Sunday 22nd July 2018

US State Dept: Corruption, Inconsistent Regulations Pervasive in Nigeria Country’s market potential unrealised due to poor electricity supply, insecurity, untransparent tender processes Investors find environment a difficult place to do business Bayo Akinloye Foreign companies, particularly those based in the United States

of America, are complaining of pervasive corruption, poor judicial system, inconsistent regulations, and lack of

transparency as hindrances to doing business with ease in Nigeria.

The complaints were

contained in a report, ‘2018 Investment Climate Statements’ published by the US Department of

State’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, a copy of which was obtained by THISDAY on Saturday.

The latest report, which was released on Thursday, provided Continued on page 8

After Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Anambra, is Vote-buying the New Way?… Page 83/84 Sunday 22 July, 2018 Vol 23. No 8494

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Gowon, Welby Express Deep Concern over Killings Onaiyekan says FG unwilling to stop killings Stefanos Foundation warns of humanitarian crisis in Middle Belt UK lawmaker urges FG to take urgent action to prevent further loss of lives Tobi Soniyi and Bayo Akinloye Former head of state, Gen. Yakubu Gowon yesterday

condemned the ongoing killings in the country and warned that if unchecked may lead to religious war. His warning is coming on the heels

of the head of the Anglican Communion Worldwide and Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who had earlier expressed deep concerns

about what he described as violent attacks on Christians in Nigeria, challenging the British government to take specific actions to help the

President Muhammadu Buhari administration to enforce security and achieve reconciliation.

The Anglican spiritual

head stated this in a second debate – titled, ‘Nigeria: Fulani Herdsmen and Boko Haram’ Continued on page 8

After a String of Governorship Losses PDP Resolves to Change Name Ekweremadu heads committee on new designation, announcement expected today Atiku declares for president, says APC has failed Nigerians Olawale Olaleye in Lagos and Daji Sani in Yola In a move widely believed to be pre-emptive and designed to prevent the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from exploiting issues from the recent political realignments in the country, the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), has finally resolved to change its name ahead of the 2019 general election. THISDAY learnt that PDP, which planned to announce the decision to change its name today, had also pencilled in Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu as the one to head a committee that would walk the party

through the procedure.

That was as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said yesterday in Yola that the federal government led by the APC had failed Nigerians and the people were yearning for change. Atiku stated this at Ribadu Square, in the capital of his home state of Adamawa, at a rally where he formally declared his intention to contest next year’s presidential election on the platform of PDP. He decried the killings in different parts of the country and blamed the APC for visiting insecurity, tragedy, division, and economic misery upon the citizens.

Continued on page 8

In Osun, is PDP's Adeleke vs APC's Oyetola... Page 70

ATIKU DECLARES...

Former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party presidential aspirant in the 2019 general election, Atiku Abubakar (middle), flanked by his wife, Titi, and the party's National Chairman, Uche Secondus, during his official declaration in Yola... yesterday

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ͺͺ˜ ͺ͸͹΀ ˾ T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

PAGE EIGHT

Mobile Phone Subscribers Now over 163m, Says Osinbajo Nigeria digital economy 'll rise to $88bn in 2028 Foreign direct investment up from $908.2m to $4.1billion Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), disclosed that the number of mobile telephone subscribers in Nigeria has risen

to 163 million barely 17 years after its advent.

Making this disclosure while addressing a professional business summit 2018 with the theme, "Exploring Investment Opportunities in Nigeria and

the UAE," Osinbajo said the development shows that the ICT sector had unlimited potential to produce $88 billion digital economy in 2028.

While showcasing Nigeria's promising investment potentials,

Osinbajo said Aliko Dangote's 650,000 barrel per day capacity is worth over $16 billion.

"With over 163 million mobile phone subscribers, 60 per cent of them actively on the internet and 23million on Facebook, you

will agree with me that our ICT sector is one of limitless potential yearning for more investments to propel the sector to an $88billion digital economy over the next 10 years.

"Consequently, we have seen

the emergence of dynamic panAfrican investors, who on account of their track records are even able to borrow commercially cheaper

and acrimonious than at any time since the civil war.”

The former vice president said, “Nigeria’s major problem is insecurity. More people are killed in Nigeria than people in Afghanistan because Nigerians are no longer secure in their country due to the insensitiveness of the current leadership of the APC.” According to Atiku, “The APC government has destroyed our economy. They took over an economy with a growth of seven per cent and brought it down to less than two per cent. Today, we are witnessing the most insecure situation in Nigeria ever since APC took over.”

He said, “Today, we have the highest unemployment rate in this country. More than 10 million of our people have been made unemployed under the watch of the APC administration.”

Atiku said he would work with other compatriots in the PDP to secure the party’s nomination for the presidential election. He explained that rebuilding the economy and reuniting the country will be his major priorities if elected president.

“What the PDP is going to do is to restore our economy, restore hope of a greater Nigeria and ensure that we have security of lives and property.

“I, therefore, appeal to all of you wherever you may be that it is time to now re-embrace the party that has given us unity, prosperity and security in this country,” he stated.

Atiku, who returned to PDP from APC last year, said PDP maintained an “unequalled record of growing our economy for the benefit of all.”

He vowed to reclaim the state for PDP, saying, “l took this state to the PDP, today, l have come to reclaim what belongs to PDP.” He said he was overwhelmed by the reception by his people and their support for his ambition, recalling similar events in 1998, when was received by mammoth crowds of supporters before the 1999 election, when he was running mate to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

In his own comments, Senator Ben Bruce, who spoke on behalf of other senators, said, “The turnout is one of a kind.

Never been anything like this.

Indeed, power is returning to the people, let’s join hands to get Nigeria working.”

Bruce said the country needed a detribalised leader like Atiku.

"We cannot continue to live in a country where people are being killed every day. We need someone who can salvage and move the country forward like Atiku. We need to keep hope alive. With people like Atiku,

we have hope.”

The event, which had in attendance about 400 Atiku support groups from across the country, also witnessed the defection of people from APC and other parties to PDP. Secondus and chairman of PDP in Adamawa State, Barrister Tahir Shehu, received the new defectors, which included commissioners in the incumbent government of the APC in the state under Governor Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow, Assembly members representing Lamurde , Michika , Leko-Coma state constituencies, and Guyuk local council boss and all his councillors.

THISDAY spotted two commissioners sitting among the dignitaries – the Commissioner for Land and Survey, Hon. Maigiyawa Yayaji, and Commissioner for Commerce, Alhaji Umar Daware. The two men were recently reported to have resigned from Bindow's cabinet, as confirmed by the state secretary of the PDP, Abdullahi Peramb

EKITI July 14, 2018 ANAMBRA Nov. 18, 2017 ONDO Nov. 26, 2016 EDO Sept. 28, 2016

communities affected in the June 23/24 attacks.

It said the attacks forced more than 11,500 to seek refuge in 13 locations across the state, while an undetermined number of people were injured and hospitalised in various medical centres in Jos, the state’s capital.

The foundation’s report, however, warned that the June attacks in Plateau had created a humanitarian crisis, claiming that the 11,515 survivors spread across 13 locations are taking shelter in schools and churches.

It added that those badly injured had been left to struggle with hospital bills and that the displaced were desperately in need of food, shelter, clothing, beddings and psycho-social support.

A Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd), has expressed serious concerns over the security situation in the country, saying that the situation if not immediately addressed,

could lead to a religious war.

He also called on security agencies to question the leadership of Miyetti Allah for threatening to unleash violence in Benue State.

Gowon, who spoke on Saturday at the Benue People’s House, Makurdi, when he visited the Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom to commiserate with the government and the people of the state over the wanton killings and destruction of properties in the state.

The former military head of state, who has refrained from making public statement on the killings, expressed concern over the continued killing of innocent and unarmed villagers by armed herdsmen He said he was disappointed at the handling of the security situation in the country, saying, “Security agencies should invite and question the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore who had threatened to unleash

violence on Benue State and later justified the killings and their roles.”

Gowon said he was out of the country when two priests and 17 worshipers were killed in a church in the state during morning mass.

He also expressed the condolences of his group, ‘Nigeria Prays’ to the governor.

He said, “I am sad and worried at the religious dimension the killings are assuming.

“It is worrisome to see innocent people being killed. Government should make more efforts to tackle the insecurity situation in the country before it descends into a full religious war.”

Gowon commended Ortom and the Benue State government for the way they had responded to the killings and devastation of communities.

He said, “For us to survive as a nation; we must learn to live together as one regardless of ethnicity or religion”

defined policy guidelines, and corruption.

“Nigeria's inadequate power supply and lack of infrastructure and the associated high production costs leave Nigerian exporters at a significant disadvantage. Many Nigerian businesses fail to export because they find meeting international packaging and safety standards is too difficult or expensive....

The vast majority of Nigeria’s manufacturers remain unable to compete in the international market,” it said.

The report berated the country’s judicial system accusing it of allowing corruption to thrive, saying: “Nigeria has a complex, three-tiered legal system comprised English common law, Islamic law, and

Nigerian customary law. The Nigerian court system is slow and inefficient, lacks adequate court facilities and computerized document-processing systems, and poorly remunerates judges and other court officials, all of which encourages corruption and undermines enforcement.”

Although Nigeria’s constitution and law provide for an independent judiciary, report concluded: “The judicial branch remains susceptible to pressure from the executive and legislative branches. Political leaders have influenced the judiciary, particularly at the state and local levels. Understaffing, underfunding, inefficiency, and corruption have at times prevented the judiciary from functioning adequately.”

Continued on page 10

AFTER A STRING OF GOVERNORSHIP LOSSES PDP RESOLVES TO CHANGE NAME Atiku promised to restore national unity, security of life and property, and economic prosperity if elected president.

THISDAY gathered last night that the decision by the PDP to change its name might have stemmed from last Thursday’s meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and Senate President Bukola Saraki. Though, details of their discussion were not made public, many in PDP believed that with such sessions, the chances of bringing Saraki back to the PDP could be hampered.

The opposition party had long mooted the idea of name change, but had slowed down on the decision because a majority of its members were not disposed to it, and those who wanted it could not convince the others.

Besides, it was thought that even though the party had switched positions and had become an opposition party, PDP was still the only party with membership in the remotest parts of the country, and the name resonated with a majority of its members and admirers, particularly among the teeming illiterate populations.

But this very thinking had since changed, especially with the prevalent narrative of the ruling party, which is always attacking the PDP as a corrupt party. PDP believes the corruption allegation

is the main defence APC has found to justify its continued stay in office, despite widespread belief that it has mismanaged the affairs of the country.

Leaders of the opposition party are, therefore, of the opinion that since the ruling APC may be unable to campaign with a good record on economy and security, the only thing it has going for it is the attempt to de-market the opposition by constantly alluding to corruption allegations. However, once the name changes, leaders of the party reckon, PDP would naturally die with the corruption tag and the engagement would shift to issues-based debate.

Many PDP members feel that APC would be unable to sustain such a debate owing to its poor performance in the last three years.

It is also believed that in the run up to 2019, PDP has gained many sympathisers, some of who are, however, uncomfortable with the name because of the baggage that comes with it. The party’s leaders are, therefore, of the view that with the old name gone, PDP’s sympathisers would not only openly identify with it, but most of them would also attract more members, thus putting it in a position of advantage to effectively take on APC in the next election.

Therefore, the assignment

before the Ekweremadu committee would be to come up with a name that best suits the party, considering the short time between now and 2019, and also not forgetting that such a name must be easily recalled by illiterate citizens.

Meanwhile, Atiku was well received at his declaration ceremony in Yola, which took place in a carnival-like atmosphere.

“Fellow Nigerians, the government of APC has failed, it has failed to unite Nigerians,” Atiku told a capacity crowd of jubilant supporters and party leaders, which included PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, and other members of the party’s National Working Committee as well as leaders from the six geo-political zones of the country. “Today we are more divided than in any other time in the history of this country.”

He said the APC government had failed to rescue Nigeria from destruction, “Rather, it has destroyed the economy, security, and ensured more poverty and starvation in the land.”

Atiku stressed, “The APC promised us three million new jobs a year. In government, the APC has lost three million jobs a year.

“The APC promised us peace and unity. Under the APC, Nigeria is now more divided

PDP's RECENT LOSSES

GOWON, WELBY EXPRESS DEEP CONCERN OVER KILLINGS – held in the British parliament by the House of Lords on current violent conflicts in Nigeria, as revealed in the Hansard of the parliament obtained by THISDAY on Saturday.

Also, in an interview with the Vatican News (the Catholic Church’s official news website), Cardinal John Onaiyekan has condemned the federal government’s inability to deal decisively with the perpetrators of the unrelenting killings.

During the session, Welby told the lawmakers: “My Lords, I am sure that the Minister shares my deep concern about the violent attacks on Christians.

For instance, the compound of my colleague, the Archbishop of Jos, was attacked a couple of weeks back, and one of his friends was killed. The Minister has rightly said how complex the situation is.

Continuing, he said: “But can she answer more specifically

on what assistance the UK Government can give in the short term to strengthen the government of Nigeria in their role of enforcing security and local mediation; in the medium term, to ensure reconciliation, which will enable the lives and economies of farmers and herders to be protected; and, in the long term, actively and tangibly to support regional efforts to combat the effects of climate change – the development of desertification, which is exacerbating ancient rivalries?”

Also speaking during the latest debate, a lawmaker, Baroness Goldie, argued that the Buhari regime had to do more to safeguard lives.

She noted, “My Lords, we remain concerned by clashes involving pastoralists and farmers...We have raised our concerns at federal and state government levels. Urgent action is needed by the Nigerian authorities to prevent further loss

of life.”

Cardinal Onaiyekan in the interview which was posted on the Vatican’s news website lamented the fact that despite the Catholic bishops’ request a month ago to the government to take action following brutal attacks on Christians in Benue State, nothing has been done.

“Between last month and today, nothing much has changed.

Killings are still going on and there is no sign the government is taking effective measures to change the situation.... Therefore, we are left with the only option to believe that the government is either incapable or unwilling,” he concluded.

The debate and Onaiyekan’s interview took place days after the publication of a report by the Stefanos Foundation that claimed the death toll from the Plateau attacks was about three times more than was earlier reported.

According to the foundation, 233 people were killed and 15

US STATE DEPT: CORRUPTION, INCONSISTENT REGULATIONS PERVASIVE IN NIGERIA information on the business climates of more than 170 countries including Nigeria.

“Nigeria’s full market potential remains unrealised because of significant impediments such as pervasive corruption, inadequate power and transportation infrastructure, high energy costs, an inconsistent regulatory and legal environment, insecurity, a slow and ineffective bureaucracy and judicial system, and inadequate intellectual property rights protections and enforcement.... Nigeria’s underdeveloped power sector remains a particular bottleneck to broad-based economic development,” it said.

The report prepared by the US economic officers stationed in embassies and posts around

the world examined matters like investment, legal and regulatory systems, dispute resolution, transparency, responsible business conduct, and corruption.

The document which acknowledged that Nigeria’s imports rose in 2017, largely as a result of the country’s gradual recovery from the 2015 economic recession, noted that US goods exports to Nigeria in that year were $2.16 billion, up nearly 60 per cent from the previous year.

While US imports from Nigeria were $7.05 billion, an increase of 68.7 per cent, it disclosed that “US exports to Nigeria are primarily refined petroleum products, used vehicles, cereals, and machinery.”

The US government further claimed: “Maritime criminality

in Nigerian waters, including incidents of piracy and crew kidnap for ransom, has increased in recent years and law enforcement efforts have been limited or ineffectual.

Onshore, international inspectors have voiced concerns over the adequacy of security measures at some Nigerian port facilities.

Businesses report that bribery of customs and port officials remains common to avoid delays, and smuggled goods routinely enter Nigeria's seaports and cross its land borders.”

The pointed out that corruption and lack of transparency in tender processes has been a far greater concern to US companies than any discriminatory policies based on foreign status.

It noted, “Government

tenders are published in local newspapers, a ‘tenders’ journal sold at local newspaper outlets, and on occasionally in foreign journals and magazines. The Nigerian government has made modest progress on its pledge to conduct open and competitive bidding processes for government procurement.

“Reforms have also improved transparency in procurement by the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC). Although US companies have won contracts in a number of sectors, difficulties in receiving payment are not uncommon and can inhibit firms from bidding.”

It further stated that agencies created to promote industrial exports were burdened by uneven management, vaguely-

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

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SUNDAY COMMENT

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

DISTURBING TREND IN EKITI ELECTION Vote buying is eroding the legitimacy of elections and endangering the democratic process

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hile the gubernatorial election in Ekiti State has come and gone, it is very worrisome that by most credible accounts, votes were traded openly as chieftains of both y the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) turned the exercise to one big bazaar. Yet, the use of money to manipulate electoral outcomes is not only a violation of the law, it also constitutes an abuse of the constitutional right of the people to choose their leaders in a free, fair and credible manner.

The report of the coalition of local and international observers on the election attested a prevalence of The issues of vote to breaches that the buying, financial authorities should do well to guide inducement against in future and the general elections. One of deployment of the observers, Mrs. cash to game the Virginia Marumoaelectoral process Gae, of the United are dangerous to States’ International Republican Institute (IRI) the survival of painted a disgraceful our democracy. picture of how the slogan, "see and buy” was used All critical to lure voters to show stakeholders their thumb printed ballot must come papers in exchange for together to find money. A local observer, a solution to the Gabriel Nwambu, of the Centre for Credible challenge Leadership and Citizens Awareness, Abuja, said "party agents had huge cash and were close to voting points (while) security agents were indifferent to cash inducement of voters.”

In a tacit confirmation of this ugly development, a national commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and chair of its legal services committee, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu said politicians involved in the sordid practice “were clever,” about it. “INEC is taking issue of vote buying very seriously. I am just coming as part of the supervising national commissioners for Ekiti and these things oc-

Letters to the Editor

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cur,” said Agbamuche-Mbu. “We are having another conference on electoral offences.

Vote buying is another electoral offence and we are looking at ways to curb it. Politicians were clever in Ekiti. We will go back and see how we can stop vote buying with the best of our ability.”

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S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITORS OLAWALE OLALEYE, TOBI SONIYI 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 DIRECTORS ERIC OJEH, PATRICK EIMIUHI ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR SAHEED ADEYEMO CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

e are delighted that INEC is not living in denial about this ugly development that is making a mockery of democracy as contestants engage one another in financial shoot-outs to secure power at all costs. As we have reiterated on this page several times, elections need not to be a zero-sum game that would involve the deployment of cash as was done in the Ekiti gubernatorial election last week. We must of course add that such recourse to financial inducement is not new in Nigeria, only that the entrepreneurs of votebuying have now become very brazen.

On Friday, the Ekiti State Police Command arraigned 10 persons before an AdoEkiti Chief Magistrate’s Court for alleged vote buying at the election. The police prosecutor told the court that the accused persons offered money to voters to induce them to vote for their parties during the election. The action, according to him, contravened Section 130 (a) and 130 (b) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended). Ordinarily, we should commend the move but given the environment under which we operate, we hope it is not another weapon for the harassment of the opposition by the APC that was as guilty as the PDP it defeated at the Ekiti State poll.

It is indeed sad that our democracy has today lost its shape essentially because the political parties want to be democratic in a manner that advances only the personal interests of some leaders and not that of the society. Yet until Nigerian politicians begin to imbibe a culture that reflects and promotes good governance, transparency and accountability, our democracy will remain imperilled. The issues of vote buying, financial inducement and the general deployment of cash to game the electoral process are dangerous to the survival of our democracy. All critical stakeholders must come together to find a solution to the challenge.

Meanwhile, aside the use of money, the excessive deployment of police and military personnel in Ekiti State last week made the election look more like a regimental operation. Yet, when victory becomes conquest, defeat can only breed bitterness and deepen insecurity in a divided polity such as ours.

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 (950- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.

Moghalu: The Heart of The Matter

rofessor Kingsley Moghalu, one of Nigeria’s finest minds, is at it again and as usual, he is so apt this time. The thing about this mastermind is his capacity to identify the crux of the matter, as well as proffer applicable practical solutions. But the challenge is that we really do not pay attention to the right counsel. Please read “Now is the time” on the back page of Business Day’s Opinion. He and other like minds have been spearheading the way forward for us as a nation for so long. We can no longer afford to ignore their recommendations any more.

There are far better approaches to governance than bloodshed, terrorism, mass

murder, insecurity of lives and property, poverty, cultural and religious discrimination, halfbaked education, corruption, etc. Our heroes past laid down their lives for this nation. Will their labour be in vain?

Just as enjoyed by other countries, good governance is our fundamental right as a nation. Nigeria has all it takes to take its rightful place in the world. We are tired of being disrespected by neighbours both far and near. We are tired of being labelled corrupt. We are tired of being labelled lazy.

Nigerians, both young and old, deserve a good history and future and now is the time.

The fabric of our society has never been so fractured by its very own. We once had strong values, qualities and a life

envied by many. What went wrong? How did we descend so low to be trampled upon even by the dogs we once fed?

How come those whom we preferred to feed on our best tables rather than hand down our crumbs now turn around to mock us openly for years?

How did Nigeria become an object of mockery among nations? Is this how the story will remain? Is there no way out?

We are all responsible for allowing a drop of oil soil our land. It is that oil that has now tainted and permeated every aspects of our society.

We need not agree to tear our precious garment into pieces, no. We need not settle for less and a life of uncertainty in our own land. We need not agree that our youths are desperate,

lazy, hardened criminals, drug peddlers, asylum seekers, etc., as observed by the world. We have all it takes to change this story and now is the time.

Gone are the days of our “siddon look” attitude. It’s a new dawn, a new era which beckons on all Nigerians both home and abroad to arise, lend their hands, voice and action so that we can unanimously rebuild our nation’s fallen walls again. Gone are the days of deception, lies and empty promises. Gone are the days of pretence and “I don’t care attitude”. Gone are the days of “I live abroad, so it’s none of my business.” As long as you have the blood of Nigeria flowing inside of you whether directly and indirectly, this is a wake-up call to serve our Fatherland. We cannot continue to play the “ostrich” yet expect things to work. Nigeria is our land. Our

nation belongs to us all and now is the time to prove this right.

All we need is just one man, our hands on deck and our voice backing him strongly, as we rebuild our walls back to a superior glory than the former. There were nations once worse than us and they came through it. Nigeria can come through too, if we all unite for this common cause. It’s Nigeria, a fertile land of peace and progress.

This glory must be restored and now is the time.

In our diversity lies our strength which is what must unite us.

Nigeria has lots of highly cerebral, visionary and transformational individuals both home and abroad who can midwife our hopes into fruition, if we are audacious enough. Now is the time.

––– Nkeiruka Abanna, abanayar@yahoo.com

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

NEWS

News Editor Abimbola Akosile E-mail: abimbola.akosile@thisdaylive.com, 08023117639 (sms only)

We’re Not Involved in Establishment of National Carrier, AMCON Clarifies

tTo publish names of recalcitrant debtors this week tCorporation’s Amended Act to be ready before December Kunle Aderinokun The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has dismissed insinuations that it is planning to use the assets of Aero Contractors and Arik Air, two troubled airlines under its management, to establish a

national carrier.

AMCON has also said it would publish names of recalcitrant debtors this week, noting that this will follow its earlier publication by way of advertisement calling on debtors to renegotiate their debts or face the consequences.

The Managing Director of AMCON, Mr. Ahmed Kuru made the clarifications in an interview with THISDAY recently, noting that it even made no sense to create a national carrier from a crisis-ridden airline.

He dismissed suggestions that the takeover of Aero and

Arik was part of a plan to merge the two airlines and convert them to the national carrier.

Kuru said he wasneverinvited “to discuss any plan to convert or merge the airlines’ assets for the purpose of establishing a national carrier.”

Kuru said: “Nigerians like

PAYING LAST RESPECTS

L-R: Former Kebbi State Governor, Sen. Adamu Aliero, his successor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, APC National Leader, Sen. Bola Tinubu, Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Farouk Umar, former Sokoto State Governor, Sen. Aliyu Wamakko and former Zamfara State Governor, Sen. Sani Yerima after the burial of former Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie on Friday in Katsina

conspiracy theories. We love conspiracy theories. If today AMCON is going to use Arik and Aero to create a national carrier, there will be any apology around it because the assets belong to AMCON. “Such plans will be hidden and it will be in the interest of the organisation. However, there has never been any discussion – formally or informally – about converting those assets into a national carrier.

“Nobody has ever invited me or called me to talk about the idea of the national carrier or bringing AMCON’s assets to establish a nationalcarrier.Numbertwo,even if I had been called, I would have advised against it.

“You do not want to create a national carrier with all the problems you have in Arik and Aero.

How can you set up a national carrier from crisis? AMCON is not part of any national carrier plans.

It’s not even in the national interest to do that.”

The Minister of State, Aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika had said the proposed national airline for the country would be unveiled in December. Sirika disclosed this in a statement by the ministry’s Deputy Director, Media and Public Affairs, James Odaudu.

He said there “is no doubt that the issue of national carrier for Nigeria is very close to the hearts of both the government and the people, which is the reason it has taken the option of

a Public Private Partnership with the belief that it was the only way to deliver a national carrier that would stand the test of time.”

But preparatory to the actualisation of the national carrier proposal, there have been speculations that Aero and Arik are being slated as the airlines whose assets the government would convert to achieve the purpose.

AMCON, however, insisted that it was not part of such arrangement, though confirming that its plan “to divest in Aero and Arik were in top gear.”

Specifically, Kuru pointed out: “For Aero, we have gone very far. We are almost concluding. For Arik, we’re almost 55 per cent (near completion). Like I always say, if the owner as of today comes to tell us, ‘OK, take this money,’ we’ll give consideration to that.

“We will not take over any business and give it to somebody that we know will just rubbish it.

However, we believe that there are certain businesses based on the amount that the people will pay for those businesses, they will not play with it.

“Therefore, it is important to us that Arik and Aero survive because they are very strategic airlines.

Thatiswhyweareensuringthatwe get very good buyers – people that are strong in the industry; people that can add value to it. We have gone very far. For Aero, we have gone 90 per cent. For Arik, we are around 55 per cent.”

Melaye: Police Wanted Me Dead at all Cost Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja The Chairman of Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Sen. Dino Melaye yesterday alleged that the Nigeria Police wanted him dead at all cost following an attack on his convoy at Mopa-Amuro in Kogi State last Thursday.

He made the allegation in

a statement his media assistant, Mr. Gideon Ayodele issued after the Kogi State Police Command said the police officers, who were on duty were shot at severally by Melaye’s security guards.

Melaye explained what happened on the fateful day, noting that while returning from Isanlu, some armed police officers stopped his car, which

he said, was next to the vehicle of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) leading his convoy and starting shooting his vehicle.

He noted that the police stopped the vehicle of the civil defence corps arrested them and suddenly opened fire on my vehicle including my back up vehicle.

He said: “We all have to run for our dear lives. They continue to shoot at my Jeep. Apart from the officers of the NSCDC, there were no other security men in my convoy.

“All these were happening in spite of my earlier letter to the Kogi State Police Command informing them of my plan to commission my projects across

the seven local government councils. My lawyer also wrote them and they acknowledged the letters.”

The senator alleged that the Kogi State Police Commissioner, Mr. Ali Janga was economical with the truth, noting that no body from my convoy exchanged gun battle with the police.

According to him, police alleged that it was the last vehicle in my convoy that contained security men shot the police. This is a big lie. If it is so, why was it that nobody was arrested?

He said: “The vehicle they were talking about was never shot. Why was it that it was my car that was next to civil defence vehicle that was attacked?

UK Envoy Urges FG to Move Beyond Mobile Phone Subscribers Now over 163m, Says Osinbajo International Hand-outs Bayo Akinloye United Kingdom’s International Development Secretary, Penny Mordaunt, has said Britain’s support to Nigeria is to help the country develop its capacities and move beyond receiving charitable gifts from developed nations. Mordaunt said this in a statement made available to THISDAY on Saturday. He said the Nigerian government should be committed to utilising the country’s resources for the improvement of the people’s lives and reduction of poverty among the masses.

The statement said, “The UK has a key role to play in ensuring Nigeria, one of the fastest growing countries in the world, has a bright, stable and prosperous future. We are working to help Nigeria invest in its people and create more jobs and giving

it a future beyond aid.

“British expertise in tax collection is ensuring Nigeria can build better schools and health centres. Nigeria is our trading partner. Together we are working towards a mutually prosperous future, which is firmly in Nigeria’s, but also the UK’s national interest.”

Itadded,“InAbuja,Mordaunt also met with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to further strengthen UK-Nigeria relations and sought commitments from him on using Nigerian resources effectively to reduce poverty, and on resolving the humanitarian crisis in the North-east.”

The envoy, who was on a visit to Nigeria, hailed the cooperation between her country and Nigeria and announced a UK aid to help Nigerian rural communities become self-sufficient.

Mordaunt praised the close partnership between the UK

and Nigeria, saying it has helped the country to lay solid foundations for a sustainable future.

During her first visit, the diplomat toured rural communities in Kaduna State in the north of the country. She announced extended support to the Propcom scheme, which, with UK aid funding, will support the livelihoods of farmers in some of the poorest parts of rural Nigeria and open up market access as well as provide simple, effective innovations, such as 2p vaccinations, to protect the health of the chickens these communities rely on.

She also witnessed the huge difference UK tax-collecting expertise was making in northern Nigeria. Thanks to the UKsupported tax collection system, Kaduna State now has more money to spend on hospitals and schools, the statement added.

than Governments. Aliko Dangote’s investment in a 650 thousand barrel a day refinery, subsea pipeline and fertilizer plant is in excess of $16billon,” he said.

Osinbajo also told the gathering that new foreign investment has risen from $908.2 million in the first quarter of 2017 to $4.1billion in the third quarter 2017, representing over 150 per cent growth from the first quarter of 2017 adding that fresh capital inflow in 2017 stood at $12,228,24billion, thus implying a growth of 138.6 per cent in 2017.

Disclosing that BUA, a cement and sugar conglomerate, has in the past two years, invested over $2billion in cement factories and equally enhancing a sugar facility, Osinbajo added that the country had conceived the idea of special economic zones to serve as the platform for the provision of all required infrastructure and regulatory facilitation to deliver

expedited productivity adding that the nation’s oil and gas free zones already have over $20billion investments.

He added: “Again, these zones allow 100 per cent foreign ownership and 100 per cent repatriation of capital and profits.

A shining example is the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Free Zone, (LADOL) which has invested already over $600million in private investment and outlined plans to attract more investments up to $5billion into the country through its industrial free zones.

“In broadband infrastructure, for example, MAIN ONE company, founded by Nigerianborn Funke Opeke, launched West Africa’s first privately owned submarine cable barely seven years ago. The cable was built over a 2-year period and the initial investment of $240million was financed entirely by African investors, and the project broke

even in just 2 years after launch.”

Furthermore, the vicepresident who said Flutterwave invested $10 million in the country, added that Konga, an online shop, invested impressive $25million, which he described as the second biggest amount raised by an African start-up business in Africa, adding: “Andela, another of our leading tech brands attracted equity investment from Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg.”

Further disclosing that Lagos witnessed over $100million local and international venture capital fund investments in 2017 alone, Osinbajo described the Lagos Mega City project “as a shining example of proven successes and great potential of the ICT sector in Nigeria, with its high quality and relatively lower cost talent, as well as its strong community of incubators, accelerators and development communities.”

T H I S D AY ˾ SUNDAY JULY 22, 2018

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T H I S D AY ˾ ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

T H I S D AY ˾ SUNDAY JULY 22, 2018

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ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͯͶ ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

OPINION Soyinka At 84: A Birthday Dialogue Ikeogu Oke argues that it is sometimes better to be discreet than to tell the bare truth “Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes.”

– Walt Whitman

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ole Soyinka needs no introduction to any enlightened person who has lived on our planet in the past 50 years or thereabouts.

He wears one of the most recognisable faces on terra firma, a visage that grips your memory irretrievably like those of a Goethe, a Gandhi, a Tolstoy, an Einstein, etc.

He is also one of the world’s most controversial and admired personalities, thanks to his decades-long involvement in the fight for justice and his dedication to advancing of the cause of humanity.

Playwright, poet, novelist, essayist, indefatigable social, moral, political and culture activist, winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature, and the first black person and African to achieve that – and this is for those who may still need that unnecessary introduction – he turned 84 on July 13, 2018.

In anticipation of his attaining this new ripe age, I had thought of the best way to celebrate the event. And rather than merely felicitate with him, as he eminently deserves, I have chosen to initiate this “birthday dialogue” with his recent critics, especially young people who question his moral legacy by accusing him of inconsistency, with seeming deviation from his principles, due to some recent opinions he has expressed on some national issues.

I had had the singular privilege of meeting him at the recent J. P. Clark International Conference held at the University of Lagos from July 11-14, 2018, where he delivered the keynote speech entitled “Othello’s Lament: The Migrant Rues the Waves”, after my performance of a poem entitled “The Muse of Our Predicament” in honour of the celebrant, Prof. J. P. Clark, his friend, contemporary, fellow playwright and one of our country’s most valuable writers, and a man whose kindness I have experienced and have heard others attest to.

It was not my first time of meeting Prof. Soyinka. I had met him earlier as the rapporteur of the “Dialogue on Civilisations, Religions and Cultures in West Africa” sponsored by UNESCO and held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, from December 15-17, 2003, where he delivered a speech entitled “Harmonising through Faith”, which became part of the proceedings from the three-day event that I would later compile and edit for publication by UNESCO.

But our recent meeting was particularly important to me due to two events that preceded it. One was my telling a lady of my recent acquaintance of the expected meeting who said to me, “When you meet him tell him to stop lying to us.” The other was a Facebook post, by a certain Teekay Akin Arabambi, which I stumbled on a few days before my trip to Lagos, which read, “What has Wole Soyinka done for Nigeria, apart from the books, fancy speeches and marches?”

Besides, I believed, in a rather mystical way, that spending time in the ambience of his proximity could facilitate my execution of this dialogue, in response to such critics of his.

As I told the said lady, I think what she described as Soyinka “lying to us” are rather cases of Soyinka speaking with discretion about issues of which speaking the naked truth could make bad situations worse, as only a foolish old man holds “the truth” so sacrosanct that he feels compelled to tell it, even though speaking with discretion is clearly the better option, especially as it may mitigate a dangerous situation.

The Igbo illustrate this with their famous folktale about an old man being booed by children pointing at a bag slung over his shoulder, alleging that a fowl he has stolen is in the bag. As the old man walks down a bush path he sees a fellow old man and invites him to look into the bag and confirm if there is any fowl in it.

The old man, apparently deeming it better to save a fellow old man from being disgraced in public by little children and cautioning him against stealing the fowl afterwards, looks into the bag and says there is no fowl there, whereupon the children walk away in confusion.

And the following hypothetical example may better illustrate to the lady that responding with such discretion as the second old man – as I believe Soyinka has done to some recent national issues – is wiser and more appropriate than telling the bare truth under certain

Imagine an American, especially an educated African American, questioning what Toni Morrison has done for America. Or an educated Briton raising doubts about what J. K. Rowling has done for Britain. Or a German or Russian with some education wondering what Goethe or Tolstoy did for their respective countries

circumstances.

Assuming she is my neighbour and, returning home one evening, I overheard two strange men threatening to do someone who bears her name serious harm if they met her at home. Then, having to leave home unexpectedly by dusk, two men meet me near our premises and ask me if she lives there or is at home, and I recognise them as the same men who had threatened to harm her. Would she expect me to answer “yes”, even though that would amount to telling the truth, and put her life at risk?

Suffice it to add that the two scenarios I have painted above can apply to any sphere of life. And that those possibly unable to appreciate life as deep and complex may ascribe a lie or change of principles to someone whose response to some of their manifestations does not reflect the literal truth. And that’s if we must discountenance the fact that an esemplastic, eclectic, deep and complex mind such as we can ascribe to Soyinka, a “large” mind that “contains multitude’s” such as the great American poet Walt Whitman attributes to himself in my above epigraph, must contradict himself occasionally. In fact, holding on to an opinion even after one has found reason to change it is not a virtue. It is a vice that hints at bigotry, a disease of the mind symptomised by its rigidity.

And when Walt Whitman says, “…I contradict myself, I am large,” does he not imply that only small people are incapable of self-contradiction? Is Soyinka small?

