Tuesday 3rd July 2018 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd

$3.3bn Total’s Egina FPSO Departs to Offshore Field in Few Weeks Crude oil price drops as Saudi, Russian output rises NCDMB audits remittances to $200m local content fund Ejiofor Alike in Lagos and Chineme Okafor in Abuja with agency reports The $3.3 billion Floating Production Storage Offloading

(FPSO) unit for the 200,000 barrels per day capacity Egina Deepwater oilfield, which arrived in Lagos in January this year from South Korea, will finally depart to the Egina

oilfield in the coming weeks, THISDAY has learnt. This is coming as oil prices fell yesterday as supplies from Saudi Arabia and Russia rose, while economic growth

stumbled in Asia amid an escalating trade dispute with the United States. The Deputy Managing Director in charge of Deep Water at Total Exploration

and Production Nigeria, Mr. Ahmadu-Kida Musa, said yesterday in Abuja at the 2018 edition of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition (NOG) that the

Egina field would account for 10 per cent of Nigeria’s crude oil production. Musa explained that the Continued on page 6

FG Complies with Supreme Court Verdict, Sacks NFF President Pinnick… Page 6 Tuesday 3 July, 2018 Vol 23. No 8475. Price: N250

www.thisdaylive.com TR

UT H

& RE A S O

Commotion as Police Ofﬁcers Protest Unpaid Allowance in Maiduguri Police: It’s not correct, they were making enquiries Presidency summons IG An unfortunate and ugly epitaph of APC govt, says PDP Senator Iroegbu, Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja and Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri There was commotion in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital yesterday as riot police

officers took to the street to protest the non-payment of their six-month allowance. It was learnt that the officers were posted to the state in January to strengthen security of the troubled state, which

has been battling Boko Haram insurgency for about a decade. The officers, who were fully armed, marched in their hundreds on the Borno State Police Headquarters located on the major highway in

the town, where they were, however, prevented from taking control of the complex. The police officers subsequently barricaded the highway, shooting sporadically into the air and scaring away

motorists. But the police authorities in Abuja denied the incidence yesterday, saying its personnel only went to the Borno State Command Headquarters to make enquiries about their

allowance. “It is not correct that police personnel protested in Maiduguri today (yesterday),’’ said Jimoh Moshood, the Continued on page 6

Save Nigeria from Avoidable Doom or Step Aside, Catholic Bishops Tell Buhari Say human lives now far less than cattle Plateau govt relaxes curfew Military arrests 11 more suspects Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Paul Obi in Abuja and Seriki Adinoyi in Jos The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) yesterday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently save Nigeria from avoidable doom or step aside as the country was sliding into anarchy. The bishops in a statement signed by the CBCN President, Most Rev. Augustine Akubeze, and Secretary, Most Rev.

Camillus Umoh, said the ongoing killings in the Middle Belt and other parts of the country, by suspected Fulani herdsmen were clear signposts to anarchy. The bishops spoke against the background of persistent carnage in the country, particularly, the recent massacre of over 100 persons in three local governments in Plateau State, where the government yesterday relaxed the dusk-to-dawn curfew it Continued on page 8

APC Crisis: nPDP in Crucial Meeting in Abuja... Page 8

LABOURER DESERVES HIS WAGE... Police personnel protesting non-payment of their special duty allowance in Maiduguri…yesterday

T H I S D AY ˾ ͱ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

T H I S D AY Ë¾ TUESDAY JULY 3, 2018

TUESDAY, ͻ˜ ͺ͸͹΀ ˾ T H I S D AY

PAGE SIX

FG Complies with Supreme Court Verdict, Sacks NFF President, Pinnick As Keyamo declares Dalung’s action null and void Giwa: Nigeria not signatory to FIFA statutes Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The federal government yesterday sacked Amaju Pinnick as the President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) after it directed the executive committee headed by him to comply with the judgment of the Supreme Court of April 27, 2018, which restored the orders of the Federal High Court, that set aside the September 30, 2014, election into the Executive Committee of the football. A statement by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, said the directive followed a written notification signed by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, (SAN) requesting the sports ministry to ensure compliance. It is believed that the sack of the board headed by Pinnick was a fallout of Nigeria's dismal outing at

the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Russia, where the Super Eagles failed to advance to the Round of 16. The Supreme Court order as interpreted by Malami, ordered Dalung to reinstate Ambassador Chris Giwa, who purportedly won the parallel election held on August 26, 2014. International football body, FIFA has refused to recognise Giwa as the elected president and may now sanction Nigeria, leading to ban from all international football competition as the federal government action is deemed as interference. A statement signed yesterday by Nneka Ikem Anibeze, the Special Assistant to Dalung, said the directive to remove Pinnick was sequel to the relief granted by Justice M. H. Kurya of the Federal High Court Jos on July 5, 2018 in the suit between Yahaya Adama Vs Alhaji Aminu Maigari , that Giwa be given recognition pending the hearing and determination of

the motion on notice asking that ban of the individuals elected into the board on August 26, 2014, from football activities of the NFF should be declared unconstitutional, null and void. “It is trite law that court orders are sacrosanct and any acts of disobedience to it constitutes threat to the rule of law. Consequent upon the above, you are hereby advised to comply with the orders of court made therein which for now, is the valid and binding order of court, in the absence of any other subsisting order or judgment to the contrary," Dalung said. The minister consequently directed the parties involved to comply with the court order, saying:“This is a court order and not from Dalung. I will not want to go to Kuje prison because of disobedience of court orders. Therefore, I hereby comply with the court orders of June 5th, 2018, while Mr. Amaju Pinnick and others are also directed to comply

with same.” With the momentum now in his favour, after failed attempt to have the September 30, 2014 election overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sports ( CAS) Giwa, barnstormed the NFF "Glasshouse" with his board members under heavy Police protection yesterday afternoon before paying a visit to Dalung later in the day. The Supreme Court order compels Dalung, the defendants, their servants, agents and privies howsoever, the Inspector General of Police and all law enforcement agencies to forthwith enforce the orders made by the court on September 19, 2014 and October 23, 2014 and give recognition to the General Assembly Meeting and election of the NFF held on August 26, 2014 Giwa's pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice. Meanwhile, in a speed of

lightning, the counsel to the embattled Pinnick, Festus Keyamo, in a statement to reflect his official position on government directive, berated Dalung and advised the public to disregard his latest directive as illegal and of no effect. Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said, "The attention of our clients have been drawn to a statement purportedly issued at the behest of Dalung directing the NFF to comply with certain court orders effecting a change of leadership in the NFF. “Our clients wish to alert the public and the authorities in Nigeria that the so-called directive by the Minister of Sports is null, void and of no effect for the following reasons. While our clients respect the sanctity of court orders, unfortunately the said court orders are not binding on FIFA, the World Football Governing Body. The NFF is an affiliate of FIFA. It should be noted that FIFA

has consistently maintained that this same matter has been taken to the highest Court of Sports Arbitration in Switzerland by these same individuals and they have lost. FIFA is only bound by the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sports and does not entertain or tolerate decisions by local courts in footballing nations worldwide. Hence, FIFA has since upheld the decision of the Court of Arbitration on this matter and recognised the NFF board led by Pinnick. Nigeria has a duty to comply with that decision. In addition, for the indiscretion of those individuals like Giwa to approach the local courts, FIFA has since imposed a worldwide ban on them from all footballing activities. The end result is that Giwa and his so-called board members do not have any locus standi with regards to footballing matters and the federal government cannot have any dealing with them on any footballing matter.”

Some of the officers, who spoke with THISDAY, lamented that since January when they were deployed in the state on special operation, they had not been paid their allowance. They complained that many of them had to go through inhuman treatment

as they had to sleep on the corridor of the command’s offices after returning from duty at night. When contacted, the state Command Commissioner, Damian Chukwu, said he was aware of the protest.

May, the Energy Ministry said yesterday. US production has soared 30 per cent in the past two years, to 10.9 million bpd, meaning the world’s three biggest oil producers now churn out almost 11 million bpd each, meeting a third of global oil demand. Also weighing on oil demand are trade disputes between the United States and other major economies, including China, the European Union, India and Canada. China, Japan and South Korea all reported slowdowns in export orders in June amid escalating trade disputes with the United States. “Recurring salvos in the trade war and falling asset prices raise the question of how much tariffs could damage the global economy,” US bank, JPMorgan said. The bank added that a “medium-intensity (trade) conflict would likely reduce global economic growth by at least 0.5 per cent, “before accounting for tighter financial conditions and sentiment shocks”. Despite the relief from Saudi Arabia and Russia, oil markets remain tense because of unplanned outages from Canada to Venezuela and Libya. Looming US sanctions against Iran further contribute to expected

tightness. Trump threatened in an interview that aired on Sunday to put sanctions on European companies that do business with Iran. “The Trump administration’s plan for Iran sanctions is now abundantly clear. They seek to push Iranian exports of crude, condensate, and oil products to zero,” energy consultancy FGE said in a note.

COMMOTION AS POLICE OFFICERS PROTEST UNPAID ALLOWANCE IN MAIDUGURI Force Public Relations Officer, in a statement, adding, “Some of the Police Mobile Force personnel on special duty in Maiduguri went to the Borno State Police Command Headquarters on enquiry over the delay in the payment of their special duty allowance in the early hours of today

and not on protest as reported in some media.’’ Apparently embarrassed by the development, the presidency yesterday reportedly summoned the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Ibrahim Idris, over the protest. According to the News

Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the IG was seen heading towards the office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. A source at the Presidential Villa, who preferred to remain anonymous said that the IG was in the villa

to brief the presidency on the protest. The protesting police officers’ action had caused panic in the Maiduguri metropolis as some of the students and workers who had left home for school and office had to make a U-turn to their various homes.

Continued on page 8

$3.3BN TOTAL’S EGINA FPSO DEPARTS TO OFFSHORE FIELD IN FEW WEEKS FPSO, which had the detailed engineering of its topsides executed in-country after it arrived from South Korea, by Samsung with a consortium of Nigerian engineering companies, will sail away to Egina field, located in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 130, approximately 150 kilometres offshore, Port Harcourt. According to him, the field is expected to begin producing 200,000 bpd of oil from the field. “Egina is the latest of Total’s deepwater developments and the third project of its kind developed by Total in Nigeria, after Akpo and Usan. These projects have brought progressive increase in levels of Nigerian Content and this is well illustrated by the percentage of total project workload performed in Nigeria: from 44 per cent for Usan, Total recorded 60 per cent for Akpo and now 77 per cent will be achieved for Egina, just before the FPSO sails away from the SHI-MCI Yard in LADOL Island, Lagos where it is currently moored for topsides integration works,” said Musa. In the coming weeks, the FPSO will sail away to Egina field, which is located in OML 130, approximately 150 kilometres offshore Port Harcourt,” he explained. He added, “It is the deepest offshore development carried out so far in Nigeria,

in water depths of over 1,500 metres and the project is designed to produce 200,000 barrels per day of oil at plateau. In addition to the oil, the Egina field will produce gas. Associated gas will be partly re-injected into the reservoir to maintain reservoir pressure, and partly channelled to supply the domestic gas market.” He explained that Nigeria was proud Egina has advanced its local content policy to new levels in many domains, adding that it, amongst others, led to the development of a new fabrication and integration yard which is reportedly Africa’s first FPSO integration quay. “It was, constructed under the FPSO package contract by SHI-MCI, within Lagos deep offshore logistics base on LADOL Island. Today, the Egina project is proudly the first to record the fabrication and integration of FPSO topsides in Nigeria. Six of the 18 topside modules were fabricated and integrated at the SHI-MCI facility at LADOL. The Egina FPSO arrived from Korea in the last week of January for the integration of the locally fabricated modules and this integration was successfully completed in May, without incident,” he added. Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian

Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Simbi Wabote, has said that the board would take measures to ensure that operators who participate in its $200 million local content fund do not end up abusing the process and subsequently deflating the fund. Wabote, in his presentation at the conference, also said the board has concluded to hand over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), any operator who failed to remit what was due to it as requested by the local content law. He noted that the board was undertaking a forensic audit of the remittances and had engaged the country’s judicial sector on how the local content law works with regards to such remittances to it. “We were told by the agencies responsible for financial crimes that not remitting government fund in itself is a financial crime as it is contained in their acts, and as such, when we carry out this forensic audits, if we discover any breach of the processes, of course, we will hand over such to the agencies responsible to go after companies that want to sabotage the economy. The EFCC and ICPC will

be responsible to go after such people who decides that they will not remit what is due government in terms of law,” he said. However, oil prices fell yesterday as supplies from Saudi Arabia and Russia rose while economic growth stumbled in Asia amid an escalating trade dispute with the United States. The global benchmark, Brent crude oil fell $1.24 per barrel to a low of $77.99 before recovering to $78.53, while the US light crude was down at $73.95 per barrel. Oil prices rose strongly last week, with the US crude contract hitting its highest in three and a half years at $74.46. But Reuters reported that a flurry of US announcements over the weekend unsettled oil markets. President Donald Trump tweeted on Saturday that Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud had agreed to pump more oil, “maybe up to 2,000,000 barrels.” The White House later walked back on the comments. Saudi Arabia’s output is up by 700,000 barrels per day (bpd) from May, a Reuters survey showed, and close to its 10.72 million bpd record from November 2016. Russian output rose to 11.06 million bpd in June from 10.97 million bpd in

TOP GAINERS AIICO C & I LEASING UNITYBANK DOUBLE11 UPL TOP LOSERS FORTEOIL HONEYWELL CORNERSTONE

NGN NGN 0.06 0.67 0.20 2.27 0.09 1.06 16.90 199.90 0.16 2.49 NGN NGN 3.20 29.65 0.22 2.07 0.03 0.32 DAARCOMMS 0.04 0.44 JAPAUL 0.03 0.33 HPE Nestle Nig Plc ₦1,575.00 Volume: 256.228 million shares Value: N1.859 billion Deals: 3,308 As at yesterday 02/07/18 See details on Page 31

% 9.8 9.6 9.2 9.2 6.8 % 9.7 9.6 8.3 8.3 8.3

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY JULY 3, 2018

ͻ KEd/Eh KE W ' ϰϮ

TUESDAY, ͻ˜ ͺ͸͹΀ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

APC Crisis: nPDP in Crucial Meeting in Abuja Agrees to form coalition with PDP 20 senators, scores of House members may defect this week Iyobosa Uwugiaren in Abuja Members of the Alhaji Kawu Baraje-led new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), an aggrieved group within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), continued their consultations on their future in the APC in Abuja yesterday, holding a late night meeting to determine the way forward. An insider told THISDAY last night that the outcome of the consultations, which started on Sunday night in one of their members’ house in Asokoro, Abuja, would finally decide their next line of action. Among those said to have met last night included, the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki; the Governor of Sokoto State, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, and about 50 lawmakers from both chambers of the National Assembly. “From the conversation that started on Sunday night,

majority of us have decided we should leave the APC; that has been concluded; there is no going back,’’ a member of the group told THISDAY last night in Abuja. However, the source added that members of the group appeared to be divided over which party to move to, saying, ‘’While majority of us agreed we should move straight to the PDP, others are saying we should first and foremost form a coalition with SDP, ADC and others before we negotiate with PDP.’’ THISDAY gathered that the outcome of the on-going conversation by the group would be made known before Friday, with about 20 APCsenators and many members of House of Representatives defecting. One of the leaders of the group, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, was in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital last week to inform Governor Ayo Fayose

Baraje about his resolve to return to PDP. Members of the former new

PDP bloc within the APC had addressed a letter dated April 27, 2018 to the then Chairman

of the APC, Chief John OdigieOyegun, where they informed the party of their grievances and expectations from both the party and President Muhammadu Buhari. Following the development, the party invited them and they met with the leadership of the party. Those who attended the meeting included President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki; Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara; Governor of Sokoto State, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal; Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso; Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Admiral Murtala Nyako (retd.); Senator Mohammad Aliero, Senator Danjuma Goje, Senator John Enoh, Senator Andy Uba, Senator Ibrahim Gobir, Senator Rufai Ibrahim and Senator Ibrahim Danbaba. Others are Senator Suleman Nazif, Senator Isa Misau, Senator Muhammed Shitu, Senator Shehu Sani, Senator

Dino Melaye, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, Senator Shaaba Lafiagi, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, Senator David Umaru, Senator Barnabas Gemade; Chairman, former nPDP, Alhaji Abubakar K. Baraje; Mr. Aminu Shagari, Mr. Kabiru Marafa, Mr. Isa Ashiru, Mr. Muh’d Soba, Mr. Mark Gbillah, Mr. Sani Rano, Mr. Garba Durbunde, Mr. Aliyu Madaki, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, Mr. Rufai Chachangi, Mr. Razak Atunwa, Mr. Emmanuel Udende, Mr. Hassan Saleh, Mr. Nasiru Sule, Mr. Orker Jev, Mr. Aliyu Pategi, Mr. Isah Halilu, Mr. Rabiu Kaugama, Mr. Abdussamad Dasuki, Mr. Ismaila Gadaka, Mr. Lado Suleja, Mr. Dickson Tarkighir, Mr. Babatunde Kolawole, Dr. Bode Ayorinde, Mr. Danjuma Shida, Mr. Danburam Nuhu, Mr. Sunday Adepoju, Mr. Sani Zorro, Mr. Ahmed Bichi, Mr. Garba Mohammed and a host of others.

SAVE NIGERIA FROM AVOIDABLE DOOM OR STEP ASIDE, CATHOLIC BISHOPS TELL BUHARI imposed in the aftermath of the bloodbath. The military, whose heavy presence in the troubled area had failed to contain the bandits’ aggression, in an update of its operations yesterday, said it had made 11 more arrests of suspects, bringing its total haul to 21. The bishops said the latest massacre of scores of innocent Nigerians, especially children and women, including pregnant women, in Plateau State by the bandits who seemed to be operating without hindrance in the country showed that its last statement had been completely ignored by those who had the responsibility to protect lives and property of Nigerians. Pained by this development, they said, “Once again, we ask President Muhammadu Buhari to please save Nigeria from further pain and avoidable chaos, anarchy and doom,” adding, "If the president cannot keep our country safe, then he automatically loses the trust of the citizens. He should no longer continue to

preside over the killing fields and mass graveyard that our country has become." They said the country would witness another mass burial as a result of the serial murderous activities of a group that it said clearly seemed to be above the law in the country, and who by their actions and words had insisted that human lives were far less than the lives of cattle. "This shameful inversion of values portrays our country as barbaric and our society as brutish," the bishops stated. They argued that the killings were not mere coincidence given the temerity of the Fulani herdsmen in perpetrating the killings. The bishops stressed, "We are equally sad as the federal government continues to find it difficult to proactively address the issues of these wanton killings.

Military Arrests 11 More Suspects Meanwhile, the Military Special Task Force (STF) in

charge of security in Plateau State code named “Operation Safe Haven” (OPSH) has disclosed that it has so far arrested 21 suspects in connection with the recent killings and civil disturbances in Jos. The suspects were paraded before newsmen yesterday at the STF Headquarters Jos by the media officer of the task force, Major Adam Umar, and the Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Tyopev Terna. Umar who spoke to newsmen during the parade said, “Out of the 21 suspects arrested so far, 11 of them are those arrested in connection to the killings in Barkin Ladi and environs, while 14 of them were arrested from the scene of the civil disturbances after the attacks.” He added, “The suspects we are parading were arrested with arms, some of them with locally made guns, revolver and other dangerous weapons, which they are not supposed to have as citizens. “Information we extracted from the original suspects

led us to trace some other accomplices and we have also arrested them. And there is the possibility of making more arrest over those killings as we intensify our efforts to get to the root of the killings in pursuant of our mandate to prevent further killings and restore total peace in the state.”

Jang, Secondus, Kaigama React The announcement of more arrests by the military did not entirely mollify many people aggrieved by the wanton killings. Former Governor of Plateau State, Senator Jonah Jang; Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus; and former President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and Archbishop of Jos, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, intervened yesterday, condemning the killings. Jang, who was accused of complicity in the crisis,

dismissed the allegation as nonsense. “Doesn’t that sound funny that Jonah Jang, a Berom man from Plateau State is organising Fulani herdsmen to come and kill Beroms or which killings are they talking about?” he told journalists in Jos. The senator said he had been hearing somebody making noise on the television alluding many things, and that he had directed his lawyers to write him and let him explain or else he would go and explain in the court. In his own reaction, Secondus, asked for internationally-supervised inquest into the killings across the country to ascertain those behind them. He said the call became necessary because of the lacklustre response of the federal government to the heinous crime and some attempts by agents of the government to divert attention of the public away from the issue. Speaking while receiving one of the Presidential

aspirants in the party, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki, at the Wadata House National Secretariat of the party yesterday, Secondus said an enquiry by the international community would help halt the bloodletting in the country. Also reacting to the crisis, Kaigama said the recent killings in Plateau State was a shameful projection of the image of Nigerians. Kaigama, who is on a working visit to Canada and the United States (US), said in a statement that the killings had continued to paint Nigeria negatively across the international community. "The flagrant and despicable taking of human lives and the continued destruction to homes and means of livelihood is a disgrace to humanity and a shameful projection of a negative image of Nigerians," he said, adding, “The gruesome murders have robbed me of the enthusiasm, energy and pride with which I came to Canada and America.”

State Police Command over complaint of under-payment, omission of their names on the Salary Payroll as a result of the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS)...No Policeman protested and none went on a rampage as reported in the media in Kaduna State or anywhere else in the country." Reacting to the development, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) described the protest as unfortunate and an ugly epitaph of the Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration. The party said the development had confirmed that the Buhari presidency had not been committed to providing security for the troubled states, despite huge resources at its disposal, but has only been paying lip service and giving false

assurances to the people. In a statement it's National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP said it was disconcerting that policemen, who daily risked their lives at the fronts, were denied their allowances for months; left unaccommodated, without basic needs and kept forlorn in the face of battle, while their commander-in-chief and top officers enjoy the comfort of their huge offices in Abuja. "Nigerians can now see that this administration is overtly deceitful, thrives on propaganda, lies, false claims and is never committed to the good of the people even as it blames everyone else for its failures,” it said, adding, "We demand an urgent investigation to get to the root of this pathetic situation and stress that findings of such investigations must be made public.”

COMMOTION AS POLICE OFFICERS PROTEST UNPAID ALLOWANCE IN MAIDUGURI He further said the delay in payment of the allowance might not be unconnected with the delay in the signing the 2018 budget. In Abuja, Moshood said Idris, had directed the Commissioner of Police, Borno State to address and inform them why there was delay in the payment of their special duty allowance. He also promised them that since the budget had been approved, their allowance would be expeditiously processed and paid without any further delay. Moshood added that the IG also ordered the Commissioner of Police, Police Mobile Force (PMF), to proceed to Maiduguri, Borno State and other states in the North-east, where PMF personnel were deployed in special duty to explain to them, the efforts being made by the Force to ensure timely

payment of special duty and other allowances to police personnel in the region. He said the Police Mobile Force personnel that went on the enquiry were not those attached to Operation Lafiya Dole in the fight against insurgency in the North-east, but those on the category of visiting Police Mobile Force units deployed in Maiduguri on Crime Prevention and other police duties in the state. The Force spokesman urged members of the public in Maiduguri not to panic but to go about their lawful duties and other responsibilities without fear or apprehension. He said the police was a disciplined organisation and would not allow any situation to degenerate into disturbance of public peace anywhere in the country. The police, with 378,300 personnel, including the recently recruited 6,500, are

notorious for their poor pay cheque and welfare package in the hierarchy of security forces in the country. The salary structure ranges from the Police Recruit’s salary of N108,233 per annum (N9,019.42 monthly) to the Inspector General of Police (IG), the highest ranked officer, N8,537,976 per annum (N711,498, monthly). Despite this low wage, the history of Nigerian police is replete with delay in payment of salaries, leading to periodic protests. In 2017, about eight police commands including Kaduna, Kebbi, Gombe, Nasarawa, Ekiti, Bayelsa, Imo and Ogun had over 2,000 protesting non-payment of their salaries and allowances. Also, early 2018, some policemen staged a protest at the Mechanised Salary Section (MSS) of the Lagos State Police Command in Ikeja over what they

described as “outrageous and unexpected” deductions from their salaries. According to the aggrieved personnel, between N5,000 and N35,000 were deducted from their February salaries with others lamenting that they had not been paid for the month. They then accused the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, of shielding President Muhammadu Buhari from knowing the “exact situation regarding the non-payment of the police salaries.” Similar to the same statement issued by the Police, explaining their official position, the Jimoh, maintained that there was no protest by its unpaid officials but that only “a few policemen went to the command to complain.” He said, "Few policemen who went on inquiry to the Mechanised Salary Section (MSS) in Kaduna

T H I S D AY Ë¾ TUESDAY JULY 3, 2018

TUESDAY JULY 3, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Group News Editor Ejiofor Alike Email Ejiofor.Alike@thisdaylive.com, 08066066268

N’Assembly Transmits Amended Electoral Act to Buhari for Assent Deji Elumoye inAbuja The National Assembly has transmitted the 2018 Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, which will guide the conduct of general elections in the country to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent. THISDAY gathered yesterday that the leadership of the National Assembly transmitted the Amended 2018 Electoral Act Bill with a covering letter to Buhari on June 25. The President is expected to assent his signature for the bill to become law. The two Chambers of the National Assembly had in June harmonised their positions on the bill and subsequently passed it. The controversial clause on election sequence, which a competent court had earlier this year ruled that it was outside the purview of the National Assembly, was expunged by the lawmakers in the amended bill. The controversial bill was first

passed by the National Assembly on February 14, while President Buhari in March, refused to assent his signature to it on the ground that the lawmakers have no right to dictate the sequence of polls in the country. Both Chambers passed the amended bill on June 8. Speaking shortly before the Senate passed the bill at a plenary presided over by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Senator Suleiman Nazif (Bauchi North), said the bill was re-introduced following President Buhari’s decision to withhold assent to it due to his observation that the amendment to the sequence of the elections in Section 25 of the Principal Act may infringe on the constitutionally guaranteed discretion of INEC to organise, undertake and supervise all elections under Section 15 (a) of the Third Schedule of the

Constitution. He also said Buhari also observed that the amendment to Section 138 of the Principal Act to delete two crucial grounds upon which an election may be challenged by candidates unduly limits the rights of candidates in elections to a free and fair electoral review process; and that the amendment to Section 152 (3)- (5) of the Principal Act may raise constitutional issues over

the competence of the National Assembly to legislate over Local Government elections. Senator Nazif, therefore, explained that flowing from President Buhari’s observations, the Committee resolved to delete Sections 25 and 152 (3)-(5) in the proposed bill based on the President’s observations; and retain Section 138 (c) and (d) as contained in the Principal Act. According to him, the Committee

also agree to amend Section 49 by including a new subsection (3) which provides that “ Where a Smart Card Reader deployed for accreditation of voters fails to function in any unit and a new card reader is not deployed, the election in that unit shall be cancelled and another election shall be scheduled within 24 hours” Nazif said Section 140 is to be amended to include a new subsection (c) which states that

“Where the election is postponed due to omission of a political party’s name or logo, the Commission’s Officer responsible for such printing of party names or logos commits an offence and is liable to a fine of N2, 000,000 or imprisonment for two years or both”. The Senate after comments from some Senators, concurred with the committee’s recommendation and passed the 2018 Electoral Act Amendment Bill

Saraki’s Chief of Staff Dumps APC John Shiklam in Kaduna The Chief of Staff to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Hakeem Baba Ahmed, has dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Ahmed said in a statement issued yesterday in Kaduna that the ruling party has failed and should not be allowed to govern Nigeria in 2019. He said his decision to leave the party was taken after due consultations with his faction of the party in Kaduna, popularly known as “APC Akida”. “This statement is to inform the public of my resignation from the APC. I have sent a formal letter to this effect to the chairman of my ward. This has been a very difficult decision, to leave a party I helped form and made my humble contributions to put in power” he said. Ahmed said, “after three years, however, I need to say that the APC has grossly under-performed and

has forfeited any claim to my loyalty and continued membership”. “I do not believe, in all conscience, that it should be trusted and encouraged to continue to govern our great country beyond 2019. I am not leaving to join another party. This is my decision, and mine alone. It has nothing to do with the President of the Senate, Dr Abubakar Bukola Sarki,” . “It is a decision taken after due consultations with the Akida Group, a group that has predated my appointment as Chief of Staff to the President of the Senate. “I will remain active in politics, as this is the main avenue for salvaging our nation from rising insecurity, poverty and bitter divisions” Ahmed said. Ahmed who was at various time, Kaduna State chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the APC, expressed gratitude for the opportunities given to him to serve.

French President, Macron to Inaugurate New Alliance Francaise in Lagos Tomorrow French President, Emmanuel Macron, who is expected to arrive in Nigeria today, will tomorrow inaugurate a new Alliance Francaise centre in Lagos. The sprawling new edifice, which would serve as the organisation’s headquarters is located at No.9 Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. The inauguration of the new Alliance Francaise complex is expected to be one of the highpoints of President Macron’s visit to Nigeria. The event, which will be held at 9a.m. is expected to be attended by the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Denys Gauer, top government officials, members of the diplomatic community, captains of industry and cultural ambassadors, amongst other dignitaries. Alliance Française is a French language and cultural centre and

has 10 associations throughout Nigeria. They are located in Enugu, Ibadan, Ilorin, Jos, Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, Maiduguri, Owerri and Port Harcourt. Each Alliance Française centre is a non-profit making association and has three broad objectives; namely, teaching of French worldwide, with classes for all types of audiences, making French culture and the culture of French speaking countries better known and Fostering cultural diversity through the promotion of all cultures. The new Alliance Francaise centre in Ikoyi is a palatial purpose built state-of-the-art structure constructed with an eye to aesthetics. It has accompanying well-spaced out car park and beautiful ambience and lush flower beds and trees. It is exquisitely finished with tasteful furnishing.

UNITED WE STAND…

L-R: President Muhammadu Buhari; French President, Mr. Emmanuel Macron; and President of Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, during the closing ceremony of the 31st Session of Africa Union (AU) in Nouakchott, Mauritania…yesterday

Conspiracy Against Buhari Will Fail, Says Presidency Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Presidency has accused some opposition politicians of ganging up against President Muhammadu Buhari because his administration has successfully blocked every avenue to loot the country’s treasury. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Garbu Shehu stated this yesterday at the headquarters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja, during a visit to the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole. While reacting to criticism by the opposition concerning alleged bias in the administration’s anti corruption crusade, Shehu said the renewed agitation by those who constituted themselves into opposition elements was coming because the war against the treasury looters is succeeding. “The problem is that the competition for power in the country has become fiercer and fiercer because the stakes are very high and I will give you one example. “The President has unleashed on the country a war against corruption, the type that has never been seen before. Assets are being recovered from powerful people. The President is lucky that he has

a judiciary, which is transforming itself and on the same page with the President in fighting corruption. “As I speak with you, you know that two former state governors are in jail. A lot of people thought that this war against corruption is a joke and that the back and forth that has characterised the process over time will continue. “One of the two cases that we are talking about was determined after 11 years of back and forth between lawyers and judges, kicking the ball from this court to that court. But now, there is a new era in the country with the conclusion of these cases,” he said. Shehu said a lot of these harsh attack against the President were coming from people who had become used to life style that they can no longer sustain. “We have on record that we have people in this country, that because they were influential, they have permanent suites in Abuja. “They will just come, take the key and live lavishly at public expense. When they are leaving, they are accompanied by bags of Ghana must go. The President has blocked access to national resources by lazy people and so, he is being fought not because people are not happy.

