devoid of any amendment by either Senate or House of Reps and be referred to as a referendum.� This should be done with honesty, without politicising it.

- Mr. Stephen Dogo, Kaduna State

Yes, it can:

13

No, it cannot:

1

Others:

4

Radical tip:

Total breakup!

Total no of respondents:

17

Male:

14

* As long as officer holders do not abuse power, restructuring will improve leadership and accountability, infrastructure and address marginalisation challenges while ensuring a health competition among states.

- Ms Nkeiruka Abanna, Lagos State

Female:

3

Highest location:

Lagos (7)

* Yes, restructuring the socio-political structure of Nigeria will prompt bottom-up development opportunities. Restructuring has multi-faceted benefits for Nigerians. It will create healthy competition among states. State governments need to galvanise their local resources for development, which will positively impact the people from the local, sub-national to the national level. We must however, be careful not to politicise the notion. God bless Nigeria.

- Mr. Ekpa, Stanley Ekpa, Author, ‘Writ of Nigerian Dream’, Abuja * Restructuring will definitely benefit all Nigerians, if it is done without prejudice.

And that’s the major problem.

- Mr. Adewumi Temitope Michael, CEO Sarmic Farms, Kwara State * Yes, it will. State police, ownership of resources, weaker centre, true fiscal federalism, medical trips abolition, power generation etc will favour all and sundry. Corruption will be checked, debts duly recovered legally with ease, level playing ground for businesses, jobs and asset creation, economic independence, and checks for administrators to stop derailing etc.

In fact our economy will boom and Nigeria (including youths) will smile again.

- Mr. Apeji Onesi, Lagos State * I believe in restructuring for a better Nigeria, but are we going to restructure our minds from not stealing public funds meant for developmental projects? All these restructuring calls are politically-motivated agenda for 2019 general election because some politicians want to use it to get power after which they would abandon it.

- Mr. Gordon Chika Nnorom, Public Commentator, Umukabia, Abia State * Restructuring will benefit all Nigerians. It is not death sentence, as some misread it. It simply means, go back to drawing board and return to basics as was in the First Republic.

It will encourage productivity and competitiveness. It will benefit everybody because every state, ever region is sitting on ‘gold mine’ waiting to be tapped. Restructuring will unlock potentials buried in each state.

- Mr. Anonymous, Lagos State * It will immensely benefit all Nigerians, because each region and ethnic group would then focus on developmental projects, with speedy governance decisions, prudent spending of resources, improved accountability, religious tolerance, economic development and empowerment of citizens. The common restructuring tips for all citizens are to take it cool, go on voting, roundtable discussions, and conduct a referendum.

- Mr. Michael Adedotun Oke, Founder, Michael Adedotun Oke Foundation, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja * Yes, Nigeria will benefit a lot from restructuring especially in areas like state police, ownership of resources, weaker centre, true fiscal federalism, debt management, job creation and enabling environment for investors e.t.c.

In fact it is a win-win situation for Nigeria. A stitch in time saves nine. God bless Nigeria.

- Miss Apeji Patience Eneyeme, Badagry, Lagos State * It is obvious the present federal system needs to be restructured to ensure that our

unity in diversity is maximised. While it will be difficult to give one panacea to Nigeria’s myriad problems, I recommend that states be allowed to have more control of their resources to encourage creativity and healthy competition among states. Finally, the issue of state police should be looked into in view of our serious security challenges.

- Mr. Paul Jideofor, Dept of Languages, FCT COE, Abuja * In my own view, there’s no benefit to be derived from restructuring. Let this nation break up and let everybody have their own self-independent nations: Oduduwa, Biafra, Arewa and Niger Delta. We are not one nation but mere geographical expression; let us stop deceiving ourselves. Restructuring may lessen the friction but it’s not the solution.

- Mr. ‘Gbenga Olowolagba, Lagos State * Restructuring can benefit all Nigerians. This is because all you have in your state will belong to you and if you don’t have then you must strive to have as you have no one to depend on anymore. The oil-producing states have been cheated and suffer water and land pollution while some non-oil producing states enjoy better than them. At the end, the weaker states could end up being stronger.

- Hon. Babale Maiungwa, U/Romi, Kaduna * I’m not against restructuring of Nigeria, but those calling for this were in power before; what did they do? It is because loot money is not flowing as before. If they are in power nothing like restructuring will come up. Never-do-well leaders are behind this restructuring call.

- Mrs. Ijeoma Nnorom, Lagos State * Restructuring is beneficial to the country.

It will benefit a vast majority of the people because the current structure is flawed and need be fine-tuned. The centre should be made lean with fewer functions with more functions to states and LGAS that are nearest to majority of the populace. Let’s learn from America to perfect our own federal structure on regular basis. Nigeria should be quickly restructured for its accelerated development.

God bless Nigeria.

- Mr. Odey Ochicha, Leadership Specialist, Abuja * I challenge all those who believe in Gani Fawehinmi, Alao Aka-Bashorun, Chuma Ubani and Bamidele Aturu to lead crusades to urgently promote massive awareness of

political, constitutional and fundamental human rights to all households across the 774 Local Government Areas of Nigeria.

- Mr. Feyisetan Akeeb Kareem, APC Chieftain, Ogwashi-Ukwu, Delta State * We need to restructure our minds first. Going it alone will not bring about the desired results. As South Sudan has proven things could actually get worse. However, I believe in fiscal restructuring. The federal government should devolve more responsibilities to the states and should have not more than seven ministries. The states should get about 50 per cent of the federal allocations while the federal and LGCs should share the rest. This will produce powerful governors just like in the first Republic. The people can now hold their own accountable.

- Mr. Buga Gofwen, Jos, Plateau State * Restructuring will surely benefit all Nigerians if the demands can be harmonised and passed through a referendum. As diverse as Nigeria is, there are still areas of collective interest for all citizens.

- Mr. Olumuyiwa Olorunsomo, Lagos State

Next Week: How Can Nigeria Enjoy Youth Advantage? ÞËÞÓĂ?ÞÓĂ?Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă Ă?Ă‹Ă– ÞÒËÞ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ Ă’Ă‹Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă–Ă‹ĂœĂ‘Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ Ă™Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;Þ̋ÙĂ?Ě‹Ă?Ă?ÒÙÙÖ Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă–ĂŽĂœĂ?Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ–ĂŽËœ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă–Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ͓͑͒͘ ĂŽĂ“Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÒËÞ Ùà Ă?Ăœ Í—Í” Ă—Ă“Ă–Ă–Ă“Ă™Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;ÞÒĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă–Ă–Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ë› ÙåĂ?Ă Ă?ĂœËœ ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ“Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă˜Ă”Ă™ĂŁ ÞÒĂ? ĂŒĂ?Ă˜Ă?ʨÞĂ? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;ÞÒ ÚÙÚĂ&#x;Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ×ËâÓ×ÓĂ?Ă? ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚ×Ă?Ă˜Ăž ÚÙÞĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă‹Ă– ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă™Ă‘ĂœĂ‹ĂšĂ’Ă“Ă? ĂŽĂ“Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ë› Ă™ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ëœ ÒÙå Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂ˜Ă?Ă?Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă’Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă? ÚÙÞĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă‹Ă– Ă“Ă˜ Ă’Ă?Ăœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;ÞÒ ÚÙÚĂ&#x;Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ÞÙ Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ ĂŒĂ™Ă™Ă?Ăž Ă’Ă?Ăœ ĂŽĂ?Ă Ă?ÖÙÚ×Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?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™ ĂšĂœĂ“Ă– Í“Í— Ęś Ă™Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁËœ ĂšĂœĂ“Ă– ͔͑̚ ÞÙ abimbolayi@yahoo. com, greatbimbo@gmail.comËœ abimbola.akosile@thisdaylive.comË› Ă?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă™ Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹ Ă?Ă’Ă™ĂœĂž ĂžĂ?âÞ Ă—Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă‘Ă? ÞÙ 08023117639 Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽËšĂ™Ăœ 08188361766 Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽËšĂ™Ăœ 08114495306Ë› ÙÖÖËÞĂ?ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂšĂ™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– ĂŒĂ? ĂšĂ&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ Ă’Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁËœ Ă‹ĂŁ Í”

34

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ Ͱʹ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

An over-clogged canal in Karounwi area of Surulere, Lagos; tailor-made for flooding

ETOP UKUTT

‘President Buhari’s Anti-corruption Crusade May Lag Unless Re-energised’ Selective approach can embolden treasury looters, says Rafsanjani

Funke Olaode in Washington DC The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, a not-forprofit organisation based in Abuja, has called on the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari to step up its anti-corruption crusade before Nigerians lose confidence in it, and before it lags behind other similar global efforts.

The call was made by the Executive Director of CISLAC, Mr. Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, on the sidelines of the recent International Monetary Fund/ World Bank Spring Meetings held in Washington DC, USA. According to Rafsanjani, “the call became imperative looking at many areas in which the Nigerian government is working on corruption; but there seems to be a lot of setbacks in the fight against corruption in the country.”

He said “in recent times, Nigerian government had come up with a policy on whistleblowing that will encourage the citizens to expose corruption and then even get rewarded; even though we felt we need to institutionalise that framework to guarantee the safety and security of whistleblowers.”

He noted that “what shocked us (Nigerians) recently was an alleged ‘money for confirmation’ against the National Assembly during a public hearing to investigate the circumstance that surrounded the NIA (National Intelligence Agency) scandal that led to the sack of the former acting Director General.

“The sacked acting DG came and gave testimony and exposed how some high placed people were demanding bribe for him to be confirmed. What shocked us was that instead of for him to be actually celebrated

Rafsanjani

as somebody who exposed corruption, he was actually sacked.

Not only was he sacked but from the information that we had, his life has been threatened.

So you just wonder whether the policy on whistle-blowing is actually real and operational.

“If it is real and operational, how can somebody who exposed this kind of monumental corruption at the NIA get sacked and even his life is

being threatened?

“We are worried as anticorruption activists that for anybody who actually exposes corruption, he or she might not be protected by the state, because if the policy does not have sincerity in it, it means that people fighting corruption can even get killed and not only sacked.” He seized the opportunity of his interaction with journalists at the international forum to call on the Nigerian government, particularly the president, to investigate the circumstances of the sack of the former NIA DG because “we believe that what happened is a setback to exposing corruption and the fight against corruption in Nigeria.”

“If somebody can be rewarded with sack and threat to life, it means other people in the different ministries and parastatals will not be able to expose

corruption that is going on in the MDAs. “So we are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the National Assembly leadership to investigate those who demanded bribe for his confirmation, which as a result of not paying he was sacked and his life threatened.

“We are doing this because we want to maintain the integrity of the fight against corruption because anybody can be a victim. If you are honest and a patriotic Nigerian and you expose corruption, instead of you to be protected you will now be victimised. We don’t want this victimisation to silence further exposure of corruption in Nigeria because if we allow this to go, many people in and outside government will not come out to expose corruption,” Rafsanjani added.

Commenting on the list of

looters, he expressed amazement that there was nobody from the ruling party among the names.

“We think this can jeopardise the sincerity of the fight against corruption in Nigeria. The fight against corruption must not be selective, sectional and to protect those who are in the same party.

It must cut across everybody.

We believe that exposing the looters is a good step because we need to begin to name and shame people who have looted the country. But it must be done in a manner that cuts across people who have been involved in corruption.

“We believe there are people also at the local and state governments who have been looting the country and their names are not on that list. So we want the Nigerian government to continue to expose looters but the list of names must be comprehensive.

JOHESU Strike: Anioma Association in Georgia N’Assembly Will Secure Future of Nigerian Youths, Provide Free Services Says Legislator As the industrial action by the Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU) lingers, some concerned stakeholders have stepped into the breach to provide free healthcare services to needy people in Delta State.

To mitigate the negative impacts of the ongoing strike action by public health workers on the citizenry, especially the less economically endowed, the Anioma Association of Nigeria Incorporation, Georgia in the United States of America, has provided free healthcare services to Deltans.

It was gathered that no fewer than 1,000 persons benefited from the free medical treatment provided by the association, penultimate weekend in Asaba, the state capital.

The free medical programme, sponsored and organised

by sons and daughters of Anioma living in Georgia in collaboration with a team of health personnel within Nigeria, attended to patients with various degrees of sickness.

The two-day exercise, held recently at Asaba Girls Grammar School, off Nnebisi road, was not restricted to any age category, as men, women, youths, children and the aged were treated and given drugs free of charge.

Speaking, the Chairman, Delta State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Isioma Okobah lauded the organisers of the programme for bringing free medical services to the people to complement the State government’s health for all Deltans initiative.

Noting the timeliness of the programme which took place

when the JOHESU were on nationwide indefinite strike, she said the free health programme was very helpful as it would ameliorate the suffering of the people in solving their health challenges.

Okobah, who joined the team of medical professionals to attend to patients, said she was happy to do what she always loved to do again, as she consulted for several hours before taking her leave to attend to other engagements.

The team also had a dental section where persons with toothaches and other oral health challenges were offered treatment and counseled on oral health and hygiene. There was also eye clinic section where persons with eye problems were treated, with free eye-glasses also given to such patients.

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin Member of House of Representatives representing Kaima/ Baruten federal constituency of Kwara state at the national assembly, Hon. Zakari Muhammed has said the 8th national assembly would do everything possible to enact a law that will ensure the future of youths is secured.

This, he said, would go a long way in helping the youths to be self-reliant and thereby putting an end to any act that may hinder the peace and development of the country.

Muhammed stated this at Kaima town, headquarters of Kaima local government council of the state recently while distributing empowerment materials worth several thousands of naira to the people

of his federal constituency.

Among empowerment materials distributed at the event include transformers, block-moulding machines, grinding machines, motorcycles, tricycles, sewing machines, sprayers, herbicides, and instructional and learning materials to schools in the constituency.

According to him, “We want to make sure that we nurture, protect and encourage the next generation of leaders in order to help them contribute their quota towards the socio well-being of the populace.”

He said, “The national assembly will also push for policies that are important to the youths so as to expand opportunity for the youths to make them self reliant and help them to be part of the Nigeria

project.”

The lawmaker added that the gesture would also reduce unemployment among the youths; thereby making them to be job creators for the overall benefit of the populace.

Muhammed however appealed to the youths to shun all actions that can be threats to peace. The lawmaker stressed that development would go a long way in helping the government embark on meaningful developmental projects that would add values to the socio-economic development of the society.

He noted that, “nothing can be achieved in the atmosphere of chaos and violence and all youths should be law abiding and shun all forms of actions that will not move the nation forward.”

35

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ Ͱʹ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Wemustallworktogether;cooperateforthesystemtomoveforward.Butifyoukeepthinkingthatthejudiciaryistheculprit inthisdelayprocess,youarenottellingthewholestory.Itisnotthejudiciarythatwouldgoandarrestsomeonebeforelooking forevidence.Itisnotthejudiciarythatwouldgointoinvestigations.Ourownisthatanindependentbodymustinvestigate, prosecutewhilethejudgedecides” - CHIEF JUSTICE OF NIGERIA (CJN), JUSTICE WALTER ONNOGHEN, SPEAKING IN ABUJA

Eight Lessons on Imperatives of Private Sectordriven AfCFTA

By Ken Ukaoha

Ukaoha

Earth Day: LUFASI, British High Commission Charge Nigerians on Waste Recycling Obaseki harps on biodiversity sustenance Abimbola Akosile Nigerians have been reminded that proper disposal of recyclable waste such as plastics, glass, cans will not only protect the future of their children but can also give them additional immediate income.