As for the cynical inquiry about what Soyinka has “done for Nigeria, apart from the books, fancy speeches and marches”, I think it should worry us that it is coming from a seemingly educated young Nigerian who, by examining other countries, should appreciate how those who produce or have produced art and ideas at the highest levels like Soyinka contribute to the prestige of their countries in the eyes of the civilised world.

Imagine an American, especially an educated African American, questioning what Toni Morrison has done for America. Or an educated Briton raising doubts about what J. K. Rowling has done for Britain. Or a German or Russian with some education wondering what Goethe or Tolstoy did for their respective countries. And that’s in a world where a certain writer from the West was said to have taunted Africans to point to their Homer, Shakespeare, etc., as proof that they amount to much like other peoples who have produced such great writers, a gap that Soyinka and a few of his likes can fill in Nigeria’s case.

The question is a sign that we need to rein in such young people, tame their irreverence, educate them properly, and infuse them with the right values.

–– Oke is a poet, writer and the winner of the 2017

Do We Need More of Tinubu’s Tigers?

Yes. Tinubu has impacted positively on Lagos and the country at large, argues Idowu Omisore

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or a long time I wondered at the term “Asian Tigers”, whenever I come across it in different kinds of literature. In the chrysalis of my imagination, I made conjectures about the meaning of the phrase. But one day, I took time to do a little research, and that ended my wrestle with the enigmatic expression. Asian Tigers, also referred to as Asian Dragons, are four in number: Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.

The world was mesmerised between the early 1960s and 1990s, when these four countries grew phenomenally into high growth economies and evolved into highly developed countries with a remarkably educated and dynamic workforce. Within a space of three decades, the four tigers experienced an astronomical growth which they have somewhat sustained. Aside from the fact the tiger is the biggest specie of the cat family, I also learnt that the tiger uniquely symbolises strength and power in the Asian culture, hence the phrase “Asian Tigers”.

Coming from Asia to the African continent, to the world’s most populous black nation, Nigeria, which interestingly gained independence in 1960, the same year the Asian tigers started taking their quantum leaps, one is faced with a paradox. How can a resource-rich republic still be in the grips of poverty? For a country that will be celebrating six decades of political independence in 2020, development has been at a snail's pace. At the centre of this negative narrative is the dearth of visionary leaders and absence of good governance. Since independence, we have had a lot of leaders at the federal, state and local government levels but no clear-cut and consistent developmental progress has been made. At a point in our history as a nation, the Western Region headed by Chief Obafemi Awolowo was arguably the most advanced in terms of development. Free education scheme was introduced; free health care for children; first television station in Africa was built; the first skyscraper in tropical Africa: the Cocoa House; the Nigerian Tribune, the oldest surviving private Nigerian newspaper founded plus many other achievements.

As recently noted by social commentator, Bola Ahmed Tinubu took over from legendary Awolowo as the political chaperone of the Yorubas. Another columnist described him as ”…the toast of Nigerian politics; the man who had stitched together the contraption called the All Progressives Congress (APC) almost single handedly, to score the

first major upset of a sitting African President. No exaggeration of his political sagacity and his brilliance and strategy was regarded as excessive…” If there is one political colossus that has a tremendous number of followers, admirers, mentees, it is Tinubu.

No one is saying he is a saint. How many saints do we have on Nigeria’s political firmament? After Awolowo, there’s hardly any other Yoruba figure that has magnetised a fantastic followership across the nation. Fondly called “Jagaban” or “Asiwaju”, his political sagacity, philanthropy, negotiating skills, peacemaking and ability to identify potential are attributes that have endeared him to the populace. Critical to this piece is Jagaban’s forte with spotting, refining and releasing a talent. From 1999, he started making conspicuous moves and concerted efforts to audaciously change our negative narrative by introducing his protégées - a streak of transformational tigers - into our political space.

Tinubu’s mesmeric ripples started with the commissioners he selected as Governor of Lagos State; the appreciable progress witnessed in the state over the years even after he left power has proved that he could spot talents. Ability to perform was more important than religion and state of origin. Tinubu brought his former Chief of Staff, Babatunde Raji Fashola, to the fore despite the torrent of reservations. History is a witness that Fashola set a new paradigm for governance in the country. Hitting the ground running with Tinubu’s template; he and his team made giant strides across different sectors. At a point, people were coming from other states to learn the secrets of governance in Lagos.

Fashola was the poster boy of Buhari-Osinbajo’s successful election campaign and his voice was believable. He sold the APC’s message of change, the electorate bought it. Just when people were wondering who could step into the sagacious shoes of Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode came on board and has silenced critics with his amazing developmental drive across the state, particularly in the area of road infrastructure. As I noted in my earlier piece titled Dividends: Brightening up Democracy, “…Ambode comes across as a leader with a burning desire to make a colossal difference, though he has focused heavily on road infrastructure – a smart decision.

People like to see tangibles. With visible road projects, it is very easy to score cheap points with the electorate.

This is not to say that Ambode has not recorded milestone

achievements in other sectors. This writer does not wish to repeat the long list of his laudable landmarks or the litany of reasons advanced by his teeming second-term endorsers but one accomplishment that is right in the face of everyone is the delightsome improvements in transport infrastructure. His consistency in this direction is noteworthy considering the positive multiplier effect on the standard of living of the people and commerce, generally speaking.”

Ambode’s vision is toward building Lagos into Africa's third largest economy by 2020. By and large, Tinubu’s talents are making impact in the South West and beyond. This is not to say that they have addressed all the teeming problems but their approach to governance is always positively different. Apart from the likes of Vice-President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), Babatunde Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode, Abiola Ajimobi, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Dr. Kayode Fayemi who are perceived as Tinubu’s protégées, there are many others - unsung leaders, technocrats and influencers - that are making their mark at the federal, state and local government. Leaders who cannot mentor and raise good successors have missed the whole point of leadership.

Some have argued that Tinubu imposes candidates during primaries, that he does not follow the principles of internal democracy and seeks his own interest(s). Others have said that he has converted Lagos to his personal estate, that he has undue influence on his protégées who are at the helm of affairs. Some people have called them stooges, but then, one is forced to ask if there is any phenomenal political personality without loyalist-followers? If Tinubu’s stooges have been making a notable difference, maybe we need more of his stooges in power. Undeniably, Tinubu must have his weaknesses, just like any man but his strengths have definitely done some good, not only to Lagos, but also to the country.

As election beckons, voters should exercise their sense of judgment to vote for the right candidate that has the credentials and character to deliver dividends of democracy. But if you ask me if we need more of Tinubu’s transformational tigers, I will answer in the affirmative. Our teeming problems may not be resolved in a jiffy but with a crystal clear developmental vision and the right people in power, we will soon join the Asian Tigers’ league.

––Omisore wrote from Lagos.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

LETTERS

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2019 AND ESSENCE OF THE COALITION

he sorrow in the land is becoming too palpable; the tears are flowing endlessly; hardship has become the hallmark of the nation and tyranny has become the signature of government. Nigerians, rather than pray for a good day pray for the prevention of a bad one, every day, as there is hardly any day that passes without the news of needless bloodshed in one part of the country or another perpetuated by criminal groups allegedly under the infamous tag of herdsmen terrorists.

If it was just the ineptitude and outright failure of government, Nigerians would probably have endured, but when the situation graduates from government exhibiting weakness to it condoning the wickedness of a murderous lot by constantly explaining away their genocidal acts and endlessly making excuses for them without any conscientious attempt to disarm, arrest and prosecute them, thereby leaving the people open to further attacks that are also beginning to spread to otherwise peaceful states like Sokoto, the people look unto men and women of goodwill and exceptional courage who are above the filthy reward for sycophancy and who cannot be swayed by

Yakubu, INEC Chairman

blind loyalty to such primordial considerations as ethnic affinity, political affiliation, religious consideration et al even if it means confronting the powers that be at the risk of endangerment to their personal liberty, safety, comfort and convenience.

It is these earnest expectations from the ordinary Nigerian who appears helpless and irredeemably hopeless in the dire situation that has compelled good

compassion-driven Nigerians to shed every atom of differences between them and come together to join forces to rescue the nation from its continued unchecked descent into anarchy and anomie.

With the enormous wealth and all our nation’s security architecture including the military and police under the direct and unfettered control of the federal government, and the steely determination of the cabal in Aso Rock to hold on

to power beyond 2019, thereby elongating the hardship of Nigerians and probably lead the country into avoidable implosion, it would be foolhardy for Nigerians of good conscience from all walks of life not to bury their differences and come together to form a force that is capable of saving Nigeria and Nigerians from the stranglehold of those holding her down and further tearing her into smithereens.

That is why Monday, July 9, 2018, will remain a memorable day in the annals of Nigeria’s history as the day a coalition of rescue and redemption was formed by 39 leading political parties under the auspices of Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), with the main aim of stemming the tide of the rising orgy of killings across the land.

While few might erroneously conclude that the coalition has only been formed just for the sake of grabbing power for its sake, such people have allowed the altruistic import of the reason for the coalition to elude them. This is because far beyond power, if the current APC-led federal government had only failed in the management of the nation’s economy, embarked on a lopsided anti-corruption onslaught, descend with vindictiveness upon political opposition members and those with

Ugwuanyi’s Supreme Court Victory

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he Supreme Court judgement that ended more than three years of pre-election litigation, involving Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Senator Ayogu Eze, finally came on 6th July, 2018. The apex court verdict has terminated the job of rumour mill in the state, which had used the governorship legal tussle to create unnecessary media frenzy and hoodwink gullible minds. There had never been any doubt on who was the authentic PDP Governorship candidate in Enugu State in the 2015 election. Senator Ayogu Eze merely used the judicial exercise to remain politically relevant, even when it was obvious that he was on a wild goose chase.

As much as Gov. Ugwuanyi did not allow the Ayogu Eze’s charade to distract him from governance while it lasted, it is a great relief not only to the government of Enugu State, but the entire people of the eastern capital state. Gov. Ugwuanyi should see this judgment as a wake-up call to redouble his efforts towards the development of the state. Enugu State deserves the best of good governance at this point in time.

We cannot be left behind in a fast changing world. Political crisis is the least of things the coal city state needs now. All of us cannot be governors at a time. It must be one person at a time. Those who cannot get it today may be lucky tomorrow.

Senator Ayogu Eze should prepare to contest 2019 governorship election in the state, if he believes he has the popular-

ity, financial war chest and formidable political structure to unravel the sitting governor. He should spare the peaceful state unnecessary distraction and tension. He should desist from allegedly sponsoring unnecessary media propaganda against the governor. 2019 election is almost at the corner, he should look for an alternative platform to pursue his governorship ambition, if he still has what it takes to make any visible impact in the political chess board of the state. But I doubt if he will. I don’t think he is still a force to reckon with in his senatorial zone—incidentally, where the governor comes from, let alone making inroads in the entire three senatorial districts that make up the state.

The Supreme Court, which represents the conscience of Nigerian judiciary, should also be commended for upholding the mandate given to Governor Ugwuanyi by the good people of Enugu State. Those who want to recreate ChibuikeAmeachi’s scenario in Enugu State have been ridiculed by this sound judgement. Nigerian constitution and Electoral Act have all been amended to reflect the current political realities, as well as the aspirations of the people. No one will be declared a candidate of a political party for an election, by any known constitutional court without participating in the party primaries. Similarly, no aspirant will be pronounced winner of any election without going through the whole electoral process. This is where Senator Ayogu Eze was busted

by the Supreme Court. All his grandstanding collapsed in the face of the law. He cannot reprobate and approbate at the same time. He cannot build something on nothing.

The import of this ruling is that someone will no longer gate-crash into Lion Building as Enugu governor. The rumour mill has closed shop. Mischief makers have been demoralised.

Un-interrupted peace and tranquillity being enjoyed in the state will continue.

Developmental strides of the governor will not be truncated.

There will not be heightened political tension in the state in the build up to next year’s general elections. The APC can no longer takeover Enugu State via the backdoor. 2019 governorship contest in the state is for the PDP to be taken.

Governor Ugwuanyi has also been emboldened to kick-start his 2019 re-election campaign in earnest. The political calculations have been left unaltered.

Those on vendetta mission to Government House have been grounded and incapacitated.

The Gburugburu Movement is gathering serious momentum ahead of 2019 elections.

I will also commend the governor for maintaining unparalleled calmness and focus in the midst of huge distraction posed by this just concluded legal tussle, while it lasted. Only few people who are ardent followers of political developments in the state knew that the governor was still battling political rivals in court, few months to the next governorship election while running the state seamlessly

and unperturbed. Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has proved beyond reasonable doubt that he possesses mental fortitude, emotional intelligence and psychological strength to remain stable in the middle of the storm and so much distraction.

He did not allow the protracted election litigations to interfere with his developmental programmrs in the state.

The most astonishing of all is that he played down the pre-election litigation as inconsequential, without allowing it to become subject of political discourse in the state.

The Supreme Court judgment just confirmed that narrative—that there was no cause for alarm in the first place.

Governor Ugwuanyi is indeed a walking strategy, especially on how to walk through political landmines without getting hurt or traumatised. I think he deserves an honorary PhD on political crisis management. Politicians in the state can attest to his diplomatic prowess and leadership skill in harmonizing all the diverse political interests in the state, to the point of compromise and consensus, which has sustained peace in the coal city, unlike what was obtainable in the past, especially any year preceding general elections. All politicians of good conscience in the state should rally around the governor in developing the state. I implore all to place the collective destiny of Enugu State above their individual political interests.

–– Nwobodo Chidiebere, Abuja

dissenting voices, ridicule our judiciary and constitution by selectively obeying court orders among other acts of flagrant disregard for the rule of law, holding institutions of state particularly the legislature in odious disdain among other serious infractions, Nigerians would not have been so dissatisfied.

But when a government fails, neglects and or refuses to carry out its primary responsibility of protecting lives and property of the citizens especially when the rampaging terrorists have not hidden their identities or intent and even boast of causing more bloodshed and still goes ahead to do it unchallenged, citizens are left with no choice but to do everything within the law to oust such a rudderless government.

Political leaders like the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe, Dino Melaye, Shehu Sani, Ben Bruce, Isa Misau, Suleiman Hunkuyi, Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara, Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Peter Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, former minister of aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, Dr John Danfulani, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Reformed APC (R-APC), Charly Boy’s Our Mumu Don Do Movement, Deji Adeyanju’s Concerned Nigeria among other individuals, organisations and groups, have been in the forefront of the fierce battle to checkmate the nation’s free descent into a jungle where life is not only

meaningless but also brutish and short under President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.

For standing against tyranny, fighting for the people and upholding the sanctity of our institutions, these people and many more Nigerians have suffered undue harassment, intimidation, dragged before the courts on trumped up charges for which many have been discharged and acquitted and tear-gassed unnecessarily; the judiciary attacked, the legislature maligned and the ordinary citizens killed, with even apex religious organisations like the Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN) subjected to all manner of insults and abuse by the presidency, it was time to take the battle for the soul of Nigeria to the next level.

The coming of CUPP is a relief to many Nigerians who had wondered where, with all the intimidation and persecution of political opponents and human rights activists, their help would come from? With the formidable set up of the APC, almost everyone knew that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to uproot the party at the 2019 general elections. But with the coalition of July 9, hope for a new Nigeria beckons, the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land has begun and there is optimism in the horizon.

It is a fulfilment of scripture that “Though darkness may endure for the night, joy comes in the morning”.

––Jude Ndukwe, jrndukwe@yahoo.co.uk

Challenges of Policing The Nigerian State

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ll over the world security agencies are established to perform some functions such as prevention and detention of crimes, protection of lives and property as well as enforcement of laws, among others.

In Nigeria, the Nigerian Police is the principal law enforcement agency with a staff strength of about 371,800.

The force consists of 35 state commands grouped into 12 zones and seven administrative organs.

That Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa with a population of about 174.2 million, is having just 371,800 police officers is worrisome.

The United Nations sets the approximate world's median of 300 police officers per 100,000 civilians. Countries such as China, India and the United States of America have about 1.6 million, 1.59 million and 0.91 million police officers respectively.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, in May, 2017, while delivering a paper at a two-day National Security Summit in Abuja, disclosed that the Nigeria Police requires additional 155,000 personnel to adequately provide security for the country.

With that obvious discrepancies in personnel coupled with other problems such as inappropriate policing, orientation and strategies with emphasis on reactive instead of proactive/ preventive measures, brutality against citizens including extrajudicial killings, corruption and extortion, as well as poor performance in crime prevention strategy, the Nigeria Police performs generally below the expected deliverables.

In cities like Lagos, armed hoodlums frequently strike at will, robbing, maiming and killing their victims. It is evident that sometimes houses on an entire street were raided for several hours without police coming on time to offer any assistance whatsoever. Also, during inter- ethnic conflicts, religious crises, extra-judicial killings by security agents are threat to public security.

Although all over the world, crime has been a subject of concern, but in Nigeria the situation is peculiar because the police that are saddled with the responsibility of protecting the lives of the citizens often times are found wanting and aiding and abetting criminals.

––Agunloye Adewunmi Bashiru, Executive Secretary, Atlanta-Lagos Sister Cities Committee

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T H I S D AY ˾ ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

T H I S D AY ˾ SUNDAY JULY 22, 2018

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ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͯͶ ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

INTERNATIONAL Donald Trump’s European Shuttle Diplomacy, and the Challenge of Diplomatic Etiquette and Denuclearisation

D

iplomacy is not simply about the art of negotiation or about a field of study. It is more about how to use it as an art and science to improve human and interstate relationships without the use of force. In other words, diplomacy is an instrument of détente. Its application cannot be predicated on trial or miscalculation. It is, more often than not, always built on precise strategic calculations and, therefore, has no room for error-making. Failure of diplomacy can only serve as a catalyst for further misunderstanding and belligerency.

Most unfortunately, however, the United States, the only surviving superpower, is constantly engaging in failing diplomacy.

President Donald Trump wants to makeAmerica great again, but without any preparedness to go by protocolar rules and diplomatic etiquette. By so doing, he is not only increasingly laying an unprecedented foundation for global insecurity, US global power and influence is also increasingly being challenged by other rising powers in international relations. Many factors explain the decline at the domestic and international levels.

At the domestic level, for instance, Beck Dorey-Stein, a former White House stenographer, who joined the White House staff in 2012, revealed that she resigned her appointment in early 2017 as a stenographer, because President Donald Trump is telling the people ofAmerica tissues of lies.As revealed, she ‘felt like President Trump was lying to theAmerican people and not even trying...to tell the truth. He wasn’t even going the extra mile to have the stenographers in the room’ where official meetings take place.

More important, Dorey-Stein has it that she could not be proud of where she worked anymore, because Donald Trump ‘does not like microphones near his face, which is difficult because, as a stenographer, we often had to do that.’ Besides, ‘his White House and his press office often didn’t include us in meetings... Even if there is a stenographer present, he doesn’t often say “check the transcript,” because the transcript will reveal the truth.’

And perhaps more interesting is the question Dorey-Stein raised: “Mr. Trump likes to call anyone who disagrees with him “fake news”... But if he is really the victim of so much inaccurate reporting, why is he so much averse to having the facts recorded and transcribed?’ (vide Huffpost, Wednesday, July 18, 2018). With this domestic view of Donald Trump, the international perception of him, no matter how good, cannot but be negatively influenced.

This element of untruth-telling is also internationally reflected at the summit meeting of President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader in Singapore on June 12, 2018. Before the summit, Donald Trump said denuclearisation should and would start ‘without delay.’After the summit, which he described as quite successful, he declared that the process of denuclearisation will begin ‘very quickly’ or instantly. In fact, on June 13, 2018, Mr. Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, made it clear that the bulk of North Korea’s denuclearisation should be completed by the end of Donald Trump’s term in 2020.

But, most unfortunately however, on Tuesday, 17th July, 2018 Donald Trump began to sing a different tune entirely, by saying that there was no hurry to denuclearise North Korea.As he put it, ‘discussions are ongoing and they’re going very, very, well. We have no time limit. We have no speed limit.’ In fact, during his meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland on Monday, 16th July, 2018, Donald Trump declared that ‘President Putin is going to be involved in the sense that he is with us.’ When really can Donald Trump be seen as telling the truth or considered as having a mastery of the issues he raises for discussion?

Many more questions can be raised at this juncture: is the problem that of untruth-telling or that of myopic statements? Could it not be that Donald Trump did not factor in the likely impediments to denuclearisation to be created by countries like Russia, in such a way that, by the time Donald Trump recognises his gaffe or the impediments, he now has to change position? Whatever is the case, world’s perception of his official behaviour has not been all that complimentary (vide “Trump now says no “Time Limit” to Denuclearise North Korea, Agence France Presse, July 18, 2018).

And true enough, the US power appears to be on a gradual decline in light of the non-compromising attitude of the Russian Federation and North Korea’s conditionality for complete denuclearisation.As shown by the various diplomatic shuttles of Mr. Donald Trump in the past two weeks, US declining power was not only revealed, two other issues were also raised and do attract

VIE INTERNATIONALE with

Bola A. Akinterinwa Telephone : 0807-688-2846

e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

Trump

particular attention: breach of diplomatic etiquette and the myth of denuclearisation, and by further implication, the uncertainty of global security.

President Trump has paid visit to Brussels for the purposes of the NATO (NorthAtlantic Treaty Organisation) summit. He has also visited the United Kingdom and Helsinki in Finland in the quest for promotion of better bilateral ties. In the process of doing so, he has infuriated, more than he has attracted, people. He only succeeded in making enemies for his government and good people ofAmerica, mainly because of his little or no regard for protocol and etiquette.

Protocol and etiquette is a very critical issue in international relations. It is the guide to the conduct and management of interstate relations. Its non-observation can mar the making of warm relationships, as well as create unnecessary hostile irritants not often bargained for, but which have the potential to seriously damage existing good relationships, and therefore foster unfriendliness.

Protocol is about the regulation of the conduct and management of government activities and relations while etiquette deals with how the individuals charged with the responsibilities are required to handle the governmental and inter-governmental affairs. Protocol and etiquette is not only restricted to government’s mania of doing things or to official behaviour, but also extends to inter-personal interactions.

At the Brussel’s summit of the NATO, US policy stand made the summit very fractious, in the same way the Canada G-7 summit prompted France’s President Emmanuel Macron to re-coin the G-7 as G6+1, meaning six countries united against one.Again, in the US President’s visit to the United Kingdom and Finland, Donald Trump’s mania of conducting and managing his US foreign policy pronouncement in both countries was poor and incompatible with the required strategy and logic of makingAmerica great again.

In fact, the mania raised the unnecessary abuse of protocol and

Without doubt, Russo-American official relationship under Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin is predicated on a competitive philosophy, conducted on the basis of untruths, managed along difficult paths, and built on pursuit of divergent foreign policy objectives to the detriment of multilateral diplomacy and global peace and security. For instance, the US Congress legislated in July 2017 that the United States can‘never recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea by the Government of the Russian Federation.’The annexation is already a fait accompli, but its non-recognition does not prevent the existence of Crimea as part of Russia, who is most unlikely to revisit the annexation

diplomatic etiquette in international relations. The way Donald Trump is, indeed, conducting US diplomacy is not only increasing the velocity of self-destruction, and precipitating the decline of American power, contrarily to makingAmerican great again, but also serving as a catalytic agent of nuclearisation-induced global insecurity.

TheTiesandChallengeofDiplomaticEtiquette The relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom is generally described as ‘special.’And true, it is a Special Relationship since its first use in 1946 by Prime Minister Winston Churchill in a speech in many senses. First, Britain was formerly the colonial master until the 1861-1865American war of independence.

The ties are therefore necessarily inspirational. Secondly, Special Relationship as a concept, implies diversity in scope. It covers political, military, diplomatic, cultural, economic, scientific, technological, etc, cooperation. Thirdly, what makes the diversified areas of cooperation particularly special is the fact that the level of cooperation in its various areas, especially in terms of intelligence gathering and sharing, trade, military operations planning, nuclear weapons technology development, is considered ‘unparallel.’

What should be noted about the relationship is the extent to which it can remain special in the foreseeable future. Different factors are currently militating against the status of special relationship. It should be recalled that, under the administration of President Barack Obama, US relationship with Britain was not considered as one of first priority. In the eyes of President Obama, Germany was his ‘international closest partner.’

Besides, Obama had it that, in the event Britain leaves the European Union, there was no way Britain would not be at the ‘back of the queue’ in any trade deal with the United States.Additionally, majority of the British people see Donald Trump as either ‘a bad’ or ‘a terrible’ president. Thus, the status of Special Relationship is being tainted at the level of the people. It is in this context that the quest by the British Government under Mrs. Theresa May to seek and nurture ‘a New Special Relationship’ with the newly elected Donald Trump should be seen and understood.

And without doubt too, the extent of public protests against Donald Trump’s visit to Britain last week does not suggest that such a new special relationship can be in sight under Donald Trump administration, even though the visiting US president prefers to deceive himself and theAmericans that his ties with Theresa May is ‘the highest level of special.’ If the name, Theresa May, refers to her in her private individual capacity, the relationship can be admitted to be the highest level of ‘special’ relationship. If, on the contrary, it means symbol or representative of British government, the relationship cannot but be quite far from being the ‘highest of special’.A cursory look at the status quo of the relationship lends credence to this observation.

First, the British domestic environment of Trump’s visit to the UK was hostile for various reasons: Donald Trump breached international standard protocol according to which no country should intervene in the domestic affairs of other countries, especially over affairs which such other countries have exclusive competence.

Article 2 (7) of the United Nations Charter is very clear on this.

Donald Trump is on record to have supported Boris Johnson, an opposition leader, saying in a newspaper interview that he would have been a better Prime Minister. This is in spite of the fact that the same Donald Trump would, after the interview, begin to sing a new song of praise in honour of Prime Minister Theresa May. Besides, the British did not like Donald Trump’s disregard for the British monarch, Queen Elisabeth, in terms of the diplomatic tradition of greeting the monarch. The tradition is that all male visiting guests greet the monarch by bowing their heads, while female guests curtsy, that is, slightly bending of knees, especially by women. Curtsy is also referred to as curtsy or courtesy in this case.

What Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, did was simply to shake hands.

There is also another breach of diplomatic etiquette when inspecting a guard of honour of the Cold Stream Guards. Donald Trump was walking in front of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.

Even though it has been argued that the act of bowing and curtsying is not mandatory, not doing so is widely seen as an expression of bad manners and rudeness. The tradition is practised by nearly everyone meeting with the Queen. Disregard for this tradition is often frowned at. The British do not take kindly non-curtsying and bowing.

If the attitude of Donald Trump is revisited in the context of his policy of makingAmerica great again, or his foreign policy ofAmerica First, it can be rightly argued that his attitude is very consistent with declared US policy interest. Besides, there is the international policy of sovereign equality. Why should any leader of a sovereign country bow down for another sovereign? If the greeting is for the royal family, why must the modality of greeting be imposed on a visiting leader? While admitting that when you are in Rome, you behave like the Romans, whoever wants to visit and meet the British monarch, there is nothing wrong in complying with the monarchical protocol. Such compliance is therefore at the level of the visiting individual. It does not imply the status of the country of the visiting guest.

(See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

BUSINESS

Editor Kunle Aderinokun 08033204315, 08111813084 Email: kunle. aderinokun @thisdaylive.com

Central business district, Marina, Lagos

FMDQ: Investors Splash N17.23trn on Fixed Income, Currency Instruments in June Bamidele Famoofo Investors, who earn a living from shortand medium-term instruments offered in the money market, increased their spending by 20.53 per cent in June as total investments in the Fixed Income and Currency (FIC) markets rose to N17.23trillion.

“Transaction turnover in the markets for the month ended June 30, 2018 amounted to N17.23trillion, a 20.53 per cent (N2.93trillion) increase from the value recorded in May and a 36.49 percent (N4.61trillion) increase year –onyear(YoY),”a statement from FMDQ OTC revealed.

The treasury bills and FX segments jointly accounted for 79.35 per cent of total turnover in the FIC market in June, representing a marginal increase of 3.44 percentage points from the 75.91 per cent recorded in May. FX market turnover recorded the highest month-on-month increase, growing by 34.50 percent (N1.79trillion), while unsecured placement/ takings turnover recorded the highest month-on-month (MoM) decrease, falling by 42.54 percent (N0.03trillion).

Total FX market turnover in the review month was $19.80billion, a 34.04 percent ($5.03billion) increase from the turnover recorded in May ($14.77billion). Turnover at the Investors & Exporters (I&E) FX Window in June was $3.93billion, representing a 38.59 percent ($2.47billion) MoM decrease from the value recorded in May ($6.40billion), and resulting in a decrease in its contribution to the total FX market turnover to 19.85per cent from 43.33per cent in May. However, the total turnover at the I&E FX Window for

half year -ended June 2018, increased to $30.28billion.

Analysis of FX turnover by trade type showed that turnover increased across all trade types, with Inter- Member trades recording the highest relative MoM growth in turnover, increasing by 82.65per cent ($1.35billion), while Member-Clients trades recorded the highest nominal MoM growth in turnover, increasing by $2.52billion (28.97 per cent). Member-CBN trades also recorded a MoM increase in turnover by 26.11 per cent ($1.16billion).

In terms of contribution to total FX turnover, Inter-Member trades contributed 15.05 per cent to total FX turnover in June, a 4.01ppts increase from the 11.04 per cent contribution recorded in May. Member-Client and Member- CBN trades both contributed 56.62 per cent and 28.28 per cent to total FX turnover in June, decreasing from 58.90 per cent and 30.06percent in May respectively Analysis of FX turnover by product type showed that turnover in FX Spot and Derivatives increased MoM in line with the trend in total FX turnover, with both increasing by 29.82per cent and 46.60per cent respectively.

FX Spot remained the main driver of total FX turnover, with a MoM increase by $2.80billion (29.70 per cent), while FX Derivatives recorded a MoM increase of $2.25billion (41.59 per cent) driven mainly by FX Futures turnover which increased MoM by $2.39billion (292.68 per cent).

In June, the 24th naira-settled OTC FX Futures contract (NGUS JUN 27, 2018) with a contract size of $638.87million, matured and was settled, whilst a new $1.00billion 12-month contract (NGUS

JUN 26, 2019) was offered by the CBN at $/N362.60.

Also, in June, the naira depreciated at the I&E FX Window, losing N0.35 to close at $/N361.32 (from $/N360.97 as at May 31, 2018). The depreciation of the naira at the I&E FX Window resulted in a lower spread of N0.68 between the $/N rate at the I&E FX Window and the parallel market, due to the appreciation of the Naira by N1.00 at the parallel market in June to close at $/N362.00 (from $/ N363.00 as at May 31, 2018). The CBN Official Spot rate appreciated by N0.20 to close at $/N305.75 (from $/N305.95 as at May 31, 2018) The total turnover in the fixed income market was N7.85trillion in June, representing a 19.73 per cent (N1.29trn) MoM increase in turnover. The increase in turnover was driven mainly by an 18.13per cent (N1.02trillion) MoM increase in T.bills turnover, as it remained the major driver of liquidity in the fixed income market, accounting for 84.95per cent of the total fixed income market turnover, albeit 1.15 percentage points lower than its contribution in May. Total T.bills outstanding as at June 30, 2018 stood at N13.76trillion, representing a 1.75 per cent (N0.24trillion) MoM decline, driven by a net redemption of T.bills in the month of June. Conversely, total FGN Bonds outstanding increased marginally by 0.41 percent (N0.03trillion ) MoM to close at N7.83trillion, suggesting the FGN refinanced some of its short-term obligations with longer term FGN Bonds while increasing cash liquidity in the market Trading intensity in the T.bills and FGN Bonds markets increased from 0.41 and

0.11 in May, to 0.48 and 0.15 in June respectively, while trading intensity for T.bills and FGN Bonds in first half of 2018 were 2.67 and 0.71, compared to 3.75 and 0.79 in H1 2017 respectively.

T.bills within the 6-12 months maturity remained the most actively traded, accounting for 28.28 percent of the total fixed income market turnover in June, despite decreasing from the 37.42 percent contribution reported in May. Turnover recorded in the secured money market (i.e. Repos/Buy-Backs) was N2.32trillion for June, representing a 4.70 per cent (N0.11trillion) MoM decrease from the value recorded in May (N2.44trillion), and a YoY decrease of 33.98 per cent in June, compared to the 6.98 per cent YoY decrease recorded in May. Similarly, unsecured placements/takings closed the month with a turnover of N42.66billion, representing a 42.54 percent (N31.59billion) MoM decrease on the turnover recorded in May (N74.25billion), and a YoY decrease of 68.23per cent (N91.64billion).

Average O/N7 NIBOR8 decreased by 11.12ppts to close at 11.65 per cent in June from 22.77 per cent reported for May, suggesting an increase in liquidity in the inter-bank market, possibly driven by injection of cash in the market from the FGN’s activity in the fixed income market during the month.

Total number of executed trades reported on the E-Bond Trading System in June was 13,101, representing a MoM decline of 5,969 in the number of executed trades, as total executed trades in T.bills and FGN bonds declined by 5,162 (31.15 per cent) and 807 (32.32 per cent) respectively in June 2018.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

BUSINESS/ENERGY

NNPC, DPR and PPPRA: Who is Telling the Truth?

Recent developments suggest Nigeria cannot give a good account of how much petrol it currently consumes in a day. Between key agencies that should know the right figures, none seems to accept each other’s records, reports Chineme Okafor

A

mong the trio of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) – key agencies that should provide authoritative statistics about operations in Nigeria’s petroleum sector - none of them seems to be able to tell for sure the current volume of petrol Nigeria use every day.

From 60 or 70 million litres daily consumption figure, to 30 and then 45 million litres, which the three agencies appear to have respectively put out, it has now become difficult to determine who could be right about the country’s current daily fuel consumption figures.

Straight off, these are no doubt, features of the opacity that has come to define the business of petrol importation and distribution in Nigeria in the last decades. And, amongst its impact, it suggests that there could be massive financial fraud currently perpetrated in the downstream petroleum sector, in addition to the lack of accurate data to base national petrol consumption plan on.

Controversy For some weeks now, the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) has not been able to conclusively hold its meetings, because of claims by the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) that the NNPC was shortchanging the federation with exorbitant financial claims as subsidy over volumes of petrol it imports into the country.

The governors had called for an audit of NNPC’s petrol importation, claiming daily petrol consumption figures reported by the NNPC were overblown by the corporation so it could keep more money away from FAAC. Following the disagreement between the governors under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), which accused the NNPC of reporting excessive petrol consumption figure to facilitate deduction of undue petrol cost (under-recovery) from domestic crude cost, the NGF requested the DPR, which is the sector regulator to provide details of the country’s petrol consumption figures, and figures from it were different from that of the NNPC. In its presentation, the DPR had told the NGF that petrol under-recovery was derived from consumption or evacuation whereas NNPC claimed that PMS cost under-recovery was derived from actual import volumes.

Based on this, the NNPC was reportedly unhappy that the DPR provided information that contradicted its position on fuel consumption to a third party without confirming with it.

A governor, who was privy to some of the exchanges between NNPC, DPR, Minister for Finance, Kemi Adeosun, as well as the presidency on the issue, told THISDAY that like the DPR, the governors had evidence to prove that NNPC was under-reporting.

In the letter dated July 5th letter by NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, to Adeosun, which the governor allowed THISDAY to sight, the corporation said: “The minister is kindly invited to note that PMS cost under-recovery is derived from actual import volumes and not on consumption or evacuations as presented to the NGF by the Department of Petroleum Resources.

“We would like to bring to the attention of the minister, the assertion of the NGF that the NNPC is reporting excessive PMS consumption figures to facilitate deduction of undue PMS cost under-recovery from domestic crude cost.

“The position was further exacerbated by the DPR’s claim that there was never a time where PMS Truck Out (Evacuation) reached 60 million litres per day and that evacuation was the basis in which PMS daily average consumption is made.

“Additionally, the PPPRA evacuation data since January 2016 indicated average volume of 50 million litres per day.”

Explanation

A fuel dispensing nozzle...fuel consumption in Nigeria has become a subject of controversy In the letter, which appeared like an effort by the NNPC to explain its position on the June 2018 revenue remittance to FAAC, which has remained controversial till date, the letter suggested the DPR was suspicious of the volumes of petrol the NNPC frequently claimed to have imported and upon which it based its subsidy deductions.

However, the NNPC insisted that petrol cost under-recovery was based on supply and not evacuation or consumption and therefore accused the DPR of bad faith.