“So, these things are building up and I assure you that they won’t give up as we hing our way towards election. They will continue to fight the president but the happiness we have is that ordinary low level Nigerian understands the conspiracy against them and they are with the President,” he said. Speaking further on the achievements being made by the Buhari-led administration, Shehu said the government has been building long delayed infrastructure. “This country will be a country of railways. There is no stage in the country where a minimum of two federal roads are not being constructed or being reconstructed. “We have more power in terms of electricity than can be consumed by the Discos. We have 2000MW excess of electricity that is not being evacuated. Before the end of the year, we are going to hit 10,000 megawatts from the 2500 megawatts we inherited. The burden by government for now is how do we sell this power; how do we take it to Nigerians who needs it. “These things are building up, and I assure you that they will give up. As we inch our ways towards

the election, they will continue to fight the President. The happiness that we have is that the ordinary Nigerians understand the huge conspiracy against them and are with the President. “The elites are going places, sitting in posh homes around the world, trying to thwart the good will of the President towards the ordinary Nigerians. But this economy is being rebuilt, more foreign investment is coming, more infrastructures are being provided for Nigerians. “Even the security infrastructure which had suffered neglect over the years because all the people attacking the President on this matter, if they had done what need to be done by equipping and training the police, equipping and training the army, this would not have built up to a situation where they will be called upon and found short. “But nobody has done so much for the military and the police as well as the prison. World class facilities are being provided for use by Nigerians. “Therefore, we understand that they just want to distract and take away attention of government and the government will stay on course,” he said.

T H I S D AY Ë¾ TUESDAY JULY 3, 2018

T H I S D AY ˾ ͱ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

T H I S D AY Ë¾ TUESDAY JULY 3, 2018

T H I S D AY • TUESDAY, JULY 3, 2018

COMMENT

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

IS IT BANANA OR QUEEN’S ENGLISH?

Who wins Ekiti governorship election? Godwin Etakibuebu writes that anything is possible

n May 12, 2014, l travelled on board Arik Air to London and four hours into the flight a very robust discussion ensued about the gubernatorial election in Ekiti State which was some weeks away. I found myself involved in the discussion, which itself was intriguing because l normally preferred listening in such discussions than being involved. But somehow l was involved nevertheless.

The discussion was about the most likely winner of the [then] incoming election between the two major political parties: the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] and the All Progressives Congress [APC], in the state. While some believed that the PDP would sweep the polls, others were of the opinion that Dr Olukayode Fayemi would break the jinx of being re-elected [no governor has won re-election in Ekiti State till date except Fayose but then, he had to return from a “sabbatical leave” to earn it]. When l decided to intervene in the discussion, l was emphatic that there was no way Fayose could win the election and become a governor in Ekiti State again. I however remembered a young man from Ekiti State telling me that the election had nothing to do with political parties but the individual contestants and he enumerated reasons why Fayose would win over any other contestant. This young man’s presentation made sense to me so much that on my return to Nigeria I had to call retired Navy Captain Atanda Yussuff, last Military Administrator of Ekiti State under General Abdulsalam Abubakar (rtd.), to tell me what he knew about the two dramatis personae and his expectation of what the election was likely to be. Another top politician from Ekiti State I spoke with on the matter was Prince Adedayo Adeyeye, former Minister of State for Works under President Goodluck Jonathan who recently decamped from PDP to APC. What these two gentlemen told me redesigned my opinion of Ayo Fayose. That election and its result in favour of “Osoko” is now history. The man, Ayo Fayose, has been able to reinvent the rules of political survival in Ekiti State, so much so that the fear of Fayose is now the beginning of political wisdom in that state. These new inventions which included stomach infrastructure, engaging the people in palm-wine drinking and what Comrade Adams Oshiomhole called “a roadside banana eater” might not be “normal” for those in the “decent school of life with Queen’s English speaking accent” but they have yielded democratic result to the man who introduced them and they have become the foundation of his political strength. It is in the light of this that the invasion of Ado-Ekiti, the capital of

WE KNOW FULL WELL THAT THE NIGERIAN POLITICIAN CAN DO THE TALKING MORE THAN WALKING THE TALK

Ekiti State on Tuesday June 19, 2018, by the mighty machinery of the APC in flagging off the July 14 governorship election and official presentation of the party’s flag to its candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi, is to be evaluated. Leading the flag-off in Ekiti State on the day in question was the Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; recently dethroned Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; former Osun State Governor, Chief Bisi Akande; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; a former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, 12 serving governors and many other giants. All of them made beautiful speeches. Of course they were not speeches we have not heard before. We know full well that the Nigerian politician can do the talking more than walking the talk. So all that was said on that day by all the APC gladiators could be taken for what they were – cosmetic political window dressing. I will prefer closing this exercise with Adams Oshiomhole winning formula for Fayemi and Ekiti people on the incoming election. Listen to him: “PDP was known for abuse of power and their days are gone. Ekiti is the most educated state in Nigeria and I knew you voted for Fayemi in 2014 because Ekiti has highest pupil enrolment in schools then and I know that a state that is highly educated like Ekiti could not have voted for a roadside banana eater”. What he implied by that reference is that because of the educational background of Kayode Fayemi, a doctorate degree holder, Ekiti people would vote Fayemi as against a less academically qualified Ayo Fayose who holds HND from Ibadan Polytechnic. Comrade Oshiomhole got it wrong in what attracts the Nigerian voters in casting their votes. Banana is a healthy diet and anyone who can bring banana to the people to fill their stomachs would be preferred to a man who speaks Queens English without putting food on the table. Ekiti people are most likely to respect a man who comes to them, sit on the floor with them and eat roasted corn and banana with them than the one that walks around in academic gown but has nothing for them. The Queen’s English of Dr Kayode Fayemi did not help him to retain the Governor’s lodge. On the other hand, Ayo Fayose in his banana-eating style and politics of stomach infrastructure captured the peoples’ attention and this is helping him in serving out his tenure in some days’ time. Will the winning formula in the Ekiti State election this time around be Queen’s English or Banana eating?

Etakibuebu, a veteran Journalist, wrote from Lagos

DANBATTA: GOLDEN FEATHERS TO ACADEMIC CAP Yakubu Musa pays tribute to Umar Danbatta, executive vice-chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission

ttaining a phenomenal success in whichever endeavour is, by no means, a piece of cake, no matter how providential one may be. Yet those who are there can appreciate the fact that, sustaining the glory already achieved is often a much more herculean job. People still wonder how Cristiano Ronaldo has managed to remain among the toasts of the game, creating all sorts of new records even at 33, an age that constitutes a significant encumbrance for a player whose main assets include, breath-taking pace and use of raw power to subdue opponents. In truth, however, it takes a great man who stays put on the pedestal of accomplishment to make it look so effortless. Within the space of 48 hours, last week, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, received two major honours that many would only hope to accomplish in a lifetime. First, he bagged the fellowship of the Nigeria Academy of Engineering, the apex engineering body in the country. Two days later he was being dressed once again in the academic gown to receive an honorary doctorate degree of science (D.sc) of the University of Jos, on top of his PhD from the prestigious University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, United Kingdom. Even for an acclaimed multiple award-winning chief executive officer/academic, who is used to receiving silverware, both locally and internationally - those were undoubtedly 48 hours to savour for Danbatta and the NCC. The professor of telecommunications engineering had eloquently summed up the connotation himself when he received a high-powered delegation of the University of Jos, led by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Administration, Prof Teresa Nmadu, who paid a courtesy call to the commission’s headquarters. “Universities are

established in order to conduct teaching, research and community services. And I see what we are doing outside the confines of the university as an extension of community service. It doesn’t matter whether it’s at local, state or at the federal level; its service to communities, service to society and service to humanity.Those are clearly the ideals on which universities, all over the world, are established. If through community service, therefore, we are recognised as giving outstanding contributions to society and humanity, I think that’s the most important recognition any academic can think of,” he said. The Academy of Engineering, during the investiture ceremony, said that Danbatta’s selection was because, “he is an erudite engineer and astute administrator whose administration in the commission has tremendously transformed the telecom sector and grown Nigeria’s broadband penetration from eight per cent to 22 per cent, according to the ITU-UNESCO Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development”. Indeed, while so much has so far been accomplished in the last three years of Danbatta in the helm of affairs of the telecom industry in the country, the confirmation of the ITU-UNESCO Broadband Commission on the progress the country has made in deepening its broadband penetration is one remarkable feat that stands out. This quantum leap witnessed, therefore, tells not only the story of a man with Midas touch, but also underscores how much ground the country has covered towards attaining its 30 per cent broadband penetration by the end of this year. Having made deepening the broadband penetration the flagship of the Eight-point agenda he unveiled at the commencement of his tenure, Danbatta has remained unrelenting to ensure that Nigeria continues to make progress in the journey toward its target. Six out of seven infrastructure companies (Infracos) have been licensed to drive the deployment of broadband infrastructure in the country

based on the NCC’s Open Access Model (OAM), which is also in line with the National Broadband Plan (NBP) of (2013 – 2018. With a combination of licenses for infrastructure provisioning and frequency spectrum auctions like 2.6 Ghz as well as farming and re-farming of some of the existing frequencies to make them more efficient plus the recent introduction of the frequency trading framework, the NCC, under Danbatta, is making tremendous progress in the area of deepening broadband penetration in Nigeria. The last three years of Danbatta at the NCC has also witnessed injection of renewed vigour in stakeholder engagements mostly to ensure that no stone is left unturned toward achieving the target. This saw the EVC traverse all nooks and crannies of the country to advocate on implementing a uniform right of way charges in accordance with the National Economic Council’s resolution. Perhaps NCC’s efforts under Prof Danbatta can be more appreciated if the fact that he assumed office at a time when the nation’s economy was going through its most challenging period in recent history, is taken into consideration. But providence has a way of bringing to the fore the qualities of great leaders. It’s not surprising, therefore, he picked up the gauntlet and brought his astute management skills to bear on the industry. At a time when other sectors buckled up, the telecom industry defied the gravity of prevailing economic situation in the country to continue to churn out impressive contributions to the GDP. The average contribution of the sector per quarter was N1.5 trillion, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), breeding more investor confidence. As the brand new regime of data rollover has just commenced in the country following the NCC’s regulatory directive, the paradigm shift the industry is witnessing in the area of consumer protection and satisfaction is also worth noting. The Year 2017 was dedicated to the consumer of the industry with a very successful campaign

launched toward increasing awareness on the commission’s Do-Not-Disturb code (2442) designed to empower consumers with options for barring or opting out of unsolicited telemarketing. This is in addition to 622 toll-free line made available to the consumer to enable them escalate complaints untreated by the mobile network providers - as well general improvement in quality of service. No fewer than 10 million customers activated the DND facility from little less than 500,000 before the commencement of the campaign. While Danbatta’s performance in office has been nothing short of stellar, we should not lose sight of his contribution to public intellectualism. The NCC boss is billed to deliver the convocation lecture at the Nigerian Defence Academy in September this year. This has been the familiar feature of his days as NCC boss, as prestigious institutions across the country find in him a treasure trove of knowledge to tap from. The professor of telecommunications engineering was the first NCC boss to address the executive course of National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS). He also joined the league of eminent Nigerians like former President Olusegun Obsanjo to deliver the convocation symposium of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Earlier in the year at GSMA World Mobile Congress 2018, Danbatta was among the only notable industry titans in the world to participate in a session that industry watchers dubbed “an assembly of the giants”. He joined Ajit Varadaraj Pai, the Chief Regulator of the United States Federal Communications Commission, Ram Sewak Sharma, the Chief Regulator of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, and German Dario Arias Pimienta of Communications Regulatory, Colombia to present Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda and the exiting investment opportunities to the rest of the world. Musa, SA (Media) to the EVC of the NCC, wrote in from Abuja

T H I S D AY • TUESDAY, JULY 3, 2018

EDITORIAL A MOST RECKLESS MINISTER

Dan-Ali, Minister of Defence, is increasingly becoming a liability to the government

fter his meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari last week, following the Plateau State killings, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, hinted of a plan by the federal government to restructure the nation’s security architecture so as to put an end to the security challenges in the country. While this is long overdue, we doubt if any Nigerian is holding their breath given the tardiness with which this government has treated security issues in the past three years. Not only are the security agencies working at cross purposes, the heads of some of them have outlived their usefulness yet they keep their jobs for reasons that can neither be considered altruistic nor in the national interest. Aside the charge WHENEVER HE SPEAKS IN of lop-sidedness in PUBLIC IN DEFENCE OF THE the appointments GOVERNMENT, HE ENDS UP of the security INFLICTING MORE DAMAGE chiefs in a diverse ON THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION society like ours, OF THE ADMINISTRATION there is also the issue of competence on which some of them fall far short. It would seem that regime protection and loyalty to the political aspiration of the president are the main yardsticks for appointments and retention in some critical government positions. Otherwise we fail to understand why the Inspector- General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris and the Minister of Defence, Brigadier-General Mansur Dan-Ali, are still doing in their respective ofﬁces, given the damage they have already done to national security by their partisan slants on critical national issues. It is on this score that the Defence Minister is most notorious. In one of several gaffes, Dan-Ali recently berated the enactment of the anti-open grazing law by some states and called for the suspension of the laws. The anti-open grazing laws are currently operational in Benue, Taraba and Ekiti States. At his level, Dan-Ali

manifested sickening ignorance that the states Houses of Assembly derive the powers from the1999 Constitution to make laws for their people. On what basis is the minister calling for the suspension of the laws meant to reduce clashes and frictions between herdsmen and farmers? What does Dan-Ali have against the laws? What is his solution to the clashes that are still sending many to their untimely graves? Is anti-grazing law responsible for the killings in Zamfara State where he hails from?

U 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

nfortunately, that was not the first time Dan-Ali would make ill-advised and slanted statement which is capable of stoking anarchy and compounding the already escalating tension between the nomadic pastoralists and sedentary farmers in many communities across the country. Incensed by the remark, the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, last week publicly scolded Dan-Ali. “I wonder if the Minister of Defence has time to read newspapers, watch and listen to electronic media. If he did, he would have felt the feelings of Nigerians on these killings. He should not be the mouthpiece of Miyetti Allah in a conflict involving Nigerians, especially when it is not directly under his technical supervision”, said Ortom. Dan-Ali cannot claim that he was motivated by national interest. If he was not inspired by mischief as we suspect, what is the logic behind his call for the suspension of the implementation of the anti-open grazing laws in some states while openly negotiating safe and unrestricted grazing routes for the herders? As a minister, Dan-Ali is fond of making flagrant and unguarded remarks that have turned him into a laughing stock and a liability for the administration which he is part of. Whenever he speaks in public in defence of the government, he ends up inflicting more damage on the public perception of the administration. We see no reason why the president should continue to keep a man like him in the Federal Executive Council.

TO SEND EMAIL: ﬁrst name.surname@thisdaylive.com

Letters to the Editor

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.

NIGERIA AND NEW WAVE OF DRUG ABUSE

espite efforts to prevent substance abuse, the use, misuse and abuse of drugs is on the rise in Nigeria. Suddenly, the list of drugs that youths now take has expanded and now include such substances as: Lipton soaked with Regal gin, Tramadol, Codeine, Dry pawpaw leaves, Hypo in Lacasera, Tom Tom in Lacasera, Spirogyra, Rephnol, Gum, 10 days Urine and Methylated spirit in codeine. Others are methylated spirit in coke, dry plantain leaves, Cannabis (Marijuana) in Regal gin, Burnt Tyres and Burnt Bitumen, among others. Considering simultaneous rise in crime and social problems affecting the entire country, the new wave of drug abuse has really become a bigger problem, and experts rightly believe the problem is grossly underestimated. Even in the absence of statistics and the recent investigative documentary by BBC on illicit drug deals in Nigeria, observation of happenings on the streets and reported cases of drug usage by school children will reveal that young people today are exposed earlier than ever to drugs. It is now beyond, “taking drugs off the streets”, but “off the schools as well’’. Or, what do we think of such a recent case of a Junior Secondary School student in Ohafia, Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State, who was reported to have died after he allegedly took 10 tablets of Tramadol tablets? He purportedly took the tablets to enhance his performance during his school’s inter-house sports competition where he was billed to compete. He could, however, not live to see the event as he died shortly after taking the drugs.

On March 2, 2018, a father and his son were arrested by the Lagos Police Command for selling Tramadol and other hard drugs to primary and secondary school pupils in Itire area of Lagos. The arrest was effected after officials of the Office of Education and Quality Assurance, Lagos State alerted officers of the Rapid Response Squad about the incident. Their arrest was necessitated after officials of the Ministry of Education learned that students in the area were exhibiting a strange attitude. There are several other cases relating to use of Tramadol by students across the country. We have had cases of boys using it to enhance sexual performance, including raping of female colleagues to sign off the end of their secondary school years after WAEC final papers. Perhaps, more horrifying is the rate at which drug abuse has broken gender, class and religious barrier and threatening generation of young ladies. Surprisingly, the presumed modestly dressed Northern Nigerian women are not an exemption. There is no need to pretend, the potential for increase in drug abuse is apparent. Cultism and gang violence have permeated schools from secondary, if not primary schools, to higher institution. Do we also need to put into debate whether Boko Haram and killer herdsmen are induced by drug or not? The use of drugs has always been an inseparable part of cultism and youth in tertiary institutions are deeply involved in this harmful practice. The criminal activities of drug users are now becoming too frequent for comfort. At most of the dark spots in major cities, banned drugs are regularly and defiantly being used. To worsen the situation, some of drug users operate like cults, carving out territories of influ-

ence where they intimidate, rape and rob innocent residents at will. It is important to also illustrate what drugs do to the body and minds of the users from public health perspective. For instance, some of the drugs especially marijuana is toxic and can lead to cancer. The negative effects also include confusion, acute panic reactions, anxiety attacks, fear and loss of self-control. Chronic marijuana users may develop a motivational syndrome characterized by passivity, decreased motivation, and preoccupation with taking drugs. Like alcoholic intoxication, marijuana impairs judgment, comprehension, memory, speech, and problem-solving abilities. Meanwhile, the reality in Nigeria today is that since the abusers are not limited to street urchins, bus conductors as well as okada riders as many still assume. Youths with respectable upbringing are now quite involved. There is, nevertheless, need for change of attitudes and campaign against the substances. Knowledge of communication for development should make us to understand that all drug addicts are not necessarily criminals and should not be addressed as such. Some are misguided teenagers who have made wrong choices. Here, the suggestion is that we should have separate messages and approaches targeting soft to extremely potent drugs with evil effects professionally communicated by experts in behavioural change. Secondly, tackling drug problem needs a multi-sectorial approach. Families, educational institutions, traditional body, religious organisations, the public and the private sectors should work together to fight this menace. Rasak Musbau, Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja

T H I S D AY • TUESDAY, JULY 3, 2018

POLITICS

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

TRENDING NEWS

Discarding a Bogus Appellation Davidson Iriekpen writes that governors need to have firm control of the security apparatus in their states, against the background of persistent security challenges in the country.

overnor Abdul’aziz Yari of Zamfara State stirred the hornet’s nest penultimate week when he publicly resigned as the Chief Security of Officer of his state over lack of control of the security machinery in the state. He based the decision on the seeming helplessness of the state government over recurring killings in the state. He added that as the CSO, he had no control over the security machinery of the state, and there was no need to be regarded as such. Yari deplored the prevailing situation where he could not take decisions on strategies for protecting the state and its people, and have them implemented. He lamented that it was disheartening that killings in the state had continued in spite of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s order to security agencies to end the incessant bloodletting across the country. He said the state government was spending huge amounts on security, to no avail, and therefore urged the people to be more faithful to God and embark on special prayers. “We have been facing serious security challenges over the years, but in spite of being governor and CSO of the state, I cannot direct security officers on what to do or sanction them when they err. The CSO nomenclature is just a name. We cannot keep quiet while our people are being killed daily. We are going to cooperate with all stakeholders to bring the situation to an end,” he said. For almost two years, bandits moved from one local government to another in his state, killing hundreds of people, unhindered. The last attack was at Birnin Magaji Local Government Area on June 13, which claimed 38 lives. Since last January, over 600 persons were reportedly killed by bandits in the state. For now, the likes of Fura Girke, Majira, Kanawa, Yargeba, Takoka, Bargaja, Bundungel, Bantsa, Unguwar Matanda and Makera have become ghost villages in Zamfara State. Most of the inhabitants are too scared to return. A large number of Internally Displaced Persons from Zamfara are now streaming into neighbouring Katsina State. As at yesterday, the IDP camp in Kankara Local Government has over 3,000 people. Yari held the security chiefs responsible for the worsening security situation in his state. The Birnin Magaji attack, he said, occurred nine days after the president ordered the deployment of more security personnel in the state. He told Nigerians that the likes of the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai; Chief Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar and Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, no longer obeyed President Buhari. According to him, weeks after the president directed that more security personnel be deployed to Zamfara, not one reported to the state. Nigerians won’t forget in a hurry how the IG, Idris, disobeyed the president’s directive to relocate to Benue State to curb attacks by killer herders. Buratai and Abubakar have also failed to curb rampaging Boko Haram and killer herders, without sanctions. To many analysts, the governor has not said anything new about the “abnormal” system currently in operation in the country, which over-centralises power in the present federal structure. The 1999 Constitution stipulates that there “shall be a police force for Nigeria, which shall be known as the Nigeria Police Force, and subject to the provisions of this section no other police force shall be established for the federation or any part thereof.” Here lies the bane of the security challenges being experienced in the country. Majority of opinion shapers believe that if state governors had the powers to resolve security issues, and

President Buhari

if the heads of security formations in various states were under the control of governors, a lot of the security challenges in their domain would have been quickly resolved before they got out of control. It was against this backdrop that Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike of Rivers State, recently held the federal government responsible for underdevelopment of states across the country. Wike said state governors should no longer be addressed as CSOs, but chief logistic officers, who only provide logistics for federal security agencies, but do not get anything in return. The Rivers governor while addressing the Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) 9 at the Institute of Security Service (ISS) in Abuja, noted that the centralisation of security and the poor use of the security agencies have negatively impacted on the development of states across the country, with several anti-people measures instituted to work against the attainment of peace. “The federal government is simply too overbearing with too much powers and resources at its disposal. We know the recurrent rifts between the federal government and the states over development issues, including revenue sharing, resource control, excess crude oil account, appointment into federal agencies and arbitrary

This scenario has given rise to the increasing calls on the federal government to restructure the country by amending the constitution to allow for a multi-level police system

IGP Idris

location or withdrawal of federally-funded projects. Developments in Rivers State in the last few months point to the capture of the state’s security system by some special interest groups in their attempt to overawe the state government and achieve their political agenda. “Thus, frequent transfer of the Commissioner of Police and other Director of the State Security Service has become a norm. I am presently working with the fifth commissioner of police since I assumed office barely a year ago. Indeed, things have gone so bizarre that senior officers, who have had political brushes with me, now head every sensitive police formation in the state. “Federal government agencies have been turned against state and local governments, and have constituted themselves into a stumbling block by deliberately embarking on unconstitutional activities that have been stalling development in states.” Just like in Zamfara, Wike’s fears manifested when in one fell swoop, Fulani herdsmen killed over 400 persons and burnt scores of houses in Agatu, Benue State, over grazing rights. Thus, the hapless villagers became internally displaced persons in their own land. The state Governor, Samuel Ortom, was just as helpless as the victims. Finding himself between the horns of a dilemma, he raced to Abuja to brief the presidency. Ortom demanded improved security to contain the contagion. “I think the situation in Benue, especially in Agatu, is getting out of control,” a bewildered Ortom said. Yet, as governor, he is the CSO of his state without as much any control. Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State had a similar experience on April 25, 2016 when the same Fulani herdsmen descended on Nimbo community in Uzo Uwani Local Government Area, killed over 40 people and razed a church to the ground, in an early morning raid. Ugwuanyi wept when he visited scenes of the attack. Motivated by the seeming helplessness of all the security agencies, he set up a Neighbourhood Watch, to protect his people. Over two years after the mayhem, the police have yet to explain how a planned massacre of which they received an intelligence report, illustrated at an emergency state security meeting the governor presided over, still took place. Ugwuanyi’s loss of faith in the police has been copied by his peers.

Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State has had to mobilise hunters in his domain for self-help when he saw that police and other security agencies in his state have failed him in helping to protect lives and property. Since 1999, governors have been at the mercy of the federal government and its security agencies. While they provide virtually all the logistics needed for the efficiency of the police, they do not in most cases get anything in return than sheer intimidation. These logistics which run into billions of naira include operational vehicles, communication equipment and armoured personnel carriers, amongst others. Yet, the commissioners of police and heads of security agencies are not answerable to the governors. Sometimes, so obdurate are some of the security chiefs that they tell the governors to their face that they only take orders from ‘Abuja’. This scenario has given rise to the increasing calls on the federal government to restructure the country by amending the constitution to allow for a multi-level police system rather than a police force, whose boss does not know what is happening in the states. This is why the Chairman of the Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation and former Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Babangida Aliyu, described Nigerian governors as “mere glorified chief security officers of their states.” Leading some members of Board of Trustees of the foundation on a sympathy visit to Governor Ortom, over the recent attacks on the state, Aliyu noted that experiences he garnered while at the helm of affairs of his state have shown that state governors do not have powers to resolve security issues, in a situation where all the heads of security formations respond to directives from their superior in Abuja. He stated that state governors do not have control over security apparatus, a development he said has made it impossible for governors to quickly resolve security challenges in their domain. On his part, Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, stressed that “no commissioner of police will listen to the directive or instruction of any governor.” Speaking against the background of the security situation in the country, he also made a case for state police, saying the idea remained the panacea for ensuring effective security nationwide.

T H I S D AY • TUESDAY, JULY 3, 2018

POLITICS

Treading a Familiar Path Staking a claim to the highest public office in Ekiti State for the third time, Dr. Kayode Fayemi aims at a resounding victory at the July 14 governorship election, writes Nseobong Okon-Ekong

olourful dances and warm cheer awaited Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ekiti State, in all the 133 communities across the state that he visited to canvass support for the July 14 election. Though it has been a tasking campaign, it is nonetheless a familiar route for Fayemi who is taking his third shot at the highest public office in Ekiti State. Everywhere he went, he sang the same song. He promised to provide visionary leadership through his Eight-point Agenda to redirect the state to the path of growth and development. Perhaps, for strategic reasons, Fayemi scheduled his homestead in Isan-Ekiti in Oye Local Government Area, as the last town in his three-week campaign tours of the 132 towns and villages in the 16 local government areas of the state. Re-stating his confidence in the positive outcome of the impending governorship election in the state, Fayemi dismissed as nightmarish an opinion poll result conducted by information analysis firm, NOI Polls, predicting victory for the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Prof. Olusola Eleka, in the July 14 election. It said NOI opinion poll result is a premeditated arrangement to fulfill a contractual engagement by a politician working for other politicians with common partisan interest and warned PDP to prepare for defeat over abuse of Ekiti people’s right to good governance and development. An opinion poll on Ekiti governorship election by NOI Poll was published few days ago, suggesting victory for Eleka, with PDP members jubilating over the prospect of victory. Fayemi, however described the poll result as a “warped sentiment of a competitor also acting as an umpire in a one-man game.” Noting that NOI poll result would not have been different from what was published as pre-conceived because of the ownership. “NOI poll result would not have been different from what we read giving victory to PDP because of the ownership structure. The outfit is owned by former Minister of Finance in President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a staunch member of PDP that is struggling for breath after bequeathing the legacy of waste to Nigerians. Truth is NOI is an abbreviation of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (NOI). The poll company had earlier conducted several opinion polls with bizarre projections in 2014 and 2015 with ridiculous results that diminished its worth, so much that we thought the organisation would have closed down its operations as a result of its unprofessional and inaccurate projections. But because NOI’s assignment in Ekiti is more of political interest than service to Nigerians, it is fraudulent for a partisan outfit like NOI to pretentiously present itself as serving on non-partisan platform. “In 2015, working with President Jonathan, NOI grossly failed in its mandate to objectively project the outcome of the presidential election, giving Jonathan over 70 per cent chance above APC candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, who NOI rated as the fourth in the ballot but who eventually emerged as the winner with a wide margin in the presidential contest. “NOI went to a ridiculous extent to predict that Jonathan would win the entire North Central with Buhari only winning North East and North West. Jonathan, it predicted, would clinch the entire North Central, the South West, South East and South South. “In its polls before presidential primaries, NOI rated Buhari fourth behind Jonathan, Senator Rabiu Kwakwanso and Governor Babatunde Fasola of Lagos among the prospective presidential aspirants. “But Buhari not only defeated Kwakwanso in APC primaries, he also went ahead to defeat Jonathan in the presidential election, thus NOI’s prediction collapsed on its promoter’s face after Jonathan had wasted his money to produce a misleading projection. NOI is today doing more of political gambling in Ekiti State than statistical analysis of information to produce valid result ahead of the July 14 poll.” Fayemi added that the realities on ground in Ekiti State did not support NOI’s assertion

L-R: Deputy Governorship Candidate, All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Egbeyemi; Governorship Candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi with a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon Bimbo Daramola, during the party’s rally in Ire-Ekiti.

R-L: Wife of the Governorship Candidate, All Progressives Congress (APC), Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; Wife of the deputy Governorship Candidate, Mrs Margaret Egbeyemi; interacting with some market women, during a visit to Oja Bisi and Oja Oba Markets in Ado-Ekiti

in its projection. He explained: “Those leaders that would have helped PDP to mobilise for votes have defected from the party to APC over differences with Fayose. In virtually all the strongholds of PDP, its leaders have defected with their supporters to render PDP prostrate in those areas. For example, leaders in local governments, such as Ise/Orun, Efon, Ido-Osi, Ikole, Ikere, Ekiti West and Oye where PDP used to be strong, have since defected to APC with their supporters citing Fayose’s alleged greed and inhuman conduct. Besides, the critical segments of the society, including workers that are denied their salaries, market women, trade groups, farmers and private businesses that now pay suffocating taxes with several businesses

Describing July 14 poll as freedom election, he said he would restore all the life-lifting empowerment schemes that were cancelled by Governor Ayodele Fayose to allow Ekiti people earn a living to free themselves from want, poverty and disease

closing shops as a result of Fayose’s undemocratic and bullish conduct are up in arms against the governor and so we wonder where NOI will recruit the spirits that will give PDP victory in the July 14 poll.” Fayemi described the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State as a vote for freedom. He said the election is an “opportunity to reverse hunger, want, disease and hopelessness” that have been the lot of the people in the hands of an anti-people administration that thrives in deceit and lies in the last three-and-a-half years. Fayemi spoke at rallies in Ifaki, Orin Ora, Ifishin, Igbole, Osi, Ido, Ilogbo and Usi-Ekiti, among other communities in Ido-Osi Local Government while on campaign tours to sell his programmes to voters, assuring them that hope is in the horizon again to take Ekiti State back to its prime of place in the South West and indeed Nigeria. Describing July 14 poll as freedom election, he said he would restore all the life-lifting empowerment schemes that were cancelled by Governor Ayodele Fayose to allow Ekiti people earn a living to free themselves from want, poverty and disease, even as he said that all the local council development areas that Fayose cancelled will return to bring government closer to the people. He dispelled the propaganda by PDP that he will sack teachers and local government workers, saying that no teacher would be sacked while the local government workers have nothing to fear about job loss. Insisting that he has obligation towards making life meaningful for teachers, Fayemi said: “Throughout my four years, how many teachers did I sack? Instead of sacking teachers, I increased their salaries three times within four years while I also paid core subjects and rural posting allowances to teachers to encourage them to deliver and live happily with their families unlike the current situation where teachers are

being owed between six and 10 months while pensioners have not received their entitlements for close to a year. “While we can point to many projects we did while in government between 2010 and 2014 to make life bearable for our people, the PDP administration led by Fayose can’t point to any project in any town except tales of woes by our people on salary payment defaults, students paying fees for WEAC, NECO other public examinations, which we fully paid for, including scholarships,” he said. He urged the people to go back to the abundance of the past, by ensuring an APC victory in the election. He assured them of security, saying the unlawful arrests and harassment by the police in 2014 will not be allowed. In almost all the communities visited, hundreds of PDP top members defected to APC citing greed, selfishness and undemocratic conduct of the governor as their reason for quitting the PDP. At Igbole-Ekiti, Isaac Idowu led the entire Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM) structure to defect to APC. An appreciative old woman led scores of women to thank Fayemi for providing them succour through payment of monthly social security stipend. Mammoth crowds attended the rally at IdoEkiti where Cyril Fasuyi popularly called the “GOC of Ido Osi Politics, led the who-is-who in Ido politics to defect to the APC. He described Fayose as a selfish politician who fraudulently schemed him out of the House of Representatives contest in 2014, vowing that the governor would pay for his undemocratic and callous conduct to members of his party who worked for his success at poll but “paid them back with evil.” He assured that 27,000 votes in Ido-Ekiti would be delivered to APC and vowed to take Fayose to court for converting monetary allocations meant for Ido Osi to selfish use.