This reminder was highlighted during events to commemorate Earth Day 2018 at the Lekki Urban Forest and Animal Sanctuary Initiative (LUFASI) recently.

British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Laure Beaufils, said like her native United Kingdom, Nigeria also has and celebrates wonderful coastlines but unfortunately, humans are now clogging the ocean with plastics which can take hundreds of years to dissolve.

“Our environment, our health and ability to earn a living are affected by this practice. We can actually recycle to make some financial gains. It is now a win-win situation,” said Beaufils.

She said her office in Nigeria is actively involved in recycling. She also said the British government just announced a sum of £62 million to work with her Commonwealth partners on the issue of environment, and urged Nigerians to also task governments on commitment to the environment.

LUFASI Chairman, Desmond Majekodunmi, said Nigerians use too much plastic products.

Plastic, he also noted, “is one of the problems that has happened to the environment, which is why Earth Day celebration this year is focused on plastic.”

“Plastic is killing the fishes and killing the oceans and that is why we have to clean the oceans by not throwing plastics away but make money from them through recycling,” said the renowned environmentalist.

CEO of Recycle Point, Mazi Alison Ukonu, at the event, told the residents of Majek area of Ibeju-Lekki Local Government that his company was ready to pick their plastic and other waste materials for recycling and also pay them with cash or gift items based on the points they earn over time.

Ukonu said: “We will have a recycle point

L-R: Ukonu (green shirt behind signpost); Beaufils; and Majekodunmi, with community residents and others during the Earth Day celebration at LUFASI in Lagos...recently here at LUFASI for people to bring their plastic bottles, pure water nylons, cans and glass and they will be able to get cash or items in turn based on the points they earn and registration is free.” He said the popular sportswear designer, Nike, in 2010 made a unit of its expensive jerseys out of seven plastic bottles, stressing that recycling can help the environment and boost economic activities through setting of cottage companies that process recyclable items.

A kilogramme of plastic bottles fetches a person about N30, he said, adding that people should know the value of what they throw away and the harm it causes in the ocean and the environment.

The event involved residents of the host community joining environmentalists to pick plastic bottles and other waste items from about three kilometres of the Majek community along the Lekki-Epe Expressway.

In a related development, Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has said the state govern-

ment is pursuing a robust forestry programme to preserve the state’s biodiversity and conserve its forest belt.

The governor said this in commemoration of the International Mother Earth Day, marked every April 23, across the world by the United Nations and its various organs.

He said efforts were on to preserve the state’s flora and fauna to ensure that its forest reserve was not only protected, but that social, economic and political activities do not alter the state’s pristine biodiversity.

According to him, “Edo State has ample forest reserve, which if not carefully protected, will be lost to the forces of urbanisation. But we want to ensure that we do not lose the touch with mother earth and our forest belt. This is why we set machinery in motion to set up the forestry commission and also ensure that oil plantations in the state keep to the international conventions on protecting the environment from degradation.”

Preceding the Extra-ordinary Summit in Kigali which held in March 2018, the African Union (AU) had organised a Business Forum on the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). During the forum, the business community pledged its support for the AfCFTA while some African leaders pledged their political will to engage the private sector in the implementation of the AfCFTA. However, in spite of these promises, it appears from all indications that the African private sector is either kept at the back door or yet to be given a pride of place in the AfCFTA process.

It would be recalled that the CFTA negotiation process gave rise to an Implementation Framework Agreement recently signed on to in Kigali – Rwanda by as many as 44 member countries of the African Union (AU) on the 21st March 2018.

But the provisions of Article 9 (Part III) of the Framework establishing of the AfCFTA, which neglected or omitted the composition and role for the private sector is a bold testimony to the fact that indeed the negotiation has been conducted and concluded as if the business community matters less, not only in the Continental Trade Agreement but also in terms of overall development of the continent.

The abovementioned Article 9 literarily throws the private sector into oblivion without any iota of reflection of recognition. Prior to the Kigali epoch signing event, the less-than appreciable involvement of the private sector practitioners (and perhaps their Non State Actors colleagues) manifested significantly in the side-lining of this constituency in the practical articulation and formulation of positions, pre and post negotiation consultations, in-depth cost and benefits analysis, etc; and these are clear evidences and signals that not only question the validity of the outcomes but also interrogate the veracity of the potential personalitycharacter of the AfCFTA implementation.

In all of these, the following sure lessons for Africa on the way to improving actions towards the effective implementation of the AfCFTA are glaring. * Ukaoha, foremost Trade Lawyer; Expert in negotiations and advocacy; Member of ECOWAS Task Force on Trade, and President of NANTS, writes from Abuja NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

36

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, APRI L 26, 2018

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

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

Closing the Financial Gap against Malaria As Nigeria joined the rest of the world to mark this year’s World Malaria Day, Martins Ifijeh and Kuni Tyessi write on the need for increased funding to tackle the public health challenge

A malaria-causing mosquito

A

t a point, the whole world battled with malaria which is a serious disease that causes chills, fever and death. It is passed from one person to another by the bite of mosquitoes, particularly the anopheles specie. However, in 1970, Europe and America were able to defeat the parasite.

Economies like India and China, with populations of close to two billion people have both been able to control theirs to insignificant percentages.

But Nigeria has not been fortunate to achieve same feet despite concerted efforts by the federal government and agencies saddled with tackling the public health issue in the country.

Presently, the country still has the highest number of malaria casualties worldwide, with about 300, 000 deaths occurring annually, while at least 100 million Nigerians are still at risk of the disease. It contributes to an estimated 11 per cent of maternal deaths, and it accounts for 29 per cent of global malaria burden.

Nigeria, with a population of about 190 million and a fast growing economy has placed a bench mark to replicate same progress made by other countries in the elimination of malaria. It is expected that if the parasite cannot be totally defeated by 2020, then it should be less than five per cent prevalent.

As Nigeria, yesterday, joined the rest of the world to mark this year’s World Malaria Day, tagged: ’Ready to Beat Malaria’ with the slogan ‘Together We Can’, the federal government believes it is possible to achieve the dream even in the face of losing N300 billion annually to treatment and prevention, including loss of man-hours annually to the disease.

It is in addressing this that the Nigerian Government renewed its efforts to secure $300 million (N108 billion ) in new financing from the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank and African Development Bank to help finance its national malaria strategy.

This came on the heels of the Commonwealth Health Ministers’ launch of the Commonwealth Nations Initiative at the Malaria Summit London 2018, where they agreed to eradicate malaria by half by 2023.

The Nigerian Government also pledged an additional $18.7 million, while the United Kingdom pledged £50 million on malaria programme in Nigeria. It also pledged £9.2 million to fund new research on development of new triple Artemisinin Combination Treatments.

The World Health Organisation, (WHO)

Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole

believes collective efforts by nations, if achieved, would prevent 350 million malaria cases and save 650,000 lives predominately children and pregnant women who are most at risk annually.

In addition, African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), in line with the African Union’s Catalytic Framework to end AIDS, TB and Eliminate Malaria by 2030, committed to supporting member countries to introduce and strengthen the use of national and sub-national malaria scorecards and action trackers, with robust community engagement; to support increased domestic funding from both the public and private sector; and to continue its work with Heads of State and Government in Africa to monitor progress towards this goal.

Malaria No More committed to expand efforts to mobilise action and resources to end the disease through engaging leaders, building new partnerships, expanding reach and raising the profile of malaria.

2017 World Malaria Report, a publication by the WHO has shown that Nigeria faces a financial gap of N504 billion ($1.4 billion) to implement its national malaria strategy by 2020.

The former Minister of Health, Ethiopia, Dr. Kesete Admasu, in an exclusive interview with THISDAY recently, said for Nigeria to tackle malaria, it requires funding, adding that this is required to deliver life saving interventions to the Nigerian populations and fully implement its national malaria strategic plan between now and year 2020.

He said so far, the Nigerian Government would require at least US $1.5 billion over the next three years, adding that such money should come from variety of sources, both internationally and domestically.

According to him, malaria is still a leading cause of mortality for children under five in Nigeria, even though the government’s efforts have been credited with reducing mortality rates among children under-five by 18 per cent since 2011. Adding that Borno State, for example, malaria is currently claiming more lives than all other diseases combined.

He explained that, at the turn of last century, almost all countries in the world were malaria endemic. “Today, the number of malaria endemic countries stands at 91, of which 44 have less than 10,000 cases per year – meaning that malaria elimination is within reach. All this shows that ending malaria is possible for any country, even one with a high burden of the disease.

“For Nigeria, there will be lessons to be learnt from other countries that have tackled

LLITNs are protective against malaria

malaria, but no exact model to copy. Perhaps the first place to start will be in scaling up the malaria surveillance system, which currently only detects 16 per cent of cases. Without adequate surveillance malaria control efforts are blind.

“Nigeria also needs a strong political commitment to tackle the issue. This is a prerequisite for any successful action against malaria, and this needs to translate into additional resources to strengthen the health sector overall and malaria efforts in particular. Today, less than five per cent of national budget in Nigeria spent on health, of which only 0.8 per cent supports malaria, according to the estimates from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

He noted that the private healthcare system provides care for a substantial proportion of the Nigerian population, adding that through Global Fund, the international community is working to increase Nigerian citizens’ access to all the needed WHO-recommended anti-malarial treatments.

The public health expert notes that Nigeria has a great opportunity to be a leader in the fight against malaria, for Africa and for the global community, explaining that the world cannot defeat malaria without Nigeria. “I believe that, with leadership at all levels – from federal down to the local level – Nigeria can do what it takes to end one of the oldest and deadliest diseases in human history and, in doing so, unlock opportunities for its economy and its people.”

Speaking earlier in the week in Abuja to commemorate the World Malaria Day, Dr. Perpetua Uhomoibhi of the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), said that strategies have been put in place to meet up with the date as it has led to the death of many, especially for children.

She enlightens on the use of treated mosquito nets and the acceptable and prescribed medication for pregnant women. She said current strategic plans were expected to lead Nigerians to preelimination period by the year 2020, adding that this means the national prevalence will be less than five per cent of malaria when the national survey is carried out. “From there, we will begin to work towards a total malaria-free Nigeria.”

“The first strategy is the universal use of treated mosquito nets and everybody is encouraged to make use of it. Our aim is that two people per household have access to at least one net and that is the universal coverage. So if there

is a household of six people, it is expected that three nets should be given to them.

“The other strategy is test before treatment.

So every symptom of malaria should be tested and confirmed that it is malaria and the proper treatment which are the ACTs must be given.

Those are two of the strategies. We also have the one of prevention of malaria in pregnant women, which is the use of IPTP which is the using of Intermittent Preventive Treatment for malaria in pregnancy. It is used for pregnant women and there are many others as well,” Uhomoibhi said.

National Coordinator, National Malaria Elimination programme, Dr. Audu Bala Mohammed, is also optimistic that the parasite can be eradicated at the given time. He says ’malaria elimination in 2020 is possible. When you do the right thing, you will get the right result. Several other countries were able to crash down their malaria challenges within a spate of five years and Nigeria can do it. If we work religiously with what we have put down in the 2014- 2020 strategy and with availability of funds and workmanship, we can achieve it.”

He revealed that the ban on mono-therapy for the treatment of malaria was agreed to be from November 2014 after the National Council for Health meeting. The meeting gave a guideline that Artemisilin-based Combination Therapy should be used and that is what works.

He further explained that, “using the monotherapy does not work for malaria and it creates resistance when the ACT is used. A memo was made to the council and it was approved that there should be a ban on the use of monotherapy for the treatment of malaria because it is not effective. Now the guideline is that we should use the combination therapy and that is the ACT. “In pregnant women, it is recommended that they use quinine because in the first trimester of pregnancy, the effects of the ACT might not be very suitable for them and they can use it only when there is no suitable alternative. If not, they are advised to use quinine. But from the second trimester, it works very well and has less harmful effect on the unborn child and so it is quite good to make use of it. However, sometimes, it may be necessary to use it in the first trimester if there’s no alternative and life of the mother must be saved.”

Mohammed also revealed that there were two strategies in fighting and eliminating malaria Continued on next page

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY, APRI L 26, 2018

NEWS

CancerResponsiblefor72,000 Deaths in Nigeria Annually, WBFAReport Shows There are estimated 102,000 new cases yearly Senator Iroegbu in Abuja The Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA) has released its ground-breaking ‘Rapid Assessment of the Prevention and Control of Cancer in Nigeria’ report.

The first independent national research on cancer provision reveals that cancer is responsible for 72,000 deaths in Nigeria every year, with an estimated 102,000 new cases annually. This was disclosed in a statement by the Head of Media and Communications, WBFA, Ms. Veronica Abang, saying the report also presents recommendations to urgently transform cancer treatment in Nigeria According to Abang, the study, led by the WBFA with support from an Amref Health Africa research grant and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, comes on the heels of the launch of Nigeria’s Cancer Control Plan (NCCP) by the Federal Government earlier this month. She stated that the WBFA, launching the report in Abuja last week, has provided a critical assessment of the needs and capacity of actors and stakeholders in the Nigerian health system to prevent and control cancers, while determining the specific gaps for cancer prevention and control.

The Media Aide to the Founder-President of the WBFA, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, said “the findings highlight the challenge facing the battle against cancer in Nigeria, which has a severe shortage of health personnel for cancer care; a dearth of specialists in particular in rural communities; and a lack a well-coordinated chain of supply of drugs and the requisite infrastructure”.

She said he rate of 80 per cent of patients who are at a stage of advanced disease at time of presentation leaves little hope for many, especially given the lack of functional radiotherapy machines and other tools for diagnosis and treatment. Speaking at the launch of the rapid assessment report, Mrs. Saraki said the report provides all stakeholders with evidence for efficient frontline actions to prevent, detect, and treat cancer, across Nigeria.

According to the wife of the

Senate President, it will allow stakeholders to harness our wealth of knowledge to key into the recently announced government policy for prompt actions across the nation.

She said: “We can also teach our people, and intensify citizen engagement in reducing high-risk behaviours, to be best positioned to detect cancers at an early stage when they are most successful and cost-effective to treat.”

“I thank our partners, Amref, and everyone who has made this comprehensively robust research report possible, particularly our Report Research Principal Investigator, Oncologists Dr/ Bolaji Ayandipo, Dr. Akin Orunmuyi, University College Hospital Ibadan, Dr. Segun Biyi-Olutunde, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Dr. Aliyu Malami, Uthman Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Dr. Amaka Lasebikan, Dr Lola Salako, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, our collaborating colleagues in primary, secondary and tertiary medical facilities across Nigeria, and the Wellbeing Foundation Africa Country Director Dr Luther King-Fasehun.”

Mrs. Saraki who was recently named by Devex as a Global UHC Champion; Global Goodwill Ambassador for the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and Special Adviser to the Independent Advisory Group (IAG) of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Office for Africa (AFRO), assure commitment to the National Cancer Control Plan. She is also Chair of Nigeria’s Primary Health Care Revitalisation Support Group, which is co-chaired

by House of Representatives members Hon. Chike Okafor and Hon. Mohammed Usman.

Receiving the report on behalf of the Federal Government, the Minister of State for Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire noted that the research report’s findings and stakeholders meeting aligns with the government’s plans to strengthen the training of cancer-related healthworkers, improve infrastructure and service delivery for cancer prevention, treatment and palliative care.

“We welcome the WBFA-Amref inter-sectoral collaboration, alongside its partnerships with

local and global stakeholders in order to improve awareness and information on preventive practices, encouraging early diagnosis and management of all cancers,” Ehanire said.

