Wednesday 23RD May 2018

CBN: Why We Did Not Reduce Interest Rate Mulls policy to compel banks to lend to real sector Framework for currency swap with China out next week Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja and Obinna Chima in Lagos The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) rose from its

second meeting for the year, expressing apprehension that the late passage and implementation of the 2018 budget, as well as election spending, could trigger

inflationary trends and reverse the economic gains made so far, if pre-emptive measures are not adopted.

The committee, which for the 11th consecutive time, retained

the Monetary Policy Rate at 14 per cent, Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) at 22.5 per cent, Liquidity Ratio (LR) at 30 per cent, and the asymmetric corridor at +200500 basis points around the

MPR, explained that it retained in consideration of the forecast of high liquidity injection in the second half of 2018, upward pressure of prices driven largely by substantial expansion of

fiscal policy, which would arise from the late passage of the 2018 budget, outstanding balance from the 2017 budget Continued on page 9

Senators Meet Buhari over Alleged Move to Frame Saraki…

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Wednesday 23 May, 2018 Vol 23. No 8434. Price: N250

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Buhari Comes Out Swinging, Attacks Obasanjo, N’Assembly Says ex-president squandered $16bn on power projects, praises Abacha You’re ignorant, Obasanjo fires back Hameed Ali calls Nigerians complaining of hunger lazy Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja and Femi Ogbonnikan in Abeokuta President

Muhammadu

Buhari yesterday launched a ferocious attack on former President Olusegun Obasanjo, accusing him of “bragging” that he spent $16 billion on the

power sector without anything to show for it.

Buhari, who launched the attack when he received members of the Buhari Support

Organisation (BSO) at the State House, Abuja, was openly attacking the former president for the first time.

Obasanjo has been at the

vanguard of those vehemently opposed to Buhari’s bid to seek a second term in 2019 and has been working behind the scenes with other ex-military generals

including Gen. TY Danjuma to support a candidate who can defeat the president.

Continued on page 8

Catholics Protest Herdsmen Killings, Sultan Warns Against Religious War At mass burial, Osinbajo assures Nigerians of FG’s effort to end killings Ortom: 492 slain in Benue this year Paul Obi in Abuja, Mohammed Aminu in Sokoto and George Okoh in Makurdi Thousands of Catholics and non-Catholics yesterday protested against the perennial killings of Nigerians in the North-central zone and other parts of the country by suspected herders of cattle.

The protests, which took place in several states of the federation, was replicated in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with the celebration of mass at the National Ecumenical Centre, Abuja, where worshippers wore T-shirts with imprints of the two Catholic priests, Rev. Fathers

See more stories on page 52 Joseph Gor and Felix Tyolaha, who were brutally murdered alongside 17 worshippers by herdsmen at the St. Ignatius Catholic parish, Mbalom in Benue State last month.

The protest coincided with the mass burial conducted by the Catholic Church and the Benue State Government for the slain priests and parishioners at the St. Maria Pilgrimage Center, Ayati Ikpayongo in Benue State.

This was even as the Sultan of

Continued on page 8

Katsina APC Congress Committee Raises the Alarm over Elections in Funtua Senatorial District… Page 11 Page

WE FEEL YOUR PAIN… Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, speaking at the funeral service held yesterday in Benue State for Reverend Fathers Joseph Gor and Felix Tyolaha, who were killed alongside 17 parishioners by suspected herdsmen at the St. Ignatius Catholic parish, Mbalom, last month

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PAGE EIGHT CAT H OLIC S P ROT EST HER DSMEN KILL I N GS, SU LTAN WAR N S AGAI N ST R E L I GI OU S WA R Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar II cautioned Christian leaders in the country against making unguarded utterances that could make terrorists win the war against the Nigerian state.

At the mass burial for the slain victims of the herdsmen attack on the Catholic parish, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo assured Nigerians that the federal government would deploy everything in its arsenal to stop the killings in Benue State and other parts of the country.

The vice-president, who conveyed the condolence message of President Muhammadu Buhari, lamented that attacks on places of worship which started a few years ago, had become one too many.

While condemning the senseless killings, the vice-president said the killers only killed the flesh but could never “touch the spirit that belongs to God�.

He said the killers gained nothing other than causing grief to the family, friends and the entire country, wondering what they had to gain by causing pain or anguish.

Osinbajo said though the dead had gone, it behoves on the government to provide succour and comfort for those that were left behind. “We can ensure justice for them by apprehending and punishing the assailants. We must rebuild the many places that have been damaged and heal the wounds that have been caused. “We must rebuild and revamp our security system of law enforcement to ensure that all that live and work in this land are safe; most importantly, we must and will stop these senseless killings. “Sometimes evil seems to be winning but as night follows day, this evil will be defeated and good will triumph. “There’s none, perhaps all of us, who are not angered and outraged by these killings.

The bitterness and anguish of the families of the deceased are palpable. We all see it and we all feel it and it is impossible to look around here today and not be deeply saddened by the faces of so many who have lost their loved ones,� he said.

Osinbajo, was accompanied to the event by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, condoled with the Catholic Church and prayed that God will build His church in the state, saying that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

In his remarks, the Benue governor, Samuel Ortom said that the state was conducting a mass burial for the third time this year, adding that 492 people had been killed by herdsmen since the beginning of the year.

Ortom, who again expressed shock at the murder of priests and worshipers in the house of God asked: “What was the offence of the priests and the parishioners?

Perhaps the church now grows grass to feed their cattle or the parishioners were in the farms. “What kind of nation are we, which direction are we heading?

We should have a nation where there is freedom of worship. The blood of these priests will not go in vain, their death will mark stability of the nation, and we will not stop crying until justice is achieved. We have an unbroken spirit to adhere to the anti-open grazing law,� he said.

Officiating at the mass funeral service, John Cardinal Onayeikan, Archbishop of the Abuja Archdiocese, condemned the killings in the state and the country in general in whatever form, noting that the nation now needs a state of emergency.

He accused the government of not doing enough to protect lives of people of the country.

The archbishop, in his homily, said: “The souls of the righteous are in the hands of God. As human beings, we are devastated by the loss of our dear ones.

“For many of us, it will take a long time to get over it. We are devastated by the killings in Benue State and the whole nation, this should not be allowed in our nation. “One life killed is a life too many because we are created in God’s image and likeness. Killing people in a place of worship is an assault on God. If we are not safe in the house of worship, where shall we be safe? Killing a priest of God is an abomination. “We pray to God to have mercy on our nation and spare his people, Lord else we perish.

We remember many others who have fallen victims to the killers. “God will answer us if we do our part, as heaven helps those who help themselves. Be alert.

Let us be one another’s keeper. If murderers are allowed to go on the rampage killing peace-loving citizens, there is no way to prevent those seeking self-defence.�

Cardinal Onayeikan also stated that the protection of lives and property was the primary responsibility of government, observing that the administration had no excuse for its failure. “If the present state of affairs is the best that government can give, it should be clear that the best is not good enough, that the need for a radical change for the better is imperative. “There is already a conspiracy theory making the rounds and ugly rumours of a grand and mischievous plan for territorial conquest, ethnic cleansing and religious imposition. But only concrete and visible steps by the government can change that. “It is then the government will lay to rest such rumours that are dangerous for the peace of our nation. “Our nation is in a state of emergency that calls for a grand alliance of all persons of good will for justice and peace. “Polarisation of lives and differences, especially ethnic and religious, will only play into the

hands of the clique of those bent on throwing our nation into chaos, anarchy and doom. “We can rescue our nation if we are united in truth, justice and determination, if we are united in prayer to God. It is only then that the killing of our brothers and sisters will not be in vain,�

Cardinal Onayeikan said.

In his remarks, the paramount ruler of the Tiv nation, Professor James Ayatse rained curses on any member of the Tiv tribe who he alleged were collaborating with the killers of his people.

Avoid Triggering Religious War In a related development, the Sultan of Sokoto has cautioned Christian leaders in the country against making unguarded utterances that could make terrorists win their war against the Nigerian state.

The sultan spoke against the backdrop of reports credited to some Christian leaders that if Leah Sharibu died in the hands of Boko Haram terrorists, there was going to be a religious war in the country.

Miss Sharibu is the Dapchi schoolgirl, who refused to denounce her Christian faith and remains in captivity. She was kidnapped last February along with over 100 other girls from their secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State.

But while 105 girls have been released and five others died in captivity, Miss Sharibu was never released by her abductors.

Speaking while addressing residents, the heads of security agencies, religious leaders and journalists at a Ramadan dinner held to break the day’s fast at his palace in Sokoto Monday night, Abubakar cautioned Christian leaders against making utterances capable of plunging the country into religious war.

He described such utterances as

very unfair, insisting that terrorism has no religion or ethnicity.

The Sultan wondered how Muslims could have connived with the Boko Haram terrorists to abduct schoolgirls. “Did the Muslims connive with Boko Haram to abduct the girls and release others? No. For them to now make that comment that if she dies at the hands of Boko Haram there will be a religious war is very unfair. “How could you start attacking Muslims because this innocent girl happened to be a victim of murderous terrorists? It means the insurgents are winning the war because that is what they want. “If they hear about this and went and killed the innocent girl, that means you are part and parcel of what makes them do that because they want to cause confusion in the country. “We are all praying for her safe return and for the safety of every Nigerian, irrespective of his or her religion,� he said.

The sultan said more Muslims had been killed by Boko Haram than Christians, which even the former President Goodluck Jonathan had acknowledged in the past.

He stressed that he was reacting on behalf of Nigerian Muslims and urged the media to save the country from imminent collapse.

According to him, some of the media reports were inimical to the nation’s peace and unity.

He expressed dismay that some media outlets including social media had posted unverified reports and gory pictures to create tension in the country.

Abubakar cited one photograph of herdsmen armed with G4 rifles that was published by some media organisations to portray attacks on innocent Nigerians, saying that it was uncalled for because the picture was that of herders in the Central African Republic, which has been in existence for over 20 years. “There is no G4 rifle because

it has been phased out a long time ago. That picture being used particularly by Channels television was that of herders in the Central African Republic, who were being terrorised by rustlers because cattle rustling started in their country long before coming to Nigeria,� said the sultan, a retired military officer.

He threatened to denounce his fellowship of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in protest over misleading and unverified stories aired or published by their media houses and stressed that the clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the country were purely economic but had been hijacked by some criminal elements.

The sultan said those killing innocent people, especially in the Middle Belt, were criminals who should be arrested and punished. “You don’t arrest or kill innocent Fulani men just like what had happened in Benue State when innocent Fulanis who were in transit were stopped and killed by some residents of the state,� he warned.

He expressed concern that the killings may continue because some politicians would want to use it to get an edge over their political opponents.

He also called on Nigerians to be vigilant and endeavour to expose criminals in their midst, even if they are their relatives.

Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) threw its weight behind the Catholic Church and the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) over the conduct of the mass burial for the two priests and 17 parishioners killed by herdsmen in Benue State, as well as the nationwide protest that the church embarked upon yesterday.

The association also called on Buhari to halt his planned second term bid, as it was not in

understanding of the issues before he made the unfounded allegation.

Obasanjo, through his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, advised Buhari to check from the official records of the National Assembly before exculpating him for any wrongdoing concerning the power sector.

According to Akinyemi, “It has come to the attention of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo that a statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari, apparently without correct information and based on ignorance, claimed that the sum of $16 billion was wasted on power projects by a ‘former president’. “We believe that the president was re-echoing the unsubstantiated allegation against Chief Obasanjo by his own predecessor but one. “For the records, Chief Obasanjo has addressed the issues of the power sector and the allegations against him on many occasions and platforms, including in his widely publicised book, ‘My Watch’ in which he exhaustively stated the facts and figures, and reproduced various reports by both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which conducted a clinical investigation into the allegations against Chief Obasanjo, and the Ad-Hoc Committee on the Review of the Recommendations in the Report of the Committee on Power on the investigation into how the huge sums of money were spent on power generation, transmission and distribution between June 1999 and May 2007 without commensurate results. “We recommend that the president and his co-travellers should read Chapters 41, 42, 43 and 47 of ‘My Watch; for Chief Obasanjo’s insights and perspectives on the power sector and indeed, what transpired when the allegation of $16 billion on power projects was previously made. “If he cannot read the threevolume book, he should detail his

aides to do so and summarise the chapters in a language that he will easily understand,� Akinyemi said.

Akinyemi said that in the same statement credited to the president, it was alleged that Obasanjo had bragged about $16 billion spent on power. “To inform the uninformed, the so-called $16 billion power expenditure was an allegation against Chief Obasanjo’s administration and not his claim. “The president also queried where the power generated is.

The answer is simple: The power is in the seven National Integrated Power Projects and 18 gas turbines that Chief Obasanjo’s successor who originally made the allegation of $16 billion did not clear from the ports for over a year and the civil works done on the sites,� he stated.

He said Obasanjo was challenging anyone in doubt and dissatisfied with the EFCC report and that of the Aminu Tambuwal-led committee on the expended $16 billion on the power projects to set up another inquiry.

Continued on page 9

B U H A R I C O M E S O U T SW I N G I N G , AT TAC KS O B ASA N J O , N ’AS S E M B LY Buhari, however, has restrained himself and his aides from responding to the various accusations of non-performance and clannishness levelled against him by Obasanjo.

But yesterday Buhari let go, saying the debt incurred from the $16 billion spent by Obasanjo on power projects without any output was now being paid by his administration, adding that in Nigeria’s history, his government had made the highest capital allocations in the 2017 and 2018 budgets.

Buhari’s criticism of Obasanjo, however, was not entirely factual, as the former president has never claimed that $16 billion was spent on power projects by his administration.

The figure of $16 billion was the charge made by his successor, the late Umaru Yar’Adua, which prompted the House of Representatives Committee on Power to investigate the spending on the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPPs) started by the Obasanjo administration and continued by his successors – Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan.

Also, in incurring the expenditure as Buhari erroneously stated yesterday, the Obasanjo administration and his successors did not have to borrow a farthing to build the NIPPs, as the funds were withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account (ECA).

Buhari also alleged yesterday that even though the nation got massive earnings from the sale of crude oil when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in power, nothing was left in the treasury when he ascended became president 16 years after.

He also took on members of the National Assembly, accusing them of doing nothing, even though some of them had spent over a decade in the federal legislature.

Buhari, however, had good remarks for former despotic military head of state, Gen. Sani Abacha, who stashed away

billions of Nigerian money in foreign banks, saying he agreed to work with him irrespective of people’s perception about the late dictator because, during Abacha’s regime, a lot of roads and medical facilities were revamped.

He described the current period in the nation’s history as terrible, even as he canvassed the need to revamp the country altogether, recalling how he was ruthless as a military head of state, arresting and throwing people into prison, a punishment he said was also meted out to him.

According to Buhari, “Between 1999 and 2014, Nigeria was producing 2.1 million barrels per day and at an average price of $100 per barrel. It even went up to $143. So, Nigeria was earning 2.1 million times $100 times 16 years, seven days a week. “When we came, it collapsed to $37-$38 and it was oscillating between $40 and $54 sometimes. I went to the governor of the central bank, thank goodness I did not sack him. He is still there. “I went with my cap in my hand and said ‘oya’. He said there were no savings, only debt. And you know more than I do. “The condition of the roads and some of them were not repaired since the PTF (Petroleum Fund Trust) days. No matter what opinion you have about (Gen. Sani) Abacha, I agreed to work with him and we did PTF roads from here to Port Harcourt, to Onitsha, to Benin, and so on, and on top of other things, education, medical care and so on. “You know the rail was killed and one of the former heads of state between that time was bragging that he spent more than $16 billion, not naira, on power.

Where is the power? Where is the power? And now, we have to pay the debt. “This year and last year’s budgets that I took to the National Assembly were the highest in capital projects (allocation) – more than N1.3 trillion.

“Let anybody come and confront me publicly in the National Assembly. What have they been doing? Some of them have been there for 10 years. What have they been doing? So, really, this country, luckily for me, I said it about eight years ago that we have no other country than Nigeria. “We should remain here and salvage it together no matter what you have outside. Now, we get some of the people with houses here and maybe in Abuja or somewhere in America and Europe. “They swear, some of them to God, that it doesn’t belong to them.

But from their accounts, through the banks, through their companies, it is obvious that it is their own.

But they say it’s not their own. “This is a terrible time and the people are saying what are we doing? Why can’t you lock them up? And again, I went on by telling them what I said when I was in uniform, younger and rather ruthless, that I got from the president downwards, I locked them up in Kirikiri. I said, ‘you’re guilty except you prove yourselves innocent.’ “I myself was locked up and those who misappropriated public funds were giving back what they had taken away. Who did not do anything about it? Then I decided to come and put agbada to contest.

I tried one, two, three, four times until God agreed. And the third time, I came and met a statesman outside the Supreme Court. My chief lawyer was Mike Ahamba, a Roman Catholic and Igbo man. “He had a witness in the box and asked the panel of judges that they should check on certain constituencies in certain states to bring us our register so that we can prove that the people that voted there were the people whose names INEC submitted. They said, ‘ah, we shall do it.’ Then they said, ‘no, you must write it.’�

Leading the BSO, Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali

(rtd.), said Nigerians who often complained of hunger were lazy people who only expect manna to fall from heaven.

Arguing that the three years of Buhari as president had been a blessing to many people, Ali said such people would continue to wait in vain because manna would never fall directly from heaven, even as he maintained that the president had done well in just three years of his administration.

However, he said despite doing well, they were many rooting for Buhari’s second term in office because it requires more than three years to rebuild what had been allegedly destroyed by the previous administrations. “Last year, during the Hajj period when I went home, many farmers came to me to say that they had never had it so good, so much so that the first 25 people that paid up their money when Hajj fares were announced, were rice farmers. “What more can we say in terms of growth of wealth? People say we are hungry. Of course, the lazy must be hungry because if you do not work hard, manna doesn’t fall from heaven. “So, when people say we are hungry, there was never a time in Nigeria that food was dropped in the mouth of the people and there can never be. “I can go on and on and enumerate what you have done in just three years of your administration, but three is not enough to undo what was done in 16 years. The destruction, the monumental stealing that we have witnessed, the destruction of our structures and our system, it takes more than eight years to be able to address them and I believe in three years, you have done wonderfully well,� Ali said.

But in his reaction yesterday to the president’s allegation that he squandered $16 billion on power projects, Obasanjo described Buhari as ignorant, saying it was doubtful that the president had a proper

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T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2018

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Furore over RCCG’s Mandatory Genital Tests for Intending Couples Church defends decision, says several cases of impotence springing up Mary Ekah and Chiemelie Ezeobi The recent directive mandating all intending couples of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) to submit themselves for mandatory genital tests, has elicited mixed reactions with many in support of the directive and others wondering if the church was not going too far by invading people’s privacy.

In a memo, which has since gone viral, the Assistant General Overseer of the RCCG (Admin & Personnel), Pastor J.F. Odesola, said the church had observed the recurrence of marital crises resulting from falsehood, especially in the case of undeclared or un-confessed reproductive or genital status.

Dated May 10, 2018, the memo read: “Calvary greetings in Jesus’ name. The Mission Authority has observed the recurrence of cases of marital crises resulting from falsehood, especially in the case of undeclared or un-confessed reproductive/genital status.

“We have the directive of the General Overseer to instruct the entire Mission’s outpost that forthwith, pre-marital medical examination for intending couples should also include a genital test.

“Furthermore, provinces are requested to register with particular (trusted) government approved hospitals for the various pre-marital examinations for intending couples.

“Remain blessed in this season of

songs and victory in Jesus’ name, amen.”

While some Nigerians commended the initiative, others deemed it an invasion of privacy.

A lifestyle blogger, Diary of a Naija Girl, who claimed to be in the know about the memo, said the church was acting because of so many complaints.

She said: “RCCG has heard many complaints from women as to their husband’s false declaration of sexual prowess and ability.

“Because the church frowns at divorce, women have stayed in their marriages even when their husbands are impotent.

“Because of the ‘no sex before marriage’ rule, some women don’t have any inclination of this so they go ahead and marry then get stuck or simply cheat secretly.

“For this reason, couples’ genitalia will be examined before marriage to be sure they are not basing the marriage on falsehood.”

One Dr. Jummie said: “Membership of a church means submitting to its ordinances and being accountable to them.

“Some members ensure extreme measures to prevent pre-marital sex and their first opportunity to see the ‘real’ is on the wedding night.

“So many deception cases out there. There are indeed wolves who prey on the innocent!

“Therefore having a genital exam protects these members

who are trying so hard to honour God with their bodies. I agree!”

Comedian, Wale Gates was of the opinion that the church shouldn’t stop there, saying they should also look into the issue of domestic violence.

He said: “RCCG should also carry out a psychiatric test for intending husbands to identify potential wife beaters.”

Nejeeb Bello said: “I am not totally against this so called ‘genital testing’ or fertility testing ordered

by RCCG before weddings.

“We don’t know why there are suddenly so many stabbings among new couples.

“Remember, RCCG pastors do marriage counselling, and complaints may have been on these issues.

“Personally, I am more worried about marrying someone with hidden mental health issues than a person who can’t have kids.

Nothing should be hidden though when going into marriage.”

Iyke Iyinagoro said: “So, now they are getting involved in members’ private and intimate affairs?

Nigerians should concentrate less on churches and work harder.”

Will Orem said: “Some people have chosen to remain sheep for life. This is ridiculous.”

Defending the decision on the mandatory genital tests for couples, the spokesperson of RCCG, Pastor Olaitan Olubiyi, said yesterday that

this marriage must not go ahead?’

“Any marriage contracted on the grounds of deceit is already in danger. Let me just give you an instance, if a man knows he is impotent, we are not saying they shouldn’t get married, but is it not fair to let the lady you are marrying know that this is my condition and for the two of you to agree to go ahead, believing that God is going to bring healing?

“But where a man knows his condition genitally but refuses to confide in the person he is marrying and they get married and they then begin to have all manner of problems emanating from just one particular issue that has to do with the genital status that was not declared right from the beginning, that is an issue.

“The church feels this is not fair.

Even apart from the man, if two people are going into marriage, there are always issues that need to be made known to each other.

Look at the royal wedding held a few days ago, for example, let’s just imagine for a moment that the lady hid the fact that she was married before and got divorced, and then she went into the marriage with Prince Harry, and then the truth comes out later.

What do you think would be the result?” he asked.

Olubiyi, who insisted that the church was not in any way infringing on anybody’s privacy or rights, added: “What the church

is saying is that there must be full disclosure of the health status of both parties, so that the two of you would know from the onset what you are getting into.”

Asked if some church members were actually untruthful about their genital condition before marriage, he said: “That is exactly what I am saying, that a lot of marital issues come to the church and we discovered that hiding their genital status has been a major cause.

“For instance, if a couple is waiting on the Lord for children, in the African culture, a woman is presumed to be the one having fertility issues. But we discovered that most times, it is the man that has issues and more often it had been there before marriage but he never disclosed it to his wife before marriage.

“That is why the church is saying that nothing should be hidden between couples before they go into marriage.

“In the church, we also conduct pregnancy tests before marriage on the women, so if we put the woman through those tests, it is also fair that the man is subjected to certain tests before marriage.

“Ordinarily, the church should not be getting into such things but we are now realising that this is becoming a big problem because a lot of people are hiding facts and information about themselves that they ought to have shared during their courtship.”

landmark historic event.

“We are happy that countries such as the United States of America, Guatemala, Honduras, Romania and Paraguay have relocated their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The declaration made by President Donald Trump on December 6, 2017, was a fulfilment of the Biblical prophecy and it is our prayer that other countries including Nigeria will relocate their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

“At a press conference addressed by our late General Secretary, Rev. Musa Asake, on January 16, 2018, we condemned in strong terms the position of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government that voted against the position of the U.S. on the historic decision.

“We declared that the

Christian Association of Nigeria was compelled once again, to draw the attention of the Buhari administration to the non-aligned status of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in international conflicts.

“We have had cause to express great apprehension when in December 2015, President Buhari, without giving consideration to Section 10 of the Constitution, as well as to the sensitivity of Christians that constitute over 50 per cent of the Nigerian population, led Nigeria to join the Saudi Arabia initiated Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC).

“Since then, there have been other disturbing actions of the president internally, that border on the adoption of Islam as a state religion in a secular state.

“These include the promotion of Sharia-compliant finance, using

state resources, violation of the federal character principle in the Constitution by appointing mostly Muslims to head security units in the nation, and the inability of the government to arrest and prosecute rampaging Islamic militias, amongst others.

“Recently, Mr. President once again dragged Nigeria to interfere in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by voting against the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel at the United Nations. The non-aligned status of Nigeria demands that Nigeria should have abstained from voting, either for or against, when the issue came up at the UN. “The Christian Association of Nigeria is placing on record that the negative vote of Nigeria over Jerusalem was not the consensus of the citizens of this country,” he said.

Nigerian suppliers, that Chinese suppliers would begin to issue invoices in naira.

“If China is Nigeria’s largest trading partner controlling close to 35 per cent of total trade, what that means is that all things being equal, by the time we conclude the framework, we should see to it that more invoices would be issued in the local currency against the traditional dollar.

“I have read some newspapers report on the currency swap, but I can tell you, it is going to be positive and I repeat, strongly positive for Nigeria; for Nigerian imports and also for Nigerians.

That is what we expect and we would ensure that we achieve that,” Emefiele stated.

According to him, the negotiations with the Chinese bank were painstakingly done, adding: “ I am optimistic that Nigerians will reap the positive impact from this, and we do expect that by the time the framework is released, Nigeria will end up being the trade hub in the West African sub-region because there are currently only three countries in Africa that enjoy the currency swap deal with China – South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria.”

The governor, who also spoke on the innovative measures the CBN would introduce to encourage money deposit banks to accelerate credit growth to the real sector of the economy,

noted that as much as possible, the central bank would not want to go back to the era of sectoral allocations.

He said efforts were being made to come up with decisions that will determine the level of cash reserves that a bank holds.

He stated that under the proposed policy, banks that increase lending would be compensated while those that reserve their liquidity and resort to trading in government securities or give to those who trade in foreign exchange, rather than granting loans to the real sector would be penalised.

Emefiele disclosed that the appropriate departments of the central bank will work out the modalities, adding: “That framework will certainly come up and we will task the relevant authorities to work on it and I am optimistic that the Monetary Policy Committee will take that decision at the right time.”

yesterday, down from the N360.96 at which it closed on Monday.

Reacting to the decision by the MPC to hold rates, the Chief Economist for Africa at Standard Chartered Bank, Razia Khan pointed out that while ordinarily there ought to be some concern about the inflationary impact of pre-election spending, current conditions in the economy make it difficult to overplay the threat of much higher inflation.

She explained: “Inflation is on a down trend, courtesy of recent forex stability. It will likely decelerate further. The economy is weak. Outside of lending to the government, money supply is contracting.

“In our view, it would have made more sense for the CBN to front-load its easing, reversing course later if it became clear that pre-election spending – in its multiple forms – was likely to be a problem.

“However, the CBN is especially concerned about investor profit taking and the likelihood of capital outflows at this point in time. We interpret the decision to keep all rates unchanged as suggesting that forex stability – even with oil back at $80 per barrel – remains paramount, and the CBN will not do anything to risk this. Not even easing, when the opportunity presents itself.

the memo in question came up as a result of different issues and cases that had been brought to the attention of the church by couples that are going through situations and challenges occurring from the non-disclosure of the health status of some men before marriage.

He informed THISDAY in a phone interview that the church was only responding to a trend that it had observed and felt it was necessary for couples, especially men, to go through genital examinations before marriage.

“In the first instance, a memo is an internal document, it is not meant for public consumption. So, it is supposed to be seen purely as a communication within the family. But that being the case, I know you might also argue that RCCG is a public organisation.

“Now, whatever the church does is always as a response to a need or reaction to certain issues.

In recent times, we have had a series of cases with newly wedded couples or even existing couples that have been going through a lot of problems in their marriages, so the memo came as a response and reaction to the problems we have observed within these marriages.

“In RCCG, we believe that before the marriage vow, the two people going into the marriage must have all the information about each other and that is why they are always asked: ‘Do any one of you have any reason why

CATH O LIC S P ROT EST HERDSMEN KILL I N GS, SU LTAN WAR N S AGAI N ST R EL I GI OU S WA R the overall interest of the nation.

CAN president, Reverend Sampson Supo Ayokunle said this was a trying time for the church in the country and urged all Christians to identify with the Catholic Church in its nationwide peaceful protest against the senseless killings in the country.

Ayokunle expressed dismay that the killing of innocent citizens had become a global embarrassment with mass burials being carried out repeatedly in a country that is not at war.

“Buhari’s government should not fold its arms and watch misguided Nigerians, mostly Boko Haram and herdsmen, promote killing as a pastime in the name of politics and ethnicity while solution appears very elusive.

“It is disheartening to note that criminal Fulani herdsmen, bandits, kidnappers and other

hoodlums have reduced Nigeria to a Banana Republic.

“This development is unacceptable and we call on all well-meaning people anywhere in the world to join hands in praying for the deliverance, freedom and liberty from this self-inflicted bondage,” the CAN president said.

On Buhari’s presidential ambition, Ayokunle explained that while CAN was not opposed to the president’s right to seek re-election for the second time, “we urge him to halt it in the meantime and attend to the security problems occasioned by the criminal activities of the terrorists, herdsmen and bandits”.

“CAN asks President Buhari to suspend his re-election bid until he restores sanity to the country while ensuring the release of Leah Sharibu, the remaining Chibok girls and other abductees from

the captivity of the Boko Haram terrorists.

“Buhari’s ongoing campaign for re-election without plans to stop the state of anomie in Nigeria is scary.

“CAN prays for comfort to the bereaved, accelerated recovery to those who are recuperating from the wounds and multiple injuries sustained from terror attacks in the past years and few months,” he said.

Speaking on the current status of Jerusalem, the CAN president once again congratulated the Israeli government on the relocation of the capital to Jerusalem and on the 70th anniversary of the country.

“Unarguably, the relocation is the special anniversary present from the God of the patriarchs.

We appreciate the leadership role of the United States in the

C B N : WH Y WE DID NOT R EDU CE IN T ERE ST R AT E and pre-election spending, to retain the interest rate.

Responding to questions, the CBN governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele who briefed journalists on the outcome of the MPC meeting, said eight of the nine members of the committee who were part of the meeting voted for the retention of the rate while one rooted for further tightening.

Emefiele admitted that the MPC had earlier declared that once inflation rate trends downwards to a single digit or double-digit lower rate, it would bring the MPR down.

According to the latest figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the inflation rate for April was 12.48 per cent, down from 13.34 per cent recorded in March.

He explained that the MPC decided not to lower the MPR for now as a pre-emptive measure to guard against possible inflationary pressures that the late implementation of the 2018 budget and election expenses might exert on the economy.

“It is very true that we said until inflation drops to single digit before we take a decision on reducing the interest rate, but you will also observe, in the course of this presentation, we explained the expansion of fiscal activities that we foresee, beginning from around May or June this year.

“At this time, the fact that we

are still on the 2017 budget; the 2018 budget will eventually kick in around June or July, there will be an acceleration in the rate of spending and we also expect a lot of election spending.

“These indications, expectedly, are meant to expand the economy and spur growth which I will say is commendable, but we also know that those expansionary fiscal measures will gradually lead to an inflationary increase and if that happens, it will reverse the gains we have recorded over time.

“The committee considered the forecast of high liquidity injection in the second half of 2018, upward pressure of prices driven largely by the substantial expansion of fiscal policy which will arise from the late passage of the 2018 budget, outstanding balance from the 2017 budget and the pre-election expenditure,” he explained.

Emefiele stated that the MPC felt that further tightening would ensure the mop up of excess liquidity, mindful that despite the moderation in inflation, the current inflation rate was still above the single digit target and that the real interest rate only turned positive in the review period.

“The objective of the policy stance, therefore, would be to accelerate the reduction in the rate of inflation to single digit, to promote economic stability, boost investor confidence and promote foreign capital flows

with complimentary impact on exchange rate stability.

“Conversely, the committee believes that raising the interest rate would, however, depress consumption and increase the cost of borrowing to the real sector.

Moreover, such policy will make deposit money banks to reprise their assets,” he said.

On the $2.5 billion currency swap deal between the CBN and People’s Bank of China (PBoC), Emefiele disclosed that the framework will be released next week, adding that Nigeria has everything to gain from the deal and nothing to lose.

“I must say congratulations to Nigeria. After a rigorous almost two and half years of negotiations with the People’s Bank of China, we eventually struck the deal for a currency swap deal between Nigeria and China, with the intention of boosting trade relations between both countries.

Like you all know, it will just operate in the normal format or LC (letter of credit) transactions.

“Like you know, there are some importers from England who will issue invoices in pounds sterling if you want to import goods from England. Or in Europe, they will issue you invoices in Euro as against the dollars if the choice is theirs.

“Under the China-Nigeria deal, by the time the framework is released, we would begin to see, based on negotiations with

Naira Falls on Rate Retention Meanwhile, the naira depreciated to N364 to the dollar on the parallel market yesterday, from N363 on news that the MPC had decided to retain the MPR at 14 per cent.

Similarly, at the Investors’ and Exporters’ forex window, the naira weakened to N361.41 to a dollar

Continued on page 13

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2018Ëž T H I S D AY

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Ă?ĂĄĂ? ĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ™Ăœ Davidson Iriekpen Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă– davidson.iriekpen@thisdaylive.com, 08111813081

Senators Meet Buhari over Alleged Move to Frame Saraki Senator Adamu: Meeting was needless Omololu Ogunmade Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË A nine-man committee constituted by the Senate last week over an allegation by its president, Senator Bukola Saraki that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, wanted to frame him up in a cult case, met with President Muhammadu Buhari in the State House yesterday.

Led by the Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan, the committee which met with the president behind closed doors, was constituted last week Wednesday over Saraki’s allegation that the IG had perfected plans to frame him up following his plan to transfer some suspects involved in cultism in Kwara State to Abuja.

Saraki had said Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, called him that Wednesday morning and told him that he had intelligence on the IG’s plan, thus prompting the decision of the Senate to raise a nine-man committee to meet the president over the matter.

Saraki had told senators that the suspect were being transferred to Abuja to change their confessional statements and implicate him and Mr Ahmed

over the alleged murder of 11 persons in Kwara State.

The Senate president said the move was on the orders of the IGP, because he ( Saraki) had led the Senate to declare him unfit for office and an enemy of democracy.

Speaking with some journalists in Hausa language after the meeting, a member of the committee, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, said the visit was unnecessary because a police officer had already stated in Ilorin that Saraki’s name was not mentioned in the case.

He, however, said they still had to visit the president despite the clarification by the police officer because already they had been given the assignment by the parliament.