T H I S D AY ˾ ͱ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

T H I S D AY Ë¾ TUESDAY JULY 3, 2018

T H I S D AY ˾ ͱ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ ÍąËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

BUSINESSWORLD

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

Í° Íˇ Ëœ Í° ÍŽ ÍŻ Íś MONEY MARKET OBB OVERNIGHT

REPO ÍŻÍąË›Íľ Ďą ÍŻÍ˛Ë›ÍŽÍś Ďą

CALL 1-MONTH 3-MONTH

ÍˇĎą ÍŻÍ˛Ë›ÍśÍą Ďą ÍŻÍłË›Í´ÍľĎą

S & P INDEX INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY MONTH-TO-DATE

ÍąÍłÍąË›ÍśÍłĎą ÍŽË›ÍŽÍˇĎą Ě‹ÍŻË›ÍŻÍ´Ďą

S & P INDEX 1/4 TO DATE YEAR TO DATE

Í°Ë›Í°ÍľĎą ÍľË›Í˛ÍŽĎą

EXCHANGE RATE ÍąÍŽÍłË›ÍľÍłËšÍŻ ĚŠ ĚŠ

Quick Takes Heritage Bank Partners NeFF

Heritage Bank Plc has gone into partnership with the Nigeria Electronic Fraud Forum (NeFF) on the prevention of fraud in the Nigerian banking system. The MD/CEO of the bank, Mr. IďŹ e Sekibo said at unveiling of the 2017 NeFF annual report in Lagos recently that the bank was very proud of successes recorded by the forum, remarking that the advent of the forum has undoubtedly created revolutionaryeďŹ€ectintheconceptionofbankingservicesintheindustry. Sekibo who was represented by the bankâ€™s Executive Director, Services and CIO, Mr. Ike Williams, said ďŹ nancial institutions in the country had exploited the successes to introduce innovative banking products,especiallye-products.HesaidHeritageBankwouldcontinue to support the forum and advised NEFF not to rest on its oars. The Heritage Bank helmsman also commended the out-going Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Operations, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, describing him as an exceptional leader who made invaluable contributions to the success of the forum. While unveiling the NEFF 2017 annual report, titled â€œTightening the Belt of e-fraud Prevention: A 4 sided approach,â€? Adelabu, noted that in an environment that has witnessed fast-paced growth in both volume and value of electronic transactions, it would not be out of the ordinary if fraud attempts are also on the increase.

Ecobank, TRACE Host Macron

PRE-RETIREMENT SEMINAR

L-R: Executive Director, Investments, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited (SIBML), Mr. Oladele Sotubo; Senior Manager, BeneďŹ ts and Insurance, National Pension Commission, Mr. Louis Henshaw; Chief Executive, SIPML, Mr. Eric Fejemisin, and Head, Business Development, SIPML, Mrs. Nike Bajomo, at the 2018 Stanbic IBTC pension managersâ€™ pre-retirement seminar in Lagosâ€Ś recently

NERC Okays TCNâ€™s Bid to Procure Spinning Reserves for Grid Chineme Okafor in Abuja

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has reportedly given the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) its approval to procure extra power to serve as spinning reserve that could stabilise Nigeriaâ€™s electricity grid when there are unforeseen disturbances. THISDAY gathered this much from the Managing Director of the TCN, Mr. Usman Mohammed, in Abuja, when the TCN hosted a workshop to review its plans to procure and install brand new Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Energy Management System (EMS). The commission according

ENERGY to Mohammed, had asked the transmission company to go ahead with its plan to advertise to procure the spinning reserve from existing operators in the countryâ€™s electricity market. THISDAY learnt that spinning reserves are usually on-line reserve capacities that are synchronised to the grid system and ready to meet electric demand within time of a dispatch instruction by the system operator. Also, spinning reserves are needed to maintain system frequency stability during emergency operating conditions and unforeseen load swings. They are provided by devices that are synchronised to the

electricity grid. Speaking on what needed to be done to stabilise Nigeriaâ€™s electricity grid, as well as TCNâ€™s efforts in this regard, Mohammed, said, â€œWe need to do four things: we need to ensure that we have critical investments in network upgrade and new lines and that is why we have raised $1.57 billion from several donors to do that; we also need to have frequency control where the free-governor control will be enforced â€“ we have enforced it and achieved 49.5 and 50.5 hertz and we are actually going ahead to enforce 49.8 and 50.2 hertz, this has significantly stabilised the grid. â€œWe also need to have what we call spinning reserve and the NERC has approved recently

that we can acquire the spinning reserve through competitive means, we have prepared the document and will advertise soon to procure spinning reserve; the next thing is to have the SCADA so that anybody who does anything that will affect the grid will be seen and punished accordingly.â€? Allaying fears of potential mismanagement of contract processes in the TCN, especially as it relates with the bid and procurement of the spinning reserves and SCADA, Mohammed, stated: â€œWe have reorganised our procurement system such that only competent companies would bid for our contracts.â€? Meanwhile, the Minister of Continued on page 22

SON Uncovers Warehouse with 21 Containers of Stuffed Imported Tyres Jonathan Eze Standards Organisation of Nigeria Surveillance, Intelligence and Monitoring operatives have swooped on another warehouse in Lagos where over 21 Containers of stuffed imported tyres were being forcefully unstuffed, wrapped and labelled before being dispatched to markets all over the country. The Director General, SON, Osita Aboloma, said at an enforcement exercise at the weekend in Lagos that the agency has been reinvigoratedcourtesy of SON act 2015- to

INDUSTRY go after any suspected good or inspect premises and factories in its quest to rid the Nigerian market of substandard products. The SON boss, represented by Deputy Director and Coordinator of its Surveillance Investigation and Monitoring (SIM) Unit, Isa Suleiman, disclosed that the 21 containers imported tyres, stuffed five into one and estimated at over N1 billion were discovered and seized at a warehouse in Abule Osun, off the LagosBadagry Express Way opposite the International Trade Fair Complex.

The consignments translate to about 100 containers of imported tyres rather than 21 on the import documents, he said. Mr. Suleiman disclosed that the discovery and seizure of the SON regulated products was a result of surveillance and information given to the agency and followed up by the SIM Unit, inaugurated 2 months ago by the Director General. â€œWe have found out that these unscrupulous people bring in the containers from the seaports, lock themselves in warehouses to forcefully unstuff the tyres, wrap and label them before loading

to markets all over Nigeriaâ€?. According to him, in the processes of forceful stuffing and unstuffing, the tyres become unusually expanded, others unduly compressed, bending the wires around the helms and creating sharp points that make them vulnerable to bursts on slight contacts having been squeezed and weakened, thus leading to avoidable road accidents and loss of lives. â€œThese are acts of clear economic sabotage of the country through evasion of duties and taxes payable on the imports, Continued on page 22

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron will make an oďŹƒcial visit to Lagos onTuesday. During the visit, Macron is expected to announce the launch of the â€˜Season of African Cultures 2020,â€™a French celebration of Africaâ€™s rich and diverse cultures, as part of a cultural event organised by TRACE and sponsored by Ecobank. Entitled â€˜A Celebration of African Culture,â€™ the event will take place at the New Afrika Shrine, the home of the legendary Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. A statement revealed that over a thousand guests, including representatives from the African creative and arts sectors have been invited to attend the multicultural event, with music provided by an almost exclusively female line-up featuring pan-African queen of Afro-popYemi Alade; Franco-Nigerian singer Asa, and Cameroonâ€™s Charlotte Dipanda. Commenting on the sponsorship, the Managing Director of Ecobank Nigeria, Charles Kie, said Ecobank was proud to support such an event that, â€œperfectly synchronises with the Bankâ€™s ongoingandstrategicintenttosupportanddevelopeconomicgrowth and ďŹ nancial integration in Africa.â€? He added, â€œSustainable economic growthisessentialtoincreaseourcontinentâ€™sglobalcompetitiveness thereby improving standards of living and prosperity for all Africans. It is fantastic to see that Africaâ€™s burgeoning creative industries are playing their full part in doing this by entertaining and attracting the global audiences that will in turn help increase both international interest and investment in African nations and businesses to the beneďŹ t of all.â€?

IFAD Launches IT Solution for Farmers

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has launchedwhatitdescribedastheworldâ€™sďŹ rstweb-basedtooldesigned to collect and share agriculture and rural development solutions implemented in developing countries.The main objective of the Rural Solutions Portal is to promote the uptake of successful innovative agriculturalandruralpractices,technologiesandmethodologiesacross diverse contexts to support development in rural communities and rural transformation. A statement explained that the portal is a key commitment by IFAD to advance the â€œBrasilia Declaration and Action Agenda,â€?adoptedduringtheInternationalConferenceonSouth-South andTriangular Cooperation (SSTC) held in Brasilia in November 2017. â€œCommon challenges can be addressed by common solutions,â€? IFADâ€™s Director of Global Engagement and Multilateral Relations, Ashwani K. Muthoo said at the ďŹ rst presentation of the platform to Government oďŹƒcials, development partners and representatives of diplomatic missions in New Delhi, India, recently. â€œThe potential for smallholder farmers, development practitioners and institutions from the Global South to learn from each other is immense, and the ďŹ rst step is sharing information about what works.â€?

â€œThere is no more time for lies because we have a sunset period. So, now our focus is on recovery. We do not want to hear anything; you cannot come and tell me you are going to pay me in the next six years, I do not have that timeâ€?

CEO, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria Dr. Mr. Ahmed Kuru

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͱ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

BUSINESSWORLD

ENERGY

Curbing Circulation of Substandard LPG Cylinders With the proliferation of fake and expired cooking gas cylinders in the country, the federal government should incentivise local manufacturers to stop the incessant cylinder explosions that have claimed lives and hampered efforts to encourage the use of gas as domestic fuel, writes Ejiofor Alike Age and poor handling have resulted to the wear and tear of most cooking gas cylinders circulating in the country. Most cylinder-related accidents witnessed in recent years were caused by expired cylinders that exploded and caught fire during use. For instance, early this year, an explosion caused by leaking gas cylinder killed four persons and left several others with severe burns in Badagry area of Lagos State. The explosion, which occurred at an artisan’s shop in Ajara area of Badagry, also destroyed six buildings located near the workshop and six gas cylinders. In Nnewi, Anambra State, scores also died a few years ago on the eve of Christmas when a gas cylinder exploded inside the gas plant. It was gathered that most of the victims, who had gone to the gas plant to refill their cylinders ahead of Christmas were burnt beyond recognition, while some others in the neighborhood were also caught in the inferno. The standard practice is that regulators, particularly, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) should carry out tests and analysis of the integrity of cylinders every five years to ensure that the cylinders are still strong to withstand the high pressure of gas. But even if gas users are ready to submit their cylinders for such analysis, it is evident that SON lacks the technical and manpower capacity to check all the cylinders used by businesses and households in Nigeria. Also, gas plant owners are required to check the integrity of the cylinders before re-filling the cylinders for their customers. The plant owners are also required to reject cylinders with questionable integrity to avoid incidents that can claim lives and even destroy their own plants. However, gas plant owners are reluctant to reject gas cylinders to avoid losing their market share because if a plant owner rejects a cylinder, the customer can refill in another gas plant or even patronise the numerous roadside retail outlets that are notorious for poor handling of gas. With the efforts of the government and other stakeholders to deepen the use of gas as domestic fuel, more Nigerians have adopted the use of LPG in recent years and this has led to proliferation gas plants and roadside retail outlets. Nigeria currently consumes about 400,000 metric tonnes of LPG yearly, compared to about 70,000MT in 2007, and this has also encouraged influx of cylinders. Also, with the porous nature of the Nigerian borders, unscrupulous importers have continued to import expired and substandard gas cylinders. Some of these imported cylinders are used cylinders that are corroded without any indication of expiry dates. Recently, the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) released an impounded 40-feet container of substandard cylinders to SON for further necessary action in a brief ceremony at the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A office of the NCS in Ikeja. Speaking during the handing over ceremony, the Comptroller FOU Zone A, Mr. Uba Mohammed noted that it was not the first time NCS was releasing such suspicious containers to SON for further investigations. This, according to him, was in line with the federal government’s policy of inter-agency collaboration in the ease of doing business and protecting the interest of Nigerian consumers. He said the suspicious container violated customs procedure through false declaration and trying to shortchange the federal government, which had prompted SON to indicate interest in the contents of the container. In his remark, while receiving the container on behalf of the Director General of SON, the Chief State Prosecutor, Mr. Babatunde Alajogun thanked the NCS for its collaborative effort in releasing the suspicious container of LPG cylinders to SON.

Alagogun said SON’s interest was informed by the goods classified as life danger products. The 40 feet container, according to the Chief Prosecutor, would be subjected to tests and analysis before a conclusion would be arrived at as to the quality of the contents and the next line of action. Addressing journalists, the Director in charge of Inspectorate and Compliance, Mr. Bede Obayi named the alleged importer of the seized container as CramoHill Nigeria Limited. According to him, the initial surveillance and investigation had revealed that the address provided on the import documents were fictitious and non- existent. Obayi admonished importers to adhere strictly to laid down procedures for the importation of LPG cylinders, adding that “substandard LPG cylinders are time bombs that can kill innocent Nigerians if not stopped from coming into the country and assured that SON will stop at nothing to put an end to the importation of substandard LPG cylinders and other life endangering products”. He also cautioned members of the public not to patronise “fairly used” LPG cylinders, saying they are risky and could cause untold

With the efforts of the government and other stakeholders to deepen the use of gas as domestic fuel, more Nigerians have adopted the use of LPG in recent years and this has led to proliferation gas plants and roadside retail outlets

harm and possible death as they are mostly expired and not fit for re-use. Obayi, also charged consumers to look closely at the valve and collar around the head of the cylinder for carriage protection of the valve from breakage if the cylinder accidentally falls. Other attributes Obayi advised Nigerians to watch out for include, the date of manufacture, capacity of the cylinder and most importantly the SON logo and unique serial/identification number displayed on the cylinder to ensure traceability in the case of any eventuality. Indeed, the incessant accidents resulting from the use of sub-standard cylinders could also scare potential users of gas and undermine efforts to encourage Nigerians to switch over from kerosene, coal and firewood to the use of gas, which is cleaner, cheaper and environmental-friendly. Most of the cylinders imported into Nigeria are often fake, and this has endangered the lives of gas users. Local manufacturing as panacea To curb the influx of cylinders with questionable integrity into the country, the federal government should encourage local manufacturing to ensure that only cylinders of international standard are used in the country. The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), recently raised the alarm over the importation of substandard cooking gas cylinders in the country. NCDMB had attributed the influx of fake cylinders into the country to insufficient cylinder production in the country, which had prompted the agency to initiate a plan to expand local manufacturing of cylinders. As part of initiative to boost local manufacturing of cylinders, the NCDMB, had gone into partnership with Bank of Industry (BoI) to produce cylinders capable of meeting the needs of consumers, which is put at three million yearly. However, this plan is still on the drawing board. Before the NCDMB and BoI’s collaboration, Techno Oil Limited had pioneered the initiative to build the only cylinder manu-

facturing plant in Nigeria to boost federal government’s efforts to ensure gas utilisation. The multi-billion-naira state- of- the- art facility is expected to produce five million cylinders of various sizes yearly and generate no fewer than 6,000 jobs. The plant was built in partnership with a firm from Europe that had built similar plants in over 15 African and Asian countries. Techno Oil embarked on the project as part of its contribution to the drive by the federal government to deepen LPG consumption. The building of the plant, which is set to commence production after official inauguration scheduled for next month, would enable the federal government to save scarce resources, expended yearly to import LPG cylinders from Turkey, China, India and other Asian countries. Before Techno Oil built this ultra-modern plant, the only two companies producing cylinders that were established in the country had collapsed several years ago on account of poor electricity supply in the country and federal government’s policies that strangulated local manufacturers. It is imperative that companies like Techno Oil that took the bull by the horns to invest scare resources to create employment opportunities and reduce Nigeria’s over-dependence on importation should be incentivised through tax holidays, import waivers and other generous incentives to encourage more investors. With her abundant gas resources, Nigeria is number one producer of gas in Africa and among the top 10 globally but has the lowest per capita consumption of LPG in the continent. The resultant indoor pollution and deforestation arising from the use of firewood, coal and kerosene as domestic fuel has caused damages to health and the environment. This trend can only be reversed if local cylinder manufacturers are encouraged to boost the production of high quality cylinders and accessories at lower costs, thereby reducing the high start-up costs of switching over from the use of dirty fuels to gas usage.

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͱ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

BUSINESSWORLD

BeyondtheBeat CHIKA AMANZE-NWACHUKU

Tel: 08033294157, 08057161321 Email: chika.amanzenwachukwu@thisdaylive.com

Outrageous Lies about Nigeria’s Refineries Recently, the media was awash with reports that Nigeria is the only member country in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) that still imports petrol. The country currently imports one million tonnes of premium motor spirit (PMS) every month, ranking it the largest importer of PMS in the world. NNPC’s Group Managing Director (GMD), Dr. Maikanti Baru, represented by the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Upstream, Alhaji Bello Rabiu Baru, made the disclosure during this year’s Oloibiri Lecture Series. He described as “shameful”, a situation where Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer, depends on petrol imports to meet daily needs. Nigeria’s four refineries located in Port Harcourt (two), Warri and Kaduna, with combined installed capacity to refine 445,000 barrels of crude per day, have been comatose, because top oil industry officials divert huge funds earmarked for their routine comprehensive turnaround maintenance (TAM). Industry sources, hinted recently that the four refineries might not have undergone comprehensive repairs in a decade or more as contracts awarded for their repairs, were either abandoned half way or not executed at all. “What has happened over the years was that the authorities set up shell firms that win contracts for the repairs that were never carried out at the end of the day. The huge funds are often used for election purposes”, said the source told THISDAY recently. In May last year, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, had vowed to step down “if by 2019, Nigeria fails to attain self-sufficiency in refining of petroleum products.” Kachikwu, who confirmed the poor state of the refineries, boasted: “I’ve delivered on everything I promised when I came into office. First, I took the NNPC and moved it into a profit-making organisation, which was the first time in history. I removed cash call deficit of over $6bn and we renegotiated it. Everything that I promised, I’ve delivered and I will deliver on the refineries; I’m committed to that.” Four months after he made the declaration, the minister, retracted the statement, asserting that he would not resign again if the ambitious target was not achieved. “The issue of resignation is quite secondary and more so, 2019 is an election year”, he said.

Sundry Targets The oil industry has become synonymous with unrealistic sundry targets. In recent years, top officials of the sector, freely set assorted targets on when the refineries would commence optimum production after announcing repairs that were never carried out. All these were aimed to deceive Nigerians that the huge money earmarked for their repairs had been utilised for the purpose. Captured briefly below were some of the unrealistic set targets: Baru: NNPC to Upgrade, Expand Reﬁneries (Nov 2016) Four months after he was appointed the GMD, Dr. Maikanti Baru had announced that one of the ailing refineries, Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (KRPC), would be upgraded in line with the 12 key business focus areas of the Corporation’s present management. The aim, he said, was to return the plant to the path of growth and profitability. The plant, according to recent checks is still in bad shape today.

NNPC to Shut Down 3 Reﬁneries for Overhaul – Baru (Sept 2017) Also in September last year, the GMD had reiterated that the nation’s refineries would be shut down briefly for “an overhaul for optimal performance”. He made the promise in Abuja at the inaugural Nigerian Pipeline Security Conference and Exhibition, organised by the Pipeline Association of Nigeria (PLAN). Baru said the comprehensive rehabilitation

Kachikwu

Baru

was aimed at bringing the refineries in Warri, Kaduna and Port Harcourt back to their nameplate production capacities. He had expressed optimism that the refineries would return as new facilities after their overhaul ahead of Nigeria’s plan to stop the importation of petroleum products by 2019. “We intend to focus on the repairs of the refineries with all that it takes to ensure that by the time we are done, by 2019, these refineries will be as good as new,’’ he said. Almost one year down the line, there is nothing to suggest that the corporation carried out major repairs on the plants.

Again he said the NNPC was looking at the total revamp and comprehensive rehabilitation of refineries “to ensure that we refine all our in-country requirements.” Baru said: “We are in the process of reversing the trend of massive importation of finished products as this is unsustainable; therefore, upgrades of our refineries are the way to go”. Baru, who spoke through the Chief Operating Officer, Upstream Directorate of NNPC, Mr.Bello Rabiu, said discussions with relevant investors and financiers were ongoing, and emphatically stated that the refineries “will be fully back on stream by December 2019.” This set target is also another mirage as the four refineries are still comatose.

Reﬁneries to be Revamped Soon, Baru (March 2018) In March this year, Baru had pledged that the corporation would not relent in its quest to get the refineries back to their optimal, nameplate capacities. He made the pledge shortly after he received ‘Man of the Year Award’ from Nigerian NewsDirect, a Lagos-based newspaper publication. Baru said as part of the ongoing reforms in the NNPC, the corporation had been holding far-reaching discussions with some consortia to get the best funding options towards the refineries’ overhaul. Aside from this mere pronouncement, there is nothing on ground to show that plan is in the pipeline. Reﬁnery Overhaul Begins in Q2, Says NNPC (March 2018) Again in March this year, the NNPC had again announced that the refineries overhaul would now take place in the second quarter of this year. According to Reuters, the chief operating officer of refineries and petrochemicals, NNPC, Anibor Kragha, disclosed that NNPC was in the final stages of talks with consortiums including top traders, energy majors and oil services companies to revamp its long-neglected oil refineries in an effort to reduce its reliance on imported fuel. He made the pledge during a presentation to the African Refiners Association in Cape Town, South Africa. He said: “We believe that by the second quarter of this year we will … start getting the ball rolling on the refurbishment and rehabilitation exercise and believe this will run to the end of next year”, he told delegates at the African Refiners Association conference in Cape Town. According to NNPC reports, the highest capacity utilisation last year (2017) was just under 37percent, and it fell as low as 5.92 percent in November same year.

NNPC to Raise Reﬁneries Capacities to 1mbpd- Baru (March 2018) At the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Oloibiri Lecture Series and Energy Forum 2018, the GMD had disclosed plans to increase the production capacity of the refineries to one million barrels of crude oil per day from the current 445,000 bpd.

Reﬁneries Revamp Process Almost Concluded – Kachikwu (March, 2018) Echoing the GMD’s statement, Kachikwu, also in March stated that the four refineries “will soon undergo revamping and will be ready at most in 18 months”. Given the 2019 target set for Nigeria to end fuel importation, Nigerians had expected that the refineries ought to have started producing at full capacity by now. However, recent checks revealed that their operations have been epileptic. In fact, Kachikwu revealed in February that “collectively, they are producing at 14 per cent capacity utilisation.” Industry sources, who berated the duo of Kachikwu and Baru for disinformation about the state of the refineries, argued that it will take a miracle for Nigeria to end petrol importation next year, given the poor state of the refineries. In a twist, the minister, noted when he retracted his earlier statement that he would resign if Nigeria continues to import petrol by 2019, that year 2019, being the election year, the target he had set for umpteenth time might not be achieved. No End in Sight Last month, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) disclosed that $36.371billion was expended on the importation of petroleum products from 2013 to 2017 alone. The Director in charge of Research in the apex bank, Mr. Ganiyu Amao made the disclosure while testifying before the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Refineries TAM. The apex bank lamented that the huge amount spent on petrol imports had affected the nation’s external reserve and induced the depreciation of the naira. Recent checks revealed that apart from the mere statements by Kachikwu and Baru, no comprehensive repairs had taken place in recent times on the refineries and there is no information as to the award of contract for their repairs and the identities of the contractors. Baru’s recent statement that Nigeria currently imports one million tonnes of petrol daily and the startling revelation by the CBN clearly indicate that there is no end in sight on importation of refined petrol.

PETAN: WAIPEC to Hold January 23-24 in Lagos The Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) has announced that the third edition of West African International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (WAIPEC), the widest and largest gathering of oil industry players in West Africa will hold from 23-24 January 2019. PETAN said in a statement that the choice of Lagos as venue of the conference followed the huge positive feedback from the second edition which took place in February last year. “WAIPEC stands as not only the largest event in the centre of Nigeria’s oil and gas hub, but also the only truly industry-led event, held in partnership with the country’s petroleum sector, a statement from the organisers read. It added: “Its content and proceedings are driven by an esteemed steering committee and speakers, representing a cross section of key stakeholders and the most senior representatives from the West African oil and gas industry, delivering high level strategic sessions and discussions on game changing solutions, combined with an international exhibition.” Now the biggest industry event for the region, more than 6000 visitors with business interests throughout Nigeria and the West Africa region took part in the 2nd WAIPEC in 2018. The world-class conference fielded 50 industry leaders and global experts on an insightful programme which was held alongside the exhibition with 83 companies showcasing their products and services and generating meetings with thousands of invested industry professionals. “WAIPEC’S mission is to promote the region’s oil and gas industry, seek best practice, explore new technologies and develop commercial opportunities for business and international investment. Building on the success of its previous two editions, the programme will again be driven by an esteemed steering committee of key stakeholders from across the industry. Through topical debates and speaker sessions, WAIPEC 2019 will offer direct access to the primary stakeholders and key players in Nigerian and West African supply and value chains. Across two days, speakers and delegates will have the opportunity to participate within business, technical and special focus sessions, providing critical insights into Nigeria and West Africa’s hydrocarbon businesses.”

PETAN Chairman, Bank-Anthony Okoroafor

TUESDAY JULY 3, 2018 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY TUESDAY JULY 3, 2018

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͱ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

BUSINESSWORLD

ENERGY

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

03.07.2018

WHO LEADS THE NBA 2018-2020?

Paul Usoro, SAN

Arthur Obi-Okafor, SAN

Professor Ernest Ojukwu, SAN

2/DASHBOARD

03.07.2018

Propriety of Charge Signed by Staﬀ of EFCC for the Chairman PAGE 4

Ogun CJ Advocates Severe Punishment For Human Traﬃckers PAGE 5

Ashiru, Anga, Make Case for Better Implementation of PPP Laws PAGE 5

Lawyers Must Embrace Technology to Thrive in Practice – Idigbe SAN PAGE 5

Federal Ministry of Justice Partners, CSLS to train Investigators, Prosecutors

QUOTABLES ‘There is a failure of the security architecture in Nigeria. There is a problem. There is no society, that continues to see the kind of killings here, and we think that it should be business as usual. It requires drastic action. It requires a collaboration of all agencies and all arms of Government, for us to be serious....We continue our part as Parliament, to ensure that those who have the responsibilities, are accountable to the people....This is not something to be politicised. If someone is not capable, and cannot do what he has to do, let others be given the opportunity to do it.’ – Dr Bukola Saraki, APC Senator representing Kwara Central, President of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria

‘These are very, very sober moments for most of us. A situation in which hundreds are killed. We cannot continue to tolerate this as a Government, because whatever it is, we mustn’t lose this fight against violence, because we can’t lose this fight and still keep our civilisation. You go to the North East, you can see the level of devastation caused by Boko Haram. Everything resembling progress, from schools to hospitals to Government institutions, everything has been pulled down. And we don’t want a replication of this, all over the country.’ – Honourable Yakubu Dogara, Lawyer, APC Member representing Bogoro/Dass, Nigeria/Tafawa Balewa, Nigeria Federal Constituency, Bauchi State, 14th Speaker, House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria

PAGE 6

‘A Lawyer Must have Passion for the Profession, to make an Impact’ PAGE 6

Nigeria, Bloodbath and Government Inertia PAGE 7

ONIKEPO BRAITHWAITE EDITOR JUDE IGBANOI DEPUTY EDITOR AKINWALE AKINTUNDE REPORTER TUNDE BUSARI GROUP HEAD OCHI OGBUAKU II ART DIRECTOR

In Plateau, Sudan, Two Faces of (In)Justice

Suicide n Plateau, Sudan, Two Faces of (In)Justice Three issues caught my attention last week. First, was a video that trended on social media, of a young man who attempted to commit suicide in broad day light on Falomo Bridge, by jumping off into the water. Amidst his cries of “leave me alone, let me just die, what is in this life”, he was dragged off by law enforcement agents. I received several calls from people, asking me why someone with feelings of extreme hopelessness, unhappiness and frustration, in such a poor mental state, should be arrested, instead of being taken for proper psychological/psychiatric evaluation, counselling and treatment, which he is obviously in dire need of? The answer is that, attempted suicide (self murder), is an offence contrary to Section 327 of the Criminal Code Act which provides that, “Any person who attempts to kill himself is guilty of a misdemeanour, and is liable to imprisonment”; this young man could face up to 1 year imprisonment (a fate worth than death, with the disgusting conditions of our prisons), instead of receiving the mental health care and encouragement, which he so clearly needs. Noura Hussein The second issue, was the case of Noura Hussein, the young Sudanese lady, who had her death sentence commuted to 5 years imprisonment, for killing her husband, Abdulrahman Mohammed Hammad, who had raped her, and attempted to do so again, according to her. Ms Hussein was forced into marriage with Hammad, at the age of 14, despite her refusal and insistence that she did not want to marry him. She wanted to complete her tertiary education, and become a Lawyer, before marriage. Three years later, they went on their honeymoon, and she refused to allow Hammad to consummate the marriage. A few days into the honeymoon, with some of his family members whom he obviously summoned for assistance, holding Ms Hussein down, one relative slapped her, they tore her clothes, Hammad raped her, and left her naked and bleeding. The next day, when he attempted to rape her again, she stabbed him to death. Ms Hussein was sentenced to death by hanging, by

an Islamic Court. In Sudan, the legal age for marriage is age 10! How can it be moral and lawful for a 10 year old child to marry? The law also, does not recognise the crime of rape between spouses. It seems that our Penal Code in Nigeria, also does not recognise rape between spouses, as an offence. I certainly do not agree with the Sudan Appeals Court decision, which overturned Ms Hussein’s death sentence, and commuted it to imprisonment. As far as I am concerned, it was rape and self defence, and Ms Hussein has no business being imprisoned. UNICEF considers all children under the age of 18, as minors, and I believe that age 18 should be adopted worldwide, as the legal age for marriage. Of course, there can certainly be rape between spouses, and all laws which do not classify it as an offence between spouses, should be updated accordingly. The Plateau State Massacre: Condolences Thirdly, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the people of Plateau State, and the families of the deceased persons, on the senseless, grisly, cold blooded murders of over 130 people, residing in about 11 villages within 4 Local Government Councils in the State. Constitutional Obligations Incontrovertibly, Government and the law enforcement agencies, especially the Police, have failed in their constitutional obligations to protect the lives and property of Nigerians. Is it really true, that over 20 Assistant Inspector Generals and some Deputy Inspector Generals of Police were sacked, just to be able to elevate Ibrahim Idris Kpotum, the present Inspector General (IG) to the position? If so, it seems that it was a grave mistake to do so, a serious lapse in judgement. Statistics from Amnesty International and other sources, reveal that, since he assumed office in 2016, not only have the killings in the North Central Zone risen dramatically, in places like Lagos where certain crimes for example, home invasions/burglary, were reduced to a bare

minimum, they are back on the rise. Is it only after all the farmers, Christians, and villagers in places like Benue, Plateau and Taraba States, are completely wiped out, so that their farms can be taken over by Herdsmen for grazing their livestock, that this Government will realise that, there needs to be some affirmative action, like a change of baton in the leadership of some of these law enforcement agencies, so as to get an injection of new useful ideas and strategies, on how to combat those responsible for the violence, and bring the bloodshed to an end? From Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) (the Constitution), which makes the security and welfare of the people the primary purpose of Government, to Section 17(2)(b) which provides that the sanctity of the human person shall be recognised, to Section 33(1), which guarantees all the right to life, no intentional deprivation of same, unless in execution of a judgement of a Nigerian court of competent jurisdiction, as punishment for a crime committed, for example, murder or armed robbery, to Sections 215(3) and (4) of the Constitution. Even the President, in the Oath of Office of President contained in the 7th Schedule to the Constitution, swore inter alia that “....I will strive to preserve the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy contained in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; I will not allow my personal interest to influence my official conduct or my official decisions;....I will do right to all manner of people, according to law, without fear of favour....”. The security and welfare of the people, constitute part of the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, which the President has sworn to preserve. Sadly, many are now accusing President Buhari, of breaking his oath of office, by condoning ‘genocide’, in failing to deal decisively with the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (also the Kautal Hore Branch of it, which is strictly for the Fulanis), and Herdsmen, because he is of Fulani extraction like many of the Herdsmen, and he is a Grand Patron of the Association. It is time for the President prove his accusers wrong, and indeed, show that he ‘belongs to everybody and he belongs to nobody’! No Justiﬁcation for Gruesome Killings There is no justification for the gruesome ‘slaughtering’ of people, talk less of such heinous acts of murder, being retaliation for the disappearance of 300 cows. How does one equate the lives of human beings, with that of cows, that are bred to be sold and slaughtered for food? Has it been established that, it was the people of those communities who were killed, that were responsible for the missing cows, and not cow rustlers? And even if those people were responsible for the disappearance of the cows, does the law not make adequate provision for dealing with thieves? Apart from this, some of the States have a system of compensation in place, whereby culprits who are found to have stolen cows from Herdsmen, must compensate them. Could this system, also not have been employed? If it is in fact true, that a threat of retaliation had been issued by Miyetti Allah, what steps did the Police take to avert this crisis?