The Research took place in 12

focal states, comprised of 6 geopolitical zones, at the following tertiary centres: University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital; National Hospital, Abuja; Nnamdi Azikwe Teaching Hospital, Anambra; University

of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu; University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital; University of Benin Teaching Hospital; Gombe Federal Medical Center; University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital;

Lagos University Teaching Hospital; University College Hospital, Ibadan; Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Kaduna; and Uthman Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital.

L-R; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. Clement Uwaifo; and Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, during the validation of inputs of National Strategic Health Development Plan II in Abuja recently

PharmAccess, NHEA Partner to Reward Innovative Healthcare Services Martins Ifijeh PharmAccess Foundation Nigeria has partnered with the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA) to recognise and celebrate innovative healthcare service providers in Nigeria during the 2018 award ceremonies taking place in Lagos June 22nd, 2018.

Pharmaccess will sponsor the award category PharmAccess Innovative Healthcare Service Provider of the Year.

According to the Foundation’s Country Director, Njide Ndili, this is the third consecutive year of partnership with NHEA, while this year represents the second time it will be sponsoring the innovative healthcare service provider award category. “Our motivation supports our core objectives, which is to promote

innovation that improves access and efficiency in service delivery at scale, leveraging technology at an affordable cost without bias to your location, economic status or income level.”

NHEA Project Coordinator, Dr. Shola Alabi, who spoke on this development said, “NHEA is Nigeria’s leading healthcare platform that recognises excellence and innovation in the sector. We value our partnership with PharmAccess, their desire for continuous improvement in the sector deserve special commendation.”

SaferMom won the NHEA 2017 PharmAccess Innovative Healthcare Service Provider of the Year. SaferMom empowers pregnant and new mothers to make informed health decisions via the use of mobile technology. Nominations for

the 5th edition of NHEA 2018 is ongoing and stakeholders are advised to visit www. nigeriahealthawards.com.ng to either make their nominations online or download the nomination form.

Nominations will close on May 25, 2018 before the commencement of online voting to enable the award jury select the winners of the various categories. Winners of the various categories will be honoured on Friday, June 22, 2018 at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos. Twenty-three awards and recognitions will be presented at the ceremony under four main categories; Special Awards, Healthcare Delivery Services, Biomedical Technology and Pharmaceuticals.

PharmAccess Foundation mobilises public and private sector resources for the benefit

of healthcare providers and patients through clinical standards and quality improvements, loans for healthcare providers, health insurance, health innovations and operational research. Their goal is to provide technical assistance to states seeking to operationalise their mandatory health insurance law; deepen engagements with federal and state Ministries of Health and primary healthcare development agencies to scale SafeCare methodology in Nigeria; leverage on the digital and mobile technology innovations to achieve scale; work with the state government to design and roll out the Access to Finance Scheme for Health SMEs under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with a vision to increase access to affordable and better healthcare.

CLOSING THE FINANCIAL GAP AGAINST MALARIA which include the use of treated mosquito net and ensuring that everybody makes use of it.

“The aim is that two people per household have access to at least one net and that is the universal coverage.

“The other strategy is test before treatment.

So every symptom of malaria should be tested and confirmed that it is malaria and the proper treatment which are the ACTs must be given.

Those are two of the strategies and then we also have the one of the prevention of malaria in pregnant women which is the use of IPTP which is the use of Intermitent Preventive Treatment of malaria which is used for pregnant women and there are many others as well.”

On whether or not the ban is working, Mohammed explained that the issue was that the national programme is not an enforcement agency as it is set to educate, create awareness and sensitise people.

“It is one of the reasons we are going to the field to make people know and understand that

the medicine is no longer in use. You don’t need to use chloroquine for the treatment of malaria. It is non effective and will not give good result. Some of the mono-therapy drugs have been linked to several heart conditions, and so they are not recommended for the treatment of malaria.

“Medicines like malarech, amalar, and many of them are for pregnant women and not for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria. Some of the pregnant women might react to the drugs but that is for few percentages of people. We advise that if one has reacted to it in the past, it should not be taken anymore and if there are cases of such reaction among family members, we advise such people to stay away from it.”

He said Rapid Diagnostic Test for now was one of the best diagnostic tools available for community and family use and that it is a one step procedure where blood is taken using a pin prick. “This is then applied to the cosset and it gives you a positive result. When you

have one line, it is negative’ two lines mean it is positive, and anybody can buy and use it. It is referred to as a point-of-care diagnosis. What this means is that when you feel that a person is sick, a person trained on how it is used can actually use it, irrespective of profession. ” There are many other factors that can be responsible for fever and not just malaria because it is just one of the many conditions that would lead to fever in an individual. Mohammmed advised that there is the need to do tests, as every individual that presents symptoms of malaria or fever must be tested before they can be given anti-malaria medicine if they test positive. He also called on patient medicine vendors and community pharmacists to try as much as possible to know the new position of the country so as not to stock mono-therapies or one that will have just Artesunate which is not recommended.

“Any medicine used in the treatment of malaria must have a combination which must include

an Artemisulin product. So, treating malaria with one medicine is unacceptable,” he noted.

On the efficacy of herbal medicine and ongoing research for more malaria medications, Mohammed stated that malaria programmes are evidence-based, adding that there was nothing adopted that is not based on evidence.

“Artemisunin itself is an herbal product. It is a leaf and it’s a product we encourage. Until one is able to bring to fore, other specimen and studies done on them, we cannot say otherwise. It is found that they can work in Nigeria and can work anywhere. It is not about somebody going into the room and concocting something presented to the world with claims that it treats malaria. It must be proven by using international standards before we can say this medicine is good enough. The malaria-curing leaf was a herb that was used by the Chinese over several years. It was tested and found to be good as a treatment for malaria and has been adopted globally.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, APRI L 26, 2018

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NEWS

FG Moves to Finalise National Strategic Health Development Plan II Martins Ifijeh Effort is in the top gear to complete National Strategic Health Development Plan II and put it to use.

The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Enanire, made this known on recently while speaking at the validation of inputs from various health stakeholders across the country as part of the process to finalize the document.

The National Health Strategic Development Plan II was developed as a result of the expiration of the first National Strategic Health Development Plan which was launched in 2010, lasted till 2015 and later extended to 2016 by the National Council on Health meeting held in Sokoto in 2015.

The National Strategic Health Development Plan II document was subjected for comments, observations and inputs from the 36 states of the federation and FCT as well as partners and the private sector.

Dr. Ehanire said that the document is very important to the repositioning of the health sector.

“I am pleased to announce that Nigeria now has a robust, well-articulated National Strategic Health Development Plan

resulting from the vigorous and concerted efforts of all stakeholders.

“The document is extremely detailed, and covered every aspect of the health system. It focuses on building enabling environment for the attainment of positive outcomes; increase utilization of package of essential healthcare services and strengthening the health system.

“It also provides health emergencies, risk sharing and protection as well as sustainable healthcare financing” Ehanire said.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. Clement Uwaifo commended the development partners for their commitments toward the development of the National Strategic Health Development Plan II. He said “the purpose of our meeting here today is therefore to formally present the draft of the second National Strategic Health Development Plan for validation. It is important for us to collectively examine the document and where necessary make amendment before it is submitted to forthcoming National Council on Health for approval and implementation” Mr. Uwaifo said.

Speaking during the event, the World Health Organisation

Country Director, Dr. Wondi Alemu represented by Dr. Moses Ongom, Health System Adviser, said that the National Strategic Health Development Plan II is expected to provide concrete steps and strategies towards achieving Universal

Health Coverage Agenda. He further called for diligent implementation of the Plan.

“What will be most useful to the people of Nigeria, especially the poor and most vulnerable households, who currently contribute over 71

per cent of the total Health Expenditure out-of-pocket, is the diligent implementation of this plan”.

Presenting the overview of the second National Strategic Development Plan, the planning Consultant, Prof. Clara

Ejembi , ABU Zaria, said that the Plan would address health related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She said it is also in line with direction of the present health agenda of revitalizing Primary Healthcare Centers across the country.

UNITED AGAINST MALARIA

L-R: Asoju Oja of Oregun, Lagos, Safiatu Francis; Executive Chairman, Onigbongbo LCDA, Lagos Francis Babatunde Oke; Acting MD/CEO, Neimeth Pharmaceuticals, Chris Mmeje; and Executive Director, Sales and Marketing, Neimeth Pharmaceuticals, Rose Oputa, during the commemoration of World Malaria Day by Neimeth in Lagos yesterday

Lagos, PATA, Others Drum BVGH, FG Step Up Fight against UNFPA: $10m Annual Budgetary Support for Women, Girls Cancer in Nigeria Allocation to Family Planning,Poor Living with HIV Launches National Cancer Stakeholders call for inclusion of men in planning process Senator Iroegbu in Abuja The Country Representative of United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Diene Keita, has called on the federal government to improve its annual budgetary allocation to Family Planning (FP) and Reproductive health.

This is coming as stakeholders called for the inclusion of men in the family planning processes. Keita made this call in Abuja at the Nigerian Health Watch Forum 2018 with the theme: ‘The Elephant in the Room, Men as Change Agents in the Family Planning Discourse’. She said that the estimated sum of $8-10 million budgeted for FP is poor despite commendable government efforts.

“Nigerian Government needs to do more as only about $8-10 million is expended on Family Planning whereas India spends over $1 billion annually. Sometimes also it may not be about money but to ensure that the environment is right,” she said. Speaking further, Keita said there is need for strong inclusion of men in family planning process so as to get the necessary result in the country. She also agreed with other stakeholders that men are strong agents in the family planning discourse.

The UNFPA Representative disclosed that Nigeria has contributed to 40 per cent of the global burden of maternal death.

“We need to reduce the high

level of maternal mortality in the country, as everyday 110 die while giving birth. We will ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, and every potential of each child is being fulfilled,” she said. She so emphasised on the need to educate the men folk about family planning and not leave only the women to take important decisions regarding her reproductive issues in the family.

“We need to sensitise our men, and educate them on the importance of family planning, so they can be able to have children that they can easily manage, based on the economic situation of the country at the moment,” she added.

Keita charged stakeholders in the health sectors to reach out to men residing in the rural areas as a large percentage of them do not have the necessary information about family planning issues. In the same vein, the Country Director of Marie Stopes, Dr. Effiom Effiom, explained that strategic interventions have not been put in place to promote men’s participation in family planning issues. “We should start seeing men as advocates for family planning, and see how they can play a greater role in this regard, and we have to be consistent to get a visible result,” Effiom said.

According to him, stakeholders in the health sector should start seeing family planning as a health issue, and see it as a means of increasing economic power in the society.

Martins Ifijeh As part of efforts to reduce the growing trend of discrimination and violence against women/ girls living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, the Lagos State government, Positive Action for Treatment Access (PATA), and Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), have called on Nigerians to give them equitable and humane care like every other citizen. They said experiences shared by women and girls living with the virus show that many of them are still being denied their fundamental human rights, love and support needed for them to go through life. Lending his voice during a State Dialogue on Violence against Women and Girls Living with HIV, the Commissioner for Information, Lagos State, Hon. Kehinde Bamisetan called on Lagosians to stop stigmatising them, noting that it is more destructive than physical violence due to its psychological effect.

“While we have put various laws in place to tackle issues of stigmatization, discrimination and violence against people living with HIV, we will continue to educate the citizens that HIV is no longer a deadly disease as drugs and good nutrition can help suppress its viral load.

“Just this year, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode walked against domestic violence to send a signal to everyone.

Violators of these laws will be prosecuted. That is why we are telling women/girls, persons living with disabilities, and PLWHA to seek redress anytime they feel their rights are being violated,” he added.

A Board member, PATA, Mrs. Iwalola Akin-Jimoh said stakeholders must continue to raise awareness and public understanding of the scope and nature of violence been perpetuated against women and girls living with HIV in Lagos state, adding that this was also meant to galvanize public actions to prevent all forms of violence against women and girls living with HIV in Lagos state.

“Women and girls constitute one of the most vulnerable groups to HIV/AIDS particularly in a country like Nigeria where gender inequality have been identified as the driver.

“Now the issue is that if the prevalence among young women between the ages of 15 and 24 is estimated to be three times higher than among men of the same age according to the National AIDS Control Agency, NACA, and violence against women and girls manifest in various forms: some women are tested and their results are disclosed to their partner without their consent whereas when men are tested their partners are not informed. Again some women are placed on drugs without finding whether they are positive or not,” she added The Executive Director, WARDC, Dr. Abiola AkiyodeAfolabi said many Nigerian women and girls living with HIV still suffer a lot of violence, and that people must stop seeing them from the point of sympathy. “They are healthy people. They deserve love, empowerment, ambition and all the things every other person deserves.”

Control Plan

Senator Iroegbu in Abuja The Bio Ventures for Global Health (BVGH) has presented African Access Initiative (AAI) as Nigeria stepped up its fight against cancer with the launch of the National Cancer Control Plan (NCCP) 2018-2022.

The BVGH President, Ms. Jennifer Dent described AAI’s work in Nigeria during the NCCP launch event as remarkable.

Dent said AAI and its alliance with the Nigerian government aims to address the rapidly rising burden of cancer in the country.

“AAI is driven by Africa, for Africa, and so it is critical to understand each country’s oncology priorities, capabilities, and gaps. We have completed comprehensive needs assessments of eight Nigerian hospitals to capture information on cancer patient populations; staffing; diagnostic, treatment, and research capacity; and medication access, with eight additional assessments underway. The goal is to design and build sustainable access to cancer treatments,” she said.

Dent added that “future AAI efforts in Nigeria will be guided by the NCCP and the needs assessment findings.

We invite pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with strategic interests in oncology and Africa to join us in improving access to their products in Nigeria and other AAI countries through sustainable business and pricing agreements and participation in

our African Consortium for Cancer Clinical Trials (AC3T) program.”

In the same vein, the Minister of Health and oncologist, Prof.

Isaac Adewole, while introducing the NCCP, highlighted AAI’s activities in Nigeria.

Adewole said the Ministry of Health is deeply committed to the provision of high quality healthcare for all Nigerians.

He said: “When it comes to cancer, we have a great sense of urgency to take action and prevent unnecessary suffering and death. The NCCP outlines key goals, which include improving access to quality, cost effective and equitable diagnostic and treatment services and ensuring access and availability of drugs for cancer patients.

“BVGH is playing an important role in these efforts through its unique approach with AAI and its work with key hospitals in Nigeria to coordinate the delivery of essential drugs, technologies, and training.”

AAI—led by BVGH in partnership with the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC); the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA)/Access Accelerated; Pfizer, Inc.; and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.—focuses on expanding access to cancer medicines and technologies, improving healthcare infrastructure, and building clinical and research capacity in Africa, where cancer now claims more lives than malaria.

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY, APRI L 26, 2018

HEALTH NEWS FG, Toyin Saraki to Partner on National Cancer Control Plan Senator Iroegbu in Abuja The federal government will partner with the wife of the Senate President and FounderPresident of Wellbeing Foundation Africa, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, as well as other stakeholders in the recently launched National Cancer Control Plan.

The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, disclosed this at the weekend when the Wellbeing Foundation Africa hosted a stakeholders’ meeting to review the Rapid Assessment of the Prevention and Control of Cancer in Nigeria report.

Other stakeholders in the health sector who were at the meeting include the ViceChairman Senate Committee on Health, Senator Clifford Odiar; the West Africa Regional Director, Amref, Dr. Sylla Thiam; the Country Director, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson, Mitchelle Akande; amongst other distinguished medical practitioners.