According to Adamu, such a development was the fallout of ill-relationship between the executive and the legislature, pointing out that as a result of such unharmonious relationship, little matters are often blown out of proportion. “The Senate President made some comments to the effect that he received a call from his governor, Abdulfatah, that some persons, suspected to be cultists who are undergoing

Osinbajo: Nigeria Now Preferred Investment Destination Ndubuisi Francis Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË

company serious about its future just have to have a plan for The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Nigeria, as many opportunities Osinbajo, declared yesterday that abound.� Nigeria is now the preferred “Our justice sector reforms, investment destination in Africa fighting corruption, empowering with opportunities for investors  judiciary officials. Government following the successes of recent has signed close to $10 billion federal government initiatives, on investment development. Tax including the Presidential payers base rose from 14million Enabling Business Council, to 19 million tax payers. (PEBEC) and the Focus Labs. “Government is also eyeing He stated that serious new infrastructure funds investors can now take for roads, rails and other unfettered advantage of Nigeria’s infrastructure development. ever-growing investment climate “You can be rest assured that providing limitless opportunities every one is safe in Nigeria, for serious  investors. government will always do Speaking at the ‘Direct things properly to improve Investors’ Summit Nigeria’ investment climate,� he said. organised by the Nigerian In her address, the Executive Investment Promotion Council Secretary, NIPC, Yewande (NIPC), Osinbajo pointed out Sadiku, said the federal that the federal government had government was targeting to done much within the last three get fresh investments from over years to brighten the nation’s 190 investors from 40 countries investment climate. in key sectors of the economy. Such opportunities, he said, The event was attended by include arable lands, rich mineral the Ministers of Budget and investments and the nation’s National Planning, Senator gateway positioning not just Udo Udoma, Minister of Works for West Africa but the entire Power and Housing Babatunde African continent. Fashola; Aviation Hadi Sirika; The vice president also cited Industry Trade and Investment the huge population which Dr Okechukwu Enelamah and is Africa’s largest and half some states governors. of the entire West Africa She said the government is sub-region, adding that it committed to attracting fresh composed mostly of youthful investments in key sectors population with 50 per cent of the economy, adding that under the age of 20 and 75 the summit was targeted to per cent under the age of 35 bring together investors who are very energetic and and government officials entrepreneurial. in order to unlock potential “This is why any global investments.

investigation in Ilorin, Kwara State will be transferred to Abuja and it is becoming a problem.

That was why the governor intimated him. “That is why it was decided that we should come as leaders in the assembly to hear what is going on and if anything can be done about it. That cannot stop us from coming to see the president on the matter and to hear from him if you really know what has been happening at the assembly.Â

“If there is a harmonious working relationship between the executive and legislature and even the judiciary, all these types of things will not come up and even if they do come, not in the way they are coming up now. “A small matter is often overblown and it becomes a problem for everybody. This is the result of some unnecessary utterances because things are not going as expected. So long as suspicion and accusations continue to exist within the

minds of some people who ordinarily shouldn’t have them, these things will continue... “It is surely politics. A senior police officer in Kwara had stated that the name of the Senate president was not mentioned and if that is the case, there is no need for all these emissaries but since we have decided that a team should come, we have come to hear from the president and he listened to us,� he said.

But unlike Abdullahi, Lawan

evaded questions thrown to him over the matter, saying their visit to the president was not unusual, arguing that they would continue to visit him whenever it is necessary.

In the delegation aside Lawan and Adamu were the Chief Whip, Senator Olusola Adeyeye, Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Senator Danjuma Goje, Senator Abiodun Olujinmi, Senator Sam Egwu, Fatimat Raji-Rasaki. Â

ONE MASS BURIAL TOO MANY‌

A bishop of the Catholic Church oďŹƒciating at the mass burial held yesterday in Benue State for Reverend Fathers Joseph Gor and Felix Tyolaha, who were killed alongside 17 parishioners by suspected herdsmen at the St. Ignatius Catholic parish, Mbalom, last month

FG Investigator: I Was Sacked for Refusing to Go After Opposition Onyebuchi Ezigbo Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË The disengaged Special Investigator to the Special Presidential Investigation Panel on Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), Mr. Victor Uwajeh, has alleged that his recent removal was because he refused to investigate some serving senators, including Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and other opposition People Democratic Party (PDP) stalwarts.

He also mentioned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, Senator Jonah Jang, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, Femi Fani-Kayode, among the list of persons given to him to investigate.

Uwajeh, a private investigator and former consultant to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was recently employed by the Okoi Obono Obla-led presidential panel but was disengaged about a month later.

While giving the reasons for his disengagement in a statement he signed yesterday, the Londonbased private investigator alleged that his refusal to act on the courier documents sent

to him from Nigeria by the government which comprises some names perceived to be enemies of the current administration was responsible for his disengagement. According to the statement: “It was the procedure of the Panel to courier documents to me from Nigeria for dispatch to various agencies in the United Kingdom and worldwide. “Soon after, I realised that the panel has a mindset towards certain individuals and groups by the documents it sent to me. “Documents sent to me from Abuja to dispatch to the Serious Fraud Office and Home Office, Metropolitan Police, FBI and EUROPOL had the names of the following senators: Senate President Saraki, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Senator Albert Bassey Akpan and Senator Stella Adaeze Oduah.�

Uwajeh revealed that he had suggested some names of APC members “who are high looters that I recommended for proper investigation but it was turned down. “This raised a red flag and as a professional, I made my complaint immediately and made my position known to Okoi Obono Obla to transmit

to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice. “I told him that I will not be a party to one sided investigation to muscle in the opposition and persecute them. I made my position known that I am ready to expose corruption and recover stolen assets as a professional but will not be involved in the politics of “pull then down� in Nigeria. “My refusal to dance to the tune of the Government and SIPP led to my disengagement. “After meeting in London on 18th April, 2018 with some officials during the CHOGM, it was evident that I will not bulge in my position not to go against the ethics of my profession by investigating only the opposition. “As soon as they arrived Nigeria on  April 23, 2018, they drafted a letter to disengage me.

They kept the letter and wanted me to change my mind but I refused. On April, 27 2018, they sent me a backdated letter of disengagement dated  April 23, 2018. “In the said letter it was alleged that I had a criminal allegation against me pending in court as the reason for my disengagement which is laughable.�

Uwajeh said any rightthinking person should question why it took the government of President Muhammadu Buhari a full month to know that he had a case in court. “My refusal has led to a sustained assault on my person by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami. “My refusal to work with the APC-led government to humiliate the so-called enemies of government has led me into exile. The Nigeria Police led

by Ibrahim Kpotun Idris has continued to side with Senator Emmanuel Nnamdi Uba (Andy Uba) to stop him from paying me my professional fees. IG Idris is an expert in setting people up and twisting issues to incriminate his enemies. “ Malami, Idris and Mohammed Etsu should note that they cannot continue to be in this position forever and remember that power is transient. “I will continue to maintain my dignity even in the face of a gang up against me. “Nigeria can only move forward when the fight against corruption is not selective but holistic no matter whose ox is gored.�

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2018˾ T H I S D AY

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Katsina APC Congress Committee Raises the Alarm over Elections in Funtua Senatorial District Congress materials were diverted, say committee members

Jonathan Eze Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Ward and Local Government Congress Committee in Katsina State

have raised the alarm over the congresses held in the state.

This is as three members of the committee that supervised the congress in the senatorial district have written a minority

Chairmanship Race: Oshiomhole Courts APC Senators James Emejo ÓØ ÌßÔË

to better the lots of the party.

He said the party must learn Former Governor of Edo State to do things differently, noting and All Progressives Congress there will always be contentions.

(APC) national chairmanship Oshiomhole said compromise aspirant, Adams Oshiomhole, remained a critical driver yesterday met with members of in negotiations, adding that the party’s caucus in the Senate “With an open mind, we can to solicit for their support for do business.” the position.

He said it is possible to He said though he had resolve all the issues affecting ruffled feathers with some the APC in win-win style. former governors, who are now He said: “I have no doubt senators when he was President that working with you, APC of the Nigeria Labour Congress will fulfil its mission and be a (NLC) by leading people different party.” against the government they The chairmanship aspirant headed, nevertheless, “We’ve said having worked through managed to maintain mutual governance, he’s had respect” thereafter, adding that better understanding of the he’s managed to build bridges relationship between legislature across all divides. and executive and will bring it He promised a participatory to bear on his new assignment party system which will be “pro- if elected. people and people-centered” He said: “We are not and based on party constitution. opponents of ourselves. We’ve a He said part of the current duty to reassure Nigerians that challenges of the APC was this party can deliver.” that the various organs of the However, Senate President, party had not functioned in an Dr. Bukola Saraki, shortly anticipated manner but had before the meeting went into managed to function based closed-door session, commended on individual capacity.

Oshiomhole for taking the He said though the APC initiative to meet with the has had couple of problems, senators. he would be able to put his He said having known experiences in unionism as his antecedence, he has no former labour leader as well doubt about the chairmanship as in governance as former aspirant’s capacity to confront governor of Edo State into use challenges.

report, claiming that the congress election materials were diverted.

In a report to the party’s National Secretary, the committee stated that four local governments in the zone were affected.

Members of the committee included Hon. Sanusi Kunde, Chief Innocent Anike and Mr. Abdulrasheed Ahmad, and were like others sworn in at the national secretariat of the party on April 3, 2018, across the nation.

The report obtained by THISDAY read in part: “Elections were conducted across the state in Katsina peacefully. However, for some inexplicable reasons

and despite all the measures put in place in Funtua Zone, materials meant for some local governments like Faskari, Dandume, Musawa and Kankara, were diverted and election venues moved away from APC party offices/local government secretariats to secret location, which is in gross violation of the stipulated guidelines for the conduct of elections.”

They called on the National Secretary to use his office to ensure that members of the party in Katsina State feel a sense of fairness.

They said this would help the party to avoid embarrassing and tarnishing the name of

President Muhammadu Buhari in his home state.

“We are however calling on the National Secretary to use his office to ensure that members of the party in Katsina State are not robbed by ensuring a course of justice and fairness.”

A competent source, who is also a commissioner in the state, informed THISDAY that the congresses in the district were a sham.

He faulted the claim by the governor and his loyalists that elections took place in the senatorial district.

The source said the governor and his loyalists did not participate in the election

and as such, could not have known that there was election or none because they were more interested in following President Muhammadu Buhari at the time the polls were supposed to be taking place.

He wondered how the governor and his loyalists could have been elected when they were not on ground to participate in the process.

He said the plan of the governor and his loyalists were targeted at excluding the Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman whom they felt should remain in Kaduna and be part of the process there.

RESOURCE PERSONS

L-R: Managing Partner, Zenera Consulting, Meka Olowola; Executive Secretary, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Waziri Adio; Programme Officer, Ford Foundation, Eva Kouka; Sustainability in the Extractive Industries (SITEI), Convener/ Chief Executive, CSR-in-Action, Bekeme Masade; and Chairman, Edtorial Board, THISDAY Newspapers, Segun Adeniyi, during the seventh SITEI Conference in Abuja ....yesterday.

Senate’s Mace Theft Probe: C’ttee Accuses Police of Breach of 2019 Election Sequence: Rule of Law Court Dismisses Suit Omo-Agege refuses to testify against National Assembly Christopher Isiguzo ÓØ ØßÑß The Federal High Court sitting in Enugu yesterday dismissed a suit challenging the recent moves by the National Assembly to change the sequence of the 2019 election through an amendment to the Electoral Act. The suit was filed by a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Anike Nwoga.

In a judgment delivered by the presiding judge, Justice A.M. Liman, the court held that the plaintiff, Nwoga, lacked the locus to initiate the action and therefore, the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain it.

According to Justice Liman, for a person to have access to court, he must affirm his locus standi, otherwise the suit is not justiceable.

He maintained that the affidavit deposed by the

plaintiff does not show he has any justiceable interest, neither did he disclose any special injury that the amendment will cause him.

The judge noted that the plaintiff did not claim to bring the case on public interest like the case of Fawehimi vs. federal government, which he was relying on, but on the grounds of injury that would be inflicted on him as a registered voter who had conditioned his mind that he would vote for the presidential election first and others as scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and that altering the sequence would incur additional cost from public funds.

Justice Liman said the case of Adesanya vs. the federal government makes it clear that a person must have special interest to institute a matter in court.

Cont’d on Pg 13

James Emejo ÓØ ÌßÔË˿ The Senate and House of Representatives Joint Committee investigating the invasion of the Senate and stealing of the mace yesterday scolded the police for an alleged slow pace of the investigation of the matter.

The Chairman of the committee and Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, (APC Kebbi South), also pointed out procedural flaws in the police probe, accusing it of not following due process and not applying speed in the prosecution of the matter.

This followed the submissions by the Commissioner of Police (CP), Force Headquarters, Abu Sanni, who appeared before the committee at the ongoing public hearing, that the prime suspects in the mace theft incident were still in police custody.

Asked by the Co-chairman of the committee, Hon. Betty Apiafi, whether Sanni had himself seen

the accused person whom he claimed to be in police custody, his response indicated he had not seen them.

Apiafi said: “You have five prime suspects in custody and you’ve not seen them. You are not pushful in this investigation and we are not impressed.”

Ibn Na’Allah, thereby pointed out that the police had breached due process by the continued detention of the suspects without trial.

He said the police ought to have charged them to court, and thereafter, get a judgment to retain the accused in police custody for further investigation.

He said based on the nature and national embarrassment the incident had caused, certain prompt actions were expected from police.

“Some people should have been arraigned to keep them in lawful custody.

“You are not following the rule of law: you should have taken them to court to ask for

more time to keep them.

“You have not acted on available theories because there is the theory that there was internal collaboration between security agencies to embarrass the National Assembly.

“We find it difficult to appreciate the slow pace of probe. Even President Muhammadu Buhari is concerned and we are all worried.”

The chairman, therefore, ruled that the officer in charge of the prime suspects should appear unfailingly before the committee today.

The CP, however, blamed the absence of functional security cameras in the National Assembly for its inability to make remarkable progress on the investigations- a claim which further angered the committee members.

He said the matter was being handled professionally adding that there was an interim report as well as more facts unfolding.

He said the police believed there are some external connections which had play a critical role in the incident even more than the suspects in custody.

He said the suspects in custody might have lied from the accounts of their statements.

He said there are other areas of the probe which the police is currently looking at, adding that “We bent on getting to the root of the matter.”

However, former Senate Leader, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South), who was summoned alongside Senator Ovie OmoAgege (APC, Delta Central) to appear before the committee, refused to address the lawmakers before the cameras but instead demanded a closed-door session to speak.

Also, Omo-Agege refrained from addressing the committee, claiming that the matter is already before a court of law.”

12

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2018˾ T H I S D AY

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Sanusi Asks FG to Prioritise Spending, Says N1.4tn Spent on Subsidy Imprudent The Emir of Kano and former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, has called on the federal government to prioritise its expenditure.

Speaking on Power Lunch, a CNBC programme yesterday, Sanusi said the federal government needs to prioritise its expenditure in order to be industrialised.

Sanusi said by simply improving the allocation efficiency, the government can make greater impact. ”I have looked at some of the deliberate policy decisions that have been taken, such as the continuation of the fuel subsidy, we are spending a trillion naira to 1.4 trillion naira on petroleum subsidies. Imagine what we

could do with that. How many refineries will be built? How many power plants you could build? How much you could fix on your transmission,” he said. ”So we need to decide for ourselves and understand that every dollar we spend, we have made a choice. We need to decide what is our priority and by this we can free up resources from some of these areas and put them into these areas.”

While speaking on how to increase revenues, he said countries that have the highest ratio of revenue to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) are those that seem to be faring very well on the transparency international corruption perception index.

Therefore, Africa needs to focus on improving transparency and public financial management, he said.

He added that collaboration between the government and private sectors would help drive industralisation in the country. ”There’s a surplus of capital in the world which is why we’ve had many many years of low interest rate. There’s a saving glut, but the reason you’ve got these so much capital is that they are looking for outlets,” Sanusi said. ”But those outlets can only come when the government begins to address the risks associated with investments and dealing with externalities and coordination problems.

NNPC Seeks New Measures to Reduce Losses Incurred on Petrol Imports Chineme Okafor˿ÓØ ÌßÔË The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday disclosed that it has proposed to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) new measures that could help reduce the loses it incur on imported petrol.

A statement from the corporation in Abuja explained that it had proposed to the NPA to establish a one-stopshop at the ports in the country with all agencies relevant to the clearing of petroleum products vessels to reduce delay and demurrage which it explained usually result in under-recovery for it.

The statement was sent to THISDAY by NNPC’s Group General Manager, Public Affairs. Mr. Ndu Ughamadu. In it, he noted that the corporation’s Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, had a meeting with the Managing Director of NPA, Hajia Hadiza Bala Usman, where both agencies expressed readiness to ensure seamless reception of petroleum products in ports in the country.

Baru, the statement quoted, said the creation of a one-stop clearing shop at the ports would introduce efficiency

in the maritime operations of NNPC. He also said the NNPC would relocate pipelines along the Escravos channel to pave the way for the dredging of the channel for ease of movement of ships to the Warri Port.

“Because of the sheer number of the pipelines and the criticality of some of the petroleum products they carry, we are looking at the timelines that would span 12 months to relocate some of the pipelines.

In some of the critical areas, we have agreed that because of supply situations, they would do an initial dredging that would give us at least 10 metres, especially in the Escravos areas,” said Baru.

He commended the NPA for securing the approval of the Federal Executive Council for the dredging of the Escravos channel, adding that the feat would go a long way to lift economic activities in the area.

Baru said Usman extended some good support to the NNPC during the last bout of fuel supply hiccups. He noted that such inter-agency collaboration was needed for the growth of the Nigerian economy.

According to him: “The test point for the support of the NPA to NNPC was between December 2017 and February

this year because it was really a trying period during the fuel scarcity and the NPA supported us patriotically prompting our coming out of the crisis and it actually helped the nation as well.

“The MD of NPA was very patriotic, she prioritised ensuring the comfort of the people which, in turn, went a long way in enabling us touched the lives of Nigerians in many positive ways.”

The statement quoted Usman to have said in her response that the interface with the NNPC was to strengthen collaboration with it, especially in the areas of relocation of pipelines at various locations across the operational areas of the NPA. She said: “We are here to strengthen synergy and collaboration between NPA and NNPC. We are about embarking on dredging activities at Escravos and Ejigbo and there are a lot of pipelines that are buried within that location and so we want to work with NNPC on relocating and burying those pipelines deeper so that NPA can dredge and have a deeper draft for bigger vessels to come to Warri and Lagos to enhance the supply of petroleum products and other larger vessels coming into the country.”

CBN: WHY WE DID NOT REDUCE INTEREST RATE “The CBN also seemed to indicate that it remained uncertain of the monetary transmission mechanism even if it did cut the policy rate.

“While the MPC continues to hint that easing remains on the cards when conditions eventually permit it, there is far less clarity on when everything might eventually fall into place.”

Also, Renaissance Capital predicted that there would be no change in the policy rate until around the July and September meetings.

“We see the policy rate being cut by one percentage point at the July and September meetings, respectively, bringing it down to 12 per cent at the end of 2018.

“This is not likely to have a meaningful policy easing

effect, as open market operations will keep yields elevated,” it added.

The financial advisory firm revealed that at a conference it held recently where its officials interacted with some bankers in Lagos, “the banks said lending rates were unlikely to fall on the back of rate cuts, as treasury bill yields are of greater influence”.

For CSL Stockbrokers Limited, going through the latest policy communiqué, a few explanations jumped out at the firm – some old and some new.

According to the firm, the old answer was that the “MPC does not want to prompt a reversal of portfolio inflows by cutting rates too quickly and is reluctant to reduce rates until inflation is at the bank’s targeted

single-digit level”.

“The newer explanation revolves around fiscal policy.

With only a few rates setting meetings left before the election campaign kicks off in earnest, the question then becomes – is the window for easing policy closed or about to close?”

But the Senior Economist at Exotix Capital, Christopher Dielmann said the MPC decision was largely based on the high level of inflation that continues to plague the country as well as rising US treasury rates painting the macro backdrop to this decision.

“As growth continues to lag and inflation falls towards single digit, we expect a policy rate cut as early as the MPC’s next meeting in July,” Dielmann said.

”And as I said, If you want someone to come and invest in garment factories, well fix other issues. Make sure you give him electricity, give him the roads, give him security, then he invests and sets up. ”By coming together, identifying those areas and sitting with private sectors and asking what do you want us to do for you as a government? So you don’t force them to internalise all those externalities.”

Also speaking at the 2018 annual meetings of the African Development Bank Group in Busan, Korea, Sanusi said Africa’s economic transformation will be best achieved through fast-tracking regional cooperation and

the execution of hard-nosed structural reforms that focus on the development of the continent’s human capital and material resources.

“Nine out of every 10 countries in Africa have huge trade deficits with China, but Asia developed mostly on domestic investments and resources,” he said.

Sanusi, according to The Cable, proposed a number of structural reforms — covering strategic investments in agriculture, infrastructure, education and small and medium enterprises.

He called for “deliberate industrial diversification”, noting that China has begun to move its mega-sized manufacturing capabilities

out of low-cost industries.

“The African Development Bank has the intellectual resources and clearly is better positioned to negotiate with China on behalf of Africa as a bloc of nations. Europe approached global trade as a bloc so why can’t African nations do the same? This is clearly another area in urgent need of the Bank’s intervention,” he said.

The emir said Dangote Group would account for 60 per cent of Nigeria’s manufacturing GDP on completion of its pipeline projects.

Manufacturing currently contributes just eight per cent to the country’s total GDP.

2019 ELECTION SEQUENCE: COURT DISMISSES SUIT AGAINST NATIONAL ASSEMBLY He added that the instant case, the plaintiff has not proved that he would incur any personal injury should the National Assembly change the election sequence.

On the claim by the plaintiff that the action of the National Assembly is in bad faith and targeted against President Muhammadu Buhari and that INEC was

the body duly empowered to organise, conduct and supervise elections, Justice Liman said: “What legal right has he (plaintiff) where there are individuals directly affected or is he trying to tell us that the president and INEC are incapable from stopping the National Assembly from amending the Electoral Act in a manner that

is unconstitutional.”

“I hereby not only declare the plaintiff as lacking in locus standi, I hereby dismiss the suit,” Justice Liman held.

Speaking with journalists outside the courtroom, Godwin Onwusi, the counsel to the plaintiff, said they would look at the judgment and decide the next course of action.

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COMMENT

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

CATHOLICS PROTEST HERDSMEN KILLINGS Government has failed to protect lives and property of the people, writes Sonnie Ekwowusi

Y

esterday a multitude of Catholic Bishops, priests, reverend sisters and lay faithful in the different Catholic dioceses across the country marched on the streets and alleyways to protest the incessant murder of Nigerian citizens especially the recent murder of two Catholic priests and 17 parishioners at Mbalom village in Benue State by Fulani herdsmen. The two Catholic clerics – Rev Fr. Joseph Gor and Rev. Fr. Felix Tyolahan –and 17 parishioners were participating in the worship of God during a morning Mass at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Mbalom, when the herdsmen suddenly dashed out from nowhere and murdered all of them. The surging crowds of protesters looked like rivers that had burst their banks. Watching them from afar one would think that the crowds were uncontrollable. But coming closer one would discover that they were orderly, controllable and prayerful. Yesterday is a day to remember in Nigeria. Never in the history of Nigeria had such a number of Catholics and Christians assembled to stage a peaceful and prayerful protest in condemnation of the killing of citizens by a terrorist group.

Not even during the dreadful Sani Abacha dictatorial military regime did so many Catholics and human rights advocates take to the streets to protest the murder of citizens by terrorists owing to the incapacity of the security forces to protect lives and property of the citizenry. But yesterday remains a memorial day in the history of street protests and rallies in Nigeria. It was a day that the remains of the two Catholic priests and 17 parishioners were committed to mother earth. Therefore the protests were symbolic abhorrence of the spilling of innocent blood in Nigeria.

Essentially, the protests were aimed at reminding the Buhari government of its constitutional responsibility of protecting the lives and property of the citizenry. More importantly, the protests were also aimed at creating a global awareness to the ongoing extra-judicial killings and gross violation of human rights in Nigeria.

As early as 9.30am yesterday, bishops, priests, reverend sisters, civil servants, traders, school children, men, women, community leaders and human rights activists, who had stayed off work, had thronged the streets to protest the incessant killing of Nigerian citizens by Fulani herdsmen. Clad in their bishopric attires, cassocks and religious habits, the bishops, priests, reverend sisters could easily be singled out from the crowds of protesters. Also singled out were members of the Catholic Women Organisation (CWO) who were attired in their colourful CWO uniform. Clutching their bibles, rosary beads and crucifixes the protesters sang religious songs and recited the rosary as they defiantly marched through the streets. As they marched, they brandished their different colourful placards emblazoned with different inscriptions that extol the sanctity and inviolability of human life.

In Lagos, the protesters walked from St. Leo’s Catholic Church, Ikeja to the Government House, Alausa, Ikeja, in an orderly and coherent manner. As I watched closely I observed that tears were rolling down the cheeks of some of the women and children protesters. The coherence, tenacity and sense of purpose of the march were unparalleled. Perhaps the closest to yesterdays’ protests in recent times was the Arab Springs or the “People Power� peaceful walk organised by the Philipino Catholics in 1986 in the Philippines. That walk eventually drove dictator Ferdinand Marco into exile.

Yesterday’s protests which took place in the different Catholic dioceses

NEVER IN THE HISTORY OF NIGERIA HAD SUCH A NUMBER OF CATHOLICS AND CHRISTIANS ASSEMBLED TO STAGE A PEACEFUL AND PRAYERFUL PROTEST IN CONDEMNATION OF THE KILLING OF CITIZENS BY A TERRORIST GROUP

in Nigeria remind us that ultimate power resides with the people.

Government behaves as if they are the owners of the lives of the people. But the people do not derive their natural right to life from the government: they are born with that right. In any case, the human society pre-dates government, not vice-versa. The political office holders derive their power from the people. By voluntarily entrusting to a few elected people with the responsibility of governing their affairs, the people have not relinquished their power. That is why at periodic elections, the people could cancel that mandate if it had not been properly used to promote their welfare and interest. The American founding fathers rightly recaptured it in these words: “Governments are instituted among men deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed�. But unfortunately down the ages this original aim of government has been compromised to the extent that many dictators operate as if the people do not matter. To use Thomas Paine’s comparison in his bestseller, “Common Sense� (1776), government is the lost badge of the innocence. According to Paine, the “palaces of kings are built upon the ruins of the bowers of paradise�. Paine glibly maintained that the English government was evil. “Society is produced by our wants and government by our wickedness: the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is patron, the other punisher�, he opined. To Federic Bastiat, French political economist and philosopher, most government activities are legalised plunders. According to him, the greatest threat to personal liberty is when a government turns against those whom it is meant to protect.

Consequently, government ought to conduct its activities in line with the aspirations of the people. When a government, for example, has failed to protect lives and property of the people the people ought to demand for an abrupt end to such a government. That is the scenario playing itself out in Nigeria at the moment: it is obvious that the Buhari government is incapable of stopping the Fulani herdsmen from murdering more Nigerians. While the government was quick at declaring IPOB as a terrorist organisation and even went ahead to crush IPOB the government has refused to declare the Fulani herdsmen killers as terrorists let alone crushing them. Till date no Fulani herdsman murderer has been brought to justice.

But in his defence, President Buhari argues that the killers the people mistake as Fulani herdsmen are actually Gaddafi-trained soldiers from Libya. Even if the killers hail from Libya the foremost function of government is to deploy its military to protect the lives and property of the citizens against external aggression. Section 217(2) (a) (b) of the 1999 Constitution has in no unmistakable language spelt out the circumstances and conditions under which the President of Nigeria can freely deploy our military to defend our country against external aggression and to maintain our territorial integrity. Therefore, President Buhari’s defence clearly lacks merit. Perhaps that is why the Catholic bishops have advised him to resign. That is also why many Nigerians have vowed to vote out Buhari in 2019. But enslaved by his gratified lusts and reduced to sheer fatuity by his narcissist incompetence, President Buhari continues to ignore the mene, mene, tekel, upharsin written on the wall.

NIGERIAN DOCTORS AND DRUG ABUSE

Sunkanmi Vaughan argues that medical doctors contribute largely to drug abuse by the youths

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he facts support the view of most Nigerians who believe that the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) is responsible for exacerbating problems of Tramadol/Codeine abuse among the Nigerian youths and the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) strike that has resulted in the shutdown of the public health institutions since April 16. However, I will focus on the facts that made NMA culpable for worsening the abuse of drugs such as tramadol and codeine among the Nigerian youths. It’s not a coincidence that both political appointees for the senior and junior ministers of health and the minister of labour in this current government are all members of the NMA. It has not always been so.

In 1991, the then Minister of Health, Professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti got the IBB-led military government to approve a special salary scale for all the members of his professional group,NMA, and since then ‘things fell apart and the centre can not hold’ in the Nigerian health sector. To support this fact, the president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, (PSN) Ahmed Yakassai, in his recent interview with The Punch newspaper, stated that “it is important to take a walk down memory lane that contrary to the superiority mentality created in some quarters, pharmacists and doctors entered the public service on the same grade level up until 1991.�

From 1991 till date, there has been a progressive debilitating and systematic mismatch between the human resources of the Nigerian medical doctors and the actual primary role they are supposed to play in healthcare, unlike their

counterparts in other countries with better health indices than Nigeria. It is therefore so unpatriotic of NMA that has consistently categorised Nigeria as having insufficient number of medical doctors not to have discovered yet that most of the experienced hands among its members have cornered one political appointments or another thereby significantly reducing their individual inputs in direct medical practice. These political appointments bonanza for NMA members include appointment as Ministers of Health,Commissioners of Health ,Chief Medical Directors of public health institutions, Heads of MDAs to even MOH agencies of states and federal governments that are statutorily meant to be headed by other healthcare professionals like the case of the National Agency For Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), where a medical doctor, Dr. Paul Orhih, was appointed to head and run NAFDAC for seven years from 2009 to 2015; the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) where a medical doctor, Dr Abisola Clark was appointed in 2013 in a most shocking and bizarre manner, to head the governing board of the apex regulatory board for nurses in Nigeria, followed by the hostile belligerent attempt by medical doctors to regulate the practice of medical laboratory science until it was resolved in favour of medical laboratory scientists by the judgment of Justice Esowe of the National Industrial Court(NIC) , Abuja, who in his judgment in 2013 stated that “I hold that, based on the evidence before me, there is no conflict whatsoever between the job schedules of pathologist(a medical doctor) and that of a medical laboratory scientist. The position is reinforced by the

fact that their trainings, professional qualifications and schemes of service are different from each other...�

The effect of this switch of roles by Nigerian medical doctors from medicine to politics denied the country of value for her investment in producing experienced doctors and in turn , made these “politicians in white lab coats� shift their focus away from medical practice and the training of young doctors to playing hardcore politics in the hospitals and healthcare organisations.

Due to the limitations of the training of Nigerian doctors in management and areas outside their scope of training in healthcare, their tenures as chief executives in government agencies and most federal and state hospitals turned out to be monumental disasters. With the unfair manner they achieved the political conquest of Nigerian health sector, members of the NMA attracted opprobrium from members of the public and their counterparts in the business of healthcare because they are seen as greedy and incompetent. The period of Dr Paul Orhih, for example, reversed the positive grounds covered by the sterling performance of a pharmacist like Prof.

Dora Akunyili, who as Orhih’s predecessor, had competently occupied the office of the Chief Executive Officer of NAFDAC because of her training and her professional experience as a drug control and administration expert. During the reign of Dr.Orhih , NAFDAC became an ineffective organisation.

NAFDAC was chased out from the ports in 2011 thus allowing unchecked increase in the entry of these psychoactive drugs into Nigeria and the culture of using third parties for supply of sensitive

equipment became rife leading to accusations and counter accusations of corruption between Dr Orhih and members of staff when most of these equipment were discovered to be of substandard quality.

The most debilitating effect was the dismantling of all structures that was professionally put in place by his pharmacist-predecessor for effective drug control and administration because the medical doctor forced by the political machinery of NMA on a pharmacist’s seat in NAFDAC. The results from a research done and published in the journal of Advanced in Psychology and Neuroscience by researchers from the School of Mental Health,University of Maiduguri, on Tramadol abuse among patients attending an addiction clinic in North-Eastern Nigeria between June, 2012 and June, 2016, could not have revealed the monumental disaster in the nation’s drug control under the administration of Dr Orhih better.

According to these researchers,�In terms of the Tramadol formulation, the overwhelming majority of the respondents (96.1% of the addicts) used the tablet form and almost two-thirds used multiple frequency dosing.This could be attributed to the ubiquitous availability of drugs without regard for locality due mainly to the activities of drug vendors who dispense these drugs without prescriptions.�

While the incidence of drug abuse was already in place in Nigeria, the appointment of a professionally incompetent person led the avoidable worsening of the drug abuse plaque among Nigerian youths as there was free and regular supply of codeine syrup and tramadol tablets.

Vaughan is an author and a Pharmacist

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EDITORIAL TUITION AND PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES There is need for a coherent strategy in the education sector

A

good number of Nigeria’s young men and women are enrolled to study in public universities owned by both the federal and state governments because they are relatively affordable.

Although some of these universities are not adequately equipped, particularly in terms of infrastructure, parents still send their wards to them because they are almost about the only choices they have, given limited resources. Now that many of these public universities are beginning to hike their tuition fees in order to cope with the changing and challenging economic situation in the country, there is a need for a more rational assessment of the issue of tuition.

Some of Nigeria’s political and business leaders had better and far more affordable university education in the past, IF WE FAIL TO EDUCATE and also enjoyed OUR YOUNG PEOPLE very good condiADEQUATELY, WE WILL tions during their CONTINUE TO LAG BEHIND studies. But we IN AN AGE DRIVEN BY must also recognise KNOWLEDGE, INNOVATION the fact that Nigeria has sadly grown in AND CREATIVITY population without making commensurate plans to either expand or develop her education sector. The country has simply continued to grow without taking into consideration the need for adequate education of the population. It is therefore difďŹ cult to provide free tertiary education under the current circumstance.

As we continue to argue on this page, the crisis in our educational sector is so total and frightening that nothing short of a well thought-out strategy will do for any meaningful change to occur. Unfortunately, such a coherent strategy is lacking today. In an ambiguous statement the federal government said last week that the policy on non-payment of tuition fees in federal universities subsists, while adding that “various university councils and management should be able to ďŹ x what fees students should pay that is

Letters to the Editor

affordable and acceptable to the students�. According to Professor Anthony Anwuka, the Minister of State for Education, who spoke after the Federal Executive Council meeting, students in federal universities could be made to pay what he described as “auxiliary fees but not in excess.�

In response to the demand for better quality, the last two decades have witnessed the emergence of a vibrant but expensive private education at all levels, especially in the urban areas. Some of these institutions offer better quality, employ more qualiďŹ ed teachers and invest in better facilities. But these come at a premium that is out of the reach of most parents.

Yet the products of these elite schools graduate into the same society where they are outnumbered by the less privileged products of our distressed public schools, a testimony to our inbuilt governance of inequality. In this process, we have inadvertently deepened the class antagonism that will haunt the future of our children.