Three Suspects paraded by Police over Plateau killings

Genocide/ Crimes Against Humanity With the frequent killings of people in certain parts of the country, predominantly the North Central parts by Herdsmen, many have referred to the killings as ‘ethnic cleansing’ and ‘genocide’. Genocide is defined as “the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular nation or ethnic group”. Genocide is a crime prohibited under International Law, whether or not a country has ratified the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the Genocide Convention). This Herdsmen or suspected Herdsmen killings, are in my opinion, stepping up to crimes against humanity, because while genocide targets a particular group, crimes against humanity, are against any civilian population. “Crimes against humanity, are certain acts that are deliberately committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack or individual attack, directed against any civilian or an identifi-

ONIKEPO BRAITHWAITE

THE ADVOCATE onikepo.braithwaite@thisdaylive.com onikepob@yahoo.com

“SADLY, MANY ARE NOW ACCUSING PRESIDENT BUHARI, OF BREAKING HIS OATH OF OFFICE, BY CONDONING ‘GENOCIDE’,....IT IS TIME FOR THE PRESIDENT PROVE HIS ACCUSERS WRONG, AND INDEED, SHOW THAT HE ‘BELONGS TO EVERYBODY AND HE BELONGS TO NOBODY’!” able part of a civilian population.” They can occur during peacetime - and in the case of Herdsmen killings, a wide practice of atrocities that seem to be tolerated or condoned by Government. These types of killings, murder, ethnic cleansing, genocide “may reach the threshold of crimes against humanity, if they are part of a widespread or systematic practice”. More than half of the States in Nigeria, especially farming communities, have experienced killings by suspected Herdsmen, and even though such attacks existed before 2015, they seem to have escalated in number and frequency, in recent times, especially in North Central Nigeria. Condonation I reiterate the fact that, the killings by suspected Herdsmen, are being condoned by Government, and I will provide a couple of reasons for my assertion/conclusion. If the President issues an instruction to the IG, to relocate to a particular place, to restore peace and security, and he disobeys that order, the killings remain unabated, and the IG is neither relieved of his job or made to face any sanctions, for gross insubordination and failure to perform his duties, it means that Government is condoning the atrocities that are being committed in that particular area, since Government has failed to take any active or appropriate steps, to check the IG and put an end to the violence. Again, if a Federal Minister of Government, openly insists that, if they want peace, States must suspend a law, that is, the law against open grazing, which was enacted as a means of protecting the people of those States, just to please a particular group of people who have been fingered on numerous occasions, as the culprits responsible for countless bloody massacres, I will not only call it condoning, but go as far as saying that, it is Government that has given those criminals the impetus to continue with their dastardly activities. Amnesty International, has accused the Nigerian Government of this. It is time for Government to take decisive action, and stem this tide of crimes against humanity. We have all seen where several leaders have ended up, after they faced the International Court of Justice, for similar crimes. Omissions, can sometimes speak louder than Actions! A word they say, is enough for the wise.

4/LAW REPORT

03.07.2018

Propriety of Charge Signed by Staff of EFCC for the Chairman

argued that after an appraisal of the evidence led by the Respondent, conspiracy can be inferred to have occurred. He contended that, the lower Courts properly considered and applied the principle in the case referred to. In respect to the offence of forgery and uttering, the Respondent argued that, where a document shown to be false was used as an intermediate step in the scheme of fraud in which the accused was involved, and same was presented or uttered by the accused person to gain advantage, an irresistible inference exists that either the accused forged it or procured someone to commit forgery. He relied on the case of OSONDU v FRN (2000) 12 NWLR (Pt. 682) 483 and stated further that, the offence of uttering was established, since the document was forwarded to the victim. Counsel submitted that, the case was proved beyond reasonable doubt. He concluded by stating that, the Appellant failed to lead evidence in his defence, but rested his case on that of the Respondent, which left the Court free to accept the unchallenged evidence of the Respondent. On the third issue, it was submitted on behalf of the Appellant that, the sentence was excessive, as the trial Court failed to take into consideration that the Appellant who is elderly was seriously ill, was of good conduct throughout the trial. Counsel for the Respondent, on the other hand, submitted that the Appellant was tried, convicted and sentenced under the Advanced Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act and by Section 1(3) of the Act, the minimum sentence that can be imposed is ten years imprisonment, without an option of fine. He argued that the trial Court had no discretion to go below the mandatory minimum sentence.

Facts

he Appellant along with two other persons (Dr. Jubril Bello and Dr. Victor Odozie), represented to a certain Hartmat Puchstein, that his company would be awarded a contract by the Ministry of Mines and Power, for the supply and installation of computers and office equipment. Dr. Bello subsequently forwarded some documents supposedly from the Federal Ministry of Mines and Power, Ministry of Finance and Central Bank of Nigeria. The victim was also informed that he needed to pay money for contract reviews, foreign exchange control, risk insurance et.al. He paid sums of money totalling $397,800 into different bank accounts which include: an Ecobank account, with Emmanuel Obieze as the beneficiary and Equity Bank account, with Lecon Pharmacy as the beneficiary. Mr. Puchstein later discovered that, the contract was a fraud. Investigations carried out by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) also revealed that the Appellant was the owner of the Ecobank account. The Appellant was consequently, charged for the offences of conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence, obtaining money by false pretence, forgery and uttering of false document, contrary to Sections 8(a) and 1(3) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, and Sections 467(1) (b) and 468 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria. At the trial, the Respondent as the Prosecution, called witnesses and tendered documents, while the Appellant tendered documents through the witnesses called by the Respondent. The Appellants and other Defendants filed No Case Submissions at the trial Court, but the Court dismissed them, and ordered them to enter their defence. The Appellant however, chose to rest his case on that of the Respondent. In its judgement, the trial Court convicted and sentenced the Appellant to ten years imprisonment, and also made a restitution order against him. The Appellant unsuccessfully appealed to the Court of Appeal. Dissatisfied, the Appellant further appealed to the Supreme Court. Issues for Determination (i) Whether the Amended Information signed by M.S. Hassan on behalf of EFCC, robbed the trial Court of the jurisdiction to determine the case; (ii) Whether the Court of Appeal was right, in upholding the conviction of the Appellant. (iii) Whether the Court of Appeal was right, in affirming the sentence of the Appellant. Arguments On the first issue, Counsel for the Appellant submitted that, a Court must be competent before it can assume jurisdiction. He argued that, the Amended Information was signed by a certain M.S. Hassan for the Executive Chairman of EFCC, and not for and/or on behalf of the EFCC, which is the statutory body that can initiate a criminal action and issue a legal process to that effect. He submitted that, an action initiated on behalf of the Executive Chairman of EFCC is a nullity, and same cannot vest jurisdiction on the Court. Counsel referred to Section 6(m), 7(2) and 13(2) of the EFCC Act. He argued further that M.S. Hassan who signed the initiating process, is not a Legal Practitioner within the meaning ascribed to it under the Legal Practitioners’ Act because initials are not found on the rolls but full names. He relied on the case of OKAFOR v NWEKE (2007) ALL FWLR (Pt. 368) 1016. Counsel contended that the Appellant was tried and convicted under a repealed law, because as at the time the Information was filed, the relevant Sections of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 13 of 1995, had been repealed. In response, Counsel for the Respondent stated that, by virtue of Section 1 of the EFCC Act, the Commission is a body corporate with power to sue and be sued. Section 2(1) of the Act provides that, the Chairman is the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of the Commission, who is vested with the power to execute the functions of the Commission. In discharging his function, the Chairman works with agents, in accordance with Section 8(3) of the EFCC Act. On the issue as to whether M.S. Hassan is not a Lawyer, relying on Sections 131 and 132 of the Evidence Act, Counsel submitted that, he who asserts must prove his assertion. He argued that, the Appellant failed to prove his allegation, and that the Appellant lacked the locus standi to challenge the authority of M.S. Hassan, as there is presumption of authority where a Legal Practitioner announces appearance in favour of a party. He stated that the case of OKAFOR v NWEKE (supra) relied upon by the Appellant, is inapplicable. On whether the Appellant was tried and convicted on a repealed law, Counsel contended on behalf of the Respondent, that it is the substantive law in force at the time of the commission of the crime, that

Hon. Justice John Inyang Okoro, JSC

In the Supreme Court of Nigeria Holden at Abuja On Friday, the 2nd day of March, 2018 Before Their Lordships Musa Dattijo Muhammad John Inyang Okoro Chima Centus Nweze Amina Adamu Augie Ejembi Eko Justices, Supreme Court SC.636/2016 Between Leonard Duru (aka Emmanuel Obieze)

.........Appellant

And Federal Republic of Nigeria.....Respondent (Lead Judgement delivered by Hon. John Inyang Okoro, JSC)

governs the case at trial. On the second issue, the Appellant submitted that, the Court of Appeal failed to apply the decision of the Supreme Court, in the case of MICHEAL IJUAKA v COMMISSIONER OF POLICE (1976) 6 & 7 SC, 285. He argued that, the Respondent failed to establish the essential elements of the offences, and that the Court of Appeal relied on circumstantial evidence, which did not link the Appellant with the commission of the offences of forgery and uttering. Counsel submitted that, the Court of Appeal wrongly affirmed the judgement of the trial Court, which did not properly evaluate the evidence adduced, before convicting the Appellant. On its part, the Respondent

“M.S. HASSAN WAS COMPETENT TO SIGN THE INFORMATION, AS ANY STAFF OF THE EFCC CAN EXERCISE THE POWER DELEGATED TO THE EFCC. ALTHOUGH THE COMMISSION HAS A LEGAL PERSONALITY, IT HAS TO PERFORM ITS FUNCTIONS THROUGH HUMAN AGENTS”

Court’s Judgement and Rationale On the first issue, the Apex Court held that, by virtue of Section 1 of the EFCC Act, the Commission is a body corporate that can sue and be sued. Also, agreeing with the submission of Counsel for the Respondent, the Court held that by Section 2(1) (a) of the Act, the Chairman is the Chief Executive and Accounting Ofﬁcer of the Commission. The Chairman is imbued with power to execute the functions of the EFCC, which includes initiating criminal proceedings, and by the provisions of Section 8(3) of the EFCC Act, the staff of the Commission can assist the Chairman in performing his functions. It was in furtherance of this, that M.S. Hassan signed both the Information and the Amended Information, on behalf of the Chairman of the Commission. Relying on the dictum of ALOMA MARIAM MUKHTAR, JSC (as she then was) in AMADI v FRN (2008) LPELR-441(SC), the Supreme Court posited that M.S. Hassan was competent to sign the Information, as any staff of the EFCC can exercise the power delegated to the EFCC. Although the Commission has a legal personality, it has to perform its functions through human agents. On the allegation that M.S. Hassan is not a Legal Practitioner, the Court held that the Counsel for the Appellant did not provide evidence to that effect, and that he who asserts must prove. The Court held that, there is presumption of authority, where a Legal Practitioner announces appearance in favour of a party. Regarding the argument on whether the Appellant was tried and convicted under a repealed law, Their Lordships held that it is the substantive law in force at the time of the commission of the crime or when the cause of action arose, that governs the case at trial. Thus, the liability of an offender for a statutory offence committed while the Statute was in force is preserved, notwithstanding the repeal of the Statute after commission of the offence and before the Charge – Section 6(1) of the Interpretation Act. On the second issue, the Supreme Court considered the meaning and/or ingredients of all the offences for which the Appellant was convicted as well as the evidence led at trial against the Appellant. Their Lordships stated the law that persons who are participes criminis, whether as principals in the first degree or as accessories before or after the fact of a crime, are guilty of the offence and may be charged and convicted with the actual commission of the offence. On the third issue, the Court held that, a Court has no power to reduce a sentence specifically and mandatorily imposed for an offence by the Statute creating and providing punishment for the offence. Based on the foregoing, the Supreme Court affirmed the judgement of the Court of Appeal. Appeal Dismissed. Representation: Allen Agbaka Esq. for the Appellant Chile Okoroma Esq, E.E. Iheanacho Esq. and I. Diribe for the Respondent. Reported by Optimum Publishers Limited (Publishers of Nigerian Monthly Law Reports (NMLR))

03.07.2018

NEWS/5

Ashiru, Anga, Make Case for Better Implementation of PPP Laws Akinwale Akintunde

L-R: Consultant (former Director, PPP, Oﬃce, Oyo State), Folakemi Akinleye, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Ogun State, Otunba Abimbola Ashiru, CEO, Arm-Harith Infrastructure Investment, Opuiyo Oforiokuma, and Partner, Ǽlex, Lawrence Fubara Anga, at the International Project Finance Association event hosted by Ǽlex, at their Lagos Oﬃce

Ogun CJ Advocates Severe Punishment for Human Trafﬁckers Femi Ogbonnikan In Abeokuta Ogun State Chief Judge, Hon Justice (Mrs.) Olatokunbo Olopade, has advocated for a need by the government to enact an all-inclusive law the would cover all the aspects of human trafficking and would specify severe punishment for traffickers. While delivering his welcome address at a two-day workshop organized by the Ogun State Judiciary, in collaboration with the Conference of Western Attorneys-General/African Alliance Partnership (CWAG/AAP) and Nigerian partner/coordinator, Punuka Attorneys and Solicitors (international law centre), with theme: "succeeding in the fight against human trafficking" and "the administration of criminal justice Act/Law, held at Park Inn Raddison Hotels, Abeokuta , on monday, Olopade identified poverty, ignorance, conflicts, peer pressure, porous borders, corruption, involvement of international organised criminal network, lack of adequate legislation and political will to enforce existing legislation as responsible for the scourge and therefore called on the government to enact an all-inclusive law, apart from meting out severe punishment for the traffickers, rehabilitate the victims and equally arm enforcement agents with investigation apparati that would make them function effectively and to be backed up by reinforced legal institutions and framework.

Besides, she suggested the need for extensive and broad public enlightenment programmes, especially through both the print and electronic media and also in the markets, community meetings, palaces, religious places and in areas that are prone to the scourge. "The likely target audience are the poor and this must inform the strategy to be employed to reach out to them and pass the message across", said Ogun Chief Judge. However, Justice Olopade expressed personal sadness over the scourge of human trafficking, particularly as it affects children. "The issue of human trafficking is topical and has been in the front burner in recent times. The trend has taken a frightening and dangerous dimensions globally, especially with our country, Nigeria, becoming a big hub breeding victims who are majorly children and women. It has become a complex multi-faceted phenomenon, involving different stakeholders. The demand for cheap labour and commercial sex workers has made human trafficking business to thrive globally. "I must state emphatically in as much as human trafficking is bad, child labour is evil and all hands must be on deck to put a stop to this. It is necessary to lend our voices and ensure that this particularly vulnerable, helpless and defenceless specie are adequately protected.

"In the quest to priest children, family courts have been established in this state. In fact, a standard family court has been built in Abeokuta and there is a move to replicate same in other jurisdictions. This was inspected and commended by representatives of UNICEF. "It is on record that Nigeria has lost many of her youths to the ocean, while trying to cross over to Europe. Some have been brutally murdered, while in foreign lands as a result of trafficking, they are exploited, battered emotionally, psychologically and physically", said Olopade. Also, Mrs Kehinde Akomolafe, who represented the Director General (DG), National Agency For The Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP), Dame Julie Okah-Donli, in her paper delivered, said his agency has, in the last 15 years of its existence, rescued 12,882 victims, received 5,882 cases, investigated 3,602 cases, secured 294 conviction cases and convicted a total number of 352 persons. She said NAPTIP was set up by the Federal government to collaborate with government bodies, both within and outside the country to establish and maintain a system for monitoring transformer activities. She said her agency has the mandates to initiate, develop and improve special training programmes for the personnel of the agency to carry out either

activities that are necessary for the efficient discharge of the functions conferred on it. Okah-Donli stressed that the scope of human trafficking,,especially in women in Europe is more prevalent in West Africa than other sub-region. She, however, noted that the scourge has taken untold hardships on the victims and the society at large which has to a large extent destroyed quality of life, where a person experiences exploitations and violence for a long period of time; threats against the victims or their homes and victims become frustrating and disconnected. "Human trafficking, like every other epidemic has its negative attendant effects which create cracks and destabilises the society in which it exists, thereby facilitating its continuous proliferation", said the NAPTIP DG. Besides, she identified growth of public sector corruption, the health-layered nature of the society, economic destabilisation, amongst others as the effects of the human trafficking. In attendance at the workshop include participants drawn from different strata and echelon of the society, especially stakeholders, like judges, magistrates, lawyers, Immigration, Prison and Civil Defence officials, police personnel, students, media men, teachers, social welfare officers, amongst others.

Ogun State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Otunba Bimbola Ashiru, has called for better implementation of laws on Public Private Partnership (PPP) by State Governments. Ashiru said a better implementation of the laws on PPP, would encourage more citizens' participation. He made this call last Thursday, at an event organised by AELEX, a firm of Legal Practitioners and Arbitrators, in conjunction with the International Project Finance Association (IPFA). he theme of the event was 'Private Investment in Infrastructure: The States as Enablers'. The Commissioner noted that, the revenues being generated by many States across the country, are not enough to meet the infrastructural needs of the populace, and as such, well-meaning private individuals are needed to fill the gap.

The Lagos Yacht Club and Members, still in Court A suit was filed against the Lagos Yacht Club, by "Concerned Members”. In summary, the Claimant in his Originating summons, prayed the Honourable Court to uphold his legal right, to a transparent and accountable Main Committee of the Lagos Yacht Club, and restrain the Main Committee of the Lagos Yacht Club, from further dissipating and/or wasting monies belonging to the Lagos Yacht Club, without a transparent forensic audit of the accounts of the Lagos Yacht Club, from December 2015 to date. The Claimant through his counsel, also filed a motion for interlocutory injunction, restraining the Main Committee from convening it’s Annual General meeting scheduled to hold on 22nd June, 2018. At the hearing of the matter on 21st June, 2018, the

Court Dismisses Safetrust Mortgage Bank Boss’ Suit to Stop His Arrest Akinwale Akintunde A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, has dismissed a fundamental human rights suit filed by the Chief Executive Officer of Safetrust Mortgage Bank, Mr. Akintayo Oloko, to prevent his possible arrest and prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over an alleged scam on the multi-billion naira Safetowers Estate project, Lagos. Justice Muslim Sule Hassan, dismissed the originating motion filed by Oloko for being unmeritorious. In dismissing the suit, the court held that, the EFCC was empowered to temporarily take over property for investigation, examination, and enquiry. The Judge held that, by combination of Sections 6, 7, 8, 13, 41

and 46, the EFCC is empowered to investigate any person for fraud, and did not need a court order to do so. Oloko had filed the fundamental rights suit against the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation, the EFCC, Mr. Ogunmefun, and Currant Limited. In the suit, the developers represented by the Chief Executive Officer of Safetrust, Mr. Akintayo Oloko, Safetrust Mortgage Bank, and Macbosh Properties Limited and Mortgage, sought had among other reliefs, a mandatory order compelling the Respondents to return forthwith the title deed of the Safetowers Estate registered as N0 37/37/2444 at the Lagos Land Registry, covered by Survey Plan N0 BAS258/2013/130-116(3)/LA owned by 3rd Applicant, Macbosh Properties Limited, but allegedly seized by the Respondents.

They also wanted an order, compelling the Respondents to jointly and severally tender a written and public apology to the Applicant, as well as payment of N500million as general and exemplary damages, for illegal arrest, detention, harassment and deprivation of personal freedom and liberty. The motion was supported by 14 paragraphed affidavit deposed to by the 1st Applicant, Akintayo Oloko, written addresses, 11 paged Memorandum of Understanding between Macbosh Properties Limited and Kunle Ogunmefun in 2014, Non-disclosure Agreement between the parties, and other correspondence between the parties, including Terms of Settlement. They also argued that, the intervention of the EFCC was outside the mandate of the

Commission, as contained in the EFCC Act. But in their written address against the originating motion, the 3rd and 4th Respondents, urged the court to determine whether the Applicants have substantiated facts contained in the affidavit in support of the originating motion, to entitle them to the reliefs sought against the Respondents, and whether they have raised any reasonable cause of action against 4th Respondent. They asked the court to dismiss the originating motion with substantial cost, adding that the officers of the EFCC did not act outside the provisions of the EFCC Act, when they investigated the applicants based on the 3rd respondent’s petition dated June 20, 2017, arrested and seized the title deed

He lauded the Ogun State Government’s efforts, at providing infrastructure for its citizens, saying many roads belonging to the Federal Government have been fixed. "About N160 billion which has been spent on infrastructure on Federal roads, is yet to be remitted back to Ogun State Government", he said. Also speaking at the event, a partner at AELEX, Lawrence Fubara Anga, urged Government to address the issues militating against the PPP. Anga listed the factors to include, arbitrariness, lack of due process, and State sponsored impunity. "Recently, we woke up to the news that Government is to close all land borders, because of rice smuggling. With this, we are giving an impression to the outside world, that our borders can be shut at anytime. This is not a step, in the right direction. "So, it is not always about the law, for the PPP process to work, those negative factors must be addressed", he said.

of the Safetower estate located at Ikate, Lekki Peninsula Scheme. Justice Muslim Sule Hassan, who had earlier struck out the first applicant (Attorney-General of the Federation ), from the suit for not conforming with the rules of court and not disclosing course of action held that there was a petition against the applicants for obtaining money by false pretence. According to the court, the EFCC acted within its powers and awarded the cost of N20,000 in favour of each of the respondents. He also said that the applicants cannot expect a judicial fiats to prevent the EFCC form doing its work neither should they rush to court to be shielded from criminal investigation, adding that the EFCC is statutorily empowered to conduct criminal investigation against fraud or criminal activities.

Defendant, through its counsel Mrs. Lemea Ngbor Abina, filed a notice of preliminary objection, challenging the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court, as well as a counter-affidavit to the Claimant’s originating summons. Mrs. Ngbor Abina submitted that, the AGM was already scheduled to hold before this suit was initiated by the Claimant, and if suspended, will deprive the Defendants from holding their AGM for this year, as their AGM according to the Rules and By Laws of the Club, ought to be held between 31st May to 30th June, each year. Mrs. Ngbor Abina also submitted that, the Claimant’s application for injunction has no relation with the subject-matter of the substantive suit. The Honourable Court in its ruling, after hearing the submission of both parties, held that, the subject-matter indeed, has nothing to do with the scheduled AGM, and thus, refused the Claimant’s application for the maintenance of status quo of the matter. At the next hearing of the matter on June 26, 2018, the Claimant represented by his counsel, informed the court that the parties were taking steps towards an amicable settlement, and that the court should give a date for the parties to return for Report of Settlement. Defendant’s Counsel, Miss Kiadum Nwakoh, however, informed the court that contrary to Claimant Counsel’s submission, no such steps were being made towards an amicable settlement. Miss Nwakoh also brought to the attention of the Honourable Court, the Newspaper publication made in THISDAY Newspaper concerning the suit against the Lagos Yacht Club, as evidence of the Claimant’a insincerity. The Court after hearing counsel’s submissions, adjourned the matter to September 17, for further direction.

03.07.2018

Federal Ministry of Justice Partners, CSLS to train Investigators, Prosecutors Akinwale Akintunde Federal Ministry of Justice, in collaboration with Centre for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS), held a two-day national training of investigators, who were drawn from the various Federal criminal justice agencies involved in investigation and prosecution of cases. The training which held at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, from June 26 to 27, 2018, had participants from anti-corruption agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), The Nigeria Police, the Federal Ministry of Justice, Department of State Services, among others. Declaring the training open, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, said the training was necessary in order to reduce the rate of loss of high profile cases in courts, majorly due to lack of proper investigation. Malami, who was represented at the training by the Federal Justice Sector Reform coordinating Committee (FJSRCC) Secretary, Mr. Felix Ota-Okojie, said there was a gap between investigation and prosecution, that must be filled. According to him, the investigative capacities of anti-graft agencies, must be strengthened, if the Federal Government’s anti-graft crusade must succeed. “This seminar represents effort to build synergy and capacity of the various justice sector institutions, particularly in the area of criminal justice administration. There cannot be a successful prosecution, without a thorough investigation. I think this is central to this seminar. “Our experience in this country, has shown that it is that lacuna between investigation and prosecution, that is responsible for the not-toosuccessful cases that we have witnessed. “This has raised cause for concern from the public, as to why the Prosecutors are not able to secure convictions in cases that seem to be very obvious. This is why we must continue to work, to see how we can bridge that gap, so that both investigation and prosecution can be effective. “Stakeholders also need to share experience. This training is also in furtherance of the Ministry’s

leadership role, in ensuring that we drive the process of implementing the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), which if effectively implemented, will actually improve criminal justice in the country”, he added. CSLS President, Professor Yemi Akinseye-George, SAN, in his welcome address, stressed the need for a greater focus on investigators’ work, which he said would necessitate the establishment of minimum standards and guidelines, and monitoring and evaluation of performance. According to Akinseye-George, there is also the need for accountability for non-performance and low productivity, provision of incentives, regular training opportunities, and reward for exceptional performances. “There is no doubt that Investigators perform a crucial function, without which criminal prosecution is impossible; yet Investigators are often not adequately catered for in terms of training opportunities. “This Seminar is an attempt by our Organisation, not only to provide a training opportunity for Investigators, but also to create an effective platform for interaction amongst Investigators and Prosecutors from various criminal justice agencies. Because their work is similar, an interactive platform as this, will enhance the sharing of knowledge and expertise, building of networks and strengthening of co-operation amongst Investigators from different agencies, which could only promote better service to criminal justice administration in the country. “Those investigating high profile corruption cases for example, should be protected, well-resourced, and insulated from the corrupting influence of moneybags and high profile Defendants, who have all the resources to influence outcome of investigations”, he said. The eminent Professor, noted that a report recently published by the National Judicial Council, partly blamed the problem of delays of criminal justice administration on Investigators and Prosecutors, adding that, it is elementary that we cannot have good prosecution without proper investigation. He however, decried excessive reliance on confessional statements by Investigators and Prosecutors to secure convictions, which he said causes delays due to trial-within- trials. “It is worrisome that there is excessive reliance

L-R: Chief Suprintendent of Police, Taiwo Kasumu representing the Inspector General of Police, Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, CSLS President, Professor Yemi Akiseye-George, SAN and Secretary, Federal Justice Sector Reform Coordinating Committee, Mr. Felix Ota-Okojie

on confessional statements by Investigators and Prosecutors, to win convictions. This practice causes delays in trials, due to trial-within-trial, which may run into years. Therefore, it is pertinent to adopt new investigative trends, which leverage on modern technology and forensics”, AkinseyeGeorge said. Lagos Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, urged Investigators to see corruption as a crime against humanity, adding that the Government must do more to protect those he described as the first line of defence, in the anti-graft war. “It is often said that, corruption is a victimless crime. Nothing can be further from the truth; this is because, the stolen resources are funds that can be used to reduce poverty, and improve the lives of our people. In the fight against corruption, the greatest people at risk are Adjudicators, Prosecutors and Investigators. It would appear that, Investigators run the greater risk, and as such, huge amount of funds must be dedicated for their protection and welfare. Investigators are usually the best and brightest, of any security organisation. They are elite, with the best analytical minds, so I consider that you should see yourself as the privileged few, the people who are here

for this training. “As Investigators, you are often the first line of defence against corruption, as you have the responsibility to gather necessary evidence that will support the appropriate charges in court. The quality of evidence you produce therefore, has tremendous effect on the decision to prosecute or not, because without thorough and sound investigation, chances of successful prosecution is low, irrespective of the skill or experience of the Prosecutor. In essence, you all play very important roles within your respective institutions, and I encourage you to take this message to your colleagues when you return to your place of work. This takes me to the topic I am asked to speak on – “Importance of sound investigation of high profile corruption cases”. “Corruption is regarded as one of the most difficult crimes to investigate, often because there is no scene of crime, no fingerprint, hardly any eye-witness to follow up, and the perpetrators, especially in high profile cases, have the financial capabilities to hire professionals to launder their corrupt proceeds. It is therefore, essential for Investigators across the country, to develop a

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

Legal Personality of the Week Michael Oboyovwi Dedon

‘A Lawyer Must have Passion for the Profession, to make an Impact’ under control, because a Lawyer should always be level headed and articulate: that is what make us learned. We won the case in the end.

My name is Michael Oboyovwi Dedon. I am a native of Orhuwhorun Town in Udu LGA of Delta State. I graduated from the University of Benin in 1999, after which I proceeded to the Nigeria Law School, Lagos Campus, and was admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 2002. I am married with children. I am presently the Managing Associate of Giwa-Osagie & Co. with offices in Ikoyi, Lagos and Abuja. I have been in my current employment since 2010. Before then, I have worked in other top law firms in Lagos, and have garnered solid 16 years post-call practice experience, with core litigation experience in almost all areas of law. Have you had any challenges in your career as a Lawyer, and if so, what were the main challenges? I cannot easily recall any major challenges in my career as a Lawyer, other than the usual challenges faced by Lawyers practicing generally, which is the rather slow pace of dispensation of justice. Many of the clients, especially foreigners, cannot just understand why a case in the court of first instance, can linger on indefinitely, taking years to resolve, and then it may then spend more years on appeal. We need a situation, where there is more certainty to judicial resolution of disputes, than the situation we have presently. What was your worst day as a Lawyer?

What was your most memorable experience as a Lawyer? My most memorable day in court, remains the day I squared up to an SAN in court, when I was still a rookie. This SAN was and still is notorious for bullying and intimidating even fellow SANs, not to talk of a green horn Lawyers, but I stood my ground, and refused to be cowed. It was tit-for-tat, with both of us firing on all cylinders. I could only laugh when the court Registrars reported me to my then principal, as being a "strongman".

Michael Oboyovwi Dedon

My worst day as a Lawyer, was the day my own client subtly questioned my competence, because an over-sensitive Judge interfered with and stopped my continuing cross-examination of a philandering witness in a divorce case, because she felt that my questions were too probing, and that I was being too hard on him by my attempt to put his bad character in issue. I was really angry, knowing that I had done nothing wrong procedurally speaking. Rather, it was the Judge that had issues. At the end of the day, I was able to put my emotions

Who has been most inﬂuential in your life? My late maternal grand mother, Mrs. Ughegbe Bogban, has been the most influential person in my life. She always believed in me, and encouraged me to attain greater heights. She was my source of inspiration, and laid the foundation for my present status in life. I owe her much gratitude, for her love and care, and above all, her inspiration. Why did you become a Lawyer? I became a Lawyer out of my own volition and personal convictions, and not because I was prodded or wanted to make anyone happy. Nobody encouraged me to look to

the profession; I chose it, because I believe that I have what it takes, to make a good Lawyer. I became a Lawyer, because it was the only avenue for me to give vent to my quest for justice for all. What would be your advice to anyone wanting a career in Law? My advice to anyone wanting a career in law, is to look before leaping. You need to satisfy yourself, that you have what it takes to be a good Lawyer. It is one thing to have a degree in law, and another to be a good Lawyer who knows his/her onions. There are so many Lawyers, but only a few are really Lawyers in the true sense of the word. You must first, have a passion for the profession and possess what it takes to make an impact in it. If you had not become a Lawyer, what career would you have chosen? If had not chosen to become a Lawyer, I would have been a chef. I love cooking. I regard cooking as an art. Where do you see yourself in ten years? In the next ten years, by the grace of God, I see myself at the zenith of the legal profession, at the top. I love practicing law, and I have put a lot into making it worthwhile. I will love to leave my footprints, in the sand of time in it. It is also my desire, to leave behind a legacy that others coming behind can be inspired by.