Ehanire commended the ex-Kwara State First Lady’s efforts in the health sector in Nigeria, which supports the programme of the Ministry of Health in cancer prevention and other challenges.

To this end, he said the ministry would be collaborating with local and international stakeholders including the Wellbeing Foundation Africa for cancer treatment and prevention. He said: “The Federal Ministry of Health, in line with the current push of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led govedrnment, plans to work to strengthen the training of cancer-related healthcare workers, as well as improve infrastructure and strengthen service delivery for cancer care, including prevention and palliative care.

“We welcome inter-sectoral collaborations, as well as partnerships with local and global stakeholders in order to improve awareness and information on preventive practices, as well as encouraging early diagnosis and management of all cancers.”

Earlier, Saraki noted that the Rapid Assessment of the Prevention and Control of Cancer in Nigeria report is a

collaborative study undertaken by the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, with support from Amref Health Africa with inputs from various stakeholders operating within the health sector.

Saraki who was recently named by Devex as a Global UHC Champion; Global Goodwill Ambassador for the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and Special Adviser to the Independent Advisory Group (IAG) of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Regional Office for Africa (AFRO), assure commitment to the National Cancer Control Plan.

She called for engagement with the people to stop highrisk behaviours and awareness for early cancer detection as well as information on effective treatment.

She said: “I want to thank everyone who has made this event possible, and I believe that those of us present can harness our wealth of knowledge to key into the National Cancer Control Plan, which was launched just last week. We must teach our people and engage them to stop high risk behaviours, and to be best positioned to detect cancer at the early stage, when it is most cost-effective to treat.

“The biggest challenge in development is transforming global goals and national goals into grassroots actions. I would want to quote Margaret Meade in saying ‘we must never doubt the power of a small group of people united with a common purpose’; and our purpose is to prevent cancer, detect cancer, and provide infrastructure to be able to respond to the needs of our people in relation to all types of cancer. I would like to again thank everyone present; Amref Health Africa for your partnership and the Federal Ministry of Health for giving civil society such a role in taking the traction from what you have begun.”

Also speaking, the West Africa Regional Director, Amref Health Africa, Dr. Sylla Thiam, commended the Wellbeing Foundation Africa “for carrying out such an important study.

The timing is very apt as the disease has taken a toll on the country.”

World Malaria Day: YEDI, WDI Embark on Free Medical Outreach in Lagos As part of plans to commemorate 2018 World Malaria Day, the Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative (YEDI) and Westfield Development Initiative (WDI) are organising a football-themed free medical outreach in Lagos on Saturday April 28th, 2018.

The outreach, tagged “KickAgainst-Malaria Football Tournament” will create awareness in combating the scourge of Malaria using the convening power of football as an effective teaching platform for mobilising and empowering young people and communities on malaria prevention and treatment.

The event, billed to take place

at Pako Field, Omituntun Youth Centre, Akowonjo, Lagos, according to the organizers, is in line with this year’s global theme #ReadyToBeatMalaria.

The advocacy and community mobilization will convene 2000 residents of Alimosho community and feature a free mini-clinic with medical doctors and nurses for medical examination, malaria testing and treatment, free distribution of Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs), bed net usage demonstration, weight/height/ BMI check, Blood Pressure and sugar tests, HIV/AIDS Counselling and Testing services, and general medical consult and counselling.

RBM Calls on Govts, Health Bodies to Increase Progress against Malaria Martins Ifijeh Roll Back Malaria (RBM) has called on governments, health bodies, private sector companies and the public to accelerate progress against malaria.

It said this was necessary since the public health issue is gradually coming back after a decade of success in pushing it back.

The Chief Executive Officer, RBM, Dr. Kesete Admasu, who made this known in a statement to mark 2018 World Malaria Day, said malaria may come back with a vengeance if nothing is decisively done now.

Admasu said; “Half the world is still threatened by malaria, an entirely preventable, treatable disease which takes a child’s life every two minutes.

Worldwide action is needed to

meet the 2030 target of reducing malaria cases by at least 90 per cent. We are delighted that more countries than ever, forty-four, are reporting less than 10,000 cases; however we must ensure we continue to press forward to end malaria – not only in high-burden nations but also those on track to eliminate the disease. It is our global responsibility to consign malaria to the history books.”

RBM Partnership Board Chair, Dr Winnie MpanjuShumbusho, on his part, said April, 2018 has seen world leaders come together to renew commitments to step up funding and speed up innovations against the disease. “It has been a truly momentous time in the fight against malaria, but the battle is not yet won. We also need citizen and community

action around the world to drive momentum towards reaching global targets.

“The malaria fight is at a crossroads and we could be the generation to end the disease for good. If we don’t seize the moment now, our hard-won gains will be lost. We’re ready to beat malaria – are you?”

Mpanju-Shumbusho said.

The Director General, World Health Organisation, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, says: “World Malaria Day reminds us of the challenges that remain. The declining trend in malaria cases and deaths has stalled and vital funding for malaria programmes has flat lined. If we continue along this path, we will lose the gains for which we have fought so hard.”

He called on countries and

the global health community to close the critical gaps in the malaria response. “Together we must ensure that no one is left behind in accessing lifesaving services to prevent, diagnose and treat malaria.”

World Malaria Day comes on the heels of two major malaria events – the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, where UK Prime Minister Theresa May and other Commonwealth leaders made a commitment to halve malaria burden across 53 member countries by 2023 in response to the London Malaria Summit.

In addition, the Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) conference in Dakar brought together scientists and researchers from across Africa to share the latest innovations in the fight against the disease.

Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole (m); President, BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH), Jennifer Dent, and other dignitaries at the launch of the Nigerian National Cancer Plan in Abuja recently

Measles: Ondo Vaccinates 735,168 Children James Sowole in Akure No fewer than 735,158 children got vaccination against measles during the March 2018 exercise in Ondo State.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Wahab Adegbenro, disclosed the figure in Akure, while giving facts on immunisation activities in Ondo State during an event to mark the 2018 African Vaccination Week.

The commissioner also stated that a total of 14, 484 children were vaccinated in Ondo State in the month of February 2018 which is about 89 per cent of the monthly target population using the Penta 3 Vaccine as a yardstick.

Adegbenro said the 2018 African Immunisation Week has as its Nigerian theme ‘Vaccination Work, Be An Immunisation Champion’.

He said the week would involve special immunisation outreach services to be conducted for three days by all 33 primary health facilities in Akoko South West Local Government areas of the state.

According to the commissioner, Akoko South West Local Government was chosen for the commemorative activities

because of its sub-optimal performance in routine immunisation for the months of January and February 2018 when compared to other council areas.

Adegbenro explained that vaccination is free in all public health facilities in Ondo State.

The commissioner, who highlighted various various immunisations that are available for children and the schedules, said the state apart from the routine exercise, had been participating in all supplementary immunisation exercises.

“Ondo State Government believes in the sanctity of Routine Immunisation in the collective drive to keep Vaccine Preventive Diseases at bay. We shall continue to support the federal government’s initiatives in this regard,” he said.

Adegbenro said the governor regularly offers logistic support to all the 583 primary healthcare facilities offering immunisation services in the state through the Ondo State Primary Healthcare Development Board.

He said the board was the one that was mandated to coordinate all immunisation services across the state.

Adegbenro therefore enjoined parents in the Akoko South West Local Government to

make their children within the vaccination ages available for the programme.

World Malaria Day: CCSI Urges Investment in Human Capital For Nigeria to meet its Sustainable Development Goals obligations of eliminating malaria by 2030, government must focus on building capacity of the Nigerian people to empower them set overcome barriers and social norms preventing adopting malaria preventable practices.

The Executive Director, Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI), Mrs. Babafunke Fagbemi made this known in Abuja yesterday on the occasion of the world malaria day.

Fagbemi said Nigeria should focus on building capacity where it matters the most because social norms are barriers to people taking up practices that would make Nigeria malaria-free.

She said Nigeria should use results of research to design effective campaigns that would target the root causes of the social barriers and that would

resonate with the people.

“To eradicate malaria, Nigeria should focus on building capacity where it matters the most; its humans. Empower them to be able to set aside social norms that prevent them from adopting recommended practices for a malaria free country. This would help in breaking barriers in knowledge, perceptions and would go a long way in changing behaviour.

“In addition, to maximize resources, we should use results of research to design effective campaigns that will target the root causes and resonate with the audience,” she said.

Nigeria currently carries the highest burden of malaria with about 30 percent of the global malaria cases. About half of the world is still at risk of malaria which is preventable and treatable but still kills a child every other minute.

T H I S D AY ˞ ˜ APRIL 26, 2018

40

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

BDC Operators Seek Integration into I & E Market Obinna Chima The Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) has appealed to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to integrate its members into the Investors’ and Exporters’ (I & E) foreign exchange (forex) window.

ABCON stated this in its quarterly economic review for Q1 2018 that was obtained recently.

The association noted that their participation in the forex window which was created a year ago would help improve liquidity as well as support unifying the exchange rate.

The report cited a study by

Masahiro Hori and Yu Ching Wong on “Efficiency cost of multiple exchange rate regime,� which observed that multiple exchange rate system creates various economic distortions. “They developed a model of foreign exchange markets and present the efficiency costs imposed by quasi-fiscal operation under the current exchange rate regime. “The results of the modelbased analyses indicate that the equilibrium exchange rate under the unified market could increases trade openness to more than 20 percent from less than 1 percent measured by official statistics. “The total efficiency loss

caused by the current multiple exchange rate regime, is estimated at about 14–17 percent of the country’s GDP,� it explained.

The report stated that ABCON was also concerned about the likely effects of the forthcoming 2019 elections and the receding campaign process on the economy.

The Acting President of ABCON, Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe warned of a possible capital flight ahead of the election.

The development, which would be another round of economic shock, according to him, might see foreign investors who had invested billions of dollars in the equities market exiting.

Diamond Bank Divests Fully from UK Subsidiary Diamond Bank Plc has signed a share sale and purchase agreement with a member of GFG Alliance, for the disposal of its entire shareholding in its international subsidiary, Diamond Bank (UK) Plc. The disposal was in line with the bank’s objective of streamlining its operations to focus resources on the significant opportunities in the Nigerian retail banking market.

The transaction followed the bank’s divestment from its West African business, Diamond Bank S.A., which was completed in November 2017. A statement posted on the Nigerian Stock

Exchange (NSE) website explained that the Bank and GFG Alliance were committed to, and are pursuing a quick completion of the transaction subject to approval of the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority who regulate banking business in the United Kingdom.

Commenting on the transaction, Diamond Bank’s CEO Uzoma Dozie said: “Diamond Bank’s strategic objective is to be the fastest growing, and most profitable technology-driven retail banking franchise in Nigeria. “This strategic intent requires the bank to optimise the use of its resources

which means, where necessary, divesting from its non-core assets, and focusing on the priority area, namely Nigerian retail banking.� “The bank has laid the foundation for growth in Nigeria with acquisition of over 15 million customers, many of whom are owning bank accounts for the first time. “The Nigerian market has vast potential due to its strong fundamentals, including millions of people who are either underbanked or unbanked, and changing lifestyles that favour the use of mobile devices to complete multiple financial transactions at the consumer’s convenience.

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)

Aig-Imoukhuede Urges Stockbrokers to Drive Capital Formation Bamidele Famoofo Stockbrokers in Nigeria have been urged to rise to their primary responsibility of mobilising long-term capital for economic growth.

The immediate past president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Aigboje AigImoukhuede made the call in Lagos yesterday, during the official inauguration of the office complex of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS).

Aig-Imoukhuede, in his keynote address, titled: “The Role of Stockbrokers in the process of Capital formation,� said the role of stockbrokers in the economy was a key determinant of the Nigerian financial system.

“In any model of economic development, capital occupies a position of crucial and strategic importance. “Economic development of any sort will not be possible unless there is adequate degree of capital formation in the country,� he said.

The former Group Managing Director (GMD) of Access Bank Plc said an average stockbroker must be knowledgeable, saying their most traditional role was understanding the intention and plans of issuers, regarding how they would deploy the Capital they raise to create value. “Based on this understanding, a stockbroker is expected to convince the holders of savings at both the institutional and retail level of the viability

of this plan and defend the price at which these securities were being offered to the public.“Stockbrokers catalyse the velocity of the Capital formation process and create an ever expanding Capital Markets�, he said.

He challenged stockbrokers to make conscious effort to drive capital formation.b “The issue here is that in all advanced market economies, members of the stockbroking profession rank amongst the wealthiest citizens. “For context let us compare ourselves to Europe, North America and Asia, hate them or love them, the significantly higher earnings of your contemporaries in these markets are a reflection of the societal value of the profession.

Unity Bank Rewards Winners in the UniFiers Project As part of its new focus on the youth segment and further to the launch of UNiFi product, its new youth focused digital banking initiative, Unity Bank Plc recently rewarded the creativity of three young persons. These recipients – referred to as Unifiers – demonstrated their innovativeness and distinguished themselves in an online competition. The UniFiers initiative was conceived as part of the bank’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) which was instituted to empower young people who had developed definitive initiatives that had

an impact on their immediate communities.

A statement from the bank explained that each of them were celebrated at the recent UNIFI-launch held at the University of Lagos. The three successful candidates received rewards of half a million naira each for displaying their projects online as part of the UniFiers challenge and garnering highest number of votes from fans who endorsed their respective projects in each of the project category.

According to the GM, Products & Channels of the bank, Mr. Bo-

naventure Okhaimo, “the UniFiers project is aimed at encouraging creativity and motivating Nigerian youths�, adding that, “the bank identified three broad categories for the competition which included the lanterns: targeting science & technology innovation; the Humanitarians: riding on social development and charity; and the builders – highlighting excellence in art, design and culture�.

The winners that emerged included: Tolulope Falope – Builders category, Mobolaji Oriola – Humanitarian category and Albert Kure – Lantern Category.

(MILLION NAIRA)

AUGUST 2017

26,821,446.81

---- Credit to Government (Net)

4,824,226.22

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

7,834,536.74

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

--3,010,310.52

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

21,997,220.59

--Other Assets Net

--14,702,983.39

Reserve Money (Base Money)

5,486,804.65

--Currency in Circulation

1,868,735.07

--Banks Reserves

3,268,266.17 Ëž Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă? Ě‹

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

August 2017

Inter-Bank Call Rate

22.63

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

13.35

Savings Deposit Rate

4.08

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.86

3 Months Deposit Rate

10.14

6 Months Deposit Rate

11.51

12 Months Deposit Rate

11.40

Prime Lending rate

17.69

Maximum Lending Rate

31.20

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

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT TUESDAY APRIL 24, 2018

The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $71.34 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $70.51 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), ZaďŹ ro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

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MARKET NEWS

FBN Holdings Grows Full Year Profit After Tax by 179% to N48bn Goddy Egene FBN Holdings Plc yesterday announced its results for the full year ended December 31, 2017, showing a growth of 179 per cent in profit after tax (PAT) to N47.8 billion, up from N17.1 billion in 2016.

In the audited results, FBN Holdings Plc ended the year with gross earnings of N595.4 billion, up marginally by 2.3 per cent from N581.8 billion in

2016. Net interest income rose by 15.9 per cent from N405.3 billion to N331.5 billion, while non-interest income fell by 31 per cent from N165.5 billion to N113.7 billion. Impairment charges for credit losses also dropped by 33.5 per cent to N150.4 billion, from N226 billion in 2016. The financial institution tried to curtail operating expenses, which grew by only 7.7 per cent to N238 billion, from N221 billion the previous year.