Even though the NNPC admitted it did not have an accurate data on the volume of petrol required

by Nigeria on a daily basis and may have been importing petrol with figures the PPPRA handed to it, it was however of the view that the DPR divulging such information to the NGF without confirming with it was aimed at embarrassing the federal government.

“NNPC observes that the submission by the DPR was not well intentioned as they should have appropriately discussed and gotten alignment or explanations from PPPRA and NNPC before divulging to third parties. This should be guided upon to avoid embarrassing the government,” Baru said in the letter.

He specifically insinuated it was probably the DPR that told the NGF that the petrol importation figures frequently claimed by the NNPC were not trustworthy.

To deflect the claims that the corporation was shortchanging the FAAC, Baru said: “Honourable minister would recall the ongoing engagement by the inter-ministerial team composing Ministries of Petroleum and Finance with the participation of the NNPC, DPR, PPPRA, PEF, OAGF and the CBN to put in place a monitoring system for the entire fuel supply and distribution system in the federation.

“Also, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources is engaging the National Bureau of Statistics to establish actual consumption of petroleum products in the country. The outcome of these exercises may establish the actual fuel consumption in the country.”

He said the NNPC had previously utilised 35 million litres per day as the basis for supplying its shares of the national consumption, and faulted the data provided by the DPR to the NGF, saying the figures might not be fully reflective of the actual evacuation figures from the various depots.

He explained: “However, our evaluation of the PPPRA evacuation data for all depots and terminals from January 2016 to December 2017 indicated

average load out of about 48 million and 50 million per day respectively.”

In the same letter, Baru disclosed that the corporation made deductions worth N88.91 billion as subsidy claims for May 2018 and part of outstanding subsidy claims for 2017.

Indicating the claims were based on the supplies figures, Baru noted that N31.12 billion was for May 2018, while N57.79 billion was claims for the 2017 outstanding.

“For the month of June 2018, NNPC proposed deductions of N88.91 billion as PMS cost underrecovery against domestic crude cost receivable in May 2018. This comprises N31.12 billion for the month of May and N57.79 billion as part of the outstanding for 2017.

“The 2017 under-recovery was not recovered due to low production and prices, which would have had adverse impact on FAAC remittance in the succeeding months,” he noted.

Confusion Despite NNPC’s claims of 50 million litres, the confusion about the country’s consumption volumes continued to persist, with the DPR and PPPRA conflicting figures of 45 million litres and 30 million litres, respectively.

THISDAY checks from a highly placed official in the PPPRA added a fresh perspective to the paper’s exclusive report on the controversy. While the DPR also affirmed its position.

While the NNPC claimed that the country’s daily consumption was averaging 50 million litres, and at some points got to 60 million litres, the PPPRA source, who asked not to be named, explained the agency had maintained a 35 million litres per day consumption figure, but sometimes mark up to 45 million during periods of national religious celebrations and holidays, which pushes consumption a bit up.

He noted that the agency had never marked up daily consumption to 50 and 60 million litres, adding, “Consumption is always high during the festive period because people usually travel and there are lots of consumption.

“PPPRA in the past had always placed daily consumption between 30 and 35 million, but the figure rises to 40 to 45 million during the festive periods.”

He equally suggested the NNPC might be exploiting its current role as a sole importer.

Further, THISDAY’s review of the latest petrol products stock data of the PPPRA, which was last

updated on July 8, indicated that the country’s total average consumption for petrol was 45 million litres; diesel, nine million litres; household kerosene, eight million litres and aviation fuel, 1.5 million litres.

The document stated that the country’s total petrol stock – marine and land based - was 1,462,329,507 litres, with 32 days sufficiency, which when calculated gave a daily consumption ratio of 44.9 million litres.

Similarly, an official of the Downstream Division of the DPR, who opted not to be quoted because of the sensitive nature of the issue, told THISDAY that the NNPC operates like a cult, whose activities are not transparent.

He noted that the efforts by successive administrations to open up the NNPC failed, adding that the figures being bandied by the NNPC as the country’s daily consumption for petrol were false.

According to him, Nigeria does not consume more than 30 million litres of petrol daily.

He said: “It is false for NNPC to claim high figures. We are not consuming more than 30 million litres daily. But the NNPC operates like a cult and it did not start today. It has always been like that.

Successive members of the National Assembly have tried to unravel the mystery behind the cult-like operation of the NNPC, but nothing changed.

NNPC will go to the National Assembly and make presentations and the matter will end. It is only when you get to the level of the presidency that you will understand how the NNPC operates.”

Expert Based on the controversy, a former Director at the DPR, and now Lead Consultant to the National Assembly on the Petroleum Industry Bills (PIB), Mr. Osten Olorunsola, suggested at a recent meeting in Abuja, that the controversy indicated how secretive the business of managing Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector had become.

Olorunsola, who is also a member of the Expert Advisory Panel (EAP) of the Nigerian Natural Resource Charter (NNRC), explained that details of the country’s petrol consumption should not be too difficult to get, or secretive. He said the controversy created some shadow of doubts about the claims of the agencies.

He, however, stated that the promulgation and implementation of the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB), which is currently before President Muhammadu Buhari, for assent would help clear such issues, adding that with its assent, the country would be better off.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

BUSINESS/AVIATION

Nigeria Air Raising More Questions than Answers While the federal government has said it would establish a new national carrier by December and has unveiled the name and logo of the airline. In this report, Chinedu Eze examines experts and stakeholders’ concerns about the proposed new national carrier as they are circumspect and sceptical about the ability of the Nigerian government to run a successful airline ment needs to brief the Nigerian people on the national carrier. Rather than doing it abroad, we need to come home and explain to the whole nation what the concept is.

“More important, I am interested in how the national carrier interfaces with all the other airlines in Nigeria. Because remember that the government is the de facto owner of two other airlines: Arik and Aero. So, this is the first time I have seen one government own three airlines. Government needs to coordinate its airlines strategy in terms of moving forward,” Fadugba pointed out.

Opaque While many Nigerians are looking forward to see the national airline take off to the skies, government has not disclosed the investors that are putting money in the airline. It has not disclosed how the airline would go through the process of obtaining Air Operator Certificate (AOC) or is that going to be a walk over.

There are five processes for granting of AOC to any airline. These include pre-application phase, document compliance phase, which involves certification team reviewing applicant’s documents for compliance acceptance or approval.

This is followed by demonstration and inspection phase, then the certification. The next is whether the airline has sufficient personnel with the required experience. This, industry experts say, takes minimum of six months. As a new airline, it must have its own manuals and preparing and approving manuals could take about three months. Before it is granted AOC, it is expected to operate flight without passengers for 50 hours.

Nigeria Air

T

he gains of a national carrier to a country are invaluable. A successful national carrier will be the fulcrum of aviation development of the country. For Nigeria especially, it will bring a balance to the lopsided bilateral air service agreement, it has been signing to its disadvantage since the demise of the Nigeria Airways Limited (NAL).

It will take over from the Ministry of Transportation the negotiation of commercial agreement between foreign airlines and Nigeria and it will also reciprocate flights to some countries whose airlines operate to the country.

This will help to bring down the fares; it will improve passenger service as competition will force airlines to give the best to the passengers in order to retain their patronage.

A national carrier will attract respect for Nigeria in the comity of nations and it will serve as an ambassador for the country and carry out critical duties for government. For example, the Nigerians, who travelled to Moscow to watch the World Cup and were stranded because of issues with their return ticket, were airlifted back to Nigeria

by Ethiopia Airlines. If Nigeria has a national carrier, government would have dispatched a flight to Moscow to bring back the Nigerians.

There are other gains of a national carrier. It enhances the training of skilled workforce in the aviation industry. For example, when a pilot leaves the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria with commercial pilot license (CPL), he will need to type-rate on one aircraft type.

Usually the national carrier provides the platform.

Industry observers recall that most Nigerian pilots and engineers were trained by Nigeria Airways.

When the airline went under, the number of Nigerian pilots began to deplete as new ones were not being trained.

The old ones were aged and went into retirement.

Besides, many of them sought better working conditions overseas and left the country, forcing Nigerian airlines to employ expatriates at exorbitant and outrageous remuneration.

The New National Carrier The name Nigeria Air was unveiled as the name of the airline on Wednesday. The Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said by December this year, the national carrier would come on stream. By December 19, 2018, the first five aircraft that would be operated by the airline are scheduled to arrive and its operations will start off.

Sirika revealed that $8.8 million would be spent in berthing the airline, using $300 million as takeoff cost. He said the airline would be private sector-driven, as government would have only 5 per cent stake. The airline would start with initial 81 routes already identified.

At the unveiling of the airline logo and name in Farnborough, UK, the minister described the unveiling as an important thing for Nigeria, “which has largest economy in Africa, largest population with a GDP of about half a billion dollars and the only true aviation player in West and Central Africa.”

The junior aviation minister also rued the country’s missed opportunities. “We used to be a dominant player, through Nigeria Airways, but sadly not anymore,” he said.

Private Sector Sirika stressed that the new national carrier would be driven by the private sector “because it is a business, not a social service.” According to him, government will not be involved in running it or deciding who runs it. The investors will have full responsibility for this.

He explained that the federal government would not own more than 5 per cent (maximum) in the new airline, adding that the government would not be involved in running it or deciding who runs it.

“We’ve been talking to Airbus and Boeing regarding the aircraft for Nigeria Air, and we will be making announcements very soon. We are currently negotiating,” the minister disclosed.

The minister also explained the choice of going to Farnborough to unveil the national carrier, saying, Farnborough is one of the biggest air shows in the world, where decision makers and industry

experts gather every two years to do business.

“The new national carrier will bring Nigeria closer to the world,” Sirika added.

Doubts As at the time the name of the airline was unveiled on Wednesday, the new airline did not have operational office anywhere in Nigeria. It has not recruited any personnel and there is no structure so far to indicate that a new airline is starting off.

The minister said that the new airline would be private sector-driven, but he did not explain the equity of the airline. He has not made it clear that the airline would have core investor or technical partner but government has been talking to Qatar Airways since 2016 about the airline.

On Tuesday, July 16 and Wednesday, July 17 at Farnborough, the minister had discussion with the CEO of Ethiopia Airlines, Tewolde Grebremariam, on partnership with the national carrier.

Industry insiders thus concluded that the government has yet to secure a technical partner for the airline. In addition, they sought to know if the airline would be private sector-driven and why is the minister discussing with aircraft manufacturers single-handedly without involving other investors.

The Chairman of African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA) and former Secretary General of African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Mr. Nick Fadugba, said there are many unanswered questions in terms of the management, funding and fleet of the new airline.

Fadugba, who is the CEO of African Aviation Services, noted that the government was already de facto owner of both Aero and Arik through the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) and wondered how it would manage these airlines and at the same time establish a new national carrier.

He argued that the proposed Nigeria Air ought to have a synergy with other carriers so they could better harness the huge international market.

“There are many questions that need to be answered in terms of the management, the funding and the fleet. So, I believe the govern-

Nigeria Airways ; Angst and Anger of Stakeholders, Pensioners Unions in the aviation industry have threatened to truncate the birth of the new national carrier over the failure of the federal government to settle severance payment of the ex-Nigeria Airways workers. They expressed their doubt about the sincerity of the federal government on the new national carrier.

General Secretary, National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Olayinka Abioye, warned that until the government paid the final severance package of the staff of the defunct national carrier, Nigeria Airways, the unions in the sector would ensure that the plan does not come to fruition.

According to Abioye, the unions have resolved that before the government can commence a new national carrier, the severance package of the former workers must be paid in full, stressing that the government had not been fair to the workers.

He also explained that the planned new national carrier, which the government was planning, was contrary to its earlier position on the establishment of a new national carrier.

Abioye stated that the government had planned to establish for the nation a private sector-driven airline. He noted, however, that so far no investor known to any member of the public has signified interest in that regard.

He said, “We are not concerned about this new national carrier even though it is our baby with supposed benefits to the country. We are much more concerned about the families of the defunct national carrier, Nigeria Airways, some of whom have died. We are much more concerned about those who are living and managing to live and we are calling on this minister and government to speed up action in whatever capacity they can to ensure that Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, the Minister of Finance, make releases and pay our people.

Enough is enough.”

While there is so much talk about the new airline, there is nothing on the ground to show that the nation’s airline would soon take to the skies less than six months to the target date.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

22

VIEWS FROM ABROAD

The first Nigerian prime minister, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, greets an air stewardess after the inaugural flight of the WAAC (West African Airline Company) on Oct 1, 1958. (Keystone/Getty Images

From Elephants to Eagles: The Evolving Brands of Nigeria’s Unsuccessful National Airlines

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his week Nigeria launched plans for a new national airline to be called Nigeria Air. It’s set to take off in December.

Even though there is pent-up demand for more air travel in Nigeria as it is currently an underserved market, the plans have already received a lot of criticism from those who feel Africa’s largest economy has a myriad of other more pressing problems to deal with from electricity shortages and lack of basic infrastructure to a rising poverty challenge.

And airlines are very tough businesses to run.

Also, the Nigerian government doesn’t have a great track record in the aviation industry.

Even privately-owned Nigerian airlines have struggled and some eventually collapse.

Wednesday’s announcement was limited in scope. It confirmed the carrier will be private sector-led and that the government would own a maximum of 5% of the airline. However, Nigeria’s minister of aviation, Hadi Sirika, speaking at the Farnborough Airshow in the UK, would not confirm any details of who the potential partners or investors would be.

There have been press reports that the Nigerian government is in talks with partner airlines including Qatar Airways and Ethiopian Airways to help manage its operations.

To be clear, attitudes are mixed towards the new national carrier, while there is plenty of skepticism there are also many Nigerians who see it as a sign of progress and national pride and that Nigeria is making a bold statement on the global stage.

Nigeria’s long and fluctuating history with

national carriers can be told through the design choices of their day.

West African Airways Corporation (1946-1971) The first airline associated with the Nigerian government was the West African Airways Corporation (WAAC) created in 1946. Its quant logo includes a winged elephant, lunging upwards with WAAC emblazoned on its side.

This, of course, was pre-independence West Africa. This logo was a clear nod to the colonial badges of the British West Africa Protectorate which featured an elephant.

The creature served to represent West Africa as WAAC was a jointly owned airline operated by the Nigerian, Ghanaian, Gambian and Sierra Leonean governments with the headquarters based in Nigeria.

WAAC was dissolved in 1958 and rebranded as WAAC Nigeria, as all the other shareholder countries pulled out to set up their own individual carriers post independence. The first flight was on Oct.1 1958 as captured with Nigeria’s first prime minister Abubakar Tafewa Balewa in the main photo above. That was exactly two years before Nigeria’s independence from Britain.

Nigeria Airways (1971-2003) Eventually WAAC Nigeria was renamed Nigeria Airways, which operated as the official national carrier of Nigeria, until 2003. Nigerian Airways maintained the colonial relic of the elephant with the Nigerian flag. Nigeria Airways’s 32-year run was the longest of all iterations of the country’s national airlines through the oil boom years in the early 1970s to much leaner

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

VIEWS FROM ABROAD

From elephants to eagles austerity years in the mid-1980s. Eventually, as Nigeria’s economy worsened over the years it crash-landed in 2004 under a pile of debt. It left behind many disgruntled pensioners who are unhappy today about plans to launch a new airline without taking care of what’s owed to them.

Virgin Nigeria (2004-2008) The dissolution of Nigerian Airways paved the way for a joint venture between Nigerian investors and British tycoon Richard Branson’s Virgin Group in 2004. In this design there’s a Nigerian adaptation of the internationally recognized brand, linking to the successful Virgin Atlantic airline.

But the Virgin Group pulled out of the venture after three years blaming interference from local politicians and regulators. Branson is memorably quoted comparing Nigerian officials as having the attitude of the mafia: To my utter dismay, certain authorities in Nigeria have chosen to ignore our contract, sending in heavies a few months ago to smash up our lounge with sledgehammers.The behavior of the authorities was similar to the way the Mafioso behaved in the U.S. in the 1930s… If Virgin Nigeria can be treated in this way, can any company in the world seriously consider investing in Nigeria in the future?

Nigerian Eagle Airlines (2008-2010) Virgin withdrew in 2008. The airline was rebranded as a Nigerian Eagle Airlines. Interbrand, the global brand consultancy commissioned to create the logo, described their conceptual design as an intentional use of ” uniquely West African colors… inspiration came from the rich kaleidoscope of patterns in cloths worn by West Africans.”

This time the eagle in the brand name and the logo were more in line with the Nigerian coat of arms where the bird represents strength. It made sense, after all even the Nigerian soccer team is nicknamed the Super Eagles (originally the Green Eagles). Besides, apart from Disney’s Dumbo, elephants can only go so far in the sky.

Air Nigeria (2010-2012) With few alterations to the design, Nigerian Eagle was rebranded as Air Nigeria in 2010. Operations finally ceased in 2012, when due to mismanagement the airline collapsed under 35 billion naira of debt.

Nigeria Air (2018-??)

This brings us to Nigeria Air, the latest iteration in the list of national air carriers. Like its name, the logo is a sort of reworking of elements from the previous air carriers. The design is more minimal that its predecessors, featuring a ribbon bearing the green-white-green colors of the national flag fluttering in the wind. If you are attentive there is an optical illusion. A white dot on the ribbon, is an eye and the ribbon flutters into the shape of an eagle. Representing a distinctively Nigerian but more functional and streamlined service..

This time, FROM6, an advertising agency from Bahrain, was in charge of design. In the Nigerian Air video debut, they describe it as one that will “take the country to new heights under our common symbol of pride – Nigeria Air.” Unlike past designs, Nigeria Air includes a tagline “bringing Nigeria closer to the world”.

There are still doubts from many Nigerian commentators and watchers as to whether logo and design will translate to actual airplane leases and airport gate slots. The concern, as analyst Dolapo Oni says in the last tweet of his thread, noted earlier, aside from all the economic, financial and operational challenges running a national airline it’s also fraught with political challenges. You could say it’s complicated.

Cont’d from Pg. 22

23

24

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

Not Yet Uhuru for Nigeria’s Economy Despite a two-percent growth forecast for Nigeria in 2018 by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the reality may be different as the largest economy in Africa remains susceptible to impact of oil shocks. This is especially because government’s efforts to diversify the economy through the non-oil sector, agriculture and tax have so far yielded few successes. Bamidele Famoofo writes

W

hilst Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa, has been projected to expand its economy by two percent in 2018 and 2.3 per cent in 2019, both forecasts by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are based on probability that global oil prices remain stable.

According to the IMF team, which visited Abuja on its routine economic review mission recently, the country remains vulnerable to oil price and production shocks, in spite of the respite it has enjoyed as a result of higher oil prices and shortterm portfolio inflows in recent times.

Oil It has been about 60 years since Nigeria found crude oil in its land. Since then, the oil and gas sector has become one of the sources of the country`s economy. Available information shows that Nigeria gets about 90 per cent of its foreign exchange earnings from oil. Also, at least 20 per cent of GDP comes from oil. Therefore, it is no wonder that the oil and gas industry is one of the most crucial in Nigeria.

At the beginning of the 1950s, crude had an insignificant amount in the total export. According to the statistics, it covered about two per cent (2 per cent) of export products. The real rise of crude oil started between 1960 and 1970. Nigeria could provide only about 5 million barrels per year in the 1960s. However, at the beginning of the 1970s, this number rose to 600 million barrels. Therefore, governmental revenues from the petroleum industry increased from N66 million in the 1970s to N10 billion in the 1980s. With increased production capacity, revenue from oil sales has risen significantly since the 1980s.

Between 1999 and 2016, Nigeria has earned N77.348 trillion from the oil and gas industry, according to data compiled by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). But that, according to economic pundits, has not translated into good livelihood for its citizens. In 2017 alone, Nigeria raked in N7.3 trillion from sales of oil products according to figures from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Non-oil Statistics made available by Financial Derivatives Company Limited, a leading economic research and analysis company, says non-oil exports increased by 55 per cent to $1.26billion in the third quarter of 2017. “This represents a paltry 2.6 per cent of total exports projected at $48billion for 2017 and implies that the country is still heavily dependent on oil and gas”.

“Non-oil revenue has remained below expectations, with yields from tax administration measures – including the Voluntary Asset Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) and increased tax audits – yet to fully materialise,” IMF disclosed.

The lacklustre performance of non-oil was linked to weak performances in the sector as lower purchasing power weighs on consumer demand and as credit risk continues to limit bank lending.

“Corporate tax collection efforts improved but revenue shortfalls and the late adoption of the 2018 budget impede its implementation,” the fund added.

Recommendations The IMF team led by Senior Resident Representative and Mission Chief for Nigeria, Amine Mati, which visited Nigeria between the latter part of June and early July to discuss recent economic and financial developments, update macroeconomic projections, and review reform implementation with top government officials, admonished government

A local food stuff market in Lagos

to take urgent action “on a coherent set of policies to reduce vulnerabilities and increase growth over the medium term remains.”

The IMF recommended specific and sustainable measures to increase the currently low tax revenue – including through avoiding new tax exemptions – and ensuring budget targets are adhered to even in an election year.

According to the fund, this process should be supported by keeping monetary policy tight through appropriate monetary policy tools that will help contain inflationary pressures and support a move towards a uniform market-determined exchange rate.

It pointed out that moving ahead with structural reforms was needed to invigorate inclusive growth, particularly in the power sector, where it noted that faster progress would be needed to ensure financing shortfalls in the sector are met in a sustainable manner.

Achievements The statement added: “Higher oil prices and short-term portfolio inflows have provided relief from external and fiscal pressures, but the recovery remains challenging. International reserves remained stable at about $47 billion, supported by some convergence in existing foreign exchange windows, and despite some reversal of foreign inflows since April.

“Inflation declined to its lowest level in more than two years. Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expanded by two per cent in the first quarter of 2018 compared to the first quarter of last year.

It stated that current public spending in Nigeria had remained in line with expectations, stating that carryover from 2017 to 2018, helped increase capital spending in the first four months of 2018, despite delayed approval of the 2018 budget.

It added: “Lower yields have kept interest payments within the budgeted envelope, but the federal government’s interest-to-revenue ratio is expected to absorb more than half of

revenues this year.

“Reforms to improve the business environment are progressing, including through identification of priority investment projects and the adoption of the Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) – a legislative landmark for private sector development.

“The implementation of the Power Sector Recovery Plan is advancing through a mini-grid policy and regulations on eligible customers and meter asset providers.

“Under current policies, the outlook remains challenging. Growth would pick up to about two per cent in 2018, weighed down by lower than expected oil production and relatively weak agriculture growth.

“The fiscal deficit would narrow slightly, with higher oil revenues offsetting increased spending, including those planned in a supplementary budget.

Inflation would pick up in the second half of 2018 as base effects dissipate and higher spending and supply constraints in agriculture put pressure on prices. “Increased oil exports would keep the current account in surplus, helping stabilise gross international reserves even if the current pace of foreign portfolio outflows continues.”

Growth Initiative In a frantic move to diversify the economy from oil, the federal government in April 2017, launched its economic blue print christened Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP). It was a medium-term plan that spans 2017 to 2020.

Integral to the ERGP is an ambitious roadmap to return the economy to the path of growth and achieve seven per cent growth rate by 2020.

The driver of the ERGP is the Focus Laboratories on power, agriculture and manufacturing which was inaugurated by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

According to Prof. Osinbajo, the Focus Laboratories would further boost economic growth and ensure continuity in Nigeria’s determination to build a competitive economy.

“The labs will operate by bringing together all private and public sector officials to achieve the ERGP’s objective of reaching seven per cent economic growth by 2020”, Osinbajo said.

Budget & National Planning Minister Udoma Udo Udoma, said the government would improve power generation and its operational capacity to 10 gigawatts by 2020.

But two years to the deadline, the federal government has only succeeded in generating four gigawatts.

The minister said the removal of the bottlenecks has become imperative because $245.1 billion would be required to implement the ERGP, out of which $195.98 billion would be sourced from private sector and $49.15 billion from the public sector.

“The objectives are restoring economic growth, investing in the people, and building a globally competitive economy”, Udoma disclosed.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu who represented Senate President Bukola Saraki at the launch of the Lab, commended the move by the executive arm of government at ensuring the implementation of the plan. He remarked that government had become serious about developing the economy.

Dr Idris Jala, Head of the Malaysian Performance Management Delivery Unit (PEMANDU) said the Malaysian economic history has a lot of semblance with the Nigerian experience.

He however recommended transformational leadership at all levels, which entailed taking actions that might be painful in the short-term but beneficial in the long-run to the people.

“Malaysia also used the lab process with great success as a tool for the transformation of its economy”, he said.

Nevertheless, analysts warned that the level of commitment from the government and private sector would determine the possibility of generating $24 billion worth of investment for the country from the labs.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

25

THE EXECUTIVE

Kuru

SUNDAYADIGUN SUNDAY ADIGUN

AHMED KURU

There is No Hiding Place for Recalcitrant Debtors Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has the legal, but onerous task to recover bad debts from chronic debtors after buying them from banks. In discharging its lawful duty, there is no doubt that the ‘bad bank’, as AMCON is otherwise called, has had a bumpy ride in the last seven years. With three years remaining to wind down as provided in the Act establising it, AMCON’s Managing Director, Mr. Ahmed Kuru, shares with THISDAY team comprising Kunle Aderinokun, Bamidele Famoofo and Bayo Akinloye, the challenges of recovering debt from recalcitrant debtors as well as the nitty-gritty of asset disposal as he reveals the next moves by the corporation. Excerpts:

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26

THE EXECUTIVE

AMCON Not under Obligation to Keep Debtor’s Profile Secret

Cont’d from Pg. 25

R

ecently you came up with a resolve not to negotiate with debtors because you have not achieved your targets. Don’t you think that will create more problems for you?

Already, we are inside problems, whether we negotiate or we don’t negotiate, it’s already a problem. However, the law that sets us up has anticipated those issues. The law encourages that we negotiate and that we have done in the last seven years. But you may want to know what negotiation means? Negotiation means you sitting down with somebody, he tells you stories. He tells you lie, and you know he is actually telling you lies, but you must still continue with that talk. Meanwhile, some of the obligors are truly facing challenges, while others are just unwilling to pay. Now negotiation means somebody telling you what he is anticipating. But we must not forget the fact AMCON has a time period when it is expected to fold up. Originally, you will recall it has a period of 10 years for it to exist.

So the assumption is that within a period of 10 years, we would have liquidated and wound up our operations. This is the seventh year. Now, if somebody comes to tell you that l want to pay you in the next 10 years, that is a story. Even the Act recognises the fact that, if obligors are not in a position to pay, you should have recourse to the collateral. The Act also recognises that if you are going to have recourse to the collateral, there is a process; and first thing is to go to Court, and if the Court gives an order and takes over the property and hands it over to you. That is what we are saying, but it does not mean that, if an obligor walks into my office l will shut my mouth and just looks at his eyes. If an obligor enters my office to say, l’m going to pay you this amount today or tomorrow and then, this is guarantee or additional collateral or something tangible, it makes sense. So what we are saying is that, we would not repeat what we have done in 2011 today. It does not make any sense. In 2011, you can tell us stories because we had 10 years to hear your story out, but we have heard these stories out for seven years, and based on those stories, the performance is less than 10 per cent in the last seven years. So, if l continue to play out that it’s either l am foolish or stupid because l know it has not worked, and the Act anticipates something like that, which has nothing to do with AMCON as an organisation. The Act anticipates that when you are getting closer and things are like this, then you are under obligation to call up the collaterals through court process. So we are now going through court process.

Could you please tell us how much has been recovered so far?

You know there are different types of recovery, but so far, we have recovered about N759billion out of the original N3.7trillion which is now around N5.4 trillion. However, substantial part of that is through assets seizure, forfeiture or outright cash payment, not through story telling. The ones that have gone through storytelling, and there is no performance around them is more than N2 trillion. These are people that have given you proposal to say they will do A, B, C and D. They say they are anticipating something and nothing has happened. So tell me if you are in our position do you continue to sit down to have conversations when you know it has not worked. You must change your strategy.

Okay, you changed strategy; don’t you think it is high time the Act was amended?

Yes, you just took the word out of my mouth because we are now in the process of amending the Act because the obligors are getting smarter and more desperate. So under that kind of situation, based on past experience, we now proposed to the National Assembly areas we believe we need to amend. You know in other climes, what happens is that, for you to hold the assets, you go to the court and the law says the asset automatically belongs to AMCON on transfer.

But here you still have to go through the process of converting the assets to yourself and based on that, somebody can lock you up in the court for 20 years. But if the law says, this loan that l have purchased have this underlining collateral, and the collateral belongs to me (AMCON),now you are obligated to come and talk to me .But l have the discretion to either sell it to you or him. There are so many amendments that we are proposing. We are proposing that the Act recognise that our case must be heard at the

Kuru

federal high court, we are proposing that … so that we accelerate the process because we are running out of time, and some of the obligors, like you rightly mentioned are aware of this, and are buying time using the court process. So that after that there is nothing we can do and the only option left for us would be to go to the National Assembly to extend the period. But tell me something, you are financial journalists; before the loans were transferred to AMCON, they would have gone bad with the financial institutions; the financial institutions would have provided for them, and in certain instances, they would have even written them off their books; then suddenly, there was AMCON and so they transferred the loans. So, you find some of those that have been with the financial institutions for a minimum of five years, now you transfer them to AMCON, and AMCON has been here for seven years, you add that five to seven years and it gives 12 years. Now tell me, even if you lend money to a neighbour and you have not collected the money within three to four years, and you come and you start asking him, he will think that something is wrong with you. You will hear things like, “Hey! What is happening now? This money you gave me over four years, so what is the problem? Is there any issue? In this case it is 12 years, how can you tell me that l should still be going through this process in 12 years? What l have is the collateral which is the security, and the security unfortunately for me has depreciated. Over a period of time, some of them have been vandalized, but that is my only recourse. And quite a lot of these obligors have left those primary businesses to move into some other things; but the law also recognises that.

The law says that even if you decide to move into another business, we can go after you in that business. That is number one.

Number two, the law also recognises the fact that even when directors of the company, those who are directly related to the day-to-day running of the business, we can go after them in their personal businesses. We can go after their houses , we can go after their other assets. So, it has nothing to do with us, it is the law, because the law recognises that we will reach a point, where it is going to be very hard, and so, the only thing now for us to do is to forget recovery.

And if we forget the recovery, who is going to pay the N5.4trillion, the tax payer? Because it is real, it was not concocted, it is funds given to banks to buy loans from them, and it has to be recovered. It is a real issue. Even if you are very successful, when you operate a system for three or

five years, you will need to change your strategy, talk less when you doing something that is not working anymore, you know it, and somebody else knows it’s not working anymore; and he is happy it is not working anymore, you must be stupid not to change your strategy.

We have to change our strategy now into what the law anticipated at the beginning. Recovery is one of the most difficult things you can do.

In reviewing the Act, how far have you gone?

The bill is with both the Senate and the House of Representatives (National Assembly) at the moment and l can tell you they have been very supportive because they recognise the fact that this is a national issue and they are worried. So, they are working with us. We have gone very far and hopefully before the end of this year, we will get the Act amended. We are actually at the last lap of the journey. I may not be here but the journey must be completed.

AMCON is winding up in the next three years as originally proposed by law. How are you preparing?

This is what l have started doing. I’m changing my strategy to ensure that l meet that deadline.

And even l don’t meet the deadline, it should not be out of not doing anything. All our strategy now is focused around our deadline. At least, we know it and we are working towards it. So, by the time we are approaching we will know what to advise government to discuss with the National Assembly as to the outlook of things.

Don’t you think it’s too late for you to change your strategy now?

It is not too late because if you would recall, your first question was “won’t changing your strategy result into a problem?” And now people are saying, what is the problem? Three years is not too late for us to change our strategy, and you don’t want to keep an Asset Management Company alive forever because you will be encouraging rascality. So, three years is not too late. There is no proposal that requires installment payment that will work. The only thing that can work now is asset disposal. The underlining assets must be surrendered to us and we must sell it to meet our obligations . Remember, AMCON has basically three major mandates: Number one, to purchase the loans from the banks and give them live support that they can on-lend; number two is to provide financial accommodation to those banks so that they are stable because of

the global economic crisis; number three, is to recover the debt or loans that was given during this process and pay the obligations. Nobody complained about the first two but now that we are on the third, the process of recovering, everybody is complaining, isn’t it? This is after we gave them money and picked the loans. If you would remember, at the beginning, some obligors were coming to us, urging us to go pick the bad loans from the banks, because once you buy the loans from the banks, it comes with discounts.

Everybody was celebrating that AMCON was buying the bad debts from the banks because it takes pressure off them, and it also reduces the loan amount. But now that we are in the recovery mode, we are bad guys. You push and somebody says it is personal. You are supposed to pay me N10 billion but you say you only have N1 billion, so what happens to the remaining N9 billion? But it is not a question of what you can afford, but what your obligation is. If it’s about what anybody can afford, we can finish within three months. You have to meet up with your obligation because we also have an obligation to meet. It’s not easy but unfortunately someone has to do it.

There is this proposed bill at the National Assembly for the creation of the National Asset Management Agency. What impact will that have on AMCON? l don’t think it will have any impact because it is targeted at government assets. They are some of those assets that must have been confisticated by the EFCC, which people have bought with government money, or some of the assets that government have that are currently lying fallow in certain locations. I think the proposal is about creating an agency that should manage government assets. Our assets (AMCON)in the real sense of it are not appropriated government assets. Our assets are to be sold to meet certain obligations, to pay back loans, so it will not affect our operations.

What’s the impact of AMCON on securitisation in the banking sector?

You see AMCON is a big bad bank. In terms of size, it is the biggest financial institution. Whether you are talking about securitisation in the capital market or the financial institutions, we are a major player because, if today l decide to unleash all my assets to the market, l would spoil the market.

Obviously, if we over-supply the market with existing assets, the market will crash. So, this organisation works very closely with the CBN,

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

27

THE EXECUTIVE

AMCON Won’t Unleash Its Assets to Avoid Overwhelming the Market Did you say, for Aero, AMCON is looking at the end of this year?

SEC and some of the regulatory agencies. We try to create products together, sometimes whether it is Writs or shares, so that we can manage how our assets come into the markets. We do it in such a way that we don’t overburden the market.

The CBN has created platform for everybody to go there and access information.

Is AMCON still considering publishing the names of debtors?

We have done it before and we will still do it again. You will see it this week. We are going to publish the names again. Maybe not the 350 key people at the same time, but by installments. Already, last week we advertised, advising people to come and talk to us so we can have an understanding. But we are already compiling the lists and we will release the first batch this week, and we will continue to release them. As an organisation , we are not under any obligation to keep anybody’s exposure in secret. The only way we can keep it secret is if you come and negotiate with us, otherwise, we are going to publish it. Those who honour the invitation to come, won’t have their names published, but those who refuse to come will have their names published.

What about AMCON’s plan to create a market for its assets?

You know what we trying to do is that anybody that is coming to buy AMCON assets is assumed to be coming for a good deal because if they are going to pay for market going price, they don’t need to come to AMCON. So anybody coming to AMCON is actually looking for a deal. Now, if l ask anybody to value this building today (AMCON head office), he will tell you it’s worth N1billion.But if l ask that same person to sell it, if he is a very aggressive seller, maybe he will sell it for N450million. That is the reality because there is a gap between the reality and actual cost.

If you, therefore, say you want to sell all your properties based on market price, you will not be able to sell them. That is why we have assets worth over N128billion in the market and nobody is buying because we are insisting that they must pay the valuation prices. If we continue to insist, nobody will buy them. So, we have brought together all the stakeholders to say, how do we deal with this matter professionally because we want to sell? If l’m hoarding an asset, l have not adjusted the liability because my debt is running, meanwhile, I’m holding a house for which an obligor has given me a value of N1billion and left, leaving me with the asset and l have not sold it. It means there is a N1billion loan with the CBN that is running with an interest rate of a minimum of 10 per cent. Meanwhile, the asset is depreciating because of the economic situation every day. If l take it for N1billion, in the next two years, l will get N800million, if I’m lucky.

Meanwhile, my loan is increasing also. By the time l realise l’m leaving in a fool’s paradise,l have already taken an increase of 50 per cent without even realising it.So,l’m better off today to give the discount based on the real economic situation. It’s better to just sell it at N800 million and find a way of dealing with the N200 million balance. Because if l don’t, l will have to deal with a worse situation.