03.07.2018

Nigeria, Bloodbath and Government Inertia In this Article, learned Senior Advocate, Mike Ozekhome, condemns the recent cold blooded massacre of over 200 people in Plateau State, and the widespread killings in various parts of the country, calling out the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, and blaming the heads of the law enforcement agencies, whom he refers to as“nepotistic and cronystic appointees”of the President

V Introduction

ladimir Putin, the Russian President, once rightly opined that, a nation does not need a weakened government, but a strong government, that will take responsibility for the rights of the individual, and care for the society as a whole.

Nigeria: Becoming a Killing Field The daily slaughter ritual in Nigeria, that has turned the Nigerian geographical space into a killing field, is not only criminal, but also smacks of total abdication of governance by the current government. It is most cruel, hideous, horrific, inhuman, dastardly and barbaric. The latest theatre of the absurd, is Plateau State, where hundreds of innocent and helpless Nigerians, especially the most vulnerable (children, women and elderly), have been mindlessly hacked down in cold blood. Nigerians have become “walking corpses” or “the living dead” (apologies, Ayi Kwei Armah: “The Beautiful Ones Are not yet Born”). The government that appears overtly overwhelmed (if it ever cared at all), wrings its hands in utter helplessness and blames everything and any one, but itself. PMB says he can only pray to God for miracles. The Commander-in-Chief (C-in–C) in saying this, breaks the heart and freely donates to the citizens, haplessness and hopelessness. What is the military there for, since the Police has been overrun? Sections 130 (2) and 215 (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as altered, make the President the C- in-C of both the Armed Forces and the Police. Never before, or after the three year bloody Nigerian fratricidal civil war, has Nigeria witnessed such barefaced butchery of innocent souls, in a most horrendous manner that portends ethnic cleansing and genocidal tendencies. The entire security architecture of Nigeria, has been greatly compromised and doctored. The Nigerian Constitution Section 14 (2) (b), makes the welfare and security of lives and property, the primary purpose of Government. Any Government that cannot protect its citizens, is not worth being called a Government by any description or appellation. We have become a laughing stock, before international circles. We make merriment and hold political rallies, on the cold graves of hot steaming blood of innocent Nigerians. We wanted to win the world cup at all cost, amidst vengeful slaughter of fellow Nigerians.

But, God is a just and righteous God. He does not tolerate injustice and wickedness. He does not condone unearned adulation, and hero-worshipping: The Bible: Job 34:12; Col 3:25; Deut 10:18; 32:4; Isaiah 30:18. The Holy Quran: 5:8; 16:90; 59: 22-24. Die hard politicians are already busy, politicking about 2019, while our citizens are daily massacred in cold blood. Widespread Violence and Killings A Governor that is supposed to be the Chief Security Officer of his State, is nothing but a mere toothless crying bulldog, having been stripped of such luxury of controlling powers by Sections 215 (4) of the Constitution. This Section, enthrones a behemoth, elephantine and immobile Police Force at the centre, with the Governor at the mercy of the IGP and President. That is why I have, over the years, consistently and persistently clamoured for true fiscal Federalism, that allows for State Police and Community policing. From Agatu, Naka and Agasha in Benue State, Demsa, Suwa and Burukulu in Adamawa State, Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Jos in Plateau State, to Birnin Gwari, Dangaji, Unguwar Gajere in Kaduna State; from Izza, Wudula, Blakule and Darajimal in Borno State; to Takum, Shaakaa, Donga and Ntule in Taraba State; to Maraban –Udege Village, Aisa and Aguma in Nassarawa State; from Ugboha, Okpella, Odiguete and Igiode in Edo State, Nigeria knows no peace. Things have fallen apart. The falcon can no longer hear the falconer. Even in Uwheru, Oreba, Ovwor, Onicha-Olona and Abraka in Delta State; to Okpanku, Ozzala, Ukpabi Nimbo, Ngwoko, Ebor, Umuome, Ugwuijoro and Ugwuachara in Enugu State, the story is the same: gory and hideous blood-letting and festival of blood. Miyetti Allah The greatest worry of it all, is that these killers are not ghosts or apparitions. They are known. They even come out openly, thump their chests, confess and own up to their criminal acts. The Herdsmen umbrella, Miyetti Allah, claimed the blood-chilling murder of over 200 Plateau citizens, was because 300 of its cows were rustled. It boasted that no one could have expected peace without retaliation, under such circumstances. The same group has, over time, infamously given various reasons for its herdsmen’s killings: Nimbo massacre, Enugu State (deadly attack): “we killed because they stole our cows”. Benue State (several progroms): “we killed because of anti grazing law”. Taraba State (several): “we killed because they blocked

Baba Othman Ngelzarma,Secretary General, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association

“THE HERDSMEN UMBRELLA, MIYETTI ALLAH, CLAIMED THE BLOOD-CHILLING MURDER OF OVER 200 PLATEAU CITIZENS, WAS BECAUSE 300 OF ITS COWS WERE RUSTLED. IT BOASTED THAT NO ONE COULD HAVE EXPECTED PEACE WITHOUT RETALIATION, UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES” our grazing routes”. Adamawa State (many Communities): “we killed because they broke our cow’s leg”. Zamfara State: “we killed because the farmers said we were grazing on their farm lands”. Haba! Three years down the line, there have been no arrests, no prosecution, no arraignment, no convictions. Rather, some five Christians were arrested in Adamawa, tried and sentenced to death by hanging, for allegedly killing one Fulani herdsman. Some lives, are now more precious than others. Rather than kill cow for a meal to celebrate occasions, as we know it, we now kill human beings to celebrate cows. The Government not only looks the other way, but actually condones the heartless cold-blooded

slaughter. Nigeria cannot continue like this. The Federal Government must rise up to the occasion, draft military personnel to these volatile areas, and wash its hands off, like Pontius Pilate, of compromise, condonation, aiding and abetting, of this national horror. The saddest and deepest of all the national cuts and travesty of justice, is that there is no one to complain to. The President himself, the very C–in–C, who had promised to lead from the front during his campaigns in 2015, wrings his hands in utter helplessness, and moans (like any of us): “There is nothing I can do to help the situation, except to pray to God to help us out of the security challenges”. Interpretation: “I am helpless; Be prepared to take what you get”. But, the Holy Bible tells us that “God helps those who help themselves” (Hezekiah 6:1). In 2 Thessalonians 3:10, we are admonished that “the one who is unwilling to work shall not eat”. In the Holy Quran, it is, “Allah helps those who help themselves” 13:11; (Tafsir of Chapter 022 verse 40). Consequences of Non-Prosecution of Herdsmen Is the President being fed the true and genuine situation of horrific and grisly events, across Nigeria? Can he, when virtually all his security apparatchik consists of nepotistic and cronystic appointees from his ethnic and religious groups only: Minister of Defence, Minister of Interior, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, IGP, DSS, EFCC, Immigration, Customs, NSCDC, Prisons, NSA, C of S, etc, etc? The non-prosecution of these marauding herdsmen, has emboldened them to commit more crimes. Daily carnage and spilling of innocent blood, have become the norm. Nigerians now appear unshockable. Many lamentably try to justify this modern day genocide, with partisan political interpretations, pretending all is well. Meanwhile, Nigeria dies by installment. Most Nigerians, have become more cowardly than ever before, afraid even of their own shadows. Nigerians should stand and speak up before we are all eclipsed in dismemberment. Thought for the Week “The killing of innocent people is always wrong.” (Bianca Jagger). Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, OFR, FCIArb., Ph.D, LL.D., Human Rights Activist

Lawyers Must Embrace Technology to Thrive in Practice – Idigbe SAN John Shiklam in Kaduna Legal Practitioners in Nigeria, have been charged to acquire the requisite skills, in order to thrive in the era of technology and globalisation. In a key note address at the 2018 Law Week of the Kaduna Chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), a Senior Partner at Punuka Attorneys & Solicitors, Chief Anthony Idigbe, SAN, said the new technologies have changed the way of doing things, and Lawyers must embrace them to remain relevant. Speaking on the theme : "A Profession Grasping for Breath; Modern Challenges, Prospects and Opportunities of Legal Practice", Idigbe noted that,

from the way the legal sector and the Judiciary from the way things are going in Nigeria, Judges are becoming more technically prepared for the future than the Lawyers, pointing out that very soon, as such, Lawyers will begin to face challenges in court, if they do not embrace the new technologies. He said " clients are becoming more demanding, and they are no longer ready to pay too much for legal services; at the same time, they want speed and efficiency from Lawyers, they don't want waste of time, and the volume of work is increasing. "So the only solution, is to apply technology. Technology will able to enable Lawyers, to do the work within a very short time."

According to him, the appreciation of technology, has greatly increased in Africa, noting however, that, there is still serious challenges technologically in delivery of legal services. He added that, "What we need, is more education, more commitment, that is why I appreciate what we have done . "We have spoken to Lawyers at the grassroot, explaining to them what the variables are, and the imperatives for change, and that if they don't change, technology is going to come anyway... There are market forces, competitive forces that other Lawyers and non- Lawyers providing the same services, and clients unbundling the services and then moving those that are more process based to completely different countries.

FEDERAL MINISTRY OF JUSTICE PARTNERS, CSLS TO TRAIN INVESTIGATORS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 collaborative approach of sharing information in the course of investigation, and embrace scientific intelligence based techniques which are technology driven”, Kazeem said. The Attorney-General in his remarks, said Governor Akinwumi Ambode has given approval for the equipment of statement recording rooms in police stations, in compliance with the Criminal Justice Law of the State, and in line with international best practices. “We identified 15 police commands, including the State command headquarters, to establish

state of the art witness processing rooms with recording equipment”, he said. Papers presented at the training which were based mainly on doctrinal research include: ‘Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015: Provisions for Expediting Investigation’ by Professor Yemi Akinsye-George, SAN, ‘The Use of Technology in Investigation & Improving the Effectiveness of Anti-Corruption Agencies’ by Omolola Quadri, ‘Investigating Stolen Assets: Principles, Practices, Problems and Lessons from Jurisdictions’ by Kehinde Ogini, ‘Principles and

Techniques of Investigation’ by Chiamaka Nnadika amongst others. Among challenges highlighted by participants were: use of obsolete investigative equipment and methods, inadequate working facilities and logistics due to poor funding, lack of incentives, lack of training and capacity which leads to incompetence, inter-agency rivalry, which results in poor sharing of information, corruption among staff, lack of public support and apathy, conflicting laws, lack of forensic tools, bureaucratic bottlenecks, among others.

He noted that fresh law graduates of today are not ready, because the training they receive does not take cognisance, of the changes that have been brought about by technology, and he called for a review legal education in Nigeria. He further advised Lawyers, to choose areas of specialisation, in order to become experts, as the era of general legal practice is long gone. He further advised Lawyers, to belong to a network of legal practitioners, so as to collaborate and be more efficient. "Belong to a network. You must learn how to cooperate, to become more efficient. I am not saying you must form partnerships", he said. Analysing income control in worldwide legal practice, Idigbe, quoting the Jomati report, said: "Domestic markets will always consume a significant proportion of any service providers' product or investors' capital, but truly significant, is the growing level of both inbound and outbound investment between countries, which in turn necessitates advisers capable of handling cross-border work". He said in Nigeria, it is clear that whilst the top 50 law firms control between 30 to 35 percent of the fees, but employ less than 2000 Lawyers, leaving the vast majority of about 188,000 to scramble for about 65 per of the market. He said modern challenges of legal practice, include competition amongst Lawyers/Non-Lawyers -Banks, economic uncertainties, artificial intelligence versus Lawyers- spotting risks in everyday business.

8/COVER

03.07.2018

COVER/9

Who Leads The NBA 2018-2020? One of the most significant events in the 2018 Calendar of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), will be its election into national offices. This biennial exercise, assumed a higher dimension two years ago, when the Augustine Alegeh SAN led administration, introduced universal suffrage by electronic voting in 2016. Despite some complaints over the imperfections in electronic balloting, a greater percentage of Nigerian Lawyers, especially the younger ones, remain resolute that it is the only guaranteed way to ensure they have a say in who leads the Nigerian Bar. The timetable released by the Electoral Committee of the Association, sets the elections to hold from 11:59pm of Friday 27th to 11:59pm of Saturday 28th July, 2018, for all Nigerian Lawyers to cast their votes online, real time from any part of the world. In the final countdown, THISDAY LAWYER got the Presidential candidates in the election, Senior Advocates Paul Usoro, Arthur Obi-Okafor and Professor Ernest Ojukwu, to speak on their manifestos, and why Nigerian Lawyers should entrust their Association to them for the next two years

I’ll Secure Nigerian Legal Market For Nigerian Lawyers - Paul Usoro, SAN

he elections are here at last. Given the challenges complained about in the last elections which eventually resulted in litigation which is still ongoing, do you have conﬁdence in universal suffrage by electronic voting? I don’t think the problem is with electronic voting or universal suffrage per se. The problem generally with elections, is more often than not, with its conduct and not the mode – electronic or manual. The problem also is not with suffrage – universal or restricted; it is, as I’ve already stated, with the conduct of the election. What I’m interested in knowing right now, is the planned mechanics or processes for the NBA elections; it’s the mechanics that will tell us whether it’s tamper-proof, or susceptible to manipulations and/or human errors. Until we hear from the ECNBA on these processes and mechanics, I cannot really comment on the integrity of the electronic voting. Some have said that what the NBA needs right now, is a bridge-builder President, who has the potential to unify the Bar. For some, the huge challenge is ﬁnding a unifying factor for the young, the old, Inner Bar, Outer Bar, Ethnic fora, the Sections, and various interest groups within the Bar. Would you say you possess that capacity? I believe that, I possess those unifying qualities, but I’ll leave you and the members of the Bar to make the final judgement. I’ll give you pointers though. First, I’m from the East, had my education in the West, spent (and I’m still spending) some of my practice years in the North, and I’m Lagos-based. Second, I keep my friends, and my relationships over the years, have not been and are not transactional; they also cut across all divides, be they regional, religious, age, fora, gender, Inner/Outer Bar, Post-Call years, etc. etc. Third, I’m about the only candidate that has not engaged in smear campaign against other persons (be they candidates or not), and I do not permit my supporters to engage in such unwholesome conduct. Fourth, at no time have I preached or encouraged hate and/or the divisive attitude of “us against them” – and you can see this in my Reflections publications – unlike some others who pitch young Lawyers against the older ones, or the Outer Bar against the Inner Bar etc. etc. Fifth, my Reflections series and my consultations, have always been issue-based without denigrating any section of the Bar, and I consciously and constantly build bridges, both in my conduct and utterances. Sixth, the unifying force which I represent, shows in my support base, which in various States, Branches and groups, has brought together and unified persons who hitherto were in

opposing camps and they’re all now working and focused on the unified objective of re-energising the NBA with me as the President. Seventh, I’m very accessible to everyone by phone, e-mail, text messages, social media handles, WhatsApp and even direct contacts. These are non-exhaustive facts, that should help you decide the question of whether or not I’m a unifying force for good, in the Bar. Some have argued that the powers that be in the NBA, are trying to make the Presidency of the Association the preserve of Senior Advocates, a trend that is not provided for by the NBA Constitution. The fourth contender for the position of NBA President who is not a SAN, was allegedly disqualiﬁed. Is there any truth to this allegation? I don’t know who “the powers that be” are, and cannot therefore, speak for them. I’m also not aware that any contender has been disqualified. What we’ve been told by the ECNBA is that, the fourth contender was requested to clarify certain issues, and as far as I know, that process of clarification is on-going and a final decision on his candidacy is yet to be published by the Committee. On the substance of your question, I’m not aware that there’s any move by anyone, to subvert the NBA Constitution and limit the contenders for the office of the NBA President. Many have expressed the belief that, ethnic fora are no longer needed in NBA elections, for any ofﬁce, and that adoption is no longer a useful tool. But, the Eastern Bar Forum of which you are a member, was said to have adopted a candidate. Despite this, other candidates from the same East are still in the race. What would be the effect of this, on the election? I should perhaps point out from the outset that, I’m not a member of the Eastern Bar Forum. I’m not registered with the Forum, and I’m not alone in that regard; a large number of Lawyers of Eastern Nigerian extraction, are not registered with the Forum. In my understanding, ethnic fora are voluntary pressure groups, that do not attract mandatory or compulsory membership. They cannot therefore, attain or be elevated to the status of being the sole voice or even the voice for any ethnic group or region within the NBA. Ethnic fora are also not recognised by the NBA Constitution, and cannot claim to speak on behalf of the Association or any part thereof. Adoption of candidates by ethnic fora, is perhaps useful as a publicity or campaign stunt for the candidates, but ought not to be the basis for excluding any qualified candidate from contesting for an NBA office. Ultimately, being a professional body, election should be based on the qualification of the candidates and their merit for the office, and not on adoption by some ethnic fora, more so,

I Will Run An All Inclusive Bar - Arthur Obi-Okafor, SAN

Paul Usoro, SAN

in an election by universal suffrage and with electronic voting. In a nutshell, what is your manifesto? Why do you think Nigerian Lawyers should entrust you with their Association for the next two years? How realisable are these programmes within your two- year tenure, if you are voted in? This is a question, that does not lend itself to a “nutshell” response. I’ll therefore focus here on the reform programs which I believe the NBA, at the national level, urgently needs, if it must retain its relevance not only in the larger society, but even to its members. The reforms that I propose will, at the minimum, achieve four significant goals, to wit, (a) enhance efficiency in the operations and running of the Association; (b) engender confidence and trust amongst its members (or, as some would say, win back the confidence and trust of its members); (c) transform the NBA into a sustainable institution; and (d) increase the moral equity of the NBA, to enable it effectively influence required reforms in the justice sub- sector and remain a respected watchdog of the society. The breadth and scope of these reforms are quite wide and extensive, and I’ve been writing on them in My Reflections series, which is circulated by e-mail to all Lawyers. Are these reforms achievable in a 2-year span? I believe so. Take for instance, running a transparent administration in all respects, including, but not limited, to procurement and finance policies and management. Nothing stops us right from Day One, from producing Quarterly Financial Statements, with qualitative

information that would educate and inform the members on and of the financial health of the Association. Nothing also stops us from, instituting and institutionalising transparent internal control processes and mechanisms, including procurement processes, from Day One, which will plug possible leakages in the system, and also, illustratively, ensure that members get their stamps and seals soon after payment, rather than the current practice of late deliveries of these mandatory items to Lawyers. The reforms would not be the only things I would do in the two-year timeframe of my Presidency, if voted in, but it would be a cornerstone program, and would impact the NBA’s ability to reform the justice sub-sector and the larger Nigerian society. I must also mention that, from Day One, we’ll introduce and enforce diversity and inclusion of every group, gender and demographics, including our colleagues living with disability, in all aspects of the NBA. I will also focus on, programs that will enhance the income-earning capacity of our members e.g. protecting the legal market for Nigerian Lawyers, and regulating the practice of law in Nigeria by non-Nigerian Lawyers, in a manner that does not prejudice and shut out the Nigerian Lawyers. These are issues that I’ve

“I BELIEVE THAT I POSSESS THOSE UNIFYING QUALITIES, BUT I’LL LEAVE YOU AND THE MEMBERS OF THE BAR TO MAKE THE FINAL JUDGEMENT”

he elections are here at last. Given the challenges complained about in the last elections which eventually resulted in litigation which is still ongoing, do you have conﬁdence in universal suffrage by electronic voting? The Universal Suffrage is one of the best things that has happened to the NBA in recent times, as it avails every member of the NBA the opportunity to participate in the process of electing their National Officers. It is therefore, incumbent upon the NBA, to ensure that the process remains not only transparent and reliable, but that it is adjudged credible, and the integrity of the processes is guaranteed. The jury is out on the interpretation of the phrase “electronic voting”, as contained in the 2015 Constitution of the NBA. The provision does not define the phrase, and this has resulted in avoidable controversy. It is public knowledge that, the interpretation is one of the questions that the court is being called upon to determine in the suit that arose from the 2016 NBA National Elections. Some have argued that electronic voting means voting over the internet, whilst the other side maintains that electronic voting, is achieved by punching the Electronic Voting Machines at respective branches of the NBA. These arguments underscore the need for an explicit provision in the NBA Constitution, clarifying the intent of the law. However, what is paramount and without prejudice to the outcome of the court’s determination, is for those managing the process do it in such a manner as to engender the confidence of all participants. Some have said that what the NBA needs right now, is a bridge-builder President, who has the potential to unify the Bar. For some, the huge challenge is ﬁnding a unifying factor for the young, the old, Inner Bar, Outer Bar, Ethnic fora, the Sections, and various interest groups within the Bar. Would you say you possess that capacity? Recent developments within the NBA, have exposed some sort of divisiveness and stratification within its membership ranks. This has naturally led to widespread agitation by most members, who feel alienated from its affairs. This amongst other critical issues begging for attention, inspired me to contest in this election. From inception, the mantra of our campaign has been #AllinclusiveBar. This mantra is not just a rhetoric, rather, it is borne out of a deep conviction derived from a still deeper reflection on the circumstances the Association has found itself in, vis-a-vis its potentials for growth and future greatness. There is a critical need to make the NBA more responsive and relevant to the needs of all its members without distinction, because all Nigerian Lawyers have an equal stake in the Association. The #AllinclusiveBar, envisions an NBA that will be passionately committed to working for and with its members, as the surest means for attaining individual and collective excellence, as well as the

desired growth and development. However, without unity, there cannot be any meaningful growth or development. The #AllinclusiveBar is determined to stimulate the interest of all members of the NBA, to get out of their present state of apathy and divisiveness, and rather, embrace the need to harness their collective, individual and different talents or resources, to enable the Association assume its rightful position as the biggest and foremost Bar Association in the continent. It is understandable that, the perception that the NBA currently exists for the benefit of a privileged few to the exclusion of all others, may be directly responsible for the general lack of interest in its affairs. However, we intend to change that perception, by returning the Association to its actual owners, that is, its membership. Already, it is evident that the #AllinclusiveBar, enjoys broad based support amongst professional colleagues. As at today, you will find that frontline personalities who drove the campaigns of the two presidential candidates in the last elections, have keyed into our spirit of unity, by closing ranks and have jointly become leading proponents of the #AllinclusiveBar. At vanguard of the #AllinclusiveBar revolution, are young Lawyers, senior Lawyers, and Senior Advocates of Nigeria. Our female colleagues, are probably the most passionate members of this movement, in the same manner as are Lawyers in both Public and Private legal practice. We are also at home with our colleagues in the corporate world, the Armed forces and para – military organisations, as well as Law Teachers and those otherwise engaged in legal education/ training. The entire Bar is part of this movement. We also enjoy widespread support, from all the regional fora of the NBA. Similarly, we enjoy the support of our colleagues in all the three arms of government, who are excited about the humongous developmental prospects a unified Bar portends not only for the growth of the economy, but also for the greatness of Nigeria. As the Chief proponent of the #AllinclusiveBar, I do not pretend to know and possess all or the best solutions, to the myriad of challenges confronting our profession and the Nation. However, we have over time, whenever entrusted with responsibilities, proved that apart from actually rolling up our sleeves and getting involved in tasks, we have a demonstrable capacity to listen, harness and implement the best suggestions put forward, to ensure success for the benefit of all. This is the disposition, that is largely accountable for the modest successes and commendations we have received in the past. As leaders, our duty is not only to show the way and lead the way, but we must also be able to inspire others to follow our lead. All components of the NBA and relevant shades of opinion, will find representation and expression in the #AllinclusiveBar. That is what I stand for, and to my mind, there is no greater capacity than that. Some have argued that the powers that be in the NBA, are trying to make the Presidency of the Association the preserve of Senior Advocates, a trend that is not provided for by the NBA

Arthur Obi-Okafor, SAN

Constitution. The fourth contender for the position of NBA President who is not a SAN, was allegedly disqualiﬁed. Is there any truth to this allegation At the time of granting this interview which is the day of 28th day of June, 2018, I know as a fact that no aspirant to any of the offices in the 2018 NBA National Elections, has been disqualified. What has so far transpired is that, at the close of submission of nominations and its subsequent opening, some of the aspirants were “not cleared” by the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) for various reasons. In accordance with the Constitution of the NBA and the Electoral Guidelines, the ECNBA communicated to the affected persons, the reasons for their non – clearance, and requested them to make their respective representations on the several queries raised to their nominations. The ECNBA, is under obligation to consider and publish its final verdict, within 14 days from the date it receives the responses. It is only thereafter, that the ECNBA will make public its final verdict and we will all know whether any of those aspirants not cleared, has been disqualified or not. Now, if you avert your mind to the provisions of Section 8(3) of the Nigeria Bar Association Constitution 2015, which spells out the qualifications to hold a national office by any prospective aspirant, there is nowhere that it stipulates that the aspirant for the office of NBA President, must be a SAN. I am also unaware of any decision or machination by any segment of the profession, to make the office of NBA President an exclusive preserve for SANS. In the last but one election, Osas Justus Erhabor (a non–SAN) ran for the office of President of the NBA. Similarly, within the recent history of the NBA, several other Lawyers who are non–SANs, have contested for the office. A non–SAN who may be adjudged by the generality of members of the NBA as possessing the desired leadership attributes, and

“THERE IS A CRITICAL NEED TO MAKE THE NBA MORE RESPONSIVE AND RELEVANT TO THE NEEDS OF ALL ITS MEMBERS, WITHOUT DISTINCTION, BECAUSE ALL NIGERIAN LAWYERS, HAVE AN EQUAL STAKE IN THE ASSOCIATION” who is also able to persuade our colleagues to key into his/her vision for the Association, and give him/her the requisite support, may very well be elected to the office of NBA President. Many have expressed the belief that, ethnic fora are no longer needed in NBA elections, for any ofﬁce, and that adoption is no longer a useful tool. But, the Eastern Bar Forum of which you are a member, was said to have adopted a candidate. Despite this, other candidates from the same East are still in the race. What would be the effect of this, on the election? Adoption of candidates, is a process of politicking in every democracy in the world. In the United States of America, if a candidate is running for the Office of the President of the United States, but is unable to secure the adoption or endorsement of the National Rifle Association or the Congressional Black Caucus in the Senate and House of Representatives,

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

10/COVER

03.07.2018

I’LL SECURE NIGERIAN LEGAL MARKET FOR NIGERIAN LAWYERS - PAUL USORO, SAN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 touched upon in My Reflections series, which I request that you read and follow. What edge would you say that you have, over the other candidates? First, I am independent and economically secure, and can do the right thing for and by the Association, without being hobbled by interests’ considerations, be they economic, political, social or ethnic or by godfatherism. Second, I speak of reforms, including governance principles, because I’m the candidate with the most experience in and exposure to these principles, given my consistent membership of boards of companies from about 2000 to date (no less than 2 simultaneous board seats in major companies at any given time, within that timeframe). Third, I’m the only one that has articulated my vision in clear, defined and auditable terms in my Reflections series, which underlies my understanding of the issues and competence/ability to implement them. Fourth, I’m the only one who has led by example, in terms of attending to the welfare of my younger colleagues in the Firm that I founded in 1985, and where I work up-to- date, with more than 40 lawyers currently working in the establishment. Fifth, I also have a record amongst the candidates, of having mentored the highest number of successful legal practitioners/professionals, benchmarked from their Post-Call years. What would be your ﬁrst steps and actions, within six months of assumption of ofﬁce, if you are elected? In terms of reforms, I’ve already answered this question (see my response to the question on my manifesto): I would commence the reform programs from Day One. The reform program, it must be remembered, is vast, diverse and huge, all on its own. I would also revive and institutionalise monthly Press briefings, on

the state of the Nigerian nation. In promoting the rule of law, I would take steps to (a) protect the independence of the Judiciary, and prevent misguided and unwarranted assault on the institution and judicial officers; and (b) stop the assault of Lawyers, while carrying out their professional duties by law enforcement agents. I will also start the process of securing the Nigerian legal market for the Nigerian Lawyers, and the regulation of the market-access in a manner that benefits the Nigerian practitioner, and does not prejudice him or her. The NBA used to be very vocal on national issues, and even in the military era, it was the voice of the masses and downtrodden. But, over the years, it has gradually lost its voice. How do you intend to bring back those noble ideals, for which the Bar was once noted for? There are so many issues that the NBA should have taken a strong stand on, but not much was heard from the Association, for instance, Government’s seeming lack of respect for the rule of law and disobedience of court orders, incessant killings by the Herdsmen, invasion of the Rivers State High Court by political hoodlums and so on. I agree entirely that the NBA’s voice must be heard at all times, and its voice must be strong and loud on national issues, amongst others. I’ve already committed to have monthly press briefings on national issues, as the President of the NBA, and will also discuss these issues at the meetings of the National Executive Committee of the Association. Institutionalising the monthly press briefing practice, will greatly enhance the standing of the Bar, particularly when that practice is coupled with the reforms that I propose, and which would greatly enhance our moral standing to speak on national issues.

“I AM INDEPENDENT AND ECONOMICALLY SECURE, AND CAN DO THE RIGHT THING FOR AND BY THE ASSOCIATION, WITHOUT BEING HOBBLED BY INTERESTS, CONSIDERATIONS, BE THEY ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, SOCIAL OR ETHNIC OR BY GODFATHERISM”

What plans do you have, to improve the lot of the young Lawyers? There is no single solution to the welfare challenges of the young Lawyers. I’ve proffered a range of solutions in my Reflections series, and these include institutionalised mentorship program (which, from my standpoint, is even more beneficial to the young Lawyers than immediate short-term pecuniary welfare programs), enhancing the income-earning capacity of Lawyers generally in a manner that translates, amongst others, into better welfare packages for junior Lawyers, encouraging senior Lawyers to remunerate their junior colleagues well, and enlightening them on the benefits that accrue therefrom, having at all times led by example in that regard. More importantly, I’ll constantly take in suggestions and advice from all relevant stakeholders in that regard (senior lawyers as well as young lawyers), process such advice and suggestions and find ways to implement those ones that are workable. To summarise, I’ll promote a global but diversified approach, in addressing the challenges of young Lawyers which go beyond welfare issues, and include capacity building and growth opportunities. What role will you play in sanitising the legal profession? I will promote the review of the regulatory provisions and processes for the legal profession, in a manner that meets the international best standards, both in content and procedures. The review would also address misconducts that may not have been previously captured in our regulatory processes, but which may now be current and inimical to good standing. I will also work to strengthen and make robust the disciplinary processes for the legal profession, sufficient to meet the challenges of our modern era. We wish you the best of luck in the election.