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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.

WHAT THE CORRUPT WILL NOT TALK ABOUT

T

he corrupt entities in Nigeria in the days of the locust had one thing in common, one agenda in common, one focus in common, one target in common, one project in common and this is how to steal as much as possible from the national till the bubble burst in 2015. When Buhari won in 2015, one of the looters suspecting that I may be given an appointment in Abuja came to teach me how to make it when I get to Aso Rock. I patiently listened to him, playing along as if I was interested. It was then that I had firsthand knowledge how the Peoples Democratic Party and their cronies plundered Nigeria for 16 years. It was worse.

It has been bad business for the looters since President Muhammadu Buhari came in 2015. They have survived three years of PMB and from the look of things it looks as if their agonies will not even go away in 2019 as PMB is likely to continue. This is their worst nightmare. The fear is understandable. How can we survive till 2023? How can we survive even beyond 2023? Whatever achievement that has been recorded in Nigeria since 2015 means nothing to them.

For them and their cronies what they want is a return to status quo ante. They pretend nothing is going on in Nigeria. They tell you that people are dying of hunger. Ask them what those people who are dying of hunger were doing before PMB came in, they have no answer. They cannot see the massive near 500 federal roads under construction across Nigeria. They cannot see or hear about the humongous progress in power industry

aving considered the potential danger that stares us on the face, we are of the strong opinion that an urgent convocation of a national educational summit to ďŹ nd solutions to the troubles faced by our universities would not be out of place. We feel for instance that such summit could ask pertinent questions about what or how the various education funds in the country have been used by beneďŹ ciaries and their managing entities, as well as why the leakages in the ďŹ nancial resources of our universities have not been plugged to ensure maximum utilisation despite the ďŹ nancial budgets approved for them.

We also think that at such summit, solutions like the introduction and implementation of student loans could be looked at and evaluated to support students’ ďŹ nancing for their education. In doing this, we must keep in mind that education is a fundamental driver of development in any society; and that if we fail to educate our young people adequately, we will continue to lag behind in an age driven by knowledge, innovation and creativity.

as well as the housing sector. They will not talk or hear about the standard guage railway project across Nigeria.

They will not talk about N500 billion Central Bank of Nigeria’s Anchor Borrowers Fund that has empowered close to 12 million rice farmers who are now millionaires. They will not talk about $50 billion foreign reserve from $24 billion in 2015.

They will not talk about the unprecedented rice revolution in Nigeria. They will not talk about the N50 billion set aside by the federal government through Bank of Industry to assist fresh graduates to start their own businesses. They cannot see or talk about PMB’s effort to address man-made insecurity in the land. They will not hear or talk about the feeding of millions of school children across Nigeria. They will not talk about the deadly blow PMB has given to corrupt entities. They will not talk about the trillions recovered, the hundreds of houses seized and the hundreds of cars confiscated.

They will not notice that PMB is doing more jobs with less income. They will not hear or believe that PMB has been crowned the anti-corruption champion in Africa. They will not like to hear that PMB is loved because he can be trusted, because he cares, because he knows where he is going, because he is dependable and because he stands for something. They will not hear that PMB is worth only $150, 000 in his account. They will not believe that PMB is fighting for them and taking all the risks for them.

Such is life!

Joe Igbokwe, Lagos

ADAMAWA FADAMA III AF AND THE POOR

T

he Adamawa Fadama 111 AF is impacting in the lives of the people through various forms. It is alleviating the poverty ravaging the people especially those who are in the hotbed of the activities of Boko Haram insurgency in places such as Madagali, Michika and neighbouring towns.

Recently, the Adamawa Fadama 111 AF under the state programme manager, Alhaji Mohammed Kabiru Bello has greatly touched the lives of the people by the introduction of programmes like rearing of sheep and goats, provision of insecticides and equipment for agricultural production as well as in-house training for those who are willing to engage in agricultural activities. Alhaji Bello and his able team are positively touching the lives of the people to be self-reliant and at the same time be productive and gainfully employed.

The team in Adamawa State has been tested and proved to be specialists in various agricultural field as well as people with expertise, who are working round the clock to achieve the aims and objective of the World Bank towards enhancing agricultural activities. The Fadama 111 AF has gone into

partnership with a lot of organisations in its efforts to boosting massive agricultural activities in order to answer the call of the Buhari administration for people especially the youths to engage in farming.

One of the most important things done by the Fadama 111 AF in Adamawa State is the training in different aspects of agriculture organised for the benefit of the people.

Abdullahi Mohammed, who has benefited from the programme of rearing of domesticated animals like sheep described Fadama 111 AF as best for the country.

The role being played by Fadama in Adamawa State cannot be over emphassied for the fact that successes cannot be made without the cooperation of the management and the programme manager who is a great agriculturist and so committed to achieving the goals of the World Bank and the Adamawa State Government that is paying counterpart funding to deliver the core mandate. There is need for the for government to extend the tenure of Fadama 111 AF for another five years to impact more on the lives of the people of the state.

Usman Santuraki, Jimeta-Yola

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T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY MAY 23, 2018

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MIDWEEKPOLITICS

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

THE NEWSMAKER

One Police, Different Rules The refusal of the police to redeploy the commander of the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad in Rivers State, Mr Akin Fakorede, despite objections raised by the state government and his indictment in a report of the Independent National Electoral Commission, is a clear case of bias, writes Davidson Iriekpen

T

he decision of the police authorities to remove the Imo State Commissioner of Police while ignoring similar complaint against the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Mr. Akin Fakorede, has shown that it is one police, different rules.

Penultimate week, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, ordered the removal of the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Ezike, from office. Investigation revealed that Ezike was removed following the outcome of the ward congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held in the state on May 5.

At the end of the exercise in Imo, Governor Rochas Okorocha lost to his opponents, spearheaded by his estranged deputy, Eze Madumere, and some political gladiators in the APC who are opposed to moves by the governor to install his son-in-law as his successor in 2019. An enraged Okorocha had ordered Ezike to arrest and prosecute all members of the APC committee that conducted the ward congress in the state for their alleged role in the theft of materials intended for the election, a move the police boss refused to carry out.

Sources added that the governor had demanded that the former police chief address the press and state that no congress was held but the police chief was advised against it because he was not a member of the party. Okorocha, who visited President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State, immediately after the ward congress, had vowed to deal with those behind his loss. It was gathered that when he bitterly complained to the IG, he immediately ordered Ezike to be redeployed. He later replaced him with Dasuki Galandachi.

Despite the removal of the former Imo State, the APC Appeal Committee last week upheld the congresses. The committee dismissed Okorocha and aggrieved stakeholders’ petition on grounds that it lacked merit. In the report submitted by the committee and signed by its Chairman, Senator Abubakar Tutare, the panel held that the congress committee mandated to conduct the exercise had confirmed that the exercise actually took place in the state. The appeal committee further said those who wrote the petition against the congress were unqualified persons.

While the police high command was quick in removing Ezike despite the affirmation of the congresses by the leadership of the APC, the same attention has not been given to the several petitions written by the Rivers State government against the Commander of the state’s Federal Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Mr. Akin Fakorede, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) and calling for his removal from the state.

The state government had alleged that Fakorede was recently promoted to the rank of ACP and transferred to Yobe State as an Area Commander of Nguri on March 29, 2018. On April 4, 2018, he was returned to the state as the Commander of F-SARS with the influence of members of the APC in the state who are determined to use him to prosecute the 2019 elections in their favour.

Before now, the state government had seriously and severally complained of the ignoble role the SARS commander played in the rerun elections in the state in 2016 for which he was indicted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in its report.

The report of the administrative panel of inquiry set up by INEC on the lapses in the rerun elections had ripped open how the police, especially the SARS, led by Fakorede compromised their integrity during the polls. The damning report blamed the force as substantially responsible for the crises that rocked the elections. According

Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris

to the five-man panel led by the commission’s National Commissioner, Professor Okechukwu Ibeanu, the obstructive involvement of security agencies was one of the factors that led to the failure of the electoral process in some local government areas. It said the police compromised the integrity of the election, and that many security operatives were partisan and willfully obstructed the process.

Though, the report partially blamed some officials of the commission for some lapses during the polls, it cited police’s activities as one of the major reasons the rerun election in some part of the state failed. It said most police senior officers around during the election behaved in disturbing manners and tried to lure INEC officials away from their posts.

The panel said the massive deployment of security by the federal government was a major complaint raised by the staff of the commission and ad hoc staff as one of the major impediments to the conduct of the election. It also said the security agents deployed were mostly partisan, with many even engaged in ballot snatching, stuffing, intimidation of votes and all other vices associated with elections.

The report read: “One of the low points of the Rivers rerun elections of December 10, 2016 was the flagrant intervention of security operatives in the process. This was widely identified by staff of the commission and independent observers alike as one of the major factors that led to the failure of the process in some local government areas.

The governor stated that the SARS commander was planted in the state to sabotage the security architecture of Rivers and create an atmosphere of fear

“There were too many security agencies involved in the process outside the framework of the Interagency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES). It was not clear whether many of them were acting as part of their various organisations or as groups and individuals serving political interests.

“Most importantly, many of them showed profound political partisanship. Ironically then, security operatives, who were expected to protect the process, turned on it. There were reported cases of willful obstruction of the process by security operatives, including snatching of materials and intimidating voters. In other cases, they refused to accompany and protect men and materials for the elections.

“But the most mind-boggling were cases of hostage-taking, hijack of materials and physical attacks on INEC officials perpetrated by security operatives. Of singular note was a certain policeman named Fakorede, who ostensibly is a commander of SARS in Rivers State. Fakorede first tried to lure INEC staff to travel with him from Port Harcourt to Emohua Local Government Area under the pretext of enabling them to collate results. But for the intervention of national commissioners, we suspect that he would have put our staff in harm’s way. When he failed in his initial bid, he stalked the INEC official to the collation centre in Port Harcourt and physically assaulted Dr. C. Odekpe and Mrs Mary Tunkayo. In fact, Dr. Odekpe ended up with a gash on his head and both spent days at the Air Force hospital in Port Harcourt.”

Following the indictment of the police in security breaches and electoral malpractices, the state governor, Nyesom Wike, election observers and civil society organisations, appealed to the IG to transfer Fakorede and some of his men out of the state. But the appeal was ignored.

THISDAY investigation revealed that Fakorede has been in the state since 2009. Before then, he had served in Cross River State where the state government on several occasions complained about his activities and mounted pressure for him to be transferred out of the state. Before he became SARS commander, it was learnt

that he was the Divisional Police Officer of Rumueprikom and OC Legal at the state police command.

It was alleged that hoping that the Supreme Court would nullify Wike’s election and rerun election conducted, the APC quickly engineered Fakorede to be drafted to head SARS in September 2015. With the dream not realised, the SARS commander is believed to be on the loose, doing the bidding of members of the APC. However, his presence in the state took another dimension when Wike accused him of being behind the series of kidnappings and armed robbery incidents in the state. He alleged that Fakorede and his operatives had been indicted by an official police signal which indicated that they were responsible for the series of kidnappings and deadly robbery incidents across the state.

The governor stated that the SARS commander was planted in the state to sabotage the security architecture of Rivers and create an atmosphere of fear. He specifically said the criminal activities of Fakorede were uncovered by the IG X Squad, Abuja, deployed in the state after the team busted the attempted kidnap of one Mr. Azumana Ifeanyi on September 11, 2017 at the GRA, Port Harcourt.

It is believed that it is not only in the Fakorede’s case that the police high command has displayed bias against the state government. After the rerun elections in December 2016, the police authorities dismissed six of its officials attached to Wike, for allegedly accompanying the governor to the Rivers East senatorial district collation which had been invaded by the Fakorede-led SARS. The governor was in Government House when he heard that Fakorede has stormed the centre, snatched the result sheet, assaulted the INEC officials and abducted the then Commissioner for Urban Development, Mr. Chinyere Igwe.

On his way to the venue, Fakorede sighted the governor and sped of. The officers were dismissed in spite of the fact that the elections had taken place two days earlier and only collation of result was remaining.

While the force carried out the punitive actions against the officers, it did not say anything about the garrison of officers attached to APC leaders, including Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, who supervised and monitored the elections with a garrison of police personnel, soldiers and DSS officials.

But rather than the police, a group, Rivers Concerned Citizens, has risen in strong defence of Fakorede. In an advertorial published in THISDAY on May 15, 2018 and signed by its Head, Legal Advocacy Unit, Callistus Wobo, the group said there was no amount of blackmail that would make Wike to succeed in his campaign to have the SARS commander removed from the state.

In the advertorial titled: ‘Why Wike is Afraid of Akin’, the group said the governor is after him because of the role he played in exposing the governor’s and INEC’s wrongdoings.

“In trying the impeach Fakorede’s character, they refer to a kangaroo report supposedly commissioned by INEC that passed a verdict without hearing from the SARS commander or his alleged INEC victims. They claim that Fakorede assaulted INEC official, but the officials police report quotes the same officials as saying that PDP thugs and Wike’s police aides were the ones that attacked the staff. The viral photos of what happened that day show it all.

The same Mary Tunkayo was holding on to Fakorede for protection.

“Following an internal investigation into the activities of the SARS commander, the IG found him blameless and also exonerated him effectively on December 7, 2017. It is clear that the role Fakorede played in exposing Wike and INEC’s wrongdoings has placed a target on his back.

Neither Wike nor his bad eggs will succeed. No amount of paid media blackmail will work.”

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2018

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MIDWEEKPOLITICS

Lalong: The Making of a Peace Ambassador No one was surprised when immediately after his inauguration, the governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong made enthronement of peace the main thrust of his administration, writes Seriki Adinoyi

I

t is a common knowledge on the Plateau that before the advent of the Governor Simon Lalong-led administration, the state had been dragged behind by protracted crises that had bedevilled previous administrations, with over fourteen years of communal, ethnic and religious crises.

The aftermath of these sustained crises in the state was not just limited to monumental loss of lives and valuable properties belonging to government and citizens, it also sent away investors and tourists who should have contributed to the development of the state. Investors feared that any investment in the state at that time was as good as a waste of time and resources.

Even with the tremendous infrastructural development embarked upon by the immediate past administration, Plateau was becoming a desert of a sort as many families and companies relocated from the state. Of course, this came with lull in commercial activities as financial organisations like banks only opened partially to customers. At market places and in the communities, there was mutual suspicion among neighbours who were unsure of one another. The city of Jos also became divided along religious and ethnic fault-lines such that there were ‘no-go’ areas; the Christians could only live among fellow Christians and same with Muslims.

Successive administrations starting from that of Chief Joshua Chibi Dariye had set up commissions of inquiry to unravel the cause of these crises, but only little was achieved either because the people did not believe in the commissions or the reports of the commissions were never really implemented because of the sacred cows that were indicted. The consequence was that the crisis continued, and more lives and property went in for it.

All these were before the election of Lalong as the governor of the state.

The dramatic turn-around in the fortunes of peace that accompanied his election and subsequently his administration still remains magical to many; truly dramatic in the sense that the crises ceased almost immediately after he was sworn-in.

This threw up several arguments in the state. While some considered the dramatic return of peace as an indication that the crisis was actually targeted at Jang by saboteurs to rubbish his administration because of his perceived un-inclusive style of leadership, others believed and argued that Lalong had watched from the side-line while preparing himself for leadership, and had identified where his predecessors missed it. They argued that it was therefore easy for him to immediately tackle it as he assumed power.

Whichever is correct, the fact remains that the credit must go to Lalong for wielding the magic wand that returned peace to the hitherto restive state.

It is also instructive to add that Plateau people were more concerned about the many benefits that have come with the peace than how Lalong performed the ‘miracle.’ Of course, the governor has won several commendations in this regard.

Though he was of the then opposition All Progressive Party (APC), which was then not readily accepted in the state, Plateau embraced Lalong as long as he was the messiah that brought them the much needed peace. The governor reciprocated the gesture by not allowing partisan sentiment to deter him from continuing the projects that were started by his predecessor.

He mobilized contractors to site to complete the secretariat flyover and the expressway connecting the flyover to Maraban Jama’a; these were projects initiated by Jang. Lalong also started and completed the Miango Low-cost, Rafiki road networks with spur at Domkat Bali road, which were all commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari during his state visit to Plateau in February.

With peace, tourists started trickling in.

Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong

Businesses reopened. All these have multiplier effects on the lives of Plateau people.

The governor’s intervention in the agricultural sector has been monumental with the launching of 400 tractors for distribution to farmers under the Tractor Ownership Scheme and Public Private Partnership (PPP) between the state government and the Plateau All Farmers Multi-purpose Cooperative Society (PAFMCS). The resuscitation of the fertilizer blending plant in Bokkos, the distribution of about 24,000 metric-tones of fertilizers to farmers at subsidized rate, and the multimillion naira Panyam Fish Farm have added value to agriculture in the state.

So, it was not a surprise that the federal government made Lalong a member of the National Food Security team. He was also deservedly crowned with an award by the Nation newspaper for his agricultural development strides since he assumed office in the past three years.

Lalong also endeared himself to the civil servants in the state with his prompt payment of salaries and pensions after clearing outstanding salaries inherited from his predecessor. The multiplier effect of this salary payment on the general economy of a largely civil servant society such as Plateau is definitely an achievement as children’s

The recent commissioning, by the president, of Peace Roadmap drawn by the Plateau Peace Building Agency showed that the governor was committed to consolidate on the existing peace

school fees are paid, trading activities are boosted, and artisans/entrepreneurs benefit along the value chain.

In the education sector, the governor introduced reforms by employing and training a large number of teachers, constructed avalanche of new classrooms, and massively injected funds into the primary education sector.

The state university in Bokkos which had no accreditation for most of its courses received government attention leading to the accreditation of nearly all its courses by the National University Commission (NUC), such that graduates of those courses who could not go for the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) because of lack of accreditation were immediately mobilized for the programme. Many lecturers from the university were also given scholarships for further studies within and outside Nigeria.

In collaboration with the federal government in the area of security, Lalong attracted a unit of the Mobile Police to Shendam in the southern senatorial district of the state. He also enlisted the support of the federal government to locate a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) unit at Kerang in the central zone of the state. These have by no small mean boosted the security of the state. The recent commissioning, by the president, of Peace Roadmap drawn by the Plateau Peace Building Agency showed that the governor was committed to consolidate on the existing peace.

The people are therefore beginning to regain confidence and commercial activities are beginning to thrive. New hotels are springing up and tourists are returning to find destinations in Plateau.

Recent Jos Trade Fair and colourful Jos Carnival held in the capital city of Jos are clear testimonies of the return of a new Plateau.

That the governor could take a long walk with the people from Miango road to Polo field without the usual harassment and throwing of stones was a mark of acceptance.

Jos is fast becoming the conference destination of choice for many organisations. In recent past, for instance, tourism operators, Chairmen of State Electoral Commissions and town planners all hosted their annual general meetings and conferences in Jos. The Nigerian Theatre Arts Festival (NUTAF) plans to convene representatives of 45 universities along with about ten thousand artistes to perform at the Plateau State University, Bokkos, in June.

While the congresses at ward, local government and state levels of the All Progressive Congress (APC) across the country were marred by violence and crises, with stakeholders dragging one another to court, the exercise in Plateau were exceptionally peaceful, with most the candidates emerging through consensus.

This is a sharp departure from the past.

Abandoned industries like the Highland Bottling Company are back on track, with production gradually picking up, while progress is gradually and steadily being made to revive the moribund Jos International Breweries (JIB), Jos Main Market and other enterprises. Efforts at re-acquiring the multi million naira BARC farms are also ongoing.

For the people of Plateau, the past three years of Lalong has been worthwhile. Lalong may not have performed optimally, but a fair judgment will agree that there has been good governance on the Plateau. This is not to say that, like in many other states in the middle belt, there have not been challenges posed by farmers/herders clashes, especially in the villages. But the commitment to restoring peace and reconciling the people irrespective of religion and ethnicity is what stands Lalong out.

As he rounds up his first tenure, many are already calling on him to seek re-election.

Already, his supporters are drumming support for his re-election. They believe that he deserves it to consolidate on the modest gains of this first tenure.

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FEATURES

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

A Visual Walk through Chinese History NoteveryoneagreeswiththeChineseversionofevents,butitdoesnotmakethenarrativeofitsNationalMuseum less valid, writes Solomon Elusoji

In 2017, the National Museum of China welcomed over 8 million visitors

One of the ďŹ rst things I spot in the museum is a sculpture depicting the Red Army’s Major Generals during the Long March. It is 530cm wide and 220cm tall and made with reinforced glass plastics. Studying the sculpture, it is easy to see the importance of the men in this space. They stand tall, hands behind their backs, eyes to the future.

Just slightly in front of the pack is the indisputable leader and eventual uniďŹ er of the communists during the Long March, Mao Zedong

The museum tries to tell China's long, beautiful and complicated history

O

ne morning this past April, we, a group of wide-eyed African journalists, set out for the National Museum of China.

It is cold and raining lightly.

I have an umbrella, which I share with Ompi, a South African colleague.

In front of the museum, while we queue under a sheltered space, a woman offers me a plastic bag for the umbrella. Then we go through a metal-detector and a thorough pat-down follows to complete the security screening.

The lobby is expansive. The floors are neat; visitors mill around, curiosity lodged in their eyes. In Nigeria, as part of my work as a Features Writer, I had been to several museums, but nothing like this. Later, I would make a mental note to stop comparing Chinese infrastructure with what obtained back home, but my brain kept doing it, contrasting, comparing.

One of the first things I spot in the museum is a sculpture depicting the Red Army’s Major

Generals during the Long March. It is 530cm wide and 220cm tall and made with reinforced glass plastics.

Studying the sculpture, it is easy to see the importance of the men in this space. They stand tall, hands behind their backs, eyes to the future. Just slightly in front of the pack is the indisputable leader and eventual unifier of the communists during the Long March, Mao Zedong.

The Long March is one of the most historic moments for communism in China. Before World War 2, the Communists were engaged in a fierce war with Nationalists forces under Chiang Kai-shek over the control of Mainland China. It was not a battle between equals in terms of the number of forces. The Nationalists had millions of men while the Communists only numbered a few ten thousands. So, during a crucial moment in the war, in 1935, the Communists were forced to retreat, travelling for about 10,000km to escape the Nationalists’

firepower. Some estimates say they crossed 18 mountain ranges and 24 rivers to reach the northwestern province of Shaanxi. This brand of heroism appealed to many young Chinese and was a major reason many flocked to join the Party during the late 1930s and early 1940s, providing a template for the eventual defeat of the Nationalists and the rise of New China in 1949.

We leave the lobby and use the stairs to see the first – and what I believe to be the main – exhibition in the museum: the Road to Rejuvenation. It is a shout into the nation’s history and dreams, a visual representation of what was, what is and what will be.

Those who tell China's story tend to divide it into three periods: a glorious past, decline and disgrace marked heavily by a closed-door policy which led to the harsh reality of the Opium wars, and the revolution and rejuvenation initiated

by Mao's Communist Party. This is how the Museum, too, in the Road to Rejuvenation, tells the story.

The exhibition opens with a giant wall-oriented design by Tian Kuiyu that transports the visitor through time. The red-brown walls, probably made of clay, evoke traditional nostalgia, a sense of timeless craftsmanship that speaks to China’s 5,000 years history of making art. The details are bold, sometimes awkward, but they form sweet harmony. It is also replete with symbols, a conspicuous one being the Olympics sign which, although painted in brown, is unmistakable for its meaning: that China, in the beginning, was all that was.

Just immediately after Kuiyu’s masterpiece comes artefacts and plaques that depict the decline of Ancient China.

The Chinese are often lampooned for seeing themselves as special, as the sons of heaven. But the idea is not without merit. Once, they were the biggest technological force in the world. They invented paper, printing, gunpowder, compass and built massive ships. No one could match up to them. Then in the 15th century under the

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21

FEATURES

Ming Dynasty and later the Qing Dynasty, the empire began to close itself to the outside world.

Before the 19th century, it was punishable by death to teach a foreigner Chinese.

But, then, this idea of their uniqueness, a common trend in the history of great nations, led to their own downfall. While the Chinese revelled in their isolationism, the industrial revolution was sweeping through Europe and the world was moving on. The British and Portuguese rendered Chinese gunpowder and ships and production tools antiquated. In 1839, the first Opium War was fought and foreign powers, which had earlier existed only as minor trading partners, descended on Chinese territory like “a swarm of bees�, a plaque at the museum reads. ‘The Lushun Massacre’ by Li Wu and Li Fulai, a lifesize of portrait of foreign armies mutilating ordinary Chinese, tries to drive this picture home. There are several pictures of this sort that expand this terrible moment in Chinese history. Li Xiangqun's 'The Chinese People Mired in Misery' is another excellent example. The misery hangs in the room, heavy and true.

From here we use the stairs again, to the next floor of the exhibition, which addresses the struggle and awakening of the Chinese people, the moment when they sought to understand what had gone with their fabled civilisation.

Then there is the revolution and reform and rejuvenation initiated by the Communist Party.

It takes hours to take in this story, which is told through countless artefacts kept in pristine condition. I try to take notes, but I can barely keep up. China has too much history. American writer, Peter Hessler, once pointed out that if one was to protect all the ancient sites and relics in the Middle Kingdom, the people would have nowhere to grow their crops.

We leave The Road to Rejuvenation exhibition and walk to a different wing of the museum to see Friendly Exchanges Between the Witness of History, which contained artworks bequeathed to China by leaders from other nations.

Chinese foreign policy is hinged on the awkward idea of non-interference in the politics of other states. It is an idea that has no rigour but one which has the full force of Chinese propaganda behind it. The Chinese believe themselves to be the arbiters of world peace and stability, fashioning state rhetoric to fit this perspective. It is the same spirit behind this section of the museum. Flags of nations circle the upper walls of the exhibition with gifts from tens of countries displayed in glass cases. ‘We have all this because it was given to us, because people respect us,’ the spirit of the section seems to whisper.

There was the wood inlaid copper plaque presented to Comrade Mao Zedong by Cambodian Head of State Prince Norodom Sihanouk in December 1970; an Ebony wood female bust presented to Comrade Mao Zedong by Guinean President Ahmed Sekou Toure in September 1960 and countless more.

Then I go in search of art presented by Nigerian leaders. I find two. A Glass Sculpture of a leopard presented to Comrade Jiang Zemin by Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo in August 2001 and a Bronze Benin queen mother bust presented to Comrade Hu Jintao by Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2004.

Of course, not everyone agrees with the Chinese version of events, but it does not make the narrative of its National Museum less valid. In the end, it is a powerful story. And this is how nations are built, by perpetuating a narrative of glory. It's not a matter of truth, but your truth. Yuval Noah Harari, the best-selling

Of course, not everyone agrees with the Chinese version of events, but it does not make the narrative of its National Museum less valid. In the end, it is a powerful story. And this is how nations are built, by perpetuating a narrative of glory

A work at the museum depicting Western aggression against Ancient China.

The Tian Kuiyi red-brown masterpiece

One of China's ďŹ rst locally manufactured television sets

author and historian, said it best when he noted: “Movements seeking to change the world often

begin by rewriting history, thereby enabling people to reimagine the future . . . they aim

not to perpetuate the past, but rather to be liberated from it.�

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IMAGES

L-R; Deputy Managing Director, Alpha Mead Group, Mrs. Wale Odufale; Group Managing Director/CEO, Engr.

Femi Akintunde; Permanent Secretary OďŹƒce of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Leon Alibob; and the Ag. Director General, Infrastructural Regulatory Commission, Eng. Chidi Izuwah, at the Nigerian FM Roundtable 2018 Theme; Enabling Positive in a Post-Recession Real Estate Market in Lagos...recently . sunday adigun

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

L-R: The outgoing President, The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Professor Segun Ajibola; newly installed President of CIBN Dr. Uche Messiah Olowu; and his wife, Mrs. Beatrice Olowu; and Past President of the Institute, Mr. Ralph Wole Osayameh, during the investiture of 20th President and Chairman in Council, CIBN in Lagos..recently YOMI AKINYELE

L-R: Associate Director, Nigeria, Association of International CertiďŹ ed Professional Accountants (CIMA), Ijeoma Anadozie; Regional Vice President, CIMA; Badibanga Badi Promesse; President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Ismaila Zakari, and , Vice President, ICAN;Razak Jaiyeola during an MoU signing ceremony between CIMA and ICAN in Abuja,..recently

L-R: Member, Appeal committee, APC congress, Engr Lanji Akingbulugbe; Chairman of the committee, Hon. Osita Egwuatu; Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed; Secretary, APC congress committee, Ja’afaru Alhassan; Chairman, APC, Kwara State, Hon. Ishola Balogun Fulani and Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Isiaka Gold during a courtesy visit to the Governor by Appeal committee of APC congress at Government House, Ilorin.....recently

L-R: Company Secretary, Mr. Sunday Oroleke; Chairman, Board of Directors, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai; Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Oye Hassan-Odukale and Member, Board of Directors, Mr. Eugene Curley, all of Leadway Assurance Company Limited, during the company’s 46th Annual General Meeting held in Lagos..recently

L-R: Managing Director/Chief Executive OďŹƒcer (CEO), Air Sea Freighters Limited, Sir Enoch A. Iwueze and the National President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Mr. Iju Tony Nwabunike sharing a point of interest during the working visit of Nwabunike to the Eastern Zone Chapters of ANLCA in Port Harcourt‌ recently

L-R; Chief of Sta to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Oge Mochie; Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Wabote; Convener/ Chief Executive, CRS-in-Action, Bekeme Masade; Guest Speaker, Omude Ochonogoro and Country Director, Stakeholder Democracy Network, Dr. Chris Onosode, during the 7th SITEI conference in Abuja... recently

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BUSINESSWORLD

Group Business Editor Chika Amanze-Nwachuku

Email chika.amanzenwachukwu@thisdaylive.com 08033294157, 08057161321

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Quick Takes Ghana Central Bank Cuts Rate

SEEKING NEW INVESTMENT DEALS

Group Chairman, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, Emmanuel Ikazoboh; Chief Executive OďŹƒcer (CEO), Nigeria Stock Exchange, Oscar Onyema; Group Managing Director, FBN Holdings Plc, UK Eke, and CEO, Development Bank of Nigeria, Anthony Okpanachi at annual general meeting of Africa Development Bank in Busan, South Korea‌recently

High TB Yields Push Banks’Net Interest Income to N2.013tn Obinna Chima The full year 2017 audited results have shown that 13 commercial banks quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) raked in a total of N2.013 trillion through net interest income (NII) as they took advantage of the high yield environment for fixed income securities last year to boost their profits.

The amount realised by the 13 banks represented an increase by 11 per cent, compared with the N1.799 trillion they made in 2016.

The results reviewed by THISDAY were those of Zenith Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) Plc, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, FBN Holdings Plc, Access Bank, Fidelity Bank,Stanbic IBTC, Sterling Bank, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Ecobank, Wema Bank,

ECONOMY Union Bank and Diamond Bank.

The review however showed that the tier continuing, the 2017 results showed that at N1.253 trillion, the five tier 1 commercial banks among the 13 listed above, accounted for 61 per cent of the total NII, as against the N1.089 trillion they realised in 2016. The other eight banks posted total NII of N760 billion last year, higher than N709 billion in 2016.

A breakdown of this showed that while FBN Holdings’ NII increased to N321 billion in 2017, up from N304 billion in 2016; GTBank’s NII also climbed to N327 billion in 2017, up from N262 billion the previous year; Zenith Bank’s also increased from N240 billion in 2016, to N257 billion last year; UBA’s from N165 billion in 2016, to

N207 billion last year; Ecobank Group’s NII rose to N299 billion in the year under review, from N284 billion the previous year; and Access Bank’s from N117 billion the previous year, to N130 billion last year.

On the other hand, while FCMB posted NII of N70.5 billion in 2017, higher than the N69.5 billion it recorded in 2016; Fidelity Bank’s NII improved from N62 billion the previous year, to N71 billion in 2017; Diamond Bank’s NII was also up, from N96 billion in 2016, to N98 billion in 2017; and Union Bank also reported higher NII of N67 billion in 2017, from N65 billion the previous year.

In the same vein, while Stanbic IBTC reported NII of N83 billion in 2017, up from N58 billion the previous year; Wema Bank’s N20 billion in the year under review, from N19

billion in 2016; Sterling Bank however reported NII of N50 billion in 2017, down from N55 billion the previous year.

Nevertheless, the situation may be different in the 2018 operating year as the ‘free lunch’ appears to have come to an end following the federal government’s reduced domestic borrowing, in line with its debt management strategy.

The federal government recently commenced the refinancing of maturing domestic debts with external borrowings as part of its overall debt management strategy of reducing debt service.Owing to this, the government had slowdown on its fixed income securities issuance which led to a significant drop in interest rate from around 18 per cent it was Continued on page 24

FMDQ OTC Exchange Records N14.9tn Transactions in One Month Goddy Egene Investors traded N14.94 trillion in the fixed income and currency (FIC) markets in the month of April, according to data released by the FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange.

However, treasury bills remained the most traded securities on the platform, accounting for 45.8 per cent of the market turnover. The foreign exchange (FX) market instruments followed, accounting for 36.6 per cent, while money market securities recorded 11.1 per cent. These three) segments collectively contributed 93.6 per cent to the total turnover in the FIC markets in the month under review.

CAPITAL MARKET Although the N14.94 trillion traded in April was 4.5 per cent lower than what was invested in March, the turnover showed a year-on-year increase of 69.8 per cent above the N8.8 trillion traded last April.

A further analysis of the turnover in the fixed income market for the month under review indicated that turnover settled at N7.77 trillion, a 15.2 per cent increase from the last month’s performance. Transactions in the treasury bills market accounted for 88.2 per cent of the overall fixed income market, an increase from the 82.8 recorded in March Outstanding treasury bills at

the end of the month stood at N13.6 trillion. Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) bonds outstanding value also increased marginally to close at N8.03 trillion, from N7.89 trillion in the previous month.

Trading intensity in the fixed income market for the month under review settled at 0.51 and 0.12 for treasury bills and FGN bonds, respectively, from 0.42 and 0.15 recorded the previous month respectively.

Transactions in the FX market settled at $16.47 billion in April, a decrease of 11.8 when compared with the $18.67 billion recorded in March.

In the month under review, the Naira depreciated at the Investors’ & Exporters’ (I&E), FX Window closing the month

at $/N360.51(from $/N360.20 as at March29, 2018) whilst also trading at a discount to the parallel market which maintained the same rate at the beginning and end of the month at $/N362.00.

Total value traded at the I&E FX Window in April settled at $4.74 billion, a decrease of 21.78 per cent compared with $6.06 billion recorded in March.

Inter-member trades recorded $1.82 billion April, a decrease of 8.71 per cent from $2.0 billion in March, while member-client trades stood at $10.82 billion, a decrease of 1.44 per cent from the previous month’s $10.98 billion.