So, we brought the professionals to look at it and then we designed a scheme. We are now liaising with CBN so that we get an approval as to how to deal with those assets – some of these assets you have to employ security guards. That costs money. You seized a vessel and leave it on high sea: every day it depreciates. You have a dredger; you leave it there, if you’re not careful, after three years, they will tell you it has sunk. Now somebody says devaluation is N500 million and somebody comes to you to say he will only pay N300 million for that asset, that’s what the market can take. You said it’s N500 million. You refused to sell because you know that you couldn’t sell it. After two years, it’s down the ocean. Nobody queries you. It’s a problem for you. But if you sold it for N300 million, somebody will say, ‘devaluation was N500 million why did you sell it N300 million?’ There must be a “deal”.’

But if something happens to it, they’ll say, ‘no, that one is nature – a natural phenomenon.’ We have to change that mindset and that’s why we brought everybody together this is the challenge we’re having. I have some rigs by the marina; the sea wolf in my book, maybe it’s around N150 billion. If I value the asset and I’m lucky I may get N30 billion. Let me attempt to sell it at N30 billion, there’ll be issues raised. But if I don’t, its value will continue to go down.

Kuru

You said if an asset is N1 billion, it is possible to sell it at N450 million. One of the reasons you gave is current economic situation. What are the other factors?

It is an accumulated perception about property value. The values of properties over the last six years have gone down but people have refused to accept that. Before this administration (President Muhammadu Buhari’s) when a lot of people had a lot of funds to dispense, if somebody sees this building and he likes it, you tell him it’s N1 billion, he’ll pay you without any valuation.

So, developers have built their own framework around that. Go to Ikoyi; go to Maitama in Abuja; go to Asokoro; go to Victoria Island; and go to Lekki; somebody sees a building he has ‘free’ N500 million and likes the building, he’ll just pay for it. He doesn’t care what the valuer tells him.

Somebody buys a land at N80 million, spends N100 million to build a property on it; he won’t sell it below N500 million. If the property is well built, he’ll find somebody to get him that N500 million during that period (before the current administration). Developers and valuers have that mindset. Now, if you ask that person to sell that property for N230 million, he will not sell. He’ll tell you that three years ago somebody was ready to pay N500 million – but that wasn’t realistic. It’s all about their mindset. The market has shifted, but the industry hasn’t recognised that shift – that’s a major issue. Even when exchange rate was inching towards N400, people were still importing building materials. Now, exchange rate is going down but I can tell you that the prices of the materials haven’t changed. That affects the cost of building – but that’s not the realistic value of that building. So, a valuer will give you the realistic value because when he comes to tell you that ‘this window costs N10; this tile is N20.’ It’s upon that basis they do their valuation – because if you go to the market that’s what you’ll pay to get those materials. And, they’ll tell you your property is worth N1 billion. But if somebody wants to buy he doesn’t look it from that angle. No valuer has sold a property at that rate: they come with what they call open market value, forced sales value, and sometimes they come with average market value. Ask the same valuer to sell the property, he tells you, ‘Oga, you know the market isn’t booming, I think I’ve found somebody that can pay 70 per cent of what I valued the property.’ He was the one that valued the property; that property was acquired in exchange for cash (by AMCON); so, somebody is supposed to pay me N1 billion. I called my valuer and he looked at the property and agreed it is worth N1 billion. So, I asked him to sell it and the valuer tells me it is N700 million. What happens to the N300 million? But if he tells me the real market situation – you tell me, ‘no, this property in the market is not more than N400 million. I’ll tell the obligor, you either go and bring N1 billion or you go and find somebody that can buy the said property at N1 billion; or, you give it to me at N450 million. Somebody brought one land around this Eko Atlantic; he

Already, we are inside problems, whether we negotiate or we don’t negotiate, it’s already a problem. However, the law that sets us up has anticipated those issues. The law encourages that we negotiate and that we have done in the last seven years

said AMCON should take it in exchange of about N6 billion. I said nobody is buying the land.

He said it’s ‘hot’. So, we told the person if it’s ‘hot’, sell it and give AMCON the money – now it’s almost two years (the property hasn’t been sold). We need the money more than the assets because AMCON has no business holding any assets. We hold assets because we couldn’t sell them. Any assets we have are supposed to be for the market, because our debts are not in assets; they are in cash.

AMCON planned some divestments in Aero Contractor, Arik and Peugeot. What’s the update on that since the corporation needs money?

For Aero, we’ve gone very far – we’re almost concluding. For Arik, we’re almost 55 per cent (near completion). Like I always say, if the owner as of today, comes to tell us, ‘OK, take this money,’ we’ll give consideration to that. What’s important to us in AMCON is number one: it is important to us that the business survives. Number two: it is important that we collect our money. So, we have to find a balance. We’ll not take over any business and give it to somebody that we know will just rubbish it. However, we believe that there are certain businesses based on the amount that the people will pay for those businesses they won’t play with it. Therefore, it is important to us that Arik and Aero survive because they’re very strategic airlines. That is why we’re ensuring that we get very good buyers – people that are strong in the industry; people that can add value to it. We’ve gone very far. For Aero, we’ve gone 90 per cent; for Arik, we’re around 55 per cent.

Definitely; it’s in the best interest of the business.

AMCON isn’t going to put any money into those airlines (anymore); we’ve put enough. Therefore, if I don’t do that, it puts the business in serious, uncompetitive position because the industry is evolving. Somebody needs to come with fresh capital, which is very key and the only way to do that is to bring fresh investors. AMCON has no business anymore to put money into anybody’s business.

In view of that, your plans to dispose of the airlines would appear to be in sync with the federal government’s plan to float a new national carrier by the end of the year amid a speculation that Aero and Arik will be merged to form the national airline. Does that mean AMCON is working in concert with the ministry of aviation?

Nigerians like conspiracy theories. We love conspiracy theories. If today AMCON is going to use Arik and Aero to create a national carrier there won’t be any apology around it because the assets belong to AMCON. Such plans won’t be hidden and it will be in the interest of the organisation. However, there’s never been any discussion – formally or informally – about converting those assets into a national carrier; nobody has ever invited me or called me to talk about the idea of the national carrier or bringing AMCON’s assets to establish a national carrier.

Number two, even if I had been called I’d have advised against it. You don’t want to create a national carrier with all the problems you have in Arik and Aero. How can you set up a national carrier from crisis? AMCON isn’t part of any national carrier plans. It’s not even in the national interest to do that.

How transparent is AMCON now in terms of sales of acquired assets against the backdrop of alleged shady deals?

AMCON’s process is well defined by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Because we can sell any asset there must be a process: first, we must advertise.

There’s what we call asset committee; we must value the assets by professional valuers. After advertising, then we must have a transparent process, we go and open it. Frankly speaking, regardless of how close you are to me, if you want to buy AMCON’s advertised asset I can’t help you. This has created a lot of problem between me and my friends or associates. They believe I can sell a property to them, but it’s not possible.

Let me give you a scenario: you want to buy this building and it’s valued at N500 million.

Internally, AMCON agreed – because we have a fixed price internally – that our reserved price is N450 million and we advertised. Normally, we open it with all the bidders coming together under one roof. I called you and told you to bid for N455 million; I’ll even tell you our valuation is N500 million and our reserved price is N450 million. Unless you stole your money before you even come with your bid you’d have taken your valuer to check the asset. He’d have told you what the property looks like and might have advised you to even buy it at N600 million. Then, you decided to bid for N600 million. Then, I go ahead and open it and there’s a dude there that doesn’t know anybody (at AMCON), because his valuer said this property is worth N700 million and he made a bid of N700 million. Then, I opened his bid and found that his bid is N700 million and yours is N600 million. How can I say no to the dude? It’s not possible for me to say no to him.

All our properties go through due process – that’s the requirement of CBN. However, it’s not every property that you can sell through bid. There are so many properties that we’ve advertised repeatedly but we couldn’t get to sell them. Therefore, for those properties, the AMCON law allows to go and look for buyers – that’s the willing buyer and willing seller situation based on valuation.

Even at that, we can’t sell the properties below our reserved price. The properties were advertised along with prices. For instance, if we advertised a property for N1 billion and you come to me, there’s a possibility I can sell it to you at N950 million because I know that if I keep it for one year the interest I’ll pay will be more than N50 million.

The only thing we need to do is to write CBN, showing them efforts AMCON has made to dispose of the asset – letting them know that we’ve gone through bids and the asset had been advertised. We let CBN know we’ve gone through all the necessary process, but we couldn’t find a buyer. This man has come and this is what he has offered.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

BUSINESS/MONEY

A banking hall...customers effecting their transactions

CBN’s Attempt at Meeting Financial Inclusion Target Olaseni Durojaiye, in this report, reviews the reasons adduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria for missing out on the target to achieve 80 per cent financial inclusion by 2020

A

n end seems not in sight for the discourse in financial circles on the imperatives to bridge the wide gulf between banked and unbanked Nigerians, which led to the adoption of the Exposure Draft of Financial Inclusion Strategy of 2012.

This is one of the imports of the Exposure Draft of the Financial Inclusion Strategy Refreshed, released by the Central Bank of Nigeria recently.

The apex bank, guided by the advantages inherent in bringing more Nigerians into the financial pool had launched the financial inclusion strategy, which targeted 80 per cent of Nigerians by 2020, in 2012. But after a review of the whole process, the CBN has now admitted that the goal was not achievable by the set date, owing to a number of factors, even as findings has revealed that some of the factors that militated against achieving the target, as revealed in the refreshed document, are still around and, not likely to go away soon.

In the exposure draft released earlier this July, the apex bank stated that, “Nigeria is not on track to meet the 2020 targets set out in the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) of 2012,” and traced the cause to economic constraints, insecurity issues in the northern part of the country, obsolete strategies, economic recession and cumbersome process of opening and operating a bank account.

Continuing, the document, which was posted on the website stated: “The NFIS redraft identified five crucial priorities to increasing financial inclusion in the country, with emphasis on : creating a conducive environment for the expansion of DFS, enabling the rapid growth of agent networks with nationwide reach, reducing KYC hurdles to opening and operating a bank account, creating an environment conducive to serve the most excluded and driving adoption of cashless payment channels, particularly in government-to-person

and person-to-government payments.

The report has, however, caused a revisit of some of the encumbrances identified by the apex bank. Of particular interest to financial experts and operators in the nation’s financial circles are the Know Your Client (KYC) hurdles to opening and operating a bank account; driving adoption of cashless payment channels, particularly in government-to-person and person-to-government payments; as well as creating conducive environment to drive the inclusion of the excluded.

Some of the respondents to THISDAY enquiries, while admitting that the economic recession may have impacted negatively the set goals, disagreed with the CBN claims on the security challenges in parts of the country, particularly the North-east.

One of them, a branch manager with one of the nation’s commercial banks explained that, “Issue of insecurity in the North East as a factor does not fly with me. What is the percentage of banked Nigerians in the rural North even before the advent of the Boko Haram insurgency and what has been the figure with the improving security situation in the area?”

Going Forward Instructively, the CBN is not discouraged by the failure of its initial attempt. Determined to bridge the gap, it has adopted a twopronged strategy going forward, which in its projection will drive financial inclusion to a level obtainable in some African markets like Kenya, where financial technology market is huge.

According to the website, the refreshed strategy is based on a first-principle approach.

It recognises the various core mandates that need to be managed to develop a solid, stable yet inclusive financial system and identifies the principles that need to be in place to manage and govern financial services.

Part of the details of the refreshed document, to ensure that regulation will focus on the activity and not the actor; a subtle preference

for the eligibility to provide the financial service without closing off the sector from future innovation. The other leg of the strategy favours that operators are to focus more on areas of “comparative advantage” to achieve more impact. The CBN is reportedly inclined towards a situation whereby mindful of the complexity and volume of changes that need to happen, going forward; individual operators focus more on operations that best suit their capacity even with an eye on inclusiveness as much as possible.

Analysts React Analysts appeared critical of some of reasons the CBN adduced for the inability to meet the target to harness 80 per cent of Nigerians into the banking basket. One of them described the plan as a “pipe dream.”

Reviewing the reason, Research and Economic Analyst with the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Rotimi Oyelere, agreed that economic recession indeed impacted the target negatively, but added that the insecurity in the North-east was not tenable even as he agreed that the KYC process of opening and operating a bank account is cumbersome as it presently is.

Oyelere explained that, “Theoretically, when consumption grows, saving shrink, because people are only able to save. In a recession, people have to re-adjust their spending patterns and this always leads to lesser savings or no saving at all and then the ability of people to save goes a long way in facilitating financial inclusion. Increase in prices of consumables like food and energy, transportation cost have eroded any given gains in nominal disposable income as such more proportionate income will go into consumable. So recession is a tenable reason.”

Chief Executive Officer of Cowry Assets, Johnson Chukwu, however, argued that the reason is only tenable to the extent that “anybody who lost his source of income would not have any compelling need for banking services, anything otherwise, I do not agree.”

In weighing in on the security challenges in the North-east, he agreed that it might have affected the projection given that the North-east would have been factored into the projections and the inability to reach the people in the areas must have impacted the projections.

According to Chukwu, the people in the North-east were factored into the inclusiveness projection, so when they cannot be reached they would be subtracted from inclusiveness projection target.

However, Chukwu and Oyelere appeared to side the rural penetration of banking services as a major challenge towards achieving financial inclusion in the country. Both respondents noted the absence of money deposit banks in the rural areas, thus leading to a disinterest in banking services by rural dwellers.

“Another contributory factor is absence of banking services in the rural areas. In some places people would travel five to seven kilometers before they could get to the nearest bank. The microfinance banks that are supposed to fill the gap are not helping matters. A farmer who goes to the farm everyday would not see any compelling reason to travel up to seven kilometers just to deposit his cash in a bank,” Chukwu explained. He added that, “What is needed to drive financial inclusion is financial literacy,” even as he agreed that operational KYC process is cumbersome due to the absence of a unified and universally adopted means of identification.

“The current KYC of opening and operating a bank account is a contributory factor. To open a bank account, you will be required to produce a valid Drivers’ License or an International Passport; you will agree with me that not all Nigerians have that. The third option is a Voters’ Card as a means of identification. It would have been much easier if there were something like a social security number, which gives a unique identity. Government should drive towards a unique and universally adopted means of identification,” he posited.

T H I S D AY ˾ SUNDAY JULY 22, 2018

29

30

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ͺͺ˜ ͺ͸͹΀

MARKET NEWS

NIPCO Promises Shareholders Improved Returns on Investments Goddy Egene NIPCO Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to delivering good returns to its shareholders through consistent dividend payment following improved performance of the company for the year ended December 31, 2017.

Chairman of NIPCO, Chief Bestman Anekwe, who disclosed this at the company’s 14th annual general meeting (AGM) held in Abuja reiterated the steadfastness of

the board to continuously motivate the management for better performance.

According to the him, in spite of the challenging operating environment, the board has resolved to maintain the same level of dividend as in the previous year.

The company recorded a turnover for 2017 stood at N205 billion, showing an increase of 35 per cent from N170 billion in 2016. Profit after tax rose from N1.8 billion in 2016 to N2.1billion in 2017.

A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager.

Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

Based on the results, the board recommended a dividend of 300 kobo amounting to total dividend payout of N563 million which was unanimously approved by the shareholders.

Chief Anekwe noted that the company’s footprint in the industry is getting stronger and deeper with the acquisition of ExxonMobil’s 60 per cent equity in Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc through its subsidiary, NIPCO Investments Limited.

Also speaking, Managing

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 18-July-2018, unless otherwise stated.

Director of NIPCO Plc, Mr. Sanjay Teotia said the future is bright for the company despite the challenges in the downstream sector, stressing that management would continue to place emphasis on transforming the firm’s systems and processes to deliver meaningful value to stakeholders.

“We are not oblivious of the fact that to achieve the foregoing, we must improve on our core competencies and exploit business ventures and

opportunities,” he said.

Teotia stated that management would remain focused on pursuing major targets inclusive of growing NIPCO’s market share in petroleum products marketing as well as increasing the visibility of its retail outlets across the country.

He expressed the company’s resolve to continue to align with government in providing access to LPG as cooking fuel at affordable rates stressing that the technical inauguration of the largest sphere in Africa by the

company in 2017 is a pointer to the organisation’s resolve to deepen domestic gas utilization.

“Our gas stations remains first choice outlets as consumers are assured of clean energy for cooking at the right quality ,quantity at very competitive rates,” the MD said.

The said the company is upbeat of improved performance taking into consideration its highly motivated and skilled employees as well as excellent customer service delivery across its business lines.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 1 270 1680 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 181.21 181.34 1.80% Nigeria International Debt Fund 246.89 247.02 6.73% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.84 0.84 1.54% ACAP Income Funds 0.62 0.62 3.92% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.58% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Discovery Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Ethical Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 146.56 147.59 -3.38% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.27% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 10.62% Paramount Equity Fund 11.92 12.23 7.52% Women's Investment Fund 103.96 106.62 3.31% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.61% CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.29% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.16 1.19 11.09% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.14 1.17 9.69% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,169.79 1,170.50 8.19% FBN Heritage Fund 143.99 145.10 3.16% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.09% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional $113.35 $113.74 2.84% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail $113.17 $113.55 2.78% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 166.53 168.88 3.95% FIRST CITY ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD fcamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcamltd.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Equity Fund 1.32 1.34 1.40% Legacy Debt Fund 3.09 3.09 7.09% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A Coral Income Fund N/A N/A N/A GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.49% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 102.27 103.61 2.48% INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.50% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.14 2.16 1.29% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 0.00% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 120.72 121.04 4.94%

LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.19 1.21 3.93% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,060.18 1,060.18 5.20% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Meristem Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.33 1.35 11.77% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.71 11.77 6.08% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 12.11% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 130.07 132.12 0.90% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.61 1.61 8.37% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 2,341.85 2,361.07 4.40% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 187.08 187.08 6.02% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.02 1.03 1.49% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 241.14 241.19 9.50% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 179.20 181.22 0.06% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 11.93% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 9,503.94 9,632.22 -1.72% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.10 1.10 4.02% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Eurobond Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Wealth for Women Fund N/A N/A N/A ZENITH ASSETS MANAGEMENT LTD info@zenith-funds.com Web: www.zenith-funds.com; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 12.66 12.86 1.94% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.55 13.69 2.84% Zenith Income Fund 20.56 20.56 8.67% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.16%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

11.41

1.01%

136.66 51.39

3.17% 1.10%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

11.81 141.54 106.33

12.01 144.49 108.27

-2.12% -0.92% -2.69%

Fund Name FSDH UPDC Real Estate Investment Fund SFS Skye Shelter Fund Union Homes REIT

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund

VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

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A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT T

22.07.2018

The Adventures of

Seyi Shay

ASSISTANT SSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/funkola2000@gmail.com OLAODE/f k l 2 000@

22

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ͰͰ, ͰͮͯͶ

COVER

Seyi Shay

Music is My First Love and Movies are My Latest Adventures!

There is storm in her eyes. The fire in her belly bellows in explosion. Her gregarious gusto metamorphoses into beads of sweat on her sensuous body. She is a beauty to behold and a brain to boast about. As she sashays into the room, you know it is no other person than Seyi Shay. She ticks all the boxes as a singer and entertainer. Featuring as the lead actor in the Biola Alabi latest film – Lara and the Beat – Seyi has stepped up her game in the movie and music industry. Funke Olaode writes about the ambition and passion that drive this seductive siren of the serenading and silver screen

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umming in a mellifluous tone, delectable in her gorgeous dress and mesmerizing in stardom, Seyi Shay exudes sheer simplicity doused with intensity. Her voice is like a floodgate of open skies that trickles in drizzles. The power behind it and the passion surrounding it have remained unstoppable over the years. With that voice, she possesses a commanding gusto that eternally electrifies the stage as she sings. Her dance moves are both electric and eclectic.

Seyi Shay is a singer by choice.

Today, she has become a movie star by adventure. Playing the lead role in the movie, Lara and the Beat, the indefatigable singer has once again stolen the show. Life and her passion for music did not, however, start like a movie. As a young girl, she had to battle the maternal instincts of a doting mother. She also had to slay the dream of being a doctor or an accountant as her parents would have wanted. Down-toearth and full of dreams, Seyi Shay is like a new chapter in Nigeria’s effervescent entertainment industry yet to fully unravel.

Born in the United Kingdom, she once traversed the

entertainment industry in the United States where she was managed by the father of the world hip hop star, Beyoncé’s father, Matthew Knowles, for three years. But her unknown sonorous voice found its way into the Nigerian airwaves in 2015 when she decided to relocate to Nigeria.

Just like other stars before her, her journey into music began in a choir. “As a child, I was in several choirs – school choir, church choir, girls’ group, and bands – in the United Kingdom where I was born. I started following my mum to the choir practice from the age of five. Then, I graduated into taking music as part of a curriculum in my school – my extra curriculum activities had to do with music – playing violin, different instruments and singing in the gospel choir in my church and school. As the years flew by I continued with music in my ‘A’ levels and my degree at the University of East London. I just discovered that music has been part of my life,” she recalled.

For Seyi Shay, even in far-away UK, going into music was met with opposition from her mother who felt it was belittling for her daughter to settle for music after acquiring a university education. The actress knew the only way to convince her mother was the hard way. She explained: “The mentality is the same. I never grew up with both parents, I lived with my mum – my mum has passed away. My father is still alive. My mum especially wasn’t a fan of the idea of going into music in the beginning because she wanted me to be a doctor, lawyer or something like that. As the years went by, I was getting good grades – doing well at school. My relatives, family and dad were like: ‘Look, nowadays you don’t dictate to young persons what they want to do. She listened and just before she died, she was in the hospital when I saw her last. She said to me: ‘I can see you becoming very big in Nigeria.’ I exclaimed: ‘Why Nigeria?’ She said that was the vision she had and she had Cont’d on pg 57

Seyi Shay with another lead actor, Vector

Nigeria’s music industry favours men, more so entertainment as a whole. But now women are coming out to take their rightful place in movie production, headlining shows. I think the time is now.

Mrs. Biola Alabi is doing this at the right time now that women are at the fore front of entertainment and it can only get better

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JULY 22, 2018 ˾ T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

SEYI SHAY

COVER

My New Life as a Movie Star but the Beat Goes on been praying about it. My mum said Nigeria is where I am going to have my success. I moved to Nigeria in 2015.”

How has it been believing in that vision?

“Well, it has been full of ups and downs. The first year I was trying to get familiar with the culture of the music out here. You know afro beat was the music I was singing in the United Kingdom and America – when I was signed by Matthew Knowles, Beyoncé’s dad.

He managed my music for three years before I came to Nigeria. Nigeria and the West are two different worlds,” she said.

Three years after, she has found fame, fans and perhaps fortune. With the acceptance of her music, various endorsements, she feels she rediscovered herself.

Today, the vibrant and euphoric songstress and entertainer is a versatile character, who does not only dazzle with her voice. She titivates with her exotic dance steps and captivates with her gorgeous looks. Like a superstar, she is blurring the line between music and movie. Little wonder then she was made the lead character in a newly-released movie, ‘Lara and the Beat’ – from the stable of Biola Alabi Media – playing the character of Lara Giwa.

“Lara and the Beat is about the young and beautiful Giwa sisters caught in the centre of a financial scandal with their parent’s media empire. The sisters are forced out of their privileged bubble. They must now learn to build their own future and salvage their family’s past. The movie also tells a love story between Lara and Sal (aka The Beat), who helps Lara to find her voice and jumpstart her musical journey. It is a movie about loss, love, music and a dream,” the excited Seyi Shay said about the movie.

Known for her industry, genius and originality, Seyi Shay sparkles among the movie cast, exploring the lives of the Giwa sisters who yearned and fought their way to restore the glorious past of their family. The singer-turned-actress added: “The movie is about financial literacy and family values.”

Also starring in the latest film is the Nigerian rapper, Vector, as ‘The Beat’. He was the love interest to one of the Giwa sisters and instrumental in charting a path for their quest.

Eclectic on stage, Seyi Shay is never known for acting. What is her motivation and what has been the experience? She answered: “It has been interesting. I was introduced to Biola Alabi through a friend that freelances for her company. She spoke to me two years ago about the vision and the plan she had for the company. She asked if I was interested in acting and I said I would give it a t Having had a bite of acting – falling for the allure of light, camera and action – Seyi Shay wants some more action.

To achieve that, the Biola Alabi Media has decided to register the singer in an acting school in the US. That appears to be a deathknell to her illustrious music career. Seyi Shay does not think so: “I am always going to be a musician because that is my first love and I will never leave music.”

Juggling music and movie can be a herculean task. A hard worker and shrewd sensibility, said she has the recipe to successfully manage the two worlds.

“I am equal to the task. Fortunately for me, I had recorded songs previously before entering into shooting of this movie. I had materials that I could release while I was away from the music industry. I was away for three months not doing concerts and music while I was rehearsing and shooting the movie,” she said to reassure her music fans.

Seyi Shay has already found fame is her getting into the world of movie fortune? “It is not definitely for money. I did it for the experience. I did it for trial because in life everybody has to try something once in life.

I am an entertainer and entertainment comes with all the things – and movies included. So I did it because I love the script, the cast, and the production house – and I love the story and love Lara,” she said.

Ambitious as she is, it will not be impossible to see calling the shot behind the camera and that idea made her say: “I think being a musician is huge enough and I don’t think I can go into directing a movie at this point because it involves a lot of hard work seeing what Tosin Cover went through. If

that would ever happen I would have to quit music. But I don’t think I’ll ever leave music.”

How does she feel working with the multitalented Biola Alabi, who like Mo Abudu is breaking the glass ceiling, treading the terrain once traversed mainly by men?

“Nigeria’s music industry favours men, more so entertainment as a whole. But now women are coming out to take their rightful place in movie production, headlining shows. I think the time is now. Mrs. Alabi is doing this at the right time now that women are at the fore front of entertainment and it can only get better,” Seyi Shay responded.

The Lara and the Beat movie which held penultimate Sunday at the Lagos Continental Hotel is a celebration of the best of Nollywood fusing movie, music and fashion, and the who’s who of the industries that came out in colourful attire.

The lavish event was an evening of fabulous fashion presentation and a mesmerizing music concert, taking cues from key themes explored in the movie – music, fashion and culture.

The movie has an original music soundtrack produced by ace music producer, TY Mix, with significant input from the team at Universal Music Group in Nigeria.

“I have never watched Nollywood movie or Nigerian movie with such sound tracks.

The sound tracks are so important to any movie because it carried you through the emotions of the movie. It helps you to understand more the layers of every scene because it can tell what is going on. TY Mix is an amazing producer. TY Mix produced most of the songs if not all. The song writers were amazing.

I went to the studio to record the songs which is going to be a separate project. So it is a two-in-one project: the movie and the music. It’s going to be released like an album just like ‘Waiting to Exhale’ and the ‘Bodyguard’ movies starring the late Whitney Houston,” Seyi Shay explained.

Lara and the Beat, produced by Tolu Olusoga, boasts of awardwinning Nollywood heavyweights

like Somkele, Chioma Akpotha, Chinedu Ikedieze, Uche Jombo, Lala Akindoju, Bimbo Manuel, Wale Ojo, Shaffy Bello, and Saidi Balogun. Other cast members include Deyemi Okanlawon, Demola Adedoyin, Folu Storms, Sharon Ooja, Anne Icha, Akan Nnani, Dara Egerton Shyngle, Bollylomo, David Jones David, Cookies, Keira Hewatch, Patrick Oke and Demi Banwo.

As Seyi Shay embraces her new adventure, she believes the future is bright.

“I am not going to quit music. I just released a short clip of an album with songs that featured six artistes from across Africa.

We are shooting the videos and they’ll be released gradually – which I called volume one. And in the nearest future we’ll release volume two.

And hopefully, I’ll get involved in more movies,” she added.

My mum especially wasn’t a fan of the idea of going into music in the beginning because she wanted me to be a doctor, lawyer or something like that. As the years went by, I was getting good grades – doing well at school

Seyi Shay (middle) sandwiched by other movie cast

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T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

GLITZ FEATURE

L-R:Olubese of Ibese, Oba Richard Ogunsanya; Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akinolu; Executive Director, Bank of Industry, Mr Waheed Olagunju; Founder,CEO, Home and You Furniture, Mrs. Feyisola Abiru and her husband/ Managing Director, Skye Bank, Mr. Adetokunbo Abiru; Mrs. May Abiru; former Chairman, Nestle, Chief Olusegun Oshunkeye; Ayegburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabir Shotobi and Mrs. Adedoyin Adeniji, during the commissioning of the Ultra Modern Furniture Factory at Owode Ibese Road, Ikorodu, Lagos…recently..

Photo: KOLA ALI

When Oba Akiolu, Oshunkeye, Other Converged on Ikorodu Furniture Factory Home and You Limited, one of Nigeria’s foremost furniture design and manufacturing firms, has evolved since its arrival over two decades ago. Recently, its ultra-modern factory in Ibeshe, a fastgrowing suburb of Ikorodu, Bamidele Famoofo reports

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t was a gathering of very important persons in Lagos State to declare open the of expansive factory that parades state of the arts equipment. From captains of industry, to top government officials, traditional rulers, bankers and well-wishers, they all have the same words in common by saying, ‘Well done to a visionary founder.” So on July 10, 2018, Ibeshe, a surburb in Ikorodu witnessed an unprecedented crowd who thronged the area to support the vision of one woman, Feyisola Abiru, who recently turned her passion to a multimillion naira invest. For Feyisola, hers was a passion for living spaces which she conceived 21 years ago. Abiru, an alumnus of the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, decided to turn her hobby into a full-blown career in 1994, after she left the university. Since her passion has always been about enhancing spaces to make the living experience a bit more special, in the process of setting up her first home with her husband, Tokunbo Abiru, she worked with a number of artisans who helped to bring her designs and ideas to life. Shortly after, she began taking orders for interior decoration projects and so, Home and You was birthed.

Incorporated in 1997, Home and You Limited is a living space enhancing company, providing furniture and furnishing services for homes, offices and schools. It manufactures all its furniture locally, from its expansive workshop in the Ogba area of Lagos, using the best materials that are sourced with diligence from local and offshore suppliers. Its lines of candles and diffusers are simply outstanding, helping to create a delightful environment conducive for work and play.

As a startup, Home and You encountered various challenges, particularly unpredictable output levels as the company had to rely on outsourcing production to local artisans. This according to Feyisola, meant that project deliveries became sporadic, and deadlines were difficult to meet. To overcome this and stay on in

business, she decided her company needed to approach things differently. The first step she took was to acquire more control over the production of furniture. To do this, she began using her family property in the Ogba area of Lagos as her workshop. She would later modify the space by procuring hand tools, woodworking machines and employing contract staff. This enabled her to meet customer demands and deliver on projects in a more timely and cost effective manner.

However, as is usual in business terrain, challenges arose. Employing contract staff was progress, since it cut down on time spent finding the right labour for a job. “However, having temporary employees still made it difficult to expand output and grow,” she said.

The change came when she took the bull by the horns to approach the Bank of Industry (BOI), for financial assistance. “The company required capital to invest in bigger and more modern machines to benefit from economies of scale”, she disclosed. However, to qualify for a loan, Feyisola needed to restructure her business by updating the company’s accounts, becoming tax compliant and setting up a proper corporate governance structure. She also invited Chief Olusegun Osunkeye, former chairman of Nestle Plc, to head the company’s board and took a chance by hiring permanent workers in her factory.

Three years after applying for a loan from BOI in 2005, the request was granted, and that makes the beginning of a greater future for the company. With a growth mindset, Home and You has set its sights on bigger horizons.

Following the successful completion of business programmes at the Lagos Business School and the IMD in Switzerland, Feyisola became equipped with the knowledge, discipline and thinking needed to make strategic decisions in her business environment. Since then, she has attended relevant conferences and exhibitions both internationally and locally. Home and You successfully obtained a second loan from the BoI which only took a year to be approved.

With the new facility, Home and You was able to up its games, it relocated to a bigger showroom in Lekki that accommodates a design studio; and launched its own fragrance line.

On July 10, Home and You opened the doors to a bigger and purpose-built factory with a semi-automated international standard production line. “From its humble beginnings as a startup that relied on manual labour, the company is preparing to expose itself to international best practices, and shift focus to a business-to-business strategy,” said the founder.

She dislosed that the products of the newly built factory will cater to schools, home developers, offices, hotels and interior designers. While the new machines acquired for the factory will allow for high volume output as well as precision dimension cutting. “Production will be predictable and huge,” she added.

Besides, she believes that she and her team will become game changers in the furniture industry within the next 10 years.

Indeed, she has proven that one can small, dream big and reach the pinnacle of one’s career or professional aspirations.

Extolling the virtue of a visionary woman, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, described the siting of the new ultra-modern furniture company in Ikorodu, as a key driver for the economy of the state and the country at large. Ambode, while delivering a goodwill message at the factory commissioning ceremony, said it will create employment and increase the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Ambode, represented by the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Physical Planning, Prince Rotimi Ogunleye, said the furniture produced by Home and You will compete favourable with foreign competitors. He disclosed that the government of Lagos State government has been of the company.

Executive Director of Bank of Industry, Mr. Waheed Olagunju, said the Bank has

supported the company for about 13 years.

“What’s being commissioned today is an expansion. Home and You is a role model for others to emulate,” he stated.

Olagunju added: “By every standard, this factory is one of the best in the world and if the owners come again, we will give them loan,” He praised the management of ‘Home and You’ for their policy of providing good welfare for staff, noting that the company takes care of feeding and shelter for its workers.

Also, the pioneer chairman of the company, Mr. Olusegun Osunkeye described Home and You as a young adult going places.

Osunkeye, the former Chairman of Nestle Plc , who has been chairman the board of the company for seven and half years, described Feyisola as a decisive lady, who is focused in her business.

TEAM ASSITANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE REPORTER VANESSA OBIOHA DESIGNER WAHAB AKINTUNDE THISDAY ON SUNDAY EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITORS WALE OLALEYE TOBI SONIYI THISDAY NEWSPAPERS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE

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JULY 22, 2018 ˾ T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

EVENT

with FUNKE OLAODE 08099400206, funkola2000@gmail.

Glitz Meets Glamour as United States Celebrates 242nd Independence Anniversary The lagoon breeze which blew relentlessly ushered the select guests into the expansive compound of the United States’ Consul General’s residence in Ikoyi.

It was an important day for the chief hosts, United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington and Consul General, Mr. F. John Bray, as the duo celebrated 242nd independence anniversary of the most powerful country in the world.

As early as 4.pm, Nigeria’s crème la crème trooped in: from top-notch politicians, banking chiefs, captains of industry, the media and diplomatic community. The music from a band provided ambience of comfort guests smiled, exchanged banters, catching up on old times. The hospitality of the Americans was also on display.

Among the dignitaries were Ms. Susan Symington; Ms. Tokpa Bray, Minister of Foreign Affairs represented by Director of Presidential Lounge and Protocol, Mr. Dayo Adeoye; Chief Onike Akande; Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Dr. Orji Kalu, Dr. Dapo Abiodun, Mrs. Dupe Alakija; Pastor and Mrs. Paul Adefarasin. Others were James Ibori, High Chief Emami Ayiri, Dr. Goodie Ibru, Dare Art Alade; Dr. Mrs. Ezekwesili and others.

Symington, speaking the occasion said 242nd Independence Day celebration represents the day America declared ‘Our Independence.’ Symington also extolled the virtue of Lagos. Commenting on governance and leadership, the US ambassador noted leadership and governance should not be left solely in the hands of the leaders who occupy political positions. He urged all to partake in governance.