I WILL RUN AN ALL INCLUSIVE BAR - ARTHUR OBI-OKAFOR, SAN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 then such an aspirant knows that he or she has a herculean task ahead. Ditto in Nigerian politics, where you have regions and ethnic groups, endorsing and adopting candidates. Were it not for the endorsement of President Muhammadu Buhari by groups in the West, North, East and in the South – South geo – political zones of Nigeria, he probably would not have become the President. The point must be made that, the non-adoption of a candidate by any of the various Constitutionally recognised Regional fora of the NBA, does not preclude such a candidate from contesting in the election. However, I think that adoption is only indicative of the preference of a majority of the members from that region who live with, interact, are closest to and are also more familiar with the antecedents and pedigrees of the respective candidates, as against those who probably may not have had any previous encounter or dealings with the candidates prior to the elections. In addition, the zones which the Regional fora represent, are a creation of the NBA Constitution as provided for in Section 2.2 of the Second Schedule. The same Constitution, has also zoned specific offices which must be occupied, amongst the regions on a rotational basis. These Zones on their own, neither operate arbitrarily nor exist in vacuum. They have their respective governing structures, and respective Constitutions and Bye Laws. The EBF Constitution in Article 11, provides for the adoption of candidates for any given National Elections. It was in furtherance of that Constitution, that I was adopted. Speaking for myself as a member of the EBF, and also as a person who is guided by due process and the rule of law, I am bound by the Constitution to which I have subscribed. In a nutshell, what is your manifesto? Why do you think Nigerian Lawyers should entrust you with their Association for the next two years? How realisable are these programmes within your two-year tenure, if you are voted in? The details of the Manifesto of the #AllinclusiveBar, can be accessed on the website of the ECNBA and from my several social media handles. However, the core aspects of it include the following: i. Empowerment of the Branches and the entrenchment of governance discipline: By this, we would incrementally review the percentage of the ‘Bar Practice Fee’ (BPF) accruable to Branches of the NBA, to a minimum of 25%. Further, to address issues associated with prompt, regular and irreconcilable remittances to Branches, we will execute Standing Orders with NBA’s Bankers, authorising the deductions to be made as a first line charge on the accounts of the Association and credited to the various Branches’ accounts. The #AllinclusiveBar, has reached the incontrovertible conclusion that, membership of the NBA is domiciled at the Branches which are also the major sources of revenue for the Association. Additionally, Branches are better

“THE EBF CONSTITUTION IN ARTICLE 11, PROVIDES FOR THE ADOPTION OF CANDIDATES, FOR ANY GIVEN NATIONAL ELECTIONS. IT WAS IN FURTHERANCE OF THAT CONSTITUTION, THAT I WAS ADOPTED” positioned to impact their respective members, as against the National Secretariat. In any event, it is the Branches that primarily bear the responsibility for the welfare and developmental needs of their members, thereby, necessitating that they be availed more funds and resources. The increased resources to Branches, will come with its concomitant demand for greater accountability, and also stimulate the interest of members to want to know how their common wealth is being administered. It will also mean heightened interest, in the general activities of the NBA. This is a tacit way, of promoting the all inclusiveness that we stand for. ii. Free issuance of a pack of stamps upon payment of Bar Practice Fee (BPF): The current economic realities in the country, have undermined the wisdom in charging Lawyers separately for Practice Stamps after payment of their BPF. That apart, many Lawyers never get to derive any direct benefit from their membership of the NBA. The policy of free stamps, is the least way the #AllinclusiveBar intends to incentivise the prompt payment of BPF, in contrast to the subsisting practice of threatening Lawyers with charges of

professional misconduct for non - payment. iii. Capacity building and powering of partnership for Young Lawyers: By this, we intend to promote the culture of establishing partnership and pursuing specialisation amongst young Lawyers. Additionally, the #AllinclusiveBar, will commit itself to mentorship and training of those who will key into this policy, and also facilitate their access to the critically needed capital that will enable them to establish firms that will possess a competitive edge. iv. Providing the template for the running and management of an all inclusive Bar, where every strata of the Bar will partake in the management of the Affairs of the Association: We intend to ensure equitable representation of every segment of the NBA, in the management and affairs of the NBA. It is our conviction that, the NBA belongs to all Nigerian Lawyers, who also have equal stakes in it. The #AllinclusiveBar will address the complaints of lopsided appointments into Committees, NEC, as well as other bodies in which the NBA has statutory representation. We will, indeed, be all inclusive in the real sense of it. v. Encouragement of participation in NBA Activities: The #AllinclusiveBar, will review fees and charges for NBA organised events, to make them affordable. Appropriate discounts will also be offered to members, in line with IBA standards, bearing in mind financial status of Lawyers as informed by their areas of practice, nature of employment (whether public service or private sector), biological age, age at bar, etc. It is the philosophy of the #AllinclusiveBar that, attendance and participation in NBA activities, is a right and should not by reason of exorbitant fees be made the exclusive preserve of a few. vi. Promotion of a vigorous welfare Scheme: We will restore, renegotiate upward and closely monitor, the implementation of the NBA Life Assurance Scheme amongst other membership benefits. The #AllinclusiveBar, will also explore the possibility of establishing a viable and workable health insurance scheme for Lawyers, in collaboration with the NHIS. We will encourage and strengthen Branches to establish Co-operative Societies, as veritable platforms for leveraging on membership strength for the purposes of enhancing collective bargaining advantages. What edge would you say that you have, over the other candidates? Our manifesto and core values, give us an edge and place us in an advantage over and above the other contestants. We believe in developing the leaders around us, for sustainable growth and development. Every Lawyer is a trained leader, and all they require is the opportunity to unleash their potentials, which will enable them flourish. We will listen, and implement any superior ideas. We recognise that human capital is the greatest

capital, and so will invest our trust and resources in our colleagues, because we know that if human capital is developed, the organisation would have been developed. What would be your ﬁrst steps and actions, within six months of assumption of ofﬁce, if you are elected? All the items we have listed in our manifesto, will be pursued vigorously. We are prepared for this task, and we are focused on where we want to go and what we want to achieve. From day one, we will work with, and for our colleagues. We know that they are bubbling with ideas, and itching to take off. We will provide them the opportunities and the needed momentum, requisite to achieve our goals within the shortest possible time. The NBA used to be very vocal on national issues, and even in the military era, it was the voice of the masses and downtrodden. But, over the years, it has gradually lost its voice. How do you intend to bring back those noble ideals, for which the Bar was once noted for? There are so many issues that the NBA should have taken a strong stand on, but not much was heard from the Association, for instance, Government’s seeming lack of respect for the rule of law and disobedience of court orders, incessant killings by the Herdsmen, invasion of the Rivers State High Court by political hoodlums and so on. The NBA, is the leading professional Association in Nigeria. Its voice therefore, must be heard and reckoned with on all issues that affect the polity and the Nigerian nation, especially where the common man is concerned. In acknowledgement of its pole position, society generally, looks up to the NBA as the voice of the people. Should the present trend where the voice of the NBA is hardly heard on critical national issues persist, the Association and by extension the country, is headed for perdition. The #AllinclusiveBar will at all times, endeavour to speak with courage and conviction on the State of the Nigerian Nation. We will hold Government and those at all levels of authority, accountable to the highest ideals of good governance, observance and respect for the rule of law, due process and the enthronement of social justice. What plans do you have, to improve the lot of the young Lawyers? In addition to deliberate policies listed earlier in our manifesto, which are primarily targeted at benefitting young Lawyers, the #AllinclusiveBar will vigorously pursue a policy of legislative advocacy, aimed at promoting the enactment of laws that will enhance legal practice, open up new vistas, protect areas of possible encroachment into services offered by the profession, and generally improve the fortunes of our members. We will specifically

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

03.07.2018

/11

Legal Profession is too Important to be Abandoned to Charlatans - Professor Ernest Ojukwu, SAN

he elections are here at last. Given the challenges complained about in the last elections which eventually resulted in litigation which is still ongoing, do you have confidence in universal suffrage by electronic voting? Yes, I do, and I have very strong confidence in the Electoral Committee Chaired by Prof Yadudu. Universal voting, is the best for us, as it will promote democracy, equal and inclusive participation in the governance of the Association. The use of electronic voting, is also the best. We should continue to work to improve the process. Some have said that what the NBA needs right now, is a bridge-builder President, who has the potential to unify the Bar. For some, the huge challenge is finding a unifying factor for the young, the old, Inner Bar, Outer Bar, Ethnic fora, the Sections and various interest groups, within the Bar. Would you say you posses that capacity? Surely, I do. The key to being a bridge builder, is that the leader must be trusted. To be trusted the person must be honest, show fairness, evenhandedness, be open and transparent, listens, and is sincerely interested in providing opportunities for others. I have held many leadership positions, where I have managed people of diverse backgrounds and I have been very successful in building bridges- as Secretary and Chairman NBA Aba Branch, Dean of Law, Head of a Law School for 12 years, where staff and students of all tribes and religions in Nigeria were under me, as Chairman of many Committees of the Bar, as President of Network of University Legal Aid Institutions, as Pioneer Founder and Chairman NBA Eastern Bar Forum, comprising Lawyers from sections of Old Eastern Region. My Partners at Ojukwu Faotu & Yusuf are not Igbos. My family background, I would say also gave me the character of a bridge builder. My parents were very accommodating of all human beings, no matter their background. Two of my three sisters are married in the North, and in Akwa Ibom. Some have argued that the powers that be in the NBA, are trying to make the Presidency of the Association the preserve of Senior Advocates, a trend that is not provided for by the NBA Constitution. The fourth contender for the position of NBA President who is not a SAN, was allegedly disqualified. Is there any truth to this allegation? I do not know what other persons think, but personally, I do not think it is responsible to make the position of President exclusive for SANs. Our Constitution provides the qualification for the post, and SAN is not one of them. We should just always focus on the quality, character, integrity, competence, antecedents, and experience of all persons that present themselves to lead us, not on SAN or not SAN. Every candidate should present their past roles for the Bar and the legal profession, so that we may be able to predict what they will be able to do, if handed over leadership as President. Many have expressed the belief that, ethnic fora are no longer needed in NBA elections, for any office, and that adoption is no longer a useful tool. But, the Eastern Bar Forum of which you are a member, was said to have adopted a candidate. Despite this, other candidates from the same East are still in the race. What would be the effect of this, on the election? Adoption of candidates by private fora, is outdated. It was useful when election was by delegates, and rotation of positions had not been formalised in our Constitution. Now election is universal, and elective positions have been zoned in our Constitution. For example, the post of President has been zoned to the old Eastern Region. So, why adopt? You don’t want Lawyers across the country, to be part of the decision in choosing their President? Delegates represented their Branches and groups, but in universal election, decision is individual. Continuing the pursuit of adoption by a few, is a rejection of the right of every Lawyer to have a say in the election of their leaders. Adoption is anti-democracy, antiinclusiveness, and anti-participatory governance. Delegate system and adoption of candidates, breeds dictatorship and irresponsible leadership. Forums are voluntary, and EBF does not have more than 150 up to date members. There are over 55,000

verified lawyers in the country and we expect at least 25,000 to vote in this election. Out of the 150 members of EBF, about 50 persons were assembled to do the primary adoption, and in reality, only about 10 persons made the decision. The rest were onlookers. Adoption is of no value in 2018, unless you are saying that 25,000 Lawyers should not bother to vote, and should rather allow the few persons that did adoption in one corner of Port Harcourt, to vote on their behalf. If that is the case then, why are we going to the poll on 27th July? Those who want adoption, are those who have rejected universal voting, and want to continue delegate election. They are those who don’t want any progress for the Bar and the profession. They just want to rule us. They are bringing nothing to the Bar. They just want to capture power. They don’t want Lawyers to participate in shaping their own destiny, and the destiny of the profession. We must reject them. They want to continue to hold the Bar and each Lawyer, in bondage. I have rejected that prison and the bondage. Adoption is corrupt, and I reject corruption. Those who want to remain in bondage, are free to submit to that bondage. Under the EBF Constitution, for a candidate to be considered for adoption, the candidate must write a letter of undertaking, to be bound by their decision. So, you must give your consent to be considered. I did not write a letter, and I think only one out of 4 candidates, sent such a letter to be considered for adoption. So, the Forum only considered the person that gave them consent. I have never complained about the adoption. Why are they complaining, about my refusal to give my consent? Is consent taken by force? Forums are private organisations. They are not part of the NBA governance structure. Any Forum that wants to remain relevant, must change their objective from being an adoption based organisation, to something useful for the legal profession. The Future Bar and legal profession, is too important to be abandoned to charlatans. In a nutshell, what is your manifesto? Why do you think Nigerian Lawyers should entrust you with their Association for the next two years? How realisable are these programmes within your two-year tenure, if you are voted in? The basis of my manifesto, is the 14 objectives of the Bar in our Constitution. I will provide services, welfare and welfare to members, as my priority. I will Provide benefits and programmes, that promote our members’ welfare, quality of life and professional growth, especially of our young and upcoming Lawyers; Promote very high ethical standards, discipline, conduct and professionalism, in the legal profession; Promote full and equal participation in the Association; Institute an accountable, open, transparent and democratic governance of the Association; Advance the Rule of Law by: Preserving the independence of the legal profession and Judiciary; hold governments and their agencies/agents accountable under the law; work to increase meaningful access to justice, and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms; increase public understanding of, and respect for the rule of law and the legal process; and inspire a culture of pro bono, public and social justice among members. I will enforce a minimum wage for Lawyers. I will not allow pupilage unless a minimum wage goes with it, but I will set up very active professional transit and mentoring programmes for young Lawyers, such as career counselling, canopies, incubators and immersions. I will organise many capacity building programmes, create opportunities for work and employment for the Bar. I will give free digital stamps, because right now only the printer exploits our members, as the NBA makes no gain from stamps; I will run annual conferences of international standard, without high fees; I will give our young Lawyers, ladies, members with disabilities, Lawyers in LOAN, NALT, Military, Police and other private work places, an equal participation and benefits and support their growth. All these are surely realisable. I am not going to construct a stadium for the Bar, or host the World Cup. I am not going to build a rail line, or build aNEPA grid, or run a refinery, or launch a satellite in space. I am simply going to set a new Bar, for a relevant NBA based on our core values and objectives that we set out many years ago. I will lead by the principles we adopted at the Bauchi NEC meeting of November 2006, thus: to be at the vanguard for the promotion and defence of the Rule of Law, Good Governance, Social Justice and the Dignity of all persons; to rank among the foremost Bar Associations in the world; to use the

Professor Ernest Ojukwu, SAN

Law as an Instrument for Social Change; lead with integrity, excellence, professionalism; and to be courageous, assertive, independent, and a Leader not a Ruler. What edge would you say that you have, over the other candidates? My antecedents, experience, tested competence, selfless work for the Bar and legal profession, and my integrity and honesty of purpose. And I have thousands of Lawyers, who can testify for me as primary witnesses. If any candidate says I will do this or that, ask the candidate to show what he has done in the past, or involved positively in the past on the subject for the profession. I will show you for every subject I propose to tackle, what I have done in the past so you can predict if I am likely to have the competence, experience and selflessness, to carry out the proposal as President. Let me give you just a few examples of my past antecedents, experience and competence in Bar and legal profession leadership. I was Secretary, NBA Aba Branch 1992-1993. As Secretary I set up the first Bar Office, and employed the first full time staff, and fundamentally and radically changed the process of meetings, production of written minuets etc. I was Chairman, NBA Aba Branch 1997-1999. As Chairman I organised the 1st Law Reform Workshop in Abia State in 1998, and got the Governor to designate all lands in Abia State as urban land, in order to save Lawyers work, following the case of Sadiku over litigation of rural lands in Customary courts. I also singlehandedly produced 22 Edicts, to replace the Statutes of General Application in Abia State, and the Military Governor signed them into Law on 24th May, 1999. Founder, Pioneer Chairman, NBA Eastern Bar Forum (2004-2011); Member, Executive Committee NBA Aba Branch. (19922015); Member, National Executive Committee of the NBA. (1992-2014; 2016-present) On Conference planning and execution, I was Alternate Chairman, NBA Conference Planning Committee 2003 – this is the first NBA Conference to adopt the International Bar Association conference pattern of breakout sessions at Annual Bar Conference Enugu. It has remained the best managed conference ever. On law reforms for the Bar, I was Chairman NBA Future State of the Legal Profession Sub-Committee of the NBA Legal Profession Review and Reform Committee, 2017, Chairman, NBA Law Reform Committee (2002-2004) -As Chairman of NBA Law Reform Committee I produced a new Legal Practitioners Act in 2004 (President Wole Olanipekun, SAN Tenure); Legal Profession (Amendment) Bill 2007 - In 2006, the NBA under President Olisa Agbakoba SAN requested an amendment in place of a completely new Act, and I submitted a new Legal Practitioners (Amendment) Bill which was submitted to the National Assembly sponsored by Senators Ndoma Egba and Ekweremadu. That Bill is the same one being currently sponsored by Senator Akpabio as a 2017 Bill; I was Member, NBA

“I WILL ENFORCE A MINIMUM WAGE FOR LAWYERS. I WILL NOT ALLOW PUPILAGE, UNLESS A MINIMUM WAGE GOES WITH IT, BUT I WILL SET UP VERY ACTIVE PROFESSIONAL TRANSIT AND MENTORING PROGRAMMES FOR YOUNG LAWYERS, SUCH AS CAREER COUNSELLING, CANOPIES, INCUBATORS AND IMMERSIONS” Committee on the review of the Legal Practitioners Act & Legal Education Act 2011 - In 2011, President Daudu, SAN set up a new Committee to draft a new Legal Practitioners Act. I produced a new draft for the Committee, and that draft is also pending before the National Assembly. In addition to the Legal Practitioners Act, I also submitted to the Bar, draft bills on Legal Education and Legal Services Commission. These are also before the National Assembly. I was Member, Abia State Law Reform Commission, April 1999-2010 and in my tenure we produced the first Laws of Abia State. I was Member, Abia State High Court Rules Committee, 2000 – 2002 On Bar strategic action plan, I was Chairman, NBA Strategic Plan working group 2012, and we produced the strategic action plan of 2012-2016. On Stamp and Seal, I was Member, NBA Practicing Fee, Stamp and Seal Committee, January 2003- 2004, when Mrs Funke Adekoya, SAN who originated the stamp idea, was the Committee Chairman. I was the person that wrote and inserted the stamp and seal rule, into the Rules of Professional Conduct 2007. On Ethics and Discipline, I produced the Rules of Professional Conduct 2007 from a draft of late Dr Justice Orojo. The only oversight I had over the draft Rule, was from President Olisa Agbakoba, SAN and General Secretary, Lawal-Rabana, SAN. During President TJO Okpoko, SAN’s tenure, due to a backlog of disciplinary cases caused by the impasse of 1992-1998, he created tens of Committees to investigate complaints against Lawyers. Every committee had 2-3 members, except one that I was Sole Member, that is NBA Sub Committee-Y to Investigate Complaints Against Legal Practitioners, 1999. I conducted as Director ICLE, many NBA Ethics Workshops under the MCLE between 2007 and 2010. On Continuing Legal Education, I set up the Institute of Continuing Legal Education for the Bar in 2007, and was its Pioneer/ Project Director. I drafted the approved Rules and Guidelines. I ceased to be Director after a few years, and the Programme collapsed. I will resuscitate it, in a

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

12/

03.07.2018

LEGAL PROFESSION IS TOO IMPORTANT TO BE ABANDONED TO CHARLATANS - PROFESSOR ERNEST OJUKWU, SANCONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 sustainable way. I am also a Member of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) Continuing Legal Education Committee. On Accountability, Openness and Transparency- as a Member of NBA NEC, I proposed a resolution dated 26th November, 2003, “that NEC issues a Financial Regulation for the operation of the finances of the NBA.” And also, I proposed a resolution dated 3rd November, 2003 for NBA NEC to “direct the General Secretary NBA to publish on or before the 31st day of December, 2003 the list of co-opted members of NEC and Branch representatives, in accordance with Section 9(a)(iv) and (v) of the NBA Constitution.” I have a combined clean accounting for public leadership (not private law firm accounting), as past NBA Branch Secretary, past NBA Branch Chairman, past Director NBA ICLE, past Dean of Law for 5 years and Head of a Law School for 12 years. On NBA Bar Journal, I resuscitated the journal after it was dead for ten years and as editor in-chief, I published 10 editions during the tenures of Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN and Dr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN. Now you can only see one edition a year, or two, if you ever see any. I will bring my experience to run a truly professional Bar Journal, and create new ones to help our specialisations and research. Professional Journal is an empowerment tool. On Legal Education I bring a combined 28 years leadership in legal education. I was Dean of Law at the LLB where I spent 15 years as a teacher and Head of Law School and Quality Assurance Unit for 13 years. I have tested both sides deeply, and I also tested the professional side, when I set up the Institute of Continuing Legal Education and managed it for some years. I led the introduction of clinical legal education and law clinics in Nigeria. I coordinated the design of the first curriculum for the Nigerian Law School introduced in 2008, and Externship (attachment) handbooks for law students and supervisors. I was Chairman, NBA Legal Education Committee (2002-2004, 2006-2008), Chairman, NBA Academic Forum (2006-2010 & 2012-2014), Alternative Chairman, NBA Summit on the Future of Legal Education in Nigeria 2006; and Secretary, National Committee on the reform of Legal Education in Nigeria, May 2006 to February 2007. If we do not reform legal education, we would never be able to reform the legal profession. No other candidate holds this key, as I do. On mentoring young Lawyers and working for their growth, I have been embedded with would be young Lawyers and young Lawyers, since I started law teaching at 25 years of age. I was Dean of Law at 35 years of age. I understand the problems of our young Lawyers. I have managed the only sustained mentoring law competition programme in Nigeria, for the past 10 years- As President NULAI Nigeria I have led the organisation and conduct of the university-wide client interviewing and counselling skills competitions for law students, for the past 10 years. I submitted a memorandum to the NBA Yusuf Alli, SAN Constitution Review Committee, asking that we should include Young Lawyers in our governance in the Constitution. As Young Lawyer of 7 years at the Bar, I presented a Paper at the NBA 1991 Annual Bar Conference Owerri on the topic: “Executive Lawlessness and Judicial Helplessness in the Administration of Justice: A need to Plug Up the Holes”. In that Paper of 1991, I suggested that the Bar should be involved in the selection of Judges, that there should be multiplier increase in the salary of Judges and Magistrates, an independent funding and budgetary for the Judiciary, the appointment and control of supporting staff by the Judicial Service Commission, a special Code of Conduct for judicial officers, an Inspectorate committee for the Judiciary, a review of the system of recording in long hand. This was 27 years ago! On the international scene and networking, I am deeply respected in the profession. Among others, I was Speaker at the IBA’s conference at Chicago 2006, and Speaker at the IBA’s conference at Boston 2013. I have been keynote speaker at international conferences in Brisbane Australia, Ghana, and at Harvard Law School’s Global Legal Education Forum. What would be your ﬁrst steps and actions, within six months of assumption of ofﬁce, if you are elected? Produce a Strategic Action Plan; Provide Welfare Policy for members; Reactivate our life insurance scheme, and start a health Insurance scheme; Activate all Standing Committees of the NBA, including the Conference Planning Committee; Reactivate all NBA Forums; Provide new Rules of Professional Conduct, Rules on minimum wage, NBA Blue Print on legal education and Curriculum; Rules of Engagement for Lawyers at the Police stations and other detention Centres of other Law Enforcement Agencies; Begin to engage with the Police and other Law Enforcement Agencies, on how to treat

“I WILL GIVE FREE DIGITAL STAMPS, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW ONLY THE PRINTER EXPLOITS OUR MEMBERS, AS THE NBA MAKES NO GAIN FROM STAMPS; I WILL RUN ANNUAL CONFERENCES OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARD WITHOUT HIGH FEES” Lawyers acting for clients; Reactivate the Institute of Continuing Legal Education and Human Rights Institute; Reconstitute our Zonal Ethics Committees and provide radical rules in the short run, to give real active life to our disciplinary process; Pursue an urgent amendment of our law, to allow the setting up of many adhoc disciplinary committees, as against one standing committee for the whole Nation; Provide an Ethics Curriculum for LLB; Set up Professional transition and career programmes for young Lawyers; Provide Action Plan for assisting our members with disabilities, and making all aspects of our courts and Bar offices, friendly to them; Begin to engage Government and their Agencies, on respect of rule of law, and human rights and disobedience of court orders and judgements; Begin the pursuit of amendment of the Constitution, to eliminate delayed dispute resolution in our courts, and make disobedience of court orders/judgements and abuse of human rights, high crime; Activate every State BarBench Forum; Continue the NBA advocacy on Administration of Criminal Justice Act; Set up a Court Monitoring Project on pilot basis; Provide Transparent Accounting Rules and Guidelines for NBA Governance and Spending Limits for everyone, including the President; Make our website dynamic and professional, and publish proactively, all information required under the Freedom of Information Act for openness and transparency; Fully digitalise the activities of the Bar, including payment of practicing fee; Settle all lingering NBA Branch crisis; Get elected officers, including the President to participate in as many Branch meetings as possible; Provide a full two years calendar of events for the Bar. The NBA used to be very vocal on national issues, and even in the military era, it was the voice of the masses and downtrodden. But, over the years, it has gradually lost its voice. How do you intend to bring back those noble ideals, for which the Bar was once noted for? There are so many issues that the NBA should have taken a strong stand on, but not much was heard from the Association, for instance, Government’s seeming lack of respect for the rule of law and disobedience of court orders, incessant killings by the Herdsmen, invasion of the Rivers State High Court by political hoodlums and so on. As leader of the Association, I will speak out promptly on issues of national interest. To speak for the Bar effectively, the leader must

I WILL RUN AN ALL INCLUSIVE BAR - ARTHUR OBI-OKAFOR, SANCONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 engage the authorities, to redress the discriminatory practice obtainable in the entry point of Lawyers into the Public Service, as against other professionals. There is no justification for placing Lawyers, at a far lower entry level than other professionals, when Lawyers actually spend an equal or longer period of time acquiring training. Closely related to this, is the poor remuneration that young Lawyers are paid by law firms. Whilst we acknowledge the sanctity of contracts, and that remuneration is basically a function of the performance of the economy and other free market forces, the #AllinclusiveBar will nonetheless, persuasively engage law firms, to see the need for enhancing the remuneration paid to our junior colleagues. A remuneration that will enable young Lawyers, maintain a reasonable standard of living commensurate with the status and the nobility of the profession, will be encouraged. Young Lawyers will generally also be required, to pay lower or subsidised fees for all services offered by the NBA. We will also collaborate with organisations, to provide training and mentorship to young Lawyers, based on transparent criteria. The #AllinclusiveBar recognises that, there can be no real success without a successor. Young Lawyers are our future, and it is only in empowering them, that we can guarantee our future successes. What role will you play in sanitising the legal profession?

It is our firm conviction that, as a condition precedent to commencing a whole scale sanitisation of the Bar, there is a moral obligation to enhance opportunities and earnings of Lawyers. The primary cause of indiscipline amongst Lawyers, is rooted in financial challenges. If these challenges are reduced, we would have succeeded in significantly minimising petitions against Lawyers, that are predicated on financial infractions. The #AllinclusiveBar will also strengthen the disciplinary mechanisms and institutions, now available within the Bar. We will review areas of challenges, and promptly/frontally address them, because the legal profession as a calling, is hinged on discipline. The day we lose our disciplinary culture, will be the day we would have lost the profession. In conclusion, may I seize this opportunity to thank the members of the legal profession, for keeping faith with the NBA all these years, and assure them that when given the opportunity to serve as President, the Bar #AllinclusiveBar under my leadership, will be one where all shades of interests will be identified, recognised, and protected. God bless the NBA. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We wish you the best of luck in the election.

be honest, genuine and courageous. I will be honest and genuine. On courage to speak out for the Bar, I have gone public with my views in the past, on issues of national interest. I have also spoken out to the NBA leadership. I spoke out against the DSS raid on Judges in Thisday in 2016 titled “DSS Raid on Judges: A Path to Hell”; I have spoken out against police molestation and harassment of Lawyers doing their professional duties, against high cost of conference fees, on the appointment of incompetent persons to the Bench, on discipline of Judges, on disobedience of court orders and judgements, etc. They are all in the public domain. What plans do you have, to improve the lot of the young Lawyers? I shall focus on capacity building and Job creation. Our primary and principal goal, shall be the growth of our young Lawyers; We shall activate massive, active and sustainable transition programmes such as Career Counselling, Capstones, Immersion and Incubator programmes; Capacity/technical and financial support for developing solo and peer partnership practices for young Lawyers; Placements on institutional and professional mentoring programmes, sharing on opportunities for further education, training, scholarships and resources. The Bar will drive an organised mentoring programme, where volunteer mentors will be identified, and mentees formally placed with mentors. There will be training opportunities for mentors and mentees on the mentor-mentee relationship; Establish a strong job placement unit, for advising and helping place new intakes and young Lawyers in employment. Continually identify and keep data base of unemployed or under employed young Lawyers, and continually work on job placements with public and private institutions/organisations. None exist now; Prescription and active enforcement of minimum wage in private law firms, through law/rule of professional conduct. The proposed Legal Profession Regulation Act makes provision for the prescription of minimum wage by the Legal Profession Regulation Council of Nigeria. A minimum wage regime would be zoned & categorised. Minimum wage addresses the dignity of the Lawyer and the legal profession. A reasonable minimum wage for a professional trained for 6 years to be a Lawyer, is a fundamental issue of professionalism for the Bar. We shall address the issue, through the Rules of Professional Conduct. When I inserted stamp and seal through the Rules of Professional Conduct, very few persons gave its enforceability a chance. I will do it again with minimum wage. In 2002-2004, the Bar prescribed minimum wages in zones. The only thing that did not happen, was its enforceability. Enforcement of a minimum wage, is a win-win situation for all members and the profession. Employer and employee will benefit, and so will the profession; Radical protection and respect of young Lawyers, as Nigerians deserving of their fundamental rights to dignity in our law firms. For example, we shall provide regulations that make it misconduct for any Lawyer to be engaged in employment or association or partnership, without a written contract; Institutional protection of our young Lawyers from sexual abuse and other molestations and abuses, in our law firms and other organisations, agencies and institutions, whether private or public; Provide a professional and responsive complaints/help support desk/unit at NBA Offices; Reset, institutionalise, and support a sustainable and very active Young Lawyers Forum that is autonomous, inclusive and democratic. Set a new Bar for the Forum, that captures clear goals and objectives designed for the growth of members of Young Lawyers Forum, and as an engine house for the larger Bar. As at today, no goal or objective is written for the Young Lawyers’ Forum; Provide free CLE training programmes for young Lawyers. What role will you play in sanitising the legal profession? My initial focus, shall be to fight indiscipline and corruption in the Bar, and progressively face the Court registries and the Bench. We shall focus on raising ethics and standards, at the highest level. It is only by housecleaning, shall we be able to legitimately deal with the cankerworm in the larger nation. Corruption within the legal profession, has created deep distrust in our citizens, and the casualty is the Lawyers’ job. My actions will include: Pursue with vigour the enactment of the Legal Services Commission Bill pending in the National Assembly, in order to give stronger impetus to our disciplinary process. Under this Bill, the disciplinary process has been taken away from the Association, and placed in the hands of an independent organ whose tenure and autonomy shall not be affected by changes in the leadership of the NBA; Conduct very vigorous investigations relating to discipline; Pursue with vigour the reform of our law to permit the establishment of adhoc multi-disciplinary committees, sitting at different locations of the country at the same time; In the interim we shall reactivate NBA Zonal investigation committees populated by only persons of impeccable integrity and those committed to helping to achieve the goal of “Setting a new Bar”; Get the Bar Council to enact a new Rules of Professional Conduct, before the end of the last quarter of 2018; Present an NBA ethics education blueprint and curriculum, and insist that ethics education be made compulsory in our LLB education; Conduct ethics training workshops for Nigerian law teachers; Reactivate the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, which I set up for the Bar in 2007. The ICLE Rules of 29th June, 2008, makes ethics and professional responsibility 4-credits CLE in a reporting period. We shall conduct free ethics workshops for members; We shall not allow corrupt and undisciplined Lawyers, to continue to thrive. There will be no hiding place for them, no matter how highly placed; We shall make our anti-corruption Commission, come alive; Organise ethics based competitions for young Lawyers, and for law students. We shall institute an active Court monitoring programme, all over the Country. The Bar shall observe with active programmes, December 9th of every year, as anti-corruption day, in line with international declarations; We shall encourage and support network of Lawyers and other civil society groups, on anti-corruption and work for anti-corruption in the Nation’s life, but we shall start vigorously with our profession. We wish you the best of luck in the election.

