Wednesday 20th June 2018

N1.6tn Capital Releases Cash-backed in 2017, Says Adeosun Buhari signs budget today Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The federal government yesterday said it had released and fully cash-backed a total of N1,580,270,755,084.44 for

capital projects to ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) for the 2017 federal budget.

The N7.44 trillion aggregate budget had a capital

component of N2.36 trillion with N2.029 trillion allocated to capital projects (exclusive of FGN special intervention projects).

THISDAY exclusively

reported recently that the federal government had released N1.491 trillion to the MDAs as at May 21, 2018, leaving the unspent N538 billion to be rolled over into

the 2018 budget.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, confirmed that the government had released and

fully cash-backed a total of N1,580,270,755,084.44 despite the economic challenges in 2017.

Continued on page 8

Hope Rises for Better Power Supply as Generation Rebounds to 3,876 MW… Page 8 Wednesday 20 June, 2018 Vol 23. No 8462. Price: N250

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Buhari Not Bluffing nPDP, Awaits Final Briefing, says Presidency Oyegun: Reports on presidential stonewalling speculative Omololu Ogunmade and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the presidency moved swiftly yesterday to deny media reports that

President Muhammadu Buhari had called off the bluff of the new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) bloc of the ruling party that had declared a dispute, claiming it had been marginalised in the prevailing

power sharing arrangement.

Media reports yesterday, not in THISDAY, had said the president had told off the nPDP, telling them to make do with the intervention of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

or do their worst.

But the APC National Chairman, Chief John OdigieOyegun, told THISDAY yesterday in a telephone interview that nothing of the sort happened and dismissed

the reports as speculative and untrue.

"I read the story and it was clear to me that it was pure speculation. Absolutely no substance," he said.

Oyegun’s assertion was

backed by a top presidency official, who said emphatically that Buhari did not shun the aggrieved nPDP and was ready to personally listen Continued on page 8

APC Governors, NWC on Collision Course over Convention Unity List Outgoing officers threaten walkout Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja Barring any last minute deal, All Progressives Congress (APC) governors and the National Working Committee (NWC) may clash over the composition of a consensus list for aspirants to party offices at the national convention holding on Saturday.

THISDAY gathered that the presidency had struck a deal with the governors and other top leaders of the party to drop, from the consensus list, names of all outgoing national officers seeking re-election, except the National Secretary, Mai-Mala Buni.

It was, however, learnt that the proposal did not go down well with the affected NWC

members who had threatened to stage a walkout at the convention if the decision was not reversed.

THISDAY also gathered from sources close to some governors that there were clashes of interests among them over those to support at the convention.

For instance, the source said while the Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, was routing for the incumbent National Vice Chairman (North-west), Alhaji Abdulkadir Inuwa, to be re-elected, his counterpart from Kaduna State, Malam Nasiru el-Rufai, objected to the choice.

Continued on page 8

FG Tightens Security at Airports, Borders over ISIS Threat.. Page 10

BUSINESS HAS BEEN GOOD...

L-R: Company Secretary, Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, Mr. Chidi Okezie; Chairman, Mr. Basil Omiyi; and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Yinka Sanni, at the 6th Annual General Meeting of the company in Lagos…yesterday

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T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY JUNE 20, 2018

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

8

PAGE EIGHT

Hope Rises for Better Power Supply as Generation Rebounds to 3,876 MW

Chineme Okafor in Abuja

Hope rose for improved power supply in the country yesterday as the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said electricity generation and supply has rebounded to 3, 876.9MW after losing 1,087.6 MW to poor gas supply to six of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thermal stations last Sunday.

The TCN had reported the huge generation loss, which brought generation down to 2,909 MW and threatened to

throw the nation into darkness, alluding rupture to the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) pipeline transporting gas to the thermal stations as the cause of the disruption.

The challenge led to the shutdown of Ihovbor, Azura, Omotosho, Geregu, Olorunsogo, and Sapele power plants.

But TCNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, stated in a statement to THISDAY in Abuja yesterday that gas supply to the Gencos was gradually building up,

adding that within a day or two, electricity generation and supply would be restored to normalcy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) hereby states that there is significant improvement in gas supply to power generating plants.

NNPC has restored the ruptured pipeline and gas is gradually building up in most generating stations and in a day or two days it is expected that gas and power supply would be back to normal,â&#x20AC;?

said Mbah.

She further stated: â&#x20AC;&#x153;An indication that gas supply has improved is the increase in power generation into the national grid. As reported by the NCC (National Control Centre), supply has risen to 3,876.9MW as at 17.00hrs on Monday, June 18, 2018.â&#x20AC;?

While commending stakeholders in the power sector for what she said was a quick response to the drop in power generation and supply, Mbah, noted that as soon as the

gas build-up was completed, all the affected generating stations will resume normal generation into the grid. â&#x20AC;&#x153;TCN wishes to use this opportunity to commend NNPC, especially NGC (Nigerian Gas Company) for the quick intervention and also appreciates the Ministry of Power, Gencos, Discos and electricity customers for their cooperation during the crises period,â&#x20AC;? Mbah, stated.

According to her, the TCN would through the

implementation of its Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme (TREP), build new substations as well as upgrade existing ones and transmission lines all over the country.

She said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is expected to further stabilise the grid and also put necessary flexibility and redundancy in line with N-1 capacity. TCN will continue to count on all Nigerians for support and understanding as it continues to expand the nation's grid.â&#x20AC;?

APC GOVERNORS, NWC ON COLLISION COURSE OVER CONVENTION UNITY LIST Another area of conflict is the South-east where the governors are set to clash with the key stakeholders over who would be kept on the unity list.

It was learnt that the move to drop the three members of the NWC from the zone - the National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso; the National Vice Chairman, Mr. Emma Eneukwu; and the National Auditor, Chief George Muoghalu, would be at variance with the unanimous decision reached by the Southeast stakeholders at an earlier meeting.

Meanwhile, some of the aspirants, suspecting favouritism in the said consensus list have threatened to protest the decision and possibly stage a walkout at the convention if the process were not allowed to be free and fair for all contenders.

THISDAY learnt that the presidency had special interest in three positions, that of National Chairman, National Secretary and National Organising Secretary.

According to a reliable

source, the presidency had advised the outgoing National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun, and Izunaso, not to seek reelection but the later rejected the advice.

While also raising the alarm over what was described as plot by some members of the outgoing executive to get themselves re-elected, one of the prominent contenders, who pleaded not to be named, said: "We have just been informed that the current NWC has already prepared a unity list of themselves, which they will forward to the APC governors forum on Wednesday for adoption and they will forward same to Mr. President for approval.

"This further confirms our position and resolve that impunity is in the pipeline and it will be challenged to the letter."

When contacted to know whether some of the aspirants were part of the zonal consultations ahead of the convention, an aspirant for the office of the National Vice Chairman North-east, Dr. Umar Duhu, said no

one had either convened a meeting in his zone or was invited for any meeting to discuss anything consensus.

According to him, "It will be laughable to suggest among others that, the meeting of APC governors slated for Wednesday will produce the so-called unity list without recourse to the aspirants who are the most critical stakeholders."

Duhu called on President Muhammadu Buhari to take charge so that the APC convention would not become a crying shame under his watch.

Another aspirant for the office of National Youth Leader who pleaded not to be named said, "Any attempt by the party to select some contestants as favourite candidates will be met with serious resistance at the convention venue."

There are indications that there may be more protests before or during National Convention on Saturday by some aspirants from across the six geo-political zones as soon as details of the 'unity list' are made public.

ENTERING THE FRAY...

L-R: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; and his wife, Bisi, during the inauguration of Fayemiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s campaign in Ado-Ekitiâ&#x20AC;Ś yesterday

BUHARI NOT BLUFFING NPDP, AWAITS FINAL BRIEFING, SAYS PRESIDENCY to them and appease them.

"President Muhammadu Buhari did not call the bluff of the nPDP and is not contemplating doing so. Rather he has asked Vice President Osinbajo to continue the negotiation with the group and to forward any agreement and understanding reached for his final action," the source said.

The presidential source who did not want to be named, told THISDAY last night that the president only preferred that the resolution of the grievances in the party be kick-started at state and

party levels and from there, progress gradually to his level, when he would take final briefings on findings.

According to the source, what the president said was that while the meeting is still ongoing between the nPDP, party leaders and governors, he would not like to interfere until the necessary avenues are exhausted.

The source further stated that indeed talks with the group were progressing and had consequently moved from party and state levels to the presidency, being currently superintended over by the

vice-president.

He added that the president was waiting to be briefed on findings at the end of the discussions, explaining that Buhari's current decision was aimed at avoiding jumping into the ongoing process before it gets to his level.

He insisted that the president had no intention to snub anyone but only wanted to observe due process.

The source said, "Decision not to meet nPDP is to show respect for the party, and the governors who the president believe are party leaders in their various states. A process

has begun, with the party talking to those feeling estranged. The meeting has risen to the level of the vicepresident.

"This is expected to continue. At the culmination of these meetings, the president will obviously be briefed. Before that point is reached, the president will not meddle or interfere. The president expects that the due process should be observed in all situations and that is what he is doing." nPDP Unaware of Stonewalling Also reacting yesterday, a

member of the nPDP, who is also the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Timi Frank, said the group was unaware of the purported decision of the president to snub the group.

"There is nothing official, nobody has reached out to us,â&#x20AC;? he said, adding, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We don't know the presidency position and there was no briefing on it.â&#x20AC;?

He added, "For our group, we are very firm, united and confident that anywhere we go that is where the presidency will go because we know we have the right leadership and

capital releases as against the N171,900,597,013.00 (14.10 per cent) in 2016.

Health and Education together received a total of N98,190,277,285.69 (6.21 per cent) for 2017 as against N56,270,030,992.00 (4.61 per cent) the sectors received in 2016.

Other sectors combined received a total of N485,734,440,498.61, representing 30.74 per cent of the 2017 capital releases.

In 2016, a total of N463,234,558,786.00 (37.99 per cent) was disbursed to

these sectors.

Adeosun noted that despite the economic challenges in 2017, the federal government was able to fully cash-back the capital releases.

The minister stressed that the sustained high allocations to key sectors was a reflection of the federal governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to infrastructure development in the country, adding that the Buhari administration was working assiduously to attract private capital to complement government spending in these key areas.

N1.6TN CAPITAL RELEASES CASH-BACKED IN 2017, SAYS ADEOSUN The ministerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disclosure is an obvious prelude to the scheduled signing of the 2018 Appropriation Bill by President Muhammadu Buhari today.

With the presidential assent, the details of the fiscal estimates are expected to be unveiled tomorrow by the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, and her finance counterpart, Adeosun.

The statement signed by the Director (Information) in the finance ministry, Mr. Hassan Dodo, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The N1,580,270,755,084.44 total

capital releases for 2017 is remarkably higher than the N1,219,471,747,443.00 total capital releases for 2016.â&#x20AC;?

The Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, according to the statement, received the highest allocation of N523,011,701,723.25 which was 33.10 per cent of the total capital releases.

The sector also received the highest releases in the 2016 capital budget, which was a total of N307,411,749,682.00 (25.21 per cent) of the 2016 capital budget.

Defence and Security

received the second highest capital releases of N197,596,016,072.02(12.50 per cent) in 2017, as against N77,532,885,729.00 (6.36 per cent) total releases the sector received in 2016.

The statement added that Agriculture and Water Resources received a total of N149,485,276,897.37 (9.46 per cent) in 2017 as against the sectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s total receipt of N143,121,925,241.00 (11.74 per cent ) in 2016.

Transportation received a total of N126,253,042,607.50 (7.99 per cent) of the 2017

numbers to swing victory to whichever place we go.â&#x20AC;?

According to Frank, "Nobody can call off our bluff but if the presidency decides to do that so be it. For us, our resolve is unshakeable and we still stand by whatever position we have taken."

TOP GAINERS INTERBREW JAPAUL C&I LEASING ETERNA IKEJHOTEL TOP LOSERS PRESTIGEASSURE UNIONDICON FLOURMILLS

NGN NGN 2.70 44.00 0.02 0.40 0.09 1.82 0.31 6.61 0.14 2.99 NGN NGN 0.04 0.60 0.02 0.38 1.60 31.15 FORTEOIL 1.80 35.15 FIDELITYBANK 0.11 2.16 HPE Nestle Nig Plc â&#x201A;Ś1,495.00 Volume: 390.466 million shares Value: N6.115 billion Deals: 3,889 As at yesterday 19/06/18 See details on Page 39

% 6.5 5.2 5.2 4.9 4.9 % 6.2 5.0 4.8 4.8 4.8

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY JUNE 20, 2018

9

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

10

STARTERS

FG Tightens Security at Airports, Borders over ISIS Threat Chinedu Eze Following reports that Islamic State (ISIS) is sneaking extremists from Syria into Nigeria, the federal government has directed the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to intensify security at the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s borders and the airports.

In a letter emanating from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) dated May 25, 2018, with reference number: H. 150/5.9/56 and directed to Director General of NCAA, the Managing Director of FAAN and the Comptroller General of the NCS, the SGF said available reports revealed that Al-Abd al-Faqir Media, a pro-Islamic State of Iraq and Syria media outlet, on April 26, 2018, warned that ISIS plans to attack commercial flights and bring â&#x20AC;&#x153;bloodshed to the skies.â&#x20AC;?

With that notification from the SGF, the NCS on June 13, 2018 issued circular to all its commands with reference number: NCS/T&T/I&E/021/S.112 and directed that its officials should intensify the screening process of all passengers and luggage, including â&#x20AC;&#x153;other measures you may deem fit to forestall any potential breach as directed.â&#x20AC;?

The federal government therefore ordered for â&#x20AC;&#x153;rigorous vetting of airline personnel and screening of passengers as well as increased vigilance on restricted areas at the airports.â&#x20AC;?

THISDAY spoke with the General Manager, Corporate Affairs of FAAN, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, who said that in response to the new directive from the government, the agency had started

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was at the head of a powerful team that went to Ekiti State yesterday to open the campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, telling the people to pick up their permanent voters card (PVC) to vote out the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

In the vice presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entourage were national officers of the party, including the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; Secretary to the Federal Government, Mr. Boss Mustapha; 12 governors and other top leaders of the party.

"The PDP has done enough. Go forward. On July 14, you must show with your votes that you cannot take it any longer," Osinbajo told his audience shortly before Fayemi was handed the partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flag, symbolising the authority of the APC to lead the charge at the July 14, 2018 duel against PDPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Prof.

Kolapo Eleka and others contestants.

The mega rally, which was held at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium, was witnessed by a large crowd of party faithful and characterised by musical entertainment from leading artistes, including Bonsue Fuji exponent, Adewale Ayuba and Small Doctor.

Some of the governors and community leaders in the state, made solidarity speeches in support of Fayemi.

The Fayemi campaign is being executed on the broad theme of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Collective Rescue Mission 2: Reclaiming Our Land Restoring Our Values'.

APC party leaders lamented that socio-economic infrastructure of the

NEWS 2019 is a Referendum on Restructuring, Says Dickson Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, yesterday said the 2019 general election would be a referendum on restructuring, adding that only aspirants who believe in restructuring would get the support of the Ijaw nation.

Page 11

ESDAY, JUNE

Boss Mustapha

Hadi Sirika

taking proactive measures and had activated close-circuit television (CCTV) at the airside and terminals of major airports in the country.

Yakubu said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We now ensure that those who are travelling must have their travelling documents and are allowed to be at the airports, and airport personnel are expected to have their on duty card (ODC) on them. Anyone that does not have such documents is thrown out of the airports. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have reinforced our security at the international airports both on passengers and on luggage. We have CCTV at the airside that is working 24 hours and we also have at the terminals. They are all working 24 hours. We also have joint military patrol team, the joint military task force that accompanies aircraft while taxiing to take off and on arrival. We ensure that we monitor every movement.â&#x20AC;?

However, a source from the agency expressed doubt that FAAN carries

out regular profiling of its security personnel in order to avert insider threat. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the past, during orientation and retraining, FAAN profiles all the aviation security (AVSEC) personnel but these days you will just be in the office and someone will just bring a letter of employment as security staff.

So I am not sure it still carries out profiling, which is very important,â&#x20AC;? the FAAN source said.

To avert breach of security, an aviation security expert and member of Aviation Round Table (ART), Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd), yesterday canvassed for integrated security system at the airport to reinforce security.

Ojikutu told THISDAY that apart from CCTV and physical surveillance, there should be continuous passenger education to ensure a tight airport environment, adding that many of the airports have porous access, which makes it difficult to ensure water tight security.

state had collapsed since the coming of the Ayo Fayose administration.

According to them, Ekiti, which was once acclaimed as the 'land of nobles' has become the butt of coarse jokes.

All the governors from the South-west states, including Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) and Olurotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) stressed the importance of having an APC in Ekiti Government House to demonstrate that the South-west was charting the same political course.

Others speakers like the APC National Leader, Senator Bola Tinubu, former Ekiti State governors, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and Chief Segun Oni, spoke in the same vein.

Recalling how he was prevented from attending a Fayemi governorship campaign four years ago, former governor of Edo State and APC national championship aspirant, Mr. Adam Oshiomhole charged the people against a repeat of what happened in 2014. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We can't afford to lose Ekiti. This is a crucial election that we must win,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Tinubu described the domineering APC presence in the South-west and other parts of the country as "the broom revolution,â&#x20AC;? saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ekiti is the only place in the South-west that a change is necessary. " The APC National Campaign Council for Ekiti State Chairman and Governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Bagudu, said the large turn-out was a pointer that Ekiti people were ready to address the perceived injustice meted to them in 2014.

The chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, echoed the same

sentiments of the APC National Chairman, Odigie -Oyegun, that an APC government was imminent in Ekiti as he could smell and feel the air of victory.

A major highlight of the campaign was the official welcome accorded a former stalwart of the PDP, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye, and his group who were formally received into the APC by Odigie-Oyegun.

Pledging his loyalty to the APC, Adeyeye observed that the APC was becoming increasingly popular in all the 16 local government areas of the state.

The two-hour rally, which kicked off at 2.10pm with the arrival of the vice president was witnessed by an array of dignitaries including a former governor of the defunct Ondo State, Mr. Bamidele Olumilua; a former national chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande; governors Yahaya Bello (Kogi State); Shettima Mustapha (Borno State); Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara State); and Gaius Obaseki (Edo State). Also there was the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi.

Thanking the party leaders and government officials for standing by him, Fayemi in a veiled reference to the incumbent governor said the days of madness in Government House, Ado Ekiti were numbered. According to him, "Ekiti people and I have a date with history on July 14. One day is for the thief, July 14 is for the owner.

We will be here to celebrate victory. I am humbled by the show of solidarity by our leaders," he said, promising to restore welfare schemes to students and the elderly among other incentives to show that the good essence of democracy had returned to the land.

20, 2018Ëž T

NEWS

H I S D AY

2019 is a Re Says Dicksoferendum on Restruc turing, n Atiku promis Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013; E jiofor.A

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Describing Atiku a reality in Bayelsa State 2019 when as one of the most consistent Governor, he voted in as Dickson, yesterday Seriake voices the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is for efficiency if elected for the quest political president. next president. said 2019 general The former election wouldthe Nigeria, Dickson for a new vice president, to invite you to The president a referendum promised ial aspirant who also met with members work together join me as we if Nigeria on restructuri be that  Bayelsa would boasted of the PDP adding that only was truly ng, remain courage that he has that we can towards 2019 so state in the state, aspirants who a PDP state that would the accompani do as enunciate a federal to readjust the believe in restructuri the partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ed by a former was â&#x20AC;&#x153;The governorit together. d in the fly governan current document. flag Ogun get the support ng would He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;In at all times. country, ce structure in the State Governor, Gbenga Daniels, the same page as and I are on While taking of the Ijaw furtheranc far as the issue who is also the just like he nation. a swipe at the sacred Director General of restructuring is concerned. the ruling mandate of e of to military dictatorsh stood up of his campaign The governor have been consistent We Congress All Progressives our past, insisting ips in the said he would people, several leaders organisati (APC) for allegedly intensify consultati about it. personalities, and run away the Nigeria cannot an ex-Minister of Niger on; For us to get the ons on even across unity, progress destroying Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Delta Affairs, restructuring, from the rising political the economy, true he vowed for restructur calls Senator Mr. Godsday Orubebe; and development we are divide are united federalism and devolutio ing. looking democrat to confront antiBen Murray-Br for, we cannot the need on He, thereafter, uce and restructur a large retinue escape ic forces with the view n of powers country to restructure this presented in the of document to and return it ing,â&#x20AC;? he said. from country, which consensus for to reaching a federalism â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have been aides.

Dickson which a to fiscal said are bent on In his following taking a restructur he . Few weeks encapsulated the country with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Restructu message titled: Nigeria. ed I had many steps his views on keen interest your (Dicksonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a rare interactio ago, the subject, ring as a pathway backward. position on restructurin maintaining Dickson spoke ) to n with would the president that he â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have been when a g. If you in unity and developm high-powered in the vanguard conveyed the where I clearly on the hit the ground running know, I have been an ent Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, of returning delegation advocate the former message for issue of re-tuning of led by former democracy to vice country. need for a restructure the Nigeria Mr. restructuring since 2004. president noted this Some and Peoples Vice President that d Nigeria.

Governor,  â&#x20AC;&#x153;I I would like issues that currently many lives, some shotof us lost their Party (PDP) Democratic days want to say that in the bedevil among others, the country and months  presidential could be solved aspirant, ahead, I, Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on my brothers  Pg..51 and Abubakar, paidAlhaji Atiku see here, and sisters you call at Governmhim a courtesy have our leaders resolved to ent House in Yenagoa. carry this message to every nook The governor cranny and no going back said there was to let of our country. And the people restructuring, on his call for a restructur know and pledged ed Nigeria that take his consultati to ons to all everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interest, and is in parts of the if you want a stable, Nigeria achievescountry until egalitarian prosperous, a true federal and sustainab structure.

Nigeria that le can He said the people of the the next 200, 300 survive Ijaw from Ondo, years in peace and in prosperity Rivers to Akwa Edo, Delta, then , we must re-examin Ibom States had been e the fully mobilised foundation of our and conscient make necessary country and importance of ious on the â&#x20AC;&#x153;No nation adjustments. is perfect, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s election and the 2019 general not deceive ourselves what it portends for restructur that our country is perfect. ing.

Every nation Dickson also called on is a work in progress. well-meaning Other countries older Nigerians than Nigeria protect democrac to have adjusted. y and reject a one-party is a call for Restructuring adjustments, according to system because consultati dictatorship. him, it breeds building.â&#x20AC;?ons and consensus He enjoined  In his remarks, members the PDP to work closely of promised to ensure Atiku make the party to that the more cohesive Niger Deltaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s yearning for restructured Nigeria becomesa

NIS Bans Foreig ners from Participating in OATH OF OFFIC Electoral  Process Justice E Abdul Karfarati (left), being

Kuni TyessĂ&#x201C; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x;Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x2039; enrolled, do not get into The Nigeria the Immigration countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s database.

Service (NIS) The statement has banned read in part: foreigners from all â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is in the forthcomi participating as partimportant to state that of its statutory ng elections and d l r l f

EDITORIAL VIPS and Their PolIce Guards

Get Your PVC, Vote Out PDP, Osinbajo Tells Ekiti Voters Nseobong Okonâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Ekong in Ekiti

Two-Minute BrieďŹ ng

sworn in by Mr

Christopher Unigwe as Chief

Presidency Cancels FEC

AY, JUNE 20,

omy

Judge, Federal

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High Court in Abuja...yesterday J

Ëš

2018

EDITORIAL

15

VIPS AND T HEIR The continued

N

deployment of police

POLICE GUA

RDS

as person

al guards and o case has brought househelps is home the unsettling illegal use to which many of our policemen are than the recentnow deployed Some of the political rally shooting at a in Ekiti State mandated to general duties that the policeman â&#x20AC;&#x153;attached by a police are carry and order, preservatout include maintena to 20 PMF, Ikeja, Lagos nce of law ion of the State, where detection of he was posted crime, investiga peace, prevention and Although the on guard offenders and tion of crimes politician who the said policema maintenance and conspired and dutiesâ&#x20AC;?. some of the of law and order. arrest of removed n from where constitut squadron comman These are he was posted practically become ional duties they der was said have by the police, to have been by his both the private â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;maiguardsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to prominenjettisoned to the fact that arrested nobody has trial over the been brought able character and public sectors as well t citizens in incident suggests to s cover up. a deliberate who can pay. with no visible means of as questionattempt at livelihood Government This is against ignorance that cannot continue the backgrou promises to to feign withdraw guards nd that despite repeated in connivan these infractions that are ce with the police still retain this committed from VIPs, of some political echelon on the glaring misuse undue privilege. This has many of them ďŹ gures and payroll indeed real. led to the business magnate of the police whose men s are and ofďŹ cers WITH A CRIME are being reduced CONSIDERED RATE e are also alarmed to carrying out HIGHEST IN TO BE THE menial pronouncements that all the many AFRICA, THE duties by political by successiv WITHDRAWAL tor - Generals e InspecOF SERVING ofďŹ ce holders at the of POLICE PERSON withdraw police Police promising to expense of national placed and non-esse orderlies from ATTACHED TO NEL highly ntial public security. This been impleme VIPS WILL poor nted. We recall ďŹ gures have never ENHANCE SECURI treatment, with the incumbe that in February TY the nt ACROSS THE this year, attendant outcome ate withdraw IGP, Ibrahim Idris, ordered COUNTRY al s that diminish political ofďŹ ce of police personnel attachedan immedithe professionalism holders and to some pride, cited VIPs dignity of the in the police, the country. security and requires the He urgent intervent is a development that The streamlin challenges facing Nigeria ment. ing directive ion of the federal as reason.

T H I S DAY businessmen, was governEDITOR BOLAJI multi-nationals also to affect private We condemn ADEBIYI DEPUTY EDITOR organisations DAVIDSON and demeani , in very strong term, this enjoying special and other corporate MANAGING IRIEKPEN just a few days ng practice, DEPUTY MANAGINGDIRECTOR ENIOLA police protectio BELLO where policeme damming escorts and DIRECTOR KAYODE n. But CHAIRMAN orderlies are memo to the after reeling out a plan n, posted as EDITORIAL KOMOLAFE BOARD OLUSEGUN to forward a subjected to president for EDITOR NATIONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S by governm domestic chores ADENIYI ent template for approval on CAPITAL IYOBOSA MANAGING the guideline or rulers, renowne ofďŹ cials, council chairmen UWUGIAREN EDITOR JOSEPH and suspende decision, the same IGP USHIGIALE chickened out d the directive worth individuad politicians, celebrities , traditional pressure by or the same high apparently pandering police orderlies ls. We also ďŹ nd it utterly high netto political ofďŹ ce disturbing that With a crime deviate from T H I S DAY by hopping holders. rate considere EDITOR-IN-C N E W S PA P E R S about with ďŹ les, ofďŹ cial term of reference Africa, the withdraw d to be the highest GROUP EXECUTIVE HIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKAL I M I T E D belonging to umbrella al of serving s and briefcase attached to VIPs the ISRAEL IWEGBU, DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, OBAIGBENA police personnein s to protect. These civilian principals they KAYODE KOMOLAFE, IJEOMA NWOGWUGW will enhance l DIVISIONAL country. For are U, EMMANUEL DIRECTORS a nation of over security across the rather than the serial abuses have become detailed BOLAJI ADEBIYI, EFENI citizen/police PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY the norm DEPUTY DIVISIONAL OGEDENGBE ratio stands 170 million people, the conduct, ethics exception in clear breach DIRECTOR OJOGUN , at one police 555 citizen, of and professio SNR. ASSOCIATE VICTOR DANBOYI or about 180 ofďŹ cer for every the Nigeria nal standard the code of ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC police ofďŹ cers Police. people. This DIRECTORS s for ofďŹ cers OJEH CONTROLLE falls short of per RS ABIMBOLA PATRICK EIMIUHI, SAHEED of the global average,100,000 TAIWO, UCHENNA according to ADEYEMO DIRECTOR, the PRINTING PRODUCTION DIBIAGWU, which NDUKA police ofďŹ cers United Nations, should CHUKS ONWUDINJO MOSERI TO SEND EMAIL: be per 100,000 ďŹ rst name.surnam that roughly people. But the about 340 e@thisdayliv 50 per cent of e.com real scandal is private errands. those policeme n are running

No case has brought home the illegal use to which many of our policemen are now deployed than the recent shooting at a political rally in Ekiti State by a policeman "attached to 20 PMF, Ikeja, Lagos State, where he was posted on guard duties."

H Page 15

W

Letters to the Editor

Letters in response to speciďŹ c readers may TO OUR READERS send such letters publications in THISDAY opinions on topical along with their should be brief local, national (150-200 words) 1000 words). and internatiocontact details to They should and straight be sent to opinion@nal issues providedopinion@thisdaylive.com. to the point.

Interested We thisdaylive.com they are well-writt en and shouldalso welcome comment along with the s and also not be longer email address than (950and phone numbers of the writer.

JUNE 12: BEYO

ope deferred makes the heart source of joy sick, but a desire and new life fulfilled is (proverbs 17;8 it has been for adapted) and a the so of June 12 since believers in the symbolism 1993 until the and concept of President landmark pronouncem Muhammad u Buhari on ent declaration of June 8, 2018 posthumous with the award of Grand June 12 as Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s democracy and Grand Commande Commander day and the of the Federal r of the MKO Abiola Republic (GCFR) and Chief Gani Order of the Niger (GCON) celebrate with Oyesola Fawehinmi to Bashorun and congratulate respectively. movement and the families, I therefore believers in democracy and all leaders and supporters However at of th the i k f its id l

POLITICS For Isaac Alfa, Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Long Walk to the

Senate The drama over the rightful of the senatorial seat for Kogi East which has been going for sometime now reached a climax as a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the immediate sack of a Senator Atai Aidoko, representing Kogi East.

T Page 18

ND SYMBOLIS M

the announcem ent of the abandonme (German Democratic nt of border Republic) control by East over to West Germany Germany (Federal resulting in the freedom of its an estimated Republic of two million Germany). This citizens to cross people that weekend global event, not only signaled crossing the borders to West Germany with but also the the beginning end over of the reunification on October 3, of the cold war. This epic of Germany remains a celebration event, though as was aptly celebrated annually of freedom captured its 25th anniversary by the current chancellor and the triumph of soul force of in 2014 i

MIDWEEKPOL ITICS

Ëž WEDNE

SDAY, JUNE 20, 2018 Group Politic s Editor NSEOB ONG OKON Email nseob -EKONG ong.okoneko ng@thisdayli ve.com 0811449532 4 SMS ONLY

AKER

a Long Walk

Yekini Jimoh of the office of writes that a recent court order Senator repres enting Kogi Eastmay have ended

US LIGHT

write to make a passionate appeal to the governor of kaduna State, executive Malam Nasiru to come to the el-Rufai, aid Dutsen-wai,and of people of Pambegua, Zuntu, in total darkness Zabi.These communities have b in th l

T H I S D AY

THE NE WSM

For Isaac Alfa, Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

KUBAU: GIVE

I

to the Senate

a long drawn

tussle over the

rightful occup ant

Isaac Alfa

he drama over the rightful the senatorial of office and Aidoko continued to which has been seat for Kogi East Senate plenaries. appear repeatedly now reached going for sometime at the right person The legal tussle to a determine winner of the re- run, High Court climax as a Federal but started in 2015, to occupy the senatorial discharged in Abuja ordered him in 2016, an Appeal Court immediat seat Aidoko courtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jurisdiction Aidoko, representi e sack of a Senator the the certificate shortly after INEC withdrew while Senator was sworn-in of return from was an abuse Atai since Atai occupant ng Kogi in his stead. presided by On December the first wrongful the issue of of court process, , Senator Justice Gabriel East. The court jurisdiction 18, 2017, a the All Progressiv Abdulrahman Abubakar sitting in Mr. Aidoko had earlier Court of Appeal resolved at the Appeal was wrongly Kolawole ruled that of Senatorial Abuja pronounced and Apex courts been the deposed dismissed, when es Congress (APC ) bearer of the presented as the Kogi seat as he was senator. All against Peoples Democrat the flag the National to enable Aidokovacant. The declaratio East by Alfa showed in the December evidence tendered and State ic Party (PDP) of Assembly Election n was votes that and Alfa return Petition Tribunal,Houses order to in Lokoja, ruled The frequently 2014 primaries of against Aidokoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;she actually scored determine to court the party. sitting the 129 that he was 101 to emerge contest the already coastingtold story is Mr. Isaac grounds that the authentic occupant in of the primary, but not qualified election. winner Alfa was it was prehome to victory while on candidates to This ruling, created room of that PDP The election matter. judgment as to INEC, PDP submitting the list of however, the result primary, which Alfa with Senator curiously substituted Abubakar andfor a re- run election the legitimate last week has finally pronounce Idah started was conducted in which coming occupant of his party , Aidoko. d in from participati Kogi the rules, Senator in. Not willing to The the APC, were play by barred held East. In his judgment senatorial seat in cost court subsequently award ng. Isaac Alfa Aidoko alle to the ag i Ju ti of PDP th t A dN dl

FEATURES Shaping the Events Industry

FEATURES

T H I S D AY

Ëž Ë&#x153;

Í°ÍŽË&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

An industry that contributes Shaping the Events Indu stry conservatively over N100 billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Nigeria annually and potentially has about N1 trillion in turnover clearly needs to regulate itself.

As the desire for glamorous and colourful events increase...

A Page 20

Group Featur es Editor: Chiem elie Ezeobi Email chieme lie.ezeobi@t hisdaylive.co m

Players in the events mark the industry. et met tly and would resul Jonathan Eze writerecen s that a unitedeliberated extensivel t to optimal retur y on how to d platform ns for investors grow and boost thelike the one being conc eived economy

L-R: Biodun Oniyitan, President Jatt, Amu Association chairman DJ of Event Vendors; association lagos chapter Eni Lise Balogun, and Mr Chris, Governor

makeup Guild; Ceo Invulnerab n industry Mr. Tosan Jemide, le security that at the event Cakes By Tosan; conservatively contributes held in Lagos...

Speaking Temmie Tsoule, over N100bilRecently lion to the EMN Convener; of the event,with THISDAY on the Gross Bisola Borha, sideline Amodu Product (GDP) Domestic contribut Trendybee events; DJ of Nigeria e to building said his vision is to award winning event annually and Jimmy Nigeria producers, a greater and of Registered potentially President Event about N1trillion better has body and achieve a unified clearly needs by 2020. He national event Artist Guilds in Associations and Makeups in a volatile emerging in said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The for glamorou to regulate itself. As turnover create an is a no-braine The impressiv Nigeria. market). Thus, the desire goal is to ecosystem r to set up e cast of one can onlys and colourful events it and developm that advisors involved in increase, any trade or a business or be ent to take allows growth industry were able to feel speakers and in contribution imagine how exponent identifies, activity that on this idiosyncr place, one the pulse of and were of this sub-sector creates ial the that voice cashes the economy would asy.

He added to the Nigerian within the youths and drives excellenc in the shapingvery delighted to lend that in most e Nigeria a and veterans of event industry.

This prompted be. parts of the best practices the event industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the hospitality industr of the world the con Mark t N â&#x20AC;&#x153;E A f h

BUSINESS Diamond Bank Eyes National Banking

Licence There are strong indications that Diamond Bank Plc will before the end of the year, convert its international banking licence to a national one.This followed the recent sale of all the bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assets outside the country... Page 23

CITYSTRINGS Alleviating Poverty in Remoland

Ë&#x153; Í°ÍŽË&#x153;

Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

BUSINESSW R A T E S

MONEY MARKET OBB OVERNIGHT

A S

A T

REPO

3.67 % 4.25 %

CALL 1-MONTH 3-MONTH

5.33% 7.67 % 8.67%

ORLD

INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY MONTH-TO-DATE

357.5 % 0.30% -0.13%

23

Group Busine

ss

Email obinna. Editor Obinna Chima chima@ 0802455707 thisdaylive.com 8, 0809115221 9

J U N E 1 4 , 2 0 1 8 S & P INDEX S & P INDEX 1/4 TO DATE

YEAR TO DATE

EXCHANGE RATE N305.86/1US DOLLAR* *AS AT LAST FRIDAY

3.33% 8.51%

Quick Takes Equatorial Guinea

PARTNERSHIP FOR EDUCATION

L-R; Managing Director, MOD Trade Commissio Group, Mr. Michael Dosunmu; Executive Executive Director,ner, High Commission of Canada, Director, Retail Banking, MOD Group in FCMB, Mr. Olu Mrs. Azuka Ogundeji; Head, Finance, First City Monument Lagos...recently Akanmu, during Communications, Bank the launch of British Council, (FCMB), Mrs. Yemisi Edun; the FCMB Education Mrs. Advisory Service Edemekong Uyoh, and in partnership with the

Diamond Ban k Eyes Nation Banking Lic al ence

The African Export-Imp Joins Afrexim ort Bank (Afreximba bank Equatorial Guinea nk) has welcomed as its 50th member signing of the state with the Instrument of Accession to countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Agreement in the Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Establishm Malabo recently.Th and Planning e Minister ent of the instrument Equatorial Guinea, Lucas of Finance, Economy Abaga Nchama, witnessed by on behalf of the governmen signed President Teodoro t during a ceremony Equatorial Guinea Obiang and an Afreximba Nguema Mbasogo President Dr. of nk delegation Benedict Oramah. led by its Addressing the ceremony, Oramah Equatorial Guinea expressed state,â&#x20AC;? remarking â&#x20AC;&#x153;as our newest and 50th delight at welcoming participating at its signiďŹ cance Equatorial Guineaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s member as it â&#x20AC;&#x153;also closely celebration of in October.â&#x20AC;? He 50 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of its coincides with praised the pan-African independence Mbasogo, citing ist disposition Oramah noted many interventions he spearheade of President that, with its many d in that regard.

GuineaoďŹ&#x20AC;ered natural resources, greatprospects Equatorial of industrial capacity and forregionaltrade,thedevelopme Afreximbank value-added nt exports, and would economic growth support the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s said that drive for sustainabl by providing country limit e of $750 million. it with ďŹ nancing facilities Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interventio with According n will assist Equatorial to the President, a challenging conditions the Guinea to confronting as a result of its economy address the weak in recent had been widely commodity prices. He noted that the years gas, timber, cocoarenowned as a leading exporter of oil, country and ďŹ sh. natural

MAXUT, OneSp

an Hold Bankin Following the Obinna Chima g Summit and payments growing incidence of fraud in mobile OneSpan, in around the world, global collaboration data security banking BANKIN G There are strong with MAXUT company, 21,2018 hold its internation indications Consulting, will its that Diamond According to third annual Banking Security on June Diamond Bank al subsidiary, growing, Bank Plc before the Summit in (UK) Plc. and most profitable Ajayi-Obe, theSenior Vice President, end of the will tioning itself. It The bank MAXUT, Mr. Lagos. is trying to technology-driven convert its internation year, very Banking Securityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;summit, which has â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Digital be the disposalhad explained that Olumide conservativ retail banking al banking franchise in licence to a portfolio. The e with its loan its objective was in line with regulators and as its theme, would give Channels and Open Nigeria. national one. opportunity to â&#x20AC;&#x153;This strategic This followed its non-core bank has sold operations of streamlining its of electronic banking colleagues to discuss experts, intent requires assets because banking the bank to of all the bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the recent sale believes to focus resources as share experience and payments security the current state optimise the the cost of managingit on the significant use its the country as assets outside those resources of s from opportunities â&#x20AC;&#x153;OneSpan, which around the world.landscapes as well which assets outside well as its resolve necessary, divestingmeans, where to take advantage the country in the Nigerian retail banking is not part of share its vision is formerly VASCO Data market. from its nonits Security, is in core assets, and and strategy opportunities of the banking Nigeria â&#x20AC;&#x153;This year, the strategy. oďŹ&#x20AC;ered by banking for securing Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s huge focusing on The transaction all digital interactionto priority bank population the and is ďŹ nancial going area, to followed understand be leaner and presents. namely Nigerian services industry bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the retail s the speciďŹ c A reliable industry banking.â&#x20AC;? and tions, it will be from all indica- Africandivestment from its West needs of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;OneSpan recognises Nigerian market.to better convert business, Diamond source, to who disclosed â&#x20AC;&#x153;The bank has the growing and payments a national licence its licence S.A., which laid the foundaBank tion around the world fraud trends in mobile said the movethis to THISDAY, it has was completed for because growth , will banking be announcing and thus OneSpan in Nigeria with sold its internation November in acquisition the Capital would also put subsidiarie 2017. and MAXUT solutions available new Adaptive Authentica al of over 15 Adequacy Specifically, s and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t million customers, Ratio (CAR) requireme tion platform the bank last to provide them to Nigerian Banking many of whom and nt for the an international presencehave November sold and FinTech owning bank bank at 10 with even more are its operations more. That means customers any solutions for per cent. accounts for securing all Digital cost-eďŹ&#x20AC;ective and its CAR will Benin, Togo, Cote dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ivoire in first time. the The CAR be at 10 per advanced Senegal to Manzi Channels,â&#x20AC;? he and cent as Nigeria stands for banks in per â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Nigerian said.

Finances S.A., PZ Cusson cent,â&#x20AC;? the source against 15 a Cote dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ivoire-ba market has vast potential and 15 percent at 10 per cent sed financial Diamond Bank explained. services The ďŹ fth edition s Rewards Custom holding fundamentals, due to its strong international for national and signed had in April, Lagos with baby of Cussons Baby Moments ers Commenting company. lions of people including milrespectively banking licence agreema share sale and purchase Zoe Ekwegh ended recentl on the tr Year 2018 e ti h i

CITYSTRING S

The idea was mooted 10 years ago when he turned 60 years old.

Hedecided to give back to his society. T But the dream was later dashed.

Ten years after, Senator Olusoga Oladipupo Odujinrin decided to revisit the pet project when he clocked 70 years old on December 19, 2017. Page 36

Alleviating Po verty

T H I S D AY

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in Remoland

Jolted by the saw the needpoverty level within his imm ediate envir community, to revisit his poverty allev especially trade iation foundonment, Sen Oladipupo rs. Femi Ogb Oduj ation he idea was mooted 10 years ago when he turned onnikan who that would empower inrin, recently decided to give 60 years old. He the Rem was at the inaug But the dream back to his society. uration write oland Ten years after,was later dashed.

Senator Olusoga s Oladipupo Odujinrin revisit the

pet project when decided to old on December he clocked 70 years For Odujinrin 19, 2017. , the need to same society give back to that the would not burn churned him out, was a that elapsed. out no matter the number fire that By sheer providenc of years lawyer by profession e, al calling, at Odujinrin, a himself at the age 35, found Assembly in Upper Chamber of the 1983 when National platform of he was elected the and represente Unity Party of Nigeria on the on the basis d Remo/Ijebu-Ode, Ogun(UPN) of State, arrangement, the defunct five districts in Lagos, the per a seat he occupied then Federal state capital, for three months military junta before of Buhari/Idiagbon the then civilian ousted the Shagari-NPN dispensation of President on December led government in a palaceShehu 31, 1983. coup Thus, still burning with the passion lives, he finally to impact kicked off the the set day, foundation. he threw open On Non-Governmental the Organisation doors of his Senator Dipo (NGO) named Odujinrin Foundatio where he inaugurat n (SENDOF) , presented cheques ed societies under it and of the foundation and certificates to beneficiarie 's empowerm Held at his Ode-Remo ent programm s e. country home, North Local Government in the programm Area of Ogun Remo e saw 20 home with beneficiaries State, a going interest at a sum of N50,000 each, very affordable with spanning a and friendly an year. rate, According the scheme to Odujinrin, the motive was borne out behind poverty in the of the need to Ijebu Province.old Remo Division of the banish defunct about 20 years He said, "It was my pet float a foundatioago when I decided dream I would n when I turned The essence L-R:, Chairperso 60 was n of SENDOF, society where to give back to my in 2007.

Dr. Olusola immediate Odujinrin (sitting) to be where I had been lucky and Peter Odili and founder, privileged I am today. and preached Sen Oladipupo being a lawyer, development Preparatory to Odujinrin to that, with a spirit him to take the and I registeredI decided to give it a that it was God's On of legal teeth it with the doing, not to sportsmanship, on the the political front, Odujinrin Commission presidential Corporate Affairs have him as formation of reminiscenced (CAC). candidate the alongside Ijebu "In a bid "With the December of the party.

Oshinowo gaveAgenda, stating that he of the founder. However, prominence, to give the foundatio 19, 2007 that scheduled for to him, the foundation she added advent of the birth to it. According had that the Dr. Gbolade I approached my bosomn more we approachethe inauguration of my had been on July 21, to inadequate not been able to do birth of Ijebu Oshinowo, who foundation, much due 2017 was fast d Obasanjo, friend, or Agenda structure funding, lack Assistant (SA) adding that if to shelve was then, not from taking of a formal and a the event all illustrious becoming a reality, guiding place and he on Political to ex-President Olusegun a Special ahead. We of Ijebuland sons and daughters the supported suitable system, hence asked Affairs, that went Obasanjo have many of ventured albeit have input I wanted his at the occasion ahead. The amount us to go treated the He said while keyed into it. into the scheme. funds advanced on adhoc basis boss to elsewhere realised and others he was still to go about rendered the "A meeting that were were taken the foundatio searching for how efforts unsustainas grants which in Abuja. We was scheduled to meet to the stock sourced Otunba Bimbo enable them She said, "In n he came able.

Obasanjo market to discussed exh yield some order to m k across p Ashiru th pr St t C i t "W i h d

INTERNATIONAL In Tit-for-tat, Trump Threatens More

Tariffs against China US President DonaldTrump has directed the USTrade Representative to prepare new tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports as the two nations move closer to a potential trade war... Page 47

SPORTS NFF Offers Eagles Full Benefit

Incentive to Qualify for Round of 16 As a way to motivate the Super Eagles to put behind the loss to Croatia at the ongoing FIFAWorld Cup here in Russia, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has offered to pay the players full benefits if they qualify for the knock out stage. Page 54

WEDNESDAY,JUN

E 20, 2018Ëž T

INTERNATIO NAL H I S D AY

47

email:foreign

desk@thisda ylive.com In Tit-for-tat, More Tariffs Trump Threatens against China China slam s US â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;blac

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kmailingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Ex-Israeli Minist er Arrested for Allege dly

Spying for Iran

WEDNESDAY SPORTS WORLD C UP 2018â&#x20AC;Ś

Ë&#x153;

ͺ͸Ë&#x153; ͺ͸͚Î&#x20AC; Ëž T

H I S D AY

Group Sports Editor Duro Email duro.ik hazuagbe@th Ikhazuagbe isdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY JUNE 14 TO JULY 15

NFF Offers Ea gl Incentive to Quali es Full BeneďŹ t fy for Round of 16

inspired Croatia Kaliningrad on Saturday in qualifying but have another Nigeria for opportunity to World the competition stay alive in the to spare.Cup with a match us,â&#x20AC;? he noted.

Akinwunm to get a win if they are able suddenly How come he has henceforth it i suggested that become a that forced against Iceland coach?â&#x20AC;? will be necessary bad for the queried the NFF one-all draw.Argentina to a NFF elections chief. moved On the face-off away from the to be â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our players between some on the match are focused and Super Eagles players Cup year to avoid the World a section of Nigerians with Iceland. distractions associated kind of They have reviewed the Social Media, on with it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People just the loss to Croatia and Akinwunmi want to create done all that said that the coaching problems where is necessary had waded crew to earn all three into the matter exist. Because wethey donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t As a way points against and steps were are Super Eaglesto motivate the play Friday. We are Iceland on to avoid being taken to hearing crisis in the used Iceland really looking whenever it is NFF a repetition. in their the loss to to put behind Group forward to positive an election While Croatia at D match, were second â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once they ongoing FIFA Friday in Volgogradresult come dragged refusing to be they are busy spreading year, the the incentive offered Round qualify by the NFF here in Russia, World Cup Monday of 16, they for the Akinwunmi who ,â&#x20AC;? stressed campaigninto NFF election does not exist in this what on will board. their We the Nigeria also revealed night. get s embarked all (NFF board full benefits Football Federation upon First Vice as if they that the NFF was solidly by a section of members) (NFF) has President of didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lose any match. offered to pay behind Coach the football here watched some the stakeholders of the here in Russia, matches together benefits if theythe players full confiNFF, Seyi Akinwunmi, is one of the ways we This despite pressure Gernot Rohr the and NFF rmed believe qualify from we had even fi rst can a section said breakfast together to Nigerian for the reporters vice motivate knock out stage. of Nigerians condemni the main focuspresident morning. here in St Petersburg to go all out in the players tactics I wonder where this Eagles who of every the remaining against Croatia.ng his patriotic Nigerian yesterday such their camp base are to leave the full that the essence of two matches against now is how rumours of crisis is coming He insisted that Super Eagles Iceland and Argentina from,â&#x20AC;? group stage no on Thursday in Essentuki to the benefit Akinwunm ,â&#x20AC;? observed ultimatum has been query or this tournamewill do well at who concludes the NFF chief team is to ginger morning for issued to was accompan Volgograd where i who also doubles the German gaffer â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are notnt. as a result they will players to give their bestthe as Lagos FA chairman in Russia for briefing by Chairmanied to the of the loss last the two remaining any NFF campaign in of NFFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s .

Saturday.

Media Nigeria Committe â&#x20AC;&#x153;It lost or matches. match 2-0 to her opening have amazes me that people matter. We are here election Yahaya-Kwande, e, Suleiman solely to of easily forgotten Luka Modric ensure that the Chairperson the female league that Super same coach and board was hailed this make all of us proud.Eagles member, for should That Director Aisha Falode and be the focus of all of Ademolaof Communications, Olajire.

Ikpeba Leads Bet Customers to 9ja Russia

For their commitment loyalty and Mesh, brand, nine to the Bet9ja were â&#x20AC;&#x153;these lucky customers chosen through are full paidlucky customers transpare a nt raffl Super Eagles trip to watch way of reward fore draw as a matches at the on going Russia their passion 2018 World for football. This is in line cup . our responsib with The customers back to our ility of giving loyal customers picked randomly across The lucky the country winners will. will be led on enjoy Ambassador the trip by Bet9ja trip an all expenses paid Eagles strikerand former Super Superto Russia to watch the Eagles last game According to Victor Ikpeba. Argentina against the Brands and .

Communications They will depart Manager of KC Gaming Nigeria by weekend and Networks, Tunji best hospitality will enjoy the during the trip.

German Coac h, Low Goes Spiritual after Loss to Mexico

Germany manager, Joachim LĂśw, is still rueing over teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opening his match l to M

the German side in the past 12 years, admitted it

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2018Ëž T H I S D AY

NEWS

Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x161; Ă?ĂĄĂ? Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ejiofor Alike Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013; Ejiofor.Alike@thisdaylive.com, 08066066268

2019 is a Referendum on Restructuring, Says Dickson Atiku promises restructuring Insists APC destroying economy Emmanuel Addeh Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2039; Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, yesterday said the 2019 general election would be a referendum on restructuring, adding that only aspirants who believe in restructuring would get the support of the Ijaw nation.

The governor said he would intensify consultations on restructuring, true federalism and devolution of powers with the view to reaching a consensus for a restructured Nigeria.

Dickson spoke when a high-powered delegation led by former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  presidential aspirant,  Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, paid him a courtesy call at Government House in Yenagoa.

The governor said there was no going back on his call for restructuring, and pledged to take his consultations to all parts of the country until Nigeria achieves a true federal structure.

He said the people of the Ijaw from Ondo, Edo, Delta, Rivers to Akwa Ibom States had been fully mobilised and conscientious on the importance of the 2019 general election and what it portends for restructuring.

Dickson also called on well-meaning Nigerians to protect democracy and reject a one-party system because according to him, it breeds dictatorship.

He enjoined members of the PDP to work closely to make the party more cohesive

and virile.

Describing Atiku as one of the most consistent political voices for the quest for a new Nigeria, Dickson promised that  Bayelsa would remain a PDP state that would fly the partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flag at all times. He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;In furtherance of the sacred mandate of our people, several leaders and personalities, even across the political divide are united on the need to restructure this country and return it to fiscal federalism. Few weeks ago, I had a rare interaction with the president where I clearly conveyed the message for the need for a restructured Nigeria. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to say that in the days and months ahead, I, my brothers and sisters you see here, and our leaders have resolved to carry this message to every nook and cranny of our country. And to let the people know that a restructured Nigeria is in everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interest, and if you want a stable, prosperous, egalitarian and sustainable Nigeria that can survive the next 200, 300 years in peace and in prosperity, then we must re-examine the foundation of our country and make necessary adjustments. â&#x20AC;&#x153;No nation is perfect, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not deceive ourselves that our country is perfect. Every nation is a work in progress. Other countries older than Nigeria have adjusted. Restructuring is a call for adjustments, consultations and consensus building.â&#x20AC;?  In his remarks, Atiku promised to ensure that the Niger Deltaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s yearning for a restructured Nigeria becomes

a reality in 2019 when he is voted in as the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next president.

The presidential aspirant boasted that he has the courage to readjust the current governance structure in the country, just like he stood up to military dictatorships in the past, insisting the Nigeria cannot run away from the rising calls for restructuring.

He, thereafter, presented a document to Dickson which he said encapsulated his views on the subject, maintaining that he would hit the ground running on the issue of re-tuning Nigeria

for efficiency if elected president.

The former vice president, who also met with members of the PDP in the state, was accompanied by a former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniels, who is also the Director General of his campaign organisation; an ex-Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godsday Orubebe; Senator Ben Murray-Bruce and a large retinue of aides. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have been following with keen interest your (Dicksonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s) position on restructuring. If you know, I have been an advocate of restructuring since 2004.

Mr. Governor,  I would like

to invite you to join me as we work together towards 2019 so that we can do it together. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The governor and I are on the same page as far as the issue of restructuring is concerned. We have been consistent about it.

For us to get the unity, progress and development we are looking for, we cannot escape from restructuring,â&#x20AC;? he said.

In his message titled: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Restructuring as a pathway to unity and development in Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, the former vice president noted that many issues that currently bedevil the country could be solved

if Nigeria was truly a federal state as enunciated in the document.

While taking a swipe at the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for allegedly destroying Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy, he vowed to confront antidemocratic forces in the country, which are bent on taking the country many steps backward. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have been in the vanguard of returning democracy to this country. Some of us lost their lives, some shot among others,

Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on Pg..51

NIS Bans Foreigners from OATH OF OFFICE in Abuja...yesterday Participating in Electoral  Process Justice Abdul Karfarati (left), being sworn in by Mr Christopher Unigwe as Chief Judge, Federal High CourtJ

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Kuni TyessĂ&#x201C; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x;Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x2039; The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has banned all foreigners from participating in the forthcoming elections, and deployed its personnel to monitor all electoral activities in the country.

The Comptroller General of NIS, Muhammad Babandede,  who made this disclosure in reaction to some media reports alleging possible registration of foreigners by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2019 elections, said it is part of the Service mandate to engage the populace in sensitisation campaigns which will bar non-Nigerians from participating in such exercise.  In a statement which was signed by the NIS spokesperson, Mr. Sunday James, Babandede noted that the NIS would maintain a good working relationship with INEC and all data harvesting agencies for the purpose of ensuring that persons, especially foreigners who are not supposed to be

enrolled, do not get into the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s database.

The statement read in part: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is important to state that as part of its statutory roles of control of migrants in Nigeria, the NIS ensures that no foreigner participates in our electoral process. â&#x20AC;?Aside deployment of personnel to monitor political process with a view to ensuring that no migrant gets involved in our politics, it is also customary with the NIS to embark on sensitisation campaigns to bar non-Nigerians from participating in such exercise. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is also worthy of note that NIS maintains a good working relationship with INEC and indeed all data harvesting agencies for the purpose of ensuring that persons especially foreigners who are not supposed to be enrolled do not get into the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s database.â&#x20AC;?

NIS assured well-meaning Nigerians of its capacity to ensuring that no persons other than Nigerians get enrolled in critical database.Â

Presidency Cancels FEC Meeting Today Omololu Ogunmade Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; James Emejo Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x;Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x2039; The presidency yesterday explained that todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting was cancelled because the Eid-el-Fitr holidays of last Friday and Monday affected the preparation of council memoranda.

Giving the explanation in a terse statement, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, added that President Muhammadu Buhari would today sign the 2018 Appropriation Bill into law. â&#x20AC;&#x153;President Buhari will sign the 2018 Appropriation Bill into law Wednesday (today) at noon Meanwhile, the FEC meeting will not hold today. This is due to the Eid-el-Fitr holidays last Friday and Monday, which affected preparation of council memoranda,â&#x20AC;? Adesina said.

The N9.1 trillion budget

passed by the National Assembly on May 17 is made up of N3.5 trillion recurrent (non-debt) expenditure and N2.8 trillion capital expenditure.

The budget is N500 billion higher than the N8.6 trillion proposal presented to the National Assembly by Buhari in November 2017.

The National Assembly also increased the oil benchmark proposed by the executive from $45 to $51 per barrel but retained oil production volume proposal at 2.3 million barrels per day and exchange rate at N305 to $1.

The budget as passed by the federal legislature also comprised N530,421,368,624 as statutory transfer; N2,203,835,365,699 for debt service; N1,954,464,993,775 as fiscal deficit which implies 1.73 percent deficit to gross domestic product (GDP).

Meanwhile, indications emerged yesterday that the

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, might not be present at the signing ceremony of the 2018 budget today.

The annual signing ceremony is usually witnessed by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House.

Already, Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, is out of the country.

Saraki last night led the Senate delegation on a three-day parliamentary visit to Russia, aimed at deepening legislative best practices and further strengthening the relationship between both countries.

He is expected back in the country on June 22, 2018.

For Dogara, sources in his office told THISDAY yesterday that he is currently undertaking an academic training course at the London School of Economics (LSE), and might not be around for the budget signing  ceremony today.

Nonetheless, it was also gathered that the leadership of the lower chamber would likely send a representation to the event.

Another source further confided in THISDAY yesterday that the president would have ordinarily declined to sign the budget given the spending increases by the parliament but for want of time and the fact that elections were drawing closer by the day. The 2017 budget was likewise dogged by controversy after the presidency initially refused to sign the appropriation bill into law because the legislature tweaked the original estimates and introduced several other items, without due consultation with the executive.

Both parties finally reached a compromise before the then acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, signed the bill into law as Buhari was out of the country on medical vacation.

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14

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2018

COMMENT

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

THE 6 O’CLOCK LADY

Childhood is the most critical stage in the upbringing of a baby, writes Sonnie Ekwowusi

W

e believe that much more needs to be done nowadays to protect children and babies from abuses and exploitations. But ironically our children and babies are increasingly becoming the most victims of rape, infanticide, child labour, modern baby slavery and surrogate-mother baby keeping.

You may have observed that in the last few years in Nigeria little kids who are not of pre-kindergarten age, that is, little babies who ought to be at home sucking their mothers’ breasts are being forced to go to school by their parents. Every morning unwilling kids below the age of two are being dragged to school by their parents or guardians. They will put something that looks like a school uniform on the kids; hang a big bag containing biscuits, bottled water and sweets on the shoulders of the kids and start dragging them to school.

The most nauseating aspect is the taking of babies below the age of two weeks, three weeks or one month to crèches, pre-kindergarten institutions or to surrogate mother safe-keepers as if they were disposable things or commodities. Permit me to tell you a true story. In a highbrow neigbourhood of Ikoyi, Lagos lives a certain lady of an upper-class background (name withheld). Nine months after she was happily married to her former fiancée she became pregnant. Later she was successfully delivered of a beautiful baby girl. After the baby turned just two weeks, the lady confided in her husband that she was tired of nursing the baby and that the time she spends nursing the baby was encroaching into her siesta and weight-loss exercises in the gym in the afternoon. Consequently, by mutual agreement, this lady and her husband decided to hand over their baby to the proprietress of a nearby crèche for nursing and safe-keeping. On her part, the lady drew up a baby-delivery and baby-collection daily schedule. She would get up early in morning, quickly rinse up her face with water, pack up her baby, put her in her car and drive her straight to the crèche. On her way back from the gym she would dutifully drive straight to the crèche to pick up her baby at 6p.m. In fact her punctuality at the crèche in the evening to collect her baby earned her the sobriquet The 6 o’ Clock Lady both at the crèche and in the neigbourhood. Whenever the sound of her car was heard in the neigbourhood all the residents would conclude that the 6 o’ clock lady had arrived to pick up her baby.

This lady kept on doing this for about three years. But one day she arrived at the crèche at 6 o’clock in the evening as usual to pick up her baby. At that time her baby was already three years old. After she arrived she went into the crèche as usual and carried her baby to go home. But something strange happened that day. The baby started kicking and crying to register her protest that she did not want to go home with the 6 o’ clock lady. Obviously the baby had become so emotionally and physically attached to the proprietress of the crèche that she regarded the lady as a stranger trying to take her away. The proprietress of the crèche had been closely nursing her for three consecutive years that she had perfectly bonded with her and regarded her as real mum. Anyway, the lady still managed to take the weeping baby home. But the drama did

THE VALUES WHICH MOTHERS INCULCATE IN A CHILD EVENTUALLY BECOME THE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH THE CHILD BUILDS THE SUPERSTRUCTURE OF HIS/HER BEHAVIOUR

not end there. On getting home, the baby continued wailing unstoppably to high heavens. She refused to eat the food offered to her by mum. She refused to allow the 6 o’ clock lady to wash her and dress her up.The lady could not even lull the baby to sleep. Disturbed by the persistent wailing and restlessness of the baby, the 6 o’ clock Lady telephoned the proprietress of the crèche and registered her complaint about the strange behaviour of her baby. Time was 12.30 p.m in the night. Suspecting what must have transpired between the baby and the lady, the proprietress left her house that night and headed for the house of The 6 o’ clock lady. As soon as she arrived at the lady’s house and set her eyes on the baby, the baby instantly stopped crying. She had seen the proprietress and recognised her as her ‘real’ mother. After the baby had stopped crying, the proprietress carried her and lifted her up. The baby smiled. The proprietress touched her head and sang to her the song she was used to at the crèche. When the baby heard the crèche song, she smiled all the more. Thereafter the proprietress, who still carrying the baby in her arms, requested that water and food be given to the baby. The 6 o’ clock lady brought water and food and gave to the baby. The baby ate and drank to her satisfaction.

Thereafter the baby fell asleep in the arms of the proprietress.

This story, as I earlier said, is a true story. The person scribbling this vouches for its authenticity and accuracy. Outsourcing of parenting to househelps, surrogate mothers or crèches is the new fad. Advocates of outsourcing of parenting argue that times have changed; that a woman must not die bringing up a baby; that most married women nowadays are working mothers and therefore should be relieved from the additional burden of raising up children. This argument is flawed upon recognising that early babyhood or childhood is the most critical stage in the upbringing of a baby or a child. The values which mothers inculcate in a child eventually become the foundation upon which the child builds the superstructure of his/her behaviour. To be sure, a destroyed babyhood or childhood engenders a dysfunctional family which by extension engenders a destroyed nation. For instance, the crises associated with the Amajiris of Northern Nigeria stem from the crisis of childhood. It is said that music legend Michael Jackson never had a childhood and that depravity led to his final ruin. For most societies, the preschool or pre-kindergarten age ranges between two and half years to four and half years. The first National Policy on Education was introduced in Nigeria in 1977 during the military era. In that policy and subsequent national policies, the preschool age ranges from three years to six years. The policies have regulated and standardised early childhood education in Nigeria. But as you know very well, the Nigerian educational system has collapsed.

Consequently the preschools, kindergarten institutions and crèches are riddled by crises. There is proliferation of kindergarten school in virtually every gutter and dungeon in Nigeria. Quality education has been compromised. Arbitrary fees are charged. Some crèches are now accepting babies as young as two weeks for safe-keeping. May God help us.

GOVERNMENT AND THE SOCIAL CONTRACT Ariyo-Dare Atoye urges the people to hold government to account

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he legendary Karl Max had unsuccessfully predicted the imminent revolution of the working class when individuals - the common man would finally be free to develop their abilities and talents to the maximum.

He had a vision of a just society based on economic abundance shared by all, and where individuals would achieve true freedom. The crux of Max’s expectation was: “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.”

However, the fundamental reasons Max had wanted the fall of the corrupt capitalist class whose interests are irrevocably counterpoised to the interest of the vast majority - are still very much with us, especially in Nigeria, and other third world countries. And even in the developed nations. The common people are still alienated from the common wealth of the land; corruption is endemic and the ruling elites continue to expropriate and exploit the resources of the land to the benefit of a few.

While the revolution as structurally predicted

by Max might have fallen through, the Arab Spring - in Tunisia and Egypt and the bad Arab Spring in Libya and Syria - and the rising agitations in the different parts of the world have, in a way, put Max back on the agenda. Unfortunately, the West too, is facing its own internal challenge: it is threatened by the ascendancy of the far-right in key nations and the gradual triumph of nationalism over globalism. There must be a new thinking, like the review of the failure of the ruling class to nurture and honour social contract.

As long as protests, demonstrations and agitations have not ceased, it is difficult to wish away revolution: it shines an illuminating light on the people and society. The Arab Spring underpinned Thomas Jefferson’s deep insight that when injustice becomes law in a society, resistance

or civil disobedience becomes a moral obligation.

As long as the world has not come to an end, the popular sayings in civic spaces that it is not over until it is over, and anything can happen, subsist.

That is why it has become very important for the ruling elites in Nigeria to pay utmost attention to a pro-masses movement, the OurMumuDonDo group led by maverick entertainer cum social activist, Charles Oputa, globally known as Charly Boy. Like other focused pressure groups in the world that are advancing the cause of angry and frustrated citizens, the movement is constantly demanding the curbing of the pervasive corruption in the land, engendering good governance, transparency and accountability.

Nobody saw the bourgeois-democratic revolutions known as the Arab Spring coming.

Nigeria is not an exception, as long as the masses continue to feel the hostile effects and excruciating pains of unfavourable and malicious economic policies in the country, insecurity and unabated killings. Anything could still be in the offing.

The people are in pains; agitations are not off the table; and, if the ruling class would not listen to the concerns being expressed by civil society groups, like the OurMumuDonDo movement, anything can still happen: the avoidable Nigerian spring or revolution.

Beyond pressuring the government to listen to the concerns of the common people and causing the social dislocations of unfavorable policies, it is a welcome idea that the Charly Boy-led movement has decided to commence a national reawakening to strengthen citizens’ participation in governance by launching a nationwide project called The Nigerian Social Contract Initiative (NSCI) under the common man banner of #NaWeBeGovernment. Democracy should be governed by people’s will while the social contract provides a tool for holding government

accountable.

That government exists for the people and not the people for government, surmises the position of Jean Jacques Rousseau on social contract - “the depositaries of the executive power are not the people’s masters, but its officers.” Like the OurMumuDonDogroup, Rousseau is regarded as the “champion of the common man,” while his idea that “men are born free, yet everywhere are in chains,” continues to challenge the traditional order of the society.

To have a society that works, there must be a commitment to established norms and values.

The social contract, as a deliberate and conscious engagement, could guide the people and the government of the state to achieve defined objectives. The NSCI project by OurMumuDonDo is fundamentally premised on a socio-political urgency to galvanise and scale up citizens’ involvement in governance, as well as create a viable tool to demand an incorrupt, pro-people, transparent, and accountable government.

The social contract initiative has also found a space in a social change initiative called Make Difference Against Corruption (MadACT) that a prominent nongovernmental organisation, Youth Alive Foundation (YAF) and partners under their strengthening Youth Participation Against Corruption (YPAC) project with support from UK Aid, are implementing. The curbing of endemic corruption in the country must be elevated to a point of collective responsibility by the people and government.

Until we are able to sufficiently push for and attain a people-led approach in the fight against corruption, where there is no sacred cow, we will still be scratching the surface. Therefore, and in line with what YAF and OurMumuDonDo are doing, I would like to suggest to the NotToo-Young-To-Run movement to consider the

mainstreaming of the youth as active advocates in the fight against corruption. They could be mobilised nationally through capacity building, social marketing/ behaviour change communication and civic engagement activities The youth seeking political offices must consider, and are in a better position to enter into social contract with the people, the electorate on how to attain a functioning society. As a bargaining arrangement, the electorate can promise not to sell their votes and perform their civic responsibilities. On the other hand, the candidates must know that the people can no longer be taken for a ride; they are government and the candidates, when elected, are meant to hold government in trust and serve them.

The old order must give way in Nigeria if we must have a chance of preventing the unthinkable. We have reached a most despicable level in corruption, election rigging, poverty and hopelessness. But the people are waking up: they are saying Our Mumu Don Do; they are saying enough of everything bad. And the ruling elites cannot keep messing with the snake without getting bitten. But social contract initiative gives hope that we could avert the unthinkable.

As the OurMumuDonDo movement seeks to launch the first Nigerian Social Contract Initiative on June 20, 2018, and subsequently take the campaign nationwide, I wish to express optimism that the intervention will help to scale up inclusive participation in democratic governance and the return of power to the rightful owners we the people #NaWeBeGovernment. Hopefully, the campaign will help to strengthen the ongoing electoral process by discouraging votes’ trading and the holding of leaders accountable. Nigerians are saying: Our Mumu Don Do (a local parlance transliterated as our docility is enough)!

Atoye wrote from Abuja

15

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2018

EDITORIAL VIPS AND THEIR POLICE GUARDS The continued deployment of police as personal guards and househelps is unsettling

N

o case has brought home the illegal use to which many of our policemen are now deployed than the recent shooting at a political rally in Ekiti State by a policeman “attached to 20 PMF, Ikeja, Lagos State, where he was posted on guard duties”.

Although the politician who conspired and removed the said policeman from where he was posted by his squadron commander was said to have been arrested by the police, the fact that nobody has been brought to trial over the incident suggests a deliberate attempt at cover up.

This is against the background that despite repeated promises to withdraw guards from VIPs, many of them still retain this undue privilege. This has led to the glaring misuse of the police whose men and officers are being reduced to WITH A CRIME RATE carrying out menial CONSIDERED TO BE THE duties by political HIGHEST IN AFRICA, THE office holders at the WITHDRAWAL OF SERVING expense of national POLICE PERSONNEL security. This poor ATTACHED TO VIPS WILL treatment, with the attendant outcomes ENHANCE SECURITY that diminish the ACROSS THE COUNTRY pride, dignity and professionalism of the police, is a development that requires the urgent intervention of the federal government.

We condemn, in very strong term, this damming and demeaning practice, where policemen, posted as escorts and orderlies are subjected to domestic chores by government officials, council chairmen, traditional rulers, renowned politicians, celebrities or high networth individuals. We also find it utterly disturbing that police orderlies deviate from official term of reference by hopping about with files, umbrellas and briefcases belonging to the civilian principals they are detailed to protect. These serial abuses have become the norm rather than the exception in clear breach of the code of conduct, ethics and professional standards for officers of the Nigeria Police.

Letters to the Editor

Some of the general duties that the police are mandated to carry out include maintenance of law and order, preservation of the peace, prevention and detection of crime, investigation of crimes and arrest of offenders and maintenance of law and order. These are some of the constitutional duties they have jettisoned to practically become ‘maiguards’ to prominent citizens in both the private and public sectors as well as questionable characters with no visible means of livelihood who can pay. Government cannot continue to feign ignorance that these infractions that are committed in connivance with the police echelon on the payroll of some political figures and business magnates are indeed real.

W

T H I S DAY

EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI DEPUTY EDITOR DAVIDSON IRIEKPEN MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR JOSEPH USHIGIALE

T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS BOLAJI ADEBIYI, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE, DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS PATRICK EIMIUHI, SAHEED ADEYEMO CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

e are also alarmed that all the many pronouncements by successive Inspector - Generals of Police promising to withdraw police orderlies from highly placed and non-essential public figures have never been implemented. We recall that in February this year, the incumbent IGP, Ibrahim Idris, ordered an immediate withdrawal of police personnel attached to some political office holders and VIPs in the country. He cited the security challenges facing Nigeria as reason.

The streamlining directive was also to affect private businessmen, multi-nationals and other corporate organisations enjoying special police protection. But just a few days after reeling out a plan to forward a memo to the president for approval on guideline or template for the decision, the same IGP chickened out and suspended the directive apparently pandering to pressure by the same high political office holders.

With a crime rate considered to be the highest in Africa, the withdrawal of serving police personnel attached to VIPs will enhance security across the country. For a nation of over 170 million people, the citizen/police ratio stands at one police officer for every 555 citizen, or about 180 police officers per 100,000 people. This falls short of the global average, which according to the United Nations, should be about 340 police officers per 100,000 people. But the real scandal is that roughly 50 per cent of those policemen are running private errands.

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

JUNE 12: BEYOND SYMBOLISM

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ope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a source of joy and new life (proverbs 17;8 adapted) and so it has been for the believers in the symbolism and concept of June 12 since 1993 until the landmark pronouncement of President Muhammadu Buhari on June 8, 2018 with the declaration of June 12 as Nigeria’s democracy day and the posthumous award of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) and Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) to Bashorun MKO Abiola and Chief Gani Oyesola Fawehinmi respectively. I therefore celebrate with and congratulate the families, all leaders and supporters of the movement and believers in democracy and its ideals.

However, at the risk of being a wet blanket, I opine that there are people that are larger than titles, achievements greater than awards and events bigger than official recognitions.

One person that readily comes to mind is Mother Teresa. By the time of her death, she was already a saint in the hearts of the millions of people her life and life’s work had touched such that her beatification and subsequent cannonisation (though a great title) added little to her stature in the hearts of these people. Of course, we cannot forget the people’s princess, Lady Diana, Princess of Wales, one of the most charismatic and influential persons of her time. Upon her divorce from Prince Charles and the consequent loss of the use of the title, Her Royal Highness (HRH), her stature did not diminish but rather grew and Prime Minister Tony Blair said it right during the official announcement of her death –“she is the people’s princess and that’s how she will stay, how she will remain in our hearts and in our memories forever”.

Also, the collapse of the Berlin wall that led to the reunification of Germany is such an event. A global event which took place November 9, 1989 with

the announcement of the abandonment of border control by East Germany (German Democratic Republic) resulting in the freedom of its citizens to cross over to West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany). This global event, with an estimated two million people crossing the borders to West Germany over that weekend not only signaled the beginning of the reunification of Germany but also the end of the cold war. This epic event, though celebrated annually on October 3, remains a celebration of freedom and the triumph of soul force as was aptly captured by the current chancellor of a united Germany during its 25th anniversary in 2014 thus: “This is a message of hope and that dreams can come true, nothing has to stay as it is, even if it is difficult. It is a message in our ability to tear down walls today and in future of dictatorship, violence, ideology and hostility”.

The events of June 12, its symbol (Bashorun MKO Abiola) and the movement /struggle it birthed is in my opinion such a phenomenon which title, award or official recognition neither adds nor removes from. “June 12” symbolises the Nigerian people’s desire for and commitment to these ideals –unity, equity, justice and freedom.

Therefore considering the state of these ideals under this dispensation, the announcement after the initial euphoria, left a sour sweet aftertaste and upon reflection on the grantor and his timing, I sense both duplicity of person and dubiousness of intent. On the person of the grantor, nothing in his antecedents, neither words nor actions suggested a support for “June 12”. In fact, prior to this maverick political masterstroke, his recent remarks on the person and regime of General Sani Abacha (under which the movement, its symbol and the ideals the movement stood for suffered the most) connoted a veiled adoration and a tacit support of same which would inherently be in inconsistent with these awards and declaration.

Gboyega Atoyebi, FCA, abayomiato@yahoo.co.uk

KUBAU: GIVE US LIGHT

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write to make a passionate appeal to the executive governor of kaduna State, Malam Nasiru el-Rufai, to come to the aid of people of Pambegua, Zuntu, Dutsen-wai,and Zabi.These communities have been in total darkness in the last three years.It is quite lamentable that the past interim management committee paid lips service to the problem of electricity in the affected communities in spite of repeated appeals.

Even with the improved power supply across the country, these affected communities have been robbed of light that would have transformed the lives of people in the areas.

The past interim chairmen kept deceiving the communities.

Now, these communities have become ghost of their former selves.

What baffled the affected communities was the I –don’tcare attitude displayed by those at the helm of affairs towards the plight of thousands inhabitants whose hopes were dashed.While the neighbouring communities of Soba local government have continued to enjoy uninterrupted power supply, Kubau local government is forced to groan in darkness.Due to the power failure in some parts of the local government, businesses have been paralysed while hundreds of youths have been rendered jobless. It is in view of this problem that we appeal to the executive governor to come to our aid and restore the power supply.

Ibrahim Mustapha, Pambegua,Kaduna State

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T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2018

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MIDWEEKPOLITICS

Group Politics Editor NSEOBONG OKON-EKONG Email nseobong.okonekong@thisdaylive.com 08114495324 SMS ONLY

THE NEWSMAKER

For Isaac Alfa, It’s a Long Walk to the Senate Yekini Jimoh writes that a recent court order may have ended a long drawn tussle over the rightful occupant of the office of Senator representing Kogi East

Isaac Alfa

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he drama over the rightful of the senatorial seat for Kogi East which has been going for sometime now reached a climax as a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the immediate sack of a Senator Atai Aidoko, representing Kogi East. The court presided by Justice Gabriel Kolawole ruled that Mr. Aidoko was wrongly presented as the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the December 2014 primaries of the party.

The frequently told story is Mr. Isaac Alfa was already coasting home to victory as the result of that PDP primary, which was conducted in Idah started coming in. Not willing to play by the rules, Senator Aidoko allegedly led thugs to the venue and truncated the process.

However, his contemptible antics were not enough to dissuade the Returning Officer, Mr. Seidu Odoma from doing the right thing. To Aidokos great consternation, Odoma went ahead to declare Isaac Alfa the winner of the primary. Alfa was greatly relieved, but it was for a short while. In an awkward twist of fate, the electoral panel from the national secretariat of the party presented Aidoko as its candidate in the 2015 Senatorial election for Kogi East.

Dismayed but unbowed at the turn of events, Alfa ran to the courts. The stage was set for a long drawn legal tussle between Aidoko and Alfa.

Following the presentation of Aidoko as the party’s flag bearer, Alfa began a legal battle for the nullification of Aidoko’s election. The legal battle was taken to a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja where Isaac Alfa won. Not pleased with the judgment, Aidoko proceeded to Appeal Court where he won the case. Alfa also head for the Supreme Court which referred the case back to Federal High Court for re-trial to allow it determine the rightful owner of the office, thus rendering the seat vacant.

However, Mr Aidoko refused to vacate the

Aidoko

office and continued to appear repeatedly at Senate plenaries. The legal tussle to determine the right person to occupy the senatorial seat started in 2015, shortly after INEC withdrew the certificate of return from the first wrongful occupant , Senator Abdulrahman Abubakar of the All Progressives Congress (APC ) as he was dismissed, when the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Lokoja, ruled that he was not qualified to contest the election. This ruling, however, created room for a re- run election in which Abubakar and his party , APC, were barred from participating. Isaac Alfa of PDP emerged

Alfa began a legal battle for the nullification of Aidoko’s election. The legal battle was taken to a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja where Isaac Alfa won. Not pleased with the judgment, Aidoko proceeded to Appeal Court where he won the case. Alfa also head for the Supreme Court which referred the case back to Federal High Court for retrial to allow it determine the rightful owner of the office, thus rendering the seat vacant

winner of the re- run, but an Appeal Court discharged him in 2016, while Senator Atai Aidoko was sworn-in in his stead.

On December 18, 2017, a Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja pronounced the Kogi East Senatorial seat vacant. The declaration was to enable Aidoko and Alfa return to court in order to determine the authentic occupant on the grounds that it was pre- election matter.

The judgment last week has finally pronounced the legitimate occupant of the senatorial seat in Kogi East. In his judgment, Justice Kolawole held that Aidoko was not validly nominated by the PDP for the March 2015 National Assembly election, even as he also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC ) to immediately withdraw the certificate of return issued to Aidoko in 2015. While the court tasked INEC to issue a fresh certificate of return to Alfa, the authentic winner of the December 7, 2014 primary of the party, it ordered the Clerk of the National Assembly to withdraw all privileges accorded to Aidoko .

Justice Kolawole condemned the way the PDP subverted the result of its primary, stressing that the documents presented by the defendants were of no probate value for any court of law to rely on.

He asserted that Aidoko’s purported nomination was an exercise in futility designed to rob the plaintiff of his victory at the primary, pointing out that it was obvious from the “totality of the evidence that Seidu Odoma was the Returning Officer for the senatorial election, and not Umar Sanusi.” The presiding judge added that key witnesses, in their statements on oath, corroborated the position, stressing the fact that the sacked senator refused to call his agent at the primary, Farouk Adejo, left a credibility gap on his path. The jurist had earlier dismissed the preliminary objection raised by Aidoko. He maintained that challenging the

court’s jurisdiction was an abuse of court process, since the issue of jurisdiction had earlier been resolved at the Appeal and Apex courts against the deposed senator. All evidence tendered

by Alfa showed that he actually scored 129 votes against Aidoko’s 101 to emerge winner of the primary, but while submitting the list of candidates to INEC, PDP curiously substituted Alfa with Senator Aidoko.

The court subsequently awarded N750, 000 cost against Aidoko and the PDP. However some legal luminaries who spoke their mind on the judgment praised the courage of the judge.

Barrister Joel Usman commended the judgment, saying it would encourage internal democracy, while expressing fears that Alfa may not resume sitting in the Senate in view of the slow nature of Nigeria judicial system. Usman disclosed that the sacked Senator may explore all available opportunities to delay the conclusion of the matter, since he has indicated the desire to challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal.

Barrister William Aliwo, anchored his opinion on the background of defining judgment. He said, “A definite order of the court that somebody should vacate and another person should be sworn is immediate. When the judgment gets to the Senate they would have no choice than to obey.”

A group, under the aegis of Kogi East Agenda, described the Appeal Court judgment as a distraction to the zone. According to the group, Aidoko had no political relevance in the region, noting that he was just a political liability in the senatorial district and not good enough to speak for its people. In a statement by its general secretary, Alhaji Ibrahim Sani Omale, the group urged the Supreme Court to pass a verdict that will tally with the aspiration and desire of the people of the state, as democratically expressed in the PDP primary that produced Senator Isaac Alfa as the party’s candidate.

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MIDWEEK

As Meseko Enters APC Publicity Secretary Race Nseobong Okon-Ekong writes that the office of National Publicity Secretary of the APC may be one of the keenly contested posts in the coming national convention of the party

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he national convention of the All Progressive Congress (APC) is expected to bring all members of the party together as many positions ranging from the National Chairman of the party and other elected positions would be contested. Kogi State is not left out as some members of party from the state are jostling for the position of the National Publicity Secretary of the party, which is zoned to North Central Zone to which the state belongs. The neighbouring Kwara State is in the race, as well.

Already, four persons are gunning for the position; two from Kwara State and also two from Kogi State. From Kwara, we have the incumbent National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi and also Lanre Isa-Onilu; while from Kogi State we have Hon. Duro Meseko from Kogi West senatorial district of the state and Mallam Abubakar Sidiq Usman from Kogi Central. According to some political stakeholders of the APC, the position of National Publicity Secretary of the party should be zoned to Kogi State considering the fact that the incumbent and his predecessor, Alhaji Lai Mohammed (both from Kwara State) had already sat on the position in the last three years making micro-zoning of the position to another state imperative.

Thisday checks reveal that principal stakeholders from the North Central would meet today to micro-zone the National Women Leader Position to Kwara. This will automatically position Senator Gbemi Saraki for the office, while the National Publicity Secretary post moves to Kogi.

From Kogi, stakeholders are in support of a veteran journalist and former Member, House of Representatives, Hon. Duro Meseko to clinch the position. The reason that the other candidate, Mallam Abubakar Sidiq Usman comes from the same Kogi central zone Governor Yahaya Bello and the current state chairman of the party, Abdullahi Bello.

Beyond this assertion, leaders from the zone believe that the party needs a tested hand to manage its publicity unit especially at this time of political campaigns and the coming general elections. According to Mr. Joshua Adinoyi, a member of the All Progressives Congress from Kogi Central, the fact that the governor is from Kogi central alongside the state chairman has made it imperative for the position to move to other senatorial districts. “It will be very unfair if the position is not given to Kogi West,” he declared. He noted that since the governor is working towards reconciliation of some aggrieved members of the party in the state, he should use this opportunity to settle the differences between himself and the late Abubakar Audu group, which form the largest political group in the state.

“The Governor should wholeheartedly support Mr. Meseko from the Audu/ Faleke group if he is really serious about working towards victory for President Muhammadu Buhari as the group has been neglected all along with no single position

Duro Meseko

either at the state or federal level despite the fact that they were the group that spearheaded the victory of the party in the state.”

Reports indicate that majority of the governors from North Central are in support of any decision on Kogi that would facilitate victory for the President Buhari.

A source who pleaded anonymity said, “ The failed recall process of Senator Dino Melaye has shown that Governor Yahaya Bello really needs the support of the Audu Political Group for President Buhari to be able to win convincingly in the state. Any thing other than allowing a tested professional like Meseko from the group into the National Working Committee will surely be a political disaster for the party as the group would have been completely shut out of the scheme of things both at state and national levles. Till date, nobody from the group has been given any political appointment.”

Already, Meseko has submitted his letter of intent to contest for the position of national publicity secretary of the party come June 23rd and has been going round stakeholders of the

party from all the zones for support. A graduate of Political Science from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, he started his journalism career from the Courier Magazine Kano in 1990 after bagging the Best Corper’s Award in the state and given automatic employment by the state government. In 1992, he joined the services of TELL Magazine, Lagos and later became a major nemesis of military dictatorship leading to his subsequent arrest, torture and detention in 1993. In 1995, he continued his journalism career at The News/Tempo Magazine from where he eventually joined THISDAY Newspapers as Senior Assistant Editor in 1996. Between 1996-1999 when he became a Political Editor (Nation’s Capital) of THISDAY, he held various appointments including Chief Press Secretary. He was later appointed as Manager, Public Affairs, Albarka Air Plc, the office from which he was elected Member, House of Representatives in 2003. After his tenure in the National Assembly in 2007, he ventured into Media Consultancy business and has been privileged to consult for some standing Committees in the Senate

and House of Representatives respectively as well as leading corporate organizations in the country. In 2015, he was also privileged to be to be appointed as Director, Media and Publicity of the APC Governorship campaigns in Kogi State and today, he remains a major stakeholder of the party.

Soliciting support for his aspiration to become the National Publicity Secretary of the party, he said, “In arriving at, and clarifying this aspiration, I first introspectively considered my ability, passion, energy, drive and desire to portray our party in the best possible light and make the real image of principles and fidelity to the people that we truly stand for. “In addition, I reflected deeply on how best to accomplish this objective, the current political landscape in our country, our strengths, opportunities and threats to our dominance and domination. “Finally, realizing that our greatest asset has been our beginning history of consensus and continuing ability to build, and sometimes forge this consensus, I consulted widely with critical stakeholders at every level to ensure that we could build a consensus in the best spirit and character of our party.” Advancing more reasons for his quest, he said, “By training, I am a professional journalist, in work experience, I have been a strategic communications, crisis management and public relations specialist. “Decades of experience in these vital areas have served me well, and I know it will serve our party well.

Further, I have been politically active for many years including handling the entire public relations of major campaigns and important political causes and situations. “Beyond that, I have been a political office holder and elected as an Honourable Member of the House of Representatives in the National Assembly. All these have assisted to build solid political, media, professional and social justice/civil society networks which are so crucial to the role of making and projecting the image of our party.”

He promised that if elected he will always disseminate information to the general public at all times, key strategic communication initiatives and collaborations with relevant internal and external stakeholders to reiterate their achievements, their continuing core values and demonstrated interest and commitment to nation building, as well as decimation comparisons and comparators with opposition. He also promised to educate the nation about the acceptable dynamics of democracy and show that existing and arising opposition are neither credible nor pose any track record that can be trusted. He concluded his appeal with a pledge to render, “Regular briefings on the achievements of our party and government across all sectors of our socio-political entity. We will enter robust engagements with opposition parties on policy directions of government. There will be robust defence and management of the corporate image of the APC at all times and also constructive engagements with other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) in the administration and development of the party, among others.