The minister for foreign affairs, congratulated the US on the ‘historic occasion’. “Our relationship with America has spanned over a century. We celebrate timeless, principles and the spirit of those who fought for the freedom of America. Over the years, America has continued to play her role as a friend of Nigeria. This is wishing you more prosperous years ahead.” Funke Olaode captures the moment

United States Ambassador to Nigeria, W. Stuart Symington

Chief Emami Ayiri and Chief James Ibori

L-R -Pastor Paul Adefarasin, Mrs. Folorunso Alakija, Mrs. Ifenyinwa Adefarasin and Mrs. Alakija

L-R Ms. Susan Symington_ Mr. F. John Bray, and wife of the United States Consul General, Ms. Tokpa Bray at the event

L-R- Mrs. Onikepo Akande and Mr. Goodie Ibru

L-R-Dare Art Alade with Dr. Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili

JULY 22, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

60

High Life

WITH LANRE ALFRED 08076885752

...Amazing lifestyles of Nigeria’s rich and famous

15 Years After, Bode Emmanuel Formalises Marriage with Anana Okwesa in London

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here there is no love, there is no ardour. But where love exists, even the most wretched homestead becomes Eden. There is love in the heart and home of Chief Bode Emmanuel, as you read. The veteran socialite is extremely joyous at the moment. He is swaddled in the ecstasy of requited love like a newborn cradled in his mother’s warmth. It is hardly surprising then that Anana Okwesa has the heart and ears of Chief Emmanuel. The famous celebrity businessman has rediscovered his joy in his relationship with Anana.

Unlike most husbands, Bode hardly reminds Anana, “of an orang-utan trying to play the violin.” And unlike the late French writer, Honoré de Balzac, Anana too has no reason to doubt or disdainfully analyze the character and depth of her husband’s love for her in such manner. And the reason is never far-fetched: Bode does not only deploy great tact and ingenuity at pleasing his beautiful wife, he showers immeasurable love on her at every opportunity. Small wonder, Bode and Anana formalized their relationship in London penultimate Monday. It was low-key event in the Victorian city. It would be recalled that his affair with Anana started about 15 years ago when the duo met at a society party and today, they are blessed with a cute boy, Jimi Emmanuel.

LIKE A BENGALI BRIDE MUIZ BANIRE CONTENDS WITH ATTENTION FROM ACCIDENTAL FRIEND Muiz Banire has finally reencountered bliss in trying hours, like the sojourner who discovers a babbling brook in the middle of the Sahara. He has a reason to smile again after some issues he had with his godfather and benefactor. The new Chairman of Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), is shocked by the flurry of attention he is getting,

Anana Okwesa

Bode Emmanuel

even as you read. Muiz, who was recently appointed as AMCON head honcho by President Muhammadu Buhari, suddenly became the bride and heartthrob of major stakeholders, lobbyists and favour seekers. Yes, Muiz knows he has been thrust into the vortex of history. More importantly, he has climbed to the top of the greasy pole; like a Bengali bride, he has become the object of lust and high affection of every element and juggernaut prowling the cutthroat halls of the AMCON. Everybody

wishes to befriend the new chairman especially with the new AMCON rules of engagement. AMCON says there will be no more room for negotiation with obligors. Ahmed Kuru, managing director and chief executive officer of AMCON, said the company is tired of debtors coming to their office and telling lies about wanting to embark on a staggered payment which they ended up never complying. His appointment is subject to confirmation by the senate. On Tuesday, Senate President Bukola

Saraki read a letter from Buhari, seeking the confirmation of Banire and 13 members of the Federal Civil Service Commission.

JOKING APART: CHRIS OKOTIE CLOCKS 60, DECLARES HIS INTENTION TO RUN FOR PRESIDENCY Yes, cosmopolitan preacher and founder of the Household of God Church, Pastor Chris Okotie, clocked 60 recently. But he didn’t roll out drums to celebrate the party. Now, he is vaunting his perennial, starry-

The End: Fayose’s Friends, Associates Desert Him Governor Ayodele Fayose is not a man of steel. Having realised that, his coterie of friends and political associates have stopped ennobling him as a warrior forged of steel with decades of exposure in a burning furnace. The secret is out: when the going gets tough and the heat intensifies, even a tough-talking Fayose loses his nerve and exaggerated wits. Indeed, the loquacious and highly controversial governor of Ekiti State may have met his Waterloo in last week’s election where his candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola lost.

But while he stews in boiling waters, his friends and associates have deserted him. Friends and political associates of Fayose began to avoid him soon after the election. Before now, the home and office of the one-week-one-trouble politician were constantly filled with friends, politicians, contractors, favour seekers and hangers-on. But now, his office is nothing better than a deserted island just like his home. Fayose visited the palace of the Ado Ekiti paramount ruler, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe Aladesanmi III. He narrated how he and his supporters

are being hounded after the election had come and gone. He said: “I have come to officially tell you sir, as the paramount ruler of Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, that the Government House was invaded by the police. Over 400 of our members are being detained as we speak now. After the poll on Saturday, my wife was prevented from entering the Government House for about 45 minutes. Since last Wednesday, security agents had laid siege to the Government House, and were subjecting people to untold hardship coming in or going out.”

Fayose

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JULY 22, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

HIGHLIFE

Real Reason Peter Igbinedion Walked Femi Otedola Out of His House

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s a young adult, Femi Otedola aspired to greatness and selfactualization, driven by the belief that a man’s reach should always exceed his grasp. He reached for the moon, knowing that if his grasp missed its cusp, his hands may land on the stars. And his hands landed on the stars. Ultimately, he started out daring mighty things, in pursuit of glorious triumphs.

Yes, blessed with vigorous optimism, a boots-on-the-ground approach to his endeavours, an unflinching belief in destiny (read God), it did not come as any surprise that barely a decade after he ventured into the oil and gas business, Otedola, the billionaire mogul was leading older, more established players in the industry by the hand.

However, some days ago, at the book launch of Bashorun Dele Momodu, Otedola, in his speech, spoke about how he intervened in the release of Bashorun MKO Abiola and how Peter Igbinedion walked him out of his house in Ikoyi.

Hear him, “My late father thought Chief Abiola would make a great president because of his deep wisdom, expansive heart and panNigerian outlook.

eyed prophesy of ruling Nigeria, once again. And just when it seemed the former pop singer turned-preacher was having a breather and a ball with his God and congregation, he launched out again that he wants to be the next president. Okotie is one man of the pulpit whose oratorical prowess is not in doubt. Sweet-mouthed, convincing and polemical, Okotie is blessed with words and he puts them to use at the slightest prodding. But judging from some of the words that have proceeded from his vocal box, one can readily say that the potency of his sayings is only observed in mere expression and not fulfilment.

In 2003, the flamboyant pastor told a stunned populace that God had asked him to run for the presidency of Nigeria. Prior to that time, he was not known to be a politician. Thereafter, he registered a political party and automatically became its presidential standard-bearer, mouthing repeatedly that his mandate was God-ordained.

Of course, as many rightly predicted, judging by the political calculations of the time, he lost the election abysmally. In 2007 and 2011, he ran again and lost on both occasions.

Significantly, at the 2011 elections, he polled a paltry 34, 000 votes against the winner, President Goodluck Jonathan’s 22 million votes, which made him to call for the cancellation of the entire exercise on allegations of procedural irregularities. Yet, he claimed that he had been asked to contest by God. As preparations for the 2019 general election begin, Okotie has returned, saying God has

Alex Otti

Will Alex Otti be Second Time Lucky?

Femi Otedola

“A sad reminder of his arrest in 1994 was a picture of him alighting from a Black Maria. Upon this, I called Ibrahim Abacha and requested to see him and we met at the southwest Ikoyi residence of Mr. Peter Igbinedion, the then MD of FAAN. I told Ibrahim to tell his Dad to release MKO as it was not fair for a man who was denied his mandate to be so humiliated by

being put in a Black Maria, to which our host, Peter, interjected by saying “who is this?” and he swiftly walked to the door holding it open and walked me out of his residence. I later ran into Mr. Igbinedion at Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s London residence in 2013 and he was begging for my number. How tables have turned”.

Muiz Banire

Chris Okotie

asked him to contest for the fourth time! Says God has asked him to tell the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to adopt him as consensus presidential candidate in 2019. Okotie said this at his church on Sunday, while declaring interest to contest the presidential election. “Nigeria has become a divided and segregated

society like never before,” he said. “I have re-emerged from my political hibernation to contest for the office of president in the forthcoming elections. “A few days ago, the Lord asked me to write a letter to the chairman of the APC and the chairman of PDP, asking them not to field any presidential candidate and that they should adopt me as their consensus candidate.

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ortune favours the bold and prepared. Venturing into politics, especially as played in Nigeria, will either leave one with burnt fingers or a flourishing success. But then, one must not quit at first failed attempt if one truly has their eye on the goal.

This must have been the motivation behind Alex Otti’s obstinate approach to his gubernatorial dream, as he once again, has indicated his readiness to declare for the Abia State governorship election. The former Managing Director of Diamond Bank Plc, took to his Twitter handle last Tuesday inviting the public to his declaration under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) which held on Friday in Aba. Alex Otti surprised not quite a few people when he dumped his enviable banking career to take a plunge into the murky waters of politics in 2015. Otti was given his first baptism of fire when, in the election adjudged as heavily manipulated, he was trounced by the incumbent governor, Okezie Ikpeazu.

Adamant and deeply convinced that he was rigged out, Otti headed to the election tribunal, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court to get a favourable verdict that would see him returned as duly elected governor. It ended as a pipe dream for Harvard Business School-trained economist, as he lost in all the courts despite sinking huge resources in litigation. Otti is on the march against the incumbent who has also signified his intention to seek a second term. If it was daunting in 2015 for Otti to defeat Ikpeazu who had the back of the then outgoing Governor Orji Kalu in 2015, it has become more Herculean to see him (Ikpeazu) defeated now he himself has direct access to resources to fund his reelection as the incumbent. Otti would have to deploy more than he did in 2015 to 2019 general election in spite of his depleted wealth. Not only was Otti doing extremely well as a professional, he was at the peak of his career as the number one man at Diamond Bank Plc when the urge for politics arrested him and made him drop the curtain on a career that catapulted him to national reckon and global accolades, as he won multiple individual awards and corporate ones for the bank. The haste with which he resigned left many bewildered. Reports had it that a good number of his friends and well-wishers reached out to him and advised him against the decision but he was already too consumed by his ambition to give a listening ear to any other voice.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

ʹͰ

HIGHLIFE

Sagacious Samad Rabiu Inaguarates $350m Plant in Sokoto Why VP Osinbajo always supports him

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n his stint in public office, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has come to exemplify a special conception of a forthright no sophistry-permitting political leader. Restrained, yet, robust in his public and private statements, he says it as it is without pandering to any parochial or puritanical interest. Thus, when the Professor of Law declared on Tuesday, that he was not only in awe of the $350 million dollar ultra-modern BUA Cement Plant, 32MW Captive Power Plant and Coal Mill in Sokoto ( the new baby of Forbes-certified billionaire businessman, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu) but bows to the BUA chairman’s genius and altruistic patriotism. The plant, with its commanding presence would occasion a lot of double takes while a cursory stroll into its bowels would leave so much to see and salivate about.

According to the VP, “BUA Cement Plant is a big boost to the Nigerian Economy”. What the VP did not know

is that such massive endeavours are not alien to Abdulsamad, whose commitment to national and economic stability is beyond doubt. Having recorded a series of remarkable firsts in the highly competitive world of commerce, there are more worlds for him to conquer.

And Nigeria and Africa are the better for it. Indeed, he has created a legendary brand in BUA, which is a blessing. Rather than submit to the rigours and pressures of commerce, he towers in excellence thus creating a powerhouse that Nigeria nay Africa is proud of. The Kano-born billionaire, reputed for his fine taste in all things of life that money can buy, is sparing no expense in constructing a plant that can compete favourably with any in its class across the globe. BUA group is one of Nigeria’s largest conglomerates specializing in cement, manufacturing, port operations, sugar refinery, edible oil, shipping & real estate and many more.

Abdulsamad Rabiu

RETRACTION

Stop the Rumour!

Baru Never Influenced Remi Makanjuola’s Contracts All mischief is in essence, evil – ask Remi Makanjuola. The prominent oil mogul experienced a rude sting from serenity, in the wake of rumours that Dr. Maikanti Baru, the GMD, NNPC, influenced some of the big contracts given to Makanjuola because of their relationship. Our attention has been drawn to the factual inconsistency in the story. We have found out that Dr. Baru didn’t influence any of his contracts.

According to Makanjuola, “Yes, I have known him for years in the cause of my business but he never influenced my getting contracts. My first major contract with Shell was eight years ago when Dr. Baru was not the GMD of NNPC and

Remi Makanjuola

my Chevron contract which we started in April this year was awarded two years ago before Dr. Baru became the GMD.” We, however, retract this in its entirety.

We apologise for the embarrassment which the said article must have caused the billionaire businessman and Dr. Baru. However, in business circuits, the name Remi Makanjuola, the Chairman of Caverton Group, resonates like a soothing whirr of fresh breeze. Many will compare him to the fresh verdure of the field that leads the dancing Naiads through the dewy meads.

Even though he has friends here and there, he never allows that to stop him from following due process.

Apostle Suleiman…The ‘Man Of God’ Whose Prophecy On Ekiti Never Came to Pass How the controversy-prone cleric shot blanks with his predictions If you leave it to some Nigeria’s prophets, the human race may well become extinct before the end of every year. Like fatal men, forever doomed to inspire hopelessness and terror in the affairs of men, self-styled men of God issue doomsday prophecies like they are going out of fashion, every year. Regardless of their doomsday prophecies, the subjects of their dark predictions live on the sunny side of life. However, some days ago, an aide to President Muhammadu Buhari

on social media, Lauretta Onochie, attacked Apostle Johnson Suleiman of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide over his failed prophecy on the recently concluded Ekiti state gubernatorial election. The controversial pastor had earlier prophesied that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election. According to him “God told me expressly that APC is finished in Nigeria and you will see how God will disgrace them in Ekiti. They will lose

heavily,” Apostle Suleiman was quoted to have prophesied in May 2018. The prophecy, made in May 2018, however, failed as the candidate of the APC, Dr Kayode Fayemi, on the election.

Reacting to the failed prophecy, Onochie described Suleiman as “a pastor who is not in talking terms with God but who continues to lie in God’s name.” She posted on her Twitter page: “A ‘Pastor’ who is not in talking terms with God but who continues to lie in God’s name.

God will continue to disgrace them.”

Apostle Suleiman

T H I S D AY ˾ SUNDAY JULY 22, 2018

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ULY 22, 2018

Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

SOCIETY WATCH

Adetunji Ogunwusi’s Many Troubles

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Jibia

Abu Jibia’s Reversal of Fortunes

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bu Ali Jibia, who hails from Delta State, made his name as a businessman dealing in oil and gas.

He works hard for his money, so he spoils himself with all the good things of life. His popularity even soars beyond his home state to neighbouring states.

But sometime in 2013, he had a brush with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFFC, over his alleged involvement in illegal bunkering.

Ali Jibia is facing a trial alongside 10 others on a fivecount charge bordering on conspiracy, unlawful dealing in Automated Gas Oil, (AGO), popularly called Diesel, unlawful distribution of adulterated petroleum products and dealing in petroleum product that was below expected quality before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos. It was also gathered that his company vessel, MT Swordfish, worth several millions of dollars, was apprehended.

They were alleged to have stored and distributed two barges and two petrol tanker trucks of adulterated Automated Gas Oil (AGO) on May 22, 2013, at Liberty Jetty, Marina, Lagos, without lawful licence.

His biggest headache, at the moment, is that the case has dragged on for too long, thereby digging a hole in his pocket.

A source revealed that he is currently suffering a reversal of fortune due to millions of Naira he has expended on the matter that has dragged for five years without any headway.

rince Adetunji Ogunwusi is one of the top players in the nation’s real estate industry.

But in the eyes of some, he is a desperado, who operates without scruples. Hence, his integrity has been called to question a number of times.

A few weeks ago, his alleged crooked ways in the industry was exposed when the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, Lagos Chapter, staged a peaceful protest over his involvement in a N100 million housing fraud.

The members of the group had paid the money into his Prime Waterview Limited Company for a housing project, which he has failed to deliver many years after.

The protesters, who carried placards with various inscriptions, said the protest was necessitated after Ogunwusi reneged on his promise at different meetings held with him.

“Prince Ogunwusi claimed to have bought plumbing and wiring materials worth several millions of Naira for buildings he is yet to build.

“Justice must be done and truly seen to have been done in this matter. Many of our colleagues, who subscribed to the project, are dead while many are suffering as a result of accommodation problem.

“We have been on this matter for years now and Justice delayed is justice denied,” a source added.

Sadly, this may not be the only cause of his sleepless nights, as it was gathered that he has also been dragged before a Lagos High Court by members of the ExxonMobil Staff Cooperative Society Limited over an alleged attempt to deny them a housing estate they applied for.

Joined as co-defendants in the suit are Sterling Bank Plc, Spartee International Limited, the Registrar of Titles, Lagos State and the Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Lagos State.

In a suit marked LD/6285/14 filed by their lawyer, Tesleem S. Adewuyi of Citipoint Legal Practitioners, they claimed that the first defendant, Primewaterview Limited, had, on September 14, 2007, approached them to go into a joint development alliance in respect of the proposed Primewaterview Garden 2 Estate, Ikate-Elegunshi, Lekki, Lagos.

It was also said that they agreed to participate in the said proposed estate development on a subscriber/owner basis, which was subject to a written agreement being executed between them and the first defendant, Primewaterview Limited, on February 5, 2008.

Upon an agreement dated March 31, 2008, the first defendant, Primewaterview Limited, agreed to sell to members of the association ‘175 reserved units’ of three-bedroom luxury flats with boys’ quarters (comprising Blocks A to J) at a fixed price of N26 million.

It was also agreed that the claimant shall make an advance payment of 30 percent of the contracted purchase price as seed money for

Ogunwusi

the commencement of the project construction works, while the balance of 70 percent shall be paid upon completion.

The claimant also stated that a sum of N1.365 billion, representing the 30 percent consideration of the 175 units, was raised through the subscriptions of its interested members.

However, the first defendant, Primewaterview Limited, was said to have reneged on the agreement, despite the fact that it received as at and when due the agreed seed money of N1.365 billion.

It was also alleged that that the company, in a letter dated November 5, 2009, approached the association for additional funds to facilitate the completion and delivery of the said 175 units of the three-bedroom flats with boys’ quarters, which had been delayed beyond the date contracted by the Primewaterview Limited.

Consequently, the claimants obtained construction finance facility from Access Bank Plc through whom an additional sum of N2.242 billion was raised and disbursed to the company in respect of the 175 units of three-bedroom luxury flats with boys’ quarters subscribed in the sum of N3.76 billion.

It was also agreed that the construction finance facility would be converted to mortgage facility for the subscribing members upon the completion and delivery of 175 units of the three- bedroom luxury flats with boys’ quarters to them.

However, the first defendant, Primewaterview Limited, was allegedly to have purportedly, by a Deed of Legal Mortgage registered on June 20, 2011, mortgaged the entire estate (without excluding the 175 units of three bedroom flats with boys’ quarters already paid for by them) to Sterling Bank Plc for an alleged loan of N50 million.

It was also said that by the purported

Deed of Assignment dated May 4, 2012, and registered as number 96/96/2419, Sterling Bank Plc, as mortgagor, exercised its right of sale by selling the entire estate to the third defendant, Spartee International Limited, for the sum of N100 million.

The association further stated that the purported mortgage of the entire estate for a paltry sum of N50 million by the first defendant to the bank was a deliberate ploy to deprive them of the sum of N3.76 billion, which they paid for 175 units out of 458 units comprising the entire estate, which is said to worth N20 billion.

On April 24, 2014, Primewaterview, in a letter through its solicitors, claimed that only 125 units are available for its members as against 175 units subscribed for, and that such will be delivered to them only on the condition that they agree to pay a new price ranging from N35 million to N38 million per unit as against the reserved purchase price of N26 million.

Consequently, the claimant is seeking a court declaration that they are entitled to the 175 units (Blocks A-J) of three bedroom luxury flats with boys’ quarters at the company’s Garden Estate, Ikate-Elegunshi, at the agreed purchase price of N26 million per unit upon the agreement dated March 31, 2008.

Our source further revealed that the company, in a tactical move to escape a series of legal battles hanging around his neck, early this year, carried out a management changeover, a development which made Ogunwusi to step down as Chairman of the company, after a United States-based company, Milost Global Inc., bought into the company.

The source also disclosed that Primewaterview received a $5 million facility from a $2-billion financing facility previously committed by Milost Global Incorporated, a U.S. private equity firm.

Babangida Aliyu’s Political Misfortune Few years ago, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, former Niger State governor was a larger-than-life character.

Coupled with his intimidation frame, he was outspoken. In fact, he was a fearless politician; this fetched him the chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum.

He lived like an emperor.

Not only that Babangida was instrumental to the defection of many top members of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, even though he backed out later, his alleged fight with former President Goodluck Jonathan caused irredeemable crack that later led to the fall of the then ruling party.

The man who had referred to himself as the Chief Servant of Niger was carried away, he never realised until it was too late; he was swept off by the wind of change. His fall was a great lesson to many leaders.

The sodangin Nupe didn’t only fail to install his preferred successor,

Umaru Gado-Nasko, his senatorial ambition never saw the light of the day as he was humiliated by David Umaru of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Society Watch learnt that he failed to win his ward. What a humiliation!

Though, the aforementioned is no longer news. Many are now surprised that the Talba Minna that controlled enormous power is now suffering from political oblivion in less than two years of relinquishing power as executive governor of the state.

We gathered that he is in desperate mission to save his political career.

It was recently reported that he held a meeting with some political allies a head of 2019 but this many have denied. ‘’The former governor has suffered serious political misfortune and he is no gladiator after all as many would have thought but a mere nambypamby with dwindling political clout,’’ a source said.

Aliyu

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JULY 22, 2018 Ëž T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

SOCIETY WATCH

Okoya

Biola Okoya Quits Social Scene?

Bishop Samson

BISHOP TOM SAMSON’S WORLDLY TREASURES For sometime now, tongues have been wagging over the lifestyle of the General Overseer of Christ Royal Church, Bishop Tom Samson.

Though his fans and church members believe very strongly that he is very knowledgeable about the Bible and that he is truly called to win souls into the vineyard of the Lord, many think that his lifestyle is out of sync with the divine teaching in Mathew 6 verses 19-21: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.�

Except you know him too well, you may take him for a hip-hop act or a Hollywood movie star owing largely to his dress sense. In some sense, he loves everything of the world and flaunts it without caring a hoot.

Surprisingly, he is unfazed about the barrage of criticisms that is daily hurled

U

Akin-Olugbade

at him by some members of the society, including some Christian faithful. This is because he still goes about with a retinue of bodyguards and in exotic cars. In fact, a few weeks ago, he took delivery of a Bentley, which left many agape.

It will be recalled that on his 50th birthday celebration, he literally spoilt himself with a customised Limousine.

Though he claimed it was a gift from a member of his church, those who knew better countered that it was a tissue of lies to stave off criticisms.

The fiery preacher, who has a fleet of exotic cars in his garage, is said to be planning to acquire a private jet to mark his 55th birthday in a couple of years.

BOLU AKIN-OLUGBADE’S SON’S MARRIAGE STILL INTACT About two years ago, Dademu, son of billionaire businessman, Bolu Akin-Olugbade, married his beautiful wife, Lauretta, in a blaze of glory.

Surprisingly, the rumour mill has been agog with reports of a crack in their marriage.

The wicked lies border on an alleged RYHUEHDULQJ LQà XHQFH RI WKH JURRP¡V PRWKHU Yeye Ladun Akin-Olugbade.

Dademu was alleged to be “immature� in

the way he handles most of his marital affairs; and he was said to always seek the consent of his mum before taking any decision that concerns him and his wife.

This, it was further alleged, usually gives KLV ZLIH D JUHDW GHDO RI FRQFHUQ 'DGHPX¡V failure to act on her advice was also said to have led to the collapse of the marriage.

However, a source revealed to Society Watch that there is no element of truth in the purported crash. “Of course, there is no marriage without his peculiarity. But there is no iota of truth in the story. The couple is doing good and enjoying their union. The couple has decided to spend the rest of their lives together, since they were joined in holy matrimony.

A journey of unity, happiness and love was expected to have just begun,� the source said.

Dademu, is a United States-trained investment banker, who worked with Merrill Lynch Bank in Los Angeles before returning to Nigeria as an Accounting Manager in West Africa for Reuters. He is presently a businessman. His beautiful heartthrob of many years, Lauretta, a lawyer, is daughter of Dr. Allan Fatai Williams and Mrs. Marie Fatai- Williams, who was an executive director of Total Nigeria.

Olalekan Ayorinde’s Mission Olalekan Ayorinde is one of the most ambitious politicians in Nigeria today.

For him, the urge to bring good governance to Oyo State is upper most in his mind.

As a result, he has pitched his tent with Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party, ANRP, as a serious contender for the Oyo State governorship post.

Since he made his intention known, he has been involved in serious campaigns at home and abroad.

A few days ago, he decried the mindless killings in the country and the malignant poverty in the midst of plenty in Nigeria during a campaign awareness luncheon in the United States of America.

Speaking during the event, Ayorinde also lamented the inability of the electorate to vote in credible individuals who can bring about the desired change to better the lot of the citizenry.

At the well-attended event,

Ayorinde stated that the youth, who are supposed to be the biggest engine to drive the economy, are being used as ready tools in the hands of undisciplined politicians.

He assured the people of Oyo State of quality healthcare, education, employment.

Ayorinde also promised to bring on board world-standard best practices in all ramifications to create industries in Oyo State.

The aspirant also emphasised the creation of more agricultural settlements for growth and researches to make Oyo State self-sustaining, especially in the area of animal husbandry and crop development, having studied and identified the rich soil and climate to sustain the programme.

He promised to keep in touch with the Oyo people in the diaspora so as to involve them in his government to fasttrack the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.

Ayorinde

ntil recently, Biola Okoya, daughter of billionaire businessman, Alhaji Razak Okoya, was a party freak.

For her, life must be lived to the hilt. So, she rocked the social scene to the envy of many some years back.

The mother of two also has almost everything at her beck and call, given her privileged background.

But for some time, the beautiful daughter of the Aare of Lagos seems to have slowed down on her social life due to what a source described as “circumstances beyond her control.�

And she has refused to get her groove back. This has led to insinuations from many quarters that all is not actually well with the lightcomplexioned lady.

Odunnowo, Bolajoko Set Tongues Wagging

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few days ago, Jadesola Adedeji, the stylish Director of Stem Mets Resources, organised an informal party for her elder sister, Toyin, at NOK Restaurant in Victoria Island, Lagos.

With select friends in attendance, Adedeji ensured that the upscale restaurant came alive as she and also feted her guests.

Though the event has come and gone, two of the guests, Otunba Abdulrahman Odunnowo of the Private Network fame and his ex-wife Bolajoko Aguda, will continue to cherish the moment.

Their chance meeting on the occasion, it was gathered, oered them an opportunity to rekindle their love story. How? Soon after they each arrived the venue, Bolajoko’s stunning looks was said to have jolted Otunba out of his reverie, as he kept stealing admiring glances in her direction.

As she made her exit, Odunnowo also rose and followed her out, fuelling the rumour that the ďŹ re of love as she be burning in their hearts.

Both were once reported to be very close until Odunnowo broke the bond, by taking on another wife. The couple had three daughters before they broke up.

Though Odunnowo has remarried, the trained lawyer and daughter of the late Justice Akinola Aguda is single.

Odunowo owns Private Networks Nigeria Limited (PNN), an NCC-licensed telecommunications infrastructure ďŹ rm, as well as PNN Group, a leading Pan-African technology service provider, in nine African countries namely Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, The Gambia, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda.

PNN recently invested in a factory with the capacity to produce 5,000 LED lights per month and 700 jobs, in order to reduce the need for importation of such lights to Nigeria.

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ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

22.07.2018

GREAT EXPECTATIONS HERALD THE TKMG AUCTION "Forecasters" by Nzennaya Barry Ikechukwu (oil on canvas)

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

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JUL ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͯͶ ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

ARTS & REVIEW\\AUCTION

"A Queen Page" by Toni Oshiame (mixed media) 2018.....

"Self Portrait at 25" by Odiabhehor Odibo (mixed media)

"Gozie" by Alex Nwokolo (oil on textured canvas)

G R E AT E X P E CTAT I S O N S HERALD THE TKMG AUCTION Back from a one-year break after eight consecutive annual editions, the TKMG auction – holding on Friday at Terra Kulture, Lagos – promises a better outing this year, says Okechukwu Uwaezuoke

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or local aficionados, this is as close as it gets to cloud nine. After all, auctions – which are few and far between in the usually vibrant Lagos art scene – are gradually becoming the most drooled-over events of the thriving industry. So, this is one good reason many would wish to applaud the return of the Terra Kulture Mydrim Gallery – a. k. a.

TKMG – auction, this year.

The return? Indeed, the annual auction – the flagship event of the TKMG art auction house, which a collaboration of the two Lagos-based galleries, Terra Kulture and Mydrim Gallery – was first instituted in 2010 and took an abrupt time-out last year, after its consistent annual run from inception to the year 2016.

Last year, the auction house had its hands full with the organisation of the Lagos Art Fair at the instance of the Lagos State Government.

This is how come this year’s edition, holding on Friday, July 27, becomes its ninth.

Perhaps, it is apropos to recall that Terra Kulture – one of the collaborating galleries of the auction house – had in 2009 partnered with Nimbus Art Gallery for an auction.

Meanwhile, activities around the event, which holds at the Terra Kulture premises along Tiamiyu Savage Street in the upmarket Victoria Island, have already flagged off with a preview opening and cocktail on Friday, July 20.

Sponsored by Union Bank, Dorman Long and Unilever, this year’s TKMG auction features 76 lots, which consist of mainly of works by contemporary Nigerian artists. It is convenient for the organisers that it is holding at a time art patrons are taking a breather from the Arthouse Contemporary Limited’s biannual auctions and its sister version, the affordable auction. If it also plumes itself on being Nigeria’s foremost indigenous auction house, it is partly because of its adherence to the precepts of the local content credo. For not only are both collaborating galleries – Terra Kulture

and Mydrim Gallery – owned and run by Nigerian women, the auctioneer is also a Nigerian.

This year, the auction house has introduced a competition segment to the event. According to the Terra Kulture Art Gallery’s curator, Ugonna Ibe-Ejiogu two “emerging artists” will for the first time since the inception of the annual auction be given “the opportunity to showcase their work and benefit from expert critique by notable and seasoned collectors.” These artists should have emerged winners of the competition, which will also have five semi-finalists whose works will be featured on the Terra Kulture Art Gallery Instagram page.

Though the two artists will have the chance to feature at the Lagos Art Auction, Ibe-Ejiogu says their works “will not be up for sale at the auction, [which] will certainly be [an] invaluable exposure for the finalists”, hoping “that it becomes a catalyst for their career growth.”

On the auction, he enthuses about its “even stronger collection of works”, a number of which “have already been reserved”. Expectedly works by such acknowledged masters of the contemporary Nigerian art as Bruce Onobrakpeya, Dele Jegede, Ablade Glover, Ben Osawe, Kolade Oshinowo, Rufus Ogundele and David Dale should feature among the auction’s bestsellers. Great expectations also swirl around works by the local art scene’s front-line artists Abiodun Olaku, Sam Ovraiti, Duke Asidere, Gbenga Offo, Segun Aiyesan, Alex Nwokolo, Olisa Nwadiogbu, Pita Ohiwerei, Fidel Oyiogu, Chijioke Onuorah, Mufu Onifade, George Edozie, Ibeabuchi Ananaba, Fidelis Odogwu and the Germany-based Nigerian-born Chidi Kwubiri. Of course, names like Obinna Makata, Uchay Joel Chima and Tony Nsofor, among others, should elicit the interest of collectors. Perhaps, the auction’s dark horse is the young emerging artist Odiabhehor Odibo.

Besides the well-known Ghanaian-born Ablade Glover, the auction also features a handful of foreign-born artists like Dominique Zinkpe, Eunock Hounkpevi, Samuel Tete Katcham, Basille Moussougan and Ato Delaquis.

Curiously, the auction’s 2016 edition’s top two selling works were both by the Ghanaian-born Ablade Glover. The first, a 2013 oil on canvas

painting, titled “Market Queens”, sold for N3.2 million while the second, another 2013 oil on canvas painting, titled “People” sold for N2.8 million. Ndidi Emefiele’s mixed media work, titled “Rainbow Brigade 8”, was sold for N950, 000. The relatively modest pricing of the works suggest the event’s susceptibility to the prevailing economic climate. Apparently, more than half of the works in that edition of the auction were returned unsold.

But then, for an auction house that came into the scene after the Arthouse Contemporary Limited auctions have been firmly established in the Lagos annual cultural calendar, the TKMG has not done badly. Not only has it grown to record an average of over 70% sales in its annual auctions, it has become established as one of Nigeria’s leading auction houses. The Mydrim Gallery’s curator, Mrs Sinmidele Adesanya attributes the drop in the sales over the years to the signs of the times.

“We have been in a recession and we are slowing coming out of it,” she explains.

“This is not exclusive to art. It affected all aspects of the economy. It was also not just a

Nigerian problem, but also a problem that affected all countries.”

Still, there are good reasons to be more hopeful for better sales at the auction this year. Mrs Adesanya believes the investment climate in the country is improving slowly. “People are investing wisely and art is a viable investment option,” she says.

Indeed, the growing art awareness in the local scene has helped oil the wheels of creativity. Now and then, a handful of artists have managed to extend their collector-base beyond the country’s borders, thanks to international art meets and exhibitions.

Mrs Adesanya also says that the auction house is shifting its focus towards younger artists and collectors. “There is room for them to grow. Hence, we are looking forward to [having] the younger of clientele alongside the older clients. This is because the auction itself is a good platform for collection.”

In addition to all these, it is difficult to imagine a fixation of the art scene on its glorious past. For as long as it continually churns out new talents, the demand for their works should be able to sustain the art market.

FotoFactory.Lagos Opens Tomorrow

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otoFactory.Lagos, an international photography workshop that offers a teaching programme aimed at young Nigerian photographers who are interested in developing their skills and careers, opens tomorrow Moday, July 23 at CCA, along McEwen Street in Sabo Yaba, Lagos.

On its third edition, the theme of this year’s workshop which runs until Friday, July 27 is “Explore Your Vision”. It will be facilitated by theAustrian-born and Germany-based photographer Eva Maria Ocherbauer and the Nigerian photgraphic duo Uche James Iroha and Rahima Gambo.

"The workshop covers conceptual projectbased thinking through sequences of lectures

and critiques, students get trained how to gain a conscious and intuitive understanding of the visual language of photography," according to the organisers. It also focuses on "how to develop a personal signature, to foster ideas on contemporary visual practice and the process of editing towards the production of a consistent and compelling narrative..." In addition, one of its main goals is the production of a significant body of work to enter professional discourses.

The teaching involves: portfolio reviews - focus on personal signatures and editing towards a coherent narrative; supervision of a project - focus on developing ideas and concepts; how and where to submit work; open discussions and critiques; one to one interviews; theoretical debates; history of african photography; lecture on contemporary photography; introducing the library at cca; exploring magazines, photo books and photography based events online; visual grammar and workflows.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

NEWSXTRA Dickson: Killings Greatest Threat to Nigeria’s Existence Faults lopsided federal structure Gboyega Akinsanmi Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson yesterday warned against the rising spate of violence and senseless killings in the North, noting that the sad development portended the greatest threat to Nigeria’s corporate existence since after the 1967 civil war.

The governor equally faulted the nation’s lopsided federal structure, describing over-centralisation and politicisation of law and order in the country as another gravest threats to contemporary governance.

He expressed these views in a statement his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Francis Agbo issued after a lecture the governor delivered at the Institute of Security Studies (ISS), Abuja on Friday.

The lecture was titled Cultural Values, National Security and Challenges of Contemporary Governance: Perspective from Bayelsa State.

Speaking at the lecture, Dickson condemned the recent killings in different parts of the federation, warning that Nigeria would cease “to have a future if President Muhammadu Buhari fails to mobilise the people of Nigeria to build a non-partisan consensus to avert the killings.”

He lamented that some political leaders “are using the security structures of the country to torment innocent citizens for their selfish ends and by so doing, causing national insecurity and instability.”

He noted that the wind of insecurity blowing across the federation, particularly the killings of innocent Nigerians in the North, were fuelled by the imbalance in

the country’s security structure and the politicisation of security by members of the ruling party.

Dickson said: “It is very clear that Nigeria’s lopsided federal system and over-centralisation of security powers and the politicisation of security by several agencies are a major clause of instability and posesathreattoNationalstability.