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

Consequently, profit before tax jumped by 147.6 per cent to N56.8 billion, compared with 22.9 billion in 2016. But PAT grew fast by 178.9 per cent to N47.8 billion from N17.1 billion in 2016. Earnings per share improved from 39 kobo to 121 kobo. The directors are recommended a dividend of 25 kobo per share. A further analysis of the results showed non-performing loan ratio improved from 24.4 per cent

S E C U R I T I E S MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

to 22.8 per cent, just as liquidity ratio reduced from 52.7 per cent to 51.1 per cent. Capital adequacy ratio stood at 17.1 per cent compared with 17.8 per cent in 2016. Commenting on the performance, the Group Managing Director of FBN Holdings Plc, Mr. UK Eke, said the initiatives they put in place were producing encouraging results ahead their projections.

“It is noteworthy to highlight that this progress has not been

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

detrimental to our commitment to cost containment, illustrated by the 7.7 per cent increase in opex which is significantly below the headline inflation rate of 15.4 per cent. This result was also made possible by the successful implementation of our digitisation initiatives, that have allowed us to serve our customers in a more efficient and effective way.” Despite the improved performance, Eke said they recognised the need for

O F

accelerated resolution of their legacy assets to demonstrate sustainable improvement in asset quality. “This was largely as a result of the impairment of 9mobile, which was across the industry, as well as the foreign currency translation impact on our existing portfolio. These are one-off events and we assure that appreciable progress would be made on NPL in 2018 in line with our three years strategic plan.

2 5 / 0 4 / 2 0 1 8 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

42

T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱʹ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

43

˾ THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018

MARKET NEWS

MTN is Proposing $50m Initial Public Offering, Says SEC The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Wednesday confirmed that MTN Group had finally commenced discussions with the commission on its proposed 500 million dollars Initial Public Offering (IPO).

A senior management staff of SEC who pleaded anonymity told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that MTN had commenced discussion with the commission on the IPO.

The source told NAN that although talks were ongoing, the company was yet to formally file its application for the IPO. He said the commission was committed to investors’ protection, and that their interest would be protected in the ongoing discussion.

The source said SEC would remain committed to the development of the nation’s capital market and listing of more multinationals.

However, another source

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

at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), who declined to be mentioned, also told NAN that the NSE had not yet received an official filing from the company.

There were reports recently that MTN Group Ltd. was perfecting plans to raise about 500 million dollars from the sale of shares in its Nigerian business in the first half of 2018.

Standard Bank Group Limited and Citigroup Inc. had been advising

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 24Apr-2018, unless otherwise stated.

MTN on the disposal of as much as 30 per cent of its Nigerian unit on the NSE. MTN had agreed to list the Nigerian unit as part of June 2016 agreement to pay one billion dollars fine for missing a deadline to disconnect unregistered subscribers amid a security crackdown.

MTN recently appointed a Nigerian investment firm, Chapel Hill Denham, as lead manager for the planned sale of 500 million dollars shares

in its Nigerian business during the first half of this year.

It also appointed South Africa’s Rand Merchant Bank, Renaissance Capital and Vetiva Capital as joint issuers to the offer.

Many Nigerian investors are already positioning themselves to buy into the company.

A source in one of appointed agents, ARM Securities Limited, had on Monday confirmed to THISDAY that investors were upbeat about the

IPO. “You know it has been long in coming. MTN has been doing well over the years and we can see that track record in the Nigerian market alone.

But many Nigerians who patronise the services of the telecoms company, have not had the opportunity to share in the profit. That opportunity is coming now through the planned IPO and no discerning investors would want to be left out,” the source 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 189.65 190.74 6.81% Nigeria International Debt Fund 244.62 245.75 5.98% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.86 0.87 4.29% ACAP Income Funds 0.66 0.66 9.26% 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 14.05% 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 159.99 160.79 5.36% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 14.05% 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 13.69% Paramount Equity Fund 12.26 12.58 10.60% Women's Investment Fund 103.37 106.02 2.72% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 13.78% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.13 1.15 7.84% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.10 1.13 6.37% 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 1,150.50 1,151.67 0.23% FBN Heritage Fund 150.32 151.61 7.82% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 14.02% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional $112.26 $112.70 -0.62% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail $112.24 $112.68 -0.54% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 180.15 182.85 11.89% 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 1.39 1.42 6.64% Legacy Debt Fund 3.01 3.01 4.26% 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 3,179.93 3,212.14 6.50% Coral Income Fund 2,583.17 2,583.17 5.57% 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 13.74% 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 14.05% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.19 2.22 3.97% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 15.66% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 119.72 120.14 4.11%

LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.18 1.20 2.99% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,047.99 1,047.99 4.05% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Meristem Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A PACAM Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A PACAM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 132.78 135.38 3.20% 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 1.56 1.56 5.10% 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 2,372.38 2,392.83 5.78% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 185.48 185.48 5.12% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.07 1.09 6.93% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 232.58 232.66 5.62% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 188.06 190.06 4.98% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 13.96% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 10,188.34 10,327.28 5.36% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.09 1.09 2.42% 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 1.35 0.22% United Capital Bond Fund 1.66 1.66 5.93% United Capital Equity Fund 0.98 1.00 6.58% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 13.02% United Capital Eurobond Fund 105.40 105.40 2.43% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.13 1.14 4.28% 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 13.40 13.60 6.98% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.91 14.07 6.13% Zenith Income Fund 19.95 19.95 5.44% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 13.19%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

10.00 134.71

-11.35% 1.70%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

12.46 160.32 119.05

12.56 163.72 121.23

2.78% 12.24% 8.95%

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

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

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

5.12 9.58 18.87 20.95 160.34

5.16 9.66 18.97 21.15 162.34

7.91% 0.11% 6.21% 6.49% 7.87%

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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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY APRIL 26, 2018

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THURSDAY APRIL 26, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

Iran Rejects Trump-Macron Nuclear Proposals Rouhani says West has no right to make changes Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has questioned the legitimacy of efforts by the US and its European allies to change a

nuclear deal with his country, BBC reported on Wednesday.

The US and French leaders announced on Tuesday that they

Cybercrime Website Behind 4 Million Attacks Taken Down A British and Dutch-led operation on Wednesday brought down a website linked to more than four million cyberattacks around the world, with banking giants among the victims, AFP reported European law enforcement agencies as saying.

“Authorities in five countries including the Netherlands, Serbia, Croatia and Canada, with support from Police Scotland and Europol, targeted six members of the crime group behind webstresser.org,” Britain’s National Crime Agency said in a statement.

Cybercriminals used the website’s services, which could be rented for as little as $14.99 (12.31 euros), to launch so-called distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks, which swamp targets with spam traffic and disable their IT systems.

British police searched an address in Bradford, northern England, and seized a number of items, while Dutch police, with assistance from Germany and the United States,

seized servers and took down the website. British police believe an individual linked to the address used the site, the world’s largest illegal DDOS seller, to hit seven of Britain’s biggest banks in November, forcing them to reduce operations.

“Stressers” services give users the ability to stress-test the resilience of servers, causing disruption to the target. Police also arrested two suspects, aged 19 and 21 in Serbia and a third, aged 19, in Croatia, Serbian and Croatian authorities said in separate statements.

The Croatian national faced a sentence between “one and eight years in prison,” the Croatian interior ministry added.

Europol, which set up a command and control post in The Hague on Tuesday to coordinate the operation, said “further measures” would be taken against the online marketplace’s top users in Australia, Britain, Canada, Croatia, Hong Kong, Italy and the Netherlands.

were working on a “new deal” that would expand and extend the terms of the 2015 accord.

But Mr Rouhani said they had no “right” to renegotiate a seven-party agreement.

He also dismissed US President Donald Trump as a “tradesman” not qualified to comment on global treaties.

“You don’t have any background in politics,” he said.

“You don’t have any background in law. You don’t have any background on international treaties.”

Mr Trump has said the US will reimpose sanctions on

Iran suspended under the deal on 12 May unless Congress and European powers fix its “disastrous flaws”.

The five other parties to the accord - France, the UK, Germany, China and Russia - see it as the best way to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and want Mr Trump to continue waiving the sanctions while they try to address his concerns.

Before holding talks with French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House on Tuesday, Mr Trump called the deal “insane” and left it unclear what would happen next month.

He also warned Iranian leaders that they would “have bigger problems than they have ever had before” if they restarted their nuclear programme.

Afterwards, Mr Macron told a joint news conference that the deal was “not sufficient” but gave Western powers some control over Iranian nuclear activities.

“We therefore wish, from now on, to work on a new deal with Iran,” he said.

Based on their discussions, Mr Macron added, it would “need to cover four topics”: r#MPDLJOH BOZ OVDMFBS BDUJWJUZ until 2025 - a period covered by

the current accord r.BLJOH TVSF UIFSF JT OP *SBOJBO nuclear activity “in the long run” r)BMUJOH *SBO T EFWFMPQNFOU and testing of ballistic missiles, which Western powers say have been taking place in violation the current deal r(FOFSBUJOH iB QPMJUJDBM TPMVUJPO to contain” Iran in the wider Middle East, where it is directly or indirectly involved in several conflicts Mr Trump said: “I think we will have a great shot at doing a much bigger maybe deal, maybe not deal. We’re going to find out, but we’ll know fairly soon.”

US Jury Begins Deliberations in Cosby Trial A Pennsylvania jury retired Wednesday to begin deliberations in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault retrial to determine whether or not the disgraced megastar drugged and molested a young woman 14 years ago, AFP reported.

The frail 80-year-old could spend the rest of his life behind bars if convicted on three counts of aggravated indecent assault against Andrea Constand, then a Temple University employee,

in 2004.

Judge Steven O’Neill spent an hour and 13 minutes instructing the panel of seven men and five women, as a sombre Cosby listened intently, before the jury retired at 11:08 am (1508 GMT).

On Tuesday, the court heard two hours of closing statements from the defence portraying the actor as a misguided married man hoodwinked into a $3.38 million settlement by a con artist and pathological liar.

The prosecution delivered three hours of summations, painting Cosby as the real “con” man who exploited his fame as “America’s Dad” to betray women’s trust by drugging and sexually assaulting them.

The jury has heard 12 days of testimony and from around two dozen witnesses in what is the first celebrity trial of the #MeToo era that has seen a litany of powerful men lose their jobs

over accusations.

Cosby, who now says he is legally blind, declined to testify, as at the first in Norristown, a depressed suburb of Philadelphia.

The entertainer’s first trial ended in a hung jury in June, with the sequestered panel hopelessly deadlocked after six days of testimony and 52 hours of deliberations.

Any verdict must be unanimous.

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THURSDAY APRIL 26, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY

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Adewole: Why Pay Parity Between Doctors, Other Health Workers is Untenable Insists no work, no pay policy is automatic, legal JOHESU threatens total shutdown of health sector May 2 Senator Iroegbu in Abuja The ongoing industrial action by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) may not end anytime soon as the parties involved are not shifting their positions with Minister of Health, Prof.

Isaac Adewole, insisting that there can never be pay parity between the Nigerian doctors and other health workers.

THISDAY findings revealed that the JOHESU’s demand for pay rise and salary adjustment reflects exactly the amount currently earned by the counterparts within the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).

A document obtained by THISDAY containing the proposed Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) from level 09 to Level 15 revealed that its at par with the revised Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) from entry-level 01 to the apex level 07.

While the CONMESS level 1:1 for doctors starts with annual salary figure of N1, 316, 488

and peaks at level 7:9 at N7,708, 500, the proposed CONHESS mirrored exactly the same amount with level 9:1 of N1, 316, 488 and peaked at level 15:9 at N7,708, 500.

But Adewole, in an interview with THISDAY on the issue, reminded the protesting health workers that one of the cardinal demands for salary review looks like a quest for parity with the doctors, which according to him, is not attainable anywhere in the world.

He noted that while the federal government is willing to consider the salary adjustment, but that throughout Nigerian history, there has never been a period where the doctors received the same salary as other health workers.

“One thing is clear, we will never support parity, and I think we should put that up-front.

There has never been any time in the history of this country when there was parity, and we will never support parity.

“We will be willing to support adjustment, but we

will never support parity because, it has never happened before independence, after independence till date, there has never been parity between doctor and non-doctors,” he declared.

Speaking on the ongoing JOHESU strike, the minister said efforts are being made to end the industrial action as ongoing negotiations to resolve the issues are being handled by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

“The strike would end soon. We are addressing it comprehensively. There are quite a number of funny issues, and we want to make sure that we handle it comprehensively. We don’t want to end the strike only to face another one so we are looking at it comprehensively and in totality,” he stated.

Adewole, while dismissing the allegations of discrimination and acts of intimidation against JOHESU members, cautioned that the policy of “no work, no pay” is legally binding and hence, automatic and beyond him.

According to him, “It is the law of the land, it is not me implementing it, and there is a federal government directive.

“I don’t see us intimidating anybody. That will never happen in our beat, but we need to uphold the ‘rule of law’. In a situation where every worker has the right to go on strike, and you can’t force people who think they want to go on strike, but we also recognised that health is an essential service. Even in labour law, it is there . We can’t really deny that health is on the essential list and our duty is to ensure that we

continue to maintain service.”

Speaking on the issue, the National Chairman of JOHESU, Mr. Biobelemoye Josiah, informed THISDAY of a total shutdown of the country’s health institutions if their demands are not met at the end of the 14-day ultimatum on May 2, 2018.

Josiah warned that unlike the ongoing warning strike that is limited to the tertiary health institutions, both the secondary and primary healthcare services would be stopped within the next seven days if a compromise was not reached.

He still maintained his position that both the Ministers of Health and Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, are biased towards the doctors under the auspices of NMA and NARD. He said: “The states and

local government areas have not been directed because we have compassion for Nigerians. We only gave the directives to the tertiary health institutions.

Hopefully, our demands would be heeded at the end of the 14 days warning strike, after which they will join and we will go on picketing and street protests. We are not deterred.”

THISDAY can confirmed that the resumption of the ongoing industrial action was predicated on alleged foot-dragging of the federal government in approving the adjustment of CONHESS similar to what was done for medical doctors’ CONMESS since January 2014. JOHESU also said this was replicated with yet another approval for the same CONMESS in September, 2017 for the medical doctors

FG Approves N68bn for LagosIbadan, Bauchi-Kano Roads Okays N10bn for creation of 10 rice mills Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The federal government yesterday approved a total of N64.1billion for further construction on what it described as section one on Lagos - Ibadan express way.

It also approved N4.5billion for the reconstruction of SubailaFalala-Bini-Baku-Bauchi Road which Kano with Bauchi State.

Briefing journalists at the end of a six-hour FEC meeting in the State House, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, said the approved additional construction on Lagos-Ibadan expressway would include the building of pedestrian bridges and toll plazas which he said were not part of the original design for that road.

Fashola also said procurement was also being pursued for further works on section two of the road which he said would equally be presented to the council for approval when the procurement is secured.

“Council approved the award of Subaila-Falala-BiniBaku-Bauchi Road that connects Kano and Bauchi States at the sum of N4.578 billion. Council also approved additional works on section one of Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

“Council also approves additional works on over 43.6 kilometers for N64.108 billion which covers pedestrian bridges, toll plazas for that section so as to accommodate the changing nature of that road.

“Since its conception, so many new structures, religious institutions, factories, universities, increased human activities have come up along

that road. The inherited design didn’t provide for these at all and also to modify the quality of bitumen, polymer modified bitumen, in order to deal with the heavy cargo that passes through that road.

“The first section is handled

by Julius Berger. The second section under RCC which covers over 80 kilometres will come to council to incorporate similar works including drainage works when we finish the procurement,” he said.