Member-CBN trades recorded Continued on page 24

Ghana’s central bank cut its benchmark interest rate by 100 basis points to 17 percent on Monday, saying it was on track to meet its medium-term ination target as the economy stabilised.

Ghana is in its ďŹ nal year of a $918 million credit deal with the International Monetary Fund to narrow its deďŹ cit and reduce debt and ination and has now lowered the rate by 850 basis points over the past year.

Speaking in the capital Accra, Central Bank Governor Ernest Addison projected that ination would fall to the bank’s target of eight percent by the end of this year or early 2019. “There is evidence to show that some stabilisation and consolidation, especially with ination and exchange rates expectations, are taking hold,â€? Reuters quoted him to have told reporters.

Annual ination fell to 9.6 percent in April from 10.4 percent the month before. The West African country’s public debt declined from 69.8 of gross domestic product at the end of 2017 to 60 percent at the end of February, Addison said.

Shred Marks WED 2018 with Students

In commemoration of World Environment Day (WED) 2018, one of West Africa’s pioneer and mobile conďŹ dential document shredding company, the Shred Station, will be visiting Primary and Secondary Schools in Lagos State with a message of environmental conservation.

A statement signed by the Chief Executive OďŹƒcer, Shred Station, Tolu-Jaiyeola, said the week-long event themed: Save Environment, SaveFutureGeneration,isaimedat‘workingwithchildreninschools in Lagos to promote the need for protecting their information and the safe options for destruction when no longer required.

The statement also stated that the event would also focus on the little bits children can do to contribute to saving their immediate environment.It added: “Our week-long plan is to demonstrate in reality, the concept of reduce-reuse-recycle through paper. Our action is aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the number of trees felled. A ton of papers shredded and recycled into tissue a related household product saves 17 trees. “Each school which have registered through theshredstation@ gmail.com before 25 May will be given a dedicated date within the week commencing 4 June when pupils will bring to school old conďŹ dential documents from home. “We would then take to the school premises our marked Shredding Truck and the children will participate in shredding the documents.

Once shredded, the documents are transported to a papermill for recycling to tissue. The Shred Station will facilitate a visit to the recycling plant for the children to view the process and the end product.�

AfDB Parleys UNIDO

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to step up collaboration to boost Africa’s industrialisation.“The Bank launched in 2016 its Industrialization Strategy for Africa 2016-2025, which was the outcome of collaborative work with UNIDO and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The signing of the present MoU is key to our Strategy’s implementation,â€? the AfDB President, Akinwumi Adesina said on Monday.“The Bank already beneďŹ ts enormously from UNIDO’s expertise in developing policies, programmes and knowledge tools which supports our member countries to industrialise,â€? he added.In 2017, the Bank allocated US $1.2 billion to Industrialise Africa – one of the Bank’shigh ďŹ ve development priorities – mostly to projects for ďŹ nancial sector operations.The new agreement facilitates the Bank and UNIDO cooperation on joint activities of shared interest in areas such as agro-industry development, circular economy, eco-industrial parks, investment in innovation and technology, enterprise development, trade and capacity-building, and access to ďŹ nance, among others.

“I do not only want to be known as the Africa’s richest man, but the biggest philanthropist. I will continue to use my resources and my voice to help shape a better Nigeria, and Africa as a whole�

President, Dangote Group,

Aliko Dangote

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HIGH TB YIELDS PUSH BANKS’ NET INTEREST INCOME TO N2.013TN to about 10 per cent presently.

Other objectives of the government’s debt managementstrategy are to free up space in the domestic market for other borrowers and achieve a more sustainable debt portfolio mix of 60 per cent domestic and 40 per cent external.

Fitch Ratings had stated that Nigerian banks may find it more difficult to sustain their profitability this year, given the decline in net treasury bill issuance by the federal government.

It pointed out that Nigerian bankswere highly reliant on net interest income to remain profitable, saying treasury bills proved to be an important source of profits in 2017.

In addition, Fitch stated that its 2018 rating outlook for the Nigerian banking sector was negative, forecasting that sometier 2 banks would struggle to remain profitable this year. “We expect falling treasury bill yields and lower issuance to put pressure on Nigerian banks’ profitability in 2018,� it added.

On its part, Moody’s Investors Service in its latest outlook on Nigerian banks also noted that the declining yields on government securities would dampen banks’ core earnings.

FMDQ OTC EXCHANGE RECORDS N14.9TN TRANSACTIONS IN ONE MONTH $3.83 billion, representing a decrease of 32.83 per cent from the $5.7 billion recorded in March. However, this showed an increase of 60.02 per cent year-on-year as the effect of the secondary market intervention Sales (SMIS) continued to boost activity in the FX market.

Activities in the secured Money Market (that Repos/ Buy-Backs) settled at N1.60 trillion in April, which was 38.8 per cent lower than the N2.62trillion recorded in March.

Unsecured placements/ takings closed the month at a turnover of N63.74bn, a 53.11 per cent decrease N135.9 billion the previous month.

‘Belt and Road’ Spurs Chinese Companies to Seek Investment Opportunities in Nigeria Solomon Elusoji in Beijing As part of their commitment to China’s Belt and Road initiative, which seeks to promote a shared prosperous future for humanity, a number of multinational companies in central China have announced their desire to invest in the Nigerian market.

These companies spoke exclusively to THISDAY throughout the past week during a media tour to Wuhan and Yichang, two cities in central China’s Hubei Province. The companies cut across sectors such as health, agriculture, logistics and technology. They touted Nigeria’s large population and booming economy as factors for their intentions. “We really want to come to Nigeria,� Vice Director, International Business Department, Yichang Humanwell Healthcare Company, Nick Cao, told THISDAY. “It’s a potentially big market for us.� Humanwell is a leading speciality pharmaceutical company in China focusing on research and development and manufacturing of drugs, with a special focus on anesthetics.

Cao’s comments were echoed by representatives of companies such as WAE Logistics, Angel Yeast, Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable, and others visited by THISDAY, who cited the Belt and Road

initiative as a critical boost for Chinese companies seeking to expand their reach abroad. “Belt and Road� is a massive trade and infrastructure project that aims to link China — physically and financially — to dozens of economies across Asia, Europe, Africa, and Oceania. With a budget of about $1trillion, it has been described as the largest investment drive ever launched

by a single country It consists of two parts: The “Belt,� which recreates an old Silk Road land route, and the “Road,� which is not just restricted to physical connections road, but designed to forge win-win ties across nations.

The Silk Road was an ancient land route across Europe and Asia that connected traders and travellers from regions

like the China, Persia, and the Roman Empire. Merchants used to transport silk and other commodities by camel or horse along those roads.

As of January 2018, 71 countries (including China) are taking part in the project.

They include India, Pakistan, Poland, Turkey, New Zealand, and Russia. Altogether, these 71 countries represent a third

of the world’s GDP. So far China is estimated to have underwritten over $900bn of loans — some on concessionary terms, many on commercial terms.

Some of these loans have financed a gas pipeline in Pakistan, a motorway in Hungary, and a high-speed rail link in Thailand. More loans are expected to be underwritten.

DISPLAY OF LOVE

L-R: Branch Leader, Jalingo, Fidelity Bank Plc, Kabir Abdulrahman; Principal, Precious Kids International School, James Ayagwa; Regional Bank Head (RBH), North East, MusaTarimbuka; Commissioner, Urban & Regional Planning,Taraba State, Honourable Hassan Beppah; Her Excellency, Wife of the Governor ofTaraba State, Barr. Anna Darius Ishaku and Head, CSR/Sustainability Banking, Fidelity Bank Plc, Chris Nnakwe at the formal unveiling of special learning aids and other materials donated by Fidelity Bank to Precious Children School in Jalingo ... recently

NACC: Impact of National Broadband PlanYet to Be Felt The President of Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce (NACC), Chief Olabintan Famutimi, has said that five years after Nigeria through the Presidential Committee on Broadband developed a strategy to drive internet and broadband penetration and scale up the nation’s broadband growth by 30 per cent, the impact has still not been felt.

He disclosed this at a Breakfast Meeting on Aggressive Broadband Strategy and National Development organised by the Chamber in Lagos. According to him, the inaction is affecting Nigeria’s capacity to make progress on so

many of the indices by which the nation’s economy and current diversification efforts are judged.

The gathering noted that the demand for broadband connectivity in Nigeria is accelerating far beyond the capacity of the current broadband networks, especially as video traffic and home-based businesses are becoming prevalent. “Several studies predict that the future of internet growth for homes and businesses will need a minimum of 100 megabits per second of capacity within the next few years and will need greater capacity even going forward. While several countries are preparing for this future,

unfortunately, our dear Nation is not even considering the huge population growth. For instance, Japan has already announced a national commitment to build fibre networks to every home and business. “In 2013, Nigeria through the Presidential Committee on Broadband developed a five-year strategy to drive internet and broadband penetration and scale up the nation’s broadband growth by 30 percent. The vision behind the Nigerian broadband plan seeks to accelerate high speed internet and mass broadband access, and as a result prompt socio-economic growth for the nation and prosperity

for its citizens in addition to removing barriers to expanding services to the mass market for deeper penetration and adoption.

On why the country is so far behind, the NAAC said: “The failure to keep pace is the direct result of our failure to adopt a national broadband policy. The country needs to take aggressive action to significantly expand our broadband connectivity. Now is not the time for incremental improvements; we are behind, and we must adopt a comprehensive strategy if we are to address the growing needs of our citizens.

“The country’s broadband crisis is a unique challenge.

Unlike past threats to our future competitiveness, the solution to our broadband connectivity crisis is primarily local. The benefits of broadband connectivity are felt directly by every consumer and business, and final decisions must involve our local leaders under a comprehensive federal programme.�

At the event, the guest speaker, Ms. Funke Opeke, CEO, MainOne, did justice to the topic and proffered way forward to the broadband challenge and how the country can get it right.

Dangote Lifts 25,000 Women in Niger with N10bn Micro Grant Group Business Editor

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The Aliko Dangote Foundation has flagged off its one-off and unconditional Micro-grants programme in Niger State with 25,000 disadvantaged women as beneficiaries, bringing the total number of women beneficiaries to 256,500 across seven states of the federation.

Chairman of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, Aliko Dangote, said weekend at the flag-off ceremony held at the Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre, Minna, the Niger State capital, that his Foundation had earmarked N10billion for the empowerment of vulnerable women in the 774 Local Govern-

ments in the country.

He said 1,000 women were drawn from each of the Niger state’s 25 local government areas. “The micro-grants programme is one component of the Economic Empowerment pillar of the Foundation. It provides disadvantaged and vulnerable women with a one-off, unconditional N10,000.00 cash transfer to boost their household income generation. This we believe will help reduce their vulnerability and meet their livelihood needs,� he added. Dangote explained that since the Foundation commenced disbursement in 2012, about 256,500 women have benefitted

from the programme across Kano, Lagos, Jigawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States, with a total disbursement ofN2.565 Billion so far. He stressed: “I do not only want to be known as the Africa’s Richest Man, but the biggest philanthropist. I will continue to use my resources and my voice to help shape a better Nigeria, and Africa as a whole.� Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, speaking at the event, appreciated the gesture of Dangote for touching the lives of ordinary Nigerians, especially vulnerable women.

Bello extolled the Dangote Foundation for the generosity

extended to poor women in his state and urged them to use it to start small businesses so the Foundation would be pleased to do more. He praised the public spirit of Dangote and urged other well-meaning Nigerians to emulate such a good gesture to impact the society.

The Foundation’s Executive Director and daughter to the Chairman, Hajiya Halima Aliko Dangote, said the Foundation was poised to help lift the status of womanhood in the country, adding: “If you empower a woman, you empower the whole nation.�

She stated that women

have always bear the brunt of the harsh economic reality in the country and the Aliko Dangote Foundation reasoned that they should be the target of such critical intervention as the disbursement with the hope that the benefits will cascade down the family line with women as the maker of the home and improve the family wellbeing.

Managing Director of the Foundation, Zouera Yussouffou, said the micro grant scheme was part of the four cardinal crust of the Foundation which are: Health and Nutrition, Education, Economic Empowerment and Disaster Relief.

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Sona Group Tasks FG on Selfsufficiency in Food Production Ugo Aliogo and Esther Ehoche The Managing Director, Sona Group, Mr. Arjan Mirchandani, has charged the federal government on the need for self-sufficiency in food production, pointing out that the Nigerian should tap into the vast opportunities in the Africa food market.

Mirchandani who disclosed this recently in Lagos at the Food West Africa 2018, noted that the future of Africa is based self-sufficiency, locally made products and the Nigeria market is not an exemption.

He also noted that the distribution chain in the market is expensive with importation

taking large chunk of it. He therefore noted that embarking local production of products, will lead to cut cost and export, “which on the long run, lifts the standards of Nigeria products and enhance growth in the industry.�

Mirchandani further noted that the versatility of the average Nigerian is a key factor in relating with the market system, adding that “Nigerians are very innovative and courageous with great potentials and these traits are clearly seen in how we maintain a lead role in a highly competitive business environment.�

The Chief Operating Officer of Sona Group, Mr. Ashok Manghnani, said the situation of the Nigerian market is

changing with expansion being a vital aspect in this changing economy. He stated that the firm is expanding at a rate of 100 percent yearly and the capacity is increasing and “operation is on a higher level and this is evident in our impact on the economy.�

The Group was represented at the 2018 edition of Food West Africa by their major subsidiaries; Euro Global Food and Distilleries, makers of Maltonic, Sabrina, Sona Bitters, Sona AgroAllied Foods Limited, focused on confectionaries and Food, Agro and Allied Industries, focused on natural extracts such as sorghum brewing, malt extracts, glucose extracts and others.

Halogen Security Demonstrates Digital Technology Back Bone Ugo Aliogo and Esther Ehoche As Lagos State Government intensifies efforts towards building a secured smart city fit for global investments in partnership with the private sector, the management of Halogen Security Company Limited has expressed its readiness to collaborate with the state government to deploy cutting edge crime prevention smart solutions capable of securing over 21 million Lagosians.

Speaking in Lagos recently during a courtesy visit at the company’s office by the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Security and Intelligence, Mr. Adekunle Ajanaku, the Managing Director, Halogen Security, Mr. Wale Olaoye, said as a notable security solutions provider to key sectors of the country’s economy, the firm has always developed intelligent risk reduction and security facilities critical to security management.

He also stated that over two decades of active strides in the security solutions business, thorough understanding of the Nigerian business landscape and the changing security demands across different sectors of the

economy, they have continuously improved on their security solutions architecture.

Olaoye added: “We are excited to receive the Special Adviser at our ultra-modern head office – The fusion centre, and to conduct him round our facility where we operate realtime remote monitoring of our security locations using various platforms, electronic equipment and telematics to ensure the safety of our clients at all times. “Our hi-tech facility, a fully digital platform which we have proudly named the fusion centre is developed to tackle clear and present security challenges especially in an emerging smart city like Lagos and is perhaps one of the most sophisticated in the country and we are willing to share this innovation with the state government.�

In his response, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security and Intelligence, Mr. Adekunle Ajanaku, disclosed that one of the fundamental elements of any smart city is safety of lives and properties.

He also noted that the state government was exploring the use of technology to manage and reduce the crime rate in the

state, adding in line with these efforts they are collaborating with corporate citizens to develop a networked that would prevent crime and ensure the safety of Lagosians.

In his remarks, the Chief Operating Officer, the Halogen School of Security Management and Technology (HSSM and T) Dr. Adebowale Adeagbo, said the company is a learning institution created to produce the manpower and expertise in enterprise security risk management in the digital space through education, research, strategy, technology and policy.

He added that the institution would help amplify the thought leadership value proposition that the company is noted for. “The school is focused on investing in education to empower talent and future – proof Security, as a profession for Halogen and the industry at large. We run this academy by offering several courses and programmmes leading to the award of professional certificates in partnership with renowned institutions such as Babcock University (for our Certificates, Diploma, Advanced Diploma and MBA programs),� he disclosed.

ELEVATING TO THE NEXT LEVEL Marie-Therese Phido

Proudly Nigerian!

I have had the privilege of travelling across several African countries in recent times and have to tell you that, it is great to be a Nigerian and I am a proud one too! We tend to disparage this country a lot, which is excellent as we must never be comfortable at any level and must continually strive to be better at all times in all areas of life, especially in the areas of corruption, infrastructure, politics, education, etc.

However, at the back of our minds we must continue or start to thank God for who we are and what we have. The thing is that, other African countries have these same problems listed above and many do not have what we have. We must start to change the narrative about this country. As Nigerians, we tend to say so many negative things about the country and its people that it is no wonder, we are viewed with suspicion everywhere we go. Below are reasons why you must continue to proudly extol your country: We run our economy. Nigerians own this economy and have a strong say in how their economy will run. Conglomerates, Industries, Banks, Sectors are powered by Nigerian businesses and owned by Nigerians who also employ a large chunk of the populace to work in these organisations, industries, etc.

We have also taken many of our companies and products globally and to other African countries and are contributing our quota to these countries, with our brands. You see FBN, Access, UBA, Dangote internationally and in many African countries. The story is not exactly the same for many African countries, where the nationals are not the heartbeat of their economies for various reasons.

Our music. Everywhere you go, you hear Nigerian music. Our Davido, WizKid, Falz, Burma Boy, Patoranking, DBanj, Simi, Tiwa Savage, Adekunle Gold, Psquare, Flavour, etc are enjoyed by many in diaspora. You hear our music in hotel lobbies, restaurants, people’s cars, etc. Even when the people do not speak English as a national language, you still hear them playing our music and singing our songs. Of course we also appreciate the songs of other African countries too!

Nollywood. They say that after Hollywood and Bollywood, the next wood is Nollywood. Nollywood has done a good job of entertaining the world and Africa

Standard Insurance Consultants Bags ‘Excellence in Quality’Award Nosa Alekhuogie Standard Insurance Consultants Limited was recently awarded with the Summit of Leaders Special Prize ‘Excellence in Quality’ as a leading financial and insurance services industry provider. The award was presented to the Group President/ Chief Executive of the company, Mr. Ahmed Salawudeen during the 2018 London Summit of Leaders Achievements held in London, United Kingdom.

According to the organising committee of the award, the prestigious international awards are presented to corporate leaders for their outstanding achievements in the field of business social responsibility, international relations, economics, politics, science and social activities.

Summit of Leaders prize ‘Excellence in Quality’ it said,

outlines companies’ achievements, guides partners and customers which gives a higher business profile and an enhanced reputation which could ultimately lead to continued business success.

The International ‘Achievements Forum 2018’ London Summit of Leaders’ has become the traditional grand gathering of the regional leaders, investors, academia and like-minded professionals from all over the world. It was hosted this year on the 17th, April 2018, at the Institute of Directors in London, the famous business elite meeting point in the UK, by Summit of Leaders, with the support of the Academic Union, Oxford and the Global Club of Leaders together with the ‘EBA Global’ Loyalty Programme. The International Achievements Forum 2018 attracted high profile delegates from the real world of business who

shared and learnt from each other for business improvement and positive social transformation. In its congratulatory message, the Summit of Leaders Organising Committee applauds Standard Insurance Consultants Limited for joining the Global Club of Leaders (ICL) which Members are prominent state and public figures, businessmen and entrepreneurs from all over the world who have succeeded in various fields of social and business life. “Here in ‘EBA Global’ Community we wish Dr. Ahmed O. Salawudeen new achievements in professional field and we are convinced that Standard Insurance Consultants Limited will significantly benefit from the deserved Summit of Leaders award and European recognition and will be inspired by it for further professional successful development,� the statement said.

We run our economy.

Nigerians own this economy and have a strong say in how their economy will run. Conglomerates, Industries, Banks, Sectors are powered

by Nigerian businesses and owned by Nigerians who also employ a large chunk of the populace to work in these organisations, industries, etc

especially. Our movies have been sub-titled in countries where English is not their national language and our movie stars are revered and talked about in these countries, like you would talk about a Hollywood star. Our movie stars are invited as national dignitaries to state events. The other day, I saw that Omotola was invited to the inauguration and swearing in of the new Liberian President, George Weah and accorded state dignitary protocol.

Education. While I agree, that our education is nowhere near the standards we want it to be and must continue to strive for better.

We should acknowledge the strides we are making in Education. We have several universities, private and government owned, a world acclaimed business school with global accreditation, several initiatives to improve our vocational skills, and education along key national initiatives like agriculture. Again, we must improve what we have and continue to press on for more initiatives in various areas.

We are industrious and resilient. I remember my first trip to South Africa, many years ago.

A colleague asked me, I hear in Nigeria many people do not have access to housing and car loans, yet a lot of you own your house and car. My response was, “we work hard and are ambitious�. Many Nigerians do not have the luxury of getting financing nor social security allowance from the government. We work hard for our achievements and want to achieve. What I see in other countries which may be good or bad, depending on how you view it, is that many people wait for government, to solve all of their problems and do not develop entrepreneurial desire nor skills. We need to continue to encourage our SME’s in this country, because they are doing a lot to keep the spirit of this nation going and are a big component of our economy and culture.

We have food. Some of you will say, this is trivial, but it is not! We really have variety and we can cook. If like me you’ve been traveling a lot, you will appreciate this fact. One thing I suffer, when I travel is not having well prepared Nigerian food. I love my Nigerian food. Despite the fact that I stay in good hotels with access to well cooked food, there is a limit to how much bread and salads you can eat. I have tasted variants of our soups and fufu (eba, etc) and must tell you and this is attested to by other African’s who have traveled across the continent, they love Nigerian food. Kudos to our rich culture of foods from different tribes.

We have freedom. This we must really cherish. We have the freedom to say what we like and what we do not like. Many have been agitating for change in one form or another politically and doing so publicly. We have young men like Fela Durotoye and Omoyeli Sowore, who have declared they want to be President, despite not having any political footprint and have gained followership. We can tell our leaders that we are not happy about policy decisions and changes we want to see regarding these policies. Social media is agog with all kinds of comments. These kinds of freedom are nonexistent in many African countries.

Please my people, let us be proud of who we are and what we have achieved as a nation.

I agree that we still have a very long way to go and must continue to agitate and fight for improvement. We should just try not to forget what we have and keep the Nigerian flag flying!

Marie-Therese Phido is Sales & Market Strategist and Business Coach Email: mphido@elevato.com.ng tweeter handle @osat2012 TeL: 08090158156 (text only)

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Apprehension as Forte Oil Restructures Business Stakeholders have expressed mixed feelings about plans by Forte Oil Plc to sell its upstream assets, writes Goddy Egene Forte Oil Plc, a major marketer of refined petroleum products is one the companies that recorded the highest profit growth for the 2017 financial year. The company posted a profit after tax (PAT) of N12.226 billion for the year ended December 31, 2017, up by 323 per cent from N2.890 billion.

Although the company did not recommend any dividend payment, the shareholders were pleased that it recorded a highly impressive performance in a year that was filled with many challenges. The shareholders were particularly happy given the fact the performance came at a time the economy was recovery from recession.

However, while the shareholders are savoring the improved results, they are faced with a tough decision to make as the directors have proposed a business restructure. The directors have said they will restructure the business by divesting its interests in its Ghana operations, upstream services and power business. The shareholders are expected to approve this proposal at the company’s annual general meeting (AGM) next Monday.

2017 Financial Results Forte Oil Plc recorded revenue of N129.443 billion, showing a decrease of 12 per cent from N148.605 billion in 2016.Cost of sales fell from N128.021 billion to N105.327 billion, making the company to close the year with a gross profit of N24.115 billion, up from N20.583 billion in 2016.

Its distribution expenses were reduced by 40 per cent from N3.016 billion to N1.796 billion, while administrative expenses stood at N10.119 billion, from N10.293 billion in 2016.

Finance income improved by 11 per cent to N2.096 billion to N1.888 billion, while net finance cost reduced by 15 per cent to N3.636 billion from N4.281 billion in 2016.

Profit before tax improved by 34 per cent from N5.340 billion to N10.627 billion. A reduction of 34 per cent in income tax from N2.449 billion to N1.599 billion, made PAT to grow faster. Specifically, PAT soared by 323 per cent from N2.890 billion to N12.226 billion in 2017.

In the same positive trend, Forte Oil has begun 2018 with improved results. The company posted a revenue of N39.812 billion for the first quarter (Q1) ended March 31, 2018, up from N33.003 billion in 2017, while PAT improved from N1.884 billion to N2.962 billion in 2018. Given these results, it is expected that the firm will end the current year with positive results. However, the decision to restructure is already raising some level of apprehension among stakeholders.

Company Explains Restructuring Forte Oil Plc has said its decision to focus on downstream operations will boost its distributable earnings for the benefit of shareholders.

Although the company has not fixed the time frame for this restructuring, it said the decision was taken due to challenges in that segments of its operations.

The company explained that Nigeria’s oil and gas industry has witnessed significant changes in recent years and is expected to further evolve in the near term. These changes continue to affirm its strong belief that only downstream operators with huge investments in both storage and distribution infrastructures can remain competitive and operationally efficient in the long run. These changes and macro-economic factors including but not limited to the devaluation of the Nigerian Naira, fixed margins in a tightly regulated sector and future prospects of a fully deregulated downstream petroleum sector continue to shape the future of our industry.

According to the company, its operations is in the downstream oil and gas segment, and the Group has established itself as a foremost indigenous petroleum marketing

company with a rich history and strong operational platforms.

It explained that although power business is profitable, it has huge receivables due from the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) and a significant portion of its distributed earnings is also utilised in servicing the acquisition debt finance. “The receivables from NBET as at 31st December 2016 and 31st December 2017 stood at N14.6 billion N32.6 billion respectively. It is pertinent to note that the federal government has provided a NBET Payment Assurance Facility (PAF) in the sum of N701 billion which has been utilised to settle some of these obligations. However, this fund has been depleted with no clear signals from the Government of another disbursement,� the company said.

Regarding the upstream services business, Forte Oil said despite the significant resources deployed including management time, the upstream services business has consistently contributed less than seven to the Group earnings in the last three financial years.

Similarly, it said the downstream subsidiary in Ghana has consistently declared losses after tax in the last three years and has substantial bad and uncollectable trade debts in the business as a result of negative economic conditions and currency devaluation in prior years. “Based on the foregoing, the Group is seeking to take a strategic step to restructure its business by divesting its interests in its Ghana operations, upstream services and power business, in order to ensure adequate funding is available for the downstream business. This action will reduce finance cost in the Group significantly and increase distributable earnings for the benefit of the shareholders. The finance cost attributable to the businesses to be divested stood at N2.7 billion and N2.2 billion for the year ended 31st December 2016 and the year ended 31st December 2017 respectively. The proceeds of the divestment initiative will also enable your company to compete more favourably and achieve the planned expansion of the business for increased market share.

The Group foresees immense prospects in the downstream oil and gas sector, and is positioning proactively to harness these

opportunities,� Forte Oil said.

Stakeholders React Reacting to the development, some shareholders have stressed the need for the federal government to deregulate the petroleum downstream sector, and pay outstanding subsidy arrears to the profitability of improve oil marketers in Nigeria.

They argued that the non-payment of the arrears by the government had incapacitated fuel marketers, who could no longer import refined products into the country.

Also, they urged government to expedite action on the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to grow the sector.

For instance, the Publicity Secretary of Proactive Shareholders Association (PSA), Moses Igbrude, while reacting to the Forte Oil’s decision, noted that the operating environment in the petroleum industry for the past few years had been tough and challenging. He added that until government deregulated the downstream distribution, growth in the sector would remain a mirage.

He said: “Until federal government sincerely deregulate the petrol distribution sector this problem (divestment) will continue to occur. I am appealing to government to pay money owned the marketers so they can have enough resources to run their businesses. The enabling environment or ease to do business should be provided. An environment where cost of finance is so high, even to source for foreign exchange is another big problem. So a good management must look inward for other sources of funding. “Where you have idle assets or assets that are underutilised, it can be sold to raise working capital. I pray that God will give the management of Forte Oil the wisdom to take the right decision that will move the business forward for the benefit of all stakeholders.�

Also, Mr. Oderinde Taiwo of Proactive Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PSAN) said the divestment was a good step in the right direction for the firm to sell any asset that is no more useful. He added that the continued delay in the

passage of the PIB, would sustain current challenges at the expense of shareholders’ interests. “The company had earlier explained that they are selling the assets that are not useful to them under their new strategy. Since they have been consistent with dividend payment, they should go ahead and do whatever will bring more returns to shareholders,� Taiwo said.

Mr. Boniface Okezie of Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PSAN) said the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) should ensure full disclosure from the Forte Oil on the proposed sale of some of its assets.

He said the market regulators should engage Forte Oil to ascertain the assets it intended to sell and the potential buyers.

According to him, shareholders deserve to know the reasons for the planned sale of some of its assets, who is buying and at what rate.

He said in line with standard practices the shareholders would demand full disclosure in the operations of F orte Oil Investment analysts at Vetiva Research said their long-term outlook on Forte Oil had changed significantly following the plan to divest all its subsidiaries.

According to them, post-divestment, Forte Oil will transform from running an integrated energy model to a slimmer business model focused on petroleum products retailing on a larger scale. “We believe that the full deregulation of the petroleum downstream industry is key to unlocking the sector ’s value regardless of the scale of operations of industry players. As such, we hold a bearish outlook on Forte Oil’s new/proposed business model (entirely petroleum products marketing) in the near term. “We do not expect the divestment to be completed before the end of the year, hence, we expect full year ’s earnings to enjoy the full contribution of the power business amongst other subsidiaries before its divestment. Pending further details on the restructuring plan and expansion plans for the petroleum retailing business, we continue to base our forecasts on the current diversified business model.�

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Budget 2018: Something to Cheer?

With a rapidly growing population, Obinna Chima wonders if Nigeria’s 2018 budget has what it takes to drive the much-desired growth in the country The National Assembly last week finally passed the 2018 budget after a prolonged delay.

Interestingly, while Nigeria is still to pass its 2018 budget, countries such as the United States of America and Isreal have already finalised their 2019 budget.

Delays in passing budgets, which have almost become a norm in Nigeria, have always been a major hindrance to the successful implementation of the country’s spending plans.

A budget is a country’s most important document as it provides the needed hindsight on the policy objective of the government.

According to details of the proposed 2018 budget, aggregate expenditure was hiked by about N500 billion from the N8.61 trillion that was presented by President Muhammadu Buhari last year, to N9.12 trillion ($30 billion at N305/$), as the lawmakers increased the oil benchmark from $45 to $51 per barrel, but maintained oil production at 2.3 million barrels per day and the exchange rate at N305 to the US dollar.

The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki had explained that the increment in the 2018 budget was done with due consultations with the executive.

Of the N9.12 trillion budget, the sum of N530.42 billion was earmarked for statutory transfers, while N2.20 trillion was for debt service, of which N190 billion is for the sinking fund for maturing loans. Recurrent (non-debt) expenditure got N3.51 trillion while the sum of N2.87 trillion was set aside as contribution to the development fund for capital expenditure (exclusive of capital expenditure in statutory transfers).

The sum of N1.95 trillion was earmarked for the fiscal deficit while the deficit as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was put at 1.73 per cent.

Other highlights of the budget included the provision of N350 billion for Special Intervention Programmes of the federal government.

The sum of N45 billion was set aside for the North-east Intervention Fund to help address the problems created by the Boko Haram insurgency, while N78 billion was earmarked for military operations across the country including Operation Lafiya Dole in the North-east and other operations of the Nigeria Army.

The sum of N100 billion was earmarked for Zonal Intervention Projects as well as N15 billion for the payment of local contractors’ debts.

The 2018 budget further set aside N193.33 billion for the Power Sector Reform Programme of the federal government, including N10 billion for the settlement of electricity bills of ministries, departments and agencies of government.

However, despite the increase in the aggregate expenditure in Nigeria’s budget, the size of the country’s budget compared with its population, remains abysmally low.

That is, with a population of about 198 million, a breakdown of the country’s 2018 budget will not be sufficient enough to drive the desired economic growth and impact positively of the lives of individuals in the country.

Unemployment in Nigeria has risen by 44 per cent, from 14.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2017, to 18.8 per cent in third quarter 2017, just as underemployment also increased by 0.8 per cent, to 21.2 per cent in Q3 2017, from 20.4 per cent in Q1 2017.

The Misery Index, which measures well-being in an economy has also worsened in Nigeria, as it rose to 53.34 per cent in 2018, from 51.05 per cent last year, just as income inequality widened by 7.23 per cent to 43 per cent in 2018, from 40.1 last year.

Also, income per capita in Nigeria fell from $2,562.5 in 2017 to $2,457.8 in 2018, while labour productivity worsened from -1.4 per cent in 2017, to -0.9 per cent in 2018.

However, the Human Capital Index rating for the country rose to 152nd place, from the 151st position last year, while life expectancy was put at 53.05, according to a recent report by the Financial Derivatives Company Limited (FDC).

Therefore, in absolute terms, when compared with the budget of other top African economies as

Buhari

well as its other peers outside Africa, realistically, the Nigeria’s budget size may not be able deliver the transformation required by the country and fix its ailing infrastructure.

Peer to Peer Comparison Findings by THISDAY showed that despite the country’s expansionary budget of $30 billion, it still lags behind its peers.

For South Africa, with a population of about 56 million and income per capita of $12,860, the country budget a total of $130 billion (1.67 trillion rand) in its 2018 fiscal year In the same vein, while Egypt with a population of almost half of Nigeria’s size at 96 million and per capita income of $2,505.12 currently has a budget of $73 billion, just as Angola, with a population of 40 million and per capita income of $6,880, made provision to spend $41 billion (9.6 trillion Kwanzas) in its 2018 national budget.

Similarly, while another fellow oil producer in the continent, Algeria, with a population of just 40 million and per capita income of $15,000, has a national budget of $73 billion, the size of Libya’s budget with a population of about seven million is $31 billion.

In a related development, a comparison of Nigeria’s latest budget size to that of its other peers described as MINT (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey) nations revealed that Nigeria is still punching far below its weight.

Jim O’Neill, an economist and former Goldman Sachs chief had coined the acronym to

reflectnations that emerged from the Next 11, or N11, as the next economic giants.

But other countries in this league appear to have left Nigeria behind. For instance, while Mexico with a population of 128 million budgeted to spend $277 billion (5.28 trillion pesos), in its 2018 fiscal year; Indonesia with a population of 261 million also proposed to spend $164 billion (2,220.7 trillion Rupiah) in the same year; and Turkey whose population is 80 million also made a national budget estimate of $198.8 billion (762.8 billion Lira) in 2018.

Something to Cheer?

To Dr. Ikechukwu Kelikume of the Lagos Business School (LBS), there is nothing much to celebrate about passing the country’s 2018 budget because of what he described as the unnecessary delay. “We have wasted the first five months. So, if you are passing the budget now and you are almost entering the third quarter, it creates problem for planning. So, there is a problem before you even pass the budget, which is that it slows down growth. Most companies generally plan at the beginning of the year. “The government is the biggest spender. So, if government spending doesn’t come out early enough, it means it is a problem for firms,�

Kelikume said.