“I was talking the politics of insecurity and the insecurity of politics occasioned by the abuse of Nigeria’s federal system and the rate at which those who control powers at the federal level undermine law and order in parts ofthefederationandmakeitdifficult for our citizens to feel safe and to feel protectedunderthelaw.

“When you correct this abuse of federal system, the governor of Benue and Taraba States will be in the position to mobilise the security resources of their states to end unnecessary killings. I remember the governor of Zamfara said he did not want to be addressed as the Chief Security Officer of the state.”

Dickson explained that although the military had made appreciable progress in its fight against Book Haram, recent incidents in the country showed that the war against terrorism was far from over.

He, therefore, called on stakeholders irrespective of their political parties “to unite in order to proffer a solution to the lingering insecurity in the country. When a nation comes under attacks, the leaders – military, civil, Christians, Muslims – must come together to address it.”

He said what was going on in Nigeria was more than the historical herdsmen and farmers clashes, lamenting that the coun-

Beware of Fake News, FG Tells Nigerians in Diaspora Tobi Soniyi The Federal Government at the weekend Nigerians in the diaspora not to believe everything they read on the social media about happenings in the country, saying most of what emanated from the social media was fake news.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed gave the advice in a statement his Special Adviser, Mr. Segun Adeyemi issued on Friday in Washington DC while addressing staff of the Nigerian Embassy in the United States..

The minister said Nigerians living in the US should rely on credible sources for news from home.

He urged them to download the FGN-iAPP on their mobile devices in order to have access to authentic Nigerian news.

Mohammed said the federal government recently launched the National Campaign against Fake News in order to stem the spread of false

and misleading information, which is capable of threatening the peace and security of the country.

The minister, who is in the US to interact with past and current senior US government officials and stakeholders in the US policy on Africa, under the auspices of the think tank Atlantic Council, said the picture being painted in some circles of an ethno-religious crisis in Nigeria is far from the truth.

He said: “Despite such crises as the farmers-herders clashes and communal conflicts, Nigerians - for the most part - are living together harmoniously. Nigeria is not at war.”

Mohammed said the tempo of the killings arising from the farmers-herders crisis is going down, and that the government is committed to ending the incessant clashes once and for all.

Earlier, the Nigerian Ambassador to the US, Ambassador Sylvanus Nsofor, had formally welcomed the Minister to the Embassy.

try had lost too many innocent souls to the killings.

“Who are the farmers

having clashes with herdsmen in Sokoto, Zamfara and other places? We must call a spade

a spade for the good of our country. We are dealing with a calculated attack on our country.

We are dealing with machinery of violence against innocent Nigerians.

WELCOME TO NIGERIA

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, received his Liberian counterpart, Dr. Jewel Howard Taylor, at the State House, Abuja...on Friday

Nigeria’s Education System Can’t Promote National Devt, Says Anchor VC GboyegaAkinsanmi The Vice Chancellor of Anchor University, Prof. Joseph Afolayan at the weekend lamented Nigeria’s declining educational system, which lacked creativity and values that promote national growth and development.

Afolayan faulted the country’s education system at the valedictory service of Good Shepherd Schools, Lagos, lamenting that many graduates had no clue of what being creative meant after completing their programmes.

The service was attended by the Chairman of the school, Dr. Adebayo Oyeyemi and the Director-General of Federal InstituteofIndustrialResearch,Oshodi

(FIIRO), Prof. Gloria Elemo among others.

Afolayan, who was a guest speaker at the event, said the current educational system could not help achieve the country’s national development objectives, especially job and wealth creation.

According to him, our educational system, especially in public institution, has no idea about what to do with creativity in schools. After schools, many graduates today have no clue on how to be creative.

He explained that there “are more cases of joblessness today caused by lack of creativity than those caused by lack of jobs. More than 90 percent of poor people globally would have been able to better their lots if only they could

think beyond the materials they studied in the classrooms.”

Afolayan said while conventional education was good, the best form of education was self-education, noting that conventional education did not automatically confer on one the gown of success.

He noted that it should open one’s mind “to the track and strategies for success. It is a great instrument that will, however, remain meaningless if not used. If you want to be celebrated in life; if you do not want to be missing in the crowd, here is my piece of advice: Get Creative.

“But the problem is, creativity, apart from Fine Arts, is not taught as a subject in the classroom, but it should. In any case, you need

to get busy and learn to know far more than you were taught in the classroom.

“Indeed, this is the time to start thinking of what would give you the edge in the corporate world.

The earlier you start, the better,” he advisedthestudents.

Also speaking at the event, Oyeyemi said the school had equipped the graduating students with the skills needed to succeed in a changing world, saying the education offered by the school was without corruption and examination malpractice.

He acknowledged that the country was facing several challengesinallfronts,which according tohim,hadculminatedinthreatto national unity and peace.

Okponipere: I’m Most Qualified to Be Bayelsa’s Next Gov

Anglican Priest Laments Rampant Sale of Babies in Anambra

Alex Enumah

David-Chyddy ElekeinAwka

Ahead of November 2019 Bayelsa State governorship election, a human rights activist, Mr. Timipa Okponipere has said he is the most qualified to occupy the number one position, even though he is still traversing the state consulting.

Speaking to THISDAY in Yenogoa, Bayelsa State capital, Okponipere said aside his broad qualifications, he comes from Bayelsa Central senatorial district which is primed to produce the next governor.

Okponipere, a member of the Governing Council of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, said: “Going by the gentleman’s zoning arrangement, the next governorship of the state is supposed

to come back to Bayelsa Central.

“I am from that area. I am placed at a more advantageous position because within Bayelsa Central, Southern Ijaw has produced the governor in the person of the late Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha.

“Yenogoa and Kolokuma/ Polokuma local government areas have not produced a governor. I am from Yenogoa local government and we are yet to produce a governor and even from Yenogoa local government.

“I come from Gbarain clan a very disadvantaged part of that local government in Yenogoa local government.

It is the most disadvantaged clan in Bayelsa State,” the legal practitioner explained.

A priest with the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Reverend Maxwell Ogazi has raised the alarm over the rampant sale of babies in Anambra State by some operators of orphanage homes.

Ogazi condemned the trend at a session with the media at the weekend after three cases of theft and sales of babies were reported in one week to the Anambra State police Command by parents who lost their children.

Two children of the same parents; Chidera and Kamsiyochukwu Iloka had last week disappeared from a school in Amawbia, a suburb of Awka.

It was also report to the police

command last week that another student, Nmachukwu Ebiowu wasabductedatOgbaruduringher school’sgraduationparty.

Ebiowu was lured from his school’s graduation party with sweets and biscuits by a man who confessed after he was caught that hewaspaidN50,000tobringachild byasyndicatedealinginchildtheft.

Consequent upon these incidents, Ogazi lamented that the rate at which people “are abducting children in Anambra has reached an alarming rate.”

Ogazi, currently Christian Compassionate Community Children’s Home, lamented that the incidents were usually carried out under the guise of adoption by people who pose as childless couples.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY22, 2018

NEWSXTRA In Osun, It’s PDP’s Adeleke Versus APC’s Oyetola

Gboyega Akinsanmi

A lawamaker representing Osun State Senatorial District, Sen. Ademola Adeleke yesterday emerged the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic (PDP).

With his emergence, Adeleke will face the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola in the state’s governorship election scheduled to hold on September 22.

In a keenly contested primary election, the senator defeated his main challenger, Mr. Akin Ogunbiyi to emerge the party’s flagbearer.

Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, who is the Chairman of

the election pane, said Adeleke scored 1,569 votes.

Dickson said Adeleke’s closest rival and the Chief Executive Officer of Mutual Benefit Assurance, Mr. Akin Ogunbiyi scored 1,562 votes.

He added that former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade scored 56 votes while a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Nathaniel Oke scored 3 votes.

Dickson said the expected delegates were 3,448 while accredited delegates who participated in the election were 3,246.

He said 56 votes were voided, adding that any aspirant who is not satisfied with the result can appeal to the National Working Committee of the party.

Dickson , who described

the primary as a family contest, urged the other three contestants to support Adeleke for the party to win the election.

He added that there “is no loser in the election. This exercise is a brotherly contest. A contest of brothers of the same family.

“This exercise is a beginning of a long journey and we must join hands together to win the election”.

Alhaji Babangida Aliyu, a former governor of Niger supervised the counting of the votes.

Adeleke, the winner of the

primary, will represent the party in the governorship election scheduled for September 22.

Oyetola, Chief of Staff to Osun State Govern, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, governor of Osun, had on Friday emerged the winner of the primary election of the APC. Seven aspirants announced their withdrawal from the race. before the commencement of the primary .

Those who announced their withdrawal from the primary are Mr Adejare Bello, former

speaker of the State House of Assembly, Prof. Adeolu Durotoye, Jide Adeniji, Sen. Olasunkanmi Akinlabi, Mr Ayoade Adewopo, Mr Lere Oyewumi and Mr Felix Ogunwale.

The aspirants said that they stepped down from the race due to the appeal from the party’s leadership and also to ensure cohesion within the party.

Adeleke , who won the Senatorial election on July 9, 2017 , after the demise of his brother Isiaka Adeleke , will

contend with Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, who emerged as the state governorship candidate on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) and Senator Iyiola Omisore, a former PDP stalwart, who is now the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP. Late Isiaka Adeleke, was representing Osun West Senatorial Distrist at the Senate before his death on April 23, 2017.

Oyetola scored 127,017 votes to clinch the APC ticket.

Duke: We Must Rescue Nigeria from Bad Leaders Akinwale Akintunde Former Governor of Cross Rivers State, Mr. Donald Duke has asked Nigerians charged Nigerians to defend their fatherland from those who seek to desecrate it.

Duke, however, said solution to diverse challenges confronting the country lied in the collective resolve of eligible voters to take Nigeria from clueless leaders.

He gave the charge at the headquarters of Deeper Life Bible Church (DLBC), Gbagada during the church’s Revival and Evangelism Training Service tagged a Night of Divine Increase last Thursday.

At the service that attracted thousands of worshippers from different parts of Lagos State, Duke observed that Nigeria “presently at the lowest ebb.”

If not checked promptly, the former governor said this could lead the country into a situation where anger, anxiety and utmost distrust not only for the leadership, but fellow

citizens could become prevalent.

Rhetorically, he asked what led the country to the point it was today, lamenting that almost all Nigerians “have the answers or at least, faint idea of it.”

He, therefore, urged Nigerians “to move beyond complaining and watching things go wrong, stop resigning ourselves to criticisms and forlorn hope, but rather stand up to those who wish to desecrate our future with fallen policies, strategies and crass ignorance.”

Duke noted that time had come “to stand up against all forms of inequalities and discrimination. Nigeria, as dire as the situation might be, is a land of grace and abundance, a biblical land of milk and honey.

“We cannot in such abundance live in penury like the children of Israel while in Egypt.

The solution lies in our collective resolve to take back our destiny in our hands; reclaim our future and reassess the rules of engagement in all strata of our national life,” Duke explained.

Strictly Comply with Laid Down Rules, Ex-ICAN Chief Urges Members Olaseni Durojaiye A former Chairman of the Ikorodu and District Society of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Mr. Olutoyin Adepegba has called for a strict compliance with the laid down rules guiding the creation of district societies of the institute even as he expressed confidence in the newly installed president of the institute Alhaji Rasaq Jaiyeola.

Adepate stated that the laid down rule clearly stated that a new district is carved out of an existing and recalled that the Ikeja District Society of ICAN was carved out of the Mainland District Society. He added that adhering to the laid down rules has its advantages which includes management and Leadership expertise.

Adepate made the call at a two day retreat organised to deepen capacity among the current of the district which held over the weekend in Lagos ahead of the next Western Conference meeting of the institute which will be hosted by the Ikorodu and District Society of ICAN. Speaking with to media men during the retreat, District’s Chairman, Oluniyi Odewale, who noted that the retreat was a first of its kind among ICAN district societies in the country explained that the thrust of the retreat was to deepen leadership, management and organisational capacity among the current executive of the district ahead of the next Western Conference Meeting of ICAN which will be hosted by the district.

PROMOTING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

L-R: Vice Chancellor, Anchor University, Prof. Joseph Afolayan; his wife, Mrs Joan Afolayan and the Chairman of Good Shepherd School, Dr. Adebayo Oyeyemi at the prize-giving day of Good Shepherd Schools, Meiran Campus, Lagos...recently

Don’t Repeat Mistake of 2015, Turaki Counsels Nigerians

Okebukola Admonishes Students as Emerald Celebrates Excellence

Seriki Adinoyi inJos

Former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Peter Okebukola has advised students going to the university to be focused and enjoyed their new found freedom with responsibility.

He spoke at the graduating ceremony held in honour of Emerald High School graduating class of 2018, admonishing the graduating students to continue to be serious with their academic pursuit.

Emerald school is an international school established to raise role models and it has elementary and secondary arms in its facilities in Gbagada, Lagos and Emerald Valley along Lagos-Ibadan expressway, opposite Deeper Life Camp, Mowe, Ogun State.

The school is a member of the Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA), Association of Private Educators in Nigeria (APEN) and Association of International School Educators in Nigeria (AISEN).

At the occasion the management, staff and parents of the school rolled out the drums in celebration of the impressive and recordbreaking results of the class

A presidential aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Tanimu Turaki (SAN) urged Nigerians not to repeat the mistake of 2015, which brought the All Progressives Congress (APC) into power.

Turaki, former Jigawa State Governor, also urged the youths “to use their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to tell the APC that we are not happy. We will use our PVCs to tell them that we are now having the last laugh.

He gave this advice while addressing PDP delegates at the Plateau PDP secretariat, Jos, noting that the economy of Nigeria had crumbled under the APC government.

He lamented that before the coming of the APC, Nigeria’s economy was number one in Africa apart from being one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

He said: “We had an economy where people were rushing to come and invest. But today, people are rushing to come and take their investments away.

“Sometime, there was a military head of state in Nigeria.

For those of you who could recall, during his reign, Nigerians were checking out of the country like Andrew. They were running away.

“Successive PDP governments worked hard to bring those who ran out of the country.

We worked hard to make them believe in themselves and their country. We encouraged them to bring their hard-earned money and invest in Nigeria.

“But the leopard does not change its skin; the Andrew came back, and they are now checking out again. We must take back our country. Our youths are unemployed. The PDP programme designed to create jobs for the teeming youths of Nigeria has been destroyed.”

Turaki said the youths “are now placed in a situation where they are not only hopeless, but indeed hungry. Because they are hungry, they are equally angry.

Because they are angry, they no longer have patience.”

He, therefore, urged the youths to show that they were angry by expressing anger during the election to reject the APC and massively voting for PDP. He said: “We will use our Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) to tell the APC that we are not happy. We will use our PVCs to tell them that we are now having the last laugh.

This is a government that is shameless. Everybody in this government lies from head to bottom.”

of 2018.

The graduation ceremony was turned into a thanksgiving event because of the many academic laurels of the graduating set.

The school principal, Mrs. Busola Adegbaju, while welcoming guests to the occasion held in the multipurpose school hall, announced that one of the graduating students Miss Chidiebere Esther Okoroafor, was recently honoured at the British Council Recognition and Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards, held in Lagos. She won the “Top in Nigeria” Award for achieving the highest mark in English Language as a second language (speaking endorsement).

Okoroafor was the best in Nigeria in this subject, taken in Cambridge IGCSE examination. This is the second time the British Council in Nigeria, in collaboration with its partners, Cambridge Assessment International Education, will recognize outstanding Cambridge learners.

Emerald High School was also awarded the ‘Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards –Top in Nigeria 2016.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

CICERO

Editor:Olawale Olaleye Email:wale.olaleye@thisdaylive.com, SMS: 08116759819

IN THE ARENA

Arresting Flood Invasion Government must as a matter of national emergency review its approach to disaster management, writes Tobi Soniyi

A

year hardly passes by without some parts of Nigeria being submerged in water as a result of devastating effects of flooding. Many lives usually are lost, while properties worth millions of naira are destroyed, leaving survivors in agony and trauma.

The experience this year has not been an exception either. Even though the raining season is still very much with around, floods had already wreaked staggering havoc across the country with Katsina and Ogun States being the hardest hit.

Getting the actual figures of those who died from flooding is usually very difficult, because it sometimes takes weeks to determine the number of those missing.

In Katsina State, not less than 52 people were reported dead and another 20 still missing, when a river burst its banks after hours of heavy rains in the early hours of Monday, affecting about 10 villages in Jibia district of the state. These figures are expected to rise in the days to come.

The remains of 24 of the victims were washed away to Mada Rumfa and Kantumi villages in neighbouring Niger Republic.

Aminu Waziri, head of the Katsina State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), said not less than 5000 people needed temporary shelter as a result of the flooding.

In Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, relatives of affected victims of flood are still searching for the remains of their loved ones washed away by the flood.

Last year, the world watched as part of Benue State was submerged in flood forcing the state governor, Samuel Ortom to seek assistance from the international community.

Suffice it to admit that natural disasters are not peculiar to Nigeria alone. More so, no country has succeeded in stopping natural disaster from occurring.

However, the level of preparedness differs. Nigeria as a nation is ill-equipped to tackle such natural disasters such like flooding. Necessary equipment to facilitate rescue operations is equally lacking.

The nation’s ability to identify early warning signals and take proactive measures to avoid or reduce the likely impact of disasters is either weak or nonexistent at all. Response is always slow. Managing the aftermath of a disaster is equally appalling.

Thus, leaving devastated relatives alone to embark on dangerous search for their loved ones lost to flooding, amounts to abdication of role by government. The primary responsibility of government is to protect lives and properties.

The country may be unable to stop natural disasters but she can reduce the impact of such disasters.

The first step to achieving this is to be proactive.

For instance emergency agencies such as National Emergency Management Agency should be mandated to identify, in each state, terrains that are prone to flooding and other natural disasters and recommend steps to be taken by states and the federal government to prevent disasters.

Actions such as these might include evacuating people from the terrain or undertaking necessary construction works to reduce the impact of a disaster in the event that it happens. Identifying early warning signals and issuing necessary advisory will help to reduce the impact of disasters when they happen.

Aftermath of the Katsina flooding Other states must borrow a leaf from Lagos State that has overtime developed a working plan to respond to natural disasters. The swiftness with which Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode responded to the fuel-laden truck that exploded on top of Otedola Bridge in Lagos recently is one such efforts that other states must emulate.

The governor led emergency workers, who worked through the night. Anyone who got to the scene of the accident the next day would find it difficult to believe the accident actually happened there!

At every strategic point in Lagos state, you will find ambulance stationed there to response to emergencies.

The federal government and other states should stop being reactive. They should recognise the fact that the present approach to disaster management is not working and must therefore change it.

As it is now, when disasters happen, government merely makes promises that would not be fulfilled and then wait till the following year for another disaster to happen, only to adopt the same ineffective approach.

On Tuesday, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo visited Katsina to sympathise with the state. He made the

following promises: “We are working with the state government to make sure that all of what is required to make these places safe is done so that the drainage is clear and all of the necessary drainage facilities are provided, and where people are building on drainage, we’ll also make sure that we relocate them so that they are not building on drainage anymore.”

With due respect to the learned Vice President, all the promises he made are likely not going to be fulfilled. Without a fundamental shift in the approach to disaster management, nothing is going to change.

Many states don’t have emergency lines that people can call when disasters happen. In Ijaye, Abeokuta, people watched helplessly as the flood swept away victims of flood. Even if there were emergency numbers, it is doubtful if the state has trained enough manpower and the required equipment to respond. Most states don’t.

Disasters will always happen. But the country can be proactive in her response to them. Leadership must be prepared for the worst, while hoping for the best.

Thus, the country can certainly get better with her readiness to respond to emergency situations.

P O L I T I CA L N OT E S

The Rise and Rise of Okonjo-Iweala

A

Okonjo-Iweala

few days ago, Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was appointed a Director at Twitter, as the social media behemoth reshuffled its board. According to the Executive Chairman of Twitter, Omid Kordestani, Okonjo-Iweala would be an incredible asset for the company as “it strives toward transparency in its global operations.”

It’s yet another feather in the cap of highly-accomplished economist who not only became Nigeria’s first female Minister of Finance, but served two terms; from 2003 to 2006, and from 2011 to 2015. In the intervening period, Okonjo-Iweala was Managing Director of the World Bank between 2007 and 2011, in continuation of a distinguished career with the global body that started in 1982.

Okonjo-Iweala also sits on the board of a few other internation-

ally-acclaimed organisations. She chairs the Board of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) and the African Risk Capacity (ARC). She is also an independent non-executive director at Standard Chartered Plc in the United Kingdom in addition to being a Senior Advisor at Lazard.

She is employed with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and is also an Adviser to World Bank on the Stolen Assets Recovery initiative. In a response on her official Twitter handle, @NOIweala, she tweeted, “Twitter is a powerful platform that continues to be used as a strong connector for the global community, and I ’m thrilled to be a part of the team. “As we strive to build a better world for tomorrow, Twitter can amplify messages and drive critical conversations around today’s most important issues.

“I look forward to partnering with Twitter’s talented directors and leadership team as we work to leverage the power of Twitter for good.”

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

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BRIEFINGNOTES

Senate President Bukola Saraki defers to President Muhammadu Buhari after a meet with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Governor Yari Aziz of Zamfara, Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and Governo-elect of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi

Parley with Saraki: Racing against Time President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent meeting with Senate President Bukola Saraki – the main leader of the new Peoples Democratic Party – might have come rather late, writes Olawale Olaleye

I

f indeed the current effort to unite all members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was genuine, then, the Thursday night meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and Senate President Bukola Saraki, leader of the new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) in the APC should have held months before now.

What is currently at stake as the nation journeys towards 2019 requires the best of political thinking, constant engagement and consensus building even if not all out altruistic, which is most probably not in many instances. But it could prove the political sagacity of the actors as well as locate their understanding of the bits and pieces.

Although President Muhammadu Buhari has consistently given the impression that he was not interested in the archetypal ‘high wire politics’ or that he abhors the underhand intrigues that often typify the lot of the many engagements, such a position cannot be correct outright anymore especially given his recent brazen interference in some of the party affairs.

This is why his latest disposition to the plight of the aggrieved members of the party particularly those from the new Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is best seen as either an egoistic dismissal of their relevance or better still a naïve reading of the equation as it currently stands.

That the nation is heading towards 2019 and is traveling almost the same route as it did in 2015 and events are being allowed to run on auto-pilot shows that the political leadership has failed to appreciate the misfortune of the PDP that brought it to power and deliberately refused to learn from them.

It is therefore important to understand the context in which the Thursday meeting between Saraki and Buhari was made possible and why the outcome may not just be a ‘walk-in’ for the undiscerning. Truth is, a majority of them had been allowed to ‘cross the Rubicon’ in negotiating their survival with the opposition and therefore, to force them back now is rather unrealistic.

First, know this for what it is. The governors of the ruling party, APC, had met Wednesday night and after analysing the state of play, they saw clearly the danger that lurks in the corner should they let Saraki and his people join forces with the opposition.

The governors, THISDAY learnt, then, resolved to meet with Saraki and some of his company with the sole aim of persuading them not to leave the party, more or less pleading with him to suspend discussions with the PDP and other parties, who are already planning coalition in the

lead up to 2019.

But for one who understands politicking, sources said Saraki immediately told the governors they had only deployed their discretion to approach him and not that they acted with a mandate in their hands. That, of course, meant there was nothing to buy into. He was said to have told them any meeting with them was needless, because they didn’t have the instruction ‘from the top’ to do so.

His being able to situate the governors’ initiative in apt context was believed to have compelled them (the governors) to quickly meet with the president and painted to him the picture of the future they could see in the countdown to 2019.

Expectedly, the president, this time saw reasons with them and allegedly gave the mandate to schedule a meeting Saraki, more so that he was able to recall some of the circumstances that made it possible for him to become the president in 2015, when PDP and former President Goodluck Jonathan failed to deliver leadership to the PDP in time of crisis.

Those engagements, of course, gave rise to the celebrated Thursday night meeting between the two leaders. Details of the meeting was though not made available to the media, THISDAY however gathered that the president had further asked those who made the meeting possible to continue to engage Saraki and his supporters, with another meeting already slated for today, Sunday 22, 2018.

Curiously, as good as the development signposted, it has raised even more impossible questions about the possibility of a ‘genuine truce’ at the eleventh hour especially that the president had to wait till matters degenerated to this point and forced to see reasons with his own allies before stepping in.

This is why observers have argued that the meeting coming up at the late hour clearly exposed the reluctance of the president to want to genuinely sit with the aggrieved nPDP members and resolve some of the pending differences even when the buck stops at his table.

The fact that the president and some of his ‘henchmen’ are believed to not only despise those identified as aggrieved APC members or the nPDP extraction of the party in a sense, was the reason the meeting had not come up before now. That he is reconsidering this is also being interpreted to mean he had only given the idea a thought for election purposes and not openly interested in sharing space with the ‘infidels’.

What analysts see here is that the president may not honour any agreement with them even if the pressure

succeeds in getting them to stay back. This is not because he would by himself go all out to disrespect some of the understanding reached at the end of the day, but because he would look away and pretend not to know by the time his ‘henchmen’ start to implement the ‘alternative plan’. Thus, the element of ‘mutual mistrust’ that is already present might be difficult to eliminate at this material stage.

Of course, it is not difficult for these other guys to recall the brutal fate that befell former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar immediately he reconciled with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, following the attempt to upstage him in 2003.

Obasanjo’s fate in 2003 rested solely on where Atiku stood and Atiku at the time had indicated interest in the presidency, with the bunch of the governors on his side.

However, after so much pressure and persuasion, Atiku yielded, making it possible for Obasanjo to return in 2003.

But Obasanjo, who was allegedly said to have ‘prostrated for Atiku’ before letting go did not forget the humiliation he went through to make it back and had since sworn to have his pound of flesh. It is the reason he had stood in the way of Atiku’s presidential bid, including de-marketing the former vice-president as corrupt.

Thus, it is the belief of the political class that Atiku’s sincere but erroneous resolve to reconcile with Obasanjo has remained his albatross as Obasanjo has been forced to stand in his way for suffering humiliation from someone younger and under him.

However, ahead of today’s meeting, it is yet to be seen how much of gap-closing the presidential team, led by VicePresident Yemi Osinbajo could do. Already, the aggrieved members have just a week from today to leave the APC, a move largely dependent on how much of horse-trading the president’s team could deal.

On both sides, however, time is helplessly unfriendly.

While Buhari needs to close the deal and take off his way a major threat to his re-election, the Saraki group too has about a week to make up its mind, by either agreeing to whatever is put on the table for them (knowing full well there might be consequences) or choose to take their chances and be ready to go for broke. Whichever way, they are both running against time over a decision that is solely central to their political survival.

In all, this new development has brought to fore, a certain reality that would ultimately define the run up to 2019 and it is the fact that Saraki has become both the beautiful bride and game-changer, however, for the two main political parties.

His choice of which to pitch tent with is certainly going to be determined by the gamut of all the factors identified above.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

CICERO/REPORT

In Zamfara, APC Sits on Time Bomb Except the new leadership of the All Progressives Congress led by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole eases the crisis rocking the party in Zamfara State, the fortune of the party may dip in the next general election, writes Tobi Soniyi

D

espite his promises to reconcile aggrieved party members after the acrimonious congresses and convention held in his party, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole has either underestimated the enormity of the crisis or wished that the crisis would simply disappear or both.

In virtually all the affected states, nothing has been done to ease the tension and division created by the congresses and the convention.

The party’s crisis in Zamfara State can be used to illustrate the post-convention crisis in the APC. Whereas the party’s guideline for the ward, local government and state congresses allow for consensus, it states that where there is no consensus, elections must be held.

In Zamfara State, there was no consensus during the state congress. Consequently, a faction led by Senator Kabiru Marafa called for elections by writing a letter to the chairman of Ward and Local Government Congress, Dauda Danladi before the commencement of the exercise on Saturday 5th May 2018, and copied the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Zamfara, the Police Commissioner as well as State Director the State Security Services.

However, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of the state preferred that affirmation be used to elect the party’s officials even though there was no consensus. The governor insisted that there would be no election and went ahead to affirm his candidates, with the active support of INEC and security agencies in sheer disregard to the position of the group led

by Marafa.

In a petition to the leadership of the party, Marafa stated that no congress, either at the ward, local government or state level, held in Zamfara.

“Anybody with contrary opinion should produce the evidence”, he insisted.

As a senator, Marafa claimed he was not even allowed access to Gusau, the state capital.

He said: “On the day of the ward congress Gusau was cordoned from 8am to 1pm – no entry, no exit, just to prevent my supporters from participating in the exercise and on the local government congress day, May 12, I was refused access to the venue in Tsafe Local Govt. My personal security disarmed and arrested and I was tear gassed by an overzealous Mopol commander.”

In order to address the injustice, Marafa said his candidates, being the only persons that satisfied the party’s guidelines should be recognised as the bona fide exco of APC in Zamfara state.

He also called on the Oshiomhole-led Exco ‘to look quickly and very seriously into the infractions in Zamfara.’

He advised the national exco to call all stakeholders of the party in Zamfara to a meeting to correct the infractions, stating that if left unattended, “it can affect the party’s chances in 2019 as affirmation will not be done in general election in the state.”

According to him, the grievances can still be resolved before the 2019 polls in the interest of the party.

He stated that while his faction complied with the party’s guidelines, by paying the prescribed fees for each and every contestant, the Yari faction did not pay for its candidates as required by the law.

“Since there is no consensus, we asked for election.

Yari insisted on affirmation, meaning he (Yari) is afraid of election. The question is; why is Yari afraid of election?

Any politician that is afraid of elections has no business in politics!”

He alleged that the committee sent to Zamfara State for the state Congress was ill-prepared for the task given to it and explained that the party’s guideline stipulates that forms must be obtained (upon the presentation of bank tellers)

Zamfara State Governor and Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Abdul-Aziz Yari

filled and returned at least 24 hours before the commencement of elections.

He noted that the election committee arrived Gusau less than 12 hours before the commencement of the election on the 4th of May 2018.

“We were given only 1400 forms only as against 4704 forms we duly paid for,” he added.

The committee, he said, had no register of bonafide party members which the guidelines said they should use to conduct the elections. The guidelines also said they should have a list of ad hoc staff (3 per ward) that should be posted to the wards other than their wards to conduct the elections.

The committee had none.

The guidelines also required that the names of contestants be displayed in each ward, where elections would be held, nothing was done in that direction too.

Is History Repeating Itself?

Marafa recalled that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lost in Zamfara, because the immediate past governor of Zamfara State, Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkafi committed the same blunder in 2011, when he denied him (Marafa) his senatorial ticket against the advice of stakeholders that people be allowed to elect the candi-

dates of their choice during the primary elections.

He said: “The governor insisted on imposition of candidates, the result was a massive rejection of the then ruling party (PDP).”

Even when the PDP was in control of the federal government, the state and all the local government areas, Zamfara central (Marafa’s Constuency) gave him 203,0000 votes to defeat the incumbent senator that polled 93,000 votes.”

That massive rejection of the PDP by Marafa’s constituency, he claimed, was what made Yari the governor of Zamfara State.

Marafa is believed to enjoy massive followership in Zamfara Central District, which constitutes 48 per cent of registered voters in the state. His supporters are confident that he would win elections regardless of the political party he chooses. They therefore warned APC not take chances otherwise what happened in 2011, would repeat itself in 2019.

A random check in Zamfara shows that Marafa remains popular and can win the election in any party he chooses to be.

His supporters are, therefore, demanding that election be held to determine who is elected into the state exco in line with the party’s constitution.

NOTES FOR FILE

Where is Thy Sportsmanship Spirit?

Fayose and Olusola

A week after the Ekiti governorship election was won and lost, the defeated (the PDP and its candidate) have not found it imperative to imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship to congratulate the winner, even if they would still go ahead to challenge the result at the tribunal.

This signifies two things: lack of maturity and requisite exposure as active players on the turf.

More importantly, it further explains away why politics in this part of the world is often typified by the “do-or-die” culture since the winner-takesall mentality has become the fad over the years.

Even when a former US Secretary of State,

Hillary Clinton painfully lost to President Donald Trump and was unable to conceal the pains on her countenance, she had a responsibility to congratulate the winner, because such a culture is systemic.

What more, Governor-elect Kayode Fayemi did same in 2014, when he lost. He went all out to congratulate him and moved on.

Thus, Prof Kolapo Olusola, Ayodele Fayose and the PDP are not surprisingly bad losers. With their rigid but timid mindset, they are not worthy to be recognised players on the nation’s political turf as their disposition is anti-democracy and utterly non-progressive. They can do better, actually.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

CICERO/REPORT

President Muhammadu Buhari in a meeting with the Minister of Budget and Planning Udo Udoma, Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele and Chief of Staff to the president, Abba Kyari

What’s the Sharing Formula?

The idea of the federal government to share the $322m loot recovered from Gen. Sani Abacha. In this report, Shola Oyeyipo examines the issue of questionable database on the likely sharing formula

T

he journey to economic prosperity in Brazil was not without some hard choices. One of such, however, was the conditional grant to some indigent citizens of the country, which helped families to lift above their unfortunate status of dwelling below poverty line. The conditions were clearly spelt out to each family, depending on what the challenge in that family was at

the time.

Today, Brazil fares better even though several other development initiatives had been taken to complement this unconventional approach to economic prosperity. Thus, whenever the story of Brazil’s economic prosperity is told, that singular initiative always takes the front row. However, it turned out a huge success because it was devoid of any iota of political influence or manipulations.

In Nigeria too, today, different shades of opinions had attended the debates that followed the decision by the federal government to share the $322 recovered loot from the late General Sani Abacha, and most of them have raised genuine questions on the rationale behind the idea.

The government had said through the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Justice Sector Reforms, Mrs. Juliet Ibekaku-Nwagwu, that it would invest the money on social development programmes, which would entail giving money to 300,000 poor families through Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT).

The Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, expatiated further that the objective of the National Social Safety Nets Project is to provide access to targeted transfers to poor and vulnerable households under an expanded national social safety nets system.

A representative of the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO), Tukur Rumar, also hinted that the federal government would begin the disbursement of the loot to over 300,000 poor households in 19 states of Niger, Kogi, Ekiti, Osun, Oyo, Kwara, Cross River, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarrawa, Anambra and internally displaced camps (IDPs) in Borno this month.

While only a few people have supported the idea, a majority of commentators consider the policy as a way to further mismanage the recovered money, because government cannot boast of reliable database to determine who are the extremely poor in Nigeria and where they are.

This further accentuated the fears that no matter how carefully the beneficiaries are selected, so many vulnerable Nigerians would still not be captured in the programme, either because of their locations or because they are not captured on any known data.

One question that has therefore not really been answered is: what is the sharing formula? It is good to ask that and there should be an empirically proven answer. The reason is simply because there would be need to query the criteria that are used to arrive at the so-called vulnerable Nigerians.

Aside the argument on whether it was wise to use the money the way government intends or not, there must established calculations to arrive at any conclusion on who is poor and vulnerable.

Problem is that the poverty cycle in Nigeria is dynamic.

It is a consistently rising scourge and it is estimated that about 100 million people live on less than a $1 (£0.63) a day.

Even where there is visible economic growth, the details by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBC) show that poverty has continued to rise in Nigeria, despite improvement in the economy.

In a report by the NBC in 2010, 93.9 per cent of the respondents personally consider themselves poor compared to the 75.5 per cent figure that came by six years earlier.

This buttresses the argument that it may not be ideal for government to correctly determine peoples’ poverty level.

It means given an option to classify themselves as poor and entitled to the ‘loot,’ more families than 300,000 will apply to be part of the sharing formula.

Another option is that since the looted fund belongs to every Nigerian, the argument therefore suffices that it should go round every citizen. But that argument will fall flat on its face, when subjected mathematical scrutiny. A simple arithmetic to drive home this point applies. The latest recovered Abacha loot is about N116bn. When this is divided by about 180 million Nigerians, it will give each person a paltry N644.4. So, that cannot even be an option.

The unreliability of the first option of sharing it with 300,000 indigent families and even the second option of spreading it among everybody is why Nigerians have been asking what is informing the idea of sharing the money at this time and age.

This is the more reason the federal government has been criticised and advised to rather invest the money in tangible and productive investments or critical infrastructure capable of alleviating poverty on a long term basis.

The Deputy Director, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Timothy Adewale, who reacted to the proposal, disagreed with the federal government on plans to share the Abacha loot among estimated 300,000 households, describing it as “mis-targeted” and that it would not bring any tangible benefits to the beneficiaries.