03.07.2018

IMAGES/13

Last Thursday, June 28, 2018, at the Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island, the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN), held its maiden Annual Lecture themed “The Evolving Role of Senior Advocates in the Administration of Justice and Nation Building”, under the distinguished Chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Walter Onnoghen, GCON. Here are some of the eminent personalities, that attended the event.... photos: Kolawole Alli

Professor Fabian Ajogwu, SAN; Hon Justice Ejembi Eko, JSC, former Justice of Supreme Court, Hon. Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, Chief Folake Solanke, SAN, Chief Justice of Nigeria/Chairman of the Occasion, Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen, Guest Speaker, Professor ﬁdelis Oditah, QC, SAN, Hon. Justice Paul Galinje, JSC, Chairman, BOSAN, Chief Felix Fagbohungbe, SAN, Chief Anthony Idigbe, SAN and former NBA President, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN

Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen, CJN

Chief Folake Solanke, SAN

Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN

Professor Fidelis Oditah,QC, SAN

Chief Anthony Idigbe,SAN

Hon. Justice Helen Ogunwumiju of the Court of Appeal and Chief Felix Fagbohungbe, SAN

L-R: Prof. A.B Kasunmu SAN, former Attorney-General of the Federationa and Minister of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola, SAN and former NBA President, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN

Mr. Seyi Sowemimo, SAN and Mrs. Abimbola Akeredolu, SAN

L-R: Louis Mbanefo, SAN, Otunba Jimi Oduba, SAN, A.O. Ajanaku, Osun State Magistrate and Osun State Chief Judge, Hon. Justice O.A.Ojo

L-R: Deputy Editor, THISDAY LAWYER, Mr. Jude Igbanoi, Editor, THISDAY LAWYER, Mrs. Onikepo Braithwaite, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN and Mr. Rickey Tarfa, SAN

14/IMAGES

03.07.2018

L-R: Mr. Olumide Sofowora, SAN, Prince Bola Ajibola, SAN, Professor Fidelis Oditah,QC, SAN and Chief Felix Fagbohungbe, SAN

Hon. Justice Paul A. Galinje, JSC , Mr. Olumide Sofowora, SAN, Hon. Justice Emmanuel Ayoola and Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN

L-R: Hon. Justice Paul A. Galinje, JSC, Chief Folake Solanke, SAN and Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN

L-R: Hon. Justice Paul A. Galinje, JSC, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN and Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN

L-R: Hon. Justice Helen Ogunwumiju, Chief Anthony Idigbe, SAN and Supreme Court Justice, Ejembi Eko

L-R: Mr. Y.C. Maikyau, SAN, Mr. Ade Adedeji, SAN and Mr. Uche Val Obi, SAN

L-R: Mr. Olatunde Busari, SAN, Mr. Kunle Oyesanya, SAN and Mr. A.J. Owonikoko, SAN

L-R: Mrs. Titilayo Akinlawon, SAN, Mr. Mike Igbokwe, SAN and Mr. Kemi Pinheiro, SAN

L-R: Chief Layi Babatunde, SAN, Mr. Tunji Oyeyipo, SAN, Mr. Babatunde A. Aiku, SAN and Mr. Rotimi Oguneso, SAN

L-R: Chief Ferdinand Orbih, SAN, Mr. R.A.Lawal-Rabana, SAN, Ayo Akintunde, SAN and Mia Essien, SAN

03.07.2018

IMAGES/15

L-R: Cross River State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Joseph O.Abong, Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem and Mr. Mike Ozekhome, SAN

L-R: Mr. Etigwe Uwa, SAN, Mr. Adewunmi Ogunsanya, SAN, Dr. Muiz Banire,SAN and Professor Olanrewaju Onadeko, SAN

L-R: Professor Adedeji Adekunle, SAN, Mr. Olumide Sofowora, SAN and Professor Fabian Ajogwu, SAN

C.J. Aremu, SAN (left) and Ms Funke Aboyade, SAN

L-R: Dr. Wale Olawoyin, SAN, Mr. Adesegun Ajibola, SAN and Mr.Norrison Quakers, SAN

Mr. Kemi Balogun, SAN (left) and Presiding Judge, Lagos Judicial Division, National Industrial Court, Hon. Justice Benedict Bakwaph Kanyip

L-R: Mr. Sheni Ibiwoye, SAN, Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN and Mr. Olumuyiwa Aduroja, SAN

L-R: Dr. T.C. Osanakpo, SAN, Chief Awa U, Kalu, SAN and Mr. Wale Adesokan, SAN

Mr. Sola Ojutalayo, SAN (left) and Chief O. Ugolo, SAN

Mrs. Dorothy Udeme Ufot, SAN (left) and Mrs. Olabisi Soyebo, SAN

Professor Ernest Ojukwu, SAN (left)

16/

03.07.2018\

T H I S D AY Ë¾ TUESDAY JULY 3, 2018

T H I S D AY • TUESDAY, JULY 3, 2018

PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT Dangote to Deliver Wharf Concrete Road This Month, Obajana’s in December The company reconstructing the Wharf Road in Apapa, Lagos, AG Dangote has said that all the concrete works in the on-going project would be completed this month, while the Obajana-Kabba road in Kogi State would be finished by December, this year. Bennett Oghifo reports

oth roads are being reconstructed by the Dangote Group as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR). The road project is being funded by Dangote, Flour Mills and NPA. The Project Director of AG-Dangote Construction Company Limited Olatunbosun O. Kalejaiye, who led journalists on a tour of both projects at the weekend, said the concrete works of Wharf Road, Apapa, Lagos is at 75 per cent stage and that it would be completed before the end of this month. He said 29 kilometres have been completed out of the 43 kilometres Obajana-Kabba road in Kogi State and that the whole project, which is also Dangote Cement Plc.,’s CRS project would be due in December, this year. When all the concrete works are done on the two-kilometer Wharf road, the company intends to focus on minor installations like the crash barriers, street lights and drainage linking for easy flow of storm water, and drainage covering. On the fate of the 43-kilometre Obajana-Kabba stretch, which is the longest concrete road project in the country,

Kalejaiye said, “There is nothing to worry about; we will deliver the 43km rigid pavement by December.” President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who toured the Wharf Road project recently, said, “The quality of the road is very impressive and amazing; I thought we were doing just a normal road, even in Germany, you cannot find this road would last at least two generations. It is so solid that it can take any weight and traffic and they are doing a great job. If you look at the quality of work they are doing, it is not only the job but also the quality, so that we don’t actually leave here then after two or three years contractors will now have to come back. “I can assure you that once we leave this job, none of us here alive will actually see the end (the lifespan) of this road. That is how solid the road is going to be,” he said. Dangote restated that the project was purely corporate social responsibility, explaining that he intervened to prevent the road from deteriorating further. “We try to do our best to contribute to development. If Dangote and Flour Mills had not taken the initiative, this

Managing Director of Pazino ECC, Mr. Patrick Agbaeze making opening address at the oﬃcial opening of the company’s Trade Fair Branch... recently

road would have been like this for more years to come and everybody is losing money. “Even if some of us can actually afford to lose money, the smaller businesses will not be able to pull through all these. If you have one container and it is stuck in the port for days, you’ve been charged demurrage, you pay high fees, at

the end of the day when you sell you goods, you’ll not be able to pay your loan. That is why I feel we need to do this, government cannot do everything, we need to also do our own bit. He explained that their intervention was not public private partnership, but CSR, adding that PPP was the way to go, as

is done all over the world, so that government can concentrate on other areas of development like health, education, defense, among others. “It is difficult for any government to fund infrastructure and at the same time fund the daily needs of the people. “The current government has embraced PPP and is coming

out with a very good model, like that of the road and I’m sure you’ll see a very big difference in one or two years.” Dangote had said plans were being perfected to build Nigerian roads with concrete, stressing that resources used in road repairs and maintenance would be channeled to other more important needs of the nation. He said, “We are going to be building concrete roads in the country so that anytime we build a road, we do not have to go back to repair after the third raining season, but move on and use the resources to address other pressing needs of Nigeria.” The Obajana-Kabba would also last a long time, said the Project Manager, Akhimienho Emmanuel, who predicted it would last for two generations (more than 50 years). Meanwhile, commercial activities have started springing up along the Obajana-Kabba road in Kogi State. Traditional and community leaders eulogized the President of the Dangote Group Aliko Dangote for bringing, “this massive road project in their land.” The Bajana of Obajana Land, King Idowu Senibi described the project as gigantic and the first of its kind anywhere in Nigeria.

Beyond Building Provides Investment Service to Secure Risk Fadekemi Ajakaiye Beyond Building Investment Limited, a diverse commercial real estate investment company which provides services to the capital market, is providing investment service to help secure risk. This offer was stated by Mr. Olanrewaju Howells, the Managing Director of Beyond Building Investment Limited at press briefing held in Lagos recently. Beyond Building provides services like; acquisition, asset and property management, construction management, leasing, advisory services as well as development and

disposition. Howells said a real estate investment without a clear goal will result into bankruptcy and so, their need to sensitise the populace. He said the company’s focus is to educate, empower and also provide people with means of financial gains, by growing wealth through real estate. Howells stated that the company is focused to providing real estate investments services in order to reduce systemic risks and still generating profitable returns. This in return will help improve the country’s standard of living real estate. Rent Masters, a subsidiary

Visionscape Sanitation Solutions Monitoring and Intervention (MNI) team providing clean up services at the scene of the ﬁre incident which took place on the Otedola Bridge, along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, inward Ojodu Berger, Lagos… recently

of Beyond Building Investment Limited pioneered rent

payment online, but this was not believed by some to be

successful as people tend to doubt such innovations. Rent

Masters has spanned eight years now, he said. “Beyond Building provides a trading platform where people invest to make gains, quarterly, annually, through real estate projects. The minimum rate of return on our investment is 20% annually,” he said. He stated that their business interactions are guided by Integrity, Ethics, and Passion, which defines them as a Brand. “We help clients make informed decisions to achieve a competitive advantage by managing risk, reducing costs and increasing operational efficiencies. We provide valuable insights and recommendations to assist our clients, he said.

Businesses, Local Governments, Citizens Challenged to Conserve, Restore Land As part of the Global Climate Action Summit, WWF, together with a broad coalition of partners, recently issued the 30X30 Forests, Food and Land Challenge. It calls on businesses, states, city and local governments, and global citizens to take action for better forest and habitat conservation, food production and consumption, and land use. The broad coalition of partners is working together across all sectors of the economy to deliver up to 30% of the climate solutions

needed by 2030. Hosted in San Francisco from September 12-14, the Summit will bring together thousands of people from around the world to drive ambition to the next level. It will be a moment to recognize the extraordinary achievements of states, regions, cities, companies, investors, and citizens taking climate action and to catalyze bold new commitments and action. Collectively, the global food system, unsustainable forest management, infrastructure development, and other

activities related to land use are a major driver of global climate change, accounting for more greenhouse gas emissions than the total emissions from all cars, trucks, trains, planes and ships in the world. Forests, grasslands, and other habitats pull carbon out of the atmosphere, but when they are cleared, they release carbon and their capacity to reabsorb it is diminished. In the soil and in healthy ecosystems, carbon is a building block of life; in the atmosphere, it heats the planet.

“To curb climate change, we must address the secondgreatest source of emissions: our use of land,” said Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, head of WWF’s global climate and energy practice. “By taking concrete action, businesses and local leaders also can encourage national governments to more aggressively reduce carbon emissions using every resource available, including trees, grasses and soil.” California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., a Summit co-chair, recently underlined

the actions California is taking to deal with forest losses. Forests serve as the state’s largest land-based carbon sink, drawing carbon from the atmosphere, but even a single wildfire can quickly undermine those benefits. “Devastating forest fires are a profound challenge to California,” Governor Brown said recently when issuing a sweeping Executive Order to increase the ability of forests to capture carbon. “I intend to mobilise the resources of the state to protect our forests and

ensure they absorb carbon to the maximum degree.” “Climate change is already disrupting and destabilizing our global food and agricultural systems,” said Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever. “By eliminating habitat loss and degradation from our supply chains, we can prevent the emission of billions of tons of greenhouse gases. Businesses like ours have a responsibility and an opportunity to help the nations of the world meet and exceed the goals of the Paris Agreement.”

T H I S D AY Ë¾ TUESDAY JULY 3, 2018

˾ TUESDAY, JULY 3, 2018

Nigeria Daily Stock Market Report:

d,/^ z &Z/Es ^d ϰϬ > ^ d, E^ ^/ Θ E^ ϯϬ /E y dŚĞ dŚŝƐ ĂǇ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ ŝŶĚĞǆ ǁĂƐ ĐƌĞĂƚĞĚ ŽǀĞƌ 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 Ɛ Ăƚ DŽŶĚĂǇ͕ ϮŶĚ ŽĨ :ƵůǇ ϮϬϭϴ͕ ƚŚĞ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ ŝŶĚĞǆ ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ Ă ůŽƐƐ ŽĨ Ϭ͘ϳй ƚŽ ƐĞƩůĞ Ăƚ ϭ͕ϱϴϭ͘ϳϮ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ ǁŚŝůĞ ŝƚƐ zd ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ƚŽ Ϯ͘ϱй͘ dŚĞ zd ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ dŚŝƐ ĂǇ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ ƐƵƌƉĂƐƐĞƐ ƚŚĞ zd ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ E^ Ͳ ůů ^ŚĂƌĞ /ŶĚĞǆ ǁŚŝĐŚ ŝƐ Ă ŶĞŐĂƟǀĞ ŽĨ Ϭ͘ϴй ĂŶĚ ƚŚĂƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ E^ ϯϬ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ŝƐ Ͳ ϭ͘Ϯй͘ zĞƐƚĞƌĚĂǇ͛Ɛ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ dŚŝƐĚĂǇ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ ǁĂƐ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞ ŝŶ 'h Z Edz ;Ͳϭ͘ϮйͿ͕ E/d, ;ϭ͘ϲйͿ ĂŶĚ E/' Z/ E Z t Z/ ^ ;Ͳϭ͘ϬйͿ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĐƵŵƵůĂƟǀĞůǇ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚƐ ĨŽƌ ϰϬ͘ϯй ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚĞǆ͘ ƋƵŝƟĞƐ DĂƌŬĞƚ KƉĞŶƐ ,Ϯ͗ϮϬϭϴ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ZĞĚ͙ E^ ^/ ĚŽǁŶ Ϭ͘ϵй dŚĞ WƌŽĮƚ ƚĂŬŝŶŐ ŝŶ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďĞůůǁĞƚŚĞƌƐ ĚƌĂŐŐĞĚ ƚŚĞ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ůŽĐĂů ďŽƵƌƐĞ ƚŽĚĂǇ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ E^ ůů ^ŚĂƌĞ /ŶĚĞǆ ; ^/Ϳ ĨĞůů Ϭ͘ϵй ƚŽ ĐůŽƐĞ Ăƚ ϯϳ͕ϵϰϲ͘ϵϮ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ ǁŚŝůĞ zd ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ǁĂƐ ĚƌĂŐŐĞĚ ŝŶƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŶĞŐĂƟǀĞ ƌĞŐŝŽŶ Ăƚ ͲϬ͘ϴй͘ ^ƉĞĐŝĮĐĂůůǇ͕ ƐĞůůͲŽīƐ ŝŶ E' D ;ͲϮ͘ϭйͿ͕ 'h Z Edz ;Ͳϭ͘ϮйͿ ĂŶĚ E/d, ;Ͳϭ͘ϲйͿ ƉƵůůĞĚ ƚŚĞ ďĞŶĐŚŵĂƌŬ ŝŶĚĞǆ ůŽǁĞƌ͘ ^ŝŵŝůĂƌůǇ͕ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ůŽƐƚ EϭϮϬ͘ϭďŶ ĂƐ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝǌĂƟŽŶ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ƚŽ Eϭϯ͘ϳƚŶ͘ ĐƟǀŝƚǇ ůĞǀĞů ǁĞĂŬĞŶĞĚ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ĂŶĚ ǀĂůƵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ĚŝƉƉĞĚ ϰϳ͘ϵй ĂŶĚ ϲϴ͘Ϯй ƚŽ Ϯϰϰ͘ϱŵ ƵŶŝƚƐ ĂŶĚ Eϭ͘ϵďŶ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůǇ͘ dŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ďǇ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ǁĞƌĞ ^d Z>/E' ;ϭϬϬ͘ϰŵͿ͕ & E, ;Ϯϯ͘ϳŵͿ ĂŶĚ t D ;ϭϲ͘ϵŵͿ ǁŚŝůĞ E' D ;Eϯϴϰ͘ϯŵͿ͕ & E, ;EϮϱϭ͘ϭŵͿ ĂŶĚ 'h Z Edz ;EϮϯϲ͘ϵŵͿ ǁĞƌĞ ƚŚĞ ƚŽƉ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ďǇ ǀĂůƵĞ ĞĂƌŝƐŚ ^ĞĐƚŽƌ WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ^ĞĐƚŽƌ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ǁĂƐ ůĂƌŐĞůǇ ďĞĂƌŝƐŚ ĂƐ ϰ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ϱ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ƵŶĚĞƌ ŽƵƌ ĐŽǀĞƌĂŐĞ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ƐŽƵƚŚǁĂƌĚƐ͘ dŚĞ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ ŝŶĚĞǆ ĞŵĞƌŐĞĚ ůŽŶĞ ŐĂŝŶĞƌ͕ ƵƉ Ϭ͘ϴй ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ ďƵǇ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ DK /> ;нϵ͘ϮйͿ͘ KŶ ƚŚĞ ŽƚŚĞƌ ŚĂŶĚ͕ ƚŚĞ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞǆ ƐŚĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ͕ ĚŽǁŶ ϭ͘Ϭй͕ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ůŽƐƐĞƐ ŝŶ E' D ;ͲϮ͘ϭйͿ ǁŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ ĂŶŬŝŶŐ ŝŶĚĞǆ ƚƌĂŝůĞĚ͕ ƐŚĞĚĚŝŶŐ ϭ͘Ϭй ĂƐ ƉƌŽĮƚ ƚĂŬŝŶŐ ŝŶ 'h Z Edz ;Ͳϭ͘ϮйͿ ĂŶĚ E/d, ;Ͳϭ͘ϲйͿ ĚƌĂŐŐĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚĞǆ ůŽǁĞƌ͘ ^ŝŵŝůĂƌůǇ͕ ƚŚĞ ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞǆ ƐŚĞĚ Ϭ͘ϭй ĂƐ Ă ƌĞƐƵůƚ ŽĨ ƐĞůůͲŽīƐ ŝŶ E/' Z/ E Z t Z/ ^ ;Ͳϭ͘ϬйͿ ĂŶĚ ,KEz&>KhZ ;Ͳϵ͘ϲйͿ ǁŚŝĐŚ ǁĂƐ ĚƌĂŐŐĞĚ ďǇ ƵŶĚĞƌǁŚĞůŵŝŶŐ &z͗ϮϬϭϳ ƌĞƐƵůƚƐ ǁŚŝůĞ ůŽƐƐĞƐ ŝŶ KZE Z^d ;Ͳϴ͘ϲйͿ ĂŶĚ D E &/d ;Ͳϴ͘ϭйͿ ƉƵůůĞĚ ƚŚĞ /ŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ ŝŶĚĞǆ Ϭ͘ϭй ƐŽƵƚŚǁĂƌĚƐ͘ ͘ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ tĞĂŬĞŶƐ ƚ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ĂƐ ŝŶĚŝĐĂƚĞĚ ďǇ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ ;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ ǁĞĂŬĞŶĞĚ ƚŽ Ϭ͘ϴǆ ĨƌŽŵ ϭ͘ϳǆ ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŝŽƌ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ ĂƐ ϭϲ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ ƌĞůĂƟǀĞ ƚŽ Ϯϭ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞƌƐ͘ dŽĚĂǇ͛Ɛ ƚŽƉ ŐĂŝŶĞƌƐ ǁĞƌĞ // K ;нϵ͘ϴйͿ͕ /> ^/E' ;нϵ͘ϳйͿ ĂŶĚ hE/dz ;нϵ͘ϯйͿ ǁŚŝůĞ &KZd ;Ͳϵ͘ϳйͿ͕ ,KEz&>KhZ ;Ͳϵ͘ϲйͿ ĂŶĚ KZE Z^d ;Ͳϴ͘ϲйͿ ǁĞƌĞ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌƐƚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĞƌƐ͘ tŚŝůĞ ƐŵĂůů ƚŽ ŵŝĚ ĐĂƉ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ŚĂǀĞ ĞŶũŽǇĞĚ ďĂƌŐĂŝŶ ŚƵŶƟŶŐ ĨƌŽŵ ƐŚŽƌƚͲƚĞƌŵ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ͕ ǁĞ ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞ ƚŽ ŽďƐĞƌǀĞ ďĞĂƌŝƐŚ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚƐ ŽŶ ďĞůůǁĞƚŚĞƌƐ͘ ,ĞŶĐĞ͕ ǁĞ ĞǆƉĞĐƚ ŽǀĞƌĂůů ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ƚŽ ďĞ ďĞĂƌŝƐŚ ŝŶ ƐƵďƐĞƋƵĞŶƚ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶƐ ǁŚŝůĞ ĞŵƉŚĂƐŝǌŝŶŐ ƚŚĂƚ ǀĂůƵĂƟŽŶƐ ƌĞŵĂŝŶ ĂƩƌĂĐƟǀĞ ĨŽƌ ĞŶƚƌǇ ďǇ ůŽŶŐͲƚĞƌŵ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ͘

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

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

Current Price

Ticker

Price Previous Current Price Change Price Weightin Change Index to Change g YTD Date

ROE

ROA

P/E

P/BV

Divinden Earnings d Yield Yield

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 1,581.72

-0.65%

2.5%

58.2%

19.4%

7.0%

7.6x

0.9x

5.2%

Guaranty Trust Bank PLC

40.00

-1.2%

20.5%

-1.8%

-1.4%

32.6%

5.2%

6.5x

2.2x

6.8%

15.4%

Zenith Bank PLC

24.60

-1.6%

12.2%

-4.1%

-5.1%

26.3%

3.6%

4.1x

1.1x

10.9%

24.3%

Nigerian Brew eries PLC

Nestle Nigeria PLC

Dangote Cement PLC

10.7%

113.10

-1.0%

7.4%

-16.2%

-16.3%

17.4%

28.4x

4.8x

3.7%

3.5%

1,575.00

0.0%

8.0%

1.2%

73.3%

18.9%

36.8x

23.4x

2.7%

224.10

-2.1%

5.9%

-2.6%

22.7%

12.0%

19.4x

4.5x

4.7%

5.2%

0.0%

13.1%

FBN Holdings Plc

10.60

6.5%

20.5%

20.6%

6.7%

0.8%

7.6x

0.6x

2.4%

Access Bank PLC

10.35

0.0%

4.4%

-1.0%

-2.4%

12.7%

1.5%

5.1x

0.7x

6.3%

19.6%

United Bank for Africa PLC

10.50

0.0%

4.4%

1.9%

0.9%

15.9%

1.9%

4.6x

0.7x

8.1%

21.6%

Ecobank Transnational Inc

2.8%

30.1%

SEPLAT Petroleum Development C

20.05

0.3%

3.8%

17.9%

23.2%

12.9%

1.0%

6.6x

0.9x

650.00

0.0%

3.1%

3.8%

22.3%

13.2%

3.3x

0.7x

15.1%

Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC

52.00

0.0%

3.6%

25.3%

27.1%

30.8%

4.1%

9.9x

2.7x

1.0%

10.1%

Unilever Nigeria PLC

52.50

0.0%

3.2%

28.0%

30.6%

19.2%

8.0%

28.1x

3.8x

0.9%

3.6%

Guinness Nigeria PLC

99.05

1.3%

2.4%

5.4%

15.4%

6.1%

18.9x

2.5x

0.7%

5.3%

40.95

0.0%

-15.1%

Lafarge Africa PLC

1.5%

-8.8%

-36.8%

-7.7%

2.3x

3.8%

Fidelity Bank PLC

2.20

-4.3%

1.1%

-10.6%

-14.7%

10.4%

1.4%

1.7x

0.4x

5.0%

Oando PLC

6.60

3.1%

1.4%

10.2%

10.3%

1.5%

8.2x

0.5x

Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC

19.00

0.0%

1.1%

-5.0%

-6.7%

45.0%

20.0%

5.7x

2.1x

13.2%

17.7%

Okomu Oil Palm PLC

92.00

0.0%

1.4%

35.9%

39.7%

29.4%

9.2x

3.1x

3.3%

10.9%

57.8% 12.2%

International Brew eries PLC

42.35

0.0%

0.6%

-22.3%

-23.0%

24.6%

7.4%

44.3x

10.1x

Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC

32.80

2.5%

0.7%

13.1%

3.0%

7.2x

0.8x

3.0%

13.9%

Transnational Corp of Nigeria

11.2%

2.5%

8.2x

0.8x

1.5%

12.2%

22.8x

0.6x

4.6%

1.34

-4.3%

0.5%

-8.2%

-9.5%

0.0%

0.5%

-17.2%

1.5%

0.6%

-3.5%

0.5%

-8.0%

-12.1%

-5.8%

-0.7%

210.00

0.0%

0.5%

-8.7%

2.10

-3.7%

0.7%

199.90

9.2%

UAC of Nigeria PLC

14.00

Diamond Bank PLC

1.38

Total Nigeria PLC

0.1x

4.4% -53.0%

-8.7%

25.0%

5.3%

10.2x

2.4x

8.1%

9.8%

32.9%

5.8%

0.9%

4.0x

0.2x

4.8%

24.9%

2.7%

38.8%

15.7%

7.2x

2.4x

4.0%

13.9%

-31.8%

-29.4%

17.6%

1.6%

16.0x

2.5x

0.5%

-2.1%

10.7%

5.0%

19.6x

2.0x

2.5%

5.1%

-17.0%

-16.7%

2.0%

0.8%

60.7x

2.1x

1.3%

1.6%

9.6%

35.8%

24.8%

3.1x

1.0x

2.7%

32.1%

18.4%

52.3%

19.7%

10.7x

4.8x

6.6%

9.3%

0.8x

7.2%

FCMB Group Plc

11 PLC

0.5%

Forte Oil PLC

29.65

-9.7%

0.3%

PZ Cussons Nigeria PLC

20.70

0.0%

0.4%

Cadbury Nigeria PLC

13.00

0.0%

0.3%

Presco PLC

75.10

0.1%

0.4%

9.6%

NASCON Allied Industries PLC

22.75

0.0%

0.4%

23.0%

UPDC Real Estate Investment Tr

10.00

0.0%

0.3%

0.0%

Union Bank of Nigeria PLC

6.00

-1.6%

0.3%

-23.1%

-20.1%

5.3%

1.1%

8.6x

0.6x

Julius Berger Nigeria PLC

28.05

2.0%

0.3%

0.2%

17.3%

1.8%

7.8x

1.2x

10.7%

1.0%

4.2x

2.3%

Sterling Bank PLC

1.40

0.0%

0.3%

29.6%

23.9%

Dangote Flour Mills Plc

10.10

1.0%

0.2%

-16.9%

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Niger

19.00

0.0%

0.2%

-12.1%

0.0%

4.4%

2.8%

6.3%

11.6% 3.6%

12.9% 23.8%

0.4x

1.4%

1.3x

2.0%

30.0x

1.3x

39.5%

3.3%

Chemical and Allied Products P

35.00

0.2%

2.9%

-2.0%

66.2%

30.2%

16.4x

10.9x

5.9%

6.1%

Beta Glass PLC

86.30

0.0%

0.2%

68.2%

17.7%

11.5%

10.5x

1.7x

1.2%

9.5%

Transcorp Hotels Plc

7.45

0.0%

0.1%

3.3%

5.3%

2.9%

19.5x

1.0x

1.8%

5.1%

T o p 10 G a i n e r s

T o p 10

T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

A IIC O

0.67

9.8%

T ra de s

T ic k er

C ILEA SIN G

2.27

UN IT YB N K

by V o lum e

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

ST ER LN B A N K

1 00.4

0.0%

FB NH

23.7

0.0%

WEM A B A N K

1 6.9

0.0%

UB A

1 2.6

0.0%

M C N IC H OLS

1 1 .8

-8.2%

9.7%

1.06

9.3%

199.90

9.2%

2.49

6.9%

N EIM ET H

0.59

3.5%

C ILEA SIN G

1 1 .8

9.7%

VER IT A SKA P

0.30

3.4%

T R A N SC OR P

1 1 .6

-4.3%

M OB IL UP L

OA N D O

6.60

3.1%

A IIC O

9.0

9.8%

F LOUR M ILL

32.80

2.5%

Z EN IT H B A N K

8.8

-1 .6%

J B ER GER

28.05

2.0%

GUA R A N T Y

5.9

-1 .2%

T o p 10 L o s e r s

T o p 10

T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

29.65

-9.7%

H ON YF LOUR

2.07

-9.6%

C OR N ER ST

0.32

-8.6%

T ra de s

by V a lue

T ic k er

Value

P ric e C hg %

D A N GC EM

384.3

-2.1 %

FB NH GUA R A N T Y

251 .1

0.0%

236.9

-1 .2%

J A P A ULOIL

0.33

-8.3%

D A A R C OM M

0.44

-8.3%

M C N IC H OLS

0.90

-8.2%

UB A

1 31 .8

0.0%

M B EN EF IT

0.34

-8.1%

A C C ESS

53.8

0.0%

F ID ELIT YB K

2.20

-4.3%

F LOUR M ILL

45.9

2.5%

VIT A F OA M

3.10

-4.3%

44.2

-1 .0%

T R A N SC OR P

1.34

-4.3%

ET I

36.5

0.0%

Z EN IT H B A N K

21 8.2

-1 .6%

ST ER LN B A N K

1 38.5

0.0%

Investment Research

Brokerage Ayodeji Ebo | aebo@afrinvest.com

Robert Omotunde | romotunde@afrinvest.com

Bolaji Fajenyo | bfajenyo@afrinvest.com

Eronmosele Aziba | eaziba@afrinvest.com

T H I S D AY Ë¾ TUESDAY JULY 3, 2018

T H I S D AY ˾ ͱ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

ADVERTORIAL

T H I S D AY Ë¾ TUESDAY JULY 3, 2018

T H I S D AY ˾ ͱ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

T H I S D AY Ë¾ TUESDAY JULY 3, 2018

T H I S D AY ˾ ͱ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

T H I S D AY Ë¾ TUESDAY JULY 3, 2018

TUESDAY JULY 3, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Again, Court Orders Release of Dasuki on Bail Alex Enumah in Abuja A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday granted bail to former National Security Adviser(NSA), Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd). Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu said in a judgment that Dasuki’s continued detention without sufficient reasons violated his right to liberty. The judgment brings to six the number of times the High Courts would grant bail to the ex-NSA. He has been in the custody of the Department of State Security (DSS) since December 29, 2015. Justice Ojukwu, while delivering judgement on a fundamental rights enforcement application filed by Dasuki, granted him bail in the sum of N200 million with two sureties, who must be either a civil servant of Grade Level 16 in the Federal Civil Service or a private citizen with landed properties in the municipal areas of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The judge said the civil servant must submit a letter of appointment

and letter of last promotion to the court for verification. The judge also said the sureties must show evidence of tax payment for the last three years -2015 to 2017. Justice Ojukwu rejected Dasuki’s prayer for N5 billion damages, saying should there be need for him to be further interrogated, the DSS should invite and question him between the hours of 9a.m. and 6p.m. on work days. The judge ordered the respondents – the DSS, its Director-General, Lawal Daura and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) – to release Dasuki upon meeting the bail conditions. Justice Ojukwu, therefore, ordered that Dasuki be released immediately the terms of his bail are fulfilled. The court, while frowning at the continued detention of the former NSA, held that his detention was an aberration to the rule of law and the constitution, adding that no country could aspire to greatness, when the rule of law is flagrantly disobeyed. She faulted the reasons given

by the federal government for detaining the ex-NSA. The judge specifically dismissed the claims that Dasuki constituted security risk to the country, adding that the accusation of money laundering brought against the former NSA had nothing to do with threat to the country. She also rejected the claim by the federal government that Dasuki

was being held because of the arms and ammunition allegedly found in his house in 2015, adding that the government had no justification for his continued detention, since the alleged arms were said to have been recovered and criminal charges instituted against him. Justice Ojukwu turned down the request of the federal government that Dasuki’s case be dismissed for

abuse of court process by filing multiple actions. The court held that in the instant case, the parties are different, adding that the government had not placed material evidence before the court to establish that the former NSA engaged in forum shopping. The court, in all, agreed that the fundamental rights of Dasuki had been grossly breached with

his detention since 2015, without trial on any fresh allegation. Justice Ojukwu agreed with the federal government that investigation on Dasuki had been completed but that in case of fresh investigation, such must be conducted during working days and that the plaintiff could only be invited and not detained under any circumstance.