Going forward, he urged all those responsible for preparing and passing the annual budget to start “at the beginning of the year because planning is done at the beginning of the year.�

He added: “For example, the preliminary work for next year’s budget has to have been finalised by now. So, mid 2018, as a government, you outline what you are going to do next year and that helps inform the operations of the private sector. But here, the reverse is the case and it is a worrisome trend.�

Also, a former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke had lamented the effect of Nigeria’s increasing population. He said the country’s population was increasing while its budget had shrunk in both volume and value. He described the decrease in government’s budget in the light of Nigeria’s growing population as a disaster waiting to happen.

Duke, who compared the $25 billion budget of ex- President Shehu Shagari to the $23 billion budget proposed by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018, concluded that Nigeria’s present expenditure was not enough to cater for its growing population. He had said: “So our landmass is shrinking but our population is growing. As if that was not bad enough, 38 years ago, 1979, between 79 and 83, we had the Second Republic. We had President Shagari and the annual budget for the four years he spent in office was $25 billion. So he spent a $100 billion in his four years in office. Our population at that time was 90 million. Today, our population is 193 million inching towards 206 million but our budget is $23 billion. “In other words, over a spate of 38 years, our population has more than doubled but our public expenditure has shrunk both in volume and in value. If this is not a wake-up call for the disaster that looms ahead of us, then I wonder what will be.�

In assessing the country’s 2018 budget, analysts at CSL Stockbrokers stated that they do not think the target oil production of 2.3mbpd would be reached. “Targeted non-oil revenues also appear ambitious in our view and are unlikely to be achieved. Non-oil revenues have historically been lower than planned (over the last five years, the authorities have collected an average of 80% of what they had been aiming for, in terms of non-oil revenues). “Delays in passing budgets have always been a major hindrance to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s previous spending plans. We recall that the 2017 budget was passed in May, which was when releases for capital expenditure of N2.18 trillion commenced,� the firm added.

The foregoing clearly shows to enhance productivity, encourage entrepreneurial development and stimulate growth in a country with high youth population, there is a need to dismantle the current structure of Nigeria’s budget to effectively cater for its rapidly growing population.

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T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY MAY 23, 2018

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY MAY 23, 2018

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CIIN President Urges FG to Prioritise Service Sector Devt Stories by Ebere Nwoji The federal government has been advised to pay more attention to the development of the service sub-sector of the economy in its on going effort to grow the economy.

The President and Chairman in council of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), Mrs. Funmi Babington Ashaye, who stated this at the recent International Exchange Programme organised by the institute in Hong Kong, said

this is capable of sustaining the economy even without other natural resources.

She said that Nigerian delegates at the programme discovered that Hong Kong paid attention to its services sector and so earns its major contribution to GDP from it.

Babinhgton-Ashaye, who was the leader of Nigerian delegation to the conference said the choice of Hong Kong for the exchange programme was informed by a number of factors.

“Hong Kong is one of the greatest and biggest financial and trade hubs in Asia.

It’s accomplishments in all spheres of human endeavour as islands clearly belie its small size. As one of the world’s leading knowledge centres, the achievements of Hong Kong in global commerce and international trade is at variance not only with its size but also provide a framework for learning and development.�

She said with the most ef-

ficient and busiest maritime container port in the world, it is on record that Hong Kong dispatches one container every 4 minutes to other parts of the globe. “In 2017, its per capita income reached $46,228.13 while its 2018, ranking on the global Ease of Doing Business is 5th�.

She added: “Besides these performance statistics, it was estimated that services, which include insurance and reinsurance services, contributed 91 percent of its GDP in 2016.The

implication of the dominance of the service sector cannot be lost on us: nations can develop without natural resources.�

She said the prosperity of the Hong Kong island was based on knowledge, its human capital, adding, “as such, there is a lot to learn from players in the country’s environment so that Nigeria, can positively impact its various business organisations�.

Advising Nigerian business operators at the forum, Babington- Asshaye stated:

“As we strategically plan to grow our businesses, we must take our bearing from the market place. Users of our services must define what we do. We must connect with and respond promptly to their needs efficiently and effectively. Our business model must be in tune with clients’ demands and the realities of our environment. If we choose to diversify, it should be into areas of shared services which can reduce operational cost and enhance efficiency and profitability�.

Linkage Assurance Grows Profit By 431% Linkage Assurance Plc, said it recorded 431 percent growth in profit after tax (PAT) for the financial year ended December 31st, 2017. This indicates a geometric increase in the company’s profit from N544.6 million in 2016 financial year to N2.891 billion in the review period.

The company’s profit before tax (PBT) also appreciated by 218percent, from N942.65 million in 2016 to N2.996 billion at the end of 2017. Linkage Assurance, also said it boosted its bottomline from investment income, which grew significantly by 260 percent, from N951.349 million in 2016 to N3.426 billion in the review year. This according to the company, came from the 2015 and 2016 dividend income from Stanbic IBTC Pension Limited which was received during the year and that led to a significant growth of 2,616 percent in the dividend income to N3.2 billion from N116million in 2016.

In its full year financial result submitted to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Linkage Assurance Plc achieved gross premium written of N4.102 billion as against N4.032 billion, indicating a 2 percent increase, while the gross premium income grew by 6 percent to close at N4.186 billion at the end of 2017, as against N3.966 billion the previous year.

The firm, during the year under review, paid out claims amounting to N1.038 billion, as against 613.196 million in 2016.

This therefore impacted on underwriting profit, which

dropped 53 percent to close at N456.86 million, as against N980.79 million in 2017.

The company, also grew its total assets to N23.308 billion at the end of 2017, moving up by 15 percent from N20.331 billion in the previous year.

Management of the company led by Dr. Pius Apere, said it will continue to refine its strategy in line with the political, economic, sociological and technological changes in the industry. “Also we will continue to develop innovative products, alternative channels of distributions and strategic initiatives that will enable us achieve our corporate goals and objectives.

With a medium-to-long term perspective, we believe that we will benefit from growth in these initiatives.�

He said during the 2017 financial year, Linkage developed array of retail products targeted at deepening penetration and increase revenue. These include the Linkage Third Party Plus, which is a budget friendly motor insurance that provides not only the compulsory Third party protection but an additional Own damage protection to the tune of N250,000, and is only available in the company�.

Other products launched by the Company are the Linkage SME Comprehensive, Citadel Shield (which provides compensation as a result of injuries from accident for pupils and students in recognised academic establishments); Linkage Events Xclusive Insurance.

SOLAR FUTURE NIGERIA 2018

L-R: Chief Executive OďŹƒcer, All On, Dr. Boer Wiebe; Vice President Marketing, Lumos Nigeria, Olufemi Ashipa; Project Manager, Solar Plaza, Lydia van OS and Associate Principal, Crossboundary, Femi Fadugba, at the Solar Future Nigeria 2018 held at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja‌recently

RSA: PenCom to Stop Non- compliant Media Houses from MDAs Advert Placements The National Pension Commission (PenCom), has said that it will soon bar media houses that do not regularly credit their employees’ Retirement Savings Accounts (RSA) with pension contributions from advert placements from federal government ministries, agencies and departments.

This is as the commission said it has issued compliance certificates to 27,021 firms that had complied with the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014 between 2012 to date.

The agency, in January issued compliance certificates to

83 firms that met its requirements in this regard and had in the first quarter this year issued 6492 certificates.

PenCom, said in a recent workshop organised for journalists in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, that it will no longer tolerate organisations which vehemently refuse to comply with the PRA Act 2004 amended in 2014, especially as it concerns remittances of workers’ Contributed funds.

It noted that media organisations are among the sub-sectors that fail to regularly remit workers’

contributions as well as their own contributions to the employees’ RSAs. Insisting that nobody or organisation should place himself above the law of the land, the commission, said it will extend its strategy of requiring organisations bidding for federal government contracts to present their compliance certificate to media houses in the placement of advertisements by federal government agencies, ministries and parastatals.

The PRA 2004 amended in 2014 requires each employee

to contribute 8 percent of his salary to its RSA opened with Pension Fund Administrator of his or her choice while the employer contributes 10per cent to the same account.

The Pension Reform Act 2014 requires that employers who wish to solicit for federal government contract or who wish to do business with any federal government Ministry, Department or Agency (MDAs) must provide proof of compliance with PRA 2014 in respect of remittance of deducted pension funds to workers’ RSA.

The Board of Premium Pension Limited has appointed Mrs. Kemi Oluwashina as Executive Director Business Development South & Strategy.

According to the company, her appointment is expected to enhance the reach of the company in the Southern part of the country as well as to the decision making at the higher level closer to clients.

Oluwashina, holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria and a Masters in Business Administration from Manchester Business School,

United Kingdom. She also attended Leadership Development programs at Harvard Business School. She has over 18 years’ experience in Asset Management, Strategy and Investment consulting and has extensive institutional and retail. In his welcome remarks to the new director, the Chief Executive Officer Premium Pension, Mr. Umar Sanda Mairami, expressed confidence that the appointment of the new Executive Director would further strengthen the Company for Improved performance.

Mairami, attributed the unprecedented growth level achieved by the Company in the last decade, to its culture of being customer centric, gender sensitive and richly endowed with executives with multi-disciplinary talents. Prior to joining Premium Pension Limited, Oliwashina, was Executive Director at ARM Securities Ltd for 10years.

She joined ARM Pension Managers as a pioneer staff in 2006, headed the Investment Management team and later rose to become the Executive Director overseeing Investment

Management, Business Development, Relationship Management, Human Resources and Risk Management functions of the organisation. While in ARM,she was an active member of the Technical Committee of Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (PenOp) and was involved in the input/recommendation and review process of various versions of regulatory investment guidelines. She also worked as a research analyst and Portfolio Manager for 6 years before moving into Premium Pension Ltd.

Sovereign Trust Insurance Announces N5.2bn Premium Pension Appoints Kemi Oluwashina as Premium in Q1 Sovereign Trust Insurance performance was in its Executive Director Plc said it started the 2018 underwriting profit which financial year on a very good note with a gross written premium of N5.2billion as against the N4.1billion that was written in the same period in 2017.

This represents an increase in growth rate of 25.7 percent.

Also, the gross premium income grew by 30 percent from N3.8b that was generated in the first quarter of 2017 to N4.9b in the first quarter of 2018.

According to the company, another positive highlight of its 2018 first quarter

increased by N182m from N746m in the first quarter of 2017 to N928m in the same corresponding period representing a growth rate of 24.5 percent.

It said profit before tax showed 28 percent increase as it grew from N488million in the first quarter of 2017 to N625million in the same period of 2018 while profit after tax also leapt from N437million in Q1 2017 to N560million in the first quarter of 2018, representing a growth rate of 28 percent.

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EDUCATION

Vision 2020: FG Urged to Promote Public, Private Partnership Initiatives Funmi Ogundare The Principal Consultant, Lonadek, Dr. Ibilola Amao has called on the federal government to pay more attention to the promotion of science projects, community development initiatives, research and development that are driven by public, private partnerships as a way of ensuring a merit-based human capital investment for sustainable economic development.

Amao made this known at the 26th career counselling, industry awareness and youth

empowerment workshop organised by the Vision 2020 Youth Empowerment and Restoration Initiative (YERI) team for students in Lagos with the theme ‘Transforming Nigeria through STEM Education’.

She stressed the need to empower Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) teachers and lecturers, as well as to establish centres of excellence, hubs, clusters, trade parks and innovation centres.

While highlighting the importance of STEM to national development and socio-economic transforma-

tion, she said the vision 2020 initiative was borne out of Lonadek’s conviction to fill the gap in the career counselling, industry awareness and youth empowerment. “We at Lonadek have committed ourselves to act as agents of positive change by partnering government, private sector, our clients, colleagues and friends to empower youths and restore hope in Nigeria where the abundance of natural, mineral

and human resources has not been of maximum benefit to the masses.�

She said the initiative is aimed at making youths productive and empowering them to pursue fruitful and rewarding engagements in different vocations, as well as to make them entrepreneurs. “We see entrepreneurship and the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as a way out of joblessness whilst

solving societal problems. “In our own systematic manner, we have been consistent in trying to identify the brightest and best students who would be driven by a patriotic passion to transform the narrative of lack and poverty in Nigeria into one of abundance and wealth.�

Amao, who is a vital voice in Global Ambassador Programme (GAP) 2017 mentee, said her commitment to women and girls in STEM is unwavering.

“I am determined to work tirelessly to raise young leaders that will accelerate the development and transformation of Nigeria into a great nation. The vision 2020 platform allows us solicit for support for the unknown, intelligent, focused, hardworking and determined Nigerian children, whose parents may not be able to sponsor them to the best higher institutions.�

Obi Bemoans Nigeria’s Poor Spending on Education Former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi has again lamented Nigeria’s poor attitude towards education, saying that even when compared to some African countries, Nigeria has not done well at all.

Obi made the observation at the weekend during the launch and fund- raising dinner for Dominican University, a newly established university owned by the Dominicans, at the Colonnade, Lagos.

Describing money put into education as investment, Obi said the problem with Nigerians is that they still see education as expenditure rather than investment in the future, adding that it had become clear from what countries that invested in education are reaping now that there is direct correlation between investment in education and economic growth.

Citing statistics to buttress his point, Obi said: South Africa, between 2010 and 2016 spent over 5 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on education; Egypt over 3.5 per cent and Nigeria could not even

spend 1 per cent.�

Insisting that poor investment in education produces adult illiterates and makes for low productivity in any nation, he said: “From 2010 to 2014, Nigerian budgeted N1.860 trillion on education, which at the rate of N160 to a dollar was 11.1 billion dollars. In 2015 and 2016, the budget was a total N761 billion, which at the rate of N360 to a dollar was 2.1 billion dollars. As you can see, it means that over a period of seven years, Nigeria with a population of about 190 million people spent 13.2 billion dollars on education. “Juxtapose this with South Africa, the second biggest economy in Africa which with a population of 55 million, spent over 15 billion dollars on education in 2015 only and Egypt, the third biggest economy in Africa and with a population of 95 million spent about 12 billion in 2015 only.

This shows that Nigeria is still sleeping as far as investment in education is concerned.�

Abuja Boarding School Generates Own Electricity The Genesis Christian Academy, Abuja said it has adopted sustainable clean energy. The school, which consists of nursery, primary and secondary sections, said it runs solely on solar power and generates three kilowatts which powers all its facilities and appliances, except the borehole.

The Administrator, Mrs. Christie Okey-Ubabukor, said the solar power is reliable and cheap and that the school has never experienced power outage for the past six years.

She urged other schools to adopt the solar power, adding that the initial financial outlay may be high, but it would pay itself over and over.

According to her, the school was generating 1.5kw before it was scaled up to the current 3kw, adding that the system is sustained by 12 200 watts batteries each costing N120,000. “We had a mishap recently when a technician made an

error in connection and this destroyed nine batteries, which we had to replace. The solar power has served us well, I wish other schools can also install it and enjoy the benefits. “Since the solar panels were installed six years ago, we never have to pay power bills, no outage and we get 24 hours power supply.�

Okey-Ubabukor disclosed that the clean energy costs N3 million and has 20 years warranty. She said it is dependable and does not require much maintenance.

The Proprietor of the school, Mr. Harold Ubabukor said he established the school after retiring as a chartered accountant and described the move as a divine venture.

He said the school was the only infrastructure in the area when it was established, adding that it has since attracted many companies and farms to the area.

L-R The convener ofTAMS summit, Mr. Afolabi Abiodun; Business Coach, Stanford Seed, Mrs. Emily Liggett; Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Education, Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemoh; and Chairperson of the occasion, Yetunde Ogbomienor, at the 2018 TAM summit in Lagos‌ recently

Experts Seek Retooling of Education System to Enable Youths Transform Nigeria Uchechukwu Nnaike Stakeholders at this year’s Time Attendance Management System (TAMS) summit with the theme ‘Making Nigeria Work’ have called on the government to urgently restructure the country’s education system to ensure a brighter future for the country.

Nigerians youths that attended the event in Lagos recently were also charged to go beyond sentiments, imbibe the culture and value of productivity so as to be good managers.

In her keynote address, the founder of LEAP Africa, Mrs. Ndidi Nwuneli said Nigeria can only be restructured to compete with other developed economies when the youths that make over 50 per cent of the population are given opportunities to show their creativity. “Young people in Nigeria

have what it takes to lead as they are not only the leaders of tomorrow but today. And for them to take the centre space, they need right education as currently, our education system needs to revamp as it pushes out creativity.� According to her, for the new generation to fit into the corporate world, Nigeria must have respect for human dignity; policymakers should set platforms for youth engagement; and there should be widespread educational reforms.

She added that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) should be made voluntary and there is need for paradigm shift on the part of the millennia and corporate leaders to be flexible to accommodate the youths exposed to the dynamics of technology and innovation.

The convener of the TAMS summit, Mr. Afolabi Abiodun

said the summit was organised to better engage the youths positively to bring about the desired change in the country. “Nigeria belongs to the youths and the young ones have to be better equipped, set values and aspirations through global communication and interconnection.�

He stressed that it is not best for youths to merely demand the mantle of leadership, as that it is not a gift that can just be given to them. “It is not about saying, it is time for youths to lead, we have to earn it. I am a Nigerian youth and you can see the steps I am taking, it doesn’t come as a gift. Those we refer to today as ‘old’ earned it and the best way we can make Nigeria work again is to also follow that path.�

The event, which was chaired

by Mrs. Yetunde Ogbomienor, featured the conferment of TAMS Ambassadors award on over 50

youths that are making waves in the public and private sectors.

Other dignitaries included the Chairman, Lagos State Local Government Service Commission (LGSECOM), Mr. Babatunde Rotinwa; the chief host Mr. Ibilowo Afolayan, among others.

The panellists, who discussed ‘How to Build a New Generation of Corporate Leaders’ comprised the Pro-Chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU), Prof.

Adebayo Ninalowo; Managing Director, MRS Oil Nigeria PLC, Mr. Andrew Gbodume; Director, TVC, Mr. Ronan Redmond; and Business Coach, Stanford Seed, Mrs. Emily Liggett. They agreed that for the youths to take active positions in the private and public sectors there have to be policies, platforms and reform in the education sector that will improve them knowledge, skills and technology wise.

Foundation Targets over 500 Beneficiaries with Educational Support In line with its mandate to promote, protect and preserve the rights and welfare of children in Nigeria, especially in the area of academic development, the Change-a-Life (CAL) Foundation recently held a special fund-raising auctioning event tagged ‘Celebrity Iconic Piece Auctioning’ in Lagos.

The event which was held as part of the foundation’s social service activities for 2018, had several dignitaries and celebrities in attendance, including wife of

the former Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola, represented by Mrs. Azeezat Tijani, who offered to train all beneficiaries of the foundation’s Women-in-business programme in catering services. She restated Mrs. Fashola’s commitment to the foundation and it activities.

Change-a-Life Foundation, a social non-profit organisation driven by the need to enable and facilitate a better life for every Nigerian child, which was founded in 2002 by Ms.

Funmi Iyanda, an awardwinning producer, talk show host, journalist and activist, has consistently delivered several empowering initiatives to support children and women.

The foundation, which is known for supporting beneficiaries primarily children who despite the harsh socio-economic situation in the country have shown determination to thrive in their various academic endeavours, decided to hold the event to raise more funds for the continued

support of academically sound and well-mannered students that are facing financial constraints.

Speaking during the event, the Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Sekinah Ayeyemi said: “This auctioning event provides us with the needed support to reach out to more children. We believe that with the proceeds from today’s event, our foundation would definitely become enabled to support the development of more children and the protection of their rights.�

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Perm Sec Canvasses Proper Guidance/ Counselling to Address Unemployment Funmi Ogundare The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs. Adebunmi Adekanye has stressed the need for proper guidance and counselling on the choice of career/vocation for youths. This she said will reduce unemployment in the country.

Adekanye, who made this known at a workshop on ‘The Relevance of Career/ Vocational Guidance to Lagos State Secondary School Students’ said the theme speaks to the challenges of the education system vis a vis the large army of jobless youths and its attendant socio-economic consequences on the society.

Represented by the Director, Child Guidance, School Counselling and Special Education, Mrs. Ketimu Musa, she said “the disdain with which the society looked at the vocational and technical schools for some decades past is taking its toll on the youth population.�

She expressed concern that skilled jobs that would been taken up by Nigerian graduates in the built industry have been given to expatriates from Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana and Cameroon. “Many property investors go as far as Togo, Ghana and Cameroon to get labour. The agriculture and agro business sector

of our economy has large capacity to employ a lot of people but our youths lack the requisite skills in this sector.�

The permanent secretary said the time has come for the country to face reality, while calling on counsellors not to shy away from advising students that are better off in technical and vocational colleges.

She said the workshop was designed to ensure that guidance counsellors help students in their choice of career/vocations at the end of junior secondary schools (JSS) through the application of the aptitude test and occupational interest inventory,

a diagnostic psychological instrument administered annually to JS3 students in the state to place them in senior secondary school in the field of technical, humanities, business studies or sciences.

She said the judgement and advice of the counsellors become important at this stage of child development because “parental and peer influence make some students insist on a particular course of study without considering their own capacity to pursue the course and we owe responsibility to properly guide and counsel such students towards making them successful and self-dependent in the future.�

IsYour Report Useful for Progress? Ă’Ă?Ă˜ ĂĄĂœĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă—Ă&#x;ÖËÞÓà Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ?Ëœ ĂœĂ?Ă—Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ ÞÒËÞ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂĄĂœĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă&#x;Ăž Ă?Ù×Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă–Ă?Ă?ËŞĂ? Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă–ĂŽË› Ă™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă—Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă&#x;Ăš Ă?Ù×Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă? ÖÙà Ă?ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ?Ă˜ĂžĚ™Ă?Ěš Ă™Ăœ ĂĄĂ‹ĂœĂŽĂ?Ë›

Ă˜Ă™ĂĄ ÞÒËÞ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă“Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ù×Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă? ĂĄĂ’Ă™Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂšĂžĂ‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ Ă‹Ă˜Ă™ĂžĂ’Ă?Ăœ Ă?Ă?ÒÙÙÖ Ă—Ă‹ĂŁ ĂŽĂ?ĂšĂ?Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; ĂĄĂœĂ“ĂžĂ?Ë› Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂĄĂœĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ù×Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;ËŞĂ Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă–ĂŁ Ă•Ă˜Ă™ĂĄĂ˜ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹ Ă?Ă—Ă‹Ă–Ă– Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? Ă’Ă“Ă?˚ÒĂ?Ăœ Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă’Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă“Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă– ĂšĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă Ă? Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă&#x;Ăž ĂĄĂœĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ?Ëœ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă‹Ă–Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ë› Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă‹ ÞÓ×Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă&#x;Ă—Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂžĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă– ÞËĂ?Ă• Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂžĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŽĂ?ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ‹Ă– Ă–Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?Ë› Ă’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă? Ă˜Ă™ ĂŽĂ™Ă&#x;ĂŒĂž ÞÒËÞ Ă“Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă—Ă™ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ă?âÚĂ?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă? ÞÒËÞ Ă“Ă˜ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁĂ? Ă—Ă“ĂœĂœĂ™ĂœĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă™ĂĄĂ˜ Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ?Ă’Ă“Ăš Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?ÞÓà Ă?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë› Ă™ ĂĄĂœĂ“ĂžĂ? Ă‹ ÑÙÙÎ ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžËœ Ă‹ ĂžĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă?Ăœ Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ĂŽĂ™ Ă‹ Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă™Ă&#x;Ă? Ă?Ă Ă‹Ă–Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?ÞËĂ?Ă?ËŞĂ? Ă™Ăœ Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžËŞĂ? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ëœ Ă’Ă“Ă? ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ?Ă˜ Ă?ĂŁĂ˜ĂžĂ’Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă’Ă?Ăœ Ă™ĂŒĂ?Ă?ĂœĂ Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒËÞ Ă“Ă? Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă– ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ”Ă?Ă?ĂžËœ Ă’Ă“Ă? ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă?Ă Ă‹Ă˜Ăž ÙÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ?Ë› Ù×Ă? ĂžĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă– ÞÒËÞ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂ&#x;ĂœĂšĂ™Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă‹ ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂž Ă“Ă? ÞÙ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ? Ă‹ Ă?Ă˜Ă‹ĂšĂ?ÒÙÞ Ă™Ă? Ă‹ Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžËŞĂ? Ă‹Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă“Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă•Ă“Ă–Ă–Ă?Ë› ÞÒĂ?ĂœĂ? Ă Ă“Ă?ĂĄ Ă“Ăž Ă—Ă™ĂœĂ? Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă™Ă&#x;Ă?Ă–ĂŁ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă? ÞÒËÞ ĂĄĂ’Ă“Ă–Ă?Ăž ĂĄĂœĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžËœ ÞÒĂ?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă?ËÚÞĂ&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹ Ă?Ă˜Ă“ĂšĂšĂ?Ăž Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ù×Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?ËŞĂ? Ă’Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂŁ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ?Ă˜ĂžËœ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă™Ă–Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ăœ ÞÒĂ? Ă˜Ă?âÞ ĂžĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă?Ăœ Ě™Ă?ÙÖÖĂ?Ă‘Ă? Ă™Ăœ Ă“Ă˜Ă?ÞÓÞĂ&#x;ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ěš ĂĄĂ’Ă™ Ă—Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ăž Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÓÞ˛ Ă’Ă? Ă?Ă™Ă–Ă–Ă™ĂĄĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂšĂ™Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă‹ĂœĂ? ÞÓÚĂ? ÞÒËÞ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă—Ă‹ĂŁ Ă?Ă“Ă˜ĂŽ Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă– Ă?Ă™Ăœ ĂĄĂœĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă˜Ă?âÞ ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžË? ĚŠ Ă™ Ă˜Ă™Ăž ĂĄĂœĂ“ĂžĂ? Ă˜Ă‹ĂœĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă•Ă?Ă?Ăš ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ ĂĄĂœĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŒĂœĂ“Ă?Ă?Ë› ĚŠ Ă™Ă&#x; Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ÞÙ Ă•Ă˜Ă™ĂĄ ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ÞÙ Ă?ÙÖÖĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹ ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂž Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂŽË› ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂž Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁ Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă“Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă–Ă‹Ă?Ă? ÞÙ Ă‘Ă?Ăž ÞÙ Ă•Ă˜Ă™ĂĄ ÞÒĂ?Ă— Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ÙÖÖĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă‹Ă–Ă– ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽ ÎËÞË Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ?Ă—Ë› Ă™Ă&#x; ĂĄĂ“Ă–Ă– Ă&#x;Ă?Ă&#x;Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă˜Ă™Ăž ĂŒĂ? ÞÒĂ? Ă™Ă˜Ă–ĂŁ Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă“Ă—ĂšĂ&#x;ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ă–Ă“Ă Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă•Ă?Ă?Ăš Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?ĂŁĂ? Ă™Ă˜ ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă?Ă Ă‹Ă˜Ăž ĂžĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă•Ă˜Ă™ĂĄ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ëœ ËÞÞÓÞĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŒĂ?Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă“Ă™ĂœË› ĚŠ Ă‹Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă–Ă‹ĂœĂ“ĂžĂŁ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă—Ë? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă’Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĚ‹ĂžĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂœËœ ĂšĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă?ÓÚËÖ Ă™Ăœ Ă‹ĂŽĂ—Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ™ĂœËœ ×ÙÎĂ?Ă– ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă— ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă?Ă Ă‹Ă˜Ăž ĂžĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂœĂ?Ë› Ă’Ă?Ă?Ă• ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă?ÒÙÙÖ˪Ă? Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž ÚÒÓÖÙĂ?ÙÚÒã˞ ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ&#x;Ă?Ă? ×ÙÎĂ?Ă–Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă?âĂ?Ă?Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă˜Ăž ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ? ĂĄĂœĂ“ĂžĂžĂ?Ă˜ ĂŒĂŁ ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ ĂžĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ Ă?Ă“Ă—Ă“Ă–Ă‹Ăœ Ă?Ă–Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ”Ă?Ă?Ăž Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ë› ĚŠ Ă˜Ă™ĂĄ ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă–ĂŁ ĂĄĂ’Ă‹Ăž ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ë› Ă? Ă“Ăž ĂšĂœĂ™Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă™Ă˜ ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžËŞĂ? ĂšĂœĂ?Ă Ă“Ă™Ă&#x;Ă? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• Ă™Ăœ Ă“Ă? Ă“Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă Ă‹Ă–Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? Ă’Ă“Ă? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ• Ă“Ă˜ Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă™Ă˜ ÞÙ Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă–Ă‹Ă?Ă? Ă™Ăœ ĂŽĂ™ĂœĂ—Ă“ĂžĂ™ĂœĂŁ Ă—Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă?ËŁ ĂœĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă‘ĂœĂ‹ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂžËœ Ă‹ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă“ĂžĂŁËœ ĂœĂ?Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ăœ ĂŽĂ?Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ËŁ Ă‹Ă?Ă’ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ?Ă?Ă? Ă?ÞËÞĂ?Ă? Ă’Ă‹Ă? ˊÚÙÖÓÞÓĂ?Ă‹Ă–Ă–ĂŁ Ă?Ă™ĂœĂœĂ?Ă?Þ˪ ĂĄĂ‹ĂŁĂ? Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŒĂ‹Ă?Ă• Ă“Ă˜ ĂĄĂœĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘Ë›

L-R: The Commercial Director, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, FestusTettey; the 2015 Cowbellpedia champion and beneficiary of the scholarship, Master Ayodele Akinkuowo; and the Managing Director, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Mr. Anders Einarsson, during the hosting/cheque presentation in Lagos before Akinkuowo departed for Russia

British Council Restates Support for Schools’ Devt The British Council in Nigeria has said it would continue to support schools in the country to improve core skills among young people.

The Director of Programmes, Mrs. Louisa Waddingham made this known during the International School Award (ISA) ceremony recently in Lagos recently.

The ISA award is a global benchmarking project that recognises the outstanding work done by schools that are committed to developing international dimension in the curriculum to assist young learners to become effective global citizens.

It also provides a framework for schools to develop an action plan and implement international activities throughout the year and encourages schools to collaborate with schools overseas that will create a rich learning experience for students through the use if ICT. Waddingham said the

award is important to the council because for many years, it has worked with schools and supported education systems globally, adding that the award enables the council to value and appreciate schools as they make progress towards inculcating internationalism into their schools and their behaviours and the way they run their affairs. “The ISA award really recognises how schools develop their young people to be global citizens, so that they can think globally and act locally. What we have today is a lot of strong community projects that the students have done and also what they have learnt about other cultures.

She said Nigeria is one of the 16 countries where the award is being held. “They have standards they need to meet so when the school in Nigeria qualifies and gets the award, it demonstrates that it has a very high international standard “To win this award, the

school needs to go through nine stages and in each stages, it is quite stressful/ interesting for them and it means they have to introduce new themes into the schools, new ways of working and teaching, as well as running their whole school affairs.’’ The director added that the task is demanding, but when they come out of it, they are more able to cope with life challenges and new events that are going to come up.

She said it would also enable schools to teach their students how to adapt and be resilient in all that will happen in their life time, adding that a total of eight schools in Nigeria qualified for the award in 2018 and not less than 22 schools in all have so far been awarded the recognition in Nigeria in the annual event.

Responding, one of the awardees, the Proprietress of MD Schools, Mrs. Omolara Adejugbe said the school would intensify efforts to sustain the standard already attained. She said the school

has always embarked on projects, researches, as well as reached out to its host communities. “We had this connecting classroom projects with our partner schools both in UK, Bangladesh and India. These are the activities we engaged in for the past one year.

However, before then we already had partner schools in the UK and some other places. “Right now, it is not about being singled out to be honoured by collecting awards.

It is the easiest thing to do but sustainability is actually key. I can say comfortably that with this award, we are only just starting, as it will spur us to do more. “We do not want to be ex-champions, we need to stay relevant as we will strive to look at those things that will help us stay relevant,�

Adejugbe said.

She dedicated the award to her entire school management team for their commitment and doggedness in going for the best.

ĚŠ Ă?Ăž Ă™ĂœĂ‘Ă‹Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă?ĂŽË Ă?Ăž ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă?ÒÙÙÖ˪Ă? Ă‹Ă?Ă‹ĂŽĂ?Ă—Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă?Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂž Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ–ĂŁ ÞÙ Ă?ÙÖÖĂ?Ă?Ăž ÞÒĂ? ÞÙÙÖĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;ËŞĂŽ Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? ÞÙ Ă—Ă‹Ă•Ă? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ă Ă‹Ă–Ă&#x;Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă’ Ă‹Ă? ĂžĂ?Ă?Ăž ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–ĂžĂ?Ëœ Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ?ËŞ Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă?Ě‹Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžËœ ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ ĂžĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂœĂ?ËŞ Ă‹ĂšĂšĂœĂ‹Ă“Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă™ĂĄĂ˜ Ă“Ă—ĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ë› ÞÒĂ?Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă? ÞÙ Ă’Ă?Ă–Ăš ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x; Ă?Ù××Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă™ĂŒĂ”Ă?Ă?ÞÓà Ă?Ă–ĂŁ Ă‹ĂœĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂŽĂ?ĂŽ Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ?ËŞ Ă“Ă˜Ă Ă™Ă–Ă Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă™Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ“ĂŒĂ&#x;ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ÞÙ Ă?Ă˘ĂžĂœĂ‹Ě‹Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂœĂ“Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă‹Ăœ Ă‹Ă?ÞÓà ÓÞÓĂ?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă™ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë› ĚŠ Ă?Ăž Ă&#x;Ăš Ă‹Ă˜ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă—Ă?Ă˜Ăž Ă?ĂŁĂ?ĂžĂ?Ă— Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ–ĂŁË› Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă“Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă– ÞÙ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă–Ă–ĂŁ ĂĄĂœĂ“ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?Ù××Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ë› Ă™Ă&#x; Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă™Ăž Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂŽ ÞÙ Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ÚÙÞ Ă‹Ă? ÞÒÓĂ? Ă“Ă? Ă–Ă“Ă•Ă?Ă–ĂŁ ÞÙ ĂŒĂ? Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ™ĂœĂ•Ëœ Ă&#x;Ă˜Ě‹Ă?Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ?ĂžĂ‹Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă?ÞËÞĂ?Ă—Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŽĂ‹Ă—Ă‹Ă‘Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÙ Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ?ËŞ Ă? Ă’ Ă‹ ĂœĂ‹ Ă? Ăž Ă? Ăœ Ă? Ë› ĚŠ Ă’ Ă™ Ă™ Ă? Ă? ĂŁĂ™ Ă&#x; Ăœ ĂĄĂ™ Ăœ ĂŽ Ă? Ă? Ă‹ Ăœ Ă? Ă? Ă&#x; Ă– Ă– ĂŁË› Ă™ Ă&#x; Ă? Ă‹ Ă˜ Ă˜ Ă™ Ăž Ă? Ă&#x; Ă— Ă&#x; Ăš Ă‹ Ă’ Ă&#x; Ă— Ă‹ Ă˜ ĂŒ Ă? Ă“ Ă˜ Ă‘ Ă“ Ă˜ Ă‹ ĂŒ Ùâ Ăž Ă’ Ă‹ Ăž ËŞĂ? Ă™ Ă˜ Ă– ĂŁ Ă‹ Ă? Ă™ Ă&#x; Ăš Ă– Ă? Ă™ Ă? Ă“ Ă˜ Ă? Ă’ Ă? Ă? ĂĄ Ă“ ĂŽ Ă? Ă‹ Ă˜ ĂŽ ĂŽ Ă? Ă? Ăš Ë Ăž Ă“ Ă? Ă“ Ă— Ăš Ă™ Ăœ Ăž Ă‹ Ă˜ Ăž Ăž Ă™ ĂĄ Ăœ Ă“ Ăž Ă? Ă” Ă&#x; ĂŽ Ă“ Ă? Ă“ Ă™ Ă&#x; Ă? Ă– ĂŁ ĂĄ Ă’ Ă? Ăž Ă’ Ă? Ăœ Ă™ Ăœ Ă˜ Ă™ Ăž ĂŁĂ™ Ă&#x; ËŞ Ăœ Ă? ĂĄ Ăœ Ă“ Ăž Ă“ Ă˜ Ă‘ Ă? Ăš Ă‹ Ăœ Ă“ Ă˜ Ă‘ Ă– ĂŁË› ĚŠ Ă? Ăš Ăœ Ă™ Ă‹ Ă? Ăž Ă“ Ă Ă? Ëž ĂŽ Ă™ Ă˜ Ă™ Ăž ĂĄĂ‹ Ă“ Ăž Ă?Ă™ Ăœ Ăœ Ă? Ăš Ă™ Ăœ Ăž Ă? Ă‹ Ăœ ĂŽ Ăž Ă“ Ă— Ă? Ăž Ă™ ĂŽĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă Ă?Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ ĂŒĂ‹ĂŽ Ă˜Ă?ĂĄĂ?Ë› Ă™Ă?Ăž ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ? ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ Ă‹ĂšĂšĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ă• Ă˜ Ùå Ă“ Ă˜ Ă‘ Ăž Ă’ Ă? Ă? Ă“ Ăž Ă&#x; Ă‹ Ăž Ă“ Ă™ Ă˜ Ě‹ Ă‘ Ă™ Ă™ ĂŽ Ëœ ĂŒ Ă‹ ĂŽ Ă™ Ăœ Ă&#x; Ă‘ Ă– ĂŁ Ă? Ă‹ Ăœ Ă– ĂŁË› Ă’ Ă‹ Ăž ĂĄĂ‹ ĂŁËœ Ăž Ă’ Ă?ĂŁ Ă? Ă™ Ě‹ Ă™ Ăš Ă? ĂœĂ‹ Ăž Ă? ĂĄ Ă“ Ăž Ă’ ĂŁĂ™ Ă&#x; Ăž Ă™ Ă? Ă’ Ă‹ Ăš Ă? Ăž Ă’ Ă? Ă“ Ăœ Ă? Ă’ Ă“ Ă– ĂŽ Ă? Ă‹ Ăœ Ă– ĂŁ Ă‹ Ă˜ ĂŽ Ă? Ă™ Ă‹ Ăœ Ă? Ăš Ăœ Ă? Ăš Ă‹ Ăœ Ă? ĂŽ Ă? Ă— Ă™ Ăž Ă“ Ă™ Ă˜ Ă‹ Ă– Ă– ĂŁ Ăž Ă™ Ăœ Ă? Ă‹ ĂŽ Ăž Ă’ Ă? Ăœ Ă? Ăš Ă™ Ăœ Ăž Ă? Ă‹ Ăœ ĂŽ Ë› ĚŠ Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂĄĂ?Ă–Ă– åÓÞÒ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ? ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ Ăž Ă’ Ă? Ăœ Ă? Ăš Ă™ Ăœ Ăž Ă? Ă‹ Ăœ ĂŽ Ă“ Ă? Ă Ă? Ăœ ĂŁ Ă“ Ă— Ăš Ă™ Ăœ Ăž Ă‹ Ă˜ Ăž Ë› Ă‹ Ăœ Ă? Ă˜ Ăž Ě‹ Ăž Ă? Ă‹ Ă? Ă’ Ă? Ăœ Ă? ËŞ Ă? Ă™ Ă˜ Ă?Ă? Ăœ Ă? Ă˜ Ă? Ă? Ă? Ă? Ă‹ Ă˜ Ă’ Ă? Ă– Ăš Ăž Ă™ Ă?Ă‹ Ă? Ă“ Ă– Ă“ Ăž Ă‹ Ăž Ă? Ăž Ă’ Ă“ Ă? Ë› Ă? Ăž Ă‹ ĂŒ Ă– Ă“ Ă? Ă’ Ă‹ ĂšĂœĂ™Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă– ĂœĂ‹ĂšĂšĂ™ĂœĂž åÓÞÒ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒĂ?Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ë› ĚŠ ĂœĂ?Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ă‹ ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ?Ă™Ă˜Ă‹Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă?ĂŽ Ă™Ăœ Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă Ă“ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă‹Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă?ĂŽ ËŠ ĂœĂ™Ă‘ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă? ĂœĂ‹ Ă? Ă•Ă“ Ă˜ Ă‘ Ă? Ă? Ă™ Ăœ ĂŽ ĂŁ Ă? Ăž Ă? Ă— ËŞË› Ă’ Ă“ Ă? ĂĄĂ™ Ă&#x; Ă– ĂŽ Ă? Ă— ĂŒ Ă™ ĂŽ ĂŁ Ă‹ Ă˜ ĂŁ Ă? Ă™ Ă˜ Ă? Ă? Ăœ Ă˜ Ă? ĂŁĂ™ Ă&#x; Ă’ Ă‹ Ă Ă? Ă‹ ĂŒ Ă™ Ă&#x; Ăž Ăž Ă’ Ă? Ă? Ăž Ă&#x; ĂŽ Ă? Ă˜ Ăž Ëœ ĂŁĂ™ Ă&#x; Ăœ Ăž Ă‹ Ăœ Ă‘ Ă? Ăž ĂŒ Ă? Ă’ Ă‹ Ă Ă“ Ă™ Ăœ Ă? Ëœ ĂĄĂ‹ ĂŁ Ă? ĂŁĂ™ Ă&#x; ĂĄĂ™ Ă&#x; Ă– ĂŽ Ă? Ă&#x; Ăš Ăš Ă™ Ăœ Ăž Ăž Ă’ Ă? Ă? Ăž Ă&#x; ĂŽ Ă? Ă˜ Ăž Ăž Ă™ Ă‹ Ă? Ă’ Ă“ Ă?Ă Ă? Ăž Ă’ Ă? Ă— Ă‹ Ă˜ ĂŽ Ăž Ă“ Ă— Ă? Ă? Ă? Ă‹ Ă– Ă? Ă? Ă“ Ă˜ ĂĄ Ă’ Ă“ Ă? Ă’ ĂŁĂ™ Ă&#x; Ăš Ăœ Ă™ Ăš Ă™ Ă? Ă? ÞÙ Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă Ă? Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ă? Ă“Ă˜ Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ?Ă˜Ăž ĂŒĂ?Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă“Ă™ĂœË› Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă—Ă‹ĂžĂ? ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă’ Ă? Ă‹ ĂŽ Ě‹ĂžĂ?Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂœËœ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ? Ă™Ă? ÞÒÓĂ? ËŠĂ?Ă‹ĂœĂ?Ě‹ ĂšĂ–Ă‹Ă˜Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ËŞ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™ĂŒĂžĂ‹Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ?Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ăž ÞÙ Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? ÞÒÓĂ? ÞÙÙÖ˛ Ă’Ă“Ă? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă™ĂœĂŽ Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ? Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă“ĂŒĂ–Ă? ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂžĂ&#x;ĂŽĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă’Ă™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ ĂŒĂ? Ă•Ă?ÚÞ Ă?Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ“Ă‹Ă–Ë› - Omoru writes from the UK

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T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°ÍąËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

Baptist Theological College Celebrates 21 Years of Building Lives, Nation Peace Obi For its decades of commitment to manpower development, building lives and the nation, the Baptist Theological College, Lagos is set to roll out the drums in celebration and thanksgiving to God for the journey thus far, as well as its 20th graduation ceremony.

Briefing journalists at the college’s old site in Isolo recently, the Rector, Rev. Emmanuel Oyemomi said the college which offers a

wide spectrum of knowledge in its training has within the 21 years, positively impacted lives and the nation as a whole.

He said the college goes beyond the training of pastors and that its products are scattered in all strata and areas of leadership both in the country and the Baptist Convention. “There are people that are bi-vocational, who combine the work of God with the work they do. We have them in government, in private sector and in different fields

of endeavours. “We have a lot of our products in the convention, in the conferences and in the association which are the three tiers of our denominational life. The convention is the big umbrella of our denomination and currently the Vice-President in the House of our Convention, Rev. Moses Adebayo is a product of this school.�

Speaking on the place of theological education, the rector said seminary education gave birth to today’s university education. He

however noted that most people have the erroneous belief that in seminary schools, the training is all about studying the bible and becoming a pastor or a church worker. “Theological education offers a broad spectrum of knowledge. In fact we call the seminary the bedrock of all education anyone can talk of. If you trace the history of seminary, it is what gave birth to the growth of knowledge that eventually transformed into the university system

for further expansion of knowledge. “Theological education has grown so much that it has included education, music, management, among others.

In our own school today, we have three major faculties, Faculty of Theology, Religious Education and Music. While people think we only read and study the bible, contrarily, if you come to our seminary, you will be required to specialise in any of the three faculties. And whichever one you choose, you will have cross-breeding courses. There is no area of

specialisation that you won’t have courses you will have to take from each of those departments to become a well-rounded and trained person.�

Speaking on the significance of the anniversary, Oyemomi said 21 years being a multiple of seven years in three places signify perfection and completeness. He said the figures are significant in God’s economy, adding that God has given the institution many achievements such as quality manpower, a permanent site, among others.

Rector Highlights Achievements at Unwana Poly Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki The Rector of Akanu Ibiam Polytechnic, Unwana-Afikpo in Ebonyi State, Dr. Ogbonnia Ibe-Enwo has disclosed that he has revived the economic and academic standards of the institution since he assumed office.

The rector, who stated this during his quarterly appraisal with journalists in the state, said another feat the institution achieved was the establishment of the Poly Unwana Table Water Factory, which he noted has gotten operational registration number from the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Ibe-Enwo, who became the fifth substantive rector of the polytechnic in August 2014, said the management of the institution under his leadership has completed a 1,500-capacity new lecture theatre; an alumni building of two large classrooms; a micro finance bank building; and two blocks of poultry farms, which would serve the Department of Agricultural Technology for its practical work and also boost the institution’s revenue.

Other achievements he said included the construction of over 1,000 desks for students’ use; purchase of new staff bus; purchase of a new Kia Cerato for the Director of Medical Services and a new Nissan Pathfinder SUV for official use; installation of solar power generating system for the old administrative block.

Others are the installation of over 25 solar street lights; and payment of over N367 million for 18-month salary arrears for 11 recalled, 11-month salary arrears for staff, 55-month contentious salary arrears for staff, and pensioners between December 2014 and December 2017.

He said apart from serving the polytechnic community, the factory would also serve as wet laboratory for the Food Technology Department and “we hope to start producing table water as soon as possible to serve our stakeholders.�

Ibe-Enwo added: “Under my watch as rector, we now have a plastic factory which was constructed from a refurbished and rehabilitated plastic-injection moulding machine by the Department of Mechanical Engineering in conjunction with Hanns Nigeria Ltd.

Activist Commends FG for Take-off of MaritimeVarsity Sylvester Idowu in Warri A Niger Delta environmental activist, Sheriff Mulade has applauded the federal government for the successful take-off of the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South West Local Government Area, Delta State.

Mulade in a press statement also commended the efforts of the state government for the actualisation of the initiative. “I want to sincerely express my appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for their tireless efforts towards the kick-off of the Nigerian Maritime University, Oke-

renkoko. I want to equally commend other stakeholders for supporting the take-off of the university. It was not easy getting the university off the ground. “We are assuring the federal and state governments of a conducive learning environment and the guarantee of security to staff and students of the university now that normal academic activities have kicked-off in the university.�

He appealed for special focus on the development of the Niger Delta region, particularly the riverine oil and gas host communities for them to be given a sense of belonging.

L-R:The Board Member I, FCT Universal Basic Education Board, Alhaji Yahaya Usman; the Head, Legal and PR, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Mr. Andrew Enahoro; the HOD, Junior Secondary School, FCT Universal Basic Education Board, Alhaji Hussein Bako; and the Vice-Principal, Academics, Junior Secondary School, Jabi, Abuja, Mrs. Abiola Adewunmi, at the third Promasidor Harness Your Dream programme in Abuja‌ recently

UNILAG Alumni, Zenith Bank Build Shopping Complex, Renovate Car Park Esther Ehoche As part of efforts to build more projects at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), the alumni association of the institution, in collaboration with Zenith Bank has built a shopping complex of 18 shops and is planning to renovate the Moremi Car Park.

Speaking at the inauguration and handover ceremony of Moremi Car Shuttle Park, the National President, UNILAG Alumni Association, Dr. Sunny Kuku said the project is in two phases, the building of the shops and the transformation of the Moremi Car Park.

He said initially there were kiosks which did not look

presentable, adding that with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with Zenith Bank, the association set up proper shops which have been renamed ‘UNILAG Alumni Shopping Complex.’ According to Kuku, the shopping complex is a landmark because it marks the first building the vice-chancellor inaugurated since he assumed office last year, adding that the university has taken appropriate measures to see that it is well maintained. He said the bank is also interested in collaborating with the association to build a 500-bed hostel, which is the next project, adding that part of the hostel would go to the bank

and the remaining part goes to the alumni. “Students will not be charged commercial fees for the hostel, but enough money will be charged for its maintenance.

The hostel is something very close to our hearts because that is one of the things we have set up to do when I came in as the president.�

In his remarks, the ViceChancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Odundipe said the institution has signed a contract with the property developing unit for the maintenance of the university, which includes the shopping complex. Odundipe, who lauded the efforts of the association, said the alumni have been of

great help to the university, setting up projects and building infrastructure. This he said is part of their contribution to the development of the institution and they have done it in such a way that they give it back to the university. “The alumni have assisted the university in many other ways. They have helped in awarding the best graduating student; they are also involved in other projects within the university and the university is ready to support them in our own little way. We thank the alumni for this and we look forward for more. The ambience of the university must change such that it can compete locally and globally.�

Promasidor Guides Students on Informed Career Choices As part of efforts to ensure that students make informed career choices, Promasidor Nigeria Limited recently held its third career guidance workshop for secondary schools in Abuja tagged ‘Promasidor Harness Your Dream’.

The workshop, which held at the Junior Secondary School, Jabi, was organised for the junior secondary three (JS3) students of the host school and their colleagues from Junior Secondary

School, Tudun-Wada and Junior Secondary School, Wuse, Zone I. In his remarks, the Chairman of the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), Abuja, Dr. Kabiru Matazu commended the company for assisting the board to achieve its set objectives through the workshop.

He said the career guidance initiative is in line with UBEB’s order that “education for all is the responsibility for all.�

Matazu, who was repre-

sented by Board Member I of UBEB, Alhaji Usman Yahaya acknowledged that guidance is the key that unlocks the brain of a student in achieving good results, while making the right career choice. He said through Promasidor’s Harness Your Dream, students would be able to know the steps and processes to take to attain their career objectives, which would place them in leadership and entrepreneurial positions in

future. The Principal of the host school, Mrs. Aisha Bello also applauded the company’s resolve to enhance students’ perception in choosing the right profession, saying that the workshop is crucial to students at the JS3 level. “Normally as a school, we organise career talk for our students, but this surpasses what we do because professionals in different fields were brought to interact with them.

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°Íą Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

36

CITYSTRINGS

Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă? ĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ™ĂœË? Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂ–Ă?Ă? Ă”Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂĄĂ‹ Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă– Ă?Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂ–Ă?Ă?˛ËÔĂ&#x;Ă˜ĂĄĂ‹ĚśĂžĂ’Ă“Ă?ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁĂ–Ă“Ă Ă?Ë›Ă?Ù×

Battling the Rot in Bayelsa's Civil Service Emmanuel Addeh writes on the efforts to rid the Bayelsa State public service of years of what the Seriake Dickson government describes as entrenched systemic rot

Dickson...Wants the best for Bayelsa State public service

I

t cuts across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies as months of probes by several committees have recently shown.

The fraudulent personalisation of offices which run like family inheritances; a single individual receiving salaries from, sometimes, as many as three to four MDAs, outright falsification of documents, absenteeism among other vices.

The local governments, for a state that has just eight, were becoming drain pipes, with ghost workers outnumbering the actual workers who deserved a fair reward for their labour.

Before the latest attempt, efforts had been made in the past, albeit feeble and without the requisite political will to enforce the rules, thereby ending in futility.

The reforms, according to the state government include a review of its financial commitment to some of the institutions of government which will now get grants instead of actual wholesale funding.

In the current exercise to rid the state of the rot, the deputy governor of the state, Rear Admiral John Jonah (rtd) working alongside some experienced hands, headed a committee which scoured the nooks and crannies of the state, scanning through payrolls, certificates and the likes for grey areas.

In the end, the committee submitted a report which formed the basis for the ongoing restructuring which the state government says is to create a perfect fit for the thousands of redundant workers inherited by the Seriake Dickson-led administration.

Thereafter, a letter was signed and circulated by Thomas Zidafamo, Head of Service, Bayelsa, to heads of agencies to commence the implementation of the new regulations.

The letter indicated that the directive was sequel to the setting up of a committee by Governor Dickson on staffing and funding of government establishments identified as over-staffed.

The government argued that if not carried out, a collapse of the state's public and civil service, which has been overstressed for years, would be inevitable.

For instance, it was revealed that the stateowned Radio Station (Glory FM) had over 300 personnel, while its private counterparts operate effectively with less than 12 personnel. The same went for the Niger Delta University and some other schools owned by the state.

In the latest effort, the current government, it was learnt, would screen, train and redeploy workers with specialisation in education to schools since the state is in need of more teachers.

One of the discoveries thrown up by the probe panel was the finding of over 8,000 ‘inherited’ appointments, while some family members of deceased civil servants inherited their positions.

Other cases that were said to have bogged down the civil/public service were irregular appointments, arbitrary promotions and impersonations which led to the over-bloated wage bill which the government said it is reducing. “The exercise itself is still ongoing and the entire public service is aware. You must note that the names of the people listed for redeployment are those submitted as redundant workers by the general managers and supervisors.

"For instance, there are over 300 staff in Radio Bayelsa alone while private radio stations have about 10 or 15 doing the same job. The general managers were given the responsibility to fish out redundant personnel many of who were employed under questionable circumstances. “So government is saying that this is not

Already, as a result of the reforms, the local governments have already prevented payment of huge amount of money to payroll fraudsters in its payroll totalling N3.912 billion

sustainable. The onus is on government to bring them in, check their qualifications and redeploy them to appropriate agencies. “Anybody with a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) for instance, would go to the teacher training institute, be trained and redeployed.

Government would use these people to teach,�

Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, told journalists.

On the issue of the withheld salaries, the commissioner said that the money kept in the unpaid salaries account would be released to those found qualified to be engaged in the system as soon as the redeployment is concluded while those who would leave would be financially empowered to start businesses.

Added to the mind-boggling discoveries was that in some ministries, jobs were being sold for as high as N250, 000 by some persons.

However, the government has assured that the right civil service procedure will be followed to disengage those who have either compromised the system or have allowed themselves to be beneficiaries of illegality.

Already, as a result of the reforms, the local governments have already prevented payment of huge amount of money to payroll fraudsters in its payroll totalling N3.912 billion.

Chairpersons of the eight local government areas in the state who addressed journalists said that they were able to reduce an annual payment of N3.912 billion in salaries to the payroll fraudsters in the state from 2016 as a result of the reforms.

In their presentations, the various local government councils chairmen stressed that there has been a drastic reduction in the wage bills of the councils since the commencement of effective implementation of the ongoing reforms in the state.

Presenting what they called ‘facts and figures’ on workers wage bill from 2016 till date, Southern Ijaw Council had as its wage bill of N201 million as against the current N131 million, Ogbia (N207 million-N165), Nembe (N127 million to N99 million) and Brass reduced from N119 to N101 million

Also, Ekeremor moved from (N192 million-N177 million), Kolokuma/Opokuma (N109millionN77million), Sagbama (N171 million-N130 million) and Yenagoa (N194million-N147 million).

A quick summary at the difference in the figures showed a reduction in the amount otherwise paid as salaries to teachers and workers of the council by N3.9 billion.

The event was attended by Iworiso-Markson; the Commissioner for Labour, Employment and Productivity, Chief Collins Cocodia; his health counterpart, Prof. Ebitimitula Etebu, local government council chairmen and the Special Adviser on Treasury, Revenue and Accounts, Mr. Timipre Seipulo.

They described the 70 per cent non-academic staff in the primary schools as unacceptable, stressing that an arrangement where only 30 per cent of an institution was academic staff could not be productive.

It was learnt that the Seriake Dickson-led administration inherited also N1.3 billion local government teachers’ monthly wage bill, which has been reduced to about N1.027 billion in the last two years.

To tighten the noose on defaulters, the government had also withheld the salaries of 4,204 suspects from the eight local government areas.

While 1, 329 of the affected workers were from the local government areas, 2,184 were from the Primary School Education system and 707 from the Pension payroll.

The list of defaulters included persons with computer generated certificates; those working and receiving salaries from multiple agencies of government, those enjoying indefensible promotions in contradiction to civil service rules; pension fraudsters, age falsifiers among others.

The state government had consequently established a judicial commission of inquiry headed by a retired Judge, Justice Doris Adokeme, which is hearing complaints from the affected workers.

The governor on several fora has also lamented that some unscrupulous people were stealing the scarce resources of the state in spite of the fact that Bayelsa remained a state with one of

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°Íą Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

37

CITYSTRINGS

L-R: Bayelsa State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Ebitimitula Etebu, Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson and Commissioner for Education, Jonathan Obuebite, during the event

Local government chairmen giving account of how the reforms have impacted their ďŹ nances positively

the most difficult terrains in the country with a low internally generated revenue.

"We lose almost one billion Naira per month to payroll fraud. We have to clean up this payroll mess. We have a little internally generated revenue, we have a difficult terrain. “We have no support from the federal government, from corporate players who are milking us but are not helping us. I must also say that the courts are waiting, the judiciary commission of inquiry is also waiting," he said.

The governor added: “The reforms we have programmed are aimed at stopping fraud at the local government areas, the local government areas have collapsed. We have set up committees to know why councils are not paying salaries.

Local government received their allocation and nobody tampers with them.

"Our policy since 2012 is that we do not deduct any money from the councils. We have a duty to oversight you and encourage the house to do so. There are negative stories because our people do not know the true situation of the local government areas.

"You should take steps to eliminate this constant haemorrhage, all kinds of fictitious names, children unborn are receiving salaries.�

According to the governor, while most of the older states in the country have a wage bill of N2 billion, Bayelsa State’s wage bill was over N6 billion (State and LGAs) because of the activities of some fraudulent people.

He lamented that the state had one of the highest wage bills in spite of its low Internally Generated Revenue base which he said was N500,000 million per month on the average.

“Implementation of the reforms must commence. We should take out all the people who are falsifying their documents, those involved in fraudulent practices. Bayelsa cannot be for the payment of salaries to people who don’t deserve to earn them. “I want to build more roads, more bridges; clean up the payroll, so that we can clean up the space for the employment of young graduates.

The young ones must be employed so that they can earn their living. I don’t think they would be like the ones who would be employed and they go to Lagos and Abuja without working. “We want people who are productive, we should stop the sense of entitlement, the state payroll should be more than amnesty payroll and those who are employed must be trained and must be productive. “We want to employ more young people in

We lose almost one billion Naira per month to payroll fraud. We have to clean up this payroll mess. We have a little internally generated revenue, we have a difďŹ cult terrain

this state, we have to take out the dead woods, we have to get out these people who would wait to get alert without going to work, those without certificates. “If we don’t take urgent actions, this state will not be able to produce civil servants with the right ethos to compete with their counterparts in other states. We have to work hard to ensure that the state does not grind to a halt. We have to stop crooks from damaging our state. “However, before we can employ our youths, we should take out all these people who are falsifying documents, those involved in fraudulent practices, those without certificates,� the governor said.

Although there was initial resistance from workers in the state, they however used the last annual May Day celebration to declare their support for the civil/public service reform.

The labour leadership said they were enthused by the current efforts to clean up the service, but noted that it must be carried out with a lot of care so the innocent will not suffer.

Mr. John Ndiomu, the Bayelsa State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), while reading the joint position of the labour unions, said the workers believed in building institutions that would sustain the policies of government for future generations.

"We are of the view that the reforms are intended to reposition the public service for better productivity. Congress therefore calls on government to ensure that the reforms are in line with the public service rules," the NLC chair said.

But Ndiomu called on the state government

to consider redeployment and not termination of appointments when dealing with the issue of wrongly placed worker at their point of engagement.

"Labour again, wishes to appeal to government to ensure that the ongoing reforms will not lead to the sacking of any genuine worker in service," he added.

In addition the governor has inaugurated a whistle-blower programme code-named ‘Operation Flush out Payroll Fraud’.

Dickson said the policy was designed to give the citizens the opportunity to communicate directly with him on security, fraud and related issues in the state.

While giving out the four dedicated lines and social media handles tagged ‘Contriman Direct', Dickson said it was designed to give the citizens the opportunity to communicate directly with him, adding that all information from concerned citizens would be treated with confidentiality.

Would the reforms succeed this time? The governor is optimistic and stresses that though the current exercise will not ramp up his political capital, it’s something that must be done for the future of the state. “I have served as governor in this state for six years now, and before that, I worked here as Attorney General. I have been part of this state from its creation so I know what has been going on, but we feel that the time has come to draw up a coherent policy that we will implement so that at the end we will hand over a smart, well-motivated, well trained and disciplined public service,� he concludes.

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, MAY23, 2018

38

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Sanusi: Regional Cooperation, Structural Reforms Key to EconomicTransformation Obinna Chima Africa’s development agenda must focus on the socio-cultural and commercial interests of Africans and the upliftment of Africa’s trade and economic ecosystem, the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II has said.

The former Governor of the Central Bankof Nigeria (CBN) said this during his address at the 2018 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group in Busan, Korea.

“Africa’s economic transformation will be best achieved through fast-tracking regional cooperation and the execution of hard-nosed structural reforms that focus on the development of the continent’s human capital and material resources,” hesaid.

According to a statement, the Emir shared insight about revamping African regional integration, trade and economic relations with Executive Directors and Governors of the Bank, comprising Finance, Budget and Economic Planning Ministers from member nations.

Sanusi traced Africa’s post-

colonial economic woes to the continent’s fiscal indiscipline and endemic disregard for its competitive advantages. For these reasons, he asserted, Africa’s development was stunted and its global trade ties lopsided in favour of offshore trading partners.

“Nine out of every 10 countries in Africa have huge trade deficits with China, but Asia developed mostly on domestic investments and resources,” he noted, underscoring the need for African governments to invest in and promote creativity and indigenous enterprise.

The Emir advocated a series of structural reforms, including strategic investments in key sectors including agriculture, infrastructure, education, and small and medium enterprises.

He called for deliberate industrial diversification, noting that China hadbegun to move its mega-sized manufacturing capabilities out of low-cost industries.

African Governments also need to eradicate constitutional provisions and structures that

increase the cost of governance at national and sub-national levels, manage demographic growth, and revamp and harmonise moribund and ineffective customs and excise duties that promote cross-border smuggling and revenue losses to governments, he said.

Africa’s debt burden continues to inhibit capital investment in industrialisation, he observed, lamenting the misallocation of resources.

“We need to begin to ask ourselves, ‘what do we do with the available funds in our coffers?’”

“Perceptions matter. So, there is an urgent need for improved transparency, as this is clearly linked to good governance,” he said. “We need to accept that we have a perception problem that we must address. We need to tackle corruption, block leakages and create opportunities for new jobs.”

On trade, the Emir called for a regional and pan-African approach to trade negotiations, a tactical model which should be led by the AfDB.

Muhammadu Sanusi II

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

Tribunal Overrules FCMB in N2.5bn Debt Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The Investments and Securities Tribunal (IST) sitting in Abuja has finally resolved a decadelong cyclical dispute between a stock broking firm, Valueline Securities and Investments Ltd and First City Monument Bank Plc (FCMB) over the repayment of N2.5 billion shares purchase fund misappropriated in 2008 by the defunct FinBank Plc with which FCMB consummated a merger.

The Director, Corporate Affairs, IST, Mr. Kenneth Ezea conveyed the Tribunal’s verdict via a press statement Tuesday.

The matter had been handled by the SEC, CBN, AMCON and the Federal High Courts over the decade.

Giving judgment in the case filed by Valueline Securities and Investments Ltd as claimant against Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and First

City Monument Bank Plc as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd defendants, the ISt found FCMB liable to pay the claimant an outstanding debt of N988,533,205.86 plus further accrued interest calculated at 18 per cent in the manner earlier directed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) pursuant to her statutory powers listed in Section 96 of the Investments and Securities Act (ISA)2007.

FCMB is also to pay a penalty of N500, 000.00 to the Claimant as cost of the legal action and a further 10 per cent interest on the judgment debt from the date of the judgment until final defrayment.

The Chairman of the Tribunal, Hon. Siaka Isaiah Idoko-Akoh, who delivered the judgment, explained that the Claimant’s case was that in 2008, it applied for and deposited N2.5billion to buy shares in the Finbank Public Offer but at the end was neither allotted the shares nor was his money returned to him

ETranzact Denies Financial Management Change Emma Okonji The management of eTranzact, a mobile banking and payment services company has announced a fresh management change.

This is just as the company denied allegations of financial fraud leveled against its management staff, which prompted the financial regulator, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to order its management staff to resign with immediate effect.

Announcing the new management change on Monday, the management of eTranzact said the change was not connected with the allegation of financial fraud allegedly committed by its former Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Valentine Obi in connivance with other management staff.

Although the management

of eTranzact admitted there was fraud carried out by some merchants on the company’s platform, it however did not trace it to its management staff, as alleged.

Clarifying the alleged fraud leveled against the former CEO, the company’s Brand and Media Manager, Adeyemi Opene said the former CEO and some management staff had to resign because the fraud was committed under their watch, hence the need for the appointment of an acting Managing Director/ CEO, in person of Mr. Niyi Toluwalope.

According to him, a particular merchant who had access to eTranzact payment platform, was involved in the fraud and was able to move customers’ money to different accounts, without the money reflecting in the bank’s payment system.

as required by capital market regulations.

According to its pleadings and testimonies, Idoko-Akoh said the claimant petitioned the SEC after failing to get its refund.

The SEC, in line with its regulatory functions investigated the complaint, found Finbank culpable and ordered it to pay back the N2.5billion with 18 per cent interest per annum from September 23, 2008 until full liquidation.

However, when the bank failed to pay, the SEC sought the intervention of the CBN; coincidentally, at the time when the FCMB and Finbank were planning a merger. An All Parties Meeting (APM) was convened where the FCMB undertook to repay the indebtedness of Finbank and for its account with the CBN to be debited at source

by CBN provided the merger of the two banks was approved

by SEC to succeed.

Fraud,

Makes

(MILLION NAIRA) 2018

Month

MARCH

Broad Money (M2)

24,303,049.86

-- Narrow Money (M1)

10,912,604.10

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,668,378.21

---- Demand Deposits

9,244,225.90

-- Quasi Money

13,390,445.76

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

15,619,134.18

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

8,683,915.68

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

26,267,136.53

---- Credit to Government (Net)

3,823,345.45

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

5,433,209.43

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

-1,609,863.98

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

22,443,791.08

--Other Assets Net

-17,583,220.85

Reserve Money (Base Money)

6,746,646.49

--Currency in Circulation

1,668,378.21

--Banks Reserves

4,357,551.58 • Source - CBN

MANAGED FUNDS Month

MARCH

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR)

He however said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had since waded into the matter and has recovered over 70 per cent of the diverted funds.

According to eTranzct statement on the management changes, Mr. Valentine Obi, Managing Director of the Company will be stepping down and Mr. Niyi Toluwalope will be taking over as the Managing Director in acting capacity.

Until his appointment, Mr. Niyi Toluwalope was the Chief Financial Officer, a position he has held since 2011. Other executive positions affected by the management changes are: Executive Directors -Mr. Sullivan Akala and Mr. Ike Eze; Chief Technology Officer - Mr. Richard Omoniyi and Head of Operations - Mr. Kehinde Segun.

Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55 • Monetary Policy Rate - 13%

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT, MON, MAY 14, 2018 The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $76.21 a barrel on Monday, compared with $76.47 the previous Friday, 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), Zafiro (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

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, MAY23, 2018

39

MARKET NEWS

Ikeja Hotels Plc Leads Price Gainers as Bearish Trading Dominates Market Goddy Egene and Nosa Alekhuogie

at N2.04 per share, while investors traded about 34.552 million units.

Trading in the shares of Ikeja Hotels Plc was halted by the NSE following a protracted feud among the majority shareholders of the company in 2016.

The dispute led to the removal of Goodie Ibru, its chairman, in 2015 at an

Shares of Ikeja Hotels Plc led the price gainers at the stock market yesterday after the suspension placed on the company by the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in November 2016 was lifted.

The stock appreciated by 9.6 per cent to close higher

extraordinary general meeting (EGM) by some shareholders, while the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) appointed a new board to run the affairs of the company.

However, the NSE on Monday lifted the suspension after the company provided a status update to the market.

According to the Executive Director, Regulation, NSE,

Tinuade Awe, the new board had complied with the necessary regulatory requirements and restored the company to the path of recovery.

“We are satisfied with the work the Ikeja Hotels has done till date this is an appropriate time to lift the suspension on the trading of the shares of the company.

The company had its AGM

PRICES FOR SECURITIES TRADED AS OF

to clear the backlog of certain AGMs. It was this consideration that led the quotation committee of NSE to decide that it is an appropriate time to lift the suspension,” Awe said.

Positive response to this development by investors led to the price gain by the stock to top the 18-gainer price table for the day. Cement

Company of Northern Nigeria Plc closed as the second highest price gainer with 5.0 per cent.

Okomu Oil Palm Plc followed with 4.9 per cent, just as AIICO Insurance Plc chalked up 4.8 per cent. First Aluminium Nigeria Plc and Law Union & Rock Insurance Plc garnered 4.7 per cent apiece.

A S AT 2 2 / 0 5 / 2 0 1 8

Price List (Equities) PRICES FOR PREMIUM BOARD SECURITIES FINANCIAL SERVICES 29

FINANCIAL SERVICES S/N 1 2 3

BANKING ACCESS BANK PLC. UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC

MARKET CAP(Nm) 315,314.89

PRICE

%CHANGE

TRADES

VOLUME

10.90

1.87

198

17,072,518

383,033.52

11.20

-0.88

877,532.00

27.95

-0.36

BANKING S/N 4 OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRIAL GOODS S/N 5 6 BUILDING MATERIALS INDUSTRIAL GOODS OIL AND GAS S/N 7 EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION OIL AND GAS PREMIUM BOARD TOTALS Price List (Equities) PRICES FOR MAIN BOARD SECURITIES AGRICULTURE S/N 8 9 10 CROP PRODUCTION S/N 11 FISHING/HUNTING/TRAPPING S/N 12 LIVESTOCK/ANIMAL SPECIALTIES AGRICULTURE CONGLOMERATES S/N 13 14 15 16 17 DIVERSIFIED INDUSTRIES CONGLOMERATES CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE S/N 18 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION S/N 19 20 INFRASTRUCTURE/HEAVY CONSTRUCTION S/N 21

OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FBN HOLDINGS PLC

BUILDING MATERIALS DANGOTE CEMENT PLC LAFARGE AFRICA PLC.

EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD

MARKET CAP(Nm) 380,490.10

MARKET CAP(Nm) 4,157,883.81 351,273.84

MARKET CAP(Nm) 432,330.22

S/N

23 24 REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS (REITS) CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE CONSUMER GOODS S/N 25

26 27 28

301

26,463,426

31

695

54,879,347

32

%CHANGE

TRADES

VOLUME

33

10.60

-1.40

403

17,721,652

34

403

17,721,652

35

1,098

72,600,999

36

PRICE

%CHANGE

TRADES

VOLUME

244.00 40.50

-0.41 -

43 43 86 86

188,656 90,725 279,381 279,381

TRADES

VOLUME

PRICE 734.70

%CHANGE -

9

1,965

9

1,965

9 1,193

1,965 72,882,345

37 38 FOOD PRODUCTS S/N 39 40 FOOD PRODUCTS--DIVERSIFIED S/N 41 42 HOUSEHOLD DURABLES S/N 43

CROP PRODUCTION FTN COCOA PROCESSORS PLC OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC

MARKET CAP(Nm)

INFRASTRUCTURE/ HEAVY CONSTRUCTION JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. ROADS NIG PLC. REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. LIMITED REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS (REITS) SKYE SHELTER FUND PLC UNION HOMES REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST (REIT) UPDC REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST

AUTOMOBILES/AUTO PARTS DN TYRE & RUBBER PLC BEVERAGES--BREWERS/ DISTILLERS CHAMPION BREW. PLC. GOLDEN GUINEA BREW. PLC. GUINNESS NIG PLC

TRADES

VOLUME

0.20

-

0

0

82.30 75.00

4.97 -0.79

16 16 32

93,606 205,769 299,375

LIVESTOCK/ANIMAL SPECIALTIES LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION ARBICO PLC.

%CHANGE

440.00

MARKET CAP(Nm) 511.20

A.G. LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC. JOHN HOLT PLC. S C O A NIG. PLC. TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC U A C N PLC.

PRICE

78,506.79 75,000.00

FISHING/HUNTING/ TRAPPING ELLAH LAKES PLC.

DIVERSIFIED INDUSTRIES

44

PRICE

%CHANGE

TRADES

VOLUME

4.26

-

0 0

0 0

MARKET CAP(Nm)

PRICE

%CHANGE

TRADES

VOLUME

2,580.00

0.86

-

12

159,171

12

159,171

44

458,546

MARKET CAP(Nm)

PRICE

%CHANGE

TRADES

VOLUME

1,561.90

0.59

-

0

0

202.36 2,111.93

0.52 3.25

-

3 4

161,920 1,752

61,378.47

1.51

-4.43

128

6,663,336

45,668.55

15.85

-

32 167 167

97,562 6,924,570 6,924,570

MARKET CAP(Nm) 711.32 MARKET CAP(Nm) 38,280.00 165.00 MARKET CAP(Nm) 5,846.39

PERSONAL/HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS CONSUMER GOODS FINANCIAL SERVICES

46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 BANKING S/N 55 56 57 58 59 60

4.79

-

0 0

0 0

62

PRICE

%CHANGE

TRADES

VOLUME

63

29.00 6.60

-

25 0

71,515 0

64

25

71,515

TRADES

VOLUME

-

20

151,405

20

151,405

61

65 66 67 68

MARKET CAP(Nm) 2,000.00

PRICE

%CHANGE

TRADES

VOLUME

100.00

-

1

100

70

11,300.89

45.20

-

0

0

71

26,682.70

10.00

-

1

20,000

2

20,100

47

243,020

69

72 73 74

MARKET CAP(Nm)

PRICE

%CHANGE

TRADES

VOLUME

75

1,479.53

0.31

-

0

0

76

0

0

PRICE

%CHANGE

TRADES

VOLUME

2.04

-

21

514,610

MARKET CAP(Nm) 15,972.17

HOUSEHOLD DURABLES NIGERIAN ENAMELWARE PLC. VITAFOAM NIG PLC. PERSONAL/HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC.

DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED FIDELITY BANK PLC GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. JAIZ BANK PLC SKYE BANK PLC STERLING BANK PLC. UNION BANK NIG.PLC. UNITY BANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC.

VOLUME

2.25

FOOD PRODUCTS-DIVERSIFIED CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. NESTLE NIGERIA PLC.

45

TRADES

%CHANGE

DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC MULTI-TREX INTEGRATED FOODS PLC N NIG. FLOUR MILLS PLC. NASCON ALLIED INDUSTRIES PLC UNION DICON SALT PLC.

BANKING

%CHANGE

PRICE

FOOD PRODUCTS

S/N

PRICE

AUTOMOBILES/AUTO PARTS S/N

11,343,403

S/N

PRICE

REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT 22

196

30 BEVERAGES--BREWERS/DISTILLERS

INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. NIGERIAN BREW. PLC.

77 78

242.22

0.89

-

0

0

79

227,799.81

104.00

-

32

160,660

80

INSURANCE CARRIERS, BROKERS AND SERVICES AFRICAN ALLIANCE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC AIICO INSURANCE PLC. AXAMANSARD INSURANCE PLC CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INSURANCE PLC CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CORNERSTONE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC. EQUITY ASSURANCE PLC. GOLDLINK INSURANCE PLC GREAT NIGERIAN INSURANCE PLC GUINEA INSURANCE PLC. INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INSURANCE COMPANY PLC LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. LAW UNION AND ROCK INS. PLC. LINKAGE ASSURANCE PLC MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC. N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. PRESTIGE ASSURANCE CO. PLC. REGENCY ALLIANCE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE PLC STANDARD ALLIANCE INSURANCE PLC. STANDARD TRUST ASSURANCE PLC UNIC DIVERSIFIED HOLDINGS PLC. UNIVERSAL INSURANCE COMPANY PLC VERITAS KAPITAL ASSURANCE PLC WAPIC INSURANCE PLC

445,265.65

51.80

-

5

5,880

983,618.95

123.00

-0.57

143

11,525,926

201

12,207,076

MARKET CAP(Nm)

PRICE

%CHANGE

TRADES

VOLUME

52,750.00

10.55

-0.94

64

651,208

219,000.00

18.25

-3.69

116

3,026,823

136,747.66

33.35

-1.91

92

1,901,103

19,587.59

2.47

-5.00

55

1,592,559

1,489.00

0.40

-

0

0

1,220.67

6.85

4.58

1

59,428

54,445.96

20.55

0.24

23

193,969

3,676.41

13.45

-

1 352

1,000 7,426,090

PRICE

%CHANGE

TRADES

VOLUME

13.00 1,600.00

-1.25

44 36

248,568 127,390

80

375,958

MARKET CAP(Nm)

PRICE

%CHANGE

TRADES

VOLUME

1,680.31

22.10

-

0

0

3,439.82

3.30

-

13 13

142,770 142,770

MARKET CAP(Nm)

PRICE

%CHANGE

TRADES

VOLUME 178,416

MARKET CAP(Nm) 24,416.63 1,268,250.00

86,754.92

21.85

-

43

290,122.77

50.50

-

26

99,729

69

278,145

715

20,430,039

MARKET CAP(Nm) 37,288.23

PRICE

%CHANGE

TRADES

VOLUME

1.61

-0.62

94

8,037,756

376,165.80

20.50

-2.38

43

201,630

63,454.81

2.19

-0.45

155

11,459,381

1,277,313.18

43.40

-0.23

270

9,262,051

20,035.69 10,549.03 40,306.59 186,372.82 11,923.12 30,473.83

0.68 0.76 1.40 6.40 1.02 0.79

-4.23 -1.30 -0.71 -1.25

29 68 40 46 12 35 792

2,023,356 5,897,438 2,195,609 214,391 44,253 3,247,568 42,583,433

MARKET CAP(Nm)

PRICE

%CHANGE

TRADES

VOLUME

4,117.00

0.20

-4.76

3

1,104,700 1,944,268

4,504.63

0.65

4.84

42

25,830.00

2.46

-

7

18,239

2,100.00

0.30

3.45

24

1,763,668 118,169

15,559.12

1.50

-

7

5,155.33

0.35

-

1

150

3,360.00

0.24

-

13

509,336

2,411.47

0.53

-

0

0

1,913.74

0.50

-

0

0

2,456.00

0.40

-

1

1,000

539.32

0.42

-

0

0

2,856.14

0.39

-4.88

21

2,150,326

3,823.73

0.89

4.71

6

1,166,374

7,280.00

0.91

3.41

18

1,765,084

2,720.00

0.34

3.03

23

4,395,776

13,729.31

2.60

3.17

23

1,141,927

1,780.08

0.23

4.55

6

3,750,964

1,832.36

0.48

-

6

112,980

1,800.56

0.27

-

0

0 17,187,700

2,085.21

0.25

4.00

29

5,422.63

0.42

-

0

0

4,483.72

0.48

-

0

0

516.46

0.20

-

1

300

8,000.00

0.50

-

0

0

4,853.33

0.35

-2.78

6

535,631

7,226.68

0.54

3.85

50

1,973,999

41

˾ WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2018

MARKET NEWS

Nestle Shareholders Approve N34bn Dividend, Demand Bonus Shares Shareholders of Nestle Nigeria Plc yesterday approved the dividend of N33.678 billion recommended for the year ended December 31, 2017, which translated to N42.50 per share.

The shareholders, who gave the approval at the 49th annual general meeting (AGM) in Lagos, commended the performance of the company for the year.

While they said the dividend was a significant jump from

N10 paid the previous year, the shareholders urged the board to consider giving them a bonus issue in the coming years.

Nestle Nigeria recorded gross revenue of N244.2 billion, up 34.2 per cent, from N181.9 billion recorded in 2016. Cost of sales went up 34.4 per cent to N143.3 billion, from N106.6 billion, making the firm to close with a gross profit of N100.9 billion, which was 33.9 per cent higher than

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

the N75.3 billion recorded in 2016. Marketing and distribution expenses rose from N28.77 billion to N35.15 billion, while administrative expenses rose from N8.33 billion to N10 billion in 2017. Net finance costs fell by 46.8 per cent from N16.7 billion to N8.9 billion. Profit before tax settled at N46.8 billion, showing a growth of 117 per cent compared with N21.5 billion recorded in 2016. Profit after tax grew

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 17-May-2018, unless otherwise stated.

faster by 325 per cent from N7.9 billion to N33.7 billion in 2017.

In his address to the shareholders, Chairman of Nestle Nigeria, Mr. David Ifezulike, said it was commendable that in such an unstable and challenging environment in 2017, the company delivered “very solid results across board, recovering from the impact of the recession in 2016.”

He explained that the dividend payout was in line

with the company’s policy of making its shareholders the ultimate beneficiaries of business growth.

According to him, in 2017, Nestle brands remained the leaders in their categories by increasing the focus of the marketing efforts on driving penetration through the popularly positioned products (PPP) strategy and continuing to educate consumers on the benefits of good nutrition delivered by the high quality products.

“The increase by 34 per cent of our sales in 2017 is evidence that consumers continue to trust our brands, trust that we will continue to protect as we strive to respond to their needs and their preferences,” he said.

Ifezulike said the company looked towards 2018 with optimism considering the improving business environment and the confidence of the company in its people and value of its brands.

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 191.75 193.10 8.06% Nigeria International Debt Fund 245.76 247.14 6.52% 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 0.84 0.85 2.51% ACAP Income Funds 0.64 0.64 5.90% 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 13.40% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 20.00 20.61 9.47% ARM Discovery Fund 419.69 432.34 7.87% ARM Ethical Fund 29.14 30.02 6.66% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 13.48% 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 157.26 158.37 3.67% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 13.07% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Paramount Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Women's Investment Fund N/A N/A N/A CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 13.47% 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 13.16% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.14 1.17 8.85% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.12 1.15 7.79% 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 1,152.47 1,153.17 0.38% FBN Heritage Fund 151.03 152.35 8.33% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 13.16% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional $113.12 $113.57 0.15% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail $112.95 $113.40 0.09% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 181.22 183.96 12.52% 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 1.40 1.42 6.99% Legacy Debt Fund 3.03 3.03 5.21% 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 N/A N/A N/A Coral Income Fund N/A N/A N/A GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 14.33% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 102.61 103.51 2.60% 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 13.42% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.23 2.25 5.69% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 15.58% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 120.47 120.87 4.75%

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 N/A N/A N/A Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 128.64 131.03 -0.07% 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 1.58 1.58 6.13% 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 2,413.64 2,434.01 7.61% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 184.30 184.30 4.45% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.09 1.10 8.42% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 234.87 234.93 6.65% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 187.01 188.98 4.38% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 13.17% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 10,347.58 10,486.61 7.00% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.09 1.09 3.03% 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 0.38% United Capital Bond Fund 1.65 1.65 5.33% United Capital Equity Fund 0.97 0.99 5.78% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.79% United Capital Eurobond Fund 105.94 105.94 2.95% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.14 1.15 4.84% ZENITH ASSETS MANAGEMENT LTD info@zenith-funds.com Web: www.zenith-funds.com; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 13.42 13.62 7.05% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.97 14.14 5.79% Zenith Income Fund 20.16 20.16 6.54% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.83%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

N/A 135.24 51.22

N/A 2.10% 0.77%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

N/A 158.23 118.61

N/A 161.53 120.78

N/A 10.76% 8.55%

Fund Name FSDH UPDC Real Estate Investment Fund SFS Skye Shelter Fund Union Homes REIT

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

5.10 9.72 18.75 20.55 145.41

5.14 9.80 18.85 20.75 147.41

7.57% 1.59% 6.94% 4.45% 6.24%

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 ˾ WEDNESDAY MAY 23, 2018

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2018˾ T H I S D AY

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INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

Trump: North Korea Summit Preparations Ongoing but May Be Delayed US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the White House was continuing preparations for his expected meeting with North Korean

leader Kim Jong Un but that he was prepared to cancel or delay it if certain conditions are not met, Reuters reported Trump, speaking to report-

Iran Tells Europe to Step Up and Save Nuclear Deal Iran poured scorn on threatened US sanctions on Tuesday and told European powers to step up and salvage its international nuclear deal - though Germany signaled there was only so much it could do to fend off Washington’s economic clout, according to Reuters.

Senior Iranian military and political figures queued up to issue defiant statements a day after Washington threatened “the strongest sanctions in history” if Iran failed to make a series of sweeping changes.

Two weeks on from US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the nuclear pact, his administration told Iran to drop its nuclear programme and pull out of the Syrian civil war among other demands, setting Washington and

ers ahead of a meeting with South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in at the White House, reiterated his assertion that Pyongyang by denuclearise as a condition of the planned meeting next month in Singapore.

BBC quoted the South Korean news agency Yonhap

as saying that Moon is “likely tell President Trump what to expect and what not to expect from Kim.” Last week, the North said it might cancel if the US insisted on it giving up nuclear weapons unilaterally.

“If it does not happen, maybe it will happen later,”

Mr Trump was quoted as saying by AFP news agency at the start of his talks with Mr Moon.

According to Reuters news agency, he said there was a “substantial chance” the summit would not happen in June.

The historic 12 June

Tehran further on a course of confrontation.

“The people of Iran should stand united in the face of this and they will deliver a strong punch to the mouth of the American Secretary of State and anyone who backs them,” Ismail Kowsari, a senior commander with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said, according to the Iranian Labour News Agency.

The 2015 nuclear agreement, worked out by the United States, France, Germany, Britain, Russia, China and Iran, lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran limiting its atomic program.

Trump called it the worst deal ever negotiated but European powers see it as the best chance of stopping Iran developing a nuclear bomb.

Israel has ordered 50 F-35s I

F-35 Stealth Fighter Sees First Combat, in Israeli Operation The US-made F-35 stealth fighter has seen its first ever combat action, flying in an operation for the Israeli air force, according to BBC. The air force chief showed an image of jets over Beirut, Lebanon, and said the planes had “already attacked twice on two different fronts”.

Israel recently carried out scores of air strikes in Syria.

The F-35, from the world’s priciest military programme, has been criticised both for cost and combat effectiveness.

Last year, Defence Secretary James Mattis had to defend the programme after then President-elect Donald Trump tweeted criticising its huge price, said to be close to $100m (£74m) per plane.

Maj Gen Amikam Norkin told heads of 20 foreign air forces meeting in Israel: “We are flying the F-35 all over the Middle East and have already attacked twice on two different fronts.” He did not specify the targets.

“You know that we just won the Eurovision with the song ‘Toy.’ Well, the F-35 is not a toy,” he said.

Israel, the first country outside the US to acquire the single-seat fighter, has received nine of the 50 F-35s it has so far ordered, and

summit is due to take place in Singapore. It follows a summit between Mr Kim and Mr Moon in April.

North Korea is expected to dismantle a nuclear test site this week as a good will gesture but the demolition may be delayed by bad weather.

SRAEL DEFENSE FORCES

China to Cut Auto Tariffs on July 1 as Trade Tensions Ease Japan, Russia, Turkey bring potential US tariff retaliation to $3.5 bn

China announced on Tuesday that it would cut tariffs on auto imports from July 1, could take up to 75. the latest sign of a thaw in In Israel it is referred to trade frictions with the United by its Hebrew name “Adir” States, Agence France-Presse (Mighty). The jets are believed reported. to be the F-35A variant - Beijing has announced a flurry conventional takeoff and of liberalisations and reforms landing. since coming under fire from The BBC’s Tom Bateman in the Trump administration and Jerusalem says Israel’s claim some European politicians for to have used it in an opera- its protectionist policies. tional strike even before the The planned reduction in Americans may be designed import duties from 25 percent as a further show of military to 15 percent is a boon for strength, as it believes elite international carmakers keen Iranian forces are trying to to grow sales in the world’s entrench themselves in Syria largest auto market but may to threaten Israel. fall short of fulfilling US Israel said its recent air President Donald Trump’s strikes inside Syria targeted expectations that Beijing Iranian military infrastructure, match US tariffs of 2.5 percent. in response to rocket fire aimed at Israeli military positions in the occupied Golan Heights.

Iran has hundreds of personnel in Syria, who it says serve as military advisers Facebook boss Mark Zuckto the Syrian army. It has also erberg arrived to meet Eusent thousands of volunteer ropean Union lawmakers on fighters in support of the Tuesday ready to apologise Syrian government. for a massive data leak, in The US has given Israel his latest attempt to draw more military aid than any a line under a scandal that other country in the world has rocked the world’s big- currently around $4bn gest social media network, a year - and its laws on Reuters reported. arms sales require that Israel Zuckerberg agreed to meet always maintains military leaders of the European superiority in the Middle Parliament to answer quesEast. tions about how political

Demands reportedly put to Beijing by Washington at the start of trade talks called on China to lower all tariffs to at least match those of the US. Trump has been following the issue closely and on Monday tweeted: “On China, Barriers and Tariffs to come down for first time.”

The announcement in Beijing came days after Vice Premier Liu He and US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin led negotiations in Washington which ended with an agreement to pull back from the brink of a trade war.

The two sides agreed to refrain from imposing tariffs threatened on billions of dollars’ worth of goods that would have dented US-China

trade.

But even as Trump has talked up the agreement, writing on Twitter that China “will purchase from our Great American Farmers practically as much as our Farmers can produce,” other members of his administration have split on the detente and said tariffs were still on the table.

“Real structural change is necessary,” US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said of China’s economy in a widely cited statement released Sunday.

Also, Japan, Russia and Turkey have warned the United States about potential retaliation for its tariffs on steel and aluminum, the World Trade Organization

said on Tuesday, bringing the total US tariff bill to around $3.5 billion annually.

The three countries detailed their compensation claims in notifications to the world trade body, following similar moves by the European Union, India and China.

Each showed how much the disputed US tariffs would add to the cost of steel and aluminum exports to the United States, based on 2017 trade.

Russia said the US tariffs, which President Donald Trump imposed in March, would add duties of $538 million to its annual steel and aluminum exports. Japan put the sum at $440 million. Turkey added a further $267 million.

Facebook’s Zuckerberg to Apologise to EU Lawmakers over Data Leak consultancy Cambridge Analytica improperly got hold of the personal data of 87 million Facebook users, including up to 2.7 million in the EU. According to pre-released remarks, Zuckerberg will say it has become clear “over the last couple of years that we haven’t done enough to prevent the tools we’ve built from being used for harm as well.”

“Whether it’s fake news, foreign interference in elections or developers misusing people’s information, we didn’t take a broad enough view of our responsibilities. That was a mistake, and I’m sorry.”

His comments echo an apology last month to US lawmakers, but questions remain over how Facebook let the leak happen and whether it is doing enough

to prevent a recurrence.

Zuckerberg’s appearance in Brussels comes three days before tough new EU rules on data protection take effect. Companies will be subject to fines of up to 4 percent of global turnover for breaching them.

Zuckerberg will stress Facebook’s commitment to Europe, where it expects to employ 10,000 people by the end of the year.

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2018˾ T H I S D AY

CATHOLIC PROTESTS…

CATHOLIC PROTESTS…

Enough is Enough, Catholics Tell FG Our Correspondents Thousands of Catholics poured into the streets of Umuahia yesterday to protest against the wanton killings being carried out by Fulani herdsmen in some parts of the country, warning that “enough is enough.”

The Catholic faithful drawn from parishes across Umuahia Diocese rose in solidarity with their counterparts in Makurdi Diocese of Benue State where two Catholic priests, Rev Fr Joseph Gor, Rev Fr Felix Tyolaha and 17 parishioners were on April 24, 2018 brutally murdered inside the church by Fulani herdsmen.

Clad in black attiref the protesting faithful, led by the Catholic Bishop of Umuahia Diocese, Most Rev Lucius Ugorji, evoked an eerie feeling of mass mourning as they marched in a procession through the major roads in the Abia capital singing and praying for quick end to the senseless killings in the land. They carried placards, some of which bore inscriptions: ‘Stop these senseless killings’; ‘God is the giver of life’; ’Government should rise up to its primary responsibility of protecting lives and properties’.

The protest rally commenced at Mater Dei Cathedral and ended at St. Finbarrs Catholic Church along Bende Road with the speeches given by the Bishop Ugorji, representatives of the clergy, religious and church organisations in the diocese, who all denounced the killings and government’s inaction.

Bishop Ugorji said the rally was meant to “vehemently protest” the senseless killings of thousands of people in Nigeria by the Boko Haram sects, Fulani herdsmen terrorists and other unscrupulous groups or individuals.

“We need to stress the sanctity and inviolability of human life. The life of every individual whether Christian or Muslim, whether believer or unbeliever, whether rich or poor, whether powerful or powerless, whether man or woman, whether young or old, whether born or unborn is sacred,” he declared.

Ugorji emphasised the need for all people of good conscience in Nigeria to speak out against the murderous activities of Fulani herdsmen and the apparent inability of the federal government and its security agencies to rein them in.

“Whenever the right to life is violated anywhere in the country, it is threatened everywhere in our nation. With the incessant shedding of blood by the Boko Haram adherents and the Fulani terrorists, the life of every Nigerian is threatened,” the Bishop said.

Plateau CAN Mourns with Counterpart over Killings

Benue

The Chairman, Jos North Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev Canon Nenman Gowon, has led Christians in Jos, comprising men and women and dressed in black attire to mourn with their Benue State counterparts over the unfortunate killings in the state.

Gowon said the CAN in Jos mourned with them over the carnage, and to also prayed that Leah Sharibu who is still in captivity in the hands of Boko Haram would be released.

According to him, “We also want to cry out to the government of Nigeria that we in Plateau State, particularly in Jos North, are being attacked by either herdsmen or enemies of the land. Right now as I am talking, one of our villages, which is called Mefarumesta is a no-go-area. We cannot go there and worship again. We have a church there but we cannot go there to worship. We are crying on to the Lord and we are crying on to the world to see the shame and the disgrace that we are in.”

Catholic Faithful Protest Incessant Killings

by Herdsmen in Kaduna Hundreds of Catholic clerics and faithful in Kaduna yesterday joined in the nationwide protest against incessant killings by herdsmen across the country.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) had directed that all its faithful should organise a peaceful rally against the killings by herdsmen in the country.

Dressed mostly in black, the faithful converged at Our Lady of Fatima at Sabon Tasha GRA, Kaduna, and marched to and from the KRPC Junction and back to the church.

They were singing choruses, waving rosaries and displaying banners and placards. Some of the placards read: ‘Stop the killings’, ‘Human life is sacred’, ‘Provide Jobs’, etc.

One side of the dual carriage way was blocked by the police who escorted the protesters during their procession which started at about 9a.m. and ended at about 11a.m.

.....Defy Early Morning Rain in Benin

Catholic faithful of Benin Metropolitan See yesterday defied the early morning rain to join other Catholic faithful across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to protest the wanton killings in the country.

The faithful drawn from the 18 local government areas of the state in their thousands gathered as early as 8a.m. at the St. Paul Catholic Cathedral, Airport Road, Benin City, and Holy Cross Cathedral, Mission Road, also in Benin City, before marching through the major streets with placards of various inscriptions.

Addressing newsmen shortly after the procession, the Catholic Archdioces of Benin, Most Rev. Augustine Obiora Akubeze, said the wanton killings in the country has become

A procession by Catholic faithful from St. Leo Catholic Church, Toyin Street Lagos, along Allen Avenue, over the incessant killing of Christians across the country in Lagos……yesterday

unbearable which necessitated the peaceful protest.

Gridlock as Faithful Protest in A’Ibom Movement of motorists and commuters was yesterday slowed down as Catholic leaders, Priests, women and youths particularly staged a peaceful protest in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.

The protest by hundreds of Catholics faithful in the state started in the morning from the Uyo Diocesan headquarters at Brook Street to the state Government House, the Hilltop Mansion situated at the end of Wellington Bassey Way. As at 3p.m., the protesters were still seen on the streets after being received by the state Governor, Udom Emmanuel protesting the recent murder of two Catholic Priests and 17 parishioners by herdsmen in Benue State.

Placards displayed during the protest carried various inscriptions which some read: ‘No to religious terrorism’; ‘Live and let’s live’; ‘No weapon fashion against Christians shall prosper’; ‘Say no to terrorism in places of worship’, Christian lives matter’; ‘No to ethnic cleansing’; ‘Human life is sacred.’

Fielding questions from newsmen, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Uyo, Most Rev. John Aya, totally berated the collapse of security architecture in the country which, he noted was responsible for the gruesome killings in some part of the country as well as the invasion of the Catholic Church in Benue, where two Ppriests and 17 parishioners were killed by armed herdsmen.

Lagos Catholics Storm Lagos Govt House No fewer than 5,000 Catholic faithful yesterday stormed the Office of Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, protesting massive killings of members and others in Northern Nigeria.

The protesters, who flooded the State House, Alausa from different parts of the state, shut down all roads leading to the office of the governor.

The entrance leading to the state House of Assembly was blocked to prevent the protesters from gaining entrance, while government officials received the protesters at the gate.

The protesters were armed with placards that read: ‘Bring these killers to justice now.’ ‘Enough of this madness, ‘Make Nigeria safe again.’ ‘FGN stop the kidnapping; and ‘Stop this carnage.’

In a letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, which was delivered to Ambode and received on his behalf by the Special Adviser on Civic Engagement, Benjamin Olabinjo, the protesters decried the massive killings across the country, especially in the North-central zone.

Signed by Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Achbishop Alfred Martins, the letter said many Nigerians embraced the change mantra of the Buhari administration, but lamented that three years after, people now live in fear because of killer herdsmen, who actually qualified to be called terrorists.

FG Urged to Be Responsive and Responsible Hundreds of Catholic parishioners in Abeokuta the Ogun State capital yesterday took to the streets and staged a peaceful protest in compliance with the directives of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, urging them to register their grievances over the wanton killings of two priests and 17 members in Benue State recently by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Leading the hundreds of the protesters, the Catholic Bishop of Abeokuta Diocese, Rev Olukayode Odetoyinbo, admonished the federal government to be response and responsible, and put an end to the wanton killings of Nigerians.

According to Odetoyinbo, he pointed accusing fingers at some elements whim he accused are the elements behind the killing and gave conditions for peace to reign in the country

he said President Muhammadu Buhari must do the needful with the power vested in him and halt the senseless killings.

Halt the Spate of Killings by Herdsmen Members of the Catholic community in Awka yesterday embarked on a protest march, calling on the federal government to halt the spate of killings by Fulani herdsmen in the country.

The protest which kicked off at Ekwueme Square terminated at the St Patrick Cathedral, where the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, addressed the protesters.

He expressed displeasure over the prolonged silence of the federal government in the recent killings of two Catholic priests and 17 worshippers in Benue State, alleging that the silence was an indication that the penetrators of the heinous crime acted on instructions.

Ezeokafor, who was represented by the Chancellor of the diocese, Rev Fr. Francis Chidume, regretted the federal government’s inability to defend the lives and property of the citizenry.

He said the protest, which coincided with the burial of the priests and parishioners, was in fulfillment of the directive of the Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria on the insecurity of lives and property in Nigerians.

Lack of Value for Human Lives Must Stop Members of the Catholic Church of Nigeria in Bayelsa State yesterday protested in Yenagoa over the incessant killing of Christians by herdsmen and Boko Haram insurgents, saying that the lack of value to human lives in Nigeria must stop.

Particularly, the protesters said they were irked by the recent gruesome murder of two Catholic priests and 17 other members in Benue State by the herdsmen.

Led by the Bishop of the Bomadi Diocese, Archbishop Hyacinth Ogbebor, with full participation by other priests in the diocese, the protesters marched from the Amarata Parish to the gate of the Bayelsa State Government House.

When they got to the Government House in Onopa, they were received by three officials of the Governor Seriake Dickson-led administration, Jonathan Obuebite, Commissioner for Education; Samuel John-Peters, Special Adviser on Religious Matter; and Boma Spero-Jack, Special Adviser on Security Matters.

A letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari through Governor Dickson by the protesters bemoaned “the outright loss and diminishing of the integrity of life in Nigeria through the incessant brutal killing of innocent citizens.”

Niger Police Deny Catholics Permit to Hold Demonstration The police yesterday denied Catholic priests and other members of the Catholic denomination permit to embark on a peaceful demonstration in Minna, the Niger State capital.

The demonstration was expected to have started from the St Michael’s Catholic Cathedral Bosso road to the city gate along the Minna-Paiko road after a special service.

It was to protest the recent killings of two Catholic priests in Benue State by suspected herdsmen, the continued incarceration of Leah Sharibu one of the girls abducted by Bokoharam insurgents at Dapchi town in Bauchi state and other killings in the country.

Catholic priests and other faithful from the 25 local government areas of the state had assembled at the premises of the church in readiness for the demonstration before it was suddenly put off.

The police were said to have told the leadership of the church that sought the permission for the peaceful demonstration that it could not guarantee their safety during the protest.

As a result, the demonstration took place within the church compound amidst singing, praying and shouting of halleluya.

53

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2018˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

Shell’s Oil Spill Dispute with Nigerian Villagers Back in UK Court Again, crude oil price hits $80 per barrel Ejiofor Alike áÓÞÒ ËÑÏØÍã ÜÏÚÙÜÞÝ Lawyers for the Bodo community in Ogoniland of Rivers State, which was devastated by two major oil spills in 2008, went to court in London yesterday to fend off what they said was an attempt

by Shell to kill off their litigation.

This is coming as crude oil price rose briefly to $80 per barrel yesterday after the United States toughened its stance on Iran and Venezuela, key oil producers and members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

The Bodo oil spills have been the subject of years of legal wrangling.

In 2015, Shell admitted that the two spills were caused by operational failure of the pipelines and accepted liability for the spills, committing to pay 55 million pounds, about $83 million to Bodo villagers and to clean up their lands and waterways.

In addition to the payment

of compensation, THISDAY gathered that the clean-up of the 2008 operational spills at Bodo restarted in September 2017, with the re-mobilisation of the two international contractors utilising the 400 youths trained for the exercise.

Reuters reported that Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC)’s lawyers argued yesterday in London court that the litigation should be struck off in October 2018, or at the latest a year later, insisting that it should only be re-activated if SPDC failed to comply with its obligation to pay for the clean-up.

But lawyers for the Bodo community said that was unacceptable, because the clean-up could go wrong for any number of reasons and that under Shell’s proposal the villagers would be left without the recourse of going back to court.

“The effect of what Shell is trying to do is to kill off the case,” Reuters quoted Dan Leader, the Bodo community’s lead lawyer, as saying on the sidelines of the

hearing.

“It’s only because of the pressure of litigation that the clean-up is getting back on track,” Leader added.

But Shell’s lawyers, citing an earlier judgment, compared the stayed litigation to a “gun in the cupboard” that the Bodo community’s lawyers wanted to be able to hold to Shell’s head at their convenience, for years on end.

Shell’s lawyers further argued that the litigation was a hindrance to the clean-up because it gave some local community members the

impression that there was still the possibility of a bigger payout, incentivising them to block the clean-up rather than cooperate.

“The previous persistent delays to the clean-up process clearly demonstrate that litigating Nigerian oil spill cases in the English courts does little to resolve the complex underlying security and community issues which can frustrate attempts to clean up areas impacted by oil pollution,” an SPDC spokeswoman said.

“We hope that the community will continue to grant the access needed

for clean-up to progress as planned,” she added.

A judgment on the litigation issues is expected on Friday.

While Shell attributed 80 per cent of spills in the Niger Delta to criminal sabotage, the company admitted that the two Bodo spills were caused by operational failure of the pipelines, and accepted responsibility as soon as the independent Joint Investigation Team determined the cause.

Also as in all cases of operational spills, Shell also acknowledged responsibility to pay appropriate compensation

as required by the provisions of the Nigerian Oil Pipelines Act. In another development, crude oil price rose brieflyon Tuesday morning after the US toughened its stance on Iran and Venezuela, key oil producers and OPEC members.