While a majority of those, who have contributed to the discussion held the views that the idea of sharing the loot

was covertly targeted at impressing the electorate ahead of the 2019 presidential election, members the House of Representatives, took a more decisive step when they moved to stop the policy.

During Tuesday plenary, the lower chamber of the National Assembly started processing a bill, which sought to use the $322 million (or N101.26 billion) Abacha loot to fund the Ajaokuta Steel company and railway line.

Some few days before, the lawmakers passed a resolution urging President Muhammadu Buhari not to go ahead with the plan to share the $322 million to 302, 000 poor households in 19 states without database.

The bill to instead use the fund to activate the abandoned Ajaokuta Steel Company and railway projects in Nigeria is more in line with the thinking of most Nigerians, who feel the recovered money is better spent on developmental projects.

Presidency’s explanation that the decision to share the recovered $322million Abacha’s loot to the poorest of the poor Nigerians was due to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the Swiss government and the network of Civil Societies (CSOs), has made no difference to most Nigerians.

Going by latest findings by the Washington-based Brookings Institution that Nigeria has gone past India with a larger number of extremely poor people, leaders must not feign ignorance that only investment in human capital development and infrastructure development is the best way to go.

It’s a known fact that infrastructure will always have higher rates of economic growth and productivity returns and it is capable of retaining multiple values of the funds in the system over a longer time, than sharing the money.

The government can take a cue from the position of the Director, African Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Abebe Aemro Selassie, who has always advised the federal government to give priority to investment in infrastructure in order to address the high level of poverty in Nigeria.

“For the government’s objective of addressing poverty, you need infrastructure investment to be able to do that, you need to build more schools and you need to invest more in health and education. All of these require resources,” he opined.

The World Bank believes that there is the need for accelerated investment in human capital in Nigeria in order to secure future economic growth. Therefore, the idea of sharing money, conditional grants regardless sounds primitive and because of the tendency to be hugely influenced politically, it is better not to travel that route than fail abysmally.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

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INTERVIEW Rafsanjani: FG Should Establish Integrity Trust Fund for Transparent Management of Recovered Monies In this interview with Funke Olaode, Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), a not-for-profit organisation based in Abuja, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, shares his views on the federal government’s effort on looted funds and why the establishment of Integrity Trust Fund is necessary to ensure that the looted fund is not re-looted

Y

ou have been an advocate for accountability and good governance. What is your take on the recent happenings in Nigeria in the area of looted funds?

government generally. CISLAC has been supporting the National Assembly with capacity building. We have trained a lot of legislators and their aides at both state and national levels. We have also promoted a lot of legislation that could help promote good governance. For instance, we were the group that championed the passage of public procurement law, passage of the fiscal responsibility law, NEITI law, Freedom of Information Bill, along with other NGOs, Tobacco Bill, National Health Act, and other laws. We have been able to engage government to provide enabling environment for the implementation of these laws. We have intervened on the National policy on Internally Displaced Persons to help government tackle the issue of Boko Haram. I remember during the tenure of former speaker, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, we organised a workshop for National Assembly committees on finance and appropriation. It was from one of our trainings on capacity building that we were able to sensitise the National Assembly that any unspent money at the end of the budgetary year should not be shared but return to the government coffer.

We have been advocating for the Nigerian government and supporting them to ensure that all assets stolen and kept abroad are brought back, but with the condition that these monies and assets are not re-looted. Last December, we had a foreign Asset Recovery Forum, which was organised by both United States and United Kingdom governments, and CISLAC was one of the organisations that were invited to that meeting. In that meeting, we threw our weight behind the Federal Government of Nigeria. The Nigerian government has been working tirelessly to ensure that money brought to the US and other countries illegally are returned to the country. We and others have been supporting government in this regard. However, we want to ensure that we have the right mechanism that would guarantee that the money is not re-looted. In the past, money received could not be accounted for.

We are supporting government in this recovery but with the condition that there must be an establishment of integrity trust fund that would manage this money and assets. Internally, a lot of money and assets have been recovered but not many could ascertain where those assets are kept in terms of money and property recovered from looters. We want to ensure that we have an institutional framework that would monitor the assets recovered in Nigeria. Secondly, we want to make it impossible for people to continue to loot in Nigeria and bring it to America or other Europe countries. Nigeria and African countries have been victims of illicit financial flow, so we want to collaborate with local NGOs in America to ensure that the opportunity of siphoning public funds is blocked.

Are you not worried that the 2018 budget was passed in the middle of the year?

What is your view on the anti-corruption campaign of the President Muhammadu Buhari government?

It is a good campaign by President Buhari, but he needs to step up this anti-corruption crusade before Nigerians lose confidence in it because there seems to be a lot of setbacks in the fight against corruption in the country. In recent times, the Nigerian government had come up with a policy on whistleblowing that will encourage the citizens to expose corruption and even get rewarded. Even though we felt we needed to institutionalise that framework to guarantee the safety and security of whistleblowers. Again, the campaign is lopsided, because nobody from the ruling party was named. I think this can jeopardise the sincerity of the campaign. The fight against corruption must not be selective, sectional or used to protect those who are in the same party. It must cut across everybody.

Recently, the federal government came up with a policy of “Beneficial Ownership” to help in efforts to trace owners of assets? Do you think the policy is serving its purpose?

The issue of beneficial ownership is an important step in the fight against corruption. The Nigerian government needs to ensure that they have beneficial ownership registered to be able to know who gets what in government or private business.

Many of them (public servants) use their offices to get tax waivers and all sort of facilities and others to make them benefit from what they are supposed to play supervisory role on it. Having beneficial ownership registered will enable the general public to know those who are stealing or siphoning public funds to set up companies and get tax waivers and holiday.

One of the core objectives of CISLAC is

Rafsanjani

to engage legislators on capacity building and governance issues. How far have you succeeded in this direction?

There are issues with the National Assembly and their failure to perform oversight functions, for instance, inability to play oversight role in the area of extractive industries. The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative issued out audit reports, which was dumped at the National Assembly without any legislative action. There are lot of issues of non-remittance of funds into government coffers. As a matter of fact, it was only once since NEITI was established in 2007 that the National Assembly discussed it on the floor of the Senate. We cannot be wasting money doing report and the people that are supposed to take action look the other way. Nigeria is losing a lot from the extractive revenue and taxes. The National assembly and government must do everything possible to support what is going on at NEITI to ensure that corruption in the oil and gas industry is minimised. Again, refusal to implement the public procurement law that was signed in 2007 by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. Even the present government has not fully implemented and complied with the public procurement law.

The law has a council and government has refused to inaugurate the council. The federal government cabinet doesn’t have business with procurement issue if this council had been inaugurated. It is not a welcome development for a nation that wants to move forward.

We are supporting government in this recovery but with the condition that there must be an establishment of integrity trust fund that would manage this money and assets.

Internally, a lot of money and assets have been recovered but not many could ascertain where those assets are kept

How many times have you engaged the National Assembly to draw their attention to the issues you have raised?

Since the inception of CISLAC, it has served as a bridge between and the National Assembly and

It is very worrisome because we have been sensitising the National Assembly on how to select think-tank that would be able to analyse the budge, that have the capacities and experience on budgetary issues. Up till now, they have not put that office in place. This shows lack of seriousness. Some of those who prepare this budget are experienced civil servants who have spent 20, 30 years in the ministry of finance, and as legislators, your number of service is limited. That is why we said, to be able to match the capacity, the National Assembly should create a separate office and appoint experienced hands that would match the budget committee. But some unpatriotic elements within the National Assembly want to continue with the extortion of budget defence. In the past, a lot of people have exposed how some of the committee members were literarily demanding money for their budget to be passed and some of them are still around. Again, the executive ought to have sent the budget much earlier so that National Assembly can thoroughly assess it. The fault is from both the legislature and the executive. The National Assembly should also realise their own role by being passionate on budget review so that they can help reduce waste. So we need a vibrant National Assembly.

The Nigerian government celebrated its exit from economic recession, but the man in the street hardly feels any improvement in his standard of living. Why is the economic improvement not felt by citizens?

So far, the celebration has been at paper level and has not manifest in the lives of Nigerians, as the average Nigerian is still suffering from artificial poverty created by the wicked political elite. Just like the fraudulent rating of Nigeria during the former President Jonathan administration that Nigeria was the biggest economy in Africa, which we knew then was done fraudulently, the same situation is still happening.

Nigerians still face challenges of survival. Prices are still high; parents cannot pay school fees, etc. A lot of things that could have gotten us out of recession are still there. Dollar is till N360 at official rate. If you go to the market, things are not affordable.

The Nigerian government has promised to stop paying subsidy on fuel but we have been told by the Minister of Petroleum that over N1 trillion has been spent on subsidy without appropriation.

This is a gross violation of budgetary procedure law. The minister needs to explain to Nigerians where they got that money and who authorised the payment. This is not good for a government that is fighting corruption.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

SUNDAYINTERVIEW Sam Momah

Momah

Photos : Julius Atoi

Herdsmen Should be Designated as Terrorists A member of the defunct Provisional Ruling Council and one-time Principal Officer to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Maj-Gen Sam Momah, is of the view that Nigeria may be heading for the precipice, with her unity threatened. He implores President Buhari not to see restructuring of the country as an option but an obligation in national interest. This and more he shares with Funke Olaode in this interview. Excerpts:

Y

ou were the principal staff officer to then Maj-Gen Muhammadu Buhari, when he was the GOC of the 4th Division of the Nigerian Army. How will you rate your former boss as Nigeria’s president today?

As a senior officer we had a lot of regards for him – which I still do, because President Buhari is exemplary. He was referred to as ‘Mr. Integrity’ which is a rare commodity in Nigeria. His Spartan way of living is worthy of emulation – that singular attribute makes him outstanding. He is selfless. He is humanly incorruptible and so we looked up to his leadership example. But that’s not to say he’s perfect, because people have their imperfections as they can be scored very high in certain areas and vice versa. But overall, he is an exemplary leader.

Do you think he deserves a second term and if so, what must he do differently in his second coming?

I believe that if the president is lucky to have a second term, he must make sure he lays a very strong strategic foundation for a modern Nigeria. Nigeria cannot continue

to wobble as it is doing now. If the President is lucky to get there – or whoever does – must make sure that Nigeria is restructured. Restructuring is fundamental. It was Albert Einstein that says: ‘Insanity is like doing the same thing the same way and expecting a change.’ Nigeria has been doing the same thing the same way in the last 118 years and we are not getting results. It means there is the need for change in the way we are doing things.

But Buhari is not a fan of restructuring.

That is why I am saying Nigeria has to restructure and he (the President) needs to have a rethink, because you don’t put up an edifice on a sandy structure. I remember eight years ago, I wrote a book titled: ‘Nigeria beyond the oil’ where I made my recommendations on restructuring, which we must try and do things differently. For instance, we have a situation where 15 states are almost bankrupt. Twentyseven states cannot pay monthly salary for months, 30 states don’t contribute to the pension scheme, and 32 states cannot survive on their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

It is only four states that can do the aforementioned. We have over 20 million people unemployed. Are these attributes? Must we continue with this problem? If you have

states that cannot pay salaries and with 774 local governments, you have 360 members of House of Representatives, 109 senators, and more than 600 MDAs (ministries, departments and agencies), do we realise that 89 per cent of our revenue goes into paying salaries? So, there is nothing left to build our roads, power houses, railway stations, health care, and education and so on.

When I was in the government, then Minister of Finance was my friend. I used to pop into his office and each time I walked in, I would always see him walking up and down that the month is ending and he is looking forward to pay salaries. That was when I found out that Nigeria is actually poor. You find out the saying that Nigeria is very rich in an island of poverty is very true. A few have money to buy private jets and many think Nigeria is very rich. But what is the per capital income? We cannot continue this way.

Since 2007, Nigeria has been given this first state alert that as a nation we are in the threshold of becoming a failed state. I wrote a second book titled, ‘Pulling Nigeria off the Brink’ which I presented on my birthday – and to actually pull the country out of the brink we must restructure. I am using this time to tell the President that this restructuring thing is not something that is voluntary; there is no choice

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

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SUNDAY INTERVIEW t ‘RESTRUCTURING ISN’T AN OPTION BUT A NECESSITY ’tContinued from Pg. 76 about it. I don’t understand why people said we must not restructure.

It is not a north versus south issue.

It is an issue of survival for Nigeria and we must look at it very seriously. I want to alert fellow Nigerians that the restructuring should not be politicised.

It is a critical thing that must be done otherwise in 12 years’ time, Nigeria may collapse which may ignite a civil war.

We must not allow the issue to get to that stage.

President about reforming the electoral process, the outcome which I have yet to know.

Everybody should realise that 2019 is a watershed for Nigeria. It is a year that we either make it or mar it. It is a year that Nigeria will decide whether to remain a nation. As Nigerians, we must not gamble with 2019 elections.

The (presidential) election must be taken seriously because it’s going to be the most crucial election – it will determine whether Nigeria will join the comity of nations as the train of globalisation moves so that Nigeria is not left behind.

I believe the President is patriotic and I am appealing to him now to have a rethink on restructuring. It is something that must be done in phases. We can’t have a restructuring without a national conference. The 1914 amalgamation gave birth to the North and the South. This was like a forced marriage (officiated) by the British. We should decide how we are going to relate. If two people decide to get married, they are in love. So, we need to talk to consummate that amalgamation to forge on. Nigeria has a potential of being the first black world power. Therefore, it is something we must not throw away; that is why we must stick together as a nation and the question of disintegration should not arise.

You turned 75 years on June 6.

How has life treated you?

One is very lucky because the first thing I ask myself everyday is that I can never be 70, which the Bible has prescribed. I have always said if I got to 70 I would be very grateful – and today, I am 75. I am happy to be 75 and I believe the best is yet to come. I believe the environment will improve, because the only thing that makes one unhappy is when we watch what is going on in our country.

You were born two years before the World War II ended. Tell us how you grew up in the aftermath of that war and why you chose to be a soldier?

Well, I didn’t actually choose to be a soldier. It was a coincidence. I am of the eastern extraction – from Nnewi in Anambra State. I stumbled on an application form to join the Nigerian Navy in 1963. I was forced to apply, because I was doing my Lower Six and my senior brother, who just finished secondary school, was aiming to go to the university. And in those days, the question of parents sponsoring two children to the university was a problem.

My father insisted that my senior brother go to the university and me to a teacher training college. But I didn’t like being a teacher.

When the Navy application came, I decided to apply to the navy and not the army. In the interview, we were about 193 applicants out of which four of us – Admiral Nyako, Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, Admiral Kosoni and me – were admitted. That was how I joined the Navy. Two years after I had joined the navy, there was an eye test indicating that my sight wasn’t good enough to remain in the navy – I was still a cadet in Indian Defence Academy. That was how I ended up being in the army.

How would you rate the military today compared to the military of your time given the current security challenge?

Well, given the circumstances, I think the military is trying its best but that is not to say that they couldn’t have done better. I am very happy that they have resisted pressure as they carry out their duties – there is no question of interfering in governance. I can see that they have become more professional and they have restricted themselves to their profession. I do hope that politicisation would be less in the military. It is the politicians that are trying to politicise the army. The army has a system that there is a great bond – there is no segregation in terms of religion and ethnicity – among the personnel, the officers, rank corps and others.

We are armed and if you try to show some differences or favour one particular group against the other, you will be in danger. So, any sensible leaders must make sure that within the military, fair treatment of personnel is done equally to ensure that they are happy.

Retired Gen T.Y. Danjuma recently accused the military of complicity in some of the recent killings in the country. Would you say he was wrong?

Gen. T.Y. Danjuma is a tested, trusted and respected senior officer. He has done a lot for Nigeria and has continued to do more. I believe that he must have his facts. I don’t know the details of those facts. But I do know that the army set up a board of inquiry to ascertain the authenticity of that statement and don’t think the committee has finalised its reports. I believe when they come out with their findings, government would be able to take action.

I believe there is no smoke without fire. Definitely, Gen. T.Y. Danjuma is not somebody that would cry wolf when there is no wolf. I believe something must have gone wrong but we have to ascertain the degree and authenticity of that accusation – and until that becomes clear, I am afraid we wouldn’t say whether Gen. Danjuma is right or wrong.

The tenure of the service chief has been extended three times, yet the killing is going on unabated. What is your advice to the president?

I want to say that the security of Nigeria is a responsibility of all Nigerians. It is not the responsibility of service chiefs alone. This impression being created that once a service chief is not everywhere he’s not performing is

wrong, because he cannot be everywhere. I agree it is not normal for service chiefs to have their stay or tenure elongated. But if the President found reasons for doing that we have to give him the benefit of doubt. But what I want to say is that service chiefs, per se, do not determine the situation of Nigeria. If a service chief is in Lagos, will he know what is happening in Enugu or Ibadan or Ilorin?

The troops and commander are the service chief’s subordinates and have a lot of role to play to complement their principal. There are so many things wrong with the security situation of Nigeria. I think (that when) we start taking them one after the other, we (will) realise that it depends on unemployment. How do you secure a country, where almost 50 per cent are unemployed, roaming around doing nothing? Is it the service chiefs? We must do something about unemployment.

But some people have called for the removal of the service chiefs in the light of the current security challenges. Do you agree?

Those calling for the removal of the service chiefs have their reasons. If the service chiefs are incompetent, they must be removed. If they have overstayed their time and they are becoming stale, they should be removed. But the issue is that I want us, as a nation, to look at it (the issue of the service chiefs) objectively and not subjectively. Let’s look at the issue from a broader angle, because if you want to solve a problem you have to look at it from the holistic angle.

But if you are looking at one corner, you may not get a result. Those calling for the removal of service chiefs have their reasons and the commander-in-chief should find out why – and if he finds the reason cogent, he should remove them. We shouldn’t look at it as if the service chiefs were removed today, the problem of Nigeria would be solved. It will not.

We are approaching 2019 general election, do you have fears for the country?

I am not so sure about what is going to happen. I would have wished a situation, whereby we have a different chairman of INEC. For the first time, we have INEC chairman that is from the same federal zone with the president. This is what people are insinuating. But we have to realise that Nigeria is no longer a place people can toy with. Anybody who tries to rig any election will face the consequences.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has set the pace that Nigeria’s future leaders should emulate.

For me, elections should be free and fair – whoever wins should govern Nigeria. I don’t have fears because I know that Mr. Buhari is not the type that can connive and rig elections and anybody who tries to do it on his behalf he should be able to disown that person. So, I won’t lose sleep if we do it as we are supposed to by using card readers that have been introduced. I learnt a bill has been sent to the

About three years ago, the Indigenous People of Biafra agitated for an independent state of Biafra, following which the federal government designated it a terrorist organisation. Today, there are killer herders terrorising communities across the country and people have called on the government to designate it a terrorist group. But the government appears not to want any of that. What is your view?

What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Anybody who picks a gun and kills his fellow human being in the society is a terrorist. If the herdsmen are not called terrorists, the international community has already declared them as terrorists. Amnesty International recently came out with statistics showing that 1,813 people were murdered within six months – January to June. So, the herdsmen are terrorists and should be classified as such.

You have written almost 10 books about Nigeria, committing money, time and resources. What is the motivation?

It is because I love Nigeria. I write on issues about Nigeria. I have written ‘Consequences and Solutions’, ‘Nigeria on the Brink’, ‘Technology is Power’, and many other books about Nigeria. I don’t have strength to join Nigeria’s politics – it is not about service. Politics is still dirty, that is why I write books. The inspiration is the love of Nigeria and a strong conviction that a black race must emancipate itself.

What was your relationship with Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, and Gen. Buhari in the army?

The relationship was cordial. In the army, everyone is like a member of the same family. It is unfortunate that coups came and counter-coups. In the military, you cannot afford to segregate. I see them as my seniors and I respect them and they do the same to me. We still hope that the lofty dreams we had for Nigeria will be realised. The most patriotic citizens in this country are in the military, because by nature of our training we must love what we are defending.

Do you regret being part of the military as many people blame its incursion into politics for the nation’s woes?

I don’t regret my role in serving in the Nigerian army. What I regret is that in the government that I participated, we didn’t achieve the lofty dreams that some of us had. You know when you are in a team you can be a good player but the team may not be good and you can’t do anything about it – you have to keep on doing your best. All these things are happening because we are not united, which is the biggest challenge. If we can fix the issue of unity, Nigeria will be fixed – doing things right by putting Nigeria first and not one’s ethnicity.

The constitution allows that – they will always ask you to put your state of origin. I think the essence of state of origin must be de-emphasised and allow people to operate true federalism. Where you live and pay your tax as a citizen should be emphasised – not the state of origin. Once we do that, the country will move forward. Singapore moved from being a third world country to a first-class country in less than 20 years. We can dynamically change Nigeria, if we put the right things in the right places. But the main thing is unity. I believe that Nigeria has the potential to be a great nation – to be a world power – if we do the right thing now, which is restructuring.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

CICERO/TRIBUTE

Mallam Adamu Ciroma And Our National Development Philosophy - A Tribute Mouftah Baba-Ahmed

“W

hatever you are going to do, make sure that the common man is the focus”. These were the parting words to us, from Mallam Adamu Ciroma, the morning he honoured us at the Abuja Policy Dialogue Series (APDS) Hut, in Garki, earlier this year. May Allah rest him in AlJannah, amin.

That cool and agreeable mid harmattan Saturday morning, ailing Mallam Adamu came out of his home where he hadn’t left for a long time, to answer our invitation to sit easy with us to Tea In The APDS Hut**, for the very first in our series of Sitting With An Elder.*** Although he was frail, this amazing elder was acutely alert and intellectually super sharp, throughout the morning.

He sat, listened to questions from about two dozen middle agers of varying backgrounds, and gave answers. It was a session of deep reflection and reminiscing. Very rewarding. And when he was about to leave, just before 1pm, his clear and husky voice admonished younger Nigerians working to build Nigeria into a united, cohesive, progressive, peaceful and strong nation. He said, “Whatever you are going to do, make sure that the common man is the focus”.

These words have etched themselves very deeply in my mind, and I keep hearing them in my head, all the time.

I think we have a development philosophy in Mallam Adamu Ciroma’s words.

Just before, and throughout the Civil War, Nigeria’s leadership philosophy under Gowon was “To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done.” Our early foreign policy, especially during the bubbly Murtala/Obasanjo regime, was anchored on the strategic philosophy of “Africa is the centerpiece of our foreign policy.” These, respectively, helped us marshal and focus energy and resources towards preserving our unity, and towards the decolonization of Africa, as well as towards the eventual ending of apartheid in South Africa.

Today, an appropriate development philosophy will enable us leapfrog and catch up in areas of national unity, peace, social and economic development, technological progress, and general prosperity. Mallam Adamu Ciroma’s advice provides us that development philosophy. He was almost uniquely suited to do so.

Born in a semi urban setting, hegrew up and studied in the colonial economy and epoch, began his career in administration in the early post-colonial period, and rose to hold five very important jobs, respectively, of Editor of the New Nigerian Newspaper; Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria; Minister of Agriculture; Minister of Commerce and Industries; and Minister of Finance. The last post in two different governments. He was also a politician who took part in constitution-making in the Constituent Assembly (1977/78), and became a party ideologue and secretary.

Hardly has any one Nigerian been so privileged and positioned to observe, study and understand Nigeria’s development challenges. He was, as a result, able to synthesize a development philosophy from that rich experience. From Mallam Adamu Ciroma’s sagely words of that morning with us therefore, and as his lasting legacy, we can coin a new national development philosophy thus: “The common man is the focus of Nigeria’s governance.”

So help us God. A sharp mind, disciplined upbringing, excellent education, great personal integrity, acute vision, compassion for the common man, great energy, humility, L-R: Mallam Bilya Bala, Mouftah Baba-Ahmed holding the late sage, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, and Dr. Aliyu Modibbo, also holding Mallam deep spirituality, progressively liberal, yet Adamu (may his soul Rest In Peace, amin). Back row, L-R, Dr. Umaru Pella, and Mallam Rabi’u Dagari (both of the APDS Secretariat). conservative; Mallam Adamu Ciroma lived a life of dedication and service to Nigeria, which Notes session whereby an elder cum national icon produced the philosopher in him. **[Tea In The APDS Hut is a light discussion is invited to a relaxed sitting, at which APDS series whereby an expert or groups of experts Members and guests chat with him, seeking May God grant him the highest level in talk to APDS Members and guests, on topics of explanations, asking questions, getting advice, Paradise, amin. special interest]. connecting with the past. The distinguished guest is fully in charge of what is discussed. Late MalGood morning, All. ***[Sitting With An Elder is a privileged lam Adamu was our first guest in the series].

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

CICERO/ TRIBUTE

Obasanjo: Ciroma’s Contribution towards a Better Society invaluable In a letter to Maryam, the widow of the late Adamu Ciroma, former President Olusegun Obasanjo pays glowing tributes tothe historian who later becamegovernor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, writesTobi Soniyi

T

wo weeks after the death of the former Central Bank of Nigeria’s Governor and Minister of Finance, Malam Adamu Ciroma, Nigerians from all walks of life have continued to pay tribute to the historian who later became an expert in finance.

The latest tribute to Ciroma came from no less a person than former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who appointed Ciroma as the finance minister in 1999.

Ciroma died on July 5 this year. He would have been 84 in November. He was seen by many as a man of courage who would accept without hesitation any challenge thrown at him. He was among those who diligently and incorruptibly served his country.

In his letter of condolence to those left behind by Ciroma, Obasanjo said while Adamu’s death was a moment of grief for Maryam and the entire family, the former president was quick to add, “but it is also clear that the deep sense of loss over the demise of your beloved husband is shared by many like me.”

According to him, Ciroma made outstanding contributions to the progress of the nation in many capacities. This, he said, explained why many people are eager to mourn with the family.

He described Ciroma’s death as painful.

Obasanjo observed: “He, no doubt, left behind a worthy legacy especially through his working careers as the District Officer, DO, in Mambila when Mambila Plateau was almost inaccessible.

“He worked in the premier’s office and later as the first editor of the New Nigerian Newspaper from where he became the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria between 1975 and 1977. In all of these, he acquitted himself so diligently.”

Obasanjo further noted, among other things, that Ciroma will be remembered as a distinguished public servant and one that was greatly admired by the general public and his peers as a straightforward and complete gentleman.

“Mallam Ciroma deserves all the tributes being paid to him by all his compatriots. Indeed, having had the privilege of close association with your late husband who was a friend and confidant for many years and my Minister of Finance during my administration as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria between 1999 and 2003, I can attest unreservedly to his being a democrat to the core and a committed patriot who worked tirelessly for the unity of the nation,” Obasanjo added.

The former president also described Ciroma as a seasoned politician noted for his tremendous organisational ability, who demonstrated wisdom, honesty, and good leadership in any assignment given to him.

Writing further, he observed that Ciroma did not limit himself to his ethnic enclave but established friendship, harmony and accommodation among the people of Nigeria.

Obasanjo explained: “As a community leader and a prominent patriot, Mallam Ciroma earned the respect of his people who conferred on him the well deserved title of Madakin Fika by the Emir of Fika which was no doubt a testimony not only of his great commitment that he had for the progress of Fika and the rest of Yobe State but also for his abiding faith in national unity.”

Ciroma Obasanjo did not forget to mention Ciroma’s leadership qualities which had been attested to by others in their tributes to the late CBN governor, saying: “He exhibited very good leadership qualities, wisdom and wealth of experience which indeed he put to use in the discharge of his responsibility to the Emirate as well as upholding the institution’s tradition of excellence.”

The former president said it was in appreciation of Ciroma’s contribution to Nigeria that he was conferred with a national honour.

“It was quite fitting, therefore, that his invaluable contribution to building a better society was well acknowledged via the conferment on him of the national honour of Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR,” he pointed out.

Obasanjo admitted that words would hardly be enough to express his sympathy to Ciroma’s wife, he nevertheless urged her: “Take justifiable pride in the fact that your late husband was a statesman who gave of his best to his fatherland. He will be sorely missed by all of us.”

Concluding his letter, the ex-president stated, “I hereby, therefore, extend on behalf of my family and on my own behalf our sincere condolences on the transition of your beloved husband and pray that the Almighty Allah grant you and the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.”

Apart from his appointments as the CBN governor and minister of finance, Ciroma also served in other capacities.

He was minister of trade and industry and then minister of agriculture.

Two times, he aspired to be the president of Nigeria. First was in the 1977 primary through the National Party of Nigeria which he lost to Alhaji Shehu Shagari, who came first while Maitama Sule was second. Ciroma came third.

In 1992, he again sought to be the president on the platform of the National Republican Convention.

Ciroma was born on November 20, 1934 in Potiskum, in Yobe state.

He attended Borno Middle School, Barewa College, Zaria, where he came first in his class, and went on to the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology to prepare for university. He entered the University of Ibadan in 1957 and graduated in 1961.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 22, 2018

SOCIALMEDIABITS

with DEMOLA OJO demola.ojo@thisdaylive.com

Last week on social media, Basketmouth cracked Femi Otedola’s ribs, God ‘speared’ Dino Melaye, there was a gust of Nigeria Air, and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala got on board Twitter...

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ocial media - especially Twitter and Instagram – increasingly reflects the mood of the general public.

Thoughts and intentions are presented directly from source; unfiltered, and in many cases, on impulse.

Previously seen as the playground of entertainers, social media is now a tool for politicians and businessmen also, to communicate directly with their followers.

Everyone seems to have caught the bug.

This is typified by billionaire oil magnate, Femi Otedola, who joined both platforms this year. He regularly shares motivational words, as well as pictures chronicling his lifestyle.

So in tune is he, that he has been crowned “King of Instagram” by one of his daughters. At the moment, he has over 300,000 instagram followers. These are numbers he can influence directly in seconds from his phone.

Of course, the motive behind each post – and generally, his active social media presence - is something observers mull

over.

Early in the week, he put up a picture with Basketmouth, taken in the popular comedian’s house. There is, surely, more to this than rib-cracking jokes.

Later in the week, fellow tycoon Tony Elumelu showed us a more relaxed side to him. The Heirs Holdings boss ditched the suit, white shirt and red tie for black tees, slacks and trendy black kicks. “New York is always a good idea,” he told his 272 thousand instagram followers.

Not so rosy for Dino Melaye, who after an alleged assassination attempt, got schooled by a Twitter troll. That’s the danger of social media; little protection from those throwing darts. Or spears.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s new national carrier was launched at the Farnborough Air Show in London. The brand, without planes. It’s fair to say the reactions are as polarised as the current political climate.

Rueben Abati suggests it’s ‘air’ without Cont’d on pg 81

JULY 22, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

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SOCIALMEDIABITS ‘ways’. We say, what’s in a name?

Linda Ikeji wants to know too. With a selfnamed brand as big as some corporations, let’s just say she has more than a passing interest. But men care less these days, we believe. Ask Mr Wellington. He’s more enthralled by his wife’s attributes than the moniker she goes by.

Physical attributes and a lot of style were on show at the Elite Model Look Lagos, last week. Not only on the runway. Some guests stole the show. We have our favourites: Nenesi Ibru and Tania Omotayo were a picture-perfect twin-act.

Picture-perfect is what Apapa traffic isn’t.

It is an eyesore, not to talk of the man-hours lost, as well as the security challenge it

poses.

The Lagos State Government is at its wits’ end, surely. It stated the obvious reasons for the persistent gridlock without offering a solution. Rather, it pointed the finger at the Federal Government. Who will spare us?

Surely not Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who must have her hands full after yet another international appointment, this time as a director with social media behemoth, Twitter.

She “looks forward to contributing to the strong and visionary future for Twitter,” she said, and described it as a “global platform that is such a strong connector of people and ideas.” And, yes, she said this on Twitter.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ULY 22, 2018

Bukar Abba Ibrahim: The Poorlitics Ideologue Former Governor of Yobe State and the current All Progressives Congress (APC) senator representing Yobe East, Bukar Ibrahim, is proposing a new approach to politicking in Nigeria. In his new book, Poorlitics, to be launched this week, Joseph Ushigiale examines Senator Ibrahim’s proposal on teaching younger politicians how to use the principles of progressive political leadership to attain success

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enator Bukar Abba Ibrahim needs no introduction. He shot to prominence when he won election to become the first governor of Yobe state and went ahead to win a second term. After his two terms, he again contested and won to represent his Yobe-east senatorial zone and is currently serving his third term.

An accomplished politician in his own right, Ibrahim has emerged as a grassroots politician with footprints spread across the entire Yobe state as evidence of his service-oriented style of politics.

Drawing inspiration from political greats like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Mallam Aminu Kano and several others whose brand of politics was people-based, Ibrahim sided with the people. After graduation, he joined the Borno State civil service and was eventually appointed as the commissioner for works.

When Yobe State was created by the Gen. Ibrahim Babangida regime, he contested the governorship election at the age of 42 with just N20, 000 in 1991. The odds were stacked against him because he was taking on powerful opponents with godfathers, huge war chest and logistics. He just had friends who opted to support him with their cars and the people. It eventually turned out that his major support came from the people he had helped who decided to pool their resources together to provide the rest of the funds.

The people fought attempts to rig him out and he won with a landslide. Since then, Bukar has become one of the most successful Nigerian politicians. He has been elected governor three times. He has also been elected as a senator three times.

Ibrahim Today, Ibrahim’s sight is set on a new project, ‘Poorlitics’. He believes strongly that Nigeria needs a new approach to politics, which is generally seen as a costly investment. To ensure success, many politicians

put vast amounts of personal funds into publicity, bribes, thugs, rigging and other expensive practices.

Failure could mean being ruined for life. On victory, politicians are often forced to make a profit to reward supporters, rather than focus on services to the people.

As a politician with several footprints of political success stories as testimonials, he campaigned with very little funds and no thugs. He left a legacy of zero political thuggery in Yobe state. Many people have wondered about the secrets of his success. He said Poorlitics is to explain how he did it. Ibrahim believes that with the people fully behind you, you do not need much money, thugs or godfathers to succeed in politics.

Poorlitics – as the name implies revolves around the politics of the poor; the politics of mass mobilization or a mass movement – it is also about practical, projectbased, progressive political leadership. It is practical because it works. It is project-based because it affords “you to build trust, love and support with your people, through practical projects that benefit them”.

Ibrahim explained: “It is progressive because it is people-oriented. When done consistently for some years before seeking office and people are convinced of your sincerity, they will give financial support and vote for you repeatedly in democratic elections. It is based on a simple idea. The poor make up the majority.

“If they are behind you, you need little money and no thugs to defend yourself, your votes and your victory. I would dedicate my future years to teaching younger politicians how to use the principles of progressive political leadership, to become politicians that succeed, no matter how poor they are.

Ashafa’s Character of Effective Representation Sixty-three today, the Lagos East Senator, Gbenga Ashafa, is a worthy example of effective representation, writes Shola Oyeyipo

C

oming from the civil service obscurity to an active political engagement, the Senator representing Lagos East, Gbenga Ashafa isn’t just a household name, he has equally found for himself, an enviable place in the state’s body polity.

Never shy to discuss his tottering start, he speaks today with such authority that presents a man, who has grown from a place of learning to one who now boasts knowledge in his new calling. From delivering on the rudimentary functions of a lawmaker to paying attention to other life-changing essentials, Ashafa has built sufficient trust in the people of Lagos East.

This is why apart from being a senator with cognate experience; he is also a member of the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), combined with his role as the Vice Chairman (South-west) of the Southern Senators Forum.

He has seized the opportunity of his time in the Senate to leverage opportunities for his people, in addition to developing the capacities of his people in a sense that agrees with the notion that the future belongs to the knowledge economy.

This, of course, explains why he has paid attention to critical infrastructure as prerequisite to the capacity development of his people. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Land Transport, Ashafa has been of great help in terms of lending legislative support to the executive to achieve a complete turnaround of the Railway Sector.

This is evidenced by the overhauling of some of the legislations surrounding the Nigerian Railway Sector by repealing the Nigerian Railway Corporation Act 1955 and replacing it with the Nigerian Railway bill 2016, which was passed by the senate on July 21, 2016.

This new law represents a radical departure from the norm as it has effectively broken down the railway sector into the regulatory and operations components in line with international best practices, thereby creating a level playing field for private and state sector participation.

In identifying the issues of regulation as a major challenge facing the Nigerian Transport system, his committee is currently working on the passage of the National Transport Commission Bill, which seeks to create a multi-modal transport sector economy and safety regulator.