In his own briefing, Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, said the council also approved the establishment of 10 rice mills in 10 states at the cost of N10.7billion.

“Today, FEC approved the establishment of ten very large rice mills to enhance the milling capacity of rice value chain in the country. Few years ago, it was reported that this country needs a minimum of 100 large mills. As at today, we have about 21 but the federal government in its wisdom decided that today, we should approve the establishment of 10 new rice mills in 10 states at the total cost of N10.7 billion.

“This will be given to the private sector to manage which will be paid back within a given time frame as will be agreed between the Bank of Agriculture and the rice mills. The state will be ten. You know in Nigeria, over 30 states are growing rice.

“In today’s memo, the ten rice mills will be located across the six geopolitical zones including Kebbi, Zamfara, Benue, Kogi, Bayelsa, Anambra, Kaduna, Niger, Ogun, Bauchi. The capacity of the rice mills is 100 tons per day each,” Lokpobiri said.

TAKING A BOLD STEP

Senator representing Rivers South-east senatorial district in the National Assembly, Magnus Abe, flanked by a suporters when he formally declared his intention to contest for the governorship of Rivers State in 2019 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Port Harcourt...yesterday

Bread Scarcity Looms as Master Bakers Threaten Strike Kick against FG’s 15% levy, multiple taxes Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba The Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria (AMBCN) has decried the arbitrary increase in levy paid on wheat importation as well as sundry collections, which the association complained amounts to multiple taxation.

THISDAY learnt that scarcity of bread is imminent as members of the group have threatened to withdraw their services unless the federal government looks into their grievances and takes urgent steps to address them.

Members of the AMBCN numbering over 1,000 yesterday in Asaba, protested the federal government’s 15 per cent levy collection on wheat importation from bakers, demanded immediate reduction of flour costs from millers.

Addressing journalists during

the protest march, the National Secretary of the association, Mr. Jude Okafor, noted that the levy, which was introduced in 2012, was domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the purpose of development of cassava bread in the country.

The protesting bakers carried placards with inscriptions such as ‘Notice of Imminent Bakers Services Withdrawal is Hereby Served’; ‘FG Save Our Industry From Total Collapse’; “We Are The Second Largest Employers of Labour After FG’; 50kg Flour in Tanzania is N4,500, But in Nigeria, it is N11,000.’

Okafor lamented that the federal government policy has impacted negatively on the bakers in Nigeria and put their jobs on the line.

He said six years on, the

initiative has clearly failed as all the components of the laudable programme have been abandoned but the bakers are still made to pay the N1,000 levy.

According to him, “The fund was to be used for the development of cassava bread, which includes training, and equipping of 5,000 bakers, six in each of the 774 local government areas in the country.

“Although, the terminal date for the first period was 2016, as we speak, only 1,584 bakers have been trained, only 151 bakers have been partially equipped in very unacceptable circumstances, which even grossly violated the disadvantageous Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) entered between the Ministry of Agriculture and Bank of Industry.”

The national secretary further decried the high cost of sugar and flour in Nigeria in comparison to

other African countries.

He however urged the federal government to urgently come to the aid of bakers in the country by significantly slashing the prices of the aforementioned commodities in consonance with the present exchange rate of naira to the dollar vis-à-vis the high cost of diesel, which were the factors that influenced the increase then.

Okafor also called on the government to use the accumulated money domiciled in CBN to train and empower 20,000 master bakers in the country in line with the original plan.

While calling on the federal and state governments to stop the vexatious multiple taxation in the country, the bakers warned that they would consider the strike option at the next National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Association taking place soon,

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NEMA DG Clarifies Controversy over Rice Donation by Chinese Govt to IDPs House c’ttee insists Udoma, Adeosun, Ogbeh must testify James Emejo in Abuja The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr. Mustapha Maihaja, yesterday said contrary to accusations of corruption in the administration of the 6,779 metric tonnes of rice donated to the Nigerian government by the Chinese government, the first batch was cleared and warehoused in Maiduguri and Yola.

Speaking at the continuation of investigation by the House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness over an alleged breach of public trust in the relief agency, he said no time was wasted in securing and taking delivery of the goods as directed by the government.

There were allegations from lawmakers that the donated bags of rice had been missing while others said NEMA completely failed to deliver the materials to areas needed.

This came as the Ministry of Budget and National Planning and the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) further confirmed the process of securing the delivery of the rice.

Maihaji told the lawmakers that: “As soon as we secured the necessary documents, we liaised with all relevant agencies concerned with clearing but we have to invoke Section 43 (1)b of the Emergency Act because the goods had stayed for six months at the port.

“Secondly, it was a tough decision to take considering the situation we found ourselves in. We have to consider the condition of the people

of the region, that is North-east, who are in danger of hunger and famine.

We also have to consider the condition of the rice too.

“We are still in the process of procuring the rest of the material, but we have taken possession of 110 containers and they are in two locations in Maiduguri and Yola. We had to follow that pattern to save the item and the people.”

He said: “There are still some in the port but all expenses are incurred by NEMA, though we have not paid for clearing but a little above N400 million have been paid on demurrage for the total consignment.

“With all sincerity of purpose, the problem is about the process which involved three agencies.

The process should be looked at.”

The representative of the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Samuel Iloma, a Deputy Director said being the recipient of the donation, waiver certificates were processed for the consignment that came in five batches.

According to him, “We thought with the collection of the waiver, NEMA will just go and distribute but we got to understand later that the clearance is much more than that “That was why we approached a clearing firm about what’s involved to do the clearing and it was then we were told its going to involve money to get the necessary documents,” he said.

On her part, an Assistant Comptroller General (ACG) of Customs, Ezekezie Kaycee, who represented the CG said 3,779 metric tonnes had been cleared

Buhari Campaign Office in Akwa Ibom Marked for Demolition Okon Bassey in Uyo The Akwa Ibom State Government has initiated move to demolish the state campaign office of President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated three days ago.

The president campaign secretariat under the umbrella of National Committee of Buhari Support Groups (NCBSG) was inaugurated last Monday by the president represented by his Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang.

It was observed yesterday that the four-storey building situated on 23 Wellington Bassey Way, has been marked for demolition by an agency of the state government, the Uyo Capital City Development Authority (UCCDA).

Sources said the building marked UCCDA/DC/RE/1082/5/4/18 was a preparation to revoke the Certificate of Occupancy of the structure before its demolition.

The building had been erected in the vicinity for the past 20 years.

It was learnt that the state government had made efforts to stop the building which is a few metres from the State Government House, the Hilltop Manson from being given out for the Buhari campaign political group.

Before the inauguration of the building, sources said government had contacted the police and Directorate of the State Services to stop it which the heads of the

security operatives assured of providing adequate security for the event.

A source said the building hitherto used as Guest House called Mines Hotel for many years was rented by the Buhari campaign group for the sum of N6 million which the state government later promised to pay N16 million in order to stop the group from hiring the premises.

THISDAY gathered that the office which was busy since its inauguration was deserted yesterday.

Reacting, the Chairman of the UCCDA, Enobong Uwah, told THISDAY that the building was marked for demolition since April 5, 2018 when the authority didn’t know of anybody who would hire the building.

He said the owner of the building should be confronted if he had approval for the erection of the structure.

Uwah stressed that owners of illegal structures including churches and hotels were given letters six weeks ago saying the period of grace given them to do the need full had since expired.

According to him, even if it were a church that hired the building, the UCCDA would still do its duty.

By the time of filing in this report, the landlord of the building could not be reached even as the state Coordinator of the NCBSG, Ignatius Edet, refused to pick calls.

by customs, leaving a balance of 3,000 metric tonnes.

She also cautioned that the said number does not mean that the entire consignment had left the port.

She said: “Even from this number, only 1,250 has been cleared because this depends on

the vessels it takes an average of 30 days to clear.

“From our records, three bills of laden have been cleared but this does not mean they have left the port. The NCS is only are only with three bills,” she added.

The committee however ruled

that the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun and her Budget and National Planning counterpart, Udoma Udo Udoma, must appear before it.

Also, the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, as well as the Comptroller General (CG) of

the NCS, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), have also been invited by the lawmakers to explain their roles over the movement of the relief material.

The hearing which ended at about 6p.m. yesterday, is expected to continue today.

EMINENT AUDIENCE

Senator, Ben Murray-Bruce; former aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri; and Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, when former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar presented a speech at the Chatham House in London....yesterday

Death Toll from Nasarawa Communal Clash Rises to 30 Emmanuel Ukumba in Lafia The death toll in the communal clash that engulfed some communities in Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State has risen to 30, Bassa community claimed.

The Public Relations Officer of the Bassa Cultural and Development Union in the state, Duniya Moreh, disclosed this in a statement he issued to journalists in Lafia yesterday.

According to him, “Not less than 30 Bassa persons have been murdered with many still missing and unaccounted for. This figure includes women and children, whom it is universally accepted, should be spared and unharmed

in a situation of crisis.”

The imagemaker of the Bassa community continued: “It is disheartening that over 50,000 Bassa persons are currently displaced and living in the surrounding local government areas of the state,” lamenting that many more are still in the bushes finding their way out of the local government area.

He traced the origin of the crisis to an inter-communal clash that took place in Kogi State recently.

“The Egbura on April 22, 2018, kidnapped two Bassa brothers from the same parents who are residing in Umaisha town. The boys - Ephraim Moses Gunu and Manaseh Moses Gunu-have not been found till date and are presumed to have been murdered,”

he expressed worry.

However, investigations by THISDAY revealed that the crisis was said to have started with an attack on Sebu village at about 10:30p.m. on April 23, 2018.

It was also learnt that unidentified gunmen attacked Bassa village at about 5:30a.m. last Monday, and subsequently went on killing several people during the attack.

It was gathered that other villages that were attacked included Daji, Shekaruku, Kokoto, Kuwa, Kovo and Kolo.

The union however commended the effort of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura for his prompt actions by sending in security forces to tackle the situation.

Meanwhile, a former Nigeria

Ambassador to Poland, Dr. Samuel Wodi Jimba, has called on both the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to immediately open up internally displaced persons camps within the local government area as well as deploy relief materials to the victims of the clash who are now scattered in various parts of the state and Federal Capital Territory.

In the same vein, he called for a total cessation of the clashes and a return to dialogue which he said is the best path to lasting peace in Toto Local Government.

He urged the security presence be maintained until all issues pertinent the clashes are investigated and resolved.

PDP Slams APC, Buhari for Imposing Oshiomhole Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has finally lost all democratic credentials deserving of a ruling party for allowing President Muhammadu Buhari pick the former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, as the national chairman.

The opposition party accused the president of high-handedness in the crowning of Oshiomhole as the national chairman from the Presidential Villa without allowing for a free and fair congress as enshrined in their constitution.

In a statement issued yesterday by the PDP spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said APC has now practically become a party of “any thing goes” where decisions are taken only according to the whims and caprices of President

Buhari in conjunction with his presidency cabal.

“It is therefore not surprising that deflated APC governors, who were at the villa meeting, acquiesced to the orders and preferences of President Buhari because the APC has since lost its populist buoyancy and strength with which it was berthed on 2014.

“More appalling to this impunity are the reports of threats and harassment of APC members who demanded for free and fair congress, as well as those, indicating support for other aspirants other than Oshiomhole.

It is obvious that the human rights abuses, intimidations, arrests and detention of opposition and dissenting voices, including the uncompromising members in the APC, as being witnessed in the persecution of senators, are

all spawned towards the 2019 re-election bid.

“We invite Nigerians to note that the same Oshiomhole, who is burdened by allegations of humongous corruption while serving as Edo State governor, is the person President Buhari, the African Anti-Corruption Champion, is pushing as the national chairman of his party without taking him through the rigours of due diligence checks.

“We know that the presidency has been jittery over mounting opposition against President Buhari within the APC and, in their desperation to clinch the party’s presidential ticket at all cost, finds a good ally in the former Edo State governor, who by now should have been facing investigation over allegations bordering on corruption.

“Nigerians can now see that

the APC is an ideologically vacuous vehicle used to seize power in 2015 and which oppressive elements working for President Buhari are also currently deploying to subvert the will of the people ahead of the 2019 general elections.

“On our part, the repositioned and rebranded PDP remains open and committed to strict observance of all tenets and principles of internal democracy, particularly in providing a level playing ground for all in the process of electing officials and candidates for all position and all levels of political engagements.

“We therefore urge Nigerians to note the undemocratic proclivities of the APC and President Buhari and rally with the PDP to return our country to the path of democracy, freedom, good governance and economic prosperity, come 2019,”

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FG Creates Traditional Medicine Dept to Produce Cure for Malaria Constitutes committee to end JOHESU strike Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja For the first time in Nigeria’s history, the federal government yesterday in Abuja approved the creation of a traditional medicine department in the Federal Ministry of Health to champion a research into the discovery and application of traditional medicine.

Announcing the approval at the end of yesterday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in the State House, the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, said the first assignment of the

department would be to conduct a research that would lead to the discovery of cure for malaria in Nigeria’s forests.

He also said the council approved a licensing agreement between the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) and May & Baker to scale up the commercialisation and marketing of a drug known as Niprizal, to tackle sickle cell disease.

Adewole also said the council approved the establishment of a trauma centre in Owerri, Imo State to handle accident and trauma cases

Court Remands Senator Nwaoboshi in Prison over Alleged N806m Fraud A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday ordered the remand of the senator representing Delta North senatorial district, Peter Nwaoboshi, in Ikoyi Prisons till Friday, when ruling would be delivered on his bail application.

The court presided over by Justice Mohammed Idris, ordered his remand in Ikoyi Prisons after the hearing of his bail application, on alleged N806 million fraud.

Prior to the hearing of his bail application, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned the senator alongside his two companies, before the Court, on charges bordering on fraud.

Nwaoboshi’s companies arraigned with him are: Golden Touch Construction Projects Limited and Summing Electricals Limited.

In the charge, the EFCC alleged that the senator popularly called Oshimele, had committed the offence between May and June 2014.

To be precise, Nwaoboshi and his companies were alleged to have conspired and acquired a property described as Guinea House, Marine Road, Apapa-Lagos for the sum of N806 million, which they reasonably ought to have known that the sum of N322 million, cut of the purchase price transferred to the vendors by order of Suiming Electricals Limited formed part of

the proceed of an unlawful act.

The EFCC also alleged that the senator’s company, Suiming Electricals Limited, had on or about May 14, 2014, aided him, his company, Golden Touch Construction Project Limited, to commit money laundering offence.

The offences according to the prosecution led by Salisu Abubakar, are contrary to sections 15(2)(d) and 18 (a) the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, (as amended) and punishable under section 15(3) and 15(2)(d) of the same Act. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following his plea of not guilty, his lawyer, Dr. Azinge (SAN), told the court that they had filed a bail application, and same had been served on the prosecution.

Abubakar confirmed being served with the bail application, but told the court that he needed time to respond.

Justice Idris, however stood down the matter for the prosecution to file and serve its counter to the senator’s bail application.

Upon resumption of hearing of the application, and after hearing both parties, Justice Idris ordered that the senator be remanded in Ikoyi Prisons till Friday when ruling would be delivered on the bail application.

Ibori: The Struggle for Resource Control Has Just Begun Segun James The former governor of Delta State, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, has said that contrary to the belief in some quarters, the fight for resource control in the country has just began.

Ibori said this at the launch of the book, ‘Attah On Resource Control’ written by the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos yesterday.

According to him, contrary to the impression being created, what has been “politically settled” between the oil producing states and the federal government was the issue of onshore/offshore dichotomy and not the issue of derivation.