While the West Texas Intermediate rose by as much as two per cent to to $72.72 per barrel, the global benchmark, Brent climbed 0.83 per cent to $80.11 per barrel before settling at $79.79 per barrel.

Brent and WTI had shot to multi-year high over the past few weeks.

Akande: APC Parallel Congresses May Affect Party in 2019 Elections Hammed Shittu ÓØ ÖÙÜÓØ Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, yesterday hinted that the reported conduct of parallel congresses in some states of the federation in the just concluded state primaries of the party has the capacity to affect its fortunes in the forthcoming general elections.

Akande, a former governor of Osun State dropped the hint shortly after the launch of a 640-page autobiography of a former Leader of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Chief Wole Oke, titled: ‘Omopeninun, The Myth, The Reality’.

He, however, agreed that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party was up to the task of tackling the challenges that would arise from the several parallel congresses that took place over the weekend.

Akande added: “I am expecting that the committee will look at the petitioners’ claim dispassionately and judge them based on their genuineness or otherwise.”

On the purported factionalisation of the party that might arise from the congresses, Akande said: “I think the National Executive Committee of the party is going to sort it out depending on the circumstances of each state.

“It ought not to have happened but I don’t know why they happened. Now that it has happened, it is the duty of the National Executive Committee to look at it and say this one is genuine or the other one is causing parallel congress.”

And when prodded on the possible effects of the development on the fortunes of the APC at the 2019 polls,

he said: “Crisis will definitely affect the fortune of any party, but it is the duty of the party to control it.”

Apart from Akande, other dignitaries at the book launch included Governor AbdulFattah Ahmed who was represented by the Head of Service, Mrs. Susan Oluwole, a former gubernatorial aspirant, Dr. Amuda Aluko, state chairman of the PDP, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, former Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Luke Edungbola, Chief Peter Olorunishola (SAN), Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Dr. Ali Ahmad who was represented by his deputy, as well as several state parliamentarians.

Earlier, Akande had revealed how he used to look at civilians who engaged the military junta in liberation war as ‘foolish’ but that seeing how they had succeeded in entrenching democratic governance in the country he had now changed his views about them.

Both Akande as well as Governor Ahmed described the author, who once served as Secretary of the pro –democracy group, NADECO in the state as a man of outstanding qualities, a committed community developer, nationalist and great political fighter.

A former governor of the state and leading figure in the NADECO movement, Chief Cornelius Adebayo, who was the Chairman of the occasion, expressed satisfaction that Oke’s life and involvement with opposition politicking had established the fact that lining community development to being members of the ruling party in a state is a misconception.

MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT

L-R: Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio; Senator Danjuma Goje, Senate Leader, Senator Lawal Ahmed; President Muhammadu Buhari; and Senator Olusola Adeyeye, after a meeting with the president at the State House in Abuja....yesterday ˛

INEC Ends Candidates’ Nomination for Ekiti Governorship Poll 35 political parties field candidates Onyebuchi Ezigbo ÓØ ÌßÔË The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has closed submission of names of governorship candidates by political parties.

As at the expiration of the deadline for the exercise yesterday, 35 political parties had fielded candidates for Ekiti State governorship election.

Yakubu disclosed this in an interview with journalists shortly after he received a delegation of the ECOWAS Female Parliamentarian Association (ECOFEPA) yesterday in Abuja.

He said the details of the political parties would be published yesterday in Ekiti as required by law.

He added that the commission last Monday closed the nomination of candidates by political parties for the June 2 Ibarapa State House of Assembly b-election and seven political parties also submitted nomination forms.

Yakubu promised that all registered voters in Ekiti and Osun State would get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) before the election days.

“In the cases of Ekiti and Osun,

remember INEC conducted Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) not only in 2017, but also in 2018 and at ward level.

“We have assured citizens in Ekiti and Osun State that all those who registered will get their PVCs ahead of the elections.

“We have already delivered PVCs for 2017 in the two states for 2017 and 2018. We are mopping up for those who registered at ward level during the devolved CVR.’’ Yakubu also responded to the allegation by the Peoples Democratic Party PDP) that the commission accredited agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as observer groups by INEC for Ekiti election.

“As far as Ekiti election is concerned, we have not accredited observers for the Ekiti election. There is a procedure and it is known. It is even on our website, the guidelines for elections observation.

“We have received quite a number of applications, even yesterday the applications kept coming in, but we have not accredited any group for election observation in Ekiti and Osun.

“Very soon we will do this and as usual we will make it known to the public.’’

Earlier, addressing the ECOFEPA delegation, Yakubu pledged to use his position as the President of ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) to advocate for more women participation in politics.

He explained that INEC was a gender-friendly commission, saying out of 11 national commissioners in the commission three were women.

“INEC has a workforce of 16,000 staff and women constituted over 32 per cent of it.’’

Yakubu added that the commission already had its gender policy and was working with political parties to ensure more women’s participation in politics.

The first Vice President of the ECOWAS Female Parliament Association (ECOFEPA), Hon. Aissata Daffe, from Conakry, decried the low level of women participation in politics and their number in elective positions in the sub-region.

Daffe, said that women constituted over 52 per cent of the Nigeria’s population but only had six per cent representation

in decision making levels, while Senegal had 42 per cent.

Sintiki Ugbe of ECOWAS Commission in Abuja, presented the ECOFEPA’s ECOWAS Gender Election and Strategic Framework document to Yakubu and said they were on advocacy visit to INEC. Ugbe expressed hope that the document would serve as a tool of election management bodies in ECOWAS and all other stakeholder to integrate gender in their electoral processes.

On his part, the INEC boss assured the delegation that INEC is a gender sensitive body, adding that the commission has been working with political parties to increase women participation in politics and governance.

He said that out of the commission’s eleven commissioners, three are women.

Also he said that INEC has a workforce of over 16,000 staff and that women constitutes over three per cent.

INEC has a gender policy Yakubu further said that out of the 68 political parties in the country, five of them have women as their chairman.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2018Ëž T H I S D AY

54

NEWSXTRA

Security Fears Keep Kidnapped Dapchi Schoolgirls at Home Hundreds of girls have refused to return to their school in northeast Nigeria because of security fears following a mass kidnapping by Boko Haram jihadists, parents and teachers said yesterday.

Jihadists stormed the Government Girls Technical College in Dapchi on February 19, seizing 111 schoolgirls in a carbon copy of the abduction in Chibok in 2014 that caused

global outrage.

All but six of the Dapchi girls were returned to the school just over a month later. Five died in captivity while the only Christian among them is still being held.

The school re-opened on April 30 but one teacher, who asked not to be identified for fear of official sanctions, said most pupils have stayed away because they were still afraid.

1PMJDF $POmSN 3FMFBTF PG "CEVDUFE 4ZSJBO /BUJPOBM JO 4PLPUP Mohammed Aminu Ă“Ă˜ ÙÕÙÞÙ The Sokoto State Police Command yesterday confirmed the release of abducted Syrian national, Abdul Nadir, who works with Triacta Construction Company at Lambar Mazuru village of Bodinga Local Government Area in Sokoto State.

The Syrian national was abducted by unknown gunmen six days ago, who also killed the three policemen guarding the premises.

The Police Public Relations Officer and Deputy Superintendent of Police, Cordelia Nwawe, confirmed the release of the foreigner to journalists in Sokoto.

She disclosed that the abducted Syrian was released and dropped along Arkilla area of Sokoto metropolis by Monday midnight.

The PPRO described the foreigner as hale and hearty and in good health contrary

to insinuations that he had been killed by the kidnappers. “As you can see, Nadir is hale and hearty and in good spirit.

For us, we are quite happy that he is in good condition. “I will not be able to give you details on how he was released because it is an operational detail. “Whether ransom was paid or not is what we don’t know.

Nobody has asked through the police money for the release of Nadir,� she said.

She further said the command was making frantic efforts with a view to apprehending the kidnappers.

Nwawe to this end, urged the members of the public to go about their lawful businesses without any fear, assuring that the police would ensure their safety. “There is no cause for alarm.

Foreigners living in Sokoto and residents should not panic but go about their businesses without fear,� she added.

“We have a total student population of 989, and out of that number only 314 have resumed after we reopened. Of the 314 that returned, 299 are writing their final examinations and will be leaving school in July,� he said. “So, technically, we can say only 15 students have resumed, who will be continuing their education here.�

Bashir Manzo, who headed the abducted girls’ parents association, said children were being kept at home because of a lack of security personnel. “There are only a handful of soldiers and vigilantes guarding the school, not more than 25 in all, a number grossly inadequate to protect our daughters,� he told AFP. “We believe even the 15 girls that returned will go back home once their seniors finish their examinations and leave.�

The education commissioner for Yobe state, Mohammed Lamin, angrily dismissed parents’

concerns and said “everything humanly possible� had been done to make the school safe. “We deployed soldiers, police, civil defence paramilitary and vigilantes to the school providing security 24 hours,� he said. “How can they say security is inadequate? Do they have such level of security in their homes?�

Security has been an issue in Dapchi since it emerged that soldiers had been withdrawn before the kidnapping and claims that warnings about Boko Haram’s arrival went unheeded.

Some children who escaped the abduction vowed never to return.

Another parent, Kachalla Bukar, said there were now even fewer troops in the remote town, which lies some 100 kilometres (62.5 miles) north of the state capital, Damaturu. “The route through which the kidnappers came in and out of the town is still without military or police presence,� he said. “This

route leads up to Chad.�

The state government’s failure to show sympathy and provide moral support to families of the abducted schoolgirls had not inspired confidence, he added.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari had visited the town but as yet, there had been no condolences sent from the state government to the families of the girls who died or support for the remaining girl in captivity, he alleged.

Parents had expected improved security measures, including raising the school’s low perimeter wall, said Bukar.

The Boko Haram conflict has destroyed schools across northeast Nigeria, which had poor levels of education even before the conflict began in 2009, particularly among girls.

Last September, the UN children’s charity UNICEF said more than 2,295 teachers had been killed and 19,000 displaced while nearly 1,4000 schools have

been destroyed.

Manzo said UNICEF secured admission for 20 of the abducted girls into Tulip International College, a Turkish-run private school.

Parents of the other girls were left to try to get them admission into other public secondary schools in the state but without success.

Bukar said parents were losing faith with the authorities. “This leaves many parents with no option but to marry off their daughters because they have no means of taking them to schools outside the state,� he said “From reports at our disposal six girls have so far being married off because their parents have lost interest in sending them to school,� Manzo said.

Four of the students writing their final examinations who refused to return to the school could also be joining them, he indicated.

t$VMMFE GSPN "'1

#BZFMTB (PWU $POEFNOT "UUBDL PO /JHFS %FMUB 7BSTJUZ The Bayelsa State Government has condemned the violence and attack on the state-owned Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, by some hoodlums yesterday.

In a statement, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Relations Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, blamed opposition political leaders for the mobilisation of the hoodlums who barricaded the gate and disrupted academic activities in the institution last week to protest the retirement of some overaged and redundant personnel.

Soriwei said unscrupulous politicians were taking advantage of the ignorance of young people and hoodlums to sustain a protest against the decision of the governing council and management of the NDU. The governor’s side accused the opposition politicians of mobilising and arming the hoodlums to disrupt academic activities of the institution by forcibly disrupting the university activities for close to two weeks .

He said it was rather unfortunate that unpatriotic elements would launch sustained attacks on the university even when negotiations on the retired over-aged and redundant personnel had been concluded and agreement reached with the host communities on the matter.

Soriwei said the government

had been patient on the activities of the hoodlums who blocked and mounted canopies on major roads in and outside Amassoma.

Thegovernor’s aide noted further that the hoodlums attacked a detachment of policemen who were deployed to the NDU and injured some of them yesterday. The hoodlums also attacked and ransacked the Amassoma Police Station.

He said: “The Bayelsa State Government has condemned in strong terms the violence unleashed on the Niger Delta University and its environs by some hoodlums who are funded, mobilized and armed by unscrupulous opposition political leaders. “These mischief makers have mobilised, funded and armed hoodlums to disrupt academic activities in the school, and forcibly closed it down even when negotiations on the recent retirement of overaged personnel of the institution have been concluded and agreements reached. “These hoodlums have for the past one week stopped free movement of vehicles and persons on public roads. They disrupted conduct of businesses in and around Amassoma by putting canopies on major roads to pander to political interests who are desperate to tarnish the good image of the government.�

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

An official of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Response Unit (LRU) fighting fire after diesel tanker ignited in front of LycÊe Français Louis Pasteur de Lagos (French School), Victoria Island, Lagos... yesterday

#JBGSB 1PMJDF BSSFTU ."440# #*. .FNCFST BT 'JHIUFS +FUT 'MZ PWFS &OVHV Christopher Isiguzo Ă“Ă˜ Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă&#x; Even as fighter jets continued to fly over Enugu State in the past 48 hours, the police in the coal city have announced the arrest of some members of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Biafra Independent Movement (BIM).

They were arrested for allegedly disrupting public peace in the state.

Some fighter jets have taken over Enugu Aerozone in the past two days, a situation that has made residents to live in fear.

A resident, Emma Uka, said he was worried at the rate about three fighter jets have been flying around Enugu since Monday, noting that rather than concentrate their energy in the North-east where Boko Haram insurgents have been terrorising the people, the jets were rather disturbing the peace of Enugu State.

Meanwhile, in a statement by the spokesman of Enugu Police Command, Ebere Amaraizu, the police said the pro-Biafra agitators were arrested by the commands operatives around Obiagu/ Afia Nine axis of Ogui in Enugu State.

He advised residents to go about their lawful businesses without let or hindrance. Amaraizu said the state Commissioner of Police, Danmallam Mohammed had “warned against any act or omission by any individual or group of persons under any guise capable of disrupting the existing peace in the state.� He said the police commissioner warned that anybody or group of persons caught will be made to face the full weight of the law in accordance with the relevant sections of the law. He said nobody should disturb public peace under

the aegis of MASSOB/BIM and explained that the arrest was done within Enugu metropolis. The PPRO said the police commissioner however used the opportunity to advise members of the public to be law abiding and go about their normal lawful businesses without fear of any intimidation or molestation as the commands operatives working in partnership with sister security agencies as well as relevant stake holders in the state will not condole any act or omission capable of disrupting the existing peace in the state under any guise.

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2018

55

WEDNESDAYSPORTS

ÜÙßÚ ÚÙÜÞÝ ÎÓÞÙÜ Duro Ikhazuagbe ×ËÓÖ duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Nigeria Will Have an Outstanding World Cup in Russia, Says Wike Pinnick, Onigbinde, believe Super Eagles capable of surpassing previous efforts Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has declared that Nigeria has every reason to be optimistic that the Super Eagles would be outstanding at the World Cup 2018 in Russia.

Speaking during the Sun Newspaper World Cup Seminar in Port Harcourt yesterday, Wike said the Super Eagles has a good team with world-class talents and stars.

He said: “We have every reason to be optimistic about the performance of the Super Eagles because they are a good team with worldclass stars and talents. They performed excellently well during the qualifying rounds and they are also very well in the international friendly matches.

He however warned that it takes more than wishful thinking to excel at the Mundial.

“But, there is also the need for us to be concerned because excelling at the World Cup competition is not about wishful thinking.

We must ensure that our team is well resourced, well prepared and well-motivated to fight for victory at the competition“.

The governor said the team needs all the support, love and the prayers of Nigerians to remain strongly inspired and fired up to give their best for the country.

Wike commended the Sun’s newspaper for putting together the seminar as it will help prepare the Eagle and their administrators for the task ahead in Russia.

Meanwhile, President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Melvin Pinnick and former FIFA Technical Study Group member, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde were unanimous in their beliefs that Super Eagles will write a new chapter of the country’s participation at the Mundial in Russia next month.

The duo slammed pessimists for saying that it was unthinkable for Nigeria to win the coverted trophy in Russia..

The NFF boss spoke with strong conviction that the task was achievable and that millions of Nigerians should stand with the team based on the motivation and determination with which they have been preparing in the last two years.

“We have no choice than to stand with these young lads who are ready to achieve greatness in their chosen profession. When you look back into the dynamic of the game in the last four years, a lot on things that cannot be imagined had happened.

“Countries like Holland who

lost out in the semi final failed in the bid to reach Russia. Chile, the champions of South America back-to-back did not qualify just as former world champions, Italy, failed to make it to this tournament for the first time in a long while, Chief Onigbinde who was the guest speaker at the seminar also toed the line of the NFF boss

assembled in barely three months after the crisis that erupted at the AFCON in Mali.

“Although the team crashed out in the group stage we were not disgraced. If you look at the present crop of players in the Super Eagles and the time they have stayed together, it is possible for the team to go beyond the second round that

has remained Nigeria’s best outing today,” he said.

He called on all stakeholders to rally round the team since the success is for all teeming fans of the game in the country and worldwide.

Chief Onigbinde identified psychological, intellectual and medical fitness as the major keys if Super Eagles will go far at

the tournament.

Managing Director of Sun Newspaper Publishing Limited, Mr. Eric Osagie, said that the event was organised to ensure that the Nigerian national team emerges victorious.

The seminar attracted top Nigerian coaches, sportswriters, ex-internationals and football administrators.

Zenith Bank Emerges as Official Sponsor for Asaba 2018 Athletics Championship

L-R: NFF President, Amaju Pinnick; Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel; Fernando Torres; and General Manager, Sales and Marketing MultiChoice Nigeria Ltd, Martin Mabutho at the presentation of the GOTV Max Cup to the Atletico Madrid shortly after defeating Nigeria’s Super Eagles ‘B’ to win the trophy in Uyo…yesterday

SUPER EAGLES IN UYO CAMP (NEW ARRIVALS) Kelechi Iheanacho Wilfred Ndidi Tyrone Ebuehi

Awaziem Chidozie Stephen Eze Kenneth Omeruoh

Francis Uzoho Daniel Akpeyi Oghenekaro Etebo

(EARLY ARRIVALS) Ogazi Ogenyi William Troost Ekong Ikechukwu Ezenwa

Junior Lokosa Alex Iwobi Ola Anna Elderson Echiejile

Nigeria’s leading commercial bank, Zenith Bank Plc is now the official sponsor of the Asaba 2018 African Senior Athletics Championship.

In a statement signed by Olukayode Thomas on behalf of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for Asaba 2018, he said Zenith Bank was the preferred choice as official sponsor due to the bank’s impeccable track record.

“Zenith Bank was the preferred choice because of their commitment to the country, Delta state, sports development and even youth empowerment which we have seen the results across the country.” He said.

The deal with Zenith Bank was brokered by the Championship Consultant and Head of Brand and Communication, Mr. Bukola Olopade who is the Managing Director of Nilayo Sports Limited.

Asaba 2018 African Senior Athletics Championship is one of the biggest athletics events of 2018 as it will serve as trials for the 2018 IAAF Continental Cup in Czech Republic.

Atletico Survives Super Eagles ‘B’ Team to Lift GOTV Max Cup Simeone confesses Nigeria played great game in the five-goal thriller Duro Ikhazuagbe in Uyo After leading UEFA Europa League winners Atletico Madrid to a 3-2 victory over Super Eagles ‘B’ team to win the maiden GOTV Max Cup in Uyo yesterday, Head Coach of the Laliga outfit, Diego Simeone, confessed that the Nigerian lads gave him a scare.

“It Was a very difficult game playing Nigeria here today. We came here to win and so put in more effort. Although in the absence of top players like Antoine Griezmann, we had to rely on some of the youth players,” observed Simeone through an interpreter.

His Nigerian counterpart, Salisu

Leon Balogun Completes Brighton Switch Brighton and Hove Albion have completed the signing of Leon Balogun on a free transfer.

The Super Eagles centre-back joins the Falmer Stadium outfit on a two-year deal after departing Mainz 05 at the end of the season.

Balogun will join Cameroon’s Gaetan Bong in Brighton’s books for the 2018-19 season.

And Manager Chris Hughton has expressed excitement with the options and experience the defender brings to his team.

“I am delighted to welcome Leon to the club. He will add more depth to our defensive options, and I am pleased to get our first piece of business done so early

stressing that the team has been together for a long time and has the capacity to improve the bench mark ascribed to Nigeria in the tournament.

“To win a major tournament like the World Cup, it requires a four-year programme and it was unfortunate that that the team took to the tournament in Korea/Japan 2002 was

in the summer,” Hughton told club website.

“He is in the peak years of his career and I am sure he will integrate well into the squad.

“He also has valuable experience, having played in the Bundesliga, the Europa League and at international level.”

The German-born defender started his career at Hannover 96 before turning out for Werder Bremen, Fortuna Düsseldorf, Darmstadt 98 and Mainz 05.

Balogun is expected to play a part in Nigeria’s campaign at the 2018 FIFA World Cup following his inclusion in the country’s 30-man provisional squad.

Yusuf commended his wards for putting up great effort to ensure that they were not disgraced by the Europa champions. “We are very happy over this result.

We knew what to expect from Atletico. They showed maturity and class but my players proved they were worthy ambassadors of the country,” he noted.

Yusuf however believes Eagles gave away two cheap goals.

“We gave the two cheap goals.

We knew we were going to play the Europa champions and planned to confine them to 30metres away but they survived the game plan,” stressed the coach.

Former Golden Eaglets captain,

Kelechi Nwakali and Usman Mohammed scored Nigeria’s two goals in the five-goal thriller that also saw former Liverpool and Chelsea star, Fernando Torres, getting on the scorers’ sheet with brilliant performance in what was his last official game for Atletico.

Kelechi Nwakali and his brother, Chidiebere were among some of the outstanding stars of the evening inside the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. The senior Nwakali put the home team in front with a superb strike from outside the box that beat Atletico goalkeeper, Jan Oblak.

However, the La Liga outfit drew level through Angel Correa soon after Emem Eduok who for the better part of the game wasted chances, was dispossessed in his own half of the pitch.

Substitute Destiny Ashadi ought to have restored the Eagles lead just before the interval, but he shot way off target from right inside the box after he was set up by the bright and lively Samad Kadiri.

Torres who came into the game on resumption for the second stanza put Atletico Madrid ahead for the first time on 64 minutes after they had missed a sitter earlier in the second half.

Torres’ goal was greeted by the capacity crowd at the Nest of Champions ground.

Norway-based midfielder Usman Mohammed who came in as substitute in the second half draw the Nigerians level in the 79thminute with a great solo goal when he dribbled his way inside the box before flicking the ball beyond the reach of Oblak.

However, when both teams were getting set for a penalty shootout to decide the winners of the Go TV Max Cup, Borja Garcies fired past goalkeeper Femi Thomas from inside the box for the winner five minutes from time.

Pinnick Hails Moses over FA Victory with Chelsea Wants focus to shift to the World Cup 2018 in Russia President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, has congratulated Super Eagles’ ace Victor Moses following the utility player’s triumph in the English FA Cup with Chelsea FC at the weekend.

A lone strike from the penalty spot by Eden Hazard against Manchester United at Wembley brought joy to the blue side of London and made Moses the sixth Nigerian to experience glory in the oldest knockout competition in world football. Before him were John Fashanu, Daniel Amokachi, Nwankwo Kanu, John Utaka and John Mikel Obi. Obi, Moses and others at the FIFA World Cup, won also with Chelsea.

“I am happy for Victor Moses because this triumph sets him in a great mood and gives immense confidence for the FIFA World Cup in Russia. We have a number of friendly matches before the FIFA World Cup but the big focus is on the finals starting next month.

“Victory in the FA Cup is good for Moses as he will come into camp buoyed in spirit, and that good feeling is bound to infect and affect the other players positively,” Pinnick said on Monday.

Pinnick also applauded the good number of Super Eagles’ players who finished the season on a high, and those who were

instrumental to their clubs’ accomplishments during the season, stating that confidence is key to facing up to the kind of opposition available at the FIFA World Cup. Moses, who is the reigning NFF Football Awards Player of the Year, was the Super Eagles’ highest goalscorer in the FIFA World Cup African qualifying series with three goals. He netted a brace against Algeria in November 2016 and got the third in the 4-0 whiplash of African champions Cameroon on 1st September 2017, which set the Eagles on the path to Russia.

The Chelsea wingback, who

plays as an attacking midfielder for the Eagles, will join up with his international team-mates in Uyo later this week, ahead of Monday’s international friendly against the Simba of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Port Harcourt.

The Super Eagles will then take on England in a prestige encounter at Wembley Stadium in London on 2nd June, before trading tackles with the Czech Republic in Austria on 6th June.

The team will camp for nine days at the Avita Resort in Bad Tatzmannsdorf, Austria before flying to their team base camp in Yessentuki, Stavropol region of Russia on 11th June.

Wednesday May 23, 2018

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Price: N250

MISSILE Fashola to Ikpeazu

“From Okigwe to Lokpanta most of our right of ways have been taken over by illegal dump sites, illegal markets and these are essentially local matters.

The government of Abia should help us clear those refuse and the people out of the road because it is delaying our work.� – Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, condemning the encroachment on federal roads and obstruction of construction works by local markets and dump sites.

OKEYANUEYIAGU GUEST COLUMNIST

Is Our Democracy Dying?

I

n February of 2017, I wrote an essay published on the backpage of Nigeria’s eponymous daily, Thisday, with the title; Democracy, Is This The End? This essay elicited tremendous reactions, and, to my surprise, mostly skeptical and suspicious questions about the motivation for writing the essay.

In summary, that essay sought to examine the major problems facing Nigeria’s democracy and its processes, essentially pointing out the failure of the State and its apparatus to consolidate on some of the gains and momentum generated with the 1999 – 2007 democratic experiment. The essay x-rayed the failure of governments to solve their governance problems and meet Nigerians’ expectation for freedom, justice, security, a better life, and a fairer society. That old essay, concluded on a somber, if not tearful note that if our democracy did not move effectively with rapid speed, to contain crime and the wanton massacre of innocent civilians by terrorist and criminal elements, generate economic growth and relieve economic inequality, curb corruption, secure and guarantee freedom and the rule of law; that people will eventually lose faith in government and inevitably turn to authoritarian alternatives.

As I write this follow up essay, I am afraid that we may have taken our democracy for granted. The fact is that there are no measures intrinsic in our history or culture that immunize us against chaos and disorder. Our unimaginative wobbly constitution, wobbly institutions and shaky political actors, are far from equal to the challenge of guaranteeing the survival of our democracy.

It is common knowledge that democracies are fragile, even in developed countries with their strong creed of freedom and equality, tested institutions and a crop of robust as well as distinctive citizens with high level of education and wealth. Given our atrociously below-par attributes in these areas, we are certainly not inoculated from certain kinds of democratic breakdown that have occurred here in the past. The reality that we may be living through the decline of our new democratic experiment, is indeed frightening.

In recent months, we have witnessed certain and definite polarization in our body politic. This palpable tension has occurred, primarily between the Executive and the Legislative arms of governments, and has even extended to the Judiciary. Although our political norms and variables are traditionally vulnerable to polarization which is intrinsically healthy and necessary for the thriving of our democracy, the prevalence of existential, irreconcilable deep- rooted inter- and intra-party fights and hatred have become the order of the day in our democracy and is about to extremely harm our country.

Our political parties and politicians have come, not to view their rivals as legitimate opponents, with different views and opinions for the common good of the country, but as dangerous enemies that must be destroyed by all means necessary. Is this how our democracy will die in the hands of vicious men intoxicated with greater political might?

My political science knowledge teaches me that democracies may not necessarily die at the hands of generals with guns, but, sometimes, out of the machinations of elected leaders and politicians who abuse and subvert the very process that brought them to power. Students of Political Science and World History would remember Germany’s Adolf Hitler and how, in the wake of the 1933 Reichstag fire, he started the process of slowly eroding the ethos of democracy in Germany and around the world. Another case in hand, which closely mirrors the Nigerian case, is the

President Muhammadu Buhari Venezuela example of Hugo Chavez when he was elected president in 1998. He rode into power on the backdrop of the failure of what he called a corrupt government, with promises to bring about a more “authentic� democracy that will guarantee equitable distribution of resources and justice.

By 2003, Chavez had firmly taken a turn toward authoritarianism. He grew repressive, arrested or exiled opposition politicians, and emasculated judges and the press on trumped up charges. He usurped the power of Congress and established a level of autocracy that was unbelievable for a man who came to restore “authentic� democracy and curb corruption.

My fear is that the Chavez-like pattern may be playing out in our country. And if my intuition is right, then I must warn that this is how democracies die. I strongly believe that our politicians, while pretending to be the champions of democracy (and claiming to be its protectors), are constantly, by their actions, eviscerating its substance. We are witnessing, I fear, a game of dangerous deception and duplicity, the very subversion of our democracy, an illicit goal legalized through the backdoor.

How else does one explain the recent happenings in our political systems where elected officials and all the component elements, even those that should be aligned in one and the same projective manner, are constantly at loggerheads, engaged in charades, shamelessly fighting in public, much to the world’s bafflement and Nigerians’ chagrin?

Again, how do we explain to the world, the wanton disorders in our polity and our other institutions. How do we explain the disgraceful ordeal of a serving senator sitting on the filthy ground on the streets, surrounded by gestapo security agents, waiting to be bundled to prison in a stretcher, and the senator leaping from a moving vehicle into the thick forest in a move resembling a badly written nollywood script.

The big question is: How vulnerable is our democracy to these forms of disorder and anarchy? Is our democratic foundation strong enough to withstand these backslides? My answer is yes, but only if we awaken to the challenges facing us as a country and as a people today.

The electorate has a major role to play in ensuring that our fragile democracy withstands these challenges.

Enlightened citizens and voters must take up the litmus test of identifying and singling out would-be dictators and autocrats before they are elected. The doors into elected offices and power must be closed to would-be authoritarians and extremists. The failure, from the

outset, to prevent opportunists and extremists who, when elected, transform into full- blown dictators and enemies of democracy, will imperil the institutions and the country.

Clearly, dependence on constitutional norms to provide the desired checks and balances in governance, as we can see in Nigeria today, is not a sufficient guarantee as the bulwark of imagined theoretical democracy. In this instance, our politicians and their allies in power use our political institutions as weapons to forcefully control and dictate to those who do not agree with their ways and actions. They control the media and are positively viewed as fighting to improve democracy, fighting and imprisoning corrupt people, establishing a just and efficient judiciary and the civil service and even reorganizing the electoral process. Paradoxically, the tragedy we face here is that the same institutions designed to ensure proper electoral probity and transparency become essential tools in the hands of our authoritarian political practitioners who desire authoritarianism and the very death of democracy.

Our democracy-as our present-day “religious purists� would say; “God forbid�- may be going the way of Chile. Before General Augusto Jose Ramon Pinochet’s coup of 1973, the South American country was the region’s oldest democracy, with well-structured and vibrant democratic structures and norms. The level of mutual intolerance and forbearance escalated between the country’s politicians, the elite and the political parties, resulting in spirals of bloody coups and ultimate destabilization of the country’s democracy.

Let us not mince words: the present-day erosion and radical alteration of our democratic norms and structures through unacceptable political behavior by our politicians, is taking our country to the brink of complete polarization and political anarchy. And the trend has begun to eviscerate our shaky and wobbly democracy as happened in Chile.

As I drafted this essay, an old schoolmate, peering over my shoulder and peeking at some of the paragraphs, while acknowledging the validity of my points, nevertheless admonished me and other “well-meaning citizens� in a very stern voice. He argued that the reason our systems are so warped and frayed is that we choose to stay away from politics, allowing people he referred to as “nitwits� to run the affairs of our country. To buttress his point, he counted many individuals with sordid pasts and indecorous presents, men and women with less than admirable credentials, who have become legislators, governors, ministers and even presidents.

I agreed with my friend that we have allowed misfits to rule us, but also stressed the fact that those of us who continuously vote for the mediocrities and allow them to stay in power and pilfer our fortunes and squander our future are, in a sense, greater culprits.

What is the way out of this quagmire? I believe that acts of patriotism on the part of the political class and the governed may usher in, and strengthen, our common interest in the preservation of sound democratic ethos. True patriotism, animated by the common good, will eliminate divisiveness. That mindset will ensure that people are obliged to do good by bearing a fair share of our respective burdens, creating the kind of groundswell that propelled the success stories of advanced nations. Education is key to this regenerative project. We should teach and learn that we must build the requisite capacity in our political processes and structures to enable us wisely govern our country and to build and promote a just and egalitarian society. Our democracy must empower citizens with the capacity to recognize

lofty values, and to cherish the kind of civil debate that illuminates the path towards economic growth, cultural dynamism, and political progress-including the survival of our democracy. As citizens, our cardinal obligation ought to be to strongly defend, preserve, protect and fortify our democracy.

The upheavals plaguing Nigeria today are pointers to scary facts: that we have lost our collective sense of the common good; that we have lost a huge chunk of our shared commitment to do good for the common person; and that we have lost our shared commitment to the preservation of the rule of law, and the ultimate spirit as well as the letter of the law to our democratic norms and institutional structures. We have abandoned our fidelity to the ideal of equal political rights and opportunity. We have cultivated contemptuous intolerance for our vast but potentially unifying differences and have embraced, disgracefully, polarizing habits. Unless we make vital sacrifices and establish a new ethic of leadership and followership based on honor and commitment to truth, the prevalence of greed, hate, avarice and narcissism is bound, willy-nilly, to kill our democracy.

Why is it that our 2018 budget has not been passed by the National Assembly in well over one hundred and fifty days after its submission? That a National Assembly that houses majority members from the ruling party in power is incapable of agreeing with the budget submitted by Executives of its own party, is an abnormal occurrence capable of creating an extensive crippling of the micro economic variables required to sustain and stabilize our country. As a result of these delays and going by international Open Budget Index, in which participating countries are assessed by their transparency, participation and oversight of their budget processes, Nigeria is ranked very low, falling from a score of 24 in 2015 to 17 in 2017. The political wrangling in the system, are no doubt, responsible for the unpredictability of the country’s budget, which in turn creates fiscal dangers and uncertainties that inhibit investors’ confidence and economic growth. Are these ugly and disgraceful incidences and misnomers not going to kill the democracy that a majority of our people have struggled and paid dearly for?

The current intensity of partisan animosities in our country reflects, amongst other issues, the effect of growing religious and ethnic polarization and a stagnating economy. I am convinced that, without policies that, can address and reduce the economic and social inequalities that fuel resentment and jingoism among all the component elements of our society, Nigeria’s democracy will never be aligned with the politics of nation building.

The ultimate survival of our democracy depends on us all. Despite all the inherent checks and balances in our so-called constitutional system, we are still deeply vulnerable to similar pathologies that have killed democracy in other countries. With the primitive and the gratuitously negative behaviour of the political actors, and the incivility of its leadership, we are thoroughly making a mockery of our democracy. We are essentially, in such an alarming and catastrophic manner, denigrating our sensibilities and sensitivities to the critical elements that nurture and stabilize democratic institutions. As our democracy is a shared enterprise whose fate depends on each and every one of us, no single political figure can doom or kill a democracy; nor can one single person rescue our imperiled democracy. r %S 0LFZ "OVFZJBHV JT B 1PMJUJDBM &DPOPNJTU XSPUF GSPN *LPZJ -BHPT

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