He is also pursuing a Bill for an Act to provide

Ashafa for the Transportation, Protection and Facilities of Employees and other matters connected therewith (2016). The purpose of the Bill is to protect and enforce the safety and dignity of Nigerian workers by ensuring that employers make provision for safe and convenient means of transportation for their workers.

These have not however inhibited other legislative engagements. For example, Ashafa has so far sponsored six bills, including The Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Amendment Bill 2016; The Chartered institute of Logistics and Transport Bill 2016; The City University of Technology Bill 2016; Sporting Tax Holiday Bill 2016; The Nigerian Postal Bill 2017 and The Nigerian French Language Village Establishment Bill 2017.

Further to these, he has also sponsored nine motions as well as co-sponsored and contributed many

more. Some of them are the recent fuel tanker tragedies on Nigeria’s highways; Nigerians involvement in Illicit global drugs trade and increase in domestic drug abuse by Nigerian youth; motion on the rising incidence of jungle justice among Nigerians; motion on urgent need for the Nigerian police force and other security agencies to intervene in the increased rate of kidnapping in the Lagos east senatorial district and securing the waterways.

There were others like the motion on the outbreak of meningitis. Urgent need to curb the spread and stop further deaths; motion on inadequate releases in the 2017 budget and the need to expedite releases in order to stimulate the economy; motion on the preventable economic loss and national embarrassment accruing from the failure of the federal government to complete the national library after 11 Years.

His motion on the need to minimize the possibility of air mishaps and near fatalities in Nigeria; motion on the need to enforce stricter driving regulations against petrol tankers, trailers and other articulated vehicles across Nigeria have combined to show a man desirous of a promising future for his people.

When these are put together with his unceasing empowerment and capacity building initiatives, Ashafa easily comes to mind as a quintessential example of what the characters of effective representation should be especially, at the level of the senate. What more, there is no better time to shed light on the qualities of a man, who stands tall amongst his peers than the occasion of his 63rd birthday.

Born in the Luther/Bamgbose/Campos area of Lagos Island on July 22, 1955, Ashafa is the second child of a commodity merchant, Lawal Kakanfo Ashafa, and a textile and gold merchant, Tesmot Ojuolape Elemoro.

With his foundation education firmly rooted at Christ Church Cathedral Primary School, Broad Street, Lagos in 1961, he grew to run the full course of resounding education, both at home and abroad, before venturing into the Lagos civil service, where life began for him in full circle.

There is no debating the fact that life has been kind to him, which of course, does not mean he hasn’t had his fair share of its many curves. But his ability to stay above the fray and embrace his challenges as rather stepping stone is the reason life might have smiled at him. He obviously has reasons to clink glasses on the occasion of his 63rd birthday.

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JULY 22, 2018 ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

THE COVER

Some voters flash their voter cards. Are they doing this for money?

After Ekiti, Ondo, Edo, Anambra, Is Vote-buying the New Way?

NIGERIA I From Edo to Ondo, Anambra, Ekiti and in view, Osun, the culture of vote-buying appears to be gaining ground with impunity in the nation’s electoral process, a situation that may have elevated the standard of electoral malpractices and compromised the integrity of electoral mandate.The danger is clear if not checked, writes Olawale Olaleye

t actually started in 2012, in Ondo State, during the re-election of former Governor Olusegun Mimiko. Although for each state and its election bout, the idea is often modulated to suit their present reality, thus graduating from state to state, the culture of vote-buying effectively openly started in Ondo in 2012.

During the 2012 re-election of Mimiko, then ruling party in the state, the Labour Party, encouraged voters to take money from the opposition but urged them to still go ahead and vote their conscience. The Labour Party called it ‘Yahoo Politics’, a rather strange move that informed an article by THISDAY then titled: “The Age of Yahoo Politics”.

The Ondo election was tension-soaked and because the former governor feared that a former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, with whom he had a running battle, was determined to influence the outcome of the poll by installing his stooge at the time, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, who is currently the governor of the state, Mimiko’s campaign came up with the idea of Yahoo politics and it worked magic.

Two things they did. They blacklisted Tinubu as planning to annex the state as part of his political empire and therefore urged the people to resist him and his candidate, both of whom had since fallen out. The second was encouraging the people to take the money of the opposition candidate but vote their conscience, by which they meant Mimiko and Labour Party.

Since the Ondo incident, which very few people paid little attention to, the culture of vote-buying to win elections crept into the body polity and started to assume a life of its own, moving from state to state, including Edo, Ondo again, Anambra and most recently Ekiti.

Suffice it to say that the resolve to sell votes by the people without any remorse was believed to have taken root in the usual money spinning party primaries of political parties, which always see delegates smiling home with loads of money for merely deciding the choices of candidates, while the real voters only queue under scorching sun and sometimes rain and still unable to enjoy electoral promises.

This notion, pundits believe, might have greatly influenced the growing culture of votebuying across political parties, which passes the culture down to them from delegates at party primaries, both of whom have since developed thick skins and nurse no regrets whatsoever.

And typical of Nigerians, who hardly pay attention to details, by the time the scourge revisited Ondo, it had changed style and this time, the slogan was: “d’ibo k’o s’ebe”, meaning vote and get to prepare a pot of soup. But this new electoral culture, which is potentially a huge threat to the nation’s democracy, was paid little or no attention to until the cycle returned to Ekiti this year.

Curiously, vote-buying is coming to Ekiti the second time in four years. In 2014, when the outgoing governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose assumed office, it came in the form of stomach infrastructure, an invention that swept through the political firmament of Ekiti. Yet, not a deserving attention was paid to what was no less a process abuse.

However, having been perfected over time, the latest being the July 14, governorship election in Ekiti clearly proved that if not nipped in the bud, the concept of vote-buying stands out as an electoral misfortune that waits on the side-line to undo the gains of democracy recorded over the years.

2019 Ekiti’s ‘See and Buy’

The July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State has become a subject of national ridicle, because of the dimension its vote-buying appeal assumed. Whilst vote-buying is generally not new, what was new in the last election in Ekiti was the ‘see and buy” concept, a technically reviewed version of the traditional vote-buying.

With this new system, an intending vote-seller is approached by party agents at the respective voting units and upon reaching an agreement, he is advanced some deposit, monitored through to the cubicle and as soon as he thumb-prints, he discreetly displays his ballot paper as a form of confirmation and goes ahead to get his balance from the party officials with huge stark of cash in the their possession and security officials such as the police providing security for the transaction.

This very approach was allegedly embraced by both parties in the race, the APC and the PDP. What might have differed was the purchasing power of each of the parties. Although some said it ranged between N3,000 and N4,000, others said the stake was more than that. At least, the consensus was that money exchanged hands at the polling units across the state, a gross

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After Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Anambra, is Vote-buying the New Way? ContinuedfromPage 83

INEC National Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu violation of the process.

This electoral market place was also buoyed by the alleged complicity of security agents, who watched as this illegality was perpetrated by all, albeit on the pretext that they stayed away from the ‘show of shame’ on the instruction not to interfere, because the authority did not want to be accused of exerting federal might in the stronghold of the opposition.

This model of vote-buying has since attracted the international community, to the extent that some of the international observers, who were on the ground to monitor an otherwise peaceful election, expressed the fear and reservation that the development might have tainted all the successes otherwise recorded during the exercise.

What Does INEC Say about Vote-buying?

Particularly niggling is that the culture of “cash for votes” is fast becoming a “legit electoral malpractice’ because some of the accounts on the role some of the security agencies were that they were instructed not to interfere in the ‘polling booth trading’ except to maintain law and order in the event of signs of disruption.

Yet, on the website of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in the section that addresses the frequently asked questions, two posers were raised and unambiguous answers were equally given as far as vote-buying/card-buying is concerned.

The first question goes thus: Is it legal to induce a voter to vote for someone? The answer provided by INEC was straight to the point. Here: “No. The offender is liable to N500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) or twelve (12) months imprisonment, or both.”

Further up, the second question is no less a follow-up and it asked: Is it an offence to sell voter’s card to someone else?

Again, the answer provided here is succinct.

“Yes. Any person who is in unlawful possession of any voter’s card, sells, attempts to sell, buys or attempts to buy any voter’s card whether owned by him or not, commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) or imprisonment not exceeding two years, or both.”

Perhaps, debatable here is the language use as an element walking contradiction. Voter card or vote-buying is literally the same. Whilst the electoral body did not expressly say vote-buying, it however, emphasized card-buying or selling, which basically are the same thing. If that isn’t clear enough, how about inducing voters?

NIGERIA Agents of a political party seen here inducing voters sustain the current template.

PDP’s String of Losses: Will It Get a Bounce?

PDP has lost the last four governorship elections conducted since 2015, owing largely to monetization of the electoral process. It has found itself unable to muster the level of cash that the APC currently enjoy. With the new form of vote- buying, it’s difficult to see how the party can counter it.

Unfortunately for the PDP, it cannot feign that this string of losses is of no consequences. With Edo, Ondo and Ekiti in the APC bag, not forgetting that Osun is likely if the template is deployed to use, coupled with the fact that Anambra is though not of the APC, clearly an opposition party, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the PDP might have to do more than just talking to be able to put up a good show in 2019.

This is particularly instructive, because the APC might get more vicious in the countdown to 2019. One of such indicators are the sound-bites from the recently signed Executive Order 6, by President Muhammadu Buhari, which is designed to go after people with suspicious assets.

This might come handy in 2019 and by implication, force many PDP members and their loyalists to retreat in terms of spending as a majority of them might have been sufficiently muscled up. Once this is achieved, those who would be left with money to spend would be APC members and those who have aligned with them.

What this further means is that the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, would become more useful for election purposes. Indeed, the fear of Magu would be the new normal.

is said to target the assets of no fewer than 11 former governors, ministers and other politically exposed persons, who served in the country between 1999 and 2015. With the coming into effect of this Order, Buhari plans to swoop on the assets believed to have been corruptly acquired at home and abroad by top government officials, directly and through their presumed fronts in and outside government over the years.

A THISDAY report had it that no fewer than ten former governors currently under trial for various graft-related offences have been listed by the federal government as targets for asset seizure pending the conclusion of their trials. Listed also as targets are former ministers and such other elements that purportedly aided and abetted the laundering of government funds for top politicians in the country. With a total of 155 Politically Exposed Persons, businessmen, top civil servants, private individuals and companies, who were said to have been used to launder funds already on the list, covering since 1999, the APC appears to have this cleverly knitted and Magu, definitely has enough on his hands for the period of the election.

Therefore, by consciously starving the opposition of funds and harassing them through institutions of state, the resort to vote-buying in 2019 would have been made a lot easier, because only members of the ruling party would have money to spend while members of the opposition would either be kept out of circulation or negotiating their freedom with the EFCC. Whilst this is in no way a verdict on the Ekiti election since the result could have been same without incidences of vote-buying, it however seeks to bring into focus, a dangerous electoral practice that could undermine collective democratic gains and ridicule the country before the international community.

2019

Will APC Use Ekiti Template for Osun and 2019?

How the Ekiti State election turned out has naturally focused attention on the Osun State governorship election, which is just weeks away. Even more disturbing is the fate of the 2019 general election. This is because with vote-buying gradually becoming a standard template for winning election, at least, as experienced in the last about four elections (Edo, Ondo, Anambra and Ekiti), 2019 might be in trouble.

The fear of what may become of Osun and in the final analysis, the country in 2019, is being given fillip by what has so far been playing out on the turf. There is a trend – a winning template more or less – which dwells on physically arm-twisting the electoral process in favour of the ruling party.

This, of course, is not without the abuse of privilege and position as the ruling party. With a subservient INEC and a willing security architecture, the APC appears determined to

Why Executive Order 6?

Executive Order 6, as it is known, seeks to restrain owners of assets under investigation from carrying out any further transaction on such assets. The new law

JULY 22, 2018 ˾THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

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Ekiti: The Challenges before Fayemi The outcome of the governorship election in Ekiti State, penultimate Saturday, is a verdict between reality and assumption, thus presenting the real challenges before the incoming governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Victor Ogunje writes

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kiti State’s July 14, governorship election has come and gone with the winner and loser identified. The state now needs to contend with some of the reasons behind the change of guard, which include progress and development.

The election did not evolve like a passing phase as often with most other elections in the country. The poorly rated candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Kayode Fayemi, defeated the combined forces of the hitherto generalissimo of Ekiti politics, Governor Ayodele Fayose and his anointed candidate, Prof Kolapo Olusola.

It is public knowledge that Fayose has carved a niche for himself as a vociferous politician with huge clout and cult-like followers across the state and even beyond.

His track record in retail politics is unique to him and people define him based on how he has demystified the highly dignified governorship seat.

These grassroots supports fondly give him that bravery to confront the power-thatbe as evidenced in the way he had taken on President Muhammadu Buhari since assumption of office.

Before the election, Fayose had boasted at different times that APC would get a bloodied nose by re-enacting what he did to the party in 2014. Fayemi lost in the 16 local governments to Fayose in that election. This formed part of why the former Minister of Mines and Steel Development’s triumph was confounding in a sense.

Fayemi’s victory sparked up wild ecstasy and wild jubilation among the ranks of the APC, both at home and beyond. This was not unconnected to the fact that APC never expected to stage a quick return to Ekiti Government House. They viewed Fayose from the prism of a hard nut to crack personality, who was politically invincible.

But the loss suffered by the PDP penultimate Saturday had dismissed this mystical Fayemi...a return to essential leadership posturing.

Indeed, most of the pundits, who gave predictions However, a week after Fayemi’s victory, APC is now about the election, thought that Fayemi might not be confronted with the reality ahead. The joy that accompaable to rise to stardom again taking cognizance of how nied the victory among APC members and sympathizhe fell. Rather than be decimated, his political profile ers in Ekiti is gradually waning. The members are now has soared better afterwards. looking at how they could get political reckoning in But after his loss, he started to work harder with terms of appointments as well as how best they could other progressives to ensure victory for President Muserve Ekiti for the party to recover the values lost in the hammadu Buhari in the 2015 presidential poll. This, of outgoing era, if it too must make the state its stronghold. course, earned him the ministerial position he resigned Observers therefore charge that Fayemi must not to contest the governorship seat. If the profiles of those be oblivious of one fact: his second coming is not about considered gladiators in Ekiti politics are dissected vengeance or vindictiveness, because in politics, there is today, Fayemi’s records are unsurpassable and these always another day. conferred on him the legitimacy and moral burden to be fair to all, regardless of political leaning.

The way the APC members reacted fiercely and taunted the rival PDP after the results were announced

by INEC, lent credence to the fact that Fayemi might be put under intense pressure to deal with the opposition.

The derisive position Ekiti finds itself today doesn’t deserve any governor coming on board to start engaging in political vengeance that could further exacerbate the already pathetic situation of the people. Ekiti is ranked the most educated state. Paradoxically, it is deemed to be having one of the highest incidences of youth unemployment in the country. This alone suffices to give any serious-minded government headache than to pander to any pedestrian vindictive tour that could turn the state to a battlefield.

During the electioneering, Fayemi said something that made the Ekiti situation appear disturbing. According to him, over 40,000 persons had been disengaged from the safety nets like Social Security Scheme and Youth volunteer Corps as well as other people-oriented programmes he initiated while he was governor.

The governor-elect has a lot of issues to deal with.

The ultimate goal for him is to put the state on the path to progress and development.

Unemployment is biting pretty hard in Ekiti. Many graduates have no jobs and this had made the politics more dangerous and intriguing. Poverty level had risen exponentially, which gave potency to the stomach infrastructure policy of the outgoing administration.

In 1999, elderly persons were firmly in control of politics even up to the councillorship level. Today, youths have taken over courtesy of unemployment and most of the restiveness during electioneering was caused by these unengaged youth population.

Apart from the concept of stomach infrastructure,

The APC itself did not shy away from this reality as a political party. Chairman of the party in the state, Chief Jide Awe, while congratulating Fayemi, said the electorate had voted for the candidate of their choice, who they considered as having a proven track-record of performance and integrity, and who would bring about the kind of turnaround the state deserved at this crucial period, through focused leadership, good governance, restoration of cherished values and multifaceted development

every other facet of the Ekiti economy has collapsed under the present government. Workers and pensioners have not been paid for between five and eight months in a largely monolithic civil service state.

The internally generated revenue that was undulating between N400 and N500 million under Fayemi has nosedived to below N100 million. Intervention funds from international organisations to fund Agriculture, education and cooperative societies are no longer operational. All these are issues that are begging for attentions from the coming government.

During the Fayemi’s first coming, he facilitated over N2 billion from the African Development Bank to fund youth in Agriculture. He initiated process for a grant from World Bank to establish and bankroll a strong scholarship scheme in the state among other memoranda of association his government entered into with globally respectable bodies to fast-track development. Sadly, all these have gone into extinction and needed to be reignited with a focused government in place.

What, however, makes the gloomy situation somewhat promising is the fact that Fayemi too has realised the weight of the task ahead.

Reacting to his victory, the former Minister catalogued those areas, where Ekiti has been lagging behind and these he said would be quickly addressed to launch the state back into reckoning and make it an enclave of dignity and honour.

Fayemi said he saw his reelection as an honour and that when people of Ekiti spoke, their voices were heard resoundingly. He said what Ekiti did was in tandem with the finest traditions of democracy and determination through the ballot box to change the course of one’s destiny for good.

He said he was particularly elated that the victory attested to the resilience of the people of Ekiti, whose brightness and hope never dimmed in the face of untold hardship and all forms of indignity under the PDP leadership that had ruled them like a conquered people.

The governor-elect saluted the courage of fellow candidates for enriching the process and for their civility and patriotism in accepting the outcome of this exercise, stating that he looked forward to consulting them all to secure their input as he fine-tunes governance for the years ahead.

“As we look forward to the inauguration of the new APC administration on Tuesday, October 16, 2018, I offer my assurances that we will not wait till then to bring immediate succour to you. We will proactively explore all avenues within the limits of the law, especially through the Transition Committee to be set up very soon, to ensure the outgoing administration prioritises the payment of the backlog of salaries to all categories of workers and pensioners,” he said.

With these comments, Fayemi himself knew Ekiti had never been this divided. He knew proactive steps must be stepped up to unify, mend all fences and make the state a potent force in the South-west and a leading light in the country.

Director General of his campaign organisation, Hon Opeyemi Bamidele reasoned along the patriotic line that Ekiti needed urgent unification.

In a statement issued from London, where he is recuperating, Bamidele said Ekiti people had made clear statement by Fayemi’s victory and that the APC must up the game to give them the required democratic dividends lacking under the PDP reign.

“This victory is sweet, but it is not the end to it, because the change of guard in Ekiti governorship status was a clear statement by Ekiti people that they needed to be better governed, that their welfare should be better catered for and that pose serious challenges to our party.

With this, it was evident that we have to roll up our sleeves and be prepared to hit the ground running as soon as we assume office on October 16, 2018,” Bamidele said.

The APC itself did not shy away from this reality as a political party. Chairman of the party in the state, Chief Jide Awe, while congratulating Fayemi, said the electorate had voted for the candidate of their choice, who they considered as having a proven track-record of performance and integrity, and who would bring about the kind of turnaround the state deserved at this crucial period, through focused leadership, good governance, restoration of cherished values and multi-faceted development.

With all these, time has come for Fayemi and his party to face the reality. They must project into the future and ensure they hit the ground running from October 16, for Ekiti to get the much needed lift in all spheres of her social, political and economic life.

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Edited by Demola Ojo Email demola.ojo@thisdaylive.com

F/Eagles Hammer Mauritania 5-0, Qualify for Niger 2019

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igeria’s U20 national team, the Flying Eagles, battered their counterparts from Mauritania 5-0 at the Agege Stadium in Lagos on yesterday to qualify (6-1 aggregate) for the 2019 Africa U20 Cup of Nations to be staged in Niger Republic.

Having missed the 2017 finals in Zambia following a home defeat to Sudan also in Lagos after winning in Khartoum, the class of 2018 were in no mood for small measures and showed their dominance right from kick –off, throwing everything at an equally –determined Mauritanian contingent on

a damp turf.

There were early doubts the match would go ahead due to torrential downpour, but workmen somehow made the pitch playable and the match commissioner, Sallieu Kamara from Sierra Leone, gave the go –ahead for the contest.

Crunchy tackles and flying bodies were the order of t he day as both teams showed desire.

Wasiu Alalade broke the visitors’ resistance in the 12th minute with a scorching shot right inside the box that goalkeeper Amadou Fall could do nothing to stop.

Both teams fought a fierce and furious contest throughout, but at no time was there any doubt about Nigeria’s superi-

ority and Nazifi Yahaya soon added a second when he had only the goalkeeper to beat.

Yahaya made sure of the third only two minutes after the restart, heading beyond Fall from Utin’s corner kick.

Another well –placed drive

by Yahaya was diverted for a corner by Fall, and from the resultant kick, Aniekeme Okon made it four for Nigeria.

Alalade, Yahaya and Okon came close to scoring as the seven –time African champions took the game by the scruff in the latter stages, and Norway –based Afeez Aremu would put the icing on the cake in added time when he slotted past Fall from the penalty spot after Okon was badly halted in the box.

Flying Eagles celebrate a goal

Advocates Season-long Everton Close to £50m Richarlison Deal Trump Ban for NFL Players that Kneel Everton are close to signing Watford’s Brazilian forward Richarlison in a deal that could eventually be worth £50m. He signed a five-year deal with the Hornets inAugust 2017, arriving from Fluminense for £11.5m after starring in the Under-20 World Cup. Everton boss Marco Silva was partofthemanagementteamthat brought Richarlison to Vicarage Road. The 21-year-old scored five goals in his first 12 Premier League games before his form faded.

Everton’scurrentrecordsigning is Gylfi Sigurdsson, who joined from Swansea in August 2017 for £45m.

Richarlison has not scored since November, but Silva has been keen to bring him to Goodison Park since he succeeded the sacked Sam Allardyce.

Talks over the transfer have continued even though Everton have had a strained relationship with Watford since trying unsuccessfully to bring Silva - then in charge at Vicarage Road - to Goodison Park following the dismissal of Ronald Koeman in October 2017.

Allardyce ended up replac-

During Anthem US president Donald Trump has called for NFL players to be banned for a season with no pay if they kneel for the national anthem. In May, the NFL introduced a new policy with teams fined if players fail to stand during the anthem.

Since 2016, some players have knelt to protest against police treatment of African Americans.

“Isn’t it in contract that players must stand at attention, hand on heart?”

President Trump wrote on Twitter.

Richarlison

ing Koeman in late November, with Silva sacked by Watford in January.

The fee for Richarlison represents a major gamble by Everton and a huge return on their investment for the Hornets. Everton were believed to be willing to pay about £35m but there are likely to be clauses that will take the deal closer to Watford’s asking

Roma Owner Banned Three Months by UEFA Roma owner James Pallotta has been banned from attending any Uefa game for three months - and his club fined 19,000 euros (£17,025) - after their Champions League defeat by Liverpool.

Pallottawassanctionedforcalling the match officiating an “absolute

joke”. The club were charged over insufficient organisation and a blocked stairway at the match in Rome on 2 May, and for fans settingofffireworks.Liverpoollost the semi-final second leg 4-2, but won 7-6 on aggregate.

Roma’sfinefollowsa50,000euros

(£43,632)penaltyforcrowdtrouble atthefirstlegon24April.Liverpool fanSeanCoxsufferedserioushead injuriesinanattackoutsideAnfield before that game.

Two Italian men have been charged with violent disorder in relation to the incident.

“First time kneeling, out for game. Second time kneeling, out for season/no pay!”

The NFL policy also asked that players who would refuse to stand remain in the locker room while the anthem was played.

Speaking in May, President Trump said the NFL was “doing the right thing”.

He has now called upon NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to “make a stand”.

The issue surrounding the national anthem returned to headlines on Thursday when it was reported the Miami Dolphins would ban their players for up to four games if they protested on the field.

On Thursday night, the NFL and NFL Players’ Association (NFLPA) issued a joint statement saying they were working on a “mutual resolution” and have put the two-month-old policy on hold.

F1: Vettel on Pole for German GP, Hamilton Suffers Hydraulic Failure Lewis Hamilton will start the German Grand Prix from 14th on the grid while title rival Sebastian Vetteltookastunningpoleposition for Ferrari.

Hamilton’s Mercedes suffered hydraulic failure in the first part of the session, grinding to a halt on track.

Vettel set pole from Hamilton’s team-mate Valtteri Bottas by 0.204 seconds and is now in position to extend his eight-point lead in the championship. But Bottas’ second place gives him a chance to challenge Ferrari.

The Finn edged out Vettel’s team-mate Kimi Raikkonen by 0.131secs and has the inside line on the run to the first corner for

Sunday’s race.

Bottas said: “The start is going to be crucial. Race pace-wise, it is going to be close.”

Hamiltonisconsignedtoanother fight back, but he did not sound optimistic of achieving what he did at Silverstone two weeks ago, when he was punted into a spin

by Raikkonen on the first lap but fought back to challenge Vettel for victory in the closing stages.

“It definitely was a tough one.

These things happen and all you candoistrytogatheryourthoughts and put whatever energy you have towards trying to do your best next day. Live to fight another day, another opportunity to rise,” Hamilton told BBC Radio 5 live.

“I’ll give everything to see how high I can get up but it’s not going to be like Silverstone. I am sure I will be able to get through to some point, but to where I don’t know.”

Hamilton’s problem emerged shortlyafterhehadrunwideatthe high-speed Turn One. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said the problemwas“definitelynotcaused

by Lewis’ driving”. He said that Hamiltonsufferedahydraulicleak as he was going over the kerbs at Turn One. This caused a powersteering failure, which caused the car to bounce over the rough ground as he rejoined the track.

He was unable to change gears andwasorderedtostopoutonthe circuit because the problem risked

damaging the engine.

It is the latest in a series of blows forHamiltonandMercedes,aftera doubleretirementinAustria,where they also made a strategic error, and his incident with Raikkonen at his home race.

Vettel, who grew up in Heppenheim, less than 30 miles from the track, soaked up the cheers of his home crowd and said he had alwaysfeltfromhisfirstruninfirst qualifying that he could take pole.

“Thanks to the fans. It was amazing to see so many Ferrari andGermanflags,”hesaid.“Itjust kept getting better and I knew for the last lap I had a little bit more in more. I’m full of adrenaline but so happy.”

Hamilton despondent after hydraulic failure

Sunday July 22, 2018

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MISSILE

International Observers on Ekiti State Governorship Election “Vote buying is an electoral offence; it also undermines the legitimacy of elections and weakens representative democracy” – The Regional Director for Europe, International Republican Institute (IRI), Mr Jan Suroychak at a press briefing in Abuja where he presented the verdict of international observers on the Ekiti State Governorship election.

SIMONKOLAWOLE SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE!

simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961

Between Nigeria Airways and Nigeria Air

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nytime Senator Hadi Sirika, minister of state for aviation, spoke about setting up a “national carrier”, I always switched off. Even though I like his ideas — and I still salute his single-mindedness in closing down the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for a critical runway reconstruction last year — I just could not see eye-to-eye with him on the matter of a national carrier. It was going to be a waste of time and resources, I argued. I had evidence. For decades, the Nigerian government has satisfactorily shown that it cannot run any business professionally.

There is no single commercial entity run by the government that does well. We always end up burning money.

The defunct national airline, Nigeria Airways, started off so well in 1958 but eventually crashed in 2003 as the Nigerian disease of mismanagement ate it up. Its business class seats were reserved for government officials and their cronies, girlfriends and families — most of whom flew free of charge. That is the way government business is run in our country. Nigeria Airways flew from turbulence to turbulence despite the economic opportunities in the aviation industry.

Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways and South African Airways, owned by their respective governments, were doing fairly well but our own Nigeria Airways was descending both in service quality and profitability.

President Olusegun Obasanjo assumed office in 1999 lamenting that Nigeria Airways had 32 aircraft when he left office as military ruler in 1979. Twenty years later, only one aircraft was functional. He promised to revive the airline. I was in the team of journalists that flew to South Africa in 2000 for the signing of a “lucrative” code-sharing deal with South African Airways on the Johannesburg-Lagos-New York route. We were told the deal would breathe a new life into Nigeria Airways. It was only on paper. While SAA is still going strong, our own national airline finally collapsed under heavy debts in 2003 — unable to keep head above water despite subventions and subsidies.

The climax of the sad Nigeria Airways story, as narrated by a passenger, was in May 2002.

A New York-Lagos flight was delayed for 24 hours because the airline couldn’t pay for fuel. Passengers had to contribute to fuel the aircraft. One passenger gave a loan of $5,000 to the airline. It turned out to be the last flight.

Another sad story is that of the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL), set up by government in 1959. It sank in 1995 under the weight of debts and mismanagement. All its 21 vessels were sold off. With these stories at the back of my mind, I was not excited when the Buhari administration started talking about setting up a “national carrier”.

But I am having a rethink with the unveiling of the Nigeria Air brand on Wednesday. Sirika said the federal government will own only 5% as well as raise the start-up capital for operations to commence in December. He said it is going to be a public private partnership (PPP) to be privately managed. Investors will own the remaining 95%. There is already an international drive to market the venture to partners and investors. The proposed carrier is expected to be a major player in the aviation sector, serving domestic, regional and international routes.

The business projection is that in five years, it will be carrying four million passengers and boasting of a fleet of 30 aircraft.

Sirika For starters, “national carrier” is not the same as “national airline”. Many commentators are getting the two mixed up. A “national carrier” flies the country’s flag and gets preferential treatment in international operations while a “national airline” is owned by the government.

A national carrier, sometimes called flag carrier, does not have to be government-owned. There are different models. For instance, British Airways is the UK flag carrier but it is not owned by the British government. It’s the same for Lufthansa (Germany) and Japan Airlines. But Ethiopian Airlines and EgyptAir are 100% state-owned.

Kenya Airways was wholly state-owned until 1996. It is now public-private.

Actually, my interest in Nigeria Air is fuelled by many factors. One, government will not have a say in the management. With 5% stake, it will be a minority shareholder. If the airline runs well, therefore, Nigeria will be reaping dividends rather than burning subventions. We will now have to pray that Nigeria Air will not be managed by the mindless and clueless Nigerian big men and buccaneers who have not the foggiest idea about how the airline business is run. There are too many failed examples in our aviation industry. The success of Nigeria Air will depend on the quality of management.

But, to start with, the government will not be involved. That sounds better.

Two, the benefit of solid start-up capital means we can be assured of good aircraft. When Arik launched operations in 2006, its selling point was the “tear rubber” (brand new) aircraft.

Despite all its troubles, Arik’s safety record is still intact. That is a benefit of a well-invested capital and maintenance. I once argued that government should invest in businesses that require huge capital outlay in order to spark off investors’ interest. When no investor was interested in building hotels in Abuja, federal government built Hilton and Sheraton, which it later privatised. Can you count the number of hotels in Abuja today?

Three, Nigeria is not enjoying much benefit from its bilateral air service agreements (BASA).

For instance, British Airways flies to Lagos and Abuja daily and Virgin Atlantic flies to Lagos also daily, but there is no Nigerian airline flying to the UK. Not even one flight! You are not likely to find this anomaly in many countries with a huge market like ours. According to Sirika, Nigeria Air will fly 41 international routes, in addition to 81 domestic and 40 regional. If anything, virtually every sector of the Nigerian economy should benefit from the business, not

forgetting the little matter of job creation in a country direly trying to tackle unemployment.

Four, the fact that government is investing in a business does not mean it is doomed.

A ready example is Nigeria LNG Limited, in which government owns 49% but which it does not run. It is one of the best NLGs in the world. If it was run by government, it would have become another NNPC — which is just a sleazy centre for the distribution of political patronage. We have not only recovered our investment in NLNG, we have continued to enjoy the fruits of our seed capital. Therefore, that government is investing in an idea does not necessarily doom it. What makes the difference is who manages it. The government must not have the power to play patronage politics with Nigeria Air. Five, economists will say everything has an opportunity cost. I agree that the money government is going to invest in Nigeria Air can be used for other pressing needs in education, healthcare, water, roads, bridges, and so on. However, the fact that we need roads and schools does not mean we don’t need to improve options for Nigerian travellers and incentivise competition in the aviation space.

We can do many things simultaneously. One does not stop the other. And given the expected multiplier effect, this looks like an investment worth making, all things being equal. It is more than national pride — it is sowing seed in an economic driver.

All said and done, I still have my reservations.

Virgin Nigeria was running fairly well until the Nigerian factor ruined it. Its successor, Air Nigeria, was a natural disaster. Arik was considerably successful until it was infected by the Nigerian disease of mismanagement. Our Nigerian “billionaires” are always guaranteed government bail-out whenever they ruin their businesses. The moral hazard encourages bad behaviour. If Nigeria Air ends up in the hands of these buccaneers, then its fall will be mightier than that of Nigeria Airways. Ironically, Nigeria Airways was profitable when it was managed

by KLM. Nigerians took over in the 1980s and… (please help me complete the sentence).

Lest I forget, there is still a lot of housekeeping to be done by Sirika. From the comments I have read on twitter, ex-workers of Nigeria Airways are still being owed. In September 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari approved N45 billion for the settlement of their severance benefits. The national assembly did not pass it. This issue has to be resolved before we can start a new carrier. Also, investors are expected to inject between $150 million and $300million over a number of years. We need to know how much in total Nigeria will be committing to it and how the funds will be raised. We can use all the transparency at this stage. Already, the PDP has described it as a scam.

Finally, my understanding is that PPP has three stages — development, procurement and implementation. The idea has been developed.

That is what we saw with the unveiling of the brand at the Farnborough Airshow in the UK last week where the biggest guys in the global industry usually gather. The next phase is procurement. Where will we get the funds to pay for the aircraft? Will it a recoverable loan from the federal government? Will we source funds from Exim Bank, AfDB or commercial banks? We need to know. Investors are expected to inject at least $150 million by 2019. Have investors started showing interest? We need answers, Senator Sirika.

And Four Other Things…

THE DASUKI DRAMA Except there is a supernatural dimension to this issue, I still don’t know why the federal government will not release Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) from detention. The former national security adviser has been granted bail by the court countless times. Our great attorney-general, Mallam Abubakar Malami, says Dasuki was responsible for the death of 100,000 people and will not be released on bail. Does that mean Dasuki is already serving a prison sentence? Normally, it is a court of law that pronounces an accused guilty. The attorney-general would be better off arguing his case against bail in court. But he has now assumed the role of a judge. And he is even a SAN! Nigeria!!!

NYSC SAGA While we await the final word on the controversial NYSC discharge certificate of Mrs Kemi Adeosun, the minister of finance, I must confess that I have learnt a lot from this saga. For one, I never knew you have to serve even if you are 60 — as long as you graduated before clocking 30. I just assumed if you return to Nigeria after 30, you will be exempted. I also never knew that even if you never set a foot on Nigerian soil, as long as one of your parents is a Nigerian, you are automatically a Nigerian. Meanwhile, now that a generation of Nigerians are schooling abroad, I hope their parents will remind them to come home and serve, even if they will still return to live abroad. Lessons.

EKITI TEST The Ekiti governorship election was keenly fought. Dr. Kayode Fayemi won a battle that definitely took a bit of a bounce off the steps of PDP in their bid to oust APC from Aso Rock in 2019. There were reports of vote-buying by both parties (which supports my position that the PVC is highly overrated). There is also the technical bit of 18,857 voided ballots and Fayemi’s victory margin of 19,338. But even if you give all the voided votes to PDP, APC would still win. Nonetheless, I am in support of litigation by PDP. Whatever we need to do, legally, to strengthen our practice of democracy must be done. And yes, I’m so happy that nobody was killed on election day.

Progress.

AND FINALLY… It is called Freudian slip, right? Shortly after the announcement of the result of Ekiti governorship election, an excited Twitter handler at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) poetically tweeted: “The parri is over; The cloak of immunity torn apart, and the staff broken. #Ekiti Integrated Poultry Project/Biological Concepts Limited N1.3bn fraud case file dusted off the shelves.

See you soon.” The tweet was eventually deleted. However, Mr. Ayo Fayose, the outgoing governor, would still be without immunity even if his candidate had won.

Although it appeared as if Fayose himself was a candidate in the election, the EFCC guy was still overzealous. Pathetic.

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