He said: “The derivation aspect of the agitation for resource control has not been settled, we still have a long way to travel. Let me tell you,

during the struggle, every single person in the Niger Delta region supported the advocacy; today, they are still holding passionately to the idea.”

Ibori who recalled that leaders like Governor Bola Tinubu among others shared the passion as himself, Attah and the late Diepreye Alamieyeseigha on the resources control issue.

He lamented that the people of the Niger Delta region who bore the brunt of oil exploration and exploitation still have nothing to show for all their sacrifices, adding their woes were being made worse in recent time by the way and manner security agents are destroying the illegal refineries in the region.

He cried that this has created so much environmental degradation that is even worse than when he was in government.

along Port Harcourt - Owerri axis.

The approval of the use of traditional medicine by the government yesterday however, came as a surprise, moreso that it was midwifed by the Health Minister who is also a medical doctor. This is inspite of a persistent criticism of traditional medicine by medical practitioners.

“At today’s FEC meeting, government approved the signing of licensing agreement between the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) and May & Baker Plc. This is in respect of scaling up commercialisation and marketing of Niprisal, a very potent drug for use in Nigeria.

“As you may be aware, Sickle cell disease is a common problem

particularly among blacks in Africa, South-east Asia and Latin America and it is estimated that about 25 per cent of Nigerians carry sickle cell gene and over 2 million have sickle cell anemia, that is having the two genes combined. Many of them when they are under stress take ill.

What happens is that invariably, they develop severe pumping crisis, they develop infection and some of them die of this.

“This drug was first used in Oyo State over 20 years ago and NIPRD conducted pre-clinical trials to ensure that we are able to document it. It is safe. It is efficacious. The drug was actually licensed to an international organisation which went bankrupt. So, what we ‘ve done is to reactivate the product and it will now be marketed in

Nigeria within this agreement and we believe that its marketing and production in Nigeria will bring a lot of comfort to millions of Nigerians who are afflicted by sickle cell gene.

“The approval of Niprisal is coming on the heels of an approval granted by the government to establish a department of traditional medicine in the Federal Ministry of Health. It will be the first time that this will happen and that department will really provide us with leeway to research into many of our traditional products. The first mandate of this department will be to look into cure for malaria in our forest.

“Again, council also approved the construction of trauma centre at Federal Medical Centre, Owerri at the cost of N840.817 million. This

trauma centre should be operated within 48 weeks and we expect that it will serve as a first class centre of care for accident and trauma cases along Port Harcourt - Owerri axis and will really change the dynamics of care in this area,”Adewole said.

On the strike action embarked upon by Joint Health Staff Union (JOHESU) in the health sector, Adewole said the government had constituted what he described as a high level body to look into all aspects of demands by the group including the financial implications of such demands. The minister who said the committee also had the mandate to plan for the management and consequences of addressing those demands, pointing out that the claims of an agreement by JOHESU with the last administration was untrue.

OFFICIAL INAUGURATION

L-R: Former President, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukuede; Founder, FCMB Bank/Special Guest, Otunba Subomi Balogun; President, NSE, Mr. Abimbola Ogunbanjo; President, Chartered Institute of Stock Brokers, Mr. Oluwaseyi Abe; and the CEO, NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema, at the official inauguration of Chartered Institute of Stock Brokers’ House in Ikoyi, Lagos ...yesterday SUNDAY ADIGUN

LASG: Forensic Investigation Unravelled Dane’s Complicity in Wife’s Murder Gboyega Akinsanmi The Lagos State Government yesterday disclosed that forensic investigation had unraveled the complicity of a Danish national, Mr. Peter Nielsen in the death of his wife, Mrs. Zainab and three-year-old daughter, Miss Petra Nielsen.

On this ground, the state government disclosed that it had already initiated the process of prosecuting the suspect in the court of competent jurisdiction for violating to Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

This was contained in a statement the state Attorney-General & Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, issued yesterday, noting that all “is set for the prosecution of a Danish national for alleged murder.”

Zainab, a 29-year-old Nigerian musician (a.k.a Alizee), was murdered in the family’s residence at Ocean Parade, Banana Island in the early hours of April 5 alongside

her three-year-old daughter.

Subsequently, the state police command had communicated formally the Embassy of Denmark about the murder of the Nigerian musician and complicity of Petra her Danish husband in the criminal act.

After communicating the embassy, the police arrested Nielsen, 53, in connection with the murder on April 5.

In a statement he signed yesterday, the attorney-general disclosed that the Directorate of Public Prosecution had initiated the prosecution of the Danish for alleged murder, saying he would be prosecuted at the High Court of Lagos State soon.

The attorney-general disclosed that forensic investigation into the matter revealed overwhelming and compelling evidence to the effect that the suspect killed his wife and daughter.

He added that a prima facie case “has already been established against the Danish national

contrary to Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

He disclosed that his office had on April 19 issued legal advice to the effect that a prima facie case of murder contrary to Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 has been established against the Danish national.

He said the suspect “is therefore to stand trial before the High Court of Lagos State for the murder of his Nigerian wife and 3 year old daughter.

“There is overwhelming and compelling evidence both forensic and direct eye witness account showing without doubt that the victims were killed by the suspect. There is also evidence that there was a history of domestic violence against the victim by the suspect.”

After news of the alleged murder broke, the attorneygeneral noted that the police swung into action and conducted an in-depth investigation, while

the case file was forwarded to the Ministry of Justice for legal advice.

On April 6, according to him, the people of Lagos State woke up to the news that a mother and daughter – Zainab Nielsen and Petra Nielsen were allegedly murdered in their residence at Banana Island, Lagos.

He added that the matter was reported at the nearest police station and the Nigeria Police immediately began an indepth investigation into the case.

On April 10, Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, the Nigeria Police Force ‘D’ Department (CID) Panti, Yaba forwarded the duplicate case file of their investigations to the Ministry of Justice for legal advice.

Contingent upon the outcome of the forensic investigation, the attorney-general said the trial of Nielsen would commence at the High Court as soon as the case is assigned to trial.

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Obasanjo is Nigeria’s Problem, He Killed True Federalism, Says Okunnu Segun James and Shola Oyeyipo Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has been told to stop parading himself as democrat as he was accused of being responsible for the death of true fiscal federalism in the country.

The accusation was made by Alhaji Femi Okunnu, the man

who handed over to Obasanjo as the Federal Commissioner for Works in the government of General Yakubu Gowon (rtd) at the launching of former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Obong Victor Attah, book, ‘Attah On Resources Control’.

According to him, it was the 1979 constitution which Obasanjo midwifed that turned the country into a unitary state

Another PDP Member Defects to SDP James Emejo in Abuja Another member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House of Representatives representing the Ijero/Ekiti West/Efon Federal Constituency of Ekiti State, Hon. Olamide Johnson Oni, yesterday announced his defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

His letter of defection was read on the House floor by the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara.

Among other things, he cited lack of internal democracy within the party

as well as impunity as some of his reasons for leaving the PDP. He also said the party is currently burdened with several litigation as a result of the internal factions which had emerged.

But, unlike with other recent defections which were challenged by the House Minority Leader, Hon. Chukwuma Onyema, there was no contention whatsoever, over his defection.

The PDP has continuously lost its members to other parties in the House in recent times.

even though the country had rejected it in the past.

Okunnu, who was the chairman of the occasion, said the crisis that still rages in the country till date over fiscal federalism can be traced to that constitution which placed all resources in the hand of the federal government instead of the existing system whereby the producing states get 50 per cent of the resources while the remaining 50 per cent is shared between the federal government and the federating states.

He disclosed that this was what was enshrined in the 1963 republican constitution, “and this was what the

1978 Constituent Assembly recommended but was rejected

by Obasanjo.

“Nigeria ceased to be a federation in 1979. Federation was killed by Obasanjo military government. He is the problem of Nigeria, not the solution.

The 1979 constitution killed federalism in Nigeria; it introduced unitary system of government into the country.”

Okunnu disclosed that under the military regime of Gowon, both General Samuel Ogbemudia of Midwest state and Commander Rufus DietteSpiff of Rivers State enjoyed the 50 per cent derivation from oil revenue throughout

their time, but lamented that Obasanjo killed the system.

He lamented that it was this “anomaly” that has prompted all the constitutional and national conferences held to correct the system without any success, suggesting therefore that the country should go back to the 1963 constitution which he insisted is the best model for Nigeria.

The author, Obong Victor Attah, recalled the harassment he endured from Obasanjo because of his stance on the issue of resources control, regretting that it was a phenomenon that was most misunderstood.

He said the main problem associated with call for resource control was that those who knew what the agitation was all about don’t want to associate with it, and those who don’t know, don’t want to know.

Attah concu r r e d w i t h Okunnu that if Obasanjo had been a democrat, the country would have been better than it is n o w.

The former governor s a i d h e s u p p o r t s the call for restructuring, but that the country cannot have it without fiscal federalism warning that without it, Nigeria cannot make any progress.

Supreme Court Moves to Improve Public Perception of Judiciary Alex Enumah in Abuja In what can be considered as a move aimed at improving public perception of the judiciary, the Supreme Court yesterday in Abuja unveiled its first magazine titled: ‘Apex Quarterly Magazine’.

The magazine which was launched at the premises of the Supreme Court in Abuja, according to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, provides a veritable platform for the judiciary to tell its own story to the world.

Onnoghen said worried by the battered image of the judiciary on assumption of office, he proposed the presentation of some enlightenment judicial programmes to be featured in both the print and electronic media, “With the belief that the widespread perception of the judiciary as an inefficient and corruption-ridden institution lacking integrity and efficiency in the performance of its functions will be greatly reduced, if not eliminated.”

He expressed the belief that a cautious opening

up of the judiciary to the public would help change the wrong perception people have concerning the judiciary.

“Where people are well informed, incidents of rumours, fake news, false allegations, petitions, among others, are reduced,” he said, adding that, “This effort will ensure that we do less of damage control, and more of proactive dissemination of information.”

The CJN however revealed that other efforts the apex court has introduced in winning the confidence of the public include the reconstituting of the court’s Website Management Committee, with a mandate to upload sittings at the apex chamber not later than 24 hours after sitting on Wednesdays.

Also to be uploaded and updated regularly are practice directions of the court, bio-data of Justices of the Supreme Court, cause list and all judgments of the apex court which should “Be uploaded on the website within seven days of delivery.”

NIPR to Invest Ikpeazu Patron The investiture of Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu as the patron of the Abia State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) comes up on Thursday at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Umuahia.

The investiture, to be done by the President of NIPR, Rotimi Oladele, is part of the activities organised for the NIPR Annual National Conference /AGM from April

25-28.

The AGM will be declared open by Ikpeazu while the keynote presentation on the theme: ‘Sustainable Development in a Fragile Economy: The PR Perspective” will be delivered by Richmond Dayo Johnson.

The highlight of the AGM, according to the National AGM Chairman, Adewale Adeniyi is the election of a new NIPR President on Friday.

COURTESY VISIT

L-R: Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Executive Director, News, Alhaji Baba Baro, Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Segun Runsewe; and the Indian High Commissioner, Mr. Shri B.N Reddy, during a courtesy visit by NCAC to the Indian Embassy in Abuja....yesterday.

APC SHIFTS DATES FOR CONGRESSES, CONVENTION, TO HOLD AFTER RAMADAN FAST Oshiomhole by President Buhari, Abdulahi said: “What we were told at the meeting was that the president had a meeting with some governors and they asked to know who he wanted to support, and I think that he told them his preference. But that has nothing to do with the meeting we had today.”

On whether the NWC would back Oyegun or stand with the president, he said: “I don’t think that is a fair question to ask me because you will be asking me for my personal opinion and I am not here to give you my personal opinion.

“What I can tell you is that Oyegun will make his position known within the next couple of days whether he is going to contest the chairmanship or not.

He said the president is a party member and has the right to have his preferences, adding that he did not tell anyone to support his choice.

“The consultation he had with these governors was a private conversation. He did not address a press conference to say this is the person I want.

“So, if those individuals he confided in felt it was necessary for them to make the position public, I don’t think it is fair for us

to hold the president responsible for this. I don’t think he has foreclosed anything or that he has said this is the way everyone must go.”

While giving further details on the outcome of the meeting, Kano State Governor, Abdulahi Ganduje, said leaders agreed that the timetable be reviewed so that congresses can hold on weekends.

“We discussed the issue of the timetable and time limit for the congresses and convention, and we decided that NWC should review the timetable because, in the previous timetable, the Ward and local government congresses are too close.

“We equally discover that the congresses are designed to hold on working days and normally we use public premises like schools and secretariats for the conduct of the congresses. Fixing the congresses during working days means that such places cannot be available.

“We also agreed that the zoning will be maintained for the party officers but the only clause is that they should go and discuss with those governors in charge of the zones where the officers should come from.

“For example, the chairman of the party will have to come

from the South-south, the secretary from the Northeast and all other positions like that. We have resolved all issues amicably,” he said.

Ganduje also responded to PDP’s attack on APC that Oshiomhole was imposed as chairman of the party, saying there is no such thing.

He said that what President Buhari did was a private opinion, adding that no one is bound to toe his line.

He said what PDP is describing as imposition is nothing but a guided democracy.

“There is no imposition at all.

Everybody is free to contest just as everybody is free to hold an opinion on who should lead the party. I think that there is more case of imposition because it is not a guideline and jot part of the constitution.

“Just like every other person, Mr President has the right to air his opinion but that does jog mean he should stop any person who will like to contest from contesting. Mr. President’s opinion is not constitutional and it is not a non-constitutional opinion as well.

“He just voiced out his thought which will serve as a guideline to some and

otherwise to some. The issue of being undemocratic does not even arise. There is what we call guided democracy and we regard what Mr. President said as such. If that is what will make the party stable and avoid the fallout after the election like we saw in the PDP, it will be better for us,” he said.

Unlike the usual tradition of making opening remarks, the meeting which started about 2.30p.m. and presided over by the National Chairman of the party, Oyegun began without any opening remark.

Governors Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna), Abdullahi Umar Gabduje (Kano), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Raul Aregbesola (Osun), Sani Bello (Niger), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa), Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe), Tanko Almakura (Nasarawa), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) and Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara). The governors of Kwara and Katsina were represented by their deputies.

Governors of Lagos, Plateau, Benue, Kogi, Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi, Sokoto and Kebbi were absent at the meeting and were not represented.

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THURSDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

ICPC Inaugurates NFF’s Anti-Corruption Unit Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) yesterday in Abuja inaugurated the AntiCorruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), commending the football body for its zeal in establishing the unit and ensuring its inauguration.

At a brief ceremony that took place inside the NFF Secretariat, the Acting Chairman of the ICPC, Dr. Musa Usman Abubakar, explained that the ACTU “is one of the strategies being deployed by the ICPC to monitor corruption and engender full compliance with transparency and accountability policies by Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government.”

The speech was read on his behalf by a representative, Mr. Ota Okorie, an assistant commissioner.

The ICPC boss added that the NFF’s role in “organising domestic and international football is crucial to the promotion of unity within the Nigerian nation and the world at large” and that “the ICPC through the ACTU seeks to implement a three-dimensional approach towards entrenching ideals in the workplace; as derived from its mandates of Prohibition and Prevention of corruption as well as enlisting and enlightening public servants on and against the ills of corruption.”

President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Pinnick, who was represented by the federation’s 2nd Vice President/LMC Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, said the creation of the unit sits well with the

present NFF administration’s vision and objectives of absolute transparency and accountability.