EFCC Arraigns Former Minister, Wakil, Four Others over N341m Fraud Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday arraigned a former Minister of State for Power, Mohammed Wakil, on a seven- count charge of criminal conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of over N341 million. Also arraigned alongside him were four persons - GarbaAbacha, Ibrahim Shehu Birma, Abubakar Ali Kullima and Muhammad Baba Kachalla. They were arraigned before Justice MT Salihu of the Federal High Court, Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. WhileWakilwasaformerMinisterof StateforPower,theotherfourdefendants arraignedwithhimwereformeraspirants during the 2015 general elections. The EFCC had received an intelligence report on April 13, 2016 against a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke who allegedly

deposited a large amount of money with Fidelity Bank. According to the EFCC, the money was shared by the defendants to politicians in Borno State. The accused allegedly cosnpired among themselves to make and receive cash payments above the threshold approved for financial institutions. One of the count read against the defendants stated: “That you, Hon. Muhammad Wakil, Garba Abacha, Ibrahim Shehu Birma, Dr. Abubakar AliKullimaandMr.MuhammadBaba Kachalla on or about March 26, 2015 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did agree among yourselves to do an illegal act, to wit: conspiracy to commit Money Laundering and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (As Amended)”.

Tanker Explosion: LASG to Prosecute Owner, Driver The Lagos State Government will prosecute the owner and driver of the ill-fated fuel tanker which exploded last Thursday on Otedola Bridge inward Ojodu Berger along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The state’s Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, disclosed this yesterday while briefing Government House Correspondents after the Security Council meeting chaired by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, had at the weekend written to Imohimi to advise him on the relevant provisions of the law that could guide the ongoing investigation which would lead to possible prosecution. Edgal confirmed the receipt of the letter saying investigations into the incident were ongoing and that government would not allow vehicles that pose serious danger to residents on the road. Imohimi, who briefed journalists alongside heads of other security agencies in the state, specifically commiserated with those who lost their loved ones to the tragic

incident, while also commending emergency agencies who quickly raced to the scene to keep the causality figure low. “As regards investigation into the matter, it is in top gear. I have just received a letter from the office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice which stated very clearly charges which we are going to prefer against the driver and the owner of that tanker. “Henceforth, we are using this opportunity to call on all tanker drivers, all lorry drivers, all owners of such articulated vehicles to please submit those vehicles for Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) test; they must go through the entire hub and get the Ministry of Transportation (MOT) Certificate of Road Worthiness. We will not allow such vehicles which obviously pose serious danger to other road users on our roads,” Imohimi said. He said government had already directed security agencies to intensify enforcement of relevant laws, especially the State Traffic Law, with the view to ensuring that the roads and highways in the State were safe for commuters to ply without any danger.

YOU ARE WELCOME

L-R: Chairman of The Abuja Inquirer Newspaper, Dan Akpovwa; British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Paul Arkwright; The Lord Mayor of London, Mr. Charlse Bowman; and Managing Director of Transcorp Hotels, Valentine Ozigbo, during a reception for the visiting Lord Mayor in Abuja....recently.

Cloned PVCs: Don’t Thwart Nigeria’s Democracy, Atiku Tells Online Platform PDP demands INEC’s explanation Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja A former Vice President, Atiku Abububakar, has urged the owner of online platform,alibaba.com, Jack Ma, not to allow his platform to be used to thwart Nigeria’s democracy. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has also asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to offer tangible explanation to Nigerians on how its Permanent Voter Card (PVC) allegedly became a commodity for sale online. INEC had raised the alarm that its permanent voters cards (PVCs) were being cloned and sold online. In a statement signed by Director, Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze Uzzi, INEC said it received reports of attempts to clone PVCs and sell them online. Atiku who is a presidential aspirant on the platform of the PDP in an open letter by the Director General of his campaign

organisation, Gbenga Daniel, described it as “an egregious breach of Nigeria’s electoral integrity and our national security. “We are very concerned about this security breach because it threatens Nigeria’s desire to build strong institutions like the Independent National Electoral Commission. “A situation like this could lead to massive vote buying and thus thwart our efforts and instead create strong men where we want to enable strength in institutions,” Atiku said. Atiku reminded Jack Ma that PVCs were used in the 2015 Nigerian elections and there was no breach even though alibaba platform was in existence then. “That precedence leads me to believe that if alibaba.com refuses to lend its platform to those unscrupulous elements who want to thwart Nigeria’s democracy, we would greatly increase the chances

of a free and fair Nigerian election in 2019. “Therefore, I appeal to you to use your good offices to permanently remove these items from alibaba. com,” he said. The former vice president further advised the platform to consider sharing its information with Nigeria’s security apparatus that might help expose any impropriety. He noted the allegations, counter allegations and investigations into election meddling in the 2016 American presidential elections. “These occurrences have ensnared several technology, IT and social media platforms including Facebook, Cambridge Analytica and Twitter just to mention a few. “Their involvement has had far reaching political and economic impact which has affected their market capitalisation and consumer confidence. “It is also in the light of

preventing such a scenario involving Nigeria and alibaba. com that I make these appeals. I trust that I can count on your cooperation,” he added. Meanwhile, the PDP has asked the INEC to offer tangible explanation to Nigerians on how its PVC allegedly became a commodity for sale online. The PDP said its position was against the backdrop of apprehensions being expressed by Nigerians regarding possible insider compromises in INEC, particularly ahead of the 2019 general elections. In a statement issued by it’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the main opposition party said it was uncomfortable with the attempts by INEC to hurriedly wave off this very grave international embarrassment that goes to the heart of credible electioneering in our country.

Dangote Inaugurates Cement Warehouse in Imo Amby Uneze in Owerri As part of the company’s plan to reach every part of the country, Dangote Cement Company has inaugurated its warehouse at Onitsha Road Industrial Layout, Owerri, Imo State. The warehouse was officially inaugurated by the Governor of the state, Chief Rochas Okorocha with the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote present. In his speech, the governor commended Dangote for his

outstanding empowerment initiatives through employment and building of industries, adding that before now there was no presence of the company in the state. The governor described Dangote as a bridge builder and a very humble man who believes in Nigeria and in humanity without minding religious differences or where one comes from, stressing that he deserves every honour in this country. According to the governor, “ Dangote is humble about his

wealth. He does not show undue strength with his wealth.” “Dangote Cement has sold more cement in Imo State than it has done in any other part of the country because of the infrastructural revolution going on in the state. Imo State today is a new state. The wealth of Nigeria is in Imo untapped because of the presence of high quality gas in the state. And the gas-plant in the state is yet to function. I appeal to Dangote to partner with the state in this regard,” he said

In his speech, Dangote stated that Imo State is one of the major markets of Dangote Cement and other products of Dangote Group, stating that he was in the state for the opening of a mega warehouse for Dangote Cement. He commended Okorocha for the good works he is doing both in Imo and in Nigeria in general, and for providing enabling environment for business ventures and socioeconomic activities to strive in the State.

TUESDAY JULY 3, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Amaechi Accuses Wike of Inaugurating His Projects Minister is living with regrets, says state govt A former Rivers State Governor and Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has alleged that some projects being inaugurated by his successor, Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike. were projects that were completed by his administration. But in a swift reaction, the Rivers State Government has described Amaechi as a man living in regrets. Amaechi made the allegation during a grand reception organised in his honour by the people of Ishimbam General Assembly (IGA) in conjunction with the Free Rivers Development Initiative (FRDI) at the Freedom Square, Elele in Ikwerre Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. He said Wike was taking credit for his administration’s achievements because he (Amaechi) did not place priority in inaugurating projects. “Wike inaugurated a project that I completed. He called the Speaker of the House of Representatives to inaugurate a flyover I already completed ... Tell him (Wike) that he should go ahead and keep inaugurating projects; I have no problem with that. When I was Governor, I provided development for Ikwerre people just like I did for

other tribes in the state,” he said. Amaechi also criticised Wike over what he described as his weak stewardship on infrastructure and human capital development in Ikwerre land since he became governor in 2015. “Let Wike tell us what he has done in Ikwerre land. For me, if I have done nothing, I have brought up one of your sons right from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and RISONPALM Limited. But aside the human capital development, you also know that in Elele you have roads everywhere. I have given Elele Primary Schools, health centers and roads. My mother is from Egbeda, I’m sure Egbeda people will agree that I did the road from Egbeda to Omerelu. “As Governor, I did a road from Omerelu to Apani, I did another road from Ubima to Omerelu. I hear you’ve had no electricity for nine months. I will talk to the minister of power to fix it. You people should get the evaluation and bring it to my office for verification and necessary action. “Please you people should ask Governor Wike what he has done for you. Wike’s four years is gradually coming to an end. He

has only from now till May, 2019. We will compare him to my first four years,” Amaechi said. The former Governor also said he started attracting projects to his Ikwerre people when he was Speaker of the State House of Assembly. He recalled that he was at the verge of transforming Elele into a city before he left office as governor in 2015. “In Elele, you have network of roads all over which were awarded during my administration and I nearly transformed Elele into another city to such an end that anybody can live and go to work from Elele. Please beg your Governor to give you water. But for me, I have given Elele Health Centers, Roads, and also connected Elele to Omagwa.”

Amaechi also promised to revive the rice mill in Elele Alimini if the Ishimbam local farmers in the area could come together to form a cooperative to start the rice farm owned by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Meanwhile, a statement by the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Emma Okah, has described Amaechi as a man living in regrets. The state government added that it can understand his fruitless struggle to rewrite history. “Unfortunately he cannot be governor again and more sadly, he is not performing as a minister. He is unable to match the bright record of Governor Wike when

he was a Minister of State for Education. “Wike came fully prepared to lead, develop and grow the state. He is busy executing new projects and completing all abandoned projects which the thoughtless leadership of Amaechi inflicted on Rivers people. For him, it is enough to award the project and receive praises, make no payment, abandon the job and look for another victim,” Okah said. “This is the mess that Wike is clearing and sensible people will expect gratitude from Amaechi but they are wrong. Can Amaechi name the projects which he completed that Governor Wike is inaugurating? If he completed the projects, why did he not inaugurate them? The truth is that there was nothing to

inaugurate as at the time Amaechi left office. We are glad that sound leadership imperatives have taken priority over wickedness in governance. We are happy to say that if Governor Wike came earlier, the mall in Aba Road which Omehia commenced would not have been left to rot as Amaechi did,” Okah explained. “Governor Wike draws the line between governance and politics. We pray God to help Amaechi to learn again from Wike’s lessons in maturity, leadership and development. Three years only, there is no hiding place for the gold fish. The country has acknowledged Wike as the champion of this era. The international community is also not left out. All these people cannot be wrong,” Okah added.

Cholera Claims 15 Lives as Katsina Records 132 Cases Francis Sardauna in Katsina Cholera outbreak has reportedly killed 15 persons in six local government areas of Katsina State within four days. Sources at the affected local governments who confirmed the outbreak, said aside the 15 persons that died, 132 new cases were recorded between June 29 and July 2, 2018. THISDAY gathered that nine out of the 15 persons, mostly children died in Funtua Local Government Area (LGA), while six died in Kusada LGA of the state. But the state Commissioner of Health, Mariatu Bala Usman, in a chat with THISDAY yesterday, said six persons died in Kusada and 58 cases were recorded in six LGAs. “We have cases of cholera in Kusada and other five local government areas of Katsina. We have reports that this particular outbreak has come from the people taking contaminated water and

vegetables. So I am appealing to citizens of the state, particularly those at the community level to desist from taking contaminated water,” she said. The commissioner further disclosed that the state government has put mechanism in motion to tackle the outbreak, adding that the Ministry of Health has procured drugs for the treatment of the patients free. Similarly, member representing Funtua at the state Assembly, honourable Abubakar Muhammad, during the plenary yesterday, urged relevant authority to come to rescue of his constituents. “Considering the outbreak of cholera in my constituent, I urge my colleagues to invite the concern agency to provide assistance to the people of my constituency”, Muhammad said. The affected local government areas as at the time of filing this report were Funtua, Kusada, Kaita, Ingawa, Kankia and Katsina.

Katagum Takes Oath of ofﬁce as Bauchi Deputy Gov Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi Following the resignation of the erstwhile Deputy Governor, of Bauchi State, Nuhu Gidado , the state Governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, yesterday swore in a new deputy, Audu Sule Katagum, consequent upon his screening and confirmation by the state House of Assembly last Friday. The swearing-in ceremony, which was held at the Multipurpose Indoor Sports Hall, Bauchi metropolis, had the Grand Khadi of the state, Khadi Dahiru Abubakar Ningi, administer the oaths of allegiance and office in the absence of the state Chief Judge, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar. In his speech shortly after taking the oath of office, Katagum assured that he will support the

administration in ensuring the delivery of dividends of democracy to the people of the state in the remaining period of his tenure. The new deputy governor declared that “Now we will hit the ground running. We will put our heads together to ensure that the people of the state get the best out of the administration “. According to him, Governor Abubakar deserved to be reelected, considering the various developments the state had witnessed since the inception of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration in 2015. Earlier, Governor Abubakar charged the new deputy governor to abide by the oaths of office, allegiance and abide by the rule of law and code of conduct in the discharge of his official duties.

CONGRATULATIONS

R-L: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Chairman, Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences, Mr. Yinka Egbeyemi; Commissioner of Police, Mr. Edgal Imohimi, during the decoration of Egbeyemi as Chief Superintendent of Police, at Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja... yesterday

We Won’t Disappoint Ekiti Electorate, Says INEC Ekiti people will resist rigging, PDP insists Onyebuchi Ezeigbo in Abuja Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti As the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State approaches, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has promised not to fail the electorate, having concluded an elaborate preparation for a hitch-free exercise. In a related development, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said nobody can rig the Ekiti governorship election, as the people have resolved to ensure that the exercise is free and fair. INEC National Commissioner in charge of Ekiti, Osun and Oyo States, Mr. Solomon Soyebi and his colleague in charge of Election Operations and Logistics, Mrs. Amina Zakari, gave this assurance yesterday in Ado Ekiti, at a Preelection Preparation Workshop organised for Electoral Officers, Assistant Electoral Officers and Heads of Departments. “There will be no room for excuses. Any Local Government Area (LGA) where this does not happen, the Electoral Officer will be responsible.You must share responsibilities with your assistants to avoid one-man show. You must also watch your utterances so as

to safeguard the integrity of the exercise,” Soyebi said. Zakari, a former INEC Acting Chairman, used the occasion to debunk an allegation by Governor Ayodele Fayose that she had been hired by the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to rig the election in favour of APC. She challenged the governor and the PDP to back their allegation with evidence, saying it is impossible for an individual to rig an election. “They should prove that beyond reasonable doubt. I doubt it if an individual can rig an election when there are over 20,000 personnel to conduct the election.They should back their allegation with fact and figures. We (INEC) have nothing to hide. I see no reason why INEC would want to go back to bad old days. We are moving for forward ever and we remain focus to ensure a credible election for Nigeria,” she said. Zakari added that the workshop would review work done so far and to expose officials to new ideas, processes and approach to a successful

election conduct. “The workshop is to ensure proper preparations for the election. This is practice over the years, it is to ensure there is no gap between policies and implementation. “It is to aid direct interaction with departments that initiate policies and to collect ideas that will help in reshaping policies and procedure. I have no doubt that this will be well-organised and it will be adjudged as the most successful election ever conducted,” she added. The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Prof. Abdul-Ganiyu Raji, said the workshop was to ensure information flow between policy formulators and the implementors towards a successful conduct of the election. Meanwhile, the PDP has said that nobody can rig the July 14, 2018 Ekiti governorship election, as the people have resolved to ensure that the exercise is free and fair. The opposition party said the will of the people is stronger than the machinations of evil-minded persons, who are toying with the determination of the people for a free and fair electioneering.

In a statement issued by it’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party warned that INEC officials working with agents of the APC to compromise the process risk the legitimate wrath of the people of the state in their iron-cast resolve to ensure that nobody subverts their will in this election. “The people of Ekiti State are already aware of the clandestine meetings between known INEC officials and APC agents, including those held at the Ondo State Government House, Akure, where plots were hatched to use INEC’s ICT Department to preload card readers and input false results, as well as cloning unclaimed Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) to superimpose pictures of their members from other states. “The PDP cautions these compromised INEC officers, their allies in the APC and those they planned to import from other states, to note that their tracks and footprints are all bare and that the people of Ekiti state are already at alert and ready to stop them on their trails with every potency available to them under the law,” he said.

T H I S D AY ˾ ͱ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

TUESDAY JULY 3, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

APC Will Be Better Under Oshiomhole’s Leadership, Says Abe A governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, has expressed the hope that the party is now better positioned and poised to overcome its challenges following the emergence of former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, as its new National Chairman. Abe stated this while speaking to journalists in Port Harcourt shortly after his arrival from Bera, his hometown in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State where a mammoth crowd of supporters were on hand to receive him at a reception organised in his honour. He expressed joy that the APC can now boast of a national leadership that is committed to the ideals and core values of the party where members will find a common ground to work together ahead of the 2019 general elections. Abe, who is also the senator representing Rivers South-East

senatorial district in the National Assembly, commended members of the APC in Rivers State for the enthusiasm and commitment they displayed during the convention, despite the challenges facing the party in the state. He said, “I am very happy to be home after the convention and I want to use this opportunity to appreciate all members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for their enthusiasm and commitment to the party despite the challenges facing our great party in Rivers State. “They were in Abuja in their numbers; I am happy the convention is over and we have a brand new executive of the party that is committed to the ideals and core values of the APC. “We believe that all members of the party will find common ground and work together so that we can begin to face the challenges before the party in the coming months. “The new leadership of the

party has said that they will be committed to truth, justice and inclusion to make sure that all members of the party have an opportunity to fully participate in the programmes of the party. The national chairman said so. “And I think that is what this new executive is committed to. They will not humiliate somebody to please another. As far as I am concerned, Rivers State is ripe.” Abe, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), reiterated his resolve to contest the 2019 governorship election in Rivers State on the platform of the APC. He said, “Let me say it now; what I have said as often as the issue has come up, I am going to contest the primaries of the governorship of Rivers State on the platform of the APC. “My dream and vision is that we must be in a position to offer Rivers people a chance to choose between choices.”

Okorocha: Herdsmen Killings Beyond Religion Amby Uneze in Owerri Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has said the killings in Plateau and Zamfara States were beyond religion, stressing the Christians and Muslims were victims in some of the incidents. Okorocha stated that the country at the moment, is passing through

very difficult times and urged religious leaders across and indeed all Nigerians to pray to God for the peace of the country. The governor spoke on Sunday at the 10th Episcopal Anniversary of the Catholic Bishop of Orlu Diocese, Imo State, His Lordship, Most Rev. Augustine Ukwuoma at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Orlu.

He said some people had lost their sense of value for lives with the rate of blood-letting in the country, adding that the situation calls for God’s intervention. “Initially,Ithoughtthatwhatwasgoing on in some parts of the country was a religious war; but the Plateau and Zamfara killings have shown that what we have in our hands is beyond religious killings.” he said.

NDLEA: We Are Not Taking Action against Kashamu on Extradition Alex Enumah in Abuja The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) yesterday told a Federal High Court in Abuja that it would not take any action on the request of the United States to extradite a certain senator, Buruji Kashamu, in obedience to the Court’s order. Counsel to the agency, Mike Kassa, informed the court that contrary to the claims of the senator of strange move against him, the NDLEA had abided by the order of another court that status quo be maintained for now. Kashamu, who represents Ogun East in the Senate, had through his counsel, Olusegun Odubela SAN, prayed the court to make order against NDLEA not to arrest his client since he had already instituted a court action on his fundamental rights to liberty. Specifically, Odubela asked the court to compel the agency to make undertaken before the court that no action would be taken against Kashamu, especially arrest on extradition. But Justice Ahmed Mohammed reminded Odubela that he had on May 30, declined to grant order of Interim Injunction during an exparte application and that he would not overrule himself. However, following persistent demand by Odubela for the court to make categorical, the NDLEA lawyer, cut in and explained to the judge that his client was not making any move in the direction of fears repeatedly expressed by Kashamu. The counsel informed the court that the ruling of Justice Babatunde Quadri on June 4 on the status quo

subsisted and is been obeyed by the NDLEA. Justice Mohammed however, adjourned the matter to October

18 to enable NDLEA respond to the originating summons of Kashamu filed against the AGF and the agency.

T H I S D AY ˾ ͱ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

T H I S D AY Ë¾ TUESDAY JULY 3, 2018

Tuesday July 3, 2018

UT H

& RE A S O

Price: N250

MISSILE Saraki to Security Chiefs “It cannot continue. It is not something to be politicised. If somebody is not capable he should give way for others that are competent. We have heard that security personnel are working at cross purposes. A is not talking to B and B is not talking to C. They don’t attend meetings jointly. Things need to be done. Let’s forget about party, these are people’s lives. It is not about the Speaker of House of Representatives or the Senate President, it is about Nigeria” – Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, explaining that the recent spate of killings in parts of the country could be have been prevented had the necessary action been taken by the appropriate security agencies.

TUESDAY WITH REUBENABATI In Defence of the Fulani in Our Midst S abati1990@gmail.com

tate of the nation: In the last two weeks, over 200 persons in Plateau State were reportedly killed by Fulani herdsmen, 45 villages were ransacked and sacked and those villages we are told have been taken over by Fulanis, and the original owners have had to flee from their homes. There has also been some frightening talk about the true ownership of land, and we have seen on social media, that territory where fake news is forever rubbing shoulders with true news, and nobody is sure of anything that - indeed our country is in trouble. The country where human lives no longer mean anything, where mass graves have become common, where one ethnic group kills the other, where the life of a cow is more important than that of a human being; that is Nigeria - a country that currently drifts, simply drifts in the direction of nowhere. On this account, I am awfully sorry to report that Nigeria, our country is indeed right now in a dangerous place and the injury is self-inflicted. How many more open graves will Nigerians dig? How many more mass burials are we going to conduct before we realize that the rain has perforated our roofs and we can no longer sleep in peace? How many more condolence messages will heal our wounds, even now that we have been officially informed by the Presidency to tolerate more killings because a ‘quota’ left behind by the former President Jonathan has not been met? That is absolutely stupid but we are in today’s Nigeria where human lives have been officially determined to be a pawn in the political game, death has become a campaign issue, our politicians are now stepping on people’s blood to make political points, they don’t care, they don’t give a damn. Good? No. Sad? Yes. Very sad. Pitiable. Regrettable. Absolutely offensive. When the Buhari government that is now in power came to office, Nigerians were told to expect miracles in three specific areas: security, the economy and the anti-corruption war. Under Jonathan, there was the Boko Haram problem. Every other week, there was a Boko Haram attack in the North Eastern part of the country. It was part of my brief to commiserate with Nigerians and express the President’s regrets. We did this so often that after a while, the public memorised our lines, and even before we issued the statements, the people themselves did so on our behalf. What is happening now is worse than whatever happened under Jonathan. Nobody bothers to commiserate with Nigerians any more and when they do, they pass the buck. They blame other people, including the victims. The Buhari government came to power partly on the basis of the assurance that it will deal with Nigeria’s security challenge but let us be honest with ourselves, it has not been able to do so. People are being killed, practically on a daily basis, the government can’t even afford to issue statements. When the President’s spokesmen manage to issue statements, the only intelligent excuse they offer is to say that more people were killed under Jonathan and Nigerians should wait till more people are killed under Buhari before they can complain. This is a perfect case of the coffin-maker complaining about the lack of sales. Would he wish that his own family should die so sales can improve? When government officials have nothing intelligent to say, they are better off keeping shut, instead of opening their mouths and making their principal sound like an idiot. The people who have been killed in Plateau, Benue, Zamfara, Adamawa are Nigerians. Every soul that is lost is important to Nigeria. Every

Dangote man or woman or child that dies because Nigeria has gone to the worst end of the spectrum could have lived and be an agent of promise for Nigeria. In the last three years, more persons of promise have been killed in this country than at any other time in the history of Nigeria. The civil war happened, yes, but that was a war situation, but right now, Nigeria is at peace, so we think, and yet, people are being killed, and the country simply folds its arms. Opinion leaders and state Governors as well as civil society groups have called for the removal of the Chiefs of the Armed Forces and the Inspector-General of Police – because when these attacks happen, the various security agencies have been proven to be totally incompetent and inefficient – and they have been rightly accused of complicity. We are in trouble, because it has never been this bad. But I do not agree with those who insist that this is a Fulani problem. The biggest damage that this government has done is to make the Fulani race look very bad in Nigeria, and in effect, this has sharpened ethnic and religious divisions. When President Olusegun Obasanjo came to power in 1999, his brief was to re-unite a divided country and keep it together. His emergence as President pacified the angry people of Yorubaland who were uncomfortable with the criminal abolition of MKO Abiola’s mandate. Presidents Yar’Adua and Jonathan built on that foundation. The latter continuously insisted that Nigeria will not be divided under his watch, and that he would not preside over any bloodshed. But under President Buhari’s watch, whatever unity was achieved post-1999 has been destroyed. Nigeria today is a divided country. The Fulani who President Buhari represents, have become the biggest losers of the 2015 Presidential election. If they thought their kinsman becoming President will serve their purpose, they have been proven wrong. By his style, methods, and circumstances, President Buhari has not helped his own people. He has further alienated them from Nigeria. And he has not met the expectations of those who voted for him. National unity is the biggest challenge in Nigeria. After the civil war, going on with one Nigeria has been the main assignment of every successive administration. The Buhari government that emerged in 2015 has taken the position that this is not important and that is why Nigeria is in trouble today. The problem is not the Fulani. Every other

Nigerian is blaming the Fulani man and woman. No. The Fulani man is a good man. As Mahmood Mamdani has argued in his book, Good Muslims, Bad Muslims, we need to take a practical look at existing situations, and be careful with moral labels and categorisations, before we jump to conclusions. Other Nigerians may have been suspicious of the ordinary Fulani man since the civil war, but there has been a process of reconciliation and re-integration that has produced a better Nigeria, but which under this government is now being destroyed. Allowing this to happen is the biggest mistake Nigerians have made. Fulanis are now being blamed, as a group and as a category for the fault of a few. Good Fulanis are being demonized for the errors of the bad Fulani that grabbed power. Herdsmen have always been in this country. How come we did not have any issue with them until now? When people say Fulani herdsmen have become a problem and that all Fulanis are bad, this is the question I ask. The ordinary Fulani person is good. Aliko Dangote is the richest man in Africa and arguably the richest Black man in the world. He is Fulani, and he is from Nigeria. If he didn’t have the kind of opportunities he has had, he will probably be one of those now being referred to as Fulani herdsmen. If you ask him, he probably knows some herdsmen, and he was probably a herdsman himself at some point in his life. But here he is today, a Fulani in Nigeria, doing good for Nigeria. He owns a company that provides jobs for hundreds of thousands of Nigerians and opportunities for millions of Nigerians. He has lived in Lagos for more than 40 years and if he knocks on any door in Yorubaland or Igboland, and asks for a room to sleep overnight, he would be received with prayers. Dangote runs one of the most diversified companies in Nigeria. When you go to any of his offices, you won’t have the impression that you are in a Fulani man’s company. He runs a Foundation that has also been giving back to society, across geo-political zones. I don’t have information about his marital life, but I won’t be surprised if some of the women on his pension or pay list are from across Nigeria. And that is a Fulani man using his business and life to keep Nigeria together. I also know the current Sultan: The Sultan of Sokoto. The first time I met him, the people around him were Igbos! They were his main men and I was confused. The present Sultan has friends everywhere in Nigeria, and he keeps in touch even with ordinary people like me. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the current Emir of Kano, lived and worked in Lagos. He probably has more Yoruba friends than Fulanis. He was one of the boys here in Lagos. General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau is Nigeria’s chief security overlord, in and out of office. He has more proteges and friends in other parts of Nigeria than among his own Fulani kith and kin. There are many more good Fulani. I can also attest for example that new generation Fulani girls are the best in Nigeria: educated in England and the United states, they are untouched by the politics of ethnicity and religion. They relate with other Nigerians as human beings not as ethnic zombies. This is why inter-ethnic, inter-religious contact with the Fulani has increased in recent times. But all of that is being destroyed - by the bad Fulani who are in charge of Nigeria, and who by being bad have managed to isolate the entire Fulani clan and have shaken the table of Nigerian unity. I say all of this, not because I want to make anybody unhappy but because

I have actually observed a growing anti-Fulani movement in the Southern part of Nigeria. It is borne out of the resentment against Fulani herdsmen. It is so bad that, we, the people of Southern Nigeria, are now being told to stop eating beef. If no Southerner eats beef, then the cattle transportation and marketing business would have been destroyed. If you don’t believe this, well, believe the fact that meetings are being held to this effect. My view: I don’t think the average Fulani man doing business and trying to earn a living and who is as angry as every other person that Buhari has disappointed should be punished for the criminal conduct of a few. The proposed strategy is also wrong. The people who are saying for example that we should boycott beef, are they also saying we should stop eating pepper and other farm produce that come from the North? Are they telling me that I should no longer buy suya from the Fulani man who runs a University of Suya at the Allen Avenue roundabout in Lagos? I don’t see how that can happen. If we must boycott beef, am I also required to stop buying dambu nama and roasted guinea fowl from my friend, Mohammed at Sunday market? I don’t understand this boycott game. So, I mean, are we expected to cut off our Northern girlfriends? Ha. Ha. Ha. That won’t work. It is better for Buhari to leave power than for that to happen. I can tell you, Fulani beef is ve-ry, ve-ry swe-et, and anybody who tries by any means whatsoever to take it out of the national menu is an enemy of Nigeria. President Buhari was elected into power to make Nigeria whole. For some reason, he has made the country more vulnerable than he met it. He must deliberately stop giving the bad Fulani the impression that they can do as they wish because their kinsman is in power. He owes us a duty and a responsibility not to make things worse. He must go after the bad Fulani and the other bad Nigerians who do not want his government to work and deal with them. Nigeria must make peace, not war. It is the simplest request we can make.

Foxy, the Rotarian Here is some good news: my friend and brother, Ehi Foxy Braimah is set to assume office as President of the Rotary Club of Lagos on July 6. I am happy for him and I congratulate him. Ehi Braimah was our President – young boys and girls who knew how to dig it, long before Nollywood and instatory - at Niteshift Coliseum for many years. Glad to hear that he has moved up and he is now the 58th President of the Rotary Club of Lagos. The Rotary Club of Lagos was chartered on May 30, 1961, making it the oldest active club in Nigeria. The Charter President of the Club was Chief S. L. Edu. There were distinguished members of the Nigerian and expatriate communities at the time including Sir Adetokunbo Ademola, Sir Mobolaji Bank Anthony, Justice O. Lambo, John B. Mandilas, C. P. Leventis, and Ambassador Joseph Palmer. This was way back in 1961. Ehi Braimah, that young man who came to Lagos in the 80s, with nothing, absolutely nothing except a degree in Mathematics, is today a multiple Chief Executive and President of the Rotary Club of Lagos. He is a true inspirational figure. The theme of the International Rotary Year, 2018 – 2019, which began on July 1, is: “Be the Inspiration”. My friend Foxy is “the inspiration”. Best regards, Foxy.

Printed and Published in Lagos by THISDAY Newspapers Limited. Lagos: 35 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos. Abuja: Plot 1, Sector Centre B, Jabi Business District, Solomon Lar Way, Jabi North East, Abuja . All Correspondence to POBox 54749, Ikoyi, Lagos. EMAIL: editor@thisdaylive.com, info@thisdaylive.com. TELEPHONE Lagos: 0802 2924721-2, 08022924485. Abuja: Tel: 08155555292, 08155555929 24/7 ADVERTISING HOT LINES: 0811 181 3085, 0811 181 3086, 0811 181 3087, 0811 181 3088, 0811 181 3089, 0811 181 3090. ENQUIRIES & BOOKING: adsbooking@thisdaylive.com