PERSPECTIVE

Imperative for an Igbo Political Party Ignatius ‘Nat Muotoh Igbo politics/politicians, for quite some time now, can only be summarised as ‘dumb politics’, played by a bunch of hoodwinked individuals, whose sole objectives and purpose can only be summarised as one who aim for “minor privileges at the expense of major rights.”

The governorship election in Anambra State has come and gone, and the question remains ‘What next for the Igbos?

Same thing will happen with other governorship elections in the eastern states in no distant time.

How will these elections under the current political system in Nigeria, solve the Igbo problem?

Your guess is as good as mine.

In my mind folks, the first step forward, should

be a step backwards to ourselves- the Igbos.

There’s no doubt that by taking that first step backwards, the Igbos will be in a much better position to see where we are right now, and how we got to there, in the first instance. By taking such a step, we can, I believe, be able to critically analyse and plan for where we want to be. Such a backward step will allow us to effectively initiate a positive change, as against what has befallen us since the end of the Biafra/Nigeria War, which ended in 1970.

Politics, as currently practiced in Igbo land, and under the present system, is akin to a person building a house from the roof downwards to the foundation? Surely, such a house will have a very weak foundation. It will not hold, and will collapse just like the Igbo dreams and hopes of participating on an equal basis in

the Nigeria political project have collapsed since the last three decades.

I’m neither a politician, nor have I registered with or carry a membership card of any of the political parties. By the grace of God, I possess the conscience and the wisdom to stay away from such politics of ‘let’s get it now and don’t bother about tomorrow, as tomorrow will take care of itself.’

Of course, you can criticise or even accuse me of being naive or ignorant. After all, I do not claim to have the monopoly of knowledge.

You have the right to disagree with me, just as I have the same right to say what I’ve said.

I believe that the Igbos must not only learn from others, but must do what others do for themselves.

“Until the Igbos do for themselves what Hausas,

Yorubas and others are doing for themselves, liberation is not only impossible but unthinkable in the current Nigeria political system.

This means amongst others; emergence of an Igbo ethnic party that demands a strong and tribal loyalty from an overwhelming majority of Igbos. Since we can not be doing the same thing year in year out, and then expect a different result Again, there must be an emergence of a strong and tribally loyal print media to sing and defend the Igbo interests at anytime irrespective of any prevailing situation.

Ignatius ‘Nat Muotoh writes from Langley-Slough, Berkshire, United Kingdom NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

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Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com

Shaping the Events Industry Players in the events market met recently and deliberated extensively on how to grow the industry. Jonathan Eze writes that a united platform like the one being conceived would result to optimal returns for investors and boost the economy

L-R: Biodun Oniyitan, President Association of Event Vendors; Eni Lise Balogun, Governor makeup Guild; Mr. Tosan Jemide, Cakes By Tosan; Temmie Tsoule, EMN Convener; Bisola Borha, Trendybee events; DJ Jimmy Jatt, Amu - chairman DJ association lagos chapter and Mr Chris, Ceo Invulnerable security at the event held in Lagos... Recently

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n industry that contributes conservatively over N100billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Nigeria annually and potentially has about N1trillion in turnover clearly needs to regulate itself. As the desire for glamorous and colourful events increase, one can only imagine how exponential the contribution of this sub-sector to the Nigerian economy would be.

This prompted the convener of Events Market Nigeria (EMN), Temitope Amodu, to bring all the players together such as wedding vendors, stakeholders, entrepreneurs, make-up artistes, DJs and event market enthusiasts among others who gathered for a day of networking, mentoring and discussions on pertinent issues about Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ever growing event industry.

According to him, the motto of EMN, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;People Togetherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, is what defines the group which could be seen from its logo of a group of people holding hands. The 10th edition of the Event Market Nigeria Meet and Greet was the largest free gathering of participants in the event industry in recent times, an event every key player in the event business attended.

The mission of Event Market Nigeria Meet and Greet was to bring about collaboration, cooperation and coexistence in the midst of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Healthy Competitionâ&#x20AC;?. The event recorded over 700 attendees who were keen at learning, networking and poised for an early stages of a national policy on event industry practice in the federation.

Speaking with THISDAY on the sideline of the event, Amodu said his vision is to contribute to building a greater and better Nigeria and achieve a unified national event body by 2020. He said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The goal is to create an ecosystem that allows growth and development to take place, one that identifies, creates and drives excellence within the youths and veterans of the event industry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Event Industry Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core focus is in educating and developing, solidarity and in the building, shaping and re-orientating of young and veteran event-entrepreneurs who make the decision to pursue this path within the event industry Nigeria value chain.â&#x20AC;?

Speaking at the event were life coaches,

According to TNS Global, 17 million dollars was spent on parties in Lagos over a ďŹ ve months period in 2013.

Statistics have it that an average Nigerian company or middle-class family spends over 15,000 dollars per event

award winning event producers, Presidents of Registered Event Associations and Makeup Artist Guilds in Nigeria.

The impressive cast of speakers and advisors were able to feel the pulse of the industry and were very delighted to lend a voice in the shaping of the event industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nigeria best practices.

Among the speakers were Deola Okesola, Mr. Tosan Jemide, Bisola Trendy, Biodun Oniyitan, Mayowa Oloyede, Helen Ibe, Victoria Folarin among others, while the participants were treated to delicacies by Ikyuma Obaigbena @urbancuisine, one of the sponsors.

The Chairman of DJ Association of Nigeria - Mr. Jimmy Jatt Amu, was also on ground to share industry related insights and emphasised the importance of collaboration as the new completion within the event cycle.

One of the speakers at the event, Micheal Orimobi, said a country that has a population for almost 200 million people and a reputation for an ostentatious culture, it is a no-brainer that the events industry is a rough diamond. It is also a no-brainer that investing in that industry may be more profitable than any get-rich-quick scheme.

He said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The richest people are those that can satisfy the daily needs of an average individual (food, shelter, clothing and maybe recently technology).â&#x20AC;?

He noted that since people love events and have fun, they look for any excuse to throw a party (it is the only thing that can make people sane in a recession or

in a volatile emerging market). Thus, it is a no-brainer to set up a business or be involved in any trade or activity that cashes in on this idiosyncrasy.

He added that in most parts of the world, the hospitality industry has been a source of optimal returns for investors. He said, "In Nigeria, although the industry had been overlooked in favour of more attractive industries like oil and gas, this has begun to change. In the spirit of diversification of the economy, the Nigerian hospitality industry looks set to be one of the fastestgrowing in Africa.â&#x20AC;?

The events industry happens to be one of such dynamic and fast-growing sub-sectors within the hospitality value chain. Professor Okoli Fidelis Chukwuma highlighted this in an international peer review journal in 2014, when he affirmed that events are the new trend in the hospitality industry. These events have taken the shape of flamboyant weddings, concerts, corporate events and even small private gatherings.

He reeled out statistics to prove that the industry is one that is growing exponentially, The events industry has grown at an average pace of 6.2 per cent each year globally since 2003. He said, "The Nigerian events industry is estimated to be among the most extravagant in the world. According to TNS Global, 17 million dollars was spent on parties in Lagos over a five months period in 2013. Statistics have it that an average Nigerian company or middle-class family spends over 15,000 dollars per event. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lagos State alone reportedly hosted

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over 20,000 events monthly in 2015 with expected earnings from these amounting to over 3,000,000,000 dollars annually. Hardly does any week go by in Lagos State alone without well over 2,000 events happening including in remote locations. Forbes reports that Nigerian elites spend an average of 2 million dollars on their dream weddings."

Some facts about the industry The recent growth in the events industry has contributed to the spontaneous growth in many business verticals e.g. event planning, venue, photography, food and many more services along this massive value chain.

One part of the events industry that has boomed steadily is events management/ planning. Events Management is defined as the application of project management to the creation and development of a ceremony. It involves studying the brand, identifying the target audience, devising the event concept, planning the logistics and coordinating the technical aspects before actually launching the event.

Basically, there are two types of events, namely; corporate and social events. The social events are the most common - wedding receptions, funerals, concerts, product launches, naming ceremonies, birthdays, concerts, fashion shows, house warming etc.

By far, weddings are the most common in the events industry in Africa, especially Nigeria. According to RicheeTech, about 30 per cent of wedding budgets are spent on the reception or wedding venue. Depending on the location, the average wedding budget in many cities in Africa could be between 4,500 to 40,000 dollars. In Lagos for example, depending on its location, size and features, wedding venues can go for anything from 1,000 to 20,000 dollars per day.

Companies have in recent times, begun using events as a key marketing and communication tool - product launches, press conferences, end-of-the year parties etc.

Companies now create promotional events to help communicate with both existing and potential clients.

The poser remains that with so much potential in the industry, so much demand for product/services, with so much income/ liquidity in the sector, why hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the industry truly attained its rightful place as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Too Big To Failâ&#x20AC;??

Challenges facing the Event Industry It is not a very organised industry; particularly because there is no specific legislation regulating this sector of the economy. Because there are no specific laws, rules and regulations governing this sector, it is like black market â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you might be lucky to cash in or you might lose out.

A common complaint from customers/ clients of the industry is the issue of liability. Who bears the risk when things go missing or are destroyed at an event? Who bears the liability when events do not go as planned as a result of the negligence of vendors? Who compensates a customer/ client in the case of a natural disaster or terrorist attack in the course of an event?

Furthermore, when disputes arise between a professional in the events industry and a client, there are no regulations on the applicable dispute resolution mechanisms.

How do the players in this industry seek redress for defaults or resolve their problems?

Remember that sometimes, the quantum of funds involved in these transactions do not make the regular court system a viable alternative.

Specific legislations, rules and regulations to be enacted to guide this industry are urgently needed. The amount of liquidity in the events industry is too massive for it to be left unregulated.

Another challenge as identified by Orimobi is that the industry is too fragmented. According to him, there are too many small players. One of the byproducts of having too many small players in any industry is that it breeds cutting corners and sub-standard service. Players in the industry would begin to look for cheap ways to getting things done rather than adhering to ethical and professional standards of the industry. You need to consolidate.

Amodu, Events Market Nigeria convener

He advised: â&#x20AC;&#x153;You need to merge your businesses and develop big and robust organisations. Imagine a full service events business that is a one-stop shop for clients â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an events business that has different departments that caters for all areas in the value chain of the events industry without any need to outsource.

The poser remains that with so much potential in the industry, so much demand for product/services, with so much income/liquidity in the sector, why hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the industry truly attained its rightful place as 'Too Big To Fail'

â&#x20AC;&#x153;From day one, that business becomes the poster boy for how events businesses should be run. This increases clientele, income, market share, brand equity etc. Why would you want to own 100 per cent of a N5m per annum business (turnover) when you can own five per cent of a N10bn per annum business (turnover). Your industry needs to begin to create businesses that can transcend generations. I look forward to seeing the first events business to be listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange or the first events business that will access the capital markets for funding. There is an opportunity for the emergence of a real market leader in this industry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Merge and consolidate your businesses!

Grow your business to the point whereby clients come to you not because of 'nepotism' or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;luck' or 'referral' but because you are the biggest brand in the industry and they have no choice but to come to you (biggest brand in terms of income, branches, one-stop shop, employees etc). There is

power in size! Think big but smartly! For the already big players in the industry, start acquiring the smaller players â&#x20AC;&#x201C; take them out - reduce your competition; for the smaller players, join a bigger platform in exchange for equity (don't be fooled by that fallacy that you are only happy or fulfilled when you run your own business).

"As mentioned earlier, the industry has a liquidity of about N1trn. Imagine, growing your business to capture just one per cent of that liquidity (i.e. N10bn). This can be achieved with proper restructuring of your various businesses â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you just need the right advice. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Protect your business via written contracts, create a proper corporate structure for your business, adhere to the simple principles of corporate governance (e.g. have a board of directors or advisors etc), retain a good audit and tax firm to examine your books annually and make your business tax efficient, retain a legal partner to mitigate your legal risks. Run a business and not a hobby!â&#x20AC;?

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L-R: Co-Chief Executive OďŹ&#x192;cer Planet Capital, Efe Akhigbe; Managing Director/CEO, Cordros Capital, Wale L-R; National Legal Adviser APC, Mr. Muiz Banire; President, Nasrull-Lahi -L-Fatih Society (NASFAT), Mr. Kamil Agbeyangi; Managing Director, C&I Leasing Plc, Andrew Otike-Odibi; Chairman, C&I Leasing Plc, Chukwuma Okolo; Bolarinwa; Stakeholder NASFAT, Alhaji Saliu Alade; Member, Council of Elders, NASFAT, Alhaji Remi Bello; Member, Non-Executive Director, C&I Leasing Plc, Larry Ademeso, and Vice Chairman, C&I Leasing Plc, Emeka Ndu;during Public Relation Committee, NASFAT, Alhaji Bisiruyu Afolabi;and Alhaji Ayo Saliu, during the 2018 Eid-el-ďŹ tri Prayer at the signing ceremony of C&I Leasing Plc N7 Billion Bond Issuance in Lagos recently old Secretariat GRA, Ikeja Lagos... recently kolawole alli

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Oluranti Adebule {middle}ďŹ&#x201A;anked by Finland Ambassador to Nigeria, Pirjo Suomela-Chowdhury; Special Adviser to the Governor on Civic Engagement, Mr. Benjamen Olabinjo and Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs. Adebunmi Adekanye with other members of the Finland Ambassadorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s delegations during a courtesy visit to the deputy governor, in Lagosâ&#x20AC;Ś.recently

L-R; Council Member, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Dr. Innocent Okwuosa; MBA, Registrar/ Chief Executive, Mr. John Evbodaghe; Council Member/Special Adviser to Governor of Anambra State on EďŹ&#x192;ciency, Training and Motivation, Lady Ngozi Okonkwo;immediate past president, ICAN, Alhaji Ismaila Zakari; Executive Director, Dozzy Group, Lady Ada Chukwudozie; Chairman, ICAN, Onitsha Branch, Mr. Kenneth Nzegwu; and Mr. Deji Awobotu, at the opening of ICAN resource center in Anambra State recently

L-R;Chairman, Eleganza Group, Alhaji Rasak Akani Okoya; Former Minister of Defense, Hon. Demola Seriki;and Alhaji Tajudeen Okoya, during the eid prayer to mark Eid Fitri celebration,at the Oluwanishola Estate praying ground in Ajah Lagosrecently

L-R: Director General, OďŹ&#x192;ce of Education Quality Assurance, Mrs. Ronke Soyombo; Principal Consultant, Edumark Consult, Mrs. Yinka Ogunde; Ambassador of Finland to Nigeria, Ms Pirjo Suomela-Chowdhury; and Head, One Education, Sterling Bank Plc, Mrs. Ibironke Akinmade, during the 10th year Total School Support Seminar and exhibition in Lagosâ&#x20AC;Śrecently. sunday adigun

L-R:Head of Human Resources, LG Electronics West Africa Operations, Mr. Daniel Kaunds; Vice-Principal Academics, Government Junior College Maroko, Ms. Omowunmi Alawiye; Principal, Government Junior College Maroko, Mrs. Abiodun Awujoola; Chief Financial OďŹ&#x192;cer, LG Electronics West Africa Operations, Mr. Seungwoo Ha; and VicePrincipal, Administration, Government Junior College Maroko, Mrs. Kudirat Abe, during LG Electronics tree planting and donation of cleaning tools to Government Junior College Maroko to mark 2018 world environment day in Lagos recently

L-R: General Manager Environment, Federal Airport Authority Of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Janet Omere; Representative of FAAN Managing Directo/ Director of Engineering Services, FAAN,Mr. Salisu Daura; Guest Speaker, Prof. Babajide Ola; and Chairman, Nigeria Environmental Society, Dr. Eugene Itua, during the World Environmental Day 2018 celebration by FAAN and Nigerian Environmental Society at NCAA Annex, Murtala Mohammed International Airport Ikeja Lagos recently

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5.33% 7.67 % 8.67%

Group Business Editor Obinna Chima Email obinna.chima@thisdaylive.com 08024557078, 08091152219

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EXCHANGE RATE N305.86/1US DOLLAR* *AS AT LAST FRIDAY

Quick Takes Equatorial Guinea Joins Afreximbank

PARTNERSHIP FOR EDUCATION

L-R; Managing Director, MOD Group, Mr. Michael Dosunmu; Executive Director, Finance, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Mrs. Yemisi Edun; Trade Commissioner, High Commission of Canada, Mrs. Azuka Ogundeji; Head, Communications, British Council, Mrs. Edemekong Uyoh, and Executive Director, Retail Banking, FCMB, Mr. Olu Akanmu, during the launch of the FCMB Education Advisory Service in partnership with the MOD Group in Lagos...recently

MAXUT, OneSpan Hold Banking Summit

Diamond Bank Eyes National Banking Licence Obinna Chima There are strong indications that Diamond Bank Plc will before the end of the year, convert its international banking licence to a national one.

This followed the recent sale of all the bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assets outside the country as well as its resolve to take advantage of the banking opportunities Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s huge population presents.

A reliable industry source, who disclosed this to THISDAY, said the move would also put the Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) requirement for the bank at 10 per cent.

The CAR for banks in Nigeria stands at 10 per cent and 15 percent for national and international banking licence respectively. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Diamond Bank is reposi-

BANKING tioning itself. It is trying to be very conservative with its loan portfolio. The bank has sold its non-core assets because it believes the cost of managing those assets outside the country is not part of its strategy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This year, the bank is going to be leaner and from all indications, it will be convert its licence to a national licence because it has sold its international subsidiaries and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have an international presence any more. That means its CAR will be at 10 per cent as against 15 per cent,â&#x20AC;? the source explained.

Diamond Bank had in April, signed a share sale and purchase agreement with a member of GFG Alliance, for the disposal of its entire shareholding in

its international subsidiary, Diamond Bank (UK) Plc. The bank had explained that the disposal was in line with its objective of streamlining its operations to focus resources on the significant opportunities in the Nigerian retail banking market.

The transaction followed the bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s divestment from its West African business, Diamond Bank S.A., which was completed in November 2017.

Specifically, the bank last November sold its operations in Benin, Togo, Cote dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ivoire and Senegal to Manzi Finances S.A., a Cote dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ivoire-based financial services holding company.

Commenting on the transaction, then, Diamond Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CEO Uzoma Dozie had said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Diamond Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategic objective is to be the fastest

growing, and most profitable technology-driven retail banking franchise in Nigeria. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This strategic intent requires the bank to optimise the use of its resources which means, where necessary, divesting from its noncore assets, and focusing on the priority area, namely Nigerian retail banking.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The bank has laid the foundation for growth in Nigeria with acquisition of over 15 million customers, many of whom are owning bank accounts for the first time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Nigerian market has vast potential due to its strong fundamentals, including millions of people who are either underbanked or unbanked, and changing lifestyles that favour Continued on page 24

MFBs Intensify Aggressive Deposit Mobilisation Nosa Alekhuogie The tight monetary policy environment has seen operators of microfinance banks (MFBs) in the country intensifying efforts to increase deposits as well as bank more customers.

The Managing Director, Shalom Microfinance Bank, Erhi Ojoboh said this in an exclusive interview with THISDAY. According to her, â&#x20AC;&#x153;although it has not been rosy, especially with monetary policy regime, but it has shaped us up to where we now have to do more, invest more in making

BANKING our presence felt in the market , in cultivating new customers, and in mobilising savings and deposits. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Business has tightened but we have to strategise to beat the current situation constantly and we are doing everything possible to cope under the current circumstances. Everybody is feeling it, our customers included. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What we have done is constantly do things differently, innovate, brainstorm, strategise

in different ways to be able to cope under this this tight monetary policy regime and we are doing what we have to do to cope under the current circumstances.â&#x20AC;?

Ojoboh pointed out that access to funding had been a challenge facing operators in the sub-sector, saying that a lot of firms have remained cautious because of the high level of default in the past. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Getting access to that funding now is quite challenging. In fact, it is non- existent right now.

So, we have to look internally to generate funding. I came

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has welcomed Equatorial Guinea as its 50th member state with the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signing of the Instrument of Accession to the Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Establishment Agreement in Malabo recently.The Minister of Finance, Economy and Planning of Equatorial Guinea, Lucas Abaga Nchama, signed the instrument on behalf of the government during a ceremony witnessed by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea and an Afreximbank delegation led by its President Dr. Benedict Oramah.

Addressing the ceremony, Oramah expressed delight at welcoming Equatorial Guinea â&#x20AC;&#x153;as our newest and 50th participating member state,â&#x20AC;? remarking at its signiďŹ cance as it â&#x20AC;&#x153;also closely coincides with Equatorial Guineaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s celebration of 50 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of its independence in October.â&#x20AC;? He praised the pan-Africanist disposition of President Mbasogo, citing many interventions he spearheaded in that regard.

Oramah noted that, with its many natural resources, Equatorial GuineaoďŹ&#x20AC;eredgreatprospects forregional trade,thedevelopment of industrial capacity and value-added exports, and said that Afreximbank would support the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drive for sustainable economic growth by providing it with ďŹ nancing facilities with a country limit of $750 million. According to the President, the Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intervention will assist Equatorial Guinea to address the challenging conditions confronting its economy in recent years as a result of weak commodity prices. He noted that the country had been widely renowned as a leading exporter of oil, natural gas, timber, cocoa and ďŹ sh.

from a commercial bank, so I understand the dynamics of deposit mobilisation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t only focus on loans here. So, for you to be a sustainable microfinance bank, you have to generate savings with which you give loans to your customers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, in terms of funding, there is a bit of imbalance right now but of course we are surmounting the challenge by doing what we need to do,â&#x20AC;? she explained.

Following the growing incidence of fraud in mobile banking and payments around the world, global data security company, OneSpan, in collaboration with MAXUT Consulting, will on June 21,2018 hold its third annual Banking Security Summit in Lagos.

According to Senior Vice President, MAXUT, Mr. Olumide Ajayi-Obe, the summit, which has â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Digital Channels and Open Banking Securityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; as its theme, would give opportunity to experts, regulators and banking colleagues to discuss the current state of electronic banking and payments security landscapes as well as share experiences from around the world. â&#x20AC;&#x153;OneSpan, which is formerly VASCO Data Security, is in Nigeria to share its vision and strategy for securing all digital interactions oďŹ&#x20AC;ered by banking and ďŹ nancial services industry and to better understand the speciďŹ c needs of the Nigerian market. â&#x20AC;&#x153;OneSpan recognises the growing fraud trends in mobile banking and payments around the world and thus OneSpan and MAXUT , will be announcing new Adaptive Authentication platform and solutions available to Nigerian Banking and FinTech customers to provide them with even more cost-eďŹ&#x20AC;ective and advanced solutions for securing all Digital Channels,â&#x20AC;? he said.

PZ Cussons Rewards Customers

The ďŹ fth edition of Cussons Baby Moments ended recently in Lagos with baby Zoe Ekwegh emerging Cussons Baby of the Year 2018. The grand ďŹ nale tagged: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Magic Finale,â&#x20AC;? which took place in Lagos, saw over 4,000 participants entering the race to win the prestigious Baby of the Year award. The event was hosted by popular comedian, singer and actress, Chigul.

With over one million votes received from family, friends and the members of the public during the voting stages and careful assessment by the celebrity judges in each of their screening stages, the grand ďŹ nale saw the emergence of the top 10 ďŹ nalists.

Following tough deliberations by the independent panel of judges, comprising notable fashion designer, Mai Atafo, Nollywood actress, Mercy Aigbe, and popular photographer, Yetunde Ayeni-Babaeko, baby Ekwegh won the coveted prize, going home with N1 million educational grant and a yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supply of Cussons Baby products.

The ďŹ rst and second runners-up were Chiemezikam Royalty Mackalunta and Busolami Odugbemi who smiled home with cash prize of N750,000 education grant and a yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supply of Cussons Baby products N350,000 education grant and a yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We intend to deliver high quality products and services with a shorter time to market, enhance the customer experience, and continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to enhance the NSEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global competitivenessâ&#x20AC;?

President, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Continued on page 24

Abimbola Ogunbanjo

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DIAMOND BANK EYES NATIONAL BANKING LICENCE the use of mobile devices to complete multiple financial transactions at the consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s convenience. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is also underpinned by significant economic potential driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, and a growing culture of innovation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Moreover, by harnessing technology and fostering a digitally led approach, the bank will have further positive impact on the overall development of the financial system, and the Nigerian economy in general,â&#x20AC;? he added.

Dozie also revealed that Diamond Bank made good progress in executing its technology-led retail banking strategy in 2017.

According to him, the bank increased its market share in 2017 and drove scale through a combination of technology and expansion of our services across additional platforms.

MFBS INTENSIFY AGGRESSIVE DEPOSIT MOBILISATION Ojoboh commended the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for its continued support towards the growth of MFBs in the country. Ojoboh disclosed that the CBN has continued to carry out its supervisory function in ensuring MFBs meet the minimum requirements to operate in the sub-sector. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At a national meeting organised for MFB practitioners in May, the CBN was on ground to give us a talk concerning issues bordering our sector and they reaffirmed their support and also, gave us current information and advice. It was well organised I must say. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The renewed government interest and improved regulatory environment further creates room for better opportunities for the MFBs to expand and a lot of structure has been put in place in the industry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Microfinance banks are well structured and regulated by the CBN.â&#x20AC;? Commenting on confidence in the sub-sector, the chief executive said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Since you are dealing with money, lots of people had their reservations about MFB, they were scared.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Pre-export Finance Facility Agreement Promotes Market Efficiencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Goddy Egene Export business practitioners have been advised to embrace pre-export finance(PXF) as a means of accessing capital to fund their exports.

There are endless opportunities for Nigerians to access foreign exchange through the export of goods and services from various commodities, especially as the country was being positioned as a hub for self-sufficient production.

However, export business is a capital intensive and how businesses access export funds is critical to the success or failure of developing a working export model.

To Trade Finance Partner at Hogan Lowells, David Leggott, described the PXF as a good solution to export financing.

Speaking at Loan Market Association(LMA)â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s training programme in Lagos, Leggott said traditionally , many producers of goods and commodities, predominantly in emerging markets, were not considered to be satisfactorily bankable for the purposes of obtaining finance by more orthodox means, saying the PXF structure was developed in order to mitigate a number of risks and provide lenders with a better chance of being repaid.

According to him, in a typical PXF facility, funds are advanced by a lender or syndicate of lenders to producers to assist them in meeting either their working capital needs or capital investment needs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The funds advanced are then repaid, together with interest, from proceeds generated under

certain export contracts entered into by the producer/ borrower and secured in favour of the lenders.

To this end, a typical PXF facility agreement will contain various provisions which focus on the ability of the borrowerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production activity with a view to ensuring that sufficient income is being generated to service the amounts borrowed,â&#x20AC;? he said. Leggott disclosed that the PXF Agreement was created in response to increased demand from practitioners in the pre-export finance market, who

felt that a LMA recommended form would help improve efficiencies within the PXF market, by providing a common framework and language for PXF transactions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As the authoritative voice of the syndicated loan market in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) the LMA works with lenders, law firms, borrowers and regulators to educate the market about the benefits of the syndicated loan product, and to remove barriers to entry for new participants,â&#x20AC;? he said.

He stated that the agreement assumes a traditional pre-export finance structure whereby a term loan facility is made available to a borrower who is the seller of specified products, to specified buyers, under sales contracts, with security taken over those sales contracts, associated letters of credit, and certain bank accounts into which payments under the sales contracts are made or swept. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The document contains provisions specific to pre-export finance transactions in relation to those sales contracts and certain

cover ratios by reference to which performance under those sales contracts is tested,â&#x20AC;? he said. According to Leggott, promoting market efficiency has always been one of the key objectives of the LMA. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It seeks to encourage liquidity and transparency in the primary and secondary syndicated loan markets in EMEA. This is done by establishing sound, widely accepted market practice. It seeks to promote the syndicated loan as one of the key debt products available to borrowers across the region.

CERTIFICATION

L-R: Deputy Director, Management System Certification, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mrs. Elsie Ofilli; CEO, OVH Energy, Mr. Huub Stokman, and Deputy CEO, Mrs. Olaposi Williams, during the presentation of the Integrated Management Systems certificate to the company in Lagosâ&#x20AC;Śrecently

Firm Records N1bn Loan Disbursement Nume Ekeghe Branch International, a digital financial firm, which majorly disburses instant loans through its mobile application (app) said it disbursed N1 billion loans since its inception one year ago.

The firm revealed this at media briefing in Lagos recently.

The Country Manager, Branch Nigeria, Mrs. Maria Rotilu, who disclosed this said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have been in the country for about a year now and the growth has been great. I think

what is fascinating about it is that it underscores the fact that there is a need here. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Since we started, we have issued over 100,000 loans with over 250,000 and we have disbursed over N1 billion.â&#x20AC;?

Also, the CEO & Co-founder Branch International Mr. Matthew Flannery said the mission of the firm is to provide world class financial services to the mobile generation, adding that it decided to start with loans because it is a way to appeal to the general public and gain

lots of users. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be more thrilled to be working in Nigeria with Branch. The start-up community is incredibly dynamic, and the country is poised for a fintech explosion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The early response from our customers shows that there is a massive need for a product like Branch. We hope to play a significant role in increasing access to modern financial services in Nigeria over the next decade.â&#x20AC;?

Branch offers a unique

proposition to the average Nigerian, providing users with access to instant loans on their mobile devices.

Android smartphone users can receive loans between N3,000 to N150,000 requiring no face-to-face meetings, lengthy application processes, collateral or paperwork. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As branch customers repay their loan, they unlock access to larger loan amounts and more flexible terms. More than 75 per cent of customers use Branch loans to help start or grow

their business or meet financial obligations. Notwithstanding, Branch has no restrictions on the usage of the loans; customers are given the independence to make their own financial decisions,â&#x20AC;? the firm explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unlike traditional financial institutions, Branch provides customers with the opportunity to build their credit regardless of their banking history by assessing their loan eligibility based on the data procured from customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smart phones,â&#x20AC;?the firm added.

also being able to celebrate together with our members of staff as well. Rand Merchant Bank has a commitment to being a partner in the art and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done that severally. We always support them and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll always continue to support the arts,â&#x20AC;? she noted.

According to her, doing business in Nigeria has been very rewarding, adding: â&#x20AC;&#x153;we appreciate Nigeria, and Nigeria is a place where weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re committed to having a long-term

presence. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, we like Nigeria, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re very interested in the Nigerian community, and we want to continue to be proud of the Nigerian unifying system.â&#x20AC;?

Adekoya disclosed that the financial institution has lots of plans for Nigeria, reaffirming their commitment to the Nigerian economy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re present and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re committed to serving Nigeria and serving our clients in Nigeria well.â&#x20AC;?

Group Business Editor

Obinna Chima

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Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x201C; Senior Correspondent

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Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x; äĂ? (Aviation) Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2022;Ă? (Labour) Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă? Ă&#x152;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC; (Cap Mkt) Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2022;Ă? (Energy) Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x2122; (Nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Capital) Reporters

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RMB Pledges More Support for Arts Rand Merchant Bank, a subsidiary of FirstRand Group in Nigeria has reaffirmed its resolve to supporting the Nigerian arts as well as the creative industry, even as it hailed the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business environment for being rewarding.

Speaking in Lagos recently, on the sidelines of the celebratory dinner, as part of activities marking the bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s five years anniversary in Nigeria, Managing Director/Chief Executive

Officer of the newly launched Rand Merchant Bank Nigeria Stockbrokers Limited, Abiola Adekoya, said the bank believes in arts and would continue to partner to add value to the industry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The reality is that Rand Merchant Bank is a bank that believes in arts. So, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re very focused on arts, and yesterday we had an art exhibition where we showcased two artists and three young and upcoming artists. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re very conscious of the

art and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re very focused on the arts,â&#x20AC;? Adekoya explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And today was another way to celebrate the arts as well, and we said what better way to celebrate arts and celebrate our anniversary than by sharing it with our investors, our clients and also our members of staff who have worked so hard with us in the last couple of years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really about appreciating our clients and what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done with us in the past five years and

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We are Committed to Innovative Banking Services, Says Heritage Bank Heritage Bank Plc has reiterated its commitment to innovative banking services through its MasterCard.

The Head of Corporate Communications of the bank, Mr. Fela Ibidapo disclosed this in a statement over the weekend, saying it was the philosophy behind the bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s e-payment offerings.

According to him, there is more to e-payment than Nigerian banking customers are currently enjoying, adding that the financial institution was determined to take Nigerians to new heights of e-payment services that deliver unparalleled convenience and security through the Heritage Bank Transparent MasterCard which is available to new and existing customers of the bank.

He said to own a Heritage Bank Transparent MasterCard is easy as the card comes with no additional cost beyond the cost of applying for the average MasterCard.

He observed that there was a huge difference between the current growth in volume of e-payment in the country and the potentials available, if the number of unbanked Nigerians with access to mobile telephone services is anything to go by.

According to him, while the volume of e-payment in Nigeria grew from N18.1trillion in 2012 to N35.1trillion in 2014 with transaction through Point of Sale (POS) also increasing from N48 billion in 2013 to N312 billion in 2014, the growth had not mirrored the huge population of mobile phone users in

the country which currently stands at more than 105 million while about 60 million Nigerians who do not have bank accounts, have phones.

He also said innovation was inevitable in the banking industry due to changes in dynamics across the globe which has penetrated the Nigerian banking industry and that these changes are driven by forces of globalisation, self-service mobile devices and regulation.

He said the impact of these changes on the Nigerian banking landscape had reflected in the sharp increase in the growth of electronic payment services between 2012 and 2014 in the country, remarking that e-payment is now a commodity and innovative e-payment is the way to go.

EFInA Highlights Opportunities for Fintechs in Nigeria As part of efforts to promote financial inclusion in Nigeria, the Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA) a financial development organisation funded by the DFID and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recently organised a forum in Lagos. Through its innovation fund, EFInA targets the economically deprived population.

Launched in 2009, the fund shares risks with Financial Service Providers (FSPs) by providing grant subsidies through its Technical Assistance Grant and the Innovation Grant to the tune of $250,000 and $2,000,000 respectively. The focus areas include agent networks, electronic payment, financial inclusive products and services especially across northern Nigeria, women and financial literacy projects.

EFInAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Board Chair, Mr. Segun Akerele said in a statement, that the â&#x20AC;&#x153;essence of the forum was to request information from FinTechs on how EFInA would can stimulate innovation targeted

at the financially excluded through its grants, advocacy, research and capacity building.â&#x20AC;?

Akerele also appealed to the forum to see the financially excluded as partners and an asset in our bid to boost economic growth and increase GDP. Presenting a paper titled: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Potential For Driving Financial Inclusion Uptake through FinTechs,â&#x20AC;? EFInAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Programme Specialists â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Payments, Folasade Agbejule, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;According to the EFInA Access to financials survey of 2016 which covers about 23,000 respondents across Nigeria, 41.6 per cent of adults are financially excluded even though they have access to mobile phones. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Also, these adults do not have access to formal and informal financial services. The digital financial service system has a role to play in this situation to reach low income earners and people in the rural areas.â&#x20AC;?

Also, an Associate Principal at Mckinsey and Company,

Topsy Kola Oyeneyin, during her presentation stated that â&#x20AC;&#x153;there is huge potential for digital involvement in Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financial services but this can only be attained if the three required building blocks are put in place. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These building blocks are widespread digital infrastructure, dynamic financial services market and the development of products people prefer to existing alternatives.â&#x20AC;? The event involved a panel session where panelists including Segun Akerele, Tunde Kehinde; Co-Founder Lidya, Ngozi Dozie; Co-founder Paylater/OneFi, Jude Njugo; Beyond Credit CEO and NonnyMerenu; Unilever Sustainability Manager discussed issues relating to: the current state of financial inclusion in Nigeria, the FinTech landscape, the role of the Central Bank of Nigeria in driving financial inclusion in Nigeria as well as the barriers and challenges of the low income population to access financial services.

AFC President, Others Win EMEA Awards The President of the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), Andrew Alli,has been bestowed with the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;champion of financeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; awards.

The awards are given to individuals whose lifetime contribution to finance in the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, demonstrated excellence and provided an impactful result for shareholders and clients alike.

Additionally, the AFC received recognition in EMEA Finances Achievement Awards 2017 for success in accessing international capital markets.

The corporation, according to a statement, won the following accolades: Best Supranational Bond, Best Supranational Sukuk, and Best Supranational Borrower.

The statement explained that Alli won the award for his contribution to, the field of Finance, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and for relentless contributions to the sustainable development of Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s infrastructure.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is demonstrated through projects that have transformed the continent, particularly in countries that traditional

investors have typically shied away from. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Andrew has previously worked for organisations International Finance Corporation, Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers), that have reflected and built on his driving passions: To use financial innovation and expertise to develop Africa and to unlock the continents vast and unrealised potential, and to build African financial institutions that can effectively deliver that focused investment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He has concentrated on delivering this during his term leading Africa Finance Corporation,â&#x20AC;?it added.

Under Alliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leadership, the AFC has, over the last ten years, evolved from a US$1 billion startup into an institution that is a powerful force on the continent with a balance sheet of US$4.2 billion.

It currently has a membership of 20 countries, an A3 Credit rating by Moodys Investor Services (the second highest rated African lending institution), and has invested in various capacities.

Furthermore, the statement showed that AFCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chief Investment Officer, Oliver Andrews was also recognised as a Champion of Finance at EMEA Finances Project Finance Awards 2017. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The award underscores his hard work and relentless innovations in the creation of infrastructure as a standalone asset class in Africa,â&#x20AC;? it added.

Commenting on the feat, Alli said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Africa faces many challenges, which impede its development. However, very few are as significant as the infrastructure deficit we see across the continent today. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am humbled to have been recognised for my role in attempting to surmount these challenges, and grateful to the AFC family and shareholders, who have made all these achievements possible, for the opportunity to serve.â&#x20AC;?

On his part, Andrews said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;My passion for infrastructure stems from my deep commitment to the sustainable development of Africa.

ELEVATING TO THE NEXT LEVEL Marie-Therese Phido

Building a Successful Product Last year, I built a consumer review website called Holler! (www.holleri.com). The objective of the site is to give consumers a voice across all spectrums. I looked at the Nigerian environment and felt there was no site that gives consumers a place to either praise or vent based on their customer experience.

I can tell you for free that it has not been uhuru. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been one of the most difficult things I have done and we are still on it. People who have succeeded in building successful products and have sustained it, should be celebrated. Too many things affect your ability to succeed.

One of the most important is understanding human behavior. When building the site, I had a focus group of lawyers, consultants, technologists and users from all demographics and socio-economic background to test the useability and their reaction to the product. Their feedback were invaluable and we continue to work with various groups to continue its refinement.

This rigorous testing has not been easy but, we have come to realize that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a necessity that must be ingrained in any change we make.

One process we have followed to the letter and are still following, which will be invaluable to you in your own product development is outlined in Rachael Meleneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s article â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s What Behavioral Science Says Will Help You Build a Successful Productâ&#x20AC;? she says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a resource-strapped entrepreneur, you might think that running experiments with your products and services is the last thing you should be concerned about.

She says, think again. If you continue down the path of following your own bias-fraught intuition, the unreliable words of consumers, or the whim of influencers around you, then be prepared for many of your solutions to fail.

According to her, experimentation points you more assuredly in the direction of success by systematically weeding out what works and what doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. Building the capability to rigorously test new products and services, and iterations thereafter, undoubtedly saves time, energy, and resources in the long run by accelerating the learning process and getting closer to effective and responsible solutions.

If thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one thing behavioral science tells us, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that there are all sorts of reasons that people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in their best interests.

This has big implications for you as a founder: Your users wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t act in rational ways. Hence, the reason to adopt savvy experimenting practices.

But this also means that you yourself are liable to succumb to barriers to behavior thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in your best interest. Experimentation seems daunting, with big barriers to learning and proper execution. How can you begin to use rigorous experiments to find your way?

Whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re course-correcting a wayward service, adapting a product to increase its effectiveness, or developing a new solution, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s demystify the rigorous approach.

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for a more reliable path to success, Rachael says, to start with these simplified steps, adapted from the scientific method and a behavioral science approach to problem solving.

Identify the key behavior your product or service aims to change Your key behavior should be actionable, measurable, and uncomfortably specific.

Your team should agree that this behavior is the single most important metric to track the success of your product or service.

If your users do this one thing, you will have accomplished what you set out to do. This quantifiable, observable behavior

will be what you measure in your test.

Choose one critical barrier to your key behavior What is a particularly tricky barrier getting in the way of your users completing the key behavior? Think of all the things that could possibly get a user hung up on their path to the key behavior. Chose a barrier thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s large enough that if eliminated, could have significant impact on rate of key behavior completion.

Choose a behavioral principle that you think might get users past this barrier The change youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll want to test is something you think will get users over the barrier and closer to completing the key behavior.

Leveraging research-backed behavioral principles by adding them into your existing product can help users to overcome barriers typically caused by cognitive biases or insufficient motivation. Consider which principle-- like social proof, loss aversion, or incentives-- you think my be effective in increasing the number of people who complete the key behavior.

Write down your hypothesis To inform your hypothesis, look back at what you have guessed so far: that people are You can think about your hypothesis in this simple formula: If we do this...then this will happen... because...

Create test conditions, ďŹ nalizing the details of your test design To set your experimental design, you need to determine your test conditions. Your control will be the step or section in your current product or service with no changes.

Your test condition will be the same step in your current product or service plus the addition of the behavioral principle aimed at getting more people closer to completing the key behavior.

Choose a population you will test on, and randomize to your test conditions Determine who your test participants will be and how many participants will make up your sample size. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to randomly assign to test conditions. This is vital for scientifically reliable results-- you want to control for any bias that may lead a certain type of participant getting a particular test condition.

Follow your plan, run your test, and reďŹ&#x201A;ect on the results When you run your test, carefully follow your predetermined plan. To ensure you get the most out of your time and effort, consider before you run the experiment what decisions you will make based on what you learn from the data. After you execute your test, analyze the results, and make appropriate implementations, reflect on your experimentation process and what you can do better next timeâ&#x20AC;?.

In conclusion, continue to practice the process, which we have been doing with Holler! and remember that testing is not a one-time endeavor-- practice is important to develop your skill. But even with one under your belt, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re well on your way to building a testing capability that help you make more reliable business decisions that lead to more effective products.

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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NOVA Merchant Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Impressive Beginning Goddy Egene writes on the positive results released by Nova Merchant Bank Limited in its first year of operations

Uduoza

Doing business in Nigeria is very challenging considering the poor state of infrastructure.

Despite the huge potential as a result of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s large population, operating successfully and profitably requires ingenuity and prudent management of resources.

Even at that, many companies do not record profit in the first year of operations.

However, NOVA Merchant Bank Limited (NMBL), which began operations in 2017 was able to close its first year of operations with impressive performance.

The merchant bank, with a focus on wholesale banking, investment banking and asset management, formally opened its doors to the public on Thursday 1st of February 2017 in Lagos.

At a ceremony to officially open for business, the bank unveiled its objective to re-establish merchant banking as a key economic driver by providing long-term funds and advisory services.

Barely one year after it opened its doors for business, the financial institution recorded a profit of N510.58 million. The bank rode on a high level of productivity and cost-effectiveness in its activities, thus laying a strong foundation for its future success.

According to its results for the first eight months of its operations ended December 31, 2017, NMBL recorded gross earnings of N1.22 billion. With a marked and strategic approach towards cost-saving and maximisation, the bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operating expenses stood at N743.39 million, while profit stood at N510.58 million.

The bank ended the period with total assets of N17.99 billion, while shareholdersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; funds stood at N16.51 billion.

Speaking on the results, the Chairman of NMBL, Mr. Phillips Oduoza, expressed satisfaction at the performance and commended the staff. He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have assembled a team of professionals and our building state of the art technology to drive our innovative products and services in realisation of our vision to be Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preferred financial solutions provider and our mission to create superior value in the markets we serve.

According to Oduoza, it is expected that the size of the bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s balance sheet will provide a strong foundation to support the growth of its business and rapidly growing client base.

Speaking in the same vein, the Managing Director of NMBL, Chinedu Ikwudinma, noted that the performance was achieved by

Ikwudinma

a commitment to the core values of the institution encapsulated by the acronym UPLIFT( Uniqueness, Passion, Leadership, Integrity, Fairness and Teamwork).

He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;NOVA is positioned to bring transformative advantage to our customers in keeping with our vision to be Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preferred financial solutions provider. We are deploying the systems, services and personnel to make this happen and are excited about the future we envision for ourselves and our clients.â&#x20AC;?

Laying strong foundation Analysts expect this trend of performance to continue in 2018, saying the results showed impressive work based on the strong foundation which the company laid at the beginning of its operations. According to analysts, the performance reflects the good vision and mission put together by a formidable board, made of highly experienced professionals in various fields.

Apart from Oduoza, who is the chairman of the bank and Ikwudinma, who is the MD/ CEO others are: Ayodeji Adigun, who is executive director/chief operating officer and Mr. Anya Diwoha, executive director, wholesale banking; Shams Butt, non-executive director; Malachy Nwainwu, Emmanuel Ijewere, Bolanle Onagoruwa and Habiba Wakil who are independent directors. These directors brought their various experiences to ensure the bank performs well.

Specifically, Oduoza has about 30 years banking experience in major financial institutions. He retired from UBA after firmly establishing the bank as a leading African Financial Institution with global brand recognition. He was part of a small team that pioneered and established Diamond Bank Plc as one of the most successful and innovative banks in the early 90s. He supervised/led many breakthrough financial products and initiatives of Diamond Bank.

As a result, he rose rapidly to the position of Executive Director in 1999.

Oduoza has thorough knowledge of the Nigerian (indeed African/global) banking environment and what it takes to pioneer and run a very successful/sustainable financial institution. He has initiated and led many key successful financial transactions in infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing, telecommunication, energy, technology projects, financial advisory, oil & gas, corporate finance, capital market

activities and debt restructuring in Nigeria and across Africa. He has been involved in some of the key banking industry transformational initiatives, having led the Bankers Committee sub-committee on Payment Systems and Infrastructure that drove the BVN implementation and Electronic Payment System of Nigeria (Card, ATM, POS, Online transfers, etc).

Similarly, the MD/CEO, Ikwudinma was the ED/ Country Risk Manager for Citibank Nigeria Limited. During his over 25-year career at Citibank, he was the MD of Citibank Uganda from May 2009 April 2015, Corporate and Investment Bank Head at Citibank Zambia from January 2007 April 2009 and the Country Head of Commercial Banking for Citibank Nigeria from 2005 to 2006. He also held various executive positions covering Corporate and Investment Banking, Risk Management, Commercial Banking and Transaction Banking.

He possesses a strong track record and expertise in large ticket transactions across vast sectors of the economy, covering oil & gas, manufacturing, trading, consumer goods, telecommunications and building materials/ construction.

Ikwudinma was the Chairman of the Uganda Bankersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association from May 2014 to March 2015, during which period he significantly improved the perception and reputation of the banking industry while at the same time developing strong engagement with all key stakeholders. These earned him the recipient of the Bank of Uganda Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Award of Appreciation for Dedicated Service to Ugandas Banking Industry in 2015. He also served as the Director of American Chamber of Commerce in Uganda from 2009 to 2013.

Business focus Speaking at a ceremony to formally begin operations, Oduoza, had said that banking was changing globally with the emergence of new entrants and the infusion of non-traditional business models leveraging advances in technology. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We believe Nigeria should not be left behind. Therefore, NMBL is here to bring a new experience in the banking industry. That was why we selected the name, NOVA, which means new. We want to do new things,â&#x20AC;? he said. Oduoza reaffirmed his belief that the number of merchant banks in Nigeria was still

very low and there was opportunity for more, considering the key role merchant banks play. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The major international financial institutions involved in investment banking are doing very well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today, we do not have any of such institutions in Nigeria and this is the space NMBL plans to occupy not only in Nigeria but across Africa,â&#x20AC;? he said.

He said the bank was equipped with talented people and cutting-edge technology, necessary to deliver its mandate as a merchant bank. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have structured our products and designed our business model around merchant banking.

We have carved a niche for ourselves and we believe strongly we will deliver in this area,â&#x20AC;? he promised the customers.

On corporate governance, he assured the highest standards are maintained at NOVA. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are three executive directors and six non-executive directors. So, we have twice the number of non-executive directors as executive directors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Out of those six directors, we have four independent directors. These board members are well accomplished and capable of independent opinion,â&#x20AC;? he said.

On his part, Ikwudinma explained the strategic direction of that the focus of the bank would be on wholesale banking by offering trade services, project financing, cash management, corporate solutions, advisory services. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In investment banking, the bank would be looking at mergers and acquisition, advisory services, securities and trading, wealth and asset management as well as debt and equity capital management,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Securities & Trading According to the bank, its wealth management offerings are tailored to the investment goals and risk appetite of its clients. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will work with you to build and manage your portfolio to facilitate the achievement of your investment goals and aspirations,â&#x20AC;? it said.

In the area of asset management, it offers a wide range of services covering mutual funds, structured products, portfolio administration services and trustee services. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We seek to provide our clients with unrivalled investment performance across a wide range of asset classes through superior market insight, technical expertise and strong execution capabilities,â&#x20AC;? it said.

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Ayeye: Nigeria Punching Below its Weight The Group Managing Director of Growth and Development Limited (GDL), Mr. Kola Ayeye believes that the Nigerian economy ought to be growing at double digit in order to tackle its myriad challenges. Ayeye also spoke about a unique business model adopted by his firm. Obinna Chima presents the excerpts: billion to banks as income. But the things we are working on would enable the savers to get a little more than what they are getting and we would start investing in things that are very crucial in the society, like health, education, etc.

Those are the things we do differently. We are going to deliver unique frameworks. We are not saying this can happen overnight, but part of what we would do is the process of education.

How will you describe the performance of the economy in the ďŹ rst half of 2018?

Our economy is still substantially oil driven.

The successes we have had were substantially driven by oil and the challenge of diversifying our economy and creating employment still subsists. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think it will be right to say the positives are actually independent of oil. I think we should acknowledge it, but i donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think we should over celebrate it.

The US Federal Reserve during week raised interest rates and also signalled that two more increases may take place before the end of the year. Does this not pose concern in terms of capital ďŹ&#x201A;ows in the country?

Well, I think that generally interest rate in the US would rise and attractiveness of investments into developing countries like Nigeria, would reduce. But I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think those rates were sufficiently raised to be a major reason that would discourage portfolio flows. Those rates at below three per cent, are still low and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think it will be a discouragement to portfolio flows towards Nigeria. In my view, the major reason that could result in a cessation of portfolio flows are issues in our political space. If some things happen that creates a substantial lack of confidence, then there could be an outflow. I think that for interest rates to lead to investors saying to themselves that the differential is not sufficient compensation, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the rates are there yet. But it is a signal, because the US is saying that they are close to full employment, the economy is doing very well and so they want to cool it down. So, if they continue raising interest rates, we would ultimately get to a position where with or without a disruption in our political and economic environment, it would no longer make sense for them. But I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think we are there yet.

What is GDL offering the market?

Our country Nigeria is generally punching below its weight. That is something that is obvious and needs no further explanation. We have a substantial collapse of social infrastructure. The middleclass is very thin and continues to get thinner. From where we stand at GDL, there are three kinds of wealth and this is how we define wealth. There is personal wealth, which is what individuals hold. It could be the money in their bank accounts, the houses they own, the shares they have bought. That is one class of wealth. The second class is trans-generational wealth. That is wealth that is structured in such a way that it is likely to live and transcend generations. And one important category of trans-generational wealth is when a company has become not only stable but has become institutionalised so that it can go from one generation to the other. That is the second category of wealth.The third category of wealth is the common wealth, which is wealth that belongs to everybody and is available for everybody. So, for example, the medical system of a country is part of its common wealth, the social infrastructure, the schools are part of the common wealth.

For there to be a thriving middle class, the last two classes of wealth are very important.

In societies where you have a thriving middle class, you will find that they have a very robust and large common wealth. The schools work, the health facilities work, the infrastructural facilities are up to par.What that does is that, regardless of the quantum of personal wealth that you have, there is a certain minimum standard that you can achieve because those things are common wealth.

So, there are societies where even if your child were going to a public school, he will be getting close to the best in education. Transgenerational wealth on the other hand makes the wealth that is created by a generation available to other generations. You have companies that are fifty years, some 100 years and even 200 years.

So, essentially, in societies where the middleclass is thriving and robust the emphasis is not only on personal wealth but on transgenerational and commonwealth.

What are the framework (s) you are going to use to achieve this?

Our thoughts are very clear. The frameworks we would use are very clear. What is critical for us is that we want the country and the savers to start to think. We want some of the things we are saying to start to resonate. That for example, the savers in this country have almost N4 trillion residing in Nigerian banks and from that N4 trillion, Nigerian banks earn almost N300 billion annually, and if nothing changes, over a 10-year period, savers would have added almost N3 trillion of wealth to banks. So, isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t there another way of organising the financial system, so instead of adding N3 trillion to the wealth of the banks and their shareholders, you can take some of that wealth and use it for significant social investment. If the financial institutions that work well in every other countries but are not working for us and providing the dividends we want, we must rethink the way the institutions work. And to rethink the way the institutions work; the savers and investors must start to see what the opportunities are.

Ayeye

Unfortunately, the way a lot of African countries, including Nigeria run, what is prominent and visible is just the first category of wealth, which is personal wealth, prominent. So, one of the concerns of GDL is how to grow and expand the middleclass. You know, we need to examine not only the strength of institutions, but we must also consider the structure and relevance of institutions, whether those institutions are best adapted to the strength and weaknesses of that society. We think that custodians of capital are important institutions because the custodians of capital decide what gets finance and what does not get financed.

We believe financial institutions are important pillars of the society. So, it is not enough to strengthen institutions, but we must rethink how institutions are structured and what they do. So, we think it is time to start to look at how financial institutions can focus not only on personal wealth, but on creating transgenerational wealth and on helping society to transform by strengthening the common wealth, that is, social infrastructure. That is a major reason why GDL was set up. To give you an example, the kinds of things are how do we redeploy our savings pool to transform society? I think the savings pool in the country is now approaching N4

The kind of growth rate we should be celebrating should be close to two digits. So, that should give you an indication of how far we are from where we ought to be. Where per capita income in less that $2,500 and where a substantial part of the population is still living below poverty line and where population growth rate is more that three per cent

trillion. And our own estimate is that N4 trillion of savings contributes almost N300 billion of income annually to banks. So, the issue is, is there a way to redeploy those savings to improve living standards?

Those are the models and the opportunities that GDL wants to concentrate on. We have an asset management licence. One of the things we want to do with our asset management licence is to pool savings from both the private and the public sectors under new frameworks such that with those frameworks, there can be interventions in areas that have so far defied solutions. Notably education, health and housing in such a way that will produce not only decent financial returns but also strong social dividends. We are not in this business for charity. We are in this business also to make money, but we think you can make money and deliver significant social impact. That is one of the major things we look to do with our asset management licence. Over the next few months, specific funds and specific products to actualise this would start being unveiled and these are the things that would differentiate us from others.

With the competition in the industry, are there strategies you have to achieve this?

Societies evolve. And it is important that as societies evolve, you start to think about how to do things differently. Doing things differently means that you must realistically accept what your strengths and weaknesses are. Hopefully, over time you correct those weaknesses. But while those weaknesses are there, they are steering you in the face. One of the things we want to do differently is that we believe that financial institutions are important pillar of any society and in addition to making money, deliver significant social dividend.

That is one thing we are going to do differently.

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to give the impression that GDL is not about making money, because we are going to make money for our shareholders and all our stakeholders. But in addition to making money and also make money the savers and investors in our funds, through the licences that we have, we want to deliver significant social impact. And for that to happen, you need to start to create new kinds of frameworks. Let me give you an example, right now, in most banks, depositors donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get interest of more than two or three per cent. Now, that means that before the crash in interest rate, annually, those savers, including the retail savers were contributing up to N300

Are you looking at going into partnership with institutions outside this country to pool the amount of resources you are envisaging to make the interventions in these critical sectors?

There is the contracted behaviour of funds.

But there is also actual behaviour. The contracted behaviour of a current account is that I can take it at anytime. That is the contract. But, the actual behavioural pattern is that a bank looks over the last three or five years and says at the worst of time, my current account balances has never fallen below a particular level. So, if an institution has for example, N10 billion in current account, and in the last three years, his current account balance has never fallen below N5 billion, it actually means that only the N5 billion that is on top that is unstable, while the other N5 billion is permanent. The same way that savings account behaves. Savers can come and take their monies at any time.

But the trend on the savings graph is upwards.

So, we are not looking at the contracted terms, we are looking at the behaviour. And it is that behaviour that we want to leverage on. The big deal is that when GDL forms the right alliances, that saver over time, by reasons of these kinds of initiatives, would start to see the public schools in his domain is re-engineering.

What is your outlook for the remaining six months of the year?

Frankly, it is not going to be much different from what we have seen since the beginning of the year. I think oil prices would remain where they are. But I must say because of increased oil price, there is relative stability in the Nigerian economy. The projected growth, depending on whoever is projecting, whether it is two or three percent, we would achieve that. But, from where Nigeria is presently, population growth is above three per cent and a substantial level of the population is living below the poverty line. The kind of growth rate we should be celebrating should be close to two digits. So, that should give you an indication of how far we are from where we ought to be. Where per capita income in less that $2,500 and where a substantial part of the population is still living below poverty line and where population growth rate is more that three per cent. The kind of growth rate that we should be celebrating should be close to 10 per cent.

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NEM Boss Urges Greater Contribution of Insurance to Economic Growth Ebere Nwoji The Managing Director/ Chief Executive officer of NEM Insurance Plc, Mr Tope Smart, recently took a look at ways the insurance industry can promote economic growth and infrastructural development in the country.

According to him, investment in infrastructure will result in the growth of any economy and would also enhance activities of the insurance sector.

Smart spoke at the 10th anniversary lecture and awards organised by Business Journal Magazine in Lagos.

He also added that other factors such as macroeconomic environment, technological development, market size are also very important for the growth of the sector.

On the need for infrastructural development, Smart, said investment in infrastructure could stimulate organisational and management changes.

According to him, public infrastructure, provides the geographic concentration of economic resources, wider and deeper markets for output and employment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Public infrastructure is generally seen as a founda-

tion on which to build the economy, e.g the development of infrastructure is one of the most important aspects for sustainable socio-economic growth. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A research conducted by Aschaer in 1995 confirmed that public infrastructure is the basis of quality of life; for example, good roads reduce the number of accidents and increase public safety; water supply system reduces the level of disease;waste management improves the health of the environment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Also, social capital infrastructure has a significant

positive impact on earningsâ&#x20AC;?, he observed.

Smart, who delivered the key note address at the lecture which has the theme â&#x20AC;&#x153;Insurance is the backbone of any economy because of the basic role it plays which is to restore someone, firm, government to the position it was before the occurrence of an insured peril. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For a consideration (premium) insurance ensures the continuity of an enterprise notwithstanding the occurrence of an unforeseen event,â&#x20AC;? he added.

He highlighted channels

through which the insurance industry can promote economic growth and structural development as offering protection to firms and organisations.

This would enhance their financial stability as insurance companies are compelled to take over any damage or interruption in the production process occurring as a result of the insured event.

He also said insurance promotes entrepreneurial attitude, by encouraging investment innovation and the vitality of the market, offers relieve and by so doing reduces pressure on government, increase

financial intermediation through the creation of liquidity and savings through life insurance products.

Highlighting other channels through which insurance promotes economic growth, the NEM Insurance boss said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Insurance, through life insurance companies provide funds for long-term investment in the real economy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the absence of a risk transfer mechanism like insurance, economic activities would be much lower and hence will result in economic loss. Insurance also helps to smooth out the volatile economic conditionâ&#x20AC;?.

TCN Steps Up Grid Expansion, Installs 13 High Voltage Transformers in Four Months Chineme Okafor in Abuja The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has said that its drive to expand Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s electricity transmission network has continued unhindered with the installation of 13 high voltage transformers across the country under four months.

It said its grid expansion plan has seen it install new high voltage transformers at its Ohiya and Aba substations; Alimosho; Calabar and Uyo substations in March and April, 2018.

It equally said each of them was commissioned in MayoBelwa; Bauchi and Gombe transmission sub-stations in May, 2018, as well as in Mando and Zaria, with two installed at its Kakuri transmission substation subsequently. TCN reiterated its willingness to ensure that it continues to promptly tackle transmission interface issues in the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s power sector.

Its General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, pointed out in a statement sent to THISDAY in Abuja, that the

TCN had again increased the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grid capacity by 330 megavolt amp (MVA), with the installation of four additional brand new transformers in Kaduna State.

Mbah, explained the new systems included a 1x150MVA transformer in Mando substation; 1x60MVA transformer in Zaria substation and 2x60 MVA in its substation in Kakuri. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The company also completed the re-conducting of its 132kV double circuit Mando - Kaduna Town transmission line, increasing the line capacity from 80MW to 240MW. The Zaria 60MVA transformer has been commissioned by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing on June 10th and 11th, 2018.â&#x20AC;?

According to Mbah, the TCN was also working hard to ensure that it puts in place an N-1 capacity in its transmission substations nationwide, which would reportedly ensure that there are spare transmission capacities at all of its transmission

Kachikwu Lauds Techno Oil on Cylinder Manufacturing Plant Ejiofor Alike The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu has lauded Techno Oil for its initiative in building a cylinder manufacturing plant that will produce five million cylinders yearly.

He said his ministry was doing everything possible to make Nigerians embrace Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), better known as cooking gas.

The minister stated this recently when a 15-member federal government inter-ministerial team inspected the LPG cylinder manufacturing plant, ahead of its inauguration.

The multi-billion-naira facility was expected to produce five million cylinders of various sizes annually and generate no fewer than 6,000 jobs. Speaking to newsmen after touring the plant, Kachikwu, who was represented by his Senior Adviser, Downstream and Infrastructure, Mrs Brenda Ataga, said the

federal government was working out a package of incentives to encourage investors in the oil and gas sector.

She said the ministry of petroleum resources would set up a unit to liaise with the Federal Ministry of Finance to package tariff incentives for credible investors in the oil and gas sector. According to her, the federal government was keen on ensuring that every Nigerian household embraces cooking gas rather than using fire wood and other harmful energy sources.

Also speaking during the inspection, the Head, Gas Monitoring and Regulatory Division in the Department of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Sanya Bajomo, said he was impressed with what he saw at the plant. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is a thing of joy that we can now manufacture LPG cylinders in Nigeria, instead of importing. We give kudos to Techno Oil for preparing the ground for every household to adopt cooking gas,â&#x20AC;? he added.

LANDMARK ACQUISITION

L-R:CompanySecretary,StridesGroup,Mr.PaulAlimele-Morgans;Chairman,StridesGroup,Mr.MoritzAbazie;ChiefExecutiveOfficer,UnitedCapital Trustees, Mrs Tokunbo Ajayi; Regional Head, South-south, Wema Bank, Mr. Edah Emmnuel; and Head, Debenture, United Capital Trustees, Mr Chris Ohuonu, during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of RiversVegetable Oil (RIVOC) in Lagosâ&#x20AC;Śrecently

Wapic Insurance Posts N1.5bn Profit Wapic Insurance Plc said it recorded a 161 per cent increase in its profit after tax (PAT) for the financial year ended December 31st 2017.

Addressing shareholders at the 59th Annual General Meeting of the company held in Lagos recently, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chairman, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, said â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wapic Insurance has continued to maintain path of good financial performance through the growth of its post-tax profit to N1.5 billion, from N586 million recorded in the corresponding period last year.â&#x20AC;?

According the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s results for the financial year under review, Wapic Insurance recorded growth across

all business lines, leading to a total revenue of N13.6 billion and Gross Written Premium of N9.8 billion.

These represented an increase of 9.9 per cent and 22.5 per cent respectively, over figures recorded the same period in 2016.

Briefing the shareholders on the 2014-2019 corporate strategic plan designed to reposition Wapic Insurance, the chairman said the company recorded impressive feat on a number of projects and initiatives that would help affirm its position in the industry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the areas of governance and strategy implementation, we have successfully concluded most initiativesâ&#x20AC;?, said

Aig-Imoukhuede, adding that â&#x20AC;&#x153;our digital transformation is the next game-changer that will sustain our quest to create value for shareholders and deliver excellent services and enjoyable experience to customersâ&#x20AC;?.

According to him, under the strategic digital revolution, Wapic Insurance, acquired a new core operating system called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;WapXâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;from Asseco, a leading information technology company in Poland.

He said the highly-customised insurance application was configured to improve interactions with Wapic Insurance and reinforce the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s status.

Also speaking , the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Managing Director , Yinka Adekoya assured shareholders of improved

financial performance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Clearly, the coming year, with our investments in transformational information technology infrastructure, we will be more prosperous,â&#x20AC;? she said.

She also said the company was committed to service excellence as evidenced by its 13.3 per cent increase in paid claims, from N2.85 billion in 2015, to N3.2 billion in the previous financial year.

According to her, this attest to the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to prompt and consistent payment of valid claims and signals its confidence restoration role in the Nigerian insurance landscape through a new service paradigm hinged on innovation, empathy and operational efficiency.

Insurers Support Public Liability Cover for World CupViewers Ebere Nwoji Insurance industry managers have commended the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode for the provision of public liability insurance cover for the six viewing centres he opened in the state for football fans to view the ongoing 2018 FIFA World Cup football competition holding in Russia. The insurers, said provision of public liability insurance cover for the viewers was a good development and a sign that the state governor cares for the well-being and security of Lagos residents.

According to them, it also showed that Nigerians were beginning to understand the relevance of insurance and the need to make insurance provision for the unforeseen.

Among the insurers who commented on the development

was the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Alpha choice Insurance Brokers, Mr Sunny Adela.

Adeda, who is also a past president of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), said the development was a sign that ongoing efforts by the insurers to popularise insurance among Nigerians was yielding good fruits.

He said the public liability insurance cover provided by the governor would cover the viewers against bodily injuries during the period of the competition and against death resulting from stampede and other mishap during the completion.

He however said it does not cover loss of their personal belongings such as telephone handsets and other valuables they came to the viewing centre with.

The News Agency of Nigeria,(NAN) recently reported that Ambode had opened six viewing centres for Lagos residents to watch live football actions from the ongoing Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup. NAN, said the sports-loving governor also provided security, traffic control and general sanitation at the viewing centres.

The viewing centres are located at: Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, Campos Mini Stadium, Lagos Island; Abesan Estate, Alimosho; Naval Yard Ajegunle; Bishop Aggrey School, Mushin, and Epe Recreation Centres.

Other insurance managers who spoke to THISDAY, urged other state governors as well as the federal government to borrow a leaf from the move

by Ambode.

For the security of the Ni-

gerian team, the Super Eagles participating in the World Cup, the Nigerian Football Federation(NFF) had before now entered into partnership with Wapic Insurance plc as official insurer of the Super Eagles for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.

The five-year pact, which has an option of renewal, extends to other national teams to serve as support to the players during their playing careers and lives.

Apart from this, Wapic will bring about a wide range of financial, emotional and psychological support to the players.

Also, the Amaju Pinnick-led board chose Senforce Insurance Brokers as the official insurance brokers under the arrangement.

Senforce will provide advisory services to NFF on the best insurance packages to acquire and to ensure an effective insurance coverage for the football house.

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Time to Review the Nigerian Passport Usman Musa Ahmed Travel document, popularly referred to as passport is a symbol and pride of a nation that every citizen would wish to hold with dignity.

Most developed nations consider any one holding their passports as a treasure and it is for this reason, the procedure to obtain passport in such countries is meticulous and thorough.

This may not be the case with Nigeria as there had been cases where nationals of other countries were arrested with the Nigerian passports despite effort by the Nigerian Immigration service to periodically improve on the security embedded in the booklet.

Nigerian passport as a travel document was first introduced in 1948 after the Second World War and was then called the British West African Passport.

Shortly after the attainment of independence in 1960 Nigeria changed the colour of the passport to a light green and the ministry of Foreign Affairs became the issuing authority.

in 1998 ten years after the issuance was transferred to the Nigerian Immigration Service, a significant change occurred with the introduction of Machine Readable Passport (MRP). The Machine Readable Passport is a computer based passport, it is significant because it presents a major shift from the hand written manual method which was characterized by fakery and imitation.

Certain deficiencies associated with MRP Passports compelled the Nigerian Immigration Service to again introduce e â&#x20AC;&#x201C; passport on the 27th of July 2007.

Babandede

In 1988, the authority to issue all travel documents in Nigeria was transferred to the Nigerian Immigration Service and

The e â&#x20AC;&#x201C; passport as it is commonly called is officially known as the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;ECOWAS Harmonized Electronic Smart Passportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

With all the innovations and transformation of the booklet, it is still not free from being abused. This therefore necessitate for the Nigerian Immigration Service to as a matter of urgency introduce a new passport booklet with improved security measures to further check mate the activities of fraudsters.

Another area of concern is the activities

of touts in many passport centres in the country.

An organised system must be put in place to ease the process of obtaining passport thereby eliminating the activities of touts.

Nigerian Immigration Service could also borrow a leaf from some developed countries like UK, US and France, to establish what is called Passport Express Centres.

These are centres where a prospective passport applicant can walk in and get his passport processed within a few hours at a fee. This will help to decongest our passport issuing centres.

Similarly in line with the global best practice, passport fees are applied uniformly as against the case in Nigeria where the children, old and middle aged Nigerians pay different fees. Passport is passport whether for old or young Nigerian. Abolishing this policy we believe will shore up the revenue base of the Nigerian Immigration Service for an efficient and better Service delivery.

Usman is a Public commentator lives at No. 87 Tukuntawa Quarters, Kano

Estimated Billing: Fashola Warns of Increased Mistrust Between Discos, Consumers Chineme Okafor in Abuja The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has said there may be more distrust between the 11 electricity distribution companies (Discos) in the country and their customers across their networks over their continued use of estimated billing tariff method.

Speaking at the recent June edition of the monthly power sector operatorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; meeting which held in Kaduna, the minister

explained the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s power generation and transmission levels were increasing.

This, he noted could result to consumers asking for meters to control their consumption levels to avoid estimated bills from Discos.

He explained that such development could also trigger consumersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; demand for improved service delivery to them, adding that there was already a distrust between both parties which could be aggravated.

According to him, the government was taking steps to address the metering gap in the sector, while the National Assembly sought to criminalise the practice of estimated billing through a new legislation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is the bigger and compelling issue of estimated billing and lack of meters. Meter supply has become the big issue of the moment that consumers want us to resolve. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a government, we hear them loudly and clearly, and as service providers, we hope

that you can hear them too,â&#x20AC;?

Fashola said.

He added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;As power supply continues to increase in generation, transmission and distribution, the demand for meters will increase because more power supply and consumption will likely result in increased bills. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Estimated billings in these circumstance will become a major cause of distrust and conflict between consumers and Discos, and meters are the easiest way to build the

bridge of trust.â&#x20AC;?

Continuing, he stated: â&#x20AC;&#x153;On the executive side of government, we are responding by taking advantage of the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) Regulations to deploy a fund of N37 billion towards supplying meters through private sector. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I urge all Discos who have not taken benefit of this opportunity to quickly do so, or make their own funding arrangements to contract their own meter providers to supply and install meters.â&#x20AC;?

He stated: â&#x20AC;&#x153;On the legislative side of government, there is a clear intention to intervene by legislation. The executive and legislative response show that government is committed to addressing this issue of meters. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let me be clear that every Disco is affected, and every Disco needs to respond by providing meters quickly and seeking to end estimated billing, which is subjective, discretionary, and prone to abuse.â&#x20AC;?

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Tourism: Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Untapped Goldmine If Nigeria is committed tapping into the gains of tourism sector, there is need for strong policy framework, aggressive marketing of the sector as well as collaboration between the public and private sectors, writes Ugo Aliogo The Nigeria tourism industry has been described by the world largest travel guide Lonely Planet (LP), as a pulsating power house with deep and layered cultures and environment.

Tourism experts have described the industry as an economic cash cow with a strong potential of contributing to the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

LP in a report, estimated that the total contribution of the industry to the global economy was over $7.6 trillion in 2016, which is about 10 per cent of the global GDP of $75.6 trillion.

In Nigeria, the contribution of the tourism industry had been estimated at around $1.5 billion, which demonstrates the gulf between the present reality and the potential of the sector.

To this end, analysts have stressed the need for increased public-private partnership to ensure that the sector attracts Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), enhance job creation, improve the state of infrastructure in the country, among others.

But to ensure that this is realised, the Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN) has been working to ensure that the right policies and laws which would drive the growth of the industry are put in place.

The body is at the forefront of the revitalisation of the industry to expand its competitiveness internationally. Furthermore, one of the goals of the body is to ensure that investors are able to tap into the enormous potential of the industry such as transportation, wildlife conservation, medical, leisure and recreation, and others.

Speaking in an interview with THISDAY, the Vice-President, South-east, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Mrs. Ngozi Ngoka, stated that tourism marketing should start with a plan which would serve as the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roadmap.

Ngoka explained that stakeholders in the sector need to focus on creating awareness about the positive aspects of the country by branding Nigeria as an attractive destination through marketing, saying â&#x20AC;&#x153;when Nigeria becomes trendy, it would create a positive cycle that can then be supported by tourism marketing and sales. Then everything would fall in place.â&#x20AC;?

Role of Technology Technology has a major role to play in driving the growth of the industry. In advanced economies such as United Arab Emirates (UAE), technology has played a major role in structuring their tourism potential with facilities such as the Dubai Fountain, Burj Khalifa, Ski Dubai, Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, Burj Al Arab and others.

Ngoka explained that stakeholders can use technology to actively develop and change a destinationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s image, especially through social media.

She argued that social media makes it possible to meet and interact with people, adding that though social media is a cheap, but it is an effective tool to tell and sell the story of any destination.

She said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;A destination must be very active on social media and handlers must find ways to continually attract and engage audiences. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Effects of technology are however much more significant at individual tourism business level.

For instance, it is very easy for hotels, airlines and other tourism services to market and sell their services online, using innovative technology. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are applications being developed to determine what type of experiences customers would like and direct them accordingly and some that offer digitally guided city tours. 360 degrees Virtual Reality Videos (VRV) is also being introduced for use in destination marketing, so I think for the future, technology is key.â&#x20AC;?

Public-Private Partnership However, in order for the industry to achieve its full potential, Ngoka stressed that public/ private partnership remains key.

She explained that this would allow stakeholders to participate in the development of tourism strategy, communicate, achieve their various goals and interests, and successfully implement

Ihuezi natural waterfall, Enugu State

tourism programmes, and collaborate to achieve a common goal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We just have to keep the tourism discuss alive and ensure that it is a talking point for the next general elections in Nigeria. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Individuals going into politics must be asked questions about how they plan to develop tourism in their areas of influence. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tourism and agriculture are key in developing rural communities and curbing urban migration. We have to all work together to advocate for a concise approach to the development and sustenance of tourism in Nigeria,â&#x20AC;? she explained.

On his part, a Senior Lecturer, Department of Hospitality and Management, Imo State University, Professor, Innocent Okolie, noted the need for public-private partnership to grow the sector.

He added that the role of the public sector in creating the enabling business environment, regulations and policy implementation was key.

On the other hand, he pointed out that the private sector is expected to provide the funding and expertise to drive the initiative, adding that government has no business to be directly involved in tourism infrastructure.

Okolie added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Government should focus on providing the infrastructure and ensure that the policies are implemented. The private sector on its part should focus on providing funding and expertise for the industry. Tourism is big business, therefore, the prospects for the sector is very high. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If government is able to address the issue of insecurity, environmental sanitation, political will and the attitude of the people towards tourism should also change. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People should stop seeing it as something that cannot yield money. Some see it as social welfare programme, not as a big business. We should see it as money spinner and an article of trade.â&#x20AC;?

Transport Transport sector is very crucial for the promotion of tourism in the country. But the potential of the sector has been under-utilised despite the efforts of most private transport companies.

Nevertheless, there have been some encouraging signs from some companies such as ABC Transport.

The founder of ABC Transport, Mr. Frank Nneji noted that to promote tourism, the government has to bring onboard people who understand the sector through engagement, adding that tourism development has to be prepared for and combined with other ingredients such as hotels to drive hospitality.

According to Nneji, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having hotel is one thing,

the other thing is having things that will make it attractive to people and encourage them to visit the city. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For government to promote tourism, it needs to setup a clear cut blueprint on what it wants to achieve. Another challenge is that Nigerians needs to appreciate the importance of tourism. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In Ghana, when the government decided that they wanted to develop their tourism sector, everybody was carried along. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is need to encourage people and invite them to be part of tourism development in the country, by creating things that will make them come. Many countries are thriving best on tourism.

He added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;On our part as a company, what we can do is advocacy. There are different regulations and rules which only government can do. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If there is a site, there should be a government who can take ownership of that site, develop it and engage the community. For instance, we have a blue lake known as the Oguta Lake. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It used to be a beautiful lake, but you realise that it has been neglected. Government has to put money into infrastructure. There should be a travel bureau with a team of experts plan on how to better position the sector. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When the standards of these hotels are upgraded, people tend to be attracted. So you find out that if you have a tourism bureau to take care of these things,an investor can make a calendar that will make people come to your city, and build facilities that can hold large conferences. Here in Owerri, we have an airport and also it is as if we are in a confluence. In terms of positioning, we are well positioned. Talking about what we do to promote tourism, we have the least to do.â&#x20AC;?

Hoteling Hoteling is a striving business which private investors have tapped into to drive tourism in many economies especially Nigeria.

In the South-east region, hospitality business has been well positioned to drive the potential of the region. In Owerri, the numbers of hotels have been estimated to above 300 with some still under construction.

In an interview with THISDAY, the Chief Executive Officer, Maranatha Hotel, Dr. Etofolam Osuji, said hoteliers in the state have pleaded with the Imo state Government to reduce the arbitrary amount of taxes charged on them, but those pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

Osuji is displeased that despite efforts to

create value and drive the economy of the state, government has not been able to create the enabling environment for business to strive as expected especially through the provision of steady electricity, and removal of high levies.

He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Government should provide us with the enabling environment to do business by giving us steady electricity. Government should remove taskforce from us, we pay our taxes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The levies they place on hoteliers are too much.

But these monies should come in a structured manner. I want a situation where I will partner with the government in developing the state in such a way that everyone will benefit.â&#x20AC;?

Tourism Marketing But Okolie stressed the need to continue to create awareness for the sector. â&#x20AC;&#x153;No matter how beautiful or well defined a tourism destination is designed, if people are not aware of such destination, the country may not make any headway in driving tourism. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The purpose of marketing is to create awareness of such tourism products and to pursue investors to patronise such products,â&#x20AC;? he noted.

He expressed dismay that the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tourism products and potential were not made known to the international community, stating that there is a problem of patronage, therefore he called for aggressive marketing approach especially in terms of packaging, branding, and promotion some of the tourist sites such as Obudu cattle ranch, Ikogosi, Yankari forest reserves and others. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a lot of challenges such as security, environmental hygiene, but the main problem facing the industry is tourism marketing and packaging. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is no political will. This is another challenge facing the sector. Since petroleum was discovered in large quantity every other economic activity has taken the back seat. Tourism is tied to agriculture.

Nigeria has nine ecological zones and this has high tourism potential in terms of ecology. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The problem of Nigeria is not lack of resources.

The challenge is to factor tourism in the national economic strategy. We used to have Ministry of Tourism, but it has now been subsumed into the Ministry of Economic Planning and Culture. When stakeholders complained government said it was an oversight. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For over three years, this oversight has not been fixed. Government should give the industry its rightful pride of place, the political will has to do there, and there should be awareness creation,â&#x20AC;? he added.

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY JUNE 20, 2018

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EDUCATION ImprovingYABATECHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Infrastructures, Resources for Degree-awarding Status With the clamour for the elevation of polytechnics to degree- awarding institutions, the newly appointedRector,YabaCollegeofTechnology,Mr.FemiOmokungbeexplainedtojournalists,including Funmi Ogundare the efforts that the management is putting in place to boost its status Over the years, there has been an outcry for the elevation of polytechnics to degree-awarding institutions which was triggered by the discrimination between polytechnic graduates and their lecturers; and their university counterparts.

As a result, many of the polytechnic graduates are assailed by the fear of the future because employers feel that the certificates they carry are inferior to those of their counterparts from universities. This has led to apathy for polytechnic education in the country.

The newly appointed Rector of the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Mr. Femi Omokungbe, who unveiled his four-point agenda during a media parley held recently at the college, said it would make the institution a preferred one that would attract students and that which would award degrees.

He said the agenda includes ensuring an academic improvement and development in the college; upgrading physical infrastructures in its campuses; improving its internally generated revenue (IGR); as well as ensuring a conducive environment for staff and students. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we have all these on ground, we can say we are ready for that pronouncement as a degree-awarding institution by the government. There is a difference between making the institution a university and making it a degree awarding status. When you have a status of a university, you can award higher degrees even to BSc. So if we put our house in order and ensure that in every department, we have quality staff, then we can say that we are ready rather than us agitating for government to pronounce us. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Physical infrastructure is also very important when we are talking about this same status.

We are constrained with space and most of our equipment and facilities are obsolete. So there is need to replace them; develop our Epe Campus and improve our infrastructure. When we look at the issue of carrying capacity, we want to increase it and ensure adequate space and quality lecturers. Most of our classrooms are in deplorable condition so we intend to upgrade the staff offices and those who are retiring can have their entitlement. So these are areas we feel will make the college to be the best in Nigeria. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our roads are also deplorable, some structures are begging for repairs and repainting, we also intend to demolish some of the old buildings and replace them with befitting ones. We have been able to separate the residential area from the academic area. If you are familiar with the campus, the rectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lodge is beside the clinic close to the Moshood Abiola Hotel, also from the gate, you would see the School of Business and Management Studies. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you look at the master plan of YABATECH, that area ought to be for studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hostel. On our own to improve this, we will convert that school to hostel. We are sure of having about 700 bed spaces there. The present rectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lodge beside the multi-purpose hall, we intend to build the School of Business and Management Studies there that will house the seven departments in that school. The present medical centre will be upgraded. We have gotten National Health Insurance (NHI) status. We hope it will boost our status.â&#x20AC;?

He expressed delight about the impact of the N200 million grant from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) given to the college for academic improvement, saying that the management is also planning to establish a Directorate of Research and Development. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Generally our research should be focused towards copy technologists so with the directorate, they should be taking care of that. Most of our researches are being funded by TETFund. For instance in the area of fabrication, TETFund

Omokungbe has the guidelines and the college is in a lead for this.â&#x20AC;?

Considering the vital role which funding plays, the rector said the college intends to improve on its IGR by establishing a water factory and bakery, as well as enhancing the status of the YABATEC Consult, aside just relying on its part-time programmes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The YABATECH Consult was registered as ventures, so we feel it should be a limited liability company and so what we will do is to engage professionals that will quote for jobs outside under YCT consult and also sign MoU with them to run consultancy job for us. For most of our inventions, we will collect patents for them so that we can improve on our IGR. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Government policies on IGR is that 25 per cent of what you make must be paid back into government account otherwise you stand a chance of losing grants. We are looking into this and we are going to follow suit. We have a working budget and we have estimated what we are going to realise from the IGR and what we are going to do with it and the project,â&#x20AC;?

Omokungbe, who has already spent three months in office stressed.

On the ban of student unionism on campus, the rector said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the moment, there is no studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; union government in the college, but we are working towards bringing it back. I have met with their academic heads and representatives of the department and we have elected some of them to be in the committee of the council.

I intend to meet with them regularly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Meanwhile, I have understudied the reason why it was banned, when I am satisfied with my findings, I can recommend to the Council of Heads of Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology in Nigeria (COHEADS) for the ban to be lifted.

Seriously thinking, there is a need for students to have a union such that the management would not have to interfere in their activities.

They are going to run studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; union the way it was being run when I was in school so that they will have impact in their lives and the

committee of rectors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a programme coming up in August, I made recommendations to that council that four or five students from each polytechnic should come on leadership training. It was approved, so we will make sure that if need be, we will take them out for a retreat so that they can learn how student unionism is to be run rather than being used as political thugs.

We are going to make them do it the way it was being done in the past.â&#x20AC;?

Reacting to studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; apathy to the Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), Omokungbe, who intends to make an impact within his one year in office said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;for the four month programme, we have staff that monitors it and for the one year attachment, the students are to do it in relevant areas, but again it all boils down to the quality of government. The condition for them coming back to school is a mandatory letter from employers related to their course of study. Lecturers are not meant to supervise them and so we might not be held responsible for that. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But on our part, we have just requested the Academic Planning Unit to design a programme such that the Centre for Entrepreneurship of the college will have to accommodate a larger percentage of the students to make them to be self-reliant. So we will have different fields in that programme which students can key into. For instance, in Electrical and Computer Engineering, we will have areas that we can go into manufacturing inverters and solar panels; they will be doing it for one year in the college and get paid. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will buy the material for them and attach them as technicians in the department. Those in the Civil Engineering Department will do the same. When you see us producing paving stones, these are civil aspects; you can come and do your SIWES in the college rather than going to ride Okada. As from next session, they will key into that and it will help in that regard.â&#x20AC;?

On security, he said the college is trying to

improve its current security to have an awareness programme with the aim of stamping out cultism. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I said students and staff welfare, it is inclusive of security. For instance the security apparatus we have on campus are few; we are trying to improve on that such that the college will be rid of the menace of cultism. We are creating an awareness programme against the abuse of drugs like tramadol and codeine by students, but for the security apparatus, we are working on that.â&#x20AC;?

Asked if he foresees a challenge in the reinstatement and award of N21 million damages ordered by the National Industrial Court (NIC) to be paid by the college to its embattled bursar who was sacked in 2015 for exposing alleged corrupt practices in the institution, the rector said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see that as a challenge and when you go to court, you either win or lose. We need to put our structures back in shape and when you look at the population of students and the bed spaces that we have, the ratio is not something you can say you are happy about. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are talking about funds to put up infrastructure for the students, that is more of a challenge than paying N21 million to somebody.

We need to improve our laboratories systematically and the equipment are obsolete, this is more of a challenge. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget that I also had a court case that I won. On the reinstatement, for me, I report to the council and whatever direction the council is going, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a choice.â&#x20AC;?

Asked how he would complement the efforts of the previous administration, he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have a plan of four years and after which, that can be reviewed. Government is a continuum so it is now left for the incoming government to see which area will be of benefit that will have impact where the previous administration has not done it well. You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t automatically reject all what the previous administration has done, that will not be fair. I think that is one of the problems we have in this country. I have done due diligence for what I met on ground and I know which area to key in and that is what we are doing.â&#x20AC;?

Meanwhile, the college held matriculation ceremony for the 2017/2018 academic session, where a total of 23,704 new students took the oath of admission into its various schools and programmes.

The schools are School of Art, Design and Printing; School of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering; School of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering; School of Management and Business Studies; School of Science; School of Technology; School of Liberal Studies; School of Environment Studies; and Technical Education.

Speaking at the event, Omokungbe advised the students to shun all forms of anti-social activities such as cultism, drug abuse, examination malpractices, sexual misbehaviour and other unruly behaviours, adding that they will be introduced to various structures, systems, rules and regulations during the orientation programme. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In line with the federal governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s directive and the collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resolve at improving access to education, it will put more efforts to improve its carrying capacity through the development of physical structures that will provide additional sitting spaces for students. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The new administration of the college has commenced activities such as refurbishment of facilities starting with the hostel; procurement of 3,000 mattresses to ensure comfortability of students. Management is committed to improving service delivery through the provision of modern equipment and upgrade of classrooms, studios and laboratories.â&#x20AC;?

While congratulating the matriculating students for the opportunity of enrolment, he advised them to remain focussed and make success of their stay in the college.

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EDUCATION

NUC BMAS:Varsity Don Canvasses Review of Academic Journals Funmi Ogundare A Professor of Accounting, Babcock University, IlishanRemo, Ogun State, Ishola Akintoye has called on the National Universities Commission (NUC) to ensure that every MSc and PhD student reviews at least 80 to 120 journal articles in accounting and allied matters, as well as identify gaps in knowledge before title approval, as part of its Benchmark Minimum Academic Standard (BMAS) used for accreditation of university programmes.

He said the review should be done chronologically in reverse order starting from the current year.

Akintoye, who made this known while delivering a lecture recently, said the move would position postgraduate programmes on a competitive global pedestal leading to publications in high impact journals all over the world. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We run an integrated curriculum on the best practices all over the world. Our funding regime is not only limited to allocation from the university, but also from various grants from local and international agencies. The NUC which we are in constant touch with on our programmes should make some of these models as part of the minimum academic standard currently used for accreditation.â&#x20AC;?

He added that every MSc and PhD student is also expected to publish two to four articles in reputable indexed journals before oral examinations.

On what should be done to curb the alarming rate of corruption in the country, the

don said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;To me, corruption is a state of the mind and I believe the first approach is to enlighten the mind through positive orientation about life, living and significance rather than mere relevance in value creation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our orientation as a people has been centred on value relevance leading to inordinate accumulation of resources rather than being significant in the history of future making and value creation for generations yet unborn.â&#x20AC;?

The don also recommended that the NUC should ensure that ICT becomes part of Nigerian institutionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; entire curriculum from undergraduate to postgraduate level saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;we have in place one of the best accounting laboratory with current accounting software on which our students are compulsorily trained and must pass examinations in addition to internship experiences. We are proud to say that we are online worldwide.â&#x20AC;?

Akintoye, who was invited by the former ViceChancellor of the institution, Professor Kayode Makinde in December 2012 to join the team in the department for the running of MSc and PhD Accounting, described the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy of the federal government as a good monetary tool to address some of the economic challenges.

He advised the government to prepare adequately for the administration of every new policy so as to develop shock absorbing capacity for immediate adverse effect before stability.

700 Students Win Bronze in Duke of Edinburgh Award Kuni Tyessi in Abuja Over 700 participants from public schools in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) have won the bronze category of the International Award for Young People Nigeria, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh International Award, a youth empowerment programme.

The bronze award ceremony that held for two days, aimed to recognise and reward the achievements of the young people from some of the public secondary schools in the area.

The Chief Executive Officer and the National Director, International Award for Young People Nigeria, Ms. Toyin Odu said the award in Nigeria is committed to the emotional, intellectual, physical and social development of young people.

While addressing the students and emphasising that the only barrier thy can have is self, she said the recipients underwent non-formal extra-curricular activities in skills activity,

community service, physical recreation and adventurous journey. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our mission is to inspire, guide and support young people in their self-development and recognise their achievements. An individual that has earned the award from International Award for Young People Nigeria shows that the person is well-rounded, adaptable and committed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The experiences gained and skills learned become increasingly evident and the medal is a true testament of the commitment to serving others.â&#x20AC;?

The event was graced by a member of the International Trustee of the Duke of Edinburghâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s International Award Foundation and Chairman, Board of Trustees for the International Award for Young People Nigeria, Mr. Olawale Edun; acting Director of Secondary Education Board, Mrs. Nanre Emeje; Deputy Director Sports, Goroh Alhamdu, among others.

FG Begins Data Collation for Repositioning of Basic Education Paul Obi in Abuja The federal government has commenced data collation in primary and junior secondary schools across the country for the repositioning of the basic education sector.

This was made known by the Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi during the tour of UBEC primary and secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory

(FCT).

He said the tour was to enable UBEC familiarise with the data collation and ensure that the process is effective and efficient, adding that though â&#x20AC;&#x153;there are always cases of suspicionâ&#x20AC;?, the objective was to â&#x20AC;&#x153;gather data for planning to reposition the basic education sector.â&#x20AC;?

Bobboyi said the data collated would assist UBEC to improve teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; professionalism and quality of schools

in the basic education sector, adding that so far, the exercise, particularly in the South-south geopolitical zone has turned out positive outcomes that will help the agency in improving basic education in the country.

Also speaking, the Chairman of UBEC board, Dr. Mahmood Abubakar expressed concern over the attitude of private schools, adding that most of the private schools have not been cooperating with the

data collation exercise.

He reiterated that the data collation exercise was geared towards improving the standard of basic education in Nigeria.

The schools visited were LEA Primary School, Kutunku, Gwagwalada Area Council; LEA Primary School, Dawaki, Bwari Area Council; Government Secondary School, Area 10, Garki in Abuja Municipal Area Council and FCT UBEC office.

L-R:The Managing Director, Ruyi Communications, Mr. Soni Irabor; Managing Partner, Nevitt Consulting, Mr. Victor Famuyibo; MD, U-Connect and Gr8jobsng, Mrs. Omomene Odike; Partner, Advisory Leader West Africa, Ernst & Young, Mr. Ben Afudego; Head, Youth Segment, Diamond Bank, Adaeze Umeh; and Head, e-Commerce, Gr8jobsng, Mr. Victor Chibundu, at the launch of Gr8jobsng Learning Management System in Lagosâ&#x20AC;Ś recently

Obasanjo, Others for COJOSAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Grand Re-union Uchechukwu Nnaike Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is among the dignitaries expected at the grand re-union of the Command Secondary School, Jos Old Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association (COJOSA), which will hold at the Eko Hotel, Lagos on June 30, 2018.

The association said the choice of the former president as the father of the day was because in 1977, the first four command secondary schools were established under his leadership as the head of state.

Briefing journalists in Lagos recently, the President of the association, Mr. Ademola Kasumu said â&#x20AC;&#x153;now the school has successfully produced several professionals, engineers, generals and other successful people in their various fields.

We want him to come and see what his children have achieved.â&#x20AC;?

He said the re-union is for the members from all walks of life, including those from UK and Ireland and North America and Canada to come together and celebrate each other and to harness their resources to add value to one another. According to him, more than 500 members have already indicated interest to attend the event.

To create an avenue for the members some of whom will be coming together after 25, 30 and even 40 years, he said a welcome get together will hold on June 29 at the Nigerian Airforce Officersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mess, Victoria Island to precede the main event the next day.

As part of efforts to add value to the lives of members, Kasumu, the Managing Director of KAS Prints, said the event would feature the launch of COJOSA Insurance Scheme, which the association has already signed off with a reputable insurance company, to pay members N1 million in the event of death and N1million in the event of permanent disability. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have been able to negotiate to the barest minimum the premium that each member is expected to pay.â&#x20AC;?

He said the association has also registered a company called COJOSA Business Venture, which would take off with members of the association as staff. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our first primary duty is to try to manufacture some daily need products that will be consumed by us to start with.

We are stating with products like soap, disinfectants, liquid soaps and other household

toiletries. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are kicking off with about 20 staff. We are currently negotiating with a training school in Vom, Jos where they will be trained as our full-fledged staff. The products will be launched on the day of the re-union. By this, we have not only added value to ourselves, we have also looked inwards to see how we can provide jobs for our members. This is the first of its kind in any old studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; association in the country. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To increase communication among our members, we are also launching the COJOSA Magazine, which is about encouraging interactions among members; for everyone to have a sense of belonging. This further fosters our uniqueness and bringing the association together.â&#x20AC;?

Kasumu said past principals/commandants of the school since inception would also be invited to the re-union and honoured for adding value to the lives of members of the association, adding that the association would give a posthumous award to one of its own, the late Lt Col Abu Ali, who died in the battle front in 2016.

In the area of intervention for the school, the president

said COJOSA plans to have a blueprint of development for the school for a long term, adding that it has commissioned a construction firm to go to the school and get detailed breakdown of areas of possible intervention.

He said the association would produce a template that will have hard copy and online version with the cost estimate by the side so as to guide any member that wants to do something for the school. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have seen that the spirit to add value is high so we want to synchronise it so that everything will be formal and well-arranged because we want a structured development. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The executive has a fouryear tenure and we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want a situation where when the tenure is over, the next executives will have to start afresh, we want to have a continuous development in the school.â&#x20AC;?

He also announced plan to give N1 million incentive to Mathematics and English Language teachers in the school for the development of their respective departments if up to 80 per cent of the students that sit for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in both subjects pass.

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Girl Guides Solicits More Commitment to Girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Welfare Uchechukwu Nnaike The Nigeria Girl Guides Association (NGGA) has called on the federal government to enact a law binding all state governments on the care of the girl-child, as well as equal education opportunity to enhance their sense of belonging.

It stressed the need for policy makers across the states to intensify efforts in giving girls the much deserved opportunity to fully realise their potential, especially through education.

The associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chief Commissioner, Mrs. Maria-Goretti Sule made the call in an interview at a three-day programme in Lagos with the theme â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Action on Body Confidenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The programme was a partnership between the World Association of Girl Guides Girl Scout (WAGGGS) and Dove, a cosmetic outfit.

Sule regretted that governors are not doing enough in the area of paying special attention to the education of the girl-child, adding that the development is giving the association a major concern. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are not too happy with the way the policy makers are handling the education and protection of the girl-child in this country. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have discovered that some governors are really not helping matters when it comes to the girl-child education, empowerment and protection by imposing stringent measures on such issues, thereby making it unattractive.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most of these policy makers at the state level are educated and very well know the immense benefits that come with educating a child, whether male or female as individuals, states or nation at large. Of course, do not forget that when you educate a girl-child, you educate the nation as they are the first teacher of the family.â&#x20AC;?

Sule said equal opportunity must be given to the girl-child as it is obtained in other climes, adding that lack of education for the girl-child or little of it always exposes them to violence and low self-esteem.

She said the programme was organised to create a re-orientation among the girls and assist them in re-discovering themselves and allow them to express their views freely.

In her remarks, the Project Manager, Mrs. Lilian Damiet said the programme, which was for people from ages seven to 25, was essentially to empower young people through body confidence education that would enable them to reach their full potential and lead a movement towards a world free of appearance-related anxiety. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The association is training 60 young and adult leaders across the federation to understand issues of low esteem and body confidence especially among young girls and even boys. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These persons who are also peer educators and leaders will return to their respective states to impact on both the young boys and the girls in their communities,

using the modules of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Action of Body confidenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that has been developed for persons between ages seven to 25. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The programme will support these young persons to plan their own advocacy projects by identifying the biggest body confidence issues in their community and plan a project that will then task decision makers for a change. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want our girls to be assertive, be confident and look beyond their appearance when taking certain lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decisions or when faced with certain lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s challenges. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They should be able to see themselves not as second class citizens to anybody, as well as not allow themselves to be used or abused and not hold back from taking up leadership position.â&#x20AC;?

Damiet said the girl-child if encouraged and empowered through the right kind of education and other life changing programmes, would completely tackle the issue of image myth and be able to stand tall, appreciate who they are and contribute their quota to national development.

She appealed to the federal government to intensify efforts in ensuring the release of one of the Dapchi school girls still in captivity since February. According to her, the association is lending its voice to that of well-meaning individuals across the world for the release of the girl that is still being held because she refused to renounce her faith.

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ĂĄĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D;Ë&#x203A; Ă?Ă Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x153; Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ě&#x2039;Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ě&#x2039;Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x153; Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x152;Ă? Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă? ĂĄĂ&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019; Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2014;ËšĂ&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x152;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;ĘĽ Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x;Ă?Ă&#x2019; Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x161;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2014;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x152;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x153;ËŞĂ? Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă&#x153; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x153; Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x152;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ë&#x153; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x161;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2014;Ă? Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x152;Ă? Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E; ĂĄĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă&#x2019; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; Ă&#x152;Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153; ĂĄĂ&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x152;Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; Ă&#x2122;Ă Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x152;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018;Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x2122;ĂĄĂ?Ă Ă?Ă&#x153;Ë&#x153; Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x152;Ă?Ă&#x153; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă? ĂĄĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x152;Ă? Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;ĘŠĂ?Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2039;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?ĂŁ Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x152;Ă? Ă&#x203A;Ă&#x;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2022; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17D;Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;ĂĄĂ&#x2039;ĂŁĂ? Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; ĂĄĂ&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x153; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?ĂŁ Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă Ă? Ă&#x152;Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2019; Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2039;ĘľĂ?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;ĂŁ Ă&#x152;Ă? Ă&#x2039; Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018;Ă? Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x2122;ĂĄĂ?Ă Ă?Ă&#x153;Ë&#x153; ĂŁĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x; Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x161;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă? Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2022;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x2014; Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; Ă&#x2039; Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x; Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x161;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x152;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; ĂŁĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă?Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2019; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E; ĂŁĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153; Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x153; Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;ĂŁ Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17E; Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ă?Ë&#x203A;

Ě&#x2039; Omoru writes from the UK

Albesta Wins 2018 Tolaram Science Challenge

The Principal, Atlantic Hall, Epe, Lagos, Mr. Andrew Jedras; the PTA Chairman, Mrs. Maureen Akpofure-Awobokun; Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission, Dr. KwekuTandoh; and a member, Board ofTrustees, Atlantic Hall, Mrs.TaiwoTaiwo, during the tree planting exercise to commence the construction of the ultra-modern sports complex at the school... recently

Atlantic Hall Commences Ultra-modern Sports Complex Funmi Ogundare The Atlantic Hall, Epe, Lagos is set to begin the construction of what it described as the biggest sports complex in any Nigerian school, to promote grassroots sports and early talent discovery.

The kick-off of the construction was marked recently by a tree planting exercise at the project site in the school premises.

The exercise, which coincided with the 26th valedictory and graduation ceremony of the 2017/2018 set of students at the school, was witnessed by the Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission, Dr. Kweku Tandoh as a special guest for the N2.5 billion sports complex project. The sports complex to be constructed on 15 hectares of land on the vast school campus, when completed, will have five football pitches, an eight-lane tartan track, 1,000 square meter multi-purpose indoor sports hall, basketball courts, six tennis courts, volleyball and handball courts, a gymnasium, a pavilion with 1,200-capacity bleacher, an Olympic size swimming pool and a wall of fame for outstanding athletes and sports men and women that the school produces.

The pavilion would also include male and female changing rooms for students and adults, offices, adequate equipment storage space, among others.

In her remarks, the PTA Chairperson, Mrs. Maureen Akpofure-Awobokun, said the sports complex is conceived to compete with any of its kind worldwide, adding that when completed, it will be a source of pride to all Nigerians and Africans. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A journey of a thousand miles they say starts with the first step. Today, we take the first step towards the actualisation of our dream for an ultra-modern sports complex in Atlantic Hall. The step is building a legacy, a legacy of champions.â&#x20AC;?

On the tree planting exercise, she said the commencement of the construction of the sports complex was in line with the architectural masterplan. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The tree planting is symbolic; trees represent life. By planting these trees today, we are breathing life into the project.â&#x20AC;? The Principal, Mr. Andrew Jedras said the project when completed will not only keep the students physically and mentally fit, but enhance their social competence. In a chat with journalists, Tandoh commended the school for its vision and

commitment to sports development, adding that the state sports commission is happy to associate with the school on the project. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is something that is worth celebrating. I have seen the plans and drawings for the Atlantic Hall Sports complex. Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has made a pledge to support this project both technically and financially working through the state sports commission. So for us, on this project, we are partnering with Atlantic Hall. When this sports centre is up, it will be made available to the whole community.â&#x20AC;?

The schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Educational Trust Council in a statement said the sports complex would promote early talent discovery, grassroots youth development, healthy living among young people and serve as an efficient way of engaging young people against societal vices. The school has over the years produced outstanding sports and academic talents, including the fastest man in Nigeria, Seye Ogunlewe, Anaeto Ikechukwu, Farida Dankaro, Hafiz Fusigboye, Osi Umenyiora, Chetanna Chukwudum, Ify Eze, Uju Nneji, Lillian Ofiani, Rasheedat Gbadamosi, Imo Ekong, Elizabeth Idoko, Akan Ekure, Iketubosin Benebo, among others.

The Albesta Academy, Lekki, Lagos has emerged winner of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tolaram Science Challenge, an initiative of Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise (LPLE).

The Tolaram Science Challenge is a special corporate social responsibility initiative focused on developing and promoting science education among students in the LekkiAjah axis of the state.

The third edition of the competition featured a total of 14 participating secondary schools competing in group stages until the finals. Questions were from Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and General Knowledge subjects.

Presenting Albesta Academy with the first prize trophy and cash prize, the Chairman of LPLE, Mr. Emmanuel Adesoye lauded the hard work, diligence and intelligence of the students, saying that their brilliant performance has won them the first prize again. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Winning this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edition of the science challenge makes Albesta Academy a third time and all time winner of the competition, which goes to show how hard work always makes you stand out,â&#x20AC;? he said, urging the students not to relent as they climb higher up the educational ladder.

After receiving the trophy, the Principal of Albesta Academy,

Mr. Thompson Imhanbor thanked LPLE for its contribution to educational development in the area. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We really appreciate the efforts of Lekki Port, especially in the area of educational development and advancement.

Thanks to them, the students of this area are better at their science subjects and always look forward to this competition.â&#x20AC;?

The participating schools included: Senior Grammar School, Magbon Alade; Community Senior Secondary School, Debojo; Community Senior High School, MagbonSegun; Community Senior High School, Idata/Ilagbo; Community Senior High School, Akodo; Community Senior High School, Orimedu; Community Senior High School, Ise; Community Senior High School, Lekki; Community Senior High School, Iwerekun; Ibeju Senior High School, Ibeju- Lekki; Albesta Academy, Eleko; Jona Josh College, Orofun/Akodo; JOAK Private School, Magbon Alade; and LACAPERIA Academy, Obadore.

Speaking on the project, the Chief Finance Officer, LPLE, Mr. Sandeep Parasramka promised that the company will continue to deliver impactful contributions to the community around it through its CSR initiatives.

35

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

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;TETFund Will Not Accept Matchbox Structure, Ugly Building in Tertiary Institutionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Environment and atmosphere have been adjudged to be sacrosanct in cognitive development and educational output. To achieve that in Nigerian tertiary education, the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Dr. Abdullahi Baffa, after an inspection of all institutions, declared that the organisation will release funds for only beautiful and conducive buildings and surroundings which will compete globally. He spoke with Kuni Tyessi tertiary institutions. We hold the view that the environment where learning and teaching takes place in our tertiary institutions should be really inspiring and pleasing. The environment should be able to inspire both the teachers and learners and the quality of that environment means we have to put in place beautiful, qualitative and durable structures and thankfully we were able to achieve that.

Nigerians will want you to cite some of the rot you met and how you tackled them?

The Annual Direct Disbursement (ADD) for the 2015 allocation was only 20 per cent of the total allocation for that year, while special intervention which is discretionally was 80 per cent of the allocation for that year. That is a recipe for corruption. Against this background, what we first did was to suspend projects under special intervention. For all the special intervention allocation for 2014 and 2015 for which money had been disbursed already, we approved that they continued but ensured that they were done in accordance with the approval given. However, all other allocations and discretionary allocations for which TETFund has paid no money were cancelled.

How did the change come swiftly as any dubious contractor will prove difďŹ cult to be dealt with?

In one of our meetings with heads of institutions, we got them to involve law enforcement agencies because there were cases where contractors collected first tranche payment and disappeared. There were cases where contractors deployed to the site, started working and also disappeared. There were cases where contractors did not do up to half of the project, and they claimed they have worked and want to be paid the close-out amount. There were also cases where the things that were in the Bill of Quantities were not what were supplied to the institutions. We identified all these cases and we were able to resolve all of them. Many of them realised that we have eyes and ears beyond the formal process. So they return to the site.

If they manage to complete the work, we pay them and we have been doing that. In some institutions, the heads had to involve the law enforcement agencies before they eventually got some contractors to go back to the site and complete the projects What about the other areas of intervention, are they free from rot?

Another was in the implementation of the TETFund scholarships, what you call the Academic Staff Training and Development (AST&D). The scholarships are part of the capacity building intervention aimed to build the capacity of scholars working in our tertiary institutions and to create opportunities for them to pursue higher degrees for masters and PhD both at home and abroad.

But we realised that in quite some beneficiary institutions, the guidelines for the scholarships were being implemented in the breach. Beyond violating the guidelines, many of the beneficiary scholars who were given money to pursue their studies abroad refused to go and have spent the money on something else. We further realised that in a few institutions they were not giving the scholars the total money that was approved for them. They deduct certain percentage using different names like administrative charges and all sorts of illegal deductions.

There are also scholars that were given the approval to go to Europe or US for example, but they end up going to some African countries.

Some scholars were given the authorisation to do PhD, but they go and register for a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree. But the worst of them were scholars who will collect the money and refuse to go. The guidelines require all beneficiary institutions to pay the scholars their living costs on an annual basis and to pay their tuition to the training institutions also on annual basis. However, institutions will take the entire money and pay to the scholar 100 per cent.

What is your administration doing about the category of scholars or beneďŹ ciary institutions involved in such violation?

Baffa What we did was to conduct what we call scholarship audit. We realised that in some beneficiary institutions, scholars that were given the opportunity have travelled, they have registered, they were studying. However, there were a few of them, in the sense that even one non-compliance is enough problem in itself. These significant few have one sort of breach, or some kind of infringement or the other. Once we identify a violation or a breach of the terms of the guidelines by the beneficiary institution, we will not give you any money again for subsequent years until we have seen sufficient evidence that you are recovering the funds that you have paid to the defaulting staff or scholars.

What has your organisation put in place to forestall such breaches and prevent outcries over alleged stranded scholars?

We have systematised the process in such a way that it is going to be almost impossible for anyone to commit any fraud. For example, we insist that as one of the necessary conditions for disbursement of scholarship fund, we must see evidence that the beneficiary institution has opened a domiciliary account, since the scholarship money is supposed to be kept in a domiciliary account to protect the value. Also, we are now paying tuition fees directly to the training institutions on an annual basis. So the beneficiary institutions will only be receiving the living cost which they will remit to the scholars on a yearly basis. We have also taken the firm view that not all countries have the quality university system to train our scholars. Consequently, we have determined which countries our scholars should be sent to pursue higher degrees. We have also determined the universities where our scholars should and would be trained in those countries.

What have you done to prevent conferences from being a mere jamboree with public funds?

We spent billions of naira supporting and promoting scholars to attend international and local conferences. We however realised that a number of the conferences were just talk-shows.

We were giving money to scholars to go just on a picnic for the simple reason that many third

party conferences, predatory conferences, scam conferences sprang up all because of abuse of TETFund guidelines on conference attendance in the past. When we started conducting the audit of the previous conferences that were approved, we realised that some people had collected the money to go to foreign conferences, and they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go. We have already started asking scholars to refund money. This is an opportunity created by TETFund to support scholars who otherwise would not have been able to go and interact with their colleagues across the world. Unfortunately, people were abusing the opportunity, but we have put a stop to all that.

Can you shed light on some of the policies you introduced and how they are helping to reshape the system?

When we studied the operational guidelines and we understood that there were quite a lot of loopholes that the beneficiary institutions, beneficiary scholars and our staff were taking advantage of, we felt that there was need to do a review and revise the guidelines in line with sound practices. In the area of physical infrastructure for example, we realised that we will allocate hundreds of millions of naira, sometimes billions of naira to beneficiary institutions and they go and do whatever they like. We have introduced what we call project proposal defence. When we issue allocation to a beneficiary institution, the first thing that they would have to do is to come and defend their proposal, what they intend to use the allocation for before a panel of TETFund managers, and explain to us what they plan to do. We do this to ensure that the allocation that we are giving to the beneficiary institutions complies with the enabling legislation that defines the mandate of TETFund. We have four clear mandate areas, and they are: supporting the provision of essential infrastructure for teaching and learning; supporting the provision of instructional materials and equipment; supporting research and publications; and academic staff training and development.

The project proposal defence has solved a lot of problems. Another thing that this has helped us to address is the quality, size and aesthetic beauty of the projects we are supporting. We have insisted that we would not accept any matchbox structure, any mediocre, ugly building in our

Aside the scholarship scheme and conference attendance, what other non-physical intervention did you focus on?

We did the same thing with the Library Development Fund. It is established to support the stocking of our libraries with books, journals and other periodicals both hard and electronic copies. But we realised the expenditure on library development is supplier-driven instead of demanddriven. We therefore insist that all beneficiary institutions must develop Collection Development Policy, which is a document that guides the entire library operations. It includes procurements of library holdings and maintenance of the library holdings. Many beneficiary institutions didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have such document, and we insist that as a condition of drawing down from the fund, there must be a Collection Development Policy document for all the libraries in our beneficiary institutions.

That policy will ensure that holdings that are procured by our institutions are demand-driven rather than supplier-driven, with all the attendant abuse and distortions. We have also conducted what we call the access clinic. It is meant to help our beneficiary institutions to be able to know the outstanding amount of money allocated to them; what they are yet to access from TETFund and for us at the TETFund to find out from them what the impediments and challenges are.

We are yet to hear much about the allocation which allows selected beneďŹ ciary institutions to carry out Special High Impact Projects (SHIP) was that suspended also?

No, it was never suspended. In fact, it is noteworthy that for the Special High Impact Allocation, we have given six polytechnics, six colleges of education and 12 universities the Special High Impact Allocation. We are spending about N36 billion on that recently, aside the over N132 billion already spent on the project before now, making it over N168 billion. And these projects have all sprung up across the beneficiary institutions landscape.

There was a recent media outcry that about N500 billion was yet to be accessed and universities were being charged to come forward and access it. Do you have such money that has not been accessed?

There is never such an amount at TETFund.

How he arrived at the figure we just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know.

But you see on our website, the education tax collection for each year is there, what was allocated to beneficiary institutions is there and what was disbursed. We have even gone further than that. What we did was even to introduce a significant document that we call the TETFund Monthly Digest. It is providing our stakeholder community with monthly information about our intervention operations.

But are there allocated funds yet to be accessed by beneďŹ ciary institutions which are with your organisation?

Yes, there are issues of accessing TETFund money because of the model we are operating. We are operating the Performance Index Disbursement (PID) model of operation. You have to perform before we give you subsequent money. So if you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t retire the money, you cannot come for another one and that is why we did what we called the access clinic.

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CITYSTRINGS

Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x161; Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ë? Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă? äĂ?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x201C; Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013; Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ë&#x203A;Ă?äĂ?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x201C;ĚśĂ&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2039;ĂŁĂ&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă?Ë&#x203A;Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;

Alleviating Poverty in Remoland Jolted by the poverty level within his immediate environment, Sen Oladipupo Odujinrin, recently saw the need to revisit his poverty alleviation foundation that would empower the Remoland community, especially traders. Femi Ogbonnikan who was at the inauguration writes

T

he idea was mooted 10 years ago when he turned 60 years old. He decided to give back to his society.

But the dream was later dashed.

Ten years after, Senator Olusoga Oladipupo Odujinrin decided to revisit the pet project when he clocked 70 years old on December 19, 2017.

For Odujinrin, the need to give back to the same society that churned him out, was a fire that would not burn out no matter the number of years that elapsed. By sheer providence, Odujinrin, a lawyer by professional calling, at age 35, found himself at the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly in 1983 when he was elected on the platform of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and represented Remo/Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, on the basis of the defunct five districts per state arrangement, in Lagos, the then Federal capital, a seat he occupied for three months before the military junta of Buhari/Idiagbon ousted the then civilian dispensation of President Shehu Shagari-NPN led government in a palace coup on December 31, 1983.

Thus, still burning with the passion to impact lives, he finally kicked off the foundation. On the set day, he threw open the doors of his Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) named Senator Dipo Odujinrin Foundation (SENDOF), where he inaugurated societies under it and presented cheques and certificates to beneficiaries of the foundation's empowerment programme.

Held at his Ode-Remo country home, in Remo North Local Government Area of Ogun State, the programme saw 20 beneficiaries going home with a sum of N50,000 each, with an interest at a very affordable and friendly rate, spanning a year.

According to Odujinrin, the motive behind the scheme was borne out of the need to banish poverty in the old Remo Division of the defunct Ijebu Province. He said, "It was my pet dream about 20 years ago when I decided I would float a foundation when I turned 60 in 2007.

The essence was to give back to my immediate society where I had been lucky and privileged to be where I am today. Preparatory to that, being a lawyer, I decided to give it a legal teeth and I registered it with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

"In a bid to give the foundation more prominence, I approached my bosom friend, Dr. Gbolade Oshinowo, who was then, a Special Assistant (SA) to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo on Political Affairs, that I wanted his boss to have input into the scheme.

"A meeting was scheduled to meet Obasanjo in Abuja. We discussed exhaustively about the proposed foundation and Obasanjo promised to assist but on a clause. Originally, my intention was to have the foundation launched on December 19, 2007, the very day I would turn 60 at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, but Obasanjo told me that his party, PDP, was still searching for his successor and zone the presidency to the South-south. He said that if God ensures that his preferred candidate, Peter Odili, ex-governor of Rivers State, was chosen by the leadership of the party on December, 16, 2007, that he would grace the occasion personally.

"But with the turn of event, Obasanjo later told me that the leadership of the PDP had zoned the presidency to the North, that it was his SA, Oshinowo, that called him to notify him of the sudden change in the arrangement of the number one office to the North.

"And once the party had zoned the presidency to the North, on December 16, 2007, we all went with the delegates to Abuja to vote for Alhaji Umaru Musa Yarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Adua and he emerged as the flagbearer of the party. The following day which was on Sunday, December 17, 2007, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (later President) wanted to quickly return to Bayelsa because he was jostling for the governorship ticket of the state was called back to become the running mate of Yar'Adua.

"Again, we went to the Abuja residence of

L-R:, Chairperson of SENDOF, Dr. Olusola Odujinrin (sitting) and founder, Sen Oladipupo Odujinrin

Peter Odili and preached to him to take the development with a spirit of sportsmanship, that it was God's doing, not to have him as the presidential candidate of the party.

"With the December 19, 2007 that had been scheduled for the inauguration of my foundation, we approached Obasanjo, if to shelve the event or not from taking place and he asked us to go ahead. We went ahead. The amount realised at the occasion and others that were sourced elsewhere were taken to the stock market to enable them yield some interest over time.

"We didn't look back and we forged ahead.

There is a need to get enough funds for our people to be uplifted. Nigeria is a country with great wealth but with lots of poor people. Recently, the President, African Development Bank (ADB) Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, who happens to be one of us here in Ijebuland once said, that 80 per cent of Nigerians are living below two dollars per day. So, if we all have and we are blessed I think we should help each other."

It was my pet dream about 20 years ago when I decided I would ďŹ&#x201A;oat a foundation when I turned 60 in 2007. The essence was to give back to my immediate society...There is a need to get enough funds for our people to be uplifted. Nigeria is a country with great wealth but with lots of poor people

On the political front, Odujinrin reminiscenced on the formation of Ijebu Agenda, stating that he alongside Oshinowo gave birth to it. According to him, the advent of the birth of Ijebu Agenda on July 21, 2017 was fast becoming a reality, adding that all illustrious sons and daughters of Ijebuland have keyed into it.

He said while he was still searching for how to go about the foundation he came across Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, the incumbent Ogun State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry.

Ashiru he said had come to shed more light on the Eriwe Farm Village in Ijebu Ode, an initiative of Ijebu Development Initiative on Poverty Reduction (IDIPR), which was a model borrowed from United States of America. Noting that he has an input there when he met with the leadership of the Ijebu Agenda over his governorship bid he said, "I told Ashiru that the model is what I have been searching for, since 2007 for my foundation. So, what we are doing today is a foundation towards the Ijebu Agenda of the 2019 governorship agitation.

"The IDIPR's secretariat is located within the Palace of the Awujale of Ijebuland.

So, the quest to get acquainted with the operations of the IDIPR, I was given an appointment on August 1, 2017 to come to the Awujale Palace.

We spent three hours, beginning with lectures and we were taught in steps to succeed with the foundation.

"This is not free money because you must refund it. You are to invest it wisely for the purpose for which it is meant for. You are ambassadors of SENDOF. You are the first set of the beneficiaries of the scheme and you should lay exemplary leadership for others coming behind you."

Also, the chairperson of SENDOF, Dr. (Mrs) Olusola Odujinrin, wife of the founder, said since the foundation was registered on December 11, 2006 and was formally launched at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, to mark the 60th birthday

of the founder. However, she added that the foundation had not been able to do much due to inadequate funding, lack of a formal guiding structure and a suitable system, hence many of the supported ventured albeit on adhoc basis treated the funds advanced as grants which rendered the efforts unsustainable.

She said, "In order to make the empowerment programmes of SENDOF more sustainable, the foundation was fortunate to adopt the IDIPR model which has been successfully implemented over the past 18 years to the benefit of the Ijebu people of Ogun State. Let me seize this opportunity to thank the Board of Trustees Management and Staff of the IDIPR for their great support in our current endeavour.

"The four Cooperative Multipurpose Societies of SENDOF Itesiwaju Women/Men in Business Cooperative Multipurpose Society, Ajenikoko Food Stuffs and Others Cooperative Multipurpose Society, Kajola Fish Farmers Cooperative Multipurpose Society and Alaseyori Pig and Vegetable Farmers Cooperative Multipurpose Society being formally inaugurated were first after an intensive two days training programme conducted on our behalf by IDIPR between January 17 and 18, 2018 and which included a guided tour of the celebrated Eriwe Farm Village on the outskirt of Ijebu Ode." She, however, appealed to the government at all levels, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and people of goodwill for both their moral and financial support in their bid to banish poverty among the people. She also solicited for contributions and support in both cash and kind, in order to make a meaningful difference to the economic status of the people of the area.

Chief Olu Okuboyejo, the only surviving retired Permanent Secretary in the old Western region, who was the Special Guest of Honour at the occasion, saluted the courage of the founder, Odujinrin, for his contribution towards the Ijebu Agenda.

Casting his mind back to the formation of

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CITYSTRINGS

L-R : Alaye of Ode, Oba Adetunji Amida-Osho; Ogun State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru and Dr. Gbolade Oshinowo

Some of the beneďŹ ciaries of the empowerment scheme

IDIPR, the octogenarian said, "The Awujale and Paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, called his people in Ijebu Ode, including market women and men to his palace for a crucial meeting.

"Prof Akin Mabogunje had, in his study, come to conclusion that poverty had reached 80 per cent high in Ijebu Ode. I just returned to Ijebu Ode, then after my retirement from active service. And this trend was very disturbing and the Awujale had to call us that day, to begin to donate without wasting time. That very day, we realised N10 million.

After the meeting, the Awujale had to call five of us, including both late Prof Adebayo Adedeji and Adedotun Kayode Degun and tasked us on how to banish poverty in Ijebu Ode with the amount realised at the meeting.

"The monarch asked us what we could do with the N10 million and we suggested for the registration of an organisation. It was named Ijebu Ode Development Board. So, the fund was divided into two disbursement categories, Micro-finance and Market women and men.

And we have four notable markets in Ijebu Ode. "I am happy today that what we did in almost 20 years ago is what we are replicating here in Ode-Remo. When we began the Ijebu Ode Development Board, we have to operate on

Cooperative Societies basis. We gave beneficiaries of the scheme two percent interest rate on the funds collected. Also, three months was the repayment period. Thank God, the repayment was successful and as well, the interest on the monies collected also paid. Even no bank in Nigeria can ever boast of 90 percent recovery of loans. We never lost at the end of the day.

"Soon afterwards, we approached African Development Bank (ADB) through ex-President

This is not free money because you must refund it. You are to invest it wisely for the purpose for which it is meant for.

You are ambassadors of SENDOF.You are the ďŹ rst set of the beneďŹ ciaries of the scheme and you should lay exemplary leadership for others coming behind you

Olusegun Obasanjo, when he was in saddle of the leadership of this country. Dr Gbolade Oshinowo facilitated the meeting and we told Obasanjo point-blank that we had not come to beg for money but for his assistance in a bid to reduce poverty in Ijebu Ode with a credit facility from ADB. He obliged us and we approached the ADB. We were offered N20 million. Cooperative Societies in Yorubaland are firmly rooted. So, we can use the SENDOF for the poverty alleviation on Remoland."

He also expressed appreciation to Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Ogun State Governor, for coming to the aid of the IDIPR on three occasions with a sum of N25 million each, excluding another N60 million granted by the state government but facilitated through the intervention of Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, Ogun State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, for the same primary task of poverty reduction.

Meanwhile, in his own goodwill message, Ashiru, who is the Ogun East APC consensus governorship candidate, admonished the beneficiaries of the loan scheme to use the money judiciously for their trades. The 54-year-old Ijebu Ode son noted that population grows everyday and enjoined the beneficiaries to use the money collected to grow their trades, the returns of which they can use to send their

children and wards to schools and become useful in the society.

He however, bemoaned the recent report which ranked Ogun, as the state with highest number of youths that are involved in various forms of frauds in the country. "The money you are receiving today is an integrity if you refund the money. In Ogun State, we have 119 Cooperative Societies and they have created jobs for well over 200,000 people.

"So, you are the driver of the economy and you are going to be reference points. The money is not a national cake and you must pay back.

I am promising, if God tarries and I became the next governor of this state poverty will be brought to its barest minimum.

"I want to urge you to continue to pray for the Odujinrin family for this magnanimity.

They are not and do not want to contest for any elective office but out of their own volition they have decided to give back to the society through this foundation,' he said.

Dignitaries in attendance include the Alaye of Ode, Oba Adetunji Amida-Osho, Prince Segun Aderibigbe, Prince Segun Soyomi, Chief Marcus Adeniyi, Engr Bolaji Ogundeyin, Lisa Kola Olubodun, Engr Dapo Osinuga, Alhaji Rasheed Adenusi, Otunba Lawal Solarin and Segun Idowu.

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2018

38

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

FG to Deploy Technology to Enforce Common Reporting Standards Nume Ekeghe In line with the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement (MCAA) on the common reporting standards (CRS) that was signed by the federal government, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has said it will set up technology to ensure its implementation.

Implementing the CRS will allow the federal government to automatically receive information on the bank accounts held in other countries by Nigerian tax payers.

Speaking at the KPMG Tax breakfast meeting in Lagos yesterday, the Head, International Tax Department, FIRS, Mr. Mathew Gbonjubola, said

the plan would entail using technology to beat multinationals who try to avoid or reduce their taxes.

Gbonjubola said: “On automatic exchange of information, Nigeria signed the bilateral convention on the CRS and the regulations that would drive that is already in draft.

“The guidelines are also in draft and we are already putting together the ICT structure that would help us to administer the automated exchange of information.

“Because the automated exchange of information is unlike the information on request, it is driven by technology.”

He added: “We are advancing on this development and

very soon, we should be coming out with regulations and then we should certify to start to exchange information automatically.

“We are now for the first time also going to be drafting and implementing a tax treaty policy.

This is going to drive our tax treaty network; who we are going to negotiate treaty with and who we are going to discontinue treaty with.”

Also, the Partner and Head Transfer Pricing and Consumer and Industrial Markets Tax, Mr. Tayo Ogungbenro said the transfer pricing (TP) environment was constantly changing in terms of both risk and opportunities.

Meyer Records N1.097 Billion Revenue Ugo Aliogo One of the paint manufacturers in the country, Meyer Plc said it recorded gross revenue of N1.097 billion in its 2017 financial trading year. This was an increase by 0.5 per cent, compared with a gross revenue of N1.091 billion it recorded in 2016.

Disclosing this recently in Lagos at the company’s 46th annual general meeting (AGM), the Chairman, Meyer Plc, Kayode Falowo, said the company recorded a net loss of N267.74 million, compared with N214.4 million in 2016.

He added that with negative working capital of N992. 74 million, the capacity utilisation of the company for the year

under review dropped to 21 per cent of the installed capacity leaving 79 per cent of idle to be financed, therefore he noted that the company was unable to meet its orders as at when due.

According to him, “The 2017 right issue of a total 291,489,840, shares at 75 kobo each was completed with 70.75 percent success amounting to N154.67 million.

“A total of 85,252, 117 ordinary shares representing 29.25 percent of the subscribed portion of the right issue were cancelled and reverted to the unissued shares of Meyers Plc. “Following the receipt of regulatory approvals, the registrars have concluded the allotment of the rights and share certificate dispatched

accordingly.

“The implementation of the Auto Industry Development Policy (AIDP) which portends increased sales for our Autorefinishes has not taken off with the anticipated momentum.

“There is renewed that government will intensify this in 2018 and we are assured of a share of the market.”

He noted that the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) loan, which had been a major overhang on the company, had been resolved.

“We have reached a mutual beneficial compromise and in due course, it will be fully resolved. The waiver granted us in the AMCON loan will be reflected in 2018 financial report,” he added.

L-R: Fellow, Nigerian Institution of Structural Engineers, Gabriel Ojo; President, Eddy Atumonyogo; CEO African Foundries, Rajeev Ranjan;Immediate past president of the Institute, Oreoluwa Fafayomi;and Executive Director, AFL, Uche Iwuamadi, during a facility tour at AFL in Ogun state…recently

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

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)

Sahara Group, Others for OPEC Seminar One of the leading international energy conglomerates, Sahara Group will join world leaders and other stakeholders to underpin the importance of collaboration in safeguarding the future of the oil sector at the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) seventh international seminar scheduled to take place from June 21 -22, 2018 in Vienna, Austria.

A statement yesterday, explained that Sahara Group is one of the frontline participants at the OPEC Seminar, a position it said reinforces the company’s thought leadership role and its commitment to facilitating conversations that will bolster the sector with key considerations for transparency, market balance, safety

and environmental protection.

This year’s theme: “Petroleum - Cooperation for a Sustainable Future,” will be discussed by over 800 delegates, including 100 ministers, chief executives, leading scientists and energy experts.

Speaking ahead of the event, the Executive Director and cofounder, Sahara Group, Tope Shonubi, said: “Sustainability may be more crucial to the future of energy than any other field.

Since OPEC was formed in 1960, we have continued to witness the impact of energy sector market forces on global socio-economic and political outlook.”

Shonubi said it was imperative for all stakeholders in the

sector to embrace the quest for delivering petroleum products in a manner that aligns with global best practice for safety.

“At Sahara Group, it is always safety first for us, safety for consumers and of course, the environment. This is what provides the foundation for the sector’s sustainability as we continue to seek new frontiers for expansion and alternative energy sources.”

OPEC’s Secretary General, Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, said the organisation was delighted to receive the support of Sahara Group and other stakeholders.

“The support of our valued sponsors such as the Sahara Group is absolutely vital to the success of OPEC’s 7th International Seminar,” he said.

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) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

FirstBank Partners Global Agency on Free Eye Screening

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

First Bank of Nigeria Limited has unveiled a partnership with VisionSpring, a not-for-profit global organisation based in the United States of America to provide free eye screening and glasses to 10,000 low-income earners across the country in the next two years.

The pilot scheme, which was funded by the bank and begins this year, is to cover 2,000 people across the six-geopolitical zones of the country

and scaled up to 10,000 in 2019.

In his remarks at the launch of the partnership with VisionSpring, in Abuja, the bank’s Executive Director (ED), Public Sector, Mr. Abdullahi Ibrahim, said the Launch was one of the activities of FirstBank’s 2018 Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability (CR&S) week.

According to him, the CR&S week with the proposed theme ‘Touching Lives: You First’ reflects the bank’s brand promise to always put stakeholders first and “is designed

to offer employees and other stakeholders opportunities to give their time and resources to defined causes.

“Our goal is to empower 10,000 people in two years by providing screening and discounted eye glasses. We are beginning with 2000 people and will scale-up subsequently,” he said. The partnership with VisionSpring, he added, is designed to advance social impact by providing vision screening and affordable eye glasses for low income earners.

(MILLION NAIRA) 2018

Month

• Monetary Policy Rate - 13%

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT, MON, 18 JUNE , 2018 The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $71.09 a barrel on Monday, compared with $72.79 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, JUNE 20, 2018

39

MARKET NEWS

Cordros Target-date Mutual Funds Open for Subscription specified period of time for a targeted goal. Target-date funds are usually named by the year in which the investor plans to begin utilising the assets. The funds are structured to address a capital need at some date in the future, such as retirement.

CAML, which is pioneering the offering of these funds in Nigeria has opened The Cordros Milestone Funds 2023 and 2028 for subscription since

Goddy Egene and Nosa Alekhuogie Cordros Asset Management Limited (CAML), a subsidiary of Cordros Capital Limited (CCL) has opened its two target-date mutual funds for public subscription. A targetdate fund is a fund offered by an investment company that seeks to grow assets over a

Monday June 18 and will close on July 27, 2018.

The company is offering 5,000,000 units of N100 each and minimum amount required to subscribe to the fund is N2,500 (25 units)and investors can make an additional investment of 10 units or more thereafter.

Commenting on the funds, the Group Managing Director of CCL, Wale Agbeyangi said: “The Cordros Milestone Funds

2023 and 2028 are target-date mutual funds, which pursues a long-term investment strategy to manage the asset allocation (mix of asset classes) of the fund, to become more conservative as the target dates (2023 & 2028) approach. It is also laudable that The Cordros Milestone Funds 2023 and 2028 are the first set of target-date mutual funds to be launched in Nigeria.

This represents a significant

PRICES FOR SECURITIES TRADED AS OF Price List (Equities) PRICES FOR PREMIUM BOARD SECURITIES FINANCIAL SERVICES S/N 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94

COMPANY ACCESS AFRIPRUD AGLEVENT AIICO AIRSERVICE ARBICO BERGER BETAGLAS CADBURY CAP CAPHOTEL CAPOIL CAVERTON CCNN CHAMPION CILEASING CONOIL CONTINSURE CORNERST COURTVILLE CUSTODIAN CUTIX CWG DAARCOMM DANGCEM DANGFLOUR DANGSUGAR DEAPCAP DIAMONDBNK DUNLOP EQUITYASUR ETERNA ETI ETRANZACT FBNH FCMB FIDELITYBK FIDSON FIRSTALUM FLOURMILL FO FTNCOCOA GLAXOSMITH GUARANTY GUINEAINS GUINNESS HMARKINS HONYFLOUR IKEJAHOTEL INFINITY INITSPLC INTBREW INTERLINK JAIZBANK JAPAULOIL JBERGER JOHNHOLT LASACO LAWUNION LEARNAFRCA LINKASSURE LIVESTOCK MANSARD MAYBAKER MBENEFIT MOBIL MRS MULTITREX MULTIVERSE NAHCO NASCON NB NCR NEIMETH NEM NESTLE NIGERINS NPFMCRFBK NSLTECH OANDO OKOMUOIL PORTPAINT PRESCO PRESTIGE PZ REDSTAREX ROYALEX RTBRISCOE SCOA SEPLAT SKYEBANK SKYESHELT SOVRENINS STACO

PCLOSE 10.85 4.30 0.53 0.65 4.50 4.79 8.55 87.35 12.50 36.80 3.10 0.33 2.25 26.50 1.98 1.61 32.00

OPEN 10.70 4.30 0.51 0.68 13.00 2.22 2.00 1.68 -

HIGH 10.75 4.30 0.51 0.71 13.00 2.22 1.99 1.68 -

LOW 10.65 4.30 0.51 0.65 13.00 2.22 1.90 1.68 -

%SPREAD 0.93 8.45 4.52 -

CLOSE CHANGE 10.65 -0.20 4.30 0.51 -0.02 0.65 4.50 4.79 8.55 87.35 13.00 0.50 36.80 3.10 0.33 2.22 -0.03 26.50 1.99 0.01 1.68 0.07 32.00 -

%CHANGE -1.84 -3.77 6.15 4.00 -1.33 0.51 4.35 -

TRADES 111 42 5 67 2 2 13 10 12 7 3 2 24 33 26 18 27

1.44

-

-

-

-

1.44

-

-

6

0.35 0.20 5.02 3.14 2.54 0.48 235.80 10.65 19.90 0.48

0.34 3.02 238.80 10.65 20.10 -

239.00 10.70 21.10 -

238.80 10.65 19.50 -

0.08 0.47 7.58 -

0.35 0.20 5.02 3.14 2.54 0.48 239.00 10.70 19.50 0.48

3.20 0.05 -0.40 -

1.36 0.47 -2.01 -

4 1 7 24 3 1 87 54 157 1

VOLUME 2,510,523 49,573,930 279,555 4,099,470 10,000 105 60,524 3,780 138,009 3,539 11,880 5,200 814,862 220,909 1,325,097 318,400 43,272

VALUE 26,889,858.80 213,159,087.97 142,641.84 2,825,249.65 43,000.00 501.80 494,300.60 315,300.00 1,786,399.75 123,865.00 35,640.00 1,664.00 1,806,367.95 5,788,580.15 2,574,394.28 522,426.20 1,380,618.90

14,000

20,490.00

83,709 27,855.06 10,000 2,000.00 157,121 825,441.71 401,342 1,264,754.14 2,600 6,886.72 6,000 2,760.00 2,186,951 522,669,704.70 498,697 5,320,234.55 56,886,870 1,185,035,004.90 100 46.00

1.62

1.60

1.68

1.59

5.36

1.60

-0.02

-1.23

94

6,561,391

0.30

-

-

-

-

0.30

-

-

1

1,666

10,676,824.54 483.14

0.21

0.21

0.22

0.21

4.55

0.22

0.01

4.76

7

1,100,000

240,500.00

6.25 20.00 4.55 10.85 2.40 2.34 6.00 0.40 33.00 37.00 0.20 19.20 41.60 0.38 99.75 0.28 2.31 2.53 1.42 0.76 41.75 3.61 0.66 0.33 27.50 0.55 0.36 0.86 1.44 0.87 0.87 2.49 2.45 0.35 174.30 34.25 0.40 0.20 4.20 24.00 118.00 6.30 0.63 2.50 1,450.20 0.26 1.65 0.48 6.90 82.00 2.05 73.70 0.64 20.75 5.95 0.34 0.46 3.25 711.10 0.76 95.00 0.27 0.48

5.97 11.20 2.33 2.37 33.00 0.20 41.50 97.00 0.29 2.35 2.65 43.70 0.34 0.37 0.88 2.50 0.34 174.30 23.95 117.50 0.63 2.55 1,495.00 0.27 1.68 6.95 2.05 0.61 0.35 745.00 0.79 0.26 -

5.97 11.25 2.33 2.36 33.00 43.60 97.00 0.29 2.35 2.61 0.34 0.37 0.88 2.45 0.34 183.00 23.95 117.50 0.63 2.62 1,495.00 0.27 1.72 6.95 2.05 0.61 0.35 769.00 0.79 0.26 -

5.97 10.95 2.30 2.29 32.30 41.00 97.00 0.29 2.35 2.61 0.34 0.37 0.88 2.45 0.34 174.30 23.10 117.10 0.63 2.55 1,495.00 0.25 1.72 6.70 2.05 0.61 0.35 769.00 0.76 0.26 -

5.97 20.00 4.55 2.67 11.20 1.29 2.30 2.97 2.30 6.00 0.40 2.12 32.30 37.00 0.20 19.20 5.96 41.50 0.38 97.00 0.29 2.35 2.61 1.42 0.76 41.75 3.61 0.66 0.34 27.50 0.55 0.37 0.86 1.44 0.88 0.87 2.49 2.45 0.34 4.75 183.00 34.25 0.40 0.20 4.20 3.55 23.10 0.34 117.10 6.30 0.63 2.67 2.62 - 1,495.00 7.41 0.25 1.72 0.48 3.60 6.90 82.00 2.05 73.70 0.61 20.75 5.95 0.35 0.46 3.25 769.00 3.80 0.76 95.00 0.26 0.48

-0.28 0.35 -0.10 -0.04 -0.70 -0.10 -2.75 0.01 0.04 0.08 0.01 0.01 0.01 -0.01 8.70 -0.90 -0.90 0.12 44.80 -0.01 0.07 -0.03 0.01 57.90 -0.01 -

-4.48 3.23 -4.17 -1.71 -2.12 -0.24 -2.76 3.57 1.73 3.16 3.03 2.78 1.15 -2.86 4.99 -3.75 -0.76 4.80 3.09 -3.85 4.24 -2.90 -4.69 2.94 8.14 1.32 -3.70 -

25 23 1 255 83 139 14 1 82 20 2 6 286 2 32 28 24 19 3 1 21 1 12 28 10 1 14 2 9 4 6 4 28 7 19 25 1 3 13 65 138 1 12 38 32 20 10 1 103 14 5 9 8 14 5 7 1 1 54 35 1 11 1

1,004,783 6,003,633.84 83,589 1,672,135.20 150 652.50 11,299,790 125,459,137.75 4,048,598 9,418,422.90 8,565,372 19,963,618.39 42,500 242,700.00 10,000 3,900.00 667,140 21,885,312.20 42,652 1,538,599.95 14,105 2,821.00 4,553 90,596.20 45,275,658 1,916,920,925.30 120 44.40 2,356,052 228,750,513.30 1,324,553 384,120.37 640,726 1,505,555.41 350,900 936,076.80 200 270.00 100 76.00 67,781 2,846,151.85 50 180.50 158,958 106,550.86 2,515,766 855,360.44 18,087 483,442.20 2,484 1,316.52 276,106 99,465.22 2,200 1,892.00 110,203 160,995.35 261,500 230,120.00 41,700 35,514.20 10,970 27,524.00 1,052,711 2,580,639.13 631,000 214,540.00 54,324 9,646,933.90 86,836 3,021,779.10 2,500 950.00 20,200 4,040.00 85,079 351,479.96 1,583,001 37,050,927.40 541,556 63,604,177.30 400 2,400.00 1,245,208 782,530.80 1,753,192 4,500,561.25 60,494 90,434,922.10 1,469,583 379,588.18 306,270 512,423.10 7,000 3,220.00 2,185,331 14,964,497.15 41,428 3,464,183.65 306,150 627,607.50 14,742 1,049,173.20 315,711 193,625.71 111,181 2,204,225.45 25,090 151,932.50 321,371 111,756.58 12,460 5,482.40 50 154.50 60,322 44,198,197.20 2,520,296 1,938,309.56 20 1,806.00 382,000 99,605.00 300 138.00

achievement for not just Cordros but the entire capital market. The funds which are initiatives of our asset management subsidiary is a strategic move aimed at providing products which cater to the retail segment of the economy.

These are specially designed to provide for individuals and corporations saving towards a ‘target.’”

Similarly, the Acting

A S AT 1 2 / 0 6 / 2 0 1 8

Chief Executive Officer of CAML, Leye Adekeye said: “We are indeed excited at the prospects that the funds hold. The milestone funds are balanced funds and will have a mix of equities, fixed income and money market instruments.

The funds will start out seeking capital appreciation and will become more conservative by seeking capital preservation towards their target dates.

˾ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2018

40

Nigeria Daily Stock Market Report:

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

d,/^ z &Z/Es ^d ϰϬ KEd/Eh dK KhdW Z&KZD E^ ^/ Θ E^ ϯϬ /E y dŚĞ dŚŝƐ ĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ ŝŶĚĞdž ǁĂƐ ĐƌĞĂƚĞĚ Ă LJĞĂƌ ĂŐŽ ;:ƵŶĞ ϱƚŚ ϮϬϭϳͿ ĐŽŶƐŝƐƟŶŐ ŽĨ ϰϬ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĐƵƚ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ƚŚĞ ǀĂƌŝŽƵƐ ƐĞĐƚŽƌƐ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ EŝŐĞƌŝĂŶ ^ƚŽĐŬ džĐŚĂŶŐĞ͘ dŚĞƐĞ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ǁĞƌĞ ƐĞůĞĐƚĞĚ ďĂƐĞĚ ŽŶ ƚŚĞŝƌ ůŝƋƵŝĚŝƚLJ͕ ƚƌĂĚĂďŝůŝƚLJ ;ŇŽĂƚͿ ĂŶĚ ƐŝnjĞ ;ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝnjĂƟŽŶͿ͘ ŽůůĞĐƟǀĞůLJ͕ ƚŚĞƐĞ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ ϵϰ͘Ϭй ŽĨ ƚŽƚĂů ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝnjĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ĂƉƉƌŽdžŝŵĂƚĞůLJ ϰϮ͘Ϭй ŽĨ ƚƌĂĚĂďůĞ ŇŽĂƚ͘

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

Ticker

Current Price

Previous Current Price Weighting Change

Price Change YTD

Price Change Index to Date

ROE

ROA

P/E

P/BV

3.7%

60.0%

19.4%

7.0%

7.6x

0.9x

Divinden Earnings d Yield Yield

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 1,600.09

-1.37% -1.2%

5.2%

10.8%

20.8%

0.6%

1.1%

32.6%

5.2%

6.7x

2.3x

6.6%

15.0%

12.5%

-0.5%

-1.7%

26.3%

3.6%

4.3x

1.1x

10.6%

23.4%

1

Guaranty Trust Bank PLC

41.00

2

Zenith Bank PLC

25.50

-3.4%

3

Nigerian Brew eries PLC

110.10

0.1%

7.1%

-18.4%

-18.5%

17.4%

8.3%

27.6x

4.7x

3.8%

3.6%

4

Nestle Nigeria PLC

1,495.00

0.0%

7.5%

-3.9%

-3.9%

73.3%

18.9%

34.9x

22.2x

2.8%

2.9%

Ɛ Ăƚ dƵĞƐĚĂLJ͕ ϭϱƚŚ ŽĨ :ƵŶĞ ϮϬϭϴ͕ ƚŚĞ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ ŝŶĚĞdž ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ Ă ůŽƐƐ ŽĨ ϭ͘ϯϳй ƚŽ ĐůŽƐĞ ůŽǁĞƌ Ăƚ ϭ͕ϲϬϬ͘Ϭϵ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ ǁŚŝůĞ ŝƚƐ zd ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ĨĞůů ƚŽ ϯ͘ϳй͘ dŚĞ zd ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ dŚŝƐ ĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ ƐƵƌƉĂƐƐĞƐ ƚŚĞ zd ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ E^ Ͳ ůů ^ŚĂƌĞ /ŶĚĞdž ǁŚŝĐŚ ŝƐ ϭ͘ϭй ĂŶĚ ƚŚĂƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ E^ ϯϬ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ŝƐ Ϭ͘ϭй͘

5

Dangote Cement PLC

239.00

0.0%

6.2%

3.9%

3.9%

22.7%

12.0%

20.7x

4.8x

4.4%

4.8%

-0.9%

11

zĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ͛Ɛ ŶĞŐĂƟǀĞ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ dŚŝƐĚĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ ǁĂƐ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ůŽƐƐĞƐ ŝŶ 'h Z Edz ;Ͳϭ͘ϮйͿ͕ E/d, ;Ͳϯ͘ϰйͿ ĂŶĚ & E, ;ͲϬ͘ϵйͿ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĐƵŵƵůĂƟǀĞůLJ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚƐ ĨŽƌ ϰϬ͘ϰй ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚĞdž͘

12

>ŽƐƐĞƐ ŝŶ ĂŶŬŝŶŐ ^ƚŽĐŬƐ ƌĂŐ ƋƵŝƟĞƐ DĂƌŬĞƚ͙ E^ ^/ ĚŽǁŶ Ϭ͘ϳй dŚĞ ďĞĂƌŝƐŚ ƌƵŶ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĚŽŵĞƐƟĐ ďŽƵƌƐĞ ǁĂƐ ĞdžƚĞŶĚĞĚ ŝŶƚŽ ƚŚĞ ƚŚŝƌĚ ĐŽŶƐĞĐƵƟǀĞ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ ĂƐ ůŽƐƐĞƐ ŝŶ ĞůůǁĞƚŚĞƌƐ ĚƌĂŐŐĞĚ ƚŚĞ ůů ^ŚĂƌĞ /ŶĚĞdž ; ^/Ϳ Ϭ͘ϳй ůŽǁĞƌ ƚŽ ƐĞƩůĞ Ăƚ ϯϴ͕ϲϲϵ͘ϰϯ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ ǁŚŝůĞ zd ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ƚŽ ϭ͘ϭй͘ ŽŶǀĞƌƐĞůLJ͕ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ŐĂŝŶĞĚ Eϵ͘ϱďŶ ĂƐ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝnjĂƟŽŶ ƌŽƐĞ ƚŽ Eϭϰ͘ϬƚŶ͘ zĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ͛Ɛ ŶĞŐĂƟǀĞ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ǁĂƐ ůĂƌŐĞůLJ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƐĞůůͲŽīƐ ŝŶ ďĂŶŬŝŶŐ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ Ͳ E/d, ;Ͳϯ͘ϰйͿ͕ 'h Z Edz ;Ͳϭ͘ϮйͿ ĂŶĚ h ;Ͳϯ͘ϲйͿ͘ ĐƟǀŝƚLJ ůĞǀĞů ƐƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶĞĚ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ĂŶĚ ǀĂůƵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ ϭϲ͘ϯй ĂŶĚ ϯϮ͘ϴй ƚŽ ϯϵϬ͘ϱŵ ƵŶŝƚƐ ĂŶĚ Eϲ͘ϭďŶ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ͘ dŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ďLJ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ǁĞƌĞ h ;ϭϮϯ͘ϬŵͿ͕ E/d, ;ϯϱ͘ϴŵͿ ĂŶĚ ^^ ;ϯϰ͘ϴŵͿ ǁŚŝůĞ h ;Eϭ͘ϯďŶͿ͕ 'h Z Edz ;EϵϮϳ͘ϭŵͿ ĂŶĚ E/d, ;Eϵϭϵ͘ϵŵͿ ǁĞƌĞ ƚŚĞ ƚŽƉ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ďLJ ǀĂůƵĞ͘ ĞĂƌŝƐŚ ^ĞĐƚŽƌ WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ^ĞĐƚŽƌ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ǁĂƐ ĂůƐŽ ďĞĂƌŝƐŚ ĂƐ ϰ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ϱ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ƵŶĚĞƌ ŽƵƌ ĐŽǀĞƌĂŐĞ ƚƌĞŶĚĞĚ ƐŽƵƚŚǁĂƌĚƐ͘ dŚĞ ĂŶŬŝŶŐ ŝŶĚĞdž ƐŚĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ĂƐ ƐĞůůŽīƐ ŝŶ E/d, ;Ͳϯ͘ϰйͿ͕ 'h Z Edz ;Ͳ ϭ͘ϮйͿ ĂŶĚ h ;Ͳϯ͘ϲйͿ ƉƵůůĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚĞdž Ϯ͘ϯй ůŽǁĞƌ͘ dŚĞ /ŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ ŝŶĚĞdž ƚƌĂŝůĞĚ͕ ĚŽǁŶ Ϭ͘ϲй ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ůŽƐƐĞƐ ŝŶ t W/ ;Ͳ ϰ͘ϭйͿ͕ WZ ^d/' ;Ͳϲ͘ϯйͿ ĂŶĚ Yh/dz ^^hZ ;Ͳϰ͘ϮйͿ͘ ^ŝŵŝůĂƌůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ ĂŶĚ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƌĞĚ͕ ĚŽǁŶ Ϭ͘ϰй ĂƉŝĞĐĞ ĂƐ Ă ƌĞƐƵůƚ ŽĨ ƉƌŽĮƚ ƚĂŬŝŶŐ ŝŶ &KZd ;Ͳ ϰ͘ϵйͿ͕ KEK/> ;Ͳϲ͘ϯйͿ͕ EE ;Ͳϱ͘ϱйͿ͕ t W K ;ͲϬ͘ϯйͿ ĂŶĚ d '> ^ ;Ͳϭ͘ϮйͿ͘ KŶ ƚŚĞ ŽƚŚĞƌ ŚĂŶĚ͕ ƚŚĞ ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ĞŵĞƌŐĞĚ ƚŚĞ ůŽŶĞ ŐĂŝŶĞƌ ĂƐ ďĂƌŐĂŝŶ ŚƵŶƟŶŐ ŝŶ /Ed Z t ;нϲ͘ϱйͿ ĂŶĚ E/' Z/ E Z t Z/ ^ ;нϬ͘ϭйͿ ƉƵƐŚĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚĞdž Ϭ͘ϭй ŚŝŐŚĞƌ ĂŌĞƌ ůŽƐƐĞƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŝŽƌ ǁĞĞŬ͘ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ tĞĂŬĞŶƐ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ ;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ ǁĞĂŬĞŶĞĚ ƚŽ Ϭ͘ϰdž ;ϭϮ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ ϯϲ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞƌƐͿ ĨƌŽŵ ϭ͘ϳdž ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƉƌĞǀŝŽƵƐ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ͘ /Ed Z t ;нϲ͘ϱйͿ͕ : W h>K/> ;нϱ͘ϯйͿ ĂŶĚ /> ^/E' ;нϱ͘ϮйͿ ůĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŐĂŝŶĞƌƐΖ ĐŚĂƌƚ LJĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ ǁŚŝůĞ WZ ^d/' ;Ͳϲ͘ϮйͿ͕ hE/KE ;Ͳϱ͘ϬйͿ ĂŶĚ &>KhZD/>> ;Ͳϰ͘ϵйͿ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ͘ /Ŷ ƐƵďƐĞƋƵĞŶƚ ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶƐ͕ ǁĞ ĂŶƟĐŝƉĂƚĞ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞ ďĞĂƌŝƐŚ ƌƵŶ ǁŝůů ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞ ĂƐ ƉƌŽĮƚ ƚĂŬŝŶŐ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďĞůůǁĞƚŚĞƌƐ ŝƐ ƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĞĚ͘ EĞǀĞƌƚŚĞůĞƐƐ͕ ǁĞ ďĞůŝĞǀĞ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ǁŝůů ƐƚĂƌƚ ƚŽ ƚĂŬĞ ĂĚǀĂŶƚĂŐĞ ŽĨ ďĂƌŐĂŝŶ ŚƵŶƟŶŐ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƟĞƐ ďLJ ƚŚĞ ĞŶĚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ǁĞĞŬ͘

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

6

FBN Holdings Plc

10.75

6.5%

22.2%

22.3%

6.7%

0.8%

7.7x

0.6x

2.3%

12.9%

7

Access Bank PLC

10.35

-2.4%

4.3%

-1.0%

-2.4%

12.7%

1.5%

5.1x

0.7x

6.3%

19.6%

8

United Bank for Africa PLC

10.60

-3.6%

4.4%

2.9%

1.8%

15.9%

1.9%

4.7x

0.7x

8.0%

21.3%

9

Ecobank Transnational Inc

20.00

0.0%

3.7%

17.6%

22.9%

12.9%

1.0%

6.6x

0.9x

10

SEPLAT Petroleum Development C

754.90

0.0%

3.6%

20.5%

20.5%

22.3%

13.2%

3.9x

0.8x

2.4%

25.8%

Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC

48.75

-0.5%

3.3%

17.5%

19.2%

30.8%

4.1%

9.2x

2.5x

1.0%

10.8%

Unilever Nigeria PLC

53.00

-3.6%

3.2%

29.3%

31.8%

19.2%

8.0%

28.4x

3.9x

0.9%

3.5%

13

Guinness Nigeria PLC

97.00

0.0%

2.3%

3.2%

3.2%

15.4%

6.1%

18.5x

2.5x

0.7%

5.4%

14

Lafarge Africa PLC

39.00

-0.3%

1.4%

-13.1%

-13.1%

-36.8%

-7.7%

2.2x

3.8%

-15.8%

15

Fidelity Bank PLC

2.16

-4.8%

1.1%

-12.2%

-16.3%

10.4%

1.4%

1.7x

0.3x

5.1%

58.9%

16

Oando PLC

6.65

-2.9%

1.4%

11.0%

11.0%

10.3%

1.5%

8.3x

0.5x

17

Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC

19.40

0.0%

1.1%

-3.0%

-4.7%

45.0%

20.0%

5.8x

2.2x

12.9%

17.3%

18

Okomu Oil Palm PLC

90.20

-0.2%

1.4%

33.3%

33.3%

39.7%

29.4%

9.0x

3.1x

3.3%

11.1%

19

International Brew eries PLC

44.00

6.5%

0.6%

-19.3%

-20.0%

24.6%

7.4%

46.1x

10.5x

20

Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC

31.15

-4.9%

0.7%

7.4%

7.4%

13.1%

3.0%

6.5x

0.8x

2.9%

15.4%

21

Transnational Corp of Nigeria

11.3%

15.1%

12.1%

2.2%

1.45

-3.3%

0.6%

-0.7%

-2.0%

11.2%

2.5%

8.9x

0.9x

1.4%

0.0%

0.5%

-13.0%

-13.0%

1.5%

0.6%

23.9x

0.6x

4.4%

22

UAC of Nigeria PLC

14.70

23

Diamond Bank PLC

1.54

-3.1%

0.5%

2.7%

-1.9%

-5.8%

-0.7%

24

Total Nigeria PLC

193.30

0.0%

0.4%

-15.9%

-15.9%

25.0%

5.3%

9.3x

2.2x

8.6%

10.7%

25

FCMB Group Plc

2.19

-4.8%

0.7%

38.6%

5.8%

0.9%

4.2x

0.2x

4.6%

23.9%

26

11 PLC

4.4%

15.2%

5.1%

0.2x

4.2% -47.5%

183.00

0.0%

0.5%

-6.0%

-6.0%

38.8%

15.7%

6.6x

2.2x

-4.9%

0.4%

-19.2%

-16.3%

17.6%

1.6%

19.0x

3.0x

0.4%

0.7%

-1.9%

10.7%

5.0%

19.7x

2.0x

2.5%

27

Forte Oil PLC

35.15

28

PZ Cussons Nigeria PLC

20.75

0.0%

29

Cadbury Nigeria PLC

13.00

0.0%

0.3%

-17.0%

-16.7%

2.0%

0.8%

60.7x

2.1x

1.2%

1.6%

30

Presco PLC

72.00

0.0%

0.4%

5.1%

5.1%

35.8%

24.8%

3.0x

0.9x

2.8%

33.5%

31

NASCON Allied Industries PLC

22.80

-4.8%

0.4%

23.2%

18.6%

52.3%

19.7%

10.8x

4.8x

6.6%

9.3%

32

UPDC Real Estate Investment Tr

10.00

0.0%

0.3%

0.0%

0.0%

0.8x

7.2%

33

Union Bank of Nigeria PLC

5.95

-4.0%

0.2%

-23.7%

-20.8%

5.3%

1.1%

8.6x

0.6x

34

Julius Berger Nigeria PLC

27.50

0.0%

0.3%

-1.8%

-1.8%

17.3%

1.8%

7.6x

1.2x

3.6%

13.1%

35

Sterling Bank PLC

1.37

-3.5%

0.3%

26.9%

21.2%

10.7%

1.0%

4.1x

0.4x

1.5%

24.4%

36

Dangote Flour Mills Plc

10.55

0.0%

0.2%

-13.2%

-13.2%

1.3x

1.9%

0.0%

5.3%

11.7%

37

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Niger

19.20

0.2%

-11.2%

-11.2%

4.4%

2.8%

30.3x

1.3x

39.1%

38

Chemical and Allied Products P

36.80

0.0%

0.2%

8.2%

3.1%

66.2%

30.2%

17.2x

11.5x

5.9%

5.8%

39

Beta Glass PLC

86.30

-1.2%

0.2%

68.2%

68.2%

18.4%

11.9%

12.2x

2.1x

1.2%

8.2%

40

Transcorp Hotels Plc

7.45

0.0%

0.1%

3.3%

3.3%

5.3%

2.9%

19.5x

1.0x

1.8%

5.1%

T o p 10 G a ine r s

3.3%

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

T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

IN T B R EW

44.00

6.5%

UB A

123.0

-3.6%

J A P A ULOIL

0.40

5.3%

Z EN IT H B A N K

35.8

-3.4%

C ILEA SIN G

1.82

5.2%

A C C ESS

34.8

-2.4% -1.0%

T ic k er

ET ER N A

6.61

4.9%

CCNN

32.7

IKEJ A H OT EL

2.99

4.9%

GUA R A N T Y

23.0

-1.2%

LA WUN ION

0.86

4.9%

P R EST IGE

12.3

-6.3%

UN IT YB N K

0.92

4.5%

WA P IC

12.0

-4.1%

N IGER IN S

0.26

4.0%

D IA M ON D B N K

9.3

-3.1%

M B EN EF IT

0.32

3.2%

T R A N SC OR P

8.9

-3.3%

NP FM CRFB K

1.82

1.7%

F ID ELIT YB K

8.5

-4.8%

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

T o p 10 L o s e r s P ric e

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

Value

P ric e C hg %

P R EST IGE

0.60

-6.2%

UB A

1304.0

-3.6%

UN ION D A C

0.38

-5.0%

GUA R A N T Y

927.1

-1.2% -3.4%

T ic k er

F LOUR M ILL

31.15

-4.9%

Z EN IT H B A N K

919.9

FO

35.15

-4.9%

CCNN

850.4

-1.0%

2.16

-4.8%

A C C ESS

365.5

-2.4%

F ID ELIT YB K

22.80

-4.8%

NB

339.6

0.1%

FCM B

2.19

-4.8%

GUIN N ESS

290.6

0.0%

EQUIT YA SUR

0.23

-4.2%

UN ILEVER

220.8

-3.6%

WA P IC

0.47

-4.1%

N EST LE

165.5

0.0%

UB N

5.95

-4.0%

IN T B R EW

142.3

6.5%

N A SC ON

Investment Research

Brokerage Ayodeji Ebo | aebo@afrinvest.com

Robert Omotunde | romotunde@afrinvest.com

Bolaji Fajenyo | bfajenyo@afrinvest.com

Eronmosele Aziba | eaziba@afrinvest.com

41

˾ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2018

MARKET NEWS

Vetiva Launches Wealth Card for Investors to Access Funds Goddy Egene Vetiva Securities Limited has the launched ‘Vetiva Wealth Card’ which will enable investors access funds in their investment accounts via any Automated Teller Machine (ATM) or Point of Sales (POS) terminal in Nigeria. The product was developed in collaboration with ProvidusBank and Infoware Limited. Investors who subscribe to the service will be issued ATM cards directly linked to their stockbroking and/or investment

accounts thereby ensuring real-time withdrawals from their accounts.

Speaking on the product, the Head of Retail Services at Vetiva, Mr. Folagbade Adeyemi said: “The development of the Vetiva Wealth Card is in line with our commitment to empowering Investors in the access and management of their funds. Furthermore, the product acts as an incentive to attract more investors into the capital market and guarantee higher levels of transparency.”

According to him, the

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

development of the Vetiva Wealth Card is in furtherance to the recent launch of the Griffin Mobile App and is in line with Vetiva’s strategy to invest in technology that enhances retail investor access to the Nigerian capital market in a convenient and cost effect manner.

“Our solution is agnostic and we look forward to working with other Brokers and Asset Managers to deploy this solution as part of our contribution to develop the Nigerian capital market,” Adeyemi said.

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 14Jun-2018, unless otherwise stated.

Group Head, Digital Banking at ProvidusBank Plc, Mr. Frank Atat said: “At ProvidusBank, we remain committed to technology-driven solutions hence we are proud to be a part of this initiative. We believe that it is the beginning of an inevitable transition to digital solutions that empower the average Investor” Also speaking, Managing Director, Infoware Limited, a capital market software solutions provider, Mr. Uwa Agbonile, said: “Infoware has for many years deployed

significant resources towards the development of world class capital market software and our collaboration with Vetiva is another step towards our vision to support The Nigerian Stock Exchange in creating global standard capital market infrastructure”.

Vetiva Securities is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission to act as broker/dealer and is a dealing member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange(NSE).

The company has floated many mutual funds for retail

investors to have access to the capital market. Vetiva recently exposed investors on benefits of exchange traded funds(ETF) and how to access them in the capital market.

According to Director, Asset Management at Vetiva Capital, Oyelade Eigbe, the presentation was on the backdrop of increasing enquiries from investors on how to purchase/ invest in ETFs. She explained that ETFs can be purchased or sold like any other stock on the floors of the NSE through any stockbroker.

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 N/A N/A N/A Nigeria International Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 1.88% ACAP Income Funds 0.64 0.64 6.51% 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 13.13% 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 19.85 20.45 8.62% ARM Discovery Fund 417.16 429.74 7.22% ARM Ethical Fund 29.65 30.54 8.52% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 13.16% 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 N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 N/A N/A N/A CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.83% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.14 1.17 8.67% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.12 1.15 8.53% 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 1,164.81 1,165.51 7.76% FBN Heritage Fund 148.78 150.07 14.30% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.86% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional $112.48 $112.85 2.07% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail $112.34 $112.71 2.05% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 178.76 181.50 11.11% 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 1.37 1.40 5.24% Legacy Debt Fund 3.06 3.06 5.98% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 3,184.17 3,216.04 6.63% Coral Income Fund 2,632.60 2,632.60 7.57% GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 15.26% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 103.17 104.20 3.22% 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 12.62% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.21 2.23 4.77% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 15.56% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 120.64 121.01 4.89%

LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.19 1.22 4.27% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,072.42 1,072.42 6.35% 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 13.88 13.99 5.50% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 11.13% 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 131.27 133.42 1.87% 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 1.59 1.59 7.24% 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 2,396.74 2,416.52 6.85% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 186.27 186.27 5.57% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.07 1.08 6.44% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 237.04 237.10 7.64% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 186.73 188.75 4.24% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.40% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 10,030.59 10,167.55 3.73% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.10 1.10 3.36% 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 N/A N/A N/A United Capital Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Eurobond Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Wealth for Women Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 13.22 13.42 5.62% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.84 14.00 5.10% Zenith Income Fund 20.32 20.32 7.40% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.48%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

11.41 136.09 103.70 51.30

1.01% 2.74%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

12.52 154.51 114.17

12.62 157.72 116.25

3.27% 8.15% 4.48%

Fund Name FSDH UPDC Real Estate Investment Fund SFS Skye Shelter Fund Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund Union Homes REIT

0.92%

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

4.89 9.04 18.18 20.07 146.90

4.93 9.12 18.28 20.27 148.90

3.14% -5.52% 3.75% 2.04% 7.24%

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.

T H I S D AY Ëž Í°ÍŽË&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

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Vol. 1 Issue 50 June 20, 2018

Nextier Power is a consulting firm that provides policy advisory, investment advisory, and support services to the electricity supply industry. The firm aims to use this weekly publication to educate Nigerians on the intricacies of the Nigeria electricity supply industry on the assumption that a more informed public would advocate for the right policies and programmes which, in turn, would lead to a robust market that delivers the electricity needs of Nigerians. This column will cover everything from the basics of the industry to the more intricate, sometimes, complex policies and programmes.

Performance Improvement Planning in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry Introduction During the privatisation of the power distribution assets in Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), investors developed business plans and committed to certain performance targets. The primary performance measure, which was the basis on which the successful bidders were selected, is the annual committed percentage reductions in Aggregate Technical Commercial and Collection losses. At handover in November 2013, the Performance Agreements (PAs) between the Distribution Companies (DisCos), their Investors and the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) set out Minimum Performance Targets for a 5-year term.

The PA sets out two Minimum Performance Targets which are for DisCos to increase the number of customer meters installed (albeit to reduce the number of customers on estimated billing) and to also increase the number of new connections (albeit to increase energy access especially in unserved areas).

Other key improvements, which are measurable through key performance indices (KPIs) were agreed. These indices included loss reduction, metering, safety, reliability/availability, new connection/network expansion, social responsibility, and customer satisfaction.

Status of DisCo Performance Agreements Presently, DisCos have not been able to achieve their performance targets. Major challenges faced by DisCos have resulted in a liquidity crisis and market shortfall as DisCos are unable to make the necessary investments to improve supply and pay fully for energy supplied. These challenges include tariff shortfall due to lack of costreflective tariffs; accumulation of debt due to non-payment of electricity bills by most government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) at all levels of government; and lack of government subsidies.

More recent developments that can affect DisCos include the Eligible Customers regulation, the Mini-grid regulation, and the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) regulation. The Eligible Customers regulation is expected to allow major industrial customers to exit the DisCo networks and opt for bilateral contracts with generators (thereby reducing DisCosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; customer numbers and revenues). The Mini-grid regulation is expected to encourage other investors to isolate parts of a DisCoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s franchise area to provide dedicated power generation and distribution up to 1MW (thereby also reducing DisCoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s customer numbers and revenues). The MAP regulation is expected to usher in a new class of operators who provide metering services to DisCos to ease DisCos capital expenditure

customers (points of electricity supply) and network infrastructure on a Geographical Information System (GIS), including customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; connections and links with network assets; and implementation of a Revenue Protection Project (RPP) supported by Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) to systematically record and monitor consumption of large and medium customers.

constraints that have affected their ability to meet their metering targets. Already, the bill to criminalise estimated billing has passed second reading in the National Assembly.

Need for a Market Reset As part of the Federal Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Power Sector Recovery Plan (PSRP) being supported by the World Bank, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) is launching a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Resetâ&#x20AC;? of the electricity market. The Reset will involve a Major Review of the Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) to reflect changes in the operational environment. The MYTO is a methodology for determining electricity tariffs for the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in Nigeria. It is expected that the Reset will also involve the clearing of tariff shortfalls and activation of contracts to prevent further accumulation of deficits in the market.

What is Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)?

In laymanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s terms, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been struggling to meet your goals, a PIP is meant to give you concrete ways to turn your performance around. Most often, it can apply to a student who is put on probation, or an employee who is made to sign a formal document stating any recurring performance issues along with goals that the employee needs to achieve to regain good standing at the company. The PIP usually includes a specific timeline to complete the plan. Typically, you are going to be watched closely during this period. If you are not successful in completing your PIP at the end of the timeline, losing your job is usually the outcome.

Performance Improvement Plans in the Electricity Market In the NESI, the Reset presents the DisCos with a new opportunity to revise their business plans based on realistic assumptions. DisCos operating in the NESI are to produce PIPs which will form the basis for revenue requirement projections and serve as their new â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;service level agreementâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; with the consumers. NERC will use the PIP to hold DisCos accountable for their plans.

Role of Government Support Although the privatisation of the NESI was based on the New Delhi model, one important success factor that has eluded the NESI is the injection of significant amount of government subsidies.

The PIP is expected to reflect the key performance Indexes (KPIs) agreed during privatisation. Also, it is expected to show the strategies for attaining such improvement and the expected efficient cost of implementation. A DisCoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PIP will, therefore, be assessed against these expectations. The PIP should give a detailed description of projects and activities that will be carried out over the planning horizon, including description of the funding plans. It shall include specific actions aimed at achieving sustainable improvements in DisCosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; operational performance in electricity supply to customers and in commercial operations.

Expected Improvements in Electricity Supply to Customers The high priority improvements in electricity supply to customers include installation of metering systems to record energy inflows; incorporation of Incidents Recording and Management System (IRMS) to identify, analyse and swiftly resolve service interruptions; and identification of network infrastructure constraints that affect a DisCoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to meet demand.

Other areas of improvement include incorporation of a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA) to operate and control high voltage and medium voltage infrastructure; and incorporation of a Works Management System (WMS) to manage all construction/installation works of network infrastructure.

Expected Improvements in Commercial Operations The high priority improvements in commercial operations include incorporation of a Commercial Management System (CMS) to manage all commercial processes such as revenue cycle, attending to customers, etc.; and incorporation of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) information system to support corporate planning and management of shared services. Other high priority improvements include mapping of

In the New Delhi model, the government extended support in the form of subsidies totalling about $575 million to the distribution licensees to meet part of the power purchase costs during the first five years of operation.

During privatisation of the NESI, the Nigerian government promised a two-year transition subsidy support of N100bn. This was communicated to investors and factored into the 2012 MYTO-2 which was the basis upon which investors submitted their bids. However, this subsidy was not introduced.

Conclusion Since the PIPs are intended to help DisCos improve performance after the market reset, it is important to ensure that the impacts of recent developments such as the Eligible Customers regulation and Minigrid regulation are considered in the reset.

Though significant efforts would need to be made by the DisCos, the role of government support (especially in the form of subsidies) cannot be overemphasised if DisCos are to be supported to turn their performance around. However, one question remains to be answered: What will be the outcome if a DisCo fails to meet its performance targets?

Author Chibueze Ekeh is senior consultant at EMRC. He is an industrial engineer and energy finance specialist in oil, gas & power, renewable energy, consulting and financing services Editor Chinazo Ifeanyi-Nwaoha is a power sector analyst focused on the interplay of policypractice and regulation Next Topics Jun. 27 Jul. 04

Developersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Case Studies: Solarcentric Technologies Developersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Case Studies: ACOB Lighting

www.nextierpower.com empower@nextierpower.com

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY JUNE 20, 2018

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T H I S D AY Ëž WEDNESDAY JUNE 20, 2018

Call

Glory

to

It is with heavy hearts that the Governor, Management and staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria, announce the demise of Papa Laban Namme on Monday March 5, 2018.

Papa Laban Namme was a member of the inaugural Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) from 1st July, 1958 to 21st November, 1960.

He is survived by children, granddaughter, great grandson, daughters-in-law, cousins, nieces and nephews His remains will be interred on Friday 22nd June, 2018 at Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral (AVMCC), Oba Akinjobi Street, GRA Ikeja, Lagos.

PAPA LABAN NAMME

Ě&#x201A;WK )HEUXDU\ ËżĚ&#x2021;Ě&#x20AC;Ëż Ě&#x192;WK 0DUFK Ě&#x20AC;˞˿Ě&#x2020;

Management CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA

46

T H I S D AY ˾ Í°Í®Ë&#x153; ͰͮͯͶ

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WEDNESDAY,JUNE 20, 2018Ëž T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

In Tit-for-tat, Trump Threatens More Tariffs against China China slams US â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;blackmailingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; US President Donald Trump has directed the US Trade Representative to prepare new tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports as the two nations move closer to a potential trade war, The Associated Press reported on Tuesday.

The tariffs, which Trump wants set at a 10 percent rate, would be the latest round of punitive measures in an escalating dispute over the large trade imbalance between the two countries. Trump recently ordered tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods in retaliation for intellectual property theft. The tariffs were quickly matched by China on US exports, a move that drew the presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ire.

US stock markets fell sharply Friday morning, with investors

increasingly nervous about the impact of a trade war. The Dow Jones industrial average was down 400 points, or 1.6 percent. Other stock indexes also sank.

Large US companies with signiďŹ cant overseas business were hit especially hard. Boeingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stock shed 4.3 percent, Caterpillar 3.7 percent and GE 2.1 percent. â&#x20AC;&#x153;China apparently has no intention of changing its unfair practices related to the acquisition of American intellectual property and technology,â&#x20AC;?Trump said in a statement Monday announcing the new action.â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rather than altering those practices, it is now threatening United States companies, workers, and farmers who have done nothing wrong.â&#x20AC;?

Trump added:â&#x20AC;&#x153;These tariffs will go into effect if China refuses to change its practices, and also if it insists on going forward with the new tariffs that it has recently announced.â&#x20AC;?

Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Commerce Ministry on Tuesday criticised the latest threat of tariffs, saying it was an â&#x20AC;&#x153;act of extreme pressure and blackmail that deviates from the consensus reached by both parties after many negotiations, and is a disappointment to the international community.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;If the US becomes irrational and issues this list, China will have no choice but to adopt strong countermeasures of the same amount and quality,â&#x20AC;? the ministry statement said.

Ex-Israeli Minister Arrested for Allegedly Spying for Iran A former Israeli Minister of Energy, Gonen Segev, has reportedly admitted contacts with Iran after being arrested in a suspected spying operation, local reports in Israel said.

Segev lived in Nigeria on a self-imposed exile after completing jail sentence for drugs offenses in Israel in 2010.

He worked as a medical official for Israeli diplomats and other Jewish expatriates around Abuja.

He was arrested in Equatorial

Guinea last month and was extradited to Israel where he has now been charged with spying for Iran, reports said.

It was not immediately clear if Nigeria played any role in his investigation and arrest.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defence Headquarters both declined comments to PREMIUM TIMES about the development for the most part of yesterday.

Segev was reportedly lured to the Iranian Embassy in Abuja in

2012 under the guise of treating the children of its diplomatic staff, Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Channel 10 news reported.

By taking up assignment with Iranians, Gonen was reportedly hoping to mislead them and ultimately restore his reputation that was tarnished by his jail sentence, Channel 10 said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wanted to fool the Iranians and come back to Israel a hero,â&#x20AC;? he was quoted as saying during his interrogation.

We are a leading Engineering Procurement Installation and Commissioning (EPIC) company in Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Oil & Gas upstream sector. We require experienced personnel to join our dynamic workforce.

1. PROJECT MANAGERS Job Role Summary r &OTVSFT TVDDFTTGVM EFĂ OJUJPO FYFDVUJPO BOE NBOBHFNFOU PG HSFFOĂ FME BOE CSPXOĂ FME projects r &OTVSFT UIBU BDUJWJUJFT SFMBUFE UP UIF QSPKFDU BSF DBSSJFE PVU JO B UJNFMZ GBTIJPO DPOTJTUFOU XJUI UIF QSPKFDUT PCKFDUJWFT BOE TUSBUFHJFT and senior management guidance r 3FTQPOTJCMF GPS BMM BTQFDUT PG QSPKFDU QFSGPSNBODF JODMVEJOH TBGFUZ RVBMJUZ DPTU TDIFEVMF BOE PQFSBCJMJUZ Job Responsibilities: r 4BGFUZ MFBEFS GPS UIF QSPKFDU TFUT QSPKFDU TBGFUZ DVMUVSF BOE ESJWFT QFSGPSNBODF r %FĂ OFT LFZ EFMJWFSBCMFT GPS QSPKFDU BOE UJNJOH OFFEFE UP BDIJFWF QSPKFDU PCKFDUJWFT r 3FTQPOTJCMF GPS EFWFMPQNFOU PG SFRVJTJUF RVBMJUZ 1SPKFDU .BOBHFNFOU 4ZTUFN EFMJWFSBCMFT GPS QSPKFDU BTTFU JO BDDPSEBODF XJUI BHSFFE milestones r -FBET 1SPKFDU .BOBHFNFOU 5FBN 1.5 XJUI TFOJPS NBOBHFNFOU BOE QSJPSJUJ[FT PWFSBMM project goals r 0XOT $MJFOUT SFMBUJPOTIJQ BOE XPSLT XJUI clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s senior management to ensure contract TDPQF JT EFMJWFSFE QFS DPOUSBDU UFSNT r 8PSLT XJUI QSPKFDU UFBN NFNCFST UP FOTVSF project expectations are understood and necessary plans are in place Job Requirements: r #BDIFMPS JO 4DJFODF JO FOHJOFFSJOH GSPN SFDPHOJ[FE VOJWFSTJUZ r ZFBST PG FYQFSJFODF JO PJM BOE HBT industry r ZFBST PG FYQFSJFODF JO B WBSJFUZ PG project management and execution positions DPOTUSVDUJPO PGGTIPSF JOTUBMMBUJPO RVBMJUZ FYFDVUJPO DPOUSBDUJOH QSPKFDU DPOUSPMT CVTJOFTT TFSWJDFT

r 1SJPS FYQFSJFODF JODMVEFT BMM QIBTFT PG QSPKFDU execution r "CJMJUZ UP MFBE B UFBN PG PUIFS QSPGFTTJPOBMT QSJPS FYQFSJFODF JO MFBEFSTIJQ SPMFT XJUIJO a project r "CMF UP BSUJDVMBUF UFDIOJDBM JTTVFT UP B OPO UFDIOJDBM BVEJFODF r (PPE DPNNBOE PG &OHMJTI CPUI XSJUUFO BOE spoken r "CMF UP XPSL XFMM XJUI PUIFST JO B GBTU DIBOHJOH FOWJSPONFOU 2. OFFSHORE CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS Job Responsibilities r 4UVEZ BOE BTTFTT UIF SFMFWBOU ESBXJOHT TQFDJĂ DBUJPOT BOE JOTUSVDUJPOT GPS ZPVS TQFDJĂ D PS GVODUJPOBM BSFB PG SFTQPOTJCJMJUZ r 7FSJGZ UIBU UIF ESBXJOHT BOE TQFDJĂ DBUJPOT QSPWJEF BEFRVBUF JOTUSVDUJPOT GPS UIF XPSL BOE BEWJTF UIF 1SPKFDU .BOBHFS PG BOZ EFĂ DJFODJFT PS DMBSJĂ DBUJPOT OFFEFE r 3FWJFX JO DP PQFSBUJPO XJUI UIF 1SPKFDU .BOBHFS BOE BHSFF UIF PWFSBMM TJUF QSPHSBNNF GPS ZPVS BSFB PG SFTQPOTJCJMJUZ JODMVEJOH 4VC DPOUSBDUPST QSPHSBNNFT r *EFOUJGZ BOZ QSPCMFN BSFBT JO UIF QSPHSBNNFT EJTDVTT XJUI UIF 1SPKFDU .BOBHFS BOE BHSFF a solution. r &OTVSF CFGPSF BOZ XPSL DPNNFODFT UIBU BMM JUFNT PG NBUFSJBM FRVJQNFOU TDBGGPMEJOH FUD SFRVJSFE BSF BWBJMBCMF UP BWPJE BCPSUJWF BOE VOQSPEVDUJWF VTF PG MBCPVS r .BJOUBJO QSJNBSZ DPOUBDU BOE B HPPE XPSLJOH SFMBUJPOTIJQ XJUI TVC DPOUSBDUPST TJUF SFQSFTFOUBUJWFT r #F GVMMZ GBNJMJBS XJUI UIF TVC DPOUSBDUPST NFUIPET PG DPOTUSVDUJPO QSPHSBNNJOH BOE QSPDFEVSFT BOE SFTPMWF BOZ BQQBSFOU DPOĂĄJDUT r #F GBNJMJBS XJUI BOE FOTVSF UIBU $PNQBOZ BOE 4JUF 1SPDFEVSFT BSF BEIFSFE UP r &OTVSF UIBU BMM XPSL JT FYFDVUFE UP UIF SFRVJSFE TUBOEBSE BOE UIBU BMM ESBXJOHT TQFDJĂ DBUJPOT JOTQFDUJPOT BOE DFSUJĂ DBUJPOT BSF TUSJDUMZ BEIFSFE UP r $P PSEJOBUF BOE SFQPSU PO B EBJMZ CBTJT PO BMM QSPHSFTT NBUUFST BOE QSPCMFN BSFBT r .BOBHJOH HVJEJOH DP PSEJOBUJPO BOE TVQQPSUJOH UIF DPOTUSVDUJPO BOE DPNNJTTJPOJOH QFSTPOOFM BOE UFBNT BU POTIPSF BOE PGGTIPSF sites. r 4FUUJOH PVU BOE FOTVSJOH DPNQMJBODF PG UIF IFBMUI TBGFUZ TUBOEBSET BT QFS DPNQBOZ QSPDFEVSFT XJUIJO UIF POTIPSF BOE PGGTIPSF team. r 4FUUJOH XPSLTDPQF QSJPSJUJFT BOE BTTJHO TDPQFT JO MJOF XJUI UIF QSPKFDU QMBO r &OTVSJOH RVBMJUZ PG UIF EFMJWFSBCMFT JT NBJOUBJOFE JO MJOF XJUI DPSQPSBUF TUBOEBSET and procedures. r 1BSUJDJQBUFT JO XFFLMZ DMJFOUT QSPHSFTT NFFUJOHT BOE QSPWJEF JOQVU UP XFFLMZ BOE NPOUIMZ project reports and plan r 3FTQPOTJCJMJUZ GPS TVDDFTTGVM QMBOOJOH BOE EFMJWFSZ POTIPSF BOE PGGTIPSF r &OTVSF TBGF BOE FOWJSPONFOUBMMZ TVDDFTTGVM completion of scopes. r .BOBHFNFOU PG DPOTUSVDUJPO CVEHFUT r -JBJTF XJUI $MJFOU CPUI 0OTIPSF BOE 0GGTIPSF Job Requirements r " HPPE EFHSFF JO BO FOHJOFFSJOH EJTDJQMJOF r FYQFSJFODF JO UIF PJM BOE HBT TFDUPS r %FNPOTUSBCMF FYQFSJFODF JO NBOBHJOH CSPXOĂ FME BOE PS HSFFOĂ FME QSPKFDUT BOE MFBEJOH BOE TVQFSWJTJOH MBCPVS r 1SFWJPVT FYQFSJFODF PG NBOBHJOH DPOTUSVDUJPO

PG B .BKPS 1SPKFDU XJUIJO NBKPS PSHBOJTBUJPO JO UIF PJM BOE HBT TFDUPS r 1SFWJPVT FYQFSJFODF PG DPOUSJCVUJOH UPXBSET $POTUSVDUJPO BOE $PNQBOZ 4USBUFHZ r %FNPOTUSBCMF FYQFSJFODF JO B GVODUJPOBM MFBEFSTIJQ QPTJUJPO 3. OFFSHORE CONSTRUCTION SUPERINTENDENTS Job Responsibilities r 5IF PGGTIPSF $POTUSVDUJPO 4VQFSJOUFOEFOU JT SFTQPOTJCMF GPS UIF PWFSTJHIU PG UIF BDUJWJUJFT PG UIF $POTUSVDUJPO *OTQFDUPST BOE Ă FME FOHJOFFST BTTJHOFE UP IJN IFS r 5IJT QPTJUJPO NVTU FOTVSF UIBU UIF $POTUSVDUJPO XJUIJO IJT IFS DPOUSPM JT TBGF DPTU FGGFDUJWF DPOTUSVDUJCMF BOE UJNFMZ r .VTU IBWF UIF BCJMJUZ UP JNNFEJBUFMZ SFDPHOJ[F UZQJDBM PJMĂ FME NBUFSJBM UZQFT BOE EJGGFSFODFT BOE EFWFMPQ B XPSLJOH LOPXMFEHF PG UIF QSPKFDU TQFDJĂ DBUJPOT BT XFMM BT UIF SFGFSFODFE JOEVTUSZ TUBOEBSET BOE NVTU CF BCMF UP SFBE BOE UIPSPVHIMZ VOEFSTUBOE QJQJOH ESBXJOHT JTPNFUSJDT BOE TIPQ ESBXJOHT r 5IJT QPTJUJPO TIBMM JOWFTUJHBUF BOZ PVUTUBOEJOH PS QVODI MJTU JUFNT PS DPODFSOT BOE QSPWJEF UJNFMZ SFTQPOTFT UP QSPKFDU UFBN NFNCFST r 5IJT QPTJUJPO NVTU CF ,OPXMFEHFBCMF JO PJM and gas production. He must communicate SFHVMBSMZ BOE DPOTUSVDUJWFMZ XJUI UIF $PNQBOZ 4JUF 3FQSFTFOUBUJWF 1SPKFDU &OHJOFFS 0QFSBUJPOT 3FQSFTFOUBUJWFT 4DIFEVMFS QSPKFDU TBGFUZ SFQSFTFOUBUJWFT QSPKFDU MPHJTUJDT coordinator and production and maintenance personnel. r 5IF $POTUSVDUJPO 4VQFSJOUFOEFOU TIBMM FOTVSF QSPQFS JOTUBMMBUJPO BOE IBOEMJOH PG $PNQBOZ BTTFUT BU UIF WBSJPVT QSPKFDU TJUFT BT XFMM BT SFWJFX BEWJTF BOE NPOJUPS BODIPS IBOEMJOH PQFSBUJPOT MJGU QMBOT BOE PUIFS NBSJOF BDUJWJUJFT r .BJOUBJO %13T r 3FWJFX BMM .50T UP WFSJGZ BDDFQUBCJMJUZ r 1SPWJEF TVQQPSUJOH EPDVNFOUT GPS .$$ BQQSPWBM r $PMMFDU DPNQMFUFE ESBXJOHT BOE TVCNJU UP 2" 2$ XJUIJO IPVST PG GBCSJDBUJPO DPNQMFUJPO %SBXJOHT UP JODMVEF UIF GPMMPXJOH Ă UUFS JOGPSNBUJPO r )FBU /VNCFST GPS NBUFSJBMT VUJMJ[FE r 1SF XFMEPVU EJNFOTJPOBM DPOĂ SNBUJPO r 0CUBJO 'BC ESBXJOHT GSPN 2" 2$ %FQBSUNFOU 1SPKFDU .BOBHFS PS $PNQBOZ 3FQ BOE "TTJHO *TTVF BOE DPNNVOJDBUF BOZ TQFDJĂ D GBCSJDBUJPO SFRVJSFNFOUT BOE OFFET Job Requirements r " HPPE FOHJOFFSJOH PS SFMBUFE EJTDJQMJOFT degree r .JOJNVN PG ZFBST FYQFSJFODF JO PGGTIPSF DPOTUSVDUJPO BOE GBCSJDBUJPO r .JOJNVN ZFBST PG PGGTIPSF PS POTIPSF DPOTUSVDUJPO TVQFSWJTJPO FYQFSJFODF EFBMJOH EJSFDUMZ XJUI XFMEFST Ă UUFST SJHHFST BOE PUIFS DPOTUSVDUJPO QFSTPOOFM r 'VMM VOEFSTUBOEJOH PG DPOTUSVDUJPO DPEFT JO MJOF XJUI UIF TVCKFDU EJTDJQMJOF JT SFRVJSFE r &YQFSJFODF XPSLJOH PO 0GGTIPSF 0OTIPSF FYJTUJOH GBDJMJUJFT #SPXOĂ FME JT IJHI EFTJSBCMF r .VTU CF BCMF UP SFBE BOE JOUFSQSFU #MVFQSJOUT r .VTU CF BCMF UP QVMM NFBTVSFNFOUT BOE CF GBNJMJBS XJUI BMM ESBXJOHT QFS KPC TDPQF SENIOR PROJECT ENGINEERS Job Responsibilities r &WBMVBUF EFWFMPQ TPMVUJPOT GPS DJWJM QJQJOH TUSVDUVSBM QSPCMFNT BOE JORVJSJFT UIBU BSJTF JO UIF DPVSTF PG DPNQBOZ PQFSBUJPOT r $POEVDUJOH TUSVDUVSBM NPEJĂ DBUJPO GFBTJCJMJUZ studies and structural integrity assessment. r 1SFQBSBUJPO PG DJWJM TUSVDUVSBM DBMDVMBUJPOT drawings & statements. r %FWFMPQJOH BOE NBOBHJOH QSPKFDU XPSLT UP JNQSPWF SFMJBCJMJUZ BOE TBGFUZ r 4VQFSWJTJPO PG QSPKFDU XPSLT BOE NBOBHJOH PG B NVMUJ EJTDJQMJOBSZ XPSLGPSDF Job Requirements r " HPPE Ă STU EFHSFF JO $JWJM .FDIBOJDBM $IFNJDBM FOHJOFFSJOH PS FRVJWBMFOU r ZFBST PG FOHJOFFSJOH FYQFSJFODF QSFGFSBCMZ JO BO PJM BOE HBT FOWJSPONFOU r $VSSFOU $03&/ SFHJTUSBUJPO r %FNPOTUSBUFE LOPXMFEHF PG DPTU DPOUSPM TDIFEVMJOH r 8JEF LOPXMFEHF PG JOUFSOBUJPOBM DPOTUSVDUJPO standards r %FNPOTUSBUFE FYQFSJFODF JO VTJOH TUSVDUVSBM analysis computer programs. r 1SPWFO BCJMJUZ JO TUFFM EFTJHO DPODSFUF EFTJHO QJMF BOE TPJM TVQQPSUFE GPVOEBUJPO EFTJHO TFJTNJD EFTJHO BOE TUSVDUVSBM BOBMZTJT r &YDFMMFOU XSJUUFO BOE PSBM DPNNVOJDBUJPO TLJMMT XJUI UIF BCJMJUZ UP FYQSFTT JEFBT UP B wide range of groups. r 1PTTFTTFT BOE NBJOUBJOT LOPXMFEHF PG DPEFT GPS CVJMEJOH NBUFSJBMT BOE EFTJHO r 1SPĂ DJFOU JO QSPEVDJOH FOHJOFFSJOH ESBXJOHT VTJOH "VUP$"% r "CJMJUZ UP DPMMBCPSBUJWFMZ XPSL PO B UFBN BOE XJUI DPMMFBHVFT UP TPMWF DIBMMFOHJOH QSPCMFNT r 1SPWFO XFMM SPVOEFE QFSTQFDUJWF BOE BCJMJUZ to prioritize work gained from experience JO TVDI QPTJUJPOT BT B TVQFSWJTPS PS QSPKFDU engineer. *OUFSFTUFE BOE RVBMJĂ FE QFSTPOT TIPVME GPSXBSE UIFJS BQQMJDBUJPOT $7 T UP recruitment6570@gmail. com XJUIJO EBZT PG UIJT QVCMJDBUJPO NOTE: 0OMZ TIPSUMJTUFE DBOEJEBUFT XJMM CF DPOUBDUFE BOE JOWJUFE GPS JOUFSWJFX

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2018Ëž T H I S D AY

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NEWS

UN, US Condemn Attack on Borno Michael Olugbode Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C; The United Nations (UN) Nigeria Office and the United

States have condemned the suicide attack on Damboa, Borno State, which left 32 persons dead and 84 others injured.

Amaechi: Western Corridor Rail Line to be Completed in 36 Months The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, has hinted that the ongoing Western corridor rail line traversing nine states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), spanning a total of 1,402 kilometres, will be completed in the next 36 months as soon as the loan agreement is reached between Nigeria and China.

The minister in a statement by the Ministry yesterday made the disclosure at the Forum of China-Africa Transportation Convention in Beijing, China.

According to him,  â&#x20AC;&#x153;This rail line, which covers the Western corridor of Nigeria, traverses nine states of our federation and the FCT, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expected to be completed within three years if the expected loan agreement with China EXIM Bank for co-financing is reached as expected.â&#x20AC;?

Speaking on the LagosKano railway project awarded to China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) and co-financed

by China EXIM Bank, Amaechi revealed that the project would serve as an important distribution corridor between the major sea port of Lagos and the hinterlands, noting that the investment and partnership are imperative in the cooperation with China to strengthen Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transport infrastructure, and contribute towards building a competitive economy. Â artnering other private sector investors, foreign and domestic, including the consortium led by the United States General Electric.

The minister said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The

successful realisation of these projects and their operations will result in attainment of high level of intermodal transport system.â&#x20AC;?

The Ministry of Transportation recently signed the commercial contract for the remaining 901 Km Ibadan-Kano stretch and the associated branch lines from Oshogbo to Ado Ekiti, following the completion of the first segment of the Abuja-Kaduna railway project of 186.5Km Amaechi said the completion of the AbujaKaduna project has tremendously improved citizenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mobility between the important Northern commercial city of Kaduna and Abuja. He said the project has been completed and commercial train operation had commenced since July 2016 conveying close to a million passengers.

While the construction of the second segment which is 162 Km Lagos-Ibadan double track rail lines is ongoing, Amaechi said the Nigerian Government and other African Governments have put effort at sourcing financiers for development of critical infrastructure especially its transport infrastructure-railways and ports. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Nigerian Government has liberalised the transportation sector, therefore, admitting both private and institutional foreign and local investors to participate in the development and also develop legal framework and policies at reviving the railway sector,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Buhari Congratulates Okonjo-Iwealaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Father at 90 Omololu Ogunmade Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x;Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x2039; President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday congratulated Prof.

Chukwuka Okonjo, a renowned mathematician, economist and father of former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on the occasion of his 90th birthday.

In a statement, Media Adviser to the president, Mr. Femi Adesina, said Buhari joined Ogwashi Ukwu community in Delta State, immediate and extended Okonjo family, professional colleagues and friends of the monarch in celebrating him, saying the imprint of the cerebral scholar on education in Nigeria and beyond has remained indelible. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The president extols the sterling educational and leadership qualities of Okonjo who pursued knowledge with

interest and vigour from his youth, obtaining a first degree in mathematics as an external student, and following up with two masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degrees in Economics and Statistics, and a doctorate in Mathematical Statistics. â&#x20AC;&#x153;President Buhari believes the traditional ruler has sowed in many lives as a teacher, mentor and leader, particularly wielding a strong influence over his children and grand-children that have turned out to be national and global icons by reputably serving the country in various capacities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He prays that the Almighty God will grant the Obi of Ogwashi Ukwu longer life, more strength and good health to keep serving humanity,â&#x20AC;? the statement added.

The UN, in a statement issued last Monday, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Myrta Kaulard, condemned the twin suicide attacks on June 16 in the town of Damboa, that have left dozens of people dead and scores injured in one of the deadliest attacks the town has witnessed.â&#x20AC;?

Kaulard, in the statement was quoted as saying: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our deepest condolences go to the families of the victims in Damboa and to the Government and people of Nigeria. We wish the injured a speedy recovery.â&#x20AC;?.â&#x20AC;&#x153;Civilians consistently bear the brunt of the conflict and over 200 women, children and men have now been killed in indiscriminate attacks in the North-east since the beginning

of the year, including in the town of Mubi last month in Adamawa State. I urge the government of Nigeria to further step up protection of people.â&#x20AC;?

The statement revealed that the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross last Sunday air-lifted by helicopter 11 of the critically wounded from Damboa to Maiduguri to facilitate emergency medical treatment in support of the state authorities.

According to the statement, humanitarian access outside of Damboa town in the rest of Damboa Local Government Area remains limited due to ongoing hostilities and lack of safety assurances.

The United States has also condemned in the strongest

terms, the terrorist attack on Damboa.

In a statement by the spokesperson of the Department of State, Heather Nauert, the United States stated that it stands firm with Nigeria in its fight against terrorism.

The statement said the violent attack, aimed at civilians celebrating with their families and communities during the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan , was a reminder of the depravity of those who commit such attacks against innocent people.

The US expressed condolences to the families and friends of the victims who were injured and killed, and mourned all those who

were lost. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The US condemns in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attack last Saturday night in Damboa, Nigeria.

This violent attack â&#x20AC;&#x201C; aimed at civilians celebrating with their families and communities during the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is a reminder of the depravity of those who commit such attacks against innocent people.

The US stands firm with Nigeria in its fight against terrorism.We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims who were injured and killed, and mourn all those who were lost,â&#x20AC;? the statement explained.

CONSULTATIVE VISIT

L-R: Sen. Ben Bruce; Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (rtd.); Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Seriake Dickson; former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel , and former Minister of Niger Delta, Elder Godsday Orubebe, during a visit to Government House, Yenagoa... yesterday

Buhari Harbouring Those Who Looted the Country, PDP Alleges Yekini Jimoh Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x2039; The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari is harbouring people that have been looting the common wealth of the country.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Kola Ologbondiyan, made the allegation at the 2018 Ogidi Day Yam festival held at Ogidi, in Ijumu local government area of Kogi State.

According to him, the President is glorifying those that looted the country at the detriment of the citizens of the country.

The party also said the president should show his sincerity to the fight against corruption by instituting a probe into his campaign funds in the 2015 general election.

He also accused the president of speaking with both sides of the mouth when it comes to the issue of fighting corruption. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Buhari should show the

whole world that his purported anti corruption drive is not selective by looking into how the money spent on his campaign before winning the 2015 election was sourced.â&#x20AC;? he said.

He noted that it is in the public knowledge that the president claimed to have obtained loan to purchase the nomination form of his party prior to the general election, adding that it is pertinent for him to explain how he got the billions of Naira spent on his electioneering campaign. Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;The presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s remark sounded strange to us in the PDP because we believe as a party that the president has been providing cover for alleged looters around him and we believe that if the president is sincere about the fight against corruption he should make a public disclosure about how his election fund in 2015 was raised. He should tell us who contributed what, but, if he refuses to do that, Mr President does not have any

moral platform upon which he would stand and accuse any Nigerian of being a thief.

The PDP is challenging Mr President that he should make a full disclosure of how his election money was raised in 2014 and he should tell us the contribution of the people,â&#x20AC;?

Ologbodiyan said.

The PDP spokesperson maintained that it was wrong for Buhari to shield people that had been accused of looting the treasury without probing their activities and turn around to advise the people on how to treat thieves.

Speaking on the plan by some former members of the party and others to return to its fold, Ologbodiyan said the doors of the PDP were widely open for anybody that was ready to rescue the country from the misrule of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He however said the party was not considering a change of its name as being canvassed in some quarters, but was ready to work with

like minds on the project to save the country. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Peoples Democratic Party is ready to receive the old, the new and the returning members whoever is desirous of removing the inept government of APC must be prepared to work with the PDP because that is the only party that has the necessary spread across the federation capable of removing the ruling government and as such many Nigerians who are tired of hunger and starvation, many Nigerians who are tired of insecurity in the land are ready to work with PDP. As regards the change of name our party is not discussing change of name, although there are people who want to work with us and are asking us for change of name but our contact and mobilisation committee headed by the former Governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke is t a l k i n g t o t h e m , â&#x20AC;? he explained.Â

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2018Ëž T H I S D AY

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NEWSXTRA

CAN Warns FG against Recruiting Repentant Boko Haram Terrorists into Army, Police Cautions against death sentence on Adamawa Christians

Paul Obi Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x;Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x2039; Following reports of plans by the federal government to recruit repentant Boko Haram terrorists into the Nigerian Army

and the Police, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) yesterday warned the federal government against such plan.

The reports said the federal government has been

Notorious Gang Leader Escapes Military Operation Army arrests killers of Ortomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s security aide George Okoh Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C; The Nigerian Army yesterday disclosed that the wanted notorious gang leader known as Gana, who is responsible for the killings of several persons in Benue State, escaped when the army operation at the weekend bombarded his camp in Ayaka in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area.  The army also said two members of the gang were arrested.

According to the army, one of the suspects, in a confessional statement, admitted being responsible for the killing of a security aide to the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, Mr. Denen Igbarna.

The Operational Commander of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Operation Whirl Storm,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Major General Adeyemi Yekini, stated that the Nigerian army, during the Sallah holiday, deployed troops in Benue and Nasarawa States in two operations known as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Dark Downâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Deadly Strikeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

He said â&#x20AC;&#x153;Operation Dark Down took place on June 14, 2018 at about 6.a.m in with the focus of clearing  Benue State of deadly armed militia men that have been terrorising the

Lower Benue axis. Â The militia gang members, according to the army statement, were arrested following a tip off. Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;Items recovered from them, the statement added, included one locally made gun, one pistol, seven rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition,â&#x20AC;? the statement said.

He said the operation in conjunction with 72 and 93 Battalionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; soldiers attacked the camps of the notorious Gana. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Prior to the attack, the Nigerian Air Force Mi35 gunship helicopter carried out aerial bombardment of the camp which led to the successful dislodgement of Gana and his men,â&#x20AC;? he added.

Yekini said two members of the gang were arrested, while the one who confessed to the killing, was arrested at the Taraba border by the 93 Battalion.

In another development, Yekini disclosed that the soldiers ambushed 40 herdsmen with over 3,000 herds of cattle at Kwatan Gyemu, armed with sophisticated weapons.

He said the troop engaged the herdsmen who fled using cows as shields.Â

CJN Swears in Kafarati as Chief Judge Federal High Court Alex Enumah Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x;Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x2039; The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, has sworn in Justice Abdu Adamu Kafarati as the substantive Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.

Kafarati, who has been in acting capacity since April last year, was inaugurated yesterday following his nomination by the National Judicial Council (NJC), approval by President Muhammadu Buhari and his subsequent screening and confirmation by the National Assembly.

Onnoghen, during the inauguration, urged the Chief Judge to adhere strictly to his oath of office and the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s constitution.

The CJN asked Justice Kafarati to be bold and courageous in the discharge of his duty, adding that since â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;heaven didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fall in the olden days,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; the heaven will not fall when he does the right thing on the side of the law. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Do not run away from challenges; remain courageous and bold; do the right thing at

the right time and tell everyone what the law is. Judiciary will protect you when you adhere to the rule of law, the oath of your office and the constitution of the country,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; the CJN urged Kafarati.

Onnoghen stated that the judiciary will always do its best as an unbiased arbiter between the two other arms of government and litigants in general.

The CJN, who described the inauguration as historic, noted that although the event was long overdue, however, thanked God that it was finally done.

He expressed hope that the Federal High Court would have stability, peace and move forward under the watch of the new Chief Judge in the area of administration and dispensation of justice.

CJN added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Time is always there to be our witness for whatever we are doing; for this reason, you must remain focused and be guided by the oath and the saying that judiciary is the last hope of man.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

brainstorming on possible ways to finally rehabilitate Boko Haram terrorists, who had been de-radicalised through the Operation Safe Corridor policy.

The Operation Safe Corridor overseen by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Nigerian Defence Headquarters (DHQ) through Operation Lafiya Dole, is geared towards rehabilitating repentant Boko Haram terrorists, including empowerment and other job opportunities. Â But speaking on the purported plan, the CAN President, Rev. Supo Ayokunle, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;CAN is visibly disturbed about reports, saying if it is true, CAN condemns such a policy in strong terms, and asked the federal government, especially security agencies, to withdraw that directive, which it said is capable of compromising the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s security system.â&#x20AC;?

CAN also called on the federal government to caution the Adamawa State Government against hasty implementation of the death sentence passed on five Christian youths who were alleged to have killed a Fulani herdsman.

CAN added :â&#x20AC;?According to reports, Justice Abdul-Azeez Waziri of a High Court in Adamawa State, recently sentenced Alex Amos, Alheri Phanuel, Holy Boniface, Jerry Gideon and Jari Sabagi to death for culpable homicide. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;The convicts were said to have allegedly on June 1, 2017, at Kadamun village in Demsa Local Government Area â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;willfully and intentionally conspired and attacked three herdsmen rearing cattle, killing one of them, Adamu Buba, whose body they threw into a river and also maimed several cows. â&#x20AC;&#x153;While CAN is not supporting jungle justice or any criminality,

we note with regret how hundreds of our members in Southern Kaduna, Benue, Taraba and Plateau States in the North-central geo-political zones, and a state like Enugu in the South, have been killed and are still being killed on a daily basis by some criminals parading themselves as Fulani herdsmen but none of them is yet to be apprehended.â&#x20AC;?

The CAN president added that while citizens stood helpless at the massacre of their peaceful fellow Nigerians, the international community watched in anguish how government security agencies could not bring perpetrators of these heinous killings to book. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We recall with sadness how President Donald Trump had expressed sadness over killings of Christians in Nigeria and even told President Muhammadu Buhari, when he recently visited the White House in Washington

DC, that the United States of America would no longer tolerate a situation where Christians are being killed with impunity. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;He also stressed that despite the outrage that had trailed the killings of Christians in Nigeria, it is disheartening that none of the killers has been brought to justice.

We are shocked at the speed of light deployed by security and judicial officers in sentencing the alleged killers of the herdsman in Adamawa State,â&#x20AC;? CAN added.

The Christian group added, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Why did the court discharged the alleged killers of Madam Bridget Agbahime on the orders of the Kano State Government? Why have security officials not arrested those behind the killings of Christians in Southern Kaduna, while those arrested for the murder of Mrs. Eunice Elisha Olawale in Kubwa, Abuja, have been set free by the Nigeria Police?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

WOMEN CAMPAIGN

L-R: Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Oluranti Adebule; wife of the state Governor and convener, Lagos Women Forum, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode; wife of ďŹ rst civilian Governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Abimbola Jakande; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire and Head of Service, Lagos State, Mrs. Folasade Adesoye, during the campaign against domestic violence, rape, child abuse and teenage pregnancy in Ikeja... recently

Kola: My Mother Told Abiola to Suspend His Presidential Ambition The first son of the late Chief MKO Abiola, Kola, yesterday revealed that his mother, late Alhaja Simbiat Atinuke Abiola, told his father to suspend his presidential ambition until the then military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, would have left office.

Babangida, who was military president of Nigeria from August 27, 1985, to August 26, 1993, annulled the June 12, 1993, presidential election presumed to have won by Abiola.

That crisis that followed the annulment of the election by the Babangida government led to the death of Abiola in 1998.

But late MKO Abiolaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

first son, who appeared on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Political Stew,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; a live political talk show on Television Continental (TVC) anchored

by Sulaiman Aledeh, stressed that his mother told his father to drop his ambition until Babangida would have left office.

Contrary to claims that his mother told his father not to run, Kola noted that his mother was only concerned about the timing and not his fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ambition at the time.

He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Contrary to what is out there, my mother never told my father not to run or get into politics, what she said was look, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the way itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s being played nowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; she was not sure itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going anywhere. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am not telling you not

to run, I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop you from running but allow Babangida to finish his programme and then you can get on board. It was a matter of time to step in. She felt the timing then was not right and the thing we all agreed to then was that he would let it play out and subsequently get involved, but he had his own way of doing things, he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait for that. The rest is history now. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When he went out to pick the form in Abeokuta back then, he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tell me because he knew what the agreement was, so I equally acted as if I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know he did, but obviously it was all over the news.â&#x20AC;?

President Muhammadu Buhari had last week honoured Abiola with the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR), recoginsing him as the winner of 1993 presidential election, 20 years after his death in 1998.

Like Abiola, Kingibe was also conferred with a national honour as well as late Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), a tireless fighter for human rights and democracy.

Buhari, who said he made the decision after due consultations, stressed that â&#x20AC;&#x153;June 12, 1993, was and is far more symbolic of democracy in the Nigerian context than May 29 or even October 1.â&#x20AC;?

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2018Ëž T H I S D AY

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FG Orders MDAs, FIRS to Authenticate Tax Certificates before Payment to Contractors Ndubuisi Francis Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x;Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x2039; The federal government has directed all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service

(FIRS) to authenticate all Tax Clearance Certificates (TCCs) presented by companies and individuals engaged in public procurement processes.

The Ministry of Finance said in a statement that the

Katsina Begins Demarcation of Cattle Routes to End Farmers, Herdsmenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Clashes Francis Sardauna Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039; Disturbed by the lingering clashes between farmers and herdsmen across the country, the Katsina State Government has commenced the demarcation of cattle routes in nine local government areas of the state in order to end the perennial conflict between the two groups that has led to loss of innocent lives and property.

The routes to be redemarcated include both local and international ones, which pass through the state to other neighboring countries.

Speaking during the commencement ceremony at Kukar Babangida yesterday, the state Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, said the conflict between cattle breeders and farmers mostly hinges on encroachment on areas of land reserved for grazing by farmers and consequent encroachment on farms by breeders.

He pointed out that until these issues are resolved, no measure would be able to stop the ugly situation in the country, hence the decision of the state government to re-demarcate routes across the state in order to prevent the clashes. Â According to the state, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It must be pointed out that the original grazing routes and grazing areas in many states of the federation have been encroached upon by some people, this is one of the reasons herdsmen are destroying peoplesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; farms in search of food for their

animals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are determined to ensure there is peace and unity between herdsmen and farmers. Our main focus is to change the unhealthy relationship existing between herdsmen and farmers in Nigeria, thus bringing to an end the culture of bloody violence.â&#x20AC;?

Masari, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Mustapha Inuwa, appealed to stakeholders and security agencies to take the necessary measure to recover the grazing reserves and identify cattle routes from those who have encroached into them.

He called on traditional rulers of the affected local government areas to give the committee that would embark on the exercise the needed support that would enable them discharge their assignment effectively.

Masari stressed that the ugly trend started  some decades ago but most states failed to take necessary actions to stop the takeover of the grazing routes and reserves which were adequately provided even during the colonial days.

Earlier, the State Standing Committee Chairman on improvement of relationship between farmers and herdsmen, Alhaji Abdulraziz Lawal, said the exercise was aimed at fostering smooth passage of pastoralists and prevention of farmers/ herdsmen clashes, which had become a thing of the past in the state.

Former Supreme Court Judge, Aderemi Passes on Former Supreme Court judge, Justice Pius Olayiwola Aderemi, has passed on.

Aderemi, also a one time chairmanship nominee of the Independent and Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)

Aderemi

by President Goodluck Jonathan, passed on Monday, June 18 at a hospital in Ibadan after a brief illness.

According to a statement issued by his son, Olakunle Aderemi, Justice Aderemi until his death was a devoted Catholic, defender of the law and an exemplary and incorruptible jurist.

He was at a time, a member of the National Judicial Council (NJC), the highest judicial organ in the country, member of the Body of Benchers of Nigeria, and was a Papal Knight of St Gregory the Great.

He is survived by children and grandchildren.

Olakunle said his fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s burial arrangements would be announced by the family.

directive was in response to the proliferation of forged TCCs purportedly issued prior to the automation of the certificates on August 22, 2017.

The statement, which was issued by the Special Adviser, Media & Communications to the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Mr. Oluyinka Akintunde, said the validation of the TCCs would enhance the integrity of the tax system.

According to the statement, a circular issued yesterday

by Adeosun, requires the

MDAs to authenticate all TCCs prior to making any payment.

For TCCs issued before August 22, 2017, the circular advised the MDAs and other stakeholders to forward a list of the companies and photocopies of the TCCs to the office of the Executive Chairman, FIRS for authentication. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The FIRS has undertaken to verify the TCCs within 72 hours of receipt. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The minister reminds company directors that possession is an offence.

The now outdated manual system allowed production of forged TCCs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Companies and individuals in doubt as to the authenticity of their TCCs are advised to take advantage of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) to regularise,â&#x20AC;? the circular was cited as saying.

Adeosun added that the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Federal Ministry of Finance and the FIRS will continue to work in partnership with government at all levels and stakeholders towards

eradicating tax fraud and evasion.â&#x20AC;?

The federal government had in January 2018, directed vendors of MDAs to display their Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) on their invoices before payments are effected.

The non-presentation of a TIN by the vendors largely contributed to leakages in revenue remittances, particularly Value Added Tax (VAT) and Withholding Tax (WHT), the statement added.

STOCK TAKING

L-R: Company Secretary, Chemical and Allied Products (CAP) PLC, Mrs. Rose Joshua Hamis; Chairman, Mr. Larry Ettah; and Managing Director, Mrs. Oluwakemi Ogunnubi, during the AGM of the company in Lagos... yesterday

Niger Delta Women Protest against EFCCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Harassment of Patience Jonathan Ernest Chinwo Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17E; Thousands of women from the Niger Delta yesterday marched to the Government House in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to protest against what they termed the  incessant harassment of former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The women, under the aegis of Niger Delta Mothers, urged President Muhammadu Buhari,

the National Assembly and the international community to call the EFCC to order.

In a letter read by the leader of the group, Chief Eunice Igwe, they said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We call on President Buhari, the National Assembly and the international community to call the EFCC and other  security agencies to order. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Mothers of Niger Delta want this obvious hatred and injustice against our daughter and mother to stop forthwith or else we will shut down the

region. Enough is enough!â&#x20AC;?

The group said itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not pleased that the family of former President Goodluck Jonathan are going through attacks and humiliation despite freely relinquishing power. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is on record that no former first lady has been investigated, attacked and humiliated in the history of Nigeria like Mrs. Jonathan. Why is her case different? Is it because she is from the minority tribe,â&#x20AC;? they queried.

The Niger Delta women said

the repeated attacks on Dame Jonathan are a deliberate witchhunt by the federal government.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Government House, Dr. Onyenachi Nwankwor, assured the Niger Delta Mothers that their letter would get to the appropriate authorities.

He commended the women for their peaceful disposition during the protest march.

Ekiti State Assembly Deputy Leader Quits PDP, Joins APC Victor Ogunje Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C; The Deputy Leader of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon Adeniran Alagbada, has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Alagbada, representing Ise/ Orun constituency, renounced his membership of PDP in Ado Ekiti yesterday, saying

he decided to dump the PDP based on some lapses in the party.

Briefing journalists in Ado Ekiti on his decision, Alagbada said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have consulted my leaders and the good people of my constituency in Ise Orun Local Government that elected me as member of Ekiti State House of Assembly before this press conference on my decision and they approved

of itâ&#x20AC;?.

Contrary to how Hon Gboyega Aribisogan was suspended indefinitely for defecting to APC, Alagbada said he had no reason to fret over such action, saying he has the fundamental rights of freedom of association as enshrined in the constitution.

He added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have also obtained their full consent before this historic declaration.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m aware and it is an historical fact that during the 2014 PDP primary, Governor Ayo Fayose promised my constituency, Ise Orun, the governorship after his tenure. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were therefore very hopeful when two of our illustrious sons, Prince Dayo Adeyeye and Mr. Owoseeni Ajayi came out to show interests to contest for the PDP gubernatorial candidate,â&#x20AC;? he said.

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Umahi Attacks Obiano for Renaming Awka Street David-Chyddy Eleke ÓØ Awka Governor of Ebonyi State and Chairman, South East Governors Forum, David Umahi, has called out his Anambra State counterpart for renaming a street in the

state capital, Awka, which was initially named after, Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.

Obiano had recently renamed the popular Abakaliki Street, housing most of the nightclubs in the capital city as; Club Road.

Generator Fume Kills Woman, Five Children in Edo A man identified as Tochukwu Okwueze has lost his entire family after they reportedly inhaled generator fume in Edo State.

Okwueze’s wife and five children were found dead by neighbours yesterday.

But the man is presently in hospital battling for his life.

The incident happened at Akpata Street in Egor Local Government Area of the state.

Neighbours found the victims’ bodies when they broke into their apartment yesterday morning.

The family reportedly put on their generator and kept it in the kitchen throughout the night.

The man was taken to a private hospital after he was rescued while bodies of the dead victims were taken to the Central Hospital morgue.

A family friend, who identified himself as Vincent,

said: “My younger one called me from Lagos and asked me what was happening. I said that I did not know. So, he told me to go the house that something not pleasing to the ears has just happened.

“So, I call her (deceased woman) line. Somebody picked the call and said that they (victims) slept and did not wake up. I stay at Evbuotubu area, so I went to the place.

“The whole family was affected. But the police told me that the man survived it.

They said though his case was serious, if there was the need to rush him to University of Benin Teaching Hospital, they would call me.

It is a family of seven. The youngest is a set of twins.

The Edo State Commissioner of Police, Johnson Kokumo, confirmed the incident.

Ooni , Others Bag Awards As EKSU Holds Convocation Victor Ogunje ÓØ ÎÙ ÕÓÞÓ The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi and other eminent Nigerians are to recieve honourary awards at the 23rd convocation ceremonies of the Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti.

Oba Ogunwusi, is to be honoured with a Doctorate degree in Public Administration at the ceremonies slated for June 23, 2018.

The former Registrar of West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and that of University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Chief Alex Ajayi, Mr. Abiodun Adedapo, Dr. Olasehinde Olatunji, Mr. Israel Ovirih and Dr. Falil Ayo Abina, are to be honoured with Doctor of Public Administration, Doctor of Finance, Doctor of Public Administration and Doctor of Economics, respectively.

The University’s Vice

Chancellor, Prof. Samuel Oye Bandele, who spoke at a preconvocation press conference in Ado Ekiti yesterday, said the institution had set up work-study programme, where indigent students would work for the institution and get paid on monthly basis to finance their education to reduce drop out on account of poverty.

The EKSU’s vice chancellor disclosed that a total of 9,796 students will be graduated, out of which 49 bagged First Class honour degrees.

Bandele said the university just secured full accreditation for 35 courses with three placed on interim status by National Universities Commission (NUC), saying this will boost academic performances in the institution when students realise that they have good prospects.

2019 IS A REFERENDUM ON RESTRUCTURING, SAYS DICKSON but we succeeded. We have stood up to anti-democratic forces, and as you know, I can stand up again to anybody or any force in this country. I know you have the courage and perseverance that I have to change the change.

“Before 2015, you knew how the economy was. Today, you know how it is. We have the largest unemployment rate in the history of this country since the APC took over office.

“Because they were never there before, they didn’t know how to create jobs, they didn’t know how to govern, and they

didn’t even understand the economy,” he said.

Orubebe, who also spoke, noted that among the presidential aspirants within the party, the former vice president remains the only one qualified to rescue the country.

“I have looked through all the aspirants for who can manage it, it is only Atiku that I see. Atiku is an enigma. What we need now in PDP is a man with the capacity and vision.

What they stopped the region from getting during President Goodluck Jonathan reign, Atiku will provide more,” he said.

In doing so, Obiano had explained that renaming the street was necessary, so that its name can depict the flurry of night life activities which the street has become synonymous with.

But Umahi, in a statement signed on his behalf by his Chief Press Secretary, Emmanuel Uzor, condemned the change in name, saying that it was a way of marginalising Ebonyi, or even making Anambra feel superior to his state.

The statement quoted Umahi as being alarmed by the action of Anambra State Government, while calling for immediate reversal of

the action by his Anambra counterpart, Obiano.

“While we condemn in its entirety the action if it is true, Umahi has put everything in place to ensure that His Excellency, Chief Willie Obiano reverses the action of bringing back the Abakaliki street, a name gazetted long time ago in the spirit of oneness in Igbo land.

“There should be no part of Igbo land that should be discriminated upon.

Ebonyi State has received the highest discrimination even from among her brother states and this is not healthy especially as we fight to unite our people

and form a formidable economic and political bloc.

“The governor has put a call through to his brother Governor, Chief Obiano, on how best to resolve the conflict of interest, especially as regards the social media claims that the street was taken away from Abakaliki people because they are not qualified to answer such name of a major street in Awka,” Uzor explained.

Uzor said Ebonyi State government would not want to rush into conclusion over the change of name, which it gathered was done because Abakaliki was seen as the capital of a backward state, but reminded anyone

taking any action against an Abakaliki man based on the former toga and personality that Abakaliki had, that since inception of the administration of Governor Umahi, Ebonyi has become the fastest developing capital and the most beautiful state capital in Nigeria with great potential to overtake other states in the nearest future.

Umahi frowned at every opportunity by other states especially Anambra to look down on Abakaliki man and called on Ndigbo to eschew discrimination and see every Igbo man as a brother irrespective of where he or she comes from.

Sowore Meets Herdsmen, Farmers in Taraba, Adamawa Shola Oyeyipo Publisher of Sahara Reporters and one of the presidential aspirants in the 2019 election, Steven Omoyele Sowore, yesterday met with herdsmen and farmers in Taraba and Adamawa States.

Sowore, the convener, ‘Take It Back Movement,’ who was in the state to promote his presidential ambition and seek votes ahead of presidential polls

slated for February 15, 2019, held two town hall meetings in Yola, Adamawa State, and Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, implored herdsmen and Farmers to eschew violence.

The renowned journalistturned politician, who vowed to find lasting solution to the problem, said farmers and herders have lived harmoniously over decades without any skirmishes. He therefore advised them to identify the bad eggs

amongst themselves and sanction them accordingly.

Sowore expressed displeasure over incessant fighting between herdsmen and farmers across the country, regretting that the ugly trend has degenerated to a point where even Nigerians who do not belong to any of the groups have been caught in the crossfire, including thousands that have been maimed and killed in the last few years.

The meeting between the

herdsmen and farmers with the presidential aspirant climaxed in a town hall meeting held in Yola, Adamawa State and Jalingo, capital of Taraba State where the crowd in their thousands could not contain the joy of meeting with human and civil rights activist that was at the forefront of actualisation of June 12, 1993 polls that were won by Bashorun Abiola but annulled by the Ibrahim Babaginda led military junta.

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Pandemonium as Plywoods Fall off Ojuelegba Bridge, Crush Motorists, Pedestrians Chiemelie Ezeobi For the umpteenth time, a containerised truck yesterday unleashed chaos at the Ojuelegba area of Lagos after the plywood it was conveying fell off the bridge, crushing some motorists and pedestrians who were passing under the bridge.

The incident, which happened at about 8.30pm, saw the truck veer off its track before attempting to plunge down the bridge like a pack of badly stacked cards.

Although the concrete rails

held the body of the truck, the plywood it was carrying fell off from that height and crushed some cars and pedestrians.

At the scene of the incident, it was pure bedlam as some people tried to scamper for safety, while some others at the same time, attempted to rescue those trapped.

According to reports, the driver was trying to navigate the bend on the bridge when its gravity first pulled the body of the truck down and its head attempted to follow but was hinged by the concrete.

Don’t be Miyetti Allah’s Mouthpiece, Ortom Warns Defence Minister The Governor of Benue State, Mr. Samuel Ortom has asked the Minister of Defence, Brig.

Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd), to apologise to Nigerians for demanding the suspension of the state’s anti-grazing law.

Ali had on June 5 called for the suspension of the law, which is operational in Benue, Taraba and Ekiti states.

Speaking yesterday at an event to showcase the national livestock transformation plan by the Office of the Vice President, Ortom said there should be caution by those in government as regards the crisis.

The governor said the statement of the defence minister has cast the government in bad light.

“Honourable minister (Audu Ogbeh), just one thing; I am part of this government and I appreciate what this government is doing.

So, since the honourable minister of defence is not a member of NEC and you are constantly in NEC and you are member of the Federal Executive Council ,where other ministers will be there. What you have said is very

important, there should have be a level of caution,” Ortom said.

“In a time like this, we should be sensitive to what is going on. When the young man was making his remarks, he was literally shaking and it is coming from the heart and that is how most Nigerians are. I wonder if the minister has had time to read the newspapers, he would have felt the feelings of Nigerians for him calling for the suspension of a legitimate law,” Ortom added.

“It is not good enough, it is casting the government in bad light and the minister of the federal republic should represent the interest of Nigerians. He should not be the mouthpiece of Miyetti Allah in a conflict involving Nigerians,” he saidf.

“Some people took it as the opinion of the security council.

When he clarified it solve some problems; he needs to apologise to Nigerians,” Ortom said.

The governor said the antigrazing law was put in place out of desperation.

“We did the anti-grazing law out of desperation to find peace,” he said.

Boko Haram: Ndume Identifies Two Black Spots in Borno Deji Elumoye Former Senate leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has identified two black spots militating against government’s current fight against insurgency in Borno State.

The black spots, according to him, are Damboa/Gwoza/ Chibok axis and Lake Chad axis.

Ndume has therefore urged security agencies to intensify efforts on the two identified black spots with a view to defeating the Boko Haram insurgents in the state.

Reacting to last weekend’s killing of scores of people on the outskirt of Damboa town in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State, Ndume in a statement issued yesterday in Saudi Arabia emphasised that he had credible reports that the insurgents are operating from the two bases.

According to him, if the military attack the two bases, the insurgents would be tamed and definitely rendered harmless.

He said the bases were reported to be the operational bases of the insurgents.

“We are appealing to the military to intensify operation on the darkest spots in Borno State where the insurgents are said to be carrying out their operations from.

“It is suspected and reported that Abubakar Shekau, a factional leader of the sect is operating from the Chibok axis while the Mamman Nur’s group operates from the Lake Chad axis, “ Ndume further said.

He said if the military engage the bases of the insurgents with superior firepower, the insurgents would be defeated.

“They should clear the two bases for us to have peace. These are the two reported and known bases of the insurgents in Borno State” he said.

While condoling with the family of those who were killed in the Damboa’s attack, Ndume added that he had also sent a delegation to visit the injured at the hospital.

When the plywood landed, it fell on some cars, including three commercial buses, a black Toyota saloon car and some pedestrians who were walking on the busy road.

THISDAY gathered that part of the problem was that some tanker drivers had already taken possession of one part of the road as their park, thus forcing other motorists to only one lane.

With this incident, it brings to a total of four, of such cases whereby tankers and trucks and their attachments have fallen off the Ojuelegba Bridge in two years.

As at press time, there was no

concrete figure as to the number of rescued persons and the death rate, as different figures were bandied.

While some put the casualty rate at two, others said five, while eyewitness account, however claimed 15 bodies were brought out of the mangled commercial buses.

However, the emergency workers on the scene told THISDAY that at 10.30pm, they had brought out two dead persons from one of the mangled bus.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Chike Oti, however said

no death was recorded, rather most of them were seriously injured and have been taken to the hospital for treatment.

He said, “The command rescue squad led by the Area C Commander, ACP Godwin Eze, are there rendering humanitarian aid and helping victims of the accident. They are also to ensure the security of lives of the emergency workers.

“Meanwhile, on his way to the search and rescue mission, he quickly branched at Randle General Hospital and picked some medics on duty before rushing to the scene.

“Also at the scene

were the personnel Lagos State Ambulance Services (LASAMBUS), whom they teamed up with to attend to the survivors before they were rushed to the hospital for proper treatment,” he added.

However, conspicuously absent were the personnel of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), who are on a nationwide strike, while personnel of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) held sway under the leadership of their boss, Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu.

BOOK LAUNCH

L-R:Founder/Pro Chancellor, Baze University, Senator Sani Datti Ahmed; author of the book, Mr. Dele Ogun and his wife, Mrs. Esther Ogun, during the book presentation and launch of ‘’A Fatherless People’’ in Abuja...yesterday

Police Arrest Man for Impersonating Andy Ubah on Facebook Rebecca Ejifoma The Police in Lagos have arrested a middle-aged man identified as Asabor Joel for impersonating Senator Andy Ubah on Facebook to swindle job seekers of their money.

Sources said the suspect had smartly opened a Facebook account with the Senator’s photograph and entered into chats with unsuspecting job seekers asking them to pay certain amount of money to secure employment in one of the oil companies.

Accordingly, the arrest which was effected on Monday, June 18, this year at Oghara, Delta State by crack detectives attached to ‘Area D’ Command Headquarters Mushin, followed a strong worded petition by one Charles Asugha on behalf of one Chinelo Nnedimma.

It was further learnt that after the Facebook ‘Senator Andy Ubah’ successfully duped the complainant of N300,000.00, she was directed to contact another law maker named ‘Nkiruka’ for further discussion with a view to getting more money from her.

This development, however,

raised the victim’s suspicion.

When THISDAY contacted the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Chike Oti, he promised to respond shortly on the case.

However, a source close to his office, who confirmed the arrest said the suspect confessed to the crime already.

“The petitioner alleged that sometime last December one unknown person presented himself via a facebook account as Andy Ubah, Senator of the federal Republic of Nigeria with the Senator’s picture.”

During one of the chats, he

claimed to be a person of influence at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to secure job for the petitioner, who then paid N300, 000.00 via account name Asabor Joel to his First Bank 3069996606.”

After the collection, the suspect gave an instruction to call one Nkiruka (a honourable) with phone number 0811868970; all were found to be another prank to obtain more money from the petitioner.

At the time of this report, the PPRO was yet to get back to this reporter.

2019 Election: Group Mounts Pressure on Umar John Shiklam ÓØ ËÎßØË

Kaduna state between 1985 and 1988, during the administration Ahead of the 2019 elections, a of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. group known as Good-News Upon his retirement from the Nigeria, is mounting pressure on Nigerian Army in 1993, he became a former military governor of a social critic and founded the Kaduna State, Colonel Abubakar Movement for Unity and Progress Dangiwa Umar (rtd.), to contest (MUP). the presidential election.

The group in the statement In a statement issued signed by its National Coordinator, yesterday in Kaduna, the group Dauda Mbaya, appealed to said Umar is a true patriot and northern leaders to persuade the one of the few credible Nigerians former military governor to join with the capacity to unite the the race for the exalted position. country and move it forward.

Mbaya said his group was Umar was the governor of doing everything possible to

convince the former governor to run for the presidency even though Umar is not known to belong to any political party.

Mbaya maintained that Umar is “the only credible and detribilised Nigerian with sound morals who can take Nigeria to the promised land.”

“Northern leaders need to convince Umar to step out and contest because of his military background. His strength of character, his urbaneness, his record of inclusivity, his contagiously genuine passion for

pan-Nigerianism, his commitment to higher principles, his vast knowledge of the ways of the world, his intellectual curiosity and his broadmindedness stands him out,” the group said.

The statement further noted that Umar sacrificed his military career to fight the injustice in the annulment of the June 12, 1993 Presidential elections presumed to have been won by the late Chief MKO Abiola, stressing that “he is one of the few northern leaders that can be trusted by all religious and interest groups across the country.”

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2018˾ T H I S D AY

53

NEWSXTRA

FG Outlines Plan to Permanently Solve Farmers, Herders’ Crisis The federal government has presented a plan to permanently solve the farmersherders conflicts in Nigeria which has claimed the lives of thousands over the years.

Hundreds of people have been killed in 2018 alone in violence involving nomadic herdsmen in states like Benue, Plateau, and Kaduna, Taraba Kogi and Nasarawa.

Aside the loss of lives, the federal government has said that Nigeria loses about $14 billion (5.04 trillion) annually to the conflicts.

The presentation of the plan was made by the technical adviser to the National Economic Council (NEC), Andrew Kwasari, yesterday in Abuja.

The presentation event was attended by several public officials including the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh; and the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom.

Kwasari’s presentation showed that the plan stemmed from meetings and recommendations by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and the NEC in 2017.

The economic council is headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and includes all state governors as well as some ministers as members.

The government’s new

plan is tagged ‘The National Livestock Transformation Plan.’

It is built on six key pillars: economic investment, conflict resolution, law and order, humanitarian relief, information education and strategic communication; and cross-cutting issues.

According to the plan, the economic investment pillar would support and strengthen the development of market-driven ranches in seven pilot states for improved livestock productivity through breed (genetic) improvement and pasture production, in addition to efficient land and water productivity.

The government also said it would rebuild social capital at the community level to promote mutual trust, confidence building and consolidate the peace process, with regards to the conflict resolution pillar.

The plan also showed that the law and order pillar would support the strengthening of legal frameworks for improving livestock production, peace and harmony.

The fourth pillar, humanitarian relief will focus on rebuilding and reconstructing of common facilities – worship places, markets and individual homes that have been destroyed.

The fifth pillar would aid information, education and

strategic communication on the development of grazing reserves in the frontline states, and mitigate the consequences of these conflicts such as wanton loss of lives, destruction of properties, including schools and facilities.

The ‘cross-cutting’ issues pillar identifies various crosscutting issues necessary to realise the objectives of the programme, which include monitoring and evaluation; and research to contribute evidence base in programme implementation; as well as gender mainstreaming, the plan showed.

Ten key states were identified as the frontline states to receive pilot interventions in line with the recommendations of the FMARD and NEC

livestock conference.

The states include: Adamawa, Benue, Ebonyi, Edo, Kaduna, Nassarawa, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara.

The plan would include creation of large ranches in each of these states.

“A Ranch Design Plan has also been proposed in models of various sizes clustered in 94 locations in the 10 pilot states. The government intends to transition pastoralism to ranching in order to reduce the struggle for common resources,” Kwasari stated in his presentation of the plan.

In terms of size, ccording to Premium Times, the proposed ranch size models are: “Cluster 30, 60, 150 and 300 cows ranch models in a location within

the donated gazetted grazing reserves; and “a minimum 1000 cows breeder ranch in seven of the 10 pilot states.”

The well equipped ranches will, however, not come cheap.

“Total spending over the 10 year period is slightly in excess of N179 billion,” the expert said.

“FGN-states funding is meant for the first 3yrs in the pilot phase, totaling about N70billion.”

Some of the benefits of the plan include “Expected milk output to be in excess of 200million litres by the 2nd year of the project (but the first year of productivity.”

“Expected milk output of 700m ltrs of milk by the 4th year of the project.”

Speaking on the plan, the

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh said: “we want to bring this crisis to an end. We will begin action in a matter of days.”

He said nomadic herding was not sustainable and Nigeria must adopt ranching.

He added that there has been a “strong partnership” between the federal and state governments; a view also espoused by Ortom whose Benue State has witnessed some of the most violent crisis involving nomadic herdsmen.

Ortom, however, argued that apart from implementing the new plan, the federal government must ensure that perpetrators of previous killings in the state are arrested and prosecuted.

Over 2,000 IDPs Escorted Home by Soldiers Michael Olugbode ÓØ Maiduguri Over 2,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Guzamala Local Government Area, who fled at the peak of Boko Haram insurgency to Maiduguri, Borno State, were escorted back home yesterday by the Nigerian military.

This is the first batch of IDPs to be escorted back to Northern Borno who, until recently, threatened by pockets of insurgents, before a military operation, ‘Operation Last Hold’, was launched in the area, which rattled the insurgents and cleared landmines from farmlands.

The IDPs who were transported from the Bakassi camp in Maiduguri yesterday morning in long buses numbered about 2,043, represent 378 households.

This, according to the military, is the first batch of IDPs who willingly expressed the desire to return to their communities to resettle and resume their traditional occupation of farming and fishing as well as other socio-economic activities.

Speaking during the commencement of the movement at the Bakassi IDPs camp, the head of the military counter-insurgency operation in the Northeast (Theatre Commander Operation Lafiya Dole), Major General Rogers Nicholas, stated that the earnest desire of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur

Buratai, has been to ensure that IDPs who are willing to return home to begin a normal life are assisted back home.

He noted that the modalities to return the IDPs home were jointly worked out by the Theatre Command, the Borno State Government and the Guzamala Local Authorities.

Nicholas added that the military has reinforced security in the locality and that the traditional farm clearing (sharandaji) to declare the farming season open has been earlier conducted in Gudumbali.

He assured the returnee IDPs of adequate protection while they resettle, adding that Operation Last Hold has been inaugurated in the theatre to operationally cover the locality and other communities.

The Theatre commander also urged well-meaning Nigerians and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to support returnee IDPs with farming implements and other relief materials to enable them settle back quickly into their respective communities.

The state Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, Professor Babagana Umara, while addressing the returnee IDPs, stated that their resolve to return home is a welcome development that will fast track their socio-economic well-being. He assured them of the Borno State Government support as they return home.

HUMAN RIGHTS L-R; Chief Host, United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), National Information Officer, Dr. Seyi Soremekun; Director Citizens Right, Mrs Tola Akinsanya; UN Residents Coordinator’s Office, Abuja, Mr. Kwasi Amankwaah; President, Women Arise, Dr. Joe Okei Odumakin and National Human Rights Zonal Coordinator, South-west, Mr. Lucas Koyejo.at the Universal declaration of human rights pledge siging ceremony in Ikoyi, Lagos....yesterday

THISDAY, Access Bank, Others Nominated for Healthcare Award Martins Ifijeh THISDAY Newspapers, Access Bank Plc, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), and over 100 persons and organisations have been nominated for the 2018 Nigeria Healthcare Excellent Award (NHEA).

The award, which will hold on June 22 at Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos, will recognise healthcare practitioners and organisations that have distinguished themselves in the pursuit of better healthcare services to Nigerians in the year under review (June 2017 to June 2018).

Stating this in a press conference to announce the nominees in Lagos recently, the Chairman, Advisory Board of NHEA, Dr. Anthony Omolola, said the awards, tagged: ‘Oscar of Healthcare in Nigeria’, being in its fifth year, has propelled many healthcare providers to push towards quality delivery

of services, adding that it has brought a healthy competition to the sector.

According to Omolola, “We used internationally recognised standards and criteria to evaluate our nominees before presenting them to the public to vote for anyone of their choice. We are confident that those who will receive special recognitions and the winners of the medical, pharmaceutical and biomedical award categories, will no doubt, continue to be motivators and positive influencers to drive the Nigerian healthcare forward.”

Moreover, Omolola said two newly introduced categories were testaments of the determination of the organisers to continuously improve and expand the scope to accommodate more stakeholders who are making unique contributions to care giving in Nigeria.

Safecare Facilities of the Year and Healthcare Media Excellence

Award (Online) are the newly introduced categories.

“There have been tremendous improvements in terms of voting. The process is rigorous, and we have made sure there is the e-voting platform which enables everyone to vote any organisation or persons of their choice. We use to have 7,000 e-voting but as at now, we have gotten over 14,000 votes,” he said.

The NHEA will confer its 2018 Lifetime Achievements Awards on a seasoned Pharmacist and General Secretary of the Nigerian Academy of Pharmacy, Prof.

Fola Tayo, and the Chief Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre, Yola, Prof.

Auwal Abubakar, for their immense contribution to healthcare in Nigeria.

Among those nominated in different categories are St. Nicholas Hospital, for Dialysis Service Provider of the Year; Glaxosmithkline Pharmaceutical

Limited, for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company of the Year; I Care Family Vision Centre, for Eye Care Service Provider of the Year; Healthplus Pharmacy, for Pharmaceutical Retail Outlet of the Year; The Bridge Clinic, for IVF Service Provider of the Year among others.

The award ceremony will have key government officials, healthcare professionals, representatives of key financial institutions, diplomatic community, NGOs and the media in attendance, and will be streamed live on social media to different audience across the world.

NHEA, organised by Global Health Project and Resources (GHPR) in collaboration with Anadach, United States, is supported

by PharmAccess Foundation and TStv. THISDAY won the NHEA print media category in 2016.

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

54

WEDNESDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

WORLD CUP 2018â&#x20AC;Ś

JUNE 14 TO JULY 15

NFF Offers Eagles Full BeneďŹ t Incentive to Qualify for Round of 16

As a way to motivate the Super Eagles to put behind the loss to Croatia at the ongoing FIFA World Cup here in Russia, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has offered to pay the players full benefits if they qualify for the knock out stage.

Eagles who are to leave their camp base in Essentuki on Thursday morning for Volgograd where they will

play Iceland in their second Group D match, were offered the incentive by the NFF on Monday night.

First Vice President of the NFF, Seyi Akinwunmi, confirmed to Nigerian reporters here in St Petersburg yesterday that the essence of the full group stage benefit to the team is to ginger the players to give their best in the two remaining matches.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once they qualify for the Round of 16, they will get their full benefits as if they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lose any match. This is one of the ways we believe we can motivate the players to go all out in the remaining two matches against Iceland and Argentina,â&#x20AC;? observed Akinwunmi who also doubles as Lagos FA chairman.

Nigeria lost her opening match 2-0 to Luka Modric

inspired Croatia on Saturday in Kaliningrad but have another opportunity to stay alive in the competition if they are able to get a win against Iceland that forced Argentina to a one-all draw. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our players are focused on the match with Iceland.

They have reviewed the loss to Croatia and done all that is necessary to earn all three points against Iceland on Friday. We are really looking forward to positive result come Friday in Volgograd,â&#x20AC;? stressed Akinwunmi who also revealed that the NFF was solidly behind Coach Gernot Rohr despite pressure from a section of Nigerians condemning his tactics against Croatia.

He insisted that no query or ultimatum has been issued to the German gaffer as a result of the loss last Saturday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It amazes me that people have easily forgotten that this same coach was hailed for

qualifying Nigeria for the World Cup with a match to spare. How come he has suddenly become a bad coach?â&#x20AC;? queried the NFF chief.

On the face-off between some Super Eagles players and a section of Nigerians on the Social Media, Akinwunmi said that the coaching crew had waded into the matter and steps were being taken to avoid a repetition.

While refusing to be dragged into NFF election campaigns embarked upon by a section of the football stakeholders here in Russia, the NFF first vice president said the main focus of every patriotic Nigerian now is how Super Eagles will do well at this tournament. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are not in Russia for any NFF campaign or election matter. We are here solely to ensure that the Super Eagles make all of us proud. That should be the focus of all of

us,â&#x20AC;? he noted.

Akinwunmi suggested that henceforth it will be necessary for the NFF elections to be moved away from the World Cup year to avoid the kind of distractions associated with it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People just want to create problems where they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exist. Because we are used to hearing crisis in the NFF whenever it is an election year, they are busy spreading what does not exist in this board.

We all (NFF board members) here watched some of the matches together and even had breakfast together this morning. I wonder where such rumours of crisis is coming from,â&#x20AC;? concludes the NFF chief who was accompanied to the briefing by Chairman of NFFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Media Committee, Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande, Chairperson of the female league and board member, Aisha Falode and Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire.

Ikpeba Leads Bet9ja Customers to Russia For their loyalty and commitment to the Bet9ja brand, nine lucky customers are full paid trip to watch Super Eagles matches at the on going Russia 2018 World cup .

The customers picked randomly across the country will be led on the trip by Bet9ja Ambassador and former Super Eagles striker Victor Ikpeba.

According to the Brands and Communications Manager of KC Gaming Networks, Tunji

Mesh, â&#x20AC;&#x153;these lucky customers were chosen through a transparent raffle draw as a way of reward for their passion for football. This is in line with our responsibility of giving back to our loyal customers.

The lucky winners will enjoy an all expenses paid trip to Russia to watch the Super Eagles last game against Argentina.

They will depart Nigeria by weekend and will enjoy the best hospitality during the trip.

German Coach, Low Goes Spiritual after Loss to Mexico Germany manager, Joachim LĂśw, is still rueing over his teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opening match loss to Mexico. He said it felt as though his Germany side were â&#x20AC;&#x153;jinxedâ&#x20AC;? as the defending champions at Russia 2018 were rocked 1-0 by Mexico in Group F at Luzhniki Stadium.

The match was the first time Germany lost to a team from CONCACAF in the World Cup. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a situation weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not used to at all,â&#x20AC;? Low admitted â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a situation we have to accept of course, there can be obstacles to overcome. And in the next match we have to be much better.â&#x20AC;?

LĂśw, who has managed

the German side in the past 12 years, admitted it seemed his team, winners in 2014 in Brazil, were â&#x20AC;&#x153;jinxedâ&#x20AC;? as nothing seemed to go their way against a well-supported Mexican team intent on counter-attacking.

He believes â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;El Triâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; prevented Germany from imposing their usual way of playing, and that meant their World Cup hinged on their remaining World Cup games versus Sweden and South Korea. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As far as psychological situation, of course everyone is very unhappy and crestfallen but we have to put this behind us, our team next match will be decisive for us, we have to win it,â&#x20AC;? LĂśw said.

Sanchez Bags First Red Card Colombiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Carlos Sanchez on Tuesday afternoon emerged the first player to be sent off here at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the Mordovia Arena in Saransk, Russia.

He was sent off for handling the ball in the penalty area in just the 3rd minute of the Group

H clash between Colombia and Japan.

Shinji Kagawa converted the resultant penalty for Japan Sanchezâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s red card is the second fastest in FIFA World Cup history after Uruguayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sergio Batista was sent off inside the first minute in 1986.

The 1st Vice President, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Seyi Akinwunmi, flanked by the Chairman, NFF Media & Publicity Committee, Hon. Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande (left) and Vice Chairman, NFF Media & Publicity Committee, Ms. Aisha Falode during a press briefing on the performance of Super Eagles at Park lnn Hotel, St Peters Burg, Russia yesterday Photo; Abiodun Ajala

Mourinho Rues Converting Mikel to a Combative MidďŹ elder Says: Nigeria lost a good No.6 to get a bad No.10 To Manchester United Manager, Jose Mourinho, insisting yesterday that Nigerian Captain, John Mikel Obi, may have been under-performing at the ongoing World Cup here in Russia because heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not playing the right role in the Super Eagles.

Mourinho who snatched the young Mikel from the grip of rival Manchester United for Chelsea in 2006, converted the former Lyn Oslo, (Norway) playmaker to a defensive midfielder.

Now, the decision of the then Chelsea gaffer is hurting him as his former player has failed to adapt well to his traditional attacking midfield role for Nigeria.

The United coach who is

here as a pundit for Russian TV station, RT, in one of his analysis of matches played so far in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup said while referring to Mikel in Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2-0 loss to Croatia: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nigeria lost a good No.6 to get a bad No.10.â&#x20AC;?

Even while not admitting to have made a mistake, converting Mikel to a defender, Mourinho has sort of agreed with those insisting that the former Plateau United player would have been better suited playing a deeper role behind Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s forwards.

At both Mikelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s outings for Nigeria at the Under-17 World Cup in Finland and Under-20 in Holland in 2003 and 2005 respectively, he played

in the playmaking roles and was touted to be the natural successor to Austin Jay Jay Okocha. The two Nigerian coaches Mikel played for, Augustine Eguavoen and Samson Siasia had previously joined those insisting that Mikel was being played out of position at Chelsea.

Mikel was so good at his playmaking role at the Under-20 World Cup that he finished the tournament as second best player next only to then fresh-faced Barcelona teenager, Lionel Messi who won the Best Player gong.

But 13 years down the line, while Messi has gone on to win the World Best Player title five times, Mikel, at 31 years, has been struggling to find his

true role in the field.

Having played over a decade at Chelseaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stamford Bridge, the Mikel, born John Michael Nnchekube Obinna, has taken his game to Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Super League for perhaps, a round up of his football career with Tianjin Teda.

Russia 2018 which may turn out his last World Cup, has started badly for Nigeria with him leading the Eagles to their first defeat to Croatia.

Without any defining moment to cap what is supposed to be an illustrious career for this talented footballer badly stunted by Mourinhoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision to convert him to a defensive midfielder, Mikel may just move on like several others lacking half of his quality.

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2018

55

WEDNESDAYSPORTS

W O R L D C U P 2 0 1 8 … JUNE 14 TO JULY 15

WORLD CUP 2018…

Senegal’s Teranga Lions Roar to First African Victory in Russia Senegal’s Teranga Lions recorded Africa’s first victory at the ongoing 2018 FIFA World Cup here in Russia, beating Poland 2-1 at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow.

The victory evoked memories of Senegal’s most recent World Cup campaign - their debut 16 years ago - in which they defeated holders France in Seoul in the opening match.

The Poles are not quite as huge a scalp as Les Bleus, but the African side, was underdogs nevertheless, and belied that status with their energetic performance.

Idrissa Gueye’s low drive was deflected into his own net by Thiago Cionek, but the Teranga Lions were good value for their lead.

Mbaye Niang seized an opportunity in the hesitant Poland defence to round Wojciech Szczesny and double his side’s advantage after the break.

Grzegorz Krychowiak’s decision-making was partly to blame for Senegal’s second and he made some amends by reducing the arrears with a late goal.

But it was ultimately in vain

as Aliou Cisse’s side held on to claim three points -their first World Cup win since Cisse

captained the side to victory against Sweden in the Korea/ Japan 2002 Round of 16.

The defeat proved the worry of the Polish team’s handlers right. Before the game, they wondered whether their defence could keep out Senegal’s attack without Kamil Glik, who is nursing a shoulder injury.

Glik is called “the boss of Polish defence” and it proved impossible to find an adequate replacement for him yesterday.

Poland needs to improve elsewhere too ahead of the next clash against Colombia.

GROUP B

Team Iran Portugal Spain Morocco

GROUP C

Team France Denmark Aust Peru

GROUP D

Team Croatia Argentina Iceland Nigeria

GROUP E

Denis Cheryshev celebrates the second goal for Russia against Egypt in 3-1 win last night at Saint Pertersburg.

I’m Here to Enjoy World Cup, Says Blatter Disgraced former FIFA boss Sepp Blatter defied a ban to attend World Cup matches and arrived in Russia yesterday at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin.

“I’m not here to comment the game. I’m here to enjoy the World Cup,” Blatter told reporters before stepping inside a luxurious Moscow hotel.

The 82-year-old is being investigated by Swiss

GROUP A

Team Russia Uruguay Egypt Saudi

prosecutors for alleged corruption during his 17-year reign as head of world football’s governing body.

The Swiss national was suspended for six years by FIFA in 2016 from football-related activities over a 1.8-million-euro ($2 million) payment to former Uefa chief Michel Platini.

Former FIFA spokesman Thomas Renggli told AFP that Blatter would meet Putin today.

Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday he did not know whether any meeting had been planned.

Last October Blatter announced he had received an invitation from Putin to attend the June 14 to July 15 showpiece which Russia is hosting..

The two men developed a close relationship after FIFA’s disputed decision in 2010 to

award this year’s tournament to Russia instead of England.

Fifa said it had no comment to make on Blatter’s trip.

Blatter is slated to watch Wednesday’s game between Portugal and Morocco in the Russian capital and might also attend Brazil’s match against Costa Rica in Putin’s native Saint Petersburg.

Putin is not scheduled to be at either match.

Team Serbia Brazil S’land C’Rica

GROUP F

Team Mexico Korea Rep Sweden Germany

GROUP G

Team Belgium England Tunisia Panama

GROUP H

Team Japan Senegal Colombia Poland

P 2 1 2 1

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D 0 0 0 0

L 0 0 2 1

GF 8 1 1 0

GA 1 0 4 5

GD 7 1 -3 -5

Pts 6 3 0 0

P 1 1 1 1

W 1 0 0 0

D 0 1 1 0

L 0 0 0 1

GF 1 3 3 0

GA 0 3 3 1

GD 1 0 0 -1

Pts 3 1 1 0

P 1 1 1 1

W 1 1 0 0

D 0 0 0 0

L 0 0 1 1

GF 2 1 1 0

GA 1 0 2 1

GD 1 1 -1 -1

Pts 3 3 0 0

P 1 1 1 1

W 1 0 0 0

D 0 1 1 0

L 0 0 0 1

GF 2 1 0 0

GA 0 1 1 2

GD 2 0 0 -2

Pts 3 1 1 0

P 1 1 1 1

W 1 0 0 0

D 0 1 1 0

L 0 0 0 1

GF 1 1 1 0

GA 0 1 1 1

GD 1 0 0 -1

Pts 3 1 1 0

P 1 1 1 1

W 1 1 0 0

D 0 0 0 0

L 0 0 1 1

GF 1 1 0 0

GA 0 0 1 1

GD 1 1 -1 -1

Pts 3 3 0 0

P 1 1 1 1

W 1 1 0 0

D 0 0 0 0

L 0 0 1 1

GF 3 2 1 0

GA 0 1 2 3

GD 3 1 -1 -3

Pts 3 3 0 0

P 1 1 1 1

W 1 1 0 0

D 0 0 0 0

L 0 0 1 1

GF 2 2 1 1

GA 1 1 2 2

GD 1 1 -1 -1

Pts 3 3 0 0

DURO’S RUSSIAN NOTES… ELECTION FEVER EVERYWHERE Every World Cup year has become a sort of jinxed era for the country’s football. It has become associated with all manners of intrigues one can ever imagine. This time out here in Russia is no way different from all previous World Cup year. Politicking is rife despite attempts by the NFF leadership to sweep it under the carpet.

One of the money-bags who owns a NPFL club has been busy running around here selling his candidature to the stakeholders here. He is angling to become the Chairman of Chairmen position currently occupied by the fellow representing North-west on the NFF board.

Others who want to unseat Amaju Pinnick from the coveted position have

also launched their underground campaigns, using all manners of tricks to rubbish the lofty height the Delta-born administrator has lifted football administration in the country. All these surreptitious activities, rather than add values to Nigerians dreams of an improvement on the second round benchmark attained at USA ’94 have become a burden to the team, causing so much distractions here. Elections have been scheduled to hold in Katsina in September even as Chris Giwa is waiting for his case against the Warri polls that brought in Pinnick referred back to the High Court for retrial to begin.

UZOHO Those behind attempts to pull down

the career of youngster Francis Uzoho are not relenting in their quest to hang OLD MAN tag on the 19-year old Deportive la Coruna shot stopper. The Social Media was awash again with the trendy picture of the former Golden Eaglet purportedly congratulating his second son on his 17th birthday this week. Those who knew the lad when he first appeared at the Eaglets camp have dismissed such trending mischief on Facebook as arrant nonsense.

Eagles camp in Essentuki has equally been making fool of those concocting such rubbish. One of the players from the same Eastern part of the country as Uzoho joked with the goalkeeper at training to become his ‘Uncle’. They all had healthy laugh over the matter.

LONGER DAY A first time visitor to Europe amongst some of the Nigerian football fans here is wondering why even at almost midnight the day remains as bright as 10 a.m in Nigeria.

No explanation of longer day or short night makes any meaning to him. To the hearing of this reporter, he was heard telling one of his co-travellers that the God that created Europe must be different from the one that made Africa. “See, even at 11pm, I don’t need torch light to move around. I am not sure it is the same God that made Africa and Europe.

Everything is working fine here. No power failure. Even the power bank I brought here from Nigeria is useless as I don’t need it,” quipped the obviously flabbergasted fan who is lapping up every minute of his stay in Russia.

200Top Cyclists Set for Moorhouse-Epe Cycle Race The popularity of sports cycling in West Africa is set to move a notch higher as the town of Epe in Lagos State will host cyclists from around the globe.

The maiden edition of the Moorhouse-Epe Cycle Race will hold on Sunday, 30th September, 2018 on the eve of Independence Day. The event, according to Mr. Bruce Prins of Moor House Properties, would be divided into several categories and would accommodate secondary

school children, professionals, and veterans (amateurs).

The course will be an 18-kilometre undulating circuit within and around Epe Town on smooth roads newly reconstructed by Lagos State. Participants will take in the main sights of the town, the gateway to Epe, the Marina, and the hinterland.

The hilly topography of Epe Town is certain to make for an intense ride. Professional

cyclists from around Nigeria, Africa and Europe have already indicated interest to participate in the Moorhouse-Epe Cycle Race.

“We are proud to be part of this because as a hospitality company, we want to promote tourism and this serves as an opportunity to do just that,” said Mr. Bruce Prins of Moor House Properties.

Organisers have confirmed that female participants will race

the same distances and have an equal share of prize monies as their male counterparts.

Professionals will cover a distance of 108km, while the distance for veterans (amateurs) is 54km. The first, second and third place finishers will be rewarded with $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 prizes respectively.

There will also be lots of consolation prizes to win for the first ten finishers as well as categories for best team

and displays of skill, strategy & stamina. A separate race will be held for the schoolchildren over one 18km lap.

Organisers meanwhile have confirmed that The Moorhouse-Epe Cycle Race will be an annual event with backing from the Lagos State Sports Commission who were present at the Press Conference confirming their unflinching support to the race organizers, Moorhouse Properties.

To entertain residents and tourists for the Independence Day weekend of 29th and 30th September and 1st October, 2018, the organisers will be working with the community, that is famous for its fishing, to line up other local events such as a boat regatta, live music at its two prominent leisure resorts, Jubilee Chalets Epe, and Epe Resort, as well as food, drink & entertainment on the newly reconstructed Marina.

Wednesday June 20, 2018

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Price: N250

MISSILE

Afenifere to DHQ “Do they think that we have cow brains? They are planning to change the narratives because killings have been going on for several months now.

Miyetti Allah has even admitted why there are killings. If Nigerians allow those who are in power now to come back in 2019, they will lose so many years…” – Afenifere National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, berating Defence Headquarters over herdsmen killings in the country.

KAYODEKOMOLAFE THE HORIZON

kayode.komolafe@thisdaylive.com

0805 500 1974

On Gov Yari’s ‘Resignation’as CSO

E

xpressing helplessness, Governor Abdul’aziz Yari of Zamfara said last Friday that he no longer considered himself the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the state.

The governor’s lamentation was embodied in a message to the people of the state as they celebrated Eid el Fitri.

Doubtless, Zamfara has been the epicentre of banditry and horrific killings in the northwest, a situation that has prompted some action by the air force two days ago.

Killings are reported almost every other day in Zamfara. Only three local governments in the state are said to be free from horrors of the bandits.

Yari, who incidentally is the chairman of the governors’ forum, alleged that he has no control on the security machinery of the state. According to the governor, the title of the chief security officer “ is just a nomenclature.” Given the enormity of the bloodletting in Zamfara it would seem understandable that the governor is overwhelmed by the problems.

However, is it justifiable for a governor to drop the responsibility for the security of the people because of the alleged lack control of the state apparatuses established to ensue security? Someone needs to tell the governor that it is not so easy to “resign” as the state security officer. According to Section 14(2b) of the constitution, “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.”

The governor took his oath of office based on this constitution just as the President and Commander-in-Chief did. There is no way a governor could be permitted to “drop” a constitutional responsibility. To be responsible for security is not a policy choice for a governor. In fact, it is a total perversion of the concept of governance for a state governor to say that he is abdicating the security duty for even a second. The governor should just summon a strategy up his sleeves and govern.

Beside legalism, it is a moral responsibility of a leader not succumb to despair in the face of a crisis. It is part of the duty of a leader to give hope to the people even when it appears that there is no basis for it. A mood of resignation should not permeate the security atmosphere of the state under his leadership. Yari’s critics say the governor hardly stay in the state seven days in a week to attend to the business of government. This certainly compounds the question of moral leadership in the circumstance.

History is, of course, replete with examples of how moral leadership could be decisive in moments of crisis. Take a sample. With his inimitable rhetoric, Winston Churchill as the British prime minister deployed words in the battle against Adolf Hitler during World War II. The point at issue here is about the task of the leader to lift the spirit of the people in the face of a crippling crisis.

Those who have no courage and sense of

Yari

mission should stop seeking leadership positions. It amounts to trivialisation of governance for a governor to announce so cavalierly that he would not perform his constitutional duty. If there is a challenge of inter-governmental relations in solving a problem, the governor should face the challenge squarely rather than resigning.

More fundamentally, Yari’s “resignation” should compel a thorough debate on the role of state governments in national security within the context of a broad security policy review. After all, the heads of security agencies and armed forces formations located in a state work with the governor as members of the state security council.

First, there is a myth that the governors are completely powerless in matters of security. This myth has to be concretely exploded for a meaningful discussion of the problem. Governors should not be permitted to abdicate their constitutional responsibilities for the security of their respective states. Even the District Officer (D.O.) in the colonial days had security responsibilities. The territory for which a

It is a total perversion of the concept of governance for a state governor to say that he is abdicating his security duty for even a second. The governor should just summon a strategy up his sleeves and govern

D.O. was responsible could be as large as that of a state.

The fact is that governors actually assume some security powers. That is why they make allocations for the famous security votes. The other day, Mr. Peter Obi, who was the governor of Anambra state for eight years, advocated a system that would make governors “account for security votes.” According to Obi, some governors could allocate up to 20-30% of state expenditures as “security votes.”

For the former governor, security votes constitute leakages in the treasury. He should know what he is talking about in this matter. Recent developments seem to vindicate Obi’s iconoclastic position.

Now security votes are theoretically meant for security tasks of the governors.

For instance, Yari has not told his people in Zamfara if he would stop allocating part of the state resources as security votes following his “resignation” as the chief security officer. If the myth that a governor is only a chief security officer of his state in name is sustained, for what then does he need security votes, which in some states run into billions of naira? This is a major contradiction the Zamfara governor needs to resolve as he girds his loins to tackle the huge problem of insecurity in his state.

Contrast Yari’s lamentation with the remarkable courage and steadfastness of his Borno counterpart, Governor Kashim Shettima. Borno has been the worst hit in the Boko Haram’s killings and destruction in the northeast. From the day he took oath of office, Shettima has been giving leadership under the yoke of Boko Haram terrorism without buckling for a day. He has never waivered in discharging the security responsibility to the people. On one occasion, he summoned the exceptional courage to tell the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan that the Nigerian military could not match the insurgents in terms of firepower. He has since been proved right by the subsequent turn of events in the country. Rather than resign he critically engaged the federal authorities to tackle the insecurity in the state. Shettima has never shirked his own fraction of the responsibility for the security of Borno state in the last eight years.

Policing is one area where the myth of lack of state control of the state apparatus is often peddled. Yet, there is hardly any report of a state commissioner of police refusing to work with the governor in responding to security challenges. If anything, the reverse is the case in most states.

Ironically, state governments spend lot money on procuring equipment and facilities for their respective state police commands to enhance security. In reality, the funding of the police is already a shared responsibility between the federal and state governments while we await the realisation of the dream of a “state police” in a “true federalism.” State governments are funding

police anti-robbery squads.

In fact, in Lagos state, beginning with the administration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the management of security has been well structured with the establishment of a security trust fund to which corporate citizens and private individuals contribute immensely. The model has worked and it is likely going to be embraced by other states. Policing of Lagos state has been enhanced by the deployment of the funds to equip the police. The state commissioner of police is, of course, an important member of the state security council. Even when President Olusegun Obasanjo and Tinubu were at daggers drawn on most issues, the security chiefs in Lagos state worked harmoniously with the former governor to the admiration of all.

Pray, the Nigeria Police Force is that of the whole federation. In fact, there is no federal government police contrary to the impression being created by some state police advocates. State governors simply fail to assert their powers as the majority in the Nigeria Police Council as provided for in the constitution. The people’s lawyer, Femi Falana, puts the matter this way: “It’s a shame that all the state governors have allowed the federal government to usurp police powers in Nigeria. Mind you, the constitution has not created the federal government police force but the Nigeria Police Force. Section 214 of the constitution provides that the president cannot appoint or remove the inspector-general of police without seeking the advice of the Nigeria Police Council.”

In the specific case of Zamfara, the possibilities within the justice sector (with all its limitations) ought to be explored before the wringing of hands by the governor while his people are slain. The governor should be working with the police to ensure that the killings are properly investigated and the suspects arrested. The job of the prosecution is that of the Zamfara state attorney general. So the situation is not as helpless as the governor makes it to appear to the public.

Beyond physical security, the people also need social security. Now both aspects of security are mutually reinforcing. Is the governor also abdicating the social security responsibility? For a poor state such as Zamfara, governance would include provision of basic education for the children of the poor and universal healthcare delivery. Youth development would reduce the reservoir of recruits into banditry and other violent crimes.

Poverty is at the root of the crisis ravaging Zamfara and other parts of Nigeria. Nigeria sowed the wind of underdevelopment and poor governance; it is now reaping the whirlwind of violent killings by terrorists and bandits.

So, Governor Yari should not resign as the chief security officer. He should rather face governance squarely.

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