“When we came on board in 2014, one of the first moves we made was to ensure that our book-keeping processes were better done than in the past, and we appointed world-renowned firm, PWC as our auditors. Our last audited account was certified good and even FIFA

has commended our efforts in straightening processes and ensuring accountability.

“That was why we made all the effort to birth the ACTU in NFF. We all know that prevention is cure. If anyone’s going wrong in any process, the ACTU will be there to put him or her right. We see this as another milestone for our administration. Right processes are key for investor –confidence.”

While observing that a corrupt-free society is the goal of all good people, Dikko assured that the federation would give ACTU all the support necessary to succeed in its work.

NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, also pledged that the federation would fully support and co-operate with the ACTU. The NFF’s ACTU Chairman, Okey Obi, thanked the

Federation for finding the members worthy in character and in person to serve in such capacity. Obi who is a legal practitioner pledged that the unit would serve the purpose and end for which it has been put in place.

Other members include; Miss Ruth David, Dr. Christian Emeruwa, Mr. Wale Adeyinka, Mr. Rajan Zaka and Alhaji Magaji Abdullahi. Mr. Ayo Olu-Ibidapo is the secretary.

All Set for Funke Oshonaike U-21 T’tennis Tourney at LCC Ugo Aliogo All is set for the second edition of the Funke Oshonaike Foundation U-21 competition as over 40 players are ready to compete for various prize money.

The competition which was put up by the Lagos Country Club in celebration of the legend’s 44th birthday will see both male and female players fighting for honour.

Speaking on the tournament, the six-time Olympian called on all Nigerians to come out in their numbers to watch future of table tennis in the country.

“I always have that conviction that we have raw talents in the country and all we need is just to harness them.

“Starting from Thursday, we are going to witness best of table tennis in the country and it is going to be another opportunity for the kids to show the stuff they are made of.

“This is my own way of

giving back to the country that made me and also an opportunity to produce another star that will take over from people like (Segun) Toriola and myself,” Oshonaike said yesterday.

The competition will start at 2pm today at the Table Tennis section of the Lagos Country Club, Ikeja, Lagos.

Apart from cash prize, there will be presentation of trophy and other table tennis equipment to the participant of the three-day tournament.

The grand finale will be on Saturday, April 28, the birthday of the ping-ponger.

The Chairman of the table tennis section of the Lagos Country Club, Charles Oshuntuyi, said they were very happy to be part of the project, stressing that the competition aligned with the vision of the club to help develop budding talents in the country.

Oshuntuyi added that he looks forward to an exciting time with the kids coming together for the competition.

Ekpeyong Upsets Aderemi in Zenith Bank Junior Tennis Masters The Zenith Bank ‘Next Generation’ Junior Tennis Masters suffered four hours delay yesterday due to rain that disrupted the first set of matches.

However, Port Harcourtbased Rebecca Ekpeyong took full advantage of the interruption to reboot and staged a comeback that had Omolade Aderemi, the second seed in Girls’ Group B, dumbfounded.

Leading 8-6 in the pro set with one game to clinch the match, Aderemi, runner-up at the recently concluded CBN Junior Championship, lost the next two games and the tie break which followed to put her chances of a semi final place in jeopardy.

“I took it for granted that

I was going to win and did not warm up properly. I was cold,” Aderemi tried to explain her loss after the game.

With one win over Kasara Adegboyega, Aderemi will now have to beat Favour Moses, her conqueror in the finals of the CBN Juniors, to qualify.

In a Boys’ Group B match which was also concluded, Godgift Timibra, the top seed in the group, fought back from 2-0 down to beat Augustine Stephen 9-6.

The Junior Tennis Masters which is organised by the International Tennis Academy is showcasing the best eight players in the 18 & under category. The final is scheduled to take place on Saturday starting at 10 am.

Real Madrid’s Captain, Sergio Ramos, carried shoulder high by Marcelo in celebration of the La Liga team’s 2-1 away victory against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League semi final first leg at the Allianz Arena in Munich…last night

U E FA C H A M P I O N S L E A G U E

Real Madrid Snatches Comeback Win in Munich Real Madrid took control of their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich with victory in the first leg at the Allianz Arena.

The holders, attempting to win the competition for the third successive season, struggled defensively but were clinical in attack - with Marcelo and Marco Asensio scoring either side of half-time.

Marcelo smashed home a half-volley from the edge of the penalty area to level matters before Asensio capitalised on an error by full-back Rafinha to score a breakaway goal.

Joshua Kimmich had put Bayern in front when he slotted past Keylor Navas at the near post.

The German champions missed a host of chances in an error-strewn encounter, while Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo had a goal ruled out for handball as his run of scoring in every game of this year’s competition ended.

Bayern must now score at least twice at the Bernabeu next Tuesday to prevent Real reaching a fourth final in five years.

The result was identical to last year’s quarterfinal first

leg between the teams before Real won the return game as well on the way to the first successful Champions League title defence.

Liverpool crushed AS Roma 5-2 in the other semifinal first leg on Tuesday.

The Reds boss Jurgen Klopp however insisted yesterday that the two late goals from Roma do not make a “big difference” to their Champions League semi-final, and is confident his side can follow their 5-2 first-leg win with another victory in Italy next week.

Liverpool led 5-0 with

Mohamed Salah scoring twice and assisting two more, but Roma scored twice in the last 10 minutes to give themselves hope.

“What I learned is that we can win the second game as well even when it will be different, but Roma need to score goals against us,” said Klopp.

Liverpool was breathtaking at Anfield, and led through two goals each from Salah and Roberto Firmino, and another from Sadio Mane.

Edin Dzeko and Diego Perotti scored Roma’s goals in the final nine minutes.

FIFA Scribe Reported to Ethics Chamberlain Out of World Cup Alex Oxlade- is set to miss the remainder of Chiefs over World Cup Bid England’s Chamberlain will miss the the campaign for Liverpool, One of FIFA’s most senior executives, Fatma Samoura, has been reported to the organisation’s powerful ethics committee.

Samoura, who was appointed secretary general of football’s world governing body by its president Gianni Infantino in 2016, is accused of alleged breaches of its ethics code relating to “duty of disclosure, co-operation and reporting” and “conflicts of interest”.

The claims stem from allegations relating to Morocco’s bid to host the 2026 World Cup. The North

African country wants to host the tournament but is up against a North American joint effort comprising Canada, the USA and Mexico.

Members of a FIFA World Cup evaluation taskforce which recently visited the bidding countries - are said to have discovered an undeclared family link between Samoura - whose full name is Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura - and the former Liverpool forward El Hadji Diouf, who is working in an ambassadorial role for the Moroccan bid.

World Cup this summer after injuring a knee during Liverpool’s Champions League tie against Roma.

The 24-year-old midfielder was taken off on a stretcher in the 15th minute of Tuesday’s match at Anfield after challenging Aleksandar Kolarov.

He had a scan yesterday which revealed a knee ligament injury.

It is understood he later spoke to England manager Gareth Southgate to inform him about the injury.

“The extent of the injury means Oxlade-Chamberlain

as well as the World Cup in Russia with England,” Liverpool said in a statement.

“Oxlade-Chamberlain will now begin a rehabilitation programme to enable him to reach full fitness again as soon as possible, returning to action next season.”

The Reds added there would be “no specific timescale” on the former Arsenal player’s return.

RESULT Bayern 1-2 R’Madrid

EUROPA (8:05pm) Arsenal v Atletico Marseille v Salzburg

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Price: N250

MISSILE Donald Duke to Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala “It is true that I met Ngozi when the rumours were swirling about her being considered for appointment…I urged caution. I made no mention of adding or subtracting credibility to anyone or government. It was ‘two friends’ discussing careers. It ended there and she subsequently made her choice which I respected. However, it is in poor taste and demeaning of her to report a private conversation in whatever self-laundering attempt she may be up to” – Former Cross River State Governor on claims in the book by former finance minister.

OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

Revenge of the ‘Lazy Youths’ I

n a piece on leadership contributed for Forbes magazine in August last year, Victor Lipman wrote: “A leader’s words always matter. Tone matters. Fact matters. Nuance matters. Discipline matters. With extreme power comes extreme responsibility.”

It is within that context that we should situate the unfortunate gaffe in London last week by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Commonwealth Business Forum after giving a keynote address. The moderator had asked: “President Buhari, there is great interest in your thoughts on many issues, especially on investment in the North-east; on the continental free trade agreement…Would you like to take the microphone and leave us with the final thought from you?”

Ordinarily, that question is simple and straight-forward: Investment opportunities in the North-east as well as the agreement signed on March 21 this year to create the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) at an extraordinary summit in Kigali, Rwanda by representatives of 44 of the 55 African Union (AU) member states without Nigeria and for which there has been no official explanation from the federal government. For the record, this was the president’s response: “We have a very young population; our population is estimated conservatively to be 180 million.

More than 60 per cent of the population is below the age of 30. A lot of them have not been to school and they are claiming that Nigeria has been an oil producing country, therefore they should sit and do nothing and get housing, healthcare and education free.”

We can debate the point that the president failed to connect his response to the question but I disagree with those who say he went off tangent by choosing to speak on other things. When it comes to ‘final thought’ or ‘closing argument’ in public engagement, there are no real restrictions and what any clever speaker does is to take an issue on which they are comfortable or consider very important to them. The real problem was that President Buhari betrayed what has become a penchant for putting Nigeria and Nigerians down whenever he faces international audience.

The interpretation of what the president said, from a wide spectrum of young Nigerians, is that he categorised them among those committing one of the Seven Social Sins listed by Mahatma Ghandi: seeking wealth without work! Of course, there have been some interpretations and interpolations of what the president actually meant. But what the handlers fail to understand is that while other people could be given the benefit of doubt, not Buhari; essentially because this is not the first time he would choose a public engagement abroad to say negative things about our people back home.

In my February 2016 column, “The ‘Prophet Elijah Complex’”, I had expressed concern that while President Buhari has a fixation with highlighting the negatives in our country “he has never spared a sentence in praise of majority of our people who are honest, hardworking and for whom you cannot impute corruption.”

I wrote the piece following the publication

by London Telegraph of a report with the banner headline: “Nigerians’ reputation for

Buhari crime has made them unwelcome in Britain, says country’s president”. The story, which immediately provoked outrage among many of our nationals in the Diaspora, had as its rider: “Muhammadu Buhari tells Telegraph that too many Nigerians are in jail abroad - and that they shouldn’t try to claim asylum”.

This was my take at the time: “It is neither helping us as a nation nor advancing his own cause to continue to harp on the negatives in Nigeria without also speaking on the goodness of the vast majority of our people. The president has to find a way of balancing his rhetoric by remembering-whenever he must speak-the honest Nigerians who are making positive contributions not only to our country but to our world.” Two months later, on a day President Buhari had another speaking engagement in London, I again reminded him: “I hope the president will not approach the issue with the usual predilection for self-righteousness…The president should also not miss the opportunity to speak about the many hard working

There is an overriding error of judgment in the president’s take on the youth problem. Besides, real life evidence fatally contradicts his misrepresentation. As he correctly surmised, over 60 percent of the population is under 30. To denigrate this critical mass in any way is to alienate the future

Nigerian professionals—doctors, nurses, teachers, bankers and civil servants making valuable and unimpeachable contribution to British society.”

That my admonitions were not heeded could be glimpsed from the latest fiasco and the darts being thrown at the president and members of his immediate family on social media platforms. But Buhari brought it upon himself. Even if we choose to excuse the context, let us examine the content of his remark. That many of our children and young adults are out of school is not only the fault of the authorities at all levels but also that of the national elite of which Buhari has always been a prominent member.

A friend of mine who works for an international organisation in London told me two years ago that what she holds against Buhari is that despite his cult-like following in the North, he has never used that awesome power to promote any good cause. “Imagine if Buhari had taken it upon himself years ago to launch a campaign in the North that all parents must send their children to school? I bet majority of them, in deference to his call, would have done that and the situation in the region today would be different” argued my friend who incidentally happens to be a Northerner.

Now, we have a situation where in Zamfara, no fewer than 1. 5 million persons (as at 2015) were registered to vote as a result of mobilisation by politicians, yet only 28 pupils from the state registered for the 2018 National Common Entrance Examination! The result of that is the anarchy to which the state has descended; afterall, the devil must find work for the thousands of young people of school age who have been denied opportunities for self-advancement. That also explains the violence and banditry in several theatres across the country today.

Let us now come to the president’s claim about the entitlement culture among a segment of our young population. For several years, the argument of the opposition which Buhari led (before they came to power in 2015) has always been that “once we tackle corruption, Nigeria has enough resources for everyone to enjoy” or something like that. To compound the problem, if you do the arithmetic of all the ‘looted’ billions of Dollars from the statements made at different times by the Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the only conclusion to draw is that we are indeed a very rich country that can afford free education and free health services for all citizens now that corruption has been ‘eliminated’ by Buhari. And with the State Department 2017 Country Report on Nigeria alleging widespread corruption and impunity under the current administration, I will not be surprised if the name of President DonaldTrump features in the next ‘Looters List’ since corruption is now fighting back from America!

To be sure, there are many young men and women in our country who are indeed very lazy and indolent because I don’t know how to characterise those who would go to the airport and wait for several hours to harass and molest a returning ‘Big Brother Naija’ participant they don’t know just because of

what they watched on television. But majority of our young men and women want to work but the opportunities are shrinking every day. A classic example is that of the Adamu brothers in Kaduna which features in my coming book on irregular migration.

Not long after they returned from Libya, they decided to embark on the dangerous journey back after realising that there are no jobs for them in Nigeria while many of the young men with whom they grew up are now hooked on drugs. “I have a family and aged parents who depend on me for their upkeep. If I die along the road (to Europe through Libya) I would have no regret because that’s my fate.

I can’t stay in Nigeria to die of hunger and hopelessness” said one of the twins.

Meanwhile, we also have thousands of enterprising young men and women who are excelling in their chosen professions despite the hostile business environment and regardless of the absence of any support from government.

Last Thursday in Abuja, the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation, in collaboration with the European Union, premiered a must-watch documentary titled “Swallow: Food Security in Nigeria’s Changing Climate” essentially to highlight the point that a country as richlyendowed as Nigeria should not be suffering from the scourge of food scarcity.

What struck me in the documentary is the new energy and creativity that many of our young men and women are bringing to agriculture, even though it also did not escape the attention of Ms Adaobi Nwabauni (who sat by my side) that most of these young Nigerians (featured in the move) schooled abroad, given their distinctive accents. Unfortunately, despite the invitations extended to critical Nigerian stakeholders in the sector, half the people in the audience were foreign diplomats with Senator Oluremi Tinubu and Kebbi State Governor Abubakar Bagudu the only notable government officials at the event.

All said, the point that should not be missed is that there is an overriding error of judgment in the president’s take on the youth problem. Besides, real life evidence fatally contradicts his misrepresentation. As the president correctly surmised, over 60 percent of the population is under the age of 30. To therefore denigrate this critical mass in any way is to alienate the future. Now that he is going to the United States to meet with President Trump on Monday, I hope he will use the American media platforms that the visit would afford him to speak good about Nigeria and Nigerians.

President Buhari must understand that he cannot continue to sell Nigerians cheap abroad and expect anybody to take him seriously as a leader who cares for his people. That point was underscored by Linia Anirudhan in her thesis, “The Power of Words in Leadership” where she argues that because words can uplift or destroy, using them wisely by leaders is not an option. “At the end of the day, the choice is in our hands: to use words to complain or to appreciate; to tear down people’s dreams or to raise them; to blame when things go wrong or to rejoice when things go well” said Anirudhan.

Enough